Caracterización Hidrogeológica e Hidroquímica en los alrededores de la Ciudad de Tartagal. Salta, Argentina

Fil: Boujon, P.S. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales; Argentina.En el marco del Estudio Geoambiental de Tartagal se efectuó un primer relevamiento de perforaciones in situ, con medición de niveles piezométricos y muestreo de agua subterránea. Resulta como conclusión de esta primera etapa que hay sectores donde se encuentra agua subterránea con caudales explotables de dudosa calidad química; otros sectores donde no se alcanza el nivel acuífero y una zona donde se hallan acuíferos de moderada productividad y calidad. Debido a que este análisis está restringido a un único muestreo, es importante corroborar estos resultados con un segundo monitoreo y otros laboratorios para tener mayor certeza de los resultados e informar a la población. Asimismo, se plantea una posible hipótesis de la ausencia de niveles acuíferos entre las localidades de Misión Virgen de Las Peñas entre las localidades de Tartagal y Gral. Ballivian

Archive Mining Brings to Light a 25-Year Old Astrovirus Encephalitis Case in a Sheep

In mammals, the small, positive-sense single-stranded RNA astroviruses are known as being mostly enterotropic and host-specific. Over the past years, however, they were identified several times in central nervous system tissues of humans, minks, cattle, sheep, and pigs with nonsuppurative inflammatory disease of that organ system. We recently reported such neurotropic astroviruses, amongst which bovine astrovirus CH15 (BoAstV-CH15) in two cows, and ovine astrovirus CH16 (OvAstV-CH16) in a sheep, which were genetically almost identical to one another. In order to investigate the occurrence of this virus species in Switzerland over time, we selected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) brain tissues of small ruminants diagnosed with severe encephalitis between 1969 and 2012 and screened those by immunohistochemistry for the capsid protein of BoAstV-CH15/OvAstV-CH16. We found one sheep, which died in 1992, that displayed positive immunostaining in various brain regions, and observed that immunostained cells were generally co-localized with the strongest histopathological lesions. We confirmed the virus presence with a second immunohistochemical protocol and demonstrated its close genetic relationship to other BoAstV-CH15/ OvAstV-CH16 strains by next-generation sequencing of an RNA extract from FFPE brain material. Our findings demonstrate that astrovirus BoAstV-CH15/OvAstV-CH16 existed in Switzerland already more than 2 decades ago and underline again the close relationship of the bovine and ovine strains of this virus

Using Virtual Reality Techniques to Study Cognitive Processes in Car Driving Activity

A central question in cognitive sciences is how behaviors adapted to the situations encountered are produced. This question can be addressed in different ways and often requires the researcher to choose between highly controlled and standardized laboratory situations (commonly referred to as artificial settings) and studies undertaken in natural settings which may be more realistic, but cannot be controlled as required by a rigorous scientific approach. Using car driving as an example, our study will show how virtual reality (VR) offers a compromise between these two alternatives. Indeed, VR can simulate controlled immersive environments that offer different levels of realism. Moreover, VR makes it possible to implement different devices. For instance, VR enables researchers to analyze oculomotor behavior, which is fundamental in the field of car driving and is considered an indicator of attentional deployment. The work presented in this paper is based on a car driving simulator curre ntly under development and aimed at studying the cognitive processes involved in car driving such as attentional processes and anticipatory mechanisms

The brown hare (Lepus europaeus) as a novel intermediate host for Echinococcus multilocularis in Europe

A typical multivesiculated metacestode tissue has been found in the liver of a European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) originating from a northern area of Switzerland. In this study, the causative species was identified as Echinococcus multilocularis by appropriate histological and molecular analyses and corresponding DNA sequencing. This is the first confirmation of larval E. multilocularis from hares in central Europe. The metacestode tissue contained protoscolices, suggesting that the hare may contribute to the transmission of E. multilocularis in Switzerland

Geología del Subsuelo en el Predio del Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI)

Fil: Boujon, Pamela. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales; Argentina.Fil: Conde Serra, Alejandro. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales; Argentina.Fil: Naón, Virginia. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales; Argentina.Fil: Álvarez, Dolores. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales; Argentina.Fil: Peroni, Javier. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales; Argentina.A partir del convenio de cooperación e intercambio científico entre el Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI), el Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR) y las Universidades de Urbino, Ferrara y Camerino de Italia se elaboró este primer estudio con el objetivo de conocer las características geológicas e hidrogeológicas del subsuelo del predio del INTI para evaluar la instalación de bombas de calor (geotermia somera). Para ello, se realizó una búsqueda de perforaciones referentes y aledañas, así mismo se ejecutaron Sondeos Eléctricos Verticales para obtener información del subsuelo hasta profundidades del orden de los 200 m. Los modelos resistivos obtenidos muestran que hacia el sur del predio, las formaciones geológicas y los acuíferos se profundizan y hacia el oeste, la electroestratigrafía indicaría que hasta los 145 m de profundidad se hallarían sedimentos no consolidados. Por debajo de los mismos habría un resistivo (709 Ohm.m) que podría corresponder a un sedimento consolidado. Se detectaron distintos niveles de acuíferos a profundidades de 5 m y 29 m (acuíferos Pampeano y Puelche) con valores de 19 Ohm.m a 245 Ohm.m respectivamente. Y niveles de acuícludos, acuitardos y aún acuíferos más profundos (Formaciones Paraná y Olivos) hasta los 127m de profundidad con resistividades de 0,8 Ohm.m a 212 Ohm.metro

Accurate and precise real-time RT-PCR assays for the identification of astrovirus associated encephalitis in cattle

A novel bovine astrovirus genotype species (BoAstV-CH13/NeuroS1) was recently identified in brain tissues of cattle as a plausible cause of encephalitis. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate real time RT-PCR assays for the detection of BoAstV-CH13/NeuroS1 in brain tissues of cattle. Three different primer-probe combinations were designed based on BoAstV-CH13/NeuroS1 full-genome sequences of 11 different strains identified in cattle, and established in three distinct one-step real time RT-PCR protocols. These protocols were compared regarding their diagnostic performance using brain tissues of cattle with and without astrovirus associated encephalitis. The limit of detection (LOD) of all three assays was between 1.34 × 101 and 1.34 × 102 RNA copies, leading to an analytical sensitivity two orders of magnitude superior compared to a conventional pan-astrovirus RT-PCR protocol (LOD 1.31 × 104 RNA copies). Amplification efficiency was in the range of 97.3% to 107.5% with linearity (R2) > 0.99. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the assays was determined as 100%, and all three revealed good intra- and inter-test repeatability. In conclusion, the newly developed RT-qPCRs are sensitive, specific, and reliable test formats that will facilitate BoAstV-CH13/NeuroS1 detection in routine diagnostics as well as in research settings