Integration of geochemical and geophysical data at a NAPL-contaminated site

The joint use of borehole geo-electrical measurements and the chemico-physical monitoring of the subsoi is discussed; it permitted in the specific case to locate the zone characterized by intense bio-degradation activity, demonstrating the effectiveness of the integrated approac

Highlights from the SoilCAM project: Soil Contamination, Advanced integrated characterisation and time-lapse Monitoring

The SoilCAM project (Soil Contamination, Advanced integrated characterisation and time-lapse Monitoring 2008-2012, EU-FP7-212663) is aimed at improving current methods for monitoring contaminant distribution and biodegradation in the subsurfac

Private laboratories in pharmaceutical industry: Evolution and merger of capitals

Durante la última década se implementaron importantes políticas públicas en salud. Se sancionó la Ley de Investigación y Producción Pública de Medicamentos como bienes sociales pero aun no se implementó en el año 2013. En este artículo nos proponemos explorar los cambios ocurridos en la oferta de la industria farmacéutica privada de capital nacional e internacional. La conclusión de este artículo es que existe una creciente concentración y extranjerización de la industria farmacéutica en el siglo XXI. Los efectos son muy perjudiciales, en especial considerando que las actividades relacionadas con la salud como la producción de medicamentos y la investigación y desarrollo son bienes meritorios, cuya provisión debe ser accesible para el conjunto de la sociedad.The aim of this paper is to evaluate recent changes in private local and foreign pharmaceutical supply, analyzing rankings of pharmaceutical firms ordered by the amount of their annual XX, statistical information of this industry and the performance of pharmaceutical enterprises in the last decade. We found great dynamism in pharmaceutical industry in the last decade. There were important modifications in pharmaceutical supply caused by the the sale of packages of shares of local and foreign enterprises, the purchase of expired production patents by local enterprises, and the emergence of new ventures financed by the State, mainly companies composed by public organizations with national and transnational enterprises. This complex process has produced new mergers, more concentration and foreignization of pharmaceutical industry.Fil: Bramuglia, Cristina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; ArgentinaFil: Godio, Cristina de Las M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Abrutzky, Rosana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentin

La liberación inmediata de buques en procedimientos de medidas provisionales. ¿Nuevas tendencias y desafíos?

This article discusses the incidents and situations created when vessels are detained in foreign ports, and the measures that need to be undertaken to overcome these disputes, analyzing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; that not only provides a frame that all States (who have submitted) should constrain to, but also contributes to define the peaceful means for settlements intended to overcome such controversial situations. Apart from the consideration of all these regulations, jurisprudence and real precedents are explored. In first place, to perceive the way parties react towards these situations, and also to understand how the settlement of disputes be operationalized through the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. For this purpose, contemporary cases such as the Grand Prince, the ARA Libertad, and the Artic Sunrise are deepened.En el presente artículo se ven plasmados los incidentes que pueden presentarse cuando los buques y sus tripulaciones son detenidos en puertos extranjeros, y las distintas medidas a tomar ante estas controversias, analizando la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar, que no solo provee una regulación marco a la que todos los Estados signatarios deben adecuarse, sino que también contribuye con la enunciación de las distintas formas de solución pacífica creadas para superar estas situaciones. Además de considerar estas regulaciones, es necesario analizar la jurisprudencia al respecto. En primer lugar, ya que ayuda a visualizar la forma en que los Estados actúan frente a estas situaciones y asimismo para comprender cómo el sistema de solución de controversias ha sido llevado a la práctica por el Tribunal de Hamburgo. Con esa finalidad profundizamos sobre algunos casos contemporáneos como el Grand Prince, el ARA Libertad y el Artic Sunrise

FSHD muscular dystrophy Region Gene 1 binds Suv4-20h1 histone methyltransferase and impairs myogenesis

Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant myopathy with a strong epigenetic component. It is associated with deletion of a macrosatellite repeat leading to over-expression of the nearby genes. Among them, we focused on FSHD Region Gene 1 (FRG1) since its over-expression in mice, X. laevis and C. elegans leads to muscular dystrophy-like defects, suggesting that FRG1 plays a relevant role in muscle biology. Here we show that, when overexpressed, FRG1 binds and interferes with the activity of the histone methyltransferase Suv4-20h1 both in mammals and Drosophila. Accordingly, FRG1 over-expression or Suv4-20h1 knockdown inhibits myogenesis. Moreover, Suv4-20h KO mice develop muscular dystrophy signs. Finally, we identify the FRG1/Suv4-20h1 target Eid3 as a novel myogenic inhibitor that contributes to the muscle differentiation defects. Our study suggests a novel role of FRG1 as epigenetic regulator of muscle differentiation and indicates that Suv4-20h1 has a gene-specific function in myogenesis

Age-related changes in bile acid synthesis and hepatic nuclear receptor expression

BACKGROUND:Recent data highlighted the role of nuclear receptors in the transcriptional regulation of the limiting enzyme of bile acid synthesis, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, in cellular and animal models. This study was designed to analyze the effects of age on cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and related nuclear receptor expression in human livers.DESIGN:Surgical liver biopsies were obtained in 23 patients requiring operation on the gastrointestinal tract. mRNA levels of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and related nuclear receptors and co-activators were assayed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Serum levels of 7alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, a marker of bile acid synthesis, were assayed by gas-liquid chromatography:mass spectrometry.RESULTS:Ageing was inversely correlated with serum 7alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and with cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase mRNA levels (r = -0.44 and r = -0.45 on a semi-log scale, respectively, P < 0.05). Among different nuclear factors, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase mRNA best correlated with hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 (r = 0.55 on a log scale, P < 0.05); hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 levels were also inversely correlated with age (r = -0.64 on a semi-log scale, P < 0.05). Age was inversely correlated with serum insulin-like growth factor-I levels, which were directly correlated with hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase expression. No suppressive effect of short heterodimer partner expression on cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase was observed.CONCLUSIONS:Ageing associates with reduced bile acid synthesis, possibly related to decreased hepatic expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 and consequently of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase. Age-related modifications of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis might play a role. These findings may help to elucidate the pathophysiology of age-related modifications of cholesterol metabolism

Electromagnetic Properties Monitoring to Detect Different Biodegradation Kinetics in Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil

The electromagnetic properties (electrical permittivity and electrical conductivity) of three different soil mesocosms polluted with diesel oil were monitored using a time-domain reflectometry probe for 8 months. The main target of the research was to establish a relationship between the development of biological activity within the mesocosms and the temporal behaviour of electromagnetic properties. The trend of the electromagnetic properties exhibited different responses that could be related to the composition of the mesocosms and their variation with time during the runs. We considered three different mesocosms with similar soil conditions and the same diesel oil concen-tration: porosity of 45%, volumetric diesel oil content of 9%, and volumetric water content of 15%. The first one was subjected to a natural attenuation (NA), the second one was biostimulated without inoculation (BS), and the third one was biostimulated with inoculation (BS + IN). The biostimu-lated mesocosms showed a marked decrease in electrical permittivity and electrical conductivity, whereas the naturally attenuated mesocosm did not show these variations. Between the biostimulated mesocosms, the inoculated one showed the fastest variations in the electromagnetic properties. The microbial activity and the pollutant degradation were evidenced by the analyses performed at the end of the experiment. As demonstrated by the results for the fluorescein diacetate analysis, the microbial activity was a bit higher for the inoculated microcosm, which also showed faster variations of the electromagnetic properties. In the biostimulated mesocosms, the removal of diesel oil was 66% and 72%, respectively. With natural attenuation, there was a limited removal efficiency, in the order of 2%. Even if the electromagnetic properties evidenced different kinetics of bioremediation in BS and BS + IN, both were able to successfully degrade similar percentages of the contaminant after 8 months. The long monitoring revealed that a substantial decrease in the electromagnetic properties happened only in the first month after contamination. Additionally, an increasing trend of the permittivity was detected in the following months, before reaching a steady-state condition. This study revealed that biodegradation processes with acceptable overall removal efficiency can be monitored successfully by observing the variations in the electromagnetic properties

Los principios generales de derecho como fuente del derecho internacional público

This work review and analyzes the general principles of law as source, used&nbsp;by the interpreters of public international law and provides a distinction of this principles respect the principles of public international law. The article includes current doctrinal views and the most relevant case law.El presente trabajo repasa y analiza los principios generales de derecho como fuente utilizada por los intérpretes del derecho internacional público y distingue aestos de los principios generales del derecho internacional. El artículo incluye opiniones&nbsp;doctrinales y la jurisprudencia más relevantes

LA NACIONALIDAD COMO DERECHO HUMANO EN SITUACIÓN DE APÁTRIDAS Y SU RECEPCIÓN CONSTITUCIONAL

Statelessness and its recognition institutes the support to access a correct legal qualification, essential for those individuals in need of protection resulting from State recognition and to avoid, likewise, that those who possess nationality are considered –incorrectly– as stateless. This work notes the relationship between both institutions and their possible reception in the National Constitution of the Ar- gentine Republic (1994), as well as their justification within the so-ca- lled “Constitutional Body of Law”, from the last judgment of the Supreme Court on this matter. In conclusion: Argentina is a country governed by the Rule of Law and this Constitution recognizes rights on every human. Each person is entitled to equality before the law and equal protection of the laws.La apatridia y su reconocimiento constituyen el pilar para acceder a una correcta calificación jurídica, imprescindible para aquellos individuos necesitados de la protección derivada del reconocimiento estatal y evitar, de igual modo, que aquellas personas poseedoras de nacionalidad resulten consideradas –incorrectamente– apátridas. El trabajo constata la relación entre ambas instituciones y su posible re- cepción en la Constitución Nacional de la República Argentina (1994), así como su justificación dentro del denominado “Cuerpo de Derecho Constitucional”, a partir de la última sentencia de la Corte Suprema en esta materia. En conclusión: Argentina es un país que se rige por el Estado de Derecho y su Constitución reconoce derechos a todo ser humano. Cada persona tiene derecho a la igualdad ante la ley y a la igual protección de las leyes

El derecho del mar contemporáneo

El derecho del mar, como institución, comienza a desarrollarse a partir de los descubrimientos portugueses y el comercio con las Indias a través de las rutas que bordeaban el continente africano, intensificándose su práctica a finales del Siglo XV. Sin embargo, el debate jurídico sobre los mares y océanos, que cubren casi 3/4 partes del planeta, se remonta históricamente a poco más de cuatrocientos años cuando Huig van Groot escribió, en 1609, Mare Liberum, Sive, De Iure Quod Balavis Competit Ad Indicata Commercia Dissertatio, pregonando por una tesis que consistía, básicamente, en entender al mar como un espacio autónomo con reglas jurídicas propias y diferenciadas de espacios terrestres que reconocía, en particular, la libertad de la navegación.Fil: Godio, Leopoldo. Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires; Argentina.Fil: Godio, Leopoldo. Universidad Católica Argentina; Argentina.Fil: Godio, Leopoldo. Universidad de Flores; Argentina