Combinatiorial method for surface-confined sensor desing and fabrication

The procedure for the combinatorial fabrication of new sensing materials for cations and anions based on self-assembled monolayers (SAM) is discussed. A library of different sensitive substrates is generated by sequential deposition of fluorophores and small ligand molecules onto an amino-terminated SAM coated glass. The preorganization provided by the surface avoids the need for complex receptor design, allowing for a combinatorial approach to sensing systems based on individually deposited small molecules. Additionally the sensing system has been miniaturized to the microscale using microcontact printing and integrating the sensory SAMs on the walls of microchannels

Cross-Reactive Sensor Array for Metal Ion Sensing Based on Fluorescent SAMs\ud

Fluorescent self assembled monolayers (SAMs) on glass were previouslydeveloped in our group as new sensing materials for metal ions. These fluorescent SAMs arecomprised by fluorophores and small molecules sequentially deposited on a monolayer onglass. The preorganization provided by the surface avoids the need for complex receptordesign, allowing for a combinatorial approach to sensing systems based on small molecules.Now we show the fabrication of an effective microarray for the screening of metal ions andthe properties of the sensing SAMs. A collection of fluorescent sensing SAMs wasgenerated by combinatorial methods and immobilized on the glass surfaces of a custom-made 140 well microtiter-plate. The resulting libraries are easily measured and show variedresponses to a series cations such as Cu2+ , Co2+ , Pb2+ , Ca2+ and Zn2+ . These surfaces are notdesigned to complex selectively a unique analyte but rather they are intended to producefingerprint type responses to a range of analytes by less specific interactions. The unselectiveresponses of the library to the presence of different cations generate a characteristic patternfor each analyte, a “finger print” response.\u

Papel del logopeda en un centro gerontológico de estancias diurnas

[Resumen] El aumento de población anciana en nuestra sociedad es un hecho que ha provocado la aparición de nuevos recursos socio-sanitarios que cubran sus necesidades. El Centro Gerontológico de Estancias Diurnas es un servicio multidisciplinar diurno que se ocupa de la atención social y sanitaria, con actuación terapéutica y preventiva, de los mayores facilitando la vida laboral de las personas que se ocupan ordinariamente de su cuidado. Los centros de día deben proporcionar una atención integral debiendo, por tanto, estar constituidos por un equipo profesional multidisciplinar en el que la figura del logopeda esté presente desarrollando una labor específica. Parece, por tanto, interesante delimitar las funciones básicas a desempeñar, los trastornos más comunes susceptibles de intervención, así como, algunas directrices a tener en cuenta.[Abstract] The increase of the senior population in our society is an event that has provoked the appeareance of a new sort of social and sanitary recource, a structure that has to be concerned with the needs of this population. The gerontologic day-center is in brief a multidisciplinar service, that works during day time, treating the social and sanitary occupation of our elder with both therapeutic and preventive acts. This to provide a normal working life for the people who are usually taking care of these people. Day-centers have to answer these needs with a complete service, and for that reason they have to apile to a multidisciplinar staff in wich the speech-therapist develops a specific role. It seems though interesting to define the basic functions that a professional speech-therapist has to perform, such as the most common disorders capable of treatment and general intervention, as well derectives to bear in mind

Effect of Disorder on Ultrafast Exciton Dynamics Probed by Single Molecule Spectroscopy

We present a single-molecule study unraveling the effect of static disorder on the vibrational-assisted ultrafast exciton dynamics in multichromophoric systems. For every single complex, we probe the initial exciton relaxation process by an ultrafast pump-probe approach and the coupling to vibrational modes by emission spectra, while fluorescence lifetime analysis measures the amount of static disorder. Exploiting the wide range of disorder found from complex to complex, we demonstrate that static disorder accelerates the dephasing and energy relaxation rate of the exciton

Interoperability: maintaining clear superordinate goals, reducing task complexity, and optimizing team size to ensure inter-agency action implementation in critical incident decisions.

This study demonstrates how naturalistic decision-making (NDM) can be usefully applied to study ‘decision inertia’ – Namely the cognitive process associated with failures to execute action when a decision-maker struggles to choose between equally perceived aversive outcomes. Data assessed the response and recovery from a sudden impact disaster during a 2-day immersive simulated emergency response. Fourteen agencies (including police, fire, ambulance, and military) and 194 participants were involved in the exercise. By assessing the frequency, type, audience, and content of communications, and by reference to five subject matter experts’ slow time analyses of critical turning points during the incident, three barriers were identified as reducing multiagency information sharing and the macrocognitive understanding of the incident. When the decision problem was non-time-bounded, involved multiple agencies, and identification of superordinate goals was lacking, the communication between agencies decreased and agencies focused on within-agency information sharing. These barriers distracted teams from timely and efficient discussions on decisions and action execution with seeking redundant information, which resulted in decision inertia. Our study illustrates how naturalistic environments are conducive to examining relatively understudied concepts of decision inertia, failures to act, and shared situational macrocognition in situations involving large distributed teams

Purification of a lectin from Eugenia uniflora L. seeds and its potential antibacterial activity

Aims: The aim of this work was to analyse the antimicrobial properties of a purified lectin from Eugenia uniflora L. seeds. Methods and Results: The E. uniflora lectin (EuniSL) was isolated from the seed extract and purified by ion-exchange chromatography in DEAE-Sephadex with a purification factor of 11·68. The purified lectin showed a single band on denaturing electrophoresis, with a molecular mass of 67 kDa. EuniSL agglutinated rabbit and human erythrocytes with a higher specificity for rabbit erythrocytes. The haemagglutination was not inhibited by the tested carbohydrates but glycoproteins exerted a strong inhibitory action. The lectin proved to be thermo resistant with the highest stability at pH 6·5 and divalent ions did not affect its activity. EuniSL demonstrated a remarkable nonselective antibacterial activity. EuniSL strongly inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella sp. with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1·5 μg ml−1, and moderately inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus sp. and Escherichia coli with a MIC of 16·5 μg ml−1. Conclusions: EuniSL was found to be effective against bacteria. Significance and Impact of the Study: The strong antibacterial activity of the studied lectin indicates a high potential for clinical microbiology and therapeutic applications.VALNATURA of ALFA Programme; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-CNPq

A technique to estimate density and monitor populations of the Spotted Nothura (Nothura maculosa) in grasslands habitats

En este trabajo se propone una técnica para estimar la densidad del Inambú Común (Nothura maculosa) y evaluar cuantitativamente sus tendencias poblacionales en ambientes de pastizal. Se estimó la densidad del Inambú Común en la sierras de Tandil, provincia de Buenos Aires, mediante dos técnicas: transectas de ancho variable y transectas de ancho fijo. Para este último caso, se evaluó el supuesto de que la probabilidad de detección dentro del ancho de la transecta es igual a 1. Las estimaciones de densidad obtenidas con ambas técnicas fueron similares (1.20 ind/ha para transectas de ancho variable y 1.16 ind/ha para transectas de ancho fijo). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la frecuencia promedio de detecciones a distintas distancias de la línea de marcha dentro del ancho de faja. Se concluye que la utilización de transectas de ancho fijo es confiable y eficiente para evaluar, con un mínimo costo, las tendencias poblacionales del Inambú Común en áreas de pastizal y campos de cultivo. La densidad estimada se encuentra entre las más altas reportadas para la provincia, sugiriendo que las sierras de Tandil podrían estar actuando como un refugio para la especie.In this paper we present a technique to estimate densities and quantitatively evaluate population trends of Spotted Nothura (Nothura maculosa) in grasslands habitats. We evaluated Spotted Nothura density in the hills of Tandil, Buenos Aires Province, using two techniques: line transects with variable width and strip transects. For the latter, we also evaluated the assumption that the probability of detecting an individual within the strip was 1. Density values obtained with both techniques were similar (1.20 ind/ha for variable width transects, and 1.16 ind/ha for strip transects). We did not find significant differences among frequencies of individuals detected at different distances within the strip. We conclude that strip transects constitute a robust and efficient technique to evaluate, with a minimum cost, population trends of Spotted Nothura in grasslands and agricultural habitats. Our density estimates are among the highest reported for Buenos Aires Province, suggesting that the hills of Tandil could represent a refuge for this species.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A technique to estimate density and monitor populations of the Spotted Nothura (Nothura maculosa) in grasslands habitats

En este trabajo se propone una técnica para estimar la densidad del Inambú Común (Nothura maculosa) y evaluar cuantitativamente sus tendencias poblacionales en ambientes de pastizal. Se estimó la densidad del Inambú Común en la sierras de Tandil, provincia de Buenos Aires, mediante dos técnicas: transectas de ancho variable y transectas de ancho fijo. Para este último caso, se evaluó el supuesto de que la probabilidad de detección dentro del ancho de la transecta es igual a 1. Las estimaciones de densidad obtenidas con ambas técnicas fueron similares (1.20 ind/ha para transectas de ancho variable y 1.16 ind/ha para transectas de ancho fijo). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la frecuencia promedio de detecciones a distintas distancias de la línea de marcha dentro del ancho de faja. Se concluye que la utilización de transectas de ancho fijo es confiable y eficiente para evaluar, con un mínimo costo, las tendencias poblacionales del Inambú Común en áreas de pastizal y campos de cultivo. La densidad estimada se encuentra entre las más altas reportadas para la provincia, sugiriendo que las sierras de Tandil podrían estar actuando como un refugio para la especie.In this paper we present a technique to estimate densities and quantitatively evaluate population trends of Spotted Nothura (Nothura maculosa) in grasslands habitats. We evaluated Spotted Nothura density in the hills of Tandil, Buenos Aires Province, using two techniques: line transects with variable width and strip transects. For the latter, we also evaluated the assumption that the probability of detecting an individual within the strip was 1. Density values obtained with both techniques were similar (1.20 ind/ha for variable width transects, and 1.16 ind/ha for strip transects). We did not find significant differences among frequencies of individuals detected at different distances within the strip. We conclude that strip transects constitute a robust and efficient technique to evaluate, with a minimum cost, population trends of Spotted Nothura in grasslands and agricultural habitats. Our density estimates are among the highest reported for Buenos Aires Province, suggesting that the hills of Tandil could represent a refuge for this species.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Factors modulating herbivory patterns in Cymodocea nodosa meadows

In coastal marine food webs, seagrass-grazer interactions play a fundamental role in ecological processes by regulating the structure and functioning of plant communities. Therefore, assessing the strength of these seagrass-grazer links and identifying the mechanisms that regulate these relationships are crucial to increasing our understanding of community and ecosystem structure and dynamics. Herbivory on the temperate seagrass Cymodocea nodosa was evaluated in four locations with contrasting abiotic and biotic factors (i.e., depth; meadow size; seagrass shoot density, productivity, and leaf traits; and herbivore presence) using cross-transplantation experiments carried out once per season to account for seasonal variation. Patterns of feeding rates on C. nodosa meadows showed high temporal variability, with peaks occurring in spring and summer. Results indicate that between 46.59% and 74.08% of the annual leaf production is lost to herbivory at the locations sampled in this study. Herbivory rates increased with higher nitrogen content and shoot density for all types of consumers (mesograzers, fishes, and sea urchins). This work highlights the need to integrate the abiotic and biotic factors modulating herbivory patterns, particularly in a foundation species like C. nodosa, for which changes in plant traits and grazer abundance may trigger trophic cascades with far-reaching consequences for associated species.This study was funded by the Spanish national project CTM2011-24482 (SEA-LIVE), by the Junta de Andalucia Excelence Project PRODESCA (P12-RNM-3020)) and by Ser-Cady project (FEDER-UCA18-107451) cofinanced by the 2014–2020 ERDF Operational Programme and by the Department of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Regional Government of Andalusia. We thank Carmen Henares for field assistance