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Echinodorus australis Rataj, a species from southern Brazil and northern Argentina, is here synonymized under Helanthium bolivianum (Rusby) Lehtonen & Myllys.

The durability of Portland cement mortars is often affected by environmental factors, which can cause physicochemical and mechanical degradation processes. In this study, the performance of three products, calcium acetoacetate and calcium tetrahydrofurfuryloxide dissolved in two different solvents developed and tested as stone consolidants, was evaluated in terms of crack filling or sealing and consolidation. Realistic cracks were induced in quasibrittle cement mortar prisms using a custom-designed test rig. The effectiveness and the performance of the considered treatments, investigated on specimens, were evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy, colourimetry, water absorption rate, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and surface hardness measurements. Results revealed that, in the examined conditions, the products were more suitable as surface consolidants than as crack fillers.

Classification Society and ISO standard regulate the design of cathodic protection (CP) plans of ships and superyachts. However, due to shipyards’ long experience, the hull vessel protection plans often rely on an adaptation of previous CP designs for similar ships. This simple practice could expose ships to low protection or overprotection. Here, the protection plan of an existing 42 m superyacht is considered to highlight critical CP design issues. The numerical analysis gives evidence of discrepancies between the CP design proposed in accordance with ISO standard and the protection plan that was actually implemented. Indeed, for a proper protection plan, the anode weight according to the ISO standard is 2.7 kg, whereas the real protection plan uses a 7 kg anode. The numerical optimization highlights an optimal anode mass of 5 kg (−28.5% in weight). It provides sufficient protection for the expected lifetime, and will preserve the system in cases of damage to the hull and a consequent increase in the breakdown factor. This new solution underlines the importance and necessity of improving cathodic protection plan design.

Exclusive particles (e.g. just) express exclusivity inferences by negating focus alternatives to the sentence they modify. Grosz (2012) observes that they can sometimes give rise to what he calls minimal sufficiency readings, which seem to affirm, rather than negate, focus alternatives. Grosz proposes to analyze them in terms of the rank-order reading, a kind of scalar reading of exclusive particles that is independently attested. Coppock & Beaver (2014) put forward a similar analysis based on their unified semantics for different uses of exclusive particles. We point out that these previous accounts fail to capture the distribution of minimal sufficiency readings, in particular, the relevance of distributivity, and propose an alternative analysis where the scalar component of the minimal sufficiency reading comes from a covert version of even, rather than from the exclusive particle itself. Empirical support for this comes from the generalization that an overt even can be added to sentences that have minimal sufficiency readings without changing the meaning, but not to sentences that do not allow for minimal sufficiency readings. We argue that our account not only captures the distribution of the minimal sufficiency reading, but also derives the inferences involved in the minimal sufficiency reading compositionally together with the standardly assumed semantics for exclusive particles and even.

Summary: We describe an ex vivo EGF ligand internalization assay using fresh patient tumor biopsies to determine how antigen targets will be trafficked before patients receive mAb treatment. This protocol facilitates a sensitive and reproducible indication as to mAbs surface retention times during treatment. EGF uptake protocols can also be used to analyze EGFR heterogeneity and localization of EGFR in both tumor and xenograft tissue. The technology can be adapted to analyze other receptors such as PD-L1 for which methods are provided.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Joseph et al. (2019) and Chew et al. (2020).

Este trabajo pretende difundir parte de los resultados del Proyecto SECyT UCSE Educación, participación e inserción laboral de alumnos de escuelas secundarias. Zona Metropolitana Norte Buenos Aires y Centro de Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Análisis de dos realidades. El proyecto aborda los principios rectores de la Convención Internacional de los Derechos del Niño (CIDN) y su aplicación en el ámbito escolar. La investigación toma como unidad de análisis a dos escuelas secundarias para observar de qué manera se transmiten los principios de la CIDN a los estudiantes del último año, y cómo se prepara a éstos para su ingreso al mundo académico y del trabajo. Para ello recurrimos a una serie de conceptos del campo de la sociología y de las ciencias sociales. La metodología que se utiliza es cualitativa- cuantitativa, bajo la modalidad estudio de caso. Se utilizaron las técnicas de entrevista, encuesta auto-administrada, y observación participante. A partir de lo mencionado queremos en este trabajo compartir los resultados relativos a la futura inserción laboral de los estudiantes.

e propone un acercamiento al estudio de las evidencias materiales de ocupación del espacio a fines del siglo XIX, en dos sitios ubicados en el sector sur del Área Ecotonal Húmedo Seca Pampeana (AEHSP). El primero, San Carlos, se encuentra en el predio de la estancia Santa Ana en el partido de Coronel Suarez, en el sudoeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires. El otro sitio es la casa del primer intendente de la localidad de Puan, Rómulo Franco, localizada en la isla de Puan en el partido homónimo, próxima a la cabecera del distrito bonaerense. Ambos sitios presentan estructuras habitacionales remanentes, donde se evaluaron las distintas fases constructivas de las estructuras que se observan en la actualidad, con el fin de contribuir a determinar la funcionalidad del sitio. Para el análisis se consideraron las posturas teóricas de la arqueología de la arquitectura, las cuales implican estudiar la relación del ser humano con las construcciones que usa o elabora. Se intenta identificar cómo el medio es modificado y cómo los espacios construidos son diseñados con el objetivo de favorecer ciertas percepciones. Si se determina cómo los espacios son pensados y organizados para propiciar cierta percepción respecto a su entorno y a la construcción en sí misma, se puede acceder a la racionalidad del grupo que la creó y usó.

En este trabajo se propone el estudio de dos sitios específicos del sector centro-oriental de la Provincia de Corrientes, Itá Pucú y Tres Cerros, caracterizados por su ubicación a una elevada altura en el marco de un paisaje uniformemente llano. Se aplican las concepciones provistas por la arqueología del paisaje, principalmente aquellas relacionadas con la visibilidad, visibilización y control visual. A través de programas informáticos se testeó su visibilidad sobre el entorno circundante, mediante el cálculo de las cuencas visuales y el punto del observador. Se postula que los sitios abordados podrían haber funcionado como “hitos”, como referentes espaciales para conseguir orientación en el paisaje, como indicadores de caminos y límites o fronteras entre grupos que habitaron este espacio en el pasado.

Realizamos una estimación de los déficits de inversión pública en una muestra de países en vías de desarrollo, utilizando una función de demanda de inversión pública. Luego empleamos proyecciones del producto interno bruto (PIB) per cápita, previsiones de transformación estructural y tres metas de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) (pobreza, mortalidad infantil y finalización de la enseñanza secundaria de primer ciclo) para pronosticar las necesidades de inversión pública en 2030 en países de América Latina y el Caribe. Nuestras estimaciones sugieren que en 2015 el déficit total de inversión pública de esos países era de cerca de 170 mil millones de dólares (3,1 % del PIB de la región) y se esperaba que para el año 2030 este superara los 1,4 billones de dólares (12,4 % del PIB de la región) si se alcanzaran los ODS.

Purpose: To describe expected imaging features on chest computed tomography (CT) after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of lung tumors, and their frequency over time after the procedure. Methods: In this double-center retrospective study, we reviewed CT scans from patients who underwent RFA for primary or secondary lung tumors. Patients with partial ablation or tumor recurrence during the imaging follow-up were not included. The imaging features were assessed in pre-defined time points: immediate post-procedure, ≤4 weeks, 5−24 weeks, 25−52 weeks and ≥52 weeks. Late follow-up (3 and 5 years after procedure) was assessed clinically in 48 patients. Results: The study population consisted of 69 patients and 144 pulmonary tumors. Six out of 69 (9%) patients had primary lung nodules (stage I) and 63/69 (91 %) had metastatic pulmonary nodules. In a patient-level analysis, immediately after lung RFA, the most common CT features were ground glass opacities (66/69, 96 %), consolidation (56/69, 81 %), and hyperdensity within the nodule (47/69, 68 %). Less than 4 weeks, ground glass opacities (including reversed halo sign) was demonstrated in 20/22 (91 %) patients, while consolidation and pleural thickening were detected in 17/22 patients (77 %). Cavitation, pneumatocele, pneumothorax and pleural effusions were less common features. From 5 weeks onwards, the most common imaging features were parenchymal bands. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the expected CT features after lung RFA, a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for selected patients with primary and secondary lung tumors. Diagnostic and interventional radiologists should be familiar with the expected imaging features immediately after RFA and their change over time in order to avoid misinterpretation and inadequate treatments.

Lipomas of the gastrointestinal tract are uncommon benign tumors of mature adipocytes and may occur in any portion along the gut. Depending on location they may have a variety of clinical presentations and even simulate malignant neoplasms. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman who presented with acute pelvic pain. An emergency sonogram detected a hyperechogenic mass in the left adnexal region, with no vascularization on Doppler. A computed tomography confirmed the hypothesis of a fat containing tumor with signals of torsion. The patient underwent laparoscopy which depicted a mass over the antimesenteric side of the sigmoid with signs of ischemia and twisted vascular pedicle. The lesion was resected, and the microscopy confirmed the diagnosis of lipoma. The multidisciplinary team in the emergency room must be aware of these possible complications in order to optimize patient care. Keywords: Lipoma, Acute abdomen, Ischemia, Computed tomography

Mountain landscapes are generated by the interplay of endogenous and exogenous processes, whose reciprocal importance changes over times. The Italian relief reflects a high geomorphodiversity and an overview on iconic mountain landscapes, representative of the lithological-structural diversity of the Italian relief, is presented. The study cases, located along Alps and Apennines and in the Sardinia island, are exemplary for the comprehension of the role of the substratum in shaping mountain landscapes and of the deriving risk scenario. Moreover, mountain landscapes are characterized by a high potential for use in terms of: i) ideal open-air natural laboratories for multidisciplinary educational purposes including geological-geomorphological, historical and ecological topics; ii) possibility of specific outdoor activities that take advantage of outdoor sports (e.g., climbing, canyoning, speleology). These feasible and versatile opportunities favour the enhancement of such environments under different perspectives as well as the involvement of local communities and the socio-economic return deriving from mountain geoheritage management.

Abstract This article summarises the information that should be provided to women and referring physicians about breast ultrasound (US). After explaining the physical principles, technical procedure and safety of US, information is given about its ability to make a correct diagnosis, depending on the setting in which it is applied. The following definite indications for breast US in female subjects are proposed: palpable lump; axillary adenopathy; first diagnostic approach for clinical abnormalities under 40 and in pregnant or lactating women; suspicious abnormalities at mammography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); suspicious nipple discharge; recent nipple inversion; skin retraction; breast inflammation; abnormalities in the area of the surgical scar after breast conserving surgery or mastectomy; abnormalities in the presence of breast implants; screening high-risk women, especially when MRI is not performed; loco-regional staging of a known breast cancer, when MRI is not performed; guidance for percutaneous interventions (needle biopsy, pre-surgical localisation, fluid collection drainage); monitoring patients with breast cancer receiving neo-adjuvant therapy, when MRI is not performed. Possible indications such as supplemental screening after mammography for women aged 40–74 with dense breasts are also listed. Moreover, inappropriate indications include screening for breast cancer as a stand-alone alternative to mammography. The structure and organisation of the breast US report and of classification systems such as the BI-RADS and consequent management recommendations are illustrated. Information about additional or new US technologies (colour-Doppler, elastography, and automated whole breast US) is also provided. Finally, five frequently asked questions are answered. Teaching Points • US is an established tool for suspected cancers at all ages and also the method of choice under 40. • For US-visible suspicious lesions, US-guided biopsy is preferred, even for palpable findings. • High-risk women can be screened with US, especially when MRI cannot be performed. • Supplemental US increases cancer detection but also false positives, biopsy rate and follow-up exams. • Breast US is inappropriate as a stand-alone screening method.