En los últimos años, la exhibición y el consumo de cine han atravesado una serie de transformaciones a nivel global. El artículo indaga en las características y en la dimensión que estos cambios han adquirido en la Argentina desde... more
En los últimos años, la exhibición y el consumo de cine han atravesado una serie de transformaciones a nivel global. El artículo indaga en las características y en la dimensión que estos cambios han adquirido en la Argentina desde mediados de siglo XX, con cierto énfasis en las últimas décadas, y a partir de las estadísticas disponibles. Centralmente, las variables analizadas son: cantidad de salas, cantidad de espectadores y recaudación. Con estos datos se construyeron algunos indicadores que contribuyen a tener una dimensión de la magnitud de los cambios, los cuales se presentan bajo la forma de una reconfiguración del espectáculo cinematográfico. El análisis es acompañado de una descripción de las fuentes disponibles, una periodización de la historia del cine y una serie de conceptualizaciones que complementan y contribuyen a comprender mejor lo que las cifras señalan.
The modern challenge for improving plant growth and reducing costs justifies the development of an Automated Irrigation System that will minimize the wastage of water and reduce labor and monitoring overhead. The key objective of this... more
The modern challenge for improving plant growth and reducing costs justifies the development of an Automated Irrigation System that will minimize the wastage of water and reduce labor and monitoring overhead. The key objective of this project is to develop an indigenous low cost solar powered irrigation and fertigation system controlled by a microcontroller. The microcontroller performs user defined functions by monitoring the set point of the soil moisture sensors along with humidity and temperature sensors and outputs commands to drive appropriate actuators (relay, solenoid valves, motor).
The aim of this paper, especially written for educational therapists, is twofold. First, it is to provide educational therapists a systematic symptomatological-nosological framework to identify or distinguish learning disruptions (LDs)... more
The aim of this paper, especially written for educational therapists, is twofold. First, it is to provide educational therapists a systematic symptomatological-nosological framework to identify or distinguish learning disruptions (LDs) and/or behavioral disruptions (BDs) ranging from their simplicity per se based on their respective triad of key symptoms/impairments up to multiple complexity of LDs and BDs. Second, it is also to help educational therapists as well as other allied professionals in the field of special education to identify and categorize all different LDs and BDs amidst the wide spectrum of diverse types and subtypes with varying degrees of severity. In this way, with a more accurate identification of LD/BD, an appropriate intervention plan can be designed to treat the disability/disorder concerned, instead of just having a name and a list of symptoms associated with a specific LD and/or BD, which is no longer an efficient way of identifying disabilities/disorders. In the current millennium of the 21st century, new research studies, especially with the emerging of the Science of Complexity, are uncovering the complexities as well as multiplexities behind all the challenging issues associated with LDs and/or BDs.
In recent years, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectroscopy advancements have made it a sensitive, flexible tool for probing biological interactions. Here, we describe the basic principles of this nanoparticle-based sensing... more
In recent years, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectroscopy advancements have made it a sensitive, flexible tool for probing biological interactions. Here, we describe the basic principles of this nanoparticle-based sensing technique, the ways nanoparticles can be tailored to optimize sensing, and examples of novel LSPR spectroscopy applications. These include detecting small molecules via protein conformational changes and resonance LSPR spectroscopy, as well as coupling LSPR with mass spectrometry to identify bound analytes. The last few sections highlight the advantages of single nanoparticle LSPR, in that it lowers limits of detection, allows multiplexing on the nanometer scale, and enables free diffusion of sensors in solution. The cases discussed herein illustrate creative ways that LSPR spectroscopy has been improved to achieve new sensing capabilities.
This review investigates optical sensor platforms for protein multiplexing, the ability to analyze multiple analytes simultaneously. Multiplexing is becoming increasingly important for clinical needs because disease and therapeutic... more
This review investigates optical sensor platforms for protein multiplexing, the ability to analyze multiple analytes simultaneously. Multiplexing is becoming increasingly important for clinical needs because disease and therapeutic response often involve the interplay between a variety of complex biological networks encompassing multiple, rather than single, proteins. Multiplexing is generally achieved through one of two routes, either through spatial separation on a surface (different wells or spots) or with the use of unique identifiers/labels (such as spectral separation-different colored dyes, or unique beads-size or color). The strengths and weaknesses of conventional platforms such as immunoassays and new platforms involving protein arrays and lab-on-a-chip technology, including commercially-available devices, are discussed. Three major public health concerns are identified whereby detecting medically-relevant markers using Point-of-Care (POC) multiplex assays could potentiall...
Because the variable ability of the antibody constant (Fc) domain to recruit innate immune effector cells and complement is a major factor in antibody activity in vivo, convenient means of assessing these binding interactions is of high... more
Because the variable ability of the antibody constant (Fc) domain to recruit innate immune effector cells and complement is a major factor in antibody activity in vivo, convenient means of assessing these binding interactions is of high relevance to the development of enhanced antibody therapeutics, and to understanding the protective or pathogenic antibody response to infection, vaccination, and self. Here, we describe a highly parallel microsphere assay to rapidly assess the ability of antibodies to bind to a suite of antibody receptors. Fc and glycan binding proteins such as FcγR and lectins were conjugated to coded microspheres and the ability of antibodies to interact with these receptors was quantified. We demonstrate qualitative and quantitative assessment of binding preferences and affinities across IgG subclasses, Fc domain point mutants, and antibodies with variant glycosylation. This method can serve as a rapid proxy for biophysical methods that require substantial sample...
A high-throughput multiplex assay for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) was developed on the basis of the existing SNPlex method designed for SNP genotyping. This SNPlex assay allows the simultaneous detection of up to... more
A high-throughput multiplex assay for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) was developed on the basis of the existing SNPlex method designed for SNP genotyping. This SNPlex assay allows the simultaneous detection of up to 48 short DNA sequences (similar to 70 bp; "signature sequences") from taxa endogenous reference genes, from GMO constructions, screening targets, construct-specific, and event-specific targets, and finally from donor organisms. This assay avoids certain shortcomings of multiplex PCR-based methods already in widespread use for GMO detection. The assay demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity. The results suggest that this assay is reliable, flexible, and cost- and time-effective for high-throughput GMO detection.
A sudden spurt in multiplex development in India since 1990, variously described as “boom”, “explosion” and “craze” in academic and media discourse, needs to be examined in relation to the changing social and economic climate of the... more
A sudden spurt in multiplex development in India since 1990, variously described as “boom”, “explosion” and “craze” in academic and media discourse, needs to be examined in relation to the changing social and economic climate of the country over the last two decades, and the resultant shifts in the Indian film industry. The official website of Fame, a company that owns a chain of multiplexes across India, in a table providing details of its “year wise stages of evolution (Milestones)”, has sections marked “Upto 1990s” and “Upto 2000”. While 1990 signalled the start of India’s economic liberalisation, 2000 is a milestone for Indian film production which was granted industry status that year. In this paper, I will discuss these developments and their impact in relation to the evolution of multiplexes. Being an integral part of India’s burgeoning leisure economy, the multiplex has had a profound impact on the consumption patterns of Hindi popular cinema. How can we situate the multiplex within India’s shifting leisure practices and how does it function as a symbol of cultural and social capital for the urban populace, especially the middle class? The paper will investigate the “co-evolution” of the shopping mall and the multiplex, and will be an extension of the discussion on the changing filmgoing practices of the middle class. I shall look at how both the mall and the multiplex form essential parts of a wider leisure economy that drives the middle class’s escalating consumerist tendencies.
A new approach to multiple-access based on finite field transforms is investigated. These schemes, termed Galois-Division Multiple Access (GDMA), offer compact bandwidth requirements. A new digital transform, the Finite Field Hartley... more
A new approach to multiple-access based on finite field transforms is investigated. These schemes, termed Galois-Division Multiple Access (GDMA), offer compact bandwidth requirements. A new digital transform, the Finite Field Hartley Transform (FFHT) requires dealing with fields of characteristic p (p different to 2). A binary-to-p-ary mapping based on the opportunistic secondary channel is introduced. This allows the use of GDMA in conjunction with available digital systems. The performance of GDMA is also evaluated.
Extrapolation from recent disease history suggests that changes in the global environment, including virus, vector and human behavior, will continue to influence the spectrum of viruses to which humans are exposed. In this article, these... more
Extrapolation from recent disease history suggests that changes in the global environment, including virus, vector and human behavior, will continue to influence the spectrum of viruses to which humans are exposed. In this article, these environmental changes will be enumerated, and their potential impact on target-focused, nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests will be considered, followed by a presentation of some emerging technological responses.
A new screening method for the detection and identification of GMO, based on the use of multiplex PCR followed by microarray, has been developed and is presented. The technology is based on the identification of quite ubiquitous GMO... more
A new screening method for the detection and identification of GMO, based on the use of multiplex PCR followed by microarray, has been developed and is presented. The technology is based on the identification of quite ubiquitous GMO genetic target elements first amplified by PCR, followed by direct hybridisation of the amplicons on a predefined microarray (DualChip® GMO, Eppendorf, Germany). The validation was performed within the framework of a European project (Co-Extra, contract no 007158) and in collaboration with 12 laboratories specialised in GMO detection. The present study reports the strategy and the results of an ISO complying validation of the method carried out through an inter-laboratory study. Sets of blind samples were provided consisting of DNA reference materials covering all the elements detectable by specific probes present on the array. The GMO concentrations varied from 1% down to 0.045%. In addition, a mixture of two GMO events (0.1% RRS diluted in 100% TOPAS19/2) was incorporated in the study to test the robustness of the assay in extreme conditions. Data were processed according to ISO 5725 standard. The method was evaluated with predefined performance criteria with respect to the EC CRL method acceptance criteria. The overall method performance met the acceptance criteria; in particular, the results showed that the method is suitable for the detection of the different target elements at 0.1% concentration of GMO with a 95% accuracy rate. This collaborative trial showed that the method can be considered as fit for the purpose of screening with respect to its intra- and inter-laboratory accuracy. The results demonstrated the validity of combining multiplex PCR with array detection as provided by the DualChip® GMO (Eppendorf, Germany) for the screening of GMO. The results showed that the technology is robust, practical and suitable as a screening tool.
We developed a new multiplexed-PCR assay to accurately classify Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) isolates at the sublineage level by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This method relies on 7 SNPs located in different genes... more
We developed a new multiplexed-PCR assay to accurately classify Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) isolates at the sublineage level by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This method relies on 7 SNPs located in different genes of the MTC strains (recC, rec0, recR, ligB, ligC, alkA, and mgtC). Most of these genes are involved in replication, repair and recombination (3R) functions of M. tuberculosis strains, four of the mutations are synonymous, and thus neutral. Genes were chosen as a first empirical approach to assess the congruence between spoligotyping-based phylogeographical classification and SNP typing.This scheme efficiently classifies most of MTC phylogeographical groups: (1) confirming and identifying new sublineage-specific SNPs, (2) unraveling phylogenetical relationships between spoligotyping-defined MTC sublineages, (3) appropriately assigning sublineages to some spoligotypes and reassigning sublineages to other mis-labeled spoligotype signatures. This study opens the way to a more meaningful taxonomic, evolutionary and epidemiological classification. It also allows evaluation of spoligotype-signature significance towards a more comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) locus in MTC.
Three types of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) strains are currently circulating worldwide: the low-pathogenic classic and variant strains and the high-pathogenic very virulent strains. There are also natural reassortant viruses... more
Three types of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) strains are currently circulating worldwide: the low-pathogenic classic and variant strains and the high-pathogenic very virulent strains. There are also natural reassortant viruses that combine genomic segments A and B from different strains and exhibit particular pathogenic characteristics. Detection and characterization of the different IBDVs is extremely critical for improving disease control and performing epidemiologic studies. Here, we present a novel detection and genotyping method based on the simultaneous characterization of both IBDV genomic segments followed by a simple restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. This single restriction enzyme, multiplex reverse transcriptase-PCR/RFLP diagnostic test not only distinguished typical high-pathogenic from low-pathogenic strains but also detected natural reassortant IBDV. The test was based on the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), in both segments, which were strongly linked to the pathogenic phenotype. These SNPs are embedded in highly conserved genomic regions and can be identified with TfiI endonuclease. The application of this methodology in field samples confirmed that the assay is fast, specific, and may be easily adopted by any molecular diagnostic laboratory as an economical and routine method.
