Session THREE

María Sofía Gómez Mansur. Un estudio de caso del sistema político libanés

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

Este proyecto de investigación analiza el sistema político del Líbano entre 1989 y 2017, a partir de la firma de los Acuerdos de Taif, que pusieron fin a la guerra civil e instauraron un nuevo modelo institucional. Desde la Ciencia Política, el estudio se inscribe en el análisis de los regímenes consociacionales, en los que el poder se distribuye entre comunidades segmentadas, como en el caso libanés, donde la confesionalidad estructura la representación política.

El modelo consociacional libanés asigna cuotas fijas de poder a distintos grupos religiosos, buscando estabilidad mediante consenso y equilibrio interconfesional. Esta “democracia de religiones” ha permitido evitar la hegemonía de una sola confesión, pero también ha generado clientelismo, parálisis institucional y obstáculos para una ciudadanía unificada.

El Líbano constituye una excepción democrática en un Medio Oriente mayoritariamente diverso, aunque enfrenta tensiones internas derivadas de su segmentación estructural. La hipótesis central plantea que este sistema permite procesar demandas sociales diversas, pero al costo de limitar la gobernabilidad y la modernización política.

Este trabajo busca contribuir al debate sobre los regímenes consociacionales y su viabilidad en contextos de pluralismo profundo, donde la identidad religiosa está institucionalizada como base del poder político.

Manuel Guaresci Pascual. Transformación Curricular en Química: Estrategias para el Éxito Estudiantil en Ingeniería

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

La formación en Química para los estudiantes de las carreras de las Facultades de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo les proporciona herramientas clave para desarrollar el pensamiento crítico, sumamente importante para la profesión.

Uno de los factores que más contribuyen al desgranamiento y deserción estudiantil es el fenómeno de retraso en el avance normal de las trayectorias académicas. Este fenómeno es multicausal y puede estar asociado a características personales del estudiante, como su situación familiar y socioeconómica, formación académica previa y motivación personal, entre otros. Estas circunstancias obligan a los actores del proceso de enseñanza a actualizar la educación superior manteniendo altos niveles académicos de calidad.

Este proyecto propone analizar los resultados del cursado en los espacios curriculares de Química para las carreras de Ingeniería en ambas facultades. Se considerará el número de inscriptos anuales, la cantidad de estudiantes que rinden exámenes parciales, los que finalizan el cursado y aquellos que logran regularizar y/o promocionar el espacio curricular, entre otros indicadores. Este análisis permitirá observar la variación anual en el número de estudiantes inscriptos, así como aquellos que regularizan y/o promocionan los espacios curriculares de Química y los que, a pesar de estar inscriptos, no cursan.

La segunda fase de este proyecto se centrará en desarrollar estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje que faciliten a los estudiantes alcanzar los resultados de aprendizaje propuestos en los espacios curriculares de Química para las carreras de la Facultad de Ingeniería, y se evaluará la factibilidad de implementar dichas estrategias en la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias.

Angeles Valentina Robles Maass, Renata Salatino. La complejidad de la enseñanza de la historia frente a las problemáticas del siglo XXI ambientales, políticas, culturales y educativas

Co-authors: Adriana A. García, Martina Parejas

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

El aporte fue realizado dentro del Proyecto de Investigación “La Complejidad De La Enseñanza De La Historia Frente A Las Problemáticas Del Siglo XXI. Ambientales, Políticas, Culturales Y Educativas”. Dicha investigación, se despliega centralmente del marco teórico de la Historia Cultural, en conjunto con la memoria y las emociones en las experiencias límites.  Se inquirió principalmente en las experiencias traumáticas de mujeres cautivas en la ESMA, durante la dictadura cívico-eclesiástica-militar argentina. Entre esas mujeres, se investigó el caso de Silvia Labayru, ex-miembro de Montoneros y secuestrada en 1976.

El escrito expone el secuestro, tortura y cautiverio, como así también la liberación y el exilio de Silvia Labayru. Analizando las rutas del dolor, por medio de dicho testimonio, que además se encuentra atravesado intrínsecamente por el terror. Se analizan las secuelas psíquicas, emocionales y sociales de Silvia dentro de dicho contexto que conjura una experiencia límite, en donde se convivió con el dolor, el miedo y la violencia.

Es así como desde la perspectiva de la posmemoria, se reflexiona sobre cómo situarse frente al sufrimiento del otro sin banalizar ni deshumanizarlo. Lejos de limitar el análisis, la dimensión afectiva y ética habilita una comprensión más profunda de los testimonios, desde el reconocimiento y la dignificación. En conjunto, se expone con la finalidad de impregnar una significación demostrativa de los hechos, que compongan otra mirada del pasado reciente. Comprendiendo a la experiencia humana como una composición de mundo-cerebro-cuerpo, situado, atravesados por el campo emociona.

Maite Olagaray Mitjans. Technology and function of the inca pottery of the Northwest of mendoza: Tambo Real de Ranchillos  

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

The site Tambo Real de Ranchillos is an Inca tambo located in the Uspallata Valley (in the high mountains of the Northwest of Mendoza). The pottery collection, which belongs to Museo de Ciencias Naturales y Antropológicas Juan Cornelio Moyano, is made of the fragments excavated by Carlos Rusconi in 1939, and, to a smaller degree, of donations made by Morales Guiñazú. The two main goals of this project are to conduct technological and functional analysis of the Ranchillos pottery, and to understand the circulation of goods to be able to tell local groups from groups that were moved to the south end of the Inca Empire as part of their domination politics. Moreover, maintaining and keeping the integrity of this pottery collection helps to increase the value of museum collections. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the anthropology of technology under the direction of Cristina Prieto-Olavarría. The entire collection was analyzed by assembling and keeping the order and integrity of the collection. Technological analysis is focused on surveying attributes such as morphometry, color, decoration, and surface treatment. Functionality is approached through morphometry and use-wear analysis. Additionally, post-depositional traces were examined. The results obtained so far suggest that the fragments are of both local and non-local origin, including Diaguita (from the Norte Chico region of Chile), Viluco-Inca (local), and from northwestern Argentina. This work is part of the following projects: "SIIP UNCUYO Project. Code G023-T1" and "PIP CONICET Project. 11220220100690CO".

Abril Gelabert.  Richness and biodeterioration of lichens on fossils from the Paleobotany collection (LPPB)

Co-autores: Renato Andrés García, Gonzalo Javier Márquez, Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche 

Universidad Nacional de la Plata, La Plata, Argentina

Lichens are organisms formed by the symbiosis of at least one fungus and one alga or cyanobacteria. This allows them to survive in extreme conditions and grow on almost any surface. For these reasons, they play a crucial role in ecosystems, contributing to soil formation by deteriorating rocks and participating in nutrient cycling by trapping minerals and sediments. These processes are caused by the physical action of hyphae and the release of organic acids.

This, however, can also occur in structures of cultural interest, which causes problems for heritage conservation, for example, when they grow on archaeological remains, sculptures, fossils, among others.

The paleobotanical collection of the Museo de La Plata (LPPB) is composed of 15,500 macrofossils, in addition to approximately 200 taxa and approximately 500 corresponding specimens. These collections come from Argentina and other countries around the world. The objective of this study was to identify the lichen species that grew on fossil remains of the LPPB and to observe the biodeterioration associated.

A visual inspection of the collection was conducted and fossils with lichens growing on them were selected. The species found were identified by recognizing their morphoanatomical characteristics, observing their ascis and spores, and spot tests with I, K, and C. The damage caused by lichens was also superficially observed and classified.

Twenty-six specimens were found, identifying two families, 12 genera, and 11 species. Two taxa had a foliose morphology, and the rest had a crustose morphology. The observed biodeterioration caused by lichens were fractures, surface damage, and the obscuration of some of the imprints. Thus, lichens can negatively interfere with the conservation of heritage and the study of fossil remains.

Maria del Pilar Alurralde. Use of nebulizable ibuprofen-arginine for the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced chronic pulmonary fibrosis

Co-authors: Lautaro Belleze, María Soledad Alvarez, Leonardo Salvarredi, Claudia Castro

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

Ibuprofen arginate (Ibu-AR) provides, in a single preparation, a COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) enzyme inhibitor and a substrate for the NOS (nitric oxide synthase) enzyme. This new formulation is highly soluble because L-arginine makes ibuprofen more soluble in water and facilitates its rapid absorption through the mucous membranes. This combination, administered via the lungs, is a highly effective formulation that results in a faster onset of action compared to ibuprofen administered orally, and could be a novel therapeutic strategy with the potential to prevent and treat radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), a serious complication of radiotherapy in thoracic neoplasms. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of this mobilizable pharmaceutical compound on irradiated C57BL/6 mice. RILI was induced by a single dose of whole-body irradiation (5 Gy γ-ray). Following administration of Ibu-AR (10 mg/mL) or a physiological solution via nebulization for a period of 30 days, functional analyses were performed. The radiation did not modify the biochemical parameters measured in mice serum. Histological analysis of lung tissue, using Masson's trichrome staining, revealed an increase in collagen fibers in the irradiated animals (p=0.001). It is important to note that this increase was mitigated in animals treated with Ibu-AR, which exhibited a significant reduction in pulmonary fibrosis. It is evident that oxidative stress increased substantially in the irradiated animals. However, this stress decreased significantly following Ibu-AR treatment. Assessment of cell senescence in lung sections revealed a notable proportion of senescent cells in the irradiated group. However, this proportion was substantially decreased in mice treated with Ibu-AR. Research findings show that the expression of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and iNOS was significantly reduced by Ibu-Ar in the lung tissue of irradiated mice. Inhaled IBU-Ar has the potential to become an effective therapeutic tool for the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, with the result that patients undergoing thoracic radiotherapy will experience an improvement in quality of life.

Elena Brown. Clinical and Economic Implications of Mental Health and Gastrointestinal Disorder Comorbidity in Adolescence and Young Adults in Hospital Care: A Cross-sectional Analysis

The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Using data collected nationwide from emergency room visits, this cross-sectional analysis examins how mental health condition intersect with inflammatory GI disorders in 14–24-year-olds. We compare length of stay, complications, mortality, and costs across diagnostic groups using ICD-coded cohorts. Findings highlight likely PTSD underdiagnosis and worse outcomes when GI inflammation co-occurs with MHCs, underscoring the need for improved screening and integrated care pathways. 

Hailey Hein. The Mind-Body Relationship A Historic and Scientific Perspective

The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.

This research explores historical and scientific perspectives on the mind-body relationship and its significance in healthcare across cultures and time. Last semester, I presented this research through a self-led educational event with nine posters tracing its evolution from Ancient Greek holistic views to modern integrated approaches. Building on this, my project will continue as a two-semester Honors Thesis podcast, expanding on these topics and delving deeper, aiming to reach a broader audience and highlight the importance of health humanities. 

Alexis de Urraza. Validation of the Intermittency Transition Model Combined with Surface Roughness in RANS Simulations of Cylinders and Airfoils

Co-authors: Juan Manuel, Torres Zanardi 

Universidad Nacional de la Plata, La Plata, Argentina

As part of a research project analysing the effect of surface roughness and erosion on wind turbine performance, this study evaluates the capabilities and limitations of Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations in predicting the transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layers on cylinders and airfoils with surface roughness, as well as the resulting aerodynamic drag. Numerical simulations are performed at different Reynolds numbers with varying surface roughness and are compared against experimental data. The simulations are conducted in ANSYS Fluent, using the k-ω SST (Shear Stress Transport) turbulence model in combination with the γ-transition model.

Raksha Vikram Aditya. Comparing Vascular BKCa Channel Function in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

The University of Arizona

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disrupts cerebral blood flow partly through impaired vascular smooth muscle large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BKCa) channels. We compared BKCa function in aged wild-type and 5x-FAD AD mice to adult controls using patch clamp electrophysiology. In aged mice, DTT partially restored activity, suggesting reversible oxidative modifications. Perforated patch recordings showed reduced BKCa currents in aged mice and greater suppression in 5x-FAD mice. These results indicate vascular dysfunction in aging and AD can be partly attributed to BKCa dysfunction.