The coastal cliffs of the area between Punta Iglesias and Arroyo Los Cueros (General Pueyrredón and Mar Chiquita Counties, Buenos Aires Province) host a number of highly relevant paleontological sites. These geoforms have provided large collections that comprise the pool of local and national museums, representing essential tools for understanding the geological, biological and socio-cultural processes of the regional past. However, according to the results obtained here, the heritage in this area evidence a critical vulnerability state as a result of systematic increase of coastal erosion and the anthropogenic disturbances on local geoforms. For these reasons, we required the implementation of coastal management programs that consider the local heritage significance according to the current legal protection framework. The existence of favorable characteristics in local communities could provide an opportunity to address the problem by integrating different social sectors, directly or indirectly affected. In order to coerce arrangements to guarantee protecting the vulnerable areas, we suggested to the agencies involved joint development an "Integrated Heritage Management Plan" considering the characteristics of each sector. Particularly, we claim about the need to establish a protected area on the cliffs of Camet Norte (Mar Chiquita County), where there is a deposit of exceptional conditions in the Pampean Region, currently under continued deterioration plight.

Los acantilados litorales del área comprendida entre Punta Iglesias y Arroyo Los Cueros (Partidos de General Pueyrredón y Mar Chiquita, Provincia de Buenos Aires) albergan una serie de sitios de gran importancia paleontológica. Estas geoformas han brindado cuantiosas colecciones que integran el acervo de museos locales y nacionales, representando herramientas esenciales para comprender los procesos geológicos, biológicos y socio-culturales del pasado regional. Sin embargo, dicha área evidencia un estado crítico de vulnerabilidad patrimonial como consecuencia del incremento sistemático de la erosión costera y las alteraciones antrópicas sobre las geoformas locales. Estas circunstancias obligan la implementación de planes de manejo costero que consideren la relevancia del patrimonio local de acuerdo al marco de protección legal que rige sobre estos bienes. Asimismo, la existencia de características propicias en las comunidades locales podría representar una oportunidad para abordar la problemática mediante la integración participativa de los sectores directa o indirectamente afectados. Se sugiere a los organismos implicados, la elaboración y articulación conjunta de un "Plan de Manejo Integrado del Patrimonio" considerando las particularidades de cada sector a los fines de coaccionar medidas que garanticen el resguardo de los bienes en riesgo. Especialmente, consideramos necesario el establecimiento de un área protegida sobre el frente acantilado de Camet Norte (Partido de Mar Chiquita), donde existe un yacimiento de condiciones excepcionales dentro la región pampeana y bajo una grave situación de deterioro continuo.

A Ilha de Martín García está localizada na parte alta do Rio de la Plata, ao sul da desembocadura do Rio Uruguay. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar a biodiversidade dos moluscos de água doce da ilha e sua relação com variáveis ambientais. Doze pontos de amostragem foram selecionados: cinco foram ao longo da seção litoral da ilha e sete em lagunas interiores. Sete variáveis ambientais foram medidas: temperatura da água e do ar, porcentagem de saturação de oxigênio, oxigênio dissolvido, condutividade elétrica, sólidos totais dissolvidos e pH. Vinte e seis espécies de moluscos foram encontrados: Antillorbis nordestensis, Drepanotrema kermatoides, D. cimex, D. depressissimum, Biomphalaria tenagophila tenagophila, B. t. guaibensis, B. straminea, B. peregrina, Chilina fluminea, C. rushii, C. megastoma, Uncancylus concentricus, Hebetancylus moricandi, Stenophysa marmorata, Heleobia piscium, H. parchappii, Potamolithus agapetus, P. buschii, P. lapidum, Pomacea canaliculata, P. megastoma, Asolene platae, Corbicula fluminea, Eupera platensis, Pisidium sterkianum, P. taraguyense e Limnoperna fortunei. A análise de agrupamento das espécies com base em sua ocorrência em diferentes condições ecológicas revelou dois grupos principais de espécies. A Análise de Correspondência Canônica sugere que a distribuição das espécies é relacionada com a condição físico-química da água. No eixo dois do diagrama de ordenação apresentado, há cerca de 96% de correlação entre as espécies e as variáveis ambientais. O oxigênio dissolvido, a condutividade, a temperatura da água e pH apresentaram as maiores oscilações durante o período de amostragem. A riqueza de espécies (S) apresentou relações principalmente com a temperatura da água e a condutividade. A biodiversidade de gastrópodes e bivalves da Ilha Martín García é de 26 espécies. Entre os Gastropoda, a família Planorbidae exibe a contribuição mais importante. O Lithogliphidae P. agapetus. (26,28%) e P. buschii (9,50%) apresentaram as maiores frequências relativas de ocorrência dentro dos ambientes costeiros, enquanto o Planorbidae D. cimex (23,83%) e D. kermatoides (11,59%) também apresentaram frequências expressivas nas lagunas interiores.

The Island of Martin Garcia is located in the Upper Río de la Plata, to the south of mouth the Uruguay River. The aim of the present study was to analyse the biodiversity of the island freshwater mollusks and their relationships to environmental variables. Twelve sampling sites were selected, five were along the littoral section of the island and seven were Inland ponds. Seven major environmental variables were measured: water and air temperature, percentage of oxygen saturation, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and pH. Twenty-seven mollusk species were found, Antillorbis nordestensis, Biomphalaria tenagophila tenagophila , B. t. guaibensis, B. straminea, B. peregrina, Drepanotrema kermatoides, D. cimex, D. depressissimum, Chilina fluminea, C. rushii, C. megastoma, Uncancylus concentricus, Hebetancylus moricandi, Stenophysa marmorata, Heleobia piscium, H. parchappii, Potamolithus agapetus, P. buschii, P. lapidum, Pomacea canaliculata, P. megastoma, Asolene platae, Corbicula fluminea, Eupera platensis, Pisidium sterkianum, P. taraguyense and Limnoperna fortunei. UPGMA clustering of species based on their occurrence in different ecological conditions revealed two main species groups. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis suggests that the species distribution is related to the physico-chemical condition of water. Axis two of the ordination diagram displayed the approximately 95.6% of the correlation between species and environmental variables. Dissolved oxygen, conductivity, water temperature and pH showed the highest fluctuations during the sampling period. The species richness (S) showed relationships mainly with water temperature and conductivity. The biodiversity of the gastropods and bivalves from Martín García Island amounts to up to 26 species. Among the Gastropoda, the Planorbidae family made the most sizeable contribution. The Lithogliphidae P. agapetus (26.28%) and P. buschii (9.50%) showed the highest relative frequencies of occurrence within the littoral environments, while the Planorbidae D. cimex (23.83%) and D. kermatoides (11.59%) likewise did so in the inland ponds.

On February 27, 2010 at 03:34:08 AM an Mw8.8 earthquake, with epicenter located off Cobquecura (73.24°W; 36.29°S), severely hit Central Chile. The tsunami waves that followed this event affected the coastal regions between the cities of Valparaíso and Valdivia, with minor effects as far as Coquimbo. The earthquake oceurred along the subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate beneath the South American plate. Coseismic coastal uplift was estimated through observations of bleached lithothamnioids crustose coralline algae, which were exposed after the mainshock between 34.13°S and 38.34°S, suggesting the latitudinal distribution of the earthquake rupture. The measured coastal uplift values varied between 240±20 cm at sites closerto the trench along the western coast of the Arauco peninsulaand 15±10 cm at sites located farther east. A maximum valué of 260±50 cm was observed at the western coast of Santa María Island, which is similar to the reported uplift associated with the 1835 earthquake at Concepción. Land subsidence values on the order of 0.5 m to 1 m evidenced a change in polarity and position of the coseismic hinge at 110-120 km from the trench. In four sites along the coast we observed a close match between coastal uplift values deduced from bleached lithothamnioids algae and GPS measurements. According to field observations tsunami heights reached ca. 14 m in the coastal area of the Maule region immediately north of the epicenter, and diminished progressively northwards to 4-2 m near Valparaíso. Along the coast of Cobquecura, tsunami height values were inferior to 2-4 m. More variable tsunami heights of 6-8 m were measured at Dichato-Talcahuano and Tirúa-Puerto Saavedra, in the Biobío and Arauco regions, respectively, to the south of the epicenter. According to eyewitnesses, the tsunami reached the coast between 12 to 20 and 30 to 45 minutes in areas located closer and faraway from the earthquake rupture zone, respectively. Destructive tsunami waves arrived also between 2.5 and 4.5 hours after the mainshock, especially along the coast of the Biobío and Arauco regions. The tsunami effects were highly variable along the coast, as a result of geomorphological and bathy-metric local conditions, besides potential complexities induced by the main shock.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemiology has changed, affecting an increasing number of children. As in adults, the disease predominantly affects the digestive and respiratory systems. Aim: To report the gastrointestinal problems in HIV infected pediatric patients. Patients and methods: Twenty four HIV infected children (nine male, aged 1 to 12 years old, followed for 1 to 170 months), are reported. This group has been under care by a multiprofessional team. Results: Oral candidiasis was present in 21 (88%), esophagic candidiasis in 3 (13%), oral ulcers in 4 (17%). Diarrhea was observed in 18 children (75%) and in eight, it had a chronic evolution. Cryptosporidium parvum was the most frequent agent found in six cases (1 with acute and 5 with chronic diarrhea). Schlerosing cholangiopathy was observed in one case, with a fatal outcome, in association to microsporidiosis. Upper endoscopy was done in 11 patients, demonstrating microscopic inflammatory changes in esophagic, gastric and duodenal epithelia in all. Conclusions: Digestive problems are common in HIV infected pediatric patients. They must be always sought actively. Endoscopy is a valuable tool for the early diagnosis of these problems (Rev Méd Chile 2003; 131: 19-24)