• Dr. Alonso Arellano, academic at the Department of Metallurgical Engineering, conducts a Dicyt research which seeks patterns that allow the projection of a possible earthquake or volcanic eruption of great magnitude, through the analysis of high-resolution satellite images.

Predicting an earthquake is one of the highest aspirations of the researchers in this field worldwide. In a country like Chile, which is considered highly seismic, this search has become an essential need. In this context, a new process for early detection of earthquakes arises: the analysis of high resolution satellite images.

Dr. Alonso Arellano conducts a project funded by the Department of Scientific and Technological Research (Dicyt) in this field of research. He felt motivated in 2004 while he was doing a Ph.D. at the State University of Russia and subsequently investigated related phenomena, such as the case of the Popocatepetl volcano, located in the south of Mexico.
Through his project, called "Use of high-resolution satellite images for the study of strong earthquakes and related phenomena", additional information is sought to identify more patterns and better statistics.

Based on this information, associated phenomena could be addressed, through the analysis of high resolution satellite images for earthquake precursors. "To achieve this, images are analyzed before, during and after the earthquake. Then, each image is scanned in order to find typical structures, veins, fractures, faults, and thus confirm existing or new patterns,”  Arellano said.

According to this researcher, the study is based, on the assumption that the stress of the Earth’s crust can be seen in the form of lines. "The lines are visible when processing high resolution images captured by satellites, although they develop over 30 kilometers deep. For this reason, these images have become an important tool to detect areas of potential earthquakes,” he remarks.

Although in the last decade many similar investigations have been carried out by the international group led by Dr. Arellano in Chile, and by Dr. Dimitar Ouzounov in the United States, this study will differ in two aspects:  first, the use of the Chilean satellite FASAT Charlie, if the agreement with the Air Force, through the Aerophotogrametric Service, becomes effective. The second aspect is the use of software for the study of images, developed at the University of Santiago, Adelgeo.

Dr. Arellano’s collaborators are Ph.D. students in Engineering Science (Automatic and Process specializations) and the Master’s degree in Geomatics. As noted by professor Arellano, "they play an important role, because their motivation to do new things nourishes the investigation."

By Lorena Jimenez

• In the context of a series of seminars ran by the Department of Environmental Sciences of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, Dr. Ricardo Salazar informed about the scope of the research on treating waters contaminated by textile and pharmaceutical industry effluents through electrochemical methods.

In order to inform about the progress made by the Laboratory of Environmental Electrochemistry’s research group, Dr. Ricardo Salazar gave the presentation “Elimination of persistent organic pollutants in water by using electrochemical methods,” in the context of a series of seminars organized by the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.

The activity gathered together academics and students who learned about the research being conducted at Universidad de Santiago with regards to eliminating organic compounds in water through advanced oxidation electrochemical processes. Particularly, the presentation referred to the Fondecyt project called “Degradation of dye-containing effluents from textile industry through electrochemical oxidation,” in which Dr. Salazar is the responsible investigator.

The objective of the study is to decontaminate waters that contain dyes and additives by means of electricity and solar energy, avoiding the use of chemical reactants.

“Today, we are working on the treatment of real samples of textile industrial effluents. To do so, we have built a pilot plant to treat larger volumes of contaminated water. We are also testing new electrodes for the process and we have extended the contaminant spectrum to pharmaceutical industrial effluents,” Dr. Salazar says about the status of the study, in which Dr. Julio Romero, from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering of Universidad de Chile, takes part as a co-investigator.

SERC Chile

Thanks to his achievements in this field, Dr. Salazar has accepted an invitation to take part as an investigator in a FONDAP project for the Chilean Solar Energy Research Center, SERC Chile, an agency that seeks to become a world leader in solar energy scientific research, with a particular emphasis in developing the potential of the Atacama Desert, Chile.

“I was invited as an associate investigator in the research line of “Solar Water Treatment”, which is coordinated by Dr. Lorena Cornejo Ponce, tenured professor at the Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Industrial, Informática y Sistemas (EUIIIS) of Universidad de Tarapacá. The idea is to contribute to the treatment of persistent organic pollutant-containing waters and their treatment through Solar photoelectro-Fenton degradation”, he says.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Through a Fondecyt Project led by Dr. Gustavo Zúñiga, a research team of Universidad de Santiago is carrying out measurements of the mosses at the Collins Glacier and the Ardley Peninsula, in order to analyze the impact of global warming on these populations and identify their tolerance mechanisms to resist environmental changes.

Dr. Gustavo Zúñiga, researcher at Universidad de Santiago; Marisol Pizarro, a graduate student of the Biotechnology PhD program of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, and  Gustavo Zúñiga-Líbano, an undergraduate student of the Biotechnology Engineering Program of the Faculty of Engineering, are now at the “Profesor Julio Escudero” base of the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH, in Spanish) studying the impact of global warming on Antarctic mosses in the context of the Fondecyt Project "Metabolomic responses of the Antarctic mosses Sanionia uncinata and Polytrichastrum alpinum to global warming".

While the researchers are in the Antarctica, they aim to establish a baseline with regards to the effect that global warming is having on the region and, particularly, to identify the environmental tolerance mechanisms of the Sanionia uncinata and Polytrichastrum alpinum mosses. In order to reach these goals, the study involves collecting samples and measuring the environmental variables in the Collins Glacier and the Ardley Peninsula.

“We must consider that the Antarctic Peninsula has been one of the areas most affected by global warming; in spite of this, there are no studies up to date regarding the response to this phenomenon at a molecular level and there are no studies that correlate the stress conditions that these species are enduring in the Antarctica, either,” Dr. Zúñiga explained. The study aims to describe the physiological and molecular changes caused by the increase in temperature, UVB radiation and the availability of water for these mosses.

The members of the Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Laboratory of the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology; Hans Köhler, a graduate student of the Biotechnology PhD program, and Dr. Rodrigo A. Contreras- who traveled in December to the Unión Glacier polar scientific station to work in the project by studying the lichens of the area– have also contributed to this study.

• Dr Manuel Azócar, professor at the Department of Chemistry of Materials of Universidad de Santiago was recognized as the best scientific publication reviewer in the Material Science Engineering C international journal. The expert is also a reviewer in other six different journals in this field in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Dr Manuel Azócar, professor at the Department of Chemistry of Materials of Universidad de Santiago was recognized as the best scientific publication reviewer in the Material Science Engineering C international journal, for reviewing around 30 papers in one year.

He is also a reviewer for other six journals in the field for which he usually evaluates the standard: an average of 5 article submissions. However, for the journal that recognized him, he evaluated an outstanding number of papers, so it demanded a very intense work. He expressed his gratitude for this recognition and said that he has reviewed works from the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Dr Azócar has also published in the Material Science Engineering C journal since 2014 before becoming a reviewer.

He became a reviewer on his own merit, studying materials with potential medical applications, specifically metals like copper and silver, which have antibacterial properties to combat bacteria, viruses and fungi, among other microorganisms.

All the articles undergo an expert “blind review”. This means that the author does not know who is evaluating his/her article. The committee is made up of two reviewers and they decide if the article is accepted or not. If there is a tie, they may call for a third opinion.

Dr Azócar says that the process for the approval of scientific publications is very rigorous. “I rejected 60% of the articles. This usually happens, because in science, the standards to accept articles are very strict. Most of the article submissions are usually rejected for writing problems, poor contributions, and poor quality and lack of novelty,” he explains.

Scientific connectivity

The Materials Science and Engineering C: Materials for Biological Applications journal can be digitally accessed and Universidad de Santiago has subscribed to it, so academics can log in through the university account.

He says that information at a scientific level is increasingly democratising. “Many things have changed in science, like open access articles (PDF) which publication costs are paid by the authors and networking sites, like ResearchGate, a sort of “Facebook” for scientists,” he adds.

Goals and expectations

Dr Azócar expects to continue both publishing and reviewing at an international level. “Being considered at a global level is very interesting. They should know that there are people in Chile with a voice to give opinions on specific issues,” he explains.

He says that the journal has helped him in his professional positioning and career. “All these references help scientists to be good professionals, to be formally recognized and valued by the university. Besides, this benefits my future research work, because it gives me more credibility in my field of work. In the scientific career, the scientist is constantly growing up in time,” he concludes.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Santiago Peredo, professor at the Technological Faculty of Universidad de Santiago, has shown that using natural fertilizers like humus and compost are suitable for growing vegetables. His project was awarded funds through the last Scientific and Technological Research Department (Dicyt) contest.

   

  The objective of the study “Estructura comunitaria de la mesofauna edáfica en sistemas de cultivos hortícolas manejados con aplicaciones de compost”, led by Dr Santiago Peredo Parada of the Department of Agricultural Management of Universidad de Santiago, is to show that natural fertilizers are the best alternative for growing vegetables.

  The study has been conducted in a demonstration center in Buin (Metropolitan Region), under the real management conditions of small scale producers in areas where lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, chard, tomato and carrots, for example, are grown.

  According to the National Statistics Institute (INE, in Spanish), the horticultural surface of the country reaches 70 thousand hectares:  14% of them correspond to corn, 10% to lettuce and 7% to tomato. Many of these products are exported to foreign markets, so it is important that they comply with high standards of quality. Besides, they are major components of the country’s diet and small scale producers are their main suppliers.

  Agro ecological research

  One of the main challenges posed by an agro ecological study is the unpredictable behavior of climate at implementing the experimental design.

  Dr Peredo is studying the variation of soil mesofauna in this farming systems to determine the amount and type of organisms present in a cropland, and how they vary (or not) when two organic fertilizers are used: compost and humus. 

  When using these natural fertilizers, soil mesofauna communities are the expected to modify their structures in different ways. Natural fertilizers are important because they activate the biology of the soil, contributing to improve the fertility of the soil and the development of crops.

  The idea is that the soil contributes to the fertility of the plant, avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers. “Soil life will provide the optimal conditions to get the nutrients required by crops. This process is slow as it is necessary to create a balance in the soil that allows delivering the nutrients available,” he said.

  Benefiting the ecosystem

  Dr Peredo’s study has shown two significant results so far. On the one hand, the organisms that abound in the soil correspond to the same functional groups detected by studies conducted abroad: mites and springtails. On the second hand, changes in community structure are more evident during the crop development and in relation to the type of crop, when comparing with previous projects.

  The researcher highlights the importance of using this type of natural fertilizer, because “we should not only consider farming requirements, but also the needs of the soil organisms.”

  “The variety of functional organisms in the soil contributes to create the edaphic conditions for crop development by stimulating the soil’s biology. This is one of the core elements of agro ecological management. Using natural fertilizers is an efficient way of adding balanced organic matter to the soil. This practice, together with polyculture, is the base of biodiversity management in agro ecological systems,” the researcher said.

  Dr Peredo expects that his research line “will contribute to reassess the criteria for the granting of subsidies in soil reclamation and improvement programs, among others, and also to create new state incentives and aids. For us, it is imperative to conduct applied research under real conditions that allow an agro ecological transition at a parcel level.”

   

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• The death of fish caused by pathogenic agents is a major problem for the national aquaculture industry. For this reason, researchers at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology are developing a project to generate a new immunization strategy.

 

The death of fish caused by pathogenic agents is a major problem for the national aquaculture industry. For this reason, researchers at the Aquaculture Biotechnology Center of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology are developing a Fondecyt Initiation Project to generate a new immunization strategy.

According to the Undersecretary of Fishing and Aquaculture, in 2013 the fishing production was 2.9 million tonnes, 1.2 million of which were allocated for exports. Thus, our country stands out for its aquaculture industry, being one of the largest salmon producers worldwide, right after Noruega.

However, one of the major problems faced by this industry is the number of diseases caused by pathogens like Piscirickettsia salmonis, a bacterium that causes tissue damage and loss of appetite in fish, leading to fish death, decreased production, reduced quality of the product and the subsequent social impact.

According to Dr Sebastián Reyes, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, “We only need to remember the health emergency caused by ISA virus in salmon farming. It caused social damage, because all communities related to aquaculture ended like ghost towns.”

A project to contribute with salmon farming industry

Through the Fondecyt Project 11150807 “Passive immunization as a new control strategy against Piscirickettsia salmonis,” researchers seek to propose an innovative and effective alternative to combat this bacterium that only affects fishes in Chile. For this purpose, they are working on a passive immunization strategy that involves stimulating the immune system’s cells to prevent the Piscirickettsia salmonis from spreading.

“We suggest stimulating the fish by using a hyperimmune serum. The idea is to give this serum to primary cultures of infected cells from the immune system and see if the serum is able to activate them and degrade the bacteria inside. We also need to describe the infectious cycle of the bacterium studied to measure its impacts as they are unknown for now.”

The project is also supported by the ICTIO Biotechnologies Consortium, created through a CORFO (the Chilean Economic Development Agency) project, which is formed by the following entities: Activaq S.A., Australis Mar S.A., Productos del Mar Ventisqueros, Salmones Blumar and Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

The project seeks to find a concrete and viable solution for the salmon farming industry by directly involving researchers and related companies to contribute to this strategic productive sector of the country.

Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Dr Paula Zapata, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago de Chile, developed a fungicidal plastic film that degrades in a maximum of three years. This innovative product seeks to solve a common problem in food industry: the contamination by microorganisms produced between the production stage and the acquisition of the product by consumers.

   

  Dr Paula Zapata, professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago developed a double function package that seeks to solve a common problem in food industry: the contamination by microorganisms produced between the production stage and the acquisition of the product consumers. The project has been funded by the Fundación para la Innovación Agraria (FIA) and the Metropolitan Regional Government.

  According to the project’s principal investigator, in comparison to other existing products, this new packaging is a contribution, “first, for its fungicidal properties, and second, as it is made up of an eco-friendly polymer, it is environmentally sustainable.” 

  To develop this film, the research team sought non-toxic natural agents and nanoparticles in order to keep food innocuousness and human safety.

  Transfer to the market

  Dr Zapata explains that this technological development can be used in different types of industry, then she thinks that the product’s transfer to the market is very achievable. For this reason, on December 06^th, they presented the results of their work before several companies like Soprole, Multi Sport and Agrosuper, among others.

  “I expect the technological transfer process to be successful. The transfer involves different difficult stages, but with work and a good communication with the companies, and learning what they want and what they need, we will be able to achieve it,” she says.

  According to Juan Pablo Castro, Corporate Manager of the Flexible Packaging Division of Bo Packing, this project means a great contribution to the market, as they have been looking for a solution to the problems mentioned above for years.

  “I think the relation between the university and the companies is of great importance. I am a chemical engineer, so I feel involved in this research projects. Our doors are open to innovation, as it is the only way in which a country can develop 

  During the meeting, Osvaldo Quiroz, who is responsible for Networks and Outreach and Engagement at the Department of Technology Transfer of the Vice Presidency of Research, Development and Innovation, offered the company representatives the possibility of working in partnership with Universidad de Santiago.

  Undergraduate and graduate students at the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology participated in the project, which also had the collaboration of Dr Franco Rabagliati, professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences.

   

  Translated by Marcela Contreras

• His paper deals with details about how a person's exposure to carbon dioxide affects cerebral blood flow. The information was provided by experimental British patients, as part of a collaborative work with the University of Leicester.

Dr. Max Chacón, professor at the Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, was awarded the 2011 Jack Perkins Prize by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) of England, for his publication "Non-linear multivariate modelling Hemodynamics of cerebral hemodynamics with Autoregressive Support Vector Machines.”

 The award, which consists of  £ 250, is given annually to the best paper published during the year in the Medical Engineering & Physics journal, after a review carried out by a specialized committee that evaluates aspects such as the novelty and impact of the research.

 Dr. Chacon thanked the award and noted that this type of survey research confirms the good work being done in this University. "This is an important recognition for us, especially because our paper in the area of cerebral self regulation did not belong to the field of biomechanics, the journal’s strongest line of research, which could have been  the most possible winner”, he said.

The winner added that "all the profits for this recognition are indirect: for example, increasing the bonds of cooperation not only with the university we work with (Leicester), but also with other foreign institutions".

Significant contribution to medicine

The awarded paper is part of a specific area called cerebral hemodynamics. Professor Chacón  is working with two other researchers: Claudio Araya, former student of Master’s degree at the U. of Santiago, and Ronney Panerai from the University of Leicester (England).

 The cerebral hemodynamics acquires vital importance, because the estimates of international organizations involved in the field of health in Chile indicate that by 2025 more people will die from brain strokes than heart attacks. It is believed that the blood flow would be strongly linked to vascular accidents and also with a number of diseases, such as Alzheimer's, arteriosclerosis (carotid artery, mainly), head trauma, vascular dementia and diabetes, among others.

"Cerebral strokes are rising very strongly in the country and the causes are unknown. One thing that causes brain damage is the stronger flow in the arteries. It is known that the brain has a flow control system, and this means that, although the pressure varies in the body, the flow is almost constant in the brain. If there is little flow, one loses consciousness and, conversely, if there is a lot of flow an artery breakdown happens, “Chacón explained.

This mechanism, which constantly generates blood flow into the brain, is what researchers try to model through a data–based nonlinear system. This publication addresses one of the topics related to cerebral hemodynamics, because of the data given by the English researcher who provided the information based on 16 healthy patients who breathe in air with a small fraction (5%) of carbon dioxide (CO2) through a mask. The aim was to know how breathing in this gas affects the regulation of the blood flow in the brain.

"We proved that it is possible to represent changes in the inhalation of CO2 in a person by using this nonlinear model and this has metabolic implications, for instance. We know that breathing in a fraction of CO2 produces changes, which are equivalent to those experienced by people with diabetes, i.e. a metabolic problem, and these problems affect the blood flow in the same way as CO2 does it, “the researcher said.

Prize

The IPEM is an institution dedicated to joining professionals from the physical sciences, clinical engineering, the academic world, the health services and the industry, in order to share knowledge and advances in science and technology. Since 2000, it gives the Jack Perkins Prize in honor of his first journal’s editor, who died in 2000.

• The renowned Journal of Coordination Chemistry dedicated its issue 67 to Dr. Juan Costamagna, academic at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago, for his contribution to the development of this journal since 2000, when he was invited to be part of the Editorial Board. The journal aims at disseminating the investigations of renowned researchers in the field of Chemistry of Coordination Compounds in countries like the United States, France, Argentina, South Africa, and Chile, among others. 

In recognition of his significant contributions to the development of the Journal of Coordination Chemistry and in the context of his retirement from the Editorial Board, the journal dedicated a special issue to Dr. Juan Costamagna, researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of Universidad de Santiago.

The journal aims at disseminating the investigations of renowned researchers in the field of Chemistry of Coordination Compounds in countries like the United States, France, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Mexico, and Chile.

Jim Atwood, who was in charge of issue 67 called “Special Issue: To honor Professor Juan Costamagna on the occasion of his retirement", highlighted in the opening pages professor Costamagna’s “valuable opinion” and his contribution over the years “with his expertise” to the development of this publication.

Atwood pointed out that Dr. Costamagna “has been a consummate collaborator and has brought his talent to the Editorial Board of this Journal; he has published over 100 papers in the field of Coordination Chemistry and has served 14 times as the Chilean delegate to the International Advisory Committee of the International Conference on Coordination Chemistry between 1974 and 2006. He was also an Advisor to the Nobel Prize of Chemistry from 1996 to 2000”. This is the background for this special issue available since December on http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/gcoo20/67/23-24.
 

Contribution to Science

The participation of Dr. Costamagna in the journal dates back to 2000, when he was appointed to the Editorial Board by the journal’s general editor.

Since then, Dr. Costamagna has contributed with countless academic evaluations and several plenary “Online Annual Meetings” of the Editorial Board. The journal has positioned itself as a model in the field of Chemistry of Coordination Compounds. “I think I have modestly contributed to this growth and development,” Dr. Costamagna said.

Regarding his plans in the editorial work, Dr. Costamagna said that he will continue working as emeritus editor for “Communications in Inorganic Synthesis”, an online journal sponsored by Universidad de Santiago.


Translated by Marcela Contreras

• Researchers at Universidad de Santiago, in partnership with researchers at the University of California (USA), developed a software program that includes several applications to study reading comprehension in users of digital texts. They will analyze the reading tracks in students and professionals all over the country to understand the cognitive processes developed when approaching a text on screen.

New technologies have also had an impact on people’s reading habits, as a result of the widespread use of digital texts. However, according to different studies, this change has not improved reading comprehension in Chilean people.  Thus, researchers at Universidad de Santiago have developed a software program that includes several applications to study reading comprehension in users of this type of text.

“Reading comprehension is essential to any field of knowledge. If someone does not have a good reading comprehension level, it will be more difficult for him/her to understand science, mathematics and texts related to financial products or a contract, for example. For this reason, we designed computerized environments for users to develop information processing strategies that allow them to process this information in a way that eases their understanding,” Dr Héctor Ponce, professor at the Department of Accounting and Auditing and an expert in information systems, said.

To design these environments, Dr Ponce and other professors at Universidad de Santiago have developed several software applications to improve reading comprehension of digital texts by including information processing strategies, like note-taking, cause-effect diagrams, sequences and comparisons. These strategies were turned into applications that complement each other, proving the effectiveness of this technology.

The results encouraged researchers to conduct further research on how Chilean people read and understand. They are currently working on the Regular Fondecyt Project (1151092) “Facilitation of cognitive processes by means of different computer-aided information processing strategies: An eye movement analysis.”

“Although we process information in different ways, there area some repeated patterns that we are trying to identify through this study. This why we will asses the cognitive strategies that a person uses when reading,” the researcher explained.

“For this purpose, we will use a computer-connected device called ‘eye-tracker’. It detects where on the screen the user is looking at, it follows the eye movement and detects how long someone spends watching objective elements, like words, for example, or the eye movement track when processing a text, among other aspects,” he added.

To inquire into how strategies help in understanding a text, tests will be run with plain texts without strategies, and with other texts that involve individual and multiple strategies.

The research team includes experts in cognitive psychology, like Dr Verónica Figueroa, co-investigator and researcher at Universidad de Santiago, and Dr Richard Mayer, professor at the University of California (Santa Barbara), who is collaborating in the study.

The project implementation started in March this year and it will involve school and university students and professionals. The study is divided in three phases: first, the design of the material to be used; then, testing and data collection through the eye-tracking device; and finally, the analysis of the collected data.

According to Dr Ponce, the results of the study could have two potential impacts. One is the software improvement, as the most effective strategies could be assembled to understand what is being read. And the other, the possibility of improving the content presentation in textbooks and the presentation of specialized information, like the one related to online products sales, health care plans, and contracts, among others.

“In a society, it is very important for people to be able to understand what they read, as one of the natural consequences of a good comprehension is a better decision-making,” Dr Ponce stressed.

Translated by Marcela Contreras