ABSTRACT Objective. To estimate the costs incurred in the control of Aedes aegypti in the Loreto region, during the years 2017 and 2018. Materials and methods. We conducted a partial retrospective economic evaluation of the costs of Aedes aegypti control of the Regional Health Directorate Loreto, during the implementation of the Regional Plan for Surveillance and Control of Aedes aegypti. Documentation such as plans, intervention reports and payment slips were reviewed, and interviews were conducted with professional personnel involved in vector control, on the costs of control interventions. Results. We found that the costs incurred in dengue vector control in the Loreto Region in the two years were: PEN 3,807,858 and PEN 4,066,380 during 2017 and 2018, respectively (USD 1,175,264 and USD 1,1210,232 at the 2017 and 2018 exchange rate). However, the effect of control activities is short-lived. Conclusions. The high cost involved in vector control with the methods currently used and the short duration of its effect make it unsustainable. Studies should be conducted in order to find other more efficient methods for dengue control.

RESUMEN Objetivo. Estimar los costos incurridos en el control del Aedes aegypti en la región Loreto, en los años 2017 y 2018. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una evaluación económica retrospectiva parcial de los costos del control del Aedes aegypti de la Dirección Regional de Salud Loreto, durante la ejecución del Plan Regional de Vigilancia y Control de Aedes aegypti. Se revisó documentación como planes, informes de intervenciones y planillas de pago y se realizaron entrevistas al personal profesional implicado en el control vectorial, sobre los costos de las intervenciones de control. Resultados. Se halló, que los costos incurridos en el control del vector del dengue en la Región Loreto en los dos años estudiados ascienden a: 3,807,858 PEN y 4,066,380 PEN durante el 2017 y 2018, respectivamente (1´175,264 USD y 1´1210,232 USD al tipo de cambio del 2017 y 2018). Sin embargo, el efecto de las actividades de control es de corta duración. Conclusiones. El alto costo que implica el control vectorial con los métodos usados actualmente y la corta duración de su efecto lo hace insostenible. Se deben realizar estudios para hallar otros métodos más eficientes para el control del dengue.

ABSTRACT Objective. To estimate the costs incurred in the control of Aedes aegypti in the Loreto region, during the years 2017 and 2018. Materials and methods. We conducted a partial retrospective economic evaluation of the costs of Aedes aegypti control of the Regional Health Directorate Loreto, during the implementation of the Regional Plan for Surveillance and Control of Aedes aegypti. Documentation such as plans, intervention reports and payment slips were reviewed, and interviews were conducted with professional personnel involved in vector control, on the costs of control interventions. Results. We found that the costs incurred in dengue vector control in the Loreto Region in the two years were: PEN 3,807,858 and PEN 4,066,380 during 2017 and 2018, respectively (USD 1,175,264 and USD 1,1210,232 at the 2017 and 2018 exchange rate). However, the effect of control activities is short-lived. Conclusions. The high cost involved in vector control with the methods currently used and the short duration of its effect make it unsustainable. Studies should be conducted in order to find other more efficient methods for dengue control.

RESUMEN Objetivo. Estimar los costos incurridos en el control del Aedes aegypti en la región Loreto, en los años 2017 y 2018. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una evaluación económica retrospectiva parcial de los costos del control del Aedes aegypti de la Dirección Regional de Salud Loreto, durante la ejecución del Plan Regional de Vigilancia y Control de Aedes aegypti. Se revisó documentación como planes, informes de intervenciones y planillas de pago y se realizaron entrevistas al personal profesional implicado en el control vectorial, sobre los costos de las intervenciones de control. Resultados. Se halló, que los costos incurridos en el control del vector del dengue en la Región Loreto en los dos años estudiados ascienden a: 3,807,858 PEN y 4,066,380 PEN durante el 2017 y 2018, respectivamente (1´175,264 USD y 1´1210,232 USD al tipo de cambio del 2017 y 2018). Sin embargo, el efecto de las actividades de control es de corta duración. Conclusiones. El alto costo que implica el control vectorial con los métodos usados actualmente y la corta duración de su efecto lo hace insostenible. Se deben realizar estudios para hallar otros métodos más eficientes para el control del dengue.

Abstract It is described for the first time the synthesis and characterization of NiMn2O4 employing the Mn ores from the Amazon Region as starting material, instead of using commercial reagents as normally occurs in its synthesis process. Initially, an Mn ore was transformed into a single product, the octahedral layer (OL) manganese oxide with Ni2+ ions interlayer (Ni-OL-2), which was used as a matrix to obtain NiMn2O4 by thermal decomposition. The following techniques were used for characterization: X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies. The results revealed that Mn oxide ore composed of nsutite mineral transformed into a well-ordered crystalline Ni-OL-2 phase, after the hydrothermal and cation exchange process. The thermal decomposition of Ni-OL-2 produced the nickel manganite phase at 850 °C with spherical ball morphology and crystal sizes in the range of 200-300 nm. NiMnO NiMn O NiMn2O material process Initially product OL (OL Ni2 Ni NiOL2, NiOL2 NiOL 2 , (Ni-OL-2) Xray X ray XRD, XRD (XRD) XRF, XRF (XRF) FTIR, FTIR (FTIR) TGDTA, TGDTA TG DTA (TG-DTA) SEM (SEM TEM (TEM microscopies wellordered well ordered Ni-OL- 85 C 200300 200 300 200-30 nm (Ni-OL-2 (XRD (XRF (FTIR (TG-DTA Ni-OL 8 20030 20 30 200-3 (Ni-OL- 2003 3 200- (Ni-OL

Self-assembled nanocrystals of ZnO were embedded within a SiO2 matrix by a sequential deposit using reactive R.F. sputtering. The ZnO nanoparticles (NP’s) were obtained by depositing a very thin layer (~20 nm) of Zn on the bottom of the valleys of a first SiO2 rough surface and then covered by another SiO2 layer at 500 ºC. The stress produced, due to the cooling process, by the SiO2 matrix on the ZnO NP’s generates an unusual crystalline phase of ZnO. The crystal structure was determined by means of X ray diffraction patterns. The ZnO + SiO2 composite shows a transmittance higher than 80 % for wavelengths > 450 nm. Optical absorption allows to reveal the character and value of the optical band gap. Vibrational modes of the material were determined by Raman spectroscopy.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) based on nanocomposites containing different amounts of a commercial organically modified clay (viscogel B7) were prepared employing solution intercalation method. Three solvents, such as: CHCl3, dimethylchloride (DMC) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) were used. The relationship among the processing conditions; molecular structure and intermolecular interaction, between both nanocomposite components, were investigated using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as a part of characterization methodology, which has been used by Tavares et al. It involves the hydrogen spin-lattice relaxation time, T1H, by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, employing low field NMR. X ray diffraction was also employed because it is a conventional technique, generally used to obtain the first information on nanocomposite formation. Changes in PHB crystallinity were observed after the organophilic nanoclay had been incorporated in the polymer matrix. These changes, in the microstructure, were detected by the variation of hydrogen nuclear relaxation time values and by X ray, which showed an increase in the clay interlamelar space due to the intercalation of the polymer in the clay between lamellae. It was also observed, for both techniques, that the solvents affect directly the organization of the crystalline region, promoting a better intercalation, considering that they behave like a plasticizer.

We present an automatic system for performing the characterization of plastic scintillator counters to be used by ACORDE (ALICE Cosmic Ray detector). This detector consists of a 120 scintillator counter array placed on the three top faces of the ALICE magnet. In order to characterize each of those detectors, an automatic system has been implemented, consisting of three main elements: a custom-made PCI electronics card, a standard high voltage power supply, and an automatic control program, running in a PC computer. The control system has been developed within the Lab VIEW framework. The whole characterization system reaches the plateau, detector efficiency and the attenuation length of a scintillator counter in about 20 minutes.

Presentamos un sistema automático para caracterizar los centelladores que se usarán en ACORDE (Detector de Rayos cósmicos de ALICE). Este detector consta de un arreglo de 120 centelladores ubicados en las tres caras superiores del magneto de ALICE. Para poder caracterizar cada uno de los centelladores, un sistema automático ha sido desarrollado y consiste en una tarjeta PCI desarrollada específicamente para este propósito, una fuente de alto voltaje y una computadora. Un software de control ha sido desarrollado en plataforma Lab VIEW. Este sistema obtiene el plateau, la eficiencia y la longitud de atenuación de un centellador en aproximadamente 20 minutos.