The Sn/Pb eutectic alloy system is the most widely used joining material in the electronics industry. In this application, the solder acts as both an electrical and mechanical connection within and among the different packaging levels in an electronic device. Recent advances in packaging technologies, however, driven by the desire for miniaturization and increased circuit speed, result in severe operating conditions for the solder connection. In an effort to improve its mechanical integrity, metallic or intermetallic particles have been added to eutectic Sn/Pb solder, and termed composite solders. It was the goal of this study to investigate the growth and morphology of the two intermetallic phases (Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn) that form between a Cu substrate and Sn/Pb solder under different aging and annealing conditions.

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The recent expansion in chemical and manufacturing and innovation has led to a large influx of chemicals to the market, and subsequent release into the environment. Many of these new chemicals, as well as legacy chemicals are untested for their potential developmental toxicity, especially in early embryonic stages. This creates a need for a timely and cost-effective method for screening these chemicals. Furthermore, advances in in vitro methods and human pluripotent cell culturing techniques have revealed some weaknesses in our current animal model-based paradigms. Here we tested an in vitro model for developmental toxicity screening using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for environmental chemicals. In this study, hESCs were exposed to three known developmental toxicants that are prevalent in the environment, bisphenol A (BPA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), or lead chloride (PbCl₂), at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0-2500 µg/L, 0-2275 µg/L, and 0-6200 µg/L respectively, for 6-days. hESCs were evaluated for dose responses on proliferation level by assaying cell viability, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (MDHA), cell confluency, and cell cycle distribution. Differentiation capability was assayed by induction of differentiation into ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm; hESCs and differentiated cells were then sequenced for their full transcriptome. Gene expression effects were analyzed by a single cell transcriptome sequencing and analysis of global DNA methylation. Proliferation and methylation effects were tested for all 3 chemicals, while differentiation and single cell sequencing was only tested on PbCl₂. Our results show hESCs were able to identify known and novel proliferation effects of BPA, PFOS, and PbCl₂, reflect differentiation level effects of PbCl₂, and elucidate molecular level drivers of these toxic effects. We also showed that hESCs responded to developmental toxicants at lower doses than in vivo models. In conclusion, our hESC-based model could act as an effective developmental toxicity screening tool for pre- peri- and post-implantation stages of embryo development.

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El estudio geológico llevado a cabo en la zona central del Macizo Nordpatagónico, mas precisamente en las áreas ubicadas al Norte y Oeste de la Localidad de Los Menucos, permitió reconocer tres momentos en la evolución geológica de esta región durante el Mesozoico. Un primer momento ligado al Triásico Temprano a Medio, el segundo ligado al Triásico Tardío y el tercero vinculado con el Jurásico Temprano. El desarrollo durante el Triásico Temprano a Medio se vincula con la cuenca del Grupo Los Menucos. Comprende un magmatismo de tipo transicional a post-orogénico asociado al colapso de la Orogenia Gondwánica, hace 252 Ma, desarrollado en angularidad sobre el Complejo La Esperanza. Los trabajos realizados llevan a proponer un nuevo esquema estratigráfico, sosteniendo el grado de Grupo Los Menucos constituido por tres formaciones: Formación Puesto Tscherig, Formación Puesto Vera y Formación Sierra Colorada. La primera se divide en Miembro Cerro La Laja, comprendiendo depósitos laharicos en estadios sin- e intereruptivos y sobre este el Miembro Barrancas Grandes compuesto exclusivamente por un depósito ignimbrítico de composición dacítica y datado en 252 Ma. La Formación Vera, se dispone en forma erosiva sobre la anterior y comprende dos miembros; el inferior, Miembro Aguada de la Mula corresponde a depósitos clásticos fluviales que se cubren en forma neta por depósitos de lluvia de cenizas del Miembro El Pilquín. La tercera, Formación Sierra Colorada, comprende tres depósitos ignimbriticos de alto grado y composición riolítica a dacítica, datados entre 251 y 248 Ma. El magmatismo del Triásico Tardío fue datado en 211 Ma en la zona occidental de la localidad de Los Menucos. Si bien las relaciones estratigráficas con respecto al Grupo Los Menucos no pudieron ser resueltas, si queda establecido que este magmatismo esta genéticamente desvinculado del anterior. Durante el Jurásico Temprano, en la zona Norte del área estudiada comienza el relleno del Graben del Cerro Piche. En esta depresión tectónica, limitada por fallas subparalelas con dirección E-O, se reconocieron dos etapas de relleno. Un primer relleno volcánico compuesto por lavas y domos que yacen en discordancia sobre el Grupo Los Menucos, y un segundo estadio representado por una secuencia sedimentaria de 500 m de espesor. Este segundo evento fue datado en 185 Ma y yace en discordancia sobre facies plutónicas del Complejo La Esperanza, ignimbritas del Grupo Los Menucos y también sobre las lavas del primer relleno volcánico. Los depósitos volcánicos y sedimentarios limitados a la depresión tectónica son agrupados en esta tesis bajo el nombre de Formación Cerro Piche. Los estudios de isótopos de Lu-Hf llevados a cabo en granos de circon permitieron reconocer tres eventos – EI, EII, EIII – relacionados a la evolución crustal del Macizo Nordpatagónico. El primer evento EI fue subdividido en dos ciclos menores, C1 y C2. El C1 ligado al Pérmico Tardío indica la generación de magmas derivados de una corteza antigua mesoproterozoica, vinculado al engrosamiento de la corteza. El segundo ciclo C2, asociado al Triasico Temprano a Medio, también indica que la generación de magmas estuvo ligado a un proceso de fusión cortical, pero en este caso de edad paleo- a mesoproterozoica. Esta etapa se asocia a un incipiente adelgazamiento cortical en el que la fusión estuvo asociada a proceso de delaminación o remoción convectiva. El segundo evento EII tuvo lugar en el Triásico Superior, en el que lo valores isotópicos de ƐHf cada vez menos negativos sugieren la fusión cortical pero vinculados con participación de magma mantélico. El tercer evento EIII está ligado al Jurásico, los valores de ƐHf positivos y negativos implican la participación efectiva de magmas juveniles en diferentes grados de interacción con la corteza. Tanto el C2 del E1, como EII y EIII implican un progresivo adelgazamiento de la corteza y un paulatino ascenso de magmas juveniles mantelicos. / he geological study carried out in the central part of the North Patagonian Massif, precisely in the North and West portion of Los Menucos town, led to recognize three stages in the geological evolution of this region during the Mesozoic. A first event linked to the Early to Middle Triassic, the second related to the Late Triassic, and the third linked to the Early Jurassic. The geological evolution during the Early to Middle Triassic is linked to the Los Menucos Group. It comprises a transitional to post-orogenic magmatism associated with the collapse of the Gondwana Orogeny, 252 Ma ago, and developed in angularity above the La Esperanza Complex. The stratigraphic works lead to propose a new stratigraphic scheme, supporting the Los Menucos Group, that is composed by three minor units: La Resistencia Formation, Vera Formation and Sierra Colorada Formation. The first is divided into El Molinero Member, comprising laharic deposits in syn- and intereptuion stages, and over this the Don Carlucho Member composed exclusively of an ignimbritic deposit of dacitic composition and dated in 252 Ma. The second, Vera Formation, overlies Don Carlucho Memeber in erosive relation and comprises two members; the lower, Aguada de la Mula Member, corresponds to fluvial clastic deposits that are covered by ash fall-out deposits assigned to El Pilquín Member. The third, Sierra Colorada Formation, comprises three ignimbritic deposits of high grade and rhyolitic to dacitic composition, dated between 251 and 248 Ma. Late Triassic magmatism was dated at 211 Ma in the western area of the town of Los Menucos. Although the stratigraphic relationships with respect to the Los Menucos Group could not be resolved, it is established that this magmatism is genetically disconnected from the previous. During the Early Jurassic period, started the infilling of the Graben del Cerro Piche, located on the northern area of the studied area. This tectonic depression is limited by two subparallel faults with E-O direction, and comprises two stages on it evolution. A first volcanic infilling composed of lavas and domes that lies in unconformity over the Los Menucos Group, and a second filling stage comprised of a 500 m thick sedimentary sequence. This second event was dated at 185 Ma and lies in angularity over plutonic facies of the La Esperanza Complex, ignimbrites of the Los Menucos Group and also over the lavas of the first volcanic filling. The studies of Lu-Hf isotopes carried out in circón crystals allowed to recognize three events - EI, EII, EIII - related to the crustal evolution of the North Patagonian Massif. The first EI event was subdivided into two minor cycles, C1 and C2. The C1 linked to the Late Permian indicates the generation of magmas derived from an ancient Mesoproterozoic crust, linked to the thickening of the crust. The second cycle C2, associated with the Early to Middle Triassic, also indicates that the generation of magmas was linked to a paleo- to mesoproterozoic crust. This stage is associated with an incipient crustal thinning in which the fusion was associated with delamination or convective removal. The second EII event is linked to the Upper Triassic, in which less negative isotopic ƐHf values suggest a crust derived magma but linked with a mantelic input. The third EIII event is linked to the Jurassic, the positive and negative ƐHf values imply the effective participation of juvenile magmas in different degrees of crustal contamination. Both the C2 of the E1, as EII and EIII imply a progressive thinning of the crust and a gradual rise of juvenile mantle derived magmas.