The Atapuerca sites and the Ibeas hominids

The Atapuerca railway Trench and Ibeas sites near Burgos, Spain, are cave fillings that include a series of deposits ranging from below the Matuyama/Bruhnes reversal up to the end of Middle Pleistocene. The lowest fossil-bearing bed in the Trench contains an assemblage of large and small Mammals including Mimomys savini, Pitymys gregaloides, Pliomys episcopalis, Crocuta crocuta, Dama sp. and Megacerini; the uppermost assemblage includes Canis lupus, Lynx spelaea, Panthera (Leo) fossilis, Felis sylvestris, Equus caballus steinheimensis, E.c. germanicus, Pitymys subtenaneus, Microtus arvalis agrestis, Pliomys lenki, and also Panthera toscana, Dicerorhinus bemitoechus, Bison schoetensacki, which are equally present in the lowest level. The biostratigraphic correlation and dates of the sites are briefly discussed, as are the paleoclimatic interpretation of the Trench sequences. Stone artifacts are found in several layers; the earliest occurrences correspond to the upper beds containing Mimomys savini. A set of preserved human occupation floors has been excavated in the top fossil-bearing beds. The stone-tool assemblages of the upper levels are of upper-medial Acheulean to Charentian tradition. The rich bone breccia SH, in the Cueva Mayor-Cueva del Silo, Ibeas de Juarros, is a derived deposit, due to a mud flow that dispersed and carried the skeletons of many carnivores and humans. The taxa represented are: Vrsus deningeri (largely dominant), Panthera (Leo) fossilis, Vulpes vulpes, Homo sapiens var. Several traits of both mandibular and cranial remains are summarized. Preliminary attempts at dating suggest that the Ibeas fossil man is older than the Last Interglacial, or oxygen-isotope stage 5

Depredación de Lithobates psilonota (Anura: Ranidae) por Leptodeira splendida bressoni (Squamata: Colubridae) en arroyos del área natural protegida Sierra de Quila, Jalisco, México

Photographic evidence shows the first record of predation in Mexico of Lithobates psilonota by Leptodeira splendida bressoni in the natural protected area Sierra de Quila, Jalisco

Microstructure of an Extruded Third-Generation Snack Made from a Whole Blue Corn and Corn Starch Mixture

Blue corn is a potential material for expanded snack production. Whole blue corn meal was mixed with corn starch and processed by extrusion to produce a third-generation snack. Optimum extrusion conditions were calculated with the response surface methodology using expansion index (EI), penetration force (PF), specific mechanical energy (SME) and total anthocyanins content (TAC). Optimum conditions (zone 1, 67°C; cooking zone, 123°C; zone 3, 75°C; feed moisture, 24.6%) were used to extrude the mixture in a single-screw extruder, and EI,PF,SME and TAC of the expanded pellet were compared against predicted optimum values. Starch structural changes in pellets and expanded were analyzed with DSC, viscosity profiles, x-ray diffraction and SEM. Extruded pellet did not differ (p>0.05) from the predicted. However, TAC was lower (p<0.05) in the expanded pellet. Structural analyses showed damage starch granular structure during extrusion and pellet expansion. Blue corn is a promising material for production of third-generation snacks

Evaluation of the usefulness of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in a context with increased resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in Kingasani Hospital, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo

peer reviewedBackground: Increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) threatens its usefulness for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp-SP). The prophylactic effects of IPTp-SP on maternal malaria and adverse pregnancy outcomes were evaluated in Kingasani Hospital, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Methods: Laboring women (n = 844) and respective newborns were investigated. Blood samples collected from women were tested for malaria using rapid diagnostic test (RDT), blood smears examination, and real-time PCR. The hemoglobin level was measured by HemoCue© analyzer. A PCR-RFLP method was applied for detecting N51I, C59R, and S108N mutations on dhfr along with A437G and K540E mutations on dhps in P. falciparum positive samples. Logistic regression models assessed relationships between IPTp-SP uptake and pregnancy outcomes. Results: P. falciparum malaria was detected at delivery in 10.8% of women and was statistically associated with fever during the pregnancy (OR = 2.9 [1.5; 6.3]; p = 0.004) and maternal anemia (OR = 3.9 [2.4; 6.3]; p 0.05). Conversely, three or more doses of SP were associated with reduced maternal anemia at delivery (OR = 0.4 [0.2; 0.9]; p = 0.024), shortened gestation (OR = 0.4 [0.2; 0.8]; p = 0.009), and low-birth weights (OR = 0.2 [0.1; 0.5]; p < 0.001). Conclusion: IPTp-SP was not associated with reduced maternal malaria in our study, but evidence was found of a prophylactic effect against adverse pregnancy outcomes. To counteract further loss of clinical effects of IPTp-SP in the study population, alternative strategies able to improve its anti-malarial efficacy such as combination of SP with partner molecules should be implemented. © 202

Care-seeking behaviour and socio-economic burden associated with uncomplicated malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo

peer reviewedBackground: This study aimed to estimate the socio-economic costs of uncomplicated malaria and to explore health care-seeking behaviours that are likely to influence these costs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country ranked worldwide as the second most affected by malaria. Methods: In 2017, a cross-sectional survey included patients with uncomplicated malaria in 64 healthcare facilities from 10 sentinel sites of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) in the DRC. A standard questionnaire was used to assess health care-seeking behaviours of patients. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) and disutility weights (DW) of illness were evaluated by using the EuroQol Group’s descriptive system (EQ-5D-3L) and its visual analogue scale (EQ VAS). Malaria costs were estimated from a patient’s perspective. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) evaluated the uncertainty around the cost estimates. Generalized regression models were fitted to assess the effect of potential predictive factors on the time lost and the DW during illness. Results: In total, 1080 patients (age: 13.1 ± 14 years; M/F ratio: 1.1) were included. The average total costs amounted to US$36.3 [95$ 16.7 [95% CI 16.3–17.1] as direct costs and US$ 19.6 [95% CI 18.9–20.3] indirect costs. During care seeking, economically active patients and their relatives lost respectively 3.3 ± 1.8 and 3.4 ± 2.1 working days. This time loss occurred mostly at the pre-hospital stage and was the parameter associated the most with the uncertainty around malaria cost estimates. Patients self-rated an average 0.36 ± 0.2 DW and an average 0.62 ± 0.3 EQ-5D index score per episode. A lack of health insurance coverage (896 out of 1080; 82.9%) incurred substantially higher costs, lower quality of life, and heavier DW while leading to longer time lost during illness. Residing in rural areas incurred a disproportionally higher socioeconomic burden of uncomplicated malaria with longer time lost due to illness and limited access to health insurance mechanisms. Conclusion: Uncomplicated malaria is associated with high economic costs of care in the DRC. Efforts to reduce the cost-of-illness should target time lost at the pre-hospital stage and social disparities in the population, while reinforcing measures for malaria control in the country. © 2021, The Author(s)

Investigación en psicoterapia: acercamientos y líneas de reflexión

La soledad, el incesto, la depresión posparto, el abandono paterno y los intentos de suicidio, entre otros problemas psicosociales relacionados con el bienestar / malestar emocional, son objeto de análisis en este volumen, en el que a partir de estudios de caso y su examen desde distintos referentes teóricos, se muestra la importancia de la investigación en la formación y labor profesional del psicoterapeuta. Las investigaciones incluidas ejemplifican además sobre las formas posibles de abordar estos conflictos y presentan alternativas para la comprensión de la familia multiproblemática, las implicaciones, los desafíos y las posibilidades desde el apoyo psicosocial. Los estudios orientan también sobre las claves teóricas y de carácter metodológico, técnico y de análisis de datos que resultan valiosas para todo profesional interesado en la investigación en psicoterapia contemporánea. En su conjunto, un volumen con una propuesta multifacética e integradora que permite profundizar en diversas líneas y tramas centrales para la psicoterapia, y que contribuye a aportar elementos de juicio a todo aquel interesado en el campo de la salud mental y la generación de conocimiento para esta disciplina, así como para el fortalecimiento de los vínculos y las capacidades de las familias

A comparison of observed and simulated absorption from H i, C iv, and Si iv around z ≈ 2 star-forming galaxies suggests redshift–space distortions are due to inflows

We study H I and metal-line absorption around z ≈ 2 star-forming galaxies by comparing an analysis of data from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey to mock spectra generated from the Evolution and Assembly of Galaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) cosmological, hydrodynamical simulations. We extract sightlines from the simulations and compare the properties of the absorption by H I, C IV, and Si IV around simulated and observed galaxies using pixel optical depths. We mimic the resolution, pixel size, and signal-to-noise ratio of the observations, as well as the distributions of impact parameters and galaxy redshift errors. We find that the EAGLE reference model is in excellent agreement with the observations. In particular, the simulation reproduces the high metal-line optical depths found at small galactocentric distances, the optical depth enhancements out to impact parameters of 2 proper Mpc, and the prominent redshift–space distortions which we find are due to peculiar velocities rather than redshift errors. The agreement is best for halo masses ∼1012.0 M⊙, for which the observed and simulated stellar masses also agree most closely. We examine the median ion mass-weighted radial gas velocities around the galaxies, and find that most of the gas is infalling, with the infall velocity depending on halo rather than stellar mass. From this, we conclude that the observed redshift–space distortions are predominantly caused by infall rather than outflows

A phylogenetic classification of the world’s tropical forests

Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world’s tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present the first classification of the world’s tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (1) Indo-Pacific, (2) Subtropical, (3) African, (4) American, and (5) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional Neo- versus Palaeo-tropical forest division, but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar and India. Additionally, a northern hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern hemisphere forests