Women in the social models and power structures of southeastern Iberia (5th BC - 4th BC): a reading from funeral spaces

El papel de las mujeres en las sociedades ibéricas ha sido evaluado desde diferentes perspectivas. Este estudio revisa la participación de las mujeres en las estructuras de poder a partir de las relaciones espaciales y los discursos simbólicos materializados en cinco necrópolis del sureste de Iberia, fechadas entre los siglos V y IV a. n. e. Se observa que algunas de las tumbas más relevantes que vertebran el espacio funerario pertenecen a parejas o mujeres y construyen complejas genealogías para articular las relaciones sociales de tipo clientelar. Desde esta perspectiva, se identifican rasgos de las Sociedades de Casas en los modelos sociales del área de estudio como, por ejemplo, la legitimización de la descendencia bilateral o la coexistencia de diversas tumbas poderosas, que remite a estructuras heterárquicas.The role of women in Iberian societies has been evaluated from different perspectives. In this study, we review the participation of women in power structures by examining spatial relationships and symbolic discourses materialized in five necropolises in the southeast of Iberia, dated between the 5th BC and 4th BC. Thus, it is observed that some of the most important tombs that in these funerary spaces belong to couples or women and build complex genealogies that articulate patron-client social relationships. From this perspective, features of House Societies are identified in the social models of the study area, such as, for example, the legitimization of bilateral descent or the coexistence of various powerful tombs, evidence of heterarchical structures.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto de investigación PROMETEO/2019/035, “LIMOS. LItoral y MOntañaS en transición: arqueología del cambio social en las comarcas meridionales de la Comunidad Valenciana”, financiado por la Generalitat Valenciana. IP: Sonia Gutiérrez Lloret

Detection of gluten immunogenic peptides in the urine of patients with coeliac disease reveals transgressions in the gluten-free diet and incomplete mucosal healing

Objective Gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only management for coeliac disease (CD). Available methods to assess GFD compliance are insufficiently sensitive to detect occasional dietary transgressions that may cause gut mucosal damage. We aimed to develop a method to determine gluten intake and monitor GFD compliance in patients with CD and to evaluate its correlation with mucosal damage. Design Urine samples of 76 healthy subjects and 58 patients with CD subjected to different gluten dietary conditions were collected. A lateral flow test (LFT) with the highly sensitive and specific G12 monoclonal antibody for the most dominant gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) and a LFT reader were used to quantify GIP in solid-phase extracted urines. Results GIP were detectable in concentrated urines from healthy individuals previously subjected to GFD as early as 4–6 h after single gluten intake, and remained detectable for 1–2 days. The urine assay revealed infringement of the GFD in about 50% of the patients. Analysis of duodenal biopsies revealed that most of patients with CD (89%) with no villous atrophy had no detectable GIP in urine, while all patients with quantifiable GIP in urine showed incomplete intestinal mucosa recovery. Conclusion GIP are detected in urine after gluten consumption, enabling a new and non-invasive method to monitor GFD compliance and transgressions. The method was sensitive, specific and simple enough to be convenient for clinical monitoring of patients with CD as well as for basic and clinical research applications including drug development

Exploring predictors of dysphagia in survivors of head and neck cancer: A cross‑sectional study

Purpose To evaluate the prevalence of dysphagia in survivors of head and neck cancer (sHNC) and to identify the predictors contributing to the development of dysphagia. Methods We enrolled 62 sHNC in a cross-sectional study to check the prevalence of dysphagia in sHNC and to evaluate which factors were influencing the presence of this side effect. Besides dysphagia, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, oral symptoms, maximal mouth opening (MMO), sleep quality and physical condition were evaluated, and a linear regression analysis was performed to verify which of these outcomes impact dysphagia. Results Among all the sHNC, 85.5% presented dysphagia. The linear regression analysis confirmed that 44.9% of the variance in dysphagia was determined by coughing, MMO and sleep quality, being MMO the most powerful predictor, followed by coughing and sleep quality. Conclusion Dysphagia affected the great majority of sHNC. Moreover, symptoms as coughing, reduced MMO and sleep disorders may act as predictors contributing to the development of dysphagia. Our results emphasize the importance of an early and proper identification of the symptoms as well as an adequate treatment strategy to address the cluster of symptoms that sHNC undergo.Funding for open access publishing: Universidad de Granada/CBUA.Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía (PI-0187–2021 and PI-0171–2020)European Regional Development Fund (ERDF-FEDER

Development of a Novel NGS Methodology for Ultrasensitive Circulating Tumor DNA Detection as a Tool for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women. While usually detected when localized, invasive procedures are still required for diagnosis. Herein, we developed a novel ultrasensitive pipeline to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in a series of 75 plasma samples from localized BC patients prior to any medical intervention. We first performed a tumor-informed analysis to correlate the mutations found in tumor tissue and plasma. Disregarding the tumor data next, we developed an approach to detect tumor mutations in plasma. We observed a mutation concordance between the tumor and plasma of 29.50% with a sensitivity down to 0.03% in mutant variant allele frequency (VAF). We detected mutations in 33.78% of the samples, identifying eight patients with plasma-only mutations. Altogether, we determined a specificity of 86.36% and a positive predictive value of 88.46% for BC detection. We demonstrated an association between higher ctDNA median VAF and higher tumor grade, multiple plasma mutations with a likelihood of relapse and more frequent TP53 plasma mutations in hormone receptor-negative tumors. Overall, we have developed a unique ultra-sensitive sequencing workflow with a technology not previously employed in early BC, paving the way for its application in BC screening.Comino-Mendez’s contract is funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer Scientific Foundation (AECC). This study was supported by the “Consejería de Salud y Familias—Junta de Andalucía” (PI-0291-2019), “Fundación Unicaja” is funding Alba-Bernal’s contract and the Andalusia-Roche Network in Precision Medical Oncology Quirós-Ortega’s contract. Carbajosa-Antona’s contract is funded by the “Ayudas María Zambrano para la atracción de talento internacional—Universidad de Málaga”. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Soy Niña

Este libro pretende contribuir al reencuentro de la educación con esas finalidades que verdaderamente importan a una niña o un niño: ser feliz, jugar, vivir juntos y (no) aprender. Para ello hemos puesto el arte, nuestras experiencias y el saber acumulado al servicio del disfrute, el cuestionamiento, el análisis crítico y la construcción común de un presente deseable. Un texto colaborativo coordinado por Ignacio Calderón Almendros y realizado por alumnado de Educación y Cambio Social en el Grado en Educación Infantil de la Universidad de Málaga

El santuario de la Luz (Santo Ángel, Murcia) como elemento de identidad territorial (s. IV/III - I d.c)

La Tesis Doctoral que presentamos tiene como objetivo ofrecer una visión global del santuario de La Luz desde diferentes perspectivas. Se trata de un estudio poliédrico que pretende contemplar las variables historiográfica, territorial y material para caracterizar el santuario en las coordenadas históricas correspondientes e integrarlo en el circuito científico de los espacios de culto ibéricos. Nuestra propuesta metodológica contempla una mirada al santuario de La Luz diferente, ya que a través de las nuevas tecnologías se obtiene nueva información de los datos originados en las diferentes campañas arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en este yacimiento desde 1923. En este sentido, no debemos olvidar que nuestro estudio se encuentra condicionado por la información disponible. Desde la perspectiva historiográfica hemos podido documentar la participación de este espacio de culto en el proceso de definición de la cultura ibérica, así como en el desarrollo de las diferentes iniciativas de gestión del patrimonio arqueológico español. En cuanto al estudio de la cultura material, mediante el diseño de una base de datos relacional se ha sistematizado toda la información disponible hasta el momento sobre los materiales recuperados en el santuario de La Luz. Por otra parte, éstos se han analizado desde la perspectiva de la biografía cultural de los objetos, con el fin de determinar los diferentes significados simbólicos que adquieren las piezas arqueológicas en función del contexto. Desde el punto de vista del territorio, hemos llevado a cabo diferentes aproximaciones de análisis territorial basadas en los sistemas de información geográfica. Por una parte hemos determinado el grado de accesibilidad al santuario, entendiendo que se trata de un lugar de peregrinación, a través de un análisis morfométrico del terreno, y por otra hemos llevado a cabo un cálculo de visibilidad borrosa para apreciar el nivel de percepción del santuario en la distancia. Finalmente, hemos evaluado la posibilidad de que los caminos tradicionales de la huerta y las cañadas ganaderas que transcurren en las inmediaciones del santuario puedan interpretase como una fosilización de los itinerarios previos en relación con el cálculo de rutas óptimas que determinan el gasto energético y la inversión temporal. También en relación con el territorio hemos realizado un vuelo fotogramétrico que nos ha permitido elaborar un modelo digital del terreno que ha servido para entender la vertebración del espacio de culto a partir de tres áreas diferenciadas espacialmente y que responden a la proyección de la metodología de excavación de Pedro A. Lillo de hace ya algunos años. En lo que concierne a este último aspecto, hemos llevado a cabo la digitalización y georreferenciación de todos los dibujos de campo y de las estructuras arqueológicas documentadas in situ para constituir una planimetría general del yacimiento. Como consecuencia de estas aproximaciones hemos caracterizado el santuario de La Luz como un lugar de culto de índole territorial y elevado carácter identitario. Pensamos que nuestro estudio aporta nueva información sobre un santuario que era poco conocido, ya que hemos dado a conocer objetos arqueológicos que hasta el momento habían permanecido inéditos. Por otra parte, hemos constatado diferentes actividades rituales desarrolladas en el santuario. Finalmente, hemos matizado las cronologías, delimitando un amplio periodo que abarca del siglo IV a. C. hasta el siglo I a. C., donde destaca una fase de monumentalización arquitectónica basada en patrones itálicos, al igual que ocurre por ejemplo en el santuario de La Encarnación (Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia). The goal of the present PhD thesis is to provide an overview of the sanctuary of La Luz from different perspectives. It is a multifaceted study that takes into consideration the historiographical, territorial and material variables to place the historical sanctuary in the corresponding coordinate and to integrate it in the scientific circuit of the Iberian worship spaces. Our methodological proposal includes a different look at the sanctuary of La Luz. Making use of the new technologies, we have obtained new information about the different archaeological campaigns carried out since 1923. In this regard, we should not forget that our analysis is conditioned by the information available. From the historiographical perspective, we have been able to document the role of this place of worship in the process of defining the Iberian culture, as well as in the development of different management initiatives of the Spanish archaeological heritage. The material culture has been systematically studied by designing a relational database containing all the available information about the materials recovered from the sanctuary of La Luz. Moreover, these materials have been analyzed from the perspective of cultural biography of objects, in order to determine the different symbolic meanings that the artifacts acquire in each context. From the point of view of the territory, we have followed different approaches to analyze the territory using geographic information systems. On one hand, we have determined the degree of accessibility to the sanctuary with a morphometric analysis of the landscape, on the understanding that this is a place of pilgrimage. On the other hand, we have performed a calculation of fuzzy visibility to assess the level of perception of the sanctuary depending on the distance as a function of the distance. Finally, we have evaluated the possibility that the traditional paths and cattle routes near the sanctuary may be a fossilization of the previous itineraries that were based on optimal routes to minimize the energy and time costs. Also regarding the territory, we have perform a photogrammetric flight to obtain a digital terrain model that allows us to organize the worship space in three different areas, according to the methodology followed by Pedro A. Lillo. In this respect, we have digitized and georeferenced all drawings and documented the archaeological structures to build a general planimetry of the site. As a result, we have characterized the sanctuary of La Luz as a territorial and identitary worship place. We think that our study provides new information about a little-known sanctuary and includes original archaeological objects unpublished until now. We have also found different ritual activities in the sanctuary and, finally, we have clarified the chronology by defining a broad stage ranging from 4th century B.C. to 1st century B.C. that includes an architectural monumentalization period based in italics patterns, as those observed in the sanctuary of La Encarnación (Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia)

El santuario de La Luz (Verdolay, Murcia) y su territorio

Resumen del trabajo presentado al XVIII Congreso Internacional de Arqueología Clásica: "Centro y periferia en el Mundo Clásico", celebrado en Mérida (España) del 13 al 17 de mayo de 2013.In the present work we offer a new territorial perspective of the Santuario de la Luz (Verdolay, Murcia) by analyzing mobility patterns, the visual domain from the sanctuary and the economical possibilities around it. It is argued that the sanctuary is not only a sacred location where the community gathers to worship but also a place where the economical, social and political activities of the territory occur. All the previous elements come together as part of the same sacred environment.Peer Reviewe