La elaboración de la pureza en los procedimientos asiro-babilónicos: El tiempo, el espacio y el mundo material

Assyro-Babylonian procedural texts for making cult objects dated to the 1st millennium BCE provide an untapped resource for examining scribal conceptions of craft and purity in the ancient world. Ritual procedures for “opening of the mouth” of a cult statue (mīs pî), and for manufacturing a ritual drum called the lilissu, constitute the principal focus of this two-part study. This work uses three themata – time, space, and the material world – to provide the scaffolding for a comparative analysis that spans various centuries and localities, highlighting the ways in which “purity” was crafted in cuneiform scholarly cultures.Los textos procesales asirio-babilónicos para la fabricación de objetos de culto que datan del primer milenio a.C. proporcionan un recurso no explotado para examinar las concepciones de los escribas sobre la artesanía y la pureza en el mundo antiguo. Los procedimientos rituales para “abrir la boca” de una estatua de culto (mīs pî) y para fabricar un tambor ritual llamado lilissu constituyen el enfoque principal de este estudio de dos partes. Este trabajo utiliza tres themata (tiempo, espacio y mundo material) para proporcionar el andamiaje para un análisis comparativo que abarca varios siglos y localidades, destacando las formas en que la “pureza” se forjó en las culturas académicas cuneiformes

Predictive equations not always overestimate the resting energy expenditure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

Fil: Libere, Guillermo P.. Centro del Parque; ArgentinaFil: Guastavino, Sabrina. Centro del Parque; ArgentinaFil: Escobar, Miguel A.. Centro del Parque; ArgentinaFil: de Vito, Eduardo. Centro del Parque; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentin

Osteonecrosis de los maxilares asociada a bifosfonatos: revisión sistemática

En los últimos años se ha descrito una nueva complicación en la terapia con bifosfonatos: la osteonecrosis de los maxilares. Esta complicación no había sido detectada en los ensayos clínicos previos. En esta revisión sistemática de 340 casos, los pacientes afectados presentan como diagnóstico primario principalmente: mieloma múltiple (51,2%), cáncer de mama (31,4%), cáncer de próstata (7,1%) y osteoporosis (4,1%). La mandíbula resulta más afectada que el maxilar, con el 59,1%. La relación entre género femenino y masculino es de 2:2,6. El pamidronato es el bifosfonato más asociado a los casos de osteonecrosis (35,3%). Los factores de riesgos desencadenantes incluyen: exposición a bifosfonatos, infecciones orales, traumas, procedimientos quirúrgicos orales previos y terapias contra el cáncer (quimioterapia, corticoides y otros agentes citostáticos). La alteración en el equilibrio óseo, factores antiangiogénicos, inhibición en el ciclo celular de los queratinocitos y mecanismos osteolíticos generados en la infección podrían explicar la etiopatogenia en el desarrollo de esta complicación

A High Resolution DiagnosticWind Model. Application to Downscaling Mesoscale Model Results for Wind Forecasting

[EN]A mass consistent wind model is improved by introducing three items: the new 3-D mesh generator MECCANO applied to complex terrains, the current atmospheric stability definition by Zilitinkevich including new wind profiles, and a specific preconditioner for the linear systems arising in a wind model.Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España; Fondos FEDE

Parkinsonian motor impairment predicts personality domains related to genetic risk and treatment outcomes in schizophrenia

Identifying endophenotypes of schizophrenia is of critical importance and has profound implications on clinical practice. Here we propose an innovative approach to clarify the mechanims through which temperament and character deviance relates to risk for schizophrenia and predict long-term treatment outcomes. We recruited 61 antipsychotic naïve subjects with chronic schizophrenia, 99 unaffected relatives, and 68 healthy controls from rural communities in the Central Andes. Diagnosis was ascertained with the Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry; parkinsonian motor impairment was measured with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale; mesencephalic parenchyma was evaluated with transcranial ultrasound; and personality traits were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. Ten-year outcome data was available for ~40% of the index cases. Patients with schizophrenia had higher harm avoidance and self-transcendence (ST), and lower reward dependence (RD), cooperativeness (CO), and self-directedness (SD). Unaffected relatives had higher ST and lower CO and SD. Parkinsonism reliably predicted RD, CO, and SD after correcting for age and sex. The average duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) was over 5 years. Further, SD was anticorrelated with DUP and antipsychotic dosing at follow-up. Baseline DUP was related to antipsychotic dose-years. Further, ‘explosive/borderline’, ‘methodical/obsessive’, and ‘disorganized/schizotypal’ personality profiles were associated with increased risk of schizophrenia. Parkinsonism predicts core personality features and treatment outcomes in schizophrenia. Our study suggests that RD, CO, and SD are endophenotypes of the disease that may, in part, be mediated by dopaminergic function. Further, SD is an important determinant of treatment course and outcome

Generation and analysis of ESTs from strawberry (Fragaria xananassa) fruits and evaluation of their utility in genetic and molecular studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cultivated strawberry is a hybrid octoploid species (<it>Fragaria xananassa </it>Duchesne ex. Rozier) whose fruit is highly appreciated due to its organoleptic properties and health benefits. Despite recent studies on the control of its growth and ripening processes, information about the role played by different hormones on these processes remains elusive. Further advancement of this knowledge is hampered by the limited sequence information on genes from this species, despite the abundant information available on genes from the wild diploid relative <it>Fragaria vesca</it>. However, the diploid species, or one ancestor, only partially contributes to the genome of the cultivated octoploid. We have produced a collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from different cDNA libraries prepared from different fruit parts and developmental stages. The collection has been analysed and the sequence information used to explore the involvement of different hormones in fruit developmental processes, and for the comparison of transcripts in the receptacle of ripe fruits of diploid and octoploid species. The study is particularly important since the commercial fruit is indeed an enlarged flower receptacle with the true fruits, the achenes, on the surface and connected through a network of vascular vessels to the central pith.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have sequenced over 4,500 ESTs from <it>Fragaria xananassa</it>, thus doubling the number of ESTs available in the GenBank of this species. We then assembled this information together with that available from <it>F. xananassa </it>resulting a total of 7,096 unigenes. The identification of SSRs and SNPs in many of the ESTs allowed their conversion into functional molecular markers. The availability of libraries prepared from green growing fruits has allowed the cloning of cDNAs encoding for genes of auxin, ethylene and brassinosteroid signalling processes, followed by expression studies in selected fruit parts and developmental stages. In addition, the sequence information generated in the project, jointly with previous information on sequences from both <it>F. xananassa </it>and <it>F. vesca</it>, has allowed designing an oligo-based microarray that has been used to compare the transcriptome of the ripe receptacle of the diploid and octoploid species. Comparison of the transcriptomes, grouping the genes by biological processes, points to differences being quantitative rather than qualitative.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study generates essential knowledge and molecular tools that will be useful in improving investigations at the molecular level in cultivated strawberry (<it>F. xananassa</it>). This knowledge is likely to provide useful resources in the ongoing breeding programs. The sequence information has already allowed the development of molecular markers that have been applied to germplasm characterization and could be eventually used in QTL analysis. Massive transcription analysis can be of utility to target specific genes to be further studied, by their involvement in the different plant developmental processes.</p

Factors that influence treatment delay in patients with colorectal cancer

A prospective study was performed of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC), distinguishing between colonic and rectal location, to determine the factors that may provoke a delay in the first treatment (DFT) provided.2749 patients diagnosed with CRC were studied. The study population was recruited between June 2010 and December 2012. DFT is defined as time elapsed between diagnosis and first treatment exceeding 30 days.Excessive treatment delay was recorded in 65.5% of the cases, and was more prevalent among rectal cancer patients. Independent predictor variables of DFT in colon cancer patients were a low level of education, small tumour, ex-smoker, asymptomatic at diagnosis and following the application of screening. Among rectal cancer patients, the corresponding factors were primary school education and being asymptomatic.We conclude that treatment delay in CRC patients is affected not only by clinicopathological factors, but also by sociocultural ones. Greater attention should be paid by the healthcare provider to social groups with less formal education, in order to optimise treatment attentio

Distribuição e pontos de concentração de áreas de predação de tartarugas marinhas por onças pintadas em parque nacional da Costa Rica

A poorly described aspect of the trophic relation between sea turtles and jaguars is the distribution and hotspots of the feeding areas of jaguars on the nesting beaches. It is very important to identify the areas where sea turtles are predated because we could concentrate conservation and management efforts in these areas. Therefore, the aim of this work is to describe the spatial distribution and hotspots of the feeding areas of jaguars at Nancite beach, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. We recorded a total of 76 predated carapaces of sea turtles, of these, 54 (71%) were of Lepidochelys olivacea and 22 (29%) of Chelonia mydas. Two major feeding hotspots areas were identified within the Nancite beach. Both hotspots are located at the extremes of the beach, one is at the southern edge and the other is at the northern extreme. Human activity and the distribution of nesting turtles influence synergistically to determine the sites where the sea turtles are predated at Nancite beach. Based on the information of predation hotspots, the environmental authorities should regulate the monitoring activities within those areas to avoid interfering with the trophic relation between sea turtles and jaguars.Keywords: hunting area, jaguar predation, nesting beach, predatory behavior, human-wildlife interactions.Um aspecto pouco descrito da relação trófica entre tartarugas marinhas e onças pintadas é a distribuição e os pontos de acesso das áreas de alimentação de onças nas praias de nidificação. Identificar a área onde tartarugas marinhas são predadas é muito importante, porque podemos concentrar os esforços de conservação e de gestão nessas áreas. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar a distribuição espacial e os hotspots das áreas de alimentação de onças pintadas na praia Nancite, Parque Nacional de Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. Registramos um total de 76 carapaças predadas de tartarugas marinhas, das quais 54 (71%) eram de Lepidochelys olivacea e 22 (29%) de Chelonia mydas. Duas grandes áreas de hotspots de alimentação foram identificadas na praia Nancite. Ambos os hotspots estão localizados nos extremos da praia, sendo um no extremo sul e o outro no extremo norte. A atividade humana e a distribuição de nidificação de tartarugas influenciam sinergicamente para determinar os locais onde as tartarugas marinhas são predadas na praia Nancite. Com base nas informações de hotspots de predação, as autoridades ambientais devem regular as atividades de monitoramento nessas áreas, para evitar interferências na relação trófica entre tartarugas marinhas e onças.Palavras-chave: área de caça, predação de onças, praia de nidificação, comportamento predatório, interações entre humanos e vida selvagem

Reaction Electronic Flux Perspective on the Mechanism of the Zimmerman Di-π-methane Rearrangement

The reaction electronic flux (REF) offers a powerful tool in the analysis of reaction mechanisms. Noteworthy, the relationship between aromaticity and REF can eventually reveal subtle electronic events associated with reactivity in aromatic systems. In this work, this relationship was studied for the triplet Zimmerman di-π-methane rearrangement. The aromaticity loss and gain taking place during the reaction is well acquainted by the REF, thus shedding light on the electronic nature of reactions involving dibenzobarrelenes

Técnicas para Detección y Estimación Eficiente de Potenciales Evocados

Los potenciales evocados (PE) en sus distintas modalidades (auditivos, visuales y somatosensoriales), se han convertido actualmente en un estudio de diagnóstico de patologías del sistema nervioso casi rutinario. Estos son señales eléctricas registradas mediante electrodos en el cuero cabelludo, que se producen como respuesta de los sistemas sensoriales a la aplicación de un estímulo adecuado. Sin embargo en su adquisición, además de la respuesta evocada por el estímulo, se registran potenciales generados por diversas fuentes fisiológicas y no fisiológicas; obteniéndose una relación señal a ruido (RSR) muy desfavorable que puede llegar a -20 dB en el caso de los potenciales evocados auditivos de tronco cerebral (PEATC).La técnica comúnmente utilizada para mejorar la RSR, y estimar la señal de PE, es la promediación coherente o sincronizada; la cual consiste en aplicar sucesivos estímulos y promediar la actividad eléctrica registrada en forma sincronizada con el instante de tiempo en que se aplica el estímulo. Si bien la promediación es de uso masivo, presenta limitaciones que justifican buscar alternativas a esta. Una es el tiempo requerido para lograr una estimación confiable del PE, que dependiendo de la modalidad del mismo puede insumir más o menos tiempo; en el caso de los PEATC puede ser de hasta 5 minutos. Otra es que se asume que la señal de PE se mantiene constante de época a época y que el ruido (el resto de los potenciales) es del tipo blanco con media cero, hipótesis que no es cierta para la mayoría de los casos. En consecuencia el resultado obtenido de la promediación es una mala estimación de la señal real de PE. Asimismo, hay situaciones en las que no se necesita estimar la morfología de la señal y solo basta con saber si la señal está presente, como por ejemplo la detección automática de hipoacusias.En este proyecto se propuso revisar, evaluar y desarrollar técnicas y/o algoritmos que permitan detectar la señal de PE así como también estimar de manera más eficiente que la promediación coherent