Análisis interno del arte levantino: la composición y el espacio a partir de la sistematización del núcleo Valltorta-Gasulla.

RESUMEN Uno de los rasgos más significativos del Arte Levantino es la repetida ocupación de los abrigos al aire libre como lugar de representación. La multiplicación de fases o campañas decorativas, con modos distintos de abordar el diseño de las figuras, su distribución en el espacio e, incluso, las propias temáticas representadas son, sin duda, exponente de una realidad cambiante que es preciso descifrar. En efecto, los paneles levantinos encierran la lectura de un proceso de uso y socialización de estos espacios como lugares de representación a lo largo de un período de tiempo todavía impreciso. Estas pinturas son, en definitiva, el reflejo gráfico de la dinámica de ocupación, control y movimiento en el territorio de grupos distintos que, sin embargo, parecen compartir una tradición artística común. Nuestro trabajo parte de una concepción regional en el análisis de estas manifestaciones rupestres y centra su atención en el destacado núcleo artístico de Valltorta-Gassulla (Castellón), donde se concentran cerca de una treintena de conjuntos decorados con motivos levantinos. Esta destacada concentración en el curso de Barrancos y Ramblas mediterráneas, junto con su posición geográfica, muy próxima a los conjuntos levantinos del Bajo Aragón y Sur de Cataluña, confieren al núcleo Valltorta-Gassulla un destacado protagonismo a la hora de analizar la secuencia de los distintos horizontes artísticos y su dinámica y expansión en el territorio más inmediato. Con este objetivo, hemos aplicado criterios formales centrados en el análisis de la figura humana, por ser ésta la que mayor variabilidad y abstracción presenta a lo largo de la secuencia, que han permitido delimitar y caracterizar las distintas fases u horizontes artísticos presentes en los conjuntos decorados del núcleo Valltorta-Gassulla. En una segunda fase, el análisis de las pautas compositivas, en su dimensión técnica y temática, y del uso del espacio gráfico en cada uno de los horizontes propuestos nos ha permitido señalar pautas generales a la tradición artística levantina, pero también rasgos privativos en cada uno de ellos. Estas pautas diferenciales indican posibles elementos de continuidad entre fases distintas, por lo que a la composición o uso del espacio gráfico se refiere, o elementos de clara ruptura que traducen la complicada dinámica de estos grupos y la elaboración de elementos gráficos de identidad distintos que van más allá de la forma de representación. La delimitación de cada uno de los horizontes propuestos hasta el momento deja abiertos numerosos interrogantes, cómo la posible filiación entre horizontes distintos, las variables de evolución dentro de una misma fase, etc, que tan solo el avance en nuestras investigaciones en la zona se encargará de dilucidar. Sin embargo, no hemos de desdeñar la posibilidad de que sean los aspectos compositivos y relativos a la concepción del espacio gráfico los que muestren menor variación en el tiempo y que, por tanto, puedan constituirse en una variable que nos permita señalar rasgos de continuidad que denoten una tradición común a expensas de los cambios en la forma de representación. Los resultados obtenidos en nuestro trabajo nos adentran en una nueva dimensión técnica del artista levantino, más compleja si cabe. Elementos como la corrección puntual de la posición de las figuras dentro de una composición, el uso significativo de los accidentes del soporte o la propia consideración diferencial del espacio gráfico apuntan a una reflexión previa, a una sucesión de gestos aparentemente reglados que remiten a una valoración pausada de la pared como espacio gráfico y a un proceso de representación más complejo de lo que tradicionalmente se había sugerido. __________________________________________________________________________________________________One of the most relevant features of the Levantine Rock Art is the repeated occupation of the rock shelters as place of representation. The multiplication of phases or decorative campaigns, with different manners of approaching the design of the figures, their distribution in the graphic space and, even, the own represented subject matters are, undoubtedly, an exponent of a changeable reality who is precise to decipher. The Levantine panels enclose the reading of a process of use and socialization of these spaces as places of representation throughout a still vague period of time. These paintings are, definitively, the graphical reflex of the dynamics of occupation, control and movement in the territory of different groups that, nevertheless, seem to share an artistic common tradition. Our work departs from a regional conception in the analysis of these rock art manifestations, and pays special attention to Valltorta-Gassulla valley (Castellón), where near thirty levantine rock art shelters are documented. This artistic concentration and its geographical position, close to the Levantine area of Teruel and the South of Catalonia, award to the nucleus Valltorta-Gassulla an out-standing protagonism at the moment of analyzing the sequence of the different artistic horizons and their dynamics and expansion in the most immediate territory. With this aim, a formal criteria has been applied on the analysis of the human figure depiction which it has allowed to delimit and to characterize the different phases or artistic horizons in the decorated rock shelters of Valltorta-Gassulla. The results obtained show a new technical and more complex dimension of the Levantine artist. Elements like the punctual alteration of figures place in a composition, the significant use of the accidents of the wall or the differential consideration of the graphical space show a previous reflection, a succession of seemingly ruled gestures that signify a slow valuation of the wall as graphical space and a process of representation more complex than traditionally it had been supposed

Documenting the Light Sensitivity of Spanish Levantine Rock Art Paintings.

A case study to evaluate the use of microfading spectrometry (MFS) for the study of colored systems found in prehistoric rock art paintings was conducted in the Cova Remígia rock-shelter, Castellón (Spain). This rock shelter is part of the rock art sites of the Mediterranean basin on the Iberian Peninsula included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Some of the paintings belonging to this group are exposed to environmental factors including natural daylight, wind and rain, depending on the time of the day and the season of the year. Therefore, their preservation is a major concern to stakeholders and researchers responsible for protecting and studying these prehistoric paintings. The experimental work in Cova Remigia focused on measuring the reflectance curves (400-700 nm) and determining the photostability of various areas containing red and black pigments on the rock art paintings. The preliminary results indicate that MFS is a suitable technique for studying the response to light of rock/pigment systems found in rock art sites. The advantages and limitations of the technique are discussed

Thoughts about digital recording techniques of rock art: Bidimensional restitution (2D) vs. threedimensional records (3D)

Licencia Creative Commons: Reconocimiento No Comercial Sin Obra Derivada 4.0 Internacional[ES] La era digital ha puesto al alcance de la arqueología y de los estudios de arte rupestre un amplio abanico de herramientas y programas para obtener una documentación más exhaustiva del arte rupestre. El presente artículo pretende ir más allá de la enumeración y descripción de cada una de las técnicas digitales de documentación disponibles. Lo que proponemos, desde nuestra experiencia en la utilización de técnicas de documentación digital 2D y 3D, es reflexionar críticamente sobre las ventajas y problemáticas de cada una de ellas. Paralelamente, proponemos unos criterios generales mínimos para la documentación integral del arte rupestre. Esta reflexión nos permite concluir que las técnicas 3D no son necesariamente una alternativa a las técnicas 2D, sino que las complementan, e incluso se combinan para ofrecer una lectura volumétrica no sólo del soporte, sino también de los motivos, que va más allá de la mera copia digital.[EN] The digital age has made accessible to archaeology and to rock art studies a wide range of tools and software to get a more complete documentation of rock art. This paper aims to go beyond the listing and description of the digital techniques available today. What we suggest, from our experience in the use of 2D and 3D digital recording techniques is to reflect critically on the advantages and limitations of each one of them. We also suggest some minimum steps to produce accurate rock art reproductions. We conclude that 3D techniques are not necessarily an alternative to 2D techniques, but a complement. Moreover, they should be used together to provide volumetric reproductions not only of the bedrock, but also of the motifs.Domingo Sanz, I.; Villaverde Bonilla, V.; López Montalvo, E.; Lerma García, JL.; Cabrelles López, M. (2013). Reflexiones sobre las técnicas de documentación digital del arte rupestre: la restitución bidimensional (2D) versus la tridimensional (3D). Cuadernos de Arte Rupestre. 6:21-32. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/61250S2132

Reflexiones sobre las técnicas de documentación digital del arte rupestre: la restitución bidimensional (2D) versus la tridimensional

[spa] La era digital ha puesto al alcance de la arqueología y de los estudios de arte rupestre un amplio abanico de herramientas y programas para obtener una documen¬tación más exhaustiva del arte rupestre. El presente artículo pretende ir más allá de la enumeración y descripción de cada una de las técnicas digitales de documentación disponibles. Lo que proponemos, desde nuestra experiencia en la utilización de téc¬nicas de documentación digital 2D y 3D, es reflexionar críticamente sobre las venta¬jas y problemáticas de cada una de ellas. Paralelamente, proponemos unos criterios generales mínimos para la documentación integral del arte rupestre. Esta reflexión nos permite concluir que las técnicas 3D no son necesariamente una alternativa a las técnicas 2D, sino que las complementan, e incluso se combinan para ofrecer una lectura volumétrica no sólo del soporte, sino también de los motivos, que va más allá de la mera copia digital.[eng] The digital age has made accessible to archaeology and to rock art studies a wide range of tools and software to get a more complete documentation of rock art. This paper aims to go beyond the listing and description of the digital techniques available today. What we suggest, from our experience in the use of 2D and 3D digital recording techniques is to reflect critically on the advantages and limitations of each one of them. We also suggest some minimum steps to produce accurate rock art reproductions. We conclude that 3D techniques are not necessarily an alternative to 2D techniques, but a complement. Moreover, they should be used together to provide volumetric reproductions not only of the bedrock, but also of the motifs

Aplicación de smartphone en el análisis colorimétrico de réplicas de pinturas rupestres

Este trabajo tiene por objetivo evaluar las posibilidades que ofrece el análisis de imagen efectuado sobre soporte fotográfico obtenido con smartphone en la caracterización colorimétrica de los pigmentos utilizados en el arte rupestre prehistórico. Con este fin, se procedió a la elaboración experimental de pigmentos minerales, siguiendo distintas recetas basadas en datos arqueológicos y etnológicos, y se aplicaron sobre una superficie de roca carbonatada similar al soporte donde se localizan las pinturas rupestres holocenas del arco mediterráneo. Cada trazo elaborado con las distintas recetas fue fotografiado con un smartphone en ambiente controlado y analizado con un espectrómetro de fluorescencia de rayos X portátil para evaluar la relación entre los niveles elementales de los pigmentos y los parametros de color obtenidos por análisis de imagen.Los autores agradecen la financiación recibida por la Consellería de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de la Generalitat Valenciana para el proyecto Prometeo “Smartphone y Química Analítica Verde” (PROMETEO 2019-056). Gianni Gallello agradece la ayuda Beatriz Galindo (BEAGAL18/00110) financiada por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y el Ministerio de Universidades del Gobierno de España. Esther López- Montalvo agradece la financiación recibida en el marco del proyecto MACOPREH MITI-CNRS (2017- 2019)

PAX4 preserves endoplasmic reticulum integrity preventing beta cell degeneration in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus

[Aims/hypothesis]: A strategy to enhance pancreatic islet functional beta cell mass (BCM) while restraining inflammation, through the manipulation of molecular and cellular targets, would provide a means to counteract the deteriorating glycaemic control associated with diabetes mellitus. The aims of the current study were to investigate the therapeutic potential of such a target, the islet-enriched and diabetes-linked transcription factor paired box 4 (PAX4), to restrain experimental autoimmune diabetes (EAD) in the RIP-B7.1 mouse model background and to characterise putative cellular mechanisms associated with preserved BCM. [Methods]: Two groups of RIP-B7.1 mice were genetically engineered to: (1) conditionally express either PAX4 (BPTL) or its diabetes-linked mutant variant R129W (mutBPTL) using doxycycline (DOX); and (2) constitutively express luciferase in beta cells through the use of RIP. Mice were treated or not with DOX, and EAD was induced by immunisation with a murine preproinsulin II cDNA expression plasmid. The development of hyperglycaemia was monitored for up to 4 weeks following immunisation and alterations in the BCM were assessed weekly by non-invasive in vivo bioluminescence intensity (BLI). In parallel, BCM, islet cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by immunocytochemistry. Alterations in PAX4- and PAX4R129W-mediated islet gene expression were investigated by microarray profiling. PAX4 preservation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis was assessed using thapsigargin, electron microscopy and intracellular calcium measurements. [Results]: PAX4 overexpression blunted EAD, whereas the diabetes-linked mutant variant PAX4R129W did not convey protection. PAX4-expressing islets exhibited reduced insulitis and decreased beta cell apoptosis, correlating with diminished DNA damage and increased islet cell proliferation. Microarray profiling revealed that PAX4 but not PAX4R129W targeted expression of genes implicated in cell cycle and ER homeostasis. Consistent with the latter, islets overexpressing PAX4 were protected against thapsigargin-mediated ER-stress-related apoptosis. Luminal swelling associated with ER stress induced by thapsigargin was rescued in PAX4-overexpressing beta cells, correlating with preserved cytosolic calcium oscillations in response to glucose. In contrast, RNA interference mediated repression of PAX4-sensitised MIN6 cells to thapsigargin cell death. [Conclusions/interpretation]: The coordinated regulation of distinct cellular pathways particularly related to ER homeostasis by PAX4 not achieved by the mutant variant PAX4R129W alleviates beta cell degeneration and protects against diabetes mellitus. The raw data for the RNA microarray described herein are accessible in the Gene Expression Omnibus database under accession number GSE62846

Arte rupestre del Barranc de la Xivana (Alfarb, València)

Pinturas con figuras de arte levantino y esquemático

A simple high efficiency intra-islet transduction protocol using lentiviral vectors

Successful normalization of blood glucose in patients transplanted with pancreatic islets isolated from cadaveric donors established the proof-of-concept that Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a curable disease. Nonetheless, major caveats to the widespread use of this cell therapy approach have been the shortage of islets combined with the low viability and functional rates subsequent to transplantation. Gene therapy targeted to enhance survival and performance prior to transplantation could offer a feasible approach to circumvent these issues and sustain a durable functional β-cell mass in vivo. However, efficient and safe delivery of nucleic acids to intact islet remains a challenging task. Here we describe a simple and easy-to-use lentiviral transduction protocol that allows the transduction of approximately 80 % of mouse and human islet cells while preserving islet architecture, metabolic function and glucose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion. Our protocol will facilitate to fully determine the potential of gene expression modulation of therapeutically promising targets in entire pancreatic islets for xenotransplantation purposes

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe