The prelude to industrial whaling:Identifying the targets of ancient European whaling using zooarchaeology and collagen mass-peptide fingerprinting

Taxonomic identification of whale bones found during archaeological excavations is problematic due to their typically fragmented state. This difficulty limits understanding of both the past spatio-temporal distributions of whale populations and of possible early whaling activities. To overcome this challenge, we performed zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry on an unprecedented 719 archaeological and palaeontological specimens of probable whale bone from Atlantic European contexts, predominantly dating from ca 3500 BCE to the eighteenth century CE. The results show high numbers of Balaenidae (many probably North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)) and grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) specimens, two taxa no longer present in the eastern North Atlantic. This discovery matches expectations regarding the past utilization of North Atlantic right whales, but was unanticipated for grey whales, which have hitherto rarely been identified in the European zooarchaeological record. Many of these specimens derive from contexts associated with mediaeval cultures frequently linked to whaling: the Basques, northern Spaniards, Normans, Flemish, Frisians, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians. This association raises the likelihood that early whaling impacted these taxa, contributing to their extirpation and extinction. Much lower numbers of other large cetacean taxa were identified, suggesting that what are now the most depleted whales were once those most frequently used.</p

Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 44 ancient Near Easterners ranging in time between ~12,000 and 1,400 BC, from Natufian hunter–gatherers to Bronze Age farmers. We show that the earliest populations of the Near East derived around half their ancestry from a ‘Basal Eurasian’ lineage that had little if any Neanderthal admixture and that separated from other non-African lineages before their separation from each other. The first farmers of the southern Levant (Israel and Jordan) and Zagros Mountains (Iran) were strongly genetically differentiated, and each descended from local hunter–gatherers. By the time of the Bronze Age, these two populations and Anatolian-related farmers had mixed with each other and with the hunter–gatherers of Europe to greatly reduce genetic differentiation. The impact of the Near Eastern farmers extended beyond the Near East: farmers related to those of Anatolia spread westward into Europe; farmers related to those of the Levant spread southward into East Africa; farmers related to those of Iran spread northward into the Eurasian steppe; and people related to both the early farmers of Iran and to the pastoralists of the Eurasian steppe spread eastward into South Asia

Impact of CD4 and CD8 dynamics and viral rebounds on loss of virological control in HIV controllers

Objective: HIV controllers (HICs) spontaneously maintain HIV viral replication at low level without antiretroviral therapy (ART), a small number of whom will eventually lose this ability to control HIV viremia. The objective was to identify factors associated with loss of virological control. Methods: HICs were identified in COHERE on the basis of \ue2\u89\ua55 consecutive viral loads (VL) \ue2\u89\ua4500 copies/mL over \ue2\u89\ua51 year whilst ART-naive, with the last VL \ue2\u89\ua4500 copies/mL measured \ue2\u89\ua55 years after HIV diagnosis. Loss of virological control was defined as 2 consecutive VL &gt;2000 copies/mL. Duration of HIV control was described using cumulative incidence method, considering loss of virological control, ART initiation and death during virological control as competing outcomes. Factors associated with loss of virological control were identified using Cox models. CD4 and CD8 dynamics were described using mixed-effect linear models. Results: We identified 1067 HICs; 86 lost virological control, 293 initiated ART, and 13 died during virological control. Six years after confirmation of HIC status, the probability of losing virological control, initiating ART and dying were 13%, 37%, and 2%. Current lower CD4/CD8 ratio and a history of transient viral rebounds were associated with an increased risk of losing virological control. CD4 declined and CD8 increased before loss of virological control, and before viral rebounds. Discussion: Expansion of CD8 and decline of CD4 during HIV control may result from repeated low-level viremia. Our findings suggest that in addition to superinfection, other mechanisms, such as low grade viral replication, can lead to loss of virological control in HICs

El papel de la Ucacsur como actor de fortalecimiento e integración de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito del sur

Este trabajo se trata de la UCACSUR la Unión de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito del Sur -UCACSUR-, que fue creada el 12 de diciembre del 2002 mediante Acuerdo Ministerial No.00017 de la Subdirección de Cooperativas del Austro, se constituye como un organismo de unión y fortalecimiento del sistema cooperativo a nivel regional. Que tiene como objetivos: Unificar a las Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito del Sur como un sistema, brindándose apoyo mutuo, planificando su desarrollo en procura de su consolidación. Lograr que la UCAC Sur se constituya en la representante oficial y objetiva de los intereses de los miembros. Integrar al mayor número de instituciones financieras alternativas. Representar una forma alternativa de servicios financieros en la región. Proporcionar un conjunto de servicios que requieren las instituciones miembros . Sus socias son: entidades comprometidas con el precepto de que el trabajo en conjunto conllevará a que el sector cooperativo alcance un posicionamiento privilegiado dentro del sistema financiero del país. Cañar Ltda. COOPAC - Austro Santa Isabel CACPE Biblián Ltda. Educadores del Azuay Ltda. 16 de Junio (Machala) Jardín Azuayo Familia Artesanal de Azogues Cristo Rey (Loja Federación Obrera del Azuay Juventud Ecuatoriana Progresista La Merced Ltda. ERCO Ltda. CADECOL Ltda. (Loja) Multiempresarial CACPE. Urocal Señor de Girón Integral CACPE YANTZAZA Ltda. (Zamora) SIDETAMC COOPERA Ltda. Alfonso JaramilloEconomistaCuenc

La construcción del discurso radiofónico en una traducción inversa de guiones de la Radiorrevista AgroEnlace para los países de la Región Caribe del Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA)

Presenta un caso de traducción del discurso radiofónico de guiones de la Radiorrevista AgroEnlace para los países de la Región Caribe del Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) con características culturales específicas. Dentro de los objetivos específicos esta: analizar las características del discurso radiofónico en el texto que se tradujo para definir sus rasgos específicos; identificar y analizar las exigencias culturales del nuevo público meta, y describir las características del texto terminal a la luz de los factores anteriores. En el análisis documental se utilizó la teoría de la traducción audiovisual propuesta por Frederic Chaume, el análisis del discurso por Calsamiglia y Tusón, y el discurso radiofónico propuesto por Mario Kaplún, para la identificación de las características radiofónicos del texto original y en el texto terminal. Algunas de las conclusiones, se muestra los factores de cambio de cultura y medio de transmisión que influyen en el resultado final así como también lo hace la intervención del traductor como productor textual.Universidad Nacional (Costa Rica). Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje

Plan de negocios para la venta de equipos médicos oncológicos en el Perú

Debido al elevado costo del equipamiento médico para el tratamiento del cáncer, el gobierno con el apoyo de organizaciones internacionales ha dispuesto como una meta para el sector de la salud, la descentralización de la atención médica oncológica, con una asignación presupuestal de US $ 42.060.702. La comunidad peruana se muestra como una potencial demandante de equipos médicos oncológicos por tanto, Genelectric Cìa. Ltda., comercializadora de equipos médicos oncológicos en Ecuador, establece una oficina de comercialización en la ciudad de Lima

Hepatic sonic hedgehog protein expression measured by computer assisted morphometry significantly correlates with features of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Abstract Background Hepatic expression of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is associated with Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and development of Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Hepatic SHH detection increases with the diagnosis of NASH. This pilot study was designed to confirm that staining for SHH is useful in NASH diagnosis and determine whether quantification of staining by computer assisted morphometry (CAM) can be used to assess severity of ballooning degeneration. Methods SHH was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on paraffin-embedded liver sections in subjects (N = 69) with biopsy proven NAFLD and no liver disease (control). Serum samples were also available for these subjects. Post-staining, a digitized image of the section was acquired and an area quantification algorithm was used to quantify the degree of SHH expression. Additionally, circulating M30, M65, and SHH were measured by ELISA. Results Notably, hepatic SHH expression correlated with histologic ballooning degeneration (rho = 0.62, p  2: OR = 1.986, p = 0.01, and OR = 3.280, p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusion Thus, our findings show quantitation of SHH expression by CAM can provide a tool for quantifying changes in hepatocyte injury and assist in unambiguous staging/grading of NASH. Our study showed minimal interobserver variability using CAM based quantification. Once validated, CAM assessment of hepatic SHH could benefit clinical trials or long term outcomes studies of NASH subjects