Alimentos para los muertos : mujeres, rituales funerarios e identidades coloniales

Research on everyday life in Mediterranean colonial contexts and, particularly, the analysis of domestic space has enabled us to question the traditional colonial discourse. This has been preoccupied with the supposed duality between colonists and colonized, ethnic and cultural homogeneity and, especially, the exclusivity of adult male representation in colonial archaeology. In this paper we present an analysis of funerary spaces in Phoenician colonies focusing on the male- female relations and the dominant sexual politics as observed in each colonial context.El estudio de la vida en las colonias del Mediterráneo antiguo y, en especial, el análisis de los espacios domésticos han permitido cuestionar los pilares centrales de este discurso: la dualidad colonos-colonizados, la homogeneidad étnica y cultural de las poblaciones que viven en las colonias y el protagonismo exclusivo de los hombres adultos en la vida y en las empresas coloniales. El análisis de los espacios funerarios del mundo colonial fenicio que aquí presentamos se centra en las relaciones entre géneros y en las políticas sexuales imperantes en cada una de estas colonias.L'estudi de la vida a les colònies del Mediterrani antic i, sobretot, l'anàlisi dels espais domèstics han permès posar en qüestió els pilans d'aquest discurs: la dualitat colons-colonitzats, l'homogeneïtat ètnica i cultural de les poblacions que viuen a les colònies i el protagonisme exclusiu dels homes adults en la vida i en les empreses colonials. L'anàlisi dels espais funeraris del món colonial fenici que es presenta se centra en les relacions entre gèneres i en les polítiques sexuals imperants en cada una d'aquestes colònies

Ethnic duality or social heterogeneity? Ceramic assemblages and everyday practices in Emporion's Neápolis, c. 425-375 BC

This paper analyses the ceramic assemblages in several stratigraphic units from domestic contexts or dumps related to everyday activities in the Neápolis of Emporion, dating ca. 425 to 375 bc. The main aim of the study is to examine the domestic ceramic assemblages –kitchen ceramics, tableware and domestic storage– and to analyse them focusing on their manufacturing traditions and their use in daily practices. The results of this study show the existence of strong cultural entanglements. This invites us to reject traditional interpretations, largely based on written classical sources, that have argued for the occurrence of a strict dual division in the enclave along ethnic lines, with two neatly segregated communities that never overlapped in this urban landscape. This study argues against the simplistic use of material culture as an ethnic marker, emphasising instead the role of some daily-use objects in the construction of social distinction, as well as other social, intersectional identities that go beyond ethnicity.Este trabajo examina los equipos cerámicos de distintas unidades estratigráficas correspondientes a contextos domésticos o zonas de vertido vinculadas a actividades cotidianas de la Neápolis de Emporion, fechadas en el periodo c. 425-375 a. C. El estudio se centra en el análisis de los equipos domésticos cerámicos –vasos de almacenamiento, cocina y consumo– y los analiza desde el punto de vista de sus tradiciones de manufactura y de su uso en prácticas cotidianas. Los resultados del análisis muestran la existencia de una fuerte imbricación cultural que invita a rechazar las interpretaciones tradicionales que propugnan la presencia de una estricta dualidad étnica en este enclave con la presencia de dos comunidades distintas y segregadas en el espacio, una interpretación basada fundamentalmente en informaciones transmitidas por las fuentes clásicas. Este trabajo rechaza el uso simplista de la cultura material como marcador étnico y enfatiza el rol jugado por algunos objetos cotidianos en estrategias sociales relacionadas con la construcción de la distinción social, así como con otras identidades que van más allá de la etnicidad

Rural landscapes and local communities in the area around Emporion: dynamics of occupation, use and management of the territory

Los grupos humanos que ocuparon el entorno del paleoestuario emporitano durante la Edad del Hierro han sido tradicionalmente marginalizados y convertidos en actores históricos pasivos. El énfasis en su papel como proveedores también ha llevado a que la investigación arqueológica se centre demasiado en sus cultivos y en la forma en que almacenaban los excedentes alimentarios. Combinando diferentes métodos de análisis arqueológico, una serie de actuaciones realizadas en extensas áreas de Muntanya Rodona, Vilanera y Les Corts han aportado nuevas evidencias que permiten dibujar una imagen más rica y compleja sobre las dinámicas que experimentaron los paisajes rurales situados en el entorno de Emporion a lo largo del I milenio a.C. Los datos obtenidos sugieren algunas hipótesis que, aunque son preliminares, permiten ir más allá de la visión excesivamente simplista centrada en los conceptos de chora y jerarquía territorial que, tradicionalmente, han configurado la percepción de los análisis de estos contextos. Este trabajo también analiza los procesos de transformación que tuvieron lugar en esta zona desde una perspectiva de larga duración, examinando así los cambios y pervivencias que influyeron en las estrategias de ocupación y explotación que implementaron diversos grupos humanos establecidos en esta zona.The human populations that lived in the area around the Emporitan palaeoestuary during the Iron Age have historically been marginalized and reduced to supporting roles in history. Archaeological studies have placed too much attention on their crops and methods of food surplus storage as a result of the emphasis placed on their function as providers. A number of archaeological interventions made in large areas of Muntanya Rodona, Vilanera, and Les Corts have produced new evidence that has allowed us to construct a richer and more complex picture of the dynamics that the rural landscapes in the Emporion area experienced during the first millennium BC. The data acquired indicate some first ideas that, while tentative, allow us to move beyond the too simple approach focused on the concepts of chora and territorial hierarchy that have historically dominated the perception of the research of these contexts. The long-term transformation processes in this region are also examined in this paper, along with the changes and continuities that impacted the occupation and exploitation tactics used by diverse human groups established in the area.Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya CLT009/18/00087Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2019-105659GB-100/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 44994369

Selective brain regional changes in lipid profile with human aging

Fatty acids are key components in the structural diversity of lipids and play a strategic role in the functional properties of lipids which determine the integrity of neuronal and glial cell membranes, the generation of lipid signaling mediators, and the chemical reactivity of acyl chains. The present study analyzes using gas chromatography the fatty acid profiles of 13 regions of the human central nervous system in healthy individuals ranging from 40 to 80 years old. The outcomes suggest the existence of general traits in fatty acid composition such as an average chain length of 18 carbon atoms, high monounsaturated fatty acid content, and predominance in polyunsaturated fatty acids of those of series n-6 over series n-3 which are shared by all brain regions regardless of age. Our results also show a general sustained and relatively well-preserved lipid profile throughout the adult lifespan in most studied regions (olive, upper vermis, substantia nigra, thalamus, hippocampus, putamen, caudate, occipital cortex, parietal cortex, entorhinal cortex, and frontal cortex) with minor changes that are region-dependent. In contrast, of particular relevance is the involvement of the inferior temporal cortex and cingulate cortex. It is proposed that during normal human brain aging, the lipid profile is resistant to changes with age in most human brain regions to ensure cell survival and function, but some particular regions involved in specific memory domains are greatly affected.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (grant RTI2018-099200-B-I00), the IRBLleida-Dipuatació de Lleida (PIRS2021), and the Generalitat of Catalonia: Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (2017SGR696) to R.P. This study was cofnanced by FEDER funds from the European Union (“A way to build Europe”). IRBLleida is a CERCA Programme/Generalitat of Catalonia

Lipidomic Alterations in the Cerebral Cortex and White Matter in Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease

Non-targeted LC-MS/MS-based lipidomic analysis was conducted in post-mortem human grey matter frontal cortex area 8 (GM) and white matter of the frontal lobe centrum semi-ovale (WM) to identify lipidome fingerprints in middle-aged individuals with no neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, and cases at progressive stages of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD). Complementary data were obtained using RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that WM presents an adaptive lipid phenotype resistant to lipid peroxidation, characterized by a lower fatty acid unsaturation, peroxidizability index, and higher ether lipid content than the GM. Changes in the lipidomic profile are more marked in the WM than in GM in AD with disease progression. Four functional categories are associated with the different lipid classes affected in sAD: membrane structural composition, bioenergetics, antioxidant protection, and bioactive lipids, with deleterious consequences affecting both neurons and glial cells favoring disease progression

Association of Kv1.5 and Kv1.3 contributes to the major voltage-dependent K+ channel in macrophages

Voltage-dependent K(+) (Kv) currents in macrophages are mainly mediated by Kv1.3, but biophysical properties indicate that the channel composition could be different from that of T-lymphocytes. K(+) currents in mouse bone marrow-derived and Raw-264.7 macrophages are sensitive to Kv1.3 blockers, but unlike T-cells, macrophages express Kv1.5. Because Shaker subunits (Kv1) may form heterotetrameric complexes, we investigated whether Kv1.5 has a function in Kv currents in macrophages. Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 co-localize at the membrane, and half-activation voltages and pharmacology indicate that K(+) currents may be accounted for by various Kv complexes in macrophages. Co-expression of Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells showed that the presence of Kv1.5 leads to a positive shift in K(+) current half-activation voltages and that, like Kv1.3, Kv1.3/Kv1.5 heteromers are sensitive to r-margatoxin. In addition, both proteins co-immunoprecipitate and co-localize. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies further demonstrated that Kv1.5 and Kv1.3 form heterotetramers. Electrophysiological and pharmacological studies of different ratios of Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 co-expressed in Xenopus oocytes suggest that various hybrids might be responsible for K(+) currents in macrophages. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced activation of macrophages increased Kv1.3 with no changes in Kv.1.5, which is consistent with a hyperpolarized shift in half-activation voltage and a lower IC(50) for margatoxin. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Kv1.5 co-associates with Kv1.3, generating functional heterotetramers in macrophages. Changes in the oligomeric composition of functional Kv channels would give rise to different biophysical and pharmacological properties, which could determine specific cellular responses

Polygenic markers in patients diagnosed of autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia in Catalonia : distribution of weighted LDL-c-raising SNP scores and refinement of variant selection

Altres ajuts: Fundació la Marató de TV3 grant 20152431Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with mutations in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), apolipoprotein B (APOB), and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) genes. A pathological variant has not been identified in 30-70% of clinically diagnosed FH patients, and a burden of LDL cholesterol (LDL-c)-raising alleles has been hypothesized as a potential cause of hypercholesterolemia in these patients. Our aim was to study the distribution of weighted LDL-c-raising single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scores (weighted gene scores or wGS) in a population recruited in a clinical setting in Catalonia. The study included 670 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of FH and a prior genetic study involving 250 mutation-positive (FH/M+) and 420 mutation-negative (FH/M−) patients. Three wGSs based on LDL-c-raising variants were calculated to evaluate their distribution among FH patients and compared with 503 European samples from the 1000 Genomes Project. The FH/M− patients had significantly higher wGSs than the FH/M+ and control populations, with sensitivities ranging from 42% to 47%. A wGS based only on the SNPs significantly associated with FH (wGS8) showed a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and higher diagnostic specificity and sensitivity, with 46.4% of the subjects in the top quartile. wGS8 would allow for the assignment of a genetic cause to 66.4% of the patients if those with polygenic FH are added to the 37.3% of patients with monogenic FH. Our data indicate that a score based on 8 SNPs and the75th percentile cutoff point may identify patients with polygenic FH in Catalonia, although with limited diagnostic sensitivity and specificity

Molecular phenomics of a high-calorie diet-induced porcine model of prepubertal obesity

As obesity incidence is alarmingly rising among young individuals, we aimed to characterize an experimental model of this situation, considering the similarity between human and porcine physiology. For this reason, we fed prepubertal (63 days old) Duroc breed females (n=21) either with a standard growth diet (3800 kcal/day) or one with a high-calorie content (5200 kcal/day) during 70 days. Computerized tomography, mass-spectrometry-based metabolomics and lipidomics, as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptomics, were applied to define traits linked to high-calorie intake. Samples from a human cohort confirmed potential lipidomic markers. Compared to those fed a standard growth diet, pigs fed a high-calorie diet showed an increased weight gain (13%), much higher adiposity (53%), hypertriacylglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in parallel to insulin resistance. This diet induced marked changes in the circulating lipidome, particularly in phosphatidylethanolamine-type molecules. Also, circulating specific diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol contents correlated with visceral fat and intrahepatic triacylglycerol concentrations. Specific lipids associated with obesity in swine (mainly belonging to glycerophospholipid, triacylglyceride and sterol classes) were also linked with obesity traits in the human cohort, reinforcing the usefulness of the chosen approach. Interestingly, no overt inflammation in plasma or adipose tissue was evident in this model. The presented model is useful as a preclinical surrogate of prepubertal obesity in order to ascertain the pathophysiology interactions between energy intake and obesity development.Supported by Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico e Industrial, Spain, Project reference: IPT-20111008, and Generalitat de Catalunya grants 2017SGR1719 and 2017SGR696. MJ is a "Serra Hunter" program fellow. Supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain, Project reference: 17-00134, co-financed by FEDER Funds A way to make Europe

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Acrópolis sicilianas: rituales, comunidades y poderes (ss. X-V a.C)

El principal objetivo de esta tesis doctoral es devolver la agencia a las poblaciones sicilianas de la primera mitad del I Milenio a.C. mediante el análisis de sus dinámicas sociales y políticas. En particular, estudiar los procesos de identificación social y la idea de comunidad que estas gentes construyeron y reconstruyeron de manera constante a lo largo de este período a través de sus principales escenarios rituales de tipo comunitario y las distintas celebraciones que en ellos tuvieron lugar de manera periódica.The main aim of this doctoral dissertation is to return agency to the Sicilian people of the first half of the First Millennium BC through the analysis of their social and political dynamics. In particular, I wish to study the processes of social identification and the idea of community that these people built and rebuilt across the period through their main communal ritual spaces and the different celebrations that periodically took place in the