NUEVOS DATOS PARA EL PERIODO DE CERÁMICA INICIAL EN EL VALLE DE CASMA

En Marzo de 1968 cuando visité Tortugas, un balneario ubicado más o menos a 20 km al norte de la ciudad de Casma, recogí algunos materiales arqueológicos de un yacimiento sobre la terraza marina que se levanta en el sector norte de la Bahía. Este yacimiento con restos de estructuras de piedras angulares canteadas, se estaba destruyendo para construir una casa. De regreso a Lima, cuando estuvimos examinando los tiestos, una vez limpios, descubrimos una sorprendente semejanza entre los decorados de Tortugas; al par que, acompañados por el Dr. Donald E. Thompson, recogimos en 1965 en una de las estructuras que él identificó como C1 dentro de los sitios que conjuntamente con el Dr. Donald Collier estudió durante 1956  y los de la primera fase de cerámica inicial de Las Aldas

Reflexiones en torno al patrimonio arqueológico

Discurso. pronunciado por la autora al momento de ser distinguida con el título de Profesora Emérita. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima. Perú. &nbsp

Reflexiones en torno al patrimonio arqueológico

Discurso. pronunciado por la autora al momento de ser distinguida con el título de Profesora Emérita. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima. Perú

EXCAVACIONES EN PACOPAMPA, CAJAMARCA

Se describen las excavaciones y asociaciones estratigráficas en los sectores I y II. El material cerámico obtenido es presentado en términos clasificatorios de tres categorías interrelacionadas: morfológicas (4 grupos), tecno-alfareras (10 alfares) y decorativas o accesorias (58 rasgos). Del conjunto de testimonios analizados y estratigráficamente correlacionados se desprenden 6 fases: AB, C, D, E, F y GH. La nominación dual de la primera y última plantea el manejo de mayores evidencias estratigráficas asociadas, las que permitirán precisar el proceso sociocultural inicial y postrero del sitio. La aparición en la fase C de manifestaciones foráneas dentro de la continuidad de la tradición alfarera local, nos lleva a argumentar la vinculación de dicha presencia con una expansión territorial temprana hacia el interior, pacífica, del sistema político-religioso “Chavín”, durante el cual empezaría a emerger el centro ceremonial de Pacopampa en donde ya existía, inferimos, un poblado importante (fase AB). Este desarrollo organizado de anexiones espaciales hundiría sus raíces culturales en el proceso civilizador, que en la zona central costeña particularmente se define en los últimos tiempos del Precerámico. La aplicación de la “Teoría Económica Espacial” de Losch en estudios futuros, se sugiere, podría ayudarnos a esclarecer el funcionamiento de la distribución geográfica de estos centros ceremoniales, como Pacopampa, históricamente conectados. La fase D registra crecimiento, innovaciones arquitectónicas y auge del centro ceremonial. La amplitud de su prestigio se constata en la comparecencia de rasgos cerámicos de diferentes tradiciones al lado de los propios, característicos del complejo “Chavín” tardío. Los estudios de polen realizados por Kautz revelan ciertos aspectos de la vegetación y de la actividad agrícola. El cese del funcionamiento del centro ceremonial habría ocurrido en la fase F, precedida de una etapa existencial (fase E) de declinación e influencias culturales extrañas. Entre ellas destaca la prominencia de restos óseos de animales asociados a desechos de talla de piedra. La fase GH corresponde a las ocupaciones del sitio después de su abandono. Proponemos explicaciones causales de la disolución del sistema político-religioso del que formaba parte el centro ceremonial de Pacopampa. Reconocimientos. Al auxiliar de campo: Jorge Elías Tercero Silva, a la auxiliar de gabinete, Lucy Salazar Rodríguez, y a los participantes en las excavaciones: Nélida Gamero Requena, Ernesto Nakandakari, Tomás Pérez (guardián), Hermilia Ramos Arana y Lucy Salazar Rodríguez. Además de las personas mencionadas, agradecemos al Dr. Carlos F. Cenzano por el estudio de las rocas de los artefactos líticos; al Dr. Robert R. Kautz por el análisis de polen; a la arqueóloga Danièle Lavallée por habernos ayudado a fotografiar la mayoría de los tiestos; al sr. Wilfredo Loayza por las fotos proporcionadas y al Sr. Atilio Corzo Stagnaro por leer el manuscrito, en especial el capítulo de la “Discusión”

Comprehensive genetic diagnosis of tandem repeat expansion disorders with programmable targeted nanopore sequencing

More than 50 neurological and neuromuscular diseases are caused by short tandem repeat (STR) expansions, with 37 different genes implicated to date. We describe the use of programmable targeted long-read sequencing with Oxford Nanopore's ReadUntil function for parallel genotyping of all known neuropathogenic STRs in a single assay. Our approach enables accurate, haplotype-resolved assembly and DNA methylation profiling of STR sites, from a list of predetermined candidates. This correctly diagnoses all individuals in a small cohort (n = 37) including patients with various neurogenetic diseases (n = 25). Targeted long-read sequencing solves large and complex STR expansions that confound established molecular tests and short-read sequencing and identifies noncanonical STR motif conformations and internal sequence interruptions. We observe a diversity of STR alleles of known and unknown pathogenicity, suggesting that long-read sequencing will redefine the genetic landscape of repeat disorders. Last, we show how the inclusion of pharmacogenomic genes as secondary ReadUntil targets can further inform patient care

Domestic dog health worsens with socio-economic deprivation of their home communities

Dogs play an important role in infectious disease transmission as reservoir hosts of many zoonotic and wildlife pathogens. Nevertheless, unlike wildlife species involved in the life cycle of pathogens, whose health status might be a direct reflection of their fitness and competitive abilities, dog health condition could be sensitive to socio-economic factors impacting the well-being of their owners. Here, we compare several dog health indicators in three rural communities of Panama with different degrees of socio-economic deprivation. From a total of 78 individuals, we collected blood and fecal samples, and assessed their body condition. With the blood samples, we performed routine hematologic evaluation (complete blood counts) and measured cytokine levels (Interferon-γ and Interleukin-10) through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. With the fecal samples we diagnosed helminthiases. Dogs were also serologically tested for exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi and canine distemper virus, and molecular tests were done to assess T. cruzi infection status. We found significant differences between dog health measurements, pathogen prevalence, parasite richness, and economic status of the human communities where the dogs lived. We found dogs that were less healthy, more likely to be infected with zoonotic pathogens, and more likely to be seropositive to canine distemper virus in the communities with lower economic status. This study concludes that isolated communities of lower economic status in Panama may have less healthy dogs that could become major reservoirs in the transmission of diseases to humans and sympatric wildlife

Genetic Etiology of Parkinson Disease Associated with Mutations in the SNCA, PARK2, PINK1, PARK7, and LRRK2 Genes: A Mutation Update

To date, molecular genetic analyses have identified over 500 distinct DNA variants in five disease genes associated with familial Parkinson disease; α-synuclein (SNCA), parkin (PARK2), PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), DJ-1 (PARK7), and Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). These genetic variants include ∼82% simple mutations and ∼18% copy number variations. Some mutation subtypes are likely underestimated because only few studies reported extensive mutation analyses of all five genes, by both exonic sequencing and dosage analyses. Here we present an update of all mutations published to date in the literature, systematically organized in a novel mutation database (http://www.molgen.ua.ac.be/PDmutDB). In addition, we address the biological relevance of putative pathogenic mutations. This review emphasizes the need for comprehensive genetic screening of Parkinson patients followed by an insightful study of the functional relevance of observed genetic variants. Moreover, while capturing existing data from the literature it became apparent that several of the five Parkinson genes were also contributing to the genetic etiology of other Lewy Body Diseases and Parkinson-plus syndromes, indicating that mutation screening is recommendable in these patient groups. Hum Mutat 31:763–780, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Antimicrobial Consumption in Latin American Countries: First Steps of a Long Road Ahead

Background: Irrational antimicrobial consumption (AMC) became one of the main global health problems in recent decades. Objective: In order to understand AMC in Latin-American Region, we performed the present research in 6 countries. Methods: Antimicrobial consumption (J01, A07A, P01AB groups) was registered in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Peru. Source of information, AMC type, DDD (Defined Daily Doses), DID (DDD/1000 inhabitants/day), population were variables explored. Data was analyzed using the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) tool. Results: Source of information included data from global, public, and private sectors. Total AMC was highly variable (range 1.91-36.26 DID). Penicillin was the most consumed group in all countries except in Paraguay, while macrolides and lincosamides were ranked second. In terms of type of AMC according to the WHO-AWaRe classification, it was found that for certain groups like “Reserve,” there are similarities among all countries. Conclusion and Relevance: This paper shows the progress that 6 Latin-American countries made toward AMC surveillance. The study provides a standardized approach for building a national surveillance system for AMC data analysis. These steps will contribute to the inclusion of Latin-America among the regions of the world that have periodic, regular, and quality data of AMC.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Risk factors associated with Trypanosoma cruziexposure in domestic dogs from a rural community in Panama

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, is a zoonosis of humans, wild and domestic mammals,including dogs. In Panama, the main T. cruzi vector is Rhodnius pallescens, a triatomine bug whose main naturalhabitat is the royal palm, Attalea butyracea. In this paper, we present results from three T. cruzi serological tests(immunochromatographic dipstick, indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA) performed in 51 dogs from 24 housesin Trinidad de Las Minas, western Panama. We found that nine dogs were seropositive (17.6% prevalence). Dogswere 1.6 times more likely to become T. cruzi seropositive with each year of age and 11.6 times if royal palms wherepresent in the peridomiciliary area of the dog’s household or its two nearest neighbours. Mouse-baited-adhesivetraps were employed to evaluate 12 peridomestic royal palms. All palms were found infested with R. pallescens withan average of 25.50 triatomines captured per palm. Of 35 adult bugs analysed, 88.6% showed protozoa flagellates intheir intestinal contents. In addition, dogs were five times more likely to be infected by the presence of an additionaldomestic animal species in the dog’s peridomiciliary environment. Our results suggest that interventions focused onroyal palms might reduce the exposure to T. cruzi infection

Measurement and interpretation of same-sign W boson pair production in association with two jets in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents the measurement of fducial and diferential cross sections for both the inclusive and electroweak production of a same-sign W-boson pair in association with two jets (W±W±jj) using 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analysis is performed by selecting two same-charge leptons, electron or muon, and at least two jets with large invariant mass and a large rapidity diference. The measured fducial cross sections for electroweak and inclusive W±W±jj production are 2.92 ± 0.22 (stat.) ± 0.19 (syst.)fb and 3.38±0.22 (stat.)±0.19 (syst.)fb, respectively, in agreement with Standard Model predictions. The measurements are used to constrain anomalous quartic gauge couplings by extracting 95% confdence level intervals on dimension-8 operators. A search for doubly charged Higgs bosons H±± that are produced in vector-boson fusion processes and decay into a same-sign W boson pair is performed. The largest deviation from the Standard Model occurs for an H±± mass near 450 GeV, with a global signifcance of 2.5 standard deviations