New evidences to know the Late Antiquity in Cerro de Tormejón (Armuña, Segovia, Spain)

El propósito de este trabajo es ampliar la información existente sobre la fase tardoantigua en el Cerro Tormejón a través del análisis tanto de los materiales recuperados hace unos años en él, con motivo de la realización de una campaña de excavación, como de otros procedentes de varios trabajos de prospección. Esta nueva documentación y la disponible en la bibliografía arqueológica nos ha permitido concretar aspectos relativos a los siglos V y VI d. C. en el área segoviana del corredor del Eresma.The aim of this paper is to show a Late Antiquity pottery collection from Tormejón hillfort, a settlement located near Eresma river, between the roman cities of Segovia and Cauca (Coca). Our principal support of analysis is an ancient archaeological excavation conduced by one of us and other evidences from intensive survey. With the combination of this material evidences and the little notices of other archaeologists who write about this site, we want to make a synthesis of knowledge for this period

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma with prominent shadow (ghost) cell differentiation. An unreported neoplasm of the parotid gland

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is an aggressive type of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) predominant in the upper aerodigestive tract. To our knowledge, only one case of that tumor has been previously described in the parotid gland. Shadow (ghost) cell differentiation (SCD) is a specialized form of keratinization characteristic of pilomatricoma, and other skin tumors with follicular differentiation. SCD has also been described infrequently in some visceral carcinomas and rarely in the minor salivary glands. Recently, an SCC with prominent SCD has been reported in the parotid. We report for the first time the case of parotid BSCC with prominent SCD in an 87-year-old man. He was admitted due to the appearance in the last few months of a mass, painful on palpation, in the left parotid region. Imaging studies and tru-cut biopsies indicated the need for surgical removal. A left superficial parotidectomy, including the branch of the cervicofacial nerve, was performed. The BSCC showed predominance (62%) of SCD. Immunohistochemically, the basaloid cells were positive for ?-catenin, pan-cytokeratin (pan-CK) AE1?AE3, CK19, high-molecular-weight CK (HMWCK), p63, p40, and cluster of differentiation 10 (CD10) in a diffuse pattern. No signs of recurrence or metastasis were observed four months after surgery. The main differential diagnoses include nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma, adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma, embryonal carcinoma, and basal cell adenocarcinoma of the solid type. SCD in BSCC of the parotid should be recognized to avoid misdiagnosis, especially in small samples. Although rare, BSCC with SCD should be added to the list of tumors that may originate in the parotid gland.Funding: This study was not funded externally

Long-term artificial seawater irrigation as a sustainable environmental management strategy for abandoned solar salt works: The case study of Agua Amarga salt marsh (SE Spain)

Groundwater abstraction is among the main anthropogenic causes of wetland desiccation worldwide, and corrective measures must be taken to avoid degradation of this valuable ecosystems. A case study is the Agua Amarga salt marsh (≈180 ha) (SE Spain). Agua Amarga includes a solar saltwork pond network in operation between 1925 and 1975, when it was abandoned, and the ponds were colonized by salt marsh vegetation. In 2008 two desalination plants were operating in the marsh vicinity, which were supplied with groundwater. To mitigate the possible negative impact on the salt marsh ecosystem due to groundwater drawdown, in 2009 a sea water irrigation program was implemented. This paper summarizes the results of a ten-year monitoring program (2010–2020) to evaluate the effects of the irrigation program on groundwater levels and quality, soil salinity and moisture, and vegetation cover. During this period, average groundwater level was 2.5 m below the surface and around 1 m deep near the irrigated ponds. Groundwater salinity was not affected outside the saltmarsh, but inside, where the saltworks caused values to rise above 300 mS/cm, it decreased more than 150 mS/cm in some 20 m deep piezometers. Between 2012 and 2020, vegetation cover increased between ≈10 and ≈25 %, with halophyte species such as Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Sarcocornia fruticosa being the most favoured. In areas with prolonged flooding, Ruppia maritima, a plant species that lives submerged in saline water, was found. In the irrigated areas, soil electrical conductivity (1:5 soil:water extracts) decreased from ≈7-14 mS cm-1 to ≈2-6 mS cm-1. We present an example of sustainable actions in a coastal wetland, where the exploitation of water resources in semiarid areas is combined with promoting natural habitats.Financial support for this research was provided by Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla (http://www.mct.es). M.N. González-Alcaraz holds a Ramón y Cajal research contract from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC2020-029322-I). We much appreciate the help of M. Carmen Tercero, Héctor M. Conesa and B. Aránega, from Technical University of Cartagena, and Francisco J. Jiménez-Cárceles, from Biocyma environmental consulting, during field and laboratory work. We thank to the technicians of the SAIT-UPCT for their laboratory and analytical assessments. Finally, we want to give special recognition to Doctor Tomás Rodríguez Estrella for his contributions in the field of hydrogeology

An analysis of safety evidence management with the Structured Assurance Case Metamodel

SACM (Structured Assurance Case Metamodel) it a standard for assurance case specification and exchange. It consists of an argumentation metamodel and an evidence metamodel for justifying that a system satisfies certain requirements. For assurance of safety-critical systems, SACM can be used to manage safety evidence and to specify safety cases. The standard is a promising initiative towards harmonizing and improving system assurance practices, but its suitability for safety evidence management needs to be further studied. To this end, this paper studies how SACM 1.1 supports this activity according to requirements from industry and from prior work. We have analysed the notion of evidence in SACM, its evidence lifecycle, the classes and associations of the evidence metamodel, and the link of this metamodel with the argumentation one. As a result, we have identified several improvement opportunities and extension possibilities in SACM

The unconventional peridotite-related Mg-Fe-B skarn of the el robledal, SE Spain

The El Robledal deposit is a Mg-Fe-B skarn hosted in a dismembered block from the footwall contact of the Ronda orogenic peridotites in the westernmost part of the Betic Cordillera. The skarn is subdivided into two different zones according to the dominant ore mineral assemblage: (1) the ludwigite–magnetite zone, hosted in a completely mineralized body along with metasomatic forsterite, and (2) the magnetite–szaibelyite zone hosted in dolomitic marbles. In the ludwigite–magnetite zone, the massive mineralization comprises ludwigite (Mg2Fe3+(BO3)O2), Mg-rich magnetite, and magnetite, with minor amounts of kotoite (Mg3(BO3)2), szaibelyite (MgBO2(OH)), accessory schoenfliesite (MgSn4+(OH)6), and pentlandite. The ratio of ludwigite–magnetite decreases downwards in the stratigraphy of this zone. In contrast, the mineralization in the magnetite–szaibelyite zone is mainly composed of irregular and folded magnetite pods and bands with pull-apart fractures, locally associated with a brucite-, szaibelyite-, and serpentine-rich groundmass. The set of inclusions identified within these ore minerals, using a combination of a focused ion beam (FIB) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), supports the proposed evolution of the system and reactions of the mineral formation of the skarn. The analysis of the microstructures of the ores by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) allowed for the determination that the ores experienced ductile deformation followed by variable degrees of recrystallization and annealing. We propose a new classification of the deposit as well as a plausible genetic model in a deposit where the heat source and the ore-fluid source are decoupled

Effect of including a dietary supplement of raisins, a food rich in polyphenols, on cognitive function in healthy older adults; a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Background Polyphenols have been shown to be effective against many chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, the consumption of raisins, being a food rich in polyphenols, has been attributed with neuroprotective benefits. Therefore, our main objective is to evaluate the effect of including 50 g of raisins in the diet daily for 6 months, on the improvement of cognitive performance, cardiovascular risk factors and markers of inflammation in a population of older adults without cognitive impairment. Methods Design and intervention: This study will be a randomized controlled clinical trial of two parallel groups. Each subject included in the study will be randomly assigned to one of two study groups: control group (no supplement), intervention group (50 g of raisins daily during 6 months). Study population: The participants will be selected by consecutive sampling in the Primary Care consultations of urban health centers in Salamanca and Zamora (Spain), taking into account the selection criteria. Study variables: Two visits will be made, baseline and at 6 months. Cognitive performance will be evaluated (MiniMental State Examination test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, verbal fluency and montreal cognitive assessmentm(Moca)). It will also be analyzed the level of physical activity, quality of life, activities of daily living, energy and nutritional composition of the diet, body composition, blood pressure, heart rate, markers of inflammation and othermlaboratory tests of clinical relevance (glycaemia, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides). In addition, sociodemographic data, personal and family history, medication use and alcohol and tobacco consumption will be collected. Discussion In this project, it is intended to contribute to minimize the problems derived from cognitive deterioration in older people

"We're staying at home". Association of self-perceptions of aging, Personal and family resources and loneliness with psychological distress during the lock-down period of COVID-19

Families are going through a very stressful time because of the COVID-19 outbreak, with age being a risk factor for this illness. Negative self-perceptions of aging, among other personal and relational variables, may be associated with loneliness and distress caused by the pandemic crisis. Method: Participants are 1,310 Spanish people (age range: 18–88 years) during a lock-down period at home. In addition to specific questions about risk for COVID-19, self-perceptions of aging, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. Hierarchical regression analyses were done for assessing the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress. Results: The measured variables allow for an explanation of 48% and 33% of the variance of distress and loneliness, respectively. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, more contact with relatives different to those that co-reside, fewer positive emotions, less perceived self-efficacy, lower quality of sleep, higher expressed emotion, and higher loneliness were associated with higher distress. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, lower contact with relatives, higher self-perception as a burden, fewer positive emotions, lower resources for entertaining oneself, lower quality of sleep, and higher expressed emotion were associated with higher loneliness. Discussion: Having negative self-perceptions of aging and lower chronological age, together with other measured family and personal resources, are associated with loneliness and psychological distress. Older adults with positive self-perceptions of aging seem to be more resilient during the COVID-19 outbrea

La educación financiera dentro la economía familiar del distrito 1 del Municipio de Sacaba – Bolivia / pág. 8-24

Currently, financial literacy has become a fundamental tool for managing and protecting family finances, which is generally transmitted through the praxis, on the part of parents to children, relatives who are in the environment of minors and formal education through higher education units established in the environment. Following these guidelines, the research paper describes and analyzes the characteristics of financial education within the family economy of District 1 of the Municipality of Sacaba-Bolivia. For the realization of this study, the quantitative method has been used, oriented to extend descriptive results, proceeding to the collection of numerical data through statistical techniques and mathematics that allow establishing numerical measurement to discover events through research questions in the process of study development. The information was obtained through simple observation, the survey and the review of articles. In this way, from the application of data collection instruments, important findings have been reached that allow establishing the relationships of culture and patterns about money with financial education within the family economy of District 1 of the Municipality of Sacaba. In conclusion, the influence of mental patterns on money, as well as family financial culture and lack of formal financial education, are fundamental factors that directly influence the low family financial education of people living in District 1 of the Municipality of Sacaba.Actualmente la alfabetización financiera se convierte en una herramienta fundamental para manejar y proteger las finanzas familiares que, generalmente, es transmitida mediante la praxis, por parte de los padres hacia a los hijos, de los familiares que se encuentran en el entorno de los menores y de la educación formal a través de las unidades de educación superior establecidas en el entorno. Siguiendo estos lineamientos, el trabajo de investigación describe y analiza las características de la educación financiera dentro la economía familiar del Distrito 1 del Municipio de Sacaba-Bolivia. Para la realización de este estudio, se ha utilizado el método cuantitativo, orientado a extender resultados de carácter descriptivo, procediéndose a la recogida de datos numéricos por medio de las técnicas estadísticas y la matemática que permiten establecer medición numérica para descubrir sucesos mediante preguntas de investigación en el proceso de desarrollo del estudio. La información se obtuvo por medio de la observación simple, la encuesta y la revisión de artículos. De esta manera, a partir de la aplicación de los instrumentos de recogida de datos, se han alcanzado importantes hallazgos que permiten establecer las relaciones de la cultura y los patrones sobre el dinero con la educación financiera dentro la economía familiar del Distrito 1 del Municipio de Sacaba. En conclusión, la influencia de los patrones mentales sobre el dinero, así como la cultura financiera familiar y la carencia de educación formal financiera, son factores fundamentales que influyen directamente sobre la baja educación financiera familiar de las personas que habitan en el Distrito 1 del Municipio de Sacaba