Damaged glyptodontid skulls from Late Pleistocene sites of northwestern Venezuela: evidence of hunting by humans?

The Muaco and Taima-Taima sites, in Falcón State of northwestern Venezuela, are among the earliest sites of human occupation in South America containing artifacts associated with preserved megafaunal remains and dating between 19,810 and 15,780 calybp. Here we report novel visual and CT scanning analysis of six glyptodont skulls of Glyptotherium cf. cylindricum from these sites, of which four exhibit distinct and similar patterns of breakages in the fronto-parietal region that suggest intentional blows by direct percussion by humans, with fractures not being diagenetic but instead antemortem or transmortem. This hypothesized and unreported hunting technique focused in an area of the skull where the cephalic shield becomes thin, thus increasing the effectiveness of the blow. From Taima-Taima other glyptodont remains included an inverted carapace, also previously reported as probable evidence of human–glyptodont interaction during the latest Pleistocene. We estimated that roughly 150-170 Kg of potentially accessible muscles and fat of an adult Glyptotherium cylindricum could be used as food sources.Fil: Carlini, Alfredo Armando. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Carrillo Briceño, Jorge D.. Universitat Zurich; SuizaFil: Jaimes, Arturo. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; VenezuelaFil: Aguilera, Orangel. Universidade Federal Fluminense; BrasilFil: Zurita, Alfredo Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Iriarte, Jose. University of Exeter; Reino UnidoFil: Sánchez Villagra, Marcelo Ricardo. Universitat Zurich; Suiz

Damaged glyptodontid skulls from Late Pleistocene sites of northwestern Venezuela: evidence of hunting by humans?

The Muaco and Taima-Taima sites, in Falcón State of northwestern Venezuela, are among the earliest sites of human occupation in South America containing artifacts associated with preserved megafaunal remains and dating between 19,810 and 15,780 calybp. Here we report novel visual and CT scanning analysis of six glyptodont skulls of Glyptotherium cf. cylindricum from these sites, of which four exhibit distinct and similar patterns of breakages in the frontoparietal region that suggest intentional blows by direct percussion by humans, with fractures not being diagenetic but instead antemortem or transmortem. This hypothesized and unreported hunting technique focused in an area of the skull where the cephalic shield becomes thin, thus increasing the effectiveness of the blow. From Taima-Taima other glyptodont remains included an inverted carapace, also previously reported as probable evidence of human– glyptodont interaction during the latest Pleistocene. We estimated that roughly 150-170 Kg of potentially accessible muscles and fat of an adult Glyptotherium cylindricum could be used as food sources.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

EVALUACIÓN DE FIREWALLS BASADOS EN SOFTWARE LIBRE (FIREWALL EVALUATION BASED ON OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE)

En este trabajo se propone la evaluación de firewalls basado en software libre GNU/LINUX con las características que les permitan integrarse a una cama de pruebas en la cual se estudiaron, evaluaron y analizaron diversos entornos de red y escenarios de ataque. Los firewalls de software libre son una buena alternativa cuando se trata de brindar seguridad en una red, en este trabajo fueron evaluados cuatro distribuciones Linux que han sido especialmente diseñadas para brindar este servicio. Las herramientas de software libre empleadas demostraron ser las adecuadas para las pruebas realizadas a los diferentes firewalls, de este modo se logró obtener resultados que muestran la factibilidad de ClearOS para ser implementado en la cama de pruebas. También se probó su efectividad al mostrar una buena respuesta en la defensa de los ataques, con y sin la inyección del tráfico de fondo generado por la herramienta iperf.In this work we propose the evaluation of firewalls based on free software GNU / LINUX with the characteristics that allow them to be integrated into a test bed in which various network environments and attack scenarios were studied, evaluated and analyzed. Free software firewalls are a good alternative when it comes to providing security in a network, in this work were evaluated four Linux distributions that have been specially designed to provide this service. The free software tools used, proved to be adequate for the tests carried out on the different firewalls, in this way it was possible to obtain results that show the feasibility of ClearOS to be implemented in the test bed. Its effectiveness was also proven by showing a good response in the defense of attacks, with and without the injection of background traffic generated by the iperf tool

Multi-level alkerdi-zelaieta cave system (Urdazubi/Urdax, Navarre): Base-level incision versus (re)sedimentation

Resumen: El sistema kárstico de Alkerdi-Zelaieta tiene un desarrollo de más de 5878 m. En él se engloban distintas cuevas que están genéticamente unidas, pero separadas por la colmatación de las galerías por sedimentos o colapsos. En todo caso, la organización de las galerías formadas en condiciones freáticas indica una mínima disposición de 6 niveles de cuevas, que se han formado en un contexto general de bajada del nivel freático. La formación de cada nivel de cueva está relacionada con procesos paragenéticos, que se deben a un incremento de la carga sedimentaria respecto al caudal hídrico. La variación en el aporte sedimentario se relaciona con cambios climáticos, de forma que cada vez que se repiten las condiciones climáticas propicias se produciría el aumento en la disponibilidad sedimentaria, y con ello, el desarrollo de niveles de cueva en el sistema kárstico. El área fuente de los sedimentos se localiza fundamentalmente en materiales paleozoicos y triásicos del entorno. En este sentido, una vez un nivel de cueva pasa a estar en condiciones vadosas, el sedimento depositado en ella comienza a erosionarse y redepositarse en el nivel inferior que se está formando, reciclándose una y otra vez hasta salir del sistema.Abstract: The Alkerdi-Zelaieta cave system is longer than 5878 m. It is composed by genetically connected caves, which are currently separated by sedimentary filling or collapses. Nevertheless, the disposition of the different subhorizontal passages formed under phreatic conditions shows at least 6 cave-levels, which have been developed in a widespread base-level falling context. The speleogenesis of each cave-level is due to paragenesis, given by an increment on sediment input regarding the stream flow. Changes in sediment input rates are due to climatic changes. Therefore each time that those climatic conditions were reproduced, cave-levels would have been formed. The origin of the sediments are from Paleozoic and Triassic formations of the area. As such, using the meandering conduits that connect different cave-levels, sediments that filled the abandoned galleries were removed and deposited in a lower cave-level that was forming at the moment, being recycled repetitively until they leave the cave-system

El papel de la vitamina D en la gestación y la preeclampsia: de la biología molecular a la clínica

Los niveles séricos de vitamina D bajos se han asociado con un riesgo elevado de preeclampsia, una de las principales causas de mortalidad materna en Colombia y el mundo. La asociación parte del papel de la vitamina D en la inflamación y de su relación con el eje renina-angiotensina-aldosterona. El Instituto de Salud de los Estados Unidos sugiere que la vitamina D debe suplementarse de forma rutinaria durante el control prenatal; sin embargo, la Organización Mundial de la Salud, respaldada en medicina basada en la evidencia, sugiere la no suplementación de rutina de esta vitamina. En Colombia, no se conoce la prevalencia de la deficiencia o insuficiencia de vitamina D y los puntos de corte de normalidad aún son objeto de discusión. El objetivo del presente artículo es el de presentar una revisión desde la bases de la biología molecular a la clínica, dilucidando el papel de la vitamina D en la gestación y en su relación con la preeclampsia, así como el de invitar al desarrollo de programas de investigación en temas relacionados con la vitamina D en el país. Abstract The low serum levels of vitamin D have been associated with the risk of preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal mortality in Colombia. The biological plausibility of the association is the vitamin D role in inflammation and its relationship with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis. The Institute of Medicine of the United States suggests that vitamin D should be supplemented routinely during antenatal care, however, the World Health Organization, supported by evidence-based medicine, suggests not supplement it. In Colombia, the prevalence of deficiency or insufficiency of vitamin D is not known and even normal break- points are discussed. The aim of this article is to review from the molecular biology to the clinic, elucidating the role of vitamin D during pregnancy and in the genesis of preeclampsia, and to encourage research in this field in the country

Palaeolithic rock art in Alkerdi 2 cave (Urdazubi/Urdax, Navarra)

En el marco del proyecto de «Caracterización del macizo y sistema kárstico de Alkerdi,de la cueva de Alkerdi y de su entorno de protección», se procede a la exploración de la cavidad de Alkerdi 2. Las labores coordinadas han permitido identificar un conjunto de arte parietal asociado a evidencias arqueológicas en superficie. El estilo de las grafías animales grabadas apunta hacia una atribución Gravetiense para la presencia humana. La datación por radiocarbono de uno de los motivos parietales y de un carbón procedente del contexto arqueológico, lo corroboran. Se trata así de la segunda cavidad decorada durante el Paleolítico en Navarra y la muestra artística más antigua de la Comunidad Foral.Within the framework of the characterization project of the massif and karst system of Alkerdi, the Alkerdi cave and its protective environment, the Alkerdi 2 cavity was explored. The coordinated work has made it possible to identify a set of parietal art associated with archaeological evidence on the surface. The style of the engraved animal points towards a Gravettian attribution for human presence. Radiocarbon dating of one of the parietal motifs and a charcoal from the archaeological context corroborate this idea. This is the second cavity decorated during the Paleolithic in Navarre and the oldest artistic remain in the Autonomous Community

A new decorated gallery at the Alkerdi 2 cave (Urdazubi/Urdax)

En el marco del proyecto de «Caracterización del macizo y sistema kárstico de Alkerdi, de la cueva de Alkerdi y de su entorno de protección», se continúa con el estudio científico de la cavidad de Alkerdi 2. Las labores de prospección espeleológica del desarrollo kárstico de la cavidad han permitido localizar una galería decorada inédita en 2020. En un primer estudio se ha identificado en su interior un conjunto de pinturas y de grabados compuestos principalmente por representaciones animales de bisontes, caballos y uros, a los que se unen un panel decorado con vulvas y dos conjuntos de trazos pareados en rojo.Within the framework of the characterization project of the karstic massif of Alkerdi and its system, the cave of Alkerdi and its protected environment, we have continued with the scientific study of the cave of Alkerdi 2. The speleological prospecting work of the karstic development of the cave has allowed locating an unknown decorated gallery in 2020. In a first study, a set of paintings and engravings has been detected inside, composed mainly of animal representations of bison, horses and aurochs, to which a panel decorated with vulvas and two sets of paired red traits are adde

Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks : The GR@ACE project

Introduction: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. Methods: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. Results: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. Discussion: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series