Equid use and provision during the Early Iron Age in Can Roqueta (NE Iberian Peninsula). Zooarchaeological study and first strontium isotope results

This article reports the results of a zooarchaeological study (including, mortality profiles, and anatomical and pathological descriptions) of the Early Iron Age (8th-6th c. BC) equid remains at the Can Roqueta site (Sabadell, Barcelona), together with the first strontium isotope results to determine their geographical origin. The zooarchaeological study reveals a remarkable number of equid remains at the site, the bone pathologies of which suggest their use for riding, drafting and load-carrying. The mortality and sex profiles point to the presence of adult animals, while the absence of neonatal and juvenile remains raises the question as to whether these individuals may have originated from other sites specialised in equid breeding. The strontium values obtained from six individuals suggest that some equids were reared in a geological area with a similar strontium signature to that of the Vallès area, where the site is located. However, three equids present a different strontium signature, pointing to a possibly different geographical origin

Biometric relationships to estimate length and weight of Leucoraja naevus, Raja montagui and R. clavata, from wing landings in Cantabrian Sea.

Conference posterThe scarce elasmobranch information existing nowadays has received rapidly growing worlwide attention in targeted fisheries, and also as a by-catch in other fisheries. The landings of rays are significant as by-catch in the North of Spain fisheries, and not always individuals are landed whole. The ray wings are cut on board of commercial vessels, and this landing is recorded by fish-markets. One of the objectives of DELASS project (Development of Elasmobranch Assessments) is to obtain reliable data into a particular area. In this poster the degree of existent correlation between the round fresh weight and landing lenght distribution concerning these species is presented

BMP2/BMP4 colorectal cancer susceptibility loci in northern and southern european populations

Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified 20 colorectal cancer susceptibility loci. Amongst these, four of the signals are defined by tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on regions 14q22.2 (rs4444235 and rs1957636) and 20p12.3 (rs961253 and rs4813802). These markers are located close to two of the genes involved in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling (BMP4 and BMP2, respectively). By investigating these four SNPs in an initial cohort of Spanish origin, we found substantial evidence that minor allele frequencies (MAFs) may be different in northern and southern European populations. Therefore, we genotyped three additional southern European cohorts comprising a total of 2028 cases and 4273 controls. The meta-analysis results show that only one of the association signals (rs961253) is effectively replicated in the southern European populations, despite adequate power to detect all four. The other three SNPs (rs4444235, rs1957636 and rs4813802) presented discordant results in MAFs and linkage disequilibrium patterns between northern and southern European cohorts. We hypothesize that this lack of replication could be the result of differential tagging of the functional variant in both sets of populations. Were this true, it would have complex consequences in both our ability to understand the nature of the real causative variants, as well as for further study designs

Deformation monitoring of dam infrastructures via spaceborne MT-InSAR. The case of La Viñuela (Málaga, southern Spain)

Dams require continuous security and monitoring programs, integrated with visual inspection and testing in dam surveillance programs. New approaches for dam monitoring focus on multi-sensor integration, taking into account emerging technologies such as GNSS, optic fiber, TLS, InSAR techniques, GBInSAR, GPR, that can be used as complementary data in dam monitoring, eliciting causes of dam deformation that cannot be assessed with traditional techniques. This paper presents a Multi-temporal InSAR (MT-InSAR) monitoring of La Viñuela dam (Málaga, Spain), a 96 m height earth-fill dam built from 1982 to 1989. The presented MT-InSAR monitoring system comprises three C-band radar (~5,7 cm wavelength) datasets from the European satellites ERS-1/2 (1992-2000), Envisat (2003-2008), and Sentinel-1A/B (2014-2018). ERS-1/2 and Envisat datasets were processed using StaMPS. In the case of Sentinel-1A/B, two different algorithms were applied, SARPROZ and ISCE-SALSIT, allowing the comparison of the estimated LOS velocity pattern. The obtained results confirm that LaViñuela dam is deforming since its construction, as an earth-fill dam. Maximum deformation rates were measured in the initial period (1992-2000), being around -7 mm/yr (LOS direction) on the coronation of the dam. In the period covered by the Envisat dataset (2003-2008), the average deforming pattern was lower, of the order of -4 mm/yr. Sentinel-1A/B monitoring confirms that the deformation is still active in the period 2014-2018 in the central-upper part of the dam, with maximums of velocity reaching -6 mm/yr. SARPROZ and ISCE-SALSIT algorithms provide similar results. It was concluded that MT-InSAR techniques can support the development of new and more effective means of monitoring and analyzing the health of dams complementing actual dam surveillance systems

MT-InSAR and Dam Modeling for the Comprehensive Monitoring of an Earth-Fill Dam: The Case of the Benínar Dam (Almería, Spain)

The Benínar Dam, located in Southeastern Spain, is an earth-fill dam that has experienced filtration issues since its construction in 1985. Despite the installation of various monitoring systems, the data collected are sparse and inadequate for the dam’s lifetime. The present research integrates Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) and dam modeling to validate the monitoring of this dam, opening the way to enhanced integrated monitoring systems. MT-InSAR was proved to be a reliable and continuous monitoring system for dam deformation, surpassing previously installed systems in terms of precision. MT-InSAR allowed the almost-continuous monitoring of this dam since 1992, combining ERS, Envisat, and Sentinel-1A/B data. Line-of-sight (LOS) velocities of settlement in the crest of the dam evolved from maximums of −6 mm/year (1992–2000), −4 mm/year (2002–2010), and −2 mm/year (2015–2021) with median values of −2.6 and −3.0 mm/year in the first periods (ERS and Envisat) and −1.3 mm/year in the Sentinel 1-A/B period. These results are consistent with the maximum admissible modeled deformation from construction, confirming that settlement was more intense in the dam’s early stages and decreased over time. MT-InSAR was also used to integrate the monitoring of the dam basin, including critical slopes, quarries, and infrastructures, such as roads, tracks, and spillways. This study allows us to conclude that MT-InSAR and dam modeling are important elements for the integrated monitoring systems of embankment dams. This conclusion supports the complete integration of MT-InSAR and 3D modeling into the monitoring systems of embankment dams, as they are a key complement to traditional geotechnical monitoring and can overcome the main limitations of topographical monitoring

Predictive model of pheochromocytoma based on the imaging features of the adrenal tumours

The purpose of our study was to develop a predictive model to rule out pheochromocytoma among adrenal tumours, based on unenhanced computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. We performed a retrospective multicentre study of 1131 patients presenting with adrenal lesions including 163 subjects with histological confirmation of pheochromocytoma (PHEO), and 968 patients showing no clinical suspicion of pheochromocytoma in whom plasma and/or urinary metanephrines and/or catecholamines were within reference ranges (non-PHEO). We found that tumour size was significantly larger in PHEO than non-PHEO lesions (44.3 +/- 33.2 versus 20.6 +/- 9.2 mm respectively; P < 0.001). Mean unenhanced CT attenuation was higher in PHEO (52.4 +/- 43.1 versus 4.7 +/- 17.9HU; P < 0.001). High lipid content in CT was more frequent among non-PHEO (83.6% versus 3.8% respectively; P < 0.001); and this feature alone had 83.6% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity to rule out pheochromocytoma with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.899. The combination of high lipid content and tumour size improved the diagnostic accuracy (AUC-ROC 0.961, sensitivity 88.1% and specificity 92.3%). The probability of having a pheochromocytoma was 0.1% for adrenal lesions smaller than 20 mm showing high lipid content in CT. Ninety percent of non-PHEO presented loss of signal in the out of phase MRI sequence compared to 39.0% of PHEO (P < 0.001), but the specificity of this feature for the diagnosis of non-PHEO lesions low. In conclusion, our study suggests that sparing biochemical screening for pheochromocytoma might be reasonable in patients with adrenal lesions smaller than 20 mm showing high lipid content in the CT scan, if there are no typical signs and symptoms of pheochromocytoma

Factors determining subsidence in urbanized floodplains: evidence from MT‐InSAR in Seville (southern Spain)

Major rivers have traditionally been linked with important human settlements throughout history. The growth of cities over recent river deposits makes necessary the use of multidisciplinary approaches to characterize the evolution of drainage networks in urbanized areas. Since under‐consolidated fluvial sediments are especially sensitive to compaction, their spatial distribution, thickness, and mechanical behavior must be studied. Here, we report on subsidence in the city of Seville (Southern Spain) between 2003 and 2010, through the analysis of the results obtained with the Multi‐Temporal InSAR (MT‐InSAR) technique. In addition, the temporal evolution of the subsidence is correlated with the rainfall, the river water column and the piezometric level. Finally, we characterize the geotechnical parameters of the fluvial sediments and calculate the theoretical settlement in the most representative sectors. Deformation maps clearly indicate that the spatial extent of subsidence is controlled by the distribution of under‐consolidated fine‐grained fluvial sediments at heights comprised in the range of river level variation. This is clearly evident at the western margin of the river and the surroundings of its tributaries, and differs from rainfall results as consequence of the anthropic regulation of the river. On the other hand, this influence is not detected at the eastern margin due to the shallow presence of coarse‐grain consolidated sediments of different terrace levels. The derived results prove valuable for implementing urban planning strategies, and the InSAR technique can therefore be considered as a complementary tool to help unravel the subsidence tendency of cities located over under‐consolidated fluvial deposits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Departamento de Geodinámica, Universidad de Granada, EspañaDepartamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica, Geodésica y Fotogrametría, Universidad de Jaén, EspañaCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Ciencias de la Tierra (CEACTierra), Universidad de Jaén, EspañaInstituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, EspañaInstituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Granada, EspañaDepartamento de Ingeniería Civil, Universidad de Granada, EspañaInstitute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, Universidade de Trás‐os‐Montes e Alto Douro, PortugalInstituto Geológico y Minero de España, EspañaDepartment of Radar Technology, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Países BajosGrupo de Investigación Microgeodesia Jaén, Universidad de Jaén, EspañaDepartment of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Delft University of Technology, Países Bajo

Varespladib and cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome: the VISTA-16 randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: Secretory phospholipase A2(sPLA2) generates bioactive phospholipid products implicated in atherosclerosis. The sPLA2inhibitor varespladib has favorable effects on lipid and inflammatory markers; however, its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of sPLA2inhibition with varespladib on cardiovascular outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial at 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America of 5145 patients randomized within 96 hours of presentation of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to either varespladib (n = 2572) or placebo (n = 2573) with enrollment between June 1, 2010, and March 7, 2012 (study termination on March 9, 2012). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to receive varespladib (500 mg) or placebo daily for 16 weeks, in addition to atorvastatin and other established therapies. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy measurewas a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with evidence of ischemia requiring hospitalization at 16 weeks. Six-month survival status was also evaluated. RESULTS: At a prespecified interim analysis, including 212 primary end point events, the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility and possible harm. The primary end point occurred in 136 patients (6.1%) treated with varespladib compared with 109 patients (5.1%) treated with placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95%CI, 0.97-1.61; log-rank P = .08). Varespladib was associated with a greater risk of MI (78 [3.4%] vs 47 [2.2%]; HR, 1.66; 95%CI, 1.16-2.39; log-rank P = .005). The composite secondary end point of cardiovascular mortality, MI, and stroke was observed in 107 patients (4.6%) in the varespladib group and 79 patients (3.8%) in the placebo group (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.82; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with recent ACS, varespladib did not reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and significantly increased the risk of MI. The sPLA2inhibition with varespladib may be harmful and is not a useful strategy to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes after ACS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01130246. Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Activation of TREK currents by riluzole in three subgroups of cultured mouse nodose ganglion neurons

Two-pore domain potassium channels (K2P) constitute major candidates for the regulation of background potassium currents in mammalian cells. Channels of the TREK subfamily are also well positioned to play an important role in sensory transduction due to their sensitivity to a large number of physiological and physical stimuli (pH, mechanical, temperature). Following our previous report describing the molecular expression of different K2P channels in the vagal sensory system, here we confirm that TREK channels are functionally expressed in neurons from the mouse nodose ganglion (mNG). Neurons were subdivided into three groups (A, Ah and C) based on their response to tetrodotoxin and capsaicin. Application of the TREK subfamily activator riluzole to isolated mNG neurons evoked a concentration-dependent outward current in the majority of cells from all the three subtypes studied. Riluzole increased membrane conductance and hyperpolarized the membrane potential by approximately 10 mV when applied to resting neurons. The resting potential was similar in all three groups, but C cells were clearly less excitable and showed smaller hyperpolarization-activated currents at -100 mV and smaller sustained currents at -30 mV. Our results indicate that the TREK subfamily of K2P channels might play an important role in the maintenance of the resting membrane potential in sensory neurons of the autonomic nervous system, suggesting its participation in the modulation of vagal reflexes