Estimación del sexo en poblaciones del sur de Sudamérica mediante funciones discriminantes para el fémur

El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar funciones discriminantes para estimar el sexo en poblaciones sudamericanas a partir de variables métricas del fémur. Con este fin se seleccionaron tres muestras de poblaciones aborígenes procedentes de: a) Sur de Patagonia (n=61), b) Norte de Patagonia y Sur de Pampa (n=94) y c) NE Pampa y Entre Ríos (n=51). Sólo se incluyeron los individuos que presentaban estructuras diagnósticas de la pelvis que fueron utilizadas para obtener una estimación confiable del sexo. Posteriormente, se relevaron nueve variables del fémur, cinco de las cuales (diámetro de la cabeza, longitud fisiológica, ancho epicondilar y diámetros antero-posterior y medio-lateral del centro de la diáfisis) fueron empleadas para generar funciones discriminantes a través del método stepwise forward. Estas funciones incorporaron diferentes combinaciones de las variables en las tres muestras. El sexo estimado con las funciones fue contrastado con su correspondiente, a partir de variables de la pelvis a fin de establecer la exactitud de las mismas. Los porcentajes de asignaciones correctas calculados mediante el método de validación cruzada fueron elevados en las tres muestras, variando en promedio entre el 80% y el 94%. Por lo tanto, los resultados obtenidos indican que la técnica desarrollada proporciona un estándar específico para las poblaciones del sur de Sudamérica y constituye una herramienta confiable para la estimación del sexo en muestras procedentes de las áreas analizadas.The aim of this work is to develop discriminant functions to further assess sex in South American populations from femoral metric dimensions. Three samples of archaeological aboriginal populations were used: a) Southern Patagonia (n=61), b) Northern Patagonia and Southern Pampa (n=94), and c) Northeastern Pampa and Southern Entre Ríos (n=51). Only individuals with pelvic sex-diagnostic structures were included in the analysis. These structures were used to obtain a reliable estimation of sex. Then, nine femoral variables were measured, five of which (head diameter, bicondilar length, epicondilar breath and midshaft antero-posterior and medio-lateral diameters) were employed to generate discriminant functions with the stepwise forward method. The combinations of variables incorporated by the functions were different in each sample. Functions-assessed sex was contrasted with pelvis-assessed sex in order to set the accuracy of the former. Percentages of correct classification, computed with the cross validation method, were high in all three samples, varying the mean values from 80% to 94%. Thus, results show that the developed technique provides a specific standard for Southern South American populations and constitutes a reliable tool for determining sex in local samples.Asociación de Antropología Biológica de la República Argentin

Asymmetries in speech articulation as reflected on palatograms: a meta-study

This paper presents the results from an investigation of asymmetries in speech articulation on the basis of 1,502 previously published palatograms of a wide variety of speech sounds in a range of languages. For each palatogram, the direction and degree of tongue-palate contact was quantified by means of an index capturing the degree of lateral asymmetry. The results of this investigation show that lingual asymmetry in the articulation of speech sounds is substantial: 83% of the palatograms are asymmetrical. With respect to the direction of the asymmetry it is found that the asymmetry is more often towards the left side of the palate (45%) than to the right side (38%). Further analysis reveals that there are significant differences in both the direction and the degree of the asymmetry as a function of manner and place of articulation

Random walk forecast of urban water in Iran under uncertainty

There are two significant reasons for the uncertainties of water demand. On one hand, an evolving technological world is plagued with accelerated change in lifestyles and consumption patterns; and on the other hand, intensifying climate change. Therefore, with an uncertain future, what enables policymakers to define the state of water resources, which are affected by withdrawals and demands? Through a case study based on thirteen years of observation data in the Zayandeh Rud River basin in Isfahan province located in Iran, this paper forecasts a wide range of urban water demand possibilities in order to create a portfolio of plans which could be utilized by different water managers. A comparison and contrast of two existing methods are discussed, demonstrating the Random Walk Methodology, which will be referred to as the â On uncertainty pathâ , because it takes the uncertainties into account and can be recommended to managers. This On Uncertainty Path is composed of both dynamic forecasting method and system simulation. The outcomes show the advantage of such methods particularly for places that climate change will aggravate their water scarcity, such as Iran

Nasopharyngeal Microbiota Profiles in Rural Venezuelan Children Are Associated With Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that the microbiota affects susceptibility to both respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and gastrointestinal infections (GIIs). In order to optimize global treatment options, it is important to characterize microbiota profiles across different niches and geographic/socioeconomic areas where RTI and GII prevalences are high. METHODS: We performed 16S sequencing of nasopharyngeal swabs from 209 Venezuelan Amerindian children aged 6 weeks-59 months who were participating in a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) study. Using random forest models, differential abundance testing, and regression analysis, we determined whether specific bacteria were associated with RTIs or GIIs and variation in PCV13 response. RESULTS: Microbiota compositions differed between children with or without RTIs (P = .018) or GIIs (P = .001). Several species were associated with the absence of infections. Some of these health-associated bacteria are also observed in developed regions, such as Corynebacterium (log2(fold change [FC]) = 3.30 for RTIs and log2(FC) = 1.71 for GIIs), while others are not commonly observed in developed regions, such as Acinetobacter (log2(FC) = 2.82 and log2(FC) = 5.06, respectively). Klebsiella spp. presence was associated with both RTIs (log2(FC) = 5.48) and GIIs (log2(FC) = 7.20). CONCLUSIONS: The nasopharyngeal microbiota of rural Venezuelan children included several bacteria that thrive in tropical humid climates. Interestingly, nasopharyngeal microbiota composition not only differed in children with an RTI but also in those with a GII, which suggests a reciprocal interplay between the 2 environments. Knowledge of region-specific microbiota patterns enables tailoring of preventive and therapeutic approaches

Phage-derived protein induces increased platelet activation and is associated with mortality in patients with invasive pneumococcal disease

To improve our understanding about the severity of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), we investigated the association between the genotype of Streptococcus pneumoniae and disease outcomes for 349 bacteremic patients. A pneumococcal genome-wide association study (GWAS) demonstrated a strong correlation between 30-day mortality and the presence of the phage-derived gene pblB, encoding a platelet-binding protein whose effects on platelet activation were previously unknown. Platelets are increasingly recognized as key players of the innate immune system, and in sepsis, excessive platelet activation contributes to microvascular obstruction, tissue hypoperfusion, and finally multiorgan failure, leading to mortality. Our in vitro studies revealed that pblB expression was induced by fluoroquinolones but not by the beta-lactam antibiotic penicillin G. Subsequently, we determined pblB induction and platelet activation by incubating whole blood with the wild type or a pblB knockout mutant in the presence or absence of antibiotics commonly administered to our patient cohort. pblB-dependent enhancement of platelet activation, as measured by increased expression of the ɑ-granule protein P-selectin, the binding of fibrinogen to the activated ɑ IIbβ3 receptor, and the formation of platelet-monocyte complex occurred irrespective of antibiotic exposure. In conclusion, the presence of pblB on the pneumococcal chromosome potentially leads to increased mortality in patients with an invasive S. pneumoniae infection, which may be explained by enhanced platelet activation. This study highlights the clinical utility of a bacterial GWAS, followed by functional characterization, to identify bacterial factors involved in disease severity. IMPORTANCE The exact mechanisms causing mortality in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) patients are not completely understood. We examined 349 patients with IPD and found in a bacterial genome-wide association study (GWAS) that the presence of the phage-derived gene pblB was associated with mortality in the first 30 days after hospitalization. Although pblB has been extensively studied in Streptococcus mitis, its consequence for the interaction between platelets and Streptococcus pneumoniae is largely unknown. Platelets are important in immunity and inflammation, and excessive platelet activation contributes to microvascular obstruction and multiorgan failure, leading to mortality. We therefore developed this study to assess whether the expression of pblB might increase the risk of death for IPD patients through its effect on enhanced platelet activation. This study also shows the value of integrating extensive bacterial genomics and clinical data in predicting and understanding pathogen virulence, which in turn will help to improve prognosis and therapy

Preterm Delivery Disrupts the Developmental Program of the Cerebellum

A rapid growth in human cerebellar development occurs in the third trimester, which is impeded by preterm delivery. The goal of this study was to characterize the impact of preterm delivery on the developmental program of the human cerebellum. Still born infants, which meant that all development up to that age had taken place in-utero, were age paired with preterm delivery infants, who had survived in an ex-utero environment, which meant that their development had also taken place outside the uterus. The two groups were assessed on quantitative measures that included molecular markers of granule neuron, purkinje neuron and bergmann glia differentiation, as well as the expression of the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, that is important for cerebellar growth. We report that premature birth and development in an ex-utero environment leads to a significant decrease in the thickness and an increase in the packing density of the cells within the external granular layer and the inner granular layer well, as a reduction in the density of bergmann glial fibres. In addition, this also leads to a reduced expression of sonic hedgehog in the purkinje layer. We conclude that the developmental program of the cerebellum is specifically modified by events that follow preterm delivery

Predicting olfactory receptor neuron responses from odorant structure

Background Olfactory receptors work at the interface between the chemical world of volatile molecules and the perception of scent in the brain. Their main purpose is to translate chemical space into information that can be processed by neural circuits. Assuming that these receptors have evolved to cope with this task, the analysis of their coding strategy promises to yield valuable insight in how to encode chemical information in an efficient way. Results We mimicked olfactory coding by modeling responses of primary olfactory neurons to small molecules using a large set of physicochemical molecular descriptors and artificial neural networks. We then tested these models by recording in vivo receptor neuron responses to a new set of odorants and successfully predicted the responses of five out of seven receptor neurons. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.66 to 0.85, demonstrating the applicability of our approach for the analysis of olfactory receptor activation data. The molecular descriptors that are best-suited for response prediction vary for different receptor neurons, implying that each receptor neuron detects a different aspect of chemical space. Finally, we demonstrate that receptor responses themselves can be used as descriptors in a predictive model of neuron activation. Conclusions The chemical meaning of molecular descriptors helps understand structure-response relationships for olfactory receptors and their 'receptive fields'. Moreover, it is possible to predict receptor neuron activation from chemical structure using machine-learning techniques, although this is still complicated by a lack of training data