How Mitochondrial DNA Can Write Pre-History: Kinship and Culture in Duero Basin (Spain) during Chalcolithic and Bronze Age

The chronological period from the beginning of the Chalcolithic Age to the end of the Bronze Age on the Iberian northern sub-plateau of the Iberic Peninsula involves interesting social and cultural phenomena, such as the appearance of the Bell Beaker and, later, the Cogotas I cultures. This work constructs a genetic characterisation of the maternal lineages of the human population that lived on the northern sub-plateau between 5000 and 3000 years ago through an analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), a kind of genetic marker that is inherited through maternal lineages, unaltered from generation to generation. Population and cultural questions are investigated through mtDNA analyses. This study intends to shed light on the following questions. Were individuals who were buried together in multiple or collective burials biologically related through their maternal lineages? Were there distinct maternal human lineages in the same or different geographical areas if different material cultures (Bell Beaker and Cogotas I) were associated with the arrival of new human populations who established close biological relationships with the endogenous populations? Or could this be the result of the transmission of knowledge without human populations mixing? Another important question is whether the material cultures were related to the female populations. We analysed 91 individuals from 28 different archaeological sites of the Iberian northern sub-plateau from four different chrono-cultural periods (Pre-Bell Beaker, Bell Beaker, Proto-Cogotas I, and Cogotas I), from the end of the Chalcolithic Age up to the Bronze Age. There were two historical moments of new populations arriving: the first during the Pre-Bell Beaker period, associated with the K mtDNA haplogroup, and the second during the Proto-Cogotas I culture, with new lineages of the H, HVO, and T haplogroups. Neither of these new population flows were directly associated with the maximum development of the two main material cultures Bell Beaker and Cogotas I, so they must have occurred immediately beforehand, during the Pre-Bell Beaker and Proto-Cogotas I periods, respectively. However, we cannot discard an association between the populations and material cultures. Curiously, it has also been observed that there was also a tendency towards multiple burials, in which the individuals who were buried together belonged to the same maternal lineage, during these two periods of population change. This study has shed some light on the populational changes that occurred through these different periods in this specific geographical area of the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula

Disdrometer Performance Optimization for Use in Urban Settings Based on the Parameters that Affect the Measurements

[EN] There are currently different types of commercial optical disdrometers to measure the rainfall intensity, of which many are commonly used for monitoring road conditions. Having information about the amount of rain, the composition of the precipitation particles and visibility are essential to avoid accidents, which requires intelligent systems that warn drivers and redirect traffic. However, few studies related to Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) have been performed regarding why these devices are not optimized for this type of applications. Therefore, this paper analyzes and evaluates the operating mode of these equipment through their theoretical model, which will allow the design of prototypes of disdrometers with different characteristics. In addition, this model will be implemented in a simulation program, through which an exhaustive study analyzing how the type of precipitation and its intensity affect the measures provided by the model will be conducted. In this way, the results will help optimize its operation to be thus used in urban settings, which will allow obtaining more accurate real-time information, better traffic management, and a reduction in the number of accidents.This research has been funded by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia through its internal project "Equipos de deteccion, regulacion e informacion en el sector de los sistemas inteligentes de transporte (ITS). Nuevos modelos y ensayos de compatibilidad y verificacion de funcionamiento", which has been carried out at the ITACA Institute.Mocholí-Belenguer, F.; Martinez-Millana, A.; Mocholí Salcedo, A.; Milián Sánchez, V.; Palomo-Anaya, MJ. (2020). Disdrometer Performance Optimization for Use in Urban Settings Based on the Parameters that Affect the Measurements. Symmetry (Basel). 12(2):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12020303S119122Frasson, R. P. de M., da Cunha, L. K., & Krajewski, W. F. (2011). Assessment of the Thies optical disdrometer performance. Atmospheric Research, 101(1-2), 237-255. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2011.02.014Krajewski, W. F., Kruger, A., Caracciolo, C., Golé, P., Barthes, L., Creutin, J.-D., … Vinson, J.-P. (2006). DEVEX-disdrometer evaluation experiment: Basic results and implications for hydrologic studies. Advances in Water Resources, 29(2), 311-325. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2005.03.018Peng, Y., Jiang, Y., Lu, J., & Zou, Y. (2018). Examining the effect of adverse weather on road transportation using weather and traffic sensors. PLOS ONE, 13(10), e0205409. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0205409Rakha, H., Arafeh, M., & Park, S. (2012). Modeling Inclement Weather Impacts on Traffic Stream Behavior. International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, 1(1), 25-47. doi:10.1260/2046-0430.1.1.25Malin, F., Norros, I., & Innamaa, S. (2019). Accident risk of road and weather conditions on different road types. 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J., & Stevens, C. J. (1987). An Optical Disdrometer for the Measurement of Raindrop Size Spectra in Windy Conditions. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 4(3), 411-421. doi:10.1175/1520-0426(1987)0042.0.co;2Atlas, D., & Ulbrich, C. W. (1977). Path- and Area-Integrated Rainfall Measurement by Microwave Attenuation in the 1–3 cm Band. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 16(12), 1322-1331. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1977)0162.0.co;2Foote, G. B., & Du Toit, P. S. (1969). Terminal Velocity of Raindrops Aloft. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 8(2), 249-253. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1969)0082.0.co;2Pruppacher, H. R., & Pitter, R. L. (1971). A Semi-Empirical Determination of the Shape of Cloud and Rain Drops. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 28(1), 86-94. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1971)0282.0.co;2Hasse, L., Grossklaus, M., Uhlig, K., & Timm, P. (1998). A Ship Rain Gauge for Use in High Wind Speeds. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 15(2), 380-386. doi:10.1175/1520-0426(1998)0152.0.co;2Marshall, J. S., & Palmer, W. M. K. (1948). THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAINDROPS WITH SIZE. Journal of Meteorology, 5(4), 165-166. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1948)0052.0.co;2Ulbrich, C. W. (1983). Natural Variations in the Analytical Form of the Raindrop Size Distribution. Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology, 22(10), 1764-1775. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1983)0222.0.co;2Ulbrich, C. W. (1985). The Effects of Drop Size Distribution Truncation on Rainfall Integral Parameters and Empirical Relations. Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology, 24(6), 580-590. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1985)0242.0.co;2Gertzman, H. S., & Atlas, D. (1977). Sampling errors in the measurement of rain and hail parameters. Journal of Geophysical Research, 82(31), 4955-4966. doi:10.1029/jc082i031p04955Brawn, D., & Upton, G. (2008). Estimation of an atmospheric gamma drop size distribution using disdrometer data. Atmospheric Research, 87(1), 66-79. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2007.07.006Zhang, G., Vivekanandan, J., Brandes, E. A., Meneghini, R., & Kozu, T. (2003). The Shape–Slope Relation in Observed Gamma Raindrop Size Distributions: Statistical Error or Useful Information? Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 20(8), 1106-1119. doi:10.1175/1520-0426(2003)0202.0.co;2Peng, Y., Abdel-Aty, M., Lee, J., & Zou, Y. (2018). Analysis of the Impact of Fog-Related Reduced Visibility on Traffic Parameters. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 144(2), 04017077. doi:10.1061/jtepbs.0000094Alves de Souza, B., da Silva Rocha Paz, I., Ichiba, A., Willinger, B., Gires, A., Amorim, J. C. C., … Schertzer, D. (2018). Multi-hydro hydrological modelling of a complex peri-urban catchment with storage basins comparing C-band and X-band radar rainfall data. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 63(11), 1619-1635. doi:10.1080/02626667.2018.1520390Tabary, P., Boumahmoud, A.-A., Andrieu, H., Thompson, R. J., Illingworth, A. J., Bouar, E. L., & Testud, J. (2011). Evaluation of two «integrated» polarimetric Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) algorithms at C-band. Journal of Hydrology, 405(3-4), 248-260. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.05.02

Protocolo de autocuidado para pacientes con psoriasis desde la farmacia comunitaria

Introducción: Debido a la baja calidad de vida y adherencia al tratamiento de los pacientes con psoriasis se plantea desarrollar un protocolo de empoderamiento que conduzca a un mayor conocimiento del autocuidado en pacientes con esta patología, acorde a sus necesidades, siendo importante el papel del farmacéutico para la mejora de ambos.  Método: Se administró el test Morisky Green-4 items y el cuestionario Dermatology Life Quality Index a 40 pacientes con psoriasis que acudían a una farmacia comunitaria. Con estos datos, la información de las guías clínicas y la colaboración con un dermatólogo, se diseñó un protocolo de autocuidado. Resultados: Se observó falta de adherencia en el 100% de los pacientes y una calidad de vida leve/moderada (5,3±4,2), en las preguntas relacionadas con: los síntomas cutáneos afectan mucho/muy al 50% de los pacientes y la sensación de vergüenza y dificultad con su tratamiento entre poco y mucho en el 60%. Con estos resultados se diseñaron dos dípticos. A los 3 meses la calidad de vida mejoró a 3,98±2,05, p=0,048, y se observó falta de adherencia en el 70% de los pacientes. Conclusiones: Los protocolos de autocuidado son necesarios para mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes crónicos. El papel del farmacéutico es importante a través de un protocolo de autocuidado en pacientes con psoriasis, ayudando a mejorar la adherencia al tratamiento y la calidad de vida

Copper(i) as a reducing agent for the synthesis of bimetallic PtCu catalytic nanoparticles

Funding Information: This work received financial support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. S. N., C. L., J. L. C., A. F. L., and J. F. L. are thankful for the financial support from national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through project Met4Cat, EXPL/QUI-COL/0263/2021. This work was supported by the Spanish Government and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (project PIE 201980E081). We thank the financial support by the PROTEOMASS Scientific Society (Portugal) (General Funding Grant 2022). S. N. thanks FCT/MCTEC (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) Portugal for her doctoral grant associated with the Chemistry PhD program (SFRH/ BD/144618/2019). J. F. L. thanks FCT for the research contract through the Program DL 57/2016–Norma Transitória. A. F. L., J. F. L., S. N., J. L. C., and C. L. thank FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) for the national funds received through the project SiSi4Bacter PTDC/QUI-COL/1517/2020. This work was carried out in part through the use of the INL user facilities. The authors thank Dr Jamila Djafari for the conceptualization and design of the graphical abstract. We also thank Ramiro Martínez from Novozymes for the gift of enzymes. Funding Information: This work received financial support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. S. N., C. L., J. L. C., A. F. L., and J. F. L. are thankful for the financial support from national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through project Met4Cat, EXPL/QUI-COL/0263/2021. This work was supported by the Spanish Government and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (project PIE 201980E081). We thank the financial support by the PROTEOMASS Scientific Society (Portugal) (General Funding Grant 2022). S. N. thanks FCT/MCTEC (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) Portugal for her doctoral grant associated with the Chemistry PhD program (SFRH/ BD/144618/2019). J. F. L. thanks FCT for the research contract through the Program DL 57/2016-Norma Transitória. A. F. L., J. F. L., S. N., J. L. C., and C. L. thank FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) for the national funds received through the project SiSi4Bacter PTDC/QUI-COL/1517/2020. This work was carried out in part through the use of the INL user facilities. The authors thank Dr Jamila Djafari for the conceptualization and design of the graphical abstract. We also thank Ramiro Martínez from Novozymes for the gift of enzymes. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 RSCThis work investigates the potential utilization of Cu(i) as a reducing agent for the transformation of the platinum salt K2PtCl4, resulting in the production of stable nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit a bimetallic composition, incorporating copper within their final structure. This approach offers a convenient and accessible methodology for the production of bimetallic nanostructures. The catalytic properties of these novel nanomaterials have been explored in various applications, including their use as artificial metalloenzymes and in the degradation of dyes. The findings underscore the significant potential of Cu(i)-mediated reduction in the development of functional nanomaterials with diverse catalytic applications.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin

Family History in the Iberian Peninsula during Chalcolithic and Bronze Age: An Interpretation through the Genetic Analysis of Plural Burials

Throughout history, it has been observed that human populations have buried the deceased members of their communities following different patterns. During the Copper Age and the Bronze Age-periods on which this study focuses-in the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, we identified different patterns of multiple or collective burial. This work analyzes a total of 58 individuals buried in different multiple or collective graves, to investigate whether the practice of these burials implies a family or biological link between individuals buried together. With this aim, STR markers of nuclear DNA were analyzed, as well as the hypervariable regions I and II of mitochondrial DNA, establishing both close kinship relationships and relationships through maternal lineage. We observed different burial patterns, detecting certain maternal lines preserved in some common burials maintained over time. Close family relationships were observed to a lesser extent, with some occasional exceptions. The results of the analysis formed the basis for a discussion on the concepts of family and community

TTBK1 and CK1 inhibitors restore TDP-43 pathology and avoid disease propagation in lymphoblast from Alzheimer’s disease patients

IntroductionTDP-43 proteinopathy in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients is recently emerging as a relevant pathomolecular event that may have been overlooked. Recent results in immortalized lymphocytes from AD patients have shown not only an increase of post-translational modifications in TDP-43, such as hyperphosphorylation and fragmentation, but also its prionic behaviour and cell-to-cell disease transmission. With the main goal to advance therapeutic interventions, we present in this work different kinase inhibitors with potential to restore this pathological mechanism.MethodologyWe have used immortalized lymphocytes from healthy controls and AD severe patients to evaluate the correction of TDP-43 pathology after the treatment with previously synthetized TTBK1 and CK1 inhibitors. Moreover we used the conditioned mediums of these cells to perform different disease propagation experiments.ResultsTDP-43 pathology observed in lymphoblasts from severe AD patients is reduced after the treatment with TTBK1 and CK1 inhibitors (decreasing phosphorylation and increasing nuclear localisation), Furthermore, the significant increase in TDP-43 phosphorylation, cytoplasmic accumulation and aberrant F-actin protrusions (TNT-like structures) observed in control cells growing in CM from AD lymphoblasts were abolished when the CM from AD lymphoblasts treated with previously reported TTBK1 and CK1 inhibitors were used. In addition, the cytosolic transport mediated by molecular motors of the receptor cells was altered with the induced TDP-43 pathology, but it was not produced with the abovementioned pretreated CMs.ConclusionTTBK1 and CK1 inhibitors, specially VNG1.47 and IGS2.7 compounds, restore TDP-43 pathology and avoid cell-to-cell propagation in immortalized lymphocytes from AD patients, being excellent candidates for the future therapy of this prevalent and devastating disease

Inflammatory-related clinical and metabolic outcomes in Covid-19 patients

Background. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection elicits inflammatory manifestations that relate with a “cytokine storm.” Objective. The aim of this research was to assess the role of circulating interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels and other inflammatory markers in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on metabolic functions and accompanying clinical complications. Patients and Methods. A total of 165 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia were examined for medical features and inflammatory markers such as blood IL-6, CRP, ferritin, LDH, neutrophil/lymphocyte index (NLI), D-Dimer, and Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW). Regression analyses concerning electronically collected medical data were adjusted by appropriate factors and confounding variables. Results. Plasma IL-6 determinations evidenced a consistent association with hospital stay days, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and mortality rates. Similar trends were found for other proinflammatory variables, where ferritin and NLI showed a remarkable value as surrogates. Hyperglycaemia and the Charlson Comorbidity Index Score were positively associated with the inflammatory response induced by the SARS-COV-2 infection. An unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and alcoholic drinks consumption as well as excessive body adiposity influenced inflammatory-related outcomes in the screened patients. Conclusion. IL-6 together with other inflammatory biomarkers accompanied poor clinical and metabolic outcomes in COVID-19-infected patients. IL-6 may result in a suitable proxy to individually categorise patients in order to manage this infectious pandemic.CIBERon Instituto Carlos III in Madrid is credited for institutional support