Using dates as contextual information for personalised cultural heritage experiences

We present semantics-based mechanisms that aim to promote reflection on cultural heritage by means of dates (historical events or annual commemorations), owing to their connections to a collection of items and to the visitors’ interests. We argue that links to specific dates can trigger curiosity, increase retention and guide visitors around the venue following new appealing narratives in subsequent visits. The proposal has been evaluated in a pilot study on the collection of the Archaeological Museum of Tripoli (Greece), for which a team of humanities experts wrote a set of diverse narratives about the exhibits. A year-round calendar was crafted so that certain narratives would be more or less relevant on any given day. Expanding on this calendar, personalised recommendations can be made by sorting out those relevant narratives according to personal events and interests recorded in the profiles of the target users. Evaluation of the associations by experts and potential museum visitors shows that the proposed approach can discover meaningful connections, while many others that are more incidental can still contribute to the intended cognitive phenomena

A new type of anti-ganglioside antibodies present in neurological patients

AbstractHigh titers of anti-GA1 antibodies have been associated with neurological syndromes. In most cases, these antibodies cross-react with the structurally related glycolipids GM1 and GD1b, although specific anti-GA1 antibodies have also been reported. The role of specific anti-GA1 antibodies is uncertain since the presence of GA1 in the human nervous system has not been clarified. A rabbit was immunized with GD1a and its sera were screened for antibody reactivity by standard immunoassay methods (HPTLC-immunostaining and ELISA). Anti-GD1a antibodies were not detected but, unexpectedly, anti-GA1 IgG-antibodies were found. Antibody binding to GA1 was inhibited by soluble GA1 but also by GD1a. These results indicate that the rabbit produced antibodies that recognize epitopes present on the glycolipids, that are absent or not exposed on solid phase adsorbed GD1a. We investigated the presence of these unusual anti-ganglioside antibodies in normal and neurological patient sera. Approximately, 10% of normal human sera contained low titer of specific anti-GA1 IgG-antibodies but none of them recognized soluble GD1a. High titers of IgG-antibodies reacting only with GA1 were detected in 12 patient sera out of 325 analyzed. Of these, 6 sera showed binding that was inhibited by soluble GD1a and four of them also by GM1. This new type of anti-ganglioside antibodies should be considered important elements for understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases as well as their diagnosis

Diversidad del haplogrupo B2 en el centro de Argentina: ¿extinción de haplotipos intermedios?

Haplogrupo B2 ha recibido escasa atención en los estudios realizados en poblaciones contemporáneas del centro de Argentina, debido principalmente a que se encuentra relativamente poco representado. En el presente trabajo se analizaron 64 secuencias de la Región Hipervariable del ADN mitocondrial, pertenecientes a individuos de 20 localidades del centro de Argentina (Córdoba, San Luis y Santiago del Estero). El objetivo fue analizar los niveles de diversidad molecular y patrón filogeográfico del haplogrupo B2 en estas poblaciones. Sorprendentemente, este haplogrupo presenta los niveles de diversidad genética más altos, en comparación con el resto de los haplogrupos de origen americano. En un trabajo recientemente publicado sobre muestras de origen arqueológico, con un rango de antigüedad entre 4525 ± 20 y 345 ± 20 años AP, se encontró una proporción mucho mayor del haplogrupo B2 (Nores y col., 2011). Puntualmente, en 21 muestras antiguas que habitaron la región serrana de Córdoba a partir del 1200 AP, se encontró un 48% de linajes B2, en contraste con el 16% observado en las muestras contemporáneas. Bajo este escenario evolutivo, es posible interpretar que la alta diversidad observada en poblaciones contemporáneas y, a la vez, la presencia de numerosos gaps genéticos en las redes de haplotipos, se deba a la existencia en tiempos prehispánicos de un mayor número y diversidad de linajes B2, pero que muchos de ellos fueron eliminados durante un periodo de reducción y extinción parcial de la población nativa, probablemente durante la conquista y la colonización española.Fil: García, Angelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: García, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Pauro, Maia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Pauro, Maia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Nores, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Nores, Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Demarchi, Darío A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Demarchi, Darío A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología Córdoba; Argentina.Otras Humanidade

Empowering reuse of digital cultural heritage in context-aware crosscuts of European history

The paper presents the H2020 CrossCult project, providing a short overview, a summary of the platform developed by the project, a description of the consortium, lessons learnt in three main dimensions (humanities, technology and business), the open challenges and the main tools developed by the project

CrossCult: Empowering reuse of digital cultural heritage in context-aware crosscuts of European history

The paper presents the H2020 CrossCult project, providing a short overview, a summary of the platform developed by the project, a description of the consortium, lessons learnt in three main dimensions (humanities, technology and business), the open challenges and the main tools developed by the project

Ensayo bajo norma IRAM de colectores solares planos y de tubos evacuados : Comparación de características

Los colectores solares están en permanente equilibrio con el ambiente. La eficiencia de conversión del mismo depende de la radiación solar, la temperatura ambiente, la temperatura del agua de entrada y salida, la velocidad del viento y el caudal de circulación. De esta manera, no es posible asignar un solo valor de eficiencia a los colectores solares sino que es necesario determinar su curva de rendimiento. Esta curva representa el funcionamiento de los colectores solares bajo distintas situaciones ambientales y es necesaria para dimensionar cualquier sistema. La curva de rendimiento se determina experimentalmente bajo condiciones controladas de los parámetros mencionados y conforme a la norma IRAM 210002. En el banco de ensayos del LESES (Laboratorio de Estudios sobre energía Solar) se realizaron ensayos de diferentes colectores bajo la norma IRAM 210002. Este trabajo presenta una comparación de varios colectores ensayados y relaciona sus características constructivas con los parámetros determinados. Los resultados de este trabajo servirán para ser utilizados en el dimensionamiento de sistemas que utilicen los colectores ensayados. Asimismo, el LESES se encuentra transitando la adaptación del banco para cumplir con los requerimientos de la nueva versión de la Norma que entró en vigencia el corriente año y es objetivo del mismo, difundir la existencia de estas instalaciones para que sean consideradas a la hora de implementar una política de promoción de la energía solar térmica y para divulgar las actividades de investigación que allí se realizan.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Technology-Powered Strategies to Rethink the Pedagogy of History and Cultural Heritage through Symmetries and Narratives

Recent advances in semantic web and deep learning technologies enable new means for the computational analysis of vast amounts of information from the field of digital humanities. We discuss how some of the techniques can be used to identify historical and cultural symmetries between different characters, locations, events or venues, and how these can be harnessed to develop new strategies to promote intercultural and cross-border aspects that support the teaching and learning of history and heritage. The strategies have been put to the test in the context of the European project CrossCult, revealing enormous potential to encourage curiosity to discover new information and increase retention of learned information

Ancient genomes in South Patagonia reveal population movements associated with technological shifts and geography

Archaeological research documents major technological shifts among people who have lived in the southern tip of South America (South Patagonia) during the last thirteen millennia, including the development of marine-based economies and changes in tools and raw materials. It has been proposed that movements of people spreading culture and technology propelled some of these shifts, but these hypotheses have not been tested with ancient DNA. Here we report genome-wide data from 20 ancient individuals, and co-analyze it with previously reported data. We reveal that immigration does not explain the appearance of marine adaptations in South Patagonia. We describe partial genetic continuity since ~6600 BP and two later gene flows correlated with technological changes: one between 4700–2000 BP that affected primarily marine-based groups, and a later one impacting all <2000 BP groups. From ~2200–1200 BP, mixture among neighbors resulted in a cline correlated to geographic ordering along the coast.Fil: Nakatsuka, Nathan. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Luisi, Pierre. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; ArgentinaFil: Motti, Josefina María Brenda. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Salemme, Monica Cira. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Santiago, Fernando Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: D'angelo del Campo, Manuel Domingo. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Grupo de Estudios Interdisciplinarios sobre Poblaciones Humanas de Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; EspañaFil: Vecchi, Rodrigo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Espinosa Parrilla, Yolanda. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Prieto, Alfredo. Universidad de Magallanes; ChileFil: Adamski, Nicole. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Lawson, Ann Marie. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Harper, Thomas K.. University of Pennsylvania; Estados UnidosFil: Culleton, Brendan J.. University of Pennsylvania; Estados UnidosFil: Kennett, Douglas J.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Lalueza Fox, Carles. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Mallick, Swapan. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Rohland, Nadin. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Guichón, Ricardo A.. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Cabana, Graciela S.. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Nores, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Reich, David. Harvard Medical School. Department Of Medicine; Estados Unido

Splenic size after division of the short gastric vessels in Nissen fundoplication in children

Item does not contain fulltextPURPOSE: Nissen fundoplication is an effective treatment for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). Mobilization of the gastric fundus during fundoplication requires division of short gastric vessels of the spleen, which may cause splenic ischemia. The aim of this study was to determine if Nissen fundoplication results in hypotrophy of the spleen. METHODS: We performed pre-operative and post-operative ultrasound measurements of the spleen in children undergoing Nissen fundoplication. During operation, the surgeon estimated the compromised blood flow by assessment of the percentage of discoloration of the spleen. RESULTS: Twenty-four consecutive children were analyzed. Discoloration of the upper pole of the spleen was observed in 11 patients (48%) of a median estimated splenic surface of 20% (range 5-50%). The median ratio for pre-operative and post-operative length, width, and area of the spleen was 0.97, 1.03, and 0.96, respectively. The percentage of the estimated perfusion defect during surgery was not correlated with the ratios. In three patients, the area ratio was smaller than 0.8 (0.67-0.75), meaning that the area decreased with at least 20% after surgery. In none of these patients a discoloration was observed. CONCLUSION: Discoloration of the spleen after Nissen fundoplication is not associated with post-operative splenic atrophy.1 maart 201