Late Pleistocene Neanderthal exploitation of stable and mosaic ecosystems in northern Iberia shown by multi-isotope evidence

The carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotope analyses and the stable isotope analyses of bioapatite carbonates were funded as part of the ABRUPT project (HAR2017-84997-P) funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the SUBSILIENCE project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 818299—ERC-2018-Consolidator), both awarded to ABM-A. SP was supported by the Max Planck Society and the University of Aberdeen during the time of this project, and the oxygen isotope analysis of bioapatite phosphates was funded by the Max Planck Society. Access to the archaeological collections was granted by the Museo de Arqueología de Bizkaia (Basque Government), and initial sampling for carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was achieved by Hazel Reade funded by the FP7-PEOPLE-2012-CIG- 322112 project) and ABM-A. We appreciate Joseba Rios-Garaizar's advice about Axlor stratigraphy during the sampling process. We thank Ignacio Valera (IBBTEC, University of Cantabria) for kindly allowing the use of his laboratory facilities for collagen extraction. We thank Carlos Revilla Gómez (IBBTEC, University of Cantabria) for laboratory assistance during collagen extraction. Thanks are also due to Manuel Trost (MPI-EVA) for assistance during silver phosphate preparation and to Sven Steinbrenner for assistance with TC/EA-IRMS. KB is supported by a Philip Leverhulme Prize from the Leverhulme Trust (PLP-2019-284).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Subsistence strategies during the Gravettian in the rock shelter of La Viña (Asturias, N Spain)

The rock shelter of La Viña, located on the northern Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, contains a rich archaeological sequence dated from the Mousterian to the Magdalenian. This site preserves an extended Gravettian occupation where a diversified assemblage of fauna, lithic and bone tools has been attested. In this paper, we undertake the archaeozoological and taphonomic study of the macromammals found in the Gravettian levels X and IX of the Western Sector, recovered during the campaigns directed by Fortea between 1987 and 1992. The taphonomy indicates a high presence of fire-altered bone elements and butchery marks related to ungulate skinning and disarticulation activities, with a low presence of carnivore modifications, being 'Cervus elaphus', followed by 'Rupicapra rupicapra' and 'Capra pyrenaica' the most common taxa, therefore confirming the anthropogenic origin of the bone assemblage. Given the high fragmentation of the infantile remains identified, a biomolecular study by Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) was carried out to increase the taxonomic data and unravel the hunting strategies and site seasonality. Proteomic results revealed a high presence of newborn red deer and ibex, thus suggesting females herd captures during late spring/early summer.This research is funded by the European Research Council, under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement No. 818299-SUBSILIENCE ERC CoG project https:// www.subsilience.eu) and Spanish Ministry of Science (HAR2017- 84997-P, HAR2012-33956 and PGC2018-100010-B-I00) and Government of Cantabria - Department of Universities, Equality, Culture and Sports 2022-2023

Ecological evolution in northern Iberia (SW Europe) during the Late Pleistocene through isotopic analysis on ungulate teeth.

During the Late Pleistocene, stadial and interstadial fluctuations affected vegetation, fauna, and human groups that were forced to cope with these pronounced climatic and environmental changes in time and space. These changes were especially abrupt during the Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3. However, little is still known about the local and regional climatic conditions experienced by hominins in Europe. Here we reconstruct the climatic trends in northern Iberia considering the stable isotopic composition of ungulate skeletal tissues found in archaeological deposits dated between 80 to 15,000 cal BP. The carbon and oxygen isotopic composition preserved in the carbonate fraction of tooth enamel provides a reliable and high-resolution proxy of the food and water consumed by these animals, which is indirectly related to the local vegetation, environment, and climate, allowing us to estimate paleotemperatures and rainfall data. This study presents 44 bovine, equid, and cervid teeth from five archaeological sites in the Vasco-Cantabrian region (El Castillo, El Otero, Axlor, Labeko Koba, Aitzbitarte III) and one in the Mediterranean area (Canyars), where human evidence is attested from the Mousterian to the Magdalenian. The carbon isotope values reflect animals feeding on C3 plants with a mix-feeder diet mainly developed in open environments. However, carbon isotope value ranges point to differentiated ecological niches for equids and bovines, especially during the Aurignacian in the Vasco-Cantabrian region. Temperature estimations based on oxygen isotopic compositions and rainfall obtained from carbon isotopic compositions indicate colder and more arid conditions than nowadays from the Late Mousterian to the Aurignacian. The contemporary Mediterranean site shows slightly lower temperatures related to an arid period when animals mainly graze in open landscapes. In the Vasco-Cantabrian region, during the MIS2, the Gravettian data reflect a landscape opening, whereas the Magdalenian point to warmer conditions but still arid

Uptake of potentially toxic elements by edible plants in experimental mining Technosols: preliminary assessment

A study was carried out to evaluate the absorption of potentially toxic elements from mining Technosols by three types of vegetable plants (broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and onion (Allium cepa)), the different parts of which are intended for human and farm animal consumption (leaves, roots, edible parts). The preliminary results obtained highlight the importance of the design of the mining Technosols used for agricultural purposes, obtained from soils and sediments of mining origin and amended with residues of high calcium carbonate concentrations (limestone filler and construction and demolition wastes). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, and the total metal(loid)s concentration (As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) of the soil, rhizosphere, aqueous leachates and plant samples was monitored, the translocation and bioconcentration factors (TF and BCF, respectively) being calculated. The characterization of the soils included a mobilization study in media simulating different environmental conditions that can affect these soils and predicting the differences in behavior of each Technosol. The results obtained showed that the levels of potentially toxic elements present in the cultivated species are within the range of values mentioned in the literature when they were cultivated in soils with calcareous amendments. However, when the plants were grown in contaminated soils, the potentially toxic elements levels varied greatly according to the species, being higher in onions than in lettuce. Experiments with the use of lime filler or construction and demolition wastes for soil remediation result in crops that, in principle, do not present health risks and are similar in development to those grown on non-contaminated soil

The prehistoric sequence of Atxurra cave (Berriatua, Biscay): review of J.M. Barandiarán Ayerbe excavations (1934-1935)

Resumen: El yacimiento de la cueva de Atxurra fue excavado entre 1934 y 1935 por J.M. Barandiarán Ayerbe. Las condiciones de la excavación, la tardía publicación de los resultados y los avatares sufridos por los materiales arqueológicos recuperados han condicionado el análisis y la interpretación del yacimiento y de su secuencia estratigráfica. Recientemente el yacimiento ha sido objeto de una revisión arqueológica que ha propiciado una nueva lectura de la secuencia. A la luz de estas nuevas informaciones proponemos una revisión integral de la excavación de la década de 1930. Se discute, a partir del estudio de la industria lítica, ósea, cerámica y de los restos de macrofauna la pertinencia de la división estratigráfica propuesta por I. Barandiarán Maestu en los años 1960. Como resultado se propone la existencia de una ocupación Gravetiense en la base de la secuencia, la ausencia de Solutrense, la presencia de Magdaleniense Inferior, de Magdaleniense Superior, la ausencia de Aziliense y la presencia de Neolítico-Calcolítico.Abstract: The cave of Atxurra was excavated by J.M. Barandiarán Ayerbe between 1934 and 1935. The circumstances of the excavation, and the vicissitudes suffered with the archaeological remains biased the analysis and interpretation of the site and its stratigraphic sequence. Recently, the site has been revisited, and a new interpretation of the archaeological sequence is proposed here with an integral review of the 1930´s excavation. Considering the new data obtained from the lithic, bone tool, ceramic and macromammal assemblages, the validity on the cultural sequence defended by I. Barandiarán Maestu in the 1960´s is discussed. As a result, the existence of a Gravettian occupation in the base of the sequence, the absence of Solutrean, the presence of Lower Magdalenian and Upper Magdalenian, the absence of Azilian and the presence of Neolithic-Calcolithic occupations at the cave are proposed

Volume 279, February 2024, 127572

16 p.-4 fig.-4 tab.The filamentous cyanobacterium Limnospira platensis, formerly known as Arthrospira platensis or spirulina, is one of the most commercially important species of microalgae. Due to its high nutritional value, pharmacological and industrial applications it is extensively cultivated on a large commercial scale. Despite its widespread use, its precise manipulation is still under development due to the lack of effective genetic protocols. Genetic transformation of Limnospira has been attempted but the methods reported have not been generally reproducible in other laboratories. Knowledge of the transformation defense mechanisms is essential for understanding its physiology and for broadening their applications. With the aim to understand more about the genetic defenses of L. platensis, in this work we have identified the restriction-modification and CRISPR-Cas systems and we have cloned and characterized thirteen methylases. In parallel, we have also characterized the methylome and orphan methyltransferases using genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation patterns and RNA-seq. The identification and characterization of these enzymes will be a valuable resource to know how this strain avoids being genetically manipulated and for further genomics studies.This work was supported by projects S2013/ABI-2783 (INSPIRA1-CM), S2018/BAA-4532 (ALGATEC-CM) from “Comunidad de Madrid /ESF-ERDF”; RTI2018–094399-A-I00 (SETH) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity; RobExplode PID2019-108458RB-I00 (AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by Sycosys TED2021–130689B-C33 from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) grants.Peer reviewe

Crónica de las IX Jornadas de Jóvenes en Investigación Arqueológica. Arqueología en 3D: herramienta social, agente histórico y ciencia natural. Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC), Universidad de Cantabria (UC), S

Crónica de las IX Jornadas de Jóvenes en Investigación Arqueológica. Arqueología en 3D: herramienta social, agente histórico y ciencia natural. Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC), Universidad de Cantabria (UC),

Research in the Bioarchaeology Laboratory in the International Institute for Prehistoric Research (IIIPC) - University of Cantabria

RESUMEN: Cantabria se caracteriza por ser una región especialmente rica en yacimientos de época prehistórica. En ellos, se han podido recuperar múltiples evidencias que, con la aplicación de las técnicas metodológicas adecuadas, permiten reconstruir los modos de vida de los grupos humanos del pasado, la explotación que realizaban del medio, su tipo de dieta, su movilidad, así como el tipo de clima y medioambiente en que habitaron, entre otros aspectos. Una de las líneas de investigación más novedosas desarrollada en la región es la Bioarqueología, entendida como el estudio y análisis de restos biológicos procedentes de yacimientos arqueológicos. En este artículo se muestran las diferentes colecciones de referencia de materiales bioarqueológicos que alberga el Laboratorio de Bioarqueología del Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (Universidad de Cantabria), así como las investigaciones desarrolladas en dicha institución sobre esta temática en los últimos años.ABSTRACT: Cantabria is a region characterised as especially rich in prehistoric archaeological sites. These sites can be investigated using stateof- the art methodologies, making it possible to reconstruct the way of life of humans in the past, answering questions about diet and mobility, and what the climate and environment was like, amongst other things. One of these newly-developed lines of research in the region is bioarchaeology, which is the study and analysis of biological remains recovered from archaeological sites. This article introduces the different bioarchaeological reference collection materials housed in the Bioarchaeology Laboratory at the International Institute of Prehistoric Research in Cantabria (University of Cantabria), as well as the bioarchaeological research that has been carried out within the institution in the last few years.La investigación llevada a cabo por el grupo de investigadores del Laboratorio de Bioarqueología ha sido posible gracias a diversas fuentes de financiación españolas y europeas. En primer lugar, a título personal señalar las siguientes ayudas: Programa Ramon y Cajal a ABMA (RYC-2011-00695), Programa Juan de la Cierva a IGZ (JCI-2012-12094) y DCS (IJCI- 2014-20590), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship a JJ (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-Ref. 656122), Becas Predoctorales FPI a JMG (BES-2013-063309) y RSR (BES-2014-070075), AH (BES-2015-075176), Predoctorales UC a ILD y AGE y Técnicos de Apoyo I+D a LAP (PTA2013-8401-I). En segundo lugar, parte de estas investigaciones forma o ha formado parte de los siguientes proyectos de investigación financiados por la Comisión Europea (FP7-PEOPLE- 2012-CIG (322112), la British Academy y The Royal Society (Newton International Fellowship NF100413), y el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (HAR2008-06477-C03-00/HIST; HAR2010- 22115-C02-01; HAR2011-29907-C03-00; HAR2012- 33956; HAR2013-46802-P; HAR2014-51830-P). Por último, queremos agradecer el acceso a los fondos de museos como los depositados en el Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria (MUPAC), el Museo de Altamira, Centro de Patrimonio Cultural Mueble de Gipuzkoa (Gordailua), Museo Arqueológico de Asturias, Grupo de Ingeniería Fotónica de la Universidad de Cantabria, Laboratorio de la División de Ciencia e Ingeniería de los Materiales de la Universidad de Cantabria (LADICIM) e Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria

The outcome of boosting mitochondrial activity in alcohol-associated liver disease is organ-dependent.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) accounts for 70% of liver-related deaths in Europe, with no effective approved therapies. Although mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of alcohol-induced injury, restoring mitochondrial activity remains a problematic strategy due to oxidative stress. Here, we identify methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ) as a mediator for ALD progression and hypothesize that targeting MCJ may help in recovering mitochondrial fitness without collateral oxidative damage. APPROACH AND RESULTS C57BL/6 mice [wild-type (Wt)] Mcj knockout and Mcj liver-specific silencing (MCJ-LSS) underwent the NIAAA dietary protocol (Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% (vol/vol) ethanol for 10 days, plus a single binge ethanol feeding at day 11). To evaluate the impact of a restored mitochondrial activity in ALD, the liver, gut, and pancreas were characterized, focusing on lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, intestinal permeability, and microbiota composition. MCJ, a protein acting as an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial respiration, is downregulated in the early stages of ALD and increases with the severity of the disease. Whole-body deficiency of MCJ is detrimental during ALD because it exacerbates the systemic effects of alcohol abuse through altered intestinal permeability, increased endotoxemia, and dysregulation of pancreatic function, which overall worsens liver injury. On the other hand, liver-specific Mcj silencing prevents main ALD hallmarks, that is, mitochondrial dysfunction, steatosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, as it restores the NAD + /NADH ratio and SIRT1 function, hence preventing de novo lipogenesis and improving lipid oxidation. CONCLUSIONS Improving mitochondrial respiration by liver-specific Mcj silencing might become a novel therapeutic approach for treating ALD.This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Programa Retos-Colaboración RTC2019-007125-1 (for Jorge Simon and Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Retos a la Sociedad AGL2017- 86927R (for F.M.); Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Proyectos de Investigación en Salud DTS20/00138 and DTS21/00094 (for Jorge Simon and Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar, and Asis Palazon. respectively); Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias co-founded by European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund, “Investing in your future” PI19/00819, “Una manera de hacer Europa” FIS PI20/00765, and PI21/01067 (for Jose J. G. Marin., Pau Sancho-Bru,. and Mario F. Fraga respectively); Departamento de Industria del Gobierno Vasco (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Asturias Government (PCTI) co-funding 2018-2023/ FEDER IDI/2021/000077 (for Mario F. Fraga.); Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades MICINN: PID2020-117116RB-I00, CEX2021-001136-S PID2020-117941RB-I00, PID2020-11827RB-I00 and PID2019-107956RA-100 integrado en el Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y Innovación, cofinanciado con Fondos FEDER (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar, Francisco J Cubero., Yulia A Nevzorova and Asis Palazon); Ayudas Ramón y Cajal de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación RY2013-13666 and RYC2018- 024183-I (for Leticia Abecia and Asis Palazon); European Research Council Starting Grant 804236 NEXTGEN-IO (for Asis Palazon); The German Research Foundation SFB/TRR57/P04, SFB1382-403224013/ A02 and DFG NE 2128/2-1 (for Francisco J Cubero and Yulia A Nevzorova); National Institute of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 1U01AA026972-01 (For Pau Sancho-Bru); Junta de Castilla y León SA074P20 (for Jose J. G. Marin); Junta de Andalucía, Grupo PAIDI BIO311 (for Franz Martin); CIBERER Acciones Cooperativas y Complementarias Intramurales ACCI20-35 (for Mario F. Fraga); Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte FPU17/04992 (for Silvia Ariño); Fundació Marato TV3 201916-31 (for Jose J. G. Marin.); Ainize Pena-Cearra is a fellow of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/ EHU); BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Innovation and Health Research); Asociación Española contra el Cáncer (Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar and Teresa C. Delgado.); Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC Scientific Foundation) Rare Tumor Calls 2017 (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); La Caixa Foundation Program (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Proyecto Desarrollo Tecnologico CIBERehd (for Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar); Ciberehd_ISCIII_MINECO is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.S

Healthcare workers hospitalized due to COVID-19 have no higher risk of death than general population. Data from the Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry

Aim To determine whether healthcare workers (HCW) hospitalized in Spain due to COVID-19 have a worse prognosis than non-healthcare workers (NHCW). Methods Observational cohort study based on the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry, a nationwide registry that collects sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data on patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Spain. Patients aged 20-65 years were selected. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to identify factors associated with mortality. Results As of 22 May 2020, 4393 patients were included, of whom 419 (9.5%) were HCW. Median (interquartile range) age of HCW was 52 (15) years and 62.4% were women. Prevalence of comorbidities and severe radiological findings upon admission were less frequent in HCW. There were no difference in need of respiratory support and admission to intensive care unit, but occurrence of sepsis and in-hospital mortality was lower in HCW (1.7% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.024 and 0.7% vs. 4.8%; p<0.001 respectively). Age, male sex and comorbidity, were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and healthcare working with lower mortality (OR 0.211, 95%CI 0.067-0.667, p = 0.008). 30-days survival was higher in HCW (0.968 vs. 0.851 p<0.001). Conclusions Hospitalized COVID-19 HCW had fewer comorbidities and a better prognosis than NHCW. Our results suggest that professional exposure to COVID-19 in HCW does not carry more clinical severity nor mortality