Chacarita Project: Conformation and analysis of a modern and documented human osteological collection from Buenos Aires City - Theoretical, methodological and ethical aspects

Osteological reference collections play a key role in bioanthropological research; they allow the development and testing of methods for sexing and aging individuals using different bone and dental attributes. This paper presents the first stage results of the ongoing Chacarita Research Project, which aims to generate and study a reference collection of adult skeletons representative of the contemporary population of Buenos Aires city. The Chacarita Collection is being conformed of unclaimed human remains of individuals of known nationality, sex, age, cause and date of death from the Chacarita Public Cemetery. Unlike other similar endeavors, this sample has been completely exhumed using archaeological techniques. So far, a total of 146 adult skeletons have been recovered (60 females - 41.1% - and 86 males - 58.90% -), the majority of which have ages-at-death in the range of 71-90 years. They were born primarily in Argentina (n = 133; 91.1%), although other nationalities are also represented. Dates of death go between 1987 and 2000. In the short term, the osteological study of this collection will allow assessment of the performance of classical methods of sex determination and age-at-death estimation in a local setting. A special priority will be given to the study of osteological changes in individuals over 50 years. As the sample is being retrieved by exhumation, the impact of taphonomic agents on the most diagnostic bones structures is also being assessed. In the long term, this osteological collection will be available to generate new population-specific techniques, and to develop comparative biological studies.Fil: Bosio, L. A.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Cátedra de Medicina Legal y Deontología Médica. Servicio de Antropología Forense; ArgentinaFil: García Guraieb, S.. Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación. Dirección Nacional de Cultura y Museos. Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano; ArgentinaFil: Luna, Leandro Hernan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aranda, C.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; Argentin

Chacarita Project: Conformation and analysis of a modern and documented human osteological collection from Buenos Aires City – Theoretical, methodological and ethical aspects

Osteological reference collections play a key role in bioanthropological research; they allow the development and testing of methods for sexing and aging individuals using different bone and dental attributes. This paper presents the first stage results of the ongoing Chacarita Research Project, which aims to generate and study a reference collection of adult skeletons representative of the contemporary population of Buenos Aires city. The Chacarita Collection is being conformed of unclaimed human remains of individuals of known nationality, sex, age, cause and date of death from the Chacarita Public Cemetery. Unlike other similar endeavors, this sample has been completely exhumed using archaeological techniques. So far, a total of 146 adult skeletons have been recovered (60 females - 41.1% - and 86 males - 58.90% -), the majority of which have ages-at-death in the range of 71-90 years. They were born primarily in Argentina (n = 133; 91.1%), although other nationalities are also represented. Dates of death go between 1987 and 2000. In the short term, the osteological study of this collection will allow assessment of the performance of classical methods of sex determination and age-at-death estimation in a local setting. A special priority will be given to the study of osteological changes in individuals over 50 years. As the sample is being retrieved by exhumation, the impact of taphonomic agents on the most diagnostic bones structures is also being assessed. In the long term, this osteological collection will be available to generate new population-specific techniques, and to develop comparative biological studies.Fil: Bosio, L. A.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Cátedra de Medicina Legal y Deontología Médica. Servicio de Antropología Forense; ArgentinaFil: García Guraieb, S.. Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación. Dirección Nacional de Cultura y Museos. Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano; ArgentinaFil: Luna, Leandro Hernan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aranda, C.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico "Juan B. Ambrosetti"; Argentin

Hunting Blinds in the Southern End of the Deseado Massif: Collective Hunting Strategies During the Late Holocene

The Southern End of the Deseado Massif (SDM, Patagonia, Argentina) is part of a morphostructural region with seasonal shallow lakes and streams highly dependent on rainfall. The area is rich in rock shelters and both primary and secondary sources of high-quality siliceous rocks. To the South there are basaltic plateaus and open plains where no such sources have been identified. Although a relatively big space was explored, rock structures forming groups were located in only a small part of it. In this paper we seek to analyze the reasons for their location and the way in which they were used. In order to do this, we present information related to their frequency, characteristics, and the archaeological context recovered. In addition, in order to understand the way in which they were used, the visibility of nearby environments was analyzed with Geographical Information Systems, using a DEM (Digital Elevation Model) developed by the Argentine Instituto Geográfico Nacional(IGN). Results obtained indicate that the rock structures were built in places higher than the surroundings, using immediately available rocks. According to the visibility analysis, they worked in an articulated way as part of collective hunting strategies. The characteristics and composition of the artifact assemblages recovered indicate that different activities took place at these sites during the Late Holocene. The identification of the hunting blinds in a specific area within the SDM and their absence in the remaining study area to the North and South suggest that this area was selected for planned collective hunting.Fil: Franco, Nora Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Historia y Ciencias Humanas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Departamento de Ciencias Antropológicas; ArgentinaFil: Vetrisano, Lucas Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Historia y Ciencias Humanas; ArgentinaFil: Gilio, Brenda Ludmila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Santa Cruz. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz; ArgentinaFil: Cirigliano, Natalia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Historia y Ciencias Humanas; ArgentinaFil: Bianchi, Pablo Emiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Historia y Ciencias Humanas; Argentin

Global attitudes in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 pandemic: ACIE Appy Study

Background: Surgical strategies are being adapted to face the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations on the management of acute appendicitis have been based on expert opinion, but very little evidence is available. This study addressed that dearth with a snapshot of worldwide approaches to appendicitis. Methods: The Association of Italian Surgeons in Europe designed an online survey to assess the current attitude of surgeons globally regarding the management of patients with acute appendicitis during the pandemic. Questions were divided into baseline information, hospital organization and screening, personal protective equipment, management and surgical approach, and patient presentation before versus during the pandemic. Results: Of 744 answers, 709 (from 66 countries) were complete and were included in the analysis. Most hospitals were treating both patients with and those without COVID. There was variation in screening indications and modality used, with chest X-ray plus molecular testing (PCR) being the commonest (19\ub78 per cent). Conservative management of complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis was used by 6\ub76 and 2\ub74 per cent respectively before, but 23\ub77 and 5\ub73 per cent, during the pandemic (both P < 0\ub7001). One-third changed their approach from laparoscopic to open surgery owing to the popular (but evidence-lacking) advice from expert groups during the initial phase of the pandemic. No agreement on how to filter surgical smoke plume during laparoscopy was identified. There was an overall reduction in the number of patients admitted with appendicitis and one-third felt that patients who did present had more severe appendicitis than they usually observe. Conclusion: Conservative management of mild appendicitis has been possible during the pandemic. The fact that some surgeons switched to open appendicectomy may reflect the poor guidelines that emanated in the early phase of SARS-CoV-2