Análisis antropológico de los restos humanos de la necrópolis medieval de Quintana (Leza, Álava)

Se presenta una síntesis de los resultados obtenidos en el estudio antropológico de más de un centenar de sujetos inhumados en la necrópolis medieval de Quintana (Leza, Álava), la cual muestra un excepcional número de amortizaciones o reutilizaciones sepulcrales. Se evidencia un esquema demográfico caracterizado por un inusual predominio del colectivo subadulto. Destacan asimismo la preeminencia de tallas medianas y la presencia de artropatías degenarativas como patologías más comunes

The Llamas de Cabrera gold district, a new discovery in the Variscan basement of northwest Spain: A fluid inclusion and stable isotope study

[EN] The northwest of the Iberian Massif is well known to host numerous gold mineralizations which were exploited during Roman times. This study presents a multidisciplinary approach leading to the mineralogical, fluid inclusions, and geochemical characterization of the recently rediscovered Roman gold district of Llamas de Cabrera. Gold occurs in extensional quartz veins hosted in the upper layers of the Lower to Middle Ordovician Armorican quartzite and occasionally in the overlaying Middle Ordovician slates from Luarca Formation. The veins are characterized by multistage ore deposition developed along three hydrothermal stages: As–Fe (I), As–Fe (II), and Au–Zn–Cu–Pb, followed by late supergene alteration processes. The fluid inclusion study undertaken on mineralized quartz revealed the presence of three types of fluids: (1) CO2–(CH4) fluid inclusions, (2) aqueous-carbonic fluid inclusions dominated by CO2 and subordinate CH4 related to quartz–arsenopyrite–pyrite deposition, and (3) aqueous fluid inclusions related to the Au-sulfide deposition. In conjunction with arsenopyrite geothermometry and fluid-inclusion data an attempt was made to determine the P–T conditions of ore formation. Changes occurred in the P–T conditions fromarsenopyrite and pyrite deposition in quartz veins from aqueous-carbonic fluids at 300–390 °C and 200–220 MPa towards 180–310 °C and b200 MPa at the stage of gold from aqueous fluids.Mixing of two aqueous fluids of relatively contrasted salinity were favorable factors for decreasing gold solubility and could allow gold deposition. The δ34S values are similar for the two As–Fe stages, +8.0‰ to +16.3‰ and +9.0‰ to +19.5‰ respectively, and for the post-S1 pyrites from siliciclastic Luarca Formation suggesting a comparable sulfur source. Combining calculated δ18O values of fluids of+6.7 to+9.4‰with fluid inclusion data indicates that fluids of unknown origin are largely equilibrated withmetamorphic lithologies at medium–high temperatures. The ascent of some late Variscan magmatic bodies, not exposed at the present day erosion level, provides the heat source for convective water circulation. Gold quartz veins from Llamas de Cabrera display similar features and processes to related deposits of similar type elsewhere in the Variscan belt of western Europe (northwest and central/western Iberia, French Massif Central, BohemianMassif). However Llamas de Cabrera shows certain differences, such as the non-appearance of igneous rocks in the area and the absence of Sb-rich minerals compared to some Variscan Sb–Au deposits, including northern, central, and western Iberia. This last could probably be due to a greater depth of formation for the As–Au veins in comparison to Sb–Au veins.SIThis research has been funded through the research project 2005/ 103, Diputación Provincial de León

Controlled Anisotropic Deformation of Ag Nanoparticles by Si Ion Irradiation

The shape and alignment of silver nanoparticles embedded in a glass matrix is controlled using silicon ion irradiation. Symmetric silver nanoparticles are transformed into anisotropic particles whose larger axis is along the ion beam. Upon irradiation, the surface plasmon resonance of symmetric particles splits into two resonances whose separation depends on the fluence of the ion irradiation. Simulations of the optical absorbance show that the anisotropy is caused by the deformation and alignment of the nanoparticles, and that both properties are controlled with the irradiation fluence.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (October 14, 2005

¿Es útil la disuria para el diagnóstico de la infección del tracto urinario?

ObjetivoDeterminar la validez de criterio y el valor predictivo del síntoma disuria para el diagnóstico de infección del tracto urinario (ITU).DiseñoEstudio transversal para evaluación de un síntoma.EmplazamientoSeis consultas de atención primaria (4 de zona urbana y 2 rurales) del Área 11 de Salud de Madrid.ParticipantesSe incluyeron 232 pacientes mayores de 14 años que acudieron a consulta durante 6 meses consecutivos (116 consultaron por disuria y 116 asintomáticos para el síntoma disuria). A todos se les solicitó sedimento y urocultivo.Mediciones y resultadosSe estableció diagnóstico de ITU con urocultivo positivo o sedimento con leucocituria y bacteriuria. Se estudio la sensibilidad (S), especificidad (E), el valor predictivo positivo (VPP), el valor predictivo negativo (VPN), el cociente de probabilidades positivo (CPP) y el cociente de probabilidades negativo (CPN) de la disuria para el diagnóstico de ITU. La edad media fue de 54 años (rango, 19–82), siendo un 73% mujeres. No había diferencias significativas de edad y sexo entre casos y no casos (p > 0,1). La disuria mostró una S del 96% (IC del 95%, 86–98%), una E del 69% (IC del 95%, 61–76%) y un CPP de 3,1 (IC del 95%, 2,7–3,5) para el diagnóstico de ITU. En el subgrupo de mujeres la S fue del 95% (IC del 95%, 84–99%) y la E del 67% (IC del 95%, 58–75%). Se calculó para este síntoma un VPP del 30% (IC del 95%, 22–40%) y un VPN del 99% (IC del 95%, 95–100%).ConclusionesEs poco probable el diagnóstico de ITU sin el síntoma disuria. La mayoría de los pacientes con ITU presentan disuria; sin embargo, este síntoma aislado no nos permite establecer el diagnostico de infección urinaria.ObjectiveTo assess the validity of criterion and predictive value of dysuria for the diagnosis of UTI.DesignCross-sectional study to assess a symptom.SettingSix general medicine clinics (four urban clinics and two rural clinics) in the 11th Health Area in Madrid.PatientsThe sample consists of 232 patients aged above fourteen who consulted during six consecutive months (116 of them reported having dysuria and 116 were asymptomatic).Measurements and main resultsThe diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) was achieved through positive urine cultures or bacteriuria and leukocyturia in the centrifuged urine sediment. The sensitivity (S) of dysuria analysis for the diagnosis of UTI, its specifity (E), its predictive value (VP), and its probability coeficient (CP) were considered. Average age of the sample was 54 years old (range 19–82); 73% of the patients were female. No statistically significative difference of sex and age was found between cases and non-cases (p > 0.1). Dysuria showed a 96% of sensitivity (95% CI, 86–98%), a 69% of E (95% CI, 61–76%) and 3.1 of CPP (95% CI, 2.7–3.5) for UTI diagnosis. In the women subgroup there was 95% of sensitivity (95% CI, 84–99%) and 67% of E (95% CI, 58–75%). A positive predictive value of 30% (95% CI, 22–40) and a negative predictive value of 99% (95% CI, 95–100) were estimated for this symptom.ConclusionsThe diagnosis of urinary tract infections is unlikely in the absence of dysuria, but to treat all dysuria patients as UTI entails a high rate of overtreatment

Investigating the effects of lightning on cultural heritage: Characterization of the resulting fulgurite

On average, about 100 lightning discharges occur every second on the Earth. When lightning strikes soil, sand or rock, the high temperatures reached (about 30.000 ºK) promote the formation of melted glass tubular structures known as fulgurites. In the case referred here, lightning stroked a soil (granitic sand plus angular stones of thick-grained two-mica granite) and allochthonous materials supporting the platform of an electric tower. The intense melting produced a cylindrical rod, from which, as if they were roots of a tree, several bifurcating horizontal and subhorizontal branches of decreasing thickness were attached (see figure below).Peer reviewe

Evolution of the microstructure, chemical composition and magnetic behaviour during the synthesis of alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles

In the present paper, we show an exhaustive microstructural characterization of thiol-capped gold nanoparticles (NPs) with two different average particle sizes. These samples are compared with the polymer-like Au(I) phase formed as a precursor during the synthesis of the thiol-capped gold NPs. The set of analysed samples shows different microstructures at the nanoscale with different proportions of Au atoms bonded either to S or to Au atoms. It has been experimentally shown that the presence of a ferromagnetic-like behaviour is associated to the formation of NPs with simultaneous presence of Au–Au and Au–S bonds. In order to explain such magnetic behaviour a possible model is proposed based on the spin–orbit coupling so that localized charges and/or spins (Au–S bonds) can trap conduction electrons (Au–Au bonds) in orbits.XAS facilities at BM29 in ESRF and the technical support from G.L. Ciatto are acknowledged. Financial support from the Spanish MEC (NAN2004-09125-C07) and “Junta de Andalucía” is also acknowledged. E. Guerrero thanks the Spanish MEC for financial support.Peer reviewe

Detection and elimination of pulse train instabilities in broadband fibre lasers using dispersion scan

[EN]We use self-calibrating dispersion scan to experimentally detect and quantify the presence of pulse train instabilities in ultrashort laser pulse trains. We numerically test our approach against two different types of pulse instability, namely second-order phase fluctuations and random phase instability, where the introduction of an adequate metric enables univocally quantifying the amount of instability. The approach is experimentally demonstrated with a supercontinuum fibre laser, where we observe and identify pulse train instabilities due to nonlinear propagation effects under anomalous dispersion conditions in the photonic crystal fibre used for spectral broadening. By replacing the latter with an all-normal dispersion fibre, we effectively correct the pulse train instability and increase the bandwidth of the generated coherent spectrum. This is further confirmed by temporal compression and measurement of the output pulses down to 15 fs using dispersion scan.The authors acknowledge funding from the Junta de Castilla y León (SA287P18) and FEDER funds; Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) (FIS2017-87970-R, EQC2018-004117-P, DI-15-07461, PTQ-15-07708); European EUREKA program CDTI-INNO-20171026; CCDR-N via the project Nanotechnology-based functional solutions (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000019); Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (grants ‘UltraGraf’ M-ERA-NET2/0002/2016, M-ERA-NET2/0004/2016, UID/NAN/50024/2013, PTDC/FIS-OTI/32213/2017); Network of Extreme Conditions Laboratories - NECL and CCDR-N (NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000070, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-022096); PT2020 (program 05/SI/2017 – SI I&DT Empresarial - DI, grant no. 33573; program 04/SI/2019 Projetos de I&D Industrial à Escala Europeia, grant no. 045932). BA acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 798264

Functional ecology of soil microbial communities along a glacier forefield in Tierra del Fuego (Chile)

A previously established chronosequence from Pia Glacier forefield in Tierra del Fuego (Chile) containing soils of different ages (from bare soils to forest ones) is analyzed. We used this chronosequence as framework to postulate that microbial successional development would be accompanied by changes in functionality. To test this, the GeoChip functional microarray was used to identify diversity of genes involved in microbial carbon and nitrogen metabolism, as well as other genes related to microbial stress response and biotic interactions. Changes in putative functionality generally reflected succession-related taxonomic composition of soil microbiota. Major shifts in carbon fixation and catabolism were observed, as well as major changes in nitrogen metabolism. At initial microbial dominated succession stages, microorganisms could be mainly involved in pathways that help to increase nutrient availability, while more complex microbial transformations such as denitrification and methanogenesis, and later degradation of complex organic substrates, could be more prevalent at vegetated successional states. Shifts in virus populations broadly reflected changes in microbial diversity. Conversely, stress response pathways appeared relatively well conserved for communities along the entire chronosequence. We conclude that nutrient utilization is likely the major driver of microbial succession in these soils. [Int Microbiol 19(3):161-173 (2016)]Keywords: Functional genes · antibiotic resistance · GeoChip microarray · primary succession · chronosequenc

Magnetic and microstructural analysis of palladium nanoparticles with different capping systems

Palladium nanoparticles capped with different protective systems in a size range between 1.2 and 2.4 nm have been obtained by varying the preparation chemical method. Magnetization curves for all the samples show hysteresis loops, evidencing a ferromagnetic or a permanent magnetism in the nanoparticles. The microstructure of the nanoparticles has been analyzed by x-ray absorption and transmission electron microscopy. The nature of the magnetic behavior found for all these Pd nanoparticles (NPs) is different depending on their sizes and structural features and is explained on the basis of two different suggested mechanisms. The particles protected by means of a surfactant (tetralkylammonium salts), present a ferromagnetic order related to the factors increasing the density of states just below the Fermi level. Whereas, when the nanoparticles are stabilized by covalent bonds with protective species (thiol derivatized alkane chains or surface oxidized Pd NPs), the increase of the 4d density of holes, localized by the bonded atoms (S or O), is giving rise to the observed ferromagneticlike behavior

Permanent magnetism, magnetic anisotropy, and hysteresis of thiol-capped gold nanoparticles

We report on the experimental observation of magnetic hysteresis up to room temperature in thiol-capped Au nanoparticles with 1.4 nm size. The coercive field ranges from 860 Oe at 5 K to 250 Oe at 300 K. It is estimated that the Au atoms exhibit a magnetic moment of mu=0.036mu(B). However, Au nanoparticles with similar size but stabilized by means of a surfactant, i.e., weak interaction between protective molecules and Au surface atoms, are diamagnetic, as bulk Au samples are. The apparent ferromagnetism is consequently associated with 5d localized holes generated through Au-S bonds. These holes give rise to localized magnetic moments that are frozen in due to the combination of the high spin-orbit coupling (1.5 eV) of gold and the symmetry reduction associated with two types of bonding: Au-Au and Au-S