Feeding habits and habitat of herbivorous mammals from the Early–Late Hemphillian (Miocene) of Costa Rica

Carbon and oxygen stable isotope values in the dental enamel of fossils were used to infer the diet and habitat of the extinct equids Calippus hondurensis, Dinohippus mexicanus, and Protohippus gidleyi, the gomphothere Gomphotherium hondurensis, and the llama Hemiauchenia vera of the Early–Late Hemphillian (Hh2) from San Gerardo de Limoncito, Puntarenas province, Costa Rica. The results suggest that these mammals fed mainly on C3 plants and lived in clearings of rainforests. This contrasts with previous studies from North America that indicated that the same species lived in forest savannas and fed mainly on C4 plants, but it is similar to the results obtained from the palynological record of the area, as well as with several vegetation models suggesting the presence of humid tropical forest during the Miocene in Central America

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Proyecto, investigación e innovación en urbanismo, arquitectura y diseño industrial

Actas de congresoLas VII Jornadas de Investigación “Encuentro y Reflexión” y I Jornadas de Investigación de becarios y doctorandos. Proyecto, investigación e innovación en Urbanismo, Arquitectura y Diseño Industrial se centraron en cuatro ejes: el proyecto; la dimensión tecnológica y la gestión; la dimensión social y cultural y la enseñanza en Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño Industrial, sustentados en las líneas prioritarias de investigación definidas epistemológicamente en el Consejo Asesor de Ciencia y Tecnología de esta Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Con el objetivo de afianzar continuidad, formación y transferencia de métodos, metodología y recursos se incorporó becarios y doctorandos de los Institutos de investigación. La Comisión Honoraria la integraron las tres Secretarias de Investigación de la Facultad, arquitectas Marta Polo, quien fundó y María del Carmen Franchello y Nora Gutiérrez Crespo quienes continuaron la tradición de la buena práctica del debate en la cotidianeidad de la propia Facultad. Los textos que conforman las VII Jornadas son los avances y resultados de las investigaciones realizadas en el bienio 2016-2018.Fil: Novello, María Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Repiso, Luciana. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Mir, Guillermo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Brizuela, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Herrera, Fernanda. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Períes, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Romo, Claudia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Gordillo, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; ArgentinaFil: Andrade, Elena Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño; Argentin

Reconstrucción paleoambiental de una comunidad pleistocenica en México usando isotopos estables (ç13c y ç180)

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias en Conservación y Aprovechamiento de Recursos Naturales), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR, Unidad Oaxaca, 2007, 1 archivo PDF, (65 páginas). tesis.ipn.m

Stable isotopes and diets of Pleistocene horses from southern North America and South America: similarities and differences

The diet and habitat for two Pleistocene Equidae genera that lived in southern North America (southern USA and Mexico) and South America are inferred using carbon and oxygen isotopic data. The South American Hippidion fed upon C3 plants and lived in forest. Equus from both subcontinents were mixed feeders and preferred living in grasslands, prairies, and savannas, while some individuals or populations specialised in consumption of C3 or C4 plants. These results indicate that Equus were generalist in their diet and habitat, while Hippidion were specialists on both traits.Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnología (CONACYT) and Programa de Apoyos a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT) provided support for the projects: Partición de recursos de los mega y mesoherbívoros del Pleistoceno tardío de el Cedral y Laguna de las Cruces, San Luis Potosí (CONACYT 132620), and Paleomigración de los meso y mega herbívoros del Pleistoceno tardío del Cedral y Laguna de las Cruces, San Luis Potosí, México (PAPIIT IA104017). Grants CGL2016-79334-P from the Spanish DGCYT Grant PICT 2015-01512 partially supported this project. CONABIO supported the creation and enhancement of the database for Quaternary mammals (G-012)

Feeding ecology of the gomphotheres (Proboscidea, Gomphotheriidae) of America

Based on data from analyses on previously-reported carbon stable isotope data from dental enamel and dentine from tusks reported in the literature, diets were inferred for the gomphothere genera Amebelodon, Cuvieronius, Gomphotherium, Rhynchotherium, Serbelodon, and Stegomastodon (Proboscidea, Gomphotheriidae) that inhabited the Americas during the Cenozoic. Amebelodon, Gomphotherium, and Serbelodon specimens of the Barstovian and Clarendonian faunal stages fed on C plants; while the same Hemphillian genera consumed a mixed C/C diet. Hemphillian Rhynchotherium were mixed-diet feeders while Blancan specimens of the same genus fed on C plants. Stegomastodon from the same Blancan period consumed a mixed C/C diet, similar to Rancholabrean animals, although Lujanian specimens ate C plants. As for the genus Cuvieronius, Irvingtonian, Rancholabrean, and Lujanian specimens consumed a mixed C/C diet. These results suggested that American gomphotheres displayed generalist feeding habits, allowing them to inhabit different environments in extensive areas of the continents, and survive to the end of the Pleistocene.To PAPIIT (IA#104017 and IA#102719), for providing financial support for this project to Víctor Adrian Perez Crespo. Research Project ANPCYT PICT 20151512 and Grant UNICEN, Argentina were awarded to Jose Luis Prado; DGICYT CGL2016-79334-P from Spain granted to Maria Teresa Alberdi contributed to funding this investigation

Datos isotópicos (δ13C, δ18O) de la fauna pleistocénica de la Laguna de las Cruces, San Luis Potosí, México

Using bioegeochemical markers δ13C and δ18O, we determined the diet and habitat of three extinct mammals: Camelops hesternus, Equus sp. and Mammuthus columbi, found in Laguna de las Cruces (San Luis Potosi, Mexico). The statistical comparisons assayed among them showed that there are not differences in their diet since all of them may be classified as C3/C4 mixed feeders. Camelops hesternus used to have the major consumption of C4 plants, meanwhile Mammuthus columbi and Equus sp. ate more C3 plants. Those little differences in their feeding habits should explain their coexistence them at the site, that was a grassland with some trees, during Late Pleistocene.Por medio de los marcadores biogeoquimicos δ13C y δ18O, se determino la dieta y el habitat de tres mamiferos extintos, Camelops hesternus, Equus sp. y Mammuthus columbi encontrados en Laguna de las Cruces (San Luis Potosi, Mexico). Las comparaciones realizadas entre ellos indican que no existen diferencias en cuanto a su dieta, siendo clasificados como organismos con dieta mixta C3/C4. Camelops hesternus fue el que presento el mayor consumo de plantas C4, mientras que Mammuthus columbi y Equus sp. incluian mas plantas C3 en su dieta. Estas pequenas diferencias en su alimentacion explicarian su coexistencia en el sitio, el cual fue un pastizal con algunos arboles, durante el Pleistoceno Tardio

Estado actual de la aplicación de los marcadores biogeoquímicos en paleoecología de mamíferos del pleistoceno tardío de México

This paper is a review on the use of the biogeochemical markers applied in paleocological research for Mexican Quaternary mammals . While in the United States of America and other European countries this methodology has been used in the last 30 years, in México it has only being five years and their main use is to made inferences on diet and habitat of some herbivore mammals from middle to large size; these techniques were less used for paleoclimatic studies or to modeling regional mammals movements.Se presenta una revisión del estado actual del uso de los marcadores biogeoquímicos en la paleoecología de mamíferos del Cuaternario de México. A diferencia de Estados Unidos y otros países que tenían más de 30 años empleándolas, México tiene solo cinco años usándolas, siendo la mayor parte de los estudios realizados hasta el presente enfocados a inferir la dieta y el hábitat de algunas especies de herbívoros de tallas grandes y medianas. Estas técnicas son menos usadas para estudios paleoclimáticos o para modelar movimientos regionales de los mamíferos