Prasat and Pteah: Habitation within Angkor Wat's temple enclosure

11 pages. First published in "Archaeological Research in Asia" by Elsevier: Carter, A. K., Stark, M. T., Castillo, C. C., Heng, P., Zhuang, Y., & Chhay, R. (2022). Prasat and pteah: Habitation within Angkor Wat's temple enclosure. Archaeological Research in Asia, 32, 100405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100405The Angkor empire (9-15th centuries CE) was one of mainland Southeast Asia's major civilizations, with a 3000 km2 agro-urban capital located in northwest Cambodia. Since 2010, the Greater Angkor Project has been investigating occupation areas within Angkor's urban core. This work has identified temple enclosures as important residential areas that made up part of Angkor's civic-ceremonial center. In this paper, we review excavations from residential areas within Angkor Wat's temple enclosure. We concentrate on evidence for residential patterning by focusing on our 2015 excavations, one of the largest horizontal excavations of a single occupation mound within Angkor's civic-ceremonial center. These data offer further evidence for archaeological patterns of residential occupation within the Angkor Wat temple enclosure and a comparative dataset for future research of habitation areas within Angkor as well as domestic spaces in other urban settings.The authors wish to thank the APSARA Authority for permission to undertake excavations at Angkor Wat and their cooperation and collaboration in undertaking this research. We also thank Dr. Roland Fletcher for his guidance and support of our project. We extend our deepest gratitude to So Malay and Martin King for administrative support and the University of Sydney Robert Christie Research Centre. Thanks also go to Alyssa Loyless for help with Fig. 2. This work would not have been possible without efforts from the 2010, 2013, and 2015 field crews. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council under Grant DP1092663; National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration under Grant 9602–14; and Dumbarton Oaks under a Project Grant in Garden and Landscape Studies

The Khmer did not live by rice alone: Archaeobotanical investigations at Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm

21 pages. Published first in "Archaeological Research in Asia" by ElsevierThe Angkorian Empire was at its peak from the 10th to 13th centuries CE. It wielded great influence across mainland Southeast Asia and is now one of the most archaeologically visible polities due to its expansive religious building works. This paper presents archaeobotanical evidence from two of the most renowned Angkorian temples largely associated with kings and elites, Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. But it focuses on the people that dwelt within the temple enclosures, some of whom were involved in the daily functions of the temple. Archaeological work indicates that temple enclosures were areas of habitation within the Angkorian urban core and the temples and their enclosures were ritual, political, social, and economic landscapes. This paper provides the first attempt to reconstruct some aspects of the lives of the non-elites living within the temple enclosures by examining the archaeobotanical evidence, both macroremains and phytoliths, from residential contexts and data derived from inscriptions and Zhou Daguan's historical account dating to the 13th century CE. Research indicates that plants found within the temple enclosure of Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat were grown for ritual or medicinal use, and also formed important components of the diet and household economy.We wish to thank the APSARA National Authority for their collaboration and permission to undertake excavations within the Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm enclosures. We thank So Malay and Martin King for administrative support, and Greater Angkor Project 2013–2015 field crew members, whose labor supported this research. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [grant number DP1092663]. The 2015 fieldwork at Angkor Wat was also supported by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration Grant and a Dumbarton Oaks Project Grant. The phytolith samples from Angkor Wat were collected by Tegan McGillivray in 2015, processed at University College London by Lindsay Duncan, counted by Alison Weisskopf and analysed by Eleanor Kingwell-Banham. Archaeobotanical research at Ta Prohm was supported by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) [grant number NE/N010957/1]. We also wish to thank The Robert Christie Foundation. Finally, we would like to thank Philip Piper for the financial support of the dating of botanical remains through the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship [grant number FT100100527] and Rachel Wood for radiocarbon dating the samples

Oral contraceptives do not modify the risk of a second attack and disability accrual in a prospective cohort of women with a clinically isolated syndrome and early multiple sclerosis

To evaluate whether oral contraceptive (OC) use is associated with the risk of a second attack and disability accrual in women with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and early multiple sclerosis (MS). Reproductive information from women included in the Barcelona CIS prospective cohort was collected through a self-reported cross-sectional survey. We examined the relationship of OC exposure with the risk of a second attack and confirmed Expanded Disability Status Scale of 3.0 using multivariate Cox regression models, adjusted by age, topography of CIS, oligoclonal bands, baseline brain T2 lesions, body size at menarche, smoking, and disease-modifying treatment (DMT). OC and DMT exposures were considered as time-varying variables. Findings were confirmed with sensitivity analyses using propensity score models. A total of 495 women were included, 389 (78.6%) referred to ever use OC and 341 (68.9%) started OC before the CIS. Exposure to OC was not associated with a second attack (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.33-1.61) or disability accrual (aHR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.17-3.76). Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. OC use does not modify the risk of second attack or disability accrual in patients with CIS and early MS, once considered as a time-dependent exposure and adjusted by other potential confounders

Oral contraceptives do not modify the risk of a second attack and disability accrual in a prospective cohort of women with a clinically isolated syndrome and early multiple sclerosis

Cohort study; Oral contraceptives; Second relapseEstudio de cohorte; Anticonceptivos orales; Segunda recaídaEstudi de cohorts; Anticonceptius orals; Segona recaigudaObjective: To evaluate whether oral contraceptive (OC) use is associated with the risk of a second attack and disability accrual in women with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and early multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Reproductive information from women included in the Barcelona CIS prospective cohort was collected through a self-reported cross-sectional survey. We examined the relationship of OC exposure with the risk of a second attack and confirmed Expanded Disability Status Scale of 3.0 using multivariate Cox regression models, adjusted by age, topography of CIS, oligoclonal bands, baseline brain T2 lesions, body size at menarche, smoking, and disease-modifying treatment (DMT). OC and DMT exposures were considered as time-varying variables. Findings were confirmed with sensitivity analyses using propensity score models. Results: A total of 495 women were included, 389 (78.6%) referred to ever use OC and 341 (68.9%) started OC before the CIS. Exposure to OC was not associated with a second attack (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.33–1.61) or disability accrual (aHR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.17–3.76). Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. Conclusion: OC use does not modify the risk of second attack or disability accrual in patients with CIS and early MS, once considered as a time-dependent exposure and adjusted by other potential confounders.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project was supported by FIS PI15/0070 from Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain

Deciphering multiple sclerosis disability with deep learning attention maps on clinical MRI

Deep learning; Disability; Structural MRIAprendizaje profundo; Discapacidad; Resonancia magnética estructuralAprenentatge profund; Discapacitat; Ressonància magnètica estructuralThe application of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to MRI data has emerged as a promising approach to achieving unprecedented levels of accuracy when predicting the course of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, by means of extracting image features not detectable through conventional methods. Additionally, the study of CNN-derived attention maps, which indicate the most relevant anatomical features for CNN-based decisions, has the potential to uncover key disease mechanisms leading to disability accumulation. From a cohort of patients prospectively followed up after a first demyelinating attack, we selected those with T1-weighted and T2-FLAIR brain MRI sequences available for image analysis and a clinical assessment performed within the following six months (N = 319). Patients were divided into two groups according to expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score: ≥3.0 and < 3.0. A 3D-CNN model predicted the class using whole-brain MRI scans as input. A comparison with a logistic regression (LR) model using volumetric measurements as explanatory variables and a validation of the CNN model on an independent dataset with similar characteristics (N = 440) were also performed. The layer-wise relevance propagation method was used to obtain individual attention maps. The CNN model achieved a mean accuracy of 79% and proved to be superior to the equivalent LR-model (77%). Additionally, the model was successfully validated in the independent external cohort without any re-training (accuracy = 71%). Attention-map analyses revealed the predominant role of frontotemporal cortex and cerebellum for CNN decisions, suggesting that the mechanisms leading to disability accrual exceed the mere presence of brain lesions or atrophy and probably involve how damage is distributed in the central nervous system.MS PATHS is funded by Biogen. This study has been possible thanks to a Junior Leader La Caixa Fellowship awarded to C. Tur (fellowship code is LCF/BQ/PI20/11760008) by “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434). The salaries of C. Tur and Ll. Coll are covered by this award

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

Ahora / Ara

La cinquena edició del microrelatari per l’eradicació de la violència contra les dones de l’Institut Universitari d’Estudis Feministes i de Gènere «Purificación Escribano» de la Universitat Jaume I vol ser una declaració d’esperança. Aquest és el moment en el qual les dones (i els homes) hem de fer un pas endavant i eliminar la violència sistèmica contra les dones. Ara és el moment de denunciar el masclisme i els micromasclismes començant a construir una societat més igualitària. Cadascun dels relats del llibre és una denúncia i una declaració que ens encamina cap a un món millor

Insulin therapy and Diabetes Mellitus : guideline for the management of treatment for the diabetic patients

La diabetes mellitus es un trastorno metabólico crónico caracterizado por un aumento en los niveles de glucosa en sangre, debido a alteraciones en la secreción de insulina. Su alta prevalencia y el alarmante crecimiento mundial, junto con las complicaciones agudas y crónicas co-relacionadas con la enfermedad, provocan un gran impacto socio-económico. Una de las necesidades primordiales es la correcta educación diabetológica desde todos los niveles asistenciales a los pacientes. Un manejo de la enfermedad efectivo y un control glucémico adecuado son claves para convivir con la DM conservando la calidad de vida y bienestar. Un proceso educativo continuo e integral a los pacientes diabéticos debe ser manejado por los profesionales de enfermería. La evolución de las insulinas y las nuevas combinaciones ha favorecido el mantenimiento de unos valores de glucemia mantenidos en los parámetros saludables. La importancia del manejo de la insulinoterapia en todos sus ámbitos es tarea de enfermería. El paciente debe ser capaz de seguir su tratamiento y, responder ante complicaciones que puedan surgir en el momento de la inyección o acción del fármaco.ABSTRACT: The diabetes mellitus is a lifelong metabolic síndrome characterized by an increase in blood sugar levels due to alterations in the production of insulin. Its high prevalence and the alarming worlwide increase in new cases, together with the severe and chronic complications associated with the disease, brings about a big socioeconomic impact. One of the major priorities is to educate diabetes patients correctly from all heathcare network. The effective management of the disease and a proper glucemic control are the keys to get along with MD while preserving quality of life and wellness. In this sense, the insulin evolution and new combinations have helped to keep blood sugar levels within healthy levels. The importance of insulinotherapy management is the key in the control of the disease. The patient must be able to continue with his treatment and to handle with the complications which may appear at the momento of the injection or during the medicine action.Therefore, the role of nursing professionals is essential in the whole continuous and comprehensive educational process diabetic patients must be provided with.Grado en Enfermerí

Diseño de un cuento interactivo infantil

The project presented below aims to address the recurring problem of the lack of interest in reading among children. Graphic design, combined with technological advances and new interfaces, have the ability to create new experiences for children by creating a hypertextual narrative, far from the linearity tha t usually characterizes children’s storybooks. The purpose is to increase the interest of this sector in reading, making them participants in the s tory. In this way, the feeling of connection with the story is much closer and mor e personal. For this purpose, the possibilities of adapting a physical book to digital formats, the type of illustration ad hoc to the public and the direct competition of products similar to the one to be developed have been investigated. Consequently, the project has resulted in the redesign of a book-game: The Evil Wizard. The process consisted of creating a main image for the product and the development of illustrations for its content, as well as the design of the general interface. The final result has managed to take advantage of the application format to solve the interactive problem of the physical bookgames, as well as to revive a story that has been outdated both in design and content.El proyecto presentado a continuación pretende abordar el problema recurrente de la falta de interés por la lectura en el público infantil. El diseño gráfico, junto a los avances tecnológicos y a las nuevas interfaces, tienen la capacidad de crear nuevas experiencias para niños y niñas, creando en una narración hipertextual lejos de la linealidad que suele caracterizar a los libros de cuentos infantiles. El propósito es aumentar el interés de este sector por la lectura, haciéndolos partícipes de la historia. De esta forma, el sentimiento de conexión con el relato resulta mucho más estrecho y personal. Para ello se han investigado las posibilidades de adaptación de un libro físico a formatos digitales, el tipo de ilustración ad hoc al público y la competencia directa de productos similares al que se pretende desarrollar. Consecuentemente, el proyecto ha derivado en el rediseño de un librojuego: El hechicero malvado. El proceso ha consistido en crear una imagen principal para el producto y el desarrollo de ilustraciones para su contenido, así como el diseño de la interfaz general. Finalmente, el resultado ha conseguido aprovechar el formato aplicación para resolver el problema de interactividad en los librojuegos físicos, así como reaviviar una historia que ha quedado desfasada tanto en diseño como en contenido

Star anise from a fifteenth century Indonesian shipwreck

Maritime trade routes in Southeast Asia date to at least the last millennium BC evidenced by excavations of port-cities, entrepôts and early coastal polities in Peninsular Thailand, the Mekong Delta and Island Southeast Asia. This trade network intensified over the next millennium and by the fifteenth century, the number of trade goods throughout Medieval Southeast Asia was prolific. The bulk of studied material comprises trade ceramics, particularly in archaeological investigations of shipwreck cargoes which provide information on regional trading patterns. Although ceramic assemblages constitute the bulk of shipwreck cargo, other types of material have also been found, including the spice star anise. In this paper, we focus on the organic contents from two jars found in the Bakau shipwreck dating to the early fifteenth century AD. The finds are significant as this spice (star anise, Illicium verum) is being transported together with items of high value for trade