Analyse de zones d’activités à partir des résidus chimiques sur les sols d’occupation du site de Loma de Piriticuaro dans la région du Balsas moyen, Michoacan, Mexique

International audienceDespite its large quantities of archaeological remains, the Middle Balsas region has been the subject of few archaeological excavations. In 2015, a preventive archaeology project was developed in this region, as part of the construction of a dam close to Chiguero, Huetamo municipality. Following a first six-month fieldwork, several settlements were located, including Loma de Piriticuaro. The extensive excavations carried out in this site uncovered architectural remains, including a series of rooms with stucco floors whose good conservation has allowed sampling for chemical residue analysis. This paper presents the results of the analyses and provides interpretations of the function of the different soils and, more broadly, of the site.A pesar de la existencia de una gran cantidad de sitios arqueológicos en la región del río Balsas en el estado de Michoacán, pocos han sido sujetos a excavaciones arqueológicas. En 2015 se desarrolló un proyecto de salvamento arqueológico como parte de los trabajos de la construcción de una presa en la localidad de Chiguero en el municipio de Huetamo. Tras una primera temporada de seis meses de campo se localizaron varios asentamientos, entre ellos el sitio Loma de Piritícuaro. En este sitio, se realizaron excavaciones extensivas que evidenciaron una serie de cuarterías con pisos de aplanados de cal. Gracias a su buena conservación pudieron tomarse muestras para la realización de un análisis de residuos químicos. En este trabajo se muestran los resultados de dichos análisis, así como las interpretaciones funcionales de los pisos, y de manera más amplia del sitio.En dépit de ses grandes quantités de vestiges archéologiques, la région du Balsas moyen a fait l’objet de peu de fouilles archéologiques. En 2015, un projet en archéologie préventive a été développé dans cette région, dans le cadre de la construction d’un barrage près de la localité de Chiguero, commune de Huetamo. A la suite d’une première campagne de six mois, plusieurs sites ont été localisés dont celui de Loma de Piriticuaro qui a fait l’objet de fouilles extensives. Celles-ci ont mis au jour des restes architectoniques, dont une série de pièces pourvues de sols stuqués dont la bonne conservation a permis un échantillonnage en vue de l’analyse des résidus chimiques. Cet article présente les résultats des analyses et propose des interprétations sur la fonction des différents sols et, plus largement, du site

MEDIDOR DE PH, ELECTRO-CONDUCTIVIDAD Y TEMPERATURA PARA CULTIVOS HIDROPÓNICOS

Se propone un instrumento que permita monitorizar los niveles de pH, temperatura y conductividad eléctrica en cultivos hidropónicos de raíz flotante para que un agricultor pueda controlar los niveles de estas variables en la solución nutritiva del cultivo, los cuales han de mantenerse dentro de rangos específicos para evitar la muerte de la planta. Esta monitorización se hace de forma inalámbrica, haciendo uso de un iPhone. El instrumento mide con fiabilidad los niveles de pH en el rango de 5.5 a 6.5 y los niveles de conductividad eléctrica de 1.5 a 3 mS/cm con incertidumbres del 10% para cada mesurando y que son los indicados para cultivos hidropónicos. Se llevó a cabo una investigación para reducir las pérdidas de señal de la sonda pH y la reducción de la polarización y la dependencia de componentes capacitivas en la sonda de conducción eléctrica. Además, la selección juiciosa de los materiales y la capacidad de comunicación inalámbrica del instrumento han resultado en características con ventajas sobre los modelos comerciales como la miniaturización, el bajo costo, la fiabilidad y la capacidad de medición simultánea

The ingestion of aflatoxigenic foods and their possible implications with cervical cancer

Cancer has been one of the most deadly diseases in the world; In the female population Cervical Cancer [CaCu], is one of the most frequent and deadly, which could be caused by different infectious, food, socioeconomic and cultural factors, to mention a few. Consuming aflatoxigenic foods such as [corn tortilla, almonds, rice, oats, peanuts, pistachios, among others] contaminated with Aspergillus parasiticus, A. nonius and A. flavus could pose a risk for CaCu. Objective. Determine the pattern of ingestion of aflatoxigenic foods in women diagnosed with [CaCu]. Material and methods. The study was observational cross-sectional. For this investigation, a study was carried out on 120 women; Persons who were previously selected according to a database provided by a health institution. Results. The results of the surveys show the high consumption of foods containing aflatoxins in patients diagnosed with Cervical-uterine Cancer. Conclusions. Women report high intakes of aflatoxigenic foods that may be involved in the development of [CaCu] and most likely with other epidemiological events. Failure to pay attention to patterns of food and poverty allows anticipating non-positive results in human health

Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum

The initial colonization of the Americas remains a highly debated topic1 , and the exact timing of the frst arrivals is unknown. The earliest archaeological record of Mexico—which holds a key geographical position in the Americas—is poorly known and understudied. Historically, the region has remained on the periphery of research focused on the frst Americanpopulations2 . However, recent investigations provide reliable evidence of a human presence in the northwest region of Mexico3,4 , the Chiapas Highlands5 , Central Mexico6 and the Caribbean coast7–9 during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. Here we present results of recent excavations at Chiquihuite Cave—a high-altitude site in central-northern Mexico—that corroborate previous fndings in the Americas10–17of cultural evidence that dates to the Last Glacial Maximum (26,500–19,000years ago)18, and which push back dates for human dispersal to the region possibly as early as 33,000–31,000years ago. The site yielded about 1,900stone artefacts within a 3-m-deep stratifed sequence, revealing a previously unknown lithic industry that underwent only minor changes over millennia. More than 50radiocarbon and luminescence dates provide chronological control, and genetic, palaeoenvironmental and chemical data document the changing environments in which the occupants lived. Our results provide new evidence for the antiquity of humans in the Americas, illustrate the cultural diversity of the earliest dispersal groups (which predate those of the Clovis culture) and open new directions of research

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

“Dcar acemerar” (White People), Northeast Morocco (Rif). Socio-Political Organization In Archaeology : A Historical and Etnoarchaeological Review and Interpretation From Remote Perception

La comparación entre la información de algunas fuentes históricas y diversos estudios etnográficos del noreste marroquí (Rif), indican que a la llegada de los árabes en el siglo VII, la organización sociopolítica de las poblaciones autóctonas (amaziges/bereberes) en las regiones montañosas debió ser un sistema segmentario, carente de instituciones burocráticas, al que en el siglo XI se integraron linajes “santos” vinculados a la tradición del islam sufí, quienes actuaron como mediadores neutrales en la resolución de conflictos que surgían entre distintos grupos sociales. A nivel arqueológico este sistema de organización sociopolítica –en las regiones montañosas–, dio lugar a un patrón de asentamiento disperso en el cual no existieron edificios administrativos, no obstante, los asentamientos de los linajes “santos” que comenzaron a establecerse a partir del siglo XI funcionaron como “centros de mediación política” en el que tribus y/o facciones rivales solucionaban conflictos a distintas escalas. El objetivo central de este trabajo consiste en demostrar que el patrón de asentamiento del sitio arqueológico Dcar Acemerar es propio de la organización sociopolítica tradicional amazige, distinta del sistema de organización árabe en la región. Esta interpretación resulta de contrastar datos etnográficos e históricos con información derivada del análisis de imágenes de satélite.Comparison between the information of historical sources and several ethnographic studies from Moroccan northeast region (Rif), showed that at the Arabs arrival in the VIIth century, the sociopolitical organization of the indigenous populations (Imazighen/Berbers) from the mountainous areas, was probably a segmentary system, deprived of bureaucratic institutions, to which, in the XIth century were joint by “holy” lineages attached to the sufi tradition, that acted as neutral mediators in the resolutions of conflicts that emerged between several social groups. In archaeological terms -in the mountainous areas-, this system resulted in a dispersed pattern settlement where administrative buildings did not exist, nevertheless, the holy lineages settlements that began to establish in the XIth century, acted as “political mediation centers” where opposite tribes, or factions, solved their conflicts in several levels. This work aim to demonstrate that the pattern settlement of Dcar Acemerar archaeological site, is characteristic of amazigh traditional sociopolitical organization that differs from the Arab system of organization in the region. This interpretation results from contrasting ethnographic and historical data with information derived from the analysis of satellite imagery.Fil: Ramírez Rodríguez, F. T. Azul U. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Programa de becas Posdoctorales. Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas; México.Fil: Blancas Vázquez, Jorge. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas. Laboratorio de Prospección Arqueológica; México

Estudios geofísicos en Cerro de las Mesas y revisión de sitios aledaños

International audienc