Ontogeny and sexual dimorphism in the human hands through a 2D geometric morphometrics approach.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to conduct a thorough characterization of hand morphology. Employing a 2D geometric morphometric approach, we scrutinize individual fingers and the palm, delineating the ontogenetic trajectories for each biological sex and investigating the alterations that take place at various stages of human development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A set of thirty-two 2D anatomical landmarks were assessed in a sex-balanced sample of human hands (F = 275, M = 250 males), spanning all stages of human development. Following Procrustes registration, the data on size and shape for individual fingers and the palm were examined for each biological sex and age group. Regression analysis was utilized to quantify ontogenetic trajectories for each biological sex. RESULTS: The findings suggest a gradual escalation in sexual dimorphism throughout human development, with statistically noteworthy distinctions becoming apparent in size starting at the age of 3, and in shape from the age of 7 onwards. Additionally, our analyses uncover a distinctive sigmoid pattern between sexes, indicating that biological male hands exhibit a sturdier build compared to biological female hands from early childhood onward. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study enriches our insights into sexual dimorphism in human hands, stressing the importance of considering both size and shape across different ontogenetic stages. These findings not only expand our understanding of human biological variation but also lay the foundation for future interdisciplinary research in diverse scientific domains.

Cervidae antlers exploited to manufacture prehistoric tools and hunting implements as a reliable source of ancient DNA.

Antler is one of the primary animal raw materials exploited for technical purposes by the hunter-gatherer groups of the Eurasian Upper Palaeolithic (UP) all over the ecological range of deers, and beyond. It was exhaustively employed to produce one of the most critical tools for the survival of the UP societies: hunting weapons. However, antler implements can be made from diverse deer taxa, with different ecological requirements and ethological behaviours. Identifying the antler's origin at a taxonomic level is thus essential in improving our knowledge of humans' functional, practical and symbolic choices, as well as the human-animal interface during Prehistoric times. Nevertheless, palaeogenetics analyses have focused mainly on bone and teeth, with genetic studies of antler generally focused on modern deer conservation. Here we present the results of the first whole mitochondrial genome ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis by means of in-solution hybridisation capture of antlers from pre-Holocene archaeological contexts. We analysed a set of 50 Palaeolithic and Neolithic (c. 34-8ka) antler and osseous objects from South-Western Europe, Central Europe, South-Western Asia and the Caucasus. We successfully obtained aDNA, allowing us to identify the exploited taxa and demonstrate the archaeological relevance of those finds. Moreover, as most of the antlers were sampled using a minimally-invasive method, further analyses (morphometric, technical, genetic, radiometric and more) remain possible on these objects.

Unravelling the skills and motivations of Magdalenian artists in the depths of Atxurra Cave (Northern Spain).

Atxurra cave has a decorated assemblage composed of more than a hundred engraved animal depictions. All of them are located in deep parts of the cave and most of them are hidden in raised areas, away from the main path. The main sector is the "Ledge of the Horses", located at 330 m from the entrance of the cave. It is a space of 12 m long and 1.5 m wide, elevated 4 m above the cave floor. This area includes almost fifty engraved and painted animals accompanied by a dozen flint tools, three fireplaces, and around one hundred charcoal fragments from torches. This extraordinary archaeological record allows us to value the complexity of the artistic production inside the caves during the Upper Palaeolithic. Our study has confirmed that there is planning prior to artistic production, both in terms of the iconographic aspects (themes, techniques, formats), its location (visibility, capacity), and the lighting systems. Furthermore, the data indicates the panel was decorated to be seen by third parties from different positions and was expressly illuminated for this purpose. This evidence supports the role of rock art as a visual communication system in Upper Palaeolithic societies.

35,000 years of recurrent visits inside Nerja cave (Andalusia, Spain) based on charcoals and soot micro-layers analyses.

Charcoal and micro-layers of soot trapped in speleothems from the inner galleries of Nerja Cave were analysed through an interdisciplinary study. The absolute dating of the prehistoric subterranean activity of the cave and the identification of different phases of visits to the deep parts are presented and discussed. The charcoal analysis includes anthracological analysis and SEM-EDX. The soot analysis includes optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and TEM-EDX, and the microcounting of soot microlayers. The 14C dating of 53 charcoals identified 12 phases of prehistoric visits to the cave between 41,218 and 3299 cal. BP, putting back the origin of human occupation of this emblematic cave by 10,000 years. The interdisciplinary analysis of the soot microlayers allowed us to perform a high-precision zoom on the last three visitation phases identified by Bayesian analysis (8003-2998 cal. BP.), demonstrating that these phases contain at least 64 distinct incursions, with an average of one visit every 35 years for the Neolithic period. Spatial analysis showed that not all areas of the cave were used in the same periods, highlighting the repetition of visits to certain specific sectors of the Lower Galleries of the cave. Lastly, the anthracological data indicate a cross-cultural and unique use of Pinus tp. sylvestris-nigra wood for lighting activities over an extended period between the Gravettian and Upper Magdalenian.

The intrusive nature of the Châtelperronian in the Iberian Peninsula.

Multiple factors have been proposed to explain the disappearance of Neandertals between ca. 50 and 40 kyr BP. Central to these discussions has been the identification of new techno-cultural complexes that overlap with the period of Neandertal demise in Europe. One such complex is the Châtelperronian, which extends from the Paris Basin to the Northern Iberian Peninsula between 43,760-39,220 BP. In this study we present the first open-air Châtelperronian site in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, Aranbaltza II. The technological features of its stone tool assemblage show no links with previous Middle Paleolithic technology in the region, and chronological modeling reveals a gap between the latest Middle Paleolithic and the Châtelperronian in this area. We interpret this as evidence of local Neandertal extinction and replacement by other Neandertal groups coming from southern France, illustrating how local extinction episodes could have played a role in the process of disappearance of Neandertals.

The conquest of the dark spaces: An experimental approach to lighting systems in Paleolithic caves.

Artificial lighting was a crucial physical resource for expanding complex social and economic behavior in Paleolithic groups. Furthermore, the control of fire allowed the development of the first symbolic behavior in deep caves, around 176 ky BP. These activities would increase during the Upper Paleolithic, when lighting residues proliferated at these sites. The physical peculiarities of Paleolithic lighting resources are very poorly understood, although this is a key aspect for the study of human activity within caves and other dark contexts. In this work, we characterize the main Paleolithic lighting systems (e.g., wooden torches, portable fat lamps, and fireplaces) through empirical observations and experimental archeology in an endokarstic context. Furthermore, each lighting system's characteristic combustion residues were identified to achieve a better identification for the archaeological record. The experiments are based on an exhaustive review of archaeological information about this topic. Besides, we apply the estimated luminous data of a Paleolithic cave with Paleolithic art (Atxurra in northern Spain) in 3D through GIS technology to delve into the archeologic implications of illumination in Paleolithic underground activities.

Redefining shared symbolic networks during the Gravettian in Western Europe: New data from the rock art findings in Aitzbitarte caves (Northern Spain).

The renewal of the archaeological record, mainly through the discovery of unpublished sites, provides information that sometimes qualifies or even reformulates previous approaches. One of the latter cases is represented by the three new decorated caves found in 2015 in Aitzbitarte Hill. Their exhaustive study shows the presence of engraved animals, mainly bison, with formal characteristics unknown so far in the Palaeolithic art of the northern Iberian Peninsula. However, parallels are located in caves in southern France such as Gargas, Cussac, Roucadour or Cosquer. All of them share very specific graphic conventions that correspond to human occupations assigned basically to the Gravettian cultural complex. The new discovery implies the need to reformulate the iconographic exchange networks currently accepted, as well as their correspondence with other elements of the material culture at the same sites. Thus, we have carried out a multiproxy approach based in statistical analysis. The updated data reveals a greater complexity in artistic expression during the Gravettian that had not been considered so far, and also challenges the traditional isolation that had been granted to Cantabrian symbolic expressions during pre-Magdalenian times.

Immunization with a Mixture of Nucleoprotein from Human Metapneumovirus and AbISCO-100 Adjuvant Reduces Viral Infection in Mice Model.

The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is the second leading cause globally of acute infection of the respiratory tract in children, infecting the upper and lower airways. The hMPV may induce an inappropriate Th2-type immune response, which causes severe pulmonary inflammation, leading to the obstruction of airways. Despite its severe epidemiological relevance, no vaccines are currently available for the prevention of hMPV-induced illness. In this investigation, we demonstrated that immunization of mice with the recombinant hMPV nucleoprotein (hMPV-N) mixed with the AbISCO-100 adjuvant reduced viral replication in lungs following challenge with the virus. We found that immunized mice had reduced weight loss, decreased granulocytes in the lung, an increased level of specific nucleoprotein antibodies of IgG1 and IgG2a-isotypes, and a local profile of Th1/Th17-type cytokines. Our results suggest that immunization with the hMPV-N and the AbISCO-100 adjuvant induces a reduction of viral infection and could be considered for the development of an hMPV vaccine.

A Middle Palaeolithic wooden digging stick from Aranbaltza III, Spain.

Aranbaltza is an archaeological complex formed by at least three open-air sites. Between 2014 and 2015 a test excavation carried out in Aranbaltza III revealed the presence of a sand and clay sedimentary sequence formed in floodplain environments, within which six sedimentary units have been identified. This sequence was formed between 137-50 ka, and includes several archaeological horizons, attesting to the long-term presence of Neanderthal communities in this area. One of these horizons, corresponding with Unit 4, yielded two wooden tools. One of these tools is a beveled pointed tool that was shaped through a complex operational sequence involving branch shaping, bark peeling, twig removal, shaping, polishing, thermal exposition and chopping. A use-wear analysis of the tool shows it to have traces related with digging soil so it has been interpreted as representing a digging stick. This is the first time such a tool has been identified in a European Late Middle Palaeolithic context; it also represents one of the first well-preserved Middle Palaeolithic wooden tool found in southern Europe. This artefact represents one of the few examples available of wooden tool preservation for the European Palaeolithic, allowing us to further explore the role wooden technologies played in Neanderthal communities.

Caracterización fenotípica y molecular de cepas de Klebsiella pneumoniae productores de carbapenemasas tipo OXA-48 circulantes en Chile / Phenotypic and molecular characterization of OXA-48 like producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Chile

INTRODUCCIÓN: La aparición y diseminación de Enterobacterales resistentes a carbapenémicos ha generado un gran impacto en las infecciones asociadas a la atención de salud en el mundo. Recientemente, en Chile se detectó un brote por Klebsiella pneumoniae productora de carbapenemasas tipo oxacilinasas (OXA) de la subfamilia tipo OXA-48, reportándose los primeros casos en pacientes hospitalizados mayoritariamente en la zona norte del país. OBJETIVO: Determinar los perfiles fenotípicos, genotípicos y de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de 16 cepas referidas durante mayo del año 2021 desde las regiones de Antofagasta y Metropolitana al Laboratorio de Referencia del Instituto de Salud Pública. METODOLOGÍA: Las cepas provenientes de muestras clínicas fueron analizadas mediante técnicas tradicionales (Kirby-Bauer y epsilometría) y automatizadas, además de técnicas colorimétricas, inmunocromatográficas y moleculares (RPC y PFGE). Resultados: Se detectó la presencia de los genes blaoxa-48 y blaoxa-232 con una resistencia inusual, tanto a carbapenémicos (ertapenem, imipenem y meropenem) como a cefalosporinas (cefepime, cefotaxima y ceftazidima), además de piperacilina/tazobactam y temocilina. Se detectaron dos subtipos por PFGE, siendo predominante el clon CL-Kpn-Spe-329 (93,8%) con dos mecanismos de resistencia identificados: carbapenemasa y β-lactamasa de espectro extendido (BLEE). CONCLUSIÓN: Ante esta alerta epidemiológica es necesario unificar criterios existentes en la red asistencial nacional para la oportuna detección, vigilancia y control de posibles brotes de cepas productores de oxacilinasa tipo OXA-48.

BACKGROUND: The appearance and spread of carbapenems-resistant Enterobacterales have generated a major impact on health care-associated infections worldwide. Recently, a Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak expressing OXA-48 like-carbapenemases was detected in Chile, the first reported cases corresponded to hospitalized patients mainly from northern Chile. AIM: To characterize the phenotypic and genotypic profiles of antimicrobial susceptibility of 16 clinical isolates referred during May 2021 from Antofagasta and Metropolitan regions to the Reference Laboratory of Instituto de Salud Publica. METHODS: Antimicrobial susceptibility of all strains was analyzed using traditional (Kirby-Bauer and epsilometry) and automated methods, and complemented with colorimetric, immunochromatographic and molecular (PCR and PFGE) techniques. RESULTS: As a result of the genetic characterization, blaoxa-48 and blaoxa-232 genes were detected, showing the isolates an unusual resistance profile to both carbapenems (ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem) and cephalosporins (cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftazidine), as well as piperacillin/ tazobactam and temocillin. Two subtypes were detected by PFGE, with a predominant clone CL-Kpn-Spe-329 (93.8%), with two resistance mechanisms identified: carbapenemase and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). CONCLUSION: Due to this epidemiological alert, it is essential the establishment of national guidelines for early detection, surveillance, and control of future outbreaks of OXA-48 like carbapenemases isolates.