Computed Tomographic Findings in Dogs with Hepatic Bacterial Parenchymal Infection and Abscessation.

Bacterial liver parenchymal infections in dogs are rarely documented, and their imaging characteristics are scarce in the veterinary literature, especially in Computed Tomography (CT). This retrospective multicentric study aimed to describe the CT characteristics of parenchymal bacterial liver infection and abscessation in dogs and compare them with the human literature. Twenty dogs met the inclusion criteria.

The time between Palaeolithic hearths.

Resolving the timescale of human activity in the Palaeolithic Age is one of the most challenging problems in prehistoric archaeology. The duration and frequency of hunter-gatherer camps reflect key aspects of social life and human-environment interactions. However, the time dimension of Palaeolithic contexts is generally inaccurately reconstructed because of the limitations of dating techniques, the impact of disturbing agents on sedimentary deposits and the palimpsest effect.

Fecal biomarkers and micromorphological indicators of sheep penning and flooring at La Fortaleza pre-Hispanic site (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands).

This study explores the lipid content and micromorphological features of sediment samples from two dwelling structures at the pre-Hispanic site of La Fortaleza in Santa Lucía de Tirajana (Gran Canaria, Spain). Previous field identification of possible sedimentary excrements inside the dwellings motivated chromatographic fecal biomarker analysis and micromorphology. The micromorphological samples reveal a complex dung-rich stratified sequence involving different layers of mixed composition, including reworked dung, clay, wood ash, and domestic refuse.

Microstratigraphic, lipid biomarker and stable isotope study of a middle Palaeolithic combustion feature from Axlor, Spain.

Archaeological research has increasingly focused on studying combustion features as valuable sources of information regarding past technological and cultural aspects. The use of microstratigraphic and biomolecular techniques enables the identification of combustion residues and substrate components, and infer about past fire-related activities and the environments. Our study conducted on a combustion feature (Level N, ∼100 Ka) at the Axlor cave, a Middle Paleolithic site in northern Iberia, exemplifies the interdisciplinary approach to combustion features.

Atypical disseminated histiocytic sarcoma in a 7-month-old dog.

A 7-month-old intact female bearded collie dog was admitted after a 2-week history of progressive cough, inappetence, and lethargy, with no response to previous treatment with doxycycline and steroids. Mild attenuation of lung sounds in the right middle hemithorax was the only abnormality detected on physical examination. Abdominal ultrasound and thoracic radiographs were performed and revealed multifocally distributed nodules and masses, well-circumscribed and of variable size in the kidneys and pulmonary parenchyma.

Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of short-chain fatty acids from Pine tissues: characterizing paleo-fire residues and plant exudates.

Unlabelled: Different types of plant tissues and resin can account for the wax lipids found in sedimentary contexts and archaeological samples. Consequently, there is increasing research to characterize the fatty acid carbon isotope ratios of different plant anatomical parts and their plant exudates (resin). With the aim to explore isotopic differences between plant tissues, state of the fine organic matter, effect of thermal degradation, and to identify plant residues we measured the δC values of short-chain fatty acids (δC and δC) in: i) dead and fresh (collected and immediately dried) pine needles and branches () and pine resin from laboratory-controlled heating experiments and ii) sediment and charred pine tissue samples from a wild pine forest fire.

Multidisciplinary evidence of an isolated Neanderthal occupation in Abric del Pastor (Alcoi, Iberian Peninsula).

Testing Neanderthal behavioural hypotheses requires a spatial-temporal resolution to the level of a human single occupation episode. Yet, most of the behavioural data on Neanderthals has been obtained from coarsely dated, time-averaged contexts affected by the archaeological palimpsest effect and a diversity of postdepositional processes. This implies that time-resolved Neanderthal behaviour remains largely unknown.

AAV-mediated BMP7 gene therapy counteracts insulin resistance and obesity.

Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity are strongly associated and are a major health problem worldwide. Obesity largely results from a sustained imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Therapeutic approaches targeting metabolic rate may counteract body weight gain and insulin resistance.

Every contact leaves a trace: Documenting contamination in lithic residue studies at the Middle Palaeolithic sites of Lusakert Cave 1 (Armenia) and Crvena Stijena (Montenegro).

Investigations of organic lithic micro-residues have, over the last decade, shifted from entirely morphological observations using visible-light microscopy to compositional ones using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy, providing a seemingly objective chemical basis for residue identifications. Contamination, though, remains a problem that can affect these results. Modern contaminants, accumulated during the post-excavation lives of artifacts, are pervasive, subtle, and even "invisible" (unlisted ingredients in common lab products).

Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France.

Determining the extent of overlap between modern humans and other hominins in Eurasia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, is fundamental to understanding the nature of their interactions and what led to the disappearance of archaic hominins. Apart from a possible sporadic pulse recorded in Greece during the Middle Pleistocene, the first settlements of modern humans in Europe have been constrained to ~45,000 to 43,000 years ago. Here, we report hominin fossils from Grotte Mandrin in France that reveal the earliest known presence of modern humans in Europe between 56,800 and 51,700 years ago.

MRI features of canine hemangiosarcoma affecting the central nervous system.

Hemangiosarcoma is the most common metastatic tumor involving the brain in dogs but detailed published descriptions of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features are lacking. The objective of this multi-center, retrospective case series study was to describe MRI characteristics of canine hemangiosarcoma affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Medical records of seven referral institutions were retrospectively reviewed.

[Surveillance of rare diseases in Spain: Spanish Registry of Rare Diseases (ReeR).].

Traditionally, epidemiological surveillance has focused on infectious diseases, but the concept of Public Health surveillance, introduced in Spain with the Law 33/2011, is broader and includes chronic diseases. Health strategies for these diseases need epidemiological information to improve understanding of socio-health needs and to facilitate the efficient management of resources. The European Union defines rare diseases (RD) as those that, being life-threatening or chronically debilitating, have a prevalence of less than 5 cases per 10,000 inhabitants.

Investigating Hydrogen Isotope Variation during Heating of -Alkanes under Limited Oxygen Conditions: Implications for Palaeoclimate Reconstruction in Archaeological Settings.

This paper reports on a series of heating experiments that focus on -alkanes extracted from leaf, bark, and xylem tissues of the plant. These lipid biomarkers were analysed for their compound-specific hydrogen isotopic composition (δH) under limited oxygen conditions at 150, 250, 350, and 450 °C. Our results reveal isotopic variations in wax lipids of different plant organs during short-term low-temperature combustion.

Components of a Neanderthal gut microbiome recovered from fecal sediments from El Salt.

A comprehensive view of our evolutionary history cannot ignore the ancestral features of our gut microbiota. To provide some glimpse into the past, we searched for human gut microbiome components in ancient DNA from 14 archeological sediments spanning four stratigraphic units of El Salt Middle Paleolithic site (Spain), including layers of unit X, which has yielded well-preserved Neanderthal occupation deposits dating around 50 kya. According to our findings, bacterial genera belonging to families known to be part of the modern human gut microbiome are abundantly represented only across unit X samples, showing that well-known beneficial gut commensals, such as Blautia, Dorea, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium already populated the intestinal microbiome of Homo since as far back as the last common ancestor between humans and Neanderthals.

Characterisation of charred organic matter in micromorphological thin sections by means of Raman spectroscopy.

Unlabelled: Burned or charred organic matter in anthropogenic combustion features may provide important clues about past human activities related to fire. To interpret archaeological hearths, a correct identification of the organic source material is key. In the present work, Raman spectroscopy is applied to characterise the structural properties of char produced in laboratory heating- and open-fire experiments.

Micro-contextual identification of archaeological lipid biomarkers using resin-impregnated sediment slabs.

Characterizing organic matter preserved in archaeological sediment is crucial to behavioral and paleoenvironmental investigations. This task becomes particularly challenging when considering microstratigraphic complexity. Most of the current analytical methods rely on loose sediment samples lacking spatial and temporal resolution at a microstratigraphic scale, adding uncertainty to the results.

BMP7 overexpression in adipose tissue induces white adipogenesis and improves insulin sensitivity in ob/ob mice.

Background/objectives: During obesity, hypertrophic enlargement of white adipose tissue (WAT) promotes ectopic lipid deposition and development of insulin resistance. In contrast, WAT hyperplasia is associated with preservation of insulin sensitivity. The complex network of factors that regulates white adipogenesis is not fully understood.

Vitamin D Receptor Overexpression in β-Cells Ameliorates Diabetes in Mice.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased incidence of diabetes, both in humans and in animal models. In addition, an association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and diabetes has also been described. However, the involvement of VDR in the development of diabetes, specifically in pancreatic β-cells, has not been elucidated yet.

Fire and brief human occupations in Iberia during MIS 4: Evidence from Abric del Pastor (Alcoy, Spain).

There is a relatively low amount of Middle Paleolithic sites in Europe dating to MIS 4. Of the few that exist, several of them lack evidence for anthropogenic fire, raising the question of how this period of global cooling may have affected the Neanderthal population. The Iberian Peninsula is a key area to explore this issue, as it has been considered as a glacial refugium during critical periods of the Neanderthal timeline and might therefore yield archaeological contexts in which we can explore possible changes in the behaviour and settlement patterns of Neanderthal groups during MIS 4.

Geochemical Evidence for the Control of Fire by Middle Palaeolithic Hominins.

The use of fire played an important role in the social and technological development of the genus Homo. Most archaeologists agree that this was a multi-stage process, beginning with the exploitation of natural fires and ending with the ability to create fire from scratch. Some have argued that in the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) hominin fire use was limited by the availability of fire in the landscape.

CT characterisation of the feline os penis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of identification and to describe the CT features of the os penis in cats without genitourinary disorders.

Methods: CT studies from cats that underwent an abdominal or pelvic examination between October 2013 and May 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Cats with no signs of urinary disease and with the external genitalia included in the scan were recruited.

An experimental approach to the preservation potential of magnetic signatures in anthropogenic fires.

Archaeomagnetic and rock-magnetic methods are of great value in the identification of archaeological fire, especially in Palaeolithic sites where evidence is usually scarce, ambiguous or poorly preserved. Although taphonomic processes can significantly modify Palaeolithic combustion structures, the extent to which such processes affect the magnetic record remains unknown. Here we report the results of an archaeomagnetic study involving five, two-to-five-year-old experimental combustion structures in open-air and cave settings.