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The polar regions play a crucial role in the Earth’s system. They are essential for our climate and are sentinels of climate change and human expansion. The polar research community needs access to world-class research infrastructure operating on-site to understand and predict essential processes in the polar regions and provide evidence-based information. To address that, a consortium of the European Union and international polar research operators is joining their efforts in the Polar Research Infrastructure Network (POLARIN) project. POLARIN is an international network of polar research infrastructure and services, aiming to address the polar regions' scientific challenges. The network includes various complementary and interdisciplinary top-level research infrastructure: Arctic and Antarctic research stations, ice-capable research vessels, observatories, data bases, and ice core and sediment repositories. This article aims to highlight Ukraine's role in the global effort to study and understand the polar regions, focusing on its participation in POLARIN project and the significance of its potential contributions. It is argued that Ukraine has played a role in shaping policies for creating an international network of polar infrastructure issues by sharing research facilities, contributing data and insights to global discussions on environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development in the polar regions.

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del relevamiento fotogramétrico completo efectuado sobre un sitio del Periodo de Desarrollos Regionales (ca. 1000-1430 d. C), el Pucará de Tacuil, en la provincia de Salta, Argentina. La restitución fotogramétrica se realizó a partir de fotografías aéreas capturadas con dos drones, que cubrieron los tres sectores que conforman este sitio arqueológico. Los productos cartográficos obtenidos fueron un Modelo Digital de Elevación (MDE) y una ortofoto de alta resolución del área a partir de los cuales se detectaron, caracterizaron, registraron y midieron las estructuras arqueológicas del sitio. Se expone la problemática arqueológica que rodea al lugar con sus características de poblado pucará y se realiza un análisis sobre la organización socioespacial inferida a partir de las evidencias arqueológicas detectadas.

IntroductionChronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tissues underlies gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, leading to tissue damage and a constellation of painful and debilitating symptoms. These disorders include inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), and eosinophilic disorders (eosinophilic esophagitis and eosinophilic duodenitis). Gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders can often present with overlapping symptoms necessitating the use of invasive procedures to give an accurate diagnosis.MethodsThis study used peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, and eosinophilic duodenitis to better understand the alterations to the transcriptome of individuals with these diseases and identify potential markers of active inflammation within the peripheral blood of patients that may be useful in diagnosis. Single-cell RNA-sequencing was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from the blood samples of pediatric patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal disorders, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic duodenitis, and controls with histologically healthy gastrointestinal tracts.ResultsWe identified 730 (FDR < 0.05) differentially expressed genes between individuals with gastrointestinal disorders and controls across eight immune cell types.DiscussionThere were common patterns among GI disorders, such as the widespread upregulation of MTRNR2L8 across cell types, and many differentially expressed genes showed distinct patterns of dysregulation among the different gastrointestinal diseases compared to controls, including upregulation of XIST across cell types among individuals with ulcerative colitis and upregulation of Th2-associated genes in eosinophilic disorders. These findings indicate both overlapping and distinct alterations to the transcriptome of individuals with gastrointestinal disorders compared to controls, which provide insight as to which genes may be useful as markers for disease in the peripheral blood of patients.

Lung underdevelopment is a rare congenital anomaly with variable clinical significance and presenting symptoms. It usually manifests during childhood. We present two cases of developmental lung anomaly subtypes and discuss clinical presentation and outcomes in such patient populations.

Background Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that results from a dysregulated host response to infection, leading to organ dysfunction. Despite the prevalence and associated socioeconomic costs, treatment of sepsis remains limited to antibiotics and supportive care, and a majority of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors develop long-term cognitive complications post-discharge. The present study identifies a novel regulatory relationship between amyloid-β (Aβ) and the inflammasome-caspase-1 axis as key innate immune mediators that define sepsis outcomes. Methods Medical ICU patients and healthy individuals were consented for blood and clinical data collection. Plasma cytokine, caspase-1 and Aβ levels were measured. Data were compared against indices of multiorgan injury and other clinical parameters. Additionally, recombinant proteins were tested in vitro to examine the effect of caspase-1 on a functional hallmark of Aβ, namely aggregation. Results Plasma caspase-1 levels displayed the best predictive value in discriminating ICU patients with sepsis from non-infected ICU patients (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.7080). Plasma caspase-1 and the Aβ isoform Aβx-40 showed a significant positive correlation and Aβx-40 associated with organ injury. Additionally, Aβ plasma levels continued to rise from time of ICU admission to 7 days post-admission. In silico, Aβ harbours a predicted caspase-1 cleavage site, and in vitro studies demonstrated that caspase-1 cleaved Aβ to inhibit its auto-aggregation, suggesting a novel regulatory relationship. Conclusions Aβx-40 and caspase-1 are potentially useful early indicators of sepsis and its attendant organ injury. Additionally, Aβx-40 has emerged as a potential culprit in the ensuing development of post-ICU syndrome.

Las quebradas altas del valle Calchaquí medio (cuencas de Molinos y Angastaco, provincia de Salta) fueron espacios claves en la estructuración del paisaje social local durante el Período de Desarrollos Regionales (900-1450 d.C.), albergando los principales núcleos de asentamiento y producción en un contexto de surgimiento de jurisdicciones territoriales. Resulta entonces relevante conocer las lógicas mediante las cuales se estructuró la organización política de estas poblaciones precoloniales, para lo cual realizamos un análisis comparativo de los resultados de investigaciones efectuadas en la región a partir de distintas líneas de evidencia arqueológica. El patrón de asentamiento, la arquitectura, la organización espacial, los tratamientos funerarios, la producción alfarera y metalúrgica, la infraestructura agrícola y las expresiones rupestres sugieren formas de organización política desde lógicas corporativas, comunales o heterárquicas, en contraste con las expectativas de poder político centralizado y estratificación socioeconómica institucionalizada tradicionalmente propuestas para el PDR bajo el modelo de jefatura.

Abstract The liver is the primary organ responsible for clearing most drugs from the body and thus determines systemic drug concentrations over time. Drug clearance by the liver appears to be directly related to organ size. In children, organ size changes as children age and grow. Liver volume has been correlated with body surface area (BSA) in healthy children and adults and has been estimated by functions of BSA. However, these relationships were derived from “typical” populations and it is unknown whether they extend to estimations of liver volumes for population “outliers,” such as children with overweight or obesity, who today represent one‐third of the pediatric population. Using computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, this study measured liver volumes in 99 children (2–21 years) with normal weight, overweight, or obesity and compared organ measurements with estimates calculated using an established liver volume equation. A previously developed equation relating BSA to liver volume adequately estimates liver volumes in children, regardless of weight status.

Background: Crohn’s disease with upper gastrointestinal tract involvement occurs more often in children than adults and has the potential to interfere with oral drug absorption. We aimed to compare disease outcomes in children receiving oral azathioprine for the treatment of Crohn’s disease with (DP) and without (NDP) duodenal pathology at diagnosis. Methods: Duodenal villous length, body mass index (BMI), and laboratory studies were compared in DP vs. NDP during the first year post-diagnosis, using parametric/nonparametric tests and regression analysis (SAS v9.4); the data are reported as the median (interquartile range) or the mean ± standard deviation. Thiopurine metabolite concentration (pmol/8 × 108 erythrocytes) 230–400 was considered therapeutic for 6-thioguanine nucleotides (6-TGN), and >5700 was considered hepatotoxic for 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMPN). Results: Twenty-six of the fifty-eight children enrolled (29 DP, 29 NDP) started azathioprine for standard medical care, including nine DP and ten NDP who had normal thiopurine methyltransferase activity. Duodenal villous length was significantly shorter in DP vs. NDP (342 ± 153 vs. 460 ± 85 μm; p < 0.001) at diagnosis; age, sex, hemoglobin, and BMI were comparable between groups. A trend toward lower 6-TGN was observed in the DP vs. NDP subset receiving azathioprine (164 (117, 271) vs. 272 (187, 331); p = 0.15). Compared to NDP, DP received significantly higher azathioprine doses (2.5 (2.3, 2.6) vs. 2.2 (2.0, 2.2) mg/kg/day; p = 0.01) and had an increased relative risk of sub-therapeutic 6-TGN. At 9 months post-diagnosis, children with DP had significantly lower hemoglobin (12.5 (11.7, 12.6) vs. 13.1 (12.7, 13.3) g/dL; p = 0.01) and BMI z-scores (−0.29 (−0.93, −0.11) vs. 0.88 (0.53, 0.99); p = 0.02) than children with NDP. Conclusion: For children with Crohn’s disease, duodenal pathology, marked by villous blunting, increased the risk of sub-therapeutic 6-TGN levels, despite higher azathioprine dosing during the first year post-diagnosis. Lower hemoglobin and BMI z-scores at 9 months post-diagnosis suggest the impaired absorption/bioavailability of nutrients, as well as oral drugs, in children with duodenal disease.

Manipulation of the microbiome is a rational treatment strategy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Compared to the colon and terminal ileum (TI), understanding of the microbial composition in the duodenum is sparse. This gap in knowledge is especially significant for children with Crohn’s disease (CD) because the prevalence of duodenal CD is higher in children than in adults. Our aim was to characterize the bacterial composition of the mucosally-adherent duodenal microbiome in children with and without CD as a first step toward development of targeted IBD treatment strategies at this disease location. Fresh-frozen mucosal biopsies were obtained from the duodenum and TI of children with treatment-naïve CD and age- and sex-matched controls. Extracted DNA was analyzed for sequence variation in the 16S ribosomal RNA bacterial gene region V4 (Novogene; Beijing, China). Bacterial relative abundance, alpha and beta composition, and diversity, were compared across duodenal and TI samples from the controls and CD groups with and without chronic active inflammation (118 samples from 73 children total; approx. 50% CD), using UniFrac dissimilarity coefficients (α < 0.05), Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis (LDA score ≥ 2), and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) analysis. The relationships between bacterial abundance, sex, age, concomitant medication use, and villous length were assessed. The microbial composition in the duodenum was significantly different from the TI in the control population(R-value = 0.558, p = 0.001) and in children with active CD (R-value = 0.301, p = 0.001). Significant differences in bacterial abundance were noted between the control and CD duodena (LDA > 4). The duodenum of children without CD was characterized by increased abundance in Pseudomonodales, whereas the actively inflamed duodenum in CD was characterized by increased abundance of Bacteroidales, specifically the family Prevotellaceae. This trend is opposite of previously published observations of microbial composition in the TI, where active inflammation was associated with a relative decrease in the abundance of Bacteroidetes and an increase in Proteobacteria, including Pseudomonadales. No statistically significant correlations were noted between abundance and age, sex, concomitant medication use or villous length, except for Bacteroidetes, which significantly decreased in abundance in the TI with age (p = 0.048). The pediatric duodenal microbiome is distinct from the TI and characterized by an increased abundance of Pseudomonodales and Spirochetes in healthy children, and an increased abundance of Bacteroidales in active CD patients.

Ocean warming contributes to the thinning of the Antarctic ice shelves, however, lack of observations has prevented a quantification of this contribution. Here the authors use geological records to show that 0.3–1.5 °C ocean warming has played a central role on regional ice shelf instability over the last 9000 years.

The scope and scientific purpose of this paper focuses on multiscale (aerial and terrestrial) photogrammetry as a support to investigations and interpretations in a multi-component archaeological site located in the Argentinian Cordillera (Calchaquí, Salta), known as Tacuil. Due to its scarce accessibility, as well as long-term problems associated with the interpretation of the visibility of this type of settlement, the use of aerial surveying was combined with the reconstruction of structures and complex soil morphologies by resorting to modern photogrammetric approaches (3D models and orthophotos). This dataset was complemented by a terrestrial survey to obtain extremely high resolution and detailed representations of archaeological features that were integrated in a GIS database. The outcome of photogrammetric surveying was fundamental in supporting the debate on the functionality of the site and his integration in a complex, socially constructed, ancient landscape. Finally, the present paper introduces the first complete map of Tacuil.

Se ha propuesto para el noroeste de Argentina, entre el 1000 y 1400 AD, un estado de fragmentación política, situaciones de conflicto y la emergencia de jerarquías siendo una de las causas de esta situación los cambios climáticos que ocurrieron en los Andes alrededor del siglo XIII. La información arqueológica de las quebradas altas del valle Calchaquí medio, en la actual provincia de Salta, entre los siglos XI y XVII, nos permiten plantear la hipótesis de la continuidad en la ocupación de estos espacios siguiendo prácticas y lógicas de tiempos prehispánicos, que estuvieron vinculadas a la subsistencia y reproducción social, tales como el manejo estacional y altitudinal agrícola-ganadero por parte de las poblaciones locales. Nuestro objetivo es dar a conocer resultados de las investigaciones en las quebradas altas del valle Calchaquí intentando entender cómo podría haber sido la dinámica poblacional entre los siglos XI y XV a partir de información arqueológica .

The gastric armature of decapod foregut is a feeding structure that sparks controversial debates about the role dietary and historical components have in shaping its morphological traits. Having previous information about the natural diet is an interesting way to gather evidence on this issue. For the present study, we analyzed the morphological traits of gastric ossicles involved directly in the maceration of food in nine species of freshwater crabs of the family Trichodactylidae (Brachyura: Decapoda) representing five genera, three tribes and two subfamilies. The analyzed gastric ossicles were quite consistent among closely related species, suggesting that the observed traits had a clear phylogenetic component. However, it was also noted that the morphological traits of the gastric teeth of trichodactylid crabs match well with the natural diet and presented likeness with general features of other species with a similar trophic habit. We discuss the influence of phylogeny and function on the design of morphological traits and propose to quantify the role of phylogeny and function in shaping morphological traits through the analysis of phylogenetic signals.

The relative growth of a number of morphological dimensions of the South American freshwater crab Trichodactylus borellianus (Trichodactylidae) were compared and related to sexual dimorphism. Crabs were collected from ponds in the Middle Paraná River in Argentina. A regression model with segmented relationship was used to test for relative growth between these measurements where breakpoints infer the body size at which crabs reach sexual maturity. In both sexes the carapace width and the length, height, and thickness of the right and left chelae were measured, as well as the male pleopod length and the female abdomen width. All of these measurements were found to show positive allometry with the exception of the male pleopod length and the left chelae, which did not show a breakpoint. In females the breakpoint for the abdomen width inferred a morphological sexual maturity at carapace width 6.9 mm. In males the break point for the pleopod length was at carapace width 6.6 mm, with that for the chelae measurements was between carapace widths 6.4 and 6.9 mm. The relative growth pattern in T. borellianus was found to be similar to that recorded for other species of the family Trichodactylidae.

Freshwater crabs are not commonly considered to be an important group in trophic webs, and this might be due to a lack of knowledge about their trophic roles in aquatic ecosystems. Trichodactylus borellianus is one of the most common and widely distributed freshwater crabs in the floodplains of the southern South American rivers. The main objective of the present study was to examine the trophic role of T. borellianus, in the floodplain of the Paraná River, and its relationships with the freshwater littoral community. The trophic spectrum of this species was characterized for both sexes and individuals of different sizes (adults and juveniles), throughout daily and seasonal cycles. Samples were collected from the aquatic vegetation of three shallow lakes. The diet composition and the feeding activity of T. borellianus were evaluated through the examination of the stomach contents and their degree of emptiness. This crab species consumed several plant and animal items, including amoebas, rotifers, oligochaetes, copepods, cladocerans, and insect larvae. Moreover, this species consumes filamentous and unicellular algae, diatoms, fungi, and macrophytic remains. The predatory habits varied with the season and time of day, and variations in the feeding activity of the juveniles and adults were detected and documented. The diversity of food items eaten by this crab suggests that its trophic role in the community as an omnivore and opportunistic predator provides a connection among several trophic levels from both aquatic and terrestrial communities.

The TOMO-ETNA experiment was devised to image of the crust underlying the volcanic edifice and, possibly, its plumbing system by using passive and active refraction/reflection seismic methods. This experiment included activities both on-land and offshore with the main objective of obtaining a new high-resolution seismic tomography to improve the knowledge of the crustal structures existing beneath the Etna volcano and northeast Sicily up to Aeolian Islands. The TOMO ETNA experiment was divided in two phases. The first phase started on June 15, 2014 and finalized on July 24, 2014, with the withdrawal of two removable seismic networks (a Short Period Network and a Broadband network composed by 80 and 20 stations respectively) deployed at Etna volcano and surrounding areas. During this first phase the oceanographic research vessel “Sarmiento de Gamboa” and the hydro-oceanographic vessel “Galatea” performed the offshore activities, which includes the deployment of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS), air-gun shooting for Wide Angle Seismic refraction (WAS), Multi-Channel Seismic (MCS) reflection surveys, magnetic surveys and ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) dives. This phase finished with the recovery of the short period seismic network. In the second phase the Broadband seismic network remained operative until October 28, 2014, and the R/V “Aegaeo” performed additional MCS surveys during November 19-27, 2014. Overall, the information deriving from TOMO-ETNA experiment could provide the answer to many uncertainties that have arisen while exploiting the large amount of data provided by the cutting-edge monitoring systems of Etna volcano and seismogenic area of eastern Sicily.

The roots of Eichhornia crassipes provide different microhabitats for invertebrates, including substrate for the Asian invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei. This work evaluated the density and size structure of L. fortunei on the roots of E. crassipes in lentic waterbodies associated with the Middle Paraná floodplain. The field work was carried out between November 2009–2010, covering different phases of the hydrological regime. Floating meadows of E. crassipes were sampled monthly in two lakes with different degrees of connection to the main channel of the Paraná River. Bivalve densities were not associated with variations of the biomass of E. crassipes roots and the highest mussel densities were recorded during months of high temperature. The maximum size recorded in both lakes corresponded to individuals approximately 2.5 years old; however, up to 75% of the molluscs were represented by pre-reproductive individuals (up to 6 months old). In these lakes with soft bottom and limited hard substrates, E. crassipes is an important site for the mussel attachment during its early stages of development and could not be the final site of settlement during its lifecycle.

Se proponen posibles líneas de investigación para el análisis de fenómenos sociales a partir de un contexto mortuorio particular, el entierro de Agua Verde en la provincia de Catamarca. Se hacen inferencias sobre dieta, patologías, organización social, estatus, etc. a partir de dos fuentes de información: la que surge del estudio de las prácticas mortuorias (disposición y ubicación de la tumba, disposición del cuerpo, el ajuar, etc.) y los resultados del análisis esqueletario (patologías, dieta, deformaciones, etc.). Los resultados de estos análisis se relacionaron con antecedentes arqueológicos (entierros en urnas y características estilísticas de la cerámica que conforman el ajuar) e históricos (documentos) de la región. Finalmente, dadas las limitaciones por tratarse de un único entierro, planteamos una serie de interrogantes y perspectivas que permitirían abrir futuras líneas de investigación.Possible lines of research for analyzing social phenomenon are proposed through a particular mortuary context, that of the Agua Verde burial in Catamarca Province . Inferences are made on diet, pathologies, social organization, status, etc. from two sources of information: from the study of mortuary practices such as location of the tomb, position of the corpse, burial goods, etc, and from skeletal analyses such as diet, pathologies, deformations, etc. Results from these analyses are related to archaeological antecedents (burials in urns, stylistic characteristics of burial goods) and historical background from the region. Finally, taking into account the limitations of this single burial, we propose a series of questions and perspectives that will open up future lines of research.

La infraestructura estatal en los Andes del sur no estuvo tan ambiciosamente desarrollada como la del área al norte del Lago Titicaca. Ninguno de los centros estatales en el sur fueron tan grandes como aquellos ubicados entre el Cusco y Quito y ni las sociedades nativas fueron tan populosas y ricas como aquéllas. Los inkas construyeron una amplia red de centros provinciales y pequeños tambos protegidos por un cordón de instalaciones fortificadas que defendieron tanto los flancos orientales como meridionales. También reorganizaron las sociedades indígenas a través del reasentamiento de las poblaciones locales, la intensificación de la extracción minera, la agricultura y la producción artesanal en diversas localidades. Como la investigación se ha intensificado en años recientes, nuestro conocimiento del Kollasuyu se ha incrementado en proporción. Dos de los avances más significativos para las tierras del sur descriptos aquí concierne a la profundidad temporal y a la intensificación de la conquista inka. La cronología, la extensión y la diversidad de las instalaciones estatales indican que los inkas estuvieron presentes en momentos más tempranos que lo que tradicionalmente se consideraba e invirtieron un mayor esfuerzo en la conquista de este sector del Kollasuyu de lo que usualmente se reconoce.The state infrastructure in the South Andes was not as ambitiously developed as it was from Cusco to Quito, nor were the native societies nearly as populous or wealthy. Even so, the Inkas erected a wide array of provincial centers and smaller tampu, protected by cordons of fortified installations that defended both the southern extension of the empire and its eastern flanks. They also extensively reorganized the indigenous societies through resettlement, while intensifying mineral extraction, agricultural and craft production at numerous locations. As research has intensified over recent years, our knowledge of Kollasuyu has increased in proportion. Two of the most significant advances for the southern lands described here concern the time depth and intensity of Inka rule. The chronology, extent, and diversity of the state installations indicate that the Inkas were present earlier and invested far more effort in ruling the south than is usually recognized.

Los ecosistemas manifiestan diferentes ciclos influenciados por factores endógenos y exógenos. Los organismos que los componen presentan, acordes a esos cambios, periodicidades en sus actividades. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el ritmo nictemeral del camarón Macrobrachium jelskii en una lagunas del Parque Nacional Río Pilcomayo, Argentina, y su variación en una transecta perpendicular a la costa. Las capturas fueron realizadas con trampas cada cuatro horas durante tres días consecutivos. En la noche se registró mayor actividad en las zonas vegetadas, caracterizadas por la presencia de ejemplares adultos, principalmente machos. La actividad trófica resultó elevada durante el día en áreas vegetadas, pudiendo ser atribuida a la disponibilidad de abundantes recursos alimenticios. En zonas de transición entre aguas abiertas y vegetadas, los valores mínimos se presentaron durante el dÌa. Contrariamente, en aguas libres de vegetación la actividad trófica fue menor durante la noche, respondiendo al ciclo de la oferta trófica y a la actividad desarrollada por algunos predadores potenciales. La actividad diaria en esta población mostró cierta elasticidad o ajuste de acuerdo a las características del medio, observándose variaciones relacionadas con la edad, el sexo y con la presencia o ausencia de vegetación (y con ésta la oferta de recursos tróficos y de refugio contra los predadores potenciales).