Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a disease caused by the Rickettsia rickettsii bacteria, transmitted by the bite of infected Ixodidae hard ticks. The incidence of RMSF in Sonora, Mexico is one of the highest at the national level, with fatality rates above 30%. To better understand the spatial distribution of the disease in endemic urban areas of Mexico, we explored how physical and social determinants relate with its geographic patterns. We describe the incidence distribution of RMSF at the census tract level in two cities of Sonora, Mexico, and examine the correlation of the cumulative incidence with an index of social marginalization (ISM), as well as with land surface temperature. Overall, a heterogeneous spatial distribution of RMSF with hot spots randomly dispersed across both cities was observed. Furthermore, there were hot spots characterized by a high incidence of RMSF, a high ISM, and a land surface temperature above 31.6° C. Our findings show that the spatial analysis of physical and social determinants can be used to identify hot spots of RMSF at the census-tract level to which specific measures of prevention and control can be directed.

Congenital hydrocephalus is a recessive genetic abnormal condition affecting Friesian horses, so the identification of healthy carrier animals is crucial to avoid its spread. Therefore, the objective of the present study was the detection of the mutation in the B3GALNT2 gene related to the presence of hydrocephalus through the rhAmp SNP technique to detect healthy carrier horses. The study was performed in 4 locations in southern Sonora, Mexico. Blood samples were collected from 51 Friesian horses using EDTA tubes, which were centrifuged until the leucoplatelet layer was obtained. Subsequently, the TACOTM DNA extraction kit was used to obtain DNA, which was processed by the rhAmp SNP assay to detect the mutation in the B3GALNT2 gene. A total of 7 (13.7%) Friesian horses were found to be heterozygous carriers (C/T). In conclusion, the presence of the mutant allele was confirmed by the rhAmp SNP assay, which was proposed as an effective molecular technique for the detection of horses as carriers of genetic abnormal conditions.

Maize is an ancient crop whose domestication dates from six to ten thousand years ago in southwestern Mexico. It is one of the most important crops, with a global production volume of 1, 217 billion tons during the 2021 – 2022 cycle.In Mexico, maize has economic and commercial importance, and its uses are ancestral and versatile to obtain a wide variety of products, including oil, popcorn, syrup, corn, tamales, atole, and the most recognized tortillas. Tortilla is one of the main staple foods in our diet, with a consumption of up to 75 kg/per capita per year, contributing with 38.8 and 49.1 % of protein and calcium, respectively, and 45.2 % of the dailycalorie intake. Due to its high consumption, it is an excellentvehicle for the development of innovative products by theaddition of functional ingredients that increase the nutritionalquality (for instance, mineral or vitamin deficiencies) ofour diet and confer benefits to consumer’s health, being ofparticular interest the so-called underutilised species such as ayocote beans and quelites. The review aims to explore fortifying maize products (tortillas), with underutilised ingredients to enhance nutrition, address deficiencies, promote health benefits, and agricultural diversification.

In the late 1990s and early 2010, archaeological excavations were conducted in three neighbouring streets of the old part of the city of Almada (Lisbon South bay), where medieval residential complexes were brought to light. Among the materials found in the Pátio Prior do Crato and Rua Latino Coelho, a group of glass fragments is dated between the 14th and 16th centuries. In addition, the glass assemblage of Rua da Judiaria counts more than 1,200 fragments covering a time span from the 12th to the 19th century, including some objects that have been identified as luxurious due to their decorations. This work integrates archaeological and archaeometric research and focuses on glass dating between the 14th and 16th centuries from these excavations in Almada. The combination of results intends to provide a first glimpse of glass usage and circulation in the southern area of Lisbon during the late medieval period.

Currently, any cultural heritage management program or plan would be weak if it did not include strategies for assessing the impact of climate change on properties, adapting its projects to these impacts, and improving the sustainability of its interventions. Since the beginning of this century, efforts to systematise assessments that integrate both exposure to climate impacts and vulnerability of cultural heritage have accelerated. The aim of this work is to review the progress of European projects that have carried out risk and vulnerability assessments of climate change impacts on cultural heritage, using case studies of archaeological sites. Their critical assessment will determine the current state of the art and allow us to identify lines of action for effective adaptation to the challenge posed by climate change.

It has been suggested that the prestigious carnations adorning late Gothic sculptures were crafted by the workshops' masters themselves. In fact, they are a complex structure of skillfully constructed and aligned layers. The Bern University of the Arts (HKB) in Switzerland utilized the example of a Mary (1510, Centrepiece of the retable of Grono, Rhaetian Museum Chur) by the established workshop of Ivo Strigel (1486–1514) to elucidate the distinctive characteristics of a late gothic carnation. For the first time, the HKB not only displays various binding media and pigments found in each individual layer, but also illustrates the stratigraphy and binder systems that can vary depending on the facial area. To gain a full understanding of the analytical results, colour reconstructions were used to assess the effect of different concentrations of protein (egg yolk) dispersed in linseed oil on the properties of drying, flowability, and surface gloss of the respective colour media.

The iron industry's progress in the 18th and 19th centuries has left a noteworthy built heritage in non-European countries, such as Brazil. Among the cities, Belém holds five metallic bandstands imported from Germany and installed in Batista Campos Square in 1903. Despite the historical, architectural, technical, and social significance, these structures are facing gradual deterioration, disfigurement, and improper maintenance due to a lack of knowledge. To address these issues and gain a deeper understanding of the materials, this paper aims to characterize the metal alloys and corrosion products of these bandstands. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses were conducted on different structural parts. The results showed a significant use of nodular gray cast iron, steel application, their corrosion products, and an assessment of the conservation state of the coatings. This information enhances the knowledge of the use of ferrous alloys and their corrosion in historical buildings.

The aim of this paper is to understand the meaning and function of reddish pigments present on the surface of anthropomorphic haniwa of the Kofun period. In Japan, the practice of tattooing (irezumi), whose symbolic meaning has changed over time, can be traced back to the Jōmon period. Tattooing is generally considered an intangible cultural heritage (ICH): the transience of human bodies significantly contributes to the archaeological impermanence of this practice except in the case of artificial intervention or natural accidental preservation. The presence of reddish decorative motives on both the face and the body of haniwa raises many questions triggering diverse interpretative scenarios. Haniwa are terracotta figures, placed outside the mounded tombs as an integral part of the funerary rituals and religious practices of protohistoric Japan, and in this sense, they are considered valuable objects not only for reconstructing the burial rituals, but also for Kofun society.

This paper discusses the alterations to the surface of the 15th- and early-16th-century wooden sculpture, mostly executed by Venetian workshops for the clientele of the minor centres of the Adriatic region. It examines the cases of wooden statues that imitated metalwork via their glittering surfaces by considering both the place of such works in their time and their “afterlives”, given that their original appearance was regularly altered in the following centuries. The sparkling effect of the pseudo-sumptuous surfaces was replaced by polychromy covering the draperies in mimetic colours. The instances of the reverse approach are also considered, given that in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, several late medieval artworks were repainted to mimic bronze or marble. These converging approaches to the surface of wooden sculpture tackle the issue of taste and the meaning of surface in the reception of sacred art in an extensive time frame.

English late medieval alabaster altarpieces and fragments of such, are preserved in many countries in Europe. Scientific examination of the polychromy on alabaster carvings has provided new information about materials and painting techniques employed. The elaborately polychromed wooden frameworks of this type of altarpieces remain unstudied so far. Only a few original frameworks are preserved intact, amongst these one belonging to the Passion altarpiece from the convent of Reynistaður, now kept at the National Museum of Iceland. The article presents the results of the examination and analysis executed on selected features of the polychromy on this altarpiece. A sgraffito décor mimicking chain mail on the alabasters is shed light on, as well as sgraffito and pastiglia décor on the framework. Light microscopy, XRF and analysis of cross sections with SEM-EDS, Micro Raman and ATR-FTIR provide insight into the production of this group of works and the employed pigments and binders.