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Raised from the ashes: Geoarchaeological perspectives on house burning practices in an Iberian Iron Age village
No full textBurnt houses are a recurrent phenomenon in the prehistoric archaeological record, yet the specific processes behind their burning—likely varying across time and place—remain poorly understood. This study focuses on a thoroughly studied dwelling (House 1) from the Iberian Early Iron Age settlement of Cerro de San Vicente and investigates site formation processes associated with its burning. To achieve this, we applied a multi-proxy geoarchaeological approach, integrating archaeological soil micromorphology—including charcoal analysis on thin sections—, magnetic properties analyses, XRD, XRF, and GIS-based morphological and spatial analyses of mudbricks. Our results suggest that House 1 experienced a high temperature fire, reaching temperatures of up to ∼700 °C, which destroyed its roof, burnt its walls, and generated an ash deposit rich in combustion residues. Shortly thereafter, the house was deliberately infilled with burnt reused mudbricks, recycled both from its dismantled walls and potentially other buildings across the settlement. This practice likely served to raise the level of the house to compensate for midden accumulation in the surrounding transit areas while providing a foundation for new construction phases. These findings suggest that construction materials were reused over time according to context-specific cultural rationales, potentially reflecting elements of a prehistoric circular economy. This research enhances our understanding of settlement and socio-cultural dynamics at Cerro de San Vicente, while contributing to broader archaeological discussions on the roles of prehistoric house burning practices.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project PID2019-104349GA-I00, AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033) and a predoctoral contract awarded to LT (TESIS2021010119), co-funded by the Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información de la Consejería de Universidades, Ciencia e Innovación y Cultura, and by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) Integrated Operational Program of the Canary Islands 2021–2027, Axis 3 Priority Theme 74 (85 %). LT was also the beneficiary of a grant (EST2024010006) for a short stay abroad within an official PhD program in the Canary Islands, co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus, for the year 2024. AC acknowledges the project PID2019105796GB-I00 of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033) and Junta de Castilla y León (project BU037P23) and the European Research and Development Fund (ERDF). SS-R is the beneficiary of a predoctoral research contracting grant awarded by the Generalitat Valenciana (ACIF/2021/407). ASP is the beneficiary of a postdoctoral Juan de la Cierva contract (FJC2021-046615-I), funded by MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/ PRTR. The MMS archaeobotanical research was supported by the grant CNS2023-144343 funded by MICIU/AEI /https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR.Peer reviewe
Subclinical Atherosclerosis Risk Can Be Predicted in Female Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Using Metabolomic Signatures: An Observational Study
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) due to accelerated atherosclerosis that is not predicted by established CVD risk scores. This study aimed to develop, validate, and test a female-focused predictive atherosclerosis risk signature based on serum metabolites in patients with SLE.Peer reviewe
Commodity risk assessment of Prunus spp. plants from United Kingdom
No full textThe European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by: grafted potted plants up to 15 years old or bundles of grafted bare root plants up to 3 years old or graftwood up to 2 years old of Prunus armeniaca, P. cerasifera, P. domestica, P. incisa or P. persica imported from the United Kingdom (UK), taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the UK. All pests associated with the commodities were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this opinion. Two quarantine pests, Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia-related strains (Pear decline Taiwan II, Crotalaria witches' broom phytoplasma, Sweet potato little leaf phytoplasma) and Scirtothrips dorsalis, two protected zone quarantine pests, Bemisia tabaci (European population) and Erwinia amylovora, and two non-regulated pests, Eulecanium excrescens and Colletotrichum aenigma, that fulfilled all relevant criteria were selected for further evaluation. The risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical Dossier from the UK were evaluated, taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom, taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. The degree of pest freedom varied among the pests evaluated, with E. amylovora being the most frequently expected pest on the imported potted plants. The expert knowledge elicitation indicated with 95% certainty that between 9956 and 10,000 potted plants per 10,000 would be free from the above-mentioned bacterium.Peer reviewe
Tree ring width data set from selected INIA-CSIC Pinus nigra permanent plots
No full textEste conjunto de datos contiene mediciones anuales de ancho de anillos de crecimiento recogidas en 21 parcelas permanentes de Pinus nigra Arn. distribuidas a lo largo de la Península Ibérica. Los datos se utilizaron para analizar los efectos de la variabilidad climática sobre el crecimiento de los árboles y cómo la respuesta al clima está modulada por la productividad del sitio y las características estructurales del rodal. Este conjunto de datos ha servido de base para estudios sobre la dinámica del crecimiento forestal, la dendroclimatología y el desarrollo de modelos de crecimiento forestal sensibles al clima.This dataset contains annually resolved tree-ring width measurements from black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) collected at 21 permanent plots across the Iberian Peninsula. The data were used to assess the effects of climate variability on tree growth and to explore how tree response to climate is modulated by site productivity and stand conditions. This dataset supported studies on forest growth dynamics, dendroclimatology, and model development for climate-sensitive growth projections.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through projects SUM2008-00002-00-00 and AGL2007.65795.C02.02
Spanish National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) with Project OT03-002Peer reviewe
Changing hands. On the uses, meaning, and circulation of rings amongst the Iberian nobility from the eleventh to the thirteenth century
No full textThe research for this article has been undertaken as part of her two projects, “La nobleza ibérica transfronteriza (ss. XI–XIII): poder, parentesco y movilidad nobiliaria” (202210I153) Proyecto PIE, Ayudas incorporación (EOP2018-2019), and “Nobility Without Borders: Mobility and Connectivity in the Hispanic and Occitan Territories (10th–13th centuries).” PID2022-137138NB-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033/ and FEDER “Una manera de hacer Europa.”Peer reviewe
The complementarity hypothesis reversed: Root trait similarity in species mixtures promotes soil organic carbon in agroecosystems
No full textIncreasing species diversity in agroecosystems appears as a promising venue to restore or increase soil organic carbon (SOC). It has been hypothesized that this effect is largely driven by the greater variation of root systems in plant mixtures, which may promote complementarity. However, the magnitude of this synergistic effect and the root traits driving it are uncertain. The objective of this study is to determine which root trait composition optimizes plant mixture effects on SOC. To do so, we combined a global meta-analysis of 407 paired SOC content observations under mixed species vs. monocultures across grasslands and croplands, and root traits extracted from the GRooT database. The results show that high root mycorrhizal colonization and root tissue density for the species in the mixture have higher positive effects on SOC content. Our analysis also indicates that combining species with high similarity for these traits represents a preferable trait combination to increase SOC with plant mixtures, challenging the current paradigm around plant trait complementarity effects. We observed that the positive response of SOC content to species mixtures was tightly associated with increased root biomass and soil microbial biomass carbon, indicating an important contribution of belowground and microbial residuals to SOC. Additionally, SOC enhancements by plant species mixtures were more likely to be realized in regions with high precipitation, clay-rich soils, and when legumes are present. Our meta-analysis lays out a root-trait framework to enhance SOC with plant mixtures, which can serve as a guide for species and variety selection for field experiments and on-farm applications.We thank the authors whose work is included in this meta-analysis. This project has received funding from the European Unions' Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 862695 EJP SOIL and was conducted as a part of the project MIXROOT-C. We also acknowledge the China Scholarship Council's support to SY (No. 202206600009) for her study at Aarhus University. DA thanks the Danish Council for Independent Research for funding via a Sapere Aude—DFF Research Leader grant, project “Redefining a plant ideotype to reduce nitrogen pollution” (Grant No. 1051-00060B).Peer reviewe
Risk prediction of Lecanosticta acicola spore abundance in Atlantic climate regions
No full textBrown spot needle blight disease, caused by the fungus Lecanosticta acicola, affects pine trees across the northern hemisphere. In recent years, its incidence has expanded to new areas and host species. This is in association with climate change. Interest in understanding the basis of its epidemiology and proposing appropriate management measures has also increased. However, there is a lack of studies that characterise the relationship between spore abundance trends and climatic factors, which are essential to understand the spread of the disease. We collected spore abundance data for three years from 16 traps located in pine plantations over the Basque Country (north of Spain), the first European region where L. acicola was detected. A rapid change in pathogen behaviour led to serious financial losses in the forestry sector. We then modelled the relationship between spore abundance and weather variables in terms of generalised additive models. The resulting model was used to estimate the risk of disease spread over the whole area of Basque Country. We also generated a risk projection for the north of the Iberian Peninsula, an area influenced by the Atlantic climate, where the disease is currently causing severe damage. Cumulative rainfall acted as a reliable predictor of the spore abundance of the pathogen; thus, data from weather stations can be directly incorporated into early warning protocols to inform effective preventive actions.This study was funded by the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment of the Basque Government (grant reference SANFOR2020), LIFE programme (grant no. LIFE14 ENV/ES/000179) and Interreg VI-A POCTEFA programme (grant no. SANASILVA -EFA052/01).Peer reviewe
Evaluation of Oxidative Stability and Sensory Scoring of Extra Virgin Olive Oil by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
No full textThe oxidative stability index (OSI) and sensory properties are key parameters in the characterization of the commercial quality of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The determination of these parameters by reference methodologies is expensive and time-consuming, so fast and inexpensive analytical procedures are needed. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been proven to provide rapid and accurate measurements with minimum sample preparation for many parameters in a wide range of foodstuffs. In this work, 414 EVOO samples obtained from two different origins (laboratory mill Abencor system and commercial samples) were subjected to NIRS evaluation in the 1100–2500 nm wavelength range in transmittance mode. Partial least squares (PLS) regression models developed from the whole sample’s spectral dataset for OSI prediction yielded a correlation coefficient of approximately 0.9, a range error ratio (RER) of approximately 10, and comparable results regardless of the origin of the samples (Abencor or commercial). In contrast, neither the prediction of sensory scoring nor the grouping of top-scored samples was possible from the NIRS models. These results suggest that the NIRS prediction of OSI could be used for the routine determination of EVOO with sufficient accuracy, which could be particularly useful for large screening experiments such as selection in olive breeding programs.Songul ACAR would like to thank The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) for their financial support with 2219-International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship program under grant number 1059B191900138 in Türkiye.
This research was funded by Grant PID2020-115853RR funded by MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033.Peer reviewe
Effects of landscape attributes on the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon stocks in smallholder farming systems in Cameroon
No full textSoil organic carbon (SOC) is important in maintaining soil quality, fertility, and the terrestrial carbon cycle. Advances in technology have heightened global interest in estimating soil carbon sequestration. Assessing SOC stocks at landscape scales faces significant challenges, particularly in mosaic landscape influenced by anthropogenic and environmental factors. These challenges include the limited availability of high-resolution soil data, the high cost and labor intensity of soil sampling, and the difficulty of accurately representing soil heterogeneity using conventional sampling methods. This study investigates the influence of key landscape attributes including soil depth, land use type, slope gradient, and topographic position on SOC stock distribution and associated soil properties at 0 – 20 cm (topsoil) and 20 – 50 cm (subsoil) in the highlands of Cameroon. A total of 320 soil samples collected from a 100 km2 site were analysed in the laboratory. Results reveal that soil depth, land use type, and topographic position influence the distribution of SOC, bulk density (BD), and SOC stocks. Land use and topographic positions interactions significantly impact SOC, coarse fraction (CF), and SOC stocks, reflecting varied human activities and environmental effects across topographic locations. Total SOC stocks for the site are estimated at 37,571 tons C/ha in topsoil and 57,341 tons C/ha in the subsoil, totalling 94,912 tons C/ha of carbon to a depth of 50 cm. Kriging maps demonstrate a decreasing trend in SOC stocks from west to east, with higher values in lowlands characterized by lower BD and CF, and lower values in mountainous areas. These findings advance SOC stocks evaluation in the highlands of Cameroon, providing a foundational reference for future assessments to guide landscape restoration initiatives in ecologically fragile ecosystems.Peer reviewe
Ancient polyploidization events influence the evolution of the ginseng family (Araliaceae)
No full textThe raw reads (FASTQ files) used in this study are available in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) database (Bioproject ID: PRJNA841627).[Introduction]: Whole genome duplication events (WGDs) have been recognized as major drivers of evolution in plants, especially when they involve hybridization (allopolyploidization). In this study we evaluated if WGDs acted as evolutionary forces at the origin and early divergence of the Asian Palmate group (AsPG) of the plant family Araliaceae. This clade encompasses most of the generic and species diversity as well as most of the polyploids of the family, and a role of hybridization in its origin has been suggested.[Methods]: In order to test this hypothesis, we obtained nuclear and plastid time-calibrated phylogenomic trees including 80% of Araliaceae genera (37 genera, 237 species) using the Hyb-Seq approach. The role of WGDs in the early evolution of the AsPG was tested using ancestral chromosome number reconstructions based on chromosome counts for 62% of the sampled genera, while recent polyploidization events were explored by inferring ploidy of the sequenced species from allelic frequencies.[Results]: Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and plastid sequences provided highly resolved but incongruent topologies consistent with ancient hybridization not only for the origin of the AsPG, but also in the second most highly diverse clade of the family. Our ancestral chromosome number reconstructions supported that one or two WGDs preceded the origin of two of the three main clades of Araliaceae (AsPG and Polyscias-Pseudopanax), which could have acted as background variables necessary for the posterior diversification of these lineages. Ploidy inference based on allelic frequencies provided signal of recent polyploidization in the AsPG and the third main clade of Araliaceae (Aralia-Panax).[Conclusions]: In summary, WGDs are linked to the origin of the main clades of the Araliaceae family, but the drivers of the strong diversification of the AsPG remain an open question.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness
(CGL2017-87198-P), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-106840GA-C22 and PID2022-140985NB-C22), the Laboratories of Analytical Biology of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (https://ror.org/05b8c0r92), and the Smithsonian Institution DNA Barcode Network (SIBN). A.
Gallego-Narbón was supported by the program “Contratos predoctorales para Formación de Personal Investigador FPIUAM” of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (FPI-UAM 2018) and the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship program (Graduate Student Fellowship 2022, Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024).
M. Fernández-Mazuecos was supported by a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC2022-036418-I), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+).Peer reviewe