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Pollen analysis from a 14.1 m core recovered from a valley mire at Espinosa de Cerrato (Palencia, Spain), suggests that Pinus woodland has dominated this area of the Northern Meseta throughout almost the entire Holocene, in contrast to many other locations in Iberia where early-Holocene conifer woodland was progressively replaced by deciduous taxa. This unique pattern of vegetation development is attributable to a combination of continental climate, edaphic conditions of these Mesetas, and perhaps fire. These data suggest that vegetation in this area has been remarkably stable over an extended timescale and that arguments concerning Pinus communities not being native in the region are unfounded. Anthropogenic impact can be detected at c. 4500 [sup 14C] yr BP, affecting evergreen Quercus woodlands, and between c. 3000 and 2000 [sup 14]C yr BP affecting Pinus woodlands. The pine forests were replaced by plant communities resembling the present-day landscape (shrubs and cereals) from c. 1500 [sup 14]C yr BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is the cause of a significant proportion of inherited visual loss in children, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the relationship between PCG and FOXC1 variants by Sanger sequencing the proximal promoter and transcribed sequence of FOXC1 from a cohort of 133 PCG families with no known CYP1B1 or MYOC mutations. The pathogenicity of the identified variants was evaluated by functional analyses. Ten patients (7.5%) with no family history of glaucoma carried five different rare heterozygous FOXC1 variants with both increased (rs77888940:C>G, c.-429C>G, rs730882054:c.1134_144del(CGGCGGCGCGG), p.(G380Rfs*144) and rs35717904:A>T, c.*734A>T) and decreased (rs185790394: C>T, c.-244C>T and rs79691946:C>T, p.(P297S)) transactivation, ranging from 50 to 180% of the wild-type activity. The five variants did not show monogenic segregation, and four of them were absent in a control group (n=233). To the best of our knowledge, one of these variants (p.(G380Rfs*144)) has not previously been described. One of the FOXC1 variant carriers (p.(P297S)) also coinherited a functionally altered rare PITX2 heterozygous variant (rs6533526:C>T, c.*454C>T). Bioinformatics and functional analyses provided novel information on three of these variants. c.-429C>G potentially disrupts a consensus sequence for a terminal oligopyrimidine tract, whereas c.-244C>T may alter the RNA secondary structure in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) that affects mRNA translation. In addition, p.(G380Rfs*144) led to increased protein stability. In summary, these data reveal the presence of translation regulatory sequences in the UTRs of FOXC1 and provide evidence for a possible role of rare FOXC1 variants as modifying factors of goniodysgenesis in PCG.

Purpose: To assess the mutation spectrum, enzymatic activity, and phenotypic features associated with CYP1B1 genotypes in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) and nondominant juvenile glaucoma (ndJG)., Design: CYP1B1 genotyping, segregation analysis, and functional evaluation of mutations in a cohort of patients., Participants: A total of 177 probands clinically diagnosed with PCG (161) or ndJG (16)., Methods: Automatic DNA sequencing of the promoter (-1 to -867) and the 3 CYP1B1 exons. CYP1B1 enzymatic activity was evaluated using an ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation assay in transfected HEK-293T cells., Main Outcome Measures: Screening and functional evaluation of CYP1B1 mutations. Glaucoma diagnosis based on slit-lamp examination, measurement of intraocular pressure, gonioscopy, and fundus examination., Results: Thirty-one different mutations were identified in 56 PCG and 7 ndJG index cases. To the best of our knowledge, 3 of the identified mutations were novel (-337G>T, F123L, and I399_P400del). Approximately 56% of all mutation carriers were compound heterozygotes, 25% were homozygotes, and both groups inherited glaucoma as an autosomal recessive trait. Nineteen percent of carriers were heterozygotes and showed non-Mendelian segregation. In vitro and inferred functional analysis showed that no less than approximately 74% of the recessive genotypes result in null enzymatic activity. We detected variable expressivity in relation to age of onset and a possible case of incomplete penetrance in 3 of 6 families (50%), with more than 1 affected child or more than 1 subject carrying 2 CYP1B1 mutant alleles. Altogether, these data support that PCG is not a simple monogenic disease. In addition, most patients with PCG carrying null or putative null genotypes showed severe bilateral phenotypes featured by early disease onset, frequently at birth. The mean number of trabeculectomies per eye was significantly higher in carriers than in noncarriers., Conclusions: This is the largest analysis of CYP1B1 mutations performed in European patients with PCG to date. Our data show that null CYP1B1 genotypes, and therefore complete absence of CYP1B1 activity, frequently lead to severe phenotypes. Our results support that CYP1B1 glaucoma is not a simple monogenic disease and that CYP1B1 activity levels could influence the phenotype., (Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Technological analysis of lithic artefacts recovered at the Aurora stratum of Atapuerca-TD6 shows that this Lower Pleistocene assemblage is similar to Mode I Technology (=Oldowan tradition) documented at many African sites. Diachronic comparison of the different levels of Gran Dolina allows us to conclude that this particular form of early European technology lacks the production of big flakes to manufacture large tools such as bifaces and cleavers. Rather, it is characterized by the presence of small artefacts, including flakes, denticulates, notches, and side-scrapers, many of which bear use-wear traces of butchery and woodworking. The dominant production technique is orthogonal, which is also reflected in the core recovered at the slightly older level of TD4. The raw materials also found in the Middle Pleistocene occupations at Atapuerca, though with significant proportion differences, have a local origin and include varieties of flint, quartzite and sandstone as well as limestone and quartz. TD6 small artefacts were made from most of these, although the retouched pieces seem to have been preferentially made of the best quality flint, i.e., Cretaceous flint, pointing to the existence of differential use of lithic material, and therefore, some degree of planned knapping behaviour. Most of the "chaînes opératoires" or reduction sequences took place inside the cave, although some artefacts, elaborated on Cretaceous flint, seem to have been retouched off site, possibly near the supply sources., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)