Between two worlds: Cova Eirós and the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in NW Iberia

Iberia, a natural cul-de-sac peninsula, plays a major role in the study of the Neanderthals demise and its eventual relationship with the spread of Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) in Europe. The site of Cova Eirós (Galicia, Spain), located in NW Iberia, contains Middle and Upper Palaeolithic levels, based on the cultural remains recovered at the site. No human remains directly associated with those levels were discovered yet. The available radiocarbon dates from the levels 2 (c. 35 ka cal BP, Early Upper Paleolithic) and 3 (c. 41 ka cal BP, Late Middle Paleolithic), point to a late survival of Neanderthal groups in North Iberia and to a relative quick arrival of the AMH, c. 35-36 ka cal BP, with respect to other territories of the Iberian Peninsula. The archaeological record shows clear differences between the Middle and the Upper Palaeolithic occupations, regarding raw-material acquisition, lithic technology and subsistence strategies. The location of Cova Eirós in the westernmost margin of the Cantabrian Rim and in the Atlantic Façade, makes this site a key place to understand the spread of the first AMH and the progressive demise of Neanderthal populations.

IS SLIM BETTER THAN PAUNCHY?

Aorto-Pulmonary Mismatch (APM) in Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) may be accountable for dilatation of neoaortic root and regurgitation of neoaortic valve as late complications of ASO. The manuscript from Arcieri et al. highlights an important aspect about ASO technique: should we approach APM during ASO and what would be the best strategy to do so? Techniques to approach APM at the time of ASO have been published sporadically and are very rarely employed by surgeons. Reconstruction of the neoaorta is generally achieved by trimming of the suture line between pulmonary root (neoaortic root) and ascending aorta resulting in an abnormal dilated and bulky neoaortic root already at the time of ASO. Reduction of the pulmonary root dimension by ressection of a fragment of the pulmonary artery wall possibly results in a more homogenous neoaorta with consequent better hemodynamics. We believe that approaching APM during ASO will have a compelling positive impact in the late survival of the patients with complex TGA.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE MIS 3 MEGAFAUNA IN SOUTHEASTERN WEST SIBERIA AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LATE SURVIVAL OF THE KHOZARIAN STEPPE MAMMOTH (MAMMUTHUS TROGONTHERII CHOSARICUS)

ABSTRACT We report a new series of radiocarbon (14C) dates on the MIS 3 megafauna for a previously poorly studied region of southeastern West Siberia. Some species, like woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros, and Pleistocene bison and horse, existed throughout the MIS 3 (ca. 29–59 ka cal BP); cave hyaena is dated to ca. 46,400 cal BP. The very late 14C dates on Khozarian steppe elephant (Mammuthus trogontherii chosaricus), ca. 45,100–45,400 cal BP, may indicate the survival of this species in Siberia up to MIS 3. More work is needed to confirm or reject this suggestion. Previously, Khozarian steppe elephant was known in Siberia only at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene (MIS 5e).

Late survival in Ellis-van Creveld syndrome with common single atrium

Ellis-van Creveld (EVC) syndrome is a relatively rare chondroectodermal dysplasia considered mainly as a generalised disorder of the maturation of endochondral ossification. Congenital heart disease occurs in approximately half of the patients with EVC syndrome, 60% of which is a common atrium. Common atrium is a rare variety of interatrial communication characterised by absence or virtual absence of the atrial septum. Patients with this syndrome rarely survive to an old age. We report a case of EVC who presented for the first time at 60 years of age, as survival to an advanced age is exceptional in case of EVC.

Safe Decompression of the Right Ventricle for PAIVS in Neonates With Coronary Fistulae: Including the Selective Use of Fistula Ligation to Avoid Coronary Steal

Background: There are a number of surgical and interventional treatment options for infants with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS). In our practice, we characterize coronary fistulae and interruptions with angiography in the newborn and have developed a strategy to safely decompress the right ventricle in association with ligation of fistulae if necessary. Methods: All infants operated for PAIVS at age < 60 days from 1999 to 2018 were retrospectively studied. Pre- and postoperative variables were collected, angiograms were reviewed, and a territory score was created to grade the severity of coronary abnormalities. This study focused on the subgroup of patients who had early surgical decompression of the right ventricle. Results: A total of 77 patients were included, with a mean follow-up of 8.6 years. Of these, 55 (71%) had coronary fistulae, including 28 (36%) with coronary artery interruption. Right ventricular decompression (RVD) was performed in 47 (60.5%) patients. There was no 30-day mortality in those who underwent RVD, whereas 6 (20%) without RVD died within 30 days ( P = .003). Ten-year survival was 97.8% and 73.3% for RVD and non-RVD, respectively. In order to prevent coronary steal, 17 patients underwent coronary fistula ligation as their RV was decompressed with 100% early and late survival. Conclusion: Early and late survival in infants with PAIVS is better if the RV can be decompressed. Coronary fistula ligation with RVD has been introduced without an adverse outcome in selected patients with large fistulae.

Can Moderate Patient Prosthesis Mismatch Be Tolerated in a Selected Group of Patients with Aortic Valve Replacement?

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of patient prosthesis mismatch (PPM) and its effects on ejection fraction (EF), gradients, and late survival. Methods: 200 patients who underwent isolated mechanical AVR between March 2013 and May 2016 were retrospectively evaluated based on patient records. Results: 200 patients were included in the study. No PPM was detected in 42 (21%) patients, moderate PPM in 122 (61%), and severe PPM in 36 (18%) patients. A significant decrease was found in all groups in terms of mean valve gradients and LVMI (preoperative LVMI compared with postoperative LVMI at the 12th month) (P < .001). A 30% decrease in mean LVMI in the no PPM and moderate PPM groups and a 20% decrease in the severe PPM group were detected at the 6th month. Conclusion: In our postoperative data, we found that EF was preserved, the transvalvular gradient reduced, and LVMI decreased. There was no difference in mortality rates between the control (no PPM) group and the moderate PPM group. Taking into account our patient groups, we can say that no-to-moderate PPM has no major effect on left ventricular remodeling in patients with preserved left ventricular functions.

Extinction of the Thylacine

The Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), or ‘Tasmanian tiger’, is an icon of recent extinctions, but the timing of its final demise is shrouded in controversy. Extirpated from mainland Australia in the mid-Holocene, the large island of Tasmania became the species’ final stronghold. Following European settlement, the Thylacine was heavily persecuted and pushed to the margins of its range. The last captive animal died in 1936, but numerous sightings were reported thereafter. Here we collate and characterize the type, quality, and uncertainty of over a thousand unique sighting records of Thylacines since 1910. We use this novel and unique curated database to underpin a detailed reconstruction and mapping of the species’ spatio-temporal distributional dynamics, to pinpoint refugia of late survival and estimate the bioregional patterns of extirpation. Contrary to expectations, the inferred extinction window is wide and relatively recent, spanning from the 1980s to the present day, with extinction most likely in the late 1990s or early 2000s. While improbable, these aggregate data and modelling suggest some chance of ongoing persistence in the remote wilderness of the island. Although our findings for this iconic species hold intrinsic value, our new spatio-temporal mapping of extirpation patterns is also applicable more generally, to support the conservation prioritization and search efforts for other rare taxa of uncertain status.Significance statementLike the Dodo and Passenger Pigeon before it, the Thylacine has become an iconic symbol of human-caused extinction. Even today, reports of the Thylacine’s possible ongoing survival in remote regions of Tasmania are newsworthy and continue to capture the public’s imagination, with much debate over whether the extinction event has yet occurred and if so, when? We show, using a unique and robust spatio-temporal mapping and modelling approach, underpinned by the world’s first sightings database (from 1910-present day), that the Thylacine likely persisted until the late 20th century, with some possibility of ongoing survival.