Radiocarbon dates from the Grotte du Renne and Saint-C��saire support a Neandertal origin for the Chatelperronian

The transition from the Middle Paleolithic (MP) to Upper Paleolithic (UP) is marked by the replacement of late Neandertals by modern humans in Europe between 50,000 and 40,000 y ago. Châtelperronian (CP) artifact assemblages found in central France and northern Spain date to this time period. So far, it is the only such assemblage type that has yielded Neandertal remains directly associated with UP style artifacts. CP assemblages also include body ornaments, otherwise virtually unknown in the Neandertal world. However, it has been argued that instead of the CP being manufactured by Neandertals, site formation processes and layer admixture resulted in the chance association of Neanderthal remains, CP assemblages, and body ornaments. Here, we report a series of accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates on ultrafiltered bone collagen extracted from 40 well-preserved bone fragments from the late Mousterian, CP, and Protoaurignacian layers at the Grotte du Renne site (at Arcy-sur-Cure, France). Our radiocarbon results are inconsistent with the admixture hypothesis. Further, we report a direct date on the Neandertal CP skeleton from Saint-Césaire (France). This date corroborates the assignment of CP assemblages to the latest Neandertals of western Europe. Importantly, our results establish that the production of body ornaments in the CP postdates the arrival of modern humans in neighboring regions of Europe. This new behavior could therefore have been the result of cultural diffusion from modern to Neandertal groups.     

Trends in the incidence of fetal macrosomia and its phenotypes in the United States, 1971–2017

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics - Studies have reported a surge in the prevalence of obesity among various demographic groups including pregnant women in the U.S. Given the association...     

Obésité et cancers du côlon et de la prostate: implication des adipokines

Obesity has been associated with numerous pathologies such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. More recently the incidence of certain cancers has been associated with obesity and overweight. This correlation is very well established for colon cancer and the aggressiveness of prostate cancer is significantly augmented in obese patients. Obesity is accompanied by an increase of the white adipose tissue (WAT) mass and adipokine (WAT cytokines) expression is greatly modified, leading to variation of plasmatic and local concentration. As adipose tissue is localized close to the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts these adipokines could play a major role in tumorogenesis and tumor growth in the prostate and colon. Since adiponectin and leptin are almost exclusively synthesized by WAT, we will focus on these adipokines as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6, secreted in large amounts by the WAT. Clinical and fundamental studies in vivo and in vitro suggest that these adipokines could interact with prostate and colon carcinogenesis, emphasizing the potential role of these adipokines as therapeutic targets against cancer in obese patients.     

Safety and Efficacy of Setarud (IMOD TM ) Among People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Review

The broad use of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), especially in developing world, has been associated with several problems such as lactic acidosis, lipodistrophy, pancreatitis, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance and hepatotoxicity. Extensive use of HAART has also resulted in emergence of resistant HIV variants. Thereby, a pressing need for development of novel and cost-effective agents arises from these limitations. Setarud (IMODTM) is a safe, naturally- derived immunomodulator that was introduced for treatment of HIV patients in Iran. It is prepared as a mixture of herbal extracts including Tanacetum vulgare (tansy), Rosa canina and Urtica dioica (nettle) in addition to selenium, flavonoids and carotenes. Tanacetum vulgare may relieve anti-inflammatory symptoms and Rosa canina defers blood glucose and cholesterol elevation. Extracts from Urtica dioica may prevent maturation of myeloid dendritic cells and reduce T cell responses. A significant rise of CD4 count was observed in HIV patients treated by IMODTM in clinical trial phases, which could be explained by its immunomodulatory effects. Anti-oxidative activity of compounds in IMODTM might play a role in the clinical outcomes of patients treated with this drug. Moreover, IMODTM may show improving activity upon lipid profile and liver metabolism. According to studies on IMODTM, it seems that IMODTM has minor side effects. IMODTM with international publication number WO 2007/087825 A1 is an herbal extract which includes Rosa canina, Urtica dioica, Tanacetum vulgare, and selenium comprising a treatment by pulsed electromagnetic field of high frequency and is useful in treatment of HIV infection and AIDS.     

Acetabular fractures: operative management and long term results

INTRODUCTION: While the undisplaced acetabular fractures have a good prognosis after conservative treatment, the management of the displaced fractures has been a controversial issue over the last decades with variable results in their treatment and prognosis. Anatomical reduction can be only achieved operatively. The long term outcome of 209 patients with displaced acetabular fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation was presented. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1972 and 1996, 209 patients with a mean age of 38 years (15-62a) were treated for displaced acetabular fractures operatively. 161 patients could be followed up over a period of 2 to 20 years. The function of the hip joint in correlation with radiological results was evaluated according to the scheme of Merle d'Aubinge. RESULTS: Patients with single column fractures showed 90% good or excellent results followed by 55% good or excellent results in patients with transverse fractures. The highest rates of complication (20% osteoarthritis, 6% femoral head necrosis, 9% heterotopic ossification) were observed in both column fractures and in transverse and posterior wall fractures. Deep infection was observed in 6 cases (4%), superficial wound infection in 8 cases (5%). Primary sciatic nerve palsy was seen in 10 cases (6%) and postoperative peroneal nerve palsy in 6 cases (4%), all of which improved during the rehabilitation period. CONCLUSION: Displaced acetabular fractures of the weight bearing part of the dome, i.e. transtectal fractures, should be treated operatively. The operation should preferably be performed within one week after the injury.     

Azathioprine induction of tumors with microsatellite instability: Risk evaluation using a mouse model

Mismatch-repair (MMR)-deficient cells show increased in vitro tolerance to thiopurines because they escape apoptosis resulting from MMR-dependent signaling of drug-induced DNA damage. Prolonged treatment with immunosuppressants including azathioprine (Aza), a thiopurine prodrug, has been suggested as a risk factor for the development of late onset leukemias/lymphomas displaying a microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype, the hallmark of a defective MMR system. We performed a dose effect study in mice to investigate the development of MSI lymphomas associated with long term Aza treatment. Over two years, Aza was administered to mice that were wild type, null or heterozygous for the MMR gene Msh2. Ciclosporin A, an immunosuppressant with an MMR-independent signaling, was also administered to Msh2^wt mice as controls. Survival, lymphoma incidence and MSI tumor phenotype were investigated. Msh2^+/− mice were found more tolerant than Msh2^wt mice to the cytotoxicity of Aza. In Msh2^+/− mice, Aza induced a high incidence of MSI lymphomas in a dose-dependent manner. In Msh2^wt mice, a substantial lifespan was only observed at the lowest Aza dose. It was associated with the development of lymphomas, one of which displayed the MSI phenotype, unlike the CsA-induced lymphomas. Our findings define Aza as a risk factor for an MSI-driven lymphomagenesis process.     

Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe

Modern humans replaced Neandertals ∼40,000 y ago. Close to the time of replacement, Neandertals show behaviors similar to those of the modern humans arriving into Europe, including the use of specialized bone tools, body ornaments, and small blades. It is highly debated whether these modern behaviors developed before or as a result of contact with modern humans. Here we report the identification of a type of specialized bone tool, lissoir, previously only associated with modern humans. The microwear preserved on one of these lissoir is consistent with the use of lissoir in modern times to obtain supple, lustrous, and more impermeable hides. These tools are from a Neandertal context proceeding the replacement period and are the oldest specialized bone tools in Europe. As such, they are either a demonstration of independent invention by Neandertals or an indication that modern humans started influencing European Neandertals much earlier than previously believed. Because these finds clearly predate the oldest known age for the use of similar objects in Europe by anatomically modern humans, they could also be evidence for cultural diffusion from Neandertals to modern humans.     

Increased inducible heat shock protein 72 expression associated with PBMC isolated from patients with haematological tumours

Abstract Background. Heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) is a highly inducible stress protein and molecular chaperone. Cancers have been shown to be associated with increased Hsp72 expression within the tumour itself and this may lead to resistance to apoptosis. Methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) (n =?27) and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) (n =?16) and Hsp72 expression was characterized on both the cell surface and intracellularly by flow cytometry. To allow for comparison PBMC from breast cancer patients (n =?25) and healthy volunteers (n =?19) were included. Results. Both lymphocytes and monocytes from CLL and CMML patients showed high levels of total Hsp72 expression (4-6 fold increase) in comparison to breast cancer and healthy subjects. The majority of Hsp72 in these tumours was determined to be cell-surface expressed (64-93% of cell total Hsp72). Conclusions. A correlation was observed between lymphocyte and monocyte total Hsp72 expression (p 相似文献