Some notes on the vértesszöllös occipital

An examination of the Vértessz?ll?s occipital bone indicates the need for takings its condition and preservation as well as certain aspects of its morphology into account prior to a metric assessment of its features. This analysis confirms the presence of extrasutural bones on the lambdoidal suture as well as some distortion in the sagittal curvature of this region. The advisability of using the endocranial sutures as well as other data for defining lambda in cases such as this is discussed, and a procedure for determining the position of opisthion is indicated. A metric and morphological analysis is used to support the claim that the specimen can be considered a large late representative of Homo erectus in Europe.     

Moulin Quignon : la redécouverte d’un site

The collection from Moulin Quignon is a coherent one, despite the diversity of its pieces, in the certainty of its origin, in its attachment to the researches led on the site in 1863–1864. Considered as a historic heritage, its study has nevertheless delivered significant scientific information, valid for the present, and, beyond that, to reintroduce the site of Moulin Quignon in the oldest Palaeolithic panel sites of the Somme valley.     

Des « terres noires » médiévales urbaines de France aux buttes anthropiques tropicales : l'archéologue en action

Thanks to its general objective, Archaeology depends on Natural Sciences as well as on Anthropology and on the varied scientific domains it understates. Consequently, it has to allocate the definitions of its objects to Nature or Culture or to an unmeasurable mixing of both. The analysis of two different occurrences of joint natural sciences and archaeology work, shows that in fact, the Nature/Culture separation does not intervene while defining the objects but is imposed afterwards in the official publication where, more or less cleaned off from its multiple links, the object appears with a name or termed within a sentence limiting the natural and cultural shares which gathered for this designation.This dichotomy from modern Constitution entails the general issue of choice (realized or difficult) between the natural, cultural or divine origin of these world beings. This choice is philosophical, i.e. political, and if it is legitimately, but insufficiently debated in the West, it raises well beyond, the question of the reasons and justifications of the extension and domination of the so-called Constitution to other societies and soon, to the entire world.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Psychotria kupensis</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubiaceae</Emphasis>) a new dwarf,litter-gathering species from western Cameroon

Summary   Psychotria kupensis Cheek is described as a new species in Psychotria sect. Confertiflorae Hiern. Attention is drawn to its monopodial, dwarf, litter-gathering and adventitious root-forming habit and to its anomalous stipules. The species appears to be endemic to the submontane evergeen forest of Mt Kupe in Cameroon. Its conservation status is assessed.     

Les industries magdaléniennes de l’Ardèche (France) dans le contexte du bassin méditerranéen

Ardèche, a department of Rhone Alpes region, is rich in prehistoric sites belonging to a very large chronological period dated back to 350?000 years ago. But, the prehistory of the region has been unknown for a long time, mainly, because of its distance from traditional centres of research. Jean Combier, in his abstract dated 1967, defined for the first time Upper Palaelolithic stages: only towards the acquisition of new data, we are now able to suggest a new evolution for the Magdalenian from its origins to the Alleröd climatic episod. To define Ardèche originality within the Magdalenian context, we have compared its lithic industries with those of the Adaouste Cave oriental sites, the Cornille rock shelter and of the Gazel cave in the Aude western part. Ardèche Magdalenian dwelling is peculiar compared to the South West of France. Badegoulian has been substituted by a Mediterranean Facies culture rich in bladelets, the Salpestrian. This facies limited in its geographic extention to Gard and Ardèche, evolves gradually in situ gaining Magdalenian elements (such as backed bladelets and dihedral burins) giving birth to the transitory lithic complex of Huguenots and Baume d’Oullins Cave. An established Magdalenian is certified in the Blanchisserie camp, within a cold climatic context dated back to circa 16?000 years ago. Although the lithic industry is dominated by dihedral burins and backed bladeletse it is also characterised by some archaic features (such as keel endscrapers, transverse burins and scalene bladelets). The upper Magadalenian with bone harpoons appears soon in our region, in the Colombier rock shelter, in a fairly temperate climatic context dated according to 14C back to circa 14?000 BP. We could identify six stages within the evolution of this Upper Magdalenian.which are attested in the Colombier, Ebbou and Deux Avens Caves and in the Colombier rock shelter that has been occupied during several periods. The Magdalenian gradually changed loosing his most typical elements, the bladelets and burins supremacy has been substituted by Azilian elements (such as short endscrapers and curved backed points). But even if the Azilian process happens very early (before 12?500 BP) the Magdalenian, in its fundamental features, never disappears completely and it has never been substituted by classic Azilian. After Alleröd appears a culture characterised by the recovery of Magdalenian features similar to the Epimagdalenian defined by D. Sacchi in Gazel. The described evolution can be compared, as regard to its upper stages, to that of several sites of Rhone region as well as of the North West of France, which allow to define a culturally homogeneous province having the Rhone corridor with Ardèche as its Southern border. At the end of Palaeolithic this province broke up and Ardèche opened to the South and the Mediterranean from where seems to come the retouched large blade facies and endscrapers attested by the Colombier rock shelter dating back to 12?150 BP.     

<Superscript>1</Superscript>H, <Superscript>13</Superscript>C and <Superscript>15</Superscript>N NMR assignments of an unusual Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript>-binding protein from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entamoeba histolytica</Emphasis> in its apo form

We report almost complete sequence specific ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR assignments of an unusual Ca²⁺-binding protein from Entamoeba histolytica (EhCaBP6) in its apo form as a prelude to its structural and functional characterization.     

Molecular genetic analysis of the soriz genome (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorghum oryzoidum</Emphasis>)

A molecular genetic analysis of soriz genotypes (Sorghum oryzoidum), its parental form Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (grain sorghum), possible parents (Sorghum sudanense (Piper.) Stapf. (Sudan grass) and Oryza sativa L. (Rice planting), as well as its closest relatives, has been carried out with the use of microsatellite loci of sorghum and rice. Based on the obtained data, the genetic distances were calculated and the examined species were clustered. It was shown that soriz did not carry rice DNA fragments, but its genome contained DNA fragments, which belonged to Sudan grass. This confirms that the origin of soriz is associated with representatives of Sorghum sudanense.     

Irathérapie génique anticancéreuse utilisant le NIS : une approche très prometteuse

The symporter Na/iodine (NIS) is a recently discovered membrane protein, recognized to be at the origin of accumulation of iodine in the thyroid, salivary glands, stomach and mammary glands during lactation. If its intrinsic property served as the basis for nuclear imaging and radiotherapy metabolic of differentiated thyroid cancers and their metastases, the cloning of its gene provides a powerful strategy for cytoreductive gene therapy, based on the targeted transfer of this last one in all types of cancer cells. Its expression gives the ability to these cells to accumulate iodine. The aim is to benefit from the advantages of radioiodine therapy (efficiency, reduced side effects) and to optimize the management of thyroid cancer. This approach offers an attractive therapeutic alternative for non-thyroidal cancers, especially in the context of a multimodal approach. Techniques and equipments necessary for the first clinical trials are already existing in the departments of nuclear medicine. The perspectives of clinical application, however, require a better knowledge of the regulation of expression and functionality of NIS. After a review of the biology of NIS, our work aims to recount the results of different tests that have demonstrated the benefits of this approach, its limitations and prospects for its improvement.     

Neurotoxic non-proteinogenic amino acid β-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylamino-L-alanine and its role in biological systems

Secondary metabolites of photoautotrophic organisms have attracted considerable interest in recent years. In particular, molecules of non-proteinogenic amino acids participating in various physiological processes and capable of producing adverse ecological effects have been actively investigated. For example, the non-proteinogenic amino acid β-Nmethylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is neurotoxic to animals including humans. It is known that BMAA accumulation via the food chain can lead to development of neurodegenerative diseases in humans such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, BMAA can be mistakenly incorporated into a protein molecule instead of serine. Natural sources of BMAA and methods for its detection are discussed in this review, as well as the role of BMAA in metabolism of its producers and possible mechanisms of toxicity of this amino acid in different living organisms.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Xeromphalina setulipes</Emphasis> (hygrophoroid clade,Agaricales), a new Mediterranean species

A new Xeromphalina species from Mediterranean evergreen forests of the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula is described. It is characterized by its habitat on soil, arcuate-decurrent lamellae, trama hyphae which turn distinctly orange-brown to red-brown in KOH solution, thick-walled caulocystidia with an attenuate apex reminding setulae, and versiform to irregularly cylindrical cheilocystidia, which are conspicuously branched forming coralloid excrescences. LM microphotographs illustrate its diagnostic features. Additionally, two nuclear ribosomal DNA regions from this new taxon were sequenced and compared with homologue sequences from existing species in the genus Xeromphalina, supporting its recognition as a new species.     

<Superscript>1</Superscript>H, <Superscript>15</Superscript>N and <Superscript>13</Superscript>C resonance assignments and secondary structure of PulG,the major pseudopilin from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Klebsiella oxytoca</Emphasis> type 2 secretion system

Bacteria use complex transporters to secrete functionally relevant proteins to the extracellular medium. The type 2 secretion system (T2SS) translocates folded proteins involved in bacterial nutrient acquisition, virulence and adaptation. The T2SS pseudopilus is a periplasmic filament, assembled by the polymerization of PulG subunits, the major pseudopilin. Pseudopilin proteins have a conserved N-terminal hydrophobic segment followed by a more variable C-terminal periplasmic and globular domain. To better understand the mechanism of assembly and function of the T2SS, we have been studying the structure and dynamics of PulG by NMR, as well as its interaction with other components of the secretion machinery. As a first step on this study, here we reported the chemical shift assignments of PulG C-terminal domain and its secondary structure prediction based on NMR data.     

Towards a better understanding of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus rhamnosus</Emphasis> GG - host interactions

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is one of the most widely used probiotic strains. Various health effects are well documented including the prevention and treatment of gastro-intestinal infections and diarrhea, and stimulation of immune responses that promote vaccination or even prevent certain allergic symptoms. However, not all intervention studies could show a clinical benefit and even for the same conditions, the results are not univocal. Clearly, the host phenotype governed by age, genetics and environmental factors such as the endogenous microbiota, plays a role in whether individuals are responders or non-responders. However, we believe that a detailed knowledge of the bacterial physiology and the LGG molecules that play a key role in its host-interaction capacity is crucial for a better understanding of its potential health benefits. Molecules that were yet identified as important factors governing host interactions include its adhesive pili or fimbriae, its lipoteichoic acid molecules, its major secreted proteins and its galactose-rich exopolysaccharides, as well as specific DNA motifs. Nevertheless, future studies are needed to correlate specific health effects to these molecular effectors in LGG, and also in other probiotic strains.     

Disabled‐1 is down‐regulated in clinical breast cancer and regulates cell apoptosis through NF‐κB/Bcl‐2/caspase‐9

Disabled‐1 (Dab1) is best known as an adaptor protein regulating neuron migration and lamination during development. However, the exact function of Dab1 in breast cancer is unknown. In this study, we examined the expression of Dab1 in 38 breast cancer paraffin sections, as well as 60 paired frozen breast cancer and their adjacent tissues. Our results showed that Dab1 was reduced in breast cancer, and its compromised expression correlated with triple negative breast cancer phenotype, poor differentiation, as well as lymph node metastasis. Functional analysis in breast cancer cell lines demonstrated that Dab1 promoted cell apoptosis, which, at least partially, depended on its regulation of NF‐κB/Bcl‐2/caspase‐9 pathway. Our study strongly suggests that Dab1 may be a potential tumour suppressor gene in breast cancer.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrophomina phaseolina</Emphasis> causing a charcoal rot of sunflower through Slovakia

The fungus Macrophomina phaseolina distributed especially in warmer region of Europe is reported for the first time from the Slovakia as a pathogen of sunflower. Morphology of its populations is characterized.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas fluorescens</Emphasis> secondary metabolite 2,4 diacetylphloroglucinol impairs mitochondrial function in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

Pseudomonas fluorescens strains are known to produce a wide range of secondary metabolites including phenazines, siderophores, pyoluteorin, and 2,4 diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG). DAPG is of particular interest because of its antifungal properties and because its production is associated with inhibition of phytopathogenic fungi in natural disease-suppressive soils. This trait has been exploited to develop strains of P. fluorescens that have potential application as biocontrol agents. Although the biochemistry, genetics and regulation of DAPG production have been well-studied, relatively little is known about how DAPG inhibits fungal growth and how fungi respond to DAPG. Employing a yeast model and a combination of phenotypic assays, molecular genetics and molecular physiological probes, we established that inhibition of fungal growth is caused by impairment of mitochondrial function. The effect of DAPG on yeast is largely fungistatic but DAPG also induces the formation of petite cells. Expression of the multidrug export proteins Pdr5p and Snq2p is increased by DAPG-treatment but this appears to be a secondary effect of mitochondrial damage as no role in enhancing DAPG-tolerance was identified for either Pdr5p or Snq2p.     

The invasive dark falsemussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilopsis leucophaeata</Emphasis> (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae): a literature review

This paper reviews literature from the Americas and Europe on the dark falsemussel Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Conrad in J Acad Nat Sci Phila 6(2):256–268, 1831), including data collected in its native habitat in the Americas that appear as incidental information in published reports. Mytilopsis leucophaeata is a poorly studied dreissenid bivalve that is native to mainly oligohaline–mesohaline regions of estuaries in North America. In its native habitat, it usually occurs in very low numbers and has rarely been mentioned in field survey reports. However, occasionally in its native habitat and often in habitats where it has been introduced (as in Europe and Brazil), it may undergo population irruptions for no clear reason. This review describes habitat characteristics, environmental tolerances, and biological and ecological attributes of the species. The assembled information reveals the species to be euryhaline and eurythermal, with an unexplained ability to persist in its native estuaries even though it is relatively short-lived and usually uncommon.     

Peroxidase activity of mitochondrial cytochrome <Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis> oxidase

Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase is able to oxidize various aromatic compounds like o-dianisidine, benzidine and its derivatives (diaminobenzidine, etc.), p-phenylenediamine, as well as amidopyrine, melatonin, and some other pharmacologically and physiologically active substances via the peroxidase, but not the oxidase mechanism. Although specific peroxidase activity of cytochrome c oxidase is low compared with classical peroxidases, its activity may be of physiological or pathophysiological significance due to the presence of rather high concentrations of this enzyme in all tissues, as well as specific localization of the enzyme in the mitochondrial membrane favoring accumulation of hydrophobic aromatic substances.     

Partie 2. Orthopedie – Traumatologie

Bone scintigraphy is a nuclear imaging scan using a radiopharmaceutical composed of a bisphosphonate coupled to a radionuclide (technetium 99 m). Radiopharmaceutical uptake is particularly important at the level of the bone structures having a strong osteoblastic activity. These uptakes can be due to a benign pathology (fracture, loosening of prosthesis, rheumatic pathologies, etc.) or to a malignant pathology (primary or secondary bone lesion). The high sensitivity of bone scintigraphy makes it particularly interesting at the initial stage of the pathology, especially when x-rays are normal. In addition, its specificity has clearly improved in recent years with the increasingly use of tomoscintigraphy coupled with X-ray scanning (SPECT/CT). We describe the operating principle of bone scintigraphy, normal uptakes with its variants as well as pathological uptake features in traumatic, rheumatic, prosthetic or cancerous pathologies.     

Cloning of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zygosaccharomyces bailii GAS</Emphasis> 1 homologue and effect of cell wall engineering on protein secretory phenotype

Background  

Zygosaccharomyces bailii is a diploid budding yeast still poorly characterized, but widely recognised as tolerant to several stresses, most of which related to industrial processes of production. Because of that, it would be very interesting to develop its ability as a cell factory. Gas1p is a β-1,3-glucanosyltransglycosylase which plays an important role in cell wall construction and in determining its permeability. Cell wall defective mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris, deleted in the GAS 1 gene, were reported as super-secretive. The aim of this study was the cloning and deletion of the GAS 1 homologue of Z. bailii and the evaluation of its deletion on recombinant protein secretion.