Mid- to Late Holocene shoreline reconstruction and human occupation in Ancient Eretria (South Central Euboea, Greece)

Few studies have aimed to reconstruct landscape change in the area of Eretria (South Central Euboea, Greece) during the last 6000 years. The aim of this paper is to partially fill in this gap by examining the interaction be- tween Mid- to Late Holocene shoreline evolution and human occupation, which is documented in the area from the Late Neolithic to the Late Roman period (with discontinuities). Evidence of shoreline displacements is derived from the study of five boreholes (maximum depth of 5.25 m below the surface) drilled in the lowlands of Eretria. Based on sedimentological analyses and micro/macrofaunal identifications, different facies have been identified in the cores and which reveal typical features of deltaic progradation with marine, lagoonal, fluvio- deltaic and fluvial environments. In addition, a chronostratigraphy has been obtained based on 20 AMS 14C radio- carbon dates performed on samples of plant remains and marine/lagoonal shells found in situ. The main sequences of landscape reconstruction in the plain of Eretria can be summarized as follows: a marine environ- ment predominated from ca. 4000 to 3200 cal. BC and a gradual transition to shallow marine conditions is ob- served ca. 3200-3000 cal. BC due to the general context of deltaic progradation west of the ancient city. Subsequently, from ca. 3000 to 2000 cal. BC, a lagoon occupied the area in the vicinity of the Temple of Apollo and the settlement's development was restricted to several fluvio-deltaic levees, thus severely limiting human activities in the plain. From ca. 2000 to 800 cal. BC, a phase of shallow marine presence prevailed and constrained settlement on higher ground, forcing abandonment of the major part of the plain. Finally, since the eighth century BC, the sea has regressed southward and created the modern landscape.

Electrical signature of modern and ancient tectonic processes in the crust of the Atlas mountains of Morocco.

The Atlas Mountains in Morocco are considered as type examples of intracontinental chains, with high topography that contrasts with moderate crustal shortening and thickening. Whereas recent geological studies and geodynamic modeling have suggested the existence of dynamic topography to explain this apparent contradiction, there is a lack of modern geophysical data at the crustal scale to corroborate this hypothesis. Newly-acquired magnetotelluric data image the electrical resistivity distribution of the crust from the Middle Atlas to the Anti-Atlas, crossing the tabular Moulouya Plain and the High Atlas. All the units show different and unique electrical signatures throughout the crust reflecting the tectonic history of development of each one. In the upper crust electrical resistivity values may be associated to sediment sequences in the Moulouya and Anti-Atlas and to crustal scale fault systems in the High Atlas developed during the Cenozoic times. In the lower crust the low resistivity anomaly found below the Mouluya plain, together with other geophysical (low velocity anomaly, lack of earthquakes and minimum Bouguer anomaly) and geochemical (Neogene-Quaternary intraplate alkaline volcanic fields) evidence, infer the existence of a small degree of partial melt at the base of the lower crust. The low resistivity anomaly found below the Anti-Atlas may be associated with a relict subduction of Precambrian oceanic sediments, or to precipitated minerals during the release of fluids from the mantle during the accretion of the Anti-Atlas to the West African Supercontinent during the Panafrican orogeny ca. 685 Ma).

Online teaching of inflammatory skin pathology by a French-speaking International University Network.

INTRODUCTION: Developments in technology, web-based teaching and whole slide imaging have broadened the teaching horizon in anatomic pathology. Creating online learning material including many types of media such as radiologic images, whole slides, videos, clinical and macroscopic photographs, is now accessible to most universities. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor to maintain and update the learning material is the amount of resources needed. In this perspective, a French-national university network was initiated in 2011 to build joint online teaching modules consisting of clinical cases and tests. The network has since expanded internationally to Québec, Switzerland and Ivory Coast. METHOD: One of the first steps of the project was to build a learning module on inflammatory skin pathology for interns and residents in pathology and dermatology. A pathology resident from Québec spent 6 weeks in France and Switzerland to develop the contents and build the module on an e-learning Moodle platform under the supervision of two dermatopathologists. The learning module contains text, interactive clinical cases, tests with feedback, virtual slides, images and clinical photographs. For that module, the virtual slides are decentralized in 2 universities (Bordeaux and Paris 7). Each university is responsible of its own slide scanning, image storage and online display with virtual slide viewers. RESULTS: The module on inflammatory skin pathology includes more than 50 web pages with French original content, tests and clinical cases, links to over 45 virtual images and more than 50 microscopic and clinical photographs. The whole learning module is being revised by four dermatopathologists and two senior pathologists. It will be accessible to interns and residents in the spring of 2014. The experience and knowledge gained from that work will be transferred to the next international resident whose work will be aimed at creating lung and breast pathology learning modules. CONCLUSION: The challenges of sustaining a project of this scope are numerous. The technical aspect of whole-slide imaging and storage needs to be developed by each university or group. The content needs to be regularly updated and its accuracy reviewed by experts in each individual domain. The learning modules also need to be promoted within the academic community to ensure maximal benefit for trainees. A collateral benefit of the project was the establishment of international partnerships between French-speaking universities and pathologists with the common goal of promoting pathology education through the use of multi-media technology including whole slide imaging.

Mutation screening of the urocortin gene: identification of new single nucleotide polymorphisms and association studies with obesity in French Caucasians.

A linkage between obesity-related phenotypes and the 2p21-23 locus has been reported previously. The urocortin (UCN) gene resides at this interval, and its protein decreases appetite behavior, suggesting that UCN may be a candidate gene for susceptibility to obesity. We localized the UCN gene by radiation hybrid mapping, and the surrounding markers were genotyped in a collection of French families. Evidence for linkage was shown between the marker D2S165 and leptin levels (LOD score, 1.34; P = 0.006) and between D2S2247 and the z-score of body mass index (LOD score, 1.829; P = 0.0019). The gene was screened for SNPs in 96 obese patients. Four new variants were established. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms were located in the promoter (-535 A-->G, -286 G-->A), one in intron 1 (+31 C-->G), and one in the 3'-untranslated region (+34 C-->T). Association studies in cohorts of 722 unrelated obese and 381 control subjects and transmission disequilibrium tests, performed for the two frequent promoter polymorphisms, in 120 families (894 individuals) showed that no association was present between these variants and obesity, obesity-related phenotypes, and diabetes. Thus, our analyses of the genetic variations of the UCN gene suggest that, at least in French Caucasians, they do not represent a major cause of obesity.

Fertility preservation in cancer patients. Review of the French speaking part of Switzerland and recommendations for different situations.

Due to constant progress in oncology, survival rates of patients (children and adults) with cancer are increasing. Consequently, the reproductive future of young cancer patients needs to be addressed carefully. Fertility preservation techniques are available and issues such as the time available for fertility treatments, patients' age, presence of a partner and patients' personal wishes have to be considered. In Switzerland, a first therapeutic network (Réseau Romand de Cancer et Fertilité), was created in the French speaking part of Switzerland in 2006. Since 2010, a global Swiss network (FertiSave) has been created. The goal of these networks is to maximise the safety and efficacy of fertility preservation options offered to cancer patients without compromising their oncological prognosis. Patients' needs have to be identified, the therapeutic options evaluated rapidly and the optimal treatment promptly implemented in these urgent situations. This article reviews the fertility preservation options currently available and makes recommendations for different specific cancer situations, consistent with the latest scientific evidence and in general agreement with international recommendations.

Offer and use of complementary and alternative medicine in hospitals of the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

Background: In 2004, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) was offered by physicians in one third of Swiss hospitals. Since then, CAM health policy has considerably changed. This study aims at describing the present supply and use of CAM in hospitals of the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and qualitatively explores the characteristics of this supply. Methods: Between June 2011 and March 2012, a short questionnaire was sent to the medical directors of hospitals (N=46), asking them whether a CAM was offered, where and by whom. Then, a semi-directive interview was conducted with 10 CAM therapists. Results: Among 37 responses (return rate 80%), 19 medical directors indicated that their hospital offered at least one CAM and 18 reported that they did not. Acupuncture was the most frequently proposed CAM, followed by manual therapies, osteopathy and aromatherapy. The disciplines that offered CAM most frequently were rehabilitation, gynaecology- obstetrics, palliative care, psychiatry and anaesthesiology. In eight out of ten interviews, it appeared that the procedures for introducing a CAM in the hospital were not tightly supervised by the hospital but were mainly based on the goodwill of the therapists, rather than clinical/scientific evidence. Conclusion: Hospitals offering CAM in the French-speaking part of Switzerland seems to have risen since 2004. The selection of CAM to be offered in a hospital should be based on the same procedure of evaluation and validation as conventional care, and if their safety and efficiency is evidence-based, they should receive the same structural resources.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as a screening tool for excessive drinking in primary care: reliability and validity of a French version.

BACKGROUND: Excessive drinking is a major problem in Western countries. AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) is a 10-item questionnaire developed as a transcultural screening tool to detect excessive alcohol consumption and dependence in primary health care settings. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to validate a French version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). METHODS: We conducted a validation cross-sectional study in three French-speaking areas (Paris, Geneva and Lausanne). We examined psychometric properties of AUDIT as its internal consistency, and its capacity to correctly diagnose alcohol abuse or dependence as defined by DSM-IV and to detect hazardous drinking (defined as alcohol intake >30 g pure ethanol per day for men and >20 g of pure ethanol per day for women). We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and Receiver Operator Characteristic curves. Finally, we compared the ability of AUDIT to accurately detect "alcohol abuse/dependence" with that of CAGE and MAST. RESULTS: 1207 patients presenting to outpatient clinics (Switzerland, n = 580) or general practitioners' (France, n = 627) successively completed CAGE, MAST and AUDIT self-administered questionnaires, and were independently interviewed by a trained addiction specialist. AUDIT showed a good capacity to discriminate dependent patients (with AUDIT > or =13 for males, sensitivity 70.1%, specificity 95.2%, PPV 85.7%, NPV 94.7% and for females sensitivity 94.7%, specificity 98.2%, PPV 100%, NPV 99.8%); and hazardous drinkers (with AUDIT > or =7, for males sensitivity 83.5%, specificity 79.9%, PPV 55.0%, NPV 82.7% and with AUDIT > or =6 for females, sensitivity 81.2%, specificity 93.7%, PPV 64.0%, NPV 72.0%). AUDIT gives better results than MAST and CAGE for detecting "Alcohol abuse/dependence" as showed on the comparative ROC curves. CONCLUSIONS: The AUDIT questionnaire remains a good screening instrument for French-speaking primary care.

Molecular dating of caprines using ancient DNA sequences of Myotragus balearicus, an extinct endemic Balearic mammal

Background: Myotragus balearicus was an endemic bovid from the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean) that became extinct around 6,000-4,000 years ago. The Myotragus evolutionary lineage became isolated in the islands most probably at the end of the Messinian crisis, when the desiccation of the Mediterranean ended, in a geological date established at 5.35 Mya. Thus, the sequences of Myotragus could be very valuable for calibrating the mammalian mitochondrial DNA clock and, in particular, the tree of the Caprinae subfamily, to which Myotragus belongs. Results: We have retrieved the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1,143 base pairs), plus fragments of the mitochondrial 12S gene and the nuclear 28S rDNA multi-copy gene from a well preserved Myotragus subfossil bone. The best resolved phylogenetic trees, obtained with the cytochrome b gene, placed Myotragus in a position basal to the Ovis group. Using the calibration provided by the isolation of Balearic Islands, we calculated that the initial radiation of caprines can be dated at 6.2 ± 0.4 Mya. In addition, alpine and southern chamois, considered until recently the same species, split around 1.6 ± 0.3 Mya, indicating that the two chamois species have been separated much longer than previously thought. Conclusion: Since there are almost no extant endemic mammals in Mediterranean islands, the sequence of the extinct Balearic endemic Myotragus has been crucial for allowing us to use the Messinian crisis calibration point for dating the caprines phylogenetic tree.

Ego identity in adolescence: preliminary validation of a French short-form of the EIPQ

Following the seminal work on personal identity of Erikson, Marcia's identity status model has been one of the most enduring paradigms. The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ; Balistreri, Busch-Rossnagel, & Geissinger, 1995) is a widely used measure of identity status. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure and the reliability of a French version of the EIPQ. The hypothesized structures were not confirmed. In light of the failed attempts to validate the original version, an alternative short-form version of the EIPQ (EIPQ-SF), maintaining the integrity of the original model, was developed in one sample and cross-validated in another sample. Additionally, theoretically consistent associations between the EIPQ-SF dimensions and self-esteem confirmed convergent validity. Globally, the results indicated that the French short-version of the EIPQ might be a useful instrument for the assessment of the identity statuses in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Geochemical compositions of Neogene phosphatic brachiopods: Implications for ancient environmental and marine conditions

Isotopic and trace element compositions of Miocene and Pliocene phosphatic brachiopods (Lingulidae and Discinidae) from southern North Sea, the Central Paratethys and the Atlantic coast of Europe were investigated in order to trace past environmental conditions and marine connections between the northern boreal and the southern subtropical-tropical marine basins. The North Sea genus Glottidia yielded low epsilon(Nd) and high delta O-18(PO4) values through the Mio-Pliocene indicating cold habitat temperature where the local seawater was dominated by the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the Middle Miocene Lingulidae and Discinidae of the Paratethys inhabited warm subtropical seawater with the possible influence of the Indian Ocean via the Mediterranean, as supported by their average epsilon(Nd) value of -8.3. The combined geochemical data support a thermal and marine separation of the Paratethys from the North Sea with no direct connection or major exchange of water from the Miocene onwards. The temperature in the Paratethys was very similar to that inferred from brachiopods from the Middle Miocene of western France, but the seawater epsilon(Nd) value here is identical to that of contemporaneous Atlantic Ocean. A Late Miocene lingulid brachiopod from southern Portugal has a high delta O-18(PO4), similar to the specimens investigated from the North Sea, reflecting either a deep water habitat or formation after the onset of major global cooling that resulted in an increased delta O-18 value of seawater. The epsilon(Nd) value of -8.4 for this site is compatible with an influence of Mediterranean outflow. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ancient dispersal of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii from the Amazon rainforest

Over the past two decades, several fungal outbreaks have occurred, including the high-profile 'Vancouver Island' and 'Pacific Northwest' outbreaks, caused by Cryptococcus gattii, which has affected hundreds of otherwise healthy humans and animals. Over the same time period, C. gattii was the cause of several additional case clusters at localities outside of the tropical and subtropical climate zones where the species normally occurs. In every case, the causative agent belongs to a previously rare genotype of C. gattii called AFLP6/VGII, but the origin of the outbreak clades remains enigmatic. Here we used phylogenetic and recombination analyses, based on AFLP and multiple MLST datasets, and coalescence gene genealogy to demonstrate that these outbreaks have arisen from a highly-recombining C. gattii population in the native rainforest of Northern Brazil. Thus the modern virulent C. gattii AFLP6/VGII outbreak lineages derived from mating events in South America and then dispersed to temperate regions where they cause serious infections in humans and animals.