Medieval and Ottoman period (14th–17th c.) Archaeology in the Drava River region, Hungary

The paper is a short summary of the main archaeological outcomes of an interdisciplinary project in a section of the Drava river crossing the territory of Somogy county, in Hungary. One of the study areas is the vicinity of Berzence where medieval settlement patterns, land use and economy have been reconstructed on the basis of historical sources and an archaeological field survey. A comprehensive review of architectural history and material culture of the Ottoman Period stronghold in Barcs was the other area under investigation. Research there was based on written sources and the archaeological assemblage recovered from the palisaded fort. Zooarchaeological research at this site revealed some significant culture historical aspects of this stronghold. Underwater archaeological investigations carried out in the Drava river itself and aerial exploration of the study areas also supplied valuable archaeological results

Evidence for Concurrent Effects of Exposure to Environmental Cadmium and Lead on Hepatic CYP2A6 Phenotype and Renal Function Biomarkers in Nonsmokers

We examined the interrelationships between phenotype of hepatic cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6), nephropathy, and exposure to cadmium and lead in a group of 118 healthy Thai men and women who had never smoked. Their urinary Cd excretion ranged from 0.05 to 2.36 μg/g creatinine, whereas their urinary Pb excretion ranged from 0.1 to 12 μg/g creatinine. Average age and Cd burden of women and men did not differ. Women, however, on average showed a 46% higher urinary Pb excretion (p < 0.001) and lower zinc status, suggested by lower average serum Zn and urinary Zn excretion compared with those in men. Cd-linked nephropathy was detected in both men and women. However, Pb-linked nephropathy was seen only in women, possibly because of higher Pb burden coupled with lower protective factors, notably of Zn (p < 0.001), in women compared with men. In men, Pb burden showed a negative association with CYP2A6 activity (adjusted β= −0.29, p = 0.003), whereas Cd burden showed a positive association with CYP2A6 activity (adjusted β= 0.38, p = 0.001), suggesting opposing effects of Cd and Pb on hepatic CYP2A6 phenotype. The weaker correlation between Cd burden CYP2A6 activity in women despite similarity in Cd burden between men and women is consistent with opposing effects of Pb and Cd on hepatic CYP2A6 phenotypic expression. A positive correlation between Cd-linked nephropathy (urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase excretion) and CYP2A6 activity in men (r = 0.39, p = 0.002) and women (r = 0.37, p = 0.001) suggests that Cd induction of hepatic CYP2A6 expression and Cd-linked nephropathy occurred simultaneously

Noether's Symmetry Theorem for Variational and Optimal Control Problems with Time Delay

We extend the DuBois-Reymond necessary optimality condition and Noether's symmetry theorem to the time delay variational setting. Both Lagrangian and Hamiltonian versions of Noether's theorem are proved, covering problems of the calculus of variations and optimal control with delays.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form will appear in the international journal Numerical Algebra, Control and Optimization (NACO). Paper accepted for publication 15-March-201

Bone mineral density is within normal range in most adult phenylketonuria patients

Low bone mineral density (BMD) as a risk factor for fractures has been a long-standing concern in phenylketonuria (PKU). It is hypothesised that the disease itself or the dietary treatment might lead to a low BMD. Previous studies show conflicting results of BMD in PKU due to differences in age, techniques to assess BMD and criteria used. To assess the prevalence of low BMD and define possible risk factors in a large number of adult, early treated PKU (ETPKU) patients. European centres were invited for a survey, collecting retrospective data including results of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of adult ETPKU patients. BMD of 183 adult ETPKU patients aged 18-46 (median age 28, all females premenopausal) years was lower than in the general population at most skeletal sites but the frequency of low BMD (Z-score <−2) was at maximum 5.5%. No risk factors for low BMD in PKU patients could be identified. Low BMD occurs only in a small subset of PKU patients. DXA scans should be considered for well controlled patients from age 35-40 years and up and on indication in those PKU patients considered to be at increased risk for fractures

Dogs accompanied humans during the Neolithic expansion into Europe

International audienceNear Eastern Neolithic farmers introduced several species of domestic plants and animals as they dispersed into Europe. Dogs were the only domestic species present in both Europe and the Near East prior to the Neolithic. Here, we assessed whether early Near Eastern dogs possessed a unique mitochondrial lineage that differentiated them from Mesolithic European populations. We then analysed mitochondrial DNA sequences from 99 ancient European and Near Eastern dogs spanning the Upper Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age to assess if incoming farmers brought Near Eastern dogs with them, or instead primarily adopted indigenous European dogs after they arrived. Our results show that European pre-Neolithic dogs all possessed the mitochondrial haplogroup C, and that the Neolithic and Post-Neolithic dogs associated with farmers from Southeastern Europe mainly possessed haplogroup D. Thus, the appearance of haplogroup D most probably resulted from the dissemination of dogs from the Near East into Europe. In Western and Northern Europe, the turnover is incomplete and haplogroup C persists well into the Chalcolithic at least. These results suggest that dogs were an integral component of the Neolithic farming package and a mitochondrial lineage associated with the Near East was introduced into Europe alongside pigs, cows, sheep and goats. It got diluted into the native dog population when reaching the Western and Northern margins of Europe

Direct and Inverse Variational Problems on Time Scales: A Survey

We deal with direct and inverse problems of the calculus of variations on arbitrary time scales. Firstly, using the Euler-Lagrange equation and the strengthened Legendre condition, we give a general form for a variational functional to attain a local minimum at a given point of the vector space. Furthermore, we provide a necessary condition for a dynamic integro-differential equation to be an Euler-Lagrange equation (Helmholtz's problem of the calculus of variations on time scales). New and interesting results for the discrete and quantum settings are obtained as particular cases. Finally, we consider very general problems of the calculus of variations given by the composition of a certain scalar function with delta and nabla integrals of a vector valued field.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form will be published in the Springer Volume 'Modeling, Dynamics, Optimization and Bioeconomics II', Edited by A. A. Pinto and D. Zilberman (Eds.), Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics. Submitted 03/Sept/2014; Accepted, after a revision, 19/Jan/201

On consensus in the Cucker--Smale type model on isolated time scales

This article addresses a consensus phenomenon in a Cucker-Smale model where the magnitude of the step size is not necessarily a constant but it is a function of time. In the considered model the weights of mutual influences in the group of agents do not change. A sufficient condition under which the proposed model tends to a consensus is obtained. This condition strikingly demonstrates the importance of the graininess function in a consensus phenomenon. The results are illustrated by numerical simulations.publishe