Age constraints for the Trachilos footprints from Crete.

We present an updated time frame for the 30 m thick late Miocene sedimentary Trachilos section from the island of Crete that contains the potentially oldest hominin footprints. The section is characterized by normal magnetic polarity. New and published foraminifera biostratigraphy results suggest an age of the section within the Mediterranean biozone MMi13d, younger than ~ 6.4 Ma. Calcareous nannoplankton data from sediments exposed near Trachilos and belonging to the same sub-basin indicate deposition during calcareous nannofossil biozone CN9bB, between 6.023 and 6.727 Ma. By integrating the magneto- and biostratigraphic data we correlate the Trachilos section with normal polarity Chron C3An.1n, between 6.272 and 6.023 Ma. Using cyclostratigraphic data based on magnetic susceptibility, we constrain the Trachilos footprints age at ~ 6.05 Ma, roughly 0.35 Ma older than previously thought. Some uncertainty remains related to an inaccessible interval of ~ 8 m section and the possibility that the normal polarity might represent the slightly older Chron C3An.2n. Sediment accumulation rate and biostratigraphic arguments, however, stand against these points and favor a deposition during Chron C3An.1n

Prognostic Significance of Survivin in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Impaired apoptosis is mediated by members of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) family such as survivin. Survivin was described in number of different tumors and found to correlate with poor prognosis in a variety of cancers including hematologic malignancies. The aim of this study was to determine survivin in pediatric ALL and compare it with clinical and hematological findings, response to therapy and outcome. Flowcytometry was used for detection of intracellular survivin and determine its mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in bone marrow mononuclear cells. Patients were followed up for 28 months after induction therapy. Survivin was detected in 63.3% of the patients BM. In spite of no association of survivin levels with established risk factors (P > 0.05) except with high WBC, there was significant higher level of survivin expression in high risk group patients when patients were stratified into high and standard risk groups. According to response to induction therapy, there was no significant difference, in survivin level between patients who achieved CR, RD and ED. However, patients suffering relapse of the disease, had a significant higher basal level of survivin than patients still in remission. Over expression of survivin is a candidate parameter to determine poor prognosis in ALL patients and it may serve to refine treatment stratification with intensification of therapy in those patients prone to relapse