Evolution and environment of the eastern linear pottery culture: A case study in the site of Polgár-Piócási-Dűlő

A salvage excavation preceding a major investment project was conducted in 2006–2007, during which associated settlement features of a Middle Neolithic, Eastern Linear Pottery Culture (Alföld Linearbandkeramik – ALBK) were uncovered in an area called Piócási-dűlő on the eastern outskirts of Polgár. The features of the ALBK settlement date from two periods. The cluster of multi-functional pits yielding a rich assortment of finds, the handful of post-holes and an unusual ritual well found in the southern part of the investigated area formed one unit from the earliest phase of the Middle Neolithic (ALBK I). The settlement’s other occupation can be assigned to the late phase of the Middle Neolithic (ALBK IV). Five houseplans representing the remains of timber-framed buildings outlined a distinct area with three multi-functional pits. Associated with the above features were 8 burials. The preliminary archaeobotanical results from Polgár–Piócási-dűlő are based on the plant material found within the sediments of 11 archaeological structures, which mainly represent pits and a welI. It can be stated that the natural environment offered habitats in which oak trees dominated in the local vegetation, forming floodplain forests and wooded steppes. They also provided food in the form of fruits and formed an optimal habitat for domestic animals. Arable fields were probably also established in the vicinity of the settlements, suggested by findings of macroscopic plant remains that represented cultivated species. In both settlement phases lithic production activities are manifested both by the local on-site lithic production and – most importantly – by the presence of imported, mainly mesolocal, raw materials that point to contacts with deposit areas, or off-site preliminary working of obsidian and limnoquartzites. The kit of harvesting tools and a large number of grinding stones – especially in the younger phase – for the preparation of plant food suggest a major role of plant cultivation

Towards Multiparametric Fluorescent Imaging of Amyloid Formation: Studies of a YFP Model of alpha-Synuclein Aggregation

Misfolding and aggregation of proteins are characteristics of a range of increasingly prevalent neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In Parkinson's disease and several closely related syndromes, the protein a-synuclein (AS) aggregates and forms amyloid-like deposits in specific regions of the brain. Fluorescence microscopy using fluorescent proteins, for instance the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), is the method of choice to image molecular events such as protein aggregation in living organisms. The presence of a bulky fluorescent protein tag, however, may potentially affect significantly the properties of the protein of interest, for AS in particular, its relative small size and, as an intrinsically unfolded protein, its lack of defined secondary structure could challenge the usefulness of fluorescent-protein-based derivatives. Here, we subject a YFP fusion of AS to exhaustive studies in vitro designed to determine its potential as a means of probing amyloid formation in vivo. By employing a combination of biophysical and biochemical studies, we demonstrate that the conjugation of YFP does not significantly perturb the structure of AS in solution and find that the AS-YFP protein forms amyloid deposits in vitro that are essentially identical with those observed for wild-type AS, except that they are fluorescent. Of the several fluorescent properties of the YFP chimera that were assayed, we find that fluorescence anisotropy is a particularly useful parameter to follow the aggregation of AS-YFP, because of energy migration Forster resonance energy transfer (emFRET or homoFRET) between closely positioned YFP moieties occurring as a result of the high density of the fluorophore within the amyloid species. Fluorescence anisotropy imaging microscopy further demonstrates the ability of homoFRET to distinguish between soluble, pre-fibrillar aggregates and amyloid fibrils of AS-YFP. Our results validate the use of fluorescent protein chimeras of AS as representative models for studying protein aggregation and offer new opportunities for the investigation of amyloid aggregation in vivo using YFP-tagged proteins. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Pre-operative Radio-Chemotherapy of Rectal Cancer: Toxicity and Preliminary Results with the Addition of Weekly Oxaliplatin

The standard pre-operative treatment of rectal cancer consists of radiotherapy combined with continuous infusion Of fluorouracil (FU) at a dose of 200 mg/m(2)/day. Platinum compounds can increase the anti-tumour activity of radiotherapy and are suitable agents to be combined with FU. We report our experience with the addition of oxaliplatin to radiotherapy and FU in the pre-operative treatment of patients with rectal cancer. Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (cT3-T4 and/or N+) were treated with pre-operative 5-FU (200 mg/m(2)/day, continuous infusion) and external beam radiation (45 Gy given to large fields plus a booster dose of 5.4 Gy, making a total of 50A Gy delivered in 28 daily fractions of 1.8Gy). Oxaliplatin was given at a dose of 50 mg/m(2) in 2 h once weekly. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients were standard and written informed consent was obtained before treatment. Surgery was planned 5 weeks after radiotherapy. Toxicity was graded using the NCI-CTC version 3. Oxaliplatin was suspended in cases of G3 haematological toxicity or G2 neurotoxicity; both oxaliplatin and FU were Suspended for G3 non-haematological toxicity. From November 2006 to January 2008, 21 patients were treated. All completed radiation treatment, and 16 received full dose chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was suspended due to G3 diarrhoea in 3 patients. We observed G2-3 proctitis in 11 patients (particularly painful in three), G1 allergic reactions in 3 of them and G1 neurotoxicity in 12. Fifteen patients were operated on. Of these, eight had a complete pathological response. The histological examination was negative in 3 patients despite the persistence of a palpable mass. Oxaliplatin can be added to standard chemoradiation in the pre-operative treatment of rectal cancer. Toxicity is increased and requires careful monitoring. The present report and literature data indicate that the anti-tumour efficacy is promising and we look forward to the results of large randomised trials currently in progress