Excavations at the Aghia Aikateriki square, Kaselli, Khania 2005 and 2008: a preliminary report

In January 2005 the Greek–Swedish Excavations and theDanish Institute at Athens were approached by the 25thEphorate of Prehistoric and Classical antiquities to assistthe excavations conducted by the Ephorate in connectionwith the construction of a protective roof over the AgiaAikaterini Square, where the Greek–Swedish Excavationshad been going on since 1969. The proposal was gratefullyaccepted. The excavations were carried out during theperiod 1st April to 6th September 2005. Altogether 46 trialtests (marked on Fig. 1) were made. Apart from the trialtests, an area in the eastern part of the square was alsoincluded in the excavation programme (Trenches 34‑36,cf. Fig. 1). Here, three Linear B tablets were found in situ,in 1990. The field directors of the excavation were Dr.Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki and Dr. Erik Hallager. In 2008,when the drawings for the protective roof had finally beenapproved by the Ministry of Culture, more trial tests werecarried out together with cleaning in Trenches 34 and 35.This work took place during the period 1st September to15th December and was conducted by the 25th Ephorateunder the direction of Dr. Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki.Chronologically the excavation covered a period of c.5000 years of continuous history of the town of Khania. It will be presented stratigraphically from top to bottom,that is, from the present surface down to bedrock

The Greek-Swedish excavations at Kastelli, Khania 2001: a preliminary report

During five weeks in June and July 2001 a small supplementaryexcavation was carried out at the Ag. AikateriniSquare. The purpose of the excavation was to clarify someproblems and test some ideas before the final publicationof the forthcoming volumes of the Greek–SwedishExcavations (GSE). For the Late Minoan IIIA:2/IIIB:1 period there was a question about the supposednorth-western wall of Building 1, Space G.3 It was thereforedecided to open a new trench (Trench 33) within thearea 508‑510/709.5‑714 (Fig. 1) – a trench which wouldpossibly also reveal further information on the two LM Idestructions noted in House IV of the LM I period. Forthe LM I period there were three more objectives: (a) tofind out whether House I, Room K (Fig. 1) incorporateda lustral basin in an earlier phase; (b) to investigate extensivelythe drainage system of the excavated buildingsand their connection to the “public” drain running in thestreet between Houses I and II; and (c) to investigate thestratified remains from the MM and EM periods still leftin the baulk between trenches 1 and 2 and 2 and 4, whichwere excavated in 1970. But in opening two new areas importantsupplementary information was revealed, relatedto periods which were not directly under investigation.Here follows a presentation of the 2001 excavation, periodby period from surface to bedrock

The Greek-Swedish-Danish excavations at Kastelli, Khania 2010: a preliminary report

During six weeks from 19 July to 27 August the Greek–Swedish–Danish Excavations continued work in the Ag.Aikaterini Square on the Kastelli Hill. The area underinvestigation was situated within 524‑536/722‑731 of thesite plan and included further investigations in previouslyexcavated trenches from 1965, 1969, 2005, and 2008. Themain aim of the excavation was to investigate Building 2 ofthe LM IIIA:2 and LM IIIB:1 periods, which had provedextremely productive in previous excavations. Here LinearB tablets had been found in situ in 1990 (Room E,Fig. 1), and a complete inscribed stirrup jar was discoveredin 2005 (Room B) which indicates that its contentswere of royal property (Fig. 1)

Archaeometric evidence for the earliest exploitation of lignite from the bronze age Eastern Mediterranean

This paper presents the earliest evidence for the exploitation of lignite (brown coal) in Europe and sheds new light on the use of combustion fuel sources in the 2nd millennium BCE Eastern Mediterranean. We applied Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Polarizing Microscopy to the dental calculus of 67 individuals and we identified clear evidence for combustion markers embedded within this calculus. In contrast to the scant evidence for combustion markers within the calculus samples from Egypt, all other individuals show the inhalation of smoke from fires burning wood identified as Pinaceae, in addition to hardwood, such as oak and olive, and/ or dung. Importantly, individuals from the Palatial Period at the Mycenaean citadel of Tiryns and the Cretan harbour site of Chania also show the inhalation of fire-smoke from lignite, consistent with the chemical signature of sources in the northwestern Peloponnese and Western Crete respectively. This first evidence for lignite exploitation was likely connected to and at the same time enabled Late Bronze Age Aegean metal and pottery production, significantly by both male and female individuals

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Gametogenesis and study of the actin 2 in malaria parasites

This study focus in the mosquito stages of malaria parasites. The results are presented in four chapters. The first chapter describes the mechanism of gametocyte egress from the host erythrocyte during gametogenesis. Malaria parasites infect erythrocytes and initiate a series of asexual multiplication cycles or they develop into female and male gametocytes. The production of female and male gametes, known as gametogenesis, takes place after uptake by the mosquito. The parasite egress from the host erythrocyte during gametogenesis involving sequential rupture of the membranes of the parasitophorous vacuole (PVM) and erythrocyte (RBCM). We present detailed observations of these events in real time using high-speed video microscopy and immunofluorescence assays. The first sign of egress is swelling of the host cell. The PVM ruptures and vesiculates. This is followed by the opening of a single stabilized pore of the RBCM. The RBCM is subsequently vesiculated, releasing the gametes. In the second chapter we study actin 2, one of the two actin isoforms in malaria parasites. Actin 1 has a vital role in all developmental stages, whereas actin 2 is essential in male gametogenesis. By genetic replacement of actin 2 with actin 1, we show that the two actin isoforms have distinct functions in male gametogenesis and we found an additional essential role of actin 2 in oocyst development. The function of actins depends on the polymerization properties. In the third chapter, replacement of actin 2 by chimeric actin 1 revealed that polymerization of actin 2 is necessary in gametogenesis but is not enough for the oocyst development. In the fourth chapter, global expression profiling reveals shared and distinct transcript signatures in arrested act2(-) and CDPK4(-) gametocytes.Η διατριβή έχει ως σκοπό την μελέτη των σταδίων του παράσιτου της ελονοσίας που λαμβάνουν χώρα στο κουνούπι. Τα αποτελέσματα χωρίζονται σε τέσσερα κεφάλαια. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο μελετήσαμε τον μηχανισμό της έξοδου του παρασίτου από το κύτταρο ξενιστή κατά την γαμετογένεση. Τα παράσιτα εισβάλουν στα ερυθροκύτταρα του αίματος και αρχίζει ένας κύκλος από μη φυλετικά στάδια, ενώ κάποια θα διαφοροποιηθούν σε αρσενικά και θηλυκά γαμετοκύτταρα. Με την είσοδο των παρασίτων στο κουνούπι ξεκινάει η γαμετογένεσης, δηλαδή η δημιουργία αρσενικών και θηλυκών γαμετών. Κρίσιμο σημείο στην γαμετογένεση αποτελεί η έξοδος του παρασίτου από το ερυθροκύτταρο, με την ρήξη των δύο μεμβρανών που περιβάλλουν το παράσιτο, την μεμβράνη του παρασιτοφόρου κενοτοπίου (PVM) και την μεμβράνη του ερυθροκυττάρου (RBCM). Με την καταγραφή της εξόδου των παρασίτων σε πραγματικό χρόνο και με την μέθοδο του ανοσοφθορισμού αποκαλύψαμε τέσσερις διακριτές φάσεις. Αρχικά το ερυθροκύτταρο διογκώνεται, η PVM διαρρηγνύεται και σχηματίζει κυστίδια, ένας μοναδικός πόρος ανοίγει στην RBCM και ακολουθεί η ρήξη της RBCM και ο σχηματισμός κυστιδίων από αυτήν. Το δεύτερο κεφάλαιο έχει ως θέμα τη λειτουργία της ακτίνης 2, της δεύτερης ισομορφής ακτίνης του παρασίτου. Η ακτίνη 1 είναι απαραίτητη για όλα τα στάδια του κύκλου ζωής ενώ η ακτίνη 2 είναι απαραίτητη για την γαμετογένεση των αρσενικών. Με την γενετική αντικατάσταση της ακτίνης 2 με την ακτίνη 1 δείξαμε ότι οι δύο ισομορφές έχουν ξεχωριστές λειτουργίες στην γαμετογένεση και αποκαλύψαμε ένα δεύτερο κρίσιμο ρόλο της ακτίνης 2 στην ανάπτυξη των ωοκυστών στο έντερο του κουνουπιού. Ο πολυμερισμός της ακτίνης είναι σημαντικός για την λειτουργία της. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο των αποτελεσμάτων, η αντικατάσταση της ακτίνης 2 με χιμαιρικές μορφές της ακτίνης 1 έδειξε ότι ο πολυμερισμός της ακτίνης 2 είναι απαραίτητος για την γαμετογένεση των αρσενικών αλλά δεν αρκεί για την ανάπτυξη των ωοκυστών. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο των αποτελεσμάτων με μικροσυστοιχίες γονιδίων πήραμε το προφίλ της γονιδιακής έκφρασης σε γαμετοκύτταρα όπου απουσιάζει είτε η ακτίνη 2 είτε η ασβεστο-εξαρτώμενη κινάση 4 (CDPK4). Βρέθηκε ένας σημαντικός αριθμός κοινών και διαφορετικών γονιδίων με διαφορά στην έκφραση στα δύο μεταλλάγματα

The Greek-Swedish-Danish Excavations 2013: A short preliminary report

In 2013 the Greek-Swedish-Danish Excavations continued with the main aim to explore the large building of the LM IIA:2/IIIB period, where Linear B tablets were found in situ in 1990. The stratigraphic periods revealed interesting results. From the Venetian cathedral several tombs were excavated. The cathedral was built over an Early Christian Basilica which could be conjecturally reconstructed in ground plan. The Geometric period produced an industrial area, while the LM IIIC period revealed remains of four large rooms – all with fire places. The LM IIIB:2 period was not represented with architecture, but with fine remains of pottery and small finds from a large open area. The large LM IIIA:2/IIIB building revealed remains from five rooms, A spectacular find came from one of these rooms: a decorated pithos intentionally placed on its side and used as a storeroom for, among others, stone tools, fine pottery, fragments of ivory and an unbaked un-inscribed clay tablet

New and unpublished Linear A and Linear B inscriptions from Khania

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The Greek-Swedish-Danish Excavations 2014: A short preliminary report

In 2014 the LM IIIA:2/IIIB building was excavated as far as the modern habitation permitted. It was seen to cover at least 350 m² and had over the years revealed finds of Linear B tablets in situ, an inscribed stirrup jar, seal stones, a carved ivory handle, pieces of Egyptian blue to which the 2014 excavation could add a complete pithos, fragments of figurines and unique pottery. From other periods should be mentioned the finds of three ovens from the LM IIIC period and stray finds of Linear A tablets from later deposits. Furthermore the 2014 excavation revealed new and important evidence from the Neopalatial period in that the southern corner and entrance to House III was discovered as well as an intra mural child burial

Structure and function of Plasmodium actin II in the parasite mosquito stages.

Actins are filament-forming, highly-conserved proteins in eukaryotes. They are involved in essential processes in the cytoplasm and also have nuclear functions. Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) have two actin isoforms that differ from each other and from canonical actins in structure and filament-forming properties. Actin I has an essential role in motility and is fairly well characterized. The structure and function of actin II are not as well understood, but mutational analyses have revealed two essential functions in male gametogenesis and in the oocyst. Here, we present expression analysis, high-resolution filament structures, and biochemical characterization of Plasmodium actin II. We confirm expression in male gametocytes and zygotes and show that actin II is associated with the nucleus in both stages in filament-like structures. Unlike actin I, actin II readily forms long filaments in vitro, and near-atomic structures in the presence or absence of jasplakinolide reveal very similar structures. Small but significant differences compared to other actins in the openness and twist, the active site, the D-loop, and the plug region contribute to filament stability. The function of actin II was investigated through mutational analysis, suggesting that long and stable filaments are necessary for male gametogenesis, while a second function in the oocyst stage also requires fine-tuned regulation by methylation of histidine 73. Actin II polymerizes via the classical nucleation-elongation mechanism and has a critical concentration of ~0.1 μM at the steady-state, like actin I and canonical actins. Similarly to actin I, dimers are a stable form of actin II at equilibrium