The Oldest Anatomically Modern Humans from Far Southeast Europe: Direct Dating, Culture and Behavior

Background: Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs) are known to have spread across Europe during the period coinciding with the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition. Whereas their dispersal into Western Europe is relatively well established, evidence of an early settlement of Eastern Europe by modern humans are comparatively scarce. Methodology/Principal Finding: Based on a multidisciplinary approach for the study of human and faunal remains, we describe here the oldest AMH remains from the extreme southeast Europe, in conjunction with their associated cultural and paleoecological background. We applied taxonomy, paleoecology, and taphonomy combined with geomorphology, stratigraphy, archeology and radiocarbon dating. More than 160 human bone remains have been discovered. They originate from a well documented Upper Paleolithic archeological layer (Gravettian cultural tradition) from the site of Buran-Kaya III located in Crimea (Ukraine). The combination of non-metric dental traits and the morphology of the occipital bones allow us to attribute the human remains to Anatomically Modern Humans. A set of human and faunal remains from this layer has been radiocarbon dated by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. The direct-dating results of human bone establish a secure presence of AMHs at 31,900+240/2220 BP in this region. They are the oldest direct evidence of the presence of AMHs in a well documented archeological context. Based on taphonomical observations (cut marks and distribution of skeletal elements), they represent the oldest Upper Paleolithic modern humans from Eastern Europe, showing post-mortem treatment of the dead as well. Conclusion/Significance: These findings are essential for the debate on the spread of modern humans in Europe during the Upper Paleolithic, as well as their cultural behaviors.

Direct observation of ion dynamics in supercapacitor electrodes using in situ diffusion NMR spectroscopy

Ionic transport inside porous carbon electrodes underpins the storage of energy in supercapacitors and the rate at which they can charge and discharge, yet few studies have elucidated the materials properties that influence ion dynamics. Here we use in situ pulsed field gradient NMR spectroscopy to measure ionic diffusion in supercapacitors directly. We find that confinement in the nanoporous electrode structures decreases the effective self-diffusion coefficients of ions by over two orders of magnitude compared with neat electrolyte, and in-pore diffusion is modulated by changes in ion populations at the electrode/electrolyte interface during charging. Electrolyte concentration and carbon pore size distributions also affect in-pore diffusion and the movement of ions in and out of the nanopores. In light of our findings we propose that controlling the charging mechanism may allow the tuning of the energy and power performances of supercapacitors for a range of different applications

Apport de la RMN pour l'étude en solution du complexe β-cyclodextrine/prostaglandine E

La RMN constitue l'outil idéal pour la mise en évidence, en solution aqueuse, de complexes d'inclusion de cyclodextrine ainsi que pour la détermination fine de leurs structures. Ainsi des méthodes RMN spécifiques sont utilisées pour obtenir les caractéristiques thermodynamiques et structurales d'un complexe d'inclusion β-cyclodextrine/ prostaglandine E2 en milieu aqueux. De plus, les expériences de type NOESY et ROESY sont souvent utilisées pour mettre en évidence les intéractions hôte-invité. Mais pour des problèmes intrinsèques, la séquence de base de ROESY peut conduire à des erreurs d'interprétation. Nous avons évalué des séquences ROESY modifiées et estimé leur avantages respectifs sur le complexe β-CD/PGE2

Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla) from the hominin-bearing deposit of Cooper's D (Bloubank Valley, South Africa): implications for Paranthropus robustus palaeoecology

International audienc

Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla) from the hominin-bearing deposit of Cooper's D (Bloubank Valley, South Africa): implications for Paranthropus robustus palaeoecology

International audienc

Management and outcome of bloodstream infections: a prospective survey in 121 French hospitals (SPA-BACT survey)

Oliver Robineau,1 Jérome Robert,2 Christian Rabaud,3 Jean-Pierre Bedos,4 Emmanuelle Varon,5 Yves Péan,6 Rémy Gauzit,7 Serge Alfandari8 On behalf of the Société de Pathologie Infectieuse de Langue Française (SPILF), the Observatoire National de l’Épidémiologie de la Résistance Bactérienne aux Antibiotiques (ONERBA), and the Surveillance de la Prescription des Antibiotiques (SPA) Group 1Infectious Disease Department, Dron Hospital, Univ Lille, Tourcoing, 2Sorbonne University, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CR7, CIMI, Team E13 (Bacteriology), Paris, 3Infectious Disease Department, Nancy University Hospital, Nancy, 4Intensive Care Unit, Henri Mignot Hospital, Le Chesnay, 5Bacteriology Laboratory, HEGP, 6Observatoire National de L’epidémiologie de la Résistance Bactérienne aux Antibiotiques (OneRBa), 7Intensive Care Unit, Cochin Hospital, APHP, Paris, 8Intensive Care Unit, Dron Hospital, Tourcoing, France Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are severe infections that can be community or hospital acquired. Effects of time to appropriate treatment and impact of antimicrobial management team are discussed in terms of outcome of BSI. We sought to evaluate the impact of initial BSI management on short-term mortality. Patients and methods: A prospective, multicenter survey was conducted in 121 French hospitals. Participants declaring BSI during a 1-month period were included consecutively. Data on patient comorbidities, illness severity, BSI management, and resistance profile of bacterial strains were collected. Predictors of 10-day mortality were identified by multivariate regression for overall BSI, health care-related and hospital-acquired BSI. Results: We included 1,952 BSIs. More than a third of them were hospital acquired (39%). Multidrug resistance was identified in 10% of cases, mainly in health care-related BSI. Empirical therapy and targeted therapy were appropriate for 61% and 94% of cases, respectively. Increased 10-day mortality was associated with severe sepsis, septic shock, increasing age, and any focus other than the urinary tract. Decreased mortality was associated with receiving at least one active antibiotic within the first 48 hours. Intervention of antimicrobial management team during the acute phase of BSI was associated with a decreased mortality at day 10 in the overall population and in health care-related BSI. Conclusion: Optimizing BSI management by increasing rapidity of appropriate treatment initiation may decrease short-term mortality, even in countries with low rate of multidrug-resistant organisms. Early intervention of antimicrobial management team is crucial in terms of mortality. Keywords: mortality, bloodstream infections, antimicrobial management team, community-acquired infection, health care-related infectio