Chemical analysis of pottery demonstrates prehistoric origin for high-altitude alpine dairying

The European high Alps are internationally renowned for their dairy produce, which are of huge cultural and economic significance to the region. Although the recent history of alpine dairying has been well studied, virtually nothing is known regarding the origins of this practice. This is due to poor preservation of high altitude archaeological sites and the ephemeral nature of transhumance economic practices. Archaeologists have suggested that stone structures that appear around 3,000 years ago are associated with more intense seasonal occupation of the high Alps and perhaps the establishment of new economic strategies. Here, we report on organic residue analysis of small fragments of pottery sherds that are occasionally preserved both at these sites and earlier prehistoric rock-shelters. Based mainly on isotopic criteria, dairy lipids could only be identified on ceramics from the stone structures, which date to the Iron Age (ca. 3,000 - 2,500 BP), providing the earliest evidence of this practice in the high Alps. Dairy production in such a marginal environment implies a high degree of risk even by today’s standards. We postulate that this practice was driven by population increase and climate deterioration that put pressure on lowland agropastoral systems and the establishment of more extensive trade networks, leading to greater demand for highly nutritious and transportable dairy products

Exophthalmos as a First Manifestation of Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Long-Term Follow-Up

Small cell lung cancer is characterized by rapid growth and early metastasis. Despite its sensitivity to cytotoxic therapy, until now treatments have failed to control or cure this disease in most patients. Orbital metastases are a rare manifestation of systemic malignancies. Breast and lung cancers represent more than two thirds of the primary cancer sites. Metastases to the eye and orbit develop in approximately 0.7–12% of patients with lung cancer. Here, we report a rare case of exophthalmos as the first manifestation of a metastatic carcinoma due to small cell lung cancer, and a 6-months follow-up with complete exophthalmic response to chemotherapy

Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers

The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these subregional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices

Latitudinal gradient in dairy production with the introduction of farming in Atlantic Europe

International audienceThe introduction of farming had far-reaching impacts on health, social structure and demography. Although the spread of domesticated plants and animals has been extensively tracked, it is unclear how these nascent economies developed within different environmental and cultural settings. Using molecular and isotopic analysis of lipids from pottery, here we investigate the foods prepared by the earliest farming communities of the European Atlantic seaboard. Surprisingly, we find an absence of aquatic foods, including in ceramics from coastal sites, except in the Western Baltic where this tradition continued from indigenous ceramic using hunter-gatherer-fishers. The frequency of dairy products in pottery increased as farming was progressively introduced along a northerly latitudinal gradient. This finding implies that early farming communities needed time to adapt their economic practices before expanding into more northerly areas. Latitudinal differences in the scale of dairy production might also have influenced the evolution of adult lactase persistence across Europe

The additional value of patient-reported health status in predicting 1-year mortality after invasive coronary procedures: A report from the Euro Heart Survey on Coronary Revascularisation

Objective: Self-perceived health status may be helpful in identifying patients at high risk for adverse outcomes. The Euro Heart Survey on Coronary Revascularization (EHS-CR) provided an opportunity to explore whether impaired health status was a predictor of 1-year mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing angiographic procedures. Methods: Data from the EHS-CR that included 5619 patients from 31 member countries of the European Society of Cardiology were used. Inclusion criteria for the current study were completion of a self-report measure of health status, the EuroQol Questionnaire (EQ-5D) at discharge and information on 1-year follow-up, resulting in a study population of 3786 patients. Results: The 1-year mortality was 3.2% (n = 120). Survivors reported fewer problems on the five dimensions of the EQ-5D as compared with non-survivors. A broad range of potential confounders were adjusted for, which reached a p<0.10 in the unadjusted analyses. In the adjusted analyses, problems with self-care (OR 3.45; 95% CI 2.14 to 5.59) and a low rating (≤ 60) on health status (OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.47 to 3.94) were the most powerful independent predictors of mortality, among the 22 clinical variables included in the analysis. Furthermore, patients who reported no problems on all five dimensions had significantly lower 1-year mortality rates (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.81). Conclusions: This analysis shows that impaired health status is associated with a 2-3-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with CAD, independent of other conventional risk factors. These results highlight the importance of including patients' subjective experience of their own health status in the evaluation strategy to optimise risk stratification and management in clinical practice

Diagnostic accuracy of a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: An international case-cohort study

We conducted an international study of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis among a large group of physicians and compared their diagnostic performance to a panel of IPF experts. A total of 1141 respiratory physicians and 34 IPF experts participated. Participants evaluated 60 cases of interstitial lung disease (ILD) without interdisciplinary consultation. Diagnostic agreement was measured using the weighted kappa coefficient (\u3baw). Prognostic discrimination between IPF and other ILDs was used to validate diagnostic accuracy for first-choice diagnoses of IPF and were compared using the Cindex. A total of 404 physicians completed the study. Agreement for IPF diagnosis was higher among expert physicians (\u3baw=0.65, IQR 0.53-0.72, p20 years of experience (C-index=0.72, IQR 0.0-0.73, p=0.229) and non-university hospital physicians with more than 20 years of experience, attending weekly MDT meetings (C-index=0.72, IQR 0.70-0.72, p=0.052), did not differ significantly (p=0.229 and p=0.052 respectively) from the expert panel (C-index=0.74 IQR 0.72-0.75). Experienced respiratory physicians at university-based institutions diagnose IPF with similar prognostic accuracy to IPF experts. Regular MDT meeting attendance improves the prognostic accuracy of experienced non-university practitioners to levels achieved by IPF experts

ACE Gene Variant Causing High Blood Pressure May Be Associated With Medication-related Jaw Osteonecrosis

The association of the high blood pressure D variant of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene with medication-related jaw osteonecrosis (MRONJ) is described in two Greek patients. The first patient, a 73-year-old man, took zolendronate, 4 mg/100 ml IV once per month for two years for prostate cancer and bone metastases. Three months after drug discontinuation, extraction of the first premolar was performed. After the intervention, he suffered from osteonecrosis of the mandible. He presented with hypertension and genetic testing revealed that he was homozygous for the high blood pressure D variant of the ACE gene. The second patient, a 65 years old woman, took denosumab, 120 mg subcutaneously once per month for 6 months for possible bone metastases from breast cancer. Three months after extraction of the first molar, she suffered from MRONJ. He also presented with hypertension and genetic testing revealed that she had the high blood pressure D variant of the ACE gene in a heterozygous state, which moderately predisposes to hypertension. To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that genetic predisposition to hypertension may increase risk for MRONJ. © 2019 International Institute of Anticancer Research. All Rights Reserved

Gamma spectroscopy studies of the underwater hydrothermal vent field of the Methana Peninsula

A preliminary study of natural radioactivity was conducted on the thermal spas in Methana Peninsula. To carry out this research, a collection of 17 water samples were taken from thermal springs around and underwater of the volcanogenic Peninsula at depths ranging 0–5 m. The Methana peninsula belongs to the Hellenic Volcanic Arc and is characterized by hydrothermal vent activity. A NaI(Tl) scintillator (AMESOS) was used to carry out gamma–ray counting of the samples to deduce the activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides of the 238U and 232Th decay series, as well as 40K in spa waters. Results are expected to provide information on the geological setting of the Methana peninsula. The impact of naturally occurring radioisotopes to human health has also been assessed in terms of the radiation dose risk corresponding to the measured activities.</jats:p

The hamster model of sequential oral carcinogenesis: An update

Animal models are valuable tools for studying human cancer as well as for preclinical trials. The hamster model of chemically induced sequential oral carcinogenesis was developed by our group a decade ago in order to study the multistep process of alterations in gene expression during carcinogenesis. The purpose of this review was to discuss the utility of the hamster model of sequential oral carcinogenesis regarding the deciphering of the main pathways altered. An extended search for articles that cited that specific animal models was performed. Many studies have used the hamster model of sequential oral carcinogenesis either for evaluation of the expression of biomarkers alone, or for applying chemopreventive compounds and other therapeutic methods, or combining the use of biomarkers with the anticancer effect of some compounds. It seems that this animal model is indeed a useful tool that enables the study of cell biology, pathology and therapeutics of oral cancer. © 2019 International Institute of Anticancer Research. All rights reserved

Depression In Pregnancy Associated With Lower Consumption Of Salads

IntroductionA considerable amount of studies support the association of depression with nutritional factors, especially fruit and vegetables. Little evidence exists concerning mood and nutritional habits of pregnant women in Greece.ObjectiveOur specific objective was to examine potential relationships between fruit and vegetable consumption and depression in pregnant women.AimsThe overall aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional habits and the depression level of healthy pregnant women in Greece.MethodEighty-eight healthy pregnant women, aged 25–44 years (mean± standard deviation: 32.41 ± 3.9), were studied with the aid of a questionnaire addressing eating habits and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ResultsTwenty-four women were found having mild to moderate depression (score 20–24, according to BDI) associated with lower consumption of salads (P &lt; 0.05). No association was found between depression and consumption of fruit or fruit juices, or prescribed supplements (Ca, Fe, Mg, folic acid).ConclusionInterestingly, in our sample an association of depression in pregnancy was found with the consumption of salads but not fruit or fruit juices. The presence of vitamin B in vegetables is one of the factors differentiating them from fruit. So it might be a crucial element for further research.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.</jats:sec