Implications of the prevalence of Ascaris sp. in the funerary context of a Late Antique population (5th-7th c.) in Granada (Spain).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasites in human remains from Late Antiquity (5th - 7th c.) Granada (Spain). MATERIALS: The study included pelvic and cranial control samples from 17 skeletons from the archaeological sites of Los Mondragones (n = 13) and Rafael Guillén (n = 4). METHODS: In the paleoparasitological study, soil samples from pelvic area and cranium were analyzed using the rehydration, homogenization, and micro-sieving method and visualization under brightfield microscopy. RESULTS: Ascaris sp. eggs were detected in pelvic samples from seven individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may indicate that this parasite was endemic. Its detection frequency is one of the highest reported at group level in an osteological series from Late Antiquity. SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of Ascaris sp. associated with skeletal remains has implications for assessing the lifestyle and health of populations in southern Spain during the Late Antique period. LIMITATIONS: The number of individuals is small and taphonomic processes could have limited paleoparasitological findings SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Future interdisciplinary studies of this type are warranted in larger osteological series to improve knowledge of parasitosis in the past.

Microsecond Electrical Breakdown in Water: Advances Using Emission Analysis and Cavitation Bubble Theory.

Electrical discharges in water are a subject of major interest because of both the wide range of potential applications and the complexity of the processes. This paper aimed to provide significant insights to better understand processes involved during a microsecond electrical discharge in water, especially during the propagation and the breakdown phases. Two different approaches were considered. The first analysis focused on the emission produced by the discharge during the propagation using fast imaging measurements and spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy. The excited species H, O, and OH were monitored in the whole interelectrode gap. The second analysis concerned the thermodynamic conditions induced by the breakdown of the discharge. The time evolution of the bubble radius was simulated and estimation of the initial pressure of the cavitation bubble was performed using the Rayleigh-Plesset model. Values of about 1.7 × 107 Pa and 1.2 × 108 Pa were reported for the cathode and anode regimes, respectively. This multidisciplinary approach constitutes a new step to obtain an accurate physical and chemical description of pin-to-pin electrical discharges in water.

Non-autonomous regulation of germline stem cell proliferation by somatic MPK-1/MAPK activity in C. elegans.

Extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is a major positive regulator of cell proliferation, which is often upregulated in cancer. However, few studies have addressed ERK/MAPK regulation of proliferation within a complete organism. The Caenorhabditis elegans ERK/MAPK ortholog MPK-1 is best known for its control of somatic organogenesis and germline differentiation, but it also stimulates germline stem cell proliferation. Here, we show that the germline-specific MPK-1B isoform promotes germline differentiation but has no apparent role in germline stem cell proliferation. By contrast, the soma-specific MPK-1A isoform promotes germline stem cell proliferation non-autonomously. Indeed, MPK-1A functions in the intestine or somatic gonad to promote germline proliferation independent of its other known roles. We propose that a non-autonomous role of ERK/MAPK in stem cell proliferation may be conserved across species and various tissue types, with major clinical implications for cancer and other diseases.

Paleoparasitology of Merovingian Corpses Buried in Stone Sarcophagi in the Saint-Martin-au-Val Church (Chartres, France).

Paleoparasitological analysis was carried on 4 Merovingian skeletons, dated from the late-5th to the late-9th centuries, and recovered in the church of Saint-Martin-au-Val in Chartres (Center region, France). The corpses were buried in stone sarcophagi, which were still sealed at the time of excavation. Parasite marker extraction was conducted on sediment samples taken from the abdominal and pelvic regions, but also on samples taken from under the head and the feet as control samples. Microscopic observation revealed the presence of 3 gastrointestinal parasites, namely the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the fish tapeworm (genus Diphyllobothrium). This analysis contributes to a better knowledge of the health status and the lifestyle of ancient medieval populations during the Merovingian period, for which very few paleoparasitological data were available, up until now. It demonstrates the presence of the fish tapeworm for the first time during this period.

Theta-band EEG Activity over Sensorimotor Regions is Modulated by Expected Visual Reafferent Feedback During Reach Planning.

Activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) during reach planning is known to be correlated with the upcoming kinetics and kinematics of the hand. Yet recent work using visual-motor dissociation tasks suggests that M1 activity is also correlated with the visual consequences of an action, independent of the actual hand displacement. The goal of the present work was to investigate whether oscillatory activity over sensorimotor regions is modulated by the expectancy of visual reafferent feedback during reach planning. While recording electroencephalography (EEG), participants executed hand-reaching movements in a single direction (i.e., straight-ahead of midline) throughout the entire experiment. Visual feedback of the hand was provided with a cursor and was manipulated. Specifically, before each trial, participants were precued as to the nature of the upcoming visual feedback, which could be spatially congruent with the hand, rotated leftward or rightward by 20° or not provided at all. Results revealed that planning-related EEG activity at contralateral central electrodes was strongly modulated in the theta-band (3-7 Hz) depending on whether visual feedback would be available or not. In contrast, contralateral beta-band (15-30 Hz) activity did not differ across conditions. These results demonstrate that low-frequency oscillatory dynamics during reach planning depend upon the upcoming availability of visual feedback. This may relate to predicting the visual consequences of the movement or to setting different feedback gains necessary for visually guided vs. non-visually guided movements.

A First Case of Human Trichuriasis from a Roman Lead Coffin in France.

A paleoparasitological study was carried out on 2 lead coffins recovered from the Roman site of Jaunay-Clan (near Poitiers, France). For the first time, this particular type of burial gave positive parasitological results, and eggs of the whipworm Trichuris trichiura were identified in 1 individual. In the present case, thanatomorphose associated with funerary practices may explain the scarcity of the recovered eggs. However, human whipworm has now been observed in 9 individuals dated to the Roman period. The very high frequency of Trichuris sp. eggs in Roman archaeological sites (up to 80%) suggests that fecal peril, hygiene, and waste management were problematic during this period. Finally, due to the fact that very few analyses have been conducted on human bodies dated to the Roman period, more analyses must be performed in the future to provide further information about diseases in the Roman world.

Archaeological occurrences and historical review of the human amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica, over the past 6000years.

Understanding parasite history and the evolution of host/parasite relationships is one of the most important aspects of paleoparasitology. Within the framework of this research topic, this paper focuses on the human pathogenic amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica. The compilation of all the available archaeological data concerning this parasite leads to a first glimpse of the history of this parasite of current medical importance. Paleoparasitological investigation into this parasite uses immunological techniques and shows that the modern strain of E. histolytica has been present in Western Europe since at least the Neolithic period (3700yearsBCE), and could have originated in the Old World. The appearance of the modern amoeba strain in the pre-Columbian Americas and the Middle East around the 12th century CE gives rise to hypotheses as to how human migrations (Atlantic or Pacific routes) contributed to the diffusion of this pathogen, resulting in its current distribution. This compilation proves that parasites are valuable proxies for studying past human and animal migrations, and should be given more consideration in the future.

The horse pinworm (Oxyuris equi) in archaeology during the Holocene: Review of past records and new data.

This paper focuses on the horse pinworm, Oxyuris equi, in archaeology during the Holocene period, and presents an overview of past published occurrences, early mentions in texts, and new data from our paleoparasitology research. This original compilation shows that the most ancient record of the horse pinworm dates to ca. 2500 years before present (ybp) in Central Asia and to ca. 2020 ybp in Western Europe. It also shows that the parasite is not detected on the American continent until contemporary periods. The role of European migrations from 1492 (Christopher Columbus) is discussed to explain the transfer of the horse pinworm from the Old World to the Americas. The absence of any record of this parasite before ca. 2500 ybp in Eurasia could be explained by parasite ecology, unfavorable sampling and scarcity of horse archeological remains. For the Americas, the absence of horse for long periods can be an additional explanation for the absence of the parasite.

Intestinal parasites in First World War German soldiers from "Kilianstollen", Carspach, France.

Paleoparasitological investigations revealed the presence of intestinal helminths in samples taken from the abdominal cavities of two German soldiers, recovered in the First World War site named "Kilianstollen" in Carspach, France. Eggs from roundworm, whipworm, tapeworm and capillariids were identified. The morphological and morphometrical comparison, followed by statistical analyses, showed that the Carspach capillariid eggs are similar to rodent parasites. Poor sanitary conditions in the trenches, the lack of knowledge of parasites, and the widespread presence of commensal animals, can explain the occurrence of such parasites in human intestines. This study is the second dealing with 20th century human samples. It confirms the presence of intestinal worms in First World War German soldiers. In this case study, the application of statistics to precise measurements facilitated the diagnosis of ancient helminth eggs and completed the microscopic approach.

Testing new parasite egg extraction methods in paleoparasitology and an attempt at quantification.

In order to improve paleoparasitological analyses, we tested different acid (hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids) and base (sodium hydroxide) combinations for parasite egg extraction in archaeological sediments. We used a method of egg counting to compare these results to those obtained with the standard paleo-parasitological RHM extraction protocol (rehydration-homogenization-micro-sieving). Tests show that the use of hydrochloric acid results in a concentration of some taxa like Ascaris sp. or Trichuris sp. and an appreciable decrease in vegetal and mineral remains. However, tests also show that acid use systematically decreases parasite species identified, as compared to the standard RHM protocol. Base use yielded even more negative results with systematically lower biodiversity than with the standard protocol, probably due to chemical processes on chitin contained in the eggshell. These results suggest acids and sodium hydroxide should be used as little as possible during extraction due to the damages they cause to the eggs of some parasite species. The counting method was an efficient technique with which to demonstrate our results and could be used in future paleoparasitology studies.