Tuberculosis in prehistory in Eastern Central Europe (Hungary) - Chronological and geographical distribution.

Tuberculosis (TB) has long been a major scourge of humankind. Paleopathological and paleomicrobiological studies have revealed the past presence of the disease on a large spatial and temporal scale. The antiquity of the disease has extensively been studied in the Carpathian Basin, given its dynamic population and cultural changes since prehistory. These studies, however, have mainly focused on the populations living during the Common Era. The aim of this paper is to present the published and the recently discovered cases of prehistoric TB, from the Neolithic (6000-4500/4400 BCE) to the Bronze Age (2600/2500-800 BCE) Central Carpathian Basin (Hungary). We summarize 18 published cases and present new cases dating to the Neolithic period and introduce 3 newly discovered Bronze Age cases of TB. Despite extensive research, TB has not yet been identified from the Copper and Iron Ages in the Carpathian Basin. Considering the state of TB research, and supplemented by our prehistoric dataset, the spatio-temporal pattern of the disease can be further elucidated, thus advancing future molecular and paleopathological studies. Our dataset offers comprehensive spatial and temporal information on the spread of the disease in the Carpathian Basin, along with a detailed biological profile of the demonstrated cases and extensive paleopathological descriptions of the observed lesions, complemented by photographic evidence. This invaluable resource paves the way for enhanced understanding and progress in the field.

The Hydrotrope Action of Sodium Xylenesulfonate on the Solubility of Lecithin.

The activity of sodium xylenesulfonate in aqueous solution was determined by vapor pressure measurements, the results of which were transformed to mean activities. In addition, surface tension, conductivity, and partial molar volume were determined to obtain complementary information about potential association structures. No sudden change was observed, indicating the association to take place in the concentration range where the increased solubility of lecithin was observed, contrary to the case of surfactant micellization. The solubilization of lecithin in the aqueous solutions of sodium xylenesulfonate showed the association to be cooperative between the two amphiphiles. A model is proposed for the interpretation of the catastrophic incorporation threshold concentration observed in the solubility curve of lecithin. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.