Record of metal workshops in peat deposits: history and environmental impact on the Mont Lozère Massif, France.

This study aims to document the history of the metallurgical activities on the Mont Lozère massif in the Cévennes Mountains in Southern France. Many medieval sites of metallurgical wastes (slags) have been reported on the massif. These sites are thought to represent ancient lead workshops. The impact of past metallurgical activity on the environment was studied using geochemical and palynological techniques on a core collected in the Narses Mortes peatland near medieval smelting area. Two main periods of smelting activities during the last 2200 years were revealed bythe lead concentration and isotopic composition along the core profile: the first period corresponds to the Gallic period (approximately ca. 300 B.C. to ca. 20 A.D.) and the second one to the Medieval period (approximately ca. 1000-1300 A.D.). Forest disturbances are associated with lead anomalies for the two metallurgical activities described. The impact of the first metallurgy was moderate during the Gallic period, during which beech and birch were the tree species most affected. The second period corresponds to the observed slag present in the field. Along with agropastoral activities, the medieval smelting activities led to the definitive disappearance of all tree species on the summit zones of Mont Lozère. The abundance of ore resources and the earlier presence of wood on the massif justify the presence of workshops at this place. The relationship between mines and ores has been documented for the Medieval period. There is no archaeological proof concerning the Gallic activity. Nevertheless, 2500-2100 years ago, the borders of the Gallic Tribe territory, named the Gabales, were the same as the present-day borders of the Lozère department. Julius Caesar reported the existence of this tribe in 58 B.C. in "De Bello Gallico", and in Strabon (Book IV, 2.2) the "Gabales silver" and a "treasure of Gabales" are mentioned, but to this day, they have not been found.

High-resolution record of climate stability in France during the last interglacial period.

The last interglacial period (127-110 kyr ago) has been considered to be an analogue to the present interglacial period, the Holocene, which may help us to understand present climate evolution. But whereas Holocene climate has been essentially stable in Europe, variability in climate during the last interglacial period has remained unresolved, because climate reconstructions from ice cores, continental records and marine sediment cores give conflicting results for this period. Here we present a high-resolution multi-proxy lacustrine record of climate change during the last interglacial period, based on oxygen isotopes in diatom silica, diatom assemblages and pollen-climate transfer functions from the Ribains maar in France. Contrary to a previous study, our data do not show a cold event interrupting the warm interglacial climate. Instead, we find an early temperature maximum with a transition to a colder climate about halfway through the sequence. The end of the interglacial period is clearly marked by an abrupt change in all proxy records. Our study confirms that in southwestern Europe the last interglacial period was a time of climatic stability and is therefore still likely to represent a useful analogue for the present climate.

The Holocene at Lac de Creno, Corsica, France: a key site for the whole island.

Two Holocene lake sequences from Lac de Creno, Corsica were analysed on the basis of 119 pollen spectra and with the support of 13 14 C-calibrated dates. The lower part of one of these sequences, corresponding to the late- glacial period, has been published previously. The first third of the Post-glacial is characterized by very particular forest dynamics, namely the absence of a role for deciduous Quercus and Corylus, the presence of mesophilous vegetation types dominated by Taxus, and the major forest role of Erica arborea at lower and mean altitude. At about 7440 cal BP, the occurrence of a major anthropogenic action brought about significant changes in the vegetation, notably an increase of deciduous Quercus and the expansion of Quercus ilex. Later, three major human-induced events are identified: the first, at about 2290 cal BP, is the cause of a short local expansion of Abies; the second, at about 1150 cal BP, is the degradation of deciduous forests to the benefit of Fagus; the third, at about 310 cal BP, corresponds to the disappearance of Fagus and its replacement by Pinus. Pollen data indicate that Q. ilex, Abies and Fagus are not indigenous in Corsica but spread there during the Postglacial ; this probably took place at about 6980 cal BP for Q. ilex.

Calcitonin-secreting carcinomas of the prostate. An immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis.

Two cases of calcitonin-producing carcinomas of the prostate are reported. Light microscopical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural investigations have been performed. These tumors displayed a remarkable dual, endocrine and common epithelial (exocrine), differentiation. However, they presented two different architectural growth patterns. Of particular interest, numerous calcitonin cells were immunocharacterized. In addition, the endocrine component could harbour carcinoembryonic antigen, serotonin, human chorionic gonadotrophin, and prostate-specific acid phosphatase immunoreactive cells. Ultrastructural analysis confirmed the presence of numerous endocrine cells. These findings are not unexpected, since calcitonin, serotonin, and human chorionic gonadotrophin immunoreactive cells are normal and constitutive inhabitants of prostate gland. In the current cases, calcitonin cells showed a strong carcinoembryonic antigen immunoreactivity, as observed also in thyroidal C-cells. This peculiar kind of prostatic carcinoma might be compared to certain thyroidal tumors of intermediate type coupling parafollicular and follicular differentiation.

[Hyperthyroidism from placental choriocarcinoma: a case report and review of the literature (author's transl)]. / Hyperthyroïdie par choriocacinome placentaire: un cas avec revue de la littérature.

The first case of placental choriocarcinoma producing clinical hyperthyroidism reported in France is described. Recovery occurred, with disappearance of the choriocarcinoma metastases and hyperthyroidism signs, after chemotherapy alone (vincristine and methotrexate). A review of the seven cases reported in the published literature showed that the hyperthyroidism could be related to the thyroid-stimulating activity of the tumoral gonadotropin (HCG).