Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mechanisms Of Influenza Viral Membrane Fusion, Jelle S. Blijleven, Sander Boonstra, Patrick Onck, Erik Van Der Giessen, Antoine M. Van Oijen

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Influenza viral particles are enveloped by a lipid bilayer. A major step in infection is fusion of the viral and host cellular membranes, a process with large kinetic barriers. Influenza membrane fusion is catalyzed by hemagglutinin (HA), a class I viral fusion protein activated by low pH. The exact nature of the HA conformational changes that deliver the energy required for fusion remains poorly understood. This review summarizes our current knowledge of HA structure and dynamics, describes recent single-particle experiments and modeling studies, and discusses their role in understanding how multiple HAs mediate fusion. These approaches provide a mechanistic picture …

Unravelling The Glass Trade Bead Sequence From Magoro Hill, South Africa: Separating Pre-Seventeenth-Century Asian Imports From Later European Counterparts, Farahnaz Koleini, Linda C. Prinsloo, Wim M. Biemond, Philippe Colomban, Anh T. Ngo, Jan C. Boeyens, Maria M. Van Der Ryst, Koos Van Brakel

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Excavations conducted between 2010 and 2012 at Magoro Hill, a site in South Africa's Limpopo Province frequented or intermittently occupied by African farming communities since the first millennium AD, yielded a substantial glass bead assemblage. A selection of the beads was studied non-destructively by classifying them according to morphological attributes, supplemented by Raman analyses and XRF measurements. It became evident that a morphological classification of beads recovered from sites that include imports into Africa after the seventeenth century AD could be problematic due to apparent morphological similarities between earlier and later beads. This paper demonstrates the use and archaeological application …

Australian Women's Experiences Of The Subdermal Contraceptive Implant: A Qualitative Perspective, Kumiyo Inoue, Marguerite Kelly, Alexandra Barratt, Deborah Bateson, Alison Rutherford, Kirsten I. Black, Mary Stewart, Juliet Richters

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background The number of prescriptions for contraceptive implants has steadily increased in Australia, but implant use is still low. Objectives The objectives of the study were to describe women's nuanced responses, and characterise their multidimensional and complex reasons for (dis)continuing use of the contraceptive implant. Method A descriptive qualitative approach was used for this study. A larger qualitative study using in-depth, open-ended interviews, conducted in New South Wales between 2012 and 2013 with 94 women aged 16-49 years who had used contraception, included 10 interviews containing accounts of implant use. The 10 interviews were analysed thematically in the present study. …

Exaggerations And Caveats In Press Releases And Health-Related Science News, Petroc Sumner, Solveiga Vivian Griffiths, Jacky Boivin, Andrew Williams, Lewis Bott, Rachel Adams, Christos Venetis, Leanne Whelan, Bethan Hughes, Christopher D. Chambers

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background: Exaggerated or simplistic news is often blamed for adversely influencing public health. However, recent findings suggested many exaggerations were already present in university press releases, which scientists approve. Surprisingly, these exaggerations were not associated with more news coverage. Here we test whether these two controversial results also arise in press releases from prominent science and medical journals. We then investigate the influence of mitigating caveats in press releases, to test assumptions that caveats harm news interest or are ignored.

Methods and Findings Using: quantitative content analysis, we analyzed press releases (N = 534) on biomedical and health-related science issued …

Evaluating Women's Knowledge Of The Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill In An Australian Rural General Practice Setting, Sharna Kulhavy, Teresa M. Treweek

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background: In addition to the contraceptive action of the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), there are a number of other benefits to its use such as menstrual cycle regulation. However, COCP use is also associated with a higher risk of thromboembolism. Despite the prevalence of COCP use, studies have indicated that overall women have poor knowledge of the COCP.

Aim: To evaluate women's knowledge of the COCP in a rural general practice setting. The extent of knowledge was assessed in several domains including: COCP use and effectiveness, mechanism of action, and the risks and benefits of COCP use. …

Posaconazole Therapeutic Drug Monitoring In A Regional Hospital Setting, Patrick J. Lindsay, Stuart Bond, Ross Norris, Deborah Marriott, Spiros Miyakis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

BACKGROUND: Posaconazole therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is recommended to promote effective antifungal prophylaxis, but its utility has yet to be optimized. Breakthrough invasive fungal infections have been reported with serum concentrations/L, but there is little evidence to determine the optimal serum concentration for efficacy or concentrations associated with toxicity. Challenges for effective monitoring are greater in settings without posaconazole TDM facilities because of the long turnaround time before receipt of results.

METHODS: Thirty-eight TDM episodes were performed on 18 patients in a regional center in Australia during a 30-month period. Australian guidelines recommend a trough serum concentration of ≥700 mcg/L. …

Seasonal And Long Term Variations Of Surface Ozone Concentrations In Malaysian Borneo, Mohd Talib Latif, Doreena Dominick, Fatimah Ahamad, Nur Shuhada Ahamad, Md Firoz Khan, Liew Juneng, Chung Jing Xiang, Mohd Shahrul Mohd Nadzir, Andrew D. Robinson, Marzuki Ismail, Mohammed Iqbal Mead, Neil R. P Harris

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Malaysian Borneo has a lower population density and is an area known for its lush rainforests. However, changes in pollutant profiles are expected due to increasing urbanisation and commercial-industrial activities. This study aims to determine the variation of surface O₃ concentration recorded at seven selected stations in Malaysian Borneo. Hourly surface O₃ data covering the period 2002 to 2013, obtained from the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE), were analysed using statistical methods. The results show that the concentrations of O₃ recorded in Malaysian Borneo during the study period were below the maximum Malaysian Air Quality Standard of …

A Teaching Model For Health Professionals Learning Reflective Practice, Joanne T. Joyce-Mccoach, Kylie Smith

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The aim of this work was to use the theory and concepts of critical reflection in the development of a teaching model to enhance the learning approach to reflective practice for health professionals. The results of this initial stage of a larger project have identified the key challenges for health professionals learning about reflective practice. From the literature a model for teaching critical reflection was conceptualized. It begins with an exploration of self and values, moves students through a dialogue with peers, and explores the social and historical contexts of practice. Conclusions drawn from this work show that despite the …

Killing The Speckled Monster: Riots, Resistance And Reward In The Story Of Smallpox Vaccination, Kathryn M. Weston

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

En route to the vaccination exhibition, it was easy to get distracted by the impressive variety of preserved specimens on display in one of London's most fascinating museums, the Hunterian. Jar upon jar of human and animal body parts as well as medical tools, skeletons, and other paraphernalia are enough to keep a visitor absorbed for hours. Happily, the Qvist gallery exhibition of Vaccination: Medicine and the Masses was equally captivating.

Sedimentological Processes And Environmental Variability At Lake Ohrid (Macedonia, Albania) Between 637 Ka And The Present, Alexander Francke, Bernd Wagner, Janna Just, Niklas Leicher, Raphael Gromig, Henrike Baumgarten, Hendrik Vogel, Jack H. Lacey, Laura Sadori, Thomas Wonik, Melanie J. Leng

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Lake Ohrid (Macedonia, Albania) is thought to be more than 1.2 million years old and host more than 300 endemic species. As a target of the International Continental scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), a successful deep drilling campaign was carried out within the scope of the Scientific Collaboration on Past Speciation Conditions in Lake Ohrid (SCOPSCO) project in 2013. Here, we present lithological, sedimentological, and (bio-)geochemical data from the upper 247.8 m composite depth of the overall 569 m long DEEP site sediment succession from the central part of the lake. According to an age model, which is based on 11 …

Differential Resilience Of Ancient Sister Lakes Ohrid And Prespa To Environmental Disturbances During The Late Pleistocene, Elena Jovanovska, Aleksandra Cvetkoska, Torsten Hauffe, Zlatko Levkov, Bernd Wagner, Roberto Sulpizio, Alexander Francke, Christian Albrecht, Thomas Wilke

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Ancient lakes, such as lakes Ohrid and Prespa on the Balkan Peninsula, have become model systems for studying the link between geological and biotic evolution. Recently, the scientific deep-drilling project Scientific Collaboration on Past Speciation Conditions in Lake Ohrid (SCOPSCO) was initiated to better understand the environmental, climatic, and limnological evolution of the lake. It revealed that Lake Ohrid experienced a number of environmental disturbances during its ca. 2.0 million year long history. These are comprised of disturbances that lasted over longer periods of time ("press events") such as glacial-interglacial cycles and Heinrich events, as well as sudden and short …

Aligning And Synchronization Of Mis5 Proxy Records From Lake Ohrid (Fyrom) With Independently Dated Mediterranean Archives: Implications For Deep Core Chronology, Giovanni Zanchetta, Eleonora Regattieri, Biagio Giaccio, Bernd Wagner, Roberto Sulpizio, Alexander Francke, Hendrik Vogel, Laura Sadori, Alessia Masi, Gaia Sinopoli

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The DEEP site sediment sequence obtained during the ICDP SCOPSCO project at Lake Ohrid was dated using tephrostratigraphic information, cyclostratigraphy, and orbital tuning through the marine isotope stages (MIS) 15-1. Although this approach is suitable for the generation of a general chronological framework of the long succession, it is insufficient to resolve more detailed palaeoclimatological questions, such as leads and lags of climate events between marine and terrestrial records or between different regions. Here, we demonstrate how the use of different tie points can affect cyclostratigraphy and orbital tuning for the period between ca. 140 and 70 ka and how …

Is Delirium Being Detected In Emergency?, Victoria Traynor, Nicholas Cordato, Pippa Burns, Yun Xu, Nicole Britten, Kim Duncan, Loren Devries, Colleen Mckinnon

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective To report on the use of Delirium Care Pathways to screen for and recognise delirium by Aged Care Services in Emergency Teams (ASETs) at five metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Knowledge of delirium and the use of Delirium Care Pathways are vital to ensure that older people presenting with delirium receive best practice care. Methods An audit of 205 randomly selected medical records of clients over 65 years presenting to an ASET was conducted. Results Delirium was recorded in the medical records notes of four clients (2%). However, the auditors identified another 27 clients with symptoms of …

Food Security, Food Systems And Food Sovereignty In The 21st Century: A New Paradigm Required To Meet Sustainable Development Goals, Karen E. Charlton

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This first issue of the Nutrition & Dietetics for 2016 focuses on food security. As an introduction to the broad spectrum of papers contained therein, this review will consider current definitions of food insecurity and then go on to discuss how to address the determinants of food insecurity (Table 1)4 within a new paradigm defined by the SDGs, as follows: • People (end poverty and hunger); • Planet (ensure sustainability of resources and arrest climate change); • Prosperity (encourage equity and promote technological advancement); and • Peace Partnership (strengthen global solidarity). The review will also consider training and educational needs …

Understanding The Importance Of Collecting Qualitative Data Creatively, Elizabeth J. Halcomb

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

IN ITS broadest sense, qualitative research encompasses any study that does not use statistical methods or quantify results (Strauss and Corbin 1990). Qualitative researchers undertake their work in the natural setting, attempting to understand or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.

Ability Of The 4-D-Var Analysis Of The Gosat Besd Xco2 Retrievals To Characterize Atmospheric Co2 At Large And Synoptic Scales, Sébastien Massart, Anna Agustí-Panareda, Jens Heymann, Michael Buchwitz, Frédéric Chevallier, Maximilian Reuter, Michael Hilker, J P. Burrows, Nicholas M. Deutscher, D Feist, Frank Hase, Ralf Sussmann, Filip Desmet, Manvendra K. Dubey, David W. T Griffith, Rigel Kivi, Christof Petri, Matthias Schneider, Voltaire A. Velazco

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This study presents results from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) carbon dioxide (CO2) analysis system where the atmospheric CO2 is controlled through the assimilation of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of CO2 (XCO2) from the Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). The analysis is compared to a free-run simulation (without assimilation of XCO2), and they are both evaluated against XCO2 data from the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). We show that the assimilation of the GOSAT XCO2 product from the Bremen Optimal Estimation Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (BESD) algorithm during the year 2013 provides XCO2 fields with an …

Maternal Plasma Dha Levels Increase Prior To 29 Days Post-Lh Surge In Women Undergoing Frozen Embryo Transfer: A Prospective, Observational Study Of Human Pregnancy, Barbara J. Meyer, Christopher C. Onyiaodike, Elizabeth A. Brown, Fiona Jordan, Heather Murray, Robert Jb Nibbs, Naveed Sattar, Helen Lyall, Scott M. Nelson, Dilys J. Freeman

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Context: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important fatty acid required for neurological development but its importance during early fetal neurological organogenesis is unknown. Objective: To assess plasma fatty acid changes in early pregnancy in women undergoing natural cycle-frozen embryo transfer as a means of achieving accurately-timed periconceptual sampling. Design: Women undergoing frozen embryo transfer were recruited and serial fasting blood samples were taken pre-luteinising hormone (LH) surge, and at days 18, 29 and 45 post-LH surge and fatty acids were analysed using gas chromatography. Setting: Assisted Conception Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland Main outcome measures: Plasma fatty acid concentrations, influence …

Unexpectedly High Ultrafine Aerosol Concentrations Above East Antarctic Sea Ice, Ruhi S. Humphries, A R. Klekociuk, Robyn Schofield, Melita Keywood, J Ward, Stephen R. Wilson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Better characterisation of aerosol processes in pristine, natural environments, such as Antarctica, have recently been shown to lead to the largest reduction in uncertainties in our understanding of radiative forcing. Our understanding of aerosols in the Antarctic region is currently based on measurements that are often limited to boundary layer air masses at spatially sparse coastal and continental research stations, with only a handful of studies in the vast sea-ice region. In this paper, the first observational study of sub-micron aerosols in the East Antarctic sea ice region is presented. Measurements were conducted aboard the icebreaker Aurora Australis in spring …

Early Antipsychotic Treatment In Childhood/Adolescent Period Has Long-Term Effects On Depressive-Like, Anxiety-Like And Locomotor Behaviours In Adult Rats, Michael De Santis, Jiamei Lian, Xu-Feng Huang, Chao Deng

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Childhood/adolescent antipsychotic drug (APD) use is exponentially increasing worldwide, despite limited knowledge of the long-term effects of early APD treatment. Whilst investigations have found that early treatment has resulted in some alterations to dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission systems (essential to APD efficacy), there have only been limited studies into potential long-term behavioural changes. This study, using an animal model for childhood/adolescent APD treatment, investigated the long-term effects of aripiprazole, olanzapine and risperidone on adult behaviours of male and female rats. Open-field/holeboard, elevated plus maze (EPM), social interaction and forced swim (FS) tests were then conducted in adult rats. Our results …

Multicomponent Metal-Organic Frameworks As Defect-Tolerant Materials, Seok J. Lee, Celine Doussot, Anthony Baux, Lujia Liu, Geoffrey B. Jameson, Christopher Richardson, Joshua J. Pak, Fabien Trousselet, François-Xavier Coudert, Shane Telfer

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Multicomponent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) comprise multiple, structurally diverse linkers fixed into an ordered lattice by metal ions or clusters as secondary building units (SBUs). Here, we show how multicomponent MOFs are ideal platforms for engineering materials with high levels of vacancy defects. First, a new type of quaternary MOF that is built up from two neutral, linear ditopic linkers, a 3-fold-symmetric carboxylate ligand, and a dinuclear paddlewheel SBU was synthesized. This MOF, named MUF-32 (MUF = Massey University Framework), is constructed from dabco, 4,4′-bipyridyl (bipy), 4,4′,4″-nitrilotrisbenzoate (ntb), and zinc(II), and it adopts an ith-d topology. The zinc(II) ions and ntb …

Estimates Of European Uptake Of Co2 Inferred From Gosat Xco2 Retrievals: Sensitivity To Measurement Bias Inside And Outside Europe, L Feng, Paul I. Palmer, Robert J. Parker, Nicholas M. Deutscher, D Feist, Rigel Kivi, Isamu Morino, Ralf Sussmann

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Estimates of the natural CO2 flux over Europe inferred from in situ measurements of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction have been used previously to check top-down flux estimates inferred from space-borne dry-air CO2 column (XCO2) retrievals. Several recent studies have shown that CO2 fluxes inferred from XCO2 data from the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) and the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) have larger seasonal amplitudes and a more negative annual net CO2 balance than those inferred from the in situ data. The cause of this elevated European uptake of CO2 is still unclear, but some recent …

Zooplankton Diversity Of A Protected And Vulnerable Wetland System In Southern South America (Llancanelo Area, Argentina), D. Sabina D'Ambrosio, Maria Cristina Claps, Adriana García

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In arid regions, climatic conditions exert a great control on the aquatic systems present, but recent changes in climate have produced an enhanced salinization of the aquatic environments located there. Consequently, a major reduction in biodiversity would be expected in those wetlands that were originally fresh water. Salinity is a principal cause of reduced biodiversity particularly in zooplankton because few of those species can adapt to the salt pressure of saline environments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain essential information on the diversity of aquatic invertebrates in Llancanelo basin by focussing the analysis on the zooplankton community …

Prevalence And Symptomatology Of Catatonia In Elderly Patients Referred To A Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service, Jacqueline Kaelle, Anju Abujam, Harsha Ediriweera, Matthew D. Macfarlane

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and clinical correlations of catatonia in patients aged over 65 years who are referred to a consultation-liaison service within a regional area of Australia. Additionally, to examine if the use of standardised screening tools is likely to change the rate of diagnosis of catatonia within the consultation-liaison service. Methods: One hundred and eight referrals from general hospital wards were assessed using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI) and associated examination; each consented patient was screened for catatonic symptoms. If two or more signs were present on the BFCSI, then severity was rated using the Bush-Francis …

Climate Change Not To Blame For Late Quaternary Megafauna Extinctions In Australia, Frédérik Saltréa, Marta Rodríguez-Reya, Barry W. Brook, Chris N. Johnson, Christian Turney, John Alroy, Alan Cooper, Nicholas Beeton, Michael I. Bird, Damien A. Fordham, Richard Gillespie, Salvador Herrando-Péreza, Zenobia Jacobs, Gifford H. Miller, David Nogués-Bravo, Gavin J. Prideaux, Richard G. Roberts, Corey J. A Bradshaw

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Late Quaternary megafauna extinctions impoverished mammalian diversity worldwide. The causes of these extinctions in Australia are most controversial but essential to resolve, because this continent-wide event presaged similar losses that occurred thousands of years later on other continents. Here we apply a rigorous metadata analysis and new ensemble-hindcasting approach to 659 Australian megafauna fossil ages. When coupled with analysis of several high-resolution climate records, we show that megafaunal extinctions were broadly synchronous among genera and independent of climate aridity and variability in Australia over the last 120,000 years. Our results reject climate change as the primary driver of megafauna extinctions …

'Living Here Will Make You Fat' - Do We Need A Public Health Warning?, Karen E. Charlton, Abhijeet Ghosh

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Governments have invested billions in efforts to prevent obesity, yet Australians keep getting fatter, especially in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Antimalarial Oxoprotoberberine Alkaloids From The Leaves Of Miliusa Cuneata, Thanika Promchai, Atchara Jaidee, Sarot Cheenpracha, Kongkiat Trisuwan, Roonglawan Rattanajak, Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan, Surat Laphookhieo, Stephen G. Pyne, Thunwadee Ritthiwigrom

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Five new oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, miliusacunines A-E (1-5), along with nine known compounds, 6-14, were isolated from an acetone extract of the leaves and twigs of Miliusa cuneata. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against the KB and Vero cell lines and for antimalarial activities against the Plasmodium falciparum strains TM4 and K1 (a sensitive and a multi-drug-resistant strain, respectively). Compound 1 showed in vitro antimalarial activity against the TM4 strain, with an IC50 value of 19.3 ± 3.4 μM, and compound 2 demonstrated significant activity against the K1 strain, with an …

Acute Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: Does Ice, Low Load Isometric Exercise, Or A Combination Of The Two Produce An Analgaesic Effect?, Phillip Parle, Diane L. Riddiford-Harland, Chris Howitt, Jeremy S. Lewis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Two clinical procedures to manage RC tendinopathy include ice wraps and isometric exercise, however, there are no empirical data supporting their use. This pilot study, conducted at the Illawarra Sports Medicine Clinic, NSW, Australia, was designed to test (1) the short term analgaesic effect of these interventions and (2) the feasibility of a larger clinical trial for adults diagnosed with acute rotator cuff tendinopathy (<12 >weeks).

Clusterin In The Eye: An Old Dog With New Tricks At The Ocular Surface, M Elizabeth Fini, Aditi Bauskar, Shinwu Jeong, Mark R. Wilson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The multifunctional protein clusterin (CLU) was first described in 1983 as a secreted glycoprotein present in ram rete testis fluid that enhanced aggregation ('clustering') of a variety of cells in vitro. It was also independently discovered in a number of other systems. By the early 1990s, CLU was known under many names and its expression had been demonstrated throughout the body, including in the eye. Its homeostatic activities in proteostasis, cytoprotection, and anti-inflammation have been well documented, however its roles in health and disease are still not well understood. CLU is prominent at fluid-tissue interfaces, and in 1996 it was …

Proto-Pacific-Margin Source For The Ordovician Turbidite Submarine Fan, Lachlan Orogen, Southeast Australia: Geochemical Constraints, R Offler, Chris L. Fergusson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The Early Palaeozoic proto-Pacific Pacific margin of Gondwana was characterised by a huge turbidite submarine fan with abundant clastic detritus derived from unknown sources within Gondwana. These deposits are widespread in the Lachlan Orogen of southeast Australia and include the Ordovician Adaminaby Group. Here we show that the mudstones and sandstones of the Adaminaby Group have chemical compositions that indicate the detritus in them was derived from a felsic, continental source similar in composition to Post Archean Australian Shales (PAAS). Chondrite normalised REE patterns showing LREE enrichment, flat PAAS normalised patterns and elemental ratios La/Sc, Cr/Th, Cr/V, Th/Sc and Th/U, …

The Age Of Three Middle Palaeolithic Sites: Single-Grain Optically Stimulated Luminescence Chronologies For Pech De L'Azé I, Ii And Iv In France, Zenobia Jacobs, Nathan Jankowski, Harold L. Dibble, Paul Goldberg, Shannon P. Mcpherron, Dennis M. Sandgathe, Marie Soressi

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements were made on individual, sand-sized grains of quartz from Middle Palaeolithic deposits at three sites (Pech de l'Azé I, II and IV) located close to one another in the Dordogne region of southwest France. We were able to calculate OSL ages for 69 samples collected from these three sites. These ages reveal periods of occupation between about 180 and 50 thousand years ago. Our single-grain OSL chronologies largely support previous age estimates obtained by thermoluminescence dating of burnt flints at Pech IV, electron spin resonance dating of tooth enamel at Pech I, II and IV …