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Abstract: Excavations and sampling conducted at the ancient city of Lattara (Lattes, France) have revealed a foundation offering in a small pit situated in a storehouse in the Roman port of the city. This offering, dated to around a.d. 25–60, consisted of pottery vessels, oil lamps, a coin, a pin (made out of bone), an egg and several plant products. The archaeobotanical remains presented in this work are charred seeds, fruits and charcoal. The primary aim of this study is to analyse whether the plant taxa are unusual or the same ones that appear in the contemporary domestic contexts in the city, in order to assess the possibility of a special use of the plants related to, for instance, their symbolic or magical value. The discovery of domestic or public burnt offerings containing plant remains is unknown in the Mediterranean region of France during the Roman period, except for those found in funerary contexts.

We determined the mitochondrial status of a group of HIV-infected children, some with body fat abnormalities (BFA). We included 24 controls, 16 HIV-infected untreated, 26 HIV-infected treated, 6 BFA-untreated, and 21 BFA-treated patients. Genetic, translational, and functional mitochondrial values were measured. As compared with controls, mitochondrial DNA depletion and a reduction in functionality were found in BFA groups.

Background HAART can cause mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion, which may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. We aimed to determine whether mtDNA and mitochondrial function abnormalities are present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from asymptomatic HIV-infected children.Methods A cross-sectional study in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed in 47 asymptomatic (free from any HIV- or AIDS-related active condition or HAART-related toxicity), HIV-infected, HAART-treated children and adolescents and 27 uninfected healthy paediatric patients. We measured mtDNA and mitochondrial RNA (mtRNA) content by quantitative real-time PCR. Mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymatic activity of complex-IV (CIV) and mitochondrial mass (estimated by citrate synthase) were measured spectrophotometrically, and CIV protein subunit content was measured with western blot analysis.Results A reduction in mtDNA levels was observed in HIV-infected children compared with controls (mean ±sem4.47 ±0.31 and 5.82 ±0.48, respectively; 23% depletion; P=0.018), whereas similar levels of mtRNA, CIV protein subunit content and enzymatic activity were found in the two groups. These findings remained unaltered after considering mitochondrial abundance. Among HIV-infected children, mtDNA levels did not correlate with viral load, CD4+T-cell counts or lactataemia at the time of assessment. No differences were observed when current or past use of individual antiretroviral drugs or HAART regimens were taken into account.Conclusions Depletion in mtDNA from asymptomatic HIV-infected children did not lead to differences in mtRNA levels or mitochondrially-encoded CIV proteins, nor to CIV dysfunction. This may be explained by homeostatic-compensatory mechanisms at the transcription level or by the mild depletion we observed.

Recent updates of the guidelines on the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus mother-to-child transmission have shortened the neonatal zidovudine prophylactic regimens from 6 to 4 weeks. We present a prospective observational study in a large cohort of mother-infant pairs and report that the 4-week regimen allows an earlier recovery of the anemia in these otherwise healthy infants.