The development of large reservoirs in the western United States during the twentieth century inundated a diverse array of archaeological sites and other cultural resources. Land managers, cultural resource specialists, and other stakeholders have long been aware of the effects of inundation on archaeological sites, and they have sought to mitigate them by using various means at their disposal. In modern times, drought and climate change in the western United States have reduced the pool sizes of many reservoirs, including one of the largest, Lake Mead, which straddles the Arizona and Nevada border. This research presents the results of a two-year effort to study the direct and indirect effects of lacustrine-based processes at Lake Mead to a large eleventh-century prehistoric village, Pueblo Grande de Nevada. What are the processes that are most likely to damage archaeological sites and, conversely, what are those that may serve to preserve or protect them? The results of pedestrian inventory throughout the village, limited subsurface tests at certain loci, and intensive mapping at one habitation complex are used to evaluate and synthesize these effects.

Dracunculiasis is the first parasitic disease set for eradication. However, recent events related to the Dracunculus medinensis epidemiology in certain African countries are apparently posing new challenges to its eradication. Two novel facts have emerged: the existence of animal reservoirs (mainly dogs but also cats and baboons), and possibly a new food-borne route of transmission by the ingestion of paratenic (frogs) or transport (fish) hosts. Therefore, instead of being exclusively a water-borne anthroponosis, dracunculiasis would also be a food-borne zoonosis. The existence of a large number of infected dogs, mainly in Chad, and the low number of infected humans, have given rise to this potential food-borne transmission. This novel route would concern not only reservoirs, but also humans. However, only animals seem to be affected. Dracunculus medinensis is on the verge of eradication due to the control measures which, classically, have been exclusively aimed at the water-borne route. Therefore, food-borne transmission is probably of secondary importance, at least in humans. In Chad, reservoirs would become infected through the water-borne route, mainly in the dry season when rivers recede, and smaller accessible ponds, with a lower water level containing the infected copepods, appear, whilst humans drink filtered water and, thus, avoid infection. The total absence of control measures aimed at dogs (or at other potential reservoirs) up until the last years, added to the stimulating reward in cash given to those who find parasitized dogs, have presumably given rise to the current dracunculiasis scenario in Chad.

Fluvial and aeolian sandstones of the Sergi Formation are the most important reservoirs of the Recôncavo Basin, Brazil. Optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy revealed the occurrence of dickite, a clay mineral indicative of deep burial conditions (T >100ºC), in the shallow Buracica (630–870 m) and Água Grande (1300–1530 m) oilfields. Vermicular dickite replaces K-feldspar and plagioclase grains, and fills intra- and inter-granular pores. Its vermicular habit is a product of pseudomorphic kaolinite transformation during burial. The presence of dickite is in accordance with the intensity of compaction, post-compactional quartz cementation and δ18O values of calcite cements (T up to 109ºC). These petrological features of deep burial, as well as apatite fission-track analyses, indicate that uplift and erosion of at least 1 km, and probably >1500 m, affected the central part of the Recôncavo Basin and possibly the entire region. This uplift has not been detected previously by conventional structural and stratigraphic models.

The importance of gulls as bioindicators, reservoirs and vectors of Escherichia coli strains resistant to the older generation of antibiotics, broad spectrum cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones is reviewed in the following paper. The aim is to highlight the fact that they could be a hot spot for the development of new resistance types. Even though gulls do not naturally come into contact with antibiotics, they are omnivorous and they often eat food in agricultural, rural and urban areas so they can be infected with resistant strains from livestock or human sources which they can spread again into the environment. They may then come into contact with poultry kept under free range conditions. More intensive investigations of this subject are required, as well as the need to find accurate and reliable preventive measures, are demonstrated in the present paper.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is a complex disease with a rich diversity of animal host species. This diversity imposes a challenge, since understanding ACL transmission requires the adequate identification of reservoir hosts, those species able to be a source of additional infections. In this study we present results from an ACL cross-sectional serological survey of 51 dogs (Canis familiaris), where we used diagnostic tests that measure dog's exposure to Leishmania spp. parasites. We did our research in Panamá, at a village that has undergone significant ecosystem level transformations. We found an ACL seroprevalence of 47% among dogs, and their exposure was positively associated with dog age and abundance of sand fly vectors in the houses of dog owners. Using mathematical models, which were fitted to data on the proportion of positive tests as function of dog age, we estimated a basic reproductive number (R0 ± s.e.) of 1·22 ± 0·09 that indicates the disease is endemically established in the dogs. Nevertheless, this information by itself is insufficient to incriminate dogs as ACL reservoirs, given the inability to find parasites (or their DNA) in seropositive dogs and previously reported failures to experimentally infect vectors feeding on dogs with ACL parasites.

Excavations at four Iron Age moated sites in the Mun Valley in Thailand have identified seminal innovations, defined as emergent properties, that illuminate the origins of the kingdom of Angkor. Combined with recent research at Angkor itself, they present a compelling case for re-examining fundamental cultural changes that took place over a period of little more than four centuries, from AD 400–800. They compare with similarly rapid developments in Mesoamerica and Mesopotamia; fundamental parallels are evident in the role of charismatic agents for change, an ideology conferring god-like status on leaders, a new and highly productive economic base, an expanded interaction sphere for the exchange of prestige goods, and endemic warfare.

In this paper we study the effects of timing of salt movement and mechanical compaction on the generation of overpressures in Mesozoic rocks. To that end we apply 2D basin modelling on two N-S trending cross sections in the Dutch Central Graben and Terschelling Basin, respectively. Several overpressuring scenarios were calculated by modifying the mechanical compaction of the sealing layer, the rate of sedimentation, and the timing of salt movement. Pressure and porosity measurements from several wells along the cross sections were used as calibration data. The results show that rapid sedimentation and early compaction of Pliocene to Quaternary mudstones explain most of the overpressures in the Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks. The modifications of the mechanical compaction of the Upper Cretaceous Chalk Group performed in this study could not explain the overpressure anomalies in the southern part of the Dutch Central Graben. Processes such as chemical compaction are probably more important in this respect. Overpressures in the Triassic are mainly controlled by the timing of salt movement and the closure of lateral seals. This study has lead to a better understanding of the processes that generate overpressures and those that are involved in their lateral distribution. The integration of modelling scenarios and information on the timing of seal formation enables to define new play concepts and is important for the assessment of possible drilling hazards as well.

Heliciculture is an excellent alternative to obtain edible snails but its viability is seriously threatened by pathogens. A parasitological survey was conducted in 3 mixed system-based heliciculture farms in Galicia (NW Spain), with the species Tetrahymena rostrata, Tetrahymena limacis, Tetratrichomonas limacis, Cryptobia helicogenae, Brachylaima aspersae (metacercariae and sporocysts), Alloionema appendiculatum, Nemhelix bakeri, and Riccardoella limacum being commonly found infecting Helix aspersa aspersa (petit-gris) snails. With the exception of C. helicogenae, N. bakeri, and B. aspersae sporocysts, all species were also detected in Helix aspersa maxima (gros-gris) snails, although generally with lower parameters. Most monoxenous infections, and consequently multiple parasitism, exhibited a rising trend during the first 2 months of intensive mating, with tendencies being slowed down or even reversed during the third month as a result of accumulated mortality and a sampling-derived reduction in host density. No parasites were vertically transmitted and infections were initially acquired from invading gastropod and micromammal reservoirs during fattening. Finally, artificial hibernation reduced significantly the prevalence of most species. These results confirm the importance of parasites in heliciculture and emphasize the need to prevent the entry of wild reservoirs into the farms and to rapidly remove the carcasses of dead snails from the reproduction units and fattening pens.

Some Trypanosoma and Leishmania species are multi-host parasites whose distribution overlaps in several parts of the Brazilian Amazon basin. Despite being a common trait among wild mammals, mixed infections and their consequences for the host's health and parasite transmission are still a poorly known phenomenon. Here we describe a triple mixed infection – Trypanosoma cruzi, T. rangeli and Leishmania infantum – in a bone marrow sample from an anteater Tamandua tetradactyla captured in a house backyard from the endemic Abaetetuba municipality in the Amazon basin. T. cruzi was also isolated from blood samples. The mini-exon multiplex PCR characterization detected the infection by T. rangeli and T. cruzi (TcI genotype), while L. infantum infection was confirmed by an ITS-PCR followed by amplicon sequencing. This is the first description of T. rangeli isolation from bone marrow and the first report of L. infantum infection in xenarthrans. The implications of this finding are discussed considering the influence of mixed infections in the role of this mammal species as a putative reservoir host of these 3 trypanosomatid species.

Hydroacoustical estimation of fish abundance and distribution is performed in three reservoirs that are characterised by different levels of eutrophication. The Biosonics 101 dual beam echosounder with a frequency of 420 kHz and the ESP software for acoustical data analyses are used. A clear dependence between fish density and the level of eutrophication is observed. In the mesotrophic Solina reservoir, fish abundance is over an order of magnitude lower than that in the eutrophic Dobczyce and Sulejów reservoirs. Fish length distributions have different shapes in the three reservoirs, which indicates the changes in fish size structure due to eutrophication; however, the mean target strength of fish does not differ significantly. These results suggest that hydroacoustically collected data may help to assess the ecological state of inland waters and may be used together with other methods in monitoring the water quality.

Hydroelectric dams in tropical forest areas emit carbon dioxide and methane. How these emissions and their impacts should be calculated, and how comparisons should be made with global warming contributions of alternative energy sources such as fossil fuels, can lead to sharp differences in conclusions on the relative advantages of these options. The example of Brazil's Tucuruí Dam is examined to clarify these differences. The present paper extends an earlier analysis to 100 years and explores the differences between these and comparable fossil fuel emissions.

Factors considered here in calculating emissions for Tucuruí Dam include the initial stock and distribution of carbon, decay rates and pathways (leading to carbon dioxide and methane), and losses of power in transmission lines. Factors not considered include forest degradation on islands and reservoir shores, nitrous oxide sources in drawdown zones and transmission lines, additional methane emission pathways for release from standing trees, water passing through the turbines, etc. Construction-phase emissions are also not included; neither are emissions from deforestation by people displaced by and attracted to the project. A complete accounting of the alternative landscape is also lacking. Standardization of the level of reliability of the electricity supply is needed to compare hydroelectric and thermoelectric options.

Types of emission calculations commonly used include the ultimate contribution to emissions, the annual balance of emissions in a given year, and emissions over a long time horizon (such as 100 years). The timing of emissions differs between hydroelectric and thermal generation, hydro producing a large pulse of carbon dioxide emissions in the first years after filling the reservoir while thermal produces a constant flux of gases in proportion to the power generated. The impacts of emissions are related to the atmospheric load (stocks) of the gases rather than to the emissions (flows), and therefore last over a long time. According to the calculations in the present paper, the average carbon dioxide molecule in the atmospheric load contributed by Tucuruí was present in the atmosphere 15 years earlier than the average molecule in the comparable load from fossil fuel generation. This means that, considering a 100-year time horizon, a tonne of CO2 emitted by Tucuruí has 15% more global warming impact than a tonne emitted by fossil fuel, assuming no discounting. If discounting is applied, then the relative impact of the hydroelectric option is increased.

Time preference, either by discounting or by an alternative procedure, is a key factor affecting the attractiveness of hydroelectric power. At low annual discount rates (say 1–2%), the attractiveness of Tucuruí, although less than without discounting, is still 3–4 times better than fossil-fuel generation. If the discount rate reaches 15%, the situation is reversed, and fossil-fuel generation becomes more attractive from a global-warming perspective. Tucuruí, with a power density (installed capacity/reservoir area) of 1.63 W m-2 is better than both the 0.81 W m-2 average for Brazilian Amazonia's 5500 km2 of existing reservoirs and the 1 W m-2 estimated by Brazil's electrical authorities as the mean for all planned hydroelectric development in the region.