Health and Diet in Upper Nubia through Climate and Political Change - A bioarchaeological investigation of health and living conditions at ancient Amara West between 1300 and 800BC

This thesis aims to investigate the impact of environmental and socio-political changes on health and living conditions in the ancient settlement of Amara West, Sudan (1300–800BC) through a diachronic comparison of selected indicators of disease and physiological stress on skeletal human remains. The town served as the administrative capital of the province Upper Nubia during the later phase of New Kingdom Egyptian occupation of Nubia (1300–1070BC). Despite the end of Egyptian control, settlement in the area continued until the 8th century. Palaeoenvironmental evidence from the region indicates that the period of occupation of the site further coincided with general climatic deterioration through increased aridification during the late 2nd and early 1st millennium BC. Whether these climatic and political changes would have had an affect on health and living conditions at Amara West is explored through comparing multiple markers of physiological stress and disease (stature, orbital changes, dental disease, evidence of nonspecific infection, respiratory diseases, endocranial changes, trauma, osteoarthritis) recorded through macroscopic examination of skeletal human remains from the New Kingdom (1300–1070BC, N=36) and post-New Kingdom period (1070–800BC, N=144). Analysis of stable oxygen and carbon isotopes was also included in the study. Applying a bio-cultural approach, interpretation of the results is complemented by contextual data drawn from ongoing research in the cemeteries, settlement and surrounding habitat. Despite limitations due to the bias in sample size, the systematic statistical comparison revealed several tentative trends such as decreasing stature, increased levels of osteoarthritis, dental pathologies, pulmonary diseases, post-cranial fractures and high levels of sub-adult mortality. Changes in stable oxygen isotope composition indicate increasingly arid conditions during the post-New Kingdom period. In light of palaeoenvironmental and isotopic data, the palaeopathological results may therefore reflect the health consequences of severe environmental changes as well as changes in settlement structure

Verbena L., Glandularia Gmel., Junellia Moldenke, Lantana L. und Lippia L. (Verbenaceae) in Peru

The floristic revision of the following genera represented in Peru – Verbena, Glandularia,and Junellia as well as Lantana and Lippia, is presented. Understanding of generic and specific interrelationships has been in part contributed to by three collecting expeditions to Peru by the author. Novel characters have been surveyed and the taxonomic boundaries re-assessed in the light of this new information. Verbena, Glandularia and Junellia are closely related to each other, as are Lantana and Lippia. The first group has both herbaceous and woody members, varying between erect and creeping representatives. Their inflorescences are constructed of simple or branched spikes. The flowers have pentamerous fused calyces, with hypocrateriform, or sometimes cylindrical, five-lobed corollas. The ovary is bilocular, possessing an additional false septum forming four elongated nutlets. The second group has only woody members and, with one exception, are all erect. The inflorescence is a homeothetic pleiostachys with first order paraclades. The co-florescences are sited above a more or less long inhibition zone on the peduncle, their fertile zones producing dense arrangements of roughly spherical spikes. The ovary is also bilocular,but one locule is very much reduced. The genus Lantana produces a one- or two-seeded drupe, while Lippia develops two nutlets. The generic separation of the Verbena-Glandularia-Junellia group is problematic and has been the focus of much discussion in the literature. The three genera are retained mostly as they stand, based on the fruit structure and the seed morphology. In the later stages of seed development the basal part of the ovary is slender in Junellia and Verbena,and broad in Glandularia. Glandularia species also have bigger seeds than taxa in the two other genera. In Junellia the basal region of the style appears fused with the ovary tissue. In all Verbena species the calyx is, at maturity, not (or barely) longer than the nutlets, which are freely dehiscent, releasing the seeds. In the two other genera the calyx at maturity is distinctly longer than the nutlets and encloses them. Verbena has a basic chromosome number of x=7, Glandularia x=5, and Junellia x=10. To further clarify the intergeneric relationships of these three genera a molecular analysis is highly desirable. The separation of the individual species is based on the following characters that have shown themselves to be stable: habit, peduncle length and elongation at anthesis of the terminal inflorescence, bract shape and size, and flower form. Leaf shape, leaf size, and flower colour are have restricted value as species-defining characters because of their high variability. Additionally to these characters it is important in Glandularia species to note the lengthened gland-bearing anther connective, while seed form is significant in Junellia. The following species are represented in Peru: Verbena cajamarcensis, Verbena clavata, Verbena fasciculata, Verbena hispida, Verbena litoralis, Verbena parvula, Verbena pogostoma, Verbena pubescens, Verbena villifolia,Verbena weberbaueri,Glandularia cuneifolia, Glandularia laciniata, Glandularia microphylla, Glandularia tenuisecta,Junellia aspera, Junellia juniperina, Junellia minima. Two new species have been found and newly described: Verbena cajamarcensis and Verbena pubescens. Glandularia cuneifolia has been recombined from Verbena based on seed characters. It is recognised that Glandularia laciniata represents a number of different taxa. Although the main centre of distribution is indeed in Southern Peru, it was unfortunately not possible to come to any definitive conclusions concerning this taxon. The genera Lantana and Lippia exhibit very similar habits. They can be most easily and simply distinguished by their fruits. The fruits of Lantana are either leathery or fleshy drupes that, in contrast to Lippia, show a reduction from two to one well-developed locules, resulting in two one-seeded nutlets. Another good generic descriptor is the form of the calyx. All Lantana species have praemorse calyces with a fringed margin, while the peruvian species of Lippia have a (seemingly) two-lobed calyx. The anthers of Lippia flowers are inserted in the upper half of the corolla tube and reach the mouth of the tube. The anthers of Lantana flowers are instead basally inserted in the corolla tube. The co-florescences have, in Lantana a long, and in Lippia a very short or occasionally non-existent, inhibition zone. Lantana inflorescences always demonstrably elongate between anthesis and fruit maturity, a feature that never occurs in Lippia. And finally, Lippia has flowers which, at their largest, are only ever half as big as Lantana flowers. Lantana species can be distinguished easily using flower colour, the presence of fleshy or leathery drupes, the extent of co-florescence elongation after anthesis, and from the shape and size of the bracts. Lippia species are distinguished using characters including the degree of incision between the two lobes of the calyx, the presence of the extended anther connective and the shape and size of the bracts. The basic chromosome number for Lantana camara is x=11. The following Lantana and Lippia species are represented in Peru: Lantana angustibracteata, Lantana camara, Lantana cujabensis, Lantana radicans, Lantana reptans, Lantana rugulosa, Lantana scabiosaeflora, Lantana sprucei, Lantana tiliifolia, Lantana trifolia,Lippia alba, Lippia americana, Lippia antaica, Lippia ferruginea, Lippia tayacajana. Lantana radicans was found by Ruiz & Pavon and so labelled on the herbarium sheets, although the name was never validly published. This species is therefore newly described here. Among the studied herbarium material a single sheet of Lippia boliviana, labelled from Peru and collected by Haenke, was found. Haenke’s collection data, especially geographical entries, are known to be unreliable and, as this was not supported by any other material, it is assumed that this species only occurs in Bolivia.Bei der vorliegenden Arbeit handelt es sich um eine floristische Bearbeitung der Gattungen Verbena, Glandularia und Junellia sowie Lantana und Lippia aus dem Bereich Perus. Von diesen Gattungen stehen sich Verbena, Glandularia und Junellia einerseits, Lantana und Lippia andererseits verwandtschaftlich nahe. Die erste Gruppe hat krautige, und verholzte Vertreter, die teils aufrecht, teils kriechend wachsen. Die Infloreszenzen dieser Arten bilden einfache oder verzweigte Ähren. Ihre Blüten bestehen aus fünfzipfligen verwachsenen Kelchen, ihre Krone ist meist stieltellerförmig, manchmal auch zylindrisch und weist fünf Kronzipfel auf. Das Gynaeceum besteht aus zwei Fruchtblättern,die eine zusätzliche falsche Scheidewand besitzen. Aus diesen entwickeln sich vier längliche Klausen. Die zweite Gruppe besteht nur aus verholzten Vertretern, die bis auf eine Ausnahme alle aufrecht wachsen. Die Infloreszenzen sind hier homoeothetische Pleiostachyen, die ausschließlich Parakladien 1. Ordnung ausbilden. Die Teilinfloreszenzen stehen auf einer mehr oder weniger langen Hemmzone, ihr fertiler Bereich bildet köpfchenähnliche Ähren aus. Ihr Gynaeceum besteht nur noch aus einem Fruchtblatt, das zweite ist reduziert. In der Gattung Lantana entsteht daraus eine ein- bis zweisamige Steinfrucht, bei Lippia werden Klausenfrüchte mit zwei Klausen gebildet. Die Gattungsabtrennung der Gruppe Verbena, Glandularia und Junellia ist problematisch und wurde in der Literatur lange sehr konträr diskutiert. Die Gattungen werden in dieser Arbeit aufrecht erhalten, besonders aufgrund von Merkmalen des Fruchtknotens und der Frucht. So ist die Basis des Fruchtknotens, später die Verwachsungsstelle der Klausen bei Verbena und Junellia schmal, bei Glandularia dagegen breit. Glandularia-Arten besitzen größere Früchte als die beiden anderen Gattungen. Bei Junellia ist dagegen das Gewebe der Griffelbasis mit dem Fruchtknotengewebe verwachsen. Der Kelch ist zur Fruchtreife bei allen Verbena-Arten nicht oder nur wenig länger als die Klausen,die meist von selbst ausfallen. Bei den beiden anderen Gattungen ist die Kelchröhre dagegen zur Fruchtreife wesentlich länger als die Klausen und zusätzlich über der Frucht zusammengezogen, so dass diese im Kelch eingeschlossen sind. Verbena besitzt als Chromosomengrundzahl x=7, Glandularia x=5, Junellia x=10. Zur weiteren Abklärung der Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse wird jedoch auf die Notwendigkeit einer molekularbiologischen Arbeit verwiesen. Die Abgrenzung der einzelnen Arten beruht auf folgenden Merkmalen, die sich als stabil erwiesen haben: Wuchsform, Länge und Streckung der Hauptfloreszenz, Form und Größe der Brakteen, Blütenform. Blattform, Blattgröße und Blütenfarbe sind dagegen nur sehr eingeschränkt als artspezifische Merkmale zu verwenden, da sie eine hohe Variabilität aufweisen. Bei Glandularia ist zusätzlich das artspezifische Auftreten von drüsentragenden Konnektivverlängerungen wichtig, bei Junellia die Form der Klausen. Folgende Arten sind in Peru vertreten: Verbena cajamarcensis, Verbena clavata, Verbena fasciculata, Verbena hispida, Verbena litoralis, Verbena parvula, Verbena pogostoma, Verbena pubescens, Verbena villifolia,Verbena weberbaueri,Glandularia cuneifolia, Glandularia laciniata, Glandularia microphylla, Glandularia tenuisecta,Junellia aspera, Junellia juniperina, Junellia minima. Es werden zwei neue Arten beschrieben: Verbena cajamarcensis und Verbena pubescens. Aufgrund von Fruchtmerkmalen wurde Glandularia cuneifolia von Verbena nach Glandularia umkombiniert. Für Glandularia laciniata wird angenommen, dass in dieser Art mehrere Arten enthalten sind. Da ihr Hauptverbreitungsgebiet allerdings südlich Perus liegt, kann hier kein endgültiges Urteil getroffen werden. Die Gattungen Lantana und Lippia zeigen einen sehr ähnlichen Habitus. Am einfachsten sind sie an den Früchten zu unterscheiden. Die Früchte von Lantana sind zähe oder saftige Steinfrüchte, die von Lippia dagegen stellen durch eine Reduktion zweisamige Klausen dar. Ein weiteres gutes gattungstrennendes Merkmal ist der Kelch, der bei allen Lantana-Arten gestutzt ist mit einem gewimperten Rand. Bei den peruanischen Lippia-Arten ist er dagegen zweiklappig. Die Antheren der Lippia-Blüten inserieren in der oberen Hälfte der Kronröhre und erreichen den Schlund der Krone. Bei den Blüten der Lantana-Arten dagegen befinden sie sich am Grund der Kronröhre. Die Teilinfloreszenzen besitzen bei Lantana eine meist lange, bei Lippia dagegen eine sehr kurze oder weitgehend fehlende Hemmzone. Bei Lantana unterliegen sie zwischen Blüte und Fruchtreife immer einer mehr oder weniger ausgeprägten Streckung, die bei Lippia vollkommen fehlt. Die Blüten sind zudem bei Lippia höchstens halb so groß wie bei Lantana. Bei Lantana können die Arten gut unterschieden werden durch die Blütenfarbe, die Fruchtfarbe, das Auftreten von fleischigen oder ledrigen Steinfrüchten, durch die Länge der Streckung der Teilinfloreszenzen zwischen Blüte und Fruchtreife und durch Form und Größe der Brakteen. Die Arten der Gattung Lippia dagegen werden duch die Tiefe der Zweiklappigkeit des Kelches, das Vorhandensein von Konnektivverlängerungen der Stamina, aber ebenfalls durch Form und Größe der Brakteen, in bedingtem Ausmaß auch durch die Größe der Blätter getrennt. Die Chromosomengrundzahl für Lantana camara beträgt x=11. Folgende Lantana- und Lippia-Arten kommen in Peru vor: Lantana angustibracteata, Lantana camara, Lantana cujabensis, Lantana radicans, Lantana reptans, Lantana rugulosa, Lantana scabiosaeflora, Lantana sprucei, Lantana tiliifolia, Lantana trifolia,Lippia alba, Lippia americana, Lippia antaica, Lippia ferruginea, Lippia tayacajana. Lantana radicans wurde schon von Ruiz & Pavon gefunden und auf Herbarbelegen so benannt. Da sie diesen Namen jedoch nicht veröffentlichten, wurde die Art neu beschrieben. Von Lippia boliviana konnte aus dem Gebiet Perus nur ein Beleg von Haenke gefunden werden. Da Haenkes Ortsangaben nicht sehr genau sind, und sie nicht durch andere Belege bestätigt werden konnten, wird angenommen, dass die Art nur in Bolivien auftritt

Zur Entwicklung der Europakompetenz des politisch-administrativen Systems Sloweniens

Das Thema meiner Diplomarbeit lautet "Zur Entwicklung der Europakompetenz des politisch - administrativen Systems Sloweniens". Im Zentrum meines Interesses stand vor allem die Frage, wie ein so kleiner und vor allem so junger Staat wie Slowenien eine so große Herausforderung, wie den Beitritt zur EU, bewältigen konnte. Da der Themenbereich wenig erforscht ist und es kaum Literatur dazu gibt, dienten mündliche Experteninterviews und der Besuch der wichtigsten slowenischen Koordinierungseinheiten als Hauptquelle. In der Beitrittsphase stand Slowenien vor der großen Herausforderung, Strukturen und Prozesse zu entwickeln, um den Beitritt bewältigen zu können. Als Reaktion auf die fortschreitende Annäherung und zur Bewältigung der Beitrittsverhandlungen wurde das "Regierungsamt für Europäische Angelegenheiten", kurz RAfEA, gegründet. Dieses bildete die Schnittstelle, bzw. das Zentrum, wo alle EU-Themen zusammenliefen und signalisierte somit einen wichtigen Schritt in Richtung einer Zentralisierung der Koordinierung von EU-Angelegenheiten. Gestützt wurde das RAfEA durch einen Koordinierungsapparat, bestehend aus Arbeitsgruppen, Ausschüssen und noch anderen bedeutenden Einrichtungen. Eine besonders wichtige Rolle in der Verhandlungsphase spielte die Staatsversammlung, denn Verhandlungspositionen wurden in Slowenien erst nach der endgültigen Zustimmung der Staatsversammlung zu nationalen Positionen. Schwierigkeiten gab es im Rahmen des Beitrittsprozesses vor allem im personellen und institutionellen Bereich. Aus diesem Grund entwickelte die Europäische Union gezielte Hilfsinstrumente und Ausbildungsprogramme, welche die Kandidaten beim Aufbau der Institutionen unterstützen sollten. Die slowenische Regierung unternahm aber auch selbst in Kooperation mit Universitäten, NGOs und anderen Einrichtungen einiges, um die Ausbildung "europakompetenter" Institutionen zu fördern. Nach einer Zeitspanne von fünf Jahren konnte Slowenien am 13. Dezember 2002 die Verhandlungen mit der EU abschließen . Der offizielle Beitritt erfolgte schließlich am 1. Mai 2004

Development of a new occupational balance-questionnaire: incorporating the perspectives of patients and healthy people in the design of a self-reported occupational balance outcome instrument

BACKGROUND: Self-reported outcome instruments in health research have become increasingly important over the last decades. Occupational therapy interventions often focus on occupational balance. However, instruments to measure occupational balance are scarce. The aim of the study was therefore to develop a generic self-reported outcome instrument to assess occupational balance based on the experiences of patients and healthy people including an examination of its psychometric properties. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative analysis of the life stories of 90 people with and without chronic autoimmune diseases to identify components of occupational balance. Based on these components, the Occupational Balance-Questionnaire (OB-Quest) was developed. Construct validity and internal consistency of the OB-Quest were examined in quantitative data. We used Rasch analyses to determine overall fit of the items to the Rasch model, person separation index and potential differential item functioning. Dimensionality testing was conducted by the use of t-tests and Cronbach’s alpha. RESULTS: The following components emerged from the qualitative analyses: challenging and relaxing activities, activities with acknowledgement by the individual and by the sociocultural context, impact of health condition on activities, involvement in stressful activities and fewer stressing activities, rest and sleep, variety of activities, adaptation of activities according to changed living conditions and activities intended to care for oneself and for others. Based on these, the seven items of the questionnaire (OB-Quest) were developed. 251 people (132 with rheumatoid arthritis, 43 with systematic lupus erythematous and 76 healthy) filled in the OB-Quest. Dimensionality testing indicated multidimensionality of the questionnaire (t = 0.58, and 1.66 after item reduction, non-significant). The item on the component rest and sleep showed differential item functioning (health condition and age). Person separation index was 0.51. Cronbach’s alpha changed from 0.38 to 0.57 after deleting two items. CONCLUSIONS: This questionnaire includes new items addressing components of occupational balance meaningful to patients and healthy people which have not been measured so far. The reduction of two items of the OB-Quest showed improved internal consistency. The multidimensionality of the questionnaire indicates the need for a summary of several components into subscales

Initial evidence for the link between activities and health: associations between a balance of activities, functioning and serum levels of cytokines and C-reactive protein

AbstractGrowing evidence shows interrelations of psychological factors, neurological and immunological processes. Therefore, constructs like a balance of activities, the so called “occupational balance”, could also have biological correlates. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between occupational balance, functioning, cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients suffering from a chronic inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy people. Moreover, we wanted to explore potential differences in gender and employment status.A descriptive study in patients with RA and healthy people was conducted using the Occupational Balance-Questionnaire (OB-Quest) and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Serum levels of cytokines, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and 8 (IL-8), interferon alpha (INFα), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), rheumatoid factor (RF) and of CRP were measured. Descriptive statistics, as well as Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearmen's rank correlation coefficients (rs) were calculated.One-hundred-thirty-two patients with RA and 76 healthy people participated. Occupational balance was associated with functioning, cytokines and CRP. The strongest associations were identified in the unemployed healthy-people sample with cytokines and CRP being within the normal range. For example, the OB-Quest item challenging activities was associated with IL-8 (rs=−0.63, p=0.04) and the SF-36 sub-scale bodily pain was associated with IFNα (rs=−0.69, p=0.02). The items rest and sleep (rs=−0.71, p=0.01) and variety of different activities (rs=−0.74, p<0.01) correlated with the SF-36 sub-scale social functioning. Employed and unemployed people differed in their age and CRP levels. Additionally, gender differences were found in two OB-Quest items in that fewer women were able to adapt their activities to changing living conditions and fewer men were overstressed. In conclusion, we found preliminary biological evidence for the link between occupation and health in that the concepts encompassed in the construct of occupational balance were associated with functioning, cytokines and CRP

Corporate Security Responsibility: Towards a Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Research Agenda

The political debate about the role of business in armed conflicts has increasingly raised expectations as to governance contributions by private corporations in the fields of conflict prevention, peace-keeping and postconflict peace-building. This political agenda seems far ahead of the research agenda, in which the negative image of business in conflicts, seen as fuelling, prolonging and taking commercial advantage of violent conflicts,still prevails. So far the scientific community has been reluctant to extend the scope of research on ‘corporate social responsibility’ to the area of security in general and to intra-state armed conflicts in particular. As a consequence, there is no basis from which systematic knowledge can be generated about the conditions and the extent to which private corporations can fulfil the role expected of them in the political discourse. The research on positive contributions of private corporations to security amounts to unconnected in-depth case studies of specific corporations in specific conflict settings. Given this state of research, we develop a framework for a comparative research agenda to address the question: Under which circumstances and to what extent can private corporations be expected to contribute to public security

Historische Anthropologie

Im Schnittfeld von Europäischer Ethnologie / Volkskunde und Geschichtswissenschaften hat sich die Historische Anthropologie in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten international etabliert. Dabei orientiert sie sich an einem breiten Kulturbegriff und widmet sich der wissenschaftlichen Rekonstruktion wie Analyse von Lebenswelten und Alltagspraktiken. Gegenwärtig ist das ausdifferenzierte Feld von Debatten um Epistemologien und Methoden geprägt. Daher scheint es an der Zeit, ein Diskussionsforum zum state of the art in der Historischen Anthropologie zu veröffentlichen und auf H-Soz-u-Kult einen Diskussionsrahmen für aktuelle Forschungsfragen und Standortbestimmungen zu schaffen. Dieser Band aus der Reihe "Historisches Forum" versammelt Essays zu den aktuellen Debatten und liefert Anregungen zu Methoden- wie Theoriediskussionen

Carcinoma cells misuse the host tissue damage response to invade the brain

The metastatic colonization of the brain by carcinoma cells is still barely understood, in particular when considering interactions with the host tissue. The colonization comes with a substantial destruction of the surrounding host tissue. This leads to activation of damage responses by resident innate immune cells to protect, repair, and organize the wound healing, but may distract from tumoricidal actions. We recently demonstrated that microglia, innate immune cells of the CNS, assist carcinoma cell invasion. Here we report that this is a fatal side effect of a physiological damage response of the brain tissue. In a brain slice coculture model, contact with both benign and malignant epithelial cells induced a response by microglia and astrocytes comparable to that seen at the interface of human cerebral metastases. While the glial damage response intended to protect the brain from intrusion of benign epithelial cells by inducing apoptosis, it proved ineffective against various malignant cell types. They did not undergo apoptosis and actually exploited the local tissue reaction to invade instead. Gene expression and functional analyses revealed that the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and WNT signaling were involved in this process. Furthermore, CXCR4-regulated microglia were recruited to sites of brain injury in a zebrafish model and CXCR4 was expressed in human stroke patients, suggesting a conserved role in damage responses to various types of brain injuries. Together, our findings point to a detrimental misuse of the glial damage response program by carcinoma cells resistant to glia-induced apoptosis

Combination of Anti-CD40 and Anti-CD40L Antibodies as Co-Stimulation Blockade in Preclinical Cardiac Xenotransplantation

The blockade of the CD40/CD40L immune checkpoint is considered essential for cardiac xenotransplantation. However, it is still unclear which single antibody directed against CD40 or CD40L (CD154), or which combination of antibodies, is better at preventing organ rejection. For example, the high doses of antibody administered in previous experiments might not be feasible for the treatment of humans, while thrombotic side effects were described for first-generation anti-CD40L antibodies. To address these issues, we conducted six orthotopic pig-to-baboon cardiac xenotransplantation experiments, combining a chimeric anti-CD40 antibody with an investigational long-acting PASylated anti-CD40L Fab fragment. The combination therapy effectively resulted in animal survival with a rate comparable to a previous study that utilized anti-CD40 monotherapy. Importantly, no incidence of thromboembolic events associated with the administration of the anti-CD40L PAS-Fab was observed. Two experiments failed early because of technical reasons, two were terminated deliberately after 90 days with the baboons in excellent condition and two were extended to 120 and 170 days, respectively. Unexpectedly, and despite the absence of any clinical signs, histopathology revealed fungal infections in all four recipients. This study provides, for the first time, insights into a combination therapy with anti-CD40/anti-CD40L antibodies to block this immune checkpoint