The Oldest Case of Decapitation in the New World (Lapa do Santo, East-Central Brazil)

We present here evidence for an early Holocene case of decapitation in the New World (Burial 26), found in the rock shelter of Lapa do Santo in 2007. Lapa do Santo is an archaeological site located in the Lagoa Santa karst in east-central Brazil with evidence of human occupation dating as far back as 11.7-12.7 cal kyBP (95.4% interval). An ultra-filtered AMS age determination on a fragment of the sphenoid provided an age range of 9.1-9.4 cal kyBP (95.4% interval) for Burial 26. The interment was composed of an articulated cranium, mandible and first six cervical vertebrae. Cut marks with a v-shaped profile were observed in the mandible and sixth cervical vertebra. The right hand was amputated and laid over the left side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the chin and the left hand was amputated and laid over the right side of the face with distal phalanges pointing to the forehead. Strontium analysis comparing Burial 26's isotopic signature to other specimens from Lapa do Santo suggests this was a local member of the group. Therefore, we suggest a ritualized decapitation instead of trophy-taking, testifying for the sophistication of mortuary rituals among hunter-gatherers in the Americas during the early Archaic period. In the apparent absence of wealth goods or elaborated architecture, Lapa do Santo's inhabitants seemed to use the human body to express their cosmological principles regarding death

Hybrid wheat and abiotic stress

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major crops for human nutrition and an important one for food security. However, wheat yields are highly dependent upon environmental conditions and are affected by various types of abiotic stresses. One strategy for improving wheat yield stability across environments is to harness hybrid vigour. Estimates of yield improvements associated with hybrid vigour in wheat range from 5 to over 20%, which needs to be further enhanced to meet the future global demand. This yield advantage comes with improved yield stability under both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. This chapter focuses on the current status of hybrid wheat breeding, including hybrid seed production systems, hybrid performance under abiotic stresses and prediction of hybrid performance.Takashi Okada and Ryan Whitfor

Advanced signal processing algorithms for cardiorespiratory monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit

This chapter provides basic principles aimed at understanding advanced engineering and mathematical methods that could potentially provide effective assisting technology in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The included material by no means represents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in the field, but purposely travels along a very narrow line in order to offer the reader a specific pathway needed to understand some of the main conceptual and practical steps to be considered from a biomedical engineering point of view. The chapter is organized in compact paragraphs aimed at threading lines guiding the reader through a narrowly selected bibliographic body of knowledge. The selected material is divided in four sections. The first three sections concisely outline the three main research lines and connect the reader to Clinical, Physiological, and Methodological Background respectively. The last fourth section provides a methodological outline of a specific exemplary approach based on a physiological model of heartbeat dynamics defined by using the statistical theory of point processes

Prehistoric mitochondrial DNA of domesticate animals supports a 13th century exodus from the northern US southwest

<div><p>The 13^th century Puebloan depopulation of the Four Corners region of the US Southwest is an iconic episode in world prehistory. Studies of its causes, as well as its consequences, have a bearing not only on archaeological method and theory, but also social responses to climate change, the sociology of social movements, and contemporary patterns of cultural diversity. Previous research has debated the demographic scale, destinations, and impacts of Four Corners migrants. Much of this uncertainty stems from the substantial differences in material culture between the Four Corners vs. hypothesized destination areas. Comparable biological evidence has been difficult to obtain due to the complete departure of farmers from the Four Corners in the 13^th century CE and restrictions on sampling human remains. As an alternative, patterns of genetic variation among domesticated species were used to address the role of migration in this collapse. We collected mitochondrial haplotypic data from dog (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>) and turkey (<i>Meleagris gallopavo</i>) remains from archaeological sites in the most densely-populated portion of the Four Corners region, and the most commonly proposed destination area for that population under migration scenarios. Results are consistent with a large-scale migration of humans, accompanied by their domestic turkeys, during the 13^th century CE. These results support scenarios that suggest contemporary Pueblo peoples of the Northern Rio Grande are biological and cultural descendants of Four Corners populations.</p></div