Bestattungen der Altheimer Kultur in Nördlingen - die Fundstelle Nürnberger Straße 63, Nördlinger Ries, Bayern

The archaeological record for the Altheim culture (approx. 38th -35th century BC) in SW Germany is highly biased. While a small number of waterlogged sites have provided material for very detailed analyses of settlement activities and economy within this environmental setting, evidence for settlement activities outside these specific topographic situations is extremely sparse. The same applies to burial features that have been identified from eight sites which are predominantly isolated burials that have not revealed any clear modus concerning orientation, grave goods or spatial organization. Here we present results from a site situated in the Nördlinger Ries (Bavaria) that has yielded a total of eight burials of this culture together with a small number of contemporary settlement features including the rare example of a well. Our results corroborate the absence of any strict orientation or a defined set of grave goods in this culture and no spatial organization of the burials could be observed.Die archäologische Überlieferung der Altheim Kultur (ca. 38. -35. Jhd. v. Chr.) in SW Deutschland ist sehr uneinheitlich. Während eine kleine Anzahl an Fundstellen mit Feuchtbodenerhaltung Material für sehr detaillierte Analysen zur Siedlungs- und Wirtschaftsentwicklung in diesen Niederungen geliefert hat, ist der archäologische Quellenbestand zur Siedlungsgeschichte in anderen Naturräumen vergleichsweise spärlich. Dieses betrifft auch die Bestattungsbefunde, die bislang von acht Fundstellen bekannt gewesen sind und überwiegend isoliert liegende Einzelbestattungen ohne erkennbare Muster im Hinblick auf Ausrichtung, Beigabensitte oder räumliche Organisation umfassen. Nachfolgend werden die Auswertungen einer bodendenkmalpflegerischen Maßnahme im Nördlinger Ries (Bayern) vorgestellt, die insgesamt acht Bestattungen mit Zuweisung zu diesem Kulturhorizont erbracht hat. Diese Bestattungen sind mit einer kleinen Zahl zeitgleicher Siedlungsbefunde vergesellschaftet, darunter auch der seltene Befund einen Brunnens. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass Bestattungen dieser Kulturgruppe keinem erkennbaren Muster hinsichtlich der Orientierung oder Beigabensitte folgen und auch eine räumliche Struktur des Bestattungsplatzes zu fehlen scheint

Depressive disorders are associated with increased peripheral blood cell deformability: a cross-sectional case-control study (Mood-Morph)

Pathophysiological landmarks of depressive disorders are chronic low-grade inflammation and elevated glucocorticoid output. Both can potentially interfere with cytoskeleton organization, cell membrane bending and cell function, suggesting altered cell morpho-rheological properties like cell deformability and other cell mechanical features in depressive disorders. We performed a cross-sectional case-control study using the image-based morpho-rheological characterization of unmanipulated blood samples facilitating real-time deformability cytometry (RT-DC). Sixty-nine pre-screened individuals at high risk for depressive disorders and 70 matched healthy controls were included and clinically evaluated by Composite International Diagnostic Interview leading to lifetime and 12-month diagnoses. Facilitating deep learning on blood cell images, major blood cell types were classified and morpho-rheological parameters such as cell size and cell deformability of every individual cell was quantified. We found peripheral blood cells to be more deformable in patients with depressive disorders compared to controls, while cell size was not affected. Lifetime persistent depressive disorder was associated with increased cell deformability in monocytes and neutrophils, while in 12-month persistent depressive disorder erythrocytes deformed more. Lymphocytes were more deformable in 12-month major depressive disorder, while for lifetime major depressive disorder no differences could be identified. After correction for multiple testing, only associations for lifetime persistent depressive disorder remained significant. This is the first study analyzing morpho-rheological properties of entire blood cells and highlighting depressive disorders and in particular persistent depressive disorders to be associated with increased blood cell deformability. While all major blood cells tend to be more deformable, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils are mostly affected. This indicates that immune cell mechanical changes occur in depressive disorders, which might be predictive of persistent immune response

Molecular spectroscopy for ground-state transfer of ultracold RbCs molecules

We perform one- and two-photon high resolution spectroscopy on ultracold samples of RbCs Feshbach molecules with the aim to identify a suitable route for efficient ground-state transfer in the quantum-gas regime to produce quantum gases of dipolar RbCs ground-state molecules. One-photon loss spectroscopy allows us to probe deeply bound rovibrational levels of the mixed excited (A1{\Sigma}+ - b3{\Pi}0) 0+ molecular states. Two-photon dark state spectroscopy connects the initial Feshbach state to the rovibronic ground state. We determine the binding energy of the lowest rovibrational level |v"=0,J"=0> of the X1{\Sigma}+ ground state to be DX 0 = 3811.5755(16) 1/cm, a 300-fold improvement in accuracy with respect to previous data. We are now in the position to perform stimulated two-photon Raman transfer to the rovibronic ground state.Comment: Submitted to PCCP themed issue: Physics and Chemistry of Cold Molecule

Combining functional weed ecology and crop stable isotope ratios to identify cultivation intensity: a comparison of cereal production regimes in Haute Provence, France and Asturias, Spain

This investigation combines two independent methods of identifying crop growing conditions and husbandry practices—functional weed ecology and crop stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis—in order to assess their potential for inferring the intensity of past cereal production systems using archaeobotanical assemblages. Present-day organic cereal farming in Haute Provence, France features crop varieties adapted to low-nutrient soils managed through crop rotation, with little to no manuring. Weed quadrat survey of 60 crop field transects in this region revealed that floristic variation primarily reflects geographical differences. Functional ecological weed data clearly distinguish the Provence fields from those surveyed in a previous study of intensively managed spelt wheat in Asturias, north-western Spain: as expected, weed ecological data reflect higher soil fertility and disturbance in Asturias. Similarly, crop stable nitrogen isotope values distinguish between intensive manuring in Asturias and long-term cultivation with minimal manuring in Haute Provence. The new model of cereal cultivation intensity based on weed ecology and crop isotope values in Haute Provence and Asturias was tested through application to two other present-day regimes, successfully identifying a high-intensity regime in the Sighisoara region, Romania, and low-intensity production in Kastamonu, Turkey. Application of this new model to Neolithic archaeobotanical assemblages in central Europe suggests that early farming tended to be intensive, and likely incorporated manuring, but also exhibited considerable variation, providing a finer grained understanding of cultivation intensity than previously available

Conserved genes and pathways in primary human fibroblast strains undergoing replicative and radiation induced senescence

Additional file 3: Figure S3. Regulation of genes of Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy pathway during senescence induction in HFF strains Genes of the “Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy” pathway which are significantly up- (green) and down- (red) regulated (log2 fold change >1) during irradiation induced senescence (120 h after 20 Gy irradiation) in HFF strains. Orange color signifies genes which are commonly up-regulated during both, irradiation induced and replicative senescence

Archäobotanische Großrestuntersuchungen in der linienbandkeramischen Siedlung von Gallmersgarten-Mörlbach (Lkr. Neustadt a. d. Aisch-Bad Windsheim)

Archäobotanische Großrestuntersuchungen in der frühneolithischen Fundstelle Gallmersgarten-Mörlbach erbrachten, trotz geringer Fundmengen, ein zeittypisches Kulturpflanzenspektrum. Drei Getreidearten – Emmer (Triticum dicoccon), Einkorn (Triticum monococcum), Nacktgerste (Hordeum vulgare) –, eine Hülsenfrucht – Erbse (Pisum sativum) – und Lein (Linum usitatissmum) als Öl- und Faserpflanze fanden sich in den Proben, welche aus archäologischen Strukturen genommen wurden. Wildpflanzen wie Weißer Gänsefuß (Chenopodium album-Typ), Schwarzer Nachtschatten (Solanum nigrum) oder Gezähnter Feldsalat (Valerianella dentata) könnten durchaus die bandkeramische Küche bereichert haben. Als Besonderheit dürfte das Grannenfragment von Pfriemengras (Stipa) gelten, welches in den wohl offenen Wäldern in der Umgebung der Siedlung wuchs.Archaeobotanical plant macro-remain investigations in the Early Neolithic site of Gallmersgarten-Mörlbach provide a set of cultural plants typical for that period. Three cereals - emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon), einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) –, the legume pea (Pisum sativum) and flax (Linum usitatissimum) as an oil- and fibreplant have been found in the samples taken from archaeological structures. As most of the documented wild plants, as white goosefoot (Chenopodium album-type), black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) or narrow-fruited cornsalad (Valerianella dentate) are edible, these plants could have been used during the Linear Band Ceramic Culture. Birch (Betula), hazel (Corylus avellana) and pine (Pinus sylvestris) represent more or less open forests in the vicinity of the settlement, where feather grass (Stipa) was also distributed

Water-management in Central Germany based on geoarchaeological and palaeobotanical analyses of wells from the mid to late 3rd millennium BC at Roitzschjora

Only very view well features dating to the late 3rd millenium BC have been discovered so far from Central Germany. Here we present the results of palaeobotanical, sedimentological and archaeological analyses performed on three small well features from the Roitzschjora site. Our results prove that these group of features could serve as valuable palaeoenvironmental on-site records in spite of their poor preservation and small extent. The may espacially contribute to our general understanding of water management in comparatively dry environments and a more realistic assessment of the vulnerablity of these societies to small-scaled hydrological changes

Fortification, mining, and charcoal production: landscape history at the abandoned medieval settlement of Hohenwalde at the Faule Pfütze (Saxony, Eastern Ore Mountains)

Geoarchaeological reconstructions of land-use changes may help to reveal driving cultural factors and incentives behind these processes and relate them to supra-regional economic and political developments. This is particularly true in the context of complete abandonment of a settlement. Here we present a case study from the site of Faule Pfütze, a small catchment in the Eastern Ore Mountains (Saxony). The historical record of this site is confined to the report of a settlement called Hohenwalde in 1404 CE and two later references to the then-abandoned settlement in 1492 and 1524 CE in this area. Combined geoarchaeological studies allowed for the reconstruction of several phases of land use. While a first phase of alluvial sedimentation occurred during the late 12th century, archaeological evidence for a permanent settlement is absent during this period. The onset of settlement activity is identified during the late 14th century and included a hitherto unknown massive stone building. Mining features are present nearby and are dated to the early 15th century. The local palynological record shows evidence for reforestation during the mid 15th century and thereby corroborates the time of abandonment indicated by written sources. These processes are discussed in the context of a local political conflict (Dohna Feud) leading to the redistribution of properties and the development of a mining economy during this time. Later land use from the mid 16th century onwards appears restricted to charcoal production, probably in the context of smelting works operating in nearby Schmiedeberg as indicated by rising lead concentrations in the alluvial record