The Epipalaeolithic–Neolithic transition in north-eastern Iran: zooarchaeological evidence from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea

In Iran, studies of the transition from hunting and gathering to farming and herding have focused on early developments in the Zagros Mountains. Here, the authors present new zooarchaeological data from Hotu Cave, which throw light on sheep/goat management and domestication during the Epipalaeolithic– Neolithic transition on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. Gazelle dominate the Epipalaeolithic levels, while sheep/goat are most abundant in the Neolithic. Large quantities of perinatal sheep/goat remains from the Early Neolithic indicate that these animals were actively managed in or close to the cave. The results point towards the importance in Iran of local developments beyond the Zagros, adding nuance to the general model of domestication in South-west Asia

Achtergronddocument Midterm meting Monitor Effectindicatoren Agenda Vitaal Platteland

De Monitor AVP is een systeem waarin eenduidige gegevens worden opgenomen voor monitoring van effecten, resultaten en prestaties van de beleidsdoelstellingen opgenomen in de Agenda Vitaal Platteland (AVP) van het ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw & Innovatie (EL&I). Dit document geeft de resultaten en achtergrondinformatie van de midterm meting en de methoden van de metingen van de afzonderlijke effectindicatoren van de Monitor AVP. De effectindicatoren zijn bedoeld om de maatschappelijke effecten van de Agenda Vitaal Platteland inzichtelijk te maken. Dit achtergronddocument is opgesteld om de continuïteit voor toekomstige herhalingsmetingen te waarborgen

Sheep and goat management in the early neolithic in the Zagros region (8000-5000 BC): new zooarchaeological and isotopic evidence from Ganj Dareh, Bestansur and Jarmo

The transition from hunter gathering to farming is one of the most important episodes in the history of humankind. Considerable evidence indicates that this shift was a slow, complex, highly localized process, which took place in multiple places in Southwest Asia independently, from around 9500 BC. Caprines were arguably the first domesticated livestock, brought under human control during a process that began in the 9th millennium BC in a region extending from south-eastern Turkey to north-western Iran. In this research we integrate zooarch- aeological analysis with stable isotopic data of faunal remains from three key Early Neolithic sites in the Eastern Fertile Crescent: Ganj Dareh (ca. 8000 BC), Bestansur (ca. 7800–7000 BC) and Jarmo (ca. 7000–5000 BC).While some form of goat management seemed to have been practiced at Bestansur, based on spherulites, dung and shed deciduous teeth, no evidence has been found for winter foddering or transhumance practices. At Ganj Dareh goat were managed, and might have been foddered during the winter or vertical transhumance might have taken place. At Pottery Neolithic Jarmo both sheep and goat were managed and they were possibly brought to higher elevations during the summer months or foddered during winter. This research has supported the idea that already during early stages of goat management, humans kept a high degree of control over the population

Survey of whistler mode chorus intensity at Jupiter

Whistler mode chorus emission is important in the acceleration of electrons and filling of the radiation belts at Jupiter. In this work chorus magnetic intensity levels (frequency-integrated spectral density, PB) at Jupiter are comprehensively binned and parameterized. The frequency range of chorus under study extends from the lower hybrid frequency, flh, to fceq/2 and fceq/2 < f < 0.8 fceq, where fceq is the cyclotron frequency mapped to the magnetic equator. The goal is to obtain a quantized distribution of magnetic intensity for use in stochastic modeling efforts. Parametric fits of magnetic plasma wave intensity are obtained, including PB versus frequency, latitude, and L shell. The results indicate that Jupiter chorus occurrence probability and intensity are higher than those at Saturn, reaching values observed at Earth. Jovian chorus is observed over most local times, confined primarily to the range 8 < L < 15, outside the high densities of the Io torus. The largest intensity levels are seen on the dayside; however, the sampling of chorus on the nightside is much less than on the dayside. Peak intensities occur near the equator with a weak dependence on magnetic latitude, λ. We conclude that Jovian chorus average intensity levels are approximately an order of magnitude lower than those at Earth. In more isolated regions the intensities are comparable to those observed at Earth. The spatial range of the chorus emissions extends beyond that assumed in previous Jovian global diffusive models of wave-particle electron acceleration

Managing COVID-19 within and across health systems:why we need performance intelligence to coordinate a global response

Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a complex global public health crisis presenting clinical, organisational and system-wide challenges. Different research perspectives on health are needed in order to manage and monitor this crisis. Performance intelligence is an approach that emphasises the need for different research perspectives in supporting health systems’ decision-makers to determine policies based on well-informed choices. In this paper, we present the viewpoint of the Innovative Training Network for Healthcare Performance Intelligence Professionals (HealthPros) on how performance intelligence can be used during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion A lack of standardised information, paired with limited discussion and alignment between countries contribute to uncertainty in decision-making in all countries. Consequently, a plethora of different non-data-driven and uncoordinated approaches to address the outbreak are noted worldwide. Comparative health system research is needed to help countries shape their response models in social care, public health, primary care, hospital care and long-term care through the different phases of the pandemic. There is a need in each phase to compare context-specific bundles of measures where the impact on health outcomes can be modelled using targeted data and advanced statistical methods. Performance intelligence can be pursued to compare data, construct indicators and identify optimal strategies. Embracing a system perspective will allow countries to take coordinated strategic decisions while mitigating the risk of system collapse.A framework for the development and implementation of performance intelligence has been outlined by the HealthPros Network and is of pertinence. Health systems need better and more timely data to govern through a pandemic-induced transition period where tensions between care needs, demand and capacity are exceptionally high worldwide. Health systems are challenged to ensure essential levels of healthcare towards all patients, including those who need routine assistance. Conclusion Performance intelligence plays an essential role as part of a broader public health strategy in guiding the decisions of health system actors on the implementation of contextualised measures to tackle COVID-19 or any future epidemic as well as their effect on the health system at large. This should be based on commonly agreed-upon standardised data and fit-for-purpose indicators, making optimal use of existing health information infrastructures. The HealthPros Network can make a meaningful contribution

Pigs and humans in Early Neolithic Southeastern Europe:New zooarchaeological and stable isotopic data from late 7th-early 6th millennium BC Džuljunica-Smărdeš, Bulgaria

The Bulgarian site Džuljunica-Smărdeš, dating to 6205-5529 cal. BC, is one of the oldest Neolithic sites in Europe. Both domestic cattle and caprines are present in the zooarchaeological assemblage, but Sus, in contrast, is extremely rare. It is not known if the earliest Neolithic people in Europe did rear domestic pigs, practised some form of pig management, or only hunted wild boar. This research investigates the human pig relationships, using biometry, kill-off patterns and isotopic dietary analysis. With this integrated methodological approach, it might be possible to characterize human-suid relationships in this pivotal Early Neolithic site with greater accuracy. Understanding this relationship at this site contributes to the broader debate on how Neolithisation and domesticates spread through Europe, and which bio-cultural mechanisms were responsible for differential patterns of animal exploitation

Watersense eindrapport

Dit rapport beschrijft de resultaten van het project WaterSense, dat liep van 2008 tot en met 2012. In het project zijn de mogelijkheden van sensortechnologie onderzocht voor waterbeheer door landbouwers, waterschappen en drinkwaterbedrijven. Het doel van WaterSense was: - het onderzoeken en ontwikkelen van het concept van een beslissingsondersteunend systeem voor waterbeheer met behulp van sensortechnologie; - validatie van het concept aan de hand van een demonstratiesysteem. In WaterSense zijn diverse aspecten van meten, modelleren en sturen met betrekking tot waterkwantiteit, waterkwaliteit en landbouw onderzocht

The Impact of Different Screening Model Structures on Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality Predictions: The Maximum Clinical Incidence Reduction (MCLIR) Methodology

Background. To interpret cervical cancer screening model results, we need to understand the influence of model structure and assumptions on cancer incidence and mortality predictions. Cervical cancer cases and deaths following screening can be attributed to 1) (precancerous or cancerous) disease that occurred after screening, 2) disease that was present but not screen detected, or 3) disease that was screen detected but not successfully treated. We examined the relative contributions of each of these using 4 Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) models. Methods. The maximum clinical incidence reduction (MCLIR) method compares changes in the number of clinically detected cervical cancers and mortality among 4 scenarios: 1) no screening, 2) one-time perfect screening at age 45 that detects all existing disease and delivers perfect (i.e., 100% effective) treatment of all screen-detected disease, 3) one-time realistic-sensitivity cytological screening and perfect treatment of all screen-detected disease, and 4) one-time realistic-sensitivity cytological screening and realistic-effectiveness treatment of all screen-detected disease. Results. Predicted incidence reductions ranged from 55% to 74%, and mortality reduction ranged from 56% to 62% within 15 years of follow-up for scenario 4 across models. The proportion of deaths due to disease not detected by screening differed across the models (21%–35%), as did the failure of treatment (8%–16%) and disease occurring after screening (from 1%–6%). Conclusions. The MCLIR approach aids in the interpretation of variability across model results. We showed that the reasons why screening failed to prevent cancers and deaths differed between the models. This likely reflects uncertainty about unobservable model inputs and structures; the impact of this uncertainty on policy conclusions should be examined via comparing findings from different well-calibrated and validated model platforms

A robust and standardized method to isolate and expand mesenchymal stromal cells from human umbilical cord

Background aimsHuman umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs) are increasingly used in research and therapy. To obtain hUC-MSCs, a diversity of isolation and expansion methods are applied. Here, we report on a robust and standardized method for hUC-MSC isolation and expansion.MethodsUsing 90 hUC donors, we compared and optimized critical variables during each phase of the multi-step procedure involving UC collection, processing, MSC isolation, expansion and characterization. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of donor-to-donor variability regarding UC morphology and donor attributes on hUC-MSC characteristics.ResultsWe demonstrated robustness of our method across 90 UC donors at each step of the procedure. With our method, UCs can be collected up to 6 h after birth, and UC-processing can be initiated up to 48 h after collection without impacting on hUC-MSC characteristics. The removal of blood vessels before explant cultures improved hUC-MSC purity. Expansion in Minimum essential medium α supplemented with human platelet lysate increased reproducibility of the expansion rate and MSC characteristics as compared with Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum. The isolated hUC-MSCs showed a purity of ∼98.9%, a viability of >97% and a high proliferative capacity. Trilineage differentiation capacity of hUC-MSCs was reduced as compared with bone marrow-derived MSCs. Functional assays indicated that the hUC-MSCs were able to inhibit T-cell proliferation demonstrating their immune-modulatory capacity.ConclusionsWe present a robust and standardized method to isolate and expand hUC-MSCs, minimizing technical variability and thereby lay a foundation to advance reliability and comparability of results obtained from different donors and different studies.Molecular Epidemiolog