Urban Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology: Patterns, Processes and Planning

Effective planning for biodiversity in cities and towns is increasingly important as urban areas and their human populations grow, both to achieve conservation goals and because ecological communities support services on which humans depend. Landscape ecology provides important frameworks for understanding and conserving urban biodiversity both within cities and considering whole cities in their regional context, and has played an important role in the development of a substantial and expanding body of knowledge about urban landscapes and communities. Characteristics of the whole city including size, overall amount of green space, age and regional context are important considerations for understanding and planning for biotic assemblages at the scale of entire cities, but have received relatively little research attention. Studies of biodiversity within cities are more abundant and show that longstanding principles regarding how patch size, configuration and composition influence biodiversity apply to urban areas as they do in other habitats. However, the fine spatial scales at which urban areas are fragmented and the altered temporal dynamics compared to non-urban areas indicate a need to apply hierarchical multi-scalar landscape ecology models to urban environments. Transferring results from landscape-scale urban biodiversity research into planning remains challenging, not least because of the requirements for urban green space to provide multiple functions. An increasing array of tools is available to meet this challenge and increasingly requires ecologists to work with planners to address biodiversity challenges. Biodiversity conservation and enhancement is just one strand in urban planning, but is increasingly important in a rapidly urbanising world

Roman Period Fetal Skeletons From The East Cemetery (Kellis 2) Of Kellis, Egypt

Much can be learned about the religious ideology and mortuary patterns as well as the demographic and health profiles of a population from archaeological human fetal skeletons. Fetal skeletons are rare, however, largely due to poor preservation and recovery, misidentification, or non-inclusion in general burial populations. We present an analysis of 82 fetal/perinatal skeletons recovered from Kellis 2, a Roman Period cemetery dated to the third and fourth centuries AD, located in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Most of the fetal remains were individually wrapped in linen and all were buried among the general cemetery population in a supine, east-west orientation with the head facing to the west. Gestational age estimates are calculated from diaphysis lengths using published regression and Bayesian methods. The overall similarity between the fetal age distributions calculated from the regression and Bayesian methods suggests that the correlation between diaphysis length and gestational age is typically strong enough to avoid the \u27regression\u27 problem of having the age structure of reference samples adversely affecting the age distribution of target samples. The inherent bias of the regression methods, however, is primarily reflected in the gestational age categories between 36 and 42 weeks corresponding with the expected increase in growth variation during the late third trimester. The results suggest that the fetal age distribution at Kellis 2 does not differ from the natural expected mortality distribution. Therefore, practices such as infanticide can be ruled out as having a significant effect on the observed mortality distribution. Moreover, the Kellis 2 sample is well represented in each gestational age category, suggesting that all premature stillbirths and neonatal deaths received similar burial rites. The age distribution of the Kellis 2 fetal remains suggests that emerging Christian concepts, such as the \u27soul\u27 and the \u27afterlife\u27, were being applied to everyone including fetuses of all gestational ages. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Pathological Skeletal Remains From Ancient Egypt: The Earliest Case Of Diabetes Mellitus?

The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus from skeletal remains is very difficult given the complexity of the disease and the fact that there are no pathological skeletal characteristics exclusively associated with diabetes mellitus. Skeletal identification of diabetes mellitus may only be possible through differential diagnosis, when several pathological changes are present. Skeletal and dental changes associated with diabetes mellitus include Charcot\u27s joint (neuropathic arthropathy), osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH, or Forestier\u27s disease), adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), dental caries, periodontal disease, and antemortem tooth loss. Skeletal remains of an adult male from the Egyptian archaeological site of Dayr al-Barsha, dated to the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055-1650 BC), display a myriad of pathological conditions that, when considered together, likely indicate diabetes mellitus, specifically type 2 diabetes mellitus. This diagnosis represents the earliest, and possibly the only recorded archaeological skeletal evidence for this disease. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons

Evidence Of Amputation As Medical Treatment In Ancient Egypt

The use of surgical techniques in ancient Egyptian medicine has only been suggested indirectly through ancient medical texts and iconography, and there is no evidence of amputation as a means of therapeutic medical treatment. This paper presents four cases of amputation from the archaeological site of Dayr al-Barshā, Egypt. Two of the cases (dated to the First Intermediate and Middle Kingdom periods, respectively) are from individuals that display bilateral amputations of the feet, one through the metatarso-phalangeal joints, the other a transmetatarsal amputation. The exact reason for the amputation, perhaps from trauma or disease, is unknown. The particular healing patterns of the distal ends of the amputations suggest these individuals used foot binding or prosthetic devices. Another case represents a healed amputation of the left ulna near the elbow, dated to the Old Kingdom. The final case represents a perimortem amputation of the distal end of the right humerus. The exact date of this individual is unknown, but most likely pertains to the Old Kingdom or First Intermediate period. This individual seems to have suffered a traumatic incident shortly before death, sustaining many fractures, including a butterfly fracture on the right humerus. Several cut marks were identified on top of the butterfly fracture, indicating amputation of the arm at this point. All four cases support the hypothesis that the ancient Egyptians did use amputation as a therapeutic medical treatment for particular diseases or trauma. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Those who died very young-Inferences from delta N-15 and delta C-13 in bone collagen and the absence of a neonatal line in enamel related to the possible onset of breastfeeding

Stable isotope analysis has often been used in neonatal remains from archeological contexts to investigate the presence of a signal of breastfeeding and weaning in past populations. Tooth histology on the other hand might be used as an indicator of birth survival. This pilot study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using stable nitrogen (δ <sup>15</sup> N) and carbon (δ <sup>13</sup> C) isotope values from neonatal bone collagen to elucidate if values deviating from the adult female average could indicate breastfeeding and co-occur with the presence of a neonatal line (NNL). The combination of these independent indicators might be useful in clarifying the fate of individuals who died around birth. Bone collagen from 21 archeological human and animal specimens was extracted and analyzed via mass-spectrometry for δ <sup>15</sup> N and δ <sup>13</sup> C. A verification of the stable isotope results was undertaken using tooth histology on three individuals who were investigated for the presence of a NNL as an indicator of live birth and short survival. The biological age of the human samples varied between 8.5 lunar months (Lm) and 2 postnatal months (Pm) of age. All except one individual exhibited elevated δ <sup>15</sup> N values compared to the female average. The histological analyses revealed no NNL for this and two further individuals (n = 3). The results indicate that elevated nitrogen values of very young infants relative to a female average in archeological contexts are not necessarily associated with a breastfeeding onset signal, and therefore cannot be used exclusively as a proxy of birth survival. The elevation might be possible due to various reasons; one could be nutritional, in particular maternal stress during pregnancy or a metabolic disorder of mother and/or her child. In those cases, the evaluation of a NNL might reveal a false breastfeeding signal as seen for two individuals in our sample who have elevated nitrogen values despite the fact no NNL could be observed. Overall, our data support the growing awareness that bone collagen δ <sup>15</sup> N values of neonates/infants should not be used as a proxy for breastfeeding or birth survival on its own

Longitudinal investigation of public trust in institutions relative to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in Switzerland

Background: The 2009 H1N1 pandemic left a legacy of mistrust in the public relative to how outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases are managed. To prepare for future outbreaks, it is crucial to explore the phenomenon of public trust in the institutions responsible for managing disease outbreaks. We investigated the evolution of public trust in institutions during and after the 2009 pandemic in Switzerland. We also explored respondents' perceptions of the prevention campaign and the roles of the government and media. Methodology/Principal Findings: A two-wave longitudinal survey was mailed to 2,400 members of the Swiss public. Wave 1 was in Spring 2009. Wave 2 was in Spring 2010. Six hundred and two participants responded in both waves. Participants indicated moderate to high levels of trust in medical organizations, the WHO, the Swiss government, the pharmaceutical industry, and the EU. On the other hand, trust in the media was low. Moreover, trust in almost all institutions decreased over time. Participants were satisfied with the amount of information received and indicated having followed official recommendations, but widespread concerns about the vaccine were evident. A large majority of participants agreed the vaccine might have unknown or undesirable side effects. Perceptions of the government's and the media's role in handling the outbreak were characterized by a substantial degree of skepticism and mistrust. Conclusions/Significance: Results show clear patterns of skepticism and mistrust on the part of the public relative to various institutions and their actions. Results underscore the importance of systematically investigating trust of the public relative to epidemics. Moreover, studies investigating the evolution of the public's memories of the pandemic over the coming years may be important to understand reactions to future pandemics. A systematic research program on trust can inform public health communication campaigns, enabling tailored communication initiatives