Diet, gender and rank

The archaeology of rank is in many respects the basis for the study of social organisation in ancient societies. Here burial data are considered as closely related to the social position in life. Rank-indicating features marking social position can then be correlated with biological features such as sex, age, kinship, pathological traits, and dietary data, which are possible to study with scientific methods. This study concerns seven boatgraves at Tuna, Alsike parish, Uppland, Sweden, dating to the Vendel and Viking Periods. Molecular sex identifications, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses, and trace element analysis were performed on human bones to gain information on the social structure of the population. No dietary hierarchy, and thus no gender differences, could be detected. However, since we now only have studied the upper stratum of the society, next study should concern the rest of the population. This is already underway since we believe this approach is fruitful for the study of archaeological rank and its implications

Följdeffekter av olika användningssätt för vedråvara

Since the turn of the millennium a sharp increase in the interest for bio energy has been observed. Important reasons for this growing interest can be due to the fact that fossil fuels are a finite resource. A net discharge of greenhouse gases occur when fossil fuels are burned. The discharge of greenhouse gases are considered to be the main reason to the greenhouse effect. Means of control to increase the use of bio energy has been introduced and, as intended, the use of bio energy has increased. As a result of the legal provisions the ability to pay for bio energy has increased, which the forest industry view as a problem. The forest industry are positive to a higher bio energy use, but the increased ability to pay for it has led to a situation where first-rate pulpwood are used for energy production instead of production of paper. This degree thesis is an explorative study. The aim has been to estimate effects as a consequence of the use of pulpwood in different processes. The consequences refer to employment, added value, export value and the influence of the environment. The different processes are Cogeneration (combined heat and power), production of ethanol and production of newsprint and LWC-paper. I have developed models which simulate the four processes and on the basis of these models I have received indicative results, which underlie my conclusions. The indicative results from the study show that the forest industry has 2 to 10 times higher employment rate than the energy sector. The added value is 1,5 to 4,6 times higher in the forest industry and the export as much as 4 to 208 times higher. An increased use of bio fuels is solely good according to the environment and the climate.Intresset för bioenergi har ökat markant under 2000-talet. Viktiga orsaker till detta är att tillgången på fossila bränslen är begränsad. Förbränning av fossila bränslen ger nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser. Utsläppen anses vara orsaken till växthuseffekten. Styrmedel för ökad bioenergianvändning har tillkommit och just ökat användningen av biobränslen. Skogsindustrin ser ett följdproblem som uppstått i styrmedlenas kölvatten, nämligen den ökade betalningsförmågan för biobränslen från energisektorn. Skogsindustrin är positiv till ökad bioenergianvändning, men den höga betalningsförmågan har lett till att prima massaved istället för biobränslen använts för energiproduktion. Detta examensarbete är en explorativ studie. Syftet har varit att göra beräkningar på följdeffekter för olika processer där massaved används. Med följdeffekter avses sysselsättning, förädlingsvärde och export, samt miljöpåverkan. De olika processerna är kraftvärmeverk, etanoltillverkning, samt tillverkning av tidningspapper och LWC-papper. Jag har byggt modeller som simulerar de fyra processerna och utifrån dessa modeller erhållit indikativa resultat som ligger till grund för mina slutsatser. De indikativa resultaten från studien visar på att skogssektorn har 2 till 10 gånger större sysselsättning än energisektorn. Förädlingsvärdet är 1,5 till 4,6 gånger större i skogssektorn och exporten är hela 4 till 208 gånger större för skogssektorn. För klimatet är ökad biobränsleanvändning positiv

Recovery of DNA from Footprints in the Snow

The recovery of trace amounts of DNA has been demonstrated to be a reliable tool in conservation genetics and has become a key component of modern forensic casework. To date, genetic data have been successfully recovered from a variety of sources, including biological fluids, faeces, clothing, and even directly from fingerprints. However, to our knowledge and despite their widespread occurrence and clear potential as a source of DNA, genetic information has not previously been recovered directly from footprints. Here, we extract and amplify mitochondrial DNA from a snow footprint, <48-hours old, made by a Swedish Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus). Our results demonstrate that it is possible to recover sufficient DNA from recent footprints to accurately type the source of the print, with implications for conservation biology and forensic science

Aurochs, genetics, indigenous people and colonists: apropos of the neolithization of Europe

Las analíticas genéticas realizadas sobre los uros (Bos primigenius) del yacimiento de Mendandia (Treviño), han ofrecido un resultado sorprendente: uno de los individuos pertenece al haplotypo T3, generalmente asociado a animales domésticos (Bos taurus). La datación de la muestra (7265 ± 70 BP; Ua 34366) es acorde con las otras conocidas de su nivel, el III-superior, incidiendo en la antigüedad de su Neolítico. El dato es la excusa para reflexionar sobre el proceso neolitizador y adentrarnos en el debate sobre el papel que pudiera corresponder a los indígenas y a los colonos. Para ello se valora la información más actual sobre genética de las poblaciones del principio del Holoceno, las medias promediadas de la extensión por Europa del nuevo modo de vida, así como otros indicios de neolitización prematura. Un compendio de razones que nos lleva a pensar que estamos frente a un fenómeno cultural muy complejo

Cryptic Contamination and Phylogenetic Nonsense

Ancient human DNA has been treated cautiously ever since the problems related to this type of material were exposed in the early 1990s, but as sequential genetic data from ancient specimens have been key components in several evolutionary and ecological studies, interest in ancient human DNA is on the increase again. It is especially tempting to approach archaeological and anthropological questions through this type of material, but DNA from ancient human tissue is notoriously complicated to work with due to the risk of contamination with modern human DNA. Various ways of authenticating results based on ancient human DNA have been developed to circumvent the problems. One commonly used method is to predict what the contamination is expected to look like and then test whether the ancient human DNA fulfils this prediction. If it does, the results are rejected as contamination, while if it does not, they are often considered authentic. We show here that human contamination in ancient material may well deviate from local allele frequencies or the distributions to be found among the laboratory workers and archaeologists. We conclude that it is not reliable to authenticate ancient human DNA solely by showing that it is different from what would be expected from people who have handled the material

The food culture of the Iron Age nomadic elite from the ‘Valley of the Kings’ in Tuva : radiocarbon dating, stable carbon and nitrogen analysis of the Chinge Tey barrows (Turan-Uyuk Basin, Russia)

Strategie przetrwania eurazjatyckich populacji koczowniczych były szeroko badane w literaturze archeologicznej. 'Dolina Królów' w Tuwie (Rosja) zauroczyła archeologów obecnością wielu dużych kurhanów, zawierających bogato wyposażone grobowce elitarne koczowników, wodzów wojennych i arystokracji. Te monumentalne grobowce świadczą o powiązaniach między zmarłymi przywódcami, podkreślając sojusze między prehistorycznymi koczownikami Azji Centralnej. W niniejszej pracy badawczej prezentujemy kompleksowe datowanie radiowęglowe oraz dane izotopowe δ13C/δ15N z kurhanów Chinge Tey, które reprezentują miejsca pochówku 12 wysoko postawionych jednostek. Chronologiczna zgodność zarówno zabytków cmentarzyska Chinge Tey, jak i odniesienia do znalezisk w kurhanach Arzhan 1 i Arzhan 2, rzuca światło na ich kontekst historyczny. W przedstawionych badaniach zgłębiane są skomplikowane aspekty adaptacyjności ekologicznej, praktyk żywieniowych hodowców, hierarchii społecznych oraz rytuałów pogrzebowych koczowników. Analiza stabilnych izotopów węgla i azotu wskazuje na potencjalne związki między kurhanami w 'Dolinie Królów' a różnorodnymi kulturami koczowniczymi, sugerując, że nawyki żywieniowe wśród pobliskich populacji mogły wykazywać znaczącą zmienność.Subsistence strategies of Eurasian pastoral populations have been broadly studied in the archaeological literature. The 'Valley of the Kings' in Tuva, Russia, has captivated archaeologists with its remarkable collection of large burial mounds, containing lavishly equipped tombs of nomadic kings, warlords, and aristocracy. These barrows bear witness to the ancestral connections between the deceased leaders, highlighting the alliances among prehistoric nomads in Central Asia. In this research, we present comprehensive radiocarbon dating and δ13C/δ15N isotopic data from the Chinge Tey barrows, which represent the burial sites of 12 high-ranking individuals. The chronological alignment of both Chinge Tey monuments with the Arzhan 1 and Arzhan 2 reference frames sheds light on their historical context. This study delves into intricate aspects of ecological adaptability, pastoral food practices, social hierarchies, and nomadic mortuary rituals. Analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes indicates potential connections between the barrows in the 'Valley of the Kings' and diverse nomadic cultures, suggesting that dietary habits among neighboring populations may have exhibited significant variation.Die Subsistenzstrategien eurasischer pastoraler Populationen wurden umfassend in der archäologischen Literatur untersucht. Das 'Tal der Könige' in Tuwa, Russland, hat Archäologen mit seiner bemerkenswerten Sammlung großer Grabhügel fasziniert, die aufwändig ausgestattete Gräber von nomadischen Königen, Kriegsherren und der Aristokratie enthalten. Diese Hügelgräber zeugen von den ancestralischen Verbindungen zwischen den verstorbenen Anführern und betonen die Allianzen unter prähistorischen Nomaden in Zentralasien. In dieser Forschungsarbeit präsentieren wir umfassende Radiokarbondatierungen und δ13C/δ15N-Isotopendaten von den Chinge Tey Hügelgräbern, die die Begräbnisstätten von 12 hochrangigen Einzelpersonen repräsentieren. Die chronologische Übereinstimmung sowohl der Chinge Tey Monumente mit den Referenzrahmen von Arzhan 1 und Arzhan 2 wirft Licht auf ihren historischen Kontext. Diese Studie geht auf komplexe Aspekte der ökologischen Anpassungsfähigkeit, pastoralen Ernährungspraktiken, sozialen Hierarchien und nomadischen Bestattungsritualen ein. Die Analyse der stabilen Kohlenstoff- und Stickstoffisotope deutet auf mögliche Verbindungen zwischen den Grabhügeln im 'Tal der Könige' und verschiedenen nomadischen Kulturen hin und legt nahe, dass Ernährungsgewohnheiten unter benachbarten Populationen signifikante Variationen aufwiesen könnten

Fetal Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: an Opportunity for Prenatal Cellular Therapy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of the study is to provide an overview on the possibility of treating congenital disorders prenatally with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). RECENT FINDINGS: MSCs have multilineage potential and a low immunogenic profile and are immunomodulatory and more easy to expand in culture. Their ability to migrate, engraft and differentiate, or act via a paracrine effect on target tissues makes MSCs candidates for clinical therapies. Fetal and extra-fetal MSCs offer higher therapeutic potential compared to MSCs derived from adult sources. SUMMARY: MSCs may be safely transplanted prenatally via ultrasound-guided injection into the umbilical cord. Due to these characteristics, fetal MSCs are of great interest in the field of in utero stem cell transplantation for treatment of congenital disease

Maternal and fetal safety outcomes after in utero stem cell injection: A systematic review

Objective: To investigate the maternal and fetal safety of In utero stem cell transplantation (IUSCT). Methods: Medline®, Embase and Cochrane library (1967−2023) search for publications reporting IUSCT in humans. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and full-text papers. Results: Sixty six transplantation procedures in 52 fetuses were performed for haemoglobinopathies (n = 14), red cell/bleeding disorders (n = 4), immunodeficiencies (n = 15), storage disorders (n = 7), osteogenesis imperfecta (n = 2) and healthy fetuses (n = 10). The average gestational age was 18.9 weeks; of procedures reporting the injection route, cells were delivered by intraperitoneal (n = 37), intravenous (n = 19), or intracardiac (n = 4) injection or a combination (n = 3); most fetuses received one injection (n = 41). Haematopoietic (n = 40) or mesenchymal (n = 12) stem cells were delivered. The cell dose was inconsistently reported (range 1.8−3.3 × 109 cells total (n = 27); 2.7−5.0 × 109/kg estimated fetal weight (n = 17)). The acute fetal procedural complication rate was 4.5% (3/66); the acute fetal mortality rate was 3.0% (2/66). Neonatal survival was 69.2% (36/52). Immediate maternal and pregnancy outcomes were reported in only 30.8% (16/52) and 44.2% (23/52) of cases respectively. Four fetal/pregnancy outcomes would also classify as ≥ Grade 2 maternal adverse events. Conclusions: Short-, medium-, and long-term maternal and fetal adverse events should be reported in all IUSCT studies

Björned – benanalyser och kulturhistoriska tolkningar: Undersökningar kring en nordsvensk begravningsplats från tidig medeltid

Björned – bone analysis and historical interpretations. Investigations of an early medieval burial place in northern Sweden By Leif Grundberg, Anders Götherström and Barbro Hårding In the small village called Björned in Torsåker parish, in the county of Ångermanland in northern Sweden, an early medieval cemetery was investigated. The investigation forms part of the Styresholm project, which involves the study of the area adjoining the lower part of the Ångermanälven river during the Middle Ages and the Iron Age. The Björned cemetery measures only c. 25×12 m. It is not mentioned in historical sources and nothing above the surface reveals that this is a cemetery. During the excavation more than fifty graves were identified, which all followed Christian burial customs. 14Canalyses of human bones suggest that the cemetery was used from the 10th century until the 13th century, although an adjoining settlement existed from the early Iron Age. Most of the bone material from the graves is well preserved and suitable for scientific investigation. The present study has been directed towards problems connected with the change of religion, the parish organisation, the family structure, the social organisation, and the power structures. These are topics that arise when the results from the excavation are compared with other ancient remains, existing churches, placenames and the topography of the region. The article presents the research in progress, including molecular analyses and studies of epigenetic traits. One of the main questions dealt with is whether Björned was a family cemetery. The anthropological analyses suggest that several individuals are closely related. This theory is supported by the molecular analyses. A Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat, DYS388, was extracted and amplified from some individuals from Björned. Alleles could be identified in six individuals. The composition of the alleles was such that the individuals could not be regarded as a sample of a Swedish population in a genetic sense. More likely they represent a sample drawn from a Same population or a Swedish family with a Same element. A short introduction is also given to further investigations that have started recently, including comparative studies of the Viking Age cemeteries at Björkå and Holm in Överlännäs parish. The importance of relating the results with a local and regional historical context is stressed in the article, which also deals with the early Christianisation, the Same influence and gender perspectives. Using medieval churches, Viking Age silver-hoards, and rich chamber-women graves as the point of departure, it is argued that Björned was situated in a settlement area of central importance. The centrality is thought to have been based on transit exchange and transport of products from the interior of Norrland