Lynx presence in Roman times in the lower germanic Limes region: The case of Alphen aan den Rijn

In 2001 and 2002 an excavation conducted in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands revealed the vestiges of a Roman fort, Castellum Albaniana, situated along the historical Rhine delta and used for centuries during the Roman occupation (41 AD − 275 CE). Among the animal bones retrieved from the surrounding defensive ditches, remains of Lynx lynx bones were found. Lynx is currently not native to the Netherlands but might have been in historical times and it could have been transported to the Limes region by the Romans or caught in the direct surroundings of the castellum. In the present study, we describe the retrieved lynx bones initially identified based on morphology. We performed ancient DNA amplification, sequencing and alignment to confirm species identification and to determine the haplotype. Previous haplotyping of lynx from various sites reported by other studies has shown that lynx distribution in Europe during Roman times was very different from its current distribution. DNA analysis of cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome B confirmed the identification of the animal species as Lynx lynx. Sequencing of the mitochondrial control region revealed that the animal carried a DNA haplotype, different from those from North Sea fossil lynx remains, but comparable to a haplotype found in southern France. Analysis of stable isotope of the bone materials, to determine the region where the animal lived, suggests the provenance of the animal from a region which comprises southern and central Europe including a part of the Netherlands

Relações do parâmetro S para algumas propriedades físicas de solos do sul do Brasil Relationships of the S parameter of some physical properties of soils of southern Brazil

O parâmetro S representa o valor da inclinação da curva de retenção de água no seu ponto de inflexão. Um aumento nos valores de S indica uma ampla distribuição de tamanho de poros, condizente com condições estruturais que estabelecem um adequado funcionamento físico do solo. Neste trabalho, testou-se a sensibilidade do parâmetro S, proposto na literatura, em relação a algumas propriedades físicas de solos do Sul do Brasil. O parâmetro S não se relacionou com o teor de argila total, nem com o teor de argila dispersa dos sete solos utilizados neste trabalho. Para o grupamento dos solos argilosos e muito argilosos, o parâmetro S apresentou decréscimo exponencial com o aumento da densidade do solo e um crescimento exponencial com o aumento da matéria orgânica do solo. Nesses solos, a água disponível às plantas aumentou de forma linear (ADP= 3,19*S) passando pela origem e a pressão de pré-consolidação reduziu exponencialmente com o aumento do valor de S. Conclui-se que o parâmetro S apresentou sensibilidade para determinar a qualidade física dos solos de textura argilosa e muito argilosa.<br>The S index corresponds to the slope of the soil water retention curve at its inflection point. A high S value indicates the presence of structural pores, which are essential for a good soil physical condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the index of soil physical quality (S), as proposed in the literature for some physical properties of soils from Southern Brazil. In the seven soils used here, no relationship was found between clay and water dispersible clay content with soil physical quality index S. However, in soils with high clay content, the S index decreases with an increase in soil bulk density and increases with an increase in soil organic matter content. For a given texture class, plant available water increased linearly (PAW= 3.19*S) to the origin and the preconsolidation pressure decreased exponentially with the increasing S index. The S index is sensitive to be used as an index of soil physical quality for soils with a high clay content

Palaeoproteomics of fossil bird bones for taxonomic classification

We used proteomic profiling to taxonomically classify extinct, alongside extant bird species using mass spectrometry on ancient bone-derived collagen chains COL1A1 and COL1A2. Proteins of Holocene and Late Pleistocene-aged bones from dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and great auk (Pinguinus impennis), as well as bones from chicken (Gallus gallus), rock dove (Columba livia), zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), of various ages ranging from the present to 1455 years old were analysed. HCl and guandine-HCL-based protein extractions from fresh bone materials yielded up to 60% coverage of collagens COL1A1 and COL1A2, and extractions from ancient materials yielded up to 46% coverage of collagens COL1A1 and COL1A2. Data were retrieved from multiple peptide sequences obtained from different specimens and multiple extractions. Upon alignment, and in line with the latest evolutionary insights, protein data obtained from great auk grouped with data from a recently sequenced razorbill (Alca torda) genome. Similarly, protein data obtained from bones of dodo and modern rock dove grouped in a single clade. Lastly, protein data obtained from chicken bones, both from ancient and fresh materials, grouped as a separate, basal clade. Our proteomic analyses enabled taxonomic classification of all ancient bones, thereby complementing phylogenetics based on DNA

Palaeoproteomics of bird bones for taxonomic classification

We used proteomic profiling to taxonomically classify extinct, alongside extant bird species using mass spectrometry on ancient bone-derived collagen chains COL1A1 and COL1A2. Proteins of Holocene and Late Pleistocene-aged bones from dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and great auk (Pinguinus impennis), as well as bones from chicken (Gallus gallus), rock dove (Columba livia), zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), of various ages ranging from the present to 1455 years old were analysed. HCl and guandine-HCL-based protein extractions from fresh bone materials yielded up to 60% coverage of collagens COL1A1 and COL1A2, and extractions from ancient materials yielded up to 46% coverage of collagens COL1A1 and COL1A2. Data were retrieved from multiple peptide sequences obtained from different specimens and multiple extractions. Upon alignment, and in line with the latest evolutionary insights, protein data obtained from great auk grouped with data from a recently sequenced razorbill (Alca torda) genome. Similarly, protein data obtained from bones of dodo and modern rock dove grouped in a single clade. Lastly, protein data obtained from chicken bones, both from ancient and fresh materials, grouped as a separate, basal clade. Our proteomic analyses enabled taxonomic classification of all ancient bones, thereby complementing phylogenetics based on DNA

Increased early systemic inflammation in ICU-acquired weakness: a prospective observational cohort study

To investigate whether patients who develop ICU-acquired weakness have a different pattern of systemic inflammatory markers compared with critically ill patients who do not develop ICU-acquired weakness. Prospective observational cohort study. Mixed medical-surgical ICU of a tertiary care hospital in the Netherlands. Newly admitted critically ill patients, greater than or equal to 48 hours on mechanical ventilation with a nonneurologic ICU admission diagnosis, were included. A panel of systemic inflammatory markers and soluble vascular adhesion molecules were measured in plasma samples of day 0, 2, and 4 after ICU admission. ICU-acquired weakness was diagnosed by manual muscle strength testing as soon as patients were awake and attentive. Ninety-nine of 204 included patients developed ICU-acquired weakness. Principal component regression analysis, adjusted for confounders, showed that principal component 1, mainly loaded with interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, and fractalkine, was significantly higher in patients who developed ICU-acquired weakness (odds ratio, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.18-1.55]). Partial least squares-discriminant analysis also showed that these markers were the most important discriminative markers. Mixed-effects models of these markers showed that ICU-acquired weakness was associated with an independent 1.5- to two-fold increase in these markers. Systemic inflammation is increased in patients who develop ICU-acquired weakness compared with patients who do not develop ICU-acquired weakness in the first 4 days after ICU admission. This finding is consistent when adjusted for confounders, like disease severity. A group consisting of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, and fractalkine was identified to be the most importan