Das bandkeramische Gräberfeld vom „Viesenhäuser Hof“ bei Stuttgart-Mühlhausen: Neue Untersuchungsergebnisse zum Migrationsverhalten im frühen Neolithikum

Einleitung: Gegenstand des vorliegenden Beitrags ist die Rolle der Mobilität im Leben der frühen Ackerbauern und Viehzüchter in Südwestdeutschland. Seit Jahrzehnten werden wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzungen über die Bedeutung von Wanderungsbewegungen bei der Ausbreitung der produzierenden Wirtschaftsweise in Europa zwischen 7000 und 4000 v. Chr. geführt. Dabei gehen traditionelle Überlegungen davon aus, dass die ersten Ackerbauern in Mitteleuropa Zuwanderer waren, die ein ‚Paket‘ neuer Errungenschaften und Ideen mit sich führten, das u. a. Haustiere, dauerhafte Siedlungen, Keramik und den Ackerbau enthielt.1 Neuere Untersuchungen und Überlegungen gestehen dagegen der einheimischen Bevölkerung eine maßgebliche Bedeutung bei der Übernahme der neolithischen Wirtschaftsweise zu.2 Die Mobilität des Menschen ist aber nicht nur für die Erklärung des Neolithisierungsprozesses, sondern auch für das Verständnis der Lebens- und Wirtschaftsweise der Menschen in den mittleren und späteren Abschnitten der Linearbandkeramik von höchstem Interesse. Die bisherige Forschungsdiskussion basierte in diesem Zusammenhang überwiegend auf indirekten Argumenten, d. h. auf Artefakten, die auch getauscht oder gestohlen worden sein konnten, aber nicht auf den Überresten der potenziellen Zuwanderer selbst, die in Form von Knochen und Zähnen erhalten sind. Die vorliegende Studie bedient sich der direkten Analyse menschlicher Skelettreste der bandkeramischen Gräber vom ‚Viesenhäuser Hof‘, Stuttgart-Mühlhausen, mittels anthropologischer Untersuchungen und Strontiumisotopenanalysen. Nachfolgend werden der Fundplatz in seinem archäologischen Kontext der Linearbandkeramik sowie die Ergebnisse der anthropologischen Untersuchungen und Strontiumisotopenanalysen vorgestellt und dann die Rolle der Mobilität im Leben der frühen Ackerbauern und Viehzüchter sowie für die Ausbreitung der neolithischen Wirtschaftsweise diskutiert. Stuttgart-Mühlhausen ist eines der ältesten bandkeramischen Gräberfelder, die bislang für derartige Untersuchungen zur Verfügung standen

Empfehlungen für die Probenentnahme in der forensischen Anthropologie: Untersuchung von DNA und Stabilisotopen

Zusammenfassung: In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten wurden zunehmend genetische und biogeochemische Analyseverfahren in der biologischen Anthropologie (Synonym Bioarchäologie) etabliert. Viele dieser Anwendungen beruhen auf Methoden, die auch in der forensischen Anthropologie Anwendung finden. In der Bioarchäologie hängt der Erfolg der zeit- und kostenintensiven Analysen entscheidend von der optimalen Entnahme und Auswahl der Proben ab; deshalb sollte die Beprobung für genetische und biogeochemische Analysen bereits im Feld erfolgen. Diese Erfahrungen legen Beprobungsstrategien nahe, die im vorliegenden Beitrag erläutert werden und für die Rechtsmedizin ebenfalls von Relevanz sind

Development and Function of the Voltage-Gated Sodium Current in Immature Mammalian Cochlear Inner Hair Cells

Inner hair cells (IHCs), the primary sensory receptors of the mammalian cochlea, fire spontaneous Ca2+ action potentials before the onset of hearing. Although this firing activity is mainly sustained by a depolarizing L-type (CaV1.3) Ca2+ current (ICa), IHCs also transiently express a large Na+ current (INa). We aimed to investigate the specific contribution of INa to the action potentials, the nature of the channels carrying the current and whether the biophysical properties of INa differ between low- and high-frequency IHCs. We show that INa is highly temperature-dependent and activates at around −60 mV, close to the action potential threshold. Its size was larger in apical than in basal IHCs and between 5% and 20% should be available at around the resting membrane potential (−55 mV/−60 mV). However, in vivo the availability of INa could potentially increase to >60% during inhibitory postsynaptic potential activity, which transiently hyperpolarize IHCs down to as far as −70 mV. When IHCs were held at −60 mV and INa elicited using a simulated action potential as a voltage command, we found that INa contributed to the subthreshold depolarization and upstroke of an action potential. We also found that INa is likely to be carried by the TTX-sensitive channel subunits NaV1.1 and NaV1.6 in both apical and basal IHCs. The results provide insight into how the biophysical properties of INa in mammalian cochlear IHCs could contribute to the spontaneous physiological activity during cochlear maturation in vivo

Sharpening ECOSTRESS and VIIRS Land Surface Temperature Using Harmonized Landsat-Sentinel Surface Reflectances

Land surface temperature (LST) is a key diagnostic indicator of agricultural water use and crop stress. LST data retrieved from thermal infrared (TIR) band imagery, however, tend to have a coarser spatial resolution (e.g., 100 m for Landsat 8) than surface reflectance (SR) data collected from shortwave bands on the same instrument (e.g., 30 m for Landsat). Spatial sharpening of LST data using the higher resolution multi-band SR data provides an important path for improved agricultural monitoring at sub-field scales. A previously developed Data Mining Sharpener (DMS) approach has shown great potential in the sharpening of Landsat LST using Landsat SR data co-collected over various landscapes. This work evaluates DMS performance for sharpening ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) LST (~70 m native resolution) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) LST (375 m) data using Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) SR data, providing the basis for generating 30-m LST data at a higher temporal frequency than afforded by Landsat alone. To account for the misalignment between ECOSTRESS/VIIRS and Landsat/HLS caused by errors in registration and orthorectification, we propose a modified version of the DMS approach that employs a relaxed box size for energy conservation (EC). Sharpening experiments were conducted over three study sites in California, and results were evaluated visually and quantitatively against LST data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) flights and from Landsat 8. Over the three sites, the modified DMS technique showed improved sharpening accuracy over the standard DMS for both ECOSTRESS and VIIRS, suggesting the effectiveness of relaxing EC box in relieving misalignment-induced errors. To achieve reasonable accuracy while minimizing loss of spatial detail due to the EC box size increase, an optimal EC box size of 180–270 m was identified for ECOSTRESS and about 780 m for VIIRS data based on experiments from the three sites. Results from this work will facilitate the development of a prototype system that generates high spatiotemporal resolution LST products for improved agricultural water use monitoring by synthesizing multi-source remote sensing data

Spectroscopy of 34,35Si^{34,35}Si by β\beta decay: sd-fp shell gap and single-particle states

The $^{34,35}Al\beta$ decays were studied at the CERN on-line mass separator ISOLDE by $\beta-\gamma, \beta-\gamma-\gamma$ and $\beta-n-\gamma$ measurements, in order to corroborate thelow-level description of $^{34}Si$ and to obtain the first information on the level structure of the N=21 isotope $^{35}Si$. Earlier observed $\gamma$ lines in $^{34} Al$ decay were confirmed and new gamma transitions following both beta decay and $\beta$-delayed neutron emission were established. The first level scheme in $^{35}Si$, including three excited states at 910, 974 and 2168 keV, is consistent with $J^{\pi} =3/2^{-}$ and $3/2^{+}$ for the first two states respectively. Beta-decay half-life of $T_{1/2} = 38.6 (4)$ ms and beta-delayed neutron branching $P_{n}$ value $(P_{n} =41(13)$ were measured unambiguously. The significance of the single-particle energy determination at N=21, Z=14, for assessing the effective interaction in sd-fp shell-model calculations, is discussed and illustrated by predictions for different n-rich isotopes

Loss of the mammal-specific tectorial membrane component CEA cell adhesion molecule 16 (CEACAM16) leads to hearing impairment at low and high frequencies

The vertebrate-restricted carcinoembryonic antigen gene family evolves extremely rapidly. Among their widely expressed members, the mammal-specific, secreted CEACAM16 is exceptionally well conserved and specifically expressed in the inner ear. To elucidate a potential auditory function we inactivated murine Ceacam16 by homologous recombination. In young Ceacam16-/- mice the hearing threshold for frequencies below 10 kHz and above 22 kHz was raised. This hearing impairment progressed with age. A similar phenotype is observed in hearing-impaired members of Family 1070 with non-syndromic autosomal dominant hearing loss (DFNA4) who carry a missense mutation in CEACAM16. CEACAM16 was found in interdental and Deiters cells and was deposited in the tectorial membrane of the cochlea between postnatal day 12 and 15, when hearing starts in mice. In cochlear sections of Ceacam16-/- mice tectorial membranes were significantly more often stretched out as compared to wild-type mice where they were mostly contracted and detached from the outer hair cells. Homotypic cell sorting observed after ectopic cell surface expression of the carboxy-terminal immunoglobulin variable-like N2 domain of CEACAM16 indicated that CEACAM16 can interact in trans. Furthermore, Western blot analyses of membrane-bound CEACAM16 under reducing and non-reducing conditions demonstrated oligomerization via unpaired cysteines. Taken together, CEACAM16 probably can form higher order structures with other tectorial membrane proteins such as α-tectorin and β-tectorin and influences the physical properties of the tectorial membrane. Evolution of CEACAM16 might have been an important step for the specialization of the mammalian cochlea allowing hearing over an extended frequency range

Evapotranspiration estimates derived using thermal-based satellite remote sensing and data fusion for irrigation management in California vineyards

Irrigation in the Central Valley of California is essential for successful wine grape production. With reductions in water availability in much of California due to drought and competing water-use interests, it is important to optimize irrigation management strategies. In the current study, we investigate the utility of satellite-derived maps of evapotranspiration (ET) and the ratio of actual-to-reference ET (fRET) based on remotely sensed land-surface temperature (LST) imagery for monitoring crop water use and stress in vineyards. The Disaggregated Atmosphere Land EXchange Inverse (ALEXI/DisALEXI) surface-energy balance model, a multi-scale ET remote-sensing framework with operational capabilities, is evaluated over two Pinot noir vineyard sites in central California that are being monitored as part of the Grape Remote-Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX). A data fusion approach is employed to combine ET time-series retrievals from multiple satellite platforms to generate estimates at both the high spatial (30 m) and temporal (daily) resolution required for field-scale irrigation management. Comparisons with micrometeorological data indicate reasonable model performance, with mean absolute errors of 0.6 mm day−1 in ET at the daily time step and minimal bias. Values of fRET agree well with tower observations and reflect known irrigation. Spatiotemporal analyses illustrate the ability of ALEXI/DisALEXI/data fusion package to characterize heterogeneity in ET and fRET both within a vineyard and over the surrounding landscape. These findings will inform the development of strategies for integrating ET mapping time series into operational irrigation management framework, providing actionable information regarding vineyard water use and crop stress at the field and regional scale and at daily to multi-annual time scales.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio