Mead-halls of the Oiscingas: a new Kentish perspective on the Anglo-Saxon great hall complex phenomenon

Widely cited as a metaphor for the emergence of kingship in early medieval England, the great hall complex represents one of the most distinctive and evocative expressions of the Anglo-Saxon settlement record, yet interpretation of these sites remains underdeveloped and heavily weighted towards Yeavering. Inspired by the results of recent excavations at Lyminge, this paper undertakes a detailed comparative interrogation of three great hall complexes in Kent and exploits this new regional perspective to advance understanding of the agency and embodied meanings of these settlements as ‘theatres of power’. Explored through the thematic prisms of place, social memory and monumental hybridity, this examination leads to a new appreciation of the involvement of great hall sites in the genealogical strategies of 7th-century royal dynasties and a fresh perspective on how this remarkable yet short-lived monumental idiom was adapted to harness the symbolic capital of Romanitas

BIRTH-ORDER, DELIVERY ROUTE, AND CONCORDANCE IN THE TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 FROM MOTHERS TO TWINS

Background: We evaluated data from prospectively identified twins to understand better the mechanisms and covariates of mother-to-infant transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Methods: Using data obtained from an international collaboration and multivariate quasilikelihood modeling, we assessed concordance, birth order, route of delivery, and other factors for HIV infection in 115 prospectively studied twin pairs born to HIV-infected women. Actuarial methods were used to evaluate overall survival and survival free of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome for HIV-infected twins. Results: Infection with HIV occurred in 35% of vaginally delivered firstborn (A) twins, 16% of cesarean-delivered A twins, 15% of vaginally delivered second-born (B) twins, and 8% of cesarean-delivered B twins. In a multivariate model, the adjusted odds ratios for HIV infection were 11.8 (confidence interval: 3.1 to 45.3) for concordance of infection with the co-twin, 2.8 (confidence interval: 1.6 to 5.0) for A versus B twins, and 2.7 (confidence interval: 1.1 to 6.6) for vaginally delivered versus cesarean-delivered twins. Among A twins, 52% (lower confidence limit: 6%) of the transmission risk was related to vaginal delivery, Comparing vaginally delivered A twins (infants most exposed to vaginal mucus and blood) to cesarean-delivered B twins (infants least exposed), 76% (lower confidence limit: 48%) of the transmission risk was related to vaginal exposure. Infected B twins had slightly reduced Quetelet indexes and more rapid development of illnesses related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Conclusions: These results indicate that HIV infection of B twins occurs predominantly in utero, whereas infection of A twins (and, by implication, singletons) occurs predominantly intrapartum, We propose that intrapartum transmission is responsible for the majority of pediatric HIV infections and that reducing exposure to HIV in the birth canal may reduce transmission of the virus from mother to infant

The Y chromosome as the most popular marker in genetic genealogy benefits interdisciplinary research

The Y chromosome is currently by far the most popular marker in genetic genealogy that combines genetic data and family history. This popularity is based on its haploid character and its close association with the patrilineage and paternal inherited surname. Other markers have not been found (yet) to overrule this status due to the low sensitivity and precision of autosomal DNA for genetic genealogical applications, given the vagaries of recombination, and the lower capacities of mitochondrial DNA combined with an in general much lower interest in maternal lineages. The current knowledge about the Y chromosome and the availability of markers with divergent mutation rates make it possible to answer questions on relatedness levels which differ in time depth; from the individual and familial level to the surnames, clan and population level. The use of the Y chromosome in genetic genealogy has led to applications in several well-established research disciplines; namely in, e.g., family history, demography, anthropology, forensic sciences, population genetics and sex chromosome evolution. The information obtained from analysing this chromosome is not only interesting for academic scientists but also for the huge and lively community of amateur genealogists and citizen-scientists, fascinated in analysing their own genealogy or surname. This popularity, however, has also some drawbacks, mainly for privacy reasons related to the DNA donor, his close family and far-related namesakes. In this review paper we argue why Y-chromosomal analysis and its genetic genealogical applications will still perform an important role in future interdisciplinary research