The Aurignacian way of life: Contextualizing early modern human adaptation in the Carpathian Basin

The culture and dispersal of early modern humans are top priorities of many research agendas. While the debate primarily centers on genetics, dispersal trajectories and points of earliest presence, the context (climate, landscape, demography, culture) of the colonizing process is usually considered in a coarse-grained manner or even ignored. To understand the context of human dispersal and to decipher relevant push and pull factors requires the consideration of multiple environmental proxies and the research on different geographic scales. In this paper, we present the Late Quaternary Carpathian Basin as a specific context area of early modern human dispersal into Europe. The multitude of Early Upper Paleolithic sites in this region suggests that it was part of a major dispersal corridor along the Danube and its catchment area some 40,000 years ago. The Aurignacian land-use model describes the interaction of early modern humans with their environment. One important parameter is the specific distribution of archaeological sites that exemplifies their boundedness to specific eco-zones. To reconstruct the latter, paleo-environmental proxies and archaeological data are examined together in regional vector models and in a GIS based landscape archaeology approach. In the final section, we present the Carpathian Basin as an idiosyncratic habitat that mirrors the dynamics and complexity of early modern human adaptation

A randomised, active- and placebo-controlled, three-period crossover trial to investigate short-term effects of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor linagliptin on macro- and microvascular endothelial function in type 2 diabetes

Abstract Background Studies of dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors report heterogeneous effects on endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study assessed the effects of the DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin versus the sulphonylurea glimepiride and placebo on measures of macro- and microvascular endothelial function in patients with T2D who represented a primary cardiovascular disease prevention population. Methods This crossover study randomised T2D patients (n\ua0=\ua042) with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) \u22647.5%, no diagnosed macro- or microvascular disease and on stable metformin background to linagliptin 5\ua0mg qd, glimepiride 1\u20134\ua0mg qd or placebo for 28\ua0days. Fasting and postprandial macrovascular endothelial function, measured using brachial flow-mediated vasodilation, and microvascular function, measured using laser-Doppler on the dorsal thenar site of the right hand, were analysed after 28\ua0days. Results Baseline mean (standard deviation) age, body mass index and HbA1c were 60.3 (6.0) years, 30.3 (3.0)\ua0kg/m 2 and 7.41 (0.61)%, respectively. After 28\ua0days, changes in fasting flow-mediated vasodilation were similar between the three study arms (treatment ratio, gMean [90% confidence interval]: linagliptin vs glimepiride, 0.884 [0.633\u20131.235]; linagliptin vs placebo, 0.884 [0.632\u20131.235]; glimepiride vs placebo, 1.000 [0.715\u20131.397]; P \ua0=\ua0not significant for all comparisons). Similarly, no differences were seen in postprandial flow-mediated vasodilation. However, under fasting conditions, linagliptin significantly improved microvascular function as shown by a 34% increase in hyperaemia area ( P \ua0=\ua00.045 vs glimepiride), a 34% increase in resting blow flow ( P \ua0=\ua00.011 vs glimepiride, P \ua0=\ua00.003 vs placebo), and a 25% increase in peak blood flow ( P \ua0=\ua00.009 vs glimepiride, P \ua0=\ua00.003 vs placebo). There were no significant differences between treatments in postprandial changes. Linagliptin had no effect on heart rate or blood pressure. Rates of overall adverse events with linagliptin, glimepiride and placebo were 27.5, 61.0 and 35.0%, respectively. Fewer hypoglycaemic events were seen with linagliptin (5.0%) and placebo ..

Loess distribution and related Quaternary sediments in the Carpathian Basin

Supraregional (palaeo)geoecological studies require detailed knowledge of the distribution of aeolian sediments and their sources. Such spatial data can be visualised and shared in maps, but often these are constrained in their resolution or extent. This is the case for the Carpathian Basin, where cross-border maps are not detailed enough to answer many research questions. Problems occur especially along political borders due to different geological mapping standards and varying lithological definitions. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), we compiled a map showing the distribution of loess and related Quaternary sediments in the Carpathian Basin, with unprecedented detail. We vectorised and analysed existing data (mainly from geological maps) and combined and transferred these into a common (loess) sediment classification system. This cross-border map shows the distribution of aeolian sediments in the Carpathian Basin at a scale of 1:1,500,000. For the northwestern and the southern Carpathian Basin, we added maps that clarify the extent of late Pleistocene and Holocene terrace and floodplain deposits, which were merged in the Main Map to highlight the predominant dust source areas for this region

Palaeolimnological data of sediment sites PG1755 and PG1756 of Lake Billyakh

Lake Billyakh in the Verkhoyansk Mountains provides a lacustrine sediment record of the last 50 ka, which was studied by a palaeolimnological multi-proxy approach on the basis of sedimentological, geochemical, and micropalaeontological data series (diatoms, chironomids, palynomorphs). Lake history and its catchment point to two lake stages with high lake level during the Karginian (50 to 32 ka BP) and the Holocene (since 11.5 ka BP), interrupted by cold and dry conditions at low lake level during the Sartanian stage. Palaeoenvironmental changes were in accord with general trends of climate change across the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The lake record moreover confirms mountain deglaciation prior to the last (global) glacial maximum, attributed to atmospheric moisture routing effects, which so far are poorly understood