Genome of a middle Holocene hunter-gatherer from Wallacea.

Much remains unknown about the population history of early modern humans in southeast Asia, where the archaeological record is sparse and the tropical climate is inimical to the preservation of ancient human DNA. So far, only two low-coverage pre-Neolithic human genomes have been sequenced from this region. Both are from mainland Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherer sites: Pha Faen in Laos, dated to 7939-7751 calibrated years before present (yr cal BP; present taken as AD 1950), and Gua Cha in Malaysia (4.

Dynamic changes in genomic and social structures in third millennium BCE central Europe.

Europe's prehistory oversaw dynamic and complex interactions of diverse societies, hitherto unexplored at detailed regional scales. Studying 271 human genomes dated ~4900 to 1600 BCE from the European heartland, Bohemia, we reveal unprecedented genetic changes and social processes. Major migrations preceded the arrival of "steppe" ancestry, and at ~2800 BCE, three genetically and culturally differentiated groups coexisted.

Health-Related Fitness Levels among Title I Elementary School Students.

Over the past few decades, studies have emphasized improving children's health by increasing health-related fitness levels. Despite the known benefits of health-related fitness in youth, studies have also highlighted a lack of physical activity opportunities for children living in low-income households. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health-related fitness levels of students attending Title I (low-income) elementary schools.

Modeling and Reconstruction of State Variables for Low-Level Control of Soft Pneumatic Actuators.

To further advance closed-loop control for soft robotics, suitable sensor and modeling strategies have to be investigated. Although there are many flexible and soft sensors available, the integration into the actuator and the use in a control loop is still challenging. Therefore, a state-space model for closed-loop low-level control of a fiber-reinforced actuator using pressure and orientation measurement is investigated.

Influence of the geometry of 3D printed solid oral dosage forms on their swallowability.

3D printing can be used to realise a wide variety of geometries of oral dosage forms. In this work, the swallowability of 3D-printed dosage forms with comparable size and different shape using fused deposition modelling (FDM) from isomalt was investigated in a controlled, randomised crossover study design. To produce the required number of dosage forms, a commercial 3D printer was modified with regard to product safety and production time.

Using Y-chromosome capture enrichment to resolve haplogroup H2 shows new evidence for a two-path Neolithic expansion to Western Europe.

Uniparentally-inherited markers on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the non-recombining regions of the Y chromosome (NRY), have been used for the past 30 years to investigate the history of humans from a maternal and paternal perspective. Researchers have preferred mtDNA due to its abundance in the cells, and comparatively high substitution rate. Conversely, the NRY is less susceptible to back mutations and saturation, and is potentially more informative than mtDNA owing to its longer sequence length.

Pooling decisions decreases variation in response bias and accuracy.

Decision makers in contexts as diverse as medical, judicial, and political decision making are known to differ substantially in response bias and accuracy, and these differences are a major factor undermining the reliability and fairness of the respective decision systems. Using theoretical modeling and empirical testing across five domains, we show that collective systems based on pooling decisions robustly overcome this important but as of now unresolved problem of experts' heterogeneity. In breast and skin cancer diagnostics and fingerprint analysis, we find that pooling the decisions of five experts reduces the variation in sensitivity among decision makers by 52%, 54%, and 41%, respectively.

Differences in functional improvement based on history of substance abuse and pain severity following spinal cord injury.

This study explored the relationship between history of substance abuse and pain severity during inpatient rehabilitation following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal study. An adjusted general linear model was used to examine differences in functional improvement based on history of substance abuse and pain severity.

SmartSpectrometer-Embedded Optical Spectroscopy for Applications in Agriculture and Industry.

The ongoing digitization of industry and agriculture can benefit significantly from optical spectroscopy. In many cases, optical spectroscopy enables the estimation of properties such as substance concentrations and compositions. Spectral data can be acquired and evaluated in real time, and the results can be integrated directly into process and automation units, saving resources and costs.

Functionality and Acceptance of the EsoCap System-A Novel Film-Based Drug Delivery Technology: Results of an In Vivo Study.

There are no methods for specific local application of active substances to the mucosa of the esophagus to treat eosinophilic esophagitis or other esophageal diseases. This publication describes the principal in vivo functionality and acceptance of a novel modular drug delivery concept, called EsoCap system, by 12 healthy volunteers. For the first time, the EsoCap system enables targeted placement on the esophageal mucosa of a mucoadhesive polymer film.

Learning by Insight-Like Sudden Comprehension as a Potential Strategy to Improve Memory Encoding in Older Adults.

Several cognitive functions show a decline with advanced age, most prominently episodic memory. Problem-solving by insight represents a special associative form of problem-solving that has previously been shown to facilitate long-term memory formation. Recent neuroimaging evidence suggests that the encoding network involved in insight-based memory formation is largely hippocampus-independent.

Human mobility at Tell Atchana (Alalakh), Hatay, Turkey during the 2nd millennium BC: Integration of isotopic and genomic evidence.

The Middle and Late Bronze Age, a period roughly spanning the 2nd millennium BC (ca. 2000-1200 BC) in the Near East, is frequently referred to as the first 'international age', characterized by intense and far-reaching contacts between different entities from the eastern Mediterranean to the Near East and beyond. In a large-scale tandem study of stable isotopes and ancient DNA of individuals excavated at Tell Atchana (Alalakh, located in Hatay, Turkey), we explored the role of mobility at the capital of a regional kingdom, named Mukish during the Late Bronze Age, which spanned the Amuq Valley and some areas beyond.

Isolating the Role of Corticosterone in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Transcriptomic Stress Response.

Investigation of the negative impacts of stress on reproduction has largely centered around the effects of the adrenal steroid hormone, corticosterone (CORT), and its influence on a system of tissues vital for reproduction-the hypothalamus of the brain, the pituitary gland, and the gonads (the HPG axis). Research on the action of CORT on the HPG axis has predominated the stress and reproductive biology literature, potentially overshadowing other influential mediators. To gain a more complete understanding of how elevated CORT affects transcriptomic activity of the HPG axis, we experimentally examined its role in male and female rock doves ().

Evolving a New Efficient Mode of Fructose Utilization for Improved Bioproduction in .

Fructose utilization in starts with its uptake and concomitant phosphorylation the phosphotransferase system (PTS) to yield intracellular fructose 1-phosphate, which enters glycolysis upon ATP-dependent phosphorylation to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate by 1-phosphofructokinase. This is known to result in a significantly reduced oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (oxPPP) flux on fructose (∼10%) compared to glucose (∼60%). Consequently, the biosynthesis of NADPH demanding products, e.

Establishment of a Dissolution Test System for the Biorelevant Characterization of Esophageal Applied Dosage Forms.

There is a high demand for drug delivery systems that enable local therapy of esophageal diseases such as eosinophilic esophagitis. For the development of such drug delivery systems, suitable in vitro test procedures are needed that allow a biorelevant characterization of dosage forms. With the help of the new test system presented in this thesis it is now possible to simulate the application site esophagus and to characterize the dissolution behavior of esophageal applied drug delivery systems under special consideration of physiological parameters like salivary flow rate, intensity of peristalsis, and posture of the patient.

Long-chain acylcarnitine 18:1 acutely increases human atrial myocardial contractility and arrhythmia susceptibility.

Long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) are known to directly alter cardiac contractility and electrophysiology. However, the acute effect of LCACs on human cardiac function is unknown. We aimed to determine the effect of LCAC 18:1, which has been associated with cardiovascular disease, on the contractility and arrhythmia susceptibility of human atrial myocardium.

-Penalized temporal logit-mixed models for the estimation of regional obesity prevalence over time.

Obesity is considered to be one of the primary health risks in modern industrialized societies. Estimating the evolution of its prevalence over time is an essential element of public health reporting. This requires the application of suitable statistical methods on epidemiologic data with substantial local detail.

Copper-catalyzed carbo-difluoromethylation of alkenes via radical relay.

Organic molecules that contain alkyl-difluoromethyl moieties have received increased attention in medicinal chemistry, but their synthesis in a modular and late-stage fashion remains challenging. We report herein an efficient copper-catalyzed radical relay approach for the carbo-difluoromethylation of alkenes. This approach simultaneously introduces CFH groups along with complex alkyl or aryl groups into alkenes with regioselectivity opposite to traditional CFH radical addition.

Efficacy and Safety of [Ac]Ac-PSMA-617 Augmented [Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 Radioligand Therapy in Patients with Highly Advanced mCRPC with Poor Prognosis.

The use of Ac in prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT), either as monotherapy or in combination with Lu, is a promising therapy approach in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate carcinoma (mCRPC). In this study, we report the efficacy and safety of [Ac]Ac-PSMA-617 augmented [Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 RLT in Lu-naive mCRPC patients ( = 15) with poor prognosis (presence of visceral metastases, high total tumor burden with diffuse bone metastases or a short PSA doubling time of <2 months). Biochemical (by PSA serum value) and molecular imaging response (by [Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT) was assessed after two cycles of [Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 RLT, with at least one [Ac]Ac-PSMA-617 augmentation.

Emergency Department Visits, Related Hospitalizations, and Reasons for Emergency Department Utilization After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective: To identify the self-reported frequency of emergency department (ED) visits, ED-related hospitalizations, and reasons for ED visits among people with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and compare them with general population data from the same geographic area.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: A specialty hospital in the Southeastern United States.

The ethics of ethnographic methods in conflict zones.

This article examines the ethics of using ethnographic methods in contemporary conflict zones. Ethnographic research is an embodied research practice of immersion within a field site whereby researchers use ethnographic sensibility to study how people make sense of their world. Feminist, conflict and peacebuilding scholars who research vulnerable populations and local dynamics especially value ethnographic approaches for their emphasis on contextual understanding, human agency, egalitarian research relationships and researcher empathy.

Mediating Effects of Pain Interference on the Relationships Between Pain Intensity and Probable Major Depression Among Participants With Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective: To evaluate whether pain interference mediates the relationship between pain intensity and probable major depression (PMD) among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), accounting for differences in the frequency of prescription medication use and resilience.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis using self-report assessment.

Setting: Medical university in the Southeastern United States.

Analysis of Genomic DNA from Medieval Plague Victims Suggests Long-Term Effect of Yersinia pestis on Human Immunity Genes.

Pathogens and associated outbreaks of infectious disease exert selective pressure on human populations, and any changes in allele frequencies that result may be especially evident for genes involved in immunity. In this regard, the 1346-1353 Yersinia pestis-caused Black Death pandemic, with continued plague outbreaks spanning several hundred years, is one of the most devastating recorded in human history. To investigate the potential impact of Y.