Population continuity, demic diffusion and Neolithic origins in central-southern Germany: the evidence from body proportions.

The transition to agro-pastoralism in central Europe has been framed within a dichotomy of "regional continuity" versus exogenous "demic diffusion". While substantial genetic support exists for a model of demographic diffusion from an ancestral source in the Near East, archaeological data furnish weak support for the "wave of advance" model. Nevertheless, archaeological evidence attests the widespread introduction of an exogenous "package" comprising ceramics, cereals, pulses and domesticated animals to central Europe at 5600calBCE. Body proportions are under strong climatic selection and evince remarkable stability within regional lineages. As such, they offer a viable and robust alternative to cranio-facial data in assessing hypothesised continuity and replacement with the transition to agro-pastoralism in central Europe. Humero-clavicular, brachial and crural indices in a large sample (n=75) of Linienbandkeramik (LBK), Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age specimens from the middle Elbe-Saale-Werra valley (MESV) were compared with Eurasian and African terminal Pleistocene, European Mesolithic and geographically disparate recent human specimens. Mesolithic Europeans display considerable variation in humero-clavicular and brachial indices yet none approach the extreme "hyper-polar" morphology of LBK humans from the MESV. In contrast, Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age peoples display elongated brachial and crural indices reminiscent of terminal Pleistocene and "tropically adapted" recent humans. These marked morphological changes likely reflect exogenous immigration during the terminal Fourth millennium cal BC. Population expansion and diffusion is a function of increased mobility and settlement dispersal concomitant with significant technological and subsistence changes in later Neolithic societies during the late fourth millennium cal BCE.

Factors affecting the variation in the adult temporomandibular joint of archaeological human populations.

To elucidate factors that may affect the variation in the bony components of temporomandibular joint (TMJ), a preliminary study was conducted on the temporal articular surface of the TMJ of 30 skulls from Iron Age and medieval populations from Lithuania and a mixed Neolithic and Bronze Age population from the Central Elbe-Saale region (CESR). Using three-dimensional (3D) photos of the skulls, length and width measurements of the TMJ were obtained and compared with external skull measurements. Distinct, random variation between the TMJ values from opposite sides of the cranium were identified as fluctuating asymmetry. ANOVA results suggest significant differences in the length of the TMJ between the population of the CESR and the two Lithuanian populations, but not between the two Lithuanian populations. Environmental factors, including geography, may be responsible for the variation in the TMJ form.

Extraction and amplification of authentic DNA from ancient human remains.

A total of 36 ancient human remains from 12 individuals (three tooth/bone samples each) and one sample each of three individuals from the newest time was typed in a blind study using the amelogenin sex test. Prior to this molecular sex determination the sex of the individual was determined morphologically. The success rate of the amelogenin amplifications was >90%. For every individual an unambiguous molecular sex typing result was obtained. Furthermore, the morphological and molecular sex determinations were in accordance with each other, giving evidence for the authenticity and ancient origin of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications.

[Is head size modified by environmental factors?]. / Werden Kopfmasse von Umweltfaktoren beeinflusst?

In the article the development of skull measurements and head measurements (length and breadth) and of the cephalic index, calculated from these measurements, since the Neolithic period are presented. The results obtained from the historical material are compared with those of living persons. The measurements as well of the skull as of the head show secular changes. The following general trend was found: an increase of body height is connected with a debrachycephalisation and a decrease of body height is connected with a brachycephalisation. It can be emphasized that brachycephalisation/debrachycephalisation are part of the secular trend. Therefore environmental factors are responsible for the described changes of measurements of the skull and the head in a broadest sense.

Detection of extrathoracic metastases by positron emission tomography in lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate staging of non-small cell lung cancer is essential for treatment planning. We evaluated in a prospective study the role of whole-body 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in mediastinal nodal staging with a positive predictive value of 96%. The study was continued to further evaluate the value of whole-body FDG PET in detecting unexpected extrathoracic metastases (ETMs) in patients qualifying for surgical treatment by conventional staging. METHODS: One hundred patients underwent clinical evaluation, chest and upper abdominal computed tomography scan, mediastinoscopy (lymph nodes greater than 1 cm on computed tomography), and routine laboratory tests. In 94 patients with stage IIIa or less and 6 with suspected N3 a whole-body FDG PET was performed. If clinical signs of ETMs were present additional diagnostic methods were applied. All findings in the FDG PET were confirmed histologically or radiologically. RESULTS: Unexpected ETMs were detected in 13 (14%) of 94 patients (stage IIIa or less) at 14 sites. In addition 6 of 94 patients were restaged up to N3 after PET. The suspected N3 disease (stage IIIb) on computed tomography was confirmed by PET in all 6 patients. There was no false positive finding of ETM. Weight loss was correlated with the occurrence of ETM: more than 5 kg, 5 of 13 patients (38%); more than 10 kg, 4 of 6 patients (67%). Pathologic laboratory findings were not predictive for ETM. CONCLUSIONS: Whole-body FDG PET improves detection of ETMs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer otherwise elegible for operation. In 14% of patients (stage IIIa or less), ETMs were detected, and in total, 20% of the patients were understaged.

[Secular trend in body height since the Neolithic period]. / Säkularer Trend bei der Körperhöhe seit dem Neolithikum.

The body height of children and adults is estimated on the basis of skeleton material from the middle Elbe-Saale region since the Neolithic period. The men's body height was calculated according to Breitinger (1938), the women's body height according to Bach (1965), and the children's body height according to Telkkä et al. (1962). These estimates are compared with the mean body height of living persons from the adult population and of Jena schoolchildren, respectively. These are the following essential results: 1. Since 7000 years ago changes of body height can be observed. There was an increase of the mean body height from the Neolithic period until the Bronce age. In the A.D. era no clear changes of the average values can be found until about the 12th century, after which there occurred decreases seen until the 19th century. 2. The greatest secular trends in children and adults arise in our century. 3. The influence of different environmental factors on the body height in past and present is discussed and the sex-specific reactions to changes of these environmental factors are described. 4. It is pointed out that social, and/or geographic influences can cause changes of the body height calculated from skeleton material.

[Detection of unexpected extrathoracic metastases in preoperative staging of non-small-cell bronchial carcinoma (NSCLC) with positron emission tomography (PET)]. / Nachweis unerwarteter extrathorakaler Metastasen beim präoperativen Staging des nicht kleinzelligen Bronchialkarzinoms (NSCLC) mittels Positronenemissionstomographie (PET).

Accurate staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is essential for subsequent treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the value of FDG-PET in detecting unexpected extrathoracic metastases (ETM) in patients with NSCLC qualifying for surgical treatment based on conventional staging. One hundred patients with stage IIIa or less were included and underwent clinical evaluation, chest and upper abdominal CT scan, mediastinoscopy, and routine laboratory tests. If clinical signs of EM were present additional diagnostic methods, were applied. A partial body FDG-PET was performed. All findings in the FDG-PET were confirmed histologically or radiologically. Unknown ETM were detected in 13 patients (14%) at 19 sites. Whole-body FDG-PET improves detection of unsuspected ETM in patients with NSCLC otherwise eligible for surgery. Fourteen percent of patients were understaged.

[Value of morphometry in identification questions]. / Stellung der Morphometrie bei Identifikationsfragen.

Pilot studies have been carried out to check the importance of selected measures and measure combinations for the discrimination of the sex with the help of meceraled skeleton material the age and the sex of which are known, on the one hand, and of prehistoric skeleton material (the age and the sex of which had been determined previously), on the other hand. At the same time, discriminant functions were established for the selected individual measures and measure combinations. The first results are now available for skull caps, humeri, femora and pubic bones.

[The difference between the mineral content and the width of the radius on each side and its significance for handedness determination of skeletal material]. / Die Seitendifferenz des Mineralgehaltes und der Breite am Radius und ihre Bedeutung für die Händigkeitsbestimmung an Skelettmaterial.

The objective of our work was to investigate whether the side-different use of the upper extremities due to handedness produces detectable differences in bone-mineral content (BMC) and bone width (BW). For this purpose 251 recent individuals whose handedness was established, were examined by means of the 125I-photon-absorption technique. Highly significant right-left differences in BMC and BW were found on the midshaft and distal radius. Discrimination functions based on BMC and BW were carried out, allowing for the classification into the appropriate handedness categories. Applying the same method we tried to diagnose the handedness of the skeletal material of 40 medieval and 27 neolithic individuals.

Reversible conformational changes of plasmalemmal glycoproteins.

Repeated incubations of human red blood cells in low ionic isotonic sucrose result in an instantaneous agglutination. In the same medium which had caused the agglutination, erythrocytes completely disagglutinate within 60 to 90 min. Disagglutination is accompanied by the efflux of cellular ions, which causes a 500-fold increase of extracellular K+. Decomposition of agglutinates occurs at once upon addition to the medium of about 3 mM KCL. It will be inhibited for hours, if the medium is renewed twice an hour. Erythrocytes washed successively with phosphate buffered saline and isotonic sucrose are devoid of adhering blood plasma proteins. If these cells were fixed with glutaraldehyde in isotonic sucrose they had lost a) their anisotropic staining with toluidine blue, and b) most of their colloidal iron binding capacity. The staining with ruthenium red and the electrophoretic velocity of these erythrocytes apparently were identical with the controls. The findings are considered evidence of the reversible unfolding of glycocalyx glycoproteins in the low ionic medium.

[A method for the fragmentation of bull spermatozoa and the isolation of median piece-tail fragments]. / Eine Methode zur Fragmentierung von Bullenspermien und Isolierung von Mittelstück-Schwanz-Fragmenten

A method is proposed for ultrasonic fragmentation of spermatozoa of Bos taurus followed by the isolation of a middle piece-tail-fraction.