Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus

Neanderthals disappeared sometime between 30,000 and 24,000?years ago. Until recently, Neanderthals were understood to have been predominantly meat-eaters; however, a growing body of evidence suggests their diet also included plants. We present the results of a study, in which sequential thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were combined with morphological analysis of plant microfossils, to identify material entrapped in dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from the north Spanish site of El Sidrón. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for inhalation of wood-fire smoke and bitumen or oil shale and ingestion of a range of cooked plant foods. We also offer the first evidence for the use of medicinal plants by a Neanderthal individual. The varied use of plants that we have identified suggests that the Neanderthal occupants of El Sidrón had a sophisticated knowledge of their natural surroundings which included the ability to select and use certain plants.     

Does ontogenetic change in orb web asymmetry reflect biogenetic law?

Most orb web spiders face downward on the web hub, and their webs are vertically asymmetrical, that is, the lower part of the web is larger than the upper part and the ratio of the lower part to the whole web area increases as the spider grows. This phenomenon may reflect biogenetic law such that young animals exhibit a general ancestral trait whereas adults exhibit specific and derived traits. An alternative explanation is that vertical asymmetry may arise from the difference in time required by spiders to move up or down the web to capture prey. The present study tested these two hypotheses for Eriophora sagana. Subadults of this species build their webs with reverse asymmetry in that the upper part of the web area is larger than the lower part. In both subadults and adults, the upper proportion decreased with spider weight, and adult spiders built more symmetric webs. These results support the capture time difference hypothesis.     

陕西潼关南寨子遗址人口的平均预期寿命与死亡模式

作为社会存在和发展的基础和主体,人口因素在人类文明发展中起着重要作用.我们通过编制生命表,对陕西潼关南寨子遗址4个墓葬出土的人骨进行古人口学分析,计算出关中平原东部地区仰韶文化中期人口的平均预期寿命为27.8岁,高出我国西北、东北地区和太湖流域新石器时期的人口平均预期寿命约8岁.而与山东沿海地区大汶口文化时期的王因遗址...     

Web GIS信息系统对在南京考古遗址中的地理环境影响研究

考古文献是历史地理研究中一个重要的数据来源,在互联网时代对纸质文本进行数字化并根据考古遗址的时空特点建立信息系统,具有重要的意义.针对考古遗址的空间位置不明确,考古遗址信息系统注重空间特性但缺乏对原始文献的重视,基于WebGIS、关系型数据库技术以及MVC系统架构,设计并实现了南京考古遗址信息系统.从考古文献中提取考古遗址各种属性信息,构建考古遗址时空数据库,基于WebGIS信息系统发布南京考古遗址,实现考古遗址的时空可视化以及各个遗址点相关文献的原文阅读.提出了一种将考古遗址信息从单一的文本展示到融合时空信息的多维信息展示的技术流程,并为研究南京的历史地理学者提供了便捷的考古遗址资料共享平台.     

Construction of WCB-11: A novel phiYFP arsenic-resistant whole-cell biosensor

The prediction and assessment of environmental pollution by arsenic are important preconditions of advocating environmental protection and human health risk assessment.A yellow fluorescent protein-based whole-cell biosensor for the detection of arsenite and arsenate was constructed and tested.An arsenic-resistant promoter and the regulatory gene arsR were obtained by PCR from the genome of Escherichia coli DH5α,and phiYFP was introduced into E.coli DH5α as a reporter gene to construct an arsenic-resistant whole-cell biosensor(WCB-11) in which phiYFP was expressed well for the first time.Experimental results demonstrated that the biosensor has a good response to arsenic and the expression of phiYFP.When strain WCB-11 was exposed to As 3+ and As 5+,the expression of yellow fluorescence was time-dependent and dose-dependent.This engineered construct is expected to become established as an inexpensive and convenient method for the detection of arsenic in the field.     

Transabdominal villus sampling in early second trimester: A safe sampling method for women of advanced age

Transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS) was performed in 707 viable singleton pregnancies to exclude chromosomal abnormalities. Maternal age ranged between 36 and 49 years (mean 37·9 years); gestational age varied between 10·2 and 18·3 weeks (mean 13·3 weeks). In 639 women (90·4 per cent), a sufficient amount of chorionic tissue (⩾ 10 mg) was obtained after one needle insertion; in 66 women (9·3 per cent) two insertions were needed. An abnormal chromosome pattern was established in 19 cases (2·9 per cent). Vaginal bleeding or spotting within 28 days after TA-CVS occurred in 11 cases (1·5 per cent). The completed follow-up of 678 chromosomally normal pregnancies showed an overall fetal loss rate of 2·6 per cent before 28 weeks. The overall perinatal mortality was 0·9 per cent. When relating fetal loss to gestational age at TA-CVS, this was 6·6 per cent in women sampled before 12 weeks against only 1·8 per cent after 12 weeks. At the same time, the percentage of fetal loss occurring within 2 weeks following the procedure was 75 and 30 per cent, respectively. It is suggested that these data reflect the decline in spontaneous abortion rate during this particular period of pregnancy. It is concluded that TA-CVS is an effective procedure which, when performed after the natural decrease of fetal loss, appears to be a safe option for women of advanced maternal age.     

能量注入对放电等离子体去除气相苯系物的影响

采用正极性高压直流供电和串齿线放电极——管式接地极构成的放电等离子体反应器,研究了苯系物（苯、甲苯和对二甲苯）去除效率与供电电压之间的关系,以及放电极齿轮数对苯系物去除效率、COx（CO2＋CO）生成量和能量效率的影响。研究结果表明,苯系物的去除效率、COx生成量皆随电压升高而增大。随着电压升高,能量效率先升后降,当电压为11kV左右时,能量效率最高。对应放电齿轮数为31的苯系物去除效率、COx生成量和能量效率皆高于放电齿轮数为55或7,这表明对应特定的等离子体反应器,有一最佳放电齿数匹配。     

狮子洞铀系测年与百色盆地第Ⅲ级阶地的年代

布兵盆地是广西百色盆地东南缘一小型附属盆地,狮子洞位于其南侧喀斯特峰林中,其内堆积由上部砂质粘土与下部砾石层构成,类似河流相二元结构。狮子洞与其周围分布广泛的河流第III阶地海拔高度相当,表明洞穴与阶地堆积时代的一致性。本文报道狮子洞内夹生于砂质粘土层次生碳酸盐岩样的铀系测年结果。位于砂质粘土与砾石层界面处的钙板,高精度质谱铀系年代为366±19ka。其左上1.4m贴附于洞壁突岩的石幔,质谱年代为517±42ka。鉴于具明确层位意义、纯净致密次生碳酸盐岩质谱铀系年代高度可信,并基于狮子洞堆积与布兵盆地第Ⅲ级阶地同时、附属盆地与主盆地同步发育的认识,这二个盆地第Ⅲ级阶地应在366～517ka间形成。本文结果对系统研究百色盆地地貌和旧石器文化演化具重要性。     

Prenatal diagnosis of Joubert syndrome: a case report

Joubert syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive condition, first described by Joubert in 1969. We present a case of Joubert syndrome from a consanguineous family in which, apart from the cerebellar vermis agenesis, ventriculomegaly, bilateral postaxial polydactyly of hands and right foot and micropenis, episodes of fetal breathing pattern with an increased respiratory rate were also demonstrated by prenatal ultrasound scan. At birth the infant showed an odd face and bilateral fleshy nodules of the tongue. He had an abnormal breathing pattern of alternating tachypnea and apnea. Cranial MRI showed molar tooth sign, hydrocephalus and Dandy–Walker malformation. He had nystagmus, and electroretinography showed retinal dystrophy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of triploid trophoblast cells in peripheral blood of a woman with a partial hydatidiform molar pregnancy

In a woman with a partial hydatidiform molar pregnancy with 69,XXY karyotype, the presence of male fetal cells of trophoblastic origin was demonstrated in maternal blood by X/Y-chromosome specific PCR and by immunostaining combined with FISH on two cell populations isolated from maternal blood. Blood was obtained three weeks prior to the detection of fetal demise, at 13 weeks' gestation. Results were confirmed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded molar tissue, removed at 16 weeks' gestational age for therapeutic reasons. The results indicate that both plasma and cells from maternal peripheral blood might be useful for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of fetal aneuploidies, as described in the current case with a partial molar pregnancy. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

升金湖水体优先污染物筛选与风险评价

为保护升金湖国家自然保护区湿地的生态环境,以7大类168种人类化学品为靶向分析目标物,研究其在升金湖水体中的赋存水平及空间分布特征（O）、综合化合物持久性（P）和生物积累性（B）等毒害性评价指标以及生态风险（E）和人体健康风险（H）等毒性参数,采用综合评分法筛选识别升金湖水体优先污染物,构建升金湖水体优控清单,评价升金湖优先污染物水环境生态及健康风险.结果表明,升金湖水体7大类化合物[挥发性有机物（VOCs）、多环芳烃（PAHs）、有机氯农药（OCPs）、多氯联苯（PCBs）、邻-苯二甲酸酯（PAEs）、抗生素（ANTs）以及金属元素（HMs）]污染普遍,其中上湖污染负荷高于中湖和下湖,呈现坝前蓄积现象.以污染物类别计,综合评分法优先污染物筛选结果显示升金湖水体检出化学品优先级顺序为：PAEs > OCPs > HMs > PCBs > PAHs > VOCs > ANTs.高优先级污染物清单中综合得分最高的10种化合物包括：邻-苯二甲酸二乙基己酯（DEMP）、邻-苯二甲酸二环己酯（DCHP）、PCB138、邻-苯二甲酸二正辛酯（DOP）、邻-苯二甲酸二壬酯（DNP）、七氯（HC）、p,p''-滴滴涕（DDT）、钡（Ba）、环氧七氯（HCE）和邻-苯二甲酸二己酯（DHP）.升金湖水体优先污染物生态风险商（RQ）为4.3~15.9,具有较高的生态风险,且上湖区风险高于中、下湖区.人体暴露健康风险评价表明,HMs的非致癌风险最大（风险指数HI>1）,其次为PAEs和OCPs,优先污染物通过饮水和皮肤接触途径暴露对人体健康产生的致癌风险（人体终生致癌风险ILCR<10^-6）可以忽略.本研究优化基于环境监测数据建立的优先污染物综合评分法,全面考虑了化学品毒害特性、生态及人体健康暴露风险（OPBEH）,为开展广泛的湖泊流域水环境优先污染物筛选提供统一的方法学指导,并为建立相应湖泊流域优控清单,制定优先污染物排放和管控标准提供科学依据.     

硫氮比对厌氧生物同步脱氮除硫工艺性能的影响

研究了硫氮摩尔比对厌氧生物同步脱氮除硫工艺高效性、稳定性和选择性的影响.单质硫型厌氧生物同步脱氮除硫反应(硫氮摩尔比为5:2)的硫化物和硝酸盐容积去除速率高达4.86 kg·m-3.d-1和0.99 kg·m-3.d-1工艺效能明显高于混合型和硫酸盐型(硫氮摩尔比分别为5:5和5:8).单质硫型厌氧生物同步脱氮除硫反应各项出水指标的波动相对较小,但当进水硫化物浓度超过临界值时,工效失稳,其主要原因是pH无法维持在所需范围.在所试的3种进水硫氮摩尔比下,实际反应的硫氮摩尔比有靠拢5:2的趋势.将硫氮摩尔比调控在较高水平(硫氮摩尔比为5:2),可提高同步厌氧生物同步脱氮除硫反应对单质硫和氮气的选择性.对不同硫氮比时反应物之间的电子得失情况进行了分析.     

Function of pretribosphenic and tribosphenic mammalian molars inferred from 3D animation

Appearance of the tribosphenic molar in the Late Jurassic (160 Ma) is a crucial innovation for food processing in mammalian evolution. This molar type is characterized by a protocone, a talonid basin and a two-phased chewing cycle, all of which are apomorphic. In this functional study on the teeth of Late Jurassic Dryolestes leiriensis and the living marsupial Monodelphis domestica, we demonstrate that pretribosphenic and tribosphenic molars show fundamental differences of food reduction strategies, representing a shift in dental function during the transition of tribosphenic mammals. By using the Occlusal Fingerprint Analyser (OFA), we simulated the chewing motions of the pretribosphenic Dryolestes that represents an evolutionary precursor condition to such tribosphenic mammals as Monodelphis. Animation of chewing path and detection of collisional contacts between virtual models of teeth suggests that Dryolestes differs from the classical two-phased chewing movement of tribosphenidans, due to the narrowing of the interdental space in cervical (crown–root transition) direction, the inclination angle of the hypoflexid groove, and the unicuspid talonid. The pretribosphenic chewing cycle is equivalent to phase I of the tribosphenic chewing cycle, but the former lacks phase II of the tribosphenic chewing. The new approach can analyze the chewing cycle of the jaw by using polygonal 3D models of tooth surfaces, in a way that is complementary to the electromyography and strain gauge studies of muscle function of living animals. The technique allows alignment and scaling of isolated fossil teeth and utilizes the wear facet orientation and striation of the teeth to reconstruct the chewing path of extinct mammals.     

Species distribution of polymeric aluminium-ferrum--timed complexation colorimetric analysis method of Al-Fe-ferron.

The effects of the colorimetric buffer solutions were investigated while the two colorimetric reactions of Al-ferron complex and Fe-ferron complex occurred individually, and the effects of the testing wavelength and the pH of the solutions were also investigated. A timed complexation colorimetric analysis method of Al-Fe-ferron in view of the total concentration of (Al + Fe) was then established to determine the species distribution of polymeric Al-Fe. The testing wavelength was recommended at 362 nm and the testing pH value was 5. With a comparison of the ratios of nAl/nFe, the standard adsorption curves of the polymeric Al-Fe solutions were derived from the experimental results. Furthermore, the solutions' composition were various in both the molar nAl/nFe ratios, i.e. 0/0, 5/5, 9/1 and 0/10, and the concentrations associated with the total [Al + Fe] which ranged from 10(-5) to 10(-4) mol/L.     

Trace elements in buried human bones: intra-population variability of Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios – diet or diagenesis?

A comparative analysis of trace element data of human skeletal material from four archaeological sites is presented. We show that the state of histomorphological preservation of bone, which is a measurement for the degree of its diagenetic alteration, closely corresponds to the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios at an intra-population level. This study challenges the validity of dietary studies that are based on the presently used procedures for sample preparation and subsequent evaluation of strontium and barium concentrations.     

Osteomyelitis in a Paleozoic reptile: ancient evidence for bacterial infection and its evolutionary significance

We report on dental and mandibular pathology in Labidosaurus hamatus, a 275 million-year-old terrestrial reptile from North America and associate it with bacterial infection in an organism that is characterized by reduced tooth replacement. Analysis of the surface and internal mandibular structure using mechanical and CT-scanning techniques permits the reconstruction of events that led to the pathology and the possible death of the individual. The infection probably occurred as a result of prolonged exposure of the dental pulp cavity to oral bacteria, and this exposure was caused by injury to the tooth in an animal that is characterized by reduced tooth replacement cycles. In these early reptiles, the reduction in tooth replacement is an evolutionary innovation associated with strong implantation and increased oral processing. The dental abscess observed in L. hamatus, the oldest known infection in a terrestrial vertebrate, provides clear evidence of the ancient association between terrestrial vertebrates and their oral bacteria.     

Carrier detection of duchenne muscular dystrophy through analysis of dna from deciduous teeth of a dead affected child

The sister of a child affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was referred for genetic counselling to assess the risk of her being a carrier. Her brother had died 15 years previously at the age of 8. There were no other affected males in the family. There were no methods for DNA investigation at the time of the child's death and the family had never been studied for linkage with polymorphic probes on the chromosomal region Xp21. The only tissue from which an assessment of the risk could be made by DNA linkage analysis was two of the child's deciduous teeth that the parents had kept. DNA was extracted using a protocol described for the recovery of ancient DNA from museum specimens and archaeological finds. Multiplex amplification did not reveal deletions in 19 exons spanning the hot-spot regions for deletions within the dystrophin gene in Xp21. Linkage analysis using three highly polymorphic microsatellites demonstrated that the sister had not received the X chromosome borne by her brother. These results show that DNA extracted from teeth is a reliable source for molecular diagnosis.     

Formation and cytotoxicity of a new disinfection by-product (DBP) phenazine by chloramination of water containing diphenylamine

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water have caused worldwide concern due to their potential carcinogenic effects. The formation of phenazine from diphenylamine (DPhA) chloramination was studied and its cytotoxicities for two human cancer cells were also investigated. Phenazine was detected synchronously with the consumption of DPhA by chloramination, which further confirmed that the new DBP phenazine can be produced along with N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA) from DPhA chloramination. The formation of phenazine had a maximum molar yield with solution pH increasing from 5.0 to 9.0, with phenazine as the main product for DPhA chloramination at lower pH, but higher pH favored the formation of NDPhA. Thus, solution pH is the key factor in controlling the formation of phenazine and NDPhA. Both the initial DPhA and chloramine concentrations did not show a significant effect on the molar yields of phenazine, although increasing the chloramine concentration could speed up the reaction rate of DPhA with chloramines. The cytotoxicity assays showed that phenazine had significant cell-specific toxicity towards T24 (bladder cancer cell lines) and HepG2 (hepatic tumor cell lines) cells with IC50 values of 0.50 and 2.04 mmol/L, respectively, and T24 cells being more sensitive to phenazine than HepG2 cells. The IC50 values of phenazine, DPhA, and NDPhA for T24 cells were of the same order of magnitude and the cytotoxicity of phenazine for T24 cells was slightly lower than that of NDPhA (IC50, 0.16 mmol/L), suggesting that phenazine in drinking water may have an adverse effect on human health.     

新民城市居民头发重金属含量测定及相关分析

文章采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法(ICP-AES)及原子荧光光谱法(AFS)对辽宁省新民市城市居民不同年龄、性别群体头发中镉(Cd),铅(Pb),汞(Hg),砷(As)等重金属含量进行了测定,比较并分析了人发中各种重金属含量水平及与年龄、性别的关系。结果表明,新民市城市居民整体群体头发中镉,铅,砷,汞等4种重金属平均含量分别为(0.14±0.10),(3.80±2.43),(0.29±0.17),(0.39±0.21)mg/kg,均在中国居民头发中重金属含量正常值上限以下。回归分析表明,头发中所测定的重金属中只有金属Hg含量变化与年龄之间存在线性关系(R2=0.71);单因素方差(One-way ANOVA)分析表明,不同年龄群体间Cd,Pb,Hg,As等重金属含量无显著性差异(p>0.05);皮尔逊相关分析表明各重金属含量与年龄、性别之间无显著相关性(p>0.05)。     

6-2氟调醇在活性污泥中的降解

为了解6-2氟调醇(6-2 FTOH)在城市污水处理厂活性污泥中的好氧降解规律,利用室内模拟实验装置,研究了6-2FTOH在未经稀释驯化的活性污泥中的降解动力学及降解产物分布.结果表明,6-2 FTOH能被活性污泥快速吸附并发生降解,降解反应符合一级动力学,半衰期为0.9d.降解产物包括6-2氟调酸(6-2 FTCA)、6-2不饱和氟调酸(6-2 FTUCA)、5-3氟调酸(5-3 FTCA)、5-2s氟调醇(5-2s FTOH)和全氟己酸(PFHxA).第28 d实验结束时,6-2 FTOH残留率为5.5％,6-2 FTCA和6-2 FTUCA的最终产率分别为0和1.2％.5-3FTCA、5-2s FTOH、PFHxA最终产率分别为23.4％、17.6％和1.3％.