Porotic Hyperostosis and Paleoepidemiology: A Forensic Perspective on Anemia among the Ancient Maya

Porotic lesions caused by childhood anemia are commonly found on ancient Maya crania and have been cited as evidence for extremely poor nutrition during the Classic Period. We reconsider this characterization in the light of recent data on childhood anemia in rural Guatemala and the prevalence of porotic hyperostosis in crania of forensic skeletal remains of rural highland Maya from Plan de Sanchez, Baja Verapaz, which date to 1982. The abundance of porotic hyperostosis in adults from Plan de Sanchez fits well with the number of modern rural children suffering from anemia, but the lesions are very rare compared to archaeological series. Although some minor change in diet and infection may contribute to differences in porotic hyperostosis, it is likely that higher mortality leads to fewer anemic lesions in modern adult crania. We hypothesize that more anemic children survived to adulthood in the past than do today, [iron-deficiency anemia, porotic hyperostosis, Maya, nutrition, forensic anthropology, osteological paradox]     

基于Holdridge和CCA分析的中国生态地理分区的比较

在前人工作基础上,对中国自然地理要素与生态地理区域的关系进行了综合分析,采用全国地形、土壤、气候、植被及遥感植被指数等数据,综合分析中国范围生态地理区域的分异规律,制订了生态地理分区的初步方案,并建立了相应的地理信息系统.基于Holdridge模型和CCA分析划分中国生态地理分区,建立了分区的指标体系,得到中国生态分区的大致界线,初步总结了各生态地理分区的地形、植被、气候等综合自然地理特征,完成对中国区域生态地理分区的划分.基于CCA分析的生态地理的分区,不仅结合自然区划和生态地理两种方法,而且加入了生态群落和遥感数据的综合应用.结果显示,由于受到模型适用性及数据误差的原因,基于CCA分析的结果比Holdridge模型的结果更合理一些.     

Predicting how adaptation to climate change could affect ecological conservation: secondary impacts of shifting agricultural suitability

Aim:  Ecosystems face numerous well‐documented threats from climate change. The well‐being of people also is threatened by climate change, most prominently by reduced food security. Human adaptation to food scarcity, including shifting agricultural zones, will create new threats for natural ecosystems. We investigated how shifts in crop suitability because of climate change may overlap currently protected areas (PAs) and priority sites for PA expansion in South Africa. Predicting the locations of suitable climate conditions for crop growth will assist conservationists and decision‐makers in planning for climate change. Location:  South Africa. Methods:  We modelled climatic suitability in 2055 for maize and wheat cultivation, two extensively planted, staple crops, and overlaid projected changes with PAs and PA expansion priorities. Results:  Changes in winter climate could make an additional 2 million ha of land suitable for wheat cultivation, while changes in summer climate could expand maize suitability by up to 3.5 million ha. Conversely, 3 million ha of lands currently suitable for wheat production are predicted to become climatically unsuitable, along with 13 million ha for maize. At least 328 of 834 (39%) PAs are projected to be affected by altered wheat or maize suitability in their buffer zones. Main conclusions:  Reduced crop suitability and food scarcity in subsistence areas may lead to the exploitation of PAs for food and fuel. However, if reduced crop suitability leads to agricultural abandonment, this may afford opportunities for ecological restoration. Expanded crop suitability in PA buffer zones could lead to additional isolation of PAs if portions of newly suitable land are converted to agriculture. These results suggest that altered crop suitability will be widespread throughout South Africa, including within and around lands identified as conservation priorities. Assessing how climate change will affect crop suitability near PAs is a first step towards proactively identifying potential conflicts between human adaptation and conservation planning.     

Food-habitat relationship of harbour seals and black cormorants in Skagerrak and Kattegat

Comparative studies on the food of the black cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and the harbour seal Phoca vitulina were carried out in two contrasting habitat types. Both species feed predominantly on bottom-dwelling fish. Black cormorants are able to utilize fish found both on vegetation-covered and naked sea beds at a water depth of less than 10 m, while harbour seals feed mainly on soft sea bottoms above 30 m where vegetation is scarce or lacking. The food overlap of the two piscivores is large in environments where large shallow sea bottoms are available, and small in areas where sea bottoms of soft material is found at greater depth. In areas where the shallow bottoms are covered by vegetation only, cormorants are able to feed on the fish species inhabiting this kind of environment. There is no evidence that these predators make a choice regarding prey species.     

Porotic hyperostosis in a marine-dependent California Indian population

A maize-based iron- and protein-deficient diet is commonly cited as the most important cause of porotic hyperostosis among American Indian agriculturalists. An alternative to this maize dependence hypothesis is suggested by the analysis of 432 crania from the nonagricultural, fish-dependent population of the Channel Island area of southern California. Cribra orbitalia, a form of porotic hyperostosis associated with iron deficiency anemia, is just as common among these fisherpeople, whose diet was rich in iron and essential amino acids, as it is among maize-dependent agriculturalists. Northern Channel Island crania have much more cribra orbitalia than those from the California mainland. The highest incidence is on San Miguel, a small geographically isolated island with a shortage of fresh water and terrestrial resources. The Indians who lived on Santa Cruz, the largest of the northern Channel Islands with the greatest diversity of terrestrial plants and animals, have less cribra orbitalia than those who lived on Santa Rosa or San Miguel Island. This geographical distribution appears to be explained by island-mainland and interisland differences in water contamination, exposure to fish-borne parasites, and nutritional adequacy of the diet. The prevalence of porotic hyperostosis in a population with a heavy dietary dependence on marine resources shows that among prehistoric American Indians, this condition is not always associated with an iron- and protein-deficient diet of cultigens. It seems likely that high nutrient losses associated with diarrheal disease are often more significant in the etiology of porotic hyperostosis than a low dietary intake of essential nutrients.     

Recognition of sickle cell anemia in skeletal remains of children

The present study discusses in detail the osteological changes associated with sickle cell anemia in children and their importance in differential diagnosis. Posterior calcaneal and specific articular surface disruptive metacarpal lesions are diagnostic for sickle cell anemia. Calvarial thickening, tibial and femoral cortical bone thickening, and bowing are of more limited utility in differential diagnosis. Granular osteoporosis, pelvic demineralization and rib broadening are nonspecific. Localized calvarial “ballooning,” previously not described, may have diagnostic significance. Bone marrow hyperplastic response (porotic hyperostosis) in sickle cell anemia produces minimal radiologic changes contrasted with that observed in thalassemia and blood loss/hemolytic phenomenon. Two other issues, the osteological criteria for discriminating among the anemias and the purported relationship between porotic hyperostosis and iron deficiency anemia, are also discussed. There is sufficient information to properly diagnose the four major groups of anemias, and further, to establish that iron deficiency is only indirectly associated with porotic hyperostosis. The hyperproliferative bone marrow response (manifest as porotic hyperostosis) to blood loss or hemolysis exhausts iron stores, resulting in secondary iron deficiency. Am J Phys Anthropol 104:213–226, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

格网尺度下张掖生态系统服务价值时空演变及地形梯度分异特征

张掖生态环境脆弱,在西北乃至全国的生态地位十分重要,是生态系统服务研究的典型区域。以张掖1987、2000、2016年的3期土地利用数据为基础,划分3 km×3 km格网,基于修正后的生态系统服务价值当量,估算张掖生态系统服务价值,并分析其时空变化和地形梯度分异特征。结果表明: 1987—2016年,张掖生态系统服务价值增加5.64亿元,在南部山区和北部荒漠区保持稳定,在人类活动密集的中部绿洲区变化显著;生态系统贡献上,林地生态系统的贡献最大,单项生态系统服务价值中,水文调节价值最大;生态系统服务价值具有很强的空间依赖性,在两极集聚的空间格局上,形成甘州区、焉支山和镜铁山3个“插花”集聚区;生态系统服务价值呈现出地形梯度分异规律,从祁连山区向平原绿洲区再向荒漠区递减;生态系统服务价值与地形起伏度呈线性负相关,随高程增加呈现出下降-上升-下降的变化规律,随坡度增加呈下降-稳定-下降的分异格局,说明山前区和绿洲荒漠过渡区亦是生态系统服务价值的梯度过渡区;单项生态系统服务价值在低坡度和小地形起伏地区最大,其中,低平地区绿洲的发展受水资源的严重制约。     

Aspergillus Colonization and Aflatoxin Contamination of Maize and Sesame Kernels in Two Agro‐ecological Zones in Senegal

Aflatoxin contamination of major food crops is a serious problem in Senegal. Maize and sesame samples were collected during a survey in five districts located in two agro‐ecological zones in Senegal to determine levels of aflatoxin contamination and the distribution and toxigenicity potential of members of Aspergillus section Flavi. Maize samples from the Guinea Savannah zone (SG) exhibited lower aflatoxin content and colony‐forming units (cfu) than those collected from the Sudan Savannah (SS) zone. In maize, aflatoxin concentration and cfu of A. flavus varied with cultivars, shelling practices and storage methods. The maize variety ‘Jaune de Bambey’ had high aflatoxin levels in both agro‐ecological zones. Aflatoxin content in machine‐shelled maize (120 ng/g) was more than 10‐fold higher than that in manually shelled (8 ng/g) or unshelled maize. Aflatoxin content (between 0.1 and 1.2 ng/g) and cfu values (between 13 and 42 000 cfu/g) of sesame were low, suggesting a low susceptibility to A. flavus. In both agro‐ecological zones, and in all storage systems, aflatoxin contamination was lower in sesame than in maize. In this study, only three species of Aspergillus section Flavi (A. flavus, A. tamarii and the unnamed taxon S_BG) were observed with the frequency of toxigenic strains remaining below 50% in maize from the SG zone compared with 51% of isolates from samples collected in Sedhiou district in SS zone. The proportion of toxigenic strains isolated from sesame was variable. For both crops, L‐strains were the most prevalent in the two agro‐ecological zones. Some of the atoxigenic strains collected could be valuable microbial resources for the biological control of aflatoxin in Senegal.     

Protected species outside the protected areas: People's attitude,threats and conservation of the Yellow Monitor (Varanus flavescens) in the Far-western Lowlands of Nepal

Although there is high potential for conservation of species outside protected areas, it is often neglected in researches and conservation programs. Protected species are legally protected even outside the protected areas and can be flagships for conservation in these areas, but their conservation aspects in these areas are poorly studied. We studied conservation aspects of a poorly known species, Yellow Monitor (Varanus flavescens), which is protected in most of its range countries, outside the protected areas in the Far-western lowlands of Nepal. We studied people's relationship, attitudes and threats to the species through questionnaire survey with adults and children in Parasan Village Development Committee of Kanchanpur District. We found that most of the adults were unaware about the protected status and importance of the species, and both adults as well as children killed the species. The study revealed that most of the killing occurred in agricultural land and children were more responsible for the killing than the adults. We found that monsoon vacation in schools increased the threat to the species. Our study revealed that fear from the species was the main reason and use of the species as food, medicine and hide were other reasons for killing of the species by adults. Low awareness was the major reason behind the killing by children as most of the killing was not related to any good reasons. We estimated that 87 individuals of the species could have been killed in the area in that year. Based on available evidences, we recommend further studies to predict the vulnerability of the species. Our study suggests that raising awareness among locals about its legal status and importance is the simple and efficient measure for the conservation of the species as well as for conserving other protected species outside the protected areas.     

Trends in undernutrition mortality among children under five years of age and adults over 60

Introduction: Children under five years of age living in poor areas and with low availability of healthy food have a higher risk of undernutrition-related mortality. However, this relationship has not been well established among older adults.Objective: To analyse socioeconomic inequality trends related to undernutrition mortality in children under five years of age and adults over 60 in Colombian municipalities during 2003-2009 and 2010-2016.Materials and methods: We conducted an ecological study of trends between 2003 and 2016. The study population consisted of children under five years of age and adults over 60 residing in the Colombian municipalities during the study period. We estimated smoothed and standardized mortality rates by fitting a hierarchical Bayesian model and explored their relationship with five socioeconomic area-level variables.Results: In most of the municipalities, undernutrition-related mortality was three times higher in older adults compared to children. Moreover, the difference in the risk of undernutrition-related mortality between municipalities showed a marked reduction. Finally, the poor and less developed municipalities had higher rates of undernutrition-related mortality in children; conversely, wealthier territories had higher rates in older adults.Conclusions: Although in most of the municipalities the mortality rates due to undernutrition in children under five and older adults have decreased, their socioeconomic conditions influence in different ways the risk of mortality for these two populations so there is the need to develop age-specific strategies to close social gaps considering the structural conditions of the areas.     

Does natal habitat preference modulate cereal kernel preferences in the rice weevil?

The influence of larval diet source in Sitophilus oryzae (L.), a primary grain feeder, on the choice of a new cereal host by young adult was investigated through a multiple choice comparative bioassay. For this purpose, virgin male and female adults, which had been reared as immatures in different grain commodities, were monitored according to their food preference in cylindrical arenas containing whole kernels of maize, rice, barley and wheat. The adults showed a clear individual preference for maize kernels, regardless of the previous food experience, sex and also the interval on which the adults are exposed to food. Males were much more mobile than females and visited more vigorously different commodities before the final choice. Female response was found to be related with male response to specific food sources. Hence, our results indicate that there was no natal habitat preference induction, since maize was, in most cases, the final commodity choice.     

Porotic hyperostosis: a new perspective.

Porotic hyperostosis is a paleopathologic condition that has intrigued researchers for over a century and a half. It is now generally accepted that anemia, most probably an iron deficiency anemia, is the etiologic factor responsible for lesion production. Although there can be a number of factors involved in the development of iron deficiency anemia, a dietary explanation has often been invoked to explain the occurrence of porotic hyperostosis in past human skeletal populations. In fact, porotic hyperostosis has been referred to as a "nutritional" stress indicator. Traditionally those groups with a higher incidence of porotic hyperostosis have been considered to be less successful in adapting to their environment or more nutritionally disadvantaged than other groups. A new perspective is emerging that is challenging previous views of the role of iron in health and disease, thus having profound implications for the understanding of porotic hyperostosis. There is a new appreciation of the adaptability and flexibility of iron metabolism; as a result it has become apparent that diet plays a very minor role in the development of iron deficiency anemia. It is now understood that, rather than being detrimental, hypoferremia (deficiency of iron in the blood) is actually an adaptation to disease and microorganism invasion. When faced with chronic and/or heavy pathogen loads individuals become hypoferremic as part of their defense against these pathogens, thus increasing their susceptibility to iron deficiency anemia. Within the context of this new perspective porotic hyperostosis is seen not as a nutritional stress indicator, but as a indication that a population is attempting to adapt to the pathogen load in its environment.     

2000—2010年我国重点生态功能区生态系统变化状况

分析了2000—2010年我国水源涵养型、水土保持型、防风固沙型、生物多样性维护型重点生态功能区的生态系统结构、质量与核心服务的变化.结果表明: 近11年来,水源涵养型重点生态功能区的森林、草地面积减少,水体与湿的面积增加,森林、草地、湿地生态系统水源涵养总量增加了2.9%,该类区域需要遏制森林、草地的减少趋势.水土保持型重点生态功能区的农田面积减少,而森林、草地、水体与湿地的面积增加,土壤侵蚀总量减少了28.2%,生态系统土壤保持总量增加了38.1%.防风固沙型重点生态功能区的农田、森林面积增加,草地、水体与湿地的面积减少,单位面积土壤风蚀量下降,单位面积防风固沙服务量有所提升,该类区域多位于干旱半干旱区,需要减少农田面积,优先保护原有生态系统.生物多样性维护型重点生态功能区的草地、荒漠面积减少,其他类型的面积有所增加,人类扰动呈现微弱的上升趋势,该类区域需要减少人类干扰.重点生态功能区应该针对核心服务和保护目标,分类分区开展生态系统保护、改善及其效果的定量综合评估.     

云南两个不同生态区玉米蚜种群动态研究

在2013年5-9月,采取5点取样,对云南省昭通温凉玉米种植区及普洱暖热玉米种植区玉米蚜种群动态进行定期、定点、定株的系统调查,明确云南省两种不同生态条件下玉米种植区玉米蚜发生规律及分布特征,为玉米蚜的防治提供理论依据。结果显示:昭通温凉玉米种植区玉米蚜在玉米各生育期均有发生;玉米蚜在抽雄散粉期主要集中在雄穗为害,籽粒建成期以后转移集中在苞叶及雌穗为害;玉米蚜在玉米田始终呈聚集分布,聚集度呈聚集—扩散—聚集趋势。普洱暖热玉米种植区玉米蚜种群数量在玉米进入籽粒建成期后才有所增长;玉米蚜在籽粒建成期以后主要集中在苞叶及雌穗上为害;玉米蚜在玉米田基本呈聚集分布,聚集度始终呈扩散趋势。两地玉米蚜自然种群消长、垂直分布动态,空间动态均具有一定差异,昭通温凉玉米种植区相对更适宜玉米蚜的发生。     

北京市域生态敏感性综合评价

区域生态敏感性评价对于制定区域环境政策,有效进行环境管理具有重要作用.在综述当前生态敏感性评价研究的基础上,综合考虑自然和人文两大类影响因子,构建了反映对水土流失、河流水量水质、土地沙化、泥石流、采矿、路网、濒危物种不同敏感程度的7个指标,运用地理信息系统和遥感技术,综合分析和评价了北京市域生态敏感性程度及其空间分布状况.结果表明,高生态敏感区主要有两类,分别分布于北京东北-西南走向的山区-平原过渡地带和永定河、潮白河、北运河、大石河河岸带,此外,大兴南部也有集中分布.中敏感区除分布于上述高敏感区外围以外,还集中分布于怀柔中部的红螺山、云蒙山地区和门头沟妙峰山地区.不敏感区则主要集中在怀柔、延庆的北部山区,其余地区为低敏感区.敏感性程度的空间变化基本规律是:在山区,从平原-山区过渡地带沿西北方向朝低山区和中山区衰减,在平原,则沿河道两侧向外围衰减.在评价的基础上,尝试提出了环境保育和生态建设的相关对策.     

Fish feeding guilds in shallow rocky and soft bottom areas on the Swedish west coast

Multivariate analyses of the diet relationships within fish assemblages resulted in the recognition of five major feeding guilds in shallow (0-9 m) rocky- and soft-bottom habitats on the Swedish west coast. The two habitats had similar guilds that could be broadly described as piscivores, decapod feeders, copepod feeders and amphipod and mollusc feeders. The last guild on the rocky bottom was more strictly one of amphipod feeders, whereas the last guild on soft bottoms consisted of infauna feeders (mainly polychaetes and bivalves). A comparison of the diet of the entire fish assemblages showed that amphipods and gastropods were more prevalent as prey taxa on rocky bottoms, whereas bivalves and teleosts were more common on soft bottoms. A large proportion (12 out of 27 species) of the fish species investigated was found in both habitats. These fish species generally seemed to rely on the same major prey groups in the two habitats, but also included prey taxa characteristic for the habitat in which they resided. Sea trout Salmo trutta , mackerel Scombrus scombrus , saithe Pollachius virens , whiting Merlangius merlangus and cod Gadus morhua were found to be the major piscivores in both the investigated habitats. Herring Clupea harengus and members of the family gobiidae were the most prevalent prey species for piscivores within the rocky- as well as the soft-bottom fish assemblage. A comparison of feeding modes suggested that the fish assemblage on rocky bottoms predominantly (60% of the food items) relied on food found in vegetation. On soft bottoms, the average distribution of food categories among fish species was 44% benthic, 35% pelagic and 21% vegetation-associated food items.     

Quantifying the influence of topographic position on cougar (Puma concolor) movement in southern California, USA

Large carnivores are frequently used as focal species for landscape-level planning and conservation purposes. Information on cougars Puma concolor , for example, is being used to predict movement corridors and linkage areas in habitats influenced by rapid urbanization. However, animal movement through habitat terrain is a function of multiple factors, including complex topographic features. To assess the use of topographic position during movements by cougars in the Santa Ana Mountain Range of southern California, we analyzed the travel paths of 10–17 radio-tagged individuals monitored during 44 overnight sessions. We examined selection for canyon bottom, gentle slope, steep slope and ridgeline topography at the scale of the movement session and at the scale of the home range. At both scales of selection, our results suggest that traveling or hunting cougars discriminated in their use of topographic position, that canyon bottoms and gentle slopes (<6°) ranked highest in compositional analyses of selection, and that these patterns were not highly confounded by the presence of preferred vegetation types. Ridgelines were used significantly less often than other positions. Our novel method of quantifying availability and use of topographic positions permits the assessment of terrain features, such as canyon bottoms, in facilitating cougar movements. For complex landscapes, models of animal movement should consider the topographic context that motivates patterns of habitat use, and should be developed using data obtained and analyzed at the appropriate spatial and temporal scales.     

1961—2010年中国植被区的气候与林火动态变化

气候、植被和人为活动的变化影响到区域的林火动态．基于生态地理区研究全国尺度上林火动态的变化是科学林火管理的基础．根据中国地面气候资料日值数据,把1961—2010年气温和降水两个气象要素差值到网格点（空间分辨率0.25°×0.25°）,分析中国8个生态地理区森林分布区域的火险期气温和降水量变化,采用Mann-Kendall法分析气候和火动态的变化趋势．结果表明： 1961—2010年,中国森林分布区的平均气温呈现线性上升趋势,但降水量变化趋势不显著,所有生态地理区的火险期平均气温显著增加,中温带半干旱/干旱地区草原区增温最显著,而大部分区域的火险期降水量变化不明显.研究区火灾次数呈现明显的波动性,受害森林面积显著下降.除中温带干旱地区荒漠针叶林区的火灾次数和受害森林面积呈现显著的增加趋势外,其他生态地理区都表现为双峰型变化曲线.     

南京市生态系统服务的空间流转

生态系统服务的空间流转研究是生态系统服务研究的重要部分,对于制定区域生态补偿标准具有重要意义。为了衡量地区生态系统服务流转到外部区域的相对价值大小,提出了地区比较生态辐射力概念,利用断裂点公式、指数距离衰减函数,衡量比较生态辐射力的大小。基于南京市主体功能区研究,定量研究南京市各保护型区域的生态系统服务对各开发型区域的辐射力,计算出各开发型区域从不同保护型区域提供的生态系统服务价值比例。结果表明:高淳县、江宁区、溧水县对于白下区、秦淮区比较生态辐射力相对较大,六合区对于鼓楼区、下关区比较生态辐射力相对较大,浦口区对于鼓楼区、秦淮区的比较生态辐射力相对较大。以白下区为例,提出了南京市实施生态补偿建议,根据白下区从外部保护型区域获得的生态系统服务总量,在其提供的生态补偿金中,浦口区、江宁区、六合区、溧水县、高淳县应分别获得总额的22.76%、22.67%、21.50%、17.27%与15.80%。     

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/Maize (Zea mays L.) Intercropping Provides a Feasible Way to Improve Yield and Economic Incomes in Farming and Pastoral Areas of Northeast China

Given the growing challenges to food and eco-environmental security as well as sustainable development of animal husbandry in the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China, it is crucial to identify advantageous intercropping modes and some constraints limiting its popularization. In order to assess the performance of various intercropping modes of maize and alfalfa, a field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with five treatments: maize monoculture in even rows, maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows, alfalfa monoculture, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows and maize intercropped with two rows of alfalfa in wide rows. Results demonstrate that maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows performed best for light transmission, grain yield and output value, compared to in even rows. When intercropped, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows was identified as the optimal strategy and the largely complementary ecological niches of alfalfa and maize were shown to account for the intercropping advantages, optimizing resource utilization and improving yield and economic incomes. These findings suggest that alfalfa/maize intercropping has obvious advantages over monoculture and is applicable to the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China.