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This study is aimed at revealing the dietary protein requirement for gonad production in the sea urchin Mesocentrotus nudus, with consideration of protein leaching from diets during seawater immersion. Feeding trials were performed on M. nudus using two diet types with low capacities for protein leaching: starch diets (STG) containing 0–40% gluten in 10%, 5%, and 4% increments (experiments 1–3) and alginate diets (ALG) containing 5–25% gluten in 5% increments (experiment 4). The protein content in the diets was determined after they were immersed in seawater for 24 h or 72 h. The gonad indices of urchins fed STG with 11.4–19.3% protein were significantly higher than those fed STG with 7.8% protein. The protein requirement was estimated to be 12% based on a broken-line regression analysis of urchins fed STG in experiments 1–3. In experiment 4, the gonads became larger as dietary protein content increased from 4.5% to 12.0%, and the sizes were similar to those of urchins fed ALG with 12.0–21.1% protein. The estimated value of 12% was much lower than that reported previously (>20%), indicating that the protein requirement for sea urchin gonad production is modest when the protein-leaching problem is addressed.

The dispersal processes of anatomically modern humans in Asia during the late Middle to early Upper Paleolithic periods have been a focus of intensive research in recent years through interdisciplinary approaches including genetic, paleoanthropological, and archeological studies. However, sparse datasets, often only available from limited time-space contexts have not produced a satisfactory picture of the vast geographic extension of this continent. This study investigated how the chrono-spatial patterning of lithic technological records, which are widely available across Asia, might contribute to our better understanding of the population dynamics in this period. The study is based on a large database (PaleoAsiaDB) recently developed by the authors to accommodate the relevant datasets, including geographical coordinates of each site and available radiometric dates, for the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods in Asia. Each of the 895 lithic assemblages was characterized in terms of the presence/absence of 24 lithic modes/submodes that were adapted from the work of John Shea to fit our research objective. The dataset was analyzed using exploratory statistical methods, including principal component analysis. The results revealed marked spatiotemporal patterns in technological variability from the late Middle to early Upper Paleolithic periods. Some can be interpreted as a result of modern human dispersal, whereas others are better explained from ecological and other perspectives rather than authorships. Although this study has obvious limitations due to its reliance on the information sourced from the literature, it provides a global synthesis of lithic variability in the crucial period of the dispersals of modern humans on a continental scale for the first time. The results serve as a guide to be tested with evidence from other research strategies, such as genetics and fossil studies.

Elucidating the cultural transition of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic in northern China (Northeast and North China) is extremely important in considering the emergence and diffusion of Anatomically Modern Humans in East Asia. This article discusses 25 assemblages from 11 sites before and after ca. 42–40 cal ka in northern China. Each assemblage was given the techno-cultural category of “industry” (Industries D, DQ, DP, DL, PF, B, TB, UP, M, MO) based on the scheme of PaleoAsia modes. The PaleoAsia modes are an expanded version of J. J. Shea's modes, which describe and categorize flaking and lithic tool-production technologies. Following the chronological dating of assemblages, this study proposes that an industrial transition took place from the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) to Upper Palaeolithic (UP) in northern China. Characteristic technical elements were noted for each assemblage, including the Levallois technique, polished bone tool, personal ornament, blade technique, and UP tools. The following four stages were established for the abovementioned industrial transition in northern China: MP (before 41.5–40.0 cal ka), IUP (41.5–40.0 cal ka), EUP (40.0–28.0 cal ka), and MUP/LUP (after 28.0–27.0 cal ka). With the Exception of the last stage, which is associated with a microblade industry, the main industry of each stage was affiliated with denticulate tools. As such, there was no discontinuity in the technological traditions found between these stages in northern China. Rather, industries continuously and gradually shifted from the MP to UP; that is, UP techno-elements were incrementally introduced. To understand the drivers behind this industrial transition, it is first necessary to verify whether anatomically modern humans migrated to northern China during the MP and if they then maintained the group of denticulate tool industries until the UP.

A 42-year-old man had been treated for granulomatosis with polyangiitis for eight years. He was referred to our department with the diagnosis of right pneumothorax on chest radiograph. After chest drainage, the surgical treatment was performed because of continuing air leak from chest tube. Under thoracoscopic approach, the pleural adhesions were carefully dissected and the air leak site was sutured and enforced by a polyglycolic acid sheet with fibrin glue. No recurrence of pneumothorax was observed six months after surgery.

Resume Cet article presente la description des relations culturelles entre le Paleolithique chinois et le Paleolithique japonais. Dans ce numero special, Dr Takehana et ses collaborateurs evoquent les relations, les traditions paleolithiques de Hokkaido au Japon septentrional avec les cultures paleolithiques de la Siberie cotiere. Pour cette raison, nous nous concentrons sur les trois iles principales et le Paleolithique chinois. Actuellement, cette region consiste essentiellement en trois grandes iles, Honshu, Shikoku et Kyushu et plusieurs ilots a leur peripherie. Cependant, nous supposons que ces iles etaient presque toutes en continuite territoriale durant l’epoque glaciaire. Ainsi, nous devons considerer que ces iles etaient plus grandes encore. A present, la Mer de Chine orientale, la Mer Jaune, le golfe de Bohai et la Mer du Japon separent ces iles principales du continent asiatique. Il apparait que l’homme anterieur a Homo sapiens a du utiliser un pont terrestre alors apparu, la zone maritime etant tres etroite et peu profonde. Nous supposons que l’Homo sapiens a migre vers Honshu a partir du continent asiatique. Ce qui n'a pu se realiser que pendant une periode froide ayant provoque la regression des mers. Un premier itineraire correspond a la route meridionale alors que Taiwan, les iles Sakishima, les Iles Yaeyama, les iles Ryukyu, les iles Amami s’assechaient en formant un pont terrestre. Un deuxieme itineraire correspond a la route occidentale qui atteint Kyushu par la Peninsule coreenne, en passant par la Mer de Chine orientale , la Mer Jaune et la baie de Bohai alors assechees, c'est ce qu'on appelle "la plaine des trois mers". Un troisieme itineraire passe par le sud de l’ile Sakhalin et atteint la partie nord-est d’Honshu par Hokkaido. La possibilite d'atteindre l'archipel japonais depuis le continent asiatique est limitee a ces trois itineraires. Cependant, l’itineraire par le sud presentait une grande difficulte. Dans la partie septentrionale de cette serie d’iles, le detroit de Tokara interrompt le passage des iles Osumi aux iles Amami puisqu’il est si profond qu’il ne s'est jamais asseche, a aucune periode. La distribution des sites paleolithiques anterieurs a 62 000 ans en Chine avait ete arretee au sud du 40eme degre parallele. Par consequent, il apparait que l’homme paleolithique ne s’est installe qu’a partir de 62 000 ans en passant par la route septentrionale vers le nord du Japon. Pour cette raison, il est certain que la diffusion culturelle du Paleolithique s’est faite seulement par le pont terrestre correspondant a l’itineraire occidental.