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Great Holocene civilizations on Pacific islands were created by Homo sapiens. However, most of the construction histories remain uncertain due to the lack of developed writing system and the limitation of dating techniques. Nan Madol (0.7 km in width and 1.5 km in length), an abandoned city called the “Venice of the Pacific” with over 100 artificial islets, is located on the southeastern coast of island Pohnpei in Micronesia. This world-unique ruin, inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2016, was built with basalt megaliths and scleractinian coral cobbles. Oral histories and previous charcoal 14C ages suggested that the main construction of Nan Madol of Pohnpei could begin in the 13th or 14th century and ceased at the 16th or 17th century, associated with the rise and fall of the Saudeleur Dynasty. However, after 150 years or more of studies, the timing of construction and the dynasty, and the probable influence of environmental factors, remain unresolved. High-precision U-Th dating techniques, developed at the High-Precision Mass Spectrometry and Environment Change Laboratory (HISPEC), Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, were used to date the selected pristine coral infills and reveal the construction time of the two ruins. With over 150 coral ages determined, results show a peak of construction activity during the middle 11th century could be related to the rise of the Saudeleur Dynasty. In the early 15th century, construction activities ceased, associated with the dynasty’s downfall. Our study shows that Nan Madol construction and the rise and fall of the dynasty occurred 2-3 centuries earlier than previously estimated. Moreover, the entire development was dominated by El Niño-Southern Oscillation variability and tectonic-related sea level rise.

Ancient genome analysis has become an indispensable tool in studies of human population history and evolution after the breakthrough of whole genome sequencing technology. Meanwhile, the problem has been not resolved that ancient genome cannot be analyzed without crushing non-small pieces of precious specimens; in spite of that, in many cases, there is no DNA remaining sufficiently in the piece of samples for obtaining the whole genome sequences. In previous studies, therefore, a couple of indicators (e.g., racemization ratios) have been proposed to estimate the endogenous DNA in ancient samples. However, these studies have used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test whether endogenous DNA is remaining, which has been inadequate because the success or failure of PCR amplification does not necessarily reflect DNA remaining. To assess the amount of endogenous DNA, we use the ratios of reads generated by the next-generation sequencer (NGS) mapped to the human reference genome sequence. We investigate 40 Jomon remains and find a significant association between the collagen residual ratios (CRRs) in rib bones and the mapping ratios (MRs). Because the weight of bone required to measure collagen residual is much less than that required to obtain DNA needed for NGS analysis, which is always necessary for dating, the collagen in ribs can be a good indicator for successful ancient genome analyses.

Being younger than 20 years old at the time of arthroscopic Bankart repair (ABR) is known to be one of the most important risk factors for postoperative recurrence of instability. When deciding on the appropriate surgical approach, surgeons generally consider only the size of a critical glenoid defect, and most of them do not take into account factors such as the size of bone fragments and possible bone union after arthroscopic bony Bankart repair (ABBR). Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to clarify the risk factors for postoperative recurrence after ABR in teenage competitive athletes by focusing on glenoid rim morphologies and bone union.Participants were 115 teenage competitive athletes without a capsular injury who underwent primary ABR for chronic traumatic anterior instability and were followed for a minimum of 2 years. Possible risk factors for postoperative recurrence were investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis. In shoulders with a glenoid defect and bone fragment, the influence of glenoid defect size and bone fragment size on bone union after ABBR was also investigated.Postoperative recurrence was seen in 16 patients (13.9%). Regarding glenoid defect size, recurrence was seen in 1 (3.2%) of 31 shoulders with a glenoid defect smaller than 5% (including those with a normal glenoid), 15 (22.1%) of 68 shoulders with a glenoid defect of 5% to 20%, and 0 (0%) of 16 shoulders with a glenoid defect of 20% or larger (p=0.009). Regarding bone union, recurrence was seen in 4 (6.9%) of 58 shoulders with complete or partial bone union after ABBR and 8 (40%) of 20 shoulders with non-union or disappearance of the bone fragment (p=0.001). Regarding bone fragment size, recurrence was seen in 12 (20.7%) of 58 shoulders with a small or no bone fragment (7.5%) and in 3 (8.6%) of 35 shoulders with a large bone fragment (7.5%; p=0.154). Multivariate analysis identified non-union or disappearance of the bone fragment after ABBR as a significant risk factor for recurrence. Complete or partial bone union was seen in 25 (58.1%) of 43 shoulders with a small bone fragment (7.5%) and 33 (94.3%) of 35 shoulders with a large bone fragment (7.5%; p0.001).In teenage competitive athletes, bone union after ABBR affects postoperative recurrence after ABR, regardless of the preoperative glenoid defect size, and bone union rate after ABBR is significantly influenced by bone fragment size.

With the development of the data-driven modeling techniques, using the neural network to simulate the transport process of atmospheric pollutants and constructing ${\textrm {PM}}_{2.5}$ time-series prediction model have become a hot topic. The existing data-driven approaches often ignore the dynamical relationships among multiple sites in urban areas, which results in nonideal prediction accuracy. In response to this problem, this article proposes a long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder multitask learning model to predict ${\textrm {PM}}_{2.5}$ time series in multiple locations city wide. The model could implicitly and automatically excavate the intrinsic relevance among the pollutants in different stations. And the meteorological information from the monitoring stations is fully utilized, which is beneficial for the performance of the proposed model. Specifically, multilayer LSTM networks can simulate the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban air pollution particles. And using the stacked autoencoder to encode the key evolution pattern of urban meteorological systems could provide important auxiliary information for ${\textrm {PM}}_{2.5}$ time-series prediction. In addition, multitask learning could automatically discover the dynamical relationship between multiple key pollution time series and solve the problem of insufficient use of multisite information in the modeling process of the traditional data-driven methods. The simulation results of ${\textrm {PM}}_{2.5}$ prediction in Beijing indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The Ongamira Valley (Córdoba, Argentina) shows a persistent occupational history of its territory. Even one of the first Argentinian radiocarbon (14C) dates was calculated in this valley; for 70 years, the chronology was based on relative dates (stratigraphy and its cultural content). For this reason, since 2010 a14C dating program has been developed focusing on the chronology of eight of the 60 sites identified so far for the valley. This work reports the outcomes of this program with 27 new dates. These data have been related to characteristics of the material culture, use of space and mobility of hunter-gatherer societies. The results have allowed us to bring new insights into a continuous occupation of the valley since the Middle Holocene according to the human peopling models proposed. It has also been possible to provide greater chronological precision to various activities related to feeding practices, use of space associated with rock-shelters, palaeoenvironmental changes and incorporation of new technologies into daily practices.

This paper presents data on the size characterization concentration of PM0.1, PM0.5, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, TSP in indoor and outdoor air of a residential apartment in two seasons (winter and summer) in Hanoi, Vietnam. These particles with different sizes were taken by 5 stage impactors (Nano sampler 3182, KINOMAX). Daily average concentrations of coarse particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) indoors and outdoors exceeded the WHO recommended values. In winter, the concentrations of PM0.5, PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, TSP are higher than in summer. However, concentrations of PM0.1 (NP) remains negligible change between two seasons. The indoor NP accounts about 17% and 8 % of fine particle (PM2.5) and 12 % and 7% of coarse particle (PM10) in winter and summer, respectively. The indoor fraction for small sizes (NP, PM0.5, PM1 and PM2.5) have better infiltration than coarse sizes (PM10 and TSP), except for NP in summer. Moderate correlation between wind speed (Ws) and PM concentration are found, whereas precipitation (Pr), Relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) correlate with concentration with different sizes are determined. Strong correlations between particles with different sizes are also found in indoors and outdoors (r = 0.73-0.98). Household activities like cooking, cleaning and vacuum cleaner are attributed to elevate the indoor NP. The Monte Carlo simulation shows that highest estimated dose is observed in the age group (over 60 years) and age group (0-3 years) suffers the lowest dose, which has implications in the adverse health effects for sensitive groups. Sensitive analysis find the concentration of particles to be the most influencing factor on inhalation dose estimation.

This study aims to investigate the utility of the Doppler effect on ultrasonography for the diagnosis of very early- and early-stage lumbar spondylolysis in adolescent patients.In total, 76 adolescent patients with acute and subacute low back pain were prospectively enrolled, with 46 having lumbar spondylolysis and the remaining 30 having low back pain without spondylolysis. MRI and/or computed tomograms scans revealed very early- and early-stage lumbar spondylolysis. Furthermore, positive Doppler findings in ultrasonography around the area from the facet joint to the laminae were investigated.There were no significant differences in age (p 0.99) and body mass index (p = 0.11) between cases with and without spondylolysis. Very early- and early-stage spondylolysis were observed in 27.6% and 72.4% of patients, respectively. Positive power Doppler was 91.3% and 33.3% in cases with and without spondylolysis, respectively, which was significantly higher in spondylolysis (p 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of this positive power Doppler were 91.4% and 66.7%, respectively. Furthermore, the rate of positive power Doppler was significantly higher in early-stage spondylolysis (p = 0.02), with 75.0% and 97.6% sensitivity in very early- and early-stage spondylolysis, respectively.A positive Doppler effect on ultrasonography is effective for screening very early- and early-stage spondylolysis in adolescent patients in an outpatient clinic.

A solid phylogenetic framework is the basis of biological studies, yet higher level relationships are still unresolved in some major vertebrate lineages. One such group is Crocodylia, where the branching pattern of three major families (Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae and Gavialidae) has been disputed over decades due to the uncertain relationship of two slender-snouted lineages, gavialines and tomistomines. Here, we report a bizarre crocodylian from the Bronze Age of China, which shows a mosaic of gavialine and tomistomine features across the skeleton, rendering support to their sister taxon relationship as molecular works have consistently postulated. Gavialine characters of the new Chinese crocodylian include a novel configuration of the pterygoid bulla, a vocal structure known in mature male Indian gharials. Extinct gavialines have repeatedly evolved potentially male-only acoustic apparatus of various shapes, illuminating the deep history of sexual selection on acoustic signalling in a slender-snouted group of crocodylians. Lastly, a cutmark analysis combined with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of bone remains demonstrated that two individuals from Shang and Zhou dynasties in Guangdong, China, suffered head injuries and decapitation. Archaeological evidence together with historical accounts suggests the human-induced extinction of this unique crocodylian only a few hundred years ago.

Poultry are farmed globally, with chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) being the leading domesticated species. Although domestic chicken bones have been reported from some Early Holocene sites, their origin is controversial and there is no reliable domestic chicken bone older than the Middle Holocene. Here, we studied goose bones from Tianluoshan-a 7,000-y-old rice cultivation village in the lower Yangtze River valley, China-using histological, geochemical, biochemical, and morphological approaches. Histological analysis revealed that one of the bones was derived from a locally bred chick, although no wild goose species breed in southern China. The analysis of oxygen-stable isotope composition supported this observation and further revealed that some of the mature bones were also derived from locally bred individuals. The nitrogen-stable isotope composition showed that locally bred mature birds fed on foods different from those eaten by migrant individuals. Morphological analysis revealed that the locally bred mature birds were homogenous in size, whereas radiocarbon dating clearly demonstrated that the samples from locally bred individuals were similar to 7,000 y old. The histological, geochemical, biochemical, morphological, and contextual evidence suggest that geese at Tianluoshan village were at an early stage of domestication. The goose population appears to have been maintained for several generations without the introduction of individuals from other populations and may have been fed cultivated paddy rice. These findings indicate that goose domestication dates back 7,000 y, making geese the oldest domesticated poultry species in history.

Background Bone substitutes are widely accepted for various clinical applications. However, the usage is predominantly intraosseous implantation, whereas extraosseous on-lay grafting is rare and lacks scientific evidence. The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether osteoconduction occurs in on-lay grafted bone substitute. Methods Custom-made interconnected porous calcium hydroxyapatite ceramic (IPCHA) was on-lay grafted with screw or anchor fixation (S- and A-groups, respectively) at the anterior aspect of the femur of skeletally mature Japanese white rabbits. At 3, 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively, 4 samples for each time point and each group were evaluated by microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. Results Volume-rendered three-dimensional micro-CT images showed a high-density calcified area infiltrating IPCHA from the femoral cortex as of 6 weeks. When quantified, the calcified volume per unit volume first showed no difference between the two groups at 3 weeks but increased over time, and became significantly greater in the S-group than in the A-group (p = 0.012 and 0.004 at 6 and 12 weeks, respectively). Histologically, IPCHA pores were first occupied by fibrous tissue at 3 weeks; then, the pores adjacent to the femoral cortex were gradually replaced by bony tissue as of 6 weeks for both fixations. Conclusions IPCHA allowed new bone formation inside the material even though it was implanted in an on-lay fashion on the cortical bone. Our results suggested that on-lay grafted IPCHA exerted its osteoconductivity well, with more new bone forming in screw-fixated samples than in anchor-fixated samples.

Maritime migration and island adaptation by anatomically modern humans (AMH) are among the most significant issues in Southeast Asian anthropology and archaeology, and directly related to their behavioural and technological advancements. A major research hotspot is Wallacean Archipelago located between the past Sunda and Sahul continents during the late Pleistocene. The gaps between the Wallacean islands and both landmasses are very likely the major factor for the relative scarcity of animal species originating from Asia and Oceania and the high diversity of endemic species in Wallacea. They are also considered as a barrier for hominin migration into Wallacean islands and Sahul continent. We report about new archaeological research on the eastern coast of Sulawesi, which could have been the most potential location for the early AMH migration by sea crossings from the Maluku Islands along the northern routes towards Sahul. Based on the new findings, we discuss the evidence and timeline for migrations of early modern humans into the Wallacean islands. This includes an overview of the excavated stone and bone artefacts and faunal remains in the region in the context of changes in human foraging behaviour as well as the technological and cognitive aspects of human adaptation as a response to rapidly changing ecological conditions during the late Pleistocene to Holocene periods.

In this work, the traffic characteristics and emissions of air pollutants were predicted for two vehicle classifications (passenger cars and trucks) at the national highway in Kyoto City, Japan. Traffic characteristic information (traffic volume, travel speed, and degree of congestion) was estimated based on the digitised data collected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan. A vehicle emission model, known as the computer program to calculate emissions from road transport (COPERT), was utilised to compute the emission factors (EFs) and total emissions of air pollutants in terms of exhaust particulate matter (PMExh), benzene (C6H6), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Input variables, such as fuel data, activity data, driving conditions, and meteorological conditions, are needed. The findings revealed that the pollutant emissions reached the higher values over the slower travel speed phase. Road no. 1 with the most congested road segment has intensified vehicle numbers, and the slowest traffic flow movement exposed a greater magnitude of pollutant emissions. C6H6 and CO emissions are obviously more emitted from the passenger cars whereas the trucks are responsible for the greater emission of NOx and PMExh. The EFs of pollutants were compared with the Japanese Emission Standards through JE05 and JC08 chassis dynamometer test cycles. The estimated EFs showed inconsistency with the EFs derived from the test cycles. These results may be deployed as the input in air quality dispersion modelling in urban areas for designing the air pollution abatement strategy.

In this paper, we carry out an isotopic study to learn about the diet and mobility patterns of the human groups that inhabited different areas and environments of western Catamarca, Argentina, over almost 2500 years. We present and discuss the results of the isotopic composition of 26 bioarchaeological remains (δ13C and δ15N on bone collagen, and δ13C and δ18O on bone apatite) with their respective calibrated absolute dates, from different settings and elevations of the province of Catamarca. They account for the sociocultural development of both the first agropastoral village societies and the Inca society. We also present the regional isotopic context of autochthonous animal and plant food resources. The isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N on bone collagen) of 47 samples of pre-Hispanic camelids recovered from archaeological sites located at different altitudes of the Fiambala and Chaschuil regions are studied and discussed. In addition, the δ13C values of 52 native modern and archaeological plant samples are compiled, including samples from the region as well as information from the bibliography. Finally, isotopic analyses of water samples (δ18O) recovered from different environments in the study region are also shown. The data from δ13C and δ15N on bone collagen and δ13C on bone apatite show a high variability of the human diet of the populations of western Catamarca, and suggest that the societies that inhabited the region during the first millennium AD had a balanced diet that combined proteins and carbohydrates, while those dated after the thirteenth century AD reduced their protein intake, which would have significantly affected their health status. The first trends in the δ18O values indicate that individuals had low mobility patterns during their lives, except for some unusual cases of possible non-local individuals.

Hệ thống đỗ xe nhiều tầng có khả năng phát sinh các chất có nồng độ cao BTEX ( Benzene (B), Toluene (T), Ethyl benzene (E) và Xylene (X)), là những chất gây ảnh hưởng xấu đến sức khỏe con người. Mục đích của nghiên cứu này là xác định nồng độ BTEX, nguồn phát sinh và đánh giá rủi ro sức khỏe đối những người bảo vệ làm việc tại các bãi đỗ xe hầm tại một số tòa nhà cao tầng Hà Nội. 27 mẫu khí được lấy chủ động và phân tích bằng GC/FID. Mô hình đánh giá rủi ro sức khỏe được sử dụng dựa trên liều lượng hấp thụ hàng ngày (CDI) và hệ số ung thư (SF). Benenze, Toluene, Xylene đã được phát hiện tại các hệ thống đỗ xe tầng hầm được khảo sát, loại trừ Ethyl Benenze. Nồng độ trung bình được phát hiện là 16,99 µg/m3, 200,36 µg/m3 and 625,22 µg/m3 đối với B, T và X, tương ứng. Phát thải từ xăng dầu và khí thải động cơ là hai nguồn chính đóng góp vào phát sinh BTEX. Rủi ro không ung thư đối với Toluene và Xylene là thấp do HQ

Introduction There are many variations of scapula morphology. Evaluation of scapula morphology is necessary to elucidate shoulder joint movement. We aimed to analyze the bone morphology of various parts constituting the scapula to identify certain conserved features among them. Materials and methods Thirty-one healthy individuals were the subjects. We created a scapular three-dimensional (3D) model using computed tomography (CT). X and Y axes were set on a glenoid surface. We measured the approximate plane of the upper and lower scapular bodies and scapular spine and the central axis of the coracoid and acromion. The anatomical position of the scapular spine, upper and lower bodies, coracoid, and acromion was measured. The positional relationship between the upper and lower bodies and scapular spine and the coracoid and acromion was evaluated. The average angle of the upper and lower scapular bodies and the scapular spine with respect to the XZ plane was calculated. The average angle of the coracoid and acromion with the X-axis on the XY plane and Z-axis on the YZ plane was calculated. Results On the XY plane, approximate planes of the upper and lower part of the body and the scapular spine were significantly correlated to each inclination. On the XY plane, inclinations of the central axes of the coracoid and acromion were significantly correlated. Conclusions The findings revealed for the first time the correlation between the inclinations of the scapular body and scapular spine and the inclination angle between the coracoid and acromion.

For decades, perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been commonly used for industrial and commercial purposes due to their water- and stain-resistant properties. Persistent pollutants that contain PFAAs have been associated with adverse health effects in humans, and many studies have documented dietary intake, indoor air inhalation, and dermal contact as the potential routes for human exposure to PFAAs. The aim of this study was to assess the level of PFAAs in the serum samples of a general population in a specific region in Malaysia. Using 219 serum samples collected from residents of Klang Valley, Malaysia, the levels of nine PFAAs were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, questionnaire surveys on the dietary habits and lifestyles of the subjects were conducted. The results showed that PFAA concentrations of up to 32.57 ng/mL were detected in all serum samples. In 82.6% of the participants, at least seven PFAAs were detected in the serum samples, with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid being the predominant PFAA (median = 8.79 ng/mL). In the adjusted regression model, the concentrations of most PFAAs were higher in men than in women and positively correlated with age, although body mass index and smoking were not significantly associated with the serum PFAA concentrations. Taking into consideration the lifestyle variables, significant associations were found between nonstick cookware and perfluorononanoic acid, between dental floss and cosmetics and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and between leather sofa and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA). Besides, consumption of beef was significantly associated with increased levels of serum PFUnDA, whereas consumption of lamb and chicken eggs was negatively associated with the serum levels of PFUnDA and PFDA, respectively.