Did Children in Medieval and Post‐medieval Poland Suffer from Scurvy? Examination of the Skeletal Evidence

Late‐medieval and post‐medieval writings report that scurvy was a widespread condition in medieval and early historical Poland. Archaeological and historical data indicate that the diet of children was based on foods poor in vitamin C and contained small amounts of raw plant products. Also, historians emphasise that in medieval and post‐medieval Poland, there were seasonal fluctuations in food availability, frequently accompanied by poor harvests. Both resulted in long periods of poor nutrition, which affected children most severely. The aim of this study was to investigate skeletal manifestations of scurvy in subadult remains from medieval and post‐medieval Poland. Following standards described by Ortner and colleagues, anatomical sites pathognomonic of scurvy in subadults (<17 years) were assessed for abnormal porosity and hypertrophic bone among skeletons excavated from three sites: Ostrów Lednicki (dated to the 11th–14th centuries AD), Cedynia (10th–14th centuries AD) and Słaboszewo (14th–17th centuries AD). In total, 3.6% of all examined children were found to bear traces of vitamin C deficiency. The prevalence of scorbutic lesions was 4.5% for Cedynia, 2.6% for Ostrów Lednicki and 3.6% for Słaboszewo. The majority of affected children were less than 7 years of age. Scurvy was likely more widespread in the living populations than it appears from the calculation of skeletal markers, because some individuals might have recovered or died before obvious traces became apparent. Also, in some children, scurvy might not have reached an advanced stage, identifiable in the skeletal material. The prevalence of scurvy reflects not only dietary patterns but also food storage and preparation techniques adopted in the Polish territories during the Middle Ages, which contributed to low intakes of vitamin C. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neonatal Mortality,Young Calf Slaughter and Milk Production during the Early Neolithic of North Western Mediterranean

The North‐Western Mediterranean witnessed a rapid expansion of farmers and their livestock during the Early Neolithic period. Depending on the region, cattle played a more or less important role in these communities; however how these animals were exploited for their milk is not clear. Here we investigate calf mortality to determine indirectly whether cattle dairying was practised by Early Neolithic stock herders. Age‐at‐death (AtD) frequencies for calves from two sites: Trasano (Italy, Impressa culture: 7–6^th millennium BC) and La Draga (Spain, Cardial culture: 6^th millennium BC) were estimated from dental eruption and development stages, and measurements of un‐fused post‐cranial material. Adult age classes are well represented in the dental AtD frequencies and were interpreted as the result of the slaughter of prime beef and retired lactating females. For calves aged less than 12 months, there was no statistical difference in the AtD frequencies based on dental and post‐cranial material indicating that the data is a good representation of the mortality patterns of calves, either natural or deliberate. At both sites there was a strong mortality peak at 3–6 months in all AtD profiles. At La Draga, this peak was clearly differentiated from a peak at 0–1 month, which can be interpreted neonatal mortality possible a consequence of the birthing season coinciding with the end of winter during more humid climatic conditions that at present. The deliberate slaughter peak around 3–6 months is discussed, and we propose that stock herders controlled the mortality of infant classes, possibly in response to variable external environment pressures while maintaining animal productivity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

公共交通可达性分析方法进展

公共交通可达性拥有空间属性、时间属性、社会属性和经济属性,它是一种衡量区位价值的综合性指标,不仅可以反映城市空间特征,同时对城市中生活的人的社会经济属性和生活习惯,具有一定的解释力。为了不断适应新形势下的交通发展要求,减少环境负担,早日实现低碳绿色发展,创新公交都市规划与分析方法迫在眉睫。本文对基于个人的、基于效用的、基于基础设施的和基于位置的可达性研究进行了回顾,并归纳了七种公共交通可达性的分析方法,分别为：基于缓冲区的公共交通站点可达性、基于供需模型的公共交通面状可达性、基于网络分析法的公共交通网络可达性、基于成本栅格法的公共交通可达性、基于成本栅格与网络分析的集成法的公共交通可达性、基于高性能图形数据库的公共交通高精度可达性、基于开放地图 API 的公共交通高精度可达性。 以期为我国未来公共交通可达性的分析方法提供指引和借鉴。     

Palaeopathological evidence of infectious disease in skeletal populations from later medieval Serbia

Published data on palaeopathology are limited from the area of Serbia. This paper provides evidence for infectious disease in 1617 skeletons from eight Medieval Serbian cemeteries. Two hundred and three individuals were analysed by the first author and data on the remaining skeletons were derived from previous published work. A total of 23 adult individuals, and no non‐adults, had evidence of infectious disease. Historical data on infectious disease at that time are considered, particularly leprosy, treponemal disease, and infections affecting only the soft tissues, such as the plague, dysentery, smallpox and rabies, and the results of the analyses compared, with discussions on the limitations of the study. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

深入学习十六届四中全会《决定》应该研究的几个问题

本认为,深入学习和把握《中共中央关于加强党的执政能力建设的决定》的精神实质,应进一步加强对有关问题的分析和研究：一是对《决定》的重大理论和实践意义要有充分地认识;二是对党的执政能力和执政能力建设理论的科学内涵要有一个全面、准确地把握;三是时《决定》将会带来一系列影响深远的重大变化和对我国未来走向的影响要加以关注和研究。《决定》以与时俱进、勇于创新的理论品格和诸多科学、富于新意的制度构想,引人关注,其贯彻和落实,必将给中国带来一系列影响深远的重大变化。     

沿海生态旅游资源评价的核心问题探讨--以江苏沿海为例

文章从生态旅游的角度出发,从沿海生态旅游资源价值构成分析切入,基于可持续发展的理论构建沿海生态旅游资源价值体系和评价指标。以江苏沿海为例,从哲学、认知论的层面上,分析了沿海生态旅游资源的旅游(审美)、生态(伦理)、经济(功利)价值,从景观生态学、旅游学、心理学、经济学、社会符号学等交叉学科出发探讨了沿海生态旅游资源评价的尺度和过程,最后举例适合沿海生态旅游资源评价的方法,理论联系实际,梳理了评价的主要理论问题。     

Review Article: Nationalisms,National Identities and Nation States: Gendered Perspectives

Books reviewed in this article: Nira Yuval‐Davis, Gender & Nation Lois West (ed.), Feminist Nationalism Rick Wilford and Robert L. Miller (eds.), Women, Ethnicity and Nationalism: The Politics of Transition Cynthia Cockburn, The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict     

我国中西部地区乡村城市化问题与对策探讨——以中西部地区第一个乡村城市化试点县市巩义为例

文章以我国中西部地区第一个国家级乡村城市化试点县市巩义为例,剖析了中西部地区乡村城市化的理论背景、制约因素以及面临的主要问题,并提出了促进乡村城市化的若干对策。