http://hdl.handle.net/11089/48148 2026-04-05T21:04:29Z 2026-04-05T21:04:29Z Lisowska-Gaczorek, Aleksandra Cienkosz-Stepańczak, Beata Furmanek, Mirosław Szostek, Krzysztof http://hdl.handle.net/11089/48156 2023-10-25T01:29:46Z 2023-10-10T00:00:00Z

A new perspectives on breastfeeding practice reconstruction in bioarchaeology – an oxygen isotopes study in an animal model Lisowska-Gaczorek, Aleksandra; Cienkosz-Stepańczak, Beata; Furmanek, Mirosław; Szostek, Krzysztof Research using stable isotopes for the reconstruction of breastfeeding strategies are based on assumptions that have not yet been verified by experimental studies. Interpreting the results of isotope analysis is associated with a certain degree of uncertainty, mainly due to the lack of information on how isotopes are distributed in mothers, breast-fed and weaned offspring. Culinary practices also can affect the interpretation of isotope results.Considering positive correlation between oxygen isotope composition of drinking water and bone phosphates, experimental studies were carried out using rats as an animal model. The experiment showed that apatites of breast-fed offspring were enriched 1.6‰ in comparison to the values observed in their mothers. In the boiled water model, the difference was 1.8‰. On the basis of the animal model, it was estimated that the difference in 18O between mother and child in the human species may amount to approximately 2.7‰, and long-term intake of boiled liquid food and beverages will not compensate the difference.The experiment allowed observation of the effect of changes in isotope ratios to a change in trophic levels during breastfeeding and weaning, as well as the additional effect associated with the consumption of isotope enriched water during thermal treatment.

2023-10-10T00:00:00Z Khanra, Pikli Chakraborty, Raja Bose, Kaushik http://hdl.handle.net/11089/48155 2023-10-25T01:29:36Z 2023-10-06T00:00:00Z

Factors affecting stunting among 3–12 years old girls of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India Khanra, Pikli; Chakraborty, Raja; Bose, Kaushik Stunting is the impaired growth and development in children caused due to poor nutrition, recurrent infections and lack of psychosocial stimulus. Because stunting affects physical development and inhibits the child from attaining his full cognitive development as an adult, children may never regain the height lost due to stunting. Stunting (Low height-for-age) in infants and young children is a simple, wellknown indicator of undernutrition. The current study sought to determine the effects of socio-economic and demographic factors on the frequency of stunting among Bengalee girls. The study was carried out in the Deshopran block and Haldia municipality area (West Bengal, India). The total number of participants included in the study was 530 Bengalee girls. 53.39% (283) of study participants were urban residents while 46.61% (247) were rural residents. Stunted growth in children was defined as the height for a given age in children less than two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards. The prevalence of stunting among girls in our study was 11.13%. The predictor variables with substantial associations with stunting in the binary logistic regression (BLR) analyses were further used in the multiple binary logistic regression (MBLR) analyses. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to calculate the stunting risk. Results showed that the risk of stunting was significantly associated with low birth weight, presence of younger brothers, a large number of family members and place of delivery. Improving maternal and child access to nutrient-rich food, decreasing infectious disease, and promoting women empowerment initiatives are the main recommendations for resolving the issue.

2023-10-06T00:00:00Z Mikulec, Artur Rosset, Iwona Żądzińska, Elżbieta http://hdl.handle.net/11089/48154 2023-10-25T01:29:31Z 2023-10-06T00:00:00Z

Economic stress affects the human sex ratio: A retest of the Trivers–Willard hypothesis in Poland Mikulec, Artur; Rosset, Iwona; Żądzińska, Elżbieta This paper contributes to the verification of the Trivers–Willard hypothesis (TWH). Based on the TWH, observed sex (male-to-female) ratio at birth in a population is presumed to decline when parents experience economic stress. The empirical evidence so far is mixed.The research material consisted of data on the total numbers of live male and female births in the Polish population in the years 1995–2020. The data were used to produce semiannual time series for secondary sex ratio (SSR), and the sex ratio at birth (SRB). The variable describing the economic stress of households was percentage change in private consumption. The statistical method proposed by Catalano and Bruckner – expanded to include additional statistical analyses – was applied to retest the economic stress hypothesis. The analysis led to complementary ARMAX models, explaining SSR or SRB variance based on autoregression and the moving average process, as well as private consumption. The results indicate that periods of decreasing consumption favored mothers having daughters, while periods of increasing consumption favored mothers having sons. The number of “additional” male births resulting from improved economic conditions was calculated for the period of study. Consequently, the economic factor was shown to have a positive effect on the human sex ratio. At the same time, it should be noted that SSR and SRB reaction lags to consumption changes were different for Łódzkie Province (one year) and for Poland (two years).The obtained results led to the “correct” verification of the Trivers–Willard hypothesis (TWH): economic stress affected the SSR and SRB in Poland. Both SSR and SRB were useful in analyzing economic stress (a dual solution). The use of a greater density of data points was shown to improve analysis effects and increase the likelihood of a “positive” verification of the economic stress hypothesis.

2023-10-06T00:00:00Z Nowaczewska, Wioletta Górka, Katarzyna Cieślik, Agata Patyk, Mateusz Zaleska-Dorobisz, Urszula http://hdl.handle.net/11089/48153 2023-10-25T01:29:38Z 2023-09-26T00:00:00Z

The assessment of the relationship between the traits of temporal muscle and the massiveness of the supraorbital region of the Homo sapiens crania including the influence of the neurocranial shape and size of the occlusal surface of the upper molars – preliminary study Nowaczewska, Wioletta; Górka, Katarzyna; Cieślik, Agata; Patyk, Mateusz; Zaleska-Dorobisz, Urszula The knowledge about the pattern of the relationship between the morphological variability of the supraorbital region of human skulls and the features of the temporal muscle is far from complete. The main aim of this study was to determine the relationships between the traits of human temporal muscle (i.e., its relative height and length) and the relative massiveness of the supraorbital region of the frontal bone with taking into account the potential influence of the neurocranial shape and the relative area of the occlusal surface of the upper molars.Skulls of African and Australian males (n = 44) exhibiting high variability in the massiveness of the supraorbital region, the presence of two types of the upper molars (first and second, n = 88) and a good state of the preservation of the braincase with the clearly visible inferior temporal line were examined.The qualitative scales were used to assess the degrees of the massiveness of the supraorbital regions. Metric traits of temporal muscle and that used to calculate the index of the neurocranial shape, size of the braincase and the facial skeleton were collected. Values of the occlusal areas of the molars were obtained using the ImageJ software.Spearman’s rank correlation and partial rank correlation analyses were performed.The results of our study showed the relationships between the traits of the temporal muscle and only the degree of the robusticity of most lateral part of the supraorbital area (trigonum). However, when the influences of the neurocranial shape and the relative occlusal area of molars were excluded, these relationships disappeared. The greatest importance of the neurocranial shape for the formation of the morphology of the trigonum was indicated. The results of the study were discussed from the perspective of the potential role of the temporal muscle as the part of the mastication apparatus for the development of the robusticity of the cranial supraorbital region.

2023-09-26T00:00:00Z