INTRODUCTION The Church of San Colombano in Bobbio, Italy, represents one of the most important centers of early medieval monasticism in Europe and offers a valuable context for bioarchaeological research. Among the most significant discoveries is Tomb 1, a deep, multi-use burial chamber containing commingled remains of numerous individuals. The assemblage provides an opportunity to investigate health conditions and lived experiences within a medieval monastic community. STUDY AIM This study aims to investigate external rib lesions in adult individuals interred in Tomb 1, with particular attention to pathological alterations potentially related to respiratory disease, trauma, or nonspecific inflammatory processes, while also reconstructing aspects of the individuals’ biological profiles. MATERIALS AND METHODS Anthropological analysis was conducted on the osteological remains recovered, comprising a minimum of 11 adults. Standard methods were applied for sex and age-at-death estimation, while rib preservation and fragmentation were assessed following established protocols. Macroscopic paleopathological examination focused on ribs, with detailed photographic documentation used to record surface alterations, new bone formation, and degenerative changes. RESULTS Five adult individuals preserved rib fragments suitable for pathological assessment. Observed lesions include periosteal new bone formation, microporosity, striations, widened costal grooves, and degenerative changes at articular facets. Notably, most alterations affect the ventral rib surface, while visceral involvement is limited and focal. Vertebral remains show degenerative changes but no clear evidence of infectious destruction. CONCLUSIONS The predominance of external rib surface lesions, combined with the absence of osteolytic changes, suggests that healed trauma, mechanical stress, or chronic nonspecific periosteal reactions are more likely than classic pleuro-pulmonary infections such as tuberculosis. Although definitive diagnoses are precluded by fragmentation and commingling, the Bobbio assemblage highlights the interpretative complexity of rib pathology and underscores the importance of cautious, contextualized approaches in paleopathological research on medieval populations.
INTRODUCTION Body height, body mass, and BMI are key indicators of physical development, reflecting the combined effects of genetic potential and environmental conditions. Secular changes in these traits are particularly pronounced in populations undergoing socio-economic transformation, including rural regions. Eastern Poland remains one of the economically weakest regions of the European Union, which may influence the somatic development of children and adolescents. STUDY AIM This study examined long-term secular changes in body height, body mass, and BMI among rural boys aged 7–15 years from eastern Poland between 1986 and 2021. MATERIAL AND METHODS The sample comprised 14,685 boys from five cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1986, 1996, 2006, 2016, and 2021, with sample size increasing from 1,259 to 5,599. Measurements were performed using standardized anthropometric procedures, and BMI categories were defined using Cole’s international cut-off points. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA with Games–Howell post hoc tests, linear regression, and chi-square tests for BMI categories. RESULTS Significant increases were observed in all traits. Between 1986 and 2021, mean body height increased by 7.85 cm, with the largest gains among 13-, 9-, and 14-year-olds. Mean body mass rose by 5.83 kg, particularly in 14- and 15-year-olds. BMI increased by 1.21 kg/m², with the greatest changes occurring in older boys. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased consistently across all age groups, with a marked acceleration between 2016 and 2021, while the prevalence of underweight declined slightly over the long term. Regression models confirmed systematic upward trends in all somatic traits. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that although linear growth continues, the pattern of development is increasingly characterized by rising body mass and BMI, reflecting a shift toward a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. This trend highlights the need for targeted public health monitoring and early preventive strategies in rural populations.
Background The atlas (C1) vertebra joins the cervical column to the cranial base and differs anatomically from other cervical vertebrae. Skeletal analysis may provide the only way to assess biological sex and age in poorly preserved and decomposed remains to estimate their biological profile. It is thus essential that methods are devised that allow such estimates from a wide range of bones. Aim This study applies Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to evaluate whether the C1 vertebrae can be used in estimating age and sex. Materials and Methods CBCT of 61 male and 61 female subjects from South India with an age range of 20-60 years were included in the study, and C1 vertebrae were measured using axial and coronal sections. Data were analysed to gen¬erate an equation to predict age according to independent variables using linear regression, while discrimi¬nant analysis was used to derive an equation that classifies the values into either biological sex. Results Male subjects showed higher maximum anteroposterior diameter, maximum transverse diameter, and the distance between the base of the skull and the anterior tubercle than females (p=0.001). The highest standard error for males was observed in the maximum anteroposterior diameter. The base of the skull to the anterior tubercle had the highest standard error among female subjects. The base of skull to posteriori tubercle had the lowest standard error for males, while the angulation from the transverse to the anterior tubercle had the least standard error for females. The accuracy of sex classification was 89.3%. How¬ever, parameters did not demonstrate sufficient reliability for age estimation. Conclusion The presented parameters may be used for sex determination in forensic identification and other medico-legal practices. In contrast, these parameters are not reliable for age estimation in our sample.
Introduction and Study Aim The aim of the study is to assess the magnitude of changes in sexual dimorphism with respect to selected morphological traits and the results of physical fitness tests between the ages of 8 and 50. Material and Methods The data come from the Kraków Longitudinal Growth Study and pertain to the somatic development and physical fitness of individuals born in 1970 and 1972, conducted in Kraków from 1976 and 1980 up to 2022. The Mollison Index was used to calculate sexual dimorphism. Results The females were shorter, lighter and thinner than the males in all analysed age groups, and differed only with regard to body height in the 13-year-olds. They were characterised by lower stronger hand strength and lower limb explosiveness throughout the analysed period. With the exception of 8-year-olds, the females had smaller arm circumference, shoulder width and thigh circumference than the males at ages 32 and 50, and at age 17, the girls demonstrated larger thigh circumference. Up until adolescence, the girls had greater body fat under the scapula, on the triceps and in the abdomen compared to the boys. However, in both 32–34- and 50-year-olds, the men exhibited greater body fat under the scapula and in the abdomen. Conclusions A high degree of sexual dimorphism occurs during developmental age – at the end of the adolescence period, especially for fat folds on the triceps and abdomen. Greater dimorphism is observed later, in early adulthood, i.e., at the age of 32–34 years, in terms of height and body weight, as well as body mass index, circumferences – of the arm and thigh, shoulder width, and performance test results. In adulthood (around the age of 50), a noticeable decrease in the degree of sexual dimorphism is observed, which results from the nature of involutional changes.
Introduction Dementia incidence is rising worldwide, driven largely by population ageing and demographic transition. Although dietary factors have been proposed as modifiable contributors, the role of dairy consumption remains unclear, with inconsistent findings across regions, populations, and product types. Study aim This study examined whether total dairy supply independently predicts dementia incidence at the population level after accounting for key demographic and socioeconomic indicators. Materials and methods A global ecological analysis was conducted using data from 204 countries. Variables included dairy supply, dementia incidence (total, male, and female), ageing, gross domestic product adjusted for purchasing power parity (GDP PPP), Biological State Index, and urbanisation. Statistical analyses included Pearson and Spearman correlations, partial correlations, principal component analysis, and multivariable linear regression. Enter models were treated as the primary analyses, while stepwise regression was used as an exploratory model-reduction approach. Results Dairy supply showed significant positive correlations with total dementia incidence (r = 0.54, p < 0.001) and with both male and female dementia incidence (r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Ageing showed the strongest associations across all outcomes (r = 0.73–0.78). In the primary multivariable models, ageing remained the strongest independent predictor of total, male, and female dementia incidence. After adjustment, dairy supply remained an independent predictor, with modest effect sizes for total (β = 0.209, p < 0.001), male (β = 0.190, p = 0.001), and female (β = 0.223, p < 0.001) dementia incidence. Urbanisation and genetic vulnerability were associated with dementia incidence at the bivariate level but were not independent predictors in the adjusted models. Exploratory stepwise analyses showed a similar pattern. Conclusions Ageing remained the strongest global predictor of dementia incidence, while dairy supply showed an additional independent association. These findings suggest that nutritional transitions may interact with demographic ageing to shape global dementia patterns worldwide.
