An Analysis of Natural Factors Affecting the Dispersal and Establishment of Iron Age III (800-550 B.C)Settlements in the Western Zayandeh- Rud River Basin (West and Northwest of Isfahan)

Humans are always effect to their surroundings,which makes it possible to create habitable environments and create habitat patterns that fit the surrounding environment.The interaction between human being and environment either in the form of human effect on the environment or the environment effect on the human,cannot be considered out of the environment.According to this approach in archaeology,environmental factors have an important role in assessing settlements in each period.In addition to the recognition of the degree of environmental impact,this approach makes the degree of adaptation of the habitats with the dominant environmental conditions possible.As geospatial tools become more powerful,GIS archaeology has evolved as well,making it possible to visualize ancient settlements and analyze changes in the use of space over time.By incorporating historic map data,physical details of an area’s landscape and known information about past inhabitants,archaeologists can accurately predict the positions of sites with cultural,historical relevance.In this research Iron Age III(800-550 B.C)sites in the west and northwest of Isfahan were studied via GIS.The area studied is one of the most important but unknown areas of archaeological research due to its location in the center of the Iranian plateau and a link between the north-west and the south-west of the country.The environmental characteristics of the studied area have attracted the attention of humans since ancient times.Therefore,it was considered necessary to conduct archaeological excavations.To achieve this goal,the area was first studied archaeologically.As a result of this survey,approximately 50 ancient sites were identified which included the statistical population used for analysis.The effect of environmental variables including altitude,slope(percentage and direction),climate,geological structure,distances and proximity to water resources,land use and proximity to communication paths on the distribution of settlements in the study area was investigated.Through analytical-descriptive method,the factors affecting the formation and distribution of the establishment patterns of the period in question were examind.After analyzing the information and maps,the results indicated that among all the factors,three environmental factors were the most important in the formation of ancient settlements of the Iron Age III era in the west and northwest of Isfahan:factors relating to water resources,proximity to communication paths,and slope percentage and direction.

A synthesis of iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan,NW China

The northern Xinjiang region is one of the most significant iron metallogenic provinces in China.Iron deposits are found mainly within three regions:the Altay,western Tianshan,and eastern Tianshan orogenic belts.Previous studies have elaborated on the genesis of Fe deposits in the Altay orogenic belt and western Tianshan.However,the geological characteristics and mineralization history of iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan are still poorly understood.In this paper I describe the geological characteristics of iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan,and discuss their genetic types as well as metallogenic-tectonic settings,Iron deposits are preferentially distributed in central and southern parts of the eastern Tianshan.The known iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan show characteristics of magmatic Fe-Ti-V(e.g.,Weiya and Niumaoquan),sedimentary-metamorphic type(e.g.,Tianhu),and iron skarn(e.g.,Hongyuntan).In addition to the abovementioned iron deposits,many iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan are hosted in submarine volcanic rocks with well-developed skarn mineral assemblages.Their geological characteristics and magnetite compositions suggest that they may belong to distal skarns.SIMS zircon U-Pb analyses suggest that the Fe-Ti oxide ores from Niumaoquan and Weiya deposits were formed at 307.7±1.3 Ma and 242.7±1.9 Ma,respectively.Combined with available isotopic age data,the timing of Fe mineralization in the eastern Tianshan can be divided into four broad intervals:Early Ordovician-Early Silurian(476-438 Ma),Carboniferous(335-303 Ma),Early Permian(295-282 Ma),and Triassic(ca.243 Ma).Each of these episodes corresponds to a period of subduction,post-collision,and intraplate tectonics during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic time.

Serum ferritin and the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer(EO-CRC)is rising in the United States,and is often diagnosed at advanced stages.Low serum ferritin is often incidentally discovered in young adults,however,the indication for endoscopy in EO-CRC is unclear.AIM To compare serum ferritin between patients with EO-CRC and healthy controls(HCs),and examine the association of serum ferritin in EO-CRC with patient-and disease-specific characteristics.METHODS A retrospective study of patients<50 years with newly-diagnosed EO-CRC was conducted from 1/2013-12/2023.Patients were included if serum ferritin was measured within 2 years prior to 1 year following CRC histologic diagnosis.To supplement the analysis,a cohort of HCs meeting similar inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified for comparison.A sensitivity analysis including only patients with serum ferritin obtained at or before diagnosis was separately performed to minimize risk of confounding.RESULTS Among 85 patients identified with EO-CRC(48 females),the median serum ferritin level was 26 ng/mL(range<1-2759 ng/mL).Compared to HCs(n=80211),there were a higher proportion of individuals with EO-CRC with serum ferritin<20 ng/mL(female 65%,male 40%)versus HCs(female 32.1%,male 7.2%)age 29-39 years(P=0.002 and P<0.00001,respectively).Stage IV disease was associated with significantly higher serum ferritin compared to less advanced stages(P<0.001).Serum ferritin obtained before or at the time of diagnosis was lower than levels obtained after diagnosis.Similar findings were confirmed in the sensitivity analysis.CONCLUSION Severe iron deficiency may indicate an increased risk of EO-CRC,particularly at earlier stages.Further studies defining the optimal serum ferritin threshold and routine incorporation of serum ferritin in screening algorithms is essential to develop more effective screening strategies for EO-CRC.

Association between iron deficiency and prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity in pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing age: a cross-sectional study

Background: Thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) is prevalent among women of reproductive age and associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association between iron nutritional status and the prevalence of TAI in women during the first trimester of pregnancy and in non-pregnant women of childbearing age. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 7463 pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy and 2185 non-pregnant women of childbearing age nested within the sub-clinical hypothyroid in early pregnancy study, a prospective collection of pregnant and non-pregnant women’s data, was conducted in Liaoning province of China between 2012 and 2015. Serum thyrotropin, free thyroxine, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAbs), thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAbs), serum ferritin, and urinary iodine were measured. Iron deficiency (ID) was defined as serum ferritin <15 μg/L and iron overload (IO) was defined as ferritin >150 μg/L. TPOAb-positive was defined as >34 U/mL and TgAb-positive was defined as >115 U/mL. Multilevel logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between TAI and different iron nutritional status after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: The prevalence of isolated TPOAb-positive was markedly higher in women with ID than those without ID, in both pregnant and non-pregnant women (6.28% vs. 3.23%,χ^2 = 10.264, P = 0.002;6.25% vs. 3.70%,χ^2 = 3,791, P = 0.044;respectively). After adjusting for confounders and the cluster effect of hospitals, ID remained associated with TPOAb-positive in pregnant and non-pregnant women (odds ratio [OR]: 2.111, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.241–3.591, P = 0.006;and OR: 1.822, 95% CI: 1.011–3.282, P = 0.046, respectively). Conclusion: ID was associated with a higher prevalence of isolated TPOAbs-positive, but not with isolated TgAb-positive, in both pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy and non-pregnant women of childbearing age, while IO was not associated with either isolated TPOAb-positive or isolated TgAb-positive.

Late Mesozoic Ore-forming Events in the Ningwu Ore District, Middle-Lower Yangtze River Polymetallic Ore Belt, East China: Evidence from Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Hf Isotopic Compositions of the Granodioritic Stocks

Late Mesozoic volcanic-subvolcanic rocks and related iron deposits, known as porphyry iron deposits in China, are widespread in the Ningwu ore district （Cretaceous basin） of the middle-lower Yangtze River polymetallic ore belt, East China. Two types of Late Mesozoic magmatic rocks are exposed： one is dioritic rocks closely related to iron mineralization as the hosted rock, and the other one is granodioritic （-granitic） rocks that cut the ore bodies. To understand the age of the iron mineralization and the ore-forming event, detailed zircon U-Pb dating and Hf isotope measurement were performed on granodioritic stocks in the Washan, Gaocun-Nanshan, Dongshan and Heshangqiao iron deposits in the basin. Four emplacement and crystallization （typically for zircons） ages of granodioritic rocks were measured as 126.1±0.5 Ma, 126.8±0.5 Ma, 127.3±0.5 Ma and 126.3±0.4 Ma, respectively in these four deposits, with the LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb method. Based on the above results combined with previous dating, it is inferred that the iron deposits in the Ningwu Cretaceous basin occurred in a very short period of 131-127 Ma. In situ zircon Hf compositions of εHf（t） of the granodiorite are mainly from -3 to -8 and their corresponding 176Hf/177Hf ratio are from 0.28245 to 0.28265, indicating similar characteristics of dioritic rocks in the basin. We infer that granodioritic rocks occurring in the Ningwu ore district have an original relationship with dioritic rocks. These new results provide significant evidence for further study of this ore district so as to understand the ore-forming event in the study area.

Traces of Metallurgy at the Site of Losino 15, Compared with Other Finds Related to Ancient Metallurgy

The eponymous site is located in the territory of Poland--the northern part of the central section of the Stupia river, about 30 km from the coast of the Baltic sea. The site of Losino 15 revealed some traces of a settlement of the Pomeranian and the Wielbark cultures. The most interesting features discovered at the study site are the remains of bloomery furnaces. The site of Losino 15 yielded 10 features interpreted as relics of the bloomery shaft furnace with a pit. They were characterized by a high degree of deterioration-due to the agronomic activities and slope processes, only the bottom part of the slag-pit have been preserved. These are the remains of shaft furnaces with a pit called slag-pit fumace, whose relics are slag-pits filled with slag. The site of Losino 15 yielded slag with a total weight of about 100 kg. Two alternative and temporarily equivalent hypotheses can be proposed here. According to the former one, the creators of the bloomery were representatives of the Pomeranian culture, and in the latter version--they represented the Wielbark culture.

Petrogenesis of the Chagangnuoer deposit,NW China:a general model for submarine volcanic-hosted skarn iron deposits

The Chagangnuoer deposit is a typical submarine volcanic rock-hosted skarn iron deposit, where orebodies mainly occur in andesitic rocks of the Dahalajunshan Formation （DF） with skams well developed around orebodies. The volcanic rocks of the DF in the Chagangnuoer deposit display calc-alkaline characteristics. The ore-bearing andesitic rocks have high ^87Sr/^86Sr（i） （0.7058-0.7117） and low εNd（t） （-3.51 to 1.67）. They probably formed through mixing of basaltic melts and the induced crustal melts. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages of 250 and 305 Ma are obtained for the granite and granodiorite in the Chagangnuoer deposit, respectively, which are signifi- cantly younger than the timing of the skarn formation （316 Ma）. These age data indicate that the granitoids have no contribution to the skarn and associated iron mineralization. This paper proposes a new genetic model for submarine volcanic rock-hosted skam iron deposits, in which the iron mineralization, skarn formation and volcanic magmatism are necessary aspects of the same system; the iron separates and concentrates from the silicate magma in the form of Fe（II） carbonate complex. While this conceptual model is largely based on observations on the Chagangnuoer deposit, it may have general significance for skam-type iron deposits associated with submarine volcanic rock sequences and warrants further testing and improvement.

Multi-frequency satellite radar imaging of cultural heritage:the case studies of the Yumen Frontier Pass and Niya ruins in the Western Regions of the Silk Road Corridor

Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)remote sensing is increasingly favoured in archaeological applications.However,the effectiveness of this technology for archaeological prospection has so far not been fully assessed.In this study,an integrated single-date and multi-temporal SAR data-processing chain was proposed to sharpen archaeological signs and hence their detection and monitoring.In total,14 scenes of X-band Cosmo-SkyMed,C-band Sentinel-1 and L-band PALSAR data covering the Western Regions of the Silk Road Corridor in China were employed for two important archaeological sites including the Yumen Frontier Pass with emerging archaeological traces and Niya ruins with subsurface remains.The results pointed out that single-date satellite radar data were useful for the identification of subsurface traces buried under desert in the landscape-scale,whereas for the identification of emerging monuments,Sentinel-1 was limited by its lower spatial resolution compared to TerraSAR and PALSAR data.Multi-date products,such as interferometric coherence,the averaged radar signatures and RGB multi-temporal composites,were effective to sharpen archaeological traces as well as for change detection in Yumen Frontier Pass.This study presents a pilot assessment of satellite SAR data for the analysis and monitoring of archaeological features in the predominantly arid-sandy environmental characteristic of investigated sites.

Association between gestational anemia in different trimesters and neonatal outcomes:a retrospective longitudinal cohort study

Background Previous studies investigated the association between gestational anemia and neonatal outcomes.However,few studies explored whether the effects of gestational anemia could be eliminated by subsequent correction of anemia in the later stages of pregnancy.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anemia in different trimesters and neonatal outcomes.Methods The study was conducted in Shanghai,China,with a sample of 46,578 pregnant women who delivered between January 1,2016 and July 1,2019.A multivariable logistic regression model was adopted to analyse the associations between maternal anemia and neonatal outcomes.Results The incidence of gestational anemia was 30.2%,including 4.4%in the first trimester,9.6%in the second trimester,and 16.2%in the third trimester.Only 24.5%(507/2066)of anemia that occurred in the first trimester and 29.6%(1320/4457)that occurred in the second trimester could be corrected in the later stages of pregnancy.Anemia occurring in the first trimester was associated with small for gestational age[odds ratio(OR)1.46;95%confidence interval(CI)1.20-1.78]and with fetal distress(OR 1.23;95%CI 1.08-1.40).Anemia corrected in the first trimester also was associated with a higher risk of small for gestational age.Conclusions Gestational anemia is a public health problem in China impacting neonatal health.Anemia in pregnancy could be corrected in only about a quarter of the women.Anemia in the first trimester,whether corrected or not,still led to lower birth weight;therefore,the prevention of anemia prior to pregnancy is important.

Dispersal of crop-livestock and geographical-temporal variation of subsistence along the Steppe and Silk Roads across Eurasia in prehistory

The innovations of agricultural production and their extensive dispersal promoted the transformation of human livelihoods and profoundly influenced the evolution of human-land relationships in late prehistoric Eurasia.The Steppe and Silk Roads(SSRs)played important roles in the transcontinental exchange and dispersal of cereal crops and livestock related to agricultural innovation across Eurasia before the Han Dynasty(202 BC to AD 220),while the geographical-temporal variations in prehistoric subsistence in relation to the spread and exchange of cereal crops and livestock originating from different areas of Eurasia still remain unclear.In this paper,we explore these issues based on the review and analysis of published archaeobotanical,zooarchaeological,and carbon-stable isotope data from human bones from Neolithic-Early Iron Age sites in areas along the SSRs,with a comparison to updated results based on radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA analyses.Our results suggest that humans engaged in hunting game,while foxtail/broomcorn millet cultivation gradually became the primary subsistence strategy in Eastern SSRs from 10,500 to 6000 a BP.In contemporaneous Western SSRs,humans mainly cultivated wheat/barley and raised sheep/goats,cattle,and pigs.Trans-Eurasian exchange,which is reflected by the mixed utilization of wheat/barley and millet,emerged in the south-central Steppe during 6000–4000 a BP,while millet cultivation and pig husbandry became the dominant livelihoods in most areas of Eastern SSRs.During 4000–2200 a BP,Silk Roads became the major passageway for trans-Eurasian exchange,the interactive development of oasis agriculture and pastoralism facilitated intensive human settlement in the Central Silk Roads,and subsistence strategies substantially changed with significant geographical differences in Eastern SSRs,while subsistence in some areas of Western SSRs was evidently affected by the introduction and adoption of millet crops after 3000 a BP.The geographical-temporal variations in subsistence in the SSRs from the Neolithic to Early Iron Age were primarily affected by the prehistoric dispersal of farming groups across Eurasia,which was accompanied by the spread of cereal crops/livestock,while the impacts of climate change still need to be further evaluated.