Cranial index in a modern people of Thai ancestry / 대한해부학회지

The present research aims to examine the cranial index in a modern people of Thai ancestry. Ultimately, this study will help to create a databank containing a cranial index for the classifications of the people from Asia. In this study, 185 modern crania of people of supposed Thai ancestry were examined. They were collected from the Department of Anatomy at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The maximum cranial length and breadth were measured using standard anthropometric instruments based on Martin's methods. The cranial index was calculated using the equation ([maximum cranial breadth/maximum cranial length]×100). The mean cranial indices for the male and female skulls examined were 81.81±4.23 and 82.99±4.37, respectively. The most common type of skull in the modern Thai people in this study was the brachycranic type with a frequency of 42.7%, followed by the mesocranic (27.03%) and hyperbrachycranic types (25.59%). The rarest type observed in this study was the dolichocranic type (4.32%). The present study provides valuable data pertaining to the cranial index in a modern Thai population and reveals that modern Thai males and females belong to the brachycranic group. The results of this study will be of forensic anthropological importance to populations in close proximity to the location where the skulls studied here were sourced.

Probable Cases of Scurvy in Subadults Crania from Archaeological Sites, South Korea / 체질인류학회지

In this study, the skeletal abnormalities associated with scurvy in subadults crania from three archaeological skeletal collections (Nukdo, Imdang, Yeanri), South Korea was analyzed to examine the prevalence and distribution of childhood scurvy of ancient Korea. For this, 30 subadults crania from the Nukdo, Imdang, Yeanri site were examined. Using criteria described by Ortner and Ericksen (1997) for identifying scurvy in skeletal material we evaluated the cranial skeleton of the subadults for evidence of abnormal porosity. All skeletal materials were macroscopically evaluated for pathological changes associated with scurvy. In results, lesions indicative of probable scurvy were observed in 22 individuals of 30 individuals. Based on the results, childhood disease relating to nutrition and metabolism in ancient Korea might have been widespread, along with scurvy. The results of the present study will be useful for understanding the health condition of the ancient Korean populations. Future work will add significantly to the larger picture of diet and disease within populations of ancient Korea.

Timing of Surgical Management of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Diagnosed during Pregnancy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the thyroid cancer occurs in every one of 1000 pregnant women, the optimal timing of surgery is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to propose the timing of surgical management of papillary thyroid cancer in pregnant woman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the medical records of papillary thyroid cancer patients diagnosed during pregnancy in our hospital from May 1st, 2013 to April 30th, 2015. We analyzed the changes of radiologic and pathologic findings during prenatal and postpartum period. RESULTS: 17 of 4978 patients were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. 10 of 17 patients enrolled in this study. Each size of thyroid cancer in 1st trimester, in 2nd trimester, in 3rd trimester, and after delivery was 11.30±6.01 mm, 12.74±7.79 mm, 13.82±9.93 mm, and 13.82±8.19 mm, respectively. No patient showed the recurrence or death after surgery. CONCLUSION: There was no statistical significance on the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer during prenatal and postpartum period. The authors propose that the surgical treatment of papillary thyroid cancer diagnosed during pregnancy could be delayed after delivery.

Timing of Surgical Management of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Diagnosed during Pregnancy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the thyroid cancer occurs in every one of 1000 pregnant women, the optimal timing of surgery is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to propose the timing of surgical management of papillary thyroid cancer in pregnant woman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the medical records of papillary thyroid cancer patients diagnosed during pregnancy in our hospital from May 1st, 2013 to April 30th, 2015. We analyzed the changes of radiologic and pathologic findings during prenatal and postpartum period. RESULTS: 17 of 4978 patients were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. 10 of 17 patients enrolled in this study. Each size of thyroid cancer in 1st trimester, in 2nd trimester, in 3rd trimester, and after delivery was 11.30±6.01 mm, 12.74±7.79 mm, 13.82±9.93 mm, and 13.82±8.19 mm, respectively. No patient showed the recurrence or death after surgery. CONCLUSION: There was no statistical significance on the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer during prenatal and postpartum period. The authors propose that the surgical treatment of papillary thyroid cancer diagnosed during pregnancy could be delayed after delivery.

A Study of Bilateral Asymmetry Pattern in the Eye Orbit and Nose of the Joseon Dynasty Skeletal Group Using Geometric Morphometrics / 체질인류학회지

In this study, the pattern of bilateral asymmetry in the eye orbit and nose of the Joseon Dynasty skeletal group was analyzed using geometric morphometrics. For this, 38 adult males and 38 adult females from the Joseon Dynasty skeletal group belonging to the 15(th) to early 20(th) centuries were examined. For geometric morphometric analysis, Procrustes superimposition was performed on 10 landmarks in both eye orbits and 7 nasal landmarks. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance with partial least square scores. In results, the lateral landmarks had more impact on the bilateral asymmetry in the eye orbit and nose than the center landmarks. The eye orbit and nose on the right side of the face seemed bigger than those of the left side, while the direction of asymmetry in the eye orbit and nose was different. The correlation between asymmetry patterns in the eye orbit and nose were statistically significant (p<0.01). The results of this study will be useful for examining causes of bilateral asymmetry in the eye orbits and noses of the Korean population.

Dental Pathologies in the Three Kingdoms Period Population from Imdang Site, Gyeongsan, Korea / 체질인류학회지

Dental pathology has the potential to provide insight into the interpretation of the health and life style of past population. In particular, dental pathologies are strongly correlated to subsistence pattern, diet habits and food-preparation techniques. For this reason, my studies have focused on analyses of dental diseases (e.g., caries, abscesses, ante-mortem tooth loss, enamel hypoplasia, dental attrition, and periodontal diseases). The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of dental pathologies of the Imdang population dating to between A.D. 3rd and A.D. 7th centuries (Three Kingdoms Period). In this study, through a macroscopic observation of dental remains from 138 individuals of the Imdang site, the prevalence of caries, abscess and ante-mortem tooth loss was examined. The association between sex, age and the frequencies of pathology was analyzed by the Chi-square tests. The results showed that the frequency of dental pathologies was consistently low level in Imdang population. Caries prevalence in the Imdang population was higher in females (6.15%) that in males (4.89). Among dental pathologies, abscess prevalence (0.7%) was lowest in Imdang population. Meanwhile, AMTL prevalence was 10.81% in males and 3.8% in females. There is a statistically significant difference between the anterior teeth of males and females (p<0.05). This study revealed that the rate of dental caries, abscess and AMTL in the Three Kingdoms Period population was relatively low level. This study is the first report of the patterns of dental pathologies in the Three Kingdoms Period population. It is necessary to investigate more number of pathologic markers that needed for deeper understanding of the multi-faceted nature of dental pathologies of ancient populations.

The Study of Cranial Shape Variation in a Population from Joseon Dynasty using Geometric Morphometrics / 체질인류학회지

Traditional morphometrics uses ratios between measured values such as the cranial index and the upper facial index. However, with these ratios alone, it is impossible to represent the shape of the entire cranium in a three-dimensional space because ratio does not express coordinate data. This methodological limitation of traditional morphometrics makes it difficult to evaluate relations between cranial parts. However, it is important to assess relations between cranial parts because cranial parts change their shapes in an integrated way. Therefore, this study adopted geometric morphometrics to overcome the limitations of traditional morphometrics and provide a more enhanced visual analysis of the cranial shape. Using geometric morphometrics, this study focused on variations of cranial shapes in a population from Joseon Dynasty to obtain their specific characteristics. This study investigated variations of cranial shapes in 57 individuals from Seoul Gyeonggi province who lived in the 15th to the early 20th centuries. The coordinates of the crania were collected by MicroScribe G2X (Immersion Corporation, USA) and statistically analyzed using principal component analysis. The results showed that the variations in cranial shapes of females were reflected mostly in width, length of cranium, position of bregma, shape of posterior part of cranium, and length of facial bone. The cranial shapes of the males varied mostly in length, width, height of cranium, size of mastoid process, and length of facial bones. The cranial length became shorter when the cranial width became broader in both sexes. However, cranial height and facial length showed different variations between the two sexes. In addition, the variation in females only showed evidence of static allometry. The results of this research provide basic information about cranial shapes in a population from Joseon Dynasty and will be useful in future studies such as analysis on between-group differences. By identifying within-group variations first, researchers focusing on between-group differences will likely avoid erroneous conclusions.

Biomechanical Properties of Femoral Diaphyseal Cross-sectional Shape from the Eunpyeong Population / 체질인류학회지

Long bone diaphyseal cross-sectional shape as a primary measure of biomechanical loading has attracted much attention in physical anthropology. Especially, lower limb bones have been widely used to reconstruct the mobility pattern of the past population. In this research, the cross-sectional size of the femoral shaft was investigated for the human skeletal remains excavated from the Eunpyeong site, dating the period spanning from the mid-15th to the early 20th centuries. The purpose of this research is to examine and report the biomechanical characteristics of the past populations living during Joseon Dynasty period. The results showed that Eunpyeong population was grouped into the 'platymeric category (i.e., platymeric index below 84.9). Females were more platymeric (i.e., more laterally flattened) than males and the sexual dimorphism was statistically significant. In addition, the samples of Eunpyeong site showed a relatively lower pilasteric index (i.e., more round) compared to the populations reported in other studies. The results of this research provide an insight to shed light on the ecological environments, subsistence strategies, and life styles of the past populations. Yet, for more detailed interpretation, it appears necessary to take into account other types of indicators for biomechanical stresses and accumulate more archaeological evidences.