Abstract knowledge in the broken-string problem: evidence from nonhuman primates and pre-schoolers.

There is still large controversy about whether abstract knowledge of physical problems is uniquely human. We presented 9 capuchin monkeys, 6 bonobos, 6 chimpanzees and 48 children with two versions of a broken-string problem. In the standard condition, participants had to choose between an intact and a broken string as means to a reward.

Guideline recommendations for heart complications in thalassemia major.

Thalassemia major is an inherited hemoglobin disorder resulting in a chronic hemolytic anemia. Transfusion therapy together with elevated gastrointestinal absorption of iron determines iron overload, which causes most of the mortality and morbidity associated with the disease. Heart complications represent the leading cause of mortality in this disease, although, because of an improvement in chelation treatment, an important and progressive increase of life expectancy mainly as a result of a reduction in mortality due to cardiac dysfunction has been demonstrated in recent years.