Prelinguistic evolution in early hominins: whence motherese?

In order to formulate hypotheses about the evolutionary underpinnings that preceded the first glimmerings of language, mother-infant gestural and vocal interactions are compared in chimpanzees and humans and used to model those of early hominins. These data, along with paleoanthropological evidence, suggest that prelinguistic vocal substrates for protolanguage that had prosodic features similar to contemporary motherese evolved as the trend for enlarging brains in late australopithecines/early Homo progressively increased the difficulty of parturition, thus causing a selective shift toward females that gave birth to relatively undeveloped neonates. It is hypothesized that hominin mothers adopted new foraging strategies that entailed maternal silencing, reassuring, and controlling of the behaviors of physically removed infants (i.

The brain of LB1, Homo floresiensis.

The brain of Homo floresiensis was assessed by comparing a virtual endocast from the type specimen (LB1) with endocasts from great apes, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens, a human pygmy, a human microcephalic, specimen number Sts 5 (Australopithecus africanus), and specimen number WT 17000 (Paranthropus aethiopicus). Morphometric, allometric, and shape data indicate that LB1 is not a microcephalic or pygmy. LB1's brain/body size ratio scales like that of an australopithecine, but its endocast shape resembles that of Homo erectus.

Early pliocene hominid tooth from Galili, Somali Region, Ethiopia.

A fossil hominid tooth was discovered during survey at Galili, Somali region, Ethiopia. The geological and faunal context indicate an Early Pliocene age. The specimen (GLL 33) consists of an almost complete lower right third molar likely representing a male individual of advanced age-at-death.

Hominin brain evolution--new century, new directions.

The study of hominin brain evolution focuses on the interiors of fossilized braincases. Applications of recent three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for visualizing and measuring >>virtual endocasts<< from braincases in combination with advances in computer graphics and software for acquiring relevant data are transforming the way in which fossil skulls are analyzed, and improving the quality of paleoneurological investigations. Although CT imaging is preferred for fossil skulls, a novel method that combines high-resolution MRI of physical endocasts, electronic reconstruction of their missing parts, and warping of the resulting virtual endocasts is currently being developed and has great potential for future studies of hominin brain evolution.

Mechanical ventilation induces alterations of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in the diaphragm.

Prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV) results in diaphragmatic atrophy due, in part, to an increase in proteolysis. These experiments tested the hypothesis that MV-induced diaphragmatic proteolysis is accompanied by increased expression of key components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP). To test this postulate, we investigated the effect of prolonged MV on UPP components and determined the trypsin-like and peptidylglutamyl peptide hydrolyzing activities of the 20S proteasome.

Trolox attenuates mechanical ventilation-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction and proteolysis.

Prolonged mechanical ventilation results in diaphragmatic oxidative injury, elevated proteolysis, fiber atrophy, and reduced force-generating capacity. We tested the hypothesis that antioxidant infusion during mechanical ventilation would function as an antioxidant to maintain redox balance within diaphragm muscle fibers and therefore prevent oxidative stress and subsequent proteolysis and contractile dysfunction. Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, tracheostomized, and mechanically ventilated with 21% O(2) for 12 hours.

Fusarium Head Blight and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation of Barley in Eastern Canada: Cultivar Response and Correlation Analysis.

Fusarium head blight of barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a devastating disease in many countries. We undertook a study to identify barley cultivars, if any, that are resistant to Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation and to determine if DON concentration is correlated with other plant traits in Eastern Canada and China. Barley cultivars were grown in the field under artificial inoculation conditions at two locations (Charlottetown and Ottawa) in Canada during two summers and at Hangzhou in China during two winters.

DairyBeef: maximizing quality and profits--a consistent food safety message.

To respond to meat safety and quality issues in dairy market cattle, a collaborative project team for 7 western states was established to develop educational resources providing a consistent meat safety and quality message to dairy producers, farm advisors, and veterinarians. The team produced an educational website and CD-ROM course that included videos, narrated slide sets, and on-farm tools. The objectives of this course were: 1) to help producers and their advisors understand market cattle food safety and quality issues, 2) help maintain markets for these cows, and 3) help producers identify ways to improve the quality of dairy cattle going to slaughter.

Effects of effervescent creatine, ribose, and glutamine supplementation on muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a combination of effervescent creatine, ribose, and glutamine on muscular strength (MS), muscular endurance (ME) and body composition (BC) in resistance-trained men. Subjects were 28 men (age: 22.3 +/- 1.

Shared, unique and redundant functions of three members of the class I myosins (MyoA, MyoB and MyoF) in motility and chemotaxis in Dictyostelium.

Most cell types express two distinct forms of myosin I, amoeboid and short, distinguished by differences in their tail domains. Both types of myosin I have been implicated in the regulation of pseudopod formation in Dictyostelium discoideum. We examined three members of the myosin I family, one amoeboid, MyoB, and two short, MyoA and MyoB, for shared, unique and redundant functions in motility and chemotaxis.

Biplot Analysis of Host-by-Pathogen Data.

Effective breeding for disease resistance relies on a thorough understanding of host-by-pathogen relations. Achieving such understanding can be difficult and challenging, particularly for large data sets with complex host genotype-by-pathogen strain interactions. This paper presents a biplot approach that facilitates visual analysis of host-by-pathogen data.

Effects of norandrostenedione and norandrostenediol in resistance-trained men.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of norsteroid supplementation (224 mg of 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione and 120 mg of 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol, total daily dose = 344 mg) on body composition and strength in resistance-trained men. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized fashion, 10 subjects received the norsteroid (11 capsules containing a combination of both norsteroids) or a placebo for 8 wk (five subjects per group). Each subject participated in resistance training an average of 4 d/wk for the duration of the study.

Genotype x Environment Interactions, Stability, and Agronomic Performance of Soybean with Altered Fatty Acid Profiles.

There has been a major effort to produce soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] lines with modified fatty acid profiles in order to improve quality and develop new uses for soybean oil.

Inheritance and Interaction of Low Palmitic and Low Linolenic Soybean.

Decreasing the palmitic and linolenic acid content of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] oil would help improve its nutritional quality and oxidative stability. The altered fatty acid profile in soybean germplasm lines with decreased levels of palmitic and linolenic acid have been developed at the University of Guelph, Canada, by combining different mutant alleles through hybridization.

The effects of supplementation with 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione and 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol on body composition and athletic performance in previously weight-trained male athletes.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 8 weeks of norsteroid supplementation on body composition and athletic performance in previously weight-trained males. Subjects were weight and percent body fat matched and randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione (N-dione) and 56 mg of 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol (N-diol; 156 mg total norsteroid per day), or a placebo (a multivitamin). Each subject participated in resistance training 4 days/week for the duration of the study.

Early hominid brain evolution: a new look at old endocasts.

Early hominid brain morphology is reassessed from endocasts of Australopithecus africanus and three species of Paranthropus, and new endocast reconstructions and cranial capacities are reported for four key specimens from the Paranthropus clade. The brain morphology of Australopithecus africanus appears more human like than that of Paranthropus in terms of overall frontal and temporal lobe shape. These new data do not support the proposal that increased encephalization is a shared feature between Paranthropus and early Homo.

Endocranial capacity in Sts 71 (Australopithecus africanus) by three-dimensional computed tomography.

In a recent report on early hominid endocranial capacity, it was predicted that future studies would show that: (1) "several key early hominid endocranial estimates may be inflated"; (2) "current views on the tempo and mode of early hominid brain evolution may need reevaluation"; and (3) endocranial capacity in one of these, Sts 71, was "probably closer to 370 cm(3), very near the mean value for female chimpanzees, and not the currently accepted 428 cm(3)" (Conroy et al., Science, 1998; 280: 1730-1731; Falk, Science 1998; 20:1714). Subsequent studies tend to support the first two predictions, but not the third (Culotta, Science, 1999; 284: 1109; Falk, Am.

A quantitative and qualitative reanalysis of the endocast from the juvenile Paranthropus specimen l338y-6 from Omo, Ethiopia.

Based on an analysis of its endocast, Holloway (1981 Am J Phys Anthropol 53:109-118) attributed the juvenile Omo L338y-6 specimen to Australopithecus africanus (i.e., gracile australopithecines) rather than to Paranthropus (Australopithecus) boisei (robust australopithecines) favored by other workers (Rak and Howell [1978] Am J Phys Anthropol 48:345-366).

Public health nurses' responses to domestic violence: a report from the Enhanced Domestic Abuse Intervention Project.

Public health nurses (PHNs) can play an important role in the detection of domestic violence. This study examines whether the introduction of a domestic violence assessment protocol by public health nurses in a maternal and child health visiting program increases the identification and referral rates of women experiencing domestic violence. Data collected from case files during the baseline year prior to the initiation of the protocol were compared to case file information after the protocol had been implemented.

Characterization of staphylococcal bovine mastitis isolates using the polymerase chain reaction.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was adapted to detect toxin genes of staphylococcal isolates from cases of bovine mastitis. Samples were obtained from three geographical areas: Korea and Idaho and Washington in the northwest United States. Samples from Korea and Washington were randomly chosen.