Using the shape of the basicranial portion of the temporal bone to distinguish between relatively closely-related human populations

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Variation in cranial morphology is routinely used in archaeology to identify population affinity in human skeletal remains. The shape of the external basicranial portion of the temporal bone, in particular, has been found to have one of the strongest phylogenetic signals in the crania, and so it can be effectively used to distinguish between populations on a large, often global scale. However, its applicability to the analysis of relatively closely-related groups remains largely unexplored. The retention of population signatures in the shape of this portion of the temporal bone is particularly useful for archaeology, as the fragility of the cranium makes analysis of its shape in entirety often difficult. If the shape of the temporal bone can identify differences between relatively closely-related populations with a similar accuracy as for more distantly-related populations, this would significantly aid analyses of population history on a local scale. To test this, we initiated a study that used three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to investigate the shape variation of the temporal bone of two British archaeological populations that were separated both temporally and geographically. The results of a MANOVA found statistically significant shape differences between the two populations and a DFA found that the shape of the temporal bone can correctly classify 84.7% of individuals into their respective population. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that the shape of the temporal bone can accurately identify differences between two relatively closely-related populations. Future research should focus on examining larger samples from a greater number of populations to determine whether this pattern is widespread

The Heritability of Aptitude and Exceptional Talent Across Different Domains in Adolescents and Young Adults

The origin of individual differences in aptitude, defined as a domain-specific skill within the normal ability range, and talent, defined as a domain specific skill of exceptional quality, is under debate. The nature of the variation in aptitudes and exceptional talents across different domains was investigated in a population based twin sample. Self-report data from 1,685 twin pairs (12–24 years) were analyzed for Music, Arts, Writing, Language, Chess, Mathematics, Sports, Memory, and Knowledge. The influence of shared environment was small for both aptitude and talent. Additive and non-additive genetic effects explained the major part of the substantial familial clustering in the aptitude measures with heritability estimates ranging between .32 and .71. Heritability estimates for talents were higher and ranged between .50 and .92. In general, the genetic architecture for aptitude and talent was similar in men and women. Genetic factors contribute to a large extent to variation in aptitude and talent across different domains of intellectual, creative, and sports abilities

The Rotterdam Study: 2012 objectives and design update

The Rotterdam Study is a prospective cohort study ongoing since 1990 in the city of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The study targets cardiovascular, endocrine, hepatic, neurological, ophthalmic, psychiatric, dermatological, oncological, and respiratory diseases. As of 2008, 14,926 subjects aged 45 years or over comprise the Rotterdam Study cohort. The findings of the Rotterdam Study have been presented in over a 1,000 research articles and reports (see www.erasmus-epidemiology.nl/rotterdamstudy). This article gives the rationale of the study and its design. It also presents a summary of the major findings and an update of the objectives and methods

Cell wall as a target for bacteria inactivation by pulsed electric fields

International audienceThe integrity and morphology of bacteria is sustained by the cell wall, the target of the main microbial inactivation processes. One promising approach to inactivation is based on the use of pulsed electric fields (PEF). The current dogma is that irreversible cell membrane electro-permeabilisation causes the death of the bacteria. However, the actual effect on the cell-wall architecture has been poorly explored. Here we combine atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy to study the cell-wall organization of living Bacillus pumilus bacteria at the nanoscale. For vegetative bacteria, exposure to PEF led to structural disorganization correlated with morphological and mechanical alterations of the cell wall. For spores, PEF exposure led to the partial destruction of coat protein nanostructures, associated with internal alterations of cortex and core. Our findings reveal for the first time that the cell wall and coat architecture are directly involved in the electro-eradication of bacteria

Comparing psychological adjustment across cleft and other craniofacial conditions: Implications for outcome measurement and intervention

© 2018, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. Although cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) has been a focus of psychological research for a number of years, investigation of adjustment to other, rarer craniofacial anomalies (CFAs) has been scarce. Yet, many features of the journey experienced by patients with CL/P could also have relevance for those affected by other CFAs and vice versa. This brief article summarizes the literature pertaining to psychological adjustment across both craniofacial groups, as represented by several prominent review articles. Similarities across the 2 patient groups in relation to key domains of psychological adjustment and corresponding factors are identified. Consequently, a standardized approach to measurement across all congenital craniofacial conditions is proposed, alongside suggestions for the potential application of similar intervention frameworks and clinical approaches