Cranial Allometry and the Evolution of the Domestic Dog

Domestication is usually defined as a process involving human subjugation of other animal or plant species. From this perspective, it is often presumed that morphological changes in domestic animals are the product of conscious or unconscious human selection. A broader evolutionary perspective does not make this presumption. The origin of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is best understood as a consequence of human adoption of wolf pups (Canis lupus) some 12,000 years ago. Young wolf pups growing up in human society formed their primary social bonds with humans. The radically altered circumstances experienced by these early domestic canids placed them in a new role as ecological colonizers. Selection under these circumstances favored precocious maturation, resulting in evolutionary progenesis, a form of heterochrony. Concurrently, an abrupt shift in diet resulted in rapid size reduction in the new evolving species. Craniometric data analyzed from modern wild Canis and prehistoric domesticated dogs from North America and northern Europe, all predating 3,000 B.P. The goal is to assess whether or not morphological changes in dogs are allometric consequences of size reduction, brought about by heterochronic alterations. Previous investigations of canid allometry involving wild canids and modern dog breeds serve as a frame of reference. Bivariate analysis of static data reveals that the dogs exhibit uniquely wide cranial vaults and palates, and are distinct from allometric trends seen among other groups. Anterior cranial length variables are tightly scaled among all groups, with proportional variation a consequence of allometric scaling. Dogs also tend to have proportionally longer teeth than similar sized wild canids. Bivariate analysis of ontogenetic data reveals that wide vaults and palates in dogs are associated with a greater correspondence to wolf ontogenetic regression lines relative to other groups. On anterior cranial length variables all groups exhibit evidence of ontogenetic scaling. Multivariate analysis indicates that dogs are morphologically more similar to juvenile wolves than to any adult group. Juvenilized morphology in dogs is a consequence of rapid size change with morphology constrained to developmental pathways. Invariance in gestation period in Canis may pose a fundamental morphological constraint on dog morphology. Confinement of morphology to developmental boundaries may be indicative of rapid evolutionary change in general. Heterochronic mechanisms responsible for this mode of change may be important in the evolution of domestic animals other and the dog

Research Problems in the Management of the Northern White Pine in the Northeastern United States

Although the northern white pine type is one of the most extensive in New England, specific funds for investigative work in white pine were not made available to the Forest Service until the fiscal year 1939. However, the white pine studies conducted by the Forest Service in the early part of the century and more recently by various agencies within the region have laid a foundation for the proposed work by the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station

Indian Meal Moth Survivability in Stored Corn With Different Levels of Broken Kernels

Survivability of Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepi-doptera: Pyralidae), larvae fed a standard laboratory diet and whole corn with 0, 5 to 7, and 100% broken corn kernels, was assessed under laboratory conditions at 28o C, 65% relative humidity, and 14:10 h (L:D) photoperiod. A conventional yellow dent corn hybrid (about 3.9% oil content, dry basis) and a high-oil corn hybrid (about 7.7% oil content, dry basis) were tested. Survivability was measured as the percentage of pre-pupae, pupae, and adults observed at the end of the rearing period. For the standard laboratory diet, a mean of 97.5% larvae survived. Percentage of larval survival increased as the percentage of broken corn increased. Mean percentages of larval survival for the conventional yellow dent corn were 6.7, 63.8, and 80.0 for 0, 7, and 100% broken kernels, respectively. The mean percentages of larval survival for the high-oil corn hybrid were 28.3, 81.3, and 100.0 for 0, 5, and 100% broken kernels, respectively. Larval growth rate for high-oil corn was faster than for conventional corn. Results indicate that cleaning corn before storage could reduce P. interpunctella problems

Selecting Fans and Determining Airflow for Grain Drying and Storage

Using fans to force air having the proper temperature and relative humidity through a crop is a valuable technique for maintaining quality after harvest. The air helps maintain the moisture and temperature of a crop at levels that prevent growth of harmful fungi and insects

Paleoeskimo Dogs of the Eastern Arctic

Sled or pack dogs have been perceived as an integral part of traditional life in the Eastern Arctic. This perception stems from our knowledge of the lifeway of recent Thule and modern Inuit peoples, among whom dog sledding has often been an important means of transportation. In contrast, the archaeological record of preceding Paleoeskimo peoples indicates that dogs were sparse at most, and probably locally absent for substantial periods. This pattern is real, not an artifact of taphonomic biases or difficulties in distinguishing dog from wolf remains. Analysis of securely documented dog remains from Paleoeskimo sites in Greenland and Canada underscores the sporadic presence of only small numbers of dogs, at least some of which were eaten. This pattern should be expected. Dogs did not, and could not, assume a conspicuous role in North American Arctic human ecology outside the context of several key features of technology and subsistence production associated with Thule peoples.On a toujours considéré les chiens de traîneau ou chiens de somme comme faisant partie intégrante de la vie traditionnelle dans l'Arctique oriental. Cette perception vient de nos connaissances sur le mode de vie des derniers Thulés et des Inuits modernes, chez qui le traîneau à chiens a souvent représenté un mode de transport majeur. En revanche, les données archéologiques des peuples paléoesquimaux qui ont précédé Thulés et Inuits révèlent que les chiens étaient tout au plus clairsemés, et probablement absents localement pendant de longues périodes. Cette répartition est bien réelle et n'est pas le produit de distorsions taphonomiques ou de difficultés à faire la distinction entre les restes du chien et ceux du loup. L'analyse de restes canins proprement documentés trouvés sur des sites paléoesquimaux au Groenland et au Canada souligne la présence sporadique de chiens en nombre toujours restreint, dont au moins quelques-uns étaient mangés. Cette répartition n'est pas surprenante, les chiens n'assumant pas - et ne pouvant assumer - un rôle évident dans l'écologie humaine de l'Arctique nord-américain en dehors du contexte de diverses caractéristiques clés de la technologie et de la production de subsistance associées aux Thulés

Criteria for Optimum Mixture - Ratio Distribution Using Several Types of Impinging-Stream Injector Elements

Empirical correlations are given relating the mixture-ratio distributions produced by various configurations of impinging-stream injectors and the ratios of density, velocity, and orifice cross-sectional area of the two fluids being mixed. Injector-element designs studied are two-on-one, two-on-two, and four-on-one

L'associació educativa de les illes (A.E.I.), organitzadora de la Campanya de Revalorització Social del Treball Docent

Abstract not availabl

Polarised epithelial monolayers of the gastric mucosa reveal insights into mucosal homeostasis and defence against infection

Objective Helicobacter pylori causes life-long colonisation of the gastric mucosa, leading to chronic inflammation with increased risk of gastric cancer. Research on the pathogenesis of this infection would strongly benefit from an authentic human in vitro model. Design Antrum-derived gastric glands from surgery specimens served to establish polarised epithelial monolayers via a transient air–liquid interface culture stage to study cross-talk with H. pylori and the adjacent stroma. Results The resulting ‘mucosoid cultures’, so named because they recapitulate key characteristics of the gastric mucosa, represent normal stem cell-driven cultures that can be passaged for months. These highly polarised columnar epithelial layers encompass the various gastric antral cell types and secrete mucus at the apical surface. By default, they differentiate towards a foveolar, MUC5AC-producing phenotype, whereas Wnt signalling stimulates proliferation of MUC6-producing cells and preserves stemness—reminiscent of the gland base. Stromal cells from the lamina propria secrete Wnt inhibitors, antagonising stem-cell niche signalling and inducing differentiation. On infection with H. pylori, a strong inflammatory response is induced preferentially in the undifferentiated basal cell phenotype. Infection of cultures for several weeks produces foci of viable bacteria and a persistent inflammatory condition, while the secreted mucus establishes a barrier that only few bacteria manage to overcome. Conclusion Gastric mucosoid cultures faithfully reproduce the features of normal human gastric epithelium, enabling new approaches for investigating the interaction of H. pylori with the epithelial surface and the cross-talk with the basolateral stromal compartment. Our observations provide striking insights in the regulatory circuits of inflammation and defence.</p

Cost Outcomes of Physical Therapist Providers Compared to Primary Care Providers in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Patients in a Military Treatment Facility: A Retrospective Chart Review”

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the cost of physical therapist (PT) management of patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders to management by traditional primary care managers (PCMs); medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs), and physician assistants (PAs). Methods: This is a retrospective study of electronic medical records using an exploratory, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and quantitative design method. The records of patients with MSK disorders were assessed at an Air Force military medical clinic for 18 months from January 2016 through June 2017. Results: PT management of MSK patients resulted in a significantly lower rate of imaging studies, NSAIDS, and cost of care when compared to MDs, DOs, PAs, or ARNPs. Patients with MSK disorders managed by PTs had no significant difference in return-to-work rate when compared to MDs, DOs, PAs, or ARNPs. Conclusions:The military model of physical therapy direct access care has been shown to be cost effective when compared to care provided by traditional primary care managers