Middle Pliocene hominin diversity : Australopithecus deyiremeda and Kenyanthropus platyops

Geometric morphometric shape analyses are used to compare the maxillae of the Kenyanthropus platyops holotype KNM-WT 40000, the Australopithecus deyiremeda holotype BRT-VP-3/1 and other australopiths. The main aim is to explore the relationship between these two specimens and contemporary Australopithecus afarensis. Five landmarks placed on lateral views of the maxillae quantify key aspects of the morphology. Generalized Procrustes analyses and principal component analyses of the resulting shape coordinates were performed. The magnitudes of differences in shape and their significances were assessed using Procrustes and Mahalanobis’ distances, respectively. Both KNM-WT 40000 and BRT-VP-3/1 show statistically significant differences in maxillary shape from A. afarensis, but do so in dissimilar ways. Moreover, the former differs more from A. afarensis than the latter. KNM-WT 40000 has a more anteriorly positioned zygomatic process with a transversely flat, and more orthognathic subnasal clivus. BRT-VP-3/1 has a more inferiorly positioned zygomatic process, a slightly retracted dental arcade, but without shortening of the anterior maxilla. These findings are consistent with previous conclusions that the two fossils should be attributed to separate species, rather than to A. afarensis, and with the presence of three contemporary hominin species in the Middle Pliocene of eastern Africa

Achieving good environmental status in the Black Sea: scale mismatches in environmental management

The Black Sea has suffered severe environmental degradation. Governance of the Black Sea region is complex and results in a series of scale mismatches which constrain management. This paper develops a simple classification of spatial scale mismatches incorporating the driver, pressure, state, welfare, response (DPSWR) framework. The scale mismatch classification is applied to two major environmental problems of the Black Sea, eutrophication and small pelagic fisheries. A number of scale mismatches are described and classified and potential solutions are identified

The head and neck muscles associated with feeding in sphenodon (Reptilia: Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia)

Feeding in Sphenodon, the tuatara of New Zealand, is of interest for several rea-sons. First, the modern animal is threatened by extinction, and some populations are in competition for food with Pacific rats. Second, Sphenodon demonstrates a feeding apparatus that is unique to living amniotes: an enlarged palatine tooth row, acrodont dentition, enlarged incisor-like teeth on the premaxilla, a posterior extension of the dentary and an elongate articular surtace that permits prooral shearing. Third, Spheno-don has a skull with two complete lateral temporal bars and is therefore structurally analogous to the configuration hypothesised for the ancestral diapsid reptile. Further-more, the fossil relatives of Sphenodon demonstrate considerable variation in terms of feeding apparatus and skull shape. Lastly, as Sphenodon is the only extant rhyn-chocephalian it represents a potentially useful reference taxon for both muscle recon-struction in extinct reptile taxa and determination of muscle homology in extant taxa. Here we provide an up-to-date consensus view of osteology and musculature in Sphenodon that is relevant to feeding. Discrepancies within previous descriptions are evaluated and synthesised with new observations. This paper displays the complex muscle arrangement using a range of different imaging techniques and a variety of different angles. This includes photographs, illustrations, schematic diagrams, and microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) slice images. © Palaeontological Association August 2009

THE CHANGING PACE OF INSULAR LIFE : 5000 YEARS OF MICROEVOLUTION IN THE ORKNEY VOLE (MICROTUS ARVALIS ORCADENSIS)

Peer reviewe

Damage modelling of fibre reinforced polymer matrix composite open hole tension specimens using the Ladevèze damage model in Pam-CRASH

non-peer-reviewedThe goal of this project was to accurately predict the ultimate failure strengths of fibre reinforced polymer matrix composite open hole tension specimens using the Ladevèze continuum mechanics damage model, currently available within the ESI Group Pam-CRASH software, using input parameters experimentally derived at the University of Limerick. This report presents the work carried out at the University of Limerick, both experimental and numerical, as part of the project. Results of an experimental test series carried out to derive Ladevèze damage model parameters for a carbon fibre reinforced polymer matrix composite are presented and discussed. In addition, the results of a numerical study carried out to calibrate the Ladevèze damage model, used to predict the ultimate strength of fibre reinforced open hole tension specimens are presented and discussed. Section 2 presents the procedures used and results of an experimental test series to derive Ladevèze damage model parameters. Section 3 presents the numerical work carried out at the University of Limerick as part of this project

Open data and digital morphology

Over the past two decades, the development of methods for visualizing and analysing specimens digitally, in three and even four dimensions, has transformed the study of living and fossil organisms. However, the initial promise, that the widespread application of such methods would facilitate access to the underlying digital data, has not been fully achieved. The underlying datasets for many published studies are not readily or freely available, introducing a barrier to verification and reproducibility, and the reuse of data. There is no current agreement or policy on the amount and type of data that should be made available alongside studies that use, and in some cases are wholly reliant on, digital morphology. Here, we propose a set of recommendations for minimum standards and additional best practice for 3D digital data publication, and review the issues around data storage, management and accessibility

Psilocybin-assisted neurofeedback for the improvement of executive functions:A randomized semi-naturalistic-lab feasibility study

Executive function deficits, common in psychiatric disorders, hinder daily activities and may be linked to diminished neural plasticity, affecting treatment and training responsiveness. In this pioneering study, we evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted frontal-midline theta neurofeedback (NF), a neuromodulation technique leveraging neuroplasticity, to improve executive functions (EFs). Thirty-seven eligible participants were randomized into an experimental group (n = 18) and a passive control group (n = 19). The experimental group underwent three microdose sessions and then three psilocybin-assisted NF sessions, without requiring psychological support, demonstrating the approach's feasibility. NF learning showed a statistical trend for increases in frontal-midline theta from session to session with a large effect size and non-significant but medium effect size dynamical changes within sessions. Placebo effects were consistent across groups, with no tasks-based EF improvements, but significant self-reported gains in daily EFs - working memory, shifting, monitoring and inhibition - showing medium and high effect sizes. The experimental group's significant gains in their key training goals underscored the approach's external relevance. A thorough study with regular sessions and an active control group is crucial to evaluate EFs improvement and their specificity in future. Psilocybin-enhanced NF could offer significant, lasting benefits across diagnoses, improving daily functioning. This article is part of the theme issue 'Neurofeedback: new territories and neurocognitive mechanisms of endogenous neuromodulation'.</p

Pooled analysis of prognostic impact of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its inhibitor PAI-1 in 8377 breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) play essential roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. High levels of both uPA and PAI-1 are associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. To confirm the prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 in primary breast cancer, we reanalyzed individual patient data provided by members of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Receptor and Biomarker Group (EORTC-RBG). METHODS: The study included 18 datasets involving 8377 breast cancer patients. During follow-up (median 79 months), 35% of the patients relapsed and 27% died. Levels of uPA and PAI-1 in tumor tissue extracts were determined by different immunoassays; values were ranked within each dataset and divided by the number of patients in that dataset to produce fractional ranks that could be compared directly across datasets. Associations of ranks of uPA and PAI-1 levels with relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Cox multivariable regression analysis stratified by dataset, including the following traditional prognostic variables: age, menopausal status, lymph node status, tumor size, histologic grade, and steroid hormone-receptor status. All P values were two-sided. RESULTS: Apart from lymph node status, high levels of uPA and PAI-1 were the strongest predictors of both poor RFS and poor OS in the analyses of all patients. Moreover, in both lymph node-positive and lymph node-negative patients, higher uPA and PAI-1 values were independently associated with poor RFS and poor OS. For (untreated) lymph node-negative patients in particular, uPA and PAI-1 included together showed strong prognostic ability (all P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis of the EORTC-RBG datasets confirmed the strong and independent prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 in primary breast cancer. For patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer, uPA and PAI-1 measurements in primary tumors may be especially useful for designing individualized treatment strategies

Pooled Analysis of Prognostic Impact of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator and Its Inhibitor PAI-1 in 8377 Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) play essential roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. High levels of both uPA and PAI-1 are associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. To confirm the prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 in primary breast cancer, we reanalyzed individual patient data provided by members of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Receptor and Biomarker Group (EORTC-RBG). Methods: The study included 18 datasets involving 8377 breast cancer patients. During follow-up (median 79 months), 35% of the patients relapsed and 27% died. Levels of uPA and PAI-1 in tumor tissue extracts were determined by different immunoassays; values were ranked within each dataset and divided by the number of patients in that dataset to produce fractional ranks that could be compared directly across datasets. Associations of ranks of uPA and PAI-1 levels with relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Cox multivariable regression analysis stratified by dataset, including the following traditional prognostic variables: age, menopausal status, lymph node status, tumor size, histologic grade, and steroid hormone-receptor status. All P values were two-sided. Results: Apart from lymph node status, high levels of uPA and PAI-1 were the strongest predictors of both poor RFS and poor OS in the analyses of all patients. Moreover, in both lymph node-positive and lymph node-negative patients, higher uPA and PAI-1 values were independently associated with poor RFS and poor OS. For (untreated) lymph node-negative patients in particular, uPA and PAI-1 included together showed strong prognostic ability (all P<.001). Conclusions: This pooled analysis of the EORTC-RBG datasets confirmed the strong and independent prognostic value of uPA and PAI-1 in primary breast cancer. For patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer, uPA and PAI-1 measurements in primary tumors may be especially useful for designing individualized treatment strategie