Shared Pattern of Endocranial Shape Asymmetries among Great Apes, Anatomically Modern Humans, and Fossil Hominins

Anatomical asymmetries of the human brain are a topic of major interest because of their link with handedness and cognitive functions. Their emergence and occurrence have been extensively explored in human fossil records to document the evolution of brain capacities and behaviour. We quantified for the first time antero-posterior endocranial shape asymmetries in large samples of great apes, modern humans and fossil hominins through analysis of “virtual” 3D models of skull and endocranial cavity and we statistically test for departures from symmetry. Once based on continuous variables, we show that the analysis of these brain asymmetries gives original results that build upon previous analysis based on discrete traits. In particular, it emerges that the degree of petalial asymmetries differs between great apes and hominins without modification of their pattern. We indeed demonstrate the presence of shape asymmetries in great apes, with a pattern similar to modern humans but with a lower variation and a lower degree of fluctuating asymmetry. More importantly, variations in the position of the frontal and occipital poles on the right and left hemispheres would be expected to show some degree of antisymmetry when population distribution is considered, but the observed pattern of variation among the samples is related to fluctuating asymmetry for most of the components of the petalias. Moreover, the presence of a common pattern of significant directional asymmetry for two components of the petalias in hominids implicates that the observed traits were probably inherited from the last common ancestor of extant African great apes and Homo sapiens

A Social Robot to Deliver an 8-Week Intervention for Diabetes Management : Initial Test of Feasibility in a Hospital Clinic

Social robots show significant potential as a healthcare coach for chronic life-long conditions and within medical settings. This 8-week feasibility trial explored a robot-delivered talk-based program for adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes to coach diabetes management with a focus on healthy eating habits. Trial objectives were to assess initial recruitment uptake, treatment effects, and evaluations of the program before a larger deployment. A NAO robot delivered two 60-minute coaching sessions and two 15-minute videos over an 8-week period. Initial findings revealed the robot program had a 44% uptake rate (n = 4). The robot program helped two participants achieve a 70% reduction in their high-sugar food and drink consumption, including increased motivation and self-efficacy scores. Program evaluation found the robot-delivered content did elicit discussion around personal incentives, goals, strategies, goal planning and consideration to improve diabetes management. Robot evaluation scores increased over time for improved likability, helpfulness, trust, and capacity to help change behavior. Qualitative evaluation found sessions were rated as interactive, supportive, and helpful for their self-management. Results found preliminary support for a robot-delivered program to be offered in conjunction with a hospital outpatient clinic, but more recruitment to increase sample size is needed. The next stage involves technical refinement, better integration into an existing service, and trial extension or replication in a larger sample to further substantiate these findings.</p

Late glacial initiation of Holocene eastern Mediterranean sapropel formation

Recurrent deposition of organic-rich sediment layers (sapropels) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea is caused by complex interactions between climatic and biogeochemical processes. Disentangling these influences is therefore important for Mediterranean palaeo-studies in particular, and for understanding ocean feedback processes in general. Crucially, sapropels are diagnostic of anoxic deep-water phases, which have been attributed to deep-water stagnation, enhanced biological production or both. Here we use an ocean-biogeochemical model to test the effects of commonly proposed climatic and biogeochemical causes for sapropel S1. Our results indicate that deep-water anoxia requires a long prelude of deep-water stagnation, with no particularly strong eutrophication. The model-derived time frame agrees with foraminiferal δ13C records that imply cessation of deep-water renewal from at least Heinrich event 1 to the early Holocene. The simulated low particulate organic carbon burial flux agrees with pre-sapropel reconstructions. Our results offer a mechanistic explanation of glacial–interglacial influence on sapropel formation