Infanticide in Chimpanzees: Taphonomic Case Studies from Gombe

Objectives We present a study of skeletal damage to four chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) infanticide victims from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Skeletal analysis may provide insight into the adaptive significance of infanticide by examining whether nutritional benefits sufficiently explain infanticidal behavior. The nutritional hypothesis would be supported if bone survivorship rates and skeletal damage patterns are comparable to those of monkey prey. If not, other explanations, such as the resource competition hypothesis, should be considered. Methods Taphonomic assessment of two chimpanzee infants included description of breakage and surface modification, data on MNE, %MNE, and bone survivorship. Two additional infants were assessed qualitatively. The data were compared to published information on monkey prey. We also undertook a review of published infanticide cases. Results The cases were intercommunity infanticides (one male and three female infants) committed by males. Attackers partially consumed two of the victims. Damage to all four infants included puncture marks and compression fractures to the cranium, crenulated breaks to long bones, and incipient fractures on ribs. Compared to monkey prey, the chimpanzee infants had an abundance of vertebrae and hand/foot bones. Conclusions The cases described here suggest that chimpanzees may not always completely consume infanticide victims, while reports on chimpanzee predation indicated that complete consumption of monkey prey usually occurred. Infanticidal chimpanzees undoubtedly gain nutritional benefits when they consume dead infants, but this benefit may not sufficiently explain infanticide in this species. Continued study of infanticidal and hunting behavior, including skeletal analysis, is likely to be of interest

Use of streptavidin magnetic beads in single strand conformation polymorphism profiles to detect mutations in rpoB gene of M.tuberculosis

Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) is one of the promising techniques to identify mutations in short pieces of DNA (Orita et al. 1989). In this technique, DNA of interest is often amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then denatured by heat or alkali treatment before electrophoresis on a non denaturing polyacrylamide gel. Differences in mobility of either of the single strands compared to the control DNA indicate mutations which affect the secondary structure and alter the mobility of the DNA. We applied PCR-SSCP for the detection of mutations in the rifampicin resistance determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene of M. tuberculosis (Telenti et al. 1993a; 1993b). A nested PCR was used to amplify the RRDR. In the first PCR, 293-bp product was amplified and in the second PCR a 103- bp of the first PCR product was amplified. However, in our experience using denaturation by alkali or heating, the denatured PCR product most often reannealed to form a large proportion of double stranded DNA during the electrophoresis (Selvakumar et al. 1997a). After visualisation by staining with ethidium bromide or silver staining, most of the DNA was in the double stranded form, with very little or no single stranded DNA. The single strands that could be observed often ran close together, making analysis of any difference in mobility difficult. Therefore an attempt was made to generate biotinylated PCR product using a biotinylated forward primer and later the biotinylated strand was separated using sterptavidin magnetic beads. The separated strands eliminated the problem of strand reannealing during SSCP and were silver stained to detect the shift in the mobility. Since the nested PCR requires more time and is more expensive. a biotinylated PCR product was generated in a single PCR using a biotinylated forward primer and an unbiotinylated reverse primer. This simplified protocol was applied to clinical isolates in an attempt to detect rifampicin resistance

Light Quark Simulations With FLIC Fermions

Hadron masses are calculated in quenched lattice QCD in order to probe the scaling behavior of a novel fat-link clover fermion action in which only the irrelevant operators of the fermion action are constructed using APE-smeared links. Light quark masses corresponding to an m_pi / m_rho ratio of 0.35 are considered to assess the exceptional configuration problem of clover-fermion actions. This Fat-Link Irrelevant Clover (FLIC) fermion action provides scaling which is superior to mean-field improvement and offers advantages over nonperturbative improvement, including reduced exceptional configurations.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, Lattice2002(QCD Spectrum and Quark Masses

Aesthetics

This paper discusses the definition of aesthetics

Impact of psychiatric diagnoses on hospital length of stay in children with sickle cell anemia

Background Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) experience a broad range of psychiatric disorders, placing them at risk for more complicated and longer hospitalizations for vaso‐occlusive crises (VOC). The current study examined the frequency of psychiatric disorders in SCA patients (ages birth to 20 years) admitted for VOC in a nationally representative sample and the association between psychiatric disorders and hospital length of stay (LOS). Procedure Patients with a primary diagnosis of SCA with crisis identified through the nationally representative Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) 2006 from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality were included for analysis. Patients with psychiatric disorders listed as secondary diagnoses were categorized under specific psychiatric disorders (mood disorder, anxiety disorder, disruptive behavior disorder, substance use disorder). Non‐parametric and regression analyses were utilized for nationally weighted data, to determine the effect of psychiatric disorders on LOS, while controlling for significant covariates. Results For 21,255 hospital discharges for children with SCA with crisis in 2006, the mean LOS was 4.51 days. Approximately 6% of the patients discharged had a psychiatric disorder. After adjusting for significant covariates, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and any psychiatric disorder were each associated with significantly longer LOS ( P  < 0.01). Substance and disruptive behavior disorders were not associated with LOS. Conclusions Pediatric patients diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, specifically mood or anxiety disorders, have longer LOS for VOC. These findings suggest that future interventions aimed at managing VOC may need to consider adjunctive psychiatric assessment and intervention. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 239–243. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89515/1/23117_ftp.pd

AAPT Diagnostic Criteria for Chronic Sickle Cell Disease Pain

Pain in sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and high health care costs. Although episodic acute pain is the hallmark of this disorder, there is an increasing awareness that chronic pain is part of the pain experience of many older adolescents and adults. A common set of criteria for classifying chronic pain associated with SCD would enhance SCD pain research efforts in epidemiology, pain mechanisms, and clinical trials of pain management interventions, and ultimately improve clinical assessment and management. As part of the collaborative effort between the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovations Opportunities and Networks public-private partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Pain Society, the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovations Opportunities and Networks-American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy initiative developed the outline of an optimal diagnostic system for chronic pain conditions. Subsequently, a working group of experts in SCD pain was convened to generate core diagnostic criteria for chronic pain associated with SCD. The working group synthesized available literature to provide evidence for the dimensions of this disease-specific pain taxonomy. A single pain condition labeled chronic SCD pain was derived with 3 modifiers reflecting different clinical features. Future systematic research is needed to evaluate the feasibility, validity, and reliability of these criteria. Perspective: An evidence-based classification system for chronic SCD pain was constructed for the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovations Opportunities and Networks-American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy initiative. Applying this taxonomy may improve assessment and management of SCD pain and accelerate research on epidemiology, mechanisms, and treatments for chronic SCD pain

Efecto de la utilización de diferentes niveles de Capsicum Pubescens, (Ají Rocoto Rojo), en la elaboración de queso crema

En las instalaciones de Pasteurizadora “El Ranchito”, de la provincia de Cotopaxi,se evaluó el efecto de la utilización de diferentes niveles de Capsicum pubescens, (ají rocoto rojo), en la elaboración de queso crema. El tamaño de la unidad experimental fue de 180 litros de leche con tres tratamientos y cada uno con seis repeticiones, dando un total de 18 unidades experimentales, que fueron modeladas bajo un Diseño Completamente al Azar simple, llegando a determinar que en el análisis nutricional el mayor contenido de proteína y materia seca en el producto del tratamiento T1 (0,20 % de ají rocoto), con 6,92% y 46,75%, en su orden. El contenido microbiológico determinó ausencia total de Escherichia coli y Coliformes totales, y únicamente 10 UFC/g, de Aerobios Mesófilos. La evaluación sensorial identifica los resultados más altos en el tratamiento T3; para el color, (4,33 puntos), aroma (3.92 puntos); apariencia (4.17 puntos); textura (4.21 puntos) y sabor (4,02 puntos). En el análisis físico químico se observa los resultados más satisfactorios al aplicar 0,40% de ají rocoto ya que las medias fueron de acidez correspondiente a 77,83% y de porcentaje de grasa de 34,17%. La vida de anaquel evaluada en función del pH del producto determinó que desde los 15 a 21 días de evaluación no existen cambios bruscos en sus respuestas, específicamente en el tratamiento T3.La evaluación económica registra la mayor relación beneficio/costo en el queso del tratamiento T3, con 1,35; es decir que por cada dólar invertido se espera una ganancia del 35%.Application of different levels of Capsicum Pubescens (red hot chili pepper) was assessed in cheese cream making by the Pasteurization plant “El Ranchito”. Size of experimental unit was 180 liters of milk including three treatments and each one six times, in total 18 experimental units, which were performed according to a Simple Random Design, so it was determined in the nutritional analysis: protein (6,92%) and dry matter (46,75%) in the product treatment T1 (0,20% red hot chili pepper). Microbiological content determined lack of Escherichia coli and Total Coliforms, and 10 UFC/g of Mesophilic Aerobics. Sensorial assessment identifies the higher results in the treatment T3; for color, (4,33 points), aroma (3,92 points); appearance (4, 17 points), texture (4,21 points) and flavor (4,02 points). In the analysis Physical-Chemical it was observed that the most satisfied results were after applying 0,40% of red hot chili pepper, average acidity was 77,83% and fat percentage of 34,17%. Assessed shelf-life according to pH of product determined that among 15 and 21 days of assessment there are no abrupt changes in answers, specifically in T3. Economic assessment registers a good relation benefit/cost in cheese treatment T3, with 1,35; it means each dollar invested will generate gain of 35%

Investigações sobre a uncinariose

Durante os doís ultimos annos, o lnstitnto de Hygiene da Faculdade de Medicina de S. Paulo se dedicou ao estudo de certos problemas referentes á technica da diagnose e tratamento da uncinariose. Durante esses trabalhos, collecionaram-se cuidadosamente dados sobre todos os doentes tratados, tornando assim evidentes certos princípios relativos á natureza da uncinariose, principias esses que concordam perfeitamente com os nossos conhecimentos theoricos sobre a biologia do parasito, mas differem algum tanto das concepções populares sobre esta molestia

Benefits and Barriers of Implementation and Utilization of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems in Transfusion Medicine

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is used by hospital supply chains to track medical products and monitor inventories. Hospitals have also begun incorporating RFID technology as part of their transfusion processes. The purpose of this review was to analyze how healthcare organization supply chains can benefit from the utilization of RFID systems in transfusion service departments. The methodology for this study was a literature review following the steps of a systematic review with a total of 52 sources referenced. RFID technology is used to manage and track blood products from the initial donor phlebotomy to final disposition or product transfusion. RFID-enabled transfusion practices have successfully increased provider productivity and product quality through work-time reduction and error reduction. Findings of this research study suggest that RFID has provided improvements in quality of care and efficiency, while initial costs, security, and privacy appear to be the principal barriers to adoption