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Apes
Kinds of Apes Selected AbstractsProbabilistic evaluation of seismic performance of 3-story 3D one- and two-way steel moment-frame structuresEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 5 2008Hiroyuki Tagawa Abstract This paper presents the results of a probabilistic evaluation of the seismic performance of 3D steel moment-frame structures. Two types of framing system are considered: one-way frames typical of construction in the United States and two-way frames typical of construction in Japan. For each framing system, four types of beam,column connections are considered: pre-Northridge welded-flange bolted-web, post-Northridge welded-flange welded-web, reduced-beam-section, and bolted-flange-plate connections. A suite of earthquake ground motions is used to compute the annual probability of exceedence (APE) for a series of drift demand levels and for member plastic-rotation capacity. Results are compared for the different framing systems and connection details. It is found that the two-way frames, which have a larger initial stiffness and strength than the one-way frames for the same beam and column volumes, have a smaller APE for small drift demands for which members exhibit no or minimal yielding, but have a larger APE for large drift demands for which members exhibit large plastic rotations. However, the one-way frames, which typically comprise a few seismic frames with large-sized members that have relatively small rotation capacities, may have a larger APE for member failure. The probabilistic approach presented in this study may be used to determine the most appropriate frame configuration to meet an owner's performance objectives. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Processing, modelling and predicting time-lapse effects of overpressured fluid-injection in a fractured reservoirGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2002Erika Angerer Summary Time-lapse seismology is important for monitoring subsurface pressure changes and fluid movements in producing hydrocarbon reservoirs. We analyse two 4-D, 3C onshore surveys from Vacuum Field, New Mexico, USA, where the reservoir of interest is a fractured dolomite. In Phase VI, a time-lapse survey was acquired before and after a pilot tertiary-recovery programme of overpressured CO2 injection, which altered the fluid composition and the pore-fluid pressure. Phase VII was a similar time-lapse survey in the same location but with a different lower-pressure injection regime. Applying a processing sequence to the Phase VI data preserving normal-incidence shear-wave anisotropy (time-delays and polarization) and maximizing repeatability, interval-time analysis of the reservoir interval shows a significant 10 per cent change in shear-wave velocity anisotropy and 3 per cent decrease in the P -wave interval velocities. A 1-D model incorporating both saturation and pressure changes is matched to the data. The saturation changes have little effect on the seismic velocities. There are two main causes of the time-lapse changes. Any change in pore-fluid pressures modifies crack aspect ratios. Additionally, when there are overpressures, as there are in Phase VI, there is a 90° change in maximum impedance directions, and the leading faster split shear wave, instead of being parallel to the crack face as it is for low pore-fluid pressures, becomes orthogonal to the crack face. The anisotropic poro-elasticity (APE) model of the evolution of microcracked rock, calculates the evolution of cracked rock to changing conditions. APE modelling shows that at high overburden pressures only nearly vertical cracks, to which normal incidence P waves are less sensitive than S waves, remain open as the pore-fluid pressure increases. APE modelling matches the observed time-lapse effects almost exactly demonstrating that shear-wave anisotropy is a highly sensitive diagnostic of pore-fluid pressure changes in fractured reservoirs. In this comparatively limited analysis, APE modelling of fluid-injection at known pressure correctly predicted the changes in seismic response, particularly the shear-wave splitting, induced by the high-pressure CO2 injection. In the Phase VII survey, APE modelling also successfully predicted the response to the lower-pressure injection using the same Phase VI model of the cracked reservoir. The underlying reason for this remarkable predictability of fluid-saturated reservoir rocks is the critical nature and high crack density of the fluid-saturated cracks and microcracks in the reservoir rock, which makes cracked reservoirs critical systems. [source] Liquid and gas chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry for the determination of 13C,valine isotopic ratios in complex biological samplesJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 10 2008Jean-Philippe Godin Abstract On-line gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) is commonly used to measure isotopic ratios at natural abundance as well as for tracer studies in nutritional and medical research. However, high-precision 13C isotopic enrichment can also be measured by liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS). Indeed, LC-IRMS can be used, as shown by the new method reported here, to obtain a baseline separation and to measure 13C isotopic enrichment of underivatised amino acids (Asp, Thr,Ser, Glu, Pro, Gly, Ala, Cys and Val). In case of Val, at natural abundance, the SD(,13C) reported with this method was found to be below 1, . Another key feature of the new LC-IRMS method reported in this paper is the comparison of the LC-IRMS approach with the conventional GC-C-IRMS determination. To perform this comparative study, isotopic enrichments were measured from underivatised Val and its N(O, S)-ethoxycarbonyl ethyl ester derivative. Between 0.0 and 1.0 molar percent excess (MPE) (,13C = , 12.3 to 150.8,), the calculated root-mean-square (rms) of SD was 0.38 and 0.46, and the calculated rms of accuracy was 0.023 and 0.005 MPE, respectively, for GC-C-IRMS and LC-IRMS. Both systems measured accurately low isotopic enrichments (0.002 atom percent excess (APE)) with an SD (APE) of 0.0004. To correlate the relative (,13C) and absolute (atom%, APE and MPE) isotopic enrichment of Val measured by the GC-C-IRMS and LC-IRMS devices, mathematical equations showing the slope and intercept of the curves were established and validated with experimental data between 0.0 to 2.3 MPE. Finally, both GC-C-IRMS and LC-IRMS instruments were also used to assess isotopic enrichment of protein-bound 13C,Val in tibial epiphysis in a tracer study performed in rats. Isotopic enrichments measured by LC-IRMS and GC-C-IRMS were not statistically different (p > 0.05). The results of this work indicate that the LC-IRMS was successful for high-precision 13C isotopic measurements in tracer studies giving 13C isotopic enrichment similar to the GC-C-IRMS but without the step of GC derivatisation. Therefore, for clinical studies requiring high-precision isotopic measurement, the LC-IRMS is the method of choice to measure the isotopic ratio. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Overexpression of human copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase in transgenic animals attenuates the reduction of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease expression in neurons after in vitro ischemia and after transient global cerebral ischemiaJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005Purnima Narasimhan Abstract Oxidative stress after ischemia/reperfusion has been shown to induce DNA damage and subsequent DNA repair activity. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE) is a multifunctional protein in the DNA base excision repair pathway which repairs apurinic/apyrimidinic sites in DNA. We investigated the involvement of oxidative stress and expression of APE in neurons after oxygen,glucose deprivation and after global cerebral ischemia. Our results suggest that overexpression of human copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase reduced oxidative stress with a subsequent decrease in APE expression. Production of oxygen free radicals and inhibition of the base excision repair pathway may play pivotal roles in the cell death pathway after ischemia. [source] Synthesis and solution properties of a new pH-responsive polymer containing amino propanesulfonic acid residuesJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 1 2003Sk. Asrof Ali Abstract The reaction of diallyl amine with 1,3-propane sultone led to the synthesis of the zwitterionic monomer 3-(N,N -diallylammonio)propanesulfonate. The sulfobetaine was cyclopolymerized in water in the presence of sodium chloride with t -butylhydroperoxide as an initiator to afford a polysulfobetaine (PSB) in very good yield. PSB, upon treatment with sodium hydroxide, was converted into an anionic polyelectrolyte (APE). Although APE was readily soluble in salt-free water, PSB needed the presence of low-molecular-weight salts (e.g., NaCl, KI, etc., in the range of 0.135,1.04 N) for its dissolution. The solution properties of PSB and APE were investigated with potentiometric and viscometric techniques. The basicity constant of the amine was apparent and followed the modified Henderson,Hasselbalch equation; as the degree of protonation (,) of the whole macromolecule increases, the protonation of the amine nitrogens becomes increasingly more difficult. The composition and phase diagram of the aqueous two-phase systems of APE/PSB and poly(ethylene glycol) were also explored. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 172,184, 2003 [source] Thiol-ene Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Nanostructured Coatings Based on Thiol-Functionalized Zirconium OxoclustersMACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, Issue 23 2007Marco Sangermano Abstract The thiol-functionalized zirconium oxocluster Zr12(µ3 -O)8(µ3 -OH)8(MP)24,·,4MPA was used as inorganic nanosized building block in the thiol-ene photopolymerization of APE and TH in a 1:1 molar mixture. Transparent and crack-free coatings were obtained, and TEM analysis showed that the inorganic particles are well dispersed within the polymeric network with no significant macroscopic agglomeration. An increase of Tg values, storage modulus in the rubbery region, and thermal stability were evidenced by increasing the zirconium oxocluster content in the photocurable formulations. XPS analysis and SIMS depth profile were carried out on UV cured films and showed the presence of a homogeneously distributed zirconium oxocluster. [source] Apple polyphenols diminish the phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor in HT29 colon carcinoma cellsMOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 5 2007Diana Fridrich Abstract Previously, we showed that an apple juice extract (AE) potently inhibits the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In the present study, an apple pomace extract (APE) was found to exceed the EGFR inhibitory properties of AE in a cell-free system. The impact of the extracts on the phosphorylation status of the EGFR in intact cells (HT29) was sensitive to catalase, added to suppress the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. In the absence of catalase, the formation of hydrogen peroxide was observed, achieving 1.1 ± 0.1 ,M (AE) and 1.5 ± 0.1 ,M (APE) after 45 min of incubation. In the presence of catalase, suppressing the hydrogen peroxide level to the solvent control, APE effectively suppressed EGFR phosphorylation, even exceeding the effects of AE. Both extracts inhibited the growth of HT29 cells, albeit the enhanced EGFR inhibitory properties of APE compared to AE were not reflected by a higher growth inhibitory potential. The results clearly show that the effect of apple extracts on the EGFR and cell growth are not simply artefacts of hydrogen peroxide formation. However, the formation of hydrogen peroxide has to be considered to modulate and/or mask cellular responses to apple extracts. [source] Electrocardiographic Differentiation between Acute Pulmonary Embolism and Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes at the BedsideANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Krzysztof Jankowski M.D., Ph.D. Background: Clinical picture of acute pulmonary embolism (APE), with wide range of electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities can mimic acute coronary syndromes. Objectives: Assessment of standard 12-lead ECG usefulness in differentiation at the bedside between APE and non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 143 patients: 98 consecutive patients (mean age 63.4 ± 19.4 year, 45 M) with APE and 45 consecutive patients (mean age 72.8 ± 10.8 year, 44 M) with NSTE-ACS. Standard ECGs recorded on admission were compared in separated groups. Results: Right bundle branch block (RBBB) and S1S2S3 or S1Q3T3 pattern were found in similar frequency in both groups (10 [11%] APE patients vs 6 [14%] NSTE-ACS patients, 27 [28%] patients vs 7 [16%] patients, respectively, NS). Negative T waves in leads V1-3 together with negative T waves in inferior wall leads II, III, aVF (OR 1.3 [1.14,1.68]) significantly indicated APE with a positive predictive value of 85% and specificity of 87%. However, counterclockwise axis rotation (OR 4.57 [2.74,7.61]), ventricular premature beats (OR 2.60 [1.60,4.19]), ST depression in leads V1-3 (OR 2.25 [1.43,3.56]), and negative T waves in leads V5-6 (OR 2.08 [1.31,3.29]) significantly predicted NSTE-ACS. Conclusions: RBBB, S1S2S3, or S1Q3T3 pattern described as characteristic for APE were not helpful in the differentiation between APE and NSTE-ACS in studied group. Coexistence of negative T waves in precordial leads V1-3 and inferior wall leads may suggest APE diagnosis. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2010;15(2):145,150 [source] Use of myocutaneous flaps for perineal closure following abdominoperineal excision of the rectum for adenocarcinomaCOLORECTAL DISEASE, Issue 6 2010S. Chan Abstract Introduction, Abdominoperineal excision (APE) following radiotherapy is associated with a high rate of perineal wound complications. The use of myocutaneous flaps may improve wound healing. We present our experience using myocutaneous flaps for immediate reconstruction. Method, Prospective data were collected on patients undergoing APE from October 2003 to December 2008. Patient demographics, operating time, wound complications and length of stay were recorded. Results, Fifty-one patients underwent APE for rectal adenocarcinoma, 21 had primary closure and 30 had myocutaneous flap closure (24 VRAM, 6 gracilis). The proportion of patients undergoing preoperative radiotherapy in each group were 62% and 93% respectively (P = 0.011). There were no major complications following primary closure of the unirradiated perineum. Major perineal wound complications requiring reoperation or debridement were seen in three (14%) patients following primary closure and five (17%) patients with flap closure. After radiotherapy, closure with a flap reduced the length of stay from 20 to 15 days, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.36). Conclusion, The use of flap closure in irradiated patients is associated with fewer perineal complications and a shorter hospital stay. [source] Synthesis and solution properties of a new pH-responsive polymer containing amino propanesulfonic acid residuesJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 1 2003Sk. Asrof Ali Abstract The reaction of diallyl amine with 1,3-propane sultone led to the synthesis of the zwitterionic monomer 3-(N,N -diallylammonio)propanesulfonate. The sulfobetaine was cyclopolymerized in water in the presence of sodium chloride with t -butylhydroperoxide as an initiator to afford a polysulfobetaine (PSB) in very good yield. PSB, upon treatment with sodium hydroxide, was converted into an anionic polyelectrolyte (APE). Although APE was readily soluble in salt-free water, PSB needed the presence of low-molecular-weight salts (e.g., NaCl, KI, etc., in the range of 0.135,1.04 N) for its dissolution. The solution properties of PSB and APE were investigated with potentiometric and viscometric techniques. The basicity constant of the amine was apparent and followed the modified Henderson,Hasselbalch equation; as the degree of protonation (,) of the whole macromolecule increases, the protonation of the amine nitrogens becomes increasingly more difficult. The composition and phase diagram of the aqueous two-phase systems of APE/PSB and poly(ethylene glycol) were also explored. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 172,184, 2003 [source] Convergence of voices: Assimilation in linguistic therapy of evaluationCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 3 2009Isabel Caro Gabalda This paper shows the convergence of voices in psychotherapy in the context of the assimilation model. Convergence is the link between patients' voices within the community of voices. The main aim of the paper was to explore (a) how convergence (and divergence) is shown during sessions and the usefulness of convergence for the process of assimilation; (b) if a well-structured patient is able to track the sociohistorical antecedents of his/her main voices; and (c) if, at the end of the therapy, the self becomes richer and with more resources. For this aim to be realized, a case study of a patient, María, treated with linguistic therapy of evaluation for 14 sessions, was analysed by using the Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES). Three main problematic experiences or non-dominant voices were identified with the APES: inability to do things, dizziness and tiredness. María's main dominant voices were to cure, solve and overcome problems, to be always doing things and to cope. Results showed a convergence but no divergence of voices as early as session 3. Results also showed how continuity-benevolence assumptions were broken and that, at the end of therapy, the patient's self became richer due to assimilation through the dialogue between non-dominant and dominant voices. Discussion emphasized these results, which are especially representative of a well-integrated patient who showed a healthy multiplicity.,Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Toxicity of nonylphenol on the cnidarian Hydra attenuata and environmental risk assessmentENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2006S. Pachura-Bouchet Abstract Alkylphenols and their derivatives, alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEs), are synthetic chemicals of concern owing to their endocrine properties. Nonylphenol (NP) is a critical APE metabolite because of its recalcitrance to biodegradation, toxicity, and ability to bio-accumulate in aquatic organisms. Studies of NP effects in vertebrates demonstrated estrogenic disrupting properties in fish, birds, reptiles, and mammal cells in which NP displaces the natural estrogen from its receptor. Less is known on its toxicity toward invertebrates. Effects on reproduction have been reported, but toxicity on development has been poorly documented thus far. We investigated NP toxicity on survival and regeneration of the freshwater coelenterate Hydra attenuata. Hydra is known for its regenerative capacity and its sensitivity to chemical pollution. It has been used for over 20 years to screen for teratogenicity of chemicals (Johnson et al. (1982) Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 2:263,276). Our results showed that hydra appeared as one of the most sensitive species to acute and chronic toxicity of NP compared to several freshwater invertebrates. Regeneration was disrupted at NP concentrations lower than those affecting survival. Toxicity thresholds of NP for aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates are also reported and discussed in the context of environmental risk assessment and of water quality objectives recommended for surface waters in industrialized countries. NP levels have decreased during the last decade because of a voluntary agreement of surfactant producers and users. At present, concentrations of NP found in surface waters are far below 1 ,g/L in Europe, but can reach several ,g/L when wastewater treatment plant inefficiency occurs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 388,394, 2006. [source] Estimating chimpanzee population size with nest counts: validating methods in Taď National ParkAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Célestin Yao Kouakou Abstract Successful conservation and management of wild animals require reliable estimates of their population size. Ape surveys almost always rely on counts of sleeping nests, as the animals occur at low densities and visibility is low in tropical forests. The reliability of standing-crop nest counts and marked-nest counts, the most widely used methods, has not been tested on populations of known size. Therefore, the answer to the question of which method is more appropriate for surveying chimpanzee population remains problematic and comparisons among sites are difficult. This study aimed to test the validity of these two methods by comparing their estimates to the known population size of three habituated chimpanzee communities in Taď National Park [Boesch et al., Am J Phys Anthropol 130:103,115, 2006; Boesch et al., Am J Primatol 70:519,532, 2008]. In addition to transect surveys, we made observations on nest production rate and nest lifetime. Taď chimpanzees built 1.143 nests per day. The mean nest lifetime of 141 fresh nests was 91.22 days. Estimate precision for the two methods did not differ considerably (difference of coefficient of variation <5%). The estimate of mean nest decay time was more precise (CV=6.46%) when we used covariates (tree species, rainfall, nest height and age) to model nest decay rate, than when we took a simple mean of nest decay times (CV=9.17%). The two survey methods produced point estimates of chimpanzee abundance that were similar and reliable: i.e. for both methods the true chimpanzee abundance was included within the 95% estimate confidence interval. We recommend further research on covariate modeling of nest decay times as one way to improve the precision and to reduce the costs of conducting nest surveys. Am. J. Primatol. 71:447,457, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Categorical Perception and Conceptual Judgments by Nonhuman Primates: The Paleological Monkey and the Analogical ApeCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Roger K. R. Thompson Studies of the conceptual abilities of nonhuman primates demonstrate the substantial range of these abilities as well as their limitations. Such abilities range from categorization on the basis of shared physical attributes, associative relations and functions to abstract concepts as reflected in analogical reasoning about relations between relations. The pattern of results from these studies point to a fundamental distinction between monkeys and apes in both their implicit and explicit conceptual capacities. Monkeys, but not apes, might be best regarded as "paleo-logicans" in the sense that they form common class concepts of identity on the basis of identical predicates (i.e., shared features). The discrimination of presumably more abstract relations commonly involves relatively simple procedural strategies mediated by associative processes likely shared by all mammals. There is no evidence that monkeys can perceive, let alone judge, relations-between-relations. This analogical conceptual capacity is found only in chimpanzees and humans. Interestingly, the "analogical ape," like the child, can make its analogical knowledge explicit only if it is first provided with a symbol system by which propositional representations can be encoded and manipulated. [source] Do great apes use emotional expressions to infer desires?DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2009David Buttelmann Although apes understand others' goals and perceptions, little is known about their understanding of others' emotional expressions. We conducted three studies following the general paradigm of Repacholi and colleagues (1997, 1998). In Study 1, a human reacted emotionally to the hidden contents of two boxes, after which the ape was allowed to choose one of the boxes. Apes distinguished between two of the expressed emotions (happiness and disgust) by choosing appropriately. In Studies 2 and 3, a human reacted either positively or negatively to the hidden contents of two containers; then the ape saw him eating something. When given a choice, apes correctly chose the container to which the human had reacted negatively, based on the inference that the human had just eaten the food to which he had reacted positively , and so the other container still had food left in it. These findings suggest that great apes understand both the directedness and the valence of some human emotional expressions, and can use this understanding to infer desires. [source] Book review: Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and DolphinsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Joan C. Stevenson No abstract is available for this article. [source] Are apes inequity averse?AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009New data on the token-exchange paradigm Abstract Recent studies have produced mixed evidence about inequity aversion in nonhuman primates. Brosnan et al. [Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences 272:253,258, 2005] found inequity aversion in chimpanzees and argued that effort is crucial, if subjects are to evaluate how they are rewarded in comparison to a competitor for an identical performance. In this study we investigated inequity aversion with chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans, using the method of Brosnan et al. [Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences 272:253,258, 2005] after introducing some methodological improvements. Subjects always received a less-preferred food in exchange for a token, whereas the competitor received either the same type of food for their token (equity) or a more favored food for it (inequity). Apes did not refuse more of the less-preferred food when a competitor had received the more favored food. Thus, with an improved methodology we failed to reproduce the findings of Brosnan et al. [Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences 272:253,258, 2005] that apes show inequity aversion. Am. J. Primatol. 71:175,181, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Nature of Play: Great Apes and HumansCHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2007David Galloway No abstract is available for this article. [source] Pointing Behaviors in Apes and Human Infants: A Balanced InterpretationCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2007Juan-Carlos Gómez This article presents a tentatively "balanced" view (i.e., midway between lean and rich interpretations) of pointing behavior in infants and apes, based upon the notion of intentional reading of behavior without simultaneous attribution of unobservable mental states. This can account for the complexity of infant pointing without attributing multilayered mindreading to infants. It can also account for ape pointing, which shares some of the complexities of infant pointing, but departs from it in other respects, notably in its range of motives and its focus upon the regulation of executive behavior. The article explores some explanations for these similarities and differences and calls for a new look at human infant communication unbiased by adult communication models. [source] Extending phylogenetic studies of coevolution: secondary Brooks parsimony analysis, parasites, and the Great ApesCLADISTICS, Issue 2 2003Daniel R Brooks Dowling recently compared the empirical properties of Brooks parsimony analysis (BPA) and the leading method for studying phylogenetic aspects of coevolution, reconciled tree analysis (using the computer program TreeMap), based on a series of simulations. Like the majority of authors who have compared BPA with other methods, however, Dowling considered only the form of BPA proposed in 1981 and did not take into account various modifications of the method proposed from 1986 to 2002. This leaves some doubt as to the robustness of his assessments of both the superiority of BPA and its shortcomings. We provide a précis of the principles of contemporary BPA, including ways to implement it algorithmically, using either Wagner algorithm-based or Hennigian argumentation-based approaches, followed by an empirical example. Our study supports Dowling's fundamental conclusions about the superiority of primary BPA relative to TreeMap. However, his conclusions about the shortcomings of BPA due to inclusive ORing (i.e., the production of ghost taxa) are incorrect, as secondary BPA eliminates inclusive ORing from the method. Secondary BPA provides a more complete account of the evolutionary associations between the parasite groups and their hosts than does primary BPA, without sacrificing any indirectly generated information about host phylogeny. Secondary BPA of two groups of nematodes inhabiting Great Apes shows that TreeMap analysis underestimated the amount of cospeciation in the evolution of the nematode genus Enterobius. [source] Representing Space and Objects in Monkeys and ApesCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Josep Call Primate foraging can be construed as a set of interconnected problems that include finding food, selecting efficient travel routes, anticipating the positions of moving prey, and manipulating, and occasionally, extracting food items using tools. The evidence reviewed in this paper strongly suggests that both monkeys and apes use three types of representation (i.e., static, dynamic, and relational) to solve various problems. Static representations involve recalling certain features of the environment, dynamic representations involve imagining changes in the trajectories of moving objects, and relational representations involve encoding the properties of objects in relation to other objects. Contrary to previous claims, no clear differences were found between the representational skills of monkeys and apes. Current evidence also suggests that primates may be better at representing general compared to specific problem features. Finally, we have characterized the domains of space and objects as complementary and indicated future lines of research in these domains. [source] Antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies in recurrent early pregnancy loss and mid-to-late pregnancy loss,JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2004Toshitaka Sugi Abstract Aim:, Associations have been reported between antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), mainly anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and/or the lupus anticoagulant, and recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL). However, relatively few studies describing antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE) have been reported. We describe the prevalence of aPL to both cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine in patients with RPL. Methods:, Patients with recurrent early pregnancy losses (n = 145) and mid-to-late pregnancy loss(es) (n = 26) were screened for aPE and aCL. Results:, In patients with recurrent early pregnancy losses, prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) aPE (17.9%, P = 0.001) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) aPE (12.4%, P = 0.01) was significantly higher than in the control group. In patients with mid-to-late pregnancy loss(es), prevalence of IgM aPE (19.2%, P = 0.008) and IgG aCL (23.1%, P = 0.02) was significantly higher than in the control group. Conclusion:, Our data suggest that aPE may be a risk factor in patients with mid-to-late pregnancy loss(es) as well as recurrent early pregnancy losses. [source] Antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Carlos J. Bidot Abstract Antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) are associated with anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), a thrombotic disorder, but they are also frequently detected in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a bleeding disorder. To investigate possible differences of APLA between these two disorders, we assayed IgG and IgM APLA by ELISA in 21 patients with ITP and 33 with APS. The APLA reacting against two protein target antigens, ,2 -glycoprotein 1 (,2GP1) and FVII/VIIa, and four phospholipids [cardiolipin (CL), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)] as well as lupus anticoagulant (LA) were analyzed. We made the following observations: (i) IgG and IgM antibodies to ,2GP1 and IgM antibodies to FVII/VIIa were more common in APS than ITP, P < 0.05, while IgG antibodies against the phospholipids (aCL, aPC, aPS, aPE) were more common in ITP than APS, P < 0.05; (ii) multiple APLA ,3 antigens) were more frequent in APS than ITP, P < 0.05; (iii) LA was frequently associated with APS but was absent in ITP; (iv) APLA is quite common in ITP: two-thirds were positive for at least one APLA. In summary, APLA are prevalent in ITP but their profile differs from APS. In APS, antibodies were predominantly against ,2GP1 and 80% had positive LA, while in ITP the APLA reacted most often with the phospholipids without LA. The difference in APLA may result in opposite clinical manifestations in two disorders. Am. J. Hematol. 81:391,396, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Do great apes use emotional expressions to infer desires?DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2009David Buttelmann Although apes understand others' goals and perceptions, little is known about their understanding of others' emotional expressions. We conducted three studies following the general paradigm of Repacholi and colleagues (1997, 1998). In Study 1, a human reacted emotionally to the hidden contents of two boxes, after which the ape was allowed to choose one of the boxes. Apes distinguished between two of the expressed emotions (happiness and disgust) by choosing appropriately. In Studies 2 and 3, a human reacted either positively or negatively to the hidden contents of two containers; then the ape saw him eating something. When given a choice, apes correctly chose the container to which the human had reacted negatively, based on the inference that the human had just eaten the food to which he had reacted positively , and so the other container still had food left in it. These findings suggest that great apes understand both the directedness and the valence of some human emotional expressions, and can use this understanding to infer desires. [source] Rudabánya: A late miocene subtropical swamp deposit with evidence of the origin of the African apes and humansEVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2002László Kordos Abstract Rudabánya, a rich late Miocene fossil site in northern central Hungary, has yielded an abundant record of fossil primates, including the primitive catarrhine Anapithecus and the early great ape Dryopithecus. While the affinities of Anapithecus are not clear, Dryopithecus is clearly a great ape sharing numerous characteristics of its dental, cranial and postcranial anatomy with living great apes. Like all Miocene hominids (great apes and humans), Dryopithecus is more primitive in a number of ways than any living hominid, which is probably related to the passage of time since the divergence of the various lineages of living hominids, allowing for similar refinements in morphology and adaptation to take place independently. On the other hand, Dryopithecus (and Ouranopithecus) share derived characters with hominines (African apes and humans), and Sivapithecus (and Ankarapithecus) share derived characters with orangutans, thus dating the split between pongines and hominines to a time before the evolution of these fossil great apes. Pongines and hominines follow similar fates in the late Miocene, the pongines moving south into Southeast Asia from southern or eastern Asia and the hominines moving south into East Africa from the Mediterranean region, between 6 to 9 Ma. [source] Analysis of factors that affect maternal behaviour and breeding success in great apes in captivityINTERNATIONAL ZOO YEARBOOK, Issue 1 2006M. T. ABELLO In this paper the relationship between maternal behaviour and breeding success (or failure) in great apes is described. Data were gathered from a questionnaire survey returned by 48 zoos and from available studbook data, giving a total sample size of 687 individuals [Gorillas Gorilla gorilla (n= 277), Bonobos Pan paniscus (n= 37), Chimpanzees Pan troglodytes (n= 216) and Orangutans Pongo pygmaeus (n= 157)] born between 1990 and 2000 at 86 institutions. The factors influencing maternal behaviour are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the importance of learning and experience for the development of good maternal skills. The rearing background and social-group circumstances of the breeding , were analysed, including her rearing situation (own mother, conspecific surrogate or hand-reared), opportunity (or not) to observe maternal behaviour in conspecifics during development and previous breeding experience. The effects of maternal training are also analysed. The results show that for a , great ape to demonstrate good maternal skills, the most effective experience is to have been reared by her own mother and to have observed maternal behaviour in a social group comprising mature individuals and infants. This gives ,, the opportunity to observe and learn how to care adequately for their own offspring. [source] Great EscApe: the great ape facility at Oklahoma City Zoological ParkINTERNATIONAL ZOO YEARBOOK, Issue 1 2000J. GRISHAM On 31 July 1993, after nearly 4 years of design and construction, Oklahoma City Zoological Park opened Great EscApe, a state-of-the-art exhibit for the maintenance and conservation of three species of great ape: Western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla, Sumatran orang-utan Pongo pygmaeus abelii and Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes. The 2,6 ha enclosure comprises a large support facility, four spacious outdoor exhibit areas, two visitor centres, a children's activity loop, an open-air pavilion and a research station. In addition, Great EscApe provides an educational experience for visitors covering all facets of great ape biology and the conservation challenges which these species present. Extensive landscaping with plants, many of which simulate the natural surroundings of the apes, was utilized throughout the exhibit. [source] Apparent density of the primate calcaneo-cuboid joint and its association with locomotor mode, foot posture, and the "midtarsal break"AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Matthew G. Nowak Abstract Primates use a range of locomotor modes during which they incorporate various foot postures. Humans are unique compared with other primates in that humans lack a mobile fore- and midfoot. Rigidity in the human foot is often attributed to increased propulsive and stability requirements during bipedalism. Conversely, fore- and midfoot mobility in nonhuman primates facilitates locomotion in arboreal settings. Here, we evaluated apparent density (AD) in the subchondral bone of human, ape, and monkey calcanei exhibiting different types of foot loading. We used computed tomography osteoabsorptiometry and maximum intensity projection (MIP) maps to visualize AD in subchondral bone at the cuboid articular surface of calcanei. MIPs represent 3D volumes (of subchondral bone) condensed into 2D images by extracting AD maxima from columns of voxels comprising the volumes. False-color maps are assigned to MIPs by binning pixels in the 2D images according to brightness values. We compared quantities and distributions of AD pixels in the highest bin to test predictions relating AD patterns to habitual locomotor modes and foot posture categories of humans and several nonhuman primates. Nonhuman primates exhibit dorsally positioned high AD concentrations, where maximum compressive loading between the calcaneus and cuboid likely occurs during "midtarsal break" of support. Humans exhibit less widespread areas of high AD, which could reflect reduced fore- and midfoot mobility. Analysis of the internal morphology of the tarsus, such as subchondral bone AD, potentially offers new insights for evaluating primate foot function during locomotion. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Joint orientation and function in great ape and human proximal pedal phalangesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Nicole L. Griffin Abstract Previous studies have referred to the degree of dorsal canting of the base of the proximal phalanx as an indicator of human-like metatarsophalangeal joint function and thus a diagnostic trait of habitual bipedality in the fossil record. Here, we used a simple method to investigate differences in forefoot function on a finer scale. Building on Duncan et al.'s (Am J Phys Anthropol 93 [1994] 67,81) research, we tested whether dorsal canting reflects differences between sexes in locomotor behavior, whether habitual shoe wear influences dorsal canting in humans, and whether proximal joint morphology differs between rays in Pan and humans. Our results corroborate previous research in showing that humans have proximal phalanges with joint orientations that are significantly more dorsal than, but overlap with, those of great apes. We also found that male gorillas have significantly more dorsally canted second proximal phalanges than their female counterparts, while the opposite pattern between the sexes was found in Pan troglodytes. Inter-ray comparisons indicate that Pan have more dorsally canted first proximal phalanges than second proximal phalanges, while the opposite pattern was found in humans. Minimally shod humans have slightly but significantly more dorsally canted second proximal phalanges than those of habitually shod humans, indicating that phalanges of unshod humans provide the most appropriate comparative samples for analyses of early hominins. Overall, our analysis suggests that though the measurement of dorsal canting is limited in its sensitivity to certain intraspecific differences in function, phalangeal joint orientation reflects interspecific differences in joint function, with the caveat that different patterns of forefoot function during gait can involve similar articular sets of metatarsophalangeal joints. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Male and female western gorilla diet: Preferred foods, use of fallback resources, and implications for ape versus old world monkey foraging strategiesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2009D. Doran-Sheehy Abstract Most of what is currently known about western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) diet is based on indirect studies using fecal samples and trail signs rather than measures based on direct observations. Here we report results on adult male and female western gorilla foraging behavior, based on systematic focal observations and nutritional analyses of foods. We found that western gorillas, like other apes, are highly selective ripe fruit specialists, seeking fruit high in energy, low in antifeedants, and rare in the environment. During seasonal fruiting peaks, fruit accounted for up to 70% of feeding time. When ripe fruit was scarce, gorillas increased time spent feeding on leaves and nonpreferred fruits and herbs. Leaves were the major fallback food, accounting for up to 70% of feeding time in males and 50% in females during periods of fruit scarcity. In spite of large differences in body size, the sexes were remarkably similar in their overall diet, not differing in time spent feeding on fruit or preferred herbs. However, the male consistently fed more often and on a greater variety of leaves than did females, whereas females fed more often on fallback herbs and termites. Our findings, when considered in light of previous findings on sympatric mangabeys, indicate that the foraging strategy of western gorillas is broadly similar to that of chimpanzees and orangutans, and distinct from that of old world monkeys. Am J Phys Anthropol 140:727,738, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||