Neanderthal hand and foot remains from Moula‐Guercy,Ardèche,France

The hand and foot remains from Moula‐Guercy cave (Ardèche, France) comprise 24 specimens of Eemian age (ca. 120 ka). The specimens include primarily complete elements, which are rare among the Moula‐Guercy postcrania. The hand remains have several characteristic Neanderthal traits including a laterally facing (parasagittally oriented) second metacarpal‐capitate articulation, a short styloid process, a wide proximal articular surface on the third metacarpal, and absolutely expanded apical tuberosities on the distal hand phalanges relative to modern humans. The foot remains include several incomplete elements along with an antimeric pair of naviculars, a medial cuneiform and cuboid, and a single complete element from each of the distal segments (one each: metatarsal, proximal foot phalanx, intermediate foot phalanx, distal foot phalanx). Consistent among the specimens are relatively wide diaphyses for length in the metatarsals and phalanges and large and prominent muscle attachments, both consistent with previously published Neanderthal morphology. The hand and foot collection from Moula‐Guercy is an important dataset for future studies of Neanderthal functional morphology, dexterity, and behavior as it represents a previously undersampled time period for European Neanderthals. Am J Phys Anthropol 152:516–529, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

我院医务人员手部葡萄球菌携带调查及增多原因分析

目的调查我院医务人员手部葡萄球菌携带情况,查明其增多原因。方法将医务人员手部携带的部分金黄色葡萄球菌、凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌做了“８４”消毒剂定性杀菌试验、ＭＩＣ检测、β－内酰胺酶、耐甲氧西林检测,抗菌药物耐药谱、质粒酶切谱分型。结果发现我院医务人员手部金黄葡萄球菌、葡萄球菌携带率已分别从１９９２年的８７０％（１０／１１５）、３２１７％（３７／１１５）上升至１９９７年的３４０６％（７８／２２９）、６５９４％（１５１／２２９）,且７７９７％的菌株为ＭＲＳＡ（或ＭＲＣＮＳ）,各科室之间无同源菌株。全部试验菌株在“８４”消毒剂有效氯的含量为１００ｐｐｍ浓度时,１分钟内可将其全部杀灭。结论我院医务人员手部葡萄球菌及金黄色葡萄球菌逐年上升的因素为：①长时间使用“８４”消毒剂,导致了部分菌株对“８４”消毒剂敏感性降低;②医务人员不常洗手;③采用“８４”消毒剂洗手致手部粗糙,难以洗净。     

Forelimb dimensions and goniometry of the wrist and fingers in tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella): Developmental and comparative aspects

Adult capuchin monkeys use precision grips during manipulation of small objects, although their thumbs have been classified as pseudo-opposable. We investigated the physical properties of the hands to increase our understanding of manual function in capuchins. Forelimb dimensions and joint mobility (goniometric) measurements were obtained from adult, juvenile, and infant tufted capuchins (Cebus apella). Compared to adult squirrel monkeys, adult capuchins exhibited less flexibility of the wrist and digits. Capuchins of all ages had proportionally longer hands than squirrel monkeys, and capuchins more than 7 weeks old had proportionally longer thumbs than squirrel monkeys. Growth of the arms and hands was asynchronous. The duration of growth of the thumb was particularly prolonged, extending into early adulthood. Age-related changes in flexibility were apparent in most indices, and were greatest at the metacarpophalangeal joints. It is unknown to what extent the characteristics of growth, forelimb dimensions, and goniometry presented by capuchins are shared with other species, or if they contribute to the capuchin's unusual prehensive capacities. However, the marked differences between adult capuchins and squirrel monkeys in these metrics, and between capuchins and rhesus in the growth patterns of the digits, suggest that variation across taxa in these characteristics can be considerable.     

Ontogeny of limb mass distribution in infant baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

Primates have more distally distributed limb muscle mass compared to most nonprimate mammals. The heavy distal limbs of primates are likely related to their strong manual and pedal grasping abilities, and interspecific differences in limb mass distributions among primates are correlated with the amount of time spent on arboreal supports. Within primate species, individuals at different developmental stages appear to differ in limb mass distribution patterns. For example infant macaques have more distally distributed limb mass at young ages. A shift from distal to proximal limb mass concentrations coincides with a shift from dependent travel (grasping their mother's hair) to independent locomotion. Because the functional demands placed on limbs may differ between taxa, understanding the ontogeny of limb mass distribution patterns is likely an essential element in interpreting the diversity of limb mass distribution patterns present in adult primates. This study examines changes in limb inertial properties during ontogeny in a longitudinal sample of infant baboons (Papio cynocephalus). The results of this study show that infant baboons undergo a transition from distal to proximal limb mass distribution patterns. This transition in limb mass distribution coincides with the transition from dependent to independent locomotion during infant development. Compared to more arboreal macaques, infant baboons undergo a faster transition to more proximal limb mass distribution patterns. These results suggest that functional demands placed on the limbs during ontogeny have a strong impact on the development of limb mass distribution patterns.     

Comparative and functional morphology of hominoid fingers.

Comparisons of hominoid metacarpals and phalanges reveal differences, many of which are closely linked to locomotor hand postures. The African apes display features of the metacarpals and phalanges which distinguish them from the other Hominoidea. These features are most evident in digits III and IV. The orangutan hand is demonstrably less well adapted to knuckle-walking and is distinctive in its adaptation to power and hook grasping of vertical and horizontal supports, respectively. Orangutan fingers possess a "double-locking" mechanism (Napier, '60), and a slight ulnad shift in the axis of the hand which results in lengthened phalanges of ray IV. Hylobatid apes are more like orangutans in their finger morphology than any of the other Hominoidea, but exhibit unique features of their own. These include elongate phalanges of fingers II-V. Human metacarpals II-V form two sets composed of II-III, and IV-V. The heads of both metacarpals II and III are characterized by axial torsion. This reflects the enhanced manipulatory role of the third finger in humans. Human distal phalanges are unique in the development of pronounced apical tufts. Multivariate analysis of metacarpal III and proximal III yields variables that array the extant apes along an arboreal-terrestrial axis, from hylobatid apes to male gorillas. The positions of taxa on this discriminant concur with observations on the locomotion of free-ranging apes.     

How we perceive our own hands: Effects of attention,aging, and sex

Abstract

This study investigates whether both the perception of somesthetic sensations arising spontaneously on the hand and their modulation by attention are subject to change with advancing age and sex. Participants aged between 50 and 68 (N?=?24), and younger (19–27; N?=?24), with an equal sex ratio in each group, described the spontaneous sensations they felt on one of their hands. Two 10-s tests were carried out with participants either seeing their tested hand (gaze towards the visible hand) or not (contralateral gaze, hidden hand). Within the age range covered by our participants, aging had an effect on the spatial distribution of sensations, insofar as the older participants reported feeling more sensations in their palm whereas the younger participants had more sensitive fingers. Age also influenced the number, nature, intensity, and duration of sensations in interaction with gaze and/or sex. The most frequent pattern was a benefit of ipsilateral relative to contralateral gazing in young women. Attentional modulation was seldom observed in men and was absent among older participants.     

Estimation of Distances and Variances in Bookstein's Landmark Model

Planar random figures can be described by series of landmarks. Bookstein's model assumes that the landmarks result from independent individual fluctuations around fixed fictive landmark centres. The aim of this paper is to estimate the distances between the centers and the variances of fluctuations around them. Furthermore, two new shape variable estimators are suggested and compared with an estimator of Bookstein.     

Anthropomorphic Control of a Dexterous Artificial Hand via Task Dependent Temporally Synchronized Synergies

Despite the recent influx of increasingly dexterous prostheses, there remains a lack of sufficiently intuitive control methods to fully utilize this dexterity. As a solution to this problem, a control framework is proposed which allows the control of an arbitrary number of Degrees of Freedom （DOF） through a single electromyogram （EMG） control input. Initially, the joint motions of nine test subjects were recorded while grasping and catching a cylinder. Inherent differences emerged depending upon whether the cylinder was grasped or caught. These data were used to form a distinct synergy for each task, described as the families of parametric functions of time that share a mutual time vector. These two Temporally Synchronized Synergies （TSS） were derived to reflect the task dependent control strategies adopted by the initial participants. These synergies were then mapped to a dexterous artificial hand that was subsequently controlled by two subjects with transradial amputations. The EMG signals from these subjects were used to replace the time vector shared by the synergies, enabling the subjects to perform both tasks with a dexterous artificial hand using only a single EMG input. After a ten minute training period, the subjects learned to use the dexterous artificial hand to grasp and catch the cylinder with 100.0% and 65.0% average success rates, respectively.     

A clarification of Pouydebat et al., 2008, evolution of grasping among anthropoids

Several statements by Pouydebat et al. (2008) do not adequately represent views of authors cited, in part because they reflect confusion in the literature about terminology regarding precision gripping. We address these problems, by tracing definitions of precision grips through the literature on manipulative behaviour and identifying the grip that is central to the Pouydebat et al. (2008) study. This allows us to offer a clarification of the statements by Pouydebat et al. (2008) regarding the sequence of appearance of human grip capabilities and possible morphological correlates to these capabilities in extant species.     

Peptide and metal ion-dependent association of isolated helix-loop-helix calcium binding domains: studies of thrombic fragments of calmodulin

Calmodulin (CaM), the ubiquitous, eukaryotic, bilobal calcium-binding regulatory protein, has been cleaved by thrombin to create two fragments. TM1 (1-106) and TM2 (107-148). NMR and CD results indicate that TMI and TM2 can associate in the presence of Ca2+ to form a complex similar to native CaM, even though the cleavage site is not in the linker region between two helix-loop-helix domains, but rather within an alpha-helix. Cadmium-113 NMR results show that this complex has enhanced metal-ion binding properties when compared to either TM1 or TM2 alone. This complex can bind several CaM-binding target peptides, as shown by gel bandshift assays, circular dichroism spectra, and 13C NMR spectra of biosynthetically methyl-13C-Met-labeled TM1 and TM2; moreover, gel bandshift assays show that the addition of a target peptide strengthens the interactions between TM1 and TM2 and increases the stability of the complex. Cadmium-113 NMR spectra indicate that the TM1:TM2 complex can also bind the antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine. However, in contrast to CaM:peptide complexes, the TM1:TM2:peptide complexes are disrupted by 4 M urea; moreover, TM1 and TM2 in combination are unable to activate CaM-dependent enzymes. This suggests that TM1:TM2 mixtures cannot bind target molecules as tightly as intact CaM, or perhaps that binding occurs but additional interactions with the target enzymes that are necessary for proper activation are perturbed by the proteolytic cleavage. The results presented here reflect the importance of the existence of helix-loop-helix Ca2+-binding domains in pairs in proteins such as CaM, and extend the understanding of the association of such domains in this class of proteins in general.     

Dynamics of Ca2+-saturated calmodulin D129N mutant studied by multiple molecular dynamics simulations

Fifteen independent 1-nsec MD simulations of fully solvated Ca(2+) saturated calmodulin (CaM) mutant D129N were performed from different initial conditions to provide a sufficient statistical basis to gauge the significance of observed dynamical properties. In all MD simulations the four Ca(2+) ions remained in their binding sites, and retained a single water ligand as observed in the crystal structure. The coordination of Ca(2+) ions in EF-hands I, II, and III was sevenfold. In EF-hand IV, which was perturbed by the mutation of a highly conserved Asp129, an anomalous eightfold Ca(2+) coordination was observed. The Ca(2+) binding loop in EF-hand II was observed to dynamically sample conformations related to the Ca(2+)-free form. Repeated MD simulations implicate two well-defined conformations of Ca(2+) binding loop II, whereas similar effect was not observed for loops I, III, and IV. In 8 out of 15 MD simulations Ca(2+) binding loop II adopted an alternative conformation in which the Thr62 >C=O group was displaced from the Ca(2+) coordination by a water molecule, resulting in the Ca(2+) ion ligated by two water molecules. The alternative conformation of the Ca(2+) binding loop II appears related to the "closed" state involved in conformational exchange previously detected by NMR in the N-terminal domain fragment of CaM and the C-terminal domain fragment of the mutant E140Q. MD simulations suggest that conformations involved in microsecond exchange exist partially preformed on the nanosecond time scale.     

Centrin isoforms in mammals. Relation to calmodulin

In mammals, three calmodulin (CaM) genes code for 100% identical proteins. In these species, four centrin (Cetn) genes have been reported to exist. They are examined in this paper. While the gene for Cetn 1 contains no introns and appears to be derived from Cetn 2 by retroposition, a gene product for Cetn 1 is expressed. Cetn 2, 3, and 4 represent bona fide genes. The major difference between the members of the CaM and the Cetn subfamilies is the presence (usually) in Cetn of an approximately 23 amino acids long (but occasionally much longer) protruding amino acid end. In all members of these two subgroups, four EF hand motifs (in this paper taken as loops containing 12 amino acids) are separated by 24, 25 and 24 amino acids (each a helix–loop–helix) positioned between motifs 1and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4, respectively. This rule applies not only to CaM and Cetn in mammals but also to these two subfamilies in simpler eukaryotes such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Giardia lamblia. The various mRNA products can be identified most readily by their characteristic 3′ UTRs. While CaM is an ancient molecule that is expressed in all cells and is ubiquitous within these cells and interacts therein with almost 100 different proteins, many of which display the IQ or related binding motifs, the distribution and function of Cetn (an equally ancient molecule) is restricted mostly to basal bodies (e.g. in rods of the retina), axonemes, flagella, cilia and centrosomes. Are these two subclasses of calcium carriers (each molecule possessing four EF hands which possibly interact with different association constants)—if they are both present within a cell—randomly chosen for their service to the specific proteins with which they interact?     

四肢手足对称多指趾发育的基因特征与显微镜手术预后的相关性

目的:探讨四肢手足对称多指趾发育的基因特征与显微镜手术预后的相关性。方法:2016年2月至2020年1月选择在本院诊治的四肢手足对称多指趾患儿110例作为研究对象,所有患儿都给予显微手术治疗,记录预后情况。采用PCR方法检测HOXD13基因突变情况并进行相关性分析。结果:在110例患儿中,HOXD13基因突变45例,突变率为40.9%。突变组的性别、年龄、体重指数、血压、Wassel分型等与非突变组对比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。术后3个月突变组的疗效优良率为77.8%,显著低于非突变组的96.9%(P<0.05)。术后3个月突变组的肌腱粘连、切口感染、皮肤坏死、指趾间关节偏斜等并发症发生率为28.9%,显著高于非突变组的3.1%(P<0.05)。Pearson分析显示HOXD13基因突变与预后疗效、并发症等都存在相关性(P<0.05);多因素logistic回归分析分析显示HOXD13基因突变也是影响患儿预后疗效、并发症的主要因素(P<0.05)。结论:四肢手足对称多指趾患儿多伴随有HOXD13基因突变,显微手术具有很好的可行性,HOXD13基因突变与显微手术预后有显著相关性。     

SK channels and calmodulin

Calcium ions are Nature's most widely used signaling mechanism, mediating communication between pathways at virtually every physiological level. Ion channels are no exception, as the activities of a wide range of ion channels are intricately shaped by fluctuations in intracellular Ca²⁺ levels. Mirroring the importance and the breadth of Ca²⁺ signaling, free Ca²⁺ levels are tightly controlled, and a myriad of Ca²⁺ binding proteins transduce Ca²⁺ signals, each with its own nuance, comprising a constantly changing symphony of metabolic activity. The founding member of Ca²⁺ binding proteins is calmodulin (CaM), a small, acidic, modular protein endowed with gymnastic-like flexibility and E-F hand motifs that chelate Ca²⁺ ions. In this review, I will trace the history that led to the realization that CaM serves as the Ca²⁺-gating cue for SK channels, the experiments that revealed that CaM is an intrinsic subunit of SK channels, and itself a target of regulation.