A new therian mammal from the Rhaetic locality of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port (France)

In this paper a new taxon of Kuehneotheriidae is described and diagnosed, mainly by comparison with the genus Kuehneotherium . By its greater age and its more primitive evolutionary state, Woutersia mirabilis gen. et sp. nov. is a particularly interesting element of the fauna and enlarges the concept of the Kuehneotheriidae.
Dans cet article est dAecrit et défini un nouveau taxon de Kuehneotheriidés, Woutersia mirabilis gen. et sp. nov., par comparaison avec Kuehneotherium . Son âge plus ancien et son stade évolution considéré comme plus primitif en font un élément particuliérement intéressant, qui élargit en outre le concept des Kuehneotheriidés.     

Relationship between age and deposit of peritubular dentine

Peritubular dentine is a mineralised deposit formed centripetally in the dentine tubules with advancing age, so that the tubular diameter is smaller in teeth from older persons. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between age in humans and the amount of peritubular dentine and the extent of the consequent obliteration of the tubules, and to find out whether this relationship was strong enough to be used as a parameter for age estimation. Fifty mandibular central and lateral human incisors were ground on the lingual aspect of the root and examined in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The number of open tubules was counted and the diameter of the tubules measured both before and after etching with 35% orthophosphoric acid. The difference in the number of tubules in unetched and etched specimens was taken to be the number of occluded tubules, and the difference in radii before and after etching to be the thickness of peritubular dentine. The results did not demonstrate a significant relationship between age and the reduction in the number of tubules. One explanation might be that a certain age has to be reached before obliterated dentine tubules can be observed. The correlation between age and the thickness of peritubular dentine was not significant in teeth extracted because of periodontal disease, so these teeth were excluded from the regression analysis with age as the dependent variable. Only the thickness of peritubular dentine was included in the regression (r=0.69); this factor was a better indicator of age than the tubular diameter, but not so closely related to age that it can be recommended for general use in forensic and archaeological age estimations.     

Puncture-Resistance of Gloves for Handling Bats

ABSTRACT We quantified protection given by a variety of gloves against bat bites by using steel indenters to simulate teeth and measuring forces needed to puncture the gloves. Level of protection given by gloves was compared to expected bite forces and tooth sharpness of bats. Cotton, plastic-coated synthetic fabric, and proprietary materials advertised as puncture- and cut-resistant were easy to penetrate compared to leather gloves. Split leather gives the highest level of protection, but with reduced dexterity. These are best for handling larger bats (>40 g) or if higher safety is preferred. Deerskin gives reasonable protection without much loss in dexterity for handling bats <40 g.     

Intrastriatal transplantation of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth reduces motor defects in Parkinsonian rats

Background

This study explored the neural differentiation and therapeutic effects of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Abnormal births and other “ill omens”

We summarize the ethnographic literature illustrating that “abnormal birth” circumstances and “ill omens” operate as cues to terminate parental investment. A review of the medical literature provides evidence to support our assertion that ill omens serve as markers of biological conditions that will threaten the survival of infants. Daly and Wilson (1984) tested the prediction that children of demonstrably poor phenotypic quality will be common victims of infanticide. We take this hypothesis one stage further and argue that some children will be poor vehicles for parental investment yet are not of demonstrably poor quality at birth. We conclude that when people dispose of infants due to “superstitious beliefs” they are pursuing an adaptive strategy in eliminating infants who are poor vehicles for parental investment. Catherine Hill lectures in biological anthropology/human sciences at Durham University’s University College, Stockton. She trained in biological anthropology at University College, London. Her current research interests include human and nonhuman primate socioecology and human resource ecology and development issues. Helen Ball lectures in biological anthropology/human sciences at Durham University’s University College, Stockton. She trained in biological anthropology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her current research interests include nonhuman primate behavior and socioecology, reproductive biology, and evolutionary issues.     

NEOSELACHIAN SHARK AND RAY TEETH FROM THE VALANGINIAN, LOWER CRETACEOUS, OF WĄWAŁ, CENTRAL POLAND

Abstract:  Valanginian strata at Wąwał in central Poland have yielded the oldest marine neoselachian assemblages from the Cretaceous of Europe. The faunas comprise seven taxa including Heterodontus polonicus sp. nov., an indeterminate orectolobiform, Protolamna sp., Palaeoscyllium sp., Synechodus nitidus , Squatina cranei and Belemnobatis sp. Heterodontus polonicus is recognized primarily by the high amount of reticulate ornamentation on the lower labial side of the anterior teeth. The faunas from Wąwał are numerically dominated by neoselachian genera such as Synechodus , Heterodontus and Belemnobatis that were already well established in the Jurassic. More modern taxa include the oldest recorded occurrence of the true Squatina -lineage, and the presence of Protolamna is one of the earliest undoubted lamniform occurrences so far reported.     

胃镜对咽喉部恶性病变诊断的临床应用价值

目的:探讨胃镜在对于咽喉部恶性疾病诊断的临床应用价值。方法:对2013年11月至2014年9月因声音嘶哑或咽部异物感或吞咽困难为主诉就诊的患者,给予电子喉镜或间接喉镜检查,以在喉镜下发现咽喉部肿物或喉镜下发现黏膜异常增生不能明确判定病灶性质的12例患者为研究对象。继而给予窄带成像(Narrow-band imaging,NBI)及放大胃镜检查,对病灶进行性质及病变范围的判定。病理结果作为金标准,比较喉镜及胃镜两种方式对咽喉恶性病灶的正确诊断率。结果:12例患者中共发现15处病灶,其中炎性反应5处,单纯性鳞状上皮增生3处,鳞状细胞癌6处,神经纤维瘤1处。喉镜对病灶的正确诊断率是40.0%(6/15),NBI放大胃镜对病灶的正确诊断率是93.3%(14/15),两者差异有统计学意义(x~2=9.60,P=0.005)。结论:NBI放大胃镜对咽喉部肿瘤诊断正确率高于普通喉镜,充分证明了胃镜在咽喉部恶性疾病的诊断方面的临床价值。在行胃镜检查时,同时对咽喉部进行仔细观察检查是十分必要的。     

Primary teeth in Anura are nonpedicellate and bladed

1. Scanning electron microscop of the dentition of four anuran species (Discoglossus pictus, Bombina orientalis, Rana cyanophlyctis, Rana temporaria) revealed that at least the primary teeth, which are established during metamorphosis, are more or less bicuspid, bladed and nonpedicel-late. Juveniles and adults, however, have pedicellate teeth. 2. Thus, regardin the pedicellate condition, the sequence of stages in tooth development of Anura und Urodela show some similarities, although the primary teeth of urodeles develop already before metamorphosis.