A new Late Devonian acanthodian fish from the Hunter Formation near Grenfell, New South Wales

The ischnacanthid acanthodian Grenfellacanthus zerinae gen. et sp. nov. is described on the basis of two large jaw bones from the Late Devonian (late Famennian) Hunter Formation, near Grenfell, N.S.W. The new species is the youngest known ischnacanthid, and the largest ischnacanthid from Gondwana. As for many ischnacanthids, the structure of the jaws and teeth indicate that Grenfellacanthus was probably an ambush predator.

Lapa das boleiras rockshelter: stratigraphy and formation processes at a paleoamerican site in Central Brazil

Lapa clas Boleiras rockshelter, a Paleoamerican archaeological site in Central Brazil, was intensely occupied by humans from 10,000 C-14 BP (11.8 cal kyr BP), until approximately 7500 C-14 BP (8.4 cal kyr BP). In this paper we present some interpretations about the formation processes operating on the site. One of our main conclusions is that the bulk of accumulated sediments at the site is of anthropogenic origin: they are constituted by volumetrically significant quantities of plant ash remains, what is somewhat unexpectedly in view of prevailing models about the lifestyle of Paleoamerican hunter-gatherers in South America. The evidence we discuss below is also consistent with paleoenvironmental data that suggest a dry period during the mid-Holocene in the region, probably leading to a decrease in human occupation [Araujo, A.G.M., Neves, W., Pilo, L.B., Atui, J.P., 2005. Holocene dryness and human Occupation in Brazil during the `Archaic Gap`. Quaternary Research 64, 298-307]. We surmise that both factors underpin a surprising reduction in sediment accumulation at the site during the mid-Holocene. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Morbus Hunter : Neutralisationskapazität von Antikörpern unter Enzymersatztherapie und deren klinischen Auswirkungen

Morbus Hunter, eine lysosomale Speicherkrankheit, ist eine seltene, progrediente, x-chromosomal vererbte Stoffwechselkrankheit, die durch ein Defizit an Iduronat-2-sulfatase (IDS) hervorgerufen wird. Als Folge daraus erfolgt kein Abbau von Heparan- und Dermatansulfat und die Glykosaminoglykane reichern sich in de Lysosomen der Zelle an. M. Hunter ist eine Multisystemerkrankung und weist ein breites klinisches Spektrum mit interindividuell unterschiedlichem Krankheitsbeginn, Ausprägungen und Progression der Symptome auf. Seit 2007 besteht die Therapieoption einer Enzymersatztherapie (ERT) mit Elaprase®. Einige Patienten entwickeln Antikörper gegen das substituierte Enzym, welche partiell neutralisierende Eigenschaften besitzen. Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es zu klären, ob die Neutralisationskapazität der gebildeten Antikörper mittels einer Bestimmung im Mischserum festgestellt werden kann und ob persistierende Antikörper mit Neutralisationskapazität zu einer Einschränkung der Wirksamkeit der Enzymersatztherapie führen. Es sollte weiterhin untersucht werden, ob sich mittels Messung der neuronenspezifischen Enolase (NSE) und S-100 Rückschlüsse auf eine neuropathische Beteiligung ziehen lassen, da bis jetzt noch keine klinische oder biochemische Messmethode existiert, die für M. Hunter-Patienten eine verlässliche Vorhersage für eine neuropathische Beteiligung bietet. 30 Patienten wurden in die retrospektive/prospektive Kohortenstudie eingeschlossen. Bei der Bestimmung der IDS-Aktivität im Mischserum mit einem gesunden Menschen zeigten fünf der Patienten (17%) in zwölf Mischseren eine um ≥ 40% reduzierte Aktivität. Zwei (7%) der 30 untersuchten Patienten wurden mit dieser Methode als positiv für persistierende neutralisierende Antikörper identifiziert. Zum gleichen Ergebnis bezüglich der persistierenden neutralisierenden Antikörper führten die Anti-Elaprase®-Immunglobulin-Bestimmungen unter Berücksichtigung des Bestimmungszeitpunkts, die bei Shire Pharmaceuticals durchgeführt wurden. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse lassen den Schluss zu, dass die gebildeten Antikörper auch intraindividuell unterschiedlich sind. Zudem interagieren sie mit den verschiedensten Epitopen des Enzyms der ERT und besitzen nicht alle neutralisierende Eigenschaften. Aufgrund der heterogenen Zusammensetzung folgt die Hemmung der Enzymaktivität vermutlich keiner eindeutigen Kinetik. Anti-Elaprase®-Immunglobulin G spielt für die Neutralisationskapazität jedoch eine wichtige Rolle. Die Auswertung und Beurteilung der Einschränkung der Wirksamkeit der Therapie hervorgerufen durch die Antikörper mit Neutralisationskapazität gestaltete sich kompliziert. Im Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass sich die beiden Patienten mit persistierenden neutralisierenden Antikörpern in der Entwicklung der klinischen Parameter interindividuell stark unterschieden. Um einen Zusammenhang zwischen klinischem Verlauf und Antikörperbildung gegen die ERT zu finden, müssen in einem größeren Patientenkollektiv mehr Patienten mit persistierenden neutralisierenden Antikörpern identifiziert werden und der Einfluss der Antikörper untersucht werden. Die Untersuchung der NSE und S-100 ergab, dass weder die Konzentration der NSE noch der S-100 Rückschlüsse auf die neuropathische Beteiligung des Patienten zulässt.

Competition for Cooperation: variability, benefits and heritability of relational wealth in hunter-gatherers

Many defining human characteristics including theory of mind, culture and language relate to our sociality, and facilitate the formation and maintenance of cooperative relationships. Therefore, deciphering the context in which our sociality evolved is invaluable in understanding what makes us unique as a species. Much work has emphasised group-level competition, such as warfare, in moulding human cooperation and sociality. However, competition and cooperation also occur within groups; and inter-individual differences in sociality have reported fitness implications in numerous non-human taxa. Here we investigate whether differential access to cooperation (relational wealth) is likely to lead to variation in fitness at the individual level among BaYaka hunter-gatherers. Using economic gift games we find that relational wealth: a) displays individual-level variation; b) provides advantages in buffering food risk, and is positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and female fertility; c) is partially heritable. These results highlight that individual-level processes may have been fundamental in the extension of human cooperation beyond small units of related individuals, and in shaping our sociality. Additionally, the findings offer insight in to trends related to human sociality found from research in other fields such as psychology and epidemiology.

GIS technologies and spatial organization patterns among hunter-gatherers: an archaeological case study from Southern Patagonia (southern South America)

This paper discusses some aspects of hunter-gatherer spatial organization in southern South Patagonia, in later times to 10,000 cal yr BP. Various methods of spatial analysis, elaborated with a Geographic Information System (GIS) were applied to the distributional pattern of archaeological sites with radiocarbon dates. The shift in the distributional pattern of chronological information was assessed in conjunction with other lines of evidence within a biogeographic framework. Accordingly, the varying degrees of occupation and integration of coastal and interior spaces in human spatial organization are explained in association with the adaptive strategies hunter-gatherers have used over time. Both are part of the same human response to changes in risk and uncertainty variability in the region in terms of resource availability and environmental dynamics.

New particle formation and growth at a remote, sub-tropical coastal location

A month-long intensive measurement campaign was conducted in March/April 2007 at Agnes Water, a remote coastal site just south of the Great Barrier Reef on the east coast of Australia. Particle and ion size distributions were continuously measured during the campaign. Coastal nucleation events were observed in clean, marine air masses coming from the south-east on 65% of the days. The events usually began at ~10:00 local time and lasted for 1-4 hrs. They were characterised by the appearance of a nucleation mode with a peak diameter of ~10 nm. The freshly nucleated particles grew within 1-4 hrs up to sizes of 20-50 nm. The events occurred when solar intensity was high (~1000 W m-2) and RH was low (~60%). Interestingly, the events were not related to tide height. The volatile and hygroscopic properties of freshly nucleated particles (17-22.5 nm), simultaneously measured with a volatility-hygroscopicity-tandem differential mobility analyser (VH-TDMA), were used to infer chemical composition. The majority of the volume of these particles was attributed to internally mixed sulphate and organic components. After ruling out coagulation as a source of significant particle growth, we conclude that the condensation of sulphate and/or organic vapours was most likely responsible for driving particle growth during the nucleation events. We cannot make any direct conclusions regarding the chemical species that participated in the initial particle nucleation. However, we suggest that nucleation may have resulted from the photo-oxidation products of unknown sulphur or organic vapours emitted from the waters of Hervey Bay, or from the formation of DMS-derived sulphate clusters over the open ocean that were activated to observable particles by condensable vapours emitted from the nutrient rich waters around Fraser Island or Hervey Bay. Furthermore, a unique and particularly strong nucleation event was observed during northerly wind. The event began early one morning (08:00) and lasted almost the entire day resulting in the production of a large number of ~80 nm particles (average modal concentration during the event was 3200 cm-3). The Great Barrier Reef was the most likely source of precursor vapours responsible for this event.