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PubMed1998

Ancestral dental traits in recent Sub-Saharan Africans and the origins of modern humans.

Assuming that phenetic expression approximates genetic variation, previous dental morphological analyses of Sub-Saharan Africans by the author show they are unique among the world's modern populations. Numerically-derived affinities, using the multivariate Mean Measure of Divergence statistic, revealed significant differences between the Sub-Saharan folk and samples from North Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and the New World, Australia/Tasmania, and Melanesia. Sub-Saharan Africans are characterized by a collection of unique, mass-additive crown and root traits relative to these other world groups. Recent work found that the most ubiquitous of these traits are also present in dentitions of earlier hominids, as well as extinct and extant non-human primates; other ancestral dental features are also common in these forms. The present investigation is primarily concerned with this latter finding. Qualitative and quantitative comparative analyses of Plio-Pleistocene through recent samples suggest that, of all modern populations, Sub-Saharan Africans are the least derived dentally from an ancestral hominid state; this conclusion, together with data on intra- and inter-population variability and divergence, may help provide new evidence in the search for modern human origins.

Africa South of the Sahara↗

PubMed2000

The position of the Nazlet Khater specimen among prehistoric and modern African and Levantine populations.

The morphometric affinities of the 33,000 year old skeleton from Nazlet Khater, Upper Egypt are examined using multivariate statistical procedures. In the first part, principal components analysis is performed on a dataset of mandible dimensions of 220 fossils, sub-fossils and modern specimens, ranging in time from the Late Pleistocene to recent and restricted in space to the African continent and Southern Levant. In the second part, mean measurements for various prehistoric and modern African and Levantine populations are incorporated in the statistical analysis. Subsequently, differences between male and female means are examined for some of the modern and prehistoric populations. The results indicate a strong association between some of the sub-Saharan Middle Stone Age (MSA) specimens, and the Nazlet Khater mandible. Furthermore, the results suggest that variability between African populations during the Neolithic and Protohistoric periods was more pronounced than the range of variability observed among recent African and Levantine populations. Results also demonstrate a general reduction in the degree of sexual dimorphism during the Holocene. However, this pattern of reduction pattern varies by geographic location and is not uniform across the African continent.

Africa↗

PubMed2002

Pairwise difference analysis in modern human origins research.

Pairwise difference analysis is a phenetic method that groups taxa on the basis of the number of differences they exhibit. Recently, pairwise difference analysis has been used to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of hominid fossils at the centre of the modern human origins debate. It has been argued that the results of these analyses disprove the African replacement model of modern human origins, and support instead its competitor, the multiregional evolution model. However, this inference is problematic because the ability of pairwise difference analysis to recover phylogenetic information from morphological data has not been demonstrated. With this in mind, we conducted pairwise difference analyses of craniodental and soft tissue evidence from a group of extant primates for which a reliable molecular phylogeny is available, the hominoids. We found that the phylogenies yielded by the pairwise difference analyses were incompatible with the molecular phylogeny for the group. Given the robustness of the molecular phylogeny, these results suggest that pairwise difference analysis cannot be relied on to generate reliable estimates of primate phylogeny from morphological data. The corollary of this is that the results of published pairwise difference analyses of hominid fossils are not informative regarding the origin of modern humans.

Africa↗

PubMed1996

A new approach to studying modern human origins: hypothesis testing with coalescence time distributions.

A new approach for testing hypotheses about modern human origins using molecular divergence dates is presented. Coalescence times from many unlinked loci are needed to test the alternative models. Hypotheses are evaluated on the basis of their differing predicted distribution patterns of coalescence times from multiple genes. No single coalescence time from one genetic system is sufficient to reject any of the three alternative models. Several nuclear datasets give recent dates for human genetic ancestors, at approximately the mitochondrial coalescence time, while some nuclear datasets support older dates. Given the overall distribution of available mitochondrial and nuclear coalescence times, the rapid replacement hypothesis is the likeliest model for modern human origins. The unusual nature of the human mitochondrial pattern is highlighted by comparative data from nonhuman hominoids. To understand the pattern of modern human genetic variability better, more nuclear data from all hominoid species are needed.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Just Doing Business: Modern Racism and Obedience to Authority as Explanations for Employment Discrimination.

In two experiments, we investigated the effects of prejudice (in the form of modern racism) and business justifications by authority figures (i.e., organizational superiors) to discriminate against minorities (Blacks in our research) in hiring situations. As expected, business justifications by legitimate authority figures led to participants' obedience in the form of discrimination relative to a no-justification condition and, in the second experiment, also relative to a condition in which the business justification came from an illegitimate authority figure. Moreover, in both experiments, as expected, modern racism did not have a main effect on discrimination, but interacted with business justifications such that modern racism predicted discrimination when a legitimate authority figure provided a business-related justification for such discrimination but not in the absence of such a justification. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications for understanding prejudice and obedience to authority in organizations and in terms of their practical implications for addressing the problem of discrimination in the workplace. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1994

The evolution of proteins from random amino acid sequences: II. Evidence from the statistical distributions of the lengths of modern protein sequences.

This paper continues an examination of the hypothesis that modern proteins evolved from random heteropeptide sequences. In support of the hypothesis, White and Jacobs (1993, J Mol Evol 36:79-95) have shown that any sequence chosen randomly from a large collection of nonhomologous proteins has a 90% or better chance of having a lengthwise distribution of amino acids that is indistinguishable from the random expectation regardless of amino acid type. The goal of the present study was to investigate the possibility that the random-origin hypothesis could explain the lengths of modern protein sequences without invoking specific mechanisms such as gene duplication or exon splicing. The sets of sequences examined were taken from the 1989 PIR database and consisted of 1,792 "super-family" proteins selected to have little sequence identity, 623 E. coli sequences, and 398 human sequences. The length distributions of the proteins could be described with high significance by either of two closely related probability density functions: The gamma distribution with parameter 2 or the distribution for the sum of two exponential random independent variables. A simple theory for the distributions was developed which assumes that (1) protoprotein sequences had exponentially distributed random independent lengths, (2) the length dependence of protein stability determined which of these protoproteins could fold into compact primitive proteins and thereby attain the potential for biochemical activity, (3) the useful protein sequences were preserved by the primitive genome, and (4) the resulting distribution of sequence lengths is reflected by modern proteins. The theory successfully predicts the two observed distributions which can be distinguished by the functional form of the dependence of protein stability on length. The theory leads to three interesting conclusions. First, it predicts that a tetra-nucleotide was the signal for primitive translation termination. This prediction is entirely consistent with the observations of Brown et al. (1990a,b, Nucleic Acids Res 18:2079-2086 and 18: 6339-6345) which show that tetra-nucleotides (stop codon plus following nucleotide) are the actual signals for termination of translation in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Second, the strong dependence of statistical length distributions on sequence-termination signaling codes implies that the evolution of stop codons and translation-termination processes was as important as gene splicing in early evolution. Third, because the theory is based upon a simple no-exon stochastic model, it provides a plausible alternative to a limited universe of exons from which all proteins evolved by gene duplication and exon splicing (Dorit et al. 1990, Science 250:1377-1382).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

[Modern wound dressings for the therapy of chronic wounds].

The incidence of chronic wounds is increasing in developed Western countries. There are many causes for chronic or non-healing wounds. A multidisciplinary diagnostic approach and attention to underlying disorders are essential. A modern, moist, and phase adapted wound therapy is also essential. Modern wound dressings include activated charcoal, alginates, hyaluronic acid, hydrofibers, hydrogels, hydrocolloids, impregnated gauze, collagen, moist methods, proteolytic enzymes, foams, semipermeable membranes and silver dressings. Because of the lack of comparative investigations the phase-adapted use of wound dressings is still empiric. Application of modern wound dressings may help to create an optimized wound milieu and accelerate healing. Treatment of the underlying causes is an absolute requirement for long-term complete healing.

Bandages↗

PubMed2005

[Modern imaging technology for childhood urinary tract infection].

Imaging in childhood urinary tract infection (UTI) is still a matter of debate. There are established guidelines, however new knowledge and the changed medical environment have enhanced this ongoing discussion. These new insights have impacted therapy and consequently the imaging algorithm. Modern imaging methods -- particularly MRI and modern ultrasound (US) -- are less invasive with a lower radiation burden. Additionally, it has been shown that VUR is a poor predictor for renal scarring out, which affects long-term results. Furthermore, the majority of UT malformations is depicted by prenatal US. The most crucial aspect of improving long-term outcome appears to be the early and reliable depiction of UTI and effective treatment to prevent renal scarring. This review tries to present this new knowledge and to discuss the potential of modern imaging. Recent changes in imaging algorithms are highlighted and an outcome-oriented algorithm that addresses these recent developments is proposed, without lightly abandoning established standards. It consists of an orienting US and -- for depiction of renal involvement -- amplitude coded color Doppler sonography or renal static scintigraphy (considered the gold standard, particularly for evaluating scars); in future MRI may play a role. Based on this concept, only patients with renal damage as well as patients with complex urinary tract malformations or intractable recurrent UTI may have to undergo VCUG.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

A review of modern sample-preparation techniques for the extraction and analysis of medicinal plants.

Sample preparation is the crucial first step in the analysis of herbs. In recent years there has been increasing interest worldwide in the use of alternative/herbal medicine for the prevention and treatment of various illnesses. Currently, however, quality-related problems (lack of consistency, safety, and efficacy) seem to be overshadowing the potential genuine health benefits of various herbal products. Thus, the development of "modern" sample-preparation techniques with significant advantages over conventional methods for the extraction and analysis of medicinal plants is likely to play an important role in the overall effort of ensuring and providing high-quality herbal products to consumers worldwide. In this article, recent developments and applications of modern sample-preparation techniques for the extraction, clean-up, and concentration of analytes from medicinal plants or herbal materials are reviewed. These modern techniques include solid-phase microextraction, supercritical-fluid extraction, pressurized-liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, solid-phase extraction, and surfactant-mediated extraction.

Plant Extracts↗

PubMed2005

Fatty acid and DNA analyses of Permian bacteria isolated from ancient salt crystals reveal differences with their modern relatives.

The isolation of living microorganisms from primary 250-million-year-old (MYA) salt crystals has been questioned by several researchers. The most intense discussion has arisen from questions about the texture and age of the crystals used, the ability of organisms to survive 250 million years when exposed to environmental factors such as radiation and the close similarity between 16S rRNA sequences in the Permian and modern microbes. The data in this manuscript are not meant to provide support for the antiquity of the isolated bacterial strains. Rather, the data presents several comparisons between the Permian microbes and other isolates to which they appear related. The analyses include whole cell fatty acid profiling, DNA-DNA hybridizations, ribotyping, and random amplified polymorphic DNA amplification (RAPD). These data show that the Permian strains, studied here, differ significantly from their more modern relatives. These differences are accumulating in both phenotypic and molecular areas of the cells. At the fatty acid level the differences are approaching but have not reached separate species status. At the molecular level the variation appears to be distributed across the genome and within the gene regions flanking the highly conserved 16S rRNA itself. The data show that these bacteria are not identical and help to rule out questions of contamination by putatively modern strains.

Bacteria↗

PubMed1992

Occupant safety in modern passenger cars.

A study was undertaken recently for the Federal Office of Road Safety in Australia of 150 modern vehicle crashes where at least one of the vehicle occupants was admitted to hospital. The types of injuries sustained by occupants of modern Australian passenger cars involved in road crashes (including points of contact within the vehicle) were assessed to provide direction for future improvements in occupant protection. Seat belt performance in all seating positions was of particular interest. While the limited number of cases did not permit a full and detailed statistical analysis of these data, the findings nevertheless show there is scope for improving occupant protection for drivers and passengers of modern passenger cars.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed1994

Quality assurance in health care. From a traditional towards a modern approach.

This review article is about some recent developments in quality assurance in health care. A traditional and a modern approach are distinguished. The traditional approach is marked by a medical perspective and quality is defined as a property of medical care. Development of standards and criteria and inspection of conformance to them is the guiding principle for traditional medical quality assurance. The modern approach is marked by a strong influence of industrial principles on medical quality assurance. Industrial principles provide a new theory upon which medical quality assurance can be based. Aspects of care which are associated with the perceived quality are identified and are legitimate objects of medical quality assurance. The guiding principle is to influence experiences of (internal or external) customers by modelling the care according to clarified expectations. The university hospital of Maastricht provides an example of how modern principles of quality assurance are put into practice.

Consumer Behavior↗

PubMed1982

Mortality related to cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus in a modernizing population.

Excessive adiposity is associated with elevated rates of middle-aged mortality, particularly that related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). One purpose of this study was to determine whether the population of American Samoa demonstrated the expected elevation of mortality rates related to these two causes. Accordingly for all American Samoan death records (N = 1588) during the period 1962-74, both crude and age-standardized rates were calculated and interpopulation comparisons of DM and CVD were made. The second purpose of this research was to determine if elevated CVD mortality was associated with the islands' recent trend toward modernization. For this purpose 902 deaths of persons aged 30 or more were analyzed to determine change in CVD mortality over time and differences by degree of participation in modern life. The CVD-related mortality rate for Samoa was 82.1 per 100,000, compared to 368.6 reported for the United States in 1962. After age standardization the Samoan rate increased to 242.5, still below that of the United States. The Samoan DM-related mortality rate was 13.9 per 100,000 compared to a United States rate of 15.9 in 1959. After age adjustment, the respective rates were 32.2 and 13.4 (1957-59), the Samoan rate being more than double that of the United States. Female CVD mortality in Samoa increased from 196.2 in the period 1963-66 to 363.0 in 1971-74, while male rates remained essentially unchanged (417.3 and 429.0 respectively). CVD mortality among males living in more modernized areas of the island was 46.5% higher than that for male residents of more traditional areas (343.5 and 234.5 respectively); among females, however, the rate was highest for those living in traditional areas (398.7). CVD mortality for males classified to the "sedentary' occupational category was 50% greater than that for males in the "active'.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed1982

Effect of modernization on Kuwaiti women.

This research explores the effects of rapid modernization on women who, on one hand, have new educational and occupational opportunities and, on the other hand, still confront conservative societal restrictions based on Middle Eastern norms and values. The setting is the Sheikdom of Kuwait, symbolizing a traditional society that has been recently catapulted into the 20th century through its rapid increase in wealth. Such sudden wealth, with ensuing modernization, is expected to have more profound effects on women because of their paradoxical world with its conflicting norms and values. This study explores the relationship between a number of modernization variables--levels of education and occupation--on potential stress. Indicators for stress used are based on Inkeles' cross-cultural studies and psychosomatic complaints. In addition, the study considered levels of powerlessness, happiness and decision making in the family. Spearman correlations and Kendall's Tau were used to determine relationships. Results indicate that women who have obtained more education tend to participate significantly more in decision making in the family (P less than 0.0001), be happier (P less than 0.000), manifest fewer psychosomatic complaints (P less than 0.05), and be older in age. The younger generation, with less education, appears to manifest more somatic complaints. The manuscript discusses results in relation to Inkeles' previous cross-cultural research on men and implication of findings on changing roles of women in Kuwait.

Cultural Characteristics↗

PubMed1994

Integrating traditional medicine into modern health care systems: examining the role of Chinese medicine in Taiwan.

Since the World Health Organization officially promoted traditional medicine in developing countries in 1978, there have been increasing interests among developing countries in integrating traditional medicine into a national health care system. Most of these policies, however, tend to be the policy of coexistence instead of integration. This paper focuses on the rationale, strategies, and process of integrating traditional medicine into a modern health care system by using the experience of Chinese medicine in Taiwan as an example. After briefly describing the changing roles of Chinese medicine in Taiwan, the author critically reviews the government policies and regulations on Chinese medicine. Research findings and government statistics on the demand and supply of Chinese medicine are also described to provide some insights for developing recommendations for an appropriate integration policy. To effectively integrate traditional medicine into a modern health care system, this paper suggests that such integration should begin at the grass roots level, that is with the training of physicians and practitioners. A successful, integrated health care system would facilitate more efficient use of domestic medical resources, and enhance self-sufficiency in health development for resource poor countries. Integrating traditional medicine into a modern health care system, moreover, can benefit industrialized nations as well. After recommending several strategies for integration, the author proposes a further development of a unified medical system as the final stage of full integration. This unified medical system should be an inclusive medical system, which could help countries to expand the available medical resources.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1982

The dominant diseases of modernized societies as omega-3 essential fatty acid deficiency syndrome: substrate beriberi.

About 1900, modern food selection and processing caused widespread epidemics of the B vitamin deficiency diseases of beriberi and pellagra which, for genetic reasons, often expressed as different diseases ranging from bowel and heart disease to dermatoses and psychoses. But the B vitamins merely help convert essential fatty acids (EFA) into the prostaglandin (PG) tissue regulators and it now turns out that, through hydrogenation, milling and selection of w3-poor southern foods, we have also been systematically depleting, by as much as 90%, a newly discovered trace Nordic EFA (w3) of special importance to primates and sole precursor of the PG3(4) series, even as a concurrent fiber deficiency increases body demand for EFA. Since substrate EFA is processed by many B vitamin catalysts, an EFA deficiency will mimic a panhypovitaminosis B, i.e., a mixture of substrate beriberi and substrate pellagra resembling vitamin beriberi and pellagra but exhibiting as even more diverse endemic disease. This would constitute a second stage of the Modern Malnutrition and explain why some workers now hold the dominant diseases of modernized societies to be new, nutritionally based, pellagraform yet lipid-related and to range, once again, from heart disease to psychosis. It is an assumption that our dominant diseases are unrelated to each other or are merely revealed by out diagnostic acumen and therapeutic success; and that hydrogenating millions of tons of food oils annually, to destroy the rancidity producing w30EFA, is safe for primates. Extensive beriberiform disease is reported here in 32 typical cases taken from medical practice which responds strikingly to linseed oil supplements (60% w3-EFA) in confirmation of identical results in Capuchins.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Postoperative radiotherapy after pneumonectomy: impact of modern treatment facilities.

PURPOSE: The present study was undertaken to see how modern treatment facilities, computed tomography (CT)-based treatment planning and linear accelerator, have modified the results of postoperative irradiation after a pneumonectomy for lung cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1970-1985, 103 patients were treated in our department after a pneumonectomy: 50 patients with a T1T2N0 tumor and 53 patients with a T3, N1 or N2 tumor. Three groups were considered: 27 patients had only surgical resection, 51 patients were irradiated postoperatively with a Co60 source, and 25 patients were treated using those modern facilities. RESULTS: The 5-year survival varies from 4% to 31% according to the tumor extent but also to the radiation technique. Patients treated with a Co60 source had a dismal 5-year survival rate (8%) whereas patients treated with the modern facilities had a 5-year survival rate of 30% similar to the 31% of the control surgical group including less advanced tumors. CONCLUSION: Linear accelerator and computed tomography-based treatment planning improved the accuracy of postoperative thoracic irradiation and allow to deliver high doses to the mediastinum even after a pneumonectomy.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

PubMed2004

Modern office design in the "information age".

This article reviews the process of reaching the goal of modernizing a new or existing endodontic office. Incorporating computer-based technologies in the office requires significant planning, best achieved by forming a technology goal that addresses budget, knowledge base, and infrastructure issues. Making the transition to the modern dental practice is expensive and time-consuming but also profitable and exciting. Soon, all dental offices will be using digital radiographic systems, video systems, and patient charting programs that use no paper documentation. As the computer familiarity and staff knowledge based increases with the growing use of computers in society overall, finding the office personnel able to harness the efficiency and power of the technology in the dental office will be easier. Through careful planning and formation of a reasonable technology goal, updating an old office or creating a new modern endodontic practice with the technologies and their patients can benefit.

Computer Systems↗