Meaning-making behavior in a small-brained hominin, , from the late Pleistocene: contexts and evolutionary implications.

Explorations in the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system have yielded some of the earliest evidence of a mortuary practice in hominins. Because the evidence is attributable to the small-brained , these analyses call into question several assumptions about behavioral and cognitive evolution in Pleistocene hominins. The evidence from the Dinaledi Subsystem, and at other locations across the Rising Star cave system may widen the phylogenetic breadth of mortuary, and possibly funerary, behaviors.

The chromosomal genome sequence of the giant barrel sponge, Schmidt 1870 and its associated microbial metagenome sequences.

We present a genome assembly from a specimen of (Caribbean barrel sponge; Porifera; Demospongiae; Haplosclerida; Petrosiidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 158.52 megabases.

Evidence for deliberate burial of the dead by .

In this study, we describe new results of excavations in the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system, South Africa. In two areas within the Hill Antechamber and the Dinaledi Chamber, this work uncovered concentrations of abundant fossils including articulated, matrix-supported skeletal regions consistent with rapid covering by sediment prior to the decomposition of soft tissue. We additionally re-examine the spatial positioning of skeletal material and associated sediments within the Puzzle Box area, from which abundant remains representing a minimum of six individuals were recovered in 2013 and 2014.

A Statistical Summary and Visualization Tool for a 30-year Background Soil and Sediment Metals Data from North Carolina Superfund Sites.

The remediation of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or Superfund sites is limited to cleanup to levels no lower than background concentrations. However, both anthropogenically induced and naturally occurring metal concentrations in soil and sediments often complicate this cleanup process. To support informed decisions on heavy metal cleanup and the development of soil heavy metal-related policies in North Carolina, a statewide dataset of background heavy metal data from Superfund site investigations was compiled.

Multi-omics signature of healthy versus unhealthy lifestyles reveals associations with diseases.

This multi-omics cross-sectional study investigated differences in metabolomics, proteomics, and epigenomics profiles between two groups of adults matched for age but differing in lifestyle factors such as body composition, diet, and physical activity patterns. Data from prior studies were utilized for a comprehensive integrative analysis. The study included 52 participants in the lifestyle group (LIFE) (28 males, 24 females) and 52 in the control group (CON) (27 males, 25 females).

A Systematic Review of the Relation between Complementary Feeding and Children's Development.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationship between two complementary feeding features (diet quality and feeding approach) and some aspects of infant development (cognitive development, social cognition, and language).

Recent Findings: Recent reviews have explored many aspects of complementary feeding, such as the age at which first foods are introduced, child's micronutrient status, weight and health outcomes. However, there appears to be a knowledge gap in two areas that are potentially relevant for developing a healthy diet: the quality of the diet and the type of complementary feeding approach.

A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in the USA Examining Associations Between Religious Engagement and Inpatient Hospital Experience and 30-Day Readmission.

Associations between the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and patients' perceptions of care, requesting to see a chaplain, and 30-day readmissions were examined in this cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited from an inpatient setting in Memphis, TN and asked the DUREL, three patient experience questions, and if they would like to see a chaplain. The electronic medical record was monitored for readmissions within 30 days of discharge.

A Brief Report Comparing Younger and Older Cohabitors.

Objective: This study examined age variation in relationship quality and stability, plans to marry, and reasons to cohabit among cohabiting adults in the U.S.

Background: The landscape of cohabitation has changed in the past few decades as cohabitation has surged among older adults even as it has plateaued among younger people.

The Piggy Solution: Harnessing Food Waste for Sustainable Hog Farming.

The increasing global population and concomitant rise in food demand lead to significant challenges in sustainable agricultural practices and food waste management. This review explores a promising solution to these challenges by examining the potential of utilizing food waste in hog farming as a sustainable feed resource. The paper highlights the environmental, economic, and social benefits of diverting food waste from landfills and repurposing it for livestock nutrition.

Are affective states associated with disordered eating behaviors in the daily lives of sexual minority and heterosexual young women?: an ecological momentary assessment study.

Background: Affective state-disordered eating associations are often studied to evaluate emotion regulation models of eating disorders. Disordered eating is common among sexual minority women, yet little is known about affect-disordered eating associations among this group.

Purpose: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to assess affect preceding and following disordered eating among sexual minority and heterosexual young women (ages 18-30) who binge eat.

Expanding range of Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) and Borrelia burgdorferi infection in North Carolina counties, 2018-2023.

North Carolina (NC) has been experiencing a recent surge in human Lyme disease (LD) cases. Understanding the distribution of tick-borne diseases necessitates understanding the distribution of the ticks that transmit their causative pathogens. Unfortunately, in NC, knowledge on tick distribution is outdated.

Exercise workload: a key determinant of immune health - a narrative review.

The total exercise workload is an important factor influencing immune health. Appropriately prescribed physical activity can mitigate the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation, bolster the body's defenses against both infectious and non-infectious diseases, and decelerate the immunosenescence process. Physiological and immune system responses to moderate and strenuous exercise workloads vary markedly.

Synergistic effects of the curcumin analog HO-3867 and olaparib in transforming fallopian tube epithelial cells.

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies, largely due to high recurrence rates and treatment-related toxicities. Although PARP inhibitors like Olaparib have shown efficacy in BRCA-mutated cancers, their benefit is limited in broader patient populations. TP53 mutations, highly prevalent in ovarian cancer, promote tumor progression and resistance, making p53 a key therapeutic target.

Effects of Neurotype and Neurotype Matching on Conversational Rapport and Masking.

Background: The double empathy problem (DEP) suggests that autistic adults (AAs) have stronger rapport with other AAs than nonautistic adults (NAs). Alternatively, medicalized conceptualizations of autism suggest that autistic people have inherent deficits in social communication that adversely impact all rapport. Prior investigations into the DEP have paid limited attention to how masking impacts these interactions.

The Speech-Language Pathologist's Role in Supporting Autistic Students in Postsecondary Education Settings.

Purpose: Navigating the postsecondary landscape is a complex and daunting journey for many autistic students due to widespread misconceptions about autism among nonautistic peers and educators. Additionally, barriers to self-advocacy limit students' academic and social integration, ultimately compromising their ability to graduate. Despite these challenges, there remains inadequate support for this population with social communication, executive functioning, and self-advocacy.

Three-dimensional assessment of finger individuation reveals finger- and joint-specific selective motor control deficits in pediatric cerebral palsy.

Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit impaired selective motor control (SMC) that contributes to poor hand function, but current clinical assessments lack the sensitivity to detect finger- and joint-specific deficits to guide rehabilitation strategies. This study aimed to determine the internal consistency and validity of an objective, instrumented assessment of selective finger control (individuation) in children with CP, and to examine its relationship to clinical measures of upper limb function.

Methods: A custom-designed device recorded 3-dimensional isometric forces concurrently from all five fingertips to compute a composite metric of finger SMC (Individuation Index) for each tested finger and force direction.

Melanocortin-responsive Kiss1 neurons of the arcuate nucleus drive energy expenditure through glutamatergic signaling to the dorsomedial hypothalamus.

Energy expenditure (EE) is essential for metabolic homeostasis, yet its central regulation remains poorly understood. Here, we identify arcuate Kiss1 neurons as key regulators of EE in male mice. Ablation of these neurons induced obesity, while their chemogenetic activation increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis without affecting food intake.

A Review of Anti-Drag Legislation and Its Implications for Drag performers' Mental Health.

In the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions, numerous state-level bills, primarily introduced by Republican lawmakers, were proposed to restrict drag performances under the pretext of obscenity standards defined in a and "harmful to minors" standards outlined in . These legislative efforts are intentionally vague and aim to restrict the freedom of speech and expression of a historically marginalized group. This paper first explores the historical evolution of drag as an art form, tracing its roots in underground LGBTQ+ spaces during eras of discrimination and stigma and documents its transformation into a mainstream cultural phenomenon.

Effect of climate change on the health and nutritional status of children and their families in Africa: Scoping review.

The health and nutritional status of children and their families is essential particularly during climate change. Most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) affect children in some way, namely, poverty (SDG 1), hunger (SDG 2), health (SDG 3), climate change (SDG 13). Evidence suggests that most countries are behind in achieving the SDGs, with only 17% of the SDGs currently achieved.

Food Environment index is inversely associated with cancer survival in North Carolina.

Background: Exploring the potential role of the food environment on cancer survival could inform prevention and control strategies to improve cancer survivorship. This study examined the associations between the food environment index (FEI) and survival for overall cancer in North Carolina.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 1,292,991 patients diagnosed with overall cancer from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2022, from the North Carolina Cancer Central Registry.

Eighteen million years of diverse enamel proteomes from the East African Rift.

Research into the palaeobiology of extinct taxa through ancient DNA and proteomics has been mostly limited to Plio-Pleistocene fossils, due to molecular breakdown over time, which is exacerbated in tropical settings. Here we sample small proteomes from the interior enamel of fossils at palaeontological sites from the Pleistocene to the Oligocene in the Turkana Basin, Kenya, which has produced a rich record of Cenozoic mammalian evolution. Through a mass-spectrometry-based proteomic workflow, and using criteria to locate diagenetiforms derived from enamel, we recover fragments of enamelin, ameloblastin, matrix metalloprotease-20 and dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1 from an Early Miocene rhinocerotid and several proboscideans collected from the sites of Buluk (16 million years ago; Ma) and Loperot (18 Ma).

Maternal responsiveness to child receptiveness and fullness cues from 8 to 24 months of age and their relation with complementary feeding approach and language proficiency.

We investigated the relationship between the complementary feeding approach (Baby-Led Weaning, Parent-Led Weaning or a mixed approach) and maternal responsiveness to child feeding cues in 166 children using mealtime observations at 8, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. We also explored whether maternally reported child linguistic proficiency was related to observed maternal responsiveness during mealtimes. Results suggest that mothers were more responsive to child receptiveness to eat when their children were 12 and 18 months old compared to when they were 8 months old.