Stable Associations Research Articles

Associations between early language, motor abilities, and later autism traits in infants with typical and elevated likelihood of autism.

Slower acquisition of language and motor milestones are common in infants with later autism and studies have indicated that motor skills predict the rate of language development, suggesting these domains of development may be interlinked. However, the inter-relationships between the two domains over development and emerging autistic traits are not fully established. We studied language and motor development using standardized observational and parent-report measures in infants with (n = 271) and without (n = 137) a family history of autism across four waves of data collection from 10 to 36 months. We used Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models to examine contemporaneous and longitudinal associations between language and motor developments in both elevated and typical likelihood groups. We estimated paths between language and motor abilities at 10, 14, 24, and 36 months and autism trait scores at 36 months, to test whether the domains were interrelated and how they related to emerging autism traits. Results revealed consistent bidirectional Expressive Language (EL) and Fine Motor (FM) cross-lagged effects from 10 to 24 and a unidirectional EL to FM effect from 24 to 36 months as well as significantly correlated random intercepts between Gross motor (GM) and Receptive language (RL), indicating stable concurrent associations over time. However, only the associations between GM and RL were associated with later autism traits. Early motor and language are linked, but only gross motor and receptive language are jointly associated with autistic traits in infants with an autism family history.

Internal Structure of the Lunar Mantle: Matching of Geochemical and Geophysical Models

There are serious contradictions between the geophysical and geochemical classes of models of the chemical composition and internal structure of the Moon, associated with the assessment of the abundance of the main oxides. The search for a potential consensus between the models was carried out on the basis of a set of geophysical and geochemical data using the Monte-Carlo method using the Markov chain scheme in combination with a method of minimization of the Gibbs free energy. The influence of the chemical composition and mineralogy of several conceptual models on the internal structure of the Moon has been studied. Two classes of chemical composition models are considered—the E models with terrestrial values of Al2O3 and CaO and M models with their higher content, as well as two classes of the most popular geochemical models, the Taylor Whole Moon (TWM) and Lunar Primitive Upper Mantle (LPUM) models, with ~45 wt % SiO2, but with different concentrations of refractory oxides and FeO. In both classes of E and M models, the lunar mantle is enriched in silica (~50 wt % SiO2) and FeO (11–13 wt %, Mg# 79–81) relative to the bulk composition of the silicate Earth (BSE, ~45 wt % SiO2, ~8 wt % FeO, Mg# 89). Such high concentrations of SiO2 and FeO become the determining factors for understanding the features of the mineral, velocity, and density structure of the lunar mantle. For the E and M models and geochemical models TWM and LPUM, the speed of sound and the density of stable phase associations are calculated. For E and M models, good agreement was obtained between the velocities of P- and S-waves and seismic sounding data from the Apollo program, which supports the idea of a silica-rich (olivine-pyroxenite) upper mantle. Unlike the Earth’s upper mantle, the dominant mineral in the Moon’s upper mantle is low-calcium orthopyroxene, not olivine. In contrast, the sound velocities of silica-unsaturated compositions, both FeO and Al2O3 enriched (TWM) and depleted (LPUM) models, do not match the seismic signatures. Thermodynamically justified restrictions on the chemical composition, mineralogy, and physical characteristics of the mantle based on the E and M models make it possible to eliminate some contradictions between the geochemical and geophysical classes of models of the internal structure of the Moon. Simultaneous enrichment in ferrous iron and silica is difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis of the formation of the Moon as a result of a giant impact from the substance of the Earth’s primitive mantle or from the substance of a shock body (bodies) of chondrite composition. Limitations on lunar concentrations of FeO and SiO2 probably correspond to the parent bodies of some achondrites.

Do partnership transitions affect individual perceptions of aging in later life? Findings from the German Ageing Survey and the NRW80+ study

Objective: The study examines how the individual perceptions of aging (PA) differ by partnership status and develop with the transitions to widowhood, of divorce/separation, and repartnering in later adulthood in Germany. Background: In previous research from other countries, there is contradictory evidence on the association of partnership status/transitions and PA. Although PA are a crucial indicator for the living conditions of older adults, little is known about their associations with partnership transitions in Germany. Method: We use panel data from six waves of the German Ageing Survey (1996-2017, n=4,227) and the first two waves of the NRW80+ study (2017-2020, n=845) for retired respondents. We apply linear hybrid models to analyze inter- and intra-individual differences after widowhood, divorce/separation, and the formation of new partnerships. Results: We observe stable associations of partnership status/transitions and PA only for single dimensions of aging. For example, widowed individuals feel more dependent on others than married individuals. After the transition to widowhood, individuals feel freer to spend their time as they like. Repartnered individuals have more positive PA than singles. Additionally, we found contradictory gender differences for older and oldest old individuals. Conclusion: In contrast to recent findings, we show that there is only little association of partnership status or partnership transitions and PA in Germany. Our findings emphasize the importance of a multidimensional conceptualization of PA in current research.

Phenotypic Polymorphism in Two Endosymbiotic Bacteria of the Ciliate Paramecium: Pseudolyticum multiflagellatum and “Ca. Megaira venefica”

Here, we report a comprehensive description of the stable associations between two Paramecium species (P. nephridiatum and P. caudatum) and their cytoplasmic bacterial endosymbiont Pseudolyticum multiflagellatum. These spindle-like, rod-shaped, non-motile peritrichous bacteria demonstrate significant phenotypic polymorphism. Considering the differences in bacterial morphology and host species, several scientific groups have previously described these endosymbionts as distinct species. Our study provides brand-new molecular data, which allows us to unify earlier descriptions and determine the phylogenetic position of this endosymbiont as a member of the family “Ca. Midichloriaceae” (Rickettsiales). The distinguishing feature of this bacterium is the presence of a highly refractive granule in its cytoplasm, well detectable with differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. The protein nature of these peculiar inclusion bodies is considered. The other endosymbiont, “Ca. Megaira venefica”, co-inhabiting the cytoplasm of the studied P. nephridiatum strains, also displayed polymorphism, rounded forms being infected with phages.

Structure-based virtual screening of natural compounds against wild and mutant (R1155K, A1156T and D1168A) NS3-4A protease of Hepatitis C virus

NS3-4A, a serine protease, is a primary target for drug development against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). However, the effectiveness of potent next-generation protease inhibitors is limited by the emergence of mutations and resulting drug resistance. To address this, in this study a structure-based drug design approach is employed to screen a large library of 7320 natural compounds against both wild-type and mutant variants of NS3-4A protease. Telaprevir, a widely used protease inhibitor, was recruited as the control drug. The top 10 compounds with favorable binding affinities underwent drug-likeness evaluation. Based on ADMET studies, complexes of NP_024762 and NP_006776 were selected for molecular dynamic simulations. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to explore the conformational space and protein dynamics of the protein-ligand complex using a Free Energy Landscape (FEL) approach. The cosine values obtained from FEL analysis ranged from 0 to 1, and eigenvectors with cosine values below 0.2 were chosen for further analysis. To forecast binding free energies and evaluate energy contributions per residue, the MM-PBSA method was employed. The results highlighted the crucial role of amino acids in the catalytic domain for the binding of the protease with phytochemicals. Stable associations between the top compounds and the target protease were confirmed by the formation of hydrogen bonds in the binding pocket involving residues: His1057, Gly1137, Ser1139, and Ala1157. These findings suggest the potential of these compounds for further validation through biological evaluation. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Adipose distribution patterns as prognostic factors in patients with HCC: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PurposesThe present meta-analysis aimed at identifying potential prognostic indicators associated with adipose distribution patterns for predicting the survival outcomes of patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsA systematic retrieve was performed to identify studies investigating the association of adipose distribution patterns and the prognosis of HCC from the inception of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to May 25, 2023. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was applied to assess the quality of included studies. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of adipose distribution parameters of visceral, subcutaneous, and intermuscular adipose tissue were extracted. Univariate and multivariable meta-analyses were performed by Stata 12.0 to evaluate the relationship between these factors and overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). ResultsA total of 31 studies, comprising 7021 patients, including 2456 patients with HCV and 1466 patients with HBV were included. The pooled results indicated that only high visceral to subcutaneous adipose area ratio (VSR) (univariate analysis of OS: HR = 1.42, 95 % CI = 1.28–1.58, P < 0.001; multivariate analysis of OS: HR = 1.45, 95 % CI = 1.27–1.65, P < 0.001; univariate analysis of RFS: HR = 1.30, 95 % CI = 1.08–1.56, P = 0.006; multivariate analysis of RFS: HR = 1.36, 95 % CI = 1.10–1.67, P = 0.004) was both related to worse OS and RFS, with no significant heterogeneity observed. ConclusionPretreatment VSR, as the sole parameter among adipose distribution-related factors exhibiting independent and stable associations with OS and RFS in patients with HCC, may hold promise as a potential prognostic factor for HCC.

Genetic associations vary across the spectrum of fasting serum insulin: results from the European IDEFICS/I.Family children’s cohort

Aims/hypothesisThere is increasing evidence for the existence of shared genetic predictors of metabolic traits and neurodegenerative disease. We previously observed a U-shaped association between fasting insulin in middle-aged women and dementia up to 34 years later. In the present study, we performed genome-wide association (GWA) analyses for fasting serum insulin in European children with a focus on variants associated with the tails of the insulin distribution.MethodsGenotyping was successful in 2825 children aged 2–14 years at the time of insulin measurement. Because insulin levels vary during childhood, GWA analyses were based on age- and sex-specific z scores. Five percentile ranks of z-insulin were selected and modelled using logistic regression, i.e. the 15th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 85th percentile ranks (P15–P85). Additive genetic models were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, survey year, survey country and principal components derived from genetic data to account for ethnic heterogeneity. Quantile regression was used to determine whether associations with variants identified by GWA analyses differed across quantiles of log-insulin.ResultsA variant in the SLC28A1 gene (rs2122859) was associated with the 85th percentile rank of the insulin z score (P85, p value=3×10−8). Two variants associated with low z-insulin (P15, p value <5×10−6) were located on the RBFOX1 and SH3RF3 genes. These genes have previously been associated with both metabolic traits and dementia phenotypes. While variants associated with P50 showed stable associations across the insulin spectrum, we found that associations with variants identified through GWA analyses of P15 and P85 varied across quantiles of log-insulin.Conclusions/interpretationThe above results support the notion of a shared genetic architecture for dementia and metabolic traits. Our approach identified genetic variants that were associated with the tails of the insulin spectrum only. Because traditional heritability estimates assume that genetic effects are constant throughout the phenotype distribution, the new findings may have implications for understanding the discrepancy in heritability estimates from GWA and family studies and for the study of U-shaped biomarker–disease associations.Graphical

Covariation in Salivary Cortisol and IL-6: Within-Person Associations are Time Dependent

In acute stressor paradigms, salivary cortisol is inversely associated with salivary inflammation interleukin(IL)-6, but in daily life the association between cortisol and cytokines are likely complex. The present investigation examined stable between-person and dynamic within-person associations between salivary cortisol and salivary IL-6 in daily life. Twenty-four healthy couples (n=24 males and n=24 females) provided saliva samples 4x per day (waking, mid-morning, afternoon, bedtime) for 5 days, which were assayed for cortisol and IL-6. Separate multilevel models for men and women that controlled for diurnal rhythm, age, and BMI were used to test the between- and within-person (concurrent and lagged) associations between salivary cortisol and IL-6. Between people, cortisol was negatively but not significantly associated with IL-6 in men and women (men: γ=-0.50, p=0.255; women: γ=-1.30, p=0.073). Within people, salivary cortisol and IL-6 were not concurrently associated in men (γ=-0.35, p=0.11) or women (γ=-0.15, p=0.395), but there were significant and positive within-person lagged effects: in men, when lagged by two time points (γ=0.41, p=0.015), and in women (γ=0.42, p=0.009) when lagged by one time point. When women (and men) had higher cortisol at the previous time point (or two time points before), they had higher IL-6 levels. Although cortisol typically inhibits inflammation, this effect may be more evident at the between-person level. Our results suggest that the association between cortisol and IL-6 within-person may vary temporally when measures are localized in the oral cavity.

Taxonomic analysis reveals host preference of rare fungi in endophytes of Vitis vinifera from the Czech Republic.

This paper represents the results of screening a diversity of fungal endophytes associated with Vitis vinifera leaves and canes in the Czech Republic. The characterization of strains is based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses of ITS, EF1α and TUB2 sequence data. Our strain selection covers 16 species and seven orders belonging to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Together with ubiquitous fungi, we report on several poorly known plant-associated fungi, Angustimassarina quercicola (= A. coryli, a synonym proposed in this study) and Pleurophoma pleurospora. Other species, such as Didymella negriana, D. variabilis, Neosetophoma sp. (species identical or sister to N. rosae), Phragmocamarosporium qujingensis and Sporocadus rosigena, have so far been little known and rarely found, but are frequent on V. vinifera in different parts of the world and obviously belong to a microbiota with a strong preference for this plant. Detailed taxonomical identification allowed us to identify species with apparent stable associations with V. vinifera, for which further interactions with V. vinifera can be expected. Our study is the first to focus on V. vinifera endophytes in Central Europe and expands the knowledge about their taxonomy, ecology and geography.

Patient Characteristics Associated with Telehealth Scheduling and Completion in Primary Care at a Large, Urban Public Healthcare System.

Understanding patient characteristics associated with scheduling and completing telehealth visits can identify potential biases or latent preferences related to telehealth usage. We describe patient characteristics associated with being scheduled for and completing audio and video visits. We used data from patients at 17 adult primary care departments in a large, urban public healthcare system from August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. We used hierarchical multivariable logistic regression to generate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for patient characteristics associated with having been scheduled for and completed telehealth (vs in-person) visits and for video (vs audio) scheduling and completion during two time periods: a telehealth transition period (N = 190,949) and a telehealth elective period (N = 181,808). Patient characteristics were significantly associated with scheduling and completion of telehealth visits. Many associations were similar across time periods, but others changed over time. Patients who were older (≥ 65years old vs 18-44years old: aOR for scheduling 0.53/completion 0.48), Black (0.86/0.71), Hispanic (0.76/0.62), or had Medicaid (0.93/0.84) were among those less likely to be scheduled for or complete video (vs audio) visits. Patients with activated patient portals (1.97/3.34) or more visits (≥ 3 scheduled visits vs 1 visit: 2.40/1.52) were more likely to be scheduled for or complete video visits. Variation in scheduling/completion explained by patient characteristics was 7.2%/7.5%, clustering by provider 37.2%/34.9%, and clustering by facility 43.1%/37.4%. Stable and dynamic associations suggest persistent gaps in access and evolving preferences/biases. Variation explained by patient characteristics was relatively low compared with that explained by provider and facility clustering.

Architecture and dynamics of a desmosome-endoplasmic reticulum complex.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms a dynamic network that contacts other cellular membranes to regulate stress responses, calcium signalling and lipid transfer. Here, using high-resolution volume electron microscopy, we find that the ER forms a previously unknown association with keratin intermediate filaments and desmosomal cell-cell junctions. Peripheral ER assembles into mirror image-like arrangements at desmosomes and exhibits nanometre proximity to keratin filaments and the desmosome cytoplasmic plaque. ER tubules exhibit stable associations with desmosomes, and perturbation of desmosomes or keratin filaments alters ER organization, mobility and expression of ER stress transcripts. These findings indicate that desmosomes and the keratin cytoskeleton regulate the distribution, function and dynamics of the ER network. Overall, this study reveals a previously unknown subcellular architecture defined by the structural integration of ER tubules with an epithelial intercellular junction.

A network analysis of depressive symptoms and metabolomics

Depression is associated with metabolic alterations including lipid dysregulation, whereby associations may vary across individual symptoms. Evaluating these associations using a network perspective yields a more complete insight than single outcome-single predictor models. We used data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (N = 2498) and leveraged networks capturing associations between 30 depressive symptoms (Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology) and 46 metabolites. Analyses involved 4 steps: creating a network with Mixed Graphical Models; calculating centrality measures; bootstrapping for stability testing; validating central, stable associations by extra covariate-adjustment; and validation using another data wave collected 6 years later. The network yielded 28 symptom-metabolite associations. There were 15 highly-central variables (8 symptoms, 7 metabolites), and 3 stable links involving the symptoms Low energy (fatigue), and Hypersomnia. Specifically, fatigue showed consistent associations with higher mean diameter for VLDL particles and lower estimated degree of (fatty acid) unsaturation. These remained present after adjustment for lifestyle and health-related factors and using another data wave. The somatic symptoms Fatigue and Hypersomnia and cholesterol and fatty acid measures showed central, stable, and consistent relationships in our network. The present analyses showed how metabolic alterations are more consistently linked to specific symptom profiles.

Cell Features Reconstruction from Gene Association Network of Single Cell.

Gene expression as an unstable form of cell characterization has been widely used for single-cell analyses. Although there are cell-specific networks (CSN) to explore stable gene associations within a single cell, the amount of information in CSN is huge and there is no method to measure the interaction level between genes. Therefore, this paper presents a two-level approach to reconstructing single-cell features, which transforms the original gene expression feature into the gene ontology feature and gene interaction feature. Specifically, we first squeeze all CSNs into a cell network feature matrix (CNFM) by fusing the global position and neighborhood influence of genes. Next, we propose a computational method of gene gravitation based on CNFM to quantify the extent of gene-gene interaction, and we can construct a gene gravitation network for single cells. Finally, we further design a novel index of gene gravitation entropy to quantitatively evaluate the level of single-cell differentiation. The experiments on eight different scRNA-seq datasets show the effectiveness and broad application prospects of our method.

Sleep quality, emotional and behavioral disturbances, and eating behavior in adolescents with obesity: a network analysis-based model

To attempt to identify persistent associations between sleep quality, symptoms of emotional and behavioral disturbances, and characteristics of eating behavior in obese adolescents based on a network analysis. The study included 194 adolescents, aged 12-17 years (76 girls, 118 boys), with a confirmed diagnosis of obesity due to excess calories (ICD-10 code E66.0). Sleep quality was studied on the basis of the Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale (ASWS), emotional and behavioral disturbances were assessed with the Achenbach Youth Self-Report for Ages 11-18 (YSR), eating behavior - with the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Network analysis was used to identify the most significant and stable associations between the studied indicators. The association of poor sleep quality with manifestations of disinhibited behavior in the form of violations of the rules of behavior, aggressiveness, and impaired attention was revealed. Positive correlations between the manifestations of disinhibited behavior (primarily, rule-breaking behavior) and emotional eating behavior, which, in turn, had a positive relationship with external and a negative relationship with restrictive eating behavior, were noted. The disinhibited adolescent behavior is linked with uncontrolled food intake, which can contribute to the development of obesity. Impaired sleep quality, symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders, and eating disorders in obese adolescents present a stable and specific clinical pattern that should be taken into account when justifying therapy.

Motor and autonomic disorders influence on pain syndrome of patients with Parkinson’s disease of the I—III H&amp;Y stages

To evaluate the influence of motor and autonomic disorders on the pain of patients with PD of the I-III H&Y stages and possibility of correcting the pain with dopamine receptor agonists (ADR). 252 patients (128 women and 124 men, 42-80 years old) with PD of I-III Hoehn and Yahr stages (H&Y) were examined using the following scales: UPDRS, daily activity Sch&En, quality of life PDQ-39, MMSE, BDI, PFS-16, NMSQuest, GSRS, AUA; 53 patients were piribedil treated during 6 months. Our results indicated a wide prevalence of pain syndrome in PD patients (58.6%), starting from the early stages (50% for the Ist stage). The most stable pain associations were found with the PD stage, levodopa doses, severity of motor symptoms (postural disorders and hypokinesia manifestations) and motor complications («off-periods» and dyskinesias), as well as non-motor PD manifestations depression and autonomic dysfunctions (constipation, swallowing disorders, and frequent urination). The regression analysis showed, that the severity of motor complications and depression were the predictors of pain occurrence. The pain syndrome in patients with PD of I-III stages underwent significant regression (by 51% and 62%, after 1.5 and 6 months of therapy, respectively) after ADR (piribedil) addition to their therapy; it's probably due to improving the motor component and decreasing depressive disorders. The piribedil inclusion contributes to the reduction of pain syndrome, regardless is it used in monotherapy or in conjunction with levodopa preparations.

Stable or Unstable Associations Between Learning Environment Factors, Study Approaches and Exam Grades: Cross-Sectional Analyses Across Two Consecutive Program Years

Stable or Unstable Associations Between Learning Environment Factors, Study Approaches and Exam Grades: Cross-Sectional Analyses Across Two Consecutive Program Years

Indicators of the Interrelation between the Education System and the Labor Market: Development and Testing

Introduction. Ensuring the consistency of regional vocational education systems with the labor markets demands is a nationwide task of strategic importance. It causes the development of methodological tools instrumental in a quick and objective assessment of the current state of regional educational systems in the context of their interaction with the region’s labor markets. The aim of the article is to develop indicators of the relationship between the system of vocational education and the labor market and to test the calculation of these indicators in the Russian regions. Materials and Methods. The research methodology includes substantiation, development and formalization of indicators of the interrelation between the education system and the labor market. The first indicator characterizes the potential of the regional vocational education system to provide places for the admission of its own graduates of the 9th and 11th grades of schools. The second indicator assesses the supply of the regional labor market with graduates of the regional system of vocational education. To calculate the proposed indicators, official statistical reporting data are used. Results. In the course of research, using statistical data for 2018–2020, the proposed indicators were calculated for all Russian regions. Based on the cluster analysis of the indicators calculated values, a typology of Russian regions was made, during which five types of stable regions associations with homogeneous characteristics were identified. The strengths and weaknesses of regional educational systems are identified, including in the context of their interaction with the region’s labor markets. Discussion and Сonclusion. The developed indicators allowed to quickly assess the potential of the regions, on the one hand, to provide school graduates with vocational education, and on the other hand, to meet the economy staffing needs by graduates of universities and vocational educational organizations. The results of the study are of undoubted practical significance and will be useful to executive authority in developing recommendations for bringing education systems in line with regional development priorities, strengthening and developing regional educational systems.

Stable and unstable associations between learning environment factors and study approaches: two consecutive cross-sectional analyses of Norwegian occupational therapy students

Relationships between learning environment variables and students’ approaches to studying have been investigated from many points of view over the last decades. However, few studies have explored whether such relationships are stable over time. In the two consecutive cross-sectional analyses performed in this study, Norwegian occupational therapy students’ perceptions of their learning environment and their approaches to studying were assessed in the second (162 students) and third (193 students) year of their study program. Aside from sociodemographic information, the students completed the Course Experience Questionnaire and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, with the aim of exploring whether associations between learning environment variables and study approaches were stable across time. The data were analyzed with hierarchical linear regression analyses. Relatively stable associations with students’ study approaches were found for the learning environment variables of ‘generic skills’ and ‘appropriate workload’. The learning environment variables of ‘clear goals and standards’ and ‘student autonomy’ were directly associated with study approaches in both study years, but the nature of the associations shifted during the study period. Thus, knowledge of stability and change in these relationships could assist faculty in promoting a well-functioning learning environment throughout the study program.

Oral Processing of Three Guenon Species in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.

Three guenon species in Taï National Park frequently form and maintain stable polyspecific associations despite significant feeding competition. This dietary overlap provides an opportunity to examine how closely related and anatomically similar taxa process the same foods. Our research examines whether the oral-processing behaviors of these guenons differ when they consume the same foods. Methods: Data on oral-processing behavior were collected on one habituated group each of Cercopithecus campbelli, C. diana, and C. petaurista in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire from January 2016 to December 2018. We recorded the frequency with which foods were introduced to the mouth (ingestive action) and the frequency with which foods were processed using incisors, canines, and postcanine teeth. Oral-processing profiles for species-specific plant foods, fungi, and invertebrates were compared using Monte Carlo resampling. We quantified oral-processing behavior during a total of 2316 five-minute focal periods. Diana monkeys use their incisors significantly more per ingestive action than Campbell's monkeys or Lesser spot-nosed guenons. Lesser spot-nosed guenons use their incisors more than Campbell's monkeys. Diana monkeys also use significantly more post-canine chews per ingestive action than Campbell's monkeys and Lesser spot-nosed guenons. Lesser spot-nosed guenons generally use fewer post-canine chews than Diana monkeys but more than Campbell's monkeys. Canine use during feeding was rare in all three taxa. The three study species use different oral-processing profiles when consuming the same foods. These results are intriguing given the overall similarity in dental and cranial anatomy in these taxa. The oral-processing profiles we report do not encompass the full dietary breadth of all species; however, the behavioral diversity demonstrated during consumption of the same foods suggests that insight into feeding behavior is more likely obtained by examining oral processing of individual foods rather than broad food categories. Furthermore, these results underscore that important variation in feeding behavior is not necessarily associated with morphological differences in dental or craniofacial anatomy.

Guns, Guerrillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World by Benjamin R. Young

<i>Guns, Guerrillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World</i> by Benjamin R. Young