3.3-million-year-old stone tools from Lomekwi 3, West Turkana, Kenya.

Human evolutionary scholars have long supposed that the earliest stone tools were made by the genus Homo and that this technological development was directly linked to climate change and the spread of savannah grasslands. New fieldwork in West Turkana, Kenya, has identified evidence of much earlier hominin technological behaviour. We report the discovery of Lomekwi 3, a 3.3-million-year-old archaeological site where in situ stone artefacts occur in spatiotemporal association with Pliocene hominin fossils in a wooded palaeoenvironment. The Lomekwi 3 knappers, with a developing understanding of stone's fracture properties, combined core reduction with battering activities. Given the implications of the Lomekwi 3 assemblage for models aiming to converge environmental change, hominin evolution and technological origins, we propose for it the name 'Lomekwian', which predates the Oldowan by 700,000 years and marks a new beginning to the known archaeological record.

Evidence for a rapid release of carbon at the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum.

The Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and associated carbon isotope excursion (CIE) are often touted as the best geologic analog for the current anthropogenic rise in pCO2. However, a causal mechanism for the PETM CIE remains unidentified because of large uncertainties in the duration of the CIE's onset. Here, we report on a sequence of rhythmic sedimentary couplets comprising the Paleocene/Eocene Marlboro Clay (Salisbury Embayment). These couplets have corresponding δ(18)O cycles that imply a climatic origin. Seasonal insolation is the only regular climate cycle that can plausibly account for δ(18)O amplitudes and layer counts. High-resolution stable isotope records show 3.5‰ δ(13)C decrease over 13 couplets defining the CIE onset, which requires a large, instantaneous release of (13)C-depleted carbon. During the CIE, a clear δ(13)C gradient developed on the shelf with the largest excursions in shallowest waters, indicating atmospheric δ(13)C decreased by ~20‰. Our observations and revised release rate are consistent with an atmospheric perturbation of 3,000-gigatons of carbon (GtC).

Phosphoproteomic analysis reveals compensatory effects in the piriform cortex of VX nerve agent exposed rats.

To gain insights into the toxicity induced by the nerve agent VX, an MS-based phosphoproteomic analysis was carried out on the piriform cortex region of brains from VX-treated rats. Using isobaric tag based TMT labeling followed by titanium dioxide enrichment strategy, we identified 9975 unique phosphosites derived from 3287 phosphoproteins. Temporal changes in the phosphorylation status of peptides were observed over a time period of 24 h in rats exposed to a 1× LD50, intravenous (i.v.) dose with the most notable changes occurring at the 1 h postexposure time point. Five major functional classes of proteins exhibited changes in their phosphorylation status: (i) ion channels/transporters, including ATPases, (ii) kinases/phosphatases, (iii) GTPases, (iv) structural proteins, and (v) transcriptional regulatory proteins. This study is the first quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of VX toxicity in the brain. Understanding the toxicity and compensatory signaling mechanisms will improve the understanding of the complex toxicity of VX in the brain and aid in the elucidation of novel molecular targets that would be important for development of improved countermeasures. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001184 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001184).

Pedogenic carbonate stable isotopic evidence for wooded habitat preference of early Pleistocene tool makers in the Turkana Basin.

The origin and evolution of early Pleistocene hominin lithic technologies in Africa occurred within the context of savanna grassland ecosystems. The Nachukui Formation of the Turkana Basin in northern Kenya, containing Oldowan and Acheulean tool assemblages and fossil evidence for early members of Homo and Paranthropus, provides an extensive spatial and temporal paleosol record of early Pleistocene savanna flora. Here we present new carbon isotopic (δ(13)CVPDB) values of pedogenic carbonates (68 nodules, 193 analyses) from the Nachukui Formation in order to characterize past vegetation structure and change through time. We compared three members (Kalochoro, Kaitio, and Natoo) at five locations spanning 2.4-1.4Ma and sampled in proximity to hominin archaeological and paleontological sites. Our results indicate diverse habitats showing a mosaic pattern of vegetation cover at each location yet demonstrate grassland expansion through time influenced by paleogeography. Kalochoro floodplains occurred adjacent to large river systems, and paleosols show evidence of C3 woodlands averaging 46-50% woody cover. Kaitio habitats were located along smaller rivers and lake margins. Paleosols yielded evidence for reduced portions of woody vegetation averaging 34-37% woody cover. Natoo environments had the highest percentage of grasslands averaging 21% woody cover near a diminishing Lake Turkana precursor. We also compared paleosol δ(13)CVPDB values of lithic archaeological sites with paleosol δ(13)CVPDB values of all environments available to hominins at 2.4-1.4Ma in the Nachukui and Koobi Fora Formations. Grassy environments became more widespread during this interval; woody canopy cover mean percentages steadily decreased by 12%. However, significantly more wooded savanna habitats were present in the vicinity of lithic archaeological sites and did not mirror the basin-wide trend of grassland spread. Hominin lithic archaeological sites consistently demonstrated woody cover circa 40% throughout our study interval and were 4-12% more woody than coeval basin environs. We propose that Turkana Basin early tool makers may have preferred a more wooded portion of the savanna ecosystem to reduce heat stress and to gain differential access to potable water, raw materials, animal carcasses, and edible plants.

Death, drugs, and disaster: mortality among New Orleans' homeless.

Tracking homeless individuals over time has proved to be extremely difficult; thus, only limited longitudinal data on the homeless exist. We analyze longitudinal data originally collected from the New Orleans Homeless Substance Abusers Program in 1991-1993, supplemented with mortality data for the same sample by year 2010. We use social bonding theory to examine the effect of conventional social ties on mortality among a sample of substance abusing homeless people. This is of special concern when researching the older homeless persons. We find that social bonding theory does not help to understand mortality among this population. However, alcohol abuse, as compared to crack cocaine, does increase the likelihood of early mortality.

Cenozoic sea-level and cryospheric evolution from deep-sea geochemical and continental margin records.

Using Pacific benthic foraminiferal δ18O and Mg/Ca records, we derive a Cenozoic (66 Ma) global mean sea level (GMSL) estimate that records evolution from an ice-free Early Eocene to Quaternary bipolar ice sheets. These GMSL estimates are statistically similar to "backstripped" estimates from continental margins accounting for compaction, loading, and thermal subsidence. Peak warmth, elevated GMSL, high CO2, and ice-free "Hothouse" conditions (56 to 48 Ma) were followed by "Cool Greenhouse" (48 to 34 Ma) ice sheets (10 to 30 m changes). Continental-scale ice sheets ("Icehouse") began ~34 Ma (>50 m changes), permanent East Antarctic ice sheets at 12.8 Ma, and bipolar glaciation at 2.5 Ma. The largest GMSL fall (27 to 20 ka; ~130 m) was followed by a >40 mm/yr rise (19 to 10 ka), a slowing (10 to 2 ka), and a stillstand until ~1900 CE, when rates began to rise. High long-term CO2 caused warm climates and high sea levels, with sea-level variability dominated by periodic Milankovitch cycles.

Dataset of characteristic remanent magnetization and magnetic properties of early Pliocene sediments from IODP Site U1467 (Maldives platform).

This data article describes data of magnetic stratigraphy and anisotropy of isothermal remanent magnetization (AIRM) from "Magnetic properties of early Pliocene sediments from IODP Site U1467 (Maldives platform) reveal changes in the monsoon system" [1]. Acquisition of isothermal magnetization on pilot samples and anisotropy of isothermal remanent magnetization are reported as raw data; magnetostratigraphic data are reported as characteristic magnetization (ChRM).

Safety of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal air disinfection for room occupants: results from the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the safety of room occupants in the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study (TUSS), a double-blind, placebo-controlled field trial of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) at 14 homeless shelters in six U.S. cities from 1997 to 2004. METHODS: Data collection involved administering questionnaires regarding eye and skin irritation to a total of 3,611 staff and homeless study subjects. RESULTS: Among these subjects, there were 223 reports of eye or skin symptoms. During the active UV period, 95 questionnaires (6%) noted such symptoms, and during the placebo period, 92 questionnaires (6%) did so. In the 36 remaining cases, either the UV period when symptoms took place was unknown or the symptoms spanned both periods. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of reports of symptoms between the active and placebo periods. One definite instance of UV-related keratoconjunctivitis occurred, resulting from a placement of a bunk bed in a dormitory where a single bed had been used when the UV fixtures were first installed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that careful application of upper-room UVGI can be achieved without an apparent increase in the incidence of the most common side effects of accidental UV overexposure.

Home Delivered Meals to Older Adults: A Critical Review of the Literature.

The United States is witnessing a growing aging population stemming in part from medical advancements allowing people to live decades longer than previous generations. Simultaneously, food insecurity among older adults has increased, and is projected to get worse as the Baby Boomer generation ages. This review focuses on an assistance program for older adults: home-delivered meals. Specifically, we focus on the effects of Meals on Wheels (MOW) on the physical and emotional well-being of older adults, and the wide variety of procedural and operational issues that various MOW programs around the country experience. Findings from the literature highlight the positive outcomes these programs have on their clients. Although there have been recent budget cut threats from the federal government, evidence suggests that more funding should be allocated so these programs can provide services to everyone in need, and even expand what they are able to offer to older adults.

Determinants of resident autonomy in assisted living facilities: a review of the literature.

Assisted living (AL) stresses the importance of resident autonomy in the provision of good quality care. Resident autonomy has been linked to better resident well-being, less reliance on supportive services, and greater participation in social activities. Little is known, however, about factors that foster resident autonomy in AL. This article reviews what is currently known about organizational determinants of resident autonomy in AL. The open-natural systems approach to organizational effectiveness, which views organizations in relation to their environment, provides a broad conceptual framework for this analysis. Factors that influence resident autonomy in AL are classified into two categories: (a) external environmental conditions (e.g., ownership status, chain membership, regulatory environment) and (b) internal organizational structures and processes (e.g., facility size, residents' functional ability, resident social resources, and staff work environment). Environmental conditions represent the most antecedent set of factors that influence resident autonomy, indirectly through their effects on internal organizational structures and processes. Internal organizational factors influence resident autonomy through their impact on policies that enable resident choice and control in the facility. More research is needed to better understand the complex mechanism(s) through which organizational factors influence resident autonomy.

Impact ejecta at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary.

Extraterrestrial impacts have left a substantial imprint on the climate and evolutionary history of Earth. A rapid carbon cycle perturbation and global warming event about 56 million years ago at the Paleocene-Eocene (P-E) boundary (the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum) was accompanied by rapid expansions of mammals and terrestrial plants and extinctions of deep-sea benthic organisms. Here, we report the discovery of silicate glass spherules in a discrete stratigraphic layer from three marine P-E boundary sections on the Atlantic margin. Distinct characteristics identify the spherules as microtektites and microkrystites, indicating that an extraterrestrial impact occurred during the carbon isotope excursion at the P-E boundary.

The abrupt onset of the modern South Asian Monsoon winds.

The South Asian Monson (SAM) is one of the most intense climatic elements yet its initiation and variations are not well established. Dating the deposits of SAM wind-driven currents in IODP cores from the Maldives yields an age of 12. 9 Ma indicating an abrupt SAM onset, over a short period of 300 kyrs. This coincided with the Indian Ocean Oxygen Minimum Zone expansion as revealed by geochemical tracers and the onset of upwelling reflected by the sediment's content of particulate organic matter. A weaker 'proto-monsoon' existed between 12.9 and 25 Ma, as mirrored by the sedimentary signature of dust influx. Abrupt SAM initiation favors a strong influence of climate in addition to the tectonic control, and we propose that the post Miocene Climate Optimum cooling, together with increased continentalization and establishment of the bipolar ocean circulation, i.e. the beginning of the modern world, shifted the monsoon over a threshold towards the modern system.

The graying of America: implications for health professionals.

Demographic projections confirm a dramatic increase in the size of America's elderly population over the next several decades. The elderly now comprise 13% of the population; by 2045, they will comprise 22%. As the elderly population grows, so too will the elderly poor, the elderly homeless, and the elderly uninsured. The implications of the so-called graying of America for the health care system, particularly the long-term care industry, are staggering.

Victimization of the elderly homeless.

Using data from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC), this article examines the applicability of Felson's Routine Activities Theory to a national probability sample of older homeless individuals. Results indicate that the relative protection that women often have from most crimes is not transferred to the older homeless woman who is more likely than her male counterparts to be the victim of sexual assault but equally as likely to be the victim of theft and physical assault. Likewise, the protection often noted afforded by age against victimization is also not seen among the homeless. The research demonstrates that being male and having mental and physical health problems as well as substance abuse problems increases the likelihood of victimizations among the homeless population, in general When predictors of victimization were considered for the 50 and older sample, these predictors remained the same except that the gender remained significant only for sexual assault. These findings are consistent with and supportive of utilizing Felson's Routine Activities Theory to understand and explain victimization among the older homeless population.

Racial and ethnic identity of older adults residing in assisted living facilities in central Florida.

In response to the growing concern over the provision of long-term care to an ever-expanding older population, new methods of delivering services to older adults are constantly being developed. The development and expansion of long-term care via assisted living facilities (ALFs) is one approach that has proven surprisingly popular all across the nation. Despite the popularity of ALFs, relatively little appears to be known about the residents of these facilities. This article examines the racial and ethnic identities and certain other characteristics of residents in a stratified probability sample of assisted living facilities in central Florida, a region that contains one of the nation's densest populations of older adults. Fifty-nine facilities serving 1,805 residents were surveyed. Predictably, racial and ethnic minorities were significantly underrepresented among the residents of these facilities. Facilities serving relatively large minority populations were characterized by lower room rates and a larger proportion of beds set aside for Office of Social Services (OSS) residents (i.e., beds funded through state funds or by Medicaid). The general run of these findings suggests that as they have been implemented in central Florida, ALFs may well perpetuate preexisting socioeconomic inequalities among the aged population.

Extracellular protein biomarkers for the characterization of enterohemorrhagic and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains.

The extracellular proteins (ECPs) of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) can cause hemorrhagic colitis which may cause life threatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome, while that of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) can clump to intestinal membranes. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry based proteomics is used to evaluate a preliminary study on the extracellular and whole cell protein extracts associated with E. coli strain pathogenicity. Proteomics analysis, which is independent of genomic sequencing, of EAEC O104:H4 (unsequenced genome) identified a number of proteins. Proteomics of EHEC O104:H4, causative agent of the Germany outbreak, showed a closest match with E. coli E55989, in agreement with genomic studies. Dendrogram analysis separated EHEC O157:H7 and EHEC/EAEC O104:H4. ECP analysis compared to that of whole cell processing entails few steps and convenient experimental extraction procedures. Bacterial characterization results are promising in exploring the impact of environmental conditions on E. coli ECP biomarkers with a few relatively straightforward protein extraction steps.

Paleoceanography. Antarctic role in Northern Hemisphere glaciation.

Earth's climate underwent a major transition from the warmth of the late Pliocene, when global surface temperatures were ~2° to 3°C higher than today, to extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation (NHG) ~2.73 million years ago (Ma). We show that North Pacific deep waters were substantially colder (4°C) and probably fresher than the North Atlantic Deep Water before the intensification of NHG. At ~2.73 Ma, the Atlantic-Pacific temperature gradient was reduced to <1°C, suggesting the initiation of stronger heat transfer from the North Atlantic to the deep Pacific. We posit that increased glaciation of Antarctica, deduced from the 21 ± 10-meter sea-level fall from 3.15 to 2.75 Ma, and the development of a strong polar halocline fundamentally altered deep ocean circulation, which enhanced interhemispheric heat and salt transport, thereby contributing to NHG.