The upper limb of Paranthropus boisei from Ileret, Kenya.

Paranthropus boisei was first described in 1959 based on fossils from the Olduvai Gorge and now includes many fossils from Ethiopia to Malawi. Knowledge about its postcranial anatomy has remained elusive because, until recently, no postcranial remains could be reliably attributed to this taxon. Here, we report the first associated hand and upper limb skeleton (KNM-ER 47000) of P. boisei from 1.51 to 1.53 Ma sediments at Ileret, Kenya. While the fossils show a combination of primitive and derived traits, the overall anatomy is characterized by primitive traits that resemble those found in Australopithecus, including an oblique scapular spine, relatively long and curved ulna, lack of third metacarpal styloid process, gracile thumb metacarpal, and curved manual phalanges. Very thick cortical bone throughout the upper limb shows that P. boisei had great upper limb strength, supporting hypotheses that this species spent time climbing trees, although probably to a lesser extent than earlier australopiths. Hand anatomy shows that P. boisei, like earlier australopiths, was capable of the manual dexterity needed to create and use stone tools, but lacked the robust thumb of Homo erectus, which arguably reflects adaptations to the intensification of precision grips and tool use. KNM-ER 47000 provides conclusive evidence that early Pleistocene hominins diverged in postcranial and craniodental anatomy, supporting hypotheses of competitive displacement among these contemporaneous hominins.

Cross-sectional geometric analysis of a foot bone assemblage from Mangaia, Cook Islands.

This study describes a human foot bone assemblage from prehistoric Mangaia, Cook Islands in the context of diaphyseal cross-sectional strength measures. We use this sample to test the hypothesis that habitually unshod individuals who walk over rugged terrain will have stronger foot bones than a sample of habitually shod industrialized people. Specifically, we examine whether the Mangaian sample has a stronger size-adjusted metatarsal (MT) and phalangeal cross-sectional properties than the industrial sample, drawn from the Terry Collection. Contrary to expectations, residual analyses showed that most values of cross-sectional area (CA) and torsional resistance (J) of MTs 1-4 and the hallucal proximal phalanx (HPP) of the Mangaians are among those in the lower range of the Terry Collection sample. However, the bending strength ratios (Zy/Zx) of the Mangaian HPP are significantly greater than those of the Terry Collection. While characteristics such as forefoot shape variation between the sexes and among geographic populations cannot be ruled out as influential factors, cross-sectional properties of the hallucal proximal phalanges, but not the MTs, indicate terrain complexity in prehistoric populations.

Four models in imparting decision-making information.

Twenty-four students in a basic professional master's program were asked to assign muscle test grades after being given a description of the performance of a hypothetical patient. Each student used one of four experimental formats for presenting the decision-making information necessary to assign the muscle grades. None of the students had been previously exposed to the information and the speed and accuracy of their performance was measured. No differences were noted in accuracy regradless of the format used but the flow chart and the logic tree formats were significantly more efficient in terms of time. The algorithm format was significantly less effective on the time dimension. The prose format was intermediate with regard to time.

Instructing occupational therapy students in information retrieval.

The effectiveness of a brief program designed to teach occupational therapy students enrolled in a graduate research methods class to conduct searches of four electronic databases was investigated. Students in the experimental class read an instructional booklet and received approximately 1 hour of supervised practice time using compact disk--read-only memory (CD-ROM) equipment. Questionnaire data revealed that compared with the students in the control class, the students completing the training program reported being significantly more familiar with six of seven key concepts and indicated significantly higher levels of usage of the four databases studied in the program.

Comparison of the effectiveness of two types of teaching aids in an occupational therapy research class.

Students who have mastered statistical calculation problems often experience difficulty in choosing an appropriate procedure to apply to a given research problem. To assist them in the process, two teaching aids were assigned at random to a group of 29 beginning research students. Their performance in selecting appropriate statistical procedures for analyzing data indicated that, while both aids were helpful, the algorithm format was more effective than the prose form.

Central nervous system toxicity with fludarabine.

A serious delayed neurotoxicity marked by encephalopathy and cortical blindness has occurred in patients treated with fludarabine. This toxicity had only been reported in patients receiving high doses (ie, aplasia-inducing). We describe a similar subacute neurological deterioration occurring in two patients, including one who received only low doses of this agent. Neurologic vulnerability to low doses of fludarabine may be multifactorial and at present cannot be predicted. Continued caution in the use of this new antineoplastic agent is appropriate.