How Humanlike Was 'Ardi'? Nov 20, 2009
In a summary paper led by Lovejoy, the authors describe Ardipithecus as a "facultative upright walker," one that can walk on two legs if needed (to carry something in the forearms, for example) but that isn't necessarily prone to do so. "What's ironic is that that's how you would describe bipedality in chimpanzees," Jungers says "they're facultative bipeds." Homo erectus, on the other hand, which lived about 2 ... 6 million years after Ardi, were obligate bipeds, and he points out, "even humans... (Scientific American)
Gut Ecology In Transplant Patients Sep 17, 2009
Among ileostomy patients, the populations seemed to be fairly stable over time and dominated by bacteria that are "facultative anaerobes" -- they can use oxygen, but don't need it. In 10 patients, the ileostomy was eventually closed. (Science Daily)
Sapiens Awarded $1.1 Million Reinsurance Contract by a Global Financial Services Group Jun 29, 2009
This powerful framework-based solution manages in one single platform ceded and assumed reinsurance, proportional and non-proportional treaties and facultative contracts. Currently the system handles all property and casualty, commercial and personal lines. (PR Newswire)
Skin color clue to nicotine dependence May 9, 2009
Statistical analyses of data on the three measures of smoking -- cigarettes per day, FTND score, and cotinine levels -- along with a host of other variables including age, education and social demographics of the smokers, reveal that facultative melanin -- the total amount of melanin acquired genetically plus the amount from the tanning effect of sunlight -- is significantly linked to the number of cigarettes smoked per day as well as the FTND score. This link was not observed with constitutive... (EurekAlert!)
Cooperative Behavior Meshes With Evolutionary Theory Apr 7, 2009
Snowdrift game dynamics and facultative cheating in yeast. Nature, 2009; DOI. (Science Daily)
XL Capital Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2008 Results Feb 11, 2009
" Gross and net premiums written during the three months ended December 31, 2008 decreased by 24.3% and 10.9%, respectively, as compared to the fourth quarter in 2007. For the year ended December 31, 2008, gross and net written premiums decreased 15.1% and 16.9% to $2.3 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. The decrease in gross premium written is due principally to the commutation of a large structured reinsurance contract in the fourth quarter resulting in a $35 million reduction in written... (PR Newswire)
