This article explores the role a human skeleton played in the queering and shaping of dance modernism. In the early decades of the twentieth century, an important intervention propelling dance toward a modernist aesthetic while disrupting the regulatory norms of gender construction, began in a women's college gymnasium via a skeleton. Two impulses generate this archival-based inquiry: one that traces the history and symbolic formulations of nationalism, race, and gender that followed skeletons into the university as they anchored conceptualizations of the modernist dancing body; and another that locates the intervention of a queer body in dance through this skeleton.

For Aristotelian scholars, matter is identified as the subject of change, while form is the boundary of matter. Design is a process of bringing about change. From a design perspective, material is what an entity is made from; form is what makes a thing what it is. Based on the principle, “form is the boundary of matter”, this paper proposes a Design by Material method, thereby addressing the knowledge gap of a systematic method for designing according to material. This method is predicated on the material specification as the first input in the design process. A formal model is built in which the material acts as a trigger and driver for the design process. The method is implemented by integrating computer-aided design (CAD) modelling and its design form. A design application is explained to demonstrate the relevance of the Design by Material method.

Automatic emotion recognition has become an important trend in the fields of human–computer natural interaction and artificial intelligence. Although gesture is one of the most important components of nonverbal communication, which has a considerable impact on emotion recognition, it is rarely considered in the study of emotion recognition. An important reason is the lack of large open-source emotional databases containing skeletal movement data. In this paper, we extract three-dimensional skeleton information from videos and apply the method to IEMOCAP database to add a new modality. We propose an attention-based convolutional neural network which takes the extracted data as input to predict the speakers’ emotional state. We also propose a graph attention-based fusion method that combines our model with the models using other modalities, to provide complementary information in the emotion classification task and effectively fuse multimodal cues. The combined model utilizes audio signals, text information, and skeletal data. The performance of the model significantly outperforms the bimodal model and other fusion strategies, proving the effectiveness of the method.

The cyclic coordinate descent (CCD) method is a popular loop closure method in protein structure modeling. It is a robotics algorithm originally developed for inverse kinematic applications. We demonstrate an effective method of building the backbone of protein structure models using the principle of CCD and a guiding trace. For medium-resolution 3-dimensional (3D) images derived using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), it is possible to obtain guiding traces of secondary structures and their skeleton connections. Our new method, constrained cyclic coordinate descent (CCCD), builds α-helices, β-strands, and loops quickly and fairly accurately along predefined traces. We show that it is possible to build the entire backbone of a protein fairly accurately when the guiding traces are accurate. In a test of 10 proteins, the models constructed using CCCD show an average of 3.91 Å of backbone root mean square deviation (RMSD). When the CCCD method is incorporated in a simulated annealing framework to sample possible shift, translation, and rotation freedom, the models built with the true topology were ranked high on the list, with an average backbone RMSD100 of 3.76 Å. CCCD is an effective method for modeling atomic structures after secondary structure traces and skeletons are extracted from 3D cryo-EM images.

This study presents the first 87Sr/ 86Sr isotope results obtained on Neolithic humans from Southern France. These analyses aimed at exploring patterns of mobility in the Languedoc and Garonne areas, at sites dated to the Middle Neolithic (c. 4500–3500 cal BC). Strontium isotope analysis of tooth enamel and bone are a useful geochemical tracer to investigate the origin and residential mobility of ancient people. Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/ 86Sr) of material from five sites located in two geographic areas were measured. Results obtained do not support our hypothesis of mobility for a number of individuals considered as outsiders in a previous study. On the other hand, the difference recorded between teeth and bone suggests mobility of other individuals between childhood and the last years of adult life. This preliminary study highlights the importance of combining multi-isotope analysis to discuss human subsistence economy and mobility.

The case study presents completely different interpretations of the same archaeological evidence. Reasons for that are not only the state of knowledge and the possibilities of research, but also the impact of changes in the socio-political climate and varying theoretical traditions. The examples are taken from the Late La Tène settlement Basel-Gasfabrik, which has been excavated for almost 100 years. The study focuses on a number of more or less complete human skeletons from sunken features inside the settlement. This phenomenon prompted the archaeologists to find explanations for this apparent exception to the ancient rule of burying the dead outside the settlements. The interpretations of this ‘abnormal' burial practice range from victims of war to burials of the members of the élite. The discussion continues on the basis of the synopsis of all verifiable options of dealing with the dead and includes evidence from similar sites elsewhere.

The burrowing brittle-star Acrocnida brachiata has so far been regarded as a single, easily identifiable species. Recent studies showed habitat-related differences in maximum size, life span, breeding time and recruitment between intertidal and subtidal populations, which at first were attributed to environmental effects on individuals within the same species. Molecular data, however, strongly suggested the existence of two distinct lineages and ultimately two cryptic species with clear bathymetric segregation. Morphological evidence had so far not been presented, because any differences were interpreted as intraspecific variation. We collected A. brachiata from intertidal and subtidal habitats at the coast of Brittany, France, and examined 15 specimens of each group externally by SEM. A key character of A. brachiata is that the scales at the edge of the disc and on the ventral side are conically enlarged. Intertidal individuals showed a sparser disc scalation, more spine-like than conical ventral disc scales and spatulate, distally widened arm spines. In addition, we dissected several specimens of different size and examined the internal skeleton by SEM. The oral plates showed a rib-like structure on their abradial face that differs between individuals from either habitat. Subtidal specimens have fewer ribs than intertidal ones. These consistent differences support the existence of two species within A. brachiata. To describe the second species, we needed to establish the identity of A. brachiata. We describe a neotype, because no type material has been preserved since it was first described; it corresponds mainly to subtidal samples. The new species is described as Acrocnida spatulispina sp. nov. The taxonomic status of Acrocnida has been debated over the years with reference to its close affinities with Amphiura chiajei. We compared the species of Acrocnida with A. chiajei and Amphiura filiformis and found that Acrocnida is indeed morphologically similar to A. chiajei, among other characters by a similar oral plate structure, whereas A. filiformis differs greatly from Acrocnida as well as A. chiajei. Most strikingly, it has a different type of oral plate. These findings indicate that fundamental taxonomic changes may need to be made in the family Amphiuridae in the future.

Unique features of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis anatomy are its long neck and slender long limbs. Its neck vertebrae should be light and have low density to make it manoeuvrable while the limb bones should have high density to provide the strength to support the giraffe's mass. Giraffes also have a very high vertical growth rate, a diet with a high Ca:P ratio, and a skeleton that constitutes a high proportion of its body mass. To investigate whether the giraffe skeleton is affected by its anatomy and biology, giraffe bone density and morphology were compared with those of African buffalo Syncerus caffer, an artiodactyl of similar mass, more conventional anatomy, a lower vertical growth rate, and different diet. Our results show that except for minor differences the density of giraffe bones is the same as that of buffaloes. Giraffe limb bones have a slightly greater diameter and much thicker walls than equivalent bones in buffaloes. Giraffe cervical vertebrae, unlike those in buffaloes, decrease in mass with cranial distance. We conclude that giraffe biology and anatomy do not affect bone deposition or density. However, other characteristics of their skeletons seem to be adaptations to their unique anatomy.

Some studies of birds suggest that the development of the skeleton may invoke a constraint on the rate of postnatal growth. Other studies have shown that the eggshell is the major source of calcium for skeletal development of the embryo. To test whether avian growth rate is indeed associated with different patterns of skeletal development, we compared the degree of skeletal ossification of the long bones of the wing and the leg of one slowly growing precocial species (quail Coturnix japonica) with that of two rapidly growing altricial species (starling Sturnus vulgaris and fieldfare Turdus pilaris). The degree of skeletal ossification of the long bones of the wings and legs of lines of quails that had undergone long-term selection for high- and low-growth rate, respectively, also was compared with a non-selected control line. Next, the fine structure of the inner eggshell surface (mammillary layer) of both pre- and post-incubated eggs, i.e. before and after embryonic development/calcium removal was compared. The data show that the skeleton of the more rapidly growing species and lines was less ossified than that of the more slowly growing ones. This difference appeared to be associated with different rates of calcium removal from the eggshell. Removal was more extensive in eggs of quail than in eggs of starling and fieldfare, i.e. more extensive in shells with a high number of mammillary tips per unit of surface area than in shells with a lower number. It is therefore concluded that growth rate is of fundamental importance for the pattern of skeletal development. Moreover, the mammillary density varies between different bird species, it is suggested, in order to support the different rates of calcium removal by developing embryos.

An analysis of forelimb and hindlimb skeletal morphology of 15 passerine genera was performed to investigate the likely existence of an ecomorphological pattern relating morphology to migratory behaviour. Each genus was represented by a pair of species, one being sedentary and another migrant. Using a phylogenetic comparative method we found migrant species having longer sternum, deeper keel and longer coracoids than non-migrant species. Hindlimb morphology was not related to migration. These results are interpreted as adaptations for migrants favouring flight ability, as the larger the sternum and the coracoids the greater the surface available for attachment of the main muscles involved in active flight.

Leaping primates are specialized for hindlimb-propelled locomotion within arboreal habitats. As a group, they include members of Galagonidae, Lemuriformes and Tarsiidae. Postcranial characters analysed here include humeral and femoral diaphyseal rigidity, articular surface areas and lengths. Data for leaper taxa are compared with corresponding data for less specialized small primates. The more generalized comparative primates include both closely related prosimians and distantly related platyrrhines (New World monkeys). In addition, the leapers are subdivided for further analysis according to body size and taxonomic association. Questions addressed concern the identification of functionally and/or phylogenetically linked traits in leaper postcrania. Results indicate that leapers as a group have relatively higher femoral diaphyseal rigidity and longer femora than do more generalized primates. These traits are also present in Pithecia pithecia, a platyrrhine leaper included for comparison. These enhanced properties probably function in resisting large hindlimb forces incurred during leaping, and in producing longer, more efficient leaps. Most of the large-bodied lemuriform leapers are further distinguished in having relatively bigger femoral heads and reduced humeral rigidity. The small-bodied leapers, galagonids and tarsiids, do not differ in either femoral head surface area or in any of the humeral properties from more generalized primates. Pithecia has a large femoral head like lemuriforms, but it is not reduced in humeral rigidity. Aspects of hip joint structure and mobility may be related to femoral head size in lemuriforms and Pithecia. Explanations regarding reduced lemuriform humeral rigidity are also explored. Differences between lemuriform primates are also present, most notably in aspects of the distal humerus. Indrids are characterized by relatively reduced trochleae, while many lemurids have relatively small capitula. These features are interpreted with regard to frequencies of suspensory behaviour and quadrupedalism.

Current information on the conodonts Clydagnathus windsorensis (Globensky) and Promissum pulchrum Kovács–Endrödy, together with the latest interpretations of conodont hard tissues, are reviewed and it is concluded that sufficient evidence exists to justify interpretation of the conodonts on a chordate model. A new phylogenetic analysis is undertaken, consisting of 17 chordate taxa and 103 morphological, physiological and biochemical characters; conodonts are included as a primary taxon. Various experiments with character coding, taxon deletion and the use of constraint trees are carried out. We conclude that conodonts are cladistically more derived than either hagfishes or lampreys because they possess a mineralised dermal skeleton and that they are the most plesiomorphic member of the total group Gnathostomata. We discuss the evolution of the nervous and sensory systems and the skeleton in the context of our optimal phylogenetic tree. There appears to be no simple evolution of free to canal-enclosed neuromasts; organised neuromasts within canals appear to have arisen at least three times from free neuromasts or neuromasts arranged within grooves. The mineralised vertebrate skeleton first appeared as odontodes of dentine or dentine plus enamel in the paraconodont/euconodont feeding apparatus. Bone appeared later, co-ordinate with the development of a dermal skeleton, and it appears to have been primitively acellular. Atubular dentine is more primitive than tubular dentine. However, the subsequent distribution of the different types of dentine (e.g. mesodentine, orthodentine), suggests that these tissue types are homoplastic. The topology of relationships and known stratigraphic ranges of taxa in our phylogeny predict the existence of myxinoids and petromyzontids in the Cambrian.

Tibial torsion, twisting of the tibia about its longitudinal axis, varies during development and early childhood. Knowledge of the normal range of tibial torsion at various ages and its accurate clinical measurement is important in the assessment of the extent of a torsional deformity. To evaluate tibial torsion a reliable technique for its measurement in vivo is therefore required. The aim of this study was to determine which of 4 existing in vivo methods of measuring tibial torsion was the most accurate and had the highest repeatability, by comparing them with direct measurement of the tibia. A wide range of mean values for tibial torsion was observed, using the various techniques, with none of the indirect techniques employed having a strong correlation with direct measurement of tibial torsion. The repeatability of the indirect techniques was observed to be low both in cadavers (n=4) and the living (n=3). Since none of the in vivo techniques appear to measure true tibial torsion or be of a reasonable repeatability, alternative easy to use and inexpensive methods need to be developed. Accurate clinical measurement of tibial torsion is important in the assessment of the extent of a torsional deformity. It is recommended that data gained using the methods reviewed here are interpreted with caution.

Let $\Omega$ be an open proper subset of $\Bbb R^n$. Its {\it skeleton} is the set of points with more than one nearest neighbour in the complement of $\Omega$; its {\it central set} is the set of centres in maximal open balls included in $\Omega$. Intuitively, if we think of $\Omega$ as a land mass in which height is proportional to distance from the sea, its skeleton and central set can be thought of as corresponding to ridges in the mountains of $\Omega$. In this note I discuss the metric and topological properties of such sets. I show that any skeleton in $\Bbb R^n$ is F$_{\sigma}$, and has dimension at most $n-1$, by any of the usual measures of dimension; that if $\Omega$ is bounded and connected, its skeleton and central set are connected; and that $\Omega$ separates $\Bbb R^n$ iff its skeleton does iff its central set does. Any central set in $\Bbb R^n$ is a G$_{\delta}$ set of topological dimension at most $n-1$. In the plane, I show that both skeletons and central sets are locally path-connected, and indeed include many paths of finite length. For any $\Omega$, its central set includes its skeleton; I give examples to show that the central set can be significantly larger than the skeleton.

1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 54F99.