Darwin in Mind: New Opportunities for Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology (EP) views the human mind as organized into many modules, each underpinned by psychological adaptations designed to solve problems faced by our Pleistocene ancestors. We argue that the key tenets of the established EP paradigm require modification in the light of recent findings from a number of disciplines, including human genetics, evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and paleoecology. For instance, many human genes have been subject to recent selective sweeps; humans play an active, constructive role in co-directing their own development and evolution; and experimental evidence often favours a general process, rather than a modular account, of cognition. A redefined EP could use the theoretical insights of modern evolutionary biology as a rich source of hypotheses concerning the human mind, and could exploit novel methods from a variety of adjacent research fields

Evaluation of a pilot police led suicide early alert surveillance strategy in the United Kingdom.

Introduction: Those bereaved by suicide are at increased risk of psychological harm, which can be reduced with the provision of timely support. This paper outlines an evaluation of a pilot police-led suicide strategy, in comparison to a coroner-led suicide strategy looking at the number, and length of time it takes for deaths to be recorded for each strategy. Additionally, the police-led strategy offers timely contact from support services for bereaved individuals. We examined what impact this offer of support had on the capacity of support services. Methods: A mixed methods evaluation compared how long it took for suspected suicides to be recorded using both strategies. The number of referrals received by support services during the pilot strategy were compared to those from previous years. A feedback focus group, and interviews, were held with key stakeholders. Results: The coroner-strategy was more consistent at identifying suspected suicides, however reports were filed quicker by the police. Bereaved individuals were willing to share contact details with police officers and consent for referral to support services which lead to increased referrals. The focus group and interviews revealed that the pilot police strategy needs better integration into routine police practice. Conclusions: This strategy has the potential to deliver a real benefit to those bereaved by suicide, however there are still aspects which could be improved

The effect of ionic aggregates on the transport of charged species in lithium electrolyte solutions

In this investigation we focus on the problem of modelling the transport of the charged species (lithium ions) in electrolyte solutions with moderate and high salt concentrations (0.1M to >2M), and consider the Nernst-Planck equation as a model of such processes. First, using a combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and inverse modelling (IM) we demonstrate that at higher concentrations the Nernst- Planck equation requires negative transference numbers in order to accurately describe the concentration profiles obtained from experiments. The need for such a physically inconsistent constitutive relation indicates the loss of validity of the Nernst-Planck equation as a model for this process. Next we consider the formation of ion pairs and clusters as a possible effect responsible for the appearance of negative transference numbers and derive an extended version of the Nernst-Planck system which accounts for these additional species. However, a careful analysis of this model reveals that incorporation of ion-pairing effects into the modelling will not change the transference numbers inferred from the experimental data via inverse modelling. This demonstrates that physical effects other than formation of ion pairs and clusters must be incorporated into the Nernst-Planck model in order for it to correctly describe ion transport at higher salt concentrations. One prime candidate for such effects is the motion of the reaction surface resulting from dendrite growth

Role of the kinetic chain in shoulder rehabilitation: does incorporating the trunk and lower limb into shoulder exercise regimes influence shoulder muscle recruitment patterns? Systematic review of electromyography studies

Objective: To investigate the influence of trunk and lower limb motion on electromyography (EMG) muscle activity and recruitment patterns around the shoulder. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro, AMED, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews, SportsDiscuss and PROSPERO. Eligibility: criteria Studies investigating both multiregional kinetic chain (KC) shoulder exercises and localised non-kinetic chain (nKC) shoulder exercises in healthy subjects under the same experimental conditions were included in this review. Results: KC exercises produced greater EMG activation levels in 5 of 11 studies for the lower trapezius. Of the remaining studies, five found no difference between the exercise types and one favoured nKC exercises. KC exercises produced greater EMG activation levels in 5 of 11 studies for the serratus anterior. Of the remaining studies, three reported the opposite and three found no significant difference between the exercise types. nKC exercises produced greater EMG activation in infraspinatus in three of four studies. KC exercises produced the lowest trapezius muscle ratios in all studies. Studies investigating the upper trapezius, middle trapezius, supraspinatus, subscapularis, biceps brachii, latifissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, deltoid, and trapezius and serratus anterior ratios showed inconsistency. Conclusion: This review found evidence that integrating the KC during shoulder rehabilitation may increase axioscapular muscle recruitment, produce lower trapezius muscle ratios and reduce the demands on the rotator cuff. Stepping appears preferable to squatting