Precis of Vaulting Ambition: Sociobiology and the Quest for Human Nature

The debate about the credentials of sociobiology has persisted because scholars have failed to distinguish the varieties of sociobiology and because too little attention has been paid to the details of the arguments that are supposed to support the provocative claims about human social behavior. I seek to remedy both dcfieieneies. After analysis of the relationships among different kinds of sociobiology and contemporary evolutionary theory, I attempt to show how some of the studies of the behavior of nonhuman animals meet the methodological standards appropriate to evolutionary research. I contend that the efforts of E. O. Wilson, Richard Alexander, Charles Lumsden, and others to generate conclusions about human nature are flawed, both because they apply evolutionary ideas in an unrigorous fashion and because they use dubious assumptions to connect their evolutionary analyses with their conclusions. This contention rests on analyses of many of the major sociobiological proposals about human social behavior, including: differences in sex roles, racial hostility, homosexuality, conflict between parents and adolescent offspring, incest avoidance, the avunculate, alliances in combat, female infanticide, and gene-culture coevolution. Vaulting Ambition thus seeks to identify what is good in sociobiology, to expose the errors of premature speculations about human nature, and to prepare the way for serious study of the evolution of human social behavior

Turnip mosaic potyvirus probably first spread to Eurasian brassica crops from wild orchids about 1000 years ago

Turnip mosaic potyvirus (TuMV) is probably the most widespread and damaging virus that infects cultivated brassicas worldwide. Previous work has indicated that the virus originated in western Eurasia, with all of its closest relatives being viruses of monocotyledonous plants. Here we report that we have identified a sister lineage of TuMV-like potyviruses (TuMV-OM) from European orchids. The isolates of TuMV-OM form a monophyletic sister lineage to the brassica-infecting TuMVs (TuMV-BIs), and are nested within a clade of monocotyledon-infecting viruses. Extensive host-range tests showed that all of the TuMV-OMs are biologically similar to, but distinct from, TuMV-BIs and do not readily infect brassicas. We conclude that it is more likely that TuMV evolved from a TuMV-OM-like ancestor than the reverse. We did Bayesian coalescent analyses using a combination of novel and published sequence data from four TuMV genes [helper component-proteinase protein (HC-Pro), protein 3(P3), nuclear inclusion b protein (NIb), and coat protein (CP)]. Three genes (HC-Pro, P3, and NIb), but not the CP gene, gave results indicating that the TuMV-BI viruses diverged from TuMV-OMs around 1000 years ago. Only 150 years later, the four lineages of the present global population of TuMV-BIs diverged from one another. These dates are congruent with historical records of the spread of agriculture in Western Europe. From about 1200 years ago, there was a warming of the climate, and agriculture and the human population of the region greatly increased. Farming replaced woodlands, fostering viruses and aphid vectors that could invade the crops, which included several brassica cultivars and weeds. Later, starting 500 years ago, inter-continental maritime trade probably spread the TuMV-BIs to the remainder of the world

Visual Field Compromised In Patients Suffering From Severe Menorrhagia

Purpose: To evaluate menorrhagia as a risk factor for compromised visual field Design: A cross-sectional cohort study Participants: 25 Menorrhagic patients and 23 non-menorrhagic female subjects Methods: Patients were recruited from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic and divided into two groups. Those suffering from active menorrhagia were allocated into the disease group while those had never suffered from menorrhagia constituted the control group. All subjects completed a pictorial blood assessment chart (PBAC) to quantify the severity of their menorrhagia. All subjects then underwent an eye examination and investigations including visual field and optical coherent tomography. Main Outcome Measures: The mean PBAC was compared between the disease group and the control group. Correlation analysis was tested between PBAC and visual field global indices. Results: Subjects suffering from menorrhagia have a compromised performance in visual field when compared with subjects with no menorrhagia. A positive association was observed between the severity of menorrhagia and a poorer visual field performance. Conclusions: Menorrhagia may be a risk factor for visual field defects. Further research is encouraged to evaluate whether it may be a risk factor for glaucoma development or progression.published_or_final_versio

Sterile neutrino production via active-sterile oscillations: the quantum Zeno effect

We study several aspects of the kinetic approach to sterile neutrino production via active-sterile mixing. We obtain the neutrino propagator in the medium including self-energy corrections up to $\mathcal{O}(G^2_F)$, from which we extract the dispersion relations and damping rates of the propagating modes. The dispersion relations are the usual ones in terms of the index of refraction in the medium, and the damping rates are $\Gamma_1(k) = \Gamma_{aa}(k) \cos^2\theta_m(k); \Gamma_2(k) = \Gamma_{aa}(k) \sin^2\theta_m(k)$ where $\Gamma_{aa}(k)\propto G^2_F k T^4$ is the active neutrino scattering rate and $\theta_m(k)$ is the mixing angle in the medium. We provide a generalization of the transition probability in the \emph{medium from expectation values in the density matrix}: $P_{a\to s}(t) = \frac{\sin^22\theta_m}{4}[e^{-\Gamma_1t} + e^{-\Gamma_2 t}-2e^{-{1/2}(\Gamma_1+\Gamma_2)t} \cos\big(\Delta E t\big)]$ and study the conditions for its quantum Zeno suppression directly in real time. We find the general conditions for quantum Zeno suppression, which for $m_s\sim \textrm{keV}$ sterile neutrinos with $\sin2\theta \lesssim 10^{-3}$ \emph{may only be} fulfilled near an MSW resonance. We discuss the implications for sterile neutrino production and argue that in the early Universe the wide separation of relaxation scales far away from MSW resonances suggests the breakdown of the current kinetic approach.Comment: version to appear in JHE

Evidence for the existence of powder sub-populations in micronized materials : Aerodynamic size-fractions of aerosolized powders possess distinct physicochemical properties

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.Purpose: To investigate the agglomeration behaviour of the fine ( 12.8 µm) particle fractions of salmeterol xinafoate (SX) and fluticasone propionate (FP) by isolating aerodynamic size fractions and characterising their physicochemical and re-dispersal properties. Methods: Aerodynamic fractionation was conducted using the Next Generation Impactor (NGI). Re-crystallized control particles, unfractionated and fractionated materials were characterized for particle size, morphology, crystallinity and surface energy. Re-dispersal of the particles was assessed using dry dispersion laser diffraction and NGI analysis. Results: Aerosolized SX and FP particles deposited in the NGI as agglomerates of consistent particle/agglomerate morphology. SX particles depositing on Stages 3 and 5 had higher total surface energy than unfractionated SX, with Stage 5 particles showing the greatest surface energy heterogeneity. FP fractions had comparable surface energy distributions and bulk crystallinity but differences in surface chemistry. SX fractions demonstrated higher bulk disorder than unfractionated and re-crystallized particles. Upon aerosolization, the fractions differed in their intrinsic emission and dispersion into a fine particle fraction (< 5.0 µm). Conclusions: Micronized powders consisted of sub-populations of particles displaying distinct physicochemical and powder dispersal properties compared to the unfractionated bulk material. This may have implications for the efficiency of inhaled drug deliveryPeer reviewe

Identification of an INa-dependent and Ito-mediated proarrhythmic mechanism in cardiomyocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells of a Brugada syndrome patient

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited cardiac arrhythmia commonly associated with SCN5A mutations, yet its ionic mechanisms remain unclear due to a lack of cellular models. Here, we used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) from a BrS patient (BrS1) to evaluate the roles of Na+ currents (INa) and transient outward K+ currents (Ito) in BrS induced action potential (AP) changes. To understand the role of these current changes in repolarization we employed dynamic clamp to "electronically express" IK1 and restore normal resting membrane potentials and allow normal recovery of the inactivating currents, INa, ICa and Ito. HiPSC-CMs were generated from BrS1 with a compound SCN5A mutation (p. A226V & p. R1629X) and a healthy sibling control (CON1). Genome edited hiPSC-CMs (BrS2) with a milder p. T1620M mutation and a commercial control (CON2) were also studied. CON1, CON2 and BrS2, had unaltered peak INa amplitudes, and normal APs whereas BrS1, with over 75% loss of INa, displayed a loss-of-INa basal AP morphology (at 1.0 Hz) manifested by a reduced maximum upstroke velocity (by ~80%, p < 0.001) and AP amplitude (p < 0.001), and an increased phase-1 repolarization pro-arrhythmic AP morphology (at 0.1 Hz) in ~25% of cells characterized by marked APD shortening (~65% shortening, p < 0.001). Moreover, Ito densities of BrS1 and CON1 were comparable and increased from 1.0 Hz to 0.1 Hz by ~ 100%. These data indicate that a repolarization deficit could be a mechanism underlying BrS

Effect of ketamine pretreatment for anaesthesia in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty with continuous remifentanil infusion

BACKGROUND: An appropriate level of sedation and pharmacological assist are essential during percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA). Ketamine provides good analgesia while preserving airway patency, ventilation, and cardiovascular stability with an opioid sparing effect suggesting that it would be ideal in combination with remifentanil and midazolam in spontaneously breathing patients. We evaluated the effect of a small dose of ketamine added to midazolam and remifentanil on analgesia/sedation for PTA procedures. METHODS: Sixty-four patients receiving PTA were enrolled. The Control group received midazolam 1.0 mg i.v. and continuous infusion of remifentanil 0.05 µg/kg/min. The Ketamine group received, in addition, an intravenous bolus of 0.5 mg/kg ketamine. Patients' haemodynamic data were monitored before remifentanil infusion, 5 min after remifentanil infusion, at 1, 3, 5, 30 min after incision, and at admission to the recovery room. Verbal numerical rating scales (VNRS) and sedation [OAA/S (Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation)] scores were also recorded. RESULTS: The VNRS values at 1, 3, and 5 min after incision and OAA/S scores at 5 min after remifentanil infusion, and 1, 3, and 5 min after incision were lower in the Ketamine group than in the Control group. In the Control group, the VNRS value at 1 min after incision significantly increased and OAA/S values at 3, 5, and 30 min after incision significantly decreased compared to baseline values, while there were no significant changes in the ketamine group. CONCLUSIONS: A small dose of ketamine as an adjunct sedative to the combination of midazolam and remifentanil produced a better quality of sedation and analgesia than without ketamine and provided stable respiration without cardiopulmonary deterioration.ope

Association of high risk human papillomavirus and breast cancer : a UK based study

Infection by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) has been implicated in the aetiology of a variety of cancers. Studies evaluating the presence of HPVs in breast cancer (BC) have generated considerable controversy. To date, most studies have focused on the presence of viral DNA in BC; however there are important gaps in evidencing the role of HPV persistence in the invasiveness of BC. While these studies have been conducted in several countries, none, on the presence and biological activity of high risk (HR) HPV in BC has been done in the UK. Hence, we aimed to investigate these gaps by screening a total of 110 fresh breast tissue specimens from UK patients for the presence of twelve HR-HPV types DNA using PCR and Sanger sequencing. Samples positive for HPV-DNA were screened for viral oncoprotein expression using western blot and dot blot. Data obtained showed the presence of HR-HPVs in 42% of breast tissues of which the viral activity was only confirmed in a number of invasive carcinomas (5/26). This finding, the first to report in the UK, suggests that the selective expression of viral oncoprotein in invasive cases may propose a role for HR-HPVs in the development of some types of BC

The application of exercise stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with suspected dilated cardiomyopathy

Objectives The imaging features of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) overlap with physiological exercise-induced cardiac remodeling in active and otherwise healthy individuals. Distinguishing the two conditions is challenging. This study examined the diagnostic and prognostic roles of exercise stress imaging in asymptomatic patients with suspected DCM. Methods Exercise stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed in 60 asymptomatic patients with suspected DCM (dilated left ventricle and/or impaired systolic function on CMR), who also underwent DNA sequencing for DCM-causing genetic variants. Confirmed DCM was defined as genotype- and phenotype-positive (G+P+). Another 100 healthy subjects were recruited to establish normal exercise capacities (peak exercise cardiac index; PeakCI). The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, cardiac decompensation and ventricular arrhythmic events. Results No patients with confirmed G+P+ DCM had PeakCI exceeding the 35th percentile specific for age and sex. Applying this threshold in G-P+ patients, those with PeakCI below 35th percentile had characteristics similar to confirmed DCM while patients with higher PeakCI were younger, more active and higher longitudinal strain. Adverse cardiovascular events occurred only in patients with low exercise capacity (P = 0.004). Conclusions In individuals with suspected DCM, exercise stress CMR demonstrates diagnostic and prognostic potential in distinguishing between pathological DCM and physiological exercise-induced cardiac remodeling

PTPN22.6, a Dominant Negative Isoform of PTPN22 and Potential Biomarker of Rheumatoid Arthritis

PTPN22 is a tyrosine phosphatase and functions as a damper of TCR signals. A C-to-T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located at position 1858 of human PTPN22 cDNA and converting an arginine (R620) to tryptophan (W620) confers the highest risk of rheumatoid arthritis among non-HLA genetic variations that are known to be associated with this disease. The effect of the R-to-W conversion on the phosphatase activity of PTPN22 protein and the impact of the minor T allele of the C1858T SNP on the activation of T cells has remained controversial. In addition, how the overall activity of PTPN22 is regulated and how the R-to-W conversion contributes to rheumatoid arthritis is still poorly understood. Here we report the identification of an alternative splice form of human PTPN22, namely PTPN22.6. It lacks the nearly entire phosphatase domain and can function as a dominant negative isoform of the full length PTPN22. Although conversion of R620 to W620 in the context of PTPN22.1 attenuated T cell activation, expression of the tryptophan variant of PTPN22.6 reciprocally led to hyperactivation of human T cells. More importantly, the level of PTPN22.6 in peripheral blood correlates with disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Our data depict a model that can reconcile the conflicting observations on the functional impact of the C1858T SNP and also suggest that PTPN22.6 is a novel biomarker of rheumatoid arthritis