Aging in fragile X syndrome

Many studies have focused on the behavior and cognitive problems in young patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS), but there are no studies about the problems in aging for those with FXS. The discovery of the fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a neurodegenerative disorder related to elevated FMR1-mRNA, in elderly men and some women with the premutation, intensified the need for aging studies in FXS. Approximately 40% of males with FXS have repeat size mosaicism and as a result, some of these individuals also have elevated levels of FMR1-mRNA which theoretically puts them at risk for FXTAS. Here, we have surveyed all of the aging patients with FXS that we have followed over the years to clarify the medical complications of aging seen in those with FXS. Data was collected from 62 individuals with the FXS full mutation (44 males; 18 females) who were at least 40 years old at their most recent clinical examination. We found that the five most frequent medical problems in these patients were neurological problems (38.7%), gastrointestinal problems (30.6%), obesity (28.8%), hypertension (24.2%) and heart problems (24.2%). Movement disorders were significantly different between males and females (38.6% vs.10.2%, p = 0.029). We did not find any differences in medical problems between those with a full mutation and those with mosaicism. Identification of medical problems associated with aging in FXS is important to establish appropriate recommendations for medical screening and treatment considerations

Reproductive inequality in humans and other mammals

To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women's fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species-including high levels of cooperation among males, high dependence on unequally held rival resources, complementarities between maternal and paternal investment, as well as social and legal institutions that enforce monogamous norms

Reproductive inequality in humans and other mammals

Data, Materials, and Software Availability: All study data are included in the article and/or supporting information available online at https://www.pnas.org/lookup/doi/10.1073/pnas.2220124120#supplementary-materials .Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women’s fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species—including high levels of cooperation among males, high dependence on unequally held rival resources, complementarities between maternal and paternal investment, as well as social and legal institutions that enforce monogamous norms.This work was conducted as a part of the “Emergence of Hierarchy and Leadership in Mammalian Societies” group at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, supported by NSF Award DBI-1300426 and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It was supported by NSF awards SMA-1329089 and SMA-1743019, and the Santa Fe Institute, as well as the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture. S.G. was supported by the US Army Research Office grants W911NF-14-1-0637, W911NF-17-1-0150, and the Office of Naval Research grant W911NF-18-1-0138. Additional funding for data collection was provided by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research awards: 8913 and 7970, by NSF awards: BCS-0924630, BCS-0925910, BCS-0848360, BCS-0514559, BCS-0613226, BCS-0827277, SES-9870429, and DDRIG-1357209, by the National Geographic Society awards: HJ-099R-17, 20113909, 8671-09, and 7968-06, by the Kone Foundation awards: 086809, 088423, and 088423, and by the Jacobs Foundation, the UCSB Broom Center for Demography, and the UCSB Department of Anthropology

The Last Few Years Have Been Hard on Everyone - 2022

Acrylic Aquatint an Open Bite Etching with Hand-Touching 20”x16”https://digitalcommons.collin.edu/faculty2022/1039/thumbnail.jp

Study XXII: The Entry of Christ 2023

Photocopy Transfer, Rubberstamp, Pencil 18”x14” Professor at Plano Teaches Drawing I, Printmaking and Printmaking (Continuing Edu)https://digitalcommons.collin.edu/faculty2023/1033/thumbnail.jp