Correlates of genetic monogamy in socially monogamous mammals: insights from Azara's owl monkeys

Understanding the evolution of mating systems, a central topic in evolutionary biology for more than 50 years, requires examining the genetic consequences of mating and the relationships between social systems and mating systems. Among pair-living mammals, where genetic monogamy is extremely rare, the extent of extra-group paternity rates has been associated withmale participation in infant care, strength of the pair bond and length of the breeding season. This study evaluated the relationship between two of those factors and the genetic mating system of socially monogamous mammals, testing predictions that male care and strength of pair bond would be negatively correlated with rates of extra-pair paternity (EPP). Autosomal microsatellite analyses provide evidence for genetic monogamy in a pair-living primate with bi-parental care, the Azara’s owl monkey (Aotus azarae). A phylogenetically corrected generalized least square analysis was used to relate male care and strength of the pair bond to their genetic mating system (i.e. proportions of EPP) in 15 socially monogamous mammalian species. The intensity of male care was correlated with EPP rates in mammals, while strength of pair bond failed to reach statistical significance. Our analyses showthat, once social monogamy has evolved, paternal care, and potentially also close bonds, may facilitate the evolution of genetic monogamy.German Science Foundation (HU 1746/2-1); Wenner-Gren Foundation; L.S.B. Leakey Foundation;National Geographic Society; National Science Foundation (BCS-0621020, 1219368, and 1232349); the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation; the Zoological Society of San Dieg

The experience of enchantment in human-computer interaction

Improving user experience is becoming something of a rallying call in human–computer interaction but experience is not a unitary thing. There are varieties of experiences, good and bad, and we need to characterise these varieties if we are to improve user experience. In this paper we argue that enchantment is a useful concept to facilitate closer relationships between people and technology. But enchantment is a complex concept in need of some clarification. So we explore how enchantment has been used in the discussions of technology and examine experiences of film and cell phones to see how enchantment with technology is possible. Based on these cases, we identify the sensibilities that help designers design for enchantment, including the specific sensuousness of a thing, senses of play, paradox and openness, and the potential for transformation. We use these to analyse digital jewellery in order to suggest how it can be made more enchanting. We conclude by relating enchantment to varieties of experience.</p

Early Holocene fauna from a new subfossil site: A first assessment from Christmas River, south central Madagascar

We report on faunal remains recovered during recent explorations at &#8216;Christmas River&#8217;, the only subfossil locality known from Madagascar&#8217;s south central plateau. Recovered remains of several extinct taxa date to approximately 10,000 14C years before present (BP), including crocodiles, tortoises, the elephant bird Aepyornis, the carnivoran Cryptoprocta spelea, the lemurs Archaeolemur majori, Pachylemur insignis, and Megaladapis edwardsi, and abundant remains of the dwarf hippopotamus, Hippopotamus lemerlei. The presence of southern - limited, forest - dependent species at Christmas River supports the hypothesis that forest once extended, perhaps discontinuously, across the central highlands towards the west. One theory is that sites in the north central highlands, which are higher in elevation, maintained more mesic conditions during Plio - Quaternary climate shifts than those of the lower elevation sites of the south central highlands. Thus, elevation above sea level may have acted as a filter that limited species dispersal across the island in the past. Such a scenario would explain the distinction between more humid, higher elevation, northern highland subfossil communities versus more arid, lower elevation, southern subfossil communities. Continued exploration at Christmas River thus provides a remarkable opportunity for deciphering ecological changes that have taken place in south central Madagascar during the Holocene.R&#201;SUM&#201;Madagascar est reconnue comme l&#8217;une des r&#233;gions les plus sensibles du monde en ce qui concerne les menaces pesant sur sa biodiversit&#233;, et cela &#224; cause de niveaux d&#8217;end&#233;misme in&#233;gal&#233;s, d&#8217;une diversit&#233; vari&#233;e et d&#8217;un impact humain important sur l&#8217;environnement. Suite &#224; la colonisation par l&#8217;Homme il y a plus de 2000 ans, des extinctions de masse de la faune et un important recul forestier ont eu lieu en laissant des marques sur les &#233;cosyst&#232;mes modernes qui sont dans un &#233;tat de bouleversement &#233;cologique. Certaines plantes end&#233;miques, par exemple, ont perdu d&#8217;importantes esp&#232;ces mutualistes, des animaux ont &#233;t&#233; oblig&#233;s d&#8217;exploiter d&#8217;autres ressources ou habiter des endroits auxquels ils sont mal adapt&#233;s. La diversit&#233; des plantes et des animaux a diminu&#233;, est menac&#233;e ou a m&#234;me compl&#232;tement disparue de certaines routes de diss&#233;mination. Bien que l&#8217;Homme soit largement incrimin&#233; dans son r&#244;le de d&#233;clencheur de ces extinctions massives, les transformations anthropiques qui ont contribu&#233; au changement du climat sont controvers&#233;es. Les hautes - terres de Madagascar sont actuellement domin&#233;es par des zones herbeuses &#233;tendues qui agissent comme des barri&#232;res emp&#234;chant les mouvements de la faune de part et d&#8217;autre de l&#8217;&#238;le. Nous sugg&#233;rons qu&#8217;une for&#234;t humide plus ou moins continue devait s&#8217;&#233;tendre sur les hautes-terres. Des informations pal&#233;o&#233;cologiques des hautes - terres du Centre sud sont&#232;n&#233;cessaires pour &#233;valuer cette hypoth&#232;se afin de d&#233;m&#234;ler la contribution relative des facteurs climatiques et anthropiques dans les changements pal&#233;o&#233;cologiques de la r&#233;gion. Cependant, les stations de subfossiles &#233;taient jusqu&#8217;alors inconnues dans cette r&#233;gion. Nous pr&#233;sentons ici les r&#233;sultats de recherches r&#233;alis&#233;es sur les restes fauniques d&#233;couverts au cours de fouilles r&#233;centes &#224; Christmas River, la seule station de subfossiles connue des hautes - terres du Centre sud de Madagascar. Des restes de plusieurs esp&#232;ces datant approximativement de 10,000 14C B.P. ont &#233;t&#233; identifi&#233;s dont des restes appartenant &#224; des esp&#232;ces de crocodile, de tortue, de l&#8217;Aepyornis, du carnivore Cryptoprocta spelea, des l&#233;muriens Archaeolemur majori, Pachylemur insignis et Megaladapis edwardsi ainsi que de nombreux restes de l&#8217;hippopotame nain Hippopotamus lemerlei. La pr&#233;sence &#224; Christmas River d&#8217;esp&#232;ces sylvicoles end&#233;miques du Sud appuie l&#8217;hypoth&#232;se de l&#8217;existence d&#8217;une for&#234;t, certainement discontinue, mais qui s&#8217;&#233;tendait sur les hautes - terres centrales en se poursuivant vers l&#8217;ouest. Une th&#233;orie a propos&#233; que les sites septentrionaux des hautes - terres centrales, &#224; des altitudes plus &#233;lev&#233;es, maintenaient des conditions plus humides au cours des changements du Plio - quaternaire que les sites m&#233;ridionaux de ces hautes - terres centrales. Ainsi, dans le pass&#233;, l&#8217;altitude a du agir comme un filtre qui emp&#234;chait la dispersion des esp&#232;ces d&#8217;un endroit &#224; l&#8217;autre de l&#8217;&#238;le. Un tel sc&#233;nario expliquerait la distinction entre les communaut&#233;s subfossiles du nord des hautes - terres qui &#233;taient plus humides &#224; haute altitude et les communaut&#233;s subfossiles du sud aride &#224; basse altitude. La poursuite de l&#8217;exploration &#224; Christmas River constitue une occasion unique pour d&#233;coder les changements &#233;cologiques qui sont intervenus dans le Sud de cette r&#233;gion centrale de Madagascar au cours de l&#8217;Holoc&#232;ne

Reduced keratin expression in colorectal neoplasia and associated fields is reversible by diet and resection

Abstract Background Patients with adenomatous colonic polyps are at increased risk of developing further polyps suggesting field-wide alterations in cancer predisposition. The current study aimed to identify molecular alterations in the normal mucosa in the proximity of adenomatous polyps and to assess the modulating effect of butyrate, a chemopreventive compound produced by fermentation of dietary residues. Methods A cross-sectional study was undertaken in patients with adenomatous polyps: biopsy samples were taken from the adenoma, and from macroscopically normal mucosa on the contralateral wall to the adenoma and from the mid-sigmoid colon. In normal subjects biopsies were taken from the mid-sigmoid colon. Biopsies were frozen for proteomic analysis or formalin-fixed for immunohistochemistry. Proteomic analysis was undertaken using iTRAQ workflows followed by bioinformatics analyses. A second dietary fibre intervention study arm used the same endpoints and sampling strategy at the beginning and end of a high-fibre intervention. Results Key findings were that keratins 8, 18 and 19 were reduced in expression level with progressive proximity to the lesion. Lesional tissue exhibited multiple K8 immunoreactive bands and overall reduced levels of keratin. Biopsies from normal subjects with low faecal butyrate also showed depressed keratin expression. Resection of the lesion and elevation of dietary fibre intake both appeared to restore keratin expression level. Conclusion Changes in keratin expression associate with progression towards neoplasia, but remain modifiable risk factors. Dietary strategies may improve secondary chemoprevention. Trial registration number ISRCTN90852168. Keywords: ADENOMA, BUTYRATE, CYTOKERATINS, DIETARY FIBR

Sequential Effects in Judgements of Attractiveness: The Influences of Face Race and Sex

In perceptual decision-making, a person’s response on a given trial is influenced by their response on the immediately preceding trial. This sequential effect was initially demonstrated in psychophysical tasks, but has now been found in more complex, real-world judgements. The similarity of the current and previous stimuli determines the nature of the effect, with more similar items producing assimilation in judgements, while less similarity can cause a contrast effect. Previous research found assimilation in ratings of facial attractiveness, and here, we investigated whether this effect is influenced by the social categories of the faces presented. Over three experiments, participants rated the attractiveness of own- (White) and other-race (Chinese) faces of both sexes that appeared successively. Through blocking trials by race (Experiment 1), sex (Experiment 2), or both dimensions (Experiment 3), we could examine how sequential judgements were altered by the salience of different social categories in face sequences. For sequences that varied in sex alone, own-race faces showed significantly less opposite-sex assimilation (male and female faces perceived as dissimilar), while other-race faces showed equal assimilation for opposite- and same-sex sequences (male and female faces were not differentiated). For sequences that varied in race alone, categorisation by race resulted in no opposite-race assimilation for either sex of face (White and Chinese faces perceived as dissimilar). For sequences that varied in both race and sex, same-category assimilation was significantly greater than opposite-category. Our results suggest that the race of a face represents a superordinate category relative to sex. These findings demonstrate the importance of social categories when considering sequential judgements of faces, and also highlight a novel approach for investigating how multiple social dimensions interact during decision-making

Which circulating antioxidant vitamins are confounded by socioeconomic deprivation? The MIDSPAN family study

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; Antioxidant vitamins are often described as having “independent” associations with risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. We aimed to compare to what extent a range of antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids are associated with adulthood and childhood markers of socioeconomic deprivation and to adverse lifestyle factors.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods and Findings:&lt;/b&gt; Socioeconomic and lifestyle measures were available in 1040 men and 1298 women from the MIDSPAN Family Study (30–59 years at baseline) together with circulating levels of vitamins A, C, E, and carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein and lycopene). Markers of socioeconomic deprivation in adulthood were consistently as strongly associated with lower vitamin C and carotenoid levels as markers of adverse lifestyle; the inverse association with overcrowding was particularly consistent (vitamin C and carotenoids range from 19.1% [95% CI 30.3–6.0] to 38.8% [49.9–25.3] lower among those in overcrowded residencies). These associations were consistent after adjusting for month, classical CVD risk factors, body mass index, physical activity, vitamin supplements, dietary fat and fibre intake. Similar, but weaker, associations were seen for childhood markers of deprivation. The association of vitamin A or E were strikingly different; several adult adverse lifestyle factors associated with higher levels of vitamin A and E, including high alcohol intake for vitamin A (9.5% [5.7–13.5]) and waist hip ratio for vitamin E (9.5% [4.8–14.4]), with the latter associations partially explained by classical risk factors, particularly cholesterol levels.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Plasma vitamin C and carotenoids have strong inverse associations with adulthood markers of social deprivation, whereas vitamin A and E appear positively related to specific adverse lifestyle factors. These findings should help researchers better contextualize blood antioxidant vitamin levels by illustrating the potential limitations associated with making causal inferences without consideration of social deprivation.&lt;/p&gt

How to assess the effectiveness of nasal influenza vaccines? Role and measurement of sIgA in mucosal secretions

Secretory IgAs (sIgA) constitute the principal isotype of antibodies present in nasal and mucosal secretions. They are secreted by plasma cells adjacent to the mucosal epithelial cells, the site where infection occurs, and are the main humoral mediator of mucosal immunity. Mucosally delivered vaccines, such as live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), are able to mimic natural infection without causing disease or virus transmission and mainly elicit a local immune response. The measurement of sIgA concentrations in nasal swab/wash and saliva samples is therefore a valuable tool for evaluating their role in the effectiveness of such vaccines. Here, we describe two standardized assays (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and microneutralization) available for the quantification of sIgA and discuss the advantages and limitations of their use

Building Babies - Chapter 16

In contrast to birds, male mammals rarely help to raise the offspring. Of all mammals, only among rodents, carnivores, and primates, males are sometimes intensively engaged in providing infant care (Kleiman and Malcolm 1981). Male caretaking of infants has long been recognized in nonhuman primates (Itani 1959). Given that infant care behavior can have a positive effect on the infant’s development, growth, well-being, or survival, why are male mammals not more frequently involved in “building babies”? We begin the chapter defining a few relevant terms and introducing the theory and hypotheses that have historically addressed the evolution of paternal care. We then review empirical findings on male care among primate taxa, before focusing, in the final section, on our own work on paternal care in South American owl monkeys (Aotus spp.). We conclude the chapter with some suggestions for future studies.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (HU 1746/2-1) Wenner-Gren Foundation, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation (BCS-0621020), the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation, the Zoological Society of San Dieg

Osmoregulators proline and glycine betaine counteract salinity stress in canola

Salt inundation leads to increased salinization of arable land in many arid and semi-arid regions. Until genetic solutions are found farmers and growers must either abandon salt-affected fields or use agronomic treatments that alleviate salt stress symptoms. Here, field experiments were carried out to study the effect of the osmoregulators proline at 200 mg L-1 and glycine betaine at 400 mg L-1 in counteracting the harmful effect of soil salinity stress on canola plants grown in Egypt. We assessed growth characteristics, yield and biochemical constituents. Results show first that all growth characters decreased with increasing salinity stress but applied osmoregulators alleviated these negative effects. Second, salinity stress decreased photosynthetic pigments, K and P contents, whilst increasing proline, soluble sugars, ascorbic acid, Na and Cl contents. Third, application of osmoregulators without salt stress increased photosynthetic pigments, proline, soluble sugars, N, K and P contents whilst decreasing Na and Cl contents. It is concluded that the exogenously applied osmoregulators glycine betaine and proline can fully or partially counteract the harmful effect of salinity stress on growth and yield of canola.© INRA and Springer-Verlag, France 2012