The influence of infant facial cues on adoption preferences

Trivers’s theory of parental investment suggests that adults should decide whether or not to invest in a given infant using a cost-benefit analysis. To make the best investment decision, adults should seek as much relevant information as possible. Infant facial cues may serve to provide information and evoke feelings of parental care in adults. Four specific infant facial cues were investigated: resemblance (as a proxy for kinship), health, happiness, and cuteness. It was predicted that these cues would influence feelings of parental care for both sexes, but that resemblance would be more important for men than women because of the importance of paternity uncertainty in the ancestral environment. Seventy-six men and 76 women participated in a hypothetical adoption task in which they made judgments of infant faces. Average zero-order, partial, and component score correlations all revealed that men placed primary emphasis on cues of resemblance, while women placed primary emphasis on cues of health and cuteness (cues of infant quality). The correlations also showed that men placed a significantly greater emphasis on cues of resemblance than did women. This research was supported by a Queen’s University Graduate Award (first author) and a Senior Research Fellowship from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (second author). Anthony Volk is a Ph.D. candidate at Queen’s University, studying parental investment. Vernon L. Quinsey is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Queen’s University. His research focuses on forensic and evolutionary psychology. An erratum to this article is available at .     

The role of infectious agents in sudden infant death syndrome

Abstract Epidemiological factors associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections are similar to those associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Here we review the evidence that respiratory pathogens might be involved in some cases of Sudden Infact Death Syndrome in the context of factors identified in epidemiological studies of cot deaths: the age range affected; mother's smoking; respiratory viral infections; immunisation status. Both laboratory and epidimiological evidence suggests that vulnerability of infants to infectious agents depends on interactions between genetic, developmental and environmental factors that contribute to colonisation by microorganisms, the inflammatory and specific immune responses and the infants' physiological responses to inflammatory mediators. A model is proposed to explain how microorganisms might trigger a series of events resulting in some of these unexpected deaths and discusses how the present recommendations regarding child care practices might help reduce the numbers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome cases associated with infectious agents.     

The protective effect of breast feeding in relation to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): II. The effect of human milk and infant formula preparations on binding of Clostridium perfringens to epithelial cells

Breast feeding is known to protect an infant against gastrointestinal pathogens and epidemiological studies indicate that compared to breast fed infants, formula fed infants are at a greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Many SIDS infants have symptoms of gastrointestinal infections prior to death and one gastrointestinal pathogen associated with SIDS is Clostridium perfringens. Studies have found that a significantly higher number of formula fed SIDS infants have C perfringens and its enterotoxin in their faeces compared to breast fed infants. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of human milk and infant formula on binding of C perfringens to epithelial cells. Two protocols were used to assess the effect of human milk and infant formula to inhibit binding of C perfringens to epithelial cells. Binding was assessed by flow cytometry. For the in vivo protocol which more closely represents interactions on the mucosal surface, breast milk enhanced bacterial binding but infant formula caused inhibition of binding; however for the in vitro method, both human milk and infant formula resulted in consistent enhancement of binding. Flow cytometry studies indicated that enhancement of binding was due to the formation of bacterial aggregates. Lewis(a) and Lewis(b) antigens, found in both breast milk and infant formula, inhibited C. perfringens binding in a dose dependent manner. The Lewis(a) and Lewis(b) antigens in human milk and infant formula can inhibit C. perfringens binding to epithelial cells. While infant formula reduced binding of C. perfringens to epithelial cells in the experiments carried out with the in vivo protocol, the protective effects of breast feeding in relation to colonisation with C. perfringens are more likely to be due to formation of bacterial aggregates. These findings have implications for improving infant formula preparations.     

The effect of alcohol on recombinant proteins derived from mammalian adenylyl cyclase

The cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway is implicated in the development of alcohol use disorder. Previous studies have demonstrated that ethanol enhances the activity of adenylyl cyclase (AC) in an isoform specific manner; AC7 is most enhanced by ethanol, and regions responsible for enhancement by ethanol are located in the cytoplasmic domains of the AC7 protein. We hypothesize that ethanol modulates AC activity by directly interacting with the protein and that ethanol effects on AC can be studied using recombinant AC in vitro. AC recombinant proteins containing only the C_1a or C₂ domains of AC7 and AC9 individually were expressed in bacteria, and purified. The purified recombinant AC proteins retained enzymatic activity and isoform specific alcohol responsiveness. The combination of the C_1a or C₂ domains of AC7 maintained the same alcohol cutoff point as full-length AC7. We also find that the recombinant AC7 responds to alcohol differently in the presence of different combinations of activators including MnCl₂, forskolin, and Gsα. Through a series of concentration-response experiments and curve fitting, the values for maximum activities, Hill coefficients, and EC₅₀ were determined in the absence and presence of butanol as a surrogate of ethanol. The results suggest that alcohol modulates AC activity by directly interacting with the AC protein and that the alcohol interaction with the AC protein occurs at multiple sites with positive cooperativity. This study indicates that the recombinant AC proteins expressed in bacteria can provide a useful model system to investigate the mechanism of alcohol action on their activity.     

贝飞达治疗小儿迁延性腹泻的临床研究

目的评价贝飞达治疗小儿迁延性腹泻的临床疗效,为合理应用贝飞达治疗小儿迁延性腹泻提供科学依据。方法选取60例1个月～2岁的迁延性腹泻患儿为研究对象,把他们随机分为贝飞达组和常规组。另30例1个月-2岁的健康儿作为对照组;3组均进行治疗前后粪便中的4种常驻的正常菌群的测定和60例迁廷性腹泻患儿疗效、住院时间及费用的观察。结果贝飞达组总有效率明显高于常规组,且住院时间及费用也明显减少。治疗前60例迁延性腹泻患儿的粪便菌群中双歧杆菌、乳杆菌明显减少,肠球菌、肠杆菌增加,与健康同龄儿比t〈0．05,治疗后贝飞达组粪便菌群中的4种菌群数比常规组增加明显结论贝飞达具有调整肠道菌群失调的作用,从而提高疗效。     

Iron-mediated effect of alcohol on hepatocyte differentiation in HepaRG cells

The development of alcoholic liver diseases depends on the ability of hepatocyte to proliferate and differentiate in the case of alcohol-induced injury. Our previous work showed an inhibitory effect of alcohol on hepatocyte proliferation. However, the effect of alcohol on hepatocyte differentiation has not yet been precisely characterized. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of alcohol on hepatocyte differentiation in relationship with changes of iron metabolism in HepaRG cells. This unique bipotent human cell line can differentiate into hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells, paralleling liver development. Results showed that alcohol reduced cell viability, total protein level and enhanced hepatic enzymes leakage in differentiated HepaRG cells. Moreover, it caused cell enlargement, decreased number of hepatocyte and expression of C/EBPα as well as bile canaliculi F-actin. Alcohol increased expression of hepatic cell-specific markers and alcohol-metabolizing enzymes (ADH2, CYP2E1). This was associated with a lipid peroxidation and an iron excess expressed by an increase in total iron content, ferritin level, iron uptake as well as an overexpression of genes involved in iron transport and storage. Alcohol-induced hepatoxicity was amplified by exogenous iron via exceeding iron overload. Taken together, our data demonstrate that in differentiated hepatocytes, alcohol reduces proliferation while increasing expression of hepatic cell-specific markers. Moreover, iron overload could be one of the underlying mechanisms of effect of alcohol on the whole differentiation process of hepatocytes.     

The calming effect of stimuli presentation on infant Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata) under stress situation: a preliminary study

In human newborns, presentation of sounds and odors under stress situations had a calming effect on behavioral and cortisol responses (Kawakami et al., 1996, 1997). These calming effects were examined with 10-day- and 15-day-old Japanese macaques. In Study 1, white noise presentation (Experimental conditions) at the blood sampling was compared with no sound presentation (Control conditions) at the blood sampling. White noise presentation has a calming effect on coded behavioral responses. In Study 2, lavender scent presentation (Experimental conditions) at the blood sampling was compared with no odor presentation (Control conditions) at the blood sampling. Lavender presentation has a calming effect on cortisol responses in the marginal level. From the data of these studies, the salivary cortisol levels were related to the cortisol levels in plasma. Our results may suggest the different effects of sound and odor on infant Japanese macaques.     

The effects of residential locality on parental and alloparental investment among the Aka foragers of the central African Republic

In this paper I examine the intracultural variability of parental and alloparental caregiving among the Aka foragers of the Central African Republic. It has been suggested that maternal kin offer higher frequencies of allocare than paternal kin and that maternal investment in infants will decrease when alloparental assistance is provided. Behavioral observations were conducted on 15 eight- to twelve-monthold infants. The practice of brideservice and the flexibility of Aka residence patterns offered a means to test the effect of maternal residence on parental and alloparental investment. There was significant variation in the frequency of investment and who supplied care to infants depending on whether mothers resided with their kin or their husbands’ kin. However, in spite of the variation in allocare, when all categories of caregivers were examined collectively, infants received similar overall levels of care. Courtney L. Meehan is a Ph.D. student in cultural anthropology at Washington State University. Her research interests include parenting, alloparenting, female social networks, and female-female cooperation and competition.     

Determination of free acetaldehyde in total blood for investigating the effect of aspartate on metabolism of alcohol in mice

To explore the effect of sodium l-aspartate monohydrate (aspartate) as a NAD⁺ regenerating agent for acetaldehyde in alcohol metabolism, a simple HPLC method has been developed for the measurement of free acetaldehyde in total mice blood digested with alcohol and aspartate. The blood samples were collected in EDTA Vacutainer tubes, and treated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNP hydrazine) reagent in total blood. Acetaldehyde DNP hydrazone was extracted from total blood and analyzed by HPLC using an Ultrasphere ODS column. The compounds were separated using acetonitrile–water (50:50, v/v) as mobile phase and detected at 356 nm. The detection limit for acetaldehyde DNP hydrazone was 0.1 ppm. A blank determination was carried out for each analysis and subtracted from the results. The amount of acetaldehyde in blood has been determined as a function of time lapse after sole alcohol administration and aspartate ingestion followed by alcohol administration, respectively. This comparative analysis demonstrates that the ingestion of aspartate before the administration of alcohol dramatically decreases the aldehyde level in blood, and aspartate may be utilized as a prospective antagonist for acceleration of ethanol metabolism and prevention of acetaldehyde toxicity.     

The effect of acclimation temperature and the removal of peripheral temperature receptors on body temperature preference in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana

1. 1.|Body temperature preferences were compared between cockroaches acclimated to different ambient temperatures and between 25°C acclimated cockroaches and cockroaches deprived of their peripheral temperature receptors.

2. 2.|Acclimation to 35°C resulted in a significantly higher mean body temperature and low body temperature selected compared with 25°C acclimated cockroaches.

3. 3.|Cockroaches deprived of their peripheral temperature receptors showed a significantly higher mean high body temperature selected when compared to normal 25°C acclimated cockroaches.

4. 4.|It is concluded that cockroach temperature regulation is more precise than expected and that central temperature receptors are the primary sensing elements for cockroach thermoregulation.

Functional effects of alcohol withdrawal syndrome on peripheral sympathetic neurotransmission in vas deferens of adult rats

Aims

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is characterized by a set of physiological modifications triggered by abrupt withdrawal and/or decreasing consumption of ethanol (EtOH), which may manifest 16–48 h after ceasing consumption. The relationship between the effects of AWS and central and peripheral sympathetic neurotransmission is unknown. This study investigates the possible mechanisms on the sympathetic system during periods of AWS.

Main methods

Male Wistar rats were treated with EtOH (6–10 g/kg/day/v.o. 5 days). Subsequently, 1 h, 24 h, 48 h and 120 h after administration of the last dose of EtOH, the animals were sacrificed, and their vas deferens (VD) were removed to perform the following evaluations: (a) concentration–effect curves of sympathetic agonist; (b) activity of α₂-adrenoreceptor; (c) function of voltage-dependent calcium channels (Cav); and (d) release of endogenous catecholamines measured in real time coupled to HPLC.

Key findings

The results showed that the maximum effects of contraction were increased by agonists tested in at 24 h and 48 h EtOH withdrawal. The inhibitory affinity (pIC₅₀) of guanfacine was decreased 24 h EtOH withdrawal. The function of Cav was also decreased as pIC₅₀ values dropped 24 h and 48 h EtOH withdrawal. The release of catecholamines increased 48 h after EtOH withdrawal. It is suggested that AWS triggers hyperactivity in peripheral sympathetic neurotransmission.

Significance

The mechanisms underlying hyperactivity are possibly explained by a failure of autoregulation from catecholamines released by α₂-adrenoreceptors and/or an increase of Cav function, which may be potential targets to attenuate the symptoms of AWS at the peripheral level.     

The effects of history on the shell preference of the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus (Say)

The effect of disturbance by two macroinvertebrates, the sand dollar Mellita quinquiesperforata (Leske) and the sea pansy Renilla reniformis (Cuvier) on meiofauna was studied on a sandbar in North Inlet, Georgetown, South Carolina. Abundances of nematodes and the harpacticoid copepod Apodopsyllusunguiformis Coull &; Hogue decreased significantly in the presence of sand dollars; other taxa were not affected. In two Renilla experiments, one natural and another where artificial and real Renilla were implanted, we could determine no consistent effect on any meiobenthic taxon. However, sediments disturbed by implanting living and artificial Renilla returned to ambient levels within 1 h.     

Coat color and its effect on preference for the scent marks of opposite-sex conspecifics in the meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus

Many mammal species can distinguish between opposite-sex conspecifics that differ in a certain trait.In that coat coloration is associated with differences in physiological and behavioral traits,coat color may affect the attractiveness of odor cues produced by conspecifics.Individuals may be able to respond preferentially to eonspecifics with a particular coat color.In the present study,we test the hypothesis that scent marks of brown and blond voles differ in their attractiveness to male and female conspecifics.Male voles and brown females did not discriminate between blond- and brown-coated opposite-sex conspecifics suggesting that they are neither selecting potential mates dissociatively nor associatively.However,blond females behaved as if the scent marks of blond males were more attractive than were the scent marks of brown males.Our data suggest that blond females who are already conspicuous to predators,may select blond males as mates because they do not appreciably increase the risk of detection to predators,particularly avian predators.Moreover,because these conspicuous males have survived to mate they may have good genes that reflect their relatively higher quality [Current Zoology 58 (2):221-227,2012].     

Immediate effect of fluvastatin on lipid levels in acute coronary syndrome

It is widely assumed that acute benefit of statin therapy is mediated especially by non-lipid effects. The immediate influence of statins on lipid levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is, however, not clear. A total of 64 consecutive patients with ACS were randomized at admission to fluvastatin 80 mg (Group 1, N = 32) or standard therapy without statin (Group 2, N = 32). The levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) were examined at admission and after 24 h. Baseline characteristics were comparable in both groups. In Group 1, fluvastatin significantly decreased the levels of TC by 14.5%, LDL-C by 17.2%, and HDL-C by 10.0% (P < 0.001); TG were not influenced. In Group 2 only marginal reductions in TC (by 4.1%, P = 0.03) and HDL-C (by 7.5%, P < 0.01) were detected; the levels of LDL-C and TG were not changed. As compared with Group 2, in Group 1 the final levels of TC (P = 0.02) and LDL-C (P = 0.01) were significantly lower. Fluvastatin therapy, when started at admission in patients with ACS, significantly reduces TC and LDL-C already after 24 h. We suggest that the lipid-lowering effect of statins in the therapy of ACS is probably as prompt as non-lipid effects.     

The influence of females on male territorial dominance and female preference in dwelling place in laboratory mice

The influence of female mice (Mus musculus) on intermale aggression and the female choice between dominant and subordinate males were tested. Normal male mice were paired with a castrated male or a female. Two pairs of the same kind were housed together after acclimation for 3 days in half (home cage) of the apparatus, which was composed of eight cages connected by tunnels. One of the two normal males became dominant. The dominant males became more aggressive in the presence of females than in the presence of castrated males. The two normal males dwelt in their own home cages. The two females dwelt together and preferred to dwell in the home cages of the dominant male. The two castrated males dwelt together and seemed to decide their dwelling cage more freely than the subordinate normal male. Received: August 20, 1999 / Accepted: December 6, 1999     

The effect of facial expressions on respirators contact pressures

This study investigated the effect of four typical facial expressions (calmness, happiness, sadness and surprise) on contact characteristics between an N95 filtering facepiece respirator and a headform. The respirator model comprised two layers (an inner layer and an outer layer) and a nose clip. The headform model was comprised of a skin layer, a fatty tissue layer embedded with eight muscles, and a skull layer. Four typical facial expressions were generated by the coordinated contraction of four facial muscles. After that, the distribution of the contact pressure on the headform, as well as the contact area, were calculated. Results demonstrated that the nasal clip could help make the respirator move closer to the nose bridge while causing facial discomfort. Moreover, contact areas varied with different facial expressions, and facial expressions significantly altered contact pressures at different key areas, which may result in leakage.     

The effect of parental condition on egg-size and reproductive success in short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris

Eggs were exchanged between 50 pairs of shorttailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris on Great Dog Island, Bass Strait, Australia, in an attempt to distinguish the intrinsic effects of egg-size from any effects stemming from differential quality of parental care. At 64 experimental nests, large and small eggs were exchanged whereas at 36 control nests, eggs of equivalent, medium, size were exchanged. Egg-size appeared independent of maternal effects. In both groups, hatching and fledging success were independent both of eggsize and of the body condition of the attending parents. This suggests that breeding success in these birds may be more closely related to the behavioural traits of parents than to physiological factors.     

黄瓜香水、醇提取液对肠道菌群的调整作用的比较

目的研究不同溶剂提取黄瓜香有效成分的作用效果,以期能更好提高药物的利用度。方法用盐酸林可霉素制造小鼠菌群失调模型,然后分别用黄瓜香的水、醇提取物治疗,比较治疗效果。结果醇提取物和水提取物均能调整肠道菌群平衡,与自然恢复组相比差异有统计学意义(P0.05),且醇提取物组效果要优于水提取物组(P0.05)。结论黄瓜香醇提取物是理想的微生态调节剂。     

The effect of leg preference on postural stability in healthy athletes

In research regarding postural stability, leg preference is often tested and controlled for. However, leg preference may vary between tasks. As athletes are a group of interest for postural stability testing, we evaluated the effect of five leg preference tasks categorization (step up, hop, ball kick, balance, pick up) on single-leg postural stability of 16 field hockey athletes. The ‘center of pressure speed’ was calculated as the primary outcome variable of single-leg postural stability. Secondary variables were ‘mean length of the GRF vector in the horizontal plane’, ‘mean length of the ankle angular velocity vector’, and ‘mean length of the hip angular velocity vector’, as well as the separate outcomes per degree of freedom. Results showed that leg preference was inconsistent between leg preference tasks. Moreover, the primary and secondary variables yielded no significant difference between the preferred and non-preferred legs, regardless of the applied leg preference task categorization (p>0.05). The present findings do not support the usability of leg preference tasks in controlling for bias of postural stability. In conclusion, none of the applied leg preference tasks revealed a significant effect on postural stability in healthy field hockey athletes.