Internalization of weight bias: Implications for binge eating and emotional well-being

Objective: This study examined the relationship between internalization of negative weight‐based stereotypes and indices of eating behaviors and emotional well‐being in a sample of overweight and obese women. Research Method and Procedures: The sample was comprised of 1013 women who belonged to a national, non‐profit weight loss organization. Participants completed an on‐line battery of self‐report questionnaires measuring frequency of weight stigmatization and coping responses to deal with bias and symptoms of depression and self‐esteem, attitudes about weight and obesity, and binge eating behaviors. In addition, participants were asked to list the most common weight‐based stereotypes and whether they believed them to be true or false. Results: Participants who believed that weight‐based stereotypes were true reported more frequent binge eating and refusal to diet in response to stigma experiences compared with those who reported stereotypes to be false. The degree to which participants believed stereotypes to be true or false was not related to types or amount of stigma experiences reported, self‐esteem, depression, or attitudes toward obese persons. In addition, engaging in weight loss strategies as a response to bias was not predicted by stereotype beliefs or by actual stigma experiences, regardless of the amount or types of stigma reported. Discussion: These findings suggest that obese individuals who internalize negative weight‐based stereotypes may be particularly vulnerable to the negative impact of stigma on eating behaviors and also challenge the notion that stigma may motivate obese individuals to engage in efforts to lose weight. This study highlights a new area of research that warrants attention to better understand weight stigma and its potential consequences for health.     

血立停胶囊对早孕大鼠RU486药流后子宫收缩的实验研究

目的:研究血立停胶囊对早孕大鼠Ru486药物流产后对子宫平滑肌收缩频率、收缩幅度及活动力变化的影响,旨在探讨血立停胶囊治疗药物流产后出血的作用机制。方法:选择妊娠Wistar大鼠,随机分为6组,即对照组,米非司酮组,大剂量血立停组,小剂量血立停组,催产素组,止血敏组。于妊娠第7天,开始相应处理,妊娠第14天分别监测以下指标后处死:在体子宫平滑肌收缩力,收缩幅度、收缩频率。结果:大剂量血立停可明显增强大鼠在体子宫平滑肌活动力、提高子宫平滑肌收缩频率、收缩幅度,与对照组比较差异有显著性(p<0.05)。结论:血立停胶囊可增强大鼠子宫平滑肌兴奋性,从而起到对药物流产后阴道出血的治疗作用。     

Synonymous codon usage bias and overexpression of a synthetic gene encoding Interferon α2b in yeast

To achieve higher level expression of Interferon α2b (IFN-α2b) in methylotrophic yeast (Pichia pastoris), a cDNA fragment coding for the mature IFN-α2b was designed and synthesized based on the synonymous codon bias of P. pastoris and optimized G+C content. The synthetic IFN-α2b was inserted into the secreted expression vector pPICZαA, and then integrated into P. pastoris GS115 genome by electroporation. Multi-copy integrants in the Mut⁺ recombinant P. pastoris strain were screened by high concentrations of Zeocin. 120 hours culturing allowed expression of the IFN-α2b transformant up to 810 mg/L as detected by SDS-PAGE and quantitative methods. In addition, Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant proteins had immunogenicity. The significant antiviral activity of the recombinant IFN-α2b protein was verified by WISH/ VSV system, which was 3.3×10⁵ IU/mL. Foundation items: The National ‘973’ Basic Research Program (2002CB111302); The National Natural Science Foundation of China (30370807)     

Receiver bias for exaggerated signals in honeybees and its implications for the evolution of floral displays

Mechanistic models of animal signals posit the occurrence of biases on the part of receivers that could be potentially exploited by signallers. Such biases are most obvious when animals are confronted with exaggerated versions of signals they normally encounter. Signalling systems operating in plant-pollinator interactions are among the most highly coevolved, with plants using a variety of floral signals to attract pollinators. A number of observations suggest that pollinators preferentially visit larger floral displays although the benefit of this to either the plant or the pollinator is not always clear. We use a standard dual-choice experimental protocol to show that honeybees display a receiver bias for exaggerated size and colour contrast--two important components of floral signals--even when such signals do not indicate quality. We discuss the implications of this receiver bias for the evolution of floral displays and its possible exploitation by invading alien plants.     

腹腔镜与经腹子宫肌瘤剔除术对有生育要求子宫肌瘤患者妊娠结局的影响及术后妊娠率的影响因素分析

摘要 目的：研究腹腔镜与经腹子宫肌瘤剔除术对有生育要求子宫肌瘤患者妊娠结局的影响及术后妊娠率的影响因素。方法：选取我院2018年4月至2021年4月收治的80例有生育要求的子宫肌瘤患者,其中接受经腹子宫肌瘤剔除术治疗的40例归为经腹组,接受腹腔镜子宫肌瘤剔除术治疗的40例归为腹腔镜组。比较两组手术疗效指标,术后并发症发生率以及术后妊娠率。此外,80例患者根据出院后1年是否妊娠分为妊娠组和未妊娠组,以多因素Logistic回归分析术后妊娠率的影响因素。结果：在术后失血量、肛门恢复排气时间以及住院时间方面比较,腹腔镜组均优于经腹组（P＜0.05）。腹腔镜组术后并发症发生率低于经腹组（P＜0.05）,两组术后妊娠率对比无统计学差异（P＞0.05）。单因素分析结果显示：年龄、肌瘤数目和子宫肌瘤剔除术患者术后是否妊娠有关（P＜0.05）,而孕次、肌瘤类型、肌瘤最大直径以及穿透宫腔与否和子宫肌瘤剔除术患者术后是否妊娠无关（P＞0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示：年龄≥35岁以及肌瘤多发是子宫肌瘤剔除术患者术后未妊娠的危险因素（P＜0.05）。结论：腹腔镜与经腹子宫肌瘤剔除术对有生育要求子宫肌瘤患者妊娠结局的影响程度相当,但腹腔镜术式有助于患者术后康复,同时降低并发症发生风险。此外,年龄较大和肌瘤数目较多会使子宫肌瘤剔除术患者术后妊娠难度增加。     

不孕症患者的子宫自然杀伤细胞、浆细胞与子宫内膜异位症的相关性

摘要 目的：探究不孕症患者的子宫自然杀伤细胞、浆细胞与子宫内膜异位症的相关性。方法：选择80例患有子宫内膜异位症的不孕症患者做为本研究的不孕症组和80例正常生育的健康女性做为本研究的健康组,对比分析两组患者人口学基本资料、子宫自然杀伤细胞（uNKs）、浆细胞（PC）水平、血清性激素水平、子宫内膜中血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）表达情况、免疫细胞水平。通过Person法分析不孕症患者的子宫自然杀伤细胞、浆细胞与子宫内膜异位症的相关性。结果：两组的BMI指数、流产史、吸烟史、饮酒史比较,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;不孕症组患者uNKs、抗苗勒氏管激素（AMH）和黄体生成素（LH）水平均显著高于健康组;PC、卵泡刺激素（FSH）、雌激素（Estrogen）和性激素结合球蛋白（SHBG）、VEGF阳性表达水平、CD4⁺、CD8⁺和CD4⁺/CD8⁺水平均显著低于健康组,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。另外,不孕症患者的uNKs与子宫内膜异位症存在显著的正相关关系（r=1.555,P<0.001）;PC与子宫内膜异位症存在显著的负相关关系（r=-3.778,P<0.001）。结论：不孕症患者的uNKs、PC参与不孕症的发生和发展过程,对女性子宫内膜异位症的诊断具有重要的参考意义。     

腹腔镜下子宫血管阻断术联合子宫肌瘤剜除术治疗子宫肌瘤的回顾性研究

摘要 目的：回顾性分析子宫肌瘤剜除术联合腹腔镜下子宫血管阻断术治疗子宫肌瘤的临床疗效。方法：分析2017年6月~2019年7月期间我院收治的子宫肌瘤患者的临床资料（n=150）。根据手术方法的不同将患者分为A组（腹腔镜下子宫肌瘤剜除术治疗,73例）和B组（腹腔镜下子宫血管阻断术联合子宫肌瘤剜除术治疗,77例）,对比两组术中、内分泌激素、术后恢复指标、妊娠情况、并发症发生率及复发率。结果：两组患者手术时间对比无统计学差异（P>0.05）,B组的术中出血量少于A组,术后排气时间、住院天数、下床活动时间短于A组（P<0.05）。A组术前、术后3个月、术后6个月黄体生成素(LH) 、卵泡刺激素(FSH) 、雌二醇(E₂) 水平组内对比无统计学差异（P>0.05）。B组术前、术后3个月、术后6个月E₂水平呈降低后升高趋势,LH、FSH水平呈升高后降低趋势（P<0.05）。B组术后3个月LH、FSH水平高于A组,E2水平低于A组（P<0.05）。与A组相比,B组的并发症发生率明显下降,组间对比有差异（P<0.05）。B组的妊娠率高于A组,子宫肌瘤复发率低于A组（P<0.05）。两组流产率组间对比无统计学差异（P>0.05）。结论：与单纯子宫肌瘤剜除术相比,结合腹腔镜下子宫血管阻断术治疗子宫肌瘤患者可减少术中出血量,促进患者术后恢复,降低并发症发生率及复发率,虽然其对卵巢功能有轻微、短暂性影响,但可逐步恢复,且有利于提高妊娠率。     

Living with observational data in biological anthropology

The establishment of cause and effect relationships is a fundamental objective of scientific research. Many lines of evidence can be used to make cause–effect inferences. When statistical data are involved, alternative explanations for the statistical relationship need to be ruled out. These include chance (apparent patterns due to random factors), confounding effects (a relationship between two variables because they are each associated with an unmeasured third variable), and sampling bias (effects due to preexisting properties of compared groups). The gold standard for managing these issues is a controlled randomized experiment. In disciplines such as biological anthropology, where controlled experiments are not possible for many research questions, causal inferences are made from observational data. Methods that statisticians recommend for this difficult objective have not been widely adopted in the biological anthropology literature. Issues involved in using statistics to make valid causal inferences from observational data are discussed.     

Quantifying the completeness of the bat fossil record

Bats (Chiroptera) are one of the most successful extant mammalian orders, uniquely capable of powered flight and laryngeal echolocation. The timing and evidence for evolution of their novel adaptations have been difficult to ascertain from the fossil record due to chronological gaps and the fragmentary nature of most fossil bat material. Here, we quantify the quality of the bat fossil record using skeletal and character completeness metrics, which respectively document for each taxon what proportion of a complete skeleton is preserved, and the proportion of phylogenetic characters that can be scored. Completeness scores were collected for 441 valid fossil bat species in 167 genera from the Eocene to the Pleistocene. All metrics record similar temporal patterns: peak completeness in the Lutetian stage reflects the presence of Lagerstätten, while subsequent stages have very low completeness, except an Aquitanian high and a Pleistocene peak in skeletal completeness. Bat completeness is not correlated with intensity of sampling through geological time but has a weak negative correlation with publication date. There is no correlation between taxonomic richness and completeness, as the bat record predominately consists of diagnostic but isolated teeth. Consequently, bat skeletal completeness is the lowest of any previously assessed tetrapod group, but character completeness is similar to parareptiles and birds. Bats have significantly higher character completeness in the northern hemisphere, probably due to heightened historical interest and presence of Lagerstätten. Taxa derived from caves are more complete than those from fluviolacustrine and marine deposits, but do not preserve highly complete specimens.     

Evidence of an emerging female preference for an artificial male trait and the potential for spread via mate choice copying in Poecilia latipinna

The initial purpose of the project described herein was to assess the preference of female Poecilia latipinna for an artificial novel male trait—an orange‐colored distal fringe added to the caudal fin of an otherwise wild‐type conspecific. Analysis of the preliminary data revealed consistent individual differences in the strength of female preference for either orange‐tailed or wild‐type males. This finding inspired the study's second aim—to evaluate whether the preference for orange‐tailed males observed among a subset of females could spread via mate choice copying to others in the population that initially preferred wild‐type males. Two experiments and a control were conducted wherein females were simultaneously presented with an orange‐tailed and a wild‐type dummy male using a standard dichotomous choice design. In the first experiment, female preference was assessed on two separate occasions in order to characterize the variability and consistency in preference for orange‐tailed versus wild‐type males. The second experiment addressed mate choice copying: Female preference was again assessed on two separate occasions, but involved pairing a model female with the non‐preferred male for a period of time between preference tests. A third set of control tests were conducted using the same protocol as the copying experiment except that subject females were unable to see the model paired with the non‐preferred male. Results showed that, although females collectively preferred neither the orange‐tailed nor the wild‐type dummy male in the first round of preference tests, the majority showed relatively strong individual preferences. The subset of females that preferred the orange‐tailed over the wild‐type male in the first round of testing all maintained their preferences in the second round whether or not they had observed a model in association with the non‐preferred wild‐type male between tests. However, females that preferred the wild type over the orange male in the first round of testing copied the model's choice of the non‐preferred orange‐tailed male in their second round of preference testing. These results highlight the importance of recognizing the likelihood that only a subset of females will express a preference as it first emerges within a population. In such instances, the preference may not be detected at the population level—a point frequently overlooked in studies of mate choice. Additionally, these data highlight the importance of assessing the preferences of individual females and their capacity to drive evolutionary change within populations. Lastly, this study offers evidence of a possible mechanism by which a novel male trait might spread via mate choice copying by exploiting an emerging sensory bias within a subset of females in the population.