Human preferences for sexually dimorphic faces may be evolutionarily novel

A large literature proposes that preferences for exaggerated sex typicality in human faces (masculinity/femininity) reflect a long evolutionary history of sexual and social selection. This proposal implies that dimorphism was important to judgments of attractiveness and personality in ancestral environments. It is difficult to evaluate, however, because most available data come from large-scale, industrialized, urban populations. Here, we report the results for 12 populations with very diverse levels of economic development. Surprisingly, preferences for exaggerated sex-specific traits are only found in the novel, highly developed environments. Similarly, perceptions that masculine males look aggressive increase strongly with development and, specifically, urbanization. These data challenge the hypothesis that facial dimorphism was an important ancestral signal of heritable mate value. One possibility is that highly developed environments provide novel opportunities to discern relationships between facial traits and behavior by exposing individuals to large numbers of unfamiliar faces, revealing patterns too subtle to detect with smaller samples.Inspired by evidence from nonhuman species indicating that exaggerated sex-typical traits (e.g., large antlers, peacock tails) are often attractive to mates or intimidating to rivals (1, 2), morphological sex typicality in humans (masculinity in men and femininity in women) has been the focus of considerable research into attractiveness judgments (3, 4). Facial attractiveness research has been revolutionized by this explanatory framework from the biological sciences, which proposes that attractive human faces honestly signaled mate value within ancestral environments.An influential proposal is that facial femininity is a signal of fertility in human female faces (4–9) because, within same-age women, it is associated with estrogens (10), which, in turn, are related to measures of reproductive health (11). Like ovarian function, facial femininity declines with age in adulthood (12, 13). The proposal that fertile women should be attractive to men is seemingly uncontroversial because males who discriminatively mate with fertile females should achieve a straightforward reproductive advantage over those males who do not, with all other factors being equal (6). Although direct associations between facial femininity and fertility have not been demonstrated, the consensus from Western preferences, and from the limited cross-cultural data available, is that femininity is attractive, as predicted by the fertility hypothesis (14–17). In environments where fertility is high and variable, this relationship should be even more apparent.In male faces, masculinity has been variously proposed to signal heritable disease resistance (“good genes” or “immunocompetence”) (4, 15, 18–22) and/or perceived as a cue of aggressiveness and, consequently, intrasexual competitiveness (22, 23). The “honesty” of face shape as an indicator of immunocompetence is proposed to be the result of an immunosuppressive effect of testosterone. Because testosterone influences the growth of sex-typical traits in many species (24, 25), masculine facial shape is proposed to be a costly, and thus honest, signal of male quality (22). The hypothesis that cues of heritable health should be attractive to females is widely accepted (26), although the evidence for a link between heritable health and masculinity in humans is tentative at best (22).Support for a link between masculinity and aggression is largely indirect, and it consists of an association between testosterone and both aggressive behavior (27, 28) and face shape (25), in addition to the fact that honest signaling of dominance is commonly observed in nonhuman species (3). Masculine faces are perceived as aggressive in those groups (i.e., urban, Western) where the relationship has been tested (29). Because masculinity may signal both (desirable) immunity and (potentially costly) aggression in humans, some authors have proposed that preferences for masculinity reflect women trading-off benefits of traits putatively associated with health against those traits associated with prosocial behaviors, such as parental investment (23, 30, 31).Consistent with both of these proposals, data indicate that preferences for masculinity are stronger in circumstances where indirect benefits (heritable quality) can be realized without accompanying direct costs (aggression and low paternal investment). Such circumstances include judging attractiveness in the context of a short-term (vs. a long-term) relationship (32) and in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle when conception following intercourse is most likely (33). Masculinity is also reported to be more strongly preferred in environments with relatively high pathogen burdens (19, 30) and in environments with higher local homicide rates (23), which has been interpreted as a response to variation in the benefits of heritable disease resistance (19) and in the net benefits conferred by aggressive males under varying levels of male–male competition (23).All of this supporting evidence comes with a very important caveat; although there has been some cross-cultural work in this area (34), the majority of studies have been conducted in Western, often student, populations characterized by high levels of development and urbanization [Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic; so-called WEIRD participants (35)]. Research on preferences in other groups is scant and methodologically inconsistent, using Internet-based designs or a limited cross-cultural component (7, 15–18). Because there are differences between Western/non-Western and industrial/small-scale societies in many behaviors, including aspects of visual perception and mate choice (35), this over-representation greatly limits generalizability. Perhaps most importantly, large-scale (post)industrial societies present inhabitants with large numbers of unfamiliar faces and provide venues for the efficient exchange of (visual) social information (e.g., posters, television, Internet); these factors may be instrumental in the acquisition and reinforcement of preferences (36–39). It is possible therefore that rather than being a legacy of ancestral selection pressures, preferences for dimorphism emerge in large urban groups as a byproduct of the information-processing strategies used to process large amounts of social information or in response to arbitrary cultural norms.Development also introduces an increased presence of highly differentiated social roles that arise from a greater division of labor, along with opportunities to acquire prestige without strength or aggression. Because partner preferences have been proposed to develop in response to sex-typical social roles (40, 41), it is possible that increasingly differentiated roles could influence masculinity preferences if desirable social roles not present in less developed groups are associated with facial appearance.We assessed preferences for, and trait attributions made to, faces varying in dimorphism in a cross-cultural sample of 12 groups, including non-Western, nonstudent, and small-scale societies (n = 962; Tables S1 and S2). We tested the predictions, derived from the immunocompetence handicapping hypothesis, that (i) preferences for dimorphism will be stronger in less developed groups and (ii) masculine faces would be perceived as aggressive in all populations, with perceptions in low-development groups at least as strong as in groups with high development. We estimated social development with the Human Development Index (HDI), which is a composite indicator compiled by the United Nations Development Program. To investigate which aspects of development were associated with variation in perception of our facial stimuli, we took the World Health Organization measures of years lost to disease and United Nations (UN) measures of homicide rates as proxy measures of disease burden and male intrasexual competition, respectively (both log-transformed), and UN measures of levels of urbanization. Using these national statistics almost certainly underestimates disease burden in the small-scale societies in our sample, which is a conservative estimate with regard to our hypotheses.

Table 1.

Summary information for the groups tested

The green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate ameliorates experimental immune-mediated glomerulonephritis

The unchecked overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by inflammatory cells can cause tissue damage, intensify inflammation, promote apoptosis, and accelerate the progression of immune-mediated glomerulonephritis (GN). Here we tested whether the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) favorably affect the development of immune-mediated GN. Pretreatment of 129/svJ mice with EGCG from 2 days before to 2 weeks after the induction of GN led to reduced proteinuria and serum creatinine, and marked improvement in renal histology when compared with vehicle-pretreated diseased mice. This pretreatment reduced oxidative stress, and normalized osteopontin, p65/nuclear factor-κB, inducible nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide metabolites, p-Akt, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, p47phox, and myeloperoxidase, all of which were elevated in vehicle-pretreated diseased mice. Levels of glutathione peroxidase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), both reduced in the vehicle-pretreated diseased mice, were normalized. This renoprotective effect was reversed by concomitant administration of the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 throughout the EGCG pretreatment period. Importantly, mortality and renal dysfunction were significantly attenuated even when the polyphenol treatment was initiated 1 week after the onset of GN. Thus, EGCG reversed the progression of immune-mediated GN in mice by targeting redox and inflammatory pathways.     

霉酚酸酯联合激素对男性活动性狼疮肾炎诱导治疗的前瞻性临床对照研究

目的前瞻性观察霉酚酸酯联合激素对男性活动性狼疮性肾炎患者诱导治疗阶段的治疗效果。方法2002年5月至2004年10月,共30例经肾活检证实为活动性狼疮性肾炎的男性患者入选接受霉酚酸酯联合激素诱导治疗,并随机选取同期60例女性狼疮患者作配对分析。所有患者均采用相同的治疗方案,即霉酚酸酯起始剂量为1.0或1.5g/d,泼尼松起始剂量为0.8mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),并逐步减量。整个观察期为24周。结果男性组和女性组的平均年龄分别为(30±14)和(29±10)岁,初治/复治分别为18/12和33/27例,中位病程分别为8.0和4.5个月,病理类型Ⅲ:Ⅳ:Ⅴ分别为5:22:3和9:45:6,病理急性活动指数分别为6.8±3.5和7.1±3.2,慢性活动指数分别为1.3±1.1和1.7±1.2;两组间上述指标的差异均无统计学意义(P值均>0.05),但男性组的系统性红斑狼疮疾病活动指数、24h尿蛋白分别为25.5±7.6和(6.5±4.2)g/24h,均显著高于女性组的21.1±6.3和(3.5±2.7)g/24h(P值分别<0.05、0.01)。治疗24周后,男性组和女性组的24h尿蛋白均较治疗前显著下降(P值均<0.01),分别为(1.2±1.7)和(0.9±1.2)g/24h。男性组总缓解率为80.0%,女性组为88.3%,两组间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论与女性狼疮性肾炎患者相比,霉酚酸酯联合激素对男性活动性狼疮肾炎患者在诱导缓解阶段同样能达到较高的临床缓解率。     

LncRNA MEG3 impacts proliferation,invasion, and migration of ovarian cancer cells through regulating <Emphasis Type="Italic">PTEN</Emphasis>

Objective and design

We investigated the expressions of lncRNA MEG3 and PTEN in ovarian cancer tissues and their effects on cell proliferation, cycle and apoptosis of ovarian cancer.

Methods

Expression levels of MEG3 in ovarian cancer cell lines and normal ovarian cell lines were detected by qRT-PCR. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were measured by flow cytometry. Cell invasion capability was tested by transwell assay. Cell migration capacity was tested by wound healing. The xenograft model was constructed to explore the effect of lncRNA MEG3 on ovarian cancer in vivo.

Result

Compared with normal ovarian cells, expression levels of MEG3 and PTEN were relatively lower in ovarian cancer cells. There was a positive correlation between the expression of PTEN and the expression of MEG3. Enhanced expression level of PTEN suppressed SKOV3 cell proliferation, increased cell apoptosis rate, and decreased cell invasion and migration.

Conclusion

LncRNA MEG3 and PTEN were down-regulated in ovarian cancer cells. LncRNA MEG3 regulated the downstream gene PTEN in ovarian cancer cells to prohibit cell proliferation, promote apoptosis and block cell cycle progression.

     

FOLFOX4、SOX化疗方案治疗晚期胃癌的疗效及对血清生物活性因子及预后的影响

目的探讨奥沙利铂+亚叶酸钙+5-氟尿嘧啶(FOLFOX4)、奥沙利铂+替吉奥(SOX)化疗方案治疗晚期胃癌的疗效及对血清基质金属蛋白酶9(MMP9)、CD44v6、血管内皮细胞生长因子C(VEGFC)、转化生长因子-β1(TGF-β1)水平和预后的影响。方法根据治疗方法不同将112例晚期胃癌患者分为对照组与观察组,每组56例。对照组患者采用FOLFOX4方案化疗,观察组患者采用SOX方案化疗。比较两组患者的近期疗效、远期生存情况、不良反应发生情况,并对两组患者治疗前后的血清MMP9、CD44v6、VEGFC、TGF-β1水平进行比较。结果治疗结束后,两组患者的疾病控制率、客观缓解率比较,差异均无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。化疗过程中,两组患者白细胞减少、血小板减少、乏力、恶心、呕吐、口腔黏膜炎、肝肾功能不全、神经功能异常的发生率比较,差异均无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。两组患者治疗后的血清MMP9、CD44v6、VEGFC、TGF-β1水平均明显低于本组治疗前(P﹤0.01);观察组患者治疗后的血清MMP9、CD44v6、VEGFC、TGF-β1水平均低于对照组治疗后(P﹤0.05)。观察组患者的2年生存率高于对照组(P﹤0.05)。结论SOX化疗方案治疗晚期胃癌的远期疗效优于FOLFOX4方案,可能与降低血清MMP9、CD44v6、VEGFC、TGF-β1水平有关。     

应用抗CD3单克隆抗体预防肾移植术后急性排斥反应的体会

目的 观察国产抗CD3单克隆抗体在预防肾移植术后急性排斥反应中的作用。方法 将60例患者随机分为3组，每组20例，3个组移植术后均给以环孢素A、硫唑嘌呤和皮质激素组成的三联免疫抑制方案；全量组加用抗CD3单克隆抗体5mg/d，半量组加用抗CD3单克隆抗体2.5mg/d，对照组不用。观察术后肾功能的恢复情况及急性排斥反应发生率。结果 术后1周使用抗CD3单克隆抗体者的血肌酐低于对照组（P＜0．05），10d后二者的差异无显著性；在术后头3个月，使用抗CD3单克隆抗体治疗组与对照组在急性排斥反应发生率方面的差异有显著性（P＜0．05）；使用抗CD单克隆抗体全量组与半量组在术后肾功能恢复及急性排斥反应发生率方面的差异无显著性。结论 术后早期预防性使用抗CD3单克隆抗体对移植肾功能的恢复和降低急性排斥反应发生率有较好的作用；给予半量的抗CD3单克隆抗体能取得与全量同样的效果，且费用较低，并发症少。     

LncRNA MEG3 impacts proliferation,invasion, and migration of ovarian cancer cells through regulating PTEN

Objective and design

We investigated the expressions of lncRNA MEG3 and PTEN in ovarian cancer tissues and their effects on cell proliferation, cycle and apoptosis of ovarian cancer.

Methods

Expression levels of MEG3 in ovarian cancer cell lines and normal ovarian cell lines were detected by qRT-PCR. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were measured by flow cytometry. Cell invasion capability was tested by transwell assay. Cell migration capacity was tested by wound healing. The xenograft model was constructed to explore the effect of lncRNA MEG3 on ovarian cancer in vivo.

Result

Compared with normal ovarian cells, expression levels of MEG3 and PTEN were relatively lower in ovarian cancer cells. There was a positive correlation between the expression of PTEN and the expression of MEG3. Enhanced expression level of PTEN suppressed SKOV3 cell proliferation, increased cell apoptosis rate, and decreased cell invasion and migration.

Conclusion

LncRNA MEG3 and PTEN were down-regulated in ovarian cancer cells. LncRNA MEG3 regulated the downstream gene PTEN in ovarian cancer cells to prohibit cell proliferation, promote apoptosis and block cell cycle progression.

     

小细胞肺癌患者化疗后的药学监护

目的:探讨临床药师如何实施药学监护.方法:以一位小细胞肺癌化疗后的患者为例,临床药师介入临床,参与药物治疗方案的制订,分析患者所用化疗药物、抗菌药、降血钙药物以及升血小板药物的综合应用,并对患者的治疗过程进行跟踪监测,对药物治疗效果及不良反应进行综合评估.结果:在临床医师的治疗及临床药师的药学监护下,患者的各项指标(化疗后的中性粒细胞比例、WBC计数、T、Plt等)趋于正常,可继续完成化疗疗程.结论:临床药师的介入使药物治疗更趋合理,在达到治疗目标的同时,减少了药物的不良反应,有利于提高临床的药物治疗水平.     

加速康复外科理念下术后不输液对腹腔镜胆囊切除术患者的影响

目的 探讨腹腔镜胆囊切除术(LC)术后不输液对患者恢复及安全性的影响。方法 回顾性分析宁波市医疗中心李惠利医院2019年1月至2020年1月间接受LC术的患者临床资料。根据LC术后是否进行静脉输液,将患者分为未输液组(n=80)与常规输液组(n=80)。统计两组患者术前一般情况,对比分析两组患者术中、术后情况。结果 两组患者术前一般资料无统计学差异(P>0.05)。两组在手术时间、麻醉时间、术中出血量、术后疼痛评分方面比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。未输液组在术后排气时间、住院时间及住院费用方面,均低于常规输液组(P<0.05)。术后共5例出现不同程度的切口感染,其中不输液组2例,输液组3例,均是在出院后1周内发现,在门诊换药后痊愈。所有患者未出现其他并发症。两组患者术后1个月复查,肝肾功能及肝胆B超均未见明显异常。结论 在加速康复外科理念下,对于胆囊炎症轻、无基础疾病、营养状况良好的患者,LC术后不进行静脉输液,可加快患者康复,临床安全可行。     

野百合碱诱导运动诱发肺动脉高压大鼠模型的建立及他达那非早期干预效果

目的:建立运动诱发肺动脉高压(exercise induced PH,EiPH)大鼠模型,早期明确诊断,及时给予治疗,评估大鼠PH进展、肺血管重塑情况及生存率。方法:雄性Sprague Dawely(SD)大鼠60只,体质量200～220 g,大鼠注射野百合碱(monocrotaline,MCT)(60 mg/kg)后,分别在第1、3、5、7、9天检测大鼠静息状态下平均肺动脉压力(mean pulmonary artery pressure,m PAP)及运动状态下峰值mPAP(_maximum mPAP,mPAP_max)。选取大鼠静息m PAP<25 mmHg且运动状态下m PAP_max>30 mm Hg定义为EiPH组;将大鼠静息mPAP≥25 mmHg随机分为静息PH(rest PH,rPH)组和PH组;注射生理盐水的大鼠为对照组。EiPH组与rPH组大鼠分别给予等量他达那非灌胃2周。各组大鼠于实验终点完成超声心动图检查,改良右心导管测压,留取心肺组织。结果:MCT注射后第7天,大鼠运动状态下mPAP