Sex Differences in Sociability for Drosophilamelanogaster with Altered Gut Microbiomes.

In Drosophila melanogaster the gut microbiome has been shown to influence multiple behaviors, including aggressive social behavior. Here, we investigate the effect of the Drosophila microbiome on pro-social behavior. We predicted that reducing the microbiome would lead to a decrease in pro-social behavior in adult flies. After altering the flies' microbiomes, we observed that virgin male flies with reduced microbiomes were significantly less social than virgin male control flies (t=3.09, p=0.006). We did not observe this difference in virgin female flies (t=0.344, p=0.73), or mated flies of either sex (males: t=0.456, p=0.66; females: t=0.271, p=0.79). Our results suggest that the role of the Drosophila microbiome in pro-social behavior is dependent on both sex and previous social experience.

Health workers' experience of providing second-trimester abortion care in Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Second-trimester abortions are less common than abortions in the first trimester, yet they disproportionately account for a higher burden of abortion-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. Health workers play a crucial role in granting or denying access to these services, yet little is known about their experiences. Ethiopia has been successful in reducing mortality due to unsafe abortion over the past decade, but access to second trimester abortion remains a challenge. The aim of this study is to better understand this issue by exploring the experiences of second-trimester abortion providers working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: A qualitative study with 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews with 16 health workers directly involved in providing second-trimester abortions, this included obstetrician and gynaecologist specialists and residents, general practitioners, nurses, and midwives. Data was collected at four public hospitals and one non-governmental clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and analysed using Malterud's text-condensation method. RESULTS: The providers recognized the critical need for second-trimester abortion services and were motivated by their empathy towards women who often sought care late due to marginalisation and poverty making it difficult to access abortion before the second trimester. However, service provision was challenging according to the providers, and barriers like lack of access to essential drugs and equipment, few providers willing to conduct abortions late in pregnancy and unclear guidelines were commonly experienced. This led to highly demanding working conditions. The providers experienced ethical dilemmas pertaining to the possible viability of the fetus and women desperately requesting the service after the legal limit. CONCLUSIONS: Second-trimester abortion providers faced severe barriers and ethical dilemmas pushing their moral threshold and medical risk-taking in efforts to deliver second-trimester abortions to vulnerable women in need of the service. Effort is needed to minimize health system barriers and improve guidelines and support for second-trimester abortion providers in order to increase access and quality of second-trimester abortion services in Ethiopia. The barriers forcing women into second trimester abortions also need to be addressed.

Early life drought predicts components of adult body size in wild female baboons.

OBJECTIVES: In many taxa, adverse early-life environments are associated with reduced growth and smaller body size in adulthood. However, in wild primates, we know very little about whether, where, and to what degree trajectories are influenced by early adversity, or which types of early adversity matter most. Here, we use parallel-laser photogrammetry to assess inter-individual predictors of three measures of body size (leg length, forearm length, and shoulder-rump length) in a population of wild female baboons studied since birth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using >2000 photogrammetric measurements of 127 females, we present a cross-sectional growth curve of wild female baboons (Papio cynocephalus) from juvenescence through adulthood. We then test whether females exposed to several important sources of early-life adversity-drought, maternal loss, low maternal rank, or a cumulative measure of adversity-were smaller for their age than females who experienced less adversity. Using the "animal model," we also test whether body size is heritable in this study population. RESULTS: Prolonged early-life drought predicted shorter limbs but not shorter torsos (i.e., shoulder-rump lengths). Our other measures of early-life adversity did not predict variation in body size. Heritability estimates for body size measures were 36%-67%. Maternal effects accounted for 13%-17% of the variance in leg and forearm length, but no variance in torso length. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that baboon limbs, but not torsos, grow plastically in response to maternal effects and energetic early-life stress. Our results also reveal considerable heritability for all three body size measures in this study population.

Genetic variance and indirect genetic effects for affiliative social behavior in a wild primate.

Affiliative social behaviors are linked to fitness components in multiple species. However, the role of genetic variance in shaping such behaviors remains largely unknown, limiting our understanding of how affiliative behaviors can respond to natural selection. Here, we employed the "animal model" to estimate environmental and genetic sources of variance and covariance in grooming behavior in the well-studied Amboseli wild baboon population. We found that the tendency for a female baboon to groom others ("grooming given") is heritable (h2 = 0.22 ± 0.048), and that several environmental variables-including dominance rank and the availability of kin as grooming partners-contribute to variance in this grooming behavior. We also detected small but measurable variance due to the indirect genetic effect of partner identity on the amount of grooming given within dyadic grooming partnerships. The indirect and direct genetic effects for grooming given were positively correlated (r = 0.74 ± 0.09). Our results provide insight into the evolvability of affiliative behavior in wild animals, including the possibility for correlations between direct and indirect genetic effects to accelerate the response to selection. As such they provide novel information about the genetic architecture of social behavior in nature, with important implications for the evolution of cooperation and reciprocity.

Ethical dilemmas for nursing home doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. / Etiske dilemmaer for sykehjemsleger under covid-19-pandemien.

BACKGROUND: Nursing home residents were particularly vulnerable to a serious clinical course of COVID-19. It was therefore decided early in the pandemic that nursing homes needed to be protected through measures such as testing and isolation regimens and restrictions on visiting. This entailed new procedures and guidelines for nursing home doctors. Norwegian and international studies show that the pandemic presented new ethical dilemmas for healthcare staff. The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the ethical issues faced by nursing home doctors during the pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Nine semi-structured in-depth interviews with doctors at five nursing homes in Bergen were analysed using Attride-Stirling's thematic network analysis. RESULTS: The doctors told of challenges related to deciding the level of treatment, setting limits for palliative care, adapting visiting restrictions, and assessing the use of coercion with regard to testing and isolation. This entailed difficult ethical considerations whereby doctors were faced with conflicts of interest and value judgements, central to which was consideration for the individual resident versus society. INTERPRETATION: The nursing home doctors in our study found it difficult to find a balance between protecting the residents' autonomy and preventing the spread of infection.

Genetic variance in fitness indicates rapid contemporary adaptive evolution in wild animals.

The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution of selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by the additive genetic variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates of this parameter for natural populations, and it is therefore unclear whether adaptive evolution can play a meaningful role in short-term population dynamics. We developed and applied quantitative genetic methods to long-term datasets from 19 wild bird and mammal populations and found that, while estimates vary between populations, additive genetic variance in relative fitness is often substantial and, on average, twice that of previous estimates. We show that these rates of contemporary adaptive evolution can affect population dynamics and hence that natural selection has the potential to partly mitigate effects of current environmental change.

Genetic ancestry predicts male-female affiliation in a natural baboon hybrid zone.

Opposite-sex social relationships are important predictors of fitness in many animals, including several group-living mammals. Consequently, understanding sources of variance in the tendency to form opposite-sex relationships is important for understanding social evolution. Genetic contributions are of particular interest due to their importance in long-term evolutionary change, but little is known about genetic effects on male-female relationships in social mammals, especially outside of the mating context. Here, we investigate the effects of genetic ancestry on male-female affiliative behaviour in a hybrid zone between the yellow baboon, Papio cynocephalus, and the anubis baboon, Papio anubis, in a population in which male-female social bonds are known predictors of life span. We place our analysis within the context of other social and demographic predictors of affiliative behaviour in baboons. Genetic ancestry was the most consistent predictor of opposite-sex affiliative behaviour we observed, with the exception of strong effects of dominance rank. Our results show that increased anubis genetic ancestry is associated with a subtle, but significantly higher, probability of opposite-sex affiliative behaviour, in both males and females. Additionally, pairs of anubis-like males and anubis-like females were the most likely to socially affiliate, resulting in moderate assortativity in grooming and proximity behaviour as a function of genetic ancestry. Our findings indicate that opposite-sex affiliative behaviour partially diverged during baboon evolution to differentiate yellow and anubis baboons, despite overall similarities in their social structures and mating systems. Furthermore, they suggest that affiliative behaviour may simultaneously promote and constrain baboon admixture, through additive and assortative effects of ancestry, respectively.

Is adiposity associated with back and lower limb pain? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Back and lower limb pain have a major impact on physical function and quality of life. While obesity is a modifiable risk factor for musculoskeletal pain, the role of adiposity is less clear. This systematic review aimed to examine the relationship between both adiposity and its distribution and back and lower limb pain. METHODS: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies that examined the association between anthropometric and/or direct measures of adiposity and site specific musculoskeletal pain. Risk of bias was assessed and a best evidence synthesis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 56 studies were identified which examined 4 pain regions, including the lower back (36 studies), hip (two studies), knee (13 studies) and foot (eight studies). 31(55%) studies were assessed as having low to moderate risk of bias. 17(30%) studies were cohort in design. The best evidence synthesis provided evidence of a relationship between central adiposity and low back and knee pain, but not hip or foot pain. There was also evidence of a longitudinal relationship between adiposity and the presence of back, knee and foot pain, as well as incident and increasing foot pain. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provides evidence of an association between both body fat and its central distribution and low back and knee pain, and a longitudinal relationship between adiposity and back, knee and foot pain. These results highlight the potential for targeting adiposity in the development of novel treatments at these sites.

A comparison of dominance rank metrics reveals multiple competitive landscapes in an animal society.

Across group-living animals, linear dominance hierarchies lead to disparities in access to resources, health outcomes and reproductive performance. Studies of how dominance rank predicts these traits typically employ one of several dominance rank metrics without examining the assumptions each metric makes about its underlying competitive processes. Here, we compare the ability of two dominance rank metrics-simple ordinal rank and proportional or 'standardized' rank-to predict 20 traits in a wild baboon population in Amboseli, Kenya. We propose that simple ordinal rank best predicts traits when competition is density-dependent, whereas proportional rank best predicts traits when competition is density-independent. We found that for 75% of traits (15/20), one rank metric performed better than the other. Strikingly, all male traits were best predicted by simple ordinal rank, whereas female traits were evenly split between proportional and simple ordinal rank. Hence, male and female traits are shaped by different competitive processes: males are largely driven by density-dependent resource access (e.g. access to oestrous females), whereas females are shaped by both density-independent (e.g. distributed food resources) and density-dependent resource access. This method of comparing how different rank metrics predict traits can be used to distinguish between different competitive processes operating in animal societies.

Higher dominance rank is associated with lower glucocorticoids in wild female baboons: A rank metric comparison.

In vertebrates, glucocorticoid secretion occurs in response to energetic and psychosocial stressors that trigger the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Measuring glucocorticoid concentrations can therefore shed light on the stressors associated with different social and environmental variables, including dominance rank. Using 14,172 fecal samples from 237 wild female baboons, we test the hypothesis that high-ranking females experience fewer psychosocial and/or energetic stressors than lower-ranking females. We predicted that high-ranking females would have lower fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) concentrations than low-ranking females. Because dominance rank can be measured in multiple ways, we employ an information theoretic approach to compare 5 different measures of rank as predictors of fGC concentrations: ordinal rank; proportional rank; Elo rating; and two approaches to categorical ranking (alpha vs non-alpha and high-middle-low). Our hypothesis was supported, but it was also too simplistic. We found that alpha females exhibited substantially lower fGCs than other females (typical reduction = 8.2%). If we used proportional rank instead of alpha versus non-alpha status in the model, we observed a weak effect of rank such that fGCs rose 4.2% from the highest- to lowest-ranking female in the hierarchy. Models using ordinal rank, Elo rating, or high-middle-low categories alone failed to explain variation in female fGCs. Our findings shed new light on the association between dominance rank and the stress response, the competitive landscape of female baboons as compared to males, and the assumptions inherent in a researcher's choice of rank metric.

Racial and ethnic disparities in melanoma awareness: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Hispanics are among the fastest growing population in the United States and are predicted to account for one third of the nation by 2060. Although melanoma is more common among white patients, Hispanic individuals are at greater risk of late-stage diagnosis, increased tumor thickness, and poorer survival. OBJECTIVE: To better understand public awareness of melanoma and evaluate change over the last 21 years, particularly among high-risk minority populations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey collecting information on knowledge and awareness of melanoma was conducted on 285 participants from May through November 2017. RESULTS: Approximately 39% of participants were unaware of melanoma. Sixty-five percent successfully identified early signs of disease. Approximately 86% of Fitzpatrick skin types (FST) I and II identified melanoma as a cancer, compared to 46.3% of FST III and IV and 57.6% of FST V and VI. Hispanic particiapnts were less likely to know what melanoma was compared to white participants (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-0.11; P = .0037). US natives (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 5.56-1.04; P = .0403) and patients with any college education (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 5.26-1.54; P = .0007) were more likely to know the meaning of melanoma. CONCLUSION: White participants and those with any college education were more likely to know the meaning of melanoma. Individuals of racial and ethnic minorities would benefit from educational programs geared toward early detection.

Patient-provider comparison of dermatology vocabulary understanding: a cross-sectional study in patients from minority ethnic groups.

Patient-centered communication is necessary for a successful clinical relationship. There has been great interest in improving communication within the field of dermatology. To identify gaps between patient comprehension of dermatology-specific vocabulary and perceived comprehension by providers. Two hundred and eighty-five patients were recruited from outpatient dermatology clinics at Boston Medical Center and East Boston Neighborhood Health Center to complete a multiple choice survey regarding comprehension of dermatology-specific vocabulary. Participating patients were 59.6% female, with ages ranging from 18 to 94 years old, and a mean age of 45. Forty-six percent of patients identified as Hispanic/Latino, 36% as White. Fifty-five percent had a high school education or lower. Forty percent had an income of < 34,999/year. Seventy providers completed a questionnaire about their perception of patient understanding of dermatology-specific vocabulary. Patient and provider data were compared. About 60% of patients did not know the meaning of metastasis or hyperpigmentation, and approximately 55% did not understand excision or autoimmune. Providers overestimated patient comprehension of benign by 38% and sunburn and symptom by approximately 32%. Provider estimation exceeded actual patient comprehension of scar and recur by 27%. Sixty-six percent of providers cited "lack of time" as the largest communication barrier, while only 7% of patients believed additional time would improve communication. Limitations include sample size and generalizability. More than half of the patients surveyed did not understand metastasis, excision, hyperpigmentation, and autoimmune. Providers overestimated patient comprehension of benign, sunburn, symptom, scar, and recur.

Lifetime Fitness in Wild Female Baboons: Trade-Offs and Individual Heterogeneity in Quality.

Understanding the evolution of life histories requires information on how life histories vary among individuals and how such variation predicts individual fitness. Using complete life histories for females in a well-studied population of wild baboons, we tested two nonexclusive hypotheses about the relationships among survival, reproduction, and fitness: the quality hypothesis, which predicts positive correlations between life-history traits, mediated by variation in resource acquisition, and the trade-off hypothesis, which predicts negative correlations between life-history traits, mediated by trade-offs in resource allocation. In support of the quality hypothesis, we found that females with higher rates of offspring survival were themselves better at surviving. Further, after statistically controlling for variation in female quality, we found evidence for two types of trade-offs: females who produced surviving offspring at a slower rate had longer life spans than those who produced surviving offspring at a faster rate, and females who produced surviving offspring at a slower rate had a higher overall proportion of offspring survive infancy than females who produced surviving offspring at a faster rate. Importantly, these trade-offs were evident even when accounting for (i) the influence of offspring survival on maternal birth rate, (ii) the dependence of offspring survival on maternal survival, and (iii) potential age-related changes in birth rate and/or offspring survival. Our results shed light on why trade-offs are evident in some populations while variation in individual quality masks trade-offs in others.

When the law makes doors slightly open: ethical dilemmas among abortion service providers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In 2005, Ethiopia changed its abortion law to curb its high maternal mortality. This has led to a considerable reduction in deaths from unsafe abortions. Abortion is now legal if the woman's pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, if her health is endangered, if the fetus has a serious deformity, if she suffers from a physical or mental deficiency, or if she is under 18 years of age. The word of the woman, if in compliance with the law, is sufficient to qualify for an abortion. In this context, where the law makes the door slightly open, health workers become important in deciding who gets access to safe services and who doesn't, thus creating considerable ethical dilemmas. METHODS: The objective of this study was to explore abortion service providers' personal experiences and reflections, perceptions of the abortion law, and ethical and dilemmas that arise. Data collection took place from March to May 2016 in Addis Ababa, at different health clinics providing abortion services. Thirty in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted with 41 abortion service providers at governmental and non-governmental clinics. Content analysis was drawn upon in the interpretation of the findings. RESULTS: When working in a context where the law has slightly opened the door for abortion seeking women, the health workers describe conflicting concerns, burdensome responsibilities, and ambiguity concerning how to interpret and implement the law. They describe efforts to balance their religious faith and values against their professional obligations and concern for women's health and well-being. This negotiation is particularly evident in the care of women who fall outside the law's indications. They usually handle ethical dilemmas and decision-making alone without guidance. Moreover, many health workers face a stigma from fellow colleagues not performing abortions and therefore keep their job a secret from family and friends. CONCLUSIONS: Health workers in Ethiopia experience ethical dilemmas trying to maneuver between the abortion law, their personal values, and their genuine concern for the health of women. More research is needed to further explore this.

Emerging Biomarkers in Cutaneous Melanoma.

Earlier identification of aggressive melanoma remains a goal in the field of melanoma research. With new targeted and immune therapies that have revolutionized the care of patients with melanoma, the ability to predict progression and monitor or predict response to therapy has become the new focus of research into biomarkers in melanoma. In this review, promising biomarkers are highlighted. These biomarkers have been used to diagnose melanoma as well as predict progression to advanced disease and response to therapy. The biomarkers take various forms, including protein expression at the level of tissue, genetic mutations of cancer cells, and detection of circulating DNA. First, a brief description is provided about the conventional tissue markers used to stage melanoma, including tumor depth. Next, protein biomarkers, which provide both diagnostic and prognostic information, are described. This is followed by a discussion of important genetic mutations, microRNA, and epigenetic modifications that can provide therapeutic and prognostic material. Finally, emerging serologic biomarkers are reviewed, including circulating melanoma cells and exosomes. Overall the goal is to identify biomarkers that aid in the earlier identification and improved treatment of aggressive melanoma.

Self-organizing dominance hierarchies in a wild primate population.

Linear dominance hierarchies, which are common in social animals, can profoundly influence access to limited resources, reproductive opportunities and health. In spite of their importance, the mechanisms that govern the dynamics of such hierarchies remain unclear. Two hypotheses explain how linear hierarchies might emerge and change over time. The 'prior attributes hypothesis' posits that individual differences in fighting ability directly determine dominance ranks. By contrast, the 'social dynamics hypothesis' posits that dominance ranks emerge from social self-organization dynamics such as winner and loser effects. While the prior attributes hypothesis is well supported in the literature, current support for the social dynamics hypothesis is limited to experimental studies that artificially eliminate or minimize individual differences in fighting abilities. Here, we present the first evidence supporting the social dynamics hypothesis in a wild population. Specifically, we test for winner and loser effects on male hierarchy dynamics in wild baboons, using a novel statistical approach based on the Elo rating method for cardinal rank assignment, which enables the detection of winner and loser effects in uncontrolled group settings. Our results demonstrate (i) the presence of winner and loser effects, and (ii) that individual susceptibility to such effects may have a genetic basis. Taken together, our results show that both social self-organization dynamics and prior attributes can combine to influence hierarchy dynamics even when agonistic interactions are strongly influenced by differences in individual attributes. We hypothesize that, despite variation in individual attributes, winner and loser effects exist (i) because these effects could be particularly beneficial when fighting abilities in other group members change over time, and (ii) because the coevolution of prior attributes and winner and loser effects maintains a balance of both effects.