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Shyam S, Misra S, Mitra S, Mitra SK. Bacteria-surface interactions: role of impacting bacteria-laden droplets. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:3425-3435. [PMID: 38623617 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00196f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the interactions of pathogenic droplets with surfaces is crucial to biomedical applications. In this study, using E. coli as the model microbe, we investigate the impact of a bacteria-laden droplet on different substrates, both bare and antimicrobial. In doing so, we unveil the significance of kinetic energy and spreading parameters of the impacting droplet in determining the microbes' proliferation capabilities. Our results indicate an inverse relationship between the impact Weber number and the bacterial ability to proliferate. We reveal that the mechanical stress generated during impact impedes the capabilities of microbes present inside the droplet to create their progeny. Following an order analysis of the mechanical stress generated, we argue that the impact does not induce lysis-driven cell death of the bacteria; rather, it promotes a stress-driven transition of viable bacteria to a viable-but-non-culturable (VBNC) state. Furthermore, variations in the concentration of particles on the antimicrobial surfaces revealed the role of the post-impact spreading behaviour in dictating bacterial proliferation capabilities. Contrary to the conventional notion, we demonstrate that during the early stages of interaction, a bare substrate may outperform an antibacterial substrate in the inactivation of the bacterial load. Finally, we present an interaction map illustrating the complex relationship between bacterial colony-forming units, bactericide concentration on the surface, and the impact Weber number. We believe that the inferences of the study, highlighting the effect of mechanical stresses on the soft cell wall of microbes, could be a useful design consideration for the development of antimicrobial surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudip Shyam
- Micro & Nano-Scale Transport Laboratory, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Sirshendu Misra
- Micro & Nano-Scale Transport Laboratory, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Surjyasish Mitra
- Micro & Nano-Scale Transport Laboratory, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Sushanta K Mitra
- Micro & Nano-Scale Transport Laboratory, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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2
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Grossmann I, Varnum MEW, Hutcherson CA, Mandel DR. When expert predictions fail. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:113-123. [PMID: 37949791 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
We examine the opportunities and challenges of expert judgment in the social sciences, scrutinizing the way social scientists make predictions. While social scientists show above-chance accuracy in predicting laboratory-based phenomena, they often struggle to predict real-world societal changes. We argue that most causal models used in social sciences are oversimplified, confuse levels of analysis to which a model applies, misalign the nature of the model with the nature of the phenomena, and fail to consider factors beyond the scientist's pet theory. Taking cues from physical sciences and meteorology, we advocate an approach that integrates broad foundational models with context-specific time series data. We call for a shift in the social sciences towards more precise, daring predictions and greater intellectual humility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, ON, Canada.
| | - Michael E W Varnum
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Cendri A Hutcherson
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, M1C 1A4, ON, Canada
| | - David R Mandel
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, M3K 2C9, ON, Canada
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3
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Cencetti G, Lucchini L, Santin G, Battiston F, Moro E, Pentland A, Lepri B. Temporal clustering of social interactions trades-off disease spreading and knowledge diffusion. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20230471. [PMID: 38166491 PMCID: PMC10761286 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-pharmaceutical measures such as preventive quarantines, remote working, school and workplace closures, lockdowns, etc. have shown effectiveness from an epidemic control perspective; however, they have also significant negative consequences on social life and relationships, work routines and community engagement. In particular, complex ideas, work and school collaborations, innovative discoveries and resilient norms formation and maintenance, which often require face-to-face interactions of two or more parties to be developed and synergically coordinated, are particularly affected. In this study, we propose an alternative hybrid solution that balances the slowdown of epidemic diffusion with the preservation of face-to-face interactions, that we test simulating a disease and a knowledge spreading simultaneously on a network of contacts. Our approach involves a two-step partitioning of the population. First, we tune the level of node clustering, creating 'social bubbles' with increased contacts within each bubble and fewer outside, while maintaining the average number of contacts in each network. Second, we tune the level of temporal clustering by pairing, for a certain time interval, nodes from specific social bubbles. Our results demonstrate that a hybrid approach can achieve better trade-offs between epidemic control and complex knowledge diffusion. The versatility of our model enables tuning and refining clustering levels to optimally achieve the desired trade-off, based on the potentially changing characteristics of a disease or knowledge diffusion process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cencetti
- Digital Society Center, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
- Centre de Physique Théorique, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, Marseille, France
| | - Lorenzo Lucchini
- DONDENA and BIDSA Research Centres—Bocconi University, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriele Santin
- Digital Society Center, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University of Venice, Venezia, Italy
| | - Federico Battiston
- Department of Network and Data Science, Central European University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Esteban Moro
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Mathematics & GISC, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Leganes, Spain
| | - Alex Pentland
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bruno Lepri
- Digital Society Center, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
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4
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Kim AW, Agarwal SC. From ancient pathogens to modern pandemics: Integrating evolutionary, ecological, and sociopolitical dynamics of infectious disease and pandemics through biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:505-512. [PMID: 38006199 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wooyoung Kim
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sabrina C Agarwal
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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5
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Clark AD, Cumpstey AF, Santolini J, Jackson AA, Feelisch M. Uncoupled redox stress: how a temporal misalignment of redox-regulated processes and circadian rhythmicity exacerbates the stressed state. Open Biol 2023; 13:230151. [PMID: 37669692 PMCID: PMC10480010 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Diurnal and seasonal rhythmicity, entrained by environmental and nutritional cues, is a vital part of all life on Earth operating at every level of organization; from individual cells, to multicellular organisms, whole ecosystems and societies. Redox processes are intrinsic to physiological function and circadian regulation, but how they are integrated with other regulatory processes at the whole-body level is poorly understood. Circadian misalignment triggered by a major stressor (e.g. viral infection with SARS-CoV-2) or recurring stressors of lesser magnitude such as shift work elicit a complex stress response that leads to desynchronization of metabolic processes. This in turn challenges the system's ability to achieve redox balance due to alterations in metabolic fluxes (redox rewiring). We infer that the emerging 'alternative redox states' do not always revert readily to their evolved natural states; 'Long COVID' and other complex disorders of unknown aetiology are the clinical manifestations of such rearrangements. To better support and successfully manage bodily resilience to major stress and other redox challenges needs a clear perspective on the pattern of the hysteretic response for the interaction between the redox system and the circadian clock. Characterization of this system requires repeated (ideally continuous) recording of relevant clinical measures of the stress responses and whole-body redox state (temporal redox phenotyping). The human/animal body is a complex 'system of systems' with multi-level buffering capabilities, and it requires consideration of the wider dynamic context to identify a limited number of stress-markers suitable for routine clinical decision making. Systematically mapping the patterns and dynamics of redox biomarkers along the stressor/disease trajectory will provide an operational model of whole-body redox regulation/balance that can serve as basis for the identification of effective interventions which promote health by enhancing resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D. Clark
- Perioperative and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Andrew F. Cumpstey
- Perioperative and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Jérôme Santolini
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Universite Paris-Saclay, F-91198, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Alan A. Jackson
- Human Nutrition, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Martin Feelisch
- Perioperative and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
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6
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Troisi A, Croce Nanni R, De Sanctis S, Dieguez G, Carola V. COVID-19 vaccination and the behavioral immune system: The newcomer and the old friend get along in preventing infection. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 30:100621. [PMID: 37063495 PMCID: PMC10081877 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its old evolutionary history and emotional relevance, the behavioral immune system is one of the less studied individual predictors of vaccine uptake. To fill the gap, we conducted a large online study (2072 participants) during the spring 2022 when the great majority of the Italian population had already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Hierarchical binary logistic regression showed that, after controlling for the confounding effects of demographic and personality factors, there was a significant and positive association between pathogen disgust sensitivity and COVID-19 vaccine uptake (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.42-1.99). The likelihood of being vaccinated for a participant with the highest possible score on the PVD Germ Aversion scale was approximately 12 times higher than the likelihood for a participant with the lowest possible score. Public health messaging could leverage the activation of the behavioral immune system as an emotional driver of vaccine uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Troisi
- International Medical School, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Simone De Sanctis
- International Medical School, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Dieguez
- International Medical School, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Carola
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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7
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Albuquerque UP, Cantalice AS, Oliveira ES, de Moura JMB, dos Santos RKS, da Silva RH, Brito-Júnior VM, Ferreira-Júnior WS. Exploring Large Digital Bodies for the Study of Human Behavior. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1-10. [PMID: 37362224 PMCID: PMC10203656 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-023-00363-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Internet access has become a fundamental component of contemporary society, with major impacts in many areas that offer opportunities for new research insights. The search and deposition of information in digital media form large sets of data known as digital corpora, which can be used to generate structured data, representing repositories of knowledge and evidence of human culture. This information offers opportunities for scientific investigations that contribute to the understanding of human behavior on a large scale, reaching human populations/individuals that would normally be difficult to access. These tools can help access social and cultural varieties worldwide. In this article, we briefly review the potential of these corpora in the study of human behavior. Therefore, we propose Culturomics of Human Behavior as an approach to understand, explain, and predict human behavior using digital corpora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Sistemas Socioecológicos (LEA), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, 123550670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Anibal Silva Cantalice
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Sistemas Socioecológicos (LEA), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, 123550670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Edwine Soares Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Sistemas Socioecológicos (LEA), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, 123550670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Joelson Moreno Brito de Moura
- Instituto de Estudos do Xingu (IEX), Av. Norte Sul, Universidade Federal do Sul E Sudeste do Pará, Loteamento Cidade Nova, Lote N. 1, Qd 15, Setor 15, São Félix Do Xingu, Brazil
| | - Rayane Karoline Silva dos Santos
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Sistemas Socioecológicos (LEA), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, 123550670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Risoneide Henriques da Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Sistemas Socioecológicos (LEA), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, 123550670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Valdir Moura Brito-Júnior
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Sistemas Socioecológicos (LEA), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Cidade Universitária, 123550670-901 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Washington Soares Ferreira-Júnior
- Laboratório de Investigações Bioculturais no Semiárido, Universidade de Pernambuco, Campus Petrolina, BR203, Km 2, S/N, 56328-903 Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
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8
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Asaria M, Costa-Font J, Cowell F. How does exposure to COVID-19 influence health and income inequality aversion? SOCIAL CHOICE AND WELFARE 2023; 61:1-23. [PMID: 37362310 PMCID: PMC10197041 DOI: 10.1007/s00355-023-01460-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
We study individual aversion to health and income inequality in three European countries (the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy), its determinants and especially, the effects of exposure to three types of COVID-19 specific shocks affecting individuals' employment status, their income and health. Next, using evidence of representative samples of the population in the UK, we compare levels of health- and income-inequality aversion in the UK between the years 2016 and 2020. We document evidence of a significant increase in inequality aversion in both income and health domains. However, we show that inequality aversion is higher in the income domain than in the health domain. Furthermore, we find that inequality aversion in both domains increases in age and education and decreases in income and risk appetite. However, people directly exposed to major health shocks during the COVID-19 pandemic generally exhibited lower levels of aversion to both income and health inequality. Finally, we show that inequality aversion was significantly higher among those exposed to higher risk of COVID-19 mortality who experienced major health shocks during the pandemic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00355-023-01460-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miqdad Asaria
- Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK
| | - Joan Costa-Font
- Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK
- IZA, Bonn, Germany
- CESIfo, Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Cowell
- Department of Economics and STICERD, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK
- IZA, Bonn, Germany
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9
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Zhou Z, Gu J, Wang Y. Editorial: Evolutionary mechanisms of infectious diseases, volume II. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1192566. [PMID: 37077239 PMCID: PMC10106751 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1192566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Zhou
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- *Correspondence: Zhan Zhou
| | - Jianying Gu
- Department of Biology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, NY, United States
- Jianying Gu
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology Immunology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Yufeng Wang
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10
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Grossmann I, Rotella A, Hutcherson CA, Sharpinskyi K, Varnum MEW, Achter S, Dhami MK, Guo XE, Kara-Yakoubian M, Mandel DR, Raes L, Tay L, Vie A, Wagner L, Adamkovic M, Arami A, Arriaga P, Bandara K, Baník G, Bartoš F, Baskin E, Bergmeir C, Białek M, Børsting CK, Browne DT, Caruso EM, Chen R, Chie BT, Chopik WJ, Collins RN, Cong CW, Conway LG, Davis M, Day MV, Dhaliwal NA, Durham JD, Dziekan M, Elbaek CT, Shuman E, Fabrykant M, Firat M, Fong GT, Frimer JA, Gallegos JM, Goldberg SB, Gollwitzer A, Goyal J, Graf-Vlachy L, Gronlund SD, Hafenbrädl S, Hartanto A, Hirshberg MJ, Hornsey MJ, Howe PDL, Izadi A, Jaeger B, Kačmár P, Kim YJ, Krenzler R, Lannin DG, Lin HW, Lou NM, Lua VYQ, Lukaszewski AW, Ly AL, Madan CR, Maier M, Majeed NM, March DS, Marsh AA, Misiak M, Myrseth KOR, Napan JM, Nicholas J, Nikolopoulos K, O J, Otterbring T, Paruzel-Czachura M, Pauer S, Protzko J, Raffaelli Q, Ropovik I, Ross RM, Roth Y, Røysamb E, Schnabel L, Schütz A, Seifert M, Sevincer AT, Sherman GT, Simonsson O, Sung MC, Tai CC, Talhelm T, Teachman BA, Tetlock PE, Thomakos D, Tse DCK, Twardus OJ, Tybur JM, Ungar L, Vandermeulen D, Vaughan Williams L, Vosgerichian HA, Wang Q, Wang K, Whiting ME, Wollbrant CE, Yang T, Yogeeswaran K, Yoon S, Alves VR, Andrews-Hanna JR, Bloom PA, Boyles A, Charis L, Choi M, Darling-Hammond S, Ferguson ZE, Kaiser CR, Karg ST, Ortega AL, Mahoney L, Marsh MS, Martinie MFRC, Michaels EK, Millroth P, Naqvi JB, Ng W, Rutledge RB, Slattery P, Smiley AH, Strijbis O, Sznycer D, Tsukayama E, van Loon A, Voelkel JG, Wienk MNA, Wilkening T. Insights into the accuracy of social scientists' forecasts of societal change. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:484-501. [PMID: 36759585 PMCID: PMC10192018 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01517-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
How well can social scientists predict societal change, and what processes underlie their predictions? To answer these questions, we ran two forecasting tournaments testing the accuracy of predictions of societal change in domains commonly studied in the social sciences: ideological preferences, political polarization, life satisfaction, sentiment on social media, and gender-career and racial bias. After we provided them with historical trend data on the relevant domain, social scientists submitted pre-registered monthly forecasts for a year (Tournament 1; N = 86 teams and 359 forecasts), with an opportunity to update forecasts on the basis of new data six months later (Tournament 2; N = 120 teams and 546 forecasts). Benchmarking forecasting accuracy revealed that social scientists' forecasts were on average no more accurate than those of simple statistical models (historical means, random walks or linear regressions) or the aggregate forecasts of a sample from the general public (N = 802). However, scientists were more accurate if they had scientific expertise in a prediction domain, were interdisciplinary, used simpler models and based predictions on prior data.
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11
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Natterson-Horowitz B, Aktipis A, Fox M, Gluckman PD, Low FM, Mace R, Read A, Turner PE, Blumstein DT. The future of evolutionary medicine: sparking innovation in biomedicine and public health. FRONTIERS IN SCIENCE 2023; 1:997136. [PMID: 37869257 PMCID: PMC10590274 DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2023.997136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary medicine - i.e. the application of insights from evolution and ecology to biomedicine - has tremendous untapped potential to spark transformational innovation in biomedical research, clinical care and public health. Fundamentally, a systematic mapping across the full diversity of life is required to identify animal model systems for disease vulnerability, resistance, and counter-resistance that could lead to novel clinical treatments. Evolutionary dynamics should guide novel therapeutic approaches that target the development of treatment resistance in cancers (e.g., via adaptive or extinction therapy) and antimicrobial resistance (e.g., via innovations in chemistry, antimicrobial usage, and phage therapy). With respect to public health, the insight that many modern human pathologies (e.g., obesity) result from mismatches between the ecologies in which we evolved and our modern environments has important implications for disease prevention. Life-history evolution can also shed important light on patterns of disease burden, for example in reproductive health. Experience during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has underlined the critical role of evolutionary dynamics (e.g., with respect to virulence and transmissibility) in predicting and managing this and future pandemics, and in using evolutionary principles to understand and address aspects of human behavior that impede biomedical innovation and public health (e.g., unhealthy behaviors and vaccine hesitancy). In conclusion, greater interdisciplinary collaboration is vital to systematically leverage the insight-generating power of evolutionary medicine to better understand, prevent, and treat existing and emerging threats to human, animal, and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Natterson-Horowitz
- Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Molly Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Peter D. Gluckman
- Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Felicia M. Low
- Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ruth Mace
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Read
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Paul E. Turner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Program in Microbiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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12
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Giaimo S. On Citing Dobzhansky about the Significance of Evolution to Biology. INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2023; 5:obac047. [PMID: 36632086 PMCID: PMC9830543 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obac047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary thinking illuminates biology. Dobzhansky advocated this view in two distinct papers. The earliest paper (1964) is a discussion of the relationship between distinct biological disciplines, and one of the key ideas is that evolution is an integrative principle of biology. The later paper (1973) is a long argument to the effect that evolution makes more sense of the living than some creationist doctrines. The first paper should then be the primary reference for those biologists who cite Dobzhansky to champion among their peers the added value of evolutionary thinking in a specific scientific problem. Here, looking at citation data, we find evidence that this expected referencing practice does not coincide with the actual referencing practice in the scientific literature.
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13
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Liu S, Zhu J, Liu Y, Wilbanks D, Jackson JC, Mu Y. Perception of strong social norms during the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to positive psychological outcomes. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1403. [PMID: 35869459 PMCID: PMC9305059 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13744-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Social norms can coordinate individuals and groups during collective threats. Pandemic-related social norms (e.g., wearing masks, social distancing) emerged to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, little is known about the psychological consequences of the emerging norms. We conducted three experiments cross-culturally, during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic in China (Study 1), the recovery period in China (Study 2), and the severe period in the United States and Canada (Study 3). Across the three studies, we first distinguished the opposite effects of social norms and risk perception on individuals’ psychological characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic and further revealed that individuals who perceived stronger pandemic norms reported a lower level of COVID-19 risk perception, which in turn would be associated with fewer negative emotions, lower pressure, more positive emotions, higher levels of trusts, and more confidence in fighting against COVID-19. Our findings show that perceived tighter social norms are linked to beneficial psychological outcomes. This research helps governments, institutions, and individuals understand the mechanism and benefits of social norms during the pandemic, thereby facilitating policy formulation and better responses to social crises.
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14
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Morin A, Helling BA, Krishnan S, Risner LE, Walker ND, Schwartz NB. Surveying the experience of postdocs in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. eLife 2022; 11:75705. [PMID: 35880738 PMCID: PMC9322995 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the interest of advocating for the postdoctoral community in the United States (US), we compared the results of surveys of postdocs carried out in 2019 and in late 2020. We found that respondents’ mental health and wellness were significantly impacted by the pandemic irrespective of their gender, race, citizenship, or other identities. Career trajectories and progression were also affected, as respondents reported being less confident about achieving career goals, and having more negative perceptions of the job market compared to before the pandemic. Postdocs working in the US on temporary visas reported experiencing increased stress levels due to changes in immigration policy. Access to institutional Postdoctoral Offices or Associations positively impacted well-being and helped mitigate some of the personal and professional stresses caused by the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréanne Morin
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Britney A Helling
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Seetha Krishnan
- Department of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Laurie E Risner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Nykia D Walker
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Nancy B Schwartz
- Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
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15
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Rosengaus R, Traniello J, Bakker T. Sociality and disease: behavioral perspectives in ecological and evolutionary immunology. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022; 76:98. [PMID: 35821673 PMCID: PMC9263030 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Rosengaus
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115-5000 USA
| | - James Traniello
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Theo Bakker
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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16
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Vecchi M, Elf P, Ueno A, Dilmperi A, Dennis C, Devereux L. Shall We Dance? Recreational Dance, Well-Being and Productivity
Performance During COVID-19: A Three-Country Study. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETING 2022; 30:56-72. [PMCID: PMC9133908 DOI: 10.1177/1069031x221079609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Mental health issues are increasingly prevalent worldwide, emphasizing the need
to research antecedents and consequences of well-being. Prior research shows
that within organizations, higher levels of subjective well-being (SWB) promote
productivity performance. Building on this research, the authors hypothesize
that recreational dance positively influences productivity through higher SWB.
Survey data from Brazil, Italy, and the United Kingdom reveal that recreational
dancers are more productive than nondancers due to their higher intrinsic
motivation and SWB. Dancing has an additional direct effect on productivity,
beyond the mediating role of SWB. The results indicate well-being and
productivity improvements in all three countries, although they show a
moderating effect such that the relationship between recreational dance and SWB
is stronger when social norms are perceived to be looser. This study indicates
potentially far-reaching benefits that could be achieved by including
recreational dance in corporate well-being programs. International dance
organizations could market dance classes as a pathway to increase productivity
at work and explore synergies with public health marketing to promote the
benefits of recreational dance in joint international campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Charles Dennis
- Michela Vecchi is Associate Professor of
Economics, Research Leader, Middlesex University Business School, London, UK
(). Patrick Elf is Research Fellow
Social and Sustainable Business, Middlesex University Business School, London,
UK (). Akiko Ueno is Senior Lecturer in
Marketing, Middlesex University Business School, London, UK (
). Athina Dilmperi is Senior Lecturer in
Marketing, Middlesex University Business School, London, UK (
). Charles Dennis is Professor of
Consumer Behaviour, Middlesex University Business School, London, UK (
). Luke Devereux is Lecturer in Marketing,
Middlesex University Business School, London, UK (
)
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17
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Thiebaut G, Méot A, Witt A, Prokop P, Bonin P. COVID-19 and Memory: A Novel Contamination Effect in Memory. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 20:14747049221108929. [PMID: 35746890 PMCID: PMC10303574 DOI: 10.1177/14747049221108929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Behavioral Immune System (BIS, Schaller & Park, 2011) is a defense system whose function is to protect against pathogen exposure. Memory is an important component of this system (Fernandes et al., 2017). We investigated "contamination effects" in memory in relation to COVID-19. Photographs of everyday objects were shown to adults (N = 80) in the hands of either a healthy or a contagious person who had contracted SARS-CoV-2. "Contaminated objects" were recalled better than "non-contaminated objects" suggesting that a contamination effect in memory in humans is easily acquired in the absence of apparent visual cues of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtan Thiebaut
- LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, Université Bourgogne
Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Alain Méot
- LAPSCO-CNRS UMR6024, Université
Clermont-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Arnaud Witt
- LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, Université Bourgogne
Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Pavol Prokop
- Department of Environmental Ecology and
Landscape Management, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of
Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Patrick Bonin
- LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, Université Bourgogne
Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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18
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Riccaboni M, Verginer L. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific research in the life sciences. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263001. [PMID: 35139089 PMCID: PMC8827464 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak has posed an unprecedented challenge to humanity and science. On the one side, public and private incentives have been put in place to promptly allocate resources toward research areas strictly related to the COVID-19 emergency. However, research in many fields not directly related to the pandemic has been displaced. In this paper, we assess the impact of COVID-19 on world scientific production in the life sciences and find indications that the usage of medical subject headings (MeSH) has changed following the outbreak. We estimate through a difference-in-differences approach the impact of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific production using the PubMed database (3.6 Million research papers). We find that COVID-19-related MeSH terms have experienced a 6.5 fold increase in output on average, while publications on unrelated MeSH terms dropped by 10 to 12%. The publication weighted impact has an even more pronounced negative effect (-16% to -19%). Moreover, COVID-19 has displaced clinical trial publications (-24%) and diverted grants from research areas not closely related to COVID-19. Note that since COVID-19 publications may have been fast-tracked, the sudden surge in COVID-19 publications might be driven by editorial policy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Verginer
- Chair of Systems Design D-MTEC, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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19
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Moore HE, Hill B, Siriwardena AN, Tanser F, Spaight R. Rethinking the health implications of society-environment relationships in built areas: An assessment of the access to healthy and hazards index in the context of COVID-19. LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING 2022; 217:104265. [PMID: 34629576 PMCID: PMC8493417 DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Urban environments have been evolving to mitigate threats to the health and wellbeing of societies for thousands of years, including establishing open spaces to combat bubonic plague, improving waste management in the 20th century, and more recently retrofitting urban landscapes with green space to promote physical exercise. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic there is a need to rethink how societies interact with space in built environments to prevent contagion at the same time as facilitating health behaviours, such as exercise. Previously, we examined the spatial relationship between features of urban landscapes that are commonly considered to be 'hazardous' and 'healthy' and unusual clusters of COVID-19 cases in the East Midlands of the UK using ambulance data. Here, we consider the nature of social engagement that these features of urban landscapes facilitate and identify society-environment interactions that may increase risk of exposure to the virus. In some cases, spaces that are commonly thought to promote health behaviour may increase exposure. Contagion hot-spots occur at the nexus of exposure and underlying susceptibility. The viral-host dynamics of infectious disease are changing. Now, as in past eras, societies are required to evolve and adapt to the new challenges presented by emerging infectious diseases in the modern world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Frank Tanser
- Lincoln International Institute for Rural Health, University of Lincoln, UK
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20
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Zhao Y, Liu S, Shi Z, Zhu H, Li M, Yu Q. Pathogen infection-responsive nanoplatform targeting macrophage endoplasmic reticulum for treating life-threatening systemic infection. NANO RESEARCH 2022; 15:6243-6255. [PMID: 35382032 PMCID: PMC8972645 DOI: 10.1007/s12274-022-4211-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Systemic infections caused by life-threatening pathogens represent one of the main factors leading to clinical death. In this study, we developed a pathogen infection-responsive and macrophage endoplasmic reticulum-targeting nanoplatform to alleviate systemic infections. The nanoplatform is composed of large-pore mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) grafted by an endoplasmic reticulum-targeting peptide, and a pathogen infection-responsive cap containing the reactive oxygen species-cleavable boronobenzyl acid linker and bovine serum albumin. The capped MSNs exhibited the capacity to high-efficiently load the antimicrobial peptide melittin, and to rapidly release the cargo triggered by H2O2 or the pathogen-macrophage interaction system, but had no obvious toxicity to macrophages. During the interaction with pathogenic Candida albicans cells and macrophages, the melittin-loading nanoplatform MSNE+MEL+TPB strongly inhibited pathogen growth, survived macrophages, and suppressed endoplasmic reticulum stress together with pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. In a systemic infection model, the nanoplatform efficiently prevented kidney dysfunction, alleviated inflammatory symptoms, and protected the mice from death. This study developed a macrophage organelle-targeting nanoplatform for treatment of life-threatening systemic infections. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL Supplementary material (N2 adsorption curves of the initial synthesized MSNs, FT-IR spectra of MSN, and MSNE, MEL release from the FITC-MEL-loading MSNE + TPB induced by different concentration of H2O2, viability of NIH3T3 cells, and DC2.4 cells after treatment of free MEL or the used nanoparticles, effect of MEL on C. albicans growth and macrophage death during the interaction between C. albicans and macrophages, effect of MEL and the nanoparticles on S. aureus growth and macrophage death during the interaction between S. aureus and macrophages, quantification of GRP78 (a) and activated Caspase-3, flow cytometry analysis of kidney non-macrophages with the Alexa Fluor 594 signal, survival curve of the infected mice treated by MEL or MSNE + MEL, kidney burden, blood urea levels and serum TNF-α levels in the infected mice) is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12274-022-4211-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Shuo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350 China
| | - Zhishang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Hangqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Mingchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Qilin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
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21
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Zafar T. The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 epidemic and pandemic. ADVANCED BIOSENSORS FOR VIRUS DETECTION 2022. [PMCID: PMC8901424 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-824494-4.00006-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
In the history of travel and tourism, a microscopic creature wrote a dark note, which interrupted the fast pace of globalization. In December 2019, in the seafood market of Wuhan city of China, a severe viral pneumonia-like infection was initiated, and which was new to the world and resulted in the emergence of a global health emergency. Thousands of passengers traveled through the city without knowing that one travel can change not only their lives but the future of the world. When WHO declared the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak as a global emergency, still no one thought of the conversion of the epidemic in the worst pandemic of the ongoing decade. Initially, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection over a wide area with a lot of patients at the same time declared it as a global epidemic, but the rapid escalation of the infection at more comprehensive geographical locations with a significant portion of the infected population soon turned the epidemic into the pandemic. The imported cases soon spread to their native places and turn the disease pandemic. While many countries are imposing partial or complete lockdown for the safety of travelers and civilians, the vacant human-made spaces and tourist architectures are asking that where the lacunae were, which has put the globe in such a devastating phase. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 created a colossal health crisis for the entire world. From a provincial health concern to a global meltdown, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 has undeniably impacted the world medically, socially, financially, and psychologically. The footprints of SARS-CoV-2 are impactfully imprinted on the decade that will require a lot of time for global recovery.
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22
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Dutta D, Liu J, Xiong H. NLRP3 inflammasome activation and SARS-CoV-2-mediated hyperinflammation, cytokine storm and neurological syndromes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 14:138-160. [PMID: 35891930 PMCID: PMC9301183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the introduction of vaccines and drugs for SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the world. In severe COVID-19 patients, elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines have been detected in the blood, lung cells, and bronchoalveolar lavage, which is referred to as a cytokine storm, a consequence of overactivation of the NLR family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and resultant excessive cytokine production. The hyperinflammatory response and cytokine storm cause multiorgan impairment including the central nervous system, in addition to a detriment to the respiratory system. Hyperactive NLRP3 inflammasome, due to dysregulated immune response, is the primary cause of COVID-19 severity. The severity could be enhanced due to viral evolution leading to the emergence of mutated variants of concern, such as delta and omicron. In this review, we elaborate on the inflammatory responses associated with the NLRP3 inflammasome activation in COVID-19 pathogenesis, the mechanisms for the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pathway involved, cytokine storm, and neurological complications as long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also discussed is the therapeutic potential of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Dutta
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5880, USA
| | - Jianuo Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5880, USA
| | - Huangui Xiong
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5880, USA
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23
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Host Manipulation Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. Acta Biotheor 2021; 70:4. [PMID: 34902063 PMCID: PMC8667538 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-021-09425-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Viruses are the simplest of pathogens, but possess sophisticated molecular mechanisms to manipulate host behavior, frequently utilizing molecular mimicry. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been shown to bind to the host receptor neuropilin-1 in order to gain entry into the cell. To do this, the virus utilizes its spike protein polybasic cleavage site (PCS), which mimics the CendR motif of neuropilin-1's endogenous ligands. In addition to facilitating cell entry, binding to neuropilin-1 has analgesic effects. We discuss the potential impact of neuropilin-1 binding by SARS-CoV-2 in ameliorating sickness behavior of the host, and identify a convergent evolutionary strategy of PCS cleavage and subsequent neuropilin binding in other human viruses. In addition, we discuss the evolutionary leap of the ancestor of SARS-COV-2, which involved acquisition of the PCS thus faciliting binding to the neuropilin-1 receptor. Acquisition of the PCS by the ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 appears to have led to pleiotropic beneficial effects including enhancement of cell entry via binding to ACE2, facilitation of cell entry via binding to neuropilin-1, promotion of analgesia, and potentially the formation of decoy epitopes via enhanced shedding of the S1 subunit. Lastly, other potential neuromanipulation strategies employed by SARS-CoV-2 are discussed, including interferon suppression and the resulting reduction in sickness behavior, enhanced transmission through neurally mediated cough induction, and reduction in sense of smell.
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24
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Cumpstey AF, Clark AD, Santolini J, Jackson AA, Feelisch M. COVID-19: A Redox Disease-What a Stress Pandemic Can Teach Us About Resilience and What We May Learn from the Reactive Species Interactome About Its Treatment. Antioxid Redox Signal 2021; 35:1226-1268. [PMID: 33985343 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2021.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Significance: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), affects every aspect of human life by challenging bodily, socioeconomic, and political systems at unprecedented levels. As vaccines become available, their distribution, safety, and efficacy against emerging variants remain uncertain, and specific treatments are lacking. Recent Advances: Initially affecting the lungs, COVID-19 is a complex multisystems disease that disturbs the whole-body redox balance and can be long-lasting (Long-COVID). Numerous risk factors have been identified, but the reasons for variations in susceptibility to infection, disease severity, and outcome are poorly understood. The reactive species interactome (RSI) was recently introduced as a framework to conceptualize how cells and whole organisms sense, integrate, and accommodate stress. Critical Issues: We here consider COVID-19 as a redox disease, offering a holistic perspective of its effects on the human body, considering the vulnerability of complex interconnected systems with multiorgan/multilevel interdependencies. Host/viral glycan interactions underpin SARS-CoV-2's extraordinary efficiency in gaining cellular access, crossing the epithelial/endothelial barrier to spread along the vascular/lymphatic endothelium, and evading antiviral/antioxidant defences. An inflammation-driven "oxidative storm" alters the redox landscape, eliciting epithelial, endothelial, mitochondrial, metabolic, and immune dysfunction, and coagulopathy. Concomitantly reduced nitric oxide availability renders the sulfur-based redox circuitry vulnerable to oxidation, with eventual catastrophic failure in redox communication/regulation. Host nutrient limitations are crucial determinants of resilience at the individual and population level. Future Directions: While inflicting considerable damage to health and well-being, COVID-19 may provide the ultimate testing ground to improve the diagnosis and treatment of redox-related stress diseases. "Redox phenotyping" of patients to characterize whole-body RSI status as the disease progresses may inform new therapeutic approaches to regain redox balance, reduce mortality in COVID-19 and other redox diseases, and provide opportunities to tackle Long-COVID. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 35, 1226-1268.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Cumpstey
- Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Anna D Clark
- Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jérôme Santolini
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Universite Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alan A Jackson
- Human Nutrition, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Feelisch
- Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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25
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English AS, Li X. Mask Use Depends on the Individual, Situation, and Location-Even Without COVID-19 Transmission: An Observational Study in Shanghai. Front Psychol 2021; 12:754102. [PMID: 34744931 PMCID: PMC8569386 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.754102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has drastically altered people’s mask-wearing behaviors around the world. What is unknown is how long these mask behaviors will last post-COVID-19? To investigate how individual, situational, and locational factors influence mask use in the absence of community spread of COVID-19, we conducted an observational study in public areas in the megacity of Shanghai, China. Researchers coded people’s mask use in various suburban and urban districts and outdoor and indoor locations with and without mask requirements. Firstly, even without any local transmissions in more than 40days, 62% of the sample (N=1,282) still wore masks in public places. The data showed that people in more urban areas wore masks more often and that people wore masks in places where it was mandated. Women also wore masks more than men, and older people complied more with mask enforcement policies. We found that more densely populated districts and areas with more inflow of non-locals also predicted more mask use. We argue that the pandemic has long-lasting effects on human behavior like mask usage and reflects individuals’ continual conformity to new social norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S English
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Li
- Intercultural Institute, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
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26
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Wcislo WT. A Dual Role for Behavior in Evolution and Shaping Organismal Selective Environments. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012921-052523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The hypothesis that evolved behaviors play a determining role in facilitating and impeding the evolution of other traits has been discussed for more than 100 years with little consensus beyond an agreement that the ideas are theoretically plausible in accord with the Modern Synthesis. Many recent reviews of the genomic, epigenetic, and developmental mechanisms underpinning major behavioral transitions show how facultative expression of novel behaviors can lead to the evolution of obligate behaviors and structures that enhance behavioral function. Phylogenetic and genomic studies indicate that behavioral traits are generally evolutionarily more labile than other traits and that they help shape selective environments on the latter traits. Adaptive decision-making to encounter resources and avoid stress sources requires specific sensory inputs, which behaviorally shape selective environments by determining those features of the external world that are biologically relevant. These recent findings support the hypothesis of a dual role for behavior in evolution and are consistent with current evolutionary theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T. Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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27
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Abstract
Como motivação pró-social, a compaixão tende a promover maior envolvimento em mentalidades de cuidado e ações de senso coletivo, capacidades prejudicadas pelos medos da compaixão. O estudo objetivou investigar o papel dos medos da compaixão em fatores envolvidos no engajamento às medidas de distanciamento social. 284 adultos (idade média = 36,47) responderam as Escalas de Medos da Compaixão, Escala de Dificuldades de Regulação Emocional e um questionário sobre engajamento aos protocolos contra a COVID-19. Um modelo de path analysis explicou 32% da variância na adesão aos protocolos por duas vias: o medo de ser compassivo por outros diminui o engajamento por motivações pró-sociais; enquanto os medos de expressar compaixão por si e outros predizem maiores dificuldades de regulação emocional, diminuindo a aderência por exaustão emocional. Oportunizar o desenvolvimento da compaixão pode contribuir para um enfrentamento mais saudável às dificuldades emocionais suscitadas pela pandemia e no envolvimento em ações coletivas.
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28
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Abstract
This paper seeks to introduce a strategy of science communication: Total SciComm or all-out science communication. We proposed that to maximize the outreach and impact, scientists should use different media to communicate different aspects of science, from core ideas to methods. The paper uses an example of a debate surrounding a now-retracted article in the Nature journal, in which open data, preprints, social media, and blogs are being used for a meaningful scientific conversation. The case embodied the central idea of Total SciComm: the scientific community employs every medium to communicate scientific ideas and engages all scientists in the process.
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Asri A, Asri V, Renerte B, Föllmi-Heusi F, Leuppi JD, Muser J, Nüesch R, Schuler D, Fischbacher U. Wearing a mask-For yourself or for others? Behavioral correlates of mask wearing among COVID-19 frontline workers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253621. [PMID: 34280217 PMCID: PMC8289104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human behavior can have effects on oneself and externalities on others. Mask wearing is such a behavior in the current pandemic. What motivates people to wear face masks in public when mask wearing is voluntary or not enforced? Which benefits should the policy makers rather emphasize in information campaigns-the reduced chances of getting the SARS-CoV-2 virus (benefits for oneself) or the reduced chances of transmitting the virus (benefits for others in the society)? In this paper, we link measured risk preferences and other-regarding preferences to mask wearing habits among 840 surveyed employees of two large Swiss hospitals. We find that the leading mask-wearing motivations change with age: While for older people, mask wearing habits are best explained by their self-regarding risk preferences, younger people are also motivated by other-regarding concerns. Our results are robust to different specifications including linear probability models, probit models and Lasso covariate selection models. Our findings thus allow drawing policy implications for effectively communicating public-health recommendations to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankush Asri
- University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Thurgau Institute of Economics, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Viola Asri
- University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Thurgau Institute of Economics, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Baiba Renerte
- University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Thurgau Institute of Economics, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Föllmi-Heusi
- Spital Schwyz, Schwyz, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economic Research, University of St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Joerg D Leuppi
- Kantonsspital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Reto Nüesch
- Spital Schwyz, Schwyz, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Schuler
- Spital Schwyz, Schwyz, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Fischbacher
- University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Thurgau Institute of Economics, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
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Norton JO, Evans KC, Semchenko AY, Al-Shawaf L, Lewis DMG. Why Do People (Not) Engage in Social Distancing? Proximate and Ultimate Analyses of Norm-Following During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2021; 12:648206. [PMID: 34276471 PMCID: PMC8279748 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has had a profound negative effect on many aspects of human life. While pharmacological solutions are being developed and implemented, the onus of mitigating the impact of the virus falls, in part, on individual citizens and their adherence to public health guidelines. However, promoting adherence to these guidelines has proven challenging. There is a pressing need to understand the factors that influence people's adherence to these guidelines in order to improve public compliance. To this end, the current study investigated whether people's perceptions of others' adherence predict their own adherence. We also investigated whether any influence of perceived social norms was mediated by perceptions of the moral wrongness of non-adherence, anticipated shame for non-adherence, or perceptions of disease severity. One hundred fifty-two Australians participated in our study between June 6, 2020 and August 21, 2020. Findings from this preliminary investigation suggest that (1) people match their behavior to perceived social norms, and (2) this is driven, at least in part, by people using others' behavior as a cue to the severity of disease threat. Such findings provide insight into the proximate and ultimate bases of norm-following behavior, and shed preliminary light on public health-related behavior in the context of a pandemic. Although further research is needed, the results of this study-which suggest that people use others' behavior as a cue to how serious the pandemic is and as a guide for their own behavior-could have important implications for public health organizations, social movements, and political leaders and the role they play in the fight against epidemics and pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O. Norton
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Kortnee C. Evans
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Laith Al-Shawaf
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, United States
- Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, United States
| | - David M. G. Lewis
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
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Zeyaullah M, AlShahrani AM, Muzammil K, Ahmad I, Alam S, Khan WH, Ahmad R. COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Current Challenges and Health Concern. Front Genet 2021; 12:693916. [PMID: 34211506 PMCID: PMC8239414 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.693916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China, was triggered and unfolded quickly throughout the globe by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The new virus, transmitted primarily through inhalation or contact with infected droplets, seems very contagious and pathogenic, with an incubation period varying from 2 to 14 days. The epidemic is an ongoing public health problem that challenges the present global health system. A worldwide social and economic stress has been observed. The transitional source of origin and its transport to humans is unknown, but speedy human transportation has been accepted extensively. The typical clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are almost like colds. With case fatality rates varying from 2 to 3 percent, a small number of patients may experience serious health problems or even die. To date, there is a limited number of antiviral agents or vaccines for the treatment of COVID-19. The occurrence and pathogenicity of COVID-19 infection are outlined and comparatively analyzed, given the outbreak's urgency. The recent developments in diagnostics, treatment, and marketed vaccine are discussed to deal with this viral outbreak. Now the scientist is concerned about the appearance of several variants over the globe and the efficacy of the vaccine against these variants. There is a need for consistent monitoring of the virus epidemiology and surveillance of the ongoing variant and related disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Zeyaullah
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University (KKU), Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M. AlShahrani
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University (KKU), Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khursheed Muzammil
- Department of Public Health, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University (KKU), Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Shane Alam
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University (JU), Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wajihul Hasan Khan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Razi Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
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32
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Szymkow A, Frankowska N, Galasinska K. Testing the Disgust-Based Mechanism of Homonegative Attitudes in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2021; 12:647881. [PMID: 34079494 PMCID: PMC8165159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative attitudes and stigmatization can originate from the perception of a disease-related threat. Following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is often suggested that incidents of discriminatory behavior are the result of defense mechanisms aimed at avoiding pathogens. According to the behavioral immune system theory, people are motivated to distance themselves from individuals who show signs of infection, or who are only heuristically associated with a disease, primarily because of the disgust they evoke. In this paper we focus on negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbians who are among social groups that have been persistently framed as "unclean." In our correlational study (N = 500 heterosexual participants; Polish sample data collected during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Poland, in March/April 2020) we tested moderation models derived from the behavioral immune system theory. Specifically, we investigated whether perceived vulnerability to disease and perceived threat of contracting COVID-19 moderate the relation between disgust and homonegativity. We found that sexual disgust (but not pathogen nor moral disgust) predicted homonegative attitudes. This effect was stronger for participants expressing higher levels of perceived vulnerability to disease but was not dependent on the perception of the COVID-19 threat. The results reaffirm previous evidence indicating a pivotal role of disgust in disease-avoidance mechanisms. They also point to functional flexibility of the behavioral immune system by demonstrating the moderating role of perceived vulnerability to disease in shaping homonegative attitudes. Finally, they show that the threat of COVID-19 does not strengthen the relationship between disgust and homonegativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Szymkow
- Center for Research on Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Frankowska
- Center for Research on Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Galasinska
- Center for Research on Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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Rolón V, Geher G, Link J, Mackiel A. Personality correlates of COVID-19 infection proclivity: Extraversion kills. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021; 180:110994. [PMID: 34012186 PMCID: PMC8118647 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The current research sought to shed light on the behavioral science that underlies the spread of SARS-CoV-2. We tested the extraversion hypothesis, which suggests that the sociability facet of extraversion may predispose people to becoming infected with the coronavirus via greater human-to-human contact. Since extraverts seek out social opportunities and seem less likely to follow containment measures related to social distancing, we hypothesized that people who have previously become infected would exhibit greater extraversion than would those who have not contracted the virus. We measured overall extraversion and three of its facets-sociability, assertiveness, and energy levels-as well as political orientation. We collected data from 217 adults, aged 40 and older, from the US and the UK, of whom 53 had had the virus at some point prior to the study, and 164 had not. Participants who had had COVID-19 were more dispositionally sociable and were also more conservative-leaning compared to participants who had never had COVID-19. Implications regarding the behavioral science underlying the current pandemic are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vania Rolón
- Brunel University London, Kingston Ln, London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Glenn Geher
- State University of New York at New Paltz, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY 12561, United States
| | - Jennifer Link
- State University of New York at New Paltz, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY 12561, United States
| | - Alexander Mackiel
- State University of New York at New Paltz, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY 12561, United States
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Dinić BM, Bodroža B. COVID-19 Protective Behaviors Are Forms of Prosocial and Unselfish Behaviors. Front Psychol 2021; 12:647710. [PMID: 33897553 PMCID: PMC8062771 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the effects of prosocial and antisocial personality tendencies and context-related state factors on compliance with protective behaviors to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections. Six types of prosocial tendencies (altruism, dire, compliant, emotional, public, and anonymous) and selfishness as the antisocial tendency were included as personality factors, while fear related to the pandemic and empathy toward vulnerable groups (i.e., those in forced isolation) were context-related factors. Furthermore, mediation effect of empathy and moderation effect of fear were explored in relations between personality factors and protective behaviors. The sample included 581 participants (78.3% females). The data were collected from March 28 to April 6, 2020, during the emergency state and curfew in Serbia. The results showed that tendency to help anonymously had a positive effect and selfishness had a negative effect on protective behaviors, over and above demographic characteristics and context-related factors. Among context-related factors, only fear related to the pandemic had a significant unique positive effect on protective behaviors, but it had no moderator effect in the relationship between personality traits and protective behaviors. However, empathy acted as a mediator and partly accounted for the negative effect of selfishness and positive effect of tendency to help anonymously on protective behaviors. The results revealed that compliance with protective measures could be seen as prosocial and unselfish form of behavior. Furthermore, these findings have practical implications for shaping public messages and they can help effectively promote health-responsible behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojana M. Dinić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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35
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Varella MAC, Luoto S, Soares RBDS, Valentova JV. COVID-19 Pandemic on Fire: Evolved Propensities for Nocturnal Activities as a Liability Against Epidemiological Control. Front Psychol 2021; 12:646711. [PMID: 33828510 PMCID: PMC8019933 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.646711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have been using fire for hundreds of millennia, creating an ancestral expansion toward the nocturnal niche. The new adaptive challenges faced at night were recurrent enough to amplify existing psychological variation in our species. Night-time is dangerous and mysterious, so it selects for individuals with higher tendencies for paranoia, risk-taking, and sociability (because of security in numbers). During night-time, individuals are generally tired and show decreased self-control and increased impulsive behaviors. The lower visibility during night-time favors the partial concealment of identity and opens more opportunities for disinhibition of self-interested behaviors. Indeed, individuals with an evening-oriented chronotype are more paranoid, risk-taking, extraverted, impulsive, promiscuous, and have higher antisocial personality traits. However, under some circumstances, such as respiratory pandemics, the psychobehavioral traits favored by the nocturnal niche might be counter-productive, increasing contagion rates of a disease that can evade the behavioral immune system because its disease cues are often nonexistent or mild. The eveningness epidemiological liability hypothesis presented here suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the evening-oriented psychobehavioral profile can have collectively harmful consequences: there is a clash of core tendencies between the nocturnal chronotype and the recent viral transmission-mitigating safety guidelines and rules. The pandemic safety protocols disrupt much normal social activity, particularly at night when making new social contacts is desired. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is contagious even in presymptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, which enables it to mostly evade our evolved contagious disease avoidance mechanisms. A growing body of research has indirectly shown that individual traits interfering with social distancing and anti-contagion measures are related to those of the nocturnal chronotype. Indeed, some of the social contexts that have been identified as superspreading events occur at night, such as in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Furthermore, nocturnal environmental conditions favor the survival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus much longer than daytime conditions. We compare the eveningness epidemiological liability hypothesis with other factors related to non-compliance with pandemic safety protocols, namely sex, age, and life history. Although there is not yet a direct link between the nocturnal chronotype and non-compliance with pandemic safety protocols, security measures and future empirical research should take this crucial evolutionary mismatch and adaptive metaproblem into account, and focus on how to avoid nocturnal individuals becoming superspreaders, offering secure alternatives for nocturnal social activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rafael Bento da Silva Soares
- Center for Science Communication and Education Studies, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology, and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
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36
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Luoto S, Varella MAC. Pandemic Leadership: Sex Differences and Their Evolutionary-Developmental Origins. Front Psychol 2021; 12:633862. [PMID: 33815218 PMCID: PMC8015803 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global societal, economic, and social upheaval unseen in living memory. There have been substantial cross-national differences in the kinds of policies implemented by political decision-makers to prevent the spread of the virus, to test the population, and to manage infected patients. Among other factors, these policies vary with politicians' sex: early findings indicate that, on average, female leaders seem more focused on minimizing direct human suffering caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while male leaders implement riskier short-term decisions, possibly aiming to minimize economic disruptions. These sex differences are consistent with broader findings in psychology, reflecting women's stronger empathy, higher pathogen disgust, health concern, care-taking orientation, and dislike for the suffering of other people-as well as men's higher risk-taking, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and focus on financial indicators of success and status. This review article contextualizes sex differences in pandemic leadership in an evolutionary framework. Evolution by natural selection is the only known process in nature that organizes organisms into higher degrees of functional order, or counteracts the unavoidable disorder that would otherwise ensue, and is therefore essential for explaining the origins of human sex differences. Differential sexual selection and parental investment between males and females, together with the sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain, drive sex differences in cognition and behavioral dispositions, underlying men's and women's leadership styles and decision-making during a global pandemic. According to the sexually dimorphic leadership specialization hypothesis, general psychobehavioral sex differences have been exapted during human evolution to create sexually dimorphic leadership styles. They may be facultatively co-opted by societies and/or followers when facing different kinds of ecological and/or sociopolitical threats, such as disease outbreaks or intergroup aggression. Early evidence indicates that against the invisible viral foe that can bring nations to their knees, the strategic circumspection of empathic feminine health "worriers" may bring more effective and humanitarian outcomes than the devil-may-care incaution of masculine risk-taking "warriors".
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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37
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Ackerman JM, Tybur JM, Blackwell AD. What Role Does Pathogen-Avoidance Psychology Play in Pandemics? Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:177-186. [PMID: 33293211 PMCID: PMC7834713 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A substantial body of research has illuminated psychological adaptations motivating pathogen avoidance, mechanisms collectively known as the behavioral immune system. Can knowledge about these mechanisms inform how people respond to widespread disease outbreaks, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] pandemic? We review evidence suggesting that the evolutionary history of the behavioral immune system, and the cues that activate it, are distinct in many ways from modern human experiences with pandemics. Moreover, the behaviors engaged by this system may have limited utility for combating pandemic diseases like COVID-19. A better understanding of the points of distinction and points of overlap between our evolved pathogen-avoidance psychology and responses to pandemics may help us realize a more precise and intervention-ready science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Ackerman
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Joshua M Tybur
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Washington State University, Department of Anthropology, Pullman, WA, USA
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38
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Ching WY, Adhikari P, Jawad B, Podgornik R. Ultra-large-scale ab initio quantum chemical computation of bio-molecular systems: The case of spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1288-1301. [PMID: 33623641 PMCID: PMC7893244 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a severe threat to human health with an unprecedented social and economic disruption. Spike (S) glycoprotein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is pivotal in understanding the virus anatomy, since it initiates the first contact with the ACE2 receptor in the human cell. We report results of ab initio computation of the spike protein, the largest ab initio quantum chemical computation to date on any bio-molecular system, using a divide and conquer strategy by focusing on individual structural domains. In this approach we divided the S-protein into seven structural domains: N-terminal domain (NTD), receptor binding domain (RBD), subdomain 1 (SD1), subdomain 2 (SD2), fusion peptide (FP), heptad repeat 1 with central helix (HR1-CH) and connector domain (CD). The entire Chain A has 14,488 atoms including the hydrogen atoms but excluding the amino acids with missing coordinates based on the PDB data (ID: 6VSB). The results include structural refinement, ab initio calculation of intra-molecular bonding mechanism, 3- dimensional non-local inter-amino acid interaction with implications for the inter-domain interaction. Details of the electronic structure, interatomic bonding, partial charge distribution and the role played by hydrogen bond network are discussed. In the interaction among structural domains, we present new insights for crucial hinge-like movement and fusion process. Extension of such calculation to the interface between the S-protein binding domain and ACE2 receptor can provide a pathway for computational understanding of mutations and the design of therapeutic drugs to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Yim Ching
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Puja Adhikari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Bahaa Jawad
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Rudolf Podgornik
- School of Physical Sciences and Kavli Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100090, China
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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