Scientists believe they are closer to
being able to change the DNA of
wild mosquitoes in order to
combat malaria.
In the laboratory, they made a
gene spread from a handful of
mosquitoes to most of the
population in just a few
generations, according toa report
in Nature.
If the right gene can be made to
spread then researchers hope to
reduce the number of cases of
malaria.
Other academics have described the
study as a "major step forward".
The World Health Organisation
estimated that malaria caused
nearly one million deaths in 2008.
Spreading resistance
Research groups have already
created "malaria-resistant
mosquitoes" using techniques such
as introducing genes todisrupt the
malaria parasite's development.
The research, however, has a great
challenge - getting those genes to
spread from the genetically-
modified mosquitoes to the vast
number of wild insects across the
globe.
Unless the gene gives the mosquito
an advantage, the gene will likely
disappear.
Scientists at Imperial College
London and the University of
Washington, in Seattle, believe
they have found a solution.
They inserted a gene into the
mosquito DNA which is very good
at looking after its own interests - a
homing endonuclease called I-SceI.
The gene makes an enzyme which
cuts the DNA in two. The cell's repair
machinery then uses the gene as a
template when repairing the cut.
As a result the homing
endonuclease gene is copied.
It does this in such a way that all
the sperm produced by a male
mosquito carry the gene.
So all its offspring have the gene.
The process is then repeated so the
offspring's offspring have the gene
and so on.
In the laboratory experiments, the
gene was spread to half the caged
mosquitoes in 12 generations.
Defeating malaria
Professor Andrea Crisanti, from the
department of life sciences at
Imperial College London, said: "This
is an exciting technological
development, one which I hope will
pave the way for solutions to many
global health problems.
"At the beginning I was really quite
sceptical and thought it probably
would not work, but the results are
so encouraging that I'm starting to
change my mind."
He said the idea had been proved
in principle and was now working
on getting other genes to spread in
the same way.
He believes it could be possible to
introduce genes which will make
the mosquito target animals rather
than humans, stop the parasite
from multiplying in the insect or
produce all male offspring which do
not transmit malaria.
Professor Janet Hemingway, from
the Liverpool School of Tropical
Medicine, said the work was an
"exciting breakthrough".
She cautioned that the technique
was still some way off being used
against wild mosquitoes and there
were social issues around the
acceptability of using GM
technology.
"This is however a major step
forward providing technology that
may be used in a cost effective
format to drive beneficial genes
through mosquito populations
from relatively small releases," she
added.
Dr Yeya Touré, from the World
Health Organisation, said: "This
research finding is very important
for driving a foreign gene in a
mosquito population. However,
given that it has been
demonstrated in a laboratory cage
model, there is the need to conduct
further studies before it could be
used as a genetic control strategy."
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
N’Assembly to spend N10m on cleaning services monthly
The National Assembly will this year spend N240.3m on the cleaning of its Phase III building and another N450.7m on fuelling of generators installed in the premises of the same edifice.
The fuel cost will also cover generators in the Phase 11 of the same building and its Annex I & II complex.
The sums are contained in the details of the 2011 national budget, which is awaiting the approval of the 469-member National Assembly.
The new Phase 111 building and its extension serve as office accommodation for the federal lawmakers whose, “jumbo salaries” have elicited public outcry.
If the N240.3m to be spent on ‘cleaning services’ is spread over the 12 calendar months in this year, keeping the building neat will cost tax payers N10.25m monthly.
Similarly, if the N450.7m budgeted for the purchase of fuel is also spread over the same period, keeping Phases 11 and 111 of the new building as well as Annex I&II Complex lit will cost N37.56m every month.
“Fueling of plants for the New Building II and III and annex I and II complex is to cost N450.7m this year,” part of the details of the proposed expenditure reads.
The details of the budget which our correspondent obtained on Tuesday, also show that “engineering maintenance” for the Phase III building will gulp N601m.
The figure is broken down into N330.5m for the Senate and N270.4m for the House of Representatives.
According to the details, orientation courses for senators and members of the House of Representatives who will form the 7th session of the National Assembly will also cost an estimated N450.77m.
The current 6th session, which was inaugurated on June 5, 2007, will come to a close on June 4 this year.
There are 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.
If the N450.77m is divided by 469, it means that the National Assembly will spend around N962,000 on each lawmaker participating in the orientation courses.
Findings indicate that the orientation programme is meant for new legislators coming to the National Assembly for the first time, but those re-elected (after the April poll) are also expected to participate.
A National Assembly source confided in The PUNCH in Abuja that the orientation courses involved “teaching legislators, especially the new comers, parliamentary etiquette.”
It was learnt that new comers would be taught the right language to use while “addressing the chair or how to observe the rules of the parliament.”
“In moving a motion for example, or walking in front of the mace, there are procedures to be adopted.
“It is essentially about basic things they need to know on how to approach their duties as lawmakers”, the source added.
However, the budget for the orientation courses is separate from the funds budgeted yearly for “training and re-retraining” of legislators for the four years in a tenure.
The Senate budgeted N1.7bn for “consulting and professional services” in 2010, besides a separate expenditure of N58m on “generator fuel.”
Another expenditure of N450m on “maintenance of White House and Annex I & II” was incurred in 2010.
The House of Representatives had a total budget of N2.44bn on “maintenance and general issues” in 2010, in addition to N460.6m it spent on fuelling.
“Fumigation” cost N100m, while another sub-head on “cleaning and gardening” had a provision of N200m in 2010.
The fuel cost will also cover generators in the Phase 11 of the same building and its Annex I & II complex.
The sums are contained in the details of the 2011 national budget, which is awaiting the approval of the 469-member National Assembly.
The new Phase 111 building and its extension serve as office accommodation for the federal lawmakers whose, “jumbo salaries” have elicited public outcry.
If the N240.3m to be spent on ‘cleaning services’ is spread over the 12 calendar months in this year, keeping the building neat will cost tax payers N10.25m monthly.
Similarly, if the N450.7m budgeted for the purchase of fuel is also spread over the same period, keeping Phases 11 and 111 of the new building as well as Annex I&II Complex lit will cost N37.56m every month.
“Fueling of plants for the New Building II and III and annex I and II complex is to cost N450.7m this year,” part of the details of the proposed expenditure reads.
The details of the budget which our correspondent obtained on Tuesday, also show that “engineering maintenance” for the Phase III building will gulp N601m.
The figure is broken down into N330.5m for the Senate and N270.4m for the House of Representatives.
According to the details, orientation courses for senators and members of the House of Representatives who will form the 7th session of the National Assembly will also cost an estimated N450.77m.
The current 6th session, which was inaugurated on June 5, 2007, will come to a close on June 4 this year.
There are 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.
If the N450.77m is divided by 469, it means that the National Assembly will spend around N962,000 on each lawmaker participating in the orientation courses.
Findings indicate that the orientation programme is meant for new legislators coming to the National Assembly for the first time, but those re-elected (after the April poll) are also expected to participate.
A National Assembly source confided in The PUNCH in Abuja that the orientation courses involved “teaching legislators, especially the new comers, parliamentary etiquette.”
It was learnt that new comers would be taught the right language to use while “addressing the chair or how to observe the rules of the parliament.”
“In moving a motion for example, or walking in front of the mace, there are procedures to be adopted.
“It is essentially about basic things they need to know on how to approach their duties as lawmakers”, the source added.
However, the budget for the orientation courses is separate from the funds budgeted yearly for “training and re-retraining” of legislators for the four years in a tenure.
The Senate budgeted N1.7bn for “consulting and professional services” in 2010, besides a separate expenditure of N58m on “generator fuel.”
Another expenditure of N450m on “maintenance of White House and Annex I & II” was incurred in 2010.
The House of Representatives had a total budget of N2.44bn on “maintenance and general issues” in 2010, in addition to N460.6m it spent on fuelling.
“Fumigation” cost N100m, while another sub-head on “cleaning and gardening” had a provision of N200m in 2010.
Study: Women's Tears Lower Men's Testosterone, Sex Drive
Categories: News
Men are turned off when women cry, according to a study by Israeli scientists.The researchers found that female tears led to a drop in men's testosterone levels, which in turn caused a dip in their sex drive.
"This study reinforces the idea that human chemical signals -- even ones we're not conscious of -- affect the behavior of others," lead author Noam Sobel, professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Wolfson Hospital in Tel Aviv, said in a statement.
Sobel and his team found a previously unknown chemical in tears from women that triggered a physiological response in men. They called it a "chemo-signal," a type of pheromone. Pheromones are messages transmitted by the sense of smell. Tears, however, are odorless.
A group of men who participated in the study were told to sniff tears that had been collected by women who watched sad movies. Another group was told to breathe in saline solution. A pad with either tears or saline was attached under the men's noses. Then were then asked to rate the faces of women shown to them in photographs.
Surprisingly, the men who'd sniffed tears expressed less sexual interest in the women than those who hadn't.
The next day, the experiment was repeated, with the tears/saline groups switched. Neither the researchers nor the participants knew what they were sniffing. The men had been pre-screened to see whether they could distinguish the scents of tears from saline -- and they could not.
But the results were the same.
"Physiologically the finding makes sense," Dr. Igor Galynker, a psychiatrist at Beth Israel Medical Center with a background in organic chemistry, told AOL Health. "It could be that the odorless tears go into the olfactory system and bind to some receptor that alters hormone levels."
In addition to measuring their testosterone from saliva samples, the men also had their respiratory rates checked and their brains scanned. All suggested a drop in their sex drive.
The scientists didn't measure the impact of men's tears on female sexual arousal because they weren't able to collect enough tears from men, they said.
Researchers in the past have offered up a wide array of theories on why women cry more often then men do. Biochemist William Frey, for example, found that emotional tears contain higher amounts of the hormone prolactin than tears that are brought on by an eye irritation. It was theorized that, because women have more prolactin in their bodies than men, they cry more often.
Though the Israeli study seems to reinforce certain gender stereotypes, Galynker doesn't believe the research is flawed.
"There was no bias," he said. "They needed somebody to produce one milliliter of tears in the course of several minutes. Very, very few humans can do that."
He offered a possible explanation for the response.
"It could be that tears put men on alert that something's wrong," he said. "Sex drive could interfere with that."
The researchers hope their findings, published in Science Express, will help in treatments for prostate and other cancers believed to be linked to elevated testosterone levels.
Intestinal Parasites May Be Causing Your Energy Slump
Last year I saw a patient who had returned from her Christmas vacation complaining of persistent dizziness and fatigue that had not improved for over a year.
Before visiting my office she had consulted three other doctors but no cause for the dizziness was found.
When I questioned her about the vacation, which took place at a Caribbean resort, I discovered that she had experienced a transient episode of diarrhea there and since returning home had been unusually constipated and gassy.
She had never mentioned these intestinal symptoms to a doctor before, because it was dizziness and fatigue that bothered her the most.
I've seen many patients with chronic fatigue caused by intestinal parasites, so I had this woman tested at a specialized laboratory. The test revealed infection with a parasite called Giardia lamblia, a condition called giardiasis.
After treatment with anti-parasitic medication, her gastrointestinal symptoms slowly resolved, along with her main complaints of dizziness and fatigue.
Two Types of Parasites
There are two general groups of parasites. The first consists of worms -- tapeworms and roundworms -- which attach themselves to the lining of the small intestine, causing internal bleeding and loss of nutrients. People infested with worms may have no symptoms or may slowly become anemic.
The second category is the protozoa, one-celled organisms like Giardia, which can cause acute or chronic diarrhea or can cause symptoms that are not ordinarily associated with parasitic infection like constipation, fatigue, dizziness, joint pain or hives.
Parasites Can Be Acquired Anywhere
You don't need to travel to a tropical location to contract a protozoan infection. Epidemics of giardiasis have occurred at ski resorts in the dead of winter because of drinking water contamination.
Outbreaks commonly occur at day care centers that serve toddlers who wear diapers. Twenty to thirty percent of workers in day care centers harbor Giardia. Most have no symptoms; they are merely carriers.
Eating at a salad bar increases your risk of food borne infection. Just observe the unhygienic habits of patrons or the way in which handles of serving spoons and tongs fall into the food.
A study at Johns Hopkins medical school demonstrated antibodies against Giardia in 20 percent of randomly chosen blood samples from patients in the hospital. This means that at least twenty percent of these patients had been infected with Giardia at some time in their lives and had mounted an immune response against the parasite. Most were unaware of having been infected.
Giardia contaminates streams and lakes throughout North America and has caused epidemics of diarrheal disease in several small cities by contaminating their drinking water.
One epidemic, in Placerville, California, was followed by an epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which swept through the town's residents at the time of the Giardia epidemic. Possibly, this epidemic was due to failure of some people to eradicate the parasite.
In 1991, my colleagues and I published a study of two hundred patients with chronic fatigue and demonstrated active Giardia infection in 46 percent. Most of the patients with giardiasis had only minor gastrointestinal symptoms but were really ill with muscle pain, muscle weakness, flu-like feelings, sweats and enlarged lymph nodes. In fact, 61 percent of fatigued patients with giardiasis had been diagnosed elsewhere as suffering from chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), compared to only 19 percent of fatigued patients without giardiasis. Cure of giardiasis resulted in clearing of fatigue and related viral symptoms (muscle pain, sweats, flu-like feelings) in 70 percent of cases, some reduction of fatigue in 18 percent, and was of no benefit in only 12 percent.
Another protozoan that's achieved notoriety in the U.S. is Cryptosporidium parvum, which contaminated Milwaukee's water supply in the 1990's, causing the largest epidemic of diarrhea in U.S. history, infecting about 400,000 people and causing over one hundred deaths. Most municipal water supplies in the U.S. today are home to protozoa like Giardia and Cryptosporidium and one in five Americans drinks water that violates Federal health standards. Every year, almost a million North Americans become sick from water-borne diseases.
In 1990 I presented a paper to the American College of Gastroenterology which demonstrated Giardia infection in about half of a group of two hundred patients with chronic diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating. Most of these patients had been told they had irritable bowel syndrome, which is commonly referred to as "nervous stomach."
I reached two conclusions from this study: 1. Parasitic infection can be a common event among patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. 2. Many people are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome without a thorough evaluation.
My presentation was reported by numerous magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times. My office was flooded with hundreds of phone calls from people who were suffering with chronic gastrointestinal complaints. Most of them had been given a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) by their physicians. The standard treatment for this syndrome had not helped them. All they had received was a label. Many had been told there was no cure.
In evaluating these patients, I found that the majority had intestinal parasites, food intolerance or a lack of healthy intestinal bacteria. (For more information about intestinal bacteria, see Probiotics or Friendly Bacteria) These conditions were not mutually exclusive. Many patients had more than one reason for chronic gastrointestinal problems.
Treating these abnormalities as they occurred in various patients produced remarkably good therapeutic results. A year later, researchers in the Department of Family Medicine at Baylor University in Houston reported findings similar to mine.
Despite the research and the news reports about parasites, I still find that intestinal parasites are a common and often unsuspected cause of mystery illness.
For more on gastrointestinal health, see my article "Do you Have Leaky Gut Syndrome?"
And to get information on how to reduce the risk of infection next time you travel, read my article "Pills for Your Upcoming Trip."
Resolving parasites and other digestive problems and improving gastrointestinal health is vitally important to healing. Learn how to assess your digestive function and the presence of intestinal toxicity in my book "Power Healing: Use the New Integrated Medicine to Cure Yourself."
Now I'd like to hear from you ...
Have you traveled in the past year?
Did you experience any stomach upset or other complaints?
Have you taken anything for it, and what helps?
Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
Best Health,
Leo Galland, M.D.
Important: Share the Health with your friends and family by forwarding this article to them, and sharing on Facebook.
Leo Galland, MD is a board-certified internist, author and internationally recognized leader in integrated medicine. Dr. Galland is the founder of Pill Advised, a web application for learning about medications, supplements and food. Sign up for FREE to discover how your medications and vitamins interact. Watch his videos on YouTube and join the Pill Advised Facebook page.
References
Galland L, "Intestinal Protozoan Infestation and Systemic Illness", in Textbook of Natural Medicine, 3rd Edition, Volume 2, J. Pizzorno and M. Murray, editors, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, St. Louis, 2005, pp. 655-660.
Galland L. "The Effect of Systemic Microbes on Intestinal Immunity" Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) R. Jenkins and J. Mowbray, editors. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. London. 1991. pp 405-430.
Galland, L., Lee M., Bueno H. and Heimowitz C. (1990) "Giardia lamblia infection as a cause of chronic fatigue." Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 2, 27-32.
Galland, L. (1989) "Intestinal protozoan infection is a common unsuspected cause of chronic illness." Journal of Advancement in Medicine, 2, 529-552.
This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute (i) medical advice or counseling, (ii) the practice of medicine or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, (iii) or the creation of a physician--patient relationship. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.
Before visiting my office she had consulted three other doctors but no cause for the dizziness was found.
When I questioned her about the vacation, which took place at a Caribbean resort, I discovered that she had experienced a transient episode of diarrhea there and since returning home had been unusually constipated and gassy.
She had never mentioned these intestinal symptoms to a doctor before, because it was dizziness and fatigue that bothered her the most.
I've seen many patients with chronic fatigue caused by intestinal parasites, so I had this woman tested at a specialized laboratory. The test revealed infection with a parasite called Giardia lamblia, a condition called giardiasis.
After treatment with anti-parasitic medication, her gastrointestinal symptoms slowly resolved, along with her main complaints of dizziness and fatigue.
Two Types of Parasites
There are two general groups of parasites. The first consists of worms -- tapeworms and roundworms -- which attach themselves to the lining of the small intestine, causing internal bleeding and loss of nutrients. People infested with worms may have no symptoms or may slowly become anemic.
The second category is the protozoa, one-celled organisms like Giardia, which can cause acute or chronic diarrhea or can cause symptoms that are not ordinarily associated with parasitic infection like constipation, fatigue, dizziness, joint pain or hives.
Parasites Can Be Acquired Anywhere
You don't need to travel to a tropical location to contract a protozoan infection. Epidemics of giardiasis have occurred at ski resorts in the dead of winter because of drinking water contamination.
Outbreaks commonly occur at day care centers that serve toddlers who wear diapers. Twenty to thirty percent of workers in day care centers harbor Giardia. Most have no symptoms; they are merely carriers.
Eating at a salad bar increases your risk of food borne infection. Just observe the unhygienic habits of patrons or the way in which handles of serving spoons and tongs fall into the food.
A study at Johns Hopkins medical school demonstrated antibodies against Giardia in 20 percent of randomly chosen blood samples from patients in the hospital. This means that at least twenty percent of these patients had been infected with Giardia at some time in their lives and had mounted an immune response against the parasite. Most were unaware of having been infected.
Giardia contaminates streams and lakes throughout North America and has caused epidemics of diarrheal disease in several small cities by contaminating their drinking water.
One epidemic, in Placerville, California, was followed by an epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which swept through the town's residents at the time of the Giardia epidemic. Possibly, this epidemic was due to failure of some people to eradicate the parasite.
In 1991, my colleagues and I published a study of two hundred patients with chronic fatigue and demonstrated active Giardia infection in 46 percent. Most of the patients with giardiasis had only minor gastrointestinal symptoms but were really ill with muscle pain, muscle weakness, flu-like feelings, sweats and enlarged lymph nodes. In fact, 61 percent of fatigued patients with giardiasis had been diagnosed elsewhere as suffering from chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), compared to only 19 percent of fatigued patients without giardiasis. Cure of giardiasis resulted in clearing of fatigue and related viral symptoms (muscle pain, sweats, flu-like feelings) in 70 percent of cases, some reduction of fatigue in 18 percent, and was of no benefit in only 12 percent.
Another protozoan that's achieved notoriety in the U.S. is Cryptosporidium parvum, which contaminated Milwaukee's water supply in the 1990's, causing the largest epidemic of diarrhea in U.S. history, infecting about 400,000 people and causing over one hundred deaths. Most municipal water supplies in the U.S. today are home to protozoa like Giardia and Cryptosporidium and one in five Americans drinks water that violates Federal health standards. Every year, almost a million North Americans become sick from water-borne diseases.
In 1990 I presented a paper to the American College of Gastroenterology which demonstrated Giardia infection in about half of a group of two hundred patients with chronic diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating. Most of these patients had been told they had irritable bowel syndrome, which is commonly referred to as "nervous stomach."
I reached two conclusions from this study: 1. Parasitic infection can be a common event among patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. 2. Many people are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome without a thorough evaluation.
My presentation was reported by numerous magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times. My office was flooded with hundreds of phone calls from people who were suffering with chronic gastrointestinal complaints. Most of them had been given a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) by their physicians. The standard treatment for this syndrome had not helped them. All they had received was a label. Many had been told there was no cure.
In evaluating these patients, I found that the majority had intestinal parasites, food intolerance or a lack of healthy intestinal bacteria. (For more information about intestinal bacteria, see Probiotics or Friendly Bacteria) These conditions were not mutually exclusive. Many patients had more than one reason for chronic gastrointestinal problems.
Treating these abnormalities as they occurred in various patients produced remarkably good therapeutic results. A year later, researchers in the Department of Family Medicine at Baylor University in Houston reported findings similar to mine.
Despite the research and the news reports about parasites, I still find that intestinal parasites are a common and often unsuspected cause of mystery illness.
For more on gastrointestinal health, see my article "Do you Have Leaky Gut Syndrome?"
And to get information on how to reduce the risk of infection next time you travel, read my article "Pills for Your Upcoming Trip."
Resolving parasites and other digestive problems and improving gastrointestinal health is vitally important to healing. Learn how to assess your digestive function and the presence of intestinal toxicity in my book "Power Healing: Use the New Integrated Medicine to Cure Yourself."
Now I'd like to hear from you ...
Have you traveled in the past year?
Did you experience any stomach upset or other complaints?
Have you taken anything for it, and what helps?
Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
Best Health,
Leo Galland, M.D.
Important: Share the Health with your friends and family by forwarding this article to them, and sharing on Facebook.
Leo Galland, MD is a board-certified internist, author and internationally recognized leader in integrated medicine. Dr. Galland is the founder of Pill Advised, a web application for learning about medications, supplements and food. Sign up for FREE to discover how your medications and vitamins interact. Watch his videos on YouTube and join the Pill Advised Facebook page.
References
Galland L, "Intestinal Protozoan Infestation and Systemic Illness", in Textbook of Natural Medicine, 3rd Edition, Volume 2, J. Pizzorno and M. Murray, editors, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, St. Louis, 2005, pp. 655-660.
Galland L. "The Effect of Systemic Microbes on Intestinal Immunity" Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) R. Jenkins and J. Mowbray, editors. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. London. 1991. pp 405-430.
Galland, L., Lee M., Bueno H. and Heimowitz C. (1990) "Giardia lamblia infection as a cause of chronic fatigue." Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 2, 27-32.
Galland, L. (1989) "Intestinal protozoan infection is a common unsuspected cause of chronic illness." Journal of Advancement in Medicine, 2, 529-552.
This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute (i) medical advice or counseling, (ii) the practice of medicine or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, (iii) or the creation of a physician--patient relationship. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.
Fertile Women Attracted to Men With 'Macho'
Women whose significant others aren't "macho" 
tend to fantasize more about super masculine-looking men during their fertile phases than women who are paired with those types, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of New Mexico say their findings, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, also showed that those with macho romantic partners don't necessarily become more attracted to them over time.
"Basically, you want what you can't have," summed up University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist Dr. Christos Ballas in an interview with AOL Health. "The scientists would like it to make evolutionary sense that a woman would be sexually attracted to masculine men during her fertile phase regardless of who she's with. However, it could simply be a social phenomenon."
The authors also said that intelligence doesn't seem to factor in to fertile women's sexual fantasies.
The team identified a "masculine face" as one with a strong, defined jaw and chin, a pronounced brow and narrow eyes. Think George Clooney, advised study author Steven Gangestad of the University of New Mexico.
Wider eyes and a less defined jaw and face shape -- like Pee-Wee Herman, for example -- would be characteristic of a less-masculine face.
While women might find the macho-faced men more attractive when they're in a sexually charged state, they don't think they make the best life partners. If anything, they tend to gravitate more toward the softer type of man.
"When they rate men's sexiness, in a sense, that's when (women) show the shift," Gangestad told LiveScience. "If they rate men's attractiveness as a long-term partner, then they don't show it."tend to fantasize more about super masculine-looking men during their fertile phases than women who are paired with those types, a new study suggests.Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of New Mexico say their findings, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, also showed that those with macho romantic partners don't necessarily become more attracted to them over time.
"Basically, you want what you can't have," summed up University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist Dr. Christos Ballas in an interview with AOL Health. "The scientists would like it to make evolutionary sense that a woman would be sexually attracted to masculine men during her fertile phase regardless of who she's with. However, it could simply be a social phenomenon."
The authors also said that intelligence doesn't seem to factor in to fertile women's sexual fantasies.
The team identified a "masculine face" as one with a strong, defined jaw and chin, a pronounced brow and narrow eyes. Think George Clooney, advised study author Steven Gangestad of the University of New Mexico.
Wider eyes and a less defined jaw and face shape -- like Pee-Wee Herman, for example -- would be characteristic of a less-masculine face.
While women might find the macho-faced men more attractive when they're in a sexually charged state, they don't think they make the best life partners. If anything, they tend to gravitate more toward the softer type of man.
Researchers interviewed 66 heterosexual couples, with the women ranging in age from 18 to 44 and the relationship lengths from a month to 20 years. Nine of the couples were married.
Prior research has found that "macho" males' sex appeal spikes when a woman is ovulating. This is the first to examine whether the phenomenon happens within actual romantic relationships.
Biologists who study evolution have put forth the "choosy females" theory -- women are more selective about mates when they're ovulating and are drawn to the one they think is the best, usually as determined by masculinity and physical appearance because those traits signal strength, ability to survive and good genes.
"The effects of facial masculinity and attractiveness fit in a larger picture that has emerged," another study author, Christine Garver-Apgar of the University of Colorado, said in a statement.
Past research has consistently led scientists to the same conclusion that a shift in sexual interest occurs during ovulation, she said.
"There's probably 30-plus papers documenting ovulatory cycle shifts and women's preferences," Garver-Apgar told AOL Health. "Those were predicted based on evolutionary theory."
Men who have "highly testosteronized features" -- the macho types -- may be signaling a more stable gene pool to women, she added.
"They are potentially displaying a surplus energy budget, because it means they had high levels of testosterone during critical development periods," she said.
But Ballas disputed the notion that attraction to a "hyper masculine" man -- or for men, a "hyper feminine" woman -- has anything to do with biology or evolution.
"The effects of facial masculinity and attractiveness fit in a larger picture that has emerged," another study author, Christine Garver-Apgar of the University of Colorado, said in a statement.
Past research has consistently led scientists to the same conclusion that a shift in sexual interest occurs during ovulation, she said.
"There's probably 30-plus papers documenting ovulatory cycle shifts and women's preferences," Garver-Apgar told AOL Health. "Those were predicted based on evolutionary theory."
Men who have "highly testosteronized features" -- the macho types -- may be signaling a more stable gene pool to women, she added.
"They are potentially displaying a surplus energy budget, because it means they had high levels of testosterone during critical development periods," she said.
But Ballas disputed the notion that attraction to a "hyper masculine" man -- or for men, a "hyper feminine" woman -- has anything to do with biology or evolution.
"If you're with someone but they're not the 'hyper masculine' or 'hyper feminine,' you fantasize about the hyper masculine or feminine," he said. "When you're already with that type, you don't need to fantasize about it. It doesn't have to be so crazy complicated. They want it to be that women biologically want a hyper male because he's a better mate."
He drew a comparison to men who are with brunettes fantasizing about blondes, and men who are with blondes fantasizing about brunettes.
"It's like the male 'I wish I had a blonde' thing," Ballas said. "Whatever you have, you fantasize about the other. It doesn't mean that blondes are better for mating."
He drew a comparison to men who are with brunettes fantasizing about blondes, and men who are with blondes fantasizing about brunettes.
"It's like the male 'I wish I had a blonde' thing," Ballas said. "Whatever you have, you fantasize about the other. It doesn't mean that blondes are better for mating."
A Gene to Explain Depression
As powerful as genes are in exposing clues to diseases, not even the most passionate geneticist believes that complex conditions such as depression can be reduced to a tell-tale string of DNA.
But a new study confirms earlier evidence that a particular gene, involved in ferrying a brain chemical critical to mood known as serotonin, may play a role in triggering the mental disorder in some people.
Researchers led by Dr. Srijan Sen, a professor of psychiatry at University of Michigan, report in the Archives of General Psychiatry that individuals with a particular form of the serotonin transporter gene were more vulnerable to developing depression when faced with stressful life events such as having a serious medical illness or being a victim of childhood abuse. The form of the gene that these individuals inherit prevents the mood-regulating serotonin from being re-absorbed by nerve cells in the brain. Having such a low-functioning version of the transporter starting early in life appears to set these individuals up for developing depression later on, although the exact relationship between this gene, stress, and depression isn't clear yet. (More on Time.com: How to Win Friends: Have a Big Amygdala?)
Sen's results confirm those of a ground-breaking study in 2003, in which scientists for the first time confirmed the link between genes and environment in depression. In that study, which involved more than 800 subjects, individuals with the gene coding for the less functional serotonin transporter were more likely to develop depression following a stressful life event than those with the more functional form of the gene. But these findings were questioned by a 2009 analysis in which scientists pooled 14 studies investigating the relationship between the serotonin transporter gene, depression and stress, and found no heightened risk of depression among those with different versions of the gene.
Sen's group decided to put the continued controversy to rest by culling all of the available studies on the subject, 54 total, which included data from nearly 41,000 volunteers. Based on this broader analysis, the team concluded that the less functional form of the transporter gene does indeed confer a greater risk of depression when combined with stress. And to determine why the 2009 team found contradictory results, Sen also re-evaluated their data using his analytical model and found that when he limited his investigation to their 14 studies, he also found no relationship between the gene and depression. (More on Time.com: Placebos Work Even if You Know They're Fake: But How?)
“One of the hopes I have is that we can settle this story, and move on to looking more broadly across the genome for more factors related to depression,” he says. “Ideally we would like to find a panel of different genetic variations that go together to help us predict who is going to respond poorly to stress, and who might respond well to specific types of treatment as opposed to others.”
He believes that the 2009 findings do not contradict those from 2003, or the latest results, but rather reflect a difference in the way the study was conducted. In order to conduct a consistent analysis with similarly collected data, the 2009 analysis focused only on the 14 studies that included stressful life events, and did not incorporate other stressors, such as childhood abuse or medical illness. The more complete set of 54 studies, which folded in these stressors as well, showed a robust interaction between the serotonin gene, stress and depression.
Sen stresses, however, that this gene is only one player in the cast of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to depression. “All things considered, this [gene] is a relatively small factor, and for this finding to be clinically useful, we really need to find many, many more factors. Ultimately we may identify new pathways that are involved in depression to come up with new and better treatments.”
But a new study confirms earlier evidence that a particular gene, involved in ferrying a brain chemical critical to mood known as serotonin, may play a role in triggering the mental disorder in some people.
Researchers led by Dr. Srijan Sen, a professor of psychiatry at University of Michigan, report in the Archives of General Psychiatry that individuals with a particular form of the serotonin transporter gene were more vulnerable to developing depression when faced with stressful life events such as having a serious medical illness or being a victim of childhood abuse. The form of the gene that these individuals inherit prevents the mood-regulating serotonin from being re-absorbed by nerve cells in the brain. Having such a low-functioning version of the transporter starting early in life appears to set these individuals up for developing depression later on, although the exact relationship between this gene, stress, and depression isn't clear yet. (More on Time.com: How to Win Friends: Have a Big Amygdala?)
Sen's results confirm those of a ground-breaking study in 2003, in which scientists for the first time confirmed the link between genes and environment in depression. In that study, which involved more than 800 subjects, individuals with the gene coding for the less functional serotonin transporter were more likely to develop depression following a stressful life event than those with the more functional form of the gene. But these findings were questioned by a 2009 analysis in which scientists pooled 14 studies investigating the relationship between the serotonin transporter gene, depression and stress, and found no heightened risk of depression among those with different versions of the gene.
Sen's group decided to put the continued controversy to rest by culling all of the available studies on the subject, 54 total, which included data from nearly 41,000 volunteers. Based on this broader analysis, the team concluded that the less functional form of the transporter gene does indeed confer a greater risk of depression when combined with stress. And to determine why the 2009 team found contradictory results, Sen also re-evaluated their data using his analytical model and found that when he limited his investigation to their 14 studies, he also found no relationship between the gene and depression. (More on Time.com: Placebos Work Even if You Know They're Fake: But How?)
“One of the hopes I have is that we can settle this story, and move on to looking more broadly across the genome for more factors related to depression,” he says. “Ideally we would like to find a panel of different genetic variations that go together to help us predict who is going to respond poorly to stress, and who might respond well to specific types of treatment as opposed to others.”
He believes that the 2009 findings do not contradict those from 2003, or the latest results, but rather reflect a difference in the way the study was conducted. In order to conduct a consistent analysis with similarly collected data, the 2009 analysis focused only on the 14 studies that included stressful life events, and did not incorporate other stressors, such as childhood abuse or medical illness. The more complete set of 54 studies, which folded in these stressors as well, showed a robust interaction between the serotonin gene, stress and depression.
Sen stresses, however, that this gene is only one player in the cast of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to depression. “All things considered, this [gene] is a relatively small factor, and for this finding to be clinically useful, we really need to find many, many more factors. Ultimately we may identify new pathways that are involved in depression to come up with new and better treatments.”
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