Reading this article reminded me of some men behaviors. I don't like his previous publication The Social Animal. However, I like his style of writing - based certain facts. Here is another one: When men become fathers, their testosterone levels drop, thus reducing their sex drive. There’s some evidence that it’s the smell of their own infants (but not other people’s infants) that sets this off. I don’t want to steal my own thunder, so a broader reaction will have to wait. But for my own edification I wanted to write up a clarification of a couple of technical points. Some modern Chinese officials, trying to presereve their libido by staying away from their own infants - make sense by this new finding. But, what's the point to have kids if you don't want to raise them? Is that sex drive so important? Below is an article by David Brooks. He posted a lot of puzzles in our life. Have you thought about that line? Many blessings, Note: URL doesn't reproduce as it drifts through time. For completion of my paper, I copied it below, just for education purpose. ***************************** The deepest self, by David Brooks (NYT) There is, by now, a large literature on the chemistry and biology of love and sex. If you dive into that literature, you learn pretty quickly that our love lives are biased by all sorts of deep unconscious processes. When men become fathers, their testosterone levels drop, thus reducing their sex drive. There’s some evidence that it’s the smell of their own infants (but not other people’s infants) that sets this off. Women, meanwhile, have different tastes at different times in their cycles. During ovulation, according to some research, they prefer ruggedly handsome and risky men, while at other times they are more drawn to pleasant-looking, nice men. When men look at pictures of naked women, their startle response to loud noises diminishes. It seems that the dopamine surge mutes the prefrontal cortex, and they become less alert to danger and risk. This literature sometimes reduces the profound and transformational power of love into a series of mating strategies. But it also, like so much of the literature across psychology and the cognitive sciences these days, reinforces a specific view of human nature. We have two systems inside, one on top of the other. Deep in the core of our being there are the unconscious natural processes built in by evolution. These deep unconscious processes propel us to procreate or strut or think in certain ways, often impulsively. Then, at the top, we have our conscious, rational processes. This top layer does its best to exercise some restraint and executive function. This evolutionary description has become the primary way we understand ourselves. Deep down we are mammals with unconscious instincts and drives. Up top there’s a relatively recent layer of rationality. Yet in conversation when we say someone is deep, that they have a deep mind or a deep heart, we don’t mean that they are animalistic or impulsive. We mean the opposite. When we say that someone is a deep person, we mean they have achieved a quiet, dependable mind by being rooted in something spiritual and permanent. A person of deep character has certain qualities: in the realm of intellect, she has permanent convictions about fundamental things; in the realm of emotions, she has a web of unconditional loves; in the realm of action, she has permanent commitments to transcendent projects that cannot be completed in a single lifetime. There’s great wisdom embedded in this conversational understanding of depth, and it should cause us to amend the System 1/System 2 image of human nature that we are getting from evolutionary biology. Specifically, it should cause us to make a sharp distinction between origins and depth. We originate with certain biological predispositions. These can include erotic predispositions (we’re aroused by people who send off fertility or status cues), or they can be cognitive (like loss aversion). But depth, the core of our being, is something we cultivate over time. We form relationships that either turn the core piece of ourselves into something more stable and disciplined or something more fragmented and disorderly. We begin with our natural biases but carve out depths according to the quality of the commitments we make. Our origins are natural; our depths are man-made — engraved by thought and action. Continue reading the main story A restaurant in paradise Tortillas, almost from scratch Purim pastries, a library cafe and more Continue reading the main story This amendment seems worth making because the strictly evolutionary view of human nature sells humanity short. It leaves the impression that we are just slightly higher animals — thousands of years of evolutionary processes capped by a thin layer of rationality. It lops off entire regions of human possibility. Continue reading the main story RECENT COMMENTS Winthrop Staples 2 hours ago Evolutionary theory also explains the obvious selection for 'depth' and rationality and love that Brooks describes. Aldo Leopold described... Anne Pennington 2 hours ago If I understand, you contend that there is only instinctive behavior shaped by evolution and administrative, rational processing driven by... Ali2017 2 hours ago It seems that humans have spent a lot of history taming their physical instincts. Applying our thoughts to control our physical desires in... SEE ALL COMMENTS In fact, while we are animals, we have much higher opportunities. While we start with and are influenced by evolutionary forces, people also have the chance to make themselves deep in a way not explicable in strictly evolutionary terms. So much of what we call depth is built through freely chosen suffering. People make commitments — to a nation, faith, calling or loved ones — and endure the sacrifices those commitments demand. Often this depth is built by fighting against natural evolutionary predispositions. So much of our own understanding of our depth occurs later in life, also amid suffering. The theologian Paul Tillich has a great essay in “Shaking the Foundations” in which he observes that during moments of suffering, people discover they are not what they appeared to be. The suffering scours away a floor inside themselves, exposing a deeper level, and then that floor gets scoured away and another deeper level is revealed. Finally, people get down to the core wounds and the core loves. Babies are not deep. Old people can be, depending upon how they have chosen to lead their lives. Babies start out very natural. The people we admire are rooted in nature but have surpassed nature. Often they grew up in cultures that encouraged them to take a loftier view of their possibilities than we do today.
在 描述基因、基因mRNAs或由其编码的蛋白质水平的变化时，经常会因错误使用命名规则而引发混淆。如果作者一会儿提及基因表达水平，一会儿转至蛋白质水 平，再过一会又回到基因，这只会乱上加乱，尤其是当基因和蛋白质同名时。因此，作者应确切地告知读者你提及的到底是基因还是蛋白质。不同物种有不同的命名 规则，但一般来说，基因名称应写成斜体，蛋白质则采用正体。大小写常用于区分不同物种：一般地，对于小鼠、大鼠和鸡，基因名称首字大写，其余小写；对于 人、灵长类和某些家禽/家畜，基因名称均使用大写字母。在描述mRNA时一般使用基因名称(如，“levels of p53 mRNA”)，也可用“for”来加以连接(如，“levels of the mRNA for p53”)。“表达”(expression)一词通常用于描述基因表达，如果用于描述蛋白质和mRNA水平，就会引发混乱；因此，在提及蛋白质时，建议 不用“表达”一词，而是直接改用“level”(或“levels”)。应高度注意所提及物种的适用命名规则；在文章中只要提及蛋白质、基因或mRNA的 名称，应确保其是明白无误的。 • “Expression of the Igf1 gene was increased in our transgenic mice” (这里在提及基因时使用了斜体并加上“gene”一词，读者能够一目了然) • “The levels of IGF1 mRNA were elevated in our patient group” (这是人类基因的正确命名规则) • “The serum IGF1 levels were elevated in the transgenic mice” (这里很显然提及的是蛋白质，使用大写字母是适宜的，尽管物种是小鼠，因为这是小鼠蛋白质的正确命名规则) Protein and gene nomenclature One very common cause of confusion is use of the incorrect nomenclature to describe changes in the levels of genes, their mRNAs or the proteins that they encode. Constant changing from describing gene expression levels to protein levels and back again can also add to the confusion, especially because the names are often the same. Therefore, it needs to be completely clear to the reader exactly what level you are talking about. Nomenclature differs among species, but generally gene names should be described in italics and protein names in normal font. Case (upper vs lower) is often used to distinguish between species: generally, for mouse, rat and chicken, gene names are spelt with an upper case first letter and the rest in lower case; for humans, primates and some domestic species, gene names are spelt with all capital letters. Descriptions of mRNAs generally use the gene name (for example, “levels of p53 mRNA”) or you can refer to the mRNA “for” a given protein (for example “levels of the mRNA for p53”). The word “expression” is usually used to describe gene expression and can induce confusion when used to describe protein and mRNA levels; in most cases referring to proteins the word “expression” can simply be replaced with the word “level” (or “levels”). Be aware of the correct nomenclature for your species of subject and ensure that everywhere you refer to a protein, gene or mRNA by name in the text it is completely clear which of those you are referring to. • “Expression of the Igf1 gene was increased in our transgenic mice” (use of italics and the word “gene” ensure that no confusion is possible here). • “The levels of IGF1 mRNA were elevated in our patient group” (correct nomenclature for human genes). • “The serum IGF1 levels were elevated in the transgenic mice” (here, it is clear that the protein is being referred to; capitals are appropriate in this case, even though the species is mouse, because it is the correct nomenclature for the mouse protein). Dr Daniel McGowan 分子神经学博士 理文编辑学术总监
Jotting down the ideas from Chomsky: Three levels of adequacy. Three levels of adequacy Observationally adequacy A grammar reaches observationally adequacy if it forms rules and principles to distinguish those strings of words which are sentences of the language from those which are not sentences of the language in question. Descriptive adequacy A descriptive adequate grammar will not only describe the linguistic data, but it will contain the general principles and processes that enable the native speaker to produce and interpret sentences in his language and decide on the acceptability of sentences. Such a grammar is an explicit formulation of the tacit language of the native speaker, his internal grammar . Explanatory Adequacy A grammar reaches explanatory adequacy if it can account for the fact that the principles of the internal grammar can get to be known by the speakers, i.e. if it can account for language acquisition. According to "Three levels of adequacy", corpus linguistics can offer a lot of new light on the research of translation studies.
最近的两项研究表明，目前常用的杀虫剂，即使是低剂量的使用，也会造成蜜蜂存活和繁殖能力下降。 1. Neonicotinoid Pesticide Reduces Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production Penelope R. Whitehorn , Stephanie O’Connor , Felix L. Wackers , and Dave Goulson Published online 29 March 2012 2. A Common Pesticide Decreases Foraging Success and Survival in Honey Bees Mickal Henry , Maxime Beguin , Fabrice Requier , Orianne Rollin , Jean-Franois Odoux , Pierrick Aupinel , Jean Aptel , Sylvie Tchamitchian , and Axel Decourtye Published online 29 March 2012 Bees harmed by low levels of common pesticides CBC News Posted: Mar 29, 2012 2:03 PM ET Last Updated: Mar 29, 2012 5:10 PM ET Buff-tailed bumblebees produced 85 per cent fewer queens when exposed to low doses of pesticides. (P. Whitehorn/Science/AAAS) Even low doses of popular pesticides can reduce bees' survival and reproduction, two new studies show. The findings bolster evidence that such chemicals may be partly responsible for recent declines in populations of honeybees and bumblebees in North America and Europe, which have caused alarm due to the insects' importance as crop pollinators. The researchers suggest the widespread use of the pesticides needs to be re-evaluated in light of the findings. The two studies, published Wednesday in the journal Science, looked at the effects of pesticides called neonicotinoids on bumblebees and honeybees, respectively. Neonicotinoids, first introduced in the 1990s, are used to kill aphids and other sap-sucking insects. According to a news release from Science, they are now some of the most widely used crop pesticides in the world. Bayer Crop Sciences, which is the leading producer of this type of pesticide, told The Associated Press that it is used on 90 per cent of the corn grown in the U.S. and is safe. In the first study, led by Penelope Whitehorn at the University of Stirling in Britain, colonies of buff-tailed bumblebees were fed doses of a neonicotinoid pesticide called imidacloprid in doses similar to those that they would be exposed to in the wild when foraging among crops sprayed with the pesticides. The bees were then allowed to forage for six weeks. The researchers found that bumblebees exposed to the pesticide had nests that were an average of eight to 12 per cent smaller than colonies that weren't exposed. They also produced 85 per cent fewer queen bees. That could have a huge effect on bumblebee populations, because all bumblebees except the queens die when winter sets in. Bumblebee populations rely on the queens to survive the winter and found new colonies in the spring. In the second study, led by Mickal Henry of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in Avignon, France, honeybees were fed small doses of a different neonicotinoid pesticide called thiamethoxam. They were then tracked with small microchips called RFID tags. The researchers found that 10 to 31 per cent of bees exposed to the pesticide did not return to their colony after being released to forage for the day. That was up to double the estimated normal mortality rate for a honeybee on a given day, about 15 per cent. The pesticide appears to interfere with the bees' ability to navigate and find their way back to the colony, an effect that has been shown in previous studies. Henry noted that currently, in order to get a pesticide approved, the manufacturer must show that the product does not directly kill bees when applied to a field. "But they basically ignore the consequences of doses that do not kill them but may cause behavioral difficulties," he said in a statement. David Goulson, who co-authored the British study with Whitehorn, said the use of neonicotinoid pesticides "clearly poses a threat" to the health of bees and "urgently needs to be re-evaluated." However, Bayer eco-toxicologist David Fischer said the honeybee study used doses of pesticides far higher than those used on crops bees normally pollinate. The study had described the dose as "field-realistic." Many bee species have been declining in North America and Europe, and some have even gone extinct or are believed to be close to extinction. Meanwhile, honeybees, which are used to pollinate important crops such as raspberries, cherries, and almonds have been suffering since around 2006 from a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, in which worker bees disappear suddenly. Pesticides are only one of the possible causes. Recent studies have suggested that fungi and viruses or parasites may be to blame. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/03/29/science-bees-decline-pesticides.html
感谢博士后期间的合作导师范老师及中国科学院求真务实与宽容进取的科研环境!该文是博后工作期间一篇拙文. The low carbon development (LCD) levels’ evaluation of the world’s 47 countrie.pdf 请同行专家批评指导! jiaaniu@126.com
Detections of lipid, lipoprotein, and HDLparticle concentrations Lipids, lipoproteins, and routine laboratory parameterswere obtained in serum after a 14-h overnightfast. Blood was taken from veins into commercialtubes. Serum was immediately separated and stored inaliquots at −80 °C until use. Routine laboratory parameters(the levels of urea, uric acid, creatinine, totalprotein, and albumin) and lipids and lipoproteins(apoA, apoB) were determined by use of the Hitachi902 analyzer, and hemoglobin was determined byusing ADVIA analyzer, as described previously (Kimaket al., 2010). ApoA-I and apoB were measuredusing the turbidimetric methods (Roche kits). Detections of leptin, ox-LDL and anti-ox-LDL antibody concentrations and PON-1 activity Serum leptin was measured by ELISA kit (DRG Instruments GmbH, DRG International Inc., Marburg, Germany). Quantitative determinations of human ox-LDL and IgG autoantibody against ox-LDL in serum were made by using ELISA kits (Biomedica GmbH, Wienna, Austria). PON-1 activity was determined using 1.2 mmol/L paraoxon ( O , O -diethyl- O - p -nitrophenyl phosphate; Sigma Chemical, St. Louis, MO, USA) as the substrate. The PON-1 activity was measured by the modified Furlong et al. ( 1989 )’s method from the initial velocity of p -nitrophenol production at 37 °C, and its increased absorbance at 405 nm was recorded by an autoanalyzer (Cobas-Mira Plus, Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland). Serum was added to basal assay mixture containing 100 mmol/L Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.5) with paraoxon and 1 mmol/L CaCl 2 . The PON-1 activity of 1 U/L was defined as 1 μmol of p -nitrophenol hydrolyzed per minute.
标签: levels
