Everyday Thinking

Binghamton University researchers explore altruism's unexpected ally -- selfishness

Just as religions dwell upon the eternal battle between good and evil, angels and devils, evolutionary theorists dwell upon the eternal battle between altruistic and selfish behaviors in the Darwinian struggle for existence. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), evolutionary theorists at Binghamton University suggest that selfishness might not be such a villain after all.

Omar Tonsi Eldakar and David Sloan Wilson propose a novel solution to this problem in their article, which is available in the online Early Edition of PNAS.  They point out that selfish individuals have their own incentive to get rid of other selfish individuals within their own group.

Eldakar and Wilson consider a behavioral strategy called "Selfish Punisher," which exploits altruists and punishes other selfish individuals, including other selfish punishers. This strategy might seem hypocritical in moral terms but it is highly successful in Darwinian terms, according to their theoretical model published in PNAS and a computer simulation model published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. Selfish punishers can invade the population when rare but then limit each other, preventing the altruists from being completely eliminated.

Read the full article here.

Cornell's study of horses provides insight into human flu pandemic

Stored safely in a freezer at Cornell's James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health are samples of the virus thought to be most like the one public health experts expect someday to afflict record numbers of the world's population. The virus was collected in 1973 during an outbreak of equine influenza at a Florida racetrack. Dorothy Holmes, an infectious disease specialist in Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, had obtained samples of the virus with the intention of using it to create nasal spray vaccines for horses.

Now, 35 years later, Cornell scientists have the rare chance to study the behavior of the organism to figure out why this particular virus, an H7 serotype, outperforms all other serotypes in its lethal powers. The study is supported by a seven-year, $3 million award from the National Institutes of Health.

"Influenza H7 is unique in its capability to invade not only the lungs but other parts of the host's body, including the brain, and this is why it's so dangerous," explains Gary Whittaker, an associate professor of virology who leads the project.

Read the full article here.

Caffeine shown to protect mice from MS-like disease

High quantities of caffeine may do more than just keep people
awake. The stimulant may one day offer researchers a way to prevent multiple sclerosis.

Mice given caffeinated water -- in doses equivalent to a person drinking six to eight cups of coffee a day -- were protected from developing an MS-like disease called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), according to Cornell researchers.

The findings were presented April 7 at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting, which is part of the American Association of Immunologists 95th Annual Meeting in San Diego.

However, the researchers cautioned against drinking large amounts of coffee to treat MS, as more studies are needed to understand how caffeine blocks receptors that play a role in the autoimmune disease.

MS is a disease in which the immune system attacks and damages nerves in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in paralysis and impairment in speech, vision and mental function.

"We're not advocating large quantities of caffeine to prevent MS,"
said Jeffrey Mills, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral associate with senior author and principal investigator Margaret Bynoe, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine. "We know that caffeine suppresses MS-like effects in mice with EAE."

Click here to read the full article.

Maple weekends could shift two months earlier by 2080

This year, Maple Weekend is March 29-30 since weather patterns are providing good sap flow in the maple trees of northern New York. But by 2080, sugarhouses in northern New York may be humming as early as Jan. 29-30, according to climate change models that predict warmer winters and more thaws.

To evaluate the effects of climate change on the industry, which adds about $1.7 million to northern New York's economy each year, Brian F. Chabot, director of Cornell's Maple Program, and Cornell's Uihlein Maple Research Station Director Michael Farrell are launching a new study with six maple producers.

"Long-term sap collection records on the trees at the Uihlein Forest show that both the start and end of the sap season has moved about a week earlier in the past 30 years with an overall loss of three to four days of production," Farrell said.

Chabot, also a Cornell professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, added, "Climate projection models suggest that the sap season with the freeze-thaw conditions needed to make the sap run will continue to advance. Winter as we now know it may be replaced by spring beginning in early January."

Read the full article here.

(Photograph by Jack Schmidling.)

Cornell scientists seek adults for food allergy study

Cornell University food scientists are seeking adults in the areas of Rochester, N.Y., Syracuse, N.Y., Binghamton, N.Y., Westchester County, N.Y., Long Island, New York City to participate in a comprehensive food allergy study scheduled for this spring.

The researchers want people, age 18 and older, who have severe and life threatening food allergies, such as those allergies to peanuts, seafood and tree nuts. Eligible participants will receive informational material on food allergies and will also be compensated for their time.

Robert Gravani, Cornell professor of food science, explains that the study is being conducted to understand how adults manage their food allergy and to help scientists develop informational materials on handling food allergies.

Severe food allergies impact the health of nearly 7 million Americans. Gravani says that these people must avoid exposure when selecting food for home and away. While the food industry must provide clear food label information, he says that food service personnel must be aware of ingredients that cause adverse reactions and to follow exposure-prevention practices.

“This project would identify motivators and barriers to safe food selection, emergency action plans in case of accidental ingestion in adults with life-threatening allergies,” says Gravani.

This study is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cornell is conducting this research in collaboration with the University of California, Davis. For more information and to determine if you qualify, please call the following toll-free number (866) 537-3192.