Kindness has its own appeal

FIERY START? - Research published Oct. 17 in the journal Science gives new clues on the origin of life. The lightning and gases that come with volcanic eruptions may have provided the building blocks of life, according to a new analysis of samples first studied in 1953 and 1954 by Stanley Miller at the University of Chicago. Miller was the first to show that the basic molecules of life could be synthesized by subjecting hydrogen-rich gases to an electric spark -- lightning in the primordial atmosphere. The new analysis used modern techniques to detect previously undetectable organic compounds in the samples. Funding for the study was provided by NASA and others. Above, a volcano in Indonesia's North Sulawesi Province. (REUTERS)

PSYCHOLOGY
Is altruism sexy? According to Darwin, altruism is for suckers. In the struggle for existence, nice guys will be quickly driven to extinction - or so Darwinist theory goes.

"Yet we see many examples in nature of individuals disadvantaging themselves to help others," said Tim Phillips, a biologist at the University of Nottingham in Britain. "In humans, particularly, we see individuals prepared to put themselves at considerable risk to help individuals they do not know for no obvious reward."

Now, a trio of new studies of more than 1,000 people offers an intriguing explanation: Women find altruism attractive in a mate.

Participants in the studies were asked about a range of qualities they look for in a mate, including examples of do-gooder behavior such as "donates blood regularly" and "volunteered in a local hospital." In all three studies, women placed significantly greater importance on altruistic traits than on good looks or good financial prospects.

For years, the standard explanation for altruistic behavior toward nonrelatives has been based on a version of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," Phillips said. However, displays of selflessness may provide potential mates with accurate clues to the behavior required of dedicated, long-term parents. In other words, altruism offers a survival advantage to the female and her offspring.

Men may consider altruistic traits when choosing a partner as well. Phillips and his fellow researchers asked 170 couples to rate the desirability of altruistic traits in a mate and rate their own level of selfless behavior. The degree of preference in one partner was found to correlate with the level of altruistic behavior typically displayed in the other, hinting that altruistic traits may be taken into account by both sexes.
BOTTOM LINE: "Sexual selection could well come to be seen as exerting a major influence on what made humans human," said Phillips.
CAUTIONS: The research is "open to alternative interpretations which need discussion and further work," Phillps said.
WHAT'S NEXT: Phillips is looking at twins in a study to investigate whether genes influence mate preference towards altruistic traits.
WHERE TO FIND IT: British Journal of Psychology (2008).

LEIGH HOPPER OBERHOLZER

POLIO

One of the most successful triumphs of modern medicine has been the global eradication of smallpox, with the last reported case in 1979. These strategies for eradication have failed, however, when it comes to defeating polio.

Polio, spread by a contagious stomach virus, tends to afflict children, resulting in fevers, diarrhea, and even paralysis of the muscles that help a child to move and breathe. While polio has become uncommon in the United States because of controlled vaccination programs, the disease is still rampant in six countries, including Nigeria. Eliminating the disease from Nigeria is central to eradicating it globally. However, controlling polio transmission in the country has been hampered by under-vaccination of children, boycotts, and poor political commitment.

Now, research from the Imperial College London in Britain, reveals that a novel polio vaccine introduced in Nigeria in 2006 is highly promising. Researchers, led by Helen Jenkins, investigated nearly 30,000 cases of paralysis in Nigerian children, some of which were caused by polio. By gathering information on which child received doses of the new vaccine, researchers were able to conclude that the newer oral polio vaccine was nearly four times more effective in immunizing against polio, compared to the older vaccine.

"This vaccine appears to be a good tool to use in Nigeria in immunizing children and even preventing spread to other countries in Africa," says Jenkins.
BOTTOM LINE: Nigeria, a hotbed of polio transmission in Africa, now has a potent new oral vaccine for suppressing the spread of the dangerous virus.
CAUTIONS: Although the new vaccine is encouraging, rapid population growth and immigration means that careful coordination is required to implement the vaccine successfully.
WHAT'S NEXT: Researchers plan to figure out which Nigerians are most at risk for transmitting polio and targeting vaccination campaigns to these groups.
WHERE TO FIND IT: The New England Journal of Medicine October 16, 2008.

SUSHRUT JANGI