Here are the articles for the journal club. Start the readings for your group now.

Group 1) Bluestone Otitis Media

Group 2) Roulette Tobacco Self-medication

Group 3) Pagel Naked Ape and Prune Fingers

Group 4) Fiusa Causes of Coagulation

Each group will present their assigned article on 9/29/15

The goal: Present the major ideas of the article and provide a critique. Each student will need to make part of the presentation individually.

Each group must decide whether they think the article is a good one or not. There is at least one questionable article in the bunch.

Each group will have 20 minutes to make their presentation. Each group will need to meet to discuss how to divide up each topic for presentation.

Grading will be based on how well the student is able to explain the following:

1) What is the condition or disease described in the paper?

2) What is the proximate explanation for the disease (no more than a sentence or two).

3) What are the evolutionary hypotheses to explain the condition? If there are multiple hypotheses, each student should present an individual idea. The evolutionary reasoning should be carefully explained so that the audience can understand the concept.

4) Does the paper present any data? Are the ideas supported by evidence?

5) Does the logic of the paper make sense? Is it a flawed paper that whose conclusions are questionable?

6) Which hypothesis makes most sense to you? Would you recommend the paper for the next year’s class?

Additional points towards the grade will be given for presentation style. This includes good eye contact and understandable speech.

Updated! Reading assignments and discussion topic for next Tuesday’s class, September 22. (There is no writing assignment due on 9/22)

Pima or Tohono O’odham Indian heritage is associated with exceptionally high rates of obesity and diabetes. This Native American group also suffers elevated rates of hypertension, gallbladder disease, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality compared to other ethnic groups. Diabetes and other “lifestyle” diseases skyrocketed after World War II, when many Southwestern Native American communities adopted typical American lifestyle and dietary habits. Nearly half of the Pima in Arizona have been diagnosed with diabetes. In addition, kidney failure and cardiovascular diseases take a disproportionate toll in these communities. By contrast, a related community of Pima in Mexico consume a more traditional diet and have a much lower rate of diabetes (6.7%), which is similar to that of the surrounding Mexican population. What is wrong with the modern US environment? What should we do about it?

1. Pima Indian Gallstones
2. Carl Zimmer –  gene interaction with the modern environment, resulting in obesity.
3. One third of children ate fast food today

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Joe Alcock

Emergency Physician, Educator, Researcher, interested in the microbiome, evolution, and medicine