Can cigarette smoking make a man appear sexier and stronger to women?

This paper focuses on naďve theories, illusions, and misconceptions regarding the outcome of men’s cigarette smoking on female impressions. Beliefs about those outcomes were examined in a correlational study and their content was compared with the results of previous experimental verifi cation. Male and female participants (N = 396) responded to an advertisement placed on an online general-interest forum and completed a questionnaire concerning their beliefs about the impact of cigarette smoking in men on their self-presentation to women. This included impressions of attractiveness, intelligence, strength, sexiness, and other male qualities. Results show that people believe that smoking decreases a man’s perceived aptitude for being a woman’s long-term partner. The belief that smoking enhances a man’s attractiveness to a woman as a short-term partner was limited to female smokers. Non-smokers believed that smoking in men signals poor impulse-control. Gender, age, smoking status (smoker vs non-smoker), and number of cigarettes smoked daily appeared to play an important role in predicting expressed beliefs. Young female smokers were indicated as the subgroup bearing the most optimistic illusions

Do narcissism and emotional intelligence win us friends? Modeling dynamics of peer popularity using inferential network analysis

This research investigated effects of narcissism and emotional intelligence (EI) on popularity in social networks. In a longitudinal field study we examined the dynamics of popularity in 15 peer groups in two waves (N=273).We measured narcissism, ability EI, explicit and implicit self-esteem. In addition, we measured popularity at zero acquaintance and three months later. We analyzed the data using inferential network analysis (temporal exponential random graph modeling, TERGM) accounting for self-organizing network forces. People high in narcissism were popular, but increased less in popularity over time than people lower in narcissism. In contrast, emotionally intelligent people increased more in popularity over time than less emotionally intelligent people. The effects held when we controlled for explicit and implicit self-esteem. These results suggest that narcissism is rather disadvantageous and that EI is rather advantageous for long-term popularity

Activation of alternative oxidase and uncoupling protein lowers hydrogen peroxide formation in amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii mitochondria

AbstractMitochondria of amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii were used to determine the role of two energy-dissipating systems, i.e., a free fatty acid (FFA)-activated, purine nucleotide-inhibited uncoupling protein (AcUCP) and a FFA-insensitive, purine nucleotide-activated ubiquinol alternative oxidase (AcAOX), in decreasing reactive oxygen species production in unicellular organisms. It is shown that the activation of AcUCP by externally added FFA resulted in a strong decrease in H2O2 production, whilst the inhibition of the FFA acid-induced AcUCP activity by GDP or addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) enhanced production of H2O2. Similarly, the activation of antimycin-resistant AcAOX-mediated respiration by GMP significantly lowered H2O2 production, while inhibition of the oxidase by benzohydroxamate cancelled the GMP-induced effect on H2O2 production. When active together, both energy-dissipating systems revealed a cumulative effect on decreasing H2O2 formation. The results suggest that protection against mitochondrial oxidative stress may be a physiological role of AOX and UCP in unicellulars, such as A. castellanii

Vascular flora in cemeteries of the Roztocze region and surrounding areas (south-east Poland)

The paper presents a systematic list of vascular plant species recorded at 78 cemeteries in the Roztocze region and surrounding areas. 543 species belonging to 75 families were recorded. Of these, 99 foreign and 43 native species were cultivated. 41 species introduced by humans to cemeteries can be regarded as the so-called established cemetery species. These species, once planted on graves, continue to grow or even spread after people stopped cultivating them