The emerging role of retromer in neuroprotection

Efficient sorting and transportation of integral membrane proteins, such as ion channels, nutrient transporters, signalling receptors, cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion molecules is essential for the function of cellular organelles and hence organism development and physiology. Retromer is a master controller of integral membrane protein sorting and transport through one of the major sorting station within eukaryotic cells, the endosomal network. Subtle de-regulation of retromer is an emerging theme in the pathoetiology of Parkinson's disease. Here we summarise recent advances in defining the neuroprotective role of retromer and how its de-regulation may contribute to Parkinson's disease by interfering with: lysosomal health and protein degradation, association with accessory proteins including the WASH complex and mitochondrial health

Linear Collisionless Landau Damping in Hilbert Space

The equivalence between the Laplace transform [Landau L., J. Phys. USSR, 10 (1946), 25] and Hermite transform [Zocco and Schekochihin, Phys. Plasmas, 18, 102309 (2011)] solutions of the linear collisionless Landau damping problem is proven

A feasibility test of an online intervention to prevention dating violence in emerging adults

Dating violence in emerging adults is a significant problem and few prevention programs based on the developmental needs of this age group have been developed. Our research team developed an online dating violence prevention program called WISER (Writing to Improve Self-in-Relationships) for emerging adults. The program is based on narrative therapy principles and uses structured writing techniques. A single group pre-post feasibility test of WISER was conducted with 14 college women. WISER was demonstrated to be feasible and acceptable and to show promise as an effective program to decrease dating violence in this population

Using Nuances of Emotion to Identify Personality

Past work on personality detection has shown that frequency of lexical categories such as first person pronouns, past tense verbs, and sentiment words have significant correlations with personality traits. In this paper, for the first time, we show that fine affect (emotion) categories such as that of excitement, guilt, yearning, and admiration are significant indicators of personality. Additionally, we perform experiments to show that the gains provided by the fine affect categories are not obtained by using coarse affect categories alone or with specificity features alone. We employ these features in five SVM classifiers for detecting five personality traits through essays. We find that the use of fine emotion features leads to statistically significant improvement over a competitive baseline, whereas the use of coarse affect and specificity features does not.Comment: In Proceedings of the ICWSM Workshop on Computational Personality Recognition, July 2013, Boston, US

Is humn mating adventitious or the result of lawful choice? A twin study of mate selection.

Inventory data on a large sample of middle-aged twins and their spouses confirmed that spousal pairs are consistently but weakly similar on traits of personality, interests, talents, and attitudes. We argue, however, that neither the Similarity model of mate selection, nor one of its facets, the Equity model, can account for specific mate choice. We therefore tested the hypothesis that people select their mates using idiosyncratic criteria and that the spouses of monozygotic (MZ) twins should therefore be very similar. When compared to spouses of dizygotic (DZ) twins or even to random pairs of spouses, the spouses of MZ twins failed to show the predicted excess of small intra-spouse differences. We asked 547 of these twins to rate their attitudes toward their cotwin's choices of wardrobe, furnishings, vacations, jobs - and spouses; a similar questionnaire was completed by the spouses of these twins. Both data sets confirm that MZ twins are very similar in most of their choices, more so than DZ twins, but nearly 40% of both MZs and DZs recall that they actually disliked their cotwin's choice of mate at the time that choice was made. Similarly, 30% of the spouses of MZ twins report actually disliking the identical twin of the mate they had recently selected. Our findings suggest that characteristics both of the chooser and the chosen constrain mate selection only weakly. We propose that it is romantic infatuation that commonly determines the final choice from a broad field of potential eligibles and that this phenomenon is inherently random, in the same sense as is imprinting in precocial birds

From John Lee to John Gottman: Recognizing Intra- and Interpersonal Differences to Promote Marital Satisfaction

Since Extension agents work with a variety of families, there is a desperate need to further our understanding of how to educate diverse communities on a familyrelated topic. Focused on assisting those teaching marital education to a diverse population, this study attempts to understand how individual differences impact relationship satisfaction and marital communication. Based on John Gottman’s research on marital communication and John Lee’s six love styles, 653 participants completed a survey to further understanding of the relationship between inter- and intrapersonal variables. Results revealed that marital communication and love styles accounted for 54.6% of the variance in marital satisfaction regardless of difference in demographics. Results of this study provide a resource for educators and practitioners to use with diverse clientele, while also emphasizing the need to understand both intra- and interpersonal variables when working with families

Ericka L. Daniels - Distinguishing between Risk Factors for Aggression Perpetration, and Victimization in Adolescent Dating Relationships

Objective: Aggression in adolescent romantic relationships occurs at a substantial rate and has negative effects on victims. This study will investigate risk factors that may anticipate a person’s role as a victim or perpetrator of aggression in dating relationships. Also, this study will examine whether males or females are more likely to perpetrate or be victimized by dating aggression. Expanding research on relationship aggression is important because TDV can cause significant mental and physical health problems (e.g. distress, physical injuries, and panic attacks). We focused on risk factors in four general categories: family, cognitions, emotions, and alcohol use. Some of these risk factors include: exposure to relationship violence, whether between the child and a parent or between parents, internalizing cognitions and behaviors, depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and hostility. Methods: Participants were undergraduate students from a private institution. Data was collected through a number of questionnaires completed online. Results: We found that majority of the predictors were common to both victimization and perpetration, such as alexithymia, callous, interparental and parent-child conflict. We also found unique predictors of both victimization and perpetration, which were alcohol use, and relationship quality with one’s partner. Also, attitudes accepting and justifying dating aggression uniquely predicted perpetration only. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that each unique predictor should be considered when developing strategies to reduce or prevent aggression in romantic relationships. Our study implies that couples should use alcohol moderately, find satisfaction in one’s relationship partner, and evaluate one’s beliefs about dating aggression in order to avoid TDV.https://epublications.marquette.edu/mcnair_2013/1011/thumbnail.jp

Differences in Love Attitudes Across Family Life Stages

Differences in the endorsement of six love styles among four family life stage groups were investigated using the Love Attitude Scale. The sample included 250 adults in four groups: college-age single youth, young childless married adults, married adults with children living at home, and married adults with launched children. Significant differences in the groups\u27 endorsements were found on several subscales, with most differences occurring between the non-married and married groups. Associations be- tween the love attitudes and relationship satisfaction at all life stages are discussed

Love attitudes, psychological femininity and masculinity, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and emotional intelligence of rejectors in close relationships

background The aim of the study was to determine the discrepancies between people who tend to abandon their partners in close relationships and people who are involved in longterm relationships in: love attitudes (Ludus – game playing love, Eros – passionate love, Storge – friendship love, Pragma – practical love, Mania – possessive love, Agape – altruistic love), psychological femininity and masculinity, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and emotional intelligence. participants and procedure The subjects included 60 adults who reject their partners in close relationships and a reference group of 60 adults who were involved in a close relationship. The participants had qualified as rejectors when they: described themselves as “rejectors”; declared that they were not in a romantic relationship or were in one that lasts no longer than one year, claimed that in their relationships history they had rejected their partners more often compared to when they had been rejected. The measures were used: The Love Attitudes Scale, Sex Role Inventory, Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Test of Machiavellianism MACH IV, and Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. results The results showed that rejecters score higher on Ludus and Pragma but lower on Agape and Eros, in comparison with participants from the reference group. There is correlation between masculinity and the number of partners who were rejected by rejecters. conclusions Love attitudes Ludus and Pragma predicted being a rejector in close relationships

Two politicians in a realistic experiment: attraction, discrepancy, intensity of delivery, and attitude change

The leader of the Socialists in the Dutch Parliament and his Liberal opponent participated in this realistic experiment. Identical TV interviews with the two politicians were recorded and shown to subjects of both parties. The intensity of delivery was also varied: emotional versus rational. Our findgins indicated that the experimental interveiw changed the attitude of the subjects. In addition, support was found for a second hypothesis: Attitude change was greater for the attractive source from the same party than for the less attractive source from the opposite party. Furthermore, our expectations were confirmed that attitude change would be greater with high than with low discrepancy. Although the intensity of delivery did have an effect on the credibility of the source–the emotional delivery scored lower–no effect on attitude change was found