Is Promiscuity Associated with Enhanced Selection on MHC-DQα in Mice (genus Peromyscus)?

Reproductive behavior may play an important role in shaping selection on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes. For example, the number of sexual partners that an individual has may affect exposure to sexually transmitted pathogens, with more partners leading to greater exposure and, hence, potentially greater selection for variation at MHC loci. To explore this hypothesis, we examined the strength of selection on exon 2 of the MHC-DQα locus in two species of Peromyscus. While the California mouse (P. californicus) is characterized by lifetime social and genetic monogamy, the deer mouse (P. maniculatus) is socially and genetically promiscuous; consistent with these differences in mating behavior, the diversity of bacteria present within the reproductive tracts of females is significantly greater for P. maniculatus. To test the prediction that more reproductive partners and exposure to a greater range of sexually transmitted pathogens are associated with enhanced diversifying selection on genes responsible for immune function, we compared patterns and levels of diversity at the Class II MHC-DQα locus in sympatric populations of P. maniculatus and P. californicus. Using likelihood based analyses, we show that selection is enhanced in the promiscuous P. maniculatus. This study is the first to compare the strength of selection in wild sympatric rodents with known differences in pathogen milieu

Synonymous but not the same: the causes and consequences of codon bias

Despite their name, synonymous mutations have significant consequences for cellular processes in all taxa. As a result, an understanding of codon bias is central to fields as diverse as molecular evolution and biotechnology. Although recent advances in sequencing and synthetic biology have helped resolve longstanding questions about codon bias, they have also uncovered striking patterns that suggest new hypotheses about protein synthesis. Ongoing work to quantify the dynamics of initiation and elongation is as important for understanding natural synonymous variation as it is for designing transgenes in applied contexts

Marital Adjustment

The definition of this construct is one of the most controversial topics in the literature. On the basis of various contributions, marital adjustment can be defined as a multidimensional indicator of the quality of marital relationship. Evolution of the Construct Marital adjustment is one of the most studied dimensions in the couple and family research literature. According to Spanier (1976, p. 15), already by the 1970s, marital adjustment was \u201cprobably the most frequently investigated dependent variable in the field\u201d. Also during the last 30 years, family researchers and scholars have maintained a strong interest on marital adjustment, as an outcome (Shriner 2009). The literature on marital adjustment reveals a variety of factors that are related to the dyadic adjustment (e.g., individual aspects like personality traits, irrational beliefs, and dysfunctional emotions Abbasi 2017; Filipovi\u107 et al. 2016 and relational aspects like romantic attachment and dyadic coping (Young et al. 2017). Over the last decade, a substantial number of studies have focused on the role of personality traits in predicting the quality of adult romantic relationships (Abbasi 2017; Lampis et al. 2018; Rusu et al. 2019)

The Intersectionality of Intimate Partner Violence in the Black Community

To adequately address intimate partner violence in the black community in the USA, it is imperative to discuss historical oppression and examine how intersecting realities influence intimate partner/gender-based violence and individual, community, and systemic responses. Institutionalized and internalized oppression through racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, xenophobia, religious subjugation, etc., perpetuates unrecognized, unaddressed, and denied traumatic experiences for black survivors. One of the leading causes of death for black women aged 15–35 is intimate partner violence. Black women are almost three times more likely than white women to be killed by an intimate partner. This chapter will explore why culturally specific, trauma-informed practices are essential for holistic responses. For a black survivor, oppression, implicit/explicit bias, and racial loyalty/collectivism directly impact how female survivors perceive, react to, and report intimate partner violence. Racism and stereotypes continue to contribute to the failure of the legal systems, crisis services, and other programs to provide adequate resources and assistance to black survivors. Survivors who are foreign-born Africans, Afro Caribbeans, and Afro Latinas experience limited access to services in their first languages and/or limited interpreters who speak the native language, fear of interacting with systems and deportation, and little cultural understanding and empathy from service providers. We will provide promising practices, guiding principles, and culturally specific resources to illuminate the opportunities that exist to support the resiliency, autonomy, and self-determination of black survivors