Are men intimidated by highly educated women? Undercover on Tinder

In this study, we examine the impact of an individual's education level on her/his mating success on the mobile dating app Tinder. To do so, we conducted a field experiment on Tinder in which we collected data on 3,600 profile evaluations. In line with previous research on mating preferences from multiple fields, our results indicate a heterogeneous effect of education level by gender: while women strongly prefer a highly educated potential partner, this hypothesis is rejected for men. In contrast with recent influential studies from the field of economics, we do not find any evidence that men would have an aversion to a highly educated potential partner. Additionally, in contrast with most previous research - again from multiple fields we do not find any evidence for preferences for educational assortative mating, i.e. preferring a partner with a similar education level

Climate, Deer, Rodents, and Acorns as Determinants of Variation in Lyme-Disease Risk

Risk of human exposure to vector-borne zoonotic pathogens is a function of the abundance and infection prevalence of vectors. We assessed the determinants of Lyme-disease risk (density and Borrelia burgdorferi-infection prevalence of nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks) over 13 y on several field plots within eastern deciduous forests in the epicenter of US Lyme disease (Dutchess County, New York). We used a model comparison approach to simultaneously test the importance of ambient growing-season temperature, precipitation, two indices of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) abundance, and densities of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), and acorns ( Quercus spp.), in both simple and multiple regression models, in predicting entomological risk. Indices of deer abundance had no predictive power, and precipitation in the current year and temperature in the prior year had only weak effects on entomological risk. The strongest predictors of a current year's risk were the prior year's abundance of mice and chipmunks and abundance of acorns 2 y previously. In no case did inclusion of deer or climate variables improve the predictive power of models based on rodents, acorns, or both. We conclude that interannual variation in entomological risk of exposure to Lyme disease is correlated positively with prior abundance of key hosts for the immature stages of the tick vector and with critical food resources for those hosts

The alterations of tonus and movements through the interplay between the cerebral hemispheres and the cerebellum

This paper deals with the experimental production of involuntary movenients and abnormal tonus in macaques ( Macacu mulatta ) and their alterations in these animals and in children with cerebral palsy and other cerebral lesions. The first major subdivision of the paper has three parts. The first part describes the effects of lesions in the macaque cerebral hemispheres, ranging from a small destructive lesion in area 4 to an essentially complete bicortectomy. The case histories of a few patients document some of the results. The second part reports the effects of lesions in the macaque cerebellum ranging from small vermal injuries to complete cerebellectomies. The third part is concerned with successive lesions in the cerebellum and cerebral hemispheres of macaques and with planned cerebellar lesions in a few children with grave hypertonicity and marked involuntary movements. This subdivision is illustrated with photographs of the monkeys and the children at various stages of the procedures, photographs of many monkey brains at postmortem, and some photomicrographs showing lesions. The second major subdivision has a discussion of the anatomic and the physiologic bases for the experimental results obtained and for the operations on the children. It correlates the material presented with data from the literature and is illustrated with photomicrographs of degenerated tracts and with diagrams. The paper stresses the balancing of cerebral hemisphere and cerebellar discharges in the regulation of tonus and in the stabilizing of movements. It discusses the possibility of producing more effective tonus by making carefully planned lesions in cerebellar areas of animals or of children with highly handicapping hypertonicity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49991/1/901270502_ftp.pd

Molecular characterisation and clinical outcome of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with IG-MYC rearrangement

Rarely, immunophenotypically immature B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL) carries an immunoglobulin-MYC rearrangement (IG-MYC-r). This can result in diagnostic confusion with Burkitt lymphoma/leukaemia and use of unproven individualised treatment schedules. Here we contrast the molecular characteristics of these conditions and investigate historic clinical outcome data. We identified 90 cases registered on a national BCP-ALL clinical trial/registry. Where present, diagnostic material underwent cytogenetic, exome, methylome and transcriptome analysis. Outcome was analysed to define 3-year event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). IG-MYC-r was identified in diverse cytogenetic backgrounds, co-existing with either: established BCP-ALL specific abnormalities (high hyperdiploidy n=3, KMT2A-rearrangement n=6, iAMP21 n=1, BCR-ABL n=1); BCL2/BCL6-rearrangements (n=15); or, most commonly, as the only defining feature (n=64). Within this final group, precursor-like V(D)J breakpoints predominated (8/9) and KRAS mutations were common (5/11). DNA methylation identified a cluster of V(D)J rearranged cases, clearly distinct from Burkitt leukaemia/lymphoma. Children with IG-MYC-r within that subgroup had 3-year EFS of 47% and OS of 60%, representing a high-risk BCP-ALL. To develop effective management strategies this patient group must be allowed access to contemporary, minimal residual disease adapted, prospective clinical trial protocols

Biphasic effects of NMDA on the motility of the rat portal vein

1. The effect of NMDA on the motility of the rat portal vein was studied in an isolated preparation. NMDA induced a concentration-dependent (10(−7)–10(−4) M) increase of the contraction frequency (maximum increase, 148±6% of control at NMDA 10(−4) M). 2. The NMDA-induced excitatory response was prevented by the competitive NMDA receptor antagonists (±)-2-Amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5, 5×10(−4) M) or (RS)-3-(2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl) propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP, 10(−4) M). 3. Tetrodotoxin (TTX, 10(−6) M) or atropine (10(−4) M) abolished the NMDA-induced increase of the portal vein motility and reversed the excitatory effect to a concentration-dependent inhibition (maximum inhibition, 52±8 and 29±7% of controls, respectively, at NMDA 10(−3) M). 4. Removal of the endothelium abolished the NMDA-induced inhibitory response. Sodium nitroprusside concentration-dependently (10(−7)–10(−5) M) inhibited the portal vein motility, while L-N(G)-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10(−4) M) reversed the inhibitory effect of NMDA (in the presence of TTX), restoring the portal vein spontaneous activity to control values. 5. These results show that NMDA modulates the portal vein motility in a biphasic manner: via indirect activation, through prejunctional NMDA receptors presumably located on intrinsic excitatory neuronal afferences, or via direct inhibition, through endothelial NMDA receptors activating the nitric oxide pathway. Overall these findings support the hypothesis of the existence of a peripheral glutamatergic innervation modulating the contractile activity of the rat portal vein