Are you coming on to me? Bias and accuracy in couples' perceptions of sexual advances

How accurately do romantic partners perceive each other’s sexual advances? Two preregistered studies investigated whether perceivers over- or underestimate the specific behaviors their partner uses to indicate sexual interest (directional bias), as well as correctly detect the particular pattern of those behaviors (tracking accuracy). We also tested if biased and accurate perceptions were moderated by gender and explored how bias and accuracy predicted relational outcomes. Results revealed strong evidence for tracking accuracy in judgments of sexual advances overall, and mixed results for directional bias. Gender moderated only directional bias, such that women consistently overestimated their partner’s sexual advances, whereas men underestimated or showed no bias. Finally, biased sexual advance perceptions were associated with sexual satisfaction and love for both perceivers and partners. Implications for relationship functioning are discussed. </jats:p

Self-esteem, relationship threat, and dependency regulation:Independent replication of Murray, Rose, Bellavia, Holmes, and Kusche (2002) Study 3

Across three studies, Murray, Rose, Bellavia, Holmes, and Kusche (2002) found that low self-esteem individuals responded in a negative manner compared to those high in self-esteem in the face of relationship threat, perceiving their partners and relationships less positively. This was the first empirical support for the hypothesized dynamics of a dependency regulation perspective, and has had a significant impact on the field of relationship science. In the present research, we sought to reproduce the methods and procedures of Study 3 of Murray et al. (2002) to further test the two-way interaction between individual differences in self-esteem and situational relationship threat. Manipulation check effects replicated the original study, but no interaction between self-esteem and experimental condition was observed for any primary study outcomes

A parent focused child obesity prevention intervention improves some mother obesity risk behaviors : the Melbourne infant program

BackgroundThe diets, physical activity and sedentary behavior levels of both children and adults in Australia are suboptimal. The family environment, as the first ecological niche of children, exerts an important influence on the onset of children\u27s habits. Parent modeling is one part of this environment and a logical focus for child obesity prevention initiatives. The focus on parent\u27s own behaviors provides a potential opportunity to decrease obesity risk behaviors in parents as well.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of a parent-focused early childhood obesity prevention intervention on first-time mothers\u27 diets, physical activity and TV viewing time.MethodsThe Melbourne InFANT Program is a cluster-randomized controlled trial which involved 542 mothers over their newborn\u27s first 18 months of life. The intervention focused on parenting skills and strategies, including parental modeling, and aimed to promote development of healthy child and parent behaviors from birth, including healthy diet, increased physical activity and reduced TV viewing time. Data regarding mothers\u27 diet (food frequency questionnaire), physical activity and TV viewing times (self-reported questionnaire) were collected using validated tools at both baseline and post-intervention. Four dietary patterns were derived at baseline using principal components analyses including frequencies of 55 food groups. Analysis of covariance was used to measure the impact of the intervention.ResultsThe scores of both the &quot;High-energy snack and processed foods&quot; and the &quot;High-fat foods&quot; dietary patterns decreased more in the intervention group: -0.22 ([MINUS SIGN]0.42;-0.02) and [MINUS SIGN]0.25 ([MINUS SIGN]0.50;-0.01), respectively. No other significant intervention vs. control effects were observed regarding total physical activity, TV viewing time, and the two other dietary patterns, i.e. &quot;Fruits and vegetables&quot; and &quot;Cereals and sweet foods&quot;.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that supporting first-time mothers to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in their infants impacts maternal dietary intakes positively. Further research needs to assess ways in which we might further enhance those lifestyle behaviors not impacted by the InFANT intervention

Induction of HLA-B27 heavy chain homodimer formation after activation in dendritic cells

Introduction Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a severe, chronic inflammatory arthritis, with a strong association to the human major histocompatibilty complex (MHC) class I allele human leucocyte antigen (HLA) B27. Disulfide-linked HLA-B27 heavy-chain homodimers have been implicated as novel structures involved in the aetiology of AS. We have studied the formation of HLA-B27 heavy-chain homodimers in human dendritic cells, which are key antigen-presenting cells and regulators of mammalian immune responses. Method Both an in vitro dendritic-like cell line and monocyte-derived dendritic cells from peripheral blood were studied. The KG-1 dendritic-like cell line was transfected with HLA-B27 cDNA constructs, and the cellular distribution, intracellular assembly and ability of HLA-B27 to form heavy-chain homodimers was compared with human monocyte-derived dendritic cells after stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results Immature KG-1 cells expressing HLA-B27 display an intracellular source of MHC class I heavy-chain homodimers partially overlapping with the Golgi bodies, but not the endoplasmic reticulum, which is lost at cell maturation with phorbyl-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin. Significantly, the formation of HLA-B27 homodimers in transfected KG-1 cells is induced by maturation, with a transient induction also seen in LPS-stimulated human monocyte-derived dendritic cells expressing HLA-B27. The weak association of wildtype HLA-B*2705 with the transporter associated with antigen processing could also be enhanced by mutation of residues at position 114 and 116 in the peptide-binding groove to those present in the HLA-B*2706 allele. Conclusion We have demonstrated that HLA-B27 heavy-chain homodimer formation can be induced by dendritic cell activation, implying that these novel structures may not be displayed to the immune system at all times. Our data suggests that the behaviour of HLA-B27 on dendritic cells may be important in the study of inflammatory arthritis.</p

Mediators of improved child diet quality following a health promotion intervention: the Melbourne InFANT program

BACKGROUND: Young children’s diets are currently suboptimal. Given that mothers have a critical influence on children’ diets, they are typically a target of interventions to improve early childhood nutrition. Understanding the maternal factors which mediate an intervention’s effect on young children’s diets is important, but has not been well investigated. This research aimed to test whether maternal feeding knowledge, maternal feeding practices, maternal self-efficacy, and maternal dietary intakes acted as mediators of the effect of an intervention to improve child diet quality. METHODS: The Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT) Program was a cluster-randomized controlled trial, conducted from 2008–2010. This novel, low-dose, health promotion intervention was delivered quarterly over 15 months and involved educational activities, promotion of peer discussion, a DVD and written materials. Post-intervention, when children were approximately 18 months of age, child diets were assessed using multiple 24-hour recalls and a purpose-developed index of diet quality, the Obesity Protective Dietary Index. Maternal mediators were assessed using a combination of previously validated and purpose-deigned tools. Mediation analysis was conducted using the test of joint significance and difference of coefficients methods. RESULTS: Across 62 parents’ groups in Melbourne, Australia, 542 parents were recruited. Post- intervention, higher maternal feeding knowledge and lower use of foods as rewards was found to mediate the direct intervention effect on child diet quality. While other aspects of maternal feeding practices, self-efficacy and dietary intakes did not act as mediators, they were associated with child diet quality. CONCLUSIONS: Mediation analysis of this novel health promotion intervention showed the importance of maternal feeding knowledge and use of foods as rewards in impacting child diet quality. The other maternal factors assessed were appropriate targets but further research on how to impact these in an intervention is important. This evidence of intervention efficacy and mediation provides important insights for planning future interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN81847050, registered 23 November 2007. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-014-0137-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users