scholarly journals A genetic screen for Drosophila social isolation mutants and analysis of sex pistol

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Eddison

AbstractProlonged periods of forced social isolation is detrimental to well-being, yet we know little about which genes regulate susceptibility to its effects. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, social isolation induces stark changes in behavior including increased aggression, locomotor activity, and resistance to ethanol sedation. To identify genes regulating sensitivity to isolation, I screened a collection of sixteen hundred P-element insertion lines for mutants with abnormal levels of all three isolation-induced behaviors. The screen identified three mutants whose affected genes are likely central to regulating the effects of isolation in flies. One mutant, sex pistol (sxp), became extremely aggressive and resistant to ethanol sedation when socially isolated. sxp also had a high level of male–male courtship. The mutation in sxp reduced the expression of two minor isoforms of the actin regulator hts (adducin), as well as mildly reducing expression of CalpA, a calcium-dependent protease. As a consequence, sxp also had increased expression of the insulin-like peptide, dILP5. Analysis of the social behavior of sxp suggests that these minor hts isoforms function to limit isolation-induced aggression, while chronically high levels of dILP5 increase male–male courtship.

REGION ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-97
Author(s):  
Lise Bourdeau Lepage ◽  
Balázs Kotosz

In response to the Covid‑19 health crisis, the French government has imposed various measures, referred to as social-distancing measures, including a lockdown with the primary objective of reducing face-to-face interactions between people in order to limit the spread of the virus. This paper seeks to determine if the social-distancing measures and lockdown lead to social isolation for certain people and have an impact on French people’s well-being. First, it reveals that the feelings of social isolation have substantially increased in France during this lockdown.  Second, it explores the factors that help to explain these changes by developing a predictive model and reveals that living alone, being a woman, being young are factors that explain this increase in felling of social isolation. Third, the estimation of the effects of changes in feelings of social isolation on changes in the reported level of well-being of French respondents during lockdown shows that people who reported feeling more socially isolated than others has the lowest levels of well-being among the French population; and that the increase in people’s feelings of social isolation during lockdown is a factor that has a negative impact on their level of well-being.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 321-321
Author(s):  
Hayato Uchida ◽  
Yoshinori Fujiwara ◽  
Shinro Matsuura

Abstract The aim of this study was to clarify the social isolation and its related factors of participants in senior citizen’s college in Japan. The participants were 104 persons (age 73.3+/-4.3) aged sixty-five years or over living in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. They were the students of a senior citizens’ college established by Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture in 1981. We conducted a cross- sectional study that included age, family structure, employment status, financial status, self-related health, presence of chronic disorders, instrumental activities of daily living, dietary variety score (1-10). The mental health well-being was assessed using the Japanese version of the World Health Organization Mental Health Well-being Index-five items (WHO-5). We defined social isolation as seeing friends or relatives less than two or three times a month. We carried out the survey in November in 2019. Selected variables were compared after dividing the participants into “socially isolated group” and “not socially isolated group”. A t-test, a chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted to examine the related factors of social isolation in this study. Of the 104 participants who were analyzed for social isolation, 21 (20.2%) were found to be socially isolated. From the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis, “lower mental health” (OR=4.013, 95%CI=1.745-10.435) and “lower self-related health” (OR=2.583, 95%CI=1.103-9.564) were independently associated with social isolation. These results suggest that, to prevent the social isolation of the participants in senior citizen’s college in Japan, it is necessary to develop and implement the approach which promote mental health and self-related health.


Author(s):  
Clemens Tesch-Roemer ◽  
Oliver Huxhold

Social isolation refers to the objective lack of social integration. Loneliness, in contrast, refers to the perceived lack of social integration. Loneliness has serious consequences for the well-being of aging persons. Individuals who feel lonely tend to have poorer health, less autonomy, and lower subjective well-being than individuals who do not feel lonely. Lonely individuals even tend to become more socially isolated over time. While prevalence rates of social isolation increase with advancing age, only a minority of older people suffer from severe loneliness, however. Hence, loneliness is not necessarily a consequence of growing old, but rather, depends on specific risk factors (e.g., social needs, social expectations, resources, and competencies). Interventions therefore should be focused on these risk factors (unfulfilled social needs, unmet social perceptions, and lack of resources and competencies).


Author(s):  
Natalya Shipova ◽  
Ulyana Sevastyanova

The relevance of the scientific problem and the scientific novelty are due to the social demand of society for studying problems related to the subjective well-being of people with disabilities. The focus of our attention is the psychological well-being of dyads in close relationships (romantic or marital). The aim of the study is to analyze the psychological well-being in a dyad of partners who are in close relationships. The article analyzes the characteristics inherent in close relations of couples in which one of the partners has a disability. Using the Scale of Adaptation and Cohesion (FACES-3)), the levels of adaptation and cohesion of the dyads were revealed. Methods Quality of life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire examines quality of life and subjective well-being, assesses the degree of subjective satisfaction with emotional and social spheres, health, activity in free time. Particularly analyzed data of a semi-structured interview. Empirically revealed differences in the understanding of their own close relationships depending on the health status of the partner. Dyads, including partners with disabilities, demonstrate a high level of satisfaction, average cohesion values, partial balance. The study is complex, and now there is a clear prospect for its continuation.  


Author(s):  
Aldona Żurek

In modern societies, the number of people who are socially isolated and experience constant feeling of loneliness is increasing. Main causes of this social isolation are associated with both inherent features of an individual and features of structures such as family and local community. An isolated person is a person who has limited number of significant others. Nevertheless, loneliness may also occur when a person is a part of a lot of social relations. The feeling of loneliness is therefore an individually experienced discomfort resulting from a subjective evaluation of the desired and the existing network of social relations. Both phenomena are threats to the welfare of individuals and at the same time are a challenge for organizations which are dealing with social policy. An analytical category which provides the diagnosis of loneliness and isolation is the social bond. The assessment of deficits associated with social bonds and can be performed measuring following criteria: quantity, quality and potency of the social bond.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Rens ◽  
Rudi D’Hooge ◽  
Ann Van der Jeugd

AbstractIn this study the effects of social isolation (SI) were investigated in APP/PS1 mice. It was found that SI during adolescence has an impact on anxiogenic behaviour, such that isolated animals tend to explore a threatening environment less than non-isolated animals as assessed with the EPM test, and that this holds for both AD and non-AD mice. While no evidence was found for any differences in short-term memory as assessed by the Y-maze, long-term memory seemed to be affected in a context-dependent manner. Object memory as assessed with the NOR test was affected in APP/PS1 mice compared to WT mice, but this deficit was not induced or influenced by SI. When it comes to social recognition memory however, we found that SI exacerbated the social memory deficit in AD mice, and even induced a deficit in WTs. Associative fear memory as assessed with the PA test suggested that WTs perform better when group housed, and APP/PS1 mice better when socially isolated. The link between isolation and AD, or cognition in general, may be more complex than initially thought. The effect of isolation may not be the same for AD versus non-AD subjects.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Morgan ◽  
Alexandra Protopopova ◽  
Rune Isak Dupont Birkler ◽  
Beata Itin-Shwartz ◽  
Gila Abells Sutton ◽  
...  

The recent COVID-19 pandemic led to uncertainty and severe health and economic concerns, which may have impacted human-dog relationships. Our objectives were to investigate how people perceived and acted during the COVID-19 pandemic social isolation, in regards to dog adoption and abandonment; and to examine the bidirectional relationships between dog owners’ well-being to that of their dogs. Overall, according to our analysis, the stricter the social isolation became during the pandemic, the interest in dog adoption as well as adoption rate increased significantly, while abandonment did not change. Moreover, there was a clear association between individuals’ impaired quality of life and their perceptions of poorer life quality of their dogs as well as the development of new behavioral problems. These findings suggest potential benefits for human-dog relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic, in compliance with the One Welfare approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-94
Author(s):  
Natalia Sperli Geraldes Marin dos Santos Sasaki ◽  
Marília Louvison ◽  
Camila Garcel Pancote ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Sperli Geraldes Santos ◽  
Amena Alcântara Ferraz Cury ◽  
...  

Objective: This paper is an examination of the experiences of a selected group of older Brazilians people which aims to analyse how they have been impacted by COVID-19 and, particularly, how they have been affected by protective social isolation measures. Methodology: 42 older residents of Sao Jose do Rio Preto were interviewed by phone. The applied script question was developed by International Longevity Centre the Netherlands, based at the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Aging. The data collection instrument consisted of five categories of analysis: social activities, social contacts and connectivity, well-being, vitality and health, and COVID-19 news and reports. Results: All in-person social activity ceased with the implementation of the isolation measures. Most of the interviewees pointed out to be suffering do to absence of their children, grand-children, other relatives and close friends from whom they have being apart since the beginning of the Corona virus pandemic. A large number of the interviewees recognized a worsening of their health condition and attributed it to the suspension of the physical activities and the social life that they had before isolation. Conclusion: The interviewed showed some insight about the experiences of older Brazilian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. They all revealed a strong awareness of their physical vulnerability regarding corona virus. Most accepted the need to protect themselves through isolation or any other measures. However, there are barriers that difficulty the elderly people isolation as they live with of member of the family with different ages and in poor financial situations.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emerson Lucas Silva Camargo ◽  
Bruna Isabela Adolpho de Oliveira ◽  
Igor Fessina Siffoni ◽  
Anderson Reis de Sousa ◽  
Jules Ramon Brito Teixeira ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIntroductionLittle is known about how sheltering in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 over extended periods affects individuals’ psychological well-being. This study’s objective was to analyze the factors associated with MSM’s (men who have sex with men) low psychological well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic context.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted online in the entire Brazilian territory (26 states and federal district) in April and May 2020. The participants were recruited using an adapted version of Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS), and Facebook posts. Data were collected using social media and MSM dating apps. We estimated the prevalence, crude prevalence ratio (PR), and respective confidence intervals (CI95%).ResultsThe prevalence of low psychological well-being found in the sample was 7.9%. Associated factors were belonging to the youngest group (PR: 2.76; CI95%: 1.90-4.01), having polyamorous relationships (PR: 2.78; CI95%: 1.51-5.11), not complying with social isolation measures (PR: 6.27; CI95%: 4.42-8.87), not using the social media to find partners (PR: 1.63; CI95%: 1.06-2.53), having multiple sexual partners (PR: 1.80; CI95%: 1.04-3.11), having reduced the number of partners (PR: 2.67; CI95%: 1.44-4.95), and group sex (PR: 1.82; CI95%: 1.23-2.69)ConclusionThe well-being of MSM living in Brazil was negatively affected during the social distancing measures intended to control the spread of COVID-19. The variables that contributed the most to this outcome include social isolation, relationships established with partners, and sexual behavior.Policy ImplicationsPlanning and implementing public policies and actions to promote psychological well-being are needed to improve MSM’s resilience by adopting safe strategies and behavior.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 38-38
Author(s):  
Lydia Li

Abstract This symposium brings together five studies that examined the relationship between social isolation and well-being. Two used pre-COVID data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). One aimed to identify patterns of social isolation trajectory in a 9-year period, where social isolation was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct. It identified four distinct patterns, and the pattern had a gradient relationship with health outcomes. Another examined the association between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and social well-being among older adults. It found that positive SPA predicted increased social connectedness and reduced loneliness in four years. Two other studies were based on a longitudinal survey (COVID-19 Coping Survey) that began in April 2020. One reports that adults 55+ with comorbidity at pandemic onset had persistently elevated depressive symptoms in a 6-month period, regardless of their social isolation level. Another paper suggests that physical isolation at pandemic onset was associated with elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness throughout the following six months. The fifth paper was based on two-wave data—2019 survey and 2020 COVID supplement—from the National Aging and Health Trend Study (NAHTS). It found that older adults who were very socially isolated and completely homebound before the pandemic experienced less psychological distress during the outbreak than those who were very socially integrated and not homebound. The five studies highlight the multiple dimensions of social isolation, their antecedents and development over time, and their role in shaping mental health in a pandemic context.


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