scholarly journals Female preferences for male golden snub-nosed monkeys vary with male age and social context

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Yang ◽  
Carol M Berman ◽  
Hanyu Hu ◽  
Rong Hou ◽  
Kang Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Contexts ◽  
Collective Effects ◽  
Resident Male ◽  
High Ranking ◽  
Male Age ◽  
Social Traits ◽  
Female Preferences ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Direct And Indirect Benefits

Abstract Age is a key factor affecting sexual selection, as many physical and social traits are age-related. Although studies of primate mate choice often consider particular age-related traits, few consider the collective effects of male age. We tested the hypothesis that female golden snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus roxellana prefer prime aged males (10–15 years) over younger and older males. We examined a habituated, provisioned troop during a 3-year study in the Qinling Mountains, China. Prime age males were more likely to be resident males of one-male units (OMUs) than males of other ages. Since females are free to transfer between OMUs, the number of females per OMU can be indicative of female preferences. We examined the number of females per OMU, and found that it increased with resident male age up to 7–8 years, and declined after 12 years, such that prime age resident males had more females than other resident males. Females also initiated extra-unit copulations with high-ranking prime age males at significantly higher rates than with other males. Nevertheless, females tended to transfer from OMUs with high-ranking, older resident males to those with lower-ranking, younger resident males. Thus, females appear to use different strategies when choosing social mates and extra-unit mates (i.e., different social contexts). We speculate that females may perceive early signs of aging in males and trade off the benefits and costs of high rank vs. male senescence. This study lays the groundwork for future studies that examine possible direct and indirect benefits of such strategies.

scholarly journals Human-Robot Handshaking: A Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vignesh Prasad ◽  
Ruth Stock-Homburg ◽  
Jan Peters
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Social Robots ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Natural Interaction ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Verbal Behaviour ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Physical Touch

AbstractFor some years now, the use of social, anthropomorphic robots in various situations has been on the rise. These are robots developed to interact with humans and are equipped with corresponding extremities. They already support human users in various industries, such as retail, gastronomy, hotels, education and healthcare. During such Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) scenarios, physical touch plays a central role in the various applications of social robots as interactive non-verbal behaviour is a key factor in making the interaction more natural. Shaking hands is a simple, natural interaction used commonly in many social contexts and is seen as a symbol of greeting, farewell and congratulations. In this paper, we take a look at the existing state of Human-Robot Handshaking research, categorise the works based on their focus areas, draw out the major findings of these areas while analysing their pitfalls. We mainly see that some form of synchronisation exists during the different phases of the interaction. In addition to this, we also find that additional factors like gaze, voice facial expressions etc. can affect the perception of a robotic handshake and that internal factors like personality and mood can affect the way in which handshaking behaviours are executed by humans. Based on the findings and insights, we finally discuss possible ways forward for research on such physically interactive behaviours.

scholarly journals Sperm DNA methylation mediates the association of male age on reproductive outcomes among couples undergoing infertility treatment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oladele A. Oluwayiose ◽  
Haotian Wu ◽  
Hachem Saddiki ◽  
Brian W. Whitcomb ◽  
Laura B. Balzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Infertility Treatment ◽  
Reproductive Outcomes ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Male Age ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Sperm Dna ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sperm Dna Methylation

AbstractParental age at time of offspring conception is increasing in developed countries. Advanced male age is associated with decreased reproductive success and increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Mechanisms for these male age effects remain unclear, but changes in sperm DNA methylation over time is one potential explanation. We assessed genome-wide methylation of sperm DNA from 47 semen samples collected from male participants of couples seeking infertility treatment. We report that higher male age was associated with lower likelihood of fertilization and live birth, and poor embryo development (p < 0.05). Furthermore, our multivariable linear models showed male age was associated with alterations in sperm methylation at 1698 CpGs and 1146 regions (q < 0.05), which were associated with > 750 genes enriched in embryonic development, behavior and neurodevelopment among others. High dimensional mediation analyses identified four genes (DEFB126, TPI1P3, PLCH2 and DLGAP2) with age-related sperm differential methylation that accounted for 64% (95% CI 0.42–0.86%; p < 0.05) of the effect of male age on lower fertilization rate. Our findings from this modest IVF population provide evidence for sperm methylation as a mechanism of age-induced poor reproductive outcomes and identifies possible candidate genes for mediating these effects.

scholarly journals Wishes and Gratitude of Students from Private and Public Schools

Psico-USF ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa A. Merçon-Vargas ◽  
Maria Adélia M. Pieta ◽  
Lia Beatriz de Lucca Freitas ◽  
Jonathan R. H. Tudge
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Curve Estimation ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Chi Square Analysis

Abstract We examined social class (measured by attendance in public or private schools), gender, and age-related variations in the expression of wishes and gratitude of 430 7- to 14-year-olds (181 male, 62.1% from public schools). Chi-square analysis indicated that students from private schools expressed significantly more social-oriented wishes and connective gratitude, whereas those from public schools expressed significantly more self-oriented wishes. Girls in the public schools expressed significantly more self-oriented wishes and verbal gratitude than did boys. Regression analysis (curve estimation) indicated that verbal gratitude, self- and social oriented wishes increased and concrete gratitude decreased significantly with age, but connective gratitude tended to increase. These findings support the idea that gratitude and wish types involve the development of cognitive aspects, such as taking others into account and thinking about the future, but it is also influenced by the social contexts in which children live, such as their social class.

scholarly journals Peptide location fingerprinting reveals modification-associated biomarkers of ageing in human tissue proteomes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matiss Ozols ◽  
Alexander Eckersley ◽  
Kieran T Mellody ◽  
Venkatesh Mallikarjun ◽  
Stacey Warwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Modification ◽  
Protein Structures ◽  
Cytoskeletal Proteins ◽  
Structural Modifications ◽  
Location Fingerprinting ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Aged Skin ◽  
Novel Biomarkers

AbstractAlthough dysfunctional protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is a key factor in many age-related diseases, the untargeted identification of structural modifications in proteins remains challenging. Peptide location fingerprinting is a proteomic analysis technique capable of identifying structural modification-associated differences in mass spectrometry (MS) datasets of complex biological samples. A new webtool (Manchester Peptide Location Fingerprinter), applied to photoaged and intrinsically aged skin proteomes, can relatively quantify peptides (spectral counting) and map statistically significant differences to regions within protein structures. New photoageing biomarkers were identified in multiple proteins including matrix components (collagens and proteoglycans), oxidation and protease modulators (peroxiredoxins and SERPINs) and cytoskeletal proteins (keratins). Crucially, for many extracellular biomarkers, structural modification-associated differences were not correlated with relative abundance (by ion intensity). By applying peptide location fingerprinting to published MS datasets, (identifying biomarkers including collagen V and versican in ageing tendon) we demonstrate the potential of the MPLF webtool to discover novel biomarkers.

African Masculinities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ndubueze L. Mbah
Keyword(s):  
Social Contexts ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Sexual Identities ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Social Traits ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Gender System

As a system of identity, African masculinity is much more than a cluster of norms, values, and behavioral patterns expressing explicit and implicit expectations of how men should act and represent themselves to others. It also refers to more than how African male bodies, subjectivities, and experiences are constituted in specific historical, cultural, and social contexts. African masculinities, as historical subjects embodying distinctive socially constructed gender and sexual identities, have been both male and female. By occupying a masculine sociopolitical position, embodying masculine social traits, and performing cultural deeds socially construed and symbolized as masculine, African men and women have constituted masculinity. Across various African societies and times, there have been multiple and conflicting notions of masculinities, promoted by local and foreign institutions, and there have been ceaseless contestations and synergies among the various forms of hegemonic, subordinate, and subversive African masculinities. Men and women have frequently brought their own agendas to bear on the political utility of particular notions of masculinity. Through such performances of masculinity, Africans have constantly negotiated the institutional power dynamics of gender relations. So, the question is not whether Africans worked with gender binaries, because they did. As anthropologist John Wood puts it, African indigenous logic of gender becomes evident in the juxtaposition, symbolic reversals, and interrelation of opposites. Rather, one should ask, why and how did African societies generate a fluid gender system in which biological sex did not always correspond to gender, such that anatomically male and female persons could normatively occupy socially constructed masculine and feminine roles and vice versa? And how did African mutually constitutive gender and sexuality constructions shape African societies?

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Learning Social and Non-Social Network Structures

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Tompson ◽  
Ari E Kahn ◽  
Emily B. Falk ◽  
Jean M Vettel ◽  
Danielle S Bassett
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Order Structure ◽  
Network Learning ◽  
Social Traits ◽  
The Impact

Learning about complex associations between pieces of information enables individuals to quickly adjust their expectations and develop mental models. Yet, the degree to which humans can learn higher-order information about complex associations is not well understood; nor is it known whether the learning process differs for social and non-social information. Here, we employ a paradigm in which the order of stimulus presentation forms temporal associations between the stimuli, collectively constituting a complex network structure. We examined individual differences in the ability to learn network topology for which stimuli were social versus non-social. Although participants were able to learn both social and non-social networks, their performance in social network learning was uncorrelated with their performance in non-social network learning. Importantly, social traits, including social orientation and perspective-taking, uniquely predicted the learning of social networks but not the learning of non-social networks. Taken together, our results suggest that the process of learning higher-order structure in social networks is independent from the process of learning higher-order structure in non-social networks. Our study design provides a promising approach to identify neurophysiological drivers of social network versus non-social network learning, extending our knowledge about the impact of individual differences on these learning processes. Implications for how people learn and adapt to new social contexts that require integration into a new social network are discussed.

scholarly journals Spatial sequestration and detoxification of Huntingtin by the ribosome quality control complex

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junsheng Yang ◽  
Xinxin Hao ◽  
Xiuling Cao ◽  
Beidong Liu ◽  
Thomas Nyström
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Polyglutamine Expansions ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Super Resolution Microscopy ◽  
Control Complex

Huntington disease (HD) is a neurological disorder caused by polyglutamine expansions in mutated Huntingtin (mHtt) proteins, rendering them prone to form inclusion bodies (IB). We report that in yeast, such IB formation is a factor-dependent process subjected to age-related decline. A genome-wide, high-content imaging approach, identified the E3 ubiquitin ligase, Ltn1 of the ribosome quality control complex (RQC) as a key factor required for IB formation, ubiquitination, and detoxification of model mHtt. The failure of ltn1∆ cells to manage mHtt was traced to another RQC component, Tae2, and inappropriate control of heat shock transcription factor, Hsf1, activity. Moreover, super-resolution microscopy revealed that mHtt toxicity in RQC-deficient cells was accompanied by multiple mHtt aggregates altering actin cytoskeletal structures and retarding endocytosis. The data demonstrates that spatial sequestration of mHtt into IBs is policed by the RQC-Hsf1 regulatory system and that such compartmentalization, rather than ubiquitination, is key to mHtt detoxification.

scholarly journals Intercellular Transfer of Mitochondria between Senescent Cells through Cytoskeleton-Supported Intercellular Bridges Requires mTOR and CDC42 Signalling

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Hannah E. Walters ◽  
Lynne S. Cox
Keyword(s):  
Cell Communication ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Proliferating Cells ◽  
Intercellular Bridges ◽  
Telomere Attrition ◽  
Acute Response ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Cell Age ◽  
Organelle Transfer ◽  
Key Factor

Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cell proliferation arrest induced by various stressors including telomere attrition, DNA damage, and oncogene induction. While beneficial as an acute response to stress, the accumulation of senescent cells with increasing age is thought to contribute adversely to the development of cancer and a number of other age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases for which there are currently no effective disease-modifying therapies. Non-cell-autonomous effects of senescent cells have been suggested to arise through the SASP, a wide variety of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and exosomes secreted by senescent cells. Here, we report an additional means of cell communication utilised by senescent cells via large numbers of membrane-bound intercellular bridges—or tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs)—containing the cytoskeletal components actin and tubulin, which form direct physical connections between cells. We observe the presence of mitochondria in these TNTs and show organelle transfer through the TNTs to adjacent cells. While transport of individual mitochondria along single TNTs appears by time-lapse studies to be unidirectional, we show by differentially labelled co-culture experiments that organelle transfer through TNTs can occur between different cells of equivalent cell age, but that senescent cells, rather than proliferating cells, appear to be predominant mitochondrial donors. Using small molecule inhibitors, we demonstrate that senescent cell TNTs are dependent on signalling through the mTOR pathway, which we further show is mediated at least in part through the downstream actin-cytoskeleton regulatory factor CDC42. These findings have significant implications for the development of senomodifying therapies, as they highlight the need to account for local direct cell-cell contacts as well as the SASP in order to treat cancer and diseases of ageing in which senescence is a key factor.

scholarly journals The nucleus pulposus microenvironment in the intervertebral disc: the fountain of youth?

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 707-738
Author(s):  
J , Guerrero ◽  
◽  
S Häckel ◽  
AS Croft ◽  
S Hoppe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Intervertebral Disc ◽  
Nucleus Pulposus ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Disc Disease ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Fountain Of Youth ◽  
And Function ◽  
Ivd Degeneration

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a complex tissue, and its degeneration remains a problem for patients, without significant improvement in treatment strategies. This mostly age-related disease predominantly affects the nucleus pulposus (NP), the central region of the IVD. The NP tissue, and especially its microenvironment, exhibit changes that may be involved at the outset or affect the progression of IVD pathology. The NP tissue microenvironment is unique and can be defined by a variety of specific factors and components characteristic of its physiology and function. NP progenitor cell interactions with their surrounding microenvironment may be a key factor for the regulation of cellular metabolism, phenotype, and stemness. Recently, celltransplantation approaches have been investigated for the treatment of degenerative disc disease, highlighting the need to better understand if and how transplanted cells can give rise to healthy NP tissue. Hence, understanding all the components of the NP microenvironment seems to be critical to better gauge the success and outcomes of approaches for tissue engineering and future clinical applications. Knowledge about the components of the NP microenvironment, how NP progenitor cells interact with them, and how changes in their surroundings can alter their function is summarised. Recent discoveries in NP tissue engineering linked to the microenvironment are also reviewed, meaning how crosstalk within the microenvironment can be adjusted to promote NP regeneration. Associated clinical problems are also considered, connecting bench-to-bedside in the context of IVD degeneration.

scholarly journals Ambulatory Assessment in Lifespan Psychology

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane A. Hoppmann ◽  
Michaela Riediger
Keyword(s):  
Internal Validity ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Ambulatory Assessment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Developmental Study ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Age Related

Ambulatory assessment represents a powerful research tool in lifespan psychology because it allows assessing the within-person variability of developmental processes as it occurs within context-specific influences of people’s natural environments. Following a discussion of historical origins, we review four current research themes in developmentally relevant ambulatory assessment studies that use electronic devices as assessment instruments: (a) affective-motivational development, (b) social contexts of development, (c) age-related challenges and everyday functioning, and (d) cognitive development. Overall, the reviewed research demonstrates that ambulatory assessment complements traditional developmental study designs and laboratory assessments in important ways. Acknowledging the strengths and limitations of ambulatory assessment approaches, we propose that ambulatory assessment will benefit lifespan psychology most if it becomes an integral part of multimethod investigations of developmental phenomena that balance the external and internal validity of findings. Future research should strengthen the lifespan perspective in ambulatory assessment approaches, combine multiple indicators (subjective and objective) of successful development, and attend to the fact that individual development often interacts with significant others.

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