Mitochondrial genomes of two parasitic Cuscuta species lack clear evidence of horizontal gene transfer and retain unusually fragmented ccmFC genes

Background The intimate association between parasitic plants and their hosts favours the exchange of genetic material, potentially leading to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between plants. With the recent publication of several parasitic plant nuclear genomes, there has been considerable focus on such non-sexual exchange of genes. To enhance the picture on HGT events in a widely distributed parasitic genus, Cuscuta (dodders), we assembled and analyzed the organellar genomes of two recently sequenced species, C. australis and C. campestris, making this the first account of complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) for this genus. Results The mitogenomes are 265,696 and 275,898 bp in length and contain a typical set of mitochondrial genes, with 10 missing or pseudogenized genes often lost from angiosperm mitogenomes. Each mitogenome also possesses a structurally unusual ccmFC gene, which exhibits splitting of one exon and a shift to trans-splicing of its intron. Based on phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genes from across angiosperms and similarity-based searches, there is little to no indication of HGT into the Cuscuta mitogenomes. A few candidate regions for plastome-to-mitogenome transfer were identified, with one suggestive of possible HGT. Conclusions The lack of HGT is surprising given examples from the nuclear genomes, and may be due in part to the relatively small size of the Cuscuta mitogenomes, limiting the capacity to integrate foreign sequences.

Mitochondrial genomes of two parasitic Cuscuta species show little evidence of horizontal gene transfer and retain unusually fragmented ccmFC genes

Background: The intimate association between parasitic plants and their hosts favours the exchange of genetic material, potentially leading to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between plants. With the recent publication of several parasitic plant nuclear genomes, there has been considerable focus on such non-sexual exchange of genes. To enhance the picture on HGT events in a widely distributed parasitic genus, Cuscuta (dodders), we assembled and analyzed the organellar genomes of two recently sequenced species, C. australis and C. campestris, making this the first account of complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) for this genus. Results: The mitogenomes are 265,696 and 275,898 bp in length and contain a typical set of mitochondrial genes, with ten missing or pseudogenized genes often lost from angiosperm mitogenomes. Each mitogenome also possesses a structurally unusual ccmFC gene, which exhibits splitting of one exon and a shift to trans-splicing of its intron. Based on phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genes from across angiosperms and similarity-based searches, there is little to no indication of HGT into the Cuscuta mitogenomes. A few candidate regions for plastome-to-mitogenome transfer were identified, with one suggestive of possible HGT. Conclusions: The lack of HGT is surprising given examples from the nuclear genomes, and may be due in part to the relatively small size of our Cuscuta mitogenomes, limiting the capacity to integrate foreign sequences.

STUDI FENOMENOLOGI PADA PERILAKU SEKSUAL MAHASISWA DI KOTA MAKASSAR

The purpose of the study was to reveal the phenomenon of students' sexual experiences, to analyze the process of relationships in sexual behavior and to identify and analyze the forms of sexual activity / behavior of students in the city of Makassar. This study uses a qualitative approach, with a phenomenological strategy / design. The subjects of this study were 5 (five) informants who were students or had just finished their education and were still in sexual activity / behavior. The results of this study show 3 findings namely; (1). All informants considered that they did not violate social norms. Because their sexual activity always refers to the standard "social norms" that they make themselves based on the principle of exchange and their definition; (2) the process of sexual behavior in social exchange includes internal and external factors of each individual which also influences the sexual behavior of the informants. These internal factors include; biological needs, relieving stress or feeling depressed and is also considered a form of seriousness towards a partner; and (3) external factors originating from outside the individual person include; a free and weak social control from parents or family, lack of sexual knowledge, and economic motives or meeting economic needs. Forms of social exchange in sexual behavior among students include cost (sacrifice) and reward (rewards or rewards) as a factor in the continuity of a relationship and their sexual activity. On the one hand, sexual activity is said to be successful and enduring if interpreted equally about satisfaction between the two parties and sexual exchange is defined equally, and on the other hand, social relations or sexual activity will end if what happens is the opposite. The informants revealed their reasons for engaging in sexual activity because they wanted to get attention, love, want to get money, and even to make the script easier. ABSTRAK Tujuan penelitian, mengungkapkan fenomena pengalaman seksual mahasiswa, menganalisis proses hubungan dalam perilaku seksual dan untuk mengidentifikasi serta menganalisis bentuk aktivitas/perilaku seksual mahasiswa di Kota Makassar. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, dengan strategi/desain fenomenologi. Subjek penelitian ini ada 5 (lima) orang informan yang berstatus sebagai mahasiwa atau yang baru saja menyelesaikan pendidikannya dan masih aktivitas / perilaku seksual. Hasil penelitian ini menujukkan 3 temuan yaitu; (1). Semua informan menganggap bahwa mereka tidak melakukan pelanggaran terhadap norma sosial. Karena aktivitas seksual yang mereka lakukan selalu mengacu pada standar “norma sosial” yang mereka buat sendiri berdasarkan prinsip pertukaran dan pendefinisian mereka; (2) proses perilaku seksual dalam pertukaran sosial mencakup faktor internal dan eksternal dari setiap individu yang juga berpengaruh dalam perilaku seksual para informan. Faktor internal tersebut meliputi; kebutuhan biologis, menghilangkan rasa stres atau perasaan tertekan dan juga dianggap sebagai bentuk keseriusan terhadap pasangan; dan ( 3) faktor eksternal yang berasal dari luar diri individu tersebut meliputi; lingkungan sosial yang bebas dan lemahnya kontrol dari orang tua atau pun keluarga, kurangnya pengetahuan seksual, dan motif ekonomi atau pemenuhan kebutuhan ekonomi. Bentuk pertukaran sosial dalam perilaku seksual dikalangan mahasiswa mencakup cost (pengorbanan) dan reward (imbalan atau penghargaan) sebagai faktor keberlangsungan sebuah hubungan dan aktivitas seks mereka. Di satu sisi, aktivitas seksual dikatakan berhasil dan bertahan apabila ditafsirkan secara sama tentang kepuasan diantara kedua belah pihak dan pertukaran seksual didefinisikan secara berimbang, dan disisi lain, hubungan sosial atau aktivitas seksual akan berakhir jika yang terjadi adalah sebaliknya. Para informan mengungkapkan alasan mereka melakukan aktivitas seks karena ingin mendapatkan perhatian, kasih sayang, ingin mendapatkan uang, dan bahkan untuk mempermudah pengerjaan skripsinya.

Homeoprotein transduction in neurodevelopment and physiopathology

Homeoproteins were originally identified for embryonic cell–autonomous transcription activity, but they also have non–cell-autonomous activity owing to transfer between cells. This Review discusses transfer mechanisms and focuses on some established functions, such as neurodevelopmental regulation of axon guidance, and postnatal critical periods of brain plasticity that affect sensory processing and cognition. Homeoproteins are present across all eukaryotes, and intercellular transfer occurs in plants and animals. Proposed functions have evolutionary relevance, such as morphogenetic activity and sexual exchange during the mating of unicellular eukaryotes, while others have physiopathological relevance, such as regulation of mood and cognition by influencing brain compartmentalization, connectivity, and plasticity. There are more than 250 known homeoproteins with conserved transfer domains, suggesting that this is a common mode of signal transduction but with many undiscovered functions.

Violence and Victimization in Interactions Between Male Sex Workers and Male Clients in Mombasa, Kenya

Male sex workers (MSWs) and male clients (MCMs) who engage their services face increased vulnerability to violence in Kenya, where same-sex practices and sex work are criminalized. However, little is known about how violence might arise in negotiations between MSWs and MCMs. This study explored the types of victimization experienced by MSWs and MCMs, the contexts in which these experiences occurred, and the responses to violence among these groups. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 MSWs and 11 MCMs recruited at bars and clubs identified by peer sex worker educators as “hotspots” for sex work in Mombasa, Kenya. Violence against MSWs frequently included physical or sexual assault and theft, whereas MCMs’ experiences of victimization usually involved theft, extortion, or other forms of economic violence. Explicitly negotiating the price for the sexual exchange before having sex helped avoid conflict and violence. For many participants, guesthouses that were tolerant of same-sex encounters were perceived as safer places for engaging in sex work. MSWs and MCMs rarely reported incidents of violence to the police due to fear of discrimination and arrests by law enforcement agents. Some MSWs fought back against violence enacted by clients or tapped into peer networks to obtain information about potentially violent clients as a strategy for averting conflicts and violence. Our study contributes to the limited literature examining the perspectives of MSWs and MCMs with respect to violence and victimization, showing that both groups are vulnerable to violence and in need of interventions to mitigate violence and protect their health. Future interventions should consider including existing peer networks of MSWs in efforts to prevent violence in the context of sex work. Moreover, decriminalizing same-sex practices and sex work in Kenya may inhibit violence against MSWs and MCMs and provide individuals with safer spaces for engaging in sex work.

Aggression and Helping as Responses to Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Rejection in Men and Women

Research shows that interpersonal rejection increases aggression and decreases helping toward the rejecter. Based on the assumptions of the evolutionary approach, it was hypothesized that aggression would be higher and helping would be lower after rejection by a same-sex rather than an opposite-sex other. Moreover, it was predicted that the effect for aggression would be stronger in men, and the effect for helping would be stronger in women. Participants ( N = 100) were rejected or accepted by a same- or opposite-sex person, and later aggression and helping were measured using the tangram Help-Hurt task. The major finding was that same-sex rejection resulted in more aggression and less helping than opposite-sex rejection, but the rejectee’s sex did not moderate the effect. Instead, men were more aggressive and less helping independently of condition. Along with the sexual exchange theory, more negative behavior in same-sex rejection could be interpreted as raised in-group sexual competitive tendencies, whereas less negative behavior in opposite-sex rejection could result from the motivation to exchange resources between men and women.

Gendered Outcomes in Prostitution Arrests in Houston, Texas

This study analyzes the law enforcement response to prostitution in Houston, Texas, between 1977 and 2010 to examine whether the traditional approach to policing prostitution disproportionately penalizes women. Data included the disposition and sentencing information for 22,916 first-time prostitution arrests in Harris County. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, we explored gender differences in the likelihood of receiving punishment, the type(s) of punishment received, and the amount of punishment for first-time prostitution offenses. We find that women were disproportionately arrested for prostitution and that women were more likely to receive a jail sentence for involvement in prostitution than men were. In contrast, male arrestees for prostitution were more likely to receive probation sentences and/or fines. This study adds to a robust body of literature suggesting that gender impacts sentencing in the criminal justice system. Yet, it is unclear whether the role of the arrestee—as either a buyer or seller—moderates the effect of gender. This quandary demonstrates the need for more comprehensive data collection about the role of the arrestee in the commercial sexual exchange.

Love, Respect, and Masculinity

This chapter examines nakana from the perspective of the Point Place males. Whereas the females link nakana to material goods, a shared living space, and emotional support, the young men of Point Place conceptualize it through another ideological framework. They associate nakana with the domestic production of patriarchal control: to obedience, discipline, and respect. For them, the organizing principles of nakana relate not to models of sexual exchange, but rather to models of masculinity, which they enact as strategies of meaningful survival on the streets. The chapter studies the presence of two dominant masculinities—the isoka and umnumzana—that take shape within Point Place. Both masculinities uphold patriarchy, not through the use of direct force, but through the coercive powers of consent.