Deceptive affection is strategically expressed under relational threat—but not towards partners with low mate value

Drawing on data from 1,993 participants, we demonstrated that deceptive affectionate messages (DAMs; e.g., faking sexual pleasure, expressing affection when feeling negatively) are the behavioral output of an evolved psychological system that strategically operates to maintain significant pair bonds (i.e., high mate value partners)—but not non-significant pair bonds (i.e., low mate value partners)—and regulates the expression of this behavioral output depending on an underlying cost-benefit ratio. This system is uniquely and nonrandomly designed to increasingly generate DAMs when the target individual’s highly-valued partnership is under relational threat and increasingly withdraw DAMs when the highly-valued partnership is not under threat—but neither increasingly generate nor withdraw DAMs for non-valuable partnerships—to maximize the benefits afforded by valuable romantic partnerships.

Nursing Students' Perceptions of Faculty Caring as a Predictor of Students' Caring Behaviors

This cross-sectional, descriptive survey study aimed to examine the relationships among nursing students' perceptions of faculty caring, students' caring behaviors, and their confidence, satisfaction, and empathy in an undergraduate nursing program. The instruments included the Caring Behaviors Inventory-16 Student Version, Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring, and students' confidence, satisfaction, and empathy. There were significant pair-wise relationships among students' perceptions of faculty caring, students' caring behaviors, satisfaction, confidence, and empathy. Students' perceptions of faculty caring were a significant predictor for students' caring behaviors. These findings are significant in future designing and implementing interventions to enhance students' learning experiences.

Neuronal thresholds and correlations in the peripheral vestibular system during rotation discrimination

ABSTRACTNeuronal and behavioral thresholds were measured simultaneously as trained male macaques performed a yaw rotation discrimination task in darkness. When corrected to account for variations in neuronal direction preferences, neurons in the vestibular nuclei and semicircular canal afferents had discrimination thresholds that were only two-fold smaller than behavioral thresholds. There was no significant trial-by-trial correlation between neuronal activity and perceptual decisions, despite the presence of significant pair-wise noise correlations. The lack of choice-related activity during rotation discrimination contrasts with the robust correlations observed previously between brainstem neurons and choices during translation perception. These results suggest task-dependent differences in subcortical processing of vestibular signals, as well as how signals related to perceptual decisions may propagate back to early stages of sensory processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThis is the first ever simultaneous recordings of neural and behavioral thresholds during rotation discrimination. Its importance lies on the fact that the vestibular system provides an excellent model to probe origins of perception because directional selectivity signals are similar at many levels of processing, from afferents to cortex. The findings of similar neuronal and behavioral discrimination thresholds, significant inter-neuronal correlations, but lack of correlations between behavior and neuronal activity of both afferents and central brainstem neurons are intriguing and suggest task-dependent organization of early sensory areas.

Lignin Effect on Tensile Properties of Biodegradable Urea-Crosslinked Starch in Aerobic Soil Microcosm

Lignin has proved its potential role as biodegradable filler for reinforcement of composite materials derived from renewable resources. Slow release fertilizer (SRF) based on starch was tested with different lignin weight percentages (5, 10, 15, 20 wt%) to analyze its effect on mechanical properties of non-biodegraded (NB) samples before and biodegraded (BD) samples after the incubation in the aerobic soil microcosm. In all NB samples, elongation at break (EB), young’s modulus (YM) and tensile strength (TS) was improved with increasing lignin from 5 to 20 wt%. However, in all BD samples, percent change in EB, YM was increased towards higher values as the lignin percentage increases. It was also observed a significant difference (pair t-test, p < 0.05) between each composition before and after biodegradation. In BD samples with 5-15 wt% lignin, percent change in mechanical properties was non-significant (pair t-test, p > 0.05). It was further noticed that percent change in mechanical properties was low in BD samples with lignin compared to the BD samples without lignin. From the present work, it is concluded that lignin strengthens the lignin-starch matrix in NB samples and it also reduced the impact of mechanical properties loss in BD samples.

Variation for apical sterility among diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid Iranian wheats under meiotic stage water-stressed and well-watered conditions

Genetic variation for improving water-stress tolerance has been lost during selection and modern breeding in wheat. Thus, finding genetic sources for drought tolerance is more likely in landraces and wild species than in modern varieties. The objectives of this study were to determine variations for water-stress-induced apical sterility and some related characters among Iranian landraces and wild species, and to analyse the contribution of apical sterility and related characters to grain production of the genotypes. The results showed considerable variation among wheat genotypes for water-stress-induced apical sterility and its related characters. Variations were also observed between ploidy levels for some of these characters. However, the amount of variation observed among the genotypes was not the same for all characters and in all treatments. Considerable significant pair-wise differences were also observed between genotypes for apical sterility under water-stressed conditions. In addition, regression analysis revealed that grain yield per plant is mainly dependent on ovary weight under well-watered conditions and on anther weight under water-stressed conditions.

Induction of pairing in male scale worm Harmothoe imbricata (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) by chemical signals

A behavioural assay based on a ‘homosexual’ response in males has revealed that female Harmothoe imbricata release a substance that induces pair formation. Extracts from unfertilized spawned oocytes (diameter approximately 120 μm), but not sub-mature oocytes (90 μm diameter) removed directly from the coelomic cavity, have significant pair formation-inducing activity in comparison to the control. Preliminary results indicate that the substance is stable under standard purification techniques and larger than 10 kDa, as well as being heat and trypsin insensitive.