Age Preferences in Dating Advertisements by Homosexuals and Heterosexuals: From Sociobiological to Sociological Explanations

Current sociobiological thought suggests that significant components of mate selection are based on indicators that correlate with the ability to produce and support offspring. Theorists have suggested that men tend to be attracted to and marry younger women, while women tend to be attracted to and marry older men. This behavior is referred to as age hypergamy. I complicate this picture by using gay men as a population in which to explore alternative components of mate selection as reflected in our behavior. Analyses of 120 dating advertisements from gay men and heterosexual men and women indicated that there exists a good measure of hypergamic age preference that is comparable to the heterosexual population and that relates to subjects’ gender presentation. Data suggest that the biological-reproductive theory of age hypergamy is incomplete and support a cultural reproduction model of gender role behavior and preference in both heterosexuals and homosexuals.     

Agricultural development,diet and nutrition

The geographical distribution of infant mortality rates (IMRs) in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul follows closely the pattern of land tenure, with high IMRs in districts of large ranches and lower rates in districts of small fanns. A household anthropometric survey of 802 children aged 12 to 35.9 months living in two districts with contrasting IMRs and land tenure patterns revealed that prevalences of protein‐energy malnutrition were consistent with these differentials. The survey showed that children in the district with large ranches were more likely to present with stunting, wasting and underweight than those in the small‐farms district. When the analysis was restricted to rural children, these differentials were even wider — 4‐fold for length for age and 13‐fold for weight for age. Children of labourers were more likely to be malnourished than those of landowners, while children of sharecroppers presented intermediate levels. On the other hand, among children of landowners, there was no association between the area of land owned by the family and malnutrition, or according to whether most of the food consumed was home grown or not.     

Caucasian and Mexican American low‐income children's thoughts about vegetables and fruits

The objective of this study was to determine behavioral, personal, and environmental factors that influence low‐income children's fruit and vegetable intake. Focus group questions were developed using the social cognitive theory (SCT). Four Caucasian (27 children) and six Mexican American focus groups (30 children) were conducted. Mexican‐American children stated they had the ability to prepare vegetables and fruits whereas Caucasian children expressed they would rather have their parents do the preparation. This is an example of the behavioral capability construct of SCT. Both ethnic groups mentioned they did not know where vegetables and fruits were stored in the home and this is an environmental construct of SCT. Personal factors of the SCT included Caucasian children preferring to add peanut butter and Ranch dip to vegetables compared to Mexican‐American children preferring to add salt, lime, and chili to vegetables. Sweetness, sourness, juiciness, and crunchiness were seen as good characteristics. All focus groups perceived vegetables and fruits as healthy. All of these issues need to be considered when developing nutrition programming for children.     

Allosteric peptide regulators of chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7

The chemokine CXCL12 and its shared seven-transmembrane receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 regulate diseases including cancer, atherosclerosis, autoimmunity, and HIV infection, making these molecules promising drug targets. These molecules also control key processes in normal development and physiology, suggesting the need to selectively modulate CXCR4 and/or CXCR7 functions and signaling to reduce potential complications of long-term therapy. We previously identified two peptides that functioned as allosteric agonists driving CXCR4-dependent chemotaxis, providing key structural information to design a small number of additional peptides to investigate determinants of CXCL12 interactions and signaling through CXCR4 and CXCR7. In the current study, we show that the previously identified peptides only minimally activated CXCR4 signaling through the cytosolic adapter protein β-arrestin 2 and do not initiate signaling to ERK1/2. By comparison, peptides with diverse N-terminal amino acid sequences effectively activated CXCR7 signaling to β-arrestin 2. One peptide, designated as GSLW based on its N-terminal amino acids, activated CXCR7 signaling and potentiated CXCL12-CXCR7 signaling without blocking the scavenger function of CXCR7 to internalize CXCL12. These results advance our understanding of CXCR7 ligand recognition and signaling, and provide structural information to target allosteric binding sites on this receptor as chemical probes and potential therapeutic agents.     

Preclinical Safety and Pharmacology of Hematide™, a Peptidic Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agent (ESA), in Rats and Monkeys

The pharmacology, toxicokinetics, and safety of Hematide^TM, a synthetic peptidic erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), were characterized. Hematide was given intravenously (0, 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg) weekly for five weeks with a 6- (rat) and 12-week (monkey) recovery period. The pharmacological action of Hematide resulted in polycythemia. Histopathology consistent with drug-induced exaggerated pharmacology was observed primarily in rats. Secondary sequelae resulting from pronounced polycythemia was considered the cause of deaths in rats and a single high-dose monkey. Toxicokinetic analysis indicated prolonged exposure. In conclusion, Hematide is a potent ESA and the safety and efficacy profile support clinical development.     

A systematic approach for identifying and presenting mechanistic evidence in human health assessments

Clear documentation of literature search and presentation methodologies can improve transparency in chemical hazard assessments. We sought to improve clarity for the scientific support for cancer mechanisms of action using a systematic approach to literature retrieval, selection, and presentation of studies. The general question was “What are the mechanisms by which a chemical may cause carcinogenicity in the target tissue?”. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was used as a case study chemical with a complex database of >3000 publications. Relevant mechanistic events were identified from published reviews. The PubMed search strategy included relevant synonyms and wildcards for DEHP and its metabolites, mechanistic events, and species of interest. Tiered exclusion/inclusion criteria for study pertinence were defined, and applied to the retrieved literature. Manual curation was conducted for mechanistic events with large literature databases. Literature trees documented identification and selection of the literature evidence. The selected studies were summarized in evidence tables accompanied by succinct narratives. Primary publications were deposited into the Health and Environmental Research Online (http://hero.epa.gov/) database and identified by pertinence criteria and key terms to permit organized retrieval. This approach contributes to human health assessment by effectively managing a large volume of literature, improving transparency, and facilitating subsequent synthesis of information across studies.     

CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF A SLEEP ASSESSMENT FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE SETTINGS

Disturbed sleep affects multiple aspects of an individual's life, including daytime activity, social interactions, mood, and quality of life. Individuals with mental health issues often experience disturbed sleep, and particular attention must be given to underlying lifestyle, family issues, and health problems that may perpetuate a sleep complaint. In addition to patients' medical conditions, clinicians should ask patients about their sleep-wake patterns and medication use, since these factors contribute to disturbed sleep and adverse mental health outcomes. This article provides advanced practice nurses with a brief sleep assessment guide for use in psychiatric practice with adults or children.