Carrolljones9781

t psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis among men, and highlight the importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness early in life.Political disagreements in social media can result in removing (i.e., "unfriending") a person from one's online network. Given that such actions could lead to the (ideological) homogenization of networks, it is pivotal to understand the psychological processes intertwined in unfriending decisions. This requires not only addressing different types of disagreements but also analyzing them in the relational context they occur. This article proposes that political disagreements leading to drastic measures such as unfriending are attributable to more deeply rooted moral dissents. Based on moral foundations theory and relationship regulation research, this work presents empirical evidence from two experiments. In both studies, subjects rated political statements (that violated different moral foundations) with regard to perceived reprehensibility and the likelihood of unfriending the source. Study 1 (N = 721) revealed that moral judgments of a political statement are moderately related to the unfriending decision. Study 2 (N = 822) replicated this finding but indicated that unfriending is less likely when the source of the morally reprehensible statement is relationally close to the unfriender and provides emotional support. This research extends unfriending literature by pointing to morality as a new dimension of analysis and offers initial evidence uncovering the psychological trade-off behind the decision of terminating digital ties. Drawing on this, our findings inform research on the homogenization of online networks by indicating that selective avoidance (in the form of politically motivated unfriending) is conditional upon the relational context and the interpersonal benefits individuals receive therein.Nucleosome positioning in the genome is essential for the regulation of many nuclear processes. We currently have limited capability to predict nucleosome positioning in vivo, especially the locations and sizes of nucleosome depleted regions (NDRs). Here, we present a thermodynamic model that incorporates the intrinsic affinity of histones, competitive binding of sequence-specific factors, and nucleosome remodeling to predict nucleosome positioning in budding yeast. The model shows that the intrinsic affinity of histones, at near-saturating histone concentration, is not sufficient in generating NDRs in the genome. However, the binding of a few factors, especially RSC towards GC-rich and poly(A/T) sequences, allows us to predict ~ 66% of genome-wide NDRs. The model also shows that nucleosome remodeling activity is required to predict the correct NDR sizes. The validity of the model was further supported by the agreement between the predicted and the measured nucleosome positioning upon factor deletion or on exogenous sequences introduced into yeast. Overall, our model quantitatively evaluated the impact of different genetic components on NDR formation and illustrated the vital roles of sequence-specific factors and nucleosome remodeling in this process.Insect pests cause serious damage in crop production, and various attempts have been made to produce insect-resistant crops, including the expression of genes for proteins with anti-herbivory activity, such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxins. However, the number of available genes with sufficient anti-herbivory activity is limited. MLX56 is an anti-herbivory protein isolated from the latex of mulberry plants, and has been shown to have strong growth-suppressing activity against the larvae of a variety of lepidopteran species. As a model of herbivore-resistant plants, we produced transgenic tomato lines expressing the gene for MLX56. selleck The transgenic tomato lines showed strong anti-herbivory activities against the larvae of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. Surprisingly, the transgenic tomato lines also exhibited strong activity against the attack of western flower thrips, Frankliniera occidentalis. Further, growth of the hadda beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata, fed on leaves of transgenic tomato was significantly retarded. The levels of damage caused by both western flower thrips and hadda beetles were negligible in the high-MLX56-expressing tomato line. These results indicate that introduction of the gene for MLX56 into crops can enhance crop resistance against a wide range of pest insects, and that MLX56 can be utilized in developing genetically modified (GM) pest-resistant crops.

HIV-positive women suffer a high burden of mental disorders due in part to gender-based violence (GBV). Comorbid depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are typical psychiatric consequences of GBV. Despite attention to the HIV-GBV syndemic, few HIV clinics offer formal mental healthcare. This problem is acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's majority of HIV-positive women live and prevalence of GBV is high.

We conducted a randomized controlled trial at an HIV clinic in Kisumu, Kenya. GBV-affected HIV-positive women with both major depressive disorder (MDD) and PTSD were randomized to 12 sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) plus treatment as usual (TAU) or Wait List+TAU. Nonspecialists were trained to deliver IPT inside the clinic. After 3 months, participants were reassessed, and those assigned to Wait List+TAU were given IPT. The primary outcomes were diagnosis of MDD and PTSD (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included symptom mea across 6-month follow-up. Treatment group differences were observed only at month 3, the time point at which the groups differed in IPT status (before cross over). Study limitations included 35% attrition inclusive of follow-up assessments, generalizability to populations not in HIV care, and data not collected on TAU resources accessed.

IPT for MDD and PTSD delivered by nonspecialists in the context of HIV care yielded significant improvements in HIV-positive women's mental health, functioning, and GBV (IPV) exposure, compared to controls.

Clinical Trials Identifier NCT02320799.

Clinical Trials Identifier NCT02320799.