Experiencing rejection from a romantic partner can be painful, and sexual rejection may have a lasting impact on satisfaction. However, some ways of communicating sexual rejection may elicit more constructive responses from the rejected partner, fostering continued connection in the face of rejection. Across three studies-a cross-sectional study of individuals in romantic relationships (Study 1; N = 315) and two dyadic daily diary studies (Studies 2-3; total N = 219 couples contributing 9,287 daily reports)-we tested whether specific ways of communicating sexual rejection are associated with the rejected partner's emotional and behavioral responses. Across studies, perceived hostile rejection (e.g. the partner displayed criticism) was associated with more negative responses (i.e. resentment) from the rejected partner. In contrast, perceived reassuring rejection (e.g. the partner expressed warmth or future interest in sex) elicited more positive responses to rejection (i.e. understanding) and maintained the rejected partner's sexual desire. The findings extend relationship theories to understand sexual conflict, and provide a framework of specific, observable behaviors that researchers and clinicians can incorporate to help couples navigate the challenges of sexual rejection.

BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease, and is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, including gait dysfunction and cognitive decline. Dance has emerged as a promising intervention for improving motor and non-motor symptoms in persons with PD (PwPD), yet long-term effects remain underexplored.ObjectiveTo assess changes in cognitive function and gait performance over six years among PwPD who participated in a weekly dance program, compared to a Reference group who remained physically inactive.MethodsThis six-year longitudinal observational study included 43 PwPD who attended weekly dance classes and were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). A Reference group of 28 PwPD, matched on age, gender, and Hoehn & Yahr scores, were selected from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative, and assessed using the MDS-UPDRS and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Cognitive scores were standardized. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare cognitive and gait outcomes across time.ResultsThe Dance group was significantly different from the Reference group (p < 0.001), with improved cognitive scores in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Dance group had worse gait at baseline, however, the Reference group showed significantly poorer gait performance by 2018. In a subset of our data (n=10), no significant association was found between gait and cognitive scores.ConclusionsAfter two years of weekly dance, the Dance group showed improvements in cognition and maintained stability in gait performance. The findings highlight the potential neuroprotective benefits of continued dance engagement over six years.

ABSTRACT Although people idealize spontaneous sex, planned sex is associated with lower satisfaction only when valued less. This research tested how manipulating planned-sex beliefs and intentions affects sexual frequency, desire, distress, and satisfaction among parents of young children, who are more vulnerable to lower sexual and relationship satisfaction. Following a Pilot Study testing the manipulation (N = 215), participants in the Main Study (N = 514) were assigned to either the experimental group (n = 310) that read about the benefits of planned sex and were encouraged to plan sex or the control group (n = 204) whose existing beliefs and routines were affirmed. Two weeks later, the experimental group reported more frequent planned sex and more frequent sex overall and greater desire as compared to the control group. For the control group, perceiving a recent sexual experience as more planned was linked to lower sexual satisfaction and greater distress, whereas the experimental group was buffered against these effects. Moreover, the experimental group reported higher relationship satisfaction when sex was perceived as planned, unlike the control group. Shifting people’s planned-sex beliefs and intentions encourages more frequent sex, enhances desire, and impacts sexual and relationship satisfaction and distress when partners plan sex.

Family caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) often experience stress, anxiety, and depression; however, few evidence-based interventions are designed to improve their mental well-being. To address this gap, we developed an acceptance and commitment training (ACT) group-based workshop cofacilitated by trained caregivers and clinicians (Caring for the Caregiver Acceptance and Commitment Training [CC-ACT]). This study evaluates the real-world implementation of this innovative, evidence-based ACT workshop aimed at enhancing caregiver mental health and resilience. Guided by the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) implementation science framework, this study examines the workshop across these 5 domains. We delivered the CC-ACT workshops virtually or in-person across 11 intervention sites in Canada, including hospital and community agencies that provide services to children with NDDs and their families. Family caregivers (ie, a parent, grandparent, or adult sibling) of someone with an NDD were eligible to participate in the workshops, with site-specific criteria set by each host agency. Caregivers participated in preintervention, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments measuring stress, resilience, and self-compassion using validated instruments (21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale; Parenting Stress Index, 4th Edition; Brief Family Distress Scale; Multi-System Model of Resilience Inventory; and Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form), alongside ACT process measures (Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, Valued Living Questionnaire, and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II). Implementation fidelity was assessed through checklists and surveys. Focus groups with caregiver facilitators, clinician facilitators, workshop participants, and organizational leaders were held to qualitatively evaluate the implementation process and the caregiver-clinician cofacilitation model. Qualitative data will be analyzed using descriptive content analysis, a flexible approach that can be used to systematically summarize different types of qualitative data. Quantitative data will be analyzed through repeated measures ANOVA and mixed-effects modeling, with subgroup analyses and multiple imputation for missing data. The CC-ACT workshops successfully reached 195 caregivers of individuals with NDDs. Two focus groups that included 5 caregiver workshop participants, 13 facilitators, and 5 organizational leaders were conducted. We anticipate that the workshops will demonstrate positive impacts on caregiver well-being, with variability in effectiveness based on participant characteristics and real-world implementation contexts. The findings are expected to identify key predictors of outcomes, equity and access barriers, and best practices for scaling and sustaining high-fidelity, adaptable caregiver interventions across diverse Canadian settings. Funding began in January 2022, data collection was completed in 2024, and data analyses will be completed by the end of 2025. The CC-ACT workshop is a promising approach to enhancing the mental well-being of caregivers of individuals with NDDs. The RE-AIM framework helps capture process data systematically, documenting the balance between fidelity and adaptation. The study findings should support the refinement of implementation strategies and support the broader scalability of the intervention to diverse community settings. DERR1-10.2196/75049.

As mpox spread continues across several endemic and non-endemic countries around the world, vaccination has become an integral part of the global response to control the epidemic. Some vaccines have been recommended for use against mpox by the World Health Organization (WHO). As the roll-out of mpox vaccines continue across the globe, it is imperative to develop mathematical models to support public health officials and governments agencies in optimizing vaccination strategies to curtail the resurgence of mpox. In this article, we develop a compartmental mathematical model to investigate the impact of vaccination in controlling a potential mpox resurgence in Canada. The model categorizes individuals into high- and low-risk groups and incorporates pre-exposure vaccination in the high-risk group and post-exposure vaccination in the high- and low-risk groups. The vaccine-free version of the model was calibrated to the daily reported cases of mpox in Canada from April to October 2022, from which we estimated key model parameters, including the sexual and non-sexual transmission rates. Furthermore, we calibrated the full model to the daily reported cases of mpox in Canada in 2024, to estimate the current mpox vaccination rates in Canada. Our results highlight the importance of pre-exposure vaccination in the high-risk group on controlling a potential resurgence of mpox in Canada, and the minimal effects of post-exposure vaccination in the high- and low-risk groups on the outbreak. In addition, our model predicts the possibility of mpox becoming endemic in Canada, in the absence of pre-exposure vaccination in the high-risk group. Overall, our modeling result suggests that pre-exposure vaccination in the high-risk group is crucial in controlling mpox outbreak in Canada. Stepping up this vaccination is sufficient to avert a potential mpox resurgence in Canada.Clinical trial number Not applicable.

ABSTRACT This study examines the effect of air pollution on charitable giving. We suggest that the burdens associated with poor air quality are associated with a dampening of civic and philanthropic engagement. Analyzing 12 years of county‐level data from the United States with fixed‐effects OLS and instrumental variables regressions, we identify a consistent, negative, and significant relationship between extreme levels of air pollution, particularly ozone and PM10 levels, and the propensity for charitable donations. This research contributes to nonprofit and environmental studies by extending the understanding of societal and philanthropic motivations to include ecological factors. It also serves as a call to action for policymakers and charities to recognize the role of environmental health in shaping civic generosity.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have gained considerable attention in drug delivery applications due to their high surface area and exceptional electronic and mechanical properties. Doping CNTs with metals like aluminum (Al) and gallium (Ga) can modify their electronic, chemical, and stability characteristics, enhancing their suitability for drug delivery. This study investigates the interaction of the drug molecule 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with pristine and doped (8,8) CNTs using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the B3LYP functional and the 6-31G basis set. The results reveal significant changes in the electronic properties after doping.Aluminum doping increases the energy gap, reducing system reactivity, while gallium doping decreases the energy gap, promoting stronger interactions with the drug. Aluminum doping improves the structural stability of CNTs with 5-FU, whereas gallium enhances the chemical potential and hardness, favoring interactions with the drug molecule. In conclusion, aluminum-and gallium-doped CNTs exhibit different behaviors in drug interactions, allowing for optimization of targeted drug delivery systems. Based on energy gap, chemical potential, and chemical hardness values, both doping types can enhance drug delivery properties, with the specific doping choice dependent on the therapeutic application.