Low Aggression Research Articles

The Roles of Clique Status Hierarchy and Aggression Norms in Victimized Adolescents' Aggressive Behavior.

The healthy context paradox indicates that in "healthy" contexts, with lower bullying or victimization norms, victimization experiences would unexpectedly exacerbate adolescents' adjustment difficulties, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, particularly from the clique perspective. The current 2-year longitudinal multilevel study attempts to examine the conditional effects of both clique structure (i.e., status hierarchy) and clique norms (i.e., aggression norms) on the relationship between individual victimization and aggressive behavior. The sample consisted of 691 Chinese junior high school students (Mage = 12.74, SD = 0.43; 55.6% boys), who were identified to belong to 153 cliques with sizes varying from 3 to 12 students (Msize = 5.08, SD = 1.89), according to the social cognitive map. Participants completed peer-nominated measures at two time points, two years apart. The multilevel models revealed that it was in less hierarchical cliques with lower aggression that victimized adolescents would exhibit more relational forms of aggression (rather than overt forms) two years later. More intriguingly, contrary results were found in all-girls cliques and all-boys cliques. Specifically, victimized girls' overt and relational aggression was higher in cliques with less hierarchy and lower aggression, whereas, in cliques with more hierarchy and higher aggression, victimized boys' relational aggression was higher, which conforms to the healthy context paradox and the peer contagion hypothesis, respectively. These findings highlight that egalitarian cliques with low aggression would promote aggressive behavior of victimized adolescents, especially for girls rather than for boys, which in turn has crucial implications for anti-bullying interventions.

SECONDARY INFECTION ASSOCIATED WITH AN ORTHOKERATINIZED ODONTOGENIC CYST IN THE MANDIBLE

Orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC) is a pathologic entity that was once described as an uncommon variation of odontogenic keratocyst, although the 2005 World Health Organization classification considers this as distinct pathologic entity due to its diverse biological behaviors. Literature on OOC describes a greater prevalence in White men aged 30 years and older and reports its low growth rate and aggressiveness as responsible for the lower recurrence rate. Because of its asymptomatic clinical course, the diagnosis may be delayed, increasing morbidity associated with the disease. The objective is to present a case of a distinguished OOC in the mandibular posterior region of a 30-year-old woman who presented with a significant odontogenic infection associated to the pathologic cavity, which was not noted before. The lesion was treated with enucleation and the mandible was reinforced using internal rigid fixation. After 1 year of follow-up there are no signs of recurrence. Orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC) is a pathologic entity that was once described as an uncommon variation of odontogenic keratocyst, although the 2005 World Health Organization classification considers this as distinct pathologic entity due to its diverse biological behaviors. Literature on OOC describes a greater prevalence in White men aged 30 years and older and reports its low growth rate and aggressiveness as responsible for the lower recurrence rate. Because of its asymptomatic clinical course, the diagnosis may be delayed, increasing morbidity associated with the disease. The objective is to present a case of a distinguished OOC in the mandibular posterior region of a 30-year-old woman who presented with a significant odontogenic infection associated to the pathologic cavity, which was not noted before. The lesion was treated with enucleation and the mandible was reinforced using internal rigid fixation. After 1 year of follow-up there are no signs of recurrence.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Diversity of Ascochyta fabae Populations in Southern Australia.

Ascochyta fabae Speg. is a serious foliar fungal disease of faba bean and a constraint to production worldwide. This study investigated the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of the A. fabae pathogen population in southern Australia and the pathogenic variability of the population was examined on a differential set of faba bean cultivars. The host set was inoculated with 154 A. fabae isolates collected from 2015 to 2018 and a range of disease reactions from high to low aggressiveness was observed. Eighty percent of isolates collected from 2015 to 2018 were categorized as pathogenicity group (PG) PG-2 (pathogenic on Farah) and were detected in every region in each year of collection. Four percent of isolates were non-pathogenic on Farah and designated as PG-1. A small group of isolates (16%) were pathogenic on the most resistant differential cultivars, PBA Samira or Nura, and these isolates were designated PG-3. Mating types of 311 isolates collected between 1991 and 2018 were determined and showed an equal ratio of MAT1–1 and MAT1–2 in the southern Australian population. The genetic diversity and population structure of 305 isolates were examined using DArTseq genotyping, and results suggest no association of genotype with any of the population descriptors viz.: collection year, region, host cultivar, mating type, or PG. A Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) was performed to assess genetic association with pathogenicity traits and a significant trait-associated genomic locus for disease in Farah AR and PBA Zahra, and PG was revealed. The high frequency of mating of A. fabae indicated by the wide distribution of the two mating types means changes to virulence genes would be quickly distributed to other genotypes. Continued monitoring of the A. fabae pathogen population through pathogenicity testing will be important to identify any increases in aggressiveness or emergence of novel PGs. GWAS and future genetic studies using biparental mating populations could be useful for identifying virulence genes responsible for the observed changes in pathogenicity.

Regression Derived Staging Model to Predict Overall and Disease Specific Survival in Patients With Major Salivary Gland Carcinomas With Independent External Validation.

PURPOSEThe current American Joint Cancer Committee (AJCC) staging system for salivary gland tumors does not include histology and grade in its classification despite their proven prognostic importance. We planned to analyze if a modified staging system integrating these two factors into the staging improves prognostic performance and then validate it externally.MATERIALS AND METHODSFrom SEER database (2000-2018), patients with major salivary gland carcinoma who underwent surgical resection between 2004 and 2015 were analyzed. Histologies were recoded into two groups based on grade and type of histology into “Low Aggression” and “High aggression” groups. Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify predictor variables for overall survival and disease-specific survival and models were generated based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Model performance was evaluated by Akaike Information Criterion, concordance index and calibration plot. The best model chosen was externally validated from our hospital database of patients who underwent surgery for salivary gland tumor between January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2019.RESULTSSix thousand two hundred forty-six patients were analyzed with a median follow up of 58 months. Age > 65 years, male sex, metastatic disease, Histological Stratification, Grade of tumor, AJCC stage and Primary Site were the significant factors influencing overall survival and disease-specific survival. By least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression method, Correlation analysis and Interaction testing by multiple regression, AJCC stage and Histological Risk stratification were used for generating four models, out of which the best model was selected by Akaike Information Criterion, C index and calibration plot. This model was then externally validated in our hospital database of 269 patients.CONCLUSIONWe propose an externally validated modified salivary gland staging system that incorporates histology and grade of tumor for improved hazard discrimination among patient subgroups.

The Relationship Between Emotional Maturity and Aggressiveness in the Football Supporters Group in Sidoarjo

Recently, cases about the aggressiveness of football fans are increasingly being reported in the mass media. Emotional maturity is one of the factors that triggers the emergence of aggressiveness in football fans. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between emotional maturity and aggressiveness in the football supporters group X in Gedangan sub-district. This study uses a correlational quantitative approach. In this study used a sample of 108 people obtained from sampling using purposive sampling technique. The data collection technique was carried out using the aggressiveness scale and emotional maturity scale, which were compiled using a Likert scale. The data were analyzed by testing the hypothesis using the Pearson Correlation Product Moment with the help of the SPSS v.19 for windows program. The results showed a correlation coefficient of -.961 (significant. 0.000 <0.05). Thus, the research hypothesis is accepted, that there is a significant negative relationship between emotional maturity and aggressiveness in the football supporters group X in Gedangan sub-district. A person's high emotional maturity will have an impact on low aggressiveness. Conversely, a person's low emotional maturity will result in an increase in aggressiveness. In addition, it is known that half of all X football supporters in Gedangan sub-district (52.8%) have low emotional maturity. Meanwhile, in terms of aggressiveness, half of all X football supporters in Gedangan sub-district (54.6%) show high aggressiveness. . Meanwhile, the results of the coefficient of determination test show that the emotional maturity variable has an influence of 77.5% on the aggressive behavior variable.

Alteration of the neuronal and glial cell profiles in Neu1-deficient zebrafish.

Neu1 is a glycosidase that releases sialic acids from the non-reducing ends of glycoconjugates, and its enzymatic properties are conserved among vertebrates. Recently, Neu1-KO zebrafish were generated using genome editing technology, and the KO fish showed abnormal emotional behavior, such as low schooling, low aggressiveness, and excess exploratory behavior, accompanied by the downregulation of anxiety-related genes. To examine the alteration of neuronal and glial cells in Neu1-KO zebrafish, we analyzed the molecular profiles in the zebrafish brain, focusing on the midbrain and telencephalon. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that signals of Maackia amurensis (MAM) lectin that recognizes Sia α2-3 linked glycoconjugates were highly increased in Neu1-KO zebrafish brains, accompanied by an increase in Lamp1a. Neu1-KO zebrafish suppressed the gene expression of AMPA-type glutamate receptors such as gria1a, gria2a, and gria3b, and vesicular glutamate transporter 1. Additionally, Neu1-KO zebrafish induced the hyperactivation of astrocytes accompanied by an increase in Gfap and phosphorylated ERK levels, while the mRNA levels of astrocyte glutamate transporters (eaat1a, eaat1c, and eaat2) were downregulated. The mRNA levels of sypb and ho1b, which are markers of synaptic plasticity, were also suppressed by Neu1 deficiency. Abnormal activity of microglia was also revealed by IHC, and the expressions of iNOS and IL-1β, an inflammatory cytokine, were increased in Neu1-KO zebrafish. Furthermore, drastic neuronal degeneration was detected in Neu1-KO zebrafish using Fluoro-Jade B staining. Collectively, the neuronal and glial abnormalities in Neu1-KO zebrafish may be caused by changes in the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and involved in the emotional abnormalities.

SELF-ACTUALIZATION AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN FAMILIES OF MIDDLE MARRIAGE AGE

The article presents the results of an empirical study of the relationship between interpersonal relationships and self-actualization of the personality of the spouses. In psychology, the problem of self-actualization of the personality of spouses has not yet been sufficiently developed. The subject of the study was quantitative and qualitative indicators of personality self-actualization, indicators of harmonious / disharmonious interaction; indicators of emotional attitude; understanding, emotional attraction, respect, and satisfaction with marriage. The empirical study involved 80 people - spouses from families of average marital age (6-14 years). The results of significant differences in self-actualization and interpersonal relationships in men and women, as well as the results of a correlation analysis are presented. It has been established that women in marriage, unlike men, strive to achieve maturity, independence and establish contacts with other people. Women have conflict and aggression, disharmony in interpersonal relationships, and men have alienation, the desire to distance themselves. It was revealed that the desire of women to create a positive "I-concept", the desire for knowledge is associated with low conflict and aggression in interpersonal relationships. In men, the level of tension in marital relations is closely related to the desire for autonomy and freedom.

Previous inter-sexual aggression increases female mating propensity in fruit flies

Abstract Female mate choice is a complex decision making process that involves many context-dependent factors. Understanding the factors that shape variation in female mate choice has important consequences for evolution via sexual selection. In many animals including fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, males often use aggressive mating strategies to coerce females into mating, but it is not clear if females’ experience with sexual aggression shapes their future behaviors. Here, we used males derived from lineages that were artificially selected to display either low or high sexual aggression toward females to determine how experience with these males shapes subsequent female mate choice. First, we verified that males from these lineages differed in their sexual behaviors. We found that males from high sexual aggression backgrounds spent more time pursuing virgin females, and had a shorter mating latency but shorter copulation duration compared with males from low sexual aggression backgrounds. Next, we tested how either a harassment by or mating experience with males from either a high or low sexual aggression backgrounds influenced subsequent female mate choice behaviors. We found that in both scenarios, females that interacted with high sexual aggression males were more likely and faster to mate with a novel male one day later, regardless of the male’s aggression level. These results have important implications for understanding the evolution of flexible polyandry as a mechanism that benefits females.

Importance of fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in detection of post-thyroidectomy recurrence in differentiated thyroid cancer with negative radio-isotope iodine scan, yet, elevated serum thyroglobulin level

BackgroundThyroid cancer considered the 6th common cancer in female and represents approximately 1% of all cancers. Thyroid cancer is generally characterized by good prognosis, long term survival and low aggressiveness. Its prognosis is related to tumor dimensions, extra capsular extensions, the age at diagnosis and distant metastases sites. Combination between positron emission tomography and computed tomography allow anatomic, functional & molecular information.AimTo demonstrate Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography)/computed tomography role for evaluation of post-thyroidectomy recurrence either local or distant metastatic lesions in differentiated cancer thyroid patients with negative radio-isotope iodine scan, yet showing elevated serum thyroglobulin level.ProcedureA prospective study included twenty patients with previous history of differentiated thyroid cancer. All patients after history taking and revising the medical sheet underwent Serum Thyroglobulin level & I-131 whole body scan examinations and then Fluorine 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography study. The findings of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography imaging compared with results of histopathology or follow-up clinical results as a gold standard.ResultsFluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography based analysis showed that nineteen true positives and one was true negative as confirmed by the gold standard (Histopathology and clinical follow-up). Thirteen patients had either local recurrence or lymph node metastases without distant metastatic disease, six patients had different distant metastasis. Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography based analysis showed that nineteen true positives and one was true negative as confirmed by the gold standard (histopathology and clinical follow-up). The accuracy and sensitivity of Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (95%) were significantly better than those of the Computed Tomography alone (84.2% and 80%, respectively).ConclusionsFluorine 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography provided a critical role in assessment and management of patients with suspected differentiated thyroid recurrence, presenting with high serum thyroglobulin level and negative radio-isotope iodine scan. It enhances diagnostic accuracy through giving exact anatomical localization of recurrent and/or metastatic tumor foci.

Low Holding Densities Increase Stress Response and Aggression in Zebrafish.

Simple SummaryZebrafish are used as experimental animals in labs all around the world. To ensure that the health of zebrafish is maintained at the highest level, it is important to know the optimal housing conditions of the animals, including the housing density. Guidelines for housing densities of zebrafish can then be spread and followed globally, making it possible to compare research data from different facilities. To investigate the optimal housing densities of zebrafish and to better understand how holding density affects zebrafish behaviour and physiology, we evaluated the welfare of zebrafish housed at different densities for nine weeks. We observed that fish housed at the lowest holding density of 1 fish/L stood out from the rest of the experimental fish, showing higher levels of aggression, secreting more of the stress hormone cortisol in the water, and spending more time in the top zone of the tank, possibly reflecting the fact that fish in this density were hiding more behind the floating plants. Our data indicate that zebrafish should not be kept at 1 fish/L, or lower, to ensure good welfare of the animals.With laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio) being an established and popular research model, there is a need for universal, research-based husbandry guidelines for this species, since guidelines can help promote good welfare through providing appropriate care. Despite the widespread use of zebrafish in research, it remains unclear how holding densities affect their welfare. Previous studies have mainly evaluated the effects of holding densities on a single parameter, such as growth, reproductive output, or social interactions, rather than looking at multiple welfare parameters simultaneously. Here we investigated how chronic (nine weeks) exposure to five different holding densities (1, 4, 8, 12, and 16 fish/L) affected multiple welfare indicators. We found that fish in the 1 fish/L density treatment had higher free water cortisol concentrations per fish, increased vertical distribution, and displayed aggressive behaviour more frequently than fish held at higher densities. On the other hand, density treatments had no effect on anxiety behaviour, whole-brain neurotransmitter levels, egg volume, or the proportion of fertilised eggs. Our results demonstrate that zebrafish can be held at densities between 4 and 16 fish/L without compromising their welfare. However, housing zebrafish in the density of 1 fish/L increased their stress level and aggressive behaviour.

A Data Science Approach for the Identification of Molecular Signatures of Aggressive Cancers.

Simple SummaryTraditionally, chemotherapy has been approached through one-size-fits-all strategies. However, personalized oncology would allow a rational approach to chemotherapies. Classically, cancer diagnosis and prognosis are performed through mutation mapping, but this genomic approach has an indirect relationship with the disease since it is based on the results of statistics accumulated over time. By contrast, a strategy based on gene expression would enable figuring out the actual disease phenotype and focusing on its specific molecular targets. In previous reports, we paved the way in that direction by successively showing that targeting up-regulated hubs are a suitable strategy to forward a tumor toward cell death and that the number of proteins to be targeted is typically between 3 and 10 according to tumor aggressiveness. In this report, we focused on the up-regulated genes of crucial cell signaling pathways, which are key hallmarks of unregulated cell division and apoptosis. By principal component analysis, we identified the genes that most explain the aggressiveness among cancer types. We also identified the genes that maximized the classification between aggressive and mild cancers using the random forest algorithm. Finally, by mapping these genes on the human interactome, we showed that they were close neighbors.The main hallmarks of cancer include sustaining proliferative signaling and resisting cell death. We analyzed the genes of the WNT pathway and seven cross-linked pathways that may explain the differences in aggressiveness among cancer types. We divided six cancer types (liver, lung, stomach, kidney, prostate, and thyroid) into classes of high (H) and low (L) aggressiveness considering the TCGA data, and their correlations between Shannon entropy and 5-year overall survival (OS). Then, we used principal component analysis (PCA), a random forest classifier (RFC), and protein–protein interactions (PPI) to find the genes that correlated with aggressiveness. Using PCA, we found GRB2, CTNNB1, SKP1, CSNK2A1, PRKDC, HDAC1, YWHAZ, YWHAB, and PSMD2. Except for PSMD2, the RFC analysis showed a different list, which was CAD, PSMD14, APH1A, PSMD2, SHC1, TMEFF2, PSMD11, H2AFZ, PSMB5, and NOTCH1. Both methods use different algorithmic approaches and have different purposes, which explains the discrepancy between the two gene lists. The key genes of aggressiveness found by PCA were those that maximized the separation of H and L classes according to its third component, which represented 19% of the total variance. By contrast, RFC classified whether the RNA-seq of a tumor sample was of the H or L type. Interestingly, PPIs showed that the genes of PCA and RFC lists were connected neighbors in the PPI signaling network of WNT and cross-linked pathways.

Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours

BackgroundAggression is an adaptive behaviour that animals use to protect offspring, defend themselves and obtain resources. Zebrafish, like many other animals, are not able to recognize themselves in the mirror and typically respond to their own reflection with aggression. However, mirror aggression is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, with some individuals displaying high levels of aggression against their mirror image, while others show none at all. In the current work, we have investigated the genetic basis of mirror aggression by using a classic forward genetics approach - selective breeding for high and low mirror aggression zebrafish (HAZ and LAZ).ResultsWe characterized AB wild-type zebrafish for their response to the mirror image. Both aggressive and non-aggressive fish were inbred over several generations. We found that HAZ were on average more aggressive than the corresponding LAZ across generations and that the most aggressive adult HAZ were less anxious than the least aggressive adult LAZ after prolonged selective breeding. RNAseq analysis of these fish revealed that hundreds of protein-encoding genes with important diverse biological functions such as arsenic metabolism (as3mt), cell migration (arl4ab), immune system activity (ptgr1), actin cytoskeletal remodelling (wdr1), corticogenesis (dgcr2), protein dephosphorylation (ublcp1), sialic acid metabolism (st6galnac3) and ketone body metabolism (aacs) were differentially expressed between HAZ and LAZ, suggesting a strong genetic contribution to this phenotype. DAVID pathway analysis showed that a number of diverse pathways are enriched in HAZ over LAZ including pathways related to immune function, oxidation-reduction processes and cell signalling. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified 12 modules of highly correlated genes that were significantly associated with aggression duration and/or experimental group.ConclusionsThe current study shows that selective breeding based of the mirror aggression phenotype induces strong, heritable changes in behaviour and gene expression within the brain of zebrafish suggesting a strong genetic basis for this behaviour. Our transcriptomic analysis of fish selectively bred for high and low levels of mirror aggression revealed specific transcriptomic signatures induced by selective breeding and mirror aggression and thus provides a large and novel resource of candidate genes for future study.

The Applicability of Virtual Reality-Based Training for Controlling Anger in Aggressive Individuals.

Because a failure of anger control leads to emotional and social problems, appropriate anger management may be important for social well-being. Virtual reality (VR) may potentially be effectively utilized in anger management, and this study aimed to verify the applicability of the VR-based anger control training program. The data obtained by having 60 young male participants divided into 2 groups, the high aggression group and the low aggression group, based on their Aggression Questionnaire scores to execute this program were analyzed. The program consisted of "Anger Exposure Training" for provoking anger and facilitating anger control and "Mindfulness Training" for providing the meditation experience for controlling anger. The anger scores and comfort scores obtained from these tasks, respectively, were analyzed for differences between the groups and between the experimental conditions. The anger regulation and comfort enhancement rates were analyzed for correlations with psychological variables. In Anger Exposure Training, the anger scores in angry expression were reduced in managed expression of anger in both groups. In Mindfulness Training, meditation increased comfort score as well in both groups, and the comfort enhancement rates were negatively correlated with the levels of self-differentiation and open communication with mother only in the high aggression group. These results indicate that the VR environments can provide an effective means of trainings for managing anger. Therefore, further research on the effectiveness of the VR-based anger control training program is worthy conducting in individuals who express excessive aggression.

Variation in nest building, aggression, learning, and steroid hormone levels in Betta splendens

Individuals within a population present behavioral responses that vary according to intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as ontogenetic phase, nutritional status, reproductive stage, and previous experiences. These differences can be explained by endogenous changes, such as hormone release, that can modulate reproductive behaviors, stress response, and cognitive processes. In order to investigate the relationship between behavior and hormonal levels in the fighting fish Betta splendens, the present study characterized nest building, aggressive behavior, learning of a task, and levels of cortisol and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) in 86 male Fighting fish. At the beginning of the experiment (days 1–4), fish were characterized as nest builders, intermediate builders, or non-builders. They were then sequentially tested for aggression (days 7–8), learning performance (days 11–21), and circulating hormone levels (day 23). Nest builders showed the lowest hormonal levels at the end of the experiment and low aggressiveness; Intermediate builders presented low cortisol, but high KT levels and best learned the task; Non-builders were the most aggressive animals with higher cortisol levels (at day 23). Our data suggest that in B. splendens, aggressive behavior and learning performance are related to the relative investment in reproduction and variation in circulating levels of corticosteroids and androgens.

P 1 Grey matter atrophy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis correlates with quantitative disease progression

Background: There is a growing demand for the development and evaluation of biomarkers that allow the improvement of clinical disease management and trials in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Ideal biomarkers should be able to represent individual disease covered, independent from disease aggressiveness. The D50 model provides distinct parameters of individual clinical disease progression and a framework within with to interpret any biomarker signal. Objectives: In this study we examined Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-derived measures of grey matter in correlation with D50 model parameters. Based on our previous work, we hypothesized that loss of cortical and subcortical structural integrity would correlate with disease covered, independent from disease aggressiveness (1,2). Methods: T1-MRI images of 72 healthy controls and 100 ALS patients from a 1.5 T scanner were analyzed using surface-based morphometry to obtain cortical thickness (CT) and region-of-interest based volumetric analyses of subcortical deep grey matter (DGM). Applying the D50 model, we conducted subgroup-analyses of patients, divided by a) Phase of disease covered at the time of MRI-scan and b) individual overall disease aggressiveness. Additionally, correlations between the grey matter measures and D50 model-derived parameters were examined in multiple regression analyses. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.001 for CT and p < 0.05 Holm-Bonferroni corrected for DGM. Results: Inter-group analyses revealed ALS-related cortical and subcortical grey matter atrophy compared to healthy controls. Comparison of patients in different Phases showed further decrease of grey matter along with disease progression. However, there were no differences of CT or DGM between patients with low and high disease aggressiveness. Regression analyses identified negative correlations between CT/DGM and individual disease covered. Discussion and Conclusions: We were able to reveal structural grey matter changes in ALS compared to healthy controls that worsen along with disease progression. Application of the D50 model identified robust correlations between the decrease of GM integrity and ALS-related functional disability, but not with disease aggressiveness. This indicates that CT and DGM analyses could be biomarkers representing individual disease covered independent from the overall speed of disease progression. Our findings demonstrate the applicability of structural MRI as a biomarker in ALS.

Shyness, Unsociability, and Social Avoidance During Early Adolescence: Associations With Peer Relationships and Aggression

We investigated how 5th–8th graders’ self- and peer-identified withdrawal motivations predicted peer-reported peer relationships and aggression. Participants ( N = 221; 47% male) provided self-reports and peer-nomination data (we analyzed 339 students’ nominations). We hypothesized shyness, unsociability, and avoidance would predict low peer liking and high exclusion; shyness and avoidance would predict high victimization and peer disliking; and avoidance would predict high aggression. Support was mixed. Results varied by withdrawal motivation reporter. Self-identified shy and avoidant individuals had low peer liking. Self-identified shy individuals had low disliking and low victimization. Peer-identified shy individuals had low disliking, high exclusion, and low aggression. Peer-identified unsociable individuals had low liking and high exclusion. Peer-identified avoidant individuals had low liking, high disliking, high exclusion, high victimization, and high aggression. Results suggest that peer-identified avoidant individuals have a concerning profile of peer relationships and aggression. Longitudinal work is needed to understand the developmental sequelae of avoidance.

Sex Differences in Victimization from Low Intensity Intimate Partner Aggression in South Sudan

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate sex differences in victimisation from low intensity forms of intimate partner aggression in South Sudan. A questionnaire was filled in by 420 respondents (302 females and 118 males) in two cities in South Sudan. The mean age was 22.5 years (SD 8.4) for women and 25.6 years (SD 7.8). Victimisation from intimate partner aggression was measured with the Victim Version of the Direct Indirect Aggression Scales (DIAS-Adult; Österman &amp; Björkqvist, 2009) which includes six scales measuring verbal and nonverbal aggression, direct and indirect aggressive social manipulation, cyber aggression, and economic aggression. The results showed that males had been significantly more victimised from physical and verbal aggression than females. A tendency was also found for males to be more victimised from nonverbal aggression and direct aggressive social manipulation. No sex differences were found regarding victimisation from indirect aggressive social manipulation, cyber aggression, or economic aggression. Males had significantly more often been bit, hit, had their belongings damaged, scratched, spit at, and shoved by their female partner. Males had also been significantly more often subjected to quarrels, to being told nasty or hurtful words, and to being yelled at by their female partner. No sex difference was found for being interrupted when talking, been called bad names, or having been angrily nagged at by their partner. For females, age correlated positively with victimisation, while for males, the correlations were mostly negative. As far as more severe forms of violence are concerned, males have generally been found to be more aggressive against their partner than vice versa; the impact of male aggression has also usually been found to be more severe. The fact that males in domestic settings are also victimised by their spouses, although to less severe forms of aggression, has received much less attention.

Sexual behavior of Metaltella iheringi (Keyserling, 1891) (Araneae: Desidae): sexual patterns, female quiescence and comparisons with other spiders

There are few works on the reproductive behavior of species of cribellate spiders. Even more scarce are studies of the reproductive behavior of representatives of the Desidae, such as the genus Metaltella Mello-Leitão, 1931. In this paper, we describe for the first time the reproductive behavior of Metaltella iheringi (Keyserling, 1891), a species that is characterized by complex genitalia in both sexes. We determined frequencies and durations of the behaviors in the different phases. Thirty virgin males were exposed to virgin females and the behaviors performed by each sex, as well as their frequencies, were recorded. Three phases were identified: pre-copulatory, copulatory, and post-copulatory. The most frequent behaviors were chelicera-palp rubbing, abdomen vibration and web-stretching by the male, and body-shaking and leg-tapping on the web by the female. When the male grabbed the female, she typically fell into a state of quiescence (the female remained motionless with legs in a semi-flexed position) and she remained so even after the male ended the copulation. Mating was characterized by low aggression by the female and a low incidence of cannibalism. In the post-copulatory phase, the male performed frequent behaviors such as abdomen vibration, sperm induction, and post-copulatory cohabitation. We discuss the possible implications of these behaviors in a pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection context. We also provide information that serves as a basis for future studies to understand the mechanisms involved in these behaviors.

Isolated Pancreatic Metastases of Renal Cell Cancer: Genetics and Epigenetics of an Unusual Tumour Entity.

Simple SummaryThe entity of isolated pancreatic metastases is very rare in metastatic renal cell carcinoma and is characterized by unusual features: 1. The isolated occurrence of pancreatic metastases itself; 2. the long interval between treatment of renal cell carcinoma and the occurrence of pancreatic metastases (9.6 years); 3. the frequent multiple occurrence of isolated pancreatic metastases (36%); and 4. the favourable prognosis after surgical therapy (5-year survival rate 75%). Some of the causes of this protracted course can already be traced back to specific genetic/epigenetic changes.Isolated pancreatic metastases of renal cell carcinoma (isPMRCC) are a rare manifestation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) characterized by two peculiarities: (1). The definite or at least long-term exclusive occurrence of metastases in the pancreas and (2). an unusual low tumour aggressiveness with slow tumour progression and consecutive, good treatment results. According to current knowledge, the exclusive occurrence of pancreatic metastases is due to a highly specific and highly selective seed and soil mechanism, which does not allow metastases settlement outside the pancreas, and whose detailed genetic/epigenetic causes are not yet elucidated. Recent studies have shed light on some of the pathways involved for the protracted course of the disease and highlighted a special genetic profile (lack of loss of 9p, lower weight genome instability index, low frequency of BAP1 alterations, and a high frequency of PBRM1 loss), which deviates from the conventional mRCC profile. Finally, the question of the reasons for the long-term relative genetic stability of the involved cell clones, which is an essential prerequisite for a favourable prognosis, remains unanswered.

Risk Profiles of Korean Adolescents in Relations With Contextual Factors: Implications for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.

IntroductionAlthough prior studies have supported the effectiveness of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) on addressing social, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges faced by youth at-risk, educators using MTSS often do not consider contextual factors which may also influence youth at-risk and the interventions targeting them. This study thus aimed to identify youth at-risk who should be referred to targeted instructions within MTSS by examining the risk profiles of Korean adolescents. Based on the identified risk profiles, we also tried to investigate the effect of contextual factors on deciding youth at-risk and confirm whether and/or what contextual factors should be considered when implementing targeted interventions for them.MethodTo accomplish the research goal, a latent profile analysis on risk factors of Korean adolescents was performed, using the first year data of “Korean Children and Youth Panel Study (KCYPS) 2018.”ResultsFour risk profiles were identified, using low academic motivation, low academic behavior, attention deficit, aggression, social withdrawal, and depression as indicators: the high risk, M-SEB (Moderate-social, emotional, & behavioral) risk, M-ACA (Moderate-academic) risk, and low risk group. The covariates of this study, home and school environmental variables, worked as predictors of adolescents included in the high group.ConclusionThe results of this study suggest students in the high risk group (16.8%) should be given targeted instructions combining academic and SEB support within MTSS so as to prevent negative outcomes in the future among all adolescents. Those instructions need to be planned with consideration of contextual factors accompanied by teacher's careful understanding of social dynamics surrounding each student.