Partner Characteristics Research Articles

Contemporary Partner Preferences in Mate Selection: An Expanded List of Characteristics and the Addition of Constraints

There is a long history of research on the topic of mate selection using college student samples. Much of this research focuses on desired partner characteristics using an instrument developed in 1939. While the data accrued over more than three-quarters of a century have provided insights about the ways in which evolving cultural values influence the importance of these characteristics, there has been little research on how well this list of characteristics reflects contemporary mate selection criteria. The current study addresses this gap in the research in two ways, First, an expanded list of partner characteristics, more reflective of contemporary mate selection criteria, was developed. Second, a constrained approach in assigning value to each characteristic was employed in order to assess the relative importance of each characteristic. Results indicate that several of the new characteristics were significantly more important than some in the original measure, demonstrating a need for an update to the 1939 instrument. Additionally, when choices were constrained, a clearer picture of priorities emerged. Finally, results produced categories of desired mate characteristics identified as deal breakers, necessities, preferences, luxuries, and unimportant.

Provider assisted partner notification utilization and associated factors among adolescents living with HIV in Uganda, a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAssisted Partner Notification (APN) is a high yield HIV testing strategy that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for adults and adolescents aged at least 15 years in sub-Saharan Africa for HIV care and prevention. Although studies among adults have been done, there remains a paucity of data of APN service utilization among adolescents in Uganda, yet Adolescents Girls and Young Women (AGYW) have the highest incidence of HIV in Uganda, and generally, adolescents have the lowest HIV viral suppression rates. Failure to disclose to sexual partners poses a risk of propagating infection. This study aimed to explore utilization of provider APN and associated factors among sexually active adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) aged 15–19 years in routine HIV care.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study at Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Uganda’s Center of Excellence Clinic located at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. We consecutively enrolled sexually active ALWH aged 15 to 19 years in routine HIV care. We collected data on the individual ALWH, partner characteristics, and APN service utilization, using a structured questionnaire. Medical history for the ALWH was abstracted from the electronic database at the facility. Chi square tests and modified poisson regression were used for analysis of associated factors.ResultsFrom February to March 2023, 372 ALWH were enrolled. The median (IQR) age was 17 years [16–19], 52.4% were females, and 82% had completed secondary school. Of the 372 participants, (49%) consented to utilize APN, mostly via the passive-referral approach (41.4%), and as a last resort via a provider referral (12.4%). The factors associated with increased likelihood of provider partner notification utilization included relationship duration ≥ 2years [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR), 1.3, (1.05 to 1.60)]; being doubly orphaned (aPR 1.54, 1.12 to 2.30); not watching pornography (aPR 2.16, 1.5 to 3.11).ConclusionsThere was low utilization of APN services among sexually active adolescents with HIV. Passive referral was the preferred method. While acceptable, provider APN was not the preferred method for partner notification among adolescents. There is need to develop adolescent-friendly APN strategies to improve utilization of this important intervention.

Uptake and acceptability of oral HIV self-testing in the context of assisted partner services in Western Kenya: A mixed-methods analysis.

Integrating HIV self-testing (HIVST) into assisted partner services (APS) has potential to increase identification of people with HIV in the community, but little is known about acceptability of HIVST among partners traced via APS. We assessed characteristics of APS partners testing with HIVST, and factors influencing HIVST uptake and acceptability in a cluster-randomized control trial on APS+HIVST. Using convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we evaluated socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of APS partners who were offered HIVST or provider-delivered testing, and purposively selected a sub-set of partners for in-depth interviews (IDIs). Descriptive and log-binomial regression analyses were performed controlling for health facility clusters, while IDIs were thematically analyzed applying the theoretical framework of acceptability. Among 3312 partners who were offered HIVST or provider-administered testing through APS, 2724 (82.2%) used HIVST. There was no association between partner demographics and HIVST uptake. HIVST use was less likely than provider-delivered testing among those identified as a casual (adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 0.93; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.88-0.98) or transactional (aRR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.87-0.94) partner compared to those in a defined relationship. HIVST use was slightly lower among those offered the option of an additional kit when compared to those only offered one kit (aRR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.88-0.98). In the IDIs (N = 24), partners reported that HIVST was a viable option for individuals who do not find provider-delivered testing suitable or convenient. For the APS partners, 'intervention coherence', 'self-efficacy', and 'ethicality' presented as most significant theoretical framework of acceptability constructs. APS providers played a critical role in creating HIVST awareness and driving acceptability. Increasing HIVST awareness and providing tailored solutions will empower APS clients optimize their HIV testing decisions. Providers should consider context of the partner's sexual encounter and extend counselling support when recommending HIVST within APS.

Orangutans and chimpanzees produce morphologically varied laugh faces in response to the age and sex of their social partners

Laugh faces of humans play a key role in everyday social interactions as a pervasive tool of communication across contexts. Humans often vary the degree of mouth opening and teeth exposure when producing these facial expressions, which may depend on who their social partner is (e.g., their gender and age as well as their social relationship), serving this way different functions. Although it was found that laugh faces show evolutionary continuity across humans and non-human great apes according to the Principle of Maximum Parsimony, little is known about the function of laugh face variations from an evolutionary perspective. Hence, the present work examined the morphology of laugh faces in orangutan and chimpanzee dyadic play to test if they are modified with dependence on the playmate’s characteristics (sex, age and social relationship). In total, we analysed over 600 facial expressions of 14 orangutans and 17 chimpanzees by coding the specific muscle activations (Action Units, i.e. AUs) contributing to these expressions, using OrangFACS and ChimpFACS, respectively. Our results suggest that age difference and, to a lesser extent, playmate sex influence laugh face morphology in both taxa, but in opposite ways. While the orangutans of our study seem to expose their upper teeth (with AU10) and to pull the mouth corners (with AU12) more towards weaker partners (younger and female), possibly to communicate non-hostility, the chimpanzees showed both upper and lower teeth exposure (with AU10 and AU16) more often when interacting with the stronger partners (older individuals), possibly to communicate submissiveness. These findings suggest that the ability of humans to modify laugh faces with dependence on social partner characteristics has most likely evolved from pre-existing traits, going back at least to the last common ancestor of today’s great apes, including humans.

Histopathologic, genomic, transcriptomic, and functional characteristics of eight melanocytic tumors with BRAF fusions showing stronger MAPK pathway activation compared to BRAF V600E tumors.

Activating BRAF gene alterations are central to melanocytic tumor pathogenesis. A small, emerging subset of melanocytic tumors driven by BRAF fusions has distinct therapeutic implications and has been described to have Spitzoid morphology patterns. However, such morphological patterns do not encompass all cases, and little is known about the functional molecular events. We conducted a retrospective search through our molecular archives to identify melanocytic tumors with BRAF fusions. We reviewed clinical, histopathological, and genomic features. We further explored transcriptomic and protein-level findings. Histopathologic patterns varied, with many cases without a distinctive pattern. We identified novel and diverse BRAF gene fusion partners. Differential transcriptomic analysis between low-risk BRAF fusion tumors and reference BRAF V600E tumors showed no differentially expressed genes. However, quantitatively stronger MAPK pathway activation of BRAF fusion tumors over BRAF V600E tumors was demonstrated by statistically significant stronger staining of p-ERK immunohistochemistry. Gene-specific RNA analysis shows comparable BRAF transcript levels between the two groups. The quantitatively stronger activation of the MAPK pathway of BRAF fusion tumors, instead of qualitatively different transcriptomes, may account for the morphology difference from conventional BRAF V600E tumors. BRAF fusions likely act through dysregulated protein function rather than RNA upregulation related to the characteristics of the fusion partners.

Family Care Partner's Preparedness in Caring for Hospitalized Persons With Dementia.

To examine care partner preparedness in caring for recently hospitalized persons with dementia and care partner characteristics associated with preparedness at discharge, 2months, and 6months post discharge. Stepwise regression in a sample of 461 care partners of hospitalized persons with dementia who participated in the Fam-FFC clinical trial. On average, care partners were 61.81years old (SD=14.19) and primarily female (n=334, 72.5%). Care partners reported having some preparedness in general and it increased from discharge (23.75, SD=6.78) to 2months (24.5, SD=6.49) and 6months (26.35, SD=6.73). Multiple care partner characteristics were associated with preparedness at discharge [age (b=-0.071; p<0.001), burden (b=-0.283; p<0.001), and depression (b=-0.284; p<0.01)], 2months [burden (b=-0.226; p<0.001), strain (b=-0.144; p<0.05), depression (b=-0.185; p<0.05)] and 6months [burden (b=-0.164; p<0.01), strain (b=-0.183; p<0.05), depression (b=-0.279; p<0.01)] post discharge. While care partners' feelings of greater burden and depression were associated with lower preparedness at all time points, care partners' higher age was associated with lower preparedness at discharge only and care partners' feelings of higher strain was associated with lower preparedness at two and 6months post discharge. Findings suggest the need to address care partners' feelings of burden, strain, and depression with tailored interventions and programs to optimize their preparedness in meeting unique care needs of hospitalized persons with dementia. Resilience-based interventions and programs can be useful to manage feelings of burden, strain, and depression and optimize preparedness.

“Together with who?” Recognizing partners during Collaborative Avatar Manipulation

The development of novel computer interfaces has led to the possibility of integrating inputs from multiple individuals into a single avatar, fostering collaboration by combining skills and sharing the cognitive load. However, the collaboration dynamic and its effectiveness may vary depending on the individuals involved. Particularly in scenarios where two individuals remotely control a robotic avatar without the possibility of direct communication, understanding each other’s characteristics can result in enhanced performance. To achieve this, it is essential to ascertain if individuals can discern their partner’s characteristics within merged embodiment. This paper investigates the accuracy with which participants can distinguish between two different collaborating partners (one attempting to lead and one attempting to follow) when sharing control of a robot arm during a block pick-and-place task. The results suggested that participants who changed their role according to the different roles of the two partners achieved the highest discrimination rates. Furthermore, participants changed their movements through the trials, adapting their actions to their preferred approach. This research provides insights into the factors determining individuals’ ability to understand partner characteristics during control of collaborative avatar.

Evolutionary Role of the Female Orgasm: Insights into Mate Choice and Beyond.

The female orgasm remains a subject of extensive debate within evolutionary sciences, primarily due to the absence of a consensus regarding its adaptive function. Some hypotheses propose that it could function as a mechanism for mate selection, possibly linked to reproductive strategies. Studies have observed that lesbian women tend to experience orgasms more frequently than straight women, suggesting a potential link to advantageous partner characteristics. We explored the connection between the female orgasm and mate selection, aiming to ascertain its role as an adaptive tool for mate choice. A total of 939 sexually active Brazilian women (Mage = 28.3years) engaged in committed relationships participated by completing the Marital Empathy Questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, and evaluations of their partners' attributes. Analysis using structural equation models revealed that higher orgasm scores were positively associated with perceptions of partner kindness, intelligence, good health, physical attractiveness, and empathy. However, the small effect sizes of these associations warrant caution in their interpretation, and no significant association was found for relationship duration, financial prospects, dominance, and masculinity/femininity. Additionally, no differences were found between women in same-sex and other-sex relationships regarding orgasm frequency and its association with partner traits. The findings partially support the mate-choice theory, encompassing both sire-choice and pair-bond hypotheses, suggesting that female orgasm is positively associated with some partner attributes related to genetic quality and the capability for emotional connection and resource investment. Therefore, female orgasm may offer information about the partner that might not be primarily accessed and contribute to relationship maintenance.

Partner Characteristics and HIV Outcomes among Partners Reached by Phone vs. In-person for Assisted Partner Services in Western Kenya.

Assisted partner services (APS) is an effective strategy for testing people with undiagnosed HIV but there is limited information on the relative reach and effectiveness of phone versus in-person contact. We analyzed data from 31 facilities in Western Kenya providing APS to female index clients newly HIV-diagnosed, their male partners, and female partners of men newly HIV-diagnosed. APS providers attempted contacting partners using phone first and, if unsuccessful, in-person in the community. Using log-linear mixed models, we estimated relative risks (RR) between phone being the final contact method and partner characteristics and HIV outcomes. From May 2018-March 2020, 2534 female index clients named 7614 male partners, of whom 772 (10.1%) tested positive and named an additional 4956 non-index female partners. Of 11,912 (94.7%) partners reached, 5179 (43.5%) were via phone and 6733 (56.5%) in-person. Of 8076 testing-eligible partners, 99.7% tested and 11.2% first-time tested. Of those tested, 13.1% were newly-diagnosed, of whom 87.0% linked to care. Newly-diagnosed partners were less likely to have been reached by phone vs. in-person (9.8% vs. 15.9%; adjusted RR:0.61, 95%CI:0.53-0.70). Being reached by phone was not significantly associated with testing, first-time testing, or linkage to care. In an APS program that reached 94% of elicited partners, fewer than half were successfully contacted by phone. A combined phone and in-person approach is likely essential for equitable, effective APS.

Diverse pathways to permanent childlessness in Singapore: A latent class analysis.

The proportions of adults reaching midlife without having children have been rising rapidly across the globe, particularly in Asia. However, little is known about the pathways to permanent childlessness within the region's childless population. This study utilized latent class analysis (LCA) to typologize pathways to childlessness based on dynamic characteristics of multiple life domains (i.e., partnership, education, and occupation) among 489 childless Singaporeans aged 50 and above from a 2022 nationwide survey. Additionally, we utilized multinomial logistic regressions to examine the sociodemographic correlates of pathway profiles and Shannon's entropy index to assess the heterogeneity in pathways to childlessness among successive cohorts. Results revealed five distinct profiles of pathways to childlessness: the Never-Married Semi-Professionals, the Low-Flex Blue-Collars, the Highly Educated Professionals, the Ever-Married Semi-Professionals, and the Flexible Blue-Collars. These pathway profiles were significantly associated with sociodemographic characteristics such as gender and family background. Women's pathways to childlessness were more standardized and heavily influenced by partnership characteristics, compared to those of men. The childless from privileged family background were less likely to follow pathways characterized by disadvantageous education and occupational status. There were also rising trends of voluntary childlessness among married childless individuals and increasing heterogeneity in pathways to childlessness across successive birth cohorts. In sum, our findings are consistent with some of the predictions of the Second Demographic Transition theory, suggesting that Singapore may be experiencing a demographic transition characterized by rising childlessness, decoupling of marriage and childbearing, and de-standardization of the life course.

How to configure the supply chain to stimulate firm innovation performance?

Supply chain characteristics are an important driving force for innovation at the focal firm. Previous research has separately examined the impact of structural, relational, and capability dimensions of the supply chain on firm innovation. Relying on the structure-relationship-capability framework, this study explores the configurational impact of geographical distance, business concentration, and partner innovation of both the supplier-base and the customer-base on firm innovation. Necessary causality analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) are employed. Based on a dataset of 123 Chinese listed firms in high-tech manufacturing sectors, we provide novel insights on the antecedent configurations of the partner characteristics in both ends of supply chains for facilitating firm innovation. Our findings indicate that there are no necessary conditions for high firm innovation performance. We identify three distinct paths - namely, innovation-driven, customer-dominated, and relationship-driven configurations - that consistently lead to high firm innovation performance. From a configurational perspective, this research contributes to the innovation and supply chain literature and provides practical implications for managers to facilitate firm innovation.

Effectiveness of men in maternity health (MiM) intervention on male involvement in maternal health care to improve maternal health outcomes in Naypyitaw, Myanmar

Background Maternal health care (MHC) is critical for safe motherhood and preventing maternal deaths in Myanmar, but the institutional delivery rates are not yet optimal, increasing preventable maternal deaths. To address this issue, involving men in supporting MHC has been recognized as a strategy to improve MHC outcomes. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of men in maternity health (MiM) intervention on male involvement in MHC and its influence on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to maternal health and institutional delivery rates in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Methods This study employed a mixed-methods approach with quantitative surveying of the male partners and qualitative interviewing of both male and female partners and health stakeholders. A 6-month MiM education program on pregnancy complications, antenatal care, delivery care, and birth preparedness was provided to the intervention group. Before and after the intervention, comparisons between intervention and control groups were made. Results The socio-demographic characteristics of male partners were comparable between the intervention and control groups during the pre-intervention assessment. Before MiM intervention, notable differences in male partners’ knowledge, attitudes, birth preparedness and complication readiness practices regarding MHC were not evident between these two groups. After completing the MiM, significant score improvement, including higher ID rates compared to the control group (p&lt;0.001), was observed. The acceptability and feasibility of the MiM program were contributed by positive responses from qualitative findings, highlighting remarkable changes in the perspectives of male partners in supporting MHC. However, challenges, including financial limitations, cultural influences and a shortage of trained personnel, were encountered. Conclusion The MiM program effectively promotes male involvement in MHC, leading to improved MHC outcomes. The MiM intervention offers a promising, evidence-based model to enhance ID rates in Myanmar, requiring tailored approaches to address cultural and financial factors.

The effect of study partner characteristics on the reporting of neuropsychiatric symptoms across the neurocognitive spectrum.

We explored the influence of study partner (SP) characteristics on SP-reported neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) presence across the neurocognitive spectrum and on the prognostic utility of mild behavioral impairment (MBI). We performed cross-sectional (n = 26,748) and longitudinal (n = 12,794) analyses using participant-SP dyad data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Participants were cognitively normal (CN; n = 11,951) or had mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 5686) or dementia (n = 9111). SPs rated NPS using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to model the association between SP characteristics (age, sex, and relationship to participant [spouse, child, and other]) and NPS status (outcome). Cox regressions assessed SP characteristics as moderators of MBI associations with incident dementia or as predictors of incident dementia in MBI + participants only. Among CN persons, younger, female, and spouse SPs reported NPS more frequently. In MCI, younger SPs and those who were spouses or children of participants reported higher NPS odds. For dementia participants, NPS odds were higher in female and spouse SPs. MBI associations with incident dementia were slightly weaker when SPs were older but did not depend on SP sex or relationship to participant. Among MBI + participants with spouse or child SPs, hazard for dementia was higher when compared to MBI + participants with other SPs. SP age, sex, and relationship to participant influence NPS reporting across the neurocognitive spectrum, with potential implications for MBI prognosis. Considering SP characteristics may enhance the accuracy of NPS assessments, which may facilitate therapy planning and prognosis.

Examining Childhood Trauma Experiences in Relation to Women’s Attachment Style, Exposure to Violence and Partner Characteristics

Main emphasis of this research is to illuminate the intertwined cycles of neglect/abuse and violence that women experience throughout their lives and to identify potential strategies for social work interventions in this context. At this point, the study explains that violence can perpetuate itself in a cyclical manner from childhood and that this has effects on future partner relationships and partner characteristics in the case of Turkiye. The study also examines women’s self-assessed characteristics of their partners. The study was conducted within the scope of cross-sectional descriptive model and 260 women participated in the study. The participants were mostly exposed to emotional neglect during childhood. The attachment style of most of the participants was anxious ambivalent. In addition, they also experienced emotional violence from their spouses the most. The spouses of the participants were directive. There is a significant relationship between childhood trauma and exposure to violence. Adverse childhood experiences have an effect on the participants’ attachment style, partner characteristics and exposure to violence. In order for women to have safe and nonviolent partner relationships in adulthood, it is recommended that the quality and quantity of studies focusing on the family in childhood and the prevention of neglect/abuse be increased.

Camouflaging in Autistic Adults is Modulated by Autistic and Neurotypical Characteristics of Interaction Partners.

Many autistic people reportedly engage in camouflaging to navigate everyday social interactions; however, the function of this behavior remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that autistic people camouflage more toward neurotypical others than toward autistic others, employing it as a strategy to "fit in" within the neurotypical-majority community. This study aimed to empirically investigate this hypothesis for the first time. Autistic and neurotypical participants took part in a web-based survey. Data from 48 autistic and 137 neurotypical participants were analyzed. Camouflaging toward autistic and neurotypical others was separately measured using the modified Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). For each CAT-Q item, a sentence describing a hypothetical interaction partner with autistic or neurotypical characteristics was added, creating respective sentence conditions. The interaction effect of the participants' characteristics and sentence conditions was analyzed using a multilevel regression analysis, accounting for differing individual baselines. The analysis revealed an interaction effect between participants' characteristics and sentence conditions. The autistic group showed significantly more camouflaging in the autistic sentence condition than in the neurotypical sentence condition. Conversely, the neurotypical group did not differ significantly in camouflaging levels in the sentence conditions. Contrary to our hypothesis, autistic people demonstrated more camouflaging toward autistic others than toward neurotypical others. This finding questions the assumption that autistic people camouflage to assimilate into a neurotypical-majority society. Instead, it could be conceptualized as a more general social strategy used by autistic people aiming to improve their relationships with others.

Balancing Openness and Protection:Homogenization of Regulatory Laws in Digital Service Trade

Abstract Digital service trade has emerged as a pivotal engine for global economic transformation and development. However, the implementation of differentiated regulatory measures for trade in digital services among economies has led to increasingly frequent trade disputes. This paper constructs a regulatory homogeneity network for digital service trade in 60 major economies, and systematically evaluates the structural characteristics of the network and the regulatory homogeneity among economies from 2014 to 2021. Furthermore, this paper empirically examines the impact of the partnership characteristics of regulatory homogenization in the network of major economies on their exports. The analysis of the network structure shows that major economies are more inclined to optimize and simplify existing trade partnerships, and are moving towards more diversified restrictive measures in the regulatory model of digital services trade, which has led to the rise of trade protectionism. The empirical text results show that expanding and deepening the regulatory homogeneous partnership of trade in digital services promotes the export of digital services in major economies. This promotion effect is mainly achieved by reducing the cost of digital service trade and enhancing business trust. In addition, the export promotion effect of developing regulatory homogenization partnerships is better than that of increasing the openness of digital service trade, and the homogenization of policies between openness and protection is more important. This paper provides important implications for coordinating the openness and security of digital services trade: China should actively cooperate with multilateral and bilateral digital service trade partners to jointly build a homogeneous environment for regulatory regulations. In particular, it is necessary to deepen the regulatory homogeneity partnership with Asian and developing economies to expand the influence of the “China model” in the global regulation of digital services trade.

O-160 Age at menarche is a marker for increased time to pregnancy

Abstract Study question Is age at menarche a marker for increased time to pregnancy later in life? Summary answer Very early (&amp;lt;11 years) and very late (&amp;gt;15 years) menarche is associated with decreased fecundability. What is known already Several factors such as age, body mass-index and gynecological diseases influence female fecundability. Early or late menarche is associated with increased risk of several negative health outcomes later in life. Previous studies have shown conflicting results regarding if age at menarche is associated with time to pregnancy, a measure of female fecundability. Study design, size, duration 82 471 pregnant women with complete, self-reported information on age at menarche and time to pregnancy were included in a large retrospective cohort study between 1999 and 2008. Participants/materials, setting, methods Among 67 613 women with planned pregnancies participating in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study we calculated fecundability ratios which indicate the cycle-specific probability of conception, by categories of age at menarche. We adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index, highest completed or ongoing education level and age at initiation of trying to conceive. Main results and the role of chance We observed a 9% lower probability of conception during any given menstrual cycle up to 12 cycles in women with very early (&amp;lt;11 years) menarche, and a 4% lower probability among those with very late (&amp;gt;15 years) menarche compared to women with onset of menarche in the reference category (12-14 years). Among women with menarche &amp;lt;11 years the adjusted fecundability ratio was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.86-0.96) and among women with menarche &amp;gt;15 years the adjusted fecundability ratio was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92-0.99). Limitations, reasons for caution We didn’t have information about partner characteristics such as sperm quality, nor data on early life exposures such as early nutrition and pre-menarcheal body mass index. Since all participants were pregnant, the results could have limited generalizability to those who never conceive. Wider implications of the findings By identifying reduced fecundability as yet another negative health outcome associated with very early or very late menarche, the results from this study further underline the clinical importance of age at menarche as a readily available marker for later reproductive health. Trial registration number not applicable

Audit Partner Characteristics and Their Impacts on Audit Quality: Evidence from around the World

Public company audits are not homogenous. Varying audit partner attributes, including gender, age, location, and expertise, play important roles in explaining audit outcome disparities. The extant literature underscores the influence of firm-level and office-level differences, in areas such as size, culture, and industry expertise, in shaping audit outcomes. Commonwealth countries, such as the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Continental European countries, along with Asian economic entities, mandate the disclosure of audit partner names. Consequently, significant research efforts have been devoted to investigating the impact of audit partner characteristics on audit outcomes in these jurisdictions. With the adoption of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Rule 3211, mandating disclosure of audit engagement partner details for U.S.-registered public accounting firms on Form AP, there has been a surge in U.S. firm research exploring the significance of audit partner characteristics on audit outcomes in recent years. This paper outlines research that considers audit partner attributes’ influence on audit partner selection and audit quality across different economic entities. This entry contributes by synthesizing findings from recent research across diverse economic contexts, including the recently available insights from U.S.-based audits. The analysis of this entry not only provides insights into the current state of audit partner research but also delineates avenues for future research on this topic.

Https://www.onlinescientificresearch.com/articles/post-covid19-pulmonary-fibrosis.pdf

Introduction: My acquaintance from college married her fellow citizen, and after a few years gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby. She had no sexual adventures in her marriage, but the baby was black, even though her husband was fair-skinned, which later led to many disagreements, divorces and the breakup of the family. The goal of the work is to enable the wider, and not only narrow scientific public, to learn about telegony and its positive or negative consequences for an individual, family or social community. The methodology of the work is based on research and study of knowledge obtained from available literature, as well as own experience. The results of the work confirm not only the scientific, but also the practical possibility of recording a wave genetic record and recording it in an intimate partner during sexual intercourse for an unlimited time. The recorded wave genetic record can be woven into the offspring after many years, not only in physical but also in spiritual traits, even though the woman has not had sexual relations with former partners for many years, and her child inherits the traits of the former or former sexual partners. This is how it happens that a white-skinned woman, who was once in a relationship with a black man and had sexual relations, after several years marries a white-skinned person and gives birth to a black child. A child born can inherit not only physical, but also mental characteristics of former sexual partners. These possibilities are confirmed by a scientific discipline called telegony. To conclude that telegony is not an everyday visible phenomenon in physical features, i.e. that white married pastners have a black child, but is often manifested in weaker or stronger noticeable physical and spiritual characteristics of former sexual partners. Sometimes in our life, we have probably heard the words that someone’s child looks a lot like a neighbor.

The Effect of Everyday-Life Social Contact on Pain.

Pain is a biopsychosocial phenomenon, resulting from the interplay between physiological and psychological processes and social factors. Given that humans constantly interact with others, the effect of social factors is particularly relevant. Documenting the significance of the social modulation of pain, an increasing number of studies have investigated the effect of social contact on subjective pain intensity and pain-related physiological changes. While evidence suggests that social contact can alleviate pain, contradictory findings indicate an increase in pain intensity and a deterioration of pain coping strategies. This evidence primarily stems from studies examining the effect of social contact on pain within highly controlled laboratory conditions. Moreover, pain assessments often rely on one-time subjective reports of average pain intensity across a predefined period. Ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) can circumvent these problems, as they can capture diverse aspects of behavior and experiences multiple times a day, in real time, with high resolution, and within naturalistic and ecologically valid settings. These multiple measures allow for the examination of fluctuations of pain symptoms throughout the day in relation to affective, cognitive, behavioral, and social factors. In this opinion paper, we review the current state and future relevance of EMA-based social pain research in daily life. Specifically, we examine whether everyday-life social support reduces or enhances pain. The first part of the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the use of EMA in pain research and summarizes the main findings. The review of the relatively limited number of existing EMA studies shows that the association between pain and social contact in everyday life depends on numerous factors, including pain syndromes, temporal dynamics, the nature of social interactions, and characteristics of the interaction partners. In line with laboratory research, there is evidence that everyday-life social contact can alleviate, but also intensify pain, depending on the type of social support. Everyday-life emotional support seems to reduce pain, while extensive solicitous support was found to have opposite effects. Moreover, positive short-term effects of social support can be overshadowed by other symptoms such as fatigue. Overall, gathering and integrating experiences from a patient's social environment can offer valuable insights. These insights can help interpret dynamics in pain intensity and accompanying symptoms such as depression or fatigue. We conclude that factors determining the reducing versus enhancing effects of social contact on pain need to be investigated more thoroughly. We advocate EMA as the assessment method of the future and highlight open questions that should be addressed in future EMA studies on pain and the potential of ecological momentary interventions for pain treatment.