Circadian preference and relationship satisfaction among three types of couples

ABSTRACT

Mate selection is part of a growing interest in the study of processes by which couples are established, consolidated and/or separated. Similarity in psychological traits has been related to the well-being of couples, but given the possible effect of temporal convergence, it is necessary to control for the relationship length and whether or not both members of the couple live together. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between Morningness/Eveningness (M/E) similarity and relationship satisfaction in young-dating-non-cohabiting, young-married-cohabiting and old-married-cohabiting couples. Participants included 357 heterosexual couples (357 women and 357 men) with a mean age of 38.42 years old (SD = 13.11; age range between 19 and 69) who completed M/E (Composite Scale of Morningness) and relationship satisfaction measures (Comprehensive Marital Satisfaction Scale). Similarity in M/E was positively related to greater relationship satisfaction in both young cohabiting and non-cohabiting couples. In women, their own M/E was related to their own relationship satisfaction, whereas the level of relationship satisfaction in men was related to their partner’s M/E. This relationship was observed in young-married-cohabiting couples. M/E similarity may operate differently as a function of the relationship stage.     

Reconciliation, relationship quality, and postconflict anxiety: testing the integrated hypothesis in captive chimpanzees

Reconciliation is a conflict resolution mechanism that is common to many gregarious species with individualized societies. Reconciliation repairs the damaged relationship between the opponents and decreases postconflict (PC) anxiety. The "integrated hypothesis" links the quality of the opponents' relationship to PC anxiety, since it proposes that conflicts among partners with high relationship quality will yield high levels of PC anxiety, which in turn will lead to an increased likelihood of reconciliation. We tested the integrated hypothesis in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the Arnhem Zoo, The Netherlands. We applied the standard PC/matched control (MC) method. Our results mostly support the integrated hypothesis, in that more valuable and compatible partners (i.e., males and frequent groomers) reconciled more often than less valuable and weakly compatible partners (i.e., females and infrequent groomers). In addition, PC anxiety was higher after conflicts among males than among females. Emotional arousal thus appears to be a mediator facilitating reconciliation. However, in contrast to the predictions derived from the integrated hypothesis, PC anxiety appeared only in aggressees, and not in aggressors, of conflicts. This suggests that while relationship quality determines PC anxiety, it is dependent on the role of the participants in the conflict.     

Inequity aversion in relation to effort and relationship quality in long-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Social animals may employ evolved implicit rules to maintain a balance between cooperation and competition. Inequity aversion (IA), the aversive reaction to an unequal distribution of resources, is considered such a rule to avoid exploitation between cooperating individuals. Recent studies have revealed the presence of IA in several nonhuman species. In addition, it has been shown that an effort is crucial for this behavior to occur in animals. Moreover, IA may well depend on the partner's identity. Although dominant individuals typically monopolize food, subordinate individuals obtain less preferred food and usually do not protest. Furthermore, "friends" may pay less attention to equity than "nonfriends." We tested whether long-tailed macaques show IA with different cost-benefit ratios. In addition, we determined whether IA depends on relationship quality (RQ). Dominant subjects expressed IA only when a small effort was required. At a very large effort, however, long-tailed macaques did not show IA, possibly owing to bottom effects on the number of rewards they aim to receive. Moreover, and contrary to our predictions, an individual's inequity response was similar when tested with a "friend" or a "nonfriend." Therefore, we conclude that long-tailed macaques show IA only in conditions of moderate effort, yet that IA seems independent of RQ. Furthermore, IA may not be domain specific. Altogether, IA may be a trait present in all species that habitually cooperate, independent of their social organization.     

基于水量与水质的太湖流域水生态服务供需关系及多情景评估

耦合水量供给与水质净化的水生态服务供需关系的多尺度空间量化评估,有助于刻画和识别丰水区水质性缺水问题,并丰富水生态服务研究。在构建水量供给和水质净化服务供需评估方法的基础上,利用空间分析方法在现状情景基础上分别设置提升用水效率、改善土地管理方式和优化土地利用空间配置三种优化情景,并在栅格、子流域和县域三个尺度上开展基于水量供给和水质净化的水生态服务供需关系的定量评估,分别探讨了不同情景不同尺度下的水生态服务供需变化、空间响应及其机制特征。研究结果表明：(1)太湖流域的水量供需状况显著优于水质供需状况,节水能够有效改善流域内的水量赤字,而减量施肥和优化土地利用配置能够显著改善流域内的水质赤字。(2)多尺度的水量供给与水质净化服务供需解析,有助于精准识别不同尺度下亟需治理的关键区域。(3)水量赤字区主要集中在建设用地分布区域,耕地仍是引致水质赤字的主要原因,但随着尺度的逐渐增大,水质赤字区的建设用地面积也在不断增加。(4)优化土地利用结构方案是解决水质性缺水的最有效方法,但需要突破现有政策尤其是耕地保护政策的刚性约束,故耦合提升用水效率等方法是当前治理太湖流域“水质性缺水”问题首选措施。     

城市生态品质公众感知与现状的定量指标研究

随着国家对韧性城市和人居环境的重视,城市生态品质正在不断的提升和优化,如何对生态品质进行量化以及如何满足公众需求是当前迫切需要解决的重要问题。内蒙古自治区作为我国北方重要的生态安全屏障,各盟市的自然条件和社会经济差异巨大,城市生态品质公众感知与现状亟需系统研究。从生态资源的数量、质量和可获得性三个维度建立了评价体系,通过收集内蒙古自治区12个盟市612份满意度调查问卷、7项百度指数以及12项城市生态品质现状定量指标,系统分析了城市生态品质公众感知与现状间的差异。研究表明,问卷调查和现状结果均显示出可获得性>数量>质量,而百度指数则相反,表明当前内蒙古自治区各盟市在城市生态品质建设中更需要注重质量上的优化。研究提出了内蒙古自治区城市生态品质建设的发展方向,为公众获得感和幸福感的提升路径提供了参考。     

Obesity and sexual quality of life

Objectives : Reduced sexual quality of life is a frequently reported yet rarely studied consequence of obesity. The objectives of this study were to 1) examine the prevalence of sexual quality‐of‐life difficulties in obese individuals and 2) investigate the association between sexual quality of life and BMI class, sex, and obesity treatment—seeking status. Research Methods and Procedures : Subjects consisted of 1) 500 participants in an intensive residential program for weight loss and lifestyle modification (BMI = 41.3 kg/m²), 2) 372 patients evaluated for gastric bypass surgery (BMI = 47.1 kg/m²), and 3) 286 obese control subjects not seeking weight loss treatment (BMI = 43.6 kg/m²). Participants completed the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life‐Lite, a measure of weight‐related quality of life. Responses to the four Sexual Life items (assessing enjoyment, desire, performance, and avoidance) were analyzed by BMI, sex, and group. Results : Higher BMI was associated with greater impairments in sexual quality of life. Obese women reported more impairment in sexual quality of life than obese men for three of four items. Gastric bypass surgery candidates reported more impairment in sexual quality of life than residential patients and controls for most items. In general, residential patients reported levels of impairment greater than or equal to controls. Discussion : Obesity is associated with lack of enjoyment of sexual activity, lack of sexual desire, difficulties with sexual performance, and avoidance of sexual encounters. Sexual quality of life is most impaired for women, individuals with Class III obesity, and patients seeking gastric bypass surgery.     

Advertised quality,caste and food availability influence the survival cost of juvenile hormone in paper wasps

Life-history trade-offs are often hormonally mediated. Here, we provide a comparative perspective on the endocrine basis of life-history trade-offs by examining the invertebrate hormone juvenile hormone (JH). JH is often associated with benefits, including increased dominance and reproductive success. We tested whether JH reduced survival of Polistes dominulus wasps and whether this survival cost was influenced by factors such as advertised quality, food availability, caste and body size. Overall, JH reduced individual survival. Among fed and unfed queens, JH reduced survival in a dose-dependent manner. Among workers, JH had a stronger effect on survival of fed workers than unfed workers. Unfed workers died quickly and body size was the best predictor of survival. Surprisingly, queens and workers treated with JH survived longer when they had signals advertising high quality than when they had signals advertising low quality. The relationship between advertised quality and ability to withstand high levels of JH suggests that there are differential physiological costs associated with ornament elaboration that could play a role in maintaining signal accuracy over evolutionary time. Overall, the convergence of endocrine-mediated costs across diverse systems suggests that endocrine-mediated trade-offs may be an adaptive way to optimize resource allocation rather than a non-adaptive constraint specific to a particular hormone.     

The effect of denture quality attributes on satisfaction and eating difficulties

Objectives: The development of a measure, with complimentary normative and perceived needs, for the investigation of functional impairment of individual patients and the investigation of the physical causative bases of impairment. Subjects: A consecutive sample of 119 complete denture (CD) wearers attending a Greek department of prosthetic dentistry took part in the study. All subjects presented with some complaint(s) of their dentures. Method: Functional assessment of dentures (FAD) criteria and structured questionnaires were used covering denture satisfaction (DS) and food difficulties with CDs. The questions used a five‐point Likert scale. Results: The results showed that there were statistically significant associations between satisfaction from dentures and eating specified foods. Statistically significant associations were also found between denture qualities and movement of upper dentures and difficulty eating specified foods, but not with an open question on the difficulty of eating unspecified foods. Conclusions: This study successfully validated a suitable model for the combined evaluation of denture quality with clear diagnostic criteria and closed questions on DS and perceived difficulties when eating specified foods. This could predict the need for treatment, monitor the impact of care and provide a feasible measure to meet the need of everyday clinical situations.     

景洪水库浮游植物群落结构变化及与水质的关系

景洪水库是澜沧江下游的重要梯级开发水库,具有重要的生态战略地位。为评估景洪水库水质和浮游植物群落结构现状,本研究根据库区水位和季节变化在2021年3月、6月、9月开展了库区水质和浮游植物监测。结果表明：景洪水库各监测点位水质较好,满足《地表水环境质量标准》Ⅱ类水质标准,富营养化评价结果为贫营养至中营养,但水质和营养状态从3月至9月呈现逐渐下降的趋势; 3月至9月浮游植物密度增加、多样性降低,随着季节变化浮游植物优势种发生明显改变,3月份优势种为隐藻门（Cryptophyta）和硅藻门（Bacillariophyta）,到9月份库区演变为蓝藻门（Cyanophyta）为主。RDA分析表明总有机碳和透明度与浮游植物群落结构变化显著相关。建议后期需加强景洪水库水生态环境监测与评估,预防水体富营养化和蓝藻水华的发生。     

The effect of attachment type and implant number on satisfaction and quality of life of mandibular implant-retained overdenture wearers

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00531.x The effect of attachment type and implant number on satisfaction and quality of life of mandibular implant‐retained overdenture wearers Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life and patient satisfaction outcomes of two attachment systems in mandibular overdentures with different numbers of supporting implants. Materials and methods: Sixty‐two edentulous patients with either splinted or single attachments in mandibular implant overdentures with different numbers of supporting interforaminal implants were investigated for patient satisfaction and quality of life in this retrospective study. Comparisons between groups were perceived by the Mann–Whitney U test. Relations among the parameters were investigated by Spearman’s rho correlation analysis. The results were evaluated statistically at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: No statistically significant association is found between visual analogue scales scores and attachment type as well as implant number (p > 0.05), whereas Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)‐14 total scores for patients with 4‐implant‐supported bars were significantly lower than all the other attachment types (p < 0.05). Additionally, a negative (rate = 32.2%), statistically significant association between period of edentulism and total OHIP‐14 scores was detected (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A mandibular implant‐retained overdenture supported with four implants and bar attachments shows the highest ‘quality of life’ score and patient satisfaction is not influenced by the number of implants or attachment type.     

Plants on small islands revisited: the effects of spatial scale and habitat quality on the species–area relationship

Understanding how species diversity is related to sampling area and spatial scale is central to ecology and biogeography. Small islands and small sampling units support fewer species than larger ones. However, the factors influencing species richness may not be consistent across scales. Richness at local scales is primarily affected by small‐scale environmental factors, stochasticity and the richness at the island scale. Richness at whole‐island scale, however, is usually strongly related to island area, isolation and habitat diversity. Despite these contrasting drivers at local and island scales, island species–area relationships (SARs) are often constructed based on richness sampled at the local scale. Whether local scale samples adequately predict richness at the island scale and how local scale samples influence the island SAR remains poorly understood. We investigated the effects of different sampling scales on the SAR of trees on 60 small islands in the Raja Ampat archipelago (Indonesia) using standardised transects and a hierarchically nested sampling design. We compared species richness at different grain sizes ranging from single (sub)transects to whole islands and tested whether the shape of the SAR changed with sampling scale. We then determined the importance of island area, isolation, shape and habitat quality at each scale on species richness. We found strong support for scale dependency of the SAR. The SAR changed from exponential shape at local sampling scales to sigmoidal shape at the island scale indicating variation of species richness independent of area for small islands and hence the presence of a small‐island effect. Island area was the most important variable explaining species richness at all scales, but habitat quality was also important at local scales. We conclude that the SAR and drivers of species richness are influenced by sampling scale, and that the sampling design for assessing the island SARs therefore requires careful consideration.     

区域景观格局与地表水环境质量关系研究进展

摘要：区域景观格局对地表水环境具有重要影响,1970s以来国外学者对区域景观格局与地表水水质之间的关系开展了大量研究。在系统梳理景观格局与水质关系的研究思路和技术方法的基础上,综合国内外文献探讨了水化学离子、常规污染物、营养物、重金属、有机物、水生生物,直至当前的河流健康等各类水环境指标对景观格局的响应程度,以及景观格局影响水环境的尺度效应问题。认为当前研究存在划定流域边界未能严格避免流域嵌套及土地利用空间自相关、选择景观格局变量尚未充分重视空间结构和水文地貌因素、数据分析技术多限于半定量分析等问题,并尝试提出相应的解决方案。试探性地提出国内研究的未来方向,指出在关注研究区域的流域边界是否明确和点源污染是否控制两个理论前提基础上,进一步根据非点源污染物在景观格局中的累积和迁移转化行为特征,进行相应的土地利用景观分类将是十分重要和迫切的基础性工作,提出了将景观格局与过程关系理论应用于城市面源污染调控的关键科学问题,包括非点源与目标水体的空间位置关系、不透水面和透水面的空间格局关系、区域不透垫面比例是否存在阈值,以及设置透水面的最佳空间尺度等。     

梨果实结构与耐贮性及品质关系的研究

梨果实是由下位民衍生,有发达的肉质果壁,是一种假果。不同品种梨果实结构有一;定判别表现在果实表现和果肉细胞及细胞内物质成分的不同。果实角质厝较厚,且后期深入表皮细胞间隙,表皮下４～５层细胞２含有大量易被染色的单宁类物质,定藏,角质膜较薄,表皮下细胞不含单宁类物质,不耐贮藏。不同品种梨果实中石细胞团的大小不同,糖分含含量也存在一定差异。石细胞团的大小与果肉细腻程度及糖分含量呈负相关,是影响果实品质的     

Semen quality, testosterone, seminal plasma biochemical and antioxidant profiles of rabbit bucks fed diets supplemented with different concentrations of soybean lecithin

A total of 28 adult V-line rabbits were fed ad libitum a control diet or a diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% soybean lecithin (SL) for 12 weeks. Bucks that received 0.5%, 1.0% or 1.5% dietary SL had a higher ejaculate volume, mass motility, sperm concentration, total sperm output and total motile sperm. Dietary SL reduced the percentage of dead sperm and increased the normal sperm, and this concurred with an increase in blood testosterone concentration. Blood and seminal plasma total lipid, acid phosphatase and seminal plasma alkaline phosphatase were significantly increased because of inclusion of SL. Interestingly, SL reduced blood and seminal plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances while increasing blood and seminal plasma glutathione content, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity. Conception rate and litter size at birth and weaning were also significantly improved. Practically, it could be suggested that SL is a suitable supplement for improving semen quality, antioxidant status, reproductive traits and the economic efficiency of V-line rabbit bucks and 1% is an adequate concentration.     

不同水分管理下优质稻花后植株碳氮流转与籽粒生长及品质的相关性

以桂华占、八桂香为材料,在干湿交替灌溉、亏缺灌溉、淹水灌溉3种水分条件下,研究优质稻花后植株碳氮流转与籽粒生长及品质的相关性。结果表明:不同水分管理下,桂华占和八桂香花后碳氮流转与籽粒的生长间存在密切相关。主要表现在:(1)茎鞘和叶片干物质转运对籽粒干物质积累的贡献率为16.86%～25.68%,花后茎叶干物质运转速度和运转率与籽粒起始灌浆势呈显著甚至极显著正相关;籽粒最大灌浆速率、活跃灌浆期、持续灌浆时间与叶片干物质运转速度和运转率呈极显著正相关,与茎鞘干物质运转速度和运转率呈极显著负相关;(2)茎鞘碳同化物转运对籽粒的产量和淀粉产量的贡献率则为干湿交替灌溉>亏缺灌溉>淹水灌溉;但叶片碳同化物转运对籽粒的产量和淀粉产量的贡献率则为淹水灌溉>亏缺灌溉>干湿交替灌溉;茎叶可溶性糖积累量的减少和籽粒直链淀粉含量和积累量增加是同步的,且茎叶可溶性糖积累量快速递减期(花后3～12d)与直链淀粉含量和积累量快速递增期(花后6～12d)同步;(3)茎鞘和叶片氮素转运对籽粒氮素积累的贡献率为44.05%～117.66%,叶片总氮转运对籽粒氮素积累的贡献率大于茎鞘,茎鞘和叶片氮同化物对籽粒氮素的贡献率以淹水灌溉处理的最大,亏缺灌溉处理的次之,干湿交替灌溉处理的最小。     

The adaptive significance of stealing in a marine bird and its relationship to parental quality

Kleptoparasitism (food theft) is a tactic used opportunisticallyby many foraging birds, but little is known about its fitnessbenefits. Here we show that habitual kleptoparasitism by individualparent roseate terns (Sterna dougallii) is associated with consistentlysuperior reproductive performance relative to nonkleptoparasitic("honest") parents, as measured by growth and survival to fledgingamong their offspring. In broods of two, both chicks of kleptoparasiticparents exhibited superior growth performance during the middleand later stages of the rearing period, relative to chicks ofhonest parents. This difference was especially pronounced insecond-hatched chicks, whose survival is highly variable amongyears and dependent on food availability. Over a 10-year period,average productivity (number of chicks fledged per pair) wassignificantly higher among kleptoparasites than among honestparents, with a larger relative difference during years of foodshortage. Our study indicates that kleptoparasitism in roseateterns is an important component of parental quality and providesthe first evidence that food stealing is associated with enhancedfitness in a facultatively kleptoparasitic seabird.     

流域尺度上的景观格局与河流水质关系研究进展

利用景观生态学原理研究流域尺度上土地利用及其空间格局对河流水质的影响,已成为流域环境研究中的热点问题。在综合评价国内外土地利用变化与河流水质关系研究的基础上,阐述了景观格局在流域水环境研究中的重要性,并根据国内外研究进展,对景观格局与水质关系的研究方法和手段进行了分类分析,同时也对流域尺度上的景观-水质模型研究进展也进行了分析总结,最后指出了景观格局与水质关系研究的核心问题和未来研究的热点方向。     

鱼类生物群落对太子河流域土地利用、河岸带栖息地质量的响应

河流生态系统的退化是多空间尺度环境因子作用的结果。探讨不同尺度环境因子及水生生物之间的作用关系,识别影响水生生物群落完整性的尺度问题,是有效开展水生生物保护的基础。基于2009年对太子河流域15个样点的鱼类、河岸带栖息地质量评价,结合遥感影像解译的太子河流域土地利用情况(包括流域尺度和河段尺度),研究鱼类完整性指数(F-IBI)与两种尺度土地利用、栖息地质量参数之间的关系。结果表明太子河上游地区河岸栖息地质量较好,下游地区由于农业用地、城镇用地比例的增加河岸栖息地质量明显下降。F-IBI与自然用地比例呈正相关,与农业、城镇用地比例呈负相关。农业用地对F-IBI的影响体现在流域尺度,而城镇用地在两种尺度上都存在显著影响。相比于农业用地,城镇用地相同比例的增加会导致F-IBI更快的下降。底质、水质状况、人类活动强度是显著影响F-IBI的栖息地质量评价参数。3项参数均随农业和城镇用地比例增加而降低,农业用地主要在流域尺度上对3项参数产生影响,城镇用地主要影响底质和水质状况2项参数,而在两种尺度上的影响相差不大。     

Consistency statistics and genetic parameters for taste panel assessed meat quality traits and their relationship with carcass quality traits in a commercial population of Angus-sired beef cattle

Sensory traits, such as juiciness and tenderness, are known to be important to the consumer and thus will influence their consumption of meat, specifically beef. These traits are difficult to measure and often require the use of taste panels to assess the complex parameters involved in the eating experience. Such panels are potentially a large source of measurement error, which may reduce the effectiveness of breeding programmes based on the data they generate. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of such taste panel-derived sensory traits as well as calculating genetic parameters and residual correlations for these traits along with a further set of traditional carcass quality traits. The study examined a sample of 443 Aberdeen Angus-cross animals collected from 14 breeder-finisher farms throughout Scotland. To assess the quality of the taste panel measurements, three consistency statistics were calculated: (i) panel-member consistency, i.e. the extent to which an individual panel member varied in their scoring for a given trait over the period of the experiment; (ii) repeatability, i.e. the consistency with which an individual panel member was able to score a trait on repeated samples from the same animal; and (iii) reproducibility, i.e. the extent to which taste panel members agreed with each other when scoring a trait. These consistency statistics were moderately high, particularly for panel-member consistency and reproducibility, with values ranging from 0.48 to 0.81 and 0.43 to 0.73 respectively. Estimated heritabilities were low for most of the sensory taste-panel-evaluated traits where the maximum value was 0.16 for overall liking. Residual correlations were high between many of the closely related sensory traits, although few significant correlations were found between the carcass quality data and meat quality traits.