Xq22 deletion involving TCEAL1 in a female patient with early-onset neurological disease trait
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Spiritual boredom is associated with over- and underchallenge, lack of value, and reduced motivation
The emotion of boredom has attracted considerable research interest. However, boredom experienced in spiritual contexts (i.e., spiritual boredom) has rarely been investigated. Based on control-value theory (CVT), we investigated the occurrence, antecedents, and motivational effects of spiritual boredom in five different spiritual contexts: yoga, meditation, silence retreats, Catholic sermons, and pilgrimage. For each context, we conducted two independent studies, one including trait and another including state measures. The set of 10 studies included a total sample of N = 1267 adults. We complemented individual study results with an internal meta-analysis. The results showed a mean level of spiritual boredom of (bar{M}) = 1.91 on a scale of 1 to 5. In line with CVT, spiritual boredom was positively related to being overchallenged ((bar{r}) = 0.44) in 9 out of the 10 studies and positively related to being underchallenged ((bar{r}) = 0.44) in all studies. Furthermore, as expected, spiritual boredom was negatively related to perceived value in all studies ((bar{r}) = −0.54). Finally, boredom was negatively related to motivation to engage in spiritual practice ((bar{r}) = −0.46) across studies. Directions for future research and practical implications are discussed.
Phenotypic divergence between individuals with self-reported autistic traits and clinically ascertained autism
While allowing for rapid recruitment of large samples, online research relies heavily on participants’ self-reports of neuropsychiatric traits, foregoing the clinical characterizations available in laboratory settings. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research is one example for which the clinical validity of such an approach remains elusive. Here we compared 56 adults with ASD recruited in person and evaluated by clinicians to matched samples of adults recruited through an online platform (Prolific; 56 with high autistic traits and 56 with low autistic traits) and evaluated via self-reported surveys. Despite having comparable self-reported autistic traits, the online high-trait group reported significantly more social anxiety and avoidant symptoms than in-person ASD participants. Within the in-person sample, there was no relationship between self-rated and clinician-rated autistic traits, suggesting they may capture different aspects of ASD. The groups also differed in their social tendencies during two decision-making tasks; the in-person ASD group was less perceptive of opportunities for social influence and acted less affiliative toward virtual characters. These findings highlight the need for a differentiation between clinically ascertained and trait-defined samples in autism research.
The evolution of preferred male traits, female preference and the G matrix: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”
Female preference exerts selection on male traits. How such preferences affect male traits, how female preferences change and the genetic correlation between male traits and female preference were examined by an experiment in which females were either mated to males they preferred (S lines) or to males chosen at random from the population (R lines). Female preference was predicted to increase the time spent calling by males. Thirteen other song components were measured. Preference for individual traits was greatest for time spent calling(CALL), volume(VOL) and chirp rate(CHIRP) but the major contributors in the multivariate function were CALL and CHIRP, the univariate influence of VOL arising from correlations to these traits. Estimation of β, the standardized selection differential, for CALL resulting from female preference showed that it was under strong direct selection. However, contrary to prediction, CALL did not change over the course of the experiment whereas VOL, CHIRP and other song components did. Simulation of the experiment using the estimated G matrix showed that lack of change in CALL resulted from indirect genetic effects negating direct effects. Changes in song components were largely due to indirect effects. This experiment showed that female preference may exert strong selection on traits but how they respond to such selection will depend greatly upon the G matrix. As predicted, female preference declined in the R lines. The genetic correlations between preference and preferred traits did not decline significantly more in the R lines, suggesting correlations resulted from both linkage disequilibrium and pleiotropy.
Prognostic relevance of the neurological symptom burden in brain metastases from breast cancer
Existing prognostic models for breast cancer (BC) brain metastases (BM) overlook neurological symptoms. Thus, we explored the incidence and prognostic relevance of neurological symptoms in a real-world cohort of BC patients with BM.
LolA and LolB are conserved in Bacteroidota and are crucial for gliding motility and Type IX secretion
Lipoproteins are key outer membrane (OM) components in Gram-negative bacteria, essential for functions like membrane biogenesis and virulence. Bacteroidota, a diverse and widespread phylum, produce numerous OM lipoproteins that play vital roles in nutrient acquisition, Type IX secretion system (T9SS), and gliding motility. In Escherichia coli, lipoprotein transport to the OM is mediated by the Lol system, where LolA shuttles lipoproteins to LolB, which anchors them in the OM. However, LolB homologs were previously thought to be limited to γ- and β-proteobacteria. This study uncovers the presence of LolB in Bacteroidota and demonstrates that multiple LolA and LolB proteins co-exist in various species. Specifically, in Flavobacterium johnsoniae, LolA1 and LolB1 transport gliding motility and T9SS lipoproteins to the OM. Notably, these proteins are not interchangeable with their E. coli counterparts, indicating functional specialization. Some lipoproteins still localize to the OM in the absence of LolA and LolB, suggesting the existence of alternative transport pathways in Bacteroidota. This points to a more complex lipoprotein transport system in Bacteroidota compared to other Gram-negative bacteria. These findings reveal previously unrecognized lipoprotein transport mechanisms in Bacteroidota and suggest that this phylum has evolved unique strategies to manage the essential task of lipoprotein localization.
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