Erectile responses among heterosexual child molesters, father-daughter incest offenders, and matched non-offenders: Five distinct age preference profiles.

Studied erectile responses to pictures of nude females ranging in age from 3–24 yrs in 21 incest offenders, 40 nonfamilial child molesters, and 22 non-offender Ss approximately matched on socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence, and age. Profiles of erectile responses, plotting percent of full erection over age of target stimulus, were drawn for each individual S. These profiles were sorted into 5 distinct profile shapes reflecting: (1) a failure to discriminate among the stimuli, or a clear preference for either (2) adults, (3) adults and teens, (4) children, or (5) children and adults. Nonoffenders primarily showed adult profiles, while incest offenders displayed either a nondiscriminating profile or an adult preference pattern. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Responding to therapists' sexual abuse of adult incest survivors: Ethical and legal considerations.

Adult survivors of incest are high-risk candidates for subsequent sexual abuse by their therapists. As with incest, therapists' sexual abuse of their patients has become known as "the problem with no name." In addition, many of the ways in which the profession of psychology and the judicial system respond to patients' allegations of sexual abuse by their therapists often parallel the responses family members and authority figures made to the original allegations of incest. This article discusses some of the complex interactions among therapeutic dynamics and ethical and legal issues associated with this professional dilemma, and outlines ways in which the profession might begin to address this dilemma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

6-n-Propylthiouracil: a genetic marker for taste, with implications for food preference and dietary habits

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the usefulness of carbon dioxide as the primary contrast material for renal transplant arteriography. CONCLUSION: Carbon dioxide accurately showed artery pathology including anastomotic and intrarenal stenoses, arteriovenous shunting, and diffuse arterial disease from chronic transplant rejection. Using carbon dioxide as a contrast agent reduced the volume of iodinated contrast material that needed to be used. There was no procedure-associated nephrotoxicity.     

Habitat islands, genetic diversity, and gene flow in a Patagonian rodent

The effects of terrestrial habitat islands on gene flow and genetic diversity in animal populations have been predicted and discussed in theoretical terms, but empirical data are needed to test these predictions and provide an understanding of the relationships of life-history characteristics to genetics of insular species. We studied saxicolous mice (Phyllotis xanthopygus) in Patagonia to explore genetic structure, phylogeography, and gene flow in a species inhabiting natural habitat islands. Phylogeographic analyses based on mtDNA sequences revealed two haplotype clades, which presumably reflect early Pleistocene factors that temporarily separated the mice into two geographically isolated groups. The Río Chubut, which lies within a glacial drainage basin bisecting northern Patagonia, might have affected gene flow in the species. Although we anticipated isolation by distance and founder phenomena associated with habitat islands, in some habitat patches we found evidence of high local genetic diversity. The amount of divergence in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (approximately 3.4%) in animals at a single locality could best be explained through a combination of historical factors and metapopulation source-sink theory. Demographic shifts, dispersal, and episodic recolonization are important in the life history and genetic population structure of P. xanthopygus.     

Narcissism, sexual refusal, and aggression: Testing a narcissistic reactance model of sexual coercion.

Laboratory analog studies investigated the theory that narcissism and reactance contribute to causing rape. In Study 1, narcissism correlated positively with rape-supportive beliefs and negatively with empathy for rape victims. In Study 2, narcissists reported more enjoyment than other men of film depictions that presented consensual, affectionate activity followed by rape (but not in response to either affection or rape alone). In Study 3, narcissists were more punitive than other men toward a female confederate who refused to read a sexually arousing passage aloud to them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The evolution of MHC diversity by segmental duplication and transposition of retroelements

Sequence analysis of a 237 kb genomic fragment from the central region of the MHC has revealed that the HLA-B and HLA-C genes are contained within duplicated segments peri-B (53 kb) and peri-C (48 kb), respectively, and separated by an intervening sequence (IF) of 30 kb. The peri-B and peri-C segments share at least 90% sequence homology except when interrupted by insertions/deletions including Alu, L1, an endogenous retrovirus, and pseudogenes. The sequences of peri-B, IF, and peri-C were searched for the presence of Alu elements to use as markers of evolution, chromosomal rearrangements, and polymorphism. Of 29 Alu elements, 14 were identified in peri-B, 11 in peri-C, and 4 in IF. The Alu elements in peri-B and peri-C clustered phylogenetically into two clades which were classified as "preduplication" and "postduplication" clades. Four Alu J elements that are shared by peri-B and peri-C and are flanked by homologous sequences in their paralogous locations, respectively, clustered into a "preduplication" clade. By contrast, the majority of Alu elements, which are unique to either peri-B or peri-C, clustered into a postduplication clade together with the Alu consensus subfamily members ranging from platyrrhine-specific (Spqxcg) to catarrhine-specific Alu sequences (Y). The insertion of platyrrhine-specific Alu elements in postduplication locations of peri-B and peri-C implies that these two segments are the products of a duplication which occurred in primates prior to the divergence of the New World primate from the human lineage (35-44 mya). Examination of the paralogous Alu integration sites revealed that 9 of 14 postduplication Alu sequences have produced microsatellites of different length and sequence within the Alu 3'-poly A tail. The present analysis supports the hypothesis that HLA-B and HLA-C genes are products of an extended segmental duplication between 44 and 81 million years ago (mya), and that subsequent diversification of both genomic segments occurred because of the mobility and mutation of retroelements such as Alu repeats.     

Female preference for fly song: playback experiments confirm the targets of sexual selection

The courtship song of Drosophila is thought to be involved in sexual selection and species recognition. Because of the mating system of flies, however, directly demonstrating that song influences female preference is difficult. The majority of previous studies have used an experimental design that potentially confounds male and female reactions to song. In D. montana, correlational evidence has suggested that males that produce short sound pulses consisting of a high number of sound cycles (i.e. a high carrier frequency) have a higher mating success than other males. In this study, we played synthetic song that varied in pulse length and carrier frequency to individual females in the laboratory, both alone and in the presence of mute males. We scored female preference via an acceptance posture, 'wing spreading', which the females of this species usually display prior to mounting by a male. Females responded to synthetic song in the absence of males. The presence of mute males significantly increased their overall responsiveness, but the relative effectiveness of the songs did not change, eliminating male reaction to song as a possible confounding factor in the results. The interaction between pulse length and carrier frequency determined the discrimination between song types, with females responding most readily to song consisting of short pulses with a high carrier frequency. Thus, direct examination of female preferences supports the previous studies of male mating success, and confirms female song preference as a likely determinant of male mating success. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour     

Dissection of sexual organ ontogenesis: a genetic analysis of ovule development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Understanding organogenesis remains a major challenge in biology. Specification, initiation, pattern formation and cellular morphogenesis, have to be integrated to generate the final three-dimensional architecture of a multicellular organ. To tackle this problem we have chosen the ovules of the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system. In a first step towards a functional analysis of ovule development, we performed a large-scale genetic screen and isolated a number of sterile mutants with aberrant ovule development, We provide indirect genetic evidence for the existence of proximal-distal pattern formation in the Arabidopsis ovule primordium. The analysis of the mutants has identified genes that act at an intermediate regulatory level and control initiation of morphogenesis in response to proximal-distal patterning. A second group of genes functions at a subordinate control level and regulates general cellular processes of morphogenesis. A large group of male and female sterile mutants shows defects restricted to early or late gametogenesis. In addition, we propose that the mature ovule obtains its overall curved shape by at least three different processes that act in only one domain of the ovule.     

Men's media use, sexual cognitions, and sexual risk behavior: Testing a mediational model.

Efforts to link media use to adolescents' sexual initiation have produced somewhat inconsistent results, perhaps as a result of the limited framing of the question. This study sought to expand current approaches by sampling college students instead of high school students, by investigating a range of sexual behaviors and media formats, and by testing a model that featured sexual cognitions as mediators. We tested our model with a sample of 796 heterosexual, male college students who reported on their regular consumption of 4 media (prime-time TV programs, music videos, movies, and men's magazines); their attitudes toward abstinence, the male sexual role, and nonrelational sex; their perceptions of peer sexual behavior; and several aspects of their sexual behavior (e.g., number of sexual partners). Findings revealed strong support for our mediated model, with exposure to men's magazines and movies contributing most strongly to their sexual cognitions, and with men's cognitions, in turn, contributing heavily to their sexual behavior. Some direct connections from media use to sexual behavior also emerged. Together, the findings provide insight into both potential mechanisms for and new approaches to addressing this issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guiding assumptions, data, and minor pestilence: Reply to Tracey (1992) and Tinsley (1992).

In response to concerns raised by T. J. Tracey and H. E. Tinsley (see PA, Vol 79:17955 annd 17954, respectively), several issues are discussed. Research in a new area should incorporate a variety of methods and philosophies including those that are more empirical or discovery-oriented in focus rather than being driven solely by borrowed theory. Failure to acknowledge the differences between personal and career counseling has hampered expectations research in career counseling. No empirical basis currently exists for selecting the best assessment format for instruments measuring expectations in counseling. Both preference and anticipations rather than a single, global expectations construct need to be assessed in career counseling, and a reliable and valid assessment instrument is currently not available for that purpose. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling incest: treatment of the family and the offender

Sibling incest takes place in the context of a family system that does not provide a safe environment for its members. Treatment should encompass all pertinent aspects of the family system and the roles of all the family members within it, and intact boundaries must be created. Hierarchical realignment diminishes enmeshed subsystems and produces more open, honest communication in the family. The offender must take responsibility for his or her behavior. This stance should be supported by the parents. All family members should adhere to a safety plan throughout the treatment process.     

Sibling relationship, family, and genetic factors in sibling similarity in sexual risk.

Siblings’ risky attitudes toward sex and pregnancy and risky sexual behavior were studied in 1583 dyads from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We tested moderators of the links between 2 siblings’ reports of sexual risk as well as mediators of the links between siblings’ genetic similarity and similarity in their sexual risk. Siblings’ sexual risk reports were correlated, and consistent with social learning predictions, associations were stronger between siblings with close relationships and in same-gender dyads and, to a lesser extent, between more genetically similar siblings and those closer in age. Consistent with behavior genetics’ hypotheses about gene–environment correlations, similarity in family warmth and sibling relationship closeness mediated associations between siblings’ genetic similarity and similarity in their sexual risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evolution of a new nonclassical MHC class I locus in two Old World primate species

HLA-G is a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule that is expressed only in the human placenta, suggesting that it plays an important role at the fetal-maternal interface. In rhesus monkeys, which have similar placentation to humans, the HLA-G orthologue is a pseudogene. However, rhesus monkeys express a novel placental MHC class I molecule, Mamu-AG, which has HLA-G-like characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis of AG alleles in two Old World primate species, the baboon and the rhesus macaque, revealed limited diversity characteristic of a nonclassical MHC class I locus. Gene trees constructed using classical and nonclassical primate MHC class I alleles demonstrated that the AG locus was most closely related to the classical A locus. Interestingly, gene tree analyses suggested that the AG alleles were most closely related to a subset of A alleles which are the products of an ancestral interlocus recombination event between the A and B loci. Calculation of the rates of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution at the AG locus revealed that positive selection was not acting on the codons encoding the peptide binding region. In exon 4, however, the rate of nonsynonymous substitution was significantly lower than the rate of synonymous substitution, suggesting that negative selection was acting on these codons.     

Play psychotherapy of a profoundly incest abused boy: A Jungian approach.

A Jungian play psychotherapy approach to the treatment of a profoundly sexually abused mother–son incest victim is described. The S started treatment at the age of 4.5 yrs. He and his older brother had been initially raised by their young single mother who supported herself by working as a prostitute. The S's mother had displayed severe parenting deficits including neglect of both children, leaving the children alone for up to 3 days, physical abuse of the S's older brother, and sexual abuse of the S. The S and his brother were taken into temporary care for the 1st time when the S was 4 mo old. The S was formally adopted when he was 37 mo old. Emphasis is placed on (1) the therapeutic alliance; (2) a teleological approach, that is, following the child's play as it unfolds; and(3) the differences between acting-out and acting-in. The play during therapy evolved through several stages: symbolic and verbal disclosure in the 1st session; terror and rage; sexual, urination, cleansing, and nurturant themes; ego and superego development; and latency aged play. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Co-occurrence of eating disorders and incest: The role of attachment, family environment, and social competencies.

Childhood attachment, family environment, and adult social competencies were examined to explain the association between sexual abuse and eating disorders (EDs). Female college students (n?=?102) and female clients sexually abused in childhood (n?=?52) completed surveys retrospectively that assessed parental bonds, family environment, and sexual abuse, as well as current self-efficacy, social support, intimacy, adult attachment style, and ED symptoms. Client incest survivors had a higher ED rate (47%) than did sexually abused clients (22%), student incest survivors (24%), or nonabused students (17%). Significant associations were found between family environment, incest, social competencies, and eating disorders. Incest survivors had more dysfunctional families and lower social competencies than did nonabused women. Among incest survivors, those with the lowest levels of social competencies and poorest bonds with their mothers had more ED symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mutation of RFXAP, a regulator of MHC class II genes, in primary MHC class II deficiency

BACKGROUND: Major-histocompatibility-complex (MHC) class II deficiency is an autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency disease in which MHC class II molecules are absent. It is a genetically heterogeneous disease of gene regulation resulting from defects in several transactivating genes that regulate the expression of MHC class II genes. The mutations responsible for MHC class II deficiency are classified according to complementation group (a group in which the phenotype remains uncorrected in pairwise fusions of cells). There are three known complementation groups (A, B, and C). METHODS: To elucidate the genetic defect in patients with MHC class II deficiency that was not classified genetically, we performed direct complementation assays with the three genes known to regulate the expression of MHC class II genes, CIITA, RFX5, and RFXAP, and the relevant mutations were identified in each patient. RESULTS: Mutations in the RFXAP gene were found in three patients from unrelated families, and the resulting defect was classified as belonging to a novel complementation group (D). Transfection with the wild-type RFXAP gene restored the expression of MHC class II molecules in the patients' cells. CONCLUSIONS: Mutations in a novel MHC class II transactivating factor, RFXAP, can cause MHC class II deficiency. These mutations abolish the expression of MHC class II genes and lead to the same clinical picture of immunodeficiency as in patients with mutations in the other two MHC class II regulatory genes.