Inter-male aggression in mice: Influence of gonadectomy and prior fighting experience

Groups of adult male mice of the Rockland-Swiss strain were paired 0, 2, 7, or 15 times with adult male stimulus animals rendered non-aggressive by extirpation of olfactory bulbs. All animals were castrated and tested until fighting ceased, following which each was given testosterone replacement and tested until fighting was reinstated. More than 50% of mice with no pre-castration fighting experience fought following gonadectomy. Castrated animals permitted 15 pre-castration pairings fought significantly longer than did animals of any of the other treatment groups. Finally, there was no difference among the groups with regard to the latency to resume fighting following the commencement of testosterone replacement. It is concluded that fighting experience enhances the persistence of the behavior following castration.     

Fetal behavioral responses to the touch of the mother’s abdomen: A Frame-by-frame analysis

The aim of the present study was to examine whether fetuses respond to the touching of the mother’s abdomen, and if they do, whether they differentiate based on familiarity and the source of the touch, utilizing 3D real-time (4D) sonography.Behavioral responses of 28 fetuses (20th to 33rd week of gestation; N = 15 in the 2nd and N = 13 in the 3rd trimester) were frame-by-frame coded using a coding system comprising 20 codes and were analyzed in four conditions, during the touch of the (1) mother, (2) the father, (3) the stranger and in a (4) no-touch, control condition.Fetuses showed differential responses to the touch, in particular in the duration of their reaching out to touch the uterus wall in the four conditions, and self-touch, dependent on the gestational age of the fetus. Fetuses in the 3rd trimester touched the uterus wall significantly longer than fetuses in the 2nd trimester did, when the mother touched compared to the control condition. At the same time, fetuses in the 3rd trimester also touched themselves less during the mother’s touch, compared when the stranger touched and also compared to the control condition.This differential response of the older fetuses might be due to the maturation of the central nervous system, and may indicate the emergence of a proprioceptive self-awareness by the 3rd trimester.     

Digit ratio (2D:4D) and sensation seeking: New data and meta-analysis

Previously reported associations between low (male-typical) digit ratio (2D:4D), a putative pointer to prenatal testosterone exposure, and high (male-typical) sensation seeking have been inconsistent across studies (alternately present for men, women, either sex, or neither). Addressing this question again in three new studies (N = 198, 188, 1118) produced similarly erratic findings. Meta-analysis of the entire literature (13 studies with nearly 3000 individuals, including unpublished accounts) showed that the current cumulative evidence does not support any negative correlations between 2D:4D and sensation seeking traits. The only significant meta-analytical finding was for right-hand 2D:4D and the experience seeking facet of sensation seeking in both sexes, but this effect accounted for merely 0.4% attributable variance, and moreover was directionally opposite to expectation (i.e., a positive correlation). Discussed are inherent limitations of narrow-scoped approaches (such as via 2D:4D) for elucidating the biological bases of individual difference variables with evidentially intricate neurochemical underpinnings (such as sensation seeking).     

论“后天八卦”中的数理内涵──兼论《禹贡》和《太玄》对称三进制

"先天八卦"中具有数理内涵,同样,"后天八卦"中亦具有数理内涵。前者呈二进制形态,后者则为三进制形态。《系辞》曰:"太极生两仪,两仪生四象,四象生八卦。"其实,四象生八卦有两种不同的逻辑法则,这两种不同的逻辑法则导致二进制八卦与三进制八卦。而且"后天八卦"与五行具有内在的关联,因此,"后天八卦"中的数理内涵比"先天八卦"中的数理内涵更显丰富。     

Does Maternal Prenatal Stress Adversely Affect the Child’s Learning and Memory at Age Six?

Prenatal maternal stress has been shown to affect postnatal development in animals and humans. In animals, the morphology and function of the offspring’s hippocampus is negatively affected by prenatal maternal stress. The present study prospectively investigated the influence of prenatal maternal stress on learning and memory of 112 children (50 boys, 62 girls, Age: M=6.7 years, SD=8.4 months), with the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL). Maternal stress levels were determined three times during pregnancy by self-report questionnaires. Furthermore, maternal saliva cortisol samples were used as a measure of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Results of hierarchical multivariate regression analyses showed that maternal life events measured during the first part of pregnancy were negatively associated with the child’s attention/concentration index, while controlling for overall IQ, gender, and postnatal stress. No associations were found between prenatal maternal cortisol and the offspring’s learning and memory.     

Individual Differences in Testosterone Predict Persistence in Men

Persistence is an important predictor of future successes. The present research addresses the relationship between testosterone and persistence in men. One hundred eighteen men were randomly assigned to win or lose a competitive number tracing task against a confederate or complete the task alone in a non‐competitive control condition. Saliva samples were collected prior to and after the competition or control conditions. Participants were then given a maximum time of 30 min to spend attempting to solve unsolvable puzzles, with the option to quit at any time. In contrast to our prediction, changes in testosterone concentrations in response to the competitive interaction did not predict persistence behaviour. However, individual differences in testosterone concentrations (pre‐competition/non‐competition) were positively correlated with persistence. These findings are the first to examine associations between neuroendocrine function and persistence behaviour in people and suggest that testosterone should also be considered when predicting persistence‐related outcomes. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Maternal alexithymic traits,prenatal stress,and infant temperament

We aimed at investigating, whether maternal alexithymia or prenatal anxiety influences infant temperament (Infant Temperament Questionnaire, IBQ) at six months. Maternal alexithymic trait of “Difficulty in Identifying Feelings” predicted higher infant “Duration of Orienting”. “Fear of Bearing a Handicapped Child” predicted lower infant “Activity Level”.     

性激素对人类择偶偏好的影响

择偶是一种重要的心理、社会和文化现象,婚恋择偶除了会受当下社会文化习俗等人文因素的影响,也受到个体生理机制的影响。本文聚焦热点,从进化心理学的角度阐述性激素对人类择偶偏好的影响。女性的择偶偏好受生理周期激素变化的影响,男性的择偶则会因为体内睾酮含量的不同而发生变化。性激素不仅影响人的心理和行为,还会影响人类择偶决策的神经机制。未来的相关研究应关注生理周期的测定方法、被试的文化背景和个体间的差异等。     

Exposure to the Chinese famine in early life and depression in adulthood

We aimed to investigate whether exposure to the Chinese famine (1959–1961) in early life was associated with depression in adulthood. We included 17,505 participants from the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS). Participants were classified into indirect and direct exposure groups. And the directly exposure groups including prenatal, childhood, adolescence/adult exposure groups. Depression was diagnosed by Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10 (CES-D) score. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to calculate the odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of depression. In women, prenatal, childhood, adolescence/adult exposure groups had higher depression risk than indirect exposure group (OR = 1.46, 1.40, and 1.67, respectively). However, there was no significant association between famine exposure and depression among men. Exposure to famine during prenatal (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.07–2.06), childhood (OR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13–1.91), and adolescence/adult (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.24–2.15) period were associated with depression among subjects living in rural, but not those living in urban. Exposure to the Chinese famine in early life had sex and area-specific associations with depression.     

Support for religio-political aggression among teenaged boys in Gaza: part II: neuroendocrinological findings

Hormones seem to play important roles in the regulation of human aggression. Multiple studies have confirmed that testosterone (T) levels exhibit complex relationships with aggression, dominance, and/or risk-taking behavior. Some evidence suggests that cortisol (CORT) interacts with T and may also be associated with aspects of mood and aggression. However, almost no research to date has investigated the possibility that these neuroendocrine factors are associated with variations in political attitudes or with political aggression. During the second intifada, we tested the hypothesis that morning salivary T and/or salivary CORT levels might be associated with self-rated aggression or with support for religio-political aggression (RPA) among 14-year-old Palestinian boys living in Gaza. We obtained and averaged weekly 09:00 hr salivary measures of T and CORT for more than 1 month. Averaged morning T levels did not correlate with self-rated aggression, but were positively associated with agreement with the statement "religious ends justify any means," (r = .355, P = .014) and marginally associated with a composite measure of support for RPA (r = .247, P = .094). Average CORT levels were inversely correlated with self-rated aggression (r = -.328, P = .037) and with anger (r = -.373, P = .016), but CORT levels were not associated with support for RPA or with the statement "religious ends justify any means." Acknowledging that a modest sample size and methodological issues necessarily limit confidence in our conclusions, these results may represent the first findings regarding neurobiological correlates of support for political aggression.