Mapped clone and functional analysis of leaf-color gene Ygl7 in a rice hybrid (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica)

How head and visual movements affect evaluations of food products

Many studies suggest that specific movements or postures with shared social meaning can influence mainly verbal stimuli evaluation. On the other hand, several visuospatial biases can interact with this influence. Thus, we tested whether both head and stimuli movements can influence individual attitude towards food pictures. In two experiments, we used images of common foods with a weak positive valence in association with two kinds of movements. In Experiment 1, head movement was induced by presenting food pictures with a vertical or horizontal continuous movement on a computer screen. Conversely, Experiment 2 was conducted to test the effects of participants' own head movements with respect to the same food pictures presented in a fixed position. In neither case did head movements influence product evaluation. However, Experiment 1 revealed that the continuous movement left-right-left in the horizontal condition improved the desire to buy and eat, as well as the willingness to pay for the product shown. Two further experiments, the Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated, respectively, that this effect disappears if the stimulus does not make the return direction, and that it does not depend on the starting or final placement of the images on the screen. These findings are discussed in the context of embodied cognition and visuospatial bias theories.

Pooled analysis of the association between alcohol use and violence against women: evidence from four violence prevention studies in Africa

OBJECTIVES

To test associations between men's past year alcohol use and patterns of drinking, and their perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual violence (NPSV). To test the associations between women's reports of partner alcohol use and their experience of IPV, in three countries in Africa.

DESIGN

Pooled analysis of cross-sectional baseline data from men and women participating in four IPV prevention studies across Africa and Asia.

SETTING

Data from five data sets generated by four violence against women and girls prevention studies in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, Ghana and Rwanda.

PARTICIPANTS

8104 men 18+ years old and 5613 women 18+ years old from a mix of volunteer and randomly selected samples.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Studies employed comparable measures of past year alcohol use, harmful alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test scale) and items from modified WHO Women's Health and Domestic Violence to measure physical IPV and NPSV perpetration among men and IPV experience among women.

FINDINGS

Overall harmful alcohol use among men was associated with a substantially increased odds of perpetrating physical IPV (adjusted OR (aOR)=3.45 (95% CI 2.56 to 4.64)) and NPSV (aOR=2.64 (95% CI 1.85 to 3.76)) compared with non-drinkers. Women who had seen their partner occasionally drunk (aOR=2.68 (95% CI 2.13 to 3.36)) or frequently drunk (aOR=5.94 (95% CI 4.19 to 8.41)) in the past 12 months had an increased odds of experiencing physical IPV.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol use is associated with increased IPV and NPSV perpetration for men and (physical) IPV experience for women. Reported frequency of IPV and NPSV increase with increasing levels and frequency of alcohol use. Interventions aimed at reducing alcohol may also lead to reductions in IPV and NPSV perpetration and experience.

PositivMasc: masculinities and violence against women among young people. Identifying discourses and developing strategies for change, a mixed-method study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Despite public policies and legislative changes aiming to curtail men's violence against women (VAW) around the world, women continue to be exposed to VAW throughout their life. One in three women in Europe has reported physical or sexual abuse. Men who display unequitable masculinities are more likely to be perpetrators. VAW is increasingly appearing at younger ages. The aims of the project are fourfold: (1) to explore and position the discourses that young people (men and women, 18-24 years) in Sweden, Spain, Ireland and Israel use in their understanding of masculinities, (2) to explore how these discourses influence young people's attitudes, behaviours and responses to VAW, (3) to explore individual and societal factors supporting and promoting anti-VAW masculinities discourses and (4) to develop actions and guidelines to support and promote anti-VAW masculinities in these settings.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A participatory explorative mixed-method study will be used. In Phase 1, qualitative methods will be used to identify the discourses that young people and stakeholders use to conceptualise masculinities, VAW and the actions that are needed to support and promote antiviolence masculinities. In Phase 2, concept mapping will be used to quantify the coherence, relative importance and perceived relationship between the different actions to support and promote anti-VAW masculinities. Phase 3 is a knowledge creation and translation phase, based on findings from Phases 1 and 2, where actions and guidelines to promote and support anti-VAW masculinities will be developed.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical clearance has been obtained from ethics review boards in each country. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations at international conferences, policy briefs, social media and through the project online hub. With its multicountry approach, our project results seek to inform policies and interventions aimed at promoting discourses which challenge hegemonic masculinities.

SiYGL2 Is Involved in the Regulation of Leaf Senescence and Photosystem II Efficiency in Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv

A yellow-green leaf mutant was isolated from EMS-mutagenized lines of Setaria italica variety Yugu1. Map-based cloning revealed the mutant gene is a homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana AtEGY1. EGY1 (ethylene-dependent gravitropism-deficient and yellow-green 1) is an ATP-independent metalloprotease (MP) that is required for chloroplast development, photosystem protein accumulation, hypocotyl gravitropism, leaf senescence, and ABA signal response in A. thaliana. However, the function of EGY1 in monocotyledonous C₄ plants has not yet been described. The siygl2 mutant is phenotypically characterized by chlorotic organs, premature senescence, and damaged PS II function. Sequence comparisons of the AtEGY1 and SiYGL2 proteins reveals the potential for SiYGL2 to encode a partially functional protein. Phenotypic characterization and gene expression analysis suggested that SiYGL2 participates in the regulation of chlorophyll content, leaf senescence progression, and PS II function. Additionally, our research will contribute to further characterization of the mechanisms regulating leaf senescence and photosynthesis in S. italica, and in C₄ plants in general.