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Consumers are known to seek out and display conspicuous goods—items that are exclusive and signal wealth and high social standing. Though many factors can drive such conspicuous consumption, the present work looks at an unexplored element: whether consumers find themselves in a dominance versus prestige-based hierarchy. Dominance-based hierarchies encourage consumers to use threatening, assertive, and manipulative behaviors to navigate the hierarchy. In contrast, prestige-based hierarchies encourage consumers to show their talent, skills, and motivation to operate within the hierarchy. The present research reveals how these two main bases of hierarchy shape consumers' consumption of conspicuous goods. Specifically, dominance, relative to prestige hierarchies, is proposed to foster greater social anxiety, which leads people to seek conspicuous goods as a means of psychological security. Consequently, dominance-based hierarchies are more likely to encourage conspicuous consumption relative to prestige-based hierarchies. Multiple experiments, which utilize real employees' behaviors, experimental manipulations of hierarchy, as well as incentivize-compatible decisions, reveal that dominance-based hierarchies, relative to prestige-based hierarchies, increase consumers' preference for conspicuous goods. Moreover, evidence for a psychological mechanism in the form of social anxiety is demonstrated via both mediation and moderation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drumming is a non-vocal auditory display producing airborne as well as seismic vibrations by tapping body extremities on a surface. It is mostly described as an alarm signal but is also discussed to signal dominance or mating quality. To clarify the function of drumming in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), we compared the occurrence of drumming during predator, opposite-sex and same-sex encounters. We tested 48 captive Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) in three experiments. In predator experiments, subjects were exposed alone or with their cagemate to aerial and terrestrial predator dummies. In social encounter experiments, familiar and unfamiliar male–female dyads and same-sex dyads were confronted. For the same-sex encounters, a dominance index was calculated for each subject based on the number of won and lost conflicts. Drumming and drumming-call combinations were counted, and a multi-parametric sound analysis was performed. In all experiments drumming and drumming-call combinations occurred. In predator experiments, more subjects drummed when confronted with the predator stimulus than in the habituation phase. In social encounter experiments, more subjects drummed when facing an unfamiliar than a familiar conspecific. In addition, the accompanying call type and body posture of the sender differed between experiments. Thus, we suggest that whereas drumming signals an increased arousal state of the sender, the accompanying call type and the body posture signal context specific information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drumming is a non-vocal auditory display producing airborne as well as seismic vibrations by tapping body extremities on a surface. It is mostly described as an alarm signal but is also discussed to signal dominance or mating quality. To clarify the function of drumming in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), we compared the occurrence of drumming during predator, opposite-sex and same-sex encounters. We tested 48 captive Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) in three experiments. In predator experiments, subjects were exposed alone or with their cagemate to aerial and terrestrial predator dummies. In social encounter experiments, familiar and unfamiliar male–female dyads and same-sex dyads were confronted. For the same-sex encounters, a dominance index was calculated for each subject based on the number of won and lost conflicts. Drumming and drumming-call combinations were counted, and a multi-parametric sound analysis was performed. In all experiments drumming and drumming-call combinations occurred. In predator experiments, more subjects drummed when confronted with the predator stimulus than in the habituation phase. In social encounter experiments, more subjects drummed when facing an unfamiliar than a familiar conspecific. In addition, the accompanying call type and body posture of the sender differed between experiments. Thus, we suggest that whereas drumming signals an increased arousal state of the sender, the accompanying call type and the body posture signal context specific information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on romantic conflict has persuasively documented that the way partners communicate with one another during disagreements is a driving factor in predicting how they perceive the conflicts in their relationships. The current research added to this literature by differentiating couples who resolve conflicts more, versus less, successfully. Specifically, the current work examined how couples' behavioral trajectories across the course of conflict related to their perceptions of conflict resolution. To this end, we coded warmth and dominance behaviors exhibited by 173 couple members (346 individuals) over the course of an eight-minute conflict discussion. We examined how participants', and their partners', perceptions of conflict resolution were related to their interpersonal behaviors. In line with predictions, less average interpersonal warmth was associated with worse perceptions of resolution, and declining warmth over time was also associated with worse perceptions of resolution. Dominance behaviors were not associated with conflict resolution perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether people can accurately judge the experienced power, dominance, and prestige of others based on short texts, and what linguistic cues are related to these hierarchy-related variables. Past research suggests that personality is reflected in language, but hierarchy—another important feature in human relationships—has not been fully considered. In two studies with a zero-acquaintance setting, judges (N 1/2 = 105/202) read self-descriptions of speakers (N 1/2 = 200/200) and completed peer ratings of speakers' power, dominance, and prestige. Speakers completed the same scales as self-ratings. We found substantial associations between the hierarchy concepts and several word categories (e.g., sense of power was negatively related to tentative words in self- and peer reports). For power and prestige, judges and speakers used the same linguistic cues for their assessments. Further, judges converged strongly in their assessments and showed high self-other agreement for all variables. We conclude that social hierarchy concepts are enacted in language and can be perceived from minimal verbal information. The findings show the importance of distinguishing between various hierarchy concepts when analyzing language correlates and have implications for testing power theories with linguistic material and the understanding of perceptions regarding hierarchy differences and following downstream consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correlational pilot study (N = 143) and an integrative data analysis of two experiments (total N = 377) provide evidence linking anger to the psychology of social hierarchy. The experiments demonstrate that the experience of anger increases the psychological accessibility of implicit cognitions related to social hierarchy: compared to participants in a control condition, participants in an anger-priming condition completed word stems with significantly more hierarchy-related words. We found little support for sex differences in the effect of anger on implicit hierarchy-related cognition; effects were equivalent across male and female participants. Findings fit with functionalist evolutionary views of anger suggesting that anger may motivate the use of dominance to strive for high social rank in group hierarchies. Implications for downstream behaviour, including aggression and negotiation, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife movement in urban environments can differ significantly from that in natural environments due to intrinsic factors (individual phenotype) as well as extrinsic factors (such as changes to the landscape and increased interactions with people). Here, we used tracking collars equipped with 1 Hz GPS to investigate the variation in fine-scale movement (individual step lengths, path tortuosity and residence times) of chacma baboons, Papio ursinus , across natural and urban environments in Cape Town, South Africa. We showed that the baboons exhibited limited interindividual differences in average movement (intrinsic factor: behavioural type), but large differences across environment (extrinsic factor: behavioural plasticity), where all baboons travelled faster and straighter, and spent less time in one location, when in urban space compared to natural space. We showed large intraindividual differences in baboon movement (behavioural predictability), indicating that some individuals exhibit greater consistency in movement than others. Finally, we showed an interaction between individual (ID) and environment (urban) for all metrics, where individuals differed in how much their movement in urban space changed compared to their movement in natural space. The individuals that changed their movement the most tended to be higher-ranking, socially connected baboons, which are the focus of the city's baboon management programme, seeking to keep baboons out of urban areas. We therefore suspect these changes in movement between natural and urban space to be partly a result of human–baboon interactions. Taken together, our results show how individual animal movement can be impacted by changing environments, affecting certain baboon phenotypes more than others. • We examined baboon movement across natural and urban environments. • Movement metrics were calculated using 1 Hz-GPS-equipped tracking collar data. • We found limited inter- but high intraindividual variation in movement. • Baboons moved faster, straighter and spent less time at a location in urban space. • Changes in movement in urban space are mainly explained by extrinsic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Apaṇṇaka Sutta, one of the early recorded teachings of the Buddha, contains an argument for accepting the doctrines of karma and rebirth that Buddhist scholars claim anticipates Pascal's wager. I call this argument the Buddha's wager. Does it anticipate Pascal's wager and is it a good bet? Contemporary scholars identify at least four versions of Pascal's wager in his Pensées. This article demonstrates that the Buddha's wager anticipates two versions of Pascal's wager, but not its canonical form. Like Pascal's wager, the Buddha's wager presents a decision problem between two opposing theses in an epistemic context that lacks evidence of their truth or falsity. Like Pascal, the Buddha also tries to solve this problem using dominance, superdominance or 'superduperdominance' reasoning. The Apaṇṇaka Sutta likely provides the earliest textual example of such reasoning. While the Buddha's wager does not exhibit the expected utility reasoning of the best-known form of Pascal's wager, the article suggests a reformulation that parallels Alan Hájek's (2018) vector-value reformulation. Is it a good bet? This article argues that it is not if this means we are rationally required to accept its recommendation. This is because, while it avoids two of the major objections levelled against Pascal's wager, it succumbs to one and has at least two problems of its own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme drought and intensification of land use pose substantial threats to ecosystem stability. However, existing studies that assess ecosystem stability focus primarily on the stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), while the stability of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) is often not considered. Here, we examined the response patterns and drivers of ANPP stability and BNPP stability in an alpine meadow to drought and clipping (simulating grazing and mowing) by the implementation of five levels of simulated precipitation (1/12, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and ambient precipitation) and clipping (unclipped vs. clipped) treatments over 7 years (2016–2022). The results showed that extreme drought decreased ANPP stability, while moderate drought increased BNPP stability and net primary productivity stability. The findings highlight the importance of jointly considering above‐ and belowground processes when evaluating ecosystem stability. Moreover, clipping did not have an impact on ANPP stability but reduced BNPP stability, and clipping differentially affected the stability of ANPP and BNPP in response to extreme drought. Furthermore, ANPP stability was largely determined by species temporal asynchrony rather than richness, whereas dominant species stability strongly contributed to the variation in BNPP stability of this alpine meadow faced with drought and clipping. Synthesis: In general, these results provide experimental evidence for the decoupling of the responses of above‐ and belowground productivity stability to extreme drought and clipping. Our findings indicate that aboveground responses should not be used as the sole indicator of the whole ecosystem consequences of extreme drought and disturbance factors such as grazing or mowing, emphasizing the need to evaluate ecosystem stability from a whole ecosystem perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Location Taxa Methods Results Main Conclusions The relationship between habitat area and species evenness quantifies species relative abundance distribution changes across habitat fragments, providing more information than considering only the species richness to predict biodiversity distribution patterns in fragmented landscapes. However, unlike the species‐area relationships (SARs), the Species Evenness‐Area Relationship (SEARs) has yet to be explored across taxa at a large spatial scale. Here, we resolved how the relationship between species evenness and fragment area varies among taxonomic groups and environmental factors.Global.Insecta, Aves, Amphibians and Squamata, Plantae, Arachnida, Mammalia, Mollusca.We compiled 67 datasets from the FragSAD database, including information on fragments area, species richness, and species abundance of six taxa worldwide. We calculated the species evenness index for each fragment, which is independent of species richness, and tested the relationship between species evenness and fragment area across taxonomic groups. We also used the power model to fit SEAR for each dataset and identified landscape variables with a detectable impact on the occurrence of significant SEARs.In contrast to the positive relationship between species richness and fragment area, species evenness was negatively affected by fragment area when controlling for other environmental factors and the relationships varied significantly among taxonomic groups. Specifically, there were significant negative associations between species evenness and fragment area for insects, birds, spiders, and mammals but not for plants and amphibians. Meanwhile, the occurrence of significant SEARs depends on the number of fragments and total fragment area.The contrasting patterns of SEARs and SARs among taxonomic groups highlight the complexity of the mechanisms regulating biodiversity patterns. Although the number of species increases with the increase of fragment area, the decreased evenness implies community instability on larger fragments. Therefore, understanding the prevalence and underlying mechanisms in determining SEARs has critical implications for biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a fictional narrative about Professor Sackker, the solitary researcher in the field of Sackker Studies, once known as Management and Organizational Studies. Despite its absurdity, the story portrays Sackker’s dominance, marked by his inevitable rise with record-breaking publications and citations, stifling competition, and leaving him as the ultimate winner and ruler. Through personal reflections, his story explores his career strategies, provides insights into his success, and explains how he shaped, transformed, and eventually (but unwittingly) destroyed the field. This narrative, though fictional, mirrors real concerns in today’s reality: growing inequalities, the dominance of elite scholars, and erosion of meaning in academic careers as a function of hyper-competition. We examine the prevalence of systemic issues plaguing academia. Despite challenges, the article also aims to inspire hope. By illuminating these problems and integrating them into scholarly discussions, there lies an opportunity for change, empowering the next generation of academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the fitness of hybrids can provide important insights into genetic differences between species or diverging populations. We focused on surface- and cave-ecotypes of the widespread Atlantic molly Poecilia mexicana and raised F1 hybrids of reciprocal crosses to sexual maturity in a common-garden experiment. Hybrids were reared in a fully factorial 2 × 2 design consisting of lighting (light vs. darkness) and resource availability (high vs. low food). We quantified survival, ability to realize their full reproductive potential (i.e. completed maturation for males and 3 consecutive births for females) and essential life-history traits. Compared to the performance of pure cave and surface fish from a previous experiment, F1s had the highest death rate and the lowest proportion of fish that reached their full reproductive potential. We also uncovered an intriguing pattern of sex-specific phenotype expression, because male hybrids expressed cave molly life histories, while female hybrids expressed surface molly life histories. Our results provide evidence for strong selection against hybrids in the cave molly system, but also suggest a complex pattern of sex-specific (opposing) dominance, with certain surface molly genes being dominant in female hybrids and certain cave molly genes being dominant in male hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that biodiversity is a strong and positive predictor of ecosystem temporal stability by simultaneously affecting multiple underlying mechanisms of stability, that is dominance, asynchrony and averaging effects. However, to date, no study has disentangled the relative role of these key mechanisms of stability in biodiversity experiments.We created a species richness gradient by mimicking a loss of rare species and assessed the role of species richness on community stability and, more importantly, quantified the relative role of three stabilizing mechanisms, that is dominance (stabilization due to stable dominants compared to the rest of the species in the community), asynchrony (stabilization due to temporal asynchrony between species), and averaging effects (pure effect of diversity) on community stability across a species richness gradient.We found that extreme species loss negatively impacted community stability, but just three species were enough to stabilize biomass production to a level similar to highly diverse communities. However, the similar stability of communities resulted from differing contributions from each stabilizing mechanism, depending on the community diversity. Since less abundant species were more temporally variable, species loss stabilized the populations of the remaining species. The loss of rare and subordinate species reduced the dominance and averaging effects, but increased the asynchrony effect. Hence, the asynchrony effect played a major role in the stability of species poor communities, while the averaging effect drove most of the stability of species rich communities. Overall, dominance played only a minor role, accounting for 5%–15% of the stabilization, while asynchrony and averaging effects were dominating forces contributing to ~85%–95% of the total stabilization.Synthesis. This study highlights the importance of biodiversity and roles of dominant and rare species for long‐term community stability and, for the first time, disentangles relative roles of dominance effect, asynchrony and averaging effect on community stability in a real‐world biodiversity experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degus (Octodon degus) are a highly gregarious species of caviomorph rodent native to South America. Kinship does not appear to play a role in degu social structure, and alloparenting is often observed between unrelated females. We hypothesize that female degus readily establish new, cooperative peer relationships. Here, we examined changes in dyadic behavior as individuals became more familiar, testing the prediction that interactions between female strangers would quickly resemble those of cagemates. Adult degus underwent a several week series of 20 min "reunion" social exposures, interleaving reunions with initial strangers and, as a control, familiar cagemates. Males showed initially higher levels of interaction with strangers that converged with cagemate levels over experience. Females could be split into two groups: those that consistently interacted more with strangers (SC‐HIGH) and those that did not (SC‐LOW); however, unlike males, the higher interaction levels observed between strangers did not change with familiarity. Following 10 reunion sessions female strangers were housed together to create "new cagemates." Even after co‐housing, SC‐HIGH (but not SC‐LOW) females continued to interact more with the relatively unfamiliar peer than their prior cagemate, particularly in face‐to‐face and rear‐sniffing interactions. A final set of reunions with new strangers found that individual differences in female responses to social novelty were preserved. These results reveal sex differences in the rules relating familiarization to social relationships in degus, and that female predispositions toward cooperation may be due to inherent responses to new individuals more than to how they negotiate relationships over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominance refers to the effect of a heterozygous genotype relative to that of the two homozygous genotypes. The degree of dominance of mutations for fitness can have a profound impact on how deleterious and beneficial mutations change in frequency over time as well as on the patterns of linked neutral genetic variation surrounding such selected alleles. Since dominance is such a fundamental concept, it has received immense attention throughout the history of population genetics. Early work from Fisher, Wright, and Haldane focused on understanding the conceptual basis for why dominance exists. More recent work has attempted to test these theories and conceptual models by estimating dominance effects of mutations. However, estimating dominance coefficients has been notoriously challenging and has only been done in a few species in a limited number of studies. In this review, we first describe some of the early theoretical and conceptual models for understanding the mechanisms for the existence of dominance. Second, we discuss several approaches used to estimate dominance coefficients and summarize estimates of dominance coefficients. We note trends that have been observed across species, types of mutations, and functional categories of genes. By comparing estimates of dominance coefficients for different types of genes, we test several hypotheses for the existence of dominance. Lastly, we discuss how dominance influences the dynamics of beneficial and deleterious mutations in populations and how the degree of dominance of deleterious mutations influences the impact of inbreeding on fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We investigated how these motivations combined within individuals to form unique profiles, and how these different profiles relate to personality traits and team behaviors. Background: Dominance, prestige, and leadership motives each play a key role in shaping social success or failure in gaining social rank and influence. Method: We used latent profile analysis across two samples (engineering student project teams, Nstudent = 1088; working adults, Nworker = 466) to identify profile configurations and how such profiles related to important outcomes. Results: We identified qualitatively distinct profiles: ultra‐dominance profile (prominent dominance motive with high prestige and leadership motives); prestigious leadership profile (moderately high prestige and leadership motives, low dominance motive); and weak social power motive profile (low on all three motives). Individuals with the prestigious leadership profile were more likely to emerge as leaders, compared to those with a weak social power motive profile. People with an ultra‐dominance profile scored higher on narcissism and tended to perceive themselves as leaders, despite not being deemed more leader‐like by teammates. Conclusion: Using a person‐centered approach allowed us to identify three power motive profiles across independent samples and generate insights into how these profiles manifest different social behaviors and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional, price-focused antitrust tools for assessing dominance under Article 102 TFEU and merger control are challenged by the business models and features of multisided digital platforms. This article demonstrates the importance of data in digital markets and how data enable the utilization of network effects and economies of scale in a manner that challenges the traditional dominance evaluation. Based on this, the article systematizes the solutions to the challenges caused by decreased accuracy of price-based tools through an analysis of various approaches to the issue. It is argued that potential competition should be emphasized more strongly throughout the dominance assessment and that different approaches can be chosen based on the case at hand. Thus the article contributes to the development of the dominance analysis for digital markets with a thorough overview of possible solutions and ties it to the proposed renewal of the Market Definition Notice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverging mortality trends at different ages motivate the monitoring of lifespan inequality alongside life expectancy. Conclusions are ambiguous when life expectancy and lifespan inequality move in the same direction or when inequality measures display inconsistent trends. We propose using nonparametric dominance analysis to obtain a robust ranking of age-at-death distributions. Application to U.S. period life tables for 2006–2021 reveals that, until 2014, more recent years generally dominate earlier years, implying improvement if longer lifespans that are less unequally distributed are considered better. Improvements were more pronounced for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals than for non-Hispanic White individuals. Since 2014, for all subpopulations—particularly Hispanics—earlier years often dominate more recent years, indicating worsening age-at-death distributions if shorter and more unequal lifespans are considered worse. Dramatic deterioration of the distributions in 2020–2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic is most evident for Hispanic individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ant-following behavior is a common phenomenon in birds of Neotropical and Afrotropical rainforests but yet little is known from Central Africa. We here report on the phenomenon in lowland rainforest in Cameroon, quantifying the strength of the interaction of different ant-following bird species with driver ants and test the hypothesis that higher levels of specialization in ant-following behavior are associated with dominance or aggression-dependent plumage and other morphological traits. Flock size varied between 1 and 11 individuals with a mean size of 5.34 ± 2.68 (mean ± SD) individuals occurring at the same time. The maximum number of species present during one raid observed was ten, whereas the minimum number was four with an overall species richness of 6.89 ± 2.1 species. The 21 attending bird species strongly varied in the degree of ant-following behavior. In an interspecific comparison, plumage traits such as the presence of a colored crown, eyespots, and bare skin around the eye, in combination with metatarsus length and weight, were significantly correlated with ant-following behavior. These results suggest that—in size and identity of species—ant-following bird assemblages in Central Africa are similar to those reported from East Africa. They also suggest that ant following favors the selection of traits that signal dominance in interactions between individuals struggling for valuable food resources in the forest understory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of indistinguishability operator plays a central role in a large number of problems that arise naturally in decision-making, artificial intelligence, and computer science. Among the different issues studied for these operators, the aggregation problem has been thoroughly explored. In some cases, the notion of indistinguishability operator can be too narrow and, for this reason, we can find two different extensions of such notion in the literature. On the one hand, modular indistinguishability operators make it possible to measure the degree of similarity or indistinguishability with respect to a parameter. On the other hand, relaxed indistinguishability operators delete the reflexivity condition of classical indistinguishability operators. In this paper, we introduced the notion of modular relaxed indistinguishability operator unifying under the same framework all previous notions. We focused our efforts on the study of the associated aggregation problem. Thus, we introduced the notion of modular relaxed indistinguishability operator aggregation function for a family of t-norms extending the counterpart formulated for classical non-modular relaxed indistinguishability operators. We provided characterizations of such functions in terms of triangle triplets with respect to a family of t-norms. Moreover, we addressed special cases where the operators fulfill a kind of monotony and a condition called small-self indistinguishability. The differences between the modular and the non-modular aggregation problem were specified and illustrated by means of suitable examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inbreeding depression refers to the reduced performance arising from increased homozygosity, a phenomenon that is the reverse of heterosis and exists among plants and animals. As a natural self-pollinated crop with strong heterosis, the mechanism of inbreeding depression in rice is largely unknown. To understand the genetic basis of inbreeding depression, we constructed a successive inbreeding population from the F2 to F4 generation and observed inbreeding depression of all heterotic traits in the progeny along with the decay of heterozygosity in each generation. The expected depression effect was largely explained by 13 QTLs showing dominant effects for spikelets per panicle, 11 for primary branches, and 12 for secondary branches, and these loci constitute the main correlation between heterosis and inbreeding depression. However, the genetic basis of inbreeding depression is also distinct from that of heterosis, such that a biased transmission ratio of alleles for QTLs with either dominant or additive effects in four segregation distortion regions would result in minor effects in expected depression. Noticeably, two-locus interactions may change the extent and direction of the depression effects of the target loci, and overall interactions would promote inbreeding depression among generations. Using an F2:3 variation population, the actual performance of the loci showing expected depression was evaluated considering the heterozygosity decay in the background after inbreeding. We found inconsistent or various degrees of background depression from the F2 to F3 generation assuming different genotypes of the target locus, which may affect the actual depression effect of the locus due to epistasis. The results suggest that the genetic architecture of inbreeding depression and heterosis is closely linked but also differs in their intrinsic mechanisms, which expand our understanding of the whole-genome architecture of inbreeding depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the complexity of human social life, it is astonishing to observe how quickly children adapt to their social environment. To be accepted by the other members, it is crucial to understand and follow the rules and norms shared by the group. How and from whom do young children learn these social rules? In the experiments, based on the crucial role of affective social learning and dominance hierarchies in simple rule understanding, we showed 15-to-23-month-olds and 3-to-5-year-old children videos where the agents’ body size and affective cues were manipulated. In the dominant rule-maker condition, when a smaller protagonist puts an object in one location, a bigger agent reacts with a positive reaction; on the contrary, when the smaller protagonist puts an object in another location, the bigger agent displays a negative reaction. In the subordinate rule-maker condition, the roles are shifted but the agents differ. Toddlers expect the protagonist to follow the rules (based on anticipatory looks), independent of the dominant status of the rule-making agent. Three-to-five-year-old pre-schoolers overall perform at the chance level but expect the protagonist to disobey a rule in the first trial, and obey the rule in the second trial if the rule-maker is dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Location Time period Major taxa studied Methods Results Main conclusions Ecological and anthropogenic factors shift the abundances of dominant and rare tree species within local forest communities, thus affecting species composition and ecosystem functioning. To inform forest and conservation management it is important to understand the drivers of dominance and rarity in local tree communities. We answer the following research questions: (1) What are the patterns of dominance and rarity in tree communities? (2) Which ecological and anthropogenic factors predict these patterns? And (3) what is the extinction risk of locally dominant and rare tree species?Global.1990–2017.Trees.We used 1.2 million forest plots and quantified local tree dominance as the relative plot basal area of the single most dominant species and local rarity as the percentage of species that contribute together to the least 10% of plot basal area. We mapped global community dominance and rarity using machine learning models and evaluated the ecological and anthropogenic predictors with linear models. Extinction risk, for example threatened status, of geographically widespread dominant and rare species was evaluated.Community dominance and rarity show contrasting latitudinal trends, with boreal forests having high levels of dominance and tropical forests having high levels of rarity. Increasing annual precipitation reduces community dominance, probably because precipitation is related to an increase in tree density and richness. Additionally, stand age is positively related to community dominance, due to stem diameter increase of the most dominant species. Surprisingly, we find that locally dominant and rare species, which are geographically widespread in our data, have an equally high rate of elevated extinction due to declining populations through large‐scale land degradation.By linking patterns and predictors of community dominance and rarity to extinction risk, our results suggest that also widespread species should be considered in large‐scale management and conservation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Attentional focus is a phenomenon in which shifting the focus of attention alters performance of standing postural control. It can be categorized as internal focus (IF), which directs attention to the body parts, or external focus (EF), which directs attention to the external environment. Although attentional focus that improves standing postural control in younger people exhibits individual dominance, the dominance of attentional focus in standing postural control in older adults remains ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the dominance of attentional focus in standing postural control between healthy younger and older adults, a crucial step for understanding the aging process. Methods: The participants performed a standing postural control task under the IF and EF conditions. Based on the condition during which they exhibited superior performance, the participants were divided into two groups: IF-dominant and EF-dominant. The standing postural control performance in each group under the IF and EF conditions was subsequently compared. Results: The results showed that the participants, encompassing both younger and older adults, were divided into the IF-dominant and EF-dominant groups, confirming the dominance of attentional focus. The performance under the EF condition in older adults was also influenced by the dominance of attentional focus. Conclusion: These results highlight the potential importance of intervention methods based on the dominance of attentional focus, providing valuable insights into future research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major loci for the large primary ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes (35S rRNAs) exist as hundreds to thousands of tandem repeats in all organisms and dozens to hundreds in Drosophila. The highly repetitive nature of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) makes it intrinsically unstable, and many conditions arise from the reduction in or magnification of copy number, but the conditions under which it does so remain unknown. By targeted DNA damage to the rDNA of the Y chromosome, we created and investigated a series of rDNA alleles. We found that complete loss of rDNA leads to lethality after the completion of embryogenesis, blocking larval molting and metamorphosis. We find that the resident retrotransposons— R1 and R2 —are regulated by active rDNA such that reduction in copy number derepresses these elements. Their expression is highest during the early first instar, when loss of rDNA is lethal. Regulation of R1 and R2 may be related to their structural arrangement within the rDNA , as we find they are clustered in the flanks of the nucleolus organizing region (NOR ; the cytological appearance of the rDNA). We assessed the complex nucleolar dominance relationship between X - and Y -linked rDNA using a histone H3.3–GFP reporter construct and incorporation at the NOR and found that dominance is controlled by rDNA copy number as at high multiplicity the Y -linked array is dominant, but at low multiplicity the X -linked array becomes derepressed. Finally, we found that multiple conditions that disrupt nucleolar dominance lead to increased rDNA magnification, suggesting that the phenomena of dominance and magnification are related, and a single mechanism may underlie and unify these two longstanding observations in Drosophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two parts to this paper. In the first part, the paper takes a preliminary look at an emerging dominant literacy, IT literacy, and its potential impact on some members of relevant communities. Drawing on the perception of literacy as social practice, the paper locates organisational processes within institutions as belonging to a specific social practice and explores the pattern of dominance of IT literacy that is beginning to emerge within this practice. Using qualitative methods of interviews and a focus group discussion, the study conducted a preliminary exploration of the views of staff within one organisation on the impact of this new dominant literacy. Some of the emergent views elicit the notions of exclusion, inadequacies, and imposition. The second part of the paper explores how this potentially excluding process could be addressed in a democratic way. It suggests that organisations can avoid the negative impact by drawing on transformative approaches to literacy development. It emphasises the use of dialogic engagement with staff to identify needs and map out the processes for meeting the identified drives and advocates that employers should shift from a reductive model and instead build a transformative approach into their needs analysis processes to promote a cycle of empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carcass weight (HCW) and marbling (MARB) are critical for meat quality and market value in beef cattle. In composite breeds like Brangus, which meld the genetics of Angus and Brahman, SNP-based analyses have illuminated some genetic influences on these traits, but they fall short in fully capturing the nuanced effects of breed of origin alleles (BOA) on these traits. Focus on the impacts of BOA on phenotypic features within Brangus populations can result in a more profound understanding of the specific influences of Angus and Brahman genetics. Moreover, the consideration of BOA becomes particularly significant when evaluating dominance effects contributing to heterosis in crossbred populations. BOA provides a more comprehensive measure of heterosis due to its ability to differentiate the distinct genetic contributions originating from each parent breed. This detailed understanding of genetic effects is essential for making informed breeding decisions to optimize the benefits of heterosis in composite breeds like Brangus. Objective: This study aims to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing HCW and MARB by utilizing SNP and BOA information, incorporating additive, dominance, and overdominance effects within a multi-generational Brangus commercial herd. Methods: We analyzed phenotypic data from 1,066 genotyped Brangus steers. BOA inference was performed using LAMP-LD software using Angus and Brahman reference sets. SNP-based and BOA-based GWAS were then conducted considering additive, dominance, and overdominance models. Results: The study identified numerous QTLs for HCW and MARB. A notable QTL for HCW was associated to the SGCB gene, pivotal for muscle growth, and was identified solely in the BOA GWAS. Several BOA GWAS QTLs exhibited a dominance effect underscoring their importance in estimating heterosis. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that SNP-based methods may not detect all genetic variation affecting economically important traits in composite breeds. BOA inclusion in genomic evaluations is crucial for identifying genetic regions contributing to trait variation and for understanding the dominance value underpinning heterosis. By considering BOA, we gain a deeper understanding of genetic interactions and heterosis, which is integral to advancing breeding programs. The incorporation of BOA is recommended for comprehensive genomic evaluations to optimize trait improvements in crossbred cattle populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inbred populations often suffer from increased mutational load and reduced fitness due to lower efficacy of purifying selection in groups with small effective population sizes. Genetic rescue (GR) is a conservation tool that is studied and deployed with the aim of increasing the fitness of such inbred populations by assisted migration of individuals from closely related outbred populations. The success of GR depends on several factors—such as their demographic history and distribution of dominance effects of mutations—that may vary across populations. While we understand the impact of these factors on the dynamics of GR, their impact on local adaptations remains unclear. To this end, we conduct a population genetics simulation study to evaluate the impact of trait complexity (Mendelian vs. polygenic), dominance effects, and demographic history on the efficacy of GR. We find that the impact on local adaptations depends highly on the mutational load at the time of GR, which is in turn shaped dynamically by interactions between demographic history and dominance effects of deleterious variation. Over time local adaptations are generally restored post-GR, though in the short term they are often compromised in the process of purging deleterious variation. We also show that while local adaptations are almost always fully restored, the degree to which ancestral genetic variation affecting the trait is replaced by donor variation can vary drastically and is especially high for complex traits. Our results provide insights on the impact of GR on trait evolution and considerations for the practical implementation of GR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is robust evidence that being more extraverted is related to higher popularity, only few studies have examined which actual behaviours (e.g., verbal content, body language) might explain this association. The current study examined whether observer‐rated dominant behaviours (nonverbal, paraverbal, verbal, and general cues) mediate the relationship between self‐rated extraversion and its facets (assertiveness, sociability, and activity) and other‐rated popularity in zero‐acquaintance settings. In two studies, we analysed data from face‐to‐face (Study 1, N = 124) and virtual (Study 2, N = 291) group interactions where participants were videotaped while performing a task and subsequently rated each other on popularity. Across studies, extraversion and the facets assertiveness and sociability were consistently associated with higher popularity, while the role of dominant behaviours differed. In Study 1, only two nonverbal behaviours, dominant gestures and upright posture, mediated the association between extraversion and popularity. In Study 2, all four types of behavioural cues mediated the association between extraversion (facets) and popularity. We discuss how these findings provide insights into the mechanisms of attaining popularity at zero acquaintance in diverse social settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children and even infants have clear intuitions about power early in development; they can infer who is dominant and subordinate from observing a single interaction. However, it is unclear what children infer about each individual's status from these interactions—do they think dominants and subordinates will maintain their status when interacting with novel partners? In three experiments, we investigate this question. Children (4- to 10-year-olds, N = 365) heard stories about a dominant and subordinate agent and predicted the dominant or subordinate agent's behavior with a novel agent. In all studies, we found that 7- to 10-year-olds generalized dominance, thinking the dominant would again be dominant or "in charge," both for social power (e.g., granting permission) in Study 1 and physical dominance (e.g., a fistfight) in Studies 2 and 3. Furthermore, although they believed dominant agents would win dominance contests (fistfights), they did not believe they would win contests unrelated to dominance (math contests). Younger children did not generalize social power (Study 1) but did generalize physical dominance (Studies 2 and 3). However, even for physical dominance, their generalizations were less selective (i.e., they believed the dominant would win fistfights and math contests). Notably, neither age group generalized an agent's submissiveness in any of the studies—they did not believe a subordinate agent would again be subordinate when paired with a novel partner. We discuss how these results extend past work on children's developing intuitions about dominance and prompt deeper questions about the inferences children draw from dominance interactions. Public Significance Statement: Inferring whether people are dominant or subordinate in a social hierarchy informs how we interact with them. From whom do we take and to whom do we give orders and who might we want to avoid (e.g., to evade bullying)? Because perceived status influences people's behavior toward others, it is particularly important to understand the building blocks that underlie the ability to infer status, and whether relative rank generalizes across contexts. Understanding how children track status will be informative for educators interested in mitigating the negative social effects that can be entailed by such social hierarchies (e.g., forms of aggression, both physical and relational). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affiliative relationships are well documented in a wide range of wild animals. However, there is limited evidence of their existence in social farm animals, despite potential significant animal welfare implications. We aimed to determine whether pigs have preferential partners for affiliative interactions and associations and whether these preferences remain stable over time or are influenced by sex, dominance rank or litter of origin (i.e. kinship or familiarity). Two pens of 12 domestic pigs, Sus scrofa , two males and two females from three litters, were weaned at 28 days of age and observed from 42 to 57 days (postweaning phase) and from 70 to 85 days (finishing phase) following a change of housing at 62 days. Sociopositive behaviours, including nose-to-nose and nose-to-body contacts, allogrooming and associations while lying were scored on video observations over 6 days per phase. Using social network analysis methods, we found nonrandom social preferences for allogrooming in both pens of pigs, which remained stable between the postweaning and finishing phases. We also observed nonrandom associations for proximities while lying, although these patterns were not found in both pens of pigs and did not systematically persist between phases. In contrast, nose-to-nose interactions were expressed randomly in both pens and phases. Depending on the housing conditions, social preferences for grooming interactions or proximity while lying were only weakly influenced by sex, dominance rank or litter of origin. We did not find any correlation between social networks for grooming interactions and associations while lying. In summary, our study highlights the existence of durable affiliative relationships based on grooming interactions and proximity while lying within stable pig groups. These relationships appear to be minimally affected by sex, dominance, kinship or familiarity. Taking these relationships into account, particularly from a young age, could be pivotal in improving the welfare of pigs on farms. • Pigs showed preferential partners for allogrooming and lying together. • Social preferences for allogrooming persisted after a change of housing. • Lying proximity and social interactions were distinct facets of social affiliation. • Nose-to-nose contacts occurred randomly within groups of pigs. • Affiliation in pigs was not primarily driven by sex, dominance or kinship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical accounts of narcissism emphasize the dynamic shifting of self-states in response to social feedback. Status threats are thought to set narcissism's dynamics in motion. Naturalistic ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies have characterized dynamics of narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability in relation to perceptions of the interpersonal environment. Experimental studies have emphasized the behavioral responses of narcissistic individuals to putative threats to status. Naturalistic and experimental studies suffer from opposing limitations, namely, a potential for confounding variables to impact results versus ambiguous generalizability to real-life and longer time scales, respectively. Integrating naturalistic and experimental studies has the potential to provide a comprehensive model of how dynamics within narcissism unfold in response to status threat. The present study examined shifts in grandiosity and vulnerability in both naturalistic EMA and experimentally controlled (rigged tournament game) social interactions (N = 437). Grandiosity decreased and vulnerability increased in response to both naturalistic and experimental status threats. Further, the same people who responded with decreased grandiosity in response to status threat in daily life responded with similar decreases in grandiosity to experimental defeat. Trait narcissistic agency amplified many of the observed links between narcissism and status threat experimentally and naturalistically. Given that warmth (in addition to dominance) emerged as an important predictor of shifts in narcissism, implications for status-threatening environments are discussed. The present study elucidates important differences with respect to expressions of grandiosity and vulnerability across naturalistic and experimental methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group-living animals engage in coordinated vocalizations to depart from a location as a group, and often, to come to a consensus about the direction of movement. Here, we document for the first time, the use of coordinated vocalizations, the "let's go" rumble, in wild male African elephant group departures from a waterhole. We recorded vocalizations and collected behavioral data as known individuals engaged in these vocal bouts during June-July field seasons in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2017 at Mushara waterhole within Etosha National Park, Namibia. During departure events, we documented which individuals were involved in the calls, the signature structure of each individual's calls, as well as the ordering of callers, the social status of the callers, and those who initiated departure. The "let's go" rumble was previously described in tight-knit family groups to keep the family together during coordinated departures. Male elephants are described as living in loose social groups, making this finding particularly striking. We found that this vocal coordination occurs in groups of closely associated, highly bonded individuals and rarely occurs between looser associates. The three individuals most likely to initiate the "let's go" rumble bouts were all highly socially integrated, and one of these individuals was also the most dominant overall. This finding suggests that more socially integrated individuals might be more likely to initiate, or lead, a close group of associates in the context of leaving the waterhole, just as a high-ranking female would do in a family group. The fact that many individuals were involved in the vocal bouts, and that departure periods could be shorter, longer, or the same amount of time as pre-departure periods, all suggest that there is consensus with regard to the act of leaving, even though the event was triggered by a lead individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In indigenous villages, distinct language features of men and women exist. The linguistic features of men's and women's languages are unique because the villages have unique cultures. This research was conducted in Tenganan Pegringsingan village and Penglipuran village. The research method applied was descriptive-qualitative, in which the data were collected through recordings and structured interviews. The results of the analysis show that in conversations amongst men, the topics that emerged were ngayah meratengan (cooking together without payment), perarem (village regulations), money, and responsibility. Meanwhile, in discussions amongst women, the topic that emerged was the lottery club. Regarding intonation, men and women showed differences in using tag questions. Furthermore, differences in the lexicons associated with men and women emerged. In the selection of sentence types, men predominantly used tag questions, while women predominantly used super-polite forms. Men tended to be more direct, while women preferred to be more circumlocutory before conveying the main utterance. In the dominance of conversation between men and women, it was found that men dominated in taking turns to speak and led the topic of conversation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaders play a pivotal role in establishing ethical norms and behaviors within organizations. Across seven studies (three in the Supplementary Information), we explore how subordinates infer their leader's moral character outside the domain of ethical conduct and document this process's downstream consequences. Specifically, we focus on the dual-strategies theory, which posits that leaders exert influence and obtain deference via two broad orientations of behaviors and cognitions: dominance and prestige. In a field setting of employees and their managers, we find that leader dominance orientation positively relates to subordinate self-reported unethical behavior, whereas leader prestige is negatively related to the same. In a second sample of working adults, we use a time-lagged study design to show that leader dominance (prestige) positively (negatively) relates to subordinate-reported unethical behavior at work partly because of a belief that the leaders engage in more (less) unethical behaviors, which contributes to a belief that norm-violating behaviors are more (less) acceptable within teams under dominance- (prestige-) oriented leaders. Finally, across four experimental studies, we observe that participants assigned to a dominance-oriented (versus prestige-oriented) leader perceived their leader as having lower moral character and expressed a greater likelihood of engaging in unethical behavior. We also document actual unethical behavior for monetary gain. This effect was mediated by the belief that unethical behavior was normative within the team. Our results highlight the importance of moral (mis)perception by demonstrating the consequences of a leader's hierarchical orientation on subordinate ethical perceptions and behaviors at work. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.15640. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social anthropology studies how individuals function and behave within a social system. The concept of function holds significant importance in social anthropology as it pertains to the actions and activities of individuals within a specific social organization. Khalil Mutran lived in a society governed by tyrannical Ottoman kings, whose actions resulted in the people's subjugation and obedience to the sultan's orders. It had negative consequences and hindered social progress during that period. Drawing on his innovative perspectives, Mutran explored new anthropological concepts that transcended the limitations of time and place. By introducing Arabic poetry in a fresh direction, he established the foundations of his school of thought that aligned with the functions of human agency.This research analyzes the most significant functions of rulers in Khalil Mutran's poetry through qualitative content analysis and social criticism, serving as a fundamental pillar in social anthropology research. The findings indicate that the sultan imposed authoritarian functions on the nation, operating outside the boundaries of the law and utilizing social control mechanisms to further his interests and dictate the organization of affairs. It influenced people's behavior and social conduct, legitimizing and elevating the ruler's position. These factors formed the basis for class relations within that society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Drumming is a non-vocal auditory display producing airborne as well as seismic vibrations by tapping body extremities on a surface. It is mostly described as an alarm signal but is also discussed to signal dominance or mating quality. To clarify the function of drumming in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), we compared the occurrence of drumming during predator, opposite-sex and same-sex encounters. We tested 48 captive Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) in three experiments. In predator experiments, subjects were exposed alone or with their cagemate to aerial and terrestrial predator dummies. In social encounter experiments, familiar and unfamiliar male–female dyads and same-sex dyads were confronted. For the same-sex encounters, a dominance index was calculated for each subject based on the number of won and lost conflicts. Drumming and drumming-call combinations were counted, and a multi-parametric sound analysis was performed. In all experiments drumming and drumming-call combinations occurred. In predator experiments, more subjects drummed when confronted with the predator stimulus than in the habituation phase. In social encounter experiments, more subjects drummed when facing an unfamiliar than a familiar conspecific. In addition, the accompanying call type and body posture of the sender differed between experiments. Thus, we suggest that whereas drumming signals an increased arousal state of the sender, the accompanying call type and the body posture signal context specific information.

Chlorophyceae is a class of plankton commonly discovered in aquaculture ponds in tropical aquatic regions. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the abundance levels of Chlorophyceae in pen-culture ponds during the dry season using a dynamic modeling system. The method adopted was a causal ex-post facto design, and the observed parameters were water quality and plankton abundance. The results showed the presence of various plankton classes such as Chrysophyceae, Chyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Dynophyceae, and Oligotrichea, as well as the discovery of 17 plankton genera. Water quality parameters identified Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations, dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, pH levels, and salinity ranging from 3.06-7.37 mg.L-1, 4.39-6.30 mg.L-1, 26.21-31.17°C, 7.7-8.1, and 10-25 ppt, respectively. The average plankton dominance index (D’) showed Chlorophyceae dominance at 4.55, followed by Chyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Dynophyceae, and Oligotrichea at 1.78, 0.08, 0.07, and 0.01, respectively, falling in the index category of 0.5 < D < 1. Furthermore, the average plankton abundance dominance level (pi) signified Chlorophyceae dominance at 7.11E-01, followed by Chyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Dynophyceae, and Oligotrichea at 4.68E-01, 1.30E-01, 8.05E-02, and 3.96-02, respectively. This implied that in pen-culture water, Chlorophyceae significantly dominated over other classes. Dynamic modeling results showed Chlorophyceae abundance in ponds A, C, and D to be relatively uniform (±5.00E-02 cell/ml) compared to pond B (±0.10E-00 cell/ml). It was important to acknowledge that as Chlorophyceae dominance increased (0.10E-00 - 5.0E-02 cell/ml), the total plankton abundance in the water decreased contradictorily (0.01E-00 - 100E-04 cell/ml) due to over-dominance. Based on the modeling description, Chlorophyceae sustained for 20 weeks during the culture period, with optimal growth observed from the 1st to the 5th week. In conclusion, this plankton class experienced dynamic fluctuations during the pen-culture cultivation period, and the life cycle stability was dependent on water quality and temperature.

The notion of indistinguishability operator plays a central role in a large number of problems that arise naturally in decision-making, artificial intelligence, and computer science. Among the different issues studied for these operators, the aggregation problem has been thoroughly explored. In some cases, the notion of indistinguishability operator can be too narrow and, for this reason, we can find two different extensions of such notion in the literature. On the one hand, modular indistinguishability operators make it possible to measure the degree of similarity or indistinguishability with respect to a parameter. On the other hand, relaxed indistinguishability operators delete the reflexivity condition of classical indistinguishability operators. In this paper, we introduced the notion of modular relaxed indistinguishability operator unifying under the same framework all previous notions. We focused our efforts on the study of the associated aggregation problem. Thus, we introduced the notion of modular relaxed indistinguishability operator aggregation function for a family of t-norms extending the counterpart formulated for classical non-modular relaxed indistinguishability operators. We provided characterizations of such functions in terms of triangle triplets with respect to a family of t-norms. Moreover, we addressed special cases where the operators fulfill a kind of monotony and a condition called small-self indistinguishability. The differences between the modular and the non-modular aggregation problem were specified and illustrated by means of suitable examples.

Abstract Background Carcass weight (HCW) and marbling (MARB) are critical for meat quality and market value in beef cattle. In composite breeds like Brangus, which meld the genetics of Angus and Brahman, SNP-based analyses have illuminated some genetic influences on these traits, but they fall short in fully capturing the nuanced effects of breed of origin alleles (BOA) on these traits. Focus on the impacts of BOA on phenotypic features within Brangus populations can result in a more profound understanding of the specific influences of Angus and Brahman genetics. Moreover, the consideration of BOA becomes particularly significant when evaluating dominance effects contributing to heterosis in crossbred populations. BOA provides a more comprehensive measure of heterosis due to its ability to differentiate the distinct genetic contributions originating from each parent breed. This detailed understanding of genetic effects is essential for making informed breeding decisions to optimize the benefits of heterosis in composite breeds like Brangus. Objective This study aims to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing HCW and MARB by utilizing SNP and BOA information, incorporating additive, dominance, and overdominance effects within a multi-generational Brangus commercial herd. Methods We analyzed phenotypic data from 1,066 genotyped Brangus steers. BOA inference was performed using LAMP-LD software using Angus and Brahman reference sets. SNP-based and BOA-based GWAS were then conducted considering additive, dominance, and overdominance models. Results The study identified numerous QTLs for HCW and MARB. A notable QTL for HCW was associated to the SGCB gene, pivotal for muscle growth, and was identified solely in the BOA GWAS. Several BOA GWAS QTLs exhibited a dominance effect underscoring their importance in estimating heterosis. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that SNP-based methods may not detect all genetic variation affecting economically important traits in composite breeds. BOA inclusion in genomic evaluations is crucial for identifying genetic regions contributing to trait variation and for understanding the dominance value underpinning heterosis. By considering BOA, we gain a deeper understanding of genetic interactions and heterosis, which is integral to advancing breeding programs. The incorporation of BOA is recommended for comprehensive genomic evaluations to optimize trait improvements in crossbred cattle populations.

Prior research demonstrates that overconfident people are more likely to attain high-status positions of leadership and influence. However, the underlying motivational and behavioral mechanisms driving this relationship remain largely unexplored. In the present research, we sought to fill this gap in the literature by proposing that overconfidence is associated with stronger status motives and the pursuit of high-status positions via dominance-based strategies. In Studies 1 and 2, we find overconfidence to be positively related to the pursuit of high-status positions of leadership. In Studies 3 and 4, we find overconfident individuals to lean towards dominance- over prestige-based status-seeking strategies. Finally, in Study 4, a field study among real-world supervisor-subordinate dyads, we find an indirect effect of overconfidence on expected social status advancement through dominance. Together, the current studies offer novel insight into the relationship between overconfidence and social status advancement by identifying previously unexplored explanatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyceae is a class of plankton commonly discovered in aquaculture ponds in tropical aquatic regions. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the abundance levels of Chlorophyceae in pen-culture ponds during the dry season using a dynamic modeling system. The method adopted was a causal ex-post facto design, and the observed parameters were water quality and plankton abundance. The results showed the presence of various plankton classes such as Chrysophyceae, Chyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Dynophyceae, and Oligotrichea, as well as the discovery of 17 plankton genera. Water quality parameters identified Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations, dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, pH levels, and salinity ranging from 3.06–7.37 mg·L-1, 4.39–6.30 mg·L-1, 26.21–31.17 °C, 7.7–8.1, and 10–25 ppt, respectively. The average plankton dominance index (D’) showed Chlorophyceae dominance at 4.55, followed by Chyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Dynophyceae, and Oligotrichea at 1.78, 0.08, 0.07, and 0.01, respectively, falling in the index category of 0.5 < D < 1. Furthermore, the average plankton abundance dominance level (pi) signified Chlorophyceae dominance at 7.11E-01, followed by Chyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Dynophyceae, and Oligotrichea at 4.68E-01, 1.30E-01, 8.05E-02, and 3.96–02, respectively. This implied that in pen-culture water, Chlorophyceae significantly dominated over other classes. Dynamic modeling results showed the abundance of Chlorophyceae in ponds A, C, and D to be relatively uniform (± 5.00E-02 cell/ ml) compared to pond B (± 0.10E-00 cell/ml). It was important to acknowledge that as Chlorophyceae dominance increased (0.10E-00–5.0E-02 cell/ml), the total plankton abundance in the water decreased contradictorily (0.01E00–100E-04 cell/ml) due to over-dominance. On the basis of the modeling description, Chlorophyceae sustained for 20 weeks during the culture period, with optimal growth observed from the 1st to the 5th week. In conclusion, this plankton class experienced dynamic fluctuations during the pen-culture cultivation period, and the life cycle stability was dependent on water quality and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]