Association of perceived partner non-monogamy with prevalent and incident sexual concurrency.

OBJECTIVES: Concurrency is suggested as an important factor in sexually transmitted infection transmission and acquisition, though little is known regarding factors that may predict concurrency initiation. We examined the association between perception of a partner's non-monogamy (PPNM) and simultaneous or subsequent concurrency among at-risk heterosexual young adults in the Los Angeles area. METHODS: We used Poisson regression models to estimate the relationship between PPNM and incident concurrency among 536 participants participating in a cohort study, interviewed at 4-month periods during 1 year. Concurrency was defined as an overlap in reported sexual partnership dates; PPNM was defined as believing a partner was also having sex with someone else. RESULTS: Participants (51% female; 30% non-Hispanic white, 28% non-Hispanic black, 27% Hispanic/Latino) had a mean age of 23 years and lifetime median of nine sex partners. At each interview (baseline, 4-month, 8-month and 12-month), 4-month concurrency prevalence was, respectively, 38.8%, 27.4%, 23.1% and 24.5%. Four-month concurrency incidence at 4, 8 and 12 months was 8.5%, 10.6% and 17.8%, respectively. Participants with recent PPNM were more likely to initiate concurrency (crude 4-month RR=4.6; 95% CI 3.0, 7.0; adjusted 4-month RR=4.0, 95% CI 2.6 to 6.1). CONCLUSIONS: Recent PPNM was associated with incident concurrency. Among young adults, onset of concurrency may be stimulated, relatively quickly, by the PPNM. Programmes which promote relationship communication skills and explicit monogamy expectations may help reduce concurrency.

Can Young Adults Accurately Report Sexual Partnership Dates? Factors Associated With Interpartner and Dyad Agreement.

BACKGROUND: Sexual partnership dates are critical to sexually transmitted infection/HIV research and control programs, although validity is limited by inaccurate recall and reporting. METHODS: We examined data from 302 heterosexual adults (151 index-partner dyads) to assess reliability of reporting. Dates of first sex and last sex were collected through individual interviews and joint dyad questionnaires, which were completed together with their partners. We compared index- and partner-reported dates to estimate interpartner agreement. We used log-linear regression to model associations between interpartner differences and partnership characteristics. To assess validity, we compared individually reported dates with those from joint dyad questionnaires. RESULTS: Most partnerships (66.2%) were 2 years or less in duration, and many (36.2%) were nonmonogamous. Interpartner agreement to within 1, 30, and 365 days was, respectively, 5.6%, 43.1%, and 81.3% for first sex, and 32.9%, 94.5%, and 100.0% for last sex. In adjusted models, longer relationship duration was associated with disagreement on first sex dates; partnership nonmonogamy was associated with disagreement on dates of first sex and last sex. Within dyads, several participant characteristics were associated with reporting dates closer to joint dyad responses (e.g., for first sex date, female sex [54.7%], having fewer sex partners [58.5%], and greater relationship commitment [57.3%]). However, percent agreement to within 30, 60, and 90 days was similar for all groups for both first and last sex dates. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement was high on date of last sex but only moderate on date of first sex. Methods to increase accuracy of reporting of dates of sex may improve STI research.

Concurrent sexual partnerships among young heterosexual adults at increased HIV risk: types and characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The impact of concurrency on sexually transmitted infection transmission depends on coital frequency, condom use, duration of relationship overlap, and number of partners. Previous research has identified distinct concurrency types; however, little is known about their risk characteristics. METHODS: Men (n = 261) and women (n = 275) aged 18 to 30 years at increased risk for acquiring HIV were recruited from community locations in Los Angeles. Participants completed 4 in-person interviews for 12 months. Partnership data were used to characterize the prevalence of 4 types of concurrency: transitional (2 overlapping relationships in which the first relationship ended before the second), single day (a second relationship of 1 day's duration during the course of another relationship), contained (a second relationship >1 day began and ended during the course of another), and multiple (≥3 overlapping relationships). Multilevel random intercept models were used to estimate mean coital frequency, proportion of condom-protected acts, total duration of overlap, and lifetime sex partners. RESULTS: At baseline, 47% of male and 32% of female participants reported any type of concurrency in the previous 4 months, and 26% of men and 10% of women reported multiple concurrencies. Condom use ranged from 56% to 64%, with the highest use in transitional concurrency (61% for men, 68% for women) and the lowest in contained (52% for men, 54% for women). Coital frequency, total overlap, and lifetime sex partners also varied by concurrency type. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent condom use and repeated opportunities for exposure characterize common types of concurrency among high-risk young adults.

An enlarged, adaptable active site in CYP164 family P450 enzymes, the sole P450 in Mycobacterium leprae.

CYP164 family P450 enzymes are found in only a subset of mycobacteria and include CYP164A1, which is the sole P450 found in Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy. This has previously led to interest in this enzyme as a potential drug target. Here we describe the first crystal structure of a CYP164 enzyme, CYP164A2 from Mycobacterium smegmatis. CYP164A2 has a distinctive, enlarged hydrophobic active site that extends above the porphyrin ring toward the access channels. Unusually, we find that CYP164A2 can simultaneously bind two econazole molecules in different regions of the enlarged active site and is accompanied by the rearrangement and ordering of the BC loop. The primary location is through a classic interaction of the azole group with the porphyrin iron. The second econazole molecule is bound to a unique site and is linked to a tetracoordinated metal ion complexed to one of the heme carboxylates and to the side chains of His 105 and His 364. All of these features are preserved in the closely homologous M. leprae CYP164A1. The computational docking of azole compounds to a homology model of CYP164A1 suggests that these compounds will form effective inhibitors and is supported by the correlation of parallel docking with experimental binding studies of CYP164A2. The binding of econazole to CYP164A2 occurs primarily through the high-spin "open" conformation of the enzyme (K(d) [dissociation constant] of 0.1 µM), with binding to the low-spin "closed" form being significantly hindered (K(d) of 338 µM). These studies support previous suggestions that azole derivatives may provide an effective strategy to improve the treatment of leprosy.

Dealing with loss in the face of disasters and crises: Integrating interpersonal theories of couple adaptation and functioning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant and varied losses that couples can experience during times of global and regional disasters and crises. What factors determine how couples navigate their close relationships during times of loss? In this paper, we elaborate and extend on one of the most influential frameworks in relationship science-the Vulnerability Stress Adaptation Model (VSAM, Karney and Bradbury, 1995)-to enhance the model's power to explain relationships during loss-themed disasters/crises. We do so by elaborating on attachment theory and integrating interdependence theory (emphasizing partner similarities and differences). Our elaboration and extension to the VSAM provides a comprehensive framework to guide future research and inform practice and policy in supporting relationships during and beyond loss-themed disasters/crises.

Cancer prevention interdisciplinary education program at Purdue University: overview and preliminary results.

Cancer prevention is a broad field that crosses many disciplines; therefore, educational efforts to enhance cancer prevention research focused on interdisciplinary approaches to the field are greatly needed. In order to hasten progress in cancer prevention research, the Cancer Prevention Internship Program (CPIP) at Purdue University was designed to develop and test an interdisciplinary curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students. The hypothesis was that course curriculum specific to introducing interdisciplinary concepts in cancer prevention would increase student interest in and ability to pursue advanced educational opportunities (e.g., graduate school, medical school). Preliminary results from the evaluation of the first year which included ten undergraduate and five graduate students suggested that participation in CPIP is a positive professional development experience, leading to a significant increase in understanding of interdisciplinary research in cancer prevention. In its first year, the CPIP project has created a successful model for interdisciplinary education in cancer prevention research.

Commitment strength versus commitment bolstering: Uncertainty undermines and promotes relationship success.

Little research has examined factors that might weaken or strengthen commitment effects on relationship outcomes. The current research integrates attitude strength and investment model perspectives to identify uncertainty as a new moderator of commitment's predictive ability. Consistent with an attitude strength perspective, having doubt associated with commitment undermines commitment's predictive power. However, uncertainty can motivate uncertainty reduction achieved by acting in line with commitment. Therefore, uncertainty amplifies commitment effects on relationship maintenance, but only when behaviors are perceived to have implications for uncertainty. Across studies, certainty was found to moderate the link between commitment and relationship outcomes. Whether uncertainty weakened or strengthened commitment's predictive power depends on an individual's focus (implication-focused or not) when making relationship judgments.

Seeking and Ensuring Interdependence: Desiring Commitment and the Strategic Initiation and Maintenance of Close Relationships.

The current research offers and examines the concept of commitment desirability, defined as the subjective desire to be involved in a committed romantic relationship at a given time. In pursuing their desire for a committed romance, how do individuals high in commitment desirability strategically ensure success? We suggest that high perceived partner commitment is sought by individuals who themselves desire to be involved in a committed relationship. In three studies involving individuals both currently involved and not involved in a relationship, we found support for the hypothesized interactive effect of commitment desirability and perceived partner commitment, such that greater commitment desirability was associated with more positive relationship outcomes, especially when partners were perceived to be high in commitment. The present research suggests that commitment desirability is a meaningful predictor of relationship attitudes and behaviors. Implications for understanding relationship commitment as well as future research directions are discussed.

Nonmarital romantic relationship commitment and leave behavior: the mediating role of dissolution consideration.

Two studies investigated the process by which individuals in nonmarital romantic relationships characterized by low commitment move toward enacting leave behaviors. Predictions based on the behavioral, goal, and implementation intention literatures were tested using a measure of dissolution consideration developed for this research. Dissolution consideration assesses how salient relationship termination is for an individual while one's relationship is intact. Study 1 developed and validated a measure of dissolution consideration and Study 2 was a longitudinal test of the utility of dissolution consideration in predicting the enactment of leave behaviors. Results indicated that dissolution consideration mediates the association between commitment and enacting leave behaviors, is associated with taking more immediate action, and provides unique explanatory power in leave behavior beyond the effect of commitment alone. Collectively, the findings suggest that dissolution consideration is an intermediate step between commitment and stay/leave behavior in close relationships.

Romantic partner and friend influences on young adult cigarette smoking: comparing close others' smoking and injunctive norms over time.

The current study assessed associations between romantic partner and friend smoking, their approval for smoking, and young adult cigarette smoking over time. The study examined how both friend and partner smoking and injunctive norms predict smoking, using 35 waves of data collected weekly during participants' 1st year in college. Several analytic techniques were used in an attempt to eliminate the effects of friend and partner selection as an explanation for the obtained results. Controlling for selection processes, the results support the independent influence of both friend and partner behavior and injunctive processes in predicting smoking. In addition, romantic partner behavior and perceived approval were found to be particularly predictive of smoking, above and beyond the behavior and perceived approval of friends.

Sunken costs and desired plans: examining different types of investments in close relationships.

Although the concept of investments in romantic relationships has featured prominently in close relationships research, there have been no empirical analyses of different types of investments and their possible differential predictive power regarding relationship state or fate. With data from five independent samples, the authors offer and examine investments that differ in terms of their timing (past vs. planned) and materiality (tangible vs. intangible). Cross-sectional and longitudinal tests of hypotheses regarding these investment types provide evidence for the utility of considering specific types of investments in predicting a variety of important relationship factors, including commitment, stability, and the impact of breakup on relationship partners. Intangible investments and planned investments were found to be particularly robust predictors of key relational states and outcomes.

Commitment Readiness and Relationship Formation.

The concept of being ready for a relationship is pervasive in popular culture, but theoretical and empirical research on readiness is lacking. We offer a conceptualization of commitment readiness and provide some of the first empirical work examining readiness among single individuals-specifically how this construct shapes various aspects of relationship formation. Using data from five independent samples of individuals not involved in romantic relationships, we first establish that commitment readiness is associated with more interest in developing a close romantic relationship (Studies 1a, 1b, 2) and with active pursuit of relationship initiation (Study 2). We then test whether readiness among single individuals longitudinally predicts both the likelihood of later entering a relationship and, ultimately, how committed individuals are to a future relationship (Studies 3a, 3b, 3c). Implications of commitment readiness specifically, and perceived personal timing more generally, for the social psychology of relationships are discussed.

Contraceptive Method Choice Among Young Adults: Influence of Individual and Relationship Factors.

Because decisions related to contraceptive behavior are often made by young adults in the context of specific relationships, the relational context likely influences use of contraceptives. Data presented here are from in-person structured interviews with 536 Black, Hispanic, and White young adults from East Los Angeles, California. We collected partner-specific relational and contraceptive data on all sexual partnerships for each individual, on four occasions, over one year. Using three-level multinomial logistic regression models, we examined individual and relationship factors predictive of contraceptive use. Results indicated that both individual and relationship factors predicted contraceptive use, but factors varied by method. Participants reporting greater perceived partner exclusivity and relationship commitment were more likely to use hormonal/long-acting methods only or a less effective method/no method versus condoms only. Those with greater participation in sexual decision making were more likely to use any method over a less effective method/no method and were more likely to use condoms only or dual methods versus a hormonal/long-acting method only. In addition, for women only, those who reported greater relationship commitment were more likely to use hormonal/long-acting methods or a less effective method/no method versus a dual method. In summary, interactive relationship qualities and dynamics (commitment and sexual decision making) significantly predicted contraceptive use.

The ebbs and flows of attachment: Within-person variation in attachment undermine secure individuals' relationship wellbeing across time.

Although attachment security is relatively stable over time, individuals do experience significant within-person variation in their attachment security across time. No research to date, however, has assessed the relational consequences of within-person variation (fluctuations) in attachment security toward a specific attachment figure. Study 1 (N = 409) first examined whether attachment security was associated with individuals' expectations that their current intimate relationship would be stable and consistent over time (vs. inconsistent and unstable). Studies 2 and 3 extended this by examining the prevalence and consequences of actual within-person variation (fluctuations) in relationship-specific attachment security toward an intimate partner in 2 multiwave longitudinal studies that assessed individuals (Study 2, N = 324) and couples (Study 3, N = 171 dyads). The results indicate that secure individuals (those low in attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance) expect their current relationship to remain relatively stable and consistent over time (Study 1). However, Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that most individuals do experience fluctuations in their relationship-specific attachment security. Moreover, greater fluctuations predict declines in relationship satisfaction (Studies 2 and 3) and increases in relationship distress (Study 3) over time, but primarily for secure individuals (those low in baseline attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance). This set of findings highlight the importance of examining within-person fluctuations in attachment security, which are associated with declines in trajectories of relationship wellbeing, particularly for secure individuals who anticipate greater stability in their relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record

Smoking in college freshmen: University Project of the Tobacco Etiology Research Network (U pTERN).

UpTERN, a study conducted by the Tobacco Etiology Research Network (TERN), was designed to examine trajectories of change in smoking behavior and the emergence of dependence over the course of the freshman year from a large sample of college students. The project included extensive quantitative and qualitative assessments of participants. In the first phase, screener data were collected from 4,690 freshmen entering Purdue University in the fall of 2002. In the second phase, 912 students were enrolled from the 2,001 who reported some prior exposure to smoking cigarettes in the first phase. These students provided extensive baseline information on a web-based assessment protocol administered in the week prior to the beginning of classes in the fall semester. In the third phase, these students participated in a web-based assessment administered for 35 consecutive weeks. Approximately 88% of the sample completed the web-based assessment each week. This report describes the rationale for the project and provides an overview of the constructs targeted across the research. In addition, the research methods, procedures, and assessments are discussed. Findings are reported for day-to-day patterns of smoking as well as alcohol and marijuana use across the 35 weeks of assessment. Finally, selected results from reports using data generated from this project are summarized, including analyses of patterns of smoking over time, associations between daily cigarette smoking and alcohol use, evaluations of the nature of nicotine dependence in low-level smokers, an exploration of early cigarette-use episodes in novice smokers, and a consideration of the role of descriptive and injunctive norms from romantic partners and friends in predicting cigarette smoking over time.

From the interpersonal to the international: understanding commitment to the "war on terror".

Applying constructs from the investment model used traditionally to understand interpersonal commitment, the present investigation seeks to elucidate social cognitive antecedents of commitment to the war on terror waged by the United States. In Study 1, satisfaction with, investments in, and alternatives to the war on terror predict levels of commitment to the war beyond several important control variables. In Study 2, levels of satisfaction with, investments in, and alternatives to the war are experimentally manipulated. The highest levels of commitment to the war are observed among participants exposed to a high satisfaction, high investment, and low alternatives scenario, and the lowest levels are among those exposed to a low satisfaction, low investment, and high alternatives scenario. These results support broadening the targets of commitment normally considered within the context of the investment model and suggest applying relational models to understanding broader societal concerns.

Relational underpinnings of condom use: Findings from the project on partner dynamics.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how relational qualities, including commitment to a sexual partner, are associated with condom use among young heterosexual adults at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections. Guided by the investment model of commitment processes, we hypothesized that sexual partner commitment is a function of satisfaction with, alternatives to, and investments in the relationship. Commitment to a sexual partner is, in turn, associated with reduced perceptions of vulnerability to sexually transmitted infection acquisition, which results in lowered condom use intentions and use. METHOD: We tested the hypothesized model using data from the Project on Partner Dynamics (POPD), a 4-wave, 1-year longitudinal study featuring a Time 1 sample of 538 African American, Hispanic, and White young adult from East Los Angeles, California, who provided data on all their sexual relationships over the year. RESULTS: Findings from hierarchical path models supported the hypotheses, with relational qualities significantly linked to condom use via commitment, perceived vulnerability to harm from partner and intentions to use. CONCLUSION: These findings have implications for improving the health of high-risk individuals, including suggesting the importance of raising awareness of relational qualities that may give rise to unsafe sexual practices. (PsycINFO Database Record

Relationship perceptions and persistence: do fluctuations in perceived partner commitment undermine dating relationships?

The authors propose specific temporal profiles that reflect certainty versus doubt about where a partner stands with respect to a dating relationship over time. Two multiwave longitudinal studies focused on within-participant changes in perceived partner commitment. Results from multilevel modeling indicate that individuals whose perceptions of partner commitment fluctuate over time were more likely to be in a relationship that eventually ended than were individuals whose perceptions remained relatively steady. For individuals in recently initiated relationships, the association of fluctuation in perceived partner commitment with later breakup was significant regardless of the initial level of perceived partner commitment or the trend, and for all participants, it remained significant when initial level, trend over time, and fluctuation over time of other meaningful variables were controlled.

Marginalized relationships: the impact of social disapproval on romantic relationship commitment.

Little research has examined the effects of prejudice and discrimination on people's romantic relationships. The authors explored whether belonging to a socially devalued relationship affects consequential relational phenomena. Within the framework of the Investment Model, the authors (a) tested the association between perceived relationship marginalization and relationship commitment, (b) compared investment levels of individuals involved in marginalized versus nonmarginalized relationships, and (c) explored ways in which couples may compensate for decreased investments to maintain high commitment. Consistent with hypotheses, marginalization was a significant negative predictor of commitment. Moreover, individuals in marginalized relationships invested significantly less than individuals in nonmarginalized relationships. Despite investing less, marginalized relationship partners were significantly more committed than were their nonmarginalized counterparts. Thus, marginalized partners appeared to compensate for their reduced investments, with evidence suggesting that compensation occurs via reduced perception of relationship alternatives rather than via increased perception of relationship satisfaction.

Ease of Retrieval Effects on Relationship Commitment: The Role of Future Plans.

How do perceptions of future romantic plans affect close relationships? In three studies, we examined the effects of ease of retrieval of future plans on romantic relationship commitment. We hypothesized that greater ease of retrieval would be associated with greater relationship commitment among those who were high in need for cognition. Study 1 participants listed either two or 10 future plans and completed a measure assessing need for cognition. Results showed that high need for cognition individuals asked to list two instead of 10 future plans reported greater commitment, but those low in need for cognition showed the opposite pattern. Study 2 replicated this effect while controlling for plan substitutability. Study 3 examined the mediational role of commitment doubt. Those high in need for cognition listing more plans had more doubts and reported lower commitment. These findings suggest that perceptions of future plans can influence relationship commitment under specific conditions.