Veterinary care providers recognize clinical utility of genetic testing but report limited confidence in interpreting direct-to-consumer results.

Objective: Direct-to-consumer (D2C) genetic tests are increasingly accessible to pet owners, with commercial genetic companies entering veterinary distribution markets. This study evaluated veterinary care providers' (VCPs) awareness of the D2C genetic industry, experiences with clients' inquiries, perceptions of clinical utility, and confidence in interpreting test results.

Methods: Veterinary care providers attending a professional conference (February 19 through 23, 2023) were invited to complete an online survey.

Examining the Impact of Virtual Animal Stimuli on College Students' Affect and Perception of their Academic Advising Experience.

The benefits of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) involving animals in therapy are widely accepted. The presence of animals in therapy can decrease a patient's reservation about therapy and promote a sense of comfort and rapport during the therapy process. Using survey data from college students ( = 152) attending a large public four-year institution, this study is the first to investigate the benefits of virtual animal stimuli during academic advising appointments.

A Study Evaluating Consumer Motivations, Perceptions, and Responses to Direct-to-Consumer Canine Genetic Test Results.

Direct-to-consumer genetic services allow companion animal guardians to purchase a DNA test and receive detailed results about their pet's ancestry, health, and traits results. In collaboration with Wisdom Panel, we present novel findings about consumer motivations, perceptions, and responses to their use of canine genomic services. Wisdom Panel customers were invited to complete an online survey anonymously in which they were asked about their reasons for using a genetic test for their dog, how they perceived the test's results, and how they responded to the results they received.

Exploratory content analysis of direct-to-consumer pet genomics: What is being marketed and what are consumers saying?

Mars Petcare introduced the first direct-to-consumer domestic dog genetic test in 2009 and Basepaws introduced the first direct-to-consumer cat genetic test in 2016. Social science research has evaluated numerous aspects of the human direct-to-consumer market, yet no such exploration has evaluated the occurrence of pet owners pursuing pet genetic tests. Using a mixed methods approach, we conducted an exploratory content analysis of direct-to-consumer pet genetic company webpages and consumer reviews shared on Amazon.

Exploring women's oxytocin responses to interactions with their pet cats.

Background: Extensive research has evaluated the involvement of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in human social behaviors, including parent-infant relationships. Studies have investigated OT's connection to human attachment to nonhuman animals, with the majority of the literature focusing on domestic dogs (). Utilizing what is known about OT and its role in maternal-infant and human-dog bonding, we apply these frameworks to the study of human-domestic cat () interactions.

Salivary aldosterone and cortisone respond differently to high- and low-psychologically stressful soccer competitions.

Aldosterone and cortisone are released in response to physical and psychological stress. However, aldosterone and cortisone responses in children engaged in physical competition have not been described. We examined salivary aldosterone and salivary cortisone responses among Hong Kongese boys, aged 8-11 years, during (1) a soccer match against unknown competitors ( = 84, high psychological stress condition) and (2) an intrasquad soccer scrimmage against teammates ( = 81, low psychological stress condition).

Women's use of intimate apparel as subtle sexual signals in committed, heterosexual relationships.

Current literature on women's sexual signaling focuses on modes of attracting potential, new sexual partners, but says little about women's subtle sexual signals in committed, romantic relationships. Subtle sexual signals are inherently private and are only visible to the intended audience; a woman might use these signals to elicit or accept a sexual response from her partner or to increase her overall attractiveness, or attractivity. In this study, we sought to identify women's use of intimate apparel as a proceptive or receptive behavior as well as the effects of relative mate value, relationship commitment, relationship satisfaction, and sexual functioning.

Sex, Energy, Well-Being and Low Testosterone: An Exploratory Survey of U.S. Men's Experiences on Prescription Testosterone.

Prescription testosterone sales in the United States have skyrocketed in the last two decades due to an aging population, direct-to-consumer advertising, and prescriber views of the benefits and risks to testosterone, among other factors. However, few studies have attempted to directly examine patient experiences on prescription testosterone therapy. The present exploratory study involved an online self-report survey of U.

An Exploration of Attitudes Toward Dogs among College Students in Bangalore, India.

Conversations in the field of anthrozoology include treatment and distinction of food animals, animals as workers versus pests, and most recently, emerging pet trends including the practice of pet parenting. This paper explores attitudes toward pet dogs in the shared social space of urban India. The data include 375 pen-and-paper surveys from students at CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bangalore, India.

Human reproductive behavior, life history, and the Challenge Hypothesis: A 30-year review, retrospective and future directions.

The Challenge Hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) originally focused on adult male avian testosterone elevated in response to same-sex competition in reproductive contexts. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate how the Challenge Hypothesis has shaped ideas about human life histories.

Salivary steroid hormone responses to dyadic table tennis competitions among Hong Kongese juvenile boys.

Objectives: Little is known about salivary steroid hormone responses to dyadic competition among prepubescent boys. The current study explored pre-match and post-match testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, and cortisol among 22 ethnically Chinese, Hong Kongese table tennis athletes, aged 8-11 years, during dyadic competition against peers. These data provide novel comparative insight into boys' hormone responses when participating in similar forms of competition to that of adults.

Patterns and predictors of depressive symptoms among Jamaican fathers of newborns.

Background: Approximately 10% of fathers in the Cultural West (i.e., US, Europe, and Australia) experience depression.

Coalitional Physical Competition : Acute Salivary Steroid Hormone Responses among Juvenile Male Soccer Players in Hong Kong.

A large body of research links testosterone and cortisol to male-male competition. Yet, little work has explored acute steroid hormone responses to coalitional, physical competition during middle childhood. Here, we investigate testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, and cortisol release among ethnically Chinese boys in Hong Kong (N = 102), aged 8-11 years, during a soccer match (n = 84) and an intrasquad soccer scrimmage (n = 81), with 63 participants competing in both treatments.

A Content Analysis of Testosterone Websites: Sex, Muscle, and Male Age-Related Thematic Differences.

Male testosterone supplementation is a large and growing industry. How is testosterone marketed to male consumers online? The present exploratory study entailed a content coding analysis of the home pages of 49 websites focused on testosterone supplementation for men in the United States. Four hypotheses concerning anticipated age-related differences in content coding were also tested: more frequent longevity content toward older men, and more frequent social dominance/physical formidability, muscle, and sex content toward younger men.

Do Step- and Biological Grandparents Show Differences in Investment and Emotional Closeness With Their Grandchildren?

Human children are raised by a variety of caregivers including grandparents. A few studies have assessed potential differences in direct caregiving, financial expenditures, and emotional closeness between biological and step-grandparents. Drawing upon kin selection theory, we hypothesized that step-grandparents would provide less care and be less emotionally close to grandchildren than would biological grandparents.

Testosterone and Jamaican Fathers : Exploring Links to Relationship Dynamics and Paternal Care.

This paper investigates relationships between men's testosterone and family life in a sample of approximately 350 Jamaican fathers of children 18-24 months of age. The study recognizes the role of testosterone as a proximate mechanism coordinating and reflecting male life history allocations within specific family and cultural contexts. A sample of Jamaican fathers and/or father figures reported to an assessment center for an interview based on a standardized questionnaire and provided a saliva sample for measuring testosterone level.

A review of human male field studies of hormones and behavioral reproductive effort.

The purpose of this paper is to review field studies of human male hormones and reproductive behavior. We first discuss life history theory and related conceptual considerations. As illustrations, distinctive features of human male life histories such as coalitional aggression, long-term partnering and paternal care are noted, along with their relevance to overall reproductive effort and developmental plasticity.

Sexuality among fathers of newborns in Jamaica.

Background: While a growing body of research has addressed pregnancy and postpartum impacts on female sexuality, relatively little work has been focused upon men. A few studies suggest that a fraction of men report decreases in libido during a partner's pregnancy and/or postpartum, with alterations in men's sexual behavior also commonly aligning with those of a partner. Here, we investigate sexuality among fathers of newborn children in Jamaica.

Dating and sexual behavior among single parents of young children in the United States.

Theory and research on partnered parents suggests trade-offs between parenting and sexuality, with those trade-offs most pronounced among mothers of young children. However, little research has focused on how a growing demographic of single parents negotiates dating and sexual activity. The current study drew upon a 2012 nationally representative sample of 5,481 single Americans 21 years of age and older, of whom 4.

Evolution and human sexuality.

The aim of this review is to put core features of human sexuality in an evolutionary light. Toward that end, I address five topics concerning the evolution of human sexuality. First, I address theoretical foundations, including recent critiques and developments.

Body image and body type preferences in St. Kitts, Caribbean: a cross- cultural comparison with U.S. samples regarding attitudes towards muscularity, body fat, and breast size.

We investigated body image in St. Kitts, a Caribbean island where tourism, international media, and relatively high levels of body fat are common. Participants were men and women recruited from St.

Aging and human sexual behavior: biocultural perspectives - a mini-review.

In this mini-review, we consider an evolutionary biocultural perspective on human aging and sexuality. An evolutionary approach to senescence highlights the energetic trade-offs between fertility and mortality. By comparing humans to other primates, we situate human senescence as an evolutionary process, with shifts in postreproductive sexual behavior in this light.

In the company of men: quality of life and social support among the Ariaal of northern Kenya.

To determine the age-related pattern of well-being among men and its predictors in a subsistence society, we collected anthropometric and questionnaire data among Ariaal pastoral nomads of northern Kenya. The sample consisted of 102 settled and 103 nomadic men ages 20 to 60+ stratified by 10 year age groups. Measures included questions from the WHO quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL), anthropometrics, and hand grip strength, as well as questions about the number of friends and kin who gave material and emotional support.