An instance of the classical stable marriage problem involves n men and n women, and each person ranks all n members of the opposite sex in strict order of preference. The effect of allowing ties in the preference lists has been investigated previously, and three natural definitions of stability arise. In this paper, we extend this study by allowing a preference list to involve ties and/or be i...

Son preference predominates in China, yet there are patterned exceptions to this rule. In this paper, we test whether lineality (patrilineal versus matrilineal inheritance and descent) is associated with son versus daughter preference among the ethnic Mosuo (Na) of Southwest China. Our results show (i) an increased probability of continued fertility among matrilineal women after having a son co...

Navigation strategy is an important component of spatial navigation. In the present study, we developed an assessment of human navigation strategy using a virtual analog of an assessment of animal navigation strategy. We examined the relationship between age, sex, and navigation strategy preference on subsequent performance of the virtual Morris Water Task (vMWT). On our novel assessment of nav...

It was reported recently that male mice lacking brain serotonin (5-HT) lose their preference for females (Liu et al., 2011, Nature, 472, 95-100), suggesting a role for 5-HT signaling in sexual preference. Regulation of sex preference by 5-HT lies outside of the well established roles in this behavior established for the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). Presently,...

The preference of sweet taste in rats is a phenomenon that is influenced by many factors. Drugs, sex, and age are three important aspects to consider when determining the underlying mechanisms that influence increased intake in the presence of sweet taste. Research has shown that drugs acting on receptors and neurotransmitters of brain mechanisms relevant to hedonic and reinforcement effects ca...