scholarly journals New insights from female bird song: towards an integrated approach to studying male and female communication roles

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 20190059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Riebel ◽  
Karan J. Odom ◽  
Naomi E. Langmore ◽  
Michelle L. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Bird Song ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Song ◽  
Female Bird ◽  
Subsequent Loss ◽  
And Function

Historically, bird song has been regarded as a sex-specific signalling trait; males sing to attract females and females drive the evolution of signal exaggeration by preferring males with ever more complex songs. This view provides no functional role for female song. Historic geographical research biases generalized pronounced sex differences of phylogenetically derived northern temperate zone songbirds to all songbirds. However, we now know that female song is common and that both sexes probably sang in the ancestor of modern songbirds. This calls for research on adaptive explanations and mechanisms regulating female song, and a reassessment of questions and approaches to identify selection pressures driving song elaboration in both sexes and subsequent loss of female song in some clades. In this short review and perspective we highlight newly emerging questions and propose a research framework to investigate female song and song sex differences across species. We encourage experimental tests of mechanism, ontogeny, and function integrated with comparative evolutionary analyses. Moreover, we discuss the wider implications of female bird song research for our understanding of male and female communication roles.

POPDC proteins and cardiac function

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 1393-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Brand
Keyword(s):  
Potential Role ◽  
Striated Muscle ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Muscle Disease ◽  
Disease Genes ◽  
Protein Protein Interaction ◽  
Interaction Partners ◽  
And Function

Abstract The Popeye domain-containing gene family encodes a novel class of cAMP effector proteins in striated muscle tissue. In this short review, we first introduce the protein family and discuss their structure and function with an emphasis on their role in cyclic AMP signalling. Another focus of this review is the recently discovered role of POPDC genes as striated muscle disease genes, which have been associated with cardiac arrhythmia and muscular dystrophy. The pathological phenotypes observed in patients will be compared with phenotypes present in null and knockin mutations in zebrafish and mouse. A number of protein–protein interaction partners have been discovered and the potential role of POPDC proteins to control the subcellular localization and function of these interacting proteins will be discussed. Finally, we outline several areas, where research is urgently needed.

Ausnahmesegment

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (191) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Schönig
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Development Models ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Institutional Organization ◽  
National Welfare ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Welfare State

Going along with the end of the “golden age” of the welfare state, the fordist paradigm of social housing has been considerably transformed. From the 1980s onwards, a new paradigm of social housing has been shaped in Germany in terms of provision, institutional organization and design. This transformation can be interpreted as a result of the interplay between the transformation of national welfare state and housing policies, the implementation of entrepreneurial urban policies and a shift in architectural and urban development models. Using an integrated approach to understand form and function of social housing, the paper characterizes the new paradigm established and nevertheless interprets it within the continuity of the specific German welfare resp. housing regime, the “German social housing market economy”.

Modeling Affordances and Functioning for Personalized Robotic Assistance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Umbrico ◽  
Gabriella Cortellessa ◽  
Andrea Orlandini ◽  
Amedeo Cesta
Keyword(s):  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Knowledge Representation And Reasoning ◽  
Health State ◽  
Knowledge Reasoning ◽  
Cognitive Assistance ◽  
Ontological Model ◽  
And Function

A key aspect of robotic assistants is their ability to contextualize their behavior according to different needs of assistive scenarios. This work presents an ontology-based knowledge representation and reasoning approach supporting the synthesis of personalized behavior of robotic assistants. It introduces an ontological model of health state and functioning of persons based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Moreover, it borrows the concepts of affordance and function from the literature of robotics and manufacturing and adapts them to robotic (physical and cognitive) assistance domain. Knowledge reasoning mechanisms are developed on top of the resulting ontological model to reason about stimulation capabilities of a robot and health state of a person in order to identify action opportunities and achieve personalized assistance. Experimental tests assess the performance of the proposed approach and its capability of dealing with different profiles and stimuli.

scholarly journals Network analysis of the left anterior descending coronary arteries in swim-trained rats by an in situ video microscopic technique

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Török ◽  
Petra Merkely ◽  
Anna Monori-Kiss ◽  
Eszter Mária Horváth ◽  
Réka Eszter Sziva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Resistance Artery ◽  
Frequency Spectra ◽  
Stress Markers ◽  
Lv Mass ◽  
Network Properties ◽  
Exercise Induced ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background We aimed to identify sex differences in the network properties and to recognize the geometric alteration effects of long-term swim training in a rat model of exercise-induced left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Methods Thirty-eight Wistar rats were divided into four groups: male sedentary, female sedentary, male exercised and female exercised. After training sessions, LV morphology and function were checked by echocardiography. The geometry of the left coronary artery system was analysed on pressure-perfused, microsurgically prepared resistance artery networks using in situ video microscopy. All segments over > 80 μm in diameter were studied using divided 50-μm-long cylindrical ring units of the networks. Oxidative-nitrative (O-N) stress markers, adenosine A2A and estrogen receptor (ER) were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results The LV mass index, ejection fraction and fractional shortening significantly increased in exercised animals. We found substantial sex differences in the coronary network in the control groups and in the swim-trained animals. Ring frequency spectra were significantly different between male and female animals in both the sedentary and trained groups. The thickness of the wall was higher in males as a result of training. There were elevations in the populations of 200- and 400-μm vessel units in males; the thinner ones developed farther and the thicker ones closer to the orifice. In females, a new population of 200- to 250-μm vessels appeared unusually close to the orifice. Conclusions Physical activity and LV hypertrophy were accompanied by a remodelling of coronary resistance artery network geometry that was different in both sexes.

scholarly journals Stem cell treatment improves post stroke neurological outcomes: a comparative study in male and female rats

2021 ◽  
pp. svn-2020-000834
Author(s):  
Koteswara Rao Nalamolu ◽  
Bharath Chelluboina ◽  
Casimir A Fornal ◽  
Siva Reddy Challa ◽  
David M Pinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Infarct Volume ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Human Umbilical Cord ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Males And Females

Background and purposeThe therapeutic potential of different stem cells for ischaemic stroke treatment is intriguing and somewhat controversial. Recent results from our laboratory have demonstrated the potential benefits of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in a rodent stroke model. We hypothesised that MSC treatment would effectively promote the recovery of sensory and motor function in both males and females, despite any apparent sex differences in post stroke brain injury.MethodsTransient focal cerebral ischaemia was induced in adult Sprague-Dawley rats by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Following the procedure, male and female rats of the untreated group were euthanised 1 day after reperfusion and their brains were used to estimate the resulting infarct volume and tissue swelling. Additional groups of stroke-induced male and female rats were treated with MSC or vehicle and were subsequently subjected to a battery of standard neurological/neurobehavioral tests (Modified Neurological Severity Score assessment, adhesive tape removal, beam walk and rotarod). The tests were administered at regular intervals (at days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14) after reperfusion to determine the time course of neurological and functional recovery after stroke.ResultsThe infarct volume and extent of swelling of the ischaemic brain were similar in males and females. Despite similar pathological stroke lesions, the clinical manifestations of stroke were more pronounced in males than females, as indicated by the neurological scores and other tests. MSC treatment significantly improved the recovery of sensory and motor function in both sexes, and it demonstrated efficacy in both moderate stroke (females) and severe stroke (males).ConclusionsDespite sex differences in the severity of post stroke outcomes, MSC treatment promoted the recovery of sensory and motor function in male and female rats, suggesting that it may be a promising treatment for stroke.

Role of sex hormones in lung cancer

2021 ◽  
pp. 153537022110196
Author(s):  
Nathalie Fuentes ◽  
Miguel Silva Rodriguez ◽  
Patricia Silveyra
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Hormone Receptors ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
Lung Carcinogenesis ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Cancer Rates

Lung cancer represents the world’s leading cause of cancer deaths. Sex differences in the incidence and mortality rates for various types of lung cancers have been identified, but the biological and endocrine mechanisms implicated in these disparities have not yet been determined. While some cancers such as lung adenocarcinoma are more commonly found among women than men, others like squamous cell carcinoma display the opposite pattern or show no sex differences. Associations of tobacco product use rates, susceptibility to carcinogens, occupational exposures, and indoor and outdoor air pollution have also been linked to differential rates of lung cancer occurrence and mortality between sexes. While roles for sex hormones in other types of cancers affecting women or men have been identified and described, little is known about the influence of sex hormones in lung cancer. One potential mechanism identified to date is the synergism between estrogen and some tobacco compounds, and oncogene mutations, in inducing the expression of metabolic enzymes, leading to enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species and DNA adducts, and subsequent lung carcinogenesis. In this review, we present the literature available regarding sex differences in cancer rates, associations of male and female sex hormones with lung cancer, the influence of exogenous hormone therapy in women, and potential mechanisms mediated by male and female sex hormone receptors in lung carcinogenesis. The influence of biological sex on lung disease has recently been established, thus new research incorporating this variable will shed light on the mechanisms behind the observed disparities in lung cancer rates, and potentially lead to the development of new therapeutics to treat this devastating disease.

scholarly journals Characterization of the G protein-coupled receptor family SREB across fish evolution

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy S. Breton ◽  
William G. B. Sampson ◽  
Benjamin Clifford ◽  
Anyssa M. Phaneuf ◽  
Ilze Smidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Genomic Structure ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Orphan Receptor ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Testicular Development ◽  
Brain Expression ◽  
And Function ◽  
G Protein Coupled ◽  
Receptor Family

AbstractThe SREB (Super-conserved Receptors Expressed in Brain) family of G protein-coupled receptors is highly conserved across vertebrates and consists of three members: SREB1 (orphan receptor GPR27), SREB2 (GPR85), and SREB3 (GPR173). Ligands for these receptors are largely unknown or only recently identified, and functions for all three are still beginning to be understood, including roles in glucose homeostasis, neurogenesis, and hypothalamic control of reproduction. In addition to the brain, all three are expressed in gonads, but relatively few studies have focused on this, especially in non-mammalian models or in an integrated approach across the entire receptor family. The purpose of this study was to more fully characterize sreb genes in fish, using comparative genomics and gonadal expression analyses in five diverse ray-finned (Actinopterygii) species across evolution. Several unique characteristics were identified in fish, including: (1) a novel, fourth euteleost-specific gene (sreb3b or gpr173b) that likely emerged from a copy of sreb3 in a separate event after the teleost whole genome duplication, (2) sreb3a gene loss in Order Cyprinodontiformes, and (3) expression differences between a gar species and teleosts. Overall, gonadal patterns suggested an important role for all sreb genes in teleost testicular development, while gar were characterized by greater ovarian expression that may reflect similar roles to mammals. The novel sreb3b gene was also characterized by several unique features, including divergent but highly conserved amino acid positions, and elevated brain expression in puffer (Dichotomyctere nigroviridis) that more closely matched sreb2, not sreb3a. These results demonstrate that SREBs may differ among vertebrates in genomic structure and function, and more research is needed to better understand these roles in fish.

scholarly journals Analysis of sex differences in dietary copper-fructose interaction-induced alterations of gut microbial activity in relation to hepatic steatosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Song ◽  
Fang Yuan ◽  
Xiaohong Li ◽  
Xipeng Ma ◽  
Xinmin Yin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Hepatic Steatosis ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Calorie Intake ◽  
Dietary Copper ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Rrna Sequencing

Abstract Background Inadequate copper intake and increased fructose consumption represent two important nutritional problems in the USA. Dietary copper-fructose interactions alter gut microbial activity and contribute to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study is to determine whether dietary copper-fructose interactions alter gut microbial activity in a sex-differential manner and whether sex differences in gut microbial activity are associated with sex differences in hepatic steatosis. Methods Male and female weanling Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed ad libitum with an AIN-93G purified rodent diet with defined copper content for 8 weeks. The copper content is 6 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg in adequate copper diet (CuA) and marginal copper diet (CuM), respectively. Animals had free access to either deionized water or deionized water containing 10% fructose (F) (w/v) as the only drink during the experiment. Body weight, calorie intake, plasma alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and liver histology as well as liver triglyceride were evaluated. Fecal microbial contents were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) sequencing. Fecal and cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results Male and female rats exhibit similar trends of changes in the body weight gain and calorie intake in response to dietary copper and fructose, with a generally higher level in male rats. Several female rats in the CuAF group developed mild steatosis, while no obvious steatosis was observed in male rats fed with CuAF or CuMF diets. Fecal 16S rRNA sequencing analysis revealed distinct alterations of the gut microbiome in male and female rats. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) identified sex-specific abundant taxa in different groups. Further, total SCFAs, as well as, butyrate were decreased in a more pronounced manner in female CuMF rats than in male rats. Of note, the decreased SCFAs are concomitant with the reduced SCFA producers, but not correlated to hepatic steatosis. Conclusions Our data demonstrated sex differences in the alterations of gut microbial abundance, activities, and hepatic steatosis in response to dietary copper-fructose interaction in rats. The correlation between sex differences in metabolic phenotypes and alterations of gut microbial activities remains elusive.

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