Polygamy or subdioecy? The impact of diallelic self-incompatibility on the sexual system in
            Fraxinus excelsior
            (Oleaceae)

How flowering plants have recurrently evolved from hermaphroditism to separate sexes (dioecy) is a central question in evolutionary biology. Here, we investigate whether diallelic self-incompatibility (DSI) is associated with sexual specialization in the polygamous common ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), which would ultimately facilitate the evolution towards dioecy. Using interspecific crosses, we provide evidence of strong relationships between the DSI system and sexual phenotype. The reproductive system in F. excelsior that was previously viewed as polygamy (co-occurrence of unisexuals and hermaphrodites with varying degrees of allocation to the male and female functions) and thus appears to actually behave as a subdioecious system. Hermaphrodites and females belong to one SI group and functionally reproduce as females, whereas males and male-biased hermaphrodites belong to the other SI group and are functionally males. Our results offer an alternative mechanism for the evolution of sexual specialization in flowering plants.

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Coevolution of theS-Locus GenesSRK,SLGandSP11/SCRinBrassica oleraceaandB. rapa

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/162.2.931 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 162 (2) ◽

pp. 931-940 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Keiichi Sato ◽

Takeshi Nishio ◽

Ryo Kimura ◽

Makoto Kusaba ◽

Tohru Suzuki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brassica Oleracea ◽

Gene Conversion ◽

Phylogenetic Trees ◽

Hypervariable Region ◽

Recognition System ◽

Self Incompatibility ◽

Male And Female ◽

Diversifying Selection ◽

Tight Linkage ◽

Nonsynonymous Site

AbstractBrassica self-incompatibility (SI) is controlled by SLG and SRK expressed in the stigma and by SP11/SCR expressed in the anther. We determined the sequences of the S domains of 36 SRK alleles, 13 SLG alleles, and 14 SP11 alleles from Brassica oleracea and B. rapa. We found three S haplotypes lacking SLG genes in B. rapa, confirming that SLG is not essential for the SI recognition system. Together with reported sequences, the nucleotide diversities per synonymous and nonsynonymous site (πS and πN) at the SRK, SLG, and SP11 loci within B. oleracea were computed. The ratios of πN:πS for SP11 and the hypervariable region of SRK were significantly >1, suggesting operation of diversifying selection to maintain the diversity of these regions. In the phylogenetic trees of 12 SP11 sequences and their linked SRK alleles, the tree topology was not significantly different between SP11 and SRK, suggesting a tight linkage of male and female SI determinants during the evolutionary course of these haplotypes. Genetic exchanges between SLG and SRK seem to be frequent; three such recent exchanges were detected. The evolution of S haplotypes and the effect of gene conversion on self-incompatibility are discussed.

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The Influence of Diet and Sex on the Gut Microbiota of Lean and Obese JCR:LA-cp Rats

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9051037 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1037

Author(s):

Craig Resch ◽

Mihir Parikh ◽

J. Alejandro Austria ◽

Spencer D. Proctor ◽

Thomas Netticadan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Control Diet ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Female Rats ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Male And Female ◽

Ground Flaxseed ◽

The Impact

There is an increased interest in the gut microbiota as it relates to health and obesity. The impact of diet and sex on the gut microbiota in conjunction with obesity also demands extensive systemic investigation. Thus, the influence of sex, diet, and flaxseed supplementation on the gut microbiota was examined in the JCR:LA-cp rat model of genetic obesity. Male and female obese rats were randomized into four groups (n = 8) to receive, for 12 weeks, either (a) control diet (Con), (b) control diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (CFlax), (c) a high-fat, high sucrose (HFHS) diet, or (d) HFHS supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (HFlax). Male and female JCR:LA-cp lean rats served as genetic controls and received similar dietary interventions. Illumine MiSeq sequencing revealed a richer microbiota in rats fed control diets rather than HFHS diets. Obese female rats had lower alpha-diversity than lean female; however, both sexes of obese and lean JCR rats differed significantly in β-diversity, as their gut microbiota was composed of different abundances of bacterial types. The feeding of an HFHS diet affected the diversity by increasing the phylum Bacteroidetes and reducing bacterial species from phylum Firmicutes. Fecal short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate-producing bacterial species were correspondingly impacted by the HFHS diet. Flax supplementation improved the gut microbiota by decreasing the abundance of Blautia and Eubacterium dolichum. Collectively, our data show that an HFHS diet results in gut microbiota dysbiosis in a sex-dependent manner. Flaxseed supplementation to the diet had a significant impact on gut microbiota diversity under both flax control and HFHS dietary conditions.

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The impact of maternal protein restriction during perinatal life on the response to a septic insult in adult rats

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174420001269 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Reza Khazaee ◽

Anastasiya Vinokurtseva ◽

Lynda A. McCaig ◽

Cory Yamashita ◽

Daniel B. Hardy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control Diet ◽

Protein Restriction ◽

Saline Control ◽

Female Adult ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Male And Female ◽

Maternal Protein Restriction ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Septic Insult

Abstract Although abundant evidence exists that adverse events during pregnancy lead to chronic conditions, there is limited information on the impact of acute insults such as sepsis. This study tested the hypothesis that impaired fetal development leads to altered organ responses to a septic insult in both male and female adult offspring. Fetal growth restricted (FGR) rats were generated using a maternal protein-restricted diet. Male and female FGR and control diet rats were housed until 150–160 d of age when they were exposed either a saline (control) or a fecal slurry intraperitoneal (Sepsis) injection. After 6 h, livers and lungs were analyzed for inflammation and, additionally, the amounts and function of pulmonary surfactant were measured. The results showed increases in the steady-state mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines in the liver in response to the septic insult in both males and females; these responses were not different between FGR and control diet groups. In the lungs, cytokines were not detectable in any of the experimental groups. A significant decrease in the relative amount of surfactant was observed in male FGR offspring, but this was not observed in control males or in female animals. Overall, it is concluded that FGR induced by maternal protein restriction does not impact liver and lung inflammatory response to sepsis in either male or female adult rats. An altered septic response in male FGR offspring with respect to surfactant may imply a contribution to lung dysfunction.

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Profile of a short-acting κ-antagonist, LY2795050, on self-grooming behaviors, forced swim test and locomotor activity: sex comparison in mice

Journal of Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1177/0269881121996883 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026988112199688

Author(s):

Eduardo R Butelman ◽

Caroline Baynard ◽

Bryan D McElroy ◽

Thomas E Prisinzano ◽

Mary Jeanne Kreek

Keyword(s):

Locomotor Activity ◽

Forced Swim Test ◽

Male And Female ◽

Short Acting ◽

Swim Test ◽

Central Nervous System Dysfunction ◽

Forced Swim ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Impact ◽

Κ Receptor

Background: Novel short-acting κ(kappa)-opioid receptor selective antagonists are translational tools to examine the impact of the κ-receptor/dynorphin system in assays related to central nervous system dysfunction (e.g., substance use disorders, anhedonia and depression). The effects of such compounds have been compared in males and females under very limited conditions. Aims: The goal of this study was to examine potential sex differences in the effects of a κ-agonist and a short-acting κ-antagonist in an ethologically relevant test of anhedonia, the “splash test” of self-grooming, and also in the forced swim test and in locomotor activity. Methods: We examined the dose-dependence of grooming deficits caused by the κ-agonist U50,488 (0.1–3.2 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)) in gonadally intact adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. We then compared the effects of the short-acting κ-antagonist LY2795050 ((3-chloro-4-(4-(((2S)-2-pyridin-3-ylpyrrolidin-1-yl)methyl) phenoxy)benzamide)); 0.032–0.1 mg/kg i.p.) in blocking grooming deficits caused by U50,488 (3.2 mg/kg). The effects of LY2795050 were also studied in the forced swim test (FST). The effects of LY2795050 in blocking the locomotor depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg) were also studied. Results: U50,488 produced dose-dependent grooming deficits in male and female mice, and LY2795050 prevented these effects. In contrast, LY2795050 decreased immobility in the FST in males at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg, but not in females, up to a dose of 0.32 mg/kg. Also, LY2795050 (0.32 mg/kg) prevented and also reversed the locomotor-depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg), in males and females. Conclusions: This study further implicates the κ-receptor system in ethologically relevant aspects of anhedonia, and confirms sexual dimorphism in some behavioral effects of novel κ-antagonists.

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024 Quiescent Wakefulness: Characterising the Impact of Oxytocin on Sleep-Wake Behaviour in Male and Female Rats

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A11-A11

Author(s):

Joel Raymond ◽

Nicholas Everett ◽

Anand Gururajan ◽

Michael Bowen

Keyword(s):

Rem Sleep ◽

Sleep Onset ◽

Conscious State ◽

Positive Control ◽

Female Rats ◽

Male And Female ◽

Routes Of Administration ◽

Male And Female Rats ◽

Competing Hypotheses ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Oxytocin is a versatile hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in diverse neurobehavioural processes. Since oxytocin can elicit anxiolytic and serenic effects, one could hypothesise that oxytocin should prime the brain for sleep and promote hypnogenesis. However, based on the social salience hypothesis—that oxytocin promotes prosocial behaviour and directs attention toward social stimuli—one could also posit that oxytocin should promote wakefulness. At present, little research has comprehensively characterised the effect of oxytocin on sleep-wake behaviour and no explanation to reconcile these two seemingly competing hypotheses has been proposed. Methods This study investigated the effects of oxytocin on sleep-wake outcomes using radiotelemetry-based polysomnography in adult male and female Wistar rats. Oxytocin was administered via the intraperitoneal (IP; 0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/kg) and intranasal (IN; 0.06, 1, 3 mg/kg) routes. Caffeine (IP and IN; 10 mg/kg) was also administered as a wake-promoting positive control. Additionally, pre-treatment with the oxytocin receptor (OTR) antagonist L-368,899 (IP; 5 mg/kg) and vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) antagonist SR49059 (IP; 1 mg/kg) followed by oxytocin (IP; 1 mg/kg) was conducted to determine which receptor(s) mediated sleep-wake effects of oxytocin. Results In both male and female rats, IP oxytocin produced dose-dependent effects on sleep-wake behaviour. Specifically, oxytocin initially promoted quiescent wakefulness (a restful but conscious state) at the cost of reducing both active wakefulness and sleep. Throughout the 1.5-hour period post-administration, oxytocin delayed REM sleep onset and reduced the proportion of both NREM and REM sleep. Conversely, IN oxytocin did not significantly alter any sleep-wake parameters at any dose tested. Caffeine demonstrated wake-promoting effects under both the IP and IN routes of administration. The involvement of OTR and V1aR binding in oxytocin-induced effects on sleep-wake outcomes will be discussed. Conclusion These findings appear to reconcile the two competing hypotheses: in rats, IP oxytocin appears to promote a state of quiescent wakefulness—one of calm and rest, but also of conscious responsivity to environmental stimuli. IN oxytocin demonstrated little to no effect on sleep-wake behaviour, which is a crucial finding given the escalating use of IN oxytocin as a therapeutic for conditions with comorbid disordered sleep. Support (if any) None.

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The impact of different doses of vitamin A supplementation on male and female mortality. A randomised trial from Guinea-Bissau

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/1471-2431-11-77 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Dorthe Yakymenko ◽

Christine S Benn ◽

Cesario Martins ◽

Birgitte R Diness ◽

Ane B Fisker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Randomised Trial ◽

Female Mortality ◽

Vitamin A Supplementation ◽

Male And Female ◽

Guinea Bissau ◽

The Impact ◽

Different Doses

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Effects of Intensive Meditation on Sex-Role Identification: Implications for a Control Model of Psychological Health

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.44 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 44-46

Author(s):

Deane H. Shapiro ◽

Johanna Shapiro ◽

Roger N. Walsh ◽

Dan Brown

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Sex Role ◽

Control Model ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Male And Female ◽

Role Identification ◽

Masculinity And Femininity ◽

Meditation Retreat ◽

The Impact ◽

Female Subjects

This study assessed the impact of a 3-mo. meditation retreat on 15 respondents' self-perceived masculinity and femininity. As hypothesized, male and female subjects, who on pretest perceived themselves to be more stereotypically feminine than normative samples, on posttest reported a significant shift to even greater endorsement of feminine adjectives and less endorsement of masculine adjectives.

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The Risk of Partner Aggression Research: Impact of Laboratory Couples Conflict Protocols on Participants

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/0886-6708.21.4.483 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 483-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Daniela J. Owen ◽

Richard E. Heyman ◽

Amy M. Smith Slep

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Research Impact ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Partner Aggression ◽

Male And Female ◽

Impact Measure ◽

The Impact ◽

Male To Female ◽

Couples Conflict

The impact of male-to-female intimate partner violence (IPV) research on participants is unknown. A measure of impact was given to participants in an IPV study to assess systematically the impact of completing questionnaires, engaging in conflict conversations, and being interviewed individually about anger escalation and de-escalation during the conversations. Participants completed a six-question, Likert-scaled impact measure. Both male and female participants rated the impact of the study as helpful to them personally and to their relationships. Female participants rated different segments of the study as more helpful to themselves and their relationships, while male participants did not find any segment of the study to have a different impact than other segments.

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Towards a New Model of Conversion Careers: the Impact of Personality and Contingency Factors

Exchange ◽

10.1163/1572543054068514 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 149-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Henri Gooren

Keyword(s):

Religious Conversion ◽

Religious Affiliation ◽

Point Of View ◽

Small Scale ◽

Central Question ◽

Roman Catholicism ◽

Guatemala City ◽

Practical Point ◽

The Poor ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe central question of this article — why people may change their religious affiliation or become disaffiliated — is relevant from both an academic and a practical point of view. The article makes first an inventory of existing literature on religious conversion. Next I sketch the contours of the new conversion careers approach I am currently working on. I make some comparisons with a region that is not usually mentioned in the literature on conversion: Latin America. These comparisons are based on my earlier fieldwork on Roman Catholicism, Pentecostalism, and Mormonism in Costa Rica and Guatemala (H. Gooren, Rich among the Poor: Church, Firm, and Household among Small-scale Entrepreneurs in Guatemala City, Amsterdam: Thela Thesis 1999).

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Emotional Intelligence Differences between the Normal, the Blind and the Deaf in Adolescence in a Jordanian Sample

International Journal of Education ◽

10.5296/ije.v7i2.6796 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 392

Author(s):

Feryal Shnekat

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Female Students ◽

Intelligence Scale ◽

Male And Female ◽

Intelligence Level ◽

The Impact

This study aimed to identify the Emotional intelligence differences between the normal, the blind and the deaf in a Jordanian sample, in addition to the impact of the gender and type of disability on the level of the emotional intelligence. The sample of the study consisted of 150 male and female students who are normal, deaf and blind in the adolescence. The researcher collected data using Bar-On Emotional intelligence scale which is developed by Alia Al-Oweidi and it is consisted of 60items distributed into six domains. Results showed the highest mean of emotional intelligence level was for the normal students, the deaf and the blind respectively. The results also showed that there were statistical significant differences attributed to the type of the disability variable but there were no statistical significant differences attributed to the gender variable.

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