Divergent strategies for learning in males and females

AbstractA frequent assumption in value-based decision-making tasks is that agents make decisions based on the feature dimension that reward probabilities vary on. However, in complex, multidimensional environments, stimuli can vary on multiple dimensions at once, meaning that the feature deserving the most credit for outcomes is not always obvious. As a result, individuals may vary in the strategies used to sample stimuli across dimensions, and these strategies may have an unrecognized influence on decision-making. Sex is a proxy for multiple genetic and endocrine influences that can influence decision-making strategies, including how environments are sampled. In this study, we examined the strategies adopted by female and male mice as they learned the value of stimuli that varied in both image and location in a visually-cued two-armed bandit, allowing two possible dimensions to learn about. Female mice acquired the correct image-value associations more quickly than male mice, and they used a fundamentally different strategy to do so. Female mice constrained their decision-space early in learning by preferentially sampling one location over which images varied. Conversely, male strategies were inconsistent, changing frequently and strongly influenced by the immediate experience of stochastic rewards. Individual strategies were related to sex-gated changes in neuronal activation in early learning. Together, we find that in mice, sex is linked with divergent strategies for sampling and learning about the world, revealing substantial unrecognized variability in the approaches implemented during value-based decision-making.

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Leptin pharmacokinetics in male mice

Endocrine Connections ◽

10.1530/ec-16-0089 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 20-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Robert A Hart ◽

Robin C Dobos ◽

Linda L Agnew ◽

Neil A Smart ◽

James R McFarlane

Keyword(s):

Digestive Tract ◽

Time Course ◽

Normal Male ◽

Male Mice ◽

Male And Female ◽

Female Mice ◽

Males And Females ◽

High Degree ◽

The Brain ◽

Major Target

Pharmacokinetics of leptin in mammals has not been studied in detail and only one study has examined more than one time point in non-mutant mice and this was in a female mice. This is the first study to describe leptin distribution over a detailed time course in normal male mice. A physiologic dose (12 ng) of radiolabelled leptin was injected into adult male mice via the lateral tail vein and tissues were dissected out and measured for radioactivity over a time course of up to two hours. Major targets were the digestive tract, kidneys, skin and lungs. The brain was not a major target, and 0.15% of the total dose was recovered from the brain 5 min after administration. Major differences appear to exist in the distribution of leptin between the male and female mice, indicating a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Although the half-lives were similar between male and female mice, almost twice the proportion of leptin was recovered from the digestive tract of male mice in comparison to that reported previously for females. This would seem to indicate a major difference in leptin distribution and possibly function between males and females.

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Sex Differences in Head-fixed Running Behavior

10.1101/585000 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Emily J. Warner ◽

Krishnan Padmanabhan

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Male Mice ◽

Specific Difference ◽

Running Wheel ◽

Female Mice ◽

In The Wild ◽

Males And Females ◽

Neural Underpinnings ◽

Divergent Behavior ◽

Almost All

ABSTRACTSex differences in running behaviors between male and female mice occur naturally in the wild. Recent experiments using head restrained mice on a running wheel have exploited locomotion to provide insight in the neural underpinnings of a number of behaviors ranging from spatial navigation to decision making. However, it is largely unknown how males and females behave differently in this experimental paradigm. We found that in head-fixed mice that were initially exposed to a running wheel, all female mice ran forward naturally within the first two days, while almost all male mice scurried backward for up to 4 days. With daily exposure, male mice progressively learned to naturally run forward, with this transition occurring over the course of a 7-day period. Taken together, we have identified a sexually divergent behavior in head-fixed running that should be considered in experiments that use this experimental design. Furthermore, this sex-specific difference could serve as a new way to interrogate the neural underpinnings of a number of behaviors such as anxiety or fear.

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Bridging Sex-Specific Differences in the CAR-Mediated Hepatocarcinogenesis of Nitrapyrin Using Molecular and Apical Endpoints

Frontiers in Toxicology ◽

10.3389/ftox.2021.766196 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Lynea Murphy ◽

Matthew J. LeBaron ◽

Kamin Johnson ◽

Reza J. Rasoulpour ◽

Xiujuan Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mode Of Action ◽

Liver Tumors ◽

Constitutive Androstane Receptor ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

Tumor Formation ◽

Male Mice ◽

Female Mice ◽

Increased Sensitivity ◽

Males And Females ◽

Related Increase

Nitrapyrin, a nitrification inhibitor, produces liver tumors in B6C3F1 mice. In a 2-year oncogenicity study, increased incidence of mice with hepatocellular tumors was observed following exposure to 125 (females only) or 250 mg/kg/day (males and females) nitrapyrin in the diet. Previous data was generated in male mice to support a mode-of-action (MoA) characterized by constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) nuclear receptor (NR) activation, increased hepatocellular proliferation, and subsequent hepatocellular foci and tumor formation. Uncertainty as to the relevance of this MoA for females remained given the increased sensitivity to tumor formation in female mice. A targeted MoA study was conducted to evaluate CAR activation and hepatic responses in female mice treated with the female carcinogenic dose of nitrapyrin for 4 days. Nitrapyrin induced a treatment-related increase in hepatocellular hypertrophy and hepatocellular proliferation. Nitrapyrin also induced a dose-related increase in the Cyp2b10/CAR-associated transcript and liver weights. Nitrapyrin-induced liver weights and Cyp2b10 gene expression for both males and females were compared to data generated from three other established CAR activators; methyl isobutyl ketone, phenobarbital, and sulfoxaflor. The response observed in female mice following exposure to nitrapyrin was within range of the degree of change observed in mice following exposure to tumorigenic doses of other CAR activators. Consistent with the liver MoA in male mice, these data support a CAR-mediated mode of action for nitrapyrin-induced liver tumors in female mice, with the understanding that a focused approach minimizing animal use can bridge male and female datasets when sex-specific carcinogenic differences are observed.

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The Impact of Sex on Changes in Plasma Corticosterone and Cotinine Levels Induced by Nicotine in C57BL/6J Mice

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10100705 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 705

Author(s):

Khoa Nguyen ◽

Keiko Kanamori ◽

Chang Sung Shin ◽

Abdul Hamid ◽

Kabirullah Lutfy

Keyword(s):

Plasma Corticosterone ◽

Male Mice ◽

Once Daily ◽

Female Mice ◽

Nicotine Administration ◽

Corticosterone Secretion ◽

Males And Females ◽

Repeated Dosing ◽

The Impact ◽

First Time

We assessed if there were any sex-related differences in the ability of nicotine to increase plasma corticosterone secretion after single or repeated nicotine administration. For single-dose studies, male and female mice were habituated to the test room for 1 h and injected with saline or nicotine (0.25 or 1 mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.c.)). In repeated-dosing studies, mice were injected with saline or nicotine (1 mg/kg, s.c.) once daily for six days, and, on day 7, received nicotine (1 mg/kg, s.c.). Mice were then euthanized 15 min later, and trunk blood was collected for the measurement of corticosterone, nicotine, and cotinine. Our results showed that saline or nicotine each significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels in both males and females, with a greater response in female mice. Plasma corticosterone levels were increased in male but not female mice after being treated repeatedly compared to single nicotine administration. The level of cotinine, a biomarker of nicotine use, was significantly higher in female than in male mice. Taken together, these novel findings suggest that female mice respond to nicotine and the stress of handling more than male mice and provide for the first-time quantitative data on male–female differences in nicotine-induced elevations of corticosterone and cotinine plasma levels.

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EFFECT OF SEX HORMONES ON EHRLICH MOUSE ASCITES CANCER

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/acta.0.xxxiv0437 ◽

1960 ◽

Vol XXXIV (III) ◽

pp. 437-448

Author(s):

C. G. Ahlström ◽

N. Jonsson

Keyword(s):

Cancer Cells ◽

Sex Hormones ◽

Previous Investigation ◽

Early Growth ◽

Male Mice ◽

Female Mice ◽

Small Doses ◽

Mouse Ascites ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Difference

ABSTRACT Ehrlich mouse ascites cancer grew better during the first 3 days after inoculation in female than in male mice. The difference was only demonstrable on inoculation with small doses of cancer cells and could not be seen when large doses were used. On the 5th day after inoculation no difference could be observed in the growth of the cancer between males and females. Gonadectomy had no influence on the growth of the cancer. Testosterone inhibited the growth of the cancer in castrated male mice. It had no effect on the growth of the cancer in castrated female mice. Oestradiol did not influence the growth of the cancer in castrated male or female mice. It is noteworthy that the results obtained in a previous investigation on the growth of the Ehrlich mouse ascites cancer in hamsters revealed a hormonal influence which was only discernible in its natural host during the early growth of the cancer and then only after transplantation of a relatively small number of cancer cells.

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Debates in Dysphagia Management: How Do You Use Evidence-Based Practice in Your Dysphagia Patient Care?

Perspectives on Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) ◽

10.1044/sasd20.4.121 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 121-123

Author(s):

Jeri A. Logemann

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Patient Care ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Clinical Judgment ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Evidence Based Practice ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Clinical Method ◽

Do So

Evidence-based practice requires astute clinicians to blend our best clinical judgment with the best available external evidence and the patient's own values and expectations. Sometimes, we value one more than another during clinical decision-making, though it is never wise to do so, and sometimes other factors that we are unaware of produce unanticipated clinical outcomes. Sometimes, we feel very strongly about one clinical method or another, and hopefully that belief is founded in evidence. Some beliefs, however, are not founded in evidence. The sound use of evidence is the best way to navigate the debates within our field of practice.

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The Veil of Bureaucracy: How Officials Evade Partisan Politics in Participatory Settings

Social Currents ◽

10.1177/23294965211028846 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 232949652110288

Author(s):

Meaghan Stiman

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Political Ideology ◽

Partisan Politics ◽

Community Voice ◽

Political Debates ◽

Local Decision ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

The Veil ◽

Local Decision Making ◽

Do So

In theory, participatory democracies are thought to empower citizens in local decision-making processes. However, in practice, community voice is rarely representative, and even in cases of equal representation, citizens are often disempowered through bureaucratic processes. Drawing on the case of a firearm discharge debate from a rural county’s municipal meetings in Virginia, I extend research about how power operates in participatory settings. Partisan political ideology fueled the debate amongst constituents in expected ways, wherein citizens engaged collectivist and individualist frames to sway the county municipal board ( Celinska 2007 ). However, it was a third frame that ultimately explains the ordinance’s repeal: the bureaucratic frame, an ideological orientation to participatory processes that defers decision-making to disembodied abstract rules and procedures. This frame derives its power from its depoliticization potential, allowing bureaucrats to evade contentious political debates. Whoever is best able to wield this frame not only depoliticizes the debate to gain rationalized legitimacy but can do so in such a way to favor a partisan agenda. This study advances gun research and participatory democracy research by analyzing how the bureaucratic frame, which veils partisanship, offers an alternative political possibility for elected officials, community leaders, and citizens to adjudicate partisan debates.

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Approach to Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Methods for Performance Evaluation Process Using Interval-Valued T-Spherical Fuzzy Hamacher Aggregation Information

Axioms ◽

10.3390/axioms10030145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 145

Author(s):

Yun Jin ◽

Zareena Kousar ◽

Kifayat Ullah ◽

Tahir Mahmood ◽

Nimet Yapici Pehlivan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Fuzzy Set ◽

Evaluation Process ◽

Aggregation Operators ◽

Weighted Averaging ◽

Membership Degree ◽

Operational Laws ◽

Multi Attribute Decision Making ◽

Interval Valued ◽

Do So

Interval-valued T-spherical fuzzy set (IVTSFS) handles uncertain and vague information by discussing their membership degree (MD), abstinence degree (AD), non-membership degree (NMD), and refusal degree (RD). MD, AD, NMD, and RD are defined in terms of closed subintervals of that reduce information loss compared to the T-spherical fuzzy set (TSFS), which takes crisp values from intervals; hence, some information may be lost. The purpose of this manuscript is to develop some Hamacher aggregation operators (HAOs) in the environment of IVTSFSs. To do so, some Hamacher operational laws based on Hamacher t-norms (HTNs) and Hamacher t-conorms (HTCNs) are introduced. Using Hamacher operational laws, we develop some aggregation operators (AOs), including an interval-valued T-spherical fuzzy Hamacher (IVTSFH) weighted averaging (IVTSFHWA) operator, an IVTSFH-ordered weighted averaging (IVTSFHOWA) operator, an IVTSFH hybrid averaging (IVTSFHHA) operator, an IVTSFH-weighted geometric (IVTSFHWG) operator, an IVTSFH-ordered weighted geometric (IVTSFHOWG) operator, and an IVTSFH hybrid geometric (IVTSFHHG) operator. The validation of the newly developed HAOs is investigated, and their basic properties are examined. In view of some restrictions, the generalization and proposed HAOs are shown, and a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) procedure is explored based on the HAOs, which are further exemplified. Finally, a comparative analysis of the proposed work is also discussed with previous literature to show the superiority of our work.

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Quantifying the Impact of Production Globalization through Application of the Life Cycle Inventory Methodology and Its Influence on Decision Making in Industry

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9081271 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 1271

Author(s):

Humberto. J. Prado-Galiñanes ◽

Rosario Domingo

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Chain Model ◽

Fundamental Factor ◽

Supply Chain Model ◽

The Social ◽

The Impact ◽

A Company ◽

Key Parameter ◽

Do So

Industries are nowadays not only expected to produce goods and provide services, but also to do this sustainably. What qualifies a company as sustainable implies that its activities must be defined according to the social and ecological responsibilities that are meant to protect the society and the environment in which they operate. From now on, it will be necessary to consider and measure the impact of industrial activities on the environment, and to do so, one key parameter is the carbon footprint. This paper demonstrates the utility of the LCI as a tool for immediate application in industries. Its application shall facilitate decision making in industries while choosing amongst different scenarios to industrialize a certain product with the lowest environmental impact possible. To achieve this, the carbon footprint of a given product was calculated by applying the LCI method to several scenarios that differed from each other only in the supply-chain model. As a result of this LCI calculation, the impact of the globalization of a good’s production was quantified not only financially, but also environmentally. Finally, it was concluded that the LCI/LCA methodology can be considered as a fundamental factor in the new decision-making strategy that sustainable companies must implement while deciding on the business and industrial plan for their new products and services.

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Differences in acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia metabolism in the male and female kidney

AJP Renal Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajprenal.00244.2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 317 (4) ◽

pp. F890-F905 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Autumn N. Harris ◽

Hyun-Wook Lee ◽

Lijuan Fang ◽

Jill W. Verlander ◽

I. David Weiner

Keyword(s):

Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase ◽

Collecting Duct ◽

Ammonia Excretion ◽

Volume Density ◽

Male Mice ◽

Ammonia Metabolism ◽

Female Mice ◽

Predominant Component ◽

Acid Load ◽

Acid Loading

Renal ammonia excretion is a critical component of acid-base homeostasis, and changes in ammonia excretion are the predominant component of increased net acid excretion in response to metabolic acidosis. We recently reported substantial sex-dependent differences in basal ammonia metabolism that correlate with sex-dependent differences in renal structure and expression of key proteins involved in ammonia metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of sex on the renal ammonia response to an exogenous acid load. We studied 4-mo-old C57BL/6 mice. Ammonia excretion, which was less in male mice under basal conditions, increased in response to acid loading to a greater extent in male mice, such that maximal ammonia excretion did not differ between the sexes. Fundamental structural sex differences in the nonacid-loaded kidney persisted after acid loading, with less cortical proximal tubule volume density in the female kidney than in the male kidney, whereas collecting duct volume density was greater in the female kidney. To further investigate sex-dependent differences in the response to acid loading, we examined the expression of proteins involved in ammonia metabolism. The change in expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and Rh family B glycoprotein with acid loading was greater in male mice than in female mice, whereas Na+-K+-2Cl– cotransporter and inner stripe of the outer medulla intercalated cell Rh family C glycoprotein expression were significantly greater in female mice than in male mice. There was no significant sex difference in glutamine synthetase, Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3, or electrogenic Na+-bicarbonate cotransporter 1 variant A protein expression in response to acid loading. We conclude that substantial sex-dependent differences in the renal ammonia response to acid loading enable a similar maximum ammonia excretion response.

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