Sheep reproductive management

Objective: To describe some reproductive management programs that allow increasing the productive efficiency of ewes. Design/methodology/approach: Description of the main hormones and their application in sheep reproductive management protocols. The subjects are reviewed based on academic references as well as on their use in sheep reproductive protocols at the Sheep and Goat Reproduction Laboratory of the Colegio de Postgraduados, Mexico. Results: Hormones, socio-sexual strategies, reproductive protocols and techniques are tools that improve the reproductive efficiency of ewes during the reproductive season and seasonal anestrus. Study limitations/implications: The basic techniques of reproductive management and protocols in sheep are mostly available, however, they still have room for improvement, therefore, multiple efforts involving all participants, such as the primary sector, public and private institutions, are required. Findings/conclusions: Reproductive management is an important pillar for animal production; thus its implementation is fundamental to improve the reproductive and productive efficiency of a herd

P–473 Should couples be educated on how to try to conceive (TTC) before an infertility diagnosis? A comparative study of fertile, subfertile and infertile couples

Study question What sexual strategies do individuals TTC with different fertility status use?; What are the predictors of sexual dysfunction(SD) and frequency of intercourse(IF) when TTC? Summary answer: TTC strategies with no evidence of effectiveness are the most used. Poor marital quality predicted SD, and female SD was a significant predictor of IF. What is known already It is well known that couples TTC have low fecundity knowledge. Previous evidence showed that after 12 months the frequency of intercourse decreases. After seeing a fertility specialist couples report a feeling of waiting time by attempting natural conception, which can be associated to evidence of an overestimation and excessive confidence in the success of fertility treatments. Existing guidelines recommend intercourse every other day, but no comparative studies exist up to date on what sexual strategies are used in different fertility status and what are the predictors of sexual frequency and sexual dysfunction when trying to conceive. Study design, size, duration This study is part of a randomized controlled trial on the effects of timed intercourse in psychosocial outcomes. Data was collected between July 2016 and November 2019 via an advertising strategy and obstetrics/gynecology centers. Inclusion criteria were: i) adult in a marital/cohabitation heterosexual relationship >1 year; ii) not knowing of any condition that can prevent pregnancy; iii) being actively TTC; iv) female age >22<42 years old; v) no previous children. Measurements were carried out online. Participants/materials, setting, methods Our final sample had 399 subjects (252 women). Participants rated the use of the following strategies: intercourse every other day (EOD), fertile week (FW), basal temperature, cervical mucus monitoring (CMM), ovulation predictor kits (OPK), and keeping legs elevated afterwards (EL). We also accessed psychological adjustment, relationship quality, SD and IF. Comparisons between groups were made by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square tests, and logistic regression was used to determine predictors of SD and IF. Main results and the role of chance Participants were highly educated (72,8%), in the relationship for 9 years (±5.2), cohabitating for 5 (±3.6), and TTC for 2,5 years (range 0–16). Women were 33 years old (±4.4) and men 36 (±5.5). Regarding fertility status, 22.6% of participants were TTC <12 months, 22.8% >12 months but not diagnosed, 23.6% had a diagnosis but no treatment, and 31.1% had ART. The most reported female strategy in all groups was EL, and the most never used was OPK. Differences were found in EOD, with significantly more women TTC <12 months that never used it, and more women with previous ART using it. Women who had ART are the ones who more frequently use FW and CMM comparing to other women (P>.05). In all groups, the majority reported IF once or twice/week. SD was found in 17.5% of women and 10,9% of men. Age (OR 0.91, 95%CI 0.85–0.97) and SD (OR 2.47, 95%CI 1.02–6.02) were the only predictors of low IF for women, with no significant findings for men. Poor relationship quality increased the risk of SD for both men (OR 0.11, 95%CI 0.03–0.40) and women (OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.03–0.40), and depression increased the risk of female SD (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.06–0.46). Limitations, reasons for caution The cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow causal relationships to be determined. Further cohort studies allowing to assess differences as couples cross different fertility status are warranted. There are important predictors of SD that were not considered, specifically the comorbidity of diseases and pain. Wider implications of the findings: Findings indicate that individuals TTC are misinformed, and that those using evidence-based sexual strategies are fertility patients. SD should be screened in patients TTC given that it might be an important predictor of IF. Couples might benefit from counselling to improve marital quality and consequently sexual functioning. Trial registration number NCT028140069

P-473 Should couples be educated on how to try to conceive (TTC) before an infertility diagnosis? A comparative study of fertile, subfertile and infertile couples

Study question What sexual strategies do individuals TTC with different fertility status use?; What are the predictors of sexual dysfunction(SD) and frequency of intercourse(IF) when TTC? Summary answer TTC strategies with no evidence of effectiveness are the most used. Poor marital quality predicted SD, and female SD was a significant predictor of IF. What is known already It is well known that couples TTC have low fecundity knowledge. Previous evidence showed that after 12 months the frequency of intercourse decreases. After seeing a fertility specialist couples report a feeling of waiting time by attempting natural conception, which can be associated to evidence of an overestimation and excessive confidence in the success of fertility treatments. Existing guidelines recommend intercourse every other day, but no comparative studies exist up to date on what sexual strategies are used in different fertility status and what are the predictors of sexual frequency and sexual dysfunction when trying to conceive. Study design, size, duration This study is part of a randomized controlled trial on the effects of timed intercourse in psychosocial outcomes. Data was collected between July 2016 and November 2019 via an advertising strategy and obstetrics/gynecology centers. Inclusion criteria were: i) adult in a marital/cohabitation heterosexual relationship >1 year; ii) not knowing of any condition that can prevent pregnancy; iii) being actively TTC; iv) female age >22<42 years old; v) no previous children. Measurements were carried out online. Participants/materials, setting, methods Our final sample had 399 subjects (252 women). Participants rated the use of the following strategies: intercourse every other day (EOD), fertile week (FW), basal temperature, cervical mucus monitoring (CMM), ovulation predictor kits (OPK), and keeping legs elevated afterwards (EL). We also accessed psychological adjustment, relationship quality, SD and IF. Comparisons between groups were made by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square tests, and logistic regression was used to determine predictors of SD and IF. Main results and the role of chance Participants were highly educated (72,8%), in the relationship for 9 years (±5.2), cohabitating for 5 (±3.6), and TTC for 2,5 years (range 0-16). Women were 33 years old (±4.4) and men 36 (±5.5). Regarding fertility status, 22.6% of participants were TTC <12 months, 22.8% >12 months but not diagnosed, 23.6% had a diagnosis but no treatment, and 31.1% had ART. The most reported female strategy in all groups was EL, and the most never used was OPK. Differences were found in EOD, with significantly more women TTC <12 months that never used it, and more women with previous ART using it. Women who had ART are the ones who more frequently use FW and CMM comparing to other women (P>.05). In all groups, the majority reported IF once or twice/week. SD was found in 17.5% of women and 10,9% of men. Age (OR 0.91, 95%CI 0.85-0.97) and SD (OR 2.47, 95%CI 1.02-6.02) were the only predictors of low IF for women, with no significant findings for men. Poor relationship quality increased the risk of SD for both men (OR 0.11, 95%CI 0.03-0.40) and women (OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.03-0.40), and depression increased the risk of female SD (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.06-0.46). Limitations, reasons for caution The cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow causal relationships to be determined. Further cohort studies allowing to assess differences as couples cross different fertility status are warranted. There are important predictors of SD that were not considered, specifically the comorbidity of diseases and pain. Wider implications of the findings Findings indicate that individuals TTC are misinformed, and that those using evidence-based sexual strategies are fertility patients. SD should be screened in patients TTC given that it might be an important predictor of IF. Couples might benefit from counselling to improve marital quality and consequently sexual functioning. Trial registration number NCT028140069

Leishmania Sexual Reproductive Strategies as Resolved through Computational Methods Designed for Aneuploid Genomes

A cryptic sexual reproductive cycle in Leishmania has been inferred through population genetic studies revealing the presence of hybrid genotypes in natural isolates, with attempts made to decipher sexual strategies by studying complex chromosomal inheritance patterns. A more informative approach is to study the products of controlled, laboratory-based experiments where known strains or species are crossed in the sand fly vector to generate hybrid progeny. These hybrids can be subsequently studied through high resolution sequencing technologies and software suites such as PAINT that disclose inheritance patterns including ploidies, parental chromosome contributions and recombinations, all of which can inform the sexual strategy. In this work, we discuss the computational methods in PAINT that can be used to interpret the sexual strategies adopted specifically by aneuploid organisms and summarize how PAINT has been applied to the analysis of experimental hybrids to reveal meiosis-like sexual recombination in Leishmania.

An Evolutionary Ecological Approach to Sex Allocation and Sex Determination in Crustaceans

This chapter reviews sex determination and sex allocation strategies among crustaceans with different sexual systems (gonochorism, sequential and simultaneous hermaphroditism, and androdioecy), from the perspective of evolutionary ecology. The discussion includes genetic, environmental, and cytoplasmic sex determination in free-living and parasitic crustaceans, timing and frequency of sex change especially in partial protandry, the effects of mating group size on resource allocation by simultaneous hermaphrodites, and sex ratio and determination in androdioecious crustaceans. The fascinating diversity of crustacean reproduction stimulated theoretical biologists to construct models to explain them, and empirical biologists attempted to test hypotheses derived from those models. This review clearly shows that the interaction between theoretical and empirical studies has facilitated understanding of the evolutionary conditions of diverse sexual strategies among crustaceans. Since sexual strategies often interact with other aspects of adaptive strategies such as life history, integrating different aspects into both theoretical and empirical studies will provide further understandings into crustacean sexual systems. In addition, the authors point out the potential of phylogenetic comparative analyses using natural history data as a tool to understand the tempo and mode of evolution of sex allocation strategies.

Demonstrate Values: Behavioral Displays of Moral Outrage as a Cue to Long-Term Mate Potential

Recent findings suggest that moral outrage serves an interpersonal function of signaling trustworthiness to others and such perceptions play a uniquely important role in identifying social opportunities. We conducted four studies investigating how behavioral displays of moral outrage are perceived in the specific context of mating. Results indicated participants (particularly women) found prospective mates espousing outrage more desirable for long-term mating (Study 1), and this perception of desirability was similarly inferred among same-sex raters (Study 2). We further replicated findings in Study 1, while additionally considering the basis of women’s attraction toward outraged behavior through candidate mediators (Studies 3 and 4). Although we found consistent evidence for the long-term desirability of outraged behavior, in addition, to trustworthiness, evidence remained mixed on the extent to which evaluations of a prospective mate’s outrage was the basis of effects. We frame results from complementary perspectives of trust signaling and sexual strategies theory.

Testing the effects of pathogen threat and sexual strategies on political ideology

Disgust has been consistently associated with greater political conservatism. Two explanations have been proposed for this link. According to a pathogen threat model, disgust serves a pathogen-avoidance function, encouraging more conservative ideology, whereas a sexual strategies model suggests that this link is explained by variability in short-term versus long-term mating goals. In two preregistered studies using a college student and community sample (total N = 1,950), we examined whether experimentally manipulating pathogen threat and mate availability produced differences in political ideology and whether these differences were explained by disgust and sociosexual attitudes. Across both studies, we did not find evidence that manipulating pathogen threat or mate availability resulted in change in political ideology. In Study 1, manipulating mate availability was indirectly associated with greater political conservativism through stronger sociosexual attitudes that favor monogamy. These findings failed to replicate in Study 2. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.