Physical attractiveness of face and body as indicators of physical fitness in men

Human physical attractiveness appears to be an important signal of mate value that is utilized in mate choice We argue that performance-related physical fitness (PF) was an important facet of ancestral male mate value and, therefore, that a positive relationship exists between PF and physical attractiveness as well as mating success. We investigated these relationships in a sample of 80 young men. In line with our predictions, we found that (i) a composite measure of PF correlated substantially with body attractiveness (r=.43, after controlling for confounds) but not with facial attractiveness; (ii) PF was positively related to various measures of self-reported mating success (r_S ≈ .22); (iii) the relationship between PF and self-reported mating success was partly mediated by body attractiveness. We conclude it is a key function of men's body attractiveness to signal their PF and that men's faces and bodies signal different facets of mate value.     

Women’s fertility across the cycle increases the short-term attractiveness of creative intelligence

Male provisioning ability may have evolved as a “good dad” indicator through sexual selection, whereas male creativity may have evolved partly as a “good genes” indicator. If so, women near peak fertility (midcycle) should prefer creativity over wealth, especially in short-term mating. Forty-one normally cycling women read vignettes describing creative but poor men vs. uncreative but rich men. Women’s estimated fertility predicted their short-term (but not long-term) preference for creativity over wealth, in both their desirability ratings of individual men (r=.40, p<.01) and their forced-choice decisions between men (r=.46, p<.01). These preliminary results are consistent with the view that creativity evolved at least partly as a good genes indicator through mate choice.     

Can Persistence Hunting Signal Male Quality? A Test Considering Digit Ratio in Endurance Athletes

Various theories have been posed to explain the fitness payoffs of hunting success among hunter-gatherers. ‘Having’ theories refer to the acquisition of resources, and include the direct provisioning hypothesis. In contrast, ‘getting’ theories concern the signalling of male resourcefulness and other desirable traits, such as athleticism and intelligence, via hunting prowess. We investigated the association between androgenisation and endurance running ability as a potential signalling mechanism, whereby running prowess, vital for persistence hunting, might be used as a reliable signal of male reproductive fitness by females. Digit ratio (2D:4D) was used as a proxy for prenatal androgenisation in 439 males and 103 females, while a half marathon race (21km), representing a distance/duration comparable with that of persistence hunting, was used to assess running ability. Digit ratio was significantly and positively correlated with half-marathon time in males (right hand: r = 0.45, p<0.001; left hand: r = 0.42, p<0.001) and females (right hand: r = 0.26, p<0.01; left hand: r = 0.23, p = 0.02). Sex-interaction analysis showed that this correlation was significantly stronger in males than females, suggesting that androgenisation may have experienced stronger selective pressure from endurance running in males. As digit ratio has previously been shown to predict reproductive success, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that endurance running ability may signal reproductive potential in males, through its association with prenatal androgen exposure. However, further work is required to establish whether and how females respond to this signalling for fitness.     

Effect of a 12-week non-contact exercise intervention on body composition and health-related physical fitness in adults: a pilot test

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week non-contact exercise intervention on body composition and health-related physical fitness in adults.[Methods] One hundred adults were initially enrolled; however, ninety-seven participants (men: n = 41, women: n = 56) completed the study. The non-contact exercise was performed for 12 weeks using a smart tracker (Charge 4, Fitbit, USA) and mobile phone applications. The non-contact exercise program included resistance, aerobic, and flexibility exercises.[Results] The results showed that percent body fat (F=4.993, p=.016, η_p²=.049), fat-free mass (F=4.690, p=.024, η_p²=.047), and skeletal muscle mass (F=5.623, p=.004, η_p²=.055) significantly changed during the intervention period. Further, significant increases were seen in hand grip strength (F=12.167, p<.001, η_p²=.112), sit-and-reach (F=20.497, p<.001, η_p²=.176), sit-ups (F=42.107, p<.001, η_p²=.305), and VO_2max (F=4.311, p=.037, η_p²=.043).[Conclusion] Our findings suggest that 12 weeks of non-contact exercise improves body composition and health-related physical fitness. Wearable technologies encourage individuals to modify their lifestyles by increasing physical activity and achieving the goal of maintaining health conditions among adults.     

Evaluation of Body Composition in Patients With and Without Adrenal Tumors and Without Overt Hypersecretory Syndromes

ObjectiveTo compare body composition between patients with autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS), those with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAIs), and control subjects without adrenal tumors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed, incluidng the following 3 groups: patients with ACS (cortisol post–dexamethasone suppression test [DST] >1.8 μg/dL), NFAIs (cortisol post-DST ≤ 1.8 μg/dL), and patients without adrenal tumors (control group). Patients of the 3 groups were matched according to age (±5 years), sex, and body mass index (±5 kg/m²). Body composition was evaluated by bioelectrical impedance and abdominal computed tomography (CT) and urinary steroid profile by gas chromatography mass spectrometry.ResultsThis study enrolled 25 patients with ACS, 24 with NFAIs, and 24 control subjects. Based on CT images, a weak positive correlation between the serum cortisol level post-DST and subcutaneous fat area (r = 0.3, P =.048) was found. As assessed by bioelectrical impedance, lean mass and bone mass were positively correlated with the excretion of total androgens (r = 0.56, P <.001; and r = 0.58, P <.001, respectively); visceral mass was positively correlated with the excretion of glucocorticoid metabolites and total glucocorticoids (r = 0.28, P =.031; and r = 0.42, P =.001, respectively). Based on CT imaging evaluation, a positive correlation was observed between lean mass and androgen metabolites (r = 0.30, P =.036) and between visceral fat area, total fat area, and visceral/total fat area ratio and the excretion of glucocorticoid metabolites (r = 0.34, P =.014; r = 0.29, P =.042; and r = 0.31, P =.170, respectively).ConclusionThe urinary steroid profile observed in adrenal tumors, comprising a low excretion of androgen metabolites and high excretion of glucocorticoid metabolites, is associated with a lower lean mass and bone mass and higher level of visceral mass in patients with adrenal tumors.     

Hypothetical rankings of prospective husbands for female kin in lowland Nicaragua: consensus analysis indicates high agreement and associations with wealth and hunting skill

In preindustrial societies, kin may exert influence on the mating choices of women, but there have been few systematic studies of the preferred characteristics of husbands for female kin. In an indigenous Mayangna and Miskito community, photographs of 29 male household heads were presented to informants, who ranked the men on three characteristics: desirability as a spouse, hunting ability and wealth. For the desirability rankings, informants were asked to consider the advice that they would give to young female relatives and rank the men based on the qualities that such women should seek in a husband. Consensus analysis indicates that there is high agreement among informants on all three sets of rankings. There is no evidence that the age and sex of informants are associated with variation in evaluations of the desirability of men, which suggests that the evaluations by reproductively active women do not significantly differ from rankings by other informants. Multivariate analysis indicates that perceptions of both a man's wealth and his hunting ability are positively associated with his desirability as a prospective husband for female kin. By contrast, a strong kin-based social network, as measured by the presence of consanguineal kin in the community, seems unimportant to a man's desirability as a husband. Although it remains unclear to what extent hunting ability is a signal of phenotypic quality, these results support predictions that individuals will encourage female kin to marry men who are good resource providers. Finally, compared to a conventional reliability analysis, consensus analysis is demonstrated as a superior method for assessing both unidimensionality and subgroup variation in informant rankings.     

Cerebral White Matter Lesions and Affective Episodes Correlate in Male Individuals with Bipolar Disorder

Background

Cerebral white matter lesions (WML) have been found in normal aging, vascular disease and several neuropsychiatric conditions. Correlations of WML with clinical parameters in BD have been described, but not with the number of affective episodes, illness duration, age of onset and Body Mass Index in a well characterized group of euthymic bipolar adults. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the associations between bipolar course of illness parameters and WML measured with volumetric analysis.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study 100 euthymic individuals with BD as well as 54 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled to undergo brain magnetic resonance imaging using 3T including a FLAIR sequence for volumetric assessment of WML-load using FSL-software. Additionally, clinical characteristics and psychometric measures including Structured Clinical Interview according to DSM-IV, Hamilton-Depression, Young Mania Rating Scale and Beck’s Depression Inventory were evaluated.

Results

Individuals with BD had significantly more (F = 3.968, p < .05) WML (Mdn = 3710mm3; IQR = 2961mm3) than HC (Mdn = 2185mm3; IQR = 1665mm3). BD men (Mdn = 4095mm3; IQR = 3295mm3) and BD women (Mdn = 3032mm3; IQR = 2816mm3) did not significantly differ as to the WML-load or the number and type of risk factors for WML. However, in men only, the number of manic/hypomanic episodes (r = 0.72; p < .001) as well as depressive episodes (r = 0.51; p < .001) correlated positively with WML-load.

Conclusions

WML-load strongly correlated with the number of manic episodes in male BD patients, suggesting that men might be more vulnerable to mania in the context of cerebral white matter changes.     

Untersuchungen zur Populationsgenetik von Island,insbesondere der Region Dalasýsla

The authors report the results of a population genetic survey of the Dalasýsla region (West-Iceland). Our sample size includes n=193 male and female individuals of different age. These individuals are partly related. The following blood and serum groups were determined: ABO, MNS, Rh, P; Hp, Gc, Gm, InV, and Lp. In all these systems observed and expected phenotype frequencies are found to be in good agreement. The following gene frequencies turned out: p₁ ^A=.0888, p₂ ^A=.0456, q^B=.0293, r^O=.8363; p^MS=.2256, p^Ms=.4474, p^NS=.0540, p^Ns=.2730; cde=.4123, Cde=.0966, cDe=.0338, CDe=.2984, cDE=.1589; p^P=.4833; Hp¹=.5157, Hp²=.4843; Gc¹=.7340, Gc²=.2660; Gm¹=.1846, Gm^1,2=.1444, Gm¹²=.6710. The frequency of the phenotype InV (1) comes to 17,6%, that of Lp (a+) amounts to 21,6%.In general the Icelandic phenotype and allele frequencies correspond to the European ones, especially to those observed in Northern Europe. In connection with this the authors discuss briefly, to what extent the present day phenotype distributions (especially concerning the ABO system) of Iceland may be interpreted with regard to historical facts and events. It is pointed out that at any rate also selective acting factors should be taken into consideration in order to interpret really the present day distributions. Within Iceland certain inhomogeneities in the phenotype distributions are present. Factors such as small population sizes, geographical isolation, and gene-drift are most likely responsible for this.     

Male social status and its predictors among Garisakang forager-horticulturalists of lowland Papua New Guinea

Social hierarchy exists in all human societies, yet the characteristics important for achieving high social status may differ cross-culturally. Studies among Western industrialized populations often use indices of socioeconomic status (SES) to determine individual social position. Conversely, studies among small-scale societies typically use locally relevant traits. Cross-cultural applicability and the relationships between these two strategies have rarely been investigated. Studies limited to industrialized societies demonstrate that low social status is associated with poor health and elevated levels of chronic stress. It remains unclear, however, if and to what extent this relationship is a recent phenomenon in industrialized Western society or a universal human characteristic that has likely been present throughout much of our recent evolutionary history. In this study, we investigate relationships between various SES and locally relevant measures of male social status, age, body-mass index (BMI), and levels of waking salivary cortisol among relatively egalitarian Garisakang forager-horticulturalists of lowland Papua New Guinea. We employ a photo-ranking method using 32 raters (16 women, 16 men) to evaluate 15 measures of social hierarchy in men (N = 32). These measures target locally relevant traits considered important for male social status (e.g., sociability, hunting skills, fighting ability, and community influence). Using principal component analysis (PCA), we extracted two components labeled as Dominance-Respect and Prosociality-Skills. Models investigating predictors of social status demonstrate that age was significantly and positively related to both Dominance-Respect and Prosociality-Skills while BMI was positively related to only Dominance-Respect. Neither Dominance-Respect nor Prosociality-Skills predicted salivary cortisol levels. However, the SES measure of Income was significantly and positively related to cortisol levels, suggesting that men with higher income experience higher levels of stress. This finding may be explained by increased psychological stress accompanying market integration among the Garisakang or, alternatively, by culturally specific expectations for resource sharing and fear of conflict. These findings emphasize the usefulness of diverse social status measures in anthropological research and stress the need for broadened perspectives regarding the causes and consequences of social status among small-scale populations.     

Relationship of Prostate -Specific Antigen to Age and Testosterone in Men With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

ObjectiveTo determine whether prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations in type 2 diabetic men with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism are lower than those in eugonadal men with type 2 diabetes and whether PSA concentrations are related to plasma testosterone concentrations.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we measured serum total testosterone, sex hormone–binding globulin, free testosterone, PSA, hematocrit, and hemoglobin A_1c in consecutive type 2 diabetic men who presented to 2 endocrinology referral centers between January 2006 and January 2007. We collected other clinical and demographic data including age, height, weight, and ethnicity.ResultsOf 400 eligible patients, 280 men met inclusion criteria. Plasma PSA concentrations were lower in type 2 diabetic men with low free testosterone concentrations than in those with normal free testosterone concentrations (25.65 ± 2.02 ng/dL vs 31.70 ± 2.31 ng/dL, P = .011). PSA concentrations were positively related to age (r = 0.34, P < .001), total testosterone (r = 0.29, P < .001), free testosterone (r = 0.17, P = .02), and sex hormone– binding globulin (r = 0.22, P < .001) and negatively related to body mass index (r = –0.28, P < .001). In stepwise backward regression analysis, PSA concentration was predicted by age (P < .001) and free testosterone (P < .001), but not by body mass index or sex hormone–binding globulin.ConclusionsPlasma PSA concentrations are lower in type 2 diabetic men with hypogonadism than in eugonadal men with type 2 diabetes, and plasma PSA is related to age, plasma total testosterone concentrations, and free testosterone concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. (Endocr Pract. 2008;14:1000-1005)     

Implicaciones de los síntomas depresivos en los ancianos hospitalizados por afección médica

Introduction

Depressive symptoms in hospitalized patients are very common, and they have been related to higher mortality. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in hospitalized elderly patients and its relationship to various diseases, as well as their functional and mental status and mortality.

Material and methods

A total of 115 patients over 64 years of age were prospectively studied. The validated Spanish version of the Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage (15-item version) was used. Patients were considered to have depressive symptoms if ≥6 points were obtained. The demographic characteristics, the Charlson comorbidity index, the diagnosis at admission, the functional status assessed by the Barthel and Lawton-Brodie index, the mental capacity assessed by the Pfeiffer questionnaire, the length of the hospital stay, and hospital mortality were recorded.

Results

Out of the 115 patients studied, with a mean age of 70.5 years, 71 (61.7%) were female. Depressive symptoms were observed in 46 patients (40%, 95% CI: 34.8-43.9). Patients who died showed a significantly higher score on the Yesavage scale (P=.04). The multivariate analysis showed a significantly independent association between depressive symptoms and functional capacity (P=.026), mental status (P=.021), renal failure (P=.001), liver disease (P=.018), and osteoarthritis (P=.017), but losing the previously seen significant association with diabetes (P=.43).

Conclusions

The prevalence of depressive symptoms in hospitalized elderly patients is high, and is associated with the diagnoses of renal failure, liver disease and osteoarthritis, with a higher comorbidity and especially with a poorer functional capacity.     

Negative associations between corpus callosum midsagittal area and IQ in a representative sample of healthy children and adolescents

Documented associations between corpus callosum size and cognitive ability have heretofore been inconsistent potentially owing to differences in sample characteristics, differing methodologies in measuring CC size, or the use of absolute versus relative measures. We investigated the relationship between CC size and intelligence quotient (IQ) in the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development sample, a large cohort of healthy children and adolescents (aged six to 18, n = 198) recruited to be representative of the US population. CC midsagittal area was measured using an automated system that partitioned the CC into 25 subregions. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). After correcting for total brain volume and age, a significant negative correlation was found between total CC midsagittal area and IQ (r = −0.147; p = 0.040). Post hoc analyses revealed a significant negative correlation in children (age<12) (r = −0.279; p = 0.004) but not in adolescents (age≥12) (r = −0.005; p = 0.962). Partitioning the subjects by gender revealed a negative correlation in males (r = −0.231; p = 0.034) but not in females (r = 0.083; p = 0.389). Results suggest that the association between CC and intelligence is mostly driven by male children. In children, a significant gender difference was observed for FSIQ and PIQ, and in males, a significant age-group difference was observed for FSIQ and PIQ. These findings suggest that the correlation between CC midsagittal area and IQ may be related to age and gender.     

Trace element determination in humans

With the present study, we intend to verify the utility of hair as diagnostic tool for trace element analysis, to substitute, perhaps, conventional materials, such as blood serum. Blood and hair were collected from male individuals (n=107) aged 20–59 y. Determinations of Cu and Zn concentrations were performed with atomic absorption spectrometry. An influence of age on Zn in hair has been found, with significantly different values before and after age 30 y. There is no correlation between Cu concentrations in hair and in serum, and a positive one (r=0.3554,p<0.05) between Zn levels in hair and in serum. No association between Zn and Cu levels in hair has been demonstrated; on the contrary, these elements have a moderate positive correlation in serum (r=0.3586,p<0.01). The data indicate that hair may represent an additional analytical material for Cu and Zn to complement blood serum.     

Changes in muscle strength,endurance, and reaction of the lower extremities with Tai Chi intervention

This study examines the effects of a 16-week Tai Chi (TC) training program on the muscle strength, endurance, and reaction time of the lower extremities of elderly people. A total of 40 elderly individuals (aged ?60 years) completed the study. They were divided into two groups: the TC group (11 men and 11 women) underwent a supervised TC exercise program for 16 weeks, while the control group (9 men and 9 women) received general education for a comparable time period. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were conducted. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure the maximum concentric strength and dynamic endurance of the knee flexors and the extensors, and the maximum concentric strength of the ankle plantarflexors and dorsiflexors. The neuromuscular response of the rectus femoris, semitendinosus, gastrocnemius, and anterior tibialis muscles was measured by the onset latency to sudden perturbations using an electromyography system. After 16 weeks, the TC group showed a 19.9% increase in muscle strength of the knee flexors (p<.000) that was significantly greater than that in the control group (p=.046). There was also a significant decrease in semitendinosus muscle latency (6.6%, p=.014) that was significantly shorter than that in the control group (p=.042). No significant training effects were found in other measures. These results suggest that improving biomechanical characteristics of lower extremity muscles may need longer TC intervention for elderly people.     

Sex-dependent influences of obesity on cerebral white matter investigated by diffusion-tensor imaging

Several studies have shown that obesity is associated with changes in human brain function and structure. Since women are more susceptible to obesity than men, it seems plausible that neural correlates may also be different. However, this has not been demonstrated so far. To address this issue, we systematically investigated the brain''s white matter (WM) structure in 23 lean to obese women (mean age 25.5 y, std 5.1 y; mean body mass index (BMI) 29.5 kg/m², std 7.3 kg/m²) and 26 lean to obese men (mean age 27.1 y, std 5.0 y; mean BMI 28.8 kg/m², std 6.8 kg/m²) with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There was no significant age (p>0.2) or BMI (p>0.7) difference between female and male participants. Using tract-based spatial statistics, we correlated several diffusion parameters including the apparent diffusion coefficient, fractional anisotropy (FA), as well as axial (λ_∥) and radial diffusivity (λ_⊥) with BMI and serum leptin levels. In female and male subjects, the putative axon marker λ_∥ was consistently reduced throughout the corpus callosum, particularly in the splenium (r = −0.62, p<0.005). This suggests that obesity may be associated with axonal degeneration. Only in women, the putative myelin marker λ_⊥ significantly increased with increasing BMI (r = 0.57, p<0.005) and serum leptin levels (r = 0.62, p<0.005) predominantly in the genu of the corpus callosum, suggesting additional myelin degeneration. Comparable structural changes were reported for the aging brain, which may point to accelerated aging of WM structure in obese subjects. In conclusion, we demonstrate structural WM changes related to an elevated body weight, but with differences between men and women. Future studies on obesity-related functional and structural brain changes should therefore account for sex-related differences.     

Interacting Factors Associated with Adult Male Drowning in New Zealand

Objectives

i) to identify factors that contribute to the global trend of the higher incidence of male drowning relative to females, and; ii) to explore relationships between such factors from mortality data in New Zealand.

Methods

Drownings from 1983 to 2012 were examined for: Age, Ethnicity, Site, Activity, Buoyancy and Alcohol. Conditional frequency tables presented as mosaic plots were used to assess the interactions of these factors.

Results

Alcohol was involved in a high proportion of Accidental Immersion drownings (61%) and was highest for males aged 20-24 years. When alcohol was involved there were proportionally more incidences where a life jacket was Available But Not Worn and less incidences where a life jacket was Worn. Many 30-39 year old males drowned during underwater activities (e.g., snorkeling, diving). Older men (aged +55 years old) had a high incidence of drowning while boating. Different ethnicities were over-represented in different age groups (Asian men aged 25-29, and European men aged 65-74) and when involved in different activities.

Conclusions

Numerous interacting factors are responsible for male drownings. In New Zealand, drowning locations and activities differ by age and ethnicity which require targeted intervention strategies.     

Expression of Clock Genes in Human Subcutaneous and Visceral Adipose Tissues

Disrupted circadian rhythms are associated with obesity and metabolic alterations, but little is known about the participation of peripheral circadian clock machinery in these processes. The aim of the present study was to analyze RNA expression of clock genes in subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissues of male and female subjects in AM (morning) and PM (afternoon) periods, and its interactions with body mass index (BMI). Ninety-one subjects (41?±?11 yrs of age) presenting a wide range of BMI (21.4 to 48.6?kg/m²) were included. SAT and VAT biopsies were obtained from patients undergoing abdominal surgeries. Clock genes expressions were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The only clock gene that showed higher expression (p?<?.0001) in SAT in comparison to VAT was PER1 of female (372%) and male (326%) subjects. Different patterns of expression between the AM and PM periods were observed, in particular REV-ERBα, which was reduced (p?<?.05) at the PM period in SAT and VAT of both women and men (women: ～53% lower; men: ～78% lower), whereas CLOCK expression was not altered. Relationships between clock genes were different in SAT vs. VAT. BMI was negatively correlated with SATPER1 (r?=??.549; p?=?.001) and SATPER2 (r?=??.613; p?=?.0001) and positively with VATCLOCK (r?=?.541; p?=?.001) and VATBMAL1 (r?=?.468; p?=?.007) only in women. These data suggest that the circadian clock machinery of adipose tissue depots differs between female and male subjects, with a sex-specific effect observed for some genes. BMI correlated with clock genes, but at this moment it is not possible to establish the cause-effect relationship. (Author correspondence: mzanquetta@gmail.com)     

Facial attractiveness signals different aspects of “quality” in women and men

We explored the relationships between facial attractiveness and several variables thought to be related to genotypic and phenotypic quality in humans (namely fluctuating asymmetry (FA), body mass index (BMI), health, age). To help resolve some controversy around previous studies, we used consistent measurement and statistical methods and relatively large samples of both female (n=94) and male (n=95) subjects (to be evaluated and measured), and female (n=226) and male (n=153) viewers (to rate attractiveness). We measured the asymmetry of 22 traits from three trait families (eight facial, nine body and five fingerprint traits) and constructed composite asymmetry indices of traits showing significant repeatability. Facial attractiveness was negatively related to an overall asymmetry index in both females and males, with almost identical slopes. Female facial attractiveness was best predicted by BMI and past health problems, whereas male facial attractiveness was best predicted by the socioeconomic status (SES) of their rearing environment. Composite FA indices accounted for a small (<4%) but usually significant percentage of the variation in facial attractiveness in both sexes, when factors related to asymmetry were controlled statistically. We conclude that, although facial attractiveness is negatively related to developmental instability (as measured by asymmetry), attractiveness also signals different aspects of “quality” in the two sexes, independent of FA.     

Age at sexual maturity of male and female banana weevils,Cosmopolites sordidus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

This study was to determine the age at sexual maturity and the relationships between age and internal reproductive organs of Cosmopolites sordidus. Male banana weevils become sexually mature 18 days after emergence (DAE), that is after 2 weeks of adult eclosion, in spite of the fact that spermatogenesis is completed at emergence. A positive correlation exists between age and male internal organs, for example for mean testis diameter (r = .849, p ≤ .001), mean seminal vesicle diameter (r = .679, p ≤ .001), mean accessory gland length (r = .561, p ≤ .01) and mean accessory gland diameter (r = .498, p ≤ .05), respectively. Significant differences were recorded between sexually mature and immature weevils with respect to mean testis diameter (T = 4.471, p ≤ .001) and mean seminal vesicle diameter (T = 3.939, p ≤ .001), but not with mean accessory gland length and mean accessory gland diameter (T = 1.899 and 1.661). Male internal organs were visibly underdeveloped at emergence but became significantly enlarged and developed on attainment of sexual maturity. Female C. sordidus, on the other hand, are sexually mature at 5 DAE. There was also a strong, positive correlation between age of females and mean ovariole length (r = .656, p ≤ .001), and significant differences existed between mean ovariole lengths of sexually mature and immature females (T = 4.306, p ≤ .001). Increasing age of females witnessed progressive increases in ovariole lengths and developmental changes within female ovarioles and calyces. The findings made here may be helpful in Musa germplasm screening works, as weevils bred on susceptible cultivars may reveal similar results, while those bred on resistant ones may experience possible delays in their reproductive developments.     

Zinc,copper, and zinc- or copper-dependent enzymes in human hypertension

Imbalance of zinc and copper status has been hypothesized in human hypertension. A case-control study was carried out to elucidate the possible relationship between zinc and copper status and essential hypertension. Thirty-one subjects affected by mild stable hypertension, pharmacologically untreated, were investigated together with 31 normotensive controls individually matched for sex, age, and smoking habits. Zinc and copper in serum and urine were measured, and serum activities of alkaline phosphatase (AP), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu?Zn SOD), lysyl oxidase (LOX), and monoamine oxidase (MAO) were evaluated. No significant difference in serum and urine zinc and copper content as far as in serum activity of zinc (AP and LDH) or copper (Cu?Zn SOD, LOX, and MAO)-dependent enzymes was found between hypertensives and normotensives. Positive relationships were found in normotensives between serum and urine levels of zinc (r=0.577;p=0.001) and copper (r=0.394;p=0.028), and between serum copper and Cu?Zn SOD (r=0.534;p=0.002). In normotensives, diastolic blood pressure and serum zinc were positively related (r=0.370;p=0.041). In hypertensives, inverse correlations were observed between diastolic blood pressure and AP (r=?0.498;p=0.004) and Cu?Zn SOD (r=?0.452;p=0.011), and between systolic blood pressure and LOX (r=?0.385;p=0.033). Diastolic blood pressure was related to LDH inversely in hypertensives (r=?0.357;p=0.049) and positively in normotensives (r=0.457;p=0.010). In normotensives, diastolic blood pressure was inversely related with MAO (r=?0.360;p=0.046). These findings support the hypothesis that an imbalance of zinc and copper status might be involved in human hypertension.