Seasonal variations in socially and legally unacceptable sexual behaviour

The calendar dates, over the 15-year span 1966-1980, of committed rapes by eight male recidivists and offences of sexually indecent or immoral behaviour by eight other male recidivists were gathered from the files of the Préfecture de Police, Paris, France. Each offender of the first group had committed from two to six rapes, while each offender of the second had committed from two to 16 incidences of indecent behaviour. Although the reported rapes took place during several calendar years, almost all, 18 out of 22 offences, were committed by the eight rape-recidivists during the 4-month span of July-October. Single cosinor analysis of these data revealed a circannual rhythmicity (P less than 0.03) with luminal diameter being 10 August +/- 34 days (the 95% CL). The peak time of indecent sexual behaviour, exclusive of rape, against females occurred during September with secondary peaks in February and June; such offences directed against males peaked in October. 'Bootstrap' and 'Jackknife' methods confirmed seasonality within all data sets, except for the offences of indecent behaviour.     

Female Narcotic Addicts: A Follow-up Study of Criminal and Addiction Careers

A sample of 66 female narcotic addicts first examined in prison in 1967-8 was followed-up four years later. At the end of the period of follow-up 36% were off narcotics, 32% were still addicted, and 15% had died. Altogether 62% committed further offences. Drug offences and offences against property were almost equally frequent and accounted for over two-thirds of all convictions. There was no evidence of a link between prostitution and narcotic addiction. A significant association was found between continued delinquency and continued addiction during the period of follow-up. Addiction career and criminal career coincided in over three-quarters of the subjects, who tended either to continue manifesting both forms of deviant behaviour (46%) or to relinquish both (30%). The findings are in keeping with the view that narcotic addiction and crime are not causally related but may be parallel effects of common underlying factors leading to social deviance.     

Association of stress and delinquency in children and adolescents

The aim of investigation was to assess the impact of subjective stress exposure on delinquent behaviour in children and adolescents. The study included 174 young male delinquents, selected by the method of stratified systematic (random) sample and divided into three age groups of <14, 14-17, and 18-21 years. General data, data on the type of criminal offence, and data on the type of deviant behaviour were collected. A standardised scale of subjective stress was used to allow for comparison of the results obtained in the study with those reported elsewhere. Analysis of variance, chi2-test and factor analysis were used on data processing. A majority of study subjects (55.2%) committed one criminal offence. The criminal offence structure was predominated by proprietary violation (66.7%). Common forms of deviant behaviour included shirking school duties (55.2%), and aggressive behaviour at school (31.0%), in public (29.5%) and in the family (23.6). Parental distrust and punishment (abuse) of the child were identified as the major sources of subjective stress. Youngest subjects significantly differed from other age groups according to their experience of subjective stress described as punishment (abuse) (F = 22.1389, p < 0.001). They were considerably more vulnerable to this type of stress than older age groups. These sources of stress were found to positively correlate with the number of criminal offences committed. Among the sources of stress, parents' distrust of the child significantly correlated with commitment of one criminal offence (F = 2.8618, p < 0.05), and child's punishment (abuse) with a higher number of criminal offences (F = 3.1539, p < 0.05). Criminal activity of children and adolescents is significantly associated with their history of stress exposure over the last two years of life. The higher the stress severity, the greater the rate of delinquency.     

Sexual Interference in the Sword-tailed Newt,Cynops ensicauda popei (Amphibia: Salamandridae)

This paper describes competitive interaction between males of the salamandrid Cynops ensicauda popei. The sexual behaviour of the male is influenced by the presence of a second, rival, male. Competition for access to the female and other male interactions continuously interrupt ongoing courtships. Spermatophore pick-up success is lower than in encounters involving single pairs. During triad encounters, fewer spermatophores were deposited than in dyad encounters, due to interference during the creep stage of courtship. Two basic forms of male sexual interference were distinguished: ‘lure away’ during the creeping stage, from a position that is different from the direction of creep; and ‘female mimicry’, during which the male presses his snout alternately against the courting male's tail and the female's snout. In both forms, a rival male may shove one of the courting individuals away. The repertoire of sexual behaviour patterns of Cynops ensicauda popei appears to be less complex and varied than that of most Triturus species. The courtship of Cynops places less emphasis on display behaviour with tail and body, and a stronger emphasis on the creeping stage, where the male carefully leads the responsive female over a series of spermatophores, but during which rival males may interfere in a variety of ways.     

Women's Beliefs about Male Circumcision,HIV Prevention,and Sexual Behaviors in Kisumu,Kenya

It is important to understand how women''s sexual practices may be influenced by male circumcision (MC) as an HIV prevention effort. Women''s beliefs about MC and sexual behaviour will likely influence the scale-up and uptake of medical MC. We conducted qualitative interviews with 30 sexually active women in Kisumu, Kenya. Women discussed MC related to perceived health benefits, condom use, sexual behaviour, knowledge of susceptibility to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), circumcision preference, and influence on circumcision uptake. Respondents had a good understanding of the partial protection of MC for acquisition of HIV for men. Women perceived circumcised men as cleaner, carrying fewer diseases, and taking more time to reach ejaculation. Male''s circumcision status is a salient factor for women''s sexual decision making, including partner choice, and condom use. It will be important that educational information affirms that MC provides only partial protection against female to male transmission of HIV and some STIs; that other HIV and STI prevention methods such as condoms need to be used in conjunction with MC; that MC does not preclude a man from having HIV; and that couples should develop plans for not having sex while the man is healing.     

Linear roadside remnants: Their influence on den‐use,home range and mating system in bobucks (Trichosurus cunninghami)

Abstract Forest clearance results in a marked change in the dispersion of resources such as food and shelter: from a relatively continuous distribution, to patches and strips of remnant habitat set in a more or less inhospitable matrix. Such changes in the patterns of resource dispersion have the potential to strongly influence the dynamics of social and mating systems of resident animal populations. We studied the den‐use patterns, home range characteristics and mating system of a population of bobucks, Trichosurus cunninghami (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae), permanently resident in linear roadside strips of vegetation in north‐eastern Victoria, Australia in order to gain a greater understanding of the impacts of occupying linear roadside habitats on the behavioural ecology of arboreal marsupials. We radio‐tracked 11 adult females and six adult males and collected 2126 diurnal fixes (mean 125/individual) and 1044 nocturnal fixes (mean 61/individual). Males used significantly more den‐trees (mean 16.5 ± 1.5 den‐trees/individual) than females (mean 7.4 ± 0.6 den‐trees/individual) and had home ranges more than twice the size of those of females (male mean 5.1 ± 0.8 ha, female mean 2.1 ± 0.3 ha). On average, each male's home range overlapped with those of three females; there was little intrasexual home range overlap in either sex. Genetic parentage analysis of all young sampled during the study (n = 22) established that only males that overlapped in home range with females had sired those females' young. All but one male in the study sired multiple young in each of the years they were recorded breeding. These behavioural and genetic data indicate that the roadside population was polygynous, in contrast to the socially monogamous bobuck population we studied in a neighbouring forest patch. These differences in behaviour may reflect patterns of resource distribution in the two habitats.     

Geographical origin of dabbling ducks wintering in Iberia: sex differences and implications for pair formation

Natural and anthropogenic Iberian wetlands in southern Europe are well known for supporting large numbers of migratory Palaearctic waterbirds each winter. However, information on the geographical origin of dabbling ducks overwintering in these wetlands is scarce and mostly limited to data from ringing recoveries. Here, we used intrinsic isotopic markers to determine the geographical origin of male and female Northern Pintails Anas acuta and Eurasian Teal Anas crecca in Extremadura, inland Iberia, a key site for overwintering dabbling ducks. Additionally, we fitted six Northern Pintails with GPS‐GSM tags to complement the data derived from stable isotope analysis. Most (> 70%) first calendar‐year Northern Pintails were assigned to regions above 55°N, flying 2600–5600 km from their main natal regions to Extremadura. Mean values of δ²H_f varied significantly between male and female Northern Pintails, suggesting that the sexes had different geographical origins. Data from tagged adult Northern Pintails supported the isotopic data, one male flying more than 5000 km to the coast of the Pechora Sea (Russia). Most (> 70%) first calendar‐year Eurasian Teal were assigned to the region between 48° and 60°N, travelling 1500–4500 km to arrive in Extremadura. Male and female Eurasian Teal showed marginal differences in mean values of δ²H_f. In migratory dabbling ducks, pairing typically occurs on the wintering grounds, and ducks in their first winter can breed the following spring. For Northern Pintails, pair formation in Extremadura could occur between individuals with different geographical origins, which could contribute to the genetic variability of their offspring.     

Approach Strategy by which Male Mediterranean Tarantulas Adjust to the Cannibalistic Behaviour of Females

In sexually cannibalistic species, selection is thought to have favoured the evolution of male approaching behaviour that reduces the probability that the female will kill the male. However, investigations of behaviours that could reduce the probability of sexual cannibalism are few. We examine the hypothesis that male wolf spiders, Lycosa tarantula (L.) (Araneae, Lycosidae), decides to approach females in periods when they are less dangerous. Males of this species approach females for mating during the daytime only. While attending females, males stay farther from the female's burrow at night than during the daytime. In field experiments, we offered a grasshopper (typical prey) or a male L. tarantula to females at night and during the day, and our findings show that the diel changes in the male's approaching behaviour matches diurnal changes in the female's tendency to attack both the grasshopper and the male spider. These findings support our hypothesis that a diel change in female responsiveness to prey has been a selection pressure influencing the evolution of male approach behaviour in a sexually cannibalistic species.     

Increased ambient temperature alters the parental care behaviour and reproductive success of the three-spined stickleback (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gasterosteus aculeatus</Emphasis>)

The effects of environmental warming on aquatic poikilotherms, such as fish, are likely to be manifest during periods of high metabolic demand. For species that invest heavily in parental-care, such as the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., their reproductive success may be adversely affected. In two separate experiments with temperatures raised by 2°C to 6°C above 16–17°C ambient over a whole breeding season, we quantified changes to parental-care behaviour and the resultant reproductive success of G. aculeatus. As temperature increased, male parental-care behaviour was altered, particularly the fanning of the fertilised eggs. Fanning behaviour was highly variable among individual fish however it increased over the course of incubation. Furthermore, all egg incubating fish consistently fanned at a faster rate in higher temperatures. The male fish responded to the increased temperature by putting more effort into fanning. The consequence was that these fish had a higher rate of incubation failure and an increased likelihood of mortality. The pattern of alteration to parental care behaviour and decreased reproductive success with higher temperature was remarkably consistent across the individual fish, which suggests consequences at the population level of increased ambient temperatures.     

Changes in circadian LH-secretion patterns and annual gonadal cycles in the male European starling ( Sturnus vulgaris )

An analysis of the circadian and circannual patterns of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) held in outdoor aviaries is presented. On the basis of six daily time points, eight calendar dates, and seven individuals per sampling unit, we present a mathematical model developed to compare the two temporal patterns of secretion, the circadian and the circannual one. The superposition of four orthonormal trigonometric base functions, plus a constant, is used to examine the daily fluctuations. The contribution of the second harmonic was not the same at each calendar date. From the subsequent regression functions, hourly estimates of LH concentration were calculated and used to construct circannual cubic splines and an LH(t,T) function over the whole year. The model features indicate strong circannual and circadian components in the data. In addition, there appear to be two daily time regions of LH secretion: morning and afternoon. In particular, the afternoon maxima occur during photorefractoriness and early gonadal development; the morning maxima at the onset of photoinduction and late gonadal development. At the peak of gonadal activity (end of April), the highest LH levels occur during the photic input phase. It appears, then, that the circadian acrophase of LH secretion in male starlings fluctuates over the annual cycle of gonadal activity in a highly predictive and biologically interpretable manner. John Dittami and Hermann Prossinger: both authors contributed equally.     

An enigmatic lineage of mites from Baltic amber shows a unique,possibly female‐controlled,mating

It is generally assumed that male control over mating and a lack of precopulatory female choice are prevalent in many animals and in astigmatan mites in particular. We show that several morphological structures of females of some astigmatan mites are indicative of precopulatory female choice: (1) copulatory tubes acting like intromittent organs; (2) specialized structures assisting male–female attachment and possibly allowing indirect mate selection in immature females; and (3) a unique, pad‐like terminal opisthosomal organ used to cling to the male during copulation in Glaesacarus rhombeus (= Acarus rhombeus Koch et Berendt, 1854) belonging to an extinct family, Glaesacaridae, from the Upper Eocene Baltic amber. An exceptionally well‐preserved copulating pair from amber provides insight into the function of this organ and reproductive behaviour in this mite. Female control over mating may reduce the timing of insemination, harassment by males, and damage caused by copulation. As a consequence, this can lessen male–male aggression, select against precopulatory guarding, and reduce the risk of predation. By contrast to extant taxa, males of G. rhombeus do not have any apparent specialized structures aiding clinging to the female during copulation, suggesting that this mating system is either an earlier step in the evolution of the female‐dominated mating system and/or a remarkable example of imbalanced female counteradaptations against the male's reproductive interest that may occur during an arms race between the two sexes. We offer an approach that can falsify the hypothesis assuming precopulatory female choice and discuss an alternative hypothesis suggesting that these female structures evolved in response to the need to reduce damage associated with mating or precopulatory guarding. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102 , 661–668.     

Longitudinal stability in adult status hierarchies among vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops)

Status hierarchies were examined in a captive group over a 12-year period (1968–1979) to establish the stability and structure of vervet monkey dominance relationships. Dyadic records of spontaneous avoid, bite, chase, and supplant behaviors are summarized into a win/lose matrix to produce a rank order of status at the end of each calendar year. The 13,717 agonistic acts tabulated are drawn from both focal and ad lib data. Relative rank is computed by dividing the rank position of each individual by the number of individuals ranked for that year. Relative rank was found to be quite stable for adults of both sexes, although males were more variable than females. There was a strong matinrline effect on all captive born animals' rank position. No gender difference in rank was demonstrable. Infants were very subordinate at the end of their first year, but rose to positions near those of their mothers by the end of the fourth year. Presence or absence of canine teeth had no demonstrable effect on status. The results emphasize the relative importance of social learning in the establishment and maintenance of dominance relationships. The apparent gender difference in rank among wild living vervets is hypothesized to be a consequence of the male intergroup mobility. If a male is restrained from emigration, he is strongly affected by his mother's rank as he establishes his own dominance position in the troop.     

Correlated geographic variation in predation risk and antipredator behaviour within a wide‐ranging snake species (Notechis scutatus,Elapidae)

Geographic variation in antipredator behaviour within wide‐ranging species may be driven by both genetic and environmental influences. We quantified antipredator responses in neonatal (laboratory born, n = 555) and adult (field caught, n = 346) tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus) from 11 mainland and island sites in southern Australia. We used these data to test predictions from Bonnet et al.'s hypothesis that the vigour of antipredator responses in this species reflects behavioural plasticity (in turn, driven by an individual snake's exposure to predators during its lifetime) rather than by genetic variation in this trait. We used the number of predator taxa in each area as an index of predator risk. As predicted, adult snakes from predator‐rich areas had more vigorous defensive responses when handled, whereas neonatal behaviour (although also variable among populations) was unrelated to predator species richness. Adult males bit more readily than adult females (as expected from the greater predation exposure of males during mate searching) but no such sex difference was evident in neonates. Although alternative models remain possible, our data are most consistent with the hypothesis that geographic divergence in antipredator tactics within this species primarily reflects developmentally plastic responses to local predation risk.     

DAY-NIGHT VARIATION IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AMONG PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS

Self-directed aggressive behaviors of human beings show a 24h pattern. The aim of this study was to evaluate if violence of psychiatric inpatients against one another and hospital staff varies over the 24h. The clock time occurrence of 334 episodes of assault behaviors by 119 psychiatric inpatients (78 males and 41 females, mean age 34.8 ± 11.3 years) committed during a 5-year span in the psychiatric unit of the university-based hospital of Ferrara, Italy, was evaluated. The clock time of each event was categorized by hour during the 24h and into one of four 6h intervals for analysis of temporal variation by cosinor and χ² tests, respectively. A significant 24h variation, characterized by an early afternoon peak, was detected irrespective of gender and number (single vs. repeated) of episodes committed. Changes during the 24h in ward activity, patient contact, and endogenous circadian rhythms are likely to contribute to the observed 24h pattern, although further study is needed to confirm our findings and to define causal factors. (Chronobiology International, 18(3), 503–511, 2001)     

Terahertz radiation influence on stressed drosophila life span

Virgin fruit fly females and males were stressed by placement into a confined space without food for 3 h. Part of stressed flies were subjected to terahertz irradiation (0.1–2.2 THz) during 30 min. Life span of individual flies was evaluated. Terahertz radiation had some positive influence on male survival during the stage of monotonic decrease in flies number and negative effect during the stage of relatively stable number of flies. The survival of irradiated females on the stage of sharp decline in the number of flies was higher than in stressed and control females. Authors propose that terahertz radiation has an indirect effect on gene expression and signaling pathways which control the survival and life span of Drosophila.     

A functional difference in information processing between orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum during decision-making behaviour

Both orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and ventral striatum (vStr) have been identified as key structures that represent information about value in decision-making tasks. However, the dynamics of how this information is processed are not yet understood. We recorded ensembles of cells from OFC and vStr in rats engaged in the spatial adjusting delay-discounting task, a decision-making task that involves a trade-off between delay to and magnitude of reward. Ventral striatal neural activity signalled information about reward before the rat''s decision, whereas such reward-related signals were absent in OFC until after the animal had committed to its decision. These data support models in which vStr is directly involved in action selection, but OFC processes decision-related information afterwards that can be used to compare the predicted and actual consequences of behaviour.     

Synthesis of anticancer heptapeptides containing a unique lipophilic β2,2‐amino acid building block

We report a series of synthetic anticancer heptapeptides (H‐KKWβ^2,2WKK‐NH₂) containing eight different central lipophilic β^2,2‐amino acid building blocks, which have demonstrated high efficiency when used as scaffolds in small cationic antimicrobial peptides and peptidomimetics. The most potent peptides in the present study had IC₅₀ values of 9–23 µm against human Burkitt's lymphoma and murine B‐cell lymphoma and were all nonhaemolytic (EC₅₀ > 200 µm ). The most promising peptide 10e also demonstrated low toxicity against human embryonic lung fibroblast cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and exceptional proteolytic stability. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selection Against Heterodera glycines Males by Soybean Lines with Genes for Resistance

Soybeans with genes for resistance select against Heterodera glycines with the corresponding genes for avirulence. There may be a differential effect of sex with some specific gene interactions, which would influence the magnitude of gene frequency changes. No effect on H. glycines males was detected with one selected nematode population and the resistant soybean line PI88788. The selective effect of PI89772 against male nematodes was greater with two inbred nematode populations than with one selected (on PI88788) population, presumably due to differences in H. glycines gene frequencies. ''Peking'' also had few males with the one inbred nematode population, whereas Forrest and ''Pickett 71'' had intermediate numbers. Apparently Forrest and Pickett 71 did not get all the Peking genes for resistance that affect male as well as female nematode development. Other H. glycines-soybean genes stop only females, since there were few or no cysts, except on the susceptible soybean Williams. The number of males'' phenotype will help identify specific genes in both organisms.     

Flavonoids from Seeds of Camellia semiserrata Chi. and Their Estrogenic Activity

Two new flavonol glycosides and three known flavonoids were isolated from seeds of Camellia semiserrata Chi. The structures of these new flavonol glycosides were established as kaempferol 3-O-[(2'''',3'''',4''''-triacetyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→3)(2''',4'''-diacetyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside] and kaempferol 3-O-[(3'''',4''''-diacetyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→3)(2''',4'''-diacetyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside] by spectroscopic methods. The estrogenic activity of these compounds was investigated by a recombinant yeast screening assay.     

The Sexual Behaviour of the Great Crested Newt,Triturus cristatus (Amphibia: Salamandridae)

The sexual behaviour of Triturus cristatus is described. The first stage of sexual behaviour consists of an orientation phase in which the male approaches the female, sniffs her and moves in front of and perpendicular to her. The second stage is a prolonged period of static display with two different tail movements, called Fan and Lash, in 13.8 ± 1.3 bouts (x? ± SE) with intervals of 10.5 ± 0.3 s between bouts. Each bout contains 6.7 ± 0.3 regular Fan beats at a frequency of 0.5–0.8 Hz. This Fanning provides olfactory and mechanical stimulation to the female. 15% of bouts also contain a violent Lash, in which the male rapidly slaps the female's flank. Some Lashes are used to stop the female when she tries to move away. In the third stage of the sexual sequence, the male turns away, Creeps for 6.7 ± 0.3 s (x? ± SE) and then Quivers his tail. A receptive female follows and touches his tail, and the male deposits a spermatophore and then turns to one side with his tail folded along his flank in a position called Brake. The female now approaches again and the male steps away sideways in a movement called Rebrake. After several Rebrakes the male stops, the female touches his tail and the spermatophore may now be picked up in her cloaca. This sequence can be repeated several times during one encounter. This behaviour is discussed in relation to previous studies of courtship in this genus.