Is Sexual Ornamentation an Honest Signal of Male Quality in the Chinese Grouse (Tetrastes sewerzowi)?

We examined the variation in sexual ornamentation of male Chinese grouse (Tetrastes sewerzowi) in the Gansu Province, China, seeking to identify factors involved in whether ornament size and brightness are honest signals of male quality. Compared to unmated males, mated males had significantly larger and redder combs and, although they did not have significantly larger territories, they defended them more vigorously. Mated males had significantly higher blood carotenoid and testosterone levels, significantly better body condition, and significantly lower parasite loads than unmated males. Our findings are thus consistent with the hypothesis that comb size and color are honest signals of better male quality in the grouse, mediated through lower parasite loads and/or higher testosterone levels.     

Group Hunting—A Reason for Sociality in Molossid Bats?

Many bat species live in groups, some of them in highly complex social systems, but the reasons for sociality in bats remain largely unresolved. Increased foraging efficiency through passive information transfer in species foraging for ephemeral insects has been postulated as a reason for group formation of male bats in the temperate zones. We hypothesized that benefits from group hunting might also entice tropical bats of both sexes to live in groups. Here we investigate whether Molossus molossus, a small insectivorous bat in Panama, hunts in groups. We use a phased antenna array setup to reduce error in telemetry bearings. Our results confirmed that simultaneously radiotracked individuals from the same colony foraged together significantly more than expected by chance. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that many bats are social because of information transfer between foraging group members. We suggest this reason for sociality to be more widespread than currently assumed. Furthermore, benefits from group hunting may also have contributed to the evolution of group living in other animals specialized on ephemeral food sources.     

A Statistical Test of Network Analysis: Can it Detect Differences in Food Web Properties?

Ecological network analysis (ENA) is a modeling approach increasingly being used to examine food webs. However, most studies do not replicate networks, and a statistical evaluation of ENA is lacking. The major objectives of this study, therefore, were to evaluate statistically the effectiveness of ENA in detecting differences in food web properties and to compare ENA output with established community level indices. Quantitative trophic networks (n = 12) representing four high salt marsh ponds during three times (corresponding to low stress, high stress, and post-disturbance) were constructed from an extensive field sampling program augmented by literature values. Food webs of salt marsh ponds were used because these systems contain relatively simple food webs, have well defined boundaries, and allow for adequate replication. A null hypothesis was tested to determine how values of 12 indices from ENA output differed among the three stress/disturbance conditions (H _o: low stress = high stress = post-disturbance). Results of both ANOVA and Friedman’s tests indicated most ENA indices were significantly different among the three stress/disturbance conditions. The amount of covariance among the indices was relatively low (7 of 66 were significant). Results were compared to differences in community indices (richness, evenness, and diversity) among the three stress/disturbance conditions. ENA output identified differences beyond those recognized by the community indices. Overall, networks were unique enough under different environmental conditions to provide statistically significant differences in ENA results. Our findings are supportive of the use of carefully constructed networks in food web analysis and for decision making in ecosystem-based management. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Does the Refuge Availability Influence the Spawning Behavior of Mature Male Parr in Salmonids? A Test in the Miyabe Charr

In many salmon and charr, both 'migratory males' and 'precocious males' are maintained as alternative life-histories within a population. During breeding, precocious males gather around the mating pair of migratory fish and attempt to sneak in the spawning between larger male and female charr. Refuges such as debris and shallow areas may provide shelter from aggressive attacks and allow precocious males to hold positions closer to the pair (nest) and/or sneak more easily during the mating. Here we examine whether the availability of refuges influences the breeding behavior of precocious male parr of the Miyabe charr under experimental and natural conditions. Aggressive attacks directed toward precocious parr by the mating pair or other parr was not influenced by the refuge availability either under experimental conditions or in the wild. We did not find the effect of high refuge availability on the proximity of parr to the nest beyond the experimental conditions where the density of refuges was probably higher than in the natural stream. There were no effects of high refuge availability either on parr's attempts at sneak mating or on their success in spawning. Thus, our results provide little evidence that the refuge availability influences parr sneaking behavior. Other possible effects of high refuge availability, for example, the increase of fertilization success and the decrease of energy expenditure and risk taking, remain to be considered.     

Does Sleep Play a Role in Memory Consolidation? A Comparative Test

Sleep is a pervasive characteristic of mammalian species, yet its purpose remains obscure. It is often proposed that ‘sleep is for the brain’, a view that is supported by experimental studies showing that sleep improves cognitive processes such as memory consolidation. Some comparative studies have also reported that mammalian sleep durations are higher among more encephalized species. However, no study has assessed the relationship between sleep and the brain structures that are implicated in specific cognitive processes across species. The hippocampus, neocortex and amygdala are important for memory consolidation and learning and are also in a highly actived state during sleep. We therefore investigated the evolutionary relationship between mammalian sleep and the size of these brain structures using phylogenetic comparative methods. We found that evolutionary increases in the size of the amygdala are associated with corresponding increases in NREM sleep durations. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that NREM sleep is functionally linked with specializations of the amygdala, including perhaps memory processing.     

Inbreeding Avoidance in Male Primates: A Response to Female Mate Choice?

Inbreeding often has negative fitness consequences for primates, which have led to the evolution of inbreeding avoidance strategies in a number of species. In polygynous primates, females may suffer a higher fitness cost from inbreeding than males and are thus expected to exhibit a lower tolerance for inbreeding. Nevertheless, it is apparent that inbreeding avoidance behaviours are common in both female and male polygynous primates. In this perspectives article, I review the evidence that female mate choice can lead to male inbreeding avoidance behaviours in polygynous primates. I conclude that male inbreeding avoidance may be strongly driven by female mate choice at both proximate and ultimate levels. To better understand the extent to which this pattern applies across the primate order, studies are needed on the separate effects of participating in inbred matings and producing inbred offspring on male and female lifetime reproductive success . It would also be useful to examine how inbreeding avoidance strategies vary across primate mating systems. Finally, measuring the covariance between female choice and male inbreeding avoidance behaviour, and between male inbreeding avoidance behaviour and male fitness, would help to clarify the role of female mate choice in the evolution of male inbreeding avoidance.     

Males Benefit from Mating with Outbred Females in Drosophila littoralis: Male Choice for Female Genetic Quality?

The evolution and expression of mate choice behaviour in either sex depends on the sex‐specific combination of mating costs, benefits of choice and constraints on choice. If the benefits of choice are larger for one sex, we would expect that sex to be choosier, assuming that the mating costs and constraints on choice are equal between sexes. Because deliberate inbreeding is a powerful genetic method for experimental manipulation of the quality of study organisms, we tested the effects of both male and female inbreeding on egg and offspring production in Drosophila littoralis. Female inbreeding significantly reduced offspring production (mostly due to lower egg‐to‐adult viability), whereas male inbreeding did not affect offspring production (despite a slight effect of paternal inbreeding on egg‐to‐adult viability). As inbreeding depressed female quality more than male quality, the benefits of mate choice were larger for males than for females. In mate choice experiments, inbreeding did not affect male mating success (measured as a probability to be accepted as a mate in a large group), suggesting that females did not discriminate among inbred and outbred males. In contrast, female mating success was affected by inbreeding, with outbred females having higher mating success than inbred females. This result was not explained by lower activity of inbred females. Our results show that D. littoralis males benefit from mating with outbred females of high genetic quality and suggest adaptive male mate choice for female genetic quality in this species. Thus, patterns of mating success in mate choice trials mirrored the benefits of choice: the sex that benefited more from choice (i.e. males) was more choosy.     

Can We Learn to Treat One Another Better? A Test of a Social Intelligence Curriculum

This paper reports on the first test of the value of an online curriculum in social intelligence (SI). Built from current social and cognitive neuroscience research findings, the 50 session SI program was administered, with facilitation in Spanish by classroom instructors, to 207 students from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid as part of their undergraduate classes. All materials were translated into Castilian Spanish, including outcome measures of SI that have been used in prior studies to provide valid estimates of two key components of social intelligence: 1) Sensitivity to others and 2) confidence in one’s capacity to manage social situations. Pre- and Posttest were administered to participants in the SI training, and also to 87 students in similar classes who did not receive the program who served as the control group. Gender and emotional intelligence levels at pretest also were examined as potential individual differences that might affect the impact of the program on study outcomes. Repeated measures ANOVAs on study outcomes revealed significant increases, from pre to post, in most measures of social intelligence for program participants in comparison to controls, with no effects of gender or age on program effectiveness. Prior scores on emotional intelligence were not a prerequisite for learning from the program. Some findings suggest ways the program may be improved to have stronger effects. Nonetheless, the findings indicate that the SI program tested here shows considerable promise as a means to increase the willingness of young adults to take the perspective of others and enhance their efficacy for initiating and sustaining positive social connections.     

Is 'attention' important for the results of dementia screening? Relation among Digit Span Test, CST amd ADS in elderly patients

This study focused on the relationship between attention and dementia screening test performance, using the adapted Wechsler's Digit Span test for elderly patients, the Cognitive Screening Test (CST) and the Amsterdam Dementia Screening Test (ADS6). Participants were dementia patients and psychiatric patients (n = 147). In both groups no floor-effect was found on the Digit Span test. Principal components analysis showed that CST and ADS6-scores had relatively high loadings on one factor, in contrast to digit span scores that loaded on a second factor. On average, psychiatric patients did hardly worse than normal controls. Attention deficits were more apparent in dementia patients. Considering a maximum of r = .41, these more or less subtle deficits were only moderately related to dementia screening test performance. It is concluded that the adapted Digit Span test is suitable for measuring attention deficits in elderly patients. However, Digit Span predicts performance on dementia screening test only to a modest degree.     

Male anti-predation services in primates as costly signalling? A comparative analysis and review

In species in which adults of the two sexes show long-term association, males often engage in acts of assistance (“services”) aimed at females and/or their young in various behavioural contexts that are not reciprocated. We conducted a quantitative review of the primate literature on sex differences in involvement in protection against predation. We found that males were more likely to be at the front of group progressions, especially in contexts of increased risk, were more vigilant, sometimes to the point of becoming sentinels, were more active in mobbing, and were far more likely to counter-attack felids and monkey-eating raptors than females did. Our evaluation showed that these services may be an expression of male parental care or aimed at bonded partners, but we also encountered many cases in which non-sires, unrelated to either females or immatures, provide them. We hence investigate explanations invoking group augmentation or costly signalling. Currently, available data on male anti-predation services in nonhuman primates do not allow us to distinguish among them, although costly signalling better explains data on birds and humans. We develop predictions that will allow more detailed tests of the various hypotheses for this understudied phenomenon.     

Can Aging in Place Be Cost Effective? A Systematic Review

Purpose of the Study

To systematically review cost, cost-minimization and cost-effectiveness studies for assisted living technologies (ALTs) that specifically enable older people to ‘age in place’ and highlight what further research is needed to inform decisions regarding aging in place.

Design

People aged 65+ and their live-in carers (where applicable), using an ALT to age in place at home opposed to a community-dwelling arrangement.

Methods

Studies were identified using a predefined search strategy on two key economic and cost evaluation databases NHS EED, HEED. Studies were assessed using methods recommended by the Campbell and Cochrane Economic Methods Group and presented in a narrative synthesis style.

Results

Eight eligible studies were identified from North America spread over a diverse geographical range. The majority of studies reported the ALT intervention group as having lower resource use costs than the control group; though the low methodological quality and heterogeneity of the individual costs and outcomes reported across studies must be considered.

Implications

The studies suggest that in some cases ALTs may reduce costs, though little data were identified and what there were was of poor quality. Methods to capture quality of life gains were not used, therefore potential effects on health and wellbeing may be missed. Further research is required using newer developments such as the capabilities approach. High quality studies assessing the cost-effectiveness of ALTs for ageing in place are required before robust conclusion on their use can be drawn.     

Do Male Activity Level And Territory Quality Affect Female Association Time in The Brown Anole,Anolis sagrei?

Female mate preference is an important component of sexual selection because some male traits, such as physiology and proficiency in acquiring resources, are indicators of male quality. In lizards, the importance of female choice remains unclear as results reported from previous experiments are contradictory. Here, we investigated the influence of male activity level, its associated physiology, and territory quality on female preference, estimated as association time, for male brown anoles, Anolis sagrei. Male A. sagrei were first rated for endurance then used in mismatched‐pair female association trials. Preference was scored as the time a female spent near a male relative to the amount of time she was in his half of the trial arena, and both male and female behaviors were recorded. Levels of blood glucose were measured in males before and after the endurance tests, and before and after the association trials. Levels of stored glycogen were measured in leg muscle and liver samples collected from males after an association trial. A path analysis indicates that final blood glucose levels affect male activity and that female preference is influenced by male activity. In a second experiment, females were given a choice between a male in a territory supplemented with plants and a size‐matched male in a bare territory. Male activity levels were recorded when both males interacted with the female. In those cases, females spent more time with the more active of the two males, regardless of territory quality. Combined, these results suggest that female A. sagrei exhibit preference for male activity regardless of territory quality.     

Which Is More Useful in Predicting Hospital Mortality -Dichotomised Blood Test Results or Actual Test Values? A Retrospective Study in Two Hospitals

Background

Routine blood tests are an integral part of clinical medicine and in interpreting blood test results clinicians have two broad options. (1) Dichotomise the blood tests into normal/abnormal or (2) use the actual values and overlook the reference values. We refer to these as the “binary” and the “non-binary” strategy respectively. We investigate which strategy is better at predicting the risk of death in hospital based on seven routinely undertaken blood tests (albumin, creatinine, haemoglobin, potassium, sodium, urea, and white blood cell count) using tree models to implement the two strategies.

Methodology

A retrospective database study of emergency admissions to an acute hospital during April 2009 to March 2010, involving 10,050 emergency admissions with routine blood tests undertaken within 24 hours of admission. We compared the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve for predicting in-hospital mortality using the binary and non-binary strategy.

Results

The mortality rate was 6.98% (701/10050). The mean predicted risk of death in those who died was significantly (p-value <0.0001) lower using the binary strategy (risk = 0.181 95%CI: 0.193 to 0.210) versus the non-binary strategy (risk = 0.222 95%CI: 0.194 to 0.251), representing a risk difference of 28.74 deaths in the deceased patients (n = 701). The binary strategy had a significantly (p-value <0.0001) lower area under the ROC curve of 0.832 (95% CI: 0.819 to 0.845) versus the non-binary strategy (0.853 95% CI: 0.840 to 0.867). Similar results were obtained using data from another hospital.

Conclusions

Dichotomising routine blood test results is less accurate in predicting in-hospital mortality than using actual test values because it underestimates the risk of death in patients who died. Further research into the use of actual blood test values in clinical decision making is required especially as the infrastructure to implement this potentially promising strategy already exists in most hospitals.     

Can Male Circumcision Have an Impact on the HIV Epidemic in Men Who Have Sex with Men?

Background

Three trials have demonstrated the prophylactic effect of male circumcision (MC) for HIV acquisition among heterosexuals, and MC interventions are underway throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Similar efforts for men who have sex with men (MSM) are stymied by the potential for circumcised MSM to acquire HIV easily through receptive sex and transmit easily through insertive sex. Existing work suggests that MC for MSM should reach its maximum potential in settings where sexual role segregation is historically high and relatively stable across the lifecourse; HIV incidence among MSM is high; reported willingness for prophylactic circumcision is high; and pre-existing circumcision rates are low. We aim to identify the likely public health impact that MC interventions among MSM would have in one setting that fulfills these conditions—Peru—as a theoretical upper bound for their effectiveness among MSM generally.

Methods and Findings

We use a dynamic, stochastic sexual network model based in exponential-family random graph modeling and parameterized from multiple behavioral surveys of Peruvian MSM. We consider three enrollment criteria (insertive during 100%, >80% or >60% of UAI) and two levels of uptake (25% and 50% of eligible men); we explore sexual role proportions from two studies and different frequencies of switching among role categories. Each scenario is simulated 10 times. We estimate that efficiency could reach one case averted per 6 circumcisions. However, the population-level impact of an optimistic MSM-MC intervention in this setting would likely be at most ∼5–10% incidence and prevalence reductions over 25 years.

Conclusions

Roll-out of MC for MSM in Peru would not result in a substantial reduction in new HIV infections, despite characteristics in this population that could maximize such effects. Additional studies are needed to confirm these results for other MSM populations, and providers may consider the individual health benefits of offering MC to their MSM patients.     

Can Insomnia in Pregnancy Predict Postpartum Depression? A Longitudinal,Population-Based Study

Background

Insomnia and depression are strongly interrelated. This study aimed to describe changes in sleep across childbirth, and to evaluate whether insomnia in pregnancy is a predictor of postpartum depression.

Methods

A longitudinal, population-based study was conducted among perinatal women giving birth at Akershus University Hospital, Norway. Women received questionnaires in weeks 17 and 32 of pregnancy and eight weeks postpartum. This paper presents data from 2,088 of 4,662 women with complete data for insomnia and depression in week 32 of pregnancy and eight weeks postpartum. Sleep times, wake-up times and average sleep durations were self-reported. The Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS) was used to measure insomnia. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to measure depressive symptoms.

Results

After delivery, sleep duration was reduced by 49 minutes (to 6.5 hours), and mean sleep efficiency was reduced from 84% to 75%. However, self-reported insomnia scores (BIS) improved from 17.2 to 15.4, and the reported prevalence of insomnia decreased from 61.6% to 53.8%. High EPDS scores and anxiety in pregnancy, fear of delivery, previous depression, primiparity, and higher educational level were risk factors for both postpartum insomnia and depression. Insomnia did not predict postpartum depression in women with no prior history of depression, whereas women who recovered from depression had residual insomnia.

Limitations

Depression and insomnia were not verified by clinical interviews. Women with depressive symptoms were less likely to remain in the study.

Conclusions

Although women slept fewer hours at night after delivery compared to during late pregnancy, and reported more nights with nighttime awakenings, their self-reported insomnia scores improved, and the prevalence of insomnia according to the DSM-IV criteria decreased. Insomnia in pregnancy may be a marker for postpartum recurrence of depression among women with previous depression.     

Aluminum Inhibition of the Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Signal Transduction Pathway in Wheat Roots: A Role in Aluminum Toxicity?

In crop plants, aluminum (Al) rhizotoxicity is a major problem worldwide; however, the cause of Al toxicity remains elusive. The effects of Al on the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins[1,4,5]P3)-mediated signal transduction pathway were investigated in wheat roots. Exogenously applied Al (50 [mu]M) rapidly inhibited root growth (<2 hr) but did not affect general root metabolism. An Ins(1,4,5)P3 transient was generated in root tips, either before or after exposure to Al for 1 hr, by treating the roots with H2O2 (10 mM). Background (unstimulated) levels of Ins(1,4,5)P3 were similar in both Al-treated and Al-untreated root apices. However, H2O2-stimulated levels of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in root apices showed a significant (>50%) reduction after Al exposure in comparison with untreated controls, indicating that Al may be interfering with the phosphoinositide signaling pathway. When phospholipase C (PLC) was assayed directly in the presence of Al or other metal cations in microsomal membranes, AlCl3 and Al-citrate specifically inhibited PLC action in a dose-dependent manner and at physiologically relevant Al levels. Al exposure had no effect on inositol trisphosphate dephosphorylation or on a range of enzymes isolated from wheat roots, suggesting that Al exposure may specifically target PLC. Possible mechanisms of PLC inhibition by Al and the role of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in Al toxicity and growth are discussed. This study provides compelling evidence that the phytotoxic metal cation Al has an intracellular target site that may be integrally involved in root growth.     

Can prematurity risk in twin pregnancies after in vitro fertilization be predicted? A retrospective study

Background  

Assisted reproduction (ART) contributes to world-wide increases of twin pregnancies, in turn raising prematurity risks. Whether characteristics of ART cycles, resulting in twin gestations, can predict prematurity risks was the subject of this study.     

Are the Costs of Site Unfamiliarity Compensated With Vigilance? A Field Test in Eurasian Siskins

Determination of fitness differentials between individuals adopting different migratory and dispersal strategies is basic to understand the evolution of migration. In the Eurasian siskin Carduelis spinus, both resident and transient birds forage within the same wintering area, providing the rare opportunity to compare their foraging behaviour in the same area and habitat. The aim of this study was to test the predictions associated to the different hypothesized costs of transience by studying the vigilance and foraging behaviour of wild wintering siskins foraging at three bird tables with different predation risk and interference competition levels. Transient siskins showed longer scan durations than residents, either because of site unfamiliarity or subordination (i.e. prior‐occupancy effect). However, residents and transients did not differ in aggression rates, contrary to the dear‐enemy effect. Transient siskins did not show a higher allocation of time to vigilance, contrary to the hypothesis of compensation vigilance to reduce predation risk by dispersing animals. Moreover, transients increased pecking rate with increasing predation risk, showed lower scan rates, longer foraging bouts and, in males, presented marginally higher proportions far from cover. Altogether these results strongly support the hypothesis that transients incur a predation cost due to a less efficient vigilance and foraging system.     

Does Breeding Ornamentation Signal Genetic Quality in Arctic charr, <Emphasis Type=Italic>Salvelinus alpinus</Emphasis>?

Genetic theories of sexual selection predict that most ornamental secondary sexual traits provide reliable indication of the genetic quality of their bearers. Accordingly, also the offspring of mates with elaborate mating display should perform better than those of less conspicuous counterparts. In this study, we used Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) as a model species to investigate whether the variation in a carotenoid-based red breeding coloration (a sexually dichromatic trait) in different sexes would reflect differences in individual genetic variability, one measure of individual quality, and/or indirectly, be manifested in variation in the offspring’s early viability and growth. We created maternal half-sibling families by artificially fertilizing the eggs with milt from bright- and pale-coloured males and then held the resulting progenies under identical hatchery conditions. The expression of red coloration among parental fish was not associated with their genetic diversity estimates in either sex nor did offspring sired by bright males consistently differ in terms of embryo survival or endogenous growth efficiency from offspring sired by pale males. By contrast, maternal effects were notably strong and, additionally, the degree of female coloration was negatively linked to their reproductive potential. The more intensely coloured females had a smaller relative fecundity and they also produced offspring of lower viability, implying a significant trade-off in resource allocation between ornamentation and offspring. Our results indicate that the red breeding ornamentation of Arctic charr is likely to be informative rather among females than males when the reproductive quality is predicted on grounds of the number of offspring produced. Nevertheless, this study does not support the direct selection hypothesis in explaining the evolution of female ornamentation, but rather suggests that the less intense coloration of female charr compared to males may reflect inter-sexual differences in the trade-off between natural and sexual selection.