Co-evolution of male and female reproductive traits across the Bruchidae (Coleoptera)

1. Despite the obvious importance of spermatozoa to individual reproductive success a general explanation of variation in spermatozoan form and function is still lacking. In species with internal fertilization, sperm not only have to interact with the physical and biochemical environment of the female reproductive tract, but frequently face competition from the sperm of rival males. Both sperm competition theory and adaptation to the selective environment of the female reproductive tract have been implicated in the evolution of spermatozoan morphological diversity. 2. Using the comparative method, we examine variation in sperm length in relation to (i) sperm competition intensity (as measured by relative testis size) and (ii) female reproductive characters, across 15 species of beetle belonging to the family Bruchidae. 3. Stepwise multiple regression within a phylogenetic framework revealed sperm length to be positively correlated with female spermathecal duct length and negatively related to spermathecal volume, but not testes size, indicating that the female reproductive environment rather than sperm competition per se exerts selection on sperm length in this taxonomic group. 4. A positive association between testes volume and the volume of the female spermatheca was also evident suggesting correlated evolution of these traits. 5. A number of models of sexual selection could lead to the correlated evolution of male and female reproductive characters, although the underlying mechanisms of cause and effect remain elusive. Divergence between species (and populations) in primary reproductive traits is likely to present a significant barrier to hetero-specific fertilization, and thus contribute to reproductive isolation

The Effect of Reproductive Experience on Habit Formation

Habits are formed by repetitive stimulus-response (S-R) associations that induce changes in the brain’s memory and learning systems, shifting from a hippocampal-based cognitive system to a striatal-based stimulus-response system. It is believed that hormones present throughout pregnancy may play a role in their modulation, and recent literature suggests that females display habitual behavior earlier in training than males and that pregnancy induces cognitive enhancements to these regions of the brain. Therefore, the focus of this project was to examine if the reproductive experience (RE) enhances, delays, or does not affect habit formation in females, and it was predicted that primiparous (one maternal experience) females will undergo habit formation earlier than nulliparous (virgin) rats. This was accomplished using operant training and reward devaluation methods followed by a test of habit. A 2 (RE) x 2 (devaluation) factorial ANOVA revealed a lack of significant main effects for both groups. However, a priori planned comparisons between devalued and non-devalued groups within each RE group showed a marginally significant difference within the primiparous condition. Given the low statistical power of this pilot study, these results suggest that primiparous rats are more goal-directed than virgin females at 120 reinforcers, which we speculate may be due to the new metabolic set point caused by the energy demands of pregnancy and lactation (Numan & Woodside, 2010). Altogether, this study contributes a foundational understanding of parity’s effect on habit formation and metabolism in female animals, and in the future, this may help elucidate how pregnancy modulates regions of the brain associated with psychopathologies

Attempted rearrangement of N-nitrosolactams

This research was concerned with the preparation and subsequent atempted rearrangement of 5,8-dimenthyl-N-nitrosohydrocarbostyril (I)

Sperm design and variation in the New World blackbirds (Icteridae)

Post-copulatory sexual selection (PCSS) is thought to be one of the evolutionary forces responsible for the rapid and divergent evolution of sperm design. However, whereas in some taxa particular sperm traits are positively associated with PCSS, in other taxa, these relationships are negative, and the causes of these different patterns across taxa are poorly understood. In a comparative study using New World blackbirds (Icteridae), we tested whether sperm design was influenced by the level of PCSS and found significant positive associations with the level of PCSS for all sperm components but head length. Additionally, whereas the absolute length of sperm components increased, their variation declined with the intensity of PCSS, indicating stabilizing selection around an optimal sperm design. Given the diversity of, and strong selection on, sperm design, it seems likely that sperm phenotype may influence sperm velocity within species. However, in contrast to other recent studies of passerine birds, but consistent with several other studies, we found no significant link between sperm design and velocity, using four different species that vary both in sperm design and PCSS. Potential reasons for this discrepancy between studies are discussed

RIPPLE MARKS—The Story Behind the Story

Larsen A, it was called, the smallest and most northerly of the three Larsen ice shelves that once extended from the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula to the western Weddell Sea. An ice shelf is the continuation of a glacier that extends over and floats atop the sea. In January 1995, Larsen A collapsed during a storm. The 2,000 km2 ice area fell into the sea

Sistema de recirculação de água para larvicultura de ostras Crassostrea gigas

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Aquicultura, Florianópolis, 2014.Foram realizados estudos visando a implantação de um sistema de recirculação de água na larvicultura de ostras Crassostrea gigas. Testou-se a resistência das larvas a compostos nitrogenados, foram avaliados os parâmetros físico-químicos e presença de compostos nitrogenados da água de cultivo e também avaliou-se a densidade de estocagem e alimentação. As CL`s50 para amônia e nitrito foram respectivamente 2,66 mg.L-1 e 123,47 mg.L-1. Os parâmetros físico-químicos se mostraram constantes, não foram detectados níveis de compostos nitrogenados (Abstract : Studies aiming to implement a water recirculation system in larvae of Crassostrea gigas oysters were performed. The resistance of the larvae to nitrogen compounds was tested, physical and chemical parameters and the presence of nitrogen compounds of water culture were evaluated and the stocking density and feeding were also assessed. The LC`s50 for ammonia and nitrite were respectively 2.66 mg.L-1 and 123.47 mg.L-1. Physical and chemical parameters showed constant, no level of nitrogenous compounds were found (<0.02 mg.L-1) and survival was 25 ± 8% in larvae lasting 14 days. There were no statistical differences between the storage and feeding densities on the average number of larvae, however there was statistical difference between stocking and feeding densities in larval survival. Larval survival in a microalgae concentration of 1 to 4.5 x104 cells.mL-1 is equivalent to a microalgae concentration of 5.2 to 140 x104 cells.mL-1, however differs statistically (p <0.05) of the observed in a microalgae concentration of 2 to 9 x104 cells.mL-1, i.e., larval survival was higher in concentration of 1 to 4.5 x104 cells.mL-1 and 5.2 to 140 x104 cells.mL-1, followed by concentration of 2 to 9 x104 cells.mL-1

Gone goth: feminism and the female revenger in Titus Andronicus and Gone Girl

The main objective of this project is to examine the female revenger in William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. The female revenger often signifies cultural attitudes about a given society, as she exhibits behaviors that indicate male anxieties over what women are capable of. The female revenger is thus an apt vehicle in understanding the shifting status of women through history. Titus Andronicus and Gone Girl are central to this examination. The early modern era is credited with the popularization of the revenger character, and Titus Andronicus presents one of the first developed and central female revengers in an Elizabethan drama. Gone Girl is one of the more recent representations of the female revenger. Both texts rely on similar character tropes as Tamora and Amy utilize motherhood, aggressive sexuality, subjectivity, and several other facets of stereotypical femininity. The differences between the two texts indicate the shift in female subjectivity that allows for success. This examination necessitates a gloss of feminist movements that led to an increase in female agency and subjectivity. Without cultural shifts in attitudes towards women, Gillian Flynn could not have expanded on the female revenger trope popularized by William Shakespeare

Structural characteristics of novel protein folds

Folds are the basic building blocks of protein structures. Understanding the emergence of novel protein folds is an important step towards understanding the rules governing the evolution of protein structure and function and for developing tools for protein structure modeling and design. We explored the frequency of occurrences of an exhaustively classified library of supersecondary structural elements (Smotifs), in protein structures, in order to identify features that would define a fold as novel compared to previously known structures. We found that a surprisingly small set of Smotifs is sufficient to describe all known folds. Furthermore, novel folds do not require novel Smotifs, but rather are a new combination of existing ones. Novel folds can be typified by the inclusion of a relatively higher number of rarely occurring Smotifs in their structures and, to a lesser extent, by a novel topological combination of commonly occurring Smotifs. When investigating the structural features of Smotifs, we found that the top 10% of most frequent ones have a higher fraction of internal contacts, while some of the most rare motifs are larger, and contain a longer loop region

Atividades inclusivas nas aulas de Educação Física e implicações na visão dos alunos sobre inclusão

Orientadora : Adriana Inês de PaulaMonografia (licenciatura) - Universidade Federal do Paraná. Setor de Ciências Biológicas. Curso de Educação Físic

What supervisors and universities can do to enhance doctoral student experience (and how they can help themselves)

Over the past two decades, there has been a flurry of government papers and policy reports worldwide calling for increased number and diversity of doctoral researchers and a broadening of the curriculum to meet the developing needs of respective national 'knowledge-driven' economies. This has been followed by position papers and best practice examples of employability skills development in boundary-crossing doctoral programmes, especially in response to these initiatives. However, there is a disassociation between this ample literature expounding the new doctorate with its broader remit, inclusivity and production of 'industry-ready' graduates, and the comparatively sparse literature on the doctoral candidates' experiences of their programmes and career readiness. Within this review, we briefly outline international government initiatives and examples of the responses by Life Science and Biomedical doctoral programmes to address these various challenges. Further, we explore the recent literature on the lived experience of doctoral researchers by examining their perception of the recent changes to the research context to make recommendations for universities and supervisors on how to better support an ever more diverse doctoral population for a wide range of career opportunities. Examples of how doctoral researchers themselves can make the best of currently available opportunities are also provided