From The Unicorn in the Garden to The Catbird Seat and two adaptations of Little Red Riding Hood,this thesis,mainly based on several famous works of Jame Thurber,by comparison and contrast,aims to analyze the battle o...From The Unicorn in the Garden to The Catbird Seat and two adaptations of Little Red Riding Hood,this thesis,mainly based on several famous works of Jame Thurber,by comparison and contrast,aims to analyze the battle of the sexes in James Thurber’s literary works.展开更多
BACKGROUND: The wave form, latency and wave amplitude of visual evoked potentials (VEP) are obviously affected by the stimulative parameters, physiological status of the subjects and anesthetics, thus there are greate...BACKGROUND: The wave form, latency and wave amplitude of visual evoked potentials (VEP) are obviously affected by the stimulative parameters, physiological status of the subjects and anesthetics, thus there are greater normal variations and individual differences. The features of flash VEP (F-VEP) are to be observed. OBJECTIVE: To observe and compare the differences of F-VEP latencies and wave amplitudes between eyes in rabbits, and investigate the correlation with sex and the side of eyes. DESIGN: A comparative animal experiment. SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Chinese PLA. MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the neurophysiological laboratory of the Institute of Neurosciences, General Hospital of Chinese PLA from September 2004 to February 2005. Thirty big-ear rabbits of clean degree, 15 males and 15 females, weighing 2.0-2.5 kg, were provided by the animal center of the General Hospital of Chinese PLA. METHODS: Viking-IV perioperative monitor and flash stimulator for special use were applied. The rabbits were anesthetized with intramuscular injection of compound ketamine. The recording electrode was placed at 3 mm anterior to exoccipital tuberosity (onion, Oz), and the reference electrode was placed at the ear edge of the same side. The stimulative frequency was 1.9 Hz, and the amplifier was 50 μV; The range of wave filter was 5 Hz for high pass and 100 Hz for low pass; The average overlapping was 200 times, and the analytical time was 250 ms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of F-VEP wave forms; F-VEP latencies and wave amplitudes. RESULTS: All the 30 rabbits were involved in the analysis of results. ① Comparison of F-VEP wave forms in rabbits: The F-VEP waves mainly manifested as positive-negative-positive (PNP). The F-VEP manifestations to light stimulations were extremely similar between left and right eyes, and the wave amplitudes of both eyes were obviously increased. ② Determinations of F-VEP latencies and wave amplitudes: There were no significant differences in the latencies and wave amplitudes of F-VEP between the two groups (P > 0.05), the latencies of P1, N1 and P2 waves of left eye were (32.59±2.01), (43.85±4.35) and (66.20±8.13) ms, respectively, and the wave amplitudes of P1, N1 and P2 waves of left eye were (16.45±10.22), (7.93±3.56) and (17.62±8.18) μV. F-VEP latencies were stable with small changes, whereas amplitudes had greater changes. CONCLUSION: ① The latency and wave amplitudes F-VEP were stable with good repetition. ② The latencies and wave amplitudes had no significant differences between males and females, as well as between left and right eyes. Further investigation should be undertaken on the animal and clinical field.展开更多
We investigate the influence of the Unruh effect on the quantum Battle of the Sexes (BOF). We show that the acceleration of a noninertial frame greatly affects the payoffs of the players. In the case of Battle of the ...We investigate the influence of the Unruh effect on the quantum Battle of the Sexes (BOF). We show that the acceleration of a noninertial frame greatly affects the payoffs of the players. In the case of Battle of the Sexes, the Nash Equilibra in the inertial frame may be equilibrium but in other games this conclusion may not be true anymore. Furthermore, we also show that the new Nash Equilibria of the game played in the noninertial frame and the probability distributions of the players in the new Nash Equilibria vary with the acceleration of moving player and the degree of entanglement in the initial state shared by the players.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to reveal the mechanism of compromise and change in coordination where players agree in general but disagree on coordination methods. When players agree on the need to collaborate but are in c...The aim of this paper is to reveal the mechanism of compromise and change in coordination where players agree in general but disagree on coordination methods. When players agree on the need to collaborate but are in conflict regarding the specific method, one player must always compromise. This situation is known as the Battle of the Sexes in game theory. It has ever been believed that if an agreement is reached under such circumstances, the players do not have the incentive to withdraw from the agreement. However, this study shows that this belief is not always true if the players were able to revise the outcome of their negotiations later. The wide-ranging fields use game theories for their analysis frameworks to analyze the success or failure of coordination. However, comparing with the possibility of betrayal illustrated as a well-known Prisoner Dilemma, it has been rare to discuss conflict regarding the specific method of coordination, although such situations are often observed in today＇s interdependent real world. The repeated Battle of the Sexes games presented in this study would be a useful framework to analyze conflict regarding the specific method of coordination.展开更多
In the present study,we investigated the intervention effects of a purified Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharide(PCP)on high-fat diet(HFD)-induced atherosclerosis in male and female LDLr-/-mice.Results showed that HFD...In the present study,we investigated the intervention effects of a purified Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharide(PCP)on high-fat diet(HFD)-induced atherosclerosis in male and female LDLr-/-mice.Results showed that HFD caused severe dyslipidemia,atherosclerotic lesions,oxidative damages and inflammation in male and female mice,and these effects seemed to be more pronounced in males than in females.However,the above variations could be dose-dependently reversed by PCP treatment,and the intervention effects on males were greater than those on females.Nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB),mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPKs)and protein kinase B(Akt)are 3 pivotal signaling pathways mediating the development of atherosclerosis.Consistently,PCP was also found to significantly decrease the phosphorylation of p65,p38,extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2)and Akt,and increase the protein expression of inhibitor of NF-κB(IκB)in the aortas of male and female mice induced by HFD.Taken together,these findings indicated that PCP could be effective for the prevention of atherosclerosis,and the intervention effect of PCP on male mice was more obvious than that of female mice.展开更多
The Y-located testis-specific protein Y-encoded (TSPY) and its X-homologue TSPX originated from the same ancestral gene, but act as a proto-oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene, respectively. TSPY has specialized in m...The Y-located testis-specific protein Y-encoded (TSPY) and its X-homologue TSPX originated from the same ancestral gene, but act as a proto-oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene, respectively. TSPY has specialized in male-specific functions, while TSPX has assumed the functions of the ancestral gene. Both TSPY and TSPX harbor a conserved SET/NAP domain, but are divergent at flanking structures. Specifically, TSPX contains a C-terminal acidic domain, absent in TSPY. They possess contrasting properties, in which TSPY and TSPX, respectively, accelerate and arrest cell proliferation, stimulate and inhibit cyclin B-CDK1 phosphorylation activities, have no effect and promote proteosomal degradation of the viral HBx oncoprotein, and exacerbate and repress androgen receptor (AR) and constitutively active AR variant, such as AR-V7, gene transactivation. The inhibitory domain has been mapped to the carboxyl acidic domain in TSPX, truncation of which results in an abbreviated TSPX exerting positive actions as TSPY. Transposition of the acidic domain to the C-terminus of TSPY results in an inhibitory protein as intact TSPX. Hence, genomic mutations/aberrant splicing events could generate TSPX proteins with truncated acidic domain and oncogenic properties as those for TSPY. Further, TSPY is upregulated by AR and AR-V7 in ligand-dependent and ligand-independent manners, respectively, suggesting the existence of a positive feedback loop between a Y-located proto-oncogene and male sex hormone/receptors, thereby amplifying the respective male oncogenic actions in human cancers and diseases. TSPX counteracts such positive feedback loop. Hence, TSPY and TSPX are homologues on the sex chromosomes that function at the two extremes of the human oncogenic spectrum.展开更多
Autism spectrum disorders(ASD)are characterized by social and repetitive abnormalities.Although the ASD mouse model with Shank3b mutations is widely used in ASD research,the behavioral phenotype of this model has not ...Autism spectrum disorders(ASD)are characterized by social and repetitive abnormalities.Although the ASD mouse model with Shank3b mutations is widely used in ASD research,the behavioral phenotype of this model has not been fully elucidated.Here,a 3D-motion capture system and linear discriminant analysis were used to comprehensively record and analyze the behavioral patterns of male and female Shank3b mutant mice.It was found that both sexes replicated the core and accompanied symptoms of ASD,with significant sex differences.Further,Shank3b heterozygous knockout mice exhibited distinct autistic behaviors,that were significantly different from those those observed in the wild type and homozygous knockout groups.Our findings provide evidence for the inclusion of both sexes and experimental approaches to efficiently characterize heterozygous transgenic models,which are more clinically relevant in autistic studies.展开更多
Knowledge of sex ratio and spatial distribution of males and females of dioecious species is both of evolutionary interest and of crucial importance for biological conservation. Eurycorymbus cavaleriei, the only speci...Knowledge of sex ratio and spatial distribution of males and females of dioecious species is both of evolutionary interest and of crucial importance for biological conservation. Eurycorymbus cavaleriei, the only species in the genus Eurycorymbus （Sapindaceae）, is a dioecious tree endemic to subtropical montane forest in South China. Sex ratios were investigated in 15 natural populations for the two defined ages （young and old）. Spatial distribution of males and females was further studied in six large populations occurring in different habitats （fragmented and continuous）. The study revealed a slight trend of male- biased sex ratio in both ages of E. cavaleriei, but sex ratio of most populations （13 out of 15） did not display statistically significant deviation from equality. All of the four significantly male-biased populations in the young class shifted to equality or even female-biased, The Ripley＇s K analysis of the distribution of males with respect to females suggested that individuals of the opposite sexes were more randomly distributed rather than spatially structured. These results suggest that the male-biased sex ratio in E. cavaleriei may result from the precocity of males and habitat heterogeneity. The sex ratio and the sex spatial distribution pattern are unlikely to constitute a serious threat to the survival of the species.展开更多
Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is the most common form of dementia.In addition to the lack of effective treatments,there are limitations in diagnostic capabilities.The complexity of AD itself,together with a variety of other...Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is the most common form of dementia.In addition to the lack of effective treatments,there are limitations in diagnostic capabilities.The complexity of AD itself,together with a variety of other diseases often observed in a patient’s history in addition to their AD diagnosis,make deciphering the molecular mechanisms that underlie AD,even more important.Large datasets of single-cell RNA sequencing,single-nucleus RNA-sequencing(snRNA-seq),and spatial transcriptomics(ST)have become essential in guiding and supporting new investigations into the cellular and regional susceptibility of AD.However,with unique technology,software,and larger databases emerging;a lack of integration of these data can contribute to ineffective use of valuable knowledge.Importantly,there was no specialized database that concentrates on ST in AD that offers comprehensive differential analyses under various conditions,such as sex-specific,region-specific,and comparisons between AD and control groups until the new Single-cell and Spatial RNA-seq databasE for Alzheimer’s Disease(ssREAD)database(Wang et al.,2024)was introduced to meet the scientific community’s growing demand for comprehensive,integrated,and accessible data analysis.展开更多
Background:Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with distinct prevalence and manifestation between sexes.This study was to identify sex-specific features of asthma via metabolomic analysis of sphingolipids.Methods:Forty-...Background:Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with distinct prevalence and manifestation between sexes.This study was to identify sex-specific features of asthma via metabolomic analysis of sphingolipids.Methods:Forty-two asthma patients(27 women and 15 men)admitted to the Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled.Peripheral venous blood was collected for metabolomic analysis by targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Sex hormones(estradiol,progesterone,testosterone,and androstenedione)and multiple inflammatory factors(periostin,leptin,IgE,IL-4,IL-5,IL-10,IL-13,IL-17A,and IFN-γ)were also assessed.The eosinophil percentage in induced sputum was also detected.All these data were applied to comparative analysis between sexes.Results:Testosterone was negatively related to periostin(ρ=-0.420,P=0.009)and IL-5(ρ=-0.540,P=0.012),while estradiol was positively related to the blood eosinophil percentage(ρ=0.384,P=0.025).Among the eighteen species of sphingolipids detected in the 42 patients,five ceramide(Cer)species(Cer16:0,Cer:20:0,Cer22:0,Cer24:0,and Cer26:0)and one sphingomyelin(SM)species(SM38:0)were significantly higher in male than in female patients.Further investigation found that the correlation between Cer20:0 and IL-5 was positive in males(ρ=0.943,P=0.005)but negative in females(ρ=-0.561,P=0.030).Conclusions:Testosterone was negatively correlated with eosinophil inflammatory factors,but estradiol was positively correlated.Male asthma patients had higher ceramide and sphingomyelin levels than female patients.Different sexes had opposite correlations with ceramide and IL-5,respectively,suggesting that therapeutic strategies targeting ceramide should be different between sexes.展开更多
Multiple mating by both sexes is common among sexually reproducing animals.Small hive beetles(SHB),Aethina tumida,are parasites of bee nests endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and have become a widespread invasive species....Multiple mating by both sexes is common among sexually reproducing animals.Small hive beetles(SHB),Aethina tumida,are parasites of bee nests endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and have become a widespread invasive species.Despite the considerable economic damages they can cause,their basic biology remains poorly understood.Here we show that male and female small hive beetles can mate multiple times,suggesting that costs for mating are low in this species.In an invasive A.tumida population in the United States,a combination of laboratory experiments for males and paternity analysis with eight polymorphic DNA microsatellite markers for field-caught females were used to estimate the number of mating by both sexes.The data show that females and males can mate multiple times—females mated with up to eight males,whereas males mated with at least seven females.The results also showed that A.tumida displayed a skewed paternity,although this was not consistent among the tested females.Thus,first or last male advantage seem to be unlikely in A.tumida.Our observations that individuals of both sexes of A.tumida can mate multiple times opens new research avenues for examining drivers of multiple mating and determining the role it may play in promoting biological invasions.展开更多
Variation in the vocal behavior of nonhuman vertebrates includes graded transitions and more dramatic changes.Wapiti males produce a reproductive bugle that has a fundamental frequency that surpasses 2,000 Hz with evi...Variation in the vocal behavior of nonhuman vertebrates includes graded transitions and more dramatic changes.Wapiti males produce a reproductive bugle that has a fundamental frequency that surpasses 2,000 Hz with evidence of biphonation and other nonlinear phenomena.Here,we analyze the acoustic structure of captive wapiti vocalizations to compare the male bugle with 3 categories of distress vocalizations:neonate distress(capture)calls,calf isolation calls,and adult female isolation calls.These 4 high-arousal call categories serve a common general function in recruiting conspecifics but occur in different behavioral contexts(capture,isolation,reproduction).Our goal was to distinguish characteristics that vary in graded steps that may correspond to an animal’s age or size from characteristics that are unique to the bugle.Characteristics of the high and loud fundamental(G0)varied in an age/size-graded manner with a decrease in minimum G0,an increase in the maximum and range of G0,with no evidence of sex differences.The nonlinear phenomena of deterministic chaos,biphonation,and frequency jumps were present in all 4 call categories and became more common from the distress vocalizations of neonates to calves to adult females to the male bugle.Two temporal characteristics sharply distinguished the bugle from the 3 categories of distress vocalizations:these included a prolonged call duration and a maximum G0 that occurred much later in the call for the bugle than for distress vocalizations.Our results suggest that distress vocalizations of different age groups and the reproductive bugle of wapiti share a high G0,with age/size-graded changes in G0 and nonlinear phenomena,but differ sharply in temporal characteristics.展开更多
Glial cells play crucial roles in regulating physiological and pathological functions,including sensation,the response to infection and acute injury,and chronic neurodegenerative disorders.Glial cells include astrocyt...Glial cells play crucial roles in regulating physiological and pathological functions,including sensation,the response to infection and acute injury,and chronic neurodegenerative disorders.Glial cells include astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system,and satellite glial cells and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system.Despite the greater understanding of glial cell types and functional heterogeneity achieved through single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing in animal models,few studies have investigated the transcriptomic profiles of glial cells in the human spinal cord.Here,we used high-throughput single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to map the cellular and molecular heterogeneity of astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes in the human spinal cord.To explore the conservation and divergence across species,we compared these findings with those from mice.In the human spinal cord,astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes were each divided into six distinct transcriptomic subclusters.In the mouse spinal cord,astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes were divided into five,four,and five distinct transcriptomic subclusters,respectively.The comparative results revealed substantial heterogeneity in all glial cell types between humans and mice.Additionally,we detected sex differences in gene expression in human spinal cord glial cells.Specifically,in all astrocyte subtypes,the levels of NEAT1 and CHI3L1 were higher in males than in females,whereas the levels of CST3 were lower in males than in females.In all microglial subtypes,all differentially expressed genes were located on the sex chromosomes.In addition to sex-specific gene differences,the levels of MT-ND4,MT2A,MT-ATP6,MT-CO3,MT-ND2,MT-ND3,and MT-CO_(2) in all spinal cord oligodendrocyte subtypes were higher in females than in males.Collectively,the present dataset extensively characterizes glial cell heterogeneity and offers a valuable resource for exploring the cellular basis of spinal cordrelated illnesses,including chronic pain,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,and multiple sclerosis.展开更多
Successful polyethylene glycol fusion(PEG-fusion)of severed axons following peripheral nerve injuries for PEG-fused axons has been reported to:(1)rapidly restore electrophysiological continuity;(2)prevent distal Walle...Successful polyethylene glycol fusion(PEG-fusion)of severed axons following peripheral nerve injuries for PEG-fused axons has been reported to:(1)rapidly restore electrophysiological continuity;(2)prevent distal Wallerian Degeneration and maintain their myelin sheaths;(3)promote primarily motor,voluntary behavioral recoveries as assessed by the Sciatic Functional Index;and,(4)rapidly produce correct and incorrect connections in many possible combinations that produce rapid and extensive recovery of functional peripheral nervous system/central nervous system connections and reflex(e.g.,toe twitch)or voluntary behaviors.The preceding companion paper describes sensory terminal field reo rganization following PEG-fusion repair of sciatic nerve transections or ablations;howeve r,sensory behavioral recovery has not been explicitly explored following PEG-fusion repair.In the current study,we confirmed the success of PEG-fusion surgeries according to criteria(1-3)above and more extensively investigated whether PEG-fusion enhanced mechanical nociceptive recovery following sciatic transection in male and female outbred Sprague-Dawley and inbred Lewis rats.Mechanical nociceptive responses were assessed by measuring withdrawal thresholds using von Frey filaments on the dorsal and midplantar regions of the hindpaws.Dorsal von Frey filament tests were a more reliable method than plantar von Frey filament tests to assess mechanical nociceptive sensitivity following sciatic nerve transections.Baseline withdrawal thresholds of the sciatic-mediated lateral dorsal region differed significantly across strain but not sex.Withdrawal thresholds did not change significantly from baseline in chronic Unoperated and Sham-operated rats.Following sciatic transection,all rats exhibited severe hyposensitivity to stimuli at the lateral dorsal region of the hindpaw ipsilateral to the injury.However,PEG-fused rats exhibited significantly earlier return to baseline withdrawal thresholds than Negative Control rats.Furthermore,PEG-fused rats with significantly improved Sciatic Functional Index scores at or after 4 weeks postoperatively exhibited yet-earlier von Frey filament recove ry compared with those without Sciatic Functional Index recovery,suggesting a correlation between successful PEG-fusion and both motor-dominant and sensory-dominant behavioral recoveries.This correlation was independent of the sex or strain of the rat.Furthermore,our data showed that the acceleration of von Frey filament sensory recovery to baseline was solely due to the PEG-fused sciatic nerve and not saphenous nerve collateral outgrowths.No chronic hypersensitivity developed in any rat up to 12 weeks.All these data suggest that PEG-fusion repair of transection peripheral nerve injuries co uld have important clinical benefits.展开更多
Objective Magnetoencephalography(MEG),a non-invasive neuroimaging technique,meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity.Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interfe...Objective Magnetoencephalography(MEG),a non-invasive neuroimaging technique,meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity.Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUID),MEG based on optically pump magnetometer(OPM)has the advantages of higher sensitivity,better spatial resolution and lower cost.However,most of the current studies are clinical studies,and there is a lack of animal studies on MEG based on OPM technology.Pain,a multifaceted sensory and emotional phenomenon,induces intricate alterations in brain activity,exhibiting notable sex differences.Despite clinical revelations of pain-related neuronal activity through MEG,specific properties remain elusive,and comprehensive laboratory studies on pain-associated brain activity alterations are lacking.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory pain(induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant(CFA))on brain activity in a rat model using the MEG technique,to analysis changes in brain activity during pain perception,and to explore sex differences in pain-related MEG signaling.Methods This study utilized adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.Inflammatory pain was induced via intraplantar injection of CFA(100μl,50%in saline)in the left hind paw,with control groups receiving saline.Pain behavior was assessed using von Frey filaments at baseline and 1 h post-injection.For MEG recording,anesthetized rats had an OPM positioned on their head within a magnetic shield,undergoing two 15-minute sessions:a 5-minute baseline followed by a 10-minute mechanical stimulation phase.Data analysis included artifact removal and time-frequency analysis of spontaneous brain activity using accumulated spectrograms,generating spectrograms focused on the 4-30 Hz frequency range.Results MEG recordings in anesthetized rats during resting states and hind paw mechanical stimulation were compared,before and after saline/CFA injections.Mechanical stimulation elevated alpha activity in both male and female rats pre-and post-saline/CFA injections.Saline/CFA injections augmented average power in both sexes compared to pre-injection states.Remarkably,female rats exhibited higher average spectral power 1 h after CFA injection than after saline injection during resting states.Furthermore,despite comparable pain thresholds measured by classical pain behavioral tests post-CFA treatment,female rats displayed higher average power than males in the resting state after CFA injection.Conclusion These results imply an enhanced perception of inflammatory pain in female rats compared to their male counterparts.Our study exhibits sex differences in alpha activities following CFA injection,highlighting heightened brain alpha activity in female rats during acute inflammatory pain in the resting state.Our study provides a method for OPM-based MEG recordings to be used to study brain activity in anaesthetized animals.In addition,the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of pain-related neural activity and pain sex differences.展开更多
This study was conducted retrospectively on a cohort of 68 patients with steroid 5α-reductase 2(SRD5A2)deficiency and 46,XY disorders of sex development(DSD).Whole-exon sequencing revealed 28 variants of SRD5A2,and f...This study was conducted retrospectively on a cohort of 68 patients with steroid 5α-reductase 2(SRD5A2)deficiency and 46,XY disorders of sex development(DSD).Whole-exon sequencing revealed 28 variants of SRD5A2,and further analysis identified seven novel mutants.The preponderance of variants was observed in exon 1 and exon 4,specifically within the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH)-binding region.Among the entire cohort,53 patients underwent initial surgery at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital(Chengdu,China).The external genitalia scores(EGS)of these participants varied from 2.0 to 11.0,with a mean of 6.8(standard deviation[s.d.]:2.5).Thirty patients consented to hormone testing.Their average testosterone-todihydrotestosterone(T/DHT)ratio was 49.3(s.d.:23.4).Genetic testing identified four patients with EGS scores between 6 and 9 as having this syndrome;and their T/DHT ratios were below the diagnostic threshold.Furthermore,assessments conducted using the crystal structure of human SRD5A2 have provided insights into the potential pathogenic mechanisms of these novel variants.These mechanisms include interference with NADPH binding(c.356G>C,c.365A>G,c.492C>G,and c.662T>G)and destabilization of the protein structure(c.727C>T).The c.446-1G>T and c.380delG variants were verified to result in large alterations in the transcripts.Seven novel variations were identified,and the variant database for the SRD5A2 gene was expanded.These findings contribute to the progress of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for individuals with SRD5A2 deficiency.展开更多
The study of temperament and behavioral syndromes in insects is still in its early stage,and research conducted to date has mainly focused on locomotor activity and thanatosis.Dung beetles have been the subject of ext...The study of temperament and behavioral syndromes in insects is still in its early stage,and research conducted to date has mainly focused on locomotor activity and thanatosis.Dung beetles have been the subject of extensive behavioral studies;however,very few studies have addressed the expression of temperament.Those doing so only looked at subsocial and sexual horn dimorphic species,suggesting subsociality and/or sexual horn-dimorphism as possible facilitators of temperament expression.To test this assumption,we conducted a temperament study in a hornless,non-subsocial species,namely Geotrupes mutator(Marsham,1802).We set up laboratory tests to evaluate 3 behaviors(activity,thanatosis,and distress calls)through the measurement of 7 distinct behavioral traits(3 activity-,1 thanatosis-,and 3 call-related traits).We found high levels of individual repeatability in all activity-and thanatosis-related traits.We also identified behavioral differences between individuals,which may reflect differences in temperament.Statistical analyses revealed a negative correlation between activity and thanatosis.These results show that the temperament and behavioral syndromes related to activity and thanatosis may also be expressed in dung beetle species that are neither subsocial nor sexual horn dimorphic.By contrast,we only found one of 3 sound-related traits tested(frequency)to be clearly repeatable.Males and females presented a different structure of the stridulatory apparatus,suggesting that morphology may affect the frequency of sounds emitted.These results indicate that certain sound traits might not be good descriptors of individual temperament revealing the need for future research addressing the role of bioacoustics.展开更多
Successful non-native species can exhibit rapid divergence of key phenotypic traits to facilitate population persistence and further range expansion.Such phenotypic shifts can be sex-dependent as males and females usu...Successful non-native species can exhibit rapid divergence of key phenotypic traits to facilitate population persistence and further range expansion.Such phenotypic shifts can be sex-dependent as males and females usually have distinct reproductive and dispersal modes responding to relevant selective forces.Here,we showed significant phenotypic divergence in a set of fitness-related traits among males but not among females in the introduced oriental fire-bellied toads(Bombina orientalis),which established a non-native population in Beijing after being introduced in 1927.Specifically,compared with the native counterparts,introduced males displayed younger age and reduced body size,but increased hindlimb length and eye size after controlling the age effect.As the toads have male-biased sex ratio and male-biased dispersal during breeding season,the observed shifts may suggest that the male-biased selective forces have induced increased energy allocation to dispersal and foraging,and thus decreased allocation to maintain longevity in males.Overall,our study provides evidence for the modification of fitness-related phenotypic traits in a non-native anuran population compared with native populations and extends our understanding of key trait divergence in established non-native amphibian under sexual-unbalanced selective forces.展开更多
文摘From The Unicorn in the Garden to The Catbird Seat and two adaptations of Little Red Riding Hood,this thesis,mainly based on several famous works of Jame Thurber,by comparison and contrast,aims to analyze the battle of the sexes in James Thurber’s literary works.
文摘BACKGROUND: The wave form, latency and wave amplitude of visual evoked potentials (VEP) are obviously affected by the stimulative parameters, physiological status of the subjects and anesthetics, thus there are greater normal variations and individual differences. The features of flash VEP (F-VEP) are to be observed. OBJECTIVE: To observe and compare the differences of F-VEP latencies and wave amplitudes between eyes in rabbits, and investigate the correlation with sex and the side of eyes. DESIGN: A comparative animal experiment. SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Chinese PLA. MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the neurophysiological laboratory of the Institute of Neurosciences, General Hospital of Chinese PLA from September 2004 to February 2005. Thirty big-ear rabbits of clean degree, 15 males and 15 females, weighing 2.0-2.5 kg, were provided by the animal center of the General Hospital of Chinese PLA. METHODS: Viking-IV perioperative monitor and flash stimulator for special use were applied. The rabbits were anesthetized with intramuscular injection of compound ketamine. The recording electrode was placed at 3 mm anterior to exoccipital tuberosity (onion, Oz), and the reference electrode was placed at the ear edge of the same side. The stimulative frequency was 1.9 Hz, and the amplifier was 50 μV; The range of wave filter was 5 Hz for high pass and 100 Hz for low pass; The average overlapping was 200 times, and the analytical time was 250 ms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of F-VEP wave forms; F-VEP latencies and wave amplitudes. RESULTS: All the 30 rabbits were involved in the analysis of results. ① Comparison of F-VEP wave forms in rabbits: The F-VEP waves mainly manifested as positive-negative-positive (PNP). The F-VEP manifestations to light stimulations were extremely similar between left and right eyes, and the wave amplitudes of both eyes were obviously increased. ② Determinations of F-VEP latencies and wave amplitudes: There were no significant differences in the latencies and wave amplitudes of F-VEP between the two groups (P > 0.05), the latencies of P1, N1 and P2 waves of left eye were (32.59±2.01), (43.85±4.35) and (66.20±8.13) ms, respectively, and the wave amplitudes of P1, N1 and P2 waves of left eye were (16.45±10.22), (7.93±3.56) and (17.62±8.18) μV. F-VEP latencies were stable with small changes, whereas amplitudes had greater changes. CONCLUSION: ① The latency and wave amplitudes F-VEP were stable with good repetition. ② The latencies and wave amplitudes had no significant differences between males and females, as well as between left and right eyes. Further investigation should be undertaken on the animal and clinical field.
文摘We investigate the influence of the Unruh effect on the quantum Battle of the Sexes (BOF). We show that the acceleration of a noninertial frame greatly affects the payoffs of the players. In the case of Battle of the Sexes, the Nash Equilibra in the inertial frame may be equilibrium but in other games this conclusion may not be true anymore. Furthermore, we also show that the new Nash Equilibria of the game played in the noninertial frame and the probability distributions of the players in the new Nash Equilibria vary with the acceleration of moving player and the degree of entanglement in the initial state shared by the players.
文摘The aim of this paper is to reveal the mechanism of compromise and change in coordination where players agree in general but disagree on coordination methods. When players agree on the need to collaborate but are in conflict regarding the specific method, one player must always compromise. This situation is known as the Battle of the Sexes in game theory. It has ever been believed that if an agreement is reached under such circumstances, the players do not have the incentive to withdraw from the agreement. However, this study shows that this belief is not always true if the players were able to revise the outcome of their negotiations later. The wide-ranging fields use game theories for their analysis frameworks to analyze the success or failure of coordination. However, comparing with the possibility of betrayal illustrated as a well-known Prisoner Dilemma, it has been rare to discuss conflict regarding the specific method of coordination, although such situations are often observed in today＇s interdependent real world. The repeated Battle of the Sexes games presented in this study would be a useful framework to analyze conflict regarding the specific method of coordination.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32072176,31271814)the Outstanding Youth Funds of Anhui Province(2208085J31)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(JZ2022HGQA0232,JZ2022HGTA0316)。
文摘In the present study,we investigated the intervention effects of a purified Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharide(PCP)on high-fat diet(HFD)-induced atherosclerosis in male and female LDLr-/-mice.Results showed that HFD caused severe dyslipidemia,atherosclerotic lesions,oxidative damages and inflammation in male and female mice,and these effects seemed to be more pronounced in males than in females.However,the above variations could be dose-dependently reversed by PCP treatment,and the intervention effects on males were greater than those on females.Nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB),mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPKs)and protein kinase B(Akt)are 3 pivotal signaling pathways mediating the development of atherosclerosis.Consistently,PCP was also found to significantly decrease the phosphorylation of p65,p38,extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2)and Akt,and increase the protein expression of inhibitor of NF-κB(IκB)in the aortas of male and female mice induced by HFD.Taken together,these findings indicated that PCP could be effective for the prevention of atherosclerosis,and the intervention effect of PCP on male mice was more obvious than that of female mice.
文摘The Y-located testis-specific protein Y-encoded (TSPY) and its X-homologue TSPX originated from the same ancestral gene, but act as a proto-oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene, respectively. TSPY has specialized in male-specific functions, while TSPX has assumed the functions of the ancestral gene. Both TSPY and TSPX harbor a conserved SET/NAP domain, but are divergent at flanking structures. Specifically, TSPX contains a C-terminal acidic domain, absent in TSPY. They possess contrasting properties, in which TSPY and TSPX, respectively, accelerate and arrest cell proliferation, stimulate and inhibit cyclin B-CDK1 phosphorylation activities, have no effect and promote proteosomal degradation of the viral HBx oncoprotein, and exacerbate and repress androgen receptor (AR) and constitutively active AR variant, such as AR-V7, gene transactivation. The inhibitory domain has been mapped to the carboxyl acidic domain in TSPX, truncation of which results in an abbreviated TSPX exerting positive actions as TSPY. Transposition of the acidic domain to the C-terminus of TSPY results in an inhibitory protein as intact TSPX. Hence, genomic mutations/aberrant splicing events could generate TSPX proteins with truncated acidic domain and oncogenic properties as those for TSPY. Further, TSPY is upregulated by AR and AR-V7 in ligand-dependent and ligand-independent manners, respectively, suggesting the existence of a positive feedback loop between a Y-located proto-oncogene and male sex hormone/receptors, thereby amplifying the respective male oncogenic actions in human cancers and diseases. TSPX counteracts such positive feedback loop. Hence, TSPY and TSPX are homologues on the sex chromosomes that function at the two extremes of the human oncogenic spectrum.
基金National Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Project of China(2021ZD0201003 and 2022ZD0208300)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32171092)+3 种基金Shenzhen Key Basic Research Project(JCYJ20220818100805013)Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine(ZDSYS20200811142401005)Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics(2020ZDB26)Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration(2022ZDZ13).
文摘Autism spectrum disorders(ASD)are characterized by social and repetitive abnormalities.Although the ASD mouse model with Shank3b mutations is widely used in ASD research,the behavioral phenotype of this model has not been fully elucidated.Here,a 3D-motion capture system and linear discriminant analysis were used to comprehensively record and analyze the behavioral patterns of male and female Shank3b mutant mice.It was found that both sexes replicated the core and accompanied symptoms of ASD,with significant sex differences.Further,Shank3b heterozygous knockout mice exhibited distinct autistic behaviors,that were significantly different from those those observed in the wild type and homozygous knockout groups.Our findings provide evidence for the inclusion of both sexes and experimental approaches to efficiently characterize heterozygous transgenic models,which are more clinically relevant in autistic studies.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30470185)KIP Pilot Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-YW-N-061)
文摘Knowledge of sex ratio and spatial distribution of males and females of dioecious species is both of evolutionary interest and of crucial importance for biological conservation. Eurycorymbus cavaleriei, the only species in the genus Eurycorymbus （Sapindaceae）, is a dioecious tree endemic to subtropical montane forest in South China. Sex ratios were investigated in 15 natural populations for the two defined ages （young and old）. Spatial distribution of males and females was further studied in six large populations occurring in different habitats （fragmented and continuous）. The study revealed a slight trend of male- biased sex ratio in both ages of E. cavaleriei, but sex ratio of most populations （13 out of 15） did not display statistically significant deviation from equality. All of the four significantly male-biased populations in the young class shifted to equality or even female-biased, The Ripley＇s K analysis of the distribution of males with respect to females suggested that individuals of the opposite sexes were more randomly distributed rather than spatially structured. These results suggest that the male-biased sex ratio in E. cavaleriei may result from the precocity of males and habitat heterogeneity. The sex ratio and the sex spatial distribution pattern are unlikely to constitute a serious threat to the survival of the species.
文摘Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is the most common form of dementia.In addition to the lack of effective treatments,there are limitations in diagnostic capabilities.The complexity of AD itself,together with a variety of other diseases often observed in a patient’s history in addition to their AD diagnosis,make deciphering the molecular mechanisms that underlie AD,even more important.Large datasets of single-cell RNA sequencing,single-nucleus RNA-sequencing(snRNA-seq),and spatial transcriptomics(ST)have become essential in guiding and supporting new investigations into the cellular and regional susceptibility of AD.However,with unique technology,software,and larger databases emerging;a lack of integration of these data can contribute to ineffective use of valuable knowledge.Importantly,there was no specialized database that concentrates on ST in AD that offers comprehensive differential analyses under various conditions,such as sex-specific,region-specific,and comparisons between AD and control groups until the new Single-cell and Spatial RNA-seq databasE for Alzheimer’s Disease(ssREAD)database(Wang et al.,2024)was introduced to meet the scientific community’s growing demand for comprehensive,integrated,and accessible data analysis.
基金This study was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2018YFC1313600)National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program Fund(No.81970028)。
文摘Background:Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with distinct prevalence and manifestation between sexes.This study was to identify sex-specific features of asthma via metabolomic analysis of sphingolipids.Methods:Forty-two asthma patients(27 women and 15 men)admitted to the Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled.Peripheral venous blood was collected for metabolomic analysis by targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Sex hormones(estradiol,progesterone,testosterone,and androstenedione)and multiple inflammatory factors(periostin,leptin,IgE,IL-4,IL-5,IL-10,IL-13,IL-17A,and IFN-γ)were also assessed.The eosinophil percentage in induced sputum was also detected.All these data were applied to comparative analysis between sexes.Results:Testosterone was negatively related to periostin(ρ=-0.420,P=0.009)and IL-5(ρ=-0.540,P=0.012),while estradiol was positively related to the blood eosinophil percentage(ρ=0.384,P=0.025).Among the eighteen species of sphingolipids detected in the 42 patients,five ceramide(Cer)species(Cer16:0,Cer:20:0,Cer22:0,Cer24:0,and Cer26:0)and one sphingomyelin(SM)species(SM38:0)were significantly higher in male than in female patients.Further investigation found that the correlation between Cer20:0 and IL-5 was positive in males(ρ=0.943,P=0.005)but negative in females(ρ=-0.561,P=0.030).Conclusions:Testosterone was negatively correlated with eosinophil inflammatory factors,but estradiol was positively correlated.Male asthma patients had higher ceramide and sphingomyelin levels than female patients.Different sexes had opposite correlations with ceramide and IL-5,respectively,suggesting that therapeutic strategies targeting ceramide should be different between sexes.
基金granted by the Beatrice-Ederer Weber Foundation(P.N.)the Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students(A.P.)+4 种基金the Vinetum Foundation(P.N)the Swiss National Science Foundation(310030_204479,PN.)the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station(G.R.W)the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Multi-state Hatch project NC1173(G.R.W)the USDA ARS Cooperative Agreement 6066-21000-001-02-S(G.R.W).
文摘Multiple mating by both sexes is common among sexually reproducing animals.Small hive beetles(SHB),Aethina tumida,are parasites of bee nests endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and have become a widespread invasive species.Despite the considerable economic damages they can cause,their basic biology remains poorly understood.Here we show that male and female small hive beetles can mate multiple times,suggesting that costs for mating are low in this species.In an invasive A.tumida population in the United States,a combination of laboratory experiments for males and paternity analysis with eight polymorphic DNA microsatellite markers for field-caught females were used to estimate the number of mating by both sexes.The data show that females and males can mate multiple times—females mated with up to eight males,whereas males mated with at least seven females.The results also showed that A.tumida displayed a skewed paternity,although this was not consistent among the tested females.Thus,first or last male advantage seem to be unlikely in A.tumida.Our observations that individuals of both sexes of A.tumida can mate multiple times opens new research avenues for examining drivers of multiple mating and determining the role it may play in promoting biological invasions.
基金The University of Winnipeg and The University of Winnipeg Foundation contributed funding to this research.
文摘Variation in the vocal behavior of nonhuman vertebrates includes graded transitions and more dramatic changes.Wapiti males produce a reproductive bugle that has a fundamental frequency that surpasses 2,000 Hz with evidence of biphonation and other nonlinear phenomena.Here,we analyze the acoustic structure of captive wapiti vocalizations to compare the male bugle with 3 categories of distress vocalizations:neonate distress(capture)calls,calf isolation calls,and adult female isolation calls.These 4 high-arousal call categories serve a common general function in recruiting conspecifics but occur in different behavioral contexts(capture,isolation,reproduction).Our goal was to distinguish characteristics that vary in graded steps that may correspond to an animal’s age or size from characteristics that are unique to the bugle.Characteristics of the high and loud fundamental(G0)varied in an age/size-graded manner with a decrease in minimum G0,an increase in the maximum and range of G0,with no evidence of sex differences.The nonlinear phenomena of deterministic chaos,biphonation,and frequency jumps were present in all 4 call categories and became more common from the distress vocalizations of neonates to calves to adult females to the male bugle.Two temporal characteristics sharply distinguished the bugle from the 3 categories of distress vocalizations:these included a prolonged call duration and a maximum G0 that occurred much later in the call for the bugle than for distress vocalizations.Our results suggest that distress vocalizations of different age groups and the reproductive bugle of wapiti share a high G0,with age/size-graded changes in G0 and nonlinear phenomena,but differ sharply in temporal characteristics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82301403(to DZ)。
文摘Glial cells play crucial roles in regulating physiological and pathological functions,including sensation,the response to infection and acute injury,and chronic neurodegenerative disorders.Glial cells include astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system,and satellite glial cells and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system.Despite the greater understanding of glial cell types and functional heterogeneity achieved through single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing in animal models,few studies have investigated the transcriptomic profiles of glial cells in the human spinal cord.Here,we used high-throughput single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to map the cellular and molecular heterogeneity of astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes in the human spinal cord.To explore the conservation and divergence across species,we compared these findings with those from mice.In the human spinal cord,astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes were each divided into six distinct transcriptomic subclusters.In the mouse spinal cord,astrocytes,microglia,and oligodendrocytes were divided into five,four,and five distinct transcriptomic subclusters,respectively.The comparative results revealed substantial heterogeneity in all glial cell types between humans and mice.Additionally,we detected sex differences in gene expression in human spinal cord glial cells.Specifically,in all astrocyte subtypes,the levels of NEAT1 and CHI3L1 were higher in males than in females,whereas the levels of CST3 were lower in males than in females.In all microglial subtypes,all differentially expressed genes were located on the sex chromosomes.In addition to sex-specific gene differences,the levels of MT-ND4,MT2A,MT-ATP6,MT-CO3,MT-ND2,MT-ND3,and MT-CO_(2) in all spinal cord oligodendrocyte subtypes were higher in females than in males.Collectively,the present dataset extensively characterizes glial cell heterogeneity and offers a valuable resource for exploring the cellular basis of spinal cordrelated illnesses,including chronic pain,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,and multiple sclerosis.
基金supported by DOD AFIRMⅢW81XWH-20-2-0029 subcontract,UT POC19-1774-13Neuraptive Therapeutics Inc.26-7724-56+1 种基金NIH R01-NS128086 grantsLone Star Paralysis gift(to GDB)。
文摘Successful polyethylene glycol fusion(PEG-fusion)of severed axons following peripheral nerve injuries for PEG-fused axons has been reported to:(1)rapidly restore electrophysiological continuity;(2)prevent distal Wallerian Degeneration and maintain their myelin sheaths;(3)promote primarily motor,voluntary behavioral recoveries as assessed by the Sciatic Functional Index;and,(4)rapidly produce correct and incorrect connections in many possible combinations that produce rapid and extensive recovery of functional peripheral nervous system/central nervous system connections and reflex(e.g.,toe twitch)or voluntary behaviors.The preceding companion paper describes sensory terminal field reo rganization following PEG-fusion repair of sciatic nerve transections or ablations;howeve r,sensory behavioral recovery has not been explicitly explored following PEG-fusion repair.In the current study,we confirmed the success of PEG-fusion surgeries according to criteria(1-3)above and more extensively investigated whether PEG-fusion enhanced mechanical nociceptive recovery following sciatic transection in male and female outbred Sprague-Dawley and inbred Lewis rats.Mechanical nociceptive responses were assessed by measuring withdrawal thresholds using von Frey filaments on the dorsal and midplantar regions of the hindpaws.Dorsal von Frey filament tests were a more reliable method than plantar von Frey filament tests to assess mechanical nociceptive sensitivity following sciatic nerve transections.Baseline withdrawal thresholds of the sciatic-mediated lateral dorsal region differed significantly across strain but not sex.Withdrawal thresholds did not change significantly from baseline in chronic Unoperated and Sham-operated rats.Following sciatic transection,all rats exhibited severe hyposensitivity to stimuli at the lateral dorsal region of the hindpaw ipsilateral to the injury.However,PEG-fused rats exhibited significantly earlier return to baseline withdrawal thresholds than Negative Control rats.Furthermore,PEG-fused rats with significantly improved Sciatic Functional Index scores at or after 4 weeks postoperatively exhibited yet-earlier von Frey filament recove ry compared with those without Sciatic Functional Index recovery,suggesting a correlation between successful PEG-fusion and both motor-dominant and sensory-dominant behavioral recoveries.This correlation was independent of the sex or strain of the rat.Furthermore,our data showed that the acceleration of von Frey filament sensory recovery to baseline was solely due to the PEG-fused sciatic nerve and not saphenous nerve collateral outgrowths.No chronic hypersensitivity developed in any rat up to 12 weeks.All these data suggest that PEG-fusion repair of transection peripheral nerve injuries co uld have important clinical benefits.
文摘Objective Magnetoencephalography(MEG),a non-invasive neuroimaging technique,meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity.Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUID),MEG based on optically pump magnetometer(OPM)has the advantages of higher sensitivity,better spatial resolution and lower cost.However,most of the current studies are clinical studies,and there is a lack of animal studies on MEG based on OPM technology.Pain,a multifaceted sensory and emotional phenomenon,induces intricate alterations in brain activity,exhibiting notable sex differences.Despite clinical revelations of pain-related neuronal activity through MEG,specific properties remain elusive,and comprehensive laboratory studies on pain-associated brain activity alterations are lacking.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory pain(induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant(CFA))on brain activity in a rat model using the MEG technique,to analysis changes in brain activity during pain perception,and to explore sex differences in pain-related MEG signaling.Methods This study utilized adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.Inflammatory pain was induced via intraplantar injection of CFA(100μl,50%in saline)in the left hind paw,with control groups receiving saline.Pain behavior was assessed using von Frey filaments at baseline and 1 h post-injection.For MEG recording,anesthetized rats had an OPM positioned on their head within a magnetic shield,undergoing two 15-minute sessions:a 5-minute baseline followed by a 10-minute mechanical stimulation phase.Data analysis included artifact removal and time-frequency analysis of spontaneous brain activity using accumulated spectrograms,generating spectrograms focused on the 4-30 Hz frequency range.Results MEG recordings in anesthetized rats during resting states and hind paw mechanical stimulation were compared,before and after saline/CFA injections.Mechanical stimulation elevated alpha activity in both male and female rats pre-and post-saline/CFA injections.Saline/CFA injections augmented average power in both sexes compared to pre-injection states.Remarkably,female rats exhibited higher average spectral power 1 h after CFA injection than after saline injection during resting states.Furthermore,despite comparable pain thresholds measured by classical pain behavioral tests post-CFA treatment,female rats displayed higher average power than males in the resting state after CFA injection.Conclusion These results imply an enhanced perception of inflammatory pain in female rats compared to their male counterparts.Our study exhibits sex differences in alpha activities following CFA injection,highlighting heightened brain alpha activity in female rats during acute inflammatory pain in the resting state.Our study provides a method for OPM-based MEG recordings to be used to study brain activity in anaesthetized animals.In addition,the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of pain-related neural activity and pain sex differences.
基金supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program(No.2022JDZH0029 to JYY)the Special Fund for Clinical Research and Translational Medicine from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(No.2022-I2M-C&T-B-117 to JYY)the Sichuan Key Research and Development Project from the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province(No.2022YFS0237 to YMT).
文摘This study was conducted retrospectively on a cohort of 68 patients with steroid 5α-reductase 2(SRD5A2)deficiency and 46,XY disorders of sex development(DSD).Whole-exon sequencing revealed 28 variants of SRD5A2,and further analysis identified seven novel mutants.The preponderance of variants was observed in exon 1 and exon 4,specifically within the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH)-binding region.Among the entire cohort,53 patients underwent initial surgery at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital(Chengdu,China).The external genitalia scores(EGS)of these participants varied from 2.0 to 11.0,with a mean of 6.8(standard deviation[s.d.]:2.5).Thirty patients consented to hormone testing.Their average testosterone-todihydrotestosterone(T/DHT)ratio was 49.3(s.d.:23.4).Genetic testing identified four patients with EGS scores between 6 and 9 as having this syndrome;and their T/DHT ratios were below the diagnostic threshold.Furthermore,assessments conducted using the crystal structure of human SRD5A2 have provided insights into the potential pathogenic mechanisms of these novel variants.These mechanisms include interference with NADPH binding(c.356G>C,c.365A>G,c.492C>G,and c.662T>G)and destabilization of the protein structure(c.727C>T).The c.446-1G>T and c.380delG variants were verified to result in large alterations in the transcripts.Seven novel variations were identified,and the variant database for the SRD5A2 gene was expanded.These findings contribute to the progress of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for individuals with SRD5A2 deficiency.
基金supported by the project CN_00000033 funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan(NRRP)Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.4-Call for tender No.3138 of 16 December 2021,rectified by Decree n.3175 of 18 December 2021 of the Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European UnionNextGenerationEU.
文摘The study of temperament and behavioral syndromes in insects is still in its early stage,and research conducted to date has mainly focused on locomotor activity and thanatosis.Dung beetles have been the subject of extensive behavioral studies;however,very few studies have addressed the expression of temperament.Those doing so only looked at subsocial and sexual horn dimorphic species,suggesting subsociality and/or sexual horn-dimorphism as possible facilitators of temperament expression.To test this assumption,we conducted a temperament study in a hornless,non-subsocial species,namely Geotrupes mutator(Marsham,1802).We set up laboratory tests to evaluate 3 behaviors(activity,thanatosis,and distress calls)through the measurement of 7 distinct behavioral traits(3 activity-,1 thanatosis-,and 3 call-related traits).We found high levels of individual repeatability in all activity-and thanatosis-related traits.We also identified behavioral differences between individuals,which may reflect differences in temperament.Statistical analyses revealed a negative correlation between activity and thanatosis.These results show that the temperament and behavioral syndromes related to activity and thanatosis may also be expressed in dung beetle species that are neither subsocial nor sexual horn dimorphic.By contrast,we only found one of 3 sound-related traits tested(frequency)to be clearly repeatable.Males and females presented a different structure of the stridulatory apparatus,suggesting that morphology may affect the frequency of sounds emitted.These results indicate that certain sound traits might not be good descriptors of individual temperament revealing the need for future research addressing the role of bioacoustics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171657,32301459)the grant from Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences (2023IOZ0104)the grant from Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Y201920)。
文摘Successful non-native species can exhibit rapid divergence of key phenotypic traits to facilitate population persistence and further range expansion.Such phenotypic shifts can be sex-dependent as males and females usually have distinct reproductive and dispersal modes responding to relevant selective forces.Here,we showed significant phenotypic divergence in a set of fitness-related traits among males but not among females in the introduced oriental fire-bellied toads(Bombina orientalis),which established a non-native population in Beijing after being introduced in 1927.Specifically,compared with the native counterparts,introduced males displayed younger age and reduced body size,but increased hindlimb length and eye size after controlling the age effect.As the toads have male-biased sex ratio and male-biased dispersal during breeding season,the observed shifts may suggest that the male-biased selective forces have induced increased energy allocation to dispersal and foraging,and thus decreased allocation to maintain longevity in males.Overall,our study provides evidence for the modification of fitness-related phenotypic traits in a non-native anuran population compared with native populations and extends our understanding of key trait divergence in established non-native amphibian under sexual-unbalanced selective forces.
