Search results for "Behavior"
showing 10 items of 13975 documents
Sexual behaviors and function during menopausal transition—does menopausal hormonal therapy play a role?
2020
Objectives: The menopausal transition is a biological adaptation to the variety of life changes (body, comorbidities, relationship), but that biology is not an “end all” in the context of sexual function and overall sexual health. The aim of this study is to evaluate determinants altering the risk of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and other sexual problems and to establish whether menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT) decreases that risk and modifies sexual behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 210 women between the ages of 45 and 55. Two groups were identified: MHT users (n = 107) and controls—MHT non-users (n = 103). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of M…
Sexually selected traits evolve positive allometry when some matings occur irrespective of the trait
2014
Positive allometry of secondary sexual traits (whereby larger individuals have disproportionally larger traits than smaller individuals) has been called one of the most pervasive and poorly understood regularities in the study of animal form and function. Its widespread occurrence is in contrast with theoretical predictions that it should evolve only under rather special circumstances. Using a combination of mathematical modeling and simulations, here we show that positive allometry is predicted to evolve under much broader conditions than previously recognized. This result hinges on the assumption that mating success is not necessarily zero for males with the lowest trait values: for examp…
Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields Do Not Affect LTP-Like Plasticity in Healthy Humans.
2020
Introduction: Several studies explored, in vitro, the biological effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and reported the induction of functional changes in neuronal activity. In particular, ELF-MFs can influence synaptic plasticity both in-vitro and in animal models. Indeed, some studies reported an increase in long-term potentiation (LTP) whereas others suggested its reduction. However, no specific study has investigated such effect in humans. Aims: To evaluate whether ELF-MFs affect the propensity of the human cortex to undergo LTP-like plasticity. Methods: We designed a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study on 10 healthy subjects. Cortical plas…
The 'Extreme Female Brain' : Increased Cognitive Empathy as a Dimension of Psychopathology
2016
Abstract Baron-Cohen's ‛extreme male brain' theory postulates that autism involves exaggerated male-typical psychology, with reduced empathizing (considered here as social–emotional interest, motivation and abilities) and increased systemizing (non-social, physical-world and rule-based interest, motivation and abilities), in association with its male-biased sex ratio. The concept of an ‘extreme female brain', involving some combination of increased empathizing and reduced systemizing, and its possible role in psychiatric conditions, has been considerably less well investigated. Female-biased sex ratios have been described in two conditions, depression and borderline personality disorder (BP…
The determination of maturity stages in male elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes) using a segmented regression of clasper length on total length
2013
A novel statistical method for estimating the stages of maturity in male sharks and skates based on a segmented regression (SRM) is proposed. We hypothesize that this method is able to find the transition points in the three-phase relationship between total length (TL) and clasper length (CL). We applied an SRM to TL–CL data of nine species, from large pelagic sharks (e.g., Carcharhinus falciformis) to small coastal skates (e.g., Rioraja agassizi), captured in the southwestern Atlantic and northeastern Pacific. As expected, SRM detected two breakpoints, defining three maturity stages (immature, maturing, and mature), in six out of nine species. For three species, it was not possible to fin…
The genetic heritage of Alpine local cattle breeds using genomic SNP data
2020
Abstract Background Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure provides important control metrics to avoid genetic erosion, inbreeding depression and crossbreeding between exotic and locally-adapted cattle breeds since these events can have deleterious consequences and eventually lead to extinction. Historically, the Alpine Arc represents an important pocket of cattle biodiversity with a large number of autochthonous breeds that provide a fundamental source of income for the entire regional economy. By using genotype data from medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, we performed a genome-wide comparative study of 23 cattle populations from the Alpine Arc an…
On the origin and diversification of Podolian cattle breeds: testing scenarios of European colonization using genome-wide SNP data
2021
AbstractBackgroundDuring the Neolithic expansion, cattle accompanied humans and spread from their domestication centres to colonize the ancient world. In addition, European cattle occasionally intermingled with both indicine cattle and local aurochs resulting in an exclusive pattern of genetic diversity. Among the most ancient European cattle are breeds that belong to the so-called Podolian trunk, the history of which is still not well established. Here, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data on 806 individuals belonging to 36 breeds to reconstruct the origin and diversification of Podolian cattle and to provide a reliable scenario of the European colonization, throug…
New national and regional bryophyte records, 33
2012
WOS: 000313348700006
Bryophyte diversity in the gypsum outcrops of Sicily (Italy)
2020
Abstract: A study on the bryophyte diversity of 12 Sicilian gypsum outcrops, falling in 4 Nature Reserves and 5 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), is presented in order to increase knowledge about this peculiar flora for which conservation efforts need to be addressed. The bryoflora consists of a total of 85 taxa, 8 liverworts and 77 mosses, most of them belonging to the Pottiaceae family and characterized by xero-morphological adaptations. The bio-ecological analysis has emphasized the prevalence of xerophytic and basiphytic species with life form turf and life strategy colonist. Regarding the gypsicolous character, only one species, Tortula revolvens, behaves as a strict gypso- phyte, a…
Knowledge Brokering in an Era of Communication Visibility
2020
This study presents an analysis of the extent to which enterprise social media (ESM) use enhances visibility of content (message transparency) and connections (network translucence) in organizations, and how this affects knowledge brokering. The findings support the theory of communication visibility by demonstrating that ESM use is associated with perceptions of message transparency and network translucence. Furthermore, the findings suggest that employees, regardless of their position within a network, are provided with a vision advantage and thus have the ability to engage in knowledge brokering. Future work needs to examine the impact of network characteristics on these effects. This a…