Search results for "PARITY"
showing 10 items of 513 documents
Supersymmetric SO(10)-inspired GUTs with sliding scales
2013
We construct lists of supersymmetric models with extended gauge groups at intermediate steps, all of which are inspired by SO(10) unification. We consider three different kinds of setups: (i) the model has exactly one additional intermediate scale with a left-right (LR) symmetric group; (ii) SO(10) is broken to the LR group via an intermediate Pati-Salam scale; and (iii) the LR group is broken into SU(3)(c) X SU(2)(L) X U(1)(R) X U(1)(B-L), before breaking to the standard model (SM) group. We use sets of conditions, which we call the "sliding mechanism," which yield unification with the extended gauge group(s) allowed at arbitrary intermediate energy scales. All models thus can have new gau…
Hypoxia and hypothermia as rival agents of selection driving the evolution of viviparity in lizards
2017
[Aim]: The evolution of key innovations promotes adaptive radiations by opening access to new ecological opportunity. The acquisition of viviparity (live-bearing reproduction) has emerged as one such innovation explaining reptile proliferations into extreme climates. By evolving viviparity, females provide embryos with internally stable environments to complete development. The classical hypothesis suggests that natural selection for viviparity arises from low temperatures in cold climates, which promote prolonged egg retention in the mother's body. An alternative hypothesis proposes that declines in atmospheric oxygen at high elevations create natural selection for embryo retention to prov…
Parity and number of repeated doe-litter-separation treatments affect differently the reproductive performances of lactating does.
2010
[EN] Using data from three different experiments, the effects of oestrus synchronisation by doe-litter separation (DLS), applied 48 hours befare artificial insemination from day 9 to day 11 post partum, on productive performance of free nursing rabbit does and their litters in relation to parity and number of successive DLS treatments were evaluated. lnitially, 200 New Zealand White does of different parity were homogeneously and definitively distributed in two groups (DLS and Control). On the whole, DLS improved fertility (+23.9%, Ps0.001 ), but reduced the growth of young rabbits from day 9 to weaning (-1.7 g/d, Ps0.01) and their weaning weight (-38 g, Ps0.01) at day 35. DLS also increase…
Absence of long-term effects of reproduction on longevity in the mouse model.
2014
Background Most human demographic data, particularly those on natural fertility populations, find no relationship or even a positive association between fertility and longevity. The present study aims to ascertain whether there is a trade-off between fertility and longevity in the mouse model. Methods The study was focused on the first litter produced by 10- to 14-wk-old hybrid (C57BL/6JIco female X CBA/JIco male) mice. A single female/male per litter was individually housed with a male/female at the age of 25 and 52 wk, respectively, until the end of reproductive life in females or natural death in males under controlled housing conditions. Post-reproductive females and virgin mice were re…
Is reproduction really costly? Energy metabolism of bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) females through the reproductive cycle
2007
Energetic requirements during reproduction are important determinants of the onset of reproduction and of breeding strategy (e.g., breeding post-partum) and therefore affect female reproductive output in seasonally varying environments. To balance the energetic needs of breeding with energy availability, females must optimize energy allocation between their own energy use and energy allocated to their litter. Here, we studied energetic costs and potential energetic trade-offs of reproduction in female bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus). We measured energy consumption, i.e., metabolic rates as determined from carbon dioxide production of females either with their pups (breeding unit) to fi…
New constraints on R-parity violation from μ–e conversion in nuclei
1998
We derive new constraints on the products of explicitly R-parity violating couplings $\lambda$ and $\lambda'$ in MSSM from searches for \mu-e conversion in nuclei. We concentrate on the loop induced photonic coherent conversion mode. For the combinations $|\lambda\lambda|$ which in \mu-e conversion can be probed only at loop level our constraints are in many cases more stringent than the previous ones due to the enhancement of the process by large $\ln(m^2_f/m^2_{\tilde f}).$ For the combinations of $|\lambda'\lambda'|$ the tree-level \mu-e conversion constraints are usually more restrictive than the loop ones except for two cases which involve the third generation. With the expected improv…
Diapause affects cuticular hydrocarbon composition and mating behavior of both sexes inDrosophila montana
2018
Environmental cues, mainly photoperiod and temperature, are known to control female adult reproductive diapause in several insect species. Diapause enhances female survival during adverse conditions and postpones progeny production to the favorable season. Male diapause (a reversible inability to inseminate receptive females) has been studied much less than female diapause. However, if the males maximized their chances to fertilize females while minimizing their energy expenditure, they would be expected to be in diapause at the same time as females. We investigated Drosophila montana male mating behavior under short‐day conditions that induce diapause in females and found the males to be r…
Sex Allocation Theory for Facultatively Sexual Organisms Inhabiting Seasonal Environments: The Importance of Bet Hedging
2018
Adaptive explanations for dormancy often invoke bet hedging, where reduced mean fitness can be adaptive if it associates with reduced fitness variance. Sex allocation theory typically ignores variance effects and focuses on mean fitness. For many cyclical parthenogens, these themes become linked, as only sexually produced eggs undergo the dormancy needed to survive harsh conditions. We ask how sex allocation and the timing of sex evolve when this constraint exists in the form of a trade-off between asexual reproduction and sexual production of dormant eggs-the former being crucial for within-season success and the latter for survival across seasons. We show that male production can be tempo…
Early life determinants of frailty in old age : the Helsinki Birth Cohort Stud
2018
Background there is evidence suggesting that several chronic diseases have their origins in utero and that development taking place during sensitive periods may affect the aging process. We investigated whether early life determinants would be associated with frailty in old age. Methods at a mean age of 71 years, 1,078 participants belonging to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study were assessed for frailty according to the Fried frailty criteria. Early life measurements (birth weight, length, mother body mass index [BMI] and parity) were obtained from birth, child welfare and school health records. Multinomial regression analysis was used to assess the association between early life determinants…
Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and birth outcomes in a Spanish birth cohort
2017
BACKGROUND: Prenatal perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) exposure has been associated with reduced birth weight but maternal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) may attenuate this association. Further, this association remains unclear for other perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA). We estimated associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and birth outcomes, and the influence of GFR, in a Spanish birth cohort. METHODS: We measured PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA in 1st-trimester maternal plasma (years: 2003-2008) in 1202 mother-child pairs. Continuous birth outcomes included standardized weight, length, he…