Search results for "characteristics"

Emergence and dispersal relative to natal nest in the digger wasp Stizus continuus (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae).

2009

The position of the emerging point has rarely been investigated as a factor possibly affecting the future nest settlement behaviour in Hymenoptera, in particular within nest aggregations. We studied the emergence and dispersion patterns of the digger wasp Stizus continuus. Individuals emerged daily in clumped patterns, possibly revealing a certain synchrony of emergence from the same nests, and protandry appeared both at seasonal and daily level. Differences between the number of females that nested relatively close or far from their emergence holes (EH) were either significant or not, depending on the year, and observed dispersal distances from the natal nests did not differ from those obt…

Using visual modelling to study the evolution of lizard coloration: sexual selection drives the evolution of sexual dichromatism in lacertids

2012

Sexual selection has been invoked as a major force in the evolution of secondary sexual traits, including sexually dimorphic colorations. For example, previous studies have shown that display complexity and elaborate ornamentation in lizards are associated with variables that reflect the intensity of intrasexual selection. However, these studies have relied on techniques of colour analysis based on human – rather than lizard – visual perception. Here, we use reflectance spectrophotometry and visual modelling to quantify sexual dichromatism considering the overall colour patterns of lacertids, a lizard clade in which visual signalling has traditionally been underrated. These objective method…

Gender differences in Neurotoxicity

2013

Gender differences in takotsubo syndrome

2022

Background: Male sex in takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has a low incidence and it is still not well characterized. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to describe TTS sex differences. Methods: TTS patients enrolled in the international multicenter GEIST (GErman Italian Spanish Takotsubo) registry were analyzed. Comparisons between sexes were performed within the overall cohort and using an adjusted analysis with 1:1 propensity score matching for age, comorbidities, and kind of trigger. Results: In total, 286 (11%) of 2,492 TTS patients were men. Male patients were younger (age 69 ± 13 years vs 71 ± 11 years; P = 0.005), with higher prevalence of comorbid conditions (diabetes mellitus 25% …

Sex-related effects in the superhydrophobic properties of damselfly wings in young and old Calopteryx splendens.

2013

Numerous sex-related morphological adaptations are connected to reproductive behavior in animals. For example, females of some insect species can submerge during oviposition, which may lead to sex-related adaptations in the hydrophobicity (water-repellency) due to specialization of certain morphological structures. On the other hand, ageing can cause changes in hydrophobicity of the surface, because the morphological structures can wear with age. Here, we investigated sex-and age-related differences in wing hydrophobicity and in morphology (spine density, wax cover characteristics, size of females' pseudopterostigma) potentially related to hydrophobicity of Calopteryx splendens damselflies.…

A Lack of Sexual Dimorphism in Width-to-Height Ratio in White European Faces Using 2D Photographs, 3D Scans, and Anthropometry

2012

Facial width-to-height ratio has received a great deal of attention in recent research. Evidence from human skulls suggests\ud that males have a larger relative facial width than females, and that this sexual dimorphism is an honest signal of\ud masculinity, aggression, and related traits. However, evidence that this measure is sexually dimorphic in faces, rather than\ud skulls, is surprisingly weak. We therefore investigated facial width-to-height ratio in three White European samples using\ud three different methods of measurement: 2D photographs, 3D scans, and anthropometry. By measuring the same\ud individuals with multiple methods, we demonstrated high agreement across all measures. Ho…

Sexual conflict drives micro- and macroevolution of sexual dimorphism in immunity

2021

Abstract Background Sexual dimorphism in immunity is believed to reflect sex differences in reproductive strategies and trade-offs between competing life history demands. Sexual selection can have major effects on mating rates and sex-specific costs of mating and may thereby influence sex differences in immunity as well as associated host–pathogen dynamics. Yet, experimental evidence linking the mating system to evolved sexual dimorphism in immunity are scarce and the direct effects of mating rate on immunity are not well established. Here, we use transcriptomic analyses, experimental evolution and phylogenetic comparative methods to study the association between the mating system and sexua…

Factors associated with risky consumption of alcohol in a sample of university students

2019

During the university period, student wellbeing is exposed to the negative effects of many stressful factors, including the use and abuse of alcoholic beverages. The aim of this study is to estimate the risky alcohol consumption within the student population of the University of Palermo.An anonymous online questionnaire was provided to students enrolled in the mailing list of the Regional Agency for the Right to University Study (ERSU) of the University of Palermo. the first section investigated demographic and social data, while in the second section the A.U.D.I.T. C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) test was administered.539 subjects agreed to the informed consent an…

Gender, sexuality and relationships in Young Hispanic people

2016

This study explores the relation between gender differences and sexuality among young Hispanic people. Eight hundred and forty young people from Spain and Mexico filled out a self-administered questionnaire about sexuality (sexual experience, sexual orientation, and sexual relationships) and gender (self-identification). Men in both Spain and Mexico more commonly report the practice of masturbation and vaginal sex, and are more likely to be unfaithful than women. Women in both countries report more steady partners and longer length of relationships. There were greater gender differences for Mexican men and women than for Spanish men and women in terms of sexual frequency, sexual orientation…

Economic evaluation of a guided and unguided internet-based CBT intervention for major depression: Results from a multicenter, three-armed randomized…

2017

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and will become one of the leading causes of disability in the world. Internet-based CBT programs for depression have been classified as well established following the American Psychological Association criteria for empirically supported treatments. The aim of this study is to analyze the cost effectiveness at 12-month follow-up of the Internet-based CBT program Smiling is fun with (LITG) and without psychotherapist support (TSG) compared to usual care. The perspective used in our analysis is societal. A sample of 296 depressed patients (mean age of 43.04 years; 76% female; BDI-II mean score = 22.37) from primary care services in four Sp…