No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Communication is a vital tool used by humans to share information, coordinate behavior, and survive. However, the ability to communicate can become disrupted or remain absent in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders: two prominent examples include autism spectrum disorders and developmental language disorders, found in nearly 2% and 10% of the population, respectively. Communication disorders are devastating to the autonomy and quality of life of affected individuals, but clinical solutions are limited due to the complex and often unknown neural etiology underlying these conditions. One known disorder with high incidence of disrupted communication is Neurofibromatosis type 1, the genetic disease caused by heterozygosity of the Ras GTPase-activating protein-coding gene NF1. Mice heterozygous for their ortholog of this gene (Nf1+/-) have been shown to recapitulate neuropsychiatric conditions seen in patients. Using a courtship trial paradigm as a model for testing communication, I have demonstrated that Nf1+/- male mice showed deficits in both courtship and non-courtship social behavior as well as a decrease in the number and duration of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Immediate early gene (IEG) immunohistochemistry (IHC) in neurons of courtship-relevant brain regions revealed the Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcS) as a dysfunctional brain region in Nf1+/- mice compared to WT male mice following courtship trial. Optogenetic targeting of the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) restored courtship social behaviors and USV number, but not USV duration or non-courtship gestural social behaviors, in Nf1+/- males. This study contributes to a preclinical foundation for understanding etiology of communication disorders in patients.

No description available.

Due to its relatively cool, humid summers, southwestern Virginia provides an ideal climate for European earwigs, Forficula auricularia. In 1990 - 1992, nymphs were captured in wooden groove-board traps beginning in late May, adults were captured beginning in mid-June, and disappeared from sampling sites by September or October. Sex ratios were significantly female-biased most of the season, becoming more marked by the fall. The pest status of F. auncularia is exacerbated by its gregarious nature. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and accompanying behavioral bioassays showed that aggregation occurred as a result of a pheromone located on the male cuticle, which is probably a minor component of the hydrocarbon profile. Approximately 88% of the detected volatiles on the cuticle were identified as a series of normal and branched alkanes. Fatty acids and hydrocarbons were also identified in nymphal and adult legs, but these extracts were not attractive. Frass, which also contained fatty acids and hydrocarbons, was attractive, but likely acquired its attractancy through the earwigs' proclivity for consuming carcasses and exuviae. The defensive quinones produced by F aunculana repel conspecifics. A study of the behavioral repertoire of F. aunculana showed that, contrary to previous reports, only nymphs are nocturnal. Many differences in behavior were due to gender, age, and partner age. (e.g., females spent more time feeding than did males, adults fed more when paired with nymphs than when paired with adults). Social behaviors (communal feeding, aggression, contact, and dorsal palpation) comprised <10% of the insect's behavioral repertoire. Since dorsal palpation, a previously undescribed behavior and a form of allogrooming, occurred more frequently during reproductive periods, it may have a sexual significance. Dorsal palpation also may augment the distribution of defensive quinones on the cuticle of F. auricularia. An analysis of nymphal group dynamics demonstrated that as group size increased, nymphs spent significantly less time feeding alone and grooming, but more time resting. Antennal contact rates between group members increased significantly with group size. Detailed observations of the courtship and mating of F. auricularia revealed a complex of sexual behaviors for both males and females. Receptive females were behaviorally active during courtship. The significance of the male cerci was demonstrated by their use in early courtship with displays, and later use as a tactile stimulus for the female; and study of males from which the cerci had been removed, which showed no mating by amputated males. Male forcep length was bimodally distributed and positively allometric, while female forcep length was normally distributed. Males with longer forceps did not have a mating advantage. Further research is needed to identify the chemical composition of the aggregation pheromone, and to quantify any advantages of body and forcep size on mating success. / Ph. D.

Serious dating relationships of college freshmen (H = 284) were investigated, comparing relationship dimensions, negotiation styles and coping strategies between violent and nonviolent students and between male and female respondents. Multiple analysis of variance techniques revealed significant effects for gender and violence on the dependent research variables. Findings indicate that men report more conflict in their dating relationships than women. When negotiating, women use more Ultimate Effort strategies. With respect to coping, women are more likely to use Social Support while men are more likely to rely on Withdrawal techniques. Those in violent dating relationships report greater conflict and ambivalence. In addition, violent dating partners use more Direct Appeal, Negative Affect, Indirect Appeal and Ultimate Effort negotiation styles and more frequently rely on Anger/Blaming and Withdrawal coping strategies. / Master of Science

A lek-breeding cichlid fish Pseudocrenilabrus philander was studied experimentally. Females in choice-chamber experiments showed no active choice for male size and colour, or for other male attributes, but preferred males which courted most actively. In a laboratory lek, the significant determinants of the strongly skewed mating success in males were territory size, side-shake and female chasing frequency. Together these three variables explained 79% of the variation in male mating success, with territory size alone accounting for 75% of the variation and the other two variables each accounting for 2% of the remaining variation. As there was no difference in territory quality in the laboratory lek, territory size became the principal measure of the effect of male-male competition since it was directly related to dominance. Both side-shake and female chasing could be identified as the basic factors influencing female choice, as they had an immediate effect on the display-response mating system of females. Thus, the relative importance of these three variables indicated that sexual selection in this particular lek mating species operated chiefly through the agency of intrasexual competition for dominance. However, both female behaviour and their requirement for a prolonged pre-spawning courtship had the effect of promoting male rivalry and favouring mating with dominant males. Although the intense male competition excluded subordinate males from practising normal courtship behaviour, competitively inferior males might "make the best of a bad situation" by facultatively adopting an alternative sneaking tactic to gain access to females. Spawning intrusions by females to steal freshly-laid eggs also occurred frequently. However, territorial males appeared to be relatively more tolerant of female intruders than male sneakers. Interference during spawning could lead to a longer pre-spawning courtship and even multiple-mating by females. The results of the present study and the behavioural evidence shown by males and females did not support the ʺrunaway selection modelʺ of the mating pattern in terms of sexual selection in leks, but conformed to the rival ʺwar propaganda modelʺ

In Drosophila, the functionally conserved transcription factor, doublesex (dsx), is pivotal to the specification of sexual identity in both males and females. One of its key dedicated roles involves regulating the development of a sexually dimorphic nervous system (NS) that underlies both male and female reproductive behaviours. Specific inhibition of the function of dsx-expressing neurons in males and females results in a global disruption of these sex-specific behavioural outputs. However, little is known about the functional organisation of this dsx circuit that encodes the potential to display these behaviours. Such investigations require the generation of a novel transgenic tool, capable of separating the function of dsx in the NS from that of the body. To achieve this, I generated a novel split-GAL4 dsx^GAL4-DBD hemidriver by ends in homologous recombination. Coupling the novel tool with the pan-neuronal elav^VP16-AD hemidriver, revealed spatial restriction of dsx^GAL4-DBD/elav^VP16-AD expression to dsx neurons only; enabling the realisation of novel patterns of dsx-expression in the peripheral NS. Next, the ability to elicit male-specific behavioural outputs upon activation of all dsx neurons formed the basis of a large behavioural screen aimed at parsing dsx circuitry into functionally distinct clusters. I utilised the novel dsx^GAL4-DBD hemidriver to screen a large collection of extant enhancer trap lines (ET^VP16-AD), for the elicitation of distinct sub-behaviours of male courtship. Here, I show that the activity of dsx-expressing clusters in: i) the brain (dsx-pC1, -pC2 and -pC3 collectively) regulate the early steps of male courtship (initiation, orientation and wing extension), ii) the pro- and mesothoracic ganglia (dsx-TN1 and -TN2) regulate the middle steps of male courtship (wing extension and possibly courtship song) and iii) the abdominal ganglia (dsx-Abg) regulate the late steps of male courtship (abdominal curling, attempted copulation and copulation). These data establish functional correlations between dsx clusters in distinct neuroanatomical foci and specific sub-behaviours of the courtship repertoire. Furthermore, the novel intersectional tool primed a collaborative study on female post-copulatory behaviours. We identified key sensory neurons in the female reproductive tract involved in initiating post-mating behaviours. Subsequent functional interrogations of dsx circuitry in the central NS revealed a subset of dsx-expressing neurons in the Abg that mediate changes in the female behavioural repertoire after mating. Characterisation of this relatively simple neural circuitry sheds light on the organisation of the fly brain. Ultimately, future studies will define principles of neural circuit operation, which may be similarly conserved in the nervous systems of higher animals.

No description available.

Thesis (PhD (Botany and Zoology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Females of many bird species prefer to mate with males exhibiting elaborate ornamentation, which serves as an indicator of male quality. Such ornaments, called secondary sexual traits, could act as signals to females that males could confer direct and/or indirect genetic benefits (when offspring inherit superior genes), on offspring. In particular, it has been suggested that these signals relate to male ability to resist infections, as only high quality individuals are able to invest both in high immune defence and elaborate ornament expression. The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the largest living bird and is a member of the family of flightless birds, the ratites. They are sexually dimorphic, males displaying black plumage, and a pink-coloured neck and bill; whereas females display dull-brown plumage (both sexes have white feathers). Little is known about the mating system of ostriches: they are promiscuous and in the wild, males and females have multiple partners. The communal nesting system of ostriches is unique in that only the major female and major male provide parental care, in the form of incubation and guarding the offspring until independence. Furthermore, a remarkable feature of cohorts is that offspring may differ greatly in size, and these size differences are likely to have a genetic basis arising from differing parental genotypic differences. As a trade-off between immune response and life-history traits has been documented in various bird species, I examined the relationships between male secondary sexual traits (and specifically colouration) and maternal investment; levels of immunocompetence in both parents and chicks; and chick growth. This study showed that females invest more at the egg stage in response to traits involved in the male courtship display: the colour of the neck, white and black body feathers, and the brightness of black feathers. As these traits, which are exposed during the courtship display as well as during male-male interactions, were related to male immune responses, I suggest that only high quality males will be able to display their condition optimally. Chicks with higher growth rates were found to have intermediate responses to stimulation of their humoral immune system with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, suggesting that not only fitness benefits, but also costs are associated with mounting an immune response; and that variation in humoral responses and growth rates relates to how individuals trade off these costs and benefits. In addition, chick humoral responses were found to be related to the humoral response of both parents, but through different antibody responses (maternal responses to tetanus and paternal responses to diphtheria), suggesting that this component of the immune system is heritable. As the colouration of white feathers predicted chick growth rates, as well as a male’s ability to raise an antibody response, I suggest that this visual cue could serve as a signal to females of male humoral immunocompetence, therefore forming the basis of mate choice whereby females could increase the fitness of their offspring through higher growth rates.

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy