In eusocial insects, the ability to discriminate nest-mates from non-nest-mates is widespread and ensures that altruistic actions are directed towards kin and agonistic actions are directed towards non-relatives. Most tests of nest-mate recognition have focused on hymenopterans, and suggest that cooperation typically evolves in tandem with strong antagonism towards non-nest-mates. Here, we present evidence from a phylogenetically and behaviourally basal termite species that workers discriminate members of foreign colonies. However, contrary to our expectations, foreign intruders were the recipients of more rather than less cooperative behaviour and were not subjected to elevated aggression. We suggest that relationships between groups may be much more peaceable in basal termites compared with eusocial hymenoptera, owing to energetic and temporal constraints on colony growth, and the reduced incentive that totipotent workers (who may inherit breeding status) have to contribute to self-sacrificial intergroup conflict.

Sex ratio theory is a focus in evolutionary biology that explores how natural selection shapes investment in males and females. It has provided some of the best quantitative evidence of evolution and could find utility in public health efforts through its application to malaria parasites. These parasites have distinct male and female forms that are produced following massive asexual replication, and they mate within the blood-feeding insects that transmit them between vertebrate hosts. A very similar population structure is assumed by local mate competition (LMC), a model from sex ratio theory that predicts female-biased sex ratios dependent on the degree of selfing within a mating patch. In this dissertation, I test a series of predictions from LMC for the lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium mexicanum. These include: (i) sex ratios have heritable variation that is not constrained by other life history traits; (ii) single-genotype infections have female-biased sex ratios that are determined by male fecundity; (iii) multiple-genotype infections have less biased sex ratios than single genotype infections; (iv) if males are limiting, sex ratios may be less biased when there are fewer parasites present (an extension of LMC called fertility insurance); and (v) less biased sex ratios may also be favored if increased female production yields diminishing returns on transmission to a new vertebrate host. To test these predictions, I combined the study of natural and experimental infections, microscopy (parasite density and sex ratio), molecular genetics (infection genetic diversity), and mathematical modeling (of how transmission patterns might affect sex ratio evolution). Overall, the results were qualitatively consistent with both LMC and my new model predictions. Sex ratios showed evidence of heritable variation that was unlinked to other life history traits measured. Sex ratios in single-genotype infections were female biased and consistent with the male fecundity observed, and were lower than sex ratios in experimental multiple-genotype infections, as predicted. Sex ratios were not less biased with lower sexual cell density, suggesting that males were not limiting. In fact, the opposite trend was sometimes observed: sex ratios were less biased with more sexual cells. This pattern has been observed previously in this and other species, and the only model that currently predicts such a trend is the new transmission model I outline. This dissertation contributes to our understanding of sex ratio evolution for malaria parasites in a number of ways. First, it adds evidence to the idea that the selective forces implicated in LMC are at work in malaria parasites and that malaria parasites are able to detect and respond to relevant cues. Second, it helps account for discrepancies in existing data, which have often reached conflicting conclusions. Third, it offers one of the first detailed studies of malaria parasite male fecundity, an essential piece of the sex ratio puzzle. Finally, it outlines a new theoretical extension of LMC that provides novel predictions and highlights areas of study that may be fruitful for future work on malaria parasites and other organisms.

Distinguished ways are used to measure hierarchical rank between partners in surveys. Aim of this thesis was to study preference for partner of particular hierarchical rank towards respondent 1) according to rating of photographs, 2) according to respondent's ideas about his/her future partnership organization, 3) according to respondent's natural tendency to lead or to yield, and to compare these ways of preference assessment. Questionnaires from 95 female university students aged to 25 years inc. were processed. Respondents, who claimed they will submit their partner or they will take turns in subordination with their partner half and half, were more submissive in ordinary life than respondents, who claimed they will be equal to their partner. Expected connection between idea about future partnership organization or submissiveness in ordinary life and choice of photograph depicting figurant with particular signs of nonverbal dominance was not found. Nevertheless, differences in choices of photographs were found between females using hormonal contraceptives and females not using any hormonal contraceptives. Key words: mate-choice, dominance, submissiveness, attractiveness.

With increasing globalization, researchers are beginning to document the changing patterns of family life in collectivistic societies undergoing rapid economic development, such as India. With these changes, expectations of romantic relationships are also shifting as individuals re-calibrate their gender roles and attitudes towards romantic relationships to meet the challenges of modern society. Yet, not enough is known about the younger generation of collectivist youth and their evolving romantic habits and preferences. Therefore, the overarching goal of this thesis was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of cultural and familial influences in selecting a marital partner, maintaining a relationship, endorsing romantic beliefs, and anticipating future difficulties in marital life. In collectivist cultures, families tend to be characterized by respect for parental authority and strong, interdependent ties. Do these aspects of collectivism exert countervailing pressures on mate choices and relationship quality? In Study 1, I tested my predictions on a British sample by dividing participants into high or low collectivist groups based on their heritage cultural background, whereas in Study 2 I recruited participants from India and the United States. In both studies, I found that collectivism was associated with greater acceptance of parental influence over mate choice, thereby driving relationship commitment down, but collectivism was also associated with stronger family ties (referred to as family allocentrism), which drove commitment up (Study 2). Along similar lines, Study 1 found that collectivists’ greater acceptance of parental influence on mate choice contributed to their reduced relationship passion, whereas Study 2 found that their greater family allocentrism may have enhanced their passion. Study 2 also revealed that collectivists may have reported a smaller discrepancy between their own preferences for mates high in warmth and trustworthiness and their perception of their parents’ preferences for these qualities because of their stronger family allocentrism. However, their higher tolerance of parental V influence may have also contributed to a smaller discrepancy in their mate preferences versus their perceptions of their parents’ preferences for qualities signifying status and resources. Studies 3 and 4 moved away from familial dynamics and took a closer look at the cultural values of collectivism and gender role ideology. Previous studies have established that Indians tend to be greater in collectivism and gender role traditionalism than Americans. The purpose of Studies 3 and 4 was to examine whether these differences explained further cultural differences in romantic beliefs, traditional mate preferences, and anticipation of future difficulties in marital life. Results for both studies revealed that Indians reported greater collectivism than Americans and, in turn, held stronger romantic beliefs. Additionally, Indians’ greater collectivism, endorsement of more traditional gender roles and benevolent sexism in part predicted their preferences for a marital partner possessing traditional characteristics. Collectivism and gender role traditionalism accounted for Indians’ heightened concerns about encountering future difficulties in marital life in Study 3, while in Study 4 only collectivism explained these concerns. Overall, the results from these four studies shed light on the processes underlying cultural differences in relationship attitudes and preferences, and point to the need for greater cultural awareness and sensitivity to the diversity that exists in relationship functioning across societies.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-14T13:09:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 400365.pdf: 4935500 bytes, checksum: f7545a1c2dbcd929b30a8544b8c6616f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-03 / A erva-mate tem sido objeto de pesquisas entomol?gicas desde o s?culo passado, especialmente com esp?cies de grande import?ncia econ?mica, destacando-se Hedypathes betulinus (Klug, 1825) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) e Gyropsylla spegazziniana Lizer, 1917 (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Entretanto, o grupo com o maior n?mero de representantes associados ? esta cultura ? o dos lepid?pteros. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi contribuir para uma listagem mais atualizada dos lepid?pteros associados ? erva-mate. O inventariamento foi elaborado a partir de revis?o bibliogr?fica, exame de exemplares depositados em cole??es cient?ficas do Rio Grande do Sul, coletas sistematizadas em ervais comerciais, no munic?pio de Anta Gorda RS e coletas ocasionais em plantas nativas presentes no Campus Universit?rio da Regi?o dos Vinhedos (CARVI), em Bento Gon?alves, RS, da Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS). As coletas sistematizadas foram realizadas por inspe??o visual em 150 ?rvores, com periodicidade quinzenal, de 20/08/2005 a 19/08/2006. As lagartas foram criadas no Laborat?rio de Biologia do CARVI - UCS, sob temperatura de 25 ?1?C, UR 70?10%, fotofase 14 horas e alimentadas com folhas de erva-mate at? a obten??o dos adultos, ent?o preparados ? seco e incorporados na Cole??o do Laborat?rio de Biologia da UCS (CUCS) e do Museu de Ci?ncias e Tecnologia da Pontif?cia Universidade Cat?lica do Rio Grande do Sul (MCTP) como material testemunho. A determina??o do material foi realizada utilizando recursos bibliogr?ficos espec?ficos e envio ? especialistas. A nomenclatura foi atualizada atrav?s de obras de refer?ncia. A listagem registra 75 representantes pertencentes a 16 fam?lias entre os quais 27 constituem novas ocorr?ncias para a cultura e 14 novos registros de ocorr?ncia para o Rio Grande do Sul. Geometridae ? a fam?lia que apresenta maior aumento no n?mero de representantes, passando de 4 para 13 e Saturniidae ? a mais diversa, com 15. Lepid?pteros citados apenas a n?vel gen?rico, sem comprova??o por material testemunho, com discrep?ncia quanto a distribui??o geogr?fica e ou problemas de sinon?mia foram discutidos e deixaram de fazer parte da listagem.

遲敏瑜. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-89) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Chi Minyu.

I test canonical theories in the preference literature - evolutionary psychology, social role theory, and social exchange theory - using group mean comparisons to replicate basic sex differences in spouse preferences. I find that, consistent with past studies, males prefer attractiveness and females prefer resources in potential partners, and in general, we prefer partners who are similar, rather than different, to us. I also find that males who anticipate enacting the "traditional" male role of "provider" within their marriage tend to prefer spouses who would fulfill the caregiver role, compared to males who do not anticipate such "traditional" gender divisions within the family. Interestingly, females who anticipate the "traditional" caregiving role do not in turn prefer spouses who fulfill the "provider" role; they instead prefer a spouse who is family-oriented, as they themselves are. I further test four new theoretical derivations and methodological assessment techniques. First, I expand the test of social exchange theory to include a wide array of personality characteristics and find similarity between how respondents see themselves and the types of characteristics they prefer in a spouse. Second, I include an assessment of gender endorsement - how respondents see themselves in terms of characteristics we commonly associate with masculinity and femininity. Interestingly, I don't find the predicted complimentarity - that highly masculine individuals prefer highly feminine spouses and vice versa. I find instead strong homogamy effects, such that respondents with masculine self-perceptions prefer spouses who also embody those masculine traits, and respondents with feminine self-perceptions prefer spouses who also identify with feminine traits. Third, my data includes a wider age range of unmarried respondents than nearly all other preference studies, so I am able to test preference differences by age. I find that older unmarried adults are generally less "particular" in their preferences, compared to those unmarried adults still in college. Despite my predictions that age would be positively related to the desire for spouse characteristics associated with "growing up," essentially, age appears to be negatively related or unrelated to most spouse preferences. Fourth, I include factor analysis techniques that both replicate a past research study (which was pioneering for the field), and broach the possibility for latent variable assessment using a wider array of preference dimensions than have been previously considered. I find evidence of several underlying preference constructs which could, and should, be taken into account when conducting future preference studies.

Ilex paraguariensis, is used in the preparation of a widely popular tea beverage (Yerba Mate) mainly produced and consumed in the countries of Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Dialyzed aqueous extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Using a concentrated extract, S. aureus was found to be the more sensitive to extracts than E. coli O157:H7. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was defined as the lowest concentration of extract tested that did not allow bacterial growth (inhibition) above the original inoculums of approximately 5.0-6.0 log CFU/ml after 24 hr. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was defined as the lowest concentration tested where bacterial death (inactivation) was observed after 24 hr. MBCs were determined to be ca. 0.150- 0.800 mg protein equivalent/ml and 0.025-0.050 mg protein equivalent/ml against E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus respectively. Using a lyophilized extract, MICs were determined to be 5 mg/ml for two strains of E. coli O157:H7 and MBCs 5 mg/ml for E. coli O157:H7 strain ATCC 43894 and 10 mg/ml for E. coli O157:H7 strain ‘Cider’ in microbiological media. An approximately >4.5 log reduction was observed for E. coli O157:H7 treated with 40 mg/ml extract in modified apple juice, which approximate to the requirements of the United States Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR part 120). We demonstrated antimicrobial effectiveness of aqueous extracts after 24 hr at 1 and 2 mg/ml against all strains of methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius and of S. aureus tested respectively. An approximately >5 log reduction was observed in all strains at all concentrations after 24 hr. Methicllin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains appeared more susceptible to the extract than methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MSRP) strains. It was concluded that aqueous extracts of Yerba Mate demonstrated broad activity against foodborne, human, animal and plant pathogenic bacteria, including strains demonstrating resistance to certain antibiotics.

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) receptors serve a critical role in self/non-self recognition through the presentation of peptide antigen to circulating T lymphocytes and are also believed to play a role in mate selection. Through the development of antibodies to MHC homologues in trout, this report demonstrates the presence of MHC expression in germ cells, as well as a soluble form in seminal fluid. What role these immune molecules may perform in reproduction and mate selection is discussed. In addition, as ectotherms, fish are often subjected to low temperatures. Previous data indicates that the expression of these genes is abolished by low temperatures. Employing these same antibodies, this report further demonstrates that trout maintain the expression of MH I and its critical light chain component, beta-2-microglobulin when subjected to 2oC for 10 days. Expression of the MH II receptor sub-units however, was sensitive to both confinement stress and low-temperature in vivo, as well as to factors secreted from a known fungal pathogen in cultured macrophage. As the cause of "winter kill", Saprolegniales cultures induced homotypic aggregation and pro-inflammatory gene expression in the macrophage cell line, RTS11 as well as down-regulation of MH II. Though no evidence of fungal toxins was evident, fungal spore size appeared to exceed macrophage phagocytic capabilities. Taken together, such a loss of MH II expression at low temperature may allow for establishment of fungal and bacterial diseases and that upon the return to warmer temperatures, saprolegniales have the ability to maintain MH II down-regulation and evade immune recognition. Concurrent to the study of MH expression, this report includes the first cloning and characterization of calreticulin (CRT) in fish. Like its mammalian homologue and primary chaperone to MHC receptors and other immune proteins, trout CRT appears to be a single copy gene with ubiquitous tissue distribution, displaying anomalous migration as a doublet with relative molecular mass of 60kD. Despite its promoter containing endoplasmic reticulum stress elements (ERSE), trout CRT expression did not increase upon treatment with several calcium homeostasis antagonists. Treatment of peripheral blood leukocytes with phytohemaglutinin did reveal a qualitative increase in cell surface expression, as seen in mammals; however, cellular protein levels did not change, suggesting that, in trout, CRT function may be regulated through cellular sub-localization, rather than through changes in gene expression, as it is in mammals.

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) receptors serve a critical role in self/non-self recognition through the presentation of peptide antigen to circulating T lymphocytes and are also believed to play a role in mate selection. Through the development of antibodies to MHC homologues in trout, this report demonstrates the presence of MHC expression in germ cells, as well as a soluble form in seminal fluid. What role these immune molecules may perform in reproduction and mate selection is discussed. In addition, as ectotherms, fish are often subjected to low temperatures. Previous data indicates that the expression of these genes is abolished by low temperatures. Employing these same antibodies, this report further demonstrates that trout maintain the expression of MH I and its critical light chain component, beta-2-microglobulin when subjected to 2oC for 10 days. Expression of the MH II receptor sub-units however, was sensitive to both confinement stress and low-temperature in vivo, as well as to factors secreted from a known fungal pathogen in cultured macrophage. As the cause of "winter kill", Saprolegniales cultures induced homotypic aggregation and pro-inflammatory gene expression in the macrophage cell line, RTS11 as well as down-regulation of MH II. Though no evidence of fungal toxins was evident, fungal spore size appeared to exceed macrophage phagocytic capabilities. Taken together, such a loss of MH II expression at low temperature may allow for establishment of fungal and bacterial diseases and that upon the return to warmer temperatures, saprolegniales have the ability to maintain MH II down-regulation and evade immune recognition. Concurrent to the study of MH expression, this report includes the first cloning and characterization of calreticulin (CRT) in fish. Like its mammalian homologue and primary chaperone to MHC receptors and other immune proteins, trout CRT appears to be a single copy gene with ubiquitous tissue distribution, displaying anomalous migration as a doublet with relative molecular mass of 60kD. Despite its promoter containing endoplasmic reticulum stress elements (ERSE), trout CRT expression did not increase upon treatment with several calcium homeostasis antagonists. Treatment of peripheral blood leukocytes with phytohemaglutinin did reveal a qualitative increase in cell surface expression, as seen in mammals; however, cellular protein levels did not change, suggesting that, in trout, CRT function may be regulated through cellular sub-localization, rather than through changes in gene expression, as it is in mammals.