Dietary Mercury Exposure in Male Zebra Finches Does Not Decrease their Attractiveness to Females

Choosing a high-quality mate contributes strongly to increased reproductive success in birds. Female birds assess quality in males, in part, via condition-dependent signals such as male songs and plumage. The production of attractive signals can be disrupted by environmental stressors, however, including environmental toxins. Mercury, a globally-increasing pollutant, is one such toxin. Mercury exposure has been shown to affect song, plumage, bill color, and mating behaviors in male birds, but the effect of these changes on the outcome of female mate choice is unknown. These effects on condition-dependent signals indicate that mercury could potentially alter males’ attractiveness to females, as females use such traits to assess quality of potential mates. We sought to determine if male attractiveness to females is affected by dietary mercury exposure, using zebra finches as our model system. Males were either exposed to dietary mercury (1.2 ppm) or unexposed (0.0 ppm), and then assessed by unexposed females in three types of mate preference trials: song-only phonotaxis trials, that observed female preference for mercury-exposed or unexposed songs; two-choice association preference trials, that observed female preference for mercury-exposed or unexposed males in neighboring cages; and aviary pairing trials, in which females were given the opportunity to pair with either a mercury-exposed male or unexposed male. In phonotaxis trials and association trials, females did not spend more time near songs or males of one treatment over the other. In aviary pairing trials, females were equally likely to pair with males of either treatment. While mercury exposure is known to reduce reproductive output in zebra finches and other birds, our results suggest that females are not incorporating mercury-induced variation in male traits into their mate choice decisions. This raises questions about the future evolution of the avian mate choice system in an environment increasingly affected by toxins, as females experience fitness losses as a result of potentially poor mate choice decisions. If this is the case, then females are likely to respond to this sexual selection pressure by including toxin-mediated trait variation in their quality assessment mechanisms

Relationships of eating competence, sleep behaviors and quality, and overweight status among college students

Little is known about the relationships between eating competence (intra-individual approach to eating and food-related attitudes and behaviors that entrain positive bio-psychosocial outcomes) and sleep behaviors and quality in college students, a high-risk group for poor eating habits, weight gain, and inadequate sleep. Thus, data from full-time college students (N = 1035; 82% White; 61% female) aged 18–24 years from 5 U.S. universities were obtained from online questionnaires (eating competence (ecSI), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), physical activity, demographics) and physical assessments (measured height, weight), to explore sleep behavior and quality between eating-competent (EC; ecSI score ≥ 32) and non-EC groups (ecSI \u3c 32). Generalized linear models controlling for gender, body mass index, and physical activity were utilized. A higher proportion of those in the EC group reported adequate sleep quality (67% vs. 57% in non-EC, p = 0.001), sleep duration of ≥ 7 h nightly (58% vs. 50% in non-EC, p = 0.007), and infrequent daytime dysfunction (72% vs. 65% in non-EC, p = 0.02). When ecSI scores were grouped as tertiles, those in the highest tertile reported a higher prevalence of no sleep disturbances (7% vs. 2% in the lowest ecSI tertile, p = 0.006) and lower prevalence of sleep medication use (10% vs. 15% in the lowest ecSI tertile, p = 0.04). Results suggest that competent eaters are more likely to have better overall sleep quality and fewer sleep-related issuescompared to less competent eaters. These findings may inform future longitudinal studies, and health promotion and weight management interventions for young adults

Genetic studies of various Prosopis species (Leguminosae, Section Algarobia) co- occurring in oases of the Atacama Desert (northern Chile)

In the Atacama Desert from northern Chile (19– 24°S), Prosopis (Leguminosae) individuals are restricted to oases that are unevenly distributed and isolated from each other by large stretches of barren landscape constituting an interesting study model as the degree of connectivity between natural populations depends on their dispersal capacity and the barriers imposed by the landscape. Our goal was to assess the genetic diversity and the degree of differentiation among groups of Prosopis individuals of different species from Section Algarobia and putative hybrids (hereafter populations) co- occurring in these isolated oases from the Atacama Desert and determine whether genetic patterns are associated with dispersal barriers. Thirteen populations were sampled from oases located on three hydrographic basins (Pampa del Tamarugal, Rio Loa, and Salar de Atacama; northern, central, and southern basins, respectively). Individuals genotyped by eight SSRs show high levels of genetic diversity (HO = 0.61, Ar = 3.5) and low but significant genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.128, FST- ENA = 0.129, DJOST = 0.238). The AMOVA indicates that most of the variation occurs within individuals (79%) and from the variance among individuals (21%); almost, the same variation can be found between basins and between populations within basins. Differentiation and structure results were not associated with the basins, retrieving up to four genetic clusters and certain admixture in the central populations. Pairwise differentiation comparisons among populations showed inconsistencies considering their distribution throughout the basins. Genetic and geographic distances were significantly correlated at global and within the basins considered (p < .02), but low correlation indices were obtained (r < .37). These results are discussed in relation to the fragmented landscape, considering both natural and non- natural (humans) dispersal agents that may be moving Prosopis in the Atacama Desert.Fil: Bessega, Cecilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Génetica y Evolución. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Pometti, Carolina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Génetica y Evolución. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; ArgentinaFil: Fortunato, Renee Hersilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Morón. Facultad de Agronomía y Ciencias Agroalimentarias; ArgentinaFil: Greene, Francisca. San Pedro de Atacama, ChileFil: Santoro, Calogero M. Universidad de Tarapacá. Instituto de Alta Investigación; ChileFil: McRostie, Virginia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Escuela de Antropología. Centro del Desierto de Atacama; Chil

Concordance of Self-Report and Measured Height and Weight of College Students

Objective: This study examined associations between college students\u27 self-report and measured height and weight. Methods: Participants (N = 1,686) were 77% white, 62% female, aged 18–24 years (mean ± SD, 19.1 ± 1.1 years), and enrolled at 8 US universities. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated for self-report (via online survey); trained researchers measured height and weight and categorized them as normal (18.5 to \u3c 25), overweight (25 to \u3c 30), obese (30 to \u3c 35), and morbidly obese (≥ 35). Results: Concordance of self-report vs objectively measured BMI groups using chi-square revealed that 93% were accurate, 4% were underestimated, and 2.7% were overestimated. Pearson correlations and adjusted linear regression revealed significant associations between self-report and measured BMI (r = .97; P \u3c .001) and BMI adjusted for age, gender, and race/ethnicity (R2 = .94). Concordance was also high between BMI categories (kappa = 0.77; P \u3c .001). Conclusions and Implications: Findings provide support for the utility of self-report height and weight for survey research in college students

The Iowa Homemaker vol.18, no.6

A College Girl’s Creed by Ruth Jensen, page 1 Tea Timing in Taste by Harriet Beyer, page 2 You and I and Radio by Berniece Williams, page 3 Your Fortune in Fashion by Ruth Hubley Thayer, page 4 Flashes from the Field of Research by Myrtle Campbell, page 5 From Cellulose to Satin by Audrey Wells, page 6 Sally Suggests Wardrobe Resolutions by Barbara Field, page 7 What’s New in Home Economics edited by Marjorie Pettinger, page 8 Good Light for Good Sight by Virginia Thompson, page 10 Centerpiece Styles by Nancy Fifield, page 11 Explore Your Vocation by Helen Greene, page 12 Alums in the News by Grace Strohmeier, page 13 Behind Bright Jackets edited by Winnifred Cannon, page 14 Does Your Vocabulary Date You? by Eleanor White, page 15 Keeping Posted by the editor, page 1

Do Child Soldiers Influence UN Peacekeeping?

The use of child soldiers in conflicts has received increasing academic attention in recent years. This article examines post-conflict periods to see whether the use of child soldiers mobilizes United Nations peacekeeping operations (UN PKO) in the aftermath of a conflict. Taking into consideration how child soldiers affect conflict and how important their reintegration is to sustainable peace and post-conflict development, we analyse whether the presence of child soldiers in a civil war increases the likelihood of the presence of a PKO. We argue that the UN deems a conflict with child soldiers as a difficult case for conflict resolution, necessitating a response from the international community. This is in line with our empirical results confirming that the use of child soldiers significantly increases the likelihood of peacekeeping

Novel therapies for resistant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FONT) phase II clinical trial: study design

Abstract Background The lack of adequate randomized clinical trials (RCT) has hindered identification of new therapies that are safe and effective for patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), especially in patients who fail to respond to corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapies. Recent basic science advances have led to development of alternative treatments that specifically target aberrant pathways of fibrosis which are relevant to disease progression in FSGS. There is a need for a flexible Phase II study design which will test such novel antifibrotic strategies in order to identify agents suitable for phase III testing. Methods/Design The Novel Therapies for Resistant Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FONT) project is a multicenter Phase I/II RCT designed to investigate the potential efficacy of novel therapies for resistant FSGS. Adalimumab and galactose will be evaluated against conservative therapy consisting of the combination of lisinopril, losartan and atorvastatin. The sample size is defined to assure that if one of the treatments has a superior response rate compared to that of the other treatments, it will be selected with high probability for further evaluation. Comparison of primary and secondary endpoints in each study arm will enable a choice to be made of which treatments are worthy of further study in future Phase III RCT. Discussion This report highlights the key features of the FONT II RCT including the two-step outcome analysis that will expedite achievement of the study objectives. The proposed phase II study design will help to identify promising agents for further testing while excluding ineffective agents. This staged approach can help to prevent large expenditures on unworthy therapeutic agents in the management of serious but rare kidney diseases Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0081425