Maternal Programming of Reproductive Function and Behavior in the Female Rat

Parental investment can be used as a forecast for the environmental conditions in which offspring will develop to adulthood. In the rat, maternal behavior is transmitted to the next generation through epigenetic modifications such as methylation and histone acetylation, resulting in variations in estrogen receptor alpha expression. Natural variations in maternal care also influence the sexual strategy adult females will adopt later in life. Lower levels of maternal care are associated with early onset of puberty as well as increased motivation to mate and greater receptivity toward males during mating. Lower levels of maternal care are also correlated with greater activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis, responsible for the expression of these behaviors. Contrary to the transition of maternal care, sexual behavior cannot simply be explained by maternal attention, since adoption studies changed the sexual phenotypes of offspring born to low caring mothers but not those from high caring dams. Indeed, mothers showing higher levels of licking/grooming have embryos that are exposed to high testosterone levels during development, and adoption studies suggest that this androgen exposure may protect their offspring from lower levels of maternal care. We propose that in the rat, maternal care and the in utero environment interact to influence the reproductive strategy female offspring display in adulthood and that this favors the species by allowing it to thrive under different environmental conditions

Exploring the Role of Gender in Student Experiences of Middle School Physical Education

The middle years are “the most critical time of life to foster long-term engagement in physical activity, sport and exercise” (Doolittle, 2016, p.29). School-based physical education is one way to help foster this engagement. However, positive attitudes towards physical education decline from the start of the middle years to the end (Subramanium & Silverman, 2007). Gender differences have been found in levels of enjoyment, participation and perceived competence in middle years physical education, with girls recording lower scores in all categories (Cairney, 2012; Johnson, 2015). Stereotypical assumptions about hegemonic gender in middle years students persist in physical education (Larsson, Quennerstedt, & Öhman, 2014). If we can better understand the role that student gender may play in affective and participatory experiences of physical education, we can effectively tailor programs for middle years students. This study used a feminist ethnography to explore the physical education experiences of students and teachers from one grade five/six class. Unique to this class were their combined physical education classes with a grade-alike French-Immersion class in the same school. Over a three-month period, data was collected through extensive observations of physical education classes, document analysis, interviews and focus groups. The results can be understood through three themes: (i)“Our Class; (ii) Giving it Away; and (iii)“Strong Girls”. Results suggest that the unique structure of middle years where classes remain intact, presents an opportunity for developing classroom cultures that value diverse, safe, and respectful physical education environments. Once these physical education environments have been established, strategies to develop physical literacy may play an important role in creating more equitable participation when it comes to gender, and other marginalized groups. Suggestions for practitioners, such as implementing critical social justice education in their physical education classrooms, are discussed. Implications for future research including activist research are also discussed

The psychosocial interactions of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors and the possible relationship with their development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with cancer may be particularly affected by social interactions, as they can be grappling with both a serious illness and normal developmental challenges. The present research aims to increase the understanding of the psychosocial interactions of AYAs with cancer and how these interactions can be grouped and organised in relation to each other. Furthermore, this research hopes to examine the relationship that cancer has with the developmental trajectory of this population, and how social interactions influence this relationship. As development is an important aspect of this age group, it is appropriate to consider both psychosocial interactions and the development of AYA survivors. Qualitative interviews asked ten participants (aged 16-25 years) to describe their psychosocial interactions and examined how these might affect their development. Thematic analysis identified a range of themes including: the importance of personal privacy and controlled sharing of information, independence, identity formation, positivity, acknowledgement of cancer vs. being treated normally, and receiving support instead of supporting others. In the one year follow-up interviews with five participants, half of these themes remained constant; however the personal privacy, independence and supporting others themes changed. Development appeared to be impacted by cancer for both adolescents and young adults, but this impact lessened over a one-year period. A quantitative study followed, which involved asking thirty AYAs to sort psychosocial interactions using a GOPA card-sort process, resulting in a multidimensional model of interactions. Interactions were derived from a combination of the aforementioned interviews, and a similar model completed for an Honours thesis. This model showed that AYAs conceptualise interactions in two main ways: through their perception of emotional response (avoidance/discomfort interactions opposed support interactions) and empathy (empathic actions/encouragement interactions opposed thoughtlessness interactions). Unfortunately the sample size was too small to complete two separate models comparing age differences, and therefore an understanding of developmental disparities in conceptualising interactions was unable to occur. Overall, social interactions and developmental stage appear to influence AYAs’ experience of cancer. Together, these two studies provide an understanding of how AYAs in New Zealand experience and perceive psychosocial interactions. Furthermore, there is an enhanced understanding of the developmental impact that cancer has on AYAs’ interactions. This research proudly contributes to the body of knowledge on AYAs in New Zealand, their psychosocial needs and the way cancer impacts on their development

Alcohol education for Australian schools: What are the most effective programs?

A scientific approach to understanding what works and what does not, by using the best available evidence, can lead to policy and implementation decisions that are more effective in achieving desired outcomes. A systematic review was undertaken to assist schools to effectively utilise the evidence in order to decide on appropriate school alcohol education programs. A systematic review is a method of assessing whether a program is effective or not by collating all the research on a specific question and looking at the whole body of evidence together. Within each program type, the available studies were examined in detail by two researchers and assessed for both the quality of the research and the outcomes for students. Three programs, CLIMATE Schools (Australia), Project ALERT (USA) and All Stars (USA) had enough evidence to support their general use in schools. Four programs showed some evidence of good outcomes and may be suitable for use by some schools where those outcomes are high priority (Life Skills Program, SHAHRP, Unplugged EU-DAP, and Life Skills Training) especially if outcomes are monitored within the school. One program showed no evidence of positive effect (DARE) and two showed negative outcomes (such as increases in drinking) (Peer Acceleration Social Network (Project TND) and Take Charge of Your Life) and are not recommended for use in Australian schools. The remaining 29 programs showed inconclusive results (i.e. those with poor quality research, inconsistent effects, or only one available study) and are also not recommended for schools until further research is conducted. Common elements of effective programs included: accurate evidence based information about alcohol; a focus on social norms; an interactive presentation style; clear, achievable and measureable goals and objectives; teacher training and support; and a whole of school approach

Complex host-pathogen coevolution in the Apterostigma fungus-growing ant-microbe symbiosis

BACKGROUND: The fungus-growing ant-microbe symbiosis consists of coevolving microbial mutualists and pathogens. The diverse fungal lineages that these ants cultivate are attacked by parasitic microfungi of the genus Escovopsis. Previous molecular analyses have demonstrated strong phylogenetic congruence between the ants, the ants-cultivated fungi and the garden pathogen Escovopsis at ancient phylogenetic levels, suggesting coevolution of these symbionts. However, few studies have explored cophylogenetic patterns between these symbionts at the recent phylogenetic levels necessary to address whether these parasites are occasionally switching to novel hosts or whether they are diversifying with their hosts as a consequence of long-term host fidelity. RESULTS: Here, a more extensive phylogenetic analysis of Escovopsis lineages infecting the gardens of Apterostigma ants demonstrates that these pathogens display patterns of phylogenetic congruence with their fungal hosts. Particular clades of Escovopsis track particular clades of cultivated fungi, and closely-related Escovopsis generally infect closely-related hosts. Discordance between host and parasite phylogenies, however, provides the first evidence for occasional host-switches or acquisitions of novel infections from the environment. CONCLUSION: The fungus-growing ant-microbe association has a complex coevolutionary history. Though there is clear evidence of host-specificity on the part of diverse Escovopsis lineages, these pathogens have switched occasionally to novel host fungi. Such switching is likely to have profound effects on how these host and parasites adapt to one another over evolutionary time scales and may impact how disease spreads over ecological time scales

Arbuscular mycorrhizae play key role for mungbeans in low phosphorus soil

Mungbean has a high arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) dependency so there is a risk to production if growers do not adequately address phosphorus (P) nutrition. Gaps exist in current understanding of mungbean P nutrient requirements to maximise productivity, particularly if soil AMF levels are low at planting. A glasshouse trial of mungbean (cv. Jade-AU ) with factorial combinations of three AMF levels (NIL, LOW and HIGH) and eight P rates, was conducted. All mungbean plants increased in biomass and pod production as P level increased. However, lower AMF levels in the soil meant mungbean plants required higher rates of P to attain similar growth. If AMF levels are low following a long fallow of more than 12 months and/or soil P levels are deficient to low, the application of between 44 and 87 kg P/ha is required to maximise production

Pathways to Resilience Workshop Promotes Leadership and Peer Support

Pathways to Resilience (P2R) created a unique leadership program to help landmine survivors promote resilience and create secure collegial relationships. This article provides background regarding the curriculum and training activities and recounts how P2R helped survivors experience posttraumatic growth after tragedy