Spatiotemporal and Kinematic Comparisons Between Anthropometrically Paired Male and Female Soldiers While Walking With Heavy Loads

ABSTRACT Introduction Limited work comparing the effect of heavier carried loads (greater than 30 kg) between men and women has attributed observed differences to sex with the possibility that anthropometric differences may have contributed to those discrepancies. With the recent decision permitting women to enter Combat Arms roles, knowledge of sex-based differences in gait response to load carriage is more operationally relevant, as military loads are absolute and not relative to body weight. The purpose of this study was to describe differences in gait parameters at light to heavy loads between anthropometrically similar male and female soldiers. Materials and Methods Eight female and 8 male soldiers, frequency-matched (1-to-1) on height (±0.54 cm) and mass (±0.52 kg), walked at 1.34 m∙s−1 for 10-min bouts on a level treadmill while unloaded (BM) and then carrying randomized vest-borne loads of 15, 35, and 55 kg. Spatiotemporal and kinematic data were collected for 30 s after 5 min. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to compare the gait parameter variables between sexes at each load. Results As load increased, overall, the percent double support increased, step frequency increased, stride length decreased, hip and ankle range of motion (ROM) increased, and vertical center of mass (COM) displacement increased. Sex-based significant differences were observed in knee ROM and mediolateral COM displacement. Among the male participants, knee ROM increased significantly for all loads greater than BM. For mediolateral COM displacement, male remained constant as load increased, whereas female values decreased between BM and 35 kg. Conclusions Spatiotemporal and kinematic differences in gait parameters were primarily because of increases in load magnitude. The observed sex-related differences with increasing loads suggest that women may require a more stable gait to support the additional load carried.

Drosophila Sex Peptide controls the assembly of lipid microcarriers in seminal fluid

Seminal fluid plays an essential role in promoting male reproductive success and modulating female physiology and behavior. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, Sex Peptide (SP) is the best-characterized protein mediator of these effects. It is secreted from the paired male accessory glands (AGs), which, like the mammalian prostate and seminal vesicles, generate most of the seminal fluid contents. After mating, SP binds to spermatozoa and is retained in the female sperm storage organs. It is gradually released by proteolytic cleavage and induces several long-term postmating responses, including increased ovulation, elevated feeding, and reduced receptivity to remating, primarily signaling through the SP receptor (SPR). Here, we demonstrate a previously unsuspected SPR-independent function for SP. We show that, in the AG lumen, SP and secreted proteins with membrane-binding anchors are carried on abundant, large neutral lipid-containing microcarriers, also found in other SP-expressing Drosophila species. These microcarriers are transferred to females during mating where they rapidly disassemble. Remarkably, SP is a key microcarrier assembly and disassembly factor. Its absence leads to major changes in the seminal proteome transferred to females upon mating. Males expressing nonfunctional SP mutant proteins that affect SP’s binding to and release from sperm in females also do not produce normal microcarriers, suggesting that this male-specific defect contributes to the resulting widespread abnormalities in ejaculate function. Our data therefore reveal a role for SP in formation of seminal macromolecular assemblies, which may explain the presence of SP in Drosophila species that lack the signaling functions seen in D. melanogaster.

Anything He Can Do, She Can Do Better: Children’s Attitudes About Gender and Occupations

Children’s career aspirations are affected by cultural stereotypes about gender. We investigated rudimentary implicit associations and explicit gender attitudes about occupations with a diverse sample of fifty-eight (29 girls, 29 boys) 10-year-old children. We tested implicit gender associations using an adapted auditory Stroop task and tested explicit gender attitudes using the Gender-Stereotyped Attitude Scale for Children (GASC). We also modified a version of the GASC to assess children’s attitudes about a female and a male firefighter-paramedic seen in a brief video. Children also judged the firefighter-paramedics’ job skills. Children did not display implicit associations between occupations and one’s gender based on differences in the response times between the congruent and incongruent test trials that paired male and female voices with occupations, t(1762) = 0.65, p = .52, d = 0.03. Auditory voice stimuli might have confounded the tested associations between gender and occupations. The GASC findings highlighted gender stereotype flexibility about men and women. Girls were more flexible than boys on the job component of the GASC, t(56) = −2.12, p = .039, d = 0.55. The level of children’s gender stereotype flexibility varied by occupation. Children exhibited the most flexibility for who should be a doctor and the least flexibility for who should be a ballet dancer/teacher. Lastly, we assessed attitudes toward the specific woman featured in the video; children overwhelmingly saw her as a potentially good fire chief (vs. the man featured in the video; 91% selected Kate or both for who would be a better fire chief).

Development and implementation of a structured ward round in acute adult psychiatry

Delivering high quality care in acute psychiatry requires a coordinated approach from a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Weekly ward rounds are an important forum for reviewing a patient’s progress and developing a personalised care plan for the coming week. In general medicine, structured ward rounds and check lists have been shown to prevent omissions and improve patient safety; however, they are not widely used in psychiatry. At the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, the format of ward rounds differed between psychiatry wards and clinical teams, and care plans were not standardised. An audit in October 2015 found only 5% of acute psychiatric inpatients had a documented nursing care plan. It was agreed that a clear multidisciplinary care plan from the weekly ward round would be beneficial. A group of consultant psychiatrists identified seven key domains for ward round (Social needs, Community Mental Health Team liaison, Assessments required, Mental Health Act, Prescriptions: medication electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), T2/T3, Engagement with relatives and carers, Risk Assessment and Pass Plans). This was given the acronym SCAMPER. Following this, a clinical MDT on a paired male and female ward, developed and introduced a structured ward round sheet. Within 8 weeks this was being used for 100% of patients. It was subsequently introduced into three other acute adult psychiatry wards and the intensive psychiatric care unit. Staff feedback was sought verbally and via a questionnaire. This was positive. The form was widely accepted and staff felt it improved patient care and ward round quality.

Anatomic Morphometrics of the “Senene” Tettigoniid Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera: Conocephalidae) from North-West Tanzania

The morphometrics of Ruspolia differens (order: Orthoptera; family: Conocephalidae), the longhorn grasshopper that is widely known as senene by its Kiswahili name, was largely unclear although the species serves broadly as a delicacy relish snack. In this study, the anatomic morphometrics of this insect was critically inferred based on the samples that were collected from North-west Tanzania in April-May 2009. R. differens was revealed to have a number of unique anatomic features that can essentially serve in its diagnosis. These include the paired male metathoracic flaps, finger-like prosternal protuberances, hind femoral spines, subequal tibial black markings, and an obvious male biased antennal dimorphism.

Genital coupling and copulatory wounding in Drosophila teissieri (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

We report genital coupling of Drosophila teissieri Tsacas, 1971, a member of the Drosophila melanogaster species subgroup. The species subgroup consists of nine described species including the model organism Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830. Despite numerous studies on the biology of this group, our understanding of the evolutionary significance of the diversity in their genital structures is limited. This study provides evidence that (i) during the copulation, which lasts 41.1 min, a paired male genital part (dorsal branches of the basal processes of the aedeagus) open after being inserted into the female reproductive tract, (ii) female D. teissieri have a pair of pockets on the dorsal side of their genitalia that receive bifurcated spines of the male genitalia (ventral branches of the basal processes of the aedeagus), and (iii) male genital parts, especially unique strong spines of the cerci, cause multiple copulatory wounds on membranous areas of the female genitalia. Within the established phylogeny of the D. melanogaster species subgroup, we discuss possible functions of and evolutionary transitions in these genital structures.

Indirect selection on female extra-pair reproduction? Comparing the additive genetic value of maternal half-sib extra-pair and within-pair offspring

One specific hypothesis explaining the evolution of extra-pair reproduction (EPR) by socially monogamous females is that EPR is under indirect selection because extra-pair offspring (EPO) sired by extra-pair males have higher additive genetic value for fitness than the within-pair offspring (WPO) a female would have produced had she solely mated with her socially paired male. This hypothesis has not been explicitly tested by comparing additive genetic value between EPO and the WPO they replaced. We show that the difference in additive genetic breeding value (BV) between EPO and the WPO they replaced is proportional to the genetic covariance between offspring fitness and male net paternity gain through EPR, and estimate this covariance with respect to offspring recruitment in free-living song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ). Recruitment and net paternity gain showed non-zero additive genetic variance and heritability, and negative genetic covariance. Opposite to prediction, EPO therefore had lower BV for recruitment than the WPO they replaced. We thereby demonstrate an explicit quantitative genetic approach to testing the hypothesis that EPR allows polyandrous females to increase offspring additive genetic value, and suggest that there may be weak indirect selection against female EPR through reduced additive genetic value for recruitment of EPO versus WPO in song sparrows.