Inbred decorated crickets exhibit higher measures of macroparasitic immunity than outbred individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, S N; Barnett, C A; Pettinger, A M; Weddle, C B; Hunt, J; Sakaluk, S K

2010-09-01

Inbreeding is assumed to have negative effects on fitness, including the reduced ability to withstand immune challenges. We examined the immunological consequences of inbreeding in decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, by comparing lytic activity, phenoloxidase (PO) activity, and encapsulation ability of crickets from eight inbred lines with that of crickets from the outbred founder population. Surprisingly, crickets from inbred lines had a greater encapsulation ability compared with crickets from the outbred population. We suggest that because inbred crickets have reduced reproductive effort, they may, therefore, have the option of devoting more resources to this form of immunity than outbred individuals. We also found that both inbred and outbred females had higher immunity than males in PO activity and implant darkness. This result supports the hypothesis that females should devote more effort to somatic maintenance and immunity than males. PO activity and implant darkness were heritable in both males and females, but lytic activity was only heritable in females. Males and females differed in the heritability of, and genetic correlations among, immune traits, suggesting that differences in selective pressures on males and females may have resulted in a sexual conflict over optimal immune trait values.

Substrate texture affects female cricket walking response to male calling song

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento-Ponce, E. J.; Sutcliffe, M. P. F.; Hedwig, B.

2018-03-01

Field crickets are extensively used as a model organism to study female phonotactic walking behaviour, i.e. their attraction to the male calling song. Laboratory-based phonotaxis experiments generally rely on arena or trackball-based settings; however, no attention has been paid to the effect of substrate texture on the response. Here, we tested phonotaxis in female Gryllus bimaculatus, walking on trackballs machined from methyl-methacrylate foam with different cell sizes. Surface height variations of the trackballs, due to the cellular composition of the material, were measured with profilometry and characterized as smooth, medium or rough, with roughness amplitudes of 7.3, 16 and 180 µm. Female phonotaxis was best on a rough and medium trackball surface, a smooth surface resulted in a significant lower phonotactic response. Claws of the cricket foot were crucial for effective walking. Females insert their claws into the surface pores to allow mechanical interlocking with the substrate texture and a high degree of attachment, which cannot be established on smooth surfaces. These findings provide insight to the biomechanical basis of insect walking and may inform behavioural studies that the surface texture on which walking insects are tested is crucial for the resulting behavioural response.

Are attractive male crickets better able to pay the costs of an immune challenge?

Science.gov (United States)

Telemeco, Melissa S.C.; Bartholomay, Lyric C.

2015-01-01

Reproduction and immunity are fitness-related traits that trade-off with each other. Parasite-mediated theories of sexual selection suggest, however, that higher-quality males should suffer smaller costs to reproduction-related traits and behaviours (e.g., sexual display) from an immune challenge because these males possess more resources with which to deal with the challenge. We used Gryllus texensis field crickets to test the prediction that attractive males should better maintain the performance of fitness-related traits (e.g., calling effort) in the face of an immune challenge compared with unattractive males. We found no support for our original predictions. However, that immune activation causes attractive males to significantly increase their calling effort compared with unattractive males suggests that these males might terminally invest in order to compensate for decreased future reproduction. PMID:26713249

Are attractive male crickets better able to pay the costs of an immune challenge?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clint D. Kelly

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Reproduction and immunity are fitness-related traits that trade-off with each other. Parasite-mediated theories of sexual selection suggest, however, that higher-quality males should suffer smaller costs to reproduction-related traits and behaviours (e.g., sexual display from an immune challenge because these males possess more resources with which to deal with the challenge. We used Gryllus texensis field crickets to test the prediction that attractive males should better maintain the performance of fitness-related traits (e.g., calling effort in the face of an immune challenge compared with unattractive males. We found no support for our original predictions. However, that immune activation causes attractive males to significantly increase their calling effort compared with unattractive males suggests that these males might terminally invest in order to compensate for decreased future reproduction.

Food fight: sexual conflict over free amino acids in the nuptial gifts of male decorated crickets.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, S N; Hunt, J; Sakaluk, S K

2013-04-01

In decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, the spermatophore that a male transfers at mating includes a gelatinous spermatophylax that the female consumes, delaying her removal of the sperm-filled ampulla. Male fertilization success increases with the length of time females spend feeding on the spermatophylax, while females may benefit by prematurely discarding the spermatophylaxes of undesirable males. This sexual conflict should favour males that produce increasingly appealing spermatophylaxes, and females that resist this manipulation. To determine the genetic basis of female spermatophylax feeding behaviour, we fed spermatophylaxes to females of nine inbred lines and found that female genotype had a major influence on spermatophylax feeding duration. The amino acid composition of the spermatophylax was also significantly heritable. There was a positive genetic correlation between spermatophylax feeding duration and the gustatory appeal of the spermatophylax. This correlation suggests that genes expressed in males that produce more manipulative spermatophylaxes are positively linked to genes expressed in females that make them more vulnerable to manipulation. Outbred females spent less time feeding on spermatophylaxes than inbred females, and thus showed greater resistance to male manipulation. Further, in a nonspermatophylax producing cricket (Acheta domesticus), females were significantly more prone to feeding on spermatophylaxes than outbred female Gryllodes. Collectively, these results suggest a history of sexually antagonistic coevolution over the consumption of nuptial food gifts. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2013 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

The effect of maternal and paternal immune challenge on offspring immunity and reproduction in a cricket.

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, K B; van Lieshout, E; Simmons, L W

2014-06-01

Trans-generational immune priming is the transmission of enhanced immunity to offspring following a parental immune challenge. Although within-generation increased investment into immunity demonstrates clear costs on reproductive investment in a number of taxa, the potential for immune priming to impact on offspring reproductive investment has not been thoroughly investigated. We explored the reproductive costs of immune priming in a field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus. To assess the relative importance of maternal and paternal immune status, mothers and fathers were immune-challenged with live bacteria or a control solution and assigned to one of four treatments in which one parent, neither or both parents were immune-challenged. Families of offspring were reared to adulthood under a food-restricted diet, and approximately 10 offspring in each family were assayed for two measures of immunocompetence. We additionally quantified offspring reproductive investment using sperm viability for males and ovary mass for females. We demonstrate that parental immune challenge has significant consequences for the immunocompetence and, in turn, reproductive investment of their male offspring. A complex interaction between maternal and paternal immune status increased the antibacterial immune response of male offspring. This increased immune response was associated with a reduction in son's sperm viability, implicating a trans-generational resource trade-off between investment into immunocompetence and reproduction. Our data also show that these costs are sexually dimorphic, as daughters did not demonstrate a similar increase in immunity, despite showing a reduction in ovary mass. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Physiological, movement and technical demands of centre-wicket Battlezone, traditional net-based training and one-day cricket matches: a comparative study of sub-elite cricket players.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickery, Will; Dascombe, Ben; Duffield, Rob

2014-01-01

This study compared physiological, physical and technical demands of Battlezone, traditional cricket training and one-day matches. Data were initially collected from 11 amateur, male cricket players (age: 22.2 ± 3.3 year, height: 1.82 ± 0.06 m body mass: 80.4 ± 9.8 kg) during four Battlezone and four traditional cricket training sessions encompassing different playing positions. Heart rate, blood lactate concentration, rating of perceived exertion and movement patterns of players were measured. Retrospective video analysis was performed to code for technical outcomes. Similar data were collected from 42 amateur, male cricket players (23.5 ± 4.7 year, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 81.4 ± 11.4 kg) during one-day matches. Significant differences were found between Battlezone, traditional cricket training and one-day matches within each playing position. Specifically, Battlezone invoked the greatest physiological and physical demands from batsmen in comparison to traditional cricket training and one-day matches. However, the greatest technical demand for batsmen was observed during traditional cricket training. In regards to the other playing positions, a greater physiological, physical and technical demand was observed during Battlezone and traditional training than during one-day matches. These results suggest that the use of Battlezone and traditional cricket training provides players with a suitable training stimulus for replicating the physiological, physical and technical demands of one-day cricket.

The evolution of polyandry: patterns of genotypic variation in female mating frequency, male fertilization success and a test of the sexy-sperm hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, L W

2003-07-01

The sexy-sperm hypothesis predicts that females obtain indirect benefits for their offspring via polyandy, in the form of increased fertilization success for their sons. I use a quantitative genetic approach to test the sexy-sperm hypothesis using the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Previous studies of this species have shown considerable phenotypic variation in fertilization success when two or more males compete. There were high broad-sense heritabilities for both paternity and polyandry. Patterns of genotypic variance were consistent with X-linked inheritance and/or maternal effects on these traits. The genetic architecture therefore precludes the evolution of polyandry via a sexy-sperm process. Thus the positive genetic correlation between paternity in sons and polyandry in daughters predicted by the sexy-sperm hypothesis was absent. There was significant heritable variation in the investment by females in ovaries and by males in the accessory gland. Surprisingly there was a very strong genetic correlation between these two traits. The significance of this genetic correlation for the coevolution of male seminal products and polyandry is discussed.

Cricket club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket club

2010-01-01

The start of the Cricket season is upon us! Net practice takes place each Thursday evening from 15 April onwards, at the CERN Prévessin site, starting at 18:00 (http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/CricketField.pdf). All newcomers will be made very welcome. The first practice match will be on Sunday, 18 April. Information about the CERN Cricket Club and the current fixture list for 2010 can be found on the web at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/  

Divergence in male cricket song and female preference functions in three allopatric sister species.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennig, Ralf Matthias; Blankers, Thomas; Gray, David A

2016-05-01

Multivariate female preference functions for male sexual signals have rarely been investigated, especially in a comparative context among sister species. Here we examined male signal and female preference co-variation in three closely related, but allopatric species of Gryllus crickets and quantified male song traits as well as female preferences. We show that males differ conspicuously in either one of two relatively static song traits, carrier frequency or pulse rate; female preference functions for these traits also differed, and would in combination enhance species discrimination. In contrast, the relatively dynamic song traits, chirp rate and chirp duty cycle, show minimal divergence among species and relatively greater conservation of female preference functions. Notably, among species we demonstrate similar mechanistic rules for the integration of pulse and chirp time scales, despite divergence in pulse rate preferences. As these are allopatric taxa, selection for species recognition per se is unlikely. More likely sexual selection combined with conserved properties of preference filters enabled divergent coevolution of male song and female preferences.

Chemical cues mediate species recognition in field crickets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frances eTyler

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs are important in mate choice in many insects, and may be used for species recognition if CHC profiles differ between potentially hybridizing species. In the sibling field cricket species Gryllus campestris and G. bimaculatus, females of G. bimaculatus are tolerant towards G. campestris males and can mate with them. However, G. campestris females are highly aggressive towards heterospecific G. bimaculatus males, and matings between them never happen. We examined whether cricket females might use CHCs to determine the species identity of their potential mates. We firstly analyzed the cuticular chemical profile by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to assess the potential of CHCs to be used for species recognition in these crickets. We then manipulated females’ ability to detect chemical cues by carrying out chemical ablation of the antennae, and measured changes in aggressive responses to heterospecific males. We show that there are significant interspecies differences in CHC expression for both sexes, and that females with chemically ablated antennae reduce aggressive behavior towards heterospecific males. Our findings support the prediction that cuticular semiochemicals can play a key role in reproductive isolation between closely related insect species.

Nutritional effects on male calling behaviour in the variable field cricket.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner; Hoback

1999-01-01

In the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, females prefer higher chirp rates and longer chirp durations in male calling song. Higher chirp rates are energetically more expensive to produce, but the energetic cost of calling does not vary with chirp duration. We tested the hypothesis that nutrition affects male chirp rate and chirp duration. Full-sibling brothers of similar age were placed on high- and low-nutrition feeding regimes. There was no effect of feeding regime on male weight; neither group showed a significant change in weight, and the two groups did not differ from each other in weight change. However, males on the high-nutrition feeding regime both called more frequently and called at higher chirp rates when they did call. The two groups did not differ in chirp duration, the duration of pulses within chirps or chirp dominant frequency. These results suggest that females select mates based on one nutrition-dependent call character (chirp rate) and one nutrition-independent call character (chirp duration). In addition, because males in the two groups did not show significant differences in weight change, and because males on the high-nutrition feeding regime engaged in energetically more expensive calling, these results suggest that males invest any excess energy above their basic maintenance requirements in the production of call types that increase their attractiveness to females. The absence of a relationship between body condition and calling song structure for males in the field may be a consequence of this pattern of energy allocation. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2012-01-01

  The start of the 2012 Cricket season is only days away!  The CERN club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Net practice takes place each Thursday evening from 19 April onwards, at the CERN Prévessin site (http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/CricketField.pdf), from 18:00 to around 19:30. The first practice match will be on Sunday, 22 April.  Information about the CERN Cricket Club and the current fixture list for 2012 can be found on the web at: http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/.

Comparing Social and Intellectual Appeals to Reduce Disgust of Eating Crickets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheppard, Barry

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective. Research on disgust, to date, has focused on general sensitivity. This experiment looks at disgust specific to eating crickets, how it can be reduced, whether there are differences with gender and whether age correlate with that disgust. Methods. A convenience sample of 352 participants completed an online questionnaire, were randomly assigned into groups who viewed an intellectual appeal (text or a social appeal (video. They rated before and after, as a measure of disgust, their likelihood of eating a whole cricket and also a bar which contained cricket flour. Results. Members of the social appeal group had a significantly greater change in likelihood to eat a cricket bar (p = .028, BF10 = 3.92, but not a whole cricket (p = .316, BF10 = 0.13. Female participants were less likely than male participants to eat a whole cricket (p < .001, BF10 = 4828.84 or a cricket bar (p = .001, BF10 = 181.18. Older participants were less likely to eat a whole cricket (p = .01, BF10 = 4.98 or a cricket bar (p = .005, BF10 = 34.12. Conclusions. Results support the role of social influence in disgust of eating crickets.

CERN Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

CERN Cricket Club

2010-01-01

CERN Cricket Club Match Reports The cricket season is well under way, despite the weather, and several matches have been played. The match reporters have, however, found it too difficult to limit their reports to ¼ of a page, hence the reports have not appeared in the bulletin. All reports can be found at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/reports/reports.html The list of forthcoming matches can be consulted at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/fixtures.html Further information about the CERN Cricket Club can be found at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/

CRICKET

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2013-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club has played 18 matches so far this season, winning 12 and losing 6, with 12 fixtures remaining before the end of the season. As match reports are too long to be included in the weekly bulletin, the full reports and the schedule, which includes a weekend trip to Milan at the end of September, can be found under “Matches (Fixtures, results, reports)” on the Cricket Club web site at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ Anyone interested in playing cricket is welcome to join us at net practice, which takes place on the Prévessin site each Thursday evening from 18:00 to around 19:30 (weather permitting).

Sexually transmitted parasites and host mating behavior in the decorated cricket

OpenAIRE

Lien T. Luong; Harry K. Kaya

2005-01-01

Sexually transmitted diseases play a potentially important role in the ecology and evolution of host mating behavior. Here, we use a sexually transmitted nematode-cricket (Mehdinema alii--Gryllodes sigillatus) system to examine the effects of parasitism on host mating activity and female choice. Previous work has shown that infected male crickets produce a significantly smaller nuptial gift (spermatophylax) than uninfected males. This is expected to result in reduced spermatophylax feeding du...

Age-dependent variation in the terminal investment threshold in male crickets.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffield, Kristin R; Hampton, Kylie J; Houslay, Thomas M; Hunt, John; Rapkin, James; Sakaluk, Scott K; Sadd, Ben M

2018-03-01

The terminal investment hypothesis proposes that decreased expectation of future reproduction (e.g., arising from a threat to survival) should precipitate increased investment in current reproduction. The level at which a cue of decreased survival is sufficient to trigger terminal investment (i.e., the terminal investment threshold) may vary according to other factors that influence expectation for future reproduction. We test whether the terminal investment threshold varies with age in male crickets, using heat-killed bacteria to simulate an immune-inducing infection. We measured calling effort (a behavior essential for mating) and hemolymph antimicrobial activity in young and old males across a gradient of increasing infection cue intensity. There was a significant interaction between the infection cue and age in their effect on calling effort, confirming the existence of a dynamic terminal investment threshold: young males reduced effort at all infection levels, whereas old males increased effort at the highest levels relative to naïve individuals. A lack of a corresponding decrease in antibacterial activity suggests that altered reproductive effort is not traded against investment in this component of immunity. Collectively, these results support the existence of a dynamic terminal investment threshold, perhaps accounting for some of the conflicting evidence in support of terminal investment. © 2018 The Author(s). Evolution © 2018 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2011-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club has had a good start to the season, winning five and losing two matches, with one cancelled due to torrential rain in the South of France. Reports of the matches can be found on the Cricket Club web site at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ under “Match reports”. The schedule of matches can be found under “Fixtures”. Anyone interested in playing cricket is welcome to join us at net practice, which takes place every week at 18:00 on the Prevessin site.

Plant volatile eliciting FACs in lepidopteran caterpillars, fruit flies and crickets: a convergent evolution or phylogenetic inheritance?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naoko eYoshinaga

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Fatty acid amino acid conjugates (FACs, first identified in lepidopteran caterpillar spit as elicitors of plant volatile emission, also have been reported as major components in gut tracts of Drosophila melanogaster and cricket Teleogryllus taiwanemma. The profile of FAC analogs in these two insects was similar to that of tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, showing glutamic acid conjugates predominantly over glutamine conjugates. The physiological function of FACs is presumably to enhance nitrogen assimilation in Spodoptera litura larvae, but in other insects it is totally unknown. Whether these insects share a common synthetic mechanism of FACs is also unclear. In this study, the biosynthesis of FACs was examined in vitro in five lepidopteran species (M. sexta, Cephonodes hylas, silkworm, S. litura, and Mythimna separata, fruit fly larvae and T. taiwanemma. The fresh midgut tissues of all of the tested insects showed the ability to synthesize glutamine conjugates in vitro when incubated with glutamine and sodium linolenate. Such direct conjugation was also observed for glutamic acid conjugates in all the insects but the product amount was very small and did not reflect the in vivo FAC patterns in each species. In fruit fly larvae, the predominance of glutamic acid conjugates could be explained by a shortage of substrate glutamine in midgut tissues, and in M. sexta, a rapid hydrolysis of glutamine conjugates has been reported. In crickets, we found an additional unique biosynthetic pathway for glutamic acid conjugates. T. taiwanemma converted glutamine conjugates to glutamic acid conjugates by deaminating the side chain of the glutamine moiety. Considering these findings together with previous results, a possibility that FACs in these insects are results of convergent evolution can not be ruled out, but it is more likely that the ancestral insects had the glutamine conjugates and crickets and other insects developed glutamic acid conjugates in a

Cricket club

CERN Document Server

Cricket club

2017-01-01

Cern Cricket Club The CERN Cricket Club 2017 season begins soon, the first net practice is scheduled (weather permitting) for Thursday April 13th, at 18:00! The club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Anyone who is interested in joining the club should sign up on our web site: http://cern.ch/cricket/. Or turn up for net practice, which takes place each Thursday evening (apart from CERN official holidays) until the end of September (starting at 18:00 to around 19:30) at the CERN Prévessin site: http://cern.ch/cricket/CERN-Ground.html.

CRICKET CLUB

CERN Multimedia

CRICKET CLUB

2013-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club 2013 season begins soon! The club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Anyone who is interested in joining the club should sign up on our web site: http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ or turn up for net practice, which takes place each Thursday evening from April 18th until the end of September (starting at 18:00 to around 19:30) at the CERN Prévessin site: http://club-cricket.web.cern.ch/Club-Cricket/CERN-Ground.html The first match will be at home on Sunday, April 21st against Rhone CC from Lyon.

CRICKET CLUB

CERN Document Server

Cricket Club

2012-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club is now midway through the season and has had mixed fortunes, winning seven and losing five matches, with one drawn last weekend against the Fleet Street Strollers. Two wins were recorded against Trafford Solicitors in Bellingham in the north of England only days after the heaviest rainfall in the North East in living memory, read the detailed match report online to see what the grounds man had to say when we insisted on playing! Reports of all matches can be found on the Cricket Club web site at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ under “ Matches (Fixtures, results, reports) ”. The schedule of matches can be found under “Fixtures”. Upcoming fixtures include the Eifion Jones Single Wicket Competition on August 19th and away matches against Rhone CC in Lyon and against Milan and Euratom Cricket clubs in Settimo Milanese in September. Anyone interested in playing cricket is welcome to join us at net practice, which takes place on Thursday every week...

Prevalence of cricket-related musculoskeletal pain among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cricket is a dynamic sport that involves many abstract skills and movements. ..... bowlers, fielders and wicket-keepers) and the different types of injuries sustained. An injury .... Gender: Male. Female. Race: ... Shoulder external rotation. Cubitus ...

Cricket club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket club

2017-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 30th November 2017 at 18:30 Restaurant No.1 (NOVAE) Draft Agenda Opening / Adoption of agenda/Apologies for absence Minutes of the 2016 AGM Captain's Report for 2017 Treasurer's Report for 2017 Groundsman's Report for 2017 Kit Report for 2017 Election of Officers for 2018 Cricket Switzerland  affairs and CERN Fixtures for 2018 CERN umpires New EU rules on personal data Any other business Close of meeting Offices up for election are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Captain, Vice-Captain, Treasurer, Groundsman, coach, social convenor and match manager organiser. Any nominations should be sent to the Secretary in time for the Meeting. For more details on the CERN Cricket Club, see the web page http://cern.ch/cricket/.

Cricket club

CERN Document Server

Cricket club

2017-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 30th November 2017 at 18:30 Restaurant No.1 (NOVAE) Draft Agenda Opening/Adoption of agenda/Apologies for absence Minutes of the 2016 AGM Captain's Report for 2017 Treasurer's Report for 2017 Groundsman's Report for 2017 Kit Report for 2017 Election of Officers for 2018 Cricket Switzerland  affairs and CERN Fixtures for 2018 CERN umpires New EU rules on personal data Any other business Close of meeting Offices up for election are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Captain, Vice-Captain, Treasurer, Groundsman, coach, social convenor and match manager organiser. Any nominations should be sent to the Secretary in time for the Meeting. For more details on the CERN Cricket Club, see the web page http://cern.ch/cricket/.

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2013-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club has had a mixed first month of what has been the wettest and coldest start to a season ever, winning two and losing two matches, with one cancelled. Information about the club can be found on the Cricket Club web site at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ Reports of the matches can be found under “Matches (Fixtures, results, reports)” and the schedule, which includes weekend trips to the South of France, Bellingham (UK), and Milan, can be found under “Fixtures”. Anyone interested in playing cricket is welcome to join us at net practice, which takes place on the Prevessin site each Thursday evening from 18:00 to around 19:30 (weather permitting – several sessions have already been cancelled due to the inclement weather).

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2016-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club 2016 season begins soon, the first net practice is scheduled (weather permitting) for Thursday April 14th, at 18:00!  The club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Anyone who is interested in joining the club should sign up on our web site: http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ or turn up for net practice, which takes place each Thursday evening (apart from CERN official holidays) until the end of September (starting at 18:00 to around 19:30) at the CERN Prévessin site: http://club-cricket.web.cern.ch/Club-Cricket/CERN-Ground.html There will be an indoor game at the Bout-du-Monde on April 3rd and the season starts with a match at home on Sunday, April 24th against Rhone CC from Lyon.

Cricket Club

CERN Document Server

Cricket Club

2012-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 26th November 2012 at 18:30 Restaurant No 1 (NOVAE) Draft Agenda Opening/Adoption of agenda/Apologies for absence Minutes of the 2011 AGM Captain's Report for 2012 Treasurer's Report for 2012 Groundsman's and Kit Report for 2012 Election of Officers for 2013 SCA affairs and CERN Fixtures for 2013 Any other business Close of meeting Offices up for election are: Secretary, Captain, Vice-captain, Treasurer and Groundsman. Any nominations should be sent to the Secretary in time for the Meeting. For more details on the CERN Cricket Club, see the web page http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/

CERN Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2014-01-01

CERN CRICKET CLUB   The CERN Cricket Club 2014 season has been a good one so far with the team qualifying for the Swiss Cup semi-finals, with home advantage on the Prevessin ground on Sunday, August 24th. Their opponents will only be known the day before when the final game in the Eastern Division is played.  The CERN ground hasn’t quite recovered from the Bosons&More party last year, the wet weather making it impossible to roll the ground, but the new, wider strip is a big improvement. Net practice eventually started in late July, which is probably why the results at the beginning of the season weren’t so good. As match reports are too long to be included in the weekly bulletin, the full reports and the schedule can be found under “Matches (Fixtures, results, reports)” on the Cricket Club web site at http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/    Anyone interested in playing cricket is welcome to join us at net practice, which takes pla...

The effects of mental fatigue on cricket-relevant performance among elite players.

Science.gov (United States)

Veness, Darren; Patterson, Stephen David; Jeffries, Owen; Waldron, Mark

2017-12-01

This study investigated the effects of a mentally fatiguing test on physical tasks among elite cricketers. In a cross-over design, 10 elite male cricket players from a professional club performed a cricket run-two test, a Batak Lite reaction time test and a Yo-Yo-Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (Yo-Yo-IR1) test, providing a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) after completing a 30-min Stroop test (mental fatigue condition) or 30-min control condition. Perceived fatigue was assessed before and after the two conditions and motivation was measured before testing. There were post-treatment differences in the perception of mental fatigue (P performance.

Influence of the male ejaculate on post-mating prezygotic barriers in field crickets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erica L Larson

Full Text Available Post-copulatory interactions between males and females involve highly coordinated, complex traits that are often rapidly evolving and divergent between species. Failure to produce and deposit eggs may be a common post-mating prezygotic barrier, yet little is known about what prevents the induction of egg-laying between species. The field crickets, Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus are isolated by a one-way reproductive incompatibility; G. pennsylvanicus males fail to fertilize G. firmus eggs or to induce normal egg-laying in G. firmus females. We use experimental crosses to elucidate the role of accessory gland-derived vs. testis-derived components of the G. firmus male ejaculate on egg-laying in conspecific and heterospecific crosses. Using surgical castrations to create 'spermless' males that transfer only seminal fluid proteins (SFPs we test whether G. firmus male SFPs can induce egg-laying in conspecific crosses and rescue egg-laying in crosses between G. pennsylvanicus males and G. firmus females. We find G. firmus SFPs induce only a small short-term egg-laying response and that SFPs alone cannot explain the normal induction of egg-laying. Gryllus firmus SFPs also do not rescue the heterospecific cross. Testis-derived components, such as sperm or prostaglandins, most likely stimulate egg-laying or act as transporters for SFPs to targets in the female reproductive tract. These results highlight the utility of experimental approaches for investigating the phenotypes that act as barriers between species and suggest that future work on the molecular basis of the one-way incompatibility between G. firmus and G. pennsylvanicus should focus on divergent testis-derived compounds or proteins in addition to SFPs.

CERN Cricket club

CERN Multimedia

CERN Cricket club

2015-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club 2015 season begins soon, the first net practice is scheduled (weather permitting) for Thursday April 16th, at 18:00! The club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Anyone who is interested in joining the club should sign up on our web site: http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ or turn up for net practice, which takes place each Thursday evening from April 16th (apart from CERN official holidays) until the end of September (starting at 18:00 to around 19:30) at the CERN Prévessin site: http://club-cricket.web.cern.ch/Club-Cricket/CERN-Ground.html The first match will be at home on Sunday, April 19th against Rhone CC from Lyon.

A 3-year prospective study on ocular injuries with tennis or cricket ball while playing cricket: A case series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santosh Kumar Mahapatra

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study is to study the clinical features, visual outcome, management, and ocular complications of ocular injury, following trauma with tennis or cricket ball. Methods: A prospective, noncomparative case study of patients having injury with tennis/cricket ball while playing cricket was conducted between January 2013 and April 2016. Seventy-six eyes of 76 patients were studied. Presenting vision, age, gender, time since injury, general and ocular examination, intraocular pressure, indirect ophthalmoscopy, B scan, and X-ray/computed tomography scan findings were noted. Patients were managed medically or surgically as per the need and followed up at least for 6 months. Results: Seventy-six eyes of 76 patients were studied. All cases were male, except two. Majority (80.2% were <25 years. Median presenting visual acuity (VA was 6/36 and median final VA was 6/18. Significant findings in the decreasing order of frequency were sphincter tear (26.3%, retinal detachment (23.6%, angle recession (18.4%, choroidal rupture (17.1%, and Berlin's edema (15.7%. Most of the cases (69.7% were managed medically. Only 30.2% cases needed surgical intervention. Final visual outcome in our study was depended on initial VA (P = 0.000. It was also correlating with presenting clinical feature (P = 0.010 and type of intervention (medical/surgical (P = 0.001. Conclusion: Cricket-related ocular injury generally has a poor prognosis with most cases being closed globe injury; retinal detachment is the most common vision-threatening presentation. In spite of being a common event, cricket-related injury is sparingly documented and hence needs further studies for proper documentation, prognostication, and formulation of definitive management plan.

Injuries in Cricket.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardiwala, Dinshaw N; Rao, Nandan N; Varshney, Ankit V

Cricket is a popular global sport that requires a combination of physical fitness, skill, and strategy. Although a noncontact sport, overuse and impact injuries are common since players engage in a wide range of physical activities, including running, throwing, batting, bowling, catching, and diving. Significant or match time-loss injuries are defined as those that either prevent a player from being fully available for selection in a major match, or during a major match, cause a player to be unable to bat, bowl, or keep wicket when required by either the rules or the team's captain. This review describes the various region-wise injuries sustained in cricket along with their epidemiology, biomechanics, treatment, and prevention. Data were collected from peer-reviewed articles (obtained via PubMed search) published through November 2016 that involved the medical, biomechanical, and epidemiological aspects of cricket injuries. Clinical review. Level 4. Cricket was one of the first sports to publish recommended methods for injury surveillance in 2005 from England, South Africa, Australia, the West Indies, and India. While the incidence of injuries is about the same, the prevalence of injuries has increased due to game format changes, increasing number of matches played, and decreased rest between matches. Bowling (41.3%), fielding, and wicket keeping (28.6%) account for most injuries. Acute injuries are most common (64%-76%), followed by acute-on-chronic (16%-22.8%) and chronic ones (8%-22%). The most common modern-day cricket injury is hamstring strain, and the most severe is lumbar stress fracture in young fast bowlers. With improved understanding of the scientific and medical aspects of cricket, along with advances in surgical and nonsurgical treatment techniques, the time to return to play has shortened considerably. While the prevalence of cricket injuries has increased, their severity has decreased over the past decades.

Auditory orientation in crickets: Pattern recognition controls reactive steering

Science.gov (United States)

Poulet, James F. A.; Hedwig, Berthold

2005-10-01

Many groups of insects are specialists in exploiting sensory cues to locate food resources or conspecifics. To achieve orientation, bees and ants analyze the polarization pattern of the sky, male moths orient along the females' odor plume, and cicadas, grasshoppers, and crickets use acoustic signals to locate singing conspecifics. In comparison with olfactory and visual orientation, where learning is involved, auditory processing underlying orientation in insects appears to be more hardwired and genetically determined. In each of these examples, however, orientation requires a recognition process identifying the crucial sensory pattern to interact with a localization process directing the animal's locomotor activity. Here, we characterize this interaction. Using a sensitive trackball system, we show that, during cricket auditory behavior, the recognition process that is tuned toward the species-specific song pattern controls the amplitude of auditory evoked steering responses. Females perform small reactive steering movements toward any sound patterns. Hearing the male's calling song increases the gain of auditory steering within 2-5 s, and the animals even steer toward nonattractive sound patterns inserted into the speciesspecific pattern. This gain control mechanism in the auditory-to-motor pathway allows crickets to pursue species-specific sound patterns temporarily corrupted by environmental factors and may reflect the organization of recognition and localization networks in insects. localization | phonotaxis

The complex interplay between macronutrient intake, cuticular hydrocarbon expression and mating success in male decorated crickets.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapkin, J; Jensen, K; House, C M; Sakaluk, S K; Sakaluk, J K; Hunt, J

2017-04-01

The condition dependence of male sexual traits plays a central role in sexual selection theory. Relatively little, however, is known about the condition dependence of chemical signals used in mate choice and their subsequent effects on male mating success. Furthermore, few studies have isolated the specific nutrients responsible for condition-dependent variation in male sexual traits. Here, we used nutritional geometry to determine the effect of protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) intake on male cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) expression and mating success in male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus). We show that both traits are maximized at a moderate-to-high intake of nutrients in a P:C ratio of 1 : 1.5. We also show that female precopulatory mate choice exerts a complex pattern of linear and quadratic sexual selection on this condition-dependent variation in male CHC expression. Structural equation modelling revealed that although the effect of nutrient intake on mating success is mediated through condition-dependent CHC expression, it is not exclusively so, suggesting that other traits must also play an important role. Collectively, our results suggest that the complex interplay between nutrient intake, CHC expression and mating success plays an important role in the operation of sexual selection in G. sigillatus. © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Cricket club looking for new players

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2016-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club, having lost several key players, has had a very difficult season so far and is desperately in need of new players. Having qualified for the Cricket Switzerland semi-finals for the last two years (unfortunately losing both), this year we are bottom of the Western Pool, having played the last two league matches with only 10 players. If you are interested in playing cricket please join us at net practice, which takes place on the Prevessin site each Thursday evening from 18:00 to around 20:00 (weather permitting) or send me an e-mail (see below). Please have a look at the Cricket Club web site for more information: http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/ Chris Onions, President of the CERN Cricket Club   (christopher.onions@gmail.com)

Cern Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cern Cricket Club

2014-01-01

  Cern Cricket Club The CERN Cricket Club 2014 season has started earlier than usual, with a game scheduled for the first time ever on Easter Sunday.  Due to repair work for the damage done to the ground because of the “Bosons&More” party at the end of September, all games until June have had to be scheduled away. Net practice, which normally takes place on the ground from mid-April, will not start until mid-June. The club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Anyone who is interested in joining the club should sign up on our web site: http://cern.ch/Club-Cricket/    

Novel coaching cricket bat: can it be used to enhance the backlift and performance of junior cricket batsmen?

Science.gov (United States)

Noorbhai, M Habib; Woolmer, Russell C; Noakes, Timothy D

2016-01-01

In the current literature, it is questionable whether cricket bats in their current form and dimensions allow a young cricketer to hit the ball effectively. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a novel coaching cricket bat among junior cricket batsmen with regard to enhancing performance and the direction of the backlift. A cross-sectional research study with analytical research methods was employed, in which 2 groups (coached: n=12 and uncoached: n=35) of participants (ages 9-13) took part in a pilot and intervention study. Participants were required to use a novel coaching cricket bat in a coaching game format. Biomechanical and video analysis was conducted in the frontal and lateral planes. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated to determine the effectiveness and the level of significance was set at pbat compared with a conventional cricket bat (p=0.003). 6 weeks postintervention (training with the coaching cricket bat), the experimental group displayed improved performance (ES=5.41). Players' backlifts had subsequently become more lateral, which may have promoted more effective ball striking as a result of this training effect. The recommendation from this study is that coaches should encourage young cricketers to use the coaching cricket bat as it is perceived to be a potentially significant training aid for enhancing their performance and the direction of their backlift when they use conventional cricket bats in match play.

Changes to injury profile (and recommended cricket injury definitions based on the increased frequency of Twenty20 cricket matches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Orchard

2010-05-01

Full Text Available John Orchard1, Trefor James2, Alex Kountouris2, Marc Portus21School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 2Cricket Australia, Melbourne, AustraliaAbstract: This study analyzes injuries occurring prospectively in Australian men’s cricket at the state and national levels over 11 seasons (concluding in season 2008–09. In the last four of these seasons, there was more cricket played, with most of the growth being a new form of the game – Twenty20 cricket. Since the introduction of a regular Twenty20 program, injury incidence rates in each form of cricket have been fairly steady. Because of the short match duration, Twenty20 cricket exhibits a high match injury incidence, expressed as injuries per 10,000 hours of play. Expressed as injuries per days of play, Twenty20 cricket injury rates compare more favorably to other forms of cricket. Domestic level Twenty20 cricket resulted in 145 injuries per 1000 days of play (compared to 219 injuries per 1000 days of domestic one day cricket, and 112 injuries per 1000 days of play in first class domestic cricket. It is therefore recommended that match injury incidence measures be expressed in units of injuries per 1000 days of play. Given the high numbers of injuries which are of gradual onset, seasonal injury incidence rates (which typically range from 15–20 injuries per team per defined ‘season’ are probably a superior incidence measure. Thigh and hamstring strains have become clearly the most common injury in the past two years (greater than four injuries per team per season, perhaps associated with the increased amount of Twenty20 cricket. Injury prevalence rates have risen in conjunction with an increase in the density of the cricket calendar. Annual injury prevalence rates (average proportion of players missing through injury have exceeded 10% in the last three years, with the injury prevalence rates for fast bowlers exceeding 18%. As the amount of scheduled cricket is

CERN Cricket Club

CERN Document Server

CERN Cricket Club

2018-01-01

The CERN Cricket Club 2018 season begins soon, the first net practice is scheduled (weather permitting) for Thursday April 12th, at 18.00!  The club is always looking for new players and newcomers will be made very welcome. Anyone who is interested in joining the club should sign up on our web site: http://cern.ch/cricket/ or turn up for net practice, which takes place each Thursday evening (apart from CERN official holidays) until the end of September (starting at 18:00 to around 20:00) at the CERN Prévessin site: http://cern.ch/cricket/CERN-Ground.html The first matches will be in the Geneva T20 competition on Saturday and Sunday, April 14th / 15th. 

Socially cued seminal fluid gene expression mediates responses in ejaculate quality to sperm competition risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Leigh W; Lovegrove, Maxine

2017-08-30

There is considerable evidence that males will increase the number of sperm ejaculated in response to sperm competition risk. However, whether they have the capacity to adjust seminal fluid components of the ejaculate has received less attention. Male crickets ( Teleogryllus oceanicus ) have been shown to adjust the viability of sperm in their ejaculate in response to sperm competition risk. Here we show that socially mediated plasticity in sperm viability is probably due, at least in part, to male adjustments in the protein composition of the seminal fluid. Seven seminal fluid protein genes were found to have an increased expression in males exposed to rival calls. Increased expression of these genes was correlated with increased sperm viability in whole ejaculates, and gene knockdown confirmed that at least one of these proteins promotes sperm viability. Our results lend support for recent theoretical models that predict complex responses in male allocation to seminal fluid composition in response to sperm competition risk. © 2017 The Author(s).

Hydration benefits to courtship feeding in crickets

OpenAIRE

Ivy, T. M.; Johnson, J. C.; Sakaluk, S. K.

1999-01-01

The spermatophore transferred by male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) at mating includes a large gelatinous spermatophylax that the female consumes after copulation. Although previous studies have shown that G. sigillatus females gain no nutritional benefits from consuming food gifts, there may be other benefits to their consumption. We examined potential hydration benefits to females by experimentally manipulating both the availability of water and the number of food gifts that fem...

Effects of the Consumption of Male Spermatophylax on the Oviposition Schedule of Females in the Decorated Cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasuya, E; Sato, N

1998-01-01

The effects of the consumption of the spermatophylax produced by males on female fitness were studied in the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. An increase in the number of spermatophylaces presented to females did not increase the total number of eggs made by females, the number of eggs laid, or the hatchability of eggs laid by females, but increased the number of eggs laid in the early stage of adult life of females. The duration of the egg stage decreased with the number of spermatophylaces presented to females. The implication of the results on the sham hypothesis that the spermatophylax does not have nutritional value is discussed.

Morphological, molecular and biological characterization of Mehdinema alii (Nematoda: Diplogasterida) from the decorated cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Luong, L T; Platzer, E G; De Ley, P; Thomas, W K

1999-12-01

The nematode Mehdinema alii was recovered from the decorated cricket Gryllodes sigillatus (Walker). Morphometric comparisons are presented from 3 populations. The nematode is characterized by dense arrays of spines on the cuticle of the anterior half of the body and a highly elongate, tubular stoma with a dorsal denticle in the glottoid region. Females have a protruding vulva. Young females are amphidelphic, but the anterior ovary disappears in older females bearing multiple developing juveniles. The male is monorchic with asymmetrically placed genital papillae, distally fused spicules, and a highly complex gubernaculum bearing 2 cuticularized thorns that protrude through a separate, postcloacal opening. Adult nematodes are located primarily in the hindgut, whereas juveniles or dauers occur mainly in the genital chamber of both male and female crickets. Male crickets are significantly more likely to be infected than females. This male-biased infection may be linked to the venereal transmission mechanism of the dauers. Although morphologically unusual in many respects, placement of M. alii in Diplogasterida is supported by both the morphology of the anterior digestive tract as well as analysis of its 18S rDNA sequence. These sequence data suggest that M. alii groups most closely with members of the Cylindrocorporidae.

Give 'til it hurts: trade-offs between immunity and male reproductive effort in the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, S N; Barnett, C A; Pettinger, A M; Weddle, C B; Hunt, J; Sakaluk, S K

2010-04-01

Trade-offs between life-history variables can be manifested at either the phenotypic or genetic level, with vastly different evolutionary consequences. Here, we examined whether male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) from eight inbred lines and the outbred founder population from which they were derived, trade-off immune effort [lytic activity, phenoloxidase (PO) activity or encapsulation] to produce spermatophylaxes: costly nuptial food gifts essential for successful sperm transfer. Canonical correlation analysis of the outbred population revealed a trade-off between spermatophylax mass and lytic activity. Analysis of our inbred lines, however, revealed that although PO activity, encapsulation, body mass, spermatophylax mass and ampulla (sperm capsule) mass were all highly heritable, lytic activity was not, and there was, therefore, no negative genetic correlation between lytic activity and spermatophylax mass. Thus, males showed a phenotypic but not a genetic trade-off between spermatophylax mass and lytic activity, suggesting that this trade-off is mediated largely by environmental factors.

Injury in elite New Zealand cricketers 2002-2008: descriptive epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Warren Leonard; Chalmers, David John

2014-06-01

To describe the incidence, prevalence, nature and severity of injury to elite New Zealand cricketers for the 2002/2003 to 2007/2008 seasons. Prospective cohort. Elite cricket in New Zealand. 248 elite male cricketers. Incidence and prevalence rates. The overall match injury incidence rate for the international competition (51.6 injuries per 10 000 player-hours; 95% CI 40.1 to 65.3) was almost twice that of the domestic competition (27.2; 23.5 to 31.4). The prevalence rate for the international competition (12%; 11.3% to 12.8%) was significantly higher than that for the domestic competition (9.7%; 9.4% to 10.1%). Overall, 79.5% of injuries occurred in matches and 48.7% of all injuries were sustained while bowling. The lower limb was the body region most commonly injured (43.5%), the most common specific diagnosis was hamstring strains/tears (11.1%) and the injuries contributing the highest proportion of match days lost were stress fractures to the low back (22%). The findings of this study support ongoing injury surveillance in New Zealand and other test cricket playing nations for the purpose of describing injury and monitoring the effect of interventions over time. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Olfactory signaling of aggressive intent in male-male contests of cave crickets (Troglophilus neglectus; Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataša Stritih

Full Text Available In animal contests, communicating aggressive motivation is most often mediated by visual or acoustic signals, while chemical signals are not expected to serve such a function since they are less able to be modulated by the sender during the changing behavioral context. We describe a rare example of ephemeral olfactory signals in terrestrial animals, signals that are emitted via protrusive scent glands in male cave crickets Troglophilus neglectus (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae to reflect the state of the signaler's aggression. We correlate the intensity of behaviorally expressed aggression of the individuals in dyadic contests with the frequency and extent of their gland tissue protrusion, the latter serving as an indication of the amount of released odor. We detected large amounts of odor release during brief gland protrusions, and the absence of its release during gland retraction. Males protruded the glands during and after encountering a rival, with the degree of protrusion increasing with the intensity of the signalers' aggression. During the encounters, the degree of gland protrusion increased most strongly with the occurrence of the elevated body posture, directly preceding the attack. This degree was significantly higher in encounter winners than in losers displaying such posture, suggesting the highly important role of the released odor for contest resolution. After the encounters, glands were protruded almost exclusively by winners, apparently announcing victory. We tested for the function of the olfactory signals also directly, by preventing gland tissue protrusion in symmetric and asymmetric treatments of the contestants. Treating only the dominant individuals decreased the percentage of encounters they won by over 60%, while treating both contestants elicited a significant increase in the frequency and duration of fights. During contests, the olfactory signals of T. neglectus apparently function as a highly effective threat, which

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2015-01-01

CERN Cricket Club celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, with a game involving some of the ex members (but unfortunately none of the founder members) followed by dinner on Saturday, September 5th. CERN started playing cricket on various football fields in the Geneva Canton, then on the Meyrin site next to where the Kindergarten is now situated, bowling from one end only. Later, net practice took place where building 40 is now, before moving over to the Prevessin site in the early 70s. Lots of work was done to prepare a strip onto which a mat was rolled and the strip was rolled before each match using a heavy roller which required a minimum of 6 to push! This pre-match training is no longer necessary as the club invested in an artificial wicket in 2001. CERN now has one of the best grounds in the region. Last year CERN made it to the Cricket Switzerland semi-final, losing a close match in the last over, but is hoping to go one better in this year’s semi-final on September 13th, which will be...

Sexually transmitted nematodes affect spermatophylax production in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus

OpenAIRE

Lien T. Luong; Harry K. Kaya

2005-01-01

Parasites can influence various aspects of host reproduction and mating, including spermatophore production. In the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, males transfer to females a two-part spermatophore containing a sperm-filled ampulla and a gelatinous spermatophylax (nuptial gift). Here we investigate the effects of a sexually transmitted nematode on male spermatophylax production. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have the potential to reduce host fertility or fecundity in insect hosts. To o...

Navigation of robotic system using cricket motes

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Yogendra J.; Baine, Nicholas A.; Rattan, Kuldip S.

2011-06-01

This paper presents a novel algorithm for self-mapping of the cricket motes that can be used for indoor navigation of autonomous robotic systems. The cricket system is a wireless sensor network that can provide indoor localization service to its user via acoustic ranging techniques. The behavior of the ultrasonic transducer on the cricket mote is studied and the regions where satisfactorily distance measurements can be obtained are recorded. Placing the motes in these regions results fine-grain mapping of the cricket motes. Trilateration is used to obtain a rigid coordinate system, but is insufficient if the network is to be used for navigation. A modified SLAM algorithm is applied to overcome the shortcomings of trilateration. Finally, the self-mapped cricket motes can be used for navigation of autonomous robotic systems in an indoor location.

Cricket Inspired Flow-Sensor Arrays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaganatharaja, R.K.

2011-01-01

Crickets, like many other arthropods, are evolved with an astonishing sensory system, which plays a vital role in their survival. Located at the rear-end of the crickets, are a pair of sensory appendages called cerci, carrying numerous mechano-receptive filiform hairs. These filiform hairs are

Comparison of the Physical and Technical Demands of Cricket Players During Training and Match-Play.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickery, Will; Duffield, Rob; Crowther, Rian; Beakley, David; Blanch, Peter; Dascombe, Ben J

2018-03-01

Vickery, W, Duffield, R, Crowther, R, Beakley, D, Blanch, P, and Dascombe, BJ. Comparison of the physical and technical demands of cricket players during training and match-play. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 821-829, 2018-This study aimed to determine which training method (net-based sessions or center-wicket simulations) currently used in national level and U19 male players cricket provided a more physical and technical match-specific training response. The heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and movement patterns of 42 male cricket players were measured across the various training and match formats. Video analysis was coded retrospectively to quantify technical loads based on the cricket skills performed. Magnitude-based inferences were based on the standardization of effect and presented with ±90% confidence intervals. Regardless of playing position, differences in physiological demands between training modes and match-play were unclear, with the exception of higher heart rates in fielders during traditional net sessions (mean heart rate: d = -2.7 [-4.7 to -0.7]; 75% of maximum heart rate: d = -1.7 [-3.2 to -0.2]). Typically, the movement demands of center-wicket simulations were similar or greater than match-play, which was most evident in the distance traveled at a high intensity within each playing position (batsmen: d = 6.4 [3.7-9.2]; medium-fast bowlers: d = 1.71 [0.1-3.3]; spin bowlers: d = 6.5 [0.01-13.0]; fielders: d = 0.8 [-0.2 to 1.7]). The technical demands of traditional net cricket training exceeded that of a typical match for each playing position. Specifically, fast bowlers delivered a greater number of balls during net-bowling compared with a match (d = -2.2 [-3.6 to 0.9]). In conclusion, center-wicket simulations more closely matched the physical demands of a One-Day match within batsmen and spin bowlers, whereas traditional cricket training often exceeded match-specific demands.

Common attributes in retired professional cricketers that may enhance or hinder quality of life after retirement: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Filbay, Stephanie R; Bishop, Felicity; Peirce, Nicholas; Jones, Mary E; Arden, Nigel K

2017-07-26

Retired professional cricketers shared unique experiences and may possess specific psychological attributes with potential to influence quality of life (QOL). Additionally, pain and osteoarthritis can be common in retired athletes which may negatively impact QOL. However, QOL in retired athletes is poorly understood. This study explores the following questions from the personal perspective of retired cricketers: How do retired cricketers perceive and experience musculoskeletal pain and function in daily life? Are there any psychological attributes that might enhance or hinder retired cricketers' QOL? A qualitative study using semistructured interviews, which were subject to inductive, thematic analysis. A data-driven, iterative approach to data coding was employed. All participants had lived and played professional cricket in the UK and were living in the UK or abroad at the time of interview. Eighteen male participants, aged a mean 57±11 (range 34-77) years had played professional cricket for a mean 12±7 seasons and had been retired from professional cricket on average 23±9 years. Fifteen participants reported pain or joint difficulties and all but one was satisfied with their QOL. Most retired cricketers reflected on experiences during their cricket career that may be associated with the psychological attributes that these individuals shared, including resilience and a positive attitude. Additional attributes included a high sense of body awareness, an ability to self-manage pain and adapt lifestyle choices to accommodate physical limitations. Participants felt fortunate and proud to have played professional cricket, which may have further contributed to the high QOL in this group of retired cricketers. Most retired cricketers in this study were living with pain or joint difficulties. Despite this, all but one was satisfied or very satisfied with their QOL. This may be partly explained by the positive psychological attributes that these retired cricketers

Adaptation, translation and reliability of the Australian 'Juniors Enjoying Cricket Safely' injury risk perception questionnaire for Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamage, Prasanna J; Fortington, Lauren V; Finch, Caroline F

2018-01-01

Cricket is a very popular sport in Sri Lanka. In this setting there has been limited research; specifically, there is little knowledge of cricket injuries. To support future research possibilities, the aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt, translate and test the reliability of an Australian-developed questionnaire for the Sri Lankan context. The Australian 'Juniors Enjoying Cricket Safely' (JECS-Aus) injury risk perception questionnaire was cross-culturally adapted to suit the Sri Lankan context and subsequently translated into the two main languages (Sinhala and Tamil) based on standard forward-back translation. The translated questionnaires were examined for content validity by two language schoolteachers. The questionnaires were completed twice, 2 weeks apart, by two groups of school cricketers (males) aged 11-15 years (Sinhala (n=24), Tamil (n=30)) to assess reliability. Test-retest scores were evaluated for agreement. Where responses were statistics were calculated. Questions with moderate-to-poor test-retest reliability (κAus questionnaire for use in a different population, providing an outcome measure for assessing injury risk perceptions in Sri Lankan junior cricketers.

Corollary discharge inhibition of wind-sensitive cercal giant interneurons in the singing field cricket

Science.gov (United States)

Hedwig, Berthold

2014-01-01

Crickets carry wind-sensitive mechanoreceptors on their cerci, which, in response to the airflow produced by approaching predators, triggers escape reactions via ascending giant interneurons (GIs). Males also activate their cercal system by air currents generated due to the wing movements underlying sound production. Singing males still respond to external wind stimulation, but are not startled by the self-generated airflow. To investigate how the nervous system discriminates sensory responses to self-generated and external airflow, we intracellularly recorded wind-sensitive afferents and ventral GIs of the cercal escape pathway in fictively singing crickets, a situation lacking any self-stimulation. GI spiking was reduced whenever cercal wind stimulation coincided with singing motor activity. The axonal terminals of cercal afferents showed no indication of presynaptic inhibition during singing. In two ventral GIs, however, a corollary discharge inhibition occurred strictly in phase with the singing motor pattern. Paired intracellular recordings revealed that this inhibition was not mediated by the activity of the previously identified corollary discharge interneuron (CDI) that rhythmically inhibits the auditory pathway during singing. Cercal wind stimulation, however, reduced the spike activity of this CDI by postsynaptic inhibition. Our study reveals how precisely timed corollary discharge inhibition of ventral GIs can prevent self-generated airflow from triggering inadvertent escape responses in singing crickets. The results indicate that the responsiveness of the auditory and wind-sensitive pathway is modulated by distinct CDIs in singing crickets and that the corollary discharge inhibition in the auditory pathway can be attenuated by cercal wind stimulation. PMID:25318763

Olfactory memory capacity of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Mizunami, Makoto

2006-12-22

Olfactory learning in insects is a useful model for studying neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory, but memory storage capacity for olfactory learning in insects has not been studied. We investigate whether crickets are capable of simultaneously memorizing seven odour pairs. Fourteen odours were grouped into seven A/B pairs, and crickets in one group were trained to associate A odours with water reward and B odours with saline punishment for all the seven pairs. Crickets in another group were trained with the opposite stimulus arrangement. Crickets in all the groups exhibited significantly greater preference for the odours associated with water reward for all the seven odour pairs. We conclude that crickets are capable of memorizing seven odour pairs at the same time.

Mating changes the female dietary preference in the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuke eTsukamoto

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Most insect species exhibit characteristic behavioral changes after mating. Typical post-mating behaviors in female insects include noticeable increases in food intake, elevated oviposition rates, lowered receptivity to courting males, and enhanced immune response. Although it has been reported that mated females of several insect species including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster increase the amount of food intake and change their dietary preferences, the limited number of comparative studies prevent the formulation of generalities regarding post-mating behaviors in other insects in particular amongst orthopteran species. Here, we investigated whether females of the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, alter their feeding behavior after mating. Although significant differences in the amount of food intake after mating were not observed, all experimental data indicated a clear trend among crickets towards the ingestion of larger quantities of food. Geometric framework analyses revealed that the mated female crickets preferred food with higher protein content compared to virgin female crickets. This implies that this species required different nutritional demands after mating. These findings further expand our understanding of the behavioral and biological changes that are triggered in female insects post-mating, and highlight the potential for this species in investigating the molecular-based nutritional dependent activities that are linked to post-mating behaviors.

Bernoulli Runs Using 'Book Cricket' to Evaluate Cricketers

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

both the game as well as statistical ... drowsiness in school we resorted to playing 'book cricket'. The book .... die probabilistic model to take advantage of the easy availability of the ..... enclopedia, Online; accessed 31-Dec-2010/. URL http://.

Lifetime olfactory memory in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Y; Mizunami, M

2002-05-01

The time span of olfactory memory retention in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus was studied. Third- or fourth-instar nymph crickets were trained to associate one odor with water and another odor with saline solution. At 6 weeks and 10 weeks after training, adult crickets exhibited significantly greater preferences for the odor associated with water over that associated with saline solution. The learned preference was altered when they were given reversal training at 6 weeks after training. We conclude that crickets are capable of retaining olfactory memory practically for their lifetime and of easily rewriting it in accordance with experience.

Acceleration Kinematics in Cricketers: Implications for Performance in the Field

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G. Lockie Robert

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Cricket fielding often involves maximal acceleration to retrieve the ball. There has been no analysis of acceleration specific to cricketers, or for players who field primarily in the infield (closer to the pitch or outfield (closer to the boundary. This study analyzed the first two steps of a 10-m sprint in experienced cricketers. Eighteen males (age = 24.06 ± 4.87 years; height = 1.81 ± 0.06 m; mass = 79.67 ± 10.37 kg were defined as primarily infielders (n = 10 or outfielders (n = 8. Timing lights recorded 0-5 and 0-10 m time. Motion capture measured first and second step kinematics, including: step length; step frequency; contact time; shoulder motion; lead and rear arm elbow angle; drive leg hip and knee extension, and ankle plantar flexion; swing leg hip and knee flexion, and ankle dorsi flexion. A one-way analysis of variance (p < 0.05 determined between-group differences. Data was pooled for a Pearson’s correlation analysis (p < 0.05 to analyze kinematic relationships. There were no differences in sprint times, and few variables differentiated infielders and outfielders. Left shoulder range of motion related to second step length (r = 0.471. First step hip flexion correlated with both step lengths (r = 0.570-0.598, and frequencies (r = -0.504--0.606. First step knee flexion related to both step lengths (r = 0.528-0.682, and first step frequency (r = -0.669. First step ankle plantar flexion correlated with second step length (r = -0.692 and frequency (r = 0.726. Greater joint motion ranges related to longer steps. Cricketers display similar sprint kinematics regardless of fielding position, likely because players may field in the infield or outfield depending on match situation. Due to relationships with shoulder and leg motion, and the importance and trainability of step length, cricketers should target this variable to enhance acceleration.

"Neither cricketers nor ladies": towards a history of women and cricket in South Africa, 1860s-2000s.

Science.gov (United States)

Odendaal, André

2011-01-01

There is a dearth of research and writing on women's cricket in South Africa. In an attempt to enhance understanding of the nature and effects of women's involvement in the game of cricket over the past 200 years, this essay offers a chronological account of the sport and the role women played in it. It draws on readings from the international scholarship on women's early involvement in sport, the fragments that have existed to date about women's cricket in South Africa and some newly discovered primary material from the 1950s onwards. The essay aims to provide a historical context and open a window for historians and social analysts into an area few knew existed before. There is now a distinctive history and subculture of cricket with multiple social dimensions for scholars to explore; here I offer some preliminary insights.

Female choice for male cuticular hydrocarbon profile in decorated crickets is not based on similarity to their own profile.

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Steiger, S; Capodeanu-Nägler, A; Gershman, S N; Weddle, C B; Rapkin, J; Sakaluk, S K; Hunt, J

2015-12-01

Indirect genetic benefits derived from female mate choice comprise additive (good genes) and nonadditive genetic benefits (genetic compatibility). Although good genes can be revealed by condition-dependent display traits, the mechanism by which compatibility alleles are detected is unclear because evaluation of the genetic similarity of a prospective mate requires the female to assess the genotype of the male and compare it to her own. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), lipids coating the exoskeleton of most insects, influence female mate choice in a number of species and offer a way for females to assess genetic similarity of prospective mates. Here, we determine whether female mate choice in decorated crickets is based on male CHCs and whether it is influenced by females' own CHC profiles. We used multivariate selection analysis to estimate the strength and form of selection acting on male CHCs through female mate choice, and employed different measures of multivariate dissimilarity to determine whether a female's preference for male CHCs is based on similarity to her own CHC profile. Female mating preferences were significantly influenced by CHC profiles of males. Male CHC attractiveness was not, however, contingent on the CHC profile of the choosing female, as certain male CHC phenotypes were equally attractive to most females, evidenced by significant linear and stabilizing selection gradients. These results suggest that additive genetic benefits, rather than nonadditive genetic benefits, accrue to female mate choice, in support of earlier work showing that CHC expression of males, but not females, is condition dependent. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Self-Efficacy and social support of Academy cricketers | Cowan ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation ... This article aims to provide an initial insight into the role that South African provincial cricket academies play in talent development of cricketers by reflecting on possible changes in academy cricketers' self-efficacy and perceived social ...

Erwinia teleogrylli sp. nov., a Bacterial Isolate Associated with a Chinese Cricket.

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Bo Liu

Full Text Available A bacterial isolate (SCU-B244T was obtained in China from crickets (Teleogryllus occipitalis living in cropland deserted for approximately 10 years. The isolated bacteria were Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, oxidase-negative rods. A preliminary analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain belongs to either the genus Erwinia or Pantoea. Analysis of multilocus sequence typing based on concatenated partial atpD, gyrB and infB gene sequences and physiological and biochemical characteristics indicated that the strain belonged to the genus Erwinia, as member of a new species as it was distinct from other known Erwinia species. Further analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed SCU-B244T to have 94.71% identity to the closest species of that genus, Erwinia oleae (DSM 23398T, which is below the threshold of 97% used to discriminate bacterial species. DNA-DNA hybridization results (5.78±2.52% between SCU-B244T and Erwinia oleae (DSM 23398T confirmed that SCU-B244T and Erwinia oleae (DSM 23398T represent different species combined with average nucleotide identity values which range from 72.42% to 74.41. The DNA G+C content of SCU-B244T was 55.32 mol%, which also differs from that of Erwinia oleae (54.7 to 54.9 mol%. The polyphasic taxonomic approach used here confirmed that the strain belongs to the Erwinia group and represents a novel species. The name Erwinia teleogrylli sp. nov. is proposed for this novel taxon, for which the type strain is SCU-B244T (= CGMCC 1.12772T = DSM 28222T = KCTC 42022T.

Behavioral analyses of wind-evoked escape of the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus.

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Kanou, Masamichi; Konishi, Atsuko; Suenaga, Rie

2006-04-01

The wind-evoked escape behavior of the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus was investigated using an air puff stimulus. A high velocity air puff elicited the escape behavior in many crickets. The crickets tended to escape away from the stimulus source, but the direction was not accurately oriented 180 degrees from the stimulus. After bilateral cercal ablation, only a few crickets showed wind-evoked escape behavior, and their response rates did not increase even 19 days after ablation. Therefore, information on air motion detected by cercal filiform hairs is essential for triggering wind-evoked behavior. After unilateral cercal ablation, the 81.3% response rate of intact crickets decreased to 16.5%, that is, it decreased to almost 20% that of intact crickets. One week after unilateral cercal ablation, the response rate recovered to more than 60% that of intact crickets. However, the accuracy rate of the escape direction of G. sigillatus showed no change even immediately after the unilateral cercal ablation. Therefore, both cerci are not necessarily required to determine the escape direction. The behavioral characteristics of wind-evoked escape of G. sigillatus are compared with those of another species of cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. The two species of cricket employ different strategies for wind-evoked escape.

Sex-specific effect of juvenile diet on adult disease resistance in a field cricket.

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Clint D Kelly

Full Text Available Food limitation is expected to reduce an individual's body condition (body mass scaled to body size and cause a trade-off between growth and other fitness-related traits, such as immunity. We tested the condition-dependence of growth and disease resistance in male and female Gryllus texensis field crickets by manipulating diet quality via nutrient content for their entire life and then subjecting individuals to a host resistance test using the live bacterium Serratia marcescens. As predicted, crickets on a high-quality diet eclosed more quickly, and at a larger body size and mass. Crickets on a high-quality diet were not in better condition at the time of eclosion, but they were in better condition 7-11 days after eclosion, with females also being in better condition than males. Despite being in better condition, however, females provided with a high-quality diet had significantly poorer disease resistance than females on a low-quality diet and in poor condition. Similarly, males on low- and high-quality diets did not differ in their disease resistance, despite differing in their body condition. A sex difference in disease resistance under diet-restriction suggests that females might allocate resources toward immunity during development if they expect harsh environmental conditions as an adult or it might suggest that females allocate resources toward other life history activities (i.e. reproduction when food availability increases. We do not know what immune effectors were altered under diet-restriction to increase disease resistance, but our findings suggest that increased immune function might provide an explanation for the sexually-dimorphic increase in longevity generally observed in diet-restricted animals.

Perceived Injury Risk among Junior Cricketers: A Cross Sectional Survey

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Prasanna J. Gamage

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Understanding how junior athletes perceive injury risks when participating in sport and the environment they play in is an important component of injury prevention. This study investigates how Sri Lankan junior cricketers (n = 365, aged 11–14 years, boys perceive injury risks associated with playing cricket. The study used a Sri Lankan modification of an Australian junior cricket injury risk perception survey that considered playing cricket versus other sports, different cricket playing positions and roles, and different ground conditions. The risk of playing cricket was considered to be greater than that for cycling, but lower than that for rugby and soccer. Fast-bowlers, batters facing fast-bowlers, fielding close in the field, and wicket-keeping without a helmet were perceived to pose greater risks of injury than other scenarios. Playing on hard, bumpy and/or wet ground conditions were perceived to have a high risk opposed to playing on a grass field. Fielding in the outfield and wicket-keeping to fast-bowlers whilst wearing a helmet were perceived as low risk actions. The risk perceptions of junior cricketers identified in this study, do not necessarily reflect the true injury risk in some instances. This information will inform the development of injury prevention education interventions to address these risk perceptions in junior cricketers.

Terminal investment in the gustatory appeal of nuptial food gifts in crickets.

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Duffield, K R; Hunt, J; Rapkin, J; Sadd, B M; Sakaluk, S K

2015-10-01

Investment in current versus future reproduction represents a prominent trade-off in life-history theory and is likely dependent on an individual's life expectancy. The terminal investment hypothesis posits that a reduction in residual reproductive value (i.e. potential for future offspring) will result in increased investment in current reproduction. We tested the hypothesis that male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), when cued to their impending mortality, should increase their reproductive effort by altering the composition of their nuptial food gifts (i.e. spermatophylaxes) to increase their gustatory appeal to females. Using a repeated-measures design, we analysed the amino acid composition of spermatophylaxes derived from males both before and after injection of either a saline control or a solution of heat-killed bacteria. The latter, although nonpathogenic, represents an immune challenge that may signal an impending survival threat. One principal component explaining amino acid variation in spermatophylaxes, characterized by a high loading to histidine, was significantly lower in immune-challenged versus control males. The relevance of this difference for the gustatory appeal of gifts to females was assessed by mapping spermatophylax composition onto a fitness surface derived in an earlier study identifying the amino acid composition of spermatophylaxes preferred by females. We found that immune-challenged males maintained the level of attractiveness of their gifts post-treatment, whereas control males produced significantly less attractive gifts post-injection. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cues of a survival-threatening infection stimulate terminal investment in male decorated crickets with respect to the gustatory appeal of their nuptial food gifts. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Polyandry promotes enhanced offspring survival in decorated crickets.

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Ivy, Tracie M; Sakaluk, Scott K

2005-01-01

Although female multiple mating is ubiquitous in insects, its adaptive significance remains poorly understood. Benefits to multiple mating can accrue via direct material benefits, indirect genetic benefits, or both. We investigated the effects of multiple mating in the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, by simultaneously varying the number of times that females mated and the number of different males with which they mated, measuring aspects of female fecundity and elements of offspring performance and viability. Multiple matings resulted in enhanced female fitness relative to single matings when females mated with different partners, but not when females mated repeatedly with the same male. Specifically, polyandrous females produced significantly more offspring surviving to reproductive maturity than did monogamous females mating once or mating repeatedly with the same male. These results suggest that the benefit females gain from multiple mating is influenced primarily by genetic and not material benefits.

Transformation in cricket: the black African experience

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives: To understand the career progression of BA cricketers in South Africa .... views on the career progression and the representation of .... is one of the things that I think is a weakness. (Participant 17) ... through the different levels of cricket, but all players identified the positive ..... The case of minorities and women.

A Mathematical Modelling Approach to One-Day Cricket Batting Orders

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Bukiet, Bruce; Ovens, Matthews

2006-01-01

While scoring strategies and player performance in cricket have been studied, there has been little published work about the influence of batting order with respect to One-Day cricket. We apply a mathematical modelling approach to compute efficiently the expected performance (runs distribution) of a cricket batting order in an innings. Among other applications, our method enables one to solve for the probability of one team beating another or to find the optimal batting order for a set of 11 players. The influence of defence and bowling ability can be taken into account in a straightforward manner. In this presentation, we outline how we develop our Markov Chain approach to studying the progress of runs for a batting order of non- identical players along the lines of work in baseball modelling by Bukiet et al., 1997. We describe the issues that arise in applying such methods to cricket, discuss ideas for addressing these difficulties and note limitations on modelling batting order for One-Day cricket. By performing our analysis on a selected subset of the possible batting orders, we apply the model to quantify the influence of batting order in a game of One Day cricket using available real-world data for current players. Key Points Batting order does effect the expected runs distribution in one-day cricket. One-day cricket has fewer data points than baseball, thus extreme values have greater effect on estimated probabilities. Dismissals rare and probabilities very small by comparison to baseball. Probability distribution for lower order batsmen is potentially skewed due to increased risk taking. Full enumeration of all possible line-ups is impractical using a single average computer. PMID:24357943

The Classroom Animal: Crickets.

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Kramer, David C.

1985-01-01

Suggests using crickets for classroom activities, providing background information on their anatomy and reproduction and tips on keeping individual organisms or a breeding colony in the classroom. (JN)

Releasing stimuli and aggression in crickets: octopamine promotes escalation and maintenance but not initiation

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Jan eRillich

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Biogenic amines have widespread effects on numerous behaviors, but their natural functions are often unclear. We investigated the role of octopamine (OA, the invertebrate analogue of noradrenaline, on initiation and maintenance of aggression in male crickets of different social status. The key-releasing stimulus for aggression is antennal fencing between males, a behavior occurring naturally on initial contact. We show that mechanical antennal stimulation (AS alone is sufficient to initiate an aggressive response (mandible threat display. The efficacy of AS was augmented in winners of a previous fight, but unaffected in losers. The efficacy of AS was not, however, influenced by OA receptor (OAR agonists or antagonists, regardless of social status. Additional experiments indicate that the efficacy of AS is also not influenced by dopamine (DA or serotonin (5HT. In addition to initiating an aggressive response, prior AS enhanced aggression exhibited in subsequent fights, whereby AS with a male antenna was now necessary, indicating a role for male contact pheromones. This priming effect of male-AS on subsequent aggression was dependent on OA since it was blocked by OAR-antagonists, and enhanced by OAR-agonists. Together our data reveal that neither OA, DA nor 5HT are required for initiating aggression in crickets, nor do these amines influence the efficacy of the natural releasing stimulus to initiate aggression. OA’s natural function is restricted to promoting escalation and maintenance of aggression once initiated, and this can be invoked by numerous experiences, including prior contact with a male antenna as shown here.

Aggregation of Cricket Activity in Response to Resource Addition Increases Local Diversity.

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Neucir Szinwelski

Full Text Available Crickets are often found feeding on fallen fruits among forest litter. Fruits and other sugar-rich resources are not homogeneously distributed, nor are they always available. We therefore expect that crickets dwelling in forest litter have a limited supply of sugar-rich resource, and will perceive this and displace towards resource-supplemented sites. Here we evaluate how sugar availability affects cricket species richness and abundance in old-growth Atlantic forest by spraying sugarcane syrup on leaf litter, simulating increasing availability, and collecting crickets via pitfall trapping. We found an asymptotic positive association between resource addition and species richness, and an interaction between resource addition and species identity on cricket abundance, which indicates differential effects of resource addition among cricket species. Our results indicate that 12 of the 13 cricket species present in forest litter are maintained at low densities by resource scarcity; this highlights sugar-rich resource as a short-term driver of litter cricket community structure in tropical forests. When resource was experimentally increased, species richness increased due to behavioral displacement. We present evidence that the density of many species is limited by resource scarcity and, when resources are added, behavioral displacement promotes increased species packing and alters species composition. Further, our findings have technical applicability for increasing sampling efficiency of local cricket diversity in studies aiming to estimate species richness, but with no regard to local environmental drivers or species-abundance characteristics.

Boards and governance in African national cricket organisations: An ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Southern African Business Review ... the boards of African national cricket organisations to enhance the understanding of board involvement in ... The research reports on the composition of the boards of African cricket organisations as well as ...

Comparisons of eccentric knee flexor strength and asymmetries across elite, sub-elite and school level cricket players

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Wade J. Chalker

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background. There has been a continual increase in injury rates in cricket, with hamstring strain injuries (HSIs being the most prominent. Eccentric knee flexor weakness and bilateral asymmetries are major modifiable risk factors for future HSIs. However, there is a lack of data relating to eccentric hamstring strength in cricket at any skill level. The objective of this study was to compare eccentric knee flexor strength and bilateral asymmetries in elite, sub-elite and school level cricket players; and to determine if playing position and limb role influenced these eccentric knee flexor strength indices. Methods. Seventy four male cricket players of three distinct skill levels performed three repetitions of the Nordic hamstring exercise on the experimental device. Strength was assessed as the absolute and relative mean peak force output for both limbs, with bilateral asymmetries. Differences in mean peak force outputs between skill level and playing positions were measured. Results. There were no significant differences between elite, sub-elite and school level athletes for mean peak force and bilateral asymmetries of the knee flexors. There were no significant differences observed between bowler’s and batter’s mean peak force and bilateral asymmetries. There were no significant differences between front and back limb mean peak force outputs. Discussion. Skill level, playing position and limb role appeared to have no significant effect on eccentric knee flexor strength and bilateral asymmetries. Future research should seek to determine whether eccentric knee flexor strength thresholds are predictive of HSIs in cricket and if specific eccentric knee flexor strengthening can reduce these injuries.

Body Size, Fecundity, and Sexual Size Dimorphism in the Neotropical Cricket Macroanaxipha macilenta (Saussure) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

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Cueva Del Castillo, R

2015-04-01

Body size is directly or indirectly correlated with fitness. Body size, which conveys maximal fitness, often differs between sexes. Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) evolves because body size tends to be related to reproductive success through different pathways in males and females. In general, female insects are larger than males, suggesting that natural selection for high female fecundity could be stronger than sexual selection in males. I assessed the role of body size and fecundity in SSD in the Neotropical cricket Macroanaxipha macilenta (Saussure). This species shows a SSD bias toward males. Females did not present a correlation between number of eggs and body size. Nonetheless, there were fluctuations in the number of eggs carried by females during the sampling period, and the size of females that were collected carrying eggs was larger than that of females collected with no eggs. Since mating induces vitellogenesis in some cricket species, differences in female body size might suggest male mate choice. Sexual selection in the body size of males of M. macilenta may possibly be stronger than the selection of female fecundity. Even so, no mating behavior was observed during the field observations, including audible male calling or courtship songs, yet males may produce ultrasonic calls due to their size. If female body size in M. macilenta is not directly related to fecundity, the lack of a correlated response to selection on female body size could represent an alternate evolutionary pathway in the evolution of body size and SSD in insects.

A MATHEMATICAL MODELLING APPROACH TO ONE-DAY CRICKET BATTING ORDERS

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Matthews Ovens1

2006-12-01

Full Text Available While scoring strategies and player performance in cricket have been studied, there has been little published work about the influence of batting order with respect to One-Day cricket. We apply a mathematical modelling approach to compute efficiently the expected performance (runs distribution of a cricket batting order in an innings. Among other applications, our method enables one to solve for the probability of one team beating another or to find the optimal batting order for a set of 11 players. The influence of defence and bowling ability can be taken into account in a straightforward manner. In this presentation, we outline how we develop our Markov Chain approach to studying the progress of runs for a batting order of non- identical players along the lines of work in baseball modelling by Bukiet et al., 1997. We describe the issues that arise in applying such methods to cricket, discuss ideas for addressing these difficulties and note limitations on modelling batting order for One-Day cricket. By performing our analysis on a selected subset of the possible batting orders, we apply the model to quantify the influence of batting order in a game of One Day cricket using available real-world data for current players

The development of the edible cricket industry in Thailand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halloran, Afton Marina Szasz; Roos, Nanna; Flore, Roberto

2016-01-01

considered in this study: cricket farmers; wholesale traders and market vendors; tourism agents; international organisa tions; chefs; private companies; researchers; and governmental representatives. The farming and sale of crickets is still a small-scale activity which is relatively profitable...

Multiple differences in calling songs and other traits between solitary and gregarious Mormon crickets from allopatric mtDNA clades

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Bailey William V

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In acoustic species, traits such as male calling song are likely to diverge quickly between allopatric populations due to sexual selection, and divergence in parameters such as carrier frequency, chirp structure, and other important song characters can influence sexual isolation. Here we make use of two forms of Mormon crickets to examine differences in a broad suite of traits that have the potential to influence speciation via sexual isolation. Mormon crickets in "gregarious" populations aggregate into dense migratory bands, and females are the sexually competitive sex (sex-role reversal. There is also a non-outbreak "solitary" form. These two forms are largely but not perfectly correlated with a significant mtDNA subdivision within the species that is thought to have arisen in allopatry. Combined information about multiple, independently evolving traits, such as morphology and structural and behavioural differences in calling song, provides greater resolution of the overall differences between these allopatric populations, and allows us to assess their stage of divergence. We test two predictions, first that the forms differ in song and second that gregarious males are more reluctant to sing than solitary males due to sex role reversal. We also tested for a difference in the relationship between the size of the forewing resonator, the mirror, and carrier frequency, as most models of sound production in crickets indicate that mirror size should predict carrier frequency. Results Multivariate analyses showed that solitary and gregarious individuals from different populations representing the two mtDNA clades had almost non-overlapping distributions based on multiple song and morphological measurements. Carrier frequency differed between the two, and gregarious males were more reluctant to sing overall. Mirror size predicted carrier frequency; however, the relationship between mirror size and surface area varied between

Effect of Ball Weight on Speed, Accuracy, and Mechanics in Cricket Fast Bowling

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Katharine L. Wickington

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The aims of this study were: (1 to quantify the acute effects of ball weight on ball release speed, accuracy, and mechanics in cricket fast bowling; and (2 to test whether a period of sustained training with underweight and overweight balls is effective in increasing a player’s ball release speed. Ten well-trained adult male cricket players performed maximum-effort deliveries using balls ranging in weight from 46% to 137% of the standard ball weight (156 g. A radar gun, bowling target, and 2D video analysis were used to obtain measures of ball speed, accuracy, and mechanics. The participants were assigned to either an intervention group, who trained with underweight and overweight balls, or to a control group, who trained with standard-weight balls. We found that ball speed decreased at a rate of about 1.1 m/s per 100 g increase in ball weight. Accuracy and bowling mechanics were not adversely affected by changes in ball weight. There was evidence that training with underweight and overweight balls might have produced a practically meaningful increase in bowling speed (>1.5 m/s in some players without compromising accuracy or increasing their risk of injury through inducing poor bowling mechanics. In cricket fast bowling, a wide range of ball weight might be necessary to produce an effective modified-implement training program.

An Introductory Application of Principal Components to Cricket Data

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Manage, Ananda B. W.; Scariano, Stephen M.

2013-01-01

Principal Component Analysis is widely used in applied multivariate data analysis, and this article shows how to motivate student interest in this topic using cricket sports data. Here, principal component analysis is successfully used to rank the cricket batsmen and bowlers who played in the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL) competition. In…

Understanding the link between sexual selection, sexual conflict and aging using crickets as a model.

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, C Ruth; Hunt, John

2015-11-01

Aging evolved because the strength of natural selection declines over the lifetime of most organisms. Weak natural selection late in life allows the accumulation of deleterious mutations and may favor alleles that have positive effects on fitness early in life, but costly pleiotropic effects expressed later on. While this decline in natural selection is central to longstanding evolutionary explanations for aging, a role for sexual selection and sexual conflict in the evolution of lifespan and aging has only been identified recently. Testing how sexual selection and sexual conflict affect lifespan and aging is challenging as it requires quantifying male age-dependent reproductive success. This is difficult in the invertebrate model organisms traditionally used in aging research. Research using crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), where reproductive investment can be easily measured in both sexes, has offered exciting and novel insights into how sexual selection and sexual conflict affect the evolution of aging, both in the laboratory and in the wild. Here we discuss how sexual selection and sexual conflict can be integrated alongside evolutionary and mechanistic theories of aging using crickets as a model. We then highlight the potential for research using crickets to further advance our understanding of lifespan and aging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Winning fights induces hyperaggression via the action of the biogenic amine octopamine in crickets.

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Jan Rillich

Full Text Available Winning an agonistic interaction against a conspecific is known to heighten aggressiveness, but the underlying events and mechanism are poorly understood. We quantified the effect of experiencing successive wins on aggression in adult male crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus by staging knockout tournaments and investigated its dependence on biogenic amines by treatment with amine receptor antagonists. For an inter-fight interval of 5 min, fights between winners escalated to higher levels of aggression and lasted significantly longer than the preceding round. This winner effect is transient, and no longer evident for an inter-fight interval of 20 min, indicating that it does not result from selecting individuals that were hyper-aggressive from the outset. A winner effect was also evident in crickets that experienced wins without physical exertion, or that engaged in fights that were interrupted before a win was experienced. Finally, the winner effect was abolished by prior treatment with epinastine, a highly selective octopamine receptor blocker, but not by propranolol, a ß-adrenergic receptor antagonist, nor by yohimbine, an insect tyramine receptor blocker nor by fluphenazine an insect dopamine-receptor blocker. Taken together our study in the cricket indicates that the physical exertion of fighting, together with some rewarding aspect of the actual winning experience, leads to a transient increase in aggressive motivation via activation of the octopaminergic system, the invertebrate equivalent to the adrenergic system of vertebrates.

Experimentally induced spermatophore production and immune responses reveal a trade-off in crickets

OpenAIRE

Angela M. Kerr; Susan N. Gershman; Scott K. Sakaluk

2010-01-01

The energetic demands of the immune system and reproduction are often high and can lead to trade-offs between these 2 life-history traits. In decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, much of a male's reproductive effort is devoted to calling, and to the synthesis of a spermatophylax, a large, gelatinous, non--sperm-containing mass forming part of the spermatophore and consumed by the female after mating. We employed a reciprocal design in which we experimentally induced an immune response in...

Impact of cercal air currents on singing motor pattern generation in the cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer)

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

The cercal system of crickets detects low-frequency air currents produced by approaching predators and self-generated air currents during singing, which may provide sensory feedback to the singing motor network. We analyzed the effect of cercal stimulation on singing motor pattern generation to reveal the response of a singing interneuron to predator-like signals and to elucidate the possible role of self-generated air currents during singing. In fictive singing males, we recorded an interneuron of the singing network while applying air currents to the cerci; additionally, we analyzed the effect of abolishing the cercal system in freely singing males. In fictively singing crickets, the effect of short air stimuli is either to terminate prematurely or to lengthen the interchirp interval, depending on their phase in the chirp cycle. Within our stimulation paradigm, air stimuli of different velocities and durations always elicited an inhibitory postsynaptic potential in the singing interneuron. Current injection in the singing interneuron elicited singing motor activity, even during the air current-evoked inhibitory input from the cercal pathway. The disruptive effects of air stimuli on the fictive singing pattern and the inhibitory response of the singing interneuron point toward the cercal system being involved in initiating avoidance responses in singing crickets, according to the established role of cerci in a predator escape pathway. After abolishing the activity of the cercal system, the timing of natural singing activity was not significantly altered. Our study provides no evidence that self-generated cercal sensory activity has a feedback function for singing motor pattern generation. PMID:26334014

The mental wellbeing of current and retired professional cricketers: an observational prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuring, Nannet; Kerkhoffs, Gino; Gray, Janine; Gouttebarge, Vincent

2017-11-01

Scientific knowledge about symptoms of common mental disorders in professional cricket is non-existent. Consequently, the aims of the study were to determine the prevalence and the 6 months incidence of symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD: distress, anxiety/depression, sleep disturbance, adverse alcohol use) among current and former professional cricketers and to explore the association of potential stressors (significant injury, surgery, adverse life events, career dissatisfaction) and CMD. An observational prospective cohort study with a follow-up period of 6 months was conducted among current and former professional cricketers from South Africa. Using validated questionnaires to assess symptoms of common mental disorders as well as several stressors, an electronic questionnaire was set up and distributed by the South African Cricketers Association (SACA). A total of 116 participants enrolled at baseline (overall response rate of 33%) and 76 of those participants completed the 6 month follow-up (follow up rate of 66%). The prevalence of symptoms of CMD in current professional cricketers was 38% for distress, 38% for sleep disturbance, 37% for anxiety/depression and 26% for adverse alcohol use. Among former professional cricketers, baseline prevalence as was 26% for distress, 24% for anxiety/depression, 21% for sleep disturbance and 22% for adverse alcohol use. Career dissatisfaction led to an increased risk of distress, anxiety/depression and sleep disturbance in current professional cricketers. Surgeries and adverse life events led to an increase in reported symptoms of distress and anxiety/depression in current professional cricketers. It was concluded that symptoms of CMD are prevalent in both current and former professional cricketers and the association with surgery, adverse life events and cricket career dissatisfaction may provide some insight into possible mechanisms.

Carrot supplementation does not affect house cricket performance (Acheta domesticus)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veenenbos, M.E.; Oonincx, D.G.A.B.

2017-01-01

The demand for house crickets as a source of food or feed is increasing. Meeting this demand will require efficient production systems. House crickets are often fed a combination of dry feed and fresh plant material. Supplying fresh plant material could improve growth and development, but also

Polyandry and fitness of offspring reared under varying nutritional stress in decorated crickets.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaluk, Scott K; Schaus, Jennifer M; Eggert, Anne-Katrin; Snedden, W Andrew; Brady, Pamela L

2002-10-01

Females, by mating with more than one male in their lifetime, may reduce their risk of receiving sperm from genetically incompatible sires or increase their prospects of obtaining sperm from genetically superior sires. Although there is evidence of both kinds of genetic benefits in crickets, their relative importance remains unclear, and the extent to which experimentally manipulated levels of polyandry in the laboratory correspond to those that occur in nature remain unknown. We measured lifetime polyandry of free-living female decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, and conducted an experiment to determine whether polyandry leads to an increase in offspring viability. We experimentally manipulated both the levels of polyandry and opportunities for females to select among males, randomly allocating the offspring of experimental females to high-food-stress or low-food-stress regimes to complete their development. Females exhibited a high degree of polyandry, mating on average with more than seven different males during their lifetime and up to as many as 15. Polyandry had no effect on either the developmental time or survival of offspring. However, polyandrous females produced significantly heavier sons than those of monandrous females, although there was no difference in the adult mass of daughters. There was no significant interaction between mating treatment and offspring nutritional regimen in their effects on offspring mass, suggesting that benefits accruing to female polyandry are independent of the environment in which offspring develop. The sex difference in the extent to which male and female offspring benefit via their mother's polyandry may reflect possible differences in the fitness returns from sons and daughters. The larger mass gain shown by sons of polyandrous females probably leads to their increased reproductive success, either because of their increased success in sperm competition or because of their increased life span.

New records of nematomorph parasites (Nematomorpha: Gordiida) of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and camel crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) in Washington State.

Science.gov (United States)

Looney, Chris; Hanelt, Ben; Zack, Richard S

2012-06-01

From 1998 to 2003, beetles and crickets infected with hairworms were collected from 4 localities within the Hanford Nuclear Site and the Hanford Reach National Monument, located in a shrub-steppe region of Washington State along the Columbia River. Infected hosts comprised 6 species of carabid beetles within 5 genera and 2 camel crickets within 1 genus; all are newly documented insect-nematomorph associations. A large proportion of the infected hosts (48%) were collected from a single site during a single collecting period. Of the 38 infected hosts, 32 contained a single worm, 4 hosts contained 2 worms, and 2 hosts contained 3 worms. Five of the hosts with multiple infections contained at least 1 male and 1 female worm. Camel crickets were infected with Neochordodes occidentalis while carabids were infected with an undescribed species of Gordionus . As the majority of hairworms are collected in the post-parasitic adult phase, host data and hairworm-arthropod associations remain poorly documented and our work adds new data to this area of nematomorph biology.

Static and dynamic balance ability, lumbo-pelvic movement control and injury incidence in cricket pace bowlers.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivier, B; Stewart, A V; Olorunju, S A S; McKinon, W

2015-01-01

This study aimed to establish the difference in lumbo-pelvic movement control, static and dynamic balance at the start and at the end of a cricket season in pace bowlers who sustained an injury during the season and those who did not. This is a longitudinal, observational study. Thirty-two, healthy, injury free, male premier league fast, fast-medium and medium pace bowlers between the ages of 18 and 26 years (mean age 21.8 years, standard deviation 1.8 years) participated in the study. The main outcome measures were injury incidence, lumbo-pelvic movement control, static and dynamic balance ability. Fifty-three percent of the bowlers (n=17) sustained injuries during the reviewed cricket season. Lumbo-pelvic movement control tests could not discriminate between bowlers who sustained an injury during the cricket season and bowlers who did not. However, performance in the single leg balance test (p=0.03; confidence interval 4.74-29.24) and the star excursion balance test (p=0.02; confidence interval 1.28-11.93) as measured at the start of the season was better in bowlers who did not sustain an injury during the season. The improvement in the lumbo-pelvic movement control and balance tests suggests that the intensity and type of physical conditioning that happens throughout the season may have been responsible for this improvement. Poor performance in the single leg balance test and the star excursion balance test at the start of the cricket season may be an indication that a bowler is at heightened risk of injury. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of possible head injuries ensuing a cricket ball impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohotti, Damith; Fernando, P L N; Zaghloul, Amir

2018-05-01

The aim of this research is to study the behaviour of a human head during the event of an impact of a cricket ball. While many recent incidents were reported in relation to head injuries caused by the impact of cricket balls, there is no clear information available in the published literature about the possible threat levels and the protection level of the current protective equipment. This research investigates the effects of an impact of a cricket ball on a human head and the level of protection offered by the existing standard cricket helmet. An experimental program was carried out to measure the localised pressure caused by the impact of standard cricket balls. The balls were directed at a speed of 110 km/h on a 3D printed head model, with and without a standard cricket helmet. Numerical simulations were carried out using advanced finite element package LS-DYNA to validate the experimental results. The experimental and numerical results showed approximately a 60% reduction in the pressure on the head model when the helmet was used. Both frontal and side impact resulted in head acceleration values in the range of 225-250 g at a ball speed of 110 km/h. There was a 36% reduction observed in the peak acceleration of the brain when wearing a helmet. Furthermore, numerical simulations showed a 67% reduction in the force on the skull and a 95% reduction in the skull internal energy when introducing the helmet. (1) Upon impact, high localised pressure could cause concussion for a player without helmet. (2) When a helmet was used, the acceleration of the brain observed in the numerical results was at non-critical levels according to existing standards. (3) A significant increase in the threat levels was observed for a player without helmet, based on force, pressure, acceleration and energy criteria, which resulted in recommending the compulsory use of the cricket helmet. (4) Numerical results showed a good correlation with experimental results and hence, the

Cricket inspired flow-sensor arrays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Casas, J.

2007-01-01

We report current developments in biomimetic flow-sensors based on mechanoreceptive sensory hairs of crickets. These filiform hairs are highly perceptive to lowfrequency sound with energy sensitivities close to thermal threshold. In this work we describe hair-sensors fabricated by a combination of

Quantifying individual performance in Cricket — A network analysis of batsmen and bowlers

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Satyam

2014-01-01

Quantifying individual performance in the game of Cricket is critical for team selection in International matches. The number of runs scored by batsmen and wickets taken by bowlers serves as a natural way of quantifying the performance of a cricketer. Traditionally the batsmen and bowlers are rated on their batting or bowling average respectively. However, in a game like Cricket it is always important the manner in which one scores the runs or claims a wicket. Scoring runs against a strong bowling line-up or delivering a brilliant performance against a team with a strong batting line-up deserves more credit. A player’s average is not able to capture this aspect of the game. In this paper we present a refined method to quantify the ‘quality’ of runs scored by a batsman or wickets taken by a bowler. We explore the application of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to rate the players in a team performance. We generate a directed and weighted network of batsmen-bowlers using the player-vs-player information available for Test cricket and ODI cricket. Additionally we generate a network of batsmen and bowlers based on the dismissal record of batsmen in the history of cricket-Test (1877-2011) and ODI (1971-2011). Our results show that M. Muralitharan is the most successful bowler in the history of Cricket. Our approach could potentially be applied in domestic matches to judge a player’s performance which in turn paves the way for a balanced team selection for International matches.

EFFECTIVENESS OF SWISS BALL VS FLOOR EXERCISES ON CORE MUSCLE STRENGTH IN ELITE CRICKETERS

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K. Sai sudha

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Cricket is one of the most popular game in India played by men and women of all ages. The increased physical demands on the players may be associated with an increased risk of injuries. Core muscle strength is important to prevent risk of injuries in elite cricketers. The beginners in the cricket must have enough strength of core muscles, as core is the bridge between upper and lower limbs. So, it should be strong enough to prevent low back and lower limb injuries in cricketers. The aim is to determine the effectiveness of swiss ball exercises versus floor exercises on core muscle strength in elite cricketers. The objective is to study and compare the effectiveness of swiss ball exercises and floor exercises in elite cricketers in terms of back strength. Method: The total number of students in this study were 30 eilte cricketers between 16-25 years out of which 15 subjects were included each in floor exercise(n=15 and swiss ball group(n=15. Back strength was measured before and after the intervention of 6 weeks using isokinetic analyser. Results: After the analysis, the results revealed significant improvement of back strength in both the groups(p< 0.00. The swiss ball group showed significant results when compared with floor exercise group. Conclusion: Although the study showed beneficial results in both the groups, the results reflected that swiss ball group had better improvement of core muscle strength than the floor exercise group.

Forest litter crickets prefer higher substrate moisture for oviposition: Evidence from field and lab experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

de Farias-Martins, Fernando; Sperber, Carlos Frankl; Albeny-Simões, Daniel; Breaux, Jennifer Ann; Fianco, Marcos; Szinwelski, Neucir

2017-01-01

For insects, choosing a favorable oviposition site is a type of parental care, as far as it increases the fitness of its offspring. Niche theory predicts that crickets should show a bell-shaped oviposition response to substrate moisture. However, lab experiments with mole crickets showed a linear oviposition response to substrate moisture. Studies with the house cricket Acheta domesticus also showed a linear juvenile body growth response to water availability, thus adult ovipositing females should respond positively to substrate moisture. We used a field experiment to evaluate the relationship between oviposition preference and substrate moisture in forest litter-dwelling cricket species. We also evaluated oviposition responses to substrate moisture level in Ubiquepuella telytokous, the most abundant litter cricket species in our study area, using a laboratory study. We offered cotton substrate for oviposition which varied in substrate moisture level from zero (i.e., dry) to maximum water absorption capacity. We used two complementary metrics to evaluate oviposition preference: (i) presence or absence of eggs in each sampling unit as binary response variable, and (ii) number of eggs oviposited per sampling unit as count response variable. To test for non-linear responses, we adjusted generalized additive models (GAMM) with mixed effects. We found that both cricket oviposition probability and effort (i.e., number of eggs laid) increased linearly with substrate moisture in the field experiment, and for U. telytokous in the lab experiment. We discarded any non-linear responses. Our results demonstrate the importance of substrate moisture as an ecological niche dimension for litter crickets. This work bolsters knowledge of litter cricket life history association with moisture, and suggests that litter crickets may be particularly threatened by changes in climate that favor habitat drying.

A History of English Women’s Cricket, 1880-1939

OpenAIRE

Threlfall-Sykes, Judy

2015-01-01

This thesis is a study of the history of women’s cricket from the 1880s until 1939. Although the primary focus of this thesis is the interwar years, it explores the earliest forms of women’s cricket to provide context for the motivation of individuals to promote the game as acceptable for women, and of those who denounced its suitability. By exploring societal concerns over correct masculine and feminine behaviour and ideals, this thesis provides insight into the methods that contemporaries a...

Artificial sensory hairs based on the flow sensitive receptor hairs of crickets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, Marcel; van Baar, J.J.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; de Boer, J.H.; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

2005-01-01

This paper presents the modelling, design, fabrication and characterization of flow sensors based on the wind-receptor hairs of crickets. Cricket sensory hairs are highly sensitive to drag-forces exerted on the hair shaft. Artificial sensory hairs have been realized in SU-8 on suspended SixNy

Effects of Forest Regeneration on Crickets: Evaluating Environmental Drivers in a 300-Year Chronosequence

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Neucir Szinwelski

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We evaluated the relation of cricket species richness and composition with forest regeneration time, evaluating canopy and litter depth as environmental drivers. Effects of forest patch area, nearest distance to the 300-year patch, cricket abundance, sampling sufficiency, and nestedness were also evaluated. We collected 1174 individuals (five families, 19 species. Species richness increased asymptotically with regeneration time and linearly with canopy cover and litter depth. Canopy cover increased linearly, while litter depth increased asymptotically. Richness was not affected by patch area and nearest distance to the 300-year patch. Richness increased with cricket abundance, and this explanation could not be distinguished from regeneration time, evidencing collinearity of these two explanatory variables. Rarefaction curve slopes increased with regeneration time. Species composition differed among patches, with no nested pattern. We suggest that regeneration and consequent increases in canopy and litter promote recovery of cricket biodiversity, abundance, and changes in species composition. We conclude that the recovery of cricket diversity involves an increase along the spatial scale of complementarity, together with a change in species composition.

Cricket farming as a livelihood strategy in Thailand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halloran, Afton Marina Szasz; Roos, Nanna; Hanboonsong, Yupa

2017-01-01

While many important aspects of wild and farmed insects have been discussed by scholars, such as nutritional value, conservation and farming techniques, no study has addressed how insect farming contributes to rural livelihoods. Furthermore, the roles that interactions between insect farmers......, their peers and institutions play in insect farming as a livelihood strategy are even less well understood. This paper presents a preliminary assessment of cricket farming as a livelihood strategy in Thailand. Fortynine cricket farmers participated in in-depth interviews designed to gain insight into how...... capital. As such, further empirical data and case study analyses are needed in order to advance our understanding of this particular livelihood strategy....

Two steps to suicide in crickets harbouring hairworms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanchez, M.I.; Ponton, F.; Schmidt-Rhaesa, A.

2008-01-01

predicted that hairworms should adaptively manipulate host behaviour to maximize parasite reproductive success. Our results supported the hypothesis that the host manipulation strategy of hairworms consists of at least two distinct steps, first the induction of erratic behaviour and then suicidal behaviour...... per se. Hairworms secured mating by starting to manipulate their host before being fully mature. Once induced, the cricket's suicidal behaviour was maintained until the host found water but the fecundity of worms decreased over time. As expected, the fecundity of worms was better in crickets...... with suicidal rather than erratic behaviour. (C) 2008 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved...

Physiologic profile of professional cricketers.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, James A; Ford, Paul A

2010-11-01

This study aims to provide a physiologic profile of professional cricketers and note positional differences at the start of the 2007/08 competitive season. Fifteen participants (9 bowlers, 6 batsmen) aged 25.0 ± 5.0 years (mean ± SD) took part in this study. Participants (bowlers and batsmen) completed a series of field-based fitness assessments: body composition (sum of 7 skinfolds, 72.5 ± 16.5 and 65.5 ± 19.3 mm, respectively), flexibility (sit and reach 8.1 ± 10.3 and 6.0 ± 6.2 cm, respectively), predicted maximal oxygen uptake (multistage shuttle run, 54.1 ± 2.8 and 56.1 ± 4.5 ml-1·kg-1·min-1, respectively), upper- (medicine ball throw, 7.7 ± 0.6 and 7.0 ± 0.1 m, respectively) and lower-body strength (countermovement jump, 45.7 ± 5.8 and 43.9 ± 4.1 cm, respectively), speed (sprint 17.7 m, 2.76 ± 0.6 and 2.77 ± 0.1 s, respectively), and explosive power (repeated jump, 31.0 ± 2.0 and 34.1 ± 4.8 cm, respectively). The data provided the physical fitness profile for each player, which, compared with normative data, identified that this cohort of professional cricketers had some superior fitness parameters compared with the general population, and where applicable, were comparable with other professional athletes. In addition, after effect size calculations, the results showed that some physical fitness differences existed between playing positions. Cricket professionals possess a superior level of physical fitness and strength, and conditioning coaches should seek to progress these physical parameters and further identify position-specific physical requirements to progress the modern game.

Quantification of dendritic and axonal growth after injury to the auditory system of the adult cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra ePfister

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Dendrite and axon growth and branching during development are regulated by a complex set of intracellular and external signals. However, the cues that maintain or influence adult neuronal morphology are less well understood. Injury and deafferentation tend to have negative effects on adult nervous systems. An interesting example of injury-induced compensatory growth is seen in the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. After unilateral loss of an ear in the adult cricket, auditory neurons within the central nervous system sprout to compensate for the injury. Specifically, after being deafferented, ascending neurons (AN-1 and AN-2 send dendrites across the midline of the prothoracic ganglion where they receive input from auditory afferents that project through the contralateral auditory nerve (N5. Deafferentation also triggers contralateral N5 axonal growth. In this study, we quantified AN dendritic and N5 axonal growth at 30 hours, as well as at 3, 5, 7, 14 and 20 days after deafferentation in adult crickets. Significant differences in the rates of dendritic growth between males and females were noted. In females, dendritic growth rates were non-linear; a rapid burst of dendritic extension in the first few days was followed by a plateau reached at 3 days after deafferentation. In males, however, dendritic growth rates were linear, with dendrites growing steadily over time and reaching lengths, on average, twice as long as in females. On the other hand, rates of N5 axonal growth showed no significant sexual dimorphism and were linear. Within each animal, the growth rates of dendrites and axons were not correlated, indicating that independent factors likely influence dendritic and axonal growth in response to injury in this system. Our findings provide a basis for future study of the cellular features that allow differing dendrite and axon growth patterns as well as sexually dimorphic dendritic growth in response to deafferentation.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF THE FIELD CRICKET （GRYLLUS TESTACEUS WALKER）

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

DunWang; Yao-yuBai; Jiang-hongLi; Chuan-xiZhang

2004-01-01

The chemical composition and the nutritional quality of protein, fatty acids and chitin of adult field cricket Gryllus testaceus Walker were investigated. The adult insect contalned: crude protein 58.3 %; fat 10.3 %, chitin 8.7 % and ash 2.96 % on dry matter basis respectively. The essential amino acid profile compared well with FAO/WHO recommended pattern except for cysteine and methionine. The fatty acid analysis showed unsaturated acid of the field cricket to be present in high quantities, and the total percentage of oleic acid, linolic acid and linolenic acid was 77.51%. The chitin content of the insect was 8.7 % with a better quality than the commercial chitin that was prepared from shells of shrimp and crab. Therefore the chemical composition of the field cricket indicates the insect to be a good supplement to nutrition for food and feed, even a raw material for medicine.

Macronutrient intake regulates sexual conflict in decorated crickets.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapkin, J; Jensen, K; Lane, S M; House, C M; Sakaluk, S K; Hunt, J

2016-02-01

Sexual conflict results in a diversity of sex-specific adaptations, including chemical additions to ejaculates. Male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) produce a gelatinous nuptial gift (the spermatophylax) that varies in size and free amino acid composition, which influences a female's willingness to fully consume this gift. Complete consumption of this gift maximizes sperm transfer through increased retention of the sperm-containing ampulla, but hinders post-copulatory mate choice. Here, we examine the effects of protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) intake on the weight and amino acid composition of the spermatophylax that describes its gustatory appeal to the female, as well as the ability of this gift to regulate sexual conflict via ampulla attachment time. Nutrient intake had similar effects on the expression of these traits with each maximized at a high intake of nutrients with a P : C ratio of 1 : 1.3. Under dietary choice, males actively regulated their nutrient intake but this regulation did not coincide with the peak of the nutritional landscape for any trait. Our results therefore demonstrate that a balanced intake of nutrients is central to regulating sexual conflict in G. sigillatus, but males are constrained from reaching the optima needed to bias the outcome of this conflict in their favour. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Selection of the all-time best World XI Test cricket team using the TOPSIS method

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Shankar Chakraborty

2019-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to apply the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS as a multi-criteria decision making tool to form the all-time best World XI Test cricket team while taking into consideration over 2600 cricketers participated in Test matches for more than 100 years of cricket history. From the voluminous database containing the performance of numerous Test cricketers, separate lists are first prepared for different positions in the batting and bowling orders consisting of manageable numbers of candidate alternatives while imposing some constraints with respect to the minimum number of innings played (for batsmen, minimum number of tests played (for wicketkeepers and bowlers, and minimum numbers of runs scored and wickets taken (for all-rounders. The TOPSIS method is later adopted to rank those shortlisted cricketers and identify the best performers for inclusion in the proposed World XI Test team. The best World Test cricket team is thus formed as Alastair Cook (ENG (c, Sunil Gavaskar (IND, Rahul Dravid (IND (vc, Sachin Tendulkar (IND, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI, Jacques Kallis (SA, Adam Gilchrist (AUS (wk, Glenn McGrath (AUS, Courtney Walsh (WI, Muttiah Muralitharan (SL and Shane Warne (AUS.

Protein deficiency lowers resistance of Mormon crickets to the pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Srygley, R B; Jaronski, S T

Little is known about the effects of dietary macronutrients on the capacity of insects to ward off a fungal pathogen. Here we tested the hypothesis that Mormon crickets fed restricted protein diets have lower enzymatic assays of generalized immunity, slower rates of encapsulation of foreign bodies, and greater mortality from infection by Beauveria bassiana, a fungal pathogen. Beginning in the last nymphal instar, Mormon crickets were fed a high, intermediate, or low protein diet with correspondingly low, intermediate, or high carbohydrate proportions. After they eclosed to adult, we drew hemolymph, topically applied B. bassiana, maintained them on diet treatments, and measured mortality for 21 days. Mormon crickets fed high protein diets had higher prophenoloxidase titers, greater encapsulation response, and higher survivorship to Beauveria fungal infection than those on low protein diets. We replicated the study adding very high and very low protein diets to the treatments. A high protein diet increased phenoloxidase titers, and those fed the very high protein diet had more circulating prophenoloxidase. Mormon crickets fed the very low protein diet were the most susceptible to B. bassiana infection, but the more concentrated phenoloxidase and prophenoloxidase associated with the highest protein diets did not confer the greatest protection from the fungal pathogen as in the first replicate. We conclude that protein-restricted diets caused Mormon crickets to have lower phenoloxidase titers, slower encapsulation of foreign bodies, and greater mortality from B. bassiana infection than those fed high protein diets. These results support the nutrition-based dichotomy of migrating Mormon crickets, protein-deficient ones are more susceptible to pathogenic fungi whereas carbohydrate-deficient ones are more vulnerable to bacterial challenge. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

"A man's game": cricket, war and masculinity, South Africa, 1899-1902.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Dean

2011-01-01

As practitioners of the imperial sport of the Victorian age, cricketers rallied whenever war descended upon England and its colonies. The South African War of 1899-1902 was no different. Adding to existing work on cricket's imperial development within South Africa, this study marks a significant contribution to research on the link between masculinity, war and sport during the Victorian era. A concept emerging from the English public schools of the mid- to late nineteenth century, the masculine ethos of sport and military honour had reached colonial South Africa by the outbreak of war in 1899. In its analysis of cricket and masculinity, this essay examines the events surrounding the war in South Africa and provides an example of the distinct relationship that existed between the military and the masculinity of sport and its organisation during this era.

An explorative study of the practice of light trapping and the informal market for crickets in Cambodia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Münke-Svendsen, C.; Ao, V.; Lach, T.

2018-01-01

was to describe the informal food sector for wild caught crickets in Cambodia. The information was collected in April-May 2012. Information on collection equipment and techniques, processing and trade were obtained from light trap owners, traders, market vendors and governmental representatives. Five cricket......Edible insects are an integrated part of the food sector in many South-East Asian countries. While the majority of studies focus on Thailand and its cricket farming sector, neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Laos also form a regional market for edible insects. The aim of this research...... species were identified to be the main trade object. Cricket trapping contributed to livelihoods of rural households operating in a self-governing market. As the crickets are caught from the wild, the sustainability of the market has to be questioned. The use of a framework to structure future studies...

The role of visual skills and its impact on skill performance of cricket ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to determine the role and the impact of a visual skills training programme on the skills performance of cricket players, and whether visual training programmes are beneficial to competitive sports performance. Highly skilled cricket players (n=13) who were actively participating at a provincial level of ...

Circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. I. Localization of the pacemaker and the photoreceptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Y; Ushirogawa, H; Tomioka, K

1997-10-01

Circadian locomotor rhythm and its underlying mechanism were investigated in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. Adult male crickets showed a nocturnal locomotor rhythm peaking early in the dark phase of a light to dark cycle. This rhythm persisted under constant darkness (DD) with a free-running period averaging 23.1 +/- 0.3 hr. Although constant bright light made most animals arrhythmic, about 40% of the animals showed free-running rhythms with a period longer than 24 hr under constant dim light condition. On transfer to DD, all arrhythmic animals restored the locomotor rhythm. Bilateral optic nerve severance resulted in free-running of the rhythm even under light-dark cycles. The free-running period of the optic nerve severed animals was significantly longer than sham operated crickets in DD, suggesting that the compound eye plays some role in determining the free-running period. Removal of bilateral lamina-medulla portion of the optic lobe abolished the rhythm under DD. These results demonstrate that the photoreceptor for entrainment is the compound eye and the optic lobe is indispensable for persistence of the rhythm. However, 75% and 54% of the optic lobeless animals showed aberrant rhythms with a period very close to 24 hr under light and temperature cycles, respectively, suggesting that there are neural and/or humoral mechanisms for the aberrant rhythms outside of the optic lobe. Since ocelli removal did not affect the photoperiodically induced rhythm, it is likely that the photoreception for the rhythm is performed through an extraretinal photoreceptor.

Effect of House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) Flour Addition on Physicochemical and Textural Properties of Meat Emulsion Under Various Formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Wook; Setyabrata, Derico; Lee, YongJae; Jones, Owen G; Kim, Yuan H Brad

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour addition on physicochemical and textural properties of meat emulsion under various formulations. As an initial marker of functionality, protein solubility, water absorption, emulsifying capacity, and gel formation ability of house cricket flour were determined at pH (2 to 10) and NaCl concentrations (0 to 2.10 M). Control emulsion was formulated with 60% lean pork, 20% back fat, and 20% ice. Six treatment emulsions were prepared with replacement of lean pork and/or back fat portions with spray-dried house cricket flour at 5% and 10% levels, based on a total sample weight. The protein solubility of house cricket flour (67 g protein/100 g) was significantly altered depending upon pH (P house cricket flour were found between 0 and 2.10 M NaCl concentration (P > 0.05). The replacement of lean meat/fat portion with house cricket flour within 10% level could fortify protein and some micronutrients (phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium) in meat emulsion, without negative impacts on cooking yield and textural properties. Our results suggest that house cricket flour can be used as an effective nonmeat functional ingredient to manufacture emulsified meat products. To better utilize house cricket flour as a food ingredient in wide application, understanding its technological properties in various pH, and ionic strength conditions is a pivotal step. Protein solubility of house cricket flour would be considerably affected by the varying pH and NaCl concentrations of applied conventional foods. In the case of meat emulsion, within 10% lean meat and/or fat portions could be successfully substituted with house cricket flour without detectable adverse impacts on technological properties associated with cooking yield and instrumental analysis of texture. Thus, our findings suggest that house cricket flour possess the necessary physical properties to be used as an alternative nonmeat

Imitating cricket mechanosensory hairs: dream or reality?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Casas, Jerome

2008-01-01

MEMS offers exciting possibilities for bio-inspired mechanosensors. Over the last years we have been working on cricket inspired hair-sensors for flow observations. In stimulating interactions within EU consortia important insights have surfaced and MEMS sensors with demonstrated acoustic

Biomimetic flow-sensor arrays based on the filiform hairs on the cerci of crickets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiegerink, Remco J.; Floris, J.; Jaganatharaja, R.K.; Izadi, N.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

2007-01-01

In this paper we report on the latest developments in biomimetic flow-sensors based on the flow sensitive mechano-sensors of crickets. Crickets have one form of acoustic sensing evolved in the form of mechanoreceptive sensory hairs. These filiform hairs are highly perceptive to low-frequency sound

Hydration benefits to courtship feeding in crickets

Science.gov (United States)

Ivy, T. M.; Johnson, J. C.; Sakaluk, S. K.

1999-01-01

The spermatophore transferred by male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) at mating includes a large gelatinous spermatophylax that the female consumes after copulation. Although previous studies have shown that G. sigillatus females gain no nutritional benefits from consuming food gifts, there may be other benefits to their consumption. We examined potential hydration benefits to females by experimentally manipulating both the availability of water and the number of food gifts that females consumed, and by measuring their effect on female fitness. Analysis of the number of nymphs produced by females revealed a significant interaction between the number of spermatophylaxes consumed and water availability. When spermatophylaxes were not provided, females given water ad libitum produced significantly more nymphs than females subjected to water stress. Female longevity was significantly affected by water availability, with an increase in the availability of water corresponding to a significant increase in female longevity. These data suggest that female G. sigillatus accrue fitness benefits by consuming spermatophylaxes when alternative sources of water are unavailable. In addition, females appear to allocate water contained in spermatophylaxes towards reproduction as opposed to survival.

Management of pest mole crickets in Florida and Puerto Rico with a nematode and parasitic wasp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leppla, N.C.; Frank, J.H.; Adjei, M.B.; Vicente, N.E.

2007-01-01

Non-indigenous invasive mole crickets, Scapteriscus vicinus Scudder (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) in Florida and S. didactylus (Latreille) (the 'changa') in Puerto Rico, are being managed with an entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema scapterisci (Nguyen and Smart) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), and a parasitic wasp, Larra bicolor L. (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Pest mole cricket populations have declined by 95% in north central Florida since these specialist natural enemies were released and established in the 1980s. Commercial production of the nematode was initiated, nearly 70 billion were applied in 34 Florida counties, and their establishment, spread, and impact on mole crickets were monitored. The infected mole crickets dispersed the nematode rapidly, so that within 6 months these parasites were present in most of the insects trapped in experimental pastures. Three years later, mole cricket populations were reduced to acceptable levels and the bahiagrass had recovered. The nematode was released for the first time in Puerto Rico during 2001 and has persisted; the wasp was introduced in the late 1930s. The geographical distribution of the wasp is being expanded in Florida and Puerto Rico by planting plots of Spermacoce verticillata (L.), a wildflower indigenous to Puerto Rico and widely distributed in southern Florida. Pastures, sod farms, golf courses, landscapes, and vegetable farms in Florida and Puerto Rico are benefiting from biological control of invasive mole crickets. (author) [es

Exploring the potential for changing gender norms among cricket coaches and athletes in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Elizabeth; Das, Madhumita; Verma, Ravi; O'Connor, Brian; Ghosh, Sancheeta; Jaime, Maria Catrina D; McCauley, Heather L

2015-02-01

This study explored gender norms with cricket coaches and athletes in India to adapt a coach-delivered gender violence prevention program from the United States for the urban Indian context. Interviews and focus groups conducted among coaches and adolescent cricketers highlight the extent to which coaches and athletes articulate prevailing inequitable notions about gender and recognition of the power coaches wield. Adapting a violence prevention program that emphasizes gender norms change may be feasible with Indian cricket coaches but is likely to require attention to defining gender equity and challenging cultural assumptions with coaches prior to implementing the program with athletes. © The Author(s) 2014.

Frequency tuning and directional sensitivity of tympanal vibrations in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lankheet, Martin J.; Cerkvenik, Uroš; Larsen, Ole Næsbye

2017-01-01

Female field crickets use phonotaxis to locate males by their calling song. Male song production and female behavioural sensitivity form a pair of matched frequency filters, which in Gryllus bimaculatus are tuned to a frequency of about 4.7 kHz. Directional sensitivity is supported by an elaborate...... play a major role in tuning directional sensitivity to the calling song frequency, by measuring tympanal vibrations as a function of sound direction and frequency. Rather than sharp frequency tuning of directional sensitivity corresponding to the calling song, we found broad frequency tuning......, with optima shifted to higher frequencies. These findings agree with predictions from a vector summation model for combining external and internal sounds. We show that the model provides robust directional sensitivity that is, however, broadly tuned with an optimum well above the calling song frequency. We...

Skin conditions of baseball, cricket, and softball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Farhadian, Joshua A; Tlougan, Brook E; Adams, Brian B; Leventhal, Jonathan S; Sanchez, Miguel R

2013-07-01

Each year in the United States over 80 million people participate in bat-and-ball sports, for example baseball and softball. Cricket, the world's second most popular sport, is enjoyed by hundreds of millions of participants in such countries as India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Although any player can develop skin disease as a result of participation in these bat-and-ball sports, competitive team athletes are especially prone to skin problems related to infection, trauma, allergy, solar exposure, and other causes. These diseases can produce symptoms that hinder individual athletic performance and participation. In this review, we discuss the diagnosis and best-practice management of skin diseases that can develop as a result of participation in baseball, softball, and cricket.

Wing mechanics, vibrational and acoustic communication in a new bush-cricket species of the genus Copiphora (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Colombia

OpenAIRE

Sarria-S, Fabio; Buxton, Kallum; Jonsson, Thorin; Montealegre-Z, Fernando

2016-01-01

Male bush-crickets produce acoustic signals by wing stridulation to call females. Several species also alternate vibratory signals with acoustic calls for intraspecific communication, a way to reduce risk of detection by eavesdropping predators. Both modes of communication have been documented mostly in neotropical species, for example in the genus Copiphora. In this article, we studied vibratory and acoustic signals and the biophysics of wing resonance in C. vigorosa, a new species from the ...

The Relationship Between Morphological Symmetry and Immune Response in Wild-Caught Adult Bush-Crickets

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Åsa Berggren

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Despite interest in the relationship between fluctuating asymmetry (FA, immune response and ecological factors in insects, little data are available from wild populations. In this study we measured FA and immune response in 370 wild-caught male bush-crickets, Metrioptera roeseli, from 20 experimentally introduced populations in southern-central Sweden. Individuals with more-symmetric wings had a higher immune response as measured by the cellular encapsulation of a surgically-implanted nylon monofilament. However, we found no relationship between measures of FA in other organs (i.e. tibia and maxillary palp and immune response, suggesting that this pattern may reflect differing selection pressures.

Which Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors are Associated with Non-Contact Injuries in Adult Cricket Fast Bowlers?

Science.gov (United States)

Olivier, Benita; Taljaard, Tracy; Burger, Elaine; Brukner, Peter; Orchard, John; Gray, Janine; Botha, Nadine; Stewart, Aimee; Mckinon, Warrick

2016-01-01

The high prevalence of injury amongst cricket fast bowlers exposes a great need for research into the risk factors associated with injury. Both extrinsic (environment-related) and intrinsic (person-related) risk factors are likely to be implicated within the high prevalence of non-contact injury amongst fast bowlers in cricket. Identifying and defining the relative importance of these risk factors is necessary in order to optimize injury prevention efforts. The objective of this review was to assess and summarize the scientific literature related to the extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with non-contact injury inherent to adult cricket fast bowlers. A systematic review was performed in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. This review considered both experimental and epidemiological study designs. Studies that included male cricket fast bowlers aged 18 years or above, from all levels of play, evaluating the association between extrinsic/intrinsic factors and injury in fast bowlers were considered for inclusion. The three-step search strategy aimed at finding both published and unpublished studies from all languages. The searched databases included MEDLINE via PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register in the Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), ProQuest 5000 International, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, EBSCO MegaFile Premier, Science Direct, SPORTDiscus with Full Text and SCOPUS (prior to 28 April 2015). Initial keywords used were 'cricket', 'pace', 'fast', 'bowler', and 'injury'. Papers which fitted the inclusion criteria were assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI). A total of 16 studies were determined to be suitable for inclusion in this

Factors Affecting the Result of Matches in the One Day Format of Cricket

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ananda Bandulasiri

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Factors contributing to winning games are imperative, as the ultimate objective in a game is victory. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that characterize the game of cricket, and to investigate the factors that truly influence the result of a game using the data collected from the Champions Trophy cricket tournament. According to the results, this cricket tournament can be characterized using the factors of batting, bowling, and decision-making. Further investigation suggests that the rank of the team and the number of runs they score have the most significant influence on the result of games. As far as the effectiveness of assigning bowlers is concerned, the Australian team has done a fabulous job compared to the rest of the teams. (original abstract

Female field crickets incur increased parasitism risk when near preferred song.

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Cassandra M Martin

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Female animals often prefer males with conspicuous traits because these males provide direct or indirect benefits. Conspicuous male traits, however, can attract predators. This not only increases the risk of predation for conspicuous males but also for the females that prefer them. In the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, males that produce preferred song types provide females with greater material benefits, but they are also more likely to attract lethal parasitoid flies. First, we conducted a field experiment that tested the hypothesis that females have a greater risk of fly parasitism when in association with preferred high chirp rate males. Females were nearly twice as likely to be parasitized when caged with high chirp rate song than when caged with low chirp rate song. Females may thus be forced to trade off the quality of the benefits they receive from mating with preferred males and the risk of being killed by a predator when near these males. Second, we assessed female parasitism rates in a natural population. Up to 6% of the females were parasitized in field samples. Because the females we collected could have become parasitized had they not been collected, this provides a minimum estimate of the female parasitism rate in the field. In a laboratory study, we found no difference in the proportion of time parasitized and unparasitized females spent hiding under shelters; thus, differences in activity patterns do not appear to have biased our estimate of female parasitism rates. Overall, our results suggest that female association costs have the potential to shape the evolution of female mating preferences.

Elite Cricket Coach Education: A Bourdieusian Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Robert C.; Cushion, Christopher

2017-01-01

The social structures within coach education have been largely unexplored, undiscussed, and treated as unproblematic in contributing to coach learning, both in research and practice. The study used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 11 elite cricket coaches to gather their perceptions of an elite coach education programme. In particular,…

Dioptrics of the facet lenses in the dorsal rim area of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ukhanov, KY; Leertouwer, HL; Gribakin, FG; Stavenga, DG

1996-01-01

1. The optics of the corneal facet lenses from the dorsal rim area (DRA) and from the dorso-lateral areas (DA) of the compound eye of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus were studied. 2. The DRA of the cricket eye contains quite normally shaped facet lenses. The diameter of the facet lens in the DA is

Estimation of squeeze film damping in artificial hair-sensor towards the detection-limit of crickets' hairs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dagamseh, A.M.K.

2014-01-01

The filliform hairs of crickets are among the most sensitive flow sensing elements in nature. The high sensitivity of these hairs enables crickets in perceiving tiny air-movements which are only just distinguishable from noise. This forms our source of inspiration to design highly-sensitive array

Health impact and noise exposure assessment in the cricket bat industry of Kashmir, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Manzoor, Javid; Mamta; Jaganadha Rao, Rayavarapu; Wani, Khursheed Ahmad

2016-12-01

The aim of the present study was to identify and evaluate predominant noise sources in the cricket bat industry of Kashmir, India. Sound levels were measured at operator's ear level in the working zone of the workers of seven cricket bat factories. The impact assessment was made through personal interviews with each worker separately during their period of rest. On average, 62.5% of the workers reported difficulty in hearing and 24.1% of the workers have become patients for hypertension. Only 58.1% of the workers complained of headache due to high noise level. The workers engaged in the cricket bat industry of Kashmir are exposed to high noise levels. It is suggested that personal protective equipment like ear plugs and ear muffs be used by these workers as a protection against this hazard.

Learning from Crickets: Artificial Hair-Sensor Array Developments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.

2010-01-01

We have successfully developed biomimetic flowsensitive hair-sensor arrays taking inspiration from mechanosensory hairs of crickets. Our current generation of sensors achieves sub mm/s threshold air-flow sensitivity for single hairs operating in a bandwidth of a few hundred Hz and is the result of a

Microbial dynamics during industrial rearing, processing, and storage of the tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) for human consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandeweyer, Dries; Wynants, Enya; Crauwels, Sam; Verreth, Christel; Viaene, Nikolaas; Claes, Johan; Lievens, Bart; Van Campenhout, Leen

2018-04-06

In this study, the microbiota during industrial rearing, processing, and storage of the edible tropical house cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus , was investigated. To this end, samples were analyzed of the cricket feed, before feeding as well as taken from the cages, and the crickets during rearing, after harvest, and after processing into frozen, oven-dried, and smoked and subsequently oven-dried end products. Although the feed contained lower microbial numbers than the crickets, both were dominated by the same species-level operational taxonomic units as determined by Illumina Miseq sequencing. They corresponded, among others, to members of Porphyromonadaceae, Fusobacterium , Parabacteroides and Erwinia The harvested crickets contained high microbial numbers, but none of the investigated food pathogens Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes , Bacillus cereus , and coagulase-positive staphylococci. However, some possible mycotoxin-producing fungi were isolated from the crickets. A post-harvest heat treatment, shortly boiling the crickets, reduced microbial numbers, but an endospore load of 2.4 log cfu/g remained. After processing, an increase in microbial counts was observed for dried and smoked plus dried crickets. Additionally, in the smoked plus dried crickets, a high abundance of a Bacillus sp. was observed. Considering the possible occurrence of food-pathogenic species from this genus, it is advised to apply a heat treatment which is sufficient to eliminate spores. Nevertheless, the microbial numbers remained constant over a six-month storage period, frozen (frozen end product) or at ambient temperature (oven-dried and smoked plus dried end products). Importance. The need for sustainable protein sources has led to the emergence of a new food sector, producing and processing edible insects into foods. However, insight into the microbial quality of this new food and into the microbial dynamics during rearing, processing and storage of edible insects is still

A situation analysis of the competitive schools based cricket coaching programmes at u/19 level in the Gauteng province

OpenAIRE

2014-01-01

M.Phil. (Sport Management) The purpose of this study was to investigate the management of cricket coaching programmes at u/19 level in the Gauteng Province. Specifically, this study attempted to determine the current situation regarding management of coaching programmes and the delivery of in-school driven programmes in the province. Data was collected from schools offering cricket as a sport from both the Gauteng Lions and Northerns Cricket Union franchises. There were 10 schools in the N...

Titanogryllus n. gen., the largest Gryllinae cricket from the Neotropical Region with three new species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Gryllidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswara, Ranjana; Souza-Dias, Pedro G B; De Campos, Lucas Denadai; RedÜ, Darlan R; De Mello, Francisco de A G; Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure

2018-03-29

Titanogryllus, a new genus and three new species T. salgado n. gen. n. sp., T. oxossi n. gen. n. sp., and T. oxente n. gen. n. sp. from subfamily Gryllinae (Grylloidea, Gryllidae) are described from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This genus is characterized by its very large size, and establishes a new record for the largest known cricket from Neotropical Region. The new taxa are characterized by their external morphology and male and female genitalia.

Time course of protein synthesis-dependent phase of olfactory memory in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Noji, Sumihare; Mizunami, Makoto

2003-04-01

The cricket Gryllus bimaculatus forms a stable olfactory memory that lasts for practically a lifetime. As a first step to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of olfactory learning and memory retention in crickets, we studied the dependency of memory retention on the de novo brain protein synthesis by injecting the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) into the head capsule. Injection of CHX inhibited (3)H-leucine incorporation into brain proteins by > 90% for 3 hr. Crickets were trained to associate peppermint odor with water (reward) and vanilla odor with saline solution (non-reward) and were injected with CHX before or at different times after training. Their odor preferences were tested at 2 hr, 1 day and 4 days after training. Memory retention at 2 hr after training was unaffected by CHX injection. However, the level of retention at 1 day and 4 days after training was lowered when CHX was injected 1 hour before training or at 1 hr or 6 hr after training. To study the time course of the development of CHX-sensitive memory phase, crickets that had been injected with CHX at 1 hr after training were tested at different times from 2 to 12 hr after training. The level of retention was unaffected up to 4 hr after training but significantly lowered at 5 hr after training, and the CHX-sensitive memory phase developed gradually during the next several hours. CHX dissociates two phases of olfactory memory in crickets: earlier protein synthesis-independent phase ( 5 hr) protein synthesis-dependent phase.

Cranking up the heat: relationships between energetically costly song features and the increase in thorax temperature in male crickets and katydids.

Science.gov (United States)

Erregger, Bettina; Kovac, Helmut; Stabentheiner, Anton; Hartbauer, Manfred; Römer, Heinrich; Schmidt, Arne K D

2017-07-15

Sexual displays of acoustically signalling insects are used in the context of mate attraction and mate choice. While energetic investment in sound production can increase the reproductive success of the sender, this entails metabolic costs. Resource allocation to sexually selected, reproductive traits can trade off against allocation to naturally selected traits (e.g. growth, immunity) when individuals' energy budgets are limited. Estimating the magnitude of the costs invested in acoustic signalling is necessary to understand this trade-off and its influence on fitness and life history. To compare the costs associated with acoustic signalling for two ensiferan species, we simultaneously took respiratory measurements to record the rate of CO 2 production and used infrared thermography to measure the increase in thorax temperature. Furthermore, to identify what combinations of acoustic parameters were energetically costly for the sender, we recorded the calling songs of 22 different cricket and katydid species for a comparative analysis and measured their thorax temperature while they sang. Acoustic signalling was energetically costly for Mecopoda sp. and Anurogryllus muticus , requiring a 12- and 16-fold increase over resting levels in the CO 2 production rate. Moreover, calling increased thorax temperature, on average by 7.6 and 5.8°C, respectively. We found that the song intensity and effective calling rate, not simply the chirp/trill duty cycle or the pulse rate alone, were good predictors for the thorax temperature increase in males. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

A biomimetic accelerometer inspired by the cricket's clavate hair

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogendijk, H.; de Boer, Meint J.; Sanders, Remco G.P.; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

2014-01-01

Crickets use so-called clavate hairs to sense (gravitational) acceleration to obtain information on their orientation. Inspired by this clavate hair system, a one-axis biomimetic accelerometer has been developed and fabricated using surface micromachining and SU-8 lithography. An analytical model

Free amino acids as phagostimulants in cricket nuptial gifts: support for the 'Candymaker' hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Warwick, Stuart; Vahed, Karim; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J

2009-04-23

Nuptial gifts that are manufactured by the male are found in numerous insect species and some spiders, but there have been very few studies of the composition of such gifts. If, as has been proposed recently, nuptial gifts represent sensory traps, males will be selected to produce gifts that are attractive to females but such gifts will not necessarily provide the female with nutritional benefits (the 'Candymaker' hypothesis). We examined the free amino acid content of the spermatophylax of the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The spermatophylax (dry weight) consisted of approximately 7 per cent free amino acids. The free amino acid composition was highly imbalanced, with a low proportion of essential amino acids (18.7%) and a high proportion of proline and glycine. The main free amino acids found in the spermatophylax appeared to act as phagostimulants: the duration of feeding on artificial gels by females was positively related to the free amino acid content of the gels. The results therefore suggest that males use free amino acids to 'sweeten' a relatively low-value food item. A possible function of glycine in inhibiting female movement is also proposed.

Imbalanced Hemolymph Lipid Levels Affect Feeding Motivation in the Two-Spotted Cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus.

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Takahiro Konuma

Full Text Available Insect feeding behavior is regulated by many intrinsic factors, including hemolymph nutrient levels. Adipokinetic hormone (AKH is a peptide factor that modulates hemolymph nutrient levels and regulates the nutritional state of insects by triggering the transfer of lipids into the hemolymph. We recently demonstrated that RNA interference (RNAi-mediated knockdown of the AKH receptor (AKHR reduces hemolymph lipid levels, causing an increase in the feeding frequency of the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. This result indicated that reduced hemolymph lipid levels might motivate crickets to feed. In the present study, to elucidate whether hemolymph lipid levels contribute to insect feeding behavior, we attempted to manipulate hemolymph lipid levels via the lipophorin (Lp-mediated lipid transferring system in G. bimaculatus. Of the constituent proteins in Lp, we focused on apolipophorin-III (GrybiApoLp-III because of its possible role in facilitating lipid mobilization. First, we used RNAi to reduce the expression of GrybiApoLp-III. RNAi-mediated knockdown of GrybiApoLp-III had little effect on basal hemolymph lipid levels and the amount of food intake. In addition, hemolymph lipid levels remained static even after injecting AKH into GrybiApoLp-IIIRNAi crickets. These observations indicated that ApoLp-III does not maintain basal hemolymph lipid levels in crickets fed ad libitum, but is necessary for mobilizing lipid transfer into the hemolymph following AKH stimulation. Second, Lp (containing lipids was injected into the hemolymph to induce a temporary increase in hemolymph lipid levels. Consequently, the initiation of feeding was delayed in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that increased hemolymph lipid levels reduced the motivation to feed. Taken together, these data validate the importance of basal hemolymph lipid levels in the control of energy homeostasis and for regulating feeding behavior in crickets.

Crickets as bio-inspiration for MEMS-based flow-sensing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Droogendijk, H.; Dagamseh, A.M.K.; Jaganatharaja, R.K.; Casas, Jerome

2014-01-01

MEMS offers exciting possibilities for the fabrication of bio-inspired mechanosensors. Over the last few years, we have been working on cricket- inspired hair-sensor arrays for spatio-temporal flow-field observations (i.e. flow camera) and source localisation. Whereas making flow-sensors as energy

Network centrality based team formation: A case study on T-20 cricket

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paramita Dey

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes and evaluates the novel utilization of small world network properties for the formation of team of players with both best performances and best belongingness within the team network. To verify this concept, this methodology is applied to T-20 cricket teams. The players are treated as nodes of the network, whereas the number of interactions between team members is denoted as the edges between those nodes. All intra country networks form the cricket network for this case study. Analysis of the networks depicts that T-20 cricket network inherits all characteristics of small world network. Making a quantitative measure for an individual performance in the team sports is important with respect to the fact that for team selection of an International match, from pool of best players, only eleven players can be selected for the team. The statistical record of each player considered as a traditional way of quantifying the performance of a player. But the other criteria such as performing against a strong opponent or performance as an effective team member such as fielding, running between the wickets, good partnership deserves more credential. In this paper a revised method based on social networking is presented to quantify the quality of team belongingness and efficiency of each player. The application of Social Network Analysis (SNA is explored to measure performances and the rank of the players. A bidirectional weighted network of players is generated using the information collected from T-20 cricket (2014–2016 and used for network analysis. Thus team was formed based on that ranking and compared with their IPL (Indian Premier League performances of 2016.

Timing of Environmental Enrichment Affects Memory in the House Cricket, Acheta domesticus.

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Heather S Mallory

Full Text Available Learning appears to be ubiquitous among animals, as it plays a key role in many behaviors including foraging and reproduction. Although there is some genetic basis for differences in learning ability and memory retention, environment also plays an important role, as it does for any other trait. For example, adult animals maintained in enriched housing conditions learn faster and remember tasks for longer than animals maintained in impoverished conditions. Such plasticity in adult learning ability has often been linked to plasticity in the brain, and studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms, stimuli, and consequences of adult behavioral and brain plasticity are numerous. However, the role of experiences during post-embryonic development in shaping plasticity in adult learning ability and memory retention remain relatively unexplored. Using the house cricket (Acheta domesticus as a model organism, we developed a protocol to allow the odor preference of a large number of crickets to be tested in a short period of time. We then used this new protocol to examine how enrichment or impoverishment at two developmental stages (either the last nymphal instar or young adult affected adult memory. Our results show that regardless of nymphal rearing conditions, crickets that experienced an enriched rearing condition as young adults performed better on a memory task than individuals that experienced an impoverished condition. Older adult crickets (more than 1 week post adult molt did not demonstrate differences in memory of the odor task, regardless of rearing condition as a young adult. Our results suggest that environmentally-induced plasticity in memory may be restricted to the young adult stage.

A Taxonomic Review of the Sword-tailed Cricket Subfamily Trigonidiinae (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Gryllidae from Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae-Woo Kim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Korean population of the sword-tailed cricket subfamily Trigonidiinae is reviewed for the first time. Four members of the crickets are confirmed based on the examined material, those are Metioche japonica (Ichikawa, 2001, Svistella bifasciata (Shiraki, 1911, Homoeoxipha obliterata (Caudell, 1927 and Natula matsuurai Sugimoto, 2001, each of them belonging to a different genera. Among them, the former two are reconfirmed since earlier records, and latter two are newly recognized genera and species from the far southern provinces Jeollanam-do and Jeju-do Island in Korea. The type locality of both crickets is Japan, and are also only previously referred to in Japan, but their distributional ranges include neighboring South Korea. A key to the species, descriptions, photographs, figures, and oscillograms of male’s calling sounds are provided to aid their identification.

Identifying the greatest team and captain—A complex network approach to cricket matches

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Satyam

2012-12-01

We consider all Test matches played between 1877 and 2010 and One Day International (ODI) matches played between 1971 and 2010. We form directed and weighted networks of teams and also of their captains. The success of a team (or captain) is determined by the ‘quality’ of the wins, not simply by the number of wins. We apply the diffusion-based PageRank algorithm to the networks to assess the importance of the wins, and rank the respective teams and captains. Our analysis identifies Australia as the best team in both forms of cricket, Test and ODI. Steve Waugh is identified as the best captain in Test cricket and Ricky Ponting is the best captain in the ODI format. We also compare our ranking scheme with an existing ranking scheme, the Reliance ICC ranking. Our method does not depend on ‘external’ criteria in the ranking of teams (captains). The purpose of this paper is to introduce a revised ranking of cricket teams and to quantify the success of the captains.

More winged females of the cricket Gryllodes supplicans (Walker ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The cosmotropical cricket Gryllodes supplicans occurs in two forms, a common micropterous form and a rare micropterous form. The unusual macropterous form occurs naturally in Sri Lanka and Bermuda, but has also been produced by laboratory manipulation of environmental conditions. This article is a preliminary report ...

How male sound pressure level influences phonotaxis in virgin female Jamaican field crickets (Gryllus assimilis

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Karen Pacheco

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding female mate preference is important for determining the strength and direction of sexual trait evolution. The sound pressure level (SPL acoustic signalers use is often an important predictor of mating success because higher sound pressure levels are detectable at greater distances. If females are more attracted to signals produced at higher sound pressure levels, then the potential fitness impacts of signalling at higher sound pressure levels should be elevated beyond what would be expected from detection distance alone. Here we manipulated the sound pressure level of cricket mate attraction signals to determine how female phonotaxis was influenced. We examined female phonotaxis using two common experimental methods: spherical treadmills and open arenas. Both methods showed similar results, with females exhibiting greatest phonotaxis towards loud sound pressure levels relative to the standard signal (69 vs. 60 dB SPL but showing reduced phonotaxis towards very loud sound pressure level signals relative to the standard (77 vs. 60 dB SPL. Reduced female phonotaxis towards supernormal stimuli may signify an acoustic startle response, an absence of other required sensory cues, or perceived increases in predation risk.

Free amino acids as phagostimulants in cricket nuptial gifts: support for the ‘Candymaker’ hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Warwick, Stuart; Vahed, Karim; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J.

2009-01-01

Nuptial gifts that are manufactured by the male are found in numerous insect species and some spiders, but there have been very few studies of the composition of such gifts. If, as has been proposed recently, nuptial gifts represent sensory traps, males will be selected to produce gifts that are attractive to females but such gifts will not necessarily provide the female with nutritional benefits (the ‘Candymaker’ hypothesis). We examined the free amino acid content of the spermatophylax of the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The spermatophylax (dry weight) consisted of approximately 7 per cent free amino acids. The free amino acid composition was highly imbalanced, with a low proportion of essential amino acids (18.7%) and a high proportion of proline and glycine. The main free amino acids found in the spermatophylax appeared to act as phagostimulants: the duration of feeding on artificial gels by females was positively related to the free amino acid content of the gels. The results therefore suggest that males use free amino acids to ‘sweeten’ a relatively low-value food item. A possible function of glycine in inhibiting female movement is also proposed. PMID:19158029

Cricket club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket club

2011-01-01

CERN CC JOINS IN THREE DAYS OF GOODWILL FOR UK JOURNALISTS   22 24 July vs FLEET STREET STROLLERS Fleet Street Strollers Cricket Club, a 17-strong group of professional journalists and friends from the UK Home Counties, visited CERN for the first time on 22-24 July. On Friday 22 July, CERN's Visitor Centre provided their usual polished tour and information services.  Before the visit the Strollers had hoped to stroll underground to the Atlas detector.  Forewarned that this was not possible they hid any disappointment, judging by the acuteness and variety of the question-and-answer sessions.  And the cash register of the Visitor Shop was busy. On Saturday 23 July, Strollers won the toss and batted first in a 35-over game.  D'Mello and Campbell bowled tightly for CERN and Strollers were 13 for 2 after 6 overs.  CERN released the pressure with a few overs from L. Osborne and Curtis but, at the point where Strollers were looking...

CRICKET CLUB

CERN Multimedia

CRICKET CLUB

2010-01-01

CERN CC VERSUS TRAFFORD SOLICITORS CC IN BELLINGHAN ON JUNE 26th/27th 2010 The CERN cricket club traveled to the North of England for their first tour of the season, playing two games over the course of the weekend of 26-27th June against Trafford Solicitors CC (TSCC).   The sunny weather was almost unprecedented in the history of this fixture.  The first game on Saturday saw the CERN team rewarded for their accurate bowling, as they restricted TSCC to 130 all out: T. Goodyear the pick of the bowlers with 4-7, with three wickets for Stucki.  Despite losing three wickets, the runs were comfortable chased down in 26 overs, with Elvin top scoring on 34, and K. Goodyear hitting the winning runs to finish on 32 not out. The second match saw TSCC setting a challenging target of 179 from their 30 overs, Hoburn scoring 61, and Barrett taking 3-40.  Osborne very narrowly failed to take a hat-trick in the final over.   CERN CC’s reply started w...

Experience-based typology of spectators at an international cricket ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This innovative research on managing and marketing team sport events was completed for the first time at an international Cricket Sixes tournament held in South Africa (SA). A visitor survey was conducted at SuperSport Park in Centurion during the Global Softech Sixes Tournament in 2014. Finally, spectators, who were ...

A review of cricket injuries and the effectiveness of strategies to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

national cricket teams, with more injuries having occurred when the ... r A Stretch (D Phil). Sport Bureau, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth ..... spine disk degeneration, but more specific and intense individual coaching ...

Differences in carotenoid accumulation among three feeder-cricket species: implications for carotenoid delivery to captive insectivores.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogilvy, Victoria; Fidgett, Andrea L; Preziosi, Richard F

2012-01-01

There are a limited number of feeder-invertebrates available to feed captive insectivores, and many are deficient in certain nutrients. Gut-loading is used to increase the diversity of nutrients present in the captive insectivore diet; however, little is known about delivery of carotenoids via gut-loading. Carotenoids may influence health and reproduction due to their roles in immune and antioxidant systems. We assessed interspecific variation in carotenoid accumulation and retention in three feeder-cricket species (Gryllus bimaculatus, Gryllodes sigillatus and Acheta domesticus) fed one of three diets (wheat-bran, fish-food based formulated diet, and fresh fruit and vegetables). Out of the three species of feeder-cricket in the fish-food-based dietary treatment group, G. bimaculatus had the greatest total carotenoid concentration. All cricket species fed the wheat-bran diet had very low carotenoid concentrations. Species on the fish-food-based diet had intermediate carotenoid concentrations, and those on the fruit and vegetable diet had the highest concentrations. Carotenoid retention was poor across all species. Overall, this study shows that, by providing captive insectivores with G. bimaculatus crickets recently fed a carotenoid-rich diet, the quantity of carotenoids in the diet can be increased. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cricket pace bowling: The trade-off between optimising knee angle ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Knee angle and ball release (BR) speed of injury-free premier league (club level) cricket .... variables as follows: r=0.00 - 0.25 (little or no. L heel. Ball marker. L shoulder ..... Sequential motions of body segments in striking and throwing skills:.

Effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on bioactive properties and allergenicity of cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Felicia; Johnson, Philip E; Liceaga, Andrea

2018-10-01

Food-derived bioactive peptides have gained attention for their role in preventing chronic diseases. Edible insects are viable sources of bioactive peptides owing to their high protein content and sustainable production. In this study, whole crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) were alcalase-hydrolyzed to a degree of hydrolysis (DH) ranging from 15 to 85%. Antioxidant activity, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV)- inhibition of the cricket protein hydrolysates (CPH) were evaluated before and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD). Antioxidant activity was similar among CPH, whereas ACE and DPP-IV inhibition was greater (p < 0.05) in CPH with 60-85% DH. Bioactivity improved after SGD. CPH allergenicity was evaluated using human shrimp-allergic sera. All sera positively reacted to tropomyosin in the unhydrolyzed cricket and CPH with 15-50% DH, whereas 60-85% DH showed no reactivity. In conclusion, CPH (60-85% DH) had the greatest bioactive potential and lowest reactivity to tropomyosin, compared with other CPH and the unhydrolyzed control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infective Juveniles of the Entomopathogenic Nematode Steinernema scapterisci Are Preferentially Activated by Cricket Tissue.

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Dihong Lu

Full Text Available Entomopathogenic nematodes are a subgroup of insect-parasitic nematodes that are used in biological control as alternatives or supplements to chemical pesticides. Steinernema scapterisci is an unusual member of the entomopathogenic nematode guild for many reasons including that it is promiscuous in its association with bacteria, it can reproduce in the absence of its described bacterial symbiont, and it is known to have a narrow host range. It is a powerful comparative model within the species and could be used to elucidate parasite specialization. Here we describe a new method of efficiently producing large numbers of S. scapterisci infective juveniles (IJs in house crickets and for quantifying parasitic activation of the IJs upon exposure to host tissue using morphological features. We found that parasite activation is a temporal process with more IJs activating over time. Furthermore, we found that activated IJs secrete a complex mixture of proteins and that S. scapterisci IJs preferentially activate upon exposure to cricket tissue, reaffirming the description of S. scapterisci as a cricket specialist.

Hair-based flow-sensing inspired by the cricket cercal system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Droogendijk, H.; Steinmann, T.; Dagamseh, A.M.K.; Jaganatharaja, R.K.; Casas, J.

2014-01-01

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) offer exciting possibilities for the fabri­cation of bioinspired mechanosensors. Over the last years we have been working on cricket inspired hair-sensor arrays for spatio-temporal flow-field observations (i.e., flow-cameras) and source localization. Whereas

The effect of central contracts on the stability and performance of the England Test cricket team. [El efecto de contratos centrales sobre la estabilidad y el desempeño del equipo inglés de Test cricket].

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Steven Bullough

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In 1999 the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB decided to implement central contracts for elite player management to give them control over a group of players to represent the England national team in Test cricket. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact that this change in policy has had on the stability and performance of the England Test team, and discuss implications thereof. Using a sample of 13 seasons pre-central contracts (1987-1999 and 13 seasons post-central contracts (2000-2012, the results, from secondary analysis of England’s Test match scorecards from both sample periods, allowed investigation of team performance and stability. To gain a greater understanding of how central contracts impacted on the England Test side, eight interviews were also organised with key stakeholders in English cricket. The results showed that both the stability and performance of the England Test side improved considerably in the sample period post-central contracts (2000-2012 with a much greater consistency of selection (fewer changes per match alongside an improvement in England’s on-field performance (better win ratio and points per match. The paper identifies two key challenges facing the current player management system in England from domestic and external sources. Resumen En 1999 El Consejo de Cricket en Inglaterra y Gales (ECB – England and Wales Cricket Board decidió implementar contratos centrales para la dirección de jugadores de élite, con el fin de darle control sobre el grupo de jugadores que representan el equipo nacional de Inglaterra de Test cricket. El objetivo de este artículo es investigar el impacto que este cambio ha tenido sobre la estabilidad y el desempeño del equipo inglés de Test cricket y considerar sus implicaciones. Tras emplear una muestra de 13 temporadas antes de la firma de los contratos centrales (entre 1987 y 1999 y otras 13 temporadas después de su implementación (entre 2000 y 2012, los

Functional properties of tropical banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) protein hydrolysates.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Felicia G; Jones, Owen G; O'Haire, Marguerite E; Liceaga, Andrea M

2017-06-01

Recently, the benefits of entomophagy have been widely discussed. Due to western cultures' reluctance, entomophagy practices are leaning more towards incorporating insects into food products. In this study, whole crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) were hydrolyzed with alcalase at 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0% (w/w) for 30, 60, and 90min. Degree of hydrolysis (DH), amino acid composition, solubility, emulsion and foaming properties were evaluated. Hydrolysis produced peptides with 26-52% DH compared to the control containing no enzyme (5% DH). Protein solubility of hydrolysates improved (p30% soluble protein at pH 3 and 7 and 50-90% at alkaline pH, compared with the control. Emulsion activity index ranged from 7 to 32m 2 /g, while foamability ranged from 100 to 155% for all hydrolysates. These improved functional properties demonstrate the potential to develop cricket protein hydrolysates as a source of functional alternative protein in food ingredient formulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preservation Methods Alter Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Values in Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea).

Science.gov (United States)

Jesus, Fabiene Maria; Pereira, Marcelo Ribeiro; Rosa, Cassiano Sousa; Moreira, Marcelo Zacharias; Sperber, Carlos Frankl

2015-01-01

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is an important tool for investigation of animal dietary habits for determination of feeding niche. Ideally, fresh samples should be used for isotopic analysis, but logistics frequently demands preservation of organisms for analysis at a later time. The goal of this study was to establish the best methodology for preserving forest litter-dwelling crickets for later SIA analysis without altering results. We collected two cricket species, Phoremia sp. and Mellopsis doucasae, from which we prepared 70 samples per species, divided among seven treatments: (i) freshly processed (control); preserved in fuel ethanol for (ii) 15 and (iii) 60 days; preserved in commercial ethanol for (iv) 15 and (v) 60 days; fresh material frozen for (vi) 15 and (vii) 60 days. After oven drying, samples were analyzed for δ15N, δ13C values, N(%), C(%) and C/N atomic values using continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. All preservation methods tested, significantly impacted δ13C and δ15N and C/N atomic values. Chemical preservatives caused δ13C enrichment as great as 1.5‰, and δ15N enrichment as great as 0.9‰; the one exception was M. doucasae stored in ethanol for 15 days, which had δ15N depletion up to 1.8‰. Freezing depleted δ13C and δ15N by up to 0.7 and 2.2‰, respectively. C/N atomic values decreased when stored in ethanol, and increased when frozen for 60 days for both cricket species. Our results indicate that all preservation methods tested in this study altered at least one of the tested isotope values when compared to fresh material (controls). We conclude that only freshly processed material provides adequate SIA results for litter-dwelling crickets.

Preservation Methods Alter Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Values in Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea.

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Fabiene Maria Jesus

Full Text Available Stable isotope analysis (SIA is an important tool for investigation of animal dietary habits for determination of feeding niche. Ideally, fresh samples should be used for isotopic analysis, but logistics frequently demands preservation of organisms for analysis at a later time. The goal of this study was to establish the best methodology for preserving forest litter-dwelling crickets for later SIA analysis without altering results. We collected two cricket species, Phoremia sp. and Mellopsis doucasae, from which we prepared 70 samples per species, divided among seven treatments: (i freshly processed (control; preserved in fuel ethanol for (ii 15 and (iii 60 days; preserved in commercial ethanol for (iv 15 and (v 60 days; fresh material frozen for (vi 15 and (vii 60 days. After oven drying, samples were analyzed for δ15N, δ13C values, N(%, C(% and C/N atomic values using continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. All preservation methods tested, significantly impacted δ13C and δ15N and C/N atomic values. Chemical preservatives caused δ13C enrichment as great as 1.5‰, and δ15N enrichment as great as 0.9‰; the one exception was M. doucasae stored in ethanol for 15 days, which had δ15N depletion up to 1.8‰. Freezing depleted δ13C and δ15N by up to 0.7 and 2.2‰, respectively. C/N atomic values decreased when stored in ethanol, and increased when frozen for 60 days for both cricket species. Our results indicate that all preservation methods tested in this study altered at least one of the tested isotope values when compared to fresh material (controls. We conclude that only freshly processed material provides adequate SIA results for litter-dwelling crickets.

Sexual selection affects the evolution of lifespan and ageing in the decorated cricket Gryllodes sigillatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, C R; Zajitschek, F; Sakaluk, S K; Royle, N J; Hunt, J

2012-10-01

Recent work suggests that sexual selection can influence the evolution of ageing and lifespan by shaping the optimal timing and relative costliness of reproductive effort in the sexes. We used inbred lines of the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, to estimate the genetic (co)variance between age-dependent reproductive effort, lifespan, and ageing within and between the sexes. Sexual selection theory predicts that males should die sooner and age more rapidly than females. However, a reversal of this pattern may be favored if reproductive effort increases with age in males but not in females. We found that male calling effort increased with age, whereas female fecundity decreased, and that males lived longer and aged more slowly than females. These divergent life-history strategies were underpinned by a positive genetic correlation between early-life reproductive effort and ageing rate in both sexes, although this relationship was stronger in females. Despite these sex differences in life-history schedules, age-dependent reproductive effort, lifespan, and ageing exhibited strong positive intersexual genetic correlations. This should, in theory, constrain the independent evolution of these traits in the sexes and may promote intralocus sexual conflict. Our study highlights the importance of sexual selection to the evolution of sex differences in ageing and lifespan in G. sigillatus. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

The social context of cannibalism in migratory bands of the Mormon cricket.

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Sepideh Bazazi

Full Text Available Cannibalism has been shown to be important to the collective motion of mass migratory bands of insects, such as locusts and Mormon crickets. These mobile groups consist of millions of individuals and are highly destructive to vegetation. Individuals move in response to attacks from approaching conspecifics and bite those ahead, resulting in further movement and encounters with others. Despite the importance of cannibalism, the way in which individuals make attack decisions and how the social context affects these cannibalistic interactions is unknown. This can be understood by examining the decisions made by individuals in response to others. We performed a field investigation which shows that adult Mormon crickets were more likely to approach and attack a stationary cricket that was side-on to the flow than either head- or abdomen-on, suggesting that individuals could reduce their risk of an attack by aligning with neighbours. We found strong social effects on cannibalistic behaviour: encounters lasted longer, were more likely to result in an attack, and attacks were more likely to be successful if other individuals were present around a stationary individual. This local aggregation appears to be driven by positive feedback whereby the presence of individuals attracts others, which can lead to further crowding. This work improves our understanding of the local social dynamics driving migratory band formation, maintenance and movement at the population level.

Cellular basis for singing motor pattern generation in the field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer)

Science.gov (United States)

Schöneich, Stefan; Hedwig, Berthold

2012-01-01

The singing behavior of male crickets allows analyzing a central pattern generator (CPG) that was shaped by sexual selection for reliable production of species-specific communication signals. After localizing the essential ganglia for singing in Gryllus bimaculatus, we now studied the calling song CPG at the cellular level. Fictive singing was initiated by pharmacological brain stimulation. The motor pattern underlying syllables and chirps was recorded as alternating spike bursts of wing-opener and wing-closer motoneurons in a truncated wing nerve; it precisely reflected the natural calling song. During fictive singing, we intracellularly recorded and stained interneurons in thoracic and abdominal ganglia and tested their impact on the song pattern by intracellular current injections. We identified three interneurons of the metathoracic and first unfused abdominal ganglion that rhythmically de- and hyperpolarized in phase with the syllable pattern and spiked strictly before the wing-opener motoneurons. Depolarizing current injection in two of these opener interneurons caused additional rhythmic singing activity, which reliably reset the ongoing chirp rhythm. The closely intermeshing arborizations of the singing interneurons revealed the dorsal midline neuropiles of the metathoracic and three most anterior abdominal neuromeres as the anatomical location of singing pattern generation. In the same neuropiles, we also recorded several closer interneurons that rhythmically hyper- and depolarized in the syllable rhythm and spiked strictly before the wing-closer motoneurons. Some of them received pronounced inhibition at the beginning of each chirp. Hyperpolarizing current injection in the dendrite revealed postinhibitory rebound depolarization as one functional mechanism of central pattern generation in singing crickets. PMID:23170234

A new, morphologically cryptic bush-cricket discovered on the basis of its song in the Carpathian Mountains (Insecta, Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae

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Ionuţ Ştefan Iorgu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A new, morphologically cryptic species of phaneropterine bush-crickets is described from the grasslands of the Romanian Eastern Carpathians. Despite the morphological and acoustic similarities with the recently described Isophya nagyi Szövényi, Puskás & Orci, I. bucovinensis sp. n. is characterized by a peculiar male calling song, with faster syllable repetition rate (160–220 syllables per minute, at 22–27°C and less complex syllable structure (composed of only two elements instead of three observable in I. nagyi. The morphological description of the new species is supplemented with an oscillographic and spectrographic analysis of the male calling song and male–female pair-forming acoustic duet. An acoustic signal-based identification key is provided for all the presently known species of the Isophya camptoxypha species group, including the new species.

An integrated approach to the biomechanics and motor control of cricket fast bowling techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Glazier, Paul S; Wheat, Jonathan S

2014-01-01

To date, scientific investigations into the biomechanical aspects of cricket fast bowling techniques have predominantly focused on identifying the mechanical factors that may predispose fast bowlers to lower back injury with a relative paucity of research being conducted on the technical features that underpin proficient fast bowling performance. In this review paper, we critique the scientific literature examining fast bowling performance. We argue that, although many published investigations have provided some useful insights into the biomechanical factors that contribute to a high ball release speed and, to a lesser extent, bowling accuracy, this research has not made a substantive contribution to knowledge enhancement and has only had a very minor influence on coaching practice. To significantly enhance understanding of cricket fast bowling techniques and, therefore, have greater impact on practice, we recommend that future scientific research adopts an interdisciplinary focus, integrating biomechanical measurements with the analytical tools and concepts of dynamical systems motor control theory. The use of qualitative (topological) analysis techniques, in particular, promises to increase understanding of the coordinative movement patterns that define 'technique' in cricket fast bowling and potentially help distinguish between functional and dysfunctional aspects of technique for individual fast bowlers.

Different tissue type categories of overuse injuries to cricket fast ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Cricket fast bowlers have a high incidence of injury and have been the subject of previous research investigating the effects of previous injury, workload and technique. Bone stress injuries are of particular concern as they lead to prolonged absences from the game, with younger bowlers appearing to be at ...

Media exposure and sponsor recall: Cricket World Cup 2003 | Van ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports on a study into the relationship between media exposure and sponsor recall relating to an international event, namely the Cricket World Cup 2003 (CWC 2003). The application of sponsorship as a communication construct and recall as a media vehicle effect is investigated. Recall has been widely ...

Isokinetic strength of shoulder internal and external rotators in cricket bowlers

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X.M. Mabasa

2002-02-01

Full Text Available The strength of the shoulder internal and external rotators incricket bowlers, may not be sufficient to cope with the demands of bowling.As very little research has been done on cricketers, this study was done to establish the isokinetic strength profile of the shoulder internal andexternal rotators in cricket bowlers.Isokinetic, shoulder rotational strength was evaluated in thirty malecricket volunteers with a mean age of 23.9 years and mean body weight of 70.3 kgs. The Cybex 340 dynamometer multi joint system was used to collect data on shoulder rotation strength in a standing neutral position. Data were collected at four different speeds (60,90,180 and 300deg/sec and were computed for peak torque values for internal and external ratios for both dominant and non dominant shoulders.The results showed no statistically significant difference in the mean shoulder rotational torque between the bowlingand non-bowling shoulders for external rotation (p>0.05, and indicated statistically significant differences in themean shoulder rotational torque between the bowling and non-bowling shoulders for internal rotation (p<0.05. Therewas a significant decrease in isokinetic peak torque production for the external/internal rotator muscles as the speedof contraction increased (p<0.05. The peak torque ratio for the external/internal rotator muscles of the bowling armwere significantly less than of the non-bowling arm (p<0.05. These findings suggest that the strength ratios of thebowling arm need to be considered when managing young cricketers and their injuries.

STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE AND ANALYSIS OF ODI BATTING PERFORMANCE: THE INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, 1989-2005

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Uday Damodaran

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Relative to other team games, the contribution of individual team members to the overall team performance is more easily quantifiable in cricket. Viewing players as securities and the team as a portfolio, cricket thus lends itself better to the use of analytical methods usually employed in the analysis of securities and portfolios. This paper demonstrates the use of stochastic dominance rules, normally used in investment management, to analyze the One Day International (ODI batting performance of Indian cricketers. The data used span the years 1989 to 2005. In dealing with cricketing data the existence of 'not out' scores poses a problem while processing the data. In this paper, using a Bayesian approach, the 'not-out' scores are first replaced with a conditional average. The conditional average that is used represents an estimate of the score that the player would have gone on to score, if the 'not out' innings had been completed. The data thus treated are then used in the stochastic dominance analysis. To use stochastic dominance rules we need to characterize the 'utility' of a batsman. The first derivative of the utility function, with respect to runs scored, of an ODI batsman can safely be assumed to be positive (more runs scored are preferred to less. However, the second derivative needs not be negative (no diminishing marginal utility for runs scored. This means that we cannot clearly specify whether the value attached to an additional run scored is lesser at higher levels of scores. Because of this, only first-order stochastic dominance is used to analyze the performance of the players under consideration. While this has its limitation (specifically, we cannot arrive at a complete utility value for each batsman, the approach does well in describing player performance. Moreover, the results have intuitive appeal

Radioactive contamination of arthropods from different trophic levels in hilly and mountainous areas after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Sota; Hatakeyama, Kaho; Takahashi, Sentaro; Adati, Tarô

2016-11-01

In order to understand the influence of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident on the ecosystem in hilly and mountainous areas of Fukushima Prefecture, chronological changes in the levels of radiocesium in arthropod species were investigated. From 2012 to 2014, arthropods from different trophic levels were sampled and the air radiation dose rates at the sampling sites were analyzed. The air radiation dose rates showed a significant and constant reduction over the 2 years at the sampling sites in Fukushima. The median radiocesium concentration ( 134 Cs +  137 Cs) detected in the rice grasshopper, Oxya yezoensis, and the Emma field cricket, Teleogryllus emma, dropped continuously to 0.080 and 0.078 Bq/g fresh weight, respectively, in 2014. In contrast, no significant reduction in radioactive contamination was observed in the Jorô spider, Nephila clavata, in which the level remained at 0.204 Bq/g in 2014. A significant positive correlation between radiocesium concentration and the air radiation dose rate was observed in the rice grasshopper, the Emma field cricket and the Jorô spider. The highest correlation coefficient (ρ = 0.946) was measured in the grasshopper. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Big Hitters: Important Factors Characterizing Team Effectiveness in Professional Cricket

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Leonie V. Webster

2017-07-01

Full Text Available While organizational psychology attests to the multidimensional nature of team effectiveness, insight regarding the most important factors contributing to the effectiveness of sports teams, especially elite teams, is lacking. An abductive method of qualitative enquiry was adopted to capture participants' construal of team effectiveness, drawing on the extant literature in both sport and organizational psychology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 players, coaches, and psychologists involved in elite cricket, with resultant data analyzed inductively initially, before being reanalyzed deductively. Although, the narratives endorsed the value of many of the deductively derived factors, other constructs more prominent in organizational psychology (e.g., trust and intra-group conflict appeared to be more important than traditional sport psychology group factors. The results revealed six broad themes; culture and environment, values, communication, understanding, leadership, and unique individuals, with some gender differences apparent throughout. Based on our elite sample's construal of team effectiveness, we propose a new model representing a practical, parsimonious, and novel conceptualization of the most important attributes of team effectiveness in cricket, with conceivable transferability to other team sports.

The cricket and the ant : Organizational trade-offs in changing environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peli, Gabor; Bruggeman, Jeroen

2007-01-01

Organizations face trade-offs when they adopt strategies in changing resource environments. The type of trade-off depends on the type of resource change. This paper offers an organizational trade-off model for quantitative resource changes. We call it the "Cricket and Ant" (CA) model, because the

Examining the effectiveness of discriminant function analysis and cluster analysis in species identification of male field crickets based on their calling songs.

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Ranjana Jaiswara

Full Text Available Traditional taxonomy based on morphology has often failed in accurate species identification owing to the occurrence of cryptic species, which are reproductively isolated but morphologically identical. Molecular data have thus been used to complement morphology in species identification. The sexual advertisement calls in several groups of acoustically communicating animals are species-specific and can thus complement molecular data as non-invasive tools for identification. Several statistical tools and automated identifier algorithms have been used to investigate the efficiency of acoustic signals in species identification. Despite a plethora of such methods, there is a general lack of knowledge regarding the appropriate usage of these methods in specific taxa. In this study, we investigated the performance of two commonly used statistical methods, discriminant function analysis (DFA and cluster analysis, in identification and classification based on acoustic signals of field cricket species belonging to the subfamily Gryllinae. Using a comparative approach we evaluated the optimal number of species and calling song characteristics for both the methods that lead to most accurate classification and identification. The accuracy of classification using DFA was high and was not affected by the number of taxa used. However, a constraint in using discriminant function analysis is the need for a priori classification of songs. Accuracy of classification using cluster analysis, which does not require a priori knowledge, was maximum for 6-7 taxa and decreased significantly when more than ten taxa were analysed together. We also investigated the efficacy of two novel derived acoustic features in improving the accuracy of identification. Our results show that DFA is a reliable statistical tool for species identification using acoustic signals. Our results also show that cluster analysis of acoustic signals in crickets works effectively for species

Selective enrichment and sequencing of whole mitochondrial genomes in the presence of nuclear encoded mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts.

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Jonci N Wolff

Full Text Available Numts are an integral component of many eukaryote genomes offering a snapshot of the evolutionary process that led from the incorporation of an α-proteobacterium into a larger eukaryotic cell some 1.8 billion years ago. Although numt sequence can be harnessed as molecular marker, these sequences often remain unidentified and are mistaken for genuine mtDNA leading to erroneous interpretation of mtDNA data sets. It is therefore indispensable that during the process of amplifying and sequencing mitochondrial genes, preventive measures are taken to ensure the exclusion of numts to guarantee the recovery of genuine mtDNA. This applies to mtDNA analyses in general but especially to studies where mtDNAs are sequenced de novo as the launch pad for subsequent mtDNA-based research. By using a combination of dilution series and nested rolling circle amplification (RCA, we present a novel strategy to selectively amplify mtDNA and exclude the amplification of numt sequence. We have successfully applied this strategy to de novo sequence the mtDNA of the Black Field Cricket Teleogryllus commodus, a species known to contain numts. Aligning our assembled sequence to the reference genome of Teleogryllus emma (GenBank EU557269.1 led to the identification of a numt sequence in the reference sequence. This unexpected result further highlights the need of a reliable and accessible strategy to eliminate this source of error.

Comparison of three types of full‐body compression garments on throwing and repeat‐sprint performance in cricket players

Science.gov (United States)

Duffield, Rob; Portus, Marc

2007-01-01

Objective To compare the effects of three types of full‐body compression garments (Skins, Adidas and Under Armour) on repeat‐sprint and throwing performance in cricket players. Methods Following familiarisation, 10 male cricket players performed four randomised exercise sessions (3 garments and a control). Each session involved a 30 min repeat‐sprint exercise protocol comprising 20 m sprints every minute, separated by submaximal exercise. Throwing tests included a pre‐exercise and a postexercise maximal distance test and accuracy throwing tests. During each session, measures of heart rate, skin temperature, change in body mass, rate of perceived exertion and perceived muscle soreness were recorded. Capillary blood samples were analysed before and after exercise for lactate, pH, O2 saturation and O2 partial pressure, and 24 h after exercise for creatine kinase (CK). Ratings of perceived muscle soreness were also obtained 24 h after exercise. Results No significant differences (p>0.05) were evident in repeat‐sprint performance (10 m, 20 m time or total submaximal distance covered) or throwing performance (maximum distance or accuracy). No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in heart rate, body mass change or blood measures during exercise. Significant differences (p0.05). Conclusions No benefit was noted when wearing compression garments for repeat‐sprint or throwing performance; however, the use of the garments as a recovery tool, when worn after exercise, may be beneficial to reduce postexercise trauma and perceived muscle soreness. PMID:17341589

Comparison of three types of full-body compression garments on throwing and repeat-sprint performance in cricket players.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffield, Rob; Portus, Marc

2007-07-01

To compare the effects of three types of full-body compression garments (Skins, Adidas and Under Armour) on repeat-sprint and throwing performance in cricket players. Following familiarisation, 10 male cricket players performed four randomised exercise sessions (3 garments and a control). Each session involved a 30 min repeat-sprint exercise protocol comprising 20 m sprints every minute, separated by submaximal exercise. Throwing tests included a pre-exercise and a postexercise maximal distance test and accuracy throwing tests. During each session, measures of heart rate, skin temperature, change in body mass, rate of perceived exertion and perceived muscle soreness were recorded. Capillary blood samples were analysed before and after exercise for lactate, pH, O(2) saturation and O(2) partial pressure, and 24 h after exercise for creatine kinase (CK). Ratings of perceived muscle soreness were also obtained 24 h after exercise. No significant differences (p>0.05) were evident in repeat-sprint performance (10 m, 20 m time or total submaximal distance covered) or throwing performance (maximum distance or accuracy). No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in heart rate, body mass change or blood measures during exercise. Significant differences (p0.05). No benefit was noted when wearing compression garments for repeat-sprint or throwing performance; however, the use of the garments as a recovery tool, when worn after exercise, may be beneficial to reduce postexercise trauma and perceived muscle soreness.

Effects of 5,7-DHT Injection into the Optic Lobe on the Circadian Locomotor Rhythm in the Cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Germ, M; Tomioka, K

1998-06-01

The effect of direct 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) injection into the medulla region of the optic lobe on the locomotor activity was investigated in the adult male cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus. After a 6 hr phase advance of a light-dark cycle, the 5,7-DHT injected animals needed significantly longer time for resynchronization to the new cycle (6.55 +/- 0.62 days) than the control, Ringer's solution injected animals (3.17 +/- 0.15 days; P activity (i.e., masking effect) when light-dark cycle was phase advanced by 6 hr and the duration of the masking effect was significantly longer in 5,7-DHT injected animals. An initial bout of the nocturnal activity was significantly greater in the 5,7-DHT injected animal. Under constant darkness, the freerunning periods of both groups were not significantly different. Under constant light, a significantly higher percentage of 5,7-DHT injected animals showed arrhythmicity compared with the control group. An analysis carried by high-pressure liquid chromatography with electro-chemical detection (HPLC-ECD) revealed that the serotonin content in the optic lobe was significantly reduced to less than 50% in the 5,7-DHT injected animals, even one month after the injection. These results suggest that serotonin plays important roles in the regulation of circadian locomotor rhythms of the cricket mainly by regulating the sensitivity of the photoreceptive system.

A measure for the batting performance of cricket players : research ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A single measure that can be used to assess the performance of batsmen in cricket is defined. This study shows how it can be used to rank batsmen. The batting ability of a batsman is generally measured by means of his average. His strike rate is, however, also very important and is often looked at as well. It will furthermore ...

Male responses to conspecific advertisement signals in the field cricket Gryllus rubens (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Yikweon

2011-01-20

In many species males aggregate and produce long-range advertisement signals to attract conspecific females. The majority of the receivers of these signals are probably other males most of the time, and male responses to competitors' signals can structure the spatial and temporal organization of the breeding aggregation and affect male mating tactics. I quantified male responses to a conspecific advertisement stimulus repeatedly over three age classes in Gryllus rubens (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in order to estimate the type and frequency of male responses to the broadcast stimulus and to determine the factors affecting them. Factors tested included body size, wing dimorphism, age, and intensity of the broadcast stimulus. Overall, males employed acoustic response more often than positive phonotactic response. As males aged, the frequency of positive phonotactic response decreased but that of the acoustic response increased. That is, males may use positive phonotaxis in the early stages of their adult lives, possibly to find suitable calling sites or parasitize calling males, and then later in life switch to acoustic responses in response to conspecific advertisement signals. Males with smaller body size more frequently exhibited acoustic responses. This study suggests that individual variation, more than any factors measured, is critical for age-dependent male responses to conspecific advertisement signals.

Temporal determinants of long-term retention of olfactory memory in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Mizunami, Makoto

2002-05-01

Temporal determinants of olfactory long-term memory retention in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus were studied. Elementary appetitive and aversive conditioning procedures, as well as a differential conditioning procedure, were applied. In appetitive conditioning, peppermint odour was paired with a water reward. In aversive conditioning, vanilla odour was paired with saline solution. In differential conditioning, an appetitive conditioning trial was followed by an aversive conditioning trial. The odour preference of crickets was tested before and 2 h, 1 day and 4 days after training by allowing the crickets to choose between peppermint or vanilla sources. Differential conditioning or appetitive conditioning alone led to long-lasting memory retention with no significant decay from 2 h to 4 days after training, but retention after aversive conditioning was absent 1 day after training. Studies using differential conditioning have shown (i) that four trials are sufficient to cause a saturated level of acquisition, (ii) that conditioning is successful when the conditioned stimulus is presented immediately or 5 s before the onset of presentation of the unconditioned stimulus, (iii) that the optimal interval between trials is 2-5 min, and (iv) that anaesthetic treatment with CO2 given immediately after training results in memory disruption but that anaesthetic-resistant memory develops fully 20 min after training. This study demonstrates that a differential conditioning procedure is particularly effective for the formation of long-term memory.

The cost of assuming the life history of a host: acoustic startle in the parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, M J; Levin, E C; Hoy, R R

2009-12-01

In the obligatory reproductive dependence of a parasite on its host, the parasite must trade the benefit of 'outsourcing' functions like reproduction for the risk of assuming hazards associated with the host. In the present study, we report behavioral adaptations of a parasitic fly, Ormia ochracea, that resemble those of its cricket hosts. Ormia females home in on the male cricket's songs and deposit larvae, which burrow into the cricket, feed and emerge to pupate. Because male crickets call at night, gravid female Ormia in search of hosts are subject to bat predation, in much the same way as female crickets are when responding to male song. We show that Ormia has evolved the same evasive behavior as have crickets: an acoustic startle response to bat-like ultrasound that manifests clearly only during flight. Furthermore, like crickets, Ormia has a sharp response boundary between the frequencies of song and bat cries, resembling categorical perception first described in the context of human speech.

Measurements of the diet in two species of Troglophilus Krauss, 1879 cave crickets from Italian subterranean habitats (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae

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Claudio Di Russo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The diet of two populations of cave crickets, Troglophilus cavicola from Veneto, northern Italy and Troglophilus andreinii from Apulia, southern Italy, were studied by analyzing faecal and gut contents. The results obtained document different food preferences in these two species. In the Troglophilus cavicola population arthropod remains were dominant in the diet, whereas in the T. andreinii population vegetables (green and fibres were the more abundant food category. Furthermore, study of the overlap of food resource exploitation among age and sex sub-samples seems to indicate a separation of diet among the young instars and other age classes of the populations. Differences in diet between males and females were observed only in the population of T. andreinii.

Female monopolization and paternity assurance in South American crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea: mating plugs, extra claspers and forced copulation

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Francisco de A.G. de Mello

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the first three cases in which male crickets monopolize females by means of mating plugs. The origin of the plugs vary among the cases (i.e., they are not homologous. Female monogamy is assured by the permanent presence of the plug attached to their genitalia after first mating, while males are potentially polygamous. The presence of an additional clasping structure and the occurrence of forced copulation are also described.Este trabalho descreve os primeiros três casos em que grilos machos monopolizam suas fêmeas através de plugues de acasalamento. A origem dessas estruturas varia entre os casos (i.e., não há homologia entre as mesmas. A monogamia feminina é assegurada pela presença permanente do plugue de acasalamento aderido a sua genitália após a primeira cópula, enquanto que os machos são potencialmente poligâmicos. Descrevem-se ainda a presença de clásper adicional e a ocorrência de cópulas forçadas.

Structure of the afferent terminals in terminal ganglion of a cricket and persistent homology.

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Jacob Brown

Full Text Available We use topological data analysis to investigate the three dimensional spatial structure of the locus of afferent neuron terminals in crickets Acheta domesticus. Each afferent neuron innervates a filiform hair positioned on a cercus: a protruding appendage at the rear of the animal. The hairs transduce air motion to the neuron signal that is used by a cricket to respond to the environment. We stratify the hairs (and the corresponding afferent terminals into classes depending on hair length, along with position. Our analysis uncovers significant structure in the relative position of these terminal classes and suggests the functional relevance of this structure. Our method is very robust to the presence of significant experimental and developmental noise. It can be used to analyze a wide range of other point cloud data sets.

Effects of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites on cricket (Acheta domesticus) survival and reproductive success

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Baohong [Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), and Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX 79409-1163 (United States); Freitag, Christina M. [Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), and Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX 79409-1163 (United States); Canas, Jaclyn E. [Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), and Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX 79409-1163 (United States); Cheng Qiuqiong [Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), and Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX 79409-1163 (United States); Anderson, Todd A. [Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), and Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX 79409-1163 (United States)]. E-mail: todd.anderson@tiehh.ttu.edu

2006-11-15

The effect of two major hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites, hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX), on cricket (Acheta domesticus) survival and reproduction was studied. RDX metabolites did not have adverse effects on cricket survival, growth, and egg production. However, MNX and TNX did affect egg hatching. MNX and TNX were more toxic in spiked-sand than in topical tests. TNX was more toxic to egg than MNX. Developmental stage and exposure time affected hatching. After 30 days exposure to MNX or TNX, the EC{sub 2}, EC{sub 5}, and EC{sub 95} were 47, 128, and 247 {mu}g/g for TNX, and 65, 140, and 253 {mu}g/g for MNX in topical tests. The ECs for 20, 50, and 95 were 21, 52, and 99 {mu}g/g for MNX, and 12, 48, and 97 {mu}g/g for TNX in sand. No gross abnormalities in cricket nypmhs were observed in all experiments indicating that neither TNX or MNX is teratogenic in this assay. - RDX metabolites did not have adverse effects on cricket survival, growth, and egg production, but adversely affected egg hatching.

Effects of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites on cricket (Acheta domesticus) survival and reproductive success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Baohong; Freitag, Christina M.; Canas, Jaclyn E.; Cheng Qiuqiong; Anderson, Todd A.

2006-01-01

The effect of two major hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites, hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX), on cricket (Acheta domesticus) survival and reproduction was studied. RDX metabolites did not have adverse effects on cricket survival, growth, and egg production. However, MNX and TNX did affect egg hatching. MNX and TNX were more toxic in spiked-sand than in topical tests. TNX was more toxic to egg than MNX. Developmental stage and exposure time affected hatching. After 30 days exposure to MNX or TNX, the EC 2 , EC 5 , and EC 95 were 47, 128, and 247 μg/g for TNX, and 65, 140, and 253 μg/g for MNX in topical tests. The ECs for 20, 50, and 95 were 21, 52, and 99 μg/g for MNX, and 12, 48, and 97 μg/g for TNX in sand. No gross abnormalities in cricket nypmhs were observed in all experiments indicating that neither TNX or MNX is teratogenic in this assay. - RDX metabolites did not have adverse effects on cricket survival, growth, and egg production, but adversely affected egg hatching

Lumbar spinal loading during bowling in cricket: a kinetic analysis using a musculoskeletal modelling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanxin; Ma, Ye; Liu, Guangyu

2016-01-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate two types of cricket bowling techniques by comparing the lumbar spinal loading using a musculoskeletal modelling approach. Three-dimensional kinematic data were recorded by a Vicon motion capture system under two cricket bowling conditions: (1) participants bowled at their absolute maximal speeds (max condition), and (2) participants bowled at their absolute maximal speeds while simultaneously forcing their navel down towards their thighs starting just prior to ball release (max-trunk condition). A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model comprised of the pelvis, sacrum, lumbar vertebrae and torso segments, which enabled the motion of the individual lumbar vertebrae in the sagittal, frontal and coronal planes to be actuated by 210 muscle-tendon units, was used to simulate spinal loading based on the recorded kinematic data. The maximal lumbar spine compressive force is 4.89 ± 0.88BW for the max condition and 4.58 ± 0.54BW for the max-trunk condition. Results showed that there was no significant difference between the two techniques in trunk moments and lumbar spine forces. This indicates that the max-trunk technique may not increase lower back injury risks. The method proposed in this study could be served as a tool to evaluate lower back injury risks for cricket bowling as well as other throwing activities.

Paternity of offspring in multiply-mated, female crickets: the effect of nuptial food gifts and the advantage of mating first

Science.gov (United States)

Calos, J. B.; Sakaluk, S. K.

1998-01-01

The spermatophore transferred by male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) includes a large gelatinous mass, the spermatophylax, that is consumed by the female after mating. This nuptial gift preoccupies the female while sperm are discharged from the remaining portion of the spermatophore, the sperm ampulla, into her reproductive tract. There is considerable variation in the mass of the spermatophylax, and about half of all males produce spermatophylaxes that are too small to ensure complete sperm transfer. We tested two hypotheses concerning the maintenance of this variation: (i) males trade-off investment in spermatophylaxes against copulation frequency; and (ii) males synthesize the largest spermatophylaxes of which they are physiologically capable. Males synthesizing large and small food gifts were permitted multiple mating opportunities with the same females, and allozyme markers were used to establish the paternity of offspring. There was a significant advantage to those males that mated first irrespective of gift size. This advantage probably arose, in part, because the sperm of first males would have had exclusive access to females' eggs during the first 24 hours of oviposition, and underscores the benefits of matings with virgin females. The paternity of 'small-gift' males increased with gift mass, but there was no such increase in 'large-gift' males. This difference probably stems from the relationship between gift mass and sperm transfer: most of the gifts of the large-gift males would have been above the threshold needed to achieve complete inseminations, whereas those of small-gift males would have been below the threshold. Within mating-order positions, there was no significant difference in the paternity of large-gift and small-gift males, a result seemingly consistent with the 'trade-off' hypothesis. However, there was no correlation between spermatophylax mass and male mating frequency, so that the mechanism by which small-gift males offset

Acceptability of biscuits containing 10% cricket (Acheta domesticus) compared to milk biscuits among 5-10-year-old Kenyan schoolchildren

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homann, A M; Ayieko, M A; Konyole, S O

2017-01-01

of the study was to develop a recipe for cricket biscuits suitable for school feeding programmes and test acceptability of the biscuits in Kenyan schoolchildren, in comparison with a similar biscuit with milk. The study was randomised and parallel. Fifty-four children aged 5-10 years were served 100 g (range...... 98-102 g) biscuits containing either 10% cricket powder or 10% milk powder during school days for four weeks. At baseline anthropometry (weight, height, mid upper arm circumference) was measured and information on insect consumption and allergies collected. Daily, weight of biscuits eaten...

"In Loco Parentis"? Public-School Authority, Cricket and Manly Character, 1855-62

Science.gov (United States)

Boddice, Rob

2009-01-01

This article considers the responsibility for schoolboys' behaviour and character when in liminal spaces between home and school, in an historical account of the annual cricket matches in London between Eton, Harrow and Winchester in the late 1850s. The episode is situated in the context of the Clarendon Commission's discussions on school sports,…

Design, fabrication and characterisation of a biomimetic accelerometer inspired by the cricket's clavate hair

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogendijk, H.; de Boer, Meint J.; Sanders, Remco G.P.; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

2013-01-01

Crickets use so-called clavate hairs to sense (gravitational) acceleration to obtain information on their orientation. Inspired by this clavate hair system, a biomimetic accelerometer has been developed and fabricated using surface micromachining and SU-8 lithography. First measurements indicate

Cricket’s Contribution to India’s National Solidification

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-01

much of the institutions and behaviors from British colonialism. “The British in India created the basic state architecture : political unity and...my thesis, doing so through the medium of the other great pillar of Indian popular culture, cinema . Having shown a variety of material evidence...the confluence of two central pillars of Indian popular culture; cinema and cricket. Set in 1893, the fictional story of Lagaan tells the tale of an

Identification, RNAi knockdown, and functional analysis of an ejaculate protein that mediates a postmating, prezygotic phenotype in a cricket.

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Jeremy L Marshall

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Postmating, prezygotic phenotypes, especially those that underlie reproductive isolation between closely related species, have been a central focus of evolutionary biologists over the past two decades. Such phenotypes are thought to evolve rapidly and be nearly ubiquitous among sexually reproducing eukaryotes where females mate with multiple partners. Because these phenotypes represent interplay between the male ejaculate and female reproductive tract, they are fertile ground for reproductive senescence--as ejaculate composition and female physiology typically change over an individual's life span. Although these phenotypes and their resulting dynamics are important, we have little understanding of the proteins that mediate these phenotypes, particularly for species groups where postmating, prezygotic traits are the primary mechanism of reproductive isolation. Here, we utilize proteomics, RNAi, mating experiments, and the Allonemobius socius complex of crickets, whose members are primarily isolated from one another by postmating, prezygotic phenotypes (including the ability of a male to induce a female to lay eggs, to demonstrate that one of the most abundant ejaculate proteins (a male accessory gland-biased protein similar to a trypsin-like serine protease decreases in abundance over a male's reproductive lifetime and mediates the induction of egg-laying in females. These findings represent one of the first studies to identify a protein that plays a role in mediating both a postmating, prezygotic isolation pathway and reproductive senescence.

Analysis of patient load data for teams competing in the 2003 cricket ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

teams taking part in 10 warm-up matches and 46 matches during the 2003 Cricket World Cup played in South Africa, .... Medical support was provided from the time that the teams arrived in the country, and the medical staff were ..... Melbourne: Blackwell, 1995, 674 - 8. 5. Orchard J, James T, Alcott E, Carter S, Farhart P.

What's in the Gift? Towards a Molecular Dissection of Nuptial Feeding in a Cricket.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauchet, Yannick; Wielsch, Natalie; Wilkinson, Paul A; Sakaluk, Scott K; Svatoš, Aleš; ffrench-Constant, Richard H; Hunt, John; Heckel, David G

2015-01-01

Nuptial gifts produced by males and transferred to females during copulation are common in insects. Yet, their precise composition and subsequent physiological effects on the female recipient remain unresolved. Male decorated crickets Gryllodes sigillatus transfer a spermatophore to the female during copulation that is composed of an edible gift, the spermatophylax, and the ampulla that contains the ejaculate. After transfer of the spermatophore, the female detaches the spermatophylax and starts to eat it while sperm from the ampulla are evacuated into the female reproductive tract. When the female has finished consuming the spermatophylax, she detaches the ampulla and terminates sperm transfer. Hence, one simple function of the spermatophylax is to ensure complete sperm transfer by distracting the female from prematurely removing the ampulla. However, the majority of orally active components of the spermatophylax itself and their subsequent effects on female behavior have not been identified. Here, we report the first analysis of the proteome of the G. sigillatus spermatophylax and the transcriptome of the male accessory glands that make these proteins. The accessory gland transcriptome was assembled into 17,691 transcripts whilst about 30 proteins were detected within the mature spermatophylax itself. Of these 30 proteins, 18 were encoded by accessory gland encoded messages. Most spermatophylax proteins show no similarity to proteins with known biological functions and are therefore largely novel. A spermatophylax protein shows similarity to protease inhibitors suggesting that it may protect the biologically active components from digestion within the gut of the female recipient. Another protein shares similarity with previously characterized insect polypeptide growth factors suggesting that it may play a role in altering female reproductive physiology concurrent with fertilization. Characterization of the spermatophylax proteome provides the first step in

What's in the Gift? Towards a Molecular Dissection of Nuptial Feeding in a Cricket.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yannick Pauchet

Full Text Available Nuptial gifts produced by males and transferred to females during copulation are common in insects. Yet, their precise composition and subsequent physiological effects on the female recipient remain unresolved. Male decorated crickets Gryllodes sigillatus transfer a spermatophore to the female during copulation that is composed of an edible gift, the spermatophylax, and the ampulla that contains the ejaculate. After transfer of the spermatophore, the female detaches the spermatophylax and starts to eat it while sperm from the ampulla are evacuated into the female reproductive tract. When the female has finished consuming the spermatophylax, she detaches the ampulla and terminates sperm transfer. Hence, one simple function of the spermatophylax is to ensure complete sperm transfer by distracting the female from prematurely removing the ampulla. However, the majority of orally active components of the spermatophylax itself and their subsequent effects on female behavior have not been identified. Here, we report the first analysis of the proteome of the G. sigillatus spermatophylax and the transcriptome of the male accessory glands that make these proteins. The accessory gland transcriptome was assembled into 17,691 transcripts whilst about 30 proteins were detected within the mature spermatophylax itself. Of these 30 proteins, 18 were encoded by accessory gland encoded messages. Most spermatophylax proteins show no similarity to proteins with known biological functions and are therefore largely novel. A spermatophylax protein shows similarity to protease inhibitors suggesting that it may protect the biologically active components from digestion within the gut of the female recipient. Another protein shares similarity with previously characterized insect polypeptide growth factors suggesting that it may play a role in altering female reproductive physiology concurrent with fertilization. Characterization of the spermatophylax proteome provides the

"Violence" in Sport and the Violenti non fit Iniuria Defence: A Perspective on the Death of the Cricket Player Phil Hughes

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Pieter Labuschagne

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article evaluates the defence of violenti non fit inuiria in sport with specific reference to the principle of bonos mores or the “good morals” in society to tolerate injuries in sport. The increased prevalence of serious injuries in sport in the professional era, in which sportsmen earn their livelihood from sport, necessitate a review of the existing situation. The death of the Australian cricket player, Phil Hughes, as a result of fast, short-pitched bowling in cricket, has again put the spotlight on the aggressive and excessive use of "violence" in sport. The malicious intent in sport, to harm or even to kill an opponent, has made it necessary to ask if there should be any difference in the manner in which the perpetrator of violence in sport should be treated as against ordinary criminal law assault and murder offenders. A two-pronged approach is suggested in the article as a possible way of dealing with wrongfulness in cricket.

Acute toxicity of Headline® fungicide to Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi).

Science.gov (United States)

Cusaac, J Patrick W; Morrison, Shane A; Belden, Jason B; Smith, Loren M; McMurry, Scott T

2016-04-01

Previous laboratory studies have suggested that pyraclostrobin-containing fungicide formulations are toxic to amphibians at environmentally relevant concentrations. However, it is unknown if all pyraclostrobin formulations have similar toxicity and if toxicity occurs in different amphibian species. We investigated the acute toxicity of two formulations, Headline(®) fungicide and Headline AMP(®) fungicide, to Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi) based on a direct overspray scenario. In addition, we examined body residues of fungicide active ingredients in A. blanchardi following direct exposure to Headline AMP fungicide. Headline fungicide and Headline AMP fungicide had similar toxicity to A. blanchardi with calculated median lethal doses of 2.1 and 1.7 µg pyraclostrobin/cm(2), respectively, which are similar to the suggested maximum label rate in North American corn (2.2 and 1.52 µg pyraclostrobin/cm(2), respectively). Tissue concentrations of pyraclostrobin were lower than predicted based on full uptake of a direct dose, and did not drop during the first 24 h after exposure. Headline fungicides at corn application rates are acutely toxic to cricket frogs, but acute toxicity in the field will depend on worst-case exposure.

What’s in the Gift? Towards a Molecular Dissection of Nuptial Feeding in a Cricket

Science.gov (United States)

Pauchet, Yannick; Wielsch, Natalie; Wilkinson, Paul A.; Sakaluk, Scott K.; Svatoš, Aleš

2015-01-01

Nuptial gifts produced by males and transferred to females during copulation are common in insects. Yet, their precise composition and subsequent physiological effects on the female recipient remain unresolved. Male decorated crickets Gryllodes sigillatus transfer a spermatophore to the female during copulation that is composed of an edible gift, the spermatophylax, and the ampulla that contains the ejaculate. After transfer of the spermatophore, the female detaches the spermatophylax and starts to eat it while sperm from the ampulla are evacuated into the female reproductive tract. When the female has finished consuming the spermatophylax, she detaches the ampulla and terminates sperm transfer. Hence, one simple function of the spermatophylax is to ensure complete sperm transfer by distracting the female from prematurely removing the ampulla. However, the majority of orally active components of the spermatophylax itself and their subsequent effects on female behavior have not been identified. Here, we report the first analysis of the proteome of the G. sigillatus spermatophylax and the transcriptome of the male accessory glands that make these proteins. The accessory gland transcriptome was assembled into 17,691 transcripts whilst about 30 proteins were detected within the mature spermatophylax itself. Of these 30 proteins, 18 were encoded by accessory gland encoded messages. Most spermatophylax proteins show no similarity to proteins with known biological functions and are therefore largely novel. A spermatophylax protein shows similarity to protease inhibitors suggesting that it may protect the biologically active components from digestion within the gut of the female recipient. Another protein shares similarity with previously characterized insect polypeptide growth factors suggesting that it may play a role in altering female reproductive physiology concurrent with fertilization. Characterization of the spermatophylax proteome provides the first step in

Acoustic evolution in crickets: need for phylogenetic study and a reappraisal of signal effectiveness

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Laure Desutter-Grandcolas

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Cricket stridulums and calls are highly stereotyped, except those with greatly modified tegmina and/or vena-tion, or ''unusual'' frequency, duration and/or intensity. This acoustic diversity remained unsuspected until recently, and current models of acoustic evolution in crickets erroneously consider this clade homogeneous for acoustic features. The few phylogenetic studies analyzing acoustic evolution in crickets demonstrated that acoustic behavior could be particularly labile in some clades. The ensuing pattern for cricket evolution is consequently extremely complex. We argue that: (1 phylogeny should always be considered when analyzing acoustic evolution, whatever characters are considered (signals, stridulums or behaviors. Consequently, future studies should be devoted to entire clades, and not consider isolated taxa; character and character state definitions should allow significant reconstructions of character evolutionary transformations; and homologies should be carefully defined for all characters, including behavior. (2 The factors responsible for song effectiveness should be reconsidered and hypotheses on their potential influence on signal evolution tested jointly by phylogenies (for example, to assess correlated transformations of acoustic and ecological features, and population studies (for example, to correlate call range and population structure, or test the predation risk associated with a signal structure. Better understanding these points should help clarifying acoustic evolution in crickets.Os aparelhos estridulatórios e os chamados dos grilos são altamente estereotipados, exceto aqueles com áreas e/ou venação tegminais fortemente modificadas ou com freqüência, duração e/ou intensidade fora do ''normal''. Esta diversidade acústica ficou insuspeita até recentemente, e os modelos correntes de evolução acústica em grilos consideram erroneamente este clado como homogêneo para as características acústicas. Os

It’s Not [Just] Cricket: The Art and Politics of the Popular – Cultural Imperialism, ‘Sly Civility’ & Postcolonial Incorporation

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Andrew Jones

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ashutosh Gowariker’s critically acclaimed Lagaan (2001, is a marvellous piece of cinematic troubling, which, via an astute use of allegory, reflects upon identity politics and power relations in both colonial and postcolonial contexts. Bringing two cornerstones of Indian popular culture together, namely cricket and Hindi formulae films, Gowariker produces an engagingly, affective alchemy of image and sound, which intervenes critically in the discourses of British colonial rule. This article’s intention is to demonstrate the mimetic devices inherent in Lagaan’s narrative, and how they mirror the regional resilience evident in the global success of both popular Indian cinema and the Indian performance of cricket. The sport of cricket and its role and effectiveness within a larger colonial project, is contextualized and reconsidered by tracing some resistant tangents in the sports evolution and performance in the Asia Pacific region. Making the most of the South Asian diaspora, which has exploited the networks and routes of the former British Empire, Indian popular cinema, likewise, serves to illustrate the point that local cultural dynamics can add their own nuances to global media flows. Interdisciplinary approaches are required to traverse within and between cultures, and to underscore the deep currents of contestation, as well as the radical and often surprising politics that characterise popular culture. In this respect, a range of scholars from different fields of study are consulted; Ashis Nandy, Arjun Appadurai, Chandrima Chakraborty and Homi Bhabha amongst them. Their voices will help to open up uncertainties in the conventional discourses, and to articulate some of the cultural politics and poetics at play in Lagaan specifically and the performance of cricket more generally.

Opsin evolution and expression in Arthropod compound Eyes and Ocelli: Insights from the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

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Henze Miriam J

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Opsins are key proteins in animal photoreception. Together with a light-sensitive group, the chromophore, they form visual pigments which initiate the visual transduction cascade when photoactivated. The spectral absorption properties of visual pigments are mainly determined by their opsins, and thus opsins are crucial for understanding the adaptations of animal eyes. Studies on the phylogeny and expression pattern of opsins have received considerable attention, but our knowledge about insect visual opsins is still limited. Up to now, researchers have focused on holometabolous insects, while general conclusions require sampling from a broader range of taxa. We have therefore investigated visual opsins in the ocelli and compound eyes of the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, a hemimetabolous insect. Results Phylogenetic analyses place all identified cricket sequences within the three main visual opsin clades of insects. We assign three of these opsins to visual pigments found in the compound eyes with peak absorbances in the green (515 nm, blue (445 nm and UV (332 nm spectral range. Their expression pattern divides the retina into distinct regions: (1 the polarization-sensitive dorsal rim area with blue- and UV-opsin, (2 a newly-discovered ventral band of ommatidia with blue- and green-opsin and (3 the remainder of the compound eye with UV- and green-opsin. In addition, we provide evidence for two ocellar photopigments with peak absorbances in the green (511 nm and UV (350 nm spectral range, and with opsins that differ from those expressed in the compound eyes. Conclusions Our data show that cricket eyes are spectrally more specialized than has previously been assumed, suggesting that similar adaptations in other insect species might have been overlooked. The arrangement of spectral receptor types within some ommatidia of the cricket compound eyes differs from the generally accepted pattern found in holometabolous insect

Are current coaching recommendations for cricket batting technique supported by biomechanical research?

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Penn, Melissa J; Spratford, Wayne

2012-09-01

Coaching manuals are an invaluable tool for coaches, used in player skill and technique development, especially at grass-roots level. Commonly developed by former players and coaches, this information is generally based on anecdotal evidence and in general lacks the scientific rigour of a peer-reviewed journal. Thus there is a need to establish the level of agreement and support between the coaching and biomechanical literature. In doing so, evidence-based coaching practices can be optimally developed. Moreover, this will ensure the technique and skill development practices implemented at grass-roots level are supported by successful performance in the later stages of player development. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the latest batting biomechanics research, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date insight into the kinematic and kinetic aspects of batting in cricket. Furthermore, this review compared and contrasted this research with a selection of coaching literature, establishing a strong level of support and agreement between the coaching and biomechanical literature in recommendations for cricket batting technique. Although the ambiguity in a number of coaching concepts still exists, coaches and players can be confident in the successful implementation of both sources of information in a player's technical development.

Sex-specific genotype-by-environment interactions for cuticular hydrocarbon expression in decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus: implications for the evolution of signal reliability.

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Weddle, C B; Mitchell, C; Bay, S K; Sakaluk, S K; Hunt, J

2012-10-01

Phenotypic traits that convey information about individual identity or quality are important in animal social interactions, and the degree to which such traits are influenced by environmental variation can have profound effects on the reliability of these cues. Using inbred genetic lines of the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, we manipulated diet quality to test how the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of males and females respond across two different nutritional rearing environments. There were significant differences between lines in the CHC profiles of females, but the effect of diet was not quite statistically significant. There was no significant genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI), suggesting that environmental effects on phenotypic variation in female CHCs are independent of genotype. There was, however, a significant effect of GEI for males, with changes in both signal quantity and content, suggesting that environmental effects on phenotypic expression of male CHCs are dependent on genotype. The differential response of male and female CHC expression to variation in the nutritional environment suggests that these chemical cues may be under sex-specific selection for signal reliability. Female CHCs show the characteristics of reliable cues of identity: high genetic variability, low condition dependence and a high degree of genetic determination. This supports earlier work showing that female CHCs are used in self-recognition to identify previous mates and facilitate polyandry. In contrast, male CHCs show the characteristics of reliable cues of quality: condition dependence and a relatively higher degree of environmental determination. This suggests that male CHCs are likely to function as cues of underlying quality during mate choice and/or male dominance interactions. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2012 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

The dynamic behaviour of the cricket ear predicted from first principles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Leeuwen, Johan L; Michelsen, Axel; Larsen, Ole Næsbye

2008-01-01

Cricket ears have exquisite sensitivity and directional resolution for the calling frequency of con-specifics ( [Michelsen, 1995] , [Michelsen, 1998] and [Michelsen et al., 1994] ). We propose a mechanistic explanation for their remarkable hearing capabilities. We developed a numerical mechanical...... key role in the directional properties of the hearing system), and the left and right spiracle inputs in the thorax. The model predicts that the overall sensitivity of the hearing system is much higher with open spiracles than with closed spiracles, with important sensitivity peaks at 4.8 kHz (used...

Sex-specific life history responses to nymphal diet quality and immune status in a field cricket.

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Kelly, C D; Neyer, A A; Gress, B E

2014-02-01

Individual fitness is expected to benefit from earlier maturation at a larger body size and higher body condition. However, poor nutritional quality or high prevalence of disease make this difficult because individuals either cannot acquire sufficient resources or must divert resources to other fitness-related traits such as immunity. Under such conditions, individuals are expected to mature later at a smaller body size and in poorer body condition. Moreover, the juvenile environment can also produce longer-term effects on adult fitness by causing shifts in resource allocation strategies that could alter investment in immune function and affect adult lifespan. We manipulated diet quality and immune status of juvenile Texas field crickets, Gryllus texensis, to investigate how poor developmental conditions affect sex-specific investment in fitness-related traits. As predicted, a poor juvenile diet was related to smaller mass and body size at eclosion in both sexes. However, our results also reveal sexually dimorphic responses to different facets of the rearing environment: female life history decisions are affected more by diet quality, whereas males are affected more by immune status. We suggest that females respond to decreased nutritional income because this threatens their ability to achieve a large adult body size, whereas male fitness is more dependent on reaching adulthood and so they invest in immunity and survival to eclosion. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2013 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Colony growth of two species of Solenopsis fire ants(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) reared with crickets and beef liver

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Most diets for rearing fire ants and other ants contain insects such as crickets or mealworms. Unfortunately, insect diets are expensive, especially for large rearing operations, and are not always easily available. This study was designed to examine colony growth of Solenopsis fire ants on beef liv...

Seasonality influences cuticle melanization and immune defense in a cricket: support for a temperature-dependent immune investment hypothesis in insects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fedorka, K. M. [Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States); Copeland, E. K. [Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States); Winterhalter, W. E. [Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)

2013-07-18

To improve thermoregulation in colder environments, insects are expected to darken their cuticles with melanin via the phenoloxidase cascade, a phenomenon predicted by the thermal melanin hypothesis. However, the phenoloxidase cascade also plays a significant role in insect immunity, leading to the additional hypothesis that the thermal environment indirectly shapes immune function via direct selection on cuticle color. Support for the latter hypothesis comes from the cricket Allonemobius socius, where cuticle darkness and immune-related phenoloxidase activity increase with latitude. However, thermal environments vary seasonally as well as geographically, suggesting that seasonal plasticity in immunity may also exist. Although seasonal fluctuations in vertebrate immune function are common (because of flux in breeding or resource abundance), seasonality in invertebrate immunity has not been widely explored. We addressed this possibility by rearing crickets in simulated summer and fall environments and assayed their cuticle color and immune function. Prior to estimating immunity, crickets were placed in a common environment to minimize metabolic rate differences. Individuals reared under fall-like conditions exhibited darker cuticles, greater phenoloxidase activity and greater resistance to the bacteria Serratia marcescens. These data support the hypothesis that changes in the thermal environment modify cuticle color, which indirectly shapes immune investment through pleiotropy. This hypothesis may represent a widespread mechanism governing immunity in numerous systems, considering that most insects operate in seasonally and geographically variable thermal environments.

Predicting the names of the best teams after the knock-out phase of a cricket series.

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Lemmer, Hermanus Hofmeyr

2014-01-01

Cricket players' performances can best be judged after a large number of matches had been played. For test or one-day international (ODI) players, career data are normally used to calculate performance measures. These are normally good indicators of future performances, although various factors influence the performance of a player in a specific match. It is often necessary to judge players' performances based on a small number of scores, e.g. to identify the best players after a short series of matches. The challenge then is to use the best available criteria in order to assess performances as accurately and fairly as possible. In the present study the results of the knock-out phase of an International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup ODI Series are used to predict the names of the best teams by means of a suitably formulated logistic regression model. Despite using very sparse data, the methods used are reasonably successful. It is also shown that if the same technique is applied to career ratings, very good results are obtained.

Invertebrates of The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Western Cascades, Oregon: III. The Orthoptera (Grasshoppers and Crickets).

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David C. Lightfoot

1986-01-01

An inventory of Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets) at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, near Blue River, Oregon, was conducted to determine the species present and ecological relationships. A key for identification and an annotated list are presented. From qualitative assessments of successional habitat relationships, generalized species associations of forest...

Biting off more than you can chew: sexual selection on the free amino acid composition of the spermatophylax in decorated crickets

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Gershman, Susan N.; Mitchell, Christopher; Sakaluk, Scott K.; Hunt, John

2012-01-01

Nuptial food gifts function to enhance male fertilization success, but their consumption is not always beneficial to females. In decorated crickets, the spermatophore transferred at mating includes a gelatinous mass, the spermatophylax, which is consumed by females after mating. However, females often discard spermatophylaxes shortly after mating, whereupon they terminate sperm transfer. We hypothesized that females discard gifts based on their assessment of the gift itself, and specifically the composition of free amino acids. We tested this hypothesis by comparing spermatophylaxes discarded by females after mating with those that were destined to be fully consumed, and employed multivariate selection analysis to quantify the strength and form of multivariate sexual selection operating on the free amino acid composition of gifts. The analysis yielded a saddle-shaped fitness surface with two local peaks. Different amino acid profiles appear to elicit continued feeding on the spermatophylax either because they offer the same level of gustatory appeal, or because they differentially affect both the gustatory appeal and texture of the spermatophylax. We conclude that the gustatory response of females to males' nuptial food gifts represents an important avenue of post-copulatory mate choice, imposing significant sexual selection on the free amino acid composition of the spermatophylax. PMID:22357263

Effect of toss and weather on County Cricket Championship outcomes.

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Forrest, David; Dorsey, Ron

2008-01-01

The principal competition in English professional cricket has become more competitive with the introduction of hierarchical divisions linked by promotion and relegation. Using regression analysis, we examine the effect on league points when teams suffer different degrees of weather disruption over the season and different amounts of luck in winning the toss for choice of first innings. The results are used to illustrate the sensitivity of championship, promotion, and relegation outcomes to such matters of chance and revised league tables are produced after applying adjustments to account for the influence of weather and toss. Policy recommendations are presented on how the influence of weather and toss might be lessened in future seasons.

Integrating sensory evaluations in incentivized discrete choice experiments to assess consumer demand for cricket flour buns in Kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alemu, Mohammed Hussen; Olsen, Søren Bøye; Vedel, Suzanne Elizabeth

In this study, we present one of the first thorough assessments of potential consumer demand for an insect based food product. We assess the demand in terms of Kenyan consumer preferences and willingness to pay for buns containing varying amounts of cricket flour. The novel feature of the study...

ComVisMD - compact visualization of multidimensional data: experimenting with cricket players data

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Dandin, Shridhar B.; Ducassé, Mireille

2018-03-01

Database information is multidimensional and often displayed in tabular format (row/column display). Presented in aggregated form, multidimensional data can be used to analyze the records or objects. Online Analytical database Processing (OLAP) proposes mechanisms to display multidimensional data in aggregated forms. A choropleth map is a thematic map in which areas are colored in proportion to the measurement of a statistical variable being displayed, such as population density. They are used mostly for compact graphical representation of geographical information. We propose a system, ComVisMD inspired by choropleth map and the OLAP cube to visualize multidimensional data in a compact way. ComVisMD displays multidimensional data like OLAP Cube, where we are mapping an attribute a (first dimension, e.g. year started playing cricket) in vertical direction, object coloring based on b (second dimension, e.g. batting average), mapping varying-size circles based on attribute c (third dimension, e.g. highest score), mapping numbers based on attribute d (fourth dimension, e.g. matches played). We illustrate our approach on cricket players data, namely on two tables Country and Player. They have a large number of rows and columns: 246 rows and 17 columns for players of one country. ComVisMD’s visualization reduces the size of the tabular display by a factor of about 4, allowing users to grasp more information at a time than the bare table display.

New Records Reveal the Actual Distribution of Cratomelus meritus Gorochov (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae), a Giant Red Cricket from Chile.

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Alfaro, F M; Zuñiga-Reinoso, A; Muñoz-Ramírez, C; Elgueta, M

2015-04-01

The geographic distribution of the red cricket Cratomelus meritus Gorochov had remained unknown until now due to mislabeling and lack of new records. The aim of this short communication is to uncover and establish the actual distribution of the species on the basis of new records and discuss potential biogeographic hypotheses about its distribution.

Toxicity of venoms from vipers of Pelias group to crickets Gryllus assimilis and its relation to snake entomophagy.

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Starkov, Vladislav G; Osipov, Alexey V; Utkin, Yuri N

2007-06-01

The existing data indicate that snake venom is most toxic towards the natural vertebrate preys. Several species of snake include arthropods in their food. However, there is no available data on the toxicity of venom from entomophagous snakes towards their prey. We have studied the toxicity of venom from vipers of Pelias group towards crickets Gryllus assimilis. The Pelias group includes several closely related viper species inhabiting mainly the South European part of Russia, and they differ in their feeding preferences. Snakes from the Vipera renardi, Vipera lotievi, Vipera kaznakovi, and Vipera orlovi species feed on wide range of animals including insects, whereas snakes from Vipera berus and Vipera nikolskii species do not include insects in their diet. We have found that the venom from vipers that include insects in their diet possesses greater toxicity towards crickets. The greatest toxicity was observed for the venom from V. lotievi, which displays a preference for insects in its diet. Therefore, based on our data, we suggest that the viper entomophagy is not a result of behavior plasticity, but is probably determined at a genetic level.

Moisture adsorption properties and shelf-life estimation of dried and pulverised edible house cricket Acheta domesticus (L.) and black soldier fly larvae Hermetia illucens (L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Kamau, E; Mutungi, C; Kinyuru, J; Imathiu, S; Tanga, C; Affognon, H; Ekesi, S; Nakimbugwe, D; Fiaboe, K K M

2018-04-01

Edible insects are part of the diets of a significant proportion of rural populations in the tropics especially Africa and Asia, and their use as source of key nutrients for better nutrition is re-emerging. Indigenously, elemental methods are used to process the insects before they are consumed or sold in retail outlets. In recent years, better knowledge of processing, packaging and storage has become necessary because of commercialisation needs. A common processing approach involves drying after a brief heat-treatment step, and then milling into a powdered product which is sold to manufacturers or consumers as ingredient for processing final products. The hydration properties of dried powders of edible house cricket and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) were studied with the aim of predicting shelf-life stability under typical packaging and storage temperatures experienced in the tropics. Moisture adsorption isotherms were determined gravimetrically at 25, 30 and 35 °C, over 0.11-0.97 water activity (a W ) range, and the data fitted to various models. Sorption isotherms were of type II according to Brunauer classification indicating monolayer-multilayer sorption behaviour. Cricket powder exhibited higher hydration capacity, and a W of this product was less sensitive to temperature variation as compared to BSFL powder. In the two products, water exhibited transitions from bound- to free- state at ~5 g/100 g moisture content. Based on Heiss-Eichner model, a shelf-life of 7 months at 25 °C can be achieved if the cricket and BSFL powders are dried to ca. 5 g/100 g moisture content and packaged in 80 μm thick polyethylene films. At 35 °C the shelf-life of the cricket product is shortened three- to four-fold whereas the BSFL powder is unable to store. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative characterization of the filiform mechanosensory hair array on the cricket cercus.

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John P Miller

Full Text Available Crickets and other orthopteran insects sense air currents with a pair of abdominal appendages resembling antennae, called cerci. Each cercus in the common house cricket Acheta domesticus is approximately 1 cm long, and is covered with 500 to 750 filiform mechanosensory hairs. The distribution of the hairs on the cerci, as well as the global patterns of their movement vectors, have been characterized semi-quantitatively in studies over the last 40 years, and have been shown to be very stereotypical across different animals in this species. Although the cercal sensory system has been the focus of many studies in the areas of neuroethology, development, biomechanics, sensory function and neural coding, there has not yet been a quantitative study of the functional morphology of the receptor array of this important model system.We present a quantitative characterization of the structural characteristics and functional morphology of the cercal filiform hair array. We demonstrate that the excitatory direction along each hair's movement plane can be identified by features of its socket that are visible at the light-microscopic level, and that the length of the hair associated with each socket can also be estimated accurately from a structural parameter of the socket. We characterize the length and directionality of all hairs on the basal half of a sample of three cerci, and present statistical analyses of the distributions.The inter-animal variation of several global organizational features is low, consistent with constraints imposed by functional effectiveness and/or developmental processes. Contrary to previous reports, however, we show that the filiform hairs are not re-identifiable in the strict sense.

Formation of apolar ecdysteroid conjugates by ovaries of the house cricket Acheta domesticus in vitro.

OpenAIRE

Whiting, P; Dinan, L

1988-01-01

The newly laid eggs of the house cricket Acheta domesticus contain apolar ecdysteroid conjugates, which we have hypothesized to be ecdysone long-chain fatty acyl esters [Whiting & Dinan (1988) J. Insect Physiol., in the press]. The ovaries of mature adult female A. domesticus in vitro convert [3H]ecdysone into apolar conjugates identical with those found in newly laid eggs. Comparison of the radioactive metabolites produced on incubation of [3H]ecdysone with various organs of adult female A. ...

Pace bowlers in cricket with history of lumbar stress fracture have increased risk of lower limb muscle strains, particularly calf strains

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John Orchard

2010-09-01

Full Text Available John Orchard1, Patrick Farhart2, Alex Kountouris3, Trefor James3, Marc Portus31School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia; 2Punjab Kings XI team, Indian Premier League, India; 3Cricket Australia, Melbourne, AustraliaObjective: To assess whether a history of lumbar stress fracture in pace bowlers in cricket is a risk factor for lower limb muscle strains.Methods: This was a prospective cohort risk factor study, conducted using injury data from contracted first class pace bowlers in Australia during seasons 1998–1999 to 2008–2009 inclusive. There were 205 pace bowlers, 33 of whom suffered a lumbar stress fracture when playing first class cricket. Risk ratios ([RR] with 95% confidence intervals[CI] were calculated to compare the seasonal incidence of various injuries between bowlers with a prior history of lumbar stress fracture and those with no history of lumbar stress fracture.Results: Risk of calf strain was strongly associated with prior lumbar stress fracture injury history (RR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.4–7.1. Risks of both hamstring strain (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03–2.1 and quadriceps strain (RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1–3.5 were somewhat associated with history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of groin strain was not associated with history of lumbar stress fracture (RR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4–1.1. Other injuries showed little association with prior lumbar stress fracture, although knee cartilage injuries were more likely in the non-stress fracture group.Conclusion: Bony hypertrophy associated with lumbar stress fracture healing may lead to subsequent lumbar nerve root impingement, making lower limb muscle strains more likely to occur. Confounders may be responsible for some of the findings. In particular, bowling speed is likely to be independently correlated with risk of lumbar stress fracture and risk of muscle strain. However, as the relationship between lumbar stress fracture history and calf strain was very strong, and that there is a

Crickets are not a free lunch: protein capture from scalable organic side-streams via high-density populations of Acheta domesticus.

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Mark E Lundy

Full Text Available It has been suggested that the ecological impact of crickets as a source of dietary protein is less than conventional forms of livestock due to their comparatively efficient feed conversion and ability to consume organic side-streams. This study measured the biomass output and feed conversion ratios of house crickets (Acheta domesticus reared on diets that varied in quality, ranging from grain-based to highly cellulosic diets. The measurements were made at a much greater population scale and density than any previously reported in the scientific literature. The biomass accumulation was strongly influenced by the quality of the diet (p99% mortality without reaching a harvestable size. Therefore, the potential for A. domesticus to sustainably supplement the global protein supply, beyond what is currently produced via grain-fed chickens, will depend on capturing regionally scalable organic side-streams of relatively high-quality that are not currently being used for livestock production.

Auditory DUM neurons in a bush-cricket: A filter bank for carrier frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefebvre, Paule Chloé; Seifert, Marvin; Stumpner, Andreas

2018-05-01

In bush-crickets the first stage of central auditory processing occurs in the prothoracic ganglion. About 15 to 50 different auditory dorsal unpaired median neurons (DUM neurons) exist but they have not been studied in any detail. These DUM neurons may be classified into seven different morphological types, although, there is only limited correlation between morphology and physiological responses. Ninety seven percent of the stained neurons were local, 3% were intersegmental. About 90% project nearly exclusively into the auditory neuropile, and 45% into restricted areas therein. Lateral extensions overlap with the axons of primary auditory sensory neurons close to their branching point. DUM neurons are typically tuned to frequencies covering the range between 2 and 50 kHz and thereby may establish a filter bank for carrier frequency. Less than 10% of DUM neurons have their branches in adjacent and more posterior regions of the auditory neuropile and are mostly tuned to low frequencies, less sensitive than the other types and respond to vibration. Thirty five percent of DUM show indications of inhibition, either through reduced responses at higher intensities, or by hyperpolarizing responses to sound. Most DUM neurons produce phasic spike responses preferably at higher intensities. Spikes may be elicited by intracellular current injection. Preliminary data suggest that auditory DUM neurons have GABA as transmitter and therefore may inhibit other auditory interneurons. From all known local auditory neurons, only DUM neurons have frequency specific responses which appear suited for local processing relevant for acoustic communication in bush crickets. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anthropometric, biomechanical, and isokinetic strength predictors of ball release speed in high-performance cricket fast bowlers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wormgoor, Shohn; Harden, Lois; Mckinon, Warrick

2010-07-01

Fast bowling is fundamental to all forms of cricket. The purpose of this study was to identify parameters that contribute to high ball release speeds in cricket fast bowlers. We assessed anthropometric dimensions, concentric and eccentric isokinetic strength of selected knee and shoulder muscle groups, and specific aspects of technique from a single delivery in 28 high-performance fast bowlers (age 22.0 +/- 3.0 years, ball release speed 34.0 +/- 1.3 m s(-1)). Six 50-Hz cameras and the Ariel Performance Analysis System software were used to analyse the fast and accurate deliveries. Using Pearson's correlation, parameters that showed significant associations with ball release speed were identified. The findings suggest that greater front leg knee extension at ball release (r=0.52), shoulder alignment in the transverse plane rotated further away from the batsman at front foot strike (r=0.47), greater ankle height during the delivery stride (r=0.44), and greater shoulder extension strength (r=0.39) contribute significantly to higher ball release speeds. Predictor variables failed to allow their incorporation into a multivariate model, which is known to exist in less accomplished bowlers, suggesting that factors that determine ball release speed found in other groups may not apply to high-performance fast bowlers.

Circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. II. Interactions between bilaterally paired circadian pacemakers.

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Ushirogawa, H; Abe, Y; Tomioka, K

1997-10-01

The optic lobe is essential for circadian locomotor rhythms in the cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus. We examined potential interactions between the bilaterally paired optic lobes in circadian rhythm generation. When one optic lobe was removed, the free-running period of the locomotor rhythm slightly but significantly lengthened. When exposed to light-dark cycles (LD) with 26 hr period, intact and sham operated animals were clearly entrained to the light cycle, but a large number of animals receiving unilateral optic nerve severance showed rhythm dissociation. In the dissociation, two rhythmic components appeared; one was readily entrained to the given LD and the other free-ran with a period shorter than 24 hr, and activity was expressed only when they were inphase. The period of the free-running component was significantly longer than that of the animals with a single blinded pacemaker kept in LD13:13, suggesting that the pacemaker on the intact side had some influence on the blinded pacemaker even in the dissociated state. The ratio of animals with rhythm dissociation was greater with the lower light intensity of the LD. The results suggest that the bilaterally distributed pacemakers are only weakly coupled to one another but strongly suppress the activity driven by the partner pacemaker during their subjective day. The strong suppression of activity would be advantageous to keep a stable nocturnality for this cricket living indoors.

Acoustic comunication systems and sounds in three species of crickets from central Italy: musical instruments for a three-voices composition

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Monacchi, David; Valentini, Laura

2016-04-01

Natural soundscape has always constituted a reference in cognitive and emotional processes. The imitation of natural sounds contributed to the origin of the verbal language, which has been then subjected to an even more refined process of abstraction throughout history. The musical language also evolved along the same path of imitation. Among the many sonic elements of a natural environment, the stridulation of crickets is one of the most consistent for its timbre, articulation, diffusion and intrinsic emotional power. More than 900 species of crickets, in fact, have been described. They can be found in all parts of the world with the exception of cold regions at latitudes higher than 55° North and South. Among the many species we're working on (Order Orthoptera and Suborder Ensifera), we refer here of a comparison between the morphology of the acoustic emission systems and the corresponding waveforms/spectral patterns of sound in three widespread species from central Italy: Gryllus Bimaculatus, Acheta Domesticus (Gryllidae), and Ruspolia Nitidula (Conocephalidae). The samples of the acoustic apparatus of the target individuals, stored in ethanol, were observed under a Field Emission Gun Environmental Electron Scanning Microscope (FEG-ESEM, Quanta 200, FEI, The Netherlands). The use of this type of microscope allowed to analyze the samples without any kind of manipulation (dehydration and/or metallization), while maintaining the morphological features of the fragile acoustic apparatus. The observations were made with different sensors (SE: secondary-electron sensor and BSE: backscattered-electron sensor), and performed at low-medium vacuum with energies varying from c.ca 10 to 30kV. Male individuals have an acoustic apparatus consisting in two cuticular structures (tegmina) positioned above wings, while both male and females have receiving organs (tympanum) in forelegs. Stridulation mechanism is produced when the file and the scraper (plectrum) scrub one another

Distinguishing psychological characteristics of expert cricket batsmen.

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Weissensteiner, Juanita R; Abernethy, Bruce; Farrow, Damian; Gross, John

2012-01-01

This paper sought to determine the psychological characteristics and skills that are fundamental to batting success in the sport of cricket. Following on from the findings of an earlier qualitative investigation which suggested that a favourable mix of psychological attributes and skills are critical to high performance in batting (Weissensteiner et al.(10)), adult-aged batsmen of two different skill levels (highly skilled n=11; lesser skilled n=10) completed a battery of psychological tests that included measures of mental toughness (Mental Toughness Inventory), perfectionism (Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale), coping ability (Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28), and optimism (Attributional Styles Questionnaire). Contrary to the research hypothesis, it was found that the highly skilled batsmen were only distinguishable from batsmen of lesser skill by their higher degree of global mental toughness. The skilled batsmen scored significantly higher on mental toughness dimensions relating to motivation (Personal Bests, Task Value and Commitment), coping skill (Perseverance) and self-belief (Potential). If mental toughness can be reliably predicted at an earlier age, it may be an attribute worthy of inclusion in future talent identification and development programs. Copyright © 2011 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Loss-of-function analyses of the fragile X-related and dopamine receptor genes by RNA interference in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

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Hamada, Aska; Miyawaki, Katsuyuki; Honda-sumi, Eri; Tomioka, Kenji; Mito, Taro; Ohuchi, Hideyo; Noji, Sumihare

2009-08-01

In order to explore a possibility that the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus would be a useful model to unveil molecular mechanisms of human diseases, we performed loss-of-function analyses of Gryllus genes homologous to human genes that are responsible for human disorders, fragile X mental retardation 1 (fmr1) and Dopamine receptor (DopR). We cloned cDNAs of their Gryllus homologues, Gb'fmr1, Gb'DopRI, and Gb'DopRII, and analyzed their functions with use of nymphal RNA interference (RNAi). For Gb'fmr1, three major phenotypes were observed: (1) abnormal wing postures, (2) abnormal calling song, and (3) loss of the circadian locomotor rhythm, while for Gb'DopRI, defects of wing posture and morphology were found. These results indicate that the cricket has the potential to become a novel model system to explore human neuronal pathogenic mechanisms and to screen therapeutic drugs by RNAi. Copyright (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Roles of aminergic neurons in formation and recall of associative memory in crickets

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Makoto Mizunami

2010-11-01

Full Text Available We review recent progress in the study of roles of octopaminergic (OA-ergic and dopaminergic (DA-ergic signaling in insect classical conditioning, focusing on our studies on crickets. Studies on olfactory learning in honey bees and fruit-flies have suggested that OA-ergic and DA-ergic neurons convey reinforcing signals of appetitive unconditioned stimulus (US and aversive US, respectively. Our work suggested that this is applicable to olfactory, visual pattern and color learning in crickets, indicating that this feature is ubiquitous in learning of various sensory stimuli. We also showed that aversive memory decayed much faster than did appetitive memory, and we proposed that this feature is common in insects and humans. Our study also suggested that activation of OA- or DA-ergic neurons is needed for appetitive or aversive memory recall, respectively. To account for this finding, we proposed a model in which it is assumed that two types of synaptic connections are strengthened by conditioning and are activated during memory recall, one type being connections from neurons representing conditioned stimulus (CS to neurons inducing conditioned response and the other being connections from neurons representing CS to OA- or DA-ergic neurons representing appetitive or aversive US, respectively. The former is called stimulus-response (S-R connection and the latter is called stimulus-stimulus (S-S connection by theorists studying classical conditioning in vertebrates. Results of our studies using a second-order conditioning procedure supported our model. We propose that insect classical conditioning involves the formation of S-S connection and its activation for memory recall, which are often called cognitive processes.

Predicting Where a Radiation Will Occur: Acoustic and Molecular Surveys Reveal Overlooked Diversity in Indian Ocean Island Crickets (Mogoplistinae: Ornebius.

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Ben H Warren

Full Text Available Recent theory suggests that the geographic location of island radiations (local accumulation of species diversity due to cladogenesis can be predicted based on island area and isolation. Crickets are a suitable group for testing these predictions, as they show both the ability to reach some of the most isolated islands in the world, and to speciate at small spatial scales. Despite substantial song variation between closely related species in many island cricket lineages worldwide, to date this characteristic has not received attention in the western Indian Ocean islands; existing species descriptions are based on morphology alone. Here we use a combination of acoustics and DNA sequencing to survey these islands for Ornebius crickets. We uncover a small but previously unknown radiation in the Mascarenes, constituting a three-fold increase in the Ornebius species diversity of this archipelago (from two to six species. A further new species is detected in the Comoros. Although double archipelago colonisation is the best explanation for species diversity in the Seychelles, in situ cladogenesis is the best explanation for the six species in the Mascarenes and two species of the Comoros. Whether the radiation of Mascarene Ornebius results from intra- or purely inter- island speciation cannot be determined on the basis of the phylogenetic data alone. However, the existence of genetic, song and ecological divergence at the intra-island scale is suggestive of an intra-island speciation scenario in which ecological and mating traits diverge hand-in-hand. Our results suggest that the geographic location of Ornebius radiations is partially but not fully explained by island area and isolation. A notable anomaly is Madagascar, where our surveys are consistent with existing accounts in finding no Ornebius species present. Possible explanations are discussed, invoking ecological differences between species and differences in environmental history between

Consistency of kinematic and kinetic patterns during a prolonged spell of cricket fast bowling: an exploratory laboratory study.

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Schaefer, Andrew; O'dwyer, Nicholas; Ferdinands, René E D; Edwards, Suzi

2018-03-01

Due to the high incidence of lumbar spine injury in fast bowlers, international cricket organisations advocate limits on workload for bowlers under 19 years of age in training/matches. The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant changes in either fast bowling technique or movement variability could be detected throughout a 10-over bowling spell that exceeded the recommended limit. Twenty-five junior male fast bowlers bowled at competition pace while three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected for the leading leg, trunk and bowling arm. Separate analyses for the mean and within-participant standard deviation of each variable were performed using repeated measures factorial analyses of variance and computation of effect sizes. No substantial changes were observed in mean values or variability of any kinematic, kinetic or performance variables, which instead revealed a high degree of consistency in kinematic and kinetic patterns. Therefore, the suggestion that exceeding the workload limit per spell causes technique- and loading-related changes associated with lumbar injury risk is not valid and cannot be used to justify the restriction of bowling workload. For injury prevention, the focus instead should be on the long-term effect of repeated spells and on the fast bowling technique itself.

Efficiency of Sports Leagues - The Economic Implications of Having Two Leagues in the Indian Cricket Market

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Vig, Arun

2008-01-01

Worldwide more and more money is being invested in sports teams and professional sports leagues. There are numerous sports that are popular in different parts of the world. In the United States, its American Football, in Europe and UK it is Football (soccer); in the Indian sub-continent and Australia it is Cricket that attracts the largest crowds. If we study the professional sporting leagues around the world usually there is only one major/premier league in every sport. Smaller leagues e...

Hearing and spatial behavior in Gryllotalpa major Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae).

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Howard, Daniel R; Mason, Andrew C; Hill, Peggy S M

2008-11-01

The prairie mole cricket (Gryllotalpa major Saussure) is a rare orthopteran insect of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem of the south central USA. Populations are known to currently occupy fragmented prairie sites in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri, including The Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in north central Oklahoma. Prairie mole cricket populations were surveyed at this site and at another site in Craig County, OK during the spring of 2005 and 2006, using the male cricket's acoustic call to locate advertising aggregations of males. Five males from one large aggregation were removed in a study to describe (1) the hearing thresholds across the call's range of frequencies, (2) the distances over which the higher harmonic components of the male's calls are potentially detectable, (3) the species' sensitivity to ultrasound and (4) the spatio-auditory dynamics of the prairie mole cricket lek. Results indicate that G. major has a bimodal pattern of frequency tuning, with hearing sensitivities greatest at the 2 kHz carrier frequency (41 dB SPL) and declining through the call's frequency range (84 dB at 10 kHz). A second sensitivity peak is evident in the ultrasound range at 25 kHz (62 dB SPL). Spatial analysis of G. major lek sites indicates that approximately 73% of males within the lek are spaced in such a way as to allow acoustic interaction at the species' carrier frequency, while any information in higher harmonic overtones in the call appears to be available only to nearest neighbors.

Grasshoppers, crickets (Orthoptera and earwigs (Dermaptera of Tovačov gravel pit (central Moravia, Czech Republic: New locality for several thermophilous species in anthropogenic secondary habitat

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Trnka Filip

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Study of Orthoptera and earwigs was conducted in Tovačov gravel pit in 2014. We have recorded 18 species of Orthoptera and 3 species of earwigs. The most significant recorded species are Cepero’s ground-hopper (Tetrix ceperoi, pygmy mole cricket (Xya variegata, Italian tree cricket (Oecanthus pellucens and riparian earwig (Labidura riparia. Tovačov gravel pit poses the northernmost locality of T. ceperoi and X. variegata in the Czech Republic and the northernmost known locality in Moravia for O. pellucens. For the L. riparia, we present a founding from Tovačov together with another finding from Olomouc vicinity, which is currently the northernmost locality within Moravia. Our findings display recent spatial expansion of some thermophilous species. Moreover, we emphasize importance of (post-industrial areas as secondary habitats for specialised endangered species.

Sorted gene genealogies and species-specific nonsynonymous substitutions point to putative postmating prezygotic isolation genes in Allonemobius crickets

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Suegene Noh

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In the Allonemobius socius complex of crickets, reproductive isolation is primarily accomplished via postmating prezygotic barriers. We tested seven protein-coding genes expressed in the male ejaculate for patterns of evolution consistent with a putative role as postmating prezygotic isolation genes. Our recently diverged species generally lacked sequence variation. As a result, ω-based tests were only mildly successful. Some of our genes showed evidence of elevated ω values on the internal branches of gene trees. In a couple of genes, these internal branches coincided with both species branching events of the species tree, between A. fasciatus and the other two species, and between A. socius and A. sp. nov. Tex. In comparison, more successful approaches were those that took advantage of the varying degrees of lineage sorting and allele sharing among our young species. These approaches were particularly powerful within the contact zone. Among the genes we tested we found genes with genealogies that indicated relatively advanced degrees of lineage sorting across both allopatric and contact zone alleles. Within a contact zone between two members of the species complex, only a subset of genes maintained allelic segregation despite evidence of ongoing gene flow in other genes. The overlap in these analyses was arginine kinase (AK and apolipoprotein A-1 binding protein (APBP. These genes represent two of the first examples of sperm maturation, capacitation, and motility proteins with fixed non-synonymous substitutions between species-specific alleles that may lead to postmating prezygotic isolation. Both genes express ejaculate proteins transferred to females during copulation and were previously identified through comparative proteomics. We discuss the potential function of these genes in the context of the specific postmating prezygotic isolation phenotype among our species, namely conspecific sperm precedence and the superior ability of

Risk Factors of Tendo-Achilles Injury in Football, Cricket and Badminton Players at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Khan, M J; Giasuddin, A S M; Khalil, M I

2015-04-01

Achilles tendon is the tendon connecting the heel with the calf muscles. Tendo-achilles injury (TAI) in players is common in games. The frequency of TAI is unknown and aetiology is controversial: The present descriptive cross-sectional study was done to determine the prevalence of TAI and associated factors contributing to it in football, cricket and badminton. From January to June 2012, male players (n = 131), age -17-35 years, were selected by purposive sampling technique from renowned sporting clubs at Dhaka, Bangladesh. TAI was diagnosed through structured questionnaire and interviewing the respondents. The analysis by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme revealed that 11.5% players suffered from TAI, i.e. prevalence was 115 per 1000 respondents. Most injuries (70/131; 53.4%) occurred in the playground and (59/131; 45.3%) happened in practice field. Injuries among the players of third division were higher, i.e. about 36% (p = 0.000). TAI was significantly dependent on occupation (p = 0.046), BMI (p = 0.008), divisional status (p = 0.023), game type (p = 0.043), ground condition (p = 0.05) and injury severity (p = 0.000). The injured players referred for treatment to the physiotherapist was highest (9/15, i.e. 60%) followed by the physicians (5/15, i.e. 33%) (p = 0.000). The associations of TAI with various factors were discussed suggesting effective measures be taken and treatment, particularly physiotherapy, be given to injured players. However, there is a need of team work with sports medicine specialist also to enable the injured players to continue their professional games.

Melatonin: a possible link between the presence of artificial light at night and reductions in biological fitness

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Jones, Therésa M.; Durrant, Joanna; Michaelides, Ellie B.; Green, Mark P.

2015-01-01

The mechanisms underpinning the ecological impacts of the presence of artificial night lighting remain elusive. One suspected underlying cause is that the presence of light at night (LAN) supresses nocturnal production of melatonin, a key driver of biological rhythm and a potent antioxidant with a proposed role in immune function. Here, we briefly review the evidence for melatonin as the link between LAN and changes in behaviour and physiology. We then present preliminary data supporting the potential for melatonin to act as a recovery agent mitigating the negative effects of LAN in an invertebrate. Adult crickets (Teleogryllus commodus), exposed to constant illumination, were provided with dietary melatonin (concentrations: 0, 10 or 100 µg ml−1) in their drinking water. We then compared survival, lifetime fecundity and, over a 4-week period, immune function (haemocyte concentration, lysozyme-like and phenoloxidase (PO) activity). Melatonin supplementation was able only partially to mitigate the detrimental effects of LAN: it did not improve survival or fecundity or PO activity, but it had a largely dose-dependent positive effect on haemocyte concentration and lysozyme-like activity. We discuss the implications of these relationships, as well as the usefulness of invertebrates as model species for future studies that explore the effects of LAN. PMID:25780235

RNAi of the circadian clock gene period disrupts the circadian rhythm but not the circatidal rhythm in the mangrove cricket

OpenAIRE

Takekata, Hiroki; Matsuura, Yu; Goto, Shin G.; Satoh, Aya; Numata, Hideharu

2012-01-01

The clock mechanism for circatidal rhythm has long been controversial, and its molecular basis is completely unknown. The mangrove cricket, Apteronemobius asahinai, shows two rhythms simultaneously in its locomotor activity: a circatidal rhythm producing active and inactive phases as well as a circadian rhythm modifying the activity intensity of circatidal active phases. The role of the clock gene period (per), one of the key components of the circadian clock in insects, was investigated in t...

Additions and corrections to the cadastre of Orthoptera insects of Samarskaya Luka, on the basis of analysis of acoustic signals of males

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Alexander А. Benediktov

2017-08-01

Full Text Available For the territory of Samarskaya Luka, at the village Bakhilova Polyana (I.I. Sprygin Zhiguli State Natural Biosphere Reserve, 25 species of Orthoptera were found in mid-July 2016. These species were identified basically by the analysis of male acoustic signals. This is 44% of the total species composition of Samarskaya Luka Orthoptera, specified in the Cadastre of invertebrates of Samarskaya Luka. The specimens belonging to the grasshopper Platychleis albopunctata (= P. intermedia auct. are clarified. The cricket Melanogryllus desertus and the locust Chorthippus dorsatus were found for the first time in the Samarskaya Luka. The species composition of the cryptic taxa of the «Chorthippus biguttulus group» of the Middle Volga region is discussed. Based on the unstable amplitude-time structure of the signals of the supposed Ch. biguttulus males from Malaya Bahilova Mountain, it is assumed that they may have a hybrid origin.

Ballistic movements of jumping legs implemented as variable components of cricket behaviour.

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Hustert, R; Baldus, M

2010-12-01

Ballistic accelerations of a limb or the whole body require special joint mechanisms in many animals. Specialized joints can be moved by stereotypic or variable motor control during motor patterns with and without ballistic components. As a model of variable motor control, the specialized femur-tibia (knee) joints of cricket (Acheta domesticus) hindlegs were studied during ballistic kicking, jumping and swimming and in non-ballistic walking. In this joint the tendons of the antagonistic flexor and the extensor muscles attach at different distances from the pivot and the opposed lever arms form an angle of 120 deg. A 10:1 ratio of their effective lever arms at full knee flexion helps to prepare for most ballistic extensions: the tension of the extensor can reach its peak while it is restrained by flexor co-contraction. In kicks, preparatory flexion is rapid and the co-contraction terminates just before knee extensions. Therefore, mainly the stored tension of the extensor muscle accelerates the small mass of the tibia. Jumps are prepared with slower extensor-flexor co-contractions that flex both knees simultaneously and then halt to rotate both legs outward to a near horizontal level. From there, catapult extension of both knees accelerates the body, supported by continued high frequency motor activity to their tibia extensor muscles during the ongoing push-off from the substrate. Premature extension of one knee instantly takes load from the lagging leg that extends and catches up, which finally results in a straight jump. In swimming, synchronous ballistic power strokes of both hindlegs drive the tibiae on a ventral-to-posterior trajectory through the water, well coordinated with the swimming patterns of all legs. In walking, running and climbing the steps of the hindlegs range between 45 deg flexion and 125 deg extension and use non-ballistic, alternating activity of knee flexor and extensor muscles. Steep climbing requires longer bursts from the extensor tibiae

How age influences phonotaxis in virgin female Jamaican field crickets (Gryllus assimilis

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Karen Pacheco

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Female mating preference can be a dominant force shaping the evolution of sexual signals. However, females rarely have consistent mating preferences throughout their lives. Preference flexibility results from complex interactions of predation risk, social and sexual experience, and age. Because residual reproductive value should theoretically decline with age, older females should not be as choosy as younger females. We explored how age influences phonotaxis towards a standard mate attraction signal using a spherical treadmill (trackball and a no-choice experimental protocol. Female Jamaican field crickets, Gryllus assimilis, were highly variable in their phonotaxis; age explained up to 64% of this variation. Females 10 days post imaginal eclosion and older oriented toward the mate attraction signal, with 10- and 13-day females exhibiting the greatest movement in the direction of the signal. Our study suggests 10- and 13-day old females would be most responsive when quantifying the preference landscape for G. assimilis sexual signals.

The role of product information on consumer sensory evaluation, expectations, experiences and emotions of cricket-flour-containing buns.

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Pambo, Kennedy O; Okello, Julius J; Mbeche, Robert M; Kinyuru, John N; Alemu, Mohammed H

2018-04-01

Studies suggest that consumer' acceptance of edible insects can be enhanced by processing and blending them with familiar food products. This is however, expected to result in changes in some sensory attributes. In this study, we investigated how consumers evaluate the appropriateness of sensory attributes of a common bakery product (buns) that was blended with cricket-flour i.e., cricket-flour-containing (CFC) buns. We also tested whether provision of information can modulate the sensory evaluations, personal involvement and emotions. The study is based on a field experiment involving 432 participants drawn from rural communities in Kenya. Participants were randomly assigned to 3 information treatment groups: i) Control group - received only general information, ii) Treatment 1 - received general information and information about the benefits (i.e., positive attributes), iii) Treatment 2 - received general information and information about the potential drawbacks (i.e., negative attributes). Participants evaluated the CFC buns before and after tasting using Just-About-Right (JAR) scale. Results indicate that providing product information affected sensory evaluation of the product's sensory attributes. They also indicate that actual tasting of the CFC buns improved the convergence of sensory evaluation of the attributes towards the ideal level. Results further show that CFC buns elicited more positive feelings with little differences in the emotional profiles between the information treatments, which suggests general interest in the buns. These results provide useful insights on how to enhance consumer acceptance of insect-based foods. We discuss the implications of the findings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Mechanism of the constant representation of the position of a sound signal source by the cricket cercal system neurons].

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Rozhkova, G I; Polishcuk, N A

1976-01-01

Previously it has been shown that some abdominal giant neurones of the cricket have constant preffered directions of sound stimulation in relation not to the cerci (the organs bearing sound receptors) but to the insect body (fig. 1) [1]. Now it is found that the independence of directional sensitivity of giant neurones on the cerci position disappears after cutting all structures connecting the cerci to the body (except cercal nerves) (fig 2). Therefore the constancy of directional sensitivity of the giant nerones is provided by proprioceptive signals about cerci position.

Shoulder injuries in provincial male fast bowlers — predisposing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Enrique

sule and by the rotator cuff muscles. The external rotator strength has been reported to be around 65% of internal rotator strength.17. During bowling in cricket, the internal shoulder rotators are involved in the acceleration phase of the arm through concentric contractions, while the external rotators are involved during the ...

Chronic social defeat induces long-term behavioral depression of aggressive motivation in an invertebrate model system.

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Rose, Jacqueline; Rillich, Jan; Stevenson, Paul A

2017-01-01

Losing a fight against a conspecific male (social defeat) induces a period of suppressed aggressiveness and general behaviour, often with symptoms common to human psychiatric disorders. Agonistic experience is also discussed as a potential cause of consistent, behavioral differences between individuals (animal "personality"). In non-mammals, however, the impact of single agonistic encounters typically last only hours, but then again studies of repeated intermittent defeat (chronic social defeat) are seldom. We report the effect of chronic social defeat in adult male crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus), for which all known behavioral effects of defeat last only 3 h. Firstly, after 48 h social isolation, crickets that experienced 5 defeats at 24 h intervals against the same, weight-matched opponent exhibited suppressed aggressiveness lasting >24 h, which was still evident when the animals were matched against an unfamiliar opponent at the last trial. Secondly, this longer-term depression of aggression also occurred in 48 h isolated crickets that lost 6 fights at 1 h intervals against unfamiliar opponents at each trial. Thirdly, crickets isolated as larvae until adult maturity (>16 days) were significantly more aggressive, and less variable in their aggressiveness at their very first fight than 48 h isolates, and also significantly more resilient to the effects of chronic social defeat. We conclude that losing an aggressive encounter in crickets has a residual effect, lasting at least 24 h, that accumulates when repeated defeats are experienced, and leads to a prolonged depression of aggressive motivation in subordinates. Furthermore, our data indicate that social interactions between young adults and possibly larvae can have even longer, possibly lifelong influences on subsequent behavior. Social subjugation is thus likely to be a prime determinant of inter-individual behavioral differences in crickets. Our work also opens new avenues for investigating proximate

Mating promotes lactic-acid gut bacteria in a gift-giving insect

OpenAIRE

Smith, Chad; Mueller, Ulrich; Dietrich, Emma; Smith, C.; Srygley, R.; Dietrich, E.; Mueller, U.; Srygley, Robert

2016-01-01

Mating is a ubiquitous social interaction with the potential to influence the microbiome by facilitating transmission, modifying host physiology, and in species where males donate nuptial gifts to females, altering diet. We manipulated mating and nuptial gift consumption in two insects that differ in nuptial gift size, the Mormon cricket Anabrus simplex and the decorated cricket Gryllodes sigillatus, with the expectation that larger gifts are more likely to affect the gut microbiome. Surprisi...

Contrasting the Chromosomal Organization of Repetitive DNAs in Two Gryllidae Crickets with Highly Divergent Karyotypes.

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Octavio M Palacios-Gimenez

Full Text Available A large percentage of eukaryotic genomes consist of repetitive DNA that plays an important role in the organization, size and evolution. In the case of crickets, chromosomal variability has been found using classical cytogenetics, but almost no information concerning the organization of their repetitive DNAs is available. To better understand the chromosomal organization and diversification of repetitive DNAs in crickets, we studied the chromosomes of two Gryllidae species with highly divergent karyotypes, i.e., 2n(♂ = 29,X0 (Gryllus assimilis and 2n = 9, neo-X1X2Y (Eneoptera surinamensis. The analyses were performed using classical cytogenetic techniques, repetitive DNA mapping and genome-size estimation. Conserved characteristics were observed, such as the occurrence of a small number of clusters of rDNAs and U snDNAs, in contrast to the multiple clusters/dispersal of the H3 histone genes. The positions of U2 snDNA and 18S rDNA are also conserved, being intermingled within the largest autosome. The distribution and base-pair composition of the heterochromatin and repetitive DNA pools of these organisms differed, suggesting reorganization. Although the microsatellite arrays had a similar distribution pattern, being dispersed along entire chromosomes, as has been observed in some grasshopper species, a band-like pattern was also observed in the E. surinamensis chromosomes, putatively due to their amplification and clustering. In addition to these differences, the genome of E. surinamensis is approximately 2.5 times larger than that of G. assimilis, which we hypothesize is due to the amplification of repetitive DNAs. Finally, we discuss the possible involvement of repetitive DNAs in the differentiation of the neo-sex chromosomes of E. surinamensis, as has been reported in other eukaryotic groups. This study provided an opportunity to explore the evolutionary dynamics of repetitive DNAs in two non-model species and will contribute to the

Nonintegrated Host Association of Myrmecophilus tetramorii, a Specialist Myrmecophilous Ant Cricket (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae

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Takashi Komatsu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Myrmecophilus ant crickets (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae are typical ant guests. In Japan, about 10 species are recognized on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic frameworks. Some of these species have restricted host ranges and behave intimately toward their host ant species (i.e., they are host specialist. We focused on one species, M. tetramorii, which uses the myrmicine ant Tetramorium tsushimae as its main host. All but one M. tetramorii individuals were collected specifically from nests of T. tsushimae in the field. However, behavioral observation showed that all individuals used in the experiment received hostile reactions from the host ants. There were no signs of intimate behaviors such as grooming of hosts or receipt of mouth-to-mouth feeding from hosts, which are seen in some host-specialist Myrmecophilus species among obligate host-ant species. Therefore, it may be that M. tetramorii is the species that is specialized to exploit the host by means other than chemical integration.

CFD Analysis of Swing of Cricket Ball and Trajectory Prediction

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G, Jithin; Tom, Josin; Ruishikesh, Kamat; Jose, Jyothish; Kumar, Sanjay

2013-11-01

This work aims to understand the aerodynamics associated with the flight and swing of a cricket ball and predict its flight trajectory over the course of the game: at start (smooth ball) and as the game progresses (rough ball). Asymmetric airflow over the ball due to seam orientation and surface roughness can cause flight deviation (swing). The values of Drag, Lift and Side forces which are crucial for determining the trajectory of the ball were found with the help of FLUENT using the standard K- ɛ model. Analysis was done to study how the ball velocity, spin imparted to be ball and the tilt of the seam affects the movement of the ball through air. The governing force balance equations in 3 dimensions in combination a MATLAB code which used Heun's method was used for obtaining the trajectory of the ball. The conditions for the conventional swing and reverse swing to occur were deduced from the analysis and found to be in alignment with the real life situation. Critical seam angle for maximum swing and transition speed for normal to reverse swing were found out. The obtained trajectories were compared to real life hawk eye trajectories for validation. The analysis results were in good agreement with the real life situation.

Transfer of selenium from prey to predators in a simulated terrestrial food chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, William A.; Staub, Brandon P.; Baionno, Jennifer A.; Jackson, Brian P.; Talent, Larry G.

2005-01-01

Little is known about the accumulation and effects of selenium in reptiles. We developed a simplified laboratory food chain where we fed commercial feed laden with seleno-D,L-methionine (30 μg/g dry mass) to crickets (Acheta domestica) for 5-7 d. Se-enriched crickets (∼15 μg/g Se [dry mass]) were fed to juvenile male and female lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) for 98 d while conspecifics were fed uncontaminated crickets. Lizards fed contaminated prey accumulated Se concentrations ranging from 9.3 (in female carcass) to 14.1 (in female gonad) μg/g compared to <1.5 μg/g in tissues of controls. Female gonad concentrations approached the highest of thresholds for reproductive toxicity in oviparous vertebrates. However, we observed no consistent effect of dietary treatment on sublethal parameters or survival. Our simplified food chain proved to be an ecologically relevant method of exposing lizards to Se, and forms the foundation for future studies on maternal transfer and teratogenicity of Se. - Partitioning of selenium among tissues differs between male and female lizards

Transfer of selenium from prey to predators in a simulated terrestrial food chain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hopkins, William A. [Wildlife Ecotoxicology and Physiological Ecology Program, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801 (United States)]. E-mail: hopkins@srel.edu; Staub, Brandon P. [Wildlife Ecotoxicology and Physiological Ecology Program, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801 (United States); Baionno, Jennifer A. [Wildlife Ecotoxicology and Physiological Ecology Program, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801 (United States); Jackson, Brian P. [Wildlife Ecotoxicology and Physiological Ecology Program, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801 (United States); Talent, Larry G. [Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 (United States)

2005-04-01

Little is known about the accumulation and effects of selenium in reptiles. We developed a simplified laboratory food chain where we fed commercial feed laden with seleno-D,L-methionine (30 {mu}g/g dry mass) to crickets (Acheta domestica) for 5-7 d. Se-enriched crickets ({approx}15 {mu}g/g Se [dry mass]) were fed to juvenile male and female lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) for 98 d while conspecifics were fed uncontaminated crickets. Lizards fed contaminated prey accumulated Se concentrations ranging from 9.3 (in female carcass) to 14.1 (in female gonad) {mu}g/g compared to <1.5 {mu}g/g in tissues of controls. Female gonad concentrations approached the highest of thresholds for reproductive toxicity in oviparous vertebrates. However, we observed no consistent effect of dietary treatment on sublethal parameters or survival. Our simplified food chain proved to be an ecologically relevant method of exposing lizards to Se, and forms the foundation for future studies on maternal transfer and teratogenicity of Se. - Partitioning of selenium among tissues differs between male and female lizards.

Roles of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II in long-term memory formation in crickets.

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Makoto Mizunami

Full Text Available Ca(2+/calmodulin (CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII is a key molecule in many systems of learning and memory in vertebrates, but roles of CaMKII in invertebrates have not been characterized in detail. We have suggested that serial activation of NO/cGMP signaling, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, Ca(2+/CaM and cAMP signaling participates in long-term memory (LTM formation in olfactory conditioning in crickets, and here we show participation of CaMKII in LTM formation and propose its site of action in the biochemical cascades. Crickets subjected to 3-trial conditioning to associate an odor with reward exhibited memory that lasts for a few days, which is characterized as protein synthesis-dependent LTM. In contrast, animals subjected to 1-trial conditioning exhibited memory that lasts for only several hours (mid-term memory, MTM. Injection of a CaMKII inhibitor prior to 3-trial conditioning impaired 1-day memory retention but not 1-hour memory retention, suggesting that CaMKII participates in LTM formation but not in MTM formation. Animals injected with a cGMP analogue, calcium ionophore or cAMP analogue prior to 1-trial conditioning exhibited 1-day retention, and co-injection of a CaMKII inhibitor impaired induction of LTM by the cGMP analogue or that by the calcium ionophore but not that by the cAMP analogue, suggesting that CaMKII is downstream of cGMP production and Ca(2+ influx and upstream of cAMP production in biochemical cascades for LTM formation. Animals injected with an adenylyl cyclase (AC activator prior to 1-trial conditioning exhibited 1-day retention. Interestingly, a CaMKII inhibitor impaired LTM induction by the AC activator, although AC is expected to be a downstream target of CaMKII. The results suggest that CaMKII interacts with AC to facilitate cAMP production for LTM formation. We propose that CaMKII serves as a key molecule for interplay between Ca(2+ signaling and cAMP signaling for LTM formation, a new role of Ca

Bursting neurons and ultrasound avoidance in crickets

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Gary eMarsat

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Decision making in invertebrates often relies on simple neural circuits composed of only a few identified neurons. The relative simplicity of these circuits makes it possible to identify the key computation and neural properties underlying decisions. In this review, we summarize recent research on the neural basis of ultrasound avoidance in crickets, a response that allows escape from echolocating bats. The key neural property shaping behavioral output is high-frequency bursting of an identified interneuron, AN2, which carries information about ultrasound stimuli from receptor neurons to the brain. AN2's spike train consists of clusters of spikes –bursts– that may be interspersed with isolated, non-burst spikes. AN2 firing is necessary and sufficient to trigger avoidance steering but only high-rate firing, such as occurs in bursts, evokes this response. AN2 bursts are therefore at the core of the computation involved in deciding whether or not to steer away from ultrasound. Bursts in AN2 are triggered by synaptic input from nearly synchronous bursts in ultrasound receptors. Thus the population response at the very first stage of sensory processing –the auditory receptor- already differentiates the features of the stimulus that will trigger a behavioral response from those that will not. Adaptation, both intrinsic to AN2 and within ultrasound receptors, scales the burst-generating features according to the stimulus statistics, thus filtering out background noise and ensuring that bursts occur selectively in response to salient peaks in ultrasound intensity. Furthermore AN2’s sensitivity to ultrasound varies adaptively with predation pressure, through both developmental and evolutionary mechanisms. We discuss how this key relationship between bursting and the triggering of avoidance behavior is also observed in other invertebrate systems such as the avoidance of looming visual stimuli in locusts or heat avoidance in beetles.

Fiddler on the Tree - A Bush-Cricket Species with Unusual Stridulatory Organs and Song

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Heller, Klaus-Gerhard; Hemp, Claudia

2014-01-01

Insects of the order Orthoptera are well-known for their acoustic communication. The structures used for this purpose show a high diversity which obviously relates to differences in song parameters and to the physics of sound production. Here we describe song and morphology of the sound producing organs of a tropical bush-cricket, Ectomoptera nepicauda, from East Africa. It has a very unusual calling song consisting of frequency-modulated, pure-tone sounds in the high ultrasonic range of 80 to120 kHz and produced by extremely fast wing movements. Concerning morphology, it represents the most extreme state in the degree of left-right fore-wing differentiation found among Orthoptera: the acoustic parts of the left fore-wing consist exclusively of the stridulatory file, comparable in function to the bow of a violin, while the right wing carries only the plectrum ( =  string) and mirror ( =  soundbox). PMID:24643071

Generation of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory peptides during the enzymatic hydrolysis of tropical banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus) proteins.

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Nongonierma, Alice B; Lamoureux, Candice; FitzGerald, Richard J

2018-01-24

Tropical banded crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) were studied for their ability to yield hydrolysates with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory properties. A cricket protein isolate (CPI) was prepared following extraction of the water soluble proteins from G. sigillatus powder (CP). The extraction yield and purity were 20.90 ± 0.35% and 57.0 ± 2.23%, respectively. Endogenous proteinase activities were detected in the CP, which were linked to the significant protein breakdown seen in this sample. Fifteen CPI hydrolysates (H1-H15) were generated with Protamex™ using a design of experiments (DOE) approach combining three parameters, temperature (40, 50 and 60 °C), enzyme to substrate ratio (E : S, 0.50, 1.25 and 2.00% (w/w)) and hydrolysis time (60, 150 and 240 min). The DPP-IV half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 ) of the CPI hydrolysates ranged from 0.40 ± 0.03/0.40 ± 0.02 (H2/H3) to 1.01 ± 0.07 mg mL -1 (H7). Following simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID), the DPP-IV IC 50 of CPI decreased (>3.57 vs. 0.78 ± 0.04 mg mL -1 ) while that of H5 increased (0.47 ± 0.03 vs. 0.71 ± 0.06 mg mL -1 ). This study has demonstrated for the first time that G. sigillatus protein hydrolysates are able to inhibit DPP-IV. The study of these hydrolysates in vivo is needed to evaluate their potential role in glycaemic management.

Are inertial forces ever of significance in cricket, golf and other sports?

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Robinson, Garry; Robinson, Ian

2017-04-01

In previous papers we investigated the motion of a spherical projectile rotating about an arbitrary axis, subject to a drag force, a lift or Magnus force, and in the presence of a wind. The aim was to determine the motion of balls used in sporting games, primarily cricket. Newton’s laws of motion apply in an inertial (unaccelerated) coordinate system, but the rotating Earth is not an inertial system. In such a non-inertial system two additional forces are present, the Coriolis force which produces a side-ways movement, and the centrifugal force. Generally these two inertial forces produce noticeable effects only on the large scale, when either the time of travel and/or the path length is large. In this paper we have added both of these forces to the equations of motion. In addition, we have also included a ground friction force in order to simulate a ball rolling over a surface or, more generally, a body moving through a resistive medium such as water. Here we quantitatively investigate the magnitude and direction of the effect of the inertial forces in a number of cases. It is found that, as expected, the effects of the inertial forces are generally small for ball games. In cricket the side-ways movement is ≲1 cm for a throw from the boundary and ≲1 mm for a slow bowler’s delivery, and for a long drive in golf it is ≲10 cm. In lawn bowls the side-ways movement can be ∼2.8 cm, which may be significant, given the nature of this sport. The inertial forces are also potentially of relevance in sporting events not employing spherical projectiles. For example, in Olympic rowing we find that the side-ways movement can be more than 40 m for a 2 km race if it is not compensated for, and nearly 20 m for a 4 min mile event in athletics. The effect is also of significance in events such as swimming and horse racing. The importance of this is that athletes may not be aware of the effect and, in the case of rowing for example, may attribute it to side-ways currents

Fiddler on the tree--a bush-cricket species with unusual stridulatory organs and song.

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Klaus-Gerhard Heller

Full Text Available Insects of the order Orthoptera are well-known for their acoustic communication. The structures used for this purpose show a high diversity which obviously relates to differences in song parameters and to the physics of sound production. Here we describe song and morphology of the sound producing organs of a tropical bush-cricket, Ectomoptera nepicauda, from East Africa. It has a very unusual calling song consisting of frequency-modulated, pure-tone sounds in the high ultrasonic range of 80 to 120 kHz and produced by extremely fast wing movements. Concerning morphology, it represents the most extreme state in the degree of left-right fore-wing differentiation found among Orthoptera: the acoustic parts of the left fore-wing consist exclusively of the stridulatory file, comparable in function to the bow of a violin, while the right wing carries only the plectrum ( =  string and mirror ( =  soundbox.

Radio-telemetric evidence of migration in the gregarious but not the solitary morph of the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex: Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

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Lorch, Patrick D.; Gwynne, D. T.

The Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex, is one of just a few species of katydids (or bushcrickets, Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) that, like migratory locusts, appear to have solitary and migratory morphs. Using radio telemetry we studied movements of individuals of two morphs of this flightless species. Individuals within each migratory band had similar rates of movements along similar directional headings whereas solitary individuals moved little and showed little evidence of directionality in movement. Our results also add to other recent radio-telemetry studies showing that flightless insects of 1-2g in mass can be tracked successfully using these methods.

Modulatory action of acetylcholine on the Na+-dependent action potentials in Kenyon cells isolated from the mushroom body of the cricket brain.

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Terazima, E; Yoshino, M

2010-12-01

Kenyon cells, intrinsic neurons of the insect mushroom body, have been assumed to be a site of conditioning stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) association in olfactory learning and memory. Acetylcholine (ACh) has been implicated to be a neurotransmitter mediating CS reception in Kenyon cells, causing rapid membrane depolarization via nicotinic ACh receptors. However, the long-term effects of ACh on the membrane excitability of Kenyon cells are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the effects of ACh on Na(+) dependent action potentials (Na(+) spikes) elicited by depolarizing current injection and on net membrane currents under the voltage clamp condition in Kenyon cells isolated from the mushroom body of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Current-clamp studies using amphotericin B perforated-patch recordings showed that freshly dispersed cricket Kenyon cells could produce repetitive Na(+) spikes in response to prolonged depolarizing current injection. Bath application of ACh increased both the instantaneous frequency and the amplitudes of Na(+) spikes. This excitatory action of ACh on Kenyon cells is attenuated by the pre-treatment of the cells with the muscarinic receptor antagonists, atropine and scopolamine, but not by the nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine. Voltage-clamp studies further showed that bath application of ACh caused an increase in net inward currents that are sensitive to TTX, whereas outward currents were decreased by this treatment. These results indicate that in order to mediate CS, ACh may modulate the firing properties of Na(+) spikes of Kenyon cells through muscarinic receptor activation, thus increasing Na conductance and decreasing K conductance. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetic footprinting of non-coding RNA: hammerhead ribozyme sequences in a satellite DNA family of Dolichopoda cave crickets (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae

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Venanzetti Federica

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The great variety in sequence, length, complexity, and abundance of satellite DNA has made it difficult to ascribe any function to this genome component. Recent studies have shown that satellite DNA can be transcribed and be involved in regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. Some satellite DNAs, such as the pDo500 sequence family in Dolichopoda cave crickets, have a catalytic hammerhead (HH ribozyme structure and activity embedded within each repeat. Results We assessed the phylogenetic footprints of the HH ribozyme within the pDo500 sequences from 38 different populations representing 12 species of Dolichopoda. The HH region was significantly more conserved than the non-hammerhead (NHH region of the pDo500 repeat. In addition, stems were more conserved than loops. In stems, several compensatory mutations were detected that maintain base pairing. The core region of the HH ribozyme was affected by very few nucleotide substitutions and the cleavage position was altered only once among 198 sequences. RNA folding of the HH sequences revealed that a potentially active HH ribozyme can be found in most of the Dolichopoda populations and species. Conclusions The phylogenetic footprints suggest that the HH region of the pDo500 sequence family is selected for function in Dolichopoda cave crickets. However, the functional role of HH ribozymes in eukaryotic organisms is unclear. The possible functions have been related to trans cleavage of an RNA target by a ribonucleoprotein and regulation of gene expression. Whether the HH ribozyme in Dolichopoda is involved in similar functions remains to be investigated. Future studies need to demonstrate how the observed nucleotide changes and evolutionary constraint have affected the catalytic efficiency of the hammerhead.

Body-enlarging effect of royal jelly in a non-holometabolous insect species, Gryllus bimaculatus

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Atsushi Miyashita

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Honeybee royal jelly is reported to have body-enlarging effects in holometabolous insects such as the honeybee, fly and silkmoth, but its effect in non-holometabolous insect species has not yet been examined. The present study confirmed the body-enlarging effect in silkmoths fed an artificial diet instead of mulberry leaves used in the previous literature. Administration of honeybee royal jelly to silkmoth from early larval stage increased the size of female pupae and adult moths, but not larvae (at the late larval stage or male pupae. We further examined the body-enlarging effect of royal jelly in a non-holometabolous species, the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, which belongs to the evolutionarily primitive group Polyneoptera. Administration of royal jelly to G. bimaculatus from its early nymph stage enlarged both males and females at the mid-nymph and adult stages. In the cricket, the body parts were uniformly enlarged in both males and females; whereas the enlarged female silkmoths had swollen abdomens. Administration of royal jelly increased the number, but not the size, of eggs loaded in the abdomen of silkmoth females. In addition, fat body cells were enlarged by royal jelly in the silkmoth, but not in the cricket. These findings suggest that the body-enlarging effect of royal jelly is common in non-holometabolous species, G. bimaculatus, but it acts in a different manner than in holometabolous species.

Relative age effect and the re-selection of Danish male handball players for national teams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wrang, Christian Meedom; Rossing, Niels Nygaard; Lilholt, Rasmus Mølgaard

2018-01-01

The relationship between date of birth and expertise in various sports is well established, and known as the relative age effect (RAE). However, new results in e.g. Canadian Hockey (Gibbs et al., 2012) and British cricket and rugby (McCarthy & Collins, 2014; McCarthy, Collins, & Court, 2015) have...

Pace bowlers in cricket with history of lumbar stress fracture have increased risk of lower limb muscle strains, particularly calf strains.

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Orchard, John; Farhart, Patrick; Kountouris, Alex; James, Trefor; Portus, Marc

2010-01-01

To assess whether a history of lumbar stress fracture in pace bowlers in cricket is a risk factor for lower limb muscle strains. This was a prospective cohort risk factor study, conducted using injury data from contracted first class pace bowlers in Australia during seasons 1998-1999 to 2008-2009 inclusive. There were 205 pace bowlers, 33 of whom suffered a lumbar stress fracture when playing first class cricket. Risk ratios ([RR] with 95% confidence intervals[CI]) were calculated to compare the seasonal incidence of various injuries between bowlers with a prior history of lumbar stress fracture and those with no history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of calf strain was strongly associated with prior lumbar stress fracture injury history (RR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.4-7.1). Risks of both hamstring strain (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03-2.1) and quadriceps strain (RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1-3.5) were somewhat associated with history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of groin strain was not associated with history of lumbar stress fracture (RR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4-1.1). Other injuries showed little association with prior lumbar stress fracture, although knee cartilage injuries were more likely in the non-stress fracture group. Bony hypertrophy associated with lumbar stress fracture healing may lead to subsequent lumbar nerve root impingement, making lower limb muscle strains more likely to occur. Confounders may be responsible for some of the findings. In particular, bowling speed is likely to be independently correlated with risk of lumbar stress fracture and risk of muscle strain. However, as the relationship between lumbar stress fracture history and calf strain was very strong, and that there is a strong theoretical basis for the connection, it is likely that this is a true association.

Evaluation of palatability, protein and energi consumtion of adult lizard (Mabouya multifasciata by feed them of with many diet variations

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RONI RIDWAN

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Lizard (Mabouya multifasciata, one of natural resources that spreads almost all Indonesian islands. The animals can potentially be used as a source of protein and medicine as well as a pet. The objectives of the research were therefore to investigate the preference of certain kind of diet, measure the protein and energy consumption, and also to observe the weight gain of the lizard. Seventy two lizards consisting of 36 females that each having weight of 29.7 + 2.6 grams and 36 male that having weight of 30.0 + 2.9 grams were used in this study. These lizards were captured from their wild nature around Bogor, Ciamis, Sumedang and Cianjur of West Java. Block experimental design was used, with 4 diet treatments and two grouping based on sex, (male and female. The diets were crickets, mealworm, red ant larva and artificial diet. Each tree lizards was put on 0.30m x 0.30m x 0.50m nets made from glass. Diets were given 3% dry matter of lizard body weight and water has given ad libitum. Parameter measured was dry matter consumption, protein consumption, energy consumption and body weight gain. ANOVA used for the data analysis, followed with Duncan range-test. The result showed that dry matter consumption of crickets, red ant larva and artificial diet was significantly (P<0.01 higher than mealworms. Consumption of crickets crude-protein was significantly (P<0.01 higher than mealworms, red ant larva and artificial diet. Mealworm crude-protein consumption was significantly (P<0.01 lower compared with both red ant larva and artificial diet. Crickets and red ant larva showed higher affect (P<0.01 on body weight gain than artificial diet. However, there were no significant effect of all diet on consumption, brute energy and relatively metabolic energy. Grouping based on sex also did not show any significant affect to all parameters observed. It can be concluded that lizards prefer eating crickets, red ant larva and diet than mealworms.

Mouthparts and nectar feeding of the flower visiting cricket Glomeremus orchidophilus (Gryllacrididae).

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Krenn, Harald W; Fournel, Jacques; Bauder, Julia A-S; Hugel, Sylvain

2016-05-01

Glomeremus orchidophilus (Gryllacrididae) is a flower visiting cricket on the tropical island La Réunion. This species is the only Orthoptera shown to be a pollinator of a plant. We studied its nectar feeding behavior and mouthpart morphology in detail. Since G. orchidophilus possesses biting-and-chewing mouthparts, our objective was to find behavioral and/or structural specializations for nectar-feeding. The comparative analysis of feeding behavior revealed that fluid is taken up without movements of the mouthparts in Glomeremus. A comparative morphological examination of two Glomeremus species, together with several representatives of other Gryllacrididae and other Ensifera taxa revealed subtle adaptations to fluid feeding in Glomeremus. All representatives of Gryllacrididae were found to possess a distinct patch of microtrichia at the tip of their galeae. However, in Glomeremus a channel is formed between the distal components of the maxillae and the mandibles on each side of the body. Micro-CT and SEM examination revealed a longitudinal groove that extends over the galea beginning at the patch of microtrichia in the studied Glomeremus species. We hypothesize that the microtrichia take up fluid by capillarity and the action of the cibarium and pharyngeal pumps transports fluid along the channels between the maxillae and mandibles into the preoral cavity. These mouthpart features allow nectar uptake from flowers that is unique in Orthoptera. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

African Zoology - Vol 28, No 2 (1993)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Relationship between body temperature and air temperature in stridulating male crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. R.B. Toms, J.W.H. Ferguson, S Becker, 71-73 ...

The development of a novel cricket bowling system: recreating spin and swing bowling deliveries at the elite level

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West, A. A.; Justham, L.

2008-03-01

During the game of cricket, bowlers create different deliveries by altering the manner in which they release the ball from their hand. The orientation of the seam, the speed at which the ball is released and the magnitude and direction of the spin combine to determine the motion of the ball through the air and its movement after impact with the wicket. These factors have to be considered if automatic training machines are to be capable of replicating elite bowling deliveries. The need for automotive systems for batting and fielding training at the elite level has arisen due to: (i) the capabilities of human bowlers are limited by the onset of fatigue and the risk of injury and (ii) a large number of accurate and repeatable deliveries to be ''programmable'' by coaches to ensure batsmen and fielders are tested to the limits of their abilities and a training benefit is achieved.

The Steppengrille (Gryllus spec./assimilis: selective filters and signal mismatch on two time scales.

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Matti Michael Rothbart

Full Text Available In Europe, several species of crickets are available commercially as pet food. Here we investigated the calling song and phonotactic selectivity for sound patterns on the short and long time scales for one such a cricket, Gryllus spec., available as "Gryllus assimilis", the Steppengrille, originally from Ecuador. The calling song consisted of short chirps (2-3 pulses, carrier frequency: 5.0 kHz emitted with a pulse period of 30.2 ms and chirp rate of 0.43 per second. Females exhibited high selectivity on both time scales. The preference for pulse period peaked at 33 ms which was higher then the pulse period produced by males. Two consecutive pulses per chirp at the correct pulse period were already sufficient for positive phonotaxis. The preference for the chirp pattern was limited by selectivity for small chirp duty cycles and for chirp periods between 200 ms and 500 ms. The long chirp period of the songs of males was unattractive to females. On both time scales a mismatch between the song signal of the males and the preference of females was observed. The variability of song parameters as quantified by the coefficient of variation was below 50% for all temporal measures. Hence, there was not a strong indication for directional selection on song parameters by females which could account for the observed mismatch. The divergence of the chirp period and female preference may originate from a founder effect, when the Steppengrille was cultured. Alternatively the mismatch was a result of selection pressures exerted by commercial breeders on low singing activity, to satisfy customers with softly singing crickets. In the latter case the prominent divergence between male song and female preference was the result of domestication and may serve as an example of rapid evolution of song traits in acoustic communication systems.

Relationship between body temperature and air temperature in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Body temperatures of singing male Gryllus bimaculatus were measured for the first time. Body temperatures were strongly correlated with ambient temperature. This indicates that, unlike some other orthopterans, larger crickets are not dependent on an elevated body temperature for efficient calling. Our results confirm that it ...

THE FIRST REPORT OF THE DIVERSITY OF ENSIFERA (INSECTA: ORTHOPTERA FROM ROKAN HULU DISTRICT, RIAU PROVINCE

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Sutrisno Syahlan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the diversity of the suborder Ensifera in Dusun 3, Rambah Hilir Tengah, Rambah Hilir Sub-District, Rokan Hulu District, Riau Province, Indonesia. The study was conducted from September 2015 to January 2016 at six sampling locations by sweep net and hand picking at day and night hours. We recorded 17 species of the Ensifera belonging to 12 genera, 2 families, and 10 subfamilies. The diversity comprised of Conochepalus maculatus, Conochepalus melaenus, Conochepalus sp., Elbenia sp., Elimaea sp., Euscyrtus concinnus, Hexacentrus unicolor, Loxoblemus parabolicus, Mecopoda elongate, Mecopoda sp., Nisitrus vittatus, Orthelimaea sp., Podoscirtinae species 1 (unidentified, Teleogryllus emma, Teleogryllus sp., Trellius sp. and Xabea sp. The C. maculatus and E. concinnus were the predominant species in this study.

Partitioning the effects of mating and nuptial feeding on the microbiome in gift-giving insects.

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Smith, Chad C; Srygley, Robert B; Dietrich, Emma I; Mueller, Ulrich G

2017-04-01

Mating is a ubiquitous social interaction with the potential to influence the microbiome by facilitating transmission, modifying host physiology, and in species where males donate nuptial gifts to females, altering diet. We manipulated mating and nuptial gift consumption in two insects that differ in nuptial gift size, the Mormon cricket Anabrus simplex and the decorated cricket Gryllodes sigillatus, with the expectation that larger gifts are more likely to affect the gut microbiome. Surprisingly, mating, but not nuptial gift consumption, affected the structure of bacterial communities in the gut, and only in Mormon crickets. The change in structure was due to a precipitous drop in the abundance of lactic-acid bacteria in unmated females, a taxon known for their beneficial effects on nutrition and immunity. Mating did not affect phenoloxidase or lysozyme-like antibacterial activity in either species, suggesting that any physiological response to mating on host-microbe interactions is decoupled from systemic immunity. Protein supplementation also did not affect the gut microbiome in decorated crickets, suggesting that insensitivity of gut microbes to dietary protein could contribute to the lack of an effect of nuptial gift consumption. Our study provides experimental evidence that sexual interactions can affect the microbiome and suggests mating can promote beneficial gut bacteria. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Behavioural mediators of genetic life-history trade-offs: a test of the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis in field crickets.

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Santostefano, Francesca; Wilson, Alastair J; Niemelä, Petri T; Dingemanse, Niels J

2017-10-11

The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts associations between life history and 'risky' behaviours. Individuals with 'fast' lifestyles should develop faster, reproduce earlier, exhibit more risk-prone behaviours, and die sooner than those with 'slow' lifestyles. While support for POLS has been equivocal to date, studies have relied on individual-level (phenotypic) patterns in which genetic trade-offs may be masked by environmental effects on phenotypes. We estimated genetic correlations between life history (development, lifespan, size) and risky behaviours (exploration, aggression) in a pedigreed population of Mediterranean field crickets ( Gryllus bimaculatus ). Path analyses showed that behaviours mediated some genetic relationships between life history traits, though not those involved in trade-offs. Thus, while specific predictions of POLS theory were not supported, genetic integration of behaviour and life history was present. This implies a major role for risky behaviours in life history evolution. © 2017 The Author(s).

Is radon emission in caves causing deletions in satellite DNA sequences of cave-dwelling crickets?

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Giuliana Allegrucci

Full Text Available The most stable isotope of radon, 222Rn, represents the major source of natural radioactivity in confined environments such as mines, caves and houses. In this study, we explored the possible radon-related effects on the genome of Dolichopoda cave crickets (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae sampled in caves with different concentrations of radon. We analyzed specimens from ten populations belonging to two genetically closely related species, D. geniculata and D. laetitiae, and explored the possible association between the radioactivity dose and the level of genetic polymorphism in a specific family of satellite DNA (pDo500 satDNA. Radon concentration in the analyzed caves ranged from 221 to 26,000 Bq/m3. Specimens coming from caves with the highest radon concentration showed also the highest variability estimates in both species, and the increased sequence heterogeneity at pDo500 satDNA level can be explained as an effect of the mutation pressure induced by radon in cave. We discovered a specific category of nuclear DNA, the highly repetitive satellite DNA, where the effects of the exposure at high levels of radon-related ionizing radiation are detectable, suggesting that the satDNA sequences might be a valuable tool to disclose harmful effects also in other organisms exposed to high levels of radon concentration.

SAJSM EDITORIAL.indd

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Richard played cricket at a high level, with an average of 25.9 runs in rst division cricket. He captained the South. African Country Districts Cricket team for a number of years as a wicketkeeper-batsman. He retired from active cricket in 1982 and after his cricket career he served on the Border Cricket Board, with a three-year ...

Effects of L-DOPA on aggressive behavior and central monoaminergic activity in the lizard Anolis carolinensis, using a new method for drug delivery.

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Höglund, Erik; Korzan, Wayne J; Watt, Michael J; Forster, Gina L; Summers, Tangi R; Johannessen, Helga Falch; Renner, Kenneth J; Summers, Cliff H

2005-01-06

The dopamine (DA) precursor, L-DOPA (500 microg), was injected into living crickets, which were ingested (one each) by adult male Anolis carolinensis. This method of delivery elevated plasma L-DOPA and DA concentrations by approximately 1000-fold. In contrast, plasma epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (NE) were not influenced by L-DOPA treatment, although they were elevated following the consumption of the cricket. Lizards that ingested L-DOPA treated crickets had elevated L-DOPA in all brain regions measured, with DA and/or DOPAC also increased significantly in most brain regions studied. Despite increased DA levels in the striatum and nucleus accumbens as a response to L-DOPA, the treatment had no influence on general motor activity. Central serotonin, NE, and Epi systems were not affected in any brain region by oral L-DOPA treatment. In addition, aggression was inhibited by this dose of L-DOPA, even though there was no effect on serotonergic systems. This is surprising because controlling aggressive behavior is usually considered the province of serotonergic activity. Aggression was measured before and after treatment, and while saline-treated lizards retained the full vigor of aggressive activity, those fed a cricket injected with L-DOPA were only one-third as aggressive after treatment. As L-DOPA treatment did not affect general motor activity, the effect appears to be directly associated with aggression. This is supported by the observation that L-DOPA treatment delayed latency to eyespot darkening, which predicts the latency to aggression.

PREDICTING THE MATCH OUTCOME IN ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CRICKET MATCHES, WHILE THE GAME IS IN PROGRESS

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Michael Bailey

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Millions of dollars are wagered on the outcome of one day international (ODI cricket matches, with a large percentage of bets occurring after the game has commenced. Using match information gathered from all 2200 ODI matches played prior to January 2005, a range of variables that could independently explain statistically significant proportions of variation associated with the predicted run totals and match outcomes were created. Such variables include home ground advantage, past performances, match experience, performance at the specific venue, performance against the specific opposition, experience at the specific venue and current form. Using a multiple linear regression model, prediction variables were numerically weighted according to statistical significance and used to predict the match outcome. With the use of the Duckworth-Lewis method to determine resources remaining, at the end of each completed over, the predicted run total of the batting team could be updated to provide a more accurate prediction of the match outcome. By applying this prediction approach to a holdout sample of matches, the efficiency of the "in the run" wagering market could be assessed. Preliminary results suggest that the market is prone to overreact to events occurring throughout the course of the match, thus creating brief inefficiencies in the wagering market

Adaptation and selective information transmission in the cricket auditory neuron AN2.

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Klaus Wimmer

Full Text Available Sensory systems adapt their neural code to changes in the sensory environment, often on multiple time scales. Here, we report a new form of adaptation in a first-order auditory interneuron (AN2 of crickets. We characterize the response of the AN2 neuron to amplitude-modulated sound stimuli and find that adaptation shifts the stimulus-response curves toward higher stimulus intensities, with a time constant of 1.5 s for adaptation and recovery. The spike responses were thus reduced for low-intensity sounds. We then address the question whether adaptation leads to an improvement of the signal's representation and compare the experimental results with the predictions of two competing hypotheses: infomax, which predicts that information conveyed about the entire signal range should be maximized, and selective coding, which predicts that "foreground" signals should be enhanced while "background" signals should be selectively suppressed. We test how adaptation changes the input-response curve when presenting signals with two or three peaks in their amplitude distributions, for which selective coding and infomax predict conflicting changes. By means of Bayesian data analysis, we quantify the shifts of the measured response curves and also find a slight reduction of their slopes. These decreases in slopes are smaller, and the absolute response thresholds are higher than those predicted by infomax. Most remarkably, and in contrast to the infomax principle, adaptation actually reduces the amount of encoded information when considering the whole range of input signals. The response curve changes are also not consistent with the selective coding hypothesis, because the amount of information conveyed about the loudest part of the signal does not increase as predicted but remains nearly constant. Less information is transmitted about signals with lower intensity.

The 5' untranslated region of a novel infectious molecular clone of the dicistrovirus cricket paralysis virus modulates infection.

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Kerr, Craig H; Wang, Qing S; Keatings, Kathleen; Khong, Anthony; Allan, Douglas; Yip, Calvin K; Foster, Leonard J; Jan, Eric

2015-06-01

Dicistroviridae are a family of RNA viruses that possesses a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome containing two distinct open reading frames (ORFs), each preceded by an internal ribosome entry site that drives translation of the viral structural and nonstructural proteins, respectively. The type species, Cricket paralysis virus (CrPV), has served as a model for studying host-virus interactions; however, investigations into the molecular mechanisms of CrPV and other dicistroviruses have been limited as an established infectious clone was elusive. Here, we report the construction of an infectious molecular clone of CrPV. Transfection of in vitro-transcribed RNA from the CrPV clone into Drosophila Schneider line 2 (S2) cells resulted in cytopathic effects, viral RNA accumulation, detection of negative-sense viral RNA, and expression of viral proteins. Transmission electron microscopy, viral titers, and immunofluorescence-coupled transwell assays demonstrated that infectious viral particles are released from transfected cells. In contrast, mutant clones containing stop codons in either ORF decreased virus infectivity. Injection of adult Drosophila flies with virus derived from CrPV clones but not UV-inactivated clones resulted in mortality. Molecular analysis of the CrPV clone revealed a 196-nucleotide duplication within its 5' untranslated region (UTR) that stimulated translation of reporter constructs. In cells infected with the CrPV clone, the duplication inhibited viral infectivity yet did not affect viral translation or RNA accumulation, suggesting an effect on viral packaging or entry. The generation of the CrPV infectious clone provides a powerful tool for investigating the viral life cycle and pathogenesis of dicistroviruses and may further understanding of fundamental host-virus interactions in insect cells. Dicistroviridae, which are RNA viruses that infect arthropods, have served as a model to gain insights into fundamental host-virus interactions in

Cognitive, physical and physiological responses of school boy cricketers to a 30-over batting simulation.

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Goble, David; Christie, Candice Jo-Anne

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess how cognitive and physical performance are affected during a prolonged, fatigue-inducing cricket-batting simulation. Fifteen amateur batters from three Eastern Cape schools in South Africa were recruited (mean ± SD: age 17 ± 0.92 years; stature 1.75 ± 0.07 m; body mass 78.3 ± 13.2 kg). Participants completed a 6-stage, 30-over batting simulation (BATEX © ). During the protocol, there were five periods of cognitive assessment (CogState brief test battery, Melbourne, Australia). The primary outcome measures from each cognitive task were speed and accuracy/error rates. Physiological (heart rate) and physical (sprint times) responses were also recorded. Sprint times deteriorated (d = 0.84; P attention and vigilance (d = 0.56; P = 0.21) and attention and working memory (d = 0.61; P = 0.11), reducing task performance after 30 overs. Therefore, prolonged batting with repeated shuttle running fatigues amateur batters and adversely affects higher-order cognitive function. This will affect decision-making, response selection, response execution and other batting-related executive processes. We recommend that training should incorporate greater proportions of centre-wicket batting with repeated, high-intensity shuttle running. This will improve batting-related skills and information processing when fatigued, making practice more representative of competition.

Evaluation of a gender-based violence prevention program for student athletes in Mumbai, India.

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Miller, Elizabeth; Das, Madhumita; Tancredi, Daniel J; McCauley, Heather L; Virata, Maria Catrina D; Nettiksimmons, Jasmine; O'Connor, Brian; Ghosh, Sancheeta; Verma, Ravi

2014-03-01

Gender-based violence, which includes sexual and intimate partner violence against women, is prevalent worldwide, prompting calls for primary prevention programs which engage men and boys in changing social norms that condone violence against women. Bystander intervention efforts which encourage males to say something to stop peers from enacting disrespectful and abusive behaviors toward females are a promising strategy for promoting non-violent, gender-equitable attitudes and behaviors. An evaluation of "Parivartan"--a U.S. program called "Coaching Boys Into Men" adapted for urban India cricket teams--was conducted in Mumbai, India. Baseline and 12 month follow-up surveys were administered to 309 male cricket athletes aged 10 to 16 years in 46 urban middle schools in Mumbai, India (27 intervention, 19 control). Athletes whose coaches were trained in the program demonstrated greater improvements in gender-equitable attitudes compared to athletes whose coaches provided standard coaching only. Marginally significant improvements were seen in reduction of negative bystander behavior. Violence prevention programs which utilize coaches as positive messengers for respect and non-violence may be a useful addition to global prevention efforts to reduce violence against women.

Sexual Selection on male cuticular hydrocarbons via male-male competition and female choice.

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Lane, S M; Dickinson, A W; Tregenza, T; House, C M

2016-07-01

Traditional views of sexual selection assumed that male-male competition and female mate choice work in harmony, selecting upon the same traits in the same direction. However, we now know that this is not always the case and that these two mechanisms often impose conflicting selection on male sexual traits. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have been shown to be linked to both social dominance and male attractiveness in several insect species. However, although several studies have estimated the strength and form of sexual selection imposed on male CHCs by female mate choice, none have established whether these chemical traits are also subject to sexual selection via male-male competition. Using a multivariate selection analysis, we estimate and compare sexual selection exerted by male-male competition and female mate choice on male CHC composition in the broad-horned flour beetle Gnatocerus cornutus. We show that male-male competition exerts strong linear selection on both overall CHC abundance and body size in males, while female mate choice exerts a mixture of linear and nonlinear selection, targeting not just the overall amount of CHCs expressed but the relative abundance of specific hydrocarbons as well. We discuss the potential implications of this antagonistic selection with regard to male reproductive success. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society for Evolutionary Biology.

Founder effects and the evolution of asymmetrical sexual isolation in a rapidly-speciating clade

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Kevin P. OH, Gina L. CONTE, Kerry L. SHAW

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Sexual isolation resulting from differences in mate choice behaviors is a hallmark of rapidly-speciating lineages. When present, asymmetrical sexual isolation may provide insights into the mechanisms responsible for the evolutionary change in mate signaling traits. In particular, Kaneshiro’s hypothesis suggests that divergence in sexual characters between populations may arise in allopatry when ‘derived’ founding populations are subject to severe population bottlenecks, accompanied by a relaxation of sexual selection relative to ‘ancestral’ source populations. In the present study, we tested predictions of asymmetrical sexual isolation between two allopatric species of Hawaiian Laupala crickets, representing ‘ancestral’ (L. makaio and ‘derived’ (L. nigra taxa. While crickets in this genus are notable for rapid divergence of male courtship songs, these species share similar song types, thus suggesting that patterns of sexual isolation are likely due to other mating cues. Analysis of behavioral responses in conspecific and heterospecific ‘no-choice’ mating trials revealed pronounced asymmetrical isolation in the direction predicted by Kaneshiro’s hypothesis, wherein we observed a significant reduction in mating success for crosses involving ‘derived’ males paired with ‘ancestral’ females, compared to the reciprocal heterospecific and both conspecific pairings. Further dissection of courtship behaviors suggested this difference did not reflect male mate choice, but rather, marked reduced spermatophore acceptance rates by ‘ancestral’ females paired with ‘derived’ males. The results are discussed with respect to founder effect models of speciation and the potential role of chemosensory signals in mate choice in these species [Current Zoology 59 (2: 230-238, 2013].

Cephalobellus lobulata n. sp. (Oxyurida:Thelastomatidae) A parasite of Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera: gryllotalpidae) from Argentina.

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Camino, N B; Reboredo, G R

2000-01-01

Cephalobellus lobulata n. sp. (Oxyurida: Thelastomatidae) a parasite of the mole cricket Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) found in Argentina is described and illustrated. It is characterized by a short buccal cavity armed with three teeth, a striated cuticle with the first annule wide with four lobes and the second annule divided in twelve lobes. The male have three pairs of preanal papillae and two pairs of postanal papillae.

Triadic male-infant-male interaction serves in bond maintenance in male Assamese macaques.

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Josefine Kalbitz

Full Text Available While the ultimate consequences of social bonds start to be better understood, the proximate behavioural mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of these close affiliative relationships have received less attention. We investigated the possible function of male-infant-male interactions (MIMIs in male-male social bonding processes by analysing about 9000h of focal animal observations collected on two groups of wild Assamese macaques. In support of an agonistic buffering function of MIMIs, after engaging in a MIMI upon approach, subordinates stayed longer in close proximity of a dominant male. Overall, the frequency of MIMIs increased the stronger the affiliative relationship between two males, suggesting that MIMIs like grooming function in relationship maintenance. We did not find support for a role of MIMIs in bond formation as the frequency of MIMIs did not affect the time a male dyad spent in proximity in the consecutive year. Our results contribute to the general debate on behaviours influencing social dynamics in group living mammals.

The dynamics of male-male competition in Cardiocondyla obscurior ants

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Cremer Sylvia

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The outcome of male-male competition can be predicted from the relative fighting qualities of the opponents, which often depend on their age. In insects, freshly emerged and still sexually inactive males are morphologically indistinct from older, sexually active males. These young inactive males may thus be easy targets for older males if they cannot conceal themselves from their attacks. The ant Cardiocondyla obscurior is characterised by lethal fighting between wingless (“ergatoid” males. Here, we analyse for how long young males are defenceless after eclosion, and how early adult males can detect the presence of rival males. Results We found that old ergatoid males consistently won fights against ergatoid males younger than two days. Old males did not differentiate between different types of unpigmented pupae several days before emergence, but had more frequent contact to ready-to-eclose pupae of female sexuals and winged males than of workers and ergatoid males. In rare cases, old ergatoid males displayed alleviated biting of pigmented ergatoid male pupae shortly before adult eclosion, as well as copulation attempts to dark pupae of female sexuals and winged males. Ergatoid male behaviour may be promoted by a closer similarity of the chemical profile of ready-to-eclose pupae to the profile of adults than that of young pupae several days prior to emergence. Conclusion Young ergatoid males of C. obscurior would benefit greatly by hiding their identity from older, resident males, as they are highly vulnerable during the first two days of their adult lives. In contrast to the winged males of the same species, which are able to prevent ergatoid male attacks by chemical female mimicry, young ergatoids do not seem to be able to produce a protective chemical profile. Conflicts in male-male competition between ergatoid males of different age thus seem to be resolved in favour of the older males. This might represent selection

Binema bonaerensis n. sp. (Oxyurida: Thelastomatidae) parasite of Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) in Argentina.

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Camino, N B; Reboredo, G R

1999-01-01

The nematode Binema bonaerensis n. sp. (Oxyurida: Thelastomatidae) is described from the intestine of the mole cricket of Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is distinguished mainly by having a conical tail; three sclerotized arches in the buccal cavity; an excretory pore immediately posterior to the base of the esophagus and the presence of five pairs of male genital papillae with one pair preanal and four pairs postanal.

Cephalobellus lobulata n. sp. (Oxyurida:Thelastomatidae a parasite of Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae from Argentina

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Camino Nora B

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Cephalobellus lobulata n. sp. (Oxyurida: Thelastomatidae a parasite of the mole cricket Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae found in Argentina is described and illustrated. It is characterized by a short buccal cavity armed with three teeth, a striated cuticle with the first annule wide with four lobes and the second annule divided in twelve lobes. The male have three pairs of preanal papillae and two pairs of postanal papillae.

Males collectively defend their one-male units against bachelor males in a multi-level primate society.

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Xiang, Zuo-Fu; Yang, Bang-He; Yu, Yang; Yao, Hui; Grueter, Cyril C; Garber, Paul A; Li, Ming

2014-07-01

Group-level male-male co-operation, which has been documented in several primate and non-primate societies, may be mutualistically advantageous to the participants when confronted with threats such as takeovers and cuckoldry by external males. Co-operation among members of distinct social units-while universal among humans-is extremely rare in non-human primates. We present the first observations of collective action or co-operation among males of different one-male units (OMU) in a multi-level society of Rhinopithecus roxellana. A total of 59 instances of male co-operation were recorded. Male co-operation included coordinated chasing, joint vigilance, and patrolling behavior directed at lone adult males trying to enter an OMU. Male co-operation was significantly more frequent during the mating season when the risk of incursions and extra-group paternity was higher. Paternity of infants born in the subsequent birth season and kin relationships among resident males were identified using microsatellite genotype. All infants were sired by OMU males, which we interpret as possible evidence for their success at thwarting mating attempts by satellite males. OMU males were principally unrelated suggesting that male co-operation is best understood in terms of the mutual direct benefits individuals obtain through collective action. Our findings lend support to the bachelor threat hypothesis in which the cooperative behavior of several individuals is more effective than the lone action of a single individual in providing mate defense. Our research has implications for understanding male bonding, higher-level collective action, and the evolution of social co-operation in human societies. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The evolution of sex differences in mate searching when females benefit: new theory and a comparative test.

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McCartney, J; Kokko, H; Heller, K-G; Gwynne, D T

2012-03-22

Sexual selection is thought to have led to searching as a profitable, but risky way of males obtaining mates. While there is great variation in which sex searches, previous theory has not considered search evolution when both males and females benefit from multiple mating. We present new theory and link it with data to bridge this gap. Two different search protocols exist between species in the bush-cricket genus Poecilimon (Orthoptera): females search for calling males, or males search for calling females. Poecilimon males also transfer a costly nuptial food gift to their mates during mating. We relate variations in searching protocols to variation in nuptial gift size among 32 Poecilimon taxa. As predicted, taxa where females search produce significantly larger nuptial gifts than those where males search. Our model and results show that search roles can reverse when multiple mating brings about sufficiently strong material benefits to females.

Pertumbuhan tiga spesies jangkrik lokal yang dibudidayakan pada padat penebaran dan jenis pakan berbeda

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Priyantini Widiyaningrum

2012-02-01

Full Text Available In the development of cricket farming, important information in regard with cultivated method, type of crickets, feed stuff, density level, and it's productivity is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different density level and rations on growth performace of three species of local crickets, i.e Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer, Gryllus mitratus Burn and Gryllus testaceus Walk.Three levels of box square density (500, 750 and 1000 cricket/box and two levels of additional feed (mustard green and papaya leaveswere used as treatments. The results showed that the density level of approximately 1000 cricket/box had no significant influence on growth performance of the three species local crickets. Nevertheless, higher density level tended to increase mortality rate especially for G. bimaculatus (rate of mortality = 45.86%. The use of feed combination of formulated ration plus mustard green resulted in better growth performance and higher egg production compared to the combination of formulated ration plus papaya leaves.

Oxidative stress and the evolution of sex differences in life span and ageing in the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus.

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Archer, Catharine R; Sakaluk, Scott K; Selman, Colin; Royle, Nick J; Hunt, John

2013-03-01

The Free Radical Theory of Ageing (FRTA) predicts that oxidative stress, induced when levels of reactive oxygen species exceed the capacity of antioxidant defenses, causes ageing. Recently, it has also been argued that oxidative damage may mediate important life-history trade-offs. Here, we use inbred lines of the decorated cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, to estimate the genetic (co)variance between age-dependent reproductive effort, life span, ageing, oxidative damage, and total antioxidant capacity within and between the sexes. The FRTA predicts that oxidative damage should accumulate with age and negatively correlate with life span. We find that protein oxidation is greater in the shorter lived sex (females) and negatively genetically correlated with life span in both sexes. However, oxidative damage did not accumulate with age in either sex. Previously we have shown antagonistic pleiotropy between the genes for early-life reproductive effort and ageing rate in both sexes, although this was stronger in females. In females, we find that elevated fecundity early in life is associated with greater protein oxidation later in life, which is in turn positively correlated with the rate of ageing. Our results provide mixed support for the FRTA but suggest that oxidative stress may mediate sex-specific life-history strategies in G. sigillatus. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Dissecting the variance-covariance structure in insect physiology: the multivariate association between metabolism and morphology in the nymphs of the sand cricket (Gryllus firmus).

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Nespolo, Roberto F; Castañeda, Luis E; Roff, Derek A

2005-08-01

Energy metabolism in animals has been largely studied in relation to exogenous sources of variation. However, because they give insight into the relationship between whole metabolism and lower organizational levels such as organs and tissues, examination of endogenous determinants of metabolism other than body mass is itself very important. We studied the multivariate association of body parts and several aspects of energy metabolism in an insect, the nymphs of the sand cricket, Gryllus firmus. By using a variety of both univariate and multivariate techniques, we explored the resultant variance-covariance matrix to build a path diagram with latent variables. After controlling for body mass, we found a significant canonical correlation between metabolism and morphology. According to the factor loadings and path coefficients, the most important contributions of morphology to the correlation were thorax and abdomen size measures, whereas the most important metabolic contribution was resting metabolism. Activity metabolism was mostly explained by body mass rather than body parts, which could be a result of resting rates being chronic consequences of the functioning of the metabolic machinery that the insect must maintain.

Waarnemingen van de veenmol Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa in de duinen van Noord-Holland (Orthoptera).

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerkhof, W.

2007-01-01

The mole cricket Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa in de Dutch dunes (Orthoptera) In recent years mole crickets Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa were found at 37 sites in the Dutch dunes. Conservation measures to create moist dune valleys seem to play a positive role for mole crickets. Half of the new records stemmed

Biomonitoring of the genotoxic effects and oxidative potentials of commercial edible dung beetles (Onitis sp.), grasshopper (Caelifera sp.) and mole crickets (Gryllotalpa sp.) in vitro.

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Koc, Kubra; Incekara, Umit; Turkez, Hasan

2014-09-01

In this investigation, the genotoxic and oxidative effects of water soluble extracts of dung beetles, flying grasshopper and mole crickets have been assessed on cultured human blood cells. The extracts were added to the culture tubes at 12 different concentrations (0-2000 ppm). Micronucleus test was used to monitor the DNA and the chromosomal damage produced by aqueous extracts in vitro. In addition, to assess the oxidative effects, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) levels were also measured. Our results indicated that these extracts did not show genotoxic effects at the tested concentrations. However, the extracts caused dose-dependent alterations in both TAC and TOS levels. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the studied insects can be consumed safely, but it is necessary to consider the cellular damages which are likely to appear depending on oxidative stress at higher concentrations. It has also been suggested that this in vitro approach for oxidative and genotoxicity assessments may be useful to evaluate the potential health risks of edible insects. © The Author(s) 2014.

Microbial counts of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus and Gryllodes sigillatus) from different rearing companies and different production batches.

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Vandeweyer, D; Crauwels, S; Lievens, B; Van Campenhout, L

2017-02-02

The rising interest in insects for human consumption and the changing regulations in Europe require a profound insight into the food safety of insects reared and sold in Western society. The microbial quality of edible insects has only been studied occasionally. This study aimed at generating an overview of intrinsic parameters (pH, water activity and moisture content) and microbial quality of fresh mealworm larvae and crickets for several rearing companies and for several batches per rearer. In total, 21 batches obtained from 7 rearing companies were subjected to analysis of intrinsic parameters, a range of plate counts and presence-absence tests for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. The microbial counts of the fresh insects were generally high. Different rearing batches from a single rearing company showed differences in microbial counts which could not be explained by variations in intrinsic properties. The largest variations were found in numbers of bacterial endospores, psychrotrophs and fungi. Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not detected in any of the samples. Altogether, our study shows that large variations were found between batches from individual rearers. As a consequence, no overall differences between rearers could be observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Both male and female identity influence variation in male signalling effort

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Svensson P Andreas

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Male sexual displays play an important role in sexual selection by affecting reproductive success. However, for such displays to be useful for female mate choice, courtship should vary more among than within individual males. In this regard, a potentially important source of within male variation is adjustment of male courtship effort in response to female traits. Accordingly, we set out to dissect sources of variation in male courtship effort in a fish, the desert goby (Chlamydogobius eremius. We did so by designing an experiment that allowed simultaneous estimation of within and between male variation in courtship, while also assessing the importance of the males and females as sources of courtship variation. Results Although males adjusted their courtship depending on the identity of the female (a potentially important source of within-male variation, among-male differences were considerably greater. In addition, male courtship effort towards a pair of females was highly repeatable over a short time frame. Conclusion Despite the plasticity in male courtship effort, courtship displays had the potential to reliably convey information about the male to mate-searching females. Our experiment therefore underscores the importance of addressing the different sources contributing to variation in the expression of sexually-selected traits.

Male density affects large-male advantage in the golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes

OpenAIRE

Clare C. Rittschof

2010-01-01

Across a variety of animal taxa, the outcome of male--male contests depends on male body size; winners are usually the larger males or the males with bigger weapons. However, high male density can either increase or reverse large-male advantage because density changes the frequency and intensity of male--male interactions. In the golden orb-web spider Nephila clavipes, large males have a competitive advantage in male--male contests. However, this species shows more than 2-fold variation in ma...

Male sexuality.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsberg, Terrie B

2010-05-01

It should be recognized that sexuality in the aging male is of such import that a complete sexual history must be performed. By taking a complete sexual history, facts can be obtained that will allow for appropriate focus relating to a holistic evaluation and will enable us to dispel antiquated sexual myths pertaining to the aging male. If initiated by the history taker, questions concerning sexuality may be discussed more comfortably by the patient. Erectile dysfunction, male sexual response cycle, testosterone, sexually transmitted diseases, human immunodeficiency virus, long-term illness, along with religion and culture are explored in this article with the aim of improving one's knowledge base, self reflection, and awareness of the importance of male sexuality. A complete understanding and appreciation of the aging male's medical history, surgical history, social history, and emotional history as well as his sexual, cultural, and religious concepts will allow the health care provider to better analyze information, and to recommend and provide appropriate advice and treatment to the aging male patient. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS IN SPECTATOR SPORT: ANANALYSIS OF THE TWENTY-TWENTYCRICKETLEAGUEMATCHES IN SOUTH AFRICA

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B. A Mokoena

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Since their inception, twenty-twenty (T20 cricket league matches have gainedtremendous popularity and areheralded in South Africa with the potential ofincreasingthespectatorsupport base in cricket. The purpose of this studywastoenhance an understanding of service quality by examining theservice qualitydimensions in T20 cricket events in South Africa. A convenience sample of250T20 cricket spectatorsin the Gauteng provinceofSouth Africa participated in asurveyusingastructuredself-administered questionnaire. The factor analysisprocedure resulted in the extraction of six primarydimensions, namely servicepersonnel, game atmosphere, facility access, facility aesthetics, home team qualityand opposing team characteristics. The model was tested using confirmatory factoranalysis, which showed a good-fit of the data to the model.Among the servicequality dimensions, facility access was rated the most important dimension. Thestudy recommends that managers use the suggested dimensional framework tomeasure service quality in T20 cricket. Managers can also use this framework andmeasurement scale as a diagnostic tool to identify strengths and weaknesses in theirservices, thus providing guidance for potential areas of improvement.

Transient behavior of cadmium in a grassland arthropod food chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Hook, R.I.; Yates, A.J.

1975-01-01

Biological assimilation and transport of cadmium were determined for an arthropod food chain in an east Tennessee grassland community. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that there were no significant differences (P greater than 0.05) in assimilation rates (17 percent assimilation per day) or biological half-lives (7 days) of 109 Cd either as soluble nitrate or insoluble oxide in crickets under identical conditions. Field experiments demonstrated that primary consumers (crickets) accumulated 109 Cd much more rapidly (uptake rate = 0.55 day -1 ) than did the spider predators (uptake rate = 0.08 day -1 ). Equilibrium concentrations in crickets were obtained in 9 days (0.04 ppM cadmium), while equilibrium was not reached in spiders during the 30-day study. Food-chain concentration of cadmium did not occur as crickets accumulated levels of cadmium 60 percent of that in their vegetation food sources and spiders accumulated only 70 percent of the cadmium present in the cricket tissues

Signaling pathway underlying the octopaminergic modulation of myogenic contraction in the cricket lateral oviduct.

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Tamashiro, Hirotake; Yoshino, Masami

2014-12-01

Octopamine (OA), a biogenic monoamine, is a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator in invertebrates. Here, we report the effect of OA on the spontaneous rhythmic contractions (SRCs) of the lateral oviduct of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus and the possible signaling pathway involved. Application of OA increased both the frequency and amplitude of SRCs in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of OA was inhibited by subsequent application of the OA receptor antagonist epinastine, indicating that the action of OA is mediated by OA receptor. To investigate the predominant signaling pathway underlying the action of OA, we first examined a possible involvement of the cAMP/cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway. Application of the membrane-permeable cAMP analog 8-Br-cAMP had little effect on SRCs and the effect of OA was not influenced by subsequent application of the PKA inhibitor H89, indicating that the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway is not the predominant pathway in the action of OA. Next, we examined a possible involvement of the second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in the action of OA. The effect of OA on SRCs was inhibited by subsequent application of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122, indicating that the PLC pathway is involved in the action of OA. The OA-induced increase in the frequency of SRCs was inhibited by pretreatment of the cell with the ryanodine receptor antagonist tetracaine but was not significantly affected by the IP3 receptor antagonist 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). On the other hand, the OA-induced increase in the amplitude of SRCs was inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with 2-APB but was not significantly affected by tetracaine. Taken together, these results suggest that the OA-induced excitatory effect on SRCs is mediated by the PLC signaling pathway: Ca2+ release from IP3 receptors may contribute to the modulation of the amplitude of SRCs, whereas Ca2+ release from ryanodine

Effects of plyometric training on achilles tendon properties and shuttle running during a simulated cricket batting innings.

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Houghton, Laurence A; Dawson, Brian T; Rubenson, Jonas

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether intermittent shuttle running times (during a prolonged, simulated cricket batting innings) and Achilles tendon properties were affected by 8 weeks of plyometric training (PLYO, n = 7) or normal preseason (control [CON], n = 8). Turn (5-0-5-m agility) and 5-m sprint times were assessed using timing gates. Achilles tendon properties were determined using dynamometry, ultrasonography, and musculoskeletal geometry. Countermovement and squat jump heights were also assessed before and after training. Mean 5-0-5-m turn time did not significantly change in PLYO or CON (pre vs. post: 2.25 ± 0.08 vs. 2.22 ± 0.07 and 2.26 ± 0.06 vs. 2.25 ± 0.08 seconds, respectively). Mean 5-m sprint time did not significantly change in PLYO or CON (pre vs. post: 0.85 ± 0.02 vs. 0.84 ± 0.02 and 0.85 ± 0.03 vs. 0.85 ± 0.02 seconds, respectively). However, inferences from the smallest worthwhile change suggested that PLYO had a 51-72% chance of positive effects but only 6-15% chance of detrimental effects on shuttle running times. Jump heights only increased in PLYO (9.1-11.0%, p force, stiffness, elastic energy, strain, modulus) did not change in PLYO or CON. However, Achilles tendon cross-sectional area increased in PLYO (pre vs. post: 70 ± 7 vs. 79 ± 8 mm, p 0.050). In conclusion, plyometric training had possible benefits on intermittent shuttle running times and improved jump performance. Also, plyometric training increased tendon cross-sectional area, but further investigation is required to determine whether this translates to decreased injury risk.

Responses of female rock lizards to multiple scent marks of males: effects of male age, male density and scent over-marking.

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Martín, José; López, Pilar

2013-03-01

Scent-marked substrates may inform conspecifics on the characteristics of territorial males. Scent-marks of male Carpetan rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni) affect space use of females, which by selecting an area may increase the probability of mating with the male that has scent-marked that area. However, males do not hold exclusive territories, and scent-marks of different individual males are often together. This may provide complex information from multiple sources on the social structure. Here, we examined female preference in response to scent marks of various males and combinations in a laboratory experiment. Females preferred areas scent-marked by territorial old males against those scent-marked by young satellite-sneaker males. This reflected the known preference of females for mating with old males. In a second experiment, females preferred areas scent-marked by two males to areas of similar size marked by a single male. This may increase the probability of obtaining multiple copulations with different males, which may favour sperm competition and cryptic female choice, or may be a way to avoid infertile males. Finally, when we experimentally over-marked the scent-marks of an old male with scent-marks of a young male, females did not avoid, nor prefer, the over-marked area, suggesting that the quality of the old male may override the presence of a satellite male. We suggest that, irrespective of the causes underlying why a female selects a scent-marked area, this strategy may affect her reproductive success, which may have the same evolutionary consequences that "direct" mate choice decisions of other animals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Terrestrial Buffer Zones on Amphibians on Golf Courses

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Puglis, Holly J.; Boone, Michelle D.

2012-01-01

A major cause of amphibian declines worldwide is habitat destruction or alteration. Public green spaces, such as golf courses and parks, could serve as safe havens to curb the effects of habitat loss if managed in ways to bolster local amphibian communities. We reared larval Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi) and green frogs (Rana clamitans) in golf course ponds with and without 1 m terrestrial buffer zones, and released marked cricket frog metamorphs at the golf course ponds they were reared in. Larval survival of both species was affected by the presence of a buffer zone, with increased survival for cricket frogs and decreased survival for green frogs when reared in ponds with buffer zones. No marked cricket frog juveniles were recovered at any golf course pond in the following year, suggesting that most animals died or migrated. In a separate study, we released cricket frogs in a terrestrial pen and allowed them to choose between mown and unmown grass. Cricket frogs had a greater probability of using unmown versus mown grass. Our results suggest that incorporating buffer zones around ponds can offer suitable habitat for some amphibian species and can improve the quality of the aquatic environment for some sensitive local amphibians. PMID:22761833

Visual perceptions of male obesity: a cross-cultural study examining male and female lay perceptions of obesity in Caucasian males.

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Robinson, Eric; Hogenkamp, Pleunie S

2015-05-16

Obesity is now common and this may have altered visual perceptions of what constitutes a 'normal' and therefore healthy weight. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in male and female participants' ability to visually identify the weight status of photographed Caucasian males. Five hundred and fifty three male and female young adults from the US (high obesity prevalence), UK and Sweden (lower obesity prevalence) participated in an online study. Participants judged the weight status of a series of photographed healthy weight, overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males and rated the extent to which they believed each male should consider losing weight. There was a strong tendency for both male and female participants to underestimate the weight status of the photographed overweight and obese males. Photographed males were frequently perceived as being of healthier weight than they actually were. Some modest cross-cultural differences were also observed; US participants were worse at recognising obesity than UK participants (p cross-cultural differences were observed for perceptions or attitudes towards the photographed healthy weight or overweight males. The weight status of overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males is underestimated when judged by males and females using visual information alone. This study provides initial evidence of modest cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward, and the ability to recognise, obesity in Caucasian males.

Mutation of Drosophila dopamine receptor DopR leads to male-male courtship behavior.

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Chen, Bin; Liu, He; Ren, Jing; Guo, Aike

2012-07-06

In Drosophila, dopamine plays important roles in many biological processes as a neuromodulator. Previous studies showed that dopamine level could affect fly courtship behaviors. Disturbed dopamine level leads to abnormal courtship behavior in two different ways. Dopamine up-regulation induces male-male courtship behavior, while down-regulation of dopamine level results in increased sexual attractiveness of males towards other male flies. Until now, the identity of the dopamine receptor involved in this abnormal male-male courtship behavior remains unknown. Here we used genetic approaches to investigate the role of dopamine receptors in fly courtship behavior. We found that a dopamine D1-like receptor, DopR, was involved in fly courtship behavior. DopR mutant male flies display male-male courtship behavior. This behavior is mainly due to the male's increased propensity to court other males. Expression of functional DopR successfully rescued this mutant phenotype. Knock-down of D2-like receptor D2R and another D1-like receptor, DAMB, did not induce male-male courtship behavior, indicating the receptor-type specificity of this phenomenon. Our findings provide insight into a possible link between dopamine level disturbance and the induced male-male courtship behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genital sores - male

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Sores - male genitals; Ulcers - male genitals ... A common cause of male genital sores are infections that are spread through sexual contact, such as: Genital herpes (small, painful blisters filled with clear ...

Male pattern baldness

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Alopecia in men; Baldness - male; Hair loss in men; Androgenetic alopecia ... Male pattern baldness is related to your genes and male sex hormones. It usually follows a pattern of receding hairline and ...

Hybrid male sterility and genome-wide misexpression of male reproductive proteases.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Suzanne; Civetta, Alberto

2015-07-06

Hybrid male sterility is a common barrier to gene flow between species. Previous studies have posited a link between misregulation of spermatogenesis genes in interspecies hybrids and sterility. However, in the absence of fully fertile control hybrids, it is impossible to differentiate between misregulation associated with sterility vs. fast male gene regulatory evolution. Here, we differentiate between these two possibilities using a D. pseudoobscura species pair that experiences unidirectional hybrid sterility. We identify genes uniquely misexpressed in sterile hybrid male reproductive tracts via RNA-seq. The sterile male hybrids had more misregulated and more over or under expressed genes relative to parental species than the fertile male hybrids. Proteases were the only gene ontology class overrepresented among uniquely misexpressed genes, with four located within a previously identified hybrid male sterility locus. This result highlights the potential role of a previously unexplored class of genes in interspecific hybrid male sterility and speciation.

Composição e Diversidade da Fauna de Grilos (Orthoptera: Grylloidea em um Fragmento de Floresta Pluvial Atlântica do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

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Camila Santos Oliveira

2013-12-01

Abstract. This study aimed to analyze the fauna of cricket, its relation with different plant compositions, litter level and seasonality effects. Four collections were performed, in four season of the year, between April 2008 and March 2009. It was collected 503 crickets using soil traps, in eight sampling points. The insects collected were identified as the genera Anurogryllus, Argizala, Hygronemobius, Nemobius, Odontogryllus e Pteronemobius. The crickets have no affinity with uncovered soil, decreasing significantly in more impacted places. The litter level did not affect the abundance and the seasonal changes shown importance in the population variation, however, diversity and dominance showed fidelity to environmental changes even in lower abundance. These results show that crickets may be environmental indicators due to the answers the changes in environment.

Bilateral male breast cancer with male potential hypogonadism

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Kurokawa Yasushi

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Male breast cancer is a comparatively rare disease, and simultaneous bilateral male breast cancer is considered to be an extremely rare event. Risk factors are said to be genetic factors and hormonal abnormalities due to obesity or testicular diseases. Case presentation The patient was a 47-year-old Japanese male. His family had no history of female breast cancer. This patient also had hypospadias and hormonal examination indicated the presence of primary testicular potential hypogonadism, and these hormonal abnormalities seemed to be present since childhood or the fetal period. The bilateral breast cancer developed in this man at a comparatively young age, and histopathological studies of multiple sections showed that there was almost no normal epithelial cell in the ducts, while the ducts were almost completely filled with breast cancer cells. Conclusion It is thought that male breast cancer is caused by an imbalance between estrogen and testosterone. We cannot rule out the possibility that the breast cancer developed due to the effect of the slight elevation of estrogen over a long period of time, but the actual causative factors in this patient were unable to be definitively identified. In the future, we hope to further elucidate the causes of male breast cancer.

Microbiology of cooked and dried edible Mediterranean field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) and superworms (Zophobas atratus) submitted to four different heating treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Grabowski, Nils Th; Klein, Günter

2017-01-01

To increase the shelf life of edible insects, modern techniques (e.g. freeze-drying) add to the traditional methods (degutting, boiling, sun-drying or roasting). However, microorganisms become inactivated rather than being killed, and when rehydrated, many return to vegetative stadia. Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) and superworms (Zophobas atratus) were submitted to four different drying techniques (T1 = 10' cooking, 24 h drying at 60℃; T2 = 10' cooking, 24 h drying at 80℃; T3 = 30' cooking, 12 h drying at 80℃, and 12 h drying at 100℃; T4 = boiling T3-treated insects after five days) and analysed for total bacteria counts, Enterobacteriaceae, staphylococci, bacilli, yeasts and moulds counts, E. coli, salmonellae, and Listeria monocytogenes (the latter three being negative throughout). The microbial counts varied strongly displaying species- and treatment-specific patterns. T3 was the most effective of the drying treatments tested to decrease all counts but bacilli, for which T2 was more efficient. Still, total bacteria counts remained high (G. bimaculatus > Z. atratus). Other opportunistically pathogenic microorganisms (Bacillus thuringiensis, B. licheniformis, B. pumilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Cryptococcus neoformans) were also encountered. The tyndallisation-like T4 reduced all counts to below detection limit, but nutrients leakage should be considered regarding food quality. In conclusion, species-specific drying procedures should be devised to ensure food safety. © The Author(s) 2016.

Modelling the distribution of the invasive Roesel’s bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii in a fragmented landscape

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Sonja Preuss

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The development of conservation strategies to mitigate the impact of invasive species requires knowledge of the species ecology and distribution. This is, however, often lacking as collecting biological data may be both time-consuming and resource intensive. Species distribution models can offer a solution to this dilemma by analysing the species-environment relationship with help of Geographic information systems (GIS. In this study, we model the distribution of the non-native bush-cricket Metrioptera roeselii in the agricultural landscape in mid-Sweden where the species has been rapidly expanding in its range since the 1990s. We extract ecologically relevant landscape variables from Swedish CORINE land-cover maps and use species presence-absence data from large-scale surveys to construct a species distribution model (SDM. The aim of the study is to increase the knowledge of the species range expansion pattern by examining how its distribution is affected by landscape composition and structure, and to evaluate SDM performance at two different spatial scales. We found that models including data on a scale of 1 × 1 km were able to explain more of the variation in species distribution than those on the local scale (10 m buffer on each side of surveyed road. The amount of grassland in the landscape, estimated from the area of arable land, pasture and rural settlements, was a good predictor of the presence of the species on both scales. The measurements of landscape structure – linear elements and fragmentation - gave ambivalent results which differed from previous small scaled studies on species dispersal behaviour and occupancy patterns. The models had good predictive ability and showed that areas dominated by agricultural fields and their associated grassland edges have a high probability being colonised by the species. Our study identified important landscape variables that explain the distribution of M. roeselii in Mid-Sweden that may also

Male contraception.

Science.gov (United States)

Amory, John K

2016-11-01

Although female contraceptives are very effective at preventing unintended pregnancy, some women can not use them because of health conditions or side-effects, leaving some couples without effective contraceptive options. In addition, many men wish to take active responsibility for family planning. Thus, there is a great need for male contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies, of which 80-90 million occur annually. At present, effective male contraceptive options are condoms and vasectomy, which are not ideal for all men. Therefore, efforts are under way to develop novel male contraceptives. This paper briefly reviews the advantages and disadvantages of condoms and vasectomies and then discusses the research directed toward development of novel methods of male contraception. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Females use self-referent cues to avoid mating with previous mates.

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Ivy, Tracie M; Weddle, Carie B; Sakaluk, Scott K

2005-12-07

Females of many species mate repeatedly throughout their lives, often with many different males (polyandry). Females can secure genetic benefits by maximizing their diversity of mating partners, and might be expected, therefore, to forego matings with previous partners in favour of novel males. Indeed, a female preference for novel mating partners has been shown in several taxa, but the mechanism by which females distinguish between novel males and previous mates remains unknown. We show that female crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) mark males with their own unique chemical signatures during mating, enabling females to recognize prior mates in subsequent encounters and to avoid remating with them. Because self-referent chemosensory cues provide females with a simple, but reliable mechanism of identifying individuals with whom they have mated without requiring any special cognitive ability, they may be a widespread means by which females across a broad range of animal mating systems maximize the genetic benefits of polyandry.

Reduction of dopamine level enhances the attractiveness of male Drosophila to other males.

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Liu, Tong; Dartevelle, Laurence; Yuan, Chunyan; Wei, Hongping; Wang, Ying; Ferveur, Jean-François; Guo, Aike

2009-01-01

Dopamine is an important neuromodulator in animals and its roles in mammalian sexual behavior are extensively studied. Drosophila as a useful model system is widely used in many fields of biological studies. It has been reported that dopamine reduction can affect female receptivity in Drosophila and leave male-female courtship behavior unaffected. Here, we used genetic and pharmacological approaches to decrease the dopamine level in dopaminergic cells in Drosophila, and investigated the consequence of this manipulation on male homosexual courtship behavior. We find that reduction of dopamine level can induce Drosophila male-male courtship behavior, and that this behavior is mainly due to the increased male attractiveness or decreased aversiveness towards other males, but not to their enhanced propensity to court other males. Chemical signal input probably plays a crucial role in the male-male courtship induced by the courtees with reduction of dopamine. Our finding provides insight into the relationship between the dopamine reduction and male-male courtship behavior, and hints dopamine level is important for controlling Drosophila courtship behavior.

A new species of Thelastomathidae (Nematoda) a parasite of Neocurtilla claraziana Saussure (Orthoptera, Gryllotalpidae) in Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Camino, Nora B; Maiztegui, Bárbara

2002-07-01

Gryllophila cephalobulata n. sp. (Nematoda, Thelastomatidae) a parasite of the mole cricket Neocurtilla claraziana (Orthoptera, Gryllotalpidae) isolated in Buenos Aires Province, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by cuticle annulated all along the length of the body; the first ring has 4 lobules, the second one has 14 lobules, the others rings are simple, the stoma is short and has 4 small teeth, the genital papillae are arranged in 5 pairs, of which 3 pairs are preanal and 2 pairs are postanal. The tail appendage of the male is long and filiform.

Male Infertility

Science.gov (United States)

... hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. Low testosterone (male hypogonadism) and other hormonal problems have a number of possible underlying causes. Defects of tubules that transport sperm. Many ... syndrome — in which a male is born with two X chromosomes and one ...

The effect of spin in swing bowling in cricket: model trajectories for spin alone

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Garry; Robinson, Ian

2015-02-01

In ‘swing’ bowling, as employed by fast and fast-medium bowlers in cricket, back-spin along the line of the seam is normally applied in order to keep the seam vertical and to provide stability against ‘wobble’ of the seam. Whilst spin is normally thought of as primarily being the slow bowler's domain, the spin applied by the swing bowler has the side-effect of generating a lift or Magnus force. This force, depending on the orientation of the seam and hence that of the back-spin, can have a side-ways component as well as the expected vertical ‘lift’ component. The effect of the spin itself, in influencing the trajectory of the fast bowler's delivery, is normally not considered, presumably being thought of as negligible. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, using calculated model trajectories, the amount of side-ways movement due to the spin and to see how this predicted movement compares with the total observed side-ways movement. The size of the vertical lift component is also estimated. It is found that, although the spin is an essential part of the successful swing bowler's delivery, the amount of side-ways movement due to the spin itself amounts to a few centimetres or so, and is therefore small, but perhaps not negligible, compared to the total amount of side-ways movement observed. The spin does, however, provide a considerable amount of lift compared to the equivalent delivery bowled without spin, altering the point of pitching by up to 3 m, a very large amount indeed. Thus, for example, bowling a ball with the seam pointing directly down the pitch and not designed to swing side-ways at all, but with the amount of back-spin varied, could provide a very powerful additional weapon in the fast bowler's arsenal. So-called ‘sling bowlers’, who use a very low arm action, can take advantage of spin since effectively they can apply side-spin to the ball, giving rise to a large side-ways movement, ˜ 20{}^\\circ cm or more, which certainly is

Sneaker Males Affect Fighter Male Body Size and Sexual Size Dimorphism in Salmon.

Science.gov (United States)

Weir, Laura K; Kindsvater, Holly K; Young, Kyle A; Reynolds, John D

2016-08-01

Large male body size is typically favored by directional sexual selection through competition for mates. However, alternative male life-history phenotypes, such as "sneakers," should decrease the strength of sexual selection acting on body size of large "fighter" males. We tested this prediction with salmon species; in southern populations, where sneakers are common, fighter males should be smaller than in northern populations, where sneakers are rare, leading to geographical clines in sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Consistent with our prediction, fighter male body size and SSD (fighter male∶female size) increase with latitude in species with sneaker males (Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou) but not in species without sneakers (chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta and pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). This is the first evidence that sneaker males affect SSD across populations and species, and it suggests that alternative male mating strategies may shape the evolution of body size.

TRADISI LISAN MALE-MALE: NYANYIAN KEMATIAN DALAM MASYARAKAT CIACIA: KAJIAN SOSIOLOGIS DAN UPAYA PEWARISAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asrif Asrif

2016-08-01

  Oral Tradition of Male-Male: Death Anthem Ciacia: Sosiological Studies and an Effort to Pass It On to the next Generation. Male-Male is lyrics sung upon the death of a member of the society who is considered a perfect person. This oral tradition shows the society appreciation towards the person through the expression of sadness, longing, partience and praises. Male-Male serves various functions; both private functions (the singer and host, and societal function (the guests. For th singer and the host, this tradition serves as consolation, caring towards other members, dissemination of social values and religion, prestige, and passing on a tradition. For the society, Male-Male functions as a self remainder of death, strengthening faith, increasing empathy and solidarity. Efforts to guarantee the continuity of this tradition by the next generation are required. Formal effortcan be made through schools, and the informal ones can be made through the strengthening of tradition bodies. Keywords: Oral tradition, Male-Male, Sociology, and Passing the tradition

Men and masculinities in forensic psychiatric care: an interview study concerning male nurses' experiences of working with male caregivers and male patients.

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Kumpula, Esa; Ekstrand, Per

2009-09-01

Forensic psychiatric care is largely populated by men--as patients, caregivers, and nurses. Previous research has not focused on the meaning of gender in this context. The aim of this study is to analyse male nurses' experiences of working with male caregivers and attending to male patients in forensic psychiatric care. Data were collected through interviews with six male nurses. The results consist of five themes. Protection and defence are key aspects of care and male caregivers gain status and authority through their physical strength. This could hamper caring and provide male caregivers with a superior position in the department.

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 1 - 50 of 281 ... ... nature of cricket injuries in elite South African schoolboy cricketers, Abstract PDF ... children on the East Rand on the usage of nutritional supplements ... hydrotherapy and land-based rehabilitation in soccer players after ...

Condition-dependent female preference for male genitalia length is based on male reproductive tactics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Jimenez, Armando; Rios-Cardenas, Oscar

2017-12-06

There is extensive morphological variation of male genitalia across animals with internal fertilization, even among closely related species. Most studies attempting to explain this extraordinary diversity have focused on processes that occur post-copula (e.g. sperm competition, cryptic female choice). Only a few studies have focused on the pre-copula process of female preference. In addition, the extent to which this variation could be associated with the use of different reproductive tactics has yet to be explored. Here, we show that female preference for male genitalia length in two livebearing fishes depends on the type of reproductive tactic of the males being evaluated as well as the body condition of the female. In a species where all males coax females to acquire matings (courters), females preferred males with short genitalia. In a species with genetically influenced alternative reproductive tactics (courter males that only court and produce courter sons, sneaker males that use the coercive tactic of sneak chase and produce sneaker sons), female preference depended on an interaction between male tactic and female condition: females in good condition preferred courter males with short genitalia, and sneaker males with long genitalia. Our results suggest that female preference for male traits favourable to their sons may be an important factor contributing to the diversification of male genitalia. Despite the contrasting selection for genitalia length that our female preference tests suggest, we found no significant differences in genitalia length between coaxing (courters) and coercive (sneakers) males. Our study represents a starting point to more clearly understand the role of alternative reproductive tactics and variation in female mate preference in the evolution of male genitalia. © 2017 The Author(s).

Heterosexual Men's Anger in Response to Male Homosexuality: Effects of Erotic and Non-Erotic Depictions of Male-Male Intimacy and Sexual Prejudice

OpenAIRE

Hudepohl, Adam D.; Parrott, Dominic J.; Zeichner, Amos

2010-01-01

The present study compared effects of erotic and non-erotic depictions of male-male intimacy on the experience of anger in heterosexual men. Data came from three independent laboratory studies designed to elicit anger in response to erotic or non-erotic depictions of male-male and male-female intimacy. All participants completed a measure of sexual prejudice and anger was assessed before and after viewing the erotic or non-erotic video. Among high-prejudiced men, viewing erotic and non-erotic...

Male baldness.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Philip

2016-04-01

Male baldness is very common. Its effect on individuals is extremely variable, and in some people it will have a significant adverse effect on their quality of life. The objectives of this article are to help general practitioners (GPs) be aware of potential health problems related to male baldness, to have an approach to assessing hair loss and to be aware of treatment options. Male baldness is, most often, a normal occurrence, but it may have significant effects on a man's health. It may also be a pointer to other potential health issues. The GP is in the ideal position to conduct an initial evaluation, consider other health issues and advise on treatment options.

Female sticklebacks use male coloration in mate choice and hence avoid parasitized males

Science.gov (United States)

Milinski, Manfred; Bakker, Theo C. M.

1990-03-01

AN important problem in evolutionary biology since the time of Darwin has been to understand why females preferentially mate with males handicapped by secondary sexual ornaments1-3. One hypothesis of sexual selection theory is that these ornaments reliably reveal the male's condition4-6, which can be affected for example by parasites4,7-13. Here we show that in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) the intensity of male red breeding coloration positively correlates with physical condition. Gravid females base their active mate choice on the intensity of the male's red coloration. Choice experiments under green light prevent the use of red colour cues by females, and males that were previously preferred are now chosen no more than randomly, although the courtship behaviour of the males remains unchanged. Parasitieation causes a deterioration in the males' condition and a decrease in the intensity of their red coloration. Tests under both lighting conditions reveal that the females recognize the formerly parasitized males by the lower intensity of their breeding coloration. Female sticklebacks possibly select a male with a good capacity for paternal care14 but if there is additive genetic variation for parasite resistance, then they might also select for resistance genes, as proposed by Hamilton and Zuk4.

Male-Male Mounting Behaviour in Free-Ranging Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana).

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Gu; Dixson, Alan F; Qi, Xiao-Guang; Li, Bao-Guo

2018-01-01

An all-male band of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) was observed for 3 months in the Qinling Mountains of China, in order to collect data on the frequencies and contextual significance of male-male mounting behaviour. Mounts occurred in a variety of affiliative, dominance-related and sexual contexts, which differed depending upon the ages of the males involved. Mounting behaviour in this group was mainly initiated by adults. Juveniles mounted each other in affiliative contexts (during play and prior to grooming). Adult males mounted subadult and juvenile partners in a greater variety of sociosexual contexts (dominance/rank-related interactions; reconciliation following agonistic encounters, and sometimes as a prelude to receiving grooming). However, subadults and juveniles were never observed to mount adults. In one dyad, involving an adult male and a subadult partner, mounting was more frequent and prolonged, and included bouts of deep pelvic thrusting. Two mounts resulted in anal intromissions and, in 1 case, the subadult partner exhibited seminal emission. Given that the study took place during the annual mating peak period of R. roxellana, it is possible that this unusual male-male sexual activity was related to the absence of mating opportunities for those adults that were excluded from 1-male units. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Heterosexual men's anger in response to male homosexuality: effects of erotic and non-erotic depictions of male-male intimacy and sexual prejudice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudepohl, Adam D; Parrott, Dominic J; Zeichner, Amos

2010-01-01

The present study compared effects of erotic and non-erotic depictions of male-male intimacy on the experience of anger in heterosexual men. Data came from three independent laboratory studies designed to elicit anger in response to erotic or non-erotic depictions of male-male and male-female intimacy. All participants completed a measure of sexual prejudice and anger was assessed before and after viewing the erotic or non-erotic video. Among high-prejudiced men, viewing erotic and non-erotic intimate behavior between two men elicited significant increases in anger relative to viewing comparable behavior between a male-female dyad. In contrast, among low-prejudiced men, viewing erotic, but not non-erotic, intimate behavior between two men elicited significant increases in anger relative to viewing comparable behavior between a male-female dyad. Implications for understanding heterosexual men's anger, and aggression, toward gay men were discussed.

Heterosexual Men's Anger in Response to Male Homosexuality: Effects of Erotic and Non-Erotic Depictions of Male-Male Intimacy and Sexual Prejudice

Science.gov (United States)

Hudepohl, Adam D.; Parrott, Dominic J.; Zeichner, Amos

2010-01-01

The present study compared effects of erotic and non-erotic depictions of male-male intimacy on the experience of anger in heterosexual men. Data came from three independent laboratory studies designed to elicit anger in response to erotic or non-erotic depictions of male-male and male-female intimacy. All participants completed a measure of sexual prejudice and anger was assessed before and after viewing the erotic or non-erotic video. Among high-prejudiced men, viewing erotic and non-erotic intimate behavior between two men elicited significant increases in anger relative to viewing comparable behavior between a male-female dyad. In contrast, among low-prejudiced men, viewing erotic, but not non-erotic, intimate behavior between two men elicited significant increases in anger relative to viewing comparable behavior between a male-female dyad. Implications for understanding heterosexual men's anger, and aggression, toward gay men were discussed. PMID:20818528

Male depression in females?

Science.gov (United States)

Möller-Leimkühler, Anne Maria; Yücel, Mete

2010-02-01

Scientific evidence for a male-typed depression ("male depression") is still limited, but mainly supports this concept with respect to single externalizing symptoms or symptom clusters. In particular, studies on non-clinical populations including males and females are lacking. The present study aims at assessing general well-being, the risk and the symptoms of male depression dependent on biological sex and gender-role orientation on instrumental (masculine) and expressive (feminine) personality traits in an unselected community sample of males and females. Students (518 males, 500 females) of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany, were asked to participate in a "stress study" and complete the following self-report questionnaires: the WHO-5 Well-being Index [Bech, P., 1998. Quality of Life in the Psychiatric Patient. Mosby-Wolfe, London], the Gotland Scale for Male Depression [Walinder, J., Rutz, W., 2001. Male depression and suicide. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 16 (suppl 2), 21-24] and the German Extended Personal Attribute Questionnaire [Runge, T.E., Frey, D., Gollwitzer, P.M., et al., 1981. Masculine (instrumental) and feminine (expressive) traits. A comparison between students in the United States and West Germany. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 12, 142-162]. General well-being of the students was significantly lower compared to population norms. Contrary to expectations, female students had a greater risk of male depression than male students (28.9% vs. 22.4%; p<0.05). Overall, prototypic depressive symptoms as well as externalizing symptoms were more pronounced in females. In the subgroup of those at risk for male depression, biological sex and kind of symptoms were unrelated. Principal component analyses revealed a similar symptom structure for males and females. Low scores on masculinity/instrumentality significantly predicted higher risk of male depression, independent of biological sex. The study sample is not

Male Body Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefkowich, Maya; Oliffe, John L; Hurd Clarke, Laura; Hannan-Leith, Madeline

2017-03-01

The pressure on boys and men to engage in extensive body practices (e.g., closely monitored eating and exercise habits) and achieve ideal male bodies has grown significantly over the past 20 years. Central to the depiction of ideal male bodies and body practices are both the pursuit and achievement of lean and well-defined muscles. The labels "pitches," "purchases," and "performativities" were inductively derived from the literature, and used to describe the multifaceted connections between masculinities, muscularity, and idealized male body practices. "Pitches" distil how popular culture posture norms of masculinity, and manly bodies and behaviors attainable and necessary. "Purchases" refer to men's diverse buy-in to dominant discourses about acceptable male bodies and practices. "Performativities" chronicle how men embody and navigate gender norms as they evaluate their own bodies, behaviors, and eating habits and those of their peers. Based on findings from the current scoping review, future research could benefit from fully linking masculinities with the drive for muscularity to address health and social risks associated with the pursuit of the idealized male body. In highlighting the plurality of masculinities and the complexity of men's diverse identities, health care providers can better reach and support men. Focusing on, and celebrating, a wider range of male bodies could help recenter dominant discourses about how and whose bodies and experiences are idealized. The current scoping review article offers an overview of how masculinities and muscularity have been linked to male body practices, and recommendations to advance this emergent field.

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 17; Issue 5. Bernoulli Runs Using 'Book Cricket' to Evaluate Cricketers. Anand Ramalingam. General Article Volume 17 Issue 5 May 2012 pp 441-453. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

[Acceptability of male circumcision among male miners in Baise of Guangxi].

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Hao; Liang, Xu; Chen, Jian; Yang, Xiao-bo; Jiang, Jun-jun; Deng, Wei; Zou, Yun-feng; Wei, Bo; Zhang, Zhi-yong; Liu, Zhi-hao; Liang, Hao

2011-06-01

To investigate the acceptability of male circumcision among male miners in Baise, Guangxi, China. A questionnaire-based survey on the willingness to be circumcised (WTC) and its influential factors were conducted among Guangxi male miners recruited by random cluster sampling. Of 569 subjects who were surveyed, 143 (25.13%) expressed their willingness to be circumcised. Univariate analysis showed that marital status, education level, and the awareness of the hazards of phimosis and redundant prepuce and reasons for circumcision were significantly different between WTC group and the non-WTC group (all Pminers WTC. Male miners in this area have low WTC. Education on the basic knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and circumcision may help promote the application of circumcision.

Postnatal nutrition influences male attractiveness and promotes plasticity in male mating preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Noguera, José C.; Metcalfe, Neil B.; Monaghan, Pat

2017-12-01

Poor early-life nutrition could reduce adult reproductive success by negatively affecting traits linked to sexual attractiveness such as song complexity. If so, this might favor strategic mate choice, allowing males with less complex songs to tailor their mating tactics to maximize the reproductive benefits. However, this possibility has been ignored in theoretical and empirical studies. By manipulating the micronutrient content of the diet (e.g., low or high) during the postnatal period of male zebra finches, we show for the first time (1) that males reared on a poor (low) micronutrient diet had less complex songs as adults; (2) that these males, in contrast to the high micronutrient diet group, were more selective in their mating strategies, discriminating against those females most likely to reduce their clutch size when paired with males having less complex songs; and (3) that by following different mating strategies, males reared on the contrasting diets obtained similar reproductive benefits. These results suggest that early-life dietary conditions can induce multiple and long-lasting effects on male and female reproductive traits. Moreover, the results seem to reflect a previously unreported case of adaptive plasticity in mate choice in response to a nutritionally mediated reduction in sexual attractiveness.

Promotores��� perspectives on a male-to-male peer network

OpenAIRE

Macia, Laura; Ruiz, Hector Camilo; Boyzo, Roberto; Documet, Patricia Isabel

2016-01-01

Little documentation exists about male community health workers (promotores) networks. The experiences of promotores can provide input on how to attract, train, supervise and maintain male promotores in CHW programs. We present the experience and perspectives of promotores who participated in a male promotores network assisting Latino immigrant men in an emerging Latino community. All promotores in this community-based participatory study received payment for work 10 hours a week. We conducte...

Prostatitis and male infertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Alshahrani, Saad; McGill, John; Agarwal, Ashok

2013-11-01

The prostate gland plays an important role in male reproduction. Inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) is a common health problem affecting many young and middle aged men. Prostatitis is considered a correctable cause of male infertility, but the pathophysiology and appropriate treatment options of prostatitis in male infertility remain unclear. This literature review will focus on current data regarding prostatitis and its impact on male infertility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resonance journal of science education

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Resonance journal of science education. May 2012 Volume 17 Number 5. SERIES ARTICLES. 436 Dawn of Science. The Quest for Power. T Padmanabhan. GENERAL ARTICLES. 441 Bernoulli Runs Using 'Book Cricket' to Evaluate. Cricketers. Anand Ramalingam. 454 Wilhelm Ostwald, the Father of Physical Chemistry.

Biomimetic micromechanical adaptive flow-sensor arrays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Floris, J.; Dijkstra, Marcel; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.

2007-01-01

We report current developments in biomimetic flow-sensors based on flow sensitive mechano-sensors of crickets. Crickets have one form of acoustic sensing evolved in the form of mechanoreceptive sensory hairs. These filiform hairs are highly perceptive to low-frequency sound with energy sensitivities

SAJSM 543.indd

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The youth cricketers sustained more back and trunk injuries, recurrent injuries and ... implement an educational process of injury prevention and management. ... Sport Bureau, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa .... the time of the year when no specific cricket practice or matches took.

Free-ranging male koalas use size-related variation in formant frequencies to assess rival males.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin D Charlton

Full Text Available Although the use of formant frequencies in nonhuman animal vocal communication systems has received considerable recent interest, only a few studies have examined the importance of these acoustic cues to body size during intra-sexual competition between males. Here we used playback experiments to present free-ranging male koalas with re-synthesised bellow vocalisations in which the formants were shifted to simulate either a large or a small adult male. We found that male looking responses did not differ according to the size variant condition played back. In contrast, male koalas produced longer bellows and spent more time bellowing when they were presented with playbacks simulating larger rivals. In addition, males were significantly slower to respond to this class of playback stimuli than they were to bellows simulating small males. Our results indicate that male koalas invest more effort into their vocal responses when they are presented with bellows that have lower formants indicative of larger rivals, but also show that males are slower to engage in vocal exchanges with larger males that represent more dangerous rivals. By demonstrating that male koalas use formants to assess rivals during the breeding season we have provided evidence that male-male competition constitutes an important selection pressure for broadcasting and attending to size-related formant information in this species. Further empirical studies should investigate the extent to which the use of formants during intra-sexual competition is widespread throughout mammals.

Self catheterization - male

Science.gov (United States)

... male; CIC - male Images Catheterization References Davis JE, Silverman MA. Urologic procedures. In: Roberts JR, ed. Roberts ... provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial ...

Metagenetic analysis of the bacterial communities of edible insects from diverse production cycles at industrial rearing companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandeweyer, D; Crauwels, S; Lievens, B; Van Campenhout, L

2017-11-16

Despite the continuing development of new insect-derived food products, microbial research on edible insects and insect-based foods is still very limited. The goal of this study was to increase the knowledge on the microbial quality of edible insects by comparing the bacterial community composition of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus and Gryllodes sigillatus) from several production cycles and rearing companies. Remarkable differences in the bacterial community composition were found between different mealworm rearing companies and mealworm production cycles from the same company. In comparison with mealworms, the bacterial community composition of the investigated crickets was more similar among different companies, and was highly similar between both cricket species investigated. Mealworm communities were dominated by Spiroplasma and Erwinia species, while crickets were abundantly colonised by (Para)bacteroides species. With respect to food safety, only a few operational taxonomic units could be associated with potential human pathogens such as Cronobacter or spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas. In summary, our results implicate that at least for cricket rearing, production cycles of constant and good quality in terms of bacterial composition can be obtained by different rearing companies. For mealworms however, more variation in terms of microbial quality occurs between companies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Male contraception

OpenAIRE

Mathew, Vivek; Bantwal, Ganapathi

2012-01-01

Contraception is an accepted route for the control of population explosion in the world. Traditionally hormonal contraceptive methods have focused on women. Male contraception by means of hormonal and non hormonal methods is an attractive alternative. Hormonal methods of contraception using testosterone have shown good results. Non hormonal reversible methods of male contraception like reversible inhibition of sperm under guidanceare very promising. In this article we have reviewed the curren...

Sneaker "jack" males outcompete dominant "hooknose" males under sperm competition in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Brent; Conti, David V; Dean, Matthew D

2013-12-01

In a variety of taxa, males deploy alternative reproductive tactics to secure fertilizations. In many species, small "sneaker" males attempt to steal fertilizations while avoiding encounters with larger, more aggressive, dominant males. Sneaker males usually face a number of disadvantages, including reduced access to females and the higher likelihood that upon ejaculation, their sperm face competition from other males. Nevertheless, sneaker males represent an evolutionarily stable strategy under a wide range of conditions. Game theory suggests that sneaker males compensate for these disadvantages by investing disproportionately in spermatogenesis, by producing more sperm per unit body mass (the "fair raffle") and/or by producing higher quality sperm (the "loaded raffle"). Here, we test these models by competing sperm from sneaker "jack" males against sperm from dominant "hooknose" males in Chinook salmon. Using two complementary approaches, we reject the fair raffle in favor of the loaded raffle and estimate that jack males were ∼1.35 times as likely as hooknose males to fertilize eggs under controlled competitive conditions. Interestingly, the direction and magnitude of this skew in paternity shifted according to individual female egg donors, suggesting cryptic female choice could moderate the outcomes of sperm competition in this externally fertilizing species.

Early Resumption of Sex following Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision amongst School-Going Males.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavin George

Full Text Available Voluntary medical male circumcision is an integral part of the South African government's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Following circumcision, it is recommended that patients abstain from sexual activity for six weeks, as sex may increase the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission and prolong the healing period. This paper investigates the resumption of sexual activity during the healing period among a cohort of school-going males in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The analysis for this paper compares two groups of sexually active school-going males: the first group reported having sex during the healing period (n = 40 and the second group (n = 98 reported no sex during the healing period (mean age: 17.7, SD: 1.7.The results show that 29% (n = 40 of young males (mean age: 17.9, SD: 1.8 who were previously sexually active, resumed sexual activity during the healing period, had on average two partners and used condoms inconsistently. In addition, those males that engage in sexual activity during the healing period were less inclined to practice safe sex in the future (AOR = 0.055, p = 0.002 than the group of males who reported no sex during the healing period. These findings suggest that a significant proportion of young males may currently and in the future, subject themselves to high levels of risk for contracting HIV post circumcision. Education, as part of a VMMC campaign, must emphasize the high risk of HIV transmission for both the males their partners during the healing period.

Will male advertisement be a reliable indicator of paternal care, if offspring survival depends on male care?

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Natasha B; Alonzo, Suzanne H

2009-09-07

Existing theory predicts that male signalling can be an unreliable indicator of paternal care, but assumes that males with high levels of mating success can have high current reproductive success, without providing any parental care. As a result, this theory does not hold for the many species where offspring survival depends on male parental care. We modelled male allocation of resources between advertisement and care for species with male care where males vary in quality, and the effect of care and advertisement on male fitness is multiplicative rather than additive. Our model predicts that males will allocate proportionally more of their resources to whichever trait (advertisement or paternal care) is more fitness limiting. In contrast to previous theory, we find that male advertisement is always a reliable indicator of paternal care and male phenotypic quality (e.g. males with higher levels of advertisement never allocate less to care than males with lower levels of advertisement). Our model shows that the predicted pattern of male allocation and the reliability of male signalling depend very strongly on whether paternal care is assumed to be necessary for offspring survival and how male care affects offspring survival and male fitness.

[Male urinary incontinence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, T.A. de; Heesakkers, J.P.F.A.

2008-01-01

*Urinary incontinence in males is gaining increasingly more attention. *Male urinary incontinence can be classified as storage incontinence due to overactive bladder syndrome or stress incontinence due to urethral sphincter dysfunction. *Most patients benefit from the currently available treatment

EXPERIENCE-BASED TYPOLOGY OF SPECTATORS AT AN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

martinette kruger

experience. Key words: Market segmentation; Cricket spectators; Cricket Sixes tournament; ... to enjoy various sports as a form of entertainment, to grow tourism, to grow sport participation and ..... e. D is ta n ce. Figure 1. THREE CLUSTER SOLUTION: WARD'S METHOD WITH SQUARED ..... positive word-of-mouth referrals.

2009 USCG Innovation Expo

Science.gov (United States)

2009-11-19

Inspired Building A termite mound can seem eerily like a skyscraper, especially when you consider the mount’s efficient regulation of air flow...cricket that uses its burrow to amplify sound. New Klipsch speakers are created by studying how Egyptian mole crickets amplify sounds Slide # 19 Termite

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INJURIES TO ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ELITE SOUTlI AFRICAN CRICKET. PLAYERS. R A Stretch. Objectives. The study investigated the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by elite cricketers during a season and the possible risk factors associated with these injuries. Methods. Fourteen physiotherapists and three doctors recorded 163 injuries sustained ...

Biomimetic flow sensors for environmental awareness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.; Dagamseh, A.M.K.

Crickets possess hairy organs attached to their abdomen, the so-called cerci. These cerci contain highly flow-sensitive mechanosensors that enable the crickets to monitor the flow-field around them and react to specific stimuli form the environment, e.g. air-movements generated by hunting spiders.

Male breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lautrup, Marianne D; Thorup, Signe S; Jensen, Vibeke

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Describe prognostic parameters of Danish male breast cancer patients (MBCP) diagnosed from 1980-2009. Determine all-cause mortality compared to the general male population and analyze survival/mortality compared with Danish female breast cancer patients (FBCP) in the same period...

Developmental gene discovery in a hemimetabolous insect: de novo assembly and annotation of a transcriptome for the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Zeng

Full Text Available Most genomic resources available for insects represent the Holometabola, which are insects that undergo complete metamorphosis like beetles and flies. In contrast, the Hemimetabola (direct developing insects, representing the basal branches of the insect tree, have very few genomic resources. We have therefore created a large and publicly available transcriptome for the hemimetabolous insect Gryllus bimaculatus (cricket, a well-developed laboratory model organism whose potential for functional genetic experiments is currently limited by the absence of genomic resources. cDNA was prepared using mRNA obtained from adult ovaries containing all stages of oogenesis, and from embryo samples on each day of embryogenesis. Using 454 Titanium pyrosequencing, we sequenced over four million raw reads, and assembled them into 21,512 isotigs (predicted transcripts and 120,805 singletons with an average coverage per base pair of 51.3. We annotated the transcriptome manually for over 400 conserved genes involved in embryonic patterning, gametogenesis, and signaling pathways. BLAST comparison of the transcriptome against the NCBI non-redundant protein database (nr identified significant similarity to nr sequences for 55.5% of transcriptome sequences, and suggested that the transcriptome may contain 19,874 unique transcripts. For predicted transcripts without significant similarity to known sequences, we assessed their similarity to other orthopteran sequences, and determined that these transcripts contain recognizable protein domains, largely of unknown function. We created a searchable, web-based database to allow public access to all raw, assembled and annotated data. This database is to our knowledge the largest de novo assembled and annotated transcriptome resource available for any hemimetabolous insect. We therefore anticipate that these data will contribute significantly to more effective and higher-throughput deployment of molecular analysis tools in

Sexually selected nest-building--Pomatoschistus minutus males build smaller nest-openings in the presence of sneaker males.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, O; Kvarnemo, C

2003-09-01

Both natural selection and sexual selection may act on nest-building. We tested experimentally how different regimes of egg-predation and male-male competition influence nest-building before mating, using the marine fish sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus. Males with sneaker males present built the smallest nest-openings, smaller than males held alone or with Pomatoschistus microps males (which may predate eggs and compete over nest-sites but not compete over fertilizations). Males with visual access to other nest-building males tended also to build smaller openings than males held alone or with P. microps. Males with egg-predators present built nests with openings not differing significantly from any other treatment. Our results indicate that the small nest-openings found in the sneaker male treatment are sexually selected through protection against sneaking or by female choice. Across treatments, time span before a male started to build his nest also explained variation in nest-opening width; males starting late built larger nest-openings.

Diploid male dynamics under different numbers of sexual alleles and male dispersal abilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Luiz R R; Soares, Elaine Della Giustina; Carmo, Eduardo do; Oliveira, Paulo Murilo Castro de

2016-09-01

Insects in the order Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants) present an haplodiploid system of sexual determination in which fertilized eggs become females and unfertilized eggs males. Under single locus complementary sex-determination (sl-CSD) system, the sex of a specimen depends on the alleles at a single locus: when diploid, an individual will be a female if heterozygous and male if homozygous. Significant diploid male (DM) production may drive a population to an extinction scenario called "diploid male vortex". We aimed at studying the dynamics of populations of a sl-CSD organism under several combinations of two parameters: male flight abilities and number of sexual alleles. In these simulations, we evaluated the frequency of DM and a genetic diversity measure over 10,000 generations. The number of sexual alleles varied from 10 to 100 and, at each generation, a male offspring might fly to another random site within a varying radius R. Two main results emerge from our simulations: (i) the number of DM depends more on male flight radius than on the number of alleles; (ii) in large geographic regions, the effect of males flight radius on the allelic diversity turns out much less pronounced than in small regions. In other words, small regions where inbreeding normally appears recover genetic diversity due to large flight radii. These results may be particularly relevant when considering the population dynamics of species with increasingly limited dispersal ability (e.g., forest-dependent species of euglossine bees in fragmented landscapes).

Incidence and nature of epidemiological injuries to elite South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objectives. The study investigated the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by elite cricketers during a season and the possible risk factors associated with these injuries. Methods. Fourteen physiotherapists and three doctors recorded 163 injuries sustained by 88 cricketers. Results. Bowling accounted for 40.5% of the ...

Factors affecting aggressive behaviour of spawning migratory males towards mature male parr in masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, M; Maekawa, K

2010-07-01

This study examined whether dominant migratory males (adopting fighter tactics) of the masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou would more aggressively attack large mature male parr (adopting sneaker tactics) as large mature male parr are expected to have the potential to cause a greater decrease in fertilization success. The frequency of aggressive behaviour was not related to the body size of males, and it increased with the frequency of interactions with mature male parr. The fertilization success of mature male parr was much lower than migratory males, and no relationship was observed between fertilization success and aggressive behaviour. The low fertilization success of mature male parr, despite infrequent aggressive behaviour by migratory males, indicates that there might be little benefit for migratory males to attack mature male parr more aggressively according to their body size.

Varicocele and male infertility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian Fuglesang S.; Østergren, Peter; Dupree, James M.

2017-01-01

The link between varicoceles and male infertility has been a matter of debate for more than half a century. Varicocele is considered the most common correctable cause of male infertility, but some men with varicoceles are able to father children, even without intervention. In addition, improvements...... if the male partner has a clinically palpable varicocele and affected semen parameters....

Male depression and suicide.

Science.gov (United States)

Wålinder, J; Rutzt, W

2001-03-01

Based on the experiences of the Gotland Study that education of general practitioners about depressive illness resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the number of female suicides, leaving the rate of male suicides almost unaffected, we propose the concept of a male depressive syndrome. This syndrome comprises a low stress tolerance, an acting-out behavior, a low impulse control, substance abuse and a hereditary loading of depressive illness, alcoholism and suicide. This notion is supported by data from The Amish study as well as the concept of van Praag of a stress-precipitated, cortisol-induced, serotonin-related and anxiety-driven depressive illness most often seen in males. In order to identify depressed males, the Gotland Male Depression Scale has been developed. Some preliminary data using the scale in a group of alcohol-dependant patients are presented.

Early-Life Social Isolation Influences Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations during Male-Male Social Encounters.

Science.gov (United States)

Keesom, Sarah M; Finton, Caitlyn J; Sell, Gabrielle L; Hurley, Laura M

2017-01-01

Early-life social isolation has profound effects on adult social competence. This is often expressed as increased aggression or inappropriate displays of courtship-related behaviors. The social incompetence exhibited by isolated animals could be in part due to an altered ability to participate in communicatory exchanges. House mice (Mus musculus) present an excellent model for exploring this idea, because social isolation has a well-established influence on their social behavior, and mice engage in communication via multiple sensory modalities. Here, we tested the prediction that social isolation during early life would influence ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by adult male mice during same-sex social encounters. Starting at three weeks of age, male mice were housed individually or in social groups of four males for five weeks, after which they were placed in one of three types of paired social encounters. Pair types consisted of: two individually housed males, two socially housed males, or an individually housed and a socially housed male ("mixed" pairs). Vocal behavior (USVs) and non-vocal behaviors were recorded from these 15-minute social interactions. Pairs of mice consisting of at least one individually housed male emitted more and longer USVs, with a greater proportional use of USVs containing frequency jumps and 50-kHz components. Individually housed males in the mixed social pairs exhibited increased levels of mounting behavior towards the socially housed males. Mounting in these pairs was positively correlated with increased number and duration of USVs as well as increased proportional use of spectrally more complex USVs. These findings demonstrate that USVs are part of the suite of social behaviors influenced by early-life social isolation, and suggest that altered vocal communication following isolation reflects reduced social competence.

The agricultural contaminant 17β-trenbolone disrupts male-male competition in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

Science.gov (United States)

Tomkins, Patrick; Saaristo, Minna; Bertram, Michael G; Tomkins, Raymond B; Allinson, Mayumi; Wong, Bob B M

2017-11-01

Despite a growing literature highlighting the potential impact of human-induced environmental change on mechanisms of sexual selection, relatively little is known about the effects of chemical pollutants on male-male competition. One class of environmental pollutant likely to impact male competitive interactions is the endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), a large and heterogeneous group of chemical contaminants with the potential to influence morphology, physiology and behaviour at minute concentrations. One EDC of increasing concern is the synthetic, androgenic steroid 17β-trenbolone, which is used globally to promote growth in beef cattle. Although 17β-trenbolone has been found to cause severe morphological and behavioural abnormalities in fish, its potential impact on male-male competition has yet to be investigated. To address this, we exposed wild male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to an environmentally realistic concentration of 17β-trenbolone (average measured concentration: 8 ng/L) for 21 days using a flow-through system. We found that, in the presence of a competitor, 17β-trenbolone-exposed males carried out more frequent aggressive behaviours towards rival males than did unexposed males, as well as performing less courting behaviour and more sneak (i.e., coercive) mating attempts towards females. Considering that, by influencing mating outcomes, male-male competition has important consequences for population dynamics and broader evolutionary processes, this study highlights the need for greater understanding of the potential impact of EDCs on the mechanisms of sexual selection. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stages of Male Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

... Breast & Gynecologic Cancers Breast Cancer Screening Research Male Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version General Information about Male Breast Cancer Go to Health Professional Version Key Points Male ...

Demand for male contraception.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorman, Emily; Bishai, David

2012-10-01

The biological basis for male contraception was established decades ago, but despite promising breakthroughs and the financial burden men increasingly bear due to better enforcement of child support policies, no viable alternative to the condom has been brought to market. Men who wish to control their fertility must rely on female compliance with contraceptives, barrier methods, vasectomy or abstinence. Over the last 10 years, the pharmaceutical industry has abandoned most of its investment in the field, leaving only nonprofit organisations and public entities pursuing male contraception. Leading explanations are uncertain forecasts of market demand pitted against the need for critical investments to demonstrate the safety of existing candidate products. This paper explores the developments and challenges in male contraception research. We produce preliminary estimates of potential market size for a safe and effective male contraceptive based on available data to estimate the potential market for a novel male method.

Repeated Bout Effect Was More Expressed in Young Adult Males Than in Elderly Males and Boys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giedrius Gorianovas

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated possible differences using the same stretch-shortening exercise (SSE protocol on generally accepted monitoring markers (dependent variables: changes in creatine kinase, muscle soreness, and voluntary and electrically evoked torque in males across three lifespan stages (childhood versus adulthood versus old age. The protocol consisted of 100 intermittent (30 s interval between jumps drop jumps to determine the repeated bout effect (RBE (first and second bouts performed at a 2-week interval. The results showed that indirect symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage after SSE were more expressed in adult males than in boys and elderly males, suggesting that the muscles of boys and elderly males are more resistant to exercise-induced damage than those of adult males. RBE was more pronounced in adult males than in boys and elderly males, suggesting that the muscles of boys and elderly males are less adaptive to exercise-induced muscle damage than those of adult males.

Structural isoforms of the circadian neuropeptide PDF expressed in the optic lobes of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus: immunocytochemical evidence from specific monoclonal antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Takeshi; Matsushima, Ayami; Sumida, Kazunori; Chuman, Yoshiro; Sakaguchi, Kazuyasu; Onoue, Hitoshi; Meinertzhagen, Ian A; Shimohigashi, Yasuyuki; Shimohigashi, Miki

2006-11-20

Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) is an 18-mer peptide that acts as a principal neurotransmitter of the insect circadian clock. Our previous study, utilizing anti-Uca beta-PDH polyclonal antibody (pAb) to immunolabel the optic lobe of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, suggested the existence of an alternative PDF-like peptide in the outer cells of the first neuropile, or lamina (La), which were much less immunoreactive than the inner cells of the second neuropile, the medulla (Me). To obtain structural information about such a PDF-like peptide, we prepared 10 anti-Gryllus PDF monoclonal (mAb) and pAb antibodies and analyzed their detailed epitope specificities. The PDFMe and PDFLa inner cells and their axonal projections were clearly immunoreactive to all these antibodies, revealing the widespread immunocytochemical organization of the PDF system in the optic lobe, as seen previously with anti-Uca beta-PDH pAb and anti-Gryllus PDF mAb, the epitope structures of which were also clarified in this study. The lamina outer cells, which we found lacked a target pdf mRNA, displayed specific immunoreactivities, indicating that the cells contain a distinct PDF-like peptide possessing both N- and C-terminal structures. These cells were not immunolabeled by some other monoclonal antibodies, however, implying that the PDFLa outer cells have a PDF isoform peptide devoid of Asn at positions 6 and 16. This isoform was also identified in a varicose arborization in the lamina. These results suggest not only the structure of the peptide, but also the possibility of additional functions of this novel PDF isoform.

Male mating biology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Howell, Paul I.; Knols, Bart G. J.

2009-01-01

Before sterile mass-reared mosquitoes are released in an attempt to control local populations, many facets of male mating biology need to be elucidated. Large knowledge gaps exist in how both sexes meet in space and time, the correlation of male size and mating success and in which arenas matings

Isolation and structure elucidation of neuropeptides of the AKH/RPCH family in long-horned grasshoppers (Ensifera).

Science.gov (United States)

Gäde, G

1992-11-01

An identical neuropeptide was isolated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography from the corpora cardiaca of the king cricket, Libanasidus vittatus, and the two armoured ground crickets, Heterodes namaqua and Acanthoproctus cervinus. The crude gland extracts had adipokinetic activity in migratory locusts, hypertrehalosaemic activity in American cockroaches and a slight hypertrehalosaemic, but no adipokinetic, effect in armoured ground crickets. The primary structure of this neuropeptide was determined by pulsed-liquid phase sequencing employing Edman chemistry after enzymically deblocking the N-terminal 5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid residue. The C-terminus was also blocked, as indicated by the lack of digestion by carboxypeptidase A. The peptide was assigned the structure [symbol: see text]Glu-Leu-Asn-Phe-Ser-Thr-Gly-TrpNH2, previously designated Scg-AKH-II. The corpora cardiaca of the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus contained a neuropeptide which differed in retention time from the one isolated from the king and armoured ground crickets. The structure was assigned as [symbol: see text]Glu-Val-Asn-Phe-Ser-Thr-Gly-TrpNH2, previously designated Grb-AKH. This octapeptide caused hyperlipaemia in its donor species. The presence of the same peptide, Scg-AKH-II, in the two primitive infraorders of Ensifera, and the different peptide, Grb-AKH, in the most advanced infraorder of Ensifera, supports the evolutionary trends assigned formerly from morphological and physiological evidence.

How Effective Is Male Contraception?

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... Twitter Pinterest Email Print How effective is male contraception? Not all contraceptive methods are appropriate for all ... is best for them. For men, methods of contraception include male condoms and sterilization (vasectomy). Male condoms. ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mckinon, W. Vol 25, No 3 (2013) - Articles Side-to-side asymmetry in absolute and relative muscle thickness of the lateral abdominal wall in cricket pace bowlers. Abstract PDF · Vol 27, No 3 (2015) - Articles Cricket pace bowling: The trade-off between optimising knee angle for performance advantages v. injury prevention

Performing “responsibility” and “conspiracy” through press ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In 2003, the Australian cricketer Shane Warne was suspected and convicted of doping. The purpose of this article was to understand how he tried to resolve the problem/dilemma of being suspected and convicted of doping through three press statements, which he delivered to the media during the 2003 Cricket World Cup ...

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Orchard, J. Vol 17, No 2 (2005) - Articles Methods for injury surveillance in international cricket. Abstract PDF · Vol 27, No 4 (2015) - Articles Different tissue type categories of overuse injuries to cricket fast bowlers have different severity and incidence which varies with age. Abstract PDF. ISSN: 2078-516X. AJOL African ...

Seminal fluid enhances competitiveness of territorial males' sperm in a fish with alternative male reproductive tactics.

Science.gov (United States)

Poli, Federica; Locatello, Lisa; Rasotto, Maria B

2018-05-29

The most common adaptation to sperm competition in males is represented by an increase in the sperm number and/or quality released at mating, to raise their probability of egg fertilization. However, rapidly mounting evidence highlights that seminal fluid may directly influence the competitive fertilization success of a male by affecting either own and/or rival sperm performances. In the black goby, Gobius niger , an external fertilizer with guard-sneaker mating tactics and high sperm competition level, sneaker males' ejaculates contain less seminal fluid and more sperm, that are also of better quality, than those of territorial males. However, territorial males, gain a higher paternity success inside natural nests. Here, we ask whether the seminal fluid can contribute to territorial males' reproductive success by enhancing their sperm performances and/or by decreasing those of sneaker males. Using sperm and seminal fluid manipulation and in vitro fertilization tests, we found that own seminal fluid influences the velocity and fertilization ability of sperm only in territorial males, making them as faster as those of sneakers and with similar fertilization rate. Moreover, both sneaker and territorial males' sperm remain unaffected by the seminal fluid of rival males. Thus, black goby males respond to the different level of sperm competition faced by differently allocating in sperm and non-sperm components of the ejaculate, with sneakers primarily investing in sperm of intrinsic high quality and territorial males relying on the effect of seminal fluid to increase the lower intrinsic quality of their sperm. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Sneaker “jack” males outcompete dominant “hooknose” males under sperm competition in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

OpenAIRE

Young, Brent; Conti, David V; Dean, Matthew D

2013-01-01

In a variety of taxa, males deploy alternative reproductive tactics to secure fertilizations. In many species, small “sneaker” males attempt to steal fertilizations while avoiding encounters with larger, more aggressive, dominant males. Sneaker males usually face a number of disadvantages, including reduced access to females and the higher likelihood that upon ejaculation, their sperm face competition from other males. Nevertheless, sneaker males represent an evolutionarily stable strategy un...

Increased Male-Male Mounting Behaviour in Desert Locusts during Infection with an Entomopathogenic Fungus.

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Clancy, Lisa M; Cooper, Amy L; Griffith, Gareth W; Santer, Roger D

2017-07-18

Same-sex sexual behaviour occurs across diverse animal taxa, but adaptive explanations can be difficult to determine. Here we investigate male-male mounting (MMM) behaviour in female-deprived desert locust males infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Over a four-week period, infected locusts performed more MMM behaviours than healthy controls. Among infected locusts, the probability of MMM, and the duration of time spent MMM, significantly increased with the mounting locust's proximity to death. In experimental trials, infected locusts were also significantly more likely than controls to attempt to mount healthy males. Therefore, we demonstrate that MMM is more frequent among infected than healthy male locusts, and propose that this may be explained by terminal reproductive effort and a lowered mate acceptance threshold in infected males. However, during experimental trials mounting attempts were more likely to be successful if the mounted locusts were experimentally manipulated to have a reduced capacity to escape. Thus, reduced escape capability resulting from infection may also contribute to the higher frequency of MMM among infected male locusts. Our data demonstrate that pathogen infection can affect same-sex sexual behaviour, and suggest that the impact of such behaviours on host and pathogen fitness will be a novel focus for future research.

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

West, SJ. Vol 23, No 3 (2011) - Articles An analysis of the performance of Black African junior provincial cricket batsmen. Abstract PDF · Vol 27, No 2 (2015) - Articles The cricket bowling performance of different racial groups at a junior provincial level in South Africa Abstract PDF. ISSN: 2078-516X. AJOL African Journals ...

Cytogenetic of Male Infertility

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Lutfiye Ozpak

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Infertility by definition, is not to get pregnant within one year of regular sexual relationship without protection, affects 15-20% of reproductive age couples. Approximately 30% of infertility cases are male originated. Male infertility is caused by endocrine-related genetic defects affecting urogenital system function. These defects adversely affect subsequent spermatogenesis, sexual function, fertility, early embryonic stage of sexual maturation. Autosomal and gonosomal, numerical and structural chromosome abnormalities and related syndromes rank at the top causes of male infertility. Similar chromosome abnormalities are detected in male infertility and as the rate of these abnormalities increase, it was found to reduce sperm count especially in azospermic and oligozoospermic men. [Archives Medical Review Journal 2011; 20(4.000: 230-245

Male-male aggression peaks at intermediate relatedness in a social spider mite

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sato, Y.; Egas, M.; Sabelis, M.W.; Mochizuki, A.

2013-01-01

Theory predicts that when individuals live in groups or colonies, male-male aggression peaks at intermediate levels of local average relatedness. Assuming that aggression is costly and directed toward nonrelatives and that competition for reproduction acts within the colony, benefits of aggressive

Will male advertisement be a reliable indicator of paternal care, if offspring survival depends on male care?

OpenAIRE

Kelly, Natasha B.; Alonzo, Suzanne H.

2009-01-01

Existing theory predicts that male signalling can be an unreliable indicator of paternal care, but assumes that males with high levels of mating success can have high current reproductive success, without providing any parental care. As a result, this theory does not hold for the many species where offspring survival depends on male parental care. We modelled male allocation of resources between advertisement and care for species with male care where males vary in quality, and the effect of c...

Sneaker “jack” males outcompete dominant “hooknose” males under sperm competition in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Brent; Conti, David V; Dean, Matthew D

2013-01-01

In a variety of taxa, males deploy alternative reproductive tactics to secure fertilizations. In many species, small “sneaker” males attempt to steal fertilizations while avoiding encounters with larger, more aggressive, dominant males. Sneaker males usually face a number of disadvantages, including reduced access to females and the higher likelihood that upon ejaculation, their sperm face competition from other males. Nevertheless, sneaker males represent an evolutionarily stable strategy under a wide range of conditions. Game theory suggests that sneaker males compensate for these disadvantages by investing disproportionately in spermatogenesis, by producing more sperm per unit body mass (the “fair raffle”) and/or by producing higher quality sperm (the “loaded raffle”). Here, we test these models by competing sperm from sneaker “jack” males against sperm from dominant “hooknose” males in Chinook salmon. Using two complementary approaches, we reject the fair raffle in favor of the loaded raffle and estimate that jack males were ∼1.35 times as likely as hooknose males to fertilize eggs under controlled competitive conditions. Interestingly, the direction and magnitude of this skew in paternity shifted according to individual female egg donors, suggesting cryptic female choice could moderate the outcomes of sperm competition in this externally fertilizing species. PMID:24455130

Male size composition affects male reproductive variance in Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. spawning aggregations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bekkevold, Dorte

2006-01-01

Estimates of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua reproductive success, determined using experimental spawning groups and genetic paternity assignment of offspring, showed that within-group variance in male size correlated positively with the degree of male mating skew, predicting a decrease in male reprodu...

Terminology and nomenclature in sport and exercise medicine

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The example set by cricket was followed by soccer[2] and then rugby[3]. Both documents go into detail about the definitions of injury and factors to consider in calculating exposure in the respective sports. This results in studies on the incidence of injury being expressed in a comparable way. As with the research in cricket, ...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lemmer, HH. Vol 30, No 2 (2008) - Articles An analysis of players\\' performances in the first cricket Twenty20 World Cup series. Abstract · Vol 31, No 1 (2009) - Articles Batting and bowling performance measures for list-A and first class cricket matches. Abstract · Vol 33, No 3 (2011) - Articles Performance measures for wicket ...

Effect of mating activity and dominance rank on male masturbation among free-ranging male rhesus macaques.

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Dubuc, Constance; Coyne, Sean P; Maestripieri, Dario

2013-11-01

The adaptive function of male masturbation is still poorly understood, despite its high prevalence in humans and other animals. In non-human primates, male masturbation is most frequent among anthropoid monkeys and apes living in multimale-multifemale groups with a promiscuous mating system. In these species, male masturbation may be a non-functional by-product of high sexual arousal or be adaptive by providing advantages in terms of sperm competition or by decreasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections. We investigated the possible functional significance of male masturbation using behavioral data collected on 21 free-ranging male rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta ) at the peak of the mating season. We found some evidence that masturbation is linked to low mating opportunities: regardless of rank, males were most likely to be observed masturbating on days in which they were not observed mating, and lower-ranking males mated less and tended to masturbate more frequently than higher-ranking males. These results echo the findings obtained for two other species of macaques, but contrast those obtained in red colobus monkeys ( Procolobus badius ) and Cape ground squirrels ( Xerus inauris ). Interestingly, however, male masturbation events ended with ejaculation in only 15% of the observed masturbation time, suggesting that new hypotheses are needed to explain masturbation in this species. More studies are needed to establish whether male masturbation is adaptive and whether it serves similar or different functions in different sexually promiscuous species.

Male pattern baldness (image)

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Male pattern baldness is a sex-linked characteristic that is passed from mother to child. A man can more accurately predict his chances of developing male pattern baldness by observing his mother's father than by looking ...

Why the carrot is more effective than the stick: different dynamics of punishment memory and reward memory and its possible biological basis.

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Nakatani, Yoshihiro; Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Mori, Yasuhiro; Hirashima, Daisuke; Nishino, Hiroshi; Arikawa, Kentaro; Mizunami, Makoto

2009-10-01

One of the most extensively debated topics in educational psychology is whether punishment or reward is more effective for producing short-term and long-term behavioral changes, and it has been proposed that the effect of punishment is less durable than the effect of reward. However, no conclusive evidence to support this proposal has been obtained in any animals. We recently found that punishment memory decayed much faster than reward memory in olfactory learning and visual pattern learning in crickets. We also found that neurotransmitters conveying punishment and reward signals differ in crickets: dopaminergic and octopaminergic neurons play critical roles in conveying punishment and reward signals, respectively. In this study, we investigated whether these features are general features of cricket learning or are specific to olfactory and visual pattern learning. We found that crickets have the capability of color learning and that their color learning has the same features. Based on our findings in crickets and those reported in other species of insects, we conclude that these two features are conserved in many forms of insect learning. In mammals, aminergic neurons are known to convey reward and punishment signals in learning of a variety of sensory stimuli. We propose that the faster decay of punishment memory than reward memory observed in insects and humans reflects different cellular and biochemical processes after activation of receptors for amines conveying punishment and reward signals. The possible adaptive significance of relatively limited durability of punishment memory is proposed.

Male scent-marking pheromone of Bombus ardens ardens (Hymenoptera; Apidae) attracts both conspecific queens and males

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Kubo, Ryohei; Harano, Ken-ichi; Ono, Masato

2017-10-01

To explore the role of the volatiles emitted from male labial gland (LG) of the bumblebee Bombus ardens ardens, we investigated the responses of virgin queens and males to volatiles using a gas chromatography-electroantennographic detector (GC-EAD) system and Y-tube olfactometer. GC-EAD analysis revealed that citronellol, the main compound detected in the male LG, caused clear electrophysiological responses in the antennae of B. a. ardens virgin queens and males although two minor compounds elicited antennal responses when applied in a high concentration. Behavioral tests using a Y-tube olfactometer showed that queens and males were significantly attracted to both LG extracts and citronellol more than to the solvent alone. This is the first study to demonstrate that citronellol as a major compound of male scent-marking pheromone in B. a. ardens functions as a sex attractant for queens. The results also suggest that this compound has another function as a trail marker used by males.

Genetically conditioned male sterility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gottschalk, W.

1976-01-01

A survey is given of two different types of genetically controlled male sterility in higher plants. 'Functional' male sterility is due to the action of mutated genes causing a misdifferentiation of the growing points in different specific ways. Under the influence of the genes of this group either the stamens or the archespore tissues are not differentiated. In other mutants functionable male germ cells are produced but cannot be used for fertilizing the egg cells because the anthers remain closed or anthers and stigma become spatially separated from each other. Other genes of the group are responsible for the transformation of stamens into carpels, i.e. for a change of the hermaphrodite flower into a unisexually female one. A second type of male sterility is due to the action of ms genes influencing the course of micro-sporogenesis directly. They cause the breakdown of this process in a specific meiotic stage characteristic for each gene of the group. This breakdown is introduced by the degeneration of PMCs, microspores, or pollen grains preventing the production of male germ cells. The female sex organs remain uninfluenced. (author)

Sexy males and choosy females on exploded leks: correlates of male attractiveness in the Little Bustard.

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Jiguet, Frédéric; Bretagnolle, Vincent

2014-03-01

In their choice of mates, females may use alternative tactics, including a comparative assessment of males in a population, using one or several relative preference criteria. Traits involved in female choice should presumably be variable between, but not within males, thus potentially providing reliable cues of male identity and quality for prospecting females. In lekking species, sexual selection is usually intense, and females can freely choose mates. Studying the Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax, a bird with an exploded lek mating system, we first identified male phenotypic traits that showed higher among, than within variation (plumage pattern, display rates and call structure). Among those and other traits (ornaments and their symmetry, body condition, lek spatial organization and territory quality), we identified phenotypic traits that correlated with male attractiveness toward females. At least four phenotypic male traits were correlated with female attraction, i.e. body condition, lek attendance, ornamental symmetry and display rates. Traits related to the initial female attraction on male territory seem to differ from traits related to the decision of females to stay in the territory of attractive males. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Male foraging efficiency, but not male problem-solving performance, influences female mating preferences in zebra finches

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Véronique Chantal

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Experimental evidence suggests that females would prefer males with better cognitive abilities as mates. However, little is known about the traits reflecting enhanced cognitive skills on which females might base their mate-choice decisions. In particular, it has been suggested that male foraging performance could be used as an indicator of cognitive capacity, but convincing evidence for this hypothesis is still lacking. In the present study, we investigated whether female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata modify their mating preferences after having observed the performance of males on a problem-solving task. Specifically, we measured the females’ preferences between two males once before and once after an observation period, during which their initially preferred male was incapable of solving the task contrary to their initially less-preferred male. We also conducted a control treatment to test whether the shift in female preferences was attributable to differences between the two stimulus males in their foraging efficiency. Finally, we assessed each bird’s performance in a color associative task to check whether females can discriminate among males based on their learning speed. We found that females significantly increased their preference toward the most efficient male in both treatments. Yet, there was no difference between the two treatments and we found no evidence that females assess male cognitive ability indirectly via morphological traits. Thus, our results suggest that females would not use the males’ problem-solving performance as an indicator of general cognitive ability to gain indirect fitness benefits (i.e., good genes but rather to assess their foraging efficiency and gain direct benefits.

Dyadic, Partner, and Social Network Influences on Intimate Partner Violence among Male-Male Couples

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Rob Stephenson

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Despite a recent focus on intimate partner violence (IPV among men who have sex with men (MSM, the male-male couple is largely absent from the IPV literature. Specifically, research on dyadic factors shaping IPV in male-male couples is lacking.Methods: We took a subsample of 403 gay/bisexual men with main partners from a 2011 survey of approximately 1,000 gay and bisexual men from Atlanta. Logistic regression models of recent (,12 month experience and perpetration of physical and sexual IPV examined dyadic factors, including racial differences, age differences, and social network characteristics of couples as key covariates shaping the reporting of IPV.Results: Findings indicate that men were more likely to report perpetration of physical violence if they were a different race to their main partner, whereas main partner age was associated with decreased reporting of physical violence. Having social networks that contained more gay friends was associated with significant reductions in the reporting of IPV, whereas having social networks comprised of sex partners or closeted gay friends was associated with increased reporting of IPV victimization and perpetration.Conclusion: The results point to several unique factors shaping the reporting of IPV within male-male couples and highlight the need for intervention efforts and prevention programs that focus on male couples, a group largely absent from both research and prevention efforts. [West J Emerg Med. 2013;14(4:316–323.

Adolescent Male Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

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Vivian C. Nanagas MD, MSc

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective. To determine male vaccination rates with quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV4 before and after the October 2011 national recommendation to routinely immunize adolescent males. Methods. We reviewed HPV4 dose 1 (HPV4-1 uptake in 292 adolescent males in our urban clinic prior to national recommendations and followed-up for HPV4 series completion rates. After national recommendation, 248 urban clinic and 247 suburban clinic males were reviewed for HPV4-1 uptake. Factors associated with HPV4-1 refusal were determined with multiple logistic regression. Results. Of the initial 292 males, 78% received HPV4-1 and 38% received the 3-dose series. After recommendation, HPV4-1 uptake was 59% and 7% in urban and suburban clinics, respectively. Variables associated with HPV4-1 uptake/refusal included time period, race, type of insurance, and receipt of concurrent vaccines. Conclusions. HPV4-1 vaccination rates in our urban clinic were high before and after routine HPV vaccine recommendations for adolescent males. Our vaccination rates were much higher than in a suburban practice.

Hybrid male sterility and genome-wide misexpression of male reproductive proteases

OpenAIRE

Gomes, Suzanne; Civetta, Alberto

2015-01-01

Hybrid male sterility is a common barrier to gene flow between species. Previous studies have posited a link between misregulation of spermatogenesis genes in interspecies hybrids and sterility. However, in the absence of fully fertile control hybrids, it is impossible to differentiate between misregulation associated with sterility vs. fast male gene regulatory evolution. Here, we differentiate between these two possibilities using a D. pseudoobscura species pair that experiences unidirectio...

Context-Dependent Olfactory Learning in an Insect

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Mizunami, Makoto

2004-01-01

We studied the capability of the cricket "Gryllus bimaculatus" to select one of a pair of odors and to avoid the other in one context and to do the opposite in another context. One group of crickets was trained to associate one of a pair of odors (conditioned stimulus, CS1) with water reward (appetitive unconditioned stimulus, US+) and another…

Homemade Wooden Vernier Scales for Use by Blind Students

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Tomac, Mike; Bidleman, Cricket; Brown, Dan

2016-01-01

Because she had been blind since birth, we knew that our new student, Cricket, would be unable to make the necessary measurements needed to get any meaningful lab data while all of the other students would be able to use highly accurate commercial Vernier calipers. All we had on loan for Cricket was a Brailled plastic tactile meter stick with low…

Grooming reciprocity in male Tibetan macaques.

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Xia, Dong-Po; Li, Jin-Hua; Garber, Paul A; Matheson, Megan D; Sun, Bing-Hua; Zhu, Yong

2013-10-01

In several primate species, adult males are reported to compete for access to reproductive partners as well as forming affiliative and cohesive social bonds based on the exchange of goods or services. We hypothesized that among a broad set of fitness-maximizing strategies, grooming can be used by individual adult males to enhance social relationships through reciprocity and/or through the interchange of grooming for a different but equivalent good or service. We used focal animal sampling and continuously recorded dyadic grooming and agonistic interactions to test a series of predictions regarding male social interactions in a free-ranging group of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Huangshan, China. During the non-mating season or between males of similar rank throughout the year, grooming effort given was matched by grooming effort received. However, lower ranking males groomed higher ranking males at a greater rate and/or for a longer duration during both the mating and non-mating periods. We found that higher ranking males directed less aggression towards males with whom they formed a frequent grooming partnership, indicating that grooming received was interchanged for increased social tolerance. These data suggest that individual male Tibetan macaques employ alternative social strategies associated with grooming reciprocity or interchange depending on dominance rank and rates of aggression, and highlight the importance of both biological markets and grooming reciprocity as behavioral mechanisms used by resident adult males to form and maintain affiliative social bonds. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Turn it off! the effects of exposure to male-male erotic imagery on heterosexuals' attitudes toward gay men.

Science.gov (United States)

Golom, Frank D; Mohr, Jonathan J

2011-01-01

Despite the recent proliferation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) thematic content in U.S. media, there have been relatively few empirical investigations examining its impact on heterosexuals' attitudes toward LGB individuals. This study examined the effect of one type of content, male-male homoerotic imagery, on male and female heterosexuals' attitudes toward, stereotypes about, and affective reactions to gay men. One hundred ninety-eight undergraduate students were assigned to either a male-male or male-female erotica condition, and their corresponding attitudes toward gay men were assessed. Results revealed that the effect of erotic imagery (male-male vs. male-female) on participants' stereotype and affect scores differed for men and women at varying levels of sexual anxiety. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the literature on exposure to erotic imagery and attitudes toward gay men. In particular, the study highlights the need for additional research that acknowledges within-gender heterogeneity with respect to antigay attitude valence, extremity, and function.

A new genus and species of Neotropical Nemobiinae (Insecta: Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae: Nemobiinae).

Science.gov (United States)

Jesus, Fabiene Maria DE; Pereira, Marcelo Ribeiro; Rodrigues, Geanne Carla Ripani; Sperber, Carlos Frankl

2017-06-09

A new genus and a new species of Neotropical cricket is described: Pepoapua cariacica n. gen., n. sp., occurring in four Atlantic Forest remnants in the states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, Brazil. This new genus is morphologically similar in external characteristics, both male and female genitalia, with two other Neotropical genera of Nemobiinae: Amanayara and Kevanemobius. The combination of the external morphological characteristics, along with male genitalia, characterize a new genus through combination of the following characters: (i) males and females with morphologically similar tegmina; (ii) tegmina reduced, not reaching half of the second abdominal segment; (iii) dorsal field of the tegmina with parallel veins, without stridulatory vein or any specialized area for sound production; (iv) tibia of the first pair of legs without tympanum; (v) tibia of the third pair of legs with seven dorsal spurs, four inner and three outer, the proximo-dorsal inner spur reduced in size and the disto-dorsal inner spur without glandular aspect; (vi) ovipositor with distal portion of the dorsal and ventral valves serrated; (vii) male genitalia without evident bristles or sensillas; (viii) pseudepiphallic median lobe presenting apical and ventral projections.

Solutions to the cocktail party problem in insects: selective filters, spatial release from masking and gain control in tropical crickets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arne K D Schmidt

Full Text Available Insects often communicate by sound in mixed species choruses; like humans and many vertebrates in crowded social environments they thus have to solve cocktail-party-like problems in order to ensure successful communication with conspecifics. This is even more a problem in species-rich environments like tropical rainforests, where background noise levels of up to 60 dB SPL have been measured.Using neurophysiological methods we investigated the effect of natural background noise (masker on signal detection thresholds in two tropical cricket species Paroecanthus podagrosus and Diatrypa sp., both in the laboratory and outdoors. We identified three 'bottom-up' mechanisms which contribute to an excellent neuronal representation of conspecific signals despite the masking background. First, the sharply tuned frequency selectivity of the receiver reduces the amount of masking energy around the species-specific calling song frequency. Laboratory experiments yielded an average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR of -8 dB, when masker and signal were broadcast from the same side. Secondly, displacing the masker by 180° from the signal improved SNRs by further 6 to 9 dB, a phenomenon known as spatial release from masking. Surprisingly, experiments carried out directly in the nocturnal rainforest yielded SNRs of about -23 dB compared with those in the laboratory with the same masker, where SNRs reached only -14.5 and -16 dB in both species. Finally, a neuronal gain control mechanism enhances the contrast between the responses to signals and the masker, by inhibition of neuronal activity in interstimulus intervals.Thus, conventional speaker playbacks in the lab apparently do not properly reconstruct the masking noise situation in a spatially realistic manner, since under real world conditions multiple sound sources are spatially distributed in space. Our results also indicate that without knowledge of the receiver properties and the spatial release mechanisms the

Zebragryllus Desutter-Grandcolas & Cadena-Casteñada, n.gen. a new Gryllinae genus from Eastern and Western Amazonia, South America (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Gryllidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure; Cadena-Castañeda, Oscar J; Jaiswara, Ranjana; Anso, Jeremy

2014-02-24

We describe a new genus of grylline cricket, Zebragryllus Desutter-Grandcolas & Cadena-Casteñada n. gen., from the Neotropical Region, using characters of morphology and male genitalia; genitalic characters clearly show that Zebragryllus n. gen. is closely related to Anurogryllus Saussure, 1878. Six species are described as new to science, originax">ting from western (Peru, Colombia) and eastern (French Guiana) Amazonia: Zebragryllus fuscus Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., Z. guianensis Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., Z. intermedius Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., Zebragryllus nauta Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., Zebragryllus nouragui Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., and Zebragryllus wittoto Desutter-Grandcolas and Cadena-Casteñada, n. sp., type species of the genus. They are characterized by their size, coloration (shining black, most often with white patterns of coloration, hence the genus name), and male and female genitalia. The calling songs of Z. guianensis Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., Z. intermedius Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., Z. nouragui Desutter-Grandcolas, n. sp., and Z. wittoto Desutter-Grandcolas and Cadena-Casteñada, n. sp. are described. An identification key is proposed for both males and females.

Linear models for assessing mechanisms of sperm competition: the trouble with transformations.

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Eggert, Anne-Katrin; Reinhardt, Klaus; Sakaluk, Scott K

2003-01-01

Although sperm competition is a pervasive selective force shaping the reproductive tactics of males, the mechanisms underlying different patterns of sperm precedence remain obscure. Parker et al. (1990) developed a series of linear models designed to identify two of the more basic mechanisms: sperm lotteries and sperm displacement; the models can be tested experimentally by manipulating the relative numbers of sperm transferred by rival males and determining the paternity of offspring. Here we show that tests of the model derived for sperm lotteries can result in misleading inferences about the underlying mechanism of sperm precedence because the required inverse transformations may lead to a violation of fundamental assumptions of linear regression. We show that this problem can be remedied by reformulating the model using the actual numbers of offspring sired by each male, and log-transforming both sides of the resultant equation. Reassessment of data from a previous study (Sakaluk and Eggert 1996) using the corrected version of the model revealed that we should not have excluded a simple sperm lottery as a possible mechanism of sperm competition in decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus.

Hybrid male sterility between Drosophila willistoni species is caused by male failure to transfer sperm during copulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Civetta, Alberto; Gaudreau, Chelsea

2015-05-01

The biological concept of species stresses the importance of understanding what mechanisms maintain species reproductively isolated from each other. Often such mechanisms are divided into premating and postmating, with the latest being the result of either prezygotic or postzygotic isolation barriers. Drosophila willistoni quechua and Drosophila willistoni willistoni are two subspecies that experience reproductive isolation. When a D. w. quechua female is crossed with a D. w. willistoni male, the hybrid males (F1QW) are unable to father progeny; however, the reciprocal cross produces fertile hybrids. Thus, the mechanism of isolation is unidirectional hybrid male sterility. However, the sterile F1QW males contain large amounts of motile sperm. Here we explore whether pre-copulatory or post-copulatory pre-zygotic mechanisms serve as major deterrents in the ability of F1QW males to father progeny. Comparisons of parental and hybrid males copulation durations showed no significant reduction in copulation duration of F1QW males. Interrupted copulations of the parental species confirmed that sperm transfer occurs before the minimum copulation duration registered for F1QW males. However, we found that when females mate with F1QW males, sperm is not present inside the female storage organs and that the lack of sperm in storage is due to failure to transfer sperm rather than spillage or active sperm dumping by females. Sterility of F1QW hybrid males is primarily driven by their inability to transfer sperm during copulation.

Vocal competition in male Xenopus laevis frogs

OpenAIRE

Tobias, Martha L.; Corke, Anna; Korsh, Jeremy; Yin, David; Kelley, Darcy B.

2010-01-01

Male Xenopus laevis frogs produce underwater advertisement calls that attract gravid females and suppress calling by male competitors. Here we explore whether groups of males establish vocal ranks and whether auditory cues alone suffice for vocal suppression. Tests of male–male pairs within assigned groups reveal linear vocal dominance relations, in which each male has a defined rank. Both the duration over which males interact, as well as the number of competitive opportunities, affect linea...

Male Adolescent Contraceptive Utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Finkel, Madelon Lubin; Finkel, David J.

1978-01-01

The contraceptive utilization of a sample of sexually active, urban, high school males (Black, Hispanic, and White) was examined by anonymous questionnaire. Contraceptive use was haphazard, but White males tended to be more effective contraceptors than the other two groups. Reasons for nonuse were also studied. (Author/SJL)

Condoms - male

Science.gov (United States)

Prophylactics; Rubbers; Male condoms; Contraceptive - condom; Contraception - condom; Barrier method - condom ... your health care provider or pharmacy about emergency contraception ("morning-after pills"). PROBLEMS WITH CONDOM USE Some ...

Biomimetic micromechanical adaptive flow-sensor arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Krijnen, Gijs; Floris, Arjan; Dijkstra, Marcel; Lammerink, Theo; Wiegerink, Remco

2007-05-01

We report current developments in biomimetic flow-sensors based on flow sensitive mechano-sensors of crickets. Crickets have one form of acoustic sensing evolved in the form of mechanoreceptive sensory hairs. These filiform hairs are highly perceptive to low-frequency sound with energy sensitivities close to thermal threshold. In this work we describe hair-sensors fabricated by a combination of sacrificial poly-silicon technology, to form silicon-nitride suspended membranes, and SU8 polymer processing for fabrication of hairs with diameters of about 50 μm and up to 1 mm length. The membranes have thin chromium electrodes on top forming variable capacitors with the substrate that allow for capacitive read-out. Previously these sensors have been shown to exhibit acoustic sensitivity. Like for the crickets, the MEMS hair-sensors are positioned on elongated structures, resembling the cercus of crickets. In this work we present optical measurements on acoustically and electrostatically excited hair-sensors. We present adaptive control of flow-sensitivity and resonance frequency by electrostatic spring stiffness softening. Experimental data and simple analytical models derived from transduction theory are shown to exhibit good correspondence, both confirming theory and the applicability of the presented approach towards adaptation.

[Inheritance of reversions to male fertility in male-sterile sorghum hybrids with 9E cytoplasm male sterility induced by environmental conditions].

Science.gov (United States)

Elkonin, L A; Gerashchenkov, G A; Domanina, I V; Rozhnova, N A

2015-03-01

Heritable phenotypic alterations occurring during plant ontogenesis under the influence of environmental factors are among the most intriguing genetic phenomena. It was found that male-sterile sorghum hybrids in the 9E cytoplasm from the F1 and F2 generations, which were obtained by crossing CMS lines with different fertile lines grown in field conditions, were transferred to greenhouse produce fertile tillers. Lines created by the self-pollination of revertant tillers exhibit complete male fertility upon cultivation under various environments (in the field, Tdry plot,(y) Tirrigated plot(y)). In a number of test-crosses of revertants to CMS lines in the 9E cytoplasm, restoration of male fertility in F1 hybrids was found, indicating that revertants possess functional fertility-restoring genes. A high positive correlation was found between the fertility level of the test-cross hybrids and the hydrothermal coefficient (the ratio of the sum of precipitation to the sum of temperatures) during the booting stage and pollen maturation (r = 0.75...0.91; Pmale fertility are due to up-regulation of fertility-restoring genes by a high level of water availability. Comparative MSAP-analysis of DNA of male-sterile and male-fertile test-cross hybrids using HpaII/MspI restrictases and primers to polygalacturonase gene ADPG2, which is required for cell separation during reproductive development, and gene MYB46, the transcription factor regulating secondary wall biosynthesis, revealed differences in the number and the length of amplified fragments. Changes in the methylation of these genes in conditions of drought stress are apparently the reason for male sterility of sorghum hybrids in the 9E cytoplasm. These data demonstrate that methylation of nuclear genes in sterility-inducing cytoplasm may be one of mechanisms causing the CMS phenomenon.

Male breast lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matushita, J.P.K.; Andrade, L.G. de; Carregal, E.; Marimatsu, R.I.; Matushita, J.S.

1989-01-01

Roentgenographic examination of the male breast is an important aspect of the continued, intensive investigation of the radiologic morphology of the normal and diseased breast conducted in 17 cases examined at the Instituto Nacional do Cancer - RJ. It is purpose of this report to present the Roentgen appearance of various lesions of the male breast as they have been found in our practice and also to stress some of the difficulties in the differential diagnosis of these lesions. (author) [pt

Psychobiology of Male Homosexuality: Recent Findings

OpenAIRE

Annicchiarico Iseda, Ivan Darío; Universidad Nacional de Colombia

2009-01-01

In this paper, empirical and theoretical reports which question the causes of male homosexuality are examined. According to these reports, male homosexuality differs from female homosexuality in some respects. Additionally, evidence favouring the consideration of male homosexuality as a biological condition is shown: there are brain differences between gay men and heterosexual men, there are genetic and perinatal factors associated to male homosexuality, there are cognitive and behavioral dif...

Male sterility in chestnuts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omura, Mitsuo; Akihama, Tomoya

1982-01-01

A tentative plan was proposed for chestnuts based on their pollination system, male sterility and restoration. The studies on the male sterility of 1,063 cultivars and clones suggested that there were three types of male sterility. The first type (S-1) was characterized by antherless florets. In the second type (S-2), the catkins fell before anthesis, and the third type (S-3) appeared to develop normally in gross floral morphology, but the pollen grains were abnormal in shape and did not have germinating power. In an interspecific hybrid clone CS which belonged to S-1, fertility was restored in an open pollinated progeny. The use of CS and CSO-3 with its restored fertility, permitted the planning of breeding the chestnut hybrid cultivars propagated by seeds. The inbred clones with either male sterility or restorer genes are first bred mainly by back crossing with parents with favorable pollen. The clones are selected individually for early bearing, wasp and disease resistance, and restoration. Then, the hybrid seedling lines between male sterile and restorer inbreds are evaluated for homogenity in nut characters and tree habits. Next, the hybrid seedling lines selected will be examined for crop yield, vigor and cross compatibility. The superior seedling lines are finally selected, and the parental inbreds are grafted to be propagated for seed production orchards. (Kaihara, S.)

Promotores' perspectives on a male-to-male peer network.

Science.gov (United States)

Macia, Laura; Ruiz, Hector Camilo; Boyzo, Roberto; Documet, Patricia Isabel

2016-06-01

Little documentation exists about male community health workers (promotores) networks. The experiences of promotores can provide input on how to attract, train, supervise and maintain male promotores in CHW programs. We present the experience and perspectives of promotores who participated in a male promotores network assisting Latino immigrant men in an emerging Latino community. All promotores in this community-based participatory study received payment for work 10 hours a week. We conducted qualitative interviews with all promotores starting the program, after 5 and 13 months. Three main themes emerged: 1) Men decided to become promotores to help others, yet appreciated being paid. 2) Promotores' learning experience was ongoing and was facilitated by a cooperative dynamic among them. Learning how to listen was crucial for promotores 3) Promotores experienced difficulty separating their personal lives form their role as a promotor We conclude that paying promotores facilitates the fulfillment of their drive to serve the community. Enhancing listening abilities needs to be part of promotores' training curricula. Finally, it is advisable to build a project with many opportunities for promotores and project staff to share professional and non-professional time and discuss their challenges. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gender-disturbed males.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, S B

1993-01-01

Adolescent and adult cross-dressing or "transvestism" is the most common antecedent behavioral pattern among those who request sex reassignment surgery. Transvestites are actually a diverse group of men who differ in their gender identities, orientation, and intention. They do, however, have in common a soothing image of themselves as women. Because of this, whether cross-dressing occurs among masculine or feminine males or heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, or asexuals, or among those with paraphilia, the behavior should be considered the expression of their consciously felt femininity. The confusing differences among cross-dressing males may be explained by their diversity along three dimensions: 1) the ambition for heterosexual intercourse; 2) the natural history of their sexual arousal to female clothing; 3) their current capacity to integrate their masculine and feminine strivings into separate compartments. When cross-dressers give up all vestiges of male gender role behaviors and successfully live and work full time as women, the appropriate descriptive term for them becomes "transsexual."

Cytological studies of sterility in male progeny of mutagen-exposed male parents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacheiro, N.L.A.; Cornett, C.V.

1987-01-01

Genetic male sterility results primarily from certain types of balanced reciprocal translocations, and, more rarely, from certain numerical sex-chromosome anomalies. Sterile male offspring sired following exposure of male meiotic or postmeiotic stages to radiation or chemical mutagens are not uncommon and are predominantly carriers of balanced translocations. The chromosome breakpoints of these translocations are generally located near the ends of autosomes or anywhere in the sex chromosomes. Sterile offspring from mutagen-treated spermatogonial stem cells, on the other hand, are not only rare but most of them have no readily detectable chromosomal anomalies. Those that have are either carriers of balanced translocations, or are sex-chromosome trisomics or mosaics (XYY, XXY, XY//XYY, XO//XY, etc.). The nature of the exchange in spermatogonia-derived sterile translocations is not clear and awaits detailed study. In addition, the data base is not yet sufficient for determining the role of induced nondisjunction in the production of genetic male sterility. Accordingly, they have an ongoing project that attempts to study associations between the nature of genetic fertility impairments and the detailed chromosomal genotype, and between chromosomal causes of sterility and the nature of mutagenic treatments that produce them

Construction of a male sterility system for hybrid rice breeding and seed production using a nuclear male sterility gene

OpenAIRE

Chang, Zhenyi; Chen, Zhufeng; Wang, Na; Xie, Gang; Lu, Jiawei; Yan, Wei; Zhou, Junli; Tang, Xiaoyan; Deng, Xing Wang

2016-01-01

Nuclear male sterility is common in flowering plants, but its application in hybrid breeding and seed production is limited because of the inability to propagate a pure male sterile line for commercial hybrid seed production. Here, we characterized a rice nuclear gene essential for sporophytic male fertility and constructed a male sterility system that can propagate the pure male sterile seeds on a large scale. This system is fundamentally advantageous over the current cytoplasmic male steril...

Female qualities in males: vitellogenin synthesis induced by ovary transplants into the male silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Congwen; Lin, Ying; Shen, Guanwang; Chen, Enxiang; Wang, Yanxia; Luo, Juan; Zhang, Haiyan; Xing, Runmiao; Xia, Qingyou

2014-10-10

Female qualities in males are common in vertebrates but have not been extensively reported in insects. Vitellogenin (Vg) is highly expressed in the female fat body and is generally required for the formation of yolk proteins in the insect egg. Vg upregulation is generally regarded as a female quality in female oviparous animals. In this study, we found that Bombyx mori Vg (BmVg) is especially highly expressed in the female pupa. Downregulation of the BmVg gene in the female pupa by RNA interference (RNAi) interfered with egg formation and embryonic development, showing the importance of BmVg in these processes. So, we used BmVg as a biomarker for female qualities in the silkworm. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence histochemistry showed that ovary transplants induced BmVg synthesis in the male pupa fat body. Ovaries transplanted into male silkworms produced only a few eggs with deformed yolk granules. These results suggested that the amount of BmVg in the male silkworm was insufficient for eggs to undergo complete embryonic development. After 17-beta-estradiol was used to treat male pupae and male pupal fat bodies, BmVg was upregulated in vivo and in vitro. These findings indicated that the male silkworm has innate female qualities that were induced by a transplanted ovary and 17β-estradiol. However, in silkworms, female qualities in males are not as complete as in females. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review on research of suppression male fertility and male contraceptive drug development by natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajaj, Vijay Kumar; Gupta, Radhey S

2013-08-01

Male contraceptive development in the present scenario is most viable aspect of research due to uncontrolled population growth in the world. In this respect investigators are busy to find out a safe male contraceptive drug. Researchers have started their finding for a suitable drug from natural sources because these are safe and easily acceptable for common man, most of natural sources are plants and their products. In this review 137 plants and their effects on reproduction and reproductive physiology are summarized. Some of them have intense effect on male reproductive system and do not produce any side effects. Reproductive toxicological studies are also important aspects of these kinds of researches, so it is important that drugs are safe and widely acceptable. An ideal male contraceptive can influence semen, testes, hormone level, accessory reproductive organs and general physiology of animals and produced some alterations. Many plants in this review are showing antifertility as well as antispermatogenic effects, so these may be used for further study for contraceptives development but it is important to find out the mechanism of reaction and further laboratory and clinical research on some plants are needed for final male contraceptive drug development. In conclusion this review will help for finding suitable plant products for male contraceptive clinical and laboratory studies.

Male Infertility

Science.gov (United States)

... to have a baby? If treatment doesn’t work, what are our other options? Resources National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, What Causes Male Infertility? Last Updated: May 30, 2017 This ...

Age-dependent male mating investment in Drosophila pseudoobscura.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumit Dhole

Full Text Available Male mating investment can strongly influence fitness gained from a mating. Yet, male mating investment often changes with age. Life history theory predicts that mating investment should increase with age, and males should become less discriminatory about their mate as they age. Understanding age-dependent changes in male behavior and their effects on fitness is important for understanding how selection acts in age-structured populations. Although the independent effects of male or female age have been studied in many species, how these interact to influence male mating investment and fitness is less well understood. We mated Drosophila pseudoobscura males of five different age classes (4-, 8-, 11-, 15-, 19-day old to either young (4-day or old (11-day females, and measured copulation duration and early post-mating fecundity. Along with their independent effects, we found a strong interaction between the effects of male and female ages on male mating investment and fitness from individual matings. Male mating investment increased with male age, but this increase was more prominent in matings with young females. Male D. pseudoobscura made smaller investments when mating with old females. The level of such discrimination based on female age, however, also changed with male age. Intermediate aged males were most discriminatory, while the youngest and the oldest males did not discriminate between females of different ages. We also found that larger male mating investments resulted in higher fitness payoffs. Our results show that male and female ages interact to form a complex pattern of age-specific male mating investment and fitness.

Sexy faces in a male paper wasp.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, André Rodrigues; Alberto Mourão Júnior, Carlos; do Nascimento, Fabio Santos; Lino-Neto, José

2014-01-01

Sexually selected signals are common in many animals, though little reported in social insects. We investigated the occurrence of male visual signals mediating the dominance relationships among males and female choice of sexual partner in the paper wasp Polistes simillimus. Males have three conspicuous, variable and sexually dimorphic traits: black pigmentation on the head, a pair of yellow abdominal spots and body size differences. By conducting behavioral assays, we found that none of the three visual traits are associated with male-male dominance relationship. However, males with higher proportion of black facial pigmentation and bigger yellow abdominal spots are more likely chosen as sexual partners. Also, after experimentally manipulating the proportion of black pigment on males' face, we found that females may evaluate male facial coloration during the choice of a sexual partner. Thus, the black pigmentation on P. simillimus male's head appears to play a role as a sexually selected visual signal. We suggest that sexual selection is a common force in Polistes and we highlight the importance of this group as a model for the study of visual communication in insects.

A new minute Andean Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae from Venezuela

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César L. Barrio-Amorós

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A new species of Pristimantis is described from the Venezuelan Andes. The new species is the smallest in its genus known in Venezuela and belongs to the Pristimantis unistrigatus Group. It differs from the rest of Venezuelan Andean congeners in body size (mean male SVL < 21.3 mm, female SVL < 26.3 mm, expanded discs on fingers and toes, absence of dorsolateral folds, and a distinctivecall consisting in 2–5 cricket-like short notes. The new species inhabits the southwestern part of the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela and the Venezuelan side of the Cordillera Oriental deColombia, and could be present on the Colombian portion of the cordillera as well.

Hirayama disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atul T Tayade

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A 17-year-old male, who gave up his favorite sport cricket and started playing football, presented with one-year history of slowly progressive atrophic weakness of forearms and hands. Neurological examination showed weak and wasted arms, forearms and hand but no evidence of pyramidal tract, spinothalmic tract and posterior column lesions. Plain cervical spine radiographs showed no abnormal findings. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI showed asymmetric cord atrophy; images obtained with neck flexed showed the anterior shifting of the posterior wall of the lower cervical dural sac resulting in cord compression. These findings suggest Hirayama disease, a kind of cervical myelopathy related to the flexion movements of the neck.

Life-history evolution and the microevolution of intermediary metabolism: activities of lipid-metabolizing enzymes in life-history morphs of a wing-dimorphic cricket.

Science.gov (United States)

Zera, Anthony J; Zhao, Zhangwu

2003-03-01

Although a considerable amount of information is available on the ecology, genetics, and physiology of life-history traits, much more limited data are available on the biochemical and genetic correlates of life-history variation within species. Specific activities of five enzymes of lipid biosynthesis and two enzymes of amino acid catabolism were compared among lines selected for flight-capable (LW[f]) versus flightless (SW) morphs of the cricket Gryllus firmus. These morphs, which exist in natural populations, differ genetically in ovarian growth (100-400% higher in SW) and aspects of flight capability including the size of wings and flight muscles, and the concentration of triglyceride flight fuel (40% greater in LW[f]). Consistently higher activity of each enzyme in LW(f) versus SW-selected lines, and strong co-segregation between morph and enzyme activity, demonstrated genetically based co-variance between wing morph and enzyme activity. Developmental profiles of enzyme activities strongly paralleled profiles of triglyceride accumulation during adulthood and previous measures of in vivo lipid biosynthesis. These data strongly imply that genetically based elevation in activities of lipogenic enzymes, and enzymes controlling the conversion of amino acids into lipids, is an important cause underlying the elevated accumulation of triglyceride in the LW(f) morph, a key biochemical component of the trade-off between elevated early fecundity and flight capability. Global changes in lipid and amino-acid metabolism appear to have resulted from microevolutionary alteration of regulators of metabolism. Finally, strong genotype x environment (diet) interactions were observed for most enzyme activities. Future progress in understanding the functional causes of life-history evolution requires a more detailed synthesis of the fields of life-history evolution and metabolic biochemistry. Wing polymorphism is a powerful experimental model in such integrative studies.

Occupational causes of male infertility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonde, Jens P E

2013-01-01

To highlight and discuss the new evidence on occupational and environmental risk to male reproductive function.......To highlight and discuss the new evidence on occupational and environmental risk to male reproductive function....

Male Hypogonadism

Science.gov (United States)

... the hormone that plays a key role in masculine growth and development during puberty — or has an ... Adulthood In adult males, hypogonadism may alter certain masculine physical characteristics and impair normal reproductive function. Signs ...

Males do not see only red: UV wavelengths and male territorial aggression in the three-spined stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Science.gov (United States)

Rick, Ingolf P.; Bakker, Theo C. M.

2008-07-01

Animal colour signals serve important functions in intraspecific interactions, including species recognition, mate choice and agonistic behaviour. An increasing interest concerns ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, for instance studies on the effect of UV in mating decisions. More recently, some studies also established that UV signals affect intrasexual interactions. We studied the role of UV during aggressive encounters between male three-spined sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus), a species in which UV has an effect on female and male mate choice and shoaling behaviour. To that aim, we compared the aggressive response of a territorial male to male intruders, either seen in UV-including (UV+) or UV-lacking (UV-) conditions. Our prediction was that, if UV wavelengths are used in male-male competition, a territorial male should show less competitive behaviour towards an intruder representing a lower threat, i.e. the one presented without UV light. Male sticklebacks showed significantly lower levels of aggression towards male opponents lacking an UV component to their coloration than male opponents possessing this colour component. Discrimination was not influenced by a difference in brightness between the UV+ and UV- stimuli. Finally, we present some reflectance-spectrophotometrical data of two skin regions (cheek and abdomen) of the experimental males and analysed relationships between colorimetric variables, body variables and behaviour. Our study emphasises that UV visual cues are of importance in different communicational tasks in the three-spined stickleback.

Attracting, Recruiting and Retaining Male Teachers: Policy Issues in the Male Teacher Debate

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Martin; Martino, Wayne; Lingard, Bob

2004-01-01

Frequent calls for more male teachers are being made in English-speaking countries. Many of these calls are based upon the fact that the teaching profession has become (even more) 'feminized' and the presumption that this has had negative effects for the education of boys. The employment of more male teachers is sometimes suggested as a way to…

Cryptic sexual conflict in gift-giving insects: chasing the chase-away.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaluk, Scott K; Avery, Rachel L; Weddle, Carie B

2006-01-01

The chase-away model of sexual selection posits that elaborate male sexual displays arise because they exploit preexisting biases in females' sensory systems and induce females to mate in a suboptimal manner. An essential element of this hypothesis is that such manipulation should quickly lead to female resistance to male displays. Nuptial food gifts may be a frequent conduit by which males attempt to influence the mating behavior of females against females' own reproductive interests. In decorated crickets Gryllodes sigillatus, such inducements come in the form of a spermatophylax, a gelatinous mass forming part of the male's spermatophore and consumed by the female after mating. We conducted experiments in which spermatophylaxes obtained from male G. sigillatus were offered as novel food gifts to females of a non-gift-giving species (Acheta domesticus) having no evolutionary history of spermatophylax consumption. Female A. domesticus that were allowed to consume the spermatophylax took significantly longer to remate than when given no such opportunity. In contrast, when female G. sigillatus were prevented from consuming their partners' nuptial gifts, there was no difference in their propensity to remate relative to females permitted to consume a food gift after mating. These results suggest that the spermatophylax synthesized by male G. sigillatus contains substances designed to inhibit the sexual receptivity of their mates but that female G. sigillatus have evolved reduced responsiveness to these substances.

Seasonal resource value and male size influence male aggressive interactions in the leaf footed cactus bug, Narnia femorata.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolen, Zachary J; Allen, Pablo E; Miller, Christine W

2017-05-01

In animal contests, resource value (the quality of a given resource) and resource holding potential (a male's absolute fighting ability) are two important factors determining the level of engagement and outcome of contests. Few studies have tested these factors simultaneously. Here, we investigated whether natural, seasonal differences in cactus phenology (fruit quality) influence interactions between males in the leaf-footed cactus bug, Narnia femorata (Hemiptera: Coreidae). We also considered whether males were more likely to interact when they were similar in size, as predicted by theory. Finally, we examined if male size relative to the size of an opponent predicted competitive success. We found that males have more interactions on cactus with high value ripe fruit, as we predicted. Further, we found that males that were closer in size were more likely to interact, and larger males were more likely to become dominant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sexy faces in a male paper wasp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Rodrigues de Souza

Full Text Available Sexually selected signals are common in many animals, though little reported in social insects. We investigated the occurrence of male visual signals mediating the dominance relationships among males and female choice of sexual partner in the paper wasp Polistes simillimus. Males have three conspicuous, variable and sexually dimorphic traits: black pigmentation on the head, a pair of yellow abdominal spots and body size differences. By conducting behavioral assays, we found that none of the three visual traits are associated with male-male dominance relationship. However, males with higher proportion of black facial pigmentation and bigger yellow abdominal spots are more likely chosen as sexual partners. Also, after experimentally manipulating the proportion of black pigment on males' face, we found that females may evaluate male facial coloration during the choice of a sexual partner. Thus, the black pigmentation on P. simillimus male's head appears to play a role as a sexually selected visual signal. We suggest that sexual selection is a common force in Polistes and we highlight the importance of this group as a model for the study of visual communication in insects.

Male Headship as Male Agency: An Alternative Understanding of a ‘Patriarchal’ African Pentecostal Discourse on Masculinity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klinken, A.S. van

2011-01-01

In some Christian circles in Africa, male headship is a defining notion of masculinity. The central question in this article is how discourses on masculinity that affirm male headship can be understood. A review of recent scholarship on masculinities and religion shows that male headship is often

African American Males Navigate Racial Microaggressions

Science.gov (United States)

Hotchkins, Bryan K.

2016-01-01

Background/Context: High school educational environments find Black males experience systemic racial microaggressions in the form of discipline policies, academic tracking and hegemonic curriculum (Allen, Scott, & Lewis, 2013). Black males in high school are more likely than their White male peers to have high school truancies and be viewed as…

Male-male relationships in J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Crous

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Kochin (2002:8 makes the following interesting observation regarding the life of the main character, David Lurie, in Coetzee’s novel, “Disgrace” (1999, and his observation will be explored in detail when analysing the novel, and in particular the presentation of masculinities: “Lurie has no relationship of depth with men. His one effort is with Isaacs, Melanie’s father, and seems to be more of a quest for the sources of Melanie’s beauty than the expression of a desire for friendship with a man.” The focus of my investigation is on male-male relationships and the way in which they impact on the other characters in the novel. What contribution does the novel make to the debate on masculinity within the context of South African literary studies?

Not cricket?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Annet Tiessen-Raaphorst; Jo Lucassen; Remco van den Dool; Janine van Kalmthout

2008-01-01

Original title: Weinig over de schreef. For many Dutch people, sport is an enjoyable way of spending their leisure time. Many people are themselves active participants in sport or attend matches. Top-level matches attract a great deal of media attention. A smaller but no less enthusiastic

CRICKET CLUB

CERN Multimedia

CRICKET CLUB

2010-01-01

CERN CC v Cossonay CC at CERN on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010   On a hot sunny August afternoon, CERN entertained Cossonay in a friendly match at CERN. Skipper Elvin won the toss and elected to bat, thus ignoring groundsman Osborne’s suggestion to bat second due to residual dew dampening the outfield. CERN started and were fortunate not to lose a wicket in the opening couple of overs, however this luck would soon run out as Osborne, going for a typical lofted drive was well caught at mid-on. CERN soon found themselves in trouble at 30-4 after 9 overs, but the introduction of Ahmed would demonstrate that boundary scoring was possible as he powered his way to 54, ably helped by Elvin (25), before informing his partner he was tired, and a shot that looked to be bound for another 6 was caught at wide long on from the last ball of the over. Crook (14) would then face the next delivery, and in typical fashion, he told his new partner S. Kumar that there was plenty of time and that the big shots ...

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2011-01-01

CERN CC vs SWISS COLTS on Sunday 31st July 2011 Swiss Colts were the visitors for CERN’s final league outing of the season. On a fine summer’s day, visiting captain George won the toss and elected to bat. Opening bowlers Campbell and D’Mello took an early wicket apiece as the Colts slumped to 3-2. George and Greenhalgh led a recovery with some aggressive shots before Paul snared them both, Crook holding onto a fine catch on the boundary. Ahmed then shed the wicketkeeping gloves and destroyed the remainder of the batting order with a fine spell, taking 5 wickets at a personal cost of only 4 runs. Swiss Colts finished on 103 all out. CERN openers Bolton and Osborne then reached 54 without loss when Bolton was run out, D’Mello and Phillips soon following as CERN reached 61 for 3. After Osborne was dismissed by Gaillet, Campbell saw CERN safely home to a 6 wicket victory. Special mention should be made of the wicket keeping prowess of Heggie. Rarely can a visiting kee...

CRICKET CLUB

CERN Document Server

Cricket Club

2010-01-01

CERN CC in the 20/20 Tournament at the Bout-du-Monde on 11th/12th September CERN played Nestlé in the first semi-final on Saturday. Nestlé were bowled out for 82 in the 20th over, thanks to excellent bowling by Campbell (4 overs, 3 for 9), D’Mello (4 overs, 2 for 14, including a beautiful C&B), Onions (4 overs, 2 for 20), Elvin (4 overs, 1 for 29) and Ahmed (4 overs, 1 for 16). Campbell (44 no) and Osborne (25no) made short work of the total, ably assisted by any number of wides, reaching the target in the 9th over. On Sunday, CERN played GICC in the final. This time batting first, CERN made 196 for 7 thanks mainly to a partnership of 124 runs between D’Mello and McNaught (whose two previous scores were ducks) that ran into the 16th over. D’Mello hit a superb and quick-fire 69 in 47 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes. It included sumptuous straight sixes from both ends. (Anything which ends up in the adjoining football fields or tennis courts...

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2010-01-01

CERN CC v Geneva XI Stars CC (Friendly) at CERN on July 25th, 2010 On a very sunny and pleasant day, Captain Bolton won the toss and elected to bat. Ahmed and Keigwin opened the innings, Keigwin departing early after offering a dolly catch. Wickets kept falling till Anand joined Ahmed. Both started building the CERN innings with brilliant hitting by Ahmed all around the ground. After the drinks break, Anand and Ahmed both got out with Ahmed on 74 runs (6 sixes and 7 fours) being the top scorer of CERN’s innings. Onions kept CERN’s innings ticking over until the end, scoring 35. CERN CC was eventually all out for 204 runs in the last over. A healthy lunch break with tables full of fruit, Aloo Parathas and sandwiches was served to both the teams. The response from XI Stars was explosive, with 60 runs on the board in just 6 overs. Bolton had to retire injured and stand-in captain Onions kept trying different options, changing bowlers to try to control the game but nothing succeeded and ...

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2012-01-01

Bern CC V CERN CC in Bern on Sunday 6th May 2012 The storm clouds gathered over Switzerland this weekend as a CERN XI travelled more in hope than expectation to Bern for our first league game of the season. Despite the gloomy weather forecast the sun shone and Captain Elvin won the toss and put Bern into bat on a damp, soft and tricky wicket. Early success came as D'Mello had the Bern captain caught by D. Ahmed in his second over. This was to prove the only success in the first 20 overs as BERN made light of the pitch and the CERN attack to go into the drinks break on 108-1. CERN came storming out after the break with Elvin making the breakthrough to dismiss the Bern number 2 for 74. D'Mello then came back into the attack and ended up with 4-34 as CERN held their catches and fielded well. Chauduri was in fine form and stormed in to take 3-27. Elvin was tight and economical until he went for 23 in his final over but D. Ahmed mopped up the tail with 2-16 in a fine 4 over spell. CERN...

CRICKET CLUB

CERN Multimedia

CRICKET CLUB

2010-01-01

GICC v CERN CC at Bout-du-Monde on August 1st, 2010 On a beautiful summer’s day, Captain Bolton won the toss and elected to bat. Osborne and Chatoo opened the innings. Batting on a new GICC turf was made to look simple by Osborne and Chatoo hitting quick boundaries and sixes. Just when they looked like they were getting into a rhythm, Osborne mis-hit and was caught, bringing McNaught at the crease. The steady partnership for 30 runs was broken when Chatoo was caught by the wicket keeper for a quick fire 20. Captain Bolton was next. Bolton and McNaught then steadied the ship displaying good batting skills. After drinks McNaught reached his half century which included 6 fours and 2 sixes. Some good bowling by Suri got McNaught frustrated and eventually out for a good 57 runs. Bolton was next to go after a watchful 44 runs and a sore rib cage. Bolton’s departure gave way to the famous known-to-all CERN middle order collapse. The next 6 batsmen managed a mere 60 runs. CERN was all out in th...

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2011-01-01

The Eifion Jones Single Wicket Competition at Prevessin on 28.8.2011 Fourteen players turned out for this knock-out competition, which first took place 20 years ago. In each game, 2 overs are bowled by each player. Players under 18, and those over 50, benefit from one extra run per year of age difference up to a maximum of 10 runs. Two previous winners, Elvin and Ahmed, had the luck of the draw and had byes in the first round, with Ahmed sure to bat second in each round. The first round saw a shock result, young Irsalan Ahmed, 8 years old and benefitting from 10 extra runs, beating Muzaffar, dismissing him twice in consecutive balls (each dismissal costs 6 runs). In the second round, new boy Chaudhuri beat Elvin and Ahmed beat Onions (with 10 extra runs). Other games went as expected. Chaudhuri and Ahmed both won their semi-finals to meet in the 3 over final. Chaudhuri started well but then a drive to mid-on was brilliantly caught one-handed by Muzaffar to turn the match in Ahmed’s favour, especia...

Cricket club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket club

2011-01-01

CERN CC – Bellingham Tour 2011 – 2nd / 3rd July vs Trafford Solicitors CC The annual pilgrimage to Bellingham was met with unusually fine weather and a strong assembly of pilgrims to compete with the Mancunian legal team and co-defendants. On day 1 CERN won the toss and put the opposition in. The Trafford left-handed opener Horsford was missed off a sharp return catch and he went on to make 82 on his tour debut for Trafford, who eventually reached a total of 200. Elvin (95) and John Osborne (52) in a third wicket stand of 120 put CERN in control but when Elvin’s innings ended, shortly followed by Osborne, CERN rapidly collapsed and were all out for 195, thus losing by 5 runs. On day 2 Trafford won the toss and elected to bat first. The story of the Trafford innings was once more written with the bat of Horsford, who had scored 70 not out by the end of the innings out of a total of 152. The CERN reply after lunch never really got started. No batsman until Wall at No.5 got ...

Cricket Club

CERN Multimedia

Cricket Club

2011-01-01

Rhone CC v CERN CC at Parc de Parilly, Lyon on Sunday 11th September 2011 CERN travelled to Lyon to play our old friends Rhone at their new ground in the pretty and busy Parilly Parc. With no traffic problems CERN were at the ground in good time and even had time for a pre game kick around before skipper Elvin won the toss and decided to bowl. Onions and Chaudhuri opened the bowling and were penalized by some strict wide calling from the Rhone umpires. Onions finally made the breakthrough with the help of a brilliant running catch from the athletic Price. Chaudhuri then picked up 2 more Rhone wickets in a fiery opening spell as CERN took control. Rhone then rallied and Shiva made 50 before S. Ahmed had him trapped LBW. Skipper Elvin then turned to McFayden and the evergreen I. Ahmed to try and wrestle control back and McFayden was unlucky not to have Bala caught behind when the only person who did not think he had edged it was the umpire! Price again took another stunning catch in the deep to give I. Ahmed ...

The evolution of postpairing male mate choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Nan; Servedio, Maria R; Lloyd, Huw; Sun, Yue-Hua

2017-06-01

An increasing number of empirical studies in animals have demonstrated male mate choice. However, little is known about the evolution of postpairing male choice, specifically which occurs by differential allocation of male parental care in response to female signals. We use a population genetic model to examine whether such postpairing male mate choice can evolve when males face a trade-off between parental care and extra-pair copulations (EPCs). Specifically, we assume that males allocate more effort to providing parental care when mated to preferred (signaling) females, but they are then unable to allocate additional effort to seek EPCs. We find that both male preference and female signaling can evolve in this situation, under certain conditions. First, this evolution requires a relatively large difference in parental investment between males mated to preferred versus nonpreferred females. Second, whether male choice and female signaling alleles become fixed in a population versus cycle in their frequencies depends on the additional fecundity benefits from EPCs that are gained by choosy males. Third, less costly female signals enable both signaling and choice alleles to evolve under more relaxed conditions. Our results also provide a new insight into the evolution of sexual conflict over parental care. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Effect of gamma irradiation on fertility of potato tuber moth males and study of inherited sterility phenomena in partially sterile males

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saour, G.; Makee, H.

1996-01-01

Newly emerged adult males (0-18 h) potato tuber moth (PTM) phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) were irradiated with various doses of gamma irradiation ranging from 5 to 45 krad. Sterility in order of 91% was induced when males were irradiated with a dose of 45 Krad. Longevity of male PTM was not affected by the application of irradiation, while mating ability and frequency of mating of the males irradiated with 25, 35 and 45 Krad were decreased. The mean number of eggs laid by females mated with males irradiated at 35 and 45 Krad was lower than the control. When males PTM were irradiated with high doses their competitiveness values were reduced, while the competitiveness was increased when the sex ratio of irradiated males to normal males was increased, specially with ration 1 : 10 : 1 (Normal male: Irradiated males: Normal female). Application of 15 Krad dose permitted, the ability to obtain a desired level of male sterility with acceptable reduction in its competitiveness. The inherited sterility phenomena in partially sterile males irradiated with 10-15 and 20 Krad was studied. Sterility in F1 progeny was higher than that in their irradiated male parents. The sex ratio of F1 progeny was distorted in favour of the males. (author). 24 refs., 5 figs

Effect of gamma irradiation on fertility of potato tuber moth males and study of inherited sterility phenomena in partially sterile males

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saour, G; Makee, H [Atomic Energy Commission, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic). Dept. of Radiation Agriculture

1996-01-01

Newly emerged adult males (0-18 h) potato tuber moth (PTM) phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) were irradiated with various doses of gamma irradiation ranging from 5 to 45 krad. Sterility in order of 91% was induced when males were irradiated with a dose of 45 Krad. Longevity of male PTM was not affected by the application of irradiation, while mating ability and frequency of mating of the males irradiated with 25, 35 and 45 Krad were decreased. The mean number of eggs laid by females mated with males irradiated at 35 and 45 Krad was lower than the control. When males PTM were irradiated with high doses their competitiveness values were reduced, while the competitiveness was increased when the sex ratio of irradiated males to normal males was increased, specially with ration 1 : 10 : 1 (Normal male: Irradiated males: Normal female). Application of 15 Krad dose permitted, the ability to obtain a desired level of male sterility with acceptable reduction in its competitiveness. The inherited sterility phenomena in partially sterile males irradiated with 10-15 and 20 Krad was studied. Sterility in F1 progeny was higher than that in their irradiated male parents. The sex ratio of F1 progeny was distorted in favour of the males. (author). 24 refs., 5 figs.

Sex steroid levels in XY males and sex-reversed XX males, of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), during the reproductive cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa, E; Josa, A; Gil, L; González, N

2011-02-01

In this study, the annual cycle of the gonadal steroids testosterone (T), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), 17β-oestradiol (E2) and 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) was determined using radioimmunoassay and then compared, for XY males (n=35) and sex-reversed XX males (n=27) rainbow trout, to establish possible endocrinology differences. Both in XY males and sex-reversed XX males, significant correlation was shown between body weight and T (r=0.5046 and 0.34078, respectively; psex-reversed XX males were similar and showed an intense seasonal variation. The highest levels for T and 11-KT were detected from December to April with a peak in January (51.67 ± 5.11 and 61.95 ± 4.25 ng/ml, for XY males and 57.1 ± 5.82 and 59.27 ± 4.84 ng/ml, respectively, for XX males). In addition, there was a positive correlation (psex-reversed XX males (r=0.6019). Concentrations of DHP in XY males also showed seasonal variation with a peak in February (25.18 ± 12.99 ng/ml). However, DHP levels in sex-reversed XX males were undetectable (sex-reversed XX males were similar to those observed in XY males. The only difference in the annual gonadal steroid cycle between XY and sex-reversed XX males was in the DHP profile. © 2009 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Technology, normalisation and male sex work.

Science.gov (United States)

MacPhail, Catherine; Scott, John; Minichiello, Victor

2015-01-01

Technological change, particularly the growth of the Internet and smart phones, has increased the visibility of male escorts, expanded their client base and diversified the range of venues in which male sex work can take place. Specifically, the Internet has relocated some forms of male sex work away from the street and thereby increased market reach, visibility and access and the scope of sex work advertising. Using the online profiles of 257 male sex workers drawn from six of the largest websites advertising male sexual services in Australia, the role of the Internet in facilitating the normalisation of male sex work is discussed. Specifically we examine how engagement with the sex industry has been reconstituted in term of better informed consumer-seller decisions for both clients and sex workers. Rather than being seen as a 'deviant' activity, understood in terms of pathology or criminal activity, male sex work is increasingly presented as an everyday commodity in the market place. In this context, the management of risks associated with sex work has shifted from formalised social control to more informal practices conducted among online communities of clients and sex workers. We discuss the implications for health, legal and welfare responses within an empowerment paradigm.

Lower white blood cell counts in elite athletes training for highly aerobic sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, P L; Pyne, D B; Hopkins, W G; Barnes, C J

2010-11-01

White cell counts at rest might be lower in athletes participating in selected endurance-type sports. Here, we analysed blood tests of elite athletes collected over a 10-year period. Reference ranges were established for 14 female and 14 male sports involving 3,679 samples from 937 females and 4,654 samples from 1,310 males. Total white blood cell counts and counts of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were quantified. Each sport was scaled (1-5) for its perceived metabolic stress (aerobic-anaerobic) and mechanical stress (concentric-eccentric) by 13 sports physiologists. Substantially lower total white cell and neutrophil counts were observed in aerobic sports of cycling and triathlon (~16% of test results below the normal reference range) compared with team or skill-based sports such as water polo, cricket and volleyball. Mechanical stress of sports had less effect on the distribution of cell counts. The lower white cell counts in athletes in aerobic sports probably represent an adaptive response, not underlying pathology.

Sexual selection on male size drives the evolution of male-biased sexual size dimorphism via the prolongation of male development.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohner, Patrick T; Blanckenhorn, Wolf U; Puniamoorthy, Nalini

2016-06-01

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) arises when the net effects of natural and sexual selection on body size differ between the sexes. Quantitative SSD variation between taxa is common, but directional intraspecific SSD reversals are rare. We combined micro- and macroevolutionary approaches to study geographic SSD variation in closely related black scavenger flies. Common garden experiments revealed stark intra- and interspecific variation: Sepsis biflexuosa is monomorphic across the Holarctic, while S. cynipsea (only in Europe) consistently exhibits female-biased SSD. Interestingly, S. neocynipsea displays contrasting SSD in Europe (females larger) and North America (males larger), a pattern opposite to the geographic reversal in SSD of S. punctum documented in a previous study. In accordance with the differential equilibrium model for the evolution of SSD, the intensity of sexual selection on male size varied between continents (weaker in Europe), whereas fecundity selection on female body size did not. Subsequent comparative analyses of 49 taxa documented at least six independent origins of male-biased SSD in Sepsidae, which is likely caused by sexual selection on male size and mediated by bimaturism. Therefore, reversals in SSD and the associated changes in larval development might be much more common and rapid and less constrained than currently assumed. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Male-to-male sex among men who inject drugs in Delhi, India: overlapping HIV risk behaviours.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Gregory; Jorm, Anthony F; Samson, Luke; Joubert, Lynette; Singh, Shalini; Kermode, Michelle

2015-04-01

HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) is a major public health challenge in India. This paper examines PWID in Delhi who also have male-to-male sex with a focus on overlapping HIV risk behaviours and the psychosocial correlates of a history of male-to-male anal sex. We analysed data collected in April-May of 2012 from a community-based sample of 420 male PWID in Delhi obtained using time location sampling. One third (37%) of the men reported a history of anal sex with men, among whom just 16% used a condom at last anal sex. Almost all (93%) participants who had a history of anal sex with men also had sex with women. Chi-square tests revealed that a history of anal sex with men was associated with a higher number of female sexual partners and sharing of needles and syringes. Additionally, unprotected sex at last sex with a male partner was significantly associated with unprotected sex at last sex with regular and paid female partners. Multivariate binary logistic regression revealed that the psychosocial correlates of a history of anal sex with other men were: being aged 18-24 (OR = 2.4, p = 0.014), illiteracy (OR = 1.9, p = 0.033), having never been married (OR = 2.6, p = 0.007), a main source of income of crime/begging (OR = 3.1, p = 0.019), a duration of injecting drug use greater than 20 years (OR = 3.4, p = 0.035) and suicidal ideation (OR = 1.7, p = 0.048). Male-to-male sex was associated with psychosocial vulnerability, including a longer history of injecting drug use, suicidal ideation and socio-economic disadvantage. Given the extent of overlapping HIV risk behaviours, HIV programs for PWID would benefit from a strong focus on prevention of sexual HIV transmission, especially among male injectors who also have sex with other men. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hormonal Approaches to Male contraception

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Christina; Swerdloff, Ronald S.

2010-01-01

Purpose of review Condoms and vasectomy are male controlled family planning methods but suffer from limitations in compliance (condoms) and limited reversibility (vasectomy); thus many couples desire other options. Hormonal male contraceptive methods have undergone extensive clinical trials in healthy men and shown to be efficacious, reversible and appear to be safe. Recent Findings The success rate of male hormonal contraception using injectable testosterone alone is high and comparable to methods for women. Addition of progestins to androgens improved the rate of suppression of spermatogenesis. Supported by government or non-government organizations, current studies aim to find the best combination of testosterone and progestins for effective spermatogenesis suppression and to explore other delivery methods for these hormones. Translation of these advances to widespread use in the developed world will need the manufacturing and marketing skills of the pharmaceutical industry. Availability of male contraceptives to the developing world may require commitments of governmental and non-governmental agencies. In a time when imbalance of basic resources and population needs are obvious, this may prove to be a very wise investment. Summary Male hormonal contraception is efficacious, reversible and safe for the target population of younger men in stable relationships. Suppression of spermatogenesis is achieved with a combination of an androgen and a progestin. Partnership with industry will accelerate the marketing of a male hormonal contraceptive. Research is ongoing on selective androgen and progesterone receptor modulators that suppress spermatogenesis, minimize potential adverse events while retaining the androgenic actions. PMID:20808223

The physiology and timing of male puberty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tinggaard, Jeanette; Mieritz, Mikkel Grunnet; Sørensen, Kaspar

2012-01-01

To describe available markers of male puberty, discuss associations between adiposity and pubertal timing and to review recent evidence of a possible secular trend in male pubertal timing.......To describe available markers of male puberty, discuss associations between adiposity and pubertal timing and to review recent evidence of a possible secular trend in male pubertal timing....

Measuring children's self-reported sport participation, risk perception and injury history: development and validation of a survey instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Siesmaa, Emma J; Blitvich, Jennifer D; White, Peta E; Finch, Caroline F

2011-01-01

Despite the health benefits associated with children's sport participation, the occurrence of injury in this context is common. The extent to which sport injuries impact children's ongoing involvement in sport is largely unknown. Surveys have been shown to be useful for collecting children's injury and sport participation data; however, there are currently no published instruments which investigate the impact of injury on children's sport participation. This study describes the processes undertaken to assess the validity of two survey instruments for collecting self-reported information about child cricket and netball related participation, injury history and injury risk perceptions, as well as the reliability of the cricket-specific version. Face and content validity were assessed through expert feedback from primary and secondary level teachers and from representatives of peak sporting bodies for cricket and netball. Test-retest reliability was measured using a sample of 59 child cricketers who completed the survey on two occasions, 3-4 weeks apart. Based on expert feedback relating to face and content validity, modification and/or deletion of some survey items was undertaken. Survey items with low test-retest reliability (κ≤0.40) were modified or deleted, items with moderate reliability (κ=0.41-0.60) were modified slightly and items with higher reliability (κ≥0.61) were retained, with some undergoing minor modifications. This is the first survey of its kind which has been successfully administered to cricketers aged 10-16 years to collect information about injury risk perceptions and intentions for continued sport participation. Implications for its generalisation to other child sport participants are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McLean Lynn

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Among invertebrates, specific pheromones elicit inherent (fixed behavioural responses to coordinate social behaviours such as sexual recognition and attraction. By contrast, the much more complex social odours of mammals provide a broad range of information about the individual owner and stimulate individual-specific responses that are modulated by learning. How do mammals use such odours to coordinate important social interactions such as sexual attraction while allowing for individual-specific choice? We hypothesized that male mouse urine contains a specific pheromonal component that invokes inherent sexual attraction to the scent and which also stimulates female memory and conditions sexual attraction to the airborne odours of an individual scent owner associated with this pheromone. Results Using wild-stock house mice to ensure natural responses that generalize across individual genomes, we identify a single atypical male-specific major urinary protein (MUP of mass 18893Da that invokes a female's inherent sexual attraction to male compared to female urinary scent. Attraction to this protein pheromone, which we named darcin, was as strong as the attraction to intact male urine. Importantly, contact with darcin also stimulated a strong learned attraction to the associated airborne urinary odour of an individual male, such that, subsequently, females were attracted to the airborne scent of that specific individual but not to that of other males. Conclusions This involatile protein is a mammalian male sex pheromone that stimulates a flexible response to individual-specific odours through associative learning and memory, allowing female sexual attraction to be inherent but selective towards particular males. This 'darcin effect' offers a new system to investigate the neural basis of individual-specific memories in the brain and give new insights into the regulation of behaviour in complex social mammals. See associated

Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Sarah A; Simpson, Deborah M; Armstrong, Stuart D; Davidson, Amanda J; Robertson, Duncan H; McLean, Lynn; Beynon, Robert J; Hurst, Jane L

2010-06-03

Among invertebrates, specific pheromones elicit inherent (fixed) behavioural responses to coordinate social behaviours such as sexual recognition and attraction. By contrast, the much more complex social odours of mammals provide a broad range of information about the individual owner and stimulate individual-specific responses that are modulated by learning. How do mammals use such odours to coordinate important social interactions such as sexual attraction while allowing for individual-specific choice? We hypothesized that male mouse urine contains a specific pheromonal component that invokes inherent sexual attraction to the scent and which also stimulates female memory and conditions sexual attraction to the airborne odours of an individual scent owner associated with this pheromone. Using wild-stock house mice to ensure natural responses that generalize across individual genomes, we identify a single atypical male-specific major urinary protein (MUP) of mass 18893Da that invokes a female's inherent sexual attraction to male compared to female urinary scent. Attraction to this protein pheromone, which we named darcin, was as strong as the attraction to intact male urine. Importantly, contact with darcin also stimulated a strong learned attraction to the associated airborne urinary odour of an individual male, such that, subsequently, females were attracted to the airborne scent of that specific individual but not to that of other males. This involatile protein is a mammalian male sex pheromone that stimulates a flexible response to individual-specific odours through associative learning and memory, allowing female sexual attraction to be inherent but selective towards particular males. This 'darcin effect' offers a new system to investigate the neural basis of individual-specific memories in the brain and give new insights into the regulation of behaviour in complex social mammals.See associated Commentary http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/71.

Attraction of Male Nymphs to Adult Male Volatiles in the Bronze Bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae).

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, M V; Groba, H F; Martínez, G; Sellanes, C; Rossini, C; González, A

2017-12-23

The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae), is an exotic emerging pest in Eucalyptus commercial forests in South America, Africa and southern Europe. Information on the chemical communication system and reproductive ecology of this insect is scant, and it may be relevant for designing management strategies for eucalypt plantations. Adults and nymphs usually aggregate in the field, possibly by means of chemical signals. Males emit large amounts of 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate, which attracts conspecific adult males but not females. The ecological role of this putative male aggregation pheromone remains unknown. Here, we report olfactometer bioassays showing that late-instar male nymphs are also attracted to synthetic 3-methyl-2-butenyl butyrate and to adult male volatile extracts, which contain this compound as the major component. As previously shown for adult females, nymphs that moulted into females were not attracted to either volatile stimulus. The intra-gender attraction of nymphs and adults may be related to the exploitation of food resources, or as a reproductive strategy for newly emerged males. Further studies on the reproductive behaviour and mating system of T. peregrinus will contribute to understanding the ecological significance of male-male, adult-nymph attraction, as well as the practical applications that may result from these findings.

Sexual orientation, theory of mind and empathy: a comparison of male homosexual and male and female heterosexuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapouri, Soheil; Nejati, Vahid; Eftekhar Ardebili, Mehrdad

2015-01-01

Researchers have been investigating similarities of and differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals for past few decades. Several studies have shown that in the particular domain (e.g., spatial ability), male homosexuals would resemble female heterosexuals better than male heterosexuals. Executive function, however, has received more attention than social cognition in this line of research. This study focuses on theory of mind and empathy as two important components of social cognition in male homosexuals (N=14), male heterosexuals (N=15) and female heterosexuals (N=14). Applying Reading the Mind in the Eyes test and the Empathy Quotient, no significant difference between groups was identified. This study suggests that similarities of male homosexuals and female heterosexuals may be confined to executive function and not extended to some social cognition abilities like theory of mind or empathy.

The effects of four arthropod diets on the body and organ weights of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens, during vitellogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehman, G C

1978-12-01

Wild-caught adult Rana pipiens females were captured in midsummer and fed diets of crickets, flies sowbugs or wax moth larvae during a three-month period of active vitellogenesis. The cricket diet supported the most extensive body weight gain during this time and promoted a prolonged period of weight increase in an additional long-term study. Synchronous growth of the oocytes occurred in all four groups, but the ovaries and oviducts of cricket-fed animals were significantly larger than those of frogs on the other three diets. The significantly higher liver weights of frogs fed wax moth larvae may have reflected an augmentation of hepatic energy stores. Fat body weights were also highest in this group of animals. Frogs fed crickets and wax moth larvae possessed larger fat bodies than did the midsummer control animals killed immediately after their arrival in the laboratory. In contrast, frogs fed flies and sowbugs had smaller fat bodies than did the initial controls, suggesting that animals on these diets had utilized fat body lipid during vitellogenesis. Gastrocnemius and final body weights were lowest in frogs fed wax moth larvae. These findings may have reflected the nutritional content of the diet or the reduction in appetite frequently noted in these animals during observations of feeding behavior.

Thyroid and male reproduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anand Kumar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Male reproduction is governed by the classical hypothalamo-hypophyseal testicular axis: Hypothalamic gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH, pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH and the gonadal steroid, principally, testosterone. Thyroid hormones have been shown to exert a modulatory influence on this axis and consequently the sexual and spermatogenic function of man. This review will examine the modulatory influence of thyroid hormones on male reproduction.

The effect of manipulating context-specific information on perceptual-cognitive processes during a simulated anticipation task.

Science.gov (United States)

McRobert, Allistair P; Ward, Paul; Eccles, David W; Williams, A Mark

2011-08-01

We manipulated contextual information in order to examine the perceptual-cognitive processes that support anticipation using a simulated cricket-batting task. Skilled (N= 10) and less skilled (N= 10) cricket batters responded to video simulations of opponents bowling a cricket ball under high and low contextual information conditions. Skilled batters were more accurate, demonstrated more effective search behaviours, and provided more detailed verbal reports of thinking. Moreover, when they viewed their opponent multiple times (high context), they reduced their mean fixation time. All batters improved performance and altered thought processes when in the high context, compared to when they responded to their opponent without previously seeing them bowl (low context). Findings illustrate how context influences performance and the search for relevant information when engaging in a dynamic, time-constrained task. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Social cliques in male northern muriquis Brachyteles hypoxanthus

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Marcos TOKUDA; Jean P. BOUBLI; Patrícia IZAR; Karen B. STRIER

2012-01-01

Analyses of spatial relationships and social interactions provide insights into the social structure of animal societies and the ways in which social preferences among and between dyads affect higher order social relationships.In this paper we describe the patterns of spatial associations and social interactions among adult male northern muriquis in order to evaluate the dynamics of their social networks above the dyadic levels.Systematic observations were made on the 17 adult males present in a multi-male/multi-female group from April 2004 through February 2005,and in July 2005.Analyses of their spatial relationships identified two distinct male cliques; some adult males (called "N" males) were more connected to the females and immatures than other adult males ("MU" males),which were more connected to one another.Affiliative interactions were significantly higher among dyads belonging to the same clique than to different cliques.Although frequencies of dyadic agonistic interactions were similarly low among individuals within and between cliques,MU males appeared to be subordinate to N males.Nonetheless,there were no significant differences in the copulation rates estimated for MU males and N males.Mutual benefits of cooperation between MU and N cliques in intergroup encounters might explain their ongoing associations in the same mixed-sex group [Current Zoology 58 (2):342-352,2012].

Beyond the Condom: Frontiers in Male Contraception.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Mara Y; Amory, John K

2016-05-01

Nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unplanned, despite numerous contraceptive options available. No new contraceptive method has been developed for men since the invention of condom. Nevertheless, more than 25% of contraception worldwide relies on male methods. Therefore, novel effective methods of male contraception are of interest. Herein we review the physiologic basis for both male hormonal and nonhormonal methods of contraception. We review the history of male hormonal contraception development, current hormonal agents in development, as well as the potential risks and benefits of male hormonal contraception options for men. Nonhormonal methods reviewed will include both pharmacological and mechanical approaches in development, with specific focus on methods which inhibit the testicular retinoic acid synthesis and action. Multiple hormonal and nonhormonal methods of male contraception are in the drug development pathway, with the hope that a reversible, reliable, safe method of male contraception will be available to couples in the not too distant future. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Male Body Contouring.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Babu; Keaney, Terrence; Rossi, Anthony M

2015-09-01

Men are increasingly turning to dermatologists and plastic surgeons to request procedures that correct or enhance physical features. With the advent of this emerging new patient population, alterations in preexisting aesthetic techniques, gender-specific uses of existing devices and overall approaches need to be revisited and adapted to obtain results that are suitable for the male patient. Recently, body contouring has become one of the most sought out procedures by men. Although the majority of clinical studies involving body contouring esthetics are performed with female patients, gains from such studies can be extrapolated to men. Body contouring can be broadly classified as non-invasive or invasive, depending on the modality used. Non-invasive contouring is most frequently performed with devices that target subcutaneous adipose with focused electrical or thermal energy, including low-level laser, cryolipolysis, ultrasonography, and radiofrequency. Invasive body contouring modalities useful for male body contouring include liposuction, pectoral and abdominal wall etching, jawline fillers, synthetic deoxycholic acid injections, and solid silicone implants. The purpose of this review is to bring attention to the unique aspects, strategies, and modalities used in aesthetic body contouring for the male patient.

Would male hormonal contraceptives affect cardiovascular risk?

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Michael Zitzmann

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of hormonal male contraception is to prevent unintended pregnancies by suppressing spermatogenesis. Hormonal male contraception is based on the principle that exogenous administration of androgens and other hormones such as progestins suppress circulating gonadotropin concentrations, decreasing testicular Leydig cell and Sertoli cell activity and spermatogenesis. In order to achieve more complete suppression of circulating gonadotropins and spermatogenesis, a progestin has been added testosterone to the most recent efficacy trials of hormonal male contraceptives. This review focusses on the potential effects of male hormonal contraceptives on cardiovascular risk factors, lipids and body composition, mainly in the target group of younger to middle-aged men. Present data suggest that hormonal male contraception can be reasonably regarded as safe in terms of cardiovascular risk. However, as all trials have been relatively short (< 3 years, a final statement regarding the cardiovascular safety of hormonal male contraception, especially in long-term use, cannot be made. Older men with at high risk of cardiovascular event might not be good candidates for hormonal male contraception. The potential adverse effects of hormonal contraceptives on cardiovascular risk appear to depend greatly on the choice of the progestin in regimens for hormonal male contraceptives. In the development of prospective hormonal male contraception, data on longer-term cardiovascular safety will be essential.

Comparison of male and female foot shape.

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Luo, Gangming; Houston, Vern L; Mussman, Martin; Garbarini, Maryanne; Beattie, Aaron C; Thongpop, Chaiya

2009-01-01

Morphological and geometric differences between male and female feet can be the decisive factor of whether well-fitting, functional, and comfortable footwear is available for both men and women. Optical scans, plaster wrap casts, and a set of manual measurements from the right feet of 51 female participants, aged 20 to 59 years (32 +/- 10.2 years), and 39 male participants, aged 22 to 71 years (47.1 +/- 12.1 years), were taken to determine which parameters were the most significant in characterizing pedal geometry and which had the largest difference between male and female feet. Analysis showed that the heel-to-ball length (ball length) of the male participants' feet (181.5 mm) was significantly longer, on average, than that of the female participants' feet (165.0 mm). The width of the male paticipants' feet at the ball, instep, and heel regions, as well as the ball circumference, normalized by the ball length, were all significantly larger on average, than the female test participants' feet. However, toe region, instep, and medial and lateral malleoli heights were larger, on average, for the female participants than for the male. The results show that female feet differ in size and shape from male feet and are not algebraically scaled, smaller versions of male feet, as is often assumed. The study shows that the average male participants' feet are longer than that of the female participants' feet, while the female feet are relatively narrower but higher than those of the male participants.

Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Caelifera and crickets (Orthoptera: Ensifera from slopes of Macošská stráň and Vilémovická stráň (Moravský kras Protected landscape area, Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Niedobová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In 2008 we found 21 species of grasshoppers and crickets on Macošská stráň slope and 18 species on Vilémovická stráň slope. Both slopes are located in the northern part of the Moravský kras Protected landscape area and have xerothermic character. Both slopes are influenced by pasture management. For the most comprehensive picture of Orthoptera we used a standard method (sweeping of vegetation and nonstandard methods (pitfall traps and Möricke yellow cups. Termophilous species of Orthoptera on Macošská stráň (47% were dominating. On Vilémovická stráň mezophilous species (46% were dominating. The most common species were Stenobothrus lineatus (Panzer, 1796 on Macošská stráň slope and Chorthippus parallelus (Zetterstedt, 1821, Stenobothrus lineatus, Chorthippus bigutulus (Linné, 1758 and Chorthippus dorsatus (Zetterstedt, 1821 on Vilémovická stráň slope. Rare species of this assemblage were Stenobothrus nigromaculatus (Herrich-Schaffer, 1840 which was on Macošská stráň slope only and Tetrix bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758 which has much bigger abundances also on Macošská stráň slope.

Bodice Rippers without the Bodice: Ten Male-on-Male Romances for a Core Collection

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Thomas, Devon

2011-01-01

One of the hottest growing segments of the romance genre is male-on-male (M/M) romance--gay romantic fiction mostly written and read by straight women. Featuring traditional romance conventions, including mistaken identities, star-crossed lovers, and happy endings, these stories show both physical and emotional intimacy between men. M/M builds on…