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Models of parent-offspring conflict. II. Promiscuity.

The population genetics of Trivers (1974) concept of parent-offspring is examined for species in which the effects of the conflict are felt by future half-sibs, as in promiscuous mating systems in which the male shows no parental care. Whether or not a rare conflictor gene will spread in a non-conflictor population depends on f(m) greater than (m + 1)/(0.5m + 1.5) for a dominant gene, and on f(m) greater than 1/4(7 + 3) for a recessive gene; f(m) is the fitness gained by a conflictor relative to a non-conflictor offspring [f(m) greater than 1], and m is the amount of parental investment taken by a conflictor relative to m = 1 for a non-conflictor. The ESS value for conflict (mo) in promiscuous species with zero male parental care has mo = f(mo)/4[df(mo)/dmo]. However, where the male maintains the same harem for several breeding seasons, or where there is promiscuity but both sexes contribute equally to parental care, conditions for conflict are equivalent to monogamy.

Alleles↗

Working with men: an analysis of health visiting practice in families with young children.

The purpose of this paper is to explore health visitors' work with men as uncovered in their detailed descriptions of actual cases. The study used the grounded theory approach to data collection and analysis. Forty-five health visitors were interviewed using the conversational interview and 111 cases of their work with young families discussed. Findings indicate that health visitors' work with men was influenced by both their conceptualization of men within family-focused health visiting practice and contextual factors in the actual client-health visitor situation which enhanced or restricted interventions with men. Four approaches to working with men were identified and classified as: (1) high conceptualization and high intervention, (ii) high conceptualization and low intervention, (iii) low conceptualization and high intervention, and (iv) low conceptualization and low intervention. This paper contributes to our understanding of the health visitor's role in family health promotion.

Clinical Nursing Research↗

Father involvement in infant care: two longitudinal studies.

Data collected from two samples of fathers in separate longitudinal studies were compared. One sample consisted of 53 first-time fathers and the other of 69 multiple-time fathers. A post-test only time-series design was used for both studies, and both employed the same procedures and instruments. The studies examined role enactment of fathers with different child-caring experiences using role-theory concepts. Fathers' normative expectations, personal expectations, and personal learning about parenting were tested to determine if they were predictive of paternal role performance. The findings seem to indicate that the culture of fatherhood has changed more rapidly than the conduct of fatherhood.

Adult↗

Acute paternal alcohol exposure impairs fertility and fetal outcome.

An acute injection of an intoxicating dose of alcohol to male rats 24 hours prior to breeding with drug-naive females produced no discernible effect on copulatory activity, as reflected in vaginal plugs, but resulted in markedly (> 50%) reduced pregnancy rates. Fetal outcome was also markedly affected in offspring sired by alcohol-treated males: litter sizes were appreciably smaller (30%) and fetal mortality was more than 2 times higher than in controls. These results suggest that paternal alcohol use, like maternal alcohol abuse, may adversely affect fertility and fetal outcome.

Alcoholic Intoxication↗

Postpubertal isolation decreases infanticide and elevates parental care in C57BL/6J male mice.

Postpubertal (60 days of age) but not prepubertal (21 days of age) isolation reduced the normal tendency of C57BL/6J male mice to kill newborn pups (infanticide) and instead dramatically elevated their exhibition of parental care (retrieving of young). These effects were time-dependent in that longer durations of isolation (60 days) were more effective than shorter durations (20 days) of individual housing. Postpubertal isolation of male mice with previous killing experience also resulted in a reduction in infanticide and an elevation in parental care, but these effects were not as dramatic as those observed in naive, nonexperienced animals. The findings are discussed in terms of endocrine and neurochemical changes known to accompany isolation in mice.

Age Factors↗

Differential effects of paternal presence on pup survival in two species of dwarf hamster (Phodopus sungorus and Phodopus campbelli).

The effect of the presence or absence of the male, and of decreased ambient temperature (21 degrees C vs. 4 degrees C) on litter survival, pup survival and pup growth was measured from birth through day 18 after birth in Siberian (P. sungorus) and Djungarian (P. campbelli) hamsters. Siberian hamsters were not significantly affected by the experimental manipulations. In contrast, whereas 100% of litters and 95% of pups were successfully raised to weaning at 21 degrees C by paired Djungarian hamsters, survival fell to 47% when the mate was absent and even further, to 32%, when the ambient temperature was lowered. No significant differences in litter size or pup weight at birth were detected between species at the warmer temperature. However, P. sungorus pups gained weight significantly faster through day 12 after birth (while dependence upon the mother for food was absolute) than P. campbelli pups under all experimental conditions. Although the species are closely related, these data show that male Djungarian hamsters are essential to offspring survival under conditions where Siberian hamsters do not require conspecific help. Species differences in metabolism and thermoregulation may account for the differential pup survival.

Animals↗

Ethical aspects of genetic predisposition to environmentally-related disease.

Some individuals are highly susceptible to disease caused by chemical exposures and this hypersusceptibility can be genetically determined. Because biomarker technology for the determination of genetic predisposition is at the disposal of researchers, the capability therefore exists to include genetic screening in epidemiologic studies. The application of this technological advance in population-based research is, however, fraught with ethical tensions heretofore unknown. Moral duties alone are of limited use in resolving these problems. Scientific documentation is almost always insufficient to clarify the exact nature of the ethical implications, and ways to deal with uncertainties arising as a result of information generated from genetic screening studies must be considered. The most important tensions relate to autonomy and the right to privacy, fairness and equality, while balancing potential public interest in paternalistic measures. Because no moral framework has been accepted for dealing with this technological advance, an ethical discourse in an open forum is required with all affected parties. Scientists alone, or any other group in isolation, should not expect to resolve these questions, but they should participate in and facilitate the process.

Disease Susceptibility↗

Family therapy.

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Adolescent↗

Male pregnancy.

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Animals↗

Prenatal paternal depression.

Prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger and daily hassles were investigated in 156 depressed and non-depressed pregnant women and their depressed and non-depressed partners (fathers-to-be). Depressed versus non-depressed fathers had higher depression, anxiety and daily hassles scores. Although the pregnant women in general had lower anxiety, anger and daily hassles scores than the men, the scores on the measures for depressed fathers and depressed mothers did not differ. Paternal depression appeared to have less effect than maternal depression on their partners' scores. However, the similarity between the scores of depressed mothers and depressed fathers highlights the importance of screening for depression in fathers-to-be as well as mothers-to-be during pregnancy.

Adult↗

Serotonin metabolism in directly developing frog embryos during paternal care.

Central serotonin (5-HT) metabolism during embryogenesis and a 3-day post-hatching period was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography in the directly developing frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. This anuran bypasses the free-swimming larval stage and embryos hatch as miniature frogs in the adult phenotype. During embryogenesis and for a short time immediately after hatching, male E. coqui provide paternal care by brooding and guarding eggs/embryos to prevent desiccation and predation. Serotonin and its catabolite, 5-HIAA, were measured from whole brain during embryogenesis and at 3 days post-hatch to identify critical periods in 5-HT development and to determine the relationship between 5-HT and life history events such as hatching and frog dispersal from the nest site. Serotonergic activity was highest during the early-mid embryonic stages as indicated by the ratio of 5-HIAA/5-HT, a general indicator of turnover and metabolism. There were significant increases in tissue concentrations of 5-HT during the latest or terminal embryonic stage, just prior to hatching, and also at 3 days post-hatch, shortly before neonates disperse into the rainforest. These two increases probably represent different functional requirements during development. The first may occur as a result of the surge of development in the 5-HT system during late embryogenesis that occurs in E. coqui and the second may be from the increase demand in sensory and motor neural development required before dispersal from the nest site.

Animals↗

A survey of parental views regarding their child's hearing loss: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Assess parental perceptions of their child's sensorineural hearing loss care. METHODS: Families of pediatric patients diagnosed with a sensorineural hearing loss from 2000 to 2004 were sent a survey asking about their experiences with their child's hearing loss. RESULTS: One hundred eight of 389 families surveyed were studied. Thirteen percent did not know the results of the newborn screening. Twenty-two percent of the primary care physicians were not involved in the child's hearing evaluation. Forty percent of the patients underwent 4 or more audiologic tests before a diagnosis. The most common reason for delayed diagnosis was difficulty in obtaining an appointment with an audiologist. Sixty-two percent of families had difficulties obtaining hearing aids, and 58% noted difficulties obtaining cochlear implants. CONCLUSIONS: Families reported multiple obstacles to obtain timely diagnosis and treatment. Otolaryngologists may need to be more involved in the evaluation and treatment of these patients. EBM RATING: C-4.

Audiometry↗

Development of prolactin levels in marmoset males: from adult son to first-time father.

Previous studies have found a clear relationship between prolactin (prl) and paternal care in various vertebrate taxa. In New World monkeys, it has been demonstrated in several species that fathers have high prolactin levels even during periods without infant rearing. In this study, we followed the reproductive careers of common marmoset males as they transitioned from being an adult son within their native family to fathering their own offspring for the first time. Specifically, we examined the first experience of elevated prolactin levels in marmoset males. Additionally, we investigated the effects of the total number of experienced births as well as of age on prolactin levels. Our results show that common marmoset males did not experience an increase in prolactin secretion after pairing or shortly before birth of their first infants. However, prolactin levels rose more than twofold after the birth of their first infants and had lowered again 2.5 months after this event. We found no correlation between prolactin levels and the number of previous births experienced or age. Our study demonstrates that further work about a possible enhancing effect of prolactin on paternal care, by means of experimentally reducing hormonal levels, should be conducted in common marmosets using first-time fathers before males experience the first paternal increase in prolactin levels.

Aging↗

Changes along the male reproductive axis in response to social context in a gonochoristic gobiid, Zosterisessor ophiocephalus (Teleostei, Gobiidae), with alternative mating tactics.

Sexual selection has given rise, in several taxa, to intrasexual variation in male phenotype. While evolutionary studies have provided explanations of the adaptive function of this dramatic male phenotypic diversity, the proximate control of its expression has still to be completely understood. Several observations, primarily from sex-changing species, indicated a major role of social interactions in reproductive axis regulation and consequently in the expression of alternative male phenotypes. Here we documented changes along the male reproductive axis in response to social context in a gonochoristic species, the grass goby Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, where fully functional alternative male mating tactics appear to be expressed as an ontogenetic gradient. In the grass goby, larger and older males dig a nest and perform parental care, while smaller males sneak fertilization during territorial male spawning. Territorial males are characterized by a higher number of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in forebrain preoptic area, smaller testes, larger seminal vesicles, and viscous ejaculates that last longer and contain fewer sperm than those of sneakers. To experimentally investigate the role of social factors in inducing changes along the male reproductive axis, sneakers were tested in two different situations: nesting alone or with ripe females. Sneakers that mated and performed parental care showed dramatic changes in brain, reproductive apparatus morphology, and ejaculate traits. GnRH-immunoreactive cells in forebrain preoptic area increased in number, reaching values typical of wild-caught parental males. Testes size decreased while seminal vesicle size increased and ejaculates showed lower sperm densities. These results were discussed within the framework of the social transduction hypothesis, which predicts that social experience should mediate, through a cascade of internal processes, shifts between morphs throughout life.

Animals↗