Borassus akeassii among the Turka. The uncertain future of a cultivated palm in southwestern Burkina Faso

Balanced (1 to 1) sex ratios are thought to evolve by a process known as frequency- dependent selection of the minority sex. Five populations of a fish with genetically based variation in temperature-dependent sex determination were maintained for 5 to 6 years in artificial constant-temperature environments that initially caused the sex ratio to be highly skewed. Increases in the proportion of the minority sex occurred in subsequent generations until a balanced sex ratio was established, thus confirming a central premise underlying the theory of sex-ratio evolution.

From 1983 to 2018, in the Alas Purwo National Park (APNP) beach, the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) nested population showed a significantly increasing number compared to the other three species using the same beach. One of the reasons is believed to be the success of conservation efforts (nest relocation and protected egg incubation) to produce a balanced hatchling sex ratio. However, a balanced sex ratio is only the first step in maintaining a good number of individuals in the population. We reviewed several other factors that also influenced the increase in the olive ridley population. The Olive Ridley as the shortest sea turtle species reaches maturity faster, so the population can grow in a shorter time compared to other species. The shortage of males in the olive ridley sea turtle population might not have a dangerous effect because, owing to the ocean current, they can mate with males from other populations. They are also highly polygamous and polyandrous, and have a high degree of genetic variation that helps them to be more adaptable to the changing environment. Lastly, the low illegal hunt rate for this species can also help the population to thrive.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection is inversely associated with socioeconomic conditions in childhood. In Estonia, a high prevalence of H. pylori infection has been observed among children born in 1987 and earlier. Since 1991, after the dissolution of the USSR, profound social and economic changes have taken place in the country. The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection among children in the period 1991-2002. The hospital-based study population consisted of two groups of children enrolled in 1991 (n = 425) and 2002 (n = 296) according to the same inclusion criteria. The immunoglobulin G antibodies to the cell surface proteins of H. pylori were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the sera with the borderline results were analyzed by immunoblot analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the associations between H. pylori seropositivity and different variables such as demographic characteristics, diagnoses and year of enrollment. The only two variables linked independently to H. pylori serostatus were age and year of enrollment: the adjusted odds of being H. pylori seropositive were 1.92 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-2.76] times higher for the children enrolled in 1991 compared with the children enrolled in 2002. The age-standardized seroprevalence rate was 42.2% (95% CI 37.4-47.0%) for the group of 1991 and 28.1% (95% CI 23.1-33.6%) for the group of 2002. The prevalence of H. pylori infection among children has significantly decreased during the 11-year period of profound socioeconomic changes in Estonia.

Aromanian-armân, (Weigand, 1895) is an oral Eastern-Romance language spoken by the Aromanians (armâni, or armãneashti), an ethnic group historically known for transhumance, dispersed over a wide area of the Balkans in what is present-day Peninsular Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Southern Romania, Serbia, and Albania. These people have been noted as Aromanians or Vlachs sometime since the eighth century AD. (Caranica, 1990). Their ethnicity (Eriksen, 2010) is controversial with Greeks believing them Latinised Greeks, Romanians considering them Romanian, others as Balkan natives from Wallachia (Ruzica, 2006). In Greek, the current word for Aromanian is in fact ‘Vlach’ believed to originate from the Latin terms Volcae, Volci (Volks, Wolks) referring to a Celtic tribe from Gaul that had learnt Latin and become Latinized. The Volks-Wolks were the closest neighbors to Germanic tribes in the area, which resulted in Germans referring to all Latin speakers as ‘Volks,’ the same way they did with their language. For clarification, in this study: Aromanian, Vlach (-) Aromanian and Vlach will all be used to refer to this ethnic group and language. The word Volci was adopted by Germanic speakers and took different forms over time: Walachen, Welchland, Wallis, Wallais, Wallons, Wales, Welschme etc. These terms are still visible in different European languages today and refer to ‘Latin speaker.’ The Slavic speakers borrowed the word from the Germans as: Olahy, Olahi, Valachi, Voloh, Vloh whereas the Byzantines borrowed it as ‘Vlachs’ (Tapanikos, 2020). Their isolated modus vivendi, between pastoral valleys and high mountains, confined them to hardship and socio-cultural periphery, and allowed relative immunity from major European conflicts and periods of unrest spanning short of a millennium. From 1975 when the modern Greek Republic is finally consolidated, the ideology of ‘one people, one language’ is an intrinsic part of Greek nationality and nationalism (Moschonas, 2004). Lacking written, standardized forms, Aromanian has been transmitted orally from generation to generation in the Epirus, Macedonia and Thessally regions of Greece. With profound socio-economic changes and rewards, Aromanians left their pastoral lifestyle in large numbers (Beis, 2000) attracted by prospects of a better future in Greek urban centers and Western European countries, USA, or Australia. In modern times, with Greek being the only language of instruction and communication in the wider society (Chomsky, 1971), the generational language-transfer cycle has been broken, and Aromanian is now endangered (Dinas et al., 2011). On the other hand, Aromanian folklore and traditional festivals are very much alive through associations like the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs, while many self-identified Aromanians do not speak a word of their ancestral language, by choice (Kahl, 2004). How did this (apparent) contradiction come to be? What drove Aromanians away from their language and led to the assimilation into Greek society, language, and culture so completely that it will lead to the death of Aromanian in Greece?

In the Afrotropical Region, Sphyracephalabeccarii (Rondani) and S.munroi Curran are found, the former just extending into the Palaearctic Region. In the latter region, S.babadjanidesi Zaitzev occurs in the Balkan and Caucasus Regions and S.nigrimana Loew in Far Eastern Russia and North-Eastern China. The European stalk-eyed fly S.europaea Papp & Földvári is proposed as junior synonym of the Eurasian stalk-eyed fly S.babadjanidesi. In North America S.brevicornis (Say) and S.subbifasciata Fitch occur. The four true Holarctic Sphyracephala are shown to reach their northern limits between 45°30'N and 48°20'N. These species hibernate and show characteristic clustering behaviour in spring and autumn. The four Palaearctic and Afrotropical Sphyracephala are redescribed and extensively illustrated. A key is given to all nine Sphyracephala presently recognised. The subdivisions within the genus are discussed. A cladogram, based on morphological, molecular, wing morphometric and allometric considerations, is presented. It shows the two species groups recognised. Each species group is divided into two subtaxa. Geometric morphometric analysis supports the grouping in four subtaxa as well as the synonymy of S.babadjanidesi and S.europaea. In Sphyracephala, both sexual monomorphism and dimorphism with relation to eye span occur. The allometric lines for males and females of eight species are compared. A clear link is found between allometric slopes and the four subtaxa distinguished. In Sphyracephala, female-biased, balanced, and male-biased sex ratios are found. A remarkable case of female-biased sex ratio distortion is reported for Sphyracephalabeccarii. In Continental Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, a balanced sex ratio was found, while in Madagascar a female-biased 2:1 ratio was found. This represents the first case of a female-biased sex-ratio in a geographically isolated population of a monomorphic diopsid.

We tested Kanter’s (1977a, 1977b) theory concerning the effects of group proportions (sex ratios) on visibility, polarization and assimilation, using natural groups of women and men in academia. Study 1 compared male-skewed and male-tilted settings and found evidence of greater polarization by minority women than majority men. The only effect of group proportions occurred for perceived dispersion as a measure of assimilation; replicating Brown and Smith (1989), men showed an out-group (OH), and women an in-group (IH), homogeneity effect, and both effects were accentuated in the skewed setting. Study 2 extended the research to include male-skewed, male-tilted, balanced and female-tilted sex ratios. Men’s OH effect declined as relative out-group size increased, and women’s IH effect declined as relative in-group size increased. There was also a linear decrease in relative perceived in-group impact and status as actual relative in-group size declined. We discuss our findings with respect to the validity of Kanter’s theory, gender and group size as moderators of perceived variability, and methodological issues in studying diversity.

Field tests employing 3 variations in sex ratios (50:50; 100:0; 0:100) of pintail decoys revealed a higher proportion of male pintails (Anas acuta) responded to the decoys than existed in the local population. These results contrast with those of the canvasback (Aythya valisineria) where Olson (1965) found that females were especially vulnerable, perhaps contributing to the imbalance in the continental population of this species. The sex ratio and other characteristics of decoy arrangements may be a useful tool in managing the annual waterfowl harvest, and a vulnerability pattern for pintails is suggested for this form of management. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 41(4):657-661 In 1918 bird banders and field naturalists realized that the sex ratios of certain ducks, especially diving ducks (Aythya), were disproportionate (Erickson 1943). The imbalance, favoring males, is in contrast to the more or less balanced sex ratios among puddle ducks (Anas) (Beer 1945, Smith 1946, Johnsgard and Buss 1956, Hochbaum 1959: 15, Anderson et al. 1969). However, the sex ratios for both diving and puddle ducks do not differ from the expected 50:50 distribution at fertilization, hatching, or among juveniles yet the imbalance is clear among adults as noted by Hochbaum (1959:51), Sowls (1955:164) and especially Bellrose et al. (1961:405). One must therefore assume that some phenomenon affects the sex ratios of diving ducks after the time each cohort attains flight. Olson (1965) proposed that hunting, as measured by the differential response of each sex to decoys, resulted in higher mortality of females. Earlier, Trippensee (1953:194) and Hochbaum (1959:150) also suggested that hunting may be the responsible factor for imbalanced sex ratios but Mendall (1958:225), in his study of the ring-necked duck (A. collaris), felt that the effects of hunting might in fact bring sex ratios into balance. We designed experiments to test Olson's (1965) conclusions on a common puddle duck, the pintail. If the hypothesis is correct there should be no difference in the response between males and females to decoys as the sex ratio of the continental pintail population is nearly in balance and thus presumably unaffected by hunting. Our objectives were to determine if sex classes of pintails respond to pintail decoys differentially and to compare Olson's data for a species exhibiting an imbalanced sex ratio (the canvasback) with data for a species showing far less imbalance in its continental population (the pintail). Our study is confined to pintail ducks wintering in the Texas Panhandle. We are indebted to the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation of Dundee, Illinois, for financial assistance and to M. K. Rylander for his critical review of the manuscript.

The complete management of extremity vascular injury in a local population: A wartime report from the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group/Air Force Theater Hospital, Balad Air Base, Iraq

The population of Singapore is comprised of three main ethnic groups: Chinese, Malaysian and Indian/Pakistani; and a large number of smaller groups of which Eurasians, Europeans and Ceylonese constitute the greater part. Substantial differences exist between these ethnic groups as regards sex and age composition. Historically these characteristics have been those frequently associated with immigrant populations, notably a high masculinity and a heavy concentration in the younger and middle adult age groups. Currently this pattern is being substantially modified, as indicated by data from the 1957 Census of Population. Restrictions on immigration, and rapid growth by natural increase are at once the cause and effect of a much more balanced sex ratio and a much younger population. Nevertheless, considerable differences in composition still exist between ethnic groups, and unyielding cultural mores preclude the extensive intermarriage which might reduce these contrasts and produce a single homogeneous pattern. Although the social and economic implications of the unbalanced sex ratio are less apparent now than in the past, those associated with age structure are becoming increasingly significant. Education in general, and literacy in particular, pose major problems in terms of expenditure and trained personnel; employment opportunity is limited in a society which has not long begun the processes of modernization and industrialization; and the youthful population and scarcity of jobs impose a heavy dependency burden on the workforce. Low-cost housing and other social services are being provided but not always at a charge or in the way to be of advantage to the most needy. In the long term, the most encouraging trend would be a lower rate of natural increase more closely adjusted to economic and social resources. Although the rate of natural increase is still high, it is possible that this trend has begun; a basic change in attitudes, probably the product of increasing educational opportunity and rising standards of living among at least some sectors of the population, is being reflected in more moderate rates of population growth.

Sex ratio, poverty, and concurrent partnerships among men and women in the United States: a multilevel analysis

Reintroduction programs aim at reinstalling a self-sustained population into the wild via a period of supplementation with captive-bred individuals. This procedure can rapidly generate inbreeding among offspring because of the mating scheme and this inbreeding might be further enhanced by the reintroduction scenario. First, we used simulations to assess the consequences of breeding designs on mean inbreeding index F among offspring when the genetic diversity of breeders, the number and sex ratios of breeders, and the proportion of successful crosses vary. A high number of breeders, a balanced sex ratio, a high proportion of effective crosses and a genetically diverse source population generally contribute to lower F values. However, moderately high (≥20) numbers of breeders combined with all but the most biased sex ratios produced mean F values near minimal values. The variability in F was negligible in all parameter combinations except for a very small number of breeders (5) and very biased sex ratios (≤ 1M : 19F). We also simulated the long-term inbreeding dynamics in the introduced population under various demographic scenarios. Our main finding was that the annual number of introduced offspring is a decisive factor in establishing long-term F values in the supplemented population. Low supplementation levels (102) quickly generated an almost completely inbred population whereas high levels (≥104) produced stable F values close to that of the introduced offspring. Simulations were run based on the life history and specific demographics of the bloater (Coregonus hoyi), whose reintroduction in Lake Ontario is being considered.

The subject of slavery and the slave trade in the Sudan during the nineteenth century has been discussed in a number of books and articles.' As a rule these do not analyse the struggle to suppress the slave trade itself, but refer mainly to the social and economic aspects of the institution of slavery, and to the various domestic and external political developments that occurred as a result of that struggle during Charles Gordon's Governor-Generalship in the years 1877-80. There exists to date a controversy between the scholars as to Gordon's success in suppressing the slave trade. While he did, according to Richard Hill, succeed in repressing and diminishing the trade, it all but stopped,2 Abbas Ibrahim Muhammad Ali claims that Gordon's policy resulted not only in his own participation in this activity but also, to some extent, in the encouragement of this venture. Hence, whatever measures he did apply toward destroying the traders meant that his achievements were partial and temporary, and lasted for a short time only.3 The need arises therefore to inquire into Gordon's policy and actions toward the issue and to evaluate his success in the struggle against the slave traders. External and domestic factors contributed to the growth and development of the slave trade in the Sudan during the nineteenth century. The external ones emerged from the demand for slaves which came from different parts of the Ottoman empire, especially from the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt and Istanbul. This demand coincided with Muhammad Ali's desire to acquire Sudanese slaves in order to incorporate them into his newly built army, which was one of the main reasons behind his conquest of the Sudan in 1820-21. As a result of this combined conjectural pressure, the Turco-Egyptian domination introduced profound socio-economic changes that influenced all the spheres of life of the local population of Sudan, and not only generated a great demand for slaves but stimulated also a large group of Sudanese to turn to trade in them.4 The Turco-Egyptian intervention in the Sudanese economy and the heavy taxes levied on the local agrarian and suburban population resulted

Profound socioeconomic changes affected mountains of Central Italy during the last century and many traditional agro-pastoral activities were abandoned. A few ethnobotanical studies in this area have specifically documented local wild plants used decades ago, but without analyzing in-depth how and why Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has eroded or changed over time. In this study, we 1) document ethnobotanical uses of four high-altitude remote villages of Central Italy, 2) discuss how these uses have changed over time, comparing them with fieldwork that was conducted 40 years earlier; and 3) assess how plant uses have changed across space, particularly whether the remoteness of villages or the occurrence of Sacred Natural Sites (SNS) have affected TEK linked to wild plants. Sixty semi-structured interviews revealed the use of 83 taxa belonging to 35 families. We did not find any relationship between SNS and the richness of TEK, as these SNS were not inhabited by monastic communities that could have shared their scholarly knowledge. There was not a relationship between remoteness and richness of TEK. The common statement emerging from the field, “We became rich and lost everything”, revealed how socio-economic changes resulted in the rapid abandonment of traditional practices, while the ubiquity of pharmacies may have contributed to the erosion of ethnomedicinal knowledge.

Most animal populations are characterized by balanced sex ratios, but there exist several exceptions in which the sex ratio at birth is skewed. An interesting hypothesis proposed by Clark (1978) to explain male-biased sex ratios is the local resource competition theory: the bias may be expected in those species in which males disperse more than females, which are thus more prone to local competition for resources. Here we discuss some of the ideas underlying Clark's theory using a spatially explicit approach. In particular, we focus on the role of spatiotemporal heterogeneity as a possible determinant of biased sex ratios. We model spatially structured semelparous populations where either Ricker density dependence or environmental stochasticity can generate irregular spatiotemporal patterns. The proposed discrete-time model describes both genetic and complex population dynamics assuming that (1) sex ratio is genetically determined, (2) only young males can disperse, and (3) individuals locally compete for resources. The analysis of the model shows that no skewed sex ratios can arise in homogeneous habitats. Temporal asynchronized fluctuations between two distinct patches coupled with dispersal of young males is the minimum requirement for obtaining skewed sex ratios of demographic nature in local adult populations. However, the establishment of a male-biased sex ratio at birth in the long run is possible if dispersal is genetically determined and there is genetic linkage between sex ratio determination and dispersal.

Background and Aim: In conducting nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab tests of suspected COVID-19 infection, one should expect variations in depth of nasopharynx and oropharynx among different categories of sex and ethnic groups. This study aims to describe the length of the nose to nasopharynx and mouth to oropharynx in the local population of the area of Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Participants in this study were asymptomatic Saudi adults. Seventy participants underwent oropharyngeal swab test, and 25 underwent nasopharyngeal swab test. Swab test stick was measured (length of stick out of the nose and out of the mouth) to estimate the nasopharynx and oropharynx’s depth, respectively. Also, we measured the nasopharynx and oropharynx depth in 42 cadaveric heads with a mid-sagittal section for comparative purposes. We analyzed the data to show the correlation in measurements of (1) male to female, (2) oropharynx depth to nasopharynx depth, and (3) cadaveric (Caucasian) to the living (local) population. Results: In the local population, our finding shows an average depth of the nasopharynx to be 9.82 ±0.48 cm in males and 8.99 ± 0.35 cm in females, with the difference to be significant, and an average depth of the oropharynx to be 9.12 ± 0.44 cm in males, and 8.45 ± 0.34 cm in females, also with the difference to be significant: We found Caucasian cadaveric specimens to have lengthier measurements in both nasopharynx and oropharynx depths than the local population. Conclusion: We concluded that there is significant difference in the measurements of the depth of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. Also, sex and race factors have significant effect on these measurements.