Female Behavior Research Articles

Sex-specific and cell-specific regulation of ER stress and neuroinflammation after traumatic brain injury in juvenile mice

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and neuroinflammation play an important role in secondary brain damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Due to the complex brain cytoarchitecture, multiple cell types are affected by TBI. However, cell type-specific and sex-specific responses to ER stress and neuroinflammation remain unclear. Here we investigated differential regulation of ER stress and neuroinflammatory pathways in neurons and microglia during the acute phase post-injury in a mouse model of impact acceleration TBI in both males and females. We found that TBI resulted in significant weight loss only in males, and sensorimotor impairment and depressive-like behaviors in both males and females at the acute phase post-injury. By concurrently isolating neurons and microglia from the same brain sample of the same animal, we were able to evaluate the simultaneous responses in neurons and microglia towards ER stress and neuroinflammation in both males and females. We discovered that the ER stress and anti-inflammatory responses were significantly stronger in microglia, especially in female microglia, compared with the male and female neurons. Whereas the degree of phosphorylated-tau (pTau) accumulation was significantly higher in neurons, compared with the microglia. In conclusion, TBI resulted in behavioral deficits and cell type-specific and sex-specific responses to ER stress and neuroinflammation, and abnormal protein accumulation at the acute phase after TBI in immature mice.

Behavioral trade-offs and multitasking by elk in relation to predation risk from Mexican gray wolves.

Predator non-consumptive effects (NCE) can alter prey foraging time and habitat use, potentially reducing fitness. Prey can mitigate NCEs by increasing vigilance, chewing-vigilance synchronization, and spatiotemporal avoidance of predators. We quantified the relationship between Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) predation risk and elk (Cervus canadensis) behavior. We conducted behavioral observations on adult female elk and developed predation risk indices using GPS collar data from Mexican wolves, locations of elk killed by wolves, and landscape covariates. We compared a priori models to determine the best predictors of adult female behavior and multitasking. Metrics that quantified both spatial and temporal predation risk were the most predictive. Vigilance was positively associated with increased predation risk. The effect of predation risk on foraging and resting differed across diurnal periods. During midday when wolf activity was lower, the probability of foraging increased while resting decreased in high-risk areas. During crepuscular periods when elk and wolves were most active, increased predation risk was associated with increased vigilance and slight decreases in foraging. Our results suggest elk are temporally avoiding predation risk from Mexican wolves by trading resting for foraging, a trade-off often not evaluated in behavioral studies. Probability of multitasking depended on canopy openness and an interaction between maternal period and predation risk; multitasking decreased prior to parturition and increased post parturition in high-risk areas. Openness was inversely related to multitasking. These results suggest adult female elk are altering the type of vigilance used depending on resource availability/quality, current energetic needs, and predation risk. Our results highlight potentially important, but often-excluded behaviors and trade-offs prey species may use to reduce the indirect effects of predation and contribute additional context to our understanding of predator-prey dynamics.

Stress during pubertal development affects female sociosexual behavior in mice

Puberty is a crucial phase for the development of female sexual behavior. Growing evidence suggests that stress during this period may interfere with the development of sexual behavior. However, the neural circuits involved in this alteration remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated in mice that pubertal stress permanently disrupted sexual performance without affecting sexual preference. This was associated with a reduced expression and activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl). Fiber photometry revealed that VMHvl nNOS neurons are strongly responsive to male olfactory cues with this activation being substantially reduced in pubertally stressed females. Finally, treatment with a NO donor partially restored sexual performance in pubertally stressed females. This study provides insights into the involvement of VMHvl nNOS in the processing of olfactory cues important for the expression of female sexual behavior. In addition, exposure to stress during puberty disrupts the integration of male olfactory cues leading to reduced sexual behavior.

Sexual receptivity of females on Neotropical scorpion Tityus pusillus Pocock, 1893 in response to male reproductive advances

Due to the high reproductive investment, females are the decisive sex when making decisions about whether or not to reproduce. Generally, female scorpions display aggressive sexual behavior in response to male reproductive advances when they are not receptive. However, female receptivity can vary over time, depending on environmental factors favorable to reproduction Thus, the current study aimed to examine the correlation between the number of reproductive attempts by male Tityus pusillus scorpion and mating success over time, considering the female's behavioral response. Behavioral analyses were monthly conducted on 150 T. pusillus field-caught pairs over a five-month period. Our results indicate that despite females reacting aggressively to male advances, the persistence of the male has a positive effect in courtship probability. Furthermore, we observed variations in female behavior throughout the studied period, suggesting that female receptivity might be linked to the reproductive season. Therefore, environmental factors may play a significant role in regulating scorpion reproduction in Neotropical forests.

Chronic caffeine decreases anxiety-like behavior in the marble burying task in adolescent rats.

Exposure to chronic caffeine during adolescence has been shown to produce decreased anxiety-like behaviors in rats as well as decreased immobility in the forced swim test (FST) suggesting an antidepressant-like effect. The effects of chronic caffeine on anxiety, however, have been found to be test-dependent and sexually dimorphic. In addition, decreased immobility in the FST has been argued to reflect a shift toward active coping behavior as opposed to an antidepressant-like effect. In order to further characterize the effects of adolescent caffeine exposure, the present experiment assessed the effects of caffeine on marble burying behavior in a two-zone marble burying task. There was no difference in the amount of time rats spent in the two zones failing to support a shift in coping strategy. Caffeine-exposed rats spent less time engaged in marble burying activity and buried slightly fewer marbles, suggesting an anxiolytic effect of caffeine. In addition, caffeine treated rats spent less time engaged in nondirected burying and slightly more time actively engaging with the marbles; however, these effects appeared to be sexually dimorphic as they were driven by larger changes in the females. Overall, these results support an anxiolytic effect of adolescent caffeine, with female behavior appearing to be more affected by caffeine than males.

Kisspeptin administration may promote precopulatory behavior in male rats independently or supplementally to testosterone and contribute to proceptive behavior in female partners, reducing mating failure

Kisspeptin is a peptide that plays an important role through its effects on the hypothalamus-pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. It has also been implicated in sexual behavior. The present study investigated whether the relationship between kisspeptin and sexual behavior is independent of the HPG axis, i.e., testosterone. Sexual behavior was examined after the administration of kisspeptin to gonadally intact male rats and gonadectomized male rats that received testosterone supplementation. Other male rats were also observed for sexual behavior once a week from 2 to 5 weeks after gonadectomy and receiving kisspeptin for the sixth postoperative week. Sexual behavior in female rats serving as the partner for each male was also observed. Female rats were not administered kisspeptin in the present study. The results obtained showed that the administration of kisspeptin increased precopulatory behavior in gonadally intact male rats and gonadectomized male rats that received testosterone supplementation and proceptive behavior in their female partners. Precopulatory behavior in males and receptive behavior in females increased, while copulatory behavior in males and receptive behavior in females remained unchanged. Furthermore, the administration of kisspeptin increased precopulatory behavior in gonadectomized males, but did not affect receptive behavior in females. These results suggest that kisspeptin affected males independently and/or supplementally to testosterone, and also that changes in the presence of testosterone in males had an impact on proceptive behavior in their female partners. In conclusion, kisspeptin may involve an as-yet-unidentified neural pathway in sexual desire independently of the HPG axis.

Cultural Frames of Deviance. Muslim Religiousness and Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Violent Control of Female Behavior

ABSTRACT Using a survey of a culturally and religiously diverse students in Germany, we investigate the influence of Muslim religiousness on violence-accepting gender role orientations. We argue that the religious frame of “fornication” (zinā) defines deviance and refers to a cultural frame of order between and within clans in non-state societies, namely the “culture of honor.” Muslim religiousness has a robust effect on violence-accepting gender role orientations, controlling for culture of honor and confounders. Results of cross-level interactions indicate a social influence on these attitudes, which we interpret as a social proof mechanism: the higher the share of religious Muslims in a school class-context, the higher the acceptance of violent-accepting attitudes. We also show that Muslim religiousness tends to increase the accordance with violent control of females within the family. We argue that according to the religious-cultural frame of a divine order, zinā is interpreted as a violation of a sacred norm and thus as deviant.

Female Deer Movements Relative to Firearms Hunting in Northern Georgia, USA.

Perceived risk associated with hunters can cause white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to shift their activity away from key foraging areas or alter normal movements, which are important considerations in managing hunting and its effects on a population. We studied the effects of seven firearms hunts on the movements of 20 female deer in two Wildlife Management Areas within the Chattahoochee National Forest of northern Georgia, USA, during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 hunting seasons. Deer populations and the number of hunters in our study area have declined significantly since the 1980s. In response, hunting regulations for the 2019-2020 hunting season eliminated opportunities for harvesting female deer. To evaluate the indirect effects of antlered deer hunting on non-target female deer, we calculated 90% utilization distributions (UDs), 50% UDs, and step lengths for pre-hunt, hunt, and post-hunt periods using the dynamic Brownian bridge movement model. Data included 30 min GPS locations for 44 deer-hunt combinations. Pre-hunt 50% UDs (x- = 7.0 ha, SE = 0.4 ha) were slightly greater than both hunt (x- = 6.0 ha, SE = 0.3 ha) and post-hunt (x- = 6.0 ha, SE = 0.2 ha) 50% UDs (F = 3.84, p = 0.03). We did not detect differences in step length, nor did we detect differences in size or composition of 90% UDs, among the periods. Overall, our results suggest that the low level of hunting pressure in our study area and lack of exposure to hunters led to no biologically significant changes in female deer movements. To the extent of the findings presented in this paper, adjustments to the management of hunting in our study area do not appear to be necessary to minimize hunting-related disturbances for female deer. However, managers should continue to consider female deer behavior when evaluating future changes to hunting regulations.

Sex differences in responses to aggressive encounters among California mice

Despite how widespread female aggression is across the animal kingdom, there remains much unknown about its neuroendocrine mechanisms, especially in females that engage in aggression outside the peripartum period. Although the impact of aggressive experience on steroid hormone responses have been described, little is known about the impact of these experiences on female behavior or the subsequent neuropeptide responses to performing aggression. In this study, we compared behavioral responses in both male and female adult California mice based on if they had 0, 1, or 3 aggressive encounters using a resident intruder paradigm. We measured how arginine vasopressin and oxytocin cells in the paraventricular nucleus responded to aggression using c-fos immunohistochemistry. We saw that both sexes disengaged from intruders with repeated aggressive encounters, but that on the final day of testing females were more likely to freeze when they encountered intruders compared to no aggression controls – which was not significant in males. Finally, we saw that percent of arginine vasopressin and c-fos co-localizations in the posterior region of the paraventricular nucleus increased in males who fought compared to no aggression controls. No difference was observed in females. Overall, there is evidence that engaging in aggression induces stress responses in both sexes, and that females may be more sensitive to the effects of fighting.

Spectacular Women: Recovering the Feminine in Elena Ferrante’s I giorni dell’abbandono

ABSTRACT This article seeks to explore the models for female existence depicted in Elena Ferrante’s I giorni dell’abbandono (2002), specifically those which bypass conceptualisation according to patriarchal prescriptions for female behaviour. I examine the ways in which Ferrante presents female existence as controlled by patriarchal narratives, before shifting to an exploration of the processes that allow a transcendence of such narratives. This article suggests that I giorni dell’abbandono presents a framework through which women are able to conceptualise the world and their existence through relation to each other, undoing the alienating and limiting forces of patriarchal oppression.

Differences in help-seeking behaviour between males and females with multiple pelvic floor symptoms: A qualitative study

BackgroundPelvic floor symptoms (PFS) are common and frequently co-occur, but few patients seek help despite negative effects on their quality of life. Moreover, most studies assessing help-seeking behaviour have only focused on a single PFS. AimWe aimed to explore the barriers to and facilitators of help-seeking behaviour in males and females with at least two PFS. Design and SettingThis interview-based study included participants by age and symptoms (number and type) from a larger group taking part in a survey on PFS in the general population. MethodTwo researchers independently encoded and analyzed the semi-structured interviews, which continued to saturation for both the male and female cohorts. ResultsOf the 25 participants (13 male and 12 female), 9 sought help for all PFS, 10 did not seek help for any PFS, and 6 sought help for some PFS. We identified themes in domains related to the patient, healthcare professional, environment, and symptoms. Although most themes applied to both sexes, some had greater sex specificity. ConclusionMales and females have more similarities than differences in help-seeking behaviour. Healthcare providers should know that patients who seek help for one symptom probably have multiple PFS that the patient has not reported.

Risk factors and personality characteristics of nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior in clinical sample of female adolescents

IntroductionNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a self-damaging behavior with typical onset in early adolescence, and shows greater prevalence in females. NSSI is defined by recurrent episodes of intentional self-inflicted damage to body tissue, without suicidal intent. These recurring self-inflicted injuries are done by the indivuduel to relief oneself from negative feelings, to resolve interpersonal difficulties, or to induce positive feelings.NSSI in DSM-5. has been included among the conditions in need of further study.NSSI can be interpreted as a maladaptive coping mechanism that can be regarded as an emotional dysregulation. Adverse childhood experiences including physical abuse, neglect or sexual abuse are the strongest predictors of the NSSI. Research has repetitively found strong associations between NSSI and identity diffusion and/or distorted personality traits.ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to assess the association between childhood traumatization, personality characteristics including stages of identity development, and self-injurious behavior among female adolescents that experience difficulties with emotional regulation.MethodsWe compared our results to a Hungarian normative sample. The sample consisted of inpatients adolescents, age between 14 and 18, with a diagnosis consisting of „Emotional disorders with onset specific for childhood” or „Mixed disorders of conduct and emotions” with chronic nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior.Childhood traumatization was measured with the short version of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (H-CTQ-SF). Identity development and identity diffusion were measured with the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence Questionnaire (AIDA). Temperament and character factors were measured with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI).ResultsAdolescent patients with NSSI reported severe and multiplex childhood traumatization. These patients scored higher on novelty seeking and harm avoidance and scored lower on the persistence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness factors in the JTCI. These results were compared with the Hungarien normative sample. Adolescents scored higher on the Discontinuity and Incoherence scales of the AIDA.ConclusionsOur preliminary results suggest that childhood traumatization predicts self-injurious behavior in adolescent females. Additionally, we have found associations between signs indicative of personality disorder, including lower level of self-cohesion, self-integration and self-directedness.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Musculoskeletal Injuries, Exercise Behaviors, and Reproductive Health Are Related to Physical Fitness of Female First-Responders and Health Care Providers.

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKi) are the most common injury type experienced by first-responders and health care providers (HCPs), making them a significant threat to physical and mental well-being. Female reproductive health and injury history has been related to physical fitness in female members of the Canadian Armed Forces. This relationship has not been explored in Canadian protective services personnel (first-responders) or HCPs. Fifty-seven females employed as firefighters, paramedics, law enforcements, or HCPs completed a physical fitness protocol to assess the following: (1) muscular power (standing long jump and medicine ball throw), (2) muscular strength (4 repetition maximum (4RM) back squats and bench press), (3) muscular endurance (Biering-Sorenson test, single-leg wall sit, and push-ups), (4) flexibility (sit-and-reach), and (5) aerobic capacity (graded treadmill VO2max test). Spearman rho correlation analyses were applied to descriptive analysis, independent-samples t-test, one-way ANCOVA (adjusted by age), and chi-square test. Spearman rho correlation analyses were used to compare physical fitness results for female reproductive health history (e.g., parity status), previous MSKi, and physical activity behaviors (e.g., sports participation). A p value of <0.05 is considered significant. History of childbirth, body composition, and exercise behaviors were related to physical fitness (i.e., standing long jump, Biering-Sorenson test, bench press, and back squat) in law enforcement, firefighting, paramedicine, and health care personnel. Physical training programs aimed at supporting parous first-responders or HCPs should emphasize lower body power, lower body strength, and upper body strength.

IJCM_217A: Literacy for health: Bridging the gap between female literacy and health seeking behaviour

Background: The private sector has maintained its dominance in the healthcare industry despite numerous government measures to improve public services. Public sector is still not a choice for treatment, various reasons being large distance from residence, poor quality of care, shortage of drugs, poor attitude of health care provider. Enumeration of the factors that defines pattern of the utilization of health services become utmost important. Hence, this study is being conducted to understand the factors behind the utilization of government health services. Objectives: i)To find the prevalence of Reproductive Tract Infections, among married women of reproductive age group, seeking treatment among rural and peri-urban areas of Aligarh. ii) To find the determinants of utilization of reproductive health services among married women in Aligarh. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2020-2021 Data was collected through a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire through simple random sampling from 500 married women of reproductive age group, in the field areas registered under Department of Community Medicine, JNMCH A.M.U. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS 20.0. Proportion, frequencies, chi square were used to interpret the data. Results: Among total females interviewed 201 (40.2%) were found to have symptoms of Reproductive Tract Infections, out of them 165, (74.1%) sought treatment. Among 165 females who started treatment, 62.4 % of females seeking treatment were literate.69% females who delayed treatment were illiterate. Self-motivation for treatment was seen among 60.2 % of literate females. Area of residence, social class and female’s role in decision making also determined the treatment seeking behaviour. Conclusion: In our study female literacy has been found as major factor influencing the health seeking behaviour. Factors like place of residence, socio economic status, female role in decision making were significant. There is no denying the significant health benefits of supporting women’s education. Education has a crucial role in family planning, from the earliest stages to caring for one’s own health and newborn children.

‘If I behave like the stupidly kind character maybe I will stop being accidentally rude to people’: does reading fiction inform the social understanding and masking behaviours of autistic females?

ABSTRACT Girls are consistently found to have higher literacy levels than their male peers and to consume more social narrative fiction. This study conducted interviews with four autistic girls to better understand how reading fiction can inform the camouflaging behaviours of autistic girls. Participants described how imitating characters embodying desired values, such as kindness, provided them with a practical behavioural template. However, literature is only a simulation of reality, and participants described social “failures” where the tone of the imitated text did not align with their social reality.

Female Smoking Behaviors and Female Smoking Related Social Stigma: Qualitative Research Using Focus Group Discussion

Female Smoking Behaviors and Female Smoking Related Social Stigma: Qualitative Research Using Focus Group Discussion

With or without you: gut microbiota does not predict aggregation behavior in European earwig females

Abstract The reasons why some individuals are solitary, and others gregarious are the subject of ongoing debate as we seek to understand the emergence of sociality. Recent studies suggest that the expression of aggregation behaviors may be linked to the gut microbiota of the host. Here, we tested this hypothesis in females of the European earwig. This insect is ideal for addressing this question, as adults both naturally vary in the degree to which they live in groups and show interindividual variation in their gut microbial communities. We video-tracked 320 field-sampled females to quantify their natural variation in aggregation and then tested whether the most and least gregarious females had different gut microbiota. We also compared the general activity, boldness, body size, and body condition of these females and examined the association between each of these traits and the gut microbiota. Contrary to our predictions, we found no difference in the gut microbiota between the most and least gregarious females. There was also no difference in activity, boldness, and body condition between these two types of females. Independent of aggregation, gut microbiota was overall associated with female body condition, but not with any of our other measurements. Overall, these results demonstrate that a host’s gut microbiota is not necessarily a major driver or a consequence of aggregation behavior in species with inter-individual variation in group living and call for future studies to investigate the determinants and role of gut microbiota in earwigs.

A variance-partitioning approach for assessing mate choice and which sex controls mating behavior

Abstract Mating behavior arises from interactions between males and females. The precopulatory stage includes various male and female mating behaviors that are potentially influenced (independently or jointly) by each sex, thereby shaping the dynamics of this stage. However, limited attention has been given to determining the relative contributions of males and females to the expression of precopulatory behaviors. Here, we adopted a variance-partitioning approach to assess which sex controls each precopulatory behavior. This approach also enabled us to evaluate the existence of mate choice by assessing whether the expression of precopulatory behavior depends on the identity of the opposite-sex partner. In our study, using the bean bug Riptortus pedestris, we exposed individual males and females to different opposite-sex partners (i.e., mating assays) up to six times. During the mating assay, we measured multiple precopulatory behaviors (e.g., latency to mount, courtship rate, courtship duration, and duration of position change). Variance partitioning showed that the variation in each precopulatory behavior could be attributed solely to either sex but not to both sexes. Hence, the precopulatory stage of R. pedestris comprises a combination of male-controlled and female-controlled behaviors. We also suggested that mate choice was absent in both sexes of R. pedestris in the postmounting and precopulatory stages. Our findings highlight the importance of the variance-partitioning approach in the study of mating behavior, as it facilitates the investigation of whether mate choice occurs at specific mating stages and enhances our understanding of evolutionary dynamics during mating.

Crocin (bioactive compound of Crocus sativus L.) potently restores REM sleep deprivation-induced manic- and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors in female rats.

Rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation (SD) can induce manic-like behaviors including hyperlocomotion. On the other hand, crocin (one of the main compounds of Crocus sativus L. or Saffron) may be beneficial in the improvement of mental and cognitive dysfunctions. Also, crocin can restore the deleterious effects of SD on mental and cognitive processes. In this study, we investigated the effect of REM SD on female rats' behaviors including depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, locomotion, pain perception, and obsessive-compulsive-like behavior, and also, the potential effect of crocin on REM SD effects. We used female rats because evidence on the role of REM SD in modulating psychological and behavioral functions of female (but not male) rats is limited. REM SD was induced for 14 days (6h/day), and crocin (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally. Open field test, forced swim test, hot plate test, and marble burying test were used to assess rats' behaviors. The results showed REM SD-induced manic-like behavior (hyperlocomotion). Also, REM SD rats showed decreased anxiety- and depression-like behavior, pain subthreshold (the duration it takes for the rat to feel pain), and showed obsessive compulsive-like behavior. However, crocin at all doses partially or fully reversed REM SD-induced behavioral changes. In conclusion, our results suggested the possible comorbidity of OCD and REM SD-induced manic-like behavior in female rats or the potential role of REM SD in the etiology of OCD, although more studies are needed. In contrast, crocin can be a possible therapeutic choice for decreasing manic-like behaviors.

The Associations of Physical Activity and Health-Risk Behaviors toward Depressive Symptoms among College Students: Gender and Obesity Disparities.

Engaging in health-risk behaviors (HRBs) may be correlated with depressive symptoms among college students, but these relationships require more research. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of physical activity levels (i.e., light [LPA] and moderate-vigorous [MVPA]) and HRBs (i.e., sedentary behavior [screen-based and non-screen-based behavior] and cigarette and e-cigarette tobacco use) with depressive symptoms in a sample of college students. Physical activity levels and HRBs were assessed through validated questionnaires. In total, 366 students participated (Mage = 22.59 ± 3.54; 60.1% female; 52.9% normal weight). E-cigarette use in males (β = 0.23, p < 0.05) and screen-based sedentary behavior in females (β = 0.14, p < 0.05) showed significant predictive utility toward depressive symptoms. In the overweight/obese group, screen-based sedentary behaviors (β = 0.19, p < 0.05) and e-cigarette use (β = 0.23, p < 0.01) showed significant predictive utility toward depressive symptoms. Females reported higher levels of depressive symptoms (Mfemale = 18.23 vs. Mmale = 14.81; η2 = 0.03) and less MVPA (Mmale = 52.83 vs. Mfemale = 41.09; η2 = 0.06) than males. Enhancing mental health by improving physical activity and eliminating HRBs should be tailored toward at-risk demographics.