Females In Use Research Articles

Changes in secondary sexual characteristics of female red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and relationship to ovarian development: Implications for intensive breeding of seedlings

A rapid selection method of mature Procambarus clarkii females for use in intensive breeding of seedlings is proposed based on evaluation of secondary sexual characteristics and variation patterns in this study. Following regular sampling in ponds, the weight, cephalothorax length, annulus ventralis length, body width, white patch coverage (WC) on the uropod, and uropod content weight-to-weight (WW) ratio of female P. clarkii were found to change significantly during ovarian development. The random forest model identified white patches on the uropod as secondary sexual characteristics of female P. clarkii. In fact, the ovarian maturity status could be determined based on the variable pattern of these white patches (distribution shape, coverage, and density), particularly WC. White patches waxed and waned during ovarian development and oviposition. Specifically, white patches were absent from the uropod of female P. clarkii before the avitellogenic stage; visible on the uropod in the early vitellogenic stage (WC < 30%); WC 30–45% occurred in the midvitellogenic stage; WC > 45% occurred in the late vitellogenic stage; and white patches disappeared from the uropod of female P. clarkii in the post-vitellogenic and resorptive stage. The accuracy of identifying mature female P. clarkii (late vitellogenic stage) based on the white patch pattern was 86.36%. Hence, the observation of white patch changes on the uropod might represent an effective method for rapidly identifying mature female P. clarkii with the potential to improve artificial intensive breeding.

Development of Respiratory Tract Organs for ICRP Pediatric Mesh-type Reference Computational Phantoms.

As part of the activities of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Task Group 103, the present study developed a new set of respiratory tract organs consisting of the extrathoracic, bronchial, bronchiolar, and alveolar-interstitial regions for newborn, 1-, 5-, 10-, and 15-y-old males and females for use in pediatric mesh-type reference computational phantoms. The developed respiratory tract organs, while preserving the original topologies of those of the pediatric voxel-type reference computational phantoms of ICRP Publication 143, have improved anatomy and detailed structure and also include μm-thick target and source regions prescribed in ICRP Publication 66. The dosimetric impact of the developed respiratory tract organs was investigated by calculating the specific absorbed fraction for internal electron exposures, which were then compared with the ICRP Task Group 96 values. The results showed that except for the alveolar-interstitial region as a source region, the pediatric mesh phantoms showed larger specific absorbed fractions than the Task Group 96 values. The maximum difference was a factor of ~3.5 for the extrathoracic-2 basal cell and surface as target and source regions, respectively. These results reflect the differences in the target masses and geometry caused by the anatomical enhancement of the pediatric mesh phantoms. For the alveolar-interstitial region as a source region, the pediatric mesh phantoms showed larger values for low energy ranges and lower values with increasing energies, owing to the differences in the size and shape of the alveolar-interstitial region.

Development of alimentary tract organs for ICRP pediatric mesh-type reference computational phantoms

In line with the activities of Task Group 103 under the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the present study was conducted to develop a new set of alimentary tract organs consisting of the oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon for the newborn, 1 year-old, 5 year-old, 10 year-old, and 15 year-old males and females for use in the pediatric mesh-type reference computational phantoms (MRCPs). The developed alimentary tract organs of the pediatric MRCPs, while nearly preserving the original topology and shape of those of the pediatric voxel-type reference computational phantoms (VRCPs) of ICRP Publication 143, present considerable anatomical improvement and include all micrometre-scale target and source regions as prescribed in ICRP Publication 100. To investigate the dosimetric impact of the developed alimentary tract organs, organ doses and specific absorbed fractions were computed for certain external exposures to photons and electrons and internal exposures to electrons, respectively, which were then compared with the values computed using the current ICRP models (i.e. pediatric VRCPs and ICRP-100 stylised models). The results showed that for external exposures to penetrating radiations (i.e. photons >0.04 MeV), there was generally good agreement between the compared values, within a 10% difference, except for the oral mucosa. For external exposures to weakly penetrating radiations (i.e. low-energy photons and electrons), there were significant differences, up to a factor of ∼8300, owing to the geometric difference caused by the anatomical enhancement in the MRCPs. For internal exposures of electrons, there were significant differences, the maximum of which reached a factor of ∼73 000. This was attributed not only to the geometric difference but also to the target mass difference caused by the different luminal content mass and organ shape.

Impact of Electronic Games on the Behavior of Children and their Academic Achievement upon Schools in Mosul City

The research aims at finding the effects of electronic games on the behavior of children and finding the relationship between the demographic information and the impact of these games on their behavior and educational achievement. A descriptive and analytical study of the effects of electronic games on the behavior of 60 children in the schools of Mosul city, conducted for the period from Feb.2019 to March 2019. (Non-probability) The sample was chosen according to us of phone or computer and other smart devices for the purpose of playing. Boys and girls equally chosen after fill a questionnaire which was used with a semi-guideline for collecting information. Results of the study revealed that time taken by the students to play a daily or intermittent basis is less than two hours, at 45.7%, and that higher than who spend one to two hours are 32.6% and those who spend more than two hours are 21.6%. Students playing electronically at the age of 3-6 are 19.5%at 7-8 years at 43.5% and, at 9 years are over 37.0%.Yes, No, sometimes are answers of questionnaire.?2 value was less than p&lt;0.05.The study showed differences between males and females in use of games.The study recommends Ministry of Higher Education, with assistance and participation of Ministry of Education, should develop an educational program for parents about electronic games and their harm to children.

Unusual Timing of Copulations in the Australian Brush-Turkey

Recent studies of sperm competition have shown that the timing of copulations can be crucial to fertilization success. For example, in some birds copulations that occur near the time of laying are less likely to fertilize eggs than copulations that occur at other times. Thus, it was surprising to find that in Australian Brush-turkeys (Alectura lathami), most within-pair copulations (61.2%) occurred less than 1 h before laying, typically providing only 25 to 40 min for sperm to reach storage organs before potentially being flushed out by the descending egg. Brush-turkeys incubate their eggs in large mounds constructed by males; females lay an egg every few days and bury it within a chosen mound. Females usually solicited a copulation within 2 to 3 min after arriving at a mound to lay, but some males still forced copulations, particularly during the latter portion of laying visits. The unusual prevalence of copulations before laying probably results from males having little information about or control over female copulation behavior except when females need to lay in a males' mound. The prevalence of forced copulations during the latter part of laying visits may indicate conflict between the sexes over what constitutes adequate payment by females for use of a male's incubation mound. Neither sex showed any interest in copulating immediately after an egg was laid. This observation does not support the idea of a fertilization window after laying, but instead indicates that copulations at this time are probably ineffective in fertilizing eggs. Females also frequently made nonlaying visits to incubation mounds. The 38.8% of within-pair copulations that occurred during nonlaying visits may have been more likely to fertilize eggs, but the timing of these visits was controlled by females, who were probably less likely to be subject to male control when not laying.

Impact of a Student Assistance Program.

A half-time Student Assistance Program (i.e., 20 hours per week) was designed and implemented for two semesters in an urban high school in New Jersey. The findings indicate that the proportion of the students who used the SAP increased with time. In both time periods, males outnumbered the females in use of the SAP and the most frequently cited of the presenting problems for both males and females were alcohol and drug issues and problems. Educators were the primary source of referral to the SAP.

Smoking, drinking, and drug use among American high school students: correlates and trends, 1975-1979.

This paper uses findings from five nationally representative surveys of high school seniors from 1975 through 1979 to examine the correlates of licit and illicit drug use, and to consider whether recent changes in youthful drug use are linked to any changes in the correlates. Males still exceed females in use of alcohol and marijuana, but no longer in cigarette smoking. Black seniors now report less drug use than Whites. Other dimensions of family background, region, and urbanicity show only modest associations with drug use. Above average drug use occurs among those less successful in adaptation to the educational environment, as indicated by truancy and low grades; those who spend many evenings out for recreation; and those with heavy time commitments to a job and/or relatively high incomes. Drug use is below average among seniors with strong religious commitments and conservative political views. From 1975 through 1979, among seniors cigarette use peaked and subsequently declined, marijuana use rose and then leveled off, and the (still infrequent) use of cocaine rose rapidly. However, these shifts in drug use were not accompanied by substantial shifts in the above correlates of use. The findings thus suggest that the kinds of young people most at risk remain much the same, while the types and amounts of substances they use shift somewhat from year to year.