Foreign Males Research Articles

Problematic smartphone use among russian and foreign medical students: prevalence, content consumed, associations with other forms online behavior

Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of problematic smartphone use, the characteristics of the content consumed and associations with other forms of online behavior among Russian and foreign medical students. Material and methods. 296 medical students were examined using the online survey method: 219 Russians (main group) and 77 foreigners (comparison group); 107 (36.2 %) boys and 189 (63.8 %) girls; age 20 [18; 21] years (median [lower quartile; upper quartile]). The structure of online behavior was assessed: adaptive, non-adaptive, and pathological (PIU) Internet use; specific forms of PIU: problematic use of computer games and social networks, mixed and undifferentiated form of PIU. The values of the total score of the scales of the applied psychometric questionnaires were determined. The indicators were compared in the general group of subjects, in groups of Russians and foreigners, including gender. Results. Problematic smartphone use is typical for 14.2 % of all surveyed. The share of smartphone addicts is higher among foreigners than among Russians (27.3 and 8.0 %, respectively), both boys and girls. PIU prevailed among foreigners (16.1 and 7.4 %), they are more often dependent on social networks (34.5 and 2.4 %). Foreign women were distinguished by a high incidence of problematic use of computer games (20.0 and 3.6 %) and social networks (25.0 and 3.1 %), as well as a mixed form of PIU (20.0 and 2.5 %). The content consumed by Russians (boys + girls) was dominated by being on social networks (77.6 Russians and 46.7 % foreigners) and listening to music (50.7 and 31.2 %, respectively). Gender differences in content included more frequent use of social networks by Russian students, both boys (81.1 and 48.1 %) and girls (76.5 and 43.5 %); more frequent listening to music by Russian males in comparison with foreign males (66.0 and 29.6 %) and Russian females (66.0 and 45.8 %). Foreign boys use smartphones for games more often than foreign girls, the preoccupation with smartphone games is higher among Russian women as well. Conclusions. The prevalence of problematic smartphone use, the characteristics of the content consumed and associations with other forms of PIU among Russian and foreign students were established. In our opinion, it is necessary to carry out further research aimed at solving an urgent medical and social problem of timely diagnosis of smartphonedependent behavior and prevention of somatic and neuropsychic health disorders associated with it in young people. The current range of indicators to be studied in people with problematic smartphone use should include an analysis of comorbid psychosomatic disorders (recurrent pain: headaches, abdominal pain, back pain) and features of psychosocial characteristics, taking into account age, sex and ethnic differences of electronic gadget users.

Female northern grass lizards judge mates by body shape to reinforce local adaptation

BackgroundIdentifying the factors that contribute to divergence among populations in mate preferences is important for understanding of the manner in which premating reproductive isolation might arise and how this isolation may in turn contribute to the evolutionary process of population divergence. Here, we offered female northern grass lizards (Takydromus septentrionalis) a choice of males between their own population and another four populations to test whether the preferences that females display in the mating trials correlate with phenotypic adaptation to local environments, or to the neutral genetic distance measured by divergence of mitochondrial DNA sequence loci.ResultsFemales showed a strong preference for native over foreign males. Females that mated with native versus foreign males did not differ from each other in mating latency, or copulation duration. From results of the structural equation modelling we knew that: 1) geographical distance directly contributed to genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity; 2) genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity indirectly contributed to female mate preference, largely through their effects on morphological divergence; and 3) females judged mates by body shape (appearance) and discriminated more strongly against morphologically less familiar allopatric males.ConclusionsLocal adaptation rather than neutral genetic distance influences female mate preference in T. septentrionalis. The tendency to avoid mating with foreign males may indicate that, in T. septentrionalis, local adaptations are more valuable than genetic novelties. Our results highlight the importance of comprehensive studies integrating ecological, molecular and behavioral approaches to understand population divergence in female mate preferences as the consequence of local adaptations.

EFFECTS OF INDIGENOUS AND FOREIGN POLLINIZERS ON THE YIELD AND FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF DATE PALM CULTIVAR KHALAS

This research was carried out at Research and Training Station, Date Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia during 2017 and 2018 to investigate the effects of indigenous and foreign pollinizers on the yield and physicochemical fruit characteristics of date palm cv. Khalas. Pollen grains of different date palm male pollinizers were collected from different geological locations of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Fifteen twelve-year-old date palm trees were selected for the experiment, for which five spathes for each palm were selected per replication. The experiment was laid out as a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates for each treatment. The findings of the present study showed significant differences among pollinizer sources. Female date palms pollinated with indigenous male pollen grains (Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia) exhibited superior results regarding fruit set percentage, parthenocarpic fruit percentage, tamar fruit percentage, fruit drop percentage, total number of fruit nodes per bunch, bunch weight, pulp weight, pulp ratio, seed ratio and pulp:seed ratio, fruit fresh weight, fruit dry weight, fruit length, fruit width, fruit volume, seed weight, seed length, seed width, fruit moisture content and total soluble solids. It is can be concluded that although the response to pollination and fertilization of date palm is species dependent, however, the indigenous cultivar Khalas was more responsive to the local male types than the foreign males for better fruit set, higher yield and best fruit quality traits.

A genetic tool for evaluating male‐mediated stock introgression in Atlantic salmon

Abstract The Atlantic salmon shows strong population structure with reduced gene flow, owing to homing behaviour. Supportive breeding with allochtonous parr or fish‐farm escapees could affect native population genetic structure by the introgression of foreign genes. Mature male parr are potentially powerful vehicles for promoting introgression: they can fertilize eggs in competition with anadromous males. As a consequence, foreign males contribute more to introgression than foreign females. This effect must be taken into account for the correct development of conservation programmes. Foreign males constitute an inadvertent way to disrupt the genetic structure, as the allochtonous parr or fish‐farm escapees can survive in the river during the parr stage. A short polymorphic fragment of the sex‐determining gene (sdY) was used as a marker to assess introgression via males into south European salmon populations. In order to find haplotype variants for the intronic sequence of sdY, samples were investigated from 16 different rivers across the distribution range of the salmon, together with historical samples (1950–1960) from three Spanish rivers. Two novel haplotypes, in addition to the three already described in Atlantic salmon, were found for this locus. Most samples, including historical ones, displayed the common haplotype (D) previously found in salmon all over Europe; however, north European haplotype variants were also detected in salmon inhabiting the southern European rivers that were systematically supplemented with foreign stocks between 1981 and 1994. Analysis of haplotype variation in the sdY intron constitutes a powerful and inexpensive tool, not only to specifically assess male‐mediated introgression into natural populations of Atlantic salmon, but also for monitoring salmon escapees.

The effects of familiarity and reproductive status on olfactory discrimination by female Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris)

The ability to differentiate among conspecifics on the basis of genetic relatedness can be advantageous in kin and mate selection. Selection of mates that are of an intermediate degree of relatedness maximizes the propagation of shared genes to offspring, while minimizing the accumulation of deleterious recessive alleles that can result from close inbreeding. Odors produced from various glandular surfaces of the body have been shown to influence discrimination of conspecifics in numerous taxa, including the order Rodentia. We investigated whether female Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris) discriminate between the odors of familiar and foreign males by conducting scent experiments. We simultaneously presented odors that had been collected on acrylic cubes from the anal gland of a familiar (non-dispersed) and a foreign male as well as an unscented control, and recorded the response of focal pregnant and non-pregnant females (n = 19). Non-pregnant females responded differently to the odors of the scent cubes, sniffing the scent collected from the foreign male significantly longer than either the familiar male or control odor, whereas there was no difference in the response of pregnant females. We conclude that male familiarity may influence female mate choice, as familiarity is reliably correlated with relatedness in this population. Based on prior knowledge about the social behavior of Cape ground squirrels, the ability to discriminate between familiar and foreign males may be used by females as an inbreeding avoidance mechanism, as close inbreeding can be avoided by mating with foreign males. Olfactory cues are one method of social communication among conspecifics, and can play an important role in nepotism, territory defense, and mate choice. We studied olfactory discrimination in the Cape ground squirrel, a highly social, semi-fossorial mammal that occurs in South Africa. We assessed the response of pregnant and non-pregnant females to the odors of familiar and unfamiliar males. We found that non-pregnant females displayed a preference for unfamiliar males, whereas pregnant females displayed no preference. Cape ground squirrels are non-territorial and exhibit low levels of intraspecific aggression; therefore, our results indicate that odor may be involved in mate selection by females, rather than territoriality, as relatively low levels of inbreeding are maintained in this population.

Modulation of 22-khz postejaculatory vocalizations by conditioning to new place: Evidence for expression of a positive emotional state.

It has been assumed that the 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted by adult rats as a result of a negative emotional state. However, emission of the 22-kHz vocalizations by male rats has been also observed following ejaculation, which has a high rewarding value as shown by a conditioned place preference test. These observations suggest that 22-kHz USVs may also occur in response to a positive emotional state. The aim of this study was to determine whether the postejaculatory 22-kHz USVs are related to conditioning processes. The 22 kHz USVs were recorded in Sprague-Dawley males in the postejaculatory refractory period during conditioning processes to a new chamber unrelated to copulation. During the first session in the clean recording chamber, males vocalized marginally and exhibited intensive rearing behavior. From the second to fourth sessions, vocalization duration increased and the number of rearing decreased. Following established conditioning process, odor cues from foreign males, but not the familiar ones, resulted in decreased duration of 22-kHz USVs and increased the number of rearing. On the other hand, in the presence of mating cues (copulatory chamber and presence of the female), males exhibited increased duration of postejaculatory 22-kHz USVs and reduced number of rearing. These results demonstrated that the conditioning to the cues, both unrelated and related to copulation, is important for evoking postejaculatory 22-kHz USVs as well as the relaxation state. Furthermore, these results confirmed the postejaculatory 22-kHz USVs' involvement in expression of the positive emotional state. (PsycINFO Database Record

Listening to Local and Foreign Sex Buyers of Men and Women in Cambodia

Research on prostitution and trafficking has largely focused on the exploitation of girls and young women. This research comes out of the “Listening to the Demand” two-part study by an independent research team on the sex industry in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. “Listening to the Demand” is a series of research exploring often over-looked populations in the anti-trafficking conversation, including men and transgender people. The first of the studies was completed in 2013 and focuses on men who purchased sex with female sex workers. Interviews of 50 Cambodian and 50 foreign heterosexual and bisexual males explored the respondents’ views and use of prostituted women in Southeast Asia’s sex industry. The second part of the research was completed in 2014 and focuses on men who purchase sex with men. In this second part of the project, 51 Cambodian and 23 foreign men who have sex with men were interviewed about their views of prostitution, the individual sex worker, and their experiences of Cambodia’s sex industry. Due to its comparative nature, the research seeks to deliver information on the differences in culture between the foreign and Cambodian men who seek to pay for sexual services. Results point to the need for proper sex and gender education as well as different approaches when planning projects to reach out to men purchasing sex. In gaining a deeper knowledge of the beliefs and behaviours among the demand population, the findings suggest more holistic approaches are needed to combat the exploitation of sexual services in Cambodia.

Females of a polymorphic seabird dislike foreign-looking males

Sexual selection may facilitate speciation if it promotes divergence in attributes used in mate choice, causing prezygotic isolation between populations. Brown boobies, Sula leucogaster, are seabirds that can be grouped into four genetic clusters and two male plumage morphs: brown-headed sexually monomorphic and white-headed male dimorphic. The extent of white on the head (white hood) of a male may reflect parenting ability and be sexually selected. Colour morphs have been geographically isolated, but contact has been recently reported. We manipulated male hood colour in two dimorphic populations (at Islas Marietas National Park (hereafter Marietas), which is close to the contact zone of San Benedicto Island, and San Jorge Island, which is away from the contact zone) to establish whether female preference for male hoods can function as a reproductive barrier. Females from Marietas were more aggressive towards male mates whose white hoods were painted brown (allopatric-looking) than were females from San Jorge. Although experimental females from both islands courted less than females from control pairs, experimental females from Marietas were five times less likely to copulate than control females, whereas there were no differences between treatments in propensity to copulate by females in San Jorge. Thus, in the brown booby, female dislike of foreign males may function as a reproductive barrier in populations close to contact zones, where the risk of possibly maladaptive hybridization is highest.

South Africa and its second student revolution in the transformation of university education: the case of a rural-based university

This paper investigates university transformation trends in South Africa following the countrywide #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall student protests. Studies on university transformation in South Africa have largely concentrated in urban-based former White universities while ignoring issues of the smaller rural and peri-urban universities. This paper investigates transformation trends at a conveniently selected rural-based university. Data were collected from various media sources and the university website. The results revealed that the university's rectorate was dominated by foreign nationals and White males. Also, the majority of deans of school were males (75%) or females (25%) while heads of department were in the majority foreign nationals (87.5%) than nationals (12.5%) who were males (93.8%) or females (6.2%). The best, and NRF-rated academicians and researchers were in the majority foreign nationals than nationals. Transformation at this university should reflect the socio-demography of the country. The university should prioritise appointment of nationals - particularly women into academia.

No evidence of pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes in the facultatively parthenogenetic ant Cataglyphis cursor

Virgin queens (gynes) of the ant Cataglyphis cursor mate on the ground at the nest entrance, where they benefit from the protection of nestmate workers. By carrying out mating tests in the laboratory, we show that gynes mate with the first males they encounter, suggesting the absence of pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes. This is in agreement with the recent finding that workers behave aggressively towards foreign males and could thereby exercise a form of inclusive mate choice, which could replace pre-copulatory mate choice by gynes.

First Evidence of Inclusive Sexual Selection in the Ant Cataglyphis cursor: Worker Aggressions Differentially Affect Male Access to Virgin Queens

AbstractSexual selection typically shapes the traits of individuals capable of reproduction. However, in social species, it may also affect the behaviour of non‐reproductive individuals if this increases their inclusive fitness. We examined the potential role of workers during mating in the polyandrous ant Cataglyphis cursor. In this species, mating takes place on the ground near the nest entrance, and workers chase away foreign males trying to mate with young queens (gynes). We investigated the effects of worker aggression on male mating attempts by placing three or four males in the presence of one foreign gyne and 20 of her nestmate workers and contrasted this with a second group of 3–4 males in the presence of another gyne without nestmate workers (n = 8 paired replicates). Workers strongly attacked males (more than 20 aggressions per minute), although this did not affect the total number of mating attempts by the 3–4 males or the skew in the number of mating attempts among these males. However, there was an interaction between worker aggression and relative male weight, as relatively heavy males attempted to mate more often than lighter males in the absence of worker whereas the reverse occurred in the presence of workers. Our study is the first to experimentally test the potential role of non‐reproductive individuals in sexual selection. It shows that workers could potentially change male mating success by disfavouring heavier males.

Behavioral Isolation due to Cascade Reinforcement in Lucania Killifish.

Reinforcement occurs when behavioral isolation is strengthened between species due to selection against hybridization in sympatry. Mate preferences and their target traits may change in sympatry as a consequence of reinforcement. This can potentially generate further behavioral isolation within species if sympatric populations evolve extreme preferences or traits that cause them to reject individuals from foreign populations as mates or be rejected as mates. This process is known as cascade reinforcement. We measured behavioral isolation between sympatric and allopatric populations of Lucania killifish to determine whether isolation evolves due to reinforcement between species and whether reinforcement affects preferences within species, consistent with the cascade reinforcement hypothesis. We measured mate preferences in both sexes between species (Lucania parva vs. Lucania goodei) and within species (among populations of L. parva). Between species, both male and female preferences for conspecifics were highest in sympatric populations. Within species, L. parva females from sympatric populations preferred their own native males over foreign males. Allopatric L. parva females and all L. parva males showed no preferences within species. Within species, behavioral isolation showed no association with ecological variables, such as salinity. Thus, reinforcement is a primary factor generating behavioral isolation in Lucania killifish, creating strong preferences in both sexes among species and leading to cascade reinforcement of female mate preference within species.

Males of Neotropical social wasps (Vespidae, Polistinae, Epiponini) recognize colonies with virgin females

Male behavior of Neotropical swarm-founding wasps has rarely been observed. The few published observations about male activities only describe their behavior during the short period they spend inside nests. In consequence, virtually nothing is known about what they do outside the colonies, and even less is known about mating behavior. This paper provides the first report of Epiponini males arriving at a colony with virgin females. The behavior of males and workers after queen removal was observed in one colony of Chartergellus communis located at a farm in Pedregulho, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The day after queen elimination, males were observed outside the nest. When males tried to enter the nest, workers aggressively attacked them. These attacks were similar to the defensive behavior used when foreign conspecifics attempt to enter the nest. The aggressive workers response and the absence of males before queen removal indicated that the males did not belong to the colony. Additionally, no fights were observed between individuals before queen removal. It is likely that foreign males arrived at the colony to mate with virgin females. Observations suggest that epiponine males are able to find nests with virgin females in mature stages of the colony cycle, and that mating can occur during different stages of the colony cycle.

Local and foreign males in a late Bronze Age cemetery at Neckarsulm, south-western Germany: strontium isotope investigations

The cemetery of Neckarsulm in southwestern Germany was discovered in 2001 and contained the inhumation graves of 50 individuals in 32 graves. The cemetery was in use for about 50 years during the Late Bronze Age (Urnfield culture, Hallstatt A1 period). The individuals who could confidently be identified were almost exclusively adult males. The majority of the skeletal remains exhibit specialized facets that most likely resulting from horseback riding. Several characteristics make this cemetery very unusual: The inhumations in contrast to normal cremation in this time period, the large number of multiple burials, the uniform sex and age of the deceased. There is no information concerning the cause of death of the individuals from the cemetery. Isotopic analysis was used for diet and mobility investigation. Diet for these individuals was relatively homogeneous and included both terrestrial and freshwater species. Tooth enamel from 37 individuals was analysed for strontium and oxygen isotopes. Almost one-third of the individuals in the sample exhibited non-local strontium isotope ratios and likely came from different areas in southwest Germany.

Where Do New Economics Ph.D.s Go? Evidence from Recent Initial Job Placements

We use data from the 2007-2008 Ph.D. economist job market to investigate initial job placement in terms of job location, job type, and job rank. Our results suggest gender differences in all three dimensions of job placement. Relative to their male counterparts, female candidates are less (more) likely to be placed into academic (government or private sector) jobs and, on average, are placed into worse ranked jobs. Foreign female candidates are also more likely than foreign males to stay in the U.S. When foreign students are placed outside the U.S., they are more likely to be in academia than in government or private sector, while the opposite holds when foreign students are placed in the U.S., which is largely consistent with a stylized theory model. Our results also reveal various country/region heterogeneities in the type, location, and rank of job placements.

Trading Masculinity for Leisure: The Disenchantment of Greek Cypriot Females with Traditional Masculine Marriages

This exploratory ethnographic investigation provides a detailed account of the intrapersonal and interpersonal marital and familial dynamics of Greek Cypriot (GC) females’ marriages to foreign males as filtered through the formers’ emancipated gender and sexual roles in the present day historico-socio-cultural environment of the Republic of Cyprus. The primary determinants of this research may be described as micro (concerned with the marital happiness and satisfaction of GC females), meso (concerned with the gender and marital dynamics of the present day GC culture), and macro-ethnographic (providing a rich descriptive context of the GC sociocultural collective). The methodological mode included critical ethnography, a methodology particularly concerned with matters of culture, power, and conflict. Data collection consisted of formal tape recorded interviews, as well as informal behavioral observations with twenty GC female respondents. Results indicate that the contemporary GC female believes that there is a considerable difference between GC Cypriot and foreign men regarding their attitudes, predispositions, and interpersonal behaviors towards them, with the latter considered to be more positive than the former.

Where Do New Ph.D. Economists Go? Evidence from Recent Initial Job Placements

We use data from the 2007-2008 Ph.D. economist job market to investigate initial job placement in terms of job location, job type, and job rank. Our results suggest gender differences in all three dimensions of job placement. Relative to their male counterparts, female candidates are less (more) likely to be placed into academic (government or private sector) jobs and, on average, are placed into worse ranked jobs. Foreign female candidates are also more likely than foreign males to stay in the U.S. When foreign students are placed outside the U.S., they are more likely to be in academia than in government or private sector, while the opposite holds when foreign students are placed in the U.S., which is largely consistent with a stylized theory model. Our results also reveal various country/region heterogeneities in the type, location, and rank of job placements.

Race, Gender, and ‘Foreign Exchange’ in Samoan Performing Arts

Through an investigation of Samoan performing arts, I argue that artistic innovation is intentional, but not fully conscious in the linguistic sense. Performance artists grapple with disturbing shared experiences neither they, nor their cultural consociates, can get into words, but that artists render through a play of figures. By reframing figures and the cultural models they symbolise, artists think and feel through cultural memories in ways that germinate social, psychological, and artistic change. This capacity is particularly useful in historical periods of abrupt transition, as the colonial era was in the Pacific. The performances I review are wonderfully coordinated, collective endeavours in which players and audience together, within the quotation marks of play, consider interactions between foreign males and local females and their implications for models of race and gender.

Vocal Discrimination in Mate Guarding Male Australian Sea Lions: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

AbstractThe vocal characteristics of a species can be immensely diverse, and can significantly impact animal social interactions. The social structure of a species may vary with geographical variation in call characteristics. The ability of pinnipeds (true seals, fur seals, sea lions and walrus) to distinguish between conspecifics may assist male reproductive strategies, particularly mate acquisition. We assessed the ability of mate guarding Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) males to discriminate local from foreign males’ barks recorded from a geographically distant breeding colony. Bark characteristics were significantly different between colonies, with barks produced by males from the Lewis Island breeding colony higher pitched and longer in both duration and interval duration than barks produced by males on Kangaroo Island. Mate guarding males displayed inter‐colony discrimination of barks, with a significantly stronger response to barks from local males than to those of males from a colony approx. 180 km away. Local males’ barks were apparently considered a greater threat than barks from unfamiliar males. We propose that discrimination of acoustic characteristics may facilitate reproductive isolation in this species that may lead to an ethological–acoustic barrier between breeding colonies, and subsequent genetic isolation.

The controversial International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005: protecting the rights and interests of all parties

The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 was enacted by Congress to help prevent abuse of foreign women who marry American men through international marriage brokers. However, opponents argue that this law violates males' privacy and free speech rights by requiring them to provide an extensive personal history prior to communicating with the foreign woman. We discuss the debate over the law through an examination of the rights of the foreign women and American males who enter into mail‐order marriages. We conclude that this is a controversial topic and calls for more debate over the issue in the legal forum.