Guard Females Research Articles

Flanged males have higher reproductive success in a completely wild orangutan population.

Male orangutans (Pongo spp.) exhibit bimaturism, an alternative reproductive tactic, with flanged and unflanged males displaying two distinct morphological and behavioral phenotypes. Flanged males are larger than unflanged males and display secondary sexual characteristics which unflanged males lack. The evolutionary explanation for alternative reproductive tactics in orangutans remains unclear because orangutan paternity studies to date have been from sites with ex-captive orangutans, provisioning via feeding stations and veterinary care, or that lack data on the identity of mothers. Here we demonstrate, using the first long-term paternity data from a site free of these limitations, that alternative reproductive tactics in orangutans are condition-dependent, not frequency-dependent. We found higher reproductive success by flanged males than by unflanged males, a pattern consistent with other Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) paternity studies. Previous paternity studies disagree on the degree of male reproductive skew, but we found low reproductive skew among flanged males. We compare our findings and previous paternity studies from both Bornean and Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) to understand why these differences exist, examining the possible roles of species differences, ecology, and human intervention. Additionally, we use long-term behavioral data to demonstrate that while flanged males can displace unflanged males in association with females, flanged males are unable to keep other males from associating with a female, and thus they are unable to completely mate guard females. Our results demonstrate that alternative reproductive tactics in Bornean orangutans are condition-dependent, supporting the understanding that the flanged male morph is indicative of good condition. Despite intense male-male competition and direct sexual coercion by males, female mate choice is effective in determining reproductive outcomes in this population of wild orangutans.

Pregnant Prisoners in Shackles

Pregnant Prisoners in Shackles

Warrior Women in Ibn Rushd’s Commentary on Plato’s Republic: Mythico-Barbarian Geography in the Case for Female Guardians, an Unsolved Passage

ABSTRACT In his commentary on Plato’s Republic, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) discusses the case for female guardians. Besides following Socrates’s argument for female warriors, which cites the efficiency of female guard dogs, Ibn Rushd introduces an additional argument: that the female capacity for warfare is evident from the inhabitants of certain regions. Unfortunately, the precise formulation of the regions or groups he intends to mention is obscure in the existing manuscripts. Rosenthal translates “the inhabitants of deserts and frontier villages”, Lerner’s translation says “the inhabitants of deserts and the City of Women”. This article aims to analyse these and other translations of this enigmatic passage, which has not yet been the subject of study. Concerning the second region mentioned, it seems that Ibn Rushd could be indicating Northern Spain, but he might also have been alluding to the legendary places at the coldest margins of the then-known world.

A Modified Work Schedule for Police Officer at a Local University using Mathematical Programming Model

This paper discussed a modified linear programming model for a working schedule in the police department at a local university. The idea was to automate the process of scheduling since previous practice was done manually by only utilizing Microsoft Excel. It takes time to prepare a whole week schedule. To make things worse, any slight changes would require the person in charged to redo the whole process again. A mathematical programming model was developed to address the issues. Several constraints have been included to cater the problem encountered by the department. Solution was obtained using Microsoft Excel and MATLAB optimization toolbox software. This project focused at only 1 post guard that is operated 24 hours a day with 13 post guards working in 3 different shifts. They are allowed a day rest once a week. Results shows that guards have better weekly schedule compared to the previous study. Female guards are not on night duty which is very much requested. Male Muslim guards are also not on morning duty on Friday to allow them to perform Jumaat prayer.

Physical and physiological demands according to gender, playing positions, and match outcomes in youth basketball players.

This study aimed to compare physical and physiological demands in youth basketball players according to gender, playing positions, and match outcomes. 64 players (32 female and 32 male) from eight youth sub-elite basketball teams were monitored using an Ultra-Wide Band system and inertial measurement unit in three consecutive matches. The results showed some significant differences, although with magnitudes qualified as small. When the teams won, the guards covered a greater distance at 0-6 km/h than when they lost. When teams lost, the centers covered more distance at 12-18 km/h and 18-21 km/h. The winning female teams presented a lower maximal heart rate (HRmax) compared to the losing teams. The forwards of the winning teams performed greater efforts at 70-80% HRmax, while the forwards of losing teams performed more efforts at 90-95% HRmax. The greatest number of accelerations and decelerations were performed by the female guards and the male forwards. The number of jumps was higher in the male guards and forwards than in the female ones. HRmax was higher in the forwards of the female teams. Efforts at 80%-90% HRmax were higher in male centers. When the female teams won, they had a lower HRmax than when they lost. When efforts exceed 90% of HRmax the teams lost. In conclusion, despite the differences found, the effect of these contextual variables on physical and physiological demands is unclear. Nevertheless, knowing the game's requirements can help the design of training that enhances the performance of youth basketball players

Tales of a Flow Stayed By Nothing: Menstruation in Immigration Detention


 
 
 When Fauziya Kassindja landed at New York’s JFK airport in 1994, she was seventeen, seeking asylum, and fleeing the brutal practice of female genital mutilation. She was also menstruating. Hours after her arrival, Fauziya was strip searched, forced to stand before a female officer “completely naked, soiled pad exposed, shamed beyond words.” She was then transferred to an off-site detention facility where she was strip- searched again. When Fauziya asked where she should place her soiled pad, the female guard responded: “I don’t know. Why don’t you eat it?” When Fauziya asked for a new pad, she was told she could ask for one the next morning. She was given absolutely nothing to stay her flow—not even toilet paper or paper towels. This was the beginning of Fauziya’s experience with immigration detention. She would remain there for sixteen months.
 
 

Mate-guarding duration is mainly influenced by the risk of sperm competition and not by female quality in a golden orb-weaver spider.

Males are expected to mate with as many females as possible, but can maximize their reproductive success through strategic mating decisions. For instance, males can increase their own fitness by mating with high quality females that produce more offspring. Additionally, males can adjust mating effort based on the relative distribution of females and male competitors. To test factors that influence male mate choice, we assessed male mating decisions in the golden silk orb-weaver spider, Trichonephila clavipes (Nephilidae), a species in which females are polyandrous, males guard females before and after copulation occurs and large males are the most successful at guarding mates. We tested the hypothesis that males spend more time guarding high quality females that are spatially isolated, and when the risk of sperm competition is higher. We also hypothesized that this effect increases with male body size. We assessed solitary and aggregated female webs in the field and quantified female quality (i.e., female body condition), male size (i.e., male body size), the risk of sperm competition (i.e., number of males in each female web), and mate-guarding duration (i.e., number of days each male spent in each web). We found that mate-guarding behaviour is largely influenced by the presence of male competitors. In addition, male body size seems to moderately influence male guarding decisions, with larger males guarding for a longer time. Finally, female body condition and type of web (i.e., solitary or aggregated) seem to play small roles in mate-guarding behaviour. As mate-guarding duration increased by 0.718 day per each additional male competitor in the web, and guarding behaviour prevents males from seeking additional mates, it seems that guarding females can be considerably costly. We conclude that failing to guard a sexual partner promotes high costs derived from sperm competition, and a male cannot recover his relative loss in fertilization success by seeking and fertilizing more females. In addition, the search for more sexual partners can be constrained by possible high costs imposed by weight loss and fights against other males, which may explain why the type of web only moderately influenced male mate choice. Following the same rationale, if high-quality females are not easy to find and/or mating with a high-quality female demands much effort, males may search females and guard them regardless of female quality. In conclusion, the factor that most influences male mate-guarding behaviour among T. clavipes in the field is the risk of sperm competition.

A Study on the Barriers to Job Search and Career Formation of Japanese Female Guards -Focus on Facility Security and Traffic Security

A Study on the Barriers to Job Search and Career Formation of Japanese Female Guards -Focus on Facility Security and Traffic Security

Living on a sticky trap: natural history and morphology of Bactrodes assassin bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Bactrodinae)

ABSTRACT Plants with glandular trichomes have been shown to attract specialist, mutualistic predatory insects. Despite recent advances in understanding the plant component in this association, few sticky plant specialist insects are well documented and their adaptations to the sticky plant environment are understudied. We here describe and illustrate, for the first time, aspects of the natural history and morphology of a small clade of predatory hemipteran insects, the Bactrodinae (Reduviidae). Our study suggests that these insects are exclusively associated with plant species with glandular trichomes. The relationship is not specific as one species of Bactrodes Stål may be associated with multiple species, genera or even families of plants. We document a unique clamp-like structure formed by one of the pretarsal claws and opposing tarsal spine-like setae that enables Bactrodinae to grasp trichomes and walk on leaves densely covered with trichomes. We further present observations of Bactrodes species scavenging on insects entrapped on leaves. Bactrodinae also oviposit on their host plants, and females engage in behaviours that we interpret as maternal egg guarding, a life history strategy that is rare in predatory true bugs. We speculate that instead of or in addition to decreasing egg predation or egg parasitism, female egg guarding may be a response to the limited availability of sticky plants and a strategy against cannibalism.

What is the impact of restricted access policy on workplace violence in general hospital? A before-after study in a CHINESE tertiary hospital

BackgroundTo evaluate the impact of a restricted access policy on workplace violence in a healthcare setting.MethodsWe surveyed healthcare workers before and after the implementation of a restricted-access policy at a tertiary hospital in north-eastern China. Data were collected in April 2017 and January 2019. Fisher’s exact test were used to compare the difference in workplace violence prevalence between responses to two surveys. Survey 1 (S1) collected data from 345 healthcare professionals who had worked in the inpatient ward for at least 12 months. Survey 2 (S2) included 338 healthcare workers from the same ward who had been employed for more than two years. The effective response rates for the two studies was 79.31 and 83.25%, respectively. All 18 female security guards were included in the investigation in S2.ResultsThe prevalence of psychological violence was 62.03% in S1 and 34.62% in S2, the difference in prevalence showing statistical significance (P = 0.000), while the prevalence of physical violence was 3.77 and 4.73% respectively, showing no statistical significance (P = 0.573). The change in the rate of injury caused by physical violence was also statistically significant at 76.92 and 31.25% (P = 0.025), respectively. Security guards were at high risk of workplace violence under the policy. Most healthcare professionals thought this policy ameliorated treatment order, the sense of security, anxiety about workplace violence, and so forth, but one-third of the respondents thought that it caused patient dissatisfaction.ConclusionWhile the restricted access policy may be effective for healthcare professionals in avoiding or dealing with violence, such policy could contribute to new problems regarding the safety of security guards and the potential dissatisfaction of patients. The policy should be further developed to alleviate this phenomenon.

Purpose of Crested Francolin Ortygornis sephaena male collective calls at dusk based on livestream audio censusing

The study of diel and seasonal variation in vocal interactions of Crested Francolin Ortygornis sephaena territorial males helps clarify its purpose, thus delivering insights into the behavioural ecology of this species. The goals of the present paper are to describe the vocal footprint of neighbouring Crested Francolin territorial males and understand the purpose of collective calls. We logged remotely into a HD webcam with microphone located in Tembe Elephant National Park (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) to listen to male vocal exchanges from August 2018 to November 2019. Territorial call exchanges among three neighbouring males at dusk took place at the onset of, but not during, the breeding season and then again during the non-breeding season. In the latter case vocalisations were emitted even beyond dusk time. Call duration and intensity (calls per minute) did not increase at the onset of the breeding season. Males exchanged calls in a leader-follower manner seemingly unrelated to female attraction and guarding. On the contrary, this cordial collective calling is likely a form of cooperation to detect vocal responses by interlopers.

Maternal Aggression and Juvenile Sociality in Hibiscus Harlequin Bugs

Hibiscus harlequin bugs (Tectocoris diophthalmus) are Australian jewel bugs known for their maternal care behavior, gregariousness and warning coloration. They feed on plants in the Malvaceae family, although the nymphs will also cannibalize unguarded eggs. Here, I detail observations over 3-year period in Brisbane (QLD), mostly on cultivated Hibiscus and Malvaviscus varieties, to quantify the frequencies at which nymphs and adults occur in groups and the sizes of these groups. I also performed manipulative experiments where I placed individuals together to form groups, or to threaten females guarding a clutch of eggs, and recorded their responses. I observed that harlequin bugs repeatedly colonized a select few individual bushes in sunny locations within the study area. Egg guarding females defended against both conspecific nymphs and adult bugs placed next to the eggs, but rarely responded to the eggs being touched directly with my finger. Nymphs were far more commonly in groups than solitary, and often appeared to aggregate with non-siblings. Further, nymphs inserted into groups mostly remained there. Adults were usually solitary, and typically moved apart if placed together. I suggest that differences in the typical coloration of nymphs (shiny blue) and adults (orange) and possible dual functions as warning and camouflage might explain why nymphs are vastly more social than adult bugs.

Differences in size and energy content affect the territorial status and mating success of a neotropical dragonfly

AbstractIn male odonates, both size and fat content are related to territory defence and mating success. Males that are larger and have higher energy reserves win relatively more disputes for territory and attract more females. Wing colour has also been regarded as a mechanism that influences agonistic behaviour between males, as wing pigmentation might be regarded as a sign of male quality. In this study, we analysed whether a set of male physical (body size and wing colour), physiological (body fat content) and behavioural (disputes between males) characteristics were involved in the territory defence and mating behaviour of the neotropical dragonflyZenithoptera laneiSantos, 1941 (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Males were characterised as territorial whenever they warded‐off other males and remained in the same place within the pond for two consecutive days. In general, these territorial males were larger and had more abdominal and thoracic fat, engaged in pursuits more frequently, spent more time on sexual behaviour and female guarding, and mated more in comparison to subordinate males. By evaluating whether the percentage of wing area covered by black ink influenced male behaviour, we found that territorial males tended to act aggressively towards other males whose wings were partially painted, and sexually towards females irrespective of wing area painted. InZ. lanei, both body size and fat content play a role in defining territoriality. By subduing competitors and dominating preferred locations within high‐quality sites, these males are likely to be visited by females and engage in mating.

Mating behaviour of the leucosiid crabPyrhila pisum(De Haan, 1841)

AbstractMating behaviour of the leucosiid crabPyrhila pisumwas studied in the laboratory and tidal flats in Japan. Most males actively approached females. Males started guarding females without any courtship behaviour (pre-copulatory guarding). Males began copulation within several minutes. The copulation continued for about 1–2 h, following which males began post-copulatory guarding. This guarding lasted from almost 0 to over 3 days, but its duration was generally much longer than that prior to copulation. Release of guarding was not linked to ovulation by females. Long-term rearing experiments revealed that both sexes ofP. pisumcould copulate multiple times with various mates. Developmental stages of the embryos recorded from copulating ovigerous females widely varied; their timing of copulation may not be fixed. In the tidal flat, wandering males frequently contacted with other individuals, but without distinguishing single males, single females and pairs ofP. pisum, orHemigrapsus takanoi. MaleP. pisumcannot recognize female conspecifics, and they approach their mates relying only on vision, without using any attractive cues from females. In cases in which males encountered pairing crabs, they successfully stole the females when the guardians were smaller than the challengers, suggesting that effectiveness of guarding depends on male size. Among the mating pairs, males tended to be larger than females, and the tendency of size-assortative mating was weak or absent. Therefore, the mating behaviour ofP. pisumis not elaborate, although their guarding behaviour may contribute to improve success to some degree.

Female sexual maturity as a determining factor of size-assortative pairing in the protandrous spider Manogea porracea (Araneae, Araneidae)

Protandry occurs when males mature prior to females in the breeding season. There may be a fitness benefit for males if they are able to copulate and defend virgin and more fecund females. Therefore, fitness benefits can be investigated by studying assortative mating during mate guarding of virgin females before and after female sexual maturation. The asynchrony of female development in the protandrous spider Manogea porracea (Araneidae) provides an opportunity to investigate how female sexual maturity (subadult and adult females) influence size-assortative pairing. We investigated size differences between couples composed of males and subadult females, and of males and adult females. We hypothesized that size-assortative pairing is stronger in couples with adult females. Adult females were larger than subadults, but the size of males paired with females from both groups was similar. We found assortative pairing within all couples involving an adult female. However, this pattern was not observed among couples with subadult females. It is possible that the production of sexual pheromones by adult females after their last molt intensifies male intrasexual competition, promoting positive assortative pairing. We discuss the potential mechanisms affecting male mate choice and mate competition during pairings in M. porracea.

Female SS Guards and Workaday Violence: The Majdanek Concentration Camp, 1942-1944

Female SS Guards and Workaday Violence: The Majdanek Concentration Camp, 1942-1944

Behavior of "Intermediate" Males of the Dimorphic Squid Doryteuthis pleii Supports an Ontogenetic Expression of Alternative Phenotypes.

The expression of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) by different-sized males of loliginid squids has been extensively investigated. In loliginids, alternative phenotypes are characterized by discontinuous differences in behavior, body size, sperm deposition site, and morphology and functioning of ejaculates. Large consort males guard females, display agonistic behaviors toward rival consort males, and mate with females in the male-parallel (MP) position. Small sneaker males avoid fighting contests and instead adopt furtive behaviors to access females guarded by consort males, mating with females in the head-to-head (HH) posture. Recently, the reappraisal of preserved material from the loliginid squid Doryteuthis pleii showed that intermediate-sized males (so-called “intermediate” males) had both sneaker- and consort-like ejaculates, leading to the hypothesis of them being a transitional stage between both phenotypes. Here, we describe observations made in captivity showing that intermediate males can display agonistic behaviors toward consort males and mate with females in both mating positions, depending on the male’s current reproductive context, i.e., generally in HH, but switching to MP when the female is laying eggs. Such unusual findings of intermediate males simultaneously displaying behaviors of both sneaker and consort males comprise additional evidence corroborating the ontogenetic hypothesis for phenotypic expression of ARTs in this species. Taken together, our results indicate that (1) instead of competing with large consort males for female access and monopolization, small/young males adopt sneaker tactics to obtain mating opportunities, and (2) as they continue to grow, they gradually modify the morphology of their ejaculates and their mating behavior, going through an “intermediate” stage, before becoming large consort males.

When to Cheat: Modeling Dynamics of Paternity and Promiscuity in Socially Monogamous Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster).

In many socially monogamous species, individuals form long-term pair bonds and males mate guard females. Such behavior is thought to help secure intra-pair fertilizations, the result of intra-pair copulations (IPCs), and ensure paternity. However, socially monogamous males are also often opportunistic and seek additional mating opportunities with other females, leaving their partner unguarded. The success associated with a male’s decision to seek more mates over guarding his partner might be impacted by the activity of other males, specifically the proportion of other males leaving their territories to seek extra-pair copulations (EPCs). The amount of EPC-seeking males can impact the likelihood of a given male encountering an unguarded paired female, but also of being cuckolded (losing IPCs). It remains unclear under which conditions it is optimal to stay and guard or seek EPCs. Using field data from socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) to generate parameters, we used optimal performance modeling (Monte Carlo simulations) to ask when is it most reproductively advantageous for a bonded male to seek EPCs, despite the risk of losing IPCs. We defined three types of males: exclusive mating bonded males (true residents), non-exclusive mating bonded residents (roving residents), and unpaired males (wanderers). We first modeled the success of an individual male living in a context that incorporated only true and roving residents. We next added wandering males to this model. Finally, we considered the effects of including wandering males and unpaired females in our model. For all contexts, we found that as EPC-seeking in the population increases, the potential reproductive benefit for seeking EPCs increasingly outpaces the rate of cuckolding. In other words, we observe a shift in optimal strategy from true residents to rovers among paired males. Our models also demonstrate that reproductive fitness is likely to remain constant, despite the shift toward obtaining success via EPCs over IPCs. Our results show the dynamic nature of reproductive decision-making, and demonstrate that alternative reproductive decisions yield subtle but important differences despite appearing as balanced strategies.

Entering in and sustaining a career in male-dominated jobs: an examination of female security guards' experiences in Iringa region, Tanzania

This paper studies challenges confronting women while seeking to enter and sustain a career in the booming male dominated private security companies (PSCs). It uses the socialist feminist approach and qualitative interviews with female and male security guards, and PSC managers in Iringa, Tanzania to show that women seeking employment in PSCs are constrained by sexual harassment and exploitation as well as having to secure consent of their spouses before they can take up the job offers. Similarly, for those who make it into the PSCs, challenges such as tight and long-hour shifts and sexual harassment and exploitation are part of their daily experiences at work. The strategies devised to address these challenges and/or cope with them are not helping women. Moreover, while some challenges are common to both men and women, their sexual differences and burdensome domestic chores make women more vulnerable than men.

Entering in and sustaining a career in male-dominated jobs: an examination of female security guards' experiences in Iringa region, Tanzania

Entering in and sustaining a career in male-dominated jobs: an examination of female security guards' experiences in Iringa region, Tanzania