Undifferentiated Males Research Articles

Characterization of a novel and testis-specific zinc finger protein during sexual development of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

Since females grow faster in penaeid shrimp, all-female aquaculture was proposed. Environmental conditions in the Pacific white shrimp did not found to affect genetic sex determination (ZZ/ZW system). The androgenic gland (AG)-secreting insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) is a key controlling factor in crustacean male differentiation. However, functional sex reversal (neo-male) in penaeid shrimp has not yet been achieved by manipulating the IAG-sexual switch. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of gonadal differentiation may help build appropriate tools to generate neo-male (ZW) for all-female breeding. This study describes the potential role of the novel penaeid-specific testicular zinc finger protein (pTZFP) in the gonads of Pacific white shrimp. First, pTZFP transcripts show a male-bias expression pattern in undifferentiated gonads, which is then exclusively expressed in the testis and absent or slightly expressed in the ovary and other tissues. Besides, the knockdown of pTZFP in undifferentiated males results in smaller testes but no sex reversal. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) further confirmed that the smaller testes in pTZFP-deficient males are due to the lower proliferating activity of spermatogonia. These data reveal that pTZFP may be involved in testicular development but have fewer effects on gonadal differentiation. Moreover, testicular pTZFP transcription levels were not reduced with estradiol-17β (E2) administration or AG excision. Therefore, our data suggest that pTZFP may regulate testicular development through downstream genes regulating spermatogonia proliferation. Moreover, our data provide an appropriate molecular marker for identifying the sex of undifferentiated gonads.

Setal morphology of the grooming appendages of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae) and review of decapod setal classification

Setae are vital in grooming activities and aiding in the removal of epibionts and sedimentary fouling from the body surfaces of decapod crustaceans. Thus, the setal structures and their arrangement on the grooming appendages and sensory structures of the commercially important shrimp, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Macrobrachium rosenbergii is extensively grown in aquaculture and exhibits unique male morphological forms, termed morphotypes. The three male morphotypes are termed blue-clawed males, orange-clawed males, and small-clawed or undifferentiated males and all three differ in their dominance, behavior, body morphology, and reproductive success. Seven setal types, two of which have never been described in the literature, are identified on the grooming appendages (third maxillipeds, first, second, and fifth pereopods) and antennae: simple, serrate, serrulate, spiniform, pappose, crinoid, and spinulate. The latter two setae are newly identified. Certain setal types, such as serrate and serrulate setae were located and associated with specific grooming appendages such as the first pereopods. The types of setae on the grooming appendages varied among females and male morphotypes and the novel setal types (crinoid and spinulate) were found only on two of the male morphotypes. A literature review of terminology related to the structure of setae and setal types in decapod crustaceans is offered as the usage of various terms is ambiguous and conflicting in the literature. The intention of this review is to provide future authors with a comprehensive collection of terms and images that can be used to describe various aspects of setal morphology in decapods.

Sex typing and the social perception of gender stereotypic and nonstereotypic behavior: the uniqueness of feminine males.

The social perception of masculine, feminine, androgynous and undifferentiated males was examined. Preadolescent boys (n = 251) were shown a video film portraying a male target playing either a masculine game with boys, a feminine game with girls, a neutral game with boys, or a neutral game with girls and were required to make a variety of inferences about him. All 4 groups made similar cognitive stereotypic inferences that varied in accordance with the gender stereotypic nature of the target's behavior. However, for the affective judgments (e.g., liking the target and wanting to engage in activities with him), the feminine males showed a pattern of inferences that was not only different from other sex role orientations, but often the reverse. The implications of these results for S. L. Bem's gender schema theory (1981) and H. Markus's self schema theory (H. Markus, M. Crane, S. L. Bernstein, & M. Siladi, 1982) are discussed.

SEX ROLES AND SOCIAL-SEXUAL EFFECTIVENESS

The investigation examined the relationship between male sex-role orientation and perceived social effectiveness in the context of dating and sexual relating. One hundred and thirty-three undergraduate males completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and the Male Social-Sexual Effectiveness Scale (MSSES). Results revealed androgynous males indicated the greatest degree of comfort and confidence in dating sexual situations. Undifferentiated males indicated the least social-sexual effectiveness, while masculine sex-typed males scored midrange. The results support the criterion validity of the MSSES, and provide further evidence in favor of the analysis of sex roles as, essentially, instrumental and expressive social competencies.

A comparison of androgynous, masculine sex-typed, and undifferentiated males on dimensions of attitudes toward rape

The relationship between male sex role orientation and the perception of rape, acceptance of rape-supportive attitudes, and self-reported likelihood of acquaintance and stranger rape was investigated. Subjects completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and scales assessing rape-supportive attitudes (Adversarial Sexual Beliefs Scale, Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale, Rape Myth Acceptance Scale). Half completed the Likelihood of Raping Scale and Rape Responsibility Questionnaire after reading an acquaintance rape vignette and half completed these scales following a vignette depicting stranger rape. Results indicated that males, in general, considered stranger rape more serious than acquaintance rape. Further, across the rape-vignette and attitudinal measures, masculine sex-typed and undifferentiated males repeatedly responded in a more rape-supportive fashion than did androgynous males. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of feminine expressivity in the male personality, and the significance of reducing rape-supportive attitudes and myths in American society.

Sex Roles and Social Perception

Recent research by Abbey (1982) revealed that men are more likely to perceive the world in sexual terms and to make sexual judgments than women are. The present investigation focused on the comprehensiveness of Abbey's findings, drawing from the theories of androgyny and gender schema. Males and females viewed a 5-minute videotaped conversation of a male-female dyad. They then completed questionnaires concerning the interaction, providing ratings for both actors on various trait terms. Male participants were then separated into androgynous, undifferentiated, and masculine sex-typed groups, using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Results revealed that undifferentiated males rated the male actor significantly higher, on specific sexual terms, than the other groups rated him. The findings are discussed in terms of gender roles as distinct social skills. They support the view that masculinity and femininity, as measured by the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and similar instruments, are actually social competencies that contribute to an individual's personal and social effectiveness.

The effect of sex and gender-schematic processing on sport participation

This study examined the extent to which an individual's overall experience with and personal commitment to athletic activities is constrained by the sex appropriateness of the sport, the sex of the individual, and the individual's classification on the Bem Sex Role Inventory. No sex differences were found for levels of participation for either measure of participation. For both measures, neutral sports were preferred, followed by sex-appropriate and then sex-inappropriate sports. Females' experience and commitment was greater than males' to feminine activities, whereas males' was greater than females' for masculine activities. Sex-typed males reported significantly less experience with and commitment to feminine sports than androgynous and undifferentiated males. When sex-typed females were compared with androgynous and cross-sex-typed females, they reported significantly less commitment to masculine sports.

Self-disclosure: Intimate and nonintimate disclosures to parents and best friends as a function of bem sex-role category

Thirty-two androgynous, traditional, and undifferentiated males and females (N/it=192) completed a 6-item self-disclosure questionnaire containing 30 intimate and 30 nonintimate items. The targets were father, mother, and best male and female friends. Analyses of both intimate and nonintimate items indicated that amount of self-disclosure was related to sex role and not gender. Typical male-female differences in self-disclosure were not found because (a) androgynous males disclosed at significantly higher levels than traditional and undifferentiated males to most targets; (b) undifferentiated males and females disclosed significantly less than their androgynous and traditional counterparts. Intimate self-disclosure by androgynous males to father, and nonintimate disclosure by androgynous females to father, were particularly high. Both findings suggest a unique role for fathers in the development of androgynous persons. Androgynous females reported higher disclosure to best male friend than to mother. This is counter to the traditional female pattern and is interpreted as representing a greater degree of distancing from mother and openness to peers.

Sex-Role-Related Differences in Self-Concept and Mental Health

Examined the differences in serf-concept and psychological health between androgynous, sex-typed, cross-sex-typed, and undifferentiated males and females. Two hundred forty-nine students who were enrolled in introductory psychology classes were classified according to sex type on the basis of their scores on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Nine aspects of self-concept and five aspects of psychological health, obtained, from the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, were analyzed as a function of Sex and Sex Type. A series of analyses of variance and subsequent individual comparisons across groups revealed a clear pattern wherein androgynous subjects manifested more positive self-concepts and more positive psychological health than sex-typed subjects. Undifferentiated subjects manifested the poorest self-concepts, while results for sex-typed and cross-sex-typed subjects varied more as a function of the sex of the subject. The data are discussed as appearing to be consistent with Bem's hypothesis that androgynous people may represent a more appropriate societal definition of mental health than strongly sex-typed people. Qualifications of this support are also discussed.

Sex of subject and gender identity as factors in humor appreciation

Appreciation of cartoon humor was examined in male and female college students who had been categorized into one of four gender identity groups (masculine, feminine, androgynous, undifferentiated) on the basis of Bem's Sex Role Inventory. Results indicated that males preferred sexual humor more than absurd humor, while females showed the reverse pattern. Furthermore, gender identity was related to humor appreciation only for females. While feminine females preferred absurd humor more than sexual humor, masculine and androgynous females were more appreciative of sexual humor. Finally, masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated males, as well as masculine and androgynous females, showed greater appreciation of sexual humor which portrayed females, as opposed to males, as the sex object or brunt of the joke.

Gender Convergence and Delinquency

Theory about the relationship of gender roles to delinquency illustrates the taken-for-granted assumption that as role expectations of people become more alike, their behavior becomes more similar. This paper tests the hypothesis that delinquency of androgynous and undifferentiated males and females is more similar in frequency than that of traditional males and females. Self-reported delinquency and self-ratings on scales of traditionally feminine and traditionally masculine expectations provide the data for this research. The analysis reveals that, as predicted, androgynous and undifferentiated males and females report more similar frequencies of delinquent behavior than do traditionally masculine males and traditionally feminine females. Undifferentiated respondents report the highest levels of delinquency among females, but the reverse pattern tends to hold for males. These patterns are analyzed and their importance for theory of gender and crime is suggested.

An exploration of antecedents and attributes of androgynous and undifferentiated sex roles.

This study sought to clarify the nature of androgynous (both masculine and feminine) and undifferentiated (neither masculine nor feminine) sex-role outcomes. One inquiry concerned the parent identification patterms most likely associated with androgyny and undifferentiation. ANother inquiry considered differences between the masculinity or femininity of androgynous adolescents and these sex-role behaviors as represented in masculine and feminine adolescents, respectively. Similarly, the sex-role differences for masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated adolescents were investigated. The white, middle-class Ss included 142 male and 193 female college students (average age under 19 years). Parent and S sex-role scores, as well as identification scores, were based upon adjective check list self-descriptions and parent descriptions obtained from the S's. Androgynous males most frequently identified with a nonstereotypic mother combining masculine and feminine qualities, whereas undifferentiated males more often identified with a stereotypically feminine mother (p less than .01). No differences in female identification emerged. Both sexes of androgynous Ss revealed masculine attributes similar to those of masculine Ss but lacked many of the femine qualities of feminine Ss. A blending of sex-role dispositions in androgyny was inferred.