Pubic growth study: applicability in sexual and age diagnostic.

The growth of five variables of the ischiopubic area was analyzed from bone material from birth to old age. The main purpose was to evaluate its significance and capacity for age and sex determination during and after growth. The material used consisted of 327 specimens from four documented Western European collections. Growth curves were calculated by polynomial regression for two classical variables of the ischiopubic area (pubis length and ischiopubic index) and three new variables of the pubic acetabular area (horizontal and vertical diameter of the pubic acetabular area and the pubic acetabular index). None of the curves showed lineal growth, with the exception of the ischiopubic index and the masculine vertical diameter of the pubis acetabular area. Pubis length has the most complicated growth, expressed by a five-degree polynomial. All the variables are useful for adult sex determination, except the pubic acetabular index. The ischopubic index, vertical diameter of the pubic acetabular area and the pubic acetabular index seem to be good variables for sub-adult sex determination. For age estimation the best variables, in both archaeological and forensic remains, are the absolute measurements (pubic length, vertical and horizontal diameter of the pubis). However, pubis length is the best variable for age estimation because it can be applied until 25 years of age.

Phylogenetic relationships of the newly discovered sexual state of Talaromyces flavovirens, comb. nov.

Typical Talaromyces ascomata were observed on dry Quercus suber leaf litter amongst the characteristic synnemata of Penicillium aureocephalum, and they appear to represent the sexual state of the latter species. The species is a synonym of the older Lasioderma flavovirens, and we propose the new combination Talaromyces flavovirens. Lectotype and epitype specimens are designated for this name. The defining characters of the asexual state include yellow, short-stalked, mycetozoan-like synnemata with an unusual, almost closed terminal head of penicillate conidiophores intermixed with sinuous hyphae, and dark green conidia. Ascomata could not be induced in culture, but PCR amplifications of mating-type genes indicate the species is heterothallic. In nature, ascocarp initials appear to be antheridia coiled around clavate ascogonia, similar to those of T. flavus, and the thick-walled, spiny ascospores are also similar to those of T. flavus. ITS barcodes and β-tubulin sequences place T. flavovirens in a clade with T. apiculatus, T. flavus, T. funiculosus, T. galapagensis, T. pinophilus, T. macrosporus, and seven other species.

Avaluació del sistema de confusió sexual pel control de carpocapsa (Cydia pomonella L.) en plantacions de pomeres de Fructícola Empordà S.L. durant el període 2003-2011

La carpocapsa o corc de la poma (Cydia pomonella L.) és la plaga clau de lesplantacions comercials de pomera de la zona de Girona. Per controlar-la amb eficàcia,anualment són necessaris diferents tractaments insecticides que a més del cost econòmicque representen, afavoreixen fenòmens de resistències, aparició de plagues induïdes iproblemes de toxicitat, residus i contaminació ambiental.La combinació de diferents metodologies per combatre aquesta plaga, algunes menysagressives amb la fauna auxiliar i el medi ambient, s’ha convertit en una pràcticaimprescindible per aconseguir-ne un control efectiu i sostenible. La confusió sexual ésuna tècnica de lluita biotecnològica que per les seves característiques d’especificitat,toxicologia i respecte al medi ambient, representa una alternativa a la problemàticagenerada pels productes químics tradicionals.Fructícola Empordà S.L., empresa agroalimentària situada al municipi de Sant PerePescador (Alt Empordà, Girona) dedicada a la producció i comercialització de fruitafresca, com a entitat participant del projecte Àrea Pilot de Reducció d’Insecticides enplantacions comercials de pomera de Girona (APRI) emmarcat en el programad’actuacions específiques de les Associacions de Defensa dels Vegetals (ADV’s) de lazona, introdueix per primera vegada la tècnica de la confusió sexual a l’estratègia decontrol de carpocapsa en determinades parcel•les comercials on la lluita químicaexclusiva no és suficient (2003). Durant el període 2003-2011, l’ús de la confusió sexual per al control de carpocapsa esgeneralitza progressivament a les finques dels agricultors de Fructícola Empordà S.L.amb l’objectiu principal de reduir el percentatge de dany per atac de carpocapsa en elsfruits a collita i, conseqüentment, disminuir la pressió del corc de la poma a la zona. Atal efecte es va plantejar un estudi amb l’objectiu d’avaluar l’eficàcia de l’estratègia decontrol de la carpocapsa basada en la combinació del mètode de la confusió sexual ambaplicacions fitosanitàries de reforç durant el període d’expansió de la tècnica (2003-2011) en les plantacions comercials de pomera de Fructícola Empordà S.L. així com,fer una valoració d’aquest respecte al sistema de control paral•lelament utilitzat a lazona, la lluita química assessorada

Necesidades educativas para promover la salud afectiva y sexual en jóvenes en riesgo social

La educación afectiva y sexual de los y las jóvenes en situación de riesgo social es un elemento esencial para su salud. La educación en esta área requiere unos planteamientos rigurosos que se basen en las necesidades educativas y diferenciales de este colectivo en relación a la salud afectiva y sexual. El presente artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación que analiza estas necesidades. Para ello, se diseñó una investigación acción participativa de carácter cualitativa, en la cual participaron 48 profesionales y 72 jóvenes. La recogida de información se realizó mediante grupos de discusión. Los resultados constatan que el factor cultural y la historia personal y familiar son variables que tienen un carácter concluyente en los comportamientos sexuales de este colectivo. Estas variables deben considerarse, tanto en la educación formal como en la no formal, con tal de promover la salud afectiva sexual, haciendo especial hincapié en los aspectos emocionales, afectivos y sociales.

Educación en Valores y Diferencia Sexual: Realidad y políticas educativas en el contexto español

Este artículo analiza para el contexto español las políticas promovidas en los últimos años por el gobierno conservador del partido popular y los cambios que conllevaron la entrada en vigor, en el 2002, de la Ley de Calidad de la Enseñanza. Los mismos no parecen garantizar la igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres, pues nos encontramos ante una Ley cuya finalidad es buscar respuestas a los cambios tecnológicos y los criterios de mercado, llegando a afirmarse que las reformas educativas son necesarias para la “revisión, ajuste y mejora”, siendo la “calidad” el mecanismo para “el logro de cotas más elevadas de progreso social y económico”. A pesar de que la exposición de motivos de la Ley alude al bienestar individual y social –sin explicitar abiertamente el significado que les otorga-, los planteamientos neoliberales de las economías capitalistas se insertan en el discurso y se habla, como se ha indicado, de la necesidad de ajustes que en estas perspectivas no garantizan el avance en la lucha contra la exclusión y la discriminación, dificultando el encuentro de las diferencias, de lo femenino y de lo masculino. El nuevo gobierno socialista, surgido de las elecciones celebradas en el pasado mes de marzo de 2004, forzosamente debe plantear una transición educativa que necesita de medidas urgentes, atrevidas y transformadoras.

Condition-dependence, pleiotropy and the handicap principle of sexual selection in melanin-based colouration.

The signalling function of melanin-based colouration is debated. Sexual selection theory states that ornaments should be costly to produce, maintain, wear or display to signal quality honestly to potential mates or competitors. An increasing number of studies supports the hypothesis that the degree of melanism covaries with aspects of body condition (e.g. body mass or immunity), which has contributed to change the initial perception that melanin-based colour ornaments entail no costs. Indeed, the expression of many (but not all) melanin-based colour traits is weakly sensitive to the environment but strongly heritable suggesting that these colour traits are relatively cheap to produce and maintain, thus raising the question of how such colour traits could signal quality honestly. Here I review the production, maintenance and wearing/displaying costs that can generate a correlation between melanin-based colouration and body condition, and consider other evolutionary mechanisms that can also lead to covariation between colour and body condition. Because genes controlling melanic traits can affect numerous phenotypic traits, pleiotropy could also explain a linkage between body condition and colouration. Pleiotropy may result in differently coloured individuals signalling different aspects of quality that are maintained by frequency-dependent selection or local adaptation. Colouration may therefore not signal absolute quality to potential mates or competitors (e.g. dark males may not achieve a higher fitness than pale males); otherwise genetic variation would be rapidly depleted by directional selection. As a consequence, selection on heritable melanin-based colouration may not always be directional, but mate choice may be conditional to environmental conditions (i.e. context-dependent sexual selection). Despite the interest of evolutionary biologists in the adaptive value of melanin-based colouration, its actual role in sexual selection is still poorly understood.

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle.

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been an invaluable model system in studying the regulation of the mitotic cell cycle progression, the mechanics of cell division and cell polarity. Furthermore, classical experiments on its sexual reproduction have yielded results pivotal to current understanding of DNA recombination and meiosis. More recent analysis of fission yeast mating has raised interesting questions on extrinsic stimuli response mechanisms, polarized cell growth and cell-cell fusion. To study these topics in detail we have developed a simple protocol for microscopy of the entire sexual lifecycle. The method described here is easily adjusted to study specific mating stages. Briefly, after being grown to exponential phase in a nitrogen-rich medium, cell cultures are shifted to a nitrogen-deprived medium for periods of time suited to the stage of the sexual lifecycle that will be explored. Cells are then mounted on custom, easily built agarose pad chambers for imaging. This approach allows cells to be monitored from the onset of mating to the final formation of spores.

Sexual dimorphism in cancer.

The incidence of many types of cancer arising in organs with non-reproductive functions is significantly higher in male populations than in female populations, with associated differences in survival. Occupational and/or behavioural factors are well-known underlying determinants. However, cellular and molecular differences between the two sexes are also likely to be important. In this Opinion article, we focus on the complex interplay that sex hormones and sex chromosomes can have in intrinsic control of cancer-initiating cell populations, the tumour microenvironment and systemic determinants of cancer development, such as the immune system and metabolism. A better appreciation of these differences between the two sexes could be of substantial value for cancer prevention as well as treatment.

Danza movimiento terapia y abuso sexual

L'organització mundial de la salut, assenyala que la major part de les agressions sexuals tenen com a víctimes a dones i nenes, i són perpetrades per homes i nens. En alguns països, gairebé una de cada quatre dones ha estat víctima de violència sexual per part de la seva parella i fins a una tercera part de les adolescents han sofert una iniciació sexual forçada. Estudis especialitzats fan referència al percentatge de dones que han sofert alguna forma d'abús sexual abans dels 18 anys. En el mateix sentit, enquestes mundials assenyalen que entre el 10% i el 69% de les dones diuen haver estat agredides físicament per una parella masculina en algun moment de la seva vida. La violència sexual infantil provoca a les seves víctimes una sèrie de repercussions i seqüeles, psicològiques, emocionals, socials; compromet el desenvolupament integral de l'individu, i provoca l'aparició d'una sèrie de patologies a l'edat adulta. La present investigació fa una revisió teòrica de la violència sexual, de la violència de gènere, i de les aportacions del procés de recuperació a través de la dansa moviment teràpia d'aquesta població. També es mostra el recorregut del marc d'actuació dels organismes d'ordre públic de la ciutat de Barcelona per a l'atenció i detecció en casos d'abús sexual

Expertise and decision making among clinicians in investigations of alleged child sexual abuse

The purpose of the present thesis was to explore different aspects of decision making and expertise in investigations of child sexual abuse (CSA) and subsequently shed some light on the reasons for shortcomings in the investigation processes. Clinicians’ subjective attitudes as well as scientifically based knowledge concerning CSA, CSA investigation and interviewing were explored. Furthermore the clinicians’ own view on their expertise and what enhances this expertise was investigated. Also, the effects of scientific knowledge, experience and attitudes on the decision making in a case of CSA were explored. Finally, the effects of different kinds of feedback as well as experience on the ability to evaluate CSA in the light of children’s behavior and base rates were investigated. Both explorative and experimental methods were used. The purpose of Study I was to investigate whether clinicians investigating child sexual abuse (CSA) rely more on scientific knowledge or on clinical experience when evaluating their own expertise. Another goal was to check what kind of beliefs the clinicians held. The connections between these different factors were investigated. A questionnaire covering items concerning demographic data, experience, knowledge about CSA, selfevaluated expertise and beliefs about CSA was given to social workers, child psychiatrists and psychologists working with children. The results showed that the clinicians relied more on their clinical experience than on scientific knowledge when evaluating their expertise as investigators of CSA. Furthermore, social workers possessed stronger attitudes in favor of children than the other groups, while child psychiatrists had more negative attitudes towards the criminal justice system. Male participants held less strong beliefs than female participants. The findings indicate that the education of CSA investigators should focus more on theoretical knowledge and decision making processes as well as the role of beliefs In Study II school and family counseling psychologists completed a Child Sexual Abuse Attitude and Belief Scale. Four CSA related attitude and belief subscales were identified: 1. The Disclosure subscale reflecting favoring a disclosure at any cost, 2. The Pro-Child subscale reflecting unconditional belief in children's reports, 3. The Intuition subscale reflecting favoring an intuitive approach to CSA investigations, and 4. The Anti Criminal Justice System subscale reflecting negative attitudes towards the legal system. Beliefs that were erroneous according to empirical research were analyzed separately. The results suggest that some psychologists hold extreme attitudes and many erroneous beliefs related to CSA. Some misconceptions are common. Female participants tended to hold stronger attitudes than male participants. The more training in interviewing children the participants have, the more erroneous beliefs and stronger attitudes they hold. Experience did not affect attitudes and beliefs. In Study III mental health professionals’ sensitivity to suggestive interviewing in CSA cases was explored. Furthermore, the effects of attitudes and beliefs related to CSA and experience with CSA investigations on the sensitivity to suggestive influences in the interview were investigated. Also, the effect of base rate estimates of CSA on decisions was examined. A questionnaire covering items concerning demographic data, different aspects of clinical experience, self-evaluated expertise, beliefs and knowledge about CSA and a set of ambiguous material based on real trial documents concerning an alleged CSA case was given to child mental health professionals. The experiment was based on a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 (leading questions: yes vs no) x (stereotype induction: yes vs no) x (emotional tone: pressure to respond vs no pressure to respond) x (threats and rewards: yes vs no) between-subjects factorial design, in which the suggestiveness of the methods with which the responses of the child were obtained were varied. There was an additional condition in which the material did not contain any interview transcripts. The results showed that clinicians are sensitive only to the presence of leading questions but not to the presence of other suggestive techniques. Furthermore, the clinicians were not sensitive to the possibility that suggestive techniques could have been used when no interview transcripts had been included in the trial material. Experience had an effect on the sensitivity of the clinicians only regarding leading questions. Strong beliefs related to CSA lessened the sensitivity to leading questions. Those showing strong beliefs on the belief scales used in this study were even more prone to prosecute than other participants when other suggestive influences than leading questions were present. Controversy exists regarding effects of experience and feedback on clinical decision making. In Study IV the impact of the number of handled cases and of feedback on the decisions in cases of alleged CSA was investigated. One-hundred vignettes describing cases of suspected CSA were given to students with no experience with investigating CSA. The vignettes were based on statistical data about symptoms and prevalence of CSA. According to the theoretical likelihood of CSA the children described were categorized as abused or not abused. The participants were asked to decide whether abuse had occurred. They were divided into 4 groups: one received feedback on whether their decision was right or wrong, one received information about cognitive processes involved in decision making, one received both, and one did not receive feedback at all. The results showed that participants who received feedback on their performance made more correct positive decisions and participants who got information about decision making processes made more correct negative decisions. Feedback and information combined decreased the number of correct positive decisions but increased the number of correct negative decisions. The number of read cases had in itself a positive effect on correct positive decision.