Flutuação populacional de Argyrotaenia sphaleropa (MEYRICK, 1909) (Lep: Tortricidae) com emprego de feromônio sexual sintético na cultura da videira

A lagarta-das-fruteiras, Argyrotaenia sphaleropa (Meyrick, 1909) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), é uma espécie freqüentemente encontrada danificando a cultura da videira e outras frutíferas de clima temperado na região Sul do Brasil e no Uruguai. Estudou-se a flutuação populacional de A. sphaleropa na cultura da videira com emprego do feromônio sexual sintético. Com base na avaliação semanal de machos de A. sphaleropa capturados em armadilha Delta contendo o feromônio sexual sintético (Z11,13-14Ac + Z11,13-14Al + Z11-14Al na proporção 4:4:1, impregnada em liberadores de borracha na dose de 1.000µg/septo), durante a safra 2003-2004, foram observados quatro picos populacionais na cultura da videira cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon. O primeiro pico populacional ocorreu no início do mês de outubro, o segundo no início de fevereiro, o terceiro teve o acme em meados do mês de março e o quarto no mês de junho. A temperatura média diária e a precipitação pluviométrica não exerceram influência sobre a captura dos insetos nas armadilhas. As informações deste trabalho permitem direcionar as táticas de controle para os períodos em que a população do inseto é mais elevada nos parreirais.

Utilización de análogos fluorados de la feromona sexual de Sesamia nonagrioides Lef. como inhibidores de su actividad biológica

Se ha estudiado el papel, como inhibidores de la acción feromonal, de determinados fluoroderivados, análogos estructurales del acetato de (Z)-l 1-hexadecenilo, componente principal de la feromona sexual del noctuido Sesamia nonagrioides Lef. Dichos compuestos fueron los análogos fluoroacetato (mono, di y trifluoroacetato de (Z)-l 1-hexadecenilo) y la trifluorometilcetona análoga [(Z)-1,1,1 -trifluoro-14-nonadecen-2-ona]. La acción inhibidora fue evaluada a partir de los resultados de actividad electrofisiológica (pruebas de electroantenograma, EAG), de estudios de comportamiento en pruebas de túnel de viento y de pruebas de capturas en campo. Los acetatos fluorados, especialmente el mono y el trifluoracetato, se mostraron como buenos inhibidores de la acción atrayente de la feromona en los tres tipos de pruebas realizadas, mientras que la trifluorometilcetona análoga mostró una actividad mucho menor.

Optimización de la composición del atrayente sexual de Sesamia nonagrioides Lef.

Se describen una serie de ensayos de campo y laboratorio (pruebas de EAG, Electro-Anteno-Grama), para optimizar el tipo de trampa, la composición y la dosis de la mezcla atrayente, con miras a obtener un nivel máximo de capturas de machos de Sesamia nonagrioides y un mayor grado de selectividad. Igualmente se presentan las curvas de vuelo de la especie en zonas maiceras representativas de Cataluña y Aragón.

Dimorfismo sexual de la clavícula: un estudio basado en una muestra actual española.

Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron estudiar el dimorfismo sexual de la clavícula, teniendo en cuenta su asimetría direccional, y aportar algoritmos útiles para el diagnóstico sexual. El material utilizado fueron 77 individuos adultos actuales de origen madrileño (45 hombres y 32 mujeres) de edades comprendidas entre 20 y 92 años pertenecientes a la colección de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Se tomaron 2 tipos de medidas, unas directas sobre el hueso (longitud máxima, perímetro en la mitad, anchura de la epífisis acromial y esternal) y otras indirectas sobre imágenes fotográficas (ángulo y sagita). Después de comprobar la constancia de las mediciones mediante una muestra de época medieval originarias de Palencia, se analizó el dimorfismo sexual en las clavículas izquierdas y derechas así como la asimetría bilateral en cada serie sexual, mediante la t de Student. Posteriormente, se aplicó un análisis de componentes principales (ACP) para evaluar el grado de implicación de las variables en el dimorfismo sexual. Por último, se llevó a cabo un análisis discriminante para cada lado clavicular. Los resultados mostraron que: 1) los hombres presentan valores medios superiores a las mujeres en todas las variables excepto en el ángulo; 2) los valores de la anchura acromial y esternal de la serie masculina son mayores en la clavícula derecha que en la izquierda; y 3) el dimorfismo sexual viene dado principalmente por las variables relacionadas con las dimensiones claviculares. Finalmente, se obtuvieron dos funciones, una para clavículas izquierdas y otra para las derechas, basadas en la longitud de la clavícula y el perímetro en la mitad, las cuales presentan una fiabilidad mayor del 92 %.

The prevalence of child sexual abuse in community and student samples: A meta-analysis

Background: Studies conducted internationally confirm that child sexual abuse is a much more widespread problem than previously thought, with even the lowest prevalence rates including a large number of victims that need to be taken into account. Objective: To carry out a meta-analysis of the prevalence of child sexual abuse in order to establish an overall international figure. Methods: Studies were retrieved from various electronic databases. The measure of interest was the prevalence of abuse reported in each article, these values being combined via a random effects model. A detailed analysis was conducted of the effects of various moderator variables. Results: Sixty-five articles covering 22 countries were included. The analysis showed that 7.9% of men (7.4% without outliers) and 19.7% of women (19.2% without outliers) had suffered some form of sexual abuse prior to the age of eighteen. Conclusions: The results of the present meta-analysis indicate that child sexual abuse is a serious problem in the countries analysed.

The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse: a continuation of Finkelhor

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to compare the prevalence rates of child sexual abuse reported by [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] with those found in recent publications in order to confirm the widespread prevalence of child sexual abuse. Methods: Relevant articles about prevalence of child sexual abuse were identified through searches of computerized databases and a handsearch of Child Abuse & Neglect and the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. Results: Thirty-eight independent articles were identified, corresponding to 39 prevalence studies; these articles report the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in 21 different countries, ranging from 0 to 53% for women and 0 to 60% for men. Conclusions: Comparison of the present study with that of [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] shows a similarity between prevalence distributions; there appears to be a general pattern that remains more or less constant over the years, especially in women. Practice implications: Twelve years after the first revision study about the international prevalence of child sexual abuse, there is still a need for new data about this topic. The present study shows child sexual abuse is still a widespread problem in the society. In this research, carried out on 38 independent studies, there is new data for 21 countries over the world, being especially relevant the results obtained from other countries different from those pertaining toNorth America or Europe. It is important to point out the high prevalence found in most of the countries, so this information could be a new warning to make society and governments aware of this problem and undertake actions to prevent sexual abuse in childhood.

The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse: a continuation of Finkelhor

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to compare the prevalence rates of child sexual abuse reported by [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] with those found in recent publications in order to confirm the widespread prevalence of child sexual abuse. Methods: Relevant articles about prevalence of child sexual abuse were identified through searches of computerized databases and a handsearch of Child Abuse & Neglect and the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. Results: Thirty-eight independent articles were identified, corresponding to 39 prevalence studies; these articles report the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in 21 different countries, ranging from 0 to 53% for women and 0 to 60% for men. Conclusions: Comparison of the present study with that of [Finkelhor, D. (1994). The international epidemiology of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18 (5), 409-417] shows a similarity between prevalence distributions; there appears to be a general pattern that remains more or less constant over the years, especially in women. Practice implications: Twelve years after the first revision study about the international prevalence of child sexual abuse, there is still a need for new data about this topic. The present study shows child sexual abuse is still a widespread problem in the society. In this research, carried out on 38 independent studies, there is new data for 21 countries over the world, being especially relevant the results obtained from other countries different from those pertaining toNorth America or Europe. It is important to point out the high prevalence found in most of the countries, so this information could be a new warning to make society and governments aware of this problem and undertake actions to prevent sexual abuse in childhood.

Increased risks of early sexual initiators: time makes a difference

BACKGROUND: Years since onset of sexual intercourse (YSSI) is a rarely used variable when studying adolescents- sexual outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of YSSI on the adverse sexual outcomes of early sexual initiators. METHODS: Data were drawn from the 2002 Swiss Multicenter Adolescent Survey on Health database, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey including 7429 adolescents in post mandatory school aged 16-20 years. Only adolescents reporting sexual intercourse (SI) were included (N=4388; 45% females) and divided by age of onset of SI (early initiators, age<16: N=1469, 44% females; and late initiators, age≥16: N=2919, 46% females). Analyses were done separately by gender. Groups were compared for personal characteristics at the bivariate level. We analyzed three sexual outcomes (≥4 sexual partners, pregnancy and non-use of condom at last SI) controlling for all significant personal variables with two logistic regressions first using age, then YSSI as one of the confounding variables. Results are given as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) using lSI as the reference category. RESULTS: After adjusting for YSSI instead of age, negative sexual outcomes among early initiators were no longer significant, except for multiple sexual partners among females, although at a much lower level. Early initiators were less likely to report non-use of condom at last SI when adjusting for YSSI (females: aOR=0.59 [0.44-0.79]; p<0.001; males aOR=0.71 [0.50-1.00]; p=0.053). CONCLUSION: YSSI is an important explanatory variable when studying adolescents- sexuality and needs to be included in future research on adolescents- sexual health.

Qui controla el comportament sexual?

Investigadors dels EUA i del Japó relacionen l'efecte d'alguns gens amb determinats comportaments sexuals de mascles i femelles

Effect of the MC1R gene on sexual dimorphism in melanin-based colorations.

Variants of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene result in abrupt, naturally selected colour morphs. These genetic variants may differentially affect sexual dimorphism if one morph is naturally selected in the two sexes but another morph is naturally or sexually selected only in one of the two sexes (e.g. to confer camouflage in reproductive females or confer mating advantage in males). Therefore, the balance between natural and sexual selections can differ between MC1R variants, as suggest studies showing interspecific correlations between sexual dimorphism and the rate of nonsynonymous vs. synonymous amino acid substitutions at the MC1R. Surprisingly, how MC1R is related to within-species sexual dimorphism, and thereby to sex-specific selection, has not yet been investigated. We tackled this issue in the barn owl (Tyto alba), a species showing pronounced variation in the degree of reddish pheomelanin-based coloration and in the number and size of black feather spots. We found that a valine (V)-to-isoleucine (I) substitution at position 126 explains up to 30% of the variation in the three melanin-based colour traits and in feather melanin content. Interestingly, MC1R genotypes also differed in the degree of sexual colour dimorphism, with individuals homozygous for the II MC1R variant being 2 times redder and 2.5 times less sexually dimorphic than homozygous individuals for the VV MC1R variant. These findings support that MC1R interacts with the expression of sexual dimorphism and suggest that a gene with major phenotypic effects and weakly influenced by variation in body condition can participate in sex-specific selection processes.

Bluetooth wireless technology based guidance system

Lyhyen kantaman langattomat kommunikaatioteknologiat tarjoavat mahdollisuuden toteuttaa erilaisia paikkasidonnaisia palveluita käyttäjille kohtuullisilla kustannuksilla. Opastejärjestelmä, joka ohjaa käyttäjän paikasta toiseen, on yksi tälläinen palvelu. Tässä työssä esitetään langattomaan Bluetooth teknologiaan perustuva opastejärjestelmä. Muita langattomia teknologioita verrataan Bluetoothiin opastejärjestelmän toteuttamisen kannalta. Erilaisia järjestelmän arkkitehtuuri vaihtoehtoja käyttäjän paikantamiseen esitellään. Paikkatietoja hyödynnetään opasteviestin muodostamisessa. Tapoja muodostaa käyttäjän reitti kahden paikan välillä toimistorakennuksessa esitetään. Työn tulos on halpa langatonta Bluetooth teknologiaa hyödyntävä opastejärjestelmä, jota voidaan käyttää myös muiden langattomien paikkasidonnaisten palveluiden tuottamiseen.