Elements of fatherhood involved in the gestational period: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To identify in the literature and summarize the elements and characteristics of fatherhood involved during pregnancy.

METHOD

Scoping review that used PRISMA-ScR guide to report this review. Searches were carried out in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, LILACS and Scopus. Google search engines and public health agency websites assisted in searches of gray literature and Rayyan in screening studies.

RESULTS

A total of 406 articles were identified, of which 16 made up the final sample. Five elements make up an involved fatherhood: feeling like a father, being a provider and protector, being a partner and participant in pregnancy, participating in prenatal appointments and feeling prepared to take care of a baby.

CONCLUSION

Fathers want to be involved in prenatal care, but feel excluded from this process. Public policies that encourage paternal involvement and healthcare professional training to better welcome and promote paternal involvement are of paramount importance.

Lived experiences of mental health nurses who care for clients who are parents: An approximation of Tronto's definition of care

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT

Adult psychiatric services typically focus on the mental health needs of the client but they do not support his or her parenting role. Many authors highlight the importance of a non-judgmental approach when providing support and care to clients with mental illness who are parents. Assessments frequently focus on the negative aspects while the strengths of these families were often overlooked. There is a lack of scientific literature exploring nurses' experiences when caring for parents with mental illness and their families.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

Trust is the basis that helps clients to be open to receiving care and answering parenting-related questions. Therefore, without adequate professional-client trust, some care and interventions addressed to parents with mental illness could be poorly received by the client. Tronto's phases of care facilitated the collection of data and exploration of mental health nurses' experiences of care.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Mental health nurses should be aware of the potential needs of these families, as described in the scientific literature, so they can include them in their assessments. They also should consider the need to individualize each care since each situation of a family with parental mental illness is unique. Mental health nurses must take the person's environment into account (family, social and political aspects and different forms of stigma) since all these factors may influence how parents with mental illness receive and provide care.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Many authors highlight the importance of a non-judgmental approach when providing care to parents with mental illness. However, assessments frequently focus on the negative aspects while the strengths of such families were often overlooked. Aim To explore the lived experiences of mental health nurses who care for clients who are parents. Method We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study. The main data collection technique was in-depth interviews. Data were analysed according to Colaizzi model, subsequently, the main categories that arised were compared and related to the five phases of Tronto's care. Results The main categories identified from the analysis of the interviews were: (1) individualized care, (2) continuity of care, (3) psychoeducation and counselling, (4) trust and (5) context of the client. Discussion Trust is the basis that helps parents with mental illness to be open to receiving care and answering parenting-related questions. Without trust, some interventions could be poorly received by the client. Implications for Practice Mental health nurses should be aware of the potential needs of these families, so they can include them in their assessments. They also should consider the need to individualize each care since each situation of a family with parental mental illness is unique.

Novel insights into paternity skew in a polyandrous social wasp

Females of many species are polyandrous. However, polyandry can give rise to conflict among individuals within families. We examined the level of polyandry and paternity skew in the common eastern yellowjacket wasp, Vespula maculifrons, in order to gain a greater understanding of conflict in social insects. We collected 10 colonies of V. maculifrons and genotyped workers and prereproductive queens at highly variable microsatellite markers to assign each to a patriline. Genotypic data revealed evidence of significant paternity skew among patrilines. In addition, we found that patrilines contributed differentially to caste production (worker vs. queen), suggesting an important role for reproductive conflict not previously discovered. We also investigated if patterns of paternity skew and mate number varied over time. However, we found no evidence of changes in levels of polyandry when compared to historical data dating back almost 40 years. Finally, we measured a suite of morphological traits in individuals from the most common and least common patrilines in each colony to test if males that showed highly skewed reproductive success also produced offspring that differed in phenotype. Our data revealed weak correlation between paternity skew and morphological phenotype of offspring sired by different males, suggesting no evidence of evolutionary tradeoffs at the level investigated. Overall, this study is the first to report significant paternity and caste-associated skew in V. maculifrons, and to investigate the phenotypic consequences of skew in a social wasp. Our results suggest that polyandry can have important consequences on the genetic and social structure of insect societies.

The Latest Research Progress on Cell-Free DNA and Prospects of Its Forensic Application

In recent years, with the continuous progress of DNA extraction and detection technology, cell-free DNA(cfDNA)has been widely used in the life science field, and its potential application value in forensic identification is becoming more and more obvious. This paper reviews the concept, formation mechanism, and classification of cfDNA, etc., and describes the latest research progress of cfDNA in personal identification of crime scene touch DNA samples and non-invasive prenatal paternity testing (NIPPT). Meanwhile, this paper summarizes the potential application of cfDNA in injury inference, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of common cfDNA analysis methods and techniques, and its application prospects, to provide a new idea for the wide application of cfDNA in the field of forensic science.

The cuckoldry conundrum

Concerns about cuckoldry are a dominant theme in evolutionary studies of mating, frequently used to explain sex differences in reproductive strategies. However, studies in nonhuman species have shown that cuckoldry can be associated with important benefits. These insights have not been well integrated with the human literature, which continues to focus on anticuckoldry tactics and negative repercussions for men. I evaluate two key assumptions central to human models of cuckoldry: (1) men are being tricked into investing in nonbiological offspring and (2) investment in nonbiological offspring is wasted. The ethnographic data on fatherhood shows that the concepts of pater and genitor are complex and locally constructed ideas that often include explicit knowledge of extra-pair paternity, countering the idea that nonpaternity results from trickery. Furthermore, rather than being a "waste," paternity loss can be associated with important gains for men, helping to explain why men invest in nonbiological offspring.

Sperm Competition and Paternity in the Endangered Firefly Pyrocoelia pectoralis (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Lampyrinae)

The endangered terrestrial firefly Pyrocoelia pectoralis (Olivier) is endemic to China. Populations of P. pectoralis have decreased dramatically due to urbanization and pollution. Breeding and re-introduction to a suitable habitat may save the species from becoming extinct. Because of its polyandrous character, an investigation into the possibility of sperm competition and paternity outcomes from multiple matings was initiated to better understand its reproductive physiology. To achieve these goals, 13 SSR markers were developed. The results of paternity experiments indicate there is a significant difference between P3 and P1 or P2. The female reproductive system has three spermathecae which accept sperm from different matings, and no bursa or spermatophore-digesting organ is developed. Our research established that multiple inseminations with sperm from different males occur, leading to competition between ejaculates. The benefits of such competition include an increasing number of sperm in the ejaculates of competing males and the consequential increase in fertilized eggs (thus, fecundity), and thereby a higher chance of genetic diversity and fitness in the offspring of the firefly P. pectoralis.

Therapeutic exposures and pubertal testicular dysfunction are associated with adulthood milestones and paternity after childhood cancer

BACKGROUND

Childhood cancer therapy may cause long-term effects. This cross-sectional study evaluated adulthood milestones in male childhood cancer survivors (CCS).

METHODS

The study population comprised 252 male CCS with 6 to 42 years of survival diagnosed at the Children's Hospital in Helsinki (1964-2000) at the age of 0 to 17 years. Sex-, age-, and area of residence-matched population controls were randomly selected from the Finnish national registries. Data on moving away from the parental home, marital status, offspring, and adoption in CCS were compared with the population controls. We analyzed the influence of chemotherapy and radiation exposures and testicular dysfunction (ever nontestosterone-substituted serum follicle stimulating hormone >15 IU/L, luteinizing hormone >15 IU/L, testosterone <2 ng/mL (5 nmol/L), need of testosterone replacement therapy, or testicular volume <12 mL at the end of puberty) during pubertal maturation on long-term social outcomes.

RESULTS

CCS moved away from their parental home as frequently as population controls (97.8% vs. 98.5%, p = .45). CCS were less likely to marry or live in a registered relationship (46.4% vs. 57.5%, p < .001), especially when diagnosed at a young age (<4 years). Among those married, the probability of divorce was similar between CCS and population controls (27.4% vs. 23.8%, p = .41). Survivors were less likely to sire a child (38.5% vs. 59.1%, p < .001) and more likely to adopt (2% vs. 0.4%, p = .015). Lower probability of paternity was associated with hematopoietic stem cell therapy, testicular radiation dose >6 Gy, pubertal signs of testicular dysfunction (nontestosterone-substituted serum follicle stimulating hormone >15 IU/L, luteinizing hormone  >15 IU/L, testosterone <2 ng/mL (5 nmol/L), or need of testosterone replacement therapy during puberty, or testicular volume <12 mL at the end of puberty) or azoospermia after puberty.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes the value of pubertal monitoring of testicular function to estimate future probability of paternity. If no signs of dysfunction occurred during pubertal follow-up, paternity was comparable to population controls. Testicular radiation dose >6 Gy appeared to be the strongest risk factor for decreased paternity.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Treatment with intensive therapies, including hematopoietic stem cell therapy, testicular radiation dose >6 Gy, and signs of testicular dysfunction, during puberty are important risk factors for lower rates of fertility. Intensive therapies and testicular dysfunction itself do not similarly hamper psychosocial milestones in adulthood; cancer diagnosis at a very young age (<4 years) lower the probability of marriage. This study accentuates the importance of monitoring of pubertal development, emphasizing on testicular function, not only sperm analysis, to estimate future fertility among male childhood cancer survivors.

Multiple mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance used simultaneously in a wild ape

Mating with close kin can have considerable negative fitness consequences, which are expected to result in selective pressure for inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, such as dispersal, mate choice and post-copulatory biases. Captive studies have suggested that inbreeding avoidance through mate choice is far less widespread than expected and may be absent where other mechanisms already limit inbreeding. However, few studies have examined multiple mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance simultaneously, particularly in the wild. We use 13 years of detailed dispersal, copulation and paternity data from mountain gorillas to examine inbreeding avoidance. We find that partial dispersal of both sexes results in high kinship in multimale groups, but that copulations between close kin occur 40% less than expected. We find strong kin discrimination in mate choice, with significant avoidance of maternal kin but more limited avoidance of paternal kin. We find no evidence for post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance. Our analyses support familiarity-based mechanisms of kin identification and age-based avoidance that limits mating between fathers and daughters in their natal group. Our findings demonstrate that multiple complementary mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance can evolve in a single species and suggest that inbreeding avoidance through mate choice may enable more flexible dispersal systems to evolve.

[Meeting your baby and becoming a father]

The birth, the moment when the father physically discovers his baby, is essential in the development of fatherhood. Accompanying this encounter during the stay in the postnatal unit leads to a greater commitment to care on the part of the father over the following three months. It therefore seems essential to support him during these first moments, by offering him skin-to-skin contact, for example, or by showing him in practical terms how to provide nursing care for his newborn. Encouraging the development of the father-baby relationship is beneficial for the family alliance that is being built around the cradle.

Paternity data reveal high MHC diversity among sires in a polygynandrous, egalitarian primate

Evidence from human and nonhuman primates suggests that females avoid breeding with close kin and may choose mates based on MHC diversity, which can improve offspring survival. In despotic societies, female mate choice may be hindered by male sexual coercion, but in egalitarian societies, females may be less constrained. Among northern muriquis-an egalitarian, polygynandrous primate with male philopatry-analyses of new data on paternity and variation at microsatellite and MHC loci, combined with behavioural and life-history data, revealed that sires showed higher MHC diversity than expected by chance and were never close kin of dams, consistent with predictions of female mate choice and close inbreeding avoidance. However, females did not differentially reproduce with males who were more distantly related to them or more dissimilar at the MHC than expected by chance, nor with those who had more MHC alleles distinct from their own. The lack of male dominance may permit females to identify and reproduce preferentially with non-offspring males and with males who are more diverse at the MHC. Nonetheless, the absence of disassortative mating at the MHC and neutral loci suggests that female mate choice may be limited by other factors impacting male fertilization success.

Molecular-genetics analysis of 15 STR loci in sibship testing in isolated rural Bosnian population - the use of the grey zone

Aim Examination of the effectiveness of STR loci in proving sibship of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian village of Orahovica and the formation of a "grey zone". Methods The probability of sibship was determined by calculating the likelihood ratio (LR) parameter for each of the 15 observed STR loci and for each of the pairs of relatives and non-relatives. Cumulative sibship index (CSI) was calculated for each of the pairs by multiplying the LR values of all 15 loci and obtained values are used as CSI limit for separating relatives from non-relatives. By creating a grey zone for local populations, an attempt was made to obtain a line of demarcation between siblings and non-siblings. Results An analysis of the origin of the respondents' relatives was performed, up to the level of sibship in the third generation. The results of the CSI for pairs of relatives from the village of Orahovica showed that the highest CSI value, and therefore the sibship probability was recorded among relatives from the village of Orahovica (CSI=534211727.203;SP=99.999999812%). On the contrary, incredibly low CSI value was recorded among non-relatives,ranging from CSI=0.0000001 to 0.5261434 (SP=0.000009999% to 34.475357951%). Conclusion For the threshold value CSI=1 and for CSI=3, this method determined sibship in 100% of pairs of relatives and the absence of biological sibship in 100% of pairs of non-relatives in the village of Orahovica. The STR system is proved to be a successful method in determining sibship or absence of sibship in small local populations.

How Female-Female Competition Affects Male-Male Competition: Insights into Postcopulatory Sexual Selection from Socially Polyandrous Species

AbstractSexual selection is a major driver of trait variation, and the intensity of male competition for mating opportunities has been linked with sperm size across diverse taxa. Mating competition among females may also shape the evolution of sperm traits, but the effect of the interplay between female-female competition and male-male competition on sperm morphology is not well understood. We evaluated variation in sperm morphology in two species with socially polyandrous mating systems, in which females compete to mate with multiple males. Northern jacanas (Jacana spinosa) and wattled jacanas (J. jacana) vary in their degree of social polyandry and sexual dimorphism, suggesting species differences in the intensity of sexual selection. We compared mean and variance in sperm head, midpiece, and tail length between species and breeding stages because these measures have been associated with the intensity of sperm competition. We found that the species with greater polyandry, northern jacana, has sperm with longer midpieces and tails as well as marginally lower intraejaculate variation in tail length. Intraejaculate variation was also significantly lower in copulating males than in incubating males, suggesting flexibility in sperm production as males cycle between breeding stages. Our results indicate that stronger female-female competition for mating opportunities may also shape more intense male-male competition by selecting for longer and less variable sperm traits. These findings extend frameworks developed in socially monogamous species to reveal that sperm competition may be an important evolutionary force layered atop female-female competition for mates.

Paternity sharing in insects with female competition for nuptial gifts

Male parental investment is expected to be associated with high confidence of paternity. Studies of species with exclusive male parental care have provided support for this hypothesis because mating typically co‐occurs with each oviposition, allowing control over paternity and the allocation of care. However, in systems where males invest by feeding mates (typically arthropods), mating (and thus the investment) is separated from egg‐laying, resulting in less control over insemination, as male ejaculates compete with rival sperm stored by females, and a greater risk of investing in unrelated offspring (cuckoldry). As strong selection on males to increase paternity would compromise the fitness of all a female's other mates that make costly nutrient contributions, paternity sharing (males not excluded from siring offspring) is an expected outcome of sperm competition. Using wild‐caught females in an orthopteran and a dipteran species, in which sexually selected, ornamented females compete for male nuptial food gifts needed for successful reproduction, we examined paternity patterns and compared them with findings in other insects. We used microsatellite analysis of offspring (lifetime reproduction in the orthopteran) and stored sperm from wild‐caught females in both study species. As predicted, there was evidence of shared paternity as few males failed to sire offspring. Further support for paternity sharing is the lack of last‐male sperm precedence in our study species. Although paternity was not equal among sires, our estimates of paternity bias were similar to other insects with valuable nuptial gifts and contrasted with the finding that males are frequently excluded from siring offspring in species where males supply little more than sperm. This suggests paternity bias may be reduced in nuptial‐gift systems and may help facilitate the evolution of these paternal investments.

Experimental manipulation of sexual traits in barn swallow populations-No evidence for divergent sexual selection

Safran et al. (2016a) manipulated two sexual traits (ventral plumage coloration and tail streamer length) in male barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) and reported divergent effects on paternity change between two study populations, in Colorado and Israel. They concluded that geographical variation in the two phenotypic traits is maintained by divergent sexual selection. However, the response variable they used, the longitudinal change in paternity from a pre-treatment clutch to a post-treatment clutch, does not reflect an unbiased effect of the treatment. Here, I show that the magnitude of the change in paternity is influenced by variation in the initial paternity score among the treatment groups, which is presumably due to stochastic variation from low sample sizes in the treatment groups. When the bias was accounted for in re-analyses of the Israeli dataset, the statistical significance of one of two treatment effects disappeared. Similar re-analyses of the American population were not possible due to inaccessibility of raw data for individual clutches, but an assessment of the mean scores indicates that the two significant treatment effects in this population were similarly biased in their initial paternity scores. The conclusion of divergent sexual selection on male phenotypic traits between the two populations does not seem to be supported.

The evidence for divergent sexual selection among closely related barn swallow populations is strong

Lifjeld's comment provides an opportunity to illustrate the intricacies of the "regression to the mean" (RTM) effect, to clarify the difficulty in teasing apart RTM from allocation bias, and to re-examine our results in relation to RTM and in the context of related evidence. Here, we show that (a) the correlations between paternity change and initial paternity are mathematically expected and can equally be produced when changes are caused by the experimental manipulation itself. (b) The approach taken by Lifjeld to control for RTM is overly conservative because it is based on the unrealistic assumption of zero correlation between individuals' repeated measurements. Yet, even when using this conservative method, the main effects we originally reported are still detectable. (c) The combined effect of color darkening and tail elongation in Israel is additionally supported by an increase in the number of extra-pair young in other nests and by three independent studies of this population. (d) The experimental effect of color darkening in North America has been replicated successfully and is consistent with multiple correlative studies. Thus, divergent sexual selection in barn swallow populations is supported by both a conservative reanalysis and multiple, independent analyses of experimental and observational datasets.

(Re)Establishment of fatherhood among fathers of children with mental disorders: A qualitative metasynthesis

This metasynthesis synthesized and interpreted qualitative research results on the experience of fathers who care for children with mental disorders. It followed the guidelines from the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research statement. A search was conducted in five databases. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative research checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the studies, and the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (Grade-CERQual) approach was used to assess review findings. Thematic analysis of 12 articles included yielded the theme (re)establishment of fatherhood and four subthemes: redefinition of expectations, redefinition of the fatherhood role, benefits achieved with increased father involvement, and strengths and challenges in fatherhood, all of which demonstrated how repercussions from diagnosis and redefinition of expectations of masculinity and fatherhood affected the way fathers exercise fatherhood. Fathers were participative and attentive to their child's needs, even in a challenging context demanding integration of care with work obligations. This metasynthesis highlights challenges faced by fathers in acquiring new skills and competencies while caring for their children. The findings identify a need for interventions to facilitate fathers' involvement in caring for their children.

Sperm competition intensity affects sperm precedence patterns in a polyandrous gift-giving spider

Sperm competition drives traits that enhance fertilization success. The amount of sperm transferred relative to competitors is key for attaining paternity. Female reproductive morphology and male mating order may also influence fertilization, however the outcome for sperm precedence under intense sperm competition remains poorly understood. In the polyandrous spider Pisaura mirabilis, males offer nuptial gifts which prolong copulation and increase sperm transfer, factors proposed to alter sperm precedence patterns under strong sperm competition. First, we assessed the degree of female polyandry by genotyping wild broods. A conservative analysis identified up to 4 sires, with a mean of 2 sires per brood, consistent with an optimal mating female rate. Then we asked whether intense sperm competition shifts sperm precedence patterns from first male priority, as expected from female morphology, to last male advantage. We varied sexual selection intensity experimentally and determined competitive fertilization outcome by genotyping broods. In double matings, one male monopolised paternity regardless of mating order. A mating order effect with first male priority was revealed when females were mated to 4 males, however this effect disappeared when females were mated to 6 males, likely due to increased sperm mixing. The proportion of males that successfully sired offspring drastically decreased with the number of competitors. Longer copulations translated into higher paternity shares independently of mating order, reinforcing the advantage of traits that prolong copulation duration under intense competition, such as the nuptial gift. Sperm competition intensity enhances the impact of competitive sexual traits and imposes multiple effects on paternity.

The Right to Biological Truth versus Stability of the Family

This article reports on a 2019 Lithuanian case of disputed paternity. The judgment highlights the challenges of requiring deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing of a family, where the infant is already part of an established family unit. The decision turned on the refusal of the putative parents to undergo imposed DNA testing. Ultimately, the Lithuanian Supreme Court (LSC) decided the matter according to the basis of the best interests of the child.

Sperm Storage in a Family-Living Lizard, the Tree Skink (Egernia striolata)

The ability to produce viable offspring without recently mating, either through sperm storage or parthenogenesis, can provide fitness advantages under a suite of challenging ecological scenarios. Using genetic analysis, we demonstrate that 3 wild-caught female Tree Skinks (Egernia striolata) reproduced in captivity with no access to males for over a year, and that this is best explained by sperm storage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time female sperm storage has been documented in any monogamous family-living reptile, including social Australian egerniine skinks (from the subfamily Egerniinae). Furthermore, by using paternal reconstruction of genotypes we show that captive-born offspring produced by the same females in the preceding year, presumably without sperm storage, were sired by different males. We qualitatively compared aspects of these females' mates and offspring between years. The parents of each litter were unrelated, but paternal and offspring genotypes from litters resulting from stored sperm were more heterozygous than those inferred to be from recent matings. Family-living egerniine skinks generally have low rates of multiple paternity, yet our study suggests that female sperm storage, potentially from outside social partners, offers the real possibility of benefits. Possible benefits include increasing genetic compatibility of mates and avoiding inbreeding depression via cryptic female choice. Sperm storage in Tree Skinks, a family-living lizard with a monogamous mating system, suggests that females may bet-hedge through extra-pair copulation with more heterozygous males, reinforcing the idea that females could have more control on reproductive outcomes than previously thought.

Partial paternity does not always select for female-biased care

The theoretical literature predicts that parentage differences between the sexes, due to females mating with multiple males, select males to provide less parental care and females to care more for the offspring. We formulate simple evolutionary games to question the generality of this prediction. We find that the relationship between paternal care and fitness gained from extra-pair matings is important. A trade-off between these two quantities is required for partial paternity and complete maternity to bias the evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) toward more female care. We argue that this trade-off has been implicitly or explicitly assumed in most previous theories. However, if there is no trade-off between paternal care and extra-pair matings, parentage differences do not influence the ESS sex roles. Moreover, it is also possible for these two quantities to have a positive relationship, in which case we predict selection for male care is possible. We support these predictions using agent-based simulations. We also consider the possibility that caring males have greater opportunities to guard their paternity, and find that this mechanism can also select for male-biased care. Hence, we derive the conditions under which male care may be selected despite partial paternity and complete maternity.

Extra-pair paternity in the wood-feeding cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus Scudder: Social but not genetic monogamy

Subsocial Cryptocercus cockroaches are the sister group to termites and considered to be socially monogamous. Because genetic monogamy is a suggested requirement for evolution of cooperative breeding/eusociality, particularly in hymenopterans, clarification of the mating biology of Cryptocercus would help illuminate evolutionary trends in eusocial insects. To investigate possible extra-pair paternity in C. punctulatus, microsatellite markers were used to analyse offspring parentage, the stored sperm in females and results of experimental manipulation of sperm competition. Extra-pair paternity was common in field-collected families, but a lack of maternal alleles in several nymphs suggests sampling error or adoption. Isolating prereproductive pairs and assaying subsequently produced nymphs confirmed that nymphs lacked alleles from the pair male in 40% of families, with extra-pair male(s) siring 27%-77% of nymphs. Sperm of extra-pair males was detected in the spermatheca of 51% of paired prereproductive females. Mate switching and surgical manipulation of male mating ability indicated a tendency towards last male sperm precedence. Overall, the results demonstrate that about half of young females are serially monogamous during their maturational year, but bond, overwinter and produce their only set of offspring in company of the last mated male (=pair male). Repeated mating by the pair male increases the number of nymphs sired, but because many females use stored sperm of previous copulatory partners to fertilize eggs, pair males extend parental care to unrelated nymphs. The results suggest that genetic monogamy either developed in the termite ancestor after splitting from the Cryptocercus lineage, or that genetic monogamy may not be a strict prerequisite for the evolution of termite eusociality.

Paternity After Treatment for Testicular Germ Cell Cancer: A Danish Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Testicular germ cell cancer (TC) incidence peaks in the reproductive age but knowledge on fertility after treatment is insufficient. The aim was to evaluate paternity after today's testicular cancer (TC) treatment.

METHODS

Clinical data were extracted from the Danish Testicular Cancer database and patients were divided into four groups: 1) Surveillance; 2) Bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP); 3) BEP + post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal surgery (BEP + surgery); and 4) Abdominal radiotherapy. For each patient, 10 men matched on date of birth were randomly sampled from the normal population. Paternity was defined as date of birth of first child after TC treatment with or without the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and was assessed by linkage to the Danish Medical Birth Register and the Danish in vitro fertilization (IVF)-register.

RESULTS

We included 4,846 unilateral TC patients and 48,456 men from the normal population. The 20 years predicted chance of obtaining fatherhood for a 30-year-old man was 39.7% in TC patients compared to 42.5 % in the normal population. The chance of obtaining fatherhood was statistically significantly decreased after BEP (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.78-0.97) and BEP + surgery (HR = 0.74 95% CI = 0.63-0.87), but not after radiotherapy (HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.75-1.06) or surveillance (HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.89-1.02). The risk of needing ART to obtain fatherhood was increased after all treatment modalities.

CONCLUSION

The chance of obtaining fatherhood after TC treatment was substantially higher than previously reported. Patients followed on a surveillance program had a similar chance of obtaining fatherhood as non-cancerous men.

No evidence for female kin association, indications for extragroup paternity, and sex-biased dispersal patterns in wild western gorillas

Characterizing animal dispersal patterns and the rational behind individuals' transfer choices is a long-standing question of interest in evolutionary biology. In wild western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), a one-male polygynous species, previous genetic findings suggested that, when dispersing, females might favor groups with female kin to promote cooperation, resulting in higher-than-expected within-group female relatedness. The extent of male dispersal remains unclear with studies showing conflicting results. To investigate male and female dispersal patterns and extragroup paternity, we analyzed long-term field observations, including female spatial proximity data, together with genetic data (10 autosomal microsatellites) on individuals from a unique set of four habituated western gorilla groups, and four additional extragroup males (49 individuals in total). The majority of offspring (25 of 27) were sired by the group male. For two offspring, evidence for extragroup paternity was found. Contrarily to previous findings, adult females were not significantly more related within groups than across groups. Consistently, adult female relatedness within groups did not correlate with their spatial proximity inferred from behavioral data. Adult females were similarly related to adult males from their group than from other groups. Using R ST statistics, we found significant genetic structure and a pattern of isolation by distance, indicating limited dispersal in this species. Comparing relatedness among females and among males revealed that males disperse farer than females, as expected in a polygamous species. Our study on habituated western gorillas shed light on the dispersal dynamics and reproductive behavior of this polygynous species and challenge some of the previous results based on unhabituated groups.

Father's participation in prenatal care and childbirth: contributions of nurses' interventions

OBJECTIVES

To describe the discourse of men about participation in prenatal care and childbirth/birth of their children from the contributions made by nurses.

METHODS

This is an exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, carried out in the wards of a public hospital/maternity hospital in a city in the Northeast, Brazil. Fifty men participated in the study. Data collection with an individual interview, guided by semi-structured script. The data were recorded, transcribed in full, systematized, categorized, and organized by the Collective Subject Discourse method analyzed under the framework of Gender and Masculinities.

RESULTS

It was evident in the collective discourse of men that how fatherhood is understood is in transformation, and that the father's participation in the pregnancy and parturition context is under construction. The study showed the change in behavior of men, as well as the expression of new models of masculinities, about the exercise of assisted parenthood motivated by nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' contributions represented necessary elements for greater adherence and male involvement and revealed a possibility to re-signify male identity from the reconstruction of the idea of fatherhood, in the context of pregnancy and parturition.

The Impact of Internalized Stigma on LGBT Parenting and the Importance of Health Care Structures: A Qualitative Study

Research on LGBTIQ+ families has focused on the effects of being in a diverse family on the development of children. We seek to show the experience of parenthood from the perspective of LGBTIQ+ people, considering its particularities and the role that health care services play as a potential support network. We used the biographical method through open-ended interviews, participants were LGBT people, and key informants from Chile, Colombia, and Mexico were selected based on a sociostructural sampling. We found that internalized stigma impacts LGBTIQ+ parenting in five ways: the impossibility of thinking of oneself as a parent, fear of violating children's rights, fear of passing on the stigma, fear of introducing their LGBTIQ+ partner, and the greater discrimination that trans and intersex people suffer. We identified gaps in health care perceptions: the need to guarantee universal access to health care, the need to include a gender perspective and inclusive treatment by health personnel, mental health programs with a community approach, access to assisted fertilization programs, and the generation of collaborative alliances between health services, civil society organizations, and the LGBTIQ+ community. We conclude that the health system is a crucial space from which to enable guarantees for the exercise of rights and overcome internalized stigma.

Parental genetic contributions to neonatal temperament in a nonhuman primate (Macaca mulatta) model

Temperament is an individual's nature and is widely believed to have a heritable foundation. Few studies, however, have evaluated paternal and maternal contributions to the triadic dimensions of temperament. Rhesus monkeys are widely utilized to model genetic contributions to human development due to their close genetic-relatedness and common temperament structure, providing a powerful translational model for investigating paternal and maternal genetic influences on temperament. The temperament of rhesus monkey infants born to 19 different sires and 50 different dams was assessed during the first month of life by comparing the temperament of paternal or maternal half-siblings reared with their mothers in species-normative conditions or reared in a neonatal nursery. Factor scores from three dimensions of temperament were obtained (Orienting/Regulation, Negative Affectivity, and Surgency/Extraversion) and ANOVAs were used to assess genetic effects. For paternal half-siblings, results showed a statistically significant paternal contribution to Orienting/Regulation, Negative Affectivity, and Surgency/Extraversion factor scores. For maternal half-siblings, results showed a statistically significant contribution to Orienting/Regulation factor scores. When parsed by early rearing condition, results showed a paternal contribution Orienting/Regulation, Negative Affectivity, and Surgency/Extraversion scores for paternal half-siblings reared in the neonatal nursery, while there was only a paternal contribution to Surgency/Extraversion for paternal half-siblings reared by their mothers. There was only a maternal contribution to Orienting/Regulation for maternal half-siblings reared by their mothers. These results show that paternal and maternal contributions to temperament vary by environmental context, and that mothers may environmentally buffer their infants from paternal contributions to their temperament.

[Supporting access to fatherhood]

The social prescription of fatherhood for the modern father, with its array of new rights and the absence of ritual, often overlooks the profound identity crisis that accompanies fatherhood. Access to fatherhood for men is based on the early stages of child sexuality and psychological bisexuality, which are at the origin of a vulnerability that can be at psychopathological risk. The necessary reconciliation with parental imagos and narcissistic rearrangements may require specialised support, beyond the support role currently reserved for it in the context of motherhood.

[Becoming a father in the face of symbolic wounds in filiation: a case of male infertility]

With the intention of having a child and the subsequent question of filiation, "becoming a mother" as well as "becoming a father" always involve a risk. In both men and women, the plan to have a child or to become pregnant can lead to the revival of unresolved conflicts that can question the very organisation of their being. Sterility then comes as a defence against the risk of collapse.

Optimising the conservation of genetic diversity of the last remaining population of a critically endangered shrub

An understanding of genetic diversity and the population genetic processes that impact future population viability is vital for the management and recovery of declining populations of threatened species. Styphelia longissima (Ericaceae) is a critically endangered shrub, restricted to a single fragmented population near Eneabba, 250 km north of Perth, Western Australia. For this population, we sought to characterize population genetic variation and its spatial structure, and aspects of the mating portfolio, from which strategies that optimize the conservation of this diversity are identified. A comprehensive survey was carried out and 220 adults, and 106 seedlings from 14 maternal plants, were genotyped using 13 microsatellite markers. Levels of genetic variation and its spatial structure were assessed, and mating system parameters were estimated. Paternity was assigned to the offspring of a subsection of plants, which allowed for the calculation of realized pollen dispersal. Allelic richness and levels of expected heterozygosity were higher than predicted for a small isolated population. Spatial autocorrelation analysis identified fine-scale genetic structure at a scale of 20 m, but no genetic structure was found at larger scales. Mean outcrossing rate (t _m = 0.66) reflects self-compatibility and a mixed-mating system. Multiple paternity was low, where 61 % of maternal siblings shared the same sire. Realized pollen dispersal was highly restricted, with 95 % of outcrossing events occurring at 7 m or less, and a mean pollen dispersal distance of 3.8 m. Nearest-neighbour matings were common (55 % of all outcross events), and 97 % of mating events were between the three nearest-neighbours. This study has provided critical baseline data on genetic diversity, mating system and pollen dispersal for future monitoring of S. longissima. Broadly applicable conservation strategies such as implementing a genetic monitoring plan, diluting spatial genetic structure in the natural population, genetically optimizing ex situ collections and incorporating genetic knowledge into translocations will help to manage the future erosion of the high genetic variation detected.

[Fathers' imaginations during ultrasound scans in pregnancy]

Ante-natal consultations are major places of prevention, with regard to the psychological vulnerabilities of "becoming parents" specific to the pregnancy period. A study was carried out on future fathers and their impressions of ultrasound examinations. Men's impulsive ambivalence towards pregnancy is the main subject of this research, which shows how ultrasound scans are a place for exploring these impulsive movements of fathers.

Evaluation of a Microhaplotype-Based Noninvasive Prenatal Test in Twin Gestations: Determination of Paternity, Zygosity, and Fetal Fraction

As a novel type of genetic marker, the microhaplotype has shown promising potential in forensic research. In the present study, we analyzed maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples from twin pregnancies to validate microhaplotype-based noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for paternity, zygosity, and fetal fraction (FF). Paternity was determined with the combined use of the relMix package, zygosity was evaluated by examining the presence of informative loci with two fetal genome complements, and FF was assessed through fetal allele ratios. Paternity was determined in 19 twin cases, among which 13 cases were considered dizygotic (DZ) twins based on the presence of 3~10 informative loci and the remaining 6 cases were considered monozygotic (MZ) twins because no informative locus was observed. With the fetal genomic genotypes as a reference, the accuracy of paternity and zygosity determination were confirmed by standard short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. Moreover, the lower FF, higher FF, and combined FF in each DZ plasma sample were closely related to the estimated value. This present preliminary study proposes that microhaplotype-based NIPT is applicable for paternity, zygosity, and FF determination in twin pregnancies, which are expected to be advantageous for both forensic and clinical settings.

Twins from different fathers: A heteropaternal superfecundation case report in Colombia

Heteropaternal superfecundation is an extremely rare phenomenon that occurs when a second ova released during the same menstrual cycle is additionally fertilized by the sperm cells of a different man in separate sexual intercourse. In August, 2018, the Grupo de Genética de Poblaciones e Identificación at Universidad Nacional de Colombia received a request to establish the paternity of a pair of male twins with genetic markers. The following analyses were performed: amelogenin gene, autosomal short tandem repeat (STR), and Y-STR analyses by means of human identification commercial kits, paternity index, and the probability of paternity calculation and interpretation. A paternity index of 2.5134E+7 and a probability of paternity of 99.9999% for twin 2 were obtained while 14 out of 17 Y-chromosome markers and 14 out of 21 autosomal short tandem repeats were excluded for twin 1. The results indicated that the twins have different biological fathers. Although heteropaternal superfecundation is rarely observed among humans given its low frequency, in paternity disputes for dizygotic twins it is mandatory to demand the presence of the two twins in the testing to avoid wrong conclusions.

Assessing false paternity risk in simulated motherless cases from more than 20 000 real exclusion trios

BACKGROUND

When the mother's DNA profile is not available for paternity testing, there is a smaller probability that a locus will exclude an alleged father. This study aims to evaluate the risk of potential false paternity inclusions in motherless cases.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

More than 20 000 duos were generated by removing the maternal genotypes from exclusion trios. After recalculating paternity in these duos, any found inclusions would be false.

RESULTS

The use of an appropriate number of loci, mutation model, and mutation rates to analyze motherless paternity cases was robust against false inclusions. A single potential false inclusion was observed in a case wherein kinship plays a role. This result highlights the importance of testing the mother when available and of obtaining information on family circumstances for the proper handling of cases involving related individuals.

CONCLUSION

The guidelines we used here were sufficient to avoid false inclusions in a data set of more than 20 000 motherless cases.

Genome-wide genotyping estimates mating system parameters and paternity in the island species Tolpis succulenta

PREMISE

The mating system has profound consequences, not only for ecology and evolution, but also for the conservation of threatened or endangered species. Unfortunately, small populations are difficult to study owing to limits on sample size and genetic marker diversity. Here, we estimated mating system parameters in three small populations of an island plant using genomic genotyping. Although self-incompatible (SI) species are known to often set some self-seed, little is known about how "leaky SI" affects selfing rates in nature or the role that multiple paternity plays in small populations.

METHODS

We generalized the BORICE mating system program to determine the siring pattern within maternal families. We applied this algorithm to maternal families from three populations of Tolpis succulenta from Madeira Island and genotyped the progeny using RADseq. We applied BORICE to estimate each individual offspring as outcrossed or selfed, the paternity of each outcrossed offspring, and the level of inbreeding of each maternal plant.

RESULTS

Despite a functional self-incompatibility system, these data establish T. succulenta as a pseudo-self-compatible (PSC) species. Two of 75 offspring were strongly indicated as products of self-fertilization. Despite selfing, all adult maternal plants were fully outbred. There was high differentiation among and low variation within populations, consistent with a history of genetic isolation of these small populations. There were generally multiple sires per maternal family. Twenty-two percent of sib contrasts (between outcrossed offspring within maternal families) shared the same sire.

CONCLUSIONS

Genome-wide genotyping, combined with appropriate analytical methods, enables estimation of mating system and multiple paternity in small populations. These data address questions about the evolution of reproductive traits and the conservation of threatened populations.

Dunnock social status correlates with sperm speed, but fast sperm does not always equal high fitness

Sperm competition theory predicts that males should modulate sperm investment according to their social status. Sperm speed, one proxy of sperm quality, also influences the outcome of sperm competition because fast sperm cells may fertilize eggs before slow sperm cells. We evaluated whether the social status of males predicted their sperm speed in a wild population of dunnocks (Prunella modularis). In addition to the traditional analysis of the average speed of sperm cells per sample, we also analysed subsamples of the fastest sperm cells per sample. In other words, we systematically evaluated the effects of including different numbers of the fastest sperm in our analyses, ranging from the 5-fastest sperm cells to the 100-fastest sperm cells in a sample. We further evaluated whether fitness, defined here as the number of chicks sired per male per breeding season, relates to the sperm speed in the same population. We found that males in monogamous pairings (i.e. low levels of sperm competition), produced the slowest sperm cells, whereas subordinate males in polyandrous male-male coalitions (i.e. high levels of sperm competition) produced the fastest sperm cells. This result was consistent regardless of the number of fastest sperm included in our analyses, but statistical support was conditional on the number of sperm cells included in the analysis. Interestingly, we found no significant relationship between fitness and sperm speed, which suggests that it is possible that the differential mating opportunities across social status levelled out any possible difference. Our study also suggests that it is important to identify biologically meaningful subsets of fastest sperm and cut-offs for inclusions for assessing sperm competition via sperm speed.

Edge effects and mating patterns in a bumblebee-pollinated plant

Researchers have long assumed that plant spatial location influences plant reproductive success and pollinator foraging behaviour. For example, many flowering plant populations have small, linear or irregular shapes that increase the proportion of plants on the edge, which may reduce mating opportunities through both male and female function. Additionally, plants that rely on pollinators may be particularly vulnerable to edge effects if those pollinators exhibit restricted foraging and pollen carryover is limited. To explore the effects of spatial location (edge vs. interior) on siring success, seed production, pollinator foraging patterns and pollen-mediated gene dispersal, we established a square experimental array of 49 Mimulus ringens (monkeyflower) plants. We observed foraging patterns of pollinating bumblebees and used paternity analysis to quantify male and female reproductive success and mate diversity for plants on the edge versus interior. We found no significant differences between edge and interior plants in the number of seeds sired, mothered or the number of sires per fruit. However, we found strong differences in pollinator behaviour based on plant location, including 15 % lower per flower visitation rates and substantially longer interplant moves for edge plants. This translated into 40 % greater pollen-mediated gene dispersal for edge than for interior plants. Overall, our results suggest that edge effects are not as strong as is commonly assumed, and that different plant reproduction parameters respond to spatial location independently.

[How can the process of paternity in neonatology be boosted?]

Premature birth is a test for fatherhood's process: it may hinder the ability to feel like a father or like a good father, and the ability to make the baby be part of the family line. A clinical research did explore how care givers in neonatal services may deploy psychic functions which support and revitalize a process of fatherhood which is potentially disturbed.

Freezing ovarian fluid does not alter how it affects fish sperm swimming performance: creating a cryptic female choice 'spice rack' for use in split-ejaculate experimentation

Cryptic female choice is often mediated chemically in external fertilizers by ovarian fluid (OF), which can change sperm swimming performance and bias paternity under sperm competition. Assessing cryptic female choice is hindered by the necessity of using fresh gametes and the short time window available to obtain diverse samples from wild animals. Using split-ejaculate experimental designs and samples from lake trout, brown trout and Atlantic salmon, we evaluated whether freezing OF alters the way in which it modifies sperm swimming. Sperm had improved swimming performance in the presence of OF over plain water, and the effect did not depend on whether the OF had previously been frozen. Freezing OF does not seem to alter the way it influences sperm. This allows the researcher to create a 'spice rack' of OF samples that can be used in studies on cryptic female choice, and opens up the possibility to compare animals mating under large spatial and temporal variability.

laperrinei, Oleaceae)

Self-incompatibility (SI) is the main mechanism that favors outcrossing in plants. By limiting compatible matings, SI interferes in fruit production and breeding of new cultivars. In the Oleeae tribe (Oleaceae), an unusual diallelic SI system (DSI) has been proposed for three distantly related species including the olive (Olea europaea), but empirical evidence has remained controversial for this latter. The olive domestication is a complex process with multiple origins. As a consequence, the mixing of S-alleles from two distinct taxa, the possible artificial selection of self-compatible mutants and the large phenological variation of blooming may constitute obstacles for deciphering SI in olive. Here, we investigate cross-genotype compatibilities in the Saharan wild olive (O. e. subsp. laperrinei). As this taxon was geographically isolated for thousands of years, SI should not be affected by human selection. A population of 37 mature individuals maintained in a collection was investigated. Several embryos per mother were genotyped with microsatellites in order to identify compatible fathers that contributed to fertilization. While the pollination was limited by distance inside the collection, our results strongly support the DSI hypothesis, and all individuals were assigned to two incompatibility groups (G1 and G2). No self-fertilization was observed in our conditions. In contrast, crosses between full or half siblings were frequent (ca. 45%), which is likely due to a nonrandom assortment of related trees in the collection. Finally, implications of our results for orchard management and the conservation of olive genetic resources are discussed.

A male Down syndrome with two normal boys: Cytogenetic, paternity and andrological investigations

Down syndrome is the most common autosomal chromosome anomaly with several medical abnormalities and intellectual disability, occurring in about of 1:1,000 to 1:1,100 infants. Many pregnancies in women with Down syndrome produce children both with normal and with trisomy 21, whereas males are infertile. However, Down syndrome males are not always infertile and this is not global. Here we reported a 36-year-old man with proved nonmosaic trisomy 21 fathered two normal boys. Paternity analysis using 26 microsatellite loci confirmed that Down syndrome male is the biological father of his two normal boys. Serum LH, FSH, testosterone and 17-OH progesterone were all in the normal range in this father with Down syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second report of one man with Down syndrome who has two normal children in the world. The current study not only supports the rare evidence of the fertility of males with Down syndrome but also highlights the caution in advising people responsible for the care of adults with this condition about possible fertility and transmission of sexual diseases as well.

Pollination intensity and paternity in flowering plants

BACKGROUND

Siring success plays a key role in plant evolution and reproductive ecology, and variation among individuals creates an opportunity for selection to act. Differences in male reproductive success can be caused by processes that occur during two stages, the pollination and post-pollination phases of reproduction. In the pollination phase, heritable variation in floral traits and floral display affect pollinator visitation patterns, which in turn affect variation among plants in the amount of pollen exported and deposited on recipient stigmas. In the post-pollination phase, differences among individuals in pollen grain germination success and pollen tube growth may cause realized paternity to differ from patterns of pollen receipt. The maternal plant can also preferentially provision some developing seeds or fruits to further alter variation in siring success.

SCOPE

In this review, we describe studies that advance our understanding of the dynamics of the pollination and post-pollination phases, focusing on how variation in male fitness changes in response to pollen limitation. We then explore the interplay between pollination and post-pollination success, and how these processes respond to ecological factors such as pollination intensity. We also identify pressing questions at the intersection of pollination and paternity and describe novel experimental approaches to elucidate the relative importance of pollination and post-pollination factors in determining male reproductive success.

CONCLUSIONS

The relative contribution of pollination and post-pollination processes to variation in male reproductive success may not be constant, but rather may vary with pollination intensity. Studies that quantify the effects of pollination and post-pollination phases in concert will be especially valuable as they will enable researchers to more fully understand the ecological conditions influencing male reproductive success.

The ethics and logistics of field-based genetic paternity studies

The rapidly decreasing costs of generating genetic data sequencing and the ease of new DNA collection technologies have opened up new opportunities for anthropologists to conduct field-based genetic studies. An exciting aspect of this work comes from linking genetic data with the kinds of individual-level traits evolutionary anthropologists often rely on, such as those collected in long-term demographic and ethnographic studies. However, combining these two types of data raises a host of ethical questions related to the collection, analysis and reporting of such data. Here we address this conundrum by examining one particular case, the collection and analysis of paternity data. We are particularly interested in the logistics and ethics involved in genetic paternity testing in the localized settings where anthropologists often work. We discuss the particular issues related to paternity testing in these settings, including consent and disclosure, consideration of local identity and beliefs and developing a process of continued community engagement. We then present a case study of our own research in Namibia, where we developed a multi-tiered strategy for consent and community engagement, built around a double-blind procedure for data collection, analysis and reporting.

Paternity testing in anthropology raises ethical and methodological issues. We summarize these and describe a novel double-blind method used in our work.

An atypical mating system in a neotropical manakin

Most of the diversity in the mating systems of birds and other animals comes at higher taxonomic levels, such as across orders. Although divergent selective pressures should lead to animal mating systems that diverge sharply from those of close relatives, opportunities to examine the importance of such processes are scarce. We addressed this issue using the Araripe manakin (Antilophia bokermanni), a species endemic to a forest enclave surrounded by xeric shrublands in Brazil. Most manakins exhibit polygynous lekking mating systems that lack territoriality but exhibit strong sexual selection. In sharp contrast, we found that male Araripe manakins defended exclusive territories, and females nested within male territories. However, territoriality and offspring paternity were dissociated: males sired only 7% of nestlings from the nests within their territories and non-territorial males sired numerous nestlings. Moreover, female polyandry was widespread, with most broods exhibiting mixed paternity. Apparently, territories in this species function differently from both lekking arenas and resource-based territories of socially monogamous species. The unexpected territoriality of Araripe manakins and its dissociation from paternity is a unique evolutionary development within the manakin clade. Collectively, our findings underscore how divergences in mating systems might evolve based on selective pressures from novel environmental contexts.

High Reproductive Success Despite Queuing - Socio-Sexual Development of Males in a Complex Social Environment

The start of actual breeding in male social mammals can occur long after individuals attain sexual maturity. Mainly prevented from reproduction by older and dominant males, young males often queue until strong enough to compete for favorable social positions and, in this way, to obtain access to females. However, to what extent maturing males also apply tactics to reproduce before this time is largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate male socio-sexual development from onset of sexual maturity through first mating success until the achievement of a stable social position in a complex social environment. For this purpose, guinea pigs were used as a model system and reproductive success of males living in large mixed-sex colonies was assessed during their first year of life. As a reference, males in a mixed-sex pair situation were examined. Pair-housed males reproduced for the first time around the onset of sexual maturity whereas colony-housed males did so much later in life and with a considerably higher variance. In colonies, reproductive success was significantly affected by dominance status. Dominance itself was age-dependent, with older males having significantly higher dominance ranks than younger males. Surprisingly, both younger and older colony-housed males attained substantial reproductive success of comparable amounts. Thus, younger males reproduced irrespective of queuing and already before reaching a high social status. This mating success of maturing males was most likely achieved via several reproductive tactics which were flexibly applied with the onset of sexual maturity. The period of socio-sexual development before a stable social position is established may, therefore, be a time during which male mammals use flexible behavioral tactics to achieve reproductive success more frequently than commonly is presumed. In addition, the findings strongly indicate that high behavioral plasticity exists well beyond sexual maturity.

Marital status and paternity in patients with Transfusion- Dependent Thalassemia (TDT) and Non Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia (NTDT): an ICET - A survey in different countries

BACKGROUND

More than five decades ago, thalassemia major (TDT) was fatal in the first decade of life. Survival and quality of life have improved progressively thanks to the implementation of a significant advance in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, consisting mainly of a frequent transfusion program combined with intensive chelation therapy. Improvement also includes imaging methods used to measure liver and cardiac iron overload. Improved survival has led to a growing number of adults requiring specialised care and counselling for specific life events, such as sexual maturity and acquisition of a family.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

The main aim is to present the results of a survey on the marital and paternity status in a large population of adult males with TDT and NTDT living in countries with a high prevalence of thalassemia and a review of current literature using a systematic search for published studies.

RESULTS

Ten out of 16 Thalassemia Centres (62.5%) of the ICET-A Network, treating a total of 966 male patients, aged above 18 years with β- thalassemias (738 TDT and 228 NTDT), participated in the study. Of the 966 patients, 240 (24.8%) were married or lived with partners, and 726 (75.2%) unmarried. The mean age at marriage was 29.7 ± 0.3 years. Of 240 patients, 184 (76.6%) had children within the first two years of marriage (2.1 ± 0.1 years, median 2 years, range 1.8 - 2.3 years). The average number of children was 1.32 ± 0.06 (1.27 ± 0.07 in TDT patients and 1.47 ± 0.15 in NTDT patients; p: >0.05). Whatever the modality of conception, 184 patients (76.6%) had one or two children and 1 NTDT patient had 6 children. Nine (4.8%) births were twins. Of 184 patients, 150 (81.5%) had natural conception, 23 (12.5%) required induction of spermatogenesis with gonadotropins (hCG and hMG), 8 (4.3%) needed intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and 3 adopted a child. 39 patients with TDT and NTDT asked for medical help as they were unable to father naturally: 7 TDT patients (17.9%) were azoospermic, 17 (37.7%) [13 with TDT and 4 with NTDT] had dysspermia and 15 (33.3%) [13 with TDT and 2 with NTDT] had other "general medical and non-medical conditions".

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides detailed information in a novel area where there are few contemporary data. Understanding the aspects of male reproductive health is important for physicians involved in the care of men with thalassemias to convey the message that prospects for fatherhood are potentially good due to progressive improvements in treatment regimens and supportive care.

Hermaphroditism promotes mate diversity in flowering plants

PREMISE

Genetically diverse sibships are thought to increase parental fitness through a reduction in the intensity of sib competition, and through increased opportunities for seedling establishment in spatially or temporally heterogeneous environments. Nearly all research on mate diversity in flowering plants has focused on the number of fathers siring seeds within a fruit or on a maternal plant. Yet as hermaphrodites, plants can also accrue mate diversity by siring offspring on several pollen recipients in a population. Here we explore whether mate composition overlaps between the dual sex functions, and discuss the implications for plant reproductive success.

METHODS

We established an experimental population of 49 Mimulus ringens (monkeyflower) plants, each trimmed to a single flower. Following pollination by wild bees, we quantified mate composition for each flower through both paternal and maternal function. Parentage was successfully assigned to 240 progeny, 98% of the sampled seeds.

RESULTS

Comparison of mate composition between male and female function revealed high mate diversity, with almost no outcross mates shared between the two sexual functions of the same flower.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual sex roles contribute to a near doubling of mate diversity in our experimental population of Mimulus ringens. This finding may help explain the maintenance of hermaphroditism under conditions that would otherwise favor the evolution of separate sexes.

Rapid loss of self-incompatibility in experimental populations of the perennial outcrossing plant Linaria cavanillesii

Transitions from self-incompatibility to self-compatibility in angiosperms may be frequently driven by selection for reproductive assurance when mates or pollinators are rare, and are often succeeded by loss of inbreeding depression by purging. Here, we use experimental evolution to investigate the spread of self-compatibility from one such population of the perennial plant Linaria cavanillesii into self-incompatible (SI) populations that still have high inbreeding depression. We introduced self-compatible (SC) individuals at different frequencies into replicate experimental populations of L. cavanillesii that varied in access to pollinators. Our experiment revealed a rapid shift to self-compatibility in all replicates, driven by both greater seed set and greater outcross siring success of SC individuals. We discuss our results in the light of computer simulations that confirm the tendency of self-compatibility to spread into SI populations under the observed conditions. Our study illustrates the ease with which self-compatibility can spread among populations, a requisite for species-wide transitions from self-incompatibility to self-compatibility.

Polyandrous bee provides extended offspring care biparentally as an alternative to monandry based eusociality

Parental care behavior evolves to increase the survival of offspring. When offspring care becomes complicated for ecological reasons, cooperation of multiple individuals can be beneficial. There are two types of cooperative care: biparental care and worker (helper)-based care (e.g., eusociality). Although biparental care is common in several groups of vertebrates, it is generally rare in arthropods. Conversely, eusociality is widespread in insects, especially the aculeate Hymenoptera. Here, we present a case of biparental care in bees, in Ceratina nigrolabiata (Apidae, Xylocopinae). Similar to eusocial behavior, biparental care leads to greater brood protection in this species. Male guarding increases provisioning of nests because females are liberated from the tradeoff between provisioning and nest protection. The main benefit of parental care for males should be increased paternity. Interestingly though, we found that paternity of offspring by guard males is extraordinarily low (10% of offspring). Generally, we found that nests were not guarded by the same male for the whole provisioning season, meaning that males arrive to nests as stepfathers. However, we show that long-term guarding performed by a single male does increase paternity. We suggest that the multiple-mating strategy of these bees increased the amount of time for interactions between the sexes, and this longer period of potential interaction supported the origin of biparental care. Eusociality based on monandry was thought to be the main type of extended brood protection in bees. We show that biparental care based on polyandry provides an interesting evolutionary alternative.

Radical and testis-sparing surgery for primary testicular tumors: A single-center experience

The aim of the present study was to assess the oncological and functional outcomes of testis-sparing surgery (TSS) for testicular tumors compared with radical orchiectomy (RO) in a single center. A retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted in Changzheng Hospital. Patients were identified using the hospital information system from January 1999 to December 2016, collecting all of the data regarding clinical, treatment and prognostic profiles. Patient follow-up was also executed to obtain information on patients' survival status, serum markers profiles, disease progression, androgen substitution requirement and paternity status. In total 158 patients were enrolled into the cohort study, including 23 TSS cases. The TSS procedure was primarily conducted in younger patients (average age, 31.9 vs. 47.7 years) or those with smaller tumors (average tumor diameter, 26.0 vs. 51.5 mm). The overall survival and recurrence free survival revealed no differences in the two groups, suggesting similar oncological outcomes. Kaplan-Maier analysis demonstrated a higher cumulative paternity rate in the TSS group than in RO group, indicating a possible advantage of preserving patients' fertility in TSS over RO. TSS with proper adjuvant therapies proved to be a promising alternative in the avoidance of emasculation, infertility, life-long androgen substitution and other psychosexual difficulties, as the oncological outcomes were not inferior to RO in the selected cases. However, further investigation is required in order to assess its oncological and functional values.

Parent-Child Physical Resemblance as Cues of Man's Paternity

The article presents the hypothesis that in the formation of judgements about a man's biological fatherhood based on similarity of physical characteristics, people may take into consideration not only the similarity of father to child, but also of mother to child. The objective of the experiment was to conduct an initial investigation of that assumption. In the experiment, participants were presented with descriptions in which information was manipulated concerning the similarity of child to mother vs. to father vs. to neither of them. A total of 312 students of both sexes took participation in the experiment, having agreed to take part in a short psychological study immediately after classes were over. They were asked to read some short stories and to give their opinion as to whether the man described is the biological father of the child. It turned out that in conditions where the child's appearance was dissimilar to both of the parents, the participants doubted the biological parenthood of the father. In conditions where the child was similar to the mother, the certainty of participants that the man was the biological father was as high as in conditions where the story indicated that the child was similar to him. The results thus suggest that information about a child's similarity to its mother may, in some situations, be significant in the formulation of judgements on the biological fatherhood of a man.