Sexual violence can lead to a multitude of health consequences, including physical, reproductive and psychological. Some may be fatal, whereas others, such as unhealthy behaviours, may occur indirectly as a result of the violence. In total, these result in a significant health burden and should be considered by service providers, government authorities and non-governmental agencies. For women w...

The oxidative stress theory predicts that the accumulation of oxidative damage causes aging. More generally, oxidative damage could be a cost of reproduction that reduces survival. Both of these hypotheses have mixed empirical support. To better understand the life-history consequences of oxidative damage, we fed male and female Australian field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) four diets diffe...

Acute stress has been shown to modify hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activity. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), the principal regulator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, has been implicated as a mediator of stress-induced effects on the reproductive axis. The role of the specific CRH receptor subtypes in this response is not completely understood. In the current...

Background: Many health problems are related to lifestyle and dietary factors. Increasing trend in reproductive disorders observed in recent years may be associated at least in part with these factors, which are compounded by some of the new emergent life styles. Materials and Methods: The data available suggests that lifestyle factors asuch as obesity, tobacco smoking or chewing, alcohol and s...

The response of plants to drought stress depends on several factors including the plant developmental stage and the length and severity of the stress applied. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important pulse crop that is cultivated worldwide for human consumption. Understanding of the mechanisms responsible for its response to drought is, therefore, essential. An increasing numbe...