The discriminant power of biometrics for sex determination in European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster

ABSTRACT

Capsule A combination of several biometric measures enables the reliable sexing of the European Bee-eater Merops apiaster, a species with subtle sex differences in plumage and morphometry.

Aims To explore variation in biometrics and their suitability to discriminate sex in adult European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster.

Methods We sampled populations of a long-distance migratory species with low sexual size dimorphism, the European Bee-eater Merops apiaster, from colonies in western Iberia (Portugal) and Central Europe (Germany) to investigate body size variation and derive population-specific and general sex discriminant functions.

Results Overall, male Bee-eaters were larger than females while Bee-eaters from Germany and Portugal did not differ in size, except for primary length and tail length. The best single measurement to discriminate sex was wing length for Portuguese birds and tail tip length for German birds, as in the combined dataset. Multivariate discriminant functions of head-bill, wing and tail tip lengths provided the highest discriminant accuracy, discriminating sex for 91% of the birds from Portugal, 96% from Germany and 94% when using the combined dataset. Nonetheless, the discriminant accuracy remained high in the functions using only two variables for Portugal (head-bill and tail tip 91%, head-bill and wing 88%, wing and tail tip 88%), Germany (head-bill and tail tip 95%, wing and tail tip 97%) and in the combined dataset (head-bill and tail tip 92%, wing and tail tip 93%).

Conclusions Population specific discriminant functions allow sexing of European Bee-eaters by morphometry with high degree of accuracy at least for Iberia and Central European populations. Such discriminant functions can be used to assign the sex of adult Bee-eaters reliably and swiftly while the bird is still in the hand, highlighting the potential of these functions for rapidly sexing species with low degrees of sexual size and plumage dimorphism.     

Mitochondrial DNA differentiation during the speciation process in Peromyscus

We address the problem of the possible significance of biological speciation to the magnitude and pattern of divergence of asexually transmitted characters in bisexual species. The empirical data for this report consist of restriction endonuclease site variability in maternally transmitted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) isolated from 82 samples of Peromyscus polionotus and P. leucopus collected from major portions of the respective species' ranges. Data are analyzed together with previously published information on P. maniculatus, a sibling species to polionotus. Maps of restriction sites indicate that all of the variation observed can be reasonably attributed to base substitutions leading to loss or gain of particular recognition sites. Magnitude of mtDNA sequence divergence within polionotus (maximum approximately equal to 2%) is roughly comparable to that observed within any of five previously identified mtDNA assemblages in maniculatus. Sequence divergence within leucopus (maximum approximately equal to 4%) is somewhat greater than that within polionotus. Consideration of probable evolutionary links among mtDNA restriction site maps allowed estimation of matriarchal phylogenies within polionotus and leucopus. Clustering algorithms and qualitative Wagner procedures were used to generate phenograms and parsimony networks, respectively, for the between-species comparisons. Three simple graphical models are presented to illustrate some conceivable relationships of mtDNA differentiation to speciation. In theoretical case I, each of two reproductively defined species (A and B) is monophyletic in matriarchal genealogy; the common female ancestor of either species can either predate or postdate the speciation. In case II, neither species is monophyletic in matriarchal genotype. In case III, species B is monophyletic but forms a subclade within A which is thus paraphyletic with respect to B. The empirical results for mtDNA in maniculatus and polionotus appear to conform closely to case III. These theoretical and empirical considerations raise a number of questions about the general relationship of the speciation process to the evolution of uniparentally transmitted traits. Some of these considerations are presented, and it is suggested that the distribution patterns of mtDNA sequence variation within and among extant species should be of considerable relevance to the particular demographies of speciation.      

Effect of sensory stimulation applied under the great toe on postural ability in patients with fibromyalgia

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome, characterised by several symptoms. One of the most prevalent symptoms in FM is balance impairment that compromise the autonomy, function and performance status of patients.

Purpose: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of sensory stimulation provided by the use of a low additional thickness of 0.8?mm placed under the great toes bilaterally on the centre of pressure (CoP) measures in patients with FM. It was hypothesised that postural ability would change with a low focal additional thickness used to compute these measures.

Materials and Method: Twenty-four patients with FM voluntarily participated in this study. Postural performance during quiet standing was investigated through the CoP displacements recorded using a force-plate. Sensory stimulation was provided by a small additional thickness of 0.8?mm placed under the great toe bilaterally and two conditions were compared: additional thickness 0 (control) and 0.8?mm.

Results: An improvement of body balance through spatial parameters with sensory cutaneous stimulation applied under the great toe bilaterally were observed in patients with FM. Our results showed a significant decrease of surface area and mean speed of CoP, associated to a significant decrease of variance of speed. An additional observation is that sagittal (Y) mean position of the CoP gets more anterior (+ 5?mm) relative to control condition.

Conclusion: These findings brings new clinical perspectives in the development of intervention strategies in the management of patients with FM and balance disorders, completing validated therapeutic strategies.     

Flow sorting and culture of protoplasts: Conditions for high-frequency recovery,growth and morphogenesis from sorted protoplasts of suspension cultures of nicotiana

Protoplasts were prepared from suspension cultures of Nicotiana tabacum cv Wisconsin 38 that had been prelabeled with FITC. The protoplasts were subjected to flow sorting based on fluorescence content using a Coulter EPICS V Flow Cytometer — Cell Sorter. Conditions were established that allowed the recovery after sorting of approximately 30% of the initial protoplasts in a viable state. These were subsequently regenerated into calli that underwent shoot morphogenesis.Abbreviations FITC Fluorescein isothiocyanate - FDA fluorescein diacetate     

Immobilisation of pig liver esterase in hollow fibre membranes

Different methods were evaluated to immobilise Pig Liver Esterase (PLE) in hollow fibre membranes. Four covalent bonding techniques (using epoxy, imidazol, amino and carboxylic acid terminal groups) were tested to link the enzyme to microporous nylon membranes. Physical immobilisation was also studied, by entrapment of the enzyme inside the microporous structure of a polysulfone asymmetric ultrafiltration membrane. The entrapment method lead to a higher retention of enzymatic activity for a longer period of time. This technique was selected to be used in a biphasic membrane bioreactor where the microporous hydrophilic membrane, containing the enzyme, is used to separate an aqueous from an organic phase, in which the substrate is dissolved. Different enzyme loading procedures were studied in the biphasic reactor and the resulting axial and radial enzyme distribution in the hollow fibre module were related to the global enzymatic activity.     

The Effect of Lactobacillus salivarius SGL03 on Clinical and Microbiological Parameters in Periodontal Patients

The destruction of periodontal tissues during periodontitis is the result of the immune-inflammatory reactions to the bacteria of dental biofilm. Probiotics may reduce dysbiosis by the modification of the dental microbiome, which can influence the immune-inflammatory mechanisms. The aim of this study was to estimate the clinical and microbiological parameters, before and after 30 days of application of the dietary supplement containing Lactobacillus salivarius SGL03 or placebo. The study was conducted in 51 patients with stage I or II periodontitis during the maintenance phase of treatment. The clinical parameters and the number of colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria in supragingival plaque were assessed before and after 30 days of the oral once daily administration of the dietary supplement in the form of suspension containing L. salivarius SGL03 or placebo. There were no changes in the PI scores between and within the groups. The value of BOP decreased in both groups. In the study group the significant reduction of the mean pocket depth was revealed (from 2.5 to 2.42, p = 0,027) but without the difference between the groups. There were no significant changes in the number of bacteria within the groups. In the control, but not the study group, positive correlations were observed between the clinical parameters (variables) and the number of bacteria. The use of the dietary supplement containing L. salivarius SGL03 may reduce pocket depth despite the lack of changes in other clinical parameters and the number of bacteria in supragingival plaque.Key words: probiotics, periodontal treatment, Lactobacillus salivarius     

The role of vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase on nitric oxide synthase function in diabetes: from molecular biology to the clinic

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and receptor-type vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP) are one of the majors signaling pathways related to endothelial health in diabetes. Several reports have shown that the inhibition of VE-PTP can lead the nitric oxide production, although repeated studies showed that VE-PTP regulated the eNOS exclusive at Ser1177 in indirect-manner. A recent, exciting paper (Siragusa et al. in Cardiovasc Res, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaa213), showing that VE-PTP regulates eNOS in a direct-manner, dephosphorylating eNOS at Tyr81 and indirect at Ser1177 and the effects of a VE-PTP inhibitor, AKB-9778, in the blood pressure from diabetic patients.     

The crustaceans burrow Sinusichnus sinuosus from the Oligocene-Miocene carbonate deposits of eastern Amazonia

Abstract

Sinusichnus Gibert 1996 Gibert, J. M. d. 1996. “A New Decapod Burrow System from the NW Mediterranean Pliocene.” Revista Española de Paleontología 11: 251–254. [Google Scholar] is recorded for the first time in the Oligocene-Miocene Pirabas Formation of Northern Brazil. In these Oligocene-Miocene carbonate deposits, Sinusichnus sinuosus is characterized by horizontal, highly regular sinusoidal burrow systems with T- and H-shaped branching points. The main difference between the S. sinuosus described herein and other occurrences worldwide is the anomalous diameter of the burrows (4 to 10?cm). These trace fossils occur in organic matter-rich, wackestone/packstone and laminated mudstones interbedded with boundstones deposited in an inner carbonate platform paleoenvironment. The exceptional size of the studied S. sinuosus could have been associated to the producer’s size, which may be attributed to construction by large crustaceans, similar to fossils found within the Pirabas Formation. Also, the sinusoidal morphology and retrusive spreiten could be a result of the fodinichnial/domichnial behavior.