scholarly journals Plasticity of the gastrocnemius elastic system in response to decreased work and power demand during growth

Author(s):  
Suzanne M. Cox ◽  
Adam DeBoef ◽  
Matthew Q. Salzano ◽  
Kavya Katugam ◽  
Stephen J. Piazza ◽  
...  

Elastic energy storage and release can enhance performance that would otherwise be limited by the force-velocity constraints of muscle. While functional influence of a biological spring depends on tuning between components of an elastic system (the muscle, spring, driven mass, and lever system), we do not know whether elastic systems systematically adapt to functional demand. To test whether altering work and power generation during maturation alters the morphology of an elastic system, we prevented growing guinea fowl (Numida Meleagris) from jumping. At maturity, we compared the jump performance of our treatment group to that of controls and measured the morphology of the gastrocnemius elastic system. We found that restricted birds jumped with lower jump power and work, yet there were no significant between-group differences in the components of the elastic system. Further, subject-specific models revealed no difference in energy storage capacity between groups, though energy storage was most sensitive to variations in muscle properties (most significantly operating length and least dependent on tendon stiffness). We conclude that the gastrocnemius elastic system in the guinea fowl displays little to no plastic response to decreased demand during growth and hypothesize that neural plasticity may explain performance variation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
SM Cox ◽  
A DeBoef ◽  
MQ Salzano ◽  
K Katugam ◽  
SJ Piazza ◽  
...  

AbstractElastic energy storage and release can enhance performance that would otherwise be limited by the force-velocity constraints of muscle. While functional influence of a biological spring depends on tuning between components of an elastic system (the muscle, spring, driven mass, and lever system), we do not know whether elastic systems systematically adapt to functional demand. To test whether altering work and power generation during maturation alters the morphology of an elastic system, we prevented growing guinea fowl (Numida Meleagris) from jumping. At maturity, we compared the jump performance of our treatment group to that of controls and measured the morphology of the gastrocnemius elastic system. We found that restricted birds jumped with lower jump power and work, yet there were no significant between-group differences in the components of the elastic system. Further, subject-specific models revealed no difference in energy storage capacity between groups, though energy storage was most sensitive to variations in muscle properties (most significantly operating length and least dependent on tendon stiffness). We conclude that the gastrocnemius elastic system in the guinea fowl displays little to no plastic response to decreased demand during growth and hypothesize that neural plasticity may explain performance variation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 58-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.A. Zabiiakin ◽  
◽  
T.V. Zabiiakina ◽  
A.L. Kropotova ◽  
◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Quan-Kuan Shen ◽  
Min-Sheng Peng ◽  
Adeniyi C Adeola ◽  
Ling Kui ◽  
Shengchang Duan ◽  
...  

Abstract Domestication of the helmeted guinea fowl (HGF; Numida meleagris) in Africa remains elusive. Here we report a high-quality de novo genome assembly for domestic HGF generated by long and short-reads sequencing together with optical and chromatin interaction mapping. Using this assembly as the reference, we performed population genomic analyses for newly sequenced whole-genomes for 129 birds from Africa, Asia, and Europe, including domestic animals (n = 89), wild progenitors (n = 34), and their closely related wild species (n = 6). Our results reveal domestication of HGF in West Africa around 1,300-5,500 years ago. Scanning for selective signals characterized the functional genes in behavior and locomotion changes involved in domestication of HGF. The pleiotropy and linkage in genes affecting plumage color and fertility were revealed in the recent breeding of Italian domestic HGF. In addition to presenting a missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle of domestication in poultry, our study provides valuable genetic resources for researchers and breeders to improve production in this species.


Parasitology ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. Long ◽  
B. J. Millard

SummaryEimeria grenieri was isolated from intensively reared guinea fowl in Britain. The oocysts had average dimensions of 21·09 × 15·48 μm and a small micropyle. Three generations of schizonts were found in the small intestine. The first mature schizonts were found in the upper intestine 30 h after inoculation. Second-generation schizonts were seen 48–80 h and third-generation schizonts were present 80–96 h after inoculation. These schizonts were found in the middle and lower small intestine. It was confirmed that gametogony of this species occurs only in the caeca. The pre-patent time was 112 h and the reproductive index from a dose of 6 × 102 oocysts was 8 × 104. Doses of between 1 × 104 and 1 × 106 caused severe depression of body weight gain. Immunity to re-infection developed rapidly. Sulphaquinoxaline at a dose of 0·04% in the drinking water given after inoculation was effective in reducing the pathogenic effects of the disease. Robenidine given in the food at a concentration of 16·5 ppm (50% of the recommended concentration for chickens) was effective in preventing disease caused by E. grenieri.The endogenous life-cycle of E. grenieri was completed in the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Wanmi Nathaniel ◽  
Onyeanusi I. Barth ◽  
Nzalak J. Oliver ◽  
Aluwong Tanang

<p class="jbls-body"><span lang="EN-GB">A total of one hundred and seventy-three fertilized eggs were used for morphometry, gross and histological studies. At day 4 of incubation, the mean body weight of the helmeted guinea fowl embryo was 0.6401 ± 0.0211 g. It was at day 10 of incubation that there was an increase in the whole body weight of the embryo to be 0.8650 ± 0.676 g. The whole brain weight indicated relative increased at day 4 as compared to that of the whole body weight. Graphically, there were steady increase in the body, brain and optic lobe weights. Histologically, cells and neurones that make up the optic lobe is probably as a result of the migration of immature cells from the ventricular neuroepithelium. </span></p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-65
Author(s):  
Shakir M. Mirhish

This study was conducted to investigate the anatomical, histological characteristic features of epididymis, ductus deferens and phallus of male guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris ). Fifteen healthy male guinea fowl aged between 18-24 months, weighing 1280 - 1405 gram were used in current study which brought from local market in Baghdad governorate. The epididymis of guinea fowl consisted from rete testis, efferent ductless, connecting duct and epididymal duct. The study revealed that the mean diameter of epididymal ducts was 285.17± 2.43µm lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium. The epididymal duct continuous with ductus deferens which become wider caudally towards the cloaca, the length of right and left ductus deferens were 9.16±1.20 cm and 9.80±1.24cm respectively. The copulatory organ (phallus) of guinea fowl was not well developed and non-intermittent type consist from right and left lateral lymphoid bodies with median eminences, the transverse width 5.01±0.24mm, the cranio-caudal width 3.51±0.07mm and dorso- ventral width 4.32±0.25mm. The lining epithelium of coprodeum was pseudo stratified columnar epithelium. This study concluded that the epididymis of male guinea fowl located on dorsomedial surface of the testes and without definite parts as in domestic animals, the ductus deferens of guinea fowl was tortuous, the phallus of guinea fowl is non - intermittent type.


2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (9) ◽  
pp. 1641-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.N. Nassar ◽  
A.C. Jackson ◽  
D.R. Carrier

Lung ventilation of tetrapods that synchronize their locomotory and ventilatory cycles during exercise could be economized if the resonant frequency of the respiratory system matched the animal's preferred step frequency. To test whether animals utilize this strategy, the input impedance of the respiratory system of five anesthetized, supine guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) was measured using a forced oscillation technique. The resonant frequency of the respiratory system was 7.12+/−0.27 Hz (N=5, mean +/− S.E.M.). No statistically significant difference was found between the resonant frequency of the respiratory system and the panting frequency used by guinea fowl at rest (6.67+/−0.16 Hz, N=11) or during treadmill locomotion (6.71+/−0.12 Hz, N=8) or to their preferred step frequency (6.73+/−0.09 Hz, N=7) (means +/− S.E.M.). These observations suggest (i) that, at rest and during exercise, panting guinea fowl maximize flow while expending minimal mechanical effort, and (ii) that natural selection has tuned the natural frequencies of the respiratory and locomotor systems to similar frequencies.


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