scholarly journals Individual Variability in Bothrops atrox Snakes Collected from Different Habitats in the Brazilian Amazon: New Findings on Venom Composition and Functionality

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 814
Author(s):  
Leijane F. Sousa ◽  
Matthew L. Holding ◽  
Tiago H. M. Del-Rei ◽  
Marisa M. T. Rocha ◽  
Rosa H. V. Mourão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Differential Distribution ◽  
Functional Assays ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Degraded Area ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Bothrops Atrox

Differences in snake venom composition occur across all taxonomic levels and it has been argued that this variation represents an adaptation that has evolved to facilitate the capture and digestion of prey and evasion of predators. Bothrops atrox is a terrestrial pitviper that is distributed across the Amazon region, where it occupies different habitats. Using statistical analyses and functional assays that incorporate individual variation, we analyzed the individual venom variability in B. atrox snakes from four different habitats (forest, pasture, degraded area, and floodplain) in and around the Amazon River in Brazil. We observed venom differentiation between spatially distinct B. atrox individuals from the different habitats, with venom variation due to both common (high abundance) and rare (low abundance) proteins. Moreover, differences in the composition of the venoms resulted in individual variability in functionality and heterogeneity in the lethality to mammals and birds, particularly among the floodplain snakes. Taken together, the data obtained from individual venoms of B. atrox snakes, captured in different habitats from the Brazilian Amazon, support the hypothesis that the differential distribution of protein isoforms results in functional distinctiveness and the ability of snakes with different venoms to have variable toxic effects on different prey.

scholarly journals Evidence for Snake Venom Plasticity in a Long-Term Study with Individual Captive Bothrops atrox

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana R. Amazonas ◽  
Luciana A. Freitas-de-Sousa ◽  
Daniele P. Orefice ◽  
Leijiane F. de Sousa ◽  
Melissa G. Martinez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Snake Venom ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Venom Composition ◽  
Core Function ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Bothrops Atrox ◽  
Diet Type

Variability in snake venom composition has been frequently reported and correlated to the adaptability of snakes to environmental conditions. Previous studies report plasticity for the venom phenotype. However, these observations are not conclusive, as the results were based on pooled venoms, which present high individual variability. Here we tested the hypothesis of plasticity by influence of confinement and single diet type in the venom composition of 13 adult specimens of Bothrops atrox snakes, maintained under captivity for more than three years. Individual variability in venom composition was observed in samples extracted just after the capture of the snakes. However, composition was conserved in venoms periodically extracted from nine specimens, which presented low variability restricted to the less abundant components. In a second group, composed of four snakes, drastic changes were observed in the venom samples extracted at different periods, mostly related to snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), the core function toxins of B. atrox venom, which occurred approximately between 400 and 500 days in captivity. These data show plasticity in the venom phenotype during the lifetime of adult snakes maintained under captive conditions. Causes or functional consequences involved in the phenotype modification require further investigations.

THE STUDY OF THE INDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY OF THE LINEAR DIMENSIONS OF THE SPHENOID SINUS

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-70
Author(s):  
O.V. Mareev ◽  
◽  
G.O. Mareev ◽  
M.E. Gutynina ◽  
D.A. Maksimova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sphenoid Sinus ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Linear Dimensions ◽  
The Individual

scholarly journals Blood antioxidant nutrients in riparian villagers of the Brazilian Amazon: its associations with wet/dry seasons and modulation by sociodemographic determinants

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Valentini ◽  
Carlos José Sousa Passos ◽  
Solange Cristina Garcia ◽  
Robert Davidson ◽  
Marc Lucotte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
Reference Range ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Individual State ◽  
River Region ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Sociodemographic Determinants ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Β Carotene

Abstract This study associates blood antioxidants like copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), β-carotene, lycopene and vitamins (A and E) to sociodemographic features and seasonality in communities from the Tapajós River region, Brazilian Amazon. We observed increased Mn, Se and Zn levels compared to the average Brazilian population, whereas this is only the case for β-carotene in the rainy season. Lycopene levels fall within the reference range, although lower than those found in other Brazilian regions. Cu, Se, Zn, β-carotene, lycopene and vitamin E levels vary among seasons. β-carotene, Mn and Se vary among communities. Se and Zn vary with smoking habits and sex, respectively. In addition, β-carotene and vitamins (A and E) are altered by alcohol consumption. Villagers who both farmed and fished present higher Cu and lower β-carotene levels than participants with a single occupation. Vitamin E levels depend upon the individual state of origin. These data provide important baseline information for antioxidant status in this Amazonian riparian population.

scholarly journals Individual variation of the masticatory system dominates 3D skull shape in the herbivory-adapted marsupial wombats

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Weisbecker ◽  
Thomas Guillerme ◽  
Cruise Speck ◽  
Emma Sherratt ◽  
Hyab Mehari Abraha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Mandibular Ramus ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Skull Shape ◽  
Marsupial Species ◽  
Masticatory System ◽  
The Individual

AbstractBackgroundWithin-species skull shape variation of marsupial mammals is widely considered low and strongly size-dependent (allometric), possibly due to developmental constraints arising from the altricial birth of marsupials. However, species whose skulls are impacted by strong muscular stresses – particularly those produced through mastication of tough food items – may not display such intrinsic patterns very clearly because of the known plastic response of bone to muscle activity of the individual. In such cases, shape variation should not be dominated by allometry; ordination of shape in a geometric morphometric context through principal component analysis (PCA) should reveal main variation in areas under masticatory stress (incisor region/zygomatic arches/mandibular ramus); but this main variation should emerge from high individual variability and thus have low eigenvalues.ResultsWe assessed the evidence for high individual variation through 3D geometric morphometric shape analysis of crania and mandibles of thre species of grazing-specialized wombats, whose diet of tough grasses puts considerable strain on their masticatory system. As expected, we found little allometry and low Principal Component 1 (PC1) eigenvalues within crania and mandibles of all three species. Also as expected, the main variation was in the muzzle, zygomatic arches, and masticatory muscle attachments of the mandibular ramus. We then implemented a new test to ask if the landmark variation reflected on PC1 was reflected in individuals with opposite PC1 scores and with opposite shapes in Procrustes space. This showed that correspondence between individual and ordinated shape variation was limited, indicating high levels of individual variability in the masticatory apparatus.DiscussionOur results are inconsistent with hypotheses that skull shape variation within marsupial species reflects a constraint pattern. Rather, they support suggestions that individual plasticity can be an important determinant of within-species shape variation in marsupials (and possibly other mammals) with high masticatory stresses, making it difficult to understand the degree to which intrinsic constraint act on shape variation at the within-species level. We conclude that studies that link micro- and macroevolutionary patterns of shape variation might benefit from a focus on species with low-impact mastication, such as carnivorous or frugivorous species.

scholarly journals PORTABLE ART OBJECTS DISCOVERED IN THE UPPER PALEOLITHIC OF ROMANIA

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.-C. Nitu ◽  
O. Cirstina ◽  
F.-I. Lupu ◽  
M. Leu ◽  
A. Nicolae ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Art Objects ◽  
Use Wear ◽  
New Findings ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Individual

In addition to their undeniable aesthetic value, ornaments are the element that may differentiate the various social groups or individuals belonging to certain groups. More specifically, body decoration is closely related to social identity. The ornament, as a form of communication, has a certain advantage over other means of communication because, once displayed, perhaps even more than language itself, the individual wearing it need not make any effort to deliver his/her message, social sta-tus, their belonging to a group etc. The first adornments used during the Paleolithic are beads, while perforated shells are among the earliest examples of this sort. In a few cases, the perforated shells come from species rarely used in the Paleolithic, brought from long distances, in terms of the settlements in which they were found so, apart from individualizing and characterizing a certain group, they may represent important documents regarding migrations over wide areas and even regarding the origin of a culture. This is shown by new discoveries made in an early Gravettian layer at the Poiana Cireului site (Piatra Neam, north-eastern Romania), dated between 30 ka and 31 ka BP (Niu et al., 2019). The ornaments discovered here include a unique association of perforat-ed shells represented by three species of mollusks: Lithoglyphus naticoide, Litho-glyphus apertus and Homalopoma sanguineum (an exclusively Mediterranean spe-cies). This occupation differs from Central and Eastern European Gravettian tradi-tions through the symbolic behavior of the communities, defined by the use of perfo-rated shells of freshwater and marine (Mediterranean origin) mollusk belonging to species very rarely used in the Palaeolithic. Poiana Cireului is one of the very few Gravettian sites where perforated Homalopoma sanguineum shells were found and is the only Gravettian settlement where Lithoglyphus naticoides shells were used. We present the ornaments discovered and the results of analysis performed to identify the perforation methods and the use-wear traces. The presence of a Mediterranean species at the Poiana Cireului settlement located more than 900 km from the nearest source suggests the connection of communities here with the Mediterranean area. In the light of these new findings, the origin and diffusion of the Gravettian from the Mediterranean to the east of the Carpathians are a hypothesis that should be considered. Niu, E.-C., Crciumaru, M., Nicolae, A., Crstina, O., Lupu, F. I., Leu, M. (2019). Mobility and social identity in the Early Upper Palaeolithic: new personal ornaments from Poiana Cireului site (Piatra Neam, Romania). PLOS ONE, 14 (4), e0214932. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214932

scholarly journals PERSONAL ORNAMENTS DISCOVERED IN THE EARLY UPPER PALEOLITHIC OF POIANA CIREȘULUI-PIATRA NEAMȚ (ROMANIA)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.-C. Nitu ◽  
O. Cirstina ◽  
F.-I. Lupu ◽  
M. Leu ◽  
A. Nicolae ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Use Wear ◽  
New Findings ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Early Upper

In addition to their undeniable aesthetic value, ornaments are the element that may differentiate the various social groups or individuals belonging to certain groups. More specifically, body decoration is closely related to social identity. The ornament, as a form of communication, has a certain advantage over other means of communication because, once displayed, perhaps even more than language itself, the individual wearing it need not make any effort to deliver his/her message, social sta-tus, their belonging to a group etc. The first adornments used during the Paleolithic are beads, while perforated shells are among the earliest examples of this sort. In a few cases, the perforated shells come from species rarely used in the Paleolithic, brought from long distances, in terms of the settlements in which they were found so, apart from individualizing and characterizing a certain group, they may represent important documents regarding migrations over wide areas and even regarding the origin of a culture. This is shown by new discoveries made in an early Gravettian layer at the Poiana Cireului site (Piatra Neam, north-eastern Romania), dated between 30 ka and 31 ka BP (Niu et al., 2019). The ornaments discovered here include a unique association of perforat-ed shells represented by three species of mollusks: Lithoglyphus naticoide, Litho-glyphus apertus and Homalopoma sanguineum (an exclusively Mediterranean spe-cies). This occupation differs from Central and Eastern European Gravettian tradi-tions through the symbolic behavior of the communities, defined by the use of perfo-rated shells of freshwater and marine (Mediterranean origin) mollusk belonging to species very rarely used in the Palaeolithic. Poiana Cireului is one of the very few Gravettian sites where perforated Homalopoma sanguineum shells were found and is the only Gravettian settlement where Lithoglyphus naticoides shells were used. We present the ornaments discovered and the results of analysis performed to identify the perforation methods and the use-wear traces. The presence of a Mediterranean species at the Poiana Cireului settlement located more than 900 km from the nearest source suggests the connection of communities here with the Mediterranean area. In the light of these new findings, the origin and diffusion of the Gravettian from the Mediterranean to the east of the Carpathians are a hypothesis that should be considered. Niu, E.-C., Crciumaru, M., Nicolae, A., Crstina, O., Lupu, F. I., Leu, M. (2019). Mobility and social identity in the Early Upper Palaeolithic: new personal ornaments from Poiana Cireului site (Piatra Neam, Romania). PLOS ONE, 14 (4), e0214932. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214932

scholarly journals New Findings on Lonchaeidae (Diptera: Tephritoidea) in the Brazilian Amazon

2015 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 1227-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lailson do Nascimento Lemos ◽  
Ricardo Adaime ◽  
Salustiano V. Costa-Neto ◽  
Ezequiel da Glória de Deus ◽  
Cristiane Ramos de Jesus-Barros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
New Findings

scholarly journals GENDER FEATURES OF THE ALVEOLAR PROCESS OF THE UPPER JAW

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-14
Author(s):  
Z. Masna
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Functional Restoration ◽  
Occlusal Plane ◽  
Dental Arch ◽  
Alveolar Process ◽  
Dental Examination ◽  
Upper Jaw ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Alveolar Arch

The individual face shape, the ratio of its proportions, the articulation capabilities of each person to a significant extent depend on the characteristics of occlusion and occlusion, in turn, are determined by the size, shape and ratio of dental, alveolar and basal arches. Two of them - alveolar and basal - pass at the corresponding levels of the alveolar areas of the jaws, which means that it is almost impossible to correct them, therefore they play the role of landmarks for setting the dental arch during dental prosthetics. A full-fledged aesthetic and functional restoration of the maxillofacial region after prosthetics largely depends on the dentist taking into account the individual morphological characteristics of the jaws, their cellular areas and specifically the morphometric parameters of the collar and basal arches. In order to determine the possible variants of the shape of the alveolar and basal arches of the upper jaw and the patterns of their ratio during the routine dental examination, 55 people (27 men and 28 women) aged 21-60 years with preserved maxillary dentition were examined. It has been established that the alveolar and basal arches of the upper jaw can have the shape of five geometric shapes: an oval, a semicircle, an ellipse, a trapezoid or a square. In this case, the shape of the collar and basal arches can coincide or be combined in various combinations. The analysis of the obtained results showed that in men the alveolar arch most often had the shape of an oval (70%), in women - an oval or semicircle (43%, respectively). With the aim of possible variants of the alveolar and basal arches form determination and peculiarities of their correlation 55 individuals (27 men and 28 women) in age of 21-60 years with the preserved teeth row were examined during planned dental examination. All examined were patients of the “Dental clinic of dr. Dakhno” (Kyiv). Computer tomographic investigation was made to these patients according to medical indications, scanning was made parallely to the occlusal plane. Image reconstruction was conducted with the use of highly dimentional bone algorithm. Alveolar and basal arch form of the upper jaw were determined on the images. It was established that alveolar and basal arches of the upper jaw can have a form of five geometrical figures: oval, semicircle, ellipse, trapeze or square. Form of the alveolar and basal arches can match or can combine in different combinations. Received results analysis testified that alveolar arch has a form of the oval in men and oval or semicircle – in women. Basal arch in men also most frequently has a form of oval, less often – semicircle, square and trapeze. In women basal arch more often has a form of trapeze or semicircle, less often – oval or square. In men alveolar and basal arches form matched in 41% of cases, in women – only in 31% of cases among total amount of all examined individuals. Most often alveolar and basal arches matched in the form of oval and semicircle, only in one case arches of the trapeze form matched in man, in woman – square form. Maxillary alveolar and basal arches form variants analysis let to determine areas, where distance between alveolar crests was maximal. Most variable this index was in individuals with the oval form of the alveolar arch on the level of 16-26, 17-27 or 18-28 teeth. Peculiarities of the alveolar and basal arches form of the alveolar process of the upper jaw in male and female individuals are characterized with expressed individual variability. These peculiarities consideration during dental prosthesis let avoid series of complications connected with the pressure redistribution on the osseous tissue of the jaws during articulation. 

scholarly journals Analysing the Relationship between Nutrition and the Microbial Composition of the Oral Biofilm—Insights from the Analysis of Individual Variability

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Kirstin Vach ◽  
Ali Al-Ahmad ◽  
Annette Anderson ◽  
Johan Peter Woelber ◽  
Lamprini Karygianni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Oral Microbiota ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Oral Biofilm ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Individual Variations ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

The influence of a change in nutrition on the oral microbiota are discussed in literature, but usually only changes of population mean values are reported. This paper introduces simple methods to also analyse and report the variability of patients’ reactions considering data from the culture analysis of oral biofilm. The framework was illustrated by an experimental study exposing eleven participants to different nutrition schemes in five consecutive phases. Substantial inter-individual variations in the individual reactions were observed. A new coherence index made it possible to identify 14 instances where the direction of individual changes tended to coincide with the direction of the mean change with more than 95% probability. The heterogeneity in variability across different bacteria species was limited. This allowed us to develop recommendations for sample sizes in future studies. For studies measuring the concentration change of bacteria as a reaction to nutrition change, the use of replications and analysis of the variability is recommended. In order to detect moderate effects of a change in nutrition on the concentration of single bacterial taxa, 30 participants with three repetitions are often adequate. Insights into the relationship between nutrition and the microbial composition can be helpful for the development of dietary habits that promote the establishment of a healthy microbial flora and can therefore prevent the initiation of oral diseases such as caries and periodontitis.

scholarly journals Understanding the Lingual Frenulum: Histological Structure, Tissue Composition, and Implications for Tongue Tie Surgery

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Nikki Mills ◽  
Donna T. Geddes ◽  
Satya Amirapu ◽  
S. Ali Mirjalili
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variability ◽  
Histological Structure ◽  
Tissue Composition ◽  
En Bloc ◽  
Structural Explanation ◽  
Fresh Tissue ◽  
Floor Of Mouth ◽  
Variable Extent ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Picrosirius Red

Lingual frenotomy has become an increasingly common surgical procedure, performed for a broad range of indications from birth through adulthood. This study utilizes histology to define the structure and tissue composition of the lingual frenulum and floor of mouth (FOM) fascia. En bloc specimens of anterior tongue, lingual frenulum, and FOM tissues were harvested from ten embalmed adult cadavers. An additional three fresh tissue cadaveric specimens were frozen with the tongue supported in an elevated position, to enable harvesting and paraffin embedding of the elevated lingual frenulum as a discrete specimen. All 13 specimens were prepared as ten-micron coronal sections using stains to determine the general morphology of the lingual frenulum, its relationship to neighbouring structures (Mason’s Trichrome), presence of elastin fibers (Verhoeff-van Gieson), and collagen typing (Picrosirius Red). Our results have shown a submucosal layer of fascia spanning horizontally across the FOM was present in all specimens, with variability in fascial thickness and histologic composition. This FOM fascia suspends the sublingual glands, vessels, and genioglossus from its deep surface. The elevated lingual frenulum is formed by a central fold of this FOM fascia together with the overlying oral mucosa with variability in fascial thickness and composition. With tongue elevation, the fascia mobilizes to a variable extent into the fold forming the frenulum, providing a structural explanation for the individual variability in lingual frenulum morphology seen in clinical practice.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document