Transcriptome analyses of female black tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) for reproductive trait using RNA-sequencing approach

The black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) is the widely cultured aquaculture species in Vietnam and worldwide. Production of P. monodon postlarvae still relies on the wild broodstock due to their higher fecundity and larval quality in comparison with the domesticated broodstock. Therefore, the current study applied an RNA-sequencing approach by the Illumina platform to generate the transcriptomic resources for the wild and domesticated females at the previtellogenic stage of ovaries (stage 0). Total clean reads were 20,977,708 for the wild female and 31,185,197 for the domesticated female. De novoassembly was employed to generate 35,870 contigs with an average length of 1,018 bp and N50 length of 1,488 bp. The ratios of contigs possessing significant similarity through annotation across seven databases ranged from 19.74 to 47.77%. Top hit species from BLASTx searches included Hyalella azteca, Cryptotermes secundus, Zootermopsis nevadensis, followed by Penaeus sp.. We identified a total of 5,788 differentially expressed transcripts between the ovaries of wild and domesticated shrimps. The differentially expressed transcripts were further enriched according to the classification terms of Gene Ontology (GO). Results of GO enrichment analysis in the wild female indicated that many genes such as hemolymph clottable, peritrophin, ecdysteroid were up-regulated while the following genes, including serine protease, alpha-L-fucosidase-like, actin, catenin alpha were down-regulated. The current study provides more transcriptomic resources for the reproductive trait in P. monodon. These resources are potentially applied for the improvement of reproduction in the domesticated shrimp.

After the smoke has cleared: Extended low fruit productivity following forest fires decreased gregariousness and social tolerance among wild female Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii)

As climate change continues to fundamentally alter resource landscapes, the ability to flexibly respond to spatio-temporal changes in the distribution of preferred food sources is increasingly important for the overall health and fitness of animals living in seasonal, variable, and/or changing environments. Here, we investigate the effects of an uncharacteristically long period of fruit scarcity, following widespread thick haze caused by peat and forest fires in 2015, on the behaviour and sociality of female Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). We collected data from 2010 to 2018 at Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and compared the activity, diet, and association patterns of adult females during low-fruit periods before the fires, i.e., regular, seasonal periods of low fruit availability (“pre-fire”), and after the fires, i.e., during the extended period of low fruit availability (“post-fire”). First, we found that, post-fire, female orangutans adopted a more extreme energy-saving activity pattern and diet — resting more, travelling less, and diet-switching to less-preferred foods — compared to pre-fire. Second, we found that the probabilities of association between females and their weaned immature offspring, and between related and unrelated adult females were lower, and the probability of agonism between unrelated females was higher, post-fire than pre-fire. This change in energetic strategy, and the general reduction in gregariousness and social tolerance, demonstrates how forest fires can have lasting consequences for orangutans. Fission–fusion species such as orangutans can mitigate the effects of changes in resource landscapes by altering their (sub)grouping patterns; however, this may have long-term indirect consequences on their fitness.

Dyslipidemia’s influence on the secretion ovarian’s steroids in female mice

Introduction: The synthesis ovarian’s steroids is a process thats depends on the supply of cholesterol. Objective: to evaluate the influence of dyslipidemia on the secretion ovarian’s steroids. Methodology: wild female mice were used (C57BL6) and LDL (LDLR-/-), which they were separated into 4 groups (n = 10): WTS: fed a standard diet; WTHL: fed a high-fat diet; KOS: fed a standard diet; KOHL: fed a high-fat diet. After 60 days, the estrous cycle was analyzed and after anesthetized, blood was collected for the to assess the lipid profile, glucose, plasma insulin level and HOMA index was calculated. In addition, plasma levels of C-reactive protein, estrogen and progesterone were determined. Results: The hyperlipidic diet in both the WTHL and the KOHL group generated hypercholesterolemia when compared to the WTS and KOS, respectively, with a decrease in HDLc, associated with an increase in CRP levels. Severe hypercholesterolemia in the KOHL group generated insulin resistance, marked by an increase in HOMAir. Food hypercholesterolemia in the WTHL group, food and genetics in the KOHL group, compared to their WTS and KOS controls, was definitive in reducing plasma levels of estrogen and progesterone. The genetic hypercholesterolemia associated with insulin resistance observed in the KOS and KOHL groups reduced the levels of progesterone, this reduction being more severe in the KOHL group, which had the highest HOMAir. Conclusion: dyslipidemia affected ovarian steroidogenesis in mice by means of oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance and / or by decreasing HDL cholesterol levels.

Does body size influence mating success? A morphometric study of two Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) fruit fly species

Male mating success depends on various traits and factors, and correctly identifying these traits can be key in the context of pest management. For tephritid pests, controlled through the sterile insect technique (SIT) traits, such as male size, can be manipulated through mass-rearing procedures. Thus, it is particularly important to understand whether male size can favor mating success. Here, we evaluated mating success of males of different sizes in Anastrepha ludens and Anastrepha obliqua, two species controlled through SIT. For both species, a morphometric analysis was performed of mated and unmated mass-reared and wild males in field cages. In both A. ludens and A. obliqua, wild females did not discriminate their mates based on male size and mated more frequently with wild males regardless of size. For mass-reared males, we found no evidence of an advantage of the large males compared to small males in mating success. However, we did find differences between the morphometric traits of mass-reared and wild males. In A. ludens, traits associated to mating success were Face Width (FW), Head Width (HW), Thorax Length (TL) and Wing Length (WL), and for A. obliqua were FW, HW, WL and WW (Wing Width). Overall, FW and TL were more consistent predictors of mating success. In conclusion, female choice seems to suggest multivariate selection, confirming that overall body size (expressed as pupal diameter, which is highly correlated with weight) is not a decisive factor in male mating success in these two species. However, morphological traits such as FW, HW, TL, WL and WW may be relevant in mating preference of wild female.

Tubectomy of Pregnant and Non-pregnant Female Balinese Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis) With Post-operative Monitoring

Worldwide, primates, and humans increasingly share habitats and often enter in conflict when primates thrive in human-dominated environments, calling for special management measures. Reproductive control is increasingly used to manage population growth but very few monitoring data are available. Therefore, the efficiency and implications of such programs require a careful examination. In the context of a contraception program in wild female long-tailed macaques in Ubud, Bali, conducted over four successive campaigns between 2017 and 2019, including 140 females (i.e., 41.9% of the reproductive females of the population in 2019), modifications of an endoscopic tubectomy procedure, a permanent sterilization method, clinical evaluation of this method, and the post-operative monitoring results of the neutered females after release are described. This surgical approach was applicable for pregnant females: 28.6% of the treated females were pregnant at the time of the surgery. The procedure used a single lateral port to reach and cauterize both oviducts in non-pregnant as well as in early to mid-term pregnant females. Pregnant females nearer to term required a second lateral port to access both oviducts masked by the size of the gravid uterus. Moreover, bipolar thermocauterization was utilized successfully without resection to realize the tubectomy. The average duration of the laparoscopic surgery was 14 min for non-pregnant females and 22 min for pregnant females. Animals were released 3 h 22 min in average following their capture. This short holding time, recommended for free-ranging primates, was made possible by the minimal invasiveness of the sterilization approach. A laparoscopic post-operative evaluation conducted on two patients during the following campaign confirmed that the oviducts were definitely disrupted and no longer patent. Moreover, no new pregnancies in sterilized females were recorded during the 3-year observation period. The survival rate of the treated females 6 months after sterilization was high (96.3%) with no major post-operative complications clinically recorded. Among females that were pregnant during surgery, 81.1% were confirmed to experience term delivery. This study demonstrates the safety and efficiency of endoscopic tubectomy, even for pregnant females, as a mean of wild macaques' population control.

Representation of Women and Nature in Abhi Subedi’s Māyādevikā Sapanā

The article aims to analyze the depiction of women and nature in Abhi Subedi’s play, Māyādevikā Sapanā [Dreams of Mayadevi] (2008) from the ecofeminist perspective. The play associates women to nature and suggests that there is similarity between the domination of women and exploitation of nature by men in patriarchy. The female characters of the play criticize the patriarchal gender roles based on hierarchy and dualism. They identify patriarchy as the root cause of violence against women and nature. Ecofeminist critics point out that there are conceptual, symbolic, and linguistic connections between feminist and ecological issues. Vandana Shiva and Maria Mies assert that it is the same patriarchal mindset that dominates women exploits the nature. Carolyn Merchant posits that modern capitalism treats nature as a wild female who needs to be tamed and controlled. Val Plumwood argues that western philosophy, which prioritizes reason to emotion, is the key to oppression of women and nature in the modern world. These critics suggest that feminism should also deal with the issues of nature because the destruction of nature harms women more than it harms men. Thus, ecofeminist perspective is relevant to analyze the depiction of women and nature in Māyādevikā Sapanā. The finding of the article reveals that patriarchy is unfriendly to women and nature; and issues of women and ecology are intertwined.

Effect of Infant Presence on Social Networks of Sterilized and Intact Wild Female Balinese Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Contraception is increasingly used to control wild animal populations. However, as reproductive condition influences social interactions in primates, the absence of new offspring could influence the females’ social integration. We studied two groups of wild macaques (Macaca fascicularis) including females recently sterilized in the Ubud Monkey Forest, Indonesia. We used social network analysis to examine female grooming and proximity networks and investigated the role of infant presence on social centrality and group connectivity, while controlling for the fertility status (sterilized N = 14, intact N = 34). We compared the ego networks of females experiencing different nursing conditions (young infant (YI) vs old infant (OI) vs non-nursing (NN) females). YI females were less central in the grooming network than other females while being more central in proximity networks, suggesting they could keep proximity within the group to protect their infant from hazards, while decreasing direct grooming interactions, involving potential risks such as kidnapping. The centrality of sterilized and intact females was similar, except for the proximity network where sterilized females had more partners and a better group connectivity. These results confirm the influence of nursing condition in female macaque social networks and did not show any negative short-term effects of sterilization on social integration.

The effect of reproductive state on activity budget, feeding behavior, and urinary C-peptide levels in wild female Assamese macaques

The source of maternal energy supporting reproduction (i.e., stored or incoming) is an important factor determining different breeding strategies (capital, income or mixed) in female mammals. Key periods of energy storage and allocation might induce behavioral and physiological shifts in females, and investigating their distribution throughout reproduction helps in determining vulnerable phases shaping female reproductive success. Here, we examined the effects of reproductive state on activity budget, feeding behavior, and urinary C-peptide (uCP) levels, a physiological marker of energy balance, in 43 wild female Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis). Over a 13-month study period, we collected 96,266 instantaneous records of activity and 905 urine samples. We found that early lactating females and non-gestating–non-lactating females follow an energy-saving strategy consisting of resting more at the expense of feeding and consuming mostly fruits which contributed to enhancing their energy intake and feeding efficiency. We found an opposite pattern in gestating and late lactating females who feed more at the expense of resting and consume mostly seeds, providing a fiber-rich diet. Storing food into cheek pouches increased throughout gestation while it decreased all along with lactation. Lastly, we found the highest uCP levels during late gestation. Our results reflect different feeding adaptations in response to the energetic costs of reproduction and suggest a critical role of fat accumulation before conception and metabolizing fat during gestation and lactation. Overall, our study provides an integrative picture of the energetics of reproduction in a seasonal species and contributes to our understanding of the diversity of behavioral and physiological adaptations shaping female reproductive success. Significance statement To offset their substantial energetic investment in reproduction, mammalian females may modify their behavior and the way they extract energy from their environment. In addition, as a result of heightened energy expenditure, female reproduction might trigger physiological shifts. To date, most studies investigated the energetic costs of female reproduction using either a behavioral or a physiological approach. To arrive at a more comprehensive picture, we combined behavioral data with a physiological marker of energy balance, i.e., urinary C-peptide, in a seasonal primate species in its natural habitat. Our results indicate that throughout the reproductive cycle, behavioral and physiological adaptations operate concomitantly, inducing modifications in female activity budget, feeding behavior, and suggesting shifts in fat use. Overall, our results illustrate the relevance of combining data on behavior and hormones to investigate breeding strategies in coping with the energetic costs of reproduction.