Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Aphaenogaster swammerdami group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Background Madagascar is famous for its extremely rich biodiversity; the island harbors predominantly endemic and threatened communities meriting special attention from biodiversity scientists. Continuing ongoing efforts to inventory the Malagasy ant fauna, we revise the species currently placed in the myrmicine genus Aphaenogaster Mayr. One species described from Madagascar, Aphaenogaster friederichsi Forel, is synonymized with the Palearctic A. subterranea Latreille syn. nov. This species is considered neither native to Madagascar nor established in the region. This revision focuses on the balance of species in the A. swammerdami group which are all endemic to Madagascar. Methods The diversity of the Malagasy Aphaenogaster fauna was assessed via application of multiple lines of evidence involving quantitative morphometric, qualitative morphological, and DNA sequence data. (1) Morphometric investigation was based on hypothesis-free Nest Centroid clustering (NC-clustering) combined with PArtitioning based on Recursive Thresholding (PART) to estimate the number of morphological clusters and determine the most probable boundaries between them. This protocol provides a repeatable and testable approach to find patterns in continuous morphometric data. Species boundaries and the reliability of morphological clusters recognized by these exploratory analyses were tested via confirmatory Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). (2) Qualitative, external morphological characteristics (e.g., shape, coloration patterns, setae number) were subjectively evaluated in order to create a priori grouping hypotheses, and confirm and improve species delimitation. (3) Species delimitation analyses based on mitochondrial DNA sequences from cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene fragments were carried out to test the putative species previously delimited by morphological and morphometric analyses. Results Five species can be inferred based on the integrated evaluation of multiple lines of evidence; of these, three are new to science: Aphaenogaster bressleri sp. n., A. gonacantha (Emery, 1899), A. makay sp. n., A. sahafina sp. n., and A. swammerdami Forel, 1886. In addition, three new synonymies were found for A. swammerdami Forel, 1886 (A. swammerdami clara Santschi, 1915 syn. n., A. swammerdami curta Forel, 1891 syn. n. and A. swammerdami spinipes Santschi, 1911 syn. n.). Descriptions and redefinitions for each taxon and an identification key for their worker castes using qualitative traits and morphometric data are given. Geographic maps depicting species distributions and biological information regarding nesting habits for the species are also provided.

Geometric morphometric investigation of craniofacial morphological change in domesticated silver foxes

To test the effects of domestication on craniofacial skeletal morphology, we used three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM) along with linear and endocranial measurements to compare selected (domesticated) and unselected foxes from the Russian Farm-Fox Experiment to wild foxes from the progenitor population from which the farmed foxes are derived. Contrary to previous findings, we find that domesticated and unselected foxes show minimal differences in craniofacial shape and size compared to the more substantial differences between the wild foxes and both populations of farmed foxes. GM analyses and linear measurements demonstrate that wild foxes differ from farmed foxes largely in terms of less cranial base flexion, relatively expanded cranial vaults, and increased endocranial volumes. These results challenge the assumption that the unselected population of foxes kept as part of the Russian Farm-Fox experiment are an appropriate proxy for ‘wild’ foxes in terms of craniofacial morphology and highlight the need to include wild populations in further studies of domestication syndrome to disentangle the phenotypic effects of multiple selection pressures. These findings also suggest that marked increases in docility cannot be reliably diagnosed from shape differences in craniofacial skeletal morphology.

The morphological specifics of the stromal and parenchymal liver components of 6-12-months old children from hiv-mono-infected mothers

To determine the morphological specifics of the stromal and parenchymal liver components of 6-12-months old children from HIV-mono-infected mothers. Materials and methods. The morphometric investigation included 87 liver tissue biopsies of 6-12-months old dead children from HIV-mono-infected mothers. All morphometric parameters of the parenchymal and stromal liver components were calculated using the Avtandilov`s microscopic morphometric grid, which was consisted of 100 equidistant points. It was inserted into the microscope`s ocular tube with a total × 200 microscope magnification. The number of points that were found on the corresponding types of parenchymal and stromal liver components was calculated. In every case, it was selected 10 random microscopic areas and then all data were obtained, calculated and presented as percentages. Results. Morphometric parameters of hepatocytes: mononuclear hepatocytes – 90.2±7.6 % [control – 93.5±7.1], two-nuclear hepatocytes – 9.8±1.2 % [control – 6.5±1.2], TMHC (two-/mononuclear hepatocytes coefficient) – 0.10±0.02 [control – 0.06±0.01], hepatocytes with fat vacuoles – 19.6±2.1 % [control – 0.5±0.2]. Parenchymal and stromal liver components: parenchyma – 56.1±3.3 % [control – 74.2±4.3], stroma (including blood vessels and bile ducts) – 43.9±3.7 % [control – 25.8±2.6], SPI (stroma/parenchyma index) – 0.78±0.02 [control – 0.34±0.01]. Morphometric parameters of all of the liver components: hepatocytes – 56.1±3.3 % [control – 74.2±4.3], portal tracts – 26.4±2.1 % [control – 3.1±0.6], central veins – 8.1±1.2 % [control – 9.3±1.4], sinusoids – 7.3±1.2 % [control – 10.5±1.3], bile ducts – 2.1±0.1 % [control – 2.9±0.2]. Expression level parameters: fibronectin – 73.2±4.2 % [control – 17.3±2.5], collagen type I – 15.9±1.2 % [control – 9.7±1.9], collagen type III – 20.1±2.6 % [control – 10.1±0.9], collagen type IV – 7.3±0.2 % [control – 5.9±0.2]. Conclusions. It was established, that in the liver of 6-12-months old children from HIV-mono-infected mothers, the parenchymal component of the liver showed the signs of its significant reduction, increase of regenerative activity of hepatocytes, and fatty degeneration of hepatocytes with a certain sign of reactive steatohepatitis. Also, it was established, that the stromal component of the liver of children from HIV-infected mothers showed the signs of its progressive proliferation and collagenization due to increased production and accumulation of fibronectin, type I, type III collagens in the stroma of portal tracts and newly formed septa, and the signs of hepatic sinusoid capillarization due to type IV collagen accumulation in the space of Disse of the hepatic sinusoids.

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Factors Affecting Aortic Dissection

This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between inflammation, the number of vasa vasorum, and the presence of lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] in the aortic aneurysm wall, as well as the relationships of these pathological processes with the development of aneurysm wall dissection. To that end, we examined segments of aortic aneurysm wall, consisting of intima, media, and adventitia, collected from patients during aneurysm prosthetics intervention. The material was collected from 23 men and eight women aged from 33 to 69 years. Monoclonal antibodies to Lp(a), markers of monocytes and macrophages (CD68), T cells (CD3, CD4, and CD8), von Willebrand factor, endothelium NO synthase, and smooth muscle α-actin were used for morphological and morphometric investigation. The present study demonstrated that Lp(a) is not often found in biopsies of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm. Morphological and morphometric investigation shows the connection of aortic dissection with the process of damage to its wall caused by inflammatory infiltrates, medianecroses, and the appearance of newly formed vasa vasorum in media.

The Specifics of the Stromal and Parenchymal Liver Components of 0–6-month-old Dead Children from HIV-monoinfected Mothers

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the specifics of the stromal and parenchymal liver components of 0–6-month-old children from HIV-monoinfected mothers. METHODS: The morphometric investigation included 84 liver tissue biopsies of 0–6-month-old dead children from HIV-monoinfected mothers. All morphometric parameters of the parenchymal and stromal liver components were calculated using the Avtandilov’s microscopic morphometric grid, which was consisted of 100 equidistant points. It was inserted into the microscope’s ocular tube with a total ×200 microscope magnification. The number of points that were found on the corresponding types of parenchymal and stromal liver components was calculated. In every case, it was selected 10 random microscopic areas and then all data were obtained, calculated, and presented as percentages. RESULTS: Morphometric parameters of hepatocytes: Mononuclear hepatocytes – 87.3 ± 6.2% (control – 93.5 ± 7.1), two-nuclear hepatocytes – 12.7 ± 1.3% (control – 6.5 ± 1.2), two-/mononuclear hepatocytes coefficient – 0.14 ± 0.01 (control – 0.06 ± 0.01), and hepatocytes with fat vacuoles – 15.6 ± 1.8% (control – 0.5 ± 0.2). Parenchymal and stromal liver components: Parenchyma – 64.3 ± 2.1% (control – 74.2 ± 1.3), stroma (including blood vessels and bile ducts) – 35.7 ± 1.9% (control – 25.8 ± 1.6), and stroma/parenchyma index – 0.55 ± 0.01 (control – 0.34 ± 0.01). Morphometric parameters of all of the liver components: Hepatocytes – 64.3 ± 3.1% (control – 74.2 ± 4.3), portal tracts – 14.9 ± 1.9% (control – 3.1 ± 0.6), central veins – 9.3 ± 1.3 % (control – 9.3 ± 1.4), sinusoids – 8.8 ± 1.1% (control – 10.5 ± 1.3), and bile ducts – 2.7 ± 0.2% (control – 2.9 ± 0.2). Expression level parameters: Fibronectin – 64.8 ± 4.1% (control – 17.3 ± 2.5), collagen Type I – 13.6 ± 1.7% (control – 9.7 ± 1.9), collagen Type III – 15.3 ± 1.4% (control – 10.1 ± 0.9), and collagen Type IV – 6.8 ± 0.2% (control – 5.9 ± 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: It was established that in the liver of 0–6-month-old dead children from HIV-monoinfected mothers, the parenchymal component of the liver showed the signs of its reduction, increase of regenerative activity of hepatocytes, and fatty degeneration of hepatocytes with a certain sign of reactive steatohepatitis. Furthermore, it was established that the stromal component of the liver of children from HIV-infected mothers showed the signs of its progressive proliferation and collagenization due to increased production and accumulation of fibronectin, Type I, Type III collagens in the stroma of portal tracts and newly formed septa, and the signs of hepatic sinusoid capillarization due to Type IV collagen accumulation in the space of Disse of the hepatic sinusoids.