Keragaman Fenotipe Kualitatif dan Kuantitatif Itik Sikumbang Jonti sebagai Plasma Nutfah di Sumatera Barat

This research was aimed to identifiaty qualitative and quantitative phenotypic polymorphism of Sikumbang Jonti Duck in Kecamatan Payakumbuh Timur Kota Payakumbuh Sumatera Barat. This research used 206 Sikumbang Jonti duck that were sexual maturity (22-48 weeks), divided of 50 males and 156 females. The qualitative traits observeted were head color, neck color, breaks color, back color, primary wings color, tail color, thigh color, bill color, and shank color. The quantitative traits observed were body weight (kg), beak width (cm), beak length (cm), neck length (cm), wing length (cm), femur length (cm), tibia length (cm), shank length (cm), back length (cm), number of primary wing feathers (strands), number of secondary wing feathers (strands), pelvic width (cm), and chest circumference (cm). The result showed that color of Sikumbang Jonti duck was dominated by white. Male Sikumbang Jonti duck had color head was white-black, and female had color head was white. In addition, the Sikumbang Jonti duck had green primary wing feathers like a beetle. The coefficient of diversity of the Sikumbang Jonti duck was low for beak width, tibia length (female), number of primary wing feathers, and number of secondary wing feathers, moderate value for body weight, beak length, neck length, wing length, femur length (female), length tibia (male), shank length, back length, perlvis width (females), and chest circumference (males), and high value for femur length (males). Keywords: Duck morphometric; Germplasm; Pattern color; Payakumbuh; Sumatera barat Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengindentifikasi keragaman fenotipe kualitatif dan kuantitatif itik Sikumbang Jonti di Kecamatan Payakumbuh Timur Kota Payakumbuh Provinsi Sumatera Barat. Penelitian ini menggunakan 206 ekor itik Sikumbang Jonti yang sudah dewasa kelamin (22 – 48 minggu), terdiri dari 50 ekor jantan dan 156 ekor betina. Sifat kualitatif yang diamati adalah warna bulu head, warna bulu neck, warna bulu breaks, warna back, warna primary wings, warna tail, warna thigh, warna bill, dan warna shank. Sifat kuantitatif yang diamati adalah bobot badan (kg), lebar paruh (cm), panjang paruh (cm), panjang leher (cm), panjang sayap (cm), panjang femur (cm), panjang tibia (cm), panjang shank (cm), panjang punggung (cm), jumlah bulu sayap primer (helai), jumlah bulu sayap sekunder(helai), lebar pelvis (cm), dan lingkar dada (cm). Hasil menunjukkan warna bulu itik Sikumbang Jonti didominasi dengan warna bulu putih. Warna bulu kepala itik Sikumbang Jonti jantan berwarna putih-hitam, sedangkan itik Sikumbang Jonti betina berwarna putih. Selain itu, itik Sikumbang Jonti memiliki warna bulu sayap primer berwarna hijau seperti kumbang. Koefisien keragaman itik Sikumbang Jonti bernilai rendah untuk lebar paruh, panjang tibia (betina), jumlah bulu sayap primer, dan jumlah bulu sayap sekunder, bernilai sedang untuk bobot badan, panjang paruh, panjang leher, panjang sayap, panajng femur (betina), panjang tibia (jantan), panjang shank, panjang punggung, lebar perlvis (betina), dan lingkar dada (jantan), dan bernilai tinggi untuk panjang femur (jantan). Keragaman fenotipe kualitatif dan kuantitatif pada itik Sikumbang Jonti relatif seragam, kecuali pada fenotipe kuantitatif panjang femur pada itik Sikumbang Jonti jantan memiliki keragaman tinggi. Kata kunci: Morfometrik itik; Payakumbuh; Plasma nutfah; Sumatera barat; Warna bulu

Estimation of Stature from Tibia Length for Romanian Adult Population

The estimation of stature from bones plays an important role in identifying unknown bodies, body parts, or skeletal remains, as it is an important component of the biological profile in forensic identification. The objective of this study is to enhance the development of forensic anthropology in Romania by creating a new regression formula for stature estimation. This can be accomplished from the length of the tibia, taking into account sex and age, for the Romanian adult population. A total of 137 cases from a delimited territory of Romania were included in the study. The length of the tibia and the stature of the individuals were measured before autopsy. Statistical analysis was carried using (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) SPSS 23. Tibia length showed a high correlation with stature for males, females, and the total sample. Four regression formulae were created for stature estimation of Romanian males, females, and unknown sex. The results of the analysis are impressive and have a good applicability in a forensic anthropological context. The data used in this paper provide reliable results with a large applicability in the future for estimating stature from the tibia length for the Romanian adult population.

Ventricular TLR4 Levels Abrogate TLR2-Knockout-Mediated Adverse Cardiac Remodeling upon Pressure Overload in Mice

Involvement of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in maladaptive cardiac remodeling and heart failure (HF) upon pressure overload has been studied extensively, but less is known about the role of TLR2. Interplay and redundancy of TLR4 with TLR2 have been reported in other organs but were not investigated during cardiac dysfunction. We explored whether TLR2 deficiency leads to less adverse cardiac remodeling upon chronic pressure overload and whether TLR2 and TLR4 additively contribute to this. We subjected 35 male C57BL/6J mice (wildtype (WT) or TLR2 knockout (KO)) to sham or transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery. After 12 weeks, echocardiography and electrocardiography were performed, and hearts were extracted for molecular and histological analysis. TLR2 deficiency (n = 14) was confirmed in all KO mice by PCR and resulted in less hypertrophy (heart weight to tibia length ratio (HW/TL), smaller cross-sectional cardiomyocyte area and decreased brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA expression, p < 0.05), increased contractility (QRS and QTc, p < 0.05), and less inflammation (e.g., interleukins 6 and 1β, p < 0.05) after TAC compared to WT animals (n = 11). Even though TLR2 KO TAC animals presented with lower levels of ventricular TLR4 mRNA than WT TAC animals (13.2 ± 0.8 vs. 16.6 ± 0.7 mg/mm, p < 0.01), TLR4 mRNA expression was increased in animals with the largest ventricular mass, highest hypertrophy, and lowest ejection fraction, leading to two distinct groups of TLR2 KO TAC animals with variations in cardiac remodeling. This variation, however, was not seen in WT TAC animals even though heart weight/tibia length correlated with expression of TLR4 in these animals (r = 0.078, p = 0.005). Our data suggest that TLR2 deficiency exacerbates adverse cardiac remodeling and that ventricular TLR2 and TLR4 additively contribute to adverse cardiac remodeling during chronic pressure overload. Therefore, both TLRs may be therapeutic targets to prevent or interfere in the underlying molecular processes.

Ischemic stroke induces cardiac dysfunction and alters transcriptome profile in mice

Background Stroke can induce cardiac dysfunction in the absence of primary cardiac disease; however, the mechanisms underlying the interaction between the neurological deficits and the heart are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of stroke on cardiac function and to identify the transcriptome characteristics of the heart. Results Stroke significantly decreased heart weight/tibia length ratio and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas and increased atrogin-1 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase MuRF-1, indicating myocardial atrophy in MCAO-induced mouse hearts. RNA sequencing of mRNA revealed 383 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MCAO myocardium, of which 221 were downregulated and 162 upregulated. Grouping of DEGs based on biological function and quantitative PCR validation indicated that suppressed immune response and collagen synthesis and altered activity of oxidoreductase, peptidase, and endopeptidase may be involved in MCAO-induced cardiomyopathy. The DEGs were mainly distributed in the membrane or extracellular region of cardiomyocytes and acted as potential mediators of stroke-induced cardiac dysregulation involved in cardiac atrophy. Conclusion Stroke induced a unique transcriptome response in the myocardium and resulted in immediate cardiac atrophy and dysfunction.

Arginine:Glycine Amidinotransferase Is Essential for Creatine Supply in Mice During Chronic Hypoxia

Objective: Chronic hypoxia induces pulmonary and cardiovascular pathologies, including pulmonary hypertension (PH). L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) is essential for homoarginine (hArg) and guanidinoacetate synthesis, the latter being converted to creatine by guanidinoacetate methyltransferase. Low hArg concentrations are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and predict mortality in patients with PH. We therefore aimed to investigate the survival and cardiac outcome of AGAT knockout (Agat−/−) mice under hypoxia and a possible rescue of the phenotype.Methods:Agat−/− mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were subjected to normoxia or normobaric hypoxia (10% oxygen) for 4 weeks. A subgroup of Agat−/− mice was supplemented with 1% creatine from weaning. Survival, hematocrit, blood lactate and glucose, heart weight-to-tibia length (HW/TL) ratio, hArg plasma concentration, and Agat and Gamt expression in lung, liver, and kidneys were evaluated.Results: After 6 h of hypoxia, blood lactate was lower in Agat−/−-mice as compared to normoxia (p &lt; 0.001). Agat−/− mice died within 2 days of hypoxia, whereas Agat−/− mice supplemented with creatine and WT mice survived until the end of the study. In WT mice, hematocrit (74 ± 4 vs. 55 ± 2%, mean ± SD, p &lt; 0.001) and HW/TL (9.9 ± 1.3 vs. 7.3 ± 0.7 mg/mm, p &lt; 0.01) were higher in hypoxia, while hArg plasma concentration (0.25 ± 0.06 vs. 0.38 ± 0.12 μmol/L, p &lt; 0.01) was lower. Agat and Gamt expressions were differentially downregulated by hypoxia in lung, liver, and kidneys.Conclusion:Agat and Gamt are downregulated in hypoxia. Agat−/− mice are nonviable in hypoxia. Creatine rescues the lethal phenotype, but it does not reduce right ventricular hypertrophy of Agat−/− mice in hypoxia.

High-risk factors for subjective discomfort due to lower limb discrepancy after medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy

Background Medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) may result in lower limb discrepancy (LLD), and some patients experience uncomfortable symptoms. Studies have found that the degree of LLD is one but not the only high-risk factor for inducing symptoms. The main purpose of this study is to explore the risk factors for symptomatic LLD. Methods Sixty-four patients who underwent OWHTO in our hospital between June 2018 and January 2020 were included in the study. Changes in tibia length, lower limb length, femorotibial angle (FTA), LLD, and KOOS score were evaluated before and 1 year after surgery. Questionnaire was used to investigate whether patients had uncomfortable symptoms of LLD after surgery. Binary logistic regression was applied to analyze the risk factors of symptomatic LLD. Results There were 18 patients with subjective LLD uncomfortableness, 13 of them were occasional and 5 were frequent. Patients had a mean correction angle of 11.7° ± 4.6°, with a mean increase in tibial length of 6.0 ± 3.5 mm, lower limb length of 7.5 ± 2.3 mm, and LLD of 6.9 ± 4.2 mm at 1 year post-operation. Preoperative and postoperative changes in tibia length and lower limb length were statistically significant (P < 0.0001).There were statistically significant differences in pain, symptoms, ADL, sports/recreations, QOL of KOOS subclassification before and after surgery (P < 0.0001). Binary logistic regression revealed that age ≥ 55, BMI ≥ 28, and LLD ≥ 10 mm were high-risk factors for symptomatic LLD (P = 0.031, OR = 4.82; P = 0.012, OR = 6.251; P = 0.006, OR = 6.836). Conclusion Patients with age ≥ 55, BMI ≥ 28, and postoperative LLD ≥ 10 mm are more likely to develop symptomatic LLD. Older or heavier patients, who are expected to have an LLD greater than 10 mm after OWHTO should be fully informed of the possibility of postoperative LLD symptoms.

The parasitoid Aenasius arizonensis prefers its natural host but can parasitize a nonnatural host in the laboratory: an opportunity for control of a new invasive mealybug

The absence of natural enemies in newly invaded areas is a key factor in the successful invasion of alien species. Whether a specific parasitoid can be domesticated to attack a nonnatural host that has no reported parasitic enemies in invasive areas remains unclear. Here, we analyzed two invasive mealybugs (PSS-Phenacoccus solenopsis and PSI-Phenacoccus solani) and a specific parasitoid of P. solenopsis (Aenasius arizonensis) to verify this hypothesis under laboratory conditions. A. arizonensis preferred to parasitize PSS, but after 6 h, it also parasitized PSI female adults. The number of visits and parasitism rate was significantly higher for PSS than for PSI. However, the contact time was influenced by the natal host. The chemical volatiles emitted by the two hosts were different and may be an important factor for host choice. Offspring fitness, measured as emergence time, longevity, and hind tibia length, in those emerging from PSS was better in those emerging from PSI, but the emergence rate was higher in the latter. We supposed that A. arizonensis accepts and parasitizes low-quality hosts not because of an "incomplete" evaluation but because it may be more profitable to parasitize than not given circumstances; this may provide an opportunity for the control of a new invasive mealybug in the future.

Biological characteristics of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) under temperature stress by successive generations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological characteristics of Trichogramma pretiosum (Riley 1879) under room temperature and temperature stress by successive generations. The evaluation was carried out in split-plot in the time. The temperature (25 ºC – room temperature and 33 ºC – temperature stress) was the Factor 1 and the Generations (n = 15) were the Factor 2. The biological characteristics evaluated were: longevity; posterior tibia length; number of parasitized eggs; emergence; egg-adult period; sexual ratio and deformed individuals. The increase in temperature, from the first generations of T pretiosum, caused an influence in all observed variables. However, for the emergence and sex ratio variables, there was no significant difference between heat stress and control (room temperature) as of the 14th generation, which suggests an adaptability of the species. This adaptability may imply obtaining more aggressive natural enemies in relation to their host (insect pest) and consequently in the greater efficiency of biological control.

Selection for increased tibia length in mice alters skull shape through parallel changes in developmental mechanisms

Bones in the vertebrate cranial base and limb skeleton grow by endochondral ossification, under the control of growth plates. Mechanisms of endochondral ossification are conserved across growth plates, which increases covariation in size and shape among bones, and in turn may lead to correlated changes in skeletal traits not under direct selection. We used micro-CT and geometric morphometrics to characterize shape changes in the cranium of the Longshanks mouse, which was selectively bred for longer tibiae. We show that Longshanks skulls became longer, flatter, and narrower in a stepwise process. Moreover, we show that these morphological changes likely resulted from developmental changes in the growth plates of the Longshanks cranial base, mirroring changes observed in its tibia. Thus, indirect and non-adaptive morphological changes can occur due to developmental overlap among distant skeletal elements, with important implications for interpreting the evolutionary history of vertebrate skeletal form.