Sexual dimorphism and phenotypic plasticity in the antennal lobe of a stingless bee, Melipona scutellaris

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genetic and phenotypic parameters of carcass and organ traits of broiler chickens

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of the cervical vertebrae maturation index in lateral cephalograms taken in different head positions

The aim of this study was to evaluate if upward or downward head inclination might interfere with determination of the growth stage, using cervical vertebrae maturation index (CVMI), in order to verify the accuracy of such diagnosis when radiographs are taken with errors. Forty-nine patients, 26 females and 23 males, aged 9 to 15 years, were submitted to 3 lateral cephalograms: normal (NHP), with 15° upward head inclination (NHP-Up), and with 15° downward head inclination (NHP-Down). Three examiners evaluated the CVMI on the 147 cephalograms. The agreement among examiners was higher in the evaluation of cephalograms taken in NHP. The weighted Kappa test revealed moderate to substantial agreement between NHP and NHP-Up and between NHP and NHP-Down. There was greater agreement between NHP-Up and NHP-Down. It may be concluded that the evaluation of the CVMI on cephalograms in NHP is different as compared with radiographs taken with inclinations. Both NHP-Up and NHP-Down exhibited greater disagreement in the interpretation among examiners, since the evaluation method was not designed for cephalograms with positioning errors.

Correlates of blood pressure according to early, on time, and late maturation in adolescents

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Phenotypic, genetic and environmental parameters for traits related to femur bone integrity and body weight at 42 days of age in a broiler population

Intense selection among broilers, especially for performance and carcass traits, currently favors locomotion problems and bone resistance. Conducting studies relating to development and growth of bone tissue in broilers is necessary to minimize losses. Thus, genetic parameters were estimated for a broiler population's phenotypic traits such as BW at 42 d of age (BW42), chilled femur weight (CFW) and its yield (CFY), and femur measurements: calcium, DM, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc content; breaking strength; rigidity; length; and thickness. Variance components were estimated through multitrait analyses using the restricted maximum likelihood method. The model included a fixed group effect (sex and hatch) and additive and residual genetic random effects. The heritability estimates we obtained ranged from 0.10 ± 0.05 to 0.50 ± 0.08 for chilled femur yield and BW42, respectively, and indicated that the traits can respond to the selection process, except for CFY, which presented low-magnitude heritability coefficients. Genetic correlation estimates between breaking strength, rigidity, and traits related to mineral content indicated that selection that aims to improve the breaking strength resistance of the femur is highly correlated with mineral content. Given the genetic correlation estimates between BW42 and minerals, it is suggested that in this population, selection for BW42 can be performed with greater intensity without affecting femoral integrity.

Chemico-technological parameters and maturation curves of sweet sorghum genotypes for bioethanol production

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Gonadal Maturation in the Cobia Rachycentron canadum from the Northcentral Gulf of Mexico

Gonadal maturation of cobia, Rachycentron canadum, was evaluated by examining 508 specimens from its recreational fishery. Specimens were collected off southeast Louisiana to northwest Florida by hook-and-line during February through October 1987-1991. Fork lengths (FL) of these fish ranged from 580-1,530 mm, with corresponding weights of 2.0-43.5 kg. The female:male ratio was 1:0.37. Using a combination of oocyte size frequency and histological assessment of many of the fish, we determined that females were ripe from May through September, with atretic oocytes occurring in some fish from July through October. Degenerating hydrated oocytes in July and October and the presence of resting ovaries in July suggest two major spawning periods; however, monthly gonosomatic indices peaking in May, followed by a steady decline, do not support that finding. Ovaries were placed into undeveloped, early developing, mid-developing, or late developing categories based upon oocyte size-frequency distributions. Developing ovaries had two or three modes of oocytes larger than 30 μm. Batch fecundity was estimated to be 2.6×106 - 1.91×108 oocytes, depending on the size of fish/ovaries. The smallest female with oocytes exhibiting vitellogenesis was 834 mm FL. This fish was 2 years old based its otolith evaluation. The smallest male with an abundance of spermatozoa in its testes was 640 mm FL and 1 year old based on otolith evaluation; smaller males were not examined. Females larger than 840 mm FL had vitellogenic oocytes in March and April. A few fish still had vitellogenic oocytes in early October, but none did by late October. When Gilson’s fluid was used to assess ovarian tissue, the fresh weight of the tissue was reduced by 20% after being stored for 3 months. The diameter of oocytes shrunk about 25% in Gilson’s fluid which was 11% less than those fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned. Tissue sections from specific individuals, each demonstrating a variety of different developmental stages, were similar regardless of whether they were obtained from the anterior, middle, or posterior portion of either ovary.

Spatial and temporal patterns in size and maturation of Loligo plei and Loligo sanpaulensis (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae) in southeastern Brazilian waters, between 23 degrees S and 27 degrees S

Patterns of population dynamics of Loligo plei and Loligo sanpaidensis in Southeastern Brazil were investigated with samples obtained from commercial catches and research cruises from 1999 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2003. Size and maturity Structure of the two species varied according to depth and season. Body size decreased with depth for L plei, whereas for L. sanpaidensis size increased with depth LIP to 100 m and decreased again in deeper areas. GSI and incidence of mature animals decreased with depth in both species. L. plei females matured at a larger size in summer, while size at maturity in L. sanpaulensis was greater in autumn. For L. plei, reproductive events Occurred in the late winter and spring, in depths up to 40 m, and during summer in inshore waters. L. sanpaidensis increased reproductive activity ill Summer, winter and spring between depths of 30 and 80 Ill. The presence of high proportions of immature Squid offshore Suggests that juveniles might develop in these areas and, upon maturation, migrate back to inshore waters to spawn, particularly in spring and Summer. However, differences found in aggregation patterns in different depth strata, as well as the seasonal differences found in the size structure of L. plei and L. sanpaidensis, Could ultimately be due to Changes in the water Column related to food availability. Considering that L. plei and L. sanpaidensis are both caught as by-catch by shrimp trawlers throughout file year, we also discuss hypotheses on the life cycle of the species and its implications for fishery management. We recommend measures to protect squid spawning grounds by creating spring and summer protected areas where trawling would be prohibited until 60 m depth, i.e. in the area and time of year when mature individuals concentrate.

'Impulsive compulsivity' in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A phenotypic marker of patients with poor clinical outcome

Although traditionally obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and impulse control disorders (ICD) have represented opposing ends of a continuum, recent research has demonstrated a frequent co-occurrence of impulsive and compulsive behaviours, which may contribute to a worse clinical picture of some psychiatric disorders. We hypothesize that individuals with 'impulsive' OCD as characterized by poor insight, low resistance, and reduced control towards their compulsions will have a deteriorative course, greater severity of hoarding and/or symmetry/ordering symptoms, and comorbid ICD and/or substance use disorders (SUD). The sample consisted of 869 individuals with a minimum score of 16 on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Of these, 65 had poor insight, low resistance, and reduced control towards compulsions ('poor IRC') and 444 had preserved insight, greater resistance and better control over compulsions ('good IRC'). These two groups were compared on a number of clinical and demographic variables. Individuals with poor IRC were significantly more likely to have a deteriorative course (p < 0.001), longer duration of obsessions (p = 0.017), greater severity of symmetry/ordering (p < 0.001), contamination/cleaning (p < 0.001) and hoarding (p = 0.002) symptoms, and comorbid intermittent explosive disorder (p = 0.026), trichotillomania (p = 0.014) and compulsive buying (p = 0.040). Regression analysis revealed that duration of obsessions (p = 0.037) and hoarding severity (p = 0.005) were significant predictors of poor IRC. In the absence of specific measures for impulsivity in OCD, the study highlights the utility of simple measures such as insight, resistance and control over compulsions as a phenotypic marker of a subgroup of OCD with impulsive features demonstrating poor clinical outcome. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein diets promote the maturation of oocytes and spawning of Piaractus mesopotamicus kept in cages

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of balanced diets on the maturation of oocytes and the reproductive performance of P. mesopotamicus in cages. A completely random design with 224 fish in 16 cages measuring 5 m(3) was employed for this purpose. The treatments consisted of diets containing 18, 24, 30, and 36% crude protein (CP) provided ad libitum. The external and internal morphological characteristics of the specimens were examined, as well as: the position of the germinal vesicle, the distribution of oocyte diameters, the fertilization and hatching rates, the number of oocytes released, the total number of oocytes, the remaining weight and total weight of the ovaries, the gonadosomatic index, the condition factor (K), and the histology of the oocytes and ovaries post-spawning and during ovarian regression. The diameters of the oocytes collected before the first hormonal application displayed a unimodal distribution for the lowest protein content and a polymodal distribution for the other treatments. A similar situation was seen during spawning. The lowest fertilization and hatching rates were found as a consequence of the treatment with 30% CP (P < 0.05). The greatest hatching rate occurred in the females fed 18% CP. The greatest total oocyte weight was found in the specimens that received between 30 and 36% CP. The lowest K index was found in the females fed 36% CP. In conclusion, a diet containing 18% CP satisfies the reproductive requirements of females adapted to this system.

Effect of melatonin on DNA damage of bovine cumulus cells during in vitro maturation (IVM) and on in vitro embryo development

The effect of melatonin during in vitro maturation (IVM) on DNA damage of cumulus cells (CCs) from bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and embryo development was evaluated. COCs from abattoir ovaries were cultured in maturation medium (MM) with 0.5 mu g/ml FSH and 5.0 mu g/ml LH (FSH-LH); 10(-9) M melatonin (MEL) or FSH-LH + MEL (FSH-LH-MEL). After 24 h of in vitro maturation, the CCs surrounding the oocyte were subjected to DNA analysis by Comet assay. After in vitro fertilization and in vitro embryo culture, the embryo development rates were evaluated on day 2 post insemination (cleavage) and days 7-8 (blastocyst). The percentage of CCs with no DNA damage was significantly superior in MEL group (37.6 +/- 2.4) than in FSH-LH-MEL (28.0 +/- 2.4) and FSH-LH (17.8 +/- 2.41) groups. Cleavage and blastocysts rates were similar among groups. Melatonin during IVM protects the CCs from DNA damage but this effect did not influence embryo development in vitro. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

B Lymphocyte-Induced Maturation Protein-1 Contributes to Intestinal Mucosa Homeostasis by Limiting the Number of IL-17-Producing CD4(+) T Cells

The transcription factor B lymphocyte induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1) plays important roles in embryonic development and immunity. Blimp-1 is required for the differentiation of plasma cells, and mice with T cell specific deletion of Blimp-1 (Blimp-1CKO mice) develop a fatal inflammatory response in the colon. Previous work demonstrated that lack of Blimp-1 in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells leads to intrinsic functional defects, but little is known about the functional role of Blimp-1 in regulating differentiation of Th cells in vivo and their contribution to the chronic intestinal inflammation observed in the Blimp1CKO mice. In this study, we show that Blimp-1 is required to restrain the production of the inflammatory cytokine IL-17 by Th cells in vivo. Blimp-1CKO mice have greater numbers of IL-17 producing TCR beta(+)CD4(+)cells in lymphoid organs and in the intestinal mucosa. The increase in IL-17 producing cells was not restored to normal levels in wild-type and Blimp-1CKO mixed bone marrow chimeric mice, suggesting an intrinsic role for Blimp-1 in constraining the production of IL-17 in vivo. The observation that Blimp-1 deficient CD4(+) T cells are more prone to differentiate into IL-17(+)/IFN-gamma(+) cells and cause severe colitis when transferred to Rag1-deficient mice provides further evidence that Blimp-1 represses IL-17 production. Analysis of Blimp-1 expression at the single cell level during Th differentiation reveals that Blimp-1 expression is induced in Th1 and Th2 but repressed by TGF-beta in Th17 cells. Collectively, the results described here establish a new role for Blimp-1 in regulating IL-17 production in vivo. The Journal of Immunology, 2012,189: 5682-5693.

Phenotypic alterations of neuropeptide Y and calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing neurons innervating the rat temporomandibular joint during carrageenan-induced arthritis

The aim of this study was to identify immunoreactive neuropeptide Y (NPY) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) neurons in the autonomic and sensory ganglia, specifically neurons that innervate the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A possible variation between the percentages of these neurons in acute and chronic phases of carrageenan-induced arthritis was examined. Retrograde neuronal tracing was combined with indirect immunofluorescence to identify NPY-immuno-reactive (NPY-IR) and CGRP-immunoreactive (CGRP-IR) neurons that send nerve fibers to the normal and arthritic temporomandibular joint. In normal joints, NPY-IR neurons constitute 78 +/- 3%, 77 +/- 6% and 10 +/- 4% of double-labeled nucleated neuronal profile originated from the superior cervical, stellate and otic ganglia, respectively. These percentages in the sympathetic ganglia were significantly decreased in acute (58 +/- 2% for superior cervical ganglion and 58 +/- 8% for stellate ganglion) and chronic (60 +/- 2% for superior cervical ganglion and 59 +/- 15% for stellate ganglion) phases of arthritis, while in the otic ganglion these percentages were significantly increased to 19 +/- 5% and 13 +/- 3%, respectively. In the trigeminal ganglion, CGRP-IR neurons innervating the joint significantly increased from 31 +/- 3% in normal animals to 54 +/- 2% and 49 +/- 3% in the acute and chronic phases of arthritis, respectively. It can be concluded that NPY neurons that send nerve fibers to the rat temporomandibular joint are located mainly in the superior cervical, stellate and otic ganglia. Acute and chronic phases of carrageenan-induced arthritis lead to an increase in the percentage of NPY-IR parasympathetic and CGRP-IR sensory neurons and to a decrease in the percentage of NPY-IR sympathetic neurons related to TMJ innervation.

GEOGRAPHICAL GENETIC STRUCTURING AND PHENOTYPIC VARIATION IN THE VELLOZIA HIRSUTA (VELLOZIACEAE) OCHLOSPECIES COMPLEX

Premise of the study: Vellozia hirsuta forms a complex presenting wide morphological and anatomical variation, resulting in five specific names and 14 morpho-anatomical patterns occurring in disjunct populations. We carried out a phylogeographical study to investigate the existence of correlation among the genetic and morphological patterns within this complex, and to determine whether it is composed of various species or should be treated as an ochlospecies, a species having widely polymorphic and weakly polytypic complex variation, with morphological characteristics varying independently. Methods: We carried out phylogeographical analyses using cpDNA rpl32F-trnL intergenic region. Key results: We found 20 haplotypes in 23 populations sampled. The populations are genetically structured (Phi(ST) = 0.818) into four phylogeographical groups demonstrating geographical structuring but with no correlation with morpho-anatomical patterns. Our analyses do not support recognizing any of the species now synonymized under Vellozia hirsuta. The northern populations were the most genetically differentiated and could be considered a distinct taxon, as they are also morphologically different. Conclusions: It is recommended that Vellozia hirsuta be considered a single enormously variable species. The patterns of variation within V. hirsuta probably are related to climatic changes that occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch in tropical Brazil when reductions in forest cover favored the expansion of V. hirsuta populations into extensive lowland areas. The expansion of forest cover at the end of the glaciations would have again restricted the occurrence of campos rupestres vegetation to high elevations, which constitute the current centers of diversity of this species.

Morphological records of oocyte maturation in the parthenogenetic tick Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae)

Oocyte maturation in the thelytokous parthenogenetic tick Amblyomma rotundatum was examined for the first time using light and scanning electron microscopy. The panoistic ovary lacks nurse and follicular cells and is a single continuous tubular structure forming a lumen delimited by the ovarian wall. Oocytes of tick species are usually classified according to cytoplasm appearance, the presence of germinal vesicle, the presence of yolk granules, and the chorion. However, for this species, we also use oocyte size as an auxiliary tool since most oocytes were in stages I-Ill and were histologically very similar. Oocytes were classified into five development stages, and specific characteristics were observed: mature oocytes with thin chorion, pedicel cells arranged forming an epithelium with two Or more oocytes attached by the same structure, and a large number of oocytes in the process of reabsorption. (C) 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.