Canonical Analysis Research Articles

Macro- and Micronutrient Contents and Their Relationship with Growth in Six Eucalyptus Species

Knowing nutrient allocation dynamics in the tissues and the characteristics related to growth in different forest species is crucial to fertilization management and selecting better species for specific environments, ensuring greater fertilization efficiency and consequent sustainability in the forestry sector through the rational use of fertilizers. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the content of macro- and micronutrients in different tissues of eucalyptus species and (ii) to relate them with their growth. The treatments were composed of six eucalyptus species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh., Corymbia citriodora Hook., E. saligna Sm., E. grandis W. Hill ex Maiden, E. urograndis, and E. urophylla S. T. Blake). Macro- (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur) and micronutrient (boron, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc) contents were determined in the leaves, bark, and sapwood. To study the functional patterns in macro- and micronutrient contents, Canonical Variable Analysis (CVA) was performed. The first two canonical variables in nutrient content of leaves, bark, and sapwood and the growth variables of eucalyptus species accumulated values greater than 80% of variance. The species E. grandis and E. urograndis showed the highest means for volume and total height but showed no differences regarding the concentration of major elements in the tissues, except the iron content in the bark, which was higher compared to other species. CVA proved to be an excellent tool for understanding, identifying, and classifying the strategies of Eucalyptus sp. regarding the content of nutrients in the shoot biomass tissues and may support genetic improvement programs aiming at identifying potential species. Future research involving the use of remotely piloted aircraft and remote sensors could be a strategy to monitor nutrient contents in different parts of trees throughout the cycle of different eucalyptus species.

Development of a human in vitro model of bone marrow vascular niche on a chip to study CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells function in diabetes

Abstract Background/Introduction Protective bone marrow (BM) CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are released in the bloodstream after cardiomacrovascular (CV) tissue damage such as myocardial infarction1. Diabetes, an high risk condition to develop CV diseases, results in BM damage2-4 and detrimental pro-apoptotic and pro-oxidant shifts in BM-derived CD34+HSPCs5,6. Being able to classify and study the mechanisms of CD34+HSPC-vascular cell interaction would be a great step forward in the CV research field. However, nowadays there is no available primary human cell-based in vitro model to study the BM vascular niche. Purpose We aim to develop a human-based in vitro model to reproduce the BM vascular niche that allows the analysis of molecular mechanisms involved in CD34+HSPC function. This model will be relevant to identify molecular targets beyond hypoglycemic treatment and potentiate personalized medicine applications for diabetic complications. Method Human endothelial cells and pericytes were isolated from femoral head of patient who underwent hip replacement or from ad hoc BM aspirate by magnetic bead separation and characterized by immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry. A culture of endothelial and pericytic cells to replicate the BM vascular niche was developed on a chip. CD34+HSPC subpopulation alteration in diabetes was preliminarily evaluated through single cell sequencing analysis (scRNAseq) on CD34+HSPC cells isolated from BM of patients with or without diabetes (N=1). Results We successfully set up a new method to efficiently isolate autologous BM endothelial cells and pericytes derived from patients (N=3). The cells expressing typically endothelial (CD31, ZO-1, and VE-cadherin) and pericytic (CD146, CD140b) markers were cultured in a 2D chip model. ScRNAseq reveals 15 clusters of CD34+HSPCs and important differences between the non-diabetic and diabetic samples. In particular, cluster 2 is highly represented in the non-diabetic and completely disappears in the diabetic sample, while on the contrary cluster 9 is over-represented in the diabetic compared to the non-diabetic sample. Interestingly, though the trajectory analysis cluster 2 shows the highest probability of turning into cluster 9. Through Ingenuity Canonical Pathways analysis we identified the anti-oxidant pathway as the most affected in diabetes-derived CD34+HSPCs. Conclusions In vitro human vascular niche model could be the gold standard to study BM cell crosstalk. In our interest, cluster 2 completely disappears in diabetes-derived CD34+HSPCs, potentially representing the CV-protective CD34+HSPC fractions more prone to be mobilized. Developing of our in vitro model would be useful to validate this hypothesis.Figure 1:scRNAseq cluster UMAPFigure 2:Endothelial cells IF staining

Effects of partially defatted larvae meal of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) on caecal microbiota and volatile compounds of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domestica)

The present study explored the effects of substituting maize gluten meal with increasing levels of partially defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) in Muscovy ducks’ diets on their caecal microbiota and organic volatile compounds. The ducks were divided into four groups, each receiving a diet containing 0%, 3%, 6%, or 9% BSFLM (HI0, HI3, HI6, and HI9, respectively). At slaughter (50 days of age), caecal samples were collected and analysed. The alpha diversity indexes were lower in the HI9 than in the HI0 and HI3 treatments that did not differ between them. Bacteroidetes in the HI0 and Firmicutes in the HI6 treatment showed a higher abundance than in the HI9 treatment. Faecalibacterium and Megamonas were more abundant in the HI6 than in the HI9 treatment. Abundance of Clostridium and unclassified Coriobacteriaceae were higher and lower, respectively, in the HI9 than in the HI0 treatment. Canonical discriminant analysis revealed that Faecalibacterium, unclassified Victivallaceae and Megamonas in relation to Ruminococcus would separate the HI6 and HI9 treatments, while unclassified Coriobacteriaceae in relation to Streptococcus and Faecalibacterium would distinguish the HI0 and HI3 from the HI6 and HI9 treatments. Eleven volatile compounds were more abundant HI9 than in the HI6 treatment. Five of them were negatively correlated with Faecalibacterium and two with Megamonas. These findings indicate that diets with 6% and 9% BSFLM alter the caecal microbiota in Muscovy ducks, while a diet with 3% BSFLM has no effect. The distinct abundance of several volatile compounds in the 6% and 9% BSFLM treatments suggests a relationship between their characteristic microbiota profile and those compounds that warrants further investigation.

Do IT users behave responsibly in terms of cybercrime protection?

This study aims to analyze the behaviour of IT users regarding their personal protection against potential cybercrimes. The research data set is based on surveys conducted by the European Commission in 2020-2021 for 35 European countries. Canonical analysis revealed that 66.67% of cybercrime cases (Phishing, Pharming, Online identity theft, etc.) determine individuals' choice of personal protection method (using a security token, social media logins, electronic identification, etc.). Kohonen's self-organizing maps were used to form 9 clusters of countries depending on the attitude of IT users to personal cybersecurity. The map results showed that individuals behave less responsibly using a security token, electronic identification certificate or card, pin code list or random characters of a password, and other electronic identification procedures. Users from Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, the UK, Austria, and Finland were the most responsible Europeans in terms of personal protection, while people from Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina were the least conscientious about protection.

Otolith morphology as a tool for stock discrimination of three rockfish species in the East Sea of Korea

The shape and structure of otoliths play a vital role in studying fish populations because otolith shape indices are often applied to discriminate fish species. This study focused on examining inter- and intra-specific variations in otolith shape and size among three species of rockfish (Sebastes inermis, Sebastiscus marmoratus, and Sebastes zonatus) collected from the Dokdo and Ulleungdo regions of the East Sea in Korea. A total of 35 S. inermis specimens, 19 S. marmoratus specimens, and 59 S. zonatus specimens were collected between April 2021 and August 2022. The otolith shape was visualized using wavelet coefficients in the shapeR package. Otolith size indices, such as length, width, perimeter, and area, and shape indices, including form factor, aspect ratio, ellipticity, circularity, roundness, rectangularity, and squareness, were calculated for each species. Otolith size and shape indices significantly differed among the three rockfish species (p< 0.05). Compared with the other two species, S. marmoratus possessed more elongated otoliths, whereas S. zonatus had the largest otolith area, perimeter, and length. Average shape analysis based on wavelet coefficients revealed significant differences in otolith shape, particularly on the rostrum and posterior sides. A canonical analysis of principal components (CAP) confirmed the complete separation of otolith shapes among the three rockfish species, with 92.5% of the variation explained by the first axis (CAP1). The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the fish species in the Korean East Sea.

Polymerase chain reaction: a powerful analytical tool in the field of food safety

Abstract The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the canonical DNA analysis technique that has enabled the understanding of the complexity of organisms and significantly advanced achievements in the field of biological sciences. Today, the method is still widely used in basic science research, but PCR-based diagnostics are becoming increasingly important in industries such as food and agriculture. This method provides high sensitivity because it requires trace amounts of template DNA to generate enough copies for detection. Using primers specific to the DNA sequence ensures the high specificity of the test. The advantages of the method are time – and cost-effectiveness and reproducibility. PCR-based techniques have found favor in areas where food traceability is important, whether from an economic, legal, health, or religious-cultural point of view. This review outlines the most important aspects in which the PCR method has been successfully applied, namely in the protection of human health by enabling the identification of foodborne pathogens or allergens. Furthermore, the use of PCR in the so-called green criminology, a branch that deals with tracking illegal practices such as food adulteration, compliance with the labeling rules, and detection of food products containing GMO material or other undeclared food ingredients, was also described.

MORPHOLOGY OF FEMALE SKULLS OF THE 17th – 18th CENT. FROM BATURYN

This article deals with the publication and the comparative analysis of the 17th – 18th cent. female cranial series from town of Baturyn found during excavations by V. Kovalenko, O. Kovalenko, Yu. Sytyi, V. Mezentsev, V. Skorokhod during 2005–2015 on the territory of the Fortress (the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity) and in resedimentation. Computer software designed by B. Kozintsev and O. Kozintsev in 1991 has been applied in the research. 14 craniometric traits defined by R. Martin have been involved into the analysis.
 The objective of this paper is to introduce a new material into scientific domain and define the place of the cranial series among famous anthropological types. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to provide the general morphological description of female group from Baturyn of the 17th – 18th cent. on the background of neighbouring ethnic groups from Ukraine and Eastern Europe (synchronistic and diachronic methods), determine the distance between separate cranial series of the 14th – 19th cent. with the help of multidimensional canonical and cluster analysis, and to find out the place of female population from Baturyn in the system of craniological types of Eastern Europe.
 For the first time, the general female series from Baturyn of the 17th – 18th cent. including 33 skulls has been created. After comparison of square divergence of 69 basic traits and indexes of Baturyn female skulls with the standard ones, one can conclude that the researched selection is heterogeneous by its structure. The multidimensional canonical and cluster comparative analyses of the studied female group of the 17th – 18th cent. with the synchronic and earlier series from the 14th – 19th cent. from Eastern Europe (except the Caucasus) have demonstrated its closest similarity to the urban skulls from Podillia.
 The comparison of 37 studied groups of the 14th – 19th cent. with the method of multidimensional canonical analysis in three-dimensional space has demonstrated the connection of the female skull sample from the town of Baturyn with two urban groups from Podillia.

Evaluation of age variation changes in cervical vertebrae: 2-Dimensional (2D) geometric morphometrics approach

Age estimation in adults is a complicated task because of various external factors occur concurrently with increasing age. The geometric morphometric method (GMM) is an approach that focuses on shape analysis and is widely recognized for its high reliability and reproducibility. The aim of this study was to explore the variation of cervical vertebrae among different age groups of the Malaysian population by GMM. Lateral skull radiographs of 432 subjects comprising four adult age groups; young adult age group (20–30 years old), early middle age group (31–40 years old), late middle age group (41–50 years old) and, elder adult age group (51–60 years old) were selected. Fifty-three 2-dimensional (2D) landmarks were applied to the digitalized radiographs by TPSDig2 (Version 2.31) software. Geometric morphometric analysis was performed by MorphoJ software. Results showed that the first three principal components (PC) contributed to 47.71 % of the cervical vertebrae variation and were shown in both lollipop and wireframe graphs. Procrustes ANOVA indicated that the shape was significantly different among different age groups. Canonical variate analysis revealed significant differences of both mahalanobis and procrustes distances among age groups with substantial individual overlap within groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) showed a correct classification rate for 61.5 % of cases respective to age groups. In conclusion, this study found significant differences in the shape of cervical vertebrae among different age groups of the Malaysian population using the GMM.

Determination of the geographical origin of chicken (breast and drumstick) using ICP-OES and ICP-MS: Chemometric analysis

This study aimed to develop a geographical origin discrimination analytical method for chicken breasts and drumsticks based on inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The sixty elements were set as variables, and the geographical origin discrimination analysis was conducted through chemometrics. In orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), twenty-three variable importance in projection (VIP) elements were selected in chicken breasts, and twenty-eight VIP elements were selected in drumsticks. The importance of the selected elements was displayed by the area under the curve (AUC) value of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Verification of OPLS-DA was performed through permutation test and good results were obtained. A heatmap was also used as a method for determining the geographical origin, and each top element discriminant classification was 100 % accurate, as determined through canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). This method shows potential as a food analysis tool and can accurately determine the geographic origin of chicken.

UiO-66 octahedrons for adsorptive removal of direct blue-6: process optimization, interaction mechanism, and phytotoxicity assessment.

The materials for water treatment have been evolving in multitude of dimensions, indicating the importance of water reuse and increasing level of water pollution around the globe. Among the various materials that are utilized in wastewater treatment, the material that has attracted the research community for the past decades is the metal organic framework (MOF). In this work one of the water stable and microporous MOF, UiO-66, and its aminated version has been employed to adsorb an anionic azo dye, direct blue-6 (DB-6), from the aqueous matrix. Performance of both the MOFs was compared to know the efficiency under varying solution conditions. The optimized parameters for DB-6 adsorption by UiO-66 was performed using response surface methodology. This numerical optimization was further extended with canonical and ridge analysis. Under optimal conditions, the materials were exhibiting a good adsorption capacity of 754.4mg/g. The materials were analyzed in terms of morphology, crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface area using instruments like X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and BET surface area analysis. The mechanism of interaction between UiO-66 and DB-6 molecule was elucidated with the help of XPS analysis which helps to know the main interacting group of UiO-66. This study was concluded with a phytotoxicity analysis of DB-6 and the antioxidant system of Vigna radiata assessed using pre and post adsorbed water.

Study of Meat and Carcass Quality-Related Traits in Turkey Populations through Discriminant Canonical Analysis.

The present research aimed to determine the main differences in meat and carcass quality traits among turkey genotypes worldwide and describe the clustering patterns through the use of a discriminant canonical analysis (DCA). To achieve this goal, a comprehensive meta-analysis of 75 documents discussing carcass and meat characteristics in the turkey species was performed. Meat and carcass attributes of nine different turkey populations were collected and grouped in terms of the following clusters: carcass dressing traits, muscle fiber properties, pH, color-related traits, water-retaining characteristics, texture-related traits, and meat chemical composition. The Bayesian ANOVA analysis reported that the majority of variables statistically differed (p < 0.05), and the multicollinearity analysis revealed the absence of redundancy problems among variables (VIF < 5). The DCA reported that cold carcass weight, slaughter weight, sex-male, carcass/piece weight, and the protein and fat composition of meat were the traits explaining variability among different turkey genotypes (Wilks' lambda: 0.488, 0.590, 0.905, 0.906, 0.937, and 0.944, respectively). The combination of traits in the first three dimensions explained 94.93% variability among groups. Mahalanobis distances cladogram-grouped populations following a cluster pattern and suggest its applicability as indicative of a turkey genotype's traceability.

Morphological changes of the frontal sinus with age: A two-dimensional geometric morphometric study

BackgroundAge estimation of unidentified human remains is an essential for establishing the biological profile of unidentified human remains. Previous studies have investigated the value linear measurements of the frontal sinus for age estimation while the value of two-dimensional (2D) geometric morphometric measurements have not been explored for this purpose. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the morphological variation of frontal sinus among adults Malaysian for age estimation using 2D geometric morphometric methods. MethodsLateral skull radiographs of 453 adult Malaysians, comprising 151 young adults (20–39 years old), 150 middle-aged adults (40–59 years old) and 152 old adults (60–79 years old), were retrieved retrospectively. Eight 2D landmarks were applied to digitalized radiographs using TPSDig2 software. 2D geometric morphometric analysis was performed by MorphoJ software. ResultsProcrustes ANOVA revealed no significant differences in shape and size (p-value > 0.05) of frontal sinus between the three age groups. However, Canonical Variate Analysis showed significant differences for Mahalanobis and Procrustes distances (p-value < 0.05) between young and old adult groups. Discriminant Function Analysis after cross-validation demonstrated an age classification accuracy of 53.5 %. ConclusionThe study suggests that 2D geometric morphometric analysis of the frontal sinus cannot be reliably used to estimate the age of an unknown Malaysian individual.

Canonical discriminant analysis on the characterization of the goat carcass

The objective of this work is to identify which carcass and cut characteristics have the best discriminatory power, between sexes and slaughter weights, through discriminant analysis. Were used 32 goats, with initial average weights of 3.11 kg for males and 3.06 kg, for females, for animals slaughtered at 70 days; 3.65 kg for males and 3.25 kg for females for animals slaughtered at 100 days of weight. Objective assessments consisted of morphometric measurements: external carcass length (ECL); internal carcass length (ICL); leg length (LEL); chest width (CHW); croup width (CRW); thigh perimeter (THP); croup perimeter (CRP); chest perimeter (CHP); chest depth (CHD); internal chest depth (ICD) using the hypsometer and flexible tape (Truper®). In the total of 18 primary variables evaluated, the following variables were included in the discriminant model, using the stepwise method: empty body weight, chest depth, chest width, thigh circumference, neck, loin, leg length, and rump width. The discriminant analysis was efficient to discriminate and identify the carcass and cut characteristics with better discriminatory power between the sex and slaughter weight of the animals.

Paleoenvironmental inferences on the Late Miocene hominoid-bearing site of Can Llobateres (NE Iberian Peninsula): An ecometric approach based on functional dental traits

Hispanopithecus laietanus from the Late Miocene (9.8 Ma) of Can Llobateres 1 (CLL1; Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula) represents one of the latest occurrences of fossil apes in Western mainland Europe, where they are last recorded at ∼9.5 Ma. The paleoenvironment of CLL1 is thus relevant for understanding the extinction of European hominoids. To refine paleoenvironmental inferences for CLL1, we apply ecometric models based on functional crown type (FCT) variables—a scoring scheme devised to capture macroscopic functional traits of occlusal shape and wear surfaces of herbivorous large mammal molars. Paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation estimates for CLL1 are provided based on published regional regression models linking average FCT of large herbivorous mammal communities to climatic conditions. A mapping to Whittaker's present-day biome classification is also attempted based on these estimates, as well as a case-based reasoning via canonical variate analysis of FCT variables from five relevant biomes. Estimates of mean annual temperature (25 °C) and mean annual precipitation (881 mm) classify CLL1 as a tropical seasonal forest/savanna, only in partial agreement with the canonical variate analysis results, which classify CLL1 as a tropical rainforest with a higher probability. The former biome agrees better with previous inferences derived from fossil plants and mammals, as well as preliminary isotopic data. The misclassification of CLL1 as a tropical forest is attributed to the mixture of forest-adapted taxa with others adapted to more open environments, given that faunal and plant composition indicates the presence of a dense wetland/riparian forest with more open woodlands nearby. The tested FCT ecometric approaches do not provide unambiguous biome classification for CLL1. Nevertheless, our results are consistent with those from other approaches, thus suggesting that FCT variables are potentially useful to investigate paleoenvironmental changes through time and space—including those that led to the extinction of European Miocene apes.

Efficacy of otolith morphometry for rapid discrimination of cryptic fishes

The cryptic external morphology of fishes poses challenges for accurate species identification. This study assessed whether the morphometry of otoliths (and body length) could be used as a method to distinguish among closely related, morphologically similar species that are highly valued by commercial or recreational fishers. The otolith morphometry of fishes within four genera (Centroberyx, Lethrinus, Polyprion and Sillago) were compared. Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates that included combinations of morphometric variables (i.e., otolith length, width, thickness, weight, and fish length) produced highly accurate species prediction rates ranging from 92.5 to 99.9% across all genera. When different combinations of morphometric variables were modelled, changes in species prediction accuracy rates were minimal (i.e., up to 3%) for the Centroberyx, Polyprion and Sillago species. The exclusion of otolith weight from the multivariate analysis did not significantly decrease prediction accuracy within all four genera. In contrast, the prediction accuracy of the two lethrinids reduced by 7–25% when fish length was excluded, which may be attributable to the larger size attained by L. nebulosus in comparison to its congener L. punctulatus, as well as the very similar ovate shaped otoliths in younger fish of both species. Simplifying data collection to only length-based otolith measurements (and fish length for lethrinids) would provide a more rapid and cost-effective method for discrimination and be more practical when sampling at sea where obtaining accurate weight measurements of otoliths is typically unfeasible. Spatial variation in otolith morphometrics was evident for C. gerrardi, L. punctulatus, P. oxygeneios and S. vittata, which might be attributed to the differences in length distributions of fish samples from different regions. The misclassified specimens within the species groups were notably smaller individuals, suggesting the complexity of otolith shape increases with ontogeny. Hence, further investigation of variations in morphological characteristics, other than otoliths, may be required for the discrimination of cryptic species during the juvenile stage. This study highlights the robustness of multivariate analysis of otolith morphometric data for discriminating closely-related, cryptic species.

Genetic and morphometric comparisons of populations of Lacerta diplochondrodes Wettstein, 1952 (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Türkiye

The diverse climate types and geographical structures across Anatolia result in a high level of species diversity. Among these, the lizard species Lacerta diplochondrodes exhibits several distinct populations, with some of them recognized as subspecies. The primary objective of our study was to investigate whether populations from Thrace and the Western Black Sea region of Türkiye differ from other documented populations. For this purpose, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of genetic and morphometric parameters. For the genetic analysis, we utilized the COI and cyt-b gene regions as molecular markers. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA) were used for the morphometric analyses to differentiate populations. Our findings indicate that a population found in the Bolu region in Western Black Sea region of Turkey differs from the other populations both in morphometric and genetic traits. The L. d. diplochondrodes and L. d. cariensis populations represent sister lineages, and they are both genetically and morphologically only weakly differentiated. These two lineages are therefore referred to as L. d. diplochondrodes. Overall, four different lineages can be distinguished in Türkiye, out of which the lineage of the Western Black Sea region (Bolu lineage) is described for the first time.

Discriminant Analysis and Data Mining CHAID Decision Tree as Tools to Evaluate the Buffering Effect of Hydroxytyrosol on Reactive Oxygen Species in Rooster Sperm Cryopreservation.

Sperm cryopreservation is effective in safeguarding genetic biodiversity in avian species. However, during this process, spermatozoa are very susceptible to plasma membrane peroxidation in the presence of high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To mitigate this effect, the addition of exogenous antioxidants, such as hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol; HT), an antioxidant derived from olive oil, to the cryopreservation sperm diluent, could be useful. To verify this, a cryopreservation diluent was supplemented with different concentrations (0 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL, and 150 μg/mL) of HT. For this, semen was collected in 10 replicates from 16 roosters of the Utrerana avian breed, and a pool was prepared with the optimum quality ejaculates in each replicate. After cryopreservation, spermatozoa were thawed and different in vitro semen quality parameters were evaluated. A discriminant canonical analysis (DCA) was carried out and revealed that total motility (TM; Lambda = 0.301, F = 26,173), hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST; Lambda = 0.338, F = 22,065), and amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH, Lambda = 0.442; F = 14,180) were the variables with the highest discriminant power. Finally, a chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree (DT) was performed excluding fresh semen samples and ROS was found to be the most valuable variable to discriminate between the different established freezing groups. Samples in the absence of HT or with low concentrations of this antioxidant showed less desirable ROS values in cryopreserved rooster semen. The present study could lead to the improvement of cryopreservation techniques for the genetic material of local poultry breeds and optimize the conservation programs of endangered native avian breeds.

Spatial and phylogenetic patterns reveal hidden infection sources of Bacillus anthracis in an anthrax outbreak in Son La province, Vietnam.

Bacillus anthracis, the bacterial cause of anthrax, is a zoonosis affecting livestock and wildlife often spilling over into humans. In Vietnam, anthrax has been nationally reportable since 2015 with cases occurring annually, mostly in the northern provinces. In April 2022, an outbreak was reported in Son La province following the butchering of a water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis. A total of 137 humans from three villages were likely exposed to contaminated meat from the animal. Early epidemiological investigations suggested a single animal was involved in all exposures. Five B. anthracis isolates were recovered from human clinical cases along with one from the buffalo hide, another from associated maggots, and one from soil at the carcass site. The isolates were whole genome sequenced, allowing global, regional, and local molecular epidemiological analyses of the outbreak strains. All recovered B. anthracis belong to the A.Br.001/002 lineage based on canonical single nucleotide polymorphism analysis (canSNP). Although not previously identified in Vietnam, this lineage has been identified in the nearby countries of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, as well as Australia. A twenty-five marker multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA-25) was used to investigate the relationship between human, soil, and buffalo strains. Locally, four MLVA-25 genotypes were identified from the eight isolates. This level of genetic diversity is unusual for the limited geography and timing of cases and differs from past literature using MLVA-25. The coupled spatial and phylogenetic data suggest this outbreak originated from multiple, likely undetected, animal sources. These findings were further supported by local news reports that identified at least two additional buffalo deaths beyond the initial animal sampled in response to the human cases. Future outbreak response should include intensive surveillance for additional animal cases and additional molecular epidemiological traceback to identify pathogen sources.

Diagnostic yield of a heart failure referral pathway using N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide

ObjectiveTo determine the diagnostic yield of a ‘high’ N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with suspected heart failure (HF) referred from primary to secondary care.MethodsIn this retrospective study, cardiac...

Influence of Ripening Process on Pecan Nut (Carya illinoinensis) Kernel Quality: Phenolic Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and Carbohydrate Composition

Pecan nuts (Carya illinoinensis) provide a wide range of bioactive compounds (particularly polyphenols) that improve the nutritional quality of diets. This study aimed to monitor the evolution of polyphenolic compounds (total phenols, total flavonoids, total flavanols, total condensed tannins, and total o-diphenols), the phenolic profile, the antioxidant activity, and the sugar concentration during pecan nut development in three Tunisian cultivars. Condensed tannins (41.98–221.13 mg catechin assay equivalents g−1 FW) were the dominant class of phenolics at all maturity stages, followed by total phenols (12.25–57.92 mg gallic acid equivalents g−1 FW). Ellagic acid and catechin were the most abundant phenolics at all maturity stages. The highest phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found at an early stage of ripening but as maturity progressed, a decreasing trend was observed. Sucrose (6.09–30.79 mg g−1 FW) was the predominant sugar followed by fructose and then glucose. A decreasing and later increasing trend of total carbohydrate concentration was detected during nut development. A Canonical Discriminant Analysis of the data succeeded in separating the three pecan cultivars due to their unique characteristics. Overall, the cultivar and the degree of maturity are the major factors controlling the chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of pecan nuts. This study provides more information on the optimal period when the maximum concentration of these health-enhancing compounds is found for use in food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications.