Morphological Differences Research Articles

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Function and Aortopathy on Presentation and Progression in Children: Does Sex Difference Have Any Implications?

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect. It can be accompanied by aortic regurgitation or stenosis with aortopathies. Studies in adults showed a sex difference, but there are limited number of reports in the pediatric population. To evaluate the difference in bicuspid aortic valve morphology and functionality between sexes, and the presence and progression of aortopathies, a retrospective chart review study was performed at a tertiary referral care center in the Midwest. In our study, we analyzed a cohort of 476 pediatric patients diagnosed with BAV who presented between January 2007 and February 2018. During the follow-up period spanning 2 to 10years, male patients (n = 314, 66%) had larger aortic valve annulus (AVA) and sinus of Valsalva (SOV) at the time of initial presentation with more likelihood for progression. In the subgroup analysis, the larger SOV in males was observed in isolated BAV patients without genetic syndromes or cardiac malformations, and there were no significant differences between both sexes in the ascending aorta dimension, valve functionality, valve morphology, and the need for intervention in any of the studied groups. As such, these findings may alter the follow-up focus and frequency for patients with BAV, particularly before adulthood, and warrant further studies.

New metatherians from Collon Cura Formation at Cerro Zeballos (Middle Miocene), Chubut province, Argentina

ABSTRACT High latitude metatherians from the Middle Miocene of Patagonia (Argentina and Chile) are only known from medium-sized Sparassodonta, and undescribed taxa collected in several fossil localities of Collon Cura (Argentina) and Río Frías (Chile) Formations, although the latter has several species reported and mostly recognised for the slightly older Santa Cruz Formation. In this contribution we describe five new genera and six new species of metatherians from Collon Cura Formation at Cerro Zeballos, Chubut province (Argentina), based on 11 specimens that notably increased the diversity of Collon Cura Formation. The specimens were assigned to the orders Paucituberculata (Palaeothentoidea), Sparassodonta (Hathliacynidae), and Polydolopimorphia (Argyrolagidae), and are taxa of small size, including the smallest palaeothentoids known to date. Also, the Palaeothentoidea of Cerro Zeballos are amongst the youngest of the superfamily in Patagonia. The new specimens described herein show morphological differences with other metatherian associations already known, probably related to adaptive changes coincident with the Middle Miocene Climatic Transition and the beginning of a faunal turnover.

Differential phagocytic expression of IC-21 macrophages and their scavenging receptors during inflammatory induction by oxysterol: A microscopic approach.

Phagocytosis by macrophages dates back to a long history in science, this present study deals with new approaches that have been analyzed and standardized towards the interesting aspects of primary and secondary macrophages. The distinct morphological differences in primary and secondary phagocytic cells were observed and the phagocytic response of secondary macrophages under the influence of 7-ketocholesterol and lipopolysaccharide was analyzed. The primary peritoneal and secondary IC-21 cells unveiled explicit differences in nuclear numbers shapes and sizes of the granules present within the cytoplasmic region. Further, potent inducers 7KCh and LPS influenced an effective activation of IC-21 macrophages and resulted in ROS generation, irregulated protein expressions of CD86, CD68, and CD206 with enhanced phagocytic responses towards goat, cow, and human RBC targets with significant phagocytic rate and index were observed. Moreover, a remarkable observation of target specificity and aggregations with IC-21 phagocytic macrophages revealed the notion that specific membrane receptors and secretory molecules (lysosomes) are primarily involved in their phagocytic mechanism. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: IC-21 macrophages are peritoneal origin from mice but the primary peritoneal macrophages and cell line show distinct differences. IC-21 macrophages express target-specific phagocytosis. Phagocytosis in IC-21 macrophages is regulated by CD markers (68, 86, and 206).

Getting Nosy: olfactory rosette morphology and lamellar microstructure of two chondrichthyan species.

To smell, fish rely on passive water flow into their olfactory chambers and through their olfactory rosettes to detect chemical signals in their aquatic environment. The olfactory rosette is made up of secondarily folded tissues called olfactory lamellae. The olfactory morphology of cartilaginous fishes varies widely in both rosette gross morphology and lamellar microstructure. Previous research has shown differences in lamellar sensory morphology depending on the position along the rosette in hammerheads (family Sphyrnidae). Here, we investigate if this pattern continues in members of two other chondrichthyan families: Squalidae and Chimaeridae. Using contrast- enhanced microCT and scanning electron microscopy, we investigated patterns in lamellar morphology based on lamellar position along the olfactory rosette in Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) and spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei). We describe the gross olfactory rosette anatomy and lamellar microstructure of both species. We also put forth a new method, combining 3D morphological microCT data with 2D SEM microstructure data to better approximate lamellar sensory surface area. We found that in both species, lamellae in the center of the rosette were larger with more secondary folds. However, we found no significant differences in lamellar sensory surface area among lamellar positions. Previously, differences in lamellar sensory morphology have been tied to the internal fluid dynamics of the olfactory chamber. It is possible that the internal flow dynamics of these species are like other chondrichthyan models, where water flow patterns differ in the lateral versus the medial part of the organ, and the consistent distribution of sensory tissue does not correspond to this flow. Alternatively, the olfactory morphology of these species may result in uniform flow patterns throughout the olfactory chamber, correlating with the consistent distribution of sensory tissue throughout the organ. This study emphasizes that further investigations into chondrichthyan fluid dynamics is paramount to any future studies on the correlations between distribution of sensory tissues and water flow.

Differential responses to thrombospondin-1 and PDGF-BB in smooth muscle cells from atherosclerotic coronary arteries and internal thoracic arteries

Atherosclerosis is rare in internal thoracic arteries (ITA) even in patients with severe atherosclerotic coronary artery (ACA) disease. To explore cellular differences, ITA SMC from 3 distinct donors and ACA SMC from 3 distinct donors were grown to sub-confluence and growth arrested for 48 h. Proliferation and thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) production were determined using standard techniques. ITA SMC were larger, grew more slowly and survived more passages than ACA SMC. ACA SMC had a more pronounced proliferative response to 10% serum than ITA SMC. Both ACA SMC and ITA SMC proliferated in response to exogenous TSP1 (12.5 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml) and platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB; 20 ng/ml) but TSP1- and PDGF-BB-induced proliferation were partially inhibited by anti-TSP1 antibody A4.1, microRNA-21(miR-21)-3p inhibitors and miR-21-5p inhibitors in each of the 3 ACA SMC lines, but not in any of the ITA SMC lines. PDGF-BB stimulated TSP1 production in ACA SMC but not in ITA SMC but there was no increase in TSP1 levels in conditioned media in either SMC type. In summary, there are significant differences in morphology, proliferative capacity and in responses to TSP1 and PDGF-BB in SMC derived from ITA compared to SMC derived from ACA.

Organic petrography, biomarkers, and stable isotope (δ13C, δD, δ15N, δ18O) compositions of liptinite-rich coals

Liptinite-rich coals were evaluated using organic petrography, biomarkers, and stable isotopes to investigate their origin and paleoenvironmental significance, particularly, to explore fractionation characteristics of stable isotopes (δ13C, δD, δ15N, and δ18O) between bulk coal, extractable organic matter (EOM), and extracted coal residue (ER). The samples were collected from Cenozoic coal seams from the Yunnan and Liaoning Provinces in China. The samples are characterized by the enrichment of different types of liptinite. The late Pliocene sample YNP (liptinite = 73.5%) is dominated by sporinite and bituminite, whereas the late Pliocene sample YND (liptinite = 65.5%) is characterized by isolated resinite particles and amorphous resinite. The liptinite in the Eocene sample SB (46.0%) is represented by blocky resinite with homogeneous morphology. The differences in distribution and morphology of liptinite are due to the different coal-forming plants and depositional environments, as indicated by the biomarker compositions. Biomarker results indicated that the sample YNP was formed mainly by Pinaceae and angiosperms under oxidizing conditions with bacterial/fungal degradation, whereas the sample YND was derived from the woody parts of gymnosperms with lower contributions of angiosperms under reducing conditions with low microbial activity. The sample SB predominantly originated from Cupressaceae/Pinaceae under reducing conditions with a lack of bacterial/fungal degradation.The fractionations of δ13C, δD, δ15N, and δ18O between bulk coal, EOM, and ER in the liptinite-rich coals are different. The δ13C values of bulk coal, EOM, and ER are mostly controlled by precursor paleovegetation and isotopic composition of CO2. The lower δ13C values of samples YNP and YND from the late Pliocene compared to that of the Eocene sample SB resulted from the change of palaeoconditions (e.g., δ13C of atmospheric CO2, cooling, and decrease of CO2 concentration). The δ13C values of EOM in the samples YNP and YND are about 3‰ lower than δ13C values of bulk coal/ER, whereas δ13C fractionation between EOM and bulk coal/ER is small (< 0.8‰) in the sample SB, probably due to the very limited microbial/fungal degradation. The δD values of EOM are 50 to 90‰ lower than that of bulk coal/ER within the same sample, reflecting different isotopic compositions of monomeric compounds compared to the macromolecular matrix of kerogen most probably due to differences in H-isotope fractionation during biosynthesis. The δ15N of bulk coal and ER show limited fractionation (< 0.5‰) and are mainly controlled by precursor paleovegetation and microbial induced degradation processes. The studied liptinite-rich coals yield higher δ18O values than those detected in humic coals. The differences of δ18O values (bulk coal, EOM, ER) between the samples YNP/YND and the corresponding δ18O values of the sample SB indicate that this isotope parameter is mostly controlled by the δ18O value of source water. The weaker fractionation of oxygen isotope between EOM and bulk coal/ER compared to δ13C and δD may be attributed to the fact that oxygen-containing compounds within EOM did not experience a cleavage or any change of the O-containing bonds. The calculated δ18O and δD values of source rain waters fall in the range of modern rain waters at different sites.

Challenges of molecular barcode-based identification of earthworm specimens for biodiversity assessment

Specimen identification at the species level is a critical challenge for understanding community structure and conserving biodiversity. The use of mitochondrial DNA barcodes, in addition to morphology, has proven to be a useful tool for earthworm identification, but it has also raised difficulties. Thus, approaches to delineating molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) from cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) or 16S rDNA sequence data often reveal more mitochondrial lineages than morphospecies, raising the question of whether these MOTUs should be used as taxonomic entities in community structure studies. Here, we used a newly acquired dataset of 576 COI barcodes of earthworms from Metropolitan France that were clustered in 36 MOTUS, corresponding to 21 morphospecies. We also incorporated data gathered from the literature to investigate this question. In order to match our MOTUs with already-described mitochondrial lineages, we downloaded reference sequences from the GenBank and BOLD platforms. In light of the difficulties encountered in recovering these sequences, we recommend that any new mitochondrial lineage described in a study be named consistently with previous works. Next, we analyzed the biological, ecological, and molecular data available in the literature on the different mitochondrial lineages that matched our MOTUs in order to determine if there was a consensus for species delimitation. Although the study specimens mainly belong to the Lumbricidae, which is one of the most studied families of earthworms, the data are often missing to determine if the MOTUs correspond to different species. Pending revision of the taxonomy, MOTUs for which mitochondrial divergence has been confirmed by morphological differences should be considered distinct taxonomic entities in community structure studies. In the absence of morphological differences and pending more data, we propose to distinguish for these analyses, within sexually reproducing morphospecies, the MOTUs for which mitochondrial divergence has been confirmed by multilocus nuclear data, while in the case of reproduction by parthenogenesis, ecological differences between MOTUs are necessary to consider them as different taxonomic entities.

Corrosion of 316L stainless steel in high temperature water and steam: effects of simultaneous proton irradiation

316L stainless steel was exposed to 320 °C hydrogenated water and 480 °C hydrogenated steam for 24 h and 72 h while simultaneously irradiated with 5.4 MeV protons to yield a damage rate of 7 × 10–7 dpa/s. Oxide films characterized in cross-section STEM revealed chemical and morphological differences. High levels of radiolysis in water resulted in significantly reduced corrosion rates while inducing dissolution of the inner oxide layer, whereas in steam the effects of radiolysis are insignificant. Conversely, displacement damage effects are negligible in water but significantly increase the corrosion rate in the steam condition through the growth of inner oxide porosity.

On the genus Flabellamon Ng, 1996, with descriptions of two new species (Crustacea: Brachyura: Potamidae)

The history, taxonomy and nomenclatural issues revolving around the genus Flabellamon Ng, 1996, are reviewed. The genus of late contained two species, F. kuehnelti (Pretzmann, 1963) and F. wanchaii Takeda, Sanpool &amp; Intapan, 2019. In the process of this review, two new species of this genus were uncovered from historical materials that were previously misidentified, and described herein as, F. ngankee sp. nov. (from northwestern Thailand) and F. mulayit sp. nov. (from southeastern Myanmar). Flabellamon ngankee sp. nov. is most similar superficially to F. wanchaii but can be distinguished easily by morphological differences in carapace armature, external orbital tooth, male pleonal margins and male gonopod. Flabellamon mulayit sp. nov. on the other hand, is more similar morphologically to F. kuehnelti, but can also be distinguished easily by epibranchial tooth and male gonopod characters. An identification key to the species of Flabellamon is provided.

A new species of the genus Ptychognathus Stimpson, 1858 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) from Vanuatu

Ptychognathus Stimpson, 1858 is a speciose genus in the family Varunidae, widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific. Although species of Ptychognathus are common in estuaries with low salinity, some species are difficult to be identified correctly because of their small body size and similar morphology. This study describes one new species, Ptychognathus amikee sp. nov., from Vanuatu based on the morphological differences and the genetic data from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). This new species can be distinguished from the other congeners by the characters of the carapace, male chelipeds, and ambulatory legs

Morphological differences between the lesser and the greater omenta in albino rats

BackgroundPublications report that all mammals have two omenta, namely, lesser omentum and greater omentum. Basically, these organs, which share the same name except for the adjective “lesser” or “greater,” should not differ from each other. However, no clear description of the structure of the lesser omentum, as well as comparative morphological analysis between the lesser and greater omenta have been found in the literature, which necessitates a thorough investigation. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze the morphofunctional differences between the greater and lesser omenta in albino rats. MethodThe experiment involved 20 mature male albino rats, weighing 298,28±7,36 grams. The material for our study were preparations of lesser and greater omenta, fixed in 10 % of neutral buffered formalin. Paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Van Gieson stain. ResultsThe findings of the study showed that the greater omentum in albino rats, unlike other derivatives of the omentum (ligaments and mesenteries), represents a free extension (mostly from the greater curvature of the stomach), in the form of an “apron,” into a specific depth of the peritoneal cavity, duplicating the serous membrane. This duplication is characterized by the composition of two structurally interdependent formations. These include vascular-fatty arcades, associated with lymphoid nodules known as milky spots, and binding serous-reticular membranes. The findings of the study of the lesser omentum have established that in all cases it is located beneath the liver and becomes visualized only after hepatolifting. It is presented in the form of two ligaments: hepatoduodenal and hepatogastric, which contain two main structured formations, which we called vascular-fatty spurs, between these spurs, serous-reticular membranes are located. Conclusiondespite having similar names, the lesser omentum, a derivative of the peritoneum, is fundamentally different. As it is well known, the lesser omentum is represented by ligaments that extend from the liver hilus to the lesser curvature of the stomach and the duodenum. Due to this arrangement, the lesser omentum lacks the mobile activity characteristic of the greater omentum, which plays a crucial role in rapid response to damage in the gastrointestinal tract. Despite sharing the same names, both formations differ in shape, morphological structure, development and function

Morphological differences across the Shumagin-Semidi fault segments control slip behaviors and tsunami genesis in the Aleutian-Alaska subduction zone

Rupture behaviors of a subduction megathrust define the slip type, the extent and the associated tsunami hazard. They are, however, difficult to be defined precisely due to limited fault-zone observations. Here, we integrate GNSS, tsunami-waveforms, seismic-profiles, and earthquake-cycle modeling to delineate the slip-extent of the 2020 Mw 7.8 Simeonof and the 2021 Mw 8.2 Chignik earthquakes in the Semidi segment; and to understand the possible structural and mechanical control on the distinct rupture behaviors of this segment and its neighboring Shumagin segment at the Aleutian-Alaska subduction zone. We show that both the Simeonof and Chignik earthquakes slipped a compact area at depth between ∼20 and 40 km that is well constrained by the combination of GNSS and tsunami-waveform data. We explain the distinct slip behaviors associated with the Semidi and Shumagin segments by highlighting the morphological changes in the fault along the strike direction. Beneath the Shumagin Island, we identify a structural-mechanical boundary that separates the megathrust into Semidi (east) and Shumagin (west) two segments. Semidi is gentle and curved; while Shumagin is steep and planar. The Semidi segment produces spatially-heterogenous stress field, and generates partial, full, complex ruptures as indicated in modeled cycles and in historical seismic observations. Meanwhile the Shumagin segment, coincides with the ocean-continent transition boundary – the Beringian margin, tend to generate slow-slip-events, tremors, otherwise, generates small or moderate seismicity as indicated in the modeled cycles and in seismic records since 1750. Our findings indicate that Semidi is likely to rupture in a chaotic fashion with major or large earthquakes, resulting a greater tsunami hazard like the 1938 Mw 8.2 event. The tsunami potential in the Unimak segment may also remain high.

A new intertidal barnacle, Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. (Balanomorpha: Chthamalidae) from the Malaysian Peninsula and western Borneo waters

The present study identified a new barnacle species from Malaysian waters, Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov., on morphological and molecular grounds. Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. is an intertidal species that is abundant on high shores, above the oyster zone. Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. has two morphotypes, based on shell colour. Brown morphs have brown shells with pale brown ridges and look similar to Microeuraphia withersi (Pilsbry, 1916). Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. has four teeth on the mandible, while M. withersi has but three. White morphs of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. possess white shells with gray ridges. The white morph of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. is similar to C. moro Pilsbry, 1916, but a major morphological difference includes a more prominent articular ridge on the scutum of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. compared to C. moro. Molecular analyses of sequence divergence in the COI and NaK genes of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. with other chthamalids showed that it forms an individual monophyletic group and does not belong to any of the cryptic lineages of C. moro, supporting its designation as a new species.

P-207 Analysis of oocyte morphology: differences between rescued and non-rescued metaphase II oocytes after conventional ovarian hyperstimulation

Abstract Study question Are there morphological differences between rescued and non-rescued metaphase II oocytes after conventional ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)? Summary answer Rescued metaphase II oocytes have a smaller diameter and a higher zona pellucida/perivitelline space ratio than non-rescued metaphase II oocytes. What is known already The rescue of germinal vesicles and metaphase I in assisted reproduction clinics has increased in recent years, but it is still not widely used because these oocytes have a lower developmental potential compared to oocytes matured in the follicular environment. Recent studies focus on the different strategies for the oocyte maturation process in the laboratory, one of them showed that rescued metaphase II oocytes have a smaller diameter than oocytes matured within the follicular environment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze in detail the morphological differences between in vivo and in vitro matured oocytes. Study design, size, duration This retrospective study includes the analysis of 144 non-rescued metaphase II oocytes images and 181 rescued metaphase II oocytes images obtained after decumulation, or decumulation and in vitro maturation. Images were acquired over four months using Embryoscope TimeLapse systems. Morphological parameters were manually annotated by one single operator, to reduce the discrepancy of measurements, using the drawing tools of the EmbryoViewer software: oocyte area (μm2), polar body area (PBA)(μm2), zona pellucida (μm), perivitelline space (PVS)(μm). Participants/materials, setting, methods First, the different variables measured were analyzed to see if they were related to each other. Then, measurements obtained from images of non-rescued metaphase II oocytes were compared with those of the rescued. In addition, relationships between the different morphological parameters (oocyte area/PBA ratio, oocyte area/zona pellucida ratio, oocyte area/PVS ratio, zona pellucida/PVS ratio, PBA/PVS ratio and PBA/zona pellucida ratio) were calculated and their values were compared between oocytes from different maturation origins. Main results and the role of chance In both rescued and non-rescued metaphase II oocytes, a significantly positive correlation was detected between oocyte area and PBA*, and zona pellucida thickness*. It was also found a significant negative correlation between PVS size and PBA*. For rescued oocytes, a significantly negative correlation was also found between oocyte area and PVS*. Comparison of the means of age, BMI, AMH and all the morphological parameters analyzed between the two groups showed significant differences in age*, oocyte área*, PVS*, oocyte area-zona pellucida ratio*, oocyte area -PVS ratio*, zona pellucida -PVS ratio*, PBA -PVS ratio *. The average of these variables in the rescued oocytes group were: 28.77 ± 6.25, 9734.70 ± 681.28, 8.79 ± 4.43, 628.10 ± 116.29, 1391.86 ± 689.13, 2.24 ± 1.11, 50.84 ± 40.81; while their mean in the non-rescued oocytes group were: 24.41 ± 4.15, 10152.63 ± 711.3, 11.73 ± 5.62, 675,08 ± 111.48, 1063.32 ± 554.35, 1.60 ± 0.82, 37.65 ± 24.55. In addition, multivariable logistic regression showed that the differences in oocyte area size and zona pellucida/PVS ratio remained statistically different between the two groups despite the difference in patient age*. (p&amp;lt;.05*) Limitations, reasons for caution This study is limited by its descriptive and single-center nature. A multicenter study that also evaluates the developmental potential of oocytes would be needed. Wider implications of the findings Our study shows morphological differences between rescued and non-rescued metaphase II oocytes. It could be studied whether these differences are associated with the lower developmental competence of rescued metaphase II oocytes that has been observed in previous studies. Trial registration number Not applicable

Application of Anti-Solvent Crystallization for High-Purity Potash Production from K-Feldspar Leaching Solution

Potassium-containing feldspars provide a high potential for producing potash, a product with widespread use in agriculture. The present work assesses applying the anti-solvent crystallization method for the purification and recovery of high-purity muriate of potash (KCl) from feldspar leaching solutions. Initially, screening experiments were carried out on a synthetic leaching solution with the aim of analyzing the crystallization behavior of key components. Screening experiments were performed using five anti-solvents, namely methanol, ethanol, acetone, 2-propanol, and ethylene glycol. Acetone and 2-propanol were viable options for crystallization of potassium chloride. Then, the effects of anti-solvent ratio (O/A), time, and anti-solvent addition rate on potassium-chloride crystallization were further investigated using acetone and 2-propanol. A recovery of 83% of potassium was achieved when using acetone at the O/A of 5 with the addition rate of 10 mL/min, at room temperature with a hold time of 180 min. The optimum conditions for 2-propanol were determined to be similar, except for using a 5 mL/min addition rate for 79% recovery. The final muriate of potash products had a purity of over 99.9% using either of the anti-solvent. However, differences in morphology and crystal size of products were observed. Acetone-formed potash crystals were aggregates of cubic crystals with an average size of 3 microns, while 2-propanol-formed potash crystals were 20 microns in size as cubic particles with a hollow core. Despite having almost the same performance in potassium recovery, acetone was found to be a more feasible anti-solvent for potash recovery due to simpler downstream solvent recovery.

Morphological and phenological variation of flower colour morphs in a wild population of Opuntia streptacantha (Cactaceae)

Background and aims – Opuntia s.s. (Cactaceae) is one of the most diverse genera in the subfamily Opuntioideae, with approximately 220 species. The considerable morphological and anatomical diversity among these species has resulted in a remarkable adaptative plasticity, evident in both intra- and interspecific variability. Our study system is Opuntia streptacantha, which has two flower colour morphs: yellow and orange. The objective is to determine if there are morphological differences in the reproductive and vegetative structures between floral morphs. Material and methods – We measured 8 cladode traits (n = 20 cladodes for each floral morph) and 17 flower traits (n = 30 flowers per morph), and reproductive phenology was recorded for both morphs to describe their phenophases (n = 10 individuals per morph). Key results and conclusion – We found that floral colour morphs of O. streptacantha showed significant differences mostly associated with flower traits. Principal component analysis revealed seven components that explained 80% of the total variation, namely total flower length, number of stamens, distance between anther and stigma, number of pollen grains, style length, equatorial diameter of the ovarian chamber, pericarp width, and number of areole lines. Some individuals of O. tomentosa were classified as floral morphs of O. streptacantha, not having a clear separation between the species. The phenology of the floral colour morphs showed a slight lag in their peak flowering and fruiting. Very high flowering synchrony was found for each floral morph and between them. The modifications found in the flowers of O. streptacantha may be associated with a possible hybridization with O. tomentosa favouring the appearance of the two floral morphs.

Sexual Dimorphism of the Three Pit Viper Species (&lt;i&gt;Gloydius brevicaudus&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;G. ussuriensis&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;G. intermedius&lt;/i&gt;) in South Korea

Sexual size dimorphism in snakes is closely related to mating behavior and fecundity selection. It provides important information on animal morphology and evolutionary ecology because it allows us to identify key morphological and functional traits between sexes and infer intraspecific competition. In this study, we measured the morphological characters of 147 individuals of three pit viper species stored in the archive of the National Institute of Biological Resources of the Ministry of Environment and confirmed interspecific differences and sexual size dimorphism of each species. We also identified important characters affecting identification using linear discriminant analysis. The results showed that the three pit viper species differed in body and head morphology, and the number of dorsal scale rows was the most important character for species identification. It was found that female red-tongued pit vipers and short-tailed pit vipers were larger than males of each species, while male Central Asian pit vipers were larger than females. Characters related to tail length and head length were confirmed as important characters for interspecific sex discrimination. We compared characters related to head morphology between sexes to find that red-tongued pit vipers showed differences in most characters, while short-tailed pit vipers and Central Asian pit vipers did not. Therefore, short-tailed pit vipers and Central Asian pit vipers are expected to have strong intraspecific competitive pressure. In future studies, it will be necessary to conduct a detailed research on intraspecific competition of short-tailed pit vipers and Central Asian pit vipers with little morphological differences between sexes by examining resource utilization (e.g., food sources and habitats) and ecological niche.

Sex differences in intestinal morphology and increase in diencephalic neuropeptide Y gene expression in female but not male Pekin ducks exposed to chronic heat stress.

The impact of heat stress (HS) on production is intricately linked with feed intake. We investigated the effects of HS on intestines and diencephalic genes in Pekin ducks. One hundred and sixty adult ducks were allocated to two treatment rooms. The control room was maintained at 22°C and the HS room at 35°C for the first 10 h of the day then reduced to 29.5°C. After 3 weeks, 10 hens and 5 drakes were euthanized from each room and jejunum and ileum collected for histology. Brains were collected for gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR. Intestinal morphology data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and diencephalic gene data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis test. There was an increase in villi width in the ileum (p = .0136) and jejunum (p = .0019) of HS hens compared to controls. HS drakes showed a higher crypt depth (CD) in the jejunum (p = .0198) compared to controls. There was an increase in crypt goblet cells (GC) count in the ileum (p = .0169) of HS drakes compared to HS hens. There was higher villi GC count (p = .07) in the jejunum of HS drakes compared to controls. There was an increase in the crypt GC density (p = .0054) in the ileum, not jejunum, of HS drakes compared to HS hens. Further, there were no differences in the proopiomelanocortin gene expression in either sex but there was an increase in the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene in HS hens (p = .031) only and a decrease in the corticotropin releasing hormone gene in the HS drakes (p = .037) compared to controls. These data show that there are sex differences in the effect of HS on gut morphology while the upregulation in NPY gene may suggest a role in mediating response to chronic HS.

Morphological and Molecular Characteristics of Perineuronal Nets in the Human Prefrontal Cortex-A Possible Link to Microcircuitry Specialization.

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are a type of extracellular matrix (ECM) that play a significant role in synaptic activity and plasticity of interneurons in health and disease. We researched PNNs' regional and laminar representation and molecular composition using immunohistochemistry and transcriptome analysis of Brodmann areas (BA) 9, 14r, and 24 in 25 human postmortem brains aged 13-82 years. The numbers of VCAN- and NCAN-expressing PNNs, relative to the total number of neurons, were highest in cortical layers I and VI while WFA-binding (WFA+) PNNs were most abundant in layers III-V. The ECM glycosylation pattern was the most pronounced regional difference, shown by a significantly lower proportion of WFA+ PNNs in BA24 (3.27 ± 0.69%) compared to BA9 (6.32 ± 1.73%; P = 0.0449) and BA14 (5.64 ± 0.71%; P = 0.0278). The transcriptome of late developmental and mature stages revealed a relatively stable expression of PNN-related transcripts (log2-transformed expression values: 6.5-8.5 for VCAN and 8.0-9.5 for NCAN). Finally, we propose a classification of PNNs that envelop GABAergic neurons in the human cortex. The significant differences in PNNs' morphology, distribution, and molecular composition strongly suggest an involvement of PNNs in specifying distinct microcircuits in particular cortical regions and layers.

P-168 Both artificial intelligence and manual embryo selection methods show sex-bias, favouring male embryos – insights from the largest embryo sex study using time-lapse and PGT-A

Abstract Study question Do AI-based and manual embryo selection strategies based on morphological and kinetic evaluation favour male over female embryos? Could the differences enable sex selection? Summary answer Male embryos receive higher-quality scores using both AI-based models and manual grading, but not using deep-learning approaches. The differences, although present, preclude reliable sex selection. What is known already A key aspect of IVF, embryo selection, involves methods executed manually via direct embryo morphological assessment, or by artificial intelligence algorithms which assess parameters such as tPNf, t2, t3, t4, t5, t8, tB and ICM and TE grades using time-lapse imaging. However, all current embryo selection models do not take embryo sex into account despite reported differences in developmental timings between XX and XY embryos. If the predictions of embryo selection algorithms themselves are affected by embryo sex, their accuracy and fairness may be impacted, leading to sex disparities in populations heavily reliant on IVF. Study design, size, duration A retrospective study was conducted on 1411 embryos with known sex information following PGT-A, at a single centre between 2018-202, making this the largest study to date interrogating morphological and morphokinetic sex differences using time-lapse and PGT-A data. Three embryo assessment methods were interrogated: manual morphological grading (Gardener system), KIDScore D3 (VitroLife) and CHLOE (Fairtility). These algorithms are representative of the current embryo grading landscape, encompassing manual selection, traditional machine-learning and modern deep-learning approaches, respectively. Participants/materials, setting, methods Kinetic parameters were annotated using CHLOE on incubator time-lapses. KIDScore computation was implemented according to Petersen et al.,2016 making use of kinetic annotations from CHLOE. Manual morphological grading was done at the blastocyst stage using a modified Gardner system. Mann-Whitney U and chi-squared tests compared XX and XY gradings, with detailed analyses on morphokinetics (tPNf,t2-t9+,cc2,cc3,tM,tSB-tEB,ICM and TE grades). To evaluate the ability of morphokinetic differences to predict embryo sex, four machine learning models were built. Main results and the role of chance Overall, XY embryos (4.182 ± 1.353, N = 692) were more likely to be assigned higher scores than XX embryos (4.022 ± 1.420, N = 642) by the machine learning-based KIDScore (U = 207604, p = 0.0182). Similarly, XY (462/668) blastocysts were more likely to receive good grades than XX (351/614) blastocysts under manual morphological grading (χ2 =19.843, df = 1, p &amp;lt; 0.00001). We pinpoint the source of sex disparities in conventional morphological grading to variations in trophectoderm morphology (male embryos receiving higher TE grades). Nevertheless, the observed differences, although present, were of marginal magnitude, and the overlap between the sexes substantial enough to preclude reliable sex selection. No significant difference was found in the scores assigned by more advanced deep learning methods such as CHLOE EQ scores between XX (0.787 ± 0.276, N = 628) and XY (0.802 ± 0.254, N = 679) embryos (U = 204621, p = 0.208). Limitations, reasons for caution This retrospective, single-centre study encounters limitations such as selection bias and constrained generalisability beyond the specific centre. It focuses on blastocyst-stage sex analysis, which, while statistically-powerful, may not fully represent the societal implications of embryo selection on sex ratios. The use of automated kinetic annotations, while efficient, might introduce inaccuracies. Wider implications of the findings Our findings raise significant questions surrounding the fairness of widely-used embryo assessment methods. We highlight the urgent need for the reproductive health community to recognise and address algorithmic bias, ensuring equitable and ethical treatment of all embryos, especially in the context of increasing global reliance on assisted reproduction. Trial registration number not applicable