Individual Morphological Characteristics Research Articles

Exploring the Relationship between Anaerobic and Morphological Characteristics and Competition Success in Young Male Slovenian Judo Athletes

Judo elements rely on lower and upper body muscle power, supported by the ATP-PCr energy system, which is crucial in high-intensity tasks. This study aims to assess the anaerobic status of young male competitive judokas using the upper body Wingate test and explore associations with competition performance and individual morphological characteristics. A total of 29 male judokas from the U18 and U20 age categories were tested, all actively participating in top-tier national and international competitions. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition measurements were obtained for all participants through bioelectrical impedance analysis. Anaerobic testing was conducted using the upper body Wingate test with a hand ergometer. Competition performance was recorded from the final national cup ranking list. The results presented no statistically significant correlations between morphological and anaerobic variables and competitive performance among selected participants. This highlights the importance of the necessity of updated training programs to increase the anaerobic performance of young Slovenian judokas. Additionally, it shows that in these age groups, anaerobic performance is not the crucial factor but just one piece of the puzzle in young judokas’ successful competition performance; therefore other variables should be further researched.

Selected Determinants of Social Position and Elitism in Archaeological Studies of the Early Middle Ages

Issues related to luxury relics such as silk textiles were associated in most early medieval discoveries with the movement of Viking groups from north to south and back. These priceless relics were found on burial grounds, and their owners undoubtedly belonged to the economic elite of the population. Parallel anthropological studies were carried out to see if this elitism is corroborated by individual morphological characteristics of the deceased persons. However, no significant differences defining the elitism of the studied individuals were uncovered. It is the grave furnishings – silk fabrics in particular – that are the most important element in this regard.

Distribution and variability of morphoparameters of species of the genus Galanthus L. in the Republic of Adygea

The paper presents the results of a study of the distribution of species of the genus Galanthus on the territory of Adygea and the variability of individual morphological characteristics of individuals in natural populations. The study of intrapopulation variation of a number of parameters made it possible to identify stable and variable characteristics of species and to assess the polymorphism of populations.

Deep learning predicts the differentiation of kidney organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Kidney organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) contain multilineage nephrogenic progenitor cells and can recapitulate the development of the kidney. Kidney organoids derived from hPSCs have the potential to be applied in regenerative medicine as well as renal disease modeling, drug screening, and nephrotoxicity testing. Despite biotechnological advances, individual differences in morphological and growth characteristics among kidney organoids need to be addressed before clinical and commercial application. In this study, we hypothesized that an automated noninvasive method based on deep learning of bright-field images of kidney organoids can predict their differentiation status. Bright-field images of kidney organoids were collected on day 18 after differentiation. To train convolutional neural networks (CNNs), we utilized a transfer learning approach. CNNs were trained to predict the differentiation of kidney organoids on bright-field images based on the messenger RNA expression of renal tubular epithelial cells as well as podocytes. The best prediction model was DenseNet121 with a total Pearson correlation coefficient score of 0.783 on a test dataset. W classified the kidney organoids into two categories: organoids with above-average gene expression (Positive) and those with below-average gene expression (Negative). Comparing the best-performing CNN with human-based classifiers, the CNN algorithm had a receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.85, while the experts had an AUC score of 0.48. These results confirmed our original hypothesis and demonstrated that our artificial intelligence algorithm can successfully recognize the differentiation status of kidney organoids.

Focusing on individual morphological fracture characteristics of pelvic ring fractures in elderly patients can support clinical decision making

IntroductionPelvic ring fractures in the elderly are often caused by minor trauma. Treatment of these patients is currently based on fracture classification, clinical course, and ability to mobilize. Our aim was to identify morphological fracture characteristics with potential prognostic relevance and evaluate their association with clinical decision making and outcome, as well as their interobserver reliability.MethodsFive fracture characteristics were investigated as potential variables: 1. Extent of the dorsal pelvic ring fracture (absent, unilateral, bilateral); 2. Extent of the ventral pelvic ring fracture (absent, unilateral, bilateral); 3. Presence of a horizontal sacral fracture; 4. Ventral dislocation; 5. Ventral comminution.These characteristics were assessed retrospectively in a series of 548 patients. The association of their presence with the decision to perform surgery, failure of conservative treatment and the length of hospital stay (LOS) was determined. Further, the inter-observer reliability for the specific characteristics was calculated and the relation with survival assessed.ResultsFour of the five evaluated characteristics showed an association with clinical decision making and patient management. In particular the extent of the dorsal fractures (absent vs. unilateral vs. bilateral) (OR = 7.0; p < 00.1) and the presence of ventral comminution/dislocation (OR = 2.4; p = 0.004) were independent factors for the decision to perform surgery. Both the extent of the dorsal fracture (OR = 1.8; p < 0.001) and the presence of ventral dislocation (OR = 1.7; p = 0.003) were independently associated with a prolonged overall LOS.The inter-observer agreement for the fracture characteristics ranged from moderate to substantial.A relevant association with increased mortality was shown for horizontal sacral and comminuted ventral fractures with hazard ratios (HR) of 1.7 (95% CI: 1.1, 2.5; p = 0.008) and HR = 1.5 (95% CI: 1.0, 2.2; p = 0.048).ConclusionIn the elderly, the extent of the dorsal fractures and the presence of ventral comminution/dislocation were associated to the decision to undergo surgery, failure of conservative treatment and length of stay. Survival was related to horizontal sacral fractures and ventrally comminuted fractures. These characteristics thus represent a simplified but highly informative approach for the evaluation of pelvic ring fractures in the elderly. This approach can support clinical decision making, promote patient-centred treatment algorithms and thus improve the outcome of individualized care.

The Alimentary Tract of African Bony-Tongue, Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829): Morphology Study.

Simple SummaryHeterotis niloticus is a primitive freshwater teleost. It is a candidate for aquaculture in Africa with a good conversion rate and is used for evolutionary studies for its anatomical similarities with reptiles and birds. H. niloticus is also an endangered species for several reasons, including overexploitation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate, by gross anatomy and light microscope analysis, the morphological structure of the digestive system of the African bony-tongue, from the oropharyngeal cavity to the rectum, including its associated glands. A peculiar feature of this species is the presence of both bone trabeculae and well-defined cartilaginous areas in the process of ossification, in the deeper layers of the tongue. The so-called “African bony- tongue” is due to these characteristics. On both sides of the tongue, two tubular structures covered by numerous taste buds, as well as mucous cells, were found. The presence of well-defined lymphoid tissue in both pyloric ceca and rectum is described for the first time. Further investigations could aim to optimize husbandry and feeding protocols permitting, also, to understand the evolutionary process.A morphological study of the alimentary tract, from the oropharyngeal cavity to the rectum, including the attached glands, of African bony-tongue, Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829) was carried out by gross anatomy, and light microscope analysis. This study aimed to give a deeper knowledge of the alimentary tract morphological features of this species of commercial interest. H. niloticus is distinguished by individual morphological characteristics showing a digestive tract similar to that of reptiles and birds. Within the oropharyngeal cavity, two tubular structures with digitiform ends are arranged on both lateral sides of the triangular tongue. The oropharyngeal cavity connects the stomach by a short esophagus. This latter is adapted to mechanical trituration, and it is divided into a pars glandularis and a thick-walled pars muscularis. The gizzard flows into the anterior intestine and two blind pyloric appendages, which exhibit specific functions, including immune defense for the presence of secondary lymphoid organs. The anterior intestine continues with the middle and posterior tracts up into the rectum. According to the histological observations, all regions of the alimentary tract have common structural features, typical of hollow organs, with differences in the mucosa structure that reflects the different functions of the apparatus, from mouth to anus. Within this study, we provided the first basis for future studies on optimizing rearing conditions, feed conversion ratio, and the digestive capacity, improving the growth performance of this species, and ensuring its conservation.

Main approaches to malocclusions and orthognathic surgery in facial aesthetic: an integrative review

Introduction: In the scenario of orthodontic corrections, orthognathic surgery makes it possible to restore the functional and aesthetic patterns of the face, and non-surgical or minimally invasive procedures have optimized the results of ortho-surgical facial treatments. Objective: the present study aimed to perform a systematic review of the main information about orthognathic surgery in malocclusions, as well as to present the aesthetic importance. Methods: Clinical studies with qualitative and/or quantitative analysis were included, following the rules of the systematic review-PRISMA. Results and Conclusion: A total of 107 articles were found involving "malocclusions and orthognathic surgery". A total of 47 articles were evaluated in full, and 33 were included and discussed in this study. Aesthetic/functional rehabilitation is necessary until the eruption of permanent successor teeth occurs. A practical option to obtain this rehabilitation is through the installation of aesthetic or functional space maintainers. These are orthodontic devices that replace one or more deciduous teeth and are used to preserve the space destined for the permanent tooth successor, preventing it from suffering deviations during its eruption. The facial typology seeks to redefine the relationships between deleterious habits and malocclusions, through the valuation of individual morphological characteristics, which will lead to craniofacial growth and development to assume certain facial types. Therefore, due to the aging of the stomatognathic apparatus the orofacial functions can be modified, such as malocclusion, therefore for greater effectiveness and longevity of the final result of the orthodontic treatment, the indefinite use of fixed inferior containment should be established and accompanied by the professional.

PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF INTRAOPERATIVE NEUROMONITORING IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT SPINAL PATHOLOGIES

Objective. To study the operating parameters and phenomena of intraoperative monitoring and to identify the specificity and sensitivityof its different modalities associated with postoperative neurological complications in patients with different spinal pathologies.Methods. The intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) protocols of 88 patients who underwent spinal surgeries were analyzed:kyphoscoliotic spinal deformities — 58 (68 %), traumatic — 12 (13.3 %), degenerative diseases — 10 (11.7 %), neoplasms — 6 (6.7 %). In 33 (38.4 %) cases, a combination of modalities of motor evoked potentials (MEP) and transpedicular screws stimulation (TSS) was used, in 36 (41.9%) — only MEP, 17 (19.8 %) — TSS. In all cases, freerun and triggered EMG was used. Results. The most stable MEPs were recorded at mm. tibibalis anterior, mm. abductor hallucis longus. It has been proven that an unfavorable and reliable factor of the anxiety sign is a unilateral sustained decrease in the MEP amplitude by more than 80 %. According to the TSS results 424 (97.5 %) screws are installed correctly, 1 (0.2 %) false negative case of incorrect installation. False positive results for the TSS test ranged from 34.7 to 15.4 %, depending on the chosen critical threshold of the current applied to the pedicle screw. We consider the threshold of the TSS test at 13 mA satisfactory, and below it, unsatisfactory. A group of patients was identified who had 72 screws (16.6% of all analyzed) who, according to the results of the TSS test, received an unsatisfactory assessment, and X-ray did not reveal any deviations in the position of the screws.Conclusions. IOM modalities are highly sensitive and specific to damage to the structures of the spinal cord and spinal nerves, but dependence on a number of external factors reduces their information content, which leads to false positive and false negative results. It was established, that the dynamics of the MEP amplitudes of the target muscles differs in information content and efficiency during surgery due to individual morphological and motor characteristics.

Feeding Habits, Microhabitat Use, and Daily Activity Cycle of Adenomera marmorata (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in Two Brazilian Atlantic Forest Remnants

We investigated daily activity, microhabitat use, and feeding habits of the anuran Adenomera marmorata in two Brazilian Atlantic forest remnants: Estação Ecológica Estadual Paraíso (EEEP) and Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA). Most individuals were active at dusk (EEEP: n = 5 or 62.5%; REGUA: n = 16 or 45.7%; populations pooled: n = 21 or 48.8%) and nocturnally (EEEP: n = 3 or 37.5%; REGUA: n = 17 or 48.6%; populations pooled: n = 20 or 46.5%); however, individuals were encountered during the day (EEEP: n = 0; REGUA: n = 2 or 5.7%; populations pooled: n = 2 or 4.7%). The microhabitat used most by the anurans was the leaf litter of forest floor (EEEP: n = 8 or 80.0%; REGUA: n = 33 or 94.3%; populations pooled: n = 41 or 91.1%). In EEEP, in numerical terms, mainly isopods (33.33%) and ants (22.22%) composed the diet of A. marmorata. Volumetrically, Isopoda (77.37%) was the most important item. In terms of frequency of occurrence, isopods, and ants, both consumed by 30% of the individuals, were the most relevant food items. In REGUA, numerically, individuals mainly consumed ants (23.26%) and isopods (20.93%). In volumetric terms, individuals predominantly ingested isopods (56.57%). The food items most commonly consumed by individuals in REGUA were isopods (40.63%) and ants (37.50%). Adenomera marmorata ingested 8 different types of food in EEEP and 14 in REGUA, feeding on a significantly higher number of food items in REGUA than in EEEP. The populations also differed in diet composition in volumetric terms, showing that food consumption can vary between populations, which might result from differences in local food availability and individual morphological characteristics. Adenomera marmorata might be able to forage opportunistically or selectively depending on the prey.

Growth and reproduction dynamics of different-aged artificial Caragana korshinskii in sandy-hilly region of northwest Shanxi Province, China

The sandy-hilly region of northwest Shanxi is a typical fragile agro-pastoral ecotone in north China. With the artificial Caragana korshinskii at 0 (the uncultivated land), 6, 12, 18, 40 and 50 years-old in the typical sandy-hilly region of northwest Shanxi as the subjects, we investigated soil moisture, aboveground and belowground biomass, individual morphological characteristics, growth, reproduction, and photosynthetic physiological characteristics of different-aged C. korshinskii, with the aim to evaluate the long-term growth and reproductive dynamic characteristics of artificial C. korshinskii. The results showed that soil moisture was significantly affected by stand ages. Soil moisture was low under the 6-year-old C. korshinskii plantation. During 6-18 years-old, soil moisture increased due to the increased crown width and reduced the near-surface wind speed, solar radiation, and soil water evaporation. During 18-50 years-old, soil moisture decreased sharply due to higher biomass and plant transpiration of C. korshinskii, and soil moisture was reduced to the lowest level of 11.1%. C. korshinskii mainly developed underground root system during 6-18 years-old, and changed to the aboveground biomass accumulation in 18-40 years-old. At the 40-year-old stand, biomass reached to the highest level with the greatest crown width and plant height. During 40-50 years-old, crown width and plant height decreased significantly, while the growth began to degrade. Photosynthetic capacity (chlorophyll a, b, carotenoid and total chlorophyll content) gra-dually decreased with the increases of planting ages, especially after 18 years-old. The quantity and quality of C. korshinskii seeds increased from 6 to 40 years-old, reached the maximum at 40 years-old stand, and began to decrease after 50 years-old. In the later growth period (30-40 years-old), more seeds with small individual weight were produced compared with early period (6-12 years-old). The germination test showed that small seeds had higher germination rate than the large ones under the same stand age, suggesting a shift of reproduction strategy. After 50 years-old, both of the growth and reproduction of C. korshinskii degenerated, and the plantation began to degrade.

Structural and morphological characteristics of the bottom settlements of mussels in the coastal ecosystems in the river runoff influence zone of the Ukranian shelf of Black Sea

The formation of the density, biomass, size-mass and phenotypic structure of the bottom populations of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) in three areas of the Ukrainian shelf of North-Western part of the Black Sea – near Adjiyask Cape (the water area near the Dnieper-South Bug region), near mouth of the Grigorievsky estuary and on the Odessa coast, with different gradients of salinity of sea waters due to influence of the transformation of the river runoff, were studied. The samples of mollusks were collected from surface of the seabed soil at a depth of 3.0 meters in the spring (March–April), summer (June–July) and autumn (October–November) 2016–2019. In addition to the number, biomass, size and phenotypic structure, the ratios of the individual components of the mollusk mass (wet and dry mass of the animal’s soft body and mass of its valves) were also studied. It is noted that the greatest salinity stratification of the water column, caused by the influence of fresh river runoff, was observed near Adjiyask Cape, where the salinity of the surface water layer (depth 0.5 m) in spring and early summer did not exceed 8.4±2.4 and 11.0±2.5 ppm, respectively. Nevertheless, bottom settlements of mussels in this and in two other seawater areas were relatively in favorable conditions, as the salinity at the depth of its habitat (depth 3.0 m) remained within 12–15 ppm, which corresponds to the “river–sea” ecotone. Based on the data obtained, it is concluded that such halo-tolerant mollusks as the Black Sea mussels in coastal areas affected by fresh river runoff can only slightly differ in their number and biomass indices, as well as in the phenotypic structure of settlements. As a rule, differences may be related exclusively to the individual morphological characteristics of animals, especially for its soft body weight (wet and dry mass) and mass of its valves.

GENDER FEATURES OF THE ALVEOLAR PROCESS OF THE UPPER JAW

The individual face shape, the ratio of its proportions, the articulation capabilities of each person to a significant extent depend on the characteristics of occlusion and occlusion, in turn, are determined by the size, shape and ratio of dental, alveolar and basal arches. Two of them - alveolar and basal - pass at the corresponding levels of the alveolar areas of the jaws, which means that it is almost impossible to correct them, therefore they play the role of landmarks for setting the dental arch during dental prosthetics. A full-fledged aesthetic and functional restoration of the maxillofacial region after prosthetics largely depends on the dentist taking into account the individual morphological characteristics of the jaws, their cellular areas and specifically the morphometric parameters of the collar and basal arches. In order to determine the possible variants of the shape of the alveolar and basal arches of the upper jaw and the patterns of their ratio during the routine dental examination, 55 people (27 men and 28 women) aged 21-60 years with preserved maxillary dentition were examined. It has been established that the alveolar and basal arches of the upper jaw can have the shape of five geometric shapes: an oval, a semicircle, an ellipse, a trapezoid or a square. In this case, the shape of the collar and basal arches can coincide or be combined in various combinations. The analysis of the obtained results showed that in men the alveolar arch most often had the shape of an oval (70%), in women - an oval or semicircle (43%, respectively). With the aim of possible variants of the alveolar and basal arches form determination and peculiarities of their correlation 55 individuals (27 men and 28 women) in age of 21-60 years with the preserved teeth row were examined during planned dental examination. All examined were patients of the “Dental clinic of dr. Dakhno” (Kyiv). Computer tomographic investigation was made to these patients according to medical indications, scanning was made parallely to the occlusal plane. Image reconstruction was conducted with the use of highly dimentional bone algorithm. Alveolar and basal arch form of the upper jaw were determined on the images. It was established that alveolar and basal arches of the upper jaw can have a form of five geometrical figures: oval, semicircle, ellipse, trapeze or square. Form of the alveolar and basal arches can match or can combine in different combinations. Received results analysis testified that alveolar arch has a form of the oval in men and oval or semicircle – in women. Basal arch in men also most frequently has a form of oval, less often – semicircle, square and trapeze. In women basal arch more often has a form of trapeze or semicircle, less often – oval or square. In men alveolar and basal arches form matched in 41% of cases, in women – only in 31% of cases among total amount of all examined individuals. Most often alveolar and basal arches matched in the form of oval and semicircle, only in one case arches of the trapeze form matched in man, in woman – square form. Maxillary alveolar and basal arches form variants analysis let to determine areas, where distance between alveolar crests was maximal. Most variable this index was in individuals with the oval form of the alveolar arch on the level of 16-26, 17-27 or 18-28 teeth. Peculiarities of the alveolar and basal arches form of the alveolar process of the upper jaw in male and female individuals are characterized with expressed individual variability. These peculiarities consideration during dental prosthesis let avoid series of complications connected with the pressure redistribution on the osseous tissue of the jaws during articulation.

A Deep Learning-Based Method for Quantifying and Mapping the Grain Size on Pebble Beaches

This article proposes a new methodological approach to measure and map the size of coarse clasts on a land surface from photographs. This method is based on the use of the Mask Regional Convolutional Neural Network (R-CNN) deep learning algorithm, which allows the instance segmentation of objects after an initial training on manually labeled data. The algorithm is capable of identifying and classifying objects present in an image at the pixel scale, without human intervention, in a matter of seconds. This work demonstrates that it is possible to train the model to detect non-overlapping coarse sediments on scaled images, in order to extract their individual size and morphological characteristics with high efficiency (R2 = 0.98; Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) = 3.9 mm). It is then possible to measure element size profiles over a sedimentary body, as it was done on the pebble beach of Etretat (Normandy, France) in order to monitor the granulometric spatial variability before and after a storm. Applied at a larger scale using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) derived ortho-images, the method allows the accurate characterization and high-resolution mapping of the surface coarse sediment size, as it was performed on the two pebble beaches of Etretat (D50 = 5.99 cm) and Hautot-sur-Mer (D50 = 7.44 cm) (Normandy, France). Validation results show a very satisfying overall representativity (R2 = 0.45 and 0.75; RMSE = 6.8 mm and 9.3 mm at Etretat and Hautot-sur-Mer, respectively), while the method remains fast, easy to apply and low-cost, although the method remains limited by the image resolution (objects need to be longer than 4 cm), and could still be improved in several ways, for instance by adding more manually labeled data to the training dataset, and by considering more accurate methods than the ellipse fitting for measuring the particle sizes.

Developing univariate neurodegeneration biomarkers with low-rank and sparse subspace decomposition.

Cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is closely associated with brain structure alterations captured by structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). It supports the validity to develop sMRI-based univariate neurodegeneration biomarkers (UNB). However, existing UNB work either fails to model large group variances or does not capture AD dementia (ADD) induced changes. We propose a novel low-rank and sparse subspace decomposition method capable of stably quantifying the morphological changes induced by ADD. Specifically, we propose a numerically efficient rank minimization mechanism to extract group common structure and impose regularization constraints to encode the original 3D morphometry connectivity. Further, we generate regions-of-interest (ROI) with group difference study between common subspaces of Aβ+AD and Aβ-cognitively unimpaired (CU) groups. A univariate morphometry index (UMI) is constructed from these ROIs by summarizing individual morphological characteristics weighted by normalized difference between Aβ+AD and Aβ-CU groups. We use hippocampal surface radial distance feature to compute the UMIs and validate our work in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. With hippocampal UMIs, the estimated minimum sample sizes needed to detect a 25% reduction in the mean annual change with 80% power and two-tailed P=0.05are 116, 279 and 387 for the longitudinal Aβ+AD, Aβ+mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Aβ+CU groups, respectively. Additionally, for MCI patients, UMIs well correlate with hazard ratio of conversion to AD (4.3, 95% CI=2.3-8.2) within 18 months. Our experimental results outperform traditional hippocampal volume measures and suggest the application of UMI as a potential UNB.

Sand lizards Lacerta agilis with higher digit ratios are more likely to autotomy.

Digit ratio is a morphological feature regarded as a biomarker of the balance of sex hormones during early development. The exposure of embryos to a set of sex hormones and the mutual relations between those hormones cause the emergence of individual morphological and/or behavioural characteristics as well as differences between sexes. We have thus hypothesised that differences in one of these morphological traits-digit ratio-may be a proxy representing a tendency towards tail autotomy. The aim of this study is to investigate the digit ratio (2D:3D, 2D:4D, 3D:4D) of the sand lizard, Lacerta agilis, Lacertidae, a species characterised by well-developed sexual dimorphism, whereby females are larger than males. We also tested associations between patterns in digit ratio and caudal autotomy, a common defensive mechanism among lizards. To our knowledge, the relationship between a tendency towards autotomy and digit ratio pattern has never been researched. To date, studies on autotomy have mainly focused on the consequences, costs or evolutionary background of tail loss. Hence, researchers examined mostly the frequency of autotomy in the context of predatory pressure or habitat conditions, omitting an individual's behavioural tendency to shed its tail. However, behavioural traits can affect an individual's exposure to predator attack and consequently the need to use an anti-predator strategy. Thus, following this logic, dropping the tail may be the result of the lizard's intraspecific personality characteristics, resulting from the effect of hormones on behaviour or innate traits. Therefore, we suggest that the inclusion of autotomy as a factor explaining observed digit ratio patterns and their variability between taxa has great potential. We used computerised measurements of photographed limbs to determine the length of digits. We found that the digit ratios for all four limbs were significantly lower in females than in males, excluding the 3D:4D ratio for the right hindlimbs. Therefore, the results confirmed the pattern already observed for most lizards. The novel element in our study is the detection of the relationship between a tendency towards caudal autotomy and digit ratio. Individuals with a tendency towards autotomy have a higher 2D:4D ratio in the right forelimbs and a lower 2D:3D ratio in the right hindlimbs. Obtained results suggest that these morphological characteristics are most likely related to intraspecific differences (between bold and shy individuals) which consequently may determine an individual's reaction or susceptibility to be a prey and escape behaviour. Thus, our results are probably the first attempt to link digit ratio to the susceptibility of lizards to tail autotomy.

Daphnia mitsukuri traits responding to predation cues alter its population dynamics

Abstract Individual traits responding to predation cues are widespread in many aquatic and terrestrial organisms. However, linking individual traits to population dynamics in response to predation cues is poorly understood despite its important role in shaping ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the individual traits associated with population dynamics of Daphnia mitsukuri in response to two different cues from fish predation. Two clones of D. mitsukuri were reared under alarm signal, kairomone, and their combination treatment until the populations reached maximum abundances. Individual inducible traits, grazing rates, and population parameters were recorded for the growing populations. Our data showed the population dynamics were highly correlated with the individual traits, and some mechanical correlations were discussed in the present study. Specifically, in the combination treatment, the decreased individual size contributed to enhancing the individual grazing rate at a high population density, which ultimately resulted in a higher (75%) maximum population density compared to the control. Besides, diversified links between individual traits and population dynamics were observed in different clones, especially in dormant egg production. In summary, inducible changes in individual morphological characteristics and life history traits were associated with variation in population dynamics of Daphnia in response to cues from predation. This study is helpful to understand the effects of signals of predation risk on the individual and population levels.

STUDY OF EFFECTS OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS ON SOLID TUMOR CELLS PROLIFERATION AND CHEMORESISTANCE

Circadian clock is a complex mechanism regulating many different physiological processes. Preclinical, epidemiological and clinical studies demonstrate association between circadian rhythms disruption and tumor initiation. Study of modulation of solid tumor cells biological properties through enhancement of clock mechanisms could attribute to the development of more effective chemo- and hormone therapy approaches. Aim: Evaluate the effects of ovarian and lung tumor cells synchronization with dexamethasone in vitro on cells sensitivity to cisplatin. Materials and methods: Metastatic ovarian cancer (n=3) and lung cancer (n=3) cell lines were obtained from patients tumors. Tumor cell cultivation was performed in accordance with the protocol. Artificial synchronization was performed with dexamethasone 200 nM introduction to the cell cultures. Doses of cisplatin used were 1.5 and 3.0 mg/ml. xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analysis and Cell-IQ was used to measure proliferation and chemoresistance of tumor cells. Results: Each cell-line had individual morphological characteristics and proliferation parameters. Preliminary incubation with dexamethasone (2 h) had a stimulating effect on proliferation of all tumor cell lines (Slope min -4.3(0.3)хЕ ‘х10-3 - max 36.8(0.6)хЫх10'3, min 2.2(0.2)хЕ1х10'3- max 50.4(0.8)хЕ1х10'3), and increased their sensitivity to cisplatin (min -43(2.6)хЕ1х10-3 - max 57.5(0.6)хЕ1х10-3 и min -217,3(2,2) -1,9(0,1)хч-1х10-3 - max -1,9(0,1)хч'1х10'3, respectively. Conclusion: These results should be the platform for future studies of the interaction of clock mechanisms, cell cycle regulation and viability of tumor cells.

Acoustical and morphological comparisons between albino and normally-pigmented Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis)

Although rare, hypopigmentary disorders have been observed in many vertebrate species. These disorders include albinism, leucism, and piebaldism, and can be differentiated based on the pattern and degree of lack of pigmentation. For many species, these disorders persist in nature, suggesting that affected animals can survive and potentially reproduce. Here we report a case of albinism in a Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) captured from a cave dwelling in Cuba. In addition to describing this albino individual's morphological characteristics, we recorded acoustical parameters of echolocation calls during foraging in a flight chamber. We found that the albino individual emits high-frequency multi-harmonic calls with short durations, which are characteristic of this species and other phyllostomid bats. We discuss potential acoustical adaptations in albino bats that could facilitate their survival and suggest future approaches to studying these unique animals.

Identification of Microorganisms of Bean Curd Sauce and Its Physiological Characteristics

Morphological identification of molds is usually to observe the colony morphology of molds on the medium, such as the diameter, texture, color and presence of soluble pigments and exudates: as well as their individual morphological characteristics, including the segmentation, the head of the congregation, the branch of the stalk, the top capsule, the hyphae, etc., consult the fungal identification manual, and obtain the identification results. This method is simple in operation, intuitive in results, and has high accuracy and stability. In this paper, the morphological identification of the selected strains was carried out, and after the identification was completed, the growth physiological characteristics of the strains under different temperatures and pH conditions were further studied, which was optimized for the process of making and fermentation of bean paste. Provide a theoretical basis.

Predicting abdominal aortic aneurysm growth using patient-oriented growth models with two-step Bayesian inference

ObjectiveFor small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), a regular follow-up examination is recommended every 12 months for AAAs of 30–39 mm and every six months for AAAs of 40–55 mm. Follow-up diameters can determine if a patient follows the common growth model of the population. However, the rapid expansion of an AAA, often associated with higher rupture risk, may be overlooked even though it requires surgical intervention. Therefore, the prognosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm growth is clinically important for planning treatment. This study aims to build enhanced Bayesian inference methods to predict maximum aneurysm diameter. Methods106 CT scans from 25 Korean AAA patients were retrospectively obtained. A two-step approach based on Bayesian calibration was used, and an exponential abdominal aortic aneurysm growth model (population-based) was specified according to each individual patient's growth (patient-specific) and morphologic characteristics of the aneurysm sac (enhanced). The distribution estimates were obtained using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler. ResultsThe follow-up diameters were predicted satisfactorily (i.e. the true follow-up diameter was in the 95% prediction interval) for 79% of the scans using the population-based growth model, and 83% of the scans using the patient-specific growth model. Among the evaluated geometric measurements, centerline tortuosity was a significant (p = 0.0002) predictor of growth for AAAs with accelerated and stable expansion rates. Using the enhanced prediction model, 86% of follow-up scans were predicted satisfactorily. The average prediction errors of population-based, patient-specific, and enhanced models were ±2.67, ±2.61 and ± 2.79 mm, respectively. ConclusionA computational framework using patient-oriented growth models provides useful tools for per-patient basis treatment and enables better prediction of AAA growth.