Eye Color Research Articles

Chronic Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Case Study

Introduction Chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is characterized by persistent subretinal fluid that disrupts the outer layers of the retina and may lead to complications such as: outer retinal atrophy, increased risk of choroidal neovascularization (CNVM) and the potential for permanent vision loss. This report describes the clinical features of chronic CSCR. Case Presentation A 73-year-old male with a history of systemic steroid and inhaler use presented for a routine eye exam without visual complaints. Examination findings included normal visual acuity in both eyes and multiple areas of retinal hyper and hypopigmentation along the arcades with no macular involvement in the right eye; the left eye was unremarkable. Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography showed localized areas of outer retinal disruption and thinning near the optic nerve head and along the corresponding retinal areas of irregular pigmentation in the right eye; the left eye was unremarkable. Discussion In chronic CSCR, structural changes in the retina can lead to retinal dysfunction and permanent vision loss. Treatment options for chronic CSCR include photodynamic therapy, intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, or systemic steroid receptor blockers. Visual prognosis varies depending on the severity of the disease, age of onset, risk of CNVM and the degree of outer retinal degeneration. Conclusion Patients with chronic CSCR are at risk for permanent vision loss. The structural changes in the outer retina also increase the risk for CNVM. Hence, it is important that patients with chronic CSR receive regular eye examinations and are educated on the role of regular Amsler grid testing.

Morphological and molecular characterization of cubios (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón) collected in two municipalities in Boyaca - Colombia

In this study, we aimed to determine the extent of genetic variation among cubios (Tropaeolum tuberosum) in a diversity micro-center in the department of Boyacá, Colombia, with morphological and ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) molecular markers. Twenty-five cubio morphotypes were collected across different farms within the municipalities of Belén and Ventaquemada in Boyacá and were sown for subsequent morphological and molecular characterizations. Tuber features were evaluated according to descriptors of the International Potato Center, namely predominant tuber surface color, secondary tuber surface color, secondary tuber surface color distribution, predominant tuber pulp color, secondary tuber pulp color, distribution of secondary tuber pulp color, tuber shape, and depth of tuber eyes. Molecular variation was assessed via eight ISSR primers. Morphological and molecular characterizations allowed us to identify 25 cubio morphotypes with significant genetic variation in the study area. This finding is likely attributed to mechanisms maintaining genetic variability, such as naturally occurring crosses between morphotypes modulated by environmental conditions and local agricultural practices, including seed exchange and a preference for given morphotypes.

Does Eye Color Affect Vision Acuity in a Variety of Light Conditions?

Eye color is a physical characteristic that varies from person-to-person. Due to a range ofpigmentation of the iris, people with different eye colors tend to see the world differently. For those with lighter eyes, it may be more difficult to see clearly in environments with certain light conditions or intensities. Throughout a person’s life, they encounter several different forms of light ranging from natural sunlight to artificial lighting. In my research, I investigated whether a person’s eye color influences their vision in artificial lighting compared to natural lighting.Preliminary results show that light did influence visual acuity. However, there was no correlation between eye color and light influenced vision changes.  To assess vision, participants were asked to cover each eye and read a Snellen eye chart. This was completed a total of four times. Using two separate eye charts, participants were tested at ten and twenty feet away from the charts. Each test was presented in a room with only artificial light, and outside of the building in natural light. This information can help individuals ensure that the change in vision, if any, caused by different kinds of light does not negatively influence their everyday life. In extreme situations those with eyes more sensitive to certain types of light could cause harm to themselves or others around them. Having this information about oneself is helpful to all people, not just those with a history of eye issues.

Giant retinal pigment epithelium tears with membranous nephropathy: a case report and literature review

BackgroundKidney and eye diseases may be closely linked. Tears of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) have been reported to be related to kidney diseases, such as IgA nephropathy and light-chain deposition disease. However, pigment epithelium tears associated with membranous nephropathy have not been reported or systematically analysed.Case presentationA 68-year-old man presented with decreased right eye visual acuity. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed cystic macular edema, localized serous detachment of the retina and loss of the outer retinal structure in the right eye and retinal pigment epithelium detachment (PED) combined with serous detachment of the retina in the left eye. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) revealed giant RPE tears in the right eye and exudative age-related macular degeneration in the left eye. The patient also suffered from severe membranous nephropathy-autoimmune glomerulonephritis. Renal biopsy immunofluorescence revealed a roughly granular pattern, with immunoglobulin G (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, complement C3(Components 3), λ light chain and κ light chain subepithelial staining.ConclusionsIt is hypothesized that severe membranous nephropathy caused immune complex deposition on the surface of Bruch membrane, resulting in weakened adhesion between the RPE and Bruch membrane and impaired RPE pump function, combined with age-related macular degeneration, leading to giant RPE tears in the right eye. Close attention should be given to the ocular condition of patients with membranous nephropathy to facilitate timely treatment and avoid serious consequences.

The eye in forensic practice: In the living.

Eye examination plays an important role when living individuals are forensically investigated. The iris colour, retinal scans and other biometric features may be used for identification purposes while visual impairments may have legal implications in employment, driving and accidents. Ocular manifestations provide clues regarding substance abuse, poisoning and toxicity, and evidence of trauma, abuse or disease can be revealed along with psychological traits and lifestyle. Thus, the eye is a valuable tool in forensic investigations of living subjects, providing identifying characteristics along with health information. This review focuses on the medico-legal aspects of the eye's contribution when the living are subjected to forensic examination.

The Level of Agreement between Self-Assessments and Examiner Assessments of Melanocytic Nevus Counts: Findings from an Evaluation of 4548 Double Assessments.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is a candidate for screening programs because its prognosis is excellent when diagnosed at an early disease stage. Targeted screening of those at high risk for developing CM, a cost-effective alternative to population-wide screening, requires valid procedures to identify the high-risk group. Self-assessment of the number of nevi has been suggested as a component of such procedures, but its validity has not yet been established. We analyzed the level of agreement between self-assessments and examiner assessments of the number of melanocytic nevi in the area between the wrist and the shoulder of both arms based on 4548 study subjects in whom mutually blinded double counting of nevi was performed. Nevus counting followed the IARC protocol. Study subjects received written instructions, photographs, a mirror, and a "nevometer" to support self-assessment of nevi larger than 2 mm. Nevus counts were categorized based on the quintiles of the distribution into five levels, defining a nevus score. Cohen's weighted kappa coefficient (κ) was estimated to measure the level of agreement. In the total sample, the agreement between self-assessments and examiner assessments was moderate (weighted κ = 0.596). Self-assessed nevus counts were higher than those determined by trained examiners (mean difference: 3.33 nevi). The level of agreement was independent of sociodemographic and cutaneous factors; however, participants' eye color had a significant impact on the level of agreement. Our findings show that even with comprehensive guidance, only a moderate level of agreement between self-assessed and examiner-assessed nevus counts can be achieved. Self-assessed nevus information does not appear to be reliable enough to be used in individual risk assessment to target screening activities.

Understanding the captive breeding, spawning behavior and early ontogeny of Chromis viridis (Cuvier, 1830): A systematic study

The sustainability of aquarium trade relies on successful captive breeding and seed production practices to prevent the long-term consequences of wild collection, which can result in irreversible damage to natural populations. To establish comprehensive breeding and seed production protocols, it is imperative to gain a deep understanding of the reproductive characteristics of the fish, encompassing aspects such as sexual dimorphism, spawning behavior, embryogenesis, and the crucial period of larval survival. Hence, in this study, we document the captive breeding, spawning behavior, embryonic development, and early larval stages of Chromis viridis, a highly sought-after marine ornamental fish that plays a prominent role in the aquarium trade. Fish were sourced from Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, and reared in controlled conditions. Mature fish (6–9 cm) were kept in 500 L FRP tanks with regulated salinity (35.4 ± 0.5 g/L), temperature (27.1 ± 0.54 °C), and a 12-h light-dark photoperiod. After four months in captivity, spawning commenced, characterized by intense substrate cleaning and rapid swimming motions of the male. Each spawning event yielded 3562 to 20,651 eggs. Egg development included five stages over three days at 27.1 ± 0.54 °C, with hatching on the third day. Egg dimensions varied along both axes and egg volume changed over three days. Newly hatched larvae lacked eye pigments and paired fins, with an average total length (TL) of 1.97 ± 0.35 mm. Larval mouth opening occurred at 38 h, and yolk absorption was complete by the third day post-hatch. Continuous captive reproduction was observed with a spawning frequency of 5.59 ± 0.96 days. This study offers valuable insights for standardizing captive propagation techniques and advancing marine ornamental aquaculture for C. viridis by documenting its breeding, embryonic development, and early larval stages in captivity.

Gene Editing in the Chagas Disease Vector Rhodnius prolixus by Cas9-Mediated ReMOT Control.

Rhodnius prolixus is currently the model vector of choice for studying Chagas disease transmission, a debilitating disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. However, transgenesis and gene editing protocols to advance the field are still lacking. Here, we tested protocols for the maternal delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly spaced palindromic repeats/Cas-9 associated) elements to developing R. prolixus oocytes and strategies for the identification of insertions and deletions (indels) in target loci of resulting gene-edited generation zero (G0) nymphs. We demonstrate successful gene editing of the eye color markers Rp-scarlet and Rp-white, and the cuticle color marker Rp-yellow, with highest effectiveness obtained using Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo (ReMOT Control) with the ovary-targeting BtKV ligand. These results provide proof of concepts for generating somatic mutations in R. prolixus and potentially for generating germ line-edited lines in triatomines, laying the foundation for gene editing protocols that could lead to the development of novel control strategies for vectors of Chagas disease.

Unexpected mutations occurred in CRISPR/Cas9 edited Drosophila analyzed by deeply whole genomic sequencing

CRISPR/Cas9 possesses the most promising prospects as a gene-editing tool in post-genomic researches. It becomes an epoch-marking technique for the features of speed and convenience of genomic modification. However, it is still unclear whether CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing can cause irreversible damage to the genome. In this study, we successfully knocked out the WHITE gene in Drosophila, which governs eye color, utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Subsequently, we conducted high-throughput sequencing to assess the impact of this editing process on the stability of the entire genomic profile. The results revealed the presence of numerous unexpected mutations in the Drosophila genome, including 630 SNVs (Single Nucleotide Variants), 525 Indels (Insertion and Deletion) and 425 MSIs (microsatellite instability). Although the KO (knockout) specifically occurred on chromosome X, the majority of mutations were observed on chromosome 3, indicating that this effect is genome-wide and associated with the spatial structure between chromosomes, rather than being solely limited to the location of the KO gene. It is worth noting that most of the mutations occurred in the intergenic and intron regions, without exerting any significant on the function or healthy of the animal. In addition, the mutations downstream of the knockout gene well beyond the upstream. This study has found that gene editing can lead to unexpected mutations in the genome, but most of these mutations are harmless. This research has deepened our understanding of CRISPR/Cas9 and broadened its application prospects.

Exploiting Eye Colors for Better Iris Segmentation in Visible Wavelength Environments

Iris segmentation is a crucial step in iris recognition systems. Iris segmentation in visible wavelength and unconstrained environments is more challenging than ‎segmenting iris images in ideal environments. This paper proposes a new iris segmentation method that exploits the color of human eyes to segment the iris region more accurately. While most of the current iris segmentation methods ignore the color of the iris or deal with ‎grayscale eye images directly, the proposed method takes benefits from iris color to simplify the iris segmentation step. In the first step, we estimate the expected iris center using Haar-like features. The iris color is detected and accordingly, a color-convenient segmentation algorithm is applied to find the iris region. Dealing separately with each iris color set significantly decreases the false segmentation errors and enhances the performance of the iris recognition system. The results of testing the proposed algorithm on the UBIRIS database demonstrate the robustness of our algorithm against different noise factors and non-ideal conditions.

Characterisation, Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Kombai Dog Breed: A Unique Genetic Resource of India

Kombai is an ancient dog breed of Tamil Nadu, India. The Kombai dog is renowned for its fierce loyalty to its family and aggressiveness towards its adversaries. They are incredibly powerful, extremely intelligent, courageous, protective, resilient, territorial, and amiable breed making them as excellent guard dogs. Other names of this breed are Indian/Tamil Bear Hound, Poligar Dog, Mandai War Dog and Indian Rottweiler. The significant feature of this breed is that it lacks a fierce bark, it barks infrequently. Kombai is a sight hound, it hunt by sight and speed rather than by scent and stamina. The breed originated from the foothills of the Western Ghats in Theni district, Tamil Nadu. The breeding tract of this dog are Kombai, Uthamapalaiyam, Pannaipuram, Thevaram, Periakulam, Bodinayakkanur, Cumbam and Kudalur of Theni district and consequently dispersed throughout the southern India. The variants of this breed are Pulicharai Kombai and Porr Kombai. Kombai is medium-sized dog with muscular physique. True to this type of breeds are tan, brown, or reddish brown in color with a black muzzle, hence it is called as “Karuvaisevalai” or “Karumunji naai”. Piebald and brindle coat types are less popular. The head of a Kombai dog appear to be slightly larger than the body as a whole. Large oval-shaped dark brown eyes, strong jaws, and a broad, deep chest characterize the Kombai, and it has single, uniform, dense coat that is neither patchy nor uneven. It has lean muscles and a ridge that runs the length of their spine in the opposite way strengthens the entire body. Their mid-length ears are mostly flat or fold over at the front or sometime erect. The legs are designed for agility and quickness. The tail has smooth hair and is long, curling at the edge like a sickle.  An adult dog weigh up to 30kg (Male 25–32 kg; Female 20–25 kg) and 24 inches in height (Males: 22 to 24 inches; Females:19 to 22 inches). Average life span of this breed is 12-15years. Litter size is 4 to 6. Kombai dogs attain sexual maturity between 6-10 months. At present, the Kombai breed is becoming scarce and is in danger of going extinct as a result of ban on hunting, indiscriminate breeding, lack of knowledge about their significance, and shortage of traditional breeders. It is imperative to take immediate action to conserve this superior distinctive genetic resource. Establishment of Kombai breeders association and proper coordination and integration among various agencies is highly needed. This unique Kombai dog should be conserved in their innate habitats by implementing partaking approach by including breeders, communities, and other pertinent shareholders in conservation programs and it should be registered as breed.

The Role of Visual Representations in Undergraduate Students’ Learning about Genetic Inheritance

Prior work has shown that many undergraduate students have misconceptions about genetic inheritance, even after they take genetics courses. Visual representations, such as pedigree diagrams, are commonly used in genetics instruction, and they help students quickly visualize the phenotypes of multiple generations. In Study 1, we examined whether presenting a pedigree diagram of a wolf’s eye color in a rich and realistic manner (i.e., with rich perceptual images that resemble real animals) or in an abstract manner (i.e., with circles and squares representing animals) would help undergraduates learn from a brief, online lesson on inheritance of the wolf’s eye color, and whether they would transfer what they learned when reasoning about eye color in other species (near transfer) and other traits in other species (mid- and far transfer). Counter to our hypothesis, students transferred more with the rich diagram. In Study 2, we compared the rich diagram from Study 1 to a perceptually bland diagram (i.e., with color and textural features removed). There were no differences in students’ learning or transfer between the diagrams. These results suggest that realistic elements that are attention grabbing and easily interpretable by students can be beneficial for transfer in online lessons.

The Beauty Standard Issue in Poster of Citra Hand and Body Lotion

Each of the countries of the world has its own beauty standard, including body image. Body image here includes the color and the style of the hair, the eyes shape and color, the shape of the face, and the body shape. Often, the agency hires a model, an actor, or an actress who has a good look and body image to do a photo and video shoot for the commercial, poster, magazine cover, and other media to make the media interesting, to persuade the customers to buy the product, and to show the beauty standard to the readers. Unfortunately, some readers feel so insecure because they do not have the same good body image as the model on the media. In Indonesia, there is a commercial that shows a beauty of woman comes from her white skin and that is Citra hand and Body Lotion. Whereas the beauty of a woman does not only come from her skin tone. Unfortunately, there are still Indonesian people who believe that woman must has white skin to fulfill the beauty standard. This analysis will use the poster of hand and body lotion product branded Citra as one of the media. This paper shows the analysis of the issue of the beauty standard of girl in a poster of Citra Hand and Body Lotion.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of scarlet gene produces eye color mutants in the soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens.

The CRISPR/Cas9 technology has greatly progressed research on non-model organisms, demonstrating successful applications in genome editing for various insects. However, its utilization in the case of the soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens, a notable pest affecting soybean crops, has not been explored due to constraints such as limited genomic information and the embryonic microinjection technique. This study presents successful outcomes in generating heritable knockout mutants for a pigment transporter gene, scarlet, in C. includens through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis. The scarlet locus identified in the genome assembly of C. includens consists of 14 exons, with a coding sequence extending for 1,986 bp. Two single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) were designed to target the first exon of scarlet. Microinjection of these two sgRNAs along with the Cas9 protein into fresh embryos resulted in the successful production of variable phenotypes, particularly mutant eyes. The observed mutation rate accounted for about 16%. Genotype analysis revealed diverse indel mutations at the target site, presumably originating from double-strand breaks followed by the nonhomologous end joining repair, leading to a premature stop codon due to frame shift. Single-pair mating of the mutant moths produced G1 offspring, and the establishment of a homozygous mutant strain occurred in G2. The mutant moths exhibited lightly greenish or yellowish compound eyes in both sexes, confirming the involvement of scarlet in pigmentation in C. includens. Notably, the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing technique serves as a visible phenotypic marker, demonstrating its proof-of-concept applicability in C. includens, as other pigment transporter genes have been utilized as visible markers to establish genetic control for various insects. These results provide the first successful case that the CRISPR/Cas9 method effectively induces mutations in C. includes, an economically important soybean insect pest.

Climate and disease: tackling coffee brown-eye spot with advanced forecasting models.

Climate influences the interaction between pathogens and their hosts significantly. This is particularly evident in the coffee industry, where fungal diseases like Cercospora coffeicola, causing brown-eye spot, can reduce yields drastically. This study focuses on forecasting coffee brown-eye spot using various models that incorporate agrometeorological data, allowing for predictions at least 1 week prior to the occurrence of disease. Data were gathered from eight locations across São Paulo and Minas Gerais, encompassing the South and Cerrado regions of Minas Gerais state. In the initial phase, various machine learning (ML) models and topologies were calibrated to forecast brown-eye spot, identifying one with potential for advanced decision-making. The top-performing models were then employed in the next stage to forecast and spatially project the severity of brown-eye spot across 2681 key Brazilian coffee-producing municipalities. Meteorological data were sourced from NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources platform, and the Penman-Monteith method was used to estimate reference evapotranspiration, leading to a Thornthwaite and Mather water-balance calculation. Six ML models - K-nearest neighbors (KNN), artificial neural network multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector machine (SVM), random forests (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and gradient boosting regression (GradBOOSTING) - were employed, considering disease latency to time define input variables. These models utilized climatic elements such as average air temperature, relative humidity, leaf wetness duration, rainfall, evapotranspiration, water deficit, and surplus. The XGBoost model proved most effective in high-yielding conditions, demonstrating high precision and accuracy. Conversely, the SVM model excelled in low-yielding scenarios. The incidence of brown-eye spot varied noticeably between high- and low-yield conditions, with significant regional differences observed. The accuracy of predicting brown-eye spot severity in coffee plantations depended on the biennial production cycle. High-yielding trees showed superior results with the XGBoost model (R2  = 0.77, root mean squared error, RMSE = 10.53), whereas the SVM model performed better under low-yielding conditions (precision 0.76, RMSE = 12.82). The study's application of agrometeorological variables and ML models successfully predicted the incidence of brown-eye spot in coffee plantations with a 7 day lead time, illustrating that they were valuable tools for managing this significant agricultural challenge. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Phenotypic Characterization and Husbandry Practice of Indigenous Chicken Ecotypes at West Guji, Ethiopia

This study was conducted with the objectives of characterization of indigenous chicken ecotypes and their husbandry practice at West Guji. A total of 204 households were randomly selected from two purposively selected woredas and 612 mature chickens were used for qualitative and quantitative traits data collection. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version, 20) and the General Linear Model procedure (PROC GLM) of SAS. The qualitative data of feather distribution, plumage color, beak color, eye color, comb types, earlobe color, head shape, and shank color were collected. The result showed a significant difference between the districts (P< 0.05). Further, wing span, chest circumstance, body weight, and body length quantitative data were also recorded. The result revealed that there was a significant difference in quantitative traits in the study areas (P< 0.05). Egg production potentials, body weight, plumage color, hatchability, growth rate, and mothering ability were traits preferred by the household for female selection. The average age at first egg laying of indigenous chicken was 6.69±0.36 months and the number of eggs per hen per clutch was 12.16±0.26. The current finding revealed that about 93.5% of the observed chicken’s ecotypes were feathered and 6.45% were naked necks. The dominant chicken’s plumage colors identified were; brownish (29.28%), red (24.05%), and multicolor/ambesma (14.65%). The production systems practiced in the study area were extensive. Finally, phenotypic characterization of indigenous chicken ecotypes and performance evaluation should be supported by genetic characterization methods.

EFFECT OF ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON DESI AND FAYOUMI CHICKEN TRAITS AT DISTRICT KASHMORE, SINDH-PAKISTAN

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the different body organs measurement and multiple phenotypic traits of desi and fayoumi selected chicken breeds under free range and intensive management conditions during, 2021. Host birds were collected from local peoples and hatcheries of district Kashmore and brought through intensive care management system in Animal Husbandry, Department of Zoology, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs. Both chicken male and female populations were reared separately in the same ecology and F1 generation chickens were obtained. The feeding and rearing procedures were followed by NRC and ISA recommended guidelines. The average values of phenotypic traits like neck length of desi and fayoumi males measured in cm (20.4±1.9), (16.5±1.4) body height (43.4±3.2), (33.7±3.2) shank length (12.5±0.82) (8.3±0.72) beak length (3.6±0.21) (2.7±0.16) and wings span (23.7±1.6) (18.3±1.5) in intensive conditions. While as, in the free range conditions the neck length of desi and fayoumi males was recorded in cm (18.7±1.6) (16.4±1.3) body height (38.7±3.2) (34.6±3.1), shank length (10.3±0.97) (9.4±0.94), length of beak (3.3±0.24) (2.7±0.18), and wing span (20.4±1.5) (18.5±1.4), in both chicken breeds. The different phenotype traits of desi and fayoumi chicken breeds viz., the color of eyes, comb, plumage, feather, barbell, mumps, and beak colors percentage were found with variation in intensive and free range conditions. Concludingly, desi chickens were found with larger body parts with dark color variants. The present study suggests, more work should be carried on other characteristics to enhance poultry quality and quantity in future endeavors.

A Case Series of Paederus Dermatitis: Understanding Its Varied and Diverse Clinical Presentations.

Introduction Paederus dermatitis arises from inadvertent skin contact with insects of the genus Paederus, leading to irritant contact dermatitis. This study aims to highlight the diverse clinical presentations and the remarkable ability of the disease to mimic various dermatological conditions. Methodology A total of 15 patients diagnosed with Paederus dermatitis in a period of four months from August 2023 to November 2023 were included in this retrospective study. The demographic profile, detailed history, clinical presentation, and site of lesion distribution were documented. Results Out of 15 patients, nine were males, and eight were females. All patients exhibited a sudden onset of lesions accompanied by burning and pain, with an average duration of approximately 2.5 days. The most prevalent clinical presentation was the linear type, followed by kissing lesions, an erythematous patch with a central gray area, Nairobi eye, burnt appearance, and post-inflammatory pigmentation. Conclusion Paederus dermatitis is common in tropical areas like India but is prone to misdiagnosis due to its varied presentation. Increased awareness can lead to accurate diagnoses and simpler treatment plans, reducing patient confusion.

Identification of Candidate Genes for Red-Eyed (Albinism) Domestic Guppies Using Genomic and Transcriptomic Analyses.

Guppies are small tropical fish with brightly colored bodies and variable tail shapes. There are two phenotypes of domestic guppy eye color: red and black. The wild type is black-eyed. The main object of this study was to identify candidate genes for the red-eyed phenotype in domestic guppies. We hope to provide molecular genetic information for the development of new domestic guppy strains. Additionally, the results also contribute to basic research concerning guppies. In this study, 121 domestic guppies were used for genomic analysis (GWAS), and 44 genes were identified. Furthermore, 21 domestic guppies were used for transcriptomic analysis, and 874 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 357 upregulated and 517 downregulated genes. Through GO and KEGG enrichment, we identified some important terms or pathways mainly related to melanin biosynthesis and ion transport. qRT-PCR was also performed to verify the differential expression levels of four important candidate genes (TYR, OCA2, SLC45A2, and SLC24A5) between red-eyed and black-eyed guppies. Based on the results of genomic and transcriptomic analyses, we propose that OCA2 is the most important candidate gene for the red-eyed phenotype in guppies.

A new species of the Scinax cruentomma group (Anura: Hylidae) from the Ucayali River basin of Loreto, Peru.

We describe a new species of the Scinax cruentomma species group, with a red streak in the iris and a weakly bilobate vocal sac. It is known from oligotrophic soils in the sedimentary basin of the Ucayali River near Jenaro Herrera (province of Requena, Peru) and Ro Blanco (buffer zone of the Matses Indigenous territory and reserve). The new species can be distinguished from the other species of the S. cruentomma group by its small snout-vent length, body and iris color patterns, weakly bilobate vocal sac, myological characters, and the number of notes and pulses of the advertisement call. It is morphologically most similar to S. strussmannae, from which the advertisement call, nostril, canthus rostralis, and loreal region can distinguish it.