Mean Total Length Research Articles

An Observational Study of Skeletal Malformations in Four Semi-Intensively Reared Carp Species.

Cyprinids include some of the most widely farmed freshwater species. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of skeletal malformations in carp species reared in semi-intensive systems in Albania: common carp (Cyprinus carpio), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis). The common carp fingerlings had a mean total length of 28.9 ± 5.0 mm; the frequencies of individuals with at least one anomaly and at least one severe anomaly were 79.2% and 43.4%, respectively. The silver carp juveniles had a mean total length of 21.6 ± 2.1 mm; the frequencies of individuals with at least one anomaly and one severe anomaly were 93.1% and 57.5%, respectively. The grass carp fry had a mean total length of 33.5 ± 2.6 mm; all the analyzed specimens showed almost one anomaly and 86.4% showed at least one severe anomaly. The bighead carp juveniles had a mean total length of 34.4 ± 5.7 mm; the frequencies of individuals with at least one anomaly and at least one severe anomaly were 95.0% and 62.5%, respectively. The development of a more suitable feeding protocol for herbivorous species and the setting up of more efficient broodstock management protocols are suggested to reduce the high incidence of skeletal malformations.

Ecosystem-based fishery enhancement through pen culture of Indian major carp Labeo catla in a tropical floodplain wetland of North Eastern Region, India, during COVID pandemic.

The present study was conducted with the objective of developing ecologically and economically feasible pen culture protocols for Labeo catla as an alternate income source for wetland fishers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yearlings of L. catla (12.33 ± 1.99 cm mean total length and 26.05 ± 6.57 g mean weight) were reared in HDPE pens (500 m2 area each) at three different stocking densities of 3 (SD3), 6 (SD6) and 9 (SD9) no. m-2 in triplicates. Fishes were fed with floating pelleted feed containing 28% crude protein and 5% crude lipid two times daily at 1.5-3% of body weight. During the culture period, fish grew from 26.05 ± 6.57 to 434.61 ± 30.63 g, 306.13 ± 10.68 g and 221.13 ± 14.92 g, respectively, at stocking densities of 3, 6 and 9 no. m-2 respectively. Weight gain percentage and specific growth rate declined with increase in stocking density. Gross fish yield increased with increase in stocking density and was highest at SD9 (657.92 ± 53.55 kg pen-1), while net fish yield increased initially from SD3 to SD6 (594.31 ± 29.72 kg pen-1) and then declined with further increase in stocking density. Important water quality parameters influencing fish growth were measured, and significant difference (p > 0.05) was not observed between treatments (inside pens) and reference site (outside pen at 10-m distance). Weight gain was positively correlated (p < 0.05) to water temperature (r = 0.989) and total phosphorus (r = 0.81). Benefit cost ratio and net return was highest at SD3 (1.61; US $518.88, respectively). Stocking density of 3 no. m-2 can be considered economically feasible for table fish production of L. catla in pens. Post pen culture, monthly income of fishers increased by 10.76-179.11%, with a mean increase of 90.57%, compared to the period of first COVID-19 wave in India. The present findings can provide an impetus for effective utilization of pen enclosures for income generation and livelihood enhancement of small-scale wetland fishers during pandemic.

Chronic social isolation affects feeding behavior of juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Many organisms exhibit social behaviors and are part of some scheme of social structure. Zebrafish are highly social, shoaling fish and therefore, social isolation may have notable impacts on their physiology and behavior. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of social isolation on feed intake, monoaminergic system related gene expression, and intestinal health of juvenile zebrafish fed a high-inclusion soybean meal based diet. At 20 days post-fertilization zebrafish were randomly assigned to chronic isolation (1 fish per 1.5 L tank) or social housing (6 fish per 9 L tank) with 18 tanks per treatment group (n = 18). Dividers were placed between all tanks to prevent visual cues between fish. Zebrafish were fed a commercial fishmeal based diet until 35 days post-fertilization and then fed the experimental high-inclusion soybean meal based diet until 50 days post-fertilization. At the end of the experiment (51 days post-fertilization), the mean total length, weight, and weight gain were not significantly different between treatment groups. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly higher in chronic isolation fish than in social housing fish. Expression of monoaminergic and appetite-related genes were not significantly different between groups. The chronic isolation group showed higher expression of the inflammatory gene il-1b, however, average intestinal villi width was significantly smaller and average length-to-width ratio was significantly higher in chronic isolation fish, suggesting morphological signs of inflammation were not present at the time of sampling. These results indicate that chronic isolation positively affects feed intake of juvenile zebrafish and suggest that isolation may be useful in promoting feed intake of less-palatable diets such as those based on soybean meal.

Estimation of Crown Length, Root Length and Golden Divine Ratio in Extracted Permanent Maxillary and Mandibular Central Incisors: An In-vitro Study

Introduction: Human teeth serve many crucial functions, and aesthetics is one of these. Aesthetics and beauty are often correlated with the Golden Divine Ratio (GDR), a unique proportion hypothesised to exist in individuals or things with a harmonious appearance. Aim: To estimate the crown length, root length, and GDR in extracted human permanent maxillary and mandibular Central Incisors (CI) in the population of Tamil ethnicity from South India. Materials and Methods: This in-vitro cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology at Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from January 2023 to October 2023. The study included a total of 90 extracted human teeth from the Institutional tooth repository, out of which 27 were upper permanent CIs and the remaining 63 were mandibular CIs. Crown length and root length were measured using digital vernier calipers, and golden ratios were derived. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26.0. was used for descriptive analysis and deriving means and standard deviation. Results: The average crown length, root length, and total length of upper CIs were 8.06±0.09 mm, 13.01±1.47 mm, and 21.06±2.36 mm, respectively. For the remaining 63 extracted permanent mandibular CIs, the mean crown length, root length, and total length were 7.85±0.66 mm, 12.6±0.97 mm, and 20.45±1.49 mm, respectively. The Root-to-Crown (R/C) ratio and Total Length to Root Length (T/R) ratio approximated 1.618 for both sets of teeth. Conclusion: The crown length of maxillary and mandibular CIs from the Tamil population followed the golden ratio in the present study.

Toxicidade aguda da amônia total para pós-larvas de Macrobrachium rosenbergii em diferentes níveis de salinidades

Abstract Nitrogen compounds, particularly ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, are a major problem in shrimp production systems. These compounds can accumulate in the aquatic environment and reach harmful or even lethal levels. Thus, monitoring the levels of nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia and studying their effects on the animals are essential. One tool used for this purpose is acute toxicity testing based on the evaluation of LC50 values. Furthermore, tools that can help improve the performance of aquatic organisms in culture are needed. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of salinity on the toxicity of total ammonia to postlarvae of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. For this purpose, acute toxicity testing (LC50-96h) was performed using 540 postlarvae with a mean weight of 0.13 g and a mean total length of 2.47 cm, divided into 54 experimental units of two liters each. A completely randomized design in a 3×6 factorial scheme was used, combining three salinities (0, 5, and 10 g.L-1) and six total ammonia concentrations (0, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 mg.L-1), with three replicates per combination. The LC50 values for M. rosenbergii postlarvae at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h and their respective confidence intervals (95%) were estimated using the trimmed Spearman-Karber method. The results showed that salinities of 5 or 10 g.L-1 did not reduce the acute toxicity of total ammonia.

Some Population Parameters of Picked Dogfish (Squalus acanthias L. 1758) Incidentally Captured in Commercial Fisheries in Southern Black Sea Shores and a First Record of Angular Roughshark (Oxynotus centrina, L. 1758) for Black Sea

The study, which aimed to determine some population parameters of picked dogfish (Squalus acanthias L. 1758) distributed in the Black Sea, was carried out in the five fishing seasons (between 2016 and 2023 years). The sharks draw attention as a bycatch for all fishing gear used in the Black Sea. In the study, total length (cm), weight (g) and sex (female/male) data were obtained from the sharks captured with all fishing gears (demersal trawl, midwater trawl, gillnets purse seine, turbot gillnets, trammel nets and bottom) used in commercial fishing activities in the Black Sea of Türkiye. A total of 576 specimens were collected all fishing gears during the sampling period. Length-weight relationship (LWR) was founded as W=0.0097L2.8521 (R2 =0.9854) for all the picked dogfish. Also, mean total length 48.9±0.707 cm respectively. In addition, the first record of the angular roughshark (Oxynotus centrina, L. 1758) species was given for the Black Sea coasts, which originated in the western Atlantic, was seen in the Mediterranean, Aegean Sea and the Marmara Sea of Türkiye. The shark, which was accidentally caught with a purse seine net, measured as 33.5 cm in total length and weighed 585 g.

Numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer of MHD natural convection flow in a cavity with effects of source and sink

The study of fluid flow and heat transport is found in many engineering applications such as boilers, nuclear plants, thermal energy storage, and underground pipelines. This study focuses on investigating the effects of isothermal source and sink on natural convection and entropy generation for Casson fluids using the finite element method. Under these considerations, fins ensure the effectiveness of heat transfer systems and flow patterns. Results describe that a higher Ra value leads to promote heat and mass transfer while Ha has the opposite impact. By increasing Ha value, results to retard convective heat transfer. As the Lewis number increases, so does the entropy due to deformation and the Bejan number. The shape optimization study about fins is performed in detail. The aspect ratio of cold fins is varied from 1.25 to 7, found that length and width are nearly directly related to entropy, mass, and heat transfer rates. The correlation coefficient for mean Nusselt and Sherwood number versus sink width is 0.9942, very close to 1, showing a very close direct relationship. The linear regression coefficients for mean Nusselt, Sherwood number and total entropy versus sink lengths are (0.7484, 2.2343), (0.7706, 2.254) and (2.4927, 5.8662), respectively.

Sonographic features of abdominal organs in healthy captive Neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis).

This study aimed to assess the sonographic features of abdominal organs in healthy captive Neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis). The sonograph showed that the urinary bladder was located in the caudal abdomen and its content was uniformly anechoic. The bladder wall had three layers: outer hyperechoic serosa, hypoechoic muscular layer and hyperechoic mucosa. The mean total wall thickness was 0.10 cm. The splenic parenchyma had a homogeneous echotexture with greater echogenicity than that of the left renal cortex and liver. The borders were regular and tapered. Rugal folds were observed in the stomach when undistended. The mean gastric wall thickness was 0.28 cm and five distinct layers were visible. The liver had smooth contours, and division of the hepatic lobes was not precisely visualized. The hepatic parenchyma had a homogeneous echotexture with greater echogenicity as compared to the right kidney and lesser echogenicity than that of the spleen. The gallbladder appeared as an oval or rounded structure in the transverse plane, filled with homogeneous anechogenic content; the wall was thin, regular and hyperechoic, with a mean thickness of 0.09 cm. The kidneys had a lobulated appearance with renicular subunits. The mean total length of the kidneys in longitudinal plane was 6.18 cm for the left and 6.27 cm for the right. Each reniculus was covered by an echogenic capsule, and the medullary region was more hypoechogenic than the cortical region. In conclusion, sonographic features in most of the abdominal organs in Neotropical otters are similar to the ultrasound patterns observed in healthy dogs and cats, except for kidneys with reniculi.

Trypanosomiasis: An emerging disease in Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba) nestlings in Switzerland?

Alpine swifts (Tachymarptis melba) are sub-Saharan migratory birds, which, in Switzerland, nest in colonies that have been continuously monitored for over 40 years. In the summer of 2022, despite favourable environmental conditions, an unexpectedly high number of sudden mortalities (30–80%) occurred in 20 to 45-day-old nestlings from several nesting sites, of which 3 were monitored in detail. Nestlings submitted for post-mortem analysis (n = 5) were in good body condition but exhibited extensive subcutaneous haematomas (n = 5), myocardial petechiae (n = 2) and stunted growth of primary feathers (n = 1). In all birds, 4–5 μm large, amastigote-like protozoans were identified in skeletal and cardiac muscle sections. These tissues tested positive in a PCR targeting the 18S-rRNA gene of Trypanosoma spp. Amplified sequences showed 99.63% identity with sequences of Trypanosoma corvi (JN006854 and AY461665) and Trypanosoma sp. (AJ620557, JN006841). 72 blood smears of 45-day-old nestlings from two colonies were assessed, of which 20 contained trypomastigote forms, some with high parasitaemia (highest average of 56.4 in 10 high power fields, 400x magnification). Trypomastigote morphometrics (n = 36; mean total length = 30.0 μm; length of free flagellum = 5.8 μm) were consistent with those of T. bouffardi. These findings suggest that an avian trypanosomiasis causing mass nestling mortality could be an emerging disease in Swiss Alpine swift populations.

Disease burden of bacteraemia with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in Korea

Despite the significant impact of multi-drug-resistant bacteraemia, especially extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), the burden of disease has not been investigated thoroughly. To evaluate the clinical outcomes and socio-economic burden of ESBL-E and CRE bacteraemia nationwide in the Republic of Korea. A search was undertaken for all cases of ESBL-E and CRE bacteraemia and matched controls in 10 hospitals in the Republic of Korea over 6 months. Patients with ESBL-E or CRE bacteraemia were classified as the R group, and matched controls with antibiotic-susceptible bacteraemia and without infection were classified as the S and N groups, respectively. Patients' clinical data were collected, and the economic burden was estimated based on medical expenses, loss of productivity and total costs. In total, 795 patients were identified, including 265 patients with ESBL-E or CRE bacteraemia and their matched controls. The mean total length of stay for patients with ESBL-E and CRE in the R group was 1.53 and 1.90 times that of patients in the S group, respectively. The 90-day mortality rates for ESBL-E in the R and S groups were 12.1% and 5.6%, respectively, and the corresponding figures for CRE were 28.6% and 12.0%. There were significant differences in the total costs between the R, S and N groups for both ESBL-E and CRE (ESBL-E: $11,151 vs $8712 vs $6063, P=0.004; CRE: $40,464 vs $8748 vs $7279, P=0.024). The clinical and economic burden imposed by ESBL-E or CRE bacteraemia was extremely high. These findings suggest that efforts to control resistant bacteraemia are necessary to reduce this burden.

Using “Appointment Tickets” to Track Visit Duration as a Quality Improvement Initiative After Incorporating Laser Epilation in a Pilonidal Care Clinic

BackgroundLaser epilation (LE) is effective in decreasing pilonidal disease (PD) recurrence, but laser use has not been a standard practice in pediatric surgery clinic. We hypothesized that “appointment tickets” can 1) track utilization and clinic visit delays, 2) inform patients of their clinic progress in real time. MethodsAn observation study was performed on LE patients treated at our PD clinic 3/2021-7/2022. Two exam rooms were utilized for manual shaving and one for LE. After gluteal cleft hair shaving, various anesthetic (topical lidocaine, ice, or cryotherapy) was applied prior/during LE. At each visit, patient received an “appointment ticket” on which providers recorded the visit start/end time, manual shaving duration, local anesthetic application/wait time, LE duration. Visits were scheduled for 20 min-slots. Clinic staff recorded any delays (>20 min). Results1317 visits were recorded. Mean number of visits per week was 18 ± 6. Mean total visit length was 60 ± 22 min, mean shaving time 15 ± 11 min, mean anesthetic application/wait time 16 ± 11 min, mean LE time 14 ± 9 min. Over the study period, average visit length has decreased, and average visits/clinic day has increased. Most delays occurred in months April, May, October–December. Delays due to patient late arrival occurred in May, July, and August of 2021, none in 2022. ConclusionsLE visits have multiple components that required close coordination to ensure no clinic delays. Clinic delays spiked prior to summer and winter holidays. “Appointment tickets” provided patients with real-time visit progress tracked clinic utilization to improve the quality of pilonidal care delivery. Level of evidenceLevel IV.

Effects of a Multidisciplinary Stewardship Program on the Prevention of Delirium in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary practice bundle on the incidence of delirium in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS This retrospective observational study evaluated patients admitted to the PICU with Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD) scoring. A multidisciplinary practice bundle was implemented involving pharmacists, nurses, and providers. Study endpoints included CAPD scores greater than or equal to 9, length of hospital stay, and days spent in the PICU. RESULTS The study included 192 patients. The pre-intervention mean CAPD score was 3.59, maximum of 24 (range, 0–24), and 4.5% of patients had a score ≥9. The post-intervention mean score was 4.04, maximum of 21 (range, 0–21), and 9.6% of patients had a score ≥9. The pre-intervention mean total length of hospital stay was 8.7 days, maximum of 149 days (range, 0–149); the mean number of days spent in PICU was 4.5 days, and maximum days in PICU was 89 days (range, 0–89). The post-intervention mean total length of hospital stay was 8.8 days, maximum of 57 days (range, 0–57); the mean number of days spent in PICU was 3.9 days, and maximum days in PICU was 31 days (range, 0–31). CONCLUSIONS Implementation of a multidisciplinary practice bundle, the use of CAPD scores, and the stewardship of high-risk patients increased overall awareness of the occurrence of pediatric delirium in the PICU and reduced length of stay in the intensive care unit and therefore reduced cost for families and the institute.

Abdominal testicular vessel distribution in human fetuses - basis for fowler-Stephens surgery.

To analyze the histology and distribution of abdominal testicular vessels in human fetuses Patients and Methods: We studied 19 fetuses (34 testes) ranging in age from 12 to 19 weeks post-conception. The fetuses were evaluated regarding crown-rump length (CRL), total length (TL) and body weight immediately before dissection. Each testis was dissected and embedded in paraffin, from which 5 μm thick sections were obtained and stained with Masson's trichrome and Anti-CD31 antibody to quantify the vessels. The stereological analysis was carried out with the Image Pro and Image J programs, using a grid to determine volumetric densities (Vv). Means were statistically compared using the unpaired T-test (p<0.05). The fetuses presented mean weight of 222.5g, mean CRL of 15.3 cm and mean TL of 23.2 cm. All testes were in the abdominal position. The mean percentage of vessels (Vv) in the upper portion of the testis was 7.6% (4.6 to 15%) and in the lower portion the mean was 5.11% (2.3 to 9.8%), with a significant difference (p=0.0001). In the analysis between the upper portion of the right and left testes (p=0.99) and in the analysis of the lower portion of the right and left testes (p=0.83), we did not observe significant differences. The upper portion of the abdominal testis in human fetuses had a higher concentration of vessels than the lower portion. These results suggest that manipulation of the lower end of the testis during Fowler-Stephens surgery should be avoided in order to preserve the collateral circulation.

Cisco population characteristics in Wisconsin lakes in relation to lake‐ and landscape‐level factors

AbstractObjectiveDeclines in Cisco Coregonus artedi populations in some inland lakes have prompted assessments of Cisco occurrence and extirpation risk in relation to various stressors to identify refuge lakes and factors that promote Cisco persistence. However, most previous assessments have focused on presence–absence of Cisco rather than examining how population characteristics, such as relative abundance or growth, might change in relation to lake‐ and landscape‐level environmental factors. Consequently, our specific objectives were to identify important environmental factors explaining variation in Cisco relative abundance and growth and to determine whether population metrics describing size and age distributions were related to relative abundance in Wisconsin inland lakes.MethodsCisco were collected from 48 inland Wisconsin lakes during 2011–2015 using vertical monofilament gill nets and population‐specific relative abundance estimates (catch per unit effort [CPUE]) were quantified as the number of individuals per gill‐net night. Sagittal otoliths were removed from a subsample of Cisco for age estimation and growth was indexed as mean total length (TL; mm) at age 2. Length and age data were used to develop a suite of metrics describing size and age distributions of each population. Random forest models were used to evaluate relationships between 10 biologically relevant predictor variables representing variation in physical, climatic, catchment, and limnological characteristics and Cisco CPUE and growth. Pearson correlations were used to determine whether population characteristics were related to CPUE.ResultCisco populations exhibited large variation in relative abundance, growth, and size and age distributions. Best‐fit random forest models explained approximately 25% of the variation in Cisco CPUE and 46% of the variation in growth. Growing degree‐days and variables associated with availability, quality, and quantity of suitable oxythermal conditions were identified as important predictors of both Cisco CPUE and growth; CPUE was also identified as an important predictor of growth. Mean TL and mean TL at age 2 were negatively related to Cisco CPUE, whereas mean age, number of age‐classes present, and maximum observed age were positively related to CPUE.ConclusionOur results suggest that maintenance of suitable oxythermal habitat conditions may be critical to conserving abundant Cisco populations. Our assessment also provides insights on how Cisco populations may respond to environmental and anthropogenic stressors, which could aid ongoing and future conservation and management efforts in Wisconsin and elsewhere.

Rapid changes in age structure, mortality, and escapement accompanied stock recovery of the estuarine Red Drum population of Texas

AbstractObjectiveWe analyzed a fishery‐independent catch time series in the context of predicted historical age structure of Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus for the years 1980–2019. This time series roughly coincided with closure of the commercial fishery in Texas (in 1981) and federal waters (in 1987). Changes in size and age were used to estimate changes in mortality and offshore escapement.MethodsOtoliths collected from Red Drum between 1997 and 2015 in Texas were used to create seasonal length‐at‐age growth functions, which were then used to estimate ages (based on total length) of all Red Drum encountered in fishery‐independent gill‐net samples collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department during 1980–2019 (total n = 311,150). Temporal changes in observed body size and overall catch were used to predict annualized changes in mean age, mortality, and offshore escapement of the estuarine population.ResultThe initial 14‐year period (1980–1993) was characterized by rapid increases in mean catch per hour and mean total length (mm) in fishery‐independent samples, followed by relative stability for the remainder of the time series. There was a 55% increase in estimated mean age of Red Drum when comparing 1980 (mean age = 0.84 year) to 2019 (1.30 years). There were also rapid and significant declines in total mortality (Z; estimated via catch curves) and increases in offshore escapement (estimated indirectly from mortality) in the initial recovery period.ConclusionThe current estuarine population of Red Drum in Texas is significantly larger and older than it was at the onset of fishery management measures, and offshore escapement is annually well above the current target level of 30% set by the federal fisheries management plan. These findings suggest that regulations put into effect starting in the 1980s have succeeded in recovering the estuarine Red Drum population in Texas.

An Overview of the Status of Sturgeons and Cetaceans Accidentally Captured in Southern Black Sea Coastal Zone of Türkiye

This study was conducted out in the southern Black Sea coastal zone, in 2011-2016 fishing seasons. In the study, bycatch of sturgeons and cetaceans were examined both in small scale (turbot gillnets) and large scale (trawlers) fisheries. During the fishing operations within the study, 66 sturgeons (41 Danube sturgeon - Acipenser gueldenstaedtii and 25 starry sturgeon - Acipenser stellatus) and 49 cetaceans (40 harbor porpoises - Phocoena phocoena relicta and 9 short beaked dolphin - Delphinus delphis ponticus) were captured. Length-weight relationships of Danube sturgeon and starry sturgeon were determined as W=0.0123L2.8808 (R=0.9964, negative allometric growth) and W=0.0345L2.5351 (R=0.9961, negative allometric growth), respectively. Mean total length were calculated as 60.02±1.04 cm for Danube sturgeons, 46.42±1.17 cm for starry sturgeon and mean fork length were established as 126.75±3.36 cm for harbor porpoises, 163.74±1.42 cm for short beaked dolphins in the study.

De novo sequencing, assembly, and characterization of Asparagus racemosus transcriptome and analysis of expression profile of genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway.

Asparagus racemosus is known for its diverse content of secondary metabolites, i.e., saponins, alkaloids, and a wide range of flavonoids. Flavonoids, including phenols and polyphenols, have a significant role in plant physiology and are synthesized in several tissues. Despite the diverse role of flavonoids, genetic information is limited for flavonoid biosynthesis pathways in A. racemosus. The current study explores full-scale functional genomics information of A. racemosus by de novo transcriptome sequencing using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology to elucidate the genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. The de novo assembly of high-quality paired-end reads resulted in ∼2.3 million high-quality reads with a pooled transcript of 45,647 comprising ∼76Mb transcriptome with a mean length (bp) of 1,674 and N50 of 1,868bp. Furthermore, the coding sequence (CDS) prediction analysis from 45,647 pooled transcripts resulted in 45,444 CDS with a total length and mean length of 76,398,686 and 1,674, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis resulted in a high number of CDSs assigned to 25,342 GO terms, which grouped the predicted CDS into three main domains, i.e., Biological Process (19,550), Molecular Function (19,873), and Cellular Component (14,577). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database was used to categorize 6,353 CDS into 25 distinct biological pathway categories, in which the majority of mapped CDS were shown to be related to translation (645), followed by signal transduction (532), carbohydrate metabolism (524), folding, sorting, and degradation (522). Among these, only ∼64 and 14 CDSs were found to be involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, respectively. Quantitative Real-time PCR was used to check the expression profile of fourteen potential flavonoid biosynthesis pathway genes. The qRT-PCR analysis result matches the transcriptome sequence data validating the Illumina sequence results. Moreover, a large number of genes associated with the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway were found to be upregulated under the induction of methyl jasmonate. The present-day study on transcriptome sequence data of A. racemosus can be utilized for characterizing genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways and for functional genomics analysis in A. racemosus using the reverse genetics approach (CRISPR/Cas9 technology).

Morphological features and length-weight relationships of &lt;i&gt;Sarotherodon galilaeus&lt;/i&gt; from Oyan Lake, Southwestern Nigeria

Oyan Lake is one of the major sources of fish protein supply to many parts of Southwestern Nigeria. Investigation was conducted on the biometrics, length-weight relationship and condition factor of Sarotherodon galilaeus in Oyan Lake. Fish samples were obtained from fishermen using gillnets, hook and line, cast nets and traps. One hundred and thirty samples of S. galilaeus were collected for the study, comprising eighty-three (83) males and forty-seven (47) females with sex ratio of 1:0.57 (male:female). The mean total lengths for combined sexes, males and females were 15.5±0.15, 15.7±0.19 and 15.3±0.26cm while the mean total weights were 81.0±2.78, 83.8±0.56 and 75.9±4.70g, respectively. No significant difference (p&gt;0.05) was observed between mean total lengths of males and females. However, mean weight of males was significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) than females. Mean eye diameter (EYD) and length of caudal peduncle (LCP) were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) in females. The range of number of pectoral rays (PRA) (12-14), number of pelvic rays (PVR) (4-5), number of anal spines (ANS) (2-3) and number of pelvic spines (PEVS) (1, no range) were the same in both sexes. There was strong correlation between weight/total length (r=0.93) and total length/length of dorsal fin base (r=0.72), while there was no correlation between body depth/head length. The mean condition factor (k) were 2.07±0.02 (combined sexes), 2.08±0.03 (males) and 2.03±0.03 (females). Growth was isometric for both sexes: males, 3.24 and females, 3.06. The results suggested that Oyan Lake is suitable for S. galilaeus.

Intra- and interobserver reproducibility of transvaginal ultrasound for the detection and measurement of endometriotic lesions of the bowel.

The number and invasion depth of endometriotic bowel lesions, total length of bowel affected by endometriosis, lesion-to-anal verge distance, and extent of pouch of Douglas obliteration are important factors in preoperatively determining risk and complexity of endometriosis surgery. The intra- and interobserver reproducibility of transvaginal ultrasound in the evaluation of many of these parameters has not yet been investigated. Our study aimed to assess the intra- and interobserver reproducibility of transvaginal ultrasound between an experienced and less experienced examiner for all of these parameters. This prospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2019 and November 2020. Fifty consecutive premenopausal women who underwent transvaginal ultrasound examination in our clinic for the first time, were examined by the same two operators during the same attendance. Outcomes of interest were the inter-rater reproducibility of transvaginal ultrasound for detecting the presence, number, depth and size of bowel endometriotic nodules, lesion-to-anal-verge distance, total length of bowel affected, and pouch of Douglas obliteration. The intraobserver reproducibility was assessed for the continuous parameters. Cohen's kappa (κ) statistic, Cohen's weighted kappa (κ), proportions of agreement, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman limits of agreement were used to assess the reproducibility of the parameters. The inter-rater agreement and reliability were very good for identifying bowel endometriosis, the number and invasion depth of bowel nodules, determining whether the maximum nodule length was <3 cm, and lesion-to-anal-verge distance <8 cm (proportion of agreement 0.92, 0.94, 0.97, 0.94, 0.96; κ 0.92, 0.91, 0.92, 0.82, 0.89). The inter-rater agreement and reliability were good for assessing pouch of Douglas obliteration (proportion of agreement 0.86, κ 0.80). The intra-rater reliability for the mean nodule diameter (ICC 0.93 and 0.97) and total length of bowel affected (ICC 0.94 and 0.91) were excellent for operators A and B, respectively. The inter-rater reliability for the mean nodule diameter was good (ICC 0.80), and moderate for the total length of bowel affected (ICC 0.70). The Bland-Altman limits of agreement demonstrated clinically acceptable ranges for these two parameters. This study demonstrated a high intra- and inter-rater reproducibility of transvaginal ultrasound in the diagnosis of bowel endometriosis and measurement of its various components.

CT-guided Transgluteal Prostate Fiducial Marker Insertion for Localized Radiation Therapy.

To Evaluate the safety and technical success of transgluteal CT-guided fiducial marker implantation into the prostate as an alternative method to transperineal and transrectal approaches. We retrospectively identified all patients who had undergone CT-guided transgluteal fiducial marker insertion between 2020 and 2022. Four patients with confirmed prostate cancer were identified. One radiologist performed all procedures via a bilateral transgluteal approach under the guidance of real-time CT-fluoroscopy. Twenty cm long pre-waxed 18G guiding needles, preloaded with smooth gold fiducial markers, were used to implant markers. Technical success was defined as the successful placement of the fiducial markers into the planned positions. The mean age of patients was 70years. The mean procedure time was 19.25 (SD: 6.75)min, and the mean total dose length product (DLP) was 801.75 (SD: 291.17) mGycm, which is compatible with the 12mSv estimated effective dose. All procedures were technically successful (100%). All patients tolerated the procedure and did not require any analgesia for pain, and there were no requests to stop or pause the procedure. Only one patient reported hematuria one day after the procedure, which required no treatment. Transgluteal CT-guided fiducial marker implantation into the prostate is an alternative method to transperineal and transrectal approaches. In this technique, the risk of septic complications is minor, and general anesthesia is not required. Thus, transgluteal CT-guided marker insertion is a feasible and well-tolerated method for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in patients with prostate cancer.