Reproductive Habits Research Articles

Factors associated with being diagnosed with high severity of breast cancer: a population-based study in Queensland, Australia.

This study explores factors that are associated with the severity of breast cancer (BC) at diagnosis. Interviews were conducted among women (n = 3326) aged 20-79 diagnosed with BC between 2011 and 2013 in Queensland, Australia. High-severity cancers were defined as either Stage II-IV, Grade 3, or having negative hormone receptors at diagnosis. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of high severity BC for variables relating to screening, lifestyle, reproductive habits, family history, socioeconomic status, and area disadvantage. Symptom-detected women had greater odds (OR 3.38, 2.86-4.00) of being diagnosed with high-severity cancer than screen-detected women. Women who did not have regular mammograms had greater odds (OR 1.78, 1.40-2.28) of being diagnosed with high-severity cancer than those who had mammograms biennially. This trend was significant in both screen-detected and symptom-detected women. Screen-detected women who were non-smokers (OR 1.77, 1.16-2.71), postmenopausal (OR 2.01, 1.42-2.84), or employed (OR 1.46, 1.15-1.85) had greater odds of being diagnosed with high-severity cancer than those who were current smokers, premenopausal, or unemployed. Symptom-detected women being overweight (OR 1.67, 1.31-2.14), postmenopausal (OR 2.01, 1.43-2.82), had hormone replacement therapy (HRT) < 2years (OR 1.60, 1.02-2.51) had greater odds of being diagnosed with high-severity cancer than those of healthy weight, premenopausal, had HRT > 10years. Screen-detected women and women who had mammograms biennially had lower odds of being diagnosed with high-severity breast cancer, which highlighted the benefit of regular breast cancer screening. Women in subgroups who are more likely to have more severe cancers should be particularly encouraged to participate in regular mammography screening.

Batch spawning in five species of minnows (Cyprinidae) from Ontario, Canada

Batch spawning, the act of spawning more than once within a spawning season, is assessed in six species of minnows (Cyprinidae) from Ontario, Canada. The bimodal frequency distribution of egg size in mature specimens suggests that the following species are batch spawners: Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), Brassy Minnow (Hybognathus hankinsoni), Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus), Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and Hornyhead Chub (Nocomis biguttatus). However, there is no evidence that Northern Pearl Dace (Margariscus nachtriebi) is a batch spawner. Thus, we now have evidence that 11 of 39 cyprinid species in Ontario are batch spawners. Knowledge about the reproductive habits of these species should be integrated into the comprehensive standards for the protection of fish habitat in Ontario to ensure the survival of populations.

Unisexual flower initiation in the monoecious Quercus suber L.: a molecular approach.

Several plant species display a temporal separation of the male and female flower organ development to enhance outbreeding; however, little is known regarding the genetic mechanisms controlling this temporal separation. Quercus suber is a monoecious oak tree with accentuated protandry: in late winter, unisexual male flowers emerge adjacent to the swollen buds, whereas unisexual female flowers emerge in the axils of newly formed leaves formed during spring (4-8weeks after male flowering). Here, a phylogenetic profiling has led to the identification of cork oak homologs of key floral regulatory genes. The role of these cork oak homologs during flower development was identified with functional studies in Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression profile throughout the year of flower regulators (inducers and repressors), in leaves and buds, suggests that the development of male and female flowers may be preceded by separated induction events. Female flowers are most likely induced during the vegetative flush occurring in spring, whereas male flowers may be induced in early summer. Male flowers stay enclosed within the pre-dormant buds, but complete their development before the vegetative flush of the following year, displaying a long period of anthesis that spans the dormant period. Our results portray a genetic mechanism that may explain similar reproductive habits in other monoecious tree species.

Comparison of Chemical Composition and Safety Issues in Fish Roe Products: Application of Chemometrics to Chemical Data.

Processed fish roes are acquiring considerable importance in the modern food market, entering more and more often as an ingredient in food preparation and as caviar substitutes. In this study, we defined quality, traceability and safety issues related to processed fish roe products from different species. The results obtained allowed to distinguish eggs originated from different fish species and to discriminate between fish roes and caviar samples obtained from four different sturgeons species. We observed that roes showed a trend of grouping according to ecological and reproductive habits of fish species. We highlighted the differences between eggs originated by farmed and freshwater fish, enriched in n6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and all the others, in which n3 PUFAs were prevalent. In addition, we evaluated processed fish roes under a food safety point of view, combining microbiological analysis with the determination of organic acids, used in some products as authorized preservatives. Microbiological characterization has proved a general good hygienic level for these products. Organic acids determination showed values in compliance with European Union (EU) regulations in almost of samples; in some cases, we found a mismatch between the organic acids detected and what was reported in labels. Processed fish roes could be considered a safe product that can provide to human nutrition a valuable content of essential fatty acids.

A Genetic Assessment of Missouri's Lake Sturgeon after 30 Years of Restoration Releases

AbstractThe Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens is native to three major watersheds in the USA: the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River drainages. However, they have declined across much of their range due to overfishing, pollution, and major river alterations. After their near extirpation in Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation initiated a reintroduction program to restore the Lake Sturgeon in the state's largest waterways. From 1984 to 2015, offspring originating from Lake Winnebago (1984–2001) and from upper Mississippi River tributaries (2004–2015) were reared in captivity and released into portions of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. After 32 years of restorative releases, we screened Lake Sturgeon samples from the state of Missouri by using 11 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA control region sequences. We examined overall genetic diversity and genetic structure of Lake Sturgeon captured in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers for differences between rivers and among groups within rivers. We found high levels of genetic diversity within both rivers, with very little genetic differentiation between them. Higher‐than‐average relatedness within sample groups and heterozygote excess were consistent with the pattern expected from stocked fish and suggested that closely related fish may have aggregated at stocking sites. We detected two genetic groups in Missouri, reflecting the change in stock source. Haplotypes that may be unique to the Mississippi and Ohio River systems were observed at very low frequencies. Though largely the product of stocking, reproductively mature Lake Sturgeon will likely have sufficient genetic diversity and will have experienced selection pressures in Missouri's large rivers, making them the most appropriate source for further supplementation if it is deemed necessary. We recommend continued research and monitoring of reproductive habits and preservation of multiple spawning sites to continue the long path toward a self‐sustaining Lake Sturgeon population in Missouri's waters.

Reproductive Notes on Bats from the Genus Lasiurus in Louisiana

Little is known about the reproductive habits of the 4 species of bat in the genus Lasiurus that live in Louisiana. We examined reproductive notes from specimen records for the eastern red bat (L. borealis), the Seminole bat (L. seminolus), the northern yellow bat (L. intermedius), and the hoary bat (L. cinereus). We found that gestation and partuition happen between May and June for all species. Lactating and postlactating individuals and juveniles were mostly captured in late June or July. Typically, litter sizes range from 3 to 4 pups for both L. borealis and L. intermedius and from 1 to 3 pups for L. seminolus. Males for all species became scrotal in early fall between August and October, suggesting that fertilization is delayed till the spring. However, we do provide evidence that copulation may also occur in early spring for L. intermedius.

Phylogenetic position of Aculamprotula polysticta, comb. res. (Bivalvia : Unionidae) inferred from phylogenetic relationships in Unionida

Accurate phylogenies are important for understanding the evolutionary histories of organisms, their reproductive traits and ecological habits. The freshwater mussel order Unionida is currently thought to include six families. However, assignment of particular species to these families has been unstable, particularly for species that have been described solely on conchological characters. Unio polystictus Heude, 1877 represents such a species. Based on DNA sequence data from five genes (COI, 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and histone H3) and complete mitochondrial genomes, we investigated the phylogenetic position and generic affinities of U. polystictus using various analytical methods. Both the five-gene and mitogenome datasets strongly supported transferring U. polystictus from Margaritiferidae to Unionidae as Aculamprotula polysticta, comb. res. Our results also supported the following intrageneric relationships: (Aculamprotula tortuosa, ((Aculamprotula polysticta, Aculamprotula scripta), (Aculamprotula fibrosa, Aculamprotula tientsinersis))). In addition, by comparing the morphological features of Aculamprotula (Unionidae, Unioninae), Lamprotula (Unionidae, Gonideinae) and Gibbosula (Margaritiferidae, Gibbosulinae) species, potential issues of relying solely on shell morphology for high-level classification of freshwater mussels are highlighted. Confirmation of classification position and genetic relationship for Aculamprotula polysticta will helpful to understand the ecological characteristics, reproductive strategies and host-fish requirements, which can be inferred from closely related taxa.

Doğu Akdeniz'den Kısa Yüzgeçli Mako Köpekbalığının (Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810) Biyolojisi

Shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810, is one of the commercially and recreationally important shark species in the world. Still knowledge on its biology and status is limited in the eastern Mediterranean. Three individuals were caught from Turkish waters. Two individuals (one female and one male) stomach contents, morphological measurements and female’ gonad histology were studied. According to the results from macroscopic examination and gonad histology, the female was a Stage 1-immature, and smallest female ever recorded from Turkish waters. In addition, phylogenetic network of mitochondrial haplotypes was constructed for all three individuals. The phylogenetic network analysis supported that the species having a metapopulation as mentioned in previous studies. Since every information is critical for development of conservation actions aiming endangered species, we believe that our study will contribute to the limited knowledge on I. oxyrinchus biology and reproduction habits in Eastern Mediterranean.

Reproductive biology of pequira Bryconamericus stramineus (Eigenmann, 1908) in Funil Reservoir-MG, Brazil.

In order to evaluate aspects of reproductive biology of the "pequira" ( Bryconamericus stramineus) in the elevator of the Funil Dam - MG, fish capture was carried out from November 2008 to January 2009 and 317 individuals were collected. The mean standard length (SL) of the population was 4.96 cm and mean weight 1.80 g. The females had SL of 5.0 cm, while males had a SL of 4.6 cm. A sex ratio of 2.20: 1 (females: male) was observed. Our results show that 73% of the individuals analyzed were considered adults. The species presented low fecundity, mean of 470.9 oocytes per female and a mean diameter of 221.08 μm, with an increase in oocyte diameter over the evaluation period. The length of the first gonadal maturation was estimated at 5.0 cm. The results obtained in this work suggest that the reproductive cycle of the species occurs in the analyzed period. Although this species does not have migratory reproductive habits, the presence of adults in the reproductive stage was observed in the transposition area, which suggests a search for new environments for spawning.

Standardizing a Non-Lethal Method for Characterizing the Reproductive Status and Larval Development of Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida).

Actively monitoring the timing, development, and reproductive patterns of endangered species is critical when managing for population recovery. Freshwater mussels are among the most imperiled organisms in the world, but information about early larval (glochidial) development and brooding periods is still lacking for many species. Previous studies have focused on the complex life history stage when female mussels are ready to parasitize host fish, but few studies have focused on the brooding period and timing of larval development. The protocol described here allows researchers to non-lethally evaluate the state of gravidity for female mussels. The results of this study show that this method does not affect a female mussel's ability to stay gravid or become gravid again after sampling has been performed. The advantage of this method may permit its use on federally threatened or endangered species or other populations of high conservation concern. This protocol can be adapted for use on both preserved or live individuals and was tested on a variety of mussel species. The database provided is a repository for a breadth of information on timing of reproductive habits and will facilitate future freshwater mussel research, conservation, and recovery efforts.

Patterns of nucleotide diversity for different domains of centromeric histone H3 (CENH3) gene in Secale L.

Rye (Secale) is among staple cereals along with other members of the Triticeae tribe: wheat and barley. The genus Secale includes perennial and annual, cross-pollinating and self-pollinating species, and they can be donors of valuable genes in wheat and rye breeding programs. Studies of the structure of the gene for centromeric histone H3 (CENH3), essential for centromere functions, are relevant to the breeding of agronomically important crops. We have investigated the nucleotide diversity of sequences of two variants of the rye CENH3 gene inside the N-terminal tail (NTT) and the conservative HFD (histone fold domain) domain in the genus Secale. The mean values of nucleotide diversity in the NTT and HFD of wild cross- and self-pollinating taxa are close in αCENH3: πtot = 0.0176–0.0090 and 0.0136–0. 0052, respectively. In the case of βCENH3, the mean values for NTT (πtot = 0.0168–0.0062) are lower than for HFD (πtot = 0.0259–0.084). The estimates of nucleotide and haplotype diversity per site for the CENH3 domains are considerably lower in taxa with narrow geographic ranges: S. cereale subsp. dighoricum and S. strictum subsp. kuprijanovii. Commercial breeding reduces the nucleotide sequence variability in αCENH3 and βCENH3. Cultivated rye varieties have π values within 0.0122–0.0014. The nucleotide and haplotype diversity values in αCENH3 and βCENH3 are close in S. sylvestre, which is believed to be the oldest rye species. The results of this study prove that the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms and nucleotide diversity of sequences in genes for CENH3 in Secale species are influenced by numerous factors, including reproduction habits, the geographic isolation of taxa, breeding, and the evolutionary age of species.

Governing and disciplining Filipino migrant workers’ health at Hawaiian sugar plantations

Abstract This paper examines an attempt by the Hawaiian sugar plantations to govern and discipline deficient bodies of Filipino workers and their families. Mobilising Foucault’s (1977; 1991) notions of governmentality and discipline, the paper analyses how the diet and reproductive habits of migrant Filipino workers became legitimate, feasible and necessary problems for plantation management to address and medical experts to cure. Filipino workers were a confined population who were a target of constant observation from the time when they left their country for work in the Hawaiian sugar plantations to the time when, having served their work contracts, they returned home. They were vulnerable to a number of control techniques. This paper exposes how accounting in coalition with statistical and medical knowledge, was implicated in such bid to govern and discipline a privately enclosed subject of its gaze.

Nesting and reproductive habits of the solitary bee Centris analis in trap nests under a tropical climate

Pollination is a key factor in global agricultural production, and there is a need to increase the number of bee species that can be bred for pollination in agriculture, such as the oil-collecting solitary bee Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804). In this study, the nesting and reproductive behavior of the bee were studied under tropical conditions, with the aim of producing information for breeding and using C. analis for crop pollination. The study was conducted from May to October 2017, using trap nests and daily observations from 5.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. of nest occupation and building, foraging trips in the field and interactions between individuals and kleptoparasites. The results showed that the bees easily colonize and nest in trap nests for an extended period of the year under tropical conditions, and that the use of this type of nest makes it possible to multiply populations of this species for their potential use in crop pollination. However, sources of floral oil and the availability of nesting sites have both proved to be limiting factors to population growth in this species on bee farms.

NUEVOS MARCADORES MITOCONDRIALES MEJORAN LA FILOGENIA DE LA TORTUGA CAREY Eretmochelys imbricata (TESTUDINES: CHELONIIDAE)

The sea turtles (Cheloniidae) are a group of seven species of cretaceous origin. Analyses of partial mitochondrial sequences have revealed phylogenetic inconsistences within this group. Nevertheless, these mitochondrial markers have allowed us to understand, explain and clarify population composition in areas of foraging, reproductive habits, inferences of migration patterns and, also, to define management units in the world, in order to trace conservation and monitoring plans. In this study, four methods were evaluated and compared for phylogenetic inference (Neighbor-Joining-NJ, Maximum Likelihood-ML, Maximum Parsimony-MP and Bayesian inference-BI) by using coding genes, ribosomal genes and full mitogenomes of the hawksbill, E. imbricata, and other six species of sea turtles obtained from GenBank. The sequences were analyzed independently and jointly to identify the method and marker that better explain the phylogenetic relationships among this group of reptiles. The NJ, ML, MP and BI trees showed that ND2, COX1, 16S rRNA, ND5, 12S rRNA, ND4 and COX3 are the markers that give phylogenetic trees with better resolution and support, with bootstrap values ranging from 89.0% to 99.98%. ATP6, ATP8, COX2, ND1, ND3, ND5 and ND4L genes presented polytomies. The analysis with full mitogenome often provides highly supported trees (bootstrap 98.0%) compared with single marker analysis. Trees obtained with the BI method and the ND2 gene is the one that better resolved the evolutionary relationships among the species, consolidating the position of E. imbricata within the Carettini tribe with a value of posterior probability of 0.98-1.0. The markers ND2, ND4, ND5 and COIII, not used in previous works, represent a new alternative to explain the phylogeny in this group of marine reptiles. In the present study, a complete mitogenome analysis produced robust and highly supported trees. Key words: phylogenetic relationships, Eretmochelys imbricate, mitogenoma, sea turtles, bootstrap, polytomies

Genotyping-by-sequencing highlights patterns of genetic structure and domestication in artichoke and cardoon.

Exploiting the biodiversity of crops and their wild relatives is fundamental for maintaining and increasing food security. The species Cynara cardunculus includes three taxa: the globe artichoke, one of the most important Mediterranean vegetables, the leafy cardoon, and the wild cardoon. In this study, genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was successfully applied to reveal thousands of polymorphisms in a C. cardunculus germplasm collection, including 65 globe artichoke, 9 leafy cardoon, and 21 wild cardoon samples. The collection showed a strong population structure at K = 2, separating the globe artichoke from the leafy and wild cardoon. At higher K values, further substructures were observed, in which the wild cardoon was separated from the leafy cardoon, and the latter included the Spanish wild cardoons, while the wild sample from Portugal was admixed. Moreover, subpopulations within the globe artichoke set were highlighted. Structure analysis restricted to the globe artichoke dataset pointed out genetic differentiation between the ˝Catanesi˝ typology and all the other samples (K = 2). At higher values of K, the separation of the ˝Catanesi˝ group still held true, and green headed landraces from Apulia region, Italy (˝Green Apulian˝) formed a distinct subpopulation. ˝Romaneschi˝ artichoke types fell in a variable group with admixed samples, indicating that they should not be considered as a genetically uniform typology. The results of principal component analysis and Neighbor-Joining hierarchical clustering were consistent with structure results, and in addition provided a measure of genetic relationships among individual genotypes. Both analyses attributed the wild material from Spain and Portugal to the cultivated cardoon group, supporting the idea that this might be indeed a feral form of the leafy cardoon. Different reproductive habit and possibly selective pressure led to a slower LD decay in artichoke compared to cardoon. Genotyping by sequencing has proven a reliable methodology to obtain valuable SNPs and assess population genetics in C. cardunculus.

Dataset of 333 Climbing Seed Plants and Their Reproductive Habits in Karst Seasonal Rain Forest in Nonggang, Guangxi, China

Dataset of 333 Climbing Seed Plants and Their Reproductive Habits in Karst Seasonal Rain Forest in Nonggang, Guangxi, China

Genotyping-by-sequencing through transcriptomics: implementation in a range of crop species with varying reproductive habits and ploidy levels.

SummaryThe application of genomics in crops has the ability to significantly improve genetic gain for agriculture. Many marker‐dense tools have been developed, but few have seen broad adoption in plant genomics due to issues of significant variations of genome size, levels of ploidy, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequency and reproductive habit. When combined with limited breeding activities, small research communities and scant sequence resources, the suitability of popular systems is often suboptimal and routinely fails to effectively balance cost‐effectiveness and sample throughput. Genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) encompasses a range of protocols including resequencing of the transcriptome. This study describes a skim GBS‐transcriptomics (GBS‐t) approach developed to be broadly applicable, cost‐effective and high‐throughput while still assaying a significant number of SNP loci. A range of crop species with differing levels of ploidy and degree of inbreeding/outbreeding were chosen, including perennial ryegrass, a diploid outbreeding forage grass; phalaris, a putative segmental allotetraploid outbreeding forage grass; lentil, a diploid inbreeding grain legume; and canola, an allotetraploid partially outbreeding oilseed. GBS‐t was validated as a simple and largely automated, cost‐effective method which generates sufficient SNPs (from 89 738 to 231 977) with acceptable levels of missing data and even genome coverage from c. 3 million sequence reads per sample. GBS‐t is therefore a broadly applicable system suitable for many crops, offering advantages over other systems. The correct choice of subsequent sequence analysis software is important, and the bioinformatics process should be iterative and tailored to the specific challenges posed by ploidy variation and extent of heterozygosity.

Role of floral organ identity genes in the development of unisexual flowers of Quercus suber L.

Monoecious species provide an excellent system to study the specific determinants that underlie male and female flower development. Quercus suber is a monoecious species with unisexual flowers at inception. Despite the overall importance of this and other tree species with a similar reproductive habit, little is known regarding the mechanisms involved in the development of their male and female flowers. Here, we have characterised members of the ABCDE MADS-box gene family of Q. suber. The temporal expression of these genes was found to be sex-biased. The B-class genes, in particular, are predominantly, or exclusively (in the case of QsPISTILLATA), expressed in the male flowers. Functional analysis in Arabidopsis suggests that the B-class genes have their function conserved. The identification of sex-biased gene expression plus the identification of unusual protein-protein interactions suggest that the floral organ identity of Q. suber may be under control of specific changes in the dynamics of the ABCDE model. This study constitutes a major step towards the characterisation of the mechanisms involved in reproductive organ identity in a monoecious tree with a potential contribution towards the knowledge of conserved developmental mechanisms in other species with a similar sex habit.

Morphological characteristics, reproduction, and food habits of European bitterling Rhodeus sericeus amarus (Cyprinidae) in the Alatyr River

The data on the morphology, reproduction, and diet of European bitterling Rhodeus sericeus amarus in the Alatyr River (the Sura tributary) are presented. Differences between females and males have been revealed with respect to the complex of morphometric characters. It is assumed that the deviations of some meristic characters from those that are typical of European bitterling are due to the habitation of this population at the boundary of the species distribution. The species reaches sexual maturity at the age of 1–2 years; the individual fecundity is 103–525 (354) eggs. Bitterling is a typical phytophage.

Reproductive habits are a main component of integral water-use efficiency on common bean

Water-Use Efficiency (WUE) integrally determined as seed production per unit of water consumed is a trait of recent interest; however, until now little research has been performed to evaluate the importance of different components as reproductive habits in such trait. The aim of this study was to determine if reproductive habits are a main component of integral WUE on common bean. Pinto Saltillo cultivar of high WUE in spring-summer and autumn-winter cycles generated 39.4 and 43.9 % fewer flowers than the cultivar susceptible to limited water conditions; nevertheless, a lower rate of abortion along with more efficient reproductive habits as the capacity to produce 1.6 seeds more per pod on average permitted Pinto Saltillo to have a higher integral WUE; therefore, reproductive habits had a great impact on the trait here studied and these should be considered on the breeding programs.