Craniofacial geometric morphometrics in the identification of patients with sickle cell anemia and sickle cell trait

ABSTRACT Objective: The aims of this study were to identify the main characteristics regarding the shape and size of the craniofacial region in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and sickle cell trait (SCT) and in unaffected patients using geometric morphometrics and to check the efficiency of this method. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study of 45 patients (15 in each group) was performed. Lateral radiographs of the skull were used for the analysis. Seventeen landmarks and semilandmarks were placed for the measurements. The Pocrustes analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, canonical variate analysis, Mahalanobis and Procrustes distances and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering were performed. Allometric effects and sex characteristics were not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Results: There were, however, significant differences (p< 0.05) in craniofacial shape among SCA, SCT and unaffected individuals. Those with SCA showed variations in the shape of the external auditory meatus and at the base of the occipital bone, in addition to the mandibular setback and upper incisor inclination, with a tendency towards prognathism. The individuals with SCT exhibited a similar craniofacial shape to those with SCA, but with slighter variations. Moreover, those with SCT were statistically closer in resemblance to unaffected individuals, given that SCT is not regarded as a disease. Conclusion: This demonstrates the efficiency of geometric morphometrics in the categorization of the assessed groups.

Fluctuating asymmetry in Apis mellifera(Hymenoptera: Apidae) as bioindicator of anthropogenic environments / Asimetría fluctuante en Apis mellifera (Hymenop-tera: Apidae) como bioindicador de ambientes antropo-génicos

The successful distribution of A. melliferais due to their ability to adjust to seasonal variations, considerable control over their internal physical environment and exploration of different resources. However, their populations have experienced different forms and levels of environmental pressure. This research aimed to verify the phenotypic plasticity in both size and shape of wings in A. melliferausing fluctuating asymmetry, based on geometric morphometrics from apiaries located in sites with high and low levels of anthropization. We sampled 16 locations throughout all five geographic regions of Brazil. At each site, samples were collected from 20 beehives installed in apiaries: 10 installed near high anthropogenic environments (Cassilàndia - MS, Fortaleza - CE, Maringá - PR, Aquidauana - MS, Rolim de Moura - RO, Riachuelo - SE, Ubirata - PR and Piracicaba - SP), and 10 in sites with low levels of human disturbance (Cassilàndia - MS, Itapiúna CE, Uniao da Vitoria - PR, Aquidauana - MS, Rolim de Moura - RO, Pacatuba - SE, Erval Seco - RS, Rio Claro - SP). A sample of 10 individuals was taken in each hive, totaling 200 per location, for a total of 1 600 individuals. We used fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in size and shape of the forewing through geometric morphometrics. The FA analysis was conducted in order to check bilateral differences. The indexes of size and shape were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA), where the characters evaluated were used as factors to verify the size and shape differences. The results indicated an asymmetry on the shape of the wing (P < 0.001) but no asymmetry was observed on wing size. Considering FA as an environmental response and high and low impacted areas as a fixed factor, we observed significant differences (P < 0.05). The results for the wing shape in A. melliferademonstrated that this feature undergoes more variation during ontogeny compared to the variation in size. We concluded that bee samples collected from colonies with higher levels of human disturbance had higher wing-shape asymmetry; the variation of fluctuating asymmetry in the wing shape of honeybees can be used as an indicator of the degree of environmental anthropization.

La distribución exitosa de A. melliferase debe a su capacidad para adaptarse a las variaciones estacionales, controlar considerablemente su ambiente físico interno y por la exploración de recursos. Sin embargo, sus poblaciones experimentan diferentes formas y niveles de presión ambiental. Esta investigación evaluó colmenares, ubicadas en entornos con distintos niveles de antropización. Ambientes considerados altamente antropogénicos fueron escogidos: áreas urbanas, agrícolas con aplicaciones de insecticidas, y las industrias con grandes áreas (regiones con altos índices de contaminación). Por otra parte, los entornos considerados con bajos niveles de perturbación humana fueron elegidos: áreas de preservación permanente de los bosques restantes (Mata Atlántica, Planalto, Cerrado), áreas ribereñas o reservas ecológicas. Se muestrearon 16 localidades que abarcan las cinco regiones del Brasil. Estamos utilizando la asimetría fluctuante desde el tamaño y la forma del ala anterior por técnicas de morfometría geométrica. En cada sitio, las muestras se obtuvieron de las 20 colmenas instaladas en los colmenares: 10 instalados cerca de entornos altamente antropogénicos (Cassilándia - MS, Fortaleza - CE, Maringá - PR, Aquidauana - MS, Rolim de Moura - RO, Riachuelo - SE, Ubirata - PR y Piracicaba - SP) y 10 en sitios de bajo nivel de perturbación humana (Cassilándia - MS, ItapiúnaCE, Uniao da Vitória - PR, Aquidauana - MS, Rolim de Moura - RO, Pacatuba- SE, Erval Seco - RS, Rio Claro - SP). Los índices de tamaño y forma fueron sometidos a análisis de varianza (ANOVA), donde se utilizaron los caracteres evaluados como factores, para verificar las diferencias de tamaño y forma. La asimetría de análisis fluctuante (AF) se llevó a cabo con el fin de comprobar las diferencias bilaterales. Los resultados indican la existencia de la asimetría de la forma del ala (P < 0.001), pero no se observó asimetría del tamaño del ala. Considerando AF como respuesta ambiental y áreas de alto y bajo grado de alteración humana como factor fijo, observamos diferencias significativas (P < 0.05). Los resultados, para la forma de ala de la A. mellifera,muestran que esta característica se somete a más variación durante la ontogenia en comparación con la variación en el tamaño. Llegamos a la conclusión de que las colonias de abejas recogidas en ambientes con niveles más altos de la perturbación humana tienen una mayor asimetría en forma de ala, por lo que la asimetría fluctuante en forma de alas de las abejas puede ser utilizada como un indicador del grado de antropización del medio ambiente.

Latitudinal gradient effect on the wing geometry of Auca coctei (Guérin)(Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

Latitudinal gradient effect on the wing geometry of Auca coctei (Guérin) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). When the environmental conditions change locally, the organisms and populations may also change in response to the selection pressure, so that the development of individuals may become affected in different degrees. There have been only a few studies in which the patterns of wing morphology variation have been looked into along a latitudinal gradient by means of geometric morphometrics. The aim of this work was to assess the morphologic differentiation of wing among butterfly populations of the species Auca coctei. For this purpose, 9 sampling locations were used which are representative of the distribution range of the butterfly and cover a wide latitudinal range in Chile. The wing morphology was studied in a total of 202 specimens of A. coctei (150 males and 52 females), based on digitization of 17 morphologic landmarks. The results show variation of wing shape in both sexes; however, for the centroid size there was significant variation only in females. Females show smaller centroid size at higher latitudes, therefore in this study the Bergmann reverse rule is confirmed for females of A. coctei. Our study extends morphologic projections with latitude, suggesting that wing variation is an environmental response from diverse origins and may influence different characteristics of the life history of a butterfly.