Morphology of reproductive accessory glands in female Sepia pharaonis (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae) sheds light on egg encapsulation.

The pharaoh cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis, is an important cephalopod fishery species in southeastern Asia, with understudied reproductive physiology. The present study aimed to investigate the cellular characteristics of epithelial cells found in the nidamental glands (NGs) and accessory NGs (ANGs), as well as the structural connections between these two glands in mature female S. pharaonis. A histological analysis revealed two types of epithelial cells in NGs: Alcian blue-positive, PAS-negative mucosubstance-secreting cells and eosinophilic, PAS-positive granule-secreting cells. Using transmission electron microscopy, three types of epithelial cells were identified: cells with electron-dense granules, cells with electron-lucent granules, and cells with both cilia and microvilli in the apex. Mature ANGs contain an abundance of tubular units composed of epithelial cells resting on a thin layer of basal lamina. Innervated muscle cells are tightly adhered to the basal lamina. In addition, we observed epithelial canalization of ANG tubules penetrating through the connective tissue linking NGs and the walls of the tubules in ANGs, which allows the contents of the ANG tubules to be transported to the NGs. Our results suggest that ANGs participate in the encapsulation of the ova via the same pathway as NGs, which provides an important basis for future studies on the mechanism of protection provided by NGs and ANGs during embryonic development in S. pharaonis.

Comparisons of attitudes and practices between obese and normal weight women in Taiwan.

This study was designed to obtain baseline data regarding self-reported body image, attitudes toward overweight people, and dietary behaviors of normal-weight and obese women in Taiwan. Fifty obese women (BMI >= 27) and age-matched normal-weight women participated in this study. Written questionnaires were used for data collection. Simple frequency and t-test were used to analyze data. In general, the majority of normal-weight women perceived themselves as being heavier than their actual body weight. The normal-weight group had more high inaccurate images of their bodies than that of the obese group (72% vs. 24%). Obese and normal-weight women had similar attitudes to overweight people, but some of their attitudes showed significant differences. Obese women would prefer to consume more fried foods and drink sugar-containing foods than would normal-weight women (p < 0.05). Education about accurate perceptions of what is normal weight for women and adopting energy-diluted foods for obese women is needed in the future.