Body Size Dimensions Research Articles

An accessible and intuitive approach to 3D data modeling for morphometric surface evaluation in pig farming

The recording of pig surfaces allows for the estimation of growth-related body size dimensions from which the animals’ condition can be inferred. Furthermore, for purposes such as animal breeding, it is of particular interest to describe the shape variations within the population. Therefore, we built a Statistical Shape Model (SSM) that enables a quantitative and visual exploration of variation in size, form and posture in an intuitive way.We included 4315 images from 582animals with a body weight ranging from 50 to 140 kg. After data processing, i.e. the removal of data points corresponding to the head and tail, the 3D point clouds were reduced to an equal number of reference points. These reference points were arranged so that the pig surface could be reconstructed via Bézier surface patches. Then, Procrustes Analysis was performed to align the reference points from all shapes. A mean shape and its main modes of variation were derived, some of which were used to correct the posture of the animals.A linear regression for weight prediction resulted in a mean absolute error of 5.06 kg before and 2.84 kg after data processing. The median error of surface reconstruction was 2.5 mm taking eight surface patches with 45 reference points and 1.3 mm taking 32 surface patches with 153 reference points into account. The first six modes of variation from the SSM indicated differences in size and posture. Interestingly, regions prone to noise were also revealed.In conclusion, we present a novel approach that can be used to receive a compact number of corresponding data points, providing data that is easier and more efficient to handle while exposing shape-specific attributes. Our approach is helpful to visualize and compare shapes, including the collection of body size measurements as well as unsupervised and supervised clustering for more objective data-driven decision-making.

Handgrip strength and mortality in a cohort of kidney failure patients: Comparative analysis of different normalization methods

ObjectivesReduced handgrip strength (HGS) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We analyzed and compared associations of HGS with mortality risk in dialysis patients, using different normalization methods of HGS. MethodsHGS and clinical and laboratory parameters were measured in a cohort of 446 incident dialysis patients (median age 56 y, 62% men). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to compare different normalization methods of HGS as predictors of mortality: absolute HGS in kilograms; HGS normalized to height, weight, or body mass index; and HGS of a reference population of sex-matched controls (percentage of the mean HGS value [HGS%]). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess HGS predictors. Competing risk regression analysis was used to evaluate 5-year all-cause mortality risk. Differences in survival time between HGS% tertiles were quantitated by analyzing the restricted mean survival time. ResultsThe AUROC for HGS% was higher than the AUROCs for absolute or normalized HGS values. Compared with the high HGS% tertile, low HGS% (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] = 2.36; 95% CI, 1.19–3.70) and middle HGS% (sHR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.12–2.74) tertiles were independently associated with higher all-cause mortality and those with high HGS% tertile survived on average 7.95 mo (95% CI, 3.61–12.28) and 18.99 mo (95% CI, 14.42–23.57) longer compared with middle and low HGS% tertile, respectively. ConclusionsHGS% was a strong predictor of all-cause mortality risk in incident dialysis patients and a better discriminator of survival than absolute HGS or HGS normalized to body size dimensions.

Associations between the Big Five personality traits, testosterone, and cortisol in adolescent male athletes.

Testosterone (T) has been conceptualized as a biomarker of individual differences, yet T associations with the Big Five personality traits are inconsistent. Athletes provide a suitable model for evaluation here, as T co-expresses traits related to male-to-male competition and fitness with cortisol (C) playing a moderating role. This study investigated associations between the Big Five traits, T, and C in adolescent male athletes. One hundred and twenty male ice hockey players (aged 14-19 years) were assessed for blood total (T, C) and free (FT, FC) hormones, body-size dimensions (i.e., body mass, height, body mass index [BMI]), the Big Five personality traits (i.e., extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness), and trait anxiety. Correlational and regression (with age and BMI as covariates) analyses identified a positive effect of FT on extraversion, but a negative FT effect on neuroticism and anxiety (p < 0.05). Significant FT × FC interactions emerged for extraversion and agreeableness. Slope testing revealed that FT had a positive effect on extraversion at the FC mean and +1 SD, and a negative effect on agreeableness with FC at +1 SD. In conclusion, adolescent male athletes with a higher serum FT concentration tended to express higher extraversion, but lower neuroticism and anxiety. The FT association with extraversion was moderated by FC concentration, as was agreeableness. Therefore, high-FT athletes presented a behavioural disposition that favours dominance and resiliency, with some dependencies on FC availability. Since all association effect sizes were weak, replicate studies on larger adolescent samples are needed.

Sexual dimorphism in the badlands cricket (Orthoptera, Gryllinae, Gryllus personatus)

Sexual dimorphism (SD) is a common phenomenon in sexual species and can manifest in a variety of ways. Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is commonly investigated, but it can be confounded with sexual shape dimorphism (SShD) if multivariate measures of size are not used. Univariate studies may also overestimate the prevalence or direction of SSD when the sexes are strikingly different in shape, which may be an issue in taxa such as Orthoptera and other terrestrial arthropods where maximum body size is strongly constrained. Here we tested for the occurrence of both SSD and SShD in the badlands cricket Gryllus personatus (Orthoptera, Gryllinae). We measured four body size dimensions—maxillae span, head width, pronotum length, and mean hind femur length—and used multivariate methods to test whether male and female adult badlands crickets were sexually dimorphic in size and/or shape. All the univariate dimensions were sexually dimorphic, with males having wider heads and maxillae than females and females having longer pronota and hind femora than males, which indicates SShD. However, multivariate methods failed to detect SSD, instead confirming that the sexes primarily differ in body shape. We show how a simple ratio of head width to pronotum length captures SShD in badlands crickets and apply it to iNaturalist, a citizen science platform, to broaden our findings. We propose that orthopterists studying SD minimally measure head width, pronotum length, and hind femur length as a standard that will allow a more repeatable and generalizable assessment of the prevalence and direction of both SSD and SShD.

Allometric normalization of handgrip strength in older adults: Which body size parameter is the most appropriate?

BackgroundAlthough absolute handgrip strength has been associated with health-related outcomes in older adults, little evidence has been provided regarding its adjustment by a variety of body size dimensions. Therefore, the main purpose of the study was to establish the most appropriate normalization of handgrip strength by different body size parameters in a large sample of noninstitutionalized older adults.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 643 men and women aged > 60, who were part of the rehabilitation center facility program. Handgrip strength was objectively measured using a Jamar Plus* + Digital Hand Dynamometer. Body size parameters included body weight and height, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, fat mass and fat-free mass. The most appropriate parameter associated with handgrip strength was identified using allometry.ResultsFindings showed that the most appropriate body size parameter for handgrip strength normalization was height (allometric exponent: 0.85), compared to fat-free mass (0.26) and body mass (0.12). Other body size variables were not significantly associated with handgrip strength and were omitted from further analyses. The correlations between normalized handgrip strength were significant when handgrip strength was normalized by body mass and fat-free mass, while no significant correlations were found, when handgrip strength was normalized by body height.ConclusionBased on the study results, body height seems to be the best body size parameter for handgrip strength normalization in older adults, omitting the influence of body size on strength performance. If handgrip strength is measured, body height may help normalize strength for large-scale research.

Identifying the ideal “body shape” associated with athletic performance using three dimensional (height, body mass and waist) allometry

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current study was to identify the most appropriate “body shape” associated with six athletic performance (AP) tests, using three-dimensional allometry (height (HT), body mass (M), and waist circumference (WC)), in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents. The sample consisted of 11018 Brazilian children/adolescents (5147 boys) aged 7–17 years. The 6 AP tests were, a 20 m sprint test, an agility test, a 6/9 minute walk/run endurance test, an upper body strength test, an abdominal muscular endurance test, and a lower limb strength test. The “three-dimensional” allometric model was, . Results indicated that two of the three body-size dimensions (HT and WC) were consistently associated with all six athletic performance tests. These were a positive HT exponent/term together with a negative WC exponent/term, confirming that being taller benefited all six performance tests but excess WC was always detrimental. The contribution of M depended on whether the athletic performance required the children/adolescent to perform the exercise/test in a “weight-baring” protocol, i.e. having to perform the test carrying their own body weight or not. In conclusion, three-dimensional allometry provides new insights into what constitutes the “ideal” athletic shape associated with children/adolescents.

Opposing directions of stage-specific body shape change in a close relative of C. elegans

BackgroundBody size is a fundamental organismal trait. However, as body size and ecological contexts change across developmental time, evolutionary divergence may cause unexpected patterns of body size diversity among developmental stages. This may be particularly evident in polyphenic developmental stages specialized for dispersal. The dauer larva is such a stage in nematodes, and Caenorhabditis species disperse by traveling on invertebrate carriers. Here, we describe the morphology of a stress-resistant, dauer-like larval stage of the nematode Caenorhabditis inopinata, whose adults can grow to be nearly twice as long as its close relative, the model organism C. elegans.ResultsWe find that a dauer-like, stress-resistant larval stage in two isolates of C. inopinata is on average 13% shorter and 30% wider than the dauer larvae of C. elegans, despite its much longer adult stage. Additionally, many C. inopinata dauer-like larvae were ensheathed, a possible novelty in this lineage reminiscent of the infective juveniles of parasitic nematodes. Variation in dauer-like larva formation frequency among twenty-four wild isolates of C. inopinata was also observed, although frequencies were low across all isolates (< 2%), with many isolates unable to produce dauer-like larvae under conventional laboratory conditions.ConclusionMost Caenorhabditis species thrive on rotting plants and disperse on snails, slugs, or isopods (among others) whereas C. inopinata is ecologically divergent and thrives in fresh Ficus septica figs and disperses on their pollinating wasps. While there is some unknown factor of the fig environment that promotes elongated body size in C. inopinata adults, the small size or unique life history of its fig wasp carrier may be driving the divergent morphology of its stress-resistant larval stages. Further characterization of the behavior, development, and morphology of this stage will refine connections to homologous developmental stages in other species and determine whether ecological divergence across multiple developmental stages can promote unexpected and opposing changes in body size dimensions within a single species.

How Should Adult Handgrip Strength Be Normalized? Allometry Reveals New Insights and Associated Reference Curves.

Handgrip strength (HGS) is an important indicator of health. Because HGS is strongly associated with body size, most investigators normalize HGS for some measure of body size as a more sensitive indicator of strength within a population. We aimed to 1) identify the optimal body size dimension to remove (normalize) HGS for differences in body size among adults and 2) generate norm-referenced centiles for HGS using the identified body size dimension. Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a representative sample of the US noninstitutionalized civilian population. Exclusions resulted in a final sample of 8690 adults 20 yr and older. HGS was measured using handheld dynamometry. Body size dimensions included body mass, height, and waist circumference. The most appropriate dimension(s) associated with HGS is identified using allometry. We fitted centile curves for normalized HGS using the generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape. Findings suggest that neither body mass nor body mass index is appropriate to normalize HGS. Incorporating all three body size dimensions of body mass, height, and waist circumference, or the reduced subsets of body mass and height, or height alone, suggests that the most appropriate normalizing (body size) dimension associated with HGS should be a cross-sectional or surface area measure of an individual's body size (i.e., L2, where L is a linear dimension of body size). Given that height was also identified as the signally best body size dimension associated with HGS, we recommend HGS be normalized by height2 (i.e., HGS/HT2). Centile curves for HGS/HT2 by age group and gender were therefore provided. Scaling adult HGS by height2 may help normalize strength for population-based research.

Sexual dimorphism in mud crabs: a tale of three sympatric Scylla species.

Sexual dimorphism is a common phenomenon in the animal kingdom. To test the consistency of sexual dimorphism patterns among sympatric species of the same genus, ten morphometric characteristics of mud crabs Scylla olivacea, S. tranquebarica and S. paramamosain were measured and compared using Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). The descriptive analysis revealed that in all three species, body size dimensions and cheliped dimensions were significantly larger in males whereas the abdomen width was female-biased. Also, we described a morphological variation (carapace width, CW ≤ CW at spine 8, 8CW) that is unique to S. olivacea. Discriminant function analysis revealed that all nine morphometric characteristics were sexually dimorphic in S. olivacea, S. tranquebarica (except right cheliped’s merus length, ML) and S. paramamosain (except 8CW). The obtained discriminant functions based on the morphometric ratios (with CW as divisor) correctly classified 100% of adults of known sex of all three species. Further, based on the selected body traits, DFA was able to almost completely distinguish males (94%), but not females (74%), among the three Scylla species. This study highlights that congeneric species of portunids (e.g., Scylla spp.) show similar sexually dimorphic characteristics (body size and secondary sexual characteristics).

DETECTING ANTARCTIC SEALS AND FLYING SEABIRDS BY UAV

Abstract. In recent years Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) became a fast-developing technology with manifold fields of application. In the field of wildlife biology, it offers the opportunity to quantify populations, to map the spatial distribution of species and to observe the behavior of animals with no or low disturbance. Moreover, UAV based mapping allows to obtain data from sites which are hardly or not accessible and to cover much larger areas than by traditional ground based methods. The advantages of UAV based mapping are of particular relevance under the harsh conditions of Antarctic fieldwork. Whether certain species qualify for UAV based monitoring depends on their detectability from the distance and the distinctiveness of their characteristics in comparison to other species, which has not been studied for Antarctic species in detail so far. This study aims to evaluate how and under which conditions, particularly flight height, Antarctic flying seabird and seal species are detectable in aerial imagery. A trial was conducted comparing the detection rate of different observers for several Antarctic species in aerial images of different ground sample distances. Descriptions of individual appearance as well as body size dimensions are delivered for all species. For most of the investigated species, monitoring proves to be possible from practical flight heights, while others are still very hard to detect even in low altitudes. A concluding table is given aiming to provide a guide for future surveys on which flight altitudes to chose and how to identify focal study objects.

Longitudinal Development of Explosive Leg Power from Childhood to Adulthood in Soccer Players.

The aim of the this study was to investigate the development of explosive leg power by using 2 similar jumping protocols (countermovement jump and standing broad jump) in 555 Belgian, high-level young soccer players, aged between 7 and 20 years. The total sample was divided into 3 longitudinal samples related to growth and maturation (pre-teenchildhood: (6-10 years;), early adolescence: (11-16 years;) and late adolescence: (17-20 years)), and 6 multilevel regression models were obtained. Generally, both jumping protocols emphasized that chronological age, body size dimensions (by means of fat mass in the late childhood and early adolescence groups, fat-free mass in the late adolescence group and stature--(not for CMJ in late childhood group) and fat mass in the late childhood and early adolescence groups, and fat-free mass in the late adolescence group) and motor coordination (one item of a 3-component test battery) are longitudinal predictors of explosive leg power from childhood to young adulthood. The contribution of maturational status was not investigated in this study. The present findings highlight the importance of including non-specific motor coordination in soccer talent development programs.

A phylogeographic break and bioacoustic intraspecific differentiation in the Buff-barred Warbler (Phylloscopus pulcher) (Aves: Passeriformes, Phylloscopidae)

According to current taxonomy only three out of 27 Sinohimalayan leaf warbler species (Phylloscopidae) are considered genetically uniform across their entire breeding range along the Southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the Buff-barred Warbler (Phylloscopus pulcher) being one of them. Because marked differentiation among Himalayan and Chinese populations has been recently demonstrated for a number of Phylloscopus species (or sister species) we investigated the intraspecific variation of a mitochondrial gene, songs and morphology of P. pulcher in a phylogeographic approach. We sequenced a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b, reconstructed haplotype networks and analyzed DNA polymorphism among Himalayan and Chinese populations. We measured time and frequency parameters of two distinct song types and analyzed among population-differentiation in a principal component analysis and a discriminant analysis. We also compared measurements of body size dimensions taken from museum specimens. The mitochondrial haplotype network (cytb) was divided into two distinct clusters corresponding to geographic origin of samples. Pairwise genetic distances among Himalayan and Chinese mtDNA lineages account for 1.3% which coincides with Pleistocene lineage separation at roughly 650,000 years ago. Genetic diversity is slightly higher in the Chinese part of the species’ range with respect to haplotype and nucleotide diversity while the less diversified Himalayan population lineage shows signs of recent range expansion. The vocal repertoire of P. pulcher comprises two distinct verse types that are combined with short interspersed click notes to long continuous song displays. Trill verse types showed significant differences among regions in almost all measured frequency and time parameters: Chinese males displayed more rapid and more broad-banded trills at a lower pitch. In contrast, warbling verse types showed a distinctively different structure among regions: Himalayan songs consisted of repeated syllables while Chinese songs comprised repetitions of single, long and strongly modulated elements. Subtle morphological differences among specimens from the two study regions could only be confirmed for plumage coloration but not for metric characters. Based on the genetic and bioacoustic distinctiveness of Chinese Buff-barred Warbler populations, we recommend that the name Phylloscopus pulcher vegetus Bangs, 1913 should be re-validated for this taxon.

Different types of flooring and space allowance in heavy pigs: effects on growth performances

The pig’s body size dimensions are the primary determinant of its static space requirement. This is important from the welfare point of view since an animal needs a minimum amount of space to perform a certain behaviour pattern and if the space is not allowed, a risk of abnormal behaviours and reduction on performance must be expected (Petherick 1983). As it is also important the flooring types influencing animal welfare and health too...

Phytoplankton dynamics and structure: a comparative analysis in natural and man-made water bodies of different trophic state

Previous investigations on Sicilian man made lakes suggested that physical factors, along with the specific morphology and hydrology of the water body, are important in selecting phytoplankton species. In particular, the variations of the zmix/zeu ratio due to the operational procedure to which reservoirs are generally subject were recognised as a trigger allowing the assemblage shift. To investigate if these variations may be considered analogous to those occurring in natural lakes as trophic state and phytoplankton biomass increase, causing a transparency decrease and a contraction of the euphotic depth, phytoplankton were collected in two natural water bodies, one mesotrophic (Lake Biviere di Cesaro) the other eutrophic (Lake Soprano), and compared with those collected in two reservoirs with analogous trophic characteristics (Lake Rosamarina, mesotrophic and Lake Arancio, eutrophic). Particular attention was paid to the dynamics of two key groups: Cyanophytes and chlorophytes. In all four water bodies, transparency mainly depended on chlorophyll level. Annual average value of phytoplankton biomass in the mesotrophic environments was below 2.0 mg l−1, whereas in the eutrophic systems it was well above 10 mg l−1. All water bodies showed the presence of cyanophytes (e.g. Anabaena spp., Anabaenopsis spp., Microcystis spp., Planktothrix spp.) and chlorophytes (e.g. Chlamydomonas spp., Botryococcus spp., Oocystis spp., Scenedesmus spp., Pediastrum spp.), but their relative proportions and body size dimensions were different. In particular, small colonial chlorophytes and large-colony forming cyanophytes were most common in the most eutrophic water bodies, whereas larger colonies of green algae in those with a lower trophic state. The results showed that, under the same climatic conditions, autogenic (increase of biomass, decrease in light penetration and euphotic depth) and allogenic (use of the stored waters, anticipated breaking of the thermocline, increase of the mixing depth) processes may shift the structure of phytoplankton assemblage in the same direction even though the quantity of biomass remains linked to nutrient availability.

Criteria for Estimating the Condition of Birds: Relationship between Fat Content and Body Size Dimensions in the Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix

Criteria for Estimating the Condition of Birds: Relationship between Fat Content and Body Size Dimensions in the Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix