Body Morphometry Research Articles

Effect of Age on the Body Parameters, Scrotum, Seminal Characteristics, Spermatozoa Integrity and Sexual Behavior in Ganjam Buck

Background: Bucks raised for breeding purposes receive no special attention and are raised at random without following the correct selection process. Besides, the fertility of the male bucks is never addressed. Goat breeders have noted a sharp decline in the reproductive efficiency of Ganjam goats, associated with a lengthened kidding interval, fewer successful pregnancies and decreased twining frequency. The measurement of male fertility parameters is crucial for estimating the breeding performance of any species since males contribute 50% of the reproductive efficiency. Methods: Six Ganjam bucks of age 1.5(B1), 2(B2), 2.5(B3), 3.5(B4), 4(B5) and 4.5(B6) years procured after selection on the basis of their body morphometry and sexual behaviour were maintained under optimum management practice. They were trained for semen collection. For study on effect age on the semen qualities, they were classified into two age groups and ejaculates were collected during two phases. Bucks of age below 3 were considered under Age group I and bucks older than 3 years were assigned Age group II. Twelve ejaculates from each buck were collected, six ejaculates between the month of July to August and six ejaculates during October to November. The total of 72 ejaculates was evaluated for the study of seminal characteristics. Besides, the external body parameters, scrotal parameters and sexual behaviour of the bucks were also recorded before each semen collection. Result: The bucks of age group II were found to be having significantly higher (p less than 0.01) body weight, mean body length and average value of chest girth than age group I bucks in the present study. The mean value of scrotal width of the bucks of age group II was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) as compared to that of age group I. The mean value of abnormalities of the bucks of age group II was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than that of age group I. The mean value of acrosome integrity and MBRT of the bucks of age group II was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) to that of age group I. The present study will be helpful in the selection of Ganjam buck at appropriate age for breeding purpose basing on their body parameters, scrotum, seminal characteristics, spermatozoa integrity and sexual behavior.

Exploring body morphometry and weight prediction in Ganjam goats in India through principal component analysis.

The body conformations of 262 adult Ganjam goats were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) with 11 morphometric variables. The results were then used to predict the mature body weight of the goats. Most of the traits were positively correlated, and the correlations were statistically significant. The three main components that the PCA recovered explained 76.12% of the variation in body morphometry overall. The first component accounted for approximately 54.74% of the overall variation and described almost all the traits except ear length and tail length, as indicated by high component loadings. The second component accounted for approximately 11.48% of the variation, mostly accounting for the variation in tail length. The principal component accounted for 9.89% and mostly explained the variation in ear length. The communalities ranged between 0.557 (horn length) and 0.848 (chest circumference) for the first three extracted components. The highest percentage of variability in chest girth was explained by the first three principal components, whereas it was the lowest for the horn length. In the context of predicting body weight through stepwise regression analysis, nine primary variables accounted for 57.3% of the total variance in body weight. Conversely, utilizing the first principal component alongside six additional principal components as independent variables resulted in capturing 56.3% of the variation in the adult live weight of goats while maintaining model comparability with other pertinent parameters. PCA was used efficiently for body weight prediction from major morphometric traits of Ganjam goats addressing the multicollinearity issue.

Rate of body weight gain during early gestation in F0 beef heifers has effects that extend multigenerationally to the F2 fetuses.

Our aim was to investigate the effects of maternal (F0) body weight (BW) gain during the first 84 d of gestation on body composition, ovarian reserve, and hormonal and metabolic parameters of breeding-age F1 heifers, as well as the body weight and morphometry of F2 fetuses. The study also evaluated the effect of maternal body weight gain (F0) on the mRNA relative abundance of the small intestine of both F1 heifers and F2 fetuses. Crossbred Angus heifers (F0; n = 100) were managed to gain 0.20kg/d (low gain [LG], n = 50) or 0.75kg/d (moderate gain [MG], n = 50) for the first 84 d of gestation. Subsequently, F0 dams were managed on a common forage-based diet for the rest of gestation until the weaning of the F1 offspring. At 15 months of age a subset of F1 heifers was randomly selected for the current experiment (n = 8 LG and n = 8 MG). Heifers were bred via artificial insemination (AI; d 0), then harvested on d 84 of gestation. On d -10, 42, and 84, BW was recorded, and blood was collected and analyzed for concentrations of glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, progesterone, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor-1. Weight of F1 carcasses, organs, gravid uteri, and F2 fetuses and organs were recorded at harvest. Visible follicles were counted on F1 ovaries at harvest, and histology was used to count microscopic follicles. Liver and jejunal samples from F1 heifers were collected to measure tissue oxygen consumption and jejunal samples from F1 heifers and F2 fetuses were collected for mRNA relative abundance analysis. Body weight of F1 heifers from MG dams tended to be 12kg greater (P = 0.06) than for F1 heifers from LG dams. Concentrations of glucose were greater (P = 0.03) in F1 heifers from the MG group, with no differences in other blood metabolites or follicular populations (P ≥ 0.16). Interestingly, mammary glands were heavier (P = 0.05) and placentas and body depth tended to be heavier and greater, respectively (P ≤ 0.10), for F2 fetuses from F0 LG heifers. Oxygen consumption in the liver and jejunum, as well as mRNA relative abundance in the jejunum of F1 heifers, were not affected by F0 rate of gain (P ≥ 0.16). However, the NDUFC1, SDHA, UQCR1, and PPARG genes were upregulated (P ≤ 0.05) in the jejunum of F2 fetuses from the LG group. In conclusion, BW gain of F0 heifers during early gestation exerts subtle effects on pre-breeding BW and blood metabolites in F1 offspring, with impacts present in F2 placenta, mammary gland, and intestine.

Body morphometry may predict parastomal hernia following radical cystectomy with ileal conduit.

To investigate whether preoperative body morphometry analysis can identify patients at risk of parastomal hernia (PH), which is a common complication after radical cystectomy (RC). All patients who underwent RC between 2010 and 2020 with available cross-sectional imaging preoperatively and at 1 and 2 years postoperatively were included. Skeletal muscle mass and total fat mass (FM) were determined from preoperative axial computed tomography images obtained at the level of the L3 vertebral body using Aquarius Intuition software. Sarcopenia and obesity were assigned based on consensus definitions of skeletal muscle index (SMI) and FM index (FMI). PH were graded using both the Moreno-Matias and European Hernia Society criteria. Binary logistic regression and recursive partitioning were used to identify patients at risk of PH. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank and Cox proportional hazards models included clinical and image-based parameters to identify predictors of PH-free survival. A total of 367 patients were included in the final analysis, with 159 (43%) developing a PH. When utilising binary logistic regression, high FMI (odds ratio [OR] 1.63, P < 0.001) and low SMI (OR 0.96, P = 0.039) were primary drivers of risk of PH. A simplified model that only relied upon FMI, SMI, and preoperative albumin improved the classification of patients at risk of PH. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients who were obese or obese and sarcopenic had significantly worse PH-free survival (P < 0.001). Body morphometry analysis identified FMI and SMI to be the most consistent predictors of PH after RC.

Clomiphene Citrate Administered in Periconception Phase Causes Fetal Loss and Developmental Impairment in Mice.

Clomiphene citrate is a common treatment for ovulation induction in subfertile women, but its use is associated with elevated risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and birth defects. To investigate the biological plausibility of a causal relationship, this study investigated the consequences in mice for fetal development and pregnancy outcome of periconception clomiphene citrate administration at doses approximating human exposures. A dose-dependent adverse effect of clomiphene citrate given twice in the 36 hours after mating was seen, with a moderate dose of 0.75 mg/kg sufficient to cause altered reproductive outcomes in 3 independent cohorts. Viable pregnancy was reduced by 30%, late gestation fetal weight was reduced by 16%, and ∼30% of fetuses exhibited delayed development and/or congenital abnormalities not seen in control dams, including defects of the lung, kidney, liver, eye, skin, limbs, and umbilicus. Clomiphene citrate also caused a 30-hour average delay in time of birth, and elevated rate of pup death in the early postnatal phase. In surviving offspring, growth trajectory tracking and body morphometry analysis at 20 weeks of age showed postweaning growth and development similar to controls. A dysregulated inflammatory response in the endometrium was observed and may contribute to the underlying pathophysiological mechanism. These results demonstrate that in utero exposure to clomiphene citrate during early pregnancy can compromise implantation and impact fetal growth and development, causing adverse perinatal outcomes. The findings raise the prospect of similar iatrogenic effects in women where clomiphene citrate may be present in the periconception phase unless its use is well-supervised.

Body morphometry did not affect the accuracy of a second-generation, miniature imageless navigation system for total hip arthroplasty (THA) using a posterior approach

IntroductionSome modern imageless navigation platforms for total hip arthroplasty (THA) rely on virtual frontal and sagittal planes determined with the patient in the lateral decubitus position. Body morphometry that changes with gender, body mass index, and other demographic factors may affect accuracy in patient positioning and consequently, navigation accuracy. The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of patient factors on the intraoperative accuracy of a second-generation imageless computer-assisted surgery platform. Methods325 consecutive patients undergoing posterior approach, navigated THA arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. An optic-based imageless navigation system referenced off a generic sagittal and coronal plane was used to determine acetabular inclination and anteversion. Acetabular accuracy was determined by assessing differences between intraoperative values and those obtained from measuring standardized 6-week follow-up radiographs. The effect of age, gender, BMI, race, ethnicity, and laterality on acetabular accuracy was assessed via t-tests, Pearson correlation and ANOVA. ResultsGender had a significant impact on raw inclination accuracy (females and males had an average error of 1.41° and −1.03°, respectively – p < 0.001). There was a weak correlation between acetabular accuracy and patient age and BMI as a continuous variable (both absolute γ < 0.2). No difference was found between acetabular accuracy and BMI groups. ConclusionThis second-generation imageless computer assisted device provided accurate cup positioning regardless of patient's BMI. Gender was the only factor impacting inclination accuracy.

Evidence of subpopulation diversification and traces of introgression within Canarian camel breed zoometric standard: scope and opportunities for selection

Extant diversity for phenotypic traits is an essential criterion to be considered when ordering priorities for conservation and improvement of animal genetic resources. Concretely, the characterisation of the distinctive body morphometry of a particular group of animals can aid in the design of selective breeding programs, given the strong correlation between body morphology and productive function. The present research aims to characterise an endangered autochthonous camel breed (Canarian camel), mainly relegated to leisure riding, for its body morphology, with a double objective: to explore the phenotypic diversity and structure of the breed for zoometric traits and assess the zoometric profile of this genetic resource that supports its differentiation from other camel breeds. Overall, the results highlight the existence of a high degree of diversity, which may be linked to genetic factors for zoometric traits in an endangered autochthonous breed with traditional in situ breeding schemes, which predicts the success of the implementation of genetic improvement schemes for such functional characteristics. This phenotypic diversity in body morphology could also be a tool for the evaluation of new functional niches within the efforts of functional valorisation of this camel breed for its sustainable conservation. Body morphology traits in the studied camel breed are significantly influenced by sex, physiological status and coat colour.

Influence of Nutrition and Genetics on Bone Parameters of 1940 Leghorn and 2016 Commercial White Leghorns

Bones play an essential role being responsible for the support of body mass, protection of internal organs, and providing musculature attachment sites while also serving as a reservoir for eggshell mineralization during the production phase. Targeted genetic selection has contributed to body morphometry and performance potential and could be inadvertently associated with undesirable effects on bone stability. In this study, bone parameters were compared between a contemporary and heritage line for the effect of strain and dietary regimen. A total of 320 White Leghorn laying hens (69 weeks of age) of two different strains were distributed into a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement creating 4 experimental treatment groups: 1). 2016 hen on 1940 diet, 2). 2016 hen on 2016 diet, 3). 1940 hen on 1940 diet, and 4). 1940 hen on 2016 diet with 8 replicates per treatment. Keel bones were assessed for deviations and or fractures. Significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) were observed for both deviations and/or fractures with the 2016 strain having more when compared to the 1940 strain. Humerus and tibia bones were analyzed for bone mineral density, breaking strength, and bone ash. Humerus and tibia weights which included both pre (with meat attached) and post weights (without meat attached) had significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in the pre-weight in the 2016 hens, however no significant differences in the post weights. Results suggest that genetics played a role in the differences observed with the bone parameters measured and nutrition had few adverse effects.

Body Morphometry of Newborn Cats

This study aimed to provide the body morphometric data of neonatal cats. A total of 48 neonatal cats (35 stillbirths and 13 live births) from the delivery of 13 queens were included for analysis. In all newborns, macromorphometric data were obtained, including body weight, total body length, crown-rump length, circumference of eye, ear length, abdominal length, biparietal diameter, thoracic length, caudal length, and size of the thoracic and pelvic limbs.

Chelidonichthys lucerna (Linnaeus, 1758) Population Structure in the Northeast Atlantic Inferred from Landmark-Based Body Morphometry.

The study of geometric morphometrics among stocks has proven to be a valuable tool in delineating fish spatial distributions and discriminating distinct population units. Variations in fish body morphology can be linked to genetic factors or to phenotypic adaptability in response to environmental variables. The tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) is a demersal species that usually lives in the bottom of the continental shelf, being widely distributed along the northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black seas. Worldwide interest in the species has increased since 2006, when ICES recognized its potential for commercial exploitation. However, despite its broad geographic occurrence, to date, research on C. lucerna population structure at large spatial scales is still lacking. In this paper, body geometric morphometrics, using a landmark-based truss network, was applied in order to discriminate C. lucerna populations caught in three different fishery grounds areas along the northeast Atlantic: Conwy Bay (United Kingdom), Biscay Bay (Spain) and Matosinhos (Portugal). The results obtained in this study revealed a high overall relocation success (95%) of samples to their original locations, thus demonstrating the existence of significant regional differences and indicating that we are dealing with different fish population units. Moreover, the data revealed a partial overlap between individuals from Spain and United Kingdom, suggesting that in geographically distant areas these populations may inhabit similar environments. However, to corroborate these findings, future works using a holistic approach with alternative and complimentary stock assessment tools (e.g., genetic and phenotypic natural tags) are highly recommended.

Effect of low pH on embryonic and larval traits in the estuarine semi-terrestrial crab Neohelice granulata

The decrease in the pH of the oceans is one of the consequences of the release of CO2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere by human activities. In estuaries, the magnitude to which pH will change and how the organisms that inhabit these environments would be affected is today relatively poorly known. We evaluated, by two laboratory experiments, whether the low pH affects early stages of the semi-terrestrial crab Neohelice granulata, an estuarine and ecosystem engineer species. Firstly, embryos and the spawning larvae were exposed to acidified seawater (ambient pH: 7.9 and 8, respectively; 7.5 and 6.9); secondly, ovigerous females were collected from the field and freshly hatched larvae were cultured under these pHs. We found a slight delay in the development time of embryos exposed to pH 6.9 but no difference in those reared under intermedial pH (7.5) with respect to the control and 6.9. We also found a reduction in egg volume and eye size exposed at pH 7.5 but with a recovery to normal size later in development. Heartbeats did not vary with pH. A delay in the duration of the intermolt period was observed for both larvae zoea I (ZI) and II (ZII) exposed to pH 6.9 in the first experiment, and only in ZI under this pH in the second one. Differences in body morphometry were found in the zoeas analyzed in the first experiment but not for the second. Measurements of changes in oxygen concentration conducted in the second experiment showed a reduction in the consumption of all zoeae stages when exposed to both low pHs. Mortality of larvae remained constant across treatments. Although it was found that the early stages of this species would be slightly/moderately affected by potential future scenarios of pH decrease, we cannot rule out major impacts at the population level, which requires further experiments to be carried out.

Body conformation, morphometry and meat yield characteristics of different genotypes of chicken

The aim of this study was to evaluate body conformation, morphometry and meat yield characteristics of broiler, Sonali, deshi and Fayomi chicken available in local market. Experiment was carried out at the poultry science laboratory of Jhenidah government veterinary college (JGVC), Jhenidah for a period of one month from February 2022 to March 2022. A total n u mb e r of 38 chicken (20 females and 18 males) were collected from different local market viz. broiler (10), Sonali (9), deshi (8) and Fayomi (11). The healthy birds were selected based on the availability and market demand. This study revealed that shank length, chest circumferences and digestive tract length were found highest in broiler. On the other hand, body length was recorded highest in Fayoumi and lowest in Sonali chicken. However, body conformation indices of male chicken showed higher value than their female counterparts. The findings indicated that broiler chicken had the highest body mass index (BMI), followed by Fayomi, Sonali, and deshi chicken. Similarly, broiler had the highest and Sonali had the lowest massiveness and compactness indices, whereas reverse feature was found for shape index. Sonali had the highest and broiler had the lowest shape index. Meat yield characteristics of male chicken were found higher than the female chicken among the genotypes. On the other hand, percentage of breast meat weight was found higher in female than male birds of all genotypes. However, both sexes of broiler had the highest and Sonali had the lowest percentage of dressed weight, breast meat and total meat weight. The study revealed that broiler chicken showed better meat yield performance when compared to deshi, Fayomi and Sonali chicken as meat bird available in local market of Bangladesh which provides an important message for consumer, producer and researcher.

Effect of supplementary concentrate feeding to lambs on the growth performance and body morphometry

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding concentrate to suckling lambs on their performance. Experiment comprised 40 day old suckling lambs having 1.56 kg average birth weight, with 20 female and 20 male lambs selected randomly from the flocks of four farmers in village Mundida, Odisha. The male and female lambs were divided into two experimental groups so that each experimental group of 20 lambs consisted of 10 male and equal numbers of females. Group 1 (Control) was maintained on suckling and grazing only, while Group 2, balanced concentrate mixture was supplemented in addition to suckling and grazing. Concentrate was supplemented from 2nd fortnight upto 6th fortnight of age. Body weight, average daily gain were recorded upto14th fortnight ofage. Body measurements were recorded at every fortnight interval. Either of the male or female lambs group body weight did not differ significantly till the 2nd fortnight, while upon concentrate supplementation from 2nd fortnight, the lambs in Group 2 showed significantly higher body weights and average daily gain from 3rd fortnight till the end of observation at every stage (14th fortnight). Body measurements differences between the groups were observed only after commencement of the concentrate supplementation which resulted in higher values for the lambs in Group 2 from 4th or 5th till the last fortnight. Results revealed that supplementation of concentrate to the four weeks old grazing lambs for a period of 8 weeks improved the body weight, weight gain and reduces cost of lamb production.

Utility of body and otolith morphometry to discriminate cryptic juveniles of two sympatric red snappers (Perciformes: Lutjanidae).

The sympatric red snappers, Lutjanus erythropterus and Lutjanus malabaricus, are highly valued by commercial and recreational fishers along the tropical northern coasts of Australia and throughout their distribution. Studies on the life history and ecology of these congeners are confounded by difficulties in distinguishing the cryptic juveniles of each species (i.e., < 200 mm total length). This study aimed to validate a robust and cost-effective method to discriminate these juveniles using body and/or otolith morphometric data in a multivariate analysis. Juvenile samples were collected from the northwest (n = 71) and northeast (n = 19) coasts of Australia, and species identification was confirmed using DNA barcoding. The most parsimonious multivariate models achieved accurate species prediction rates of 98.8%, which consisted of just three body variables (dorsal fin length, the distance from the snout to the anterior edge of the eye, and either jaw length or distance from the snout to the preoperculum). The high level of discrimination for these cryptic juveniles highlights the robustness of this morphometric approach. The slightly lower rate of discrimination using otolith morphology (84.9%) was associated with greater regional variation in L. malabaricus between the northwest and northeast coasts. Slight variations in otolith shape are typically used to determine stock structure, which highlights the potential need to collect samples over a broader area of a species geographic range when using an otolith morphometric discrimination model. The method outlined in this study could be applied to distinguish other cryptic congeneric fish species, including from archived otolith collections. Moreover, this method has the potential to be utilized in assessing species compositions using body measurements from in situ stereo-video.

Ontogenetic Shifts in Body Morphology of Demersal Sharks' Species (Order: Squaliformes) Inhabiting the Western-Central Mediterranean Sea, with Implications for Their Bio-Ecological Role.

Several elasmobranch species undergo shifts in body proportions during their ontogenetic growth. Such morphological changes could reflect variation in diet, locomotion, or, more broadly, in the species' interactions with their environment. However, to date, only a few studies have been conducted on this topic, and most of them focused on particular body regions. In the present study, the ontogenetic growth of five different demersal shark species was investigated by using both traditional linear morphometry of the entire body and shape analysis of the caudal fin. A total of 449 sharks were analysed: 95 little gulper sharks, 80 longnose spurdogs, 103 kitefin sharks, 124 velvet belly lanternsharks, and 47 angular roughsharks. From each specimen, 36 linear morphometric measurements were taken. While a first canonical analysis of principal coordinates ruled out the possibility of different growth patterns between males and females, the same analysis statistically discriminated between small and large individuals in every species based on their morphology. A Similarity Percentage analysis revealed that the most important measurements in distinguishing these two groups were those related to body lengths, indicating that large individuals are more elongated than small individuals. The shape analysis of caudal fins revealed allometric growth during ontogenetic development, with adult individuals having a wider fin (discriminant analysis, p < 0.05). These findings could be related to changes in predatory skills, supporting the hypothesis of a shift in the ecological role that these sharks play in their environment, thus providing new essential information for their conservation.

Influence of Dietary Supplementation of Inorganic and Organic Chromium on Body Conformation, Carcass Traits, and Nutrient Composition in Muscle and Internal Organs of Black Bengal Goats.

The effect of dietary inorganic and organic chromium (Cr) on body morphometry, carcass traits, and nutrient composition, including different minerals and fatty acids in meat and internal organs of Black Bengal goats, was studied. Thirty weaned Black Bengal kids of 3-5months (5.40 ± 0.34kg body weight) were assigned randomly into five groups and fed additional Cr for 150days. The experimental diets comprised a basal diet supplemented with Cr at the rate of 0 (control; without Cr supplementation), 1.0 and 1.5mg/kg of inorganic Cr (Cr(III)-chloride), and 1.0 and 1.5mg/kg of organic Cr (Cr-yeast). The body morphometry such as body length, heart girth, paunch girth, loin width, leg circumference, and the carcass traits, namely, slaughter body weight, dressing percentage, hind quarter and forequarter weight, and rib eye area of goats, were not significantly (P < 0.05) changed due to inorganic and organic Cr supplementation. However, organic Cr supplementation (1.0 and 1.5mg/kg) resulted in a reduction of breast and back fat thickness (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. The weights of internal organs including liver, lungs, spleen, kidney, testes, and heart and their weights as a percentage of slaughter weight were similar (P > 0.05) among different experimental groups. Dry matter, ether extract, and total ash concentrations of muscle and internal organs of Cr-supplemented groups were not affected (P > 0.05) by Cr supplementation. However, crude protein contents in the liver, muscle, kidney, and lungs were greater (P < 0.05) in the organic Cr groups than in the control and inorganic Cr groups. In meat (longissimus dorsi muscle), total saturated fatty acid concentration was lower (P < 0.05; 59.4% versus 55.7%) and the unsaturated fatty acid concentration was greater (P < 0.05; 40.6% versus 44.3%) including palmitoleic acid, heptadecenoic acid, elaidic acid, and arachidonic acid in the organic or inorganic Cr-supplemented groups than in the basal diet group. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of organic Cr in Black Bengal goats has no influence on the carcass traits, but may improve the meat quality with greater protein content, lean, and healthier fatty acids for human consumption.

Girth-based administered activity for pediatric 99m Tc-DMSA SPECT.

Pediatric molecular imaging requires a balance between administering an activity that will yield sufficient diagnostic image quality while maintaining patient radiation exposure at acceptable levels. In current clinical practice, this balance is arrived at by the current North American Consensus Guidelines in which patient weight is used to recommend the administered activity (AA). We have previously demonstrated that girth (waist circumference at the level of the kidneys) is better at equalizing image quality than patient weight for pediatric Tc-99m DMSA renal function imaging. However, the correlation between image quality (IQ), AA, and patient girth has not been rigorously and systematically developed. In this work, we generate a series of curves showing the tradeoff between AA and IQ as a function of patient girth, providing the data for standards bodies to develop the next generation of dosing guideline for pediatric DMSA SPECT. An anthropomorphic phantom series that included variations in age (5, 10, and 15 years), gender (M, F), local body morphometry (5, 10, 50, 90, and 95th girth percentiles), and kidney size (±15% standard size), was used to generate realistic SPECT projections. A fixed and clinically challenging defect-to-organ volume percentage (0.49% of renal cortex value) was used to model a focal defect with zero uptake (i.e., full local loss of renal function). Task-based IQ assessment methods were used to rigorously measure IQ in terms of renal perfusion defect detectability. This assessment was performed at multiple count levels (corresponding to various AAs) for groups of patients that had similar girths and defect sizes. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was applied; the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used as a figure-of-merit for task performance. Curves showing the tradeoff between AUC and AA were generated for these groups of phantoms. Overall, the girth-based dosing method suggested different amounts of AA compared to weight-based dosing for the phantoms that had a relatively large body weight but a small girth or phantoms with relatively small bodyweight but large girth. Reductions of AA to 62.9% compared to weight-based dosing guidelines can potentially be realized while maintaining a baseline (AUC=0.80) IQ for certain 15-year-olds who have a relatively small girth and large defect size. Note that the task-based IQ results are heavily dependent on the simulated defect size for the defect detection task and the appropriate AUC value must be decided by the physicians for this diagnostic task. These results are based purely on simulation and are subject to future clinical validation. The study provides simulation-based IQ-AA data for a girth-based dosing method for pediatric renal SPECT, suggesting that patient waist circumference at the level of kidneys should be considered in selecting the AA needed to achieve an acceptable IQ. This data may be useful for standards bodies to develop girth-based dosing guidelines.

Fetal and Maternal Atomic Bomb Survivor Dosimetry Using the J45 Pregnant Female Phantom Series: Considerations of the Kneeling and Lying Posture with Comparisons to the DS02 System.

Organ dosimetry data of the atomic bomb survivors and the resulting cancer risk models derived from these data are currently assessed within the DS02 dosimetry system developed through the Joint US-Japan Dosimetry Working Group. In DS02, the anatomical survivor models are limited to three hermaphroditic stylized phantoms-an adult (55 kg), a child (19.8 kg), and an infant (9.7 kg)-that were originally designed for the preceding DS86 dosimetry system. As such, organ doses needed for assessment of in-utero cancer risks to the fetus have continued to rely upon the use of the uterine wall in the adult non-pregnant stylized phantom as the dose surrogate for all fetal organs regardless of gestational age. To address these limitations, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) Working Group on Organ Dose (WGOD) has established the J45 (Japan 1945) series of high-resolution voxel phantoms, which were derived from the UF/NCI series of hybrid phantoms and scaled to match mid-1940s Japanese body morphometries. The series includes male and female phantoms-newborn to adult-and four pregnant female phantoms at gestational ages of 8, 15, 25, and 38 wk post-conception. In previous studies, we have reported organ dose differences between those reported by the DS02 system and those computed by the WGOD using 3D Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations of atomic bomb gamma-ray and neutron fields for the J45 phantoms series in their traditional "standing" posture, with some variations in their facing direction relative to the bomb hypocenter. In this present study, we present the J45 pregnant female phantoms in both a "kneeling" and "lying" posture and assess the dosimetric impact of these more anatomically realistic survivor models in comparison to current organ doses given by the DS02 system. For the kneeling phantoms facing the bomb hypocenter, organ doses from bomb source photon spectra were shown to be overestimated by the DS02 system by up to a factor of 1.45 for certain fetal organs and up to a factor of 1.17 for maternal organs. For lying phantoms with their feet in the direction of the hypocenter, fetal organ doses from bomb source photon spectra were underestimated by the DS02 system by factors as low as 0.77, while maternal organ doses were overestimated by up to a factor of 1.38. Organs doses from neutron contributions to the radiation fields exhibited an increasing overestimation by the DS02 stylized phantoms as gestational age increased. These discrepancies are most evident in fetal organs that are more posterior within the mother's womb, such as the fetal brain. Further analysis revealed that comparison of these postures to the original standing posture indicate significant dose differences for both maternal and fetal organ doses depending on the type of irradiation. Results from this study highlight the degree to which the existing DS02 system can differ from organ dosimetry based upon 3D radiation transport simulations using more anatomically realistic models of those survivors exposed during pregnancy.

Growth Performance and Nutritional Condition of Marble Goby (Oxyeleotris marmoratus) Larvae Fed under Different Onsets of First Feeding

The marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmoratus) is a valuable food fish, but its aquaculture production is often hampered by poor growth performance associated with starvation at an early stage. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of delayed initial feeding on the growth performance and nutritional condition of the marble goby. Six different first feeding times were examined: 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 hours after the first feeding (HAFF), and their impacts on growth performances were evaluated based on larval final total length (mm) and survival (%), while nutritional condition was evaluated based on body morphometric changes, gut epithelium height (μm), and gut condition. The experiment was conducted for 15 days. All parameters were measured after larvae were collected at different sampling times, except survival and growth, which were measured at the end of the experiment. The results showed that the onset of the first feeding was 36 h after hatching (hAh) and that a short delay in the first feeding by 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 HAFF significantly reduced the growth performance of the larvae and severely affected the larval nutrition condition with noticeable shrinkage in body morphometry and gut epithelium height. This study concluded that the onset of first feeding in marble goby occurs at 36 hAH and that first feeding beyond 36 hAH significantly worsens the nutritional condition and growth performance of the larvae.

Evaluation of Body Weight, Morphometry, and Physiology Status of Etawah Crossbred Doeling on Two Different Farms Management

This study aimed to evaluate the body weight (BW), morphometry, and physiological status of Etawah Crossbred Doeling (ECD) under different farms management. This study was performed in two farms, Garage (Tlogoadi village, Mlati subdistrict) and Bumiku Hijau (Margomulyo village, Seyegan subdistrict), both located in Yogyakarta and each farm used 6 ECD as the replications (12 animals in total). Parameters of the study consist of body weight (BW), morphometry (chest girth, hip height, body length, chest depth, ear length, ear width, and withers height), physiological status (respiration, pulse, and rectal temperature). The parameter was measured weekly for four consecutive weeks of observation. The results showed that the difference in farm management between Garage and Bumiku Hijau influenced on the BW, morphometry, and physiological status of ECD. The study showed that the BW and all morphometry from the Garage farm was higher than Bumiku Hijau farm (P&amp;lt;0.05). However, the physiological status (except for rectal temperature) from Garage farm was lower than Bumiku Hijau farm (P&amp;lt;0.05). It can be concluded that Garage farm implemented better good farming practices compared to Bumiku Hijau farm.