Changes In Body Shape Research Articles

Maternal eating disorders and their influence on eating behavior of the children: a review of the literature

There is conclusive evidence about the influence of mothers with eating disorders (ED) on their children. To describe different aspects about mothers with ED and its implications in the feeding, growing and development in their children. A review of specialized textbooks and the available literature in PubMed was made. Mothers with previous or present ED show restrictive eating patterns, a deficient affective bond with their own mothers, exhibit more psychiatric comorbidities, mainly depression and anxiety; in addition, feelings of guilt and shame, early cessation of breastfeeding, high control of food consumption of their children, and/or pressure them to eat, irregular mealtimes, unbalanced and monotonous meals, proneness to slimness, a critical attitude about the body shape of their daughters. Breastfeeding implies a critical period for the irruption or relapse of an ED due to the adjustment to the characteristic body shape changes during pregnancy. There is a particular relationship between a maternal ED and its occurrence in their children, and it can be considered a risk factor for its development.

Gender's Effect on a School-Based Intervention in The Prepubertal Growth Spurt.

Children aged 10–11 years pass through a dynamic developmental period marked by rapid changes in body size, shape, and composition, all of which are sexually dimorphic. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of gender on a school-based intervention in the prepubertal growth spurt. One hundred twenty-five healthy children (58 boys, 67 girls), fifth and sixth grade students from an urban public elementary school in Portugal (10.8 ± 0.4 years), were randomly assigned into two experimental groups: a strength training group (19 boys, 22 girls), and an endurance training group (21 boys, 24 girls); and a control group (18 boys, 21 girls; no training program). Training program for the two experimental groups was conducted twice a week for 8 weeks. Compared with the values at the beginning of the protocol, both strength and endurance training programs produced significant improvements (p< 0.05) in vertical and horizontal jumps, a 1 kg and 3 kg medicine ball throw, a 20 m sprint and VO2max, for both boys and girls. No significant changes were observed related to gender in training-induced strength (p> 0.05, η_p^2= 0.16, Power= 0.29) and aerobic (p> 0.05, η_p^2= 0.05, Power= 0.28) capacity. The results of the present study should be taken into consideration in order to optimize strength training school-based programs.

A morphospace for reef fishes: elongation is the dominant axis of body shape evolution.

Tropical reef fishes are widely regarded as being perhaps the most morphologically diverse vertebrate assemblage on earth, yet much remains to be discovered about the scope and patterns of this diversity. We created a morphospace of 2,939 species spanning 56 families of tropical Indo-Pacific reef fishes and established the primary axes of body shape variation, the phylogenetic consistency of these patterns, and whether dominant patterns of shape change can be accomplished by diverse underlying changes. Principal component analysis showed a major axis of shape variation that contrasts deep-bodied species with slender, elongate forms. Furthermore, using custom methods to compare the elongation vector (axis that maximizes elongation deformation) and the main vector of shape variation (first principal component) for each family in the morphospace, we showed that two thirds of the families diversify along an axis of body elongation. Finally, a comparative analysis using a principal coordinate analysis based on the angles among first principal component vectors of each family shape showed that families accomplish changes in elongation with a wide range of underlying modifications. Some groups such as Pomacentridae and Lethrinidae undergo decreases in body depth with proportional increases in all body regions, while other families show disproportionate changes in the length of the head (e.g., Labridae), the trunk or caudal region in all combinations (e.g., Pempheridae and Pinguipedidae). In conclusion, we found that evolutionary changes in body shape along an axis of elongation dominates diversification in reef fishes. Changes in shape on this axis are thought to have immediate implications for swimming performance, defense from gape limited predators, suction feeding performance and access to some highly specialized habitats. The morphological modifications that underlie changes in elongation are highly diverse, suggesting a role for a range of developmental processes and functional consequences.

Pregnancy and Body Image

The purpose of this study is to investigate pregnant women’s maternity clothing practices in relation to their body image. The study’s participants were 137 women in the second or third trimester of their pregnancy. They were selected because maternity garments are required to accommodate changes in the body from the second trimester of pregnancy. They completed a questionnaire including their perception of body shape changes during pregnancy, body satisfaction, appearance evaluation, appearance orientation, and clothing functions. It was found that maternity clothing was worn primarily for comfort and assurance by pregnant women, not for camouflage. The results suggest that pregnant women are likely to be satisfied with their pregnant body, and their body image is a determinant of how they manage their physical appearance and self-presentation.

Swimming by reciprocal motion at low Reynolds number.

Biological microorganisms swim with flagella and cilia that execute nonreciprocal motions for low Reynolds number (Re) propulsion in viscous fluids. This symmetry requirement is a consequence of Purcell’s scallop theorem, which complicates the actuation scheme needed by microswimmers. However, most biomedically important fluids are non-Newtonian where the scallop theorem no longer holds. It should therefore be possible to realize a microswimmer that moves with reciprocal periodic body-shape changes in non-Newtonian fluids. Here we report a symmetric ‘micro-scallop’, a single-hinge microswimmer that can propel in shear thickening and shear thinning (non-Newtonian) fluids by reciprocal motion at low Re. Excellent agreement between our measurements and both numerical and analytical theoretical predictions indicates that the net propulsion is caused by modulation of the fluid viscosity upon varying the shear rate. This reciprocal swimming mechanism opens new possibilities in designing biomedical microdevices that can propel by a simple actuation scheme in non-Newtonian biological fluids.

Allometric body shape changes and morphological differentiation of Shemaya, Alburnus chalcoides (Guldenstadf, 1772), populations in the southern part of Caspian Sea using Elliptic Fourier analysis

Study of phenotypic diversity among populations can help better understanding of diversification of species within ecosystems and intraspecific diversification in fishes. A geometric morphometric study was carried out using the Elliptic Fourier analysis to demonstrate the effect of habitat type on morphological features of shemaya ( Alburnus chalcoides ) populations. Populations were sampled from three rivers and one lagoon, from the southern part of Caspian Sea. Significant differences in body shape were found among the populations. Differences in shapes of the riverine populations were minute compared to those of lagoon one in terms of size and shape. Shemaya is an anaderemus fish and its populations have a common origin, therefore, observed differences could be as result of environmental factors. In addition, this study suggest that the amount of curvature i.e. fusiform body shape of this species could be independent form environmental condition.

Evolutionary morphology of the organ systems in squat lobsters and porcelain crabs (crustacea: Decapoda: Anomala): an insight into carcinization.

Porcelain crabs (Porcellanidae) are one of three taxa within anomuran crustaceans (Anomala) which possess a crab-like body form. Curiously, these three lineages evolved this shape independently from true crabs (Brachyura) in the course of the evolutionary process termed carcinization. The entire pleon in porcelain crabs is flexed under the cephalothorax and the carapace is approximately as broad as long. Despite their crab-like habitus, porcelain crabs are phylogenetically nested within squat lobsters (Munidopsidae, Munididae, Galatheidae). With a pleon which is only partly flexed under the cephalothorax and a cephalothorax which is longer than it is broad, squat lobsters represent morphologically intermediate forms between lobster-like and crab-like body shapes. Carcinization has so far mostly been studied with respect to outer morphology; however, it is evident that internal anatomical features are influenced through this change of body shape too. In this paper, the situation in Galatheoidea is elucidated by adding more taxa to existing descriptions of the hemolymph vascular systems and associated structures and organs. Micro-computer tomography and 3D reconstruction provide new insights. Autapomorphic states of various internal anatomical characters are present in nearly all the studied species, also reflecting some degree of anatomical disparity found within Galatheoidea. The ventral vessel system of porcelain crabs differs distinctly from that of squat lobsters. The differences in question are coherent (i.e. structural dependent) with morphological transformations in the integument, such as the shortening of the sternal plastron, which evolved in the course of carcinization. Shifts in the gonads and the pleonal neuromeres are coherent with the loss of the caridoid escape reaction, which in turn is a consequence of carcinization. The arterial transformations, however, are minor compared to other instances of carcinization in anomuran crustaceans since the last common ancestor of squat lobsters and porcelain crabs was already "half carcinized".

Skeletal malformations in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858): gross morphology and radiographic correlation

Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a flatfish of increasingly interest in aquaculture in recent years. The establishment of the production requires the determination of the optimal conditions for development, growth and welfare of the sole in tanks. One important problem in cultured Senegalese sole is the presence of skeletal malformations that alter the morphology of the fish and cause the consumer's rejection. In contrast to the external study of the fish, the radiographic imaging allows to observe the existing types of deformities. The objective of this study was to define a straightforward evaluation method of skeletal alterations in Senegalese sole by means of computed radiography (CR). Fish between 255 and 352 days after hatching were randomly sampled, categorized according to their external appearance by the farm staff, and CR evaluated. Based on our previous research on skeletal malformations in Senegalese sole, we assessed the changes in the vertebrae and vertebral arches, processes and spines. Deformities varied from slight loss of structure of a single vertebra, to multiple vertebral deformities, fusions and alterations in intervertebral spaces that may result in lordosis/kyphosis or scoliosis. Anomalies in the abdominal region, caudal region and caudal complex were given a score: zero, absence of deformities; one, minor malformations; two, major malformations without altering body shape ; and three, severe skeletal changes modifying gross morphology of the fish. An overall score for each fish was assumed as the highest number obtained in the three regions. The results showed that the caudal complex was the region with higher rate of deformities, usually minor ; more severe malformations appeared in the caudal region. A high number of anomalies without effect on the external morphology were observed, and some gross changes in body shape did not correspond to bone alterations. CR allows the characterization of externally undetectable deformities in juvenile sole in a direct way, and is useful to discern the evolution and influence of the malformations on the gross morphology. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Body shape shifting during growth permits tests that distinguish between competing geometric theories of metabolic scaling.

Metabolism fuels all of life's activities, from biochemical reactions to ecological interactions. According to two intensely debated theories, body size affects metabolism via geometrical influences on the transport of resources and wastes. However, these theories differ crucially in whether the size dependence of metabolism is derived from material transport across external surfaces, or through internal resource-transport networks. We show that when body shape changes during growth, these models make opposing predictions. These models are tested using pelagic invertebrates, because these animals exhibit highly variable intraspecific scaling relationships for metabolic rate and body shape. Metabolic scaling slopes of diverse integument-breathing species were significantly positively correlated with degree of body flattening or elongation during ontogeny, as expected from surface area theory, but contradicting the negative correlations predicted by resource-transport network models. This finding explains strong deviations from predictions of widely adopted theory, and underpins a new explanation for mass-invariant metabolic scaling during ontogeny in animals and plants.

HIV-associated lipodystrophy: a review from a Brazilian perspective.

The prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals has dramatically improved worldwide since the introduction of highly antiretroviral therapy. Nevertheless, along with the decrease in mortality, several body modifications not initially related to HIV infection have been reported. Disorders in lipid and glucose metabolism, accompanied by body shape abnormalities and alterations in fat distribution, began to be described. A syndrome, named “HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome”, was coined to classify these clinical spectrum aspects. This syndrome involves not only metabolic alterations but also fat redistribution, with lipoatrophy due to subcutaneous fat loss (predominantly in the face and lower limbs) and lipohypertrophy related to central fat gain. These changes in body shape are very important to be recognized, as they are associated with worse morbidity and mortality. Self-esteem difficulties related to body alterations might lead to treatment failures due to medication adherence problems. Moreover, these alterations have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify this syndrome early in order to provide an even better quality of life for this population, as the clinical approach is not easy. Treatment change, medications to treat dyslipidemia, and surgical intervention are instruments to be used to try to correct these abnormalities. The aim of this study is to review clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of body shape and metabolic complications of HIV infection from a Brazilian perspective, a medium income country with a large number of patients on antiretroviral therapy.

Evolution of skull and body shape inTriturusnewts reconstructed from three-dimensional morphometric data and phylogeny

To explore the relationship between morphological change and species diversification, we reconstructed the evolutionary changes in skull size, skull shape, and body elongation in a monophyletic group of eight species that make up salamander genus Triturus. Their well-studied phylogenetic relationships and the marked difference in ecological preferences among five species groups makes this genus an excellent model system for the study of morphological evolution. The study involved three-dimensional imagery of the skull and the number of trunk vertebrae, in material that represents the morphological, spatial, and molecular diversity of the genus. Morphological change largely followed the pattern of descent. The reconstruction of ancestral skull shape indicated that morphological change was mostly confined to two episodes, corresponding to the ancestral lineage that all crested newts have in common and the Triturus dobrogicus lineage. When corrected for common descent, evolution of skull shape was correlated to change in skull size. Also, skull size and shape, as well as body shape, as inferred from the number of trunk vertebrae, were correlated, indicating a marked impact of species' ecological preferences on morphological evolution, accompanied by a series of niche shifts, with the most pronounced one in the T. dobrogicus lineage. The presence of phylogenetic signal and correlated evolutionary changes in skull and body shape suggested complex interplay of niche shifts, natural selection, and constraints by a common developmental system.

Characteristics and Body Shape Changes of Pregnant Women according on Pregnant Month ( I )

Characteristics and Body Shape Changes of Pregnant Women according on Pregnant Month ( I )

중년여성의 체형별 프린세스라인 토르소 원형 개발

This study developed and proposed a pattern that can fit the body and compensate for the defects of the body type by applying shoulder princess line to the torso pattern and including formative characteristics of each object on the study of body shape's change in 40-59 year old middle aged women. The results of this study are as follows; First, according to the analysis of 'Size Korea 2010' such as average, standard deviation, minimum value, and maximum value of 48 items, women showed increase in most of the items except height as they became aged. Second, factor analysis was made to understand the shape component factors of middle aged women and to use them for the body type classification. Third, cluster analysis was made according to the shape of front and sides which should be considered in pattern production based on the factor analysis results, and the body type with the measurement values most similar to the average of direct measurement of 'Size Korea 2010' was set as standard. Fourth, in designing torso patterns through the <TEX>$1^{st}$</TEX> and the <TEX>$2^{nd}$</TEX> wearing experiments according to the body type, body shapes such as Chest Circumference, Waist Circumference, Hip Circumference, and Waist Back Length were considered in pattern design, goodness-of-fit was enhanced with difference in margin according to body type and different margins in front and back, and fitting satisfaction was improved by applying princess line.

Feature-Based Human Model for Digital Apparel Design

Three-dimensional (3D) body scanning technology opens opportunities for virtual try-on and automatic made-to-measure apparel design. This paper proposes a new feature-based parametric method for modeling human body shape from scanned point clouds of a 3D body scanner [TC] <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> . The human body model consists of two layers: the skeleton and the cross sections of each body part. First, a simple skeleton model from the body scanner [TC] <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> system has been improved by adding and adjusting the position of joints in order to better address some fit issues related to body shape changes such as spinal bending. Second, an automatic approach to extracting semantic features for cross sections has been developed based on the body hierarchy. For each cross section, it is described by a set of key points which can be fit with a closed cardinal spline. According to the point distribution in point clouds, an extraction method of key points on cross sections has been studied and developed. Third, this paper presents an interpolation approach to fitting the key points on a cross section to a cardinal spline, in which different tension parameters are tested and optimized to represent simple deformations of body shape. Finally, a connection approach of body parts is proposed by sharing a boundary curve. The proposed method has been tested with the developed virtual human model (VHM) system which is robust and easier to use. The model can also be imported in a CAD environment for other applications.

Evidence of morphological differences between Astyanax bimaculatus (Actinopterygii: Characidae) from reaches above and below dams on a tropical river

Environmental alterations following river damming can cause body shape changes in freshwater fish species. However, little information is available on morphological responses of fishes to new environments after dam construction. We examined morphological differentiation of a small bodied characin fish collected from three pairs of reservoir and river habitats with distinct hydrological connectivity level (i.e., the degree to which fish movement is facilitated or impaired across reservoir and downriver habitats): (i) without, (ii) intermittent, and (iii) permanent connectivity. We predicted that river damming causes shape changes in fish species and share a common pattern of morphological differentiation, with individuals from lotic habitats having a more hydrodynamic body shape and being poorly adapted for maneuverability compared with those from lentic habitats. Geometric morphometric analysis of the body shape revealed that individuals inhabiting reservoirs were deeper-bodied and had longer dorsal and anal-fin bases compared with individuals from the rivers, features associated with body shape adaptation to lentic environments. We also showed that connectivity between reservoir and river habitats appears to have constrained morphological differentiation, presumably due to population mixing rates. Local characteristics associated with each impoundment (e.g., migration routes and environmental homogeneity) seem to play a critical role in Astyanax bimaculatus body shape differentiation. The observed patterns were consistent with functional morphological principles suggesting adaptive divergence.

Ontogenetic change of the weight support pattern in growing dogs

Weight support patterns vary widely among mammals. Differences in how much of the body weight is supported by the fore- versus the hind-limbs are well documented among and within species. Intraindividual variation due to ontogenetic processes has been studied in several hindlimb-dominated species and consistently showed a caudal shift in the limbs' support roles. We hypothesized that forelimb-dominated species exhibit a cranial shift in their support pattern and tested this hypothesis by examining the vertical ground reaction forces in growing dogs. Six male Beagle siblings were studied from 9 to 51 postnatal weeks (PW) of age while they trotted on an instrumented treadmill. Ontogenetic shifting in fore-to-hind support was evaluated using vertical force ratios (i.e., peak and impulse) as well as the stance time ratio of the fore- and the hind-limbs. Because morphological and kinematic characteristics influence weight support patterns, changes in body shape (i.e., trunk shape), and average limb position were determined. As in adult dogs, the forelimbs carried a greater proportion of the body weight than the hindlimbs at all ages. When the dogs were younger, peak vertical force occurred earlier during stance in the hindlimbs but not the forelimbs. Both the increasing ratio of the vertical force and the increasing ratio of the stance times indicate an increasing weight support by the forelimbs (i.e., 59% at PW9 vs. 63% at PW51). The observed ontogenetic changes in trunk shape and average limb angle were consistent with this cranial shift in weight support.

‘Is it normal?’ A simple question that often lacks an easy answer

Anyone experiencing a change in bodily function must ask ‘is this normal or is it a manifestation of a serious disease’? Often the answer will be obvious, but not always; individuals may delay seeking medical advice until they believe their condition is ‘doctorable’, worthy of utilising a physician’s time. 1 The problems are greatest at the extremes of age. First, any problems will arise in bodies that are anyway undergoing a series of often quite marked changes that are entirely normal. Young children experience marked changes in body size and shape and in the ability to do things, such as walk and control their bodily functions. Very old people may also experience changes, but in the opposite direction as they lose body mass from muscles and bones; they become unable to do things that once were easy, again including walking and controlling their bodily functions. Second, those at the extremes of age are also often dependent on others to recognise the changes to their bodies, to interpret them, and to determine which may require responses by health professionals and which are ‘normal’.

Chicken or the Egg: Anorexia Nervosa and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Children and Adolescents

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) frequently has neuropsychiatric involvement including affective disorders, psychosis, and cognitive dysfunction. Evidence suggests that anorexia nervosa (AN) in adolescents with SLE may be triggered by steroid-induced changes in weight and body shape. We propose that AN may be another manifestation of neuropsychiatric SLE and should be considered in this patient population. A retrospective chart review identified 7 children/adolescents diagnosed with SLE and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition diagnostic criteria for AN, restrictive subtype, at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto between January 1989 and January 2011. One patient developed AN 15 months after being diagnosed with SLE that was attributed to prednisone-induced weight gain and cushingoid appearance. Of the remaining 6 patients, the median age at onset of AN symptoms was 12.2 years and diagnosis of AN was 13.6 years. The median age at SLE diagnosis was 14.2 years with median time after onset of AN symptoms of 20 months (7.5-32 months). All patients had evidence of joint symptoms and a positive antinuclear antibody, and 50% had lymphopenia at the time of SLE diagnosis. Treatment of SLE resulted in improvement of AN in all patients. The timing of the clinical presentation of AN in relation to the diagnosis of SLE and response to SLE treatment suggests that AN may be a novel presentation of neuropsychiatric SLE. Patients with AN who present with or develop joint symptoms, a positive antinuclear antibody, or lymphopenia should be investigated and followed for possible SLE.

Stairway to heaven: evaluating levels of biological organization correlated with the successful ascent of natural waterfalls in the Hawaiian stream goby Sicyopterus stimpsoni.

Selective pressures generated by locomotor challenges act at the level of the individual. However, phenotypic variation among individuals that might convey a selective advantage may occur across any of multiple levels of biological organization. In this study, we test for differences in external morphology, muscle mechanical advantage, muscle fiber type and protein expression among individuals of the waterfall climbing Hawaiian fish Sicyopterus stimpsoni collected from sequential pools increasing in elevation within a single freshwater stream. Despite predictions from previous laboratory studies of morphological selection, few directional morphometric changes in body shape were observed at successively higher elevations. Similarly, lever arm ratios associated with the main pelvic sucker, central to climbing ability in this species, did not differ between elevations. However, among climbing muscles, the adductor pelvicus complex (largely responsible for generating pelvic suction during climbing) contained a significantly greater red muscle fiber content at upstream sites. A proteomic analysis of the adductor pelvicus revealed two-fold increases in expression levels for two respiratory chain proteins (NADH:ubiquinone reductase and cytochrome b) that are essential for aerobic respiration among individuals from successively higher elevations. Assessed collectively, these evaluations reveal phenotypic differences at some, but not all levels of biological organization that are likely the result of selective pressures experienced during climbing.

Alternative forms of axial startle behaviors in fishes

For most aquatic vertebrates, axial movements play key roles in the performance of startle responses. In fishes, these axis-based startle behaviors fall into three distinct categories – the C-start, withdrawal, and S-start – defined by patterns of body bending and underlying motor control. Startle behaviors have been widely studied due to their importance for predator evasion. In addition, the neural circuits that control startles are relatively accessible, compared to other vertebrate circuits, and have provided opportunities to understand basic nervous system function. The C-start neural circuit has long been a model in systems neuroscience and considerable work on neural control of withdrawal response has been conducted in the larval lamprey. The S-start response has only recently been explored from a physiological perspective and we focus here on reviewing S-start motor control and movement in the context of the other two responses. Axial elongation has previously been associated with startle behavior in comparisons of C-starts and withdrawal, with extremely elongate animals performing withdrawals. We suggest that the S-start tends to occur with moderate body elongation, complementing the C-start in animals with this body form. As many larval fishes are moderately elongate, we suggest that the S-start may be common in larvae but may be secondarily lost with body shape change through development.