Changes In Body Shape Research Articles

A Study on the Body Shape Analysis for an Avatar Generation of the Virtual Fitting System-Focusing on Korean Women in their 20's-

In the virtual fitting system, the use of a 3D avatar is not a simple garment model, but it should be able to reproduce the size and shape of the customer using a fitting system. Although various virtual fitting systems have their own 3D avatar sizing systems and provide 3D avatars that match the size of the customer, there are limitations in realizing the actual body shape in actual use by the consumer. The purpose of this study is to realize a 3D avatar with excellent size and conformity for customer use. Therefore, this study aims to provide basic data for the formation of a 3D standard avatar of Korean women aged in their 20's, by comparing and analyzing the degree of the consumer user friendly system change of a body type, and the consumer’s ability in selecting a consumer representative body type. Based on the survey data of 'Size Korea' conducted from 2004 to 2015 at three times, we examined the change of body shape over 10 years. Then, based on the results of 6th and 7th data, 4 factors of the concurrent body shape change of women of the consumer demographic studied were selected through the use of a factor analysis. Following this analysis, the 4 extracted factors were clustered again and finally released 7 representative body types, which were obtained based on height and weight. The size of each representative figure is derived by the use of a regression analysis, and it is used as a basic data for 3D avatar formation of the virtual fitting system.

Reduced Swimming Performance Repeatedly Evolves on Loss of Migration in Landlocked Populations of Alewife.

Whole-organism performance tasks are accomplished by the integration of morphological traits and physiological functions. Understanding how evolutionary change in morphology and physiology influences whole-organism performance will yield insight into the factors that shape its own evolution. We demonstrate that nonmigratory populations of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) have evolved reduced swimming performance in parallel, compared with their migratory ancestor. In contrast to theoretically and empirically based predictions, poor swimming among nonmigratory populations is unrelated to the evolution of osmoregulation and occurs despite the fact that nonmigratory alewives have a more fusiform (torpedo-like) body shape than their ancestor. Our results suggest that elimination of long-distance migration from the life cycle has shaped performance more than changes in body shape and physiological regulatory capacity.

Heterogeneity of neuromasts in a fish without lateral line canals: the pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus) model.

Fish detect water motion with their mechanosensory lateral line. The basic functional unit of the lateral line is the neuromast. In most fish species, neuromasts are located in lateral line canals (canal neuromasts) or on the skin (superficial neuromasts). In this paper, we describe the lateral line system of the pufferfish, Takifugu obscurus If threatened, this fish inflates its body by sucking water into the esophagus. Pufferfish lack a canal system but have neuromasts located directly on the skin or in open grooves. Each groove houses tall, medium and short neuromasts, based on the height of their pedestal. One or more medium neuromasts were always located between two tall neuromasts, and the short neuromasts were scattered between them. Tall neuromasts showed phasic responses to water jets, similar to the canal neuromasts of other fish species. In contrast, the medium and short neuromasts showed tonic responses to water jets. The response properties of nerve fibers that innervated the medium and short neuromasts were similar to those of the superficial neuromasts found in other fish species. Our results suggest that each groove of a pufferfish has two functional groups of neuromasts. This may allow pufferfish to extract spatial and temporal hydrodynamic information, despite the changes in body shape that occur during and after inflation. The short neuromasts at the bottom of a groove most likely supplement the medium neuromasts when the body is maximally inflated.

The Alice-in-Wonderland Syndrome.

In 1955, English psychiatrist John Todd defined the Alice-in-Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) as self-experienced paroxysmal body-image illusions involving distortions of the size, mass, or shape of the patient's own body or its position in space, often accompanied by depersonalization and/or derealization. AIWS had been described by American Neurologist Caro Lippman in 1952, but Todd's report was the most influential. Todd named the syndrome for the perceptual disorder of altered body image experienced by the protagonist in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson). In Carroll's original story, Alice experienced several dramatic changes in body size and shape (e.g., shrinking to 10 inches high, growing unnaturally tall but not any wider, and growing unnaturally large). Todd reported 6 cases of AIWS, all of whom had episodic body-image distortions like those experienced by Lewis Carroll's Alice character; some also had visual perceptual disturbances, but none had visual perceptual disorders without body-image distortions. Therefore, AIWS may be accompanied by visual perceptual disorders (e.g., micropsia, macropsia, telopsia, pelopsia), but basing the diagnosis of AIWS on isolated visual perceptual disorders, as has subsequently been done by a number of authors, is inaccurate and misleading. Cases of isolated visual illusions without self-perceived distortions of body size, shape, or form, do not meet Todd's original criteria, nor are they commensurate with the experiences of the protagonist in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Furthermore, such cases differ by age and etiology from those that involve somesthetic perceptual disorders. Therefore, the use of the term AIWS for isolated visual illusions is problematic and should be discouraged. Although Todd's and Lippman's cases were adolescents or adults, AIWS is most commonly reported in children. Reported causes include infection (especially with Epstein Barr virus), migraine, epilepsy, depression, and toxic and febrile delirium.

Allometric Growth Pattern and Morphological Changes of Pterophyllum Scalare (Schultze, 1823) During the Early Development

The early development of the angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) was studied from 1 up to 51 days post-hatching under culture conditions. The left side of specimens was photographed and morphometric parameters, including total length, head length, tail length, trunk length, eye diameter, caudal peduncle and body depth, were measured using the software ImageJ. Allometric growth pattern was calculated as a power function of total length and the patterns in allometry were described by the growth coefficient to reveal important steps in the species’ early life history. In addition, the anatomical changes were described. The early development of this species was divided into four stages: the eleuthero-embryo, propterygio-larval, pterygio-larval and juvenile. During the first two stages, the growth rate of the head and tail was higher, whereas, in last two stages, the growth rate of the head decreased and the growth rate of the trunk increased, especially at the juvenile stage. This body shape changes revealed priorities to develop the organs related to vital functions such as branchial respiration, nervous system and exogenous feeding during preflexion stages (TL = 4.52–5.54 mm). The growth pattern of the trunk turned to relatively positive allometric growth pattern during the juvenile stages reflected in a deeper body shape along with developed long dorsal and anal fins and higher position of the pectoral fins, an adaptation to its adult lifestyle. The results confirmed this fact that morphological development and growth patterns during early life stages in P. scalare closely match its immediate required function.

An overview of methods to assess body composition

Scientific advancement has led to new technologies in the field of body composition assessment. Surface anthropometry has traditionally been used to assess body composition through the internationally recognised methodology of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). However, the commercialisation of devices providing bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, magnetic resonance imaging, three-dimensional photonic scanning (3DS), air-displacement plethysmography (i.e. Bod Pod), ultrasound techniques and dilution techniques (doubly-labelled water), has led to the adoption of new and often non-standardised, measurement techniques. Practitioners, all over the world, are employing these new technologies to measure and monitor change in body size, shape and composition for the purposes of health management, talent identification and development, optimising physique for sport performance, and enabling sports equipment design and fit. The accuracy and reliability of the technique measures are critical in a field where tracking small changes in an athlete's physique is important. When athletes have their body composition measured across multiple technologies in a non-standardised manner, they often receive varying results which can be confusing and, in some cases, distressing. Currently, no reference or model exists for the standardisation of many of these new devices. There is a lack of awareness of standardisation of technique among both manufacturers & practitioners. There is often a lack of established protocols to ensure best practice in physique assessment. Different protocols can make large differences to the measurement value when they purport to measure the same thing – e.g. waist girth (up to 12% in females); Breathing cycle in 3D scan-derived % fat (15% for end tidal, rising to 28% on inspiration and reducing to 10% in expiration). These two examples underscore the importance of standardising protocols for body composition assessment. This presentation will outline considerations for current best practice to assess body composition. Examples for physique assessment in clinical practice using a selection of the technologies will be provided from the international team of co-authors in the Best Practice Protocols for Physique Assessment in Sport book (to be published by Springer International, November 2017).

Morphometric Modifications in Canthon quinquemaculatus Castelnau 1840 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae): Sublethal Effects of Transgenic Maize?

The effects of transgenic compounds on non-target organisms remain poorly understood, especially in native insect species. Morphological changes (e.g., changes in body size and shape) may reflect possible responses to environmental stressors, like transgenic toxins. The dung beetle Canthon quinquemaculatus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) is a non-target species found in transgenic crops. We evaluated whether C. quinquemaculatus individuals inhabiting corn fields cultivated with different seed types (conventional, creole and transgenic) present modifications in body shape compared to individuals inhabiting adjacent native forest fragments. We collected C. quinquemaculatus specimens across an agricultural landscape in southern Brazil, during the summer of 2015. Six populations were sampled: three maize crop populations each under a different seed type, and three populations of adjacent forests. After sampling, specimens were subjected to morphometric analyses to discover differences in body shape. We chose fifteen landmarks to describe body shape, and morphometric data were tested with Procrustes ANOVA and Discriminant Analysis. We found that body shape did not differ between individuals collected in conventional and creole crops with their respective adjacent forests (p > 0.05); however, transgenic crop populations differed significantly from those collected in adjacent forests (p < 0.05). Insects in transgenic maize are more oval and have a retraction in the abdominal region, compared with the respective adjacent forest, this result shows the possible effect of transgenic crops on non-target species. This may have implications for the ecosystem service of organic matter removal, carried out by these organisms.

Sharing morphospaces: early ontogenetic shape changes in two clingfish larvae (Pisces: Gobiesocidae) from the south-east Pacific Ocean.

Larval body shape changes and developmental timing were examined in two clingfish species from the south-east Pacific Ocean, Gobiesox marmoratus and Sicyases sanguineus. Ontogenetic allometry showed no interspecific variation and <7 mm standard length (LS ) larvae of both species occupied similar morphospace, but larger G. marmoratus showed increased body depth while larvae of S. sanguineus developed a flattened head and maintained a hydrodynamic body. Estimated developmental timing suggests that larval body shape changes were faster in G. marmoratus than in S. sanguineus prior to settlement.

Diet and body shape changes of pāroko Kelloggella disalvoi (Gobiidae) from intertidal pools of Easter Island.

This study assesses seasonal variation in the morphology and diet of juveniles and adults of the Easter Island endemic goby Kelloggella disalvoi from intertidal pools during September-October 2015 (spring) and June-July 2016 (winter), utilizing geometric morphometric and gut-content analyses. A set of 16 landmarks was digitized in 128 individuals. Shape changes related to size changes (i.e. allometry) were low (18·6%) and were seasonally similar. Body shape changes were mainly dorsoventral (44·2% of variance) and comprised posteroventral displacement of the premaxilla and bending of the body. The latter included vertical displacement of the anterior portion of the first and second dorsal fins and the entire base of the caudal fin. Diets mainly comprised developmental stages of harpacticoid copepods (from eggs to adults), ostracods, isopods, gastropods and bivalves. Also, trophic niche breadth remained constant throughout development and did not vary between seasons. Nonetheless, significant dietary differences were detected in specimens collected during spring (main prey items: harpacticoid copepods and copepod eggs) and winter (harpacticoid copepods and copepod nauplii). Finally, there was weak but significant covariation between diet and morphology: molluscivores were characterized by having an inferior mouth gape, whereas planktivores had an anteriorly directed premaxilla.

The interaction between predation risk and food ration on behavior and morphology of Eurasian perch.

The risk of both predation and food level has been shown to affect phenotypic development of organisms. However, these two factors also influence animal behavior that in turn may influence phenotypic development. Hence, it might be difficult to disentangle the behavioral effect from the predator or resource‐level effects. This is because the presence of predators and high resource levels usually results in a lower activity, which in turn affects energy expenditure that is used for development and growth. It is therefore necessary to study how behavior interacts with changes in body shape with regard to resource density and predators. Here, we use the classic predator‐induced morphological defense in fish to study the interaction between predator cues, resource availability, and behavioral activity with the aim to determine their relative contribution to changes in body shape. We show that all three variables, the presence of a predator, food level, and activity, both additively and interactively, affected the body shape of perch. In general, the presence of predators, lower swimming activity, and higher food levels induced a deep body shape, with predation and behavior having similar effect and food treatment the smallest effect. The shape changes seemed to be mediated by changes in growth rate as body condition showed a similar effect as shape with regard to food‐level and predator treatments. Our results suggests that shape changes in animals to one environmental factor, for example, predation risk, can be context dependent, and depend on food levels or behavioral responses. Theoretical and empirical studies should further explore how this context dependence affects fitness components such as resource gain and mortality and their implications for population dynamics.

Tbx3-dependent amplifying stem cell progeny drives interfollicular epidermal expansion during pregnancy and regeneration

The skin surface area varies flexibly in response to body shape changes. Skin homeostasis is maintained by stem cells residing in the basal layer of the interfollicular epidermis. However, how the interfollicular epidermal stem cells response to physiological body shape changes remains elusive. Here, we identify a highly proliferative interfollicular epidermal basal cell population in the rapidly expanding abdominal skin of pregnant mice. These cells express Tbx3 that is necessary for their propagation to drive skin expansion. The Tbx3+ basal cells are generated from Axin2+ interfollicular epidermal stem cells through planar-oriented asymmetric or symmetric cell divisions, and express transit-amplifying cell marker CD71. This biased division of Axin2+ interfollicular epidermal stem cells is induced by Sfrp1 and Igfbp2 proteins secreted from dermal cells. The Tbx3+ basal cells promote wound repair, which is enhanced by Sfrp1 and Igfbp2. This study elucidates the interfollicular epidermal stem cell/progeny organisation during pregnancy and suggests its application in regenerative medicine.

Euglenoid-Inspired Giant Shape Change for Highly Deformable Soft Robots

Nature has exploited softness and compliance in many different forms, from large cephalopods to microbial bacteria and algae. In all these cases, large body deformations are used for both object manipulation and locomotion. The great potential of soft robotics is to capture and replicate these capabilities in controllable robotic form. This letter presents the design of a bioinspired actuator capable of achieving a large volumetric change. Inspired by the changes in body shape seen in the euglena Eutreptiella spirogyra during its characteristic locomotion, a novel soft pneumatic actuator has been designed that exploits the hyperelastic properties of elastomers. We call this the hyperelastic bellows (HEB) actuator. The result is a structure that works under both positive and negative pressure to achieve euglenoid-like multimodal actuation. Axial expansion of 450% and a radial expansion of 80% have been observed, along with a volumetric change of 300 times. Furthermore, the design of a segmented robot with multiple chambers is presented, which demonstrates several of the characteristic shapes adopted by the euglenoid in its locomotion cycle. This letter shows the potential of this new soft actuation mechanism to realise biomimetic soft robotics with giant shape changes.

Body wall structure in the starfish Asterias rubens.

The body wall of starfish is composed of magnesium calcite ossicles connected by collagenous tissue and muscles and it exhibits remarkable variability in stiffness, which is attributed to the mechanical mutability of the collagenous component. Using the common European starfish Asterias rubens as an experimental animal, here we have employed a variety of techniques to gain new insights into the structure of the starfish body wall. The structure and organisation of muscular and collagenous components of the body wall were analysed using trichrome staining. The muscle system comprises interossicular muscles as well as muscle strands that connect ossicles with the circular muscle layer of the coelomic lining. The collagenous tissue surrounding the ossicle network contains collagen fibres that form loop‐shaped straps that wrap around calcite struts near to the surface of ossicles. The 3D architecture of the calcareous endoskeleton was visualised for the first time using X‐ray microtomography, revealing the shapes and interactions of different ossicle types. Furthermore, analysis of the anatomical organisation of the ossicles indicates how changes in body shape may be achieved by local contraction/relaxation of interossicular muscles. Scanning synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray diffraction (SAXD) scans of the starfish aboral body wall and ambulacrum were used to study the collagenous tissue component at the fibrillar level. Collagen fibrils in aboral body wall were found to exhibit variable degrees of alignment, with high levels of alignment probably corresponding to regions where collagenous tissue is under tension. Collagen fibrils in the ambulacrum had a uniformly low degree of orientation, attributed to macrocrimp of the fibrils and the presence of slanted as well as horizontal fibrils connecting antimeric ambulacral ossicles. Body wall collagen fibril D‐period lengths were similar to previously reported mammalian D‐periods, but were significantly different between the aboral and ambulacral samples. The overlap/D‐period length ratio within fibrils was higher than reported for mammalian tissues. Collectively, the data reported here provide new insights into the anatomy of the body wall in A. rubens and a foundation for further studies investigating the structural basis of the mechanical properties of echinoderm body wall tissue composites.

Somatotipos de adolescentes escolarizados de Córdoba (Argentina)

En el presente trabajo se analizan posibles respuestas diferenciales del crecimiento de los adolescentes, en particular, cambios de forma, con relación al grupo social, estimado por nivel educativo, de los padres y madres. Para cuantificar los cambios en la forma corporal se utilizó el método del somatotipo. La muestra se constituyó con 208 escolares, de ambos sexos, de 12 a 18 años pertenecientes a dos escuelas públicas de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina. Antes del relevamiento antropométrico, padres y alumnos respondieron una encuesta semiestructurada sobre el nivel educativo alcanzado por los primeros, y sobre sus respectivas dietas, hábitos alimentarios y actividades recreativas y físicas. En este trabajo indagamos sobre posibles asociaciones entre el somatotipo de los alumnos y el nivel educativo alcanzado por los padres. Para calcular el somatotipo fueron relevadas variables antropométricas originales (peso, estatura, pliegue subcutáneo tricipital, subescapular, suprailíaco y de la pierna, los diámetros bicondíleos del húmero y fémur y los perímetros del brazo contraído y de la pierna). Además del somatotipo individual se obtuvo el somatotipo grupal por cada categoría de agrupamiento (sexo y edad). El grupo femenino exhibió, de acuerdo con lo esperado según la literatura, somatotipos más endomorfos que los varones. Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el nivel educativo entre padres y madres de las distintas escuelas. Estos resultados podrían estar influyendo en los niveles de endomorfía de los participantes, la cual fue mayor en aquellos de la escuela cuyos padres presentaron menor nivel educativo.

Phenotypic convergence of artificially reared and wild trout is mediated by shape plasticity.

Phenotypic plasticity can be viewed as the first level of defense of organism homeostasis against environmental stress and therefore represents the potential to deal with rapid environmental changes. Transitions between low complexity, artificial environments and complex, natural habitats can promote phenotypic plasticity. Here, we conducted an experimental introduction with juvenile brown trout to evaluate the plasticity of shape in response to a transition between contrasting environments. We released 202 juvenile trout reared under hatchery conditions in a natural stream and analyzed changes in shape and morphological variability after 5 months. A geometric morphometrics approach based on 14 landmarks was used to compare changes in body shape for 37 fish recaptured at the end of the experiment. A similar number of hatchery and wild fish caught at the receptor stream were used as controls for shape in the two environments. After 5‐months, fish showed significant change in shape, shifting from elongated to robust shapes, and affecting to the relative position of the caudal peduncle. These new shapes were closer to wild than to the hatchery shapes, suggesting a process of rapid phenotype change. Moreover, these changes were concomitant with a marked increase in morphological variability. Our results support the hypothesis that phenotypic plasticity is a major potential for adjustment to environmental change but not the idea that shape can be constrained by initial shapes. We confirmed the “increased” variance hypothesis and phenotype convergence with wild morphs. This has important implications because stresses the role of phenotypic plasticity as a buffer that allows organisms to cope with important environmental discontinuities at time scales that preclude the onset of adaptive adjustments. We suggest that environmental conditioning and shape plasticity can overcome both reduced morphological diversity and phenotype uncoupling with habitat characteristics resulting from initial rearing in low complexity artificial environments.

Disrupted body-image and pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. A preliminary investigation

BackgroundRecent investigations have suggested that disrupted body-image may contribute to the lumbopelvic pain experience. The changes in body shape and size associated with pregnancy suggest that pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain might be a problem in which alterations in body-image are particularly relevant. ObjectivesTo investigate if self-reported body-image is related to lumbopelvic pain status in women during pregnancy and explore the factors that might contribute to changes in body-image in women experiencing pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. DesignCross-sectional cohort study. MethodForty-two women in the third trimester of pregnancy were recruited regardless of clinical status. Pain intensity and disability were measured to estimate clinical severity. The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire was used to assess body-image. Participants also completed a series of questionnaires and physical tests to explore factors that might be associated with altered body-image. ResultsThe median Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire score for the pain free women was 1 (IQR 0–1.5) and the median score for those in pain was 3.5 (IQR 2–8). This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.005). The questionnaire score was significantly correlated with pain intensity but not with disability. Of the measured variables only pain catastrophisation was significantly associated with disrupted body-image. ConclusionsSelf-reported disruption of body-image was significantly greater in pregnant women who were experiencing lumbopelvic pain than those who weren't and the extent of body-image disruption was associated with pain intensity. Only pain related catastrophisation was related to disrupted body-image.

Seasonal changes in body shape and mass in a lotic-breeding and externally fertilizing salamander Hynobius kimurae

Physiological condition linked to reproduction-related morphological traits (e.g., body mass, head width, tail height) is a key determinant of ecotypes related to fitness in ecological selection. In migratory salamanders such as the families Ambystomatidae (internal fertilization), Salamandridae (internal), and Hynobiidae (external), such morphological traits change at the transition between terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Unlike many other migratory salamanders, Hynobius kimurae (Hynobiidae) immigrates from land to water for aquatic hibernation during fall, and the immigration is not related to fall breeding. In this context, does fall immigration to water for winter dormancy induce changes in reproduction-related morphological traits? We analyzed changes in body shape and mass concurrent with physiological condition of 244 males and 131 females of H. kimurae with only data on first capture during fall and spring from 1996 to 2016. Although reproduction-related morphological traits in other migratory salamanders change simultaneously when they enter the water and subsequently initiate breeding during either season of fall–spring, such changes occurred both in male and female H. kimurae firstly during fall (shortly after entering the water) and secondly during spring (shortly after awaking from hibernation), except for head width being static throughout seasons. The differences suggest that these two-step changes during a prolonged period from fall to spring would be concentrated in a short period of breeding activity during either season of fall–spring in other migratory salamanders without hibernating in the water. As sexually selected, sexual dimorphism was detected in size and shape, especially shape of the tail, both height and length of which were greater in males than in females regardless of the sexes being terrestrial or aquatic. The male’s larger tail during the terrestrial phase may be a stock for a more developed tailfin (amount of reproductive output) in the aquatic-phase male potentially related to fitness.

Tbx3-dependent proliferation of transit-amplifying cells drives interfollicular epidermal expansion during pregnancy and regeneration

The skin surface area varies flexibly in response to body shape changes. Despite the growing evidence implicating that the interfollicular epidermis (IFE) of adult skin consists of slow-cycling stem cells and short-lived transit-amplifying (TA) cells, little is known about the dynamicity of IFE stem and TA cells during physiological body shape changes. By tracing IFE stem cell division using the Wnt-responsive gene Axin in mice, here we show that in pregnant mother mice the abdominal IFE stem cells are predisposed to planar-oriented asymmetric or symmetric cell division into TA cells. Microarray and genetic deletion analysis show that transcription factor Tbx3 is expressed in TA cells in the abdominal IFE of pregnant mice to drive their proliferation, enabling rapid skin expansion to accommodate foetal growth. The IFE stem/TA cell dynamicity of pregnant mice is induced by the dermal-derived secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (Sfrp1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (Igfbp2). On wounding, Tbx3 positive-TA cells play a pivotal role in tissue repair, which is reinforced by topical administration of Sfrp1 and Igfbp2 proteins. Our findings demonstrate a fine-tuned IFE stem/TA cell orchestration during pregnancy and implicate its application for regenerative medicine.

한국 성인 여성의 연령대별 체형변화에 대한 연구

In this study, change trends and specific times for change in body size were sought to be identified by using manual measurements for Korean adult women at 20 to 89 of age, along with examinations of change trends and specific times of change in body shape based on body index values. The examinations of means, deviations, and variation coefficients revealed that there was a tendency of most height related measures to decrease. In addition, combined with decrease in height, growth in weight led to increased BMI, thus resulting in increase in measures of circumference, thickness, and breadth in the torso area. The BMI trends showed that with increasing age, BMI increased, reaching the peak between the ages of 55 and 59 and then decreasing from 64 of age, with the steepest increase in BMI at ages from 50 to 54. The examination of differences in the body flatness ratio for different parts of body found that with increasing age the ratio decreased, indicating a tendency for gradual change to round body shapes. The analysis of 3D body shape found that there were more back-bends and lowered shoulder levels with age, accompanied with a tendency for more bended legs and more inclined-forward necks. The key trends in changes in body measurements by age and detailed estimates of 3D standard body shape drawn out from this study are expected to significantly contribute to establishing a basic database for generating patterns reflecting age features of Korean adult females.

The effects of groove height and substrate stiffness on C. elegans locomotion

The physical environment surrounding an animal has a significant impact on its behavior. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has proved to be an excellent choice for understanding the adaptability of organisms crawling on soft surfaces. In this work, we investigate the modulation of C. elegans’ behavioral kinematics in response to changes in the stiffness of the substrate and study the effect of grooves incised by the worms on their locomotion speed and efficiency. We measure the height of the grooves created by the animals on surfaces with different rigidity using confocal microscopy. Our results indicate that the kinematic properties of C. elegans, including amplitude (A), wavelength (λ) and frequency (f) of head turns depend strongly on surface properties and the height of the grooves created by them. During crawling, we observe that the animal assumes two distinct shapes depending on the stiffness of substrates. As the stiffness increases, the worm’s body shape changes gradually from a ‘W’ shape, which is characterized by low amplitude curvature to the more common ‘S’ shape, which is characterized by high amplitude curvature, at intermediate values and back to ‘W’ on stiffer substrates. Although the efficiency is found to vary monotonically with surface stiffness, the forward velocity shows a non-monotonic behavior with the maximum on a surface, where the animal makes the ‘S’ shape.