Use Of Morphometric Analysis Research Articles

Geometric morphometric analysis for the systematic elucidation of new Hylicellidae from the Jurassic of China (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha)

AbstractThe extinct family Hylicellidae, as the ancestral group of modern cicadomorphans, had a wide distribution and a very high species-level biodiversity from the Triassic to Early Cretaceous. We herein report 11 new hylicellid specimens from the Jurassic Daohugou beds of Inner Mongolia, NE China, and execute geometric morphometric analysis (GMA) to elucidate their systematic position. Our GMA and subsequent morphometric statistics indicate that 10 of our new specimens can be compared to the holotype of Cycloscytina gobiensis, and one is new to science. Cycloscytina incompleta new species is erected based on this specimen, with the following discriminatory tegminal traits: C3 almost as long as and slightly narrower than C2, and the forking position of stem M distinctly migrates towards wing apex and much apicad of the stem CuA bifurcating. Additionally, Cycloscytina plachutai is herein transferred to the procercopid genus Procercopina, resulting in P. plachutai new combination. To date, just a few body structures of Hylicellidae have been revealed, and the new whole-bodied hylicellids reported herein provide some novel insights on the evolution of basal Clypeata. This study also emphasizes the use of morphometric analysis in the systematics of wing-bearing insects such as hylicellids.UUID: http://zoobank.org/84a67eba-9b7c-4e27-a436-764802c4cdfb.

APPLICATION OF MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS FOR SMALL RIVER BASINS OF THE BAIKAL RIFT ZONE BASINS

The article discusses the use of morphometric analysis to study the features of formation and development of small river basins in the western branch of the Baikal rift zone basins (by example of the Ihe-Uhgun river basin). The author has prepared a hydrologically correct digital elevation model based on satellite data ALOS Digital Surface Model (DSM). A comprehensive assessment of the earth's surface was carried out, including for the purposes of geomorphological and hydrological analysis, as well as an automated calculation and mapping of standard morphometric indicators based on DEM data. The work is based on general physiographic research methods, the method of morphometric analysis of the relief using GIS, the method of geoinformation mapping. Statistical data of morphometric and hydrological indicators were collected using SAGA GIS, patterns of their distribution over the basin area were revealed, which, as a result, made it possible to draw conclusions about the factors and patterns of the river network development and determine the set of presented exogenous processes of relief formation in the Ihe-Uhgun river basin territory. The main factors in the small river basins development are: high base levels, complex tectonic structure of the territory, steep slopes and southern orientation of the slope exposure, etc. It was revealed that the geometry of the basin relief determines the direction and volume of surface runoff, as well as the intensity of exogenous geomorphological processes.

Craniofacial morphometric analysis as a differentiation tool in mystax group of Saguinus Hoffmannsegg, 1807 (Cebidae, Callitrichinae): a preliminary test

This study provides a quantitative assessment of the craniofacial variation among recognized species and subspecies in the Saguinus mystax species group and tests the reliability of the proposed method in detecting differences among taxa. Thirty measurements were taken of 66 tamarin specimens. We used non-parametric MANOVA to test for differentiation among species and among subspecies. Interspecific analyses showed significant variation among species, except for S. inustus. We detected significant differentiation between S. mystax mystax and S. m. pileatus, whereas no significant morphometric difference was found between S. imperator subspecies. Measurements presenting some differentiation among species were selected for subsequent analysis of variance. Univariate analyses detected significant differences among species only for three measurements. Our results suggest that the cranial morphometric variation has limited information to discriminate among the taxa in the S. mystax group. However, we cannot disregard the lack of statistical power due to small sampling in some taxa, absence of some subspecies in the analyses, or even lack of informativeness of the chosen measurements. Morphometric analyses was insufficient to demonstrate complete differentiation in Saguinus. The use of morphometric analyses should not be considered as a definitive method for taxa differentiation and delimitation in Saguinus.

Morphological, Biochemical, and Climatological Analysis of Three Moroccan Henna Verities.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate planted Henna in three sites in Morocco, namely, Alnif, Tafraoute Sidi Ali, and Tazzarine. Morphometric study shows that Tafraoute Sidi Ali Henna variety has highest geometric and weight parameters (length of 27.48 mm, width of 10.92 mm, specific mass of 25.1 mg/leaf, leaf area of 51, 53 mm2, and rib's number of 9.41) when compared to Alnif and Tazzarine varieties. On the other hand, biochemical analysis shows that Tazzarine Henna variety, in the first rank, is characterized by high levels of total sugars (11.27 g/100 g), reducing sugars (5.59 g/100 g), proteins (4.4 g/100g), lipids (3.05 g/100g), phenolic compounds (31.9 g/100 g), flavonoids (5.68 g/100 g), and tannins (5.5 g/100 g). Chromatographic study shows that Tazzarine Henna variety is rich in monocyclic and polycyclic phenolic compounds. Climatic conditions analysis shows that the morphometric and biochemical diversity is related to hydrous and thermal profiles of studied sites. As a conclusion of this work, we can recommend the use of morphometric analysis and phytochemical and chromatographic analysis to determine the quality of Henna in Morocco and elsewhere.

Use of Morphometric Analyses to Assess the Efficacy of the Technique of Resin Composite Bonded to Cervical Dentin with Additional Mechanical Retentions

Los cambios estructurales y morfologicos derivados de la hipermineralizacion dentinaria progresiva determina la adhesion a su superficie. Fue realizado un estudio planimetrico y el volumen de fractura estimado para evaluar la eficacia de resina compuesta adherida a dentina cervical hipermineralizada con y sin retenciones a traves de la prueba de cizalla. Treinta y cuatro premolares obtenidos de pacientes adultos fueron utilizados para obtener una superficie dentinaria cervical plana. Las muestras fueron distribuidas aleatoriamente en dos grupos: 1) experimental, donde se realizaron retenciones hemiesfericas a la dentina cervical, y 2) control, donde la dentina plana fue mantenida. Usando un dispositivo, una columna de resina fue construida en la superficie dentinaria y adaptada con adhesivos en las muestras de ambos grupos, las cuales fueron sometidas al test de cizalla. El analisis morfologico fue realizado con un microscopio mientras que el porcentaje de superficie remanente para cada componente del adhesivo fue calculado planimetricamente. El volumen del tejido perdido fue determinado utilizado el metodo de Scherle. En el estudio planimetrico, el promedio de resina remanente en la superficie fue significativamente mayor en el grupo experimental y con menos dentina intacta en el grupo control. El analisis volumetrico mostro una mayor perdida de sustrato dentinario en el grupo control. De esta manera, el uso de tecnicas morfometricas y volumetricas permite la evaluacion de la eficacia de una tecnica, demostrando que la inclusion de retenciones mecanicas en la dentina hipermineralizada cervical mejora las propiedades de adhesion.

Use of morphometric analysis and self-organizing maps for alluvial fan classification: case study on Ostorankooh altitudes, Iran

The aim of this study is to classify alluvial fans formed by high-gradient braided streams and torrents that discharge into the Oshtorankook altitudes in the Lorestan province, Iran. The morphology of the fans and their watershed is quantitatively described through estimated morphometric parameters. For relationships between geomorphological features of the fans and their drainage basins, self-organizingmaps (SOM) were used. In SOM, according to both qualitative data and morphometric variables, the clustering tendency of alluvial fans was investigated using 15 alluvial fans parameters. The results of the analysis showed that several morphologically different fan types were recognizedbased on their geomorphological characteristics in the study area. A strong positive relationship was found between the drainage basin area and size of the fan with a simple power function. In addition, the relationship between fan slope and drainage area was found to be negative and moderately strong with a simple power function.

Prospective evaluation of the correlation between torso height and aortic anatomy in respect of a fluoroscopy free aortic balloon occlusion system

To report the lengths of key torso vascular and to develop regression models that will predict these lengths, based on an external measure of torso height (EMTH, sternum to pubis) in the development of a fluoroscopy-free balloon occlusion system for hemorrhage control. We conducted a prospective, observational study at a Combat Support Hospital in Southern Afghanistan using adult male patients undergoing computed tomography (CT). EMTH was recorded using a tape measure and intra-arterial distance was derived from CT imaging. Regression models to predict distance from the common femoral artery (CFA) into the middle of aortic zone I (left subclavian artery to celiac trunk) and zone III (infrarenal aorta) were developed from a random 20% of the cohort and validated by the remaining 80%. Overall, 177 male patients were included with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 23 (8) years. The median (IQR) lengths of aortic zone I and III were 222 (24), 31 (9), and 92 (15) mm. The mid-zone distance from the left and right CFA to zone I were 423 (27) and 418 (29) and for zone III 232 (21) and 228 (22). Linear regression models demonstrated an accuracy between 99.3% to 100% at predicting the insertion distance required to place a catheter within the middle of each aortic zone. This study demonstrates the use of morphometric analysis in the development of a fluoroscopy-free balloon occlusion system for torso hemorrhage control. Further study in a larger population of mixed gender is required to further validate insertion models.

Application of Morphometric Analysis to Identify Alewife Stock Structure in the Gulf of Maine

AbstractAlewife Alosa pseudoharengus is an anadromous clupeid fish of long‐standing ecological and socioeconomic importance along the Atlantic coast of North America. Since the 1970s, Alewife populations have been declining throughout the species’ range. A number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the decline, but a lack of basic information on population demographics inhibits hypothesis testing. In this study, we evaluated the use of morphometric analysis to discriminate among spawning stocks of Alewives collected from 24 sites in Maine and one site in Massachusetts. We first identified 10 morphometric measurements that were not influenced by the freezing–thawing process, and then used principal component and discriminant function analyses to develop stock‐structure classification models from these 10 measurements. Classification models were able to discriminate Alewives to be from Maine or the single Massachusetts site 100% of the time. In addition, classification models correctly classified pooled sampling sites from the extreme western and eastern parts of Maine with 64% accuracy. Morphometric analysis may therefore provide an easily accessible, comparatively fast, and inexpensive method to discriminate marine‐captured Alewives spawned in areas separated by major biogeographic regions, large geographic distances (100s of kilometers), or both, and thus help inform questions about stock composition at these spatial scales for assessment surveys and bycatch events.Received March 30, 2012; accepted October 14, 2012.

The use of morphometric analysis to predict the swimming efficiency of two Neotropical long-distance migratory species in fish passage

This study investigated the external body morphology (based on morphometric data) and the swimming efficiency in fish passages (based on the ascent time in a fish ladder) of two Neotropical long-distance migratory species. The fish were collected in the fish ladder of the Porto Primavera Hydroelectric Power Plant (known as Engenheiro Sergio Motta), upper Paraná River, Brazil. The species differ in several morphometric ratios related to swimming performance. Prochilodus lineatus exhibited a higher muscle ratio and caudal fin length ratio. However, Leporinus elongatus showed higher values for the fineness ratio, a higher length from snout to pectoral fin base ratio, and a higher caudal peduncle depth factor. Although both species show good swimming performance, the characteristics listed above may enable L. elongatus to apply greater power and propulsion, allowing it to reach a high swimming speed and to exhibit greater efficiency than P. lineatus. Leporinus elongatus moves faster than P. lineatus and has a lower mean ascent time (1.39 hours) than P. lineatus (3.76 hours). Prochilodus lineatus would require a somewhat longer time to pass through the fish ladder.

Automated high-throughput screening of carbon nanotube-based bio-nanocomposites for bone cement applications

In this work we demonstrate the potential of using an automated cell viability analyzer for developing high-throughput screening of orthopedic bioactive materials. We used a biomaterial of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based composite integrated with hydroxyapatite/polymethyl methacrylate (HA/PMMA) with controlled physical and chemical properties to evaluate the usefulness of morphometric analysis in conjunction with trypan blue dye exclusion assays in MG63 cell cultures. The MG63 cell line, derived from human bone osteo-sarcoma, is often used as a model for studying osteoblast-like cellular response to bioactive materials for orthopedic surgery. The viability analyzer, Vi-CELLTM XR, Beckman Coulter, was used with trypan blue dye exclusion method in cell suspensions obtained after trypsinization along with determining the distribution plots of cell diameter and circularity, which are critical cellular characteristics. In addition, the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a typical representation of osteogenic activity of osteoblasts, was also measured spectro-photometrically using p-nitrophenol phosphate as the substrate. Comparative analysis of the frequency histogram of average cell diameter and circularity allowed for the analyses of significant alterations in cell morphology not only over time in control cultures (spherical vs. a flat morphology) but also with respect to PMMA and HA nanocomposites. After cell exposure to HA/PMMA/CNTs, a shift toward loss of cell circularity was observed. The appearances of more differentiated morphologic features were well correlated with the increase of secreted ALP activity. In conclusion, the evaluation of material-induced changes of cell morphology could represent a valuable prescreening test for bioactive properties.

Mid-term Follow-up after Percutaneous Hydrodynamic Thrombectomy in Lower Limb Ischemia: Initial Experience with Two-dimensional MR Imaging and Three-dimensional MR Angiography

To assess noninvasively mid-term patency, reocclusion, and mid-term changes of the arterial wall after percutaneous hydrodynamic thrombectomy in patients with acute lower limb ischemia using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging/MR angiography (MRA). Arterial wall and luminal changes were evaluated in 16 patients (10 men, six women; mean age, 70 years), with a minimum follow-up of 12 months after percutaneous thrombectomy with a hydrodynamic catheter for acute lower limb ischemia (embolic, n = 5; thrombotic, n = 11). Adjunctive PTA was performed in 44%. The mean follow-up was 23 months +/- 7.6 (range, 12-33 months). MR imaging and MRA were performed on a 1.0 T system using an extremity coil and two-dimensional (2D) time-of-flight, turbo spin echo, 2D gradient echo, and contrast enhanced three-dimensional (3D) gradient echo sequences. In one patient, a complete reocclusion was noted and, in two patients, a hemodynamically insignificant restenosis (< or = 50%) was identified with MR imaging. This was in accordance with color flow duplex sonography, physical examination, ankle/brachial index measurements, and the treadmill test. The MR morphometry documented an increase of the entire vessel area from 48.9 mm2 +/- 3.3 (control segments) to 55.5 mm2 +/- 2.8 at the treated segments (+13.3%; P < .05). The vessel wall area increased from 31.7 mm2 +/- 1.8 to 39.4 mm2 +/- 2.3 (+24.4%; P < .05). The mean area stenosis grade was 12%. MR imaging with use of morphometric analysis is a possible tool to noninvasively determine the mid-term patency and restenosis/reocclusion and remodeling process after percutaneous thrombectomy and other interventional procedures.

Generalizing and extending the eigenshape method of shape space visualization and analysis

Outline-based morphometric methods have been more or less restricted to the consideration of closed curves and plagued by problems related to the maintenance of close biological correspondence across all forms within a sample. Methods developed herein generalize and extend the eigenshape method of outline analysis along the following lines: (1) consideration of open curves, (2) improvement of interobject correspondence via incorporation of information provided by landmarks, and (3) extension to the analysis of three-dimensional (open and closed) curves. In addition, techniques for using eigenshape results to create models of shape variation and for more consistently assessing the digital resolution necessary to represent an object are discussed and illustrated. These improvements are then placed in context via discussions of previous attempts to extend morphometric outline analysis methods, the relation between landmark and outline-based morphometric methods, the use of morphometric analyses to test biological hypotheses, and the nature of morphometric shape spaces (with special reference to studies of morphological disparity).

Use of morphometric analysis for characterization of tobacco root growth in relation to infection byPhytophthora parasitica var.nicotianae

Development of tobacco root systems was characterized under controlled environmental conditions by use of morphometric root analysis. According to the classification scheme of this system, roots terminating in apical meristems are defined as first-order roots. Elements of second-order roots begin where two first-order roots merge, and so forth. Growth of root systems was similar for susceptible and resistant tobacco cultivars in nonautoclaved and autoclaved soils. During 15 days of growth subsequent to transplanting of 2-week-old plants, relative multiplication and extension rates of first-order and second-order roots were constant. Apparent unit extension rates of first-order and second-order root elements increased through 15 days of root system growth. Classification of tobacco root systems by the morphometric scheme provided a useful means of partitioning susceptibility of tissues to infection byPhytophthora parasitica var.nicotianae. Zoospores applied at the tips of first-order roots were most successful in causing infections; 73.3% of the roots inoculated with 16 zoospores per root tip became infected. Percentages of infections after inoculation of first-order root tissues 2 cm behind root tips or after inoculation of second-order roots were 10 and 4.3%, respectively.

Quantification of cutaneous mast cells using morphometric point counting and a conjugated avidin stain

Mast cells in normal human skin and in lesional cutaneous tissue from two patients with mastocytosis were quantified with the use of a morphometric point counting technic in combination with the mast cell-specific stain, conjugated avidin. Mast cells in normal human flank skin occupied a relatively small percentage of the dermal volume, with a mean value of 0.40% (+/- 0.14 SD), while a marked increase in mast cell content was demonstrated in cutaneous lesional tissue from two patients with the macular and nodular forms of mastocytosis (2.5% and 64.3%, respectively). In a comparative study with the use of morphometric analysis, conjugated avidin proved objectively to be as good as toluidine blue, and subjectively superior to this stain for mast cell identification in both human and murine skin. The combination of morphometric point counting and the conjugated avidin stain provides a useful tool for establishing the diagnosis of mastocytosis and is applicable to a variety of experimental systems.

Time course of reactive synaptogenesis in the subcortical somatosensory system

These experiments were designed to determine when synaptogenesis begins in the adult rat ventral posterolateral nucleus of the thalamus following lesions of the dorsal column nuclei. Given the relatively uncomplicated structure of the neuropil in the ventral posterolateral nucleus of the rat, the specificity of reactive synaptogenesis of the lemniscal input and the effect of the loss of lemniscal terminals on terminals from other sources could be determined. By use of morphometric analysis of electron micrographs, the numerical density of the 3 terminal types in the neuropil was determined at a series of postlesion survival times ranging from 12 hours to 50 days. Synaptogenesis began about 30 days after the lesions of the dorsal column nuclei and was complete by 50 days. The slow onset of synaptogenesis was in response to a loss of the lemniscal terminals, which account for only 3% of the total number of synapses in the ventral posterolateral nucleus. The low level of synaptogenesis early in the recovery process differs from the recovery seen in other central nervous system sites, which show an early rapid increase in synapses in response to much greater denervation. The loss of lemniscal terminals has relatively little effect on the numerical density or distribution of the terminals of other types. The new terminals that are formed come both from axons that originate from the undamaged portion of the dorsal column nuclei and from axons originating in the spinal cord.