Associations between early-life growth pattern and body size and follicular lymphoma risk and survival: a family-based case-control study

BackgroundThe influence of early-life growth pattern and body size on follicular lymphoma (FL) risk and survival is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between gestational age, growth during childhood, body size, changes in body shape over time, and FL risk and survival.MethodsWe conducted a population-based family case-control study and included 706 cases and 490 controls. We ascertained gestational age, growth during childhood, body size and body shape using questionnaires and followed-up cases (median=83 months) using record linkage with national death records. We used a group-based trajectory modeling approach to identify body shape trajectories from ages 5–70. We examined associations with FL risk using unconditional logistic regression and used Cox regression to assess the association between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause and FL-specific mortality among cases.ResultsWe found no association between gestational age, childhood height and FL risk. We observed a modest increase in FL risk with being obese 5 years prior to enrolment (OR=1.43, 95 %CI=0.99–2.06; BMI ≥30 kg/m²) and per 5-kg/m² increase in BMI 5 years prior to enrolment (OR=1.14, 95 %CI=0.99–1.31). The excess risk for obesity 5 years prior to enrolment was higher for ever-smokers (OR=2.00, 95 %CI=1.08–3.69) than never-smokers (OR=1.14, 95 %CI=0.71–1.84). We found no association between FL risk and BMI at enrolment, BMI for heaviest lifetime weight, the highest categories of adult weight or height, trouser size, body shape at different ages or body shape trajectory. We also observed no association between all-cause or FL-specific mortality and excess adiposity at or prior to enrolment.ConclusionWe observed a weak association between elevated BMI and FL risk, and no association with all-cause or FL-specific mortality, consistent with previous studies. Future studies incorporating biomarkers are needed to elucidate possible mechanisms underlying the role of body composition in FL etiology.     

Postweaning mass gain in juvenile alpine marmots Marmota marmota

The effects of several environmental factors on the postweaning growth of wild Alpine marmots were investigated. Factors considered were year of birth, sun exposure in the home range, litter size, and sex of young. Components of growth were juvenile mass at emergence from the natal burrow (as a result of preweaning growth) and postweaning growth rate. We also considered the length of the active season during which growth occurs. Mass at emergence and postweaning growth rate varied according to year of birth, were higher in south-facing than in north-facing home ranges, and were higher in small litters. Mass at emergence was higher for males than for females. We suggest that environmental factors affected the juvenile growth pattern through influences on maternal body condition. Our results support Trombulak's hypothesis that mothers maintain as many young as physiologically possible. We suggest that mothers in poor condition sacrificed the mass of their offspring rather than their number. A body mass sexual dimorphism of juveniles occurred at emergence, suggesting that mothers may provide more care for their male than their female offspring. Received: 9 June 1997 / Accepted: 22 September 1997     

Sex-specific life history patterns in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus): interacting mechanisms influence individual body size

The ultimate body size that an individual fish achieves can be a function both of direct effects of growth or indirect effects associated with the timing of sexual maturation (and associated energetic tradeoffs). These alternatives are often invoked to explain variation in body size within and among fish populations, but have rarely been considered simultaneously. We assessed how resource availability and timing of maturation interact to influence individual body size of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). Resource availability (high and low food) and the social structure of the population (presence or absence of large, mature males) were varied in experimental ponds. Food ration affected growth (larger fish in the high food treatments) and the social structure of the population affected timing of maturation (early maturation of males in the absence of large males). Treatment effects, however, were sex-specific; males responded to the social structure of the population and females were more responsive to resource availability. We also found individuals that became sexually mature were smaller than those that remained immature, although results were sex-specific and resource dependent. For males, individuals that matured were smaller when resources were limited; mature and immature females showed no difference in body size regardless of food ration. We show that both resource availability and the processes that control timing of maturation interact in sex-specific ways to influence body size of bluegill. These results suggest that a more robust explanation for variable body size requires consideration of sex-specific interactions between ecological (food and growth) and evolutionary (timing of maturation) mechanisms.     

Development time and size-related traits in the oriental blowfly, Chrysomya megacephala along a latitudinal gradient from China

Organisms can respond to variation in temperature through the direct effect of temperature on phenotypes (phenotypic plasticity), or through long-term adaptation to temperature (and thus evolution of either mean size or thermal reaction norm). We examined the effects of various temperatures (of 20 and 30 °C) on development time, adult body size (body length and body width) and pre-adult survivorship in six populations of Chrysomya megacephala, collected at different latitudes. We found that temperature changes induced substantial plasticity in terms of development time, body size and pre-adult survivorship, indicating that developmental temperature significantly affects growth and life history traits of C. megacephala. We also detected genetic differences among populations for body size and development time, and these two traits exhibited highly significant variations in the responses of different populations to various temperature conditions, indicating genetic differences among populations in terms of thermal reaction norms. The latitude of origin of the different populations (and hence mean temperature regimes in the environments from where the populations originated) did not appear to fully explain these genetic differences. In short, changes in development time and body size in C. megacephala can be regarded as adaptations to changing thermal regimes.     

Testosterone supplementation in juvenile Psammodromus algirus lizards: consequences for aggressiveness and body growth

In some species, more aggressive individuals are more successful in resource competition. High testosterone level is associated with increased activity and aggressive behavior, and this may have a direct effect on metabolic rate and cause an increase in energy expenditure. Here, I examined the influence of exogenously administered testosterone on aggressiveness and body growth in juvenile Psammodromus algirus male lizards. Juvenile males were given testosterone-filled (experimental) or empty (control) implants. Testosterone produced an increase in aggressiveness and activity in the experimental males. However, despite being more aggressive, experimental males did not acquire larger home ranges than control males. Experimental males also experienced a significant reduction in growth rate over the 2-month period following implantation. Experimental males also were in poorer condition at the completion of the experiment, compared to control males. These results suggest that although an elevated testosterone level may have positive effects on aggressiveness and activity, it also may have negative effects manifested as reduced growth rate and body condition. Received in revised form: 15 June 2001 Electronic Publication     

Modeling of body mass index by Newton's second law

Since laws of physics exists in nature, their possible relationship to terrestrial growth is introduced. By considering the human body as a dynamic system of variable mass (and volume), growing under a gravity field, it is shown how natural laws may influence the vertical growth of humans. This approach makes sense because the non-linear percentile curves of different aspects of human physical growth from childhood to adolescence can be described in relation to physics laws independently of gender and nationality. Analytical relations for the dependence of stature, measured mass (weight), growth velocity (and their mix as the body mass index) on age are deduced with a set of common statistical parameters which could relate environmental, genetics and metabolism and different aspects of physical growth on earth. A relationship to the monotone smoothing using functional data analysis to estimate growth curves and its derivatives is established. A preliminary discussion is also presented on horizontal growth in an essentially weightless environment (i.e., aquatic) with a connection to the Laird-Gompertz formula for growth.     

The relationship between foliar nitrogen content and feeding by Odontota dorsalis Thun. on Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Summary It is argued that the postnatal growth rate should be linked to maternal body weight by the exponent 0.75. This theoretically derived hypothesis is found to be consistent with published data on the growth rates of mammals in nine orders. We emphasize the importance of defining the taxonomic level and period for which postnatal growth rates are measured.     

Comparative analysis of two dynamic mechanistic models of beef cattle growth

The INRA Growth Model (IGM) and the Davis Growth Model (DGM) are two dynamic mechanistic models developed to predict protein and fat deposition in growing cattle whatever the production system. Both models depend on animal genotype and age, metabolizable energy intake (MEI) and knowledge of previous growth. The aim of this paper was (i) to identify in which situations DGM and/or IGM provide reliable estimations of body protein and fat, (ii) to give insight on the improvements needed in each model and (iii) to discuss the usefulness of comparative analysis for improvement of mechanistic models. We performed a comparative analysis of DGM and IGM with three datasets from published experiments on Salers heifers, Angus-Hereford steers and Charolais bulls. Each model was fitted independently to each dataset. Both models gave accurate and precise predictions of body protein. They also performed well for body fat in Charolais bulls growing continuously. However, DGM tended to underestimate body fat deposition during feeding restriction periods with Salers heifers. This suggests that DGM overestimated heat production during periods of low MEI. IGM was not sensitive enough to MEI as it overestimates body fat at low MEI and it underestimates body fat at high MEI in Angus-Hereford steers. Presently, IGM does not take into account metabolizable energy concentration (MEC) of the diet and thus does not simulate different growth trajectories for same MEI but different MEC. These results suggest that model's structure and equations for protein accretion in DGM and IGM are valid. Future improvements will focus on prediction of heat production during feed restriction periods for DGM and on mathematical formulation of feed energy utilisation for fat synthesis in IGM in order to improve model sensitivity to MEI. Comparative analysis provides meaningful information on the models behaviour for further improvement of processes simulations.     

Lower serum leptin concentrations in rugby players in comparison with healthy non-sporting subjects--relationships to anthropometric and biochemical parameters

Leptin is a protein hormone synthesized by adipocytes. Its serum concentrations reflect the total body fat content. Serum leptin concentrations are significantly higher in obese than in lean people and in women than in men. However little information about the influence of physical activity on serum leptin concentrations is available. We have compared the body weight, the body mass index (BMI), the body fat content (measured by caliper as skinfold thickness) and the serum concentrations of leptin, triglycerides, total, high density and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in 14 top rugby players and 10 healthy controls. We found that serum leptin, total and LDL cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in the rugby players group than in the control subjects. The body weight and BMI were significantly higher in the rugby players, while the body fat content was only slightly (non-significantly) higher in the control group. The serum leptin concentrations in both groups positively correlated with the BMI and body fat content and also with LDL concentrations in the control group. The serum leptin concentrations in the rugby players were lower than in the non-sporting subjects despite a similar body fat content in both groups. We would therefore suggest the possibility that regular hard physical training decreases serum leptin concentrations not only by the decrease of total body fat content, but also by a separate mechanism, which is not directly dependent on the changes in the amount of body adipose tissue.     

Dispersal depends on body condition and predation risk in the semi‐aquatic insect,Notonecta undulata

Dispersal is the movement of organisms across space, which has important implications for ecological and evolutionary processes, including community composition and gene flow. Previous studies have demonstrated that dispersal is influenced by body condition; however, few studies have been able to separate the effects of body condition from correlated variables such as body size. Moreover, the results of these studies have been inconsistent with respect to the direction of the relationship between condition and dispersal. We examined whether body condition influences dispersal in backswimmers (Notonecta undulata). We also tested whether an interaction between body condition and predation risk (another proximate factor that influences dispersal) could contribute to the previously observed inconsistent relationship between condition and dispersal. We imposed diet treatments on backswimmers in the laboratory, and measured the effects of food availability on body condition and dispersal in the field. We found that dispersal was a positive function of body condition, which may have important consequences for population characteristics such as the rate of gene flow and population growth. However, the effects of body condition and predation risk were additive, not interactive, and therefore, our data do not support the hypothesis that the interaction between condition and predation risk contributes to the inconsistency in the results of previous condition‐dependent dispersal studies.     

Body mass and growth rates in a wild primate population

Summary We obtined data on body mass and growth rates for the immature members of two groups of wild baboons in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Data were collected without feeding, trapping, or handling. The data were separated into cross-sectional and longitudinal components, allowing both the examination of body mass-age relationships and the calculation of growth rates for individuals. For animals less than three years old, body mass was wellperedicted from age by a linear model. Differences based on social group membership were small but consistent, and their origins are discussed. We detected no differences in body mass based on sex or on maternal dominance rank. For older juveniles, those three to seven years of age, a better fit was obtained from log of mass than by mass in a linear model. This was also true for the cross-sectional data set over the whole age range (zero to seven years). For older juveniles, samples were too small for quantitative analysis of differences based on sex, rank, or group membership, but trends in the data are indicated. Growth rates derived from repeat measures of body mass for 38 animals are presented and discussed.The growth rate values obtained in this study are consistent with data from cross-sectional studies of other wild baboon populations; these values for wild baboons are consistently one-half to one-third lower than growth rate values for well-provisioned captive baboons and equivalent to captive baboons fed a low-protein diet. Comparisons between primates and other mammals in the primate size range raise questions concerning ecological and behavioral constraints on primate growth rates; some possible mechanisms of constraint are suggested.     

The effect of variation in calcium intake on the growth of wood mice and bank voles

Summary Calcium intake by wild rodents varies with season and habitat. This may have important ecological consequences; several studies have suggested that calcium availability may limit growth and reproduction. We studied the effect on growth of varying the calcium intake of captive wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus (L.) and bank voles Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber 1780). To determine whether effects observed in the laboratory could be detected in free-living animals, we also compared the body weights and lengths of free-living animals on calcium-poor gritstone areas with those of rodents on calcium-rich limestone habitats where the dietary calcium concentration was between 2 and 5 times higher. Captive wood mice fed high calcium (0.87%) diet grew at the same rate as mice fed low calcium (0.30%) diet but continued growing for longer, thereby achieving higher asymptotic weights. In contrast, captive bank voles fed the high calcium diet grew more slowly and had lower asymptotic weights than voles fed the low calcium diet. As expected from the laboratory growth study, the higher calcium intake of free-living wood mice on the limestone was associated with greater body size compared with mice on the gritstone. However, bank voles were also larger on the limestone, even though high calcium intake impaired growth in captive animals. The contrast between wood mice and bank voles in the effects of calcium on growth, the reason why impaired growth may not be apparent in bank voles from calcium-rich habitats and the ecological significance of these results are discussed.     

Comparison of variations between percentage of body fat, body mass index and daily physical activity among young Japanese and Thai female students

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In our series of investigations concerning the causes of seasonal change in fat accumulation in young university students, we could not find any contribution of seasonal variation in the ratio of carbohydrate and fat metabolism to that of body fat percentage in Japanese and Thai participants. After our previous study, we examined the effect of daily physical activity on body fat percentage to look for the major causes of seasonal change in fat accumulation in young university students. FINDINGS: In this study, we measured participants' (young Japanese and Thai university students) daily physical activity by a uniaxial accelerometer in addition to the measurements of body fat percentage and body mass index by a bioelectrical impedance meter. We found that there was significant and moderate negative correlation between body fat percentage and daily step counts among Japanese but not Thai participants. We observed significant, moderate and positive correlations between the percentage of body fat and body mass index among Japanese and Thai participants. CONCLUSIONS: Daily physical activity plays an important role in the seasonal variation of body fat percentage of Japanese female students. Our present study also confirmed the importance of daily physical activity for controlling body mass index and for the prevention of obesity.     

Life history of male Japanese macaques living on Koshima Islet

In the study of Japanese macaques, two types of male transfer between groups, defined by the age of transfer and known as bottom- or top-rank transfer, have received much attention, whereas the meaning of the period of solitary life has received very little. Male solitary life has been regarded simply as a transient state between group transfer. We found that male solitary life is restricted to a specific period in the life history of Japanese macaques living on Koshima Islet. This period started when the body weights of males and females began to diverge and ended when the body weight increase of males had stopped. Solitary lifestyle is related to the growth of adolescent and post-adolescent males. We hypothesize that a solitary lifestyle is a necessary step for adolescent and post-adolescent males to achieve their full adult growth by avoiding feeding competition with others, especially with adult females. Increments of body weight increase between 3 and 15 years were larger for the sons of lower- and middle-rank females than for those of higher-ranking females. Although the sons of lower- plus middle-ranking females grew later, they achieved a full adult body weight similar to that of sons of higher-ranking females by the age of 15. We believe that this body weight increase was achieved because of the solitary lifestyle of adolescent and post-adolescent males. Correlation between male body weight and life-span was found for body weights at 12 years, but no correlation was evident at 6 years. Electronic Publication     

THE GENETIC ARCHITECTURE OF GROWTH RATE IN JUVENILE TAKIFUGU SPECIES

Closely related species have often evolved dramatic differences in body size. Takifugu rubripes (fugu) is a large marine pufferfish whose genome has been sequenced, whereas T. niphobles is the smallest species among Takifugu. We show that, unsurprisingly, the juvenile growth rate of T. rubripes is higher than that of T. niphobles in a laboratory setting. We produced F₂ progenies of their F₁ hybrids and found one quantitative trait locus (QTL) significantly associated with variation in juvenile body size. This QTL region (3.5 Mb) contains no known genes directly related to growth phenotype (such as IGFs) except Fgf21, which inhibits growth hormone signaling in mouse. The QTL in Takifugu spp. is distinct from the region previously known to control body size variations in stickleback or tilapia. Our results suggest that in the fish tested herein, genomic regions underlying body size evolution might have different genetic origins. They also suggest that many diverse traits in Takifugu spp. are amenable to genetic mapping.     

An investigation of body mass distributional changes in Australia, 1995–2017/18

This study investigates changes in the distribution of body mass for adult Australians between 1995 and 2017/18. Using three nationally representative health surveys, we first apply the parametric generalised entropy (GE) class of inequality indices to measure the level of disparity in the body mass distribution. Results from the GE measure reveal that, while growth of body mass inequality is a population-wide experience, demographic and socio-economic factors explain only a modest portion of total inequality. We then apply the relative distributions (RD) method to garner richer insights on changes to the body mass distribution. The non-parametric RD method reveals growth in the proportion of adult Australians falling into the upper deciles of the body mass distribution since 1995. Then, hypothetically keeping the shape of the distribution unchanged, we discern that body mass increases across all deciles of the distribution (location effect) is an important contributor to the observed distributional change. After removing the location effect, however, we find a non-trivial role for distributional shape changes (growth of the proportion of adults at the upper and lower parts of the distribution as the proportion in the middle diminish). While our findings support current policy directions that target the population as a whole, factors driving shape changes to the body mass distribution also need consideration when designing anti-obesity campaigns, especially when aimed at women.     

Muzzle size, paranasal swelling size and body mass in Mandrillus leucophaeus

The drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus), a forest-living Old World monkey, is highly sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting extreme secondary sexual characteristics, including growth of paranasal swellings on the muzzle. In this study, the size of the secondary bone that forms the paranasal swellings on the muzzles of drills was assessed in relation to body mass proxies. The relationship between the overall size of the muzzle and surrogate measures of body mass was also examined. In female drills, muzzle breadth was positively correlated with two proxies of overall body mass, greatest skull length and upper M1 area. However, there was no such correlation in males. Paranasal swellings in males also appeared to have no significant relationship to body mass proxies. This suggests that secondary bone growth on the muzzles of male drills is independent of overall body size. Furthermore, this secondary bone appears to be vermiculate, probably developing rapidly and in an irregular manner, with no correlation in the sizes of paranasal swelling height and breadth. However, various paranasal swelling dimensions were related to the size of the muzzle. It is suggested that the growth of the paranasal swellings and possibly the muzzle could be influenced by androgen production and reflect testes size and sperm motility. The size and appearance of the paranasal swellings may thus be an indicator of reproductive quality both to potential mates and male competitors. Further work is required to investigate the importance of the paranasal swellings as secondary sexual characteristics in Mandrillus and the relationship between body size and secondary sexual characteristics. Attention should also be paid to the mechanisms and trajectories of facial growth in Mandrillus.     

The effects of tail autotomy on survivorship and body growth of Uta stansburiana under conditions of high mortality

We examined the effects of tail autotomy on survivorship and body growth of both adult and juvenile Uta stansburiana by directly manipulating tail condition. Tail loss decreased neither survivorship nor rate of body growth for individuals in two natural populations. Lack of an influence of tail loss on survivorship in these two populations may be the result of high mortality. Under high mortality any differential effects of tail loss will be lower than in populations facing lower mortality. Growth experiments in the laboratory demonstrated that, under conditions of minimal environmental variation and social interactions, there is no tradeoff between body growth and tail regeneration as has been suggested for other species of lizards. One possible reason for this difference is that U. stansburiana does not use the tail as a storage organ for lipids. The original and regenerated tails are composed mainly of protein. In general, any differential body growth between tailed and tailless individuals may be due to social interactions and not a diversion of limited energy into tail regeneration.     

Efficacy of Chromium(III) Supplementation on Growth,Body Composition,Serum Parameters,and Tissue Chromium in Rats

Chromium(III) is often claimed to have a positive effect on body composition, while the responses in researches with supplementation of different chemical form of chromium are various and inconsistent. We have studied the effects of 6 weeks of treatment with three different forms of chromium (300 μg/kg) as chromium chloride, chromium tripicolinate, and chromium nanocomposite (CrNano) on growth, body composition, serum parameters, and tissue chromium in rats. The supplementataion of CrNano significantly increased average daily gain, food efficiency, and lean body mass and decreased fat mass and body fat proportion and serum levels of glucose, urea nitrogen, triglyceride, and insulin. Chromium contents in liver, kidney, and hind leg muscle were increased significantly with the addition of CrNano in diet. The results indicate that chromium nanocomposite has higher efficacy on growth and body composition compared to the traditional chromium agents.     

A mathematical consideration for the optimal shell change of hermit crab

Shell of the adult hermit crab has some important roles for its fitness. In the same time, the shell size often limits the body growth of its owner. To grow the body size larger, the individual must change the shell to another larger shell. If the individual cannot get another larger one, the individual has to suppress the body size growth as the occupied shell size allows. Growth suppression would result in the lower fitness. With a simple mathematical model, we consider the criterion about whether the individual should try to change the shell or not in order to get the higher fitness. We show that the optimality of a shell change behavior has a relation with the body size and the season length for the shell change. They also affect the optimal timing for the shell change. It is implied that the probability of the success in a shell change and the cost for the shell change behavior do not affect the optimal timing for the shell change at all but significantly do the optimality of the behavioral choice.