Biological Affinities Between Migrant and Parental Populations in Punjab, India

In the present study, we have examined biological affinities between parental population, migrants from Pakistan after 1947 and non-Punjabi migrants from other states of India in Punjab. About 500 adult individuals of both sexes from 300 families among three groups were measured for 16 anthropometric and physiometric variables. Analysis of both univariate and multivariate suggests an overall significant migration effect in almost all variables especially anthropometric measurements between both sexes. The higher discrimination has been found in migrants from other states of India with reference to anthropometric traits as compared to other two populations. This is because of more genetic heterogeneity as would be expected from many states and many ethnicities of migrants. It was also found that the other two populations are more or less qualitatively similar, which reflects common ethnohistorical or geographic affiliations. However, overall, women showed a greater migration effect than men.     

Body composition and fat distribution pattern of urban elderly females, Delhi, India

The present study was conducted on females (n = 279) in the age range of 51-89 year, living in the urban dwellings of Delhi, India. Another group of 21-25 years old young adult females was taken as a control group. A total of 14 anthropometric measurements were taken: stature, sitting height, weight, skinfold thickness at nine different sites over the body and body girths such as upper arm, waist and hip circumference. Indices like body mass index, grand mean thickness, waist-hip ratio were computed to assess the body composition. Fat profile and responsiveness of different skinfold sites towards fat accumulation were studied to find out the regional fat distribution with advancing age. Redistribution of body fat was found to take place with increasing age. A relative preponderance of upper body fat was visible among elderly subjects. However, a clear reverse trend was observed in the young control group females. Significant differences were observed with regards to the body composition and fat profile between young adult females and test group females. Abdomen and the sub-scapular area were reported to be the most sensitive sites for fat deposition as the age advanced. The stature and sitting height showed significant decline with age. All the indices of adiposity i.e. grand mean thickness, waist-hip ratio and body mass index revealed significant changes in elderly females when compared with young adult control group females.     

Body measurements and somatotypes of young adult Jat-Sikh men of Punjab, India

During 1972 body measurements including height, weight, limb circumferences, skeletal diameters and skinfolds were taken on 100 unrelated and healthy Jat-Sikh men of 17 to 25 years of age, belonging to different areas of Punjab, India. The average height and weight of Jat-Sikhs is 170.4 cm and 54.5 kg, respectively. The mean Heath-Carter somatotype is 3.22-3.40-4.11. The majority of somatotypes is concentrated in endo-ectomorph and meso-ectomorph sectors of the somatochart. Comparisons with recently described data on females of the same area and population show significant sex differences in various body measurements except for the bicristal diameter. The females possess significantly more subcutaneous fat. For the rest of the measurements, the males have higher values. The Jat-Sikh males are comparable in height and weight to the contemporary pooled Punjabi, but are distinctly taller than the neighbouring populations of Himachal Pradesh and pooled all India samples. However, they are comparatively smaller and lighter as compared to European and American populations.     

面部光谱成分测量及计算机分析的应用

面部颜色反映人体生命活动与健康状况的重要信息,迄今尚缺乏有效的客观观测手段.本研究首次设计研制了面部反射光谱成分测量仪及其计算机分析系统,对每名受试者面部32个部位进行256个光分量的广泛测量及计算机处理.实施了面部颜色的客观化、定量化研究.经健康人、冠心病、高血压病、脑血管意外后遗症、糖尿病、慢性支气管炎、贫血等111人测试,结果不仅获得健康人的颜面色诊客观化标准,还发现了各种疾病患者面部反射光谱成分以及该疾病相关的特异性改变规律,包括这种特异信息部位的出现及其反射光谱成分的变化,其变化规律既不同于健康人,又不同于其他疾病患者,从而获得各种不同疾病的面诊客观化标准.本研究结果可用于人体健康状况及疾病的客观化诊断,也为祖国医学望诊理论提供了客观佐证.     

The relative influence of age and weight on the reproductive behaviour of male grey seals Halichoerus grypus

The breeding behaviour of male grey seals Halichoerus grypus of known age and weight was studied on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Branded males ranged in age from 8 to 16 years and although there was a positive relationship between age and weight, there was a large overlap between age classes. In general, there was an increase in length of tenure and rates of copulation with increasing male age but this was less marked among males between the ages of 13 and 16 years. Compared to older ones, males of 8 and 12 years were observed at more sites, travelled more extensively around the breeding colony, were transient more frequently and were unable to lie as close to females. There was no correlation between male body weight and either length of tenure or rates of copulation when males of age 8 (the smallest males) were excluded from the analysis. Most agonistic behaviour was made by larger, older males towards smaller, younger ones and appeared to be responsible for the short length of tenure and low reproductive rates of young bulls.     

Application of partial least squares discriminant analysis to two-dimensional difference gel studies in expression proteomics

Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) is a tool for measuring changes in protein expression between samples involving pre-electrophoretic labeling ith cyanine dyes. In multi-gel experiments, univariate statistical tests have been used to identify differential expression between sample types by looking for significant changes in spot volume. Multivariate statistical tests, which look for correlated changes between sample types, provide an alternate approach for identifying spots with differential expression. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), a multivariate statistical approach, was combined with an iterative threshold process to identify which protein spots had the greatest contribution to the model, and compared to univariate test for three datasets. This included one dataset where no biological difference was expected. The novel multivariate approach, detailed here, represents a method to complement the univariate approach in identification of differentially expressed protein spots. This new approach has the advantages of reduced risk of false-positives and the identification of spots that are significantly altered in terms of correlated expression rather than absolute expression values.     

THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON STAMFORD RAFFLES LECTURE 1996 From Gaia to Noah: human responsibilities in nature

Life-table data of 56 natural populations of mammals were analysed, modelling mortality rate as a three-phase step function of age (the step model ) instead of using the Gompertz model. In the step model, mortality rale is constant in each phase. The phases correspond to juveniles and young and old adults. The age of transition between young and old adults is referred to as the age of senescence. This approach has the advantages that, for the first time, the age of senescence is identified objectively using a robust statistical procedure, and that young adult mortality rates are estimated without bias since no assumption is made about how adult mortality rate changes with age. A further statistical problem solved here that has previously caused difficulty is that of correctly accounting for the different levels of precision in data from different age classes.
Significant changes ( P < 0.05) in adult mortality rate with age were found in 27 out of 56 populations. In 23 of these 27 cases, adult mortality rate increased with age. Juvenile mortality rate differed significantly from young adult mortality rate in 21 cases; in 18 of these the rate for juveniles was higher. These results are discussed in relation to earlier analyses, in particular that of Promislow (1991).     

Effect of short duration electromagnetic field exposures on rat mass.

Daily preexposure and postexposure mass measurements of 65 rats (young males and females, old males) a proprietary pulsed wound healing field, pulsed electromagnetic field, (PEMF), or their control fields for 4 h/day for 21 days. Statistical analysis of mass changes over time showed that young rats exposed to PEMF lost more mass and recovered it more slowly compared to controls (2-4% more loss) than did older PEMF exposed rats or any 60 Hz exposed rats. We conclude that daily preexposure and postexposure mass measurements are needed to adequately assess the effects of electromagnetic fields on body mass.     

Social and seasonal influences on reproductive biology in male moustached tamarins (Saguinus mystax)

In several primate taxa there is evidence that the social and physical environment can exert a significant effect on reproductive behavior and biology. In this paper we examine social and physiological factors influencing group composition and reproduction in free-ranging moustached tamarin monkeys (Saguinus mystax mystax). This species is characterized by cooperative care of the young and a breeding system that includes both polyandrous and polygyandrous matings. Body measurements collected on adult males residing in multimale groups indicate marked within-group differences in testes volume. In 12 of 17 groups examined, testes volume of at least two resident adult males differed by 21–174%. Among these males, testes volume was not correlated with either body weight or adult age class. We also examine whether factors such as time of year had an effect on reproductive condition. An analysis of body measurements of 128 adult male and 127 adult female moustached tamarins, wild-trapped and released in northeastern Peru, indicates cyclic changes in genital size. For males, mean monthly testes volume in July (712 mm³) was twice that recorded in June (351 mm³). Females exhibited a similar pattern. Although endocrine information on intra- and intersexual social effects on fertility are unavailable for S. mystax, given the high degree of social cooperation and lack of overt aggression among adult male group members, we offer the possibility that resident male moustached tamarins compete for access to the groups' lone breeding female through socially induced reproductive suppression and sperm competition. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Body composition of young laborers: the results of a bioelectrical impedance analysis

The aim of this study was to determine the changes caused by physical stress on the body composition of young males. In order to show these changes, the study was performed with 104 young male laborers who worked through their adolescence and who were currently working in workshops in the industrial sector (Group 1, mean age 18.48 +/- 0.61 years). For the control group, two groups of the same age but having a difference in terms of socioeconomic status were chosen. The first one of these was comprised of individuals who had the same socioeconomic status as the laborers (Group 2, n = 102, mean age 18.39 +/- 0.58 years) but were not laborers. The second control group was composed of individuals from the higher socioeconomic levels of society (Group 3, n = 103, mean age 18.43 +/- 0.67). Measurements of the height of the individuals were taken with a standard portable anthropometer, and their body weight and BIA measurements were taken with Tanita TBF-305 leg-to-leg body composition analysis equipment. The results of the analysis show that the weight, height, BMI and fat mass values of the laborers were significantly lower (P < 0.05-0.001) than those of Group 3, but were not statistically different from those of Group 2. These findings reveal that the effects of socioeconomic conditions on body composition outweigh those of working conditions.     

Changes in Total Body Water and Body Fat in Young Women in the Course of Menstrual Cycle

This paper reports on the changes in total body water and body fat in young women in during the course of the menstrual cycle. We followed 40 young women with an average age of 21.52 years, and took bioelectrical impedance measurements during two menstrual cycles. The measurements were taken in three phases of the menstrual cycle. We found that body mass and total body water fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. Both parameters are highest in the luteal phase and lowest in the late folicular phase; 65% of the young women demonstrated these changes. The presence or absence of premenstrual symptoms had no influence on these values.     

Levels and Age Dependency of Neurofilament Light and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in Healthy Individuals and Their Relation to the Brain Parenchymal Fraction

Background

Neurofilament light (NFL) and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) are integral parts of the axonal and astrocytal cytoskeletons respectively and are released into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in cases of cellular damage. In order to interpret the levels of these biomarkers in disease states, knowledge on normal levels in the healthy is required. Another biomarker for neurodegeneration is brain atrophy, commonly measured as brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Potential correlations between levels of NFL, GFAP and BPF in healthy individuals have not been investigated.

Objectives

To present levels of NFL and GFAP in healthy individuals stratified for age, and investigate the correlation between them as well as their correlation with BPF.

Methods

The CSF was analysed in 53 healthy volunteers aged 21 to 70 (1 sample missing for GFAP analysis) and 48 of the volunteers underwent determination of BPF using MRI.

Results

Mean (±SD) NFL was 355 ng/L (±214), mean GFAP was 421 ng/L (±129) and mean BPF was 0.867 (±0.035). All three biomarkers correlated with age. NFL also correlated with both GFAP and BPF. When controlled for age, only the correlation between NFL and GFAP retained statistical significance.

Conclusions

This study presents data on age-stratified levels of NFL and GFAP in the CSF of healthy individuals. There is a correlation between levels of NFL and GFAP and both increase with age. A correlation between NFL and BPF was also found, but did not retain statistical significance if controlled for age.     

Effects of altitude, ethnicity-religion, geographical distance, and occupation on adult anthropometric characters of eastern Himalayan populations

With a view to estimating the effect of altitude on body dimensions vis-à-vis ethnicity-religion, geographical distance, and occupation, a comprehensive multivariate statistical analysis was performed on data pertaining to 16 anthropometric characters collected from 1,103 individuals (643 males and 460 females) belonging to two ethnic groups-Sherpa and Lepcha. Samples were drawn from several locations in the eastern Himalayan region-Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal (India), and Nepal, situated at low (1,000-2,000 meters) and high (above 3,500 meters) altitudes. The individuals sampled practice different occupations and follow different religions. Significant age and sex effects were observed. The data were age-adjusted, and sexes were treated separately. A test of equality of mean vectors indicated heterogeneity among population groups. Almost all characters were found to contribute significantly to the ability to discriminate between the groups. The overall probability of correctly classifying an individual based on body dimensions into the group in which she or he actually belongs was high (between 0.64 and 0.77). Shape and size factors could be identified that explained about 50% of the total variance and yielded a reasonable separation of the groups. Results of four different types of multivariate statistical analyses were in agreement, and showed that altitude is most highly associated with body dimensions.     

Body mass and measurements of the European bison during postnatal development

Body mass of the European bisonBison bonasus (Linnaeus, 1758) was determined for 152 animals (86 males, 66 females) from captive breeding centre in Białowieża and for 492 (248, 244) animals from the free-ranging herd in the Białowieża Forest. Body measurements were taken for a total of 472 bison (204, 268). Age-related changes in body mass and measurements of 375 bison (165, 210) were analysed. Bison body mass was significantly correlated with age. Captive bison were heavier than those from a free-ranging herd. Measurements showed the changes in bison body structure in the postnatal development. All measurements were highly correlated with age and mass of the animals and increased most intensively during the first year of life. Sex-related differences in body mass and measurements were most pronounced in bison ≥ 3 years old. Physical development of females ends at the age of 5 years, and that of males at the age of 7 years.     

Leptin, body composition, adrenal and gonadal hormones among captive male baboons

Morphometric and hormonal measures were collected from 21 captive savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus) maintained at the Tulane National Primate Research Center in order to determine age-related patterns in leptin levels over the life course as well as their relationships to body composition and adrenal and gonadal steroids. Comparison of leptin levels between peri-pubertal, adolescent, young adult, and fully mature males show lower levels among adolescent as compared with young adult males (P = 0.05 by Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA). In addition, abdominal fat varied among age groups (P = 0.003 by Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA) with the peri-pubertal animals lower than the adolescents, young adults, and prime adults. However leptin was not related to any measure of body composition, including abdominal fat, or to adrenal hormones (dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, and cortisol) or gonadal hormones (testosterone and estradiol). Age-related changes in leptin appear similar to those reported for captive rhesus macaques, while the failure to find an association between leptin and abdominal fat is interestingly different. These results confirm elevated levels of leptin in captive baboons compared with their wild counterparts and suggest that they result from changes in fetal development.     

Assessment of body condition in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)

A method of assessing body condition of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is presented. The method uses visual assessment to assign numerical scores to six different regions of the body, which are totaled to give a numerical index ranging from 0–11. The relationship between the index and morphometric variables is compared for a sample of 119 juvenile and young adult elephants from southern India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Mean ages of males and females were similar. Mean index of body condition (with standard error [SE]) was 7.3±0.2 points. No significant correlation was found between index of body condition and age over both sexes (r=0.01, n=50). Results were equivalent when sexes were treated separately (females: r=0.03, n=24; males: r=0.01, n=26). Sexes did not differ in height of the shoulder or body condition in our sample, but there was significant sexual dimorphism in breadth of the zygomatic arch and three measures of subcutaneous fat: girth of neck, thickness of cervical fold, and thickness of anal flap. These three measures were also significantly correlated with each other. Our assessment method should prove a practical tool for ecologic studies, but the relationship of the index to percentage of body fat should be determined using heavy water dilution methodology. Zoo Biol 25:187–200, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Estimation of body fat in female rhesus monkeys

Measurement of height (crown–rump length), body weight, and abdominal subcutaneous fat depth, based on skinfold thickness taken from 13 female rhesus monkeys comprising two age groups were correlated with body fat values derived from tritiated water determinations of total body water. The manner with which each measure was related to percent body fat differed as a function of age of the animal. In the young, nulliparous females, crown–rump length was the single best predictor of body fat, whereas in the older, multiparous females, skinfold thickness correlated most highly with body fat. When all measurements, including the Quetelet index [(wt/ht)² × 1,000], were combined statistically and regressed against percent body fat, a significant increase in predictive ability was obtained. When each age group was considered separately, the resulting equations again reflected the agegroup biases. In addition, as an internal check on the validity of the regression equations, an additional regression analysis was performed using morphometric data from selected animals in each age group. These equations yielded accurate estimates of body fat when compared to determinations made from total body water. These analyses indicate that the predictive accuracy of morphometric data is greatly enhanced by using these measurements in concert. Furthermore, the utility of such predictions is influenced by the specific physical characteristics of the subject population.     

Patterns of sexual dimorphism in the Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) and implications for sex differentiation

Extant felids show a high degree of inter-sexual dimorphism, meaning significant size differences between males and females. Such a differentiation may have various ecological, behavioural and evolutionary implications, at both species and subspecies levels. We have investigated the sexual size differences in one of the most dimorphic felids, i.e. the Leopard (Panthera pardus), based on 63 craniometric and 55 morphometric samples from Iran which belong to the subspecies Persian Leopard (P. p. saxicolor). In order to explore patterns of sexual dimorphism, multivariate statistical analysis on 24 skull variables as well as univariate approaches for two body measurements were applied. We found significant inter-sexual differences in skull size whereas it was not meaningful after removing the effect of size to address skull shape. Moreover, inter-sexual differentiation was also remarkable when comparing morphometric body measurements in adults, showing that the males possess a larger head mass and longer body, but sub-adults did not show any remarkable differentiation between sexes. A combination of craniometric and morphological features is proposed for sex differentiation in Leopards.     

Adolescent male chimpanzees do not form a dominance hierarchy with their peers

Dominance hierarchies are a prominent feature of the lives of many primate species. These hierarchies have important fitness consequences, as high rank is often positively correlated with reproduction. Although adult male chimpanzees strive for status to gain fitness benefits, the development of dominance relationships is not well understood. While two prior studies found that adolescent males do not display dominance relationships with peers, additional research at Ngogo in Kibale National Park, Uganda, indicates that adolescents there form a linear dominance hierarchy. These conflicting findings could reflect different patterns of rank acquisition across sites. An alternate possibility arises from a recent re-evaluation of age estimates at Ngogo and suggests that the report describing decided dominance relationships between adolescent males may have been due to the accidental inclusion of young adult males in the sample. To investigate these issues, we conducted a study of 23 adolescent male chimpanzees of known age during 12 months at Ngogo. Adolescent male chimpanzees exchanged pant grunts, a formal signal of submission, only 21 times. Recipients of pant grunts were late adolescent males, ranging between 14 and 16 years old. In contrast, younger adolescent males never received pant grunts from other males. Aggression between adolescent males was also rare. Analysis of pant grunts and aggressive interactions did not produce a linear dominance hierarchy among adolescent males. These data indicate that adolescent male chimpanzees do not form decided dominance relationships with their peers and are consistent with the hypothesis that the hierarchy described previously at Ngogo resulted from inaccurate age estimates of male chimpanzees. Because dominance relationships develop before adulthood in other primates, our finding that adolescent male chimpanzees do not do so is surprising. We offer possible explanations for why this is the case and suggest future studies that may help clarify the matter.     

Patterns of morphological and geographic variation in trophic bill morphs of the African finch Pyrenestes

Intra- and inter-population variability was studied in three species of tropical African estrildid finches comprising the genus Pyrenestes. Eleven characters were measured on P. ostrinus captured on a study area in Cameroon. Most of these same characters were also measured on museum specimens of this species and P. saguineus and P. minor. Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods in order to characterize variation within and between populations and species.
Variation in all three species of Pyrenestes is greatest in bill size, resulting from an exceptional non-sex-linked polymorphism. Bill size differences between morphs are as high as between congeneric species, with extremely large coefficients of variation, while other body characters show comparatively little variation. Sexual dimorphisms and differences in size due to age occur, but contribute little to overall size variation. Distributions of bill characters in each age and sex class are bimodal or greatly skewed, and in some geographical regions tend to be trimodal. Distributions of other body characters tend not to be significantly different from normal. Bill morphs differ in both shape and size and may be separated using principal component analysis. Static allometries of bill morphs differ significantly: relative to body size, bill size increases more rapidly in the large morph. Bill size and shape also vary geographically. The three species differ in mean size but show much overlap. Bill size is negatively correlated with total annual rainfall. In regions characterized by ecotonal transition zones between forest and savanna, tentative evidence suggests that a third, yet larger bill mode occurs. This third mode apparently results from the presence of a distinct larger species of hard-seeded sedge found only in these regions. The taxonomic implications of the polymorphism are discussed.