scholarly journals Effects of long-term preservation on amphibian body conditions: implications for historical morphological research

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guocheng Shu ◽  
Yuzhou Gong ◽  
Feng Xie ◽  
Nicholas C. Wu ◽  
Cheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
The Body ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Anuran Species ◽  
Interspecific Differences ◽  
Morphological Research ◽  
Long Term Preservation

Measurements of historical specimens are widely applied in studies of taxonomy, systematics, and ecology, but biologists often assume that the effects of preservative chemicals on the morphology of amphibian specimens are minimal in their analyses. We compared the body length and body mass of 182 samples of 13 live and preserved (up to 10 years) anuran species and found that the body length and body mass of preserved specimens significantly decreased by 6.1% and 24.8%, respectively, compared to those measurements of their live counterparts. The changes in body length and mass also exhibited highly significant variations between species. Similarly, there were significant differences in shrinkage of body length and body mass between sexes, where males showed greater shrinkage in body length and body mass compared to females. Preservation distorted the magnitude of the interspecific differences in body length observed in the fresh specimens. Overall, the reduction in body length or mass was greater in longer or heavier individuals. Due to the effects of preservation on amphibian morphology, we propose two parsimonious conversion equations to back-calculate the original body length and body mass of studied anurans for researchers working with historical data, since morphological data from preserved specimens may lead to incorrect biological interpretations when comparing to fresh specimens. Therefore, researchers should correct for errors due to preservation effects that may lead to the misinterpretation of results.

scholarly journals Effects of long-term preservation on amphibian body conditions: Implications for historical morphological research

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guocheng Shu ◽  
Yuzhou Gong ◽  
Feng Xie ◽  
Nicholas C. Wu ◽  
Cheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Interspecific Differences ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Morphological Research ◽  
Long Term Preservation

Measurements of historical specimens are widely applied in studies of taxonomy, systematics, and ecology, but biologists often assume that the effects of preservative chemicals on the morphology of amphibian specimens do not affect their analyses. We compared the body length and body mass of 14 live and preserved (up to 10 years) amphibian species and found that the body length and body mass of preserved specimens significantly decreased by 7.1% and 26.7%, respectively, compared to those measurements of their live counterparts. Additionally, there was greater body length (3.6%) and body mass (6.6%) shrinkage in the order Urodela than in the order Anura, but there were no significant differences in body length and body mass shrinkage between males and females. Furthermore, preservation apparently distorted the magnitude of the intersexual and interspecific differences in body length observed in the fresh specimens. When species were compared, we found that the shrinkage was proportionately greater in longer species, while the body mass of heavier individuals shrank proportionately less than that of lighter individuals. Due to the effects of preservation on amphibian morphology, we propose parsimonious conversion equations to back-calculate the original body length and body mass of study animals for researchers working with historical data because morphological data from preserved specimens may lead to incorrect biological interpretations. Therefore, researchers must correct for errors due to preservation effects that may lead to the misinterpretation of results.

scholarly journals Effects of long-term preservation on amphibian body conditions: Implications for historical morphological research

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guocheng Shu ◽  
Yuzhou Gong ◽  
Feng Xie ◽  
Nicholas C. Wu ◽  
Cheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Interspecific Differences ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Morphological Research ◽  
Long Term Preservation

Measurements of historical specimens are widely applied in studies of taxonomy, systematics, and ecology, but biologists often assume that the effects of preservative chemicals on the morphology of amphibian specimens do not affect their analyses. We compared the body length and body mass of 14 live and preserved (up to 10 years) amphibian species and found that the body length and body mass of preserved specimens significantly decreased by 7.1% and 26.7%, respectively, compared to those measurements of their live counterparts. Additionally, there was greater body length (3.6%) and body mass (6.6%) shrinkage in the order Urodela than in the order Anura, but there were no significant differences in body length and body mass shrinkage between males and females. Furthermore, preservation apparently distorted the magnitude of the intersexual and interspecific differences in body length observed in the fresh specimens. When species were compared, we found that the shrinkage was proportionately greater in longer species, while the body mass of heavier individuals shrank proportionately less than that of lighter individuals. Due to the effects of preservation on amphibian morphology, we propose parsimonious conversion equations to back-calculate the original body length and body mass of study animals for researchers working with historical data because morphological data from preserved specimens may lead to incorrect biological interpretations. Therefore, researchers must correct for errors due to preservation effects that may lead to the misinterpretation of results.

CHARACTERISTICS OF POST-FLIGHT MUSCLE STRENGTH AND VELOCITY DYNAMICS IN COSMONAUTS AS A FUNCTION OF WEIGHT LOADING DURING LONG-TERM SPACE MISSIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
E.V. Fomina ◽  
◽  
T.B. Kukoba ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Space Mission ◽  
The Body ◽  
Maximum Strength ◽  
Training Device ◽  
Leg Muscle ◽  
Weight Loading

Testing of 25 cosmonauts showed that the amount of resistance training weight loading in long-term space mission influences dynamics of the leg-muscle strength and velocity recovery. On Earth, the loads equal from 70 to 130 % of the body mass is sufficient for keeping up endurance and maximum strength moments of shin and thigh muscles. In the group of cosmonauts who had not used the strength training device or chosen loads less than 30 % of the body mass the leg-muscle maximum strength and thigh endurance were decreased substantially on day 4 of return and all the more by day 15 back on Earth.

scholarly journals Patterns of Growth in Nestling Indian Barn-Owls

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 885-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajarathinavelu Nagarajan ◽  
Krishinamoorthy Thiyagesan ◽  
Rajagopalan Natarajan ◽  
Ramalingam Kanakasabai
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
The Body ◽  
Logistic Growth ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Tarsus Length ◽  
Bill Length

Abstract We examined nestling growth patterns of the Indian Barn-Owl (Tyto alba stertens) in Tamilnadu, Southern India, with reference to body mass, body length, bill length, bill width, wing length, wingspan, tail length, tarsus length, and middle claw length. Body mass reached an asymptote of 447.0 ± 6.8 g during week 7, which was 10% higher than the adult mass. Then it significantly declined to 437.0 ± 10.9 g at fledging. At the end of week 4, the body length, bill length, bill width, tarsus length, and middle toe length had surpassed 50% of adult sizes. The wingspan and tarsus length reached almost adult size by the time of fledging. A logistic growth curve was found to be a good fit for all the growth variables and explained between 71% (wing length) and 86% (body length) of the variance. Patrones de Crecimiento en Polluelos de Tyto alba stertens Resumen. Examinamos los patrones de crecimiento de polluelos de Tyto alba stertens en Tamilnadu, sudoeste de India, en relación al peso y el largo del cuerpo, el largo y el ancho del pico, el largo del ala y su envergadura, y el largo de la cola, los tarsos y de la garra mediana. El peso corporal alcanzó una asíntota de 447.0 ± 6.8 g durante la séptima semana, el cual fue un 10% mayor que el peso de los adultos. Posteriormente, durante el período de volantones, el peso corporal disminuyó hasta 437.0 ± 10.9 g. Al final de la cuarta semana, el largo del cuerpo, el largo y el ancho del pico, y los largos del tarso y del dedo mediano habían sobrepasado el 50% de los tamaños adultos. La envergadura del ala y el largo del tarso casi alcanzaron tamaños adultos durante el período de volantones. Se encontró que una curva de crecimiento logístico se ajustó bien a todas las variables de crecimiento y explicó un 71% (largo del ala) y un 86% (largo del cuerpo) de la varianza.

A new species of Aoruroides Travassos & Kloss, 1958 (Nematoda: xyuridomorpha: Thelastomatidae) parasite of the wood-burrowing cockroach Panesthia angustipennis spadica (Shiraki, 1906) (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Panesthiinae) from Japan with comments on the validity of the genus Aoruroides

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4712 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-376
Author(s):  
JANS MORFFE ◽  
NAYLA GARCÍA ◽  
KOICHI HASEGAWA ◽  
RAMON A. CARRENO
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Excretory Pore ◽  
Nerve Ring ◽  
The Body ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Lsu Rdna ◽  
Japanese Archipelago ◽  
The Japanese Archipelago ◽  
A New Species

Aoruroides chubudaigaku n. sp. (Nematoda: Oxyuridomorpha: Thelastomatidae) is described from the wood-burrowing cockroach Panesthia angustipennis spadica (Shiraki, 1906) (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Panesthiinae) from Aichi prefecture, Japan. Females of A. chubudaigaku n. sp. are similar to A. costaricensis Carreno & Tuhela, 2011 by the position of the nerve ring at level of the first third of the isthmus, the body length and the comparative measurements of the oesophagus and tail. They differ by the position of the excretory pore and the vulva. The males of A. chubudaigaku n. sp. are characterized by the absence of ornamentations in the cervical cuticle and the nerve ring located at the posterior third of the corpus. In addition, the males of the new species can be differentiated by the length of the body and the comparative lengths of the oesophagus and the tail. The phylogeny of A. chubudaigaku n. sp. is inferred by the D2-D3 domains of the LSU rDNA and the validity of the genus Aoruroides Travassos & Kloss, 1958 is discussed on the basis of both molecular and morphological data. This constitutes the first species of the genus Aoruroides described from the Japanese archipelago. 

scholarly journals Scaling of thermal tolerance with body mass and genome size in ectotherms: a comparison between water- and air-breathers

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1778) ◽  
pp. 20190035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félix P. Leiva ◽  
Piero Calosi ◽  
Wilco C. E. P. Verberk
Keyword(s):  
Genome Size ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Thermal Tolerance ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Oxygen Limitation ◽  
Thermal Limits ◽  
Physiological Diversity ◽  
Interspecific Differences ◽  
Extinction Events

Global warming appears to favour smaller-bodied organisms, but whether larger species are also more vulnerable to thermal extremes, as suggested for past mass-extinction events, is still an open question. Here, we tested whether interspecific differences in thermal tolerance (heat and cold) of ectotherm organisms are linked to differences in their body mass and genome size (as a proxy for cell size). Since the vulnerability of larger, aquatic taxa to warming has been attributed to the oxygen limitation hypothesis, we also assessed how body mass and genome size modulate thermal tolerance in species with contrasting breathing modes, habitats and life stages. A database with the upper (CTmax) and lower (CTmin) critical thermal limits and their methodological aspects was assembled comprising more than 500 species of ectotherms. Our results demonstrate that thermal tolerance in ectotherms is dependent on body mass and genome size and these relationships became especially evident in prolonged experimental trials where energy efficiency gains importance. During long-term trials, CTmax was impaired in larger-bodied water-breathers, consistent with a role for oxygen limitation. Variation in CTmin was mostly explained by the combined effects of body mass and genome size and it was enhanced in larger-celled, air-breathing species during long-term trials, consistent with a role for depolarization of cell membranes. Our results also highlight the importance of accounting for phylogeny and exposure duration. Especially when considering long-term trials, the observed effects on thermal limits are more in line with the warming-induced reduction in body mass observed during long-term rearing experiments. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Physiological diversity, biodiversity patterns and global climate change: testing key hypotheses involving temperature and oxygen’.

Extended Perfusion for Long-Term Preservation of Whole Hearts

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 574-575
Author(s):  
D. E. Philpott ◽  
R. L. Moretti ◽  
G. Harrison ◽  
G. Klein ◽  
S. Abraham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Present Method ◽  
The Body ◽  
Donor Heart ◽  
Heart Transplants ◽  
Retrograde Perfusion ◽  
Rat Hearts ◽  
Long Term Preservation ◽  
Recipient Selection

One of the problems associated with heart transplants is the maintenance of the donor heart while the recipient is being prepared. The present method, which entails keeping the body of the donor alive as a sort of incubation chamber, is expensive and difficult. Maintenance of the heart in vitro would not only cut costs, but also allow greater flexibility in recipient selection, location and timing of the operation.To determine the effects of preparing hearts for perfusion maintenance, rat hearts were excised and prepared for retrograde perfusion via the aorta. Once excised, the hearts were cooled in iced Tyrode's solution saturated with 95% O2 and 5% CO2 during the preparation for perfusion. Warm Tyrode's (37°) containing 2% plasma was then flushed through the heart at 100mm Hg pressure for 3 min., 15 min., 30 min. and 1 hour.

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