A test of the resource security and the body mass index reference point hypotheses of body dissatisfaction amongst adolescents in eight countries

Objective. 

Invitation to the feed: the body and the environment in a selection of dystopian YA science fictions

 In an analysis of Monica Hughes’ Invitation to the Game and M. T. Anderson’s Feed, this paper explores the nexus between nature and the artificial, and how that both empowers and disempowers young adults in two highly technological futuristic dystopias.

Thinking with the body: Mind and movement in the work of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance

Thinking with the Body was an exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection, offering a glimpse into Wayne McGregor | Random Dance's interdisciplinary research and the impact it has in the rehearsal studio. Staged in the run-up to the first performances of Atomos at Sadler's Wells (Oct 2013), the exhibition featured the results of over a decade of interdisciplinary research into choreographic creativity which has been applied in the studio, in dance education, and to increase public understanding.

Wellcome Collection is a free visitor destination exploring the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future. Wellcome Collection is part of the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving improvements in human and animal health.

The exhibition finished on 27 October 2013, but the film exhibits are still available to view online.

Sexual size dimorphism and body condition in the Australasian Gannet

Sexual size dimorphism is widespread throughout seabird taxa and several drivers leading to its evolution have been hypothesised. While the Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator) has previously been considered nominally monomorphic, recent studies have documented sexual segregation in diet and foraging areas, traits often associated with size dimorphism. The present study investigated the sex differences in body mass and structural size of this species at two colonies (Pope's Eye, PE; Point Danger, PD) in northern Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. Females were found to be 3.1% and 7.3% heavier (2.74 ± 0.03, n = 92; 2.67 ± 0.03 kg, n = 43) than males (2.66 ± 0.03, n = 92; 2.48 ± 0.03 kg, n = 43) at PE and PD, respectively. Females were also larger in wing ulna length (0.8% both colonies) but smaller in bill depth (PE: 2.2%; PD: 1.7%) than males. Despite this dimorphism, a discriminant function provided only mild accuracy in determining sex. A similar degree of dimorphism was also found within breeding pairs, however assortative mating was not apparent at either colony (R2 < 0.04). Using hydrogen isotope dilution, a body condition index was developed from morphometrics to estimate total body fat (TBF) stores, where TBF(%) = 24.43+1.94*(body mass/wing ulna length) - 0.58*tarsus length (r2 = 0.84, n = 15). This index was used to estimate body composition in all sampled individuals. There was no significant difference in TBF(%) between the sexes for any stage of breeding or in any year of the study at either colony suggesting that, despite a greater body mass, females were not in a better condition than males. While the driving mechanism for sexual dimorphism in this species is currently unknown, studies of other Sulids indicate segregation in foraging behaviour, habitat and diet may be a contributing factor.

Estimating animal populations and body sizes from burrows: marine ecologists have their heads buried in the sand

Most ecological studies require knowledge of animal abundance, but it can be challenging and destructive of habitat to obtain accurate density estimates for cryptic species, such as crustaceans that tunnel deeply into the seafloor, beaches, or mudflats. Such fossorial species are, however, widely used in environmental impact assessments, requiring sampling techniques that are reliable, efficient, and environmentally benign for these species and environments.2.Counting and measuring the entrances of burrows made by cryptic species is commonly employed to index population and body sizes of individuals. The fundamental premise is that burrow metrics consistently predict density and size. Here we review the evidence for this premise. We also review criteria for selecting among sampling methods: burrow counts, visual censuses, and physical collections.3.A simple 1:1 correspondence between the number of holes and population size cannot be assumed. Occupancy rates, indexed by the slope of regression models, vary widely between species and among sites for the same species. Thus, 'average' or 'typical' occupancy rates should not be extrapolated from site- or species specific field validations and then be used as conversion factors in other situations.4.Predictions of organism density made from burrow counts often have large uncertainty, being double to half of the predicted mean value. Whether such prediction uncertainty is 'acceptable' depends on investigators' judgements regarding the desired detectable effect sizes.5.Regression models predicting body size from burrow entrance dimensions are more precise, but parameter estimates of most models are specific to species and subject to site-to-site variation within species.6.These results emphasise the need to undertake thorough field validations of indirect census techniques that include tests of how sensitive predictive models are to changes in habitat conditions or human impacts. In addition, new technologies (e.g. drones, thermal-, acoustic- or chemical sensors) should be used to enhance visual census techniques of burrows and surface-active animals.

The Accuracy of National Body Fat Cutoff Levels in the Prediction of Elevated Blood Pressure among Brazilian Male Adolescents

Objective: To assess viability of the development of percentage body fat cutoffs based on blood pressure values in Brazilian adolescents.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 358 male subjects from 8 to 18 years old. Blood pressure was measured by the oscilometric method, and body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).Results: For the identification of elevated blood pressure, these nationally developed body fat cutoffs presented relative accuracy. The cutoffs were significantly associated with elevated blood pressure [odds ratio = 5.91 (95% confidence interval: 3.54-9.86)].Conclusions: Development of national body fat cutoffs is viable, because presence of high accuracy is an indication of elevated blood pressure.

Nucleation kinetics of crystalline phases from a kaolinitic body used in the processing of red ceramics

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Third-body perturbation in the case of elliptic orbits for the disturbing body

This work presents a semi-analytical and numerical study of the perturbation caused in a spacecraft by a third-body using a double averaged analytical model with the disturbing function expanded in Legendre polynomials up to the second order. The important reason for this procedure is to eliminate terms due to the short periodic motion of the spacecraft and to show smooth curves for the evolution of the mean orbital elements for a long-time period. The aim of this study is to calculate the effect of lunar perturbations on the orbits of spacecrafts that are traveling around the Earth. An analysis of the stability of near-circular orbits is made, and a study to know under which conditions this orbit remains near circular completes this analysis. A study of the equatorial orbits is also performed. Copyright (C) 2008 R. C. Domingos et al.

Chemical detection of the proteins and lipids in the fat body cells from workers of Attini ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Relationship between the nucleolar cycle and chromatoid body formation in the spermatogenesis of Phrynops geoffroanus (Reptilia Testudines)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Low-energy three-body charge transfer reactions with Coulomb interaction in the final state

Three-body charge transfer reactions with Coulomb interaction in the final state are considered within the framework of coordinate-space integro-differential Faddeev-Hahn-type equations within two- and six-state close-coupling approximations. The method is employed to study direct muon transfer in low-energy collisions of the muonic hydrogen H-mu by helium (He2+) and lithium (Li3+) nuclei. The experimentally observed isotopic dependence is reproduced.

Physical activity and postural control in the elderly: Coupling between visual information and body sway

Background: Aging is characterized by a decline in the postural control performance, which is based on a coherent and stable coupling between sensory information and motor action. Therefore, changes in postural control in elderlies can be related to changes in this coupling. In addition, it has been observed that physical activity seems to improve postural control performance in elderlies. These improvements can be due to changes in the coupling between sensory information and motor action related to postural control. Objective: the purpose of this study was to verify the coupling between visual information and body sway in active and sedentary elderlies. Methods: Sixteen sedentary elderlies ( SE), 16 active elderlies ( AE) and 16 young adults ( YA) were asked to stand upright inside a moving room in two experimental conditions: ( 1) discrete movement and ( 2) continuous movement of the room. Results: In the continuous condition, the results showed that the coupling between the movement of the room and body sway was stronger and more stable for SE and AE compared to YA. In the discrete condition, SE showed larger body displacement compared to AE and YA. Conclusions: SE have more difficulty to discriminate and to integrate sensory information than AE and YA indicating that physical activity may improve sensory integration. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.