Wing morphology, echolocation calls, diet and emergence time of black-bearded tomb bats (Taphozous melanopogon, Emballonuridae) from southwest China

We studied the wing morphology, echolocation calls, diet and emergence time of the black-bearded tomb bat (Taphozous melanopogon) from May to October 2006 in Guangxi Province, southwest China. Taphozous melanopogon has wings with high aspect ratio, high loading and pointed wing-tip shape-characteristics associated with fast flight in open space. This species usually produces low-intensity, low frequency, and frequency-modulated (FM) calls usually containing up to four harmonics, with most energy in the second (or sometimes third) harmonic. The diet of this species consists mostly of Lepidoptera and Hemiptera. Timing of evening emergence is correlated with the time of sunset. This is the first study to describe the flight and echolocation behavior of this species in China, and opens the way for future studies of its biology.

Morphology, echolocation and foraging behaviour in two sympatric sibling species of bat (Tylonycteris pachypus and Tylonycteris robustula) (Chiroptera : Vespertilionidae)

We studied the wing morphology, echolocation calls, foraging behaviour and flight speed of Tylonycteris pachypus and Tylonycteris robustula in Longzhou County, South China during the summer (June–August) of 2005. The wingspan, wing loading and aspect ratio of the two species were relatively low, and those of T. pachypus were lower compared with T. robustula. The echolocation calls of T. pachypus and T. robustula consist of a broadband frequency modulated (FM) sweep followed by a short narrowband FM sweep. The dominant frequency of calls of T. pachypus was 65.1 kHz, whereas that of T. robustula was 57.7 kHz. The call frequencies (including highest frequency of the call, lowest frequency of the call and frequency of the call that contained most energy) of T. pachypus were higher than those of T. robustula, and the pulse duration of the former was longer than that of the latter. The inter-pulse interval and bandwidth of the calls were not significantly different between the two species. Tylonycteris pachypus foraged in more complex environments than T. robustula, although the two species were both netted in edge habitats (around trees or houses), along pathways and in the tops of trees. Tylonycteris pachypus flew slower (straight level flight speed, 4.3 m s−1) than T. robustula (straight level flight speed, 4.8 m s−1). We discuss the relationship between wing morphology, echolocation calls, foraging behaviour and flight speed, and demonstrate resource partitioning between these two species in terms of morphological and behavioural factors.

Echolocation calls and wing morphology of bats from the West Indies

Echolocation calls of 119 bats belonging to 12 species in three families from Antillean islands of Puerto Rico, Dominica, and St. Vincent were recorded by using time-expansion methods. Spectrograms of calls and descriptive statistics of five temporal and frequency variables measured from calls are presented. The echolocation calls of many of these species, particularly those in the family Phyllostomidae, have not been described previously. The wing morphology of each taxon is described and related to the structure of its echolocation calls and its foraging ecology. Of slow aerial-hawking insectivores, the Mormoopidae and Natalidae Mormoops blainvillii, Pteronotus davyi davyi, P. quadridens fuliginosus, and Natalus stramineus stramineus can forage with great manoeuvrability in background-cluttered space (close to vegetation), and are able to hover. Pteronotus parnellii portoricensis is able to fly and echolocate in highly-cluttered space (dense vegetation). Among frugivores, nectarivores and omnivores in the family Phyllostomidae, Brachyphylla cavernarum intermedia is adapted to foraging in the edges of vegetation in background-cluttered space, while Erophylla bombifrons bombifrons, Glossophaga longirostris rostrata, Artibeus jamaicensis jamaicensis, A. jamaicensis schwartzi and Stenoderma rufum darioi are adapted to foraging under canopies in highly-cluttered space and do not have speed or efficiency in commuting flight. In contrast, Monophyllus plethodon luciae, Sturnira lilium angeli and S. lilium paulsoni are adapted to fly in highly-cluttered space, but can also fly fast and efficiently in open areas.

Pollen image classification using the classifynder system: Algorithm comparison and a case study on New Zealand honey

We describe an investigation into how Massey University’s Pollen Classifynder can accelerate the understanding of pollen and its role in nature. The Classifynder is an imaging microscopy system that can locate, image and classify slide based pollen samples. Given the laboriousness of purely manual image acquisition and identification it is vital to exploit assistive technologies like the Classifynder to enable acquisition and analysis of pollen samples. It is also vital that we understand the strengths and limitations of automated systems so that they can be used (and improved) to compliment the strengths and weaknesses of human analysts to the greatest extent possible. This article reviews some of our experiences with the Classifynder system and our exploration of alternative classifier models to enhance both accuracy and interpretability. Our experiments in the pollen analysis problem domain have been based on samples from the Australian National University’s pollen reference collection (2,890 grains, 15 species) and images bundled with the Classifynder system (400 grains, 4 species). These samples have been represented using the Classifynder image feature set.We additionally work through a real world case study where we assess the ability of the system to determine the pollen make-up of samples of New Zealand honey. In addition to the Classifynder’s native neural network classifier, we have evaluated linear discriminant, support vector machine, decision tree and random forest classifiers on these data with encouraging results. Our hope is that our findings will help enhance the performance of future releases of the Classifynder and other systems for accelerating the acquisition and analysis of pollen samples.

A comparison of classification algorithms within the Classifynder pollen imaging system

We describe an investigation into how Massey University's Pollen Classifynder can accelerate the understanding of pollen and its role in nature. The Classifynder is an imaging microscopy system that can locate, image and classify slide based pollen samples. Given the laboriousness of purely manual image acquisition and identification it is vital to exploit assistive technologies like the Classifynder to enable acquisition and analysis of pollen samples. It is also vital that we understand the strengths and limitations of automated systems so that they can be used (and improved) to compliment the strengths and weaknesses of human analysts to the greatest extent possible. This article reviews some of our experiences with the Classifynder system and our exploration of alternative classifier models to enhance both accuracy and interpretability. Our experiments in the pollen analysis problem domain have been based on samples from the Australian National University's pollen reference collection (2890 grains, 15 species) and images bundled with the Classifynder system (400 grains, 4 species). These samples have been represented using the Classifynder image feature set. In addition to the Classifynder's native neural network classifier, we have evaluated linear discriminant, support vector machine, decision tree and random forest classifiers on these data with encouraging results. Our hope is that our findings will help enhance the performance of future releases of the Classifynder and other systems for accelerating the acquisition and analysis of pollen samples. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Utility of assessing nerve morphology in central cornea versus whorl area for diagnosing diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Purpose To compare small nerve fiber damage in the central cornea and whorl area in participants with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and to examine the accuracy of evaluating these 2 anatomical sites for the diagnosis of DPN. Methods A cohort of 187 participants (107 with type 1 diabetes and 80 controls) was enrolled. The neuropathy disability score (NDS) was used for the identification of DPN. The corneal nerve fiber length at the central cornea (CNFLcenter) and whorl (CNFLwhorl) was quantified using corneal confocal microscopy and a fully automated morphometric technique and compared according to the DPN status. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to compare the accuracy of the 2 corneal locations for the diagnosis of DPN. Results CNFLcenter and CNFLwhorl were able to differentiate all 3 groups (diabetic participants with and without DPN and controls) (P < 0.001). There was a weak but significant linear relationship for CNFLcenter and CNFLwhorl versus NDS (P < 0.001); however, the corneal location x NDS interaction was not statistically significant (P = 0.17). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was similar for CNFLcenter and CNFLwhorl (0.76 and 0.77, respectively, P = 0.98). The sensitivity and specificity of the cutoff points were 0.9 and 0.5 for CNFLcenter and 0.8 and 0.6 for CNFLwhorl. Conclusions Small nerve fiber pathology is comparable at the central and whorl anatomical sites of the cornea. Quantification of CNFL from the corneal center is as accurate as CNFL quantification of the whorl area for the diagnosis of DPN.

Longitudinal assessment of corneal subbasal nerve morphology as a potential measure of diabetic peripheral neuropathy

This thesis represents a significant step forward in developing a validated measure for diabetic peripheral neuropathy – a debilitating and prevalent complication of diabetes. The candidate investigated corneal nerve structure in healthy people as well as in type 1 diabetic individuals in a 4-year longitudinal study. The outcomes of stability of the corneal small nerve fibre in healthy people and evidence of significant decline in diabetic individuals with peripheral neuropathy over time provide justification for the ongoing efforts to establish corneal nerve structure as an objective and appropriate adjunct to conventional measures of peripheral neuropathy.

A genome-wide association study identifies five loci influencing facial morphology in Europeans

Inter-individual variation in facial shape is one of the most noticeable phenotypes in humans, and it is clearly under genetic regulation; however, almost nothing is known about the genetic basis of normal human facial morphology. We therefore conducted a genome-wide association study for facial shape phenotypes in multiple discovery and replication cohorts, considering almost ten thousand individuals of European descent from several countries. Phenotyping of facial shape features was based on landmark data obtained from three-dimensional head magnetic resonance images (MRIs) and two-dimensional portrait images. We identified five independent genetic loci associated with different facial phenotypes, suggesting the involvement of five candidate genes-PRDM16, PAX3, TP63, C5orf50, and COL17A1-in the determination of the human face. Three of them have been implicated previously in vertebrate craniofacial development and disease, and the remaining two genes potentially represent novel players in the molecular networks governing facial development. Our finding at PAX3 influencing the position of the nasion replicates a recent GWAS of facial features. In addition to the reported GWA findings, we established links between common DNA variants previously associated with NSCL/P at 2p21, 8q24, 13q31, and 17q22 and normal facial-shape variations based on a candidate gene approach. Overall our study implies that DNA variants in genes essential for craniofacial development contribute with relatively small effect size to the spectrum of normal variation in human facial morphology. This observation has important consequences for future studies aiming to identify more genes involved in the human facial morphology, as well as for potential applications of DNA prediction of facial shape such as in future forensic applications.

Morphology of scale lepidonts in the genusAphanius(Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae) using SEM

The microstructure of the anterior region of the scales in several species of the genus Aphanius was studied by SEM with the aim of determining whether scale morphology could be used to discriminate between the species of this genus. The characters examined concern the morphology of lepidonts, or “scale‐teeth”, their distribution and mode of implantation on the circuli. These characters were also subjected to UPGMA cluster analysis. Results from phenetic analysis of scale‐teeth characters agree overall with those of previously published morphological and biogeographical studies and in part with molecular analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between species of Aphanius. An affinity between A. danfordii and A. mento (found previously in studies based on osteological observations) was seen. The separation of A. apodus from the other species of the fasciatus group, which had also been noticed from molecular observations, was also observed, as well as the affinity of A. ginaonis with the group of A. dispar+A. sirhani. This study demonstrates that scale morphology can provide useful information on the relationships among species of the genus Aphanius encouraging the use of scale characters, combined with other traits, in phylogenetic analyses.

Bat species comparisons based on external morphology: A test of traditional versus geometric morphometric approaches

External morphology is commonly used to identify bats as well as to investigate flight and foraging behavior, typically relying on simple length and area measures or ratios. However, geometric morphometrics is increasingly used in the biological sciences to analyse variation in shape and discriminate among species and populations. Here we compare the ability of traditional versus geometric morphometric methods in discriminating between closely related bat species – in this case European horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae, Chiroptera) – based on morphology of the wing, body and tail. In addition to comparing morphometric methods, we used geometric morphometrics to detect interspecies differences as shape changes. Geometric morphometrics yielded improved species discrimination relative to traditional methods. The predicted shape for the variation along the between group principal components revealed that the largest differences between species lay in the extent to which the wing reaches in the direction of the head. This strong trend in interspecific shape variation is associated with size, which we interpret as an evolutionary allometry pattern.

The Macroecology of Airborne Pollen in Australian and New Zealand Urban Areas

he composition and relative abundance of airborne pollen in urban areas of Australia and New Zealand are strongly influenced by geographical location, climate and land use. There is mounting evidence that the diversity and quality of airborne pollen is substantially modified by climate change and land-use yet there are insufficient data to project the future nature of these changes. Our study highlights the need for long-term aerobiological monitoring in Australian and New Zealand urban areas in a systematic, standardised, and sustained way, and provides a framework for targeting the most clinically significant taxa in terms of abundance, allergenic effects and public health burden.

Trans-disciplinary research in synthesis of grass pollen aerobiology and its importance for respiratory health in Australasia

Grass pollen is a major trigger for allergic rhinitis and asthma, yet little is known about the timing and levels of human exposure to airborne grass pollen across Australasian urban environments. The relationships between environmental aeroallergen exposure and allergic respiratory disease bridge the fields of ecology, aerobiology, geospatial science and public health. The Australian Aerobiology Working Group comprised of experts in botany, palynology, biogeography, climate change science, plant genetics, biostatistics, ecology, pollen allergy, public and environmental health, and medicine, was established to systematically source, collate and analyse atmospheric pollen concentration data from 11 Australian and six New Zealand sites. Following two week-long workshops, post-workshop evaluations were conducted to reflect upon the utility of this analysis and synthesis approach to address complex multidisciplinary questions. This Working Group described i) a biogeographically dependent variation in airborne pollen diversity, ii) a latitudinal gradient in the timing, duration and number of peaks of the grass pollen season, and iii) the emergence of new methodologies based on trans-disciplinary synthesis of aerobiology and remote sensing data. Challenges included resolving methodological variations between pollen monitoring sites and temporal variations in pollen datasets. Other challenges included “marrying” ecosystem and health sciences and reconciling divergent expert opinion. The Australian Aerobiology Working Group facilitated knowledge transfer between diverse scientific disciplines, mentored students and early career scientists, and provided an uninterrupted collaborative opportunity to focus on a unifying problem globally. The Working Group provided a platform to optimise the value of large existing ecological datasets that have importance for human respiratory health and ecosystems research. Compilation of current knowledge of Australasian pollen aerobiology is a critical first step towards the management of exposure to pollen in patients with allergic disease and provides a basis from which the future impacts of climate change on pollen distribution can be assessed and monitored.

Grass pollen allergens

Pollens from diverse grass plants are main contributors to seasonal inhalant allergies worldwide. Grass group 1 and 5 allergens represent highly cross-reactive and potent major allergens, group 5 present only in temperate climate grasses (Pooideae). Depending on climate and region, global sensitization rates to grass pollen vary between 1% to 30% of the general population,. Strong evidence supports specific immunotherapy with grass pollen extracts.