The evolution of host associations in the parasitic wasp genus Ichneumon (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): convergent adaptations to host pupation sites

Background: The diversification of organisms with a parasitic lifestyle is often tightly linked to the evolution of their host associations. If a tight host association exists, closely related species tend to attack closely related hosts; host associations are less stable if associations are determined by more plastic traits like parasitoid searching and oviposition behaviour. The pupal-parasitoids of the genus Ichneumon attack a variety of macrolepidopteran hosts.They are either monophagous or polyphagous, and therefore offer a promissing system to investigate the evolution of host associations. Ichneumon was previously divided into two groups based on general body shape; however, a stout shape has been suggested as an adaptation to buried host pupation sites, and might thus not represent a reliable phylogenetic character. Results: We here reconstruct the first molecular phylogeny of the genus Ichneumon using two mitochondrial (CO1 and NADH1) and one nuclear marker (28S). The resulting phylogeny only supports monophyly of Ichneumon when Ichneumon lugens Gravenhorst, 1829 (formerly in Chasmias, stat. rev.) and Ichneumon deliratorius Linnaeus, 1758 (formerly Coelichneumon) are included. Neither parasitoid species that attack hosts belonging to one family nor those attacking butterflies (Rhopalocera) form monophyletic clades. Ancestral state reconstructions suggest multiple transitions between searching for hosts above versus below ground and between a stout versus elongated body shape. A model assuming correlated evolution between the two characters was preferred over independent evolution of host-searching niche and body shape. Conclusions: Host relations, both in terms of phylogeny and ecology, evolved at a high pace in the genus Ichneumon. Numerous switches between hosts of different lepidopteran families have occurred, a pattern that seems to be the rule among idiobiont parasitoids. A stout body and antennal shape in the parasitoid female is confirmed as an ecological adaptation to host pupation sites below ground and has evolved convergently several times. Morphological characters that might be involved in adaptation to hosts should be avoided as diagnostic characters for phylogeny and classification, as they can be expected to show high levels of homoplasy.

Population structure, inbreeding and local adaptation within an endangered riverine specialist: the nase (Chondrostoma nasus)

Chondrostoma nasus is a cyprinid fish with highly specialized, ecologically and geographically distinct, ontogenetic trophic niches. Nase population numbers across their Swiss range have shown massive declines and many localized extinctions. Here we integrate data from different genetic markers with phenotypic and demographic data to survey patterns of neutral and adaptive genetic diversity in all extant (and one extinct) Swiss nase populations, with the aim to delineate intraspecific conservation units (CUs) and to inform future population management strategies. We discovered two major genetically and geographically distinct population groupings. The first population grouping comprises nase inhabiting rivers flowing into Lake Constance; the second comprises nase populations from Rhine drainages below Lake Constance. Within these clusters there is generally limited genetic differentiation among populations. Genomic outlier scans based on 256–377 polymorphic AFLP loci revealed little evidence of local adaptation both within and among population clusters, with the exception of one candidate locus identified in scans involving the inbred Schanzengraben population. However, significant phenotypic differentiation in body shape between certain populations suggests a need for more intensive future studies of local adaptation. Our data strongly suggests that the two major population groups should be treated as distinct CUs, with any supplemental stocking and reintroductions sourced only from within the range of the CU concerned.

Habitat-dependent geographical variation in ontogenetic allometry of the shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata Gibbons (Teleostei: Embiotocidae)

Studies of intraspecific morphological variation in fishes have traditionally focused on freshwater rather than marine species. In addition, such studies typically focus on adults, although causes and intensities of selective pressures most likely vary through an individual’s lifetime. In this study, body and head shape of a marine species, shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata Gibbons were compared among localities along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. Evidence was found for intraspecific variation in ontogenetic allometry, and for a closer correlation of body shape with environment rather than geographical proximity. This correlation with environment was more evident in younger fish, thereby demonstrating the importance of analysing multiple life stages. A common garden experiment suggests both environmental and genetic bases for the observed differences. Recognizing intraspecific ecomorphological complexity and its specificity to habitat and/or life stage can have important consequences for understanding the role of local adaptation and population dynamics in macroecology.

Imagen Corporal y Calidad de vida de mayores incluidos en un programa de Rehabilitación Cardiaca

La mayor parte delas personas que conviven con algún tipo de enfermedad, tienden a adoptar un mayor número de hábitos saludables, pudiendo crear nuevas maneras de ver la vida y a sí mismos. El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar la relación entre índices de calidad de vida y percepción de la imagen corporal de los pacientes incluidos en un programa de rehabilitación cardiovascular en Florianópolis-Brasil. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 24 sujetos varones con una edad de 62 ± 1,3 años, portadores de Enfermedad Arterial Coronaria. Para evaluar la calidad de vida, se utilizó el cuestionario Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) y para identificar el grado de descontento de la muestra con la imagen corporal, se aplicó el cuestionario de Stunkard y Sorensen (1993). El análisis de las pruebas fue hecho a través de un programa de estadísticas utilizando para tal fin, el software SPSS 11.0. El grado de asociación entre variables fue estudiado a partir del test de Kendall. Se verificó que cuanto mayor es el IMC y la silueta actual, mayor el grado de insatisfacción con la imagen corporal. Los síntomas emocionales también parecen estar correlacionados significativamente con un deseo de obtener una menor silueta corporal y con indicadores de menor calidad de vida (r= 0,474 y r= 0,735; p mayor 0,05). Los síntomas físicostambién se encuentran correlacionados de manera significativa con los síntomas emocionales. Estos resultados sugieren que las variables referentes a la calidad de vida poseen un peso significativo en la imagen corporal y la satisfacción con ésta, parece correlacionar con una menor cantidad de problemas emocionales y en un mejor afrontamiento de la enfermedad. Los programas de rehabilitación cardiovascular que implementan actividad física en los hábitos diarios se muestran adecuados como herramienta para la mejora de dichas dolencias en esta fase post aguda

Imagen Corporal y Calidad de vida de mayores incluidos en un programa de Rehabilitación Cardiaca

La mayor parte delas personas que conviven con algún tipo de enfermedad, tienden a adoptar un mayor número de hábitos saludables, pudiendo crear nuevas maneras de ver la vida y a sí mismos. El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar la relación entre índices de calidad de vida y percepción de la imagen corporal de los pacientes incluidos en un programa de rehabilitación cardiovascular en Florianópolis-Brasil. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 24 sujetos varones con una edad de 62 ± 1,3 años, portadores de Enfermedad Arterial Coronaria. Para evaluar la calidad de vida, se utilizó el cuestionario Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) y para identificar el grado de descontento de la muestra con la imagen corporal, se aplicó el cuestionario de Stunkard y Sorensen (1993). El análisis de las pruebas fue hecho a través de un programa de estadísticas utilizando para tal fin, el software SPSS 11.0. El grado de asociación entre variables fue estudiado a partir del test de Kendall. Se verificó que cuanto mayor es el IMC y la silueta actual, mayor el grado de insatisfacción con la imagen corporal. Los síntomas emocionales también parecen estar correlacionados significativamente con un deseo de obtener una menor silueta corporal y con indicadores de menor calidad de vida (r= 0,474 y r= 0,735; p mayor 0,05). Los síntomas físicostambién se encuentran correlacionados de manera significativa con los síntomas emocionales. Estos resultados sugieren que las variables referentes a la calidad de vida poseen un peso significativo en la imagen corporal y la satisfacción con ésta, parece correlacionar con una menor cantidad de problemas emocionales y en un mejor afrontamiento de la enfermedad. Los programas de rehabilitación cardiovascular que implementan actividad física en los hábitos diarios se muestran adecuados como herramienta para la mejora de dichas dolencias en esta fase post aguda

Imagen Corporal y Calidad de vida de mayores incluidos en un programa de Rehabilitación Cardiaca

La mayor parte delas personas que conviven con algún tipo de enfermedad, tienden a adoptar un mayor número de hábitos saludables, pudiendo crear nuevas maneras de ver la vida y a sí mismos. El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar la relación entre índices de calidad de vida y percepción de la imagen corporal de los pacientes incluidos en un programa de rehabilitación cardiovascular en Florianópolis-Brasil. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 24 sujetos varones con una edad de 62 ± 1,3 años, portadores de Enfermedad Arterial Coronaria. Para evaluar la calidad de vida, se utilizó el cuestionario Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) y para identificar el grado de descontento de la muestra con la imagen corporal, se aplicó el cuestionario de Stunkard y Sorensen (1993). El análisis de las pruebas fue hecho a través de un programa de estadísticas utilizando para tal fin, el software SPSS 11.0. El grado de asociación entre variables fue estudiado a partir del test de Kendall. Se verificó que cuanto mayor es el IMC y la silueta actual, mayor el grado de insatisfacción con la imagen corporal. Los síntomas emocionales también parecen estar correlacionados significativamente con un deseo de obtener una menor silueta corporal y con indicadores de menor calidad de vida (r= 0,474 y r= 0,735; p mayor 0,05). Los síntomas físicostambién se encuentran correlacionados de manera significativa con los síntomas emocionales. Estos resultados sugieren que las variables referentes a la calidad de vida poseen un peso significativo en la imagen corporal y la satisfacción con ésta, parece correlacionar con una menor cantidad de problemas emocionales y en un mejor afrontamiento de la enfermedad. Los programas de rehabilitación cardiovascular que implementan actividad física en los hábitos diarios se muestran adecuados como herramienta para la mejora de dichas dolencias en esta fase post aguda

Ecological assessment data of the marine flora and fauna of Point Lookout in 2014 (PLEA)

In 2014, UniDive (The University of Queensland Underwater Club) conducted an ecological assessment of the Point Lookout Dive sites for comparison with similar surveys conducted in 2001. Involvement in the project was voluntary. Members of UniDive who were marine experts conducted training for other club members who had no, or limited, experience in identifying marine organisms and mapping habitats. Since the 2001 detailed baseline study, no similar seasonal survey has been conducted. The 2014 data is particularly important given that numerous changes have taken place in relation to the management of, and potential impacts on, these reef sites. In 2009, Moreton Bay Marine Park was re-zoned, and Flat Rock was converted to a marine national park zone (Green zone) with no fishing or anchoring. In 2012, four permanent moorings were installed at Flat Rock. Additionally, the entire area was exposed to the potential effects of the 2011 and 2013 Queensland floods, including flood plumes which carried large quantities of sediment into Moreton Bay and surrounding waters. The population of South East Queensland has increased from 2.49 million in 2001 to 3.18 million in 2011 (BITRE, 2013). This rapidly expanding coastal population has increased the frequency and intensity of both commercial and recreational activities around Point Lookout dive sites (EPA 2008). Methodology used for the PLEA project was based on the 2001 survey protocols, Reef Check Australia protocols and Coral Watch methods. This hybrid methodology was used to monitor substrate and benthos, invertebrates, fish, and reef health impacts. Additional analyses were conducted with georeferenced photo transects. The PLEA marine surveys were conducted over six weekends in 2014 totaling 535 dives and 376 hours underwater. Two training weekends (February and March) were attended by 44 divers, whilst biological surveys were conducted on seasonal weekends (February, May, July and October). Three reefs were surveyed, with two semi-permanent transects at Flat Rock, two at Shag Rock, and one at Manta Ray Bommie. Each transect was sampled once every survey weekend, with the transect tapes deployed at a depth of 10 m below chart datum. Fish populations were assessed using a visual census along 3 x 20 m transects. Each transect was 5 m wide (2.5 m either side of the transect tape), 5 m high and 20 m in length. Fish families and species were chosen that are commonly targeted by recreational or commercial fishers, or targeted by aquarium collectors, and that were easily identified by their body shape. Rare or otherwise unusual species were also recorded. Target invertebrate populations were assessed using visual census along 3 x 20 m transects. Each transect was 5 m wide (2.5 m either side of the transect tape) and 20 m in length. The diver surveying invertebrates conducted a 'U-shaped' search pattern, covering 2.5 m on either side of the transect tape. Target impacts were assessed using a visual census along the 3 x 20 m transects. Each transect was 5 m wide (2.5 m either side of the transect tape) and 20 m in length. The transect was surveyed via a 'U-shaped' search pattern, covering 2.5 m on either side of the transect tape. Substrate surveys were conducted using the point sampling method, enabling percentage cover of substrate types and benthic organisms to be calculated. The substrate or benthos under the transect line was identified at 0.5m intervals, with a 5m gap between each of the three 20m segments. Categories recorded included various growth forms of hard and soft coral, key species/growth forms of algae, other living organisms (i.e. sponges), recently killed coral, and, non-living substrate types (i.e. bare rock, sand, rubble, silt/clay).

Sexual dimorphism of the femoral neck during the adolescent growth spurt: a structural analysis

Before puberty, there are only small sex differences in body shape and composition. During adolescence, sexual dimorphism in bone, lean, and fat mass increases, giving rise to the greater size and strength of the male skeleton. The question remains as to whether there are sex differences in bone strength or simply differences in anthropometric dimensions. To test this, we applied hip structural analysis (HSA) to derive strength and geometric indices of the femoral neck using bone densitometry scans (DXA) from a 6-year longitudinal study in Canadian children. Seventy boys and sixty-eight girls were assessed annually for 6 consecutive years. At the femoral neck, cross-sectional area (CSA, an index of axial strength), subperiosteal width (SPW), and section modulus (Z, an index of bending strength) were determined, and data were analyzed using a hierarchical (random effects) modeling approach. Biological age (BA) was defined as years from age at peak height velocity (PHV). When BA, stature, and total-body lean mass (TB lean) were controlled, boys had significantly higher Z than girls at all maturity levels (P < 0.05). Controlling height and TB lean for CSA demonstrated a significant independent sex by BA interaction effect (P < 0.05). That is, CSA was greater in boys before PHV but higher in girls after PHV The coefficients contributing the greatest proportion to the prediction of CSA, SPW, and Z were height and lean mass. Because the significant sex difference in Z was relatively small and close to the error of measurement, we questioned its biological significance. The sex difference in bending strength was therefore explained by anthropometric differences. In contrast to recent hypotheses, we conclude that the CSA-lean ratio does not imply altered mechanosensitivity in girls because bending dominates loading at the neck, and the Z-lean ratio remained similar between the sexes throughout adolescence. That is, despite the greater CSA in girls, the bone is strategically placed to resist bending; hence, the bones of girls and boys adapt to mechanical challenges in a similar way. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gorgocephalus yaaji n. sp (Digenea : Gorgocephalidae) from the brassy chub Kyphosus vaigiensis (Perciformes : Kyphosidae) off Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef and further records of G-kyphosi

A new species Gorgocephalus yaaji is described in the intestine of Kyphosus vaigiensis from the waters off Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia. It differs from Gorgocephalus kyphosi by its broader body shape, the extension of the vitellarium into the forebody, a relatively longer forebody, cirrus-sac and post-caecal region, and a shorter distance between the ventral sucker and the ovary. It differs from Gorgocephalus manteri in its size, its tandem testes, and the ratios of width, ventral sucker to ovary distance and ovary to testes distance to body-length. Gorgocephalus kyphosi is reported in the pyloric caeca of K. vaigiensis from waters off Moorea, French Polynesia, and Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia. Measurements and an illustration are given of the latter species.

Predator-mediated phenotypic plasticity in tadpoles of the striped marsh frog, Limnodynastes peronii

We tested the phenotypic responses of larval striped marsh frogs (Limnodynastes peronii) to the odonate nymph predator, Aeshna brevistyla. When reared in the presence of dragonfly nymphs feeding upon conspecifics of L. peronii larvae the tadpoles showed a strong change in morphology. Morphological changes included an increase in total tail height, but also an unexpected marked change in head-body shape. In addition, we examined how tadpole development, as well as mass and length at metamorphosis, was affected by exposure to dragonfly nymphs. Larval development of L. peronii was strongly influenced by exposure to the predatory behaviour of dragonfly nymphs. Predator-induced tadpoles had significantly slower developmental rates than control larvae. Although metamorphs of non-exposed L. peronii were approximately 33% lighter than predator-exposed metamorphs and possessed lower jump distances, after adjusting for mass there was no difference in jump distance. The newly described morphological response may assist in more accurately relating morphological plasticity to fitness.

Being fit and looking healthy: Young women's and men's constructions of health and fitness

We drew on Foucault's notion of 'practices of the self' to examine how young people take up, negotiate, and resist the imperatives of a public health discourse concerned with the relationships between health, fitness, and the body. We did this through a discussion of the ways young women and men talk about their own and others' bodies, in the context of a number of in-depth interviews conducted for the Life Activity Project, a study of the place and meaning of physical activity in young people's lives, funded by an Australian Research Council Grant. We found that the young women and men in the study engaged the health/fitness discourse very differently: for the young men, health conflated with fitness as an embodied capacity to do physical work; and for the young women, health was a much more difficult and complex project associated with managing and monitoring practices associated with eating and exercise to maintain an 'appropriate' body shape.

BMI not WHR modulates BOLD fMRI responses in a sub-cortical reward network when participants judge the attractiveness of human female bodies

In perceptual terms, the human body is a complex 3d shape which has to be interpreted by the observer to judge its attractiveness. Both body mass and shape have been suggested as strong predictors of female attractiveness. Normally body mass and shape co-vary, and it is difficult to differentiate their separate effects. A recent study suggested that altering body mass does not modulate activity in the reward mechanisms of the brain, but shape does. However, using computer generated female body-shaped greyscale images, based on a Principal Component Analysis of female bodies, we were able to construct images which covary with real female body mass (indexed with BMI) and not with body shape (indexed with WHR), and vice versa. Twelve observers (6 male and 6 female) rated these images for attractiveness during an fMRI study. The attractiveness ratings were correlated with changes in BMI and not WHR. Our primary fMRI results demonstrated that in addition to activation in higher visual areas (such as the extrastriate body area), changing BMI also modulated activity in the caudate nucleus, and other parts of the brain reward system. This shows that BMI, not WHR, modulates reward mechanisms in the brain and we infer that this may have important implications for judgements of ideal body size in eating disordered individuals.

Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787)

The Striped Catfish can be recognized by its striped coloration, barbels around the mouth, and its body shape which tapers to a point posteriorly. Small juveniles are black and large adults may be less distinctly striped. Plotosus lineatus can reach a maximum length of 32 cm (13 in) and about 40cm in Persian Gulf. The body is brown with cream-colored or white longitudinal bands. The most striking feature of this species is in the fins; in fact the second dorsal, caudal and anal are fused together as in eels. In the rest of the body is quite similar to a freshwater catfish: the mouth is surrounded by four pairs of barbells, four on the upper jaw and four on the lower jaw. The first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins have a highly venomous spine. They may even be fatal. Juveniles of P. lineatus form dense ball-shaped schools of about 100 fish, while adults are solitary or occur in smaller groups of around 20 and are known to hide under ledges during the day. Adult P. lineatus search and stir the sand incessantly for crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and sometimes fish. Striped eel catfish is an oviparous fish; this species has demersal eggs and planktonic larvae. This species has evolved long ampullary canals in its electrosensory organs.

Relación de la imagen corporal percibida con el índice de masa corporal real en estudiantes de la Escuela de Tecnología Médica de la Universidad de Cuenca. Cuenca octubre 2015 – marzo 2016

OBJETIVO: Determinar la relación de la imagen corporal percibida con el índice de masa corporal real en estudiantes de la Escuela de Tecnología Médica de la Universidad de Cuenca. MATERIALES Y METODOS: Estudio transversal efectuado en estudiantes de la Escuela de Tecnología Médica, con una muestra probabilística aleatoria de 250 alumnos. Previo consentimiento informado, se encuestó a los estudiantes a través del “Cuestionario de la forma corporal” elaborado por: Cooper, Taylor y Fairburn; posteriormente se les presentó a los estudiantes el test de fotografías corporales de los autores Harris y Col., en el cual eligieron una de las figuras con las que se sentían mejor identificados; consecutivamente se procedió a la toma de las medidas antropométricas para la obtención del estado nutricional; finalmente se comparó la imagen corporal percibida con el estado nutricional de cada estudiante. La información fue analizada en el programa SPSS V22 y Excel 2013. RESULTADOS: Del total de la muestra de 251 estudiantes, el 69.7% presentaron un estado nutricional normal; el 4.4% bajo peso; el 20.7% sobrepeso y el 5.2% presentó obesidad. El 67.3% de los estudiantes presentó una adeudada percepción de su imagen corporal, el 6.8% sobrestima su peso y el 25.9% de la muestra lo subestimó. CONCLUSIONES: La mayor parte de los estudiantes universitarios presentaron una correcta percepción de su imagen corporal, al compararla con el IMC real; se evidenció un mínimo porcentaje de distorsión, donde se presentó una tendencia a la subestimación, condición que aumenta el riesgo de padecer enfermedades relacionadas con la alimentación.

Estudio de la satisfacción de la imagen corporal en Educación Primaria. Relaciones con la actividad física y el nivel de condición física de los escolares

En el seno de nuestra sociedad está presente la preocupación por la imagen corporal, que en ocasiones puede derivar en situaciones de insatisfacción corporal y provocar trastornos en la conducta alimentaria. El aspecto físico o apariencia de una persona se puede considerar como uno de los atributos que los niños y niñas primero describen de sí mismos y de los demás. Nuestra investigación tiene como objetivo indagar sobre la preocupación que tiene el alumnado de tercer ciclo de Educación Primaria sobre su imagen corporal valorando los índices de insatisfacción corporal y la percepción que tienen de su forma corporal, relacionando estas dos variables con el estado nutricional, con la frecuencia y motivaciones de práctica de actividad física y con los niveles de condición física salud. Se aborda la investigación desde diferentes perspectivas, estableciendo una triangulación de la información obtenida a través de diferentes cuestionarios y test de campo, categorizando la muestra por su estado nutricional, calculado a partir del Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC). Se utiliza una versión corta del cuestionario de insatisfacción corporal “Body Shape Questionnaire” (BSQ), un cuestionario de percepción a través de Siluetas Corporales, un cuestionario de práctica de Actividad Física y el “Test Europeo de Aptitud Física EUROFIT”. Los resultados arrojan conclusiones muy interesantes indicándonos la tendencia que la variable de insatisfacción corporal tiene con otras variables del estudio, la importancia de realizar actividad física recreativa en edad escolar y como el canon de belleza de cuerpo ideal difiere según el sexo.