Application of Electrical Resistivity Imaging and Land Surveying in the Analysis of Underground Construction Impact on the Warsaw Scarp

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Kaczmarek Łukasz

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the analysis of the II Underground Line construction’s impact on the Warsaw Scarp with the use of the electrical resistivity imaging (ERI, also known as the electrical resistivity tomography and further total station position measurements.The underground passes under the scarp perpendicular in the area of Dynasy Street 6, in Down-town district.The electrical resistivity imaging was performed for recognition of the geological structure and a potential land slide surface or zone.The gradient system was used during the prospection. In these analyses, the longitudinal section was 40 m long, and the depth of survey amounted to 6 m. In the case of the 200 m long transverse section, the resulted depth of survey was 30 m.The geophysical image of the longitudinal section,does not contain loosening soil zones,which could indicates lip surface.Next, total station measurements, which were tied to the archival geodetic observations’ results, were carried out. The aim of the measurements was to verify the activity of the horizontal and vertical displacements. The TBM excavation process led to summary vertical displacements up to approx. 24 mm and horizontal displacements amounting to approx. 13 mm. To sum up, the current land surveys reveals minor under ground line’ s construction impact on the scarp displacement. Nevertheless, the sensitive urban environment requires further monitoring, especially that the operation loads can result in displacement rate change.

Composite faults in the Swiss Alps formed by the interplay of tectonics, gravitation and postglacial rebound: an integrated field and modelling study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ustaszewski, M. E.; Pfiffner, A.; Hampel, A.; Ustaszewski, M. E.

2008-01-01

Along the flanks of several valleys in the Swiss Alps, well-preserved fault scarps occur between 1900 and 2400 m altitude, which reveal uplift of the valley-side block relative to the mountain-side block. The height of these uphill-facing scarps varies between 0.5 m and more than 10 m along strike of the fault traces, which usually trend parallel to the valley axes. The formation of the scarps is generally attributed either to tectonic movements or gravitational slope instabilities. Here we combine field data and numerical experiments to show that the scarps may be of composite origin, i.e. that tectonic and gravitational processes as well as postglacial differential uplift may have contributed to their formation. Tectonic displacement may occur as the fault scarps run parallel to older tectonic faults. The tectonic component seems, however, to be minor as the studied valleys lack seismic activity. A large gravitational component, which is feasible owing to the steep dip of the schistosity and lithologic boundaries in the studied valleys, is indicated by the uneven morphology of the scarps, which is typical of slope movements. Postglacial differential uplift of the valley floor with respect to the summits provides a third feasible mechanism for scarp formation, as the scarps are postglacial in age and occur on the flanks of valleys that were filled with ice during the last glacial maximum. Finite-element experiments show that postglacial unloading and rebound can initiate slip on steeply dipping pre-existing weak zones and explain part of the observed scarp height. From our field and modelling results we conclude that the formation of uphill-facing scarps is primarily promoted by a steeply dipping schistosity striking parallel to the valley axes and, in addition, by mechanically weaker rocks in the valley with respect to the summits. Our findings imply that the identification of surface expressions related to active faults can be hindered by similar morphologic

Shallow Seismic Reflection Study of Recently Active Fault Scarps, Mina Deflection, Western Nevada

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Black, R. A.; Christie, M.; Tsoflias, G. P.; Stockli, D. F.

2006-12-01

During the spring and summer of 2006 University of Kansas geophysics students and faculty acquired shallow, high resolution seismic reflection data over actively deforming alluvial fans developing across the Emmigrant Peak (in Fish Lake Valley) and Queen Valley Faults in western Nevada. These normal faults represent a portion of the transition from the right-lateral deformation associated with the Walker Lane/Eastern California Shear Zone to the normal and left-lateral faulting of the Mina Deflection. Data were gathered over areas of recent high resolution geological mapping and limited trenching by KU students. An extensive GPR data grid was also acquired. The GPR results are reported in Christie, et al., 2006. The seismic data gathered in the spring included both walkaway tests and a short CMP test line. These data indicated that a very near-surface P-wave to S-wave conversion was taking place and that very high quality S-wave reflections were probably dominating shot records to over one second in time. CMP lines acquired during the summer utilized a 144 channel networked Geode system, single 28 hz geophones, and a 30.06 downhole rifle source. Receiver spacing was 0.5 m, source spacing 1.0m and CMP bin spacings were 0.25m for all lines. Surveying was performed using an RTK system which was also used to develop a concurrent high resolution DEM. A dip line of over 400m and a strike line over 100m in length were shot across the active fan scarp in Fish Lake Valley. Data processing is still underway. However, preliminary interpretation of common-offset gathers and brute stacks indicates very complex faulting and detailed stratigraphic information to depths of over 125m. Depth of information was actually limited by the 1024ms recording time. Several west-dipping normal faults downstep towards the basin. East-dipping antithetic normal faulting is extensive. Several distinctive stratigraphic packages are bound by the faults and apparent unconformitites. A CMP dip line

Grammatical morphology is not a sensitive marker of language impairment in Icelandic in children aged 4-14 years.

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Thordardottir, Elin

2016-01-01

Grammatical morphology continues to be widely regarded as an area of extraordinary difficulty in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). A main argument for this view is the purported high diagnostic accuracy of morphological errors for the identification of SLI. However, findings are inconsistent across age groups and across languages. Studies show morphological difficulty to be far less pronounced in more highly inflected languages and the diagnostic accuracy of morphology in such languages is largely unknown. This study examines the morphological use of Icelandic children with and without SLI in a cross-sectional sample of children ranging from preschool age to adolescence and assesses the usefulness of morphology as a clinical marker to identify SLI. Participants were 57 monolingual Icelandic-speaking children age 4-14 years; 31 with SLI and 26 with typical language development (TD). Spontaneous language samples were coded for correct and incorrect use of grammatical morphology. The diversity of use of grammatical morphemes was documented for each group at different age and MLU levels. Individual accuracy scores were plotted against age as well as MLU and diagnostic accuracy was calculated. MLU and morphological accuracy increased with age for both children with SLI and TD, with the two groups gradually approaching each other. Morphological diversity and sequence of acquisition was similar across TD and SLI groups compared based on age or MLU. Morphological accuracy was overall high, but was somewhat lower in the SLI group, in particular at ages below 12 years and MLU levels below 6.0. However, overlap between the groups was important in all age groups, involving a greater tendency for errors in both groups at young ages and scores close to or at ceiling at older ages. Sensitivity rates as well as likelihood ratios for each morpheme were all below the range considered acceptable for clinical application, whereas better specificity rates in some age

Observations on morphologic changes in the aging and degenerating human disc: Secondary collagen alterations

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Hanley Edward N

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the annulus, collagen fibers that make up the lamellae have a wavy, planar crimped pattern. This crimping plays a role in disc biomechanical function by allowing collagen fibers to stretch during compression. The relationship between morphologic changes in the aging/degenerating disc and collagen crimping have not been explored. Methods Ultrastructural studies were performed on annulus tissue from 29 control (normal donors (aged newborn to 79 years and surgical specimens from 49 patients (aged 16 to 77 years. Light microscopy and specialized image analysis to visualize crimping was performed on additional control and surgical specimens. Human intervertebral disc tissue from the annulus was obtained in a prospective morphologic study of the annulus. Studies were approved by the authors' Human Subjects Institutional Review Board. Results Three types of morphologic changes were found to alter the crimping morphology of collagen: 1 encircling layers of unusual matrix disrupted the lamellar collagen architecture; 2 collagen fibers were reduced in amount, and 3 collagen was absent in regions with focal matrix loss. Conclusions Although proteoglycan loss is well recognized as playing a role in the decreased shock absorber function of the aging/degenerating disc, collagen changes have received little attention. This study suggests that important stretch responses of collagen made possible by collagen crimping may be markedly altered by morphologic changes during aging/degeneration and may contribute to the early tissue changes involved in annular tears.

Morphology and ornamentation in male frigatebirds: variation with age-class and mating status

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Vinni; Dabelsteen, Torben; Osorio, Daniel

2007-01-01

of white in the plumage identifies three age classes of nonjuvenile male. Here we investigate how morphological and secondary sexual traits correlate with age class and mating status. Even though several age class-related differences in morphology and visual appearance can be identified, the only features...... with age class, reflecting an increase in gular pouch size. This implies that females prefer older or possibly more experienced or viable males. Drumming cadence speed and stability might reflect male stamina. Apart from the acoustic differences with mating status, there is a nonsignificant tendency...... for back-feather iridescence to be of shorter reflectance wavelength spectra in mated than in unmated males, which, when combined with acoustic variables, improves prediction of age class and mating status....

MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE HUMAN OVARY IN DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

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Ritu Saloi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Ovarian pathology can manifest in various ways, e.g. menstrual abnormalities, cystic disease, infertility, benign and malignant tumours of the ovary, etc. Ovarian cancer is one of the leading cancers in Indian women. The aim was undertaken to observe the age-related changes in the human ovary and to study if there is any difference between the right and left ovaries with respect to length, breadth, thickness and weight and compare it with the established findings of previous workers, which will help the clinicians to adopt appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the various clinical conditions associated with the ovaries. MATERIALS AND METHODS A study on human ovary was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati. The morphological characteristics of 42 pairs of normal human ovaries of different age groups were studied (14 pairs in each age group. The ovaries were divided into three groups, viz. Group A or pre-reproductive, Group B or reproductive and Group C or postmenopausal. The results were statistically analysed and ‘t’ test was done to find out the significant difference of mean value. RESULTS The morphology of the ovary including the length, breadth, thickness and weight of the three groups were measured and the findings were compared with each other and also with the findings of studies done by previous workers. CONCLUSION The study showed that there were certain differences in the morphology of ovary in the three groups. The study also revealed that the weight of the right ovary was more than the left ovary in all the three age groups. The results were statistically analysed and compared with the findings of previous workers.

Effect of women's age on embryo morphology, cleavage rate and competence-A multicenter cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grøndahl, Marie Louise; Christiansen, Sofie Lindgren; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler

2017-01-01

This multicenter cohort study on embryo assessment and outcome data from 11,744 IVF/ICSI cycles with 104,830 oocytes and 42,074 embryos, presents the effect of women's age on oocyte, zygote, embryo morphology and cleavage parameters, as well as cycle outcome measures corrected for confounding.......0001) with increasing age. Maternal age had no effect on cleavage parameters or on the morphology of the embryo day 2 post insemination. Interestingly, initial hCG value after single embryo transfer followed by ongoing pregnancy was increased with age in both IVF (p = 0.007) and ICSI (p = 0.001) cycles. For the first...... time, we show that a woman's age does impose a significant footprint on early embryo morphological development (3PN). In addition, the developmentally competent embryos were associated with increased initial hCG values as the age of the women increased. Further studies are needed to elucidate...

MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE AGE RELATED CHANGES OF THE CERVIX

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Monjushree Chakravarty

2016-07-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Disease of the cervix is a common clinical condition in females, worldwide and especially in a developing country like India. The study was undertaken in Guwahati Medical College to see the age related changes in the morphology of the cervix. AIM The study was done to observe the age related changes in the cervix and compare the same with the different studies done by the previous workers around the world so as to help clinicians to diagnose the pathologies of this part of the female reproductive system better. MATERIALS AND METHOD The specimens were divided into three groups viz. pre-reproductive, reproductive and post-menopausal. Twenty specimens were collected of each group. The results were statistically analysed and ‘t’ test was employed to find out the significant difference between the mean value. SUMMARY A study of the 60 specimens collected were done to find the morphological parameters of each group viz. pre-reproductive, reproductive and post-menopausal and the findings of each group were compared to one another and were related to the finding of previous workers. CONCLUSION The study showed that there were certain differences in the morphology of the three groups and these differences tallied with that of the previous workers.

Differences in morphological parameters of judo athletes of different age groups and performance level

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Miloš Štefanovský

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Some studies have pointed out the influence of morphological parameters on judo performance, however the relationship between morphological variables and performance status have not yet been confirmed. In addition, there is a lack of studies focused on morphological comparison of different age categories. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess differences in the morphological parameters of judo athletes of different age and performance level. Methods: The research sample was composed of 47 male judokas (age 19.15 ± 2.93 years; body weight 77.16 ± 11.39 kg; height 178.91 ± 6.39 cm; sport age 11.47 ± 2.74 years. It was divided by: (1 age, into cadets (15-17 years, n = 19, juniors (18-20 years, n = 15, and seniors (21+ years, n = 13 category and (2 performance status (elite, n = 10; non-elite, n = 37. In all participants, body fat, and the circumference measurement of wrist, forearm, flexed arm, and calf were observed. A personal interview was used to gain information about the athlete's performance status. Results: We found out that there are significant differences in arm circumference between cadets and seniors, cadets and juniors, juniors and seniors; and in the circumference of forearm between cadets and seniors; cadets and juniors, as well. According to the performance status, we have discovered significantly higher circumference of forearm and wrist in the elite group compared to the non-elite group. Conclusion: Forearm and wrist circumference is a reliable discriminative factor and should be taken into consideration, especially when selecting judo athletes into elite teams. However, we did not confirm that subcutaneous fat is a parameter able to distinguish between judo athletes of different performance status across various age categories.

Rock avalanches clusters along the northern Chile coastal scarp

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Crosta, G. B.; Hermanns, R. L.; Dehls, J.; Lari, S.; Sepulveda, S.

2017-07-01

Rock avalanche clusters can be relevant indicators of the evolution of specific regions. They can be used to define: the type and intensity of triggering events, their recurrence and potential probability of occurrence, the progressive damage of the rock mass, the mechanisms of transport and deposition, as well as the environmental conditions at the time of occurrence. This paper tackles these subjects by analyzing two main clusters of rock avalanches (each event between 0.6 and 30 Mm3), separated by few kilometers and located along the coastal scarp of Northern Chile, south of Iquique. It lies, hence, within a seismic area characterized by a long seismic gap that ended on April 1st, 2014 with a Mw 8.2 earthquake. The scar position, high along the coastal cliff, supports seismic triggering for these clusters. The deposits' relative positions are used to obtain the sequence of rock avalanching events for each cluster. The progressive decrease of volume in the sequence of rock avalanches forming each cluster fits well the theoretical models for successive slope failures. These sequences seem to agree with those derived by dating the deposits with ages spanning between 4 kyr and 60 kyr. An average uplift rate of 0.2 mm/yr in the last 40 kyr is estimated for the coastal plain giving a further constraint to the rock avalanche deposition considering the absence of reworking of the deposits. Volume estimates and datings allow the estimation of an erosion rate contribution of about 0.098-0.112 mm km- 2 yr- 1 which is well comparable to values presented in the literature for earthquake induced landslides. We have carried out numerical modeling in order to analyze the mobility of the rock avalanches and examine the environmental conditions that controlled the runout. In doing so, we have considered the sequence of individual rock avalanches within the specific clusters, thus including in the models the confining effect caused by the presence of previous deposits. Bingham

Effect of age and season on sperm morphology of Friesland bulls at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mev Louw

between age and season on the sperm morphological characteristics of a .... The long-term average rainfall of the area is 640 mm per annum, ... Theoriogenology, 1976) and expressed as a percentage of the total number of cells counted.

Tectonic and volcanic history of Rhea as inferred from studies of scarps, ridges, troughs, and other lineaments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, P.G.

1988-01-01

The 13 geomorphic feature types presently defined through the analysis of landforms on Rhea are with only one exception interpretable as of tectonic or volcanic-tectonic origin. The troughs, grabens, grooves, pit chains, scarps, and other lineaments are purely extensional in nature, while the ridges are volcanic features formed in an extensional stress field; this extension was followed by a global compression era generating megaridges and megascarps. The extensional landforms seem to form a global grid pattern that is directionally similar to the theoretically projected pattern of a tidally distorted planet. 17 references

Curcuma treatment prevents cognitive deficit and alteration of neuronal morphology in the limbic system of aging rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal, Blanca; Vázquez-Roque, Rubén A; Gnecco, Dino; Enríquez, Raúl G; Floran, Benjamin; Díaz, Alfonso; Flores, Gonzalo

2017-03-01

Curcuma is a natural compound that has shown neuroprotective properties, and has been reported to prevent aging and improve memory. While the mechanism(s) underlying these effects are unclear, they may be related to increases in neural plasticity. Morphological changes have been reported in neuronal dendrites in the limbic system in animals and elderly humans with cognitive impairment. In this regard, there is a need to use alternative therapies that delay the onset of morphologies and behavioral characteristics of aging. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcuma on cognitive processes and dendritic morphology of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the CA1 and CA3 regions of the dorsal hippocampus, the dentate gyrus, and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of aged rats. 18-month-old rats were administered curcuma (100 mg/kg) daily for 60 days. After treatment, recognition memory was assessed using the novel object recognition test. Curcuma-treated rats showed a significant increase in the exploration quotient. Dendritic morphology was assessed by Golgi-Cox staining and followed by Sholl analysis. Curcuma-treated rats showed a significant increase in dendritic spine density and dendritic length in pyramidal neurons of the PFC, the CA1 and CA3, and the BLA. The preservation of dendritic morphology was positively correlated with cognitive improvements. Our results suggest that curcuma induces modification of dendritic morphology in the aforementioned regions. These changes may explain how curcuma slows the aging process that has already begun in these animals, preventing deterioration in neuronal morphology of the limbic system and recognition memory. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Geomicrobiology of Archaeal Communities Isolated from an Off-axis Abyssal Hill Fault Scarp on the East Pacific Rise Flank at 9° 27'N

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrhardt, C. J.; Haymon, R.; Holden, P.; Lamontagne, M.

2003-12-01

Although heat flow studies suggest that ~70% of the hydrothermal heat loss in the oceans occurs in the abyssal hill terrain on the flanks of mid-ocean ridges, very few off-axis hydrothermal sites have been discovered. In May 2002, sedimentary blowout structures of probable hydrothermal origin were discovered along East Pacific Rise at 9° 27'N on an off-axis abyssal hill bounded by a fault scarp covered with orange-brown microbial flocculations. Recovered samples of these flocculations have presented an opportunity to study the unknown nature and role of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microbial communities on the ridge flanks. Furthermore, the archaeal communities that we have identified in the samples are useful "microbial tracers" which can be used to locate off-axis areas of moderate-to-high temperature fluid flow (>50° C). In this study, we used molecular techniques to isolate, amplify, and sequence community archaeal RNA sequences from fault scarp flocculations collected with a slurp pump system mounted in the Alvin basket. Molecular phylogenies based on 16S rRNA were constructed. Phylogenetic relationships of isolated clones were used to infer temperature preferences of archaeal communities. We identified 12 clones that clustered within thermophilic or hyperthermophilic clades within Archaea suggesting that moderately high temperature fluid (>50° C) exited the seafloor along this abyssal hill fault scarp. Our studies also suggest that these communities mediate the formation of Fe-sulfide mineral phases. Analysis of the samples with an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) and X-ray energy dispersive analysis (EDS) revealed unique iron sulfide mineral phases with anomalously low Fe/S ratios in direct association with microbial communities.

Geochronological {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar data on the submarine fault-scarps in the Sardinia channel (western mediterranean); Donnees geochronologiques {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar sur les socles sarde et kabylo-peloritain submerges dans le canal de Sardaigne (mediterranee occidentale)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouillin, J.P.; Tricart, P.; Mascle, G. [Grenoble-1 Univ., 38 - Grenoble (France). Laboratoire de Geodynamique des Chaines Alpines, CNRS UPRES-A5025; Monie, P. [Montpellier-2 Univ., 34 (France). Laboratoire de Geochronologie, Geochimie et de petrologie, UMR 5567; Rolfo, F. [Universita Torino, (Italy). Dipt. di Scienze Mineralogiche et Petrologiche; Torelli, L. [Parma Univ. (Italy). Ditp. di Scienze della Terra

1999-04-01

Granite and gneiss have been sampled on the submarine fault scarps of the Sardinia Channel and have been dated using the {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar method. The majority of rocks partially preserve Hercynian ages. Some of them display Lower Cretaceous ages. In addition, Upper Eocene-Oligocene argon resetting is recorded only in rocks from the southeast sector of the Channel. We thus propose that the basement of the Sardinia Channel occupied a shallow position within the stack of the Alpine tectonic units, behind the more deformed front of the internal zones of the Maghrebide Chain. (authors) 20 refs.

Cell-Type Specific Changes in Glial Morphology and Glucocorticoid Expression During Stress and Aging in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

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Thomas E. Chan

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Repeated exposure to stressors is known to produce large-scale remodeling of neurons within the prefrontal cortex (PFC. Recent work suggests stress-related forms of structural plasticity can interact with aging to drive distinct patterns of pyramidal cell morphological changes. However, little is known about how other cellular components within PFC might be affected by these challenges. Here, we examined the effects of stress exposure and aging on medial prefrontal cortical glial subpopulations. Interestingly, we found no changes in glial morphology with stress exposure but a profound morphological change with aging. Furthermore, we found an upregulation of non-nuclear glucocorticoid receptors (GR with aging, while nuclear levels remained largely unaffected. Both changes are selective for microglia, with no stress or aging effect found in astrocytes. Lastly, we show that the changes found within microglia inversely correlated with the density of dendritic spines on layer III pyramidal cells. These findings suggest microglia play a selective role in synaptic health within the aging brain.

Preliminary confirmation of a surface faulting based on geological and earthquake data in the Puspiptek Serpong area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadi Suntoko; Supartoyo

2016-01-01

BAPETEN regulation No. 8/2013 present the requirement that the site of the nuclear industry should not be a fault capable in a radius of 5 km. It is known that the RDE site composed of sandstones, clay stone, conglomerates and pumice rework the age of Pliocene, there straightness river valley hypothesized as a fault. Potential faults are identified using morphological observation, remote sensing using DEM rock outcrops, and seismic interpretation results that aims to confirm capable faults in a radius of 5 km. Traces defence surface is focused on the observation of the appearance of the terrain (land form), in the form of straightness morphology or valleys, fault scarp (fault scarp), shift or offset (river or hill), depression formed along fault zones, saddle, pressure ridge, and the shape of the river as well as earthquake monitoring. The results showed that there was no fault capable also a surface faulting that prove the presence in the RDE site radius of 5 km. (author)

Predicting human age using regional morphometry and inter-regional morphological similarity

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xun-Heng; Li, Lihua

2016-03-01

The goal of this study is predicting human age using neuro-metrics derived from structural MRI, as well as investigating the relationships between age and predictive neuro-metrics. To this end, a cohort of healthy subjects were recruited from 1000 Functional Connectomes Project. The ages of the participations were ranging from 7 to 83 (36.17+/-20.46). The structural MRI for each subject was preprocessed using FreeSurfer, resulting in regional cortical thickness, mean curvature, regional volume and regional surface area for 148 anatomical parcellations. The individual age was predicted from the combination of regional and inter-regional neuro-metrics. The prediction accuracy is r = 0.835, p Pearson correlation coefficient between predicted ages and actual ages. Moreover, the LASSO linear regression also found certain predictive features, most of which were inter-regional features. The turning-point of the developmental trajectories in human brain was around 40 years old based on regional cortical thickness. In conclusion, structural MRI could be potential biomarkers for the aging in human brain. The human age could be successfully predicted from the combination of regional morphometry and inter-regional morphological similarity. The inter-regional measures could be beneficial to investigating human brain connectome.

Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) pupae: a timeline of external morphological development and a new age and PMI estimation tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Katherine; Thorne, Alan; Harvey, Michelle

2015-07-01

The minimum postmortem interval (PMI(min)) is commonly estimated using calliphorid larvae, for which there are established age estimation methods based on morphological and development data. Despite the increased duration and sedentary nature of the pupal stage of the blowfly, morphological age estimation methods are poorly documented and infrequently used for PMI determination. The aim of this study was to develop a timeline of metamorphosis, focusing on the development of external morphology (within the puparium), to provide a means of age and PMI estimation for Calliphora vicina (Rob-Desvoidy) pupae. Under controlled conditions, 1,494 pupae were reared and sampled at regular time intervals. After puparium removal, observations of 23 external metamorphic developments were correlated to age in accumulated degree hours (ADH). Two age estimation methods were developed based on (1) the combination of possible age ranges observed for each characteristic and (2) regression analyses to generate age estimation equations employing all 23 characteristics observed and a subset of ten characteristics most significantly correlated with age. Blind sample analysis indicated that, using the combination of both methods, pupal age could be estimated to within ±500 ADH with 95% reliability.

Phase decomposition and morphology characteristic in thermal aging Fe–Cr alloys under applied strain: A phase-field simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yongsheng; Zhu Hao; Zhang Lei; Cheng Xiaoling

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Effects of variation mobility and applied strain on phase decomposition of Fe–Cr alloy were studied. ► Rate of phase decomposition rises as aging temperature and concentration increase. ► Phase transformation mechanism affects the volume fraction of equilibrium phase. ► Elongate morphology is intensified at higher aging temperature under applied strain. - Abstract: The phase decomposition and morphology evolution in thermal aging Fe–Cr alloys were investigated using the phase field method. In the simulation, the effects of atomic mobility, applied strain, alloy concentration and aging temperature were studied. The simulation results show that the rate of phase decomposition is influenced by the aging temperature and the alloy concentration, the equilibrium volume fractions (V f e ) of Cr-rich phase increases as aging temperature rises for the alloys of lower concentration, and the V f e decreases for the alloys with higher concentration. Under the applied strain, the orientation of Cr-rich phase is intensified as the aging temperature rises, and the stripe morphology is formed for the middle concentration alloys. The simulation results are helpful for understanding the phase decomposition in Fe–Cr alloys and the designing of duplex stainless steels working at high temperature.

Monolingual versus multilingual acquisition of English morphology: what can we expect at age 3?

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Ruth J; Eadie, Patricia A; Reilly, Sheena

2011-01-01

At least two-thirds of the world's children grow up in environments where more than one language is spoken. Despite the global predominance of multilingualism, much remains unknown regarding the language acquisition of children acquiring multiple languages compared with monolingual children. A greater understanding of multilingualism is crucial for speech-language pathologists given the increasing number of children being raised in linguistically diverse environments. To investigate the expressive morphological abilities of multilingual children acquiring English, compared with monolingual children, at 3 years of age. Participants were 148 children (74 multilingual children; 74 matched monolingual children; mean age of 3 years 4 months) already participating in a larger prospective longitudinal cohort study of language development in Melbourne, Australia. Thirty-one languages in addition to English were represented within the embedded cohort. All participants completed a direct language assessment to measure their expressive abilities across a range of English morphemes. The parents of the multilingual participants completed an interview regarding the children's language backgrounds and experiences. The Multilingual Group typically performed below the Monolingual Group in terms of their accurate use and mastery of English morphemes at 3 years of age, although variable expressive abilities were indicated within each group. The same morphemes were shown to be mastered by relatively higher proportions of each group. Likewise, the same forms were mastered by relatively lower proportions of each group. The results indicated similarities between the children's acquisition of English morphology, regardless of whether they were acquiring English only or in combination with another language(s) at 3 years of age. This study found a range of similarities and differences between multilingual compared with monolingual children's acquisition of English morphology at 3 years of

Age Effect in the Morphological Traits Performance for Sex Determination in Human Skulls and Mandibles

OpenAIRE

Suazo Galdames, Iván; Zavando, Daniela

2012-01-01

In this study we tested the hypothesis that diagnostic performance of the morphological indicators for sexual dimorphism are reduced as they are applied in skull and mandibles of older subjects. We used 275 adult human skulls, 250 of these with mandible, all subjects with sex and age registry. Sixteen classic morphological indicators of sexual dimorphism were evaluated, this information was compared with the registry and results noted in terms of precision. The best general performance of mor...

Speed-strength abilities and morphological characteristics of basketball players aged 10 and 11

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Đorđević Alen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify several morphological characteristics and speed-strength abilities in basketball players aged 10 and 11, and to determine possible differences between them, connected with their age. The research was conducted on a sample of 84 young basketball players aged 10 (N=46 and 11 (N=38. The following motor variables were measured: shoulder explosiveness (throwing the ball from basketball position, leg explosiveness (vertical jump, speed strength of the trunk (sit up exercises in 10 seconds, stamina in speed strength of the trunk (sit up exercises in 30 seconds, the speed of changing the direction of moving (agility T-test, acceleration (running for 5 and 20 meters. The following morphological variables were also measured: body height, body mass, percentage of body fat and percentage of muscle tissue. Eleven-year-olds achieved better results than the ten-year-olds in all categories. Statistically significant differences (p<0.01 between the two groups of subjects were found in body height, percentage of muscle tissue in the body, shoulder explosiveness, as well as in the speed of changing the direction of moving. Differences in body mass and ability for acceleration were found on the level of statistical significance (p<0.05.

Thermal aging and accelerated weathering of HMSPP: structural and morphological studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliani, Washington L.; Komatsu, Luiz G.H.; Parra, Duclerc F.

2015-01-01

This work focuses of the influence of weathering factors - UV radiation, humidity, and temperature on the structure and morphology polypropylene with high melt strength (HMSPP), also called polypropylene modified by irradiation. The HMSPP was prepared from iPP (isotactic polypropylene) in presence of acetylene at 110 kPa pressure and irradiated with γ of "6"0Co at doses of 5, 12.5 and 20 kGy. It has been observed that HMSPP deteriorates the weathering resistance, the thermal behavior and the long-term stability of HMSPP, beyond substantial color changes. The samples aged were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), optical microscopy (OM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The optical microscopy images on the surface show that thermal aging and artificial weathering proceed by different mechanisms. The effects of elevated temperature aging were evaluated in HMSPPs exposed surface according to the order: HMSPP 20 >12.5 > kGy >iPP, showing intense crack formation in surface exposed due to thermo oxidative degradation. (author)

High resolution t-LiDAR scanning of an active bedrock fault scarp for palaeostress analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Reicherter, Klaus; Wiatr, Thomas; Papanikolaou, Ioannis; Fernández-Steeger, Tomas

2013-04-01

Palaeostress analysis of an active bedrock normal fault scarp based on kinematic indicators is carried applying terrestrial laser scanning (t-LiDAR or TLS). For this purpose three key elements are necessary for a defined region on the fault plane: (i) the orientation of the fault plane, (ii) the orientation of the slickenside lineation or other kinematic indicators and (iii) the sense of motion of the hanging wall. We present a workflow to obtain palaeostress data from point cloud data using terrestrial laser scanning. The entire case-study was performed on a continuous limestone bedrock normal fault scarp on the island of Crete, Greece, at four different locations along the WNW-ESE striking Spili fault. At each location we collected data with a mobile terrestrial light detection and ranging system and validated the calculated three-dimensional palaeostress results by comparison with the conventional palaeostress method with compass at three of the locations. Numerous kinematics indicators for normal faulting were discovered on the fault plane surface using t-LiDAR data and traditional methods, like Riedel shears, extensional break-outs, polished corrugations and many more. However, the kinematic indicators are more or less unidirectional and almost pure dip-slip. No oblique reactivations have been observed. But, towards the tips of the fault, inclination of the striation tends to point towards the centre of the fault. When comparing all reconstructed palaeostress data obtained from t-LiDAR to that obtained through manual compass measurements, the degree of fault plane orientation divergence is around ±005/03 for dip direction and dip. The degree of slickenside lineation variation is around ±003/03 for dip direction and dip. Therefore, the percentage threshold error of the individual vector angle at the different investigation site is lower than 3 % for the dip direction and dip for planes, and lower than 6 % for strike. The maximum mean variation of the complete

Influences of chemical aging on the surface morphology and crystallization behavior of basaltic glass fibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Majbritt Deichgræber; Yue, Yuanzheng

2008-01-01

The impact of aging in high humidity and water on the surface morphology and crystallization behavior of basaltic glass fibers has been studied using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The results show that interaction between...... the fibers and the surrounding media (high humidity or water at 70 C) leads to chemical changes strongly affecting the surface morphology. The crystallization peak temperature of the basaltic glass fibers are increased without changing the onset temperature, this may be caused by a chemical depletion...

An age-related study of morphology and cross-link composition of collagen fibrils in the digital flexor tendons of young thoroughbred horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson-Kane, J C; Parry, D A; Birch, H L; Goodship, A E; Firth, E C

1997-01-01

The superficial digital flexor tendon is the most commonly injured tendon in the racing Thoroughbred. Despite the clinical significance of this structure, only limited data exist regarding normal age-related morphology of the tensile units, the collagen fibrils. The age at which these collagen fibrils become mature in composition and structure may be of importance. Consequently, the association of age and collagen fibril crosslink composition, diameter distribution and crimp morphology in the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons of Thoroughbreds up to and including three years of age has been studied. Replacement of immature crosslinks, peaking of the collagen fibril mass-average diameter and collagen fibril index, and stabilization of collagen crimp morphology changes supported the hypothesis that both digital flexor tendons become mature in structure by two years of age.

The Analysis of PPG Morphology: Investigating the Effects of Aging on Arterial Compliance

Science.gov (United States)

Yousef, Q.; Reaz, M. B. I.; Ali, M. A. M.

2012-12-01

This study presents the variations of photoplethysmogram (PPG) morphology with age. PPG measurement is done noninvasively at the index finger on both right and left hands for a sample of erectile dysfunction (ED) subjects. Some parameters are derived from the analysis of PPG contour showed in association with age. The age is found to be an important factor that affects the contour of PPG signals which accelerates the disappearance of PPG’s dicrotic notch and PPG’s inflection point as well. Arterial compliance is found to be degraded with age due to the fall of arterial elasticity. This study approaches the establishment of usefulness of PPG’s contour analysis as an investigator to the changes in the elastic properties of the vascular system, and as a detector of early sub-clinical atherosclerosis.

Morphological analysis of Nevado de Toluca volcano (Mexico): new insights into the structure and evolution of an andesitic to dacitic stratovolcano

Science.gov (United States)

Norini, Gianluca; Groppelli, Gianluca; Capra, Lucia; De Beni, Emanuela

2004-09-01

We present a morphological analysis of Nevado de Toluca volcano located 80 km WSW of Mexico City based on digital elevation model study, where slope and aspect maps have been generated and analysed. Aerial photograph and satellite image observations improve the morphological analysis. The synoptic view which is offered by this analysis allowed for recognition and localization of the main volcanic and tectonic features of the area. On the basis of digital elevation model value distribution and surface textures, five morphological domains were defined. The most interesting domain, south of the crater, reflects the occurrence of an ancient complex volcano distinct from the adjacent areas. Interaction between the volcanic and volcano-tectonic evolution and the basement produced the other domains. Single volcanic edifices, like lava domes and scoria cones, and eruptive fractures were recognized. Finally, flank collapse scarps opened to the east and to the north were identified and four relevant morphostructural lineaments and their possible role in the Nevado de Toluca geological and structural evolution are discussed.

DIFFERENCES AMONG TENNIS PLAYERS AGED 12, 14 AND 16 YEARS IN CERTAIN MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS: A CROATIAN PROSPECTIVE

OpenAIRE

Novak, Dario; Milanović, Dragan; Barbaros-Tudor, Petar

2015-01-01

Primary objective of this research was to identify quantitative differences among tennis players aged 12, 14 and 16 with regards to the indicators of morphological characteristics. Sixty (60) tennis players ranked on the scale of the Croatian Tennis Association were analysed through differences in morphological characteristics which were identified by a standard laboratory diagnostic procedure in Sports-diagnostic Centre of the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb. Significant d...

Sigma phase morphologies in cast and aged super duplex stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Marcelo; Casteletti, Luiz Carlos

2009-01-01

Solution annealed and water quenched duplex and super duplex stainless steels are thermodynamically metastable systems at room temperature. These systems do not migrate spontaneously to a thermodynamically stable condition because an energy barrier separates the metastable and stable states. However, any heat input they receive, for example through isothermal treatment or through prolonged exposure to a voltaic arc in the welding process, cause them to reach a condition of stable equilibrium which, for super duplex stainless steels, means precipitation of intermetallic and carbide phases. These phases include the sigma phase, which is easily identified from its morphology, and its influence on the material's impact strength. The purpose of this work was to ascertain how 2-hour isothermal heat treatments at 920 deg. C and 980 deg. C affect the microstructure of ASTM A890/A890M GR 6A super duplex stainless steel. The sigma phase morphologies were found to be influenced by these two aging temperatures, with the material showing a predominantly lacy microstructure when heat treated at 920 deg. C and block-shaped when heat treated at 980 deg. C.

Relationship between the morphological variation of sella turcica with age and gender: A digital radiographic study

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Talkad Subbaiah Mahesh Kumar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Sella turcica is a saddle-shaped concavity located in the middle cranial fossa of the skull. The exact dimensions of sella turcica are an important consideration in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases related to the pituitary gland and brain. The sella turcica size and morphology is different from person to person. Thus, obtaining any data in this regard will be a great help in detecting abnormalities within this anatomic area. Aim: The objective of this study was to find out the correlation between the morphological variations of sella turcica with age and gender. Materials and Methods: Study sample consisted of 311 cephalograms of patients with age ranging 6–40 years. The contour of the sella turcica was traced and the linear measurements – length, depth, and diameter of sella turcica – were measured according to Silverman. Results: Morphology of sella turcica appeared to be normal shape in 27.3% of the study population followed by combination (26.7%, irregular (15.8%, pyramidal (10.6%, bridge (10%, oblique anterior wall (5.5%, and double contour (4.2%. Gender-wise comparison of the linear measurement was not statistically significant. Among the linear measurement, the parameter depth and diameter were statistically significant (P < 0.001 when correlated with age. On comparison of shape of sella turcica with linear measurements, the parameter length was statistically significant (P < 0.001. Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between the linear measurements and gender. There exists a significant relationship between the mean depth and mean diameter with age. That is, as age increases, the depth and diameter increase. There is a significant relationship between the length and the different shapes of sella turcica.

Morphology of the human atrioventricular node is age dependent: a feature of potential clinical significance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waki, K.; Kim, J. S.; Becker, A. E.

2000-01-01

Advances in catheter ablation procedures have created the need to understand better the morphology of the AV node (AVN), particularly as it relates to age. This study was based on 40 normally structured hearts obtained at autopsy from patients without a history of tachyarrhythmia in the following

Extraction of multi-scale landslide morphological features based on local Gi* using airborne LiDAR-derived DEM

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Wenzhong; Deng, Susu; Xu, Wenbing

2018-02-01

For automatic landslide detection, landslide morphological features should be quantitatively expressed and extracted. High-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data allow fine-scale morphological features to be extracted, but noise in DEMs influences morphological feature extraction, and the multi-scale nature of landslide features should be considered. This paper proposes a method to extract landslide morphological features characterized by homogeneous spatial patterns. Both profile and tangential curvature are utilized to quantify land surface morphology, and a local Gi* statistic is calculated for each cell to identify significant patterns of clustering of similar morphometric values. The method was tested on both synthetic surfaces simulating natural terrain and airborne LiDAR data acquired over an area dominated by shallow debris slides and flows. The test results of the synthetic data indicate that the concave and convex morphologies of the simulated terrain features at different scales and distinctness could be recognized using the proposed method, even when random noise was added to the synthetic data. In the test area, cells with large local Gi* values were extracted at a specified significance level from the profile and the tangential curvature image generated from the LiDAR-derived 1-m DEM. The morphologies of landslide main scarps, source areas and trails were clearly indicated, and the morphological features were represented by clusters of extracted cells. A comparison with the morphological feature extraction method based on curvature thresholds proved the proposed method's robustness to DEM noise. When verified against a landslide inventory, the morphological features of almost all recent (historical (> 10 years) landslides were extracted. This finding indicates that the proposed method can facilitate landslide detection, although the cell clusters extracted from curvature images should

USING Hα MORPHOLOGY AND SURFACE BRIGHTNESS FLUCTUATIONS TO AGE-DATE STAR CLUSTERS IN M83

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitmore, Bradley C.; Mutchler, Max; Stankiewicz, Matt; Bond, Howard E.; Chandar, Rupali; Kim, Hwihyun; Kaleida, Catherine; Calzetti, Daniela; Saha, Abhijit; O'Connell, Robert; Balick, Bruce; Carollo, Marcella; Disney, Michael J.; Dopita, Michael A.; Frogel, Jay A.; Hall, Donald N. B.; Holtzman, Jon A.; Kimble, Randy A.; McCarthy, Patrick J.; Paresce, Francesco

2011-01-01

We use new WFC3 observations of the nearby grand-design spiral galaxy M83 to develop two independent methods for estimating the ages of young star clusters. The first method uses the physical extent and morphology of Hα emission to estimate the ages of clusters younger than τ ∼ 10 Myr. It is based on the simple premise that the gas in very young (τ V 10 Myr) clusters. A by-product of this study is the identification of 22 'single-star' H II regions in M83, with central stars having ages ∼4 Myr.

Prognostic Factors of Early Morphological Response to Treatment with Ranibizumab in Patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

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Oldřich Chrapek

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To assess the significance of age, gender, baseline best corrected visual acuity, baseline macula thickness, and type and size of choroidal neovascularization in early morphological therapeutic response to ranibizumab treatment in patients with the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. Methods. From 09/2008 to 06/2013 we evaluated 1153 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients treated with ranibizumab. Based on the morphological findings in the macula following the initial 3 injections of ranibizumab, the patients were divided into two groups based on active and inactive choroidal neovascularization. Results. After the initial 3 injections of ranibizumab, we examined the sample of 841 eyes with active CNV and 312 eyes with inactive CNV. In the inactive group, we found a statistically higher proportion of occult CNV (P<0.001 and lower incidence of CNV greater than 5DA (P < 0.001 compared with the active group. We found no statistically significant difference in age, gender, baseline best corrected visual acuity, or baseline macula thickness between the inactive and active groups. Conclusion. Occult CNV and CNV smaller than 5DA are optimistic factors for a better morphological therapeutic response at the beginning of ranibizumab treatment.

Age-related effect of cell death on fiber morphology and number in tongue muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Kletzien, Heidi; Hare, Allison J; Leverson, Glen; Connor, Nadine P

2018-01-01

Multiple pathways may exist for age-related tongue muscle degeneration. Cell death is one mechanism contributing to muscle atrophy and decreased function. We hypothesized with aging, apoptosis, and apoptotic regulators would be increased, and muscle fiber size and number would be reduced in extrinsic tongue muscles. Cell death indices, expression of caspase-3 and Bcl-2, and measures of muscle morphology and number were determined in extrinsic tongue muscles of young and old rats. Significant increases in cell death, caspase-3, and Bcl-2 were observed in all extrinsic tongue muscles along with reductions in muscle fiber number in old rats. We demonstrated that apoptosis indices increase with age in lingual muscles and that alterations in apoptotic regulators may be associated with age-related degeneration in muscle fiber size and number. These observed apoptotic processes may be detrimental to muscle function, and may contribute to degradation of cranial functions with age. Muscle Nerve 57: E29-E37, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Normal morphology of sacroiliac joints in children: magnetic resonance studies related to age and sex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollow, M.; Paris, S.; Mutze, S.; Hamm, B.; Braun, J.; Kannenberg, J.; Biedermann, T.; Schauer-Petrowskaja, C.

1997-01-01

Objective. To determine in a prospective study the normal MRI morphology of the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) in relation to age and sex during adolescence. Design and patients. A total of 98 children (63 boys, mean age 12.7±2.8 years; 35 girls, mean age 13.7±2.3 years), ranging in age from 8 to 17 years, with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) but without signs of sacroiliitis fulfilled the study prerequisites (no back pain and no pathologic changes of the SIJs on physical examination before MRI in a 1.5-year follow-up). An additional eight HLA-B27-negative boys and eight HLA-B27-negative girls without arthritis served as controls. The MRI protocol comprised a T1-weighted SE sequence, an opposed-phase T2*-weighted GE sequence, and a dynamic contrast-enhanced study in single-section technique. Results. Noncontrast MRI permitted differentiation of ''open'' from ossified segmental and lateral apophyses of the sacral wings, with a significant difference in age (P <0.05) between children with open and ossified apophyses. Ossification of the apophyses of the sacral wings was seen significantly earlier (P <0.05) in girls than in boys. Girls also had a significantly higher incidence of transitional lumbosacral vertebrae, pelvic asymmetries, and accessory joints. In the contrast-enhanced opposed-phase MRI study, normal cartilage of the SIJs showed no contrast enhancement whereas the joint capsule showed a moderate enhancement. Conclusion. There are significant age- and sex-related differences in the normal MRI morphology of juvenile SIJs. Our findings might serve as a standard of comparison for the evaluation of pathologic changes - in particular for the early identification of juvenile sacroiliitis. (orig.)

MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS OF RATS IN ACCELERATED AGING

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K. Yu. Maksimova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was the analysis of structural changes with age in the hippocampus of senescenceaccelerated OXYS rats when signs of accelerated brain aging are missing (age 14 days, developments (age 5 months, and active progresses (age 15 months. The study was performed on 15 OXYS rats and 15 Wistar rats (as a control. After dislocation, brains were dissected, fixed with 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, and serially cut in coronal sections (5μm thickness. These sections were stained with Cresyl violet and examined with a photomicroscope (Carl Zeiss Axiostar plus, Germany. The total number of hippocampal pyramidal cells in the CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus regions were estimated in 14-dayold, 5and 15-month-old OXYS and Wistar rats (n = 5 on the 5 slices of each brain sections. The number of neurons with chromatolysis, hyperchromatic with darkly stained cytoplasm and shrunken neurons were calculated as degenerative neurons. The pictures obtained with the program Carl Zeiss Axio Vision 8.0 with increasing 10  100, determined the average area bodies and nuclei of neurons (mkm2. The significant structural changes of neurons in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus in OXYS rats at 5 month of age are revealed by light microscopy. This results indicates the early develop neurodegeneration in OXYS rats. The most pronounced morphological changes occur in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of OXYS rats and irreversible. The degenerative changes of neurons in the hippocampus increases by the age of 15 months. Morphometric analysis of the average area of bodies and the nuclei of hippocampal neurons in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus regions of OXYS and Wistar rats at 14 days of age showed no significant interline differences. At 5 months of age in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of OXYS rats was determined a significantly lower average body size and nuclei of pyramidal neurons compared with Wistar rats. With age, these

[Effects of aquaporin-4 gene knockout on behavior changes and cerebral morphology during aging in mice].

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Shengan; Lu, Yunbi; Zhang, Weiping

2013-05-01

To investigate the effects of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) gene knockout on the behavior changes and cerebral morphology during aging in mice,and to compare that of young and aged mice between AQP4 knockout mice (AQP4(-/-)) and wild type mice (AQP4(+/+)). Fifty-eight CD-1 mice were divided into four groups: young (2-3 months old) AQP4(-/-), aged (17-19 months old) AQP4(-/-), young AQP4(+/+) and aged AQP4(+/+). The activity levels and exploring behavior of mice were tested in open field. The neurons were stained with toluidine blue and NeuN, the astrocytes and microglia were stained with GFAP and Iba-1, respectively. The morphological changes of neuron, astrocyte and microglia were then analyzed. Compared with young mice, the total walking distance in open field of aged AQP4(+/+) mice and aged AQP4(-/-) mice decreased 41.2% and 44.1%, respectively (Ptime in the central area of open field. The density of neuron in cortex of aged AQP4(+/+) mice and aged AQP4(-/-) mice decreased 19.6% and 15.8%, respectively (P<0.05), while there was no difference in the thickness of neuron cell body in hippocampus CA1 region. The density of astrocyte in hippocampus CA3 region of aged AQP4(+/+) mice and aged AQP4(-/-) mice increased 57.7% and 64.3%, respectively (P<0.001), while there was no difference in the area of astrocyte. The area of microglia in hippocampus CA3 region of aged AQP4(+/+) mice and aged AQP4(-/-) mice increased 46.9% and 52.0%, respectively (P<0.01), while there was no difference in the density of microglia. Compared with AQP4(+/+) mice, the young and aged AQP4(-/-) mice showed smaller area of astrocyte in hippocampus CA3 region, reduced 18.0% in young mice and 23.6% in aged mice. There was no difference between AQP4(+/+) mice and AQP4(-/-) mice for other observed indexes. AQP4 may be involved in change of astrocyte and astrocyte-related behaviors during aging. AQP4 gene knockout may have limited effects on the change of neuron, microglia and most neuronal behaviors in aging

Age-related changes in mouse taste bud morphology, hormone expression, and taste responsivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Yu-Kyong; Cong, Wei-na; Cai, Huan; Kim, Wook; Maudsley, Stuart; Egan, Josephine M; Martin, Bronwen

2012-04-01

Normal aging is a complex process that affects every organ system in the body, including the taste system. Thus, we investigated the effects of the normal aging process on taste bud morphology, function, and taste responsivity in male mice at 2, 10, and 18 months of age. The 18-month-old animals demonstrated a significant reduction in taste bud size and number of taste cells per bud compared with the 2- and 10-month-old animals. The 18-month-old animals exhibited a significant reduction of protein gene product 9.5 and sonic hedgehog immunoreactivity (taste cell markers). The number of taste cells expressing the sweet taste receptor subunit, T1R3, and the sweet taste modulating hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1, were reduced in the 18-month-old mice. Concordant with taste cell alterations, the 18-month-old animals demonstrated reduced sweet taste responsivity compared with the younger animals and the other major taste modalities (salty, sour, and bitter) remained intact.

A reliable morphological method to assess the age of male Anopheles gambiae

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Killeen Gerry F

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Release of genetically-modified (GM or sterile male mosquitoes for malaria control is hampered by inability to assess the age and mating history of free-living male Anopheles. Methods Age and mating-related changes in the reproductive system of male Anopheles gambiae were quantified and used to fit predictive statistical models. These models, based on numbers of spermatocysts, relative size of sperm reservoir and presence/absence of a clear area around the accessory gland, were evaluated using an independent sample of mosquitoes whose status was blinded during the experiment. Results The number of spermatocysts in male testes decreased with age, and the relative size of their sperm reservoir increased. The presence of a clear area around accessory glands was also linked to age and mating status. A quantitative model was able to categorize males from the blind trial into age groups of young (≤ 4 days and old (> 4 days with an overall efficiency of 89%. Using the parameters of this model, a simple table was compiled that can be used to predict male age. In contrast, mating history could not be reliably assessed as virgins could not be distinguished from mated males. Conclusion Simple assessment of a few morphological traits which are easily collected in the field allows accurate age-grading of male An. gambiae. This simple, yet robust, model enables evaluation of demographic patterns and mortality in wild and released males in populations targeted by GM or sterile male-based control programmes.

Assessment of effect of age, gender, and dentoalveolar changes on mandibular morphology: A digital panoramic study

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V Sairam

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: With progressive development in the growth and function of the jaws, changes are observed in size as well as shape of the mandible, which vary on the basis of age, gender, and dental status. The objective of this study was to evaluate and assess the morphological changes of the mandible, with varying age, gender, and dental status, using panoramic radiographs. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using digital panoramic radiographs taken by Kodak 8000c digital panoramic and cephalometric system on 150 patients, comprising fifty edentulous individuals (above 50 years of age, fifty old dentate individuals (above 50 years of age, and fifty young dentate individuals (below 25 years of age. All the mandibular measurements (gonial angle, ramus length, condylar length (CL, ramus notch depth, and cortical bone thickness were carried out using RadiAnt DICOM VIEWER 2.2.9 (32-bit software. The measurements were then subjected to paired t-test, Tukey's multiple post hoc procedures, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Descriptive statistics for all the parameters on the right and left sides of the mandible in both males and females were analyzed. A statistical significance of P < 0.05 was observed for all the variables except one variable (CL. Conclusion: In the present study, all the variables showed increased measurements in males except gonial angle, which was found to be wider in females, indicating that women tend to get affected by varying dental statuses than men. Hence, the parameters used in this study may act as good indicators for the assessment of the effect of age, gender, and dental status on mandibular morphology.

[Functional morphology of the submandibular salivary glands of white rats during aging involution].

Science.gov (United States)

Rybakova, M G

1979-12-01

Functional morphology of different zones of submandibular glands of albino rats was studied quantitatively with due regard for the stages of neuroendocrine system involution. It is shown that function of salivary glands during ageing is not altered; cyclic fluctuations with estral cycle phases are maintained similarly to those in young animals. But the basal level of proteins and mucopolysaccharides is reduced, their mean levels being equal to the minimal level in young animals. On the other hand, activation of enzymes responsible for energy and transport processes takes place and their relationships change. The data obtained prove the relationship between salivary and endocrine glands and confirm the viewpoint that in early age involution disintegration occurs between different parameters of the functional activity of salivary glands rather than there take place changes in their function.

The effects of male age on sperm analysis by motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silva Liliane FI

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the influence of age on sperm quality, as analysed by motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME. Methods Semen samples were collected from 975 men undergoing evaluation or treatment for infertility. Sperm cells were evaluated at 8400× magnification using an inverted microscope equipped with Nomarski (differential interference contrast optics. Two forms of spermatozoa were considered: normal spermatozoa and spermatozoa with large nuclear vacuoles (LNV, defined as vacuoles occupying > 50% of the sperm nuclear area. At least 200 spermatozoa per sample were evaluated, and the percentages of normal and LNV spermatozoa were determined. The subjects were divided into three groups according to age: Group I, less than or equal to 35 years; Group II, 36-40 years; and Group III, greater than or equal to 41 years. Results There was no difference in the percentages of normal sperm between the two younger (I and II groups (P >0.05. The percentage of normal sperm in the older group (III was significantly lower than that in the younger (I and II groups (P P >0.05. The percentage of LNV spermatozoa was significantly higher in the older group (III than in the younger (I and II groups (P P P Conclusion The results demonstrated a consistent decline in semen quality, as reflected by morphological evaluation by MSOME, with increased age. Considering the relationship between nuclear vacuoles and DNA damage, these age-related changes predict that increased paternal age should be associated with unsuccessful or abnormal pregnancy as a consequence of fertilisation with damaged spermatozoa. Given that sperm nuclear vacuoles can be evaluated more precisely at high magnification, these results support the routine use of MSOME for ICSI as a criterion for semen analysis.

The Developmental Course of Sleep Disturbances Across Childhood Relates to Brain Morphology at Age 7: The Generation R Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocevska, Desana; Muetzel, Ryan L; Luik, Annemarie I; Luijk, Maartje P C M; Jaddoe, Vincent W; Verhulst, Frank C; White, Tonya; Tiemeier, Henning

2017-01-01

Little is known about the impact of sleep disturbances on the structural properties of the developing brain. This study explored associations between childhood sleep disturbances and brain morphology at 7 years. Mothers from the Generation R cohort reported sleep disturbances in 720 children at ages 2 months, 1.5, 2, 3, and 6 years. T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images were used to assess brain structure at 7 years. Associations of sleep disturbances at each age and of sleep disturbance trajectories with brain volumes (total brain volume, cortical and subcortical grey matter, white matter) were tested with linear regressions. To assess regional differences, sleep disturbance trajectories were tested as determinants for cortical thickness in whole-brain analyses. Sleep disturbances followed a declining trend from toddlerhood onwards. Infant sleep was not associated with brain morphology at age 7. Per SD sleep disturbances (one frequent symptom or two less frequent symptoms) at 2 and 3 years of age, children had -6.3 (-11.7 to -0.8) cm3 and -6.4 (-11.7 to -1.7) cm3 smaller grey matter volumes, respectively. Sleep disturbances at age 6 years were associated with global brain morphology (grey matter: -7.3 (-12.1 to -2.6), p value = .01). Consistently, trajectory analyses showed that more adverse developmental course of childhood sleep disturbances are associated with smaller grey matter volumes and thinner dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Sleep disturbances from age 2 years onwards are associated with smaller grey matter volumes. Thinner prefrontal cortex in children with adverse sleep disturbance trajectories may reflect effects of sleep disturbances on brain maturation. © Sleep Research Society 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Palos Verdes Fault offshore southern California: late Pleistocene to present tectonic geomorphology, seascape evolution and slip rate estimate based on AUV and ROV surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Brothers, Daniel S.; Conrad, James E.; Maier, Katherine L.; Paull, Charles K.; McGann, Mary L.; Caress, David W.

2015-01-01

The Palos Verdes Fault (PVF) is one of few active faults in Southern California that crosses the shoreline and can be studied using both terrestrial and subaqueous methodologies. To characterize the near-seafloor fault morphology, tectonic influences on continental slope sedimentary processes and late Pleistocene to present slip rate, a grid of high-resolution multibeam bathymetric data, and chirp subbottom profiles were acquired with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) along the main trace of PVF in water depths between 250 and 600 m. Radiocarbon dates were obtained from vibracores collected using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and ship-based gravity cores. The PVF is expressed as a well-defined seafloor lineation marked by subtle along-strike bends. Right-stepping transtensional bends exert first-order control on sediment flow dynamics and the spatial distribution of Holocene depocenters; deformed strata within a small pull-apart basin record punctuated growth faulting associated with at least three Holocene surface ruptures. An upper (shallower) landslide scarp, a buried sedimentary mound, and a deeper scarp have been right-laterally offset across the PVF by 55 ± 5, 52 ± 4 , and 39 ± 8 m, respectively. The ages of the upper scarp and buried mound are approximately 31 ka; the age of the deeper scarp is bracketed to 17–24 ka. These three piercing points bracket the late Pleistocene to present slip rate to 1.3–2.8 mm/yr and provide a best estimate of 1.6–1.9 mm/yr. The deformation observed along the PVF is characteristic of strike-slip faulting and accounts for 20–30% of the total right-lateral slip budget accommodated offshore Southern California.

Age and evolution of diachronous erosion surfaces in the Amazon: Combining (U-Th)/He and cosmogenic 3He records

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, H. S.; Vasconcelos, P. M. P.; Farley, K. A.; Lopes, C. A. M.

2018-05-01

(U-Th)/He geochronology of two weathered plateaus in the Carajás Mountains, Pará, Brazil, reveals a history of weathering spanning from ca. 80 Ma to the present for this high elevation (∼720 m) land surface. Cosmogenic 3He measurements of hematite pebbles and blocks cemented onto the plateaus at two sites, N1 and S11D, yield erosion rates as low as 0.09 and 0.08 m Ma-1, respectively. Thus, these results confirm that the plateau surfaces are nearly immune to physical erosion for tens of millions of years. (U-Th)/He geochronology of ferruginous duricrusts blanketing the low elevation (250-100 m) plains surrounding the Carajás Mountains yield results consistently younger than ∼10 Ma. The geochronology results also reveal that the low elevation plain is diachronous, becoming progressively younger towards the receding plateaus. The spatial distribution of (U-Th)/He ages permits reconstruction of the history of scarp retreat for the Carajás landscape, showing that scarp retreat along major river valleys may have been as fast as 20 km Ma-1 during tectonically active and humid periods in the Cenozoic. The cessation of scarp retreat at some sites suggests that metamorphosed banded iron-formations and quartzites provide effective barriers to retreating escarpments, helping to preserve some of the oldest continuously exposed land surfaces on Earth.

Age-related macular degeneration: using morphological predictors to modify current treatment protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashraf, Mohammed; Souka, Ahmed; Adelman, Ron A

2018-03-01

To assess predictors of treatment response in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in an attempt to develop a patient-centric treatment algorithm. We conducted a systematic search using PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for prognostic indicators/predictive factors with the key words: 'age related macular degeneration', 'neovascular AMD', 'choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV)', 'anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)', 'aflibercept', 'ranibizumab', 'bevacizumab', 'randomized clinical trials', 'post-hoc', 'prognostic', 'predictive', 'response' 'injection frequency, 'treat and extend (TAE), 'pro re nata (PRN)', 'bi-monthly' and 'quarterly'. We only included studies that had an adequate period of follow-up (>1 year), a single predefined treatment regimen with a predetermined re-injection criteria, an adequate number of patients, specific morphological [optical coherence tomography (OCT)] criteria that predicted final visual outcomes and injection frequency and did not include switching from one drug to the other. We were able to identify seven prospective studies and 16 retrospective studies meeting our inclusion criteria. There are several morphological and demographic prognostic indicators that can predict response to therapy in wet AMD. Smaller CNV size, subretinal fluid (SRF), retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) and response to therapy at 12 weeks (visual, angiographic or OCT) can all predict good visual outcomes in patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy. Patients with larger CNV, older age, pigment epithelial detachment (PED), intraretinal cysts (IRC) and vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) achieved less visual gains. Patients having VMA/VMT required more intensive treatment with increased treatment frequency. Patients with both posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and SRF require infrequent injections. Patients with PED are prone to recurrences of fluid activity with a reduction in visual acuity (VA). A regimen that involves less intensive

[The morphological changes of Hassall corpuscles of the different maturity in vertebrate animals and human in different stages of age].

Science.gov (United States)

Yurchinskij, V Ja

With the use of methods of light microscopy we produce comparison morphological investigation of Hassall corpuscles of different maturity in animals and human with age difference. It was arranged that quantity and sizes of Hassall corpuscles in different stages of age depend on organization level, belonging to a vital form, shape and age of animal. On the base of our investigation we can make resume about functional role of Hassall corpuscles.

Tooth agenesis and craniofacial morphology in pre-orthodontic children with and without morphological deviations in the upper cervical spine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jasemi, Ashkan; Sonnesen, Liselotte

2016-01-01

AIM: To analyze differences in prevalence and pattern of tooth agenesis and craniofacial morphology between non syndromic children with tooth agenesis with and without upper cervical spine morphological deviations and to analyze associations between craniofacial morphology and tooth agenesis...... in the two groups together. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six pre-orthodontic children with tooth agenesis were divided into two groups with (19 children, mean age 11.9) and without (107 children, mean age 11.4) upper spine morphological deviations. Visual assessment of upper spine morphology...... and measurements of craniofacial morphology were performed on lateral cephalograms. Tooth agenesis was evaluated from orthopantomograms. RESULTS: No significant differences in tooth agenesis and craniofacial morphology were found between children with and without upper spine morphological deviations (2.2 ± 1.6 vs...

Functional and morphological adaptations to aging in knee extensor muscles of physically active men.

Science.gov (United States)

Baroni, Bruno Manfredini; Geremia, Jeam Marcel; Rodrigues, Rodrigo; Borges, Marcelo Krás; Jinha, Azim; Herzog, Walter; Vaz, Marco Aurélio

2013-10-01

It is not known if a physically active lifestyle, without systematic training, is sufficient to combat age-related muscle and strength loss. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate if the maintenance of a physically active lifestyle prevents muscle impairments due to aging. To address this issue, we evaluated 33 healthy men with similar physical activity levels (IPAQ = 2) across a large range of ages. Functional (torque-angle and torque-velocity relations) and morphological (vastus lateralis muscle architecture) properties of the knee extensor muscles were assessed and compared between three age groups: young adults (30 ± 6 y), middle-aged subjects (50 ± 7 y) and elderly subjects (69 ± 5 y). Isometric peak torques were significantly lower (30% to 36%) in elderly group subjects compared with the young adults. Concentric peak torques were significantly lower in the middle aged (18% to 32%) and elderly group (40% to 53%) compared with the young adults. Vastus lateralis thickness and fascicles lengths were significantly smaller in the elderly group subjects (15.8 ± 3.9 mm; 99.1 ± 25.8 mm) compared with the young adults (19.8 ± 3.6 mm; 152.1 ± 42.0 mm). These findings suggest that a physically active lifestyle, without systematic training, is not sufficient to avoid loss of strength and muscle mass with aging.

The Reproductive Morphology and Physiological Age Grading of the Female Salvinia Weevil, Calder and Sands

OpenAIRE

Lee Eisenberg; Seth Johnson; Michael J Grodowitz

2018-01-01

The morphology of the female Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands reproductive system is similar to other weevil species being meroistic and telotrophic. The reproductive system is composed of 2 ovaries each containing 2 ovarioles where the follicles mature. A physiological age grading system was developed where the continuum of ovarium development was divided into 2 nulliparous and 3 parous classes. This was based on the differentiation of the ovarioles, presence, and appearance of follicu...

Sedimentological processes in a scarp-controlled rocky shoreline to upper continental slope environment, as revealed by unusual sedimentary features in the Neogene Coquimbo Formation, north-central Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Le Roux, J. P.; Gómez, Carolina; Fenner, Juliane; Middleton, Heather

2004-03-01

Exceptionally good outcrops of Miocene to Pliocene deposits in the vicinity of submarine Paleozoic basement scarps at Carrizalillo, north of La Serena, reveal a wealth of sedimentary features not commonly observed. The most proximal facies consist of rock fall and coarse-grained debris flow deposits directly abutting the basement wall from which they originated. Angular basement clasts are mixed with well-rounded cobbles, which probably formed as a basal gravel on a wave-cut platform at the beginning of marine flooding, subsequently accumulated at the scarp edge and were incorporated into the debris when the latter collapsed. The poor sorting, inverse grading, and protruding cobbles and boulders are classical debris flow features, with good clast imbrication indicating a laminar shearing action. A medial facies is represented by secondary channels running parallel to the major scarp about 1 km downslope of the first locality. In the largest channel, megaflutes at the base indicate the passage of highly turbulent, nondepositing flows eroding the soft, silty substrate. In the deepest, central part of the channel, a pebbly coquina shows horizontal and trough cross-stratification, with most of the bivalves oriented convex side up. Meter-scale rip-up clasts of the underlying siltstone are also present, indicating turbulent flow with a density sufficiently high to retard settling. The coquina is interpreted as a detachment deposit resulting from a hydroplaning debris flow along the central part of the channel, where the velocity and rate of pore pressure decay were highest. This deposit is overlain by fining upward, massive to horizontally stratified sandstone very similar in texture and composition to the matrix of the debris flow, suggesting its formation by surface transformation and elutriation of the latter. Along the channel margin, a basal centimeter-scale sandstone layer is virtually unaffected by the megaflute topography and clearly represents a subsequent event

Morphological aspect of voice disturbances of aged persons coexisting hypopharynx cancer.

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Marek Rogowski

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The voice quality in prebysphonia is conditioned by morphological changes in the vocal folds mucosa. The studies including light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM revealed changes within the basal membrane epithelium and the stroma of the vocal folds mucosa. Age-related changes in thickness of the epithelium and direction of the basal membrane, increased number of collagenous fibres (C and fibroblasts and chronic inflammatory process in the stroma were found. Vacuolated and keratinised epithelial cells, enlarged extracellular spaces and numerous blood vessels confirm the edematous form of prebysphonia. Thinned epithelium with signs of hyalinization, inflammatory infiltrations in the stroma with numerous collagenous fibres and small number of blood vessels indicate atrophy of the vocal folds mucosa. Edematous and atrophic changes in the vocal folds mucosa are most frequently reported form of prebysphonia.

Microglia show altered morphology and reduced arborization in human brain during aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Danielle S; Ma, Jolande; Jegathees, Thuvarahan; Goldsbury, Claire

2017-11-01

Changes in microglia function are involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) for which ageing is the major risk factor. We evaluated microglial cell process morphologies and their gray matter coverage (arborized area) during ageing and in the presence and absence of AD pathology in autopsied human neocortex. Microglial cell processes were reduced in length, showed less branching and reduced arborized area with aging (case range 52-98 years). This occurred during normal ageing and without microglia dystrophy or changes in cell density. There was a larger reduction in process length and arborized area in AD compared to aged-matched control microglia. In AD cases, on average, 49%-64% of microglia had discontinuous and/or punctate Iba1 labeled processes instead of continuous Iba1 distribution. Up to 16% of aged-matched control microglia displayed discontinuous or punctate features. There was no change in the density of microglial cell bodies in gray matter during ageing or AD. This demonstrates that human microglia show progressive cell process retraction without cell loss during ageing. Additional changes in microglia occur with AD including Iba1 protein puncta and discontinuity. We suggest that reduced microglial arborized area may be an aging-related correlate of AD in humans. These variations in microglial cells during ageing and in AD could reflect changes in neural-glial interactions which are emerging as key to mechanisms involved in ageing and neurodegenerative disease. © 2016 International Society of Neuropathology.

Meniscus matrix morphological composition: age-dependent evaluation in a swine model

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Umberto Polito

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Menisci are fibro-cartilaginous structures interposed between femoral condyle and tibial plateau, which have multiple functions in the stifle joint: act as shock absorbers, bear loaders and allow joint stability, congruity and lubrication (Sweigart et al., 2004; Proffen et al., 2012. It is well known that meniscal injuries lead to osteoarthritis and for these reasons, menisci are considered important target of investigation. Their important role in the knee wellness is only equalled by their deficiency in proper self-repairing. Nowadays, the gold standard technique is not just to remove the damaged meniscus, but to rebuild it or to replace it. For these reasons, studies are necessary to increase the knowledge about these small but essential structures (Streuli, 1999; Deponti et al., 2013. Composition and morphology are basic fundamental information for the development of engineered meniscal substitutes (Di Giancamillo et al., 2014. The analysis of the morphological, structural and biochemical changes, which occur during growth of the normal menisci, represent the goal of the present study. For this purpose, menisci from adult (7-month old, young (1-month old, and neonates (stillbirths pigs were collected. Cellularity and glycosamiglycans (GAGs deposition were evaluated by ELISA, while Collagen-1 and Collagen-2 were investigated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses. Cellularity (P<0.01, all comparisons and Collagen-1 (P<0.05, neonatal-young vs adult decreased from neonatal to adult stage while GAGs (P<0.01 neonatal vs young-adult and Collagen-2 (P<0.01 neonatal-young vs adult showed the opposite trend. Immunohistochemistry revealed similar changes occurring during animal growth thus revealing that cellular phenotype, cellularity and protein expression, as well as fibers aggregation in the matrix, are dissimilar in the three ages analysed categories. These changes reflect the progressive menisci maturation and hyper-specialisation. We

Nuances of Morphology in Myelodysplastic Diseases in the Age of Molecular Diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaver, Aaron C; Seegmiller, Adam C

2017-10-01

Morphologic dysplasia is an important factor in diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, the role of dysplasia is changing as new molecular genetic and genomic technologies take a more prominent place in diagnosis. This review discusses the role of morphology in the diagnosis of MDS and its interactions with cytogenetic and molecular testing. Recent changes in diagnostic criteria have attempted to standardize approaches to morphologic diagnosis of MDS, recognizing significant inter-observer variability in assessment of dysplasia. Definitive correlates between cytogenetic/molecular and morphologic findings have been described in only a small set of cases. However, these genetic and morphologic tools do play a complementary role in the diagnosis of both MDS and other myeloid neoplasms. Diagnosis of MDS requires a multi-factorial approach, utilizing both traditional morphologic as well as newer molecular genetic techniques. Understanding these tools, and the interplay between them, is crucial in the modern diagnosis of myeloid neoplasms.

Age-associated metabolic and morphologic changes in mitochondria of individual mouse and hamster oocytes.

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Fatma Simsek-Duran

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In human oocytes, as in other mammalian ova, there is a significant variation in the pregnancy potential, with approximately 20% of oocyte-sperm meetings resulting in pregnancies. This frequency of successful fertilization decreases as the oocytes age. This low proportion of fruitful couplings appears to be influenced by changes in mitochondrial structure and function. In this study, we have examined mitochondrial biogenesis in both hamster (Mesocricetus auratus and mouse (Mus musculus ova as models for understanding the effects of aging on mitochondrial structure and energy production within the mammalian oocyte. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Individual metaphase II oocytes from a total of 25 young and old mice and hamsters were collected from ovarian follicles after hormone stimulation and prepared for biochemical or structural analysis. Adenosine triphosphate levels and mitochondrial DNA number were determined within individual oocytes from young and old animals. In aged hamsters, oocyte adenosine triphosphate levels and mitochondrial DNA molecules were reduced 35.4% and 51.8%, respectively. Reductions of 38.4% and 44% in adenosine triphosphate and mitochondrial genomes, respectively, were also seen in aged mouse oocytes. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM analysis showed that aged rodent oocytes had significant alterations in mitochondrial and cytoplasmic lamellae structure. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In both mice and hamsters, decreased adenosine triphosphate in aged oocytes is correlated with a similar decrease in mtDNA molecules and number of mitochondria. Mitochondria in mice and hamsters undergo significant morphological change with aging including mitochondrial vacuolization, cristae alterations, and changes in cytoplasmic lamellae.

The morphology and ageing behaviour of δ-ferrite in a modified 9Cr-1Mo steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishore, R.; Singh, R.N.; Sinha, T.K.; Kashyap, B.P.

1992-01-01

Dual phase (martensite + δ-ferrite) microstructures were developed in a modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, by austenitising at 1523-1623 K, followed by water-quenching. These duplex structures were thermally aged at 973 K for ageing periods varying from 30 min to 21 h. Morphological aspects of δ-ferrite phase and its response to age-hardening were studied by optical, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis and microhardness testing. It was observed that austenitizing at 1523 K produced fine, acicular δ-ferrite while the δ-ferrite formed by austenitising at higher temperatures (1573-623 K) were massive, irregular-shaped and banded. Moreover the presence of δ-ferrite caused an abnormally strong (110) reflection, observed in X-ray diffraction patterns of martensite plus δ-ferrite structures. This behaviour is thought to be due to development of (110) texture in δ-ferrite phase. Thermal ageing at 973 K caused age-hardening of δ-ferrite with a peak hardness attained after 3.6 ks of ageing. Electron microscopic results suggest that the observed hardening was caused by the formation of Fe 2 Mo Laves phase. (orig.)

Ovarian morphology and function during growth hormone therapy of short girls born small for gestational age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tinggaard, Jeanette; Jensen, Rikke Beck; Sundberg, Karin

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of growth hormone (GH) treatment on ovarian and uterine morphology and function in short, prepubertal small-for-gestational-age (SGA) girls.DESIGN: A multinational, randomized controlled trial on safety and efficacy of GH therapy in short, prepubertal children born...... in SGA girls is prudent. Altogether, the findings are reassuring. However, long-term effects of GH treatment on adult reproductive function remain unknown.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: EudraCT 2005-001507-19....

Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Allisse, Maxime; Sercia, Pierre; Comtois, Alain-Steve; Leone, Mario

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of morphological, physiological and skating performance profiles of elite age-group ice hockey players based on repeated measures spread over one season. In addition, the results of fitness tests and training programs performed in off-ice conditions and their relationship with skating performance were analyzed. Eighteen high level age-group ice hockey players (13.1 ± 0.6 years) were assessed off and on-ice at the beginning and at the end of the hockey season. A third evaluation was also conducted at the beginning of the following hockey season. The players were taller, heavier, and showed bone breadths and muscle girths above the reference population of the same age. Muscular variables improved significantly during and between the two hockey seasons (p skating performance tests exhibited significant enhancements during the hockey season, but not during the off-season where some degradation was observed. Finally, weak observed variances (generally skating performance tests indicated important gaps, both in the choice of the off-ice assessment tools as well as in training methods conventionally used. The reflection on the best way to assess and train hockey players certainly deserves to be continued.

Craniofacial morphology of Dutch patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate and noncleft controls at the age of 15 years

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Dungen, G.M.; Ongkosuwito, E.M.; Aartman, I.H.A.; Prahl-Andersen, B.

2008-01-01

Objective: Comparison of craniofacial morphology in bilateral cleft lip and palate patients to that of a noncleft control group at the age of 15 years. Design: A cross-sectional study of cephalometric data. Subjects and Methods: Cephalometric records of 41 consecutive patients (32 boys and 9 girls)

The nigrostriatal dopamine system of aging GFRα-1 heterozygous mice: neurochemistry, morphology and behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Zaman, Vandana; Boger, Heather A.; Granholm, Ann-Charlotte; Rohrer, Baerbel; Moore, Alfred; Buhusi, Mona; Gerhardt, Greg A.; Hoffer, Barry J.; Middaugh, Lawrence D.

2009-01-01

Given the established importance of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in maintaining dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems, the nigrostriatal system and associated behaviors of mice with genetic reduction of its high-affinity receptor, GDNF receptor (GFR)α-1 (GFRα-1+/−), were compared with wild-type controls. Motor activity and the stimulatory effects of a dopamine (DA) D1 receptor agonist (SKF 82958) were assessed longitudinally at 8 and 18 months of age. Monoamine concentrations and dopaminergic nerve terminals in the striatum and the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) were assessed. The results support the importance of GFRα-1 in maintaining normal function of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, with deficits being observed for GFRα-1+/− mice at both ages. Motor activity was lower and the stimulatory effects of the DA agonist were enhanced for the older GFRα-1+/− mice. DA in the striatum was reduced in the GFRα-1+/− mice at both ages, and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cell numbers in the SN were reduced most substantially in the older GFRα-1+/− mice. The combined behavioral, pharmacological probe, neurochemical and morphological measures provide evidence of abnormalities in GFRα-1+/− mice that are indicative of an exacerbated aging-related decline in dopaminergic system function. The noted deficiencies, in turn, suggest that GFRα-1 is necessary for GDNF to maintain normal function of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. Although the precise mechanism(s) for the aging-related changes in the dopaminergic system remain to be established, the present study clearly establishes that genetic reductions in GFRα-1 can contribute to the degenerative changes observed in this system during the aging process. PMID:18973577

Early Changes of Retinal Morphology in Therapy of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Three Commonly Used Anti-VEGF Agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Enders, Philip; Sitnilska, Vasilena; Altay, Lebriz; Fauser, Sascha

2018-01-01

To compare changes of retinal morphology in the first weeks following injection of anti-VEGF agents for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). In a prospective study 50 patients with active choroidal neovascularization secondary to nAMD were monitored weekly by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography for 3 weeks after treatment. Twenty-two patients received bevacizumab, 15 ranibizumab, and 13 aflibercept. Morphological parameters of retinal compartments were compared. Mean central retinal thickness (391.22 ± 123.41 µm) was reduced by -26.15 µm (p treatment. This information could be clinically helpful to evaluate early non-response. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

T-wave morphology analysis of competitive athletes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hong, L; Andersen, Lars Juel; Graff, Claus

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: T-wave morphology has been shown to be more sensitive than QT and QTc interval to describe repolarization abnormalities. The electrocardiogram (ECG) performed in athletes may manifest abnormalities, including repolarization alterations. The aim of this study was to investigate...... the characteristics of T-wave morphology features in athletes. METHODS: Eighty male elite athletes, consisting of 40 Tour de France cyclists (age 27±5years), 40 soccer players (age 26±6years) and 40 healthy men (age 27±5years) were included. RESULTS: Sinus bradycardia, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, incomplete...... interval, and repolarization features than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: T-wave morphology of athletes is different from non-athletes, depending of the sport. Decreased potassium current in cardiomyocytes associated with LVH may contribute to these changes....

In Situ Radiometric and Exposure Age Dating of the Martian Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Farley, K. A.; Malespin, C.; Mahaffy, P.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Vasconcelos, P. M.; Milliken, R. E.; Malin, M.; Edgett, K. S.; Pavlov, A. A.; Hurowitz, J. A.;

Root canal morphology of Chalcolithic and early bronze age human populations of El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Ceperuelo, Dolors; Lozano, Marina; Duran-Sindreu, Fernando; Mercadé, Montse

2014-12-01

This study provides a morphological characterization of the inner anatomy of the root canals of permanent first and second molars in Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age human fossils using cone-beam computed tomography. The general evolutionary trend in present-day human dentition is related to morphological simplification. As little is known about when this trend appeared in Homo sapiens populations, the aim of this work is to test the presence of modern radicular morphology 4,400 years ago. Fifty-four permanent first and second maxillary and mandibular molars of 17 individuals were included in the study. All maxillary first and second molars showed three separate roots. Almost all the lower molars analyzed (100% of first molars and 75% of second molars) had two separate roots. More differences in the canal system configuration were documented in the maxillary mesiobuccal roots than in the palatal or distobuccal roots. The most variable tooth in root and canal configuration is the maxillary second molar. It should be pointed out that 12.5% of the teeth analyzed showed a C-shaped root configuration. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effects of aging time on the size, morphology, oriented attachment and magnetic behavior of hematite nanocrystals synthesized by forced hydrolysis of FeIII solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luna, C.; Barriga-Castro, E.D.; Mendoza-Reséndez, R.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Abstract: Three-dimensional (3-D) nanoarchitectures composed of self-organized hematite nanocrystals were successfully prepared by thermally induced hydrolysis of iron (III) solutions in the presence of urea and without additional stabilizers. The size, morphology and microstructure of these nanocrystal aggregates were investigated as a function of aging time using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. The evolution of the microstructural parameters, including crystallite size, root mean square strain and lattice parameters, was analyzed by the Rietveld method using the MAUD software program and adopting the size–strain–shape Popa model. In addition, vibrating-sample magnetometry measurements were carried out to examine the magnetic behavior of the nanoarchitectures. These studies suggested that the formation mechanism of the observed nanoarchitectures consisted of several self-organization processes linked in hierarchical levels. The nanocrystals within these nanoarchitectures grew in size by Ostwald ripening and subsequent grain growth when they were aged at 98 °C in tightly capped tubes for an aging time that varied from 2 h up to 45 days. The crystal morphology evolved favoring a rhombohedral shape until intergrowth between the densely packed nanocrystals occurred. Consequently, the morphology of the nanoarchitectures, their effective magnetic anisotropy, the occurrence of the Morin transition and the exchange bias effect were also strongly dependent on the aging time

Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allisse Maxime

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of morphological, physiological and skating performance profiles of elite age-group ice hockey players based on repeated measures spread over one season. In addition, the results of fitness tests and training programs performed in off-ice conditions and their relationship with skating performance were analyzed. Eighteen high level age-group ice hockey players (13.1 ± 0.6 years were assessed off and on-ice at the beginning and at the end of the hockey season. A third evaluation was also conducted at the beginning of the following hockey season. The players were taller, heavier, and showed bone breadths and muscle girths above the reference population of the same age. Muscular variables improved significantly during and between the two hockey seasons (p < 0.05. However, maximal aerobic power improved only during the off-season. All skating performance tests exhibited significant enhancements during the hockey season, but not during the off-season where some degradation was observed. Finally, weak observed variances (generally <20% of the explained variance between physiological variables measured off-ice and on-ice skating performance tests indicated important gaps, both in the choice of the off-ice assessment tools as well as in training methods conventionally used. The reflection on the best way to assess and train hockey players certainly deserves to be continued.

Deep tissue injury in development of pressure ulcers: a decrease of inflammasome activation and changes in human skin morphology in response to aging and mechanical load.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivera Stojadinovic

Full Text Available Molecular mechanisms leading to pressure ulcer development are scarce in spite of high mortality of patients. Development of pressure ulcers that is initially observed as deep tissue injury is multifactorial. We postulate that biomechanical forces and inflammasome activation, together with ischemia and aging, may play a role in pressure ulcer development. To test this we used a newly-developed bio-mechanical model in which ischemic young and aged human skin was subjected to a constant physiological compressive stress (load of 300 kPa (determined by pressure plate analyses of a person in a reclining position for 0.5-4 hours. Collagen orientation was assessed using polarized light, whereas inflammasome proteins were quantified by immunoblotting. Loaded skin showed marked changes in morphology and NLRP3 inflammasome protein expression. Sub-epidermal separations and altered orientation of collagen fibers were observed in aged skin at earlier time points. Aged skin showed significant decreases in the levels of NLRP3 inflammasome proteins. Loading did not alter NLRP3 inflammasome proteins expression in aged skin, whereas it significantly increased their levels in young skin. We conclude that aging contributes to rapid morphological changes and decrease in inflammasome proteins in response to tissue damage, suggesting that a decline in the innate inflammatory response in elderly skin could contribute to pressure ulcer pathogenesis. Observed morphological changes suggest that tissue damage upon loading may not be entirely preventable. Furthermore, newly developed model described here may be very useful in understanding the mechanisms of deep tissue injury that may lead towards development of pressure ulcers.

P16INK4a Positive Cells in Human Skin Are Indicative of Local Elastic Fiber Morphology, Facial Wrinkling, and Perceived Age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waaijer, Mariëtte E C; Gunn, David A; Adams, Peter D

2016-01-01

Senescent cells are more prevalent in aged human skin compared to young, but evidence that senescent cells are linked to other biomarkers of aging is scarce. We counted cells positive for the tumor suppressor and senescence associated protein p16INK4a in sun-protected upper-inner arm skin biopsies...... wrinkles and a higher perceived age. Participants in the lowest tertile of epidermal p16INK4a counts looked 3 years younger than those in the highest tertile, independently of chronological age and elastic fiber morphology. In conclusion, p16INK4a positive cell numbers in sun-protected human arm skin...

Clinical studies of renal morphological changes with aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosokawa, Shin-ichi; Kawamura, Juichi; Tomoyoshi, Tadao; Yoshida, Osamu

1980-01-01

We studied the change of renal shape due to development and aging by using sup(99m)Tc-DMSA renal scintigraphy. In pediatric age group, the angle between renal longitudinal axis and the lumbar vertebrae is small but becomes larger with aging. The renal size grows with aging in the adult age group, and becomes largest. In geriatric age group it decreases with aging. The stability of renal position is marked in the adult age group, but in the pediatric and geriatric age group it seemed unstable. Renal contour is smooth in the pediatric and adult age group but unsmooth in the geriatric. sup(99m)Tc-DMSA renal image shows diffusely homogeneous renal uptake in the pediatric and adult age groups but not homogeneous in the geriatric. (author)

The morphology of skin sheep of different genotypes

OpenAIRE

LADYSH I.A.

2011-01-01

The peculiarities of the morphology by the merino sheep skin Askania and Prekos breed in the different natureclimatic conditions were studied. The breeds and age peculiarities of the morphology skin layers were established.

Numerical reconstruction of Late-Cenosoic evolution of normal-fault scarps in Baikal Rift Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Byzov, Leonid; San'kov, Vladimir

2014-05-01

Numerical landscape development modeling has recently become a popular tool in geo-logic and geomorphic investigations. We employed this technique to reconstruct Late-Cenosoic evolution of Baikal Rift Zone mountains. The objects of research were Barguzin Range and Svyatoy Nos Upland. These structures are formed under conditions of crustal extension and bounded by active normal faults. In our experiments we used instruments, engineered by Greg Tucker (University of Colo-rado) - CHILD (Channel-Hillslope Integrated Landscape Development) and 'Bedrock Fault Scarp'. First program allowed constructing the complex landscape model considering tectonic uplift, fluvial and hillslope processes; second program is used for more accurate simulating of triangular facet evolution. In general, our experiments consisted in testing of tectonic parameters, and climatic char-acteristic, erosion and diffusion properties, hydraulic geometry were practically constant except for some special runs. Numerous experiments, with various scenarios of development, showed that Barguzin range and Svyatoy Nos Upland has many common features. These structures characterized by internal differentiation, which appear in height and shape of slopes. At the same time, individual segments of these objects are very similar - this conclusion refers to most developing parts, with pronounced facets and V-shaped valleys. Accordingly modelling, these landscapes are in a steady state and are undergoing a uplift with rate 0,4 mm/yr since Early Pliocene (this solution accords with AFT-dating). Lower segments of Barguzin Range and Svyatoy Nos Upland also have some general fea-tures, but the reasons of such similarity probably are different. In particular, southern segment of Svyatoy Nos Upland, which characterized by relative high slope with very weak incision, may be formed as result very rapid fault movement or catastrophic landslide. On the other hand, a lower segment of Barguzin Range (Ulun segment, for example

[Sagittal otolith morphology and the relationship between its mass and the age of Liza haematocheila in the Yangtze Estuary, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Yan; Zhao, Feng; Yang, Qin; Ma, Rong Rong; Yang, Gang; Zhang, Tao; Zhuang, Ping

2018-03-01

To examine the relationship of morphological characters of sagittal otolith and the age of Liza haematocheila in the Yangtze Estuary, we analyzed the morphological parameters of 324 pairs of otoliths extracted from 358 L. haematocheila specimens from the Yangtze Estuary in February to June of 2017. The results showed that sagittal otolith had rostrum, antirostrum and obvious central notch. The size and shape of sagittal otolith significantly changed with their growth, from regular melon seeds shape outline to long narrow leaf shape and increasing irregular wavy outline. The average density of sagittal otolith was 1.52 mg·mm -2 . The average rectangularity was 0.68. The length of sagittal otolith was 0.021%-0.047% of entire body length (BL), the width was 0.009%-0.021% of entire BL, and the mass was 0.045‰-0.731‰ of the entire body mass (BM). Otolith length (OL), otolith width (OW) and otolith mass (OM) were all significantly related to the BL, with the determination coefficient for OW and OM model being the highest (R 2 =0.928). The relationship between OM and BL was described best by exponential regression: OM=0.0009BL 1.8737 (R 2 =0.967). The relationships between OM and age (A), BL and A were well fitted by multinomial regressions, respectively: OM=2.9262A 2 +4.8437A+2.1894 (R 2 =0.847), BL=-3.2248A 2 +102.54A+38.373 (R 2 =0.858). In addition, OM was linearly correlated with A. The estimated otolith's ages from the model did not significantly variate from the real ages counting from annulus counts. Therefore, OM could be an effective parameter for the age estimation of L. haematocheila.

Troughs on Martian Ice Sheets: Analysis of Their Closure and Mass Balance

Science.gov (United States)

Fountain, A.; Kargel, J.; Lewis, K.; MacAyeal, D.; Pfeffer, T.; Zwally, J.

2000-01-01

At the Copenhagen workshop on Martian polar processes, Ralf Greve commented that the flow regime surrounding scarps and troughs of the Martian polar ice sheets cannot be modeled using traditional "plan view" ice-sheet models. Such models are inadequate because they typically use reduced equations that embody certain simplifications applicable only to terrestrial ice sheets where the upper ice sheet surface is smooth. In response to this suggestion, we have constructed a 2-dimensional, time dependent "side view" (two spatial dimensions: one horizontal, one vertical) model of scarp closure that is designed to overcome the difficulties described by Greve. The purpose of the model is to evaluate the scales of stress variation and styles of flow closure so as to estimate errors that may be encountered by "plan view" models. We show that there may be avenues whereby the complications associated with scarp closure can be overcome in "plan view" models through appropriate parameterizations of 3-dimensional effects. Following this, we apply the flow model to simulate the evolution of a typical scarp on the North Polar Cap of Mars. Our simulations investigate: (a) the role of "radiation trapping" (see our companion abstract) in creating and maintaining "spiral-like" scarps on the ice sheet, (b) the consequences of different flowlaws and ice compositions on scarp evolution and, in particular, scarp age, and (c) the role of dust and debris in scarp evolution.

Geomorphic clues to the Martian volatile inventory: Landslides

Science.gov (United States)

Pieri, D.; Kirkpatrick, A.

1984-01-01

Eight landslide locales were selected in Valles Marineris for preliminary geomorphological mapping. Four main suites of morphological features were identified. In four order outward from the head scarp they are: (1) large ridges in head area, transverse to movement direction, probably slump blocks or pieces of wall that fell or toppled, possibly backward rotated; (2) smaller ridges, convex toward distal edge of slides, many with lobate pattern, some possibly step like scarps rather than ridges; (3) thin, sheet like debris cover, forms discrete fan shaped lobe with edge scarps unconfined; and (4) low transverse, continuous ridges (possibly folds) found at distal edge of slides, where debris appears to have encountered obstructions (e.g., opposing canyon walls), but not all confined slides exhibit this feature. Any one landslide can possess all or some of these features. Slides in the western Valles Marineris are more complex and show more variety than those in the eastern part.

Standardization of patellofemoral morphology in the pediatric knee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mundy, Andrew; Yang, Jingzhen [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nationwide Children' s Hospital, Columbus, OH (United States); Ravindra, Amy [The Ohio State University, Department of Orthopaedics, Columbus, OH (United States); Adler, Brent H. [Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children' s Hospital, Columbus, OH (United States); Klingele, Kevin E. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nationwide Children' s Hospital, Columbus, OH (United States); The Ohio State University, Department of Orthopaedics, Columbus, OH (United States)

2016-02-15

Our understanding of osseous morphology and pathology of the patellofemoral joint continues to improve with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but a paucity of data currently exists in the pediatric population. We aim to formulate a reproducible means of quantitative assessment of patellofemoral morphology in children using MRI and to describe morphological changes based on sex and age. We identified 414 children presenting between 2002 and 2014 who obtained a knee MRI to evaluate for knee pain or clinically suspected knee pathology. After application of inclusion criteria, 144 ''normal'' MRIs in 131 children (71 boys, 60 girls) were included in the analysis. The following MRI measurements were recorded: lateral trochlear inclination, trochlear facet asymmetry, trochlear depth, tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance, sulcus angle and patellar height ratio. To assess intraobserver reliability, measurements in 30 randomly selected children were repeated. Differences between patient age and sex were assessed using independent t-tests and adjusted regression analysis. All recorded measurements had strong to very strong inter- and intraobserver reliability: lateral trochlear inclination (0.91/0.82), trochlear facet asymmetry (0.81/0.83), trochlear depth (0.83/0.90), tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (0.97/0.87), sulcus angle (0.84/0.78) and patellar height ratio (0.96/0.83). When age and sex were mutually adjusted, statistically significant differences between males and females were observed in trochlear depth (P = 0.0084) and patellar height ratio (P = 0.0035). However, statistically significant age differences were found on all measurements except for lateral trochlear inclination. As expected, mean measurement values approached adult norms throughout skeletal maturation suggestive of age-dependent patellofemoral maturation. Our data verify the development of patellofemoral morphology with advancing age. We found that six

Standardization of patellofemoral morphology in the pediatric knee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundy, Andrew; Yang, Jingzhen; Ravindra, Amy; Adler, Brent H.; Klingele, Kevin E.

2016-01-01

Our understanding of osseous morphology and pathology of the patellofemoral joint continues to improve with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but a paucity of data currently exists in the pediatric population. We aim to formulate a reproducible means of quantitative assessment of patellofemoral morphology in children using MRI and to describe morphological changes based on sex and age. We identified 414 children presenting between 2002 and 2014 who obtained a knee MRI to evaluate for knee pain or clinically suspected knee pathology. After application of inclusion criteria, 144 ''normal'' MRIs in 131 children (71 boys, 60 girls) were included in the analysis. The following MRI measurements were recorded: lateral trochlear inclination, trochlear facet asymmetry, trochlear depth, tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance, sulcus angle and patellar height ratio. To assess intraobserver reliability, measurements in 30 randomly selected children were repeated. Differences between patient age and sex were assessed using independent t-tests and adjusted regression analysis. All recorded measurements had strong to very strong inter- and intraobserver reliability: lateral trochlear inclination (0.91/0.82), trochlear facet asymmetry (0.81/0.83), trochlear depth (0.83/0.90), tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (0.97/0.87), sulcus angle (0.84/0.78) and patellar height ratio (0.96/0.83). When age and sex were mutually adjusted, statistically significant differences between males and females were observed in trochlear depth (P = 0.0084) and patellar height ratio (P = 0.0035). However, statistically significant age differences were found on all measurements except for lateral trochlear inclination. As expected, mean measurement values approached adult norms throughout skeletal maturation suggestive of age-dependent patellofemoral maturation. Our data verify the development of patellofemoral morphology with advancing age. We found that six

Stratigraphic and tectonic control of deep-water scarp accumulation in Paleogene synorogenic basins: a case study of the Súľov Conglomerates (Middle Váh Valley, Western Carpathians

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Soták Ján

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Súľov Conglomerates represent mass-transport deposits of the Súľov-Domaniža Basin. Their lithosomes are intercalated by claystones of late Thanetian (Zones P3 - P4, early Ypresian (Zones P5 - E2 and late Ypresian to early Lutetian (Zones E5 - E9 age. Claystone interbeds contain rich planktonic and agglutinated microfauna, implying deep-water environments of gravity-flow deposition. The basin was supplied by continental margin deposystems, and filled with submarine landslides, fault-scarp breccias, base-of-slope aprons, debris-flow lobes and distal fans of debrite and turbidite deposits. Synsedimentary tectonics of the Súľov-Domaniža Basin started in the late Thanetian - early Ypresian by normal faulting and disintegration of the orogenic wedge margin. Fault-related fissures were filled by carbonate bedrock breccias and banded crystalline calcite veins (onyxites. The subsidence accelerated during the Ypresian and early Lutetian by gravitational collapse and subcrustal tectonic erosion of the CWC plate. The basin subsided to lower bathyal up to abyssal depth along with downslope accumulation of mass-flow deposits. Tectonic inversion of the basin resulted from the Oligocene - early Miocene transpression (σ1 rotated from NW-SE to NNW-SSE, which changed to a transpressional regime during the Middle Miocene (σ1 rotated from NNE-SSW to NE-SW. Late Miocene tectonics were dominated by an extensional regime with σ3 axis in NNW-SSE orientation.

The Later Stone Age calvaria from Iwo Eleru, Nigeria: morphology and chronology.

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Katerina Harvati

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In recent years the Later Stone Age has been redated to a much deeper time depth than previously thought. At the same time, human remains from this time period are scarce in Africa, and even rarer in West Africa. The Iwo Eleru burial is one of the few human skeletal remains associated with Later Stone Age artifacts in that region with a proposed Pleistocene date. We undertook a morphometric reanalysis of this cranium in order to better assess its affinities. We also conducted Uranium-series dating to re-evaluate its chronology. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A 3-D geometric morphometric analysis of cranial landmarks and semilandmarks was conducted using a large comparative fossil and modern human sample. The measurements were collected in the form of three dimensional coordinates and processed using Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Principal components, canonical variates, Mahalanobis D(2 and Procrustes distance analyses were performed. The results were further visualized by comparing specimen and mean configurations. Results point to a morphological similarity with late archaic African specimens dating to the Late Pleistocene. A long bone cortical fragment was made available for U-series analysis in order to re-date the specimen. The results (∼11.7-16.3 ka support a terminal Pleistocene chronology for the Iwo Eleru burial as was also suggested by the original radiocarbon dating results and by stratigraphic evidence. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings are in accordance with suggestions of deep population substructure in Africa and a complex evolutionary process for the origin of modern humans. They further highlight the dearth of hominin finds from West Africa, and underscore our real lack of knowledge of human evolution in that region.

Age-Specific And Sexual Variability Of Morphological And Biomechanical Parameters Of Anterior Cerebral Artery Of Adults

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I.V. Kirillova

2009-12-01

Full Text Available In the experiment on monoaxonic longitudinal distension by tensile-testing machine Tira Test 28005 (Germany with loading unit - 100 N the general rigidity, breaking point and relative lengthening of anterior cerebral artery (АСА of adult people have been under study. Under the microscope on transverse sections the external diameter of the artery, its wall thickness have been measured and diameter of lumen have been calculated. In total 228 АСА (132 - from corpses of men, 92-from corpses of women have been investigated. They have been received in 16 hours after autopsy of adult people whose cause of death has not been connected with vascular cerebral pathology. It has been revealed that right АСА is longer and narrower than left one. ACA's wall length and thickness predominate in men in comparison with women in average of 5,4 - 13,0%. With years АСА lengthens, its external diameter increases. Biomechanical parameters of ACA's wall do not have any authentic sexual differences, they don't depend on the side of the arterial ring. With years the rigidity of АСА decreases, especially in middle age. In old age its general rigidity increases. It is connected with the increase of ACA's wall thickness. The ability of АСА to lengthening doesn't depend upon age. Experimental findings may be used as criteria of age standard of morphological and biomechanical parameters of АСА

Premature Aging Phenotype in Mice Lacking High-Affinity Nicotinic Receptors: Region-Specific Changes in Layer V Pyramidal Cell Morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Konsolaki, Eleni; Skaliora, Irini

2015-08-01

The mechanisms by which aging leads to alterations in brain structure and cognitive deficits are unclear. Α deficient cholinergic system has been implicated as one of the main factors that could confer a heightened vulnerability to the aging process, and mice lacking high-affinity nicotinic receptors (β2(-/-)) have been proposed as an animal model of accelerated cognitive aging. To date, however, age-related changes in neuronal microanatomy have not been studied in these mice. In the present study, we examine the neuronal structure of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP(+)) layer V neurons in 2 cytoarchitectonically distinct cortical regions in wild-type (WT) and β2(-/-) animals. We find that (1) substantial morphological differences exist between YFP(+) cells of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and primary visual cortex (V1), in both genotypes; (2) in WT animals, ACC cells are more susceptible to aging compared with cells in V1; and (3) β2 deletion is associated with a regionally and temporally specific increase in vulnerability to aging. ACC cells exhibit a prematurely aged phenotype already at 4-6 months, whereas V1 cells are spared in adulthood but strongly affected in old animals. Collectively, our data reveal region-specific synergistic effects of aging and genotype and suggest distinct vulnerabilities in V1 and ACC neurons. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Hunting behaviour and breeding performance of northern goshawks Accipiter gentilis, in relation to resource availability, sex, age and morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Penteriani, Vincenzo; Rutz, Christian; Kenward, Robert

2013-10-01

Animal territories that differ in the availability of food resources will require (all other things being equal) different levels of effort for successful reproduction. As a consequence, breeding performance may become most strongly dependent on factors that affect individual foraging where resources are poor. We investigated potential links between foraging behaviour, reproductive performance and morphology in a goshawk Accipiter gentilis population, which experienced markedly different resource levels in two different parts of the study area (rabbit-rich vs. rabbit-poor areas). Our analyses revealed (1) that rabbit abundance positively affected male reproductive output; (2) that age, size and rabbit abundance (during winter) positively affected different components of female reproductive output; (3) that foraging movements were inversely affected by rabbit abundance for both sexes (for females, this may mainly have reflected poor provisioning by males in the rabbit-poor area); (4) that younger breeders (both in males and females) tended to move over larger distances than older individuals (which may have reflected both a lack of hunting experience and mate searching); and (5) that male body size (wing length) showed some covariation with resource conditions (suggesting possible adaptations to hunting agile avian prey in the rabbit-poor area). Although we are unable to establish firm causal relationships with our observational data set, our results provide an example of how territory quality (here, food abundance) and individual features (here, age and morphology) may combine to shape a predator's foraging behaviour and, ultimately, its breeding performance.

Cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations and their influence on morphological parameters in blood donors from different age groups from southern Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Janicka, Monika; Binkowski, Łukasz J; Błaszczyk, Martyna; Paluch, Joanna; Wojtaś, Włodzimierz; Massanyi, Peter; Stawarz, Robert

2015-01-01

Due to industrial development, environmental contamination with metals increases which leads to higher human exposure via air, water and food. In order to evaluate the level of the present exposition, the concentrations of metals can be measured in such biological materials as human blood. In this study, we assessed the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in blood samples from male blood donors from southern Poland (Europe) born in 1994 (n=30) and between 1947 and 1955 (n=30). Higher levels of Pb were seen in the group of older men (4.48 vs 2.48μg/L), whereas the Hg levels were lower (1.78 vs 4.28μg/L). Cd concentrations did not differ between age groups (0.56μg/L). The levels of Cd and Pb in older donors were significantly correlated (Spearman R 0.5135). We also observed a positive correlation between the number of red blood cells (RBC) and Hg concentrations in the older group (Spearman R 0.4271). Additionally, we noted numerous correlations among morphological parameters. Based on our results, we can state that metals influence the blood morphology and their concentrations in blood vary among age groups. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Assessment of morphological-functional state of children with cochlear implants

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V.M. Pysanko

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: assessment of morphological-functional state of pre-school age children with cochlear implants and substantiation of need in post-operative rehabilitation in period of preparation for comprehensive school. Material: we tested weakly hearing children with cochlear implants (n=127, age - 5.6±0.6 years. They were the main group. Control group consisted of children with normal hearing (n=70, age - 5.7±0.4 years. Morphological-functional state was assessed by indicators of physical and biological condition, visual analyzer, posture parameters and foot arch, muscular system and level of coordination. We calculated index of integral morphological-functional state assessment. Results: Morphological functional state of most of children (with cochlear implants was characterized by low physical condition indicators and disharmony. We observed delay in biological development. Index of morphological-functional state integral assessment witnesses, that such child can not study in comprehensive school. Rehabilitation program can reduce the gap between children with normal hearing and those with cochlear implants. Conclusions: Rehabilitation program facilitates quicker domestic and social rehabilitation of children at the account of widening the circle of communication, learning new actions and conceptions. It can permit for such children to study at school together with their healthy peers.

Attentional function and basal forebrain cholinergic neuron morphology during aging in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Brian E; Velazquez, Ramon; Kelley, Christy M; Ash, Jessica A; Strawderman, Myla S; Alldred, Melissa J; Ginsberg, Stephen D; Mufson, Elliott J; Strupp, Barbara J

2016-12-01

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit intellectual disability and develop Alzheimer's disease-like neuropathology during the third decade of life. The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS exhibits key features of both disorders, including impairments in learning, attention and memory, as well as atrophy of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs). The present study evaluated attentional function in relation to BFCN morphology in young (3 months) and middle-aged (12 months) Ts65Dn mice and disomic (2N) controls. Ts65Dn mice exhibited attentional dysfunction at both ages, with greater impairment in older trisomics. Density of BFCNs was significantly lower for Ts65Dn mice independent of age, which may contribute to attentional dysfunction since BFCN density was positively associated with performance on an attention task. BFCN volume decreased with age in 2N but not Ts65Dn mice. Paradoxically, BFCN volume was greater in older trisomic mice, suggestive of a compensatory response. In sum, attentional dysfunction occurred in both young and middle-aged Ts65Dn mice, which may in part reflect reduced density and/or phenotypic alterations in BFCNs.

PREDICTIVE CONTRIBUTION OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR ABILITIES ON THE RESULT OF RUNNING THE 60m HURDLES IN BOYS AGED 12 - 13 YEARS

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Zana Bujak

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The subject of this study is to determine predictive contributions of morphological characteristics and motor abilities on the 60m hurdles, with an aim to form a group of easily applicable field tests so as to identify boys who are talented in hurdl e racing . The subject sample of this study was comprised of 60 boys aged 12 - 13. The variable sample consisted of a 60m hurdles criterion variable and a set of 13 p re dictor variables comprising of morphological characteristics, speed - strength abilities and the subjects' coordina tion qualities . Applying the regression analysis , the predictive contribution of a complete variable s et of morpholog ical characteristics and motor abilities was determined as an above average statistical significance, influencing 60m hurdle outcome. The greatest individual statistically significant predictive contribution was achieved by the variables of speed - strength quality assessment: 20m flying start r ace result with a standing long jump; and only one variable from the field of morphological characteristics: the shin length. The results support the following conclusion: the two specific variables of speed - strength quality, and 20m flying start race results along with standing long jump , can be relevant predictors of successful outcome in hurdle races .

Effects of aging on muscle mechanical function and muscle fiber morphology during short-term immobilization and subsequent retraining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvid, Lars; Aagaard, Per; Justesen, Lene

2010-01-01

to the deleterious effects of short-term muscle disuse on muscle fiber size and rapid force capacity than YM. Furthermore, OM seems to require longer time to recover and regain rapid muscle force capacity, which may lead to a larger risk of falling in aged individuals after periods of short-term disuse.......Very little attention has been given to the combined effects of aging and disuse as separate factors causing deterioration in muscle mechanical function. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 2 wk of immobilization followed by 4 wk of retraining on knee extensor muscle...... mechanical function (e.g., maximal strength and rapid force capacity) and muscle fiber morphology in 9 old (OM: 67.3 ± 1.3 yr) and 11 young healthy men (YM: 24.4 ± 0.5 yr) with comparable levels of physical activity. Following immobilization, OM demonstrated markedly larger decreases in rapid force capacity...

Glial cell morphological and density changes through the lifespan of rhesus macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Robillard, Katelyn N; Lee, Kim M; Chiu, Kevin B; MacLean, Andrew G

2016-07-01

How aging impacts the central nervous system (CNS) is an area of intense interest. Glial morphology is known to affect neuronal and immune function as well as metabolic and homeostatic balance. Activation of glia, both astrocytes and microglia, occurs at several stages during development and aging. The present study analyzed changes in glial morphology and density through the entire lifespan of rhesus macaques, which are physiologically and anatomically similar to humans. We observed apparent increases in gray matter astrocytic process length and process complexity as rhesus macaques matured from juveniles through adulthood. These changes were not attributed to cell enlargement because they were not accompanied by proportional changes in soma or process volume. There was a decrease in white matter microglial process length as rhesus macaques aged. Aging was shown to have a significant effect on gray matter microglial density, with a significant increase in aged macaques compared with adults. Overall, we observed significant changes in glial morphology as macaques age indicative of astrocytic activation with subsequent increase in microglial density in aged macaques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological peculiarities, age structure and growth rate of rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus L., 1758 of the Dnieper-Bug estuary system

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K. Heina

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To analyze basic biological characteristics of the commercial stock of rudd. Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus, 1758 of the Dnieper-Bug estuary system in the conditions of the regulated flow of the Dnieper River. Methodology. Morphological peculiarities were determined based on the analysis of meristic and plastic features. When assessing the biological state of the commercial stock rudd, the main attention was given to the age, sex structure, fecundity, characteristics of length-weight growth and condition factor. The ichthyological material was collected during the work of monitoring stations of the Institute of Fisheries NAAS of Ukraine, the operation of which was regulated by protocol decisions of the Scientific and Commercial Council of the State Agency of Fisheries. Field and laboratory processing of collected data was carried out using conventional ichthyological methods and guidelines. Findings. The analysis of meristic features of rudd of the Dnieper-Bug estuary system showed that fin formulas were as follow: D – III 7-9 (10 (М=8.19±0.14; A - III 10-12 (М=10.81±0.17; P - I (12 13-15 (16 (М=14.26±0.18; V - II 7-8 (М=7.78±0.08. The lateral line had from 38 to 47 scales (М=42.63±0.65. 7-8 (М=7.67±0.09 transverse rows of scales were located above lateral line, while 5-6 (М=5.6±0.9 under it. A peculiarity of the current biological state of rudd stock is stable age structure with the domination of young age groups. An increase in the ratio of the maximum age groups against the background of an insignificant trend for the decrease of the ratio of age-5 fish indicates on an increased pressure (both commercial and recreational on rudd recruitment. A confirmation of it is an increase of the mean weighed age of the commercial stock from 4.16-4.17 to 4.26-4.31 years. The sex structure is typical for cyprinids. A trend of the domination of males in younger age groups and females in older age groups is observed. In total

Morphological Characterization of the African Giant Rat (Cricetomys ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

olayemitoyin

gambianus, Waterhouse) Brain Across Age Groups: Gross Features of. Cortices ... Keywords: African giant rats, Brain, Morphology, Cerebrum, Cerebellum, Olfactory bulb ..... as shrinkage with aging rather than selective .... lasting increase in the number of proliferating cells, ... radial glia in the adult rat dentate gyrus.

Aging affects morphology but not stimulated secretion of saliva in rats

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Body weights, salivary gland weights, salivary flow rates, pH and salivary levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate and total protein were measured and compared. Hematoxylin-eosin stained histological slides of the salivary glands were assessed for morphological changes. Results: Body ...

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF) is a major E–W trending seismically active fault of the Kachchh palaeorift basin whose neotectonic evolution is not known. The present study deals with the eastern part of the KMF zone where the fault is morphologically expressed as steep north facing scarps and is divisible into five ...

Children with Down Syndrome: oral development and morphology after use of palatal plates between 6 and 18 months of age.

Science.gov (United States)

Bäckman, B; Grevér-Sjölander, A-C; Holm, A-K; Johansson, I

2003-09-01

The aim of this study was to describe oral development and morphology in 18-month-old children with Down syndrome (DS) treated with palatal plates in combination with structured communication and speech training. The aim is further to describe the design of the palatal plates, compliance in their use and to give a brief report of their effect on oral motor function and speech. Forty-two children with DS were followed from language intervention, and oral motor and sensory stimulation provided by speech therapists for all children with DS in Sweden, palatal plates provided by dentists are included in the training programme. In the evaluation, the children in the project were compared with two control groups of children matched for age; one group of children with DS who had not been treated with palatal plates, and one group of children with normal development. Compared to the children with normal development, both groups of children with DS had fewer teeth erupted and a lower prevalence of sucking habits. Deviant morphology of the tongue in the form of diastase, lingua plicata or a sulcus in the anterior third of the tongue was only seen in children with DS. All children with normal development had positive values for overjet compared to 53% of the children with DS. The palatal plates were used 2-3 times daily for a total mean time of 15 min. Compliance in use of the plates decreased with age, mainly due to eruption of teeth and subsequent loss of retention. Evaluation of oral motor function and speech show that the children with DS in the project had better motor prerequisites for articulation than the control children with DS. Palatal plate therapy did not affect oral parameters, i.e., eruption of teeth, types and prevalence of sucking habits, tongue morphology and symptoms of hypotonia. In combination with oral motor and sensory stimulation, palatal plate therapy had a positive effect on oral motor performance and prerequisites for articulation.

The Reproductive Morphology and Physiological Age Grading of the Female Salvinia Weevil, Calder and Sands

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Lee Eisenberg

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The morphology of the female Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands reproductive system is similar to other weevil species being meroistic and telotrophic. The reproductive system is composed of 2 ovaries each containing 2 ovarioles where the follicles mature. A physiological age grading system was developed where the continuum of ovarium development was divided into 2 nulliparous and 3 parous classes. This was based on the differentiation of the ovarioles, presence, and appearance of follicular relics, cuticle hardness/coloration, and fat body quantity/appearance. High correlation occurred between the parous classes and number of eggs produced where the P3 class had over 9-fold higher number of eggs in comparison with the P1 class. Mean number of eggs produced for each parous class was significantly different, however, overlap occurred. Such a system enables a determination of the past, present, and future reproductive status of field populations and mass-rearing colonies.

Crossing safety barriers: influence of children's morphological and functional variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordovil, Rita; Vieira, Filomena; Barreiros, João

2012-05-01

Thirty-three children between 3 and 6 years of age were asked to climb four different types of safety barriers. Morphological and functional variables of the children, which were expected to influence climbing or passing through skills, were collected. The influence of those variables on children's success rate and time to cross was tested. No barrier offered a total restraining efficacy. The horizontal bars barrier was crossed by 97% of the children. In the group of children that succeeded in crossing the four barriers, mean time to cross the most difficult barrier was 15 s. Age was the best predictor for success in crossing most barriers but morphology and strength were important predictors of time to cross. The influence of anthropometric variables in time to cross was dependent upon the characteristics of the barrier. A good design of safety barriers should consider children's age, morphology and strength. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Presentation of valid correlations in some morphological

OpenAIRE

Florian Miftari; Hazir Salihu; Musa Selimi

2018-01-01

Study-research deals with younger students of both sexes aged 13-14, who, besides attending classes of physical education and sports, also practice in basketball schools in the city of Pristina. The experiment contains a total of 7 morphological variables, while four tests of basic motion skills and seven variables are from specific motion skills. In this study, the verification and analysis of the correlation of morphological characteristics and basic and situational motor skills in both gro...

Phase transformation and morphology of the intermetallic compounds formed at the Sn-9Zn-3.5Ag/Cu interface in aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hon, M.-H.; Chang, T.-C.; Wang, M.-C.

2008-01-01

The morphology and phase transformation of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed at the Sn-9Zn-3.5Ag/Cu interface in a solid-state reaction have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The monoclinic η'-Cu 6 Sn 5 transforms to the hexagonal η-Cu 6 Sn 5 and the orthorhombic Cu 5 Zn 8 transforms to the body-centered cubic (bcc) γ-Cu 5 Zn 8 as aged at 180 deg. C. The scallop-shaped Cu 6 Sn 5 layer is retained after aging at 180 deg. C for 1000 h. In the solid-state reaction, Ag is repelled from η'-Cu 6 Sn 5 and reacts with Sn to form Ag 3 Sn, and the Cu 5 Zn 8 layer decomposes. Kirkendall voids are not observed at the Sn-9Zn-3.5Ag/Cu interface even after aging at 180 deg. C for 1000 h

Eastern rim of the Chesapeake Bay impact crater: Morphology, stratigraphy, and structure

Science.gov (United States)

Poag, C.W.

2005-01-01

This study reexamines seven reprocessed (increased vertical exaggeration) seismic reflection profiles that cross the eastern rim of the Chesapeake Bay impact crater. The eastern rim is expressed as an arcuate ridge that borders the crater in a fashion typical of the "raised" rim documented in many well preserved complex impact craters. The inner boundary of the eastern rim (rim wall) is formed by a series of raterfacing, steep scarps, 15-60 m high. In combination, these rim-wall scarps represent the footwalls of a system of crater-encircling normal faults, which are downthrown toward the crater. Outboard of the rim wall are several additional normal-fault blocks, whose bounding faults trend approximately parallel to the rim wall. The tops of the outboard fault blocks form two distinct, parallel, flat or gently sloping, terraces. The innermost terrace (Terrace 1) can be identified on each profile, but Terrace 2 is only sporadically present. The terraced fault blocks are composed mainly of nonmarine, poorly to moderately consolidated, siliciclastic sediments, belonging to the Lower Cretaceous Potomac Formation. Though the ridge-forming geometry of the eastern rim gives the appearance of a raised compressional feature, no compelling evidence of compressive forces is evident in the profiles studied. The structural mode, instead, is that of extension, with the clear dominance of normal faulting as the extensional mechanism. 

Quantitative morphological analysis of proliferating and nonproliferating subpopulations of IMR-90 fibroblasts during aging in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pool, T.B.; Heitman, T.O.; Buck, M.A.

1982-01-01

Early-, mid- and late-passage cultures (population doubling levels 12, 35, and 51, respectively) of IMR-90 fibroblasts were exposed to 3 H-thymidine for 48 h prior to fixation in situ for morphometric analysis in order to determine quantitatively what ultrastructural changes accompany the loss of proliferative capacity during aging in vitro. Analysis of autoradiographs, both at the light and electron microscopic levels, with an image analyzer followed by ANOVA statistical scrutiny demonstrated that a significant increase in relative cell area, an indicator of cell size, was characteristic of cells unable to incorporate 3 H-TdR at both mid- and late-passage, but not at early-passage levels. Nuclear size also increased significantly with progressive passage level but was not related to proliferative capacity. No significant difference in the area fraction of nucleoli per unit area of nucleus or of mitochondria, Golgi, or lysosomes was seen in either subpopulation at any passage level. Dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum in early-passage cells were seen if cells were harvested with trypsin and fixed either before or after centrifugation, but were not seen in labeled or unlabeled cells from any passage level when cultures were fixed in situ. We conclude that a significant increase in cell size is the only significant morphological change associated with the loss of proliferative capacity of IRM-90 fibroblasts. Furthermore, our data indicate that there is no accumulation of secondary lysosomes in human diploid fibroblasts during aging in vitro; we therefore cannot support any hypothesis of aging or proliferative decline that is based mechanistically upon this phenomenon

Cortex and amygdala morphology in psychopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Boccardi, Marina; Frisoni, Giovanni B; Hare, Robert D; Cavedo, Enrica; Najt, Pablo; Pievani, Michela; Rasser, Paul E; Laakso, Mikko P; Aronen, Hannu J; Repo-Tiihonen, Eila; Vaurio, Olli; Thompson, Paul M; Tiihonen, Jari

2011-08-30

Psychopathy is characterized by abnormal emotional processes, but only recent neuroimaging studies have investigated its cerebral correlates. The study aim was to map local differences of cortical and amygdalar morphology. Cortical pattern matching and radial distance mapping techniques were used to analyze the magnetic resonance images of 26 violent male offenders (age: 32±8) with psychopathy diagnosed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and no schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and in matched controls (age: 35± sp="0.12"/>11). The cortex displayed up to 20% reduction in the orbitofrontal and midline structures (corrected pamygdala (corrected p=0.05 on the right; and symmetrical pattern on the left). Psychopathy features specific morphology of the main cerebral structures involved in cognitive and emotional processing, consistent with clinical and functional data, and with a hypothesis of an alternative evolutionary brain development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targeted Screening With Combined Age- and Morphology-Based Criteria Enriches Detection of Lynch Syndrome in Endometrial Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Douglas I; Hecht, Jonathan L

2016-06-01

Endometrial cancer is associated with Lynch syndrome in 2% to 6% of cases. Adequate screening may prevent of a second cancer and incident cancers in family members via risk-reducing strategies. The goal of the study was to evaluate the detection rate of Lynch syndrome via a targeted screening approach. In 2009, we incorporated targeted Lynch syndrome screening via immunohistochemistry for MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, and MSH6, followed by MLH1 promoter hypermethylation, in select cases of endometrial carcinoma. Criteria for patient selection included (1) all patients Lynch syndrome. Therefore, targeted screening with combined age and morphology based criteria enriches detection of Lynch syndrome in endometrial cancer. However, the detection rate is lower than the rates from published series that offer universal screening. © The Author(s) 2016.

Mechanical and morphological properties of different muscle-tendon units in the lower extremity and running mechanics: effect of aging and physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Karamanidis, Kiros; Arampatzis, Adamantios

2005-10-01

The objectives of this work were (i) to investigate whether chronic endurance running is a sufficient stimulus to counteract the age-related changes in the mechanical and morphological properties of human triceps surae (TS) and quadriceps femoris (QF) muscle-tendon units (MTUs) by comparing runners and non-active subjects at different ages (young and old), (ii) to identify adaptational phenomena in running mechanics due to age-related changes in the mechanical and morphological properties of the TS and QF MTUs, and finally (iii) to examine whether chronic endurance-running exercise is associated with adaptational effects on running characteristics in old and young adults. The investigation was conducted on 30 old and 19 young adult males divided into two subgroups according to their running activity: endurance-runners vs non-active. To analyse the properties of the MTUs, all subjects performed isometric maximal voluntary (MVC) ankle plantarflexion and knee extension contractions at 11 different MTU lengths on a dynamometer. The activation of the TS and QF during MVC was estimated by surface electromyography. The gastrocnemius medialis and the vastus lateralis and their distal aponeuroses were visualized by ultrasonography at rest and during MVC, respectively. Ground reaction forces and kinematic data were recorded during running trials at 2.7 m s(-1). The TS and QF MTU capacities were reduced with aging (lower muscle strength and lower tendon stiffness). Runners and non-active subjects had similar MTU properties, suggesting that chronic endurance-running exercise does not counteract the age-related degeneration of the MTUs. Runners showed a higher mechanical advantage for the QF MTU while running (lower gear ratio) compared to non-active subjects, indicating a task-specific adaptation even at old age. Older adults reacted to the reduced capacities of their MTUs by increasing running safety (higher duty factor, lower flight time) and benefitting from a mechanical

Morphological integration of soft-tissue facial morphology in Down Syndrome and siblings.

Science.gov (United States)

Starbuck, John; Reeves, Roger H; Richtsmeier, Joan

2011-12-01

Down syndrome (DS), resulting from trisomy of chromosome 21, is the most common live-born human aneuploidy. The phenotypic expression of trisomy 21 produces variable, though characteristic, facial morphology. Although certain facial features have been documented quantitatively and qualitatively as characteristic of DS (e.g., epicanthic folds, macroglossia, and hypertelorism), all of these traits occur in other craniofacial conditions with an underlying genetic cause. We hypothesize that the typical DS face is integrated differently than the face of non-DS siblings, and that the pattern of morphological integration unique to individuals with DS will yield information about underlying developmental associations between facial regions. We statistically compared morphological integration patterns of immature DS faces (N = 53) with those of non-DS siblings (N = 54), aged 6-12 years using 31 distances estimated from 3D coordinate data representing 17 anthropometric landmarks recorded on 3D digital photographic images. Facial features are affected differentially in DS, as evidenced by statistically significant differences in integration both within and between facial regions. Our results suggest a differential affect of trisomy on facial prominences during craniofacial development. 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Quantitative Machine Learning Analysis of Brain MRI Morphology throughout Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamir, Lior; Long, Joe

2016-01-01

While cognition is clearly affected by aging, it is unclear whether the process of brain aging is driven solely by accumulation of environmental damage, or involves biological pathways. We applied quantitative image analysis to profile the alteration of brain tissues during aging. A dataset of 463 brain MRI images taken from a cohort of 416 subjects was analyzed using a large set of low-level numerical image content descriptors computed from the entire brain MRI images. The correlation between the numerical image content descriptors and the age was computed, and the alterations of the brain tissues during aging were quantified and profiled using machine learning. The comprehensive set of global image content descriptors provides high Pearson correlation of ~0.9822 with the chronological age, indicating that the machine learning analysis of global features is sensitive to the age of the subjects. Profiling of the predicted age shows several periods of mild changes, separated by shorter periods of more rapid alterations. The periods with the most rapid changes were around the age of 55, and around the age of 65. The results show that the process of brain aging of is not linear, and exhibit short periods of rapid aging separated by periods of milder change. These results are in agreement with patterns observed in cognitive decline, mental health status, and general human aging, suggesting that brain aging might not be driven solely by accumulation of environmental damage. Code and data used in the experiments are publicly available.

Postglacial faulting and paleoseismicity in the Landsjaerv area, northern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagerbaeck, R.

1988-10-01

Post-glacial fault scarps, up to about 20 m in height and forming a 50 km long fault set with a SSW-NNE orientation, occur in the Lansjaerv area in northern Sweden. By trenching across the fault scarps it has been possible to date fault movement relative to the Quaternary stratigraphy. It is concluded that the fault scarps generally developed as single event movements shortly after the deglaciation about 9000 years ago. At one location there are indications that minor fault movements may have occurred earlier during a previous glaciation but this is uncertain. The fault scarps are, at least partially, developed in strongly fractured and chemically weathered zones of presumed pre-Quaternary age. To judge from the appearance of the bedrock fault scarps, and the deformation of the Quaternary deposits, the faults are reverse and have dips between some 40-50 0 and the vertical. The faulting was co-seismic and earthquakes in the order of M 6.5-7.0, or higher, are inferred from fault dimensions and the distribution of seismically triggered landslides in a wider region. Distortions in different types of sediment, interpreted as caused by the influence of seismic shock, occur frequently in the area. Examples of these are briefly described. (orig.)

Surface morphology of active normal faults in hard rock: Implications for the mechanics of the Asal Rift, Djibouti

Science.gov (United States)

Pinzuti, Paul; Mignan, Arnaud; King, Geoffrey C. P.

2010-10-01

Tectonic-stretching models have been previously proposed to explain the process of continental break-up through the example of the Asal Rift, Djibouti, one of the few places where the early stages of seafloor spreading can be observed. In these models, deformation is distributed starting at the base of a shallow seismogenic zone, in which sub-vertical normal faults are responsible for subsidence whereas cracks accommodate extension. Alternative models suggest that extension results from localised magma intrusion, with normal faults accommodating extension and subsidence only above the maximum reach of the magma column. In these magmatic rifting models, or so-called magmatic intrusion models, normal faults have dips of 45-55° and root into dikes. Vertical profiles of normal fault scarps from levelling campaign in the Asal Rift, where normal faults seem sub-vertical at surface level, have been analysed to discuss the creation and evolution of normal faults in massive fractured rocks (basalt lava flows), using mechanical and kinematics concepts. We show that the studied normal fault planes actually have an average dip ranging between 45° and 65° and are characterised by an irregular stepped form. We suggest that these normal fault scarps correspond to sub-vertical en echelon structures, and that, at greater depth, these scarps combine and give birth to dipping normal faults. The results of our analysis are compatible with the magmatic intrusion models instead of tectonic-stretching models. The geometry of faulting between the Fieale volcano and Lake Asal in the Asal Rift can be simply related to the depth of diking, which in turn can be related to magma supply. This new view supports the magmatic intrusion model of early stages of continental breaking.

The morphology of durability issues in PEM fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kundu, S.; Fowler, M.; Simon, L.; Grot, S.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' The work presented here examines durability issues in PEM fuel cell materials by examining material morphology and linking morphological features to performance. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques have been able to identify a variety of features on the catalyst layer, each with their own implication to the overall performance and durability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). These features include cracking, delamination of the catalyst layer, catalyst clustering, electrolyte clustering, and thickness variations. Links between several of these features and catalyst dispersion conditions was also examined, showing that how the material was manufactured influences the type of morphological features present. The SEM has also been used with accelerated aging techniques to closely examine aging of the gas diffusion layer (GDL). It can be shown that over time the GDL will loose its hydrophobic character and hence become more susceptible to flooding in a fuel cell. The impact of morphological changes were determined using fuel cell models and experimental work. The ultimate aim of this work is to provide material developers with the tools and knowledge necessary to design better materials and therefore bring fuel cells closer to commercialization. (author)

Morphological processing with deficient phonological short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavé, Gitit; Ze'ev, Hagit Bar; Lev, Anita

2007-07-01

This paper investigates the processing of Hebrew derivational morphology in an individual (S.E.) with deficient phonological short-term memory. In comparison to 10 age- and education-matched men, S.E. was impaired on digit span tasks and demonstrated no recency effect in word list recall. S.E. had low word retention span, but he exhibited phonological similarity and word length effects. His ability to make lexical decisions was intact. In a paired-associate test S.E. successfully learned semantically and morphologically related pairs but not phonologically related pairs, and his learning of nonwords was facilitated by the presence of Hebrew consonant roots. Semantic and morphological similarity enhanced immediate word recall. Results show that S.E. is capable of conducting morphological decomposition of Hebrew-derived words despite his phonological deficit, suggesting that transient maintenance of morphological constituents is independent of temporary storage and rehearsal of phonological codes, and that each is processed separately within short-term memory.

Morphological, molecular and functional differences of adult bone marrow- and adipose-derived stem cells isolated from rats of different ages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantovani, Cristina; Raimondo, Stefania; Haneef, Maryam S.; Geuna, Stefano; Terenghi, Giorgio; Shawcross, Susan G.; Wiberg, Mikael

2012-01-01

Adult mesenchymal stem cells have self-renewal and multiple differentiation potentials, and play important roles in regenerative medicine. However, their use may be limited by senescence or age of the donor, leading to changes in stem cell functionality. We investigated morphological, molecular and functional differences between bone marrow-derived (MSC) and adipose-derived (ASC) stem cells isolated from neonatal, young and old rats compared to Schwann cells from the same animals. Immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, proliferation assays, western blotting and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate expression of senescence markers. Undifferentiated and differentiated ASC and MSC from animals of different ages expressed Notch-2 at similar levels; protein-38 and protein-53 were present in all groups of cells with a trend towards increased levels in cells from older animals compared to those from neonatal and young rats. Following co-culture with adult neuronal cells, dMSC and dASC from animals of all ages elicited robust neurite outgrowth. Mitotracker ® staining was consistent with ultrastructural changes seen in the mitochondria of cells from old rats, indicative of senescence. In conclusion, this study showed that although the cells from aged animals expressed markers of senescence, aged MSC and ASC differentiated into SC-like cells still retain potential to support axon regeneration. -- Highlights: ► Aged MSC and ASC differentiated into Schwann-like cells support axon regeneration. ► p53 expression does not appreciably influence the biology of Schwann or stem cells. ► Notch 2 expression was similar in cells derived from animals of different ages. ► Proliferation rates of dMSC varied little over time or with animal age.

Left atrial appendage morphology in patients with suspected cardiogenic stroke without known atrial fibrillation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miika Korhonen

Full Text Available The left atrial appendage (LAA is the typical origin for intracardiac thrombus formation. Whether LAA morphology is associated with increased stroke/TIA risk is controversial and, if it does, which morphological type most predisposes to thrombus formation. We assessed LAA morphology in stroke patients with cryptogenic or suspected cardiogenic etiology and in age- and gender-matched healthy controls. LAA morphology and volume were analyzed by cardiac computed tomography in 111 patients (74 males; mean age 60 ± 11 years with acute ischemic stroke of cryptogenic or suspected cardiogenic etiology other than known atrial fibrillation (AF. A subgroup of 40 patients was compared to an age- and gender-matched control group of 40 healthy individuals (21 males in each; mean age 54 ± 9 years. LAA was classified into four morphology types (Cactus, ChickenWing, WindSock, CauliFlower modified with a quantitative qualifier. The proportions of LAA morphology types in the main stroke group, matched stroke subgroup, and control group were as follows: Cactus (9.0%, 5.0%, 20.0%, ChickenWing (23.4%, 37.5%, 10.0%, WindSock (47.7%, 35.0%, 67.5%, and CauliFlower (19.8%, 22.5%, 2.5%. The distribution of morphology types differed significantly (P<0.001 between the matched stroke subgroup and control group. The proportion of single-lobed LAA was significantly higher (P<0.001 in the matched stroke subgroup (55% than the control group (6%. LAA volumes were significantly larger (P<0.001 in both stroke study groups compared to controls patients. To conclude, LAA morphology differed significantly between stroke patients and controls, and single-lobed LAAs were overrepresented and LAA volume was larger in patients with acute ischemic stroke of cryptogenic or suspected cardiogenic etiology.

Smog chamber study on aging of combustion soot in isoprene/SO2/NOx system: Changes of mass, size, effective density, morphology and mixing state

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kangwei; Chen, Linghong; Han, Ke; Lv, Biao; Bao, Kaiji; Wu, Xuecheng; Gao, Xiang; Cen, Kefa

2017-02-01

Atmospheric soot aging process is always accompanied by secondary particle formation, which is a comprehensive environmental issue that deserves great attention. On one hand, aging of primary soot could change its own physicochemical properties; on the other hand, complex air pollution caused by pollutant emission from various sources (e.g., vehicle exhausts, coal-fired flue gases and biogenic VOCs emission) may contribute to secondary particle formation onto primary particle surface. In this study, aging of combustion soot in isoprene/SO2/NOx system was investigated under controlled laboratory conditions in several smog chamber experiments. During the evolution of soot, several physical properties such as mass, size, effective density, morphology and mixing state were determined simultaneously by an integrated aerosol analytical system of Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), Differential Mobility Analyzer-Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer-Condensation Particle Counter (DMA-APM-CPC) and Transmission Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (TEM/EDX) techniques. Here, based on the experimental results of soot aging under different gas-phase composition and relative humidity (RH), we firstly proposed possible aging pathways of soot in isoprene/SO2/NOx system. A synergetic effect was speculated to exist between SO2 and isoprene on soot aging process, which led to more secondary particle formation. At the same time, TEM/EDX analysis showed that a competitive mechanism between H2SO4(g) and isoprene oxidation vapor may exist: H2SO4(g) firstly condensed onto fresh soot, then an acceleration of isoprene oxidation products formed onto H2SO4 pre-coated soot. In isoprene/SO2/NOx system, high RH conditions could contribute to soot aging and new particle formation. The changes of effective density and dynamic shape factor of soot also indicated that high RH conditions could accelerate soot aging process, and led chain-like soot into more spherical

Three-dimensional morphological characterization of the skin surface micro-topography using a skin replica and changes with age.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuda, Y; Oguri, M; Morinaga, T; Hirao, T

2014-08-01

Skin surface micro-topography (SSMT), consisting of pores, ridges and furrows, reflects the skin condition and is an important factor determining the aesthetics of the skin. Most previous studies evaluating SSMT have employed two-dimensional image analysis of magnified pictures captured by a video microscope. To improve the accuracy of SSMT analysis, we established a three-dimensional (3D) analysis method for SSMT and developed various parameters including the skin ridge number, and applied the method to study the age-dependent change in skin. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used for 3D measurement of the surface morphology of silicon replicas taken from the cheek. We then used these data to calculate the parameters that reflect the nature of SSTM including the skin ridge number using originally developed software. Employing a superscription technique, we investigated the variation in SSMT with age for replicas taken from the cheeks of 103 Japanese females (5-85 years old). The skin surface area and roughness, the area of pores, the area, length, depth and width of skin furrows and the number of skin ridges were examined. The surface roughness, the area of pores and the depth of skin furrows increased with age. The area and length of skin furrows and the number of skin ridges decreased with age. The method proposed to analyse SSMT three dimensionally is an effective tool with which to characterize the condition of the skin. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Phase transformation and morphology of the intermetallic compounds formed at the Sn-9Zn-3.5Ag/Cu interface in aging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hon, M.-H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Chang, T.-C. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Electronic and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Bldg. 11, 195, Sec. 4, Chung-Hsing Road, Chutung, Hsinchu, 310, Taiwan (China); Wang, M.-C. [Faculty of Fragrance and Cosmetics, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shi-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: mcwang@kmu.edu.tw

2008-06-30

The morphology and phase transformation of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed at the Sn-9Zn-3.5Ag/Cu interface in a solid-state reaction have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The monoclinic {eta}'-Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} transforms to the hexagonal {eta}-Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} and the orthorhombic Cu{sub 5}Zn{sub 8} transforms to the body-centered cubic (bcc) {gamma}-Cu{sub 5}Zn{sub 8} as aged at 180 deg. C. The scallop-shaped Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} layer is retained after aging at 180 deg. C for 1000 h. In the solid-state reaction, Ag is repelled from {eta}'-Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} and reacts with Sn to form Ag{sub 3}Sn, and the Cu{sub 5}Zn{sub 8} layer decomposes. Kirkendall voids are not observed at the Sn-9Zn-3.5Ag/Cu interface even after aging at 180 deg. C for 1000 h.

Association between trochlear morphology and chondromalacia patella: an MRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Duran, Semra; Cavusoglu, Mehtap; Kocadal, Onur; Sakman, Bulent

This study aimed to compare trochlear morphology seen in magnetic resonance imaging between patients with chondromalacia patella and age-matched control patients without cartilage lesion. Trochlear morphology was evaluated using the lateral trochlear inclination, medial trochlear inclination, sulcus angle and trochlear angle on the axial magnetic resonance images. Consequently, an association between abnormal trochlear morphology and chondromalacia patella was identified in women. In particular, women with flattened lateral trochlea are at an increased risk of patellar cartilage structural damage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological changes of the mandibular condyle in patients with temporomandibular joint disorder using magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Shiori

1994-01-01

The morphological changes of the mandibular condyle in patients with temporomandibular joint disorder were studied. The subjects were 420 patients (103 males and 317 females, 8 to 80 years of age, mean age 39.8 years) who were clinically diagnosed as temporomandibular joint disorder. MR imaging was performed with a GE-Signa 1.5 Tesla MR imaging system using the body coil as a transmitter and 3-inch bilateral surface coils. The patients were examined by a multiplanar gradient echo technique in a closed-loop cine fashion on both sagittal and coronal planes. The results obtained were as follows: 1) Morphological changes of the mandibular condyle were detected in 47.0% of the patients. The predominant morphological changes were then formation of osteophyte and marginal proliferation (65.8%). 2) The incidence of morphological changes in the mandubular condyle did not show any significant difference between male and female, and tended to be higher in patients over 40 years of age, and the incidence in patients under 20 years of age was lower, compared to that in patients from 20 to 39 years of age. 3) The incidence of morphological changes in patients with anterior disk displacement without reduction was higher than in those with anterior disk displacement with reduction (P<0.001). The incidence of morphological changes in patients with rotational disk displacement was higher than in those with medial disk displacement (P<0.001). 4) The anterior translation of mandibular condyle was influenced more by anterior disk displacement rather than by morphological changes. From these results. it is suggested that simultaneous bilateral condyle pseudodynamic MR imaging was useful in the diagnosis of internal derangement, evaluation of morphological changes and assessment of motional abnormality of the condyle. (author)

Liver morphology in morbid obesity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, T; Gluud, C

1984-01-01

Literature on liver morphology in untreated obesity reveals varying prevalences of various pathological findings. The purpose of this literature study was to summarize and evaluate the published observations and to discuss discrepant findings. A complete search was aimed at utilizing bibliographic...... methods including a computerized survey. Forty-one original articles were included, comprising information on liver morphology in 1515 morbidly obese patients. Liver biopsy was considered normal in 12 per cent of the cases. The most frequent abnormality reported was fatty change, present in 80 per cent...... of obesity, age, sex, alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus) does not point towards a single causal factor. Co-influence of additional pathogenetic factors are likely in the development of liver changes in morbid obesity....

Examining tissue composition, whole-bone morphology and mechanical behavior of GorabPrx1 mice tibiae: A mouse model of premature aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Haisheng; Albiol, Laia; Chan, Wing-Lee; Wulsten, Dag; Seliger, Anne; Thelen, Michael; Thiele, Tobias; Spevak, Lyudmila; Boskey, Adele; Kornak, Uwe; Checa, Sara; Willie, Bettina M

2017-12-08

Gerodermia osteodysplastica (GO) is a segmental progeroid disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the GORAB gene, associated with early onset osteoporosis and bone fragility. A conditional mouse model of GO (Gorab Prx1 ) was generated in which the Gorab gene was deleted in long bones. We examined the biomechanical/functional relevance of the Gorab Prx1 mutants as a premature aging model by characterizing bone composition, tissue-level strains, and whole-bone morphology and mechanical properties of the tibia. MicroCT imaging showed that Gorab Prx1 tibiae had an increased anterior convex curvature and decreased cortical cross-sectional area, cortical thickness and moments of inertia, compared to littermate control (LC) tibiae. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging indicated a 34% decrease in mineral/matrix ratio and a 27% increase in acid phosphate content in the posterior metaphyseal cortex of the Gorab Prx1 tibiae (p finite element analysis showed ∼two times higher tissue-level strains within the Gorab Prx1 tibiae relative to LC tibiae when subjected to axial compressive loads of the same magnitude. Three-point bending tests suggested that Gorab Prx1 tibiae were weaker and more brittle, as indicated by decreasing whole-bone strength (46%), stiffness (55%), work-to-fracture (61%) and post-yield displacement (47%). Many of these morphological and biomechanical characteristics of the Gorab Prx1 tibia recapitulated changes in other animal models of skeletal aging. Future studies are necessary to confirm how our observations might guide the way to a better understanding and treatment of GO. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological, molecular and functional differences of adult bone marrow- and adipose-derived stem cells isolated from rats of different ages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mantovani, Cristina [Blond McIndoe Laboratories, School of Biomedicine, The University of Manchester, Room 3,106 Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences (United Kingdom); Department of Integrative Medical Biology and Surgical and Perioperative Science, Umea University, Umea (Sweden); Department of Surgical and Perioperative Science, Umea University, Umea (Sweden); Raimondo, Stefania [Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, University of Turin (Italy); Haneef, Maryam S. [Blond McIndoe Laboratories, School of Biomedicine, The University of Manchester, Room 3,106 Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences (United Kingdom); Geuna, Stefano [Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, University of Turin (Italy); Terenghi, Giorgio [Blond McIndoe Laboratories, School of Biomedicine, The University of Manchester, Room 3,106 Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences (United Kingdom); Shawcross, Susan G., E-mail: sue.shawcross@manchester.ac.uk [Blond McIndoe Laboratories, School of Biomedicine, The University of Manchester, Room 3,106 Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, Academic Health Science Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Human Sciences (United Kingdom); Wiberg, Mikael [Department of Integrative Medical Biology and Surgical and Perioperative Science, Umea University, Umea (Sweden); Department of Surgical and Perioperative Science, Umea University, Umea (Sweden)

2012-10-01

Adult mesenchymal stem cells have self-renewal and multiple differentiation potentials, and play important roles in regenerative medicine. However, their use may be limited by senescence or age of the donor, leading to changes in stem cell functionality. We investigated morphological, molecular and functional differences between bone marrow-derived (MSC) and adipose-derived (ASC) stem cells isolated from neonatal, young and old rats compared to Schwann cells from the same animals. Immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, proliferation assays, western blotting and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate expression of senescence markers. Undifferentiated and differentiated ASC and MSC from animals of different ages expressed Notch-2 at similar levels; protein-38 and protein-53 were present in all groups of cells with a trend towards increased levels in cells from older animals compared to those from neonatal and young rats. Following co-culture with adult neuronal cells, dMSC and dASC from animals of all ages elicited robust neurite outgrowth. Mitotracker{sup Registered-Sign} staining was consistent with ultrastructural changes seen in the mitochondria of cells from old rats, indicative of senescence. In conclusion, this study showed that although the cells from aged animals expressed markers of senescence, aged MSC and ASC differentiated into SC-like cells still retain potential to support axon regeneration. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aged MSC and ASC differentiated into Schwann-like cells support axon regeneration. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer p53 expression does not appreciably influence the biology of Schwann or stem cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Notch 2 expression was similar in cells derived from animals of different ages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proliferation rates of dMSC varied little over time or with animal age.

Morphological features of Delphinium sergii Wissjul. leaves in ontogeny

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А.M. Gnatiuk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available There are represented results of the study on leaf shape and its morphological diversity of the Delphinium sergii Wissjul. which is an endemic species of Eastern Black Sea Coast and was introduced in the culture at the M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden NAS of Ukraine. It is found that D. sergii is characterized by heterophylly and morphological variability of leaf blades which is manifested during ontogeny, in process of formation of its vegetative and generative shoots. The correlation of the dissection degree of the leaf blades with their formation and age has been established. More deeply dissected leaves are «older» while with complete laminas are more «younger». During the ontogenesis firstly occurs the complication of a simple lamina in seedlings by its division into segments. And, as a result, along the shoot the complication from lower to middle formations and further simplification of leaf structure in upper formation in generative individuals is observed. Formation of different by shape leaves in individuals of the same age stage as well as of the same age depends from conditions of lighting, soil moisture, crop density, and genetic heterogeneity, and therefore – from morphological plasticity of individuals in different conditions of growth.

Bayesian phylogenetic estimation of fossil ages.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, Alexei J; Stadler, Tanja

2016-07-19

Recent advances have allowed for both morphological fossil evidence and molecular sequences to be integrated into a single combined inference of divergence dates under the rule of Bayesian probability. In particular, the fossilized birth-death tree prior and the Lewis-Mk model of discrete morphological evolution allow for the estimation of both divergence times and phylogenetic relationships between fossil and extant taxa. We exploit this statistical framework to investigate the internal consistency of these models by producing phylogenetic estimates of the age of each fossil in turn, within two rich and well-characterized datasets of fossil and extant species (penguins and canids). We find that the estimation accuracy of fossil ages is generally high with credible intervals seldom excluding the true age and median relative error in the two datasets of 5.7% and 13.2%, respectively. The median relative standard error (RSD) was 9.2% and 7.2%, respectively, suggesting good precision, although with some outliers. In fact, in the two datasets we analyse, the phylogenetic estimate of fossil age is on average less than 2 Myr from the mid-point age of the geological strata from which it was excavated. The high level of internal consistency found in our analyses suggests that the Bayesian statistical model employed is an adequate fit for both the geological and morphological data, and provides evidence from real data that the framework used can accurately model the evolution of discrete morphological traits coded from fossil and extant taxa. We anticipate that this approach will have diverse applications beyond divergence time dating, including dating fossils that are temporally unconstrained, testing of the 'morphological clock', and for uncovering potential model misspecification and/or data errors when controversial phylogenetic hypotheses are obtained based on combined divergence dating analyses.This article is part of the themed issue 'Dating species divergences using

Morphology of the human internal vertebral venous plexus : A cadaver study after latex injection in the 21-25-week fetus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groen, RJM; Grobbelaar, M; Muller, GIF; van Solinge, G; Verhoof, O; du Toit, DF; Hoogland, P.V.J.M.

The morphology of the anterior and posterior internal vertebral venous plexus (IVVP) in human fetuses between 21-25 weeks of gestational age is described. The results are compared to the findings of a previous morphological study of the IVVP in the aged. The morphological pattern of the anterior

Glacial and postglacial geology near Lake Tennyson, Clarence River, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCalpin, J.P.

1992-01-01

Otiran valley glaciers extended 15 km down the upper Clarence Valley in central Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand. A massive Otiran terminal moraine complex, composed of moraines of three glacial advances, impounds Lake Tennyson. The moraines are early and middle Otiran, and possibly late Otiran-early Aranuian in age, based on relative position and differences in moraine morphology, weathering rinds, and soils. Radiocarbon ages from a tributary (Serpentine Creek) suggest the latest major episode of aggradation in the Clarence Valley was in progress by 11.3 ka, and had ended by 9.2 ka. Postglacial history was dominated by incision of glacial outwash, deposition of small alluvial fans, and landsliding near the trace of the Awatere Fault. Fault scarps of the Awatere Fault and of unnamed parallel splays displace early Otiran moraines up to 19 m and early Holocene terraces up to 2.6 m. (author). 25 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs

Morphology Is a Link to the Past: Examining Formative and Secular Galactic Evolution through Morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Melanie A.

Galaxy morphology is one of the primary keys to understanding a galaxy's evolutionary history. External mechanisms (environment/clustering, mergers) have a strong impact on the formative evolution of the major galactic components (disk, bulge, Hubble type), while internal instabilities created by bars, spiral arms, or other substructures drive secular evolution via the rearrangement of material within the disk. This thesis will explore several ways in which morphology impacts the dynamics and evolution of a galaxy using visual classifications from several Galaxy Zoo projects. The first half of this work will detail the motivations of using morphology to study galaxy evolution, and describe how morphology is measured, debiased, and interpreted using crowdsourced classification data via Galaxy Zoo. The second half will present scientific studies which make use of these classifications; first by focusing on the morphology of galaxies in the local Universe (z color. These results are consistent with a cosmological model in which bar-driven fueling contributes to the growth of black holes, but other dynamical mechanisms must also play a significant role. Next, the morphological dependence on wavelength is studied in Chapter 5 by comparing the optical morphological classifications from GZ2 to classifications done on infrared images in GZ:UKIDSS. Consistent morphologies were found in both sets and similar bar fractions, which confirms that for most galaxies, both old and young stellar populations follow similar spatial distributions. Last, the morphological changes in galaxy populations are computed as a function of their age using classifications from Galaxy Zoo: Hubble (Chapter 6). The evolution of the passive disc population from z = 1 to z = 0.3 was studied in a sample of 20,000 galaxies from the COSMOS field and morphologically classified by the Galaxy Zoo: Hubble project. It was found that the fraction of disc galaxies that are red, as well as the fraction of red

Presentation of valid correlations in some morphological variables and basic and specific motor skills in young people aged 13-14 years engaged in basketball

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Miftari

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Study-research deals with younger students of both sexes aged 13-14, who, besides attending classes of physical education and sports, also practice in basketball schools in the city of Pristina. The experiment contains a total of 7 morphological variables, while four tests of basic motion skills and seven variables are from specific motion skills. In this study, the verification and analysis of the correlation of morphological characteristics and basic and situational motor skills in both groups of both sexes (boys and girls were treated. Based on the results obtained between several variables, valid correlations with high coefficients are presented, whereas among the variables are presented correlations with optimal values. The experimentation in question includes the number of 80 entities of both sexes; the group of 40 boys and the other group consisting of 40 girls who have undergone the tests for this study-experiment.

Natural and human-induced sinkholes in gypsum terrain and associated environmental problems in NE Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Benito, G.; Del Campo, P. Pérez; Gutiérrez-Elorza, M.; Sancho, C.

1995-04-01

The central Ebro Basin comprises thick evaporite materials whose high solubility produces typically karstic landforms. The sinkhole morphology developed in the overlying alluvium has been studied using gravimetry and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) on stream terraces, as well as analyzing the evolution of sinkhole morphologies observed in aerial photographs taken in 1928, 1957, and 1985. The sinkhole morphologies give some idea of possible subsurface processes as well as an indication of the final mechanisms involve in sinkhole development. On stream terraces and cover pediments the most commonly encountered dolines are bowl-shaped in their morphology with both diffuse and scarped edges. In contrast, dolines developed in the gypsiferous silt infilled valleys have a funnel and well-shaped morphology. The diffuse-edged bowl-shaped dolines are developed through the progressive subsidence of the alluvial cover, due to washing down of alluvial particles through small voids and cracks into deeper subsurface caves, resulting in a decrease alluvial density. Future compaction of the alluvial cover will produce surface subsidences. This type of dolines are associated with negative gravity anomalies. In contrast, the scarped-edge dolines are formed by the sudden collapse of a cavity roof. The cavities and cracks formed in the gypsum karst may migrate to the surface through the alluvial deposits by piping, and they may subsequently collapse. In this instance, the cavities can be detected by both gravity and GPR anomalies where the voids are not deeper than 4 5 m from the surface. These processes forming sinkholes can be enhanced by man-induced changes in the groundwater hydrologic regime by both inflows, due to irrigation, ditch losses, or pipe leakages, and by outflows from pumping activities.

Presentation of valid correlations in some morphological variables and basic and specific motor skills in young people aged 13-14 years engaged in basketball

OpenAIRE

Miftari, Florian; Salihu, Hazir; Selimi, Musa

2018-01-01

Miftari Florian, Salihu Hazir, Selimi Musa. Presentation of valid correlations in some morphological variables and basic and specific motor skills in young people aged 13-14 years engaged in basketball. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2018;8(5):95-101. eISNN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1242579 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/5250 The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education pa...

Vestibular morphology in the German Waltzing guinea pig.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawaguchi, Sachie; Hultcrantz, Malou; Jin, Zhe; Ulfendahl, Mats; Suzuki, Mamoru

2010-04-01

The German waltzing guinea pig is a special strain of animal with a recessively inherited inner ear defect, resulting in deafness and a severe vestibular dysfunction. The hearing loss in the cochlea of the German strain is a result of a collapse of the Reissner membrane and the absence of scala media. The vestibular organ has not yet been described. German waltzing guinea pigs (homozygote and heterozygote) of different ages ranging from embryologic age 25 days to adulthood were investigated. The living animals were tested with four different vestibular tests, and the fetuses were controlled according to breeding. The morphology of the vestibular parts (ampulla, saccule, and utricle) was observed by using the light and transmission electron microscopy. Collapse of the membranous labyrinth was found already at embryologic age 50 days and progressed over time. Vestibular dysfunction was noted already from birth. Vestibular atelectasis has been shown to have the same morphology as the reported vestibular dysfunction in the German waltzing guinea pig. Owing to this similarity, this animal can be a good model for vestibular research.

Morphological analysis of ionomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This report discusses the progress made during the period of April 1st, 1989 and March 31st, 1990. Topics covered are: SANS of Telechelic Ionomers, SANS of Sulfonated Polyurethanes, Effect of Matrix Polarity and Ambient Aging on the Morphology of Sulfonated Polyurethane Ionomers, Adhesive Sphere Model for Analysis of SAXS Data from Ionomers, Comparison of Structure-Property Relationships in Carboxylated and Sulfonated Polyurethane Ionomers, Development of a Liquid-like Hard Sphere Model for Deformed Ionomer Samples, and Polymer Synthesis for Proposed Research

Pelvic morphology in ischiofemoral impingement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bredella, Miriam A.; Azevedo, Debora C.; Oliveira, Adriana L.; Simeone, Frank J.; Chang, Connie Y.; Torriani, Martin [Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, Boston, MA (United States); Stubbs, Allston J. [Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Sports Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (United States)

2014-11-06

To assess MRI measures to quantify pelvic morphology that may predispose to ischiofemoral impingement (IFI). We hypothesized that patients with IFI have a wider interischial distance and an increased femoral neck angle compared with normal controls. The study was IRB-approved and complied with HIPAA guidelines. IFI was diagnosed based on clinical findings (hip or buttock pain) and ipsilateral edema of the quadratus femoris muscle on MRI. Control subjects did not report isolated hip/buttock pain and underwent MRI for surveillance of neoplasms or to exclude pelvic fractures. Two MSK radiologists measured the ischiofemoral (IF) and quadratus femoris (QF) distance, the ischial angle as a measure of inter-ischial distance, and the femoral neck angle. The quadratus femoris muscle was evaluated for edema. Groups were compared using ANOVA. Multivariate standard least-squares regression modeling was used to control for age and gender. The study group comprised 84 patients with IFI (53 ± 16 years, 73 female, 11 male) and 51 controls (52 ± 16 years, 33 female, 18 male). Thirteen out of 84 patients (15 %) had bilateral IFI. Patients with IFI had decreased IF and QF distance (p < 0.0001), increased ischial angle (p = 0.004), and increased femoral neck angle (p = 0.02) compared with controls, independent of age and gender. Patients with IFI have increased ischial and femoral neck angles compared with controls. These anatomical variations in pelvic morphology may predispose to IFI. MRI is a useful method of not only assessing the osseous and soft-tissue abnormalities associated with IFI, but also of quantifying anatomical variations in pelvic morphology that can predispose to IFI. (orig.)

Pelvic morphology in ischiofemoral impingement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bredella, Miriam A.; Azevedo, Debora C.; Oliveira, Adriana L.; Simeone, Frank J.; Chang, Connie Y.; Torriani, Martin; Stubbs, Allston J.

2015-01-01

To assess MRI measures to quantify pelvic morphology that may predispose to ischiofemoral impingement (IFI). We hypothesized that patients with IFI have a wider interischial distance and an increased femoral neck angle compared with normal controls. The study was IRB-approved and complied with HIPAA guidelines. IFI was diagnosed based on clinical findings (hip or buttock pain) and ipsilateral edema of the quadratus femoris muscle on MRI. Control subjects did not report isolated hip/buttock pain and underwent MRI for surveillance of neoplasms or to exclude pelvic fractures. Two MSK radiologists measured the ischiofemoral (IF) and quadratus femoris (QF) distance, the ischial angle as a measure of inter-ischial distance, and the femoral neck angle. The quadratus femoris muscle was evaluated for edema. Groups were compared using ANOVA. Multivariate standard least-squares regression modeling was used to control for age and gender. The study group comprised 84 patients with IFI (53 ± 16 years, 73 female, 11 male) and 51 controls (52 ± 16 years, 33 female, 18 male). Thirteen out of 84 patients (15 %) had bilateral IFI. Patients with IFI had decreased IF and QF distance (p < 0.0001), increased ischial angle (p = 0.004), and increased femoral neck angle (p = 0.02) compared with controls, independent of age and gender. Patients with IFI have increased ischial and femoral neck angles compared with controls. These anatomical variations in pelvic morphology may predispose to IFI. MRI is a useful method of not only assessing the osseous and soft-tissue abnormalities associated with IFI, but also of quantifying anatomical variations in pelvic morphology that can predispose to IFI. (orig.)

The relationship between pharyngeal morphology measured with cone-beam computed tomography and maxillary morphology measured by lateral cephalogram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Fumie; Yamaguchi, Tetsutaro; Miyamoto, Asami; Maki, Koutaro

2007-01-01

This study examined the relationship between pharyngeal morphology measured with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and maxillary morphology measured from lateral cephalograms. The subjects comprised 45 women, with a mean age of 27.9 years (range, 16-50 years), who attended the Department of Orthodontics at Showa University. The evaluation of pharyngeal morphology was based on 9 variables measured by CBCT: pharyngeal space volume, pharyngeal vertical length, pharyngeal sagittal length, pharyngeal coronal length, epiglottis length, epiglottis width, the distance from the genion to the hyoidale, the distance from the hyoidale to the aditus larynges base, and the distance from the aditus larynges base to the genion. Maxillary morphology was evaluated from 5 measured sites: SNA, S'-Ptm', A'-Ptm', the occiusal plane angle, and the palatal plane angle. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to detect associations between pharyngeal and maxillary morphological variables. There were significant correlations between pharyngeal coronal length and SNA, the distance from the genion to the hyoidale and the occlusal plane angle, pharyngeal coronal length and A'-Ptm', pharyngeal vertical length and the palatal plane angle, as well as the aditus larynges base to the genion and the occlusal plane. This information has potential clinical value for better understanding obstructive sleep apnea in adult patients, and for structurally based treatments such as surgical orthodontics. (author)

Communication Breakdown: The Impact of Ageing on Synapse Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Petralia, Ronald S.; Mattson, Mark P.; Yao, Pamela J.

2014-01-01

Impaired synaptic plasticity is implicated in the functional decline of the nervous system associated with ageing. Understanding the structure of ageing synapses is essential to understanding the functions of these synapses and their role in the ageing nervous system. In this review, we summarize studies on ageing synapses in vertebrates and invertebrates, focusing on changes in morphology and ultrastructure. We cover different parts of the nervous system, including the brain, the retina, the cochlea, and the neuromuscular junction. The morphological characteristics of aged synapses could shed light on the underlying molecular changes and their functional consequences. PMID:24495392

Semantic growth of morphological families in English

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Regina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the question of when and how morphological families are formed in one’s mental lexicon, by analyzing age-of-acquisition norms to morphological families (e.g., booking, bookshelf, check book and their shared morphemes (book. We demonstrate that the speed of growth and the size of the family depend on how early the shared morpheme is acquired and how many connections the family has at the time a new concept is incorporated in the family. These findings dovetail perfectly with the Semantic Growth model of connectivity in semantic networks by Steyvers and Tenenbaum (2005. We discuss implications of our findings for theories of vocabulary acquisition.

Developmental changes in the facial morphology of the Borneo orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus): possible signals in visual communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuze, Noko; Malim, Titol Peter; Kohshima, Shiro

2005-04-01

Orangutans display remarkable developmental changes and sexual differences in facial morphology, such as the flanges or cheek-pads that develop only on the face of dominant adult males. These changes suggest that facial morphology is an important factor in visual communication. However, developmental changes in facial morphology have not been examined in detail. We studied developmental changes in the facial morphology of the Borneo orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) by observing 79 individuals of various ages living in the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC) in Malaysia and in Japanese zoos. We also analyzed photographs of one captive male that were taken over a period of more than 16 years. There were clear morphological changes that occurred with growth, and we identified previously unreported sexual and developmental differences in facial morphology. Light-colored skin around the eyes and mouth is most prominent in animals younger than 3 years, and rapidly decreases in area through the age of approximately 7 years. At the same time, the scattered, erect hairs on the head (infant hair) become thick, dense hairs lying on the head (adult hair) in both sexes. The results suggest that these features are infant signals, and that adult signals may include darkened face color, adult hair, whiskers, and a beard, which begin to develop after the age of approximately 7 years in both sexes. In females, the eyelids remain white even after 10 years, and turn black at around the age of 20; in males, the eyelids turn black before the age of 10. The whiskers and beards of adults are thicker in males than in females, and are fully developed before the age of 10 in males, while they begin to develop in females only after approximately 20 years. White eyelids and undeveloped whiskers and beards may be visual signals that are indicative of young adult females. Our results also show that the facial morphology of the unflanged male is similar to that of the adult female, although

The parachute morphology as equilibrium morphology of vesicle-polymer hybrids?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jung, M.; Hubert, D.H.W.; Herk, van A.M.; German, A.L.

2000-01-01

Polymerisation in vesicles leads to novel polymer colloid morphologies. Two morphologies are currently reported: the triple-shell and the parachute morphology. The termodynamic analysis of these two morphologies, presented here, stresses the importance of considering interfacial energies between

The changes of cerebral morphology related to aging in Taiwanese population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsiao-Lan Sharon Wang

Full Text Available A cross-sectional study with the 3-dimensional (3D MRI reconstruction technique was conducted to investigate cerebral complexity changes related to age differences in native Taiwanese population. In our sample of 85 participants aged between 25 and 81, age was associated with gradual ventricular expansion. A nonlinear quadratic relationship between white matter volume and age was found overall in the brain. Widespread age-related reduction in white matter was detected from late adulthood onwards. However, no significant age-related changes in the cortex and whole brain volume were determined throughout adulthood. These findings provided information in describing brain structural complexity, which might in the future serve as an objective diagnostic index or as a predictive parameter for neurological diseases. Our method then may be used for cross-cultural longitudinal studies to evaluate the effect of disease, environment and aging on the brain.

Gross morphological changes in premature and post mature human plancentae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherin, F.; Afzal, E.; Seema, N.

2015-01-01

Placenta is a valuable tool for maternal and foetal diseases. Gross pathological changes are seen in the placenta of many disorders of pregnancy, which are associated with high perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted with the aim to compare the morphological features of preterm, term and post term placentae in our setup. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 150 placentae: 50 were from normal (term) pregnancies considered as control (delivered between 37 to 42 weeks of gestation.), 50 from premature pregnancies (gestational age between 35-37 weeks) from mothers having hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and 50 from post mature pregnancies (gestational age more than 42 weeks). The placentae were collected from Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, through purposive sampling. Placentae were examined in the department of Anatomy, Khyber Medical College Peshawar. Results: In gross morphological features of placentae (weight and diameter) showed significant (p<0.001) among the groups Conclusion: In was concluded that the hypertensive disorders of the pregnancy adversely influence the morphology of placenta, which leads to the premature delivery. (author)

Foot Morphological Difference between Habitually Shod and Unshod Runners.

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Yang Shu

Full Text Available Foot morphology and function has received increasing attention from both biomechanics researchers and footwear manufacturers. In this study, 168 habitually unshod runners (90 males whose age, weight & height were 23±2.4 years, 66±7.1 kg & 1.68±0.13 m and 78 females whose age, weight & height were 22±1.8 years, 55±4.7 kg & 1.6±0.11 m (Indians and 196 shod runners (130 males whose age, weight & height were 24±2.6 years, 66±8.2 kg & 1.72±0.18 m and 66 females whose age, weight & height were 23±1.5 years, 54±5.6 kg & 1.62±0.15 m (Chinese participated in a foot scanning test using the easy-foot-scan (a three-dimensional foot scanning system to obtain 3D foot surface data and 2D footprint imaging. Foot length, foot width, hallux angle and minimal distance from hallux to second toe were calculated to analyze foot morphological differences. This study found that significant differences exist between groups (shod Chinese and unshod Indians for foot length (female p = 0.001, width (female p = 0.001, hallux angle (male and female p = 0.001 and the minimal distance (male and female p = 0.001 from hallux to second toe. This study suggests that significant differences in morphology between different ethnicities could be considered for future investigation of locomotion biomechanics characteristics between ethnicities and inform last shape and design so as to reduce injury risks and poor performance from mal-fit shoes.

Syntax and morphology in Danish-speaking children with autism spectrum disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brynskov, Cecilia; Eigsti, Inge-Marie; Jørgensen, Meta

2017-01-01

The current study examined delays in syntax and morphology, and vocabulary, in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children ages 4–6 years with ASD (n = 21) and typical development (n = 21), matched on nonverbal mental age, completed five language tasks. The ASD group had significant delays in both...

Surface morphology of caldera-forming eruption deposits revealed by lidar mapping of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon- Implications for emplacement and surface modification

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Joel E.; Bacon, Charles R.; Major, Jon J.; Wright, Heather M.; Vallance, James W.

2017-01-01

Large explosive eruptions of silicic magma can produce widespread pumice fall, extensive ignimbrite sheets, and collapse calderas. The surfaces of voluminous ignimbrites are rarely preserved or documented because most terrestrial examples are heavily vegetated, or severely modified by post-depositional processes. Much research addresses the internal sedimentary characteristics, flow processes, and depositional mechanisms of ignimbrites, however, surface features of ignimbrites are less well documented and understood, except for comparatively small-volume deposits of historical eruptions. The ~7,700 calendar year B.P. climactic eruption of Mount Mazama, USA vented ~50 km3 of magma, deposited first as rhyodacite pumice fall and then as a zoned rhyodacite-to-andesite ignimbrite as Crater Lake caldera collapsed. Lidar collected during summer 2010 reveals the remarkably well-preserved surface of the Mazama ignimbrite and related deposits surrounding Crater Lake caldera in unprecedented detail despite forest cover. The ±1 m lateral and ±4 cm vertical resolution lidar allows surface morphologies to be classified. Surface morphologies are created by internal depositional processes and can point to the processes at work when pyroclastic flows come to rest. We describe nine surface features including furrow-ridge sets and wedge-shaped mounds in pumice fall eroded by high-energy pyroclastic surges, flow- parallel ridges that record the passage of multiple pyroclastic flows, perched benches of marginal deposits stranded by more-mobile pyroclastic-flow cores, hummocks of dense clasts interpreted as lag deposit, transverse ridges that mark the compression and imbrication of flows as they came to rest, scarps indicating ignimbrite remobilization, fields of pit craters caused by phreatic explosions, fractures and cracks caused by extensional processes resulting from ignimbrite volume loss, and stream channels eroded in the newly formed surface. The nine morphologies presented

Age-Specific and Sexual Variability of Morphological and Biomechanical Parameters of the Basilar Artery of Adult People

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.N. Nicolenko

2009-06-01

Full Text Available For the purpose of studying of morphological and biomechanical parameters of the basilar artery in an experiment on monoaxonic distension by tensile-testing machine Tira Test 28005 (Germany with a loading cell — 100 N we determined general solidity, breaking point, maximum and relative deformation of the artery. Preliminary under a microscope on cross-section cuts we measured the external diameter of the artery, its wall thickness and calculated the diameter of the lumen. In total, 114 basilar arteries (66 — from corpses of men, 48 — from corpses of women have been investigated. They were received not later than 16 hours after autopsy of adult people, whose cause of death has not been connected with a sharp vascular cerebral pathology. The statistically authentic prevalence of the size of wall thickness and general solidity of the men’s artery wall was revealed. In age aspect the external diameter, the lumen diameter and the wall thickness of the basilar artery increase. At the same time the solidity of the wall decreases and its ability to prolongation increases.

Prevalence of Cam Morphology in Females with Femoroacetabular Impingement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M Levy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Cam and pincer are two common morphologies responsible for femoroacetabular impingement. Previous literature has reported that cam deformity is predominantly a male morphology, while being significantly less common in females. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cam morphology in female subjects diagnosed with symptomatic FAI. All females presenting to the senior author’s clinic diagnosed with symptomatic FAI between December 2006 and Cam and pincer are two common morphologies responsible for femoroacetabular impingement. Previous literature has reported that cam deformity is predominantly a male morphology, while being significantly less common in females. Cam morphology is commonly assessed with the alpha angle, measured on radiographs. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cam morphology utilizing the alpha angle in female subjects diagnosed with symptomatic FAI. All females presenting to the senior author’s clinic diagnosed with symptomatic FAI between December 2006 and January 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Alpha (α angles were measured on AP (anteroposterior and lateral (Dunn 90°, cross-table lateral, and/or frog-leg lateral plain radiographs by two blinded physicians, and the largest measured angle was used. Using Gosvig et al.’s classification, alpha angle was characterized as (pathologic > 57°, borderline (51-56°, subtle (46-50°, very subtle (43-45°, or normal (≤42°. Three hundred and ninety-one patients (438 hips were analyzed (age 36.2 ± 12.3 years. Among the hips included, 35.6% were normal, 14.6% pathologic, 15.1% borderline, 14.6% subtle, and 20.1% very subtle. There was no correlation between alpha angle and patient age (R = 0.17 or body mass index (BMI (R = 0.05. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC for α-angle measurements was 0.84. Sixty-four percent of females in this cohort had an alpha angle > 42°. Subtle cam deformity plays a significant role in

Quantification of Dune Response over the Course of a 6-Day Nor'Easter, Outer Banks, NC

Science.gov (United States)

Brodie, K. L.; Spore, N.; Swann, C.

2014-12-01

The amount and type of foredune morphologic change during a storm event primarily scales with the level of inundation during that event. Specifically, external hydrodynamic forcing (total water level) can be compared with antecedent beach and foredune morphology to predict an impact regime that relates to the type of expected morphologic evolution of the system. For example, when total water levels are above the dune toe, but below the dune crest, the impact regime is classified as "collision" and the expected morphology response is slumping or scarping of the dune face. While the amount of dune retreat scales largely with the duration of wave attack to the dune face, characteristics of the dune other than its crest or toe elevation may also enhance or impede rates of morphologic change. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy provided a unique opportunity to observe alongshore variations in dune response to a 6-day Nor'Easter (Hs >4 m in 6 m depth), as a variety of dunes were constructed (or not) by individual home owners in preparation for the winter storm season. Daily terrestrial lidar scans were conducted along 20 km of coastline in Duck, NC using Coastal Lidar And Radar Imaging System (CLARIS) during the first dune collision event following Sandy. Foredunes were grouped by their pre-storm form (e.g. vegetated, pushed, scarped, etc) using automated feature extraction tools based on surface curvature and slope, and daily rates of morphologic volume change were calculated. The highest dune retreat rates were focused along a 1.5 km region where cross-shore erosion of recently pushed, un-vegetated dunes reached 2 m/day. Variations in dune response were analyzed in relation to their pre-storm morphology, with care taken to normalize for alongshore variations in hydrodynamic forcing. Ongoing research is focused on identifying specific metrics that can be easily extracted from topographic DEMs to aid in dune retreat predictions.

Hip morphologic measurements in an Egyptian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Aly, Tarek A

2011-04-11

The study of acetabular morphology has shown that there are geographic differences in the morphology and prevalence of acetabular dysplasia among different ethnic groups. However, few data exist on the shape of the acetabulum in various populations around the world. In this study, we examined samples of pelvic radiographs from Egyptian adults. Acetabular dysplasia in adults is characterized by a shallow and relatively vertical acetabulum.The aim of this study was to examine acetabular morphology to determine the prevalence of hip dysplasia in adult Egyptians. This included 244 adults, 134 men and 110 women between 18 and 60 years, who were used to measure center edge angle, acetabular Sharp angle, acetabular head index on anteroposterior radiographic views of the hip joints, and vertical center anterior margin angle on false profile views. The radiographs were taken of patients with no hip complaints at Tanta University Hospital.The results were statistically studied according to the age, height, and weight of patients. The prevalence of acetabular dysplasia was 2.25% for Egyptian men and 3.6% for women with respect to center edge angles, vertical center anterior margin angle, and acetabular head index.We concluded that gender variations in the morphology of the acetabulum and sex influences geometrical measurements of the acetabulum. Egyptian women were more dysplastic than men using the 4 parameters of hip measurements. There are also racial variations in hip morphology. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Concurrent and Longitudinal Effects of Morphological Awareness on Reading Comprehension among Chinese-Speaking Children

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haomin

2016-01-01

This study explored the concurrent and longitudinal effects of morphological awareness on the development of reading comprehension among Chinese-speaking children (N = 123, mean[subscript age] = 8.1 at Time 2). Drawing upon multivariate analyses, the study found that morphological awareness and lexical inferencing ability were intertwined together…

Late quaternary faulting along the Death Valley-Furnace Creek fault system, California and Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brogan, G.E.; Kellogg, K.S.; Terhune, C.L.; Slemmons, D.B.

1991-01-01

The Death Valley-Furnace Creek fault system, in California and Nevada, has a variety of impressive late Quaternary neotectonic features that record a long history of recurrent earthquake-induced faulting. Although no neotectonic features of unequivocal historical age are known, paleoseismic features from multiple late Quaternary events of surface faulting are well developed throughout the length of the system. Comparison of scarp heights to amount of horizontal offset of stream channels and the relationships of both scarps and channels to the ages of different geomorphic surfaces demonstrate that Quaternary faulting along the northwest-trending Furnace Creek fault zone is predominantly right lateral, whereas that along the north-trending Death Valley fault zone is predominantly normal. These observations are compatible with tectonic models of Death Valley as a northwest- trending pull-apart basin

Effect of ageing in the electrolyte and water on porous anodic films on zirconium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muratore, F.; Hashimoto, T.; Skeldon, P., E-mail: peter.skeldon@manchester.ac.uk; Thompson, G.E.

2011-06-15

Highlights: Porous anodic films are formed on zirconium consisting of nanotubes embedded in a fluoride-rich matrix. {yields}Ageing in the formation electrolyte transforms the films from porous to nanotubular. Ageing causes losses of zirconium and fluorine, due to dissolution of the matrix. Ageing in water has negligible influence on the film composition and the film morphology. - Abstract: The present study demonstrates the significant influence of ageing in the formation electrolyte on the morphology and composition of anodic films grown on zirconium in 0.35 M ammonium fluoride in glycerol. Ageing after anodizing, by immersion in the electrolyte for 1 h, is shown to promote a transition from a porous to a nanotubular morphology, due to the dissolution of the fluoride-rich intratubular material in which the nanotubes are embedded. The morphological change is accompanied by a significant loss of zirconium and fluorine from the film. In contrast, ageing in deionized water has little influence on the films.

Macular Morphology and Visual Acuity in the Second Year of the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Sumit; Toth, Cynthia A; Daniel, Ebenezer; Grunwald, Juan E; Maguire, Maureen G; Ying, Gui-Shuang; Huang, Jiayan; Martin, Daniel F; Jaffe, Glenn J

2016-04-01

To describe the association between morphologic features on fundus photography (FP), fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual acuity (VA) in the second year of the Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT). Prospective cohort study within a randomized clinical trial. Participants in the CATT. Study eye eligibility required angiographic and OCT evidence of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and VA between 20/25 and 20/320. Treatment was assigned randomly to ranibizumab or bevacizumab with 3 different dosing regimens over a 2-year period. Fluid type, location, and thickness; retina and subretinal tissue complex thickness on OCT; size and lesion composition on FP and FA; and VA. Among 1185 CATT participants, 993 (84%) had fluid on OCT at baseline and completed 2 years of follow-up. At 2 years, intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF), sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) fluid, and subretinal tissue complex thickness decreased in all treatment groups. Ranibizumab monthly was best able to resolve each type of fluid. Eyes with SRF in the foveal center on OCT had better mean VA than eyes with no SRF (72.8 vs. 66.6 letters; P = 0.006). Eyes with IRF in the foveal center had worse mean VA than eyes without IRF (59.9 vs. 70.9 letters; P 212 μm (59.4 vs. 71.3 vs. 70.3 letters; P < 0.0001). At 2 years, the mean VA (letters) of eyes varied substantially by the type of subfoveal pathology on FP and FA: 70.6 for no pathology; 74.1 for fluid only; 73.3 for CNV or pigment epithelial (RPE) detachment; 68.4 for nongeographic atrophy; and 62.9 for geographic atrophy, hemorrhage, RPE tear, or scar (P < 0.0001). The associations between VA and morphologic features identified through year 1 were maintained or strengthened during year 2. Eyes with foveal IRF, abnormally thin retina, greater thickness of the subretinal tissue complex on OCT, and subfoveal

Morphology of endothelial cells from different regions of the equine cornea

OpenAIRE

Faganello, Cláudia Skilhan; Silva, Vanessa Ruiz Moura da; Andrade, Maria Cristina Caldart de; Carissimi, André Silva; Pigatto, João Antonio Tadeu

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphology of different regions of the equine cornea using optical microscopy. Both healthy eyes of eight horses, male or female, of different ages were evaluated. Corneas were stained with alizarin red vital dye and subsequently examined and photographed using optical microscopy. Corneal endothelial morphology of central, superior, inferior, temporal and nasal areas was assessed. One hundred endothelial cells from each corneal area we...

Quantitative image analysis reveals distinct structural transitions during aging in Caenorhabditis elegans tissues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josiah Johnston

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Aging is associated with functional and structural declines in many body systems, even in the absence of underlying disease. In particular, skeletal muscles experience severe declines during aging, a phenomenon termed sarcopenia. Despite the high incidence and severity of sarcopenia, little is known about contributing factors and development. Many studies focus on functional aspects of aging-related tissue decline, while structural details remain understudied. Traditional approaches for quantifying structural changes have assessed individual markers at discrete intervals. Such approaches are inadequate for the complex changes associated with aging. An alternative is to consider changes in overall morphology rather than in specific markers. We have used this approach to quantitatively track tissue architecture during adulthood and aging in the C. elegans pharynx, the neuromuscular feeding organ. Using pattern recognition to analyze aged-grouped pharynx images, we identified discrete step-wise transitions between distinct morphologies. The morphology state transitions were maintained in mutants with pharynx neurotransmission defects, although the pace of the transitions was altered. Longitudinal measurements of pharynx function identified a predictive relationship between mid-life pharynx morphology and function at later ages. These studies demonstrate for the first time that adult tissues undergo distinct structural transitions reflecting postdevelopmental events. The processes that underlie these architectural changes may contribute to increased disease risk during aging, and may be targets for factors that alter the aging rate. This work further demonstrates that pattern analysis of an image series offers a novel and generally accessible approach for quantifying morphological changes and identifying structural biomarkers.

Quantitative image analysis reveals distinct structural transitions during aging in Caenorhabditis elegans tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Josiah; Iser, Wendy B; Chow, David K; Goldberg, Ilya G; Wolkow, Catherine A

2008-07-30

Aging is associated with functional and structural declines in many body systems, even in the absence of underlying disease. In particular, skeletal muscles experience severe declines during aging, a phenomenon termed sarcopenia. Despite the high incidence and severity of sarcopenia, little is known about contributing factors and development. Many studies focus on functional aspects of aging-related tissue decline, while structural details remain understudied. Traditional approaches for quantifying structural changes have assessed individual markers at discrete intervals. Such approaches are inadequate for the complex changes associated with aging. An alternative is to consider changes in overall morphology rather than in specific markers. We have used this approach to quantitatively track tissue architecture during adulthood and aging in the C. elegans pharynx, the neuromuscular feeding organ. Using pattern recognition to analyze aged-grouped pharynx images, we identified discrete step-wise transitions between distinct morphologies. The morphology state transitions were maintained in mutants with pharynx neurotransmission defects, although the pace of the transitions was altered. Longitudinal measurements of pharynx function identified a predictive relationship between mid-life pharynx morphology and function at later ages. These studies demonstrate for the first time that adult tissues undergo distinct structural transitions reflecting postdevelopmental events. The processes that underlie these architectural changes may contribute to increased disease risk during aging, and may be targets for factors that alter the aging rate. This work further demonstrates that pattern analysis of an image series offers a novel and generally accessible approach for quantifying morphological changes and identifying structural biomarkers.

Molecular-level insights into aging processes of skin elastin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mora Huertas, Angela C; Schmelzer, Christian E H; Hoehenwarter, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Skin aging is characterized by different features including wrinkling, atrophy of the dermis and loss of elasticity associated with damage to the extracellular matrix protein elastin. The aim of this study was to investigate the aging process of skin elastin at the molecular level by evaluating...... the influence of intrinsic (chronological aging) and extrinsic factors (sun exposure) on the morphology and susceptibility of elastin towards enzymatic degradation. Elastin was isolated from biopsies derived from sun-protected or sun-exposed skin of differently aged individuals. The morphology of the elastin...... pronounced in sun-exposed tissue. Marker peptides were identified, which showed an age-related increase or decrease in their abundances and provide insights into the progression of the aging process of elastin fibers. Strong age-related cleavage occurs in hydrophobic tropoelastin domains 18, 20, 24 and 26...

Morphology targets: What do seedling morphological attributes tell us?

Science.gov (United States)

Jeremiah R. Pinto

2011-01-01

Morphology is classically defined as the form and structure of individual organisms, as distinct from their anatomy or physiology. We use morphological targets in the nursery because they are easy to measure, and because we can often quantitatively link seedling morphological traits with survival and growth performance in the field. In the 20 years since the Target...

Global and nonglobal parameters of horizontal-branch morphology of globular clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milone, A. P.; Marino, A. F.; Dotter, A.; Norris, J. E.; Jerjen, H.; Asplund, M.

2014-01-01

The horizontal-branch (HB) morphology of globular clusters (GCs) is mainly determined by metallicity. However, the fact that GCs with almost the same metallicity exhibit different HB morphologies demonstrates that at least one more parameter is needed to explain the HB morphology. It has been suggested that one of these should be a global parameter that varies from GC to GC and the other a nonglobal parameter that varies within the GC. In this study we provide empirical evidence corroborating this idea. We used the photometric catalogs obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys of the Hubble Space Telescope and analyze the color-magnitude diagrams of 74 GCs. The HB morphology of our sample of GCs has been investigated on the basis of the two new parameters L1 and L2 that measure the distance between the red giant branch and the coolest part of the HB and the color extension of the HB, respectively. We find that L1 correlates with both metallicity and age, whereas L2 most strongly correlates with the mass of the hosting GC. The range of helium abundance among the stars in a GC, characterized by ΔY and associated with the presence of multiple stellar populations, has been estimated in a few GCs to date. In these GCs we find a close relationship among ΔY, GC mass, and L2. We conclude that age and metallicity are the main global parameters, while the range of helium abundance within a GC is the main nonglobal parameter defining the HB morphology of Galactic GCs.

The impact of obesity on foot morphology in women aged 48 years or older

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristína Tománková

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Obesity is major risk factor for many diseases within society and represents extensive loads for the feet which lead to various foot disorders and deformities. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of obesity as represented by percent body fat (PBF on foot morphology. Methods: The study sample included 139 Czech women aged 48-69 years. The women were divided into two groups by PBF: non-obese women (NOW (n = 66; PBF < 35% and obese women (OW (n = 73; PBF > 35%. Measurements included % PBF and width, length and angle dimensions of foot. The Chippaux-Smirak index (CSI was calculated for each foot. Results: We found significant differences between OW and NOW in these parameters: direct forefoot width (sin. p = .02, rpb = .20, direct heel width (sin. p = .01, rpb = .22; dex. p < .01, rpb = .22, hallux angle (sin. p = .01, rpb = .25 and CSI (sin. p < .01, rpb = .26; dex. p < .01, rpb = .27. The results showed that the mean values of the heel width and CSI were significantly higher in OW on both feet, the mean values of forefoot width only on the left foot. Conclusions: Results proved that obesity impacts all parts of the foot (heel, longitudinal foot arch, forefoot. Despite significant differences of the CSI between NOW and OW, the number of subjects with flat feet was in both groups negligible.

Assessment of condylar morphology and position using MSCT in an Asian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qi; Wei, Xiaoer; Guan, Juanjuan; Wang, Ran; Zou, Derong; Yu, Lvfeng

2018-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the volume, surface, morphometric index (MI), and position of the condyle in a normal population by applying Mimics 17.0 software. Then, the difference between left and right sides, sex, and age can be explored, which will contribute to establish the reference value of condylar morphology and position in normal individuals, and help us to study characteristics of condylar morphology and position in abnormal individuals. Three-hundred subjects were enrolled in our study from the radiology department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital. They were divided into three groups according to the age: group 1 (18-24 years old), group 2 (25-34 years old), and group 3 (35-44 years old). Each group included 100 subjects (with 50 males and 50 females). They were examined using multislice computed tomography (MSCT) after that. All images of condyle were reconstructed by Mimics 17.0 software, so as to measure the volume, surface, and MI of condyle, and to analyze the position of condyle in the articular fossa by means of joint spaces. The differences of condylar volume, surface, and MI between left and right sides were not obvious (P > 0.05). The condylar volume and surface were greater in males than females (P  0.05). No statistical differences were found in volume and surface among three age groups. However, the MI of group 1 was statistically lower than that of group 3 (P position (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, there were significant differences of condylar position regarding the gender and age (P position between left and right sides, but factors of gender and age were proven to have a certain influence on the morphology and position of the condyle. This information can be clinically useful in establishing the diagnostic criteria for condylar morphology and position in the normal Asian population. Examination of condylar morphology and position is important for evaluating the

Automatic morphological subtyping reveals new roles of caspases in mitochondrial dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jyh-Ying Peng

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Morphological dynamics of mitochondria is associated with key cellular processes related to aging and neuronal degenerative diseases, but the lack of standard quantification of mitochondrial morphology impedes systematic investigation. This paper presents an automated system for the quantification and classification of mitochondrial morphology. We discovered six morphological subtypes of mitochondria for objective quantification of mitochondrial morphology. These six subtypes are small globules, swollen globules, straight tubules, twisted tubules, branched tubules and loops. The subtyping was derived by applying consensus clustering to a huge collection of more than 200 thousand mitochondrial images extracted from 1422 micrographs of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO cells treated with different drugs, and was validated by evidence of functional similarity reported in the literature. Quantitative statistics of subtype compositions in cells is useful for correlating drug response and mitochondrial dynamics. Combining the quantitative results with our biochemical studies about the effects of squamocin on CHO cells reveals new roles of Caspases in the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamics. This system is not only of value to the mitochondrial field, but also applicable to the investigation of other subcellular organelle morphology.

Changes in blood morphology and chosen biochemical parameters in ultra-marathon runners during a 100-km run in relation to the age and speed of runners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zbigniew Jastrzębski

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The objective of the study was to reveal morphology, electrolyte and chosen biochemical parameters in terms of health risk in runners in reference to their age and running speed in the case of running a distance of 100 km, which occur after 12 h or 24 h of recovery. Material and Methods: Fourteen experienced, male, amateur, ultra-marathon runners, divided into two age and two speed groups took part in the 100-km run. Blood samples for analyses indexes were collected from the ulnar vein just before the run, after 25 km, 50 km, 75 km and 100 km, as well as 12 h and 24 h after termination of the run. Results: The sustained ultramarathon run along with the distance covered (p < 0.05 caused an increase in myoglobin (max 90-fold, bilirubin (max 2.8-fold and total antioxidant status (max 1.15-fold, which also continued during the recovery. Significant changes in the number of white blood cells were observed with each sequential course and could be associated with muscle damage. The electrolyte showed changes towards slight hyperkalemia, but no changes in natrium and calcium concentrations. There were no significant differences between the age and speed groups for all the parameters after completing the 100-km run as well as after 12 h and 24 h of recovery. Conclusions: Considering changes in blood morphology and chosen biochemical parameters in ultra-marathon runners during a 100-km run it can be stated that such an exhausting effort may be dangerous for human health due to metabolic changes and large damage to the organs. Negative metabolic changes are independent of age of an ultramarathon runner and occur both in younger (32±5.33 years and older participants (50.56±9.7 years. It can be concluded that organ damage and negative metabolic changes during a 100-km run occur similarly in participants less experienced as well as in well trained runners. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(5:801–814

The ageing eye

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2007-11-10

Nov 10, 2007 ... Treatment of presbyopia. In the early stages of ... cells decreases and their morphology changes, rendering the aged cornea more ... (senile miosis), giving rise to night vision problems. Therefore .... risk of lung cancer to smokers and is .... Active screening for visual loss in the elderly should become routine.

Analysis of landscapes of the south coast in São Paulo State (Brazil)

OpenAIRE

Dias, Renê Lepiani; Oliveira, Regina Célia de

2012-01-01

The South Coast of São Paulo is structured in two main areas morphostructural: Atlantic Orogenic Belt and Cenozoic Sedimentary Basins. In this area are found various morphologies, that are in the form of trims topographic scarps, valleys carved, organization of major river network, the sharp convex tops in the Atlantic Forest domain extensive plain with the presence of unconsolidated deposits and important environmental systems, such as those related to mangroves. The landscape in which organ...

Search for morphological parameters influential for prediction of the mechanical characteristics of an austeno-ferritic duplex stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messiaen, L.

1997-01-01

Duplex stainless steels are commonly used (among others in nuclear industry) for their good properties. However these steels may 'age' in service condition at high temperatures. As their mechanical properties (Charpy impact toughness, resistance to ductile tearing) are often very scattered and tend to decrease after ageing, it has become essential to predict them with high precision. For this, we propose to explain a part of the scattering of the mechanical properties with measurable parameters in relation with the particularly complicated two-phase morphology. The two-phase and bi-percolated morphology of the ferrite and austenite phases is first characterised from the observation of 2D images and from the reconstitution of a 3D image. At the same time we precise the genesis of the formation's mechanisms of the structure (germination and growth of the austenitic phase in the solidified ferri tic one) in relation with the literature. The morphological characteristics so observed corresponding with classical notions of mathematical morphology, - size, covariance, connexity -, we use morphological operators to measure morphological variables by image analysis. We establish then a link between toughness and a parameter measuring fineness of the morphology. The lack of data for very aged steels prevent us from proposing a model of toughness which could take this parameter into consideration at these ageing states, for which it is properly the more crucial to obtain specially precise predictions. A mathematical mo del of the 3D structure of the steel is finally proposed. We choose an homogeneous Markov chain of 3D spatial processes, whose evolution in time mimes the solidification. The morphology of the microstructure is so summarised with 8 parameters. This model is liable to be coupled with a model of toughness, for which it would so enlarge the possibilities of prediction. It could also be used to simulate subsequently the damage and the rupture of two

Kanda fault: A major seismogenic element west of the Rukwa Rift (Tanzania, East Africa)

Science.gov (United States)

Vittori, Eutizio; Delvaux, Damien; Kervyn, François

1997-09-01

The NW-SE trending Rukwa Rift, part of the East African Rift System, links the approximately N-S oriented Tanganyika and Nyassa (Malawi) depressions. The rift has a complex half-graben structure, generally interpreted as the result of normal and strike-slip faulting. Morphological and structural data (e.g. fault scarps, faceted spurs, tilting of Quaternary continental deposits, volcanism, seismicity) indicate Late Quaternary activity within the rift. In 1910 an earthquake of M = 7.4 (historically the largest felt in Africa) struck the Rukwa region. The epicentre was located near the Kanda fault, which affects the Ufipa plateau, separating the Rukwa depression from the south-Tanganyika basin. The geomorphic expression of the Kanda fault is a prominent fresh-looking scarp more than 180 km long, from Tunduma to north of Sumbawanga, that strikes roughly NW-SE, and dips constantly northeast. No evidence for horizontal slip was observed. Generally, the active faulting affects a very narrow zone, and is only locally distributed over several subparallel scarps. The height of the scarp progressively decreases towards the northwest, from about 40-50 m to a few metres north of Sumbawanga. Faulted lacustrine deposits exposed in a road cut near Kaengesa were dated as 8340 ± 700 and 13 600 ± 1240 radiocarbon years. These low-energy deposits now hang more than 15 m above the present-day valley floor, suggesting rapid uplift during the Holocene. Due to its high rate of activity in very recent times, the Kanda Fault could have produced the 1910 earthquake. Detailed paleoseismological studies are used to characterize its recent history. In addition, the seismic hazard posed by this fault, which crosses the fast growing town of Sumbawanga, must be seriously considered in urban planning.

Stability and morphology of Ag nanoplatelets probed by depolarized dynamic light scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Zimbone, M.; Contino, A.; Maccarrone, G.; Musumeci, P.; Lo Faro, M. J.; Calcagno, L.

2018-06-01

The stability of silver nanoplatelet (NP) suspensions prepared with different concentrations of trisodium citrate (TSC) was studied by depolarized dynamic light scattering (DDLS) and UV–vis spectrometry. The morphology of the nanoparticles, as well as the color and stability of the sols, are tuned by the concentration of the capping agent. The nanoparticles prepared with high TSC concentration (>10‑4 M) are blue triangular NPs showing a slight truncation of the tips with aging. When low TSC concentrations are used, the color of the sols changes from blue to yellow with aging time and a strong modification of the morphology occurs: the nanoparticle shape changes from triangular to spherical. Remarkably, they show a high degree of anisotropy. The aging process was followed by the UV–vis spectra and by measuring the rotational diffusion coefficient by DDLS, providing information on the nanoparticle size and shape evolution. The high intensity of depolarized signal and the high value of rotational diffusion coefficient suggest that the aging process increases the thickness and the roughness of the nanoparticles

A geomorphological seabed classification for the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Jerosch, Kerstin; Kuhn, Gerhard; Krajnik, Ingo; Scharf, Frauke Katharina; Dorschel, Boris

2016-06-01

Sea floor morphology plays an important role in many scientific disciplines such as ecology, hydrology and sedimentology since geomorphic features can act as physical controls for e.g. species distribution, oceanographically flow-path estimations or sedimentation processes. In this study, we provide a terrain analysis of the Weddell Sea based on the 500 m × 500 m resolution bathymetry data provided by the mapping project IBCSO. Seventeen seabed classes are recognized at the sea floor based on a fine and broad scale Benthic Positioning Index calculation highlighting the diversity of the glacially carved shelf. Beside the morphology, slope, aspect, terrain rugosity and hillshade were calculated and supplied to the data archive PANGAEA. Applying zonal statistics to the geomorphic features identified unambiguously the shelf edge of the Weddell Sea with a width of 45-70 km and a mean depth of about 1200 m ranging from 270 m to 4300 m. A complex morphology of troughs, flat ridges, pinnacles, steep slopes, seamounts, outcrops, and narrow ridges, structures with approx. 5-7 km width, build an approx. 40-70 km long swath along the shelf edge. The study shows where scarps and depressions control the connection between shelf and abyssal and where high and low declination within the scarps e.g. occur. For evaluation purpose, 428 grain size samples were added to the seabed class map. The mean values of mud, sand and gravel of those samples falling into a single seabed class was calculated, respectively, and assigned to a sediment texture class according to a common sediment classification scheme.

[Evaluation of Iris Morphology Viewed through Stromal Edematous Corneas by Infrared Camera].

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Masaaki; Morishige, Naoyuki; Morita, Yukiko; Yamada, Naoyuki; Kobayashi, Motomi; Sonoda, Koh-Hei

2016-02-01

We reported that the application of infrared camera enables us to observe iris morphology in Peters' anomaly through edematous corneas. To observe the iris morphology in bullous keratopathy or failure grafts with an infrared camera. Eleven bullous keratopathy or failure grafts subjects (6 men and 5 women, mean age ± SD; 72.7 ± 13.0 years old) were enrolled in this study. The iris morphology was observed by applying visible light mode and near infrared light mode of infrared camera (MeibomPen). The detectability of pupil shapes, iris patterns and presence of iridectomy was evaluated. Infrared mode observation enabled us to detect the pupil shapes in 11 out of 11 cases, iris patterns in 3 out of 11 cases, and presence of iridetomy in 9 out of 11 cases although visible light mode observation could not detect any iris morphological changes. Applying infrared optics was valuable for observation of the iris morphology through stromal edematous corneas.

Age-related changes in the testes and prostate of the Beagle dog

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowseth, L.A.; Gerlach, R.F.; Gillett, N.A.; Muggenburg, B.A.

1988-01-01

Age-related changes in the histologic morphology of the Beagle dog prostate and testes must be separated from those changes that may result from the testing of experimental compounds. The prostate and testes of healthy age-matched Beagle dogs 3 to 14 yr of age were obtained. Serum to evaluate testosterone levels was also obtained from each dog at the time of euthanasia. Tissue sections from the prostate and testes were examined by light microscopy for both qualitative and quantitative morphologic assessment. A statistically significant increase in prostatic weight with increased age was noted. Significant morphometric findings in the prostate included a decrease in the relative percent of epithelial cells and an increase in the relative lumen size of glandular acini with increased age. The absolute volume of prostate interstitial tissue and inflammation showed a statistically significant increase with age. Stereological analysis of the testes showed a decrease in the relative percent epithelium with increasing age. No distinct age-related trend could be detected in serum testosterone levels. Serum testosterone levels did not correlate with the morphologic age-related changes observed in the testes or prostate. (author)

Changes of Langerhans cells during skin ageing

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Barbara Zegarska

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction : During the process of skin ageing, changes occur in all skin layers and all cells, including the Langerhans cells. Aim: To assess whether any quantitative difference in the number of CD1a+ LC cells/mm 2 and HLA-DR+ LC cells/mm 2 as well as in their morphological features can be observed during the course of different types of skin ageing. Material and methods: The study was conducted in a group of 60 women, which was divided into three independent groups: group I with symptoms of menopausal skin ageing, group II with symptoms of photoageing, group III with symptoms of chronological ageing. Skin biopsy samples were taken from the pre-auricular region from all of the participants. The number of CD1a+ LC cells/mm 2 and HLA-DR+ LC cells/mm 2 as well as their morphological features were evaluated. Results : The frequency of CD1a+ LC and HLA-DR+ LC in all the studied groups was diverse. In groups I and III, the LC with large cell bodies and long, multi-branched processes were the majority. In group II, the LC had small cell bodies and their processes were mainly short and unbranched. Conclusions : The obtained results indicate the presence of quantitative and morphological changes of the CD1a+ LC and HLA-DR+ LC during the course of different types of skin ageing.

Morphological changes of the epiglottis with aging: A radiological study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Bong Joon; Sim, Joong Seop; Yoon, Sei Chul; Ahn, Kwan Shik; Bahk, Yong Whee

1983-01-01

In man the epiglottis is a thin lamella of a yellow elastic cartilage. The upper part is free and is known as leaf and lower part participates in the formation of the anterior wall of the vestibule of the larynx. The ipithelial covering extends forward onto the base of the tongue over the medial glossoepiglottic folds. The sides of epiglottis are connected with the cartilages of Wrisberg and arytenoid cartilage by the aryepiglottic fold. In view of these anatomical complexities, the function and physiology of the epiglottis have been debated since Magendi (1815), who proposed the theory that the epiglottis acts as a flap valve to prevent food entering the windpipe, and who found that he could remove the free part of the epiglottis in dog without spoilling the dog. Following the introduction of laryngoscopy (Gracia, 1815; Liston, 1840; Czermark; 1861) and modern cineradiographic equipment in 1950's, the anatomy and physiology of epiglottis has become much clearer age as it is seen on the lateral x-ray of the neck. In the present study we have made an attempt to systematically analyze aging changes of the epiglottis in the lateral x-ray of the neck in 245 healthy adults. The age ranged from 16 to 65 years old. Based on our observation the epiglottis was classified into type A, B and C according to their curvatures. Thus, type A represented those with posterior curvature, type B those with straight epiglottis and type C anterior curvature. Type C was subdivided into I, II and III according to the degree of curvature. Thus, type C-I, C-II and C-III represented mild, moderate and marked anterior curvature, respectively. Type A epiglottis was found in the second, third and fourth decades and type C-III in the older age group. Type A was least common and type C most prevalent. It seems that the epiglottis inclines anteriorly with backward curvature with age (p<0.0001)

Diversity Of Mandibular Morphology In Some Carnivorans

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Rahmat S. J.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Comparison of mandibular morphology of some aquatic (seals, walruses, and sea otters and terrestrial (hyenas and pandas carnivorans demonstrates a rather general pattern correlating size of condyloid angle, size of gape, and diet. Structural differences of carnivoran jaws reveal morphological and ecological adaptations that are directly correlated with availability of prey, diving depth, feeding competition and specialized feeding methods. Specifically, the inclination of the condyloid process relative to the axis of the alveolar row (= condyloid angle can be used to determine dietary preferences, including size of prey. Generally, carnivorans with a large condyloid angle feed on larger prey, while a low condyloid angle suggests feeding on small prey or can be an advantageous feeding mechanism. Mirounga angustirostris (Northern elephant seal displays sex-specific characters in cranial and postcranial elements. Likewise, significant sexually dimorphic differences in the size of condyloid angle imply that deeper-diving male Northern elephant seals have a feeding niche dissimilar to that of females. Morphological assessment of male M. angustirostris suggests they are bottom-feeding seals that utilize a suction-feeding mechanism to capture small prey and crush shells with their teeth, which become weaker as they age.

Morphological features of the neonatal brain support development of subsequent cognitive, language, and motor abilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Spann, Marisa N; Bansal, Ravi; Rosen, Tove S; Peterson, Bradley S

2014-09-01

Knowledge of the role of brain maturation in the development of cognitive abilities derives primarily from studies of school-age children to adults. Little is known about the morphological features of the neonatal brain that support the subsequent development of abilities in early childhood, when maturation of the brain and these abilities are the most dynamic. The goal of our study was to determine whether brain morphology during the neonatal period supports early cognitive development through 2 years of age. We correlated morphological features of the cerebral surface assessed using deformation-based measures (surface distances) of high-resolution MRI scans for 33 healthy neonates, scanned between the first to sixth week of postmenstrual life, with subsequent measures of their motor, language, and cognitive abilities at ages 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. We found that morphological features of the cerebral surface of the frontal, mesial prefrontal, temporal, and occipital regions correlated with subsequent motor scores, posterior parietal regions correlated with subsequent language scores, and temporal and occipital regions correlated with subsequent cognitive scores. Measures of the anterior and middle portions of the cingulate gyrus correlated with scores across all three domains of ability. Most of the significant findings were inverse correlations located bilaterally in the brain. The inverse correlations may suggest either that a more protracted morphological maturation or smaller local volumes of neonatal brain tissue supports better performance on measures of subsequent motor, language, and cognitive abilities throughout the first 2 years of postnatal life. The correlations of morphological measures of the cingulate with measures of performance across all domains of ability suggest that the cingulate supports a broad range of skills in infancy and early childhood, similar to its functions in older children and adults. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chinese L1 children's English L2 verb morphology over time: individual variation in long-term outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Paradis, Johanne; Tulpar, Yasemin; Arppe, Antti

2016-05-01

This study examined accuracy in production and grammaticality judgements of verb morphology by eighteen Chinese-speaking children learning English as a second language (L2) followed longitudinally from four to six years of exposure to English, and who began to learn English at age 4;2. Children's growth in accuracy with verb morphology reached a plateau by six years, where 11/18 children did not display native-speaker levels of accuracy for one or more morphemes. Variation in children's accuracy with verb morphology was predicted by their English vocabulary size and verbal short-term memories primarily, and quality and quantity of English input at home secondarily. This study shows that even very young L2 learners might not all catch up to native speakers in this time frame and that non-age factors play a role in determining individual variation in child L2 learners' long-term outcomes with English morphology.

Diverse rupture modes for surface-deforming upper plate earthquakes in the southern Puget Lowland of Washington State

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Alan R.; Personius, Stephen F.; Sherrod, Brian L.; Kelsey, Harvey M.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Bradley, Lee-Ann; Wells, Ray E.

2014-01-01

Earthquake prehistory of the southern Puget Lowland, in the north-south compressive regime of the migrating Cascadia forearc, reflects diverse earthquake rupture modes with variable recurrence. Stratigraphy and Bayesian analyses of previously reported and new 14C ages in trenches and cores along backthrust scarps in the Seattle fault zone restrict a large earthquake to 1040–910 cal yr B.P. (2σ), an interval that includes the time of the M 7–7.5 Restoration Point earthquake. A newly identified surface-rupturing earthquake along the Waterman Point backthrust dates to 940–380 cal yr B.P., bringing the number of earthquakes in the Seattle fault zone in the past 3500 yr to 4 or 5. Whether scarps record earthquakes of moderate (M 5.5–6.0) or large (M 6.5–7.0) magnitude, backthrusts of the Seattle fault zone may slip during moderate to large earthquakes every few hundred years for periods of 1000–2000 yr, and then not slip for periods of at least several thousands of years. Four new fault scarp trenches in the Tacoma fault zone show evidence of late Holocene folding and faulting about the time of a large earthquake or earthquakes inferred from widespread coseismic subsidence ca. 1000 cal yr B.P.; 12 ages from 8 sites in the Tacoma fault zone limit the earthquakes to 1050–980 cal yr B.P. Evidence is too sparse to determine whether a large earthquake was closely predated or postdated by other earthquakes in the Tacoma basin, but the scarp of the Tacoma fault was formed by multiple earthquakes. In the northeast-striking Saddle Mountain deformation zone, along the western limit of the Seattle and Tacoma fault zones, analysis of previous ages limits earthquakes to 1200–310 cal yr B.P. The prehistory clarifies earthquake clustering in the central Puget Lowland, but cannot resolve potential structural links among the three Holocene fault zones.

Morphological control of strontium oxalate particles by PSMA-mediated precipitation reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu Jiaguo [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)]. E-mail: jiaguoyu@yahoo.com; Tang Hua [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Cheng Bei [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)

2005-05-15

In this paper, strontium oxalate particles with different morphologies could be easily obtained by a precipitation reaction of sodium oxalate with strontium chloride in the absence and presence of poly-(styrene-alt-maleic acid) (PSMA). The as-prepared products were characterized with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The effects of pH, aging time and concentration of PSMA on the phase structures and morphologies of the as-prepared strontium oxalate particles were investigated and discussed. The results showed that strontium oxalate particles with various morphologies, such as, bi-pyramids, rods, peanuts, and spherical particles, etc., could be obtained by varying the experimental conditions. PSMA promoted the formation of strontium oxalate dihydrate (SOD) phase. Suitable pH values (pH 7 and 8) favor the formation of the peanut-shaped SrC{sub 2}O{sub 4} particles. This research may provide new insight into the control of morphologies and phase structures of strontium oxalate particles and the biomimetic synthesis of novel inorganic materials.

Ontogeny of the morphology-performance axis in an amphibious fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus).

Science.gov (United States)

Styga, Joseph M; Houslay, Thomas M; Wilson, Alastair J; Earley, Ryan L

2017-12-01

Establishing links between morphology and performance is important for understanding the functional, ecological, and evolutionary implications of morphological diversity. Relationships between morphology and performance are expected to be age dependent if, at different points during ontogeny, animals must perform in different capacities to achieve high fitness returns. Few studies have examined how the relationship between form and function changes across ontogeny. Here, we assess this relationship in the amphibious mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) fish, a species that is both capable of and reliant on "tail-flip jumping" for terrestrial locomotion. Tail-flip jumping entails an individual transferring its weight to the caudal region of the body, launching itself from the substrate to navigate to new aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats. By combining repeated trials of jumping performance in 237 individuals from distinct age classes with a clearing and staining procedure to visualize bones in the caudal region, we test the hypotheses that as age increases (i) average jumping performance (body lengths jumped) will increase, (ii) the amount of variation for each trait will change, and (iii) the patterns of covariation/correlation among traits, which tell us about the integration of form with function, will also change. We find a significant increase in size-adjusted jumping performance with age, and modification to the correlation structure among traits across ontogeny. However, we also find that significant links between form and function evident in young animals disappear at later ontogenetic stages. Our study suggests that different functional mechanisms may be associated with high performance at different stages of development. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal using cone-beam computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thakur, Arpita Rai; Burde, Krishna; Guttai, Kruthika; Naikmasu, Venkatesh

2013-01-01

This study was performed to evaluate the general anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to determine the human anatomic variability of the nasopalatine canal in relation to age and gender. The study included 100 subjects aged between 20 and 86 years who were divided into the following 3 groups: 1) 20-34 years old; 2) 35-49 years old; 3) ≥50 years old. The subjects were equally distributed between the genders. CBCT was performed using a standard exposure and patient positioning protocol. The data of the CBCT images were sliced in three dimensions. Image planes on the three axes (X, Y, and Z) were sequentially analyzed for the location, morphology and dimensions of the nasopalatine canal by two independent observers. The correlation of age and gender with all the variables was evaluated. The present study did not reveal statistically significant differences in the number of openings at the nasal fossa; diameter of the nasal fossa openings; diameter of the incisive fossa; shape, curvature, and angulation of the canal as viewed in the sagittal sections; antero-posterior dimensions and length of the canal in the sagittal sections; or the level of division of the canal in the coronal plane by age. However, males and females showed significant differences in the length of the canal in the sagittal sections and level of the division of the canal in the coronal plane. The present study highlighted important variability observed in the anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal.

Anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal using cone-beam computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thakur, Arpita Rai [Dept. of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi (India); Burde, Krishna; Guttai, Kruthika; Naikmasu, Venkatesh [Dept. of Oral Medicine and Radiology, S.D.M. College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad (India)

2013-12-15

This study was performed to evaluate the general anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to determine the human anatomic variability of the nasopalatine canal in relation to age and gender. The study included 100 subjects aged between 20 and 86 years who were divided into the following 3 groups: 1) 20-34 years old; 2) 35-49 years old; 3) ≥50 years old. The subjects were equally distributed between the genders. CBCT was performed using a standard exposure and patient positioning protocol. The data of the CBCT images were sliced in three dimensions. Image planes on the three axes (X, Y, and Z) were sequentially analyzed for the location, morphology and dimensions of the nasopalatine canal by two independent observers. The correlation of age and gender with all the variables was evaluated. The present study did not reveal statistically significant differences in the number of openings at the nasal fossa; diameter of the nasal fossa openings; diameter of the incisive fossa; shape, curvature, and angulation of the canal as viewed in the sagittal sections; antero-posterior dimensions and length of the canal in the sagittal sections; or the level of division of the canal in the coronal plane by age. However, males and females showed significant differences in the length of the canal in the sagittal sections and level of the division of the canal in the coronal plane. The present study highlighted important variability observed in the anatomy and morphology of the nasopalatine canal.

Evaluation and reliability of bone histological age estimation methods

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Human age estimation at death plays a vital role in forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology. Researchers used morphological and histological methods to estimate human age from their skeletal remains. This paper discussed different histological methods that used human long bones and ribs to determine age ...

Cerebellum developmental challenges: From morphology to molecular issues

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Andrei Cosma

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: It is known that, throughout the development of the nervous system, the cellular migratory routes are an important part of its expansion; therefore, the cerebellum is ‘sprinkled’ with cellular changes during its growth. The aim of this study was to analyse the morphological features of the cerebellum cells in all the layers, during its development. Material and methods: We examined 14 cases of human cerebellum, ranging between 1 to 12 months by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Results: Haematoxylin and eosin staining method confirmed the age-linked migration of the cells from the external granular layer into the internal granular layer. Moreover, immunohistochemical evaluation using PROX1 and NFAP showed positivity for the Purkinje cells. However, these cells exposed negativity on NSE stained specimens. On the other hand, the transience of the EGL was analyzed using OCT3/4, which showed the migration of the EGL cells through the molecular layer to the IGL. Also, GFAP and NFAP proved to be a useful tool for the identification of the climbing fibres and the variation of their density connected the age of the patient. Conclusions: The human cerebellum undergoes different morphological and molecular changes throughout its evolution during embryogenesis. The markers used in our study have proved to present a differential, stage-dependant reactivity and appeared as useful tools for the identification of different cerebellar structures. Our study is a challenging attempt to understand the basics of cerebellar development at a morphological and molecular level and may bring new perspectives for a better approach of cerebellar associated pathologies.

CEREBELLUM DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES: FROM MORPHOLOGY TO MOLECULAR ISSUES

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Andrei Cosma ¹

2017-10-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: It is known that, throughout the development of the nervous system, the cellular migratory routes are an important part of its expansion; therefore, the cerebellum is ‘sprinkled’ with cellular changes during its growth. The aim of this study was to analyse the morphological features of the cerebellum cells in all the layers, during its development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 14 cases of human cerebellum, ranging between 1 month to 12 years by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Haematoxylin and eosin staining method confirmed the age-linked migration of the cells from the external granular layer into the internal granular layer. Moreover, immunohistochemical evaluation using PROX1 and NFAP showed positivity for the Purkinje cells. However, these cells exposed negativity on NSE stained specimens. On the other hand, the transience of the EGL was analysed using OCT3/4, which showed the migration of the EGL cells through the molecular layer to the IGL. Also, GFAP and NFAP proved to be a useful tool for the identification of the climbing fibres and the variation of their density connected the age of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: The human cerebellum undergoes different morphological and molecular changes throughout its evolution during embryogenesis. The markers used in our study have proved to present a differential, stage-dependant reactivity and appeared as useful tools for the identification of different cerebellar structures. Our study is a challenging attempt to understand the basics of cerebellar development at a morphological and molecular level and may bring new perspectives for a better approach of cerebellar associated pathologies.

Bony morphology of the hip in professional ballet dancers compared to athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayes, Susan; Ferris, April-Rose; Smith, Peter; Garnham, Andrew; Cook, Jill

2017-07-01

To compare hip bony morphology between ballet dancers and a sporting control group and to determine the relationship with hip pain. Thirty-three professional ballet dancers and 33 age- and sex-matched athletes completed questionnaires, including the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS), and underwent clinical testing and 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging to measure acetabular coverage with lateral centre edge angles, femoral head-neck junction concavity with alpha angles at anterior and superior positions, femoral neck-shaft angles, and acetabular version angles. Bony morphological measures fell within normal ranges. Dancers had higher neck-shaft angles (dancers 134.6 ± 4.6°/athletes130.8 ± 4.7°, p = 0.002), lower acetabular version angles (13.5 ± 4.7°/17.1 ± 4.7°, p = 0.003), lower superior alpha angles (38.9 ± 6.9°/46.7 ± 10.6°, p ballet dancers have hip bony morphology that differentiates them from athletes. Hip pain correlated poorly with bony morphology. • Ballet dancers have hip bony morphology that may allow extreme hip motion. • Morphological parameter means fell within normal reference intervals in dancers. • Bony morphology correlates poorly with hip pain. • The risk of hip injury due to abnormal morphology requires prospective studies.

Efficacy of Varicocele Repair in Different Age Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Yazdani, Mohammad; Hadi, Mazaher; Abbasi, Homayoun; Nourimahdavi, Kia; Khalighinejad, Pooyan; Mirsattari, Arash; Hadi, Ali

2015-08-01

To compare semen parameters and spouse pregnancy rates after varicocele repair in 2 age groups. Mean changes in spermatozoa concentration, motility, and morphology after varicocele repair in 83 patients were compared between patients aged 30 years or younger (group 1) and those older than 30 years (group 2). Spouse pregnancy rates were compared between the 2 age groups. The mean sperm concentration increased significantly in both groups (P group 1 and from 47.2% to 53.2% in group 2 one year after varicocele repair. The increase in motility was statistically significant for both groups (P groups (P = .01). The percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology decreased significantly in both groups 12 months postoperatively (from 62.7% to 59.6% in group 1 and from 61.3% to 58% in group 2; P = .03). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement in sperm morphology between the 2 groups (P >.05). The pregnancy rates in the patients' spouses were 51.1% and 44.7% in groups 1 and 2, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (P = .9). There was no statistically significant difference in semen parameter improvement and spouse pregnancy rates after varicocelectomy in the 2 age groups. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Neotropical plant morphology].

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-García, Blanca; Mendoza, Aniceto

2002-01-01

An analysis on plant morphology and the sources that are important to the morphologic interpretations is done. An additional analysis is presented on all published papers in this subject by the Revista de Biología Tropical since its foundation, as well as its contribution to the plant morphology development in the neotropics.

MORPHOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE FEMALE ATHLETE FINALIST IN JUMPING DISCIPLINES AT THE BEIJING OLYMPICS

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Ratko Pavlović

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Morphological status of athletes is his, we can say, based on an identification card, which can be assigned to a particular constitutional type, and we also got information about his body height, body weight, BMI, and even used to analyze and age. Different constitutional types are present in the sport and are important in terms of targeting, selection and performance of a specific sport. This is particularly pronounced in the athletic sport where within athletics have many different types of athletes is constitutional requires a certain discipline. This paper analyzes the morphological status of female finalists in jumping events at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008. The survey included 32 athletes who performed in the final of the measured variables to assess the morphological status: body height (AVIS, body mass (AMAS, derived body mass index (BMI and age athletes (GOD. Applying basic statistical parameters (mean made a comparative analysis of the applied variables based competitors that have passed certain conclusions.

THE IMPACT OF SPORT CLIMBING ON SOME MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR ABILITIES IN CLIMBERS OF 14 YEARS OF AGE

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Blaž Jereb

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of our research was to identify the impact of sport climbing on some morphologic characteristics and motor abilities in climbers. The sample group consisted of 19 climbers, who trained climbing for one year beside their regular physical education after the initially survey was made, and 72 nonclimbers, who’s only sport activity was their regular physical education. At the time of the test, climbers as well as nonclimbers were 14 years of age. The measurement included all the variables from the Physical education chart. Data were processed with statistical programme package SPSS for Windows. The result of analysis of covariance show that after a year long period of sport climbing statistically significant differences were shown in the results of t he test Polygon backwards in favour of the experimental group. It is also possible to observe a trend towards better results of the experimental group in the tests Skin fold thickness of the upper arm and Bend and touch on bench. The nonclimbers achieved larger differences than climbers in torso lifting and 600 m run.

Cervical vertebral column morphology and head posture in preorthodontic patients with anterior open bite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Phong; Sarauw, Martin Toft; Sonnesen, Liselotte

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Cervical vertebral column morphology and head posture were examined and related to craniofacial morphology in preorthodontic children and adolescents with anterior open bite. METHODS: One hundred eleven patients (ages, 6-18 years) with an anterior open bite of more than 0 mm were...... posture were made on profile radiographs. RESULTS: Deviations in the cervical vertebral column morphology occurred in 23.7% of the subjects in the skeletal open-bite group and in 19.2% in the dentoalveolar open-bite group, but the difference was not significant. Head posture was significantly more...... extended in the skeletal open-bite group compared with the dentoalveolar open-bite group (craniovertical angle [Mx/VER], P posture was associated with craniofacial morphology: extended posture was associated with a large cranial base angle...

Hurricane Irma's Effects on Dune and Beach Morphology at Matanzas Inlet, Atlantic Coast of North Florida: Impacts and Inhibited Recovery?

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, P. N.; Conlin, M. P.; Johnson, H. A.; Paniagua-Arroyave, J. F.; Woo, H. B.; Kelly, B. P.

2017-12-01

During energetic coastal storms, surge from low atmospheric pressure, high wave set-up, and increased wave activity contribute to significant morphologic change within the dune and upper beach environments of barrier island systems. Hurricane Irma made landfall on the southwestern portion of the Florida peninsula, as a category 4 storm on Sept 10th, 2017 and tracked northward along the axis of the Florida peninsula for two days before dissipating over the North American continent. Observations along the North Florida Atlantic coast recorded significant wave heights of nearly 7 m and water levels that exceeded predictions by 2 meters on the early morning of Sept. 11th. At Fort Matanzas National Monument, the dune and upper beach adjacent to Matanzas Inlet experienced landward retreat during the storm, diminishing the acreage of dune and scrub habitat for federally-listed endangered and threatened animal species, including the Anastasia beach mouse, gopher tortoises, and several protected shore birds. Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS surveys, conducted prior to the passage of the storm (Sept. 8) and immediately after the storm (Sept. 13) document dune scarp retreat >10 m in places and an average retreat of 7.8 m (+/- 5.2 m) of the 2-m beach contour, attributable to the event, within the study region. Although it is typical to see sedimentary recovery at the base of dunes within weeks following an erosive event of this magnitude, our follow up RTK surveys, two weeks (Sept. 26) and five weeks (Oct. 19) after the storm, document continued dune retreat and upper beach lowering. Subsequent local buoy observations during the offshore passage of Hurricanes Jose, Maria (Sept. 17 and 23, respectively) and several early-season Nor'easters recorded wave heights well above normal (2-3 meters) from the northeast. The lack of recovery may reveal a threshold vulnerability of the system, in which the timing of multiple moderate-to-high wave events, in the aftermath of a land falling

Morphological changes in the kidney of fetuses with Down syndrome

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Michele Desogus

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Background: A variety of renal and urological abnormalities have been reported in subjects with Down syndrome (DS. With increased longevity, it appears that a growing number of these subjects presents chronic renal failure. Definition of underlying cause of renal failure could lead to the prevention of progressive renal dysfunction in these patients. The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of the morphological changes that occur in the kidney of fetuses with DS. Methods: To this end, 25 subjects were examined. Kidney sections were stained with H&E and digitally scanned. Subjects were subdivided into two groups: fetuses with DS (DS-fetuses, n = 11 with a gestational age ranging from 13 up to 21 weeks, and healthy fetuses (N-fetuses, n = 14 with a gestational age ranging from 9 up to 22 weeks. Results: DS-fetuses showed slightly larger glomeruli as compared to N-fetuses. Moreover, glomeruli in DS-fetuses group were characterized by an enlarged Bowman’s space as compared to glomeruli in N-fetuses (p = 0.0028. Differences in the nephrogenic zone width were also observed; DS-fetuses showed a greater width of this zone as compared with N-fetuses. Discussion: In conclusion, we found relevant morphological differences, which suggests delayed renal maturation. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in glomerular area and several glomeruli were morphologically abnormal. These harmful changes in the glomerular structure may result in a nephron deficit, which may be associated with development of renal diseases and hypertension later in life.Conclusions: We hypothesize that the observed morphological anomalies could have significant implications for both the short- and long-term renal health of subjects with DS.

Is Morphological Awareness a Relevant Predictor of Reading Fluency and Comprehension? New Evidence From Italian Monolingual and Arabic-Italian Bilingual Children

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Mirta Vernice

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we examined the contribution of morphological awareness to reading competence in a group of Italian L1 and Arabic-Italian early L2 children, i.e., exposed to Italian before 3 years of age. Children from first to fifth grade (age range: 6–11 years old were tested on a range of morphological awareness and lexical tasks. Reading ability was tested through standardized tests of reading fluency and comprehension. Results showed that L1 children outperformed L2 on every measure of morphological awareness, as well as on reading tests. Regression analyses revealed that morphological awareness contributed to a different extent to reading ability across groups. Accuracy in the morphological awareness tasks was a significant predictor of word (and non-word reading fluency in L1 and L2 first and second graders, while only in L1 third to fifth graders, response times and accuracy to a morphological awareness task explained a unique amount of variance in reading comprehension. Our results highlight the critical role of morphological processing in reading efficiency and suggest that a training inspired by morphological awareness may improve reading skills also in bilingual students.

Transcriptome States Reflect Imaging of Aging States.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckley, D Mark; Coletta, Christopher E; Orlov, Nikita V; Wilson, Mark A; Iser, Wendy; Bastian, Paul; Lehrmann, Elin; Zhang, Yonqing; Becker, Kevin G; Goldberg, Ilya G

2018-06-14

In this study, we describe a morphological biomarker that detects multiple discrete subpopulations (or "age-states") at several chronological ages in a population of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans). We determined the frequencies of three healthy adult states and the timing of the transitions between them across the lifespan. We used short-lived and long-lived strains to confirm the general applicability of the state classifier and to monitor state progression. This exploration revealed healthy and unhealthy states, the former being favored in long-lived strains and the latter showing delayed onset. Short-lived strains rapidly transitioned through the putative healthy state. We previously found that age-matched animals in different age-states have distinct transcriptome profiles. We isolated animals at the beginning and end of each identified state and performed microarray analysis (principal component analysis, relative sample to sample distance measurements, and gene set enrichment analysis). In some comparisons, chronologically identical individuals were farther apart than morphologically identical individuals isolated on different days. The age-state biomarker allowed assessment of aging in a novel manner, complementary to chronological age progression. We found hsp70 and some small heat shock protein genes are expressed later in adulthood, consistent with the proteostasis collapse model.

Presentation of valid correlations in some morphological

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Florian Miftari

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Study-research deals with younger students of both sexes aged 13-14, who, besides attending classes of physical education and sports, also practice in basketball schools in the city of Pristina. The experiment contains a total of 7 morphological variables, while four tests of basic motion skills and seven variables are from specific motion skills. In this study, the verification and analysis of the correlation of morphological characteristics and basic and situational motor skills in both groups of both sexes (boys and girls were treated. Based on the results obtained between several variables, valid correlations with high coefficients are presented, whereas among the variables are presented correlations with optimal values. The experimentation in question includes the number of 80 entities of both sexes; the group of 40 boys and the other group consisting of 40 girls who have undergone the tests for this study-experiment.

Forensic medical study on morphology and formative mechanism of blunt head injury

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LI Hong-wei

2012-12-01

Full Text Available 【Abstract】 Objective: To study the patterns and morphologic characteristics of blunt head injury and analyse its formative mechanism in attempt to provide references for medicolegal expertise. Methods: The statistical analysis was done in terms of gender, age, as well as the nature, pattern, location, and feature of the injuries. Results: Among the 202 cases of head injury-induced death, 124 were male and 78 female with the age ranging from 1-81 years. Death caused by homicide was dominant (106, 52.5%, followed by suicide (49, 24.3% and accident (44, 21.8%. The majority of suicide-induced death were by falling from height, and traffic crash was responsible for majority of unexpected death cases. The morphology and pathogenesis of the injuries varied according to differences on the mode, magnitude, and orientation of the outside force giving rise to blunt injury as well as the character of vulnerants. Conclusion: Studies on the morphology and its forma-tive rationale of blunt head injury will offer easy access to medicolegal expertise on the mode and character of the injury. Key words: Brain; Head injuries, closed; Cranioce-rebral trauma; Forensic medicine

Morphological studies in the diagnosis of primary and secondary bone tumors

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Matveeva O.V.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim: to show the possibility of morphological studies in the diagnosis of primary and secondary tumors of bones. Material and Methods. 105 (72% patients with primary bone tumors aged from 15 to 66 years and 42 (28% patients with metastatic bone lesions aged from 42 to 70 years were examined and treated for the period from 2008 till 2015. Material for morphological studies was prepared using an open biopsy tissue slices and a scraping resected tumor during surgery. Soft-tissue component is subjected to cytology. The material for histological study included changes in bone and soft tissue. Results. Giant cell tumor was verified in 45% of cases by histological examination. Multiple myeloma was diagnosed in 15% of patients. Osteogenic sarcoma was diagnosed in 14% of cases. Ewing's sarcoma was diagnosed in 3%, 2% of cases were matched by diagnosed chordoma. According to the data received, cancer metastasis of kidney and lung is mostly diagnosed in men from the group of patients with secondary bone defeat. Metastasis of cancer of the breast in women was predominated. Conclusion. The morphological (histological, cytological study plays an important role in the diagnosis of bone tumors. The coincidence of the cytological and histological diagnoses was 97%.

QUALITY LEVEL-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN SELECTED MORPHOLOGICAL BODY CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR ABILITIES OF GOALKEEPERS IN TEAM HANDBALL

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Marko Šibila

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study is to identify the quality level-related differences between two groups of team handball goalkeepers in selected morphological body characteristics and motor abilities. A group of 36 senior goalkeepers who were members of first and second Slovenian handball league clubs (age: 22,6 ± 5,4 yr, height: 185,8 ± 4,7 cm, body weight: 88,7 ± 9,1 kg, training experience: 11,8 ± 4,8 yr participated in the present study. The goalkeepers were divided in two groups, according to their competition level. The sample of variables consisted of age and competition experience data, four morphological body characteristics and of six motor ability tests. In order to determine differences between two groups of goalkeepers in selected morphologic and motor variables a one–way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA was employed. Findings of the present study indicate existing of quality level-related differences between two groups of team handball goalkeepers in selected morphological body characteristics and motor abilities. Further individualization and careful planning of training process of the goalkeepers is essential if we want to improve for goalkeepers’ important motor abilities and morphological body characteristics.

Morphological covariance in anatomical MRI scans can identify discrete neural pathways in the brain and their disturbances in persons with neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Bansal, Ravi; Hao, Xuejun; Peterson, Bradley S

2015-05-01

We hypothesize that coordinated functional activity within discrete neural circuits induces morphological organization and plasticity within those circuits. Identifying regions of morphological covariation that are independent of morphological covariation in other regions therefore may therefore allow us to identify discrete neural systems within the brain. Comparing the magnitude of these variations in individuals who have psychiatric disorders with the magnitude of variations in healthy controls may allow us to identify aberrant neural pathways in psychiatric illnesses. We measured surface morphological features by applying nonlinear, high-dimensional warping algorithms to manually defined brain regions. We transferred those measures onto the surface of a unit sphere via conformal mapping and then used spherical wavelets and their scaling coefficients to simplify the data structure representing these surface morphological features of each brain region. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to calculate covariation in these morphological measures, as represented by their scaling coefficients, across several brain regions. We then assessed whether brain subregions that covaried in morphology, as identified by large eigenvalues in the PCA, identified specific neural pathways of the brain. To do so, we spatially registered the subnuclei for each eigenvector into the coordinate space of a Diffusion Tensor Imaging dataset; we used these subnuclei as seed regions to track and compare fiber pathways with known fiber pathways identified in neuroanatomical atlases. We applied these procedures to anatomical MRI data in a cohort of 82 healthy participants (42 children, 18 males, age 10.5 ± 2.43 years; 40 adults, 22 males, age 32.42 ± 10.7 years) and 107 participants with Tourette's Syndrome (TS) (71 children, 59 males, age 11.19 ± 2.2 years; 36 adults, 21 males, age 37.34 ± 10.9 years). We evaluated the construct validity of the identified covariation in morphology

Differences in morphological characteristics between of football pioneer and elementary school pupils

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Javorac Dejan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For a large number of sports disciplines generally known morphological structure that most influence the sporty performance, although, no doubt, the coefficients of participation of some morphological dimension in the equation specification changes in development techniques and tactics and modern world achievements in a particular sport. It was determined that the anthropological characteristics, each in its own way, the important task of training in solving with football players (Malacko i Radosav 1985. The aim of this research was to determine differences in the morphological characteristics between of football pioneer and elementary school pupils. In a sample of 196 subjects, the average age of 12:45 ± 0.03 years, there was a comparison of morphological characteristics. The first group consisted of 82 players - Pioneers FC 'Red Star' from Belgrade and the other 114 elementary school pupils from Novi Sad. A sample of five measures for the evaluation of morphological characteristics were: body height, body weight, circumference of chest, waist circumference and volume of the thigh. Comparison of morphological characteristics of young soccer players and elementary school pupils was carried out by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA and univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA. Analysis of morphological characteristics of young soccer players and elementary school pupils found that there were no statistically significant differences.

Prevalence of cam hip shape morphology: a systematic review.

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Dickenson, E; Wall, P D H; Robinson, B; Fernandez, M; Parsons, H; Buchbinder, R; Griffin, D R

2016-06-01

Cam hip shape morphology is a recognised cause of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and is associated with hip osteoarthritis. Our aim was to systematically review the available epidemiological evidence assessing the prevalence of cam hip shape morphology in the general population and any studied subgroups including subjects with and without hip pain. All studies that reported the prevalence of cam morphology, measured by alpha angles, in subjects aged 18 and over, irrespective of study population or presence of hip symptoms were considered for inclusion. We searched AMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and CENTRAL in October 2015. Two authors independently identified eligible studies and assessed risk of bias. We planned to pool data of studies considered clinically homogenous. Thirty studies met inclusion criteria. None of the included studies were truly population-based: three included non-representative subgroups of the general population, 19 included differing clinical populations, while eight included professional athletes. All studies were judged to be at high risk of bias. Due to substantial clinical heterogeneity meta analysis was not possible. Across all studies, the prevalence estimates of cam morphology ranged from 5 to 75% of participants affected. We were unable to demonstrate a higher prevalence in selected subgroups such as athletes or those with hip pain. There is currently insufficient high quality data to determine the true prevalence of cam morphology in the general population or selected subgroups. Well-designed population-based epidemiological studies that use homogenous case definitions are required to determine the prevalence of cam morphology and its relationship to hip pain. Copyright © 2016 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influences of palatoplasty by the push-back procedure on craniofacial morphology and growth.

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Iwasaki, Hiroshi; Kudo, Motonori; Yamamoto, Yuko

2012-12-01

For patients with a cleft palate, the push-back procedure which accompanies posterior shifting of palatal flap is thought to be most effective way of. achieving adequate velopharyngeal function. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the influences of the push-back procedure on the craniofacial morphology and its growth. Using cephalometry we compared the craniofacial morphology and growth of three groups of Japanese children, living in the same region (Hokkaido, Japan). 1) 28 children (13 girls and 15 boys) with operated submucous cleft palates at the ages of 9 and 14 respectively. 2) 12 age-matched children (7 girls and 5 boys) with unoperated submucous cleft palates. 3) 60 age-matched non-cleft children (30 girls and 30 boys) with normal occlusion. None of them received dentofacial orthopaedic treatment. While the patients who had been operated on had significant differences in posterior upper facial height and inclination of the palatal plane when compared with non-cleft children or unoperated cleft children, they showed no statistically significant difference in anteroposterior positioning of anterior part of the maxilla, compared with the unoperated. The influences of palatoplasty by the push-back procedure with posterior positioning of the palatal flaps on craniofacial morphology are additional to the cleft palate, and of minor concern. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The perception and expression of verb morphology in bilinguals with specific language impairment

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Hourieh Ahadi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Most of the researches are about bilingual children with specific language impairment and importance of it in recognition and treatment. This study aimed to assess verb morphology in bilinguals with specific language impairment (SLI and compare them with normal bilinguals.Methods: Six bilingual (Azeri and Persian children with specific language impairment at the age of 7-8 years were collected from clinics of Tehran, Iran. They were evaluated about verb morphology using narrative speech and specific language impairment test and then, compared with six age-matched and six other language-matched children as control group. Children with specific language impairment were diagnosed by exhibiting a significant delay (more than one year in language that can not be explained by intelligence deficits, hearing loss or visual impairment. We used Man-Whitney test for comparing the groups.Results: Bilingual children with specific language impairment had delay in comparison with their age-matched group in subject-verb agreement (p=0.020 and articulating tense morphemes (p=0.019. They also had meaningful delay in using proper tense of verbs (past, present, and future in comparison with language-matched control group (p=0.029.Conclusion: Comparison of typical development of bilingual children and bilinguals with specific language impairment shows that verb morphology is a good clinical marker for diagnosing and treatment of these children.

Sex differences in morphology of the brain stem and cerebellum with normal ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguro, H.; Okada, K.; Yamaguchi, S.; Kobayashi, S.

1998-01-01

The cerebral hemispheres become atrophic with age. The sex of the individual may affect this process. There are few studies of the effects of age and sex on the brain stem and cerebellum. We used MRI morphometry to study changes in these structures in 152 normal subjects over 40 years of age. In the linear measurements, men showed significant age-associated atrophy in the tegmentum and pretectum of the midbrain and the base of the pons. In women, only the pretectum of the midbrain showed significant ageing effects after the age of 50 years, and thereafter remained rather constant. Only men had significant age-associated reduction in area of the crebellar vermis area after the age of 70 years. Both men and women showed supratentorial brain atrophy that progressed by decades. There were significant correlations between supratentorial brain atrophy and the diameter of the ventral midbrain, pretectum, and base of the pons in men, and between brain atrophy and the diameter of the fourth ventricle in women. (orig.)

Sex differences in morphology of the brain stem and cerebellum with normal ageing

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Oguro, H.; Okada, K.; Yamaguchi, S.; Kobayashi, S. [Internal Medicine III, Shimane Medical University, Izumo (Japan)

1998-12-01

The cerebral hemispheres become atrophic with age. The sex of the individual may affect this process. There are few studies of the effects of age and sex on the brain stem and cerebellum. We used MRI morphometry to study changes in these structures in 152 normal subjects over 40 years of age. In the linear measurements, men showed significant age-associated atrophy in the tegmentum and pretectum of the midbrain and the base of the pons. In women, only the pretectum of the midbrain showed significant ageing effects after the age of 50 years, and thereafter remained rather constant. Only men had significant age-associated reduction in area of the crebellar vermis area after the age of 70 years. Both men and women showed supratentorial brain atrophy that progressed by decades. There were significant correlations between supratentorial brain atrophy and the diameter of the ventral midbrain, pretectum, and base of the pons in men, and between brain atrophy and the diameter of the fourth ventricle in women. (orig.) With 4 figs., 3 tabs., 16 refs.

Morphology and Spelling in French: A Comparison of At-Risk Readers and Typically Developing Children.

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Koh, Poh Wee; Shakory, Sharry; Chen, Xi; Deacon, S Hélène

2017-11-01

We present two studies that examine the role of morphology in French spelling. In Study 1, we examined the concurrent and longitudinal relationships between inflectional awareness and derivational awareness and spelling within a sample of 77 children in a French immersion programme in Canada. Children completed a non-verbal reasoning measure and French measures of phonological awareness, word reading, vocabulary, morphological awareness, and spelling. Results showed that inflectional morphological awareness in Grade 3 was a predictor of spelling in the same grade. Inflectional awareness in Grade 2 predicted Grade 3 spelling, controlling for reading-related skills and spelling at Grade 2. These analyses support the role of inflectional morphological awareness in the development of spelling of children of a range of reading and spelling abilities. In contrast, derivational awareness in Grades 2 and 3 did not predict spelling concurrently in both grades respectively. Study 2 contrasted the morphological errors in the spellings of six children at risk for reading difficulties with those of six chronological age-matched and six reading level-matched children. Analyses showed that at-risk children exhibited more difficulties with spelling roots and suffixes in words as compared with their age-matched peers, although they performed similarly to children matched on reading level. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Presbycusis: neural degeneration and aging on the auditory receptor of C57/BL6J mice].

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Castillo, E; Carricondo, F; Bartolomé, M V; Vicente-Torres, A; Poch Broto, J; Gil-Loyzaga, P

2006-11-01

Presbycusis is a progressive hearing impairment associated with aging, characterized by hearing loss and a degeneration of cochlear structures. In this paper we analyze the effects of aging on the auditory system of C57/BL6J mice, with electrophysiological and morphological studies. With this aim the auditory potentials of mice aging 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 months were recorded, and then the morphology of the cochleal were analyzed. Auditory potentials revealed an increase in wave latencies, as well as a decrease in their amplitudes during aging. Morphological results showed a total Corti's organ degeneration, being replaced by a flat epithelial layer, and a total absence of hair cells.

Hippocampus and amygdala morphology in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plessen, Kerstin J; Bansal, Ravi; Zhu, Hongtu

2006-01-01

CONTEXT: Limbic structures are implicated in the genesis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by the presence of mood and cognitive disturbances in affected individuals and by elevated rates of mood disorders in family members of probands with ADHD. OBJECTIVE: To study the morphology...... of the hippocampus and amygdala in children with ADHD. DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study of the hippocampus and amygdala using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging. SETTINGS: University research institute. PATIENTS: One hundred fourteen individuals aged 6 to 18 years, 51 with combined-type ADHD and 63...... healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Volumes and measures of surface morphology for the hippocampus and amygdala. RESULTS: The hippocampus was larger bilaterally in the ADHD group than in the control group (t = 3.35; P

Morphological strategies training: The effectiveness and feasibility of morphological strategies training for students of English as a foreign language with and without spelling difficulties

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Eleni Griva & Dimitris Anastasiou

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was primarily to investigate the effects of morphological strategies training on students with and without spelling difficulties in English as a foreign language (EFL, but also to assess the feasibility of morphological strategies training in a classroom context. The intervention was piloted in the sixth grade of a Greek primary school: 23 Greek-speaking students, aged 11-12, were assigned to the treatment group receiving explicit teaching on inflectional and derivational morphemic patterns of English words. The control group, composed of 25 Greek-speaking students of the same age, attending a different classroom of the same school, was taught English spelling in a conventional (visual-memory based way. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to gain insights: a pre- and post-test, an observation schedule, a student questionnaire and a teacher interview. The pre- and post-test results indicated that the metamorphological training yielded specific effects on targeted morpheme patterns. The same results were obtained from a sub-group of nine poor spellers in the treatment group, compared to a sub-group of six poor spellers in the control one. The observation data revealed that the metamorphological training promoted students' active participation and the questionnaire data indicated that students got satisfaction from their training. Finally, interview data highlighted that teachers considered the intervention as a feasible way of improving students' morphological processing skills in spelling.

Effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on cerebral morphology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jernigan, Terry Lynne; Gamst, Abthony C; Archibald, Sarah L.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the separate and combined effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on brain morphology. METHOD: Morphometric measures obtained from magnetic resonance imaging of methamphetamine-dependent and/or HIV-positive participants and their appropriate age......- and education-matched comparison groups were analyzed. Main effects of age, HIV infection, methamphetamine dependence, and the interactions of these factors were examined in analyses of cerebral gray matter structure volumes. RESULTS: Independent of the effect of age, HIV infection was associated with reduced...... volumes of cortical, limbic, and striatal structures. There was also some evidence of an interaction between age and HIV infection such that older HIV-positive participants suffered disproportionate loss. Methamphetamine dependence was surprisingly associated with basal ganglia and parietal cortex volume...

Limits of Wave Runup and Corresponding Beach-Profile Change from Large-Scale Laboratory Data

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

A nearly vertical scarp developed after 40 min of wave action, with the upper limit of beach change identified at the toe of the dune scarp. and...change UL was found to approximately equal the vertical excursion of total wave runup, Rtw. An exception was runs where beach or dune scarps were...approximately equal the vertical excursion of total wave runup, Rtw. An exception was runs where beach or dune scarps were produced, which substantially limit the

Bone age assessment by digital images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Ana Maria Marques da

1996-01-01

An algorithm which allows bone age assessment by digital radiological images was developed. For geometric parameters extraction, the phalangeal and metacarpal regions of interest are enhanced and segmented, through spatial and morphological filtering. This study is based on perimeter, length and area, from distal to proximal portions. The quantification of these parameters make possible comparison between chronological and skeletal age, using growth standard tables

Development from childhood to adulthood increases morphological and functional inter-individual variability in the right superior temporal cortex.

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Bonte, Milene; Frost, Martin A; Rutten, Sanne; Ley, Anke; Formisano, Elia; Goebel, Rainer

2013-12-01

We study the developmental trajectory of morphology and function of the superior temporal cortex (STC) in children (8-9 years), adolescents (14-15 years) and young adults. We analyze cortical surface landmarks and functional MRI (fMRI) responses to voices, other natural categories and tones and examine how hemispheric asymmetry and inter-subject variability change across age. Our results show stable morphological asymmetries across age groups, including a larger left planum temporale and a deeper right superior temporal sulcus. fMRI analyses show that a rightward lateralization for voice-selective responses is present in all groups but decreases with age. Furthermore, STC responses to voices change from being less selective and more spatially diffuse in children to highly selective and focal in adults. Interestingly, the analysis of morphological landmarks reveals that inter-subject variability increases during development in the right--but not in the left--STC. Similarly, inter-subject variability of cortically-realigned functional responses to voices, other categories and tones increases with age in the right STC. Our findings reveal asymmetric developmental changes in brain regions crucial for auditory and voice perception. The age-related increase of inter-subject variability in right STC suggests that anatomy and function of this region are shaped by unique individual developmental experiences. © 2013.

Construction of Individual Morphological Brain Networks with Multiple Morphometric Features

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Chunlan Yang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In recent years, researchers have increased attentions to the morphological brain network, which is generally constructed by measuring the mathematical correlation across regions using a certain morphometric feature, such as regional cortical thickness and voxel intensity. However, cerebral structure can be characterized by various factors, such as regional volume, surface area, and curvature. Moreover, most of the morphological brain networks are population-based, which has limitations in the investigations of individual difference and clinical applications. Hence, we have extended previous studies by proposing a novel method for realizing the construction of an individual-based morphological brain network through a combination of multiple morphometric features. In particular, interregional connections are estimated using our newly introduced feature vectors, namely, the Pearson correlation coefficient of the concatenation of seven morphometric features. Experiments were performed on a healthy cohort of 55 subjects (24 males aged from 20 to 29 and 31 females aged from 20 to 28 each scanned twice, and reproducibility was evaluated through test–retest reliability. The robustness of morphometric features was measured firstly to select the more reproducible features to form the connectomes. Then the topological properties were analyzed and compared with previous reports of different modalities. Small-worldness was observed in all the subjects at the range of the entire network sparsity (20–40%, and configurations were comparable with previous findings at the sparsity of 23%. The spatial distributions of the hub were found to be significantly influenced by the individual variances, and the hubs obtained by averaging across subjects and sparsities showed correspondence with previous reports. The intraclass coefficient of graphic properties (clustering coefficient = 0.83, characteristic path length = 0.81, betweenness centrality = 0.78 indicates

Aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finch, S.C.; Beebe, G.W.

1975-01-01

The hypothesis that ionizing radiation accelerates natural aging has been under investigation at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission since 1959. Postmortem observations of morphologic and chemical changes, tests of functional capacity, physical tests and measurements, clinical laboratory tests, tissue changes, morbidity, and mortality have all been examined by ABCC investigators interested in this hypothesis. These studies have been beset with conceptual difficulties centered on the definition and measurement of aging. An empirical approach early led to the calculation of an index of physiologic age as a linear combination of age-related tests of various organ systems. Most studies have been negative but have not involved the large numbers that might be required to provide strong evidence for or against the hypothesis. Mortality, however, has been examined on the basis of a large sample and over the period 1950-1972 had provided no support for the hypothesis of radiation-accelerated aging. Ionizing radiation dose, of course shorten human life, but its life-shortening effect appears to be the result of specific radiation-induced disease, especially neoplasms. The hypothesis is now much less attractive than it was 10-20 years ago but still has some value in stimulating research on aging. The experience of the A-bomb survivors provides an unusual opportunity for a definitive test of the hypothesis. (auth.)

Functional and morphological studies of photodamaged skin on the hands of middle-aged Japanese golfers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi-Numagami, K; Suetake, T; Yanai, M; Takahashi, M; Tanaka, M; Tagami, H

2000-06-01

The skin of golfers' hands provides a suitable model to study the effect of chronic sun exposure, because one of their hands is exposed to the outer environment, especially sunlight, while the other one is always protected by a glove during play. Our purpose was to find out the influence of photodamage on the properties of the skin surface of middle-aged Japanese by using non-invasive methods. We measured hydration state, and water barrier function of the stratum corneum (SC) and the color of the skin of the dorsum of the hands. In a separate study, we evaluated the skin surface contour by using replicas taken from the skin in a slightly stretched or relaxed position. We found a significant decrease in hydration of the skin surface of the exposed skin as compared to that of the protected skin, whereas no such difference was found with transepidermal water loss, a parameter for water barrier function of the SC. Luminance of skin color was also reduced in the sun-exposed skin. Replica analysis revealed that large wrinkles developing in a relaxed position were more prominent on the exposed than on the protected skin, while fine furrows noted in a slightly stretched position were shallower on the former than the latter. The data obtained indicate that the chronically exposed skin of golfers' hands shows morphological and functional changes resulting from long time exposure to the outer environment especially sunlight. Furthermore, bioengineering non-invasive methods are found to be useful to detect early photodamage of the skin in a more quantitative fashion which is rather difficult to demonstrate clinically.

Non-tectonic exposure Rates along Bedrock Fault Scarps in an active Mountain Belt of the central Apennines

Science.gov (United States)

Kastelic, Vanja; Burrato, Pierfrancesco; Carafa, Michele M. C.; Basili, Roberto

2017-04-01

The central Apennines (Italy) are a mountain chain affected by post-collisional active extension along NW-SE striking normal faults and well-documented regional-scale uplift. Moderate to strong earthquakes along the seismogenically active extensional faults are frequent in this area, thus a good knowledge on the characteristics of the hosting faults is necessary for realistic seismic hazard models. The studied bedrock fault surfaces are generally located at various heights on mountain fronts above the local base level of glacio-fluvial valleys and intermountain fluvio-lacustrine basins and are laterally confined to the extent of related mountain fronts. In order to investigate the exposure of the bedrock fault scarps from under their slope-deposit cover, a process that has often been exclusively attributed to co-seismic earthquake slip and used as proxy for tectonic slip rates and earthquake recurrence estimations, we have set up a measurement experiment along various such structures. In this experiment we measure the relative position of chosen markers on the bedrock surface and the material found directly at the contact with its hanging wall. We present the results of monitoring the contact between the exposed fault surfaces and slope deposits at 23 measurement points on 12 different faults over 3.4 year-long observation period. We detected either downward or upward movements of the slope deposit with respect to the fault surface between consecutive measurements. During the entire observation period all points, except one, registered a net downward movement in the 2.9 - 25.6 mm/yr range, resulting in the progressive exposure of the fault surface. During the monitoring period no major earthquakes occurred in the region, demonstrating the measured exposure process is disconnected from seismic activity. We do however observe a positive correlation between the higher exposure in respect to higher average temperatures. Our results indicate that the fault surface

Uterine morphology and peristalsis in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonhardt, Henrik; Hellstroem, Mikael; Gull, Berit; Nilsson, Lars; Janson, Per O.; Kishimoto, Keiko; Kataoka, Masako; Stener-Victorin, Elisabet

2012-01-01

Background. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with chronic oligo-anovulation and high circulating sex hormone levels. Women with PCOS have an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer. In anovulatory women with PCOS a positive relationship between endometrial thickness and endometrial hyperplasia has been observed. Uterine peristalsis, which has been suggested to be of importance for female fertility, has not previously been studied in PCOS. Purpose. To assess whether women with PCOS have altered endometrial thickness, uterine wall morphology, and peristalsis. Material and Methods. In this prospective case-control study 55 women with PCOS (mean age, 29.5 years ± 4.5 SD) and 28 controls (27.6 ± 3.2) were examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), assessing thickness of endometrium, junctional zone (JZ), and myometrium, and evaluating the occurrence, frequency (waves/min), strength (amplitude), pattern, and direction of peristalsis. Uterine morphology was also assessed by transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS). Results. The endometrium was thinner in PCOS with oligo-amenorrhea compared to controls, also after adjustments for age and BMI (adjusted P = 0.043). There was no difference in thickness of the JZ or the myometrium in cases versus controls. Uterine peristalsis was less commonly observed in women with PCOS than in controls (adjusted P = 0.014). Conclusion. There were no differences in myometrial morphology between PCOS and controls, but the endometrium was thinner in PCOS with oligo-amenorrhea. Based on cine MRI, uterine peristalsis was less common in PCOS than in controls

Uterine morphology and peristalsis in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leonhardt, Henrik; Hellstroem, Mikael [Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg (Sweden)], E-mail: henrik.leonhardt@vgregion.se; Gull, Berit; Nilsson, Lars; Janson, Per O. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg (Sweden); Kishimoto, Keiko [Department of Radiology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa (Japan); Kataoka, Masako [Department of Radiology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto (Japan); Stener-Victorin, Elisabet [Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg (Sweden)

2012-12-15

Background. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with chronic oligo-anovulation and high circulating sex hormone levels. Women with PCOS have an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer. In anovulatory women with PCOS a positive relationship between endometrial thickness and endometrial hyperplasia has been observed. Uterine peristalsis, which has been suggested to be of importance for female fertility, has not previously been studied in PCOS. Purpose. To assess whether women with PCOS have altered endometrial thickness, uterine wall morphology, and peristalsis. Material and Methods. In this prospective case-control study 55 women with PCOS (mean age, 29.5 years {+-} 4.5 SD) and 28 controls (27.6 {+-} 3.2) were examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), assessing thickness of endometrium, junctional zone (JZ), and myometrium, and evaluating the occurrence, frequency (waves/min), strength (amplitude), pattern, and direction of peristalsis. Uterine morphology was also assessed by transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS). Results. The endometrium was thinner in PCOS with oligo-amenorrhea compared to controls, also after adjustments for age and BMI (adjusted P = 0.043). There was no difference in thickness of the JZ or the myometrium in cases versus controls. Uterine peristalsis was less commonly observed in women with PCOS than in controls (adjusted P = 0.014). Conclusion. There were no differences in myometrial morphology between PCOS and controls, but the endometrium was thinner in PCOS with oligo-amenorrhea. Based on cine MRI, uterine peristalsis was less common in PCOS than in controls.

Seminal characteristics and sexual behavior in men of different age groups: is there an aging effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Zavos, Panayiotis M; Kaskar, Khalied; Correa, Juan R; Sikka, Suresh C

2006-05-01

To assess the seminal characteristics as well as the sexual behavior of men of various age groups to establish the presence of an aging effect on those characteristics. Semen samples were collected from men (n = 792) undergoing in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination in cases of female factor infertility only. Samples were collected using a seminal collection device at intercourse and evaluated manually according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Men were divided into four groups according to their ages: (i) 20-30, (ii) 31-40, (iii) 41-50 and (iv) 51-60 years, and their seminal characteristics and responses to a sexual behavior questionnaire were compared. The data showed statistically significant differences in the seminal characteristics tested, most notably in the sperm concentration, motility, grade of motility, hypo-osmotic swelling and normal sperm morphology. Furthermore, the decline in normal sperm morphology with age was more pronounced when using strict criteria rather than WHO standards. There were also differences in total sperm count, total motile sperm and total functional sperm fraction (assessed by both WHO and strict criteria). Significant differences were also observed in the sexual behavior patterns in older men in terms of the number of years they have been trying to conceive, sexual frequency and sexual satisfaction. The data clearly illustrate an aging effect on semen characteristics and sexual behavior in men as they age. It is suggested that the aging effect be taken into consideration when proposing normal standard values for semen characteristics in routine semen analysis as outlined by WHO standards.

The Relationship between Morphological Awareness and Morphological Decomposition among English Language Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Kraut, Rachel

2015-01-01

Morphological awareness facilitates many reading processes. For this reason, L1 and L2 learners of English are often directly taught to use their knowledge of English morphology as a useful reading strategy for determining parts of speech and meaning of novel words. Over time, use of morphological awareness skills while reading develops into an…

A reliable morphological method to assess the age of male Anopheles gambiae

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huho, B.J.; Ng'habi, K.R.; Killeen, G.F.; Nkwengulila, G.; Knols, B.G.J.; Ferguson, H.M.

2006-01-01

Background - Release of genetically-modified (GM) or sterile male mosquitoes for malaria control is hampered by inability to assess the age and mating history of free-living male Anopheles. Methods - Age and mating-related changes in the reproductive system of male Anopheles gambiae were quantified

Morphological pattern of parotid gland tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musani, M.A.; Zafar, A.; Malik, S.

2008-01-01

To determine the morphological pattern of parotid tumours. During this study, 204 patients with parotid tumours were registered. The patients of all ages and both gender were included in this study. All patients were evaluated by history, clinical examination, F.N.A.C. and ultrasound, C.T/MRI was done in selected cases. All patients were surgically managed and their tumour specimen was sent for histopathology. Classification of individual tumour was based on 1991 World Health Organization Classification. Discrete data was presented in percentage and proportions. Out of 204 cases, 152 (74.5%) were benign and 52 (25.5%) were malignant. Of these, 117 (57.35%) patients were females and 87 (42.65%) males. Benign tumours were more common in females whereas malignant tumours were common in males. The mean age of patients was 34 years and 42 years for benign and malignant tumours respectively. Pleomorphic adenoma was most common benign tumor (83.5%), followed by Warthins tumour. The most common malignant tumour was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (60%), followed by adenoid cystic carcinoma. Superficial lobe of parotid gland was the commonest site, 120 benign and all 52 malignant tumours arising from it while 32 benign tumours originated from deep lobe. Parotid swelling for years was main feature of benign tumours, whereas malignant tumours presented with pain, fixation to skin or underlying structure, cervical lymphadenopathy and facial palsy. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most common benign tumour and mucoepidermoid carcinoma was most common malignant tumour. The morphological patterns and distribution followed the known pattern. (author)

First thermo-chronological data; Premieres donnees thermo-chronologiques sur les socles sarde et kabylo-peloritain submerges dans le canal de Sardaigne (Mediterranee occidentale)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouillin, J.P.; Poupeau, G.; Tricart, P.; Bigot-Cormier, F.; Mascle, G. [Grenoble-1 Univ., 38 (France). Laboratoire de geodynamique des chaines alpines; Torelli, L. [Universita degli studi di Parma (Italy). Dept. di Scienze della Terra; Compagnoni, R.; Mascle, J.; Pecher, A.; Peis, D.; Rekhiss, F.; Rolfo, F

1998-04-01

Granite and gneiss sampled from the submarine fault scarps of the Sardinia Channel were dated using the apatite fission-track method. One sample provides an age of 22.8 {+-} 1.3 Ma, which is in the range of the cooling ages of the Calabrian-Peloritan basement, where cooling is due to erosion. Three other samples have ages around 10 Ma, probably due to a tectonic denudation during the Tortonian extension in the Sardinia Channel. (authors)

Effect of yoghurt waste on gut morphology and growth performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The experiment was carried out to determine the effect of yoghurt waste on intestinal morphology and growth performance of pigs weaned at 7 weeks of age. A total of 20 weaned pigs (15.6 ± 2kg, initial body weight {BW}) were randomly assigned in groups of four, to 5 experimental treatments in a randomized block design.

Initial brain aging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Kirsten; Yokota, Takashi; Hasan-Olive, Md Mahdi

2018-01-01

Brain aging is accompanied by declining mitochondrial respiration. We hypothesized that mitochondrial morphology and dynamics would reflect this decline. Using hippocampus and frontal cortex of a segmental progeroid mouse model lacking Cockayne syndrome protein B (CSB(m/m)) and C57Bl/6 (WT......) controls and comparing young (2-5 months) to middle-aged mice (13-14 months), we found that complex I-linked state 3 respiration (CI) was reduced at middle age in CSB(m/m) hippocampus, but not in CSB(m/m) cortex or WT brain. In hippocampus of both genotypes, mitochondrial size heterogeneity increased....... Mitochondrial DNA content was lower, and hypoxia-induced factor 1α mRNA was greater at both ages in CSB(m/m) compared to WT brain. Our findings show that decreased CI and increased mitochondrial size heterogeneity are highly associated and point to declining mitochondrial quality control as an initial event...

Healthy Lung Vessel Morphology Derived From Thoracic Computed Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Pienn

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the lung vessel morphology in healthy subjects is necessary to improve our understanding about the functional network of the lung and to recognize pathologic deviations beyond the normal inter-subject variation. Established values of normal lung morphology have been derived from necropsy material of only very few subjects. In order to determine morphologic readouts from a large number of healthy subjects, computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA datasets, negative for pulmonary embolism, and other thoracic pathologies, were analyzed using a fully-automatic, in-house developed artery/vein separation algorithm. The number, volume, and tortuosity of the vessels in a diameter range between 2 and 10 mm were determined. Visual inspection of all datasets was used to exclude subjects with poor image quality or inadequate artery/vein separation from the analysis. Validation of the algorithm was performed manually by a radiologist on randomly selected subjects. In 123 subjects (men/women: 55/68, aged 59 ± 17 years, the median overlap between visual inspection and fully-automatic segmentation was 94.6% (69.2–99.9%. The median number of vessel segments in the ranges of 8–10, 6–8, 4–6, and 2–4 mm diameter was 9, 34, 134, and 797, respectively. Number of vessel segments divided by the subject's lung volume was 206 vessels/L with arteries and veins contributing almost equally. In women this vessel density was about 15% higher than in men. Median arterial and venous volumes were 1.52 and 1.54% of the lung volume, respectively. Tortuosity was best described with the sum-of-angles metric and was 142.1 rad/m (138.3–144.5 rad/m. In conclusion, our fully-automatic artery/vein separation algorithm provided reliable measures of pulmonary arteries and veins with respect to age and gender. There was a large variation between subjects in all readouts. No relevant dependence on age, gender, or vessel type was observed. These data may

Morphology, mechanical and thermal oxidative aging properties of HDPE composites reinforced by nonmetals recycled from waste printed circuit boards.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuangqiao; Bai, Shibing; Wang, Qi

2016-11-01

In this study nonmetals recycled from waste printed circuit boards (NPCB) is used as reinforce fillers in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. The morphology, mechanical and thermal oxidative aging properties of NPCB reinforced HDPE composites are assessed and it compared with two other commercial functional filler for the first time. Mechanical test results showed that NPCB could be used as reinforcing fillers in the HDPE composites and mechanical properties especially for stiffness is better than other two commercial fillers. The improved mechanical property was confirmed by the higher aspect ratio and strong interfacial adhesion in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. The heat deflection temperature (HDT) test showed the presence of fiberglass in NPCB can improve the heat resistance of composite for their potential applications. Meanwhile, the oxidation induction time (OIT) and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results showed that NPCB has a near resistance to oxidation as two other commercial fillers used in this paper. The above results show the reuse of NPCB in the HDPE composites represents a promising way for resolving both the environmental pollution and the high-value reuse of resources. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Green sea turtle age, growth, population characteristics

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Morphology, sex ratio, body condition, disease status, age structure, and growth patterns were characterized for 448 green sea turtles cold stunned in St. Joseph...

System-morphological approach: Another look at morphology research and geomorphological mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Lastochkin, Alexander N.; Zhirov, Andrey I.; Boltramovich, Sergei F.

2018-02-01

A large number of studies require a clear and unambiguous morphological basis. For over thirty years, Russian scientists have been applying a system-morphological approach for the Arctic and Antarctic research, ocean floor investigation, for various infrastructure construction projects (oil and gas, sports, etc.), in landscape and environmental studies. This article is a review aimed to introduce this methodological approach to the international scientific community. The details of the methods and techniques can be found in a series of earlier papers published in the Russian language in 1987-2016. The proposed system-morphological approach includes: 1) partitioning of the Earth surface, i.e. precise identification of linear, point, and areal elements of topography considered as a two-dimensional surface without any geological substance; 2) further identification of larger formations: geomorphological systems and regions; 3) analysis of structural relations and symmetry of topography; and 4) various dynamic (litho- and glaciodynamic, tectonic, etc.) interpretations of the observed morphology. This method can be used to study the morphology of the surface topography as well as less accessible interfaces such as submarine and subglacial ones.

Osteochondrosis dissecans of the knee: Evaluation of the evolution of MR morphology during treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palczewski, P.; Golebiowski, M.; Strzelczyk, P.

2008-01-01

To assess the evolution of MR morphology of OCD lesions in response to treatment and feasibility of MRI as a control study in patients with treated OCD. 11 patients (6 women and 5 men, aged 11-24 years, average age 17 years) with lesions affecting 12 knee joints were followed for approximately 24.2 months with repeated clinical examination and MR imaging. All MR studies were performed on a 1.5 Tesla unit. MR arthrography was performed in 3 patients. The evolution of MR morphology of the lesions was assessed with a 5-point scale and correlated with the results of clinical assessment with a modified Lysholm scale. In 10 patients, a good clinical result was achieved. In 7 knee joints of patients from this group, the features of the healing of the OCD lesion were observed in MRI and in 4 knees the morphology of the OCD lesion was stable. In 5 MR examinations, a transient deterioration was observed, which in 4 cases preceded healing and in 1 case stabilization in MR morphology. Transient deterioration may be observed in MR studies prior to the healing of OCD lesions irrespective of the improvement in clinical examination. The follow up of patients with OCD should be based mainly on clinical examination, with MR studies reserved for late control or patients with clinical signs of deterioration. (author)

Landscape Evolution Mechanisms in Gale Crater from In-Situ Measurement of Cosmogenic Noble Gas Isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, P.; Farley, K. A.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Malespin, C.; Vasconcelos, P. M.

2017-12-01

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover can measure the noble gas isotopes contained in drilled rock samples on Mars by heating these samples to 930°C. In combination with bulk chemistry measured by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), cosmogenic nuclide production rates can be determined and an exposure age may be calculated. Three cosmogenic nuclides are measured: 3He, and 21Ne, which are produced via spallation of mainly O, Mg, Si, and Al (held mostly in detrital grains); and 36Ar, which is produced from neutron capture of 35Cl (held mostly in secondary materials). To date, three samples have been measured: Cumberland (CB), Windjana (WJ), and Mojave 2 (MJ2). CB yielded 3He, 21Ne, and 36Ar ages of 72 ± 15, 84 ± 28, and 79 ± 24 Ma, respectively [Farley et al., 2014]. Two aliquots of WJ gave error-weighted mean ages of 30 ± 27 Ma (3He), 54 ± 19 Ma (21Ne), and 63 ± 84 Ma (36Ar) [Vasconcelos et al., 2016]. These relatively young ages were interpreted to suggest that a scarp-retreat mechanism is responsible for erosion at both the CB and WJ localities. The most recent measurements on MJ2 do not include the 21Ne isotope because of an instrument issue at this mass. 3He observed in MJ2 is the highest of any sample yet measured, suggesting an exposure age of approximately 1 Ga. In contrast, the calculated exposure age from 36Ar appears to be less than 100 Ma (despite a high uncertainty due to isobaric H35Cl). This discrepancy could be explained by 1) a contribution of extraterrestrial 3He from interplanetary dust or meteoritic fragments, or 2) approximately 1 Ga of prior exposure to the detrital grains. In the latter case 36Ar accumulates only after the Cl-bearing secondary minerals are formed and exposed at the surface. In either scenario the 36Ar measurement provides the better estimate of the recent exposure history. The young upper limit for 36Ar at MJ2 is consistent with the scarp-retreat mechanism observed at CB and

Evaluating osteological ageing from digital data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, Chiara; Buckberry, Jo; Lynnerup, Niels

2018-01-01

Age at death estimation of human skeletal remains is one of the key issues in constructing a biological profile both in forensic and archaeological contexts. The traditional adult osteological methods evaluate macroscopically the morphological changes that occur with increasing age of specific...... on how the osteological age-related changes have been evaluated in digital data. First, the 3D virtual copies of the bones have been used to mimic the appearance of the dry bones and the application of the traditional methods. Secondly, the information directly extrapolated from CT scans has been used...

Morphological changes of the adenohypophysis of the child on a background of maternal HIV infection

OpenAIRE

Sherstiuk S.A.

2014-01-01

Background. A key element of adaptive-compensatory mechanism of the endocrine system of the body is the anterior pituitary. Despite the obvious importance of the adenohypophysis in the development of the endocrine system of the fetus, its age morphology described only in a few papers. Objective. Identification of morphological and functional changes in the adenohypophysis of the child on a background of HIV infected mothers. Methods. Immunohistochemical examination was performed using the ind...

Brain computed tomography findings of aged schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oomori, Masao; Koshino, Yoshifumi; Murata, Tetsuhito; Murata, Ichirou; Tani, Kazuhiko; Horie, Tan; Isaki, Kiminori

1992-01-01

Brain CT was performed in a total of 30 aged schizophrenic patients, consisting of 20 with no history of psychosurgery (lobotomy) and the other 10 lobotomized patients. The CT findings were compared with those from healthy aged persons. The group of schizophrenic patients had marked atrophy of the frontal lobe and dilatated Sylvian fissure as compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in ventricular factors between the two groups. These findings may have implications for the different mechanisms of the occurrence of atrophied brain surface and enlarged ventricle. The cerebral cortex involved in the occurrence of schizophrenia may be affected by aging-related cerebral atrophy, in addition to the morphological changes due to schizophrenia. Thus, schizophrenic cerebral atrophy was more noticeable than physiological aging-related atrophy. However, enlargement of the ventricle in the schizophrenic group progressed with aging in the same manner as that in the normal group. In comparing schizophrenic patients with or without a history of lobotomy, atrophy of the brain surface and enlargement of the ventricle were more marked in the lobotomized patients than the non-lobotomized patients. This confirmed that lobotomy, as well as surgical scar, is involved in the morphology of schizophrenic brain. (N.K.)

Correlation of morphological variants of the soft palate and Need's ratio in normal individuals: A digital cephalometric study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Pradhuman; Verma, Kanika Gupta; Sachdeva, Suresh K; Juneja, Suruchi; Kumaraswam; Kikkeri Lakshminarayana; Basavaraju, Suman

2014-01-01

The present study was aimed to investigate the variation of soft palate morphology in different age and gender groups. The correlations of radiographic velar length (VL), velar width (VW), pharyngeal depth (PD), and Need's ratio with soft palate variants were also studied in the North Indian subpopulation. The study sample consisted of 300 subjects aged between 15 and 45 (mean: 31.32) years. The velar morphology on lateral cephalograms was examined and grouped into six types. The results obtained were subjected to a statistical analysis to find the correlation between variants of the soft palate with gender and different age groups. The most frequent type of soft palate was leaf shaped (48.7%), and the least common was crook shaped (3.0%) among both the genders and various age groups, showing a significant correlation. The mean VL, VW, and PD values were significantly higher in males and significantly correlated with the types of soft palate. A significant correlation was observed between the mean VL, VW, PD, and Need's ratio with various age groups, showing an inconsistent pattern with an increase in age. The types of soft palate, gender, and Need's ratio were also significantly correlated, with an overall higher mean value of the Need's ratio among female subjects and the S-shaped soft palate. The knowledge of a varied spectrum of velar morphology and the variants of the soft palate help in a better understanding of the velopharyngeal closure and craniofacial anomalies.

Morphological, structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films deposited by dip coating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marouf, Sara; Beniaiche, Abdelkrim; Guessas, Hocine, E-mail: aziziamor@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire des Systemes Photoniques et Optiques Non Lineaires, Institut d' Optique et Mecanique de Precision, Universite Ferhat Abbas-Setif 1, Setif (Algeria); Azizi, Amor [Laboratoire de Chimie, Ingenierie Moleculaire et Nanostructures, Universite Ferhat Abbas-Setif 1, Setif (Algeria)

2017-01-15

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by dip coating technique. The effects of sol aging time on the deposition of ZnO films was studied by using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and optical transmission techniques. The morphology of the films strongly depends on preparation route and deposition technique. It is noteworthy that films deposited from the freshly prepared solution feature indistinct characteristics; had relatively poor crystalline quality and low optical transmittance in the visible region. The increase in sol aging time resulted in a gradual improvement in crystallinity (in terms of peak sharpness and peak intensity) of the hexagonal phase for all diffraction peaks. Effect of sol aging on optical transparency is quite obvious through increased transmission with prolonged sol aging time. Interestingly, 72-168 h sol aging time was found to be optimal to achieve smooth surface morphology, good crystallinity and high optical transmittance which were attributed to an ideal stability of solution. These findings present a better-defined and more versatile procedure for production of clean ZnO sols of readily adjustable nanocrystalline size. (author)

The role of oxidative stress in nervous system aging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catrina Sims-Robinson

Full Text Available While oxidative stress is implicated in aging, the impact of oxidative stress on aging in the peripheral nervous system is not well understood. To determine a potential mechanism for age-related deficits in the peripheral nervous system, we examined both functional and morphological changes and utilized microarray technology to compare normal aging in wild-type mice to effects in copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-deficient (Sod1(-/- mice, a mouse model of increased oxidative stress. Sod1(-/- mice exhibit a peripheral neuropathy phenotype with normal sensory nerve function and deficits in motor nerve function. Our data indicate that a decrease in the synthesis of cholesterol, which is vital to myelin formation, correlates with the structural deficits in axons, myelin, and the cell body of motor neurons in the Sod1(+/+ mice at 30 months and the Sod1(-/- mice at 20 months compared with mice at 2 months. Collectively, we have demonstrated that the functional and morphological changes within the peripheral nervous system in our model of increased oxidative stress are manifested earlier and resemble the deficits observed during normal aging.

The role of oxidative stress in nervous system aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Sims-Robinson, Catrina; Hur, Junguk; Hayes, John M; Dauch, Jacqueline R; Keller, Peter J; Brooks, Susan V; Feldman, Eva L

2013-01-01

While oxidative stress is implicated in aging, the impact of oxidative stress on aging in the peripheral nervous system is not well understood. To determine a potential mechanism for age-related deficits in the peripheral nervous system, we examined both functional and morphological changes and utilized microarray technology to compare normal aging in wild-type mice to effects in copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-deficient (Sod1(-/-)) mice, a mouse model of increased oxidative stress. Sod1(-/-) mice exhibit a peripheral neuropathy phenotype with normal sensory nerve function and deficits in motor nerve function. Our data indicate that a decrease in the synthesis of cholesterol, which is vital to myelin formation, correlates with the structural deficits in axons, myelin, and the cell body of motor neurons in the Sod1(+/+) mice at 30 months and the Sod1(-/-) mice at 20 months compared with mice at 2 months. Collectively, we have demonstrated that the functional and morphological changes within the peripheral nervous system in our model of increased oxidative stress are manifested earlier and resemble the deficits observed during normal aging.

Design and Realization of an Arabic Morphological Automaton-New Approach for Arabic Morphological Analysis and Generation

OpenAIRE

Mourad Gridach; Noureddine Chenfour

2011-01-01

Arabic morphological analysis is one of the essential stages in Arabic Natural Language Processing. In this paper we present an approach for Arabic morphological analysis. This approach is based on Arabic morphological automaton (AMAUT). The proposed technique uses a morphological database realized using XMODEL language. Arabic morphology represents a special type of morphological systems because it is based on the concept of scheme to represent Arabic words. We use this concept to develop th...

Morphological Analysis in Context versus Isolation: Use of a Dynamic Assessment Task with School-Age Children

Science.gov (United States)

Ram, Gayatri; Marinellie, Sally A.; Benigno, Joann; McCarthy, John

2013-01-01

Purpose: The current study investigated the ability of typically developing children in Grades 3 and 5 to use morphological analysis to determine the meanings of derived words with and without context clues. Also of interest was the relation between children's reading practices and their performance in determining the meanings of derived words.…

Object-oriented identification of forested landslides with derivatives of single pulse LiDAR data

Science.gov (United States)

Van Den Eeckhaut, Miet; Kerle, Norman; Poesen, Jean; Hervás, Javier

2012-11-01

In contrast to the many studies that use expert-based analysis of LiDAR derivatives for landslide mapping in forested terrain, only few studies have attempted to develop (semi-)automatic methods for extracting landslides from LiDAR derivatives. While all these studies are pixel-based, it has not yet been tested whether object-oriented analysis (OOA) could be an alternative. This study investigates the potential of OOA using only single-pulse LiDAR derivatives, such as slope gradient, roughness and curvature to map landslides. More specifically, the focus is on both LiDAR data segmentation and classification of slow-moving landslides in densely vegetated areas, where spectral data do not allow accurate landslide identification. A multistage procedure has been developed and tested in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). The procedure consists of (1) image binarization and multiresolution segmentation, (2) classification of landslide parts (main scarps and landslide body segments) and non-landslide features (i.e. earth banks and cropland fields) with supervised support vector machines at the appropriate scale, (3) delineation of landslide flanks, (4) growing of a landslide body starting from its main scarp, and (5) final cleaning of the inventory map. The results obtained show that OOA using LiDAR derivatives allows recognition and characterization of profound morphologic properties of forested deep-seated landslides on soil-covered hillslopes, because more than 90% of the main scarps and 70% of the landslide bodies of an expert-based inventory were accurately identified with OOA. For mountainous areas with bedrock, on the other hand, creation of a transferable model is expected to be more difficult.

Age determination in the bush squirrel, Paraxerus cepapi cepapi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tooth eruption and wear, measurements of skulls, eye-lens mass determination and different aspects of phallic morphology were used in an attempt at age classification in the bush squirrel, Paraxerus c. cepapi. The first method proved the most practical and allowed for three immature and three adult age classes.

Mechanical and morphological evaluation of age-related changes in the Beagle spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillett, N.A.; Gerlach, R.; Cassidy, J.; Brown, S.

1986-01-01

Age-related changes were evaluated in the spines of Beagle dogs by biomechanical testing, radiology and pathology. Thirty age-matched healthy Beagle dogs were divided into five groups having mean ages of 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 years. Spinal radiographs of anesthetized dogs were taken prior to euthanasia and on defleshed pines following necropsy. Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments were tested in compression to calculate peak stress, peak strain, and elastic modulus. Adjacent spinal segments were examined histologically. Histological evidence of the disc degeneration and changes in the mechanical properties of the intervertebral disc joint preceded radiographical evidence of spondylosis. Changes in the mechanical properties of the disc space were probably a result of the disc degeneration rather than the spondylytic lesions. 3 references, 4 figures

THE ACS SURVEY OF GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTERS. IX. HORIZONTAL BRANCH MORPHOLOGY AND THE SECOND PARAMETER PHENOMENON

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dotter, Aaron; Sarajedini, Ata; Anderson, Jay; Bedin, Luigi R.; Paust, Nathaniel; Reid, I. Neill; Aparicio, Antonio; MarIn-Franch, A.; Rosenberg, Alfred; Chaboyer, Brian; Majewski, Steven; Milone, Antonino; Piotto, Giampaolo; Siegel, Michael

2010-01-01

The horizontal branch (HB) morphology of globular clusters (GCs) is most strongly influenced by metallicity. The second parameter phenomenon, first described in the 1960s, acknowledges that metallicity alone is not enough to describe the HB morphology of all GCs. In particular, astronomers noticed that the outer Galactic halo contains GCs with redder HBs at a given metallicity than are found inside the solar circle. Thus, at least a second parameter was required to characterize HB morphology. While the term 'second parameter' has since come to be used in a broader context, its identity with respect to the original problem has not been conclusively determined. Here we analyze the median color difference between the HB and the red giant branch, hereafter denoted as Δ(V - I), measured from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) photometry of 60 GCs within ∼20 kpc of the Galactic center. Analysis of this homogeneous data set reveals that, after the influence of metallicity has been removed from the data, the correlation between Δ(V - I) and age is stronger than that of any other parameter considered. Expanding the sample to include HST ACS and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 photometry of the six most distant Galactic GCs lends additional support to the correlation between Δ(V - I) and age. This result is robust with respect to the adopted metallicity scale and the method of age determination, but must bear the caveat that high-quality, detailed abundance information is not available for a significant fraction of the sample. Furthermore, when a subset of GCs with similar metallicities and ages is considered, a correlation between Δ(V - I) and central luminosity density is exposed. With respect to the existence of GCs with anomalously red HBs at a given metallicity, we conclude that age is the second parameter and central density is most likely the third. Important problems related to HB morphology in GCs, notably multi-modal distributions

Morphological caracteristics of malocclusion class II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlović J.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Class II malocclusion are complex anomalies of the skeletal and dental systems. The aim of this study is that the rengenkefalometrics analysis closer determine the morphological characteristics of this malocclusion. For this study were used 30 patients aged 18-30, previously clinically diagnosed class II, before the planned orthodontic treatment. The results analisis lateral cephalometric radiographs were compared with the 30 patients with class I malocclusion. Analyzed three linear and two angular cranial base dimensions and nine angular and four linear measures from the facial skeleton. The Results show: No statistically significant differensis in cranial base angle (SNBa and anterior cranial base length (S-N between class II and control Class I. Angle maxillar prognathism ( SNA is no signifikant different between class I and Class II but SNB angle were signifikant smaller. The length of maxillary base (A'-SnP is longer and the length of mandibule (Pg'-MT1/MT is signifficantly smaller. The gonial angle (ArGo-Me was smaller with open articular angle (GoArSN. Morphological characteristics of class II malocclusion are , retrognathic and smaller mandibular ligth, normognathic and longer maxilla, open articular angle with vertical tendency of the craniofacial growth pattern.

Aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Hideo; Kodama, Kazunori; Yamada, Michiko

1991-01-01

The hypothesis that exposure to ionizing radiation accelerates the aging process has been actively investigated at ABCC-RERF since 1958, when longitudinal cohort studies of the Adult Health Study (AHS) and the Life Span Study (LSS) were initiated. In their 1975 overall review of aging studies related to the atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors, Finch and Beebe concluded that while most studies had shown no correlation between aging and radiation exposure, they had not involved the large numbers of subjects required to provide strong evidence for or against the hypothesis. Extending LSS mortality data up to 1978 did not alter the earlier conclusion that any observed life-shortening was associated primarily with cancer induction rather than with any nonspecific cause. The results of aging studies conducted during the intervening 15 years using data from the same populations are reviewed in the present paper. Using clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory techniques, a broad spectrum of aging parameters have been studied, such as postmortem morphological changes, tests of functional capacity, physical tests and measurements, laboratory tests, tissue changes, and morbidity. With respect to the aging process, the overall results have not been consistent and are generally thought to show no relation to radiation exposure. Although some preliminary results suggest a possible radiation-induced increase in atherosclerotic diseases and acceleration of aging in the T-cell-related immune system, further study is necessary to confirm these findings. In the future, applying the latest gerontological study techniques to data collected from subjects exposed 45 years ago to A-bomb radiation at relatively young ages will present a new body of data relevant to the study of late radiation effects. (author) 103 refs

Effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on cerebral morphology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jernigan, Terry Lynne; Gamst, Abthony C; Archibald, Sarah L.

2005-01-01

-dependent participants. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest significant brain structure alterations associated with both HIV infection and methamphetamine dependence. The regional patterns of the changes associated with these factors were distinct but overlapping, and the effects on brain volumes were opposing. Although......OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the separate and combined effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on brain morphology. METHOD: Morphometric measures obtained from magnetic resonance imaging of methamphetamine-dependent and/or HIV-positive participants and their appropriate age......- and education-matched comparison groups were analyzed. Main effects of age, HIV infection, methamphetamine dependence, and the interactions of these factors were examined in analyses of cerebral gray matter structure volumes. RESULTS: Independent of the effect of age, HIV infection was associated with reduced...

Craniodental continuity and change between Iron Age peoples and their descendants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerryn A. Warren

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The appearance of the Iron Age of southern Africa early in the first millennium AD is associated with the migration of Bantu speakers who were broadly ancestral to present-day Bantu speakers. While there is sufficient genetic, physical anthropological and cultural evidence to support general continuity into contemporary populations, the extent to which events since colonialism have affected morphological variation is poorly understood. We used dental anthropological techniques and three-dimensional craniomandibular metrics to examine biological relationships among Iron Age farmers, a historical 19th-century Ndebele sample and 20th-century Bantu speakers. We show that, although Iron Age and modern morphologies are generally similar, there are differences. Moreover, the historical sample falls between the precolonial and modern samples, suggesting increased genetic exchange from the 19th century onwards. These results suggest that recent historical events altered the genetic make-up of Bantu speakers and that, as a result, extrapolations from modern groups to the past should be done with caution as morphological variability is relative to historical context.

Effect of phonological and morphological awareness on reading comprehension in Hebrew-speaking adolescents with reading disabilities.

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Schiff, Rachel; Schwartz-Nahshon, Sarit; Nagar, Revital

2011-06-01

This research explored phonological and morphological awareness among Hebrew-speaking adolescents with reading disabilities (RD) and its effect on reading comprehension beyond phonological and word-reading abilities. Participants included 39 seventh graders with RD and two matched control groups of normal readers: 40 seventh graders matched for chronological age (CA) and 38 third graders matched for reading age (RA). We assessed phonological awareness, word reading, morphological awareness, and reading comprehension. Findings indicated that the RD group performed similarly to the RA group on phonological awareness but lower on phonological decoding. On the decontextualized morphological task, RD functioned on par with RA, whereas in a contextualized task RD performed above RA but lower than CA. In reading comprehension, RD performed as well as RA. Finally, results indicated that for normal readers contextual morphological awareness uniquely contributed to reading comprehension beyond phonological and word-reading abilities, whereas no such unique contribution emerged for the RD group. The absence of an effect of morphological awareness in predicting reading comprehension was suggested to be related to a different recognition process employed by RD readers which hinder the ability of these readers to use morphosemantic structures. The lexical quality hypothesis was proposed as further support to the findings, suggesting that a low quality of lexical representation in RD students leads to ineffective reading skills and comprehension. Lexical representation is thus critical for both lexical as well as comprehension abilities.

Morphological neural networks

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Ritter, G.X.; Sussner, P. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

1996-12-31

The theory of artificial neural networks has been successfully applied to a wide variety of pattern recognition problems. In this theory, the first step in computing the next state of a neuron or in performing the next layer neural network computation involves the linear operation of multiplying neural values by their synaptic strengths and adding the results. Thresholding usually follows the linear operation in order to provide for nonlinearity of the network. In this paper we introduce a novel class of neural networks, called morphological neural networks, in which the operations of multiplication and addition are replaced by addition and maximum (or minimum), respectively. By taking the maximum (or minimum) of sums instead of the sum of products, morphological network computation is nonlinear before thresholding. As a consequence, the properties of morphological neural networks are drastically different than those of traditional neural network models. In this paper we consider some of these differences and provide some particular examples of morphological neural network.

Extrinsic morphology of graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Teng

2011-01-01

Graphene is intrinsically non-flat and corrugates randomly. Since the corrugating physics of atomically thin graphene is strongly tied to its electronics properties, randomly corrugating morphology of graphene poses a significant challenge to its application in nanoelectronic devices for which precise (digital) control is the key. Recent studies revealed that the morphology of substrate-supported graphene is regulated by the graphene–substrate interaction, thus is distinct from the random intrinsic morphology of freestanding graphene. The regulated extrinsic morphology of graphene sheds light on new pathways to fine tune the properties of graphene. To guide further research to explore these fertile opportunities, this paper reviews recent progress on modeling and experimental studies of the extrinsic morphology of graphene under a wide range of external regulation, including two-dimensional and one-dimensional substrate surface features and one-dimensional and zero-dimensional nanoscale scaffolds (e.g. nanowires and nanoparticles)

A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF HUMAN THYROID GLAND IN THE POPULATION OF NORTH - EASTERN REGION OF INDIA

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Debabani

2015-06-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND : Due to the high incidence of thyroid disorders in the North - Eastern population of India a study was undertaken in Guwahati Medical College to see the age related changes in the morphology of the gland in the ca davers of this region. AIM : The study was done to compare the dimensions of the thyroid gland in this population with different studies around the world to see if it can throw any light why thyroid disorders are more common in this population and help clin icians to deal better. MATERIALS AND METHOD : The specimens were divided into three groups according to their ages. Twenty (21 specimens (both male and female were taken from each age group. Statistical analysis was done by paired t - test and t was taken a s significant if the value of t was greater than 2.18. SUMMARY : A study of all together of 63 specimen were taken up to see if any morphological differences in dimension exists in various age groups viz. pediatrics , adults and elderly and co relate with fi ndings of previous workers and was statistically analyzed. CONCLUSION : The study showed that there was no morphological difference of this population with that of previous studies done in other parts of the world. Perhaps a histological study in molecular level will throw more light why this stratum of population is so vulnerable to thyroid disorders.

An age estimation method using brain local features for T1-weighted images.

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Kondo, Chihiro; Ito, Koichi; Kai Wu; Sato, Kazunori; Taki, Yasuyuki; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Aoki, Takafumi

2015-08-01

Previous statistical analysis studies using large-scale brain magnetic resonance (MR) image databases have examined that brain tissues have age-related morphological changes. This fact indicates that one can estimate the age of a subject from his/her brain MR image by evaluating morphological changes with healthy aging. This paper proposes an age estimation method using local features extracted from T1-weighted MR images. The brain local features are defined by volumes of brain tissues parcellated into local regions defined by the automated anatomical labeling atlas. The proposed method selects optimal local regions to improve the performance of age estimation. We evaluate performance of the proposed method using 1,146 T1-weighted images from a Japanese MR image database. We also discuss the medical implication of selected optimal local regions.

Characteristic Morphologies of the Bicuspid Aortic Valve in Patients with Genetic Syndromes.

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Niaz, Talha; Poterucha, Joseph T; Olson, Timothy M; Johnson, Jonathan N; Craviari, Cecilia; Nienaber, Thomas; Palfreeman, Jared; Cetta, Frank; Hagler, Donald J

2018-02-01

In patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), complications including progressive aortic stenosis and aortic dilatation develop over time. The morphology of cusp fusion is one of the determinants of the type and severity of these complications. We present the association of morphology of cusp fusion in BAV patients with distinctive genetic syndromes. The Mayo Clinic echocardiography database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients (age ≤ 22 years) diagnosed with BAV from 1990 to 2016. Cusp fusion morphology was determined from the echocardiographic studies, while coexisting cardiac defects and genetic syndromes were determined from chart review. A total of 1,037 patients with BAV were identified: 550 (53%) had an isolated BAV, 299 (29%) had BAV and a coexisting congenital heart defect, and 188 (18%) had BAV and a coexisting genetic syndrome or disorder. There were no differences in distribution of morphology across the three groups. However, right-noncoronary (RN) cusp fusion was the predominant morphology associated with Down syndrome (P = .002) and right-left (RL) cusp fusion was the predominant morphology associated with Turner syndrome (P = .02), DiGeorge syndrome (P = .02), and Shone syndrome (P = .0007), when compared with valve morphology in patients with isolated BAV. Isolated BAV patients with RN cusp fusion had larger ascending aorta diameter (P = .001) and higher number of patients with ≥ moderate aortic regurgitation (P = .02), while those with RL cusp fusion had larger sinus of Valsalva diameter (P = .0006). Morphological subtypes of BAV are associated with different genetic syndromes, suggesting distinct perturbations of developmental pathways in aortic valve malformation. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Paleoseismic evidence for late Holocene tectonic deformation along the Saddle mountain fault zone, Southeastern Olympic Peninsula, Washington

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Barnett, Elizabeth; Sherrod, Brian; Hughes, Jonathan F.; Kelsey, Harvey M.; Czajkowski, Jessica L.; Walsh, Timothy J.; Contreras, Trevor A.; Schermer, Elizabeth R.; Carson, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Trench and wetland coring studies show that northeast‐striking strands of the Saddle Mountain fault zone ruptured the ground about 1000 years ago, generating prominent scarps. Three conspicuous subparallel fault scarps can be traced for 15 km on Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) imagery, traversing the foothills of the southeast Olympic Mountains: the Saddle Mountain east fault, the Saddle Mountain west fault, and the newly identified Sund Creek fault. Uplift of the Saddle Mountain east fault scarp impounded stream flow, forming Price Lake and submerging an existing forest, thereby leaving drowned stumps still rooted in place. Stratigraphy mapped in two trenches, one across the Saddle Mountain east fault and the other across the Sund Creek fault, records one and two earthquakes, respectively, as faulting juxtaposed Miocene‐age bedrock against glacial and postglacial deposits. Although the stratigraphy demonstrates that reverse motion generated the scarps, slip indicators measured on fault surfaces suggest a component of left‐lateral slip. From trench exposures, we estimate the postglacial slip rate to be 0.2  mm/yr and between 0.7 and 3.2  mm/yr during the past 3000 years. Integrating radiocarbon data from this study with earlier Saddle Mountain fault studies into an OxCal Bayesian statistical chronology model constrains the most recent paleoearthquake age of rupture across all three Saddle Mountain faults to 1170–970 calibrated years (cal B.P.), which overlaps with the nearby Mw 7.5 1050–1020 cal B.P. Seattle fault earthquake. An earlier earthquake recorded in the Sund Creek trench exposure, dates to around 3500 cal B.P. The geometry of the Saddle Mountain faults and their near‐synchronous rupture to nearby faults 1000 years ago suggest that the Saddle Mountain fault zone forms a western boundary fault along which the fore‐arc blocks migrate northward in response to margin‐parallel shortening across the Puget Lowland.

CANONICAL RELATIONS MORPHOLOGIC FEATURES, MOTOR ABILITIES AND TESTS WITH SITACIONI BASKETBALL PLAYERS AGED 12-14 YEARS

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Zulfo Aruković

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this istraživanjua is identifying the canonical correlation between two multidimensional space, the space of morphological characteristics and basic mo¬tor skills room, basketball od12 to 14 years of success on the result of situ¬atio¬nal-motor tests of basketball games. The study was conducted on a sample of 70 players.

Morphological demosaicking

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Quan, Shuxue

2009-02-01

Bayer patterns, in which a single value of red, green or blue is available for each pixel, are widely used in digital color cameras. The reconstruction of the full color image is often referred to as demosaicking. This paper introduced a new approach - morphological demosaicking. The approach is based on strong edge directionality selection and interpolation, followed by morphological operations to refine edge directionality selection and reduce color aliasing. Finally performance evaluation and examples of color artifacts reduction are shown.

Age-dependent changes of the normal human spine during adulthood.

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Rühli, F J; Müntener, M; Henneberg, M

2005-01-01

The impact of aging on the morphology of the osseous spine is still debated. Clinical studies usually record combined aging effects, as well as age-related degenerative changes. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of (degeneration-independent) aging on the morphology of the osseous human spine during adulthood. Various osseous dimensions of human spinal landmarks at all major vertebral levels have been assessed in macroscopically normal Swiss skeletons (N = 71), with historically known sex and age at death, as well as in larger Central European skeletal samples (N = 277) with anthropologically determined individual age and sex. All measurements were correlated with individual age (or age group) by linear regression and analyzed separately for each sex. Only few osseous spinal dimensions, and only in men, correlate significantly with individual age. Generally, the significant dimensions show an increase in size during adulthood. Similar tendencies, but with significant alterations of spinal measurements in women as well, can be found in the larger samples with anthropologically determined sex and age group. Increase of certain spinal dimensions found in this study may be a reflection of an increase in the robustness of individuals with age. Because of the absence of a significant secular alteration of stature within the well-recorded sample, we exclude secular change in body dimensions as a major bias. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Correlation of radiographic and MRI parameters to morphological and biochemical assessment of intervertebral disc degeneration

OpenAIRE

Benneker, Lorin M.; Heini, Paul F.; Anderson, Suzanne E.; Alini, Mauro; Ito, Keita

2004-01-01

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a common finding in MRI scans and X-rays. However, their correlation to morphological and biochemical changes is not well established. In this study, radiological and MRI parameters of DDD were assessed and compared with morphological and biochemical findings of disc degeneration. Thirty-nine human lumbar discs (L1–S1), age 19–86 years, were harvested from eight cadavers. Within 48 h postmortem, MRIs in various spin-echo sequences and biplanar radiographs of...

Craniofacial morphology in Turner syndrome patients treated with growth hormone

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Jovana Julsoki

2015-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: In addition to well-established physical characteristics, Turner syndrome patients have distinct craniofacial morphology. Since short stature is the most typical characteristic, Turner syndrome patients are commonly treated with growth hormone in order to increase final height. At the same time, growth hormone treatment was found to influence craniofacial growth and morphology in various groups of treated patients. Whereas craniofacial characteristics of Turner syndrome patients are well documented, comparatively little is known of craniofacial morphology of those who are treated with growth hormone. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate craniofacial morphology in Turner syndrome patients treated with growth hormone in comparison to healthy females. Materials and methods: The cephalometric evaluation was conducted on twenty lateral cephalograms of Turner syndrome patients (13.53 ± 4.04 years treated with growth hormone for at least one year (4.94 ± 1.92 years in average. As a control group, forty lateral cephalograms of healthy female controls, who matched Turner syndrome patients by chronological (11.80 ± 2.37 years and skeletal age, were used. Eleven angular, seven linear measurements and six dimensional ratios were measured to describe craniofacial morphology. Results: The results obtained for angular measurements, in cephalometric analyses for Turner syndrome patients treated with growth hormone, revealed bimaxillary retrognathism. The linear measurements indicated longer mandibular ramus, anterior cranial base and both anterior and posterior facial heights. However, posterior cranial base and maxilla were in proportion to the anterior cranial base, when comparing dimensional ratios. Anterior cranial base, maxilla and mandibular ramus were larger in proportion to mandibular body; as well as posterior facial height was when compared to anterior facial height. Turner syndrome patients treated with growth

Age determination by teeth examination: a comparison between different morphologic and quantitative analyses.

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Amariti, M L; Restori, M; De Ferrari, F; Paganelli, C; Faglia, R; Legnani, G

1999-06-01

Age determination by teeth examination is one of the main means of determining personal identification. Current studies have suggested different techniques for determining the age of a subject by means of the analysis of microscopic and macroscopic structural modifications of the tooth with ageing. The histological approach is useful among the various methodologies utilized for this purpose. It is still unclear as to what is the best technique, as almost all the authors suggest the use of the approach they themselves have tested. In the present study, age determination by means of microscopic techniques has been based on the quantitative analysis of three parameters, all well recognized in specialized literature: 1. dentinal tubules density/sclerosis 2. tooth translucency 3. analysis of the cementum thickness. After a description of the three methodologies (with automatic image processing of the dentinal sclerosis utilizing an appropriate computer program developed by the authors) the results obtained on cases using the three different approaches are presented, and the merits and failings of each technique are identified with the intention of identifying the one offering the least degree of error in age determination.

The Impact of Morphological Awareness on Word Reading and Dictation in Chinese Early Adolescent Readers With and Without Dyslexia.

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Kalindi, Sylvia Chanda; Chung, Kevin Kien Hoa

2018-01-01

This study investigated the role of morphological awareness in understanding Chinese word reading and dictation among Chinese-speaking adolescent readers in Hong Kong as well as the cognitive-linguistic profile of early adolescent readers with dyslexia. Fifty-four readers with dyslexia in Grades 5 and 6 were compared with 54 chronological age-matched (CA) typical readers on the following measures of cognitive-linguistic and literacy skills: morphological awareness, phonological awareness, visual-orthographic knowledge, rapid naming, vocabulary knowledge, verbal short-term memory (STM), Chinese word reading, and dictation (or spelling). The results indicated that early adolescent readers with dyslexia performed less well than the typical readers on all cognitive-linguistic and literacy measures except the phonological measures. Both groups' scores showed substantial correlations between morphological awareness and Chinese word reading and dictation. Visual-orthographic knowledge and rapid naming were also associated with dictation in early adolescent readers with and without dyslexia, respectively. Moderated multiple regression analyses further revealed that morphological awareness and rapid naming explained unique variance in word reading and dictation for the readers with dyslexia and typical readers separately after controlling readers' age and group effect. These results highlight the potential importance of morphological awareness and rapid naming in Chinese word reading and writing in Chinese early adolescents' literacy development and impairment.

The Role of Oxidative Stress in Nervous System Aging

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Sims-Robinson, Catrina; Hur, Junguk; Hayes, John M.; Dauch, Jacqueline R.; Keller, Peter J.; Brooks, Susan V.; Feldman, Eva L.

2013-01-01

While oxidative stress is implicated in aging, the impact of oxidative stress on aging in the peripheral nervous system is not well understood. To determine a potential mechanism for age-related deficits in the peripheral nervous system, we examined both functional and morphological changes and utilized microarray technology to compare normal aging in wild-type mice to effects in copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-deficient (Sod1−/−) mice, a mouse model of increased oxidative stress. Sod1−/− mice exhibit a peripheral neuropathy phenotype with normal sensory nerve function and deficits in motor nerve function. Our data indicate that a decrease in the synthesis of cholesterol, which is vital to myelin formation, correlates with the structural deficits in axons, myelin, and the cell body of motor neurons in the Sod1+/+ mice at 30 months and the Sod1−/− mice at 20 months compared with mice at 2 months. Collectively, we have demonstrated that the functional and morphological changes within the peripheral nervous system in our model of increased oxidative stress are manifested earlier and resemble the deficits observed during normal aging. PMID:23844146

Cold-seep-driven carbonate deposits at the Central American forearc: contrasting evolution and timing in escarpment and mound settings

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Liebetrau, V.; Augustin, N.; Kutterolf, S.; Schmidt, M.; Eisenhauer, A.; Garbe-Schönberg, D.; Weinrebe, W.

2014-10-01

Continuous surface cores of cold-seep carbonates were recovered offshore Pacific Nicaragua and Costa Rica from 800 to 1,500-m water depths (Meteor 66/3) in order to decipher their evolution and methane enriched fluid emanation in contrasting geological settings. Cores from the mounds Iguana, Perezoso, Baula V and from the Jaco Scarp escarpment were used for a multi-method approach. For both settings aragonite was revealed as dominant authigenic carbonate phase in vein fillings and matrix cementation, followed by Mg-calcite as second most abundant. This common precipitation process of CaCO3 polymorphs could be ascribed as indirectly driven by chemical changes of the advecting pore water due to anaerobic oxidation of methane. A more direct influence of seep-related microbial activity on the authigenic mineral assemblage in both settings is probably reflected by the observed minor amounts of dolomite and a dolomite-like CaMg carbonate (MgCO3 ~ 42 %). δ13C data of Jaco Scarp samples are significantly lower (-43 to -56 ‰ PDB) than for mound samples (-22 to -36 ‰ PDB), indicating differences in fluid composition and origin. Noteworthy, δ18O values of Scarp samples correlate most closely with the ocean signature at their time of formation. Documenting the archive potential, a high resolution case study of a mound core implies at least 40 changes in fluid supply within a time interval of approximately 14 ky. As most striking difference, the age data indicate a late-stage downward-progressing cementation front for all three mound cap structures (approx. 2-5 cm/ky), but a significantly faster upward carbonate buildup in the bulging sediments on top of the scarp environment (approx. 120 cm/ky). The latter data set leads to the hypothesis of chemoherm carbonate emplacement in accord with reported sedimentation rates until decompression of the advective fluid system, probably caused by the Jaco Scarp landslide and dating this to approximately 13,000 years ago.

Effect of aging of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} sol on properties of nanoscale films

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Senapati, Sujata [Materials Science Programme, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Samtel Centre for Display Technologies, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Panda, Siddhartha, E-mail: spanda@iitk.ac.in [Materials Science Programme, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Samtel Centre for Display Technologies, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2016-01-29

Nanoscale films having thicknesses in the range of 92 nm–137 nm were obtained by spin coating V{sub 2}O{sub 5} sol at different stages of aging. The observed structural and morphological changes with time can be attributed to the reactions occurring in the sol. The film morphology changed from an indistinctive featureless film to a homogenous film having ribbon-like nanostructures with aging of sols. TGA and FTIR analysis confirmed loss in the amount of intercalated water content with aging giving rise to structural changes (decrease in interlayer spacing) which were observed using XRD. Variations in mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of the thin films were observed with aging of the sol. Strain in the films were found to decrease with aging. The electrical conductivity increased with aging and this can be correlated to the improved crystallinity of the films with aging. The optical bandgap (calculated from UV–Vis data) decreased and the transmittance increased with aging. - Highlights: • Nanoscale V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films synthesized by spin coating progressively aged sol. • Structural and morphological changes were observed in the films. • Loss of water of hydration resulted in decrease in interlayer spacing. • Strain in the film decreased and conductivity increased with aging. • Increase in transmittance and decrease in optical band gap with aging observed.

Effect of aging on the microstructure of plasticized cornstarch films

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Rossana M.S.M. Thiré

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Aging of cornstarch films prepared by casting was investigated. Water and glycerol-plasticized cornstarch films were stored at 50% relative humidity over a period of 330 days. Aging was followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD and atomic force microscopy (AFM. XRD spectra indicated development of B-type crystallinity even for fresh films and that the crystallinity index increased from 0.06 to 0.28 as a function of storage time. AFM images of 270-day-old films revealed that the general morphology and the overall roughness have not changed due to aging. AFM phase contrast images at higher magnification showed an increasing number of ordered domains at the surface of these films, which may be attributed to recrystallization of amylose. No morphological change was observed at least at the surface of the granular region, which is enriched in amylopectin.

Whence the fuzziness? Morphological effects in interacting sound changes in Southern British English

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Patrycja Strycharczuk

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The fronting of the high-back /uː/ and /ʊ/, as currently seen in Southern British English (SBE, is a rare opportunity to study two similar sound changes at different stages of their phonetic development: /uː/-fronting is a more advanced change than /ʊ/-fronting. Since the fronting in both vowels is restricted from applying before a following final /l/ (e.g., in words like 'fool 'or 'pull', we can exploit the difference in the phonetic advancement of /uː/ and /ʊ/-fronting to illuminate the nature of ‘fuzzy contrasts’ affecting vowel+/l/ sequences in morphologically complex words. As recent results show that /uː/-fronting is partially limited in 'fool-ing '(but not in monomorphemes like 'hula', we ask whether similar morphological constraints affect /ʊ/ followed by /l/ (e.g., 'bully 'vs. 'pull-ing'. Simultaneously, we consider the question of what phonological generalization best captures the interaction between vowel fronting, /l/-darkening, and morphological structure. We present ultrasound data from 20 speakers of SBE representing two age groups. The data show that morphologically conditioned contrasts are consistent for /uː/+/l/, but variable and limited in size for /ʊ/+/l/. We relate these findings to the debate on morphology-phonetics interactions and the emergence of phonological abstraction.

Correlation between scintillographic-and morphologic findings in 78 follicular adenomas of thyroid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, M.E.; Silva, W.; Andreghetti, C.R.; Kiy, Y.; Franco, M.F.

1981-01-01

Correlation between Scintilographic and morphologic findings was investigated in 78 follicular adenomas of thyroid found in 249 thyroidectomies carried out at the University Hospital of the Botucatu Medical School from 1973 to 1978. Most patients were female ranging from 20 to 59 yaars of age. There was agreement between Scintilography and morphology in 75% of the 48 cold nodules: low 131 I - uptake and cystic of histologically non - non functioning adenomas (embrionary, fetal or macrofollicular types). Among the 12 warm nodules there was Scintilographic - morphological agreement in 50% of the cases (normal 135 I - uptake and simple adenoma) and disagreement in 50% (normal 135 I - uptake and cystic or histologically non-functioning adenomas). Most of the 18 hot adenomas showed hyperplastic follicular histology goth in the toxic and non-toxic nodules. In the thyroid surrounding the adenomas, histological foci of follicular hyperplasia in 8.9% and of lymphocitic thyroiditis in 33.3% of the cases were found. (Author) [pt

Developmental changes of morphology in the basolateral complex of the rabbit amygdala.

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Jagalska-Majewska, Hanna; Luczyńska, Anna; Wójcik, Sławomir; Dziewiatkowski, Jerzy; Kurlapska, Renata; Moryś, Janusz

2003-01-01

The aim of the present study is to follow topographical and morphological changes in the development of the amygdaloid basolateral complex (BLC) in the rabbit. The material consists of 35 brains of New Zealand rabbits of both sexes, divided into 7 age groups (P2-P90). In cresyl violet preparations BLC is already well visible on P2 and is composed of the lateral (divided into dorsolateral and ventromedial divisions), basolateral and homogenous basomedial nuclei. On about the 7th postnatal day it is possible to divide the basomedial nucleus (BM) into dorsal (Bmd) and ventral (BMv) divisions. The topography and subdivisions set on P7 are maintained in further periods of life. The morphology of neurons (shape, dendrites, staining) changes significantly until P21 in all BLC nuclei. Our results indicate that BLC achieves morphological maturity relatively late, which is probably connected with a long creation of emotional memory and regulation of emotional behaviour.

Differential morphology and image processing.

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Maragos, P

1996-01-01

Image processing via mathematical morphology has traditionally used geometry to intuitively understand morphological signal operators and set or lattice algebra to analyze them in the space domain. We provide a unified view and analytic tools for morphological image processing that is based on ideas from differential calculus and dynamical systems. This includes ideas on using partial differential or difference equations (PDEs) to model distance propagation or nonlinear multiscale processes in images. We briefly review some nonlinear difference equations that implement discrete distance transforms and relate them to numerical solutions of the eikonal equation of optics. We also review some nonlinear PDEs that model the evolution of multiscale morphological operators and use morphological derivatives. Among the new ideas presented, we develop some general 2-D max/min-sum difference equations that model the space dynamics of 2-D morphological systems (including the distance computations) and some nonlinear signal transforms, called slope transforms, that can analyze these systems in a transform domain in ways conceptually similar to the application of Fourier transforms to linear systems. Thus, distance transforms are shown to be bandpass slope filters. We view the analysis of the multiscale morphological PDEs and of the eikonal PDE solved via weighted distance transforms as a unified area in nonlinear image processing, which we call differential morphology, and briefly discuss its potential applications to image processing and computer vision.

aging affects morphology but not stimulated secretion of saliva in rats

African Journals Online (AJOL)

initial food digestion, taste perception, maintenance of ... salivary gland weights, salivary flow rates, pH and salivary levels of sodium, ... free flow into sterile plain tubes for a period of 10 .... composition are largely age independent in human. In.

Moving Forward: Age Effects on the Cerebellum Underlie Cognitive and Motor Declines

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Bernard, Jessica A.; Seidler, Rachael D.

2014-01-01

Though the cortical contributions to age-related declines in motor and cognitive performance are well-known, the potential contributions of the cerebellum are less clear. The diverse functions of the cerebellum make it an important structure to investigate in aging. Here, we review the extant literature on this topic. To date, there is evidence to indicate that there are morphological age differences in the cerebellum that are linked to motor and cognitive behavior. Cerebellar morphology is often as good as -- or even better -- at predicting performance than the prefrontal cortex. We also touch on the few studies using functional neuroimaging and connectivity analyses that further implicate the cerebellum in age-related performance declines. Importantly, we provide a conceptual framework for the cerebellum influencing age differences in performance, centered on the notion of degraded internal models. The evidence indicating that cerebellar age differences associate with performance highlights the need for additional work in this domain to further elucidate the role of the cerebellum in age differences in movement control and cognitive function. PMID:24594194

Iodine intake not radiation is the probable major influence on the morphology, aggressiveness and latency of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Dill; Vowler, Sarah; Bogdanova, Tania; Tronko, Nikol; Ito, Masah; Livolsi, Virg; Thomas, Gerry; Demidchik, Evg

2005-01-01

Full text: This study set out to investigate whether radiation induced thyroid cancers differ in morphology and aggressiveness from non radiation induced cancers, and whether other factors such as iodine intake are important. Chernobyl-related thyroid carcinomas, almost all PTCs, are reportedly typically morphologically solid, RET-PTC3 positive, and aggressive. We have studied 152 PTCs, 84 Chernobyl related (Chernobyl Tumour Bank), 23 unexposed children from the same area, and 45 from other countries. We quantified morphological changes and invasion, and found no significant differences between age-matched radiation-exposed and unexposed groups from the Chernobyl regions (papillary differentiation 34.3 v 35.2%, invasion 62 v 65 %). Age-matched tumours from Japan, a country with high dietary iodine, showed significantly more well-differentiated papillary architecture (80.8 v 43.3%, p<0.0001) and significantly less invasion (30 v 57 %, p<0.01) than tumours from Chernobyl regions. PTCs from England and Wales, iodine intake intermediate between Japan and the iodine deficient Chernobyl regions, showed intermediate features. We and others have shown that papillary architecture correlates with RET-PTC1 and solid morphology with RET-PTC3; the proportion of RET-PTC3 positive tumours has declined with increasing latency. We have also previously shown that solid morphology in Chernobyl-related PTCs correlates with short latency irrespective of age at exposure. Conclusion: We conclude that in the 19 years since the Chernobyl accident the radiation and non radiation-induced induced papillary carcinomas from the same areas do not differ in morphology and aggressiveness but both differ significantly from tumours from an iodine rich country. We suggest that these features and the surprisingly short latency after Chernobyl compared to other radiation incidents are influenced by the low dietary iodine intake. (author)

Preschool Phonological and Morphological Awareness As Longitudinal Predictors of Early Reading and Spelling Development in Greek.

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Diamanti, Vassiliki; Mouzaki, Angeliki; Ralli, Asimina; Antoniou, Faye; Papaioannou, Sofia; Protopapas, Athanassios

2017-01-01

Different language skills are considered fundamental for successful reading and spelling acquisition. Extensive evidence has highlighted the central role of phonological awareness in early literacy experiences. However, many orthographic systems also require the contribution of morphological awareness. The goal of this study was to examine the morphological and phonological awareness skills of preschool children as longitudinal predictors of reading and spelling ability by the end of first grade, controlling for the effects of receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. At Time 1 preschool children from kindergartens in the Greek regions of Attika, Crete, Macedonia, and Thessaly were assessed on tasks tapping receptive and expressive vocabulary, phonological awareness (syllable and phoneme), and morphological awareness (inflectional and derivational). Tasks were administered through an Android application for mobile devices (tablets) featuring automatic application of ceiling rules. At Time 2 one year later the same children attending first grade were assessed on measures of word and pseudoword reading, text reading fluency, text reading comprehension, and spelling. Complete data from 104 children are available. Hierarchical linear regression and commonality analyses were conducted for each outcome variable. Reading accuracy for both words and pseudowords was predicted not only by phonological awareness, as expected, but also by morphological awareness, suggesting that understanding the functional role of word parts supports the developing phonology-orthography mappings. However, only phonological awareness predicted text reading fluency at this age. Longitudinal prediction of reading comprehension by both receptive vocabulary and morphological awareness was already evident at this age, as expected. Finally, spelling was predicted by preschool phonological awareness, as expected, as well as by morphological awareness, the contribution of which is expected to

Preschool Phonological and Morphological Awareness As Longitudinal Predictors of Early Reading and Spelling Development in Greek

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vassiliki Diamanti

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Different language skills are considered fundamental for successful reading and spelling acquisition. Extensive evidence has highlighted the central role of phonological awareness in early literacy experiences. However, many orthographic systems also require the contribution of morphological awareness. The goal of this study was to examine the morphological and phonological awareness skills of preschool children as longitudinal predictors of reading and spelling ability by the end of first grade, controlling for the effects of receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. At Time 1 preschool children from kindergartens in the Greek regions of Attika, Crete, Macedonia, and Thessaly were assessed on tasks tapping receptive and expressive vocabulary, phonological awareness (syllable and phoneme, and morphological awareness (inflectional and derivational. Tasks were administered through an Android application for mobile devices (tablets featuring automatic application of ceiling rules. At Time 2 one year later the same children attending first grade were assessed on measures of word and pseudoword reading, text reading fluency, text reading comprehension, and spelling. Complete data from 104 children are available. Hierarchical linear regression and commonality analyses were conducted for each outcome variable. Reading accuracy for both words and pseudowords was predicted not only by phonological awareness, as expected, but also by morphological awareness, suggesting that understanding the functional role of word parts supports the developing phonology–orthography mappings. However, only phonological awareness predicted text reading fluency at this age. Longitudinal prediction of reading comprehension by both receptive vocabulary and morphological awareness was already evident at this age, as expected. Finally, spelling was predicted by preschool phonological awareness, as expected, as well as by morphological awareness, the contribution of which is

Recent shallow moonquake and impact-triggered boulder falls on the Moon: New insights from the Schrödinger basin

Science.gov (United States)

Senthil Kumar, P.; Sruthi, U.; Krishna, N.; Lakshmi, K. J. P.; Menon, Rajeev; Amitabh; Gopala Krishna, B.; Kring, David A.; Head, James W.; Goswami, J. N.; Kiran Kumar, A. S.

2016-02-01

Shallow moonquakes are thought to be of tectonic origin. However, the geologic structures responsible for these moonquakes are unknown. Here we report sites where moonquakes possibly occurred along young lobate scarps in the Schrödinger basin. Our analysis of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Chandrayaan-1 images revealed four lobate scarps in different parts of the Schrödinger basin. The scarps crosscut small fresh impact craters (bounced on nearby slopes. A cluster of a large number of boulder falls near Scarp 1 indicates that the scarp was seismically active recently. A low runout efficiency of the boulders (~2.5) indicates low to moderate levels of ground shaking, which we interpret to be related to low-magnitude moonquakes in the scarp. Boulder falls are also observed in other parts of the basin, where we mapped >1500 boulders associated with trails and bouncing marks. Their origins are largely controlled by recent impact events. Ejecta rays and secondary crater chains from a 14 km diameter impact crater traversed Schrödinger and triggered significant boulder falls about 17 Ma. Therefore, a combination of recent shallow moonquakes and impact events triggered the boulder falls in the Schrödinger basin.

Involvement Of BDNF In Age-Dependent Alterations In The Hippocampus

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Oliver Von Bohlen Und Halbach

2010-08-01

Full Text Available It is known since a long time that the hippocampus is sensitive to aging. Thus, there is a reduction in the hippocampal volume during aging. This age-related volume reduction is paralleled by behavioral and functional deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory tasks. This age-related volume reduction of the hippocampus is not a consequence of an age-related loss of hippocampal neurons. The morphological changes associated with aging include reductions in the branching pattern of dendrites, as well as reductions in spine-densities, reductions in the densities of fibers projecting into the hippocampus as well as declines in the rate of neurogenesis. It is very unlikely that a single factor or a single class of molecules is responsible for all these age-related morphological changes in the hippocampus. Nevertheless, it would be of advantage to identify possible neuromodulators or neuropeptides that may contribute to these age-related changes. In this context, growth factors may play an important role in the maintenance of the postnatal hippocampal architecture. In this review it is hypothesized that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF is a factor critically involved in the regulation of age-related processes in the hippocampus. Moreover, evidences suggest that disturbances in the BDNF-system also affect hippocampal dysfunctions, as e.g. seen in major depression or in Alzheimer disease.

Investigation of the Meers fault in southwestern Oklahoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luza, K.V.; Madole, R.F.; Crone, A.J.

1987-08-01

The Meers fault is part of a major system of NW-trending faults that form the boundary between the Wichita Mountains and the Anadarko basin in southwestern Oklahoma. A portion of the Meers fault is exposed at the surface in northern Comanche County and strikes approximately N. 60 0 W. where it offsets Permian conglomerate and shale for at least 26 km. The scarp on the fault is consistently down to the south, with a maximum relief of 5 m near the center of the fault trace. Quaternary stratigraphic relationships and 10 14 C age dates constrain the age of the last movement of the Meers fault. The last movement postdates the Browns Creek Alluvium, late Pleistocene to early Holocene, and predates the East Cache Alluvium, 100 to 800 yr B.P. Fan alluvium, produced by the last fault movement, buried a soil that dates between 1400 and 1100 yr B.P. Two trenches excavated across the scarp near Canyon Creek document the near-surface deformation and provide some general information on recurrence. Trench 1 was excavated in the lower Holocene part of the Browns Creek Alluvium, and trench 2 was excavated in unnamed gravels thought to be upper Pleistocene. Flexing and warping was the dominant mode of deformation that produced the scarp. The stratigraphy in both trenches indicates one surface-faulting event, which implies a lengthy recurrence interval for surface faulting on this part of the fault. Organic-rich material from two samples that postdate the last fault movement yielded 14 C ages between 1600 and 1300 yr B.P. These dates are in excellent agreement with the dates obtained from soils buried by the fault-related fan alluvium

Premature birth--Studies on orthodontic treatment need, craniofacial morphology and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulsson, Liselotte

2009-01-01

A series of studies have been initiated implying a unique opportunity to evaluate and compare malocclusion traits, orthodontic treatment need, craniofacial morphology, mandibular function, signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and headache between extremely preterm (EPT; born before the 29th week of gestation) and very preterm (VPT; born between 29 and 32 weeks of gestation) and full-term born children. THIS THESIS WAS BASED ON FOUR STUDIES: Paper I. A systematic literature review was undertaken to answer the following questions: Does prematurity result in alterations of palatal morphology, dental occlusion, tooth-crown dimensions, tooth maturation and eruption? What role does neonatal oral intubation play in the appearance of the alterations? Are the alterations in morphology permanent or transient? The literature search spanned from January 1966 to November 2002 and was later extended to September 2008. Furthermore, a quality analysis of the methodological soundness of the studies in the review was performed. Paper II-IV. The aims were to compare EPT and VPT 8- to 10-year-old children with matched full-term controls considering: Prevalence of malocclusion traits and orthodontic treatment need (Paper II). Craniofacial morphology (Paper III). Mandibular function, signs and symptoms of TMD and headache (Paper IV). KEY FINDINGS IN PAPER I AND THE SUPPLEMENTARY SEARCH: Moderate scientific evidence existed for more malocclusion traits among premature children. Limited evidence was found for no delay in dental eruption, if corrected age was considered for the premature children. Insufficientwas considered for the premature children. Insufficient evidence was found for altered tooth-crown dimensions and permanent alteration of palatal morphology among prematurely children. Thus, further well-designed controlled studies which should also consider orthodontic treatment need, craniofacial morphology, TMD and headache are needed. KEY FINDINGS IN PAPER II

Neurocranial morphology and growth in Williams syndrome.

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Axelsson, Stefan; Kjaer, Inger; Heiberg, Arvid; Bjørnland, Tore; Storhaug, Kari

2005-02-01

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare congenital neurodevelopmental disorder with distinctive facial features, cardiovascular abnormalities, short stature, mental retardation, and behaviour and cognitive characteristics. The aim of this study was to describe the neurocranial morphology and growth in a group of 62 individuals with WS. The neurocranium was analysed on lateral cephalograms and comparisons were made with neurocranial standards from longitudinal data derived from the Oslo University Craniofacial Growth Archive. The size and morphology of the neurocranium in WS subjects differed from controls. Females as a group showed greater differences than males. The posterior cranial base length was shorter in both WS males and females, and the anterior cranial base length was shorter in WS females whereas it was close to normal in the WS male group. The cranial base angle was, however, not different from the control groups. A flattening was seen in the superior aspect of the parietal bone in both WS males and females. In the posterior part of the neurocranium, the prominence of the occipital bone was larger than in the control groups, which was also reflected in a larger total length of the neurocranium. The thickness of the frontal and occipital bones was considerably greater than in the control group. The deviant size and morphology of the neurocranium in WS subjects was already established in the youngest age group and maintained throughout the observation period. The growth pattern of the neurocranium in WS subjects seemed to be similar to that of the control groups, except in a few individuals.

Landslide hazard in the Nebrodi Mountains (Northeastern Sicily)

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Cubito, A.; Ferrara, V.; Pappalardo, G.

2005-03-01

The eastern sector of the Nebrodi Mountains (NE Sicily), a part of the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic chain, is characterized by an high landslide hazard. The village of S. Domenica Vittoria, which lies in the area, has been particularly affected by various landslide phenomena, with resulting damage to buildings and infrastructure. The rocks outcropping in the area belong to the Cretaceous Monte Soro Flysch; they consist of an alternation of argillaceous and calcareous beds at the base and argillaceous and quartzarenitic beds at the top. The lithotechnical characteristics of the formation and the steepness of the slopes in the area lead to an elevated instability, as testified by the widespread occurrence of sub-vertical arcuate cliffs (landslide scarps) and sub-horizontal areas (landslide terraces), typical of a landslide-controlled morphology. From a kinematics point of view, the observed phenomena can be referred to multiple rotational slides, flows, and complex landslides, often with a retrogressive development and enlargement. Triggering causes lie principally in the intense rainfalls that determine the decay of the geomechanical properties of the terrain and supply discontinuos groundwater circulation that is evident in seasonal springs. Human activity, such as the construction of roads and buildings on steep slopes and dispersal of water from supply systems and sewers has a significant impact as well. Due to the instability of the area, expansion of the village, which is already limited by the morphological conditions, is made difficult by the high hazard level, especially in the areas at higher elevations, where the principal landslide scarps are located, and even more on the rims of the scarps. Considering the high hazard level, S. Domenica Vittoria has been inserted by the National Geological Service among the sites in Sicily to be monitored by means of a GPS network. The survey carried out along the entire slope hosting the village has furnished the base

Early Morphological Productivity in Hungarian: Evidence from Sentence Repetition and Elicited Production

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Gabor, Balint; Lukacs, Agnes

2012-01-01

This paper investigates early productivity of morpheme use in Hungarian children aged between 2 ; 1 and 5 ; 3. Hungarian has a rich morphology which is the core marker of grammatical functions. A new method is introduced using the novel word paradigm in a sentence repetition task with masked inflections (i.e. a disguised elicited production task).…

The ageing kidney: biochemical and morphological study after irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franciolini, F.; Becciolini, A.; Torcini, G.; Lanini, A.

1982-01-01

The behaviour of some activities of the kidney was studied both in young-adult and in adult rats exposed to an 8-Gy dose of γ-rays and killed at various intervals after irradiation (both in the morning and in the evening). Brush border and lysosomal enzymes did not show marked differences among control rats of the same age even if adult animals showed levels of maltase, alkaline phosphatase and LAP activities higher than the young-adult group. Moreover, irradiation did not induce typical modifications of the same enzyme activities in young-adult and adult rats. Adult animals showed a reduction in the brush border enzyme activities at 120 hours after irradiation while, at the same interval, lysosomal activities underwent an increase both in young and in adult animals. (orig.) [de

Gross morphology betrays phylogeny

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alström, Per; Fjeldså, Jon; Fregin, Silke

2011-01-01

.). Superficial morphological similarity to cisticolid warblers has previously clouded the species true relationship. Detailed morphology, such as facial bristles and claw and footpad structure, also supports a closer relationship to Cettiidae and some other non-cisticolid warblers....

Linear Depolarization of Lidar Returns by Aged Smoke Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Mishchenko, Michael I.; Dlugach, Janna M.; Liu, Li

2016-01-01

We use the numerically exact (superposition) T-matrix method to analyze recent measurements of the backscattering linear depolarization ratio (LDR) for a plume of aged smoke at lidar wavelengths ranging from 355 to 1064 nm. We show that the unique spectral dependence of the measured LDRs can be modeled, but only by assuming expressly nonspherical morphologies of smoke particles containing substantial amounts of nonabsorbing (or weakly absorbing) refractory materials such as sulfates. Our results demonstrate that spectral backscattering LDR measurements can be indicative of the presence of morphologically complex smoke particles, but additional (e.g., passive polarimetric or bistatic lidar) measurements may be required for a definitive characterization of the particle morphology and composition.

Automated quantitative 3D analysis of aorta size, morphology, and mural calcification distributions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurugol, Sila, E-mail: sila.kurugol@childrens.harvard.edu; Come, Carolyn E.; Diaz, Alejandro A.; Ross, James C.; Washko, George R.; San Jose Estepar, Raul [Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Kinney, Greg L.; Black-Shinn, Jennifer L.; Hokanson, John E. [Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045 (United States); Budoff, Matthew J. [Los Angeles Biomedical Research Center at Harbor and UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California 90502 (United States)

2015-09-15

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to develop a fully automated pipeline to compute aorta morphology and calcification measures in large cohorts of CT scans that can be used to investigate the potential of these measures as imaging biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Methods: The first step of the automated pipeline is aorta segmentation. The algorithm the authors propose first detects an initial aorta boundary by exploiting cross-sectional circularity of aorta in axial slices and aortic arch in reformatted oblique slices. This boundary is then refined by a 3D level-set segmentation that evolves the boundary to the location of nearby edges. The authors then detect the aortic calcifications with thresholding and filter out the false positive regions due to nearby high intensity structures based on their anatomical location. The authors extract the centerline and oblique cross sections of the segmented aortas and compute the aorta morphology and calcification measures of the first 2500 subjects from COPDGene study. These measures include volume and number of calcified plaques and measures of vessel morphology such as average cross-sectional area, tortuosity, and arch width. Results: The authors computed the agreement between the algorithm and expert segmentations on 45 CT scans and obtained a closest point mean error of 0.62 ± 0.09 mm and a Dice coefficient of 0.92 ± 0.01. The calcification detection algorithm resulted in an improved true positive detection rate of 0.96 compared to previous work. The measurements of aorta size agreed with the measurements reported in previous work. The initial results showed associations of aorta morphology with calcification and with aging. These results may indicate aorta stiffening and unwrapping with calcification and aging. Conclusions: The authors have developed an objective tool to assess aorta morphology and aortic calcium plaques on CT scans that may be used to provide information about the presence of cardiovascular

Mitochondrial autophagy involving renal injury and aging is modulated by caloric intake in aged rat kidneys.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jing; Shi, Suozhu; Sun, Xuefeng; Cai, Guangyan; Cui, Shaoyuan; Hong, Quan; Chen, Xiangmei; Bai, Xue-Yuan

2013-01-01

A high-calorie (HC) diet induces renal injury and promotes aging, and calorie restriction (CR) may ameliorate these responses. However, the effects of long-term HC and CR on renal damage and aging have been not fully determined. Autophagy plays a crucial role in removing protein aggregates and damaged organelles to maintain intracellular homeostasis and function. The role of autophagy in HC-induced renal damage is unknown. We evaluated the expression of LC3/Atg8 as a marker of the autophagosome; p62/SQSTM1; polyubiquitin aggregates as markers of autophagy flux; Ambra1, PINK1, Parkin and Bnip3 as markers of mitophagy; 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a marker of DNA oxidative damage; and p16 as a marker of organ aging by western blot and immunohistochemical staining in the kidneys of 24-month-old Fischer 344 rats. We also observed mitochondrial structure and autolysosomes by transmission electron microscopy. Expression of the autophagosome formation marker LC3/Atg8 and markers of mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) were markedly decreased in the kidneys of the HC group, and markedly increased in CR kidneys. p62/SQSTM1 and polyubiquitin aggregates increased in HC kidneys, and decreased in CR kidneys. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that HC kidneys showed severe abnormal mitochondrial morphology with fewer autolysosomes, while CR kidneys exhibited normal mitochondrial morphology with numerous autolysosomes. The level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine was increased in HC kidneys and decreased in CR kidneys. Markers of aging, such as p16 and senescence-associated-galactosidase, were increased significantly in the HC group and decreased significantly in the CR group. The study firstly suggests that HC diet inhibits renal autophagy and aggravates renal oxidative damage and aging, while CR enhances renal autophagy and ameliorates oxidative damage and aging in the kidneys.

Orientale and Caloris

Science.gov (United States)

McCauley, J.F.

1977-01-01

Applications of experimental explosion-crater data to Orientale and recent geologic mapping of the basin have produced a new stratigraphy and genetic model for Orientale that are also applicable to Caloris. The inner-basin scarp of Orientale is thought to be a bench separating the upper parts of the basin from its deep bowl-shaped interior. The elongated and complexly fractured domes of the basin floor formed by inward compression in the terminal stages of the cratering sequence. The Inner Montes Rook are considered a central peak ring. The Montes Rook and the nonlineated knobby and associated smoother materials that overlie the Cordillera scarp around much of its circumference are the uppermost parts of the overturned rim flap which formed early in the cratering event. The knobs and smaller massifs are probably coherent blocks quarried from deep within the moon. They were among the last materials to leave the basin and had little radial momentum unlike the lineated Hevelius which formed earlier by disaggregation of the rim flap, secondary cratering, and the ground surge. The Cordillera scarp, best seen on the east side of the basin but poorly developed and discontinuous on the west, is a primary feature formed early in the crater excavation process by basinward motions of the walls and the fractured zone beyond the rim of the expanding cavity. The Cordillera scarp is overlain by ejecta over most of its extent, and post-basin internal slumping, previously thought to be important, must be a subordinate process in development of the scarp. The basin fill in Caloris has no counterpart in Orientale but the materials between the most prominent scarp and the weakly developed outer scarp appear to be the degraded and possibly mantled equivalents of the massifs and knobs associated with the Montes Rook. The radially lineated terrain that generally lies beyond the outer scarp of Caloris is considered the subdued counterpart of the Hevelius Formation, which generally shows

EFFECT OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PRECISION IN BASKETBALL

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Nazim Myrtaj

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Basketball in its structure is very complicated and complex activity in which kinesiology success depends on the influence of a large number of anthropological traits and abilities, which are interconnected. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to determine the influence of morphological characteristics as anthropological characteristics of situational-motor, or the accuracy of the basketball game. The survey was conducted in 71 male subjects aged, 15 years ± 6 months, participants school basketball team “Drita” from Gjilani, Kosovo.The sample of variables obtained on the basis of 10 anthropometric measures in the IPB, under which, among other things, three possible estimates of latent anthropometric dimensions of two tests of situational-motor skills and precision. Regression analysis was applied in order to determine the statistical significance of the impact of the entire set of predictive variables on the criterion variable and individual impact of individual predictors on the criterion variable. Analyses were made to the program SPSS 14.0. From the data obtained by regression analysis can be concluded that the better the performance of situational-motor test, or test the accuracy of dribbling in a distance of 5 meters jump shot from the free throw line (MPSŠ in the patients who had a higher level (AVIS, had longer feet (ADUNA, who had a hand longer (ADURO, greater length of the foot (ADUS, the higher the upper arm (AONL and larger volume of lower leg (AOPK. The system of prediction of morphological variables has statistically significant effect on the criterion one free throw in the bin (MPSŠ at 0.000. Morphological analysis of individual predictor variables, we can conclude that a statistically significant effect on the variable with two morphological variables: length of the hand (ADUS and width of the hand (ASSA.

Measures of Morphological Complexity of Gray Matter on Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Control Age Grouping

OpenAIRE

Pham, Tuan; Abe, Taishi; Oka, Ryuichi; Chen, Yung-Fu

2015-01-01

Current brain-age prediction methods using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) attempt to estimate the physiological brain age via some kind of machine learning of chronological brain age data to perform the classification task. Such a predictive approach imposes greater risk of either over-estimate or under-estimate, mainly due to limited training data. A new conceptual framework for more reliable MRI-based brain-age prediction is by systematic brain-age grouping via the implementation of the p...

Spatially variant morphological restoration and skeleton representation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouaynaya, Nidhal; Charif-Chefchaouni, Mohammed; Schonfeld, Dan

2006-11-01

The theory of spatially variant (SV) mathematical morphology is used to extend and analyze two important image processing applications: morphological image restoration and skeleton representation of binary images. For morphological image restoration, we propose the SV alternating sequential filters and SV median filters. We establish the relation of SV median filters to the basic SV morphological operators (i.e., SV erosions and SV dilations). For skeleton representation, we present a general framework for the SV morphological skeleton representation of binary images. We study the properties of the SV morphological skeleton representation and derive conditions for its invertibility. We also develop an algorithm for the implementation of the SV morphological skeleton representation of binary images. The latter algorithm is based on the optimal construction of the SV structuring element mapping designed to minimize the cardinality of the SV morphological skeleton representation. Experimental results show the dramatic improvement in the performance of the SV morphological restoration and SV morphological skeleton representation algorithms in comparison to their translation-invariant counterparts.

Generalized Morphology using Sponges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Gronde, Jasper J.; Roerdink, Jos B.T.M.

2016-01-01

Mathematical morphology has traditionally been grounded in lattice theory. For non-scalar data lattices often prove too restrictive, however. In this paper we present a more general alternative, sponges, that still allows useful definitions of various properties and concepts from morphological

Relationship of retinal morphology and retinal sensitivity in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration using aflibercept.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulzbacher, Florian; Roberts, Philipp; Munk, Marion R; Kaider, Alexandra; Kroh, Maria Elisabeth; Sacu, Stefan; Schmidt-Erfurth, Ursula

2014-12-11

To relate the functional response to distinct morphological features of the retina during aflibercept treatment for neovascular AMD (nAMD). A total of 726 retinal locations in 22 consecutive eyes presenting with treatment-naive nAMD underwent a standardized examination with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and topographic microperimetry (MP) at baseline, after 3 and 12 months of continuous intravitreal aflibercept therapy. The retinal sensitivity at each stimulus location was registered to the corresponding location on SD-OCT morphology. Subsequently, the microperimetric responses were evaluated with respect to the following underlying SD-OCT features: neovascular complex (NVC), subretinal fluid (SRF), intraretinal fluid (IRF), intraretinal cystoid space (IRC), serous pigment epithelium detachment (sPED), and fibrovascular pigment epithelium detachment (fPED). Baseline sensitivity was reduced to mean values of 1.8 dB in NVC, 2.2 dB in IRC, 2.8 dB in IRF, 2.6 dB in sPED, 3.6 dB in SRF, and 4.6 dB in fPED. Improvements in retinal sensitivity were most pronounced during the initial 3-month interval, when significant recovery was documented for SRF and sPED with +4.0/5.5 dB (P 0.05 for each category). Significant functional benefits following intravitreal aflibercept treatment could be detected over all defined morphological pathologies. The level of improvement varied dependent on the associated feature with the best prognosis for visual improvement in SRF and sPED and least with intraretinal fluid and particularly intraretinal cysts. Copyright 2015 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

[ENDOSCOPIC ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE GASTRODUODENAL JUNCTION IN ULCER OF THE DUODENUM].

Science.gov (United States)

Kolesnikova, E V; Dronova, O B; Kagan, Il; Tretjakov, A A; Kogan, E L

2015-01-01

To Improve the diagnosis of duodenal ulcer and preneoplastic changes of gastroduodenal transition. 112 patients with duodenal ulcer, 208 healthy pearsons of three age periods: second period of mature age, elderly and senile age were examined. Video endoscopy equipment company "OLYMPUS" (Japan), morphological methods and the determination of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) were used. The connecting line of gastric and duodenal mucous membrane can be located on the gastric side of the pylorus (13% in normal cases and 22.3% in cases of ulcer disease), on pylorus and go into the bulbus of duodenum (87% and 77.7 %, respectively), in cases of duodenal ulcer the connecting line more often has jagged and tongue-shaped form. Mucous membrane forms folds in prepyloric part of the stomach most often on the front wall in healthy pearsons in 14.4% of cases, in patients with duodenal ulcer--in 75.9%. The number of folds decreases with age. HP, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia of the mucous membrane is more often found in duodenal ulcer disease--76.8%, 69.7% and 62.5% comparing with healthy persons: 51.4%, 5.3% and 47.7% respectively. Frequency of preneoplastic changes increases with age. The individual differences of the mucous membrane of the gastroduodenal transition are identified. They are expressed in the particular location and shape of the connecting line of gastric and duodenal mucous membranes in normal cases and in cases of ulcer disease in different age groups. Some endoscopic changes requiring biopsy and morphological studies are revealed.

THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MORPHOLOGICAL SPACE AND THE ATHLETES’ JUMPING AND THROWING EVENTS RESULT

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Igor Stanojević

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The sample included 200 primary school students in the region of Prokuplje, male, aged 13 and 14 years, who, in addition to regular physical education classes, were included in the sports clubs training activities. The variables sample included 13 anthropometric measures as a set of predictors and four specific-motor tests of jumping (high jump and long jump and throwing events (shot put and javelin, as well as a set of criteria. The aim of this research was to examine the relation of morphological characteristics with the jumping and throwing events results, with elementary school students as athletes. Determining the relations and influence between the morphological characteristics and the specific motor skills was obtained by applying the canonical-correlation and regression analysis. The research of canonical correlation analysis results showed that there are statistically significant interlinks between canonical factors of morphological dimension Can. 0.81% (p = .000 and the results of examinee’s specific-motor skills in a long running jump, running high jump, shot put and javelin. Regression analysis results show that the morphological dimensions have an important prediction of the results of examinee’s specific-motor skills.

CLINICAL STUDIES OF RENAL MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH AGING - DEMONSTRATING BY USING 99mTc-DMSA SCINTIGRAPHY -

OpenAIRE

細川, 進一; 川村, 寿一; 友吉, 唯夫; 吉田, 修

1980-01-01

We studied the change of renal shape due to development and aging by using 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphy. In pediatric age group, the angle between renal longitudinal axis and the lumbar vertebrae is small but becomes larger with aging. The renal size grows with aging in the adult age group, and becomes largest. In geriatric age group it decreases with aging. The stability of renal position is marked in the adult age group, but in the pediatric and geriatric age group it seemed unstable. Rena...

Acquisition of Complement Clitics and Tense Morphology in Internationally Adopted Children Acquiring French

Science.gov (United States)

Gauthier, K.; Genesee, F.; Kasparian, K.

2012-01-01

The present study examined the language development of children adopted from China to examine possible early age effects with respect to their use of complement clitics, lexical diversity and verb morphology. We focused on these aspects of French because they distinguish second language learners of French and native French-speaking children with…

Morphology of a Wetland Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Jurmu; Andrle

1997-11-01

/ Little attention has been paid to wetland stream morphology in the geomorphological and environmental literature, and in the recently expanding wetland reconstruction field, stream design has been based primarily on stream morphologies typical of nonwetland alluvial environments. Field investigation of a wetland reach of Roaring Brook, Stafford, Connecticut, USA, revealed several significant differences between the morphology of this stream and the typical morphology of nonwetland alluvial streams. Six morphological features of the study reach were examined: bankfull flow, meanders, pools and riffles, thalweg location, straight reaches, and cross-sectional shape. It was found that bankfull flow definitions originating from streams in nonwetland environments did not apply. Unusual features observed in the wetland reach include tight bends and a large axial wavelength to width ratio. A lengthy straight reach exists that exceeds what is typically found in nonwetland alluvial streams. The lack of convex bank point bars in the bends, a greater channel width at riffle locations, an unusual thalweg location, and small form ratios (a deep and narrow channel) were also differences identified. Further study is needed on wetland streams of various regions to determine if differences in morphology between alluvial and wetland environments can be applied in order to improve future designs of wetland channels.KEY WORDS: Stream morphology; Wetland restoration; Wetland creation; Bankfull; Pools and riffles; Meanders; Thalweg

Ontogenetic shifts in morphology and resource use of cisco Coregonus artedi.

Science.gov (United States)

Muir, A M; Vecsei, P; Pratt, T C; Krueger, C C; Power, M; Reist, J D

2013-02-01

Two previously described lacustrine cisco Coregonus spp. morphs [i.e. a small (cisco Coregonus artedi. Geometric body shape did not differ between the two size classes nor could they be differentiated by 24 size-corrected linear measurements, indicating that the two groups had similar phenotypes. Strong, positive correlations between all linear characters and geometric centroid size (a composite variable of fish body length, mass and age) suggested that body morphology changed with age as fish grew. Total gillraker number (N(GR)) increased with L(F) according to: N(GR) = 36.3 + 0.034L(F). Differences in gillraker number and phenotype with age and size were explained by shifts in habitat and trophic resource use. Relative abundance within 0-30, 30-60, 60-90 and >90 m depth strata differed between size classes suggesting that morphology changed when fish shifted their habitat as they grew older. Large C. artedi had lower δ(13)C and slightly higher δ(15)N, indicating greater reliance on pelagic prey resources (i.e. more or larger zooplankton, such as Mysis spp.), compared to small C. artedi, which relied slightly more on benthic prey. Gillraker shape and number have always been used as key diagnostic characters in coregonine taxonomy; based on the findings presented here, ontogenetic shifts should be accounted for in resulting classifications. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

The effect of morphological characteristics on the physical and physiological performance of Turkish soccer referees and assistant referees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bozdoğan Tuba Kızılet

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Physical fitness and physiological status play an important role in the referees’ performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the body structure and morphological characteristics of Turkish Ssccer refereesand assistant referees and to determine the effect of these variables on physical performance. A sample of 158 male referees and 55 asisstant referees (mean age 31.8 ± 4.2 and 37.4 ± 3.3 yearswas evaluated. Physical assesment were conducted using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIRTL1 and Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA for referees and Active Recovery Intermittent Endurance Test (ARIET and the RSA for assistant referees. We analyzed heart rate assesments. The measures used to assess morphological characteristics were age, weight, body mass index (BMI, body fat (BF, body mass, and fat free mass.The ANOVA test (Tukey testwas used to determine the result. Correlations between the referees’ fitness test performance and their morphological characteristics were examined using Pearson’s correlation (p<0.05. To result of this study, point to the existence of a strong correlation between morphological and physical and physiological characteristics. According to the literature, we found that greater BF and a higher BMI may negatively affect areferee’s running performance.

Sol–gel synthesis of nanostructured indium tin oxide with controlled morphology and porosity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kőrösi, László, E-mail: ltkorosi@gmail.com [Department of Biotechnology, Nanophage Therapy Center, Enviroinvest Corporation, Kertváros u. 2, H-7632 Pécs (Hungary); Scarpellini, Alice [Department of Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy); Petrik, Péter [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Konkoly-Thege út 29-33, H-1121 Budapest (Hungary); Papp, Szilvia [Department of Biotechnology, Nanophage Therapy Center, Enviroinvest Corporation, Kertváros u. 2, H-7632 Pécs (Hungary); Dékány, Imre [MTA-SZTE Supramolecular and Nanostructured Materials Research Group, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 8, H-6720 Szeged (Hungary)

2014-11-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nanocrystalline ITO thin films and powders were prepared by a sol–gel method. • The nature of the compounds used for hydrolysis plays a key role in the morphology. • Hydrolysis of In{sup 3+}/Sn{sup 4+} with EA led to a rod-like morphology. • Monodisperse spherical ITO nanoparticles were obtained on the use of AC. • ITO{sub E}A was highly porous, while ITO{sub A}C contained densely packed nanocrystals. - Abstract: Nanostructured indium tin oxide (ITO) powders and thin films differing in morphology and porosity were prepared by a sol–gel method. In{sup 3+} and Sn{sup 4+} were hydrolyzed in aqueous medium through the use of ethanolamine (EA) or sodium acetate (AC). X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated that both EA and AC furnished indium tin hydroxide, which became nanocrystalline after aging for one day. The indium tin hydroxide samples calcined at 550 °C afforded ITO with a cubic crystal structure, but the morphology differed significantly, depending on the agent used for hydrolysis. Electron microscopy revealed the formation of round monodisperse nanoparticles when AC was used, whereas the application of EA led to rod-like ITO nanoparticles. Both types of nanoparticles were suitable for the preparation of transparent and conductive ITO thin films. The influence of the morphology and porosity on the optical properties is discussed.

Age- and Gene-Dosage–Dependent Cre-Induced Abnormalities in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Science.gov (United States)

He, Lizhi; Marioutina, Mariya; Dunaief, Joshua L.; Marneros, Alexander G.

2015-01-01

To conditionally inactivate genes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) transgenic mouse strains have been developed, in which Cre recombinase (Cre) expression is driven by an RPE-specific gene promoter. The RPE is a quiescent epithelium, and continuous expression of Cre could affect its function. Here, we tested the hypothesis that continuous postnatal Cre expression in the RPE may lead to cellular abnormalities, which may depend on both age and Cre gene dosage. We therefore examined the eyes of homozygous and heterozygous VMD2-Cre mice at various ages. In VMD2-Cre heterozygous mice variable progressive age-dependent RPE abnormalities were noticed, including attenuation of phalloidin and cytoplasmic active β-catenin staining, reduced cell size, and loss of the typical honeycomb pattern of RPE morphology in those RPE cells that stained for Cre. These morphological RPE abnormalities were not noticed in Cre-negative RPE cells in VMD2-Cre or age-matched control mice. In addition, an abnormal number and morphology of cell nuclei were noticed in a subset of Cre-expressing RPE cells in aged heterozygous VMD2-Cre mice, whereas more severe nuclear abnormalities were observed already in young homozygous VMD2-Cre mice. Thus, continuous postnatal expression of Cre causes abnormalities in the RPE in an age- and Cre gene dosage-dependent manner, which needs to be considered in the interpretation of gene targeting studies in the RPE. PMID:24854863

Correlation of morphological variants of the soft palate and Need's ratio in normal individuals: A digital cephalometric study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, Pradhuman; Verma, Kanika Gupta; Sachdeva, Suresh K; Juneja, Suruchi [Surendera Dental College and Research Institute, Sriganganagar (India); Kumaraswam; Kikkeri Lakshminarayana [Dept. of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Farooqia Dental College, Mysore (India); Basavaraju, Suman [Dept. of Periodontics, J.S.S Dental College, Mysore (India)

2014-09-15

The present study was aimed to investigate the variation of soft palate morphology in different age and gender groups. The correlations of radiographic velar length (VL), velar width (VW), pharyngeal depth (PD), and Need's ratio with soft palate variants were also studied in the North Indian subpopulation. The study sample consisted of 300 subjects aged between 15 and 45 (mean: 31.32) years. The velar morphology on lateral cephalograms was examined and grouped into six types. The results obtained were subjected to a statistical analysis to find the correlation between variants of the soft palate with gender and different age groups. The most frequent type of soft palate was leaf shaped (48.7%), and the least common was crook shaped (3.0%) among both the genders and various age groups, showing a significant correlation. The mean VL, VW, and PD values were significantly higher in males and significantly correlated with the types of soft palate. A significant correlation was observed between the mean VL, VW, PD, and Need's ratio with various age groups, showing an inconsistent pattern with an increase in age. The types of soft palate, gender, and Need's ratio were also significantly correlated, with an overall higher mean value of the Need's ratio among female subjects and the S-shaped soft palate. The knowledge of a varied spectrum of velar morphology and the variants of the soft palate help in a better understanding of the velopharyngeal closure and craniofacial anomalies.

A low molecular weight urinary proteome profile of human kidney aging

OpenAIRE

Zürbig, Petra; Decramer, Stéphane; Dakna, Mohammed; Jantos, Justyna; Good, David M.; Coon, Joshua J.; Bandin, Flavio; Mischak, Harald; Bascands, Jean-Loup; Schanstra, Joost P

2009-01-01

Aging induces morphological changes of the kidney and reduces renal function. We analyzed the low molecular weight urinary proteome of 324 healthy individuals from 2-73 years of age to gain insight on renal aging in humans. We observed age-related modification of secretion of 325 out of 5000 urinary peptides. The majority of these changes was associated with renal development before and during puberty, while 49 peptides were related to aging in adults. Of these 49 peptides, the majority were ...

Stepped surfaces and palaeolandforms in the northern Brazilian «Nordeste»: constraints on models of morphotectonic evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Peulvast, Jean-Pierre; de Claudino Sales, Vanda

2004-09-01

From the Parnaiba Basin to the Borborema Plateau (northeastern Brazil), the crystalline and sedimentary highlands and plains of the huge Jaguaribe-Piranhas amphitheatre are intersected seawards by offset elements of a marginal scarp which overlooks coastal lowlands along the Equatorial Atlantic transform margin. Its stepped surfaces are classically related to regional uplift induced by the break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent, supposed to have triggered the formation, until the Plio-Pleistocene, of successively younger planation surfaces below a culminating Cretaceous surface. A reinterpretation of this topography, combined with analyses of palaeolandforms, surface deposits, drainage anomalies, and structural controls on landforms, is used to obtain ages for significant features of the stepped patterns and to propose a morphostratigraphic scheme for the whole area. It is shown that the regional morphology is widely controlled by structures formed during Early Cretaceous continental rifting and later Aptian oceanic opening. Exhumed pre-Cenomanian palaeolandforms—planation surfaces, residual Cretaceous fault scarps—are identified. This study points out the value of the morphostructural approach for revisiting classical problems of geomorphology such as the meaning of stepped landforms (identification of palaeosurfaces of Cretaceous age at various levels), and the age and origin of planation surfaces. Its results are considered as constraining elements for a further tentative reconstruction of the morphotectonic evolution of this margin.

Aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG): harmonized evaluation strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer, Isidro; Grinberg, Lea T.; Alafuzoff, Irina; Attems, Johannes; Budka, Herbert; Cairns, Nigel J.; Crary, John F.; Duyckaerts, Charles; Ghetti, Bernardino; Halliday, Glenda M.; Ironside, James W.; Love, Seth; Mackenzie, Ian R.; Munoz, David G.; Murray, Melissa E.; Nelson, Peter T.; Takahashi, Hitoshi; Trojanowski, John Q.; Ansorge, Olaf; Arzberger, Thomas; Baborie, Atik; Beach, Thomas G.; Bieniek, Kevin F.; Bigio, Eileen H.; Bodi, Istvan; Dugger, Brittany N.; Feany, Mel; Gelpi, Ellen; Gentleman, Stephen M.; Giaccone, Giorgio; Hatanpaa, Kimmo J.; Heale, Richard; Hof, Patrick R.; Hofer, Monika; Hortobágyi, Tibor; Jellinger, Kurt; Jicha, Gregory A.; Ince, Paul; Kofler, Julia; Kövari, Enikö; Kril, Jillian J.; Mann, David M.; Matej, Radoslav; McKee, Ann C.; McLean, Catriona; Milenkovic, Ivan; Montine, Thomas J.; Murayama, Shigeo; Lee, Edward B.; Rahimi, Jasmin; Rodriguez, Roberta D.; Rozemüller, Annemieke; Schneider, Julie A.; Schultz, Christian; Seeley, William; Seilhean, Danielle; Smith, Colin; Tagliavini, Fabrizio; Takao, Masaki; Thal, Dietmar Rudolf; Toledo, Jon B.; Tolnay, Markus; Troncoso, Juan C.; Vinters, Harry V.; Weis, Serge; Wharton, Stephen B.; White, Charles L.; Wisniewski, Thomas; Woulfe, John M.; Yamada, Masahito

2016-01-01

Pathological accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in astrocytes is a frequent, but poorly characterized feature of the aging brain. Its etiology is uncertain, but its presence is sufficiently ubiquitous to merit further characterization and classification, which may stimulate clinicopathological studies and research into its pathobiology. This paper aims to harmonize evaluation and nomenclature of aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG), a term that refers to a morphological spectrum of astroglial pathology detected by tau immunohistochemistry, especially with phosphorylation-dependent and 4R isoform-specific antibodies. ARTAG occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in individuals over 60 years of age. Tau-immunoreactive astrocytes in ARTAG include thorn-shaped astrocytes at the glia limitans and in white matter, as well as solitary or clustered astrocytes with perinuclear cytoplasmic tau immunoreactivity that extends into the astroglial processes as fine fibrillar or granular immunopositivity, typically in gray matter. Various forms of ARTAG may coexist in the same brain and might reflect different pathogenic processes. Based on morphology and anatomical distribution, ARTAG can be distinguished from primary tauopathies, but may be concurrent with primary tauopathies or other disorders. We recommend four steps for evaluation of ARTAG: (1) identification of five types based on the location of either morphologies of tau astrogliopathy: subpial, subependymal, perivascular, white matter, gray matter; (2) documentation of the regional involvement: medial temporal lobe, lobar (frontal, parietal, occipital, lateral temporal), subcortical, brainstem; (3) documentation of the severity of tau astrogliopathy; and (4) description of subregional involvement. Some types of ARTAG may underlie neurological symptoms; however, the clinical significance of ARTAG is currently uncertain and awaits further studies. The goal of this proposal is to raise awareness of

Comparative data from young men and women on masseter muscle fibres, function and facial morphology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuxen, A.; Bakke, M.; Pinholt, E. M.

1999-01-01

The primary aim was to relate information about masseter muscle fibres and function to aspects of facial morphology in a group of healthy young men. The secondary aim was to investigate possible sex differences using data previously obtained from a comparable group of age-matched, healthy women......, and the tissue examined for myosin ATPase activity. Further, the cross-sectional areas of the different fibre types were measured. In spite of using age-matched healthy men and women with a full complement of teeth, statistically significant sex differences were found among measures related to muscle function...... and some measures of facial morphology. Thus data from men and women should not be pooled uncritically. The greater bite force in men than women corresponded with the greater diameter and cross-sectional area of type II fibres. Further, the males had more anteriorly inclined mandibles and shorter anterior...

DEMorphy, German Language Morphological Analyzer

OpenAIRE

Altinok, Duygu

2018-01-01

DEMorphy is a morphological analyzer for German. It is built onto large, compactified lexicons from German Morphological Dictionary. A guesser based on German declension suffixed is also provided. For German, we provided a state-of-art morphological analyzer. DEMorphy is implemented in Python with ease of usability and accompanying documentation. The package is suitable for both academic and commercial purposes wit a permissive licence.

Age effects on Norway spruce (Picea abies) susceptibility to ozone uptake: a novel approach relating stress avoidance to defense

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wieser, G.; Tegischer, K. [Forstliche Bundesanstalt, Abteilung Forstpflanzenphysiologie, Innsbruck (Austria); Tausz, M. [Karl Franzens Universitat, Inst. fuer Pflanzenphysiologie, Graz (Austria); Haberle, K-H.; Grams, T. E.; Matyssek, R. [Tecnische Universitat Munchen, Dept. of Ecology/Forest Botany, Freising (Germany)

2002-06-01

Cumulative ozone uptake and ozone flux were related to physiological, morphological and biochemical characteristics of Norway spruce trees of different ages. Results showed young trees exhibiting greater sensitivity than mature trees. The greater ozone sensitivity of young trees was associated with needle morphology. Biomass of a 100-needle sample increased significantly with tree age, whereas for specific leaf area the correlation was negative. These changes paralleled those observed during differentiation from shade-type to sun-type needles with tree ontogeny. Age-related changes in leaf morphology were related to changes in detoxification capacity, with area-based concentrations of ascorbate increasing during tree ontogeny. It was hypothesized that the extent of ozone-induced injury was related to the ratio of potentially available antioxidants to ozone influx. This ratio was shown to increase with tree age, hence it was concluded that the ratio may serve as an empirical basis for characterizing age-related differences in tree responses to ozone. 70 refs., 5 figs.

Measures of Morphological Complexity of Gray Matter on Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Control Age Grouping

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Tuan D. Pham

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Current brain-age prediction methods using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI attempt to estimate the physiological brain age via some kind of machine learning of chronological brain age data to perform the classification task. Such a predictive approach imposes greater risk of either over-estimate or under-estimate, mainly due to limited training data. A new conceptual framework for more reliable MRI-based brain-age prediction is by systematic brain-age grouping via the implementation of the phylogenetic tree reconstruction and measures of information complexity. Experimental results carried out on a public MRI database suggest the feasibility of the proposed concept.

Age, Health and Attractiveness Perception of Virtual (Rendered) Human Hair

OpenAIRE

Fink, Bernhard; Hufschmidt, Carla; Hirn, Thomas; Will, Susanne; McKelvey, Graham; Lankhof, John

2016-01-01

The social significance of physical appearance and beauty has been documented in many studies. It is known that even subtle manipulations of facial morphology and skin condition can alter people’s perception of a person’s age, health and attractiveness. While the variation in facial morphology and skin condition cues has been studied quite extensively, comparably little is known on the effect of hair on social perception. This has been partly caused by the technical difficulty ...

Predictive value of sperm morphology and progressively motile sperm count for pregnancy outcomes in intrauterine insemination.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemmens, Louise; Kos, Snjezana; Beijer, Cornelis; Brinkman, Jacoline W; van der Horst, Frans A L; van den Hoven, Leonie; Kieslinger, Dorit C; van Trooyen-van Vrouwerff, Netty J; Wolthuis, Albert; Hendriks, Jan C M; Wetzels, Alex M M

2016-06-01

To investigate the value of sperm parameters to predict an ongoing pregnancy outcome in couples treated with intrauterine insemination (IUI), during a methodologically stable period of time. Retrospective, observational study with logistic regression analyses. University hospital. A total of 1,166 couples visiting the fertility laboratory for their first IUI episode, including 4,251 IUI cycles. None. Sperm morphology, total progressively motile sperm count (TPMSC), and number of inseminated progressively motile spermatozoa (NIPMS); odds ratios (ORs) of the sperm parameters after the first IUI cycle and the first finished IUI episode; discriminatory accuracy of the multivariable model. None of the sperm parameters was of predictive value for pregnancy after the first IUI cycle. In the first finished IUI episode, a positive relationship was found for ≤4% of morphologically normal spermatozoa (OR 1.39) and a moderate NIPMS (5-10 million; OR 1.73). Low NIPMS showed a negative relation (≤1 million; OR 0.42). The TPMSC had no predictive value. The multivariable model (i.e., sperm morphology, NIPMS, female age, male age, and the number of cycles in the episode) had a moderate discriminatory accuracy (area under the curve 0.73). Intrauterine insemination is especially relevant for couples with moderate male factor infertility (sperm morphology ≤4%, NIPMS 5-10 million). In the multivariable model, however, the predictive power of these sperm parameters is rather low. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological assessment of the stylohyoid complex variations with cone beam computed tomography in a Turkish population.

Science.gov (United States)

Buyuk, C; Gunduz, K; Avsever, H

2018-01-01

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the length, thickness, sagittal and transverse angulations and the morphological variations of the stylohyoid complex (SHC), to assess their probable associations with age and gender, and to investigate the prevalence of it in a wide range of a Turkish sub-population by using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The CBCT images of the 1000 patients were evaluated retrospectively. The length, thickness, sagittal and transverse angulations, morphological variations and ossification degrees of SHC were evaluated on multiplanar reconstructions (MPR) adnd three-dimensional (3D) volume rendering (3DVR) images. The data were analysed statistically by using nonparametric tests, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Student's t test, c2 test and one-way ANOVA. Statistical significance was considered at p 35 mm). The mean sagittal angle value was measured to be 72.24° and the mean transverse angle value was 70.81°. Scalariform shape, elongated type and nodular calcification pattern have the highest mean age values between the morphological groups, respectively. Calcified outline was the most prevalent calcification pattern in males. There was no correlation between length and the calcification pattern groups while scalariform shape and pseudoarticular type were the longest variations. We observed that as the anterior sagittal angle gets wider, SHC tends to get longer. The most observed morphological variations were linear shape, elongated type and calcified outline pattern. Detailed studies on the classification will contribute to the literature. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 79-89).

The limits on trypanosomatid morphological diversity.

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Richard John Wheeler

Full Text Available Cell shape is one, often overlooked, way in which protozoan parasites have adapted to a variety of host and vector environments and directional transmissions between these environments. Consequently, different parasite life cycle stages have characteristic morphologies. Trypanosomatid parasites are an excellent example of this in which large morphological variations between species and life cycle stage occur, despite sharing well-conserved cytoskeletal and membranous structures. Here, using previously published reports in the literature of the morphology of 248 isolates of trypanosomatid species from different hosts, we perform a meta-analysis of the occurrence and limits on morphological diversity of different classes of trypanosomatid morphology (trypomastigote, promastigote, etc. in the vertebrate bloodstream and invertebrate gut environments. We identified several limits on cell body length, cell body width and flagellum length diversity which can be interpreted as biomechanical limits on the capacity of the cell to attain particular dimensions. These limits differed for morphologies with and without a laterally attached flagellum which we suggest represent two morphological superclasses, the 'juxtaform' and 'liberform' superclasses. Further limits were identified consistent with a selective pressure from the mechanical properties of the vertebrate bloodstream environment; trypanosomatid size showed limits relative to host erythrocyte dimensions. This is the first comprehensive analysis of the limits of morphological diversity in any protozoan parasite, revealing the morphogenetic constraints and extrinsic selection pressures associated with the full diversity of trypanosomatid morphology.

Automated analysis of craniofacial morphology using magnetic resonance images.

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M Mallar Chakravarty

Full Text Available Quantitative analysis of craniofacial morphology is of interest to scholars working in a wide variety of disciplines, such as anthropology, developmental biology, and medicine. T1-weighted (anatomical magnetic resonance images (MRI provide excellent contrast between soft tissues. Given its three-dimensional nature, MRI represents an ideal imaging modality for the analysis of craniofacial structure in living individuals. Here we describe how T1-weighted MR images, acquired to examine brain anatomy, can also be used to analyze facial features. Using a sample of typically developing adolescents from the Saguenay Youth Study (N = 597; 292 male, 305 female, ages: 12 to 18 years, we quantified inter-individual variations in craniofacial structure in two ways. First, we adapted existing nonlinear registration-based morphological techniques to generate iteratively a group-wise population average of craniofacial features. The nonlinear transformations were used to map the craniofacial structure of each individual to the population average. Using voxel-wise measures of expansion and contraction, we then examined the effects of sex and age on inter-individual variations in facial features. Second, we employed a landmark-based approach to quantify variations in face surfaces. This approach involves: (a placing 56 landmarks (forehead, nose, lips, jaw-line, cheekbones, and eyes on a surface representation of the MRI-based group average; (b warping the landmarks to the individual faces using the inverse nonlinear transformation estimated for each person; and (3 using a principal components analysis (PCA of the warped landmarks to identify facial features (i.e. clusters of landmarks that vary in our sample in a correlated fashion. As with the voxel-wise analysis of the deformation fields, we examined the effects of sex and age on the PCA-derived spatial relationships between facial features. Both methods demonstrated significant sexual dimorphism in

Molecular-level insights into aging processes of skin elastin.

Science.gov (United States)

Mora Huertas, Angela C; Schmelzer, Christian E H; Hoehenwarter, Wolfgang; Heyroth, Frank; Heinz, Andrea

2016-01-01

Skin aging is characterized by different features including wrinkling, atrophy of the dermis and loss of elasticity associated with damage to the extracellular matrix protein elastin. The aim of this study was to investigate the aging process of skin elastin at the molecular level by evaluating the influence of intrinsic (chronological aging) and extrinsic factors (sun exposure) on the morphology and susceptibility of elastin towards enzymatic degradation. Elastin was isolated from biopsies derived from sun-protected or sun-exposed skin of differently aged individuals. The morphology of the elastin fibers was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Mass spectrometric analysis and label-free quantification allowed identifying differences in the cleavage patterns of the elastin samples after enzymatic digestion. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to visualize differences between the samples and to determine the contribution of extrinsic and intrinsic aging to the proteolytic susceptibility of elastin. Moreover, the release of potentially bioactive peptides was studied. Skin aging is associated with the decomposition of elastin fibers, which is more pronounced in sun-exposed tissue. Marker peptides were identified, which showed an age-related increase or decrease in their abundances and provide insights into the progression of the aging process of elastin fibers. Strong age-related cleavage occurs in hydrophobic tropoelastin domains 18, 20, 24 and 26. Photoaging makes the N-terminal and central parts of the tropoelastin molecules more susceptible towards enzymatic cleavage and, hence, accelerates the age-related degradation of elastin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Tectonic evolution of mercury; comparison with the moon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, P.G.; Masson, P.

1983-01-01

With regard to the Earth or to Mars, the Moon and Mercury look like tectonicless planetary bodies, and the prominent morphologies of these two planets are due to impact and volcanic processes. Despite these morphologies, several types of tectonic activities may be shown. Statistical studies of lineaments direction indicate that Mercury, as well as the Moon, have a planet wide lineament pattern, known as a ''grid''. Statistical studies of Mercury scarps and the Moon grabens indicate an interaction between planetary lithospheric evolution and large impact basins. Detailed studies of the largest basins indicate specific tectonic motions directly or indirectly related to impacts. These three tectonic types have been compared on each planet. The first tectonic type seems to be identical for Mercury and the Moon. But the two other types seem to be different, and are consistent with the planets' thermal evolution

Morphological brain measures of cortico-limbic inhibition related to resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Arpana; Love, Aubrey; Kilpatrick, Lisa A; Labus, Jennifer S; Bhatt, Ravi; Chang, Lin; Tillisch, Kirsten; Naliboff, Bruce; Mayer, Emeran A

2017-09-01

Resilience is the ability to adequately adapt and respond to homeostatic perturbations. Although resilience has been associated with positive health outcomes, the neuro-biological basis of resilience is poorly understood. The aim of the study was to identify associations between regional brain morphology and trait resilience with a focus on resilience-related morphological differences in brain regions involved in cortico-limbic inhibition. The relationship between resilience and measures of affect were also investigated. Forty-eight healthy subjects completed structural MRI scans. Self-reported resilience was measured using the Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale. Segmentation and regional parcellation of images was performed to yield a total of 165 regions. Gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness, surface area, and mean curvature were calculated for each region. Regression models were used to identify associations between morphology of regions belonging to executive control and emotional arousal brain networks and trait resilience (total and subscales) while controlling for age, sex, and total GMV. Correlations were also conducted between resilience scores and affect scores. Significant associations were found between GM changes in hypothesized brain regions (subparietal sulcus, intraparietal sulcus, amygdala, anterior mid cingulate cortex, and subgenual cingulate cortex) and resilience scores. There were significant positive correlations between resilience and positive affect and negative correlations with negative affect. Resilience was associated with brain morphology of regions involved in cognitive and affective processes related to cortico-limbic inhibition. Brain signatures associated with resilience may be a biomarker of vulnerability to disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alveolar ridge atrophy related to facial morphology in edentulous patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuć J

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Joanna Kuć,1 Teresa Sierpińska,2 Maria Gołębiewska1 1Department of Prosthodontics, 2Department of Dental Technology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland Objectives: The morphology of the alveolar process determines the retention and stability of prosthetic restorations, thereby determining the result of the therapy. Considering that the edentulous jaws may be affected by the atrophy process, it was hypothesized that the morphology of the alveolar process of the maxilla may be dependent on the anterior facial height and anatomy of the mandible. Subjects and methods: Twenty-five healthy edentulous Caucasian individuals were randomly chosen. Each subject underwent a lateral cephalogram before and after prosthetic rehabilitation. During exposition, newly made prostheses were placed in the patient’s mouth. Teeth remained in maximal intercuspidation. Morphological parameters were evaluated according to the Ricketts, McNamara, and Tallgren’s method. Results: An inversely proportional association was observed between patient age and the distal part of the maxilla. A statistically significant connection was noted between the vertical dimension of alveolar ridge and anterior total and lower facial height conditioned by prosthetic rehabilitation. Conclusion: The height of the lateral part of the alveolar ridge of the maxilla remains in connection with the anterior total and lower facial height obtained in the course of prosthetic rehabilitation. The vertical dimension of the alveolar ridge of the maxilla seems to be in close relationship with the morphology of the lower jaw. Keywords: anterior facial height, cephalometric analysis, complete dentures, vertical occlusal dimension

The Contribution of Morphological Awareness to the Spelling of Morphemes and Morphologically Complex Words in French

Science.gov (United States)

Fejzo, Anila

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between morphological awareness and the spelling of morphemes and morphologically complex words among 75 third- and fourth-grade Francophone students of low socio-economic status. To reach this objective, we administered a dictation comprised of morphologically complex words with prefixes,…

Reduction in the retinotopic early visual cortex with normal aging and magnitude of perceptual learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Li-Hung; Yotsumoto, Yuko; Salat, David H; Andersen, George J; Watanabe, Takeo; Sasaki, Yuka

2015-01-01

Although normal aging is known to reduce cortical structures globally, the effects of aging on local structures and functions of early visual cortex are less understood. Here, using standard retinotopic mapping and magnetic resonance imaging morphologic analyses, we investigated whether aging affects areal size of the early visual cortex, which were retinotopically localized, and whether those morphologic measures were associated with individual performance on visual perceptual learning. First, significant age-associated reduction was found in the areal size of V1, V2, and V3. Second, individual ability of visual perceptual learning was significantly correlated with areal size of V3 in older adults. These results demonstrate that aging changes local structures of the early visual cortex, and the degree of change may be associated with individual visual plasticity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Polymeric Dielectric Morphology on Pentacene Morphology and Organic TFT Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye Rongbin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we report on the effects of the polymeric dielectric morphology on pentacene morphology and organic thin film transistor (TFT characteristics. The morphology and thickness of cyclo-olefin polymer (COP dielectric could be controlled by selecting a solvent. Higher the solvent’s boiling point is, thinner and smother COP films could be obtained. Using the solvent of trimethylcyclohexane, the spin-coated COP films of ca. 330 nm with the peak-to-valley of 7.35 nm and the roughness of root mean square of 0.58 nm were obtained, and pentacene TFT showed high mobility of 2.0 cm2V-1s-1, which originated from highly ordering of pentacene thin films deposited on the smoother and thinner COP films.

Extended Main-sequence Turn-offs in Intermediate-age Star Clusters: Stellar Rotation Diminishes, but Does Not Eliminate, Age Spreads

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Goudfrooij, Paul; Correnti, Matteo [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Girardi, Léo, E-mail: goudfroo@stsci.edu [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova—INAF, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy)

2017-09-01

Extended main-sequence turn-off (eMSTO) regions are a common feature in color–magnitude diagrams of young- and intermediate-age star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. The nature of eMSTOs remains debated in the literature. The currently most popular scenarios are extended star formation activity and ranges of stellar rotation rates. Here we study details of differences in main-sequence turn-off (MSTO) morphology expected from spreads in age versus spreads in rotation rates, using Monte Carlo simulations with the Geneva syclist isochrone models that include the effects of stellar rotation. We confirm a recent finding of Niederhofer et al. that a distribution of stellar rotation velocities yields an MSTO extent that is proportional to the cluster age, as observed. However, we find that stellar rotation yields MSTO crosscut widths that are generally smaller than observed ones at a given age. We compare the simulations with high-quality Hubble Space Telescope data of NGC 1987 and NGC 2249, which are the two only relatively massive star clusters with an age of ∼1 Gyr for which such data is available. We find that the distribution of stars across the eMSTOs of these clusters cannot be explained solely by a distribution of stellar rotation velocities, unless the orientations of rapidly rotating stars are heavily biased toward an equator-on configuration. Under the assumption of random viewing angles, stellar rotation can account for ∼60% and ∼40% of the observed FWHM widths of the eMSTOs of NGC 1987 and NGC 2249, respectively. In contrast, a combination of distributions of stellar rotation velocities and stellar ages fits the observed eMSTO morphologies very well.

Longitudinal analysis of calorie restriction on rat taste bud morphology and expression of sweet taste modulators.

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Cai, Huan; Daimon, Caitlin M; Cong, Wei-Na; Wang, Rui; Chirdon, Patrick; de Cabo, Rafael; Sévigny, Jean; Maudsley, Stuart; Martin, Bronwen

2014-05-01

Calorie restriction (CR) is a lifestyle intervention employed to reduce body weight and improve metabolic functions primarily via reduction of ingested carbohydrates and fats. Taste perception is highly related to functional metabolic status and body adiposity. We have previously shown that sweet taste perception diminishes with age; however, relatively little is known about the effects of various lengths of CR upon taste cell morphology and function. We investigated the effects of CR on taste bud morphology and expression of sweet taste-related modulators in 5-, 17-, and 30-month-old rats. In ad libitum (AL) and CR rats, we consistently found the following parameters altered significantly with advancing age: reduction of taste bud size and taste cell numbers per taste bud and reduced expression of sonic hedgehog, type 1 taste receptor 3 (T1r3), α-gustducin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). In the oldest rats, CR affected a significant reduction of tongue T1r3, GLP-1, and α-gustducin expression compared with age-matched AL rats. Leptin receptor immunopositive cells were elevated in 17- and 30-month-old CR rats compared with age-matched AL rats. These alterations of sweet taste-related modulators, specifically during advanced aging, suggest that sweet taste perception may be altered in response to different lengths of CR.

Cellular aging of mitochondrial DNA-depleted cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sun Young; Choi, Bongkun; Cheon, Hwanju; Pak, Youngmi Kim; Kulawiec, Mariola; Singh, Keshav K.; Lee, Myung-Shik

2004-01-01

We have reported that mitochondrial DNA-depleted ρ 0 cells are resistant to cell death. Because aged cells have frequent mitochondrial DNA mutations, the resistance of ρ 0 cells against cell death might be related to the apoptosis resistance of aged cells and frequent development of cancers in aged individuals. We studied if ρ 0 cells have features simulating aged cells. SK-Hep1 hepatoma ρ 0 cells showed typical morphology associated with aging such as increased size and elongated appearance. They had increased senescence-associated β-Gal activity, lipofuscin pigment, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression. Consistent with their decreased proliferation, the expression of mitotic cyclins was decreased and that of cdk inhibitors was increased. Rb hypophosphorylation and decreased telomerase activity were also noted. Features simulating aged cells were also observed in MDA-MB-435 ρ 0 cells. These results support the mitochondrial theory of aging, and suggest that ρ 0 cells could serve as an in vitro model for aged cells

Dental radiology: ageing changes in permanent teeth of Beagle dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, J.P.; Miyabayashi, T.

1991-01-01

Radiographic interpretation of dental or periodontal disease is dependent in part on an understanding of ageing changes, A progressively ageing colony of healthy beagle dogs (120 to 3759 days) was studied by use of high-detail radiographs made following the death of the dog. Morphological features whose radiographic appearance was found to be especially age-dependent were: root canal size, both vertical and horizontal alveolar bone resorption, visualisation of the lamina dura dentis, and detection of hypercementosis. Understanding of these ageing changes is necessary to avoid over-diagnosis of disease

THE INFLUENCE OF EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MALE PUPILS

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Nevenka Zrnzević

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The research purpose was to determine the effects of the experimental program of physical education on morphological characteristics of male pupils from the first-grade of primary school. The experimental program was carried out on the sample of 50 male pupils of the primary schools in Leposavic and Zvecan, age of 7 years ± 6 months. Morphological characteristics were estimated according to 13 variables (body height, total arm length, leg length, biacromial diameter, biiliocristal diameter, wrist width, chest circum ference, upper arm circum ference, upper leg circum ference, triceps skin fold, subscapular skin fold, abdomen skin fold and body mass. The results of the research were processed through standard procedures and basic descriptive parameters were calculated, and variations were determined using multi-variable analysis of variance (MAN′s and uni-variable analysis of variance (AN′s. Multivariable analysis of variance showed a significant statistic difference in morphological characteristics showed at initial and final measuring. On the basis of the results and discussion, it can be concluded that the experimental program has statistically significant effects on the changes of some morphological characteristics.

Reflectance-based determination of age and species of blowfly puparia.

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Voss, Sasha C; Magni, Paola; Dadour, Ian; Nansen, Christian

2017-01-01

Forensic entomology is primarily concerned with the estimation of time since death and involves determination of the age of immature insects colonising decomposing remains. Accurate age determination of puparia is usually accomplished by dissection, which means destructive sampling of evidence. As part of improving abilities to correctly identify species and developmental age, it is highly desirable to have available non-destructive methods. In this study, we acquired external hyperspectral imaging (HSI) data (77 spectral bands, 389-892 nm) from the dorsal and ventral sides of individual puparia of two species of blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Calliphora dubia Macquart 1855 and Chrysomya rufifacies Macquart 1842. Puparia were dissected to determine the presence/absence of eight internal morphological development characteristics (legs, wings, labella, abdominal segments, antennae, thoracic bristles, orbital/facial bristles and eye colour and arista). Based on linear discriminant analysis and independent validation of HSI data, reflectance features from puparia could be used to successfully (1) distinguish the two species (classification accuracy = 92.5 %), (2) differentiate dorsal and ventral sides of puparia (classification accuracy C. dubia = 81.5 %; Ch. rufifacies = 89.2 %) and (3) predict the presence of these morphological characteristics and therefore the developmental stage of puparia (average classification accuracy using dorsal imaging: C. dubia = 90.3 %; Ch. rufifacies = 94.0 %). The analytical approach presented here provides proof of concept for a direct puparial age relationship (i.e. days since the onset of pupation) between external puparial reflectance features and internal morphological development. Furthermore, this approach establishes the potential for further refinement by using a non-invasive technique to determine the age and developmental stage of blowflies of forensic importance.

Morphological families in the mental lexicon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, Nivja Helena de

2002-01-01

Words can occur as constituents of other words. Some words have a high morphological productivity, in that they occur in many complex words, whereas others are morphological islands. Previous studies have found that the size of a word's morphological family can co-determine response latencies in

Effect of tamsulosin on iris vasculature and morphology

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Shtein, Roni M.; Hussain, Munira T.; Cooney, Theresa M.; Elner, Victor M.; Hood, Christopher T.

2015-01-01

PURPOSE To determine whether preoperative iris vasculature and morphology are altered in patients who have taken tamsulosin (Flomax). SETTING Academic multispecialty practice. DESIGN Case series. METHODS Patients with current or past tamsulosin use and age- and sex-matched control patients were included. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and iris fluorescein angiography were performed to measure iris vasculature and thickness before cataract surgery. Data collected at surgery included pupil diameter, clinical signs of intraoperative floppy-iris syndrome, and surgical complications. RESULTS Tamsulosin was currently used by 16 patients and in the past by 4 patients; the control group comprised 10 patients. Pharmacologically dilated pupil diameter was significantly smaller preoperatively and immediately postoperatively in the tamsulosin group than in the control group (P = .009 and P = .003, respectively). There was a statistically significant decrease in pupil size intraoperatively in the tamsulosin group (P = .05) but not in the control group (P = .3). Iris-vasculature parameters, specifically time to first vessel fill and percentage of vessel fill on iris fluorescein angiography, were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The AS-OCT measurements of iris morphology were not statistically significantly different between the groups. No surgical complications occurred. No fluorescein dye leakage, staining, or other vascular anomalies were observed. CONCLUSIONS Although there were differences in pupil measurements and intraoperative iris behavior between patients who had been on tamsulosin and control patients, there were no significant differences in iris vasculature on iris fluorescein angiography or in iris morphology on AS-OCT. PMID:24631201

Amygdala Kindling Alters Estrus Cycle and Ovarian Morphology in the Rat

OpenAIRE

Pan, Juan; Zhang, Lingwu; Wang, Feng; Liu, Dan; Li, P. Andy; Sun, Tao

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to explore the effects of amygdala kindling on estrus cycle and ovarian morphology. Thirty-five female rats at the age of 8 weeks were randomly designated to electrode kindled, sham-kindled, and normal controls. Kindled rats were implanted with kindling electrodes in the left basolateral amygdala and kindled by brief suprathreshold stimulations with a bipolar electrode. Estrous cycles were daily monitored through vaginal smears. Electrographic and behavioral sei...

Clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic independent characteristic factors for rupture of posterior communicating artery aneurysms.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Jing, Linkai; Liu, Jian; Li, Chuanhui; Fan, Jixing; Wang, Shengzhang; Li, Haiyun; Yang, Xinjian

2016-08-01

To identify clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic independent characteristic factors that discriminate posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm rupture status. 173 patients with single PCoA aneurysms (108 ruptured, 65 unruptured) between January 2012 and June 2014 were retrospectively collected. Patient-specific models based on their three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography images were constructed and analyzed by a computational fluid dynamic method. All variables were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Two clinical factors (younger age and atherosclerosis), three morphological factors (higher aspect ratio, bifurcation type, and irregular shape), and six hemodynamic factors (lower mean and minimum wall shear stress, higher oscillatory shear index, a greater portion of area under low wall shear stress, unstable and complex flow pattern) were significantly associated with PCoA aneurysm rupture. Independent factors characterizing the rupture status were identified as age (OR 0.956, p=0.015), irregular shape (OR 6.709, pPCoA aneurysm rupture were younger age, irregular shape, and low minimum wall shear stress. This may be useful for guiding risk assessments and subsequent treatment decisions for PCoA aneurysms. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Possibility of estimating three-dimensional mandibular morphology by cephalogram analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.; Motegi, Etsuko; Kikuchi, Yu; Yamaguchi, Hideharu; Takaki, Takashi; Shibahara, Takahiko

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of a surmise of three-dimensional mandibular morphology by two-dimensional cephalogram analysis. The materials were three-dimensional CT and cephalogram of 20 female mandibular prognathism patients (average age: 25.20±7.49) before there orthognathic surgery. Mandibular bone volume and sponge bone width were calculated from three-dimensional images constructed from CT images using imaging software (Real Intage, KGT inc.). There was a positive correlation (r=0.72) between mandibular volume value and mandibular ramus width. There was a positive correlation between sponge bone width at the site of the mandibular cuspid and mandibular ramus width and SNB angle (r=0.80), and between sponge bone width at the site of the mandibular molar and symphysis height and mandibular ramus width (r=0.81). It was thought that these results will be useful for a surmise of three-dimensional mandibular morphology by cephalogram analysis. (author)

Age Features Of Peptic And Duodenal Ulcer Disease

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Е.А. Islamova

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Peptic ulcer disease is one of the most widespread diseases. 6-10 % of adult population in Russia suffer from it. Demographic processes in the Russian Federation determine the increase of patients' number aged over 60 with peptic ulcer disease. It counts 10-35 % of all patients with this disease. The modern views on pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease, including factor of Helicobacter pylori, in patients of different age groups have been highlighted in the article. Pathogenetic features and clinical morphological manifestations of peptic ulcer disease in young and aged patients have been considered

Neuroglia in ageing and disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Verkhratsky, Alexei; Rodríguez, José J; Parpura, Vladimir

2014-08-01

The proper operation of the mammalian brain requires dynamic interactions between neurones and glial cells. Various types of glial cells are susceptible to morpho-functional changes in a variety of brain pathological states, including toxicity, neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Morphological modifications include a change in the glial cell size and shape; the latter is evident by changes of the appearance and number of peripheral processes. The most blatant morphological change is associated with the alteration of the sheer number of neuroglia cells in the brain. Functionally, glial cells can undergo various metabolic and biochemical changes, the majority of which reflect upon homeostasis of neurotransmitters, in particular that of glutamate, as well as on defence mechanisms provided by neuroglia. Not only glial cells exhibit changes associated with the pathology of the brain but they also change with brain aging.

Tectonic imprints upon inferences of eustatic sea level history: the Pliocene warm period and the Orangeburg Scarp

Science.gov (United States)

Chandan, D.; Peltier, W. R.

2013-12-01

The issue of tectonic contamination of geological inferences of relative sea level history is an important one. The issue arises on timescales that range from the 21-26 kyrs that have passed since the Last Glacial Maximum, to the most recent time when periods as warm as the present are expected to have existed, such as the mid-Pliocene. The coral based record from Barbados, for example, is known to be contaminated by continuing tectonic uplift of the island at a rate of approximately 0.34 mm/yr. For the Pliocene warm period at ~3 Myr, records from geological sites, such as the Orangeburg Scarp in North Carolina, have played a prominent role in arguments underpinning the design of the ongoing international PlioMIP program. In connection with the latter site, Rowley et al (2013) have recently argued that this record is contaminated by a tectonic imprint sufficiently strong to suggest that the usual inferences of Pliocene eustatic sea level based upon it (eg. Miller et al, 2012) must be seen as highly suspect. Here we employ a tomographically constrained model of the mantle convection process to revisit the issue of the tectonic imprint on relative sea level at the Orangeburg site, as well as other similar locations. Our analysis is based upon the inferred time dependence of dynamic topography forced by the mantle's internal density heterogeneities delivered by the S20RTS seismic tomography model. We begin by comparing the static, present day dynamic topography predicted by the (linear) internal loading theory based on the formalism of Pari and Peltier (2000) with that predicted using using a full three dimensional version of the nonlinear time-dependent mantle convection model of Shahnas and Peltier (2010, 2011). We demonstrate first that these two methodologies produce extremely similar results for the static field. We then proceed to run the nonlinear convection model in data assimilation mode while continuously nudging the internal density field back towards the

Combined age and segregated kinetic model for industrial-scale penicillin fed-batch cultivation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Z.F.; Lauwerijssen, M.J.C.; Yuan, J.Q.

2005-01-01

This paper proposes a cell age model forPenicillium chrysogenum fed-batch cultivation to supply a qualitative insight into morphology-associated dynamics. The average ages of the segregated cell populations, such as growing cells, non-growing cells and intact productive cells, were estimated by this

Context-aware modeling of neuronal morphologies

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Benjamin eTorben-Nielsen

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Neuronal morphologies are pivotal for brain functioning: physical overlap between dendrites and axons constrain the circuit topology, and the precise shape and composition of dendrites determine the integration of inputs to produce an output signal. At the same time, morphologies are highly diverse and variant. The variance, presumably, originates from neurons developing in a densely packed brain substrate where they interact (e.g., repulsion or attraction with other actors in this substrate. However, when studying neurons their context is never part of the analysis and they are treated as if they existed in isolation.Here we argue that to fully understand neuronal morphology and its variance it is important to consider neurons in relation to each other and to other actors in the surrounding brain substrate, i.e., their context. We propose a context-aware computational framework, NeuroMaC, in which large numbers of neurons can be grown simultaneously according to growth rules expressed in terms of interactions between the developing neuron and the surrounding brain substrate.As a proof of principle, we demonstrate that by using NeuroMaC we can generate accurate virtual morphologies of distinct classes both in isolation and as part of neuronal forests. Accuracy is validated against population statistics of experimentally reconstructed morphologies. We show that context-aware generation of neurons can explain characteristics of variation. Indeed, plausible variation is an inherent property of the morphologies generated by context-aware rules. We speculate about the applicability of this framework to investigate morphologies and circuits, to classify healthy and pathological morphologies, and to generate large quantities of morphologies for large-scale modeling.

Subcortical regional morphology correlates with fluid and spatial intelligence.

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Burgaleta, Miguel; MacDonald, Penny A; Martínez, Kenia; Román, Francisco J; Álvarez-Linera, Juan; Ramos González, Ana; Karama, Sherif; Colom, Roberto

2014-05-01

Neuroimaging studies have revealed associations between intelligence and brain morphology. However, researchers have focused primarily on the anatomical features of the cerebral cortex, whereas subcortical structures, such as the basal ganglia (BG), have often been neglected despite extensive functional evidence on their relation with higher-order cognition. Here we performed shape analyses to understand how individual differences in BG local morphology account for variability in cognitive performance. Structural MRI was acquired in 104 young adults (45 men, 59 women, mean age = 19.83, SD = 1.64), and the outer surface of striatal structures (caudate, nucleus accumbens, and putamen), globus pallidus, and thalamus was estimated for each subject and hemisphere. Further, nine cognitive tests were used to measure fluid (Gf), crystallized (Gc), and spatial intelligence (Gv). Latent scores for these factors were computed by means of confirmatory factor analysis and regressed vertex-wise against subcortical shape (local displacements of vertex position), controlling for age, sex, and adjusted for brain size. Significant results (FDR intelligence-related prefrontal areas. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preliminary Results on Earthquake Recurrence Intervals, Rupture Segmentation, and Potential Earthquake Moment Magnitudes along the Tahoe-Sierra Frontal Fault Zone, Lake Tahoe, California

Science.gov (United States)

Howle, J.; Bawden, G. W.; Schweickert, R. A.; Hunter, L. E.; Rose, R.

2012-12-01

Utilizing high-resolution bare-earth LiDAR topography, field observations, and earlier results of Howle et al. (2012), we estimate latest Pleistocene/Holocene earthquake-recurrence intervals, propose scenarios for earthquake-rupture segmentation, and estimate potential earthquake moment magnitudes for the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone (TSFFZ), west of Lake Tahoe, California. We have developed a new technique to estimate the vertical separation for the most recent and the previous ground-rupturing earthquakes at five sites along the Echo Peak and Mt. Tallac segments of the TSFFZ. At these sites are fault scarps with two bevels separated by an inflection point (compound fault scarps), indicating that the cumulative vertical separation (VS) across the scarp resulted from two events. This technique, modified from the modeling methods of Howle et al. (2012), uses the far-field plunge of the best-fit footwall vector and the fault-scarp morphology from high-resolution LiDAR profiles to estimate the per-event VS. From this data, we conclude that the adjacent and overlapping Echo Peak and Mt. Tallac segments have ruptured coseismically twice during the Holocene. The right-stepping, en echelon range-front segments of the TSFFZ show progressively greater VS rates and shorter earthquake-recurrence intervals from southeast to northwest. Our preliminary estimates suggest latest Pleistocene/ Holocene earthquake-recurrence intervals of 4.8±0.9x103 years for a coseismic rupture of the Echo Peak and Mt. Tallac segments, located at the southeastern end of the TSFFZ. For the Rubicon Peak segment, northwest of the Echo Peak and Mt. Tallac segments, our preliminary estimate of the maximum earthquake-recurrence interval is 2.8±1.0x103 years, based on data from two sites. The correspondence between high VS rates and short recurrence intervals suggests that earthquake sequences along the TSFFZ may initiate in the northwest part of the zone and then occur to the southeast with a lower

Age-dependent change in the morphology of nucleoli and methylation of genes of the Nucleolar Organizer Region in Japanese quail Coturnix japonica) model (Temminck and Schlegel, 1849) (Galliformes: Aves).

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Andraszek, Katarzyna; Gryzińska, Magdalena; Wójcik, Ewa; Knaga, Sebastian; Smalec, Elżbieta

2014-01-01

Nucleoli are the product of the activity of nucleolar organizer regions (NOR) in certain chromosomes. Their main functions are the formation of ribosomal subunits from ribosomal protein molecules and the transcription of genes encoding rRNA. The aim of the study was to determine the shape of nucleoli and analyse methylation in the gene RN28S in the spermatocytes of male Japanese quail (Coturnixjaponica) in two age groups. Nucleoli were analysed in cells of the first meiotic prophase. Their number and shape were determined and they were classified as regular, irregular or defragmented. In the cells of the young birds no defragmented nucleoli were observed, with regular and irregular nucleoli accounting for 97% and 3%, respectively. In the cells of older birds no regular nucleoli were observed, while irregular and defragmented nucleoli accounted for 37% and 67%, respectively. MSP (methylation-specific PCR) showed that the gene RN28S is methylated in both 15-week-old and 52-week-old quails. In recent years an association has been established between nucleolus morphology and cellular ageing processes.

The Kidney in Aging: Physiological Changes and Pathological Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobamowo, H; Prabhakar, S S

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with progressive decline in renal function along with concurrent morphological changes that ultimately lead to glomerulosclerosis. The mechanisms leading to such changes in the kidney with age as well as the basis of controversies that surround the physiological basis vs pathological nature of aging kidney are the focus of this in-depth review. In addition, the renal functional defects of acid-base homeostasis and electrolyte disturbances in elderly and the physiological basis of such disorders are also discussed. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neonatal irradiation nephropathy in the growing dog. I. Renal morphological and functional adaptations following neonatal, sublethal, whole-body irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilke, W.L.; Phemister, R.D.; Jaenke, R.S.

1979-01-01

Sixty beagles were used to study the effects of exposure to 330 R 60 Co γ radiation (bilateral, whole-body) at 2 days of age on renal functional and morphological development in the growing dog. A significant deficit in grams kidney per kilogram body weight was found in irradiated dogs at 50 days of age (P < 0.05), but not at 125 or 200 days of age. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) per kilogram body weight and GFR per gram kidney were not significantly different between irradiated and nonirradiated dogs at 50, 125, or 200 days of age, but blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was significantly elevated in irradiated dogs throughout this period (P < 0.05). The fractional distribution of intracortical renal blood flow, as determined by radiolabeled microspheres, to the outermost cortex was found to be reduced in irradiated animals at all ages evaluated (P < 0.05). The fractional blood flow to the outermost renal cortex was negatively correlated with BUN in both irradiated (P < 0.05) and nonirradiated (P < 0.05) animals. Based on prior demonstrations of reductions in nephron numbers following similar irradiation, these data indicate increases in mean single nephron GFR and nephronal hypertrophy in the kidneys of the neonatally irradiated dog. The renal functional and morphological adaptations are sufficient to maintain adequate renal function in growing, neonatally irradiated dogs. The BUN elevations in irradiated dogs are believed to be related to changes in intracortical renal blood flow, rather than indicating renal insufficiency. The possible importance of the functional and morphological adaptations to the subsequent development of chronic renal failure in neonatally irradiated animals is discussed

Competence Classification of Cumulus and Granulosa Cell Transcriptome in Embryos Matched by Morphology and Female Age.

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Rehannah Borup

Full Text Available By focussing on differences in the mural granulosa cell (MGC and cumulus cell (CC transcriptomes from follicles resulting in competent (live birth and non-competent (no pregnancy oocytes the study aims on defining a competence classifier expression profile in the two cellular compartments.A case-control study.University based facilities for clinical services and research.MGC and CC samples from 60 women undergoing IVF treatment following the long GnRH-agonist protocol were collected. Samples from 16 oocytes where live birth was achieved and 16 age- and embryo morphology matched incompetent oocytes were included in the study.MGC and CC were isolated immediately after oocyte retrieval. From the 16 competent and non-competent follicles, mRNA was extracted and expression profile generated on the Human Gene 1.0 ST Affymetrix array. Live birth prediction analysis using machine learning algorithms (support vector machines with performance estimation by leave-one-out cross validation and independent validation on an external data set.We defined a signature of 30 genes expressed in CC predictive of live birth. This live birth prediction model had an accuracy of 81%, a sensitivity of 0.83, a specificity of 0.80, a positive predictive value of 0.77, and a negative predictive value of 0.86. Receiver operating characteristic analysis found an area under the curve of 0.86, significantly greater than random chance. When applied on 3 external data sets with the end-point outcome measure of blastocyst formation, the signature resulted in 62%, 75% and 88% accuracy, respectively. The genes in the classifier are primarily connected to apoptosis and involvement in formation of extracellular matrix. We were not able to define a robust MGC classifier signature that could classify live birth with accuracy above random chance level.We have developed a cumulus cell classifier, which showed a promising performance on external data. This suggests that the gene signature at

Involvement of oxidative stress in SAMP10 mice with age-related neurodegeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Lei, Hongtao; Hou, Jincai; Liu, Jianxun

2015-05-01

Age-related changes in the brain tissue are reflected in many aspects. We sought to determine the morphology, Nissl bodies, behavioral appearance and oxidative stress in the brain using SAMP10 mice, a substrain of the senescence-accelerated mouse. SAMP10 mice groups divided by different ages (3, 5, 8 and 14 months) were compared with those of control groups with the above corresponding ages. Cortical thickness, Nissl bodies, behavioral appearance and oxidative stress were evaluated through image software, thionine staining, step-down test and colorimetry, respectively. The weight and cortical thickness of the brain in SAMP10 mice significantly reduced from 8 months of age. The results showed that the number of Nissl bodies decreased or Nissl bodies shrank with dark staining in histology. The same result appeared in a step-down test. As the SAMP10 mice grew older, the oxidative stress-related markers superoxide dismutase decreased and malondialdehyde increased after 8 months. Glutathione peroxidase activities showed no age-related changes. The changes of brain morphology and productions of oxidative stress in the brain tissue might contribute to the behavioral abnormality. Deceleration of age-related production of oxidative stress might be expected to be a potent strategy for anti-aging interventions.

What constitutes Homo sapiens? Morphology versus received wisdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Jeffrey

2016-06-20

Although Linnaeus coined Homo sapiens in 1735, it was Blumenbach forty years later who provided the first morphological definition of the species. Since humans were not then allowed to be ante-Diluvian, his effort applied to the genus, as well. After the Feldhofer Grotto Neanderthal disproved this creationist notion, and human-fossil hunting became legitimate, new specimens were allocated either to sapiens or new species within Homo, or even to new species within new genera. Yet as these taxonomic acts reflected the morphological differences between specimens, they failed to address the question: What constitutes H. sapiens? When in 1950 Mayr collapsed all human fossils into Homo, he not only denied humans a diverse evolutionary past, he also shifted the key to identifying its species from morphology to geological age - a practice most paleoanthropologists still follow. Thus, for example, H. erectus is the species that preceded H. sapiens, and H. sapiens is the species into which H. erectus morphed. In order to deal with a growing morass of morphologically dissimilar specimens, the non-taxonomic terms "archaic" (AS) and "anatomically modern" (AMS) were introduced to distinguish between the earlier and later versions of H. sapiens, thereby making the species impossible to define. In attempting to disentangle fact from scenario, I begin from the beginning, trying to delineate features that may be distinctive of extant humans (ES), and then turning to the fossils that have been included in the species. With the exception of Upper Paleolithic humans - e.g. from Cro-Magnon, Dolni Vestonice, Mladeč - I argue that many specimens regarded as AMS, and all those deemed AS, are not H. sapiens. The features these AMS do share with ES suggest the existence of a sapiens clade. Further, restudy of near-recent fossils, especially from southwestern China (∼11-14.5 ka), reinforces what discoveries such as H. floresiensis indicate: "If it's recent, it's not necessarily H. sapiens".

Morphological model of the population of working-age women in Belgrade measured using electrical multichannel bioimpedance model: Pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đorđević-Nikić Marina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to define the actual model of body composition status of working age women in the territory of Belgrade. The sample comprised 109 women respondents, of an average age of 35.2±9.5 and the length of service = 9.6±9.3 years. All measurements were performed in the period from 2011-2012 in the Teaching -research laboratory of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Belgrade, by applying standardized procedure of electrical multichannel bioimpedance method. The researched encompassed twenty-two (22 variables - fourteen basic (14 and eight (8 derived (index variables. Basic variables were: BH - body height, BM - body mass, ICF - intracellular fluid, ECW - extracellular fluid, TBW - total body fluids, Proteins, Minerals, BMC (Osseous - bone mineral contents, BFM - total body fat mass, SMM - skeletal muscle mass, VFA - visceral fat area, BCM - body cell mass, BMR - basal metabolic rate, FIS - fitness score as assessment of body composition. The derived (index variables were: BMI - body mass index, PBF% - percent of body fat, PBW - percent of body water, PFI - protein fat index, PSMM - percent of skeletal muscle mass, SMMD - skeletal muscle mass density, OBMi - Osseous-body mass index, PBMi - protein body mass index. The results showed that the average body mass of the respondents was 67.66±13.39 kg, body height 167.04±6.62 cm, body mass index 24.27±4.66 kg/m2, muscle mass 26.55±4.46 kg, muscle mass percentage 29.09±8.47, body fat mass 20.52±9.74 kg, body fat percentage 29.09±8.47, visceral fat area was 77.92±40.23 cm2 and fitness score 73.23±6.75 of index points. The obtained results led to the conclusion that the current morphological status of the studied women partially corresponds to a type of normal weight. BMI and the representation of body fat had nearly limiting values towards obesity. A very high percentage of women was recorded in the category of pre-obese and obese according to BMI

Pronuclear morphology evaluation in in vitro fertilization (IVF / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI cycles: a retrospective clinical review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicoli Alessia

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The assessment of the embryo quality is crucial to maintain an high pregnancy rate and to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancy. The evaluation of the pronuclear and nucleolar characteristics of human zygote have been proposed as an indicator of embryo development and chromosomal complement. The aim of the current study was to assess the role of pronuclear morphology evaluation in vitro fertilization (IVF / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI cycles. Methods Retrospective clinical analysis on 755 non-elective transfers of only one embryo (ET. Embryo assessment was performed in days 1 and 2. Clinical and biological data were recorded and analyzed according to embryo and/or pronuclear morphology. Results Both pronuclear and embryo morphology were significantly related to clinical pregnancy and live-birth rates. No significant difference in clinical pregnancy and live-birth rates was detected when the pronuclear and embryo morphology assessments were combined. Embryo morphology and maternal age were the only independent predictors of favorable outcome by logistic regression analysis. Conclusions Pronuclear evaluation is effective to select the best zygotes if ET is performed at day 1, whereas it did not improve the clinical outcomes when combined with embryo morphology evaluation in day 2.

Morphology and slip rate of the Hurunui section of the Hope Fault, South Island, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langridge, R.M.; Berryman, K.R.

2005-01-01

The Hurunui section of the Hope Fault is a newly defined, 42 km long geomorphic fault section which extends from Harper Pass to the Hope-Boyle River confluence. Reconnaissance mapping along the Hurunui section from Hope Shelter to Harper Pass provided new data on its location, geomorphology, displacement, and slip rate. More than 200 previously published field observations of dextrally and vertically displaced landforms along the fault provide data on the distribution of displacement along the fault trace. Five radiocarbon dates found in association with offset geomorphic features are presented and two new measures of dextral slip rate are calculated. At McKenzie Stream, a late Holocene fan complex is cut by the Hope Fault. Young abandoned and active channels on this surface show dextral offsets of up to 22 ± 2 m along a south-facing scarp with a height of up to 5 m. Woody litter from a unit in this complex has yielded a radiocarbon age of 2331 ± 55 yr BP and a corresponding minimum horizontal slip rate of 8.1-11.0 mm/yr. At Macs Knob, large dextral deflections of stream catchments are linked to episodes of glacial resetting of the landscape. Correlation of the offset of 'Macs stream' (166 ± 17 m) with a post-Aranuian age peat (10,782 ± 60 yr BP) yields a maximum horizontal slip rate of 13.0 ± 1.5 mm/yr. The single-event dextral displacement, based on offset stream channels at McKenzie fan, is 3.2-3.8 m (av. c. 3.4 m). The ratio of dextral to vertical slip is c. 7 ± 2:1, indicating that the Hope Fault has a dominantly strike-slip sense of motion. The average recurrence interval for the last 5-7 events (i.e., to produce 19-24 m slip at McKenzie fan) is 310-490 yr. The age of the most recent surface-rupturing earthquake at this site is not known, though felt effects, fault scaling, and landscape arguments indicate it was not the AD 1888 North Canterbury earthquake. (author). 48 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs

Precursory landforms and geologic structures of catastrophic landslides induced by typhoon Talas 2011 Japan (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Chigira, M.; Matsushi, Y.; Tsou, C.

2013-12-01

Our experience of catastrophic landslides induced by rainstorms and earthquakes in recent years suggests that many of them are preceded by deep-seated gravitational slope deformation. Deep-seated gravitational slope deformation continues slowly and continually and some of them transform into catastrophic failures, which cause devastating damage in wide areas. Some other types, however, do not change into catastrophic failure. Deep-seated gravitational slope deformation that preceded catastrophic failures induced by typhoon Talas 2011 Japan, had been surveyed with airborne laser scanner beforehand, of which high-resolution DEMs gave us an important clue to identify which type of topographic features of gravitational slope deformation is susceptible to catastrophic failure. We found that 26 of 39 deep-seated catastrophic landslides had small scarps along the heads of future landslides. These scarps were caused by gravitational slope deformation that preceded the catastrophic failure. Although the scarps may have been enlarged by degradation, their sizes relative to the whole slopes suggest that minimal slope deformation had occurred in the period immediately before the catastrophic failure. The scarp ratio, defined as the ratio of length of a scarp to that of the whole slope both measured along the slope line, ranged from 1% to 23%. 38% of the landslides with small scarps had scarp ratios less than 4%, and a half less than 8%. This fact suggests that the gravitational slope deformation preceded catastrophic failure was relatively small and may suggest that those slopes were under critical conditions just before catastrophic failure. The above scarp ratios may be characteristic to accretional complex with undulating, anastomosing thrust faults, which were major sliding surfaces of the typhoon-induced landslides. Eleven of the remaining 13 landslides occurred in landslide scars of previous landslides or occurred as an extension of landslide scars at the lower parts of

Age-dependent radiosensitivity of mouse oocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, C.

1976-01-01

It has been shown that there are three distinct phases of radiosensitivity in oocytes of prepubertal mice: a period of rapidly increasing sensitivity between 0 and 4 days of age; a period of consistent, high sensitivity between 5 and 18 days of age; and a period of decreasing sensitivity from 19 to at least 21 days of age. Two distinct phases have been demonstrated for the rate of population decline of the oocytes of primary follicles: an initial period of rapid loss from 0 to 4 days of age; and a period of much slower loss from 5 through 23 days of age. Correlations have been drawn between the first two phases of radiosensitivity and morphological changes in the oocyte, and between the third phase of radiosensitivity and endocrinological changes in the maturing animal. The reaction of oocytes to radiation has been separated into two categories: immediate death (within 24 hours); and delayed death (over the entire lifespan of the animal)

Resource use by two morphologically similar insectivorous bats ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Studies of morphologically dissimilar insectivorous bats have lead to the conclusion that morphology is the prime correlate of habitat use, and consequently of diet. This has lead to the prediction that morphologically similar bats should have similar diets. We examined the diet and morphology of two morphologically similar ...

Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma of the Female Genital Tract: A Morphologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Cytogenetic Study of 10 Cases With Emphasis on its Distinction From Morphologic Mimics.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoolmeester, J Kenneth; Carlson, Joseph; Keeney, Gary L; Fritchie, Karen J; Oliva, Esther; Young, Robert H; Nucci, Marisa R

2017-05-01

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a morphologically distinctive neoplasm of unknown differentiation that bears a characteristic gene fusion involving ASPSCR1 and TFE3. ASPS can occur in the female genital tract, but is rare. Eleven cases with an initial diagnosis of ASPS at female genital tract sites were evaluated for their morphologic features and immunoprofile using a panel of antibodies (TFE3, HMB45, melan-A, smooth muscle actin, desmin, and h-Caldesmon). In addition, the presence of TFE3 rearrangement and subsequent ASPSCR1-TFE3 fusion were determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Ten tumors retained their classification as ASPS based on their morphologic appearance, immunohistochemical profile, and demonstration of ASPSCR1-TFE3 fusion. The remaining case was reclassified as conventional-type PEComa due to its pattern of HMB45, melan-A, and desmin positivity as well as absence of TFE3 rearrangement. Sites of the 10 ASPS were uterine corpus (3), cervix (2), uterus not further specified (2), vagina (2), and vulva (1). The age of the patients ranged from 15 to 68 years (mean 34 y, median 32 y). The tumors demonstrated a spectrum of morphologic features, but all had a consistent immunophenotype of strong TFE3 nuclear expression and lack of muscle (smooth muscle actin, desmin, h-Caldesmon) and melanocytic (melan-A, HMB45) markers, except focal positivity for HMB45 in 1. Follow-up was available for 4 patients ranging from 1 to 35 months (mean 15 mo, median 25 mo) and they were alive and had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis at last follow-up. Distinguishing ASPS from its morphologic mimics, particularly PEComa, is important due to increasingly efficacious targeted agents such as MET-selective and VEGF signaling inhibitors in the former and mTOR inhibition therapy in the latter.

Morphological Control: A Design Principal for Applications in Space Science

Science.gov (United States)

Füchslin, R. M.; Dumont, E.; Flumini, D.; Fuchs, H. U.; Hauser, H.; Jaeger, C.; Scheidegger, S.; Schönenberger-Deuel, J.; Lichtensteiger, L.; Luchsinger, R.; Weyland, M.

Designing robots for applications in space flight requires a different prioritization of design criteria than for systems operating on Earth. In this article, we argue that the field of soft robotics offers novel approaches meeting the specific requirements of space flight. We present one especially promising construction principle, so called Tensairity, in some detail. Tensairity, as the name suggests, takes ideas from Tensegrity, but uses inflatable structures instead of cables and struts. Soft robots pose substantial challenges with respect to control. One way to meet these challenges is given by the concept of morphological computation and control. Morphological computation can be loosely defined as the exploitation of the shape, material properties, and dynamics of a physical system to improve the efficiency of computation and to deal with systems for which it is difficult to construct a virtual representation using a kinematic model. We discuss fundamental aspects of morphological control and their relevance for space flight. Besides low weight, small consumption of space in the inactive state and advantageous properties with respect to intrinsic safety and energy consumption, we discuss how the blurring of the discrimination of hard- and software leads to control strategies that require only very little and very simple electronic circuitry (which is beneficial in an environment with high irradiation). Finally, we present a research strategy that bundles activities in space flight with research and development in medicine, especially for support systems for an aging population, that are faced with similar morphological computing challenges to astronauts. Such a combination meets the demands for research that is not only effective, but also efficient with respect to economic resources.

RATING CHANGES INTRODUCED IN SOME CHARACTERISTIC MORPHOLOGICAL AND BASIC-SPECIFIC MOTOR SKILLS TO YOUNG ACTIVE AND INACTIVE BASKETBALL PLAYERS

OpenAIRE

Qazim Elshani; Hazir Salihu

2016-01-01

The experiment deals with young people aged 13-14 years, male. Basketball team active and inactive, active group in addition to regular classes; they also practice basketball in clubs within the city. The experiment contains a total of eight morphological variables; five variables are the basic motor tests, while three tests of motor skills, situational. In this research, it applied test method T-group basketball between active and inactive, and morphological variables of specific movement sk...

Physical properties and radiometric age estimates of surficial and fracture-fill deposits along a portion of the Carpetbag fault system, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shroba, R.R.; Muhs, D.R.; Rosholt, J.N.

1988-07-01

Surficial deposits and fracture-fill deposits (fracture fillings that consist chiefly of calcium carbonate-cemented, pebbly sand) were studied along a 2.5-km-long portion of the Carpetbag fault system in an area characterized by prominent, explosion-produced scarps and a shallow graben that formed during and subsequent to the 1970 Carpetbag nuclear event in the northwestern part of Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site. The surficial deposits are fluvial and slopewash deposits and mixed eolian sediment that range in grain size from pebble gravel to silty sand. These deposits have been modified by the accumulation of varying amounts of pedogenic silt, clay, calcium carbonate, and probably opaline silica. Despite the occurrence of ancient fractures and linear features on aerial photographs, that are near and parallel to subsurface faults of the Carpetbag system, no other evidence for prehistoric surface faulting was observed in the study area. The lack of prehistoric fault scarps and the lack of offset of stratigraphic contacts exposed in trench excavations suggest that no significant vertical surface displacement has occurred on the Carpetbag system during the past 125,000 years and possible during the past 350,000 years. 39 refs., 12 figs., 8 tabs

The role of morphology and short vowelization in reading Arabic among normal and dyslexic readers in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu-Rabia, Salim

2007-03-01

This study was an investigation of several Arabic reading measures among dyslexics and normal Arabic readers across different ages (grades 3, 6, 9, and 12): the role of morphology, short vowelization (phonological and syntactic skills), spelling, reading isolated words, and reading comprehension. The results of the one-way ANOVAs indicated clear differences between the dyslexic readers and the normal readers on all reading measures. However, the stepwise regression analysis revealed consistent orthographic results: morphology (identification and/or production) and spelling were generally the most powerful predictors of both reading accuracy and reading comprehension among dyslexic and normal readers across these different age groups. The results are discussed in terms of the characteristics of the Arabic orthography and the heavy reliance of readers at all levels and ages on orthographic factors in reading.

Loss of perforated synapses in the dentate gyrus: morphological substrate of memory deficit in aged rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Geinisman, Y; de Toledo-Morrell, L; Morrell, F

1986-01-01

Most, but not all, aged rats exhibit a profound deficit in spatial memory when tested in a radial maze--a task known to depend on the integrity of the hippocampal formation. In this study, animals were divided into three groups based on their spatial memory capacity: young adult rats with good memory, aged rats with impaired memory, and aged rats with good memory. Memory-impaired aged animals showed a loss of perforated axospinous synapses in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation in comparison with either young adults or aged rats with good memory. This finding suggests that the loss of perforated axospinous synapses in the hippocampal formation underlies the age-related deficit in spatial memory. Images PMID:3458260

Aging of Organic Nanowires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balzer, Frank; Schiek, Manuela; Osadnik, Andreas

2012-01-01

Organic semiconductors formed by epitaxial growth from small molecules such as the para-phenylenes or squaraines promise a vast application potential as the active ingredient in electric and optoelectronic devices. Their self-organization into organic nanowires or "nanofibers" adds a peculiar...... attribute, making them especially interesting for light generation in OLEDs and for light-harvesting devices such as solar cells. Functionalization of the molecules allows the customization of optical and electrical properties. However, aging of the wires might lead to a considerable decrease in device...... performance over time. In this study the morphological stability of organic nanoclusters and nanowires from the methoxy functionalized quaterphenylene, 4,4'''dimethoxy-1,1':4',1''4'',1'''-quaterphenylene (MOP4), is investigated in detail. Aging experiments conducted by atomic force microscopy under ambient...

Bone marrow morphology and disease progression in congenital thrombocytopenia: a detailed clinicopathologic and genetic study of eight cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Hamilton C; Bussel, James B; Mathew, Susan; Liu, Yen-Chun; Imahiyerobo, Allison A; Orazi, Attilio; Geyer, Julia T

2017-04-01

Patients with congenital thrombocytopenia have an increased risk of developing myeloid neoplasms. In these cases, the morphologic distinction between disease at baseline and at progression is challenging. This report analyzes clinicopathologic features of congenital thrombocytopenia with long-term follow-up at one referral center. Records from the last 20 years were searched for cases of congenital thrombocytopenia with bone marrow biopsies and peripheral blood smears. The clinical, morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular features were analyzed. Six adult and two pediatric patients were identified (six male, two female). Age range at first biopsy was 1-47 (median, 31) years. Underlying diseases included thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, congenital thrombocytopenia with radial-ulnar synostosis, MYH9-related disorder, shortened telomere syndrome, congenital thrombocytopenia with ANKRD26 mutation, and familial platelet disorder with predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia. Four patients had myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm-like marrow changes such as hypercellularity, increased myeloid to erythroid ratio, numerous micromegakaryocytes (highlighted by CD42b), and marrow fibrosis. Two patients had marrow hypoplasia and two had unremarkable marrow morphology. Three patients-all in the myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm-like group-developed disease progression characterized by erythroid and myeloid dysplasia, elevated bone marrow blasts, and new cytogenetic abnormalities. Unlike non-familial myeloid neoplasms, congenital thrombocytopenia patients in the myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm-like group had a long and indolent clinical course (average age at disease progression, 47 years). In summary, three distinct morphologic types of congenital thrombocytopenia were identified: a hyperplastic myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm-like group, a hypoplastic bone marrow failure-like group, and a group with relatively normal marrow

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator is correlated closely with sperm progressive motility and normal morphology in healthy and fertile men with normal sperm parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, L-Y; Shan, J-J; Tong, X-M; Zhu, H-Y; Yang, L-Y; Zheng, Q; Luo, Y; Shi, Q-X; Zhang, S-Y

2014-10-01

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been demonstrated to be expressed in mature spermatozoa and correlated with sperm quality. Sperm CFTR expression in fertile men is higher than that in infertile men suffering from teratospermia, asthenoteratospermia, asthenospermia and oligospermia, but it is unknown whether CFTR is correlated with sperm parameters when sperm parameters are normal. In this study, 282 healthy and fertile men with normal semen parameters were classified into three age groups, group (I): age group of 20-29 years (98 cases, 27.1 ± 6.2), group (II): age group of 30-39 years (142 cases, 33.7 ± 2.6) and group (III): age group of more than or equal to 40 years (42 cases, 44.1 ± 4.6). Sperm concentration, total count and progressive motility were analysed by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Sperm morphology was analysed by modified Papanicolaou staining. Sperm CFTR expression was conducted by indirect immunofluorescence staining. There was a significant positive correlation (P sperm progressive motility (r = 0.221) and normal morphology (r = 0.202), but there were no correlations between sperm CFTR expression and semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm total count as well as male age (P > 0.05). Our findings show that CFTR expression is associated with sperm progressive motility and normal morphology in healthy and fertile men with normal sperm parameters, but not associated with the number of spermatozoa and male age. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Morphology and epidermal thickness of normal skin imaged by optical coherence tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Mette; Morsy, Hanan A.; Thrane, Lars

2008-01-01

colour. Methods: OCT imaging is based on infrared light reflection/backscatter from tissue. PS-OCT detects birefringence of tissue. Imaging was performed in 12 skin regions. ET was calculated from the OCT images. Results: Normal skin has a layered structure. Layering is less pronounced in adults......Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical imaging technology with a potential in the non-invasive diagnosis of skin cancer. To identify skin pathologies using OCT, it is of prime importance to establish baseline morphological features of normal skin. Aims: The aim of this study...... is to describe normal skin morphology using OCT and polarization-sensitive OCT (PS-OCT), which is a way of representing birefringent tissue such as collagen in OCT images. Anatomical locations in 20 healthy volunteers were imaged, and epidermal thickness (ET) was measured and compared to age, gender and skin...

Morphology versus U-Pb systematics in zircon: A high-resolution isotopic study of a zircon population from a Variscan dike in the Central Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossart, P.J.; Meier, M.; Oberli, F.; Steiger, R.H.

1986-01-01

U/Pb isotopic measurements on individual zircon crystals combined with morphological analyses permit the identification of three distinct components within the zircon population of the Saedelhorn diorite, a Variscan dike from the western Gotthard (Central Alps, Switzerland): (i) 94% of the grains in the zircon population are elongate crystals with pronounced skeletal morphology indicative of rapid growth from a supercooled melt. (ii) 5% of the population consist of turbid, mostly subhedral zircons frequently showing D-type morphology and elevated uranium contents compared to the skeletal variety. Single-crystal and multi-grain U-Pb isotopic data of group (i) and (ii) zircons define an intrusion age of 293 + 5/ -4 m.y. for the dike. (iii) Rare, transparent zircon crystals (< 1% of the zircons population) yield apparent U-Pb ages in the range of 370-490 m.y. and display morphological and isotopic characteristics closely resembling those of a Caledonian orthogneiss intruded by the dike. This implies presence of assimilated wall-rock components in the macroscopically homogeneous dike sample. (orig./WB)

Pulmonary mucormycosis. Serial morphologic changes on computed tomography correlate with clinical and pathologic findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Bo Da; Kim, Tae Jung; Lee, Kyung Soo; Kim, Tae Sung; Chung, Myung Jin; Han, Joungho

2018-01-01

To evaluate serial computed tomography (CT) findings of pulmonary mucormycosis correlated with peripheral blood absolute neutrophil count (ANC). Between February 1997 and June 2016, 20 immunocompromised patients (10 males, 10 females; mean age, 48.9 years) were histopathologically diagnosed as pulmonary mucormycosis. On initial (n=20) and follow-up (n=15) CT scans, the patterns of lung abnormalities and their changing features on follow-up scans were evaluated, and the pattern changes were correlated with ANC changes. All patients were immunocompromised. On initial CT scans, nodule (≤3cm)/mass (>3cm) or consolidation with surrounding ground-glass opacity halo (18/20, 90%) was the most common pattern. On follow-up CT, morphologic changes (13/15, 87%) could be seen and they included reversed halo (RH) sign, central necrosis, and air-crescent sign. Although all cases did not demonstrate the regular morphologic changes at the same timeline, various combinations of pattern change could be seen in all patients. Sequential morphologic changes were related with recovering of ANC in 13 of 15 patients. Pulmonary mucormycosis most frequently presents as consolidation or nodule/mass with halo sign at CT. Morphologic changes into RH sign, central necrotic cavity or air-crescent sign occur with treatment and recovery of ANC. (orig.)

Generation of Complex Verbal Morphology in First and Second Language Acquisition: Evidence from Russian

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kira Gor

2004-07-01

Full Text Available This study explores the structure of the mental lexicon and the processing of Russian verbal morphology by two groups of speakers, adult American learners of Russian and Russian children aged 4-6, and reports the results of two matching experiments conducted at the University of Maryland, USA and St. Petersburg State University, Russia. The theoretical framework for this study comes from research on the structure of the mental lexicon and modularity in morphological processing. So far, there are very few studies investigating the processing of complex verbal morphology, with most of the work done on Icelandic, Norwegian, Italian, and Russian. The current views are shaped predominantly by research on English regular and irregular past-tense inflection, which has been conducted within two competing approaches. This study investigates the processing of verbal morphology in Russian, a language with numerous verb classes differing in size and the number and complexity of conjugation rules. It assumes that instead of a sharp opposition of regular and irregular verb processing, a gradual parameter of regularity may be more appropriate for Russian. Therefore, the issue of symbolic rule application versus associative patterning can take on a new meaning for Russian, possibly, with the distinction between default and non-default processing replacing the regular-irregular distinction.

Pulmonary mucormycosis. Serial morphologic changes on computed tomography correlate with clinical and pathologic findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nam, Bo Da; Kim, Tae Jung; Lee, Kyung Soo; Kim, Tae Sung; Chung, Myung Jin [Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Centre for Imaging Science, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, Joungho [Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2018-02-15

To evaluate serial computed tomography (CT) findings of pulmonary mucormycosis correlated with peripheral blood absolute neutrophil count (ANC). Between February 1997 and June 2016, 20 immunocompromised patients (10 males, 10 females; mean age, 48.9 years) were histopathologically diagnosed as pulmonary mucormycosis. On initial (n=20) and follow-up (n=15) CT scans, the patterns of lung abnormalities and their changing features on follow-up scans were evaluated, and the pattern changes were correlated with ANC changes. All patients were immunocompromised. On initial CT scans, nodule (≤3cm)/mass (>3cm) or consolidation with surrounding ground-glass opacity halo (18/20, 90%) was the most common pattern. On follow-up CT, morphologic changes (13/15, 87%) could be seen and they included reversed halo (RH) sign, central necrosis, and air-crescent sign. Although all cases did not demonstrate the regular morphologic changes at the same timeline, various combinations of pattern change could be seen in all patients. Sequential morphologic changes were related with recovering of ANC in 13 of 15 patients. Pulmonary mucormycosis most frequently presents as consolidation or nodule/mass with halo sign at CT. Morphologic changes into RH sign, central necrotic cavity or air-crescent sign occur with treatment and recovery of ANC. (orig.)

Effects of Asthma and Inhalation corticosteroids on the dental arch morphology in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S S Kumar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Hereditary, environmental and developmental factors play an important role in dentofacial development, as well as the initiation of malocclusion disorder. Allergic phenomenon such as asthma that induces an alternative mode of breathing in patients is a contributing factor in development of the dental arch. Aim: Our aim in this study was to evaluate the dentoalveolar morphology in asthmatic children and to analyze the effects of asthmatic medications on the dental arch. Setting and Design : This study is centered on 44 asthmatic children aged between 6-12 years from J.S.S Hospital, Mysore. Selected variables from model analysis of the casts of the asthmatic group were subjected to comparison with those of the non-asthmatic group, which comprised of 44 non-asthmatic children. Selected parameters were arch width, arch length and palatal depth. Materials and Methods : Impressions of upper and lower arches were made with rubber based impression material. A sliding digital caliper was used to measure the casts for arch width and arch length. A palatal depth gauge was used to measure the palatal depth. Statistical Analysis : Differences in arch widths, arch lengths and palatal depths between asthmatics and non-asthmatics groups were evaluated by independent sample t-tests. Chi-square test was applied to assess the frequency of occurrence of malocclusion in the asthmatic children. Result: The results obtained revealed that the arch length and palatal depth of asthmatic group had higher values compared to that of non-asthmatic groups for both age groups (6 to 8-year-old males and females, 10 to 12-year-old males and females. Inter molar width showed a significant lower value in asthmatics in the maxillary arches of 10 to 12-year-old females. Fifty percent of the asthmatic children aged 10 to 12-years had open-bite. Children under regular medication showed significant deviation in the dentoalveolar morphology as compared to those under

Observed gas hydrate morphologies in marine sediment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holland, M.; Schultheiss, P.; Roberts, J.; Druce, M. [Geotek Ltd., Daventry, Northamptonshire (United Kingdom)

2008-07-01

The morphology of gas hydrate in marine sediments determines the basic physical properties of the sediment-hydrate matrix and provides information regarding the formation of gas hydrate deposits, and the nature of the disruption that will occur on dissociation. Small-scale morphology is useful in estimating the concentrations of gas hydrate from geophysical data. It is also important for predicting their response to climate change or commercial production. Many remote techniques for gas hydrate detection and quantification depend on hydrate morphology. In this study, morphology of gas hydrate was examined in HYACINTH pressure cores from recent seagoing expeditions. Visual and infrared observations from non-pressurized cores were also used. The expeditions and pressure core analysis were described in detail. This paper described the difference between two types of gas hydrate morphologies, notably pore-filling and grain-displacing. Last, the paper addressed the impact of hydrate morphology. It was concluded that a detailed morphology of gas hydrate is an essential component for a full understanding of the past, present, and future of any gas hydrate environment. 14 refs., 4 figs.

Eruptive viscosity and volcano morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Posin, S.B.; Greeley, R.

1988-01-01

Terrestrial central volcanoes formed predominantly from lava flows were classified as shields, stratovolcanoes, and domes. Shield volcanoes tend to be large in areal extent, have convex slopes, and are characterized by their resemblance to inverted hellenic war shields. Stratovolcanoes have concave slopes, whereas domes are smaller and have gentle convex slopes near the vent that increase near the perimeter. In addition to these differences in morphology, several other variations were observed. The most important is composition: shield volcanoes tend to be basaltic, stratovolcanoes tend to be andesitic, and domes tend to be dacitic. However, important exceptions include Fuji, Pico, Mayon, Izalco, and Fuego which have stratovolcano morphologies but are composed of basaltic lavas. Similarly, Ribkwo is a Kenyan shield volcano composed of trachyte and Suswa and Kilombe are shields composed of phonolite. These exceptions indicate that eruptive conditions, rather than composition, may be the primary factors that determine volcano morphology. The objective of this study is to determine the relationships, if any, between eruptive conditions (viscosity, erupted volume, and effusion rate) and effusive volcano morphology. Moreover, it is the goal of this study to incorporate these relationships into a model to predict the eruptive conditions of extraterrestrial (Martian) volcanoes based on their morphology

Dystrophic microglia in the aging human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Streit, Wolfgang J; Sammons, Nicole W; Kuhns, Amanda J; Sparks, D Larry

2004-01-15

We have studied microglial morphology in the human cerebral cortex of two nondemented subjects using high-resolution LN-3 immunohistochemistry. Several abnormalities in microglial cytoplasmic structure, including deramification, spheroid formation, gnarling, and fragmentation of processes, were identified. These changes were determined to be different from the morphological changes that occur during microglial activation and they were designated collectively as microglial dystrophy. Quantitative evaluation of dystrophic changes in microglia revealed that these were much more prevalent in the older subject (68-year-old) than in the younger one (38-year-old). Thus, we conclude that microglial dystrophy is a sign of microglial cell senescence. We hypothesize that microglial senescence could be important for understanding age-related declines in cognitive function. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effect of reinforcing particle type on morphology and age-hardening behavior of Al–4.5 wt.% Cu based nanocomposites synthesized through mechanical milling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mostaed, A., E-mail: alimostaed@yahoo.com [Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, 16765-3381 Pardis Street, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Saghafian, H.; Mostaed, E. [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, 16846-13114 Narmak, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shokuhfar, A. [Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, 16765-3381 Pardis Street, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rezaie, H.R. [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, 16846-13114 Narmak, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-02-15

The effects of reinforcing particle type (SiC and TiC) on morphology and precipitation hardening behavior of Al–4.5%Cu based nanocomposites synthesized via mechanical milling were investigated in the current work. In order to study the microstructure and morphology of mechanically milled powder, X-ray diffraction technique, scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were utilized. Results revealed that at the early stages of mechanical milling, when reinforcing particles are polycrystal, the alloying process is enhanced more in the case of using the TiC particles as reinforcement. But, at the final stages of mechanical milling, when reinforcing particles are single crystal, the alloying process is enhanced more in the case of using the SiC ones. Transmission electron microscopy results demonstrated that Al–4.5 wt.%Cu based nanocomposite powders were synthesized and confirmed that the mutual diffusion of aluminum and copper occurs through the interfacial plane of (200). The hardness results showed that not only does introducing 4 vol.% of reinforcing particles (SiC or TiC) considerably decrease the porosity of the bulk composite samples, but also it approximately doubles the hardness of Al–4.5 wt.%Cu alloy (53.4 HB). Finally, apart from TEM and scanning electron microscopy observation which are localized, a decline in hardness in the TiC and SiC contained samples, respectively, after 1.5 and 2 h aging time at 473 K proves the fact that the size of SiC particles is smaller than the size of the TiC ones. - Highlights: ► HRTEM results show mutual diffusion of Al and Cu occurs through the (200) planes. ► TiC particles enhance alloying process more than the SiC ones at the early stages of MM. ► SiC particles enhance alloying process more than the TiC ones at the final stages of MM.

Effect of reinforcing particle type on morphology and age-hardening behavior of Al–4.5 wt.% Cu based nanocomposites synthesized through mechanical milling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostaed, A.; Saghafian, H.; Mostaed, E.; Shokuhfar, A.; Rezaie, H.R.

2013-01-01

The effects of reinforcing particle type (SiC and TiC) on morphology and precipitation hardening behavior of Al–4.5%Cu based nanocomposites synthesized via mechanical milling were investigated in the current work. In order to study the microstructure and morphology of mechanically milled powder, X-ray diffraction technique, scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were utilized. Results revealed that at the early stages of mechanical milling, when reinforcing particles are polycrystal, the alloying process is enhanced more in the case of using the TiC particles as reinforcement. But, at the final stages of mechanical milling, when reinforcing particles are single crystal, the alloying process is enhanced more in the case of using the SiC ones. Transmission electron microscopy results demonstrated that Al–4.5 wt.%Cu based nanocomposite powders were synthesized and confirmed that the mutual diffusion of aluminum and copper occurs through the interfacial plane of (200). The hardness results showed that not only does introducing 4 vol.% of reinforcing particles (SiC or TiC) considerably decrease the porosity of the bulk composite samples, but also it approximately doubles the hardness of Al–4.5 wt.%Cu alloy (53.4 HB). Finally, apart from TEM and scanning electron microscopy observation which are localized, a decline in hardness in the TiC and SiC contained samples, respectively, after 1.5 and 2 h aging time at 473 K proves the fact that the size of SiC particles is smaller than the size of the TiC ones. - Highlights: ► HRTEM results show mutual diffusion of Al and Cu occurs through the (200) planes. ► TiC particles enhance alloying process more than the SiC ones at the early stages of MM. ► SiC particles enhance alloying process more than the TiC ones at the final stages of MM

RELATIONS BETWEEN MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ACCURACY OF KICKING A BALL BY YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYERS

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Slobodan Andrašić

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Kicking a ball with foot or head are the basic elements of football, which can raise the efficiency of the game in terms of speed of action in terms of scoring goals. This is also the reason why the shot needs to be performed in a timely manner, usefully, and also quickly. The most commonly used kick in football is a inner-side instep kick, which is also the most accurate and the most used among the players (Cabri, De Prof, Dufour, & Clarys, 1998. Success in performing precise actions largely depends on the precision of locating targets in space, and therefore the role of our receptors is crucial for a successful precision (Szekeres, Santrač, Radosav, Toplak, Miljanić, 1994. The research problem was establishing the predictive impacts of morphological characteristics on the elevation accuracy of hitting the ball in young players. The subjects of the study were morphological characteristics and accuracy of the players. Aim of the paper was to determine the relation between morphological characteristics and precision of players aged 13-14 years from the Municipality of Loznica. Method: 50 players of the FK “Kabel” from Novi Sad, aged 13-14 years, were subjected to testing. Measurement of morphological characteristics was conducted. Specific (elevation accuracy of hitting the ball towards the vertical and horizontal objective was also tested. By using the statistical analysis firstly the basic descriptive statistics of variables were determine. In order to determine the size of the impact of anthropometric characteristics on motor skills – precision, linear regression analysis was used. Results: Regression analysis showed that there was no statistically significant effect of the predictor system of morphological variables on the criterion variables tested: Precision of kicking the ball towards a horizontal target and Precision of kicking the ball towards a vertical target. The results pointed to the fact that some other characteristics and

Craniofacial morphology, head posture, and nasal respiratory resistance in obstructive sleep apnoea : An inter-ethnic comparison

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wong, M.L.; Sandham, John; Ang, PK; Wong, DC; Tan, WC; Huggare, J

The aim of this study was to measure craniofacial morphology and nasal respiratory resistance (NRR) in Malay, Indian and Chinese subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The sample consisted of 34 male subjects, 27-52 years of age (Malay n = 11, which included five mild and six moderate-severe

One-stage closure of isolated cleft palate with the Veau-Wardill-Kilner V to Y pushback procedure or the Cronin modification. III. Comparison of lateral craniofacial morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Heliövaara, A; Ranta, R

1993-10-01

The craniofacial morphology of 116 consecutive patients with isolated cleft palate was studied by means of lateral cephalograms at 17 to 20 years of age. One-stage hard- and soft-palate closure had been carried out at the mean age of 1.8 years by using the Veau-Wardill-Kilner or the Cronin mucoperiosteal palatal V-Y pushback technique. In the Veau-Wardill-Kilner group the cranial base was longer, the cranial base angle was larger, and the mandible longer and its ramus higher but less backward rotated. The patients with originally the most extensive clefts showed the most marked deviations in craniofacial morphology at adult age.

Wetting morphologies on randomly oriented fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauret, Alban; Boulogne, François; Soh, Beatrice; Dressaire, Emilie; Stone, Howard A

2015-06-01

We characterize the different morphologies adopted by a drop of liquid placed on two randomly oriented fibers, which is a first step toward understanding the wetting of fibrous networks. The present work reviews previous modeling for parallel and touching crossed fibers and extends it to an arbitrary orientation of the fibers characterized by the tilting angle and the minimum spacing distance. Depending on the volume of liquid, the spacing distance between fibers and the angle between the fibers, we highlight that the liquid can adopt three different equilibrium morphologies: 1) a column morphology in which the liquid spreads between the fibers, 2) a mixed morphology where a drop grows at one end of the column or 3) a single drop located at the node. We capture the different morphologies observed using an analytical model that predicts the equilibrium configuration of the liquid based on the geometry of the fibers and the volume of liquid.

Morphological and biochemical characterization of the aetiological agents of white piedra.

Science.gov (United States)

Magalhães, Alba Regina; Mondino, Silvia Susana Bona de; Silva, Manuela da; Nishikawa, Marilia Martins

2008-12-01

The Trichosporon genus is constituted by many species, of which Trichosporon ovoides and Trichosporon inkin are the causative agents of white piedra. They can cause nodules in genital hair or on the scalp. At present, Brazilian laboratory routines generally do not include the identification of the species of Trichosporon genus, which, although morphologically and physiologically distinct, present many similarities, making the identification difficult. The aim of this study was to identify the aetiological agents at the species level of white piedra from clinical specimens. Therefore, both the macro and micro morphology were studied, and physiological tests were performed. Trichosporon spp. was isolated from 10 clinical samples; T. ovoides was predominant, as it was found in seven samples, while T. inkin was identified just in two samples. One isolate could not be identified at the species level. T. inkin was identified for the first time as a white piedra agent in the hair shaft on child under the age of 10.

Investigation on thermal oxidative aging of nitrile rubber (NBR) O-rings under compression stress

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, X. R.; Zhang, W. F.; Lou, W. T.; Huang, Y. X.; Dai, W.

2017-11-01

The degradation behaviors of nitrile rubber O-rings exposure to air under compression were investigated at three elevated temperatures. The physical and mechanical properties of the aging samples before and after exposure at selected time were studied by measuring weight loss, tensile strength and elongation at break. The Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and fracture morphology were used to reveal the microstructural changes of the aging samples. The results indicate that the weight decreased with exposure time and temperature. Based on the results of the crosslinking density, the crosslinking predominates during the most of aging process. The significant changes in tensile strength and elongation at break also indicate the severe degradation in air. The fracture morphology results show that the fracture surface after 64 days of exposure to air turns rough and present defects. The ATR-FTIR results demonstrate that the hydroxyl groups were formed for the samples aged in air.

Evidence of Multiple Ground-rupturing Earthquakes in the Past 4000 Years along the Pasuruan Fault, East Java, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Marliyani, G. I.; Arrowsmith, R.; Helmi, H.

2015-12-01

Instrumental and historical records of earthquakes, supplemented by paleoeseismic constraints can help reveal the earthquake potential of an area. The Pasuruan fault is a high angle normal fault with prominent youthful scarps cutting young deltaic sediments in the north coast of East Java, Indonesia and may pose significant hazard to the densely populated region. This fault has not been considered a significant structure, and mapped as a lineament with no sense of motion. Information regarding past earthquakes along this fault is not available. The fault is well defined both in the imagery and in the field as a ~13km long, 2-50m-high scarp. Open and filled fractures and natural exposures of the south-dipping fault plane indicate normal sense of motion. We excavated two fault-perpendicular trenches across a relay ramp identified during our surface mapping. Evidence for past earthquakes (documented in both trenches) includes upward fault termination with associated fissure fills, colluvial wedges and scarp-derived debris, folding, and angular unconformities. The ages of the events are constrained by 23 radiocarbon dates on detrital charcoal. We calibrated the dates using IntCal13 and used Oxcal to build the age model of the events. Our preliminary age model indicates that since 2006±134 B.C., there has been at least five ground rupturing earthquakes along the fault. The oldest event identified in the trench however, is not well-dated. Our modeled 95th percentile ranges of the next four earlier earthquakes (and their mean) are A.D. 1762-1850 (1806), A.D. 1646-1770 (1708), A.D. 1078-1648 (1363), and A.D. 726-1092 (909), yielding a rough recurrence rate of 302±63 yrs. These new data imply that Pasuruan fault is more active than previously thought. Additional well-dated earthquakes are necessary to build a solid earthquake recurrence model. Rupture along the whole section implies a minimum earthquake magnitude of 6.3, considering 13km as the minimum surface rupture

Aging Selectively Modulates Vitamin C Transporter Expression Patterns in the Kidney.

Science.gov (United States)

Forman, Katherine; Martínez, Fernando; Cifuentes, Manuel; Bertinat, Romina; Salazar, Katterine; Nualart, Francisco

2017-09-01

In the kidney, vitamin C is reabsorbed from the glomerular ultrafiltrate by sodium-vitamin C cotransporter isoform 1 (SVCT1) located in the brush border membrane of the proximal tubules. Although we know that vitamin C levels decrease with age, the adaptive physiological mechanisms used by the kidney for vitamin C reabsorption during aging remain unknown. In this study, we used an animal model of accelerated senescence (SAMP8 mice) to define the morphological alterations and aging-induced changes in the expression of vitamin C transporters in renal tissue. Aging induced significant morphological changes, such as periglomerular lymphocytic infiltrate and glomerular congestion, in the kidneys of SAMP8 mice, although no increase in collagen deposits was observed using 2-photon microscopy analysis and second harmonic generation. The most characteristic histological alteration was the dilation of intracellular spaces in the basolateral region of proximal tubule epithelial cells. Furthermore, a combination of laser microdissection, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemical analyses allowed us to determine that SVCT1 expression specifically increased in the proximal tubules from the outer strip of the outer medulla (segment S3) and cortex (segment S2) during aging and that these tubules also express GLUT1. We conclude that aging modulates vitamin C transporter expression and that renal over-expression of SVCT1 enhances vitamin C reabsorption in aged animals that may synthesize less vitamin C. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2418-2426, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microstructure characteristics and effect of aging process on the mechanical properties of squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, G.M.; Han, Z.Q.; Luo, A.A.; Liu, B.C.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Characterization of three-dimensional morphologies of precipitates using AFM. • Quantitative microstructure of aged squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy. • The non-uniform continuous precipitation during aging of squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy. • The relationship between microstructure and property of aged squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy. - Abstract: Quantitative microstructure information is critical to modeling and prediction of mechanical properties of structural components. In this study, the microstructure characteristics of aged squeeze-cast AZ91 alloy were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. Particularly, a study of the three-dimensional morphology of continuous precipitation during heat treatment was carried out using a combination of TEM and AFM. The results showed that a typical precipitate consisted of three kinds of faces, namely, broad, side, and end faces. The precipitate also presented a lath-shaped morphology with lozenge ends. Combined SEM and TEM analyses revealed quantitative information on the sizes and area number densities of precipitates after aging at different temperatures with different times. In general, the length and width of precipitates increased more rapidly than thickness during aging. The area number density initially increased and then slowly decreased because of coarsening. Furthermore, a special microstructure characteristic of the non-uniform continuous precipitation during aging was investigated using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The relationship between hardness response and yield strength was established

Effect of tamsulosin on iris vasculature and morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Shtein, Roni M; Hussain, Munira T; Cooney, Theresa M; Elner, Victor M; Hood, Christopher T

2014-05-01

To determine whether preoperative iris vasculature and morphology are altered in patients who have taken tamsulosin (Flomax). Academic multispecialty practice. Case series. Patients with current or past tamsulosin use and age- and sex-matched control patients were included. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and iris fluorescein angiography were performed to measure iris vasculature and thickness before cataract surgery. Data collected at surgery included pupil diameter, clinical signs of intraoperative floppy-iris syndrome, and surgical complications. Tamsulosin was currently used by 16 patients and in the past by 4 patients; the control group comprised 10 patients. Pharmacologically dilated pupil diameter was statistically significantly smaller preoperatively and immediately postoperatively in the tamsulosin group than in the control group (P=.009 and P=.003, respectively). There was a statistically significant decrease in pupil size intraoperatively in the tamsulosin group (P=.05) but not in the control group (P=.3). Iris-vasculature parameters, specifically time to first vessel fill and percentage of vessel fill on iris fluorescein angiography, were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The AS-OCT measurements of iris morphology were not statistically significantly different between the groups. No surgical complications occurred. No fluorescein dye leakage, staining, or other vascular anomalies were observed. Although there were differences in pupil measurements and intraoperative iris behavior between patients who had been on tamsulosin and control patients, there were no significant differences in iris vasculature on iris fluorescein angiography or in iris morphology on AS-OCT. Copyright © 2014 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Handedness and corpus callosal morphology in Williams syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, Marilee A; Wilson, Sarah J; Chen, Jian; Wood, Amanda G; Reutens, David C

2013-02-01

Williams syndrome is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion on chromosome 7q11.23, resulting in atypical brain structure and function, including abnormal morphology of the corpus callosum. An influence of handedness on the size of the corpus callosum has been observed in studies of typical individuals, but handedness has not been taken into account in studies of callosal morphology in Williams syndrome. We hypothesized that callosal area is smaller and the size of the splenium and isthmus is reduced in individuals with Williams syndrome compared to healthy controls, and examined age, sex, and handedness effects on corpus callosal area. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained on 25 individuals with Williams syndrome (18 right-handed, 7 left-handed) and 25 matched controls. We found that callosal thickness was significantly reduced in the splenium of Williams syndrome individuals compared to controls. We also found novel evidence that the callosal area was smaller in left-handed participants with Williams syndrome than their right-handed counterparts, with opposite findings observed in the control group. This novel finding may be associated with LIM-kinase hemizygosity, a characteristic of Williams syndrome. The findings may have significant clinical implications in future explorations of the Williams syndrome cognitive phenotype.

Mini Review - Phenolics for skin photo-aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Atif

2017-07-01

Photo-aging is one of the foremost problems caused by generation of reactive oxygen species when skin is exposed on UV irradiation. In view of that, generation of reactive oxygen species intermingle with proteins, DNA, saccharides and fatty acids triggering oxidative mutilation and effects are in the appearance of distressed cell metabolism, morphological and ultra-structural changes, mistreat on the routes and revisions in the demarcation, propagation and skin apoptosis living cells which leads to photo-aging. Plant phenolics are universally found in both edible and inedible plants and have extended substantial interest as photo-protective for human skin due to their antioxidant activities. The objective of this review is to highlight the use of plant phenolics for their antioxidant activities against photo-aging.

Morphological change in Newfoundland caribou: Effects of abundance and climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shane P. Mahoney

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The demographic and environmental influences on large mammal morphology are central questions in ecology. We investigated the effects of population abundance and climate on body size and number of male antler points for the La Poile and Middle Ridge caribou (Rangifer tarandus, L. 1758 herds, Newfoundland, Canada. Across 40 years and 20-fold changes in abundance, adult males and females exhibited diminished stature as indicated by jawbone size (diastema and total mandible length and the number of antler points at the time of harvest. Associations between jawbone size and population abundance at birth were consistently negative for both herds, both sexes, and all age classes. Large-scale climate patterns, as measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation in the winter prior to birth, were also negatively associated with jawbone size. Declines in male antler size, as measured by the number of antler points, were not well predicted by either abundance or climate, suggesting other factors (e.g., current, rather than latent, foraging conditions may be involved. We conclude that these morphological changes indicate competition for food resources.

Sagittal synostosis: I. Preoperative morphology of the skull

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guimaraes-Ferreira, J.; Gewalli, F.; David, L.

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to characterise the preoperative morphology of the skull in sagittal synostosis in an objective and quantified way. The shapes of the skulls of 105 patients with isolated premature synostosis of the sagittal suture ( SS group) were studied and compared with those......, skull base, and orbit ( 42 in the lateral and 46 in the frontal projections), the production of plots of mean shape for each group, and the intergroup comparison of a series of 81 variables ( linear distance between selected landmarks, and angles defined by groups of three landmarks). Data from...... skull width. Comparison of the mean values of an SS subgroup to age-matched normative data showed a longer (p differ significantly...

Morphological and maturational predictors of technical performance in young soccer players

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Marcelo de Oliveira Matta

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study is to describe the association between chronological age, morphology, biological maturation and sport experience in relation to technical performance in young Brazilian soccer players. Technical, maturation and anthropometric variables were assessed in 119 soccer players, 74 and 45 in the under-15 and under-17 categories, respectively. Data were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. Adiposity was negatively associated with technical performance regardless the age-category. Weight was negatively associated with technical performance in under-15 and positively with the under-17 category, respectively. In under-17 biological maturation was negatively related to the dribbling test and positively associated with the ball control test. Years of experience proved to be positively associated with technique taught to soccer player in the under-17 category. The explained variance was different between categories. The technical performance of Brazilian soccer players aged 14-to-17 seems to be related to biological maturation, adiposity, weight and years of experience.

Alterações morfológicas placentárias de recém-nascidos pequenos para a idade gestacional Changes in placental morphology of small for gestational age newborns

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Lúcio H. Oliveira

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: verificar a morfologia placentária de recém-nascidos a termo pequenos para a idade gestacional, tendo como hipótese a existência mais freqüente de alterações placentárias em recém-nascidos pequenos para a idade gestacional do que em adequados para a idade gestacional. Métodos: realizou-se estudo transversal, na maternidade Terezinha de Jesus, em Juiz de Fora, MG, no período compreendido entre fevereiro e novembro de 1996, no qual foram coletados dados referentes a cinqüenta recém-nascidos a termo, estimados como pequenos para a idade gestacional. Como grupo controle, foram incluídos recém-nascidos a termo, estimados como adequados para a idade gestacional, randomizados na proporção de um controle para cada caso. Dos 100 recém-nascidos participantes do estudo, foram obtidas as placentas, cordão umbilical e membranas, que foram examinados no Laboratório de Histologia e Embriologia do Departamento de Morfologia da UFJF e no Departamento de Anatomia Patológica e Medicina Legal da UFMG. As mães foram entrevistadas, e os recém-nascidos avaliados quanto à idade gestacional, peso, comprimento e perímetro cefálico. Resultados: as placentas dos recém-nascidos pequenos para a idade gestacional apresentaram maior incidência de corioamnionite, infarto placentário, deposição perivilosa extensa de fibrina e vilosite crônica em focos múltiplos de localização parabasal, além de mostrarem menor peso e menores diâmetros em relação às placentas do grupo de recém-nascidos adequados para a idade gestacional (p Objective: to verify changes in placental morphology of small for gestational age newborns, considering that the occurrence of placental alterations is more frequent in small for gestational age (SGA infants than in appropriate for gestational age (AGA infants. Methods: fifty SGA newborns were included in a cross-sectional study, which involved gross anatomy and light microscopy of placenta, membranes and

Flexible architecture of inducible morphological plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishida, Osamu; Nishimura, Kinya

2006-05-01

1. Predator-induced morphological defences are produced in response to an emergent predator regime. In natural systems, prey organisms usually experience temporal shifting of the composition of the predator assemblage and of the intensity of predation risk from each predator species. Although, a repetitive morphological change in response to a sequential shift of the predator regime such as alteration of the predator species or diminution of the predation risk may be adaptive, such flexible inducible morphological defences are not ubiquitous. 2. We experimentally addressed whether a flexible inducible morphological defence is accomplished in response to serial changes in the predation regime, using a model prey species which adopt different defensive morphological phenotypes in response to different predator species. Rana pirica (Matsui) tadpoles increased body depth and tail depth against the predatory larval salamander Hynobius retardatus (Dunn); on the other hand, they only increased tail depth against the predatory larval dragonfly Aeshna nigroflava (Martin). 3. Rana pirica tadpoles with the predator-specific phenotypes were subjected to removal or exchange of the predator species. After removal of the predator species, tadpoles with each predator-specific phenotype changed their phenotype to the nondefensive basic one, suggesting that both predator-specific phenotypes are costly to maintain. After an exchange of the predator species, tadpoles with each predator-specific phenotype reciprocally, flexibly shifted their phenotype to the now more suitable predator-specific one only by modifying their body part. The partial modification can effectively reduce time and energy expenditures involved in repetitive morphological changes, and therefore suggest that the costs of the flexible morphological changes are reduced.

Phalangeal morphology of Shanghuang fossil primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Gebo, Daniel L; Dagosto, Marian; Ni, Xijun; Beard, K Christopher

2017-12-01

Here, we describe hundreds of isolated phalanges attributed to middle Eocene fossil primates from the Shanghuang fissure-fillings from southern Jiangsu Province, China. Extending knowledge based on previous descriptions of postcranial material from Shanghuang, this sample of primate finger and toe bones includes proximal phalanges, middle phalanges, and over three hundred nail-bearing distal phalanges. Most of the isolated proximal and middle phalanges fall within the range of small-bodied individuals, suggesting an allocation to the smaller haplorhine primates identified at Shanghuang, including eosimiids. In contrast to the proximal and middle phalanges from Shanghuang, there are a variety of shapes, sizes, and possible taxonomic allocations for the distal phalanges. Two distal phalangeal morphologies are numerically predominant at Shanghuang. The sample of larger bodied specimens is best allocated to the medium-sized adapiform Adapoides while the smaller ones are allocated to eosimiids on the basis of the commonality of dental and tarsal remains of these taxa at Shanghuang. The digit morphology of Adapoides is similar morphologically to that of notharctines and cercamoniines, while eosimiid digit morphology is unlike living anthropoids. Other primate distal phalangeal morphologies at Shanghuang include grooming "claws" as well as specimens attributable to tarsiids, tarsiiforms, the genus Macrotarsius, and a variety of adapiforms. One group of distal phalanges at Shanghuang is morphologically indistinguishable from those of living anthropoids. All of the phalanges suggest long fingers and toes for the fossil primates of Shanghaung, and their digit morphology implies arboreality with well-developed digital flexion and strong, grasping hands and feet. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influencing factors affecting the retinal blood vessel morphology in patients with diabetes mellitus

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Xiao-Lu Kong

2017-03-01

Full Text Available AIM: To analyze the influencing factors affecting retinal blood vessel morphology in patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Totally 312 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in our hospital from January 2012 to September 2016 were selected as study subjects. The patients were examined by fundus photography and related laboratory. As grouping factors in the patients'age, sex, disease duration, smoking, drinking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or diabetic nephropathy, we compared the incidence of retinal vascular changes in different groups. The meaningful factors were introduced into the Logistic regression equation again. Independent risk factors for retinal vascular changes in patients with diabetes mellitus were screened out. RESULTS:In 312 cases of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,169 cases were accompanied with retinal vascular abnormalities, and 143 cases were not associated with retinal vascular abnormalities. Univariate analysis showed that age, duration of disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or diabetes nephropathy were significantly correlated with retinal vascular morphological changes(PP>0.05. Retinal vascular abnormalities were used as the dependent variable, and the above mentioned factors were grouped as independent variables. By Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that the course of disease, patients with hypertension or diabetic nephropathy were the independent risk factors of abnormal retinal vascular morphology(PCONCLUSION: The independent risk factors for the occurrence of retinal vascular changes in patients with diabetes mellitus are increased course of disease, hypertension or diabetic nephropathy. Early diagnosis and intervention, to take measures and control blood pressure, reduce kidney damage can reduce the incidence of diabetic retinopathy, and macrovascular disease caused by diabetes, the incidence of adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.

Repeated Stand-Replacing Crown Fires Affect Seed Morphology and Germination in Aleppo pine

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Antonio Saracino

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Post-fire reproductive niche of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis is deeply interlaced with fire products. Indeed, the high pH and low osmotic potentials of ash beds under burnt crowns constitute the main constraints to seed germination. In this study, we aim to investigate whether fire recurrence, through the physico-chemical constraints imposed by the ash beds, affects the reproduction ability of P. halepensis at the germination stage. To this aim, Aleppo pine seeds were collected in neighboring even-aged stands subjected to 0, 1, or 2 fires (namely fire cohorts, and seed morphology and germination performance, in terms of cumulative germination and germination kinetics, were studied under increasing osmotic potentials (from 0.0 to −1.2 MPa and pH (from 6 to 11. Besides fire history, the role of ontogenetic age of mother plants on seed morphology and germination was also investigated. Differences in seed morphology among the three cohorts have been highlighted in a multivariate context, with anisotropic enlargement of the seeds produced by pine stands experiencing repeated fires. The patterns of seed germination varied primarily in relation to the fire cohort, with seeds from the pine stand experiencing repeated fires exhibiting enhanced tolerance to pH stress. Conversely, germination performances under osmotic constraints mainly depends on tree ontogenetic stage, with an involvement of fire history especially in the timing of seed germination. Our results suggest that, at least in the short term, fire recurrence does not constrain the reproduction ability of Aleppo pine. These results highlight the need for further research to elucidate the mechanisms behind these responses to recurrent fires.

Repeated Stand-Replacing Crown Fires Affect Seed Morphology and Germination in Aleppo pine

Science.gov (United States)

Saracino, Antonio; Bellino, Alessandro; Allevato, Emilia; Mingo, Antonio; Conti, Stefano; Rossi, Sergio; Bonanomi, Giuliano; Carputo, Domenico; Mazzoleni, Stefano

2017-01-01

Post-fire reproductive niche of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) is deeply interlaced with fire products. Indeed, the high pH and low osmotic potentials of ash beds under burnt crowns constitute the main constraints to seed germination. In this study, we aim to investigate whether fire recurrence, through the physico-chemical constraints imposed by the ash beds, affects the reproduction ability of P. halepensis at the germination stage. To this aim, Aleppo pine seeds were collected in neighboring even-aged stands subjected to 0, 1, or 2 fires (namely fire cohorts), and seed morphology and germination performance, in terms of cumulative germination and germination kinetics, were studied under increasing osmotic potentials (from 0.0 to −1.2 MPa) and pH (from 6 to 11). Besides fire history, the role of ontogenetic age of mother plants on seed morphology and germination was also investigated. Differences in seed morphology among the three cohorts have been highlighted in a multivariate context, with anisotropic enlargement of the seeds produced by pine stands experiencing repeated fires. The patterns of seed germination varied primarily in relation to the fire cohort, with seeds from the pine stand experiencing repeated fires exhibiting enhanced tolerance to pH stress. Conversely, germination performances under osmotic constraints mainly depends on tree ontogenetic stage, with an involvement of fire history especially in the timing of seed germination. Our results suggest that, at least in the short term, fire recurrence does not constrain the reproduction ability of Aleppo pine. These results highlight the need for further research to elucidate the mechanisms behind these responses to recurrent fires. PMID:28713415

Influences of sediment redistribution on sea-level changes along the U.S. Atlantic margin since the mid-Pliocene

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Q.; Ferrier, K.; Austermann, J.; Mitrovica, J. X.

2017-12-01

The Orangeburg Scarp is a paleo-shoreline formed along the southeastern U.S. Atlantic coast during the mid-Pliocene warm period (MPWP; 3.3 - 2.9 Ma). The MPWP is a time of interest because it is often cited as an analog for modern climate and thus an important target for understanding sea-level responses to climate change. The present Orangeburg Scarp exhibits 40-meter variations in elevation along its length, implying that it has been warped since its formation, which complicates efforts to infer global ice volume at the MPWP. Previous studies have shown that the effects of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and dynamic topography (DT) on sea level can explain a significant fraction of the observed variability in elevation along the Orangeburg Scarp. Here we build on these studies by using a gravitationally self-consistent ice age sea-level model to compute the effects of sediment loading and unloading on paleo-shoreline elevation since the mid-Pliocene. To constrain the sediment loading history in this region, we present a new compilation of erosion and deposition rates along the U.S. Atlantic margin, from which we generate a range of sediment redistribution scenarios since the MPWP. We simultaneously drive the sea-level model with these sediment redistribution histories and existing ice and dynamic topography histories. Our results show that sediment loading and unloading is capable of warping the elevation of this paleo-shoreline by 20 meters since its formation, similar in magnitude to the contributions from GIA and DT over the same time period. These results demonstrate that sediment redistribution can induce significant perturbations in sea-level markers from the MPWP, and thus accounting for its influence will improve reconstructions of sea level and global ice volume during the MPWP and perhaps other periods of relative ice age warmth.

Assessment of Late Quaternary strain partitioning in the Afar Triple Junction: Dobe and Hanle grabens, Ethiopia and Djibouti

Science.gov (United States)

Polun, S. G.; Stockman, M. B.; Hickcox, K.; Horrell, D.; Tesfaye, S.; Gomez, F. G.

2015-12-01

As the only subaerial exposure of a ridge - ridge - ridge triple junction, the Afar region of Ethiopia and Djibouti offers a rare opportunity to assess strain partitioning within this type of triple junction. Here, the plate boundaries do not link discretely, but rather the East African rift meets the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden rifts in a zone of diffuse normal faulting characterized by a lack of magmatic activity, referred to as the central Afar. An initial assessment of Late Quaternary strain partitioning is based on faulted landforms in the Dobe - Hanle graben system in Ethiopia and Djibouti. These two extensional basins are connected by an imbricated accommodation zone. Several fault scarps occur within terraces formed during the last highstand of Lake Dobe, around 5 ka - they provide a means of calibrating a numerical model of fault scarp degradation. Additional timing constraints will be provided by pending exposure ages. The spreading rates of both grabens are equivalent, however in Dobe graben, extension is partitioned 2:1 between northern, south dipping faults and the southern, north dipping fault. Extension in Hanle graben is primarily focused on the north dipping Hanle fault. On the north margin of Dobe graben, the boundary fault bifurcates, where the basin-bordering fault displays a significantly higher modeled uplift rate than the more distal fault, suggesting a basinward propagation of faulting. On the southern Dobe fault, surveyed fault scarps have ages ranging from 30 - 5 ka with uplift rates of 0.71, 0.47, and 0.68 mm/yr, suggesting no secular variation in slip rates from the late Plestocene through the Holocene. These rates are converted into horizontal stretching estimates, which are compared with regional strain estimated from velocities of relatively sparse GPS data.

Acceleration of the ageing process by ionizing radiation. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, H.

1976-01-01

Transplants of spleen and kidney show changes in cell morphology with increasing age of the donor animals. In the group of juvenile donors the cell population emigrating from the spleen culture mainly consists of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. In the group of adult animals there are a few polymorphonuclear and many mononuclear cells. From spleen transplants of old donor animals large mononuclear cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and pyknotic and excentrically located nucleus are emigrating. Following whole-body X-irradiation of juvenile donor animals cells emigrate from tissue cultures depending on irradiation dose and time after irradiation. They show a morphology similar to that of non-irradiated old donors. Also in cultures of explants of adrenal cortex it was observed that X-irradiation of juvenile donor animals causes the migration of cells from the explants with a morphology which is typical of non-irradiated old donor animals. (author)

Morphological characterization of renal tumours according to decades of life: experience at AFIP Rawalpindi, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khadim, M.T.; Rathore, M.U.; Hassan, U.; Ishtiaq, S.; Mushtaq, S.; Nadira, M.

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate morphological characterization of renal tumours according to decades of life and to compare it with other national and international studies. Study Design: Descriptive study Place and duration of study: The retrospective study was carried out in the Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Rawalpindi during the years 2005 to 2008. Patients and Methods: Data of 236 nephrectomy specimens diagnosed as renal tumours during the years 2005 to 2008 was retrieved from tumour registry of AFIP, Rawalpindi. The morphological characterization of these tumours according to decades of life was done and compared with the international data. Results: Of 236 cases of renal tumours, 169 (72%) were males and 67 (28%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 50 years (SD=18.5) ranging from 1 to 80 years. The most common histological diagnosis in adults was conventional renal cell carcinoma in 172 (73%) patients followed by papillary renal cell carcinoma in 20 (8.5%) patients. Among children Wilm's tumour was the most common in 21 (9%) of patients. Conventional renal cell carcinoma was most commonly diagnosed in the patients aged between 51 to 60 years (52 cases) where as 17 out of 21 cases of Wilm's tumour were diagnosed in the age group of 1 to 10 years. Conclusion: Renal cell tumours are diagnosed in all ages. Conventional renal cell carcinoma and papillary renal cell carcinoma are the most common types in non pediatric age group whereas Wilm's tumor is most common type in pediatric age group. The chromophobe renal cell carcinoma was very rare in our study. Males had a greater incidence as compared to females and incidence of renal tumours has the trend of increase over the years. (author)

Geologic form and setting of a hydrothermal vent field at lat 10°56‧N, East Pacific Rise: A detailed study using Angus and Alvin

Science.gov (United States)

McConachy, T. F.; Ballard, R. D.; Mottl, M. J.; von Herzen, R. P.

1986-04-01

A hydrothermal vent field, here called the Feather Duster site, occurs on the eastern marginal high near the edge of a narrow (95-m) and shallow (15 20-m) axial graben, within an area dominated by sheet flows and collapse features. The sheet flows are intermediate in relative age between younger fluid-flow lavas on the floor of the axial graben and older pillow (constructional) lavas on the marginal highs. Hydrothermal activity occurs in two zones within a 65 by 45 m area. The main zone is located where a fissure system and sulfide-sulfate chimneys vent warm (9 47 °C) and hot (347 °C) hydrothermal fluids. Here, two mounds of massive sulfide totaling about 200 t are forming. One occurs at the base of a 3-m-high scarp which is the wall of a drained lava lake; the other is perched on top of the scarp. *Present address: Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1

Late quaternary faulting and paleoseismicity in northern Fennoscandia, with particular reference to the Lansjaerv area, northern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagerbaeck, R.

1990-01-01

Many fault scarps, interpreted as post- or late-glacial in age, occur in northern Sweden and adjacent parts of Finland and Norway. In the Lansjaerv area in northern Sweden attempts have been made to date fault displacement relative to the glacial and postglacial stratigraphy by trenching across some of these fault scarps. It is shown that the faulting occurred soon after the local deglaciation some 9000 years ago. There are no signs of movements since that time. The faulting was obviously associated with violent earthquakes because seismically induced phenomena, dating from the same period as the faulting, are frequently found in the vicinity. Numerous landslides, developed in glacial till, occur in the same region as the faults and different types of seismites (seismically-induced sediment deformation) were found when actively sought for. It is concluded that several earthquakes of high magnitudes occurred in northern Fennoscandia during the vanishing of the inland ice sheet. (author)

Morphological analysis of the vestibular aqueduct by computerized tomography images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, Sergio Ricardo; Smith, Ricardo Luiz; Isotani, Sadao; Alonso, Luis Garcia; Anadao, Carlos Augusto; Prates, Jose Carlos; Lederman, Henrique Manoel

2007-01-01

Objective: In the last two decades, advances in the computerized tomography (CT) field revise the internal and medium ear evaluation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the morphology and morphometric aspects of the vestibular aqueduct on the basis of computerized tomography images (CTI). Material and method: Computerized tomography images of vestibular aqueducts were acquired from patients (n = 110) with an age range of 1-92 years. Thereafter, from the vestibular aqueducts images a morphometric analysis was performed. Through a computerized image processing system, the vestibular aqueduct measurements comprised of its area, external opening, length and the distance from the vestibular aqueduct to the internal acoustic meatus. Results: The morphology of the vestibular aqueduct may be funnel-shaped, filiform or tubular and the respective proportions were found to be at 44%, 33% and 22% in children and 21.7%, 53.3% and 25% in adults. The morphometric data showed to be of 4.86 mm 2 of area, 2.24 mm of the external opening, 4.73 mm of length and 11.88 mm of the distance from the vestibular aqueduct to the internal acoustic meatus, in children, and in adults it was of 4.93 mm 2 , 2.09 mm, 4.44 mm, and 11.35 mm, respectively. Conclusions: Computerized tomography showed that the vestibular aqueduct presents high morphological variability. The morphometric analysis showed that the differences found between groups of children and adults or between groups of both genders were not statistically significant

Incidence and morphological features of thyroid papillary microcarcinoma in Graves’ disease

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Kovačević Božidar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction/Objective. Association of Graves’ disease (GD and thyroid cancer is reported in a wide range from 0% to 33.7%. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in GD, namely its variant – papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC. The increasingly frequent PTMC disclose favorable biological behavior with low mortality and recurrence rates. The aim of this work is to report our experience on the frequency and morphological features of PTMC in surgically treated patients with GD. Methods. Over a period of three years, total or near-total thyroidectomy was performed in 129 patients with GD. Results. Incidental PTMC was diagnosed in 24 (18.7% patients with GD. The mean tumor diameter was 3.03 ± 2.17 mm. The average age of patients in the GD with PTMC group was 48.50 ± 13.07 years, while in the GD without PTMC group it was 41 ± 13.12 years, and it proved to be statistically significant ( p = 0.045. Most of the PTMC were unifocal (83%, and the most common morphological features of PTMC were intraparenchymal localization (62.5%, follicular morphology (66.7%, and infiltrative growth pattern (62.5%. Extrathyroidal extension, lymphatic invasion and multifocality of PTMC were more commonly related with subcapsular localized PTMC. The presence of at least one nodule in the GD with PTMC group was 58.3%, while in the GD without PTMC group it was 26.7%, and it was statistically significant (p = 0.003. Conclusion. Our results showed a high incidence of PTMC (18.7% in patients with GD. Clinically, the most important morphological characteristics of PTMC were related with its subcapsular localization.

Age-Based Comparison of Human Dendritic Spine Structure Using Complete Three-Dimensional Reconstructions

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Benavides-Piccione, Ruth; Fernaud-Espinosa, Isabel; Robles, Victor; Yuste, Rafael; DeFelipe, Javier

2013-01-01

Dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons are targets of most excitatory synapses in the cerebral cortex. Recent evidence suggests that the morphology of the dendritic spine could determine its synaptic strength and learning rules. However, unfortunately, there are scant data available regarding the detailed morphology of these structures for the human cerebral cortex. In the present study, we analyzed over 8900 individual dendritic spines that were completely 3D reconstructed along the length of apical and basal dendrites of layer III pyramidal neurons in the cingulate cortex of 2 male humans (aged 40 and 85 years old), using intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow in fixed tissue. We assembled a large, quantitative database, which revealed a major reduction in spine densities in the aged case. Specifically, small and short spines of basal dendrites and long spines of apical dendrites were lost, regardless of the distance from the soma. Given the age difference between the cases, our results suggest selective alterations in spines with aging in humans and indicate that the spine volume and length are regulated by different biological mechanisms. PMID:22710613

The Proprioceptive System Regulates Morphologic Restoration of Fractured Bones

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Ronen Blecher

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Successful fracture repair requires restoration of bone morphology and mechanical integrity. Recent evidence shows that fractured bones of neonatal mice undergo spontaneous realignment, dubbed “natural reduction.” Here, we show that natural reduction is regulated by the proprioceptive system and improves with age. Comparison among mice of different ages revealed, surprisingly, that 3-month-old mice exhibited more rapid and effective natural reduction than newborns. Fractured bones of null mutants for transcription factor Runx3, lacking functional proprioceptors, failed to realign properly. Blocking Runx3 expression in the peripheral nervous system, but not in limb mesenchyme, recapitulated the null phenotype, as did inactivation of muscles flanking the fracture site. Egr3 knockout mice, which lack muscle spindles but not Golgi tendon organs, displayed a less severe phenotype, suggesting that both receptor types, as well as muscle contraction, are required for this regulatory mechanism. These findings uncover a physiological role for proprioception in non-autonomous regulation of skeletal integrity.

Age and Environment Influences on Mouse Prion Disease Progression: Behavioral Changes and Morphometry and Stereology of Hippocampal Astrocytes

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J. Bento-Torres

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Because enriched environment (EE and exercise increase and aging decreases immune response, we hypothesized that environmental enrichment and aging will, respectively, delay and increase prion disease progression. Mice dorsal striatum received bilateral stereotaxic intracerebral injections of normal or ME7 prion infected mouse brain homogenates. After behavior analysis, animals were euthanized and their brains processed for astrocyte GFAP immunolabeling. Our analysis related to the environmental influence are limited to young adult mice, whereas age influence refers to aged mice raised on standard cages. Burrowing activity began to reduce in ME7-SE two weeks before ME7-EE, while no changes were apparent in ME7 aged mice (ME7-A. Object placement recognition was impaired in ME7-SE, NBH-A, and ME7-A but normal in all other groups. Object identity recognition was impaired in ME7-A. Cluster analysis revealed two morphological families of astrocytes in NBH-SE animals, three in NBH-A and ME7-A, and four in NBH-EE, ME7-SE, and ME7-EE. As compared with control groups, astrocytes from DG and CA3 prion-diseased animals show significant numerical and morphological differences and environmental enrichment did not reverse these changes but induced different morphological changes in GFAP+ hippocampal astroglia. We suggest that environmental enrichment and aging delayed hippocampal-dependent behavioral and neuropathological signs of disease progression.

Tracheal CT morphology: correlation with distribution and extent of thoracic adipose tissue

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Ap Dafydd, Derfel [Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Department of Radiology, Charing Cross Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Desai, Sujal R. [King' s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, King' s College London, King' s Health Partners, London (United Kingdom); Gordon, Fabiana; Copley, Susan J. [Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)

2016-10-15

To evaluate the relationship between adipose tissue measurements and anterior bowing of the posterior tracheal wall in a large nonselected group of patients undergoing CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Consecutive patients undergoing CTPA over a 4-month period were analyzed retrospectively. Using an adapted scoring system (posterior bowing, flattening, mild/moderate or severe anterior bowing of the posterior tracheal membrane), the axial morphology and cross-sectional area of the trachea at the narrowest point and 1 cm above the aortic arch were evaluated. Measurements of adipose tissue were taken (anterior mediastinal fat width, sagittal upper abdominal diameter and subcutaneous fat thickness at the level of the costophrenic angle). Relationships between tracheal morphology and measurements of adipose tissue were analyzed. 296 patients were included (120 males, 176 females, mean age 59 years, range 19-90). Severe anterior bowing of the posterior tracheal wall correlated with increasing sagittal upper abdominal diameter (p = 0.002). Mild/moderate and severe anterior bowing of the posterior tracheal wall correlated with increasing mediastinal fat width (p = 0.000 and p = 0.031, respectively). Tracheal cross-sectional area was inversely correlated with increasing subcutaneous fat thickness (p = 0.022). The findings demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between CT tracheal morphology and adipose tissue measurements in a large nonselected population. (orig.)

Effects of experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection on sperm morphology in Yankasa rams

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Oluyinka O. Okubanjo

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine the effect of T. congolense on the sperm morphology of Yankasa rams (YKR. Nine YKR aged 24-30 months-old were assigned into two groups of 6 infected and 3 uninfected control and were monitored for 7 weeks. The infected group of YKR was each inoculated with 1 x 106 T. congolense through the jugular vein, while the control group remained uninfected. The entire infected group developed trypanosomosis post infection (pi characterized by sperm morphological abnormalities in the semen. There were significant (P<0.001 increases in the mean percentage of acrosomal, head, middle piece and tail abnormalities. Proximal and distal droplets as well detached heads were also significantly (P<0.001 increased post infection (pi. Acrosomal abnormalities, distal droplet and tail abnormalities increased from week 1 pi till the end of the study, while head abnormalities and detached heads increased from week 2 pi. Middle piece abnormalities and proximal droplets increased from week 3 and 4 pi till the end of the study respectively. The high incidence of morphological defects caused by T. congolense is capable of causing infertility from the first week pi thereby making the rams unfit for breeding at the end of the study.

Morphological and functional abnormalities of salience network in the early-stage of paranoid schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pu, Weidan; Li, Li; Zhang, Huiran; Ouyang, Xuan; Liu, Haihong; Zhao, Jingping; Li, Lingjiang; Xue, Zhimin; Xu, Ke; Tang, Haibo; Shan, Baoci; Liu, Zhening; Wang, Fei

2012-10-01

A salience network (SN), mainly composed of the anterior insula (AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), has been suggested to play an important role in salience attribution which has been proposed as central to the pathology of paranoid schizophrenia. The role of this SN in the pathophysiology of paranoid schizophrenia, however, still remains unclear. In the present study, voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analyses were combined to identify morphological and functional abnormalities in the proposed SN in the early-stage of paranoid schizophrenia (ESPS). Voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analyses were applied to 90 ESPS patients and 90 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationships between various clinical variables and both gray matter morphology and functional connectivity within the SN in ESPS. Compared to the HC group, the ESPS group showed significantly reduced gray matter volume (GMV) in both bilateral AI and ACC. Moreover, significantly reduced functional connectivity within the SN sub-networks was identified in the ESPS group. These convergent morphological and functional deficits in SN were significantly associated with hallucinations. Additionally, illness duration correlated with reduced GMV in the left AI in ESPS. In conclusion, these findings provide convergent evidence for the morphological and functional abnormalities of the SN in ESPS. Moreover, the association of illness duration with the reduced GMV in the left AI suggests that the SN and the AI, in particular, may manifest progressive morphological changes that are especially important in the emergence of ESPS. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Uranium-thorium dating of quaternary carbonate accumulations in the Nevada Test Site region, southern Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szabo, B.J.; Carr, W.J.; Gottschall, W.C.

1981-01-01

A useful way to approach the problem of tectonic activity in an arid region is through study of the history of movement of faults and fractures and of the young alluvial material they displace. Easily datable materials are scarce in these deposits, but carbonates such as caliche, calcrete, travertine, calcite vein, and tufa are common. Several types of these carbonates from the Nevada Test Site area in the southern Great Basin have been collected and dated by the uranium-series method. A variety of geologic settings are represented. The carbonate samples were subjected to a complex treatment process, and the resulting preparations were counted on an alpha spectrometer. Some of the samples from obviously closed systems yielded reasonable ages; others gave only a minimum age for a material or event. Many of the ages obtained agree well with estimates of age determined from dated volcanic units, fault-scarp morphology, and displaced alluvial units. Among the significant ages obtained were three dates of greater than 400,000 years on calcite-filling fractures above and below the water table in an exploratory drill hole for a possible candidate nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain. Another date on calcrete from immediately below the youngest basalt in the region gave an age of 345,000 years, which agrees extremely well with the K-Ar age determined for the basalt of about 300,000 years. Undisturbed travertine that fills faults in several areas gave ages from about 75,000 years to greater than 700,000 years. Soil caliche and calcretes slightly displaced or broken by repeated movement on faults gave minimum ages in the range from more than 5000 to more than about 25,000 years

X-ray morphology of the joints and the bones of the extremities of aged people

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olah, J.

1978-01-01

The radiograms of the healthy extremities of aged people are analyzed and the normal formations, typical at higher age, are differentiated from the pathological phenomena. The ''physiological'' decalcification can cause the following symptoms: trabecular microfractures, areas without structure, pseudoforamena, discrete spicules at the edges of the joints, periostoses, fibrous structure of the compacta. The deformations occurring in the different joints are detailed. The relationship between high age and arthrosis is also investigated. It is concluded that the occurrence of arthrosis is not inevitable and it is not seriously influenced neither by the weight nor by the profession of the patient. The thesis contains 49 radiograms. (L.E.)

Morphologic and neuropsychological patterns in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapuis, Pierre; Banciu, Eldda; Sauvee, Mathilde; Serra, Amelie; Moreaud, Olivier; Medici, Maud; Moreau-Gaudry, Alexandre; Krainik, Alexandre

2016-01-01

We conducted a retrospective study to identify morphological subgroups of patients referred for AD or aMCI and to seek for differences across neuropsychological performances. One hundred forty-five patients (mean age = 76.01, 88 women and 57 men) referred for AD, either at the stage of dementia or aMCI, were examined using structural MRI. Five observers reviewed blindly twice all examinations. We rated microangiopathy, hippocampal, parietal atrophies, including a gradient of fronto-parietal atrophy (GFPA). A multiple component analysis (MCA) followed by a hierarchical ascending classification was conducted to identify morphologically distinct subgroups. Among these, 76 patients completed all the neuropsychological tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses were further conducted on these data across morphological subgroups. The institutional review board approved the research protocol. Inter- and intra-raters' agreements were excellent and very good for microangiopathy and hippocampal atrophy ratings. They were higher for GFPA than for the parietal atrophy scale. MCA without priors identified three groups: group 1 was characterized by no/discrete microangiopathy, severe hippocampal, and predominant parietal atrophy; group 2 had significant microangiopathy, severe hippocampal atrophy, and no predominant parietal atrophy; group 3 had a mild hippocampal atrophy and parietal atrophies. In group 1, working memory profile was less impaired than in group 2 (p = 0.01). Neuropsychological performances of group 3 were higher in most domains. Combined characterization of microangiopathy, hippocampal, parietal, and GFPA allows identifying morphological subgroups among patients referred for AD and at risk. These groups have some neuropsychological differences, suggesting different pathophysiological mechanisms or co-existing conditions. (orig.)

A Multivariate Analysis of Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Facial Skeletal Morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Starbuck, John M; Ghoneima, Ahmed; Kula, Katherine

2015-07-01

Unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) occurs when the maxillary and nasal facial prominences fail to fuse correctly during development, resulting in a palatal cleft and clefted soft and hard tissues of the dentoalveolus. The UCLP deformity may compromise an individual's ability to eat, chew, and speak. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 7-17-year-old individuals born with UCLP (n = 24) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 24) were assessed. Coordinate values of three-dimensional anatomical landmarks (n = 32) were recorded from each CBCT image. Data were evaluated using principal coordinates analysis (PCOORD) and Euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA). Approximately 40% of morphometric variation is captured by PCOORD axes 1-3, and the negative and positive ends of each axis are associated with specific patterns of morphological differences. Approximately 36% of facial skeletal measures significantly differ by confidence interval testing (α = 0.10) between samples. Although significant form differences occur across the facial skeleton, strong patterns of morphological differences were localized to the lateral and superioinferior aspects of the nasal aperture, particularly on the clefted side of the face. The UCLP deformity strongly influences facial skeletal morphology of the midface and oronasal facial regions, and to a lesser extent the upper and lower facial skeletons. The pattern of strong morphological differences in the oronasal region combined with differences across the facial complex suggests that craniofacial bones are integrated and covary, despite influences from the congenital cleft.

Hand eczema: Correlation of morphologic patterns, atopy, contact sensitization and disease severity

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Sanjeev Handa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Hand eczema is a common distressing condition aggravated by a number of endogenous and exogenous factors. Various morphological forms of hand eczema have been described, but categorization into one of them is not always possible. Aims: To study the morphological patterns of hand eczema, relationship of atopy with hand eczema, and the implications of contact sensitization with respect to severity and diagnosis of hand eczema. Methods: Hundred consecutive patients of hand eczema attending the contact dermatitis clinic of the institute were recruited over a two year period from 2004-05. Objective assessment was done using hand eczema severity index (HECSI and all the patients were patch tested using Indian standard series. Results: Unspecified type of hand eczema with no definite morphologic picture was seen in 62% followed by pompholyx in 14%. Hand eczema severity was not found to be statistically associated with age, sex, and atopic status of the patient. Positive patch test to one or more allergen was present in 65% of patients. The most common allergens were potassium dichromate (25%, fragrance mix (16%, nickel sulphate (14%, and PPD (13%. There was no significant correlation between patch test positivity and hand eczema severity or atopic status of the patient. Among the morphological patterns pompholyx was strongly associated with an atopic status (P=0.004. Conclusions: Hand eczema was seen twice more commonly in men. Atopic and non-atopic patients of hand eczema had no difference in the severity of disease. Contact sensitivity to different allergens did not correlate with increased eczema severity.

Morphologic and neuropsychological patterns in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapuis, Pierre; Banciu, Eldda [University Hospital of Grenoble, Department of Neuroradiology and MRI, Grenoble (France); Sauvee, Mathilde; Serra, Amelie; Moreaud, Olivier [University Hospital of Grenoble, Department of Neurology, Grenoble (France); Medici, Maud [CIT803, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble (France); Moreau-Gaudry, Alexandre [CIT803, University Hospital of Grenoble, Grenoble (France); Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble (France); Krainik, Alexandre [University Hospital of Grenoble, Department of Neuroradiology and MRI, Grenoble (France); INSERM U 836, Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences, Grenoble (France)

2016-05-15

We conducted a retrospective study to identify morphological subgroups of patients referred for AD or aMCI and to seek for differences across neuropsychological performances. One hundred forty-five patients (mean age = 76.01, 88 women and 57 men) referred for AD, either at the stage of dementia or aMCI, were examined using structural MRI. Five observers reviewed blindly twice all examinations. We rated microangiopathy, hippocampal, parietal atrophies, including a gradient of fronto-parietal atrophy (GFPA). A multiple component analysis (MCA) followed by a hierarchical ascending classification was conducted to identify morphologically distinct subgroups. Among these, 76 patients completed all the neuropsychological tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses were further conducted on these data across morphological subgroups. The institutional review board approved the research protocol. Inter- and intra-raters' agreements were excellent and very good for microangiopathy and hippocampal atrophy ratings. They were higher for GFPA than for the parietal atrophy scale. MCA without priors identified three groups: group 1 was characterized by no/discrete microangiopathy, severe hippocampal, and predominant parietal atrophy; group 2 had significant microangiopathy, severe hippocampal atrophy, and no predominant parietal atrophy; group 3 had a mild hippocampal atrophy and parietal atrophies. In group 1, working memory profile was less impaired than in group 2 (p = 0.01). Neuropsychological performances of group 3 were higher in most domains. Combined characterization of microangiopathy, hippocampal, parietal, and GFPA allows identifying morphological subgroups among patients referred for AD and at risk. These groups have some neuropsychological differences, suggesting different pathophysiological mechanisms or co-existing conditions. (orig.)

Morphological representation of order-statistics filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Charif-Chefchaouni, M; Schonfeld, D

1995-01-01

We propose a comprehensive theory for the morphological bounds on order-statistics filters (and their repeated iterations). Conditions are derived for morphological openings and closings to serve as bounds (lower and upper, respectively) on order-statistics filters (and their repeated iterations). Under various assumptions, morphological open-closings and close-openings are also shown to serve as (tighter) bounds (lower and upper, respectively) on iterations of order-statistics filters. Simulations of the application of the results presented to image restoration are finally provided.

Random regression analysis for body weights and main morphological traits in genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jie; Zhao, Yunfeng; Zhao, Jingli; Gao, Jin; Xu, Pao; Yang, Runqing

2018-02-01

To genetically analyse growth traits in genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT), the body weight (BWE) and main morphological traits, including body length (BL), body depth (BD), body width (BWI), head length (HL) and length of the caudal peduncle (CPL), were measured six times in growth duration on 1451 fish from 45 mixed families of full and half sibs. A random regression model (RRM) was used to model genetic changes of the growth traits with days of age and estimate the heritability for any growth point and genetic correlations between pairwise growth points. Using the covariance function based on optimal RRMs, the heritabilities were estimated to be from 0.102 to 0.662 for BWE, 0.157 to 0.591 for BL, 0.047 to 0.621 for BD, 0.018 to 0.577 for BWI, 0.075 to 0.597 for HL and 0.032 to 0.610 for CPL between 60 and 140 days of age. All genetic correlations exceeded 0.5 between pairwise growth points. Moreover, the traits at initial days of age showed less correlation with those at later days of age. With phenotypes observed repeatedly, the model choice showed that the optimal RRMs could more precisely predict breeding values at a specific growth time than repeatability models or multiple trait animal models, which enhanced the efficiency of selection for the BWE and main morphological traits.

Craniofacial morphology in children with van der Woude syndrome and isolated cleft palate.

Science.gov (United States)

Heliövaara, Arja; Karhulahti, Rekina; Rautio, Jorma

2015-01-01

To compare cephalometrically 6-year-old children with van der Woude syndrome and cleft palate (VWS) to children with isolated cleft palate alone (CP). A retrospective case-control study. Forty-four children with VWS were compared to 73 children with CP using lateral cephalograms. The mean age of the children with VWS was 6.6 years (range = 5.9-8.2) and that of the children with CP, 6.2 years (range = 5.7-6.7). Palatal closure had been done at a mean age of 1.4 years (range = 0.8-2.2), mostly with the Veau-Wardill-Killner or the Cronin pushback surgical techniques. The data was collected over a 30-year period. Linear and angular measurements were obtained from lateral cephalograms. A Student's t-test was used in the statistical analysis. The craniofacial morphology in children with VWS and CP was similar, but those with VWS had slightly smaller diameters of the lower pharyngeal airway. The maxilla and mandible were well related to each other, although a little retrusive in relation to the cranial base. The soft tissue profile reflected the skeletal relationships, no significant protrusion of the lower lip was noted. Six-year-old children with VWS and CP have similar craniofacial morphology.

The research of morphological variations and sexual dimorphism of primary grooves on the medial side of brain hemispheres in humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spasojević Goran

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Morphological studies of the various parts of the brain show certain morphological and morphometric differences in correlation with sex, so-called sexual dimorphism of the brain. Our research has been done on the cerebral hemispheres, taken from cadavers of both sexes and different age without pathological processes in the brain. The sample comprised 26 male brains and 16 female brains. We studied three primary grooves (sulcus cinguli, sulcus parietooccipitalis and sulcus calcarinus of the medial surface of the human cerebral hemispheres. We conducted morphological typology of grooves and morphometric measurements of primary brain grooves length in relation to sex and side of hemisphere. The results showed a statistically significant sex difference in the cingulate sulcus length (p0,05. Determined morphometric sexual dimorphism in cingulate sulcus length is significant because it implies the correlation between morphology and function of the explored areas of the cerebral cortex.

Venus: Preliminary geologic mapping of northern Atla Regio

Science.gov (United States)

Nikishin, A. M.; Burba, G. A.

1992-01-01

A preliminary geologic map of C1 sheet 15N197 was compiled according to Magellan data. Northern Atla Regio is dominantly a volcanic plain with numerous volcanic features: radar-bright and -dark flows and spots, shield volcanos, volcanic domes and hills with varied morphology, and coronalike constructions. Tesserae are the oldest terrains semiflooded by plain materials. There are many lineated terrains on this territory. They are interpreted as old, partly buried ridge belts. Lineated terrains have intermediate age between young plains and old tesserae. Ozza Mons and Sapas Mons are the high shield volcanos. The prominent structure of northern Atla Regio is Ganis Chasma rift. The rift dissected the volcanic plain and evolved nearly contemporaneously with Ozza Mons shield volcano. Ganis Chasma rift valley is highly fractured and bounded by fault scarps. There are a few relatively young volcanic features in the rift valley. The rift originated due to 5-10 percent crustal extension and crustal subsidence according to analysis of fracturing and rift valley geometry. Ganis Chasma is characterized by rift shoulder uplifts. Geological structures of Alta Regio and Beta Regio are very similar as assumed earlier.

Southern high latitude dune fields on Mars: Morphology, aeolian inactivity, and climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, L.K.; Hayward, R.K.

2010-01-01

In a study area spanning the martian surface poleward of 50?? S., 1190 dune fields have been identified, mapped, and categorized based on dune field morphology. Dune fields in the study area span ??? 116400km2, leading to a global dune field coverage estimate of ???904000km2, far less than that found on Earth. Based on distinct morphological features, the dune fields were grouped into six different classes that vary in interpreted aeolian activity level from potentially active to relatively inactive and eroding. The six dune field classes occur in specific latitude zones, with a sequence of reduced activity and degradation progressing poleward. In particular, the first signs of stabilization appear at ???60?? S., which broadly corresponds to the edge of high concentrations of water-equivalent hydrogen content (observed by the Neutron Spectrometer) that have been interpreted as ground ice. This near-surface ground ice likely acts to reduce sand availability in the present climate state on Mars, stabilizing high latitude dunes and allowing erosional processes to change their morphology. As a result, climatic changes in the content of near-surface ground ice are likely to influence the level of dune activity. Spatial variation of dune field classes with longitude is significant, suggesting that local conditions play a major role in determining dune field activity level. Dune fields on the south polar layered terrain, for example, appear either potentially active or inactive, indicating that at least two generations of dune building have occurred on this surface. Many dune fields show signs of degradation mixed with crisp-brinked dunes, also suggesting that more than one generation of dune building has occurred since they originally formed. Dune fields superposed on early and late Amazonian surfaces provide potential upper age limits of ???100My on the south polar layered deposits and ???3Ga elsewhere at high latitudes. No craters are present on any identifiable dune

A combined phytohemagglutinin and a-ketoglutarate pharmacology study of gut morphology and growth in older adult rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filip, R.; Harrison, Adrian Paul; Pierzynowski, S.G.

2008-01-01

This study has evaluated the effect of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) in combination with alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG), on GI-tract morphology and N balance in adult rats. Rats, aged approx. 15 months, were assigned to one of four experimental groups, (1) Control group, (2) AKG group, (3) AKG+PHA 100...

A review of morphological characteristics relating to the production and reproduction of fat-tailed sheep breeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Pourlis, Aris F

2011-10-01

The purpose of this study is to survey the literature pertinent to some morphological traits which are related with the production and reproduction of fat-tailed sheep breeds. The fat-tailed breeds were identified according to Food and Agriculture Organization databases. Articles referring to all these sheep breeds were evaluated. The morphology of udders and their measurable variables were collected and described. The particularities of pelt and fleece features which are important from an economic point of view were summarized. Linear, planar, and spatial parameters of body, slaughter, and carcass factors were compared at various ages of breeding. Testicular dimensions and semen characteristics were recorded. Their relationships with productive and reproductive performance were discussed. The pattern of ovarian follicle development and the involution of the genital tract were assessed from the anatomical point of view in normal and untreated animals. The data presented here provide useful baseline information on the normal morphological aspects which are important in the animal production of these breeds.

Diagnostic difficulties resulting from morphological image variation in spondylodiscitis MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dziurzyńska-Białek, Ewa; Kruk-Bachonko, Joanna; Guz, Wiesław; Łosicki, Marek; Krupski, Witold

2012-01-01

Spinal infection (discitis; spondylodiscitis) presents a wide spectrum of pathologies. The method of choice for spondylodiscitis imaging is magnetic resonance (MR). It provides detailed anatomical information, especially concerning epidural space and spinal cord. The main aim of this article is the description and evaluation of spondylodiscitis morphological variation visible in magnetic resonance imaging. In this article we retrospectively analysed the patients diagnosed at the Department of Radiology of the Provincial Hospital No 2 in Rzeszów between October 2009 and October 2011. The subjects involved a group of five women aged 41–74 (mean 56.3 years) and eight men aged 46–69 (mean 61,3 years). All patients had spondylodiscitis symptoms. All patients underwent MRI examination before and after the contrast enhancement. In three patients additional CT examination was performed. Following the MRI procedure all patients were diagnosed with typical symptoms of spondylodiscitis. It also revealed a number of pathologies resulting from morphological spondylodiscitis variation. Other pathologies found on the MR images of the study group patients involved epidural intra-canal spinal pathological masses causing spinal cord compression, lung abscess, pyothorax, paravertebral abscesses and epidural empyemas, abscess between adjacent vertebral bodies, abscesses beneath anterior longitudinal ligament, and iliopsoas muscle abscesses. In all cases a destruction of vertebral bodies with end plates loss restriction and cortical layer discontinuity was observed. Moreover, one person was diagnosed with pathological vertebral body fractures and liquefactive necrosis of the vertebral body. Spondylodiscitis manifests itself in a great number of morphological variations visible on the radiological images. Apart from ordinary features of vertebral bodies and discs, progressive spinal destruction is observed together with reactive bone changes and soft tissue infiltration. The latter

THE RELATIONS OF MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR ABILITIES OF JOUNG WATER POLO PLAYERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragan Toskić

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of our research was to determine the connection between morphologic characteristics and motor abilities of young water polo players. The sample of participants for this research can be defined as the population of water polo swimmers (N=60 aged 16 to 18, who were only included in the study under the condition that they have taken part in the water polo training process for a period of at least four years. In order to evaluate morphological characteristics of the participants we used 20 anthro¬po¬me¬tric variables (IBP to evaluated longitudinal and transversal dimenions, mass and body voluminosity and subcutaneous fatty tissue. In this study, the measurings of the sig¬ni¬ficant motor dimensions were carried by means of the following measuring instruments which the authors (Gredelj, Hošek, Metikoš, Momirović, 1975 had previously evaluated with the help of physiological mechanisms: the integration factor, based on the me¬cha¬nism for movement structure (MSK, the synergistic automatism and tonus regulation factor (SRT; the factor for excitation intensity regulation (RIE; the excitation duration re¬gulation factor (RTE. The relations between morphological and motor dimensions we¬re determined using a canonical correlation analysis. A correlation analysis was carried out and it indicated a very high correlation between dimesions morphological cha¬ra¬cte¬ri¬stics and motor abilities of young water polo players.

A Study of the Internal and External Morphology in the Mandibular first Premolar of the Middle-Aged Korean Using a Microcomputed Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chun, K. J.; Lee, H. J.; Lee, J. Y.

2005-01-01

Dental statistics for Koreans are far from complete and the majority of previous researches have adopted techniques such as radiological analysis and sectioning of teeth for morphological information, which are time-consuming, less accurate and destructive. Thus, a new nondestructive method is necessary to get precise dental standardization data for Koreans. For the above purpose, each of the first premolars was scanned by a micro-CT (SkyScan, Belgium) with a resolution of 21.31 μm at an interval of 0.022mm along the plane horizontally parallel to an occlusion plane. Internal and external morphological sections were measured and compared to the values in the average tooth size table for permanent teeth presented by G. V Black

Microstructure and properties of step aged rare earth alloy magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, R.K.; Thomas, G.; Yoneyama, T.; Fukuno, A.; Ojima, T.

1980-11-01

Alloys with compositions Co-25.5 wt/o Sm-8 w/o Cu-15 w/o Fe-3 w/o Zr and Co-Sm-Cu-Fe-1.5 w/o Zr have been step aged to produce magnets with coercive force (iHc) in the range of 10 to 25k0e. The high coercive force magnets are typically aged at 800 to 850 0 C for 10 to 30 hours following the solution treatment at 1150 0 C. Subsequently, these are step aged to produce materials with high coercivity. The microstructure in all these alloys has a 2 phase cellular morphology with 2:17 phase surrounded by a 1:5 boundary phase. The long aging treatments at 800 to 850 0 C lead to coarsening of the two phase structure. The subsequent step-aging does not change the morphology, but only changes the chemical composition of the two phases. Best properties are obtained in materials with a coherent microstructure of optimum boundary phase thickness and optimum chemical composition. The highest values of iHc obtained so far are approx. 26k0e and approx. 16 k0e for the 3% Zr and 1.5% Zr alloys respectively. The best hard magnetic properties of (BH) max = 33 MG0e and iHc = 13k0e are for a 25% Sm-20% Fe-4 Cu-2% Zr alloy

Study to Evaluate the Changes in Polycystic Ovarian Morphology after Naturopathic and Yogic Interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratnakumari, M Ezhil; Manavalan, N; Sathyanath, D; Ayda, Y Rosy; Reka, K

2018-01-01

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the commonest endocrine disorders in women, with a prevalence ranging from 2.2% to 26% in India. Patients with PCOS face challenges including irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism, acne, acanthosis nigricans, obesity and infertility. 9.13% of South Indian adolescent girls are estimated to suffer from PCOS. The efficacy of Yoga & Naturopathy (Y&N) in the management of polycystic ovarian syndrome requires to be investigated. Aims: The aim of the present study is to observe the morphological changes in polycystic ovaries of patients following 12 weeks of Y&N intervention. The study was conducted at the Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, India. The study was a single blinded prospective, pre-post clinical trial. Fifty PCOS patients of age between 18 and 35 years who satisfied the Rotterdam criteria were recruited for the study. According to their immediate participation in the study they were either allocated to the intervention group ( n =25) or in the wait listed control group ( n =25). The intervention group underwent Y&N therapy for 12 weeks. Change in polycystic ovarian morphology, anthropometric measurements and frequency of menstrual cycle were studied before and after the intervention. Results: Significant improvement was observed in the ovarian morphology ( P polycystic ovarian morphology. We speculate that a longer intervention might be required to regulate the frequency of menstrual cycle.

Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Healthy Aging: an Epidemiological Approach : Neuropsychiatrische aspecten van gezond ouder worden: een epidemiologische benadering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Milic (Jelena)

2018-01-01

markdownabstractAgeing is becoming a significant global challenge which will require economic and social adjustments. Aging causes morphological changes in the brain associated with increased prevalence and incidence of neuropsychiatric diseases, mostly depression, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and

The Effect of Creep Aging on the Fatigue Fracture Behavior of 2524 Aluminum Alloy

OpenAIRE

Wenke Li; Lihua Zhan; Lingfeng Liu; Yongqian Xu

2016-01-01

Normal temperature tensile and fatigue tests were adopted to test the mechanical performance and fatigue life of 2524 aluminum alloy under the three states of T3, artificial aging, and creep aging, and scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were also used to observe the fatigue fracture morphology and aging precipitation features of the alloy under the above three states. Results showed that the alloy treated by creep aging can obtain higher fatigue life, but that t...

Physical and morphological properties of alumina powders synthesized through sol-gel method