The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a species of the order Carnivora, suborder Feliformia, and family Felidae. It is used as a representative model of mammals in comparative anatomy of vertebrates, whereas in veterinary anatomy, only differences from the domestic dog are described. Because of this, several recent studies on thoracic limb muscles in wild felids have preferred the use of former references concerning the anatomy of the cat as a guide to describe their findings. Furthermore, these studies established the homologies of the thoracic limb muscles among felids based on topology but did not consider other evolutionary characteristics, such as innervation and embryological development. Therefore, the present study aimed to describe in detail the thoracic limb muscles and the brachial plexus of F. catus to reconstruct muscle maps, report anatomical variants, establish homologies, and infer muscle derivations in felids. In this chapter, we report the attachments, innervation, and arterial supply of the intrinsic shoulder and brachium muscles and the origin and distribution of the brachial plexus of F. catus in these regions. Nineteen thoracic limbs from 10 carcasses of F. catus were used. Differences from other studies in F. catus and other felids were observed when considering the topology, innervation, and most recent available literature on the embryonic muscle splitting patterns in amniotes. Among the main findings, we observed the articularis humeri muscle in only one limb (1/19), exhibiting the arrangement of an atavistic muscle, similar to the coracobrachialis longus muscle observed in six limbs (6/19) and the caput breve of biceps brachii muscle observed in two limbs (2/19). The triceps brachii muscle only has four heads, and the anconeus medialis muscle (named by other authors as the short portion of the caput mediale, caput mediale accessorium, or m. epitrochleoanconeus) is not part of the triceps brachii muscle since its attachments are independent, the ulnar nerve innervates it, and the most recent embryological derivation evidence in mammals supports it. Two tricipital bursae were observed between the tendons of the triceps brachii heads. The muscle maps on the thoracic limb bones were reconstructed and complemented with the anatomical relationships of the ligaments, joint capsules, synovial bursae, and nerves. Most studied brachial plexuses originated from C6-T1 (13/16), whereas the origin from C5 was observed bilaterally in two limbs and from T2 in one limb. Adding the results of other studies (56), the contributions from C5 or T2 were 4.17% (3/72) and 1.39% (1/72), respectively. The distribution of the brachial plexus nerves of F. catus was similar to that reported in other studies in felids, although most of those studies did not report innervation to the anconeus medialis muscle. The nerve distribution and muscle topology allowed us to establish muscle homologies with other felids and infer evolutionary derivations of the shoulder and brachium muscles in the family Felidae. In conclusion, the present study updated the anatomy of the shoulder and brachium in F. catus and should be considered in evolutionary studies in Carnivora and diagnoses and surgical approaches in veterinary medicine of felids.
Drowning is defined as a process of respiratory impairment caused by submersion in water and is a significant cause of death worldwide. However, postmortem diagnosis of drowning remains a major challenge in forensic pathology, primarily because it relies on the exclusion of all other possible causes based on only a few pathognomonic findings during autopsy, particularly in cases involving decomposition. This study reviewed a series of immersion deaths in Seoul by analyzing demographic and epidemiological factors, their associations with the cause and manner of death, and the impact of decomposition on drowning diagnosis. Autopsy data from 113 immersion death cases examined at the Medical Examiner's Office of Seoul National University College of Medicine between April 2016 and October 2023 were collected and analyzed. Drowning findings were assessed with a focus on foam in the airway, emphysema aquosum, fluid in the sphenoid sinus, petromastoid hemorrhage, drowning fluid in the stomach and duodenum, aortic hemolytic staining, and the diatom test results. The majority (47.8%) of immersed bodies were recovered from the Hangang River and determined to be drowning suicides. The cases in which the manner of death was undetermined exhibited more advanced decomposition compared to suicides, with epidemiological patterns suggesting social isolation or financial hardship. In terms of drowning findings, decomposition significantly affected the detection of foam in the airway, emphysema aquosum, aortic hemolytic staining, and the diatom test results, whereas other findings, such as fluid in the sphenoid sinus, petromastoid hemorrhage, and fluid in the stomach and duodenum, appeared relatively resistant to decomposition. This study outlines the landscape of immersion deaths in Seoul, emphasizing the impact of decomposition on diagnosing drowning and determining the manner of death. Further research is warranted to enhance diagnostic accuracy and to develop standardized guidelines for drowning diagnosis.
Two- and three-toed sloths are sympatric throughout the neo-tropical rainforests of the Americas. Despite numerous morphological and physiological traits that are convergent, each genus has distinctive ecological and behavioral preferences, including a higher frequency of suspensory walking and posture in two-toed forms. Moreover, complete limb muscle myology is available for only a single species of two-toed sloth, whereas muscle architectural properties are unknown for the genus Choloepus. Part one of this study provides novel descriptions and detailed muscle maps of muscular arrangements for the entire forelimb of Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (C. hoffmanni). Origin, insertion, action, and fiber orientation were documented in 59 forelimb muscles. Several notable features in Choloepus are observed and discussed for their functional implications including: (1) rearrangements to the origin of m. trapezius pars cervicalis and m. biceps brachii short head; (2) a shoulder-elbow muscle chain; (3) extra bellies of the mm. rhomboidei, m. pectorales superficialis, and m. flexor digitorum profundus compared with those same muscles in Bradypus. The observed complexity of muscle traits is suggested to be consistent with the notion of selection for frequent and prolonged suspension (hanging and walking) in two-toed sloths that diverge from more simplified muscular arrangements observed in three-toed sloths, which exhibit a lower frequency of suspensory support and posture. Functional capacities of individual muscles and groups will be determined through quantifications of force, torque, and power in part two of this study to further test this hypothesis.
Progress in defining the proteome of the developing human brain has lagged behind our understanding of the adult human brain, primarily due to challenges in tissue acquisition and in preservation of anatomical structure during experimental processing. Single-cell transcriptomics alone is an excellent resource for defining cellular identity, but has limited capacity to trace neuronal connectivity because proteins, the active molecules in interactions, may be transported significant distances from cell bodies and their site of synthesis. There are numerous protein-mediated transient interactions between cellular elements in the developing brain, such as between migrating cortical neurons and subplate, and thalamic projections and cortical progenitors. Anatomical approaches have identified specific cell populations that interact, allowing us to characterize the transient and dynamically changing early circuits. Proteomic data generation is now essential for ligand-receptor pair prediction and validation. Upon receipt of a single, exceptionally well-preserved 20 postconception week human brain hemisphere, we conducted fine dissections of 18 anatomically distinct brain regions, including the pia mater. These samples underwent in-depth analysis of both the total and posttranslationally modified proteomes, with the aim of creating a reference resource for investigators studying this critical stage of neurodevelopment. Here, we have presented an overview of the resulting dataset, compared the proteomic profiles across regions, and highlighted examples of variable posttranslational modifications within individual proteins. As expected, non-modified protein profiles revealed substantial differences across brain regions and structures. For instance, pia mater and thalamus were enriched for proteins involved in transcription and chromatin organization, which may suggest a higher proportion of dividing cells and/or significant epigenetic regulation in these areas at this developmental stage. In contrast, the cortical and hippocampal proteome reflected active synaptogenesis and cytoskeletal remodeling. While interregional differences in phosphorylated and acetylated peptides largely mirrored those observed in the non-modified proteome with respect to gene ontology categories, the glycosylated peptidome of the pia mater was markedly distinct. This divergence is driven by the secretion of extracellular matrix proteins and the region's intimate association with the basement membrane of the pia. Finally, by integrating our proteomic data with publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from the same developmental stage, we identified high-confidence ligand-receptor pairs (e.g., L1CAM:CD9, CNTN4:PTPRG, LGALS1:ITGB1) likely involved in thalamocortical interactions.
Snakes are a group of vertebrates with many unique features, such as significant body elongation, asymmetric positioning of viscera, and the loss of limbs. They belong to the squamate reptiles, one of the vertebrate groups with the most poorly studied gonadogenesis. This study presents the results of histological analyses on gonadal development in embryos of the corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus), covering the period from the initial formation of gonadal primordia, through the phase of undifferentiated gonads, sexual differentiation, to the establishment of the structures of testes and ovaries. The findings indicate that gonadal ridges in this species emerged on the ventral surface of the mesonephros on the first day after oviposition. Undifferentiated gonads were typically composed of primitive cortex and medulla, both containing germ cells. By Day 9 of egg incubation, sexual differentiation of gonads commenced. Testes were recognizable by the presence of distinct testis cords. The developing testes were covered by a thin epithelium devoid of germ cells. In differentiating ovaries, germ cells persisted in the cortex that became thickened in the region opposite to the gonadal mesogonium. Sex cords in the ovarian medulla were not clearly differentiated, and a lumen began to form in them. In subsequent stages, germ cells in the ovarian cortex entered meiosis, and the lumen expanded in the medulla. Additionally, the gonadal primordia and sexually differentiating gonads are symmetrically positioned. However, in later development, the left ovary and testis are positioned posteriorly relative to the right counterparts. The gonadal development of the corn snake shares several features with other squamate species, particularly geckos.
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) excavate burrow systems for a variety of reasons, including social organization and predator avoidance. As such, they have evolved a suite of musculoskeletal traits in their forelimbs that are employed for scratch-digging (i.e., digging motion performed by alternating power and recovery strokes). However, the degree to which their muscular anatomy has become modified in response to the selective pressures of their semi-fossorial lifestyle is unknown. To better understand the functional capacities of their forelimb musculature, dissections of C. ludovicianus (N = 9) were conducted to quantify limb mechanical advantage, muscle architectural properties, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content. Compared with previous data from other ground squirrels, forelimb muscle mass distribution in black-tailed prairie dogs is broadly similar with a large investment of scapular and shoulder muscle mass that accounts for two-thirds of the total forelimb muscle mass. The majority of muscles have long fascicles with correspondingly high fascicle length-to-muscle length (LF/ML) ratios, whereas aside from the main carpal and digital flexors/extensors, selected intrinsic shoulder flexors/extensors, and the smallest elbow extensors, most muscles have low physiological cross-sectional area to muscle mass (PCSA/MM) ratios. Notably, only the massive m. pectoralis superficialis was considered to be a high power muscle by its architectural properties, although several muscles are modified for large joint torque or torque range, including m. latissimus dorsi and a well-developed m. triceps brachii long head. Mechanical advantage is correspondingly greatest at the shoulder joint, intermediate at the elbow joint, and low at the carpal joint. Lastly, muscle composition is fast-contracting by moderate expression of fast MHC-2B and low expression of slow MHC-1. That said, %MHC isoform content shows a predominance of fast MHC-2A as predicted, which progressively increases distally throughout the forelimb. These findings collectively suggest that C. ludovicianus is less specialized among burrowing rodents as hypothesized. Its forelimb musculoskeletal properties are likely constrained by a preference for medium soil types and cooperative social behavior, and may further represent a trade-off between terrestrial locomotor behavior and digging function. Nonetheless, the modifications observed are comparible with other semi-fossorial members of the Marmotini tribe with respect to distinctive traits for scratch-digging. Future work is needed to quantify muscle properties in additional genera (e.g., Tamias, Spermophilus) to better assess selection for burrowing in ground squirrels.
Phyllostomid bats display one of the greatest diversities of any mammalian family. They are noted for their range of cranial phenotypes, ranging from slender and elongated skulls to broad and short forms. Within Phyllostomidae, however, the genus Artibeus exhibits one of the highest species richness (S = 22) yet among the lowest levels of morphological diversity in both skull and wing structures. The morphological traits proposed to distinguish Artibeus species have been regarded as inconsistent and imprecise, largely due to varying degrees of morphological differentiation across geographic scales. Cranial shape variation in bats has been associated with body size, which represents one of the main differences among Artibeus species, as well as with difference in allometric relationships among species. Nevertheless, studies exploring the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors and morphological change in bats remain relatively scarce. Investigating the presence and magnitude of asymmetry and allometry associated with morphological variation across species can yield a more comprehensive understanding of how species' morphologies diverge. This study investigates asymmetry and allometry and their influence on craniomandibular morphological variation within the genus Artibeus. Geometric morphometrics was employed to assess skull shape and size variation across 12 species of the genus. Our analyses revealed modifications in skull shape, especially in its dorsal and ventral morphology, with greater variability observed in the masticatory system. The most pronounced morphological variation was found in cranium length and width, enlargement at the supraoccipital level, reduction of the premaxilla and elongation of the zygomatic process and the maxilla. The mandibular structure showed enlargement of the mandibular condyle, the angle of the mandible and the coronoid process in Artibeus rosenbergi, Artibeus gnomus and Artibeus glauca. Levels of asymmetry among Artibeus species varied, with smaller species exhibiting higher asymmetry in dorsal and ventral structures. However, fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was not evident in cranial morphology, suggesting a reduction in FA in traits with higher functional demands. Our findings indicate a relationship between differential functional importance and asymmetry patterns across skull regions. Similarly, cranial and dental traits are correlated with diet and habitat, suggesting that skull morphology reflects or covaries with feeding habits, ecological factors, foraging strategies and roosting behaviours. As frugivores, Artibeus species have specialised in consuming fruits of varying composition, exhibiting complex and specialised feeding behaviours. Consequently, certain cranial regions associated with biting show functional specialisation, including shortened facial structures and modifications in the zygomatic process of the maxilla.
Corneous sheaths on the jaws of beaked tetrapods, or rhamphothecae, are classified as simple or compound based on their external morphology. In birds, simple rhamphothecae possess single corneous sheaths covering the upper jaws and the mandibles, respectively, rather than the several corneous plates of compound rhamphothecae. More than 60% of modern birds have simple rhamphothecae, but not all birds with simple rhamphothecae use their beaks for the same feeding style or dietary preferences. Grossly similar simple rhamphothecae may possess unreported microanatomical differences in response to different functional demands, but this requires first exploring whether the microanatomy of simple rhamphothecae is homogenous. We hypothesized based on foraging biomechanics that the rostral portion of the rhamphotheca is more mechanically resistant than the caudal portion, and the microanatomy will reflect this. We examine the microanatomy and biomechanical properties of rhamphothecae using chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). We map the microstructure and relative hardness of corneous materials throughout the rhamphotheca using plastic-embedded histology and microindentation. Histological sections reveal eight corneous regions, more numerous on the rostral portion of the beak, making up the seemingly continuous corneous sheath of the upper jaws and mandibles. Microindentation of individual regions reveals hardness differences, with the rostral rhamphothecal tomia (cutting edge) having the highest hardness, and layers comprising the caudal portion of the rhamphotheca having the lowest. This configuration shows that more resistant corneous layers are found rostrally to accommodate the mechanical interactions happening at the tip. Our study shows that unreported complexity within simple beaks will allow us to determine simple rhamphotheca diversity and address the homoplasy of simple rhamphothecae in modern birds.
Several groups of birds that rely on tactile foraging methods to locate prey exhibit specialized bill-tip organs to sense tactile cues. Most scolopacid shorebirds (sandpipers and kin) employ the sensory capability of remote-touch during foraging, allowing them to locate buried prey at a distance from their bills by detecting vibrational cues in the substrates they probe in. This is facilitated by a bill-tip organ made up of dense clusters of mechanoreceptors housed within a constellation of neurovascular foramina in the bone at the tips of their bills. Bill-tip organ morphology has been shown to correlate with foraging ecology; however, all previous research has focused on adult birds. Many tactile foraging birds, including scolopacids, have precocial young that forage independently within hours of hatching, yet remote-touch foraging and its morphological correlates in juvenile birds remain unexplored. Here, we use μCT scans to describe the morphology of the bill tips of juvenile-adult pairs of several scolopacid species to characterize the post-hatching development of the bill-tip organ. We show that the osteological correlates of functional bill-tip organs are present in juvenile scolopacids and describe changes in bill-tip organ morphology during post-hatching development. Our results suggest that juvenile scolopacids, and likely other precocial tactile foraging birds, are able to sense tactile cues with their bills from the point of hatching. Our data additionally suggest that previously described interspecific variation in bill-tip organ morphology associated with taxon-specific foraging behaviours and habitat preferences appears to develop after fledging and dispersal in scolopacids. These data reveal ontogenetic and interspecific differences in scolopacid bill-tip organ morphology associated with differing ecologies and improve our understanding of foraging behaviour of juvenile shorebirds.
The control of Buruli ulcer (BU) relies on early case detection to improve disease outcomes. While lesion photographs are currently used in health communication materials, they have many drawbacks. Medical illustrations, though proven effective in many contexts, remain unutilised for skin NTDs. We therefore aimed to assess their acceptability in health communication materials in BU-endemic districts of Ghana. We conducted eleven focus group discussions, using a guide developed from the PICO framework and the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). Participants were shown photographs and clinically approved medical illustrations of different presentations of BU. All participant groups confirmed that images of BU play a key role in health communication. However, photographs of the disease may frighten the viewer, either deliberately or not, especially when they show advanced stages of the BU resulting in revulsion and anxiety. All agreed that illustrations were acceptable and do not evoke the same negative emotional response, whilst still providing accurate information for detection. Health providers expressed the view that the psychological distress associated with real-life images are beneficial for prompt healthcare-seeking; however, the views of community members contradicted this. Health providers and CBSVs currently manage such negative reactions through a variety of methods. However, these strategies do not always work as some viewers shy away from the materials. Medical illustrations have a potentially important role to play in BU health messaging. As well as their role in communicating the characteristic features of the disease without distracting elements or ethical issues, they are also particularly well-suited to depict BU in the later stages to produce health communication materials that are sensitive to the emotional states of viewers. We encourage health communicators to place materials within appropriate social and cultural contexts, to promote their effectiveness and uptake of the health messaging.
Datasets for the study of developing Non-Human Primate (NHP) brain are scarce. Some of the reasons are related to the financial and technical obstacles that make the production of these datasets logistically challenging. NHP embryos of different and verified developmental ages require timed pregnancies and the maintenance of expensive and highly regulated breeding colonies. Here, we document our efforts to provide digital datasets of rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) embryonic brain histological series of sections that can be used and reused for research. These efforts fall well within the primary mission of the MacBrain Resource Center (MBRC, https://medicine.yale.edu/neuroscience/macbrain/mission/), which targets a reduction in the need to sacrifice animals, improved efficiency in the use of resources, the use of male (M) and female (F) specimens to conduct developmental research, and increase archival and sharing of materials for the advancement of neuroscience. First, we describe the already existent tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) cases in MBRC Collection 1 and the electron microscopy (EM) blocks of Collection 5, which together contain >100 specimens of different developmental ages. We also report methodological details on, as of July 2025, n = 24 histo- and immunohistochemically processed embryonic brains that enrich Collection 6 with thousands of coronal sections stained for n = 38 different cellular and fiber markers. These datasets provide NHP brain histo- and immunohistology for comparison with other species and hence help close a gap in the availability of suitable materials for comparative evolution and neurodevelopmental studies. Through examples, we illustrate how different materials are currently being used in de novo research. Finally, we advocate the absolute need to continue using NHPs in the study of neurodevelopment because of the unparalleled molecular, genetic, and anatomical similarities between these animal models and humans.
This study evaluated the clinical usefulness of urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) measured via point-of-care testing (POCT) based on immunochromatography for the early prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This retrospective observational study was conducted at a single-centre university hospital and included 186 patients who underwent TAVI. The onset of AKI was defined according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network classification. Urine samples were collected preoperatively, immediately after surgery, 4 h postoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 2 and 3 to measure urinary L-FABP using POCT. Of the 186 patients who underwent TAVI, 24 (12.9%) developed AKI postoperatively. Patients with AKI exhibited a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, the co-occurrence of both hypertension and advanced-stage chronic kidney disease and a longer hospital stay. During the observational period, patients with AKI were found to have significantly higher urinary L-FABP levels than those without. Preoperative urinary L-FABP showed the highest predictive performance for AKI onset, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.74 (cutoff value, 4.24 ng/mL; sensitivity, 0.61; specificity, 0.82; diagnostic accuracy, 0.79). Elevated urinary L-FABP levels above the cutoff value in the early phase of the perioperative period independently predicted AKI onset after adjusting for ejection fraction and the presence of renal dysfunction in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. This study indicated for the first time that urinary L-FABP levels measured via POCT were independently associated with the development of AKI following TAVI, indicating potential utility for early risk assessment.
The function of the anconeus has been previously described for the muscle as a whole. No studies were found that explored the functional neuromuscular partitioning based on 3D muscle architecture and innervation patterns, which is paramount to understanding changes in pathological muscle. The purpose of this study was to investigate 3D muscle morphology and intramuscular innervation of the anconeus, quantify architectural parameters, and propose functional implications of the findings. The fiber bundles, aponeuroses, and intramuscular innervation of the anconeus (n = 8 embalmed specimens, mean age 81 ± 12 years) were serially dissected, digitized, and modeled in 3D. Muscle morphology and intramuscular innervation patterns were determined and architectural parameters computed. The 3D models and data were used to assess muscular partitioning and propose functional implications of the findings. The anconeus was found to be morphologically partitioned into three parts, proximal, distal, and deep, based on fiber bundle orientation, attachment sites, and architectural parameters. The nerve to anconeus supplied the proximal part and underlying deep part. The nerve bifurcated to supply the distal part via medial and lateral branches or superficial and deep branches. In conclusion, the proximal part could act as an abductor of the ulna, the distal part as an initial elbow extensor, and deep part as a stabilizer and tensor of the elbow joint capsule. The in-depth 3D mapping of the anconeus will enable the development of in vivo ultrasound protocols to provide further insight into the in vivo functions of the three parts of the anconeus.
Palaeanodonts are extinct placental mammals exhibiting myrmecophagous and fossorial adaptations. They have been viewed as the sister group to Pholidota (pangolins), which is the sister-clade to Carnivora within Ferae. Palaeanodonts display morphological features that are similar to those in pangolins and xenarthrans, which are likely related to their specialized ecological niche. Therefore, it has been challenging to decipher whether shared features are synapomorphies or convergences. Here, we describe in detail the brain virtual endocast anatomy of the middle Eocene palaeanodont Metacheiromys marshi and make morphological and quantitative comparisons with two extant African pangolins, Smutsia gigantea and Phataginus tricuspis. We found several differences between the fossil and extant taxa including in the olfactory bulbs, the cerebellum, and the venous and arterial systems. However, we propose an anatomical feature as a possible synapomorphy uniting palaeanodonts and pangolins in Pholidotamorpha: the presence of a well-developed orbital gyrus and a presylvian sulcus. These correlated features are present in some other groups but are likely derived traits acquired independently, for example in xenarthrans. In terms of the behavioural ecology of M. marshi and pangolins, we suggest that reduced olfaction and eye movement control is likely linked to fossoriality or slow arboreality as previously proposed for rodents. The expansion of the orbital gyrus of the neocortex is proposed to be related to the evolution of myrmecophagy and the emergence of a protrusile tongue in early Pholidotamorpha, acquired convergently in giant anteaters. Overall, this work provides a novel perspective on the evolution of palaeanodonts and pangolins and presents new hypotheses related to the impact of ecological adaptations on the brain evolution of mammals.
To investigate the reliability between direct and indirect measurements in facial anthropometry. The sample consisted of 60 subjects aged between 16 and 48 years. After applying the eligibility criteria, indirect objective anthropometric facial examinations (SAPO® and IMAGEJ® software) and direct frontal anthropometric examinations were performed using a digital caliper at the anthropometric points: glabella, sub nasale, gnathion, alar, exocanthus, and chilling, with the patients seated in a comfortable position and head in a natural position. Two trained and calibrated examiners performed the measurements three times to obtain the arithmetic mean. The participants were photographed to perform the indirect measurements. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics (measures of absolute and relative frequency and summary measures of central tendency and dispersion) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, Bland-Altman, paired t-test, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient), considering a significance of 5%. There was intra- and inter-observer agreement, sexual dimorphism (female measurements smaller), higher values of direct anthropometry when compared with photoanthropometry, and differences between the software used and the caliper with ImageJ®. There was a divergence between direct and indirect anthropometries, which do not represent the same values and proportions, depending on the anthropometric point used, and the professional should consider this aspect. Facial anthropometric comparisons should be carried out using the same software in order to avoid divergences in analyses. Investigar a confiabilidade entre medidas diretas e indiretas na antropometria facial. Amostra constituída por 60 participantes, com idades entre 16 e 48 anos. Após a aplicação dos critérios de elegibilidade, foram procedidos exames faciais antropométricos objetivos indiretos (softwares SAPO® e IMAGEJ®) e diretos em norma frontal, por meio do uso do paquímetro digital nos pontos antropométricos: glabela, subnasal, gnátio, alar, exocanto e cheilion com os pacientes sentados, em posição confortável e cabeça em posição natural. Dois examinadores treinados e calibrados realizaram as medições por três vezes para a obtenção de média aritmética. Os participantes foram fotografados para a realização das medições indiretas. Os resultados foram analisados por estatística descritiva (medidas de frequência absoluta e relativa e medidas sínteses de tendência central e dispersão) e inferencial (teste Chi-quadrado, Bland-Altman, t pareado e Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse) considerando-se significância de 5%. Houve concordância intra e interobservadores, dimorfismo sexual (medidas femininas menores), valores maiores na antropometria direta quando comparados com a fotoantropometria, diferenças entre os softwares utilizados (em terço médio para ambos os sexos e terço inferior para o masculino) e na análise facial numérica, discordância na análise das hemiface, independente da técnica utilizada. Houve divergência entre as técnicas utilizadas, devendo o profissional levar esse aspecto em consideração. Comparações antropométricas faciais devem ser efetivadas pelo uso de um mesmo software a fim de evitar divergências de análises. Investigar a confiabilidade entre medidas diretas e indiretas na antropometria facial. Amostra constituída por 60 participantes, com idades entre 16 e 48 anos. Após a aplicação dos critérios de elegibilidade, foram procedidos exames faciais antropométricos objetivos indiretos (softwares SAPO® e IMAGEJ®) e diretos em norma frontal, por meio do uso do paquímetro digital nos pontos antropométricos: glabela, subnasal, gnátio, alar, exocanto e cheilion com os pacientes sentados, em posição confortável e cabeça em posição natural. Dois examinadores treinados e calibrados realizaram as medições por três vezes para a obtenção de média aritmética. Os participantes foram fotografados para a realização das medições indiretas. Os resultados foram analisados por estatística descritiva (medidas de frequência absoluta e relativa e medidas sínteses de tendência central e dispersão) e inferencial (teste Chi-quadrado, Bland-Altman, t pareado e Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse) considerando-se significância de 5%. Houve concordância intra e interobservadores, dimorfismo sexual (medidas femininas menores), valores maiores na antropometria direta quando comparados com a fotoantropometria, diferenças entre os softwares utilizados (em terço médio para ambos os sexos e terço inferior para o masculino) e na análise facial numérica, discordância na análise das hemiface, independente da técnica utilizada. Houve divergência entre as técnicas utilizadas, devendo o profissional levar esse aspecto em consideração. Comparações antropométricas faciais devem ser efetivadas pelo uso de um mesmo software a fim de evitar divergências de análises.
Information on childhood cancer burden is crucial for effective cancer policy planning. Unfortunately, observed paediatric cancer data are not available in every country, and previous global burden estimates have not discretely reported several common cancers of childhood. We aimed to inform efforts to address childhood cancer burden globally by analysing results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023, which now include nine additional cancer causes compared with previous GBD analyses. GBD 2023 data sources for cancer estimation included population-based cancer registries, vital registration systems, and verbal autopsies. For childhood cancers (defined as those occurring at ages 0-19 years), mortality was estimated using cancer-specific ensemble models and incidence was estimated using mortality estimates and modelled mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were estimated by multiplying age-specific cancer deaths by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. Prevalence was estimated using survival estimates modelled from MIRs and multiplied by sequelae-specific disability weights to estimate years lived with disability (YLDs). Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were estimated as the sum of YLLs and YLDs. Estimates are presented globally and by geographical and resource groupings, and all estimates are presented with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Globally, in 2023, there were an estimated 377 000 incident childhood cancer cases (95% UI 288 000-489 000), 144 000 deaths (131 000-162 000), and 11·7 million (10·7-13·2) DALYs due to childhood cancer. Deaths due to childhood cancer decreased by 27·0% (15·5-36·1) globally, from 197 000 (173 000-218 000) in 1990, but increased in the WHO African region by 55·6% (25·5-92·4), from 31 500 (24 900-38 500) to 49 000 (42 600-58 200) between 1990 and 2023. In 2023, age-standardised YLLs due to childhood cancer were inversely correlated with country-level Socio-demographic Index. Childhood cancer was the eighth-leading cause of childhood deaths and the ninth-leading cause of DALYs among all cancers in 2023. The percentage of DALYs due to uncategorised childhood cancers was reduced from 26·5% (26·5-26·5) in GBD 2017 to 10·5% (8·1-13·1) with the addition of the nine new cancer causes. Target cancers for the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) comprised 47·3% (42·2-52·0) of global childhood cancer deaths in 2023. Global childhood cancer burden remains a substantial contributor to global childhood disease and cancer burden and is disproportionately weighted towards resource-limited settings. The estimation of additional cancer types relevant in childhood provides a step towards alignment with WHO GICC targets. Efforts to decrease global childhood cancer burden should focus on addressing the inequities in burden worldwide and support comprehensive improvements along the childhood cancer diagnosis and care continuum. St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Gates Foundation, and St Baldrick's Foundation.
Climate highly influenced the distribution of major animal groups that emerged during the Triassic throughout the supercontinent Pangea. The earliest dinosaurs and associated assemblages (Carnian Stage, Late Triassic, ~230 Ma) are recovered along a paleolatitudinal climate belt spanning southern Pangea. However, developmental responses of different amniotic clades to climate across these environments remain unknown. Characterizing developmental variability, presumably driven in part by climatic variability within this belt, helps constrain the climatic ranges that shaped the earliest dinosaurs prior to their worldwide dispersal, while also providing insights into developmental plasticity of Triassic fauna. We analyzed the bone histology of five vertebrate taxa from the Carnian of Zimbabwe, including sauropodomorph and herrerasaurid dinosaurs, a gomphodontosuchine cynodont, a hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur, and a suchian archosaur (?aetosaur) as a proxy to assess probable climatic influence by comparing various growth strategies/metabolisms of these clades across southern Pangea. The dinosaurs are continuously growing individuals that exhibit well-vascularized woven-parallel and parallel-fibered cortical bone with no apparent growth marks. The cynodont is an immature specimen with a well-vascularized fibrolamellar matrix that has anastomosing vascular canals throughout the cortex and a single growth mark, indicating rapid growth. The rhynchosaurian femur and suchian tibia show moderate to poorly vascularized parallel-fibered and woven-fibered matrixes possessing multiple lines of arrested growth along with an external fundamental system, suggesting these were slow-growing individuals that had reached skeletal maturity at the time of death. Comparing this histology to that of similar assemblages from current-day Brazil, Argentina, and India (which fell along the same paleolatitudinal zone during the Triassic), the mid-continent (i.e., Zimbabwean) dinosaurs exhibit continuous uninterrupted growth in contrast to other histologically sampled dinosaurs from different localities along this climatic belt, whereas the Zimbabwean rhynchosaur and suchian exhibit patterns with more frequent cessation of growth than their South American counterparts. Slower-growing Zimbabwean taxa-presumably, more susceptible to climatic stressors-exhibit characteristics suggestive of a less resource-rich environment (e.g., frequent cessations, more interrupted growth) compared with rhynchosaurs and aetosaurs from South America. Taxa with faster growth rates and higher metabolic regimes (i.e., dinosaurs, cynodont) from this same assemblage apparently grew rapidly-and roughly continuously-throughout the year. This is consistent with an overall more arid but less seasonal climate in Zimbabwe compared to the signals recovered in Brazil, Argentina, and India.
Comparison of shared morphological characteristics between living and extinct species is essential to reconstructing repeated phenotypic evolution in deep time. For example, the extinct Triassic-Jurassic redfieldiid ray-finned fishes possess tubercles on their snout which resemble the enlarged dermal odontodes that give some extant ray-finned fishes "bristly" snouts. The three-dimensional anatomy of redfieldiid snout tubercle-bearing bones is typically obscured in fossils, leaving the anatomical identity and homology of these snout tubercles uncertain. We describe new aspects of redfieldiid snout tubercles based on a recently collected, exceptionally well-preserved specimen (VMNH 129827) of †Redfieldius gracilis from lacustrine deposits of the Early Jurassic (Hettangian, ~201 million years old) Waterfall Formation of the Culpeper Basin (Newark Supergroup) of Virginia. We determine that the body and skull of †Redfieldius is covered with dermal odontodes, which are extended into bristle-like tubercles on the snout and orbit. The phylogenetic position of †Redfieldius outside of the teleostean total group indicates that redfieldiid snout tubercles evolved convergently from those in living fishes, such as the bristlenose catfish (Ancistrus) and the denticle herring (Denticeps). †Redfieldius does not have strong morphological overlap with extant snout tubercle-bearing ray-finned fishes, limiting inference of their ecological function. However, we posit that the snout tubercles of †Redfieldius, in concert with a covering of pointed dermal odontodes on the scales, may have served a defensive function. The enlarged snout tubercles in †Redfieldius are part of an emerging pattern of increasingly specialized tooth morphology in Late Triassic-Early Jurassic ray-finned fishes that mirrors living ray-finned fishes.
Giraffe (Giraffa spp.) are among the most unique and charismatic extant animals, largely due to their distinct morphology. The evolutionary and developmental origin of ossicones is a key factor in giraffid biology, yet other features building their characteristic head physiognomy remain poorly studied. Here, we analysed the cranial diversity of extant Giraffa using a continent-wide sample with a balanced sex ratio and ontogenetic growth series, using shape analysis (3D geometric morphometrics). Detailed comparisons showed significant differences in cranial morphology across the four Giraffa species, and in some cases also between subspecies of the same species. The analyses revealed that females reach adult cranial form at an earlier age (around 4 years old), while males continue growing until the eighth year, aligning with the onset of sexual maturity for each of the sexes. Multivariate methods unambiguously prompt significant covariation between skull parts. Such high covariation patterns indicate that Giraffa skull morphology largely evolves as a whole (i.e., morphologically integrated), even though parts of it (such as the ossicones) develop in different magnitudes. Considering their role in territorial and mating behaviours, we suggest that ossicone morphology influences the parapatric evolution of Giraffa through sexual selection. Palaeontological evidence shows that development of larger ossicones is a relatively recent trait for members of the genus Giraffa, with the cranial morphology of the southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa) being the closest to that of the ancestral forms, possibly through plesiomorphy or paedomorphosis.
Up to 60% of patients with head and neck cancer are malnourished upon first presentation. Malnutrition has been associated with a higher risk of adverse events and decreased quality of life and survival. Patients with a high risk of malnutrition often receive pretreatment dietary treatment before surgery or (chemo)radiotherapy, i.e., nutritional prehabilitation. However, previous research suggests that patients with a low or medium risk of malnutrition may also benefit from nutritional prehabilitation. To investigate the effect of nutritional prehabilitation on adverse events, nutritional status, patient-reported quality of life, tumor recurrence, and (disease-specific and overall) survival. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of nutritional prehabilitation compared with standard care. A single-center, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Patients with locoregionally advanced stage (III or IV) primary mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx treated with curative intent and with a low or medium risk of malnutrition according to the Malnutrition Universal Screening tool. Based on a power analysis, a total of 128 patients will be included. The intervention arm will receive nutritional prehabilitation and the control arm will receive standard care (no nutritional prehabilitation). Adverse events (i.e., surgical complications and (chemo)radiotherapy toxicity). Complications will be measured within 30 days after surgery using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Toxicity will be evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), 6 and 12 weeks after the start of (chemo)radiotherapy. It is hypothesized that nutritional prehabilitation, compared with no nutritional prehabilitation, will result in fewer (severe) adverse events, improvement of nutritional status, higher quality of life, equal risk of recurrence and better survival. It is hypothesized that the intervention will be cost-effective. The trial is registered in the Dutch Trial Register under registration number NL87676.042.24.