Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yumin Wang, Satoshi Ikeda, Katsunori Ikoma
Summary: This study investigated the effects of passive repetitive stretching on muscle mass, myofiber cross-sectional area, protein synthesis pathways, and myogenic regulatory factors in senescence-accelerated mice. The findings suggest that passive stretching can lead to muscle hypertrophy and counteract muscle atrophy mainly by provoking protein turnover. These results are valuable for clinical muscle strengthening and sarcopenia prevention.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Acoustics
Alejandro Hernandez-Belmonte, Alejandro Martinez-Cava, Jesus G. Pallares
Summary: The study aims to evaluate the validity and repeatability of panoramic ultrasound in measuring the anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) of the pectoralis major. The results demonstrate that panoramic ultrasound is a valid and repeatable technique, especially when performed by a trained operator.
ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Mark R. Viggars, Yuan Wen, Charlotte A. Peterson, Jonathan C. Jarvis
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of myonuclei in different fiber types during muscle training, detraining, retraining, disuse, and recovery. The results show that fiber types do not respond identically and myonuclear number changes during adaptation. The study also evaluates an updated version of MyoVision software for quantifying immunofluorescent microscopical images in a faster and less computer intensive manner.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Hind Albadrani, Tarek Ammar, Rashida Rajgara, Michael Bader, Nadine Wiper-Bergeron, Jean-Marc Renaud
Summary: Recent studies have shown that angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7), through its receptor Mas (MasR), can prevent muscle atrophy and improve muscle integrity and function. This study demonstrates that Ang 1-7 has a hypertrophic effect on muscle mass and fiber cross-sectional area, and enhances muscle contractile function. These effects are mediated by the MasR receptor.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Masahide Yagi, Masashi Taniguchi, Hiroshige Tateuchi, Tetsuya Hirono, Yoshihiro Fukumoto, Momoko Yamagata, Ryusuke Nakai, Yosuke Yamada, Misaka Kimura, Noriaki Ichihashi
Summary: This study used MRI to investigate the iliocapsularis muscle (IC) in healthy individuals and found that it could be identified in 85% to 95% of people. The study also revealed that the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the IC is only associated with sex and not age. However, the CSA of other lower-limb muscles was found to be associated with both sex and age.
Article
Physiology
Alejandro Hernandez-Belmonte, Alejandro Martinez-Cava, Jesus G. Pallares
Summary: The study showed that the 2-point method, especially when implemented using the 30% and 60% regions, is accurate and repeatable for evaluating QUADACSA.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHYSIOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hee-Jin Cho, Jin-Hong Shin, Young-Eun Park, Eunhee Sohn, Tai-Seung Nam, Min-Gu Kang, Jin-Mo Park, Donghwi Park, Jin-Sung Park
Summary: Cho et al. characterized a large sample of Korean patients with genetically confirmed spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, providing genetic, electrophysiological, clinical, and hormonal data. The findings will help interpret future clinical trial results and support early diagnosis.
Article
Biology
Hirotaka Araki, Shinjiro Hino, Kotaro Anan, Kanji Kuribayashi, Kan Etoh, Daiki Seko, Ryuta Takase, Kensaku Kohrogi, Yuko Hino, Yusuke Ono, Eiichi Araki, Mitsuyoshi Nakao, Christopher Cardozo
Summary: Skeletal muscle shows plasticity in response to stress, with flavin-dependent lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) playing a role in regulating fiber type-specific responses. LSD1 loss exacerbates glucocorticoid-induced atrophy in fast fiber-dominant muscles by reducing nuclear retention of anti-autophagic transcription factor Foxk1. Additionally, LSD1 depletion enhances endurance exercise-induced hypertrophy in slow fiber-dominant muscles by inducing the expression of oxidative metabolism gene transcription factor ERR gamma. These findings suggest that LSD1 modulators may be potential therapeutic strategies for stress-induced myopathies.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Luke K. Fuerniss, Bradley J. Johnson
Summary: This study validated a semi-automated workflow that can efficiently and objectively identify the type and measure the size of muscle fibers compared to a manual technique. The semi-automated workflow is six times faster than the manual workflow and yields similar results. This study demonstrates the efficiency and objectivity of the semi-automated workflow in imaging, classifying, and measuring muscle fibers.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Ciara R. Kelly, Marina Mourtzakis, Helena Furberg, Puneeta Tandon, Michael T. Paris
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the association between rectus abdominis muscle thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA), and examine the potential confounding effect of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) on the validity of rectus abdominis muscle thickness. The results suggest that rectus abdominis muscle thickness can be used as a measurement of muscle size in both women and men, with a minor confounding effect of the VAT compartment in men.
ACADEMIC RADIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jie Cao, Didi Zuo, Tingting Han, Hongxia Liu, Wenwen Liu, Jia Zhang, Yurong Weng, Xian Jin, Zengai Chen, Yaomin Hu
Summary: Skeletal muscle mass plays a crucial role in health and disease. This study found a strong correlation between erector spinae muscle area assessed from chest CT and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), especially in male subjects and obese individuals.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Michael Tabbaa, Tania Ruz Gomez, Dean G. Campelj, Paul Gregorevic, Alan Hayes, Craig A. Goodman
Summary: Polyamine pathway enzymes are differentially regulated in models of altered mechanical and metabolic stress, with some being regulated in a mTORC1-dependent manner. This suggests that polyamines may play a role in the adaptive response to stressors in skeletal muscle.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Ruin Moaddel, Ceereena Ubaida-Mohien, Toshiko Tanaka, Qu Tian, Julian Candia, Ann Zenobia Moore, Jacqueline Lovett, Giovanna Fantoni, Nader Shehadeh, Lisa Turek, Victoria Collingham, Mary Kaileh, Chee W. Chia, Ranjan Sen, Josephine M. Egan, Luigi Ferrucci
Summary: Studying age-related biomarkers from different biofluids and tissues within the same individual can provide a comprehensive understanding of age-related changes and their interconnectedness.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mark R. Viggars, Hazel Sutherland, Christopher P. Cardozo, Jonathan C. Jarvis
Summary: Transcriptional assessments of identical nerve-stimulated resistance exercise in mice and rats reveal concordant and discordant gene regulation and pathways related to muscle growth.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Soo Yeon Park, Kyoung Ho Yoon, Sung Hyun Hwang, Taeg Su Ko, Hee Sung Lee
Summary: Weakening muscle strength around the knee makes it more susceptible to aging-related damage. This study found an association between knee flexor muscle strength and its cross-sectional area (CSA), and observed that both flexor muscle strength and CSA decrease with aging.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Federico De Pascalis, Rhiannon E. Austin, Jonathan A. Green, John P. Y. Arnould, Simona Imperio, Maurizio Maugeri, Jane Haakonsson, Jacopo G. Cecere, Diego Rubolini
Summary: For the magnificent frigatebird, rainfall does not affect the choice of foraging areas, but it does reduce foraging time, increase perching time, and alter flight behavior. The predicted increase in rainfall in the tropics has the potential to disrupt foraging activities and affect breeding success.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Rhianna L. Ricketts, Daniel W. E. Sankey, Bryce P. Tidswell, Joshua Brown, Joseph F. Deegan, Steven J. Portugal
Summary: The potential costs associated with dominance were studied in two flocks of domestic Homing Pigeons, where the most dominant birds within the flocks were found to have significantly higher movement levels than others. This suggests a possible cost to possessing the top rank within a dominance hierarchy.
Article
Ecology
Sophie Bennett, Sarah Wanless, Michael P. Harris, Mark A. Newell, Kate Searle, Jonathan A. Green, Francis Daunt
Summary: Density-dependent and site-dependent regulation provide resilience to wild populations. Higher quality sites are disproportionately used at lower population sizes, leading to a buffer effect. However, the establishment of new, lower quality sites during population decline and recovery can slow population recovery.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Lila Buckingham, Maria Bogdanova, Jonathan A. Green, Ruth E. Dunn, Sarah Wanless, Sophie Bennett, Richard M. Bevan, Andrew Call, Michael Canham, Colin J. Corse, Michael P. Harris, Christopher J. Heward, David C. Jardine, Jim Lennon, David Parnaby, Chris P. F. Redfern, Liz Scott, Robert L. Swann, Robin M. Ward, Ewan D. Weston, Robert W. Furness, Francis Daunt
Summary: This study investigated the non-breeding distributions and extent of population aggregation in two sympatrically breeding auks and found interspecific differences. Razorbill populations showed high levels of aggregation, while guillemots exhibited colony-specific distributions.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Steven J. Portugal, Craig R. White
Summary: The study found that animal-borne logging devices can impact the body weight and energy budget of animals, and it is important to consider device size and attachment time when using biologging technology.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andrew J. King, Steven J. Portugal, Daniel Strombom, Richard P. Mann, Jose A. Carrillo, Dante Kalise, Guido de Croon, Heather Barnett, Paul Scerri, Roderich Gross, David R. Chadwick, Marina Papadopoulou
Summary: Researchers propose using UAVs for bio-herding in order to manage and control wild animal groups. They suggest a potential framework using a pair of UAVs and highlight the challenges and importance of this approach.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Martin Beal, Paulo Catry, Richard A. Phillips, Steffen Oppel, John P. Y. Arnould, Maria I. Bogdanova, Mark Bolton, Ana P. B. Carneiro, Corey Clatterbuck, Melinda Conners, Francis Daunt, Karine Delord, Kyle Elliott, Aymeric Fromant, Jose Pedro Granadeiro, Jonathan A. Green, Lewis Halsey, Keith C. Hamer, Motohiro Ito, Ruth Jeavons, Jeong-Hoon Kim, Nobuo Kokubun, Shiho Koyama, Jude V. Lane, Won Young Lee, Sakiko Matsumoto, Rachael A. Orben, Ellie Owen, Vitor H. Paiva, Allison Patterson, Christopher Pollock, Jaime A. Ramos, Paul Sagar, Katsufumi Sato, Scott A. Shaffer, Louise Soanes, Akinori Takahashi, David R. Thompson, Lesley Thorne, Leigh Torres, Yutaka Watanuki, Susan M. Waugh, Henri Weimerskirch, Shannon Whelan, Ken Yoda, Jose C. Xavier, Maria P. Dias
Summary: Animal tracking studies provide insights into space use patterns and inform conservation planning. This study used GPS-tracking data from 23 seabird species to assess the importance of multi-year sampling for identifying important conservation sites. The results showed a high degree of spatial overlap among distribution patterns from different years, suggesting that tracking animals in multiple years may not be necessary. However, it is crucial to track enough individuals to provide a representative estimate of the population distribution during the sampling period.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephanie C. C. McClelland, Marie R. G. Attard, James Bowen, Nicholas P. C. Horrocks, Gabriel A. A. Jamie, Tanmay Dixit, Claire N. N. Spottiswoode, Steven J. J. Portugal
Summary: The eggs of avian brood-parasitic species have similar eggshell structures and compositions as their host's eggs, suggesting that the parasitic lifestyle does not greatly impact these traits.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Ian R. Cleasby, Ellie Owen, Adam Butler, Julia Baer, Jez Blackburn, Maria I. Bogdanova, Tessa Coledale, Francis Daunt, Stephen Dodd, Julian C. Evans, Jonathan A. Green, Tim Guilford, Michael P. Harris, Robert Hughes, Mark A. Newell, Stephen F. Newton, Gail S. Robertson, Lise Ruffino, Akiko Shoji, Louise M. Soanes, Stephen C. Votier, Ewan D. Wakefield, Sarah Wanless, Linda J. Wilson, Mark Bolton
Summary: Knowledge of seabird distributions is crucial for seabird conservation and marine management. However, most seabird colonies have not been tracked, so alternative methods must be used to assess their foraging distribution. By analyzing multiple tracking datasets, we found significant variations in foraging range among different colonies and individuals. Our estimates of typical foraging ranges for each species were also subject to high uncertainties.
Article
Biology
Daniel W. E. Sankey, Steven J. Portugal
Summary: Animals rely on movement to explore and exploit resources, but there are energetic costs associated with it. This study explores how group phenotypic composition affects individual speed and energy expenditure during group travel in homing pigeons. The researchers found that groups consisting of 'leader' phenotypes exhibit faster speed and greater cohesion. Additionally, groups with homogenous mass composition, whether all heavy or all light, were faster and expended less energy compared to groups with a mixture of heavy and light individuals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Simon Potier, Alexandre Roulin, Graham R. Martin, Steven J. Portugal, Vincent Bonhomme, Thierry Bouchet, Romuald de Romans, Eva Meyrier, Almut Kelber
Summary: The size and shape of the binocular field in birds, particularly owls, is strongly influenced by ecological traits such as foraging behavior and habitat. While the shape of the binocular field remains relatively conserved among owl species, the size varies depending on factors such as habitat density and diet.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jennifer C. Cantlay, Graham R. Martin, Stephanie C. Mcclelland, Simon Potier, Michelle F. O'Brien, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Alexander L. Bond, Steven J. Portugal
Summary: The wide variation in visual field configuration in avian species is primarily influenced by foraging ecology, with minimal influence from phylogenetic relatedness. Foraging behaviors and body size have significant effects on binocular field characteristics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cecylia M. Watrobska, Gregoire Pasquier, Ellouise Leadbeater, Steven J. Portugal
Summary: Metabolic rate is correlated with behavioral differences, but does not affect memory, personality, and dominance in juvenile female chickens. Other unknown factors may drive behavioral variation in chicks.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie R. G. Attard, James Bowen, Steven J. Portugal
Summary: Many bird species lay colored or patterned eggs, and the diversity of eggshell patterning is achieved through pigment. The study found that the foreground color of maculated eggs has a rougher surface compared to the background color. The texture of eggshells is correlated with various life-history traits.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Lila Buckingham, Francis Daunt, Maria I. Bogdanova, Robert W. Furness, Sophie Bennett, James Duckworth, Ruth E. Dunn, Sarah Wanless, Michael P. Harris, David C. Jardine, Mark A. Newell, Robin M. Ward, Ewan D. Weston, Jonathan A. Green
Summary: The non-breeding season poses energetic challenges to birds that breed in temperate or polar regions, with implications for population dynamics. This study investigated the influence of non-breeding location on diet, behavior, and energetics in the common guillemot. The results showed that individuals from different breeding colonies exhibited distinct distribution, diet, and behavior, but had similar energy expenditure during late winter.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)