Species limits in the Elegant Pitta (Pitta elegans) complex from Wallacea based on bioacoustic and morphometric analysis

Background:The Elegant Pitta(Pitta elegans)complex displays a remarkable diversity of morphological and bioacoustic traits across five taxa currently recognized as subspecies.They differ in plumage characteristics(such as red versus black belly patches;supercilium color and extent;and white versus black throats),in lifestyle(resident versus migratory)and in vocalizations.We investigated the morphological,bioacoustic and ecological differences across all taxa after recent studies demostrated the importance of these traits in recognizing biological species limits across pittas.Methods:Morphometric analysis was carried out by measuring tarsus,wing,tail and bill lengths of 15 specimens at the Natural History Museum,UK,and plumages were inspected across 106 unique individuals from four different repositories.Bioacoustic analysis was based on 134 range-wide sound recordings.Two types of calls,territorial calls and alarm calls,were analyzed using different sets of parameters.Principal component analysis and the Isler Criterion were applied to the measurements.Playback trials were conducted to explore the levels of response of each taxon to the call types of the other taxa.Results:The territorial call of concinna exhibits a distinct two-element motif,while elegans,maria and virginalis utter a three-element motif in which the first two elements are given in quick succession.On the other hand,vigorsii,produces both two-element and three-element motifs with longer breaks in between elements.As further corroborated by the playback trials,the three taxa elegans,virginalis and maria form a tight vocal cluster,whereas each concinna and vigorsii are distinct.The alarm call turned out to be less diagnostic even though most taxa did roughly separate into different vocal clusters.Morphometric analysis failed to produce strong differences,but plumage distinctions among multiple taxa are pronounced.Conclusions:We suggest splitting the Elegant Pitta into three biological species based on bioacoustic and—less so—plumage evidence:(1)Temminck’s Elegant Pitta P.elegans(including subspecies elegans,virginalis and maria),(2)Wallace’s Elegant Pitta P.concinna(monotypic),and(3)Banda Elegant Pitta P.vigorsii(monotypic).

Morphometric analysis of sand fly(Diptera:Psychodidae:Phlebotominae), Sergentomyia anodontis Quate and Fairchild, 1961, populations in caves of southern Thailand

Objective:To determine the morphological characteristics of variations in populations of female adult sand fly,Sergentomyia anodontis Quate and Fairchild,1961 in caves in southern Thailand using morphometric analysis.Methods:A total of 107 female Sergentomyia anodontis were isolated from 651 sand flies captured by CDC light traps overnight in caves in Surat Thani,Nakhon Si Thammarat,Satun and Songkhla provinces from February to December 2017.Measurement of 23 external and internal morphological characteristics was conducted.Data were tested with preliminary statistics(Kolmogorov-Smirnov test,Levene’s test and Box’s test of equality of covariance matrices)and by one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test.Measurements were analyzed using canonical discriminant analysis.Results:There were 11 morphological characteristics with high variability while two characteristics exhibited low variation.The sand fly populations from Nakhon Si Thammarat,Satun and Songkhla provinces were very similar but were separate from that in Surat Thani province based on canonical discriminant analysis data.This indicates that the morphological variation founding is a result of the diversity of habitats in each population and the geographic features of caves in each area,such as their altitude above sea level.Conclusions:There is a certain variation in the morphology of Sergentomyia anodontis sand flies at the population level which may be used for future classification of sand flies.

Analysis of Morphometric Parameters and Radioactive Characteristics Using Remote Sensing Data and GIS Techniques in the Wadi Wizr Basin Area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how modern technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) and digital elevation models can help in the creation of a geographic database for the Wadi Wizr basin in Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert, in addition to examining and analysing the radioactive properties of various rocks. This was accomplished with the help of a digital elevation model (DEM) with a 30 metre accuracy and GIS software in 10.8 Arc Map. The RS-230 was also used to measure uranium and thorium concentrations. GIS softwares and digital elevation models have been shown to be more effective than the traditional method. This was demonstrated by the flexible and quick working method, the accuracy of the parameters used, and the results of the morphometric analysis of the basin river network. In addition to, the main drainage pattern from subtype to tree type, where the branching ratio was (1.59). This basin could also cause flooding. Similar studies, according to the results of this study, should make greater use of geographic information system technology and modern data sources. Wadi Wizr also has a radioactive anomaly, with uranium equivalent concentrations reaching 70 ppm in some fault parts.

Watershed Prioritization of Palar Sub-watershed Based on the Morphometric and Land Use Analysis

Morphometric analysis is an indispensable tool for hydrological investigation that involves the development and management of drainage basin. This study characterizes the micro watersheds in the Palar sub-watershed using morphometric analysis and assesses its risk by land use and land cover features in a particular micro watershed. Palar sub-watershed is divided into 6 micro watersheds for prioritization based on morphometric and land use analysis. Several morphometric parameters （linear, shape and relief） are determined from the drainage map; ranks are assigned based on their capacity to induce erodability and degradation. Final ranking is based on the composite index calculated from the sum of the ranks of each morphometric parameter. Morphometric analysis reveals micro watersheds 5 and 6 as most susceptible and 2 and 3 as low susceptible. Land use is mapped using IRS ID LISS III satellite data. The risk in terms of watershed degradation involved to each micro watershed is based on the ranks of each land use feature, obtained from a similar composite index as that of morphometric analysis. Land use analysis shows that micro watersheds 2 and 4 fall under high priority category while 5 and 6 under low priority category. Integration of the morphometric and land use analysis shows that only microwatershed 1 falls under the same category in both analyses. Control measures are suggested to contain degradation depending on its specific land use pattern and morphometric features. This study ean be used to prepare a comprehensive watershed plan for the development or for planning resource conservation strategies, by integrating land use features with the drainage characteristics of the region, in particular for a hill ecosystem as the prioritization is at micro level.

Morphometric analysis and fluorescent microsatellite markers to evaluate the genetic diversity of five populations of Penaeus japonicus in China

To understand the current status of germplasm resources of Penaeus japonicus,in this study,genetic diversity was analyzed based on morphometric analysis and fluorescent microsatellite markers.For morphometric analysis,the cumulative ratios of the PC1 and PC2(85.90%)were greater than 75%,which can explain the morphological variation among populations.For microsatellite analysis,the allele number in 10 microsatellite loci ranged from 27 to 53,and the effective allele number ranged from 21 to 42.The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.463 to 0.983,whereas expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.932 to 0.966,and the average polymorphism information content was 0.947,which indicated a high level of genetic diversity.The unbiased genetic distance among populations ranged from 0.230 to 0.431,and the genetic similarity coefficient ranged from 0.654 to 0.782.Analysis of molecular variance(AMOVA)showed that the genetic variation within individuals was the main source of variation,accounting for 88.55%,and only 1.49%of the genetic variation came from among populations.

The Biodiversity of Shrimp Genus Artemia from Russian Lakes:Morphometric,Cytogenetics and DNA-analysis

Shrimps of genus Artemia are the inhabitants of continental and marine waters with salinity of 70 to 350 g/l and above.Artemia is able to survive in the conditions in which other animals cannot exist.This is due to adaptations:effective osmoregulation system,the ability to synthesize of respiratory pigment(hemoglobin)and diapauses cysts(Litvinenko at.al.,2009).Cysts of this

MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SPINOUS CELL IN ORAL SUBMUCOUS FIBROSIS COMPARISON WITH NORMAL MUCOSA, LEUKOPLAKIA AND SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

The morphometric analysis of the spinous cell in 16 specimens of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) was made by using interactive image analysis system (IBAS-II). 19 parameters of the size and shape were chosen, and compared with normal mucosa, leukoplakia, dysplasia and carcinoma. The results indicated that the cell dimensions (area, perimeter, all kinds of diameter) and nuclear cytoplasmic ratio in OSF were between normal mucosa and dysplasia as well as carcinoma. The former showed a progressive decrease (P<0.01), and the latter showed a progressive increase (P<0.01). The dimensions of the nuclei did not show considerable differences among the groups (P>0.05). A series of discriminant functions had been developed with stepwise discriminant analysis, the agreement ratio for OSF was 93.75%. The decrease of cell area and the increase of nuclear cytoplasmic ratio could reflect a malignant progress. The cell morphometric model could discriminate OSF well from other groups, suggesting that the change of the epith

Morphometric and Change Detection Analysis for Prioritization of Sub Basin Conservation, Case Study of Taita Hills

The study is aimed at analyzing the risk of Taita Hills region of harmful runoff and soil erosion by employing morphometric analysis and change detection in a GIS environment to prioritize the Taita Hills in Taita Taveta County. The objective of the study was to characterize and give hierarchy in which the region should be conserved. The methodology adopted hydrological modeling, morphometric computation, Weighted Sum Analysis (WSA) and change detection. Hydrological modeling was vital in delineating the sub-watersheds and stream network. Morphometric computation and WSA was applicable in coming up with parameters and weighting the parameters for each sub-watershed’s prioritization. Change detection is related to how human activity is important for conservation as the effect of land forms and dimensions are compounded. Twenty-one fourth order streamed sub-watersheds were generated and prioritized using morphometry and change detection. Every sub-watershed is given a hierarchy based on the calculated compound parameter from the WSA equation developed and shows the risk of runoff and soil erosion. The morphometric prioritization shows 47% of the watersheds are in the high and very highly susceptible areas and there are two sub-watersheds with the highest land cover change. As well six sub-watersheds are risky with both land cover change and morphometry.

The Nuclear Morphometric Analysis and its Clinical Value in Esophageal Cancer

The nuclear area (A)and nuclear roundness factor (NRF) of epithelial cells of 42 esophageal cancers and 10 normal esophagus’s were measured by morphometry and the results were compared with the extent of the tumor

Watershed prioritization for conservation planning using RUSLE and morphometric methods,Northwestern Ethiopia

Soil erosion and the subsequent sedimentation are serious environmental problems.Improper land management coupled with intense rainfall has complicated the problem in the Ethiopian highlands.Consequently,soil loss costs a profound amount of the national GDP and deters land productivity.Quantifying soil loss and prioritizing areas for conservation is imperative for proper planning and resource management.Therefore,this study aimed at estimating the mean annual soil loss rate of Gilgel Abay watershed which has critical implications on Lake Tana and Abbay River(Upper Blue Nile River),using RUSLE and morphometric analysis methods.Datasets including rainfall,soil,Digital Elevation Model and land use/land cover were used to generate important parameters required for the soil loss estimation.Data collected through field observation,consultation with experts and document analysis were used for validation purposes.The results of the study reveal that the watershed experienced an average soil loss rate of 39.8 t ha^(-1)yr^(-1).Subsequently,nearly 25%(37,038 ha)of the watershed is threatened by moderate to very severe soil loss.Among the four sub watersheds,sub watershed 3(S3)and sub watershed 4(S4),which consist of about 65%(105,000 ha)of the total area of the study watershed,experienced an annual soil loss rate of over 30 t ha^(-1)yr^(-1).The amount of soil loss that the study watershed has experienced is above the soil loss tolerance level of Ethiopia(2-18 t ha^(-1)yr^(-1))and the tropical region(10 t ha^(-1)yr^(-1)).Similarly,the results of morphometric analysis showed that the studied watershed has S-shaped hypsometric curve,an indication for maturity stage of landscape development.The studied watershed is also characterized by a non-circular shaped drainage with rugged and dissected topography that contributes to high flash flood,peak discharge and incidence of soil loss.The result of both models signified that S3 and S4 are highly susceptible to soil erosion.Therefore,these two sub watersheds need priority for soil and water conservation(SWC)measures.Furthermore,the study demonstrated the importance of the integration of different models in the identification of soil erosion prone areas and prioritization for the proper implementation of SWC measures.

Evaluation of periglacial landforms and formation of soil properties on the Mount Honaz,SW Türkiye

The main aim of this study is to explain periglacial processes on the summits of Mount Honaz(2571 m a.s.l.),define periglacial landforms,and determine the relationships between morphometric features and topographic factors.Mud circles,stony earth circles,non sorted steps,and non sorted stripes were identified on the summits of Mount Honaz.Pearson's correlation coefficient(r)and linear regression analyses were performed by taking metric measurements from 125 periglacial landforms to describe their morphometric features(length,width,height)of periglacial landforms and explain the relationships between them and topographic factors(elevation,slope).To explain the relationships between periglacial landforms and soil properties,soil samples from 11 periglacial landforms were taken and analysed.Periglacial landforms,which continue to develop on the summits of Mount Honaz today,have been evaluated with present climate data.Analysis of soil samples indicates a notable impact of parent material on the genesis of periglacial landforms.The high ratio of organic matter in mud circle and non sorted step landforms and the high lime ratio in stony earth circle landforms prove a strong relationship between the formation mechanisms of landforms and the soil properties.Furthermore,it is consistent with the findings obtained from the analysis that severe periglacial processes and washing and scavenging events are experienced more on the northern slopes.

Relation between basin morphometric features and dynamic characteristics of debris flows——a case study in Siberia, Russia

Extreme and prolonged rainfall in the Tunka Ridge caused several debris flows in the vicinity of the Arshan village(Siberia, Russia) on June 28, 2014. These debris flows, in spite of similar geological conditions, had different velocity, peak discharge and alluvial fan volume values. The flow velocity was from 3.5 m/s to 19.6 m/s, the peak discharge ranged from 63 m3/s to 13566 m3/s, and the alluvial fan volume varied from 4.13×103 to 8.45×105 m3. Such a great range of values is due to the morphometric parameters of the debris flow basins. The article deals with the influence of morphometric parameters of debris flow basins, such as the basin area, the average slope, Melton ratio, relief ratio on the debris flow velocity, peak discharge and volume of alluvial fans. In this debris flow event the average values of slope angle and total basin relief of the debris flow basins did not affect the values of debris flow velocity, peak discharge and alluvial fan volume. The highest correlations were observed with the debris flow basin area that was connected with the water inflow volume into the debris flow basins during the rainfall. The unequal water distribution among debris flow basins also had an impact on the debris flow velocity, peak discharge and volume of alluvial fans.

Phylogenetic and morphometric relationships between two species of genus Auxis from the South China Sea and Java Sea

This study was aimed at examining the phylogenetic and morphometric relationship of frigate tuna（Auxis thazard） and bullet tuna（Auxis rochei） using mt DNA D-loop（control） region sequences and truss measurements,respectively. Maximum-likelihood（ML） tree and median-joining network showed that haplotypes from Auxis populations grouped separately. Discriminant function analyses and non-metric multidimensional scaling of morphometric data showed that bullet and frigate tuna were differed mainly with respect to truss measurements on the anterior region, suggesting adaptation to different diets available in different environments. Historic demographic analyses of sequence data showed that both bullet and frigate tuna had not undergone a significant sudden population expansion recently. Non-significant value of Tajimas＇ s D and Fu＇s F_S were indicated an effective large and stable population size for longer period of both species in South China Sea and Java Sea species. This study gives first report on the complementary relationship between morphometric and genetic analysis in stock discrimination of genus Auxis.

Morphometric Characterization of a Watershed through SRTM Data and Geoprocessing Technique

The aim of this study is to characterize the morphometry of a watershed using radar data Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) and GIS techniques. The study is conducted in the watershed of the Indaiá stream, which is located in the southwestern region of the municipality of Aquidauana, MS, Brazil and has an area of 94.6764 km2. A tributary of the Taboco River consequently enters the Pantanal lowlands. Classical morphometric parameters were calculated and specialized through spatial analysis in geographic information systems. The main results of the morphometric characterization were the variables of form factor, drainage density, coefficient of compactness, and maintenance coefficient, as well as the relief parameters found, including the hypsometry, slope, aspect and relief dissection (horizontal and vertical amplitude). The integrated analysis of the variables (morphometric and relief) concludes that the watershed has low susceptibility to flooding but that the morphology of the relief and lithological structure favors the development of erosion processes in the watershed.

Morphometric Behavior of Shahzad Watershed, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh, India: A Geospatial Approach

Morphometric parameters are an important aspect for understanding the hydrological and morphological behaviour of the watershed. The present study is carried out in the region of the Bundelkhand region (India) which is socio-economically backward and has a history of frequent drought hence studying the watershed characteristics with reference to morphometric analysis becomes important. The remote sensing and GIS technique has been utilized to mathematically quantify the parameters of the Shahzad watershed. The watershed is mainly fed by the Shahzad River (a tributary of Jamini River) flowing from south to north direction contributing the area of 1100 km2. The various morphometric aspect viz., linear, aerial, relief and morpho-tectonic parameters indicate that the watershed is elongated in shape and is slightly uplifted from the right side in the southern part. Moreover, the watershed experiences low dissection and low run-off discharge there by indicating less erosion in the area. The other factors like drainage density, drainage frequency, infiltration number and length of over land flow indicate that the watershed has high permeability and infiltration capacity. Through this study, it can be concluded that remote sensing and GIS can be fruitfully utilized in analysing the morphometric behaviour of the region. This helps the researcher, planner and stakeholders to establish the relationship between watershed characteristics, thereby resulting in watershed management and sustainable resource management.

GIS&Remote Sensing Based Morphometric Parameters and Topographic Changes of the Lower Orashi River in Niger Delta Desmond

In watershed hydrology,the morphometric features of a river basin are vital to examine the lower Orashi River basin morphological and hydrological aspects,as well as its flood potential,based on their morphometric characteristics using remotely sensed SRTM data that was analyzed with ArcGIS software.The areal,linear,and relief aspects of the Orashi River basin were examined as morphometric parameters.The lower Orashi river basin,according to the findings,has a total size of 625.61 km2 and a perimeter of 307.98 km,with a 5th order river network based on Strahler categorization and a dendritic drainage pattern.Because of low drainage density,the drainage texture is very fine,the relief is low,and the slope is very low.Bifurcation ratio,circularity ratio,drainage density aspect ratio,form factor,and stream frequency values indicate that the basin is less elongated and would produce surface runoff for a longer period,while topographic changes show that the river is decreasing with depth in the land area at about the same elevation as a result of sand deposited due to lack of maintenance by dredging,which implies that the basin is morphometrically elevated and sensitive to erosion and flooding.To understand geo-hydrological features and to plan and manage watersheds,morphometric analysis based on geographic information systems and remote sensing techniques is beneficial.

CRANIODENTAL VARIATION OF MACAQUES ( Macaca ): SIZE,FUNCTION AND PHYLOGENY

In order to analyze skull variation in the genus Macaca ,seventy seven craniodental variables were taken from eleven species.They were first defined seven functional units comprising three anatomical regions.Twenty seven variables were finally selected to carry out the morphology of the whole skull.The data,organized in these ways,were examined to discover variations between and within the various species.The methods used were Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA).PCAs of the functional units anatomical regions,and the whole skull provided similar,though not identical,separations of species clusters in both sexes separately.These differences in structure could be related to size,sexual dimorphism,diet,ecology,classification and phylogeny.The question of size should have been easy to settle.Unfortunately,this is not the case.In this study where the raw data are measurements of the specimens,the main differences should be size.However,the size differences seem to occur in both the first and second (independent) multivariate axes.In some analyses the size differences between the species are biggest and appear in the first axis.In other analyses it is the separation between the sexes (and these too are largely size) that are the biggest and appear in the first axis.Yet in other analyses,both of these size separations,though still orthogonal to one another,present in the combination of the first two axes.This certainly implies that a single axis of body size is not present and that shape differences have not been isolated form size differences.It also implies that sexual dimorphism is a complex matter.As a result,the question of the relationships between the species is therefore also complex.One cluster of species that includes M fascicularis,M sinica and M radiata was significantly isolated from all others regardless of level of analysis.This relationship is quite different from that proposed on the anatomy of the reproductive organs (Delson,1980;Fooden,1976,1980).

Current status and potential of morphometric sperm analysis

The spermatozoon is the most diverse cell type known and this diversity is considered to reflect differences in sperm function. How the diversity in sperm morphology arose during speciation and what role the different specializations play in sperm function, however, remain incompletely characterized. This work reviews the hypotheses proposed to explain sperm morphological evolution, with a focus on some aspects of sperm morphometric evaluation; the ability of morphometrics to predict sperm cryoresistance and male fertility is also discussed. For this, the evaluation of patterns of change of sperm head morphometry throughout a process, instead of the study of the morphometric characteristics of the sperm head at different stages, allows a better identification of the males with different sperm cryoconservation ability. These new approaches, together with more studies employing a greater number of individuals, are needed to obtain novel results concerning the role of sperm morphometry on sperm function. Future studies should aim at understanding the causes of sperm design diversity and the mechanisms that generate them, giving increased attention to other sperm structures besides the sperm head. The implementation of scientific and technological advances could benefit the simultaneous examination of sperm phenotype and sperm function, demonstrating that sperm morphometry could be a useful tool for sperm assessment.

Differential development and electrophysiological activity in cultured cortical neurons from the mouse and cynomolgus monkey

In vitro cultures of primary cortical neurons are widely used to investigate neuronal function.However,it has yet to be fully investigated whether there are significant differences in development and function between cultured rodent and primate cortical neurons,and whether these differences influence the utilization of cultured cortical neurons to model pathological conditions.Using in vitro culture techniques combined with immunofluorescence and electrophysiological methods,our study found that the development and maturation of primary cerebral cortical neurons from cynomolgus monkeys were slower than those from mice.We used a microelectrode array technique to compare the electrophysiological differences in cortical neurons,and found that primary cortical neurons from the mouse brain began to show electrical activity earlier than those from the cynomolgus monkey.Although cultured monkey cortical neurons developed slowly in vitro,they exhibited typical pathological features-revealed by immunofluorescent staining-when infected with adeno-associated viral vectors expressing mutant huntingtin(HTT),the Huntington’s disease protein.A quantitative analysis of the cultured monkey cortical neurons also confirmed that mutant HTT significantly reduced the length of neurites.Therefore,compared with the primary cortical neurons of mice,cultured monkey cortical neurons have longer developmental and survival times and greater sustained physiological activity,such as electrophysiological activity.Our findings also suggest that primary cynomolgus monkey neurons cultured in vitro can simulate a cell model of human neurodegenerative disease,and may be useful for investigating time-dependent neuronal death as well as treatment via neuronal regeneration.All mouse experiments and protocols were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Jinan University of China(IACUC Approval No.20200512-04)on May 12,2020.All monkey experiments were approved by the IACUC protocol(IACUC Approval No.LDACU 20190820-01)on August 23,2019 for animal management and use.

Morphodynamic development of the Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake Depression,Central Mongolia:Implications for the relationships of Faulting,Volcanic Activity,and Lake Depression Formation

Data on the origin and morphology of lake depressions caused by volcanism are scarce in Mongolia.Previous studies focused on climate change patterns based on Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake sediment.We present a result of existing reconstructions of lake depression development and changes in the hydrology system during the Khorgo volcanic activation and the Holocene environmental change.A depression of the Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake is formed by a lava flow barrier from the Khorgo volcano.However,the Khorgo volcanic eruption and the lake depression that could shape a large lake have arisen instead from a fault.The morphometric analysis and field measurements indicate that the derivation of the Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake depression and Khorgo volcano may have evolved from movement on a sinistral strike-slip fault,which is about 70 km long.The southern mountains and rivers were displaced from northwest to southeast along the Terkh Fault.The offset along Terkh Fault is 4.02-5.28 km in the depression of the Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake.After movement,a wide valley of the Terkh River developed in the present landscape.The active Khorgo Volcano formed along the Khorgo Fault.The Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake is formed by blocked water from the PaleoTerkh River after lava damming from the Khorgo Volcano.The initial paleo-lake area was about 195.7km^(2),which was three times larger than the modern lake.The current water volume of the Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake is 0.351 km^(3) while the volume of the paleo-lake was 2.248 km^(3).Based on this volume indicator the paleo-lake was 6.4 times larger than the current lake.Overflowing water from the lake depression formed the Suman River by a drying canyon through the lava plateau,but the canyon is along the Terkh Fault.Changes in the water volume of Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and erosion of Suman River canyon are inversely related to each other.We present the morphometric relationships between the lava plateau of Khorgo Volcano and development of Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake depression.