Anatomical, phenological and genetic aspects of the host-parasite relationship between (Hymenoptera) and (Strepsiptera).

is an endoparasite of the mining bee with extreme sexual dimorphism and hypermetamorphosis. Its population structure, parasitization mode, genetic diversity and impact on host morphology were examined in nesting sites in Germany to better understand this highly specialized host–parasite interaction. The shift in host emergence due to stylopization was proven to be especially strong in .

The association between weight, height, and head circumference reconsidered.

Background: Under normal nutritional and health conditions, body height, weight and head circumference are significantly related. We hypothesize that the apparent general association between weight, height, and head circumference of the growing child might be misleading.

Methods: We reanalyzed data of 7,444 boys and 7,375 girls measured in East-Germany between 1986 and 1990, aged from 0 to 7 y with measurements of body length/height, leg length, sitting height, biacromial shoulder breadth, thoracic breadth, thoracic depth, thoracic circumference, body weight, head volume, percentage of body fat, and hip skinfold vertical, using principal component analysis.

Body measurements and the variability of sitting postures at preschool age as preconditions for an optimal adjustment of chairs and tables.

Preschool age is a biological stage of intensive longitudinal growth with high plasticity of the growing body and of body postures. It is the period where children learn to persist in a sitting posture for a longer time and to use furniture like chairs or other body supporting systems. The growing body shows a special sensitivity for the manifestation of inappropriate postures.

Sexual dimorphism from birth to age 60 in relation to the type of body shape.

Sexual dimorphism depends on age. It can be analysed within a population by a comparison of sex-specific body measurements based on cross-sectional samples. We analysed four length measurements, three circumferences, and one skinfold diameter of a representative cross-sectional sample of healthy German subjects aged 0 to 65 years.

Patterns of sexual dimorphism from birth to senescence.

Sexual dimorphism is expressed as median of the female values in percent of the median of the male values, of 4 length measurements, 3 circumferences, and 5 measurements of corpulence respectively fat. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of more than 41.000 German subjects, aged from birth to age 62.