The ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, is the most common small felid in the Neotropics. This study presents the first detailed examination of ocelot hindlimb myology, with the goals of further documenting myological diversity within Felidae and identifying characters that potentially carry a higher‐level phylogenetic signal. Hindlimbs of an adult female ocelot were dissected and documented via descriptions, photographs, and muscle maps. Data on muscular anatomy were then compared to existing descriptions of felids and added to an expanded database of hindlimb myological features in Carnivora. Results confirm previous observations that the hindlimb myology of felids is homogenous, with the exception of Acinonyx. Leopardus differs from other well‐documented felids in minor features, consistent with a very recent radiation of living felids. At the familial level, Felidae, along with Canidae and Hyaenidae are well‐defined by myological apomorphies, in contrast to most other carnivoran families. This accords well with other evidence indicating that these families are separated from their closest extant relatives by comparatively long branches, leaving considerable time for the acquisition of distinctive hindlimb myological features. At the highest level, most major clades within Carnivora (Feliformia, Caniformia, Arctoidea, Musteloidea) are supported by several potential myological apomorphies each.

PURPOSE: Hemodialysis (HD) is a life-saving treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. However, it removes amino acids (AAs) from the circulation, thereby lowering plasma AA concentrations and stimulating muscle catabolism. To prevent deterioration in the nutritional status of HD patients, protein ingestion and exercise during HD are increasingly implemented in clinical practice. Nevertheless, it is not known whether these interventions modulate the removal of AAs from the circulation. METHODS: Therefore, we recruited ten ESRD patients (age: 65±16 y, BMI: 24.2±4.8 kg•m -2 ) undergoing HD to participate in this double-blind, crossover trial. During four 4-h HD sessions each patient ingested, in a randomized order, 40 g protein (PRO) or a placebo (PLA) both at rest, as well as following 30 min of intradialytic exercise (PRO+EX and PLA+EX, respectively). Blood and spent dialysate samples were collected every 30 min throughout HD to assess AA concentrations and, as such, to quantify plasma AA availability and AA removal. RESULTS: Baseline plasma AA concentrations averaged 2.93±0.40 mmol•L -1 , with no differences between interventions (P=0.66). During PLA and PLA+EX interventions, subsequent plasma AA concentrations decreased over time to 1.84±0.18 and 1.83±0.16 mmol•L -1 , respectively (time effect P<0.001), with no differences between interventions (P=0.94). Plasma AA concentrations increased following protein ingestion up to peak values of 4.40±0.45 and 4.37±0.73 mmol•L -1 during PRO and PRO+EX interventions, respectively (time effect P<0.001), with no differences between interventions (P=0.18). Accordingly, a significant effect of protein ingestion (P<0.001), but no effect of intradialytic exercise (P=0.22) was observed in AA availability during PLA, PLA+EX, PRO, and PRO+EX interventions (incremental AUC: -227±54, -208±68, 49±87, and 70±34 mmol•L -1 •240 min -1 , respectively). AA removal was greater during PRO and PRO+EX interventions (16.6±2.2 and 17.3±2.3 g, respectively) when compared to PLA and PLA+EX interventions (9.8±2.0 and 10.2±1.6 g, respectively; protein effect P<0.001; intradialytic exercise effect P=0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Removal of AAs during HD can be compensated for by protein ingestion and is not compromised by intradialytic exercise in ESRD patients.