Actual Weight Research Articles

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Children and Adolescents with Obesity or Overweight: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Four glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have been used in children and adolescents with obesity or overweight. This network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of these regimens. Embase, PubMed, and Scopus were searched on March 2023 and updated in June 2024 for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary efficacy outcomes were mean difference in actual body weight, BMI (body mass index), BMI z score, and waist circumference. Safety outcomes included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, injection-site reaction, and hypoglycemia. Eleven RCTs with 953 participants were eligible. Semaglutide exhibited greater effects in reducing weight, BMI, and BMI z score versus the placebo. Semaglutide was associated with greater weight loss and BMI z score reduction in comparison with exenatide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide. Semaglutide also significantly decreased BMI than exenatide. None of the four GLP-1 RAs were associated with higher risks of diarrhea, headache, and abdominal pain versus the placebo. Liraglutide was more likely to cause nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, and injection-site reactions than the placebo. Liraglutide also had higher odds of causing injection-site reactions than other GLP-1 RAs. Semaglutide appeared to be the most effective and safe option among four GLP-1 RAs in children and adolescents with obesity or overweight.

Therapeutic Enoxaparin Dosing in Obesity.

This review aims to systematically summarize the available data on efficacy and safety of therapeutic enoxaparin in obese patients and to identify gaps to guide future research. Medline and Embase were systematically searched for eligible studies (last searched December 20, 2023). Studies were included if they reported on therapeutic dosing regimens, adverse bleeding, thrombotic outcomes, or antifactor Xa (AFXa) monitoring in obese adult patients. The systematic review management tool Covidence was used to manage the study selection and data extraction process. The reference list from eligible studies was screened to determine any additional eligible studies. Sixteen studies were included in the analysis. Studies used a variety of doses, indications, and study designs making comparison difficult. Twelve studies reported the incidence of thrombotic events (median = 1.3% [interquartile range [IQR] = 0.3%-2.3%]) and all studies reported the incidence of bleeding events (median = 5.7% [IQR = 2.4%-14.5%]). Two of the 8 studies analyzing the influence of weight/body mass index (BMI) or dose per kg on AFXa levels reported statistically significant results. One study concluded that BMI did not affect achievement of target AFXa levels. However, the second study found that dosing using actual body weight was an independent predictor of supratherapeutic AFXa levels in the obese population. This is the first comprehensive review with a focus on therapeutic dosing of enoxaparin in obesity and has been conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Seven of the included studies were published since 2018 indicating that new evidence on this topic is emerging. There was inadequate evidence to support an optimal dosing strategy in obese patients due to the heterogeneity of the studies. The AFXa monitoring may be appropriate to guide dosing in this population. Further research is required to determine a suitable dosing regimen.

Comprehensive deep learning-based assessment of living liver donor CT angiography: from vascular segmentation to volumetric analysis.

Precise preoperative assessment of liver vasculature and volume in living donor liver transplantation is essential for donor safety and recipient surgery. Traditional manual segmentation methods are being supplemented by deep learning (DL) models, which may offer more consistent and efficient volumetric evaluations. This study analyzed living liver donors from Samsung Medical Center using preoperative CT angiography data between April 2022 and February 2023. A DL-based 3D residual U-Net model was developed and trained on segmented CT images to calculate the liver volume and segment vasculature, with its performance compared to traditional manual segmentation by surgeons and actual graft weight. The DL model achieved high concordance with manual methods, exhibiting Dice Similarity Coefficients of 0.94±0.01 for the right lobe and 0.91±0.02 for the left lobe. The liver volume estimates by DL model closely matched those of surgeons, with a mean discrepancy of 9.18mL, and correlated more strongly with actual graft weights (R-squared value of 0.76 compared to 0.68 for surgeons). The DL model demonstrates potential as a reliable tool for enhancing preoperative planning in liver transplantation, offering consistency and efficiency in volumetric assessment. Further validation is required to establish its generalizability across various clinical settings and imaging protocols.

Morphometric Analysis of Placenta and Fetal Doppler Indices in Normal and High-Risk Pregnancies.

Background High-risk pregnancies, encompassing pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia toxemia (PET), and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), represent intricate medical challenges with potential repercussions for maternal and fetal health. This research undertakes a comprehensive comparative investigation into the variations of Doppler indices and placental parameters within the context of these high-risk conditions when juxtaposed against pregnancies characterized as normal. Methodology Employing a rigorous cross-sectional study design, a diverse cohort of pregnant individuals with gestational diabetes, IUGR, PIH, and preeclampsia was meticulously assembled. Additionally, a group of normal pregnant women served as the comparative reference. Doppler ultrasound assessments, viz, pulsatility index (PI), were carefully performed to estimate blood flow velocities within critical maternal and fetal vessels, while placental parameters were meticulously quantified, encompassing dimensions, vascular architecture, and morphological features. Results Except in the GDM group, all high-risk groups had reduced estimated placental weight and actual birth weight than normal pregnant women. All high-risk groups showed a highly significant elevation of the PI of the umbilical artery and PI of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) than normal but the PI of MCA was significantly reduced in the PET group than in normal individuals. The cerebro-placental ratio in the GDM and IUGR groups revealed markedly greater values, whereas PET showed lower values. IUGR and PIH groups showed a substantial reduction in the fetal birth weight. All high-risk groups (GDM, IUGR, PIH, and PET) showed a highly significant reduction in luminal area umbilical artery 1 than the normal pregnant women. In IUGR, marginal placental insertion was very high, followed by GDM and PET groups. Conclusions This study reveals that Doppler indices, placental parameters, newborn weight, and their related ratios may beutilizedto anticipate gestation difficulties and gain insight into the pathophysiology of problematic conceptions.

The model of decision support system using hybrid method and actual weighting for the study program ranking

Nowadays the good or bad study program can be seen from the accreditation rank that it obtains from the institution of college accreditation. However, it is frequently found at college that there are some study programs that have the same accreditation. This encourages the college to do another approach which can do this study program ranking from a different point of view. This research developed a model of decision support system to do ranking towards 25 study programs existed in the environment of Sriwijaya State Polytechnic. Hybrid method employed the combination of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and simple additive weighting (SAW) to do the ranking. Actual weighting model was used in the calculation based on the fact obtained in each study program, and in line with the criteria which had been determined. As many as 7 relevant criteria and 21 sub criteria were used in this model. The results of this research showed that the model which had been developed can give recommendation in the form of study program ranking with actual condition based on the data attached to each study program.

Improved cut weight predictions from DEXA scans of lamb carcasses enables more accurate allocation of cuts to processing plans

The value of precise dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) cut weight predictions to lamb allocation to cut plans is unknown. Lambs (n = 191) varying in carcase weight (HSCW) and GR (tissue depth over the 12th rib) were DEXA scanned and boned out to weigh retail cuts. Cut weights were predicted using HSCW; HSCW + GR; HSCW + DEXA and HSCW + DEXA image components in GLM models. DEXA improved cut weight predictions in most cuts (P < 0.05). A dataset of 10,000 carcases was then simulated using the associations between HSCW, GR and cut weights, before being truncated to 4500 lambs representing onel day's HSCW distribution. A lamb Carcase Optimisation Tool scenario was developed with 2–3 cut options per carcase section and cut weight thresholds applied to several cuts. Processing costs, market values and actual cut weights were input into the Optimiser to determine carcase allocation to cut options for optimised profits. This scenario was repeated using the predicted cut weights to determine the cut misallocations caused. DEXA-predicted cut weights produced 16.7% and 8.0% less misallocations than HSCW and GR. DEXA produced 20.8% and 14.3% less misallocations than HSCW and GR in shortloins, and 25.5% and 12.9% less in hindquarters. While cut misallocations have little direct impact on total profits, as product is over and under-valued when misallocated, reducing cut misallocations will improve processor compliance when sorting carcases into cut plans- reducing their need to retrim, downgrade and repackage product or the erosion of customer confidence caused by supplying product not meeting market specifications.

Physical Activity and Obesity - Underlying Mechanisms, Practical Actions

Individuals with obesity who undergo surgical or pharmacological therapies achieve good results in terms of weight and cardiometabolic risk reduction. It is not uncommon for those affected to equate the extent of weight loss achieved, with long-term treatment success. What is overlooked is that, in addition to obesity, significant weight loss also carries a risk of sarcopenia. Sarcopenic obesity and sarcopenia, in turn, increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Physical activity has the potential to counteract cardiometabolic disease risk caused by obesity and sarcopenia. The underlying mechanism is contained in the endocrine organ skeletal muscle. The production and release of myokines in particular counteracts sarcopenic obesity and its complications. Physical activity is required to initiate myokine production. Endurance and strength training proves to be an effective training combination. In order to achieve a sustainable cardiometabolic risk reduction, the objectives and timing of physical activity should therefore be divided into two phases, a preparatory phase and an actual weight loss phase.

Fetal weight estimation before delivery: comparison of ultrasound and Dare`s clinical assessment

Fetal weight assessment is a standardized component of both prenatal care and labor management. In addition, it is important for managing high-risk pregnancies and monitoring fetal growth. During childbirth it is important to accurately determine the weight of the fetus. Assessment of fetal weight has been included in the standard routine antenatal examination performed in high-risk pregnancies and deliveries for the past ten years.Scientific publications present data on the accuracy of fetal weight assessment methods based on ultrasound and clinical examinations, known as the Dare’s method.The objective: to compare the accuracy of fetal weight determination using ultrasound examination and the Dare’s fetal weight maneuver in developing countries and peripheral centers.Materials and methods. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Mosul obstetric hospital and outpatient clinic from March 2020 to January 2022. The study included 340 pregnant women with a gestational age of 35–42 weeks.All included pregnant women were over 18 years of age and expected to give birth in 7 days. Fetal weight was assessed using ultrasonography examination and the clinical Dare’s method. Both results were compared with the actual weight of the infant after birth.Results. All participants underwent Dare’s clinical examination and ultrasound examination, and their predicted fetal weight was compared with actual fetal weight. The mean value and standard deviation of the estimated fetal weight was 3154.22±552.31 g when assessed by the Dare’s method and 3238.76±495.28 g – by ultrasound examination, and the actual average birth weight of the infants was 3114.44± 582.59 g (P=0.07).Conclusions. The results of the study indicate that in conditions of lack of access to ultrasound examination for the purpose of assessing the weight of the fetus in medical institutions, the Dare’s method is acceptable.

Machine Learning Analysis of Enhanced Biodegradable Phoenix dactylifera L./HDPE Composite Thermograms.

Worldwide, environmental groups and policymakers are focusing on waste recycling to create economic value and on the decomposition of waste by leveraging on scarce resources. This work, therefore, explores the thermal decomposition of enhanced biodegradable polymer matrices made from a mixture of discarded Phoenix dactylifera L./high-density polyethylene (PD/HDPE) using the machine learning analysis of experimental data. The experimental results of these samples were obtained via thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis under an oxidation-free environment, with heating rates of 10, 20, and 40 °C·min-1 and a degradation temperature range from 25 to 600 °C. The TGA analyses revealed the continued dependence of the actual percentage weight loss by these materials as a test function of the degradation temperature, shifting thermograms to temperature maxima consistent with increasing heating rates. Although high-density polyethylene (HDPE) materials were found to be thermally more stable than Phoenix dactylifera L. (PD) materials, PD/HDPE composite materials contained a significant amount of residual ash. Using a machine learning deep neural network approach for this process, significantly improved learning algorithms have been developed, which reduces the overall cost function (residual error) to almost zero (0.025) after just over a million iterations (epochs) and provides predictions that overlap with the experimental results (R2~1). Learning algorithms, along with optimized synaptic weights and biases, were employed to predict the behaviour of PD materials based on experimental thermograms conducted at higher degradation temperatures, typically ranging between 600 and 1000 °C. Predicted data using the enhanced learning algorithms completely overlapped the experiments (R2~1) for these higher degradation temperatures with near unity correlation if the decomposition of the materials continued until the residue was attained. With this approach, it is possible to predict and optimize the thermal characteristics of PD and HDPE with greater efficiency, which reduces the need for multiple design iterations and experimentation.

To Determine the Accuracy and Reliability of Broselow Tape in Comparison with Actual Weight and Advance Pediatric Life Support Formula Weight Assessment among the Pediatric Population Presenting to Emergency Department of a Low Income Setting

Background: Near precise weight assessment among sick pediatric patients remains a dilemma and conventionally accepted weight assessment methods, in busy ED might be inaccurate or unreliable. Children have different weights at different ages, and accurate/precise weight measurement is of utmost importance for weight-related dose calculation of drugs/fluids, equipment sizes, an accurate dose of electrical currents during cardiac shock, etc. Several weight estimation methods are available and are dependent on the child's age, length, or both. However, length or length-and-age-based methods may have greater accuracy than merely age-based, still precise weight measurement while children are recumbent (length) has its own challenges. Objective: We determined the accuracy and reliability of BT by comparing it with actual weight and advanced pediatric life support formula (APLS) among the pediatric population presenting to the emergency department. Methods: This was a single-center, cross-sectional study design. This study was conducted at pediatric emergency of an urban tertiary care hospital after ethics committee approval and written consent from parents/caregivers during July 2021- June 22. Pediatric patients aged 1 month to 12 years, weight 3-36 kg, and height 46.5-142.5 cm on BT were included. Actual weight was measured on a standard weighing machine. We use Broselow pediatric emergency tape (2017 edition), APLS formula was also used to measure the estimated weight by using the age provided by parents. Descriptive analysis, mean and standard deviation were calculated, frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Cronbach’s alpha and Passing-Bablok regression analysis was applied to assess the reliability and identify systematic biases between actual body weights with estimated BT. Bland–Altman analysis was also performed to measure the precision, accuracy, and bias. Results: 250 children were included with equal gender distribution and were divided in to three categories as per the weight estimation by BT in to &lt;10 kg (n=58, 23.2%), 10-18 kg (n=151, 60.4%) and &gt;18 kg (n=41, 16.4%). The mean age was 5.26 (±2.37) years, majority of children were below 5 years of age (n=144, 58%). Positive agreement between BT weight with actual weight and other formulas in weight category of &lt;10 kg, however as weight increases from 10 kg, onward results are not significant. Passing and Bablok Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the estimated and actual (AW) body weight (r=0.9280, p&lt;0.001) and accuracy (r2=0.929), and the accuracy of BT weight decreases with the increasing weight of children. Similarly, 95% agreement limit and mean biased was 0.465 to 1.113 and 0.789±2.602 between BT and APLS, BT with AW was -0.50 to -0.28 and -0.39±0.885. Comparing and correlating weight assessment of APLS formula vs LF and TF didn't show significance with a p-value of 0.041 and 0.034 respectively. Bland-Altman plot between BT measurement with AW demonstrates a bias equal to 1.096 kg with a limit of 0.870 to 1.815. Conclusion: BT may be an accurate and time bound method of weight measurement as compared to other methods of weight estimation, however the accuracy of BT may be adversely affected with age exceeding 95 months and weight &gt;26 kg. BT may be safely used in the younger pediatric population. Health care professionals may consider this information while using BT to estimate weight for pediatric resuscitation, however, this is a single center hospital based study with limited cases, we recommend to have a large scale community based study or a census before to generalize these results to general population.

Tidal volume selection in volume-controlled ventilation guided by driving pressure versus actual body weight in healthy anesthetized and mechanically ventilated dogs: A randomized crossover trial

ObjectiveTo compare static compliance of the respiratory system (CstRS) and the ratio of partial pressure of end-tidal to arterial carbon dioxide (Pe′CO2/PaCO2), in healthy dogs using two approaches for tidal volume (VT) selection during volume-controlled ventilation: body mass based and driving pressure (ΔPaw) guided. Study designRandomized, nonblinded, crossover, clinical trial. AnimalsA total of 19 client-owned dogs anesthetized for castration and ovariohysterectomy. MethodsAfter a stable 10 minute baseline, each dog was mechanically ventilated with a VT selection strategy, randomized to a constant VT of 15 mL kg–1 of actual body mass (VTBW) or ΔPaw-guided VT (VTΔP) of 7–8 cmH2O. Both strategies used an inspiratory time of 1 second, 20% end-inspiratory pause, 4 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure and fraction of inspired oxygen of 0.4. Respiratory frequency was adjusted to maintain Pe′CO2 between 35 and 40 mmHg. Respiratory mechanics, arterial blood gases and Pe′CO2/PaCO2 were assessed. Continuous variables are presented as mean ± SD or median (interquartile range; quartiles 1–3), depending on distribution, and compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. ResultsThe VT was significantly higher in dogs ventilated with VTΔP than with VTBW strategy (17.20 ± 4.04 versus 15.03 ± 0.60 mL kg–1, p = 0.036). CstRS was significantly higher with VTΔP than with VTBW strategy [2.47 (1.86–2.86) versus 2.25 (1.79–2.58) mL cmH2O−1 kg–1, p = 0.011]. There were no differences in Pe′CO2/PaCO2 between VTΔP and VTBW strategies (0.94 ± 0.06 versus 0.92 ± 0.06, p = 0.094). No discernible difference in ΔPaw was noted between the strategies. Conclusions and clinical relevanceWhile no apparent difference was observed in the Pe′CO2/PaCO2 between the VT selection strategies employed, CstRS significantly increased during the VTΔP approach. A future trial should explore if VTΔP improves perioperative gas exchange and prevents lung damage.

Fewer Feedback Opportunities and Health Perception of Gastric Cancer Survivors: Opportunities for Patient Education.

This study aimed to estimate the impact of having fewer opportunities for patient education on health perception of gastric cancer survivors by examining quality-of-life (QoL) responses from patients who had been away for chemotherapy for a year. The full-surveillance (FullSV) group was comprised of gastric cancer survivors with stage I cancer who completed preoperative and postoperative 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month surveillances. The returning (RTN) group was comprised of 1-year survivors of stage II cancer who had been away for chemotherapy for a year. Surveillance periods were utilized to provide patient education about expected postoperative weight changes. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL questionnaires were used to assess QoL. The study included a total of 278 patients (243 in the FullSV group and 35 in the RTN group). The baseline QoL was not significantly different between the groups. Significant differences in postoperative QoL were revealed by some scales (global health status/QoL, physical functioning, fatigue, financial difficulties, anxiety, dry mouth, and body image), all in favor of the FullSV group. Despite no significant difference in their actual weight changes, stronger weight dissatisfaction was revealed among the RTN group. Patients with fewer educational inputs for postoperative adjustment of weight perception were the ones with stronger dissatisfaction about current weight. The health perception of cancer survivors is under the constant influence of clinician feedback during patient education. For the best cancer survivorship care, sufficient opportunities for adjustment of health perception through patient education need to be ensured.

Formulation and evaluation of bioadhesive suppository dosage form

The current study aims to formulate and evaluate a dosage form for bio-adhesive suppositories. Using CB and HPKS (CE and SS) as suppository bases, optimized manufacturing techniques successfully made suppositories containing bio-adhesive polymers (CBP, PVP, HPMC, and CMCTS). Analyzing dosage forms is crucial to determining the quality of a product. The suppositories produced in this investigation had good weight consistency, with minimal variation (±1%) between the goal and actual weight. All formulations showed melting values between 32.5 and 35.5 degrees Celsius, while the melting points of suppositories made with CE and SS were 1-2 degrees Celsius greater than those of CB suppositories. Incorporating bio-adhesive polymers did not cause a substantial change in the suppositories' melting point (less than ± 1 °C), keeping it around body temperature and appropriate for rectal administration. More than 95% of the required DcNa content was present in every formulation tested. All formulations, however, had softening durations of three to seven minutes, which was suitable for rectal medication delivery. The physical characteristics of the suppositories this chapter looked at were determined to be appropriate for administration by the rectal route. Compared to CB suppositories, HPKS suppositories have an additional benefit due to their longer softening time and melting point of 34.5 ± 1 °C.

Estimation of fetal weight at term by clinical and sonographic assessment and its correlation with the birth weight – A prospective cohort study in a tertiary care hospital

Estimation of fetal weight is necessary to decide on the time and route of delivery. Different clinical and ultrasound methods for estimating fetal weight are followed by different institutions. Antenatal assessment of fetal weight is necessary to achieve better feto-maternal outcomes. The objectives of this study were: (a) fetal weight estimation by ultrasound (Hadlock’s formula) and clinical methods (Johnson’s formula and Dare’s formula) and (b) to compare them with the actual weight of the baby after birth. A prospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care centre at Puducherry, India including all singleton, term pregnant women with vertex presentation, normal AFI and BMI &amp;#60;35 kg/m who delivered within the next 48 hours of assessment. The agreement between the different methods of fetal weight estimation and actual birth weight were calculated using intraclass correlation coefficient. Bland and Altman plot was done to identify the intervals of agreements. A total of 400 term antenatal women with age range of 17 to 44 years participated in the study. Intraclass correlation coefficient for Johnson’s formula was 0.816, Dare’s formula was 0.672 and Hadlock’s formula was 0.912. All the three methods had statistically significant correlation with the actual birth weight. Ultrasound estimation of fetal weight is the best out of the three methods and it correlated well with the actual birth weight. Johnson’s formula also gave results close to actual birth weight. With a correlation coefficient comparable to that of ultrasound estimation, Johnson’s formula can be used in low resource settings where ultrasound facilities are not available.

Medically Tailored Meals for Patients With Cirrhosis and Hepatic Encephalopathy: The BRAINFOOD Proof-of-concept Trial

Background and AimsGuidelines recommend that patients with Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE) receive a high-protein diet (roughly 1 g/kg actual body weight). Concommitant sodium restriction, low health literacy, and food insecurity limit patients’ ability to meet this goal. We aimed to determine the feasibility of home-delivered high protein medically tailored meals (MTM) for patients with a recent episode of overt HE. MethodWe enrolled patients with prior overt HE on active HE therapy in a 6 month trial of MTM. All received 12 weeks of 21 home-delivered meals/week with protein snacks (mid-day and bedtime). Patients completed follow-up at week 24. The primary outcome was feasibility. Additional outcomes included change in protein and micronutrient intake (measured using 24-hour dietary recalls performed by dieticians), cognitive function (animal naming test, ANT; encephalapp stroop), physical function (liver frailty index, LFI), and quality of life (SF-8). Healthcare utilization was also assessed. Results10 patients competed the study with >90% of MTM consumed. Protein intake rose from 74.6+25.1g at baseline to 93.8+24.3g on MTM (p=0.04). Branched-chain amino acids also increased – valine 3.73+1.26g to 5.17+1.28, isoleucine 3.32+1.18 to 4.69+1.55, leucine 5.83+2.00 to 7.49+2.07, all p<0.001. LFI improved from 4.42±0.32 to 3.96±0.82 by the end of the MTM phase (p=0.03). SF-8 quality of life scores improved from 55.5±15.5 at baseline to 64.7±18.3 after the MTM phase, to 64.4±19.1 at the end of the study (p=0.1). EncephalApp-Stroop time improved from 227±94 to 194±58s by the end of the MTM phase (p=0.08). ANT scores were similarly non-significantly improved. ConclusionHome delivered MTM are feasible, increase protein consumption, and may improve patient well-being. A randomized trial is needed.

Prediction of Expected Fetal Weight From Fetal Limb Soft Tissue Measurements [ID 2683393

INTRODUCTION: This study was to investigate a combination of new formulas that predict birth weight in full-term pregnancy by measuring the thickness of the humerus soft tissue and femur soft tissue in fetuses using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. METHODS: There were a total of 110 mothers and newborns who were hospitalized with selective cesarean section, induced delivery, or natural delivery between April 2019 and August 2021. We retrospectively investigated fetal biometric parameters (BPD, HC, AC, FL, partial arm volume [Avol], and partial thigh volume [Tvol]), as measured by 4D View 9.0 and GE Healthcare Ultrasound while the mother was admitted to the delivery ward before delivery. The study was approved by the ethics board of the National Medical Center (NMC-2022-03-026). RESULTS: Among the several combinations that showed the expected weight, the weight predicted by AC/BPD/Tvol gave the strongest correlation (0.780) with the actual weight of the newborn, with an error rate of 6.4%. In boys, among the several combinations indicating the predicted body weight, AC/Avol/BPD had the highest correlation coefficient with the actual body weight (0.791), with an error rate of 5.0%. In girls, among several combinations, AC/Tvol/BPD had the highest correlation coefficient with actual body weight (0.878), with an error rate of 5.3%. CONCLUSION: The fetal weight predicted using Tvol and Avol measured using 3D ultrasound as parameters had a lower error rate for birth weight than the predicted weight measured by conventional 2D ultrasound. The parameters highly correlated with birth weight; however, differences were seen between the sexes.

Enhancing instance segmentation: Leveraging multiscale feature fusion and attention mechanisms for automated fish weight estimation

The accurate estimation of fish weight relies on the crucial parameter of individual fish contour features. While instance segmentation proves effective in extracting fish contours, challenges arise from diverse fish postures and reduced image sharpness underwater. Current instance segmentation methods often struggle to effectively balance global and local detailed features, which can result in inaccurate positioning of contour keypoints and consequently limit the accuracy of fish weight estimation. To overcome this, our study introduces a novel instance segmentation network tailored for precise fish contour extraction. The proposed approach incorporates multi-scale feature fusion and an attention mechanism based on the Segmenting Objects by Locations (SOLO) network, referred to as SOLO-MFFA. This paper designs a multi-scale context aggregation module to integrate features with a wider range of receptive fields, augmenting the model's capability to comprehend both local features and global information. At the same time, the introduction of a mixed-domain attention mechanism emphasizes more critical channel features and simultaneously improves the localization accuracy of contour points. Compared with SOLO and its improved model CAM-SOLO on the fish instance segmentation dataset, SOLO-MFFA demonstrated an effective improvement, with a 4.3% and 1.6% increase in mAP (mean Average Precision), respectively. The Decoupled-SOLO-MFFA achieved higher mAP. The visualization results also demonstrate that the contour features extracted in this paper are smoother and more accurately positioned. Additionally, in comparison to other well-known instance segmentation networks, our method has demonstrated significant improvements in both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Furthermore, the integration of contour features derived from Decoupled-SOLO-MFFA, along with binocular vision, was utilized for the precise estimation of fish perimeter and weight. The findings reveal a strong correlation between the perimeter calculated by Decoupled-SOLO-MFFA and the actual weight, with a notably reduced error in weight estimation. Compared to previous methods, RMSE, MAE, and MAPE of the linear model constructed in this paper decreased by 3.92, 3.19, and 1.4%.

Automated Evaluation of Ellipsoid Zone At-Risk Burden for Detection of Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy.

Screening for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy is crucial to detecting early disease. A novel machine-learning-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarker, Ellipsoid Zone (EZ) At-Risk, can quantitatively measure EZ alterations and at-risk areas for progressive EZ loss in a fully automated fashion. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the EZ At-Risk burden in eyes with HCQ toxicity to eyes without toxicity. IRB-approved image analysis study of 83 subjects on HCQ and 44 age-matched normal subjects. SD-OCT images were reviewed for evidence of HCQ retinopathy. A ML-based, fully automatic measurement of the percentage of the macular area with EZ At-Risk was performed. The mean age for HCQ subjects was 67.1 ± 13.2 years and 64.2 ± 14.3 years for normal subjects. The mean EZ At-Risk macular burden in the "toxic" group (n = 38) was significantly higher (10.7%) compared to the "non-toxic" group (n = 45; 2.2%; p = 0.023) and the "normal" group (1.4%; p = 0.012). Additionally, the amount of EZ At-Risk burden was significantly correlated with the HCQ dose based on the actual (p = 0.016) and ideal body weight (p = 0.033). The novel biomarker EZ-At Risk was significantly higher in subjects with evidence of HCQ retinopathy as well as significantly associated with HCQ dose. This novel biomarker should be further evaluated as a potential screening tool for subjects on HCQ.

Sustainable Coating Materials: Exploring the Influence of Adjuvants on Kaolinite Suspension with Insights from Five Local Mining Clays.

Herein, we presented a comprehensive case study on the kaolin suspension derived from mining powder, with a specific emphasis on its mineral constituents within the size range of 2-5 μm and its suitability in spray applications. We have systematically investigated the influence of adjuvants, existing in both organic molecules and polymers, on the sedimentation behavior of clay suspensions. The investigations included the analysis of turbidity, dispersion weight, pH, and surface charge as key parameters. Our findings revealed that the specific presence of PEG-PPG-PEG, PAA, and PSAMA had a notable effect on delaying the suspension of sedimentation by the actual sediment weight as well as enhancing the uniformity of clay coating by the reflection efficiency of coating materials in PPFD units. To enhance sustainability in coating materials, it was essential to elucidate the optimal amounts of adjuvants and the pH levels as they are closely related to the efficacy of tree-coated spraying and soil conditions.

Exploring Symphysio-Fundal Height and Abdominal Girth in Predicting Fetal Weight: Lessons from Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Estimating fetal weight plays a crucial role in decision-making, particularly in high-risk pregnancies when determining the timing and method of delivery. In resource-limited settings where ultrasound availability is limited, Symphysio-Fundal Height and Abdominal Girth (clinical method) have been utilized as a substitute for predicting fetal weight. However, the accuracy of this clinical method has not been assessed locally. This study seeks to evaluate the precision of clinical method in estimating fetal weight and its correlation with the actual birth weight at Bugando Medical Centre. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Lake Zone area of Tanzania at Bugando Medical Centre. The study conveniently enrolled 400 mothers with singleton pregnancies who were admitted for normal vaginal delivery, elective cesarean section, or induction of labor. Fetal weight was estimated using clinical methods and compared with the birth weight at delivery. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20, employing descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, and standard deviation. The relationship between estimated fetal weight, and birth weight were examined using the Chi-square and Pearson's correlation coefficient. A P-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study participants had an average age of 29.13 years (± 5.346). Our analysis revealed that the mean estimated fetal weight slightly exceeded the actual birth weight, with values of 3495 grams and 3250 grams, respectively. Notably, this difference was statistically significant with a P-value &lt; 0.001, indicating the clinical method's tendency to overestimate fetal weight. Furthermore, the clinical method showed a strong positive correlation with actual birth weight (correlation coefficient = 0.7309, p-value &lt; 0.001), demonstrating its reliability in fetal weight estimation. The positive linear correlation between clinical fetal weight ...........