Breast Cup Research Articles

The Use of Breast Cup Immobilization in Radiation Therapy and Patient Reported Outcomes on Cosmesis and Pain

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> Breast cosmesis and pain are among the most reported outcomes in patients undergoing breast irradiation. There is variability in the degree of adverse reactions based on different patient specific characteristics. It has been found that women with large body habitus, African American race, and larger breast size tend to have an increased chance of experiencing worse toxicity from treatment. Attempts to improve cosmesis and pain have been highly explored. We explore here whether the use of a breast cup for treatment leads to worse cosmesis and pain when compared to those treated without a breast cup. This is an important topic as it is felt that the use of a breast cup would provide a significant dosimetric advantage (i.e., organ at risk dosing) during treatment. We now explore this treatment option through a retrospective analysis of patient reported outcomes experienced during and after completing post-operative radiation therapy to the breast. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> 645 patients undergoing adjuvant breast irradiation were evaluated from 2011 through 2019. 79 patients were treated using a breast cup. Mean heart dose was analyzed and compared between the two treatment groups and was found to be comparable in each arm. Additionally, patient reported outcomes among the entire cohort were collected via survey documentation forms during treatment, at 1 month post treatment, and at 1 year after treatment. These results were collected using the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium (MROQC) database as each patient was consented to enroll in MROQC prior to starting treatment. The outcomes of skin changes, lymphedema, and breast pain among the two treatment groups were then compared for statistically significant differences via a logistic regression analysis. <h3>Results</h3> Patients were evaluated at 3 time points; during treatment, 1-month post-treatment and at 1 year after treatment. Of the 79 patients treated with a breast cup, when compared to the no cup patients, grade 2 pruritus and grade 1 alteration in skin texture were not significantly different at any time point (p > 0.05). With regards to lymphedema, no statistically significant difference was seen between the two groups of patients outside of the 1 month after treatment survey time point; all p values greater than 0.05 except for the 1-month mark (p value 0.03). Lastly, breast pain survey remarks at the pre-specified time points failed to show a significant difference in the symptom between the two analyzed treatment groups (p> 0.05). <h3>Conclusion</h3> From our patient's perspective, the use of a breast cup during radiation therapy did not negatively impact breast cosmesis or pain when compared to patients treated without a cup. Breast cup use was also found to produce similar dosimetric coverage to the heart as non-cup patients, even in left sided breast cancers.

Role of Kushmand Paak in treating Male Infertility

ABSTRACT:&#x0D; Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Ayurvedic herbal drug combination as a good and effective ability treatment on sperm production without any side effects on prolonged use.&#x0D; Materials &amp; methods: It was a self-control clinical trial study. In this study, we enrolled 40 patients having complaints of infertility. of age 25-40 years married for not less than 3 years. All these participants were advised to take 30 g of Kushmand Pak after mid meals with a cup of warm milk for 3 months. Sperm count, semen color, viscosity, and state were recorded before starting the treatment and after 3 months of completion of treatment.&#x0D; Results: It was observed that ‘Kushmand Pak’ was accepted by all with no complaints about any side effects. Viable, active, and morphologically perfect sperm count was also increased to a significant level.&#x0D; Conclusion: Kushmand Pak can be used to improve sperm count without any side effects on prolonged use.&#x0D; Keywords: Male infertility, herbal drugs, Kushmand Pak

Breast Shielding Combined With an Optimized Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography Pregnancy Protocol: A Special Use-Case for Shielding?

To determine the impact of breast shields on breast dose and image quality when combined with a low-dose computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) protocol for pregnancy. A low-dose CTPA protocol, with and without breast shields, was evaluated by anthropomorphic phantom and 20 prospectively recruited pregnant participants from January to October 2019. Thermoluminescent dosimeters measured surface and absorbed breast dose in the phantom and surface breast dose in participants. The Monte-Carlo method estimated the absorbed breast dose in participants. Image quality was assessed quantitatively by regions of interest analysis and subjectively by the Likert scale. Doses and image quality for CTPA alone were compared with CTPA with breast shields. Mean surface and absorbed breast dose for CTPA alone were 1.3±0.4 and 2.8±1.5mGy in participants, and 1.5±0.7 and 1.6±0.6mGy in the phantom. Shielding reduced surface breast dose to 0.5±0.3 and 0.7±0.2mGy in the phantom (66%) and study participants (48%), respectively. Absorbed breast dose reduced to 0.9±0.5mGy (46%) in the phantom.Noise increased with breast shields at lower kV settings (80 to 100kV) in the phantom; however, in study participants there was no significant difference between shield and no-shield groups for main pulmonary artery noise (no-shield: 34±9.8, shield: 36.3±7.2, P =0.56), SNR (no-shield: 11.2±3.7, shield: 10.8±2.6, P =0.74) or contrast-to-noise ratio (no-shield: 10.0±3.3, shield: 9.3±2.4, P =0.6). Median subjective image quality scores were comparable (no-shield: 4.0, interquartile range: 3.5 to 4.4, shield: 4.3, interquartile range: 4.0 to 4.5). Combining low-dose CTPA with breast shields confers additional breast-dose savings without impacting image quality and yields breast doses approaching those of low-dose scintigraphy, suggesting breast shields play a role in protocol optimization for select groups.

Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath

Gunn told me once that he had gone on a picnic on Primrose Hill with Ted and Sylvia. What was she like? She seemed a very good mother, Thom said, recalling the picnic basket she had prepared, adding that famous people never seemed to behave characteristically when he met them. Although neither Gunn nor Plath could have known it, they would come to have something deeply personal in common. Gunn's mother was a suicide who left her body for her children (in her case, two teenage sons) to find in the morning. His poem about it is called “The Gas-Poker.”Readers may ask whether we do not already know enough about Sylvia and Ted. The bite mark on his cheek where she drew blood the night they met, the cup of warm milk set out for her toddlers to find with her body in the morning. This detail—the cup of warm milk cooled to frigid temperatures during a night that was one of the coldest on record locally—is, for me, the hardest to forgive. But Clark, drawing on a vast reservoir of evidence and anecdote amassed over years, is able to construct a more nuanced impression of Plath than we have had before. There are missteps, as when Clark complains of Plath's “popular, clichéd image as the Marilyn Monroe of the literati.” No one who has ever heard the breathy voice of Monroe singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” and compared it to the plummy, matronly, decidedly upper-class voice Plath cultivated for the BBC can believe that any such cliché exists. Plath mythologized her own life, but Clark succeeds in weaving a tight fabric of minutiae that permits the reader to see what Plath was doing at almost any hour of any particular day. In this steady neutral light, she becomes more fully human.

Mastopexy using de-epithelialised dermoglandular flaps: a case series for maximal volume conservation following breast implants removal

Aims and objectiveRemoval of implants without replacement is often requested, and the procedure is more commonly performed today than ever before. However, the resultant loss of body image, secondary to the loss of breast volume, is not an outcome, that a patient is looking forward to. There is a lack of information on the options available to the patients following explantation. This case series presents an option of breast volume preservation and reshaping during mastopexy after breast implant removal that can be offered to selected patients. In the current case series, de-epithelialised dermoglandular flap mastopexy was used as an autologous tissue for breast reshaping and remodelling.Material and methodsSince 2015, ten patients were selected for de-epithelialised dermoglandular mastopexy using wise pattern or vertical scar. Surgery was performed under general anaesthesia as a day case. A vertically oriented bipedicular dermoglandular flap was used for vertical scar mastopexy in two patients, and eight patients had Wise pattern incisions. Of these eight patients, four had superomedial and four had inferiorly based flaps for dermoglandular mastopexy and closure. All patients had a preoperative cup size D or larger.ResultsAll patients had adequate results with an acceptable breast cup size. There was no skin breakdown, nipple loss, haematoma or infection.ConclusionDe-epithelialised dermoglandular flap mastopexy is a safe procedure and can be used as an option in selected patients.Level of EvidenceIV.

Patient Self-reported Breast Cup Size and Resultant Mastectomy Specimen Weight: Implications for Reconstructive Breast Surgery.

Background:Breast cup sizing irregularities exist due to discrepancy between garment manufacturers and patient reported measurements making it difficult to assess true preoperative and definitive postoperative breast cup size. This study aims to evaluate the association between patient self-reported breast cup size and mastectomy specimen weight as a way to determine postreconstruction breast cup size.Methods:This is a retrospective study that evaluated patients who underwent bilateral mastectomy at an academic center between 2019–2021. Cup size and mastectomy weight were our only independent and dependent variables, respectively. Covariates that were assessed included chest circumference, surgical oncologist, BMI, race, and age.Results:243 patients were evaluated as a part of this study who underwent either total-simple (TS; 29), skin-sparing (SS; 146), or nipple-sparing (NS; 68) bilateral mastectomy. There were positively weak correlations using nonparametric correlation analysis for breast cup size to mastectomy weight in patients who underwent TS (r = 0.375; p = 0.004), SS (r = 0.353; p <0.001), and NS (r = 0.246; p = 0.004) mastectomy. The multivariate linear regression for TS (R2=0.520; p < 0.001), SS (R2=0.573; p < 0.001) and NS (R2=0.396; p < 0.001) mastectomy were significant. Covariates assessed in the regression showed BMI significant for all types, age for TS type, and SS type for breast surgeon and chest circumference.Conclusions:There is a positively weak correlation between preoperative breast cup size and mastectomy weight, providing evidence for the difficulty of estimating postoperative breast cup size. Thus, the conversation with the patient should focus on breast appearance and quality of life rather than postreconstruction breast size.

Dual-Layer Rotation: A Versatile Therapeutic Mammoplasty Technique

BackgroundMultifocal or complex breast lesions are a challenge for breast-conserving surgery, particularly surgery in small breasts or those located in the upper inner quadrant. The dual-layer rotation technique exploits the idea of manipulating the skin and glandular tissue in separate layers to fill the resection cavity via vertical mammoplasty if skin excision is not required, except in the central area.MethodsThe authors performed a retrospective review of consecutive breast cancer patients who underwent DLR mammoplasty between 2017 and 2019 at a single institution. Clinical data, reoperations, surgical complications, delays in adjuvant treatments, and the need for late revisional surgery were evaluated. Aesthetic outcomes were evaluated objectively and subjectively from photographs.ResultsThe study included 46 breasts of 40 patients. Tumors were located in the UIQ (30%, 14/46) or in multiple quadrants (22%, 10/46). One third (33%, 13/40) of the patients had a small breast cup size (A–B). Negative margins were primarily achieved in 45 of the 46 breasts. Major complications occurred in three patients, who needed reoperation, and adjuvant therapy was delayed for one of these patients. Late refinement surgery was needed for two patients. The objective and subjective aesthetic outcomes were good or excellent regardless of the tumor position.ConclusionAs a novel oncoplastic approach, DLR mammoplasty offers a one-step procedure to treat selected breast cancer patients with challenging resection defects due to different breast sizes or lesion locations. The technique preserves the breast’s natural appearance.

Development of fully fashioned knitted spacer fabric bra cup: one-step production from yarn

Sustainability is one of the main concerns in the textile industry. To address this issue, three-dimensional spacer fabric bra cups are developed by using fully fashioned knitting to reduce the production of waste. Five bra cups with different types of surface yarn and shapes are proposed. The physical and compression properties of the bra cups, degree of support and subjective sensation of the resultant bra prototypes are then evaluated and compared with a conventional daily wear bra with foam cups. The results show that the proposed bra cups could provide a compression strength and support comparable to those of foam bra cups but with air resistance decreased from 0.32 kPa･sec/m to<0.23 kPa･sec/m. The spacer fabric knitted bra cups made of double strands of surface yarn can exert significantly higher bra-skin interfacial pressure (p < 0.05) and reduce 9% of relative nipple displacement than that made of single strands of yarn. The different cup shapes show differences in perceived breast stability, gap between the breast and bra cup and thermal sensation. The outcomes show the feasibility of producing bra cups from yarn in one step and provide a reference for future development of sustainable intimate apparel.

Epidemiology, Environmental Risks, Virulence, and Resistance Determinants of Klebsiella pneumoniae From Dairy Cows in Hubei, China.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is an opportunistic pathogen, which causes serious infections in humans and animals. To investigate the antimicrobial resistance pattern and virulence profile of K. pneumoniae, a total of 887 samples were collected from both the healthy and mastitis cows and the bedding, feed, feces, air, drinking water, spraying water, washing water, and milk cup swabs from five dairy farms in Hubei, China, during 2019 and 2020. K. pneumoniae was isolated and identified using PCR of the khe and 16S rDNA sequencing. A genotypic characterization was performed for K. pneumoniae isolates using wzi typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial resistances were confirmed using broth microdilution against 17 antimicrobial agents and resistance and virulence genes were determined by PCR. The prevalence of K. pneumoniae was 26.94% (239/887) distributed in 101 wzi allele types (199/239, 83.26%) and 100 sequence types (STs) (209/239, 87.45%), including 5 new wzi allele type and 25 new STs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that K. pneumoniae isolated from milk, nipple swab, feed, and feces is classified in the same clone complex. By comparing with the PubMLST database, at least 67 STs have the risk of spreading in different species and regions. Interestingly, 60 STs have been isolated from humans. The isolates were highly sensitive to meropenem and colistin, but resistant to ampicillin (100%), sulfisoxazole (94.56%), cephalothin (47.28%), streptomycin (30.13%), and so on. Noteworthy, multidrug-resistant (MDR) rate was found to be 43.93% in this study. By PCR, 30 of 68 antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes were identified; the prevalence rate of blaTEM, blaSHV, strA, strB, aadA1, and aac(6′)-Ib-cr was more than 50%. Eleven CTX-M-producing K. pneumoniae were found. The detection rate of fimH, mrkD, uge, wabG, entB, iutA, iroN, and ureA was over 85%. This study reinforces the epidemiological importance of K. pneumoniae in food-producing animals in Hubei. The emergence and spread of environmental MDR K. pneumoniae may pose a potential threat to food safety and public health.

Anterior intercostal artery perforator flap for immediate reconstruction following breast conservation surgery.

Oncoplastic breast surgery following breast conservation surgery (BCS) utilizes aesthetic breast reduction techniques, and these reconstructions entail either volume displacement or volume replacement depending on the size and location of the excised tumor. The anterior Intercostal flap (AICAP) for immediate reconstruction after BCS is scarcely described in the literature. In this study, we present our experience with the Anterior Intercoastal Artery Perforator flap in 16 patients with small breast sizes. Sixteen patients underwent lumpectomy followed by immediate reconstruction with Anterior ICAP flap between 2019 and 2021 at Hadassah University Hospital. Median age was 49 (range 28-67). Breast cup size, lumpectomy to breast size ration, defect measurements and location are provided. Flap design and flap in-setting was planned and executed according to the size and location of the defect determined at the time of surgery. Surgical technique is described. Diagram of proposed reconstruction according to defect location is proposed. Flap dimensions clinically matched the defect size or were slightly larger due to anticipated shrinkage of tissue post radiation with mean of 5.4×3.9×3.75cm (range of 2.5-13×2-13.2×0.8-4.5cm). Complications, namely one seroma and one mild infection, were seen in two patients. Median follow up was 3months after completion of radiation. All reconstructions were satisfactory by both surgeon and patient at last post-operative follow-up visit. The anterior ICAP flap is an important addition to the armamentarium of immediate reconstruction options after BCS, particularly in patients smaller size breast sizes.

Nipple delay prior to nipple-sparing mastectomy: the protective effect on nipple-areola complex ischaemia

BackgroundNipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has become increasingly popular over the past decade, offering perceived superior cosmetic outcomes and psychological benefits. The main concern in NSM is that of nipple-areola complex (NAC) ischaemia, occurring in up to 15% of cases. We investigate the utility of nipple delay (ND) in protecting the NAC from ischaemic complications. MethodsA retrospective study of all NSM for a single surgeon from 2010 to 2020 was performed, with those not receiving a prior ND procedure included as a control arm. Variables were recorded, including time to mastectomy from delay, degree of breast ptosis, cup size, mastectomy weight, previous radiotherapy, and presence of ischaemic risk factors. Outcomes recorded were the development of NAC ischaemia, graded from epidermolysis to partial or full-thickness necrosis (FTN). ResultsA total of 62 women for a total of 84 breasts were part of the delay cohort. Ten (12%) breasts in the delay group developed ischaemic complications, with only five breasts developing FTN requiring debridement. Moreover, 33 women for a total of 43 breasts were part of the non-delay cohort. A total of 14 (33%) breasts in the non-delay cohort developed ischaemic complications, with six breasts developing FTN requiring debridement. Delay was protective against ischaemic complications with an OR 0.28 (p=0.007). Mastectomy weight of >600 g and >400 g predicted the development of ischaemic complications in the delay and non-delay cohorts, respectively. ConclusionND was shown to protect against the development of ischaemic complications prior to NSM, with the greatest protective effects shown in those with morphologically large breasts.

X-ray protective materials from barium sulfate/amorphous cellulose/natural rubber composites

In this study, barium sulfate/amorphous cellulose (Ba/AC) was incorporated into natural rubber to produce X-ray shielding materials. Ba/AC was prepared by in-situ regeneration of amorphous cellulose from eucalyptus pulp and office waste paper with barium chloride. The shielding sheets were prepared by mixing vulcanized natural rubber with Ba/AC using both office waste paper (NR-W) and purified eucalyptus pulp (NR-E) and were compared to barium sulfate powder (NR-P) used as a conventional material. NR-W and NR-E exhibited a predominant attenuation property compared to that of NR-P. The amorphous cellulose surrounded by barium sulfate is essential in distributing and reducing the aggregation of barium sulfate particles. This behavior results in most incident X-ray beams being effectively absorbed. Subsequently, prototypes were fabricated using NR-W and NR-E with a thickness of 0.25-mm Pb in accordance with the quality standards of medical diagnostic X-ray machines in Thailand. The head, thyroid, and breast shields were produced to protect from direct X-ray beams. Additionally, a lab coat was prepared to block scattered beams. Finally, the fabricated X-ray shielding prototypes are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and nontoxic.

The relevance of breast motions and gaits in running exercises

The control of breast motions is a critical indicator to evaluate the comfort and function of sports bras. If the breast motions can be predicted based on the gait parameters detected by wearable sensors, it will more economical and convenient to evaluate the bras. Thirteen unmarried Chinese females with a breast cup of 75B were recruited in this study to investigate the regularity of breast motions and the relevance between breast motions and gaits during running exercises. The breast motion indicator is the distance alteration of breast regions. The gaits were described by the rotation angles of the hip, knee, ankle joints, and the foot height off the ground. Firstly, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were utilized to analyze the motion diversity among the eight breast regions. Then, the gray correlation analysis was applied to explore the relevance between breast motions and gaits. Finally, the back-propagation neural network, the genetic algorithm, and the particle swarm optimization algorithm were utilized to construct the prediction models for breast motions based on gait parameters. The results demonstrate that the same breast regions on the bilateral breasts and the different breast regions on the ipsilateral breasts present a significant motion diversity. There is a moderate correlation between breast motions and gait parameters, and the back-propagation neural network optimized by the particle swarm optimization algorithm performs better in breast motion prediction, which has a coefficient of determination of 84.58% and a mean absolute error of 0.2108.

Recommended dairy intake is associated with healthy dietary habits, better physical fitness, less obesity and a healthier lifestyle profile in school age children.

This study aimed to identify the association of recommended dairy intake with several dietary habits, obesity, physical fitness (PF), physical activity (PA), screen time and sleep. Population data were derived from a health survey on a representative sample of 177091 children aged 8-17 years. Dairy intake and dietary habits were evaluated using questionnaires (KIDMED index). Participants were characterised as 'dairy products consumers' based on whether they met current recommendations for milk or dairy consumption (e.g. if they consumed two yogurts and/or 40 g cheese and a cup of milk daily). Participants who did not consume the above-mentioned quantities were characterised as 'non-consumers.' Anthropometric and PF data were obtained by trained investigators. PA status, screen time and sleeping habits were assessed through self-completed questionnaires. Boys and girls consuming recommended dairy products were 25 % (95 % CI: 0·71, 0·79) and 43 % (95 % CI: 0·51, 0·64) less likely to have low performances in cardiorespiratory fitness tests, Participants from both sexes classified as dairy products consumers had lower odds of central obesity by 10 % (95 % CI: 0·86, 0·95), as compared with non-consumers. Moreover, recommended dairy products consumers had lower odds for insufficient sleep by 8 % (95 % CI: 0·89, 0·96) in boys and 14 % (95 % CI: 0·83-0·90) in girls, for inadequate PA levels by 15 % (95 % CI: 0·77, 0·93) in boys and 16 % (95 % CI: 0·76, 0·90) in girls and for increased screen time by 11 % (95 % CI: 0·83, 0·95) in boys and 9 % (95 % CI: 0·85, 0·97) in girls than no-consumers. In conclusion, recommended dairy intake is associated with less obesity, better PF and a healthier lifestyle profile.

EFFICIENCY OF BREAST SHIELDING DEVICE IN OUT-OF-PLANE COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING OF THE ABDOMEN - PRELIMINARY RESULTS.

The dose absorbed by sensitive breast glandular tissue in abdominal computed tomography examinations, even when the breasts are outside the primary imaging beam, is still significant. Several studies have explored using breast shielding with a protective lead sheet or a bra. Since the source of radiation in computed tomography rotates by 360° around the patient, we made a custom-tailored shielding device that wraps around the entire thorax. The hypothesis is that such a custom-tailored breast shielding device provides significantly better dose reduction. Study participants were female patients with no anatomic anomalies. Entrance surface doses were measured using thermoluminescence dosimeters placed on the skin of the breast in the control group without shielding and on the surface and below the shielding device in the group with anterior shielding and the group with the new device. As expected, according to literature data, doses measured at breast level were above the threshold that epidemiological studies determine as an increased risk of breast cancer development although they were not in the primary imaging plane. Preliminary results of our study showed that average dose reduction was 42% with conventional anterior shielding and 57% with wrapped shielding compared to the doses measured with no shielding.

Camel milk consumption patterns and perceptions in the UAE: a cross-sectional study.

Camel milk has been consumed for centuries due to its medicinal and healing properties. The present study aims to investigate the consumption patterns of camel milk and perceived benefits and risks among adults in the United Arab Emirates. A self-administered online questionnaire was developed in English and Arabic languages and was completed online by 852 adults. Socio-demographic characteristics, camel milk consumption patterns and perceived knowledge of the benefits and risks of camel milk were investigated. About 60 % of the participants have tried drinking camel milk, but only a quarter (25⋅1 %) were regular consumers. The most consumed camel milk products after fresh milk were yoghurt and flavoured milk. The most popular additions to camel milk were honey, turmeric and sugar. Most consumers had less than one cup of camel milk per day (57⋅0 %). Camel milk consumers preferred it over other types of milk due to its nutritional value (66⋅4 %) and medicinal properties (39⋅3 %). Among consumers, 58⋅4 % reported consuming unpasteurised camel milk. Reasons included the belief that it is fresher (87⋅2 %), better for the immune system (41⋅6 %), and higher in nutrients (39⋅2 %). Overall, participants had inadequate knowledge about the health benefits of camel milk (7⋅11 ± 5⋅3 out of 25). Males and camel milk consumers had a significantly higher knowledge about the health benefits of camel milk compared to females and non-consumers (P < 0⋅05). Although positive perceptions were common, misperceptions appear to be prevalent among non-consumers. Consuming unpasteurised camel milk is a major public health concern, thus national regulations are essential.

Breast hypertrophy, forward head posture, neck and shoulder pain-related disabilities and selected anthropometrics variables of female undergraduate students

Introduction and aim. Large breast sizes frequently contribute to women presenting with severe pain symptoms. This study determined the association between breast hypertrophy, forward head posture (FHP), neck and shoulder pain related disabilities and selected anthropometric variables of female undergraduate students of College of Medicine, University of Lagos. Material and methods. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 89 female undergraduate students (mean age = 21.45±1.29 years) with breast hypertrophy (cup size D and above). Breast cup sizes, neck and shoulder pain related disabilities, forward head posture were measured using a measuring tape, neck pain disability scale, shoulder pain disability index and craniovertebral angle (CVA) using photography method. Results. The prevalence of forward head posture among the participants was 43(48.3%). Twenty-eight (31.3%) participants had a “DD” cup size, twenty-six (29.2%) participants had a “DDD” cup size. Sixty-five (73%) of the participants had neck pain related disabilities and 10 (11.2%) of the participants had shoulder pain related disabilities. There was association among weight, forward head posture (p=0.027) and breast hypertrophy (p=0.016). Conclusion. Neck, shoulder pain related disabilities, and forward head posture is prevalent among undergraduates with breast hypertrophy and weight has an influence on forward posture and breast hypertrophy.

Impact of Eye and Breast Shielding on Organ Doses During Cervical Spine Radiography: Design and Validation of MIRD Computational Phantom.

Purpose: The study aimed to design and validate computational phantoms (MIRD) using the MCNPX code to assess the impact of shielding on organ doses.Method: To validate the optimized phantom, the obtained results were compared with experimental results. The validation of the optimized MIRD phantom was provided by using the results of a previous anthropomorphic phantom study. MIRD phantom was designed by considering the parameters used in the anthropomorphic phantom study. A test simulation was performed to compare the dose reduction percentages (%) between the experimental anthropomorphic phantom study and the MCNPX-MIRD phantom. The simulation was performed twice, with and without shielding materials, using the same number and locations of the detector.Results: The absorbed dose amounts were directly extracted from the required organ and tissue cell parts of output files. Dose reduction percentages between the simulation with shielding and simulation without shielding were compared. The highest dose reduction was noted in the thymus (95%) and breasts (88%). The obtained dose reduction percentages between the anthropomorphic phantom study and the MCNPX-MIRD phantom were highly consistent and correlated values with experimental anthropomorphic data. Both methods showed Relative Difference (%) ranges between 0.88 and 2.22. Moreover, the MCNPX-MIRD optimized phantom provides detailed dose analysis for target and non-target organs and can be used to assess the efficiency of shielding in radiological examination.Conclusion: Shielding breasts and eyes during cervical radiography reduced the radiation dose to many organs. The decision to not shield patients should be based on research evidence as this approach does not apply to all cases.

Milk and dairy consumption is positively associated with height in adolescents: results from the Israeli National Youth Health and Nutrition Survey.

Milk consumption is associated with increased height primarily in early childhood. However, in adolescents, data are scarce with inconsistent results. Since height is a proxy for overall health and well-being, this study evaluated the association of dairy intake with height in adolescents. Students in 7th-12th grades, participating in the 2015-2016 Israeli Health and Nutrition Youth Survey, a school-based cross-sectional study, completed self-administered questionnaires, including a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (n = 3529, 48% males, 15.2 ± 1.6years). Anthropometric measurements were also performed. Dairy servings were calculated as the calcium equivalent of 1 cup of milk, and consumption was divided into four categories from very low (< 1serving/day) to high (3 + servings/day). BMI- and Height-for-age z scores (HAZs) were calculated according to WHO growth standard; relatively short stature (RSS) was defined as HAZ < - 0.7 SD (< 25th percentile). Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of dairy intake with HAZ and prevalence of RSS, respectively. Median consumption of dairy products was 2 servings/day, 1.4 from unsweetened products (milk, cheese and yogurt). Controlling for age, sex, BMI-z-score and socioeconomic status, each increment of unsweetened dairy intake was associated with on average 0.04 higher HAZ (equivalent to 0.3-0.4cm, p < 0.05), and with reduced risk for RSS: OR 0.90, 95%CI: 0.84, 0.97, p < 0.01. No such associations were found with sweetened dairy products. Consumption of unsweetened dairy products (3-4 servings/day) appears to contribute to achieving growth potential in adolescents. Intervention studies are necessary to determine the causal relationship between dairy intake and linear growth.

Animal Source Food Social and Behavior Change Communication Intervention Among Girinka Livestock Transfer Beneficiaries in Rwanda: A Cluster Randomized Evaluation.

Animal source foods (ASFs), including cow's milk, contain essential nutrients and contribute to a healthy diet, but frequency of intake is low among children in low- and middle-income countries. We hypothesized that an ASF social and behavior change communication (SBCC) intervention implemented by community health workers (CHWs) would increase child milk consumption and dietary diversity in households that received a cow from the Government of Rwanda's Girinka livestock transfer program. We tested the 9-month SBCC intervention among children aged 12-29 months at baseline in administrative cells randomly assigned to the intervention or control. Most mothers in the intervention group were exposed to CHWs' home visits (90.7%) or community-level activities (82.8%). At endline, more mothers in the intervention group compared with the control group knew that cow's milk was an ASF (90.1% vs. 81.7%, P=.03) and could be introduced to children at 12 months (41.7% vs. 18.7%, P<.001). More mothers in the intervention group compared with the control group knew they should feed their children ASFs (76.2% vs. 62.1%, P=.01) and give them 1 cup of cow's milk per day (20.6% vs. 7.8%, P<.001). Children's consumption of fresh cow's milk 2 or more times per week increased in the intervention group, although not significantly (8.0 percentage points, P=.17); minimum dietary diversity was unchanged. Children in the intervention group had increased odds of consuming cow's milk 2 or more times per week if their mothers recalled hearing that children should drink 1 cup of cow's milk per day during a CHW's home visit [odds ratio (OR) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.1, 3.9)] or a community activity [OR 2.0, 95% CI (1.2, 3.5)]. Approximately half of the children had no milk during the past week because their households produced too little or sold what was produced. In poor households receiving a livestock transfer, strategies to further tailor SBCC and increase cow's milk production may be needed to achieve larger increases in children's frequency of milk consumption.