Larger Circumference Research Articles

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIMPLE SUGAR INTAKE AND THE ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE OF PSSK STUDENTS

The abdominal circumference is dependent upon various factors, one of it is the simple sugar intake. Hence, research has been conducted in order to determine the effects of simple sugar intake on the abdominal circumference because there is an increase in people who have a large abdominal circumference in the past years, mainly due to increase in simple sugar intake. The research was conducted using a descriptive design with a cross-sectional analytical research method amongst the Medical Students of Udayana University by providing questionnaires. For the majority of the students, the simple sugar intake appears to be in the mid-range. There are 15 students, whose intake is more than the mid-range and 14 student whose intake below the mid-range. For majority of students, the abdominal circumference appears to be around the mid-range, 65.8cm to 92.8cm. There are 8 students whose abdominal circumference is more than the mid-range and another 8 students whose abdominal circumference is below the mid-range. The Pearson chi-square test value is 25.772 with an asymptotic significance 2 tailed (often referred to as “p”, short for probability) value of 0.018. Since this p-value is below 0.05, it means there is a significant or valid relationship between the two variables as expected.In conclusion, there is a significant relationship and moderate correlation between the intake of simple sugars and abdominal circumference amongst the PSSK UNUD students

OFFICE BP MEASUREMENT USING CONICAL CUFFS IN OBESE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Objective: Findings from adult studies suggest that tronco-conical cuffs should be used for accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement in obese individuals with large arm circumference (AC). The aim of the present study was to examine differences in office blood pressure (BP) levels using conical cuffs compared to standard-shaped cylindrical cuffs in obese children and adolescents. Design and method: We performed an observational study enrolling 37 obese children and adolescents consequently recruited from the outpatient clinics of the Obesity Unit at General University Hospital Consortium of Valencia. The device used for the office BP measurements was OMRON HBP-1320 (HBP-1320-E). Middle AC was measured in all participants and the appropriate cuff size was selected among five sizes of conical and three sizes of regular cylindrical cuffs. Results: Mean participants’ age was 11.8±2.5 years, mean BMI was 28.8±3.4 kg/m2, BMI z-score was 2.1 ± 0.3, and mean AC was 30.0±3.6 cm. There was no statistical significance in BP levels measured by cylindrical compared to conical cuffs (mean difference cylindrical-conical cuff was -0.22±6.55 mmHg for SBP, -0.02±0.81 for SBP z-score, -0.70±4.95 mmHg for DBP, and -0.06±0.44 for DBP z-score). The analysis was repeated after excluding participants aged <9 years old, retrieving similar results. A significant positive association was found between the measurements obtained by cylindrical and conical cuffs in both mean and z-score SBP and DBP values (p <0.001). Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement, with 94.6% of the values for all BP parameters, lying between the limits of agreement. No proportional bias was detected (p >0.05). Conclusions: The use of conical cuffs resulted in similar office BP levels in obese children and adolescents suggesting no advantage in enhancing tolerability and accuracy of office BP measurement in these patients. Although conical cuffs may be considered an alternative for office BP measurements in obese children, their reliability should be confirmed in larger populations and different settings. Acknowledgments: This abstract is based on the work of the COST Action HyperChildNET (CA19115), with the support of COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) and the Horizon 2020 Framework Program of the European Union.

Enhanced convective heat transfer in new triply periodic minimal surface structures: Numerical and experimental investigation

Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) structures are increasingly recognized for their potential in thermal management due to their unique repetitive and interconnected minimal surfaces. However, a major challenge lies in enhancing the convective heat transfer performance of TPMS structures. This study introduces new TPMS designs and evaluates their thermal characteristics against established structures such as Diamond, Gyroid, SplitP, and Lidinoid employing a combination of numerical simulations and experimental measurements. The results reveal that the newly TPMS designs significantly outperform existing ones in terms of heat transfer performance. Numerically, the new TPMS structures demonstrate improvements in the Nusselt number and convective heat transfer coefficient, ranging from 6% to 13.7% and 4.6% to 20%, surpassing Lidinoid and SplitP, and eclipsing Diamond and Gyroid by 15% to 58% and 37% to 91%, respectively. Experimentally, these findings are complemented with the newly TPMS structures showing increases in convective heat transfer coefficients up to 68% and a 57% rise in Nusselt numbers compared to the Gyroid structure. These enhancements are attributed to their larger fluid-solid contact areas and optimized fluid distribution. However, a trade-off is observed in the form of increased pressure drops in the more complex TPMS structures, particularly in structures with larger circumferences and periodicities. The study also highlights the complex dynamic flow patterns within these structures, establishing a direct link between design complexity and fluid dynamics. This interconnectedness is pivotal for future design optimizations aimed at improving thermal performance. These findings represent a significant step forward in TPMS research, paving the way for further investigations into optimizing these structures for superior heat transfer performance.

One size does not fit all: universal cuff overestimates oscillometric blood pressure in persons with large arm circumference

Objective Some brachial cuffs for oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement are claimed to cover a wide range of upper-arm circumferences; however, their validation is rarely conducted. Our aim was to compare oscillometric BP measurements obtained with a universal cuff with those obtained with an appropriately sized cuff. Methods We utilised the Microlife B6 Connect monitor, conducting oscillometric BP measurements in a random sequence with both a universal cuff (recommended for arm circumferences from 22 to 42 cm) and an appropriately sized cuff (medium for circumference 22–32 cm and large for 32–42 cm). We included 91 individuals with an arm circumference of 22–32 cm and 64 individuals with an arm circumference of 32–42 cm. Results For arm circumferences > 32 cm, systolic and diastolic BP measured with the universal cuff was higher than that measured with the large cuff (systolic 6.4 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI]). 3.9–8.8, diastolic 2.4 mmHg, 95%CI, 1.2–3.7, p < 0.001 for both). Overestimation of BP with the universal cuff was statistically significant after correcting for the sequence of measurements. No statistical difference was found between the universal cuff and medium cuff for circumferences in the 22–32 cm range. The bladder size in the universal cuff matched the dimensions of the medium-sized cuff; however, the cuff was larger. Conclusion Overestimation of BP measured with a universal cuff in persons with large arm circumferences is clinically important. It poses the risk of unnecessary initiation or intensification of antihypertensive medication in persons using the universal cuff.

Низько розташована голівка плода під час кесаревого розтину: поширеність, фактори ризику, методи профілактики та менеджмент (огляд літератури)

Under certain circumstances, the fetal head may stop descending into the vagina during the second stage of labor, having its largest circumference into the pelvic cavity, while conservative methods of treatment may not be effective, and the clinical situation may require an emergency cesarean section with a "the deeply impacted fetal head" in the pelvic cavity. This is a technically complex method of delivery in this clinical situation, associated with serious risks for both the woman and the child. There are a number of approaches to prevent these complications and techniques for removing the fetus in this situation, however, there is currently no consensus on which of these approaches is best for this type of cesarean section. The aim - to investigate the main current data on possible techniques for fetal extraction with impacted fetal head during cesarean section and to compare their safety and effectiveness. A review of the literature on the definition of the concept of «impacted fetal head» during cesarean section, the distribution and risk factors of this complication, the study of possible complications for the mother and the fetus, techniques for preventing the occurrence of this condition, methods of removing the fetus with impacted head during cesarean section, as well as promising management methods. A comprehensive study of this obstetric emergency remains relevant for modern science, because it requires special techniques and skills of an obstetrician-gynecologist to prevent injuries to the mother and child, bleeding and other life-threatening conditions. There is a need to standardize the definition of terminology, improve the skills of doctors through simulation training and conduct large randomised trials to determine the best approaches and provide highly skilled care to mothers and children in situations that can potentially result in severe trauma. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Design of an electron source for the FCC-ee with top-up injection capability

The Future Circular Collider (FCC) study at CERN aims for a 100 TeV range proton collider. As a first phase of the project, an electron–positron collider (FCC-ee) in the same tunnel with a large circumference of 90 km is investigated. A collaboration for the design of an injector-chain for such a machine has been set-up and financed by CHART (Swiss Accelerator Research and Technology Collaboration). This paper describes the design and optimization of the electron source, which has to provide electrons to the collider as well as for positron production. Due to strong collective effects in the collider the lifetime of the bunches is relatively short and the charge of colliding bunches needs to be very well-balanced. Therefore, a particular challenge for the electron source design is the requirement to be able to replenish individual bunches in the collider in a top-up injection mode almost continuously.

Correlation between neck circumference and hepatic steatosis determined by controlled attenuation parameter.

Neck circumference is an attractive method for determining metabolic profiles and has many advantages over waist circumference. However, the correlation between neck circumference and hepatic fibrosis has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between neck circumference and hepatic fibrosis and define the optimal cut-off point for neck circumference to determine hepatic fibrosis. A cross-sectional study (n = 333) was conducted among Thai healthcare workers at Phramongkutklao Hospital who received an annual health maintenance program. Neck circumference was measured at the lower margin of the laryngeal prominence. Fibroscan® with a controlled attenuation parameter was used to measure the degree of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis by an experienced, well-trained operator. In the cross-sectional analysis, it was found that the large circumference of the neck was associated with hepatic fibrosis (r = 0.19, p = .001) and hepatic steatosis (r = 0.58, p < .001). Hepatic fibrosis (r = 0.15, p = .004) and steatosis (r = 0.53, p < .001) were also associated with waist circumference. The neck circumferences of 40 and 34 cm were the best cut-offs for male and female participants, respectively.Neck circumference is closely related to hepatic fibrosis and steatosis, which should be promoted and has a better advantage than waist circumference in the screening of hepatic steatosis.

Genetic parameters, genetic trends and selection response for gestation length and traits used as selection criteria in Angus breed in Brazil

Context The knowledge of the genetic variability of gestation length and its correlations with other traits is relevant for selection decisions in beef cattle. Aims Genetic parameters and trends were estimated for gestation length (first (GL1), repeated measures range of 1–6 (GL)) and traits currently used as selection criteria (birth weight (BW), weight gain from birth to weaning (BWG), weight gain from weaning to yearling (WYG), scrotal circumference (SC), score of conformation (YC), score of precocity (YP), and score of muscling (YM)) in Brazilian Angus cattle. In addition, direct and correlated selection responses were predicted. Methods A series of single- and two-trait Bayesian analyses were performed on beef cattle data from 14 farms across different regions of Brazil, by using linear and threshold animal models. Key results A moderate heritability was estimated for GL1 (0.356 ± 0.058); however, the estimate for GL was low (0.189 ± 0.028) as was that for repeatability (0.204 ± 0.027). Lower accuracies of breeding values were obtained for GL than for GL1, ranging from 0.490 ± 0.161 to 0.687 ± 0.037. Direct heritability estimates for growth and body composition traits were low, except for SC and BWG (0.301 ± 0.060 and 0.241 ± 0.019 respectively). Genetic correlations of 0.558 ± 0.121 and 0.739 ± 0.131 were estimated between GL1 and BW, and between GL and BW respectively. The other traits studied were estimated to have weak or near-zero genetic correlations with gestation length traits. Positive and moderate genetic associations were estimated between BW and BWG, SC, and visual scores (ranging from 0.338 ± 0.095 to 0.458 ± 0.092), but a near-zero estimate was obtained with WYG (0.127 ± 0.150). Weight gains were more highly genetically correlated with visual scores than between themselves (BWG and WYG) and with SC. The SC was highly genetically correlated with visual scores (0.684 ± 0.054 to 0.714 ± 0.050). Genetic trends showed that all traits studied have been changing in a positive direction, being unfavourable for BW and GL. Higher genetic gains were expected from using direct selection than from using indirect selection for GL1. Conclusions Rapid growth is genetically associated with superior conformation, precocity and musculature, as well as a large scrotal circumference in males. However, selection decisions that heavily focus on these traits are likely to lead to more calving difficulties in the longer term. Implications Selection indices should incorporate traits that measure calving difficulty directly if relevant records are available. Currently, considering its practical implications in primiparous anoestrus, the first-gestation length could serve as a viable alternative for inclusion in selection indices. Due to the low repeatability of the gestation length, decisions to cull on the basis of only one or two records of GL are highly inaccurate.

MODEL FOR PREDICTING CHANGES IN THIGH CIRCUMFERENCE CHANGES IN THE LOWER THIRD OVER TIME IN STUDENTS FROM BUKOVYNA HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BASED ON SPORT TYPE

The dynamic comparison of thigh circumference in the lower third was conducted in 132 students of Bukovyna (the initial study was carried out during September-October 2021, and a repeat study of these same students in September-October 2022). All students in the main group, aside from their program-specific physical activities, participated in the following sports over the year: 46 (50.00%) students played football, including 38 (41.30%) boys and 8 (8.70%) girls; 19 (20.65%) students played volleyball, including 10 (10.86%) boys and 9 (9.78%) girls; 14 (22.58%) students played handball, including 8 (8.69%) boys and 6 (6.52%) girls; 13 (14.13%) students played basketball, including 9 (9.78%) boys and 4 (4.34%) girls. Students in the control group had physical education classes according to their program requirements but did not engage in additional sports activities.&#x0D; All students underwent an anthropometric assessment, specifically the measurement of thigh circumference in the lower third following the method of P.P. Shaparenka. A paired t-test was employed to compare the students' measurements between the initial assessment and a follow-up one year later. The collected data were statistically analyzed using the licensed program RStudio.&#x0D; Comparing the changes in thigh circumference in the lower third between the main and control groups, it was found that students in the main group who participated in various sports had higher measurements than those in the control group, with an average difference of ±4.40 cm.&#x0D; Comparing the right and left thigh circumferences in the main group demonstrated that the right thigh had a larger circumference (right: 49.26±5.60 cm, left: 45.88±5.45 cm). The comparison of thigh circumference changes over the year showed a noticeable increase in thigh girth in the middle third in 2022 compared to 2021 (right: ±1.27 cm, left: ±2.84 cm).&#x0D; Hence, the predictive model for right thigh circumference (Cdr) in the lower third can be represented as follows: Cdr = β1 + β2 + 0.418w, where Cdr stands for right thigh circumference in the lower third, w denotes weight, β1 values are 25.560 for young girls and 20.165 for young boys, and β2 values are -4.497 for the control group, 0.039 for the football group, 0.039 for the handball group, and 0.502 for the volleyball group.&#x0D; Similarly, the predictive model for left thigh circumference in the lower third (Cdl) is expressed as: Cdl = β1 + β2 + 0.387w, where Cdl represents left thigh circumference in the lower third, w denotes weight, β1 values are 24.638 for young girls and 18.523 for young boys, and β2 values are -0.051 for the control group, 0.379 for the football group, -0.291 for the handball group, and 0.323 for the volleyball group. Gender, sport type, and weight serve as significant predictors for predicting thigh circumference in the lower third.

Left Ventricle Segmentation in Echocardiography with Transformer.

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) plays as an essential role in the assessment of cardiac function, providing quantitative data support for the medical diagnosis of heart disease. Robust evaluation of the ejection fraction relies on accurate left ventricular (LV) segmentation of echocardiograms. Because human bias and expensive labor cost exist in manual echocardiographic analysis, computer algorithms of deep-learning have been developed to help human experts in segmentation tasks. Most of the previous work is based on the convolutional neural networks (CNN) structure and has achieved good results. However, the region occupied by the left ventricle is large for echocardiography. Therefore, the limited receptive field of CNN leaves much room for improvement in the effectiveness of LV segmentation. In recent years, Vision Transformer models have demonstrated their effectiveness and universality in traditional semantic segmentation tasks. Inspired by this, we propose two models that use two different pure Transformers as the basic framework for LV segmentation in echocardiography: one combines Swin Transformer and K-Net, and the other uses Segformer. We evaluate these two models on the EchoNet-Dynamic dataset of LV segmentation and compare the quantitative metrics with other models for LV segmentation. The experimental results show that the mean Dice similarity of the two models scores are 92.92% and 92.79%, respectively, which outperform most of the previous mainstream CNN models. In addition, we found that for some samples that were not easily segmented, whereas both our models successfully recognized the valve region and separated left ventricle and left atrium, the CNN model segmented them together as a single part. Therefore, it becomes possible for us to obtain accurate segmentation results through simple post-processing, by filtering out the parts with the largest circumference or pixel square. These promising results prove the effectiveness of the two models and reveal the potential of Transformer structure in echocardiographic segmentation.

Mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced polymer tank under road pavements for stormwater storage

Due to increasing precipitation intensity, rising sea level, and land development, urban flooding has become a major issue in many places around the world. This research aims to develop underground storage tanks (USTs) using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials for stormwater detention, storage, and reuse. The USTs are intended to be placed underneath highway or street pavements. FRP as one of the emerging structural materials possesses several advantages including high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. The mechanical performance of USTs has rarely been visited in the literature, the majority of which focuses on leakage issues and associated environmental problems. This paper presents detailed analyses of the mechanical performance of FRP USTs, including a laboratory test on a small-scale FRP UST and a verified finite element (FE) analysis on full-scale FRP USTs. The influences of various factors on the mechanical performance of the USTs were examined, including wall thickness, water storage, interfacial roughness between FRP and soil, and tank sizes. Both results from experiments and FE studies agree satisfactorily and reveal that (i) underground FRP UST developed tensile axial strains at the top surface at the mid-span of the tank and the side surface at the mid-height; (ii) compressive axial strains developed in most of the cap region; and (iii) large compressive circumference strains developed in the FRP UST in most locations. Insights gained from the laboratory test and the FE analysis are expected to provide a general guidance on the design of FRP USTs under road pavements for urban flooding mitigation and stormwater harvesting.

중장년 비만 여성의 하반신 체형 분류에 관한 연구

This study aims to provide basic data for the development of lower garment patterns for clothes designed to fit middle-aged obese women. Data on 264 obese middle-aged women (aged 40 to 64) from the 8th Korean Size Survey of 33 lower body measurements were used as research data. As a result of a factor analysis, five factors were derived: lower body circumference and volume, lower body height and leg length, waist volume, hip length, and calf and ankle circumference. As a result of a type analysis based on the results of the factor analysis, the lower body types of middle-aged obese women were classified into three categories, and the characteristics of each type are as follows. Type 1 (41.3%) had the smallest stature and weight, BMI, lower body circumference and volume, lower body height, and leg length, and was relatively small compared to other obesity groups. Type 2 (14%) had the most obese body type overall and the largest circumference, depth, width, lower body circumference, and volume of the waist and hips. Type 3 (44.7%) had the longest leg length and lower body height including stature and hip length. Based on this study, it is considered necessary to conduct follow-up research to develop a prototype of a suitable lower garment pattern, considering the physical characteristics of the lower body of middle-aged obese women.

Toward a diffraction limited light source

This paper introduces a storage ring lattice design for synchrotron radiation sources which fulfills all the required features for the realization of a diffraction limited light source. Insertion devices half gaps of 2.5 mm are assumed and enabled by the design of dedicated straight sections. The use of long straight sections is possible for such a lattice and led to the definition of a set of transparency conditions used to minimize the effect of such insertions for on- and off- energy beam dynamics. The design proposed enables an extremely long Touschek lifetime and beam accumulation. A real case study will be shown for large circumference storage ring upgrade lattices.17 MoreReceived 17 October 2022Accepted 17 January 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.26.021601Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasBeam dynamicsBeam trackingCollimationHigher order beam dynamicsLattices in beam opticsSingle-particle dynamicsAccelerators & Beams

Effects of dose response and 5 weeks of exercise on abdominal circumference and BMI in obese women

Being overweight, which results in a large belly circumference, is often overlooked, despite the fact that belly fat accumulation can endanger health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of changes in abdominal circumference and BMI after giving tabata training for 16 meetings. This study is a quasi-experiment that employs a one-group pre-test post-test group design with a population of all Powerfit Daru members and a total sample of 15 using a purposive sampling technique with sample criteria of having an abdominal circumference &gt; 80 cm, being 25-40 years old, and being obese. The obtained data were processed using IBM SPSS version 26 and the paired T-test. The results showed that the average decrease in pre-test and post-test abdominal circumference was (94.86 8.79; 90.46 8.85) with a P value of 0.005 0.05. The results showed that the average change in BMI was 30.51 2.18; 29.96 2.65, with a P value of 0.418 &gt; 0.05. The average decrease in abdominal circumference was -4.4 cm, and the BMI was -0.54 kg/m2. The conclusion of this study was that there was a significant decrease in changes in abdominal circumference with tabata exercise for 5 weeks of treatment but no significant decrease in BMI.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Ocular biometry, anterior chamber morphometry, and their relationship with serum ferritin levels in children with beta thalassemia major.

Ocular biometry and anterior segment evaluations are important to determine ocular development and pathological changes, especially in thalassemia patients in Mediterranean countries such as Turkey. The objectives of this study were to compare ocular biometry and anterior segment parameters in children with thalassemia major and healthy controls and to examine the relationship between ferritin levels, anthropometric measurements, and ocular parameters. This is a prospective case-control study. The height, weight, body mass index, and occipitofrontal circumference values of the participants were recorded. Anterior and vitreous chamber depth, lens thickness, axial length, central corneal thickness, anterior chamber volume, iridocorneal angle, pupil diameter, and mean keratometry were measured. Measurements were compared between patients and healthy children, and between patients with ferritin levels above and below 1000 ng/mL. This study included 40 patients and 45 controls. Height, weight, and body mass index were significantly lower while ferritin level and occipitofrontal circumference were significantly higher in patients compared with the controls (p < 0.001 for all). There were no statistically significant differences in the other ocular parameters (p > 0.05). In comparisons between patients with ferritin levels below (n = 15) and above 1000 ng/mL (n = 25), there were no significant differences in age, height, weight, body mass index, occipitofrontal circumference, or ocular parameters (p > 0.05). Occipitofrontal circumference and mean keratometry value were positively correlated in patients with ferritin levels below 1000 ng/mL (r = 0.573, p = 0.025), while body mass index was negatively correlated with pupil diameter in patients with ferritin levels above 1000 ng/mL (r = -0.469, p = 0.018). Children with thalassemia showed significant growth retardation and large occipitofrontal circumference but did not differ from controls in terms of biometrics and anterior segment morphology. Our results demonstrated a positive correlation between the occipitofrontal circumference and mean keratometry value in children with ferritin levels below 1000 ng/mL and a negative correlation between body mass index and pupil diameter in children with ferritin levels above 1000 ng/mL.

Large mid-upper arm circumference is associated with reduced insulin resistance independent of BMI and waist circumference: A cross-sectional study in the Chinese population.

Body mass index (BMI) is a common indicator in clinical practice, but it is not sufficient to predict insulin resistance (IR). Other anthropometric methods supplement BMI in the assessment of body composition, which can be predicted more accurately. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skinfold (TSF) thickness, mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) and IR in Chinese adults. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey database. The study population was divided into four groups according to the MUAC quartiles, and the homeostasis mode assessment was used to evaluate the degree of IR. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with adjustments for multiple covariates. Subgroup analyses stratified by age, sex, BMI, waist circumference (WC), smoking status, and alcohol consumption were performed. In total, 8,070 participants were included in the analysis. As MUAC increased, BMI, TSF thickness, MAMC, and the proportion of IR tended to increase. However, we found that there was a significant negative association between MUAC and MAMC and IR in the logistic regression analysis, independent of BMI and WC, the ORs for the highest quartiles compared with the lowest quartiles were 0.662 (95%CI: 0.540-0.811) and 0.723 (95%CI: 0.609-0.860), respectively. There was no significant association was observed between the TSF thickness and IR (OR=1.035 [95%CI: 0.870-1.231]). The inverse associations were more pronounced among participants with lower BMI and WC. No significant age-specific differences were observed (P-heterogeneity > 0.05). After adjusting for BMI and WC, MUAC was negatively associated with IR in Chinese adults, and the association between MUAC and IR was derived from arm muscle instead of subcutaneous fat. MUAC could be an additional predictor of IR besides BMI and WC in clinical practice.

The synchrotron radiation source PETRA III and its future ultra-low-emittance upgrade PETRA IV

PETRA III at DESY is one of the brightest synchrotron radiation sources worldwide. It serves a broad international multidisciplinary user community from academia to industry at currently 25 specialised beamlines. With a storage-ring energy of 6 GeV, it provides mainly hard to high-energy X-rays for versatile experiments in a very broad range of scientific fields. It is ideally suited for an upgrade to the ultra-low emittance source PETRA IV, owing to its large circumference of 2304 m. With a targeted storage ring emittance of 20 times 5,textrm{pm}^{2},textrm{rad}^{2}, PETRA IV will reach spectral brightnesses two to three orders of magnitude higher than today. The unique beam parameters will make PETRA IV the ultimate in situ 3D microscope for biological, chemical, and physical processes helping to address key questions in health, energy, mobility, information technology, and earth and environment.

Intra-rater reliability of lower leg subcutaneous skin fold thickness derived from hand-held a-mode ultrasound

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound is an important tool to diagnose many clinical conditions. Yet hand-held devices may be prone to more data variability in part from the greater likelihood of human error. OBJECTIVE: Quantify intra-rater reliability of subcutaneous skin fold thickness from a hand-held ultrasound device. PARTICIPANTS: College-age subjects (18 men, 14 women) submitted to two sets of ultrasound subcutaneous skin fold measurements spaced (mean + sem) 10.6 + 2.2 days apart. Per measurement, they stood relaxed as ultrasound measured the subcutaneous skin fold thickness that covered their left leg’s calf muscle group. Measurements occurred with a hand-held device (BodyMetrix Pro System BX2000; Livermore, CA) used in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. Four subcutaneous measurements were made 90∘ apart (anterior, medial, posterior, lateral) at the portion of the left calf with the largest circumference. To assess intra-rater reliability, we used intraclass correlation coefficients, limits of agreement, coefficient of variation and the smallest real difference. RESULTS: Intra-rater reliability was high for most of our statistical tests. CONCLUSION: Despite the relatively long period between measurements, our hand-held ultrasound device exhibited a high degree of intra-rater reliability. Given our results, ultrasound measurements may be a useful tool to quantify skin fold thickness.

Evaluation of type traits in relation to production, and their importance in early selection for milk performance in dairy buffaloes

Type traits (TTs) can contribute to breeding animals with good economic traits such as production, longevity, fertility, and profitability. Dairy buffaloes are the second largest source of milk supply in the world, and their TTs should be taken into consideration in future dairy buffalo breeding programmes. However, the relationship between TTs and milk production traits in buffalo remains largely unknown. The study aimed to establish an early selection method for buffaloes with desirable milk performance by TTs. Using 1 908 records from 678 buffaloes, the relationship between TTs and milk production traits was analysed and the optimal growth curves of TTs related to milk production traits were constructed. We examined the correlations between 45 TTs (33 body structural, 12 udder and teat morphological traits) and three milk production traits (milk yield (MY), milk fat percentage (MF), and milk protein percentage (MP)). The results showed that the highest correlation was found between MY and udder circumference (r = 0.438), teat length (r = −0.380) or heart girth (r = −0.341). The teat distance and teat circumference exhibited a significant negative correlation with MF and MP. Rump length was the only trait that had a significant positive correlation with milk production traits, suggesting that milk performance could be comprehensively improved by including rump length in the selection procedure. Notably, we found that high milk production traits was obtained from the buffaloes with short teats (<6 cm), small heart girth (<200 cm), large udder circumference (>104 cm), long rump (>39 cm), and small distance between teats. Moreover, an early selection method for buffaloes with excellent milk performance was developed based on the non-linear models. Brody model exhibited the best fitting effect for heart girth and rump length, while the Logistic model displayed the best fitting effect for teat length. Our findings provide theoretical basis for the early selection of buffaloes with desirable milk performance.

Closure of large mucosal defects for prevention of strictures after duodenal endoscopic submucosal dissection (with video)

Although lesions occupying a large circumference are associated with the risk of post-endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) strictures, the corresponding data for duodenal lesions are unknown. We aimed to analyze the incidence of post-ESD strictures after wide-field duodenal ESD. In this retrospective study of duodenal lesions treated with ESD between July 2010 and August 2021, we included lesions that resulted in mucosal defects occupying more than half of the circumference and excluded lesions located in bulbs and involving Vater's papilla. We analyzed the incidence rates of stricture and luminal narrowing, in addition to bleeding and perforation as the outcomes in this study. Stricture was defined as the inability of the endoscope to pass through the lumen. A single endoscopist reviewed all endoscopic images and judged the degree of luminal narrowing. Eighty lesions were included, of which 2 involved mucosal defects occupying more than 90% of the circumference. The wound was closed, at least partially, in 90% in all lesions and in 86% of lesions with a mucosal defect occupying more than 75% of the circumference. None of the lesions caused delayed perforation and stricture, whereas 2 lesions caused delayed bleeding. Only 6 lesions caused luminal narrowing. When examined by the degree of closure, the rate of luminal narrowing increased with complete closure, incomplete closure, and nonclosure (4.9%, 9.1%, and 25.0%, respectively). Suturing may prevent post-ESD bleeding and perforation as well as stricture formation in cases of duodenal tumors, with mucosal defects occupying a large circumference.