Linear Growth Pattern Research Articles

Characterization of Terminal Erythroid Differentiation (TED) and Its Prognosis Impact Inpatients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

INTRODUCTION: Culture assays of normal bone marrow (BM) have shown that TED follows a doubling maturation pattern in each erythroid stage from proerythroblast to orthochromatic erythroblast. For a long time, it has been suggested that TED is profoundly abnormal across all myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) subtypes. Nevertheless, morphologic quantification of cells undergoing TED in BM both from normal and MDS samples has not been systematically assessed, despite the fact morphological analysis still represents the backbone for the diagnosis. The aims of this study were to describe the pattern of TED by conventional morphology in BM of individuals without myeloid malignancies and in patients with MDS, and to compare clinical characteristics and prognostic features between MDS patients with normal and abnormal TED. METHODS: Three independent cytologists from three different institutions performed the morphological analysis of erythroid cells in BM smears in a 500-cell differential count from 74 patients diagnosed with lymphoma without BM involvement, and from 284 patients with MDS at diagnosis. TED stages were conventionally classified into proerythroblast (PE), basophilic (BA), polychromatic (POLYS), and orthochromatic erythroblasts (ORTHOS), and percentages were calculated based on the total cell population. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis was performed on 11 further lymphoma patients without BM involvement, by using specific immunofluorescent probe patterns detected through the DxFLEX© cytometer. Patients with MDS were categorized as: TED-Normal, when total TED made up ≥15% of total BM cells and followed the expected doubling pattern; TED-Incomplete, when total TED were ≥15% but did not follow a doubling pattern; and TED-absent, when total TED composed <15%. Statistical analysis was performed by R (4.2.0). RESULTS: Morphologic analysis of normal BM confirmed the doubling growth pattern of TED [median PE of 0.8% (0-1.23); BA of 1.8% (1-2.4; ) POLYS of 8% (6.4-10.89) and POLYS of 8% (6.4-10.89)]. Whereas, immunophenotype analysis showed a linear growth pattern [median PE=0.57% (0.54-0.61), BA=1.35% (1.18-1.75), POLYS=2.64% (2.01-3.01), and ORTHOS=3.91% (3.3-5.37), probably explained by the lysis of the late-stage erythroblast cells by the immunophenotype preparation technique. Among the 284 MDS patients, 211 (75.5%) were TED-Normal, 46 (16.5%) TED-Incomplete, and 22 (8%) TED-Absent. Patients' characteristics are detailed in Table 1. MDS patients with TED-Normal presented significantly higher levels of hemoglobin (99 g/L vs. 89.5 g/L), reticulocytes (56 x109/L vs. 39 x109/L), and a lower percentage of ring sideroblast (0% vs. 26%) compared to TED-Incomplete (Table 1). Survival analysis showed that MDS patients with TED-Normal had a median OS of 39.03 months (95% IC 29.73-49.13), whereas it was of 23.77 months (95% IC 12.17-38.7) for TED-Incomplete, and 13.23 months (95% IC 7.17-NA) for TED-Absent; [HR 2.2; p=0.00132]. Of note, no OS differences were found between TED-Incomplete and TED-Absent [HR=1.41; p= 0.246] [Figure 2]. CONCLUSION: Morphological analysis is a suitable methodology for the study of TED maturation. Remarkably, 24.5% of patients with MDS presented with an abnormal TED (incomplete or absent) at diagnosis, this being associated with poorer clinical features and outcome. Finally, with the advent of newer erythroid maturation agents, analysis of TED might become paramount for treatment selection and response monitoring of patients with MDS in the near future. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Cognitive Improvement Following Physical Exercise and Cognitive Training Intervention for Older Adults With MCI.

The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) presents a critical period for intervention. Although exercise and cognitive training (CT) interventions have reported independent success in improving cognition, some meta-analyses have suggested that combined interventions provide maximal benefits. Much previous research has studied land-based as opposed to water-based exercise, which places potential barriers on older adults. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of combined exercise (water- or land-based) and CT treatment on cognition for older adults with MCI. Participants were 67 adults ages 54-86 years classified with MCI who engaged in 6 months of land or aquatic-based exercise with subsequent CT over 4 weeks. Primary outcome variables were performance measures of several cognitive domains across 3-time points (baseline, following exercise intervention, and following CT intervention). Linear mixed effects modeling examined exercise group differences across time periods in an intention-to-treat analysis. Both aquatic- and land-based exercise with CT interventions resulted in significant improvement in learning and memory outcomes, though improvement in executive functioning, processing speed, language, and visuospatial abilities was limited to water-based and CT treatment groups. Differences in linear growth patterns between groups were nonsignificant. Results suggest that for older adults with MCI to obtain global cognitive benefits (ie, learning and memory, executive functioning, processing speed, language, and visuospatial abilities) using combined exercise and CT interventions, they must be able to fully engage in exercise, and aquatic-based activities should be further considered.

Accumulations and equilibrium conditions of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the indoor window film and the estimation of concentrations in air

The study of the fate of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the interior environment is vital because of the growing use of OPEs. Organic films on glass are both sink and sources of indoor pollutants. Indoor window films have been employed as passive air samplers to collect OPEs in the indoor air. Nevertheless, little is known about the development and equilibrium condition of OPEs on indoor window films during the film formation process. In this study, the concentrations of twelve OPEs in indoor window films from different buildings on a university campus and the growth thickness of the films as a function of sampling time were investigated in different seasons. Ten out of the 12 OPEs were detected in window film with >50 % frequency. Tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), which are chlorinated and toxic OPEs, were the dominant OPEs found in the winter. The majority of OPEs in window films exhibited linear growth patterns within 77 days. Temperature, humidity, ventilation, and seasonality all affected the concentrations of various OPEs in the window films. Low molecular weight OPEs, such as tri-n-butyl phosphate and TCEP, attained equilibrium between indoor air and window films within 49 or 77 days. The indoor air concentrations of OPEs were estimated from their film concentrations based on the theoretical approach for the passive air sampler. In winter, the predicted gas-phase air concentrations of OPEs (3.7 ng/m3 for TECP) were significantly lower than or comparable to summer (11 ng/m3, p < 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to combine uncertainty and sensitivity analysis to understand the behaviors of OPEs in indoor film and air.

Independence and Sex Differences in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Trends from Middle Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: A Latent Class Growth Curve Analysis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and sex differences in the growth patterns of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) from middle adolescence (around age 15) to emerging adulthood (18–29 years old). We used the secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health’s (Add Health) publicly accessible database. MVPA and SB were assessed four times (1995, 1996, 2000–2001, and 2008–2009) for a total of 681 individuals from middle adolescence to emerging adulthood. Latent class growth modeling was utilized to identify heterogeneous growth patterns in MVPA and SB. Chi-square tests were used to assess group dependence and sex differences in MVPA and SB growth patterns. Seven quadratic growth patterns for MVPA and two linear growth patterns for SB were found. Both MVPA and SB growth patterns exhibited slow or rapid rate of change at different periods of adolescence and emerging adulthood. MVPA growth patterns included: decline (slow)-and-rise (rapid), rise-and-decline (both rapid), decline-and-rise (both rapid), consistently low, consistently high, decline (rapid)-and-decline (slow), and decline (rapid)-and-rise (slow). SB growth patterns included: consistently low (slow decline) and consistently high (rapid decline). While women were more likely to be involved in consistently low group for MVPA and consistently low (slow decline) group for SB, men were more likely to be involved in rise-and-decline (both rapid) group, consistently high group, and decline (rapid)-and-rise (slow) group for MVPA and consistently high (rapid decline) group for SB. SB growth patterns were independent of MVPA growth patterns. SB should not be assumed to decrease as a result of MVPA intervention. Treatment of MVPA should prioritize adolescence over emerging adulthood, with an emphasis on preventing men’s MVPA levels from decreasing in emerging adulthood and increasing women’s overall MVPA levels.

Some data on the biology of stone cockscomb &lt;i&gt;Alectrias alectrolophus&lt;/i&gt; (Stichaeidae) from the Tauysk Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk

On the basis of the materials collected in the period of 2010–2018 the features of biology: the size-age structure, linear growth pattern and body mass growth of the stone cockscomb Alectrias alectrolophus from the Tauysk Bay, the Sea of Okhotsk, have been studied. In the intertidal zone, in the period from May to September, individuals of this species the body length 31.2–133.4 mm and body weight 0.1–12.8 g at the age of up to 6+ years are found in large quantities. The size and age characteristics, rates of growth of females and males are quite similar, but in general, females are slightly larger than males.

Impact of planning horizon on water distribution network design

Abstract The continuous expansion of the Water Distribution Network (WDN) makes its design a dynamic process performed within many planning horizons. An appropriate planning horizon is important to save costs and avoid over-design. Typically, a master plan is practiced around every 20 years. The complexity of WDN and computational demands have prevented a full network study of the impact of planning horizons on system cost and efficiency. In this paper, a dynamic network model was employed to simulate the growth of WDN under different growth patterns (exponential and linear) and planning horizons to explore the optimum planning horizon under different interest rates. It is found that the choice of the optimum (i.e. least costly) planning horizon is sensitive to the interest rate. For both growth patterns, a shorter planning horizon is favored with higher annual interest rates while a longer planning horizon is favored with lower rates. With the same interest rate, exponential growth pattern generally favors a shorter planning horizon than a linear growth pattern due to more excess capacity provided at the beginning of the study period. The optimum planning horizon is longer than 20 years when the interest rate is lower than 3.0% for linear growth or 2.0% for exponential growth.

Different Effects of Soy and Whey on Linear Bone Growth and Growth Pattern in Young Male Sprague-Dawley Rats.

The aim of this investigation was to determine the better protein for supporting optimal linear growth, as the exact composition and benefits of specific dietary proteins in supporting linear growth is unknown. In the current study, we compared the effect of soy and whey proteins, both proteins contain all essential amino acids and are considered the best proteins in their categories. Young male rats were subjected to multiple feeding protocols using iso-energetic diets containing soy or whey as the sole protein source. The rats were allowed to eat ad libitum for 11, 24, or 74 days in the first set of experiments, and the soy group was pair-fed to the whey group in the second set. The differences in weight gain, food consumption, and humeri length of the soy group that were greater at the beginning of the ad libitum experiments lessened over time. Pair-fed experiments revealed that the increased weight and humeri length resulted from the differences in food consumption. However, other parameters were protein specific. Bone quality, which was better in the soy group at 24 days, was matched by the whey group and even surpassed that of the soy group in the long-term experiment, with a significantly greater bone mineral density, cortical thickness, and growth plate. Although in the short term the levels of insulin like growth factor (IGF)-I were similar between the groups, IGF-I increased with age in the whey group, and the levels at the long-term experiment were significantly higher compared to the soy group. Furthermore, using the pair fed setup made it clear that when the difference in food consumption were no longer playing part, whey was more efficient in increasing IGF-I. There were no indications of metabolic sequelae. Although the use of soy is gaining in popularity as a sustainable protein, our findings indicate a better effect of whey on linear growth by leading to slower growth with better-organized epiphyseal growth plates and bone quality.

Normal human brainstem development in vivo: aquantitative fetal MRI study.

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo characterize spatiotemporal growth differences of prenatal brainstem substructures and cerebellum, using linear biometry and planimetry on fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsIn this retrospective study, we included fetuses with normal brain and a precise midsagittal T2‐weighted brain MRI sequence obtained between May 2003 and April 2019. The cross‐sectional area, rostrocaudal diameter and anteroposterior diameter of the midbrain, pons (basis pontis and pontine tegmentum), medulla oblongata and cerebellar vermis, as well as the transverse cerebellar diameter, were quantified by a single observer. The diameters were also assessed by a second observer to test inter‐rater variability.ResultsWe included 161 fetuses with normal brain and a precise midsagittal MRI sequence, examined at a mean ± SD gestational age of 25.7 ± 5.4 (range, 14 + 0 to 39 + 2) weeks. All substructures of the fetal brainstem and the cerebellum could be measured consistently (mean ± SD interobserver intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.933 ± 0.065). We provide reference data for diameters and areas of the brainstem and cerebellum in the second and third trimesters. There was a significant quadratic relationship between vermian area and gestational age, and all other measured parameters showed a significant linear growth pattern within the observed period (P < 0.001). A significant change in the relative proportions of the brainstem substructures occurred between the beginning of the second trimester and the end of the third trimester, with an increase in the area of the pons (P < 0.001) and a decrease in that of the midbrain (P < 0.001), relative to the total brainstem area.ConclusionsThe substructures of the fetal brainstem follow a distinct spatiotemporal growth pattern, characterized by a relative increase in the pons and decrease in the midbrain, between 15 and 40 weeks of gestation. Caution is needed when interpreting fetal brainstem appearance during the early second trimester, as the brainstem proportions differ significantly from the adult morphology. The reference data provided herein should help to increase diagnostic accuracy in detecting disorders of defective hindbrain segmentation. © 2020 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Establishing the baselines of Diplolaimella dievengatensis (Nematoda: Monhysteridae) for life-history experiments

Biological data about nematode populations are generally very scarce. Once species are isolated and cultivated in laboratories, they are used in experimental assays without deeper prior knowledge of their life-history characteristics. Hence, in this study, we aimed to determine the life history and population characteristics, as well as to evaluate the morphometric and molecular aspects (18S rDNA) of a free-living estuarine nematode species Diplolaimella dievengatensis. This species was isolated from an estuary in Southeastern Brazil and cultivated in the laboratory under conditions similar to its local environment. The obtained data was compared with specimens from Belgium and Pakistan that were available in the literature. For the Pakistani strain, only morphometric parameters were available. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (individuals per day−1) was slightly higher for the Brazilian population (rm = 0.41 ind/day) than for the Belgium population (rm = 0.348 ind/day), probably due the higher generation time (14 days) of the Belgium population when compared to the Brazilian individuals (10.3 days). Brazilian population showed a linear and continuous pattern of somatic growth, different from the exponential growth reported for the Belgium population. The analysis of morphometric data of D. dievengatensis individuals from the three distinct locations (Brazil, Belgium and Pakistan) showed large variability. The multivariate analysis showed that the Brazilian specimens were isometrically larger than Pakistani and Belgian ones. Nevertheless the morphometric variables used for the diagnosis, such as a and c rates, overlapped among them. Molecular comparison of the 18S sequence showed more than 99% similarity of the Brazilian specimens with the Belgium sequences from the Genbank. Acknowledging such intraspecific variability across the different dimensions may help to understand distinct responses of the population in nature.

Representing complex networks without connectivity via spectrum series

We propose a new paradigm for describing complex networks in terms of the spectrum of the adjacency matrix and its submatrices. We show that a variety of basic node information, such as degree, clique, and subgraph centrality, can be calculated analytically. Moreover, we find that energy of spectrum series can uncover randomness and complexity of network structure. Interestingly, it presents an universal linear growth pattern with the growth of networks. Furthermore, the spectrum series of synthetic and real networks present clearly self-similarity characteristics for which the associated scaling exponents remain constant. Our work reveals that spectrum series representation will provide an alternative perspective for studying and understanding structure and function of complex networks rather than connectivity.

Linear Growth in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Population.

Introduction: Growth retardation is one of the main complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children and induces a negative impact on quality of life.Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients younger than 18 years old who received a first KT in our center between 2008 and 2018.Results: 95 first KT recipients, median age at KT of 7.83 years. At the time of KT, 65.52% of males and 54.05% females showed normal height. After transplantation, linear growth improved from −1.53 at transplant to −1.37 SDS height at the last visit. We detected a different linear growth pattern according to patient age at KT. Children younger than 3 years old exhibited the most significant growth retardation at baseline and the greatest linear growth over time (−2.29 vs. −1.82 SDS height), whereas catch-up was not observed in older patients. Multivariate analysis showed that use of corticosteroids was negatively related to SDS height at 1 year after transplantation and final SDS height only was positively associated with SDS height at KT. 44.2 and 22.1% patients received rhGH treatment before and after KT. 71.88% patients reached adulthood with normal final height.Conclusions: In our study, pediatric KT recipients exhibited a normal height in more than half of cases at KT and in more than two thirds at the final adult height. Only children younger than 6 years old presented a relevant growth catch-up after KT. Treatment with rhGH was used before and after KT with significant improvement in height.

Using Tailored Learning Approach to Teach Free-radical Polymerization of Polymer Science in Pharmaceutics Experiment

This article focused on cultivating the critical thinking required by pharmaceutical students in polymer synthesis involved in pharmacy. We modified the previous teaching method in which students simply follow the existing experimental procedures to obtainpredetermined results. In the independent design experiment phase, students use textbooks, laboratory books and related literature to complete the free radical polymerization experiment in 8 credit hours. Under the conditions of [monomer]:[chain transfer agent]:[initiator]=100/1/0.5 and 100/1/1, the monomer converting rate and ln[M]0/[M]tboth showed a linear growth pattern with the increasing of polymerization reaction time, meanwhile the obtained polymer Mw/Mn ranged from 1.04 to 1.14. Our results show that this particular approach to polymer science in pharmaceutics experiment increases students confidence and fosters their ability to innovate.

Water Cycle and Circular Economy: Developing a Circularity Assessment Framework for Complex Water Systems

Water – the most vital resource, negatively affected by the linear pattern of growth – still tries to find its positioning within the emerging concept of circular economy. Fragmented, sectorial circularity approaches hide the risk of underestimating both the preservation of and impacts to water resources and natural capital. In this study, a game changing circularity assessment framework is developed (i.e. MSWCA). The MSWCA follows a multi-sectoral systems approach, symbiotically managing key water-related socio-economic (i.e. urban water, agro-food, energy, industry and waste handling) and non-economic (i.e. natural environment) sectors. The MSWCA modelling framework enables the investigation of the feedback loops between the nature-managed and human-managed systems to assess water and water-related resources circularity. The three CE principles lie at the core of the developed framework, enabling the consideration of physical, technical, environmental and economic aspects. An indicators database is further developed, including all the relevant data requirements, as well as existing and newly developed indicators assessing multi-sectoral systems’ circularity. The MSWCA framework is conceptually applied to a fictional city, facilitating its understanding and practical use.

Improving LSM‐trie performance by parallel search

SummaryLSM‐trie‐based key‐value (KV) store is often used to manage an ultralarge dataset in reality by introducing a number of sublevels at each level, its linear growth pattern can fairly reduce the write amplification in store operations. Although this design is effective for the write operation, the last level holds a large proportion of KV items, leading to the extreme imbalance of data distribution. Therefore, to support efficient read, we need to carefully consider this imbalance. On the other hand, to ensure that acquired data is latest, the LSM‐trie needs to search the dataset at different levels one by one, and this search method may take a lot of unnecessary time. When the number of items is ultralarge, the random lookup performance may be poor due to the imbalance data distribution. To address this issue, we improve the read performance of the LSM‐trie by changing its serial search to parallel search, using two threads to simultaneously search at the last level and other levels, respectively. Our experiment results show that the read performance of the LSM‐trie can be improved up to 98.35% and on average 71.55%.

Performance of ecological restoration in an impaired coral reef in the Wuzhizhou Island, Sanya, China

Coral restoration is becoming popular to help restoring degraded coral reefs. However, few studies have tried to monitor the long-term recovery of coral reefs, which makes it difficult to assess the performance of the restoration. We monitored the growth of three transplanted Acropora corals and naturally-attached Pocillopora damicornis on artificial reefs (ARs) from October 2014 to September 2018 during which there were several attacks of typhoons. Results show that two staghorn Acropora species had the highest growth rates (11.0–12.1 cm/a), followed by table coral A. divaricate (5.6 cm/a) and P. damicornis (4.8 cm/a). A linear growth pattern was found for the three Acropora species; the pattern gradually slowed in P. damicornis. There was a strong interspecific competition for space among the corals on ARs, and it led to the sharply declined occurrence of slow-growing P. darmicornis colonies in 2017. Coral recovery was successful at the Wuzhizhou Island and quickly increased AR complexity. However, the ARs made of metal frames fail to resist the direct attack from a catastrophic typhoon. Therefore, concrete and environmental-friendly materials should be used in future restoration. This study is the first report on long-term monitoring and assessment of coral reef restoration in China. The results offer future guide of reef restoration for impaired coral reefs in regions easily affected by typhoons.

Study of concrete shrinkage behaviour using the restrained squared eccentric ring test method

Four types of cement-based concrete specimens were analysed in this study – high-fluidity concrete, semi-dry concrete, high-fluidity crumb rubber concrete with a rubber content of 110 kg/m3 and semi-dry crumb rubber concrete with a rubber content of 110 kg/m3. The restrained squared eccentric ring test method was applied to measure the restrained shrinkage strains at early age (first 5 d) in the 0, 90 and 180° zone of the specimens, as well as the time when the specimens cracked. All 12 specimens cracked near the 0° zone, and the values of restrained shrinkage strains in the 0, 90 and 180° zones showed a decreasing sequence. Compared with the ordinary concretes without crumb rubber, the restrained shrinkage of the crumb rubber concretes was reduced and the cracking time was prolonged. The restrained shrinkage strains in the 0, 90 and 180° zone plotted against time showed a linear growth pattern. The ratio of shrinkage strain between the 0° zone and the 90° zone and that between the 0° zone and the 180° zone were practically invariable over time, suggesting that restrained shrinkage strains may be expressed mathematically by a product of a time-dependent function and a spatially dependent function, as postulated in a number of analytical studies.

Living at the dry limits: ecological genetics of Tillandsia landbeckii lomas in the Chilean Atacama Desert

The northern Chilean Atacama Desert is among those regions on Earth where life exists at its dry limits. There is almost zero rainfall in its core zone, and the only source of water is a spatio-temporally complex fog system along the Pacific coast, which is reaching far into the hyperarid mainland. Hardly any vascular plants grow in these areas, and, thus, it is intriguing to be faced with a vegetation-type build-up by one single and highly specialized bromeliad species, Tillandsia landbeckii Phil., forming regular linear structures in a sloped landscape. We studied the genetic make-up of a population system extending an area of approximately 1500 km2 and demonstrated a fine-scale correlation of genetic diversity with spatial population structure and following an elevational gradient of approximately 150 m. Increase in genetic diversity is correlated with increased fitness as measured by flowering frequency, and evidence is provided that outbreeding is linked with a large-distance flying pollinator feeding occasionally as generalist on its flowers, but not using the plant as source for larvae feeding. Our data demonstrate that establishment of linear vegetation structure is in principle a process driven by clonal growth and propagation of ramets over short distances. However, optimal conditions (slope, elevation, fog occurrence) for linear growth pattern formation also increase sexual plant reproductive fitness, thus providing the reservoir for newly combined genetic variation and counteracting genetic uniformity. Our study highlights the Tillandsia vegetation, also called Tillandsia lomas, as unique and genetically diverse system, which is highly threatened by global climate change and disturbance of the coastal fog system.

The growth rates of dot enumeration ability predict mathematics achievements: A 5-year longitudinal study.

Dot enumeration is the basic mathematics competency in young children and a significant indicator of later mathematics achievement. The present study focused on (1) how children's dot enumeration ability changed as they progressed from late kindergarten years (K3) to the second year of primary school in Hong Kong (P2), and (2) the extent to which such changes are associated with students' mathematics outcomes assessed at the fourth grade, including standardized mathematics achievement, whole number magnitude understanding, and rational number concept. Two hundred and eleven Hong Kong kindergarteners were recruited. The participants' dot enumeration was assessed from K3 to P2. Their mathematics outcomes were assessed at P4, including standardized mathematics achievement, whole number magnitude understanding, and rational number concept. The changes in their dot enumeration speed reflected a linear growth pattern. Further, both the initial level and growth rate of dot enumeration predicted standardized mathematics achievement and whole number magnitude understanding 2years later while only the latter predicted rational number concept. The results indicate the importance of focusing on children's growth in a specific mathematics skill, in addition to their status at one single time point. Practical implications are discussed in this article.

Natural History and Growth Patterns of Incidentally Discovered Diffusely Infiltrating Low-Grade Gliomas: A Volumetric Study

Incidentally discovered diffusely infiltrating low-grade gliomas (iDLGGs) are rare findings on neuroimaging that pose a challenge to neurosurgeons. There is a paucity of data regarding the natural history of these lesions, and thus management is controversial. We characterize the growth rates and patterns of iDLGGs in a cohort of patients who underwent serial magnetic resonance imaging before surgical treatment. We performed a retrospective review of all adult patients (≥18 years old) with diffuse low-grade glioma diagnosed at our institution between April 2004 and April 2016. iDLGG was defined as any lesion discovered on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging performed for reasons and/or symptoms not attributable to the lesion and confirmed on histopathology as low-grade glioma. Tumor growth rates and patterns of growth were analyzed in patients who had serial imaging available. Inclusion criteria were met by 15 patients. Mean velocity of diametric expansion was 2.93 mm/year. Of 15 patients, 11 (73.3%) had tumors with an exponential growth pattern, and 4 (26.7%) had a linear growth pattern. Initial tumor volume was positively correlated (r= 0.78) with velocity of diametric expansion. iDLGGs grow over time, and most exhibit an exponential pattern of growth. Tumor volume at the time of diagnosis is predictive of a faster growth rate, but not the pattern of growth.

Vegetarianism and Child Growth: Within-District Evidence from the 2015–2016 Indian National Family Health Survey (P10-032-19)

ObjectivesMost research on stunting in India ignores the role of diets, including the unusually high prevalence of lacto-vegetarianism (LVG). LVG is a concern in India because nutrient-dense animal-sourced foods (ASFs) are highly recommended in early childhood. We therefore explore how parental LVG is associated with linear growth and child dietary patterns in India. MethodsWe use the 2015–2016 National Family Health Survey-4 from India. Our primary outcomes are height-for-age Z scores (HAZ) and stunting (HAZ <-2) (n = 214,165) for children 0–59 m. We use 24-hour recall measures of whether a child consumed a specific food group in the past 24 hours both as a secondary outcome variable and as an explanatory variable in HAZ/stunting regressions. Our main explanatory variable is whether the child’s mother reports never consuming non-dairy ASFs (LVG). We use descriptive statistics to report patterns of LVG by state, rural/urban location, caste and wealth quintile, and patterns of HAZ, stunting and dietary outcomes by LVG status. We then use multivariate linear regression models to test for associations between our outcome variables and LVG, stratified by child age, and controlling for district fixed effects and an extensive array of child, parent, household and community controls. ResultsApproximately 30% of mothers in India are estimated to be LVG, although LVG in some states is as high as 70%. Descriptive and regression evidence suggests that children of LVG mothers are much less likely to consume non-dairy ASFs, but more likely to consume dairy and pulses. In multivariate regressions for children 12 months and older, children of LVG mothers are 3.0 percentage points less likely to be stunted, and have 0.09 SDs higher HAZ, on average. Multivariate regressions also show that stunting/HAZ is strongly associated with a child consuming dairy products, but not with consumption of other ASFs. ConclusionsDespite the widespread concern that children of LVG parents are more likely to be stunted, we find the opposite to be the case, seemingly because LVG children are more likely to consume dairy, and dairy is much more strongly associated with linear growth than other ASFs. From a policy perspective the results strongly emphasize the importance of dairy in both the LVG and non-LVG Indian diet. Funding SourcesBill & Melinda Gates Foundation through ARENA, led by International Food Policy Research Institute. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs▪