Population Mean Values Research Articles

Computerised tomography skeletal muscle and adipose surface area values in a healthy Caucasian population.

The analysis of computerised tomography (CT) images to provide body composition data has grown exponentially. Despite this, there remains limited published data defining the normal range of skeletal muscle area and adipose tissue area using CT. The aim of this study was to determine age- and sex-specific body composition values using CT at the level of the third lumbar vertebrae, in a Caucasian population with a healthy body mass index (BMI). In addition, we sought to develop threshold values for low skeletal muscle mass using these data. We included 107 healthy Caucasian patients (46 males; 61 females) with a healthy BMI (18-25 kg/m2) for analysis. Body composition data were obtained from a single transverse CT image at the mid-third lumbar vertebrae using ImageJ software. Tissue segmentation was performed using Hounsfield unit thresholds of -29 to +150 for muscle and -190 to -30 for adipose tissue. The mean age of the study cohort was 47.8 ± 11.0 years (range 21-73) with a median BMI of 23.7 kg/m2 (interquartile range 22.3-24.8). Patients were sub-divided into age above or below 50 years. Cut-offs for low muscle quantity, representing two standard deviations below the young healthy population mean values, were 43.5 cm2/m2 for males and 30.0 cm2/m2 for females. Our data provide an insight into the distribution of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue surface area values measured on CT from a healthy Caucasian population. Our CT-derived cut-offs for low muscle quantity, based on international guidelines, are much lower than those previously suggested.

Ecological Status, Natural Productivity, Physico-Chemical and Biological Factors Controlling Productivity in the Bow Lake of Bansadaha, Burdwan

The basic understanding of the limnology, productive potentials, and fish productions of beel (water body) is essential for the sustainable development at Bansdahabeel in Burdwan. The area of Bansdahabeel is 26-hectare having depth 1.75 to 5.5m. An investigation was conducted on the ecology of the beels, productivity, plankton and macrophytes. Transparency value was low during summer and the pH was slightly alkaline. The monthly mean values of dissolved oxygen were somewhat lower in this closed beel (water body). The nitrate values were higher in summer and lower during the monsoon period. The soil contains 93% of sand. Among the plankton, community, phytoplankton formed the main portion of the total plankton. Cyanophyceae was the major contributor among the phytoplankton as Chlorophyceae was the second largest group. The monthly mean value of the zooplankton population was 417.22μl-1 in Bansdahabeel. The beel harbours mixed population of macrophytes with the dominance of submerged plants throughout the year. Fish production was recorded to 1159.83 kg/ha/yr. However, the production of carps was much higher than the miscellaneous fishes.

Ecological and Evolutionary Stochasticity Shape Natural Selection.

The distribution of biodiversity depends on the combined and interactive effects of ecological and evolutionary processes. The joint contribution of these processes has focused almost exclusively on deterministic effects, even though mechanisms that increase the importance of random ecological processes are expected to also increase the importance of random evolutionary processes. Here we manipulate the sizes of old field fragments to generate correlated sampling effects for a focal population (a gall maker) and its enemy community. Traits and communities were more variable in smaller patches. However, because of the preference of some enemies for some trait values (gall sizes), random variation in population mean trait values exacerbated differences in community composition. The random distribution of traits and interactions created predictable but highly variable patterns of natural selection. Our study highlights how stochastic processes can affect ecological and evolutionary processes structuring the strength and direction of selection locally and at larger scales.

Study on peak expiratory flow rate and its influencing factors in healthy school children in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India

Background: The Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) is useful to screen and monitor the severity of asthma in children. Many studies have documented that age, height and weight are some of the main factors that affect the PEFR. Thus, the present study was done to find the PEFR values among the school children and to find the factors that influences the PEFR values in our geographical area.Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in school children belong the rural area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 378 students of both the gender at the age group of 5-10 years were selected for the study. The PEFR was measured by making the participant seated comfortably. One peak flow meter was used for 25 children and mouthpiece was changed for each student.Results: The PEFR value among and male and female participants was analyzed statistically (Table 2). The mean value of male and female study population was 169.53±37.38 and 146.24±33.01 respectively. The difference in the mean values were statistically significant (p=0.001) and found to be high in male participants. The Pearson correlation r between PEFR with height is 0.463, thus showing a positive correlation with the p˂0.001 which is statistically significant. The Pearson correlation r between PEFR and chest circumference is 0.335 thus indicating a positive correlation between PEFR and chest circumference.Conclusions: From the present study, the normal values of PEFR has been deduced for the healthy school children in our geographical area. Further, it was found that the height and chest circumference are influencing factors for PEFR. Further regression equation has been derived that can help us to find the approximate PEFR values with the help of height and chest circumference of the children.

3D-УЗИ в оценке имплантационных свойств эндометрия после органосохраняющих операций по поводу эндометриоидных кист яичников

Study Objective: To assess, based on 3D-ultrasonography data, endometrial receptivity to implantation in women who have undergone conservative surgery for ovarian endometriomas (OE). Study Design: This was a prospective, comparative, clinical study. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy-two women who had undergone excision of OE were examined in the study: 114 patients with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels below 1.2 ng/mL (Group I, including subgroup A made up of 44 women younger than 35 and subgroup B made up of 70 women aged 35 to 40) and 58 patients with AMH ≥1.2 ng/mL (Group II). 3D-ultrasonography was performed at six and 12 months after cyst removal (between days 6 and 8 after ovulation). The VOCAL software was used to assess endometrial volume and volumetric blood flow indices, such as vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularizationflow index (VFI). Study Results: One year after the surgery, endometrial volume in women from subgroup IA and Group II and volumetric blood flow indices in women from Group II did not significantly differ from population mean values. In subgroup IB endometrial gland volume remained reduced throughout the observation period; hemodynamics did not improve in either the endometrium (VI: 2.39 ± 1.57% after six months and 2.32 ± 1.44% after 12 months) or the subendometrial layer (VI: 10.96 ± 5.68% and 11.86 ± 4.59%, respectively). Conclusion: The structural and hemodynamic abnormalities revealed in the endometrium in the postoperative period should be viewed as factors worsening endometrial receptivity to implantation. Keywords: ovarian endometriosis, endometrial disorders, 3D-ultrasonography, volumetric blood flow indices.

Review of Recent Advances in Understanding the Role of Vitamin D in Reducing Cancer Risk: Breast, Colorectal, Prostate, and Overall Cancer.

This article is a narrative review of recent epidemiological findings regarding ultraviolet-B (UVB) dose or exposure, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, vitamin D supplementation, and genetic variations in 25(OH)D concentration for incidence, survival, and mortality rates of overall and breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer. According to ecological studies, solar UVB doses are inversely correlated with incidence/mortality rates for about 20 cancer types. Observational studies support a role of higher 25(OH)D concentrations in reducing risk of breast and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates but, for prostate cancer, in increasing incidence rates while reducing mortality rates. Mendelian randomization studies offer little support for vitamin D in reducing cancer risk. Their primary limitation is that they only investigate small variations in genetically predicted 25(OH)D concentration near the population mean value. The secondary analyses from the VITAL clinical trial indicated significant reductions from 2000 IU/d of vitamin D3 supplementation in all-cancer incidence and mortality rates for selected subgroups. Thus, Hill's criteria for causality in a biological system are now largely satisfied for supporting the claim that vitamin D reduces the risk of cancer incidence and death.

Assessing alternative crop establishment methods with a sustainability lens in rice production systems of Eastern India.

Sustainability of rice production systems is a prime concern for Asia to maintain food security and to support economic growth. This gain in productivity not only depends on agricultural inputs but also depends on social and environmental factors. To address these emerging issues, new resource- and capital-efficient and profitable technologies have been introduced. The conventional method of rice production (puddling and manual transplanting, PTR) is considered as highly input intensive. As an alternative, dry direct seeded rice (DSR) using seed drill has been promoted to save labor and production costs compared with PTR. Similarly, machine transplanted rice (MTR) has been also considered and promoted in many rice growing countries of South and East Asia. Economic, environmental, and social performances of DSR and MTR (alternative rice establishment technologies) were compared to the PTR using Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) defined 12 Performance Indicators (PIs) (version 1.0) as a gauge to measure their sustainability. For that, a household survey was conducted on 652 households in Odisha India during 2016. The gaps, i.e., the target to achieve better sustainability, were computed for most of the indicators from the difference between top 10th percentile and the population mean value of the indicator. The results indicated a yield gap of 1.35 t ha−1, a profit gap of $273 ha−1, labor productivity gap of 21 kg day−1, nitrogen (N) use efficiency gap of 22 kg grain kg−1 N, phosphorus (P) use efficiency gap of 105 kg grain kg−1 P, and water productivity gap of 0.00010 kg grain L−1 water in rice production systems in Odisha. Among the compared technologies, MTR results in the highest yield, profit, labor productivity, nitrogen-, phosphorus-use efficiency, and water productivity (at par), and is positive for children’s welfare and the overall energy productivity, indicating better sustainability and has the potential to replace PTR. Direct seeded rice has the highest yield gap (1.57 t ha−1; 38%) but has the lowest production cost (can reduce the cost of production by $130 ha−1), and the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential. SRP PIs are capable for assessing the sustainability of rice establishment technologies except for a few indicators, for example food safety and workers health and safety, which are more applicable to watershed and household level indicators, respectively. The SRP PIs provide scientific evidence and practical impetus for the selection and promotion of sustainable rice production technologies.

793 Persisting Malnutrition After Medical Therapy in Children With Crohn's Disease Is Associated With Increased Rates of Surgery and Complicated Disease Behavior

INTRODUCTION: Although malnutrition in children diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) is common, the effect of malnutrition on clinical outcomes following diagnosis of CD has not been evaluated. METHODS: We used data from 948 CD subjects recruited from the RISK inception cohort to examine the impact of malnutrition on disease progression. Our primary exposures of interest were reported weight loss at diagnosis (reported as yes/no) as well as age specific body mass index (BMI) z-scores defined as the deviation of the value for an individual from the mean value of the reference population. Z-scores were stratified according 2015 guidelines of pediatric malnutrition to categorize the presence and severity of malnutrition over 3 years of follow-up. Our primary outcomes were development of complicated (stricturing or penetrating) disease, need for CD-related hospitalization, and surgery. Logistic regression models were used to define independent associations. RESULTS: Reported weight loss and malnutrition were present in 72.9% and 40.5% respectively of children diagnosed with Crohn's disease (Table 1). Following diagnosis at 6 months, BMI z-scores improved significantly such that only 13.2% remained malnourished and the rate of moderate/severe malnutrition declined from 17.6% to 2.2% (Figure 1). Failure to improve BMI z-score from 6 months was associated with increased risk of surgery (22% vs. 9%, P < 0.05) and B2/B2 phenotype (18% vs. 12%, P < 0.01) but not hospitalization (35% vs 28%, P > 0.05) at 3 years. The rate of overall malnutrition improved at 6 months but then remained stable until 3 years (range 13.9-15.9%, P > 0.05) and the association with increased rates of surgery and B2/B3 disease remained significant. CONCLUSION: Weight loss and malnutrition at diagnosis are common following diagnosis of CD in children. Failure to improve BMI z-score at 6 months and beyond correlates with increasing risk of surgery and complicated disease phenotype. We speculate that aggressive pharmacologic and nutritional management may improve/reverse the course in this narrow phenotype, and prospective studies are warranted to prove this concept.

Enhancing floral and habitat diversity for augmenting natural enemies in rice ecosystem of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

Field experiments on "Enhancing floral and habitat diversity for augmenting natural enemies in Thanjavur rice belt" was conducted during kharif (2017 and 2018) and rabi (2017). In habitat diversified rice crop, the main crop of rice was maintained along with flowering vegetation in field bunds viz., cowpea, green gram, black gram, sunflower, gingelly, bhendi, cluster bean, maize and marigold. Weeds mainly from Umbelliferae, Leguminosae and Compositae that support natural enemies were also maintained adjacent to rice bunds. Non-crop habitat included straw heaps on rice bunds. Daincha was planted in rogue spacing and bird perches installed to encourage both the natural enemies and insectivorous birds. The mean value of insect pest population was about 56 per cent lower in habitat diversified rice crop (7.39 insects /5 sweeps) than that of pure rice crop (16.87 insects /5 sweeps). In the case of mean value of natural enemy population, habitat diversified rice crop (26.74 individuals /5 sweeps) recorded two times higher population than that of pure rice crop (13.40 individuals /5 sweeps). In habitat diversified rice crop the pest-defender ratio was high in all the periods of observation compared to pure rice crop. The mean pest:defender ratio was 1: 3.74 in habitat diversified rice crop as compared to 1: 0.89 in pure rice crop. The mean grain yield recorded was 4.99 t/ha in habitat diversified rice crop as compared to 4.36 t/ha in pure rice crop. In habitat diversified rice crop, the per cent increased grain yield recorded over pure rice crop ranged from 10.43 to 21.18.Crop diversification and non-crop habitats certainly encouraged natural biological control by supplementing food resource and shelter. Over the years complex food web would persist leading to sustainable and ecofriendly insect pest management in rice ecosystem.

Trait variation across biological scales shapes community structure and ecosystem function.

Trait variation underlies our understanding of the patterns and importance of biodiversity, yet we have a poor understanding of how variation at different levels of biological organization structures communities and ecosystems. Here, we use a mesocosm experiment to test for the effects of a larval dragonfly functional trait on community and ecosystem dynamics by creating artificial populations to mirror within- and between-population trait variation observed in our study area. Specifically, we manipulate variation in activity rate, a key functional trait shaping food webs, across three levels of biological organization: within-populations (differences in trait variation in a population), among-populations (differences in population mean trait values), and among-species (species-level differences of co-occurring dragonflies). We show that differences in activity rate alter prey communities, trophic cascades, and multiple ecosystem processes. However, trait variation among populations had much larger effects than differences between co-occurring species or even the presence of a predator, whereas within-population variation had a relatively minor impact. Interestingly, combined with earlier work in the same system, our study suggests that the relative importance of species vs. individual level differences for ecosystem functioning will depend on the spatial scale considered. Ecological processes, including biodiversity-ecosystem-functioning relationships, cannot be understood without accounting for trait variation across biological scales of organization, including at fine scales.

Consequences of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal for plant demography, communities, evolution and global change.

As the single opportunity for plants to move, seed dispersal has an important impact on plant fitness, species distributions and patterns of biodiversity. However, models that predict dynamics such as risk of extinction, range shifts and biodiversity loss tend to rely on the mean value of parameters and rarely incorporate realistic dispersal mechanisms. By focusing on the mean population value, variation among individuals or variability caused by complex spatial and temporal dynamics is ignored. This calls for increased efforts to understand individual variation in dispersal and integrate it more explicitly into population and community models involving dispersal. However, the sources, magnitude and outcomes of intraspecific variation in dispersal are poorly characterized, limiting our understanding of the role of dispersal in mediating the dynamics of communities and their response to global change. In this manuscript, we synthesize recent research that examines the sources of individual variation in dispersal and emphasize its implications for plant fitness, populations and communities. We argue that this intraspecific variation in seed dispersal does not simply add noise to systems, but, in fact, alters dispersal processes and patterns with consequences for demography, communities, evolution and response to anthropogenic changes. We conclude with recommendations for moving this field of research forward.

How many samples? Soil variability affects confidence in the use of common agroecosystem soil indicators

There is a need for accurate and easily-measured indicators suitable for characterising and monitoring agroecosystem multi-functionality. This is particularly true in intensively-farmed landscapes where it is of interest to quantify the role of small, woody vegetation features in providing ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. However, soil variability introduced by natural and management processes can interact with sampling designs to result in inappropriate sampling intensities and high levels of uncertainty in measured indicators. This can have consequences for upscaling of ecosystem quantities and decision making. Here, we present results from a pilot study aimed at quantifying and understanding variation in ten common indicators of soil condition and function, within shelterbelt and adjacent field soils, at four dryland sheep farms in Canterbury, New Zealand. Our results demonstrate a high level of spatially-structured soil variability, driven by (1) the effects of woody vegetation on shelterbelt soils relative to field soils, (2) differences in underlying soil types among sites, and (3) possible effects of grazing animals within fields. This soil variability had clear knock-on impacts for appropriate sampling effort, depending on the soil indicator in question, the original soil sampling density, and whether the aim was to estimate population mean values or to detect differences among sites with confidence. On the whole, confidence in soil indicator estimates was highest for soil condition indicators (pH, soil moisture, bulk density), variable for carbon quantities, depending on the measure used, and lowest for soil biological process indicators (tea bag index decomposition rate, bait lamina probe micro-invertebrate activity, and dehydrogenase enzyme activity); estimation confidence was also mostly lower for shelterbelt soils due to the effect of woody roots and inputs on soil variability. Based on our results, we present indicative sample size requirements to estimate population means for these different soil indicators. Ultimately, we advocate for the use of pilot studies, such as the one presented here, to facilitate understanding of variability in soil function indicators within different agroecosystems, and how this variability is partitioned spatially within and among vegetated features.

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the late Eocene to the early Oligocene of the Caltavuturo Formation in the Madonie Mountains (Sicily): a tool for correlation

The investigation of the benthic foraminifers from three stratigraphic sections of the Caltavuturo Formation, exposed in the Madonie Mountains, gave evidences of vertical distribution of deep-water foraminiferal assemblages. The sedimentary succession exposed at the study sites consists of red to grey clay with interbeddedbiodetrital limestone mainly composed by larger foraminiferal tests and resulting from turbidity or debris flows. Since planktonic foraminifers and nannofossils are absent or poorly preserved, the sedimentary successions have been referred to the late Eocene to the early Oligocene by the occurrence of displaced tests of largerforaminifers which are considered coeval to the foraminifers in the clay.Biostratigraphic correlations have been attempted by means of the first occurrence of lepidocyclinids and biometrical mean values of populations of Nephrolepidina praemarginata. Deep water agglutinated foraminifers (DWAF) assemblages in the background clay allowed the reconstruction of environmental variations marking a deepening tendency.Two breccia beds, one of which reaches 2.5 m in thickness, mainly composed of packstone-grainstone with Early and Late Cretaceous larger foraminifers and fragments of rudists, occur in the northern stratigraphic section as a result of the erosion of the paleoslope surface composed of the Upper Cretaceous rudist member of the Crisanti Formation. The lack of these deposits in the other twosections is due to bypassing. The assemblages and the stratigraphic settings are consistent with a deposition along a continental slope deepening northward, suggesting an ‘African’ provenance of the flows which contributed to displace and rework shallow-water material.

The Identification of Multiple Intelligence in Relation to English Achievement of the Sixth Graders of SD Negeri 32 Palembang

The Identification of Multiple Intelligence in relation to English Achievement of the sixth graders of SD N 32 Palembang. Based on the data analysis, there were five major findings: First, linguistic, logical, spatial, musical, and interpersonal intelligences were types of intelligence of the sixth graders. Second, most of the students dominantly have interpersonal intelligence. Third, based on the calculation of z scores (standard scores), Logical-Ma thematical intelligence was the type of intelligence that had better English achievement because this type had the positive scores higher than the negative scores. Fourth, the variance of population was homogeneous. Fifth, the mean value of population was homogeneous and correlated each other.

Population pharmacokinetic modeling of flurbiprofen, the active metabolite of flurbiprofen axetil, in Chinese patients with postoperative pain.

BackgroundFlurbiprofen axetil, a lipid-microsphere-carrier targeting preparation, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indicated for the treatment of postoperative pain.AimThe aim of the study was to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model of flurbiprofen, the active metabolite of flurbiprofen axetil, and optimize the treatment of flurbiprofen axetil in Chinese patients.MethodsA total of 144 therapeutic drug-monitoring samples of flurbiprofen axetil from 72 patients were included in this study. The pharmacologically active metabolite flurbiprofen was used as the analytical target and determined 5–45 minutes after intravenous administration. The PPK model for flurbiprofen was developed using Phoenix NLME 1.3 with a nonlinear mixed-effect model. Bootstrap and visual predictive checks were used simultaneously to validate the final PPK model. Potential covariates of age, sex, body weight, height, and body-mass index were tested for PK parameters.ResultsThe PPK model of flurbiprofen was explained by a one-compartment model with first-order elimination, in which a hypothetical-effect compartment was linked to a PK compartment. Population mean values of PK parameters estimated in the final model were θKe=0.0015/h, θVd=7.91 L, and θCL=1.55 L/h. Analysis of covariates showed that height and weight influenced the Ke of flurbiprofen. The final model was proved to be robust.ConclusionThe final PPK model was demonstrated to be appropriate and effective, and can be used to assess the PK parameters of flurbiprofen in Chinese patients with postoperative pain.

Multilevel Analysis of Readmissions After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer in the USA: Does the Hospital Make a Difference?

BackgroundHospitals are increasingly being held responsible for their readmissions rates. The contribution of hospital versus patient factors (eg, case mix) to hospital readmissions is unknown. ObjectiveTo estimate the relative contribution of hospital and patient factors to readmissions after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer. Design, setting, and participantsWe identified individuals who underwent RC in 2014 in the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). The NRD is a nationally representative (USA), all-payer database that includes readmissions at index and nonindex hospitals. Survey weights were used to generate national estimates. Outcome measurements and statistical analysisThe main outcome was readmission within 30 d after RC. Using a multilevel mixed-effects model, we estimated the statistical association between patient and hospital characteristics and readmission. A hospital-level random-effects term was used to estimate hospital-level readmission rates while holding patient characteristics constant. Results and limitationsWe identified a weighted sample of 7095 individuals who underwent RC at 341 hospitals in the USA. The 30-d readmission rate was 29.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 27.8–31.2%), ranging from 1.4% (95% CI 0.6–2.2%) in the bottom quartile to 73.6% (95% CI 68.4–78.7) in the top. In our multilevel model, female sex and comorbidity score were associated with a higher likelihood of readmission. The hospital random-effects term, encompassing both measured and unmeasured hospital characteristics, contributed minimally to the model for readmission when patient characteristics were held constant at population mean values (pseudo-R2<0.01% for hospital effects). Surgical volume, bed size, hospital ownership, and academic status were not significantly associated with readmission rates when these terms were added to the model. ConclusionsAfter adjusting for patient characteristics, hospital-level effects explained little of the large between-hospital variability in readmission rates. These findings underscore the limitations of using 30-d post-discharge readmissions as a hospital quality metric. Patient summaryThe chance of being readmitted after radical cystectomy varies substantially between hospitals. Little of this variability can be explained by hospital-level characteristics, while far more can be explained by patient characteristics and random variability.

Associations of Alu I/D Polymorphism of the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene and 4b/a Polymorphism of the Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene with Heart Rate Variability and Cardiovascular Hemodynamics in Rowers

We studied the influence of the ACEAluI/D and NOS3 4b/a polymorphisms on the heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiovascular hemodynamics (CVH, by cardiac rheography) in rowers, including Candidates for Master of Sports (CMS, n = 6) and athletes with no rank (AWR, n = 16). It has been found that the VO2max (р < 0.001) and HRV (all indexes, p < 0.05) in the supine and standing positions were higher in the CMS athletes than in AWR athletes. The frequency of the I allele of the ACE genein the CMS group (58%) did not differ from the mean population value (n = 855, 48.4%) but was higher than in the AWR group (13%, p = 0.035), which was associated with increased HF regardless of VO2max (p = 0.029). The frequencies of genotypes of NOS3 4b/a did not differ between groups, but the 4a allele was associated with an increased VLF%. Thus, elevated HRV in trained athletes may be caused by genetic factors, among which the I allele of the ACE gene may play an important role.

Phenotypic Data from Inbred Parents Can Improve Genomic Prediction in Pearl Millet Hybrids.

Pearl millet is a non-model grain and fodder crop adapted to extremely hot and dry environments globally. In India, a great deal of public and private sectors’ investment has focused on developing pearl millet single cross hybrids based on the cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility (CMS) system, while in Africa most pearl millet production relies on open pollinated varieties. Pearl millet lines were phenotyped for both the inbred parents and hybrids stage. Many breeding efforts focus on phenotypic selection of inbred parents to generate improved parental lines and hybrids. This study evaluated two genotyping techniques and four genomic selection schemes in pearl millet. Despite the fact that 6× more sequencing data were generated per sample for RAD-seq than for tGBS, tGBS yielded more than 2× as many informative SNPs (defined as those having MAF > 0.05) than RAD-seq. A genomic prediction scheme utilizing only data from hybrids generated prediction accuracies (median) ranging from 0.73-0.74 (1000-grain weight), 0.87-0.89 (days to flowering time), 0.48-0.51 (grain yield) and 0.72-0.73 (plant height). For traits with little to no heterosis, hybrid only and hybrid/inbred prediction schemes performed almost equivalently. For traits with significant mid-parent heterosis, the direct inclusion of phenotypic data from inbred lines significantly (P < 0.05) reduced prediction accuracy when all lines were analyzed together. However, when inbreds and hybrid trait values were both scored relative to the mean trait values for the respective populations, the inclusion of inbred phenotypic datasets moderately improved genomic predictions of the hybrid genomic estimated breeding values. Here we show that modern approaches to genotyping by sequencing can enable genomic selection in pearl millet. While historical pearl millet breeding records include a wealth of phenotypic data from inbred lines, we demonstrate that the naive incorporation of this data into a hybrid breeding program can reduce prediction accuracy, while controlling for the effects of heterosis per se allowed inbred genotype and trait data to improve the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values for pearl millet hybrids.

BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF THE BODY OF TWO-YEAR CARPS OF DIFFERENT MIXED BRED CROSSES

The article presents the results of comparison of the biochemical composition of the muscles of two-year carp of two-way crosses and the breeds and lines of different-origin carp and Amur sazan. The combinations characterized by an increased level of the dry basis content, fat and protein are established in comparison with a mean-population value, a mean level of the Belarusian collection lines, import breeds and Amur sazan bred under the same conditions. The mean mass of two-year carp selected for investigation was 531.3 g within the range from 370.2 to 645.0 g mainly with a low and mean degree ofvariation. The mean level of the dry basis content of all examined crosses was 25.85 %, the maximum value of this parameter of German × three prim was 27.92 %, and the minimum value of Germany ×Lahvin scaleless was 24.08 %. The low values of the variation coefficient (1.0–9.8 %) point to a slight variation of this parameter of different mixed bred crosses.

Fixed dosing of intravenous tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis. Results from a population pharmacokinetic analysis.

Intravenous tocilizumab is currently dosed on body weight, although a weak correlation between body weight and clearance has been described. The aim of the study was to assess the current dosing strategy and provide a scientific rational for dosing using a modelling and simulation approach. Serum concentrations and covariates were obtained from intravenous tocilizumab treated subjects at a dose of 4, 6 or 8mg every 28days. A population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using nonlinear mixed effects modelling. The final model was used to simulate tocilizumab exposure to assess a dosing strategy based on body weight or fixed dosing, using as target a cumulative area under the curve at 24weeks of treatment above 100 × 103 μghml-1 . A one-compartment disposition model with parallel linear and nonlinear elimination best described the concentration-time data. The typical population mean values for clearance, apparent volume of distribution, maximum elimination rate and Michaelis-Menten constant were 0.0104lh-1 , 4.83l, 0.239mgh-1 and 4.22μgml-1 , respectively. Interindividual variability was included for clearance (17.0%) and volume of distribution (30.8%). Significant covariates for clearance were patient body weight and C-reactive protein serum levels. An estimated exponent for body weight of 0.360 confirms the weak relationship with tocilizumab clearance. Simulations demonstrate that patients with lower weights are at risk of underdosing if the weight-based dosing approach is used. However, fixed-dosing provides a more consistent drug exposure regardless of weight category. Our study provides evidence to support fixed dosing of intravenous tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis patients since it reduces variability in tocilizumab exposure among weight categories compared to the current weight-based dosing approach.