Body Ratio Research Articles

Single and combined chronic toxicity of cadmium and titanium dioxide nanoparticles in Aquarana catesbeiana (Anura: Ranidae) tadpoles.

The rising production and improper disposal of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) into aquatic systems present considerable environmental challenges, especially when these particles interact with other contaminants such as cadmium (Cd). Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the potential toxic effects on the gills, chondrocranium, body growth, and mortality of Aquarana catesbeiana tadpoles. The tadpoles were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of TiO2 NPs (10 µg L-1), and CdCl2 (10 µg L-1), both individually and in combination, for 30 days (chronic exposure), along with a control group. Our results indicate that the co-exposure to TiO2 NPs and Cd induced a higher mortality rate. In the gills, TiO2 NPs led to epithelial simplification, while Cd exposure resulted in stratified epithelium formation. Additionally, there were notable changes in the index of degenerative alterations for the co-exposed group and the overall organ index for the groups exposed to Cd and the mixture. The viscerocranium showed significant malformations in the ceratobranchials and reticular processes, indicating the mixture's toxicological potential during the skeletal system's development. Morphometric analysis also revealed reduced body length and abnormal body ratios in tadpoles from the co-exposure group. In conclusion, TiO2 NPs and Cd, both alone and in combination, exhibit toxicological effects in A. catesbeiana tadpoles, indicating a potential ecological risk associated with releasing these contaminants into aquatic environments.

The Ratio of Body Weight/Length Squared Relates to Low Serum α-Tocopherol in Preterm Infants.

Preterm infants are at high risk of developing α-tocopherol deficiency, since fat depots are low, intake may be insufficient, malabsorption may coexist, and dietary needs are high. Data on predictors of low α-tocopherol are still limited. Thus, this study aimed to assess the levels of α-tocopherol in preterm infants at birth and explore its anthropometric predictors. Preterm infants (n=84) from a neonatal intensive care unit were studied. Weight, length, head circumference, and gestational age were recorded. The measurement of α-tocopherol levels was performed in the first 24 hours with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Logistic regression models were applied to identify factors related to low α-tocopherol levels (<1.5 mg/L). The median gestational age was 29.5 weeks and the mean birth weight was 1254 g. Most neonates were of very low birth weight (~89%). About 31% of preterm infants had α-tocopherol deficiency (cutoff <1.5 mg/L). In logistic regression analysis, a newly proposed index, i.e., weight/length2 (measured in g/cm2), was related to low vitamin status. More particularly, a ratio >0.81 g/cm2 was related to α-tocopherol deficiency independently of other covariates. Further studies are needed to prove the usefulness of this "easy-to-measure" proposed index in the early detection of α-tocopherol deficiency.

Sustainability Strategy and Development of Village Breeding Center: Evaluation of Morphometric Characteristics of Female Peranakan Ongole Cattle in Napis Village

This study evaluates the morphometric characteristics of female Peranakan Ongole (PO) cattle in Napis Village, Bojonegoro Regency, East Java, as part of a strategy for developing sustainable village breeding centers. The selection of the research location was conducted through purposive sampling, and the material in this study consists of female Peranakan Ongole cattle with age criteria (PI) based on the SNI for Peranakan Ongole cattle, namely PI0 (aged &lt;1 year), PI2 (1 – 1.5 years), PI4 (1.5 - 2 years), PI6 (2 – 3 years), PI8 (aged &gt; 3.5 years). Measurements include body height, body length, hip height, chest depth, chest circumference, ossa cervical vertebrae, ossa thoracic vertebrae, ossa vertebrae lumbar, ossa scapula, hip width, head length, head width and body weight, as well as morphometric indices such as head index, height slope, body index, index of compression, conformation index, length index, body ratio, proportionality and thoracic development on 206 female cattle grouped by age (PI0-PI8). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post hoc tests, as well as key indices to identify growth patterns and body size stability. The research results show a significant increase in body size in the young-to-adult age group, where adult cows reach size stability. The morphometric index reveals consistent proportional development in the body of cattle as they age, reflecting structural maturity. Evaluation based on the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) shows that most cattle are in Class II and III, indicating excellent body quality in the productive age group. This research emphasizes that morphometric characteristics are important indicators in determining optimal management strategies to support the sustainability of local PO cattle development. These findings provide a foundation for the maintenance and development programs of the PO cattle population by prioritizing quality livestock management, supporting the conservation of local genetic resources, and enhancing cattle productivity in Indonesia.

Diurnal Variation Reveals the Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Cool Island Effects in Urban Blue-Green Spaces

Urban blue-green space cooling island effect (BGCI) is effective in improving the thermal comfort of residents. However, there is little knowledge regarding the diurnal variation of BGCIs and the influencing factors. Therefore, we selected Beijing as the study area and used ECOSTRESS LST data and the inflection–maximum perspective method to explore the diurnal variation of BGCIs. Additionally, we investigated diurnal variations in the relative influence of the characteristics of the blue-green space itself, as well as the surrounding 2D and 3D landscape metrics using boosted regression tree model. The results indicated that BGCIs displayed distinct diurnal patterns. BGCIs progressively increased from sunrise to midday, decreased thereafter to sunset, reached its peak around midday, and diminished to a relatively low level and constant intensity at night. BGCIs of water bodies exhibited a significantly higher intensity compared to vegetation during the day, particularly around midday, with a difference in mean cooling intensity (CI) of 1.06 °C and mean cooling distance (CD) of 63.27 m, while the differences were minimal at night with a difference in mean CI of 0.02 °C and mean CD of 9.64 m. The features of vegetation had a more significant impact on BGCIs during the day, particularly around midday (CI: 32.30% around midday and 13.86% at night), while the 3D metrics influenced BGCIs more at night (CI: 26.40% around midday and 35.81% at night). The features of water bodies had a greater impact during the midday (52.87% around midday and 10.46% at night), with the landscape metrics of surrounding water bodies playing a more important role at night (15.56% around midday and 38.28% at night). The effect of tree height, shape index of vegetation, and surrounding building coverage ratio of water bodies on BGCIs exhibited opposite trends around midday and at night. Optimizing the landscape surrounding blue-green spaces is more cost-effective than the blue-green spaces themselves for nighttime thermal comfort, especially in 3D urban landscapes. These findings emphasize the imperative and essentiality of exploring diurnal variations in BGCIs, providing valuable information for mitigating UHI effects.

Seasonal dimorphism as an expression of sexual dimorphism: Influence of gonad maturity on the body shape of a rocky intertidal polyplacophoran

Seasonal dimorphism in the body shape of marine invertebrates has been poorly explored compared to vertebrates. We aim to investigate through traditional (body length/width ratio, dorsal elevation ratio and angle of elevation) and geometric (centroid size and shape geometric configurations) morphometrics the effect of gonad maturity (via the gonadosomatic index [GSI] and gonad development stages [GDS]) on changes in body shape in males and females of two latitudinally different populations of the broadcast-spawning intertidal mollusc Chiton articulatus. We confirmed that C. articulatus does not present external sexual dimorphism since sex does not have a significant effect on body shape (1%); instead, dimorphism was seasonal and related to the reproductive season, and varied across populations, probably because in the subtropical zone additional energy is invested in shell (scleritome) bending at the same time as the gonad matures, which is opposite of what occurs in the tropical zone. C. articulatus shows a narrower body shape (i.e., diminished body width) during its gonad maturity compared to the rest of the GDS and is corroborated by a body length/width ratio that contributes the greatest variation in the geometric shape descriptors (18%), just below the centroid size (24%). The expression of centroid size differences shows a correspondence with the change in body dimensions expressed by the three morphometric ratios during gonad maturity. The use of traditional body ratios over time may be useful in polyplacophoran molluscs as a proxy tool to estimate gonad maturity and to provide a reliable indication of the reproductive season.

Bone Scintigraphy in Cardiac Transthyretin-Related Amyloidosis: A Novel Time-Saving Tool for Semiquantitative Analysis, with Good Potential for Predicting Different Etiologies

(1) Background: The visual and semiquantitative analysis of Technetium-99metastable-3,3-diphospono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (99mTc-DPD) bone scintigraphy is promising for diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis but time-consuming. We validated a faster method, the geometric mean (GM) method with a semi-automated workflow, for heart–whole body (WB) ratio (H/WBr), heart retention (Hr), and WB retention (WBr) calculations compared to the classic method (CM) established in the literature. The capability of semiquantitative scintigraphy indexes to differentiate the etiology in transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis (cATTR) patients was investigated. (2) Methods: H/WBr, Hr, and WBr were calculated by extracting counts for WB, kidneys, bladder, and heart on early and late planar image scans and applying background, scan-time, and decay corrections, using CM and GM both on a referring workstation and on a semi-automated workflow in external software. The comparison between CM and GM was assessed with Pearson’s correlation, Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC), and Bland–Altman analysis. H/WBr, Hr, and WBr and several clinical variables were used to implement LASSO, Random Forest (RF), and Neural Network (NN) models to predict mutated and wild-type ATTR etiologies. ROC curves and AUC were calculated. (3) Results: Hr, WBr, and H/WBr using CM and GM were highly correlated. Bland–Altman analysis between CM and GM showed biases of 0.12% [CI:0.04%;0.19%] for H/WBr, 0.07% [CI: 0.01%; 0.13%] for Hr, and -0.50% [CI: −1.22%; 0.22%] for WBr. LASSO and NN models had good performance in predicting etiologies with AUC values of 87.3% and 73.6%, respectively. The RF model showed a poorer AUC of 55.8%. (4) Conclusions: The GM in the assisted workflow was validated against the CM. LASSO and NN approaches allowed a good prediction performance to be obtained for patient etiology.

Clinical and morphometric features in cervical spine pathology in humans and animals

Background. The neck, its bone-cartilaginous and muscle apparatus, etc. high activity is well known. Cervical spine degenerative-dystrophic processes are considered to be an urgent problem. The purpose of the study was to determine the clinical and morphometric changes of the cervical spine in humans and animals with neck pain based on a clinical and neurological examination, determination of the vertebral body density, their configuration, and ratio for timely correction and prognosis of this patho­logy. Materials and methods. Pain intensity was studied in humans and animals using the adapted visual-analogue scale. The inde­xes of computer tomography with measurement of vertebral body density, and morphometric indexes with an emphasis on C5-C7 le­vel were also studied. All studies were conducted following existing bioethical standards. Results. The pathology of spine configuration was registered in 84.6 % of the examined patients in the form of angular kyphosis or straightened lordosis, more often in women. It was observed in 34.7 % of cases in dogs and cats. The normal configuration is more common: in cats — 78.6 % and in dogs of small breeds — 78.5 %, in large breed dogs — only 26.3 %, and deformations were more frequent than in cats and small dogs (2.7 times more). The cervical vertebrae bodies density in all groups decreased toward the caudal direction with a difference of 18.1 % in humans. In cats — 2.7 %, in dogs of small breeds, it was higher (7.5 %), and in large breed dogs, it reached 14.3 %. The maximum deviations of the studied indicators were found in humans and maximally coincided with those in dogs of large breeds. Conclusions. Thus, animals, especially dogs of large breeds, can serve as a model for studying etiopathogenetic factors, the course, prognosis of degeneration of the bone-cartilage apparatus.

Sarcopenia Predicts the Development of Early Adjacent Segment Disease After Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Predicting the development of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar spine fusion would help guide preoperative and postoperative therapies to prevent reoperation. We sought to evaluate whether sarcopenia predicts the development of early ASD after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Retrospective data were collected from 109 patients who underwent TLIF from 2013 to 2023. Patients older than 18 years who underwent elective posterior midline approach TLIF were included. Patients with prior lumbar instrumented fusions, cases of trauma, central nervous system infection, cancer, or long-construct thoracolumbar deformity corrections and those who lacked sufficient follow-up were excluded. The primary outcome was radiographic ASD development within 3 years of surgery. Psoas volumetric measurements were recorded from the most recent preoperative MRI. Odds ratios were calculated with logistic regression analyses. In 109 patients undergoing elective TLIF, 22 (20.2%) developed ASD within 3 years. Gender, body mass index, and extent of surgery were not associated with ASD development. Multivariate analysis showed left/right psoas cross-sectional area, and psoas:vertebral body ratio (P:VBR) predicted early ASD (P < .0001). Sarcopenia was further categorized as having bilateral P:VBR ≥1 SD below gender mean (T-score -1). Of 18 sarcopenic patients, 15 developed early ASD (83.33%) vs 7 of 91 nonsarcopenic patients (7.69%; P < .0001). Postoperative mismatch between pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis was predictive of ASD on univariate (P = .0480) but not multivariate analysis. Pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis postoperatively were not associated with early ASD. Sarcopenia, measured by decreased psoas area and P:VBR, predicts ASD formation within 3 years of surgery. Morphometric analysis of psoas size is a simple tool to identify patients at risk of developing ASD. This information can potentially guide preoperative and postoperative therapies, affect surgical decision making, and effectively counsel patients on risks of reoperation.

Responses of invertebrate traits to litter chemistry accelerate decomposition under nitrogen enrichment

Nitrogen (N) enrichment shapes litter chemistry, subsequently influencing soil invertebrates and litter decomposition. However, there has been a lack of attention to how soil invertebrates respond to changes in litter chemistry and then drive litter decomposition under N enrichment. Here, trait-based approaches were adopted to explore functional responses of Collembola, a crucial and functional group of invertebrates. We conducted reciprocal transplantation of plant litter between ambient N levels (0 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and N enrichment (90 kg N ha−1 yr−1) plots in a field experiment, quantifying Collembola traits and litter mass loss during litter decomposition process. Results showed that N enrichment-derived litter recruited Collembola with long antenna, legs, and strong mandibles in enrichment environment, while Collembola with same traits were recruited by ambient-derived litter in ambient environment. Collembola traits, including antenna to body ratio, leg to body ratio, and mandible width to length ratio, coincided with high litter decomposition rates under N enrichment. Overall, the results provide evidence that Collembola with strong resource acquisition abilities responded to changes in litter chemistry, and such shifts further accelerate litter decomposition under N enrichment. Our findings demonstrate that adopting trait-based approaches to link litter and invertebrates would advance the understanding of ecosystem processes governed by biological regulation under global change.

[99mTc]Tc-hydroxydiphosphonate uptake in soft tissue is associated with amyloid load in subcutaneous abdominal fat tissue and mortality in wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis patients

PurposeBone scintigraphy is key to non-invasively diagnosing wild-type transthyretin (ATTRwt) amyloidosis, and is mainly used to assess cardiac radiotracer uptake. However, extracardiac radiotracer uptake is also observed. We investigated whether intensity of soft tissue radiotracer uptake is associated with amyloid load in subcutaneous abdominal fat tissue and with mortality.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 94 ATTRwt amyloidosis patients and 26 amyloid-negative heart failure controls who underwent whole-body [99mTc]Tc-hydroxydiphosphonate scintigraphy. Site-to-background ratios were calculated for heart, elbows, subcutaneous tissue, shoulders and wrists on anterior planar bone scintigraphy images using rib and whole-body radiotracer uptake as background. Fat tissue aspirates were stained with Congo red to grade amyloid load. Site-to-rib ratios were compared between ATTRwt amyloidosis patients and controls, and associations of site-to-background ratio with Congo red score and all-cause mortality were studied.ResultsATTRwt amyloidosis patients had higher soft tissue-to-rib, heart-to-rib and heart-to-whole body ratios compared with controls. The intensity of soft tissue uptake was positively associated with amyloid load in fat tissue in ATTRwt amyloidosis patients. Estimated glomerular filtration rate, N-terminal brain natriuretic propeptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and the prognostic Mayo and NAC staging system were associated with all-cause mortality in univariable models. Soft tissue/rib ratio, hs-cTnT and the prognostic staging systems were the only two variables that were independently associated withall-cause mortality.ConclusionSoft tissue radiotracer uptake on bone scintigraphy in ATTRwt amyloidosis patients is positively associated with amyloid load in abdominal fat tissue and is independently associated with mortality.

Subscapular skinfold thickness, not other anthropometric and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-measured adiposity, is positively associated with the presence of age-related macular degeneration: a cross-sectional study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2006

ObjectiveCurrent literature reveals an association between anthropometric measures of adiposity (AnthM) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but few have explored the disease association with imaging methods. This study aimed to...

Motion Response of the Submersible Underwater Towed System as Cable Length Changes

Submersible underwater towed systems usually need to transition from steady-state motion to maneuvering motion during operation while dynamically adjusting the length of the towed cable. The lumped mass approach was employed to convert the dragged cable into a model with a concentrated mass. Analyzed utilizing a computational simulation tool, the motion response of the towed system was examined for both simple and composite maneuvering motions. By comparing the changes in tension at the end of the towed cable and the depth of the towed body motion under different motion states and cable retraction and deployment speeds, the motion response law of the system when the length of the towed cable changes during the submarine maneuver motion is obtained. The maximum tension value occurred at 1.0 m/s during the acceleration maneuver when the velocity change of the submersible ended at the same time as the cable length change. After the deployment maneuver in a circular rotating motion, the range of tension fluctuations decreased by 93%, greatly improving the stability of the towed system. An analysis was conducted to examine the impact of various motion and structural parameters on the motion response. The study revealed that the buoyancy-to-gravity ratio of the towed body, the acceleration time of the accelerated motion, and the rotational speed of the circular rotational motion had a notable influence on the outcomes. When the buoyancy-to-gravity ratio of the towed body is 1.0, the maximum tension value of the towed cable is minimized, and the depth change of the towed body is closer to 0 m.

Super-resolution deep learning reconstruction approach for enhanced visualization in lumbar spine MR bone imaging

ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of super-resolution deep-learning-based reconstruction (SR-DLR), which leverages k-space data, on the image quality of lumbar spine magnetic resonance (MR) bone imaging using a 3D multi-echo in-phase sequence. Materials and methodsIn this retrospective study, 29 patients who underwent lumbar spine MRI, including an MR bone imaging sequence between January and April 2023, were analyzed. Images were reconstructed with and without SR-DLR (Matrix sizes: 960 × 960 and 320 × 320, respectively). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the vertebral body and spinal canal and the contrast and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the vertebral body and spinal canal were quantitatively evaluated. Furthermore, the slope at half-peak points of the profile curve drawn across the posterior border of the vertebral body was calculated. Two radiologists independently assessed image noise, contrast, artifacts, sharpness, and overall image quality of both image types using a 4-point scale. Interobserver agreement was evaluated using weighted kappa coefficients, and quantitative and qualitative scores were compared via the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. ResultsSNRs of the vertebral body and spinal canal were notably improved in images with SR-DLR (p < 0.001). Contrast and CNR were significantly enhanced with SR-DLR compared to those without SR-DLR (p = 0.023 and p = 0.022, respectively). The slope of the profile curve at half-peak points across the posterior border of the vertebral body and spinal canal was markedly higher with SR-DLR (p < 0.001). Qualitative scores (noise: p < 0.001, contrast: p < 0.001, artifact p = 0.042, sharpness: p < 0.001, overall image quality: p < 0.001) were superior in images with SR-DLR compared to those without. Kappa analysis indicated moderate to good agreement (noise: κ = 0.56, contrast: κ = 0.51, artifact: κ = 0.46, sharpness: κ = 0.76, overall image quality: κ = 0.44). ConclusionSR-DLR, which is based on k-space data, has the potential to enhance the image quality of lumbar spine MR bone imaging utilizing a 3D gradient echo in-phase sequence.Clinical relevance statement: The application of SR-DLR can lead to improvements in lumbar spine MR bone imaging quality.

Estimating body condition of Apennine brown bears using subjective scoring based on camera trap photographs

The assessment of animal body condition has important practical and management implications for endangered wildlife populations. The nutritional condition of a population can be evaluated in a non-invasive way using photogrammetry techniques, avoiding direct manipulation. This study evaluates the utility of using body condition scoring (BCS) based on the visual assessment of subcutaneous fat and muscle from the body contour as a non-invasive method to quantify body condition in free ranging bears from camera trap photographs. Photographs of Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus), taken between 2007 and 2009 in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park (PNALM, Italy), were used to evaluate the potential of this technique. BCS assessment was performed on 754 photographs representing 71 independent observations. Forty-eight of these photographs were selected to also score quantitative body ratios using a standardised measure of torso height. BCS varied seasonally, as expected by food availability and brown bear nutritional physiology, and it was also positively correlated to all three body ratios. Our findings indicate that BCS assessment is a good proxy for body condition, and that camera trap data can be effectively used to assess and monitor the nutritional condition of bear populations, such as the critically endangered one in central Italy.

Acupuncture improve proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease rats by inhibiting ferroptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of acupuncture to relieve diabetic proteinuria in Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). MethodsA total of 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected as the negative control group (NC), and a further 30 rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ). The DKD model rats in the model group (DKD) and the acupuncture group (DKD + Acu) were randomly assigned. After 4 weeks of intervention, collected urine, peripheral blood, and renal tissues from all rats, and assessed blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, triglyceride, 24-h urine protein quantification, and blood glucose, left kidney weight, kidney body ratio index, then observe changes in renal histology in the rats. The renal cortex tissues of three rats from each group were sent for transcriptomic analysis. According to the results of transcriptomic analysis, various kits were used to detect SOD, MDA, GSH, GSH-px, and iron concentration. The expression levels of GPX4 and System Xc-, members of the antioxidative stress pathway, and TfR 1, SLC39A14, FTH 1, and SLC40A1, involved in iron metabolism, in the kidney tissues were measured by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The expression of mesenchymal phenotype markers and podocyte-specific markers were evaluated by immunofluorescence. ResultsAcupuncture promoted the levels of GSH, GSH-px, and SOD, decreased the level of MDA (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of GPX4 and System Xc- (P < 0.05), decreased the expression of TfR1 and SLC39A14 (P < 0.01), and increased the expression of FTH 1 and SLC40A1 (P < 0.05), inhibited the expression of TGF-β1, desmin, FSP-1, and α-SMA (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of Nephrin, Podocin, and CD2AP (P < 0.05). ConclusionImproving the ability of podocytes to prevent oxidative stress and restoring iron ion homeostasis, can improve Ferroptosis and block epithelial-mesenchymal transition, improve podocyte injury, restore filtration function, and reduce proteinuria in DKD rats.

Growing out of the fins: Implications of isometric and allometric scaling of morphology relative to increasing mass in blue sharks (Prionace glauca)

Disproportional changes (i.e. allometry) in shark morphology relative to increasing body size have been attributed to shifts in function associated with niche shifts in life history, such as in habitat and diet. Photographs of blue sharks (Prionace glauca, 26–145 kg) were used to analyze changes in parameters of body and fin morphology with increasing mass that are fundamental to swimming and feeding. We hypothesized that blue sharks would demonstrate proportional changes (i.e. isometry) in morphology with increasing mass because they do not undergo profound changes in prey and habitat type; accordingly, due to geometric scaling laws, we predicted that blue sharks would grow into bodies with greater turning inertias and smaller frontal and surface areas, in addition to smaller spans and areas of the fins relative to mass, which are parameters that are associated with the swimming performance in sharks. Many aspects of morphology increased with isometry. However, blue sharks demonstrated negative allometry in body density, whereas surface area, volume and roll inertia of the body, area, span and aspect ratio of both dorsal fins, span and aspect ratio of the ventral caudal fin, and span, length and area of the mouth increased with positive allometry. The dataset was divided in half based on mass to form two groups: smaller and larger sharks. Besides area of both dorsal fins, relative to mass, larger sharks had bodies with significantly greater turning inertia and smaller frontal and surface areas, in addition to fins with smaller spans and areas, compared to smaller sharks. In conclusion, isometric scaling does not necessarily imply functional similarity, and allometric scaling may sometimes be critical in maintaining, rather than shifting, function relative to mass in animals that swim through the water column.

Long-term effects of local radiotherapy on growth and vertebral features in children with high-risk neuroblastoma

BackgroundTo evaluate the effects of local radiotherapy (RT) on growth, we evaluated the chronological growth profiles and vertebral features of children with high-risk neuroblastoma.MethodsThirty-eight children who received local photon or proton beam therapy to the abdomen or retroperitoneum between January 2014 and September 2019 were included. Simple radiography of the thoracolumbar spine was performed before and every year after RT. The height and vertical length of the irradiated vertebral bodies (VBs) compared with the unirradiated VBs (vertebral body ratio, VBR) were analyzed using the linear mixed model. Shape feature analysis was performed to compare the irradiated and unirradiated vertebrae.ResultsThe follow-up was a median of 53.5 months (range, 21–81 months) after RT. A decline in height z-scores was mainly found in the early phase after treatment. In the linear mixed model with height, the initial height (fixed, p < 0.001), sex (time interaction, p = 0.008), endocrine dysfunction (time interaction, 0.019), and age at diagnosis (fixed and time interaction, both p = 0.002) were significant. Unlike the trend in height, the change in VBR (ΔVBR) decreased gradually (p < 0.001). The ΔVBR in the group that received more than 30 Gy decreased more than in the group that received smaller doses. In the shape feature analysis, the irradiated VBs changed to a more irregular surface that were neither round nor rectangular.ConclusionThe irradiated VBs in children were gradually restricted compared to the unirradiated VBs in long-term follow-up, and higher RT doses were significantly affected. Radiation-induced irregular features of VBs were observed.

Research Status and Development Trend of Multi-arm Collaborative Robots

Abstract: Industrial robots are mainly used in metal forming, automotive, and electrical and electronics industries. After decades of unremitting efforts, industrial robots have achieved great success. However, problems such as low safety, weak environmental adaptability, and insufficient humancomputer interaction ability of industrial robots have greatly limited the application of industrial robots, and multi-arm collaborative robots came into being in this case. Multi-arm collaborative robots offer high flexibility and precision. Over the years, the application and development of multiarm collaborative robots have been paid more and more attention. This paper aims to summarize the patents related to multi-arm cooperative robots, including their principles, classification, latest progress and future development, in order to meet the needs of the real world. According to the structural characteristics of multi-arm collaborative robots and the requirements of multi-arm collaborative robots application field, the most typical mobile collaborative robots and stationary dual-arm collaborative robots in multi-arm collaborative robots are summarized. By investigating various patents of multi-arm collaborative robots the main problems of multi-arm collaborative robots are summarized and analyzed, such as collisions or conflicts between robotic arms, low power-to-weight ratio, loose structures, and heavy weight of the robot body. In addition, the development trend of multi-arm collaborative robots is also discussed. Multi-arm robots have broad prospects and potential in future applications and development. With the advancement of new technologies, multi-arm collaborative robots will become more efficient, intelligent, safe, and flexible. More relevant patents are expected to be invented in the future.

Numerical study on the effect of temperature rise of humeral bone nails in magnetic resonance imaging based on the finite-element method.

Humeral fracture is a common long bone fracture in orthopedic clinical diagnosis and treatment. To investigate the local temperature increase owing to changes in the specific absorption ratio (SAR) of the human body caused by humeral bone nails during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A refined geometric model of the upper body was constructed via data segmentation and post-processing using the digital human image dataset. Finally, the geometric model was imported into COMSOL, a 3-T magnetic resonance coil was built, and the operating frequency (128 MHz) was set to analyze the SAR of the bone-nail pair and temperature changes. The analysis of the changes after bone-nail implantation under different tissue conditions revealed that the SAR and temperature after implantation and fixation were three times higher than those before, and the areas with abrupt changes in SAR and temperature were primarily concentrated in the bone-nail area. In MRI, metal implants can cause local elevation of the SAR near the implant in the human body, resulting in a temperature increase around the implant. Consequently, long-term scanning can damage the human body.

Regular patterns in the size ratio of the cervical vertebral bodies registered by MRI in the axial plane

Aim – to find regular patterns in the morphometric characteristics for the bodies of the cervical vertebrae when performing measurements in the axial (transverse) plane in men and women with different severity of degenerative-dystrophic changes of the cervical spine. Material and methods. The material of the study was the tomograms of 75 men and 128 women aged 18 to 84 years, obtained on magnetic resonance tomographs with a magnetic field strength of 1 Tl and 1.5 Tl. The data was divided into several groups according to the patients' sex and severity of degenerative-dystrophic changes of the cervical spine. The length and width of the vertebral bodies in the axial plane were measured with the subsequent calculation of their ratio. Results. Significant differences were found between the 1st and 2nd groups for the width of C7-C4 in women, as well as for the length of C3 and width of C3, C2 in men. Significant difference in the ratio of the sizes of vertebral bodies was registered in the 1st and 2nd groups of women at the level of C7. When comparing the data of all observation groups among men, significant differences were noted in the 2nd and 3rd groups for C7, C6, C3. With progression of degenerative-dystrophic changes, the differences in length were significant for C7-C4, C2 vertebrae in the 1st group, for C7-C5, C2 – in the 2nd and C7, C6, C4-C2 in the 3rd group. In the group of men with pronounced changes in the cervical spine region, in most cases there was an increase in coefficients (with significant differences in data for the 2nd and 3rd groups). Conclusion. Among men, significant differences were observed between the 2nd and 3rd groups for C7, C6, C3. For the C2 vertebra, significant differences were noted, taking into account sex, for length in the 1st and 3rd groups, width – in the 1st and 2nd groups, when assessing the mutual ratio of the sizes of the vertebral bodies – in the 2nd and 3rd groups.