Total Growth Rate Research Articles

When is Growth the Greatest? Spine and Total Body Growth in Idiopathic Scoliosis Through Sanders Maturation Stages 2, 3A, 3B, and 4.

Sanders maturation stages (SMS) 2 to 4 represent periods of rapid growth and are considered ideal candidates for growth modulation surgery, such as anterior vertebral body tethering. A detailed assessment of spine growth during these stages is essential but limited. This study aimed to clarify the differences in growth rates for spine and total body height across SMS 2, 3A, 3B, and 4, as well as to assess cumulative growth until skeletal maturity for these stages. This single-center, retrospective, case-control longitudinal study evaluated consecutive patients with idiopathic scoliosis staged SMS 2 to 4. T1-S1 spine height, total body height, and curve magnitude were measured at each visit. Monthly growth rates for spine and total body height were calculated between baseline and first follow-up visit (6-12 months). In a subset followed to skeletal maturity, cumulative spine and total body height gain were assessed. To account for height loss due to scoliosis, spine and total body height were adjusted for curve magnitude using validated formulas. Multivariate linear regression models were employed to evaluate the relationship between SMS and growth, adjusting for confounding factors. A total of 517 patients (68% female) were included. Spine height growth was highest in patients at SMS 3A, approximately 1.4 times stage 2, 1.5 times stage 3B, and 1.8 times stage 4. Total body height growth rates were comparable between SMS 2 and 3A, both significantly exceeding SMS 3B and 4. Among 314 patients followed to skeletal maturity, cumulative growth in spine and total body height was greatest in patients at SMS 2. This study demonstrated that spinal growth was most pronounced in patients at SMS 3A, while total body height growth was greatest during SMS 2 and 3A. Less mature patients exhibited greater cumulative growth potential in both spine and total body height. These findings provide crucial insights for determining the optimal timing of growth modulation surgery. Level III Case-control study. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The Role of Baseline Total Kidney Volume Growth Rate in Predicting Tolvaptan Efficacy for ADPKD Patients: A Feasibility Study.

Background/Objectives: Although tolvaptan efficacy in ADPKD has been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials, there is no definitive method for assessing its efficacy in the individual patient in the clinical setting. In this exploratory feasibility study, we report a method to quantify the change in total kidney volume (TKV) growth rate to retrospectively evaluate tolvaptan efficacy for individual patients. Treatment-related changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are also assessed. Methods: MRI scans covering at least 1 year prior to and during treatment with tolvaptan were performed, with deep learning facilitated kidney segmentation and fitting multiple imaging timepoints to exponential growth in 32 ADPKD patients. Clustering analysis differentiated tolvaptan treatment "responders" and "non-responders" based upon the magnitude of change in TKV growth rate. Differences in rate of eGFR decline, urine osmolality, and other parameters were compared between responders and non-responders. Results: Eighteen (56%) tolvaptan responders (mean age 42 ± 8 years) were identified by k-means clustering, with an absolute reduction in annual TKV growth rate of >2% (mean = -5.1% ± 2.5% per year). Thirteen (44%) non-responders were identified, with <1% absolute reduction in annual TKV growth rate (mean = +2.4% ± 2.7% per year) during tolvaptan treatment. Compared to non-responders, tolvaptan responders had significantly higher mean TKV growth rates prior to tolvaptan treatment (7.1% ± 3.6% per year vs. 3.7% ± 2.4% per year; p = 0.003) and higher median pretreatment spot urine osmolality (Uosm, 393 mOsm/kg vs. 194 mOsm/kg, p = 0.03), confirmed by multivariate analysis. Mean annual rate of eGFR decline was less in responders than in non-responders (-0.25 ± 0.04, CI: [-0.27, -0.23] mL/min/1.73 m2 per year vs. -0.40 ± 0.06, CI: [-0.43, -0.37] mL/min/1.73 m2 per year, p = 0.036). Conclusions: In this feasibility study designed to assess predictors of tolvaptan treatment efficacy in individual patients with ADPKD, we found that high pretreatment levels of annual TKV growth rate and higher pretreatment spot urine osmolality were associated with a responder phenotype.

PLACE AND ROLE OF RETAIL AND WHOLESALE TRADE IN THEFORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSUMER MARKET

This article explores the place and role of retail and wholesale trade in the formation and development of the consumer market. It was revealed that retail trade plays an important role in bringing goods to a specific consumer in the republic, and a common type is stationary trade, which includes all types of shops, stalls, tents and kiosks. The analysis shows that in the country and its territorial entities, there are significant changes in the total volume, structure and growth rates of retail trade, the level per capita, the degree of satisfaction of the effective demand of residents for food and non-food products.

Change in kidney volume growth rate and renal outcomes of tolvaptan treatment in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: post-hoc analysis of TEMPO 3:4 trial

BackgroundDespite of long-lasting tolvaptan treatment, individual renal outcomes are unclear in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This post-hoc analysis of the TEMPO 3:4 trial aimed to evaluate the predictability of estimated height-adjusted total kidney volume growth rate (eHTKV-α) on renal outcomes.MethodsIn TEMPO 3:4, 1445 patients with ADPKD were randomised to tolvaptan or placebo for 3 years. The present analysis included patients with total kidney volume (TKV) data available at baseline and month 12 (tolvaptan, n = 812; placebo, n = 453); tolvaptan-assigned patients were grouped into quartiles based on percent change in eHTKV-α from baseline at 1 year. Clinical parameters were compared between quartiles, and regression analyses evaluated the predictive value of 1-year percent change in eHTKV-α and other factors on annual changes in TKV and estimated GFR (eGFR) over 3 years.ResultsTrend tests identified significant differences between quartiles for several baseline parameters. Multivariate regression models confirmed that 1-year percent change in eHTKV-α was a significant predictor of annual changes in both TKV and eGFR over 3 years. Other significant predictors of annual changes in TKV and eGFR over 3 years were sex, age and body mass index, and first-year change in eGFR, race and baseline eGFR, respectively. Predicting factors using urine osmolality and plasma copeptin levels were not significant by backward stepwise selection analysis.Conclusions1-year percent change in eHTKV-α is useful biomarker to identify treatment good responders and may be utilized for early estimate of trial outcomes of new drugs in ADPKD.

Evaluating hospital performance with additive DEA and MPI: the Isfahan University of Medical Science case study

BackgroundHospitals are a vital pillar of the health system, and measuring their performance by an appropriate quantitative model is crucial. This study evaluated the performance of hospitals affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. It deals with the nature of dynamics (the performance of evaluation indicators over time), examining controllable, uncontrollable, and undesirable input and output indicators.MethodsThis study evaluated the performance of 26 Isfahan University of Medical Science hospitals in terms of efficiency and productivity with hybrid Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models, namely, the additive classic, Malmquist productivity index (MPI), and super-efficiency models, from 2019 through 2022. Thirteen indicators (four inputs and nine outputs) were selected as model variables by brainstorming in the expert panel.ResultsThe average technical efficiency of hospitals during the four periods was 0.86, indicating an average inefficiency of 14%. Malmquist productivity index results over four periods showed hospitals operating with an average of 11% positive growth, reflecting an overall increase in productivity. Notably, some hospitals with high technical efficiency displayed lower total productivity growth rates due to fluctuations in specific indicators. On average, in the four under study years, 12 hospitals were efficient, of which 75% (9 hospitals) had performance progress (average MPI > 1). On the contrary, among the 14 inefficient hospitals during the four studied years, more than 90% of the hospitals had improved performance.ConclusionThis study introduces a multidimensional and dynamic model for evaluating hospital performance. While classic DEA models provide a statistical performance evaluation, the Malmquist Productivity Index reveals dynamic performance changes over time. These findings underscore the need for hospitals to adopt advanced quantitative models to optimize resource allocation and enhance service delivery.

Crescimento e senescência das gramíneas mavuno, marandu, ipyporã e mulato II submetidas ao diferimento

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate, during the stockpiling period, the growth and senescence of marandu, mavuno, ipyporã and mulato II grasses. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications. The experiment was repeated in 2 years (2020 and 2021). The leaf appearance (LApR) and elongation rate (LElR), stem elongation rate, tiller population density, growth rates at canopy level, as well as canopy leaf senescence rate showed higher values at the beginning in relation to the end of the stockpiling period. The leaf life span showed an inverse response pattern. Among the cultivars, mavuno grass presented the highest LApR and total canopy growth rate. The LElR and canopy leaf growth rate were higher in mavuno and marandu grasses than in mulato II and ipyporã grasses. The stem elongation rate was higher in mavuno and ipyporã grasses compared to mulatto II and marandu grasses. In general, the growth rate of individual tillers and canopy during the stockpiling period decreased in the following sequence: mavuno grass &gt; marandu grass &gt; ipyporã grass &gt; mulatto II grass.

Measuring financial sector efficiency in China: A study based on an enhanced neoclassical production function.

This paper develops an approach for quantitatively assessing financial sector efficiency of a nation (hereinafter referred to as financial efficiency). Drawing upon the principles of general equilibrium theory, we establish a direct and strong association between the financial sector and the real sector by improving the neoclassical production function, indirectly unveiling insights into financial efficiency through the allocation structure of marginal capital output. We use a two-stage semiparametric estimation method to determine the structural parameters of the production function in the calculation of financial efficiency. The values of financial efficiency for China, spanning the years 1997-2018, exhibit a distinct pattern of initially increasing, followed by a decline, and subsequent resurgence, culminating in the highest recorded value in 2008. Prior to 2015, the financial efficiency closely mirrored the trajectories of total factor productivity (TFP) and GDP growth rate. However, post-2015, we observe a discernible deviation in the trend of financial efficiency from these two economic indicators. These results can be verified by external empirical facts and evidence.

DETERMINANTS OF EFFICIENCY OF NON-LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES: EVIDENCE FROM VIETNAM

Insurance companies play a major role in the financial systems of countries. However, studies on the efficiency and factors affecting the efficiency of insurance companies in Vietnam are still very limited. The purpose of the paper is to explore the efficiency and determinants of efficiency of non-life insurance companies operating in Vietnam. The author applies methods such as descriptive statistics, data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Tobit regression. The results show that the mean efficiency of non-life insurance companies operating in Vietnam during the research period is 0.806, the highest mean efficiency is 1.0 and the lowest is 0.303. Also, domestic insurance companies have the highest mean efficiency of 0.855, while joint venture insurers and foreign insurers have lower efficiency with a mean efficiency of 0.739 and 0.728. The research results also show that equity, debt-to-asset ratio, the ratio of operating expenses to assets, ROE, ROA, foreign capital to total capital ratio and annual GDP growth rate affect the efficiency of non-life insurance companies in Vietnam.

Proposal of See-saw model – overcoming LQM difficulty

We propose the See-Saw (SS) model, which provides a unified description of the biological effect caused by radiation. This can be directly applied to clinical plans in radiotherapy and further provides the basic formula for radioprotection since it correctly describes the effects caused by radiation exposure by taking account of the dose rate effect without any additional concept of dose and dose rate effectiveness factor (DDREF). This can be done by introducing the cell exclusion effect. The model is very simple and intuitively acceptable by expressing the dose-rate effect and can be easily extended to the radiation clinic cases and overcomes the difficulties of the standard method using LQM-based biological equivalent dose (BED). The calculated result of our model reproduces the existing data of the time dependence of the cancer volume during the cancer treatment measurement. We demonstrate that different initial volumes, namely for the cases where irradiation starts with a smaller initial volume are more effective than a larger volume. Especially if the cancer volume is almost full in the tissue, the radiation effect of the cancer treatment is found to be less effective. On the other hand, for the smaller initial volume, the cancer treatment is found to work more effectively to reduce the cancer volume. After explaining the essential difference between our See-saw (SS) model and traditional LQ treatment with the BED index, we report the results of the SS model by displaying the comparison of our prediction with the relevant data. We are arranging the collaboration with the members of the radiation therapy sectional group of Osaka International Cancer Institute and will report detailed results in near future. We can also consider continuous but time-dependent irradiation cases and got interesting outcomes on the time dependence of the tumour volume for various clinic plans. Especially by choosing the value of the dose rate to be balanced with the total growth rate, the tumour volume is kept constant. Finally, I would like to emphasise that our SS model leads us not only with a unified description of radiation therapy but also indicates the misleading principle based on the LNT or LQM hypothesis which is still adopted in the society of radiation protection.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and driving factors of ecosystem services value in Lanzhou City, China

Aligned with the imperatives of national ecological civilization construction, the systematic investigation into the intricate interplay between shifts in land utilization and the assessment of ecosystem services plays a pivotal and indispensable role in advancing ecological civilization. This endeavor holds significant implications. It aids in optimizing the ecological landscape at the regional level and fosters harmonious coexistence between humanity and the natural world. The study utilizes land-use remote sensing interpretation data from three time periods (2000, 2010, and 2020) and employs various methodologies, including equivalent factor coefficient correction, sensitivity analysis, and spatial autocorrelation. The objective is to uncover the spatiotemporal dynamics of land-use changes and Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) in Lanzhou City. Furthermore, geographic detectors are applied to explore the driving factors influencing ESV spatial heterogeneity and their interactions. The research findings indicate the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, grassland and cropland were the predominant land-use types in Lanzhou City, with cropland and urban land experiencing the most active changes. (2) ESV in Lanzhou City increased from 179.37 billion RMB in 2000 to 193.86 billion RMB in 2020, reflecting an ESV total growth rate of 8.07% and a gradual improvement in the ecological environment. Spatially, ESV exhibits a “west high, east low” distribution pattern, with the center shifting towards the northwest and southeast, gradually reducing spatial imbalance. (3) Analysis of ESV spatial autocorrelation reveals that high-high clusters are predominantly found within the Tulu Gou National Forest Park and the Xinglong Mountain National Natural Reserve, while low-low clusters are primarily concentrated in the central urban area of Lanzhou City. Over the period from 2000 to 2020, the spatial clustering effect of ESV within the study area has progressively intensified. 4)NDVI, precipitation, and GDP emerge as pivotal factors influencing spatial differentiation within Lanzhou City, with natural and societal elements exerting interactive effects on ESV spatial disparities. The research results integrate environmental considerations into the decision-making process, offering valuable insights for formulating targeted ecological protection policies in Lanzhou City. This study embodies concrete measures taken by Lanzhou City in practicing China’s concept of “green water and green mountains are golden silver mountains,” providing a theoretical basis for the harmonious and sustainable development of the ecological economy.

Antagonistic Effects of Light Pollution and Warming on Habitat-Forming Seaweeds.

Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) is an emerging global stressor that is likely to interact with other stressors such as warming, affecting habitat-forming species and ecological functions. Seaweeds are dominant habitat-forming species in temperate marine ecosystems, where they support primary productivity and diverse ecological communities. Warming is a major stressor affecting seaweed forests, but effects of ALAN on seaweeds are largely unknown. We manipulated ALAN (0 lx vs. 25 lx at night) and temperature (ambient vs. +1.54°C warming) to test their independent and interactive effects on the survival, growth (biomass, total-, blade- and stipe-length) and function (photosynthesis, primary productivity and respiration) on the juveniles of two habitat-forming seaweeds, the kelp Ecklonia radiata and the fucoid Sargassum sp. Warming significantly increased Ecklonia mortality; however, ALAN did not affect mortality. ALAN had positive effects on Ecklonia biomass, total and blade growth rates and gross primary productivity; however, warming largely counterbalanced these effects. We found no significant effects of warming or ALAN on Ecklonia photosynthetic yield, stipe length, net primary productivity or respiration rates. We found no effects of ALAN or warming on Sargassum for any of the measured variables. Synthesis. Our findings indicate that ALAN can have positive effects on seaweed growth and functioning, but such effects are likely species-specific and can be counterbalanced by warming, suggesting an antagonistic interaction between these global stressors. These findings can help us to predict and manage the effects of these stressors on seaweeds, which underpin coastal biodiversity.

Growth Performances and Productivities of Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma spinosum Cultivated with Long-line Method in PT. Sea Six Energy Indonesia

Indonesia is the second largest producer of seaweed in the world. Different cultivated seaweed commodities may have different production results. This study aimed to determine the effect of cultivation time and different types of seaweed on total weight and Specific Growth Rate (SGR) of Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma spinosum cultivated with the long-line method. The study was conducted in one cultivation area, PT. Sea Six Energy, Bali, Indonesia. Data collection was carried out through observations in 2 sites. Every site contained 3 square frame seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma spinosum. The sample used in this study was one thallus of seaweed taken randomly from 3 different ris ropes in each square frame. The average weight of thallus, total weight, and specific growth rate were performed in this study. After 51 days, the total weight of K. alvarezii was 1348.5 kg. The total weight of E. spinosum was 1398.7 kg. Both, K. alvarezii (8.4 ± 0.34 %.day-1) and E. spinosum (8.3 ± 0.02 %.day-1) showed higher Spesific Growth Rate (SGR) in the first 2 weeks of planting but not in the last 3 weeks of cultivation. There was no difference in productivity between K. alvarezii and E. spinosum cultivated using the long-line method. However, this research showed that the SGR value decreased as cultivation time increased.

Projected Customer Growth Rate of Hospital Pharmacy Installation in Blitar from 2021 to 2023

Quality of pharmaceutical services can be measured by the performance of the Blitar General Hospital Pharmacy Installation which focuses on customer growth rates. This study aims to determine the growth rate of outpatient and inpatient customers of the Blitar General Hospital Pharmacy Installation from 2021 to 2023. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document studies, which were then analyzed using a qualitative approach. The results showed that the total customer growth rate increased over time; in 2021, there were 12,786 customers; in 2022, there were 44,833 customers; while in 2023, there were 58,850 customers

Impact of dye treatment as management strategy on available light may favour a highly invasive alien aquatic plant

Impact of dye treatment as management strategy on available light may favour a highly invasive alien aquatic plant

Analysis of transient energy conversion performance improvement of thermoelectric generator with penetrating crack under pulsed heat source

Analysis of transient energy conversion performance improvement of thermoelectric generator with penetrating crack under pulsed heat source

DFOS Technology in Geoengineering Monitoring in the Past 35 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis.

DFOS (distributed fiber-optic sensing) technology has shown the potential to increase the accuracy of measurement after years of development and experimenting in geoengineering monitoring. To better understand the development of DFOS technology and its contribution to geoengineering, an objective and data-driven review of the development process of DFOS technology in construction was completed. The review was accomplished by using text mining methods on the Web of Science, covering a wide range of relevant data, including 3970 articles from 1989 to 2023. The results indicate that DFOS technology research demonstrates the typical characteristics of multi-author, multi-country, and multi-institution collaborations, spanning various research fields. Over the past 35 years, the number of published articles has exhibited exponential growth, with China making significant contributions and leading in terms of its total publication growth rate, which has been higher than that of the United States since 2016. In the analysis of author keywords, emerging technologies, such as machine learning and distributed acoustic sensing, have garnered attention. The findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the development, impact, and future trends of DFOS technology in geotechnical engineering, offering valuable insights for researchers, scholars, and students in the field and inspiring new approaches for research methods in this domain.

Quantification Assessment of Winter Wheat Sensitivity under Different Drought Scenarios during Growth

To effectively reveal the disaster-causing mechanism between water stress and yield loss under different drought combinations during multiple growth periods of winter wheat, based on biennial wheat drought experiments, a crop growth analysis method was used to quantitatively identify and assess wheat yield loss sensitivity. The results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between the total dry matter relative growth rate (RGR) of wheat and the daily average degree of drought stress. The average determination coefficients of logarithmic fitting for 2017 and 2018 were 0.7935 and 0.7683, respectively. Wheat dry matter accumulation differed under the different drought combination scenarios. The yield loss sensitivity response relationship between the decrease in the RGR of wheat dry matter (relative to no drought stress) and the daily average degree of drought stress could be quantitatively identified by an S-shaped curve, and the 2017 and 2018 average coefficients of determination R2 were 0.859 and 0.849, respectively. Mild drought stress at the tillering stage stimulates adaptability and has little effect on yield. The soil water content (SWC) can be controlled to 65–75% of the field water holding capacity; the SWC at the jointing and booting stage can be controlled to be higher than the field water holding capacity of 55%. The SWC was maintained at a level higher than 75% of the field water holding capacity during the heading and flowering stages and the grain-filling and milky stages to achieve a harmonization of yields and water savings. In addition, during the production process, continuous severe drought during the jointing and booting stage and the heading and flowering stage should be avoided. This study elucidates the response relationship between drought intensity and drought-induced losses from the perspective of physical genesis, provides effective irrigation guidance for regional wheat planting, lays the foundation for the construction of quantitative agricultural drought loss risk curves, and provides technical support for predicting the trend of yield losses in wheat under different drought stresses.

Determinants of Energy Consumption in MIST Countries

In this study, the factors that determine energy consumption are tried to be explained. For this purpose, the factors determining energy consumption are analyzed specifically for MIST (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey) countries, for a period covering the years 2000-2022. In the study, population growth rate, balance of trade in goods and services, GDP, foreign direct investments and energy prices are used as factors determining energy consumption. The results show that the total population growth rate and GDP tend to have a positive impact on energy consumption at the 99% confidence level, while trade openness and foreign direct investments variables affect energy consumption at the 90% confidence level, and this balance exhibits a positive interaction. No significant effect of energy prices on energy consumption was detected.

Развитие демографического потенциала сельских территорий в целях обеспечения их социально-экономического развития (на примере Новосибирской области)

Introduction. The article considers opportunities to improve demographic potential as a critical factor influencing the socio-economic development of rural areas.Materials and methods. To study the actual demographic situation in the Novosibirsk region and the regions of the Siberian Federal District, statistical analysis methods were used - index, tabular methods, etc. The empirical basis for this was the data of the Federal State Statistics Service, including the Territorial Authority for the Novosibirsk Region, on demographic processes in the Novosibirsk region for the 2010-2023 period (population size, structure, natural increase, migration increase, migration balance, total population growth rate, birth and death rate, average life expectancy).To analyze the implementation of the strategy for sustainable development of rural areas in the Russian Federation, a retrospective method was used, with the help of which the persistence of negative demographic trends in rural areas was shown.To work out recommendations for the development of corporate social policy directions for large organizations of the agro-industrial complex, the authors relied on strategic and systemic analysis methods to identify the potential and develop measures of corporate social policy of agricultural producers in the Novosibirsk region.Results. Consideration of the all-Russian situation regarding the development of rural areas showed that it is necessary to pay more attention to the development of the demographic potential of these territories. At the level of the Novosibirsk region, an analysis of the legislative framework allowed us to conclude that it is necessary to actively attract young people to rural areas, retaining them in agricultural enterprises, providing efficient employment and at the same time promoting the socio-economic development of rural areas.Discussion. Ensuring sustainable development of rural areas is impossible without solving demographic problems based on a regional demographic policy considering the interests of young rural families, and corporate demographic policy implementation at the level of agricultural enterprises.

Drought and mycorrhizal inoculation affect growth and morphology of Australian stormwater biofilter plants

Drought and mycorrhizal inoculation affect growth and morphology of Australian stormwater biofilter plants