Variation In Growth Patterns Research Articles

Genetic variation in growth pattern within a population of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during a standard production cycle

Selection for faster growth to market size has a long history in selective breeding programs for aquaculture species. In Atlantic salmon, selection for faster growth has been carried out for more than four decades, i.e. about ten generations. Genetic improvement of growth rate is indicated as favourable correlated to improved feed utilization and, from an economic perspective, it can be argued that improved feed utilization is the main breeding objective: improved fish production per unit of nutrients (protein or energy) provided. However, also reduced production time in challenging grow-out environments, i.e. reduced exposure to sea lice and other disease agents, may be highly valuable from an animal welfare and environmental perspective. Reduced production time in challenging grow-out environments may also be economically favourable by reducing the need for mechanical or chemical treatments of the fish.Body weights at stocking and harvest are commonly recorded in breeding programs for Atlantic salmon. Selection for faster growth rate is usually based on recorded harvest weights, which represent the accumulated growth during the entire production cycle. Alternatively, selection could be based on other growth parameters, i.e. Thermal Growth Coefficient (TGC), which specify growth in specific production periods. Production of Atlantic salmon in open sea cages entails large variation of environmental parameters, i.e. water temperature, water quality, salinity, day light etc., that influences the growth.In this study, growth of individual Atlantic salmon in an open sea cage were investigated (as a part of the project BEHAVEGENES, NFR 2014–2017) to describe potential GxE for growth in different production periods. Test fish were transported to sea in autumn, 8 months after first feeding, and harvested after 16 months at a mean harvest weight of 5.5 kg. Individual body weights were recorded at five different time points allowing estimation of growth during a total of four subsequent production periods. Sexual growth dimorphism was discovered well before onset of sexual maturation; already 4 months after sea transfer, at average population body weight ~500 g, males were measured on average 2.8% heavier than females. Heritability estimates for body weight were all high (0.42–0.72), while heritability estimates expressed by growth calculated as TGC were mediate to high (0.35–0.56). Genetic correlations between growth (TGC) in different production periods varied between −0.20 and 0.82. The correlation between growth during an 8-month summer period (average body weights increase from 500 g to 3.9 kg) and a 4.5-month winter period (average body weight increased from 3.9 kg to 5.8 kg) was not significant (rg 0.16 ± 0.17), suggesting genetic variation for growth pattern and that different genes are involved in different growth periods.

Environmental regulation of individual body size contributes to geographic variation in clonal life cycle expression

Clonal behavior has been hypothesized to provide an escape from allometric metabolic scaling that limits the maximum mass achieved by a single individual. Here, we demonstrate the capacity of a wide-spread, non-native sea anemone to buffer its colony biomass accumulation rate across environments by modulating ramet body size through environmentally dependent growth, fission, and catabolism. In 2015, thermal reaction norms for growth and fission behavior were constructed using clonal lines of the sea anemone Diadumene lineata. In 2018, variation in growth patterns under a factorial cross of temperature level and oxygen availability was examined to test the hypothesis that individual ramet size is regulated by oxygen limitation in accordance with optimal size theory. Across a wide range of temperatures, colonies accumulated a similar amount of biomass despite a radical shift from unitary to clonal growth, supporting fission as a mechanism to buffer growth rates over a range of conditions. Individual body size appears to be regulated by the environment with increased temperature and reduced oxygen modifying fission and mass-specific growth patterns, leading to the production of smaller-bodied ramets in warm conditions. However, whether anemones in common garden conditions reduce individual body size through catabolism or fission depends on the region of origin and may relate to differences in seasonal temperature patterns among coastlines, which influence the energetic benefits of fission rate plasticity.

Faster growth corresponds with shallower linear hypoplastic defects in great ape canines

Deeper or more ‘severe’ linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) defects are hypothesized to reflect more severe stress during development, but it is not yet clear how depth is influenced by intrinsic enamel growth patterns. Recent work documented inter- and intraspecific differences in LEH defect depth in extant great apes, with mountain gorillas having shallower defects than other taxa, and females having deeper defects than males. Here, we assess the correspondence of inter- and intraspecific defect depth and intrinsic aspects of enamel growth: enamel extension rates, outer enamel striae of Retzius angles, and linear enamel thickness. Thin sections of great ape canines (n = 40) from Gorilla beringei beringei, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, and Pongo spp. were analyzed. Enamel extension rates were calculated within deciles of enamel-dentine junction length. Linear enamel thickness and the angle of intersection between striae of Retzius and the outer enamel surface were measured in the imbricational enamel. Mountain gorillas have faster enamel extension rates and shallower striae angles than the other taxa examined. Mountain gorillas have thinner imbricational enamel than western lowland gorillas and orangutans, but not chimpanzees. In the combined-taxon sample, females exhibit larger striae angles and thicker imbricational enamel than males. Enamel extension rates are highly negatively correlated with striae angles and LEH defect depth. Enamel growth variation corresponds with documented inter- and intraspecific differences in LEH defect depth in great ape canines. Mountain gorillas have shallower striae angles and faster extension rates than other taxa, which might explain their shallow LEH defect morphology and the underestimation of their LEH prevalence in previous studies. These results suggest that stressors of similar magnitude and timing might produce defects of different depths in one species or sex vs. another, which has implications for interpretations of stress histories in hominins with variable enamel growth patterns.

Growth and weight status of Brazilian children with autism spectrum disorders: A mixed longitudinal study

ObjectiveThis study examined the growth status and physical development of Brazilian children with autism spectrum disorders from 4 to 15 years of age. Furthermore, it was examined whether variation in growth patterns and weight status was influenced by the use of psychotropic medications. MethodsOne‐hundred and twenty children aged 3.6–12.1 years at baseline (average=7.2 years, SD=2.3 years) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders were measured on three repeated occasions across a 4‐year period. Stature, body mass, and body mass index were considered. Bayesian multilevel modeling was used to describe the individual growth patterns. ResultsGrowth in stature was comparable to the age‐specific 50th percentile for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference data until approximately 8 years, but a substantial decrease in growth rate was observed thereafter, reaching the age‐specific 5th percentile at 15 years of age. Both body mass and body mass index values were, on average, higher than both the Brazilian and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention age‐specific 95th percentile reference until 8 years, but below the 50th specific‐age percentile at the age of 15 years. ConclusionsBrazilian boys with autism spectrum disorders between 4 and 15 years appear to have impaired growth in stature after 8–9 years of age, likely impacting pubertal growth. A high prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed in early childhood, although a trend of substantial decrease in body mass and body mass index was apparent when children with autism spectrum disorders entered the years of pubertal development.

Prognostic Assessment of Non-functioning Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Neoplasms as a Basis for Risk-Adapted Resection Strategies.

In contrast to exocrine pancreatic carcinomas, prognosis and treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNEN) are significantly different. The variable growth pattern and associated clinical situation of functioning and non-functioning PNEN demand an individualized surgical approach. However, due to the scarce evidence associated with the rare disease, guidelines lack detailed recommendations for indication and for the required extent of surgical resection. In a retrospective single-center study from 1990 to 2018, 239 patients with PNEN were identified. Clinical data were collected in the MaDoc database of the University Medical Center Mainz. A total of 155 non-functional PNEN were selected for further analysis. According to the classification of NET by the WHO in 2017, 28.8% (n = 40) of the tumors were G1, 61.9% (n = 86) G2, and 9.4% (n = 13) G3. In 73 patients, hepatic metastases were present. Sixty patients had lymph node metastasis. An R0 resection was achieved in 98 cases, an R1 situation in 10 cases. Five times, a tumor debulking was carried out (R2) and 5 times the operation was aborted without any resection because of the advanced tumor stage. A relapse occurred in 29 patients. Different prognostic factors (grade, tumor size, age) were analyzed. Grade-dependent 10-year overall survival rates were 79.5% (grade 1) and 60.1% (grade 2), respectively. The survival rate of grade 3 patients was limited to 66.7% after 13months. In our study, patients with non-functioning PNEN had a longer overall survival after successful R0 resection. The risk analysis confirmed a Ki-67 cutoff value of 5%, which divided a high- and low-risk group. Patients with a PNEC G3 (Ki-67 index > 50%) had a very poor prognosis.

Effect of Saw-dust on soils contaminated with waste lubricating oil

In this study, we evaluated the influence of sawdust as biostimulatory agent on waste-lubricating oil site. To achieve this, two sites were contaminated with waste lubricating oil, with one of the site amended with sawdust and the other left to serve as control. This study was conducted during the dry season. Decreases in pH and percentage moisture content were used to monitor the metabolic activities between the amended and control sites. Both sites (amended and control) showed decrease in the pH values however the control site showed just slight decrease. The mean pH value obtained ranged between 7.68± 0.15-8.08± 0.57 for the amended and control while the mean moisture content (%) 38.3 – 48.6 respectively for the amended and control sites. We screened for fungal species that showed growth on sawdust amended site using waste lubricating oil as source of carbon/energy. This was done through conventional enrichment culture methods. The isolated fungal strains tentatively named as P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5 were identified by visual observation and micro-morphological technique. From the cultural, and morphological characterization and comparison with respect to the standard reference of fungi, the fungal species were identified as members Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus sp., Pénicillium sp., Aspergillus flavus and Mucor sp. Pure cultures of these fungal species were tested for their ability to utilize waste lubricating oil as carbon and energy source. The ability of these fungal species to use the waste lubricating oil was done by monitoring their physiological responses via Optical Density (OD) and pH gradient readings. The mean pH obtained range from 5.90-7.33 and the (OD) 0.715-1.978. The fluctuations in OD readings as well as pH values for the different microfungi may be due to variation in growth patterns of the different fungal species.

Predicting the pharmacokinetics of piperacillin and tazobactam in preterm and term neonates using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling

A probabilistic-based seven-compartment fit for purpose PBPK model for the preterm and term neonates was constructed and used with the combination antimicrobial drugs piperacillin (PIP) and tazobactam (TAZ) as a case study. Anthropomorphic maturation equations with distributions were used to account for variability in growth patterns for neonates born premature (gestation age ≥ 25 weeks). Renal excretion, the primary pathway for elimination of these drugs from the body, was described by passive diffusion (glomerular filtration, GFR) and active tubular secretion. Tubular secretion rates were calculated using in-vitro to in-vivo extrapolation methods for OAT1 and OAT3 protein transporters. Competitive inhibition of each anion (PIP and TAZ) for tubular secretion by the OAT transporters suggested that PIP decreased the systemic clearance rate of TAZ. After accounting for variability in maturation of growth (organs, kidney function and blood flows) model predictions did not account for all the observed variability in the pharmacokinetic plasma data for PIP and TAZ. For the 31 preterm and term neonates, the PBPK model for PIP and TAZ, with no adjustments in model parameters, was judged successful for 48% and 43% of the preterm neonates and 25% of the term neonates. Further refinements in model parameters to increase model performance include experiments to determine plasma protein binding in preterm and term neonates and solubility or partitioning of PIP and TAZ into tissues. A better understanding of the role of illness on modifying pharmacokinetic behavior of PIP and TAZ is needed.

Effect of canopy structure on the performance of tree mapping methods in urban parks

Urban forests consist of patches of recreational areas, parks, and single trees on roadsides and other forested urban areas. Large number of tree species and heterogeneous growing conditions result in diverse canopy structure. High variation can be found both at level of single tree crowns and in canopy characteristics of larger areas. As urban forests are typically managed with small-scale, even tree-level operations, there is a need for detailed forest information. In this study, the effect of varying canopy conditions was tested on nine individual tree detection (ITD) methods. All methods utilized airborne laser scanning (ALS)-derived canopy height models (CHM) and different modifications of watershed segmentation (WS).The performance of mapping methods was compared in three strata with varying mean height and canopy cover. The results showed considerable variation between the methods when tested in varying canopy conditions. Especially, presence of large broadleaved trees affected the accuracy of detecting individual trees. The best performing methods for the three strata were G0.7, F2 and Gadapt. The areas with low canopy cover turned out problematic for all ITD methods tested as co-occurrence of small trees and large deciduous trees affected the accuracy significantly. Overall.The results show that stratification can be used to enhance the quality of ITD in urban park areas. However, heterogeneous canopy structure and varying growth patterns typical for urban parks lower the accuracy of tree detection. Also, according to our results we suggest that canopy height and canopy cover alone are insufficient attributes for stratifying urban canopy conditions.

Bleeding angiomatous polyps of the maxillary sinus: Review of literature and a rare case report

Abstract ENT surgeons frequently encounter a variety of neoplastic, non-neoplastic and inflammatory masses involving the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses or the nasopharynx. Among these, the angiomatous polyp or angiectatic nasal polyps are rare and account for 4-5% of all inflammatory nasal polyps. They have variable growth patterns and clinical features. In angiomatous nasal polyps, there is a prominent component of dilated capillary-type blood vessels. We present a review of the literature regarding the most important features of this pathology and an unusual case of a large angiomatous polyp arising from the maxillary sinus.

Electrochemical Deposition and Investigation of Poly-9,10-Phenanthrenequinone Layer.

In this research, a 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) was electrochemically polymerized on a graphite rod electrode using potential cycling. The electrode modified by poly-9,10-phenanthrenequinone (poly-PQ) was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The poly-PQ shows variations in growth pattern depending on the number of potential cycles for the initiation of polymerization. Formed poly-PQ layer demonstrates good electric conductivity, great degree of electrochemical capacitance and unique oxidation/reduction properties, which are suitable for broad technological applications, including applicability in biosensors, supercapacitors and in some other electrochemical systems.

Craniofacial Growth Studies and Craniofacial Growth

Current understandings of human craniofacial growth are based on multiple historic longitudinal growth studies. The extent to which regional variation in growth patterns is present among the various growth studies even within the United States, however, is not well understood. The aim of this study is to compare growth patterns across six of the nation's largest growth studies.Lateral cephalographs were examined from the historical archives of the Denver Growth Study, Iowa Growth Study, and Oregon Growth Study (available via the AAOF Legacy Collection) as well as the Fels Longitudinal Study, the Michigan Growth Study, and the Bolton‐Brush Growth Study. A set of 44 two‐dimensional landmarks were collected on longitudinal series from participants 6–22 years old. A total of 5,622 cephalographs from 726 males and 5,514 cephalographs from 723 females were assessed. Fifth order polynomials were used to evaluate growth of 11 linear craniofacial measures for each growth study and by sex. Rates of growth and associated growth milestones were calculated from polynomial models and compared across study and by sex. In addition, geometric morphometric analyses were used to assess ontogenetic shape differences among studies using a regression of the shape variables on log centroid size, pooled by study, with subsequent evaluation of residual variation.Growth curves for the separate studies roughly parallel each other yet show differences in the timing of growth milestones and adult morphology. In general, for each linear trait participants in the Denver study are smaller and participants in the Iowa and Michigan studies are larger than participants in other studies at the same chronological age. Timing of onset and peak growth is similar in all 11 craniofacial measures, although trait values at those growth milestones differ by study. Preliminary results from the geometric morphometric analysis identify a common ontogenetic pattern shared across studies but demonstrate that, for a given size, individuals from the Denver study are more advanced along the common shape trajectory relative to other studies. Although ontogenetic trajectories are roughly similar, overall shape differences are present between study populations.Variations in growth and overall morphology among these six longitudinal growth study populations demonstrate regional differences in the rate and timing of growth that may be attributable to the ancestry and environmental conditions of study participants. Further study of the mechanisms for these differences in growth will improve the accuracy of craniofacial growth predictions, thereby improving the efficacy of growth modification interventions in pediatric craniofacial treatment.Support or Funding InformationFunding: NIH/NIDCR R03‐DE021435; NIH/NIDCR R01 DE024732This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

A Clinical and Pathological Comparison of Different Immunomorphological Subvariants of Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at Initial Diagnosis

Background. Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare Hodgkin's lymphoma subtype with a variable growth pattern and immune tissue architecture of tumor. Clustering of patients into subgroups based on immunohistochemical (IHC) tumor subvariants is essential for prognosis assessment and development of new differentiated treatment approaches. Aim. To study clinical course of NLPHL in patients with different IHC-subvariants of the disease and identify a poor prognosis subgroup. Materials & Methods. From 2010 to 2017 the Department of Anatomic Pathology at the National Medical Hematology Research Center undertook morphological and IHC-analysis of lymph node and bone marrow core biopsies of 60 NLPHL patients: 47 men and 13 women (male/female ratio of 3.6:1) aged 17-68 years (median 37 years). IHC-analysis with expanded panel of antibodies was performed in all cases of determining IHC-subvariants in accordance with WHO-2017 classification. Results. The clinical and immunomorphological comparative study of NLPHL with variant immune tissue architecture allowed to divide the patient population into three subgroups with differently manifested areas similar to T-cell/ histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) in lymph node sections or other site biopsies. These subgroups are characterized by different clinical course of the disease. The subgroup with ≥ 50 % THRLBCL-like areas was marked by the prevalence of clinical stage IV and significantly larger amount of extranodal lesions. Conclusion. In NLPHL the most unfavorable clinical course is typical of the patients whose biopsies contain ≥ 50 % THRLBCL-like areas. Semi-quantification of THRLBCL-like areas allowed to define a spectrum of NLPHL IHC-subvariants correlating with the clinical course of the disease. The true transformation into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a rare event, it occurred in 2 (3 %) out of 60 patients.

Synergistic effect of Nutlin-3 combined with MG-132 on schwannoma cells through restoration of merlin and p53 tumour suppressors.

BackgroundThe great majority of sporadic vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are due to the mutations of the NF2 gene encoding merlin. Sporadic VSs exhibit variable growth patterns and only a small fraction of the tumours are fast-growing; however, the underlying mechanisms remain undefined.MethodsDNA sequencing and dosage analysis were used to identify the NF2 mutation status in sporadic schwannomas. The expression and sub-cellular localization of merlin and p53-MDM2 were assessed by immunoblotting, qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence. In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to reveal the effects of Nutlin-3 (a MDM2 inhibitor) and/or MG-132(a proteasome inhibitor) on schwannomas. The proliferation of schwannoma cells was assessed by CCK-8 assay, EdU staining and Flow cytometry analysis.FindingsDouble genetic hits of NF2 tended to occur in fast-growing tumours, characterized by the absence of merlin. The deregulation of p53-MDM2 was demonstrated to mediate merlin-deficient tumour growth, characterized by a nuclear accumulation of stabilized MDM2, contributing to a nuclear export of p53 for degradation. Nutlin-3 blocked the proliferation of schwannoma cells via a cooperative recovery of merlin and p53, accompanied by the shuttling of both proteins from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. We further demonstrated a difference in the sensitivity to Nutlin-3 between schwannoma cells with and without merlin expression. Nutlin-3 combined with MG-132 narrowed this between-group difference and triggered stronger inhibitory effects on the growth of schwannomas through coordinated reactivation of p53.InterpretationThese findings present treatment strategies directed on the pathogenesis of sporadic schwannomas.FundNational Natural Science Foundation of China.

Model simulations to determine optimal fishing effort and season duration for a tropical shrimp fishery

Kuwait’s shrimp fishery presents typical tropical shrimp fishery characteristics with highly variable recruitment, fast growth and strong seasonal patterns. Both the General Production Model and Age-structured Model were chosen to assess the stock status of the Kuwait’s shrimp fishery. The estimated Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) was 2 518 metric ton (t) with a corresponding fishing efforts ( fMSY ) 7 265 standard boat-days from the General Production Model. Similar results from the Age-structured Model were 1 936 t and 6 449 boat-days respectively. Comparing these results with the average annual shrimp landings (1 772 t) and average fishing effort (9 710 boat-days) in the past 10 years, we concluded that the fishery was overfished. Model simulations to show the changes of recruitment, biomass and possible catch under different fishing effort scenarios indicated possible stock collapse if the fishing effort continually increase. But both shrimp recruitment and biomass will increase if the current fishing effort is reduced. Model simulations also showed a possible increase of MSY by delaying the opening or by closing the season earlier. Based on these results, recommendations to improve the management of Kuwait’s shrimp fishery are presented.

Growth and weight status of Brazilian children with autism spectrum disorders: A mixed longitudinal study

ObjectiveThis study examined the growth status and physical development of Brazilian children with autism spectrum disorders from 4 to 15 years of age. Furthermore, it was examined whether variation in growth patterns and weight status was influenced by the use of psychotropic medications. MethodsOne-hundred and twenty children aged 3.6–12.1 years at baseline (average=7.2 years, SD=2.3 years) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders were measured on three repeated occasions across a 4-year period. Stature, body mass, and body mass index were considered. Bayesian multilevel modeling was used to describe the individual growth patterns. ResultsGrowth in stature was comparable to the age-specific 50th percentile for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference data until approximately 8 years, but a substantial decrease in growth rate was observed thereafter, reaching the age-specific 5th percentile at 15 years of age. Both body mass and body mass index values were, on average, higher than both the Brazilian and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention age-specific 95th percentile reference until 8 years, but below the 50th specific-age percentile at the age of 15 years. ConclusionsBrazilian boys with autism spectrum disorders between 4 and 15 years appear to have impaired growth in stature after 8–9 years of age, likely impacting pubertal growth. A high prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed in early childhood, although a trend of substantial decrease in body mass and body mass index was apparent when children with autism spectrum disorders entered the years of pubertal development.

Growth Kinetics of Egyptian isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis: Possible Correlation to Clinical Presentation

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Trichomoniasis is an important risk factor for herpes simplex type II infections, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition and transmission, pelvic inflammatory disease and cervical neoplasia. Studying the variation in growth patterns of the parasite can be used for biological characterization of the parasites and might be related to the severity of clinical presentation. Aim of the Work: Study the growth kinetics of Egyptian Trichomonas vaginalis isolates in term of log phase, growth peaks reached, division rate and generation time of each isolate and correlation of such parameters with the clinical presentation of the patients, if any. Material and Method: The study was carried on 300 vaginal washouts collected from Egyptian women patients aged 20-45 years suspected for trichomoniasis. Positive samples for Trichomonas vaginalis were cultured and sub cultured on modified Diamond’s medium. Growth kinetics for each isolate was done by inoculated 104 trophozoites/ml into 2 tubes containing 10 ml of sterile culture medium followed by counting the trophozoites every 24 hours over seven days using a hemocytometer. Growth curves were done for each isolate by plotting the parasites numbers against the time. Division rates and generation times were calculated for each isolate. Results: Out of the 300 collected samples, twelve were found positive for Trichomonas vaginalis trophozoite by wet mount examination and culture technique. Comparison of the growth kinetics of the twelve Trichomonas vaginalis isolates revealed a salient difference among all isolates after 48 to 96 hours. Isolates 1, 2, 6, 8 and 10 had a log phase of 48 hours. Isolates 4, 5, 7, 11 and 12 had a log phase of 72 hours. Isolates 3 and 9 had a log phase of 96 hours. The fast growing isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis reached maximum growth after 48 hours and the highest yield was observed in isolate 10 (150.25±3.13). Slowly growing isolates reached a maximum after 96 hours with the lowest yield in isolate 3 (40.5±21). Regarding the clinical presentation, isolates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11 showed mild discharge and congested cervix. Isolates 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 showed profuse discharge with varying clinical findings on gynecological examination. Isolate 10 had the most severe pathology with cervical erosion. Isolate 9, 12 showed bleeding during examination, isolate 8 showed vaginal ulcer while isolate 6 showed just erythema of the vagina. Conclusion: Comparison of the growth kinetics of the twelve Trichomonas vaginalis isolates revealed a salient difference among all isolates after 48 to 96 hours. Regarding the clinical presentation, no clear correlation was found between the growth kinetics and clinical presentation of the patients. Methods other than growth kinetics such as genotyping and determination of genetic variability are needed to verify the relation between isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis and clinical presentation.

Effect of lateral single bar knee orthoses in correction of genu varum in nutritional rickets

Genu varum (bowlegs) is a common paediatric deformity of knee presenting as physiological variation in growth pattern. Rickets lead to more pathological bowing if occurs during the phase of physiological bowing. Apart from vitamin D restoration orthotic management doesn’t form a part of standard treatment protocol for deformities due to rickets. It is a prospective & interventional randomised comparative study conducted at department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at A.I.I.P.M.R. Mumbai. Patients presenting with clinical features of rickets with bilateral genu varum were screened. Sixty participants were enrolled in the study based on inclusion & exclusion criteria and divided into 2 groups (30 each) by lottery system. Group 1 received Stoss therapy for vitamin D restoration & bilateral lateral single bar knee orthosis. Group 2 received Stoss therapy only. Participants were assessed at initial visit and 2nd, 4th & 6th month after initiation of treatment with biochemical parameters, intercondylar distance (ICD) & radiographic tibio-femoral angle. Statistically significant decrease observed in intercondylar distance & tibio-femoral angle in both groups in subsequent follow-ups. Percentage change in intercondylar distance (58.75 vs. 56.59, P = 0.457) & tibio-femoral angle (right 56.74 vs. 55.49, P = 0.599; left 60.7 vs. 59.38, P = 0.666) at the end of 3rd follow-up on comparing both groups was statistically insignificant. Vitamin D restoration by Stoss therapy can be effectively used in treatment of genu varum in nutritional rickets with or without lateral single bar knee orthoses.

Growth Kinetics of Egyptian isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis: Possible Correlation to Clinical Presentation

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. Trichomoniasis is an important risk factor for herpes simplex type II infections, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition and transmission, pelvic inflammatory disease and cervical neoplasia. Studying the variation in growth patterns of the parasite can be used for biological characterization of the parasites and might be related to the severity of clinical presentation. Aim of the Work: Study the growth kinetics of Egyptian Trichomonas vaginalis isolates in term of log phase, growth peaks reached, division rate and generation time of each isolate and correlation of such parameters with the clinical presentation of the patients, if any. Material and Method: The study was carried on 300 vaginal washouts collected from Egyptian women patients aged 20-45 years suspected for trichomoniasis. Positive samples for Trichomonas vaginalis were cultured and sub cultured on modified Diamond’s medium. Growth kinetics for each isolate was done by inoculated 104 trophozoites/ml into 2 tubes containing 10 ml of sterile culture medium followed by counting the trophozoites every 24 hours over seven days using a hemocytometer. Growth curves were done for each isolate by plotting the parasites numbers against the time. Division rates and generation times were calculated for each isolate. Results: Out of the 300 collected samples, twelve were found positive for Trichomonas vaginalis trophozoite by wet mount examination and culture technique. Comparison of the growth kinetics of the twelve Trichomonas vaginalis isolates revealed a salient difference among all isolates after 48 to 96 hours. Isolates 1, 2, 6, 8 and 10 had a log phase of 48 hours. Isolates 4, 5, 7, 11 and 12 had a log phase of 72 hours. Isolates 3 and 9 had a log phase of 96 hours. The fast growing isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis reached maximum growth after 48 hours and the highest yield was observed in isolate 10 (150.25±3.13). Slowly growing isolates reached a maximum after 96 hours with the lowest yield in isolate 3 (40.5±21). Regarding the clinical presentation, isolates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11 showed mild discharge and congested cervix. Isolates 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 showed profuse discharge with varying clinical findings on gynecological examination. Isolate 10 had the most severe pathology with cervical erosion. Isolate 9, 12 showed bleeding during examination, isolate 8 showed vaginal ulcer while isolate 6 showed just erythema of the vagina. Conclusion: Comparison of the growth kinetics of the twelve Trichomonas vaginalis isolates revealed a salient difference among all isolates after 48 to 96 hours. Regarding the clinical presentation, no clear correlation was found between the growth kinetics and clinical presentation of the patients. Methods other than growth kinetics such as genotyping and determination of genetic variability are needed to verify the relation between isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis and clinical presentation.

Intracranial hemangioblastoma - A SEER-based analysis 2004-2013.

IntroductionIntracranial hemangioblastoma (HB) is a rare pathology. Limited data exist regarding its epidemiology.MethodsWith the SEER-18 registry database, information from all patients diagnosed with intracranial HB from 2004 to 2013 were extracted, including age, gender, race, marital status, presence of surgery, extent of surgery, receipt of radiation, tumor size, tumor location, and follow-up data. Age-adjusted incidence rates and overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazards model was employed for both univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsA total of 1307 cases were identified. The overall incidence of intracranial hemangioblastoma is 0.153 per 100,000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.145–0.162]. Through univariate analysis, age < 40 [hazard ratio (HR)=0.277, p<0.001], no radiation [HR=0.56, p=0.047], and presence of surgery [HR=0.576, p=0.012] are significant positive prognostic factors. Caucasian race [HR=1.42, p=0.071] and female gender [HR=0.744, p=0.087] exhibit noticeable trends towards positive prognosis. Through multivariate analysis, younger age [HR=1.053, p < 0.01], race [HR=1.916, p<0.01], and presence of surgery [HR=0.463, p<0.01 were significant independent prognostic factors.ConclusionClinical factors such as younger age, Caucasian race, and presence of surgery are significant independent factors for overall survival in patients with HBs. Though analysis regarding extent of surgery did not produce a meaningful relationship, this may be related to surgical bias / expertise. Moreover, no validation for radiation therapy was identified, but this may be related to short follow up intervals and the variable growth patterns of HBs.

Position of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar in different Skeletal Facial Types

Introduction: Variation in growth pattern in different facial forms affect the space available for tooth eruption, therefore the mandibular third molar impaction has correlation with different skeletal facial types.Objective: To determine the position of impacted mandibular third molar in different skeletal facial types in Nepalese samples.Materials &amp; Method: This cross sectional study was carried out on pre-treatment lateral cephalogram and orthopantomogram records of 207 orthodontic patients visiting Kantipur Dental College and Hospital. Age range of the sample was 16-33 years. Various facial forms were determined with the help of mandibular plane angle (SN-GoGn); for which Nemoceph software was used. Beta angle was used to determine the angle of impaction of mandibular third molar. Impaction pattern was classified as per Pell &amp; Gregory and Winter’s system. SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis.Result: Overall rate of mandibular third molar impaction was 63.77% (11.11% unilateral and 52.66% bilateral impaction). The most common type of impaction bilaterally was mesioangular based on Winter’s classification, Class II Position B based on Pell &amp; Gregory’s classification. Higher rate of mandibular third molar impaction was found in dolichofacial type of face (49.2%).Conclusion: Decreased mandibular third molar impactions are seen in brachyfacial type compared to mesofacial and dolichofacial types