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Inconsistencies are evident within the literature regarding the role of Green Tea (GT) supplementation on women living with obesity. To address this, we conducted to determine the impact of GT supplementation on the weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) in overweight and obese women using time and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This meta-analysis searched electronic Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed/Medline databases from inception to December 1st, 2022. Data were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 2061 references were identified, and 15 articles with 16 RCT arms on body weight, 17 RCT arms on BMI, and 7 RCT arms on WC were included in the meta-analysis. GT supplementation significantly decreases body weight (WMD: −1.23 kg, 95% CI: −2.13 to −0.33, p = 0.007), BMI (WMD: −0.47 kg/m2, 95% CI: −0.87 to −0.07, p = 0.020) and WC (WMD: −3.46 cm, 95% CI: −6.75 to −0.16, p = 0.040). In subgroup analyses, GT consumption demonstrated lowered body weight with dosaes ≥1000 mg/day (WMD: −1.38 kg), in the RCTs, which lasted ≥8 wk (WMD: −1.24 kg). The non-linear dose-response assessment detected a negative correlation between the changes in body weight and BMI in green tea consumption of more than 1000 (mg/day). The GT supplementation reduced the weight, BMI, and WC in overweight and obese women. In clinical practice, healthcare professionals can recommend using GT with dosages ≥ 1000mg/day and duration ≥ 8 wk in obese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion This study aimed to elucidate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on weight, body mass index (BMI), and lipid metabolism in patients with treatment‐resistant depression (TRD).This retrospective observational study included patients with TRD who received rTMS treatment at the Jikei University Hospital from September 2018 to August 2021. The patients were diagnosed based on the DSM‐5 and ICD‐10 criteria and treated using the NeuroStar TMS System. For 3–6 weeks, 10‐Hz rTMS was administered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 120% motor threshold. The primary outcomes were changes in weight and BMI, whereas the secondary outcomes included changes in total, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, thyroid function indicators, as well as HAMD‐17, HAMD‐24, and Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores. Statistical analysis was conducted using paired t‐tests and repeated measures ANOVA.Among the 34 patients (20 men and 14 women) included, no significant changes were observed in weight or BMI after rTMS treatment (average weight reduction: −0.50 kg, 95% CI: −0.14 to 0.56, p = 0.24; average BMI reduction: −0.21, 95% CI: −0.10 to 0.61, p = 0.15). However, significant reductions in total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol levels and FT4 were observed. Furthermore, the HAMD‐17, HAMD‐24, and MADRS scores significantly increased post‐treatment.rTMS treatment did not affect weight or BMI in patients with TRD but is believed to improve lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight gain effects of Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors in people with HIV (PWH) have been sparsely studied. Participants were enrolled in the Copenhagen Comorbidity in HIV Infection (COCOMO) study. PWH receiving a backbone of emtricitabine, or lamivudine combined with abacavir, tenofovir disoproxil, or tenofovir alafenamide were analysed. Weight gain according to ART backbone and to the third drug was analysed using a multiple linear regression model. Non-ART risk factors were also determined using multiple linear regression. A total of 591 participants were included in the analysis. The majority were middle-aged, virally suppressed males with a mean BMI just above the normal range. Both tenofovir disoproxil/emtricitabine or lamivudine and abacavir /emtricitabine or lamivudine, but not tenofovir alafenamide /emtricitabine or lamivudine were associated with weight gain over two years (0.6 kg, p = 0.025; 1.0 kg, p = 0.005). The third drugs associated with weight increase were non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) (p = 0.035), dolutegravir (p = 0.008) and atazanavir (p = 0.040). Non-ART risk factors for gaining weight were low or normal BMI, age <40 years, underweight, inactivity or highly active at baseline. Tenofovir disoproxil and abacavir-based ART regimens were associated with a small weight gain. Third drug NNRTI, dolutegravir and atazanavir were associated with an increase in weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Observational cohort study including 5115 participants over 30 years. • Current cannabis was associated with lower BMI, probably due to residual confounding. • Cannabis cessation or cumulative cannabis exposure were not associated with BMI. With increasing use of cannabis, we need to know if cannabis use and Body Mass Index (BMI) are associated. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study followed Black and White adults over 30 years with assessments every 2 to 5 years in four centers in the USA. We assessed self-reported current and computed cumulative cannabis exposure at every visit, and studied associations with BMI, adjusted for relevant covariables in mixed longitudinal models. We also applied marginal structural models (MSM) accounting for the probability of having stopped cannabis over the last 5 years. At the Year 30 visit, 1,912 (58 %) identified as women and 1,600 (48 %) as Black, mean age was 56 (SD 2) years. While 2,849 (85 %) had ever used cannabis, 479 (14 %) currently used cannabis. Overall, participants contributed to 35,882 individual visits over 30 years. In multivariable adjusted models, mean BMI was significantly lower in daily cannabis users (26.6 kg/m2, 95 %CI 26.3 to 27.0) than in participants without current use (27.7 kg/m2, 95 %CI 27.5 to 27.9, p < 0.001). Cumulative cannabis use was not associated with BMI. The MSM showed no change in BMI when stopping cannabis use over a 5-year period (β=0.2 kg/m2 total, 95 %CI -0.2 to 0.6). Current cannabis use was associated with lower BMI, but cumulative cannabis use and cessation were not. This suggests that recreational cannabis use may not lead to clinically relevant changes in BMI and that the association between current cannabis use and lower BMI is likely due to residual confounding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Motor neuron disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition with a limited life expectancy. There is very little data on mortality and its associated factors beyond 30 days following gastrostomy. We explored the demographic, clinical, and nutritional predictors for early mortality at 30, 90, and 180 days following gastrostomy in these patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study involving 94 MND patients in Western Australia who underwent gastrostomy between 2015 and 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on mortality at 30, 90, and 180 days post‐gastrostomy. T‐test (or Mann–Whitney), chi‐square test and Fisher's exact test were used for detecting between‐group differences in various factors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with post‐gastrostomy mortality at 90 and 180 days. Results: No mortality was attributable to gastrostomy‐related complications. Lower forced vital capacity (FVC) (p =.039) and greater weight loss (%) (p =.022) from diagnosis to gastrostomy were observed in those who died within 30 days post‐gastrostomy. Older age (p =.022), male sex (p =.041), lower FVC (p =.04), requiring but not tolerating noninvasive ventilation (p =.035), and greater weight loss (%) (p =.012) were independent predictors of 90‐day post‐gastrostomy mortality. However, only older age (p =.01) and greater weight loss (p =.009) were predictors of mortality at 180 days post‐gastrostomy. Discussion: Our data indicated that mortality at 90 and 180 days was influenced by the weight loss (%) from diagnosis to gastrostomy, highlighting the importance of nutritional care in the MND population. Gastrostomy placement prior to substantial weight loss may reduce the risk of weight loss‐associated mortality and warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with obesity may experience weight-based discrimination as a result of weight bias and stigma, which can have deleterious effects on their health and wellbeing, including increased risk of dysregulated, maladaptive, and disordered eating such as restriction, purging, and binging. Prior work has shown that weight bias occurs from healthcare workers caring for adults, but less is known about the prevalence of weight bias in the pediatric healthcare setting. Methods: We aimed to determine what proportion of pediatric healthcare professionals had attitudes of weight bias at our own institution by constructing a survey with questions from validated weight bias survey tools. Results revealed nearly half of all respondents had witnessed another healthcare professional make negative remarks about a patient with obesity, and many shared that they lacked the proper education/training and equipment to properly care for patients with obesity. Based on survey results, we created an electronic-based training module to educate healthcare professionals on weight bias and discrimination and how they may negatively affect care provided to children and families with obesity at our institution. Engagement with hospital leadership was a key strategy to ensure participation from medical and nursing/allied health staff in the survey, although only nursing/allied health leadership required the online training module resulting in limited physician engagement. Results: Feedback received regarding the training module was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions: Our efforts illustrate that weight bias and discrimination exist in pediatric institutions, and that participation in a tailored electronic-based training module may be viewed as a helpful tool to raise awareness of how weight-based discrimination and bias can negatively affect patient care. Plain English Summary: Weight bias and discrimination are present in pediatric healthcare settings and can lead to negative health effects for children with obesity, including increased risk of dysregulated, maladaptive, and disordered eating such as restriction, purging, and binging. Scientific studies on development of methods to address weight bias among child healthcare professionals is limited. In this article, we describe how we measured weight bias among clinical providers and staff in a large pediatric teaching hospital, and how this helped us obtain approval from hospital leaders to create training to help these child healthcare professionals understand the harmful effects of weight bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Materials and methods Results Conclusions Intraindividual body weight variability (BWV), that is, the degree of weight fluctuations over time, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in multiple settings. The impact of BWV on cardiovascular risk in type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains unclear, despite the issues relative to weight management in individuals with this condition.Using data from the Swedish National Diabetes Register, we identified individuals with T1D and without CVD at baseline with at least three measurements of body weight taken over three consecutive years. We estimated BWV as quartiles of the standard deviation of weight measures and explored its longitudinal association with the incidence of CVD during a 12.7 ± 4.6 year follow‐up through adjusted Cox regression models. The primary endpoint was the composite of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke and all‐cause mortality. We modelled the function of risk in relation to the magnitude of BWV, testing also whether weight trends, that is, increasing, stable or decreasing, age, sex and glycaemic control modified the association between BWV and the outcome.Among the 36 333 individuals with T1D in the register, we identified 19 373 individuals with at least three measures of body weight and without CVD at baseline. Participants with the highest BWV had a 42% increased risk of reaching the primary endpoint compared to those with the lowest BWV (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24–1.62). In addition, high BWV was significantly associated with a 51% increased risk of all‐cause mortality (HR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.28–1.78), a 37% increased risk of peripheral artery disease (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.06–1.77) and a 55% increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.20–2.01). BWV showed a quasi‐linear association with the primary endpoint. No interaction was observed when comparing subgroups for weight trends, sex or degree of glycaemic control. In the subgroup of elderly individuals, the association of BWV with the primary endpoint was no longer significant.High BWV is associated with an increased risk of CVD and all‐cause mortality in individuals with T1D, independently of canonical risk factors. Weight trends, sex and glycaemic control do not modify such association while older age attenuates it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

eHealth literacy plays a crucial role during pregnancy, as maternal health behavior can influence health outcomes for both mother and child. This study assessed the impact of eHealth literacy on maternal-fetal health outcomes through a cross-sectional analysis of 1,265 pregnant women admitted to a tertiary maternity hospital in Turkey between April and July 2022. Data on sociodemographic information, obstetric variables, birth outcomes, Internet usage, and eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) were collected. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann – Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation were used for data analysis. The median age of women was 28 years, and the mean gestational age was 38.6 weeks. Median eHealth literacy score was 21 (range:8-40). Pregnant women who had planned pregnancies, received spousal support, attended 9–12 antenatal care visits, received vaccinations, adhered to iron and folic acid supplementation, engaged in regular physical activity, and maintained regular sleep patterns exhibited higher eHealth scores (all p < .001). eHEALS scores were higher in women who experienced normal vaginal deliveries (p < .001), while lower eHEALS scores were noted in those with comorbidities (p = .001). The study suggested that higher eHealth literacy among pregnant women was associated with improved health-promoting behaviors, more favorable health perceptions, increased utilization of health services, and better maternal and fetal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, global rates of overweight and obesity have surged, posing significant health challenges, Maternal obesity is particularly concerning because of its potential adverse effects on women, foetuses, and children. The intrauterine environment plays a crucial role in shaping long-term health outcomes, with maternal factors significantly influencing childhood obesity and related health markers. This review synthesises current evidence on the associations between macrosomia, maternal weight, pregnancy weight gain, and offspring obesity risk. It explores how maternal weight status during pregnancy may impact a child’s susceptibility to obesity later in life, examining potential underlying mechanisms. By consolidating these findings, the review aims to deepen our understanding of the complex relationships between maternal health, prenatal factors, and childhood obesity. This knowledge can inform future research and public health strategies aimed at addressing this global health issue effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To establish an evaluation index system of medical service capacity in county hospitals, so as to provide a reference basis for further evaluating the overall medical service strength of county-level hospitals. Methods Experts were invited to evaluate the relative importance of indicators at all levels of medical service capacity, and the weights of the dimensions of the indicators system were determined using analytic hierarchy process. Results A total of 35 experts were invited to consult letter inquiries, and the recovery rate of the questionnaire was 94.43%. The CR of first-level indicators judgment matrix was 0.0223, and the CR of the second-level index judgment matrix under the three dimensions of structure, process and outcome were 0.0000,0.0741and 0.0052, all less than 0.1. Finally, the evaluation index system included 3 first-level indicators, 10 second-level indicators and 23 third-level indicators. The highest weight of the first-level indicators was the result(0.4570). Among the combined weights there were 11 indicators that exceeded the average weight of 0.0435 (1/23). Conclusion The evaluation index system of county hospitals based on analytic hierarchy process is objective and reliable, which can provide reference for health administrative departments at all levels and county hospitals to carry out medical service ability evaluation and ability improvement according to the actual situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Antiretroviral therapy (ART)-related weight gain is of particular concern in people with HIV (PWH). Although weight gain was observed among PWH receiving tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), little is known about the potential reversibility after TAF discontinuation. We evaluated weight and metabolic changes 12 months after TAF discontinuation in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Methods We included participants who received at least 6 months of TAF-containing ART between January 2016 and March 2023. Using multivariable mixed-effect models, changes in weight and lipid levels were compared between individuals who continued TAF and those who switched to one of the following TAF-free regimens: (1) tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-based ART, (2) dolutegravir/lamivudine (DTG/3TC), or (3) long-acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine (CAB/RPV). Results Of 6555 participants (median age 54 years, 24.3% female, 13% Black), 5485 (83.7%) continued, and 1070 (16.3%) stopped TAF. Overall, discontinuing TAF was associated with an adjusted mean weight change of −0.54 kg (95% confidence interval [CI] −.98 to −.11) after 12 months. In stratified analyses, switching from TAF to TDF led to an adjusted mean weight decrease of −1.84 kg (95% CI −2.72 to −.97), and to a decrease in mean total cholesterol (−0.44 mmol/L) and triglycerides (−0.38 mmol/L) after 12 months. Switching from TAF-based ART to DTG/3TC (−0.17 kg, 95% CI −.82 to.48) or long-acting CAB/RPV (−0.64 kg, 95% CI −2.16 to.89) did not lead to reductions in weight. Conclusions Replacing TAF with TDF in PWH led to a decrease in body weight and an improved lipid profile within 1 year. Weight changes were not observed among individuals who switched to DTG/3TC or long-acting CAB/RPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arm span is the most reliable anthropometric measurement to predict the stature of an individual. Arm span, hand length, foot length, head circumference etc., have been proven to be useful to correctly estimate the height of a person. This study was intended to derive a model for the estimation of height and body mass index from arm span and also to determine the socio-demographics characteristics of the participants. Samples of 500 students in Bowen University were used for this research (250 males and females respectively) with varying ethnicity. Heights were measured accurately while Weight was taken using a standard calibrated weight scale; arm span measurement. Analyzed by Pearson's correlation, the results analysis showed a significant effect of arm span on height on males, and a significant effect of height on BMI in both sexes. There is a significant effect of arm span on BMI on male and no significant effect in females; results from t- test indicated sexual dimorphism in height and arm span but not in BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across two studies, this exploratory research examines stigma faced by larger‐bodied people by exploring the phenomenon of weight‐based mistreatment (WBM), defined as interpersonal disrespect levied on a person explicitly due to their larger body size, at work. Through qualitative research we first describe distinct forms of WBM experienced by 175 self‐defined overweight US employees, as well as consequences of WBM for bullied targets and their organizations. Next, through a quantitative survey distributed to a separate sample of larger‐bodied workers, our exploratory evaluation of WBM found that it is all‐too common in many forms, including overt and covert aggression, microaggression, incivility, and benevolent, yet disrespectful comments oriented around a person's weight. One or more forms of these behaviours were experienced by 75% of our 1008‐person sample, with overt and covert aggression being most common, and coworkers most often perpetrating WBM. Drawing on objectification theory, we observe a host of harmful consequences ranging from diminished engagement, worsened professional interactions, and a lack of self‐care. Altogether, results reveal WBM is a substantial problem, and thus they serve as a call to action for HR professionals, managers, and inclusion advocates to better understand the experiences of this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-harvest process is important to increasing the market value of limes and requires focus. During this process, limes are graded and categorized based on size, weight, and volume. Therefore, identifying efficient means of estimating these properties is very important and remains an open research area. This study applies the concept of computer vision based on traditional machine learning algorithms (partial least square regression (PLS), epsilon-support vector regression (ε-SVR), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), adaptive boosting (AB), gradient boosting (GB), Bagging meta-estimator (BME), and extremely randomized trees (ERTs)) and pre-trained deep learning (InceptionV3, MoblieNetV2, ResNet50, and VGG-16) for estimating the weight and volume of limes. Our findings showed that the BME and ResNet50 could yield the highest performance for estimating the weight and volume of limes. The BME produced R test 2 values of 0.954 and 0.882 for weight and volume, respectively, while the R test 2 values of ResNet50 models were between 0.951 and 0.957 for weight and volume, respectively. This study concluded that computer vision based on both traditional machine learning and deep learning could be used to estimate the weight and volume of limes. The approach proposed in this study can be adopted for applications related to computer vision in the post-harvest process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the local maximal oscillatory integral operator T α , β ∗ ⁢ (f) ⁢ (x) = sup 0 < t < 1 ⁡ | ∫ ℝ n e i ⁢ | t ⁢ ξ | α | t ⁢ ξ | β ⁢ Ψ ⁢ (| t ⁢ ξ |) ⁢ f ^ ⁢ (ξ) ⁢ e 2 ⁢ π ⁢ i ⁢ 〈 x , ξ 〉 ⁢ 푑 ξ | , where α ∈ (0 , 1) , β > 0 , and Ψ is a cutoff function that vanishes in a neighborhood of the origin. First, in the case 0 < p < 1 , we obtain the H p ⁢ (ℝ n) → L p ⁢ (ℝ n) boundedness of T α , β ∗ with the sharp relation among α , β and p. Then, using interpolation, we obtain the L p ⁢ (ℝ n) boundedness on T α , β ∗ when p > 1 , which is an improvement of the recent result by Kenig and Staubach. At the critical case p = 1 and β = n ⁢ α 2 , we show T α , β ∗ : B q ⁢ (ℝ n) → L 1 , ∞ ⁢ (ℝ n) , where B q ⁢ (ℝ n) is the block space introduced by Lu, Taibleson and Weiss in order to study the almost every convergence of the Bochner–Riesz means at the critical index. As a further application, we obtain the convergence speed of a combination to the fractional Schrödinger operators { e i ⁢ t ⁢ k ⁢ | △ | α } . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Smokers typically have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non‐smokers, while smoking cessation is associated with weight gain. In pre‐clinical research, nicotine in tobacco smoking suppresses appetite and influences subsequent eating behaviour; however, this relationship is unclear in humans. This study measured the associations of smoking with different eating and dietary behaviours. Design: A cross‐sectional analysis of data from health assessments conducted between 2004 and 2022. Setting: An independent healthcare‐based charity within the United Kingdom. Participants: A total of 80 296 men and women (mean ± standard deviation [SD]: age, 43.0 ± 10.4 years; BMI, 25.7 ± 4.2 kg/m2; 62.5% male) stratified into two groups based on their status as a smoker (n = 6042; 7.5%) or non‐smoker (n = 74 254; 92.5%). Measurements Smoking status (self‐report) was the main exposure, while the primary outcomes were selected eating and dietary behaviours. Age, sex and socioeconomic status (index of multiple deprivation [IMD]) were included as covariates and interaction terms, while moderate‐to‐vigorous exercise and sleep quality were included as covariates only. Findings Smokers had lower odds of snacking between meals and eating food as a reward or out of boredom versus non‐smokers (all odds ratio [OR] ≤ 0.82; P < 0.001). Furthermore, smokers had higher odds of skipping meals, going more than 3 h without food, adding salt and sugar to their food, overeating and finding it hard to leave something on their plate versus non‐smokers (all OR ≥ 1.06; P ≤ 0.030). Additionally, compared with non‐smokers, smoking was associated with eating fried food more times per week (rate ratio [RR] = 1.08; P < 0.001), eating fewer meals per day, eating sweet foods between meals and eating dessert on fewer days per week (all RR ≤ 0.93; P < 0.001). Several of these relationships were modified by age, sex and IMD. Conclusions: Smoking appears to be associated with eating and dietary behaviours consistent with inhibited food intake, low diet quality and altered food preference. Several of these relationships are moderated by age, sex and socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. As the proportion of prime carcasses originating from dairy herds increases, the focus is shifting to the beef merit of the progeny from dairy herds. Several dairy cow total merit indexes include a negative weight on measures of cow size. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effect of genetic selection, solely for lighter or smaller-sized dairy cows, on the beef performance of their progeny. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify the genetic correlations among cow size traits (i.e., cow BW, cow carcass weight [CW]), cow BCS, cow carcass conformation (CC), and cow carcass fat cover (CF), as well as the correlations between these cow traits and a series of beef performance slaughter-related traits (i.e., CW, CC, CF, and age at slaughter [AS]) in their progeny. After data editing, there were 52,950 cow BW and BCS records, along with 57,509 cow carcass traits (i.e., CW, CC, and CF); carcass records from 346,350 prime animals along with AS records from 316,073 prime animals were also used. Heritability estimates ranged from moderate to high (0.18–0.62) for all cow and prime animal traits. The same carcass trait in cows and prime animals were strongly genetically correlated with each other (0.76–0.85), implying that they are influenced by very similar genomic variants. Selecting exclusively for cows with higher BCS (i.e., fatter) will, on average, produce more conformed prime animal carcasses, owing to a moderate genetic correlation (0.30) between both traits. Genetic correlations revealed that selecting exclusively for lighter BW or CW cows will, on average, result in lighter prime animal carcasses of poor CC, while also delaying slaughter age. Nonetheless, selective breeding through total merit indexes should be successful in breeding for smaller dairy cows and desirable prime animal carcass traits concurrently, because of the nonunity genetic correlations between the cow and prime animal traits; this will help to achieve a more ethical, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable dairy-beef industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Breast Cancer UK—Breast Cancer Prevention Conference addressed risk from environmental pollutants and health behaviour‐related breast‐cancer risk. Epidemiological studies examining individual chemicals and breast cancer risk have produced inconclusive results including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) Bisphenol A, per‐ and polyfluorinated alkyl substances as well as aluminium. However, laboratory studies have shown that multiple EDCs, can work together to exhibit effects, even when combined at levels that alone are ineffective. The TEXB‐α/β assay measures total estrogenic load, and studies have provided evidence of a link between multiple‐chemical exposures and breast cancer. However, prospective studies using TEXB‐α/β are needed to establish a causative link. There is also a need to assess real‐life exposure to environmental‐chemical mixtures during pregnancy, and their potential involvement in programming adverse foetal health outcomes in later life. Higher rates of breast cancer have occurred alongside increases in potentially‐modifiable risk factors such as obesity. Increasing body‐mass index is associated with increased risk of developing postmenopausal breast cancer, but with decreased risk of premenopausal breast cancer. In contrast, lower rates of breast cancer in Asian compared to Western populations have been linked to soya/isoflavone consumption. Risk is decreased by breastfeeding, which is in addition to the decrease in risk observed for each birth and a young first‐birth. Risk is lower in those with higher levels of self‐reported physical activity. Current evidence suggests breast‐cancer survivors should also avoid weight gain, be physically active, and eat a healthy diet for overall health. A broad scientific perspective on breast cancer risk requires focus on both environmental exposure to chemicals and health behaviour‐related risk. Research into chemical exposure needs to focus on chemical mixtures and prospective epidemiological studies in order to test the effects on breast cancer risk. Behaviour‐related research needs to focus on implementation as well as deeper understanding of the mechanisms of cancer prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let M g + f be the one-sided Hardy–Littlewood maximal function, φ 1 be a nonnegative and nondecreasing function on [ 0 , ∞) , γ be a positive and nondecreasing function defined on [ 0 , ∞) ; let φ 2 be a quasi-convex function and u , v , w be three weight functions. In this paper, we present necessary and sufficient conditions on weight functions (u , v , w) such that the inequality φ 1 (λ) ∫ { M g + f > λ } u (x) g (x) d x ≤ C ∫ − ∞ + ∞ φ 2 (C | f (x) | v (x) γ (λ) ) w (x) g (x) d x holds. Then, we unify the weak and extra-weak-type one-sided Hardy–Littlewood maximal inequalities in the above inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preoperative planning is important for the osteosynthesis of distal radius fractures. Challenges arise for patients presenting with bilateral wrist injuries or a history of contralateral wrist injuries. In such cases, the estimation of the distal radius morphology and the determination of the plate size from the preoperative physical characteristics could prove beneficial. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the physical characteristics and the morphology of the distal radius articular surface. A total of 79 wrist computed tomography (CT) images (41 women and 38 men) were evaluated. Physical characteristics, such as height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), were recorded. Three-dimensional CT analysis was performed to investigate the transverse and anteroposterior diameters of the distal radius. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationships between height, weight, and BMI and the transverse and anteroposterior diameters of the distal radius. A moderate to strong correlation was found in the overall analysis between body height and transverse diameter (r = 0.66). There were also moderate correlations between body height and anteroposterior diameter (r = 0.45) as well as weight and transverse diameter (r = 0.41), both of which were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Our findings indicate a statistically significant correlation between height, weight, and morphology of the distal radius. When analyzed by sex, the correlation between body height and the transverse diameter of the distal radius was found to be relatively strong in women (r = 0.47, p = 0.002), suggesting that it could be a useful indicator for preoperative planning, such as estimating plate size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The relationship between HS and obesity, while well established in adult patients, has drawn increased attention in pediatric patients given the rising prevalence of pediatric obesity worldwide. This review aims to consolidate existing evidence of the relationship between HS and obesity in the pediatric population and to hypothesize about reasons for an association between the two conditions. Our cohort comprised 2911 patients with a mean age of 11.4 years at the age of onset of HS, and based on body mass index (BMI), 42.3% of patients were classified as obese (BMI > 30), and 14% were overweight (BMI 25–29.9). Our findings indicate an association between obesity and HS in pediatric patients, which may be explained through numerous mechanisms, including shared genetic factors, hereditary relationships, and the impact of HS on adolescents’ quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the estimation of biometric parameters from facial visuals, including images and videos, has emerged as a prominent area of research. However, the robustness of deep learning-based models is challenged, particularly in the presence of changing illumination conditions. To overcome these limitations and unlock new opportunities, thermal imagery has arisen as a viable alternative. Nevertheless, the limited availability of datasets containing thermal data and the small amount of annotations on them limits the exploration of this spectrum. Motivated by this gap, this paper introduces the Label-EURECOM Visible and Thermal (LVT) Face Dataset for face biometrics. This pioneering dataset includes paired visible and thermal images and videos from 52 subjects along with metadata of 22 soft biometrics and health parameters. Due to the reduced number of existing datasets in this domain, the LVT Face Dataset aims to facilitate further research and advancements in the utilization of thermal imagery for diverse eHealth applications and soft biometric estimation. Moreover, we present the first comparative study between visible and thermal spectra as input images for soft biometric estimation, namely gender age and weight, from face images on our collected dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Weight stigma refers to the social rejection, discrimination, and ideological devaluation of individuals because of body size and is a direct result of weight bias and anti-fat attitudes. Individuals with higher weight may be less likely to seek healthcare due to weight stigma, and if or when they do present for care, medical providers with weight bias may fail to provide high quality care. Little, however, is known about the intersectionality of weight stigma and perceptions of healthcare interactions as experienced by individuals who also binge eat. Methods: Community-based adults completed online self-report questionnaires regarding generalized weight stigma (Attitudes Towards Obese Persons1), healthcare interaction quality (Patient Perceptions of Healthcare Provider Interaction Quality; PPH), and disordered eating (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire) via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. For this cross-sectional study, participants were categorized by the presence and absence of regular binge episodes. Pearson's correlations, T-tests, ANOVA/ANCOVA, and a multivariate regression were used to examine relationships among demographic variables, weight stigma, disordered eating, and the PPH. Results: Participants (N = 648) primarily identified as female (65.4%) and White, non-Hispanic (72.7%). Participants' average age and body mass index (BMI) were 37.5 (SD = 12.3) years old and 27.3 (SD = 6.9) kg/m2, respectively. Higher healthcare provider interaction quality ratings (PPH) were significantly related to lower BMI (r(648)=-0.098,p = 0.012), less weight stigma (r(648) = 0.149,p < 0.001), and identifying as a woman (t(514) = 2.09, p = 0.037, Cohen's d = 0.165) or White, non-Hispanic (t(646)=-2.73, p = 0.007, Cohen's d=-0.240). Participants reporting regular binge eating endorsed significantly worse perceptions of healthcare provider quality than those who did not, even after accounting for BMI, F(1, 645) = 8.42, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.013. A multivariate linear regression examining the PPH as dependent, and weight stigma and binge eating as independent, variable/s, was significant even after accounting for covariates (sex, race, BMI), F(95, 640) = 7.13,p < 0.001, R2 = 0.053 (small effect). Conclusions: More negative experiences with healthcare providers was associated with worse weight stigma, higher BMI, regular binge eating and overall disordered eating, and for participants identifying as male or a Person of Color. These data have implications for non-clinical community populations and are particularly important as experiencing poorer quality of interactions with healthcare providers may decrease individuals' likelihood of seeking needed care for both disordered eating and health-related concerns. Trial Registration: N/A. Plain English summary: Weight stigma refers to the discrimination towards individuals because of body size. Individuals who identify as a Person of Color and who experience binge eating may experience additional discrimination, resulting in barriers to receiving healthcare. To examine these relationships, a community-based sample (N = 648) completed health- and eating-related questionnaires online. Participants who had higher weight rated their perceptions of their interactions with healthcare providers as lower quality. People of Color and men reported lower quality of perceptions of their healthcare provider interactions compared to White, non-Hispanic and female participants, respectively. Participants reporting less weight stigma also reported more positive interactions with their healthcare providers. Participants who reported regular binge eating episodes reported worse quality of interactions with their healthcare providers compared to those who did not report regular binge eating, regardless of their weight. Participants endorsing more stigmatizing views of individuals with higher weight and those reporting regular binge eating were more likely to report poorer perceived quality of interactions with healthcare providers, regardless of their weight, race/ethnicity, or sex. These findings are of particular importance as experiencing poor quality interactions with healthcare providers may be a barrier to receiving needed healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disease with unknown etiology. Poor dietary intake with nutritional deficiency and overweight have been described to increase the risk of IBS. The aim of the present study was to compare weight and circulating levels of micronutrients in IBS compared with healthy controls. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Patients diagnosed with IBS and healthy volunteers were recruited. Participants had to complete a dietary diary book and the questionnaires Rome IV, IBS-severity scoring system (IBS-SSS), and visual analog scale for IBS (VAS-IBS). Weight and height were measured, and blood samples were drawn. C-reactive protein (CRP), cobalamin, folate, iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D were analyzed. Differences were calculated between groups and generalized linear model for regressions was adjusted for false discovery rate (FDR). Results: IBS patients (n = 260) were elder than controls (n = 50) (44.00 (33.25-56.00) vs. 37.85 (30.18–45.48) years; p = 0.012). After adjustment for age, both weight (β: 5.880; 95% CI: 1.433–10.327; p = 0.010, FDR = 0.020) and body mass index (BMI) (β: 2.02; 95% CI: 0.68–3.36; p = 0.003, FDR = 0.012) were higher in patients. Among IBS participants, 48.1% were overweight/obese compared with 26.0% in controls (p = 0.007). Diarrhea-predominated IBS had highest weight (p < 0.001) and BMI (p = 0.077). CRP and cobalamin were higher in patients than controls (p = 0.010 vs. p = 0.007), whereas folate was highest in controls (p = 0.001). IBS patients had lower intake of vegetables (p = 0.026), dairy products (p = 0.004), and cereals (p = 0.010) compared with controls. Despite 21.5% of IBS patients were taking vitamin D supplements, 23.65% of them had vitamin D levels below 50 nmol/L, compared with 26.0% observed in the control group (p = 0.720). Vitamin D levels were lower in overweight than in normal weight IBS patients (60 (48–73) nmol/L vs. 65 (53–78) nmol/L, p = 0.022). Vitamin D correlated with cobalamin and folate but correlated inversely with TIBC and BMI. IBS patients had a high degree of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms, which were inversely associated with iron levels. Extraintestinal symptoms were associated with increased BMI. Conclusion: IBS patients were often overweight or obese, with low vitamin D levels. High burden of extraintestinal symptoms were associated with overweight and lower iron levels. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05192603 (Date of registration 11/29/2021) and NCT03306381 (Date of registration 09/18/2017), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionsIndividuals at a higher weight experience greater victimization and exclusion by peers, and limited research suggests that the salience of one’s body image may increase negative emotional reactions to social rejection. Additionally, social exclusion is related to higher levels of social anxiety (SA). We examined how body salience interacts with SA and weight to predict anxiety, self-esteem, and negative affect following social rejection.Participants were undergraduate women (N = 186). We explored the interactive effects of SA, body mass index (BMI), and body salience (i.e., face versus body photo condition) on emotional response to exclusion in a social ostracism paradigm, Cyberball. BMI and self-reported SA were collected at baseline. One week later, participants played Cyberball and reported state affect, anxiety, and self-esteem before and after the game.The 3-way interaction of BMI, SA, and photo condition did not significantly predict post-exclusion state measures. Photo condition moderated the relationship between SA and post-exclusion anxiety and between BMI and post-exclusion anxiety.Those with higher SA were particularly anxious following exclusion if their bodies were visible to others. Additionally, those with lower BMI experienced greater anxiety after exclusion when their body was visible than those with higher BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Methods Results Conclusions In cross‐sectional and retrospective research, parental binge eating is associated with their children's eating psychopathology. The current study extended the evidence by cross‐sectionally and longitudinally examining the relation between parental binge eating and binge eating and weight‐control behaviors in the next generation of their adolescent children and young adult children in a population‐based sample.Adolescents (Time 1: M = 14.5, SD = 2.0 years) (n = 2367), followed into adulthood (Time 2: M = 22.1, SD = 2.0 years), and their parents (n = 3664) were enrolled in EAT 2010–2018 and Project F‐EAT 2010. The current study examined parental binge eating, and child binge eating and weight‐control behaviors. Adjusted models covaried for child gender, age, and race/ethnicity.Approximately 7% of adolescents at Time 1 had at least one parent who reported binge eating with no differences by child's age, gender, or race/ethnicity. Having at least one parent experiencing binge eating at Time 1 (vs. not) was associated cross‐sectionally with adolescent children's use of extreme weight‐control behaviors (9.6% vs. 4.8%; Risk Difference [RD] = 4.9%) and associated longitudinally with binge eating during young adulthood (21.1% vs. 11.6%; RD = 9.5%). Other associations did not reach statistical significance.Children of parents with binge eating appear to have elevated risk of extreme weight‐control behaviors during adolescence and binge eating in young adulthood. Clinicians should assess whether eating psychopathology extends to other family members, and offer additional support to parents with binge eating. Further research is needed to identify risk factors in the children of parents with binge eating and to assess strategies for prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) is an important generalist predator that feeds on soft-bodied insects. Its adequate reproduction in the laboratory requires the use of lepidopteran eggs, particularly those of the grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella Olivier). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding S. cerealella eggs to C. externa that were and were not frozen on the time of development, weight and length of the larvae. In addition, the daily production of S. cerealella was estimated. The results showed that unfrozen S. cerealella eggs reduced the number of days required for the development of C. externa larvae and increased their weight and length compared to the use of frozen S. cerealella eggs. All the C. externa larvae were viable in both treatments. Similarly, S. cerealella produced the most fertile eggs from days 16 to 19 with an average harvest of 0.785 g per 6 kg of wheat. The S. cerealella eggs cost MX$7.45 /ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a classical computational method that optimizes a problem by iteratively trying to find the optimal solution. It still suffers somes defects such as poor local search ability, low search accuracy and premature convergence, especially in high-dimensional complex problems. In order to address these issues, this paper has proposed a novel PSO algorithm with distributed delays of adaptive weights and evolved acceleration coefficients (PSO-DWC). The main idea of the proposed improved PSO algorithm is three-fold: (1) a mechanism is introduced to evaluate the current evolutionary state by evolutionary factors of the swarm and to predict the next state by a probability transition matrix; (2) distributed time-varying time-delays are added into the velocity updated model; (3) adaptive inertia weight varies according to evolutionary factors, which describes the population distribution information; and newly-introduced evolved acceleration coefficients are determined by the predict next evolutionary state of the swarm. Owing to the promising issues mentioned above, the PSO-DWC algorithm has the advantages of keeping the diversity of particles, balancing the local and global search abilities and reaching to an acceptable solution. Experiments on twenty well-known benchmark functions have demonstrated that the proposed PSO-DWC algorithm has a superior performance over other five well-known PSO algorithms in high dimensional search space. Statistical significance tests verify the superiority of the new algorithm. Therefore it can be concluded that the novel PSO-DWC algorithm is able to solve the optimization problems with powerful global search and efficient convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let Φ i (i = 1 , 2) be two N-functions, f be a μ -measurable function, and ω i (i = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4) be four weight functions. This study presents necessary and sufficient conditions for weight functions (ω 1 , ω 2 , ω 3 , ω 4) such that the inequality ∫ { x : M f (x) > λ } Φ 1 (λ ω 1 (x)) ω 2 (x) d μ (x) ≤ c 1 ∫ X Φ 2 (c 1 | f (x) | ω 3 (x)) ω 4 (x) d μ (x) holds, which extends several established results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of a quantitative mudslide susceptibility evaluation method is of great significance for the prevention and control of mudslide disasters. Through the detailed survey and data compilation of 130 mudslide ditches in Hebei Province, the regional characteristics of mudslides in Hebei Province were analyzed and summarized. On this basis, evaluation factors were selected, the weights of evaluation factors were determined by introducing random forest classification method, the quantitative relationship between evaluation factors and mudslide susceptibility level was established by using Gaussian forward cloud model, and finally, the rationality of the new method was proved by engineering examples. The study shows that the mudflow hazard sites in western and northeastern Hebei Province are surrounded by 600 mm and 700 mm annual rainfall contours, respectively, while the mudflow hazard sites in northern areas are mostly located between 400 mm and 500 mm annual rainfall contours. The key factors of debris flow formation in Hebei Province are rainfall intensity, catchment area, loose material storage along the gully, slope of the gully bank, relative height difference of the watershed and specific drop of the gully. The type of debris flow in Hebei Province is mainly small and medium-sized gully storm-water and rock flow. The engineering example analysis shows that the evaluation results of the cloud model evaluation method of debris flow susceptibility based on random forest empowerment are consistent with the actual situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) are used as cleaner fish in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture as one of multiple control measures against salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis). Numerous studies have documented weight as an important factor for characterising the cleaning efficacy of individual lumpfish. Hence, the efficacy of lumpfish in fish farms depends on the size at stocking and the weight development over time. Here, we aimed to quantify how weight developed over time for lumpfish deployed in salmon farming sea cages in Norway through modelling the daily growth rate. We found that the coefficient of variation for lumpfish weight increased over time, implying that the standard deviation increased more than the expected weight. The data thus showed heterogeneous growth for lumpfish in salmon farming cages, where some individuals exhibited no apparent growth, and others significant proliferation. We found that the daily growth rate was best described as bell-shaped functions of weight and temperature, consistent with a sigmoid-shaped growth curve and an optimal temperature around 10 °C. These results allow for more realistic modelling of the efficacy of lumpfish in controlling salmon lice in fish farms, as one can combine estimates of weight-dependent cleaning efficacy with weight development over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Obesity is a critical problem worldwide, as it contributes to many pathological diseases. Therefore, Bariatric Surgery (BS) is considered an optimal treatment modality for achieving ideal weight. However, the eye and its functions can be affected after surgery due to the changes that occur throughout the body. Aim: To investigate and analyse visual functions following BS. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Elite Hospital in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, from January 2023 to June 2023. A total of 16 subjects (32 eyes) were enrolled in the study. The subjects were categorised into three groups: preoperative BS (Group I), postoperative six months (Group II), and postoperative duration of one to two years (Group III). All participants underwent complete ophthalmological examinations, including Visual Acuity (VA) measurement using the Snellen chart, refractive error measurement by autorefractometer, colour vision testing using the Ishihara test, Intraocular Pressure (IOP) measurement, and anterior segment examination using a slit lamp. Additionally, a dryness assessment was performed using clinical tests. Finally, choroidal thickness and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) measurements were obtained using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software Grad Pack Base version 28.0. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the mean values of the three groups. Post-hoc tests were employed for multiple comparisons between groups. The significance level was set at 5%. Results: The range of the participants' ages was 24 to 47 years. It was revealed that Body Mass Index (BMI) was significantly influenced by the time elapsed since BS (p-value=0.04). In contrast, the effect of BS was not statistically significant between groups for both systolic and diastolic measurements (p-value>0.05). Moreover, the automated Central Foveal Thickness (CFT) showed a statistically significant difference between groups, with p-values of 0.013 for the right eye (OD) and 0.016 for the left eye (OS). Although there was no statistical difference in the effect of BS on the OD Ganglion Cell Complex (GCC) (p-value=0.338), there was a significant effect on the OS GCC (p-value=0.03). Post-hoc analysis indicated that participants in Group I had a higher BMI than participants in Group III, with a p-value of 0.036. CFT was significantly increased in Group II OS compared to Group I (p-value=0.016). Group III showed a significantly higher GCC than Group II (p-value=0.028). There was a significant difference in Goldmann IOP among the three groups (p-value=0.009). Additionally, a negative correlation was found between the duration of BS and BMI (r=-0.615, p-value=0.011) as well as for systolic measurements (r=-0.592, p-value=0.016). A strong negative correlation was also observed between Goldmann IOP and BS, which was statistically significant for the OD (r=-0.788*, p-value<0.001) but not for the OS (r=-0.346, p-value=0.189). There was a statistically significant difference in OD nasal choroidal thickness at 500 µm (p-value=0.03) and at 1000 µm (p-value=0.03) among the three groups. Conclusion: Hence, it can be concluded that some ocular functions were positively altered while others were negatively affected after BS. Choroidal thickness decreased in the six-month postsurgery group but increased in the one to two-year group. IOP decreased in the six-month postsurgery group and further decreased in the one to two-year group. CFT increased in the sixmonth group but decreased in the one to two-year postoperation group. GCC thickness decreased in the six-month group and increased in the one to two-year post-BS group. Measurement of such parameters could serve as a preoperative assessment, especially for glaucomatous and hypertensive individuals who are planning for future BS. These evaluations could also aid in the treatment of eye diseases after surgery. Additionally, normal individuals should undergo pre- and postoperative evaluations of their visual refraction, as this may be altered due to changes in posterior segment parameters, such as choroidal thickness. However, more studies are needed to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Concerns are prevalent about preterm infant long‐term growth regarding plotting low on growth charts at discharge, stunting, underweight, high body fat and subsequent cardiometabolic morbidities. Objectives: To examine (a) longitudinal growth patterns of extremely and very preterm infants to 3 years corrected age (CA) (outcome), categorised by their birthweight for gestational age: small, appropriate and large for gestational age (SGA, AGA and LGA, respectively) (exposure); and (b) the ability of growth faltering (<−2 z‐scores) to predict suboptimal cognitive scores at 3 years CA. Methods: Post‐discharge head, length, weight and weight‐4‐length growth patterns of the PreM Growth cohort study infants born <30 weeks and < 1500 g, who had dietitian and multi‐disciplinary support before and after discharge, were plotted against the World Health Organization growth standard. Infants with brain injuries, necrotising enterocolitis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were excluded. Results: Of the included 405 infants, the proportions of infants with anthropometric measures > − 2 z‐scores improved with age. The highest proportions <−2 z‐scores for length (24.2%) and weight (24.0%) were at 36 gestational weeks. The proportion with small heads was low by 0 months CA (1.8%). By 3 years CA, only a few children plotted lower than −2 z‐scores for length, weight‐4‐length and weight (<6%). After zero months CA, high weight‐4‐length and body mass index > + 2 z‐scores were rare (2.1% at 3 years CA). Those born SGA had higher proportions with shorter heights (16.7% vs. 5.2%) and lower weights (27.8% vs. 3.5%) at 3 years CA compared to those born AGA. The ability of growth faltering to predict cognitive scores was limited (AUROC 0.42, 95% CI 0.39, 0.45 to 0.52, 95% CI 0.41, 0.63). Conclusions: Although children born <30 weeks gestation without major neonatal morbidities plot low on growth charts at 36 weeks CA most catch up to growth chart curves by 3 years CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a collection of notes and reflections made over the course of a year as I learnt the art of Foley. It is practice based, drawn from my experience working at Feet First Sound, a UK-based foley studio. I reflect on the physical and practical challenges of performing foley, the collaborative nature of the job as well as more poetic aspects of the craft. The article is divided into the following sections: assemblage, performance, sonic mimicry, weight, categorization, translation, flow, materiality and messiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical relevance: The association between myopia and body stature is of great significance for understanding prevention and control of myopia. It has been extensively studied in previous studies but without consistent conclusions. Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between body stature and prevalence of reduced visual acuity in high school graduates in Hangzhou, China. Methods: 50,620 high school graduates who finished the physical examination of the national college entrance examination in 2020 were included. Data were derived from the database of physical examination of the national college entrance examination. Height and weight were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to the general formula. Visual acuity was measured by the standard logarithmic visual acuity chart. Results: The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was 90.38% in high school graduates. Girls had a higher prevalence of reduced visual acuity than boys (93.07% vs 87.60%, P < 0.001). Boys with normal visual acuity were significantly taller (P < 0.001) and heavier (P < 0.001) than those with reduced visual acuity. Girls with normal visual acuity were significantly taller than those with reduced visual acuity (P < 0.001). The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was significantly inversely associated with height in both boys (P < 0.001) and girls (P < 0.001). The risk of reduced visual acuity was the lowest in the fourth quartile of height. The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was significantly associated with BMI only in boys (P < 0.001). The risk of reduced visual acuity was the lowest in the third quartile of BMI. Conclusions: The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was inversely associated with height in both boys and girls, and there was a U-shaped association with BMI only in boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weight, balancedness and nonlinearity are important properties of Boolean functions, but they can be difficult to determine in general. In this paper, we study how to compute them for two classes of functions where these problems are more tractable. In particular, we study functions of degree three and the so-called "splitting" functions. The latter are functions that can be written as the sum of two functions defined over disjoint sets of variables. We show how, for splitting functions, studying these properties reduces to the study of simpler functions. We provide then a procedure to compute the weight of a cubic Boolean function. We show computationally that, for a cubic Boolean function with limited number of terms, this procedure is on average significantly more efficient than some other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Steroids, the mainstay of treatment for nephrotic syndrome in children, have multiple adverse effects including growth suppression. Methods: Anthropometric measurements in children < 18 years enrolled in the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) were collected. The longitudinal association of medication exposure and nephrotic syndrome characteristics with height z-score and growth velocity was determined using adjusted Generalized Estimating Equation regression and linear regression. Results: A total of 318 children (57.2% males) with a baseline age of 7.64 ± 5.04 years were analyzed. The cumulative steroid dose was 216.4 (IQR 61.5, 652.7) mg/kg (N = 233). Overall, height z-scores were not significantly different at the last follow-up compared to baseline (− 0.13 ± 1.21 vs. − 0.23 ± 1.71, p = 0.21). In models adjusted for age, sex, and eGFR, greater cumulative steroid exposure (β − 7.5 × 10−6, CI − 1.2 × 10−5, − 3 × 10−6, p = 0.001) and incident cases of NS (vs. prevalent) (β − 1.1, CI − 2.22, − 0.11, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with lower height z-scores over time. Rituximab exposure was associated with higher height z-scores (β 0.16, CI 0.04, 0.29, p = 0.01) over time. Conclusion: Steroid dose was associated with lower height z-score, while rituximab use was associated with higher height z-score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the digital age, not only has the scope of indicator monitoring expanded but also the indicators themselves have become increasingly multilevel. Theoretically, the greater the number of levels, the more uncertainty there is in the indicators' weights. This necessitates the evaluation of the robustness of scheme comparisons to reduce evaluation risks. By using partial order evaluation methods as analytical tools, this study aims to delineate the principles and methods of partial order representation for single-level indicators. Based on this delineation, it then aims to analyze the representation methods for multilevel indicators. The results reveal that for a two-level indicator system, it is only necessary to clarify the order of weights between the first- and second-level indicators. Through a partial order Hasse diagram, the schemes can be ranked and the robustness of the comparison can be analyzed. Furthermore, three- and four-level indicator systems can be decomposed into several two-level indicator systems to complete the partial order evaluation. A case analysis demonstrates that the partial order uncertainty analysis method can integrate decision-makers' preferences. The Hasse diagram not only ranks the schemes but also achieves stratified clustering, which intuitively reflects the stability of the schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure therapy has been examined as a treatment for eating disorders, but research has yet to determine how to adapt these approaches for those in larger bodies who experience weight stigma. This case study reports on the use of values-based exposure interventions to reduce body dissatisfaction and body-related concerns in a woman with binge eating disorder in a larger body. We used a values-based approach to mirror and body image exposure that focused on fear tolerance and valued actions, as opposed to belief disconfirmation or habituation-based approaches to exposure, which may invalidate weight stigmatizing experiences. The client was a white cisgender woman in her late 20's with binge eating disorder and major depressive disorder enrolled in trial of Transdiagnostic Network-Informed Personalized Treatment for eating disorders. Symptoms were assessed at pre-, mid-, post-treatment and one-month follow-up. The client was highly satisfied with treatment and experienced clinically significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms and shape and weight concerns. Decreases in body dissatisfaction, feeling fat, and overvaluation of weight and shape were large. Clinical impairment decreased, and quality of life increased. A detailed description of the approach to body image exposure for those in larger bodies is provided. Using a values-based approach to body image exposures may help account for weight stigma experienced by those in larger bodies while decreasing avoidance of personally meaningful experiences, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess inpatient growth parameter trajectories and to identify the type of opioid exposure and treatment characteristics influencing growth parameters of infants admitted to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) for pharmacological treatment of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Methods: Charts of term infants with NOWS admitted to NICU from 2012 to 2019, who received pharmacologic treatment, were reviewed. Intake (volume: mL/kg/day; calorie: kcal/kg/day) and growth parameter trajectories (weight, head circumference, and length) were analyzed based on the type of prenatal opioid exposure (short‐acting opioids (SAOs), long‐acting opioids (LAOs), and polysubstance), pharmacologic treatment, and sex. Growth measurement patterns over time were compared between groups using longitudinal mixed‐effects models. Results: One hundred nineteen infants were included in the study with median birth weight Z‐score of −0.19 at birth and decreased to a median of −0.72 at discharge. Exposure to SAO was associated with an increase in Z‐scores nearing discharge across all growth parameters (Z‐score for weight p = 0.03). Polysubstance exposure was associated with a decrease in Z‐scores for length and head circumference throughout hospitalization. Infants with adjunct clonidine treatment had an increase in Z‐score for weight trends. Male infants had a decrease in Z‐scores for weight (male −0.96, female −0.59, interaction p = 0.06) and length (male −1.17, female −0.57, interaction p = 0.003) at Day 28. Despite the difference in growth trajectories, intake in terms of amount (mL/kg/day) and calorie intake (kcal/kg/day) was similar based on prenatal exposure, treatment, and sex. Conclusion: Infants with NOWS requiring pharmacologic treatment have a decrease in Z‐scores for weight, length, and head circumference at birth and at hospital discharge. Infants with prenatal polysubstance exposure were at particular risk for poorer inpatient growth relative to infants exposed to SAO and LAO, indicated by lower Z‐scores for length and occipital frontal circumference (OFC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to investigate the effects of injecting lactic acid bacteria into the embryo on the hatching performance and intestinal mucosa structure of chicks. A total of 150 SPF eggs were incubated until 18 days of embryonic age and then randomly divided into two groups, with each group having three replicates, each consisting of 25 eggs. The control group was injected with 0.2 mL of sterilized saline into the amniotic cavity, while the embryonic egg lactic acid bacteria injection group was injected with 0.2 mL containing 1.21×108 CFU/mL of live Lactobacillus salivarius XP132. The experiment spanned from incubation to hatching at 21 days, with a rearing period of 35 days. The results indicated that the injection of lactic acid bacteria into the fertilized eggs significantly increased the body weight of the chick (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the embryonic egg lactic acid bacteria injection group showed a significant increase in the thymus index at 7 and 28 days of age, the spleen and bursa of Fabricius indices at 14 days of age, and the thymus and bursa of Fabricius indices at 21 days of age (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the villus height (VH) of the duodenum in the embryonic egg lactic acid bacteria injection group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the villus to crypt ratio (V/C) was extremely increased (P<0.01). The crypt depth (CD) of the duodenum at 7 days of age was extremely reduced (P<0.01), and the CD of the duodenum at 21 and 35 days of age was significantly reduced (P<0.05). At 7 and 21 days of age, the VH and V/C of the jejunum were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the CD was significantly decreased (P<0.05). At 21 days of age, the VH of the ileum was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the V/C was extremely increased (P<0.01). At 35 days of age, the VH of the ileum was significantly increased (P<0.05). Due to the absence of antibiotic use during the rearing process, some chicks in the control group experienced mild bacterial infections. Electron microscopy observation revealed certain damages to the microvilli and mitochondrial structures of the duodenal epithelial cells. However, the application of lactic acid bacteria prevented bacterial infections in the chicks at 7, 21, and 35 days of age, and improved the damage to the epithelial cell microvilli, mitochondrial structures, and tight junction proteins. The study shows that the injection of lactic acid bacteria into fertilized eggs can increase the body weight of SPF chicks and has a certain improving effect on their intestinal mucosal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the rapid development of social economy, the acceleration of urbanization and the increase of urban surface hardening rate, the risk of urban waterlogging has been greatly increased and the urban non-point source pollution has become increasingly serious, so it is urgent to improve the living environment. Taking Miaotouchung flood drainage area in Guangzhou as the research area, SWMM model was established and determined, and the impact of LID facilities on runoff and pollution was compared and analyzed. Finally, the improved fuzzy evaluation method was applied to evaluate the comprehensive benefits of LID from three dimensions of economy, environment and society. The results show that after the deployment of LID, the comprehensive benefit of Miaotouchong area in Guangzhou is improved from grade IV to grade II, and the comprehensive benefit is good. When arranging many LID facilities in Miaotouchong drainage area, priority should be given to permeable pavement and green roof, which can reduce 77% of total runoff and 40% of pollutants. When laying single LID facilities in Miaotouchong drainage area, priority should be given to laying permeable pavement, which can reduce the total runoff by 35% and the pollutants by 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate, using patient studies, the impact of Injected Dose (ID), Body Mass Index (BMI), and image noise assessments in PET imaging. This study included 59 liver cancer patients weighing between 45 and 107 kg. After intravenously injecting 0.1 millicurie (mCi) of 18F-FDG per kilogram of body weight, PET scans were obtained for 1, 1.5, and 3 min/bed position based on the patient's weight. Weight, height, and body mass index were calculated using a spreadsheet. Five regions of interest (ROIs) were placed at the same site in the liver, which was considered to have a homogeneous metabolism, in five successive slices of PET/CT scans to determine the mean uptake (signal) values and their standard deviation (noise). The ratio of both gives the liver's Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Graphs were created to determine the relationship between these characteristics. The plots demonstrated that the dose injected increased when body weight and/or BMI increased, and that the SNR fell even as the dose administered increased. This is owing to the fact that heavier patients having a higher administered dose and, have a lower SNR even when greater 18F-FDG doses are delivered. These data indicate that the image quality, as measured by the SNR, is inferior in heavier persons compared to those who are thinner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species experience a variety of environmental and anthropogenic conditions across their ranges leading to spatial variation in population dynamics. Understanding population dynamics under different conditions is important but it is challenging to allocate limited effort to spatial and temporal subpopulation monitoring. Using GLMMs, we analyze survey data of a metapopulation of coconut crabs spanning 7 years and 15 sites in and near the Pemba archipelago, Zanzibar, to estimate trends in population size (based on catch per unit effort), weight and sex ratio at the meta‐ and subpopulation level and investigate anthropogenic drivers of these trends. We found that the overall metapopulation has remained stable in terms of size and composition over the survey period, but observed diverging trends in population size and sex ratio at some subpopulations. Formal protection of sites was associated with positive population trends. Of nine sites for which we could estimate site‐specific trends, three showed increasing and two decreasing trends, whereas four sites had stable subpopulations. Although anthropogenic factors affected the average weight, and the incidence of small and large individuals, we found no temporal trends in any weight‐related measures. Furthermore, there were no apparent patterns between weight‐related measures and subpopulation trends. The metapopulation was biased toward males, and exploitation appeared to be associated with declining trends in the proportion of females, likely an artifact of a strong decline in the proportion of females in one of only two exploited sites in the dataset. Educational campaigns implemented in 2020 at six sites were not related to higher population sizes in later surveys. The variable trends in subpopulation sizes and composition highlight the need for spatially replicated monitoring in metapopulations. The analyses further provide a detailed baseline for future subpopulation studies of this vulnerable species in one of its last remaining metapopulations in the Western Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of moderate/severe atopic dermatitis (AD). In recent years, several studies have confirmed the positive association between AD and overweight/obesity, and a report demonstrated the effect of weight reduction on the improvement of AD symptoms. Methods: The weight of 170 patients under treatment with dupilumab was recorded at baseline and after 48 weeks (T48). Clinical monitoring was mainly conducted using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI). The study aimed to assess a possible correlation between the clinical outcome of dupilumab therapy and BMI. Results: Although not statistically significant, patients with a BMI < 25 have a higher EASI percentage improvement than patients with a BMI ≥ 25 at any time point, and the percentage of overweight and obese patients that does not reach EASI-75 at T48 is higher compared to normal-weight patients (13.5% vs. 5.9%). Despite this, in the multivariate regression analysis, no baseline characteristic, including BMI, appears to increase the risk of not reaching EASI-75. In addition, the results show no differences in BMI between baseline and T48 in any age/sex group. Conclusions: The results suggest that overweight and obese patients have a lower response to dupilumab when considering the EASI score, but this difference does not appear to be clinically significant. Furthermore, dupilumab treatment does not seem to impact weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although rates of weight discrimination are on‐par with racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination, comparatively less work has examined impacts of weight‐based discrimination in youth, including on disordered eating. Knowing whether experiences of weight‐based discrimination, including in youth with multiply‐marginalized identities, are associated with disordered eating could identify vulnerable youth and inform intervention efforts. Method: Youth (N = 11,875) ages 10–11 were recruited through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Logistic regressions using cross‐sectional data examined discrimination experiences (weight, perceived sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, national origin) and disordered eating (binge‐eating, vomiting, weight‐gain fear, weight self‐worth). Models included race/ethnicity, age, sex, parental income, and degree of elevated weight. Raked poststratification weights were used. Results: Rates of weight‐based discrimination (6.2%) were similar to rates of race/ethnicity (4.4%) and sexual orientation discrimination (4.5%). Weight‐based discrimination was associated with more disordered eating. Youth reporting multiple experiences of discrimination had significantly increased disordered eating compared to youth who did not report discrimination. Discussion: Weight‐based discrimination is common in youth and associated with disordered eating. Youth with elevated weight are more likely to be multiply marginalized and experience disordered eating. These findings suggest discrimination, including weight‐based discrimination, is a critical intervention target to prevent and treat eating disorders. Public Significance: Experiences of discrimination contribute to poorer health; however, weight‐based discrimination is relatively understudied. Data from a large sample of youth ages 10–11 showed that youth with elevated weight reported experiencing multiple types of discrimination, and multiply‐marginalized youth had increased odds of disordered eating with each additional type of discrimination. Together, this suggests that weight‐based discrimination is a critical target to prevent and treat eating disorders, especially in multiply‐marginalized youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study used machine learning methods to analyze data on treatment outcomes from individuals with anorexia nervosa admitted to a specialized eating disorders treatment program. Methods: Of 368 individuals with anorexia nervosa (209 adolescents and 159 adults), 160 individuals had data available for a 6‐month follow‐up analysis. Participants were treated in a 6‐day‐per‐week partial‐hospital program. Participants were assessed for eating disorder‐specific and non‐specific psychopathology. The analyses used established machine learning procedures combined in an ensemble model from support vector machine learning, random forest prediction, and the elastic net regularized regression with an exploration (training; 75%) and confirmation (test; 25%) split of the data. Results: The models predicting body mass index (BMI) at 6‐month follow‐up explained a 28.6% variance in the training set (n = 120). The model had good performance in predicting 6‐month BMI in the test dataset (n = 40), with predicted BMI significantly correlating with actual BMI (r =.51, p = 0.01). The change in BMI from admission to discharge was the most important predictor, strongly correlating with reported BMI at 6‐month follow‐up (r =.55). Behavioral variables were much less predictive of BMI outcome. Results were similar for z‐transformed BMI in the adolescent‐only group. Length of stay was most predictive of weight gain in treatment (r =.56) but did not predict longer‐term BMI. Conclusions: This study, using an agnostic ensemble machine learning approach in the largest to‐date sample of individuals with anorexia nervosa, suggests that achieving weight gain goals in treatment predicts longer‐term weight‐related outcomes. Other potential predictors, personality, mood, or eating disorder‐specific symptoms were relatively much less predictive. Public Significance: The results from this study indicate that the amount of weight gained during treatment predicts BMI 6 months after discharge from a high level of care. This suggests that patients require sufficient time in a higher level of care treatment to meet their specific weight goals and be able to maintain normal weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of methodological changes to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Score on associations with risk for all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and cancer risk jointly among older adults in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP Diet and Health Study. Weights were incorporated for each score component; a continuous point scale was developed in place of the score's fully discrete cut points; and cut-point values were changed for physical activity and red meat based on evidence-based recommendations. Exploratory aims also examined the impact of separating components with more than one subcomponent and whether all components were necessary to retain within this population utilizing a penalized scoring approach. Findings suggested weighting the original 2018 WCRF/AICR Score improved its predictive performance in association with all-cause mortality and provided more precise estimates in relation to cancer risk and mortality outcomes. The importance of healthy weight, physical activity, and plant-based foods in relation to cancer and overall mortality risk were highlighted in this population of older adults. Further studies are needed to better understand the consistency and generalizability of these findings across other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with hypertension. However, the differential mechanisms underlying OSA-related hypertension between normal-weight vs. obese patients is limited. We studied 92 patients with OSA and 24 patients with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. Blood pressure (BP) was measured twice during awake and continuously monitored during sleep. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥28 kg/m2. Serum metabolite levels were assessed by metabolomics. Among 59 normal-weight and 33 obese patients, 651 and 167 metabolites showed differences between hypertension and normotension or were associated with systolic and diastolic BP (SBP, DBP) after controlling confounders. These metabolites involved 16 and 12 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment pathways in normal-weight and obese patients respectively, whereas 6 pathways overlapped. Among these 6 overlapping pathways, 4 were related to homocysteine metabolism and 2 were non-specific pathways. In homocysteine metabolism pathway, 13 metabolites were identified. Interestingly, the change trends of 7 metabolites associated with SBP (all interaction-p≤0.083) and 8 metabolites associated with DBP (all interaction-p≤0.033) were opposite between normal-weight and obese patients. Specifically, increased BP was associated with down-regulated folate-dependent remethylation and accelerated transsulfuration in normal-weight patients, whereas associated with enhanced betaine-dependent remethylation and reduced transsulfuration in obese patients. Similar findings were observed in ambulatory BP during sleep. After CPAP treatment, baseline low homocysteine levels predicted greater decrease in DBP among normal-weight but not obese patients. Mechanisms in OSA-related hypertension differ between normal-weight and obese patients, which are explained by different changes in homocysteine metabolism. • Mechanisms of OSA-related hypertension differ between patients with different weight. • Homocysteine metabolism differently regulates hypertension in OSA patients with different weight. • Assessing homocysteine metabolism guides personalized treatments for hypertension in OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]