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Purpose: Thinness in adolescence has not been studied as extensively as overweight or obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and health impacts of thinness in a European adolescent population. Methods: This study included 2711 adolescents (1479 girls, 1232 boys). Blood pressure, physical fitness, sedentary behaviors, physical activity (PA), and dietary intake were assessed. A medical questionnaire was used to report any associated diseases. A blood sample was collected in a subgroup of the population. Thinness and normal weight were identified using the IOTF scale. Thin adolescents were compared with adolescents of normal weight. Results: Two hundred and fourteen adolescents (7.9%) were classified as being thin; the prevalence rates were 8.6% in girls and 7.1% in boys. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in adolescents with thinness. The age at the first menstrual cycle was significantly later in thin female adolescents than in those with normal weight. Upper-body muscular strength measured in performance tests and time spent in light PA were significantly lower in thin adolescents. The Diet Quality Index was not significantly lower in thin adolescents, but the percentage of adolescents who skipped breakfast was higher in adolescents with a normal weight (27.7% vs 17.1%). Serum creatinine level and HOMA-insulin resistance were lower and vitamin B12 level was higher in thin adolescents. Conclusions: Thinness affects a notable proportion of European adolescents with no physical adverse health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strength deficits are common following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Best practice guidelines recommend resistance training post-ACLR to target these strength deficits. Research has supported menstrual cycle (MC) phase-based resistance training for eumenorrheic women, however its applicability for women post-ACLR was unknown. This study aimed to establish whether there was a role for MC phase-based resistance training for women post-ACLR. Authors searched seven databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, SportDiscus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar) between 6/12/21 – 22/12/22. Primary studies or reviews describing MC phase-based resistance training at least one MC duration, published in academic journals, and written in English were included. Studies which investigated the effect of the oral contraceptive pill on training responses were excluded. The search yielded 1942 titles and abstracts, with 14 studies included in the final analysis (eight primary studies). No studies were found that investigated MC phase-based resistance training in women post anterior ligament reconstruction. Studies were limited by methodological issues. Six primary studies supported follicular phase-based training to enhance responses, including superior strength, power, lean mass gain, and reduced dysmenorrhea symptoms. One study reported no difference in strength gain between follicular and luteal phase-based resistance training, and another study reported that underweight participants obtained superior strength gain following luteal phase-based resistance training. The results suggest that MC phase-based training may influence responses pertinent to women post-ACLR. There is scope for future research to investigate follicular phase-based resistance training in women following ACLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has suggested that Instagram is detrimental to one's body image and health, as a result of its image-driven nature and the social comparisons that are commonly made between users' bodies and the bodies they see portrayed. This study was designed to provide a better understanding of the effects of thin and fat body types portrayed in Instagram posts. This was done by examining how such body type portrayals influence attention to the posts, in addition to influencing outcomes such as body dissatisfaction and appearance management behavioral intentions. A total of 309 college students viewed 30 Instagram posts in an online experiment with a 2 (portrayed body type: thin vs. fat) X 15 (message repetition) within-subjects design. The findings indicate that thin-body portrayals increase audience self-reported attention to the posts and state body dissatisfaction, but female users who self-perceive themselves as fat report a similar level of attention to the posts regardless of portrayed body types. Additionally, Instagram use (defined as the number of photos users personally post) is found to moderate the effects of the body portrayals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intestinal nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa in zebrafish (Danio rerio) causes profound intestinal lesions, emaciation and death and is a promoter of a common intestinal cancer in zebrafish. This nematode has been detected in zebrafish from about 15% of the laboratories. Adult worms are readily detected about 3 weeks after exposure by either histology or wet mount preparations of the intestine, and larval worms are inconsistently observed in fish before this time. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) test was recently developed to detect the worm in fish and water, and here we determined that the test on zebrafish intestines was effective for earlier detection. Four lines of zebrafish (AB, TU, 5D and Casper) were experimentally infected and evaluated by wet mounts and qPCR at 8, 15‐, 22‐, 31‐ and 44‐day post‐exposure (dpe). At the first two time points, only 8% of the wet mounts from exposed fish were identified as infected, while the same intestines screened by qPCR showed 78% positivity, with low and consistent cycle threshold (Ct) values at these times. Wet mounts at later time points showed a high prevalence of infection, but this was still surpassed by qPCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the women who use alcohol and tobacco before pregnancy likely to use alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy. The objectives of this study was to describe alcohol and tobacco use, and to identify associated characteristics during preconception period. The Indian National Family Health Survey-4 was used. A total of 65,238 preconception, young, married women were included and analysed usingbivariate and multivariate analyses statistical techniques. The data revealed that 4.3% of preconception women in India were using alcohol and tobacco. The prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use was higher among older women (5.6%), Scheduled Tribes (14.2%), living in rural areas (5.0%), non-educated (8.9%), poorest households (9.1%), northeast region (25.0%) and with a low body mass index (BMI) (6.2%). The adjusted odds ratios shown that after controlling for important background factors, being Hindu, from scheduled tribes, already having children, being underweight, from poorest households and Northeast region had higher odds of alcohol and tobacco use compared to with their corresponding reference groups. Findings suggest that preconception women of reproductive age who use alcohol and tobacco should be strongly encouraged and supported to quit alcohol and tobacco use before pregnancy for preventing adverse birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of adolescent weight status in psychosocial, cognitive, and academic outcomes remains understudied, particularly among girls in low- and middle-income countries. This study examined the direct and indirect effects of weight status, self-efficacy, and gender attitudes on cognitive and academic skills among adolescent girls. We analyzed two rounds of data collected from adolescent girls (N = 4,693) who participated in the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program in Zambia. Weight status, self-efficacy, and gender attitudes were measured in 2014–2015. Cognitive and academic skills were measured, 1 year later. Analyses were conducted using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Being underweight was significantly associated with lower self-efficacy, and cognitive and academic skills. Self-efficacy and gender attitudes were significantly associated with cognitive and academic skills. Self-efficacy mediated the association of being underweight with cognitive and academic skills. Our results found no significant association of normal weight with cognitive and academic abilities. Undernutrition, low self-efficacy, and weak cognitive and academic abilities during adolescence illustrate the intersecting vulnerabilities faced by adolescent girls. Study findings suggest multiple pathways to improve adolescent girls' weight status and cognitive and academic skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assisted falls occur when staff try to minimize the impact of falls by slowing a patient's descent. Assisting a patient fall may decrease patient injury risk, but biomechanical risk of injury to staff has not been evaluated. Assisted falls virtual reality (VR) simulations were conducted to examine staff low back injury risk during common assisted falls scenarios. Methods: VR simulations of a toilet to wheelchair transfer were developed with a male patient avatar for three assisted falls scenarios: standing up from toilet, sitting down on wheelchair, and ambulation. Patient avatar weight was modified to reflect normal, underweight, and overweight adult patients. The average spinal compression force at L5/S1 was calculated for each participant with five trials per three scenarios while utilizing physical ergonomic techniques and compared to the safe spinal compression limit of 3,400 Newtons (N). Findings: Six staff participants completed 90 VR simulations in total. The average calculated spinal compression force ranged from 7,132 N to 27,901 N. All participant trials exceeded the safe spinal compression limit of 3,400 N for every assisted falls scenario and avatar weight despite application of ergonomic techniques including wide stance, knees bent, and backs straight. Conclusions/Application to Practice: Staff are at risk for low back injury if they assist falls regardless of the adult patient weight and application of ergonomic techniques. Safer alternatives like the implementation of mobility screening tools and safe patient handling and mobility technology are needed to help prevent assisted falls to decrease injury risk to both patients and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thinness during adolescence can increase the risk of adverse health outcomes across the life-course and impede development. There is limited research examining the prevalence and determinants of persistent adolescent thinness in the United Kingdom (UK). We used longitudinal cohort data to investigate determinants of persistent adolescent thinness. Methods: We analyzed data from 7,740 participants in the UK Millennium Cohort Study at ages 9 months, 7, 11, 14 and 17 years. Persistent thinness was defined as thinness at ages 11, 14 and 17; thinness was defined as an age- and sex-adjusted Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m2. In total, 4,036 participants, classified either as persistently thin or at a persistent healthy weight, were included in the analyses. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between 16 risk factors and persistent adolescent thinness by sex. Results: The prevalence of persistent thinness among adolescents was 3.1% (n = 231). Among males (n = 115), persistent adolescent thinness was significantly associated with non-white ethnicity, low parental BMI, low birthweight, low breastfeeding duration, unintended pregnancy, and low maternal education. Among females (n = 116), persistent adolescent thinness was significantly associated with non-white ethnicity, low birthweight, low self-esteem, and low physical activity. However, after adjusting for all risk factors, only low maternal BMI (OR: 3.44; 95% CI:1.13, 10.5), low paternal BMI (OR: 22.2; 95% CI: 2.35, 209.6), unintended pregnancy (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.11, 5.57) and low self-esteem (OR: 6.57; 95% CI: 1.46,29.7) remained significantly associated with persistent adolescent thinness among males. After adjustment for all risk factors, not reaching the recommended physical activity levels (OR: 4.22; 95% CI: 1.82, 9.75) remained significantly associated with persistent adolescent thinness among females. No appreciable associations were found between persistent adolescent thinness and sex, premature birth, smoking during pregnancy, income, maternal postnatal depression, mother-infant attachment or socio-emotional difficulties (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Persistent adolescent thinness is not rare and appears to be associated with both physical and mental health factors, with some sex specific differences. Healthy weight initiatives should consider the full weight spectrum. Further research is required to understand thinness at a population level, including among those whose BMI changes during child and adolescent development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gastric cancer is the fifth most prevalent cancer in the world. The relationship between gastric cancer and underweight, overweight, and obesity is not fully understood yet. Obesity is a modifiable factor that has a positive association with some cancers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between gastric cancer risk and abnormal body mass index, as an indicator of abnormal weight. Based on our results, obesity and overweight increase the risk of gastric cancer, while underweight is not associated. These findings can help policymakers and healthcare providers to make preventive strategies for controlling obesity and overweight. This study aimed to investigate the risk of gastric cancer (GC) in abnormal body mass index (BMI) groups. A systematic search was carried out on Embase, PubMed/Medline, and Scopus from January 2000 to January 2023. The pooled risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was assessed using a random-effect model. Thirteen studies with total of 14,020,031 participants were included in this systematic review. The pooled RR of GC was 1.124 (95% CI, 0.968–1.304, I2: 89.08%) in underweight class, 1.155 (95% CI, 1.051–1.270, I2: 95.18%) in overweight class, and in 1.218 (95% CI, 1.070–1.386, I2: 97.65%) obesity class. There is no difference between cardia and non-cardia gastric cancer, while non-Asian race and female gender have higher risk of cancer, as Meta-regression of obesity and overweight classes showed. These findings suggest that there is a positive association between excess body weight and the risk of GC, with a higher impact in women than men and in non-Asian than Asian populations. Since abnormal weight is tied to various diseases, including GC, healthcare experts, and policymakers should continue interventions aiming to achieve a normal BMI range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically assess the main sociodemographic factors associated with weight perception of adolescents. Methodology: All studies related to adolescents' weight perception were retrieved from seven databases from January 2001 to July 2022. A total of 13 Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keywords were used to identify qualified studies, and reference lists included in the retrieved studies were manually searched to identify potentially relevant publications. Two evaluators independently assessed the eligibility and extracted data of each study. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) risk of bias evaluation tool was used to evaluate the quality and bias risk of included studies. RevMan (version: 5.3) software was used to conduct heterogeneity test and meta‐analysis. Results: A total of 12 studies, published between 2003 and 2020, were selected and included in the systematic review and meta‐analysis, consisting of 325,367 adolescents from five countries. The risk of bias evaluation indicated that risk of bias was low in five studies and moderate in seven studies. The results of meta‐analysis showed that there were no differences in the weight perception accuracy among adolescents under different gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88–1.15, p = 0.940), place of residence (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.83–1.16, p = 0.800), grade (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 0.68–4.42, p = 0.250), and family economic level (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.86–1.02, p = 0.140). Egger's linear regression showed that there was no significant publication bias in the primary analysis. Conclusions: The current analysis indicates that gender, place of residence, grade, and family economic level were not identified as influencing factors for adolescents' weight perception accuracy. Due to the limitations of the review and included studies, more robust trials are warranted in different social and economic environments to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adiponectin is a protein hormone that is produced and secreted primarily by adipose tissue. The levels of adiponectin in those with eating disorders, obesity, and healthy controls have been extensively studied. However, the general picture of the differences in adiponectin levels across the mentioned conditions is still unclear and fragmented. In this study, we pooled previous studies and performed a network meta-analysis to gain a global picture of comparisons of adiponectin levels across eating disorders, obesity, constitutional thinness, and healthy controls. Electronic databases were searched for anorexia nervosa, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, healthy controls, night eating syndrome, obesity, and constitutional thinness in studies where adiponectin levels were measured. A total of 4262 participants from 50 published studies were included in the network meta-analysis. Adiponectin levels were significantly higher in participants with anorexia nervosa than in healthy controls (Hedges' g = 0.701, p < 0.001). However, adiponectin levels in constitutionally thin participants were not significantly different from those of healthy controls (Hedges' g = 0.470, p = 0.187). Obesity and binge-eating disorder were associated with significantly lower adiponectin levels compared to those of healthy controls (Hedges' g = −0.852, p < 0.001 and Hedges' g = −0.756, p = 0.024, respectively). The disorders characterized by excessive increases or decreases in BMI were associated with significant changes in adiponectin levels. These results suggest that adiponectin may be an important marker of severely disequilibrated homeostasis, especially in fat, glucose, and bone metabolisms. Nonetheless, an increase in adiponectin may not simply be associated with a decrease in BMI, as constitutional thinness is not associated with a significant increase in adiponectin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Personalized breast cancer screening has the potential to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of breast cancer screening by tailoring the screening protocol to an individual's risk factors. Currently, most women undergo mammograms at regular intervals based on age and family history, regardless of their risk factors. We examined the applicability of the Gail model, a well-known breast cancer prediction tool including several risk factors, in an Asian population. While the tool predicts the risks of developing breast cancer in the next 2, 5, 10, and 15 years to some extent, the age at which the disease occurs cannot be estimated. In addition, the tool performs better for longer prediction horizons (10 or 15 years), limiting its utility for risk prediction for two-year screening intervals. Personalized breast cancer risk profiling has the potential to promote shared decision-making and improve compliance with routine screening. We assessed the Gail model's performance in predicting the short-term (2- and 5-year) and the long-term (10- and 15-year) absolute risks in 28,234 asymptomatic Asian women. Absolute risks were calculated using different relative risk estimates and Breast cancer incidence and mortality rates (White, Asian-American, or the Singapore Asian population). Using linear models, we tested the association of absolute risk and age at breast cancer occurrence. Model discrimination was moderate (AUC range: 0.580–0.628). Calibration was better for longer-term prediction horizons (E/Olong-term ranges: 0.86–1.71; E/Oshort-term ranges:1.24–3.36). Subgroup analyses show that the model underestimates risk in women with breast cancer family history, positive recall status, and prior breast biopsy, and overestimates risk in underweight women. The Gail model absolute risk does not predict the age of breast cancer occurrence. Breast cancer risk prediction tools performed better with population-specific parameters. Two-year absolute risk estimation is attractive for breast cancer screening programs, but the models tested are not suitable for identifying Asian women at increased risk within this short interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociocultural expectations to conform to a thin beauty ideal often lead women to evaluate themselves based on physical appearance. This evaluation process can be expressed through active engagement in body comparisons which increases the risk of body dissatisfaction. Studies have also highlighted protective factors for body dissatisfaction, such as exposure to diverse body sizes. However, past literature has insufficiently addressed the links between risk and protective factors for body dissatisfaction. The current study used an experimental approach to examine if different forms of body comparisons modulate the beneficial influence of body-diversity exposure on body dissatisfaction. The sample included 241 female adolescents and young women who were randomly allocated to one of three experimental groups. All groups were presented with a sequence of photos showing pairs of women with diverse body sizes. Participants either watched the figures on screen naturally, compared the body sizes of the two figures, or compared their own body size to that of the figures presented. The results showed that merely watching photos that depict body diversity or comparing the size of others' bodies reduced state body dissatisfaction. However, watching the same photos while comparing one's own body with others' abolished the benefits of body-diversity exposure on body dissatisfaction and even increased body dissatisfaction among those with higher levels of trait body dissatisfaction. Age did not moderate the results. The study highlights the importance of addressing body comparisons in the framework of positive body image programs that promote exposure to body diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster, response and cleanup workers were potentially exposed to toxic volatile components of crude oil. However, to our knowledge, no study has examined exposure to individual oil spill–related chemicals in relation to cardiovascular outcomes among oil spill workers. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate the association of several spill-related chemicals [benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, 푛-hexane (BTEX-H)] and total hydrocarbons (THC) with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events among workers enrolled in a prospective cohort. METHODS: Cumulative exposures to THC and BTEX-H across the cleanup period were estimated via a job-exposure matrix that linked air measurement data with self-reported DWH spill work histories. We ascertained CHD events following each worker’s last day of cleanup work as the first self-reported physician-diagnosed myocardial infarction (MI) or a fatal CHD event. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for the associations of exposure quintiles (Q) with risk of CHD. We applied inverse probability weights to account for bias due to confounding and loss to follow-up. We used quantile g-computation to assess the joint effect of the BTEX-H mixture. RESULTS: Among 22,655 workers with no previous MI diagnoses, 509 experienced an incident CHD event through December 2019. Workers in higher quintiles of each exposure agent had increased CHD risks in comparison with the referent group (Q1) of that agent, with the strongest associations observed in Q5 (range of HR = 1.14–1:44). However, most associations were nonsignificant, and there was no evidence of exposure–response trends. We observed stronger associations among ever smokers, workers with =high school education, and workers with body mass index <30 kg/m². No apparent positive association was observed for the BTEX-H mixture. CONCLUSIONS: Higher exposures to volatile components of crude oil were associated with modest increases in risk of CHD among oil spill workers, although we did not observe exposure–response trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study assessed gender‐related differences in executive functions (decision‐making, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility), personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in binge‐spectrum eating disorders (EDs). Secondly, we aimed to separately explore the predictive value of gender and executive functions in treatment outcome. Method: A battery of self‐reported and neurocognitive measures were answered by a sample of 85 patients (64 females) diagnosed with a binge‐spectrum ED (41 BN; 44 binge eating disorder). Results: Data showed gender‐related differences in executive functioning, displaying women lower inhibitory control and lower cognitive flexibility than men. Regarding personality traits and psychopathology symptoms, women presented higher reward dependence and cooperativeness, as well as more drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, bulimia, and somatisation symptoms than men. Finally, worse executive functioning, particularly having lower ability in concept formation seems to predict worse treatment outcomes and dropout in these patients. Conclusions: We described gender specific neuropsychological, personality and psychopathological impairments in patients with binge‐spectrum EDs. Moreover, difficulties in executive functioning might have an impact on treatment response, since patients with a lower ability in concept formation are less likely to benefit from treatment. The present results can help improving current treatment approaches by tackling gender and individual differences. Highlights: This is the first study assessing gender and executive functions as therapy response predictors in patients suffering from binge‐spectrum eating disorders (EDs).This study is also pioneer in the study of gender‐related differences in executive functioning, clinical and personality traits.Women with binge‐spectrum EDs present more neuropsychological deficits and psychopathological symptoms than men.binge‐spectrum ED patients with higher deficits in executive functioning display poorer therapy response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence indicates that obesity is a risk factor for various tumors. We aimed to clarify the evidence for an association between body mass index (BMI) and cancer risk based on existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Eighteen studies were included in this umbrella review after searching PubMed, Embase and Web of science. The results revealed that underweight was inversely associated with the incidence of brain tumors and positively related to the risk of esophageal and lung cancer. Overweight enhances the incidence of brain tumors, kidney cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma, bladder cancer and liver cancer. Obesity was related to the increased incidence of brain tumors, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma, gallbladder cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, thyroid cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Moreover, dose-response analysis was conducted by 10 studies, and the results demonstrated that each 5 Kg/m2 increase in BMI was associated with a 1.01- to 1.13-fold increased risk of general brain tumors, multiple myeloma, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Every 1 Kg/m2 increase in BMI was linked to 6% and 4% increases in the risk of kidney cancer and gallbladder cancer, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background. Among lifestyle factors, obesity has been postulated as the most important risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MS). Lifestyle factors such as physical activity (PA), diet quality, and weight management are so closely related, it is not clear if the role of lifestyle factors is exclusively through its effect on weight, or if they contribute independently. Objective. To examine the effect of lifestyle factors such as diet quality, weight change, and leisure time PA on MS occurrence in lean and overweight/obese (OW/OB) adults over a 6-year period. Methods. This was a longitudinal analysis of data from adults participating in the Health Workers Cohort Study. Results. A total of 1046 participants were included; 37.2% of the OW/OB group and 16.2% of the lean participants developed MS. Becoming overweight had a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.06 for developing MS compared with remaining lean (95% CI = 1.98, 4.74). Going from OW/OB to lean was associated with lower risk of MS (HR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.79). Among OW/OB, becoming active was associated with lower risk (HR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.42, 0.95) in comparison with an inactive pattern; diet quality was not associated with occurrence of MS. Conclusion. Weight change was the most relevant factor predicting MS over a 6-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs), as a new type of 2D materials, have been widely applied in various applications because of their unique structures and exposed active sites. Herein, we reported two low-cost 2D MOFs constructed by a raw chemical succinic acid (SA), M-SA (M = Ni or Co), which served as efficient photocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 to CO. Taking advantage of the thinness and open metal sites, the ultrathin Ni-SA nanosheets (ca. 3.6 nm) exhibited excellent CO production of 6.96(7) mmol·g−1h−1 and CO selectivity of 96.6%. Photoelectrochemical tests and theoretical calculations further confirmed the higher charge transfer efficiency and unsaturated metal sites for promoting photocatalytic performances. More importantly, Ni-SA can also be synthesized in large-scale by an energy-saving method under room temperature, strongly suggesting its promising future and potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper proposes an integrated value stream mapping (VSM) for a complex assembly line to improve the leanness of a complex automotive component manufacturing organization. Design/methodology/approach: This study depicts the application of VSM at the case organization, where top management is concerned about the challenges of higher cycle time and lower productivity. Gemba walks were conducted to establish the concept of "walk the flow, create the flow" along the assembly line. The multi-hierarchical cross-functional team developed the current value stream map to know the "as-is" state. Then, the team analysed the current VSM and proposed the future VSM for the "to-be" state. Findings: The integrated VSM shows different processes and work cells, various wastes, non-value-added activities, cycle time, uptime and the material and information flows for both products of the assembly line on the same map. The integrated VSM reduced cycle time, non-value-added activities, work in process inventory and improved line efficiency and production per labour hour for both the products, simultaneously. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the study is that the study focussed only on the application of VSM for one complex assembly only. Future research may be conducted using the developed integrated VSM approach in other complex production environments. Practical implications: Managers can identify and reduce system waste by incorporating the concept of integrated VSM in a complex production or assembly environment where two or more products are being manufactured/assembled with low similarity. Originality/value: The application of VSM for assembly lines is highly challenging because of merging flows, a large number of child parts in the lines and assembly of more than one product on the same line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia may develop during anaesthesia and surgery in children and can lead to severe adverse clinical outcomes. No study, as far as we know, has investigated glucose homeostasis in children undergoing surgery in Malawi. The aim of this study was to assess perioperative glucose levels of the children undergoing anaesthesia at Mercy James Centre (MJC) for Paediatric Surgery, Blantyre, Malawi. Methodology: This was an observational cross-sectional study. We looked at 100 children aged 1 day to 15 years anaesthetised at MJC. Data were analysed using SPSS 28. Student t test and Analysis of the variance (ANOVA) were used to compare means. The level of significance was 5%. Results: Male children represented 68%. The median age was 2.2 years. Sixten percents of patient were underweight. Fasting times were prolonged for 87%. Maintenance IV fluid with 2.5% dextrose was given to 14%. Overall, there was a significant increase of glycaemia from induction of anaesthesia to the end of the procedure. Hypoglycaemia was rare. The mean fasting glycaemia was 99.04 mg/dL ± 1.8, 116.95 mg/dL ± 34.2 at 30 min into the procedure and 127.62 mg/dL ± 46.8 at the end of the procedure. The differences in means were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Prolonged fasting times was associated with lower blood glucose means whereas nutrition status, type of the procedure, addition of dextrose in the fluid, and duration of procedure were associated with higher glycaemia means. Conclusion: Glycaemia increases under anaesthesia and surgery. Recommended fasting times, optimising nutritional status, when possible, no dextrose or lower than 2.5% dextrose in IV maintenance fluid are possible strategies to maintain blood sugar homeostasis during paediatric surgery and anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of the nonprofit institutional form developed by Henry Hansmann emphasizes the importance of organizational trustworthiness in a sector defined by hard-to-measure outputs. This body of theory effectually rationalizes a normative approach to nonprofit financial management focused on maintaining organizational trustworthiness through fiscal probity signaling. Such signals include measurable indicators of overhead minimization, fiscal leanness, revenue diversification, and debt avoidance, among others. Appropriate signaling behavior may increase organizational trustworthiness as intended, but the effects on mission impact are not well understood. Thus, this article assesses how adherence to common fiscal probity norms affects mission impact, using total spending as a proxy. Based on a panel of donative public charities spanning 1982 to 2019, analysis suggests that norm-adhering nonprofits sacrifice about half of their mission impact over a 10-year period compared with norm-busting nonprofits. This forgone mission impact is the hidden cost of trustworthiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the utility of a biopsychosocial model to explain both higher body mass index (BMI) and disordered eating. The study was designed to examine the predictors of higher BMI and a number of measures of disordered eating (dietary restraint, drive for muscularity, drive for thinness, binge eating, and compensatory behaviour). Young adults (N = 838) recruited from seven countries, grouped into four regions (Europe, North American countries, Australia, Japan), completed an online survey, with each completion being 12 months apart. The survey included assessments of BMI and disordered eating, and a range of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors expected to predict both outcomes. Results revealed unique patterns of association between predictors and BMI as well as different measures of disordered eating in the four geographical regions. The findings identify the specific nature of biopsychosocial factors that predict both higher BMI and different aspects of disordered eating. They also demonstrate that caution needs to be exercised in generalising findings from one country to other countries. What is already known about this topic: The literature has already identified various aspects of the biopsychosocial model that predicts disordered eating and higher weight. These studies have primarily focused on disordered eating in cross-sectional studies among adolescents. Obesity and disordered eating have been shown to be related What this topic adds: The study identified the biopsychosocial factors that predict higher BMI and disordered eating among young adults over a 12-month period. The study examined all components of the biopsychosocial model in the one study. The study was conducted across seven countries and identified how these relationships vary from one country to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high prevalence of child undernutrition in Bangladesh, multi-sectoral approaches involving livelihood promotion have potential to mitigate the burden of undernutrition. This study examined the impact of an economic development (ED) program providing poultry assets, gardening skills and saving training added to the Positive Deviant (PD)/Hearth program (PDH/ED), compared to PD/Hearth only (PDH). A total of 1029 children who attended PD/Hearth sessions in September-November 2018 at 6-13 months of age were enrolled in the cohort study in July-August 2019. The cohort, comprised of 532 children in the PDH/ED group and 593 children in the PDH group, was reassessed in November 2020. The program impact on child nutrition, food security, crop production, dietary quality and household income was estimated using a difference-in-differences approach accounting for the sociodemographic differences between PDH/ED and PDH groups. Compared to the PDH group, the PDH/ED group showed increases in child dietary diversity score (DDS) (+0.32), child minimum dietary diversity (13.7 percentage points [pp]), and maternal DDS (+0.28) (all p < 0.05). From 2019 to 2020, the PDH/ED households improved food security by 12.6 pp and diversified crop production (bananas (9.7 pp), papaya (11.1 pp), carrots (3.8 pp) and lemons (5.9 pp)), and increased the proportion of annual income ≥60,000 Taka by 12.4 pp and last month income ≥5000 Taka by 7.8 pp, compared to PDH group (all p < 0.05). However, there was no impact on child nutritional status, morbidity, livestock ownership and total annual/last income. Incorporating an ED program into nutrition programming could benefit food security and dietary diversity in rural Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household food insecurity (HFI) and child dietary diversity (CDD) are variable across seasons. We examined seasonal variation in HFI and child undernutrition association and tested how CDD mediates this association. We analyzed data for 26,353 children aged 6-59 months drawn from nationally representative cross-sectional Food Security and Nutrition Surveillance Project data collected during 2012-2014 in Bangladesh across three seasons annually: Post-Aman harvest (January-April); Monsoon (May-August); and Post-Aus harvest (September-December). Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for individual, maternal, household and geographical characteristics reveals that children of food-insecure households were more likely than food-secure households to be stunted (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 1.12; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.02-1.23; p < 0.05), wasted (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.05-1.39; p < 0.01) and underweight (AOR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04-1.3; p < 0.01). CDD mediated 6.1% of the total effect of HFI on underweight. These findings varied across seasons. HFI was associated with greater odds of underweight during Monsoon (AOR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.08-1.62; p < 0.01) and Post-Aus (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.06-1.37; p < 0.01) while wasting during Post-Aus (AOR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.35-2.01; p < 0.001). CDD largely mediated the total effect of HFI on underweight during the Post-Aman in 2012-2014 (23.2%). CDD largely mediated the total effect of HFI on wasting (39.7%) during Post-Aman season in 2014 and on underweight (13.7%) during the same season in 2012. These findings demonstrate that HFI is seasonally associated with child undernutrition and mediated by CDD as well in Bangladesh and seasonality and diversity should be considered while designing appropriate population-level food-based interventions to resolve child undernutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enoxaparin is commonly used for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in hospitalized patients. Published literature exists for dose adjustment in higher body weights and renal dysfunction, but sparse literature on optimal dosing of prophylactic enoxaparin in underweight patients exists. Objective: To determine if there is a difference in adverse outcomes or effectiveness if enoxaparin VTE prophylaxis dosing is reduced to 30 mg subcutaneously once daily from standard dosing in underweight medically ill patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of a total of 171 patients, with 190 individual courses of enoxaparin included. Patients were ≥18 years of age, weighed ≤50 kg, and were given at least 2 days of consecutive therapy. Patients were excluded if they were taking anticoagulation upon admission, had a creatinine clearance <30 mL/min, were admitted to the ICU or a trauma or surgical service, or presented with bleeding or thrombosis. The Padua score and a modified score from the IMPROVE trial were used to evaluate baseline thrombotic risk and bleeding risk, respectively. Bleeding events were classified using the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria. Results: No difference was seen in baseline risk of bleeding or thrombosis when comparing the reduced and standard dosing groups. No differences were observed with rates of bleeding, thrombotic events, mortality, or 30-day readmission. Conclusion: Both reduced and standard dosing strategies appeared effective for VTE prophylaxis, but neither showed superiority in reducing bleeding events. Additional larger studies are needed to evaluate safety and effectiveness of reduced dose of enoxaparin in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of Asian-specific Body Mass Index (aBMI) cutoffs may be more appropriate than general World Health Organization BMI (gBMI) cutoffs in determining recommended gestational weight gain (GWG) for Asian women. Since aBMI cutoffs are lower than gBMI, more Asian women will be reclassified into higher aBMI categories from gBMI. The prevalence of reclassification and its impact on GWG are not known. Methods: We utilized the electronic health records of 8886 Kaiser Permanente Hawaii members aged ≥ 18 with a singleton live birth. Prepregnancy BMI was first classified using gBMI criteria, then aBMI criteria. BMI categories were "underweight", "normal", "overweight" and "obese"; GWG was classified into lower ("lGWG"), met ("mGWG"), and exceed ("eGWG") GWG per WHO recommendations. Self-reported race/ethnicity include Asian, Asian + Pacific Islander, and Asian + white. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds of reclassification. The Cochran-Mantel–Haenszel test was used to evaluate associations between race/ethnicity and GWG. Results: > 40% of women in each racial/ethnic group were reclassified. Asian + Pacific Islander women had significantly higher odds of being reclassified (p <.0001). In the normal gBMI and aBMI category, Asian + Pacific Islander women had the largest eGWG group. In the overweight gBMI category, Asian + Pacific Islander women had the largest eGWG group; in the overweight aBMI category, Asian + white women had the largest eGWG group. Discussion: A sizable percent of women were reclassified into higher BMI categories when aBMI was applied. Mixed-race Asian women were more likely to exceed GWG recommendations than Asian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic significance of body mass index in lung cancer and the direction of this relationship are not yet clear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between BMI and overall survival time of advanced-stage lung cancer patients treated in a center in Turkey, a developing country. In this study, the data of 225 patients diagnosed with stage III or stage IV lung cancer between 2016 and 2020 were analyzed. The effects of BMI and other variables on survival were examined by Cox regression analysis for NSCLC and SCLC. For NSCLC and SCLC, being underweight compared to the normal group, being diagnosed at a more advanced stage, and having a worse performance score were associated with a significantly higher risk of death. Other variables significantly associated with survival were gender, type of radiotherapy for NSCLC, age group, and family history for SCLC. This study showed that being underweight relative to the normal group was associated with worse survival for NSCLC and SCLC but did not support the obesity paradox. Studies that are representative of all BMI categories and free of bias are needed to understand the BMI-lung cancer survival relationship clearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to explore the eect of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) of the right and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in people with self-reported dysregulated eating behaviors but without a diagnosis of eating disorders (EDs). Methods: Participants were randomly divided into two equivalent groups according to the side (right or left) of the hemisphere to be stimulated and they were tested before and after a single iTBS session. Outcome measurements were scores on self-report questionnaires assessing psychological dimensions related to eating behaviors (EDI-3), anxiety (STAI-Y), and tonic electrodermal activity. Results: The iTBS interfered with both psychological and neurophysiological measures. Significant variations of physiological arousal after iTBS of both the right and left DLPFC were witnessed by increased mean amplitude of non-specific skin conductance responses. With regard to the psychological measures, the iTBS on the left DLPFC significantly reduced the scores of the EDI-3 subscales drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction. Interestingly, these two scales are two of the three EDI-3 clinic scales (drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and bulimia) used as specific markers to assess the onset and/or maintenance of eating disorders. Conclusion: Our results show that the left DLPFC iTBS has an impact on the psychological dimensions that are risk factors for the onset of eating disorders, suggesting that an altered hemispheric asymmetry similar to that encountered in clinical populations is present in normal subjects even in the absence of clinical symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapidly increasing numbers of overweight and obese individuals and a great emphasis on an idealized body shape (i.e., thinness) that have made anti-fat attitudes a considerable issue in Chinese society over the past two decades, little is known about the predictors of anti-fat attitudes in China. The present study investigated features of tripartite influence model (i.e., sociocultural pressure and thin-ideal internalization), objectified body consciousness (i.e., body surveillance and body shame), broad conceptualization of beauty, and critical processing of media images in the prediction of anti-fat attitudes among young Chinese women. The structural equation modeling analyses revealed several findings. First, perceived sociocultural pressure contributed to thin-ideal internalization and body shame, which in turn related to stronger anti-fat attitudes. Second, thin-ideal internalization was linked to body shame via body surveillance. Third, broad conceptualization of beauty predicted anti-fat attitudes in the "dislike fat people" dimension, without significant linkages to "fear of fat" and "willpower beliefs". Fourth, while critical processing of beauty images was associated with sociocultural pressure, it did not predict anti-fat attitudes when considering other factors in our model. These findings extend the understanding of Chinese women's anti-fat attitudes on the basis of tripartite influence model and objectification theory. It also suggests a novel way for future interventions to reduce anti-fat attitudes by promoting people's positive perceptions about their own body images and relieving their personal appearance concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contains a critical reflection of the neuroscientific research of Benjamin Libet which claims that free will does not exist and that it is your brain and not you that takes decisions. The Libetian style research on free will is characterised by a conceptual reduction of free will, a perpetuation of dualistic thinking and the ontological emaciation of free will as a mechanistic action instead of as a complex process. The underlying philosophical and metaphysical assumptions of Libetian research is critically analysed with the verdict that it is not about free will and that it does not in any way addresses the complex nature of free will in humans. Viewed against an alternative neuroscientific perspective on free will, three astonishing features of these studies are highlighted in conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Obesity is a significant risk factor for many pathological conditions. Whether a gluten-free diet (GFD) is a risk factor for overweight or obesity remains controversial. Objective The primary aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of body mass index (BMI) categories at disease presentation and the variation in BMI category from underweight/normal to overweight/obese and vice versa during a GFD. Data Sources PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched through February 2021 for retrospective, cross-sectional, and prospective studies reporting BMI categories at disease diagnosis and during a GFD. Data Extraction Data were extracted by 2 reviewers independently. Disagreements were resolved by consensus; a third reviewer was consulted, if necessary. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane ROBINS-I tool. Data Analysis Subgroup analysis based on age (pediatric/adult patients), study design (prospective, cross-sectional, retrospective), and duration of GFD was performed.. Forty-five studies were selected (7959 patients with celiac disease and 20 524 healthy controls). The mean BMI of celiac patients at presentation was significantly lower than that of controls (P  < 0.001). During a GFD, the mean BMI increased significantly (mean difference = 1.14 kg/m2 [95%CI, 0.68–1.60 kg/m2]; I2  = 82.8%; P  < 0.001), but only 9% of patients (95%CI, 7%–12%; I2  = 80.0%) changed from the underweight/normal BMI category to the overweight/obese category, while 20% (95%CI, 11%–29%; I2  = 85.8%) moved into a lower BMI category. Conclusion Most celiac patients had a normal BMI at presentation, although the mean BMI was significantly lower than that of controls. A GFD does not increase the risk of becoming overweight/obese, especially in children. The quality of several studies was suboptimal, with moderate or high overall risk of bias and heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) determines mRNA stability, localisation, translation and protein function. Several diseases, including obesity, have been linked to APA. Studies have shown that single nucleotide polymorphisms in polyadenylation signals (PAS-SNPs) can influence APA and affect phenotype and disease susceptibility. However, these studies focussed on associations between single PAS-SNP alleles with very large effects and phenotype. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide screening for PAS-SNPs in the polygenic mouse selection lines for fatness and leanness by whole-genome sequencing. The genetic variants identified in the two lines were overlapped with locations of PAS sites obtained from the PolyASite 2.0 database. Expression data for selected genes were extracted from the microarray expression experiment performed on multiple tissue samples. In total, 682 PAS-SNPs were identified within 583 genes involved in various biological processes, including transport, protein modifications and degradation, cell adhesion and immune response. Moreover, 63 of the 583 orthologous genes in human have been previously associated with human diseases, such as nervous system and physical disorders, and immune, endocrine, and metabolic diseases. In both lines, PAS-SNPs have also been identified in genes broadly involved in APA, such as Polr2c, Eif3e and Ints11. Five PAS-SNPs within 5 genes (Car, Col4a1, Itga7, Lat, Nmnat1) were prioritised as potential functional variants and could contribute to the phenotypic disparity between the two selection lines. The developed PAS-SNPs catalogue presents a key resource for planning functional studies to uncover the role of PAS-SNPs in APA, disease susceptibility and fat deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative body talk is a normative behavior among United States women and is an important area of intervention for women's health and well-being. Identifying as a feminist and/or endorsing feminist beliefs, which can promote a resistant stance toward cultural appearance standards, may protect against negative body talk. We conducted a mixed-methods study with an online sample of 447 predominantly White (81.1%) United States women between the ages of 18–73 years (M = 41.25, SD = 12.54). We used Consensual Qualitative Research-Modified to systematically code open-ended survey data comprising responses to negative body talk and assessed whether liberal feminist attitudes or feminist identity relate to response categories. We categorized women's responses to negative body talk along with a feminist spectrum which ranged from explicit reinforcement of the thin ideal to a resistant stance toward beauty standards. Liberal feminism was negatively correlated with explicit reinforcement of the thin ideal, and both liberal feminism and feminist identity were positively correlated with a resistant stance. Therapists and practitioners who work with women on issues related to body image disturbance might consider supporting their clients in developing a feminist identity that can critically filter cultural messages that further objectify women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the effect of opening on the performance of bamboo-reinforced concrete wall panels subjected to one-way in-plane action. The study evaluates the performance of six bamboo-reinforced concrete wall panels, of which three are solid wall panels and the remaining three specimens are having an opening at its center. All the prototype specimens were subjected to a uniformly distributed load that was applied at an eccentricity of 1/6 of its wall thickness. The specimens considered in this study had a constant slenderness ratio of 25, with varying aspect ratios and thinness ratios. The aspect ratio considered for the wall panels were 1, 1.20, and 1.52, and thinness ratios considered include 16.50, 20.75, and 25. The area of the opening provided was exactly 25% of the area of the specimen and was provided at the center of the specimen. The study reveals that the load-carrying capacity of a wall panel is dependent on its aspect ratio and thinness ratio. The ultimate load was found to decrease with an increase in aspect ratio, whereas it increased with increase in thinness ratio irrespective of the presence of the opening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In rhythmic gymnastics, the demand for a body pattern is high, requiring weight and food control, in the search for the intended body aesthetics, which can cause adverse effects on the health of athletes. Objective: To evaluate eating attitudes and body image perception of rhythmic gymnastics athletes. Materials and Methods: The study was a quantitative approach, observational and cross sectional. The study sample consisted of 36 athletes from Paraná in the juvenile and adult categories. Data collection took place via Google Forms, using the following instruments: Sociodemographic Questionnaire; Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). Results: The obtained results showed that in the EAT-26 questionnaire, 61.5% of adult gymnasts and 73.9% of the juveniles no presented risks for developing eating disorders. Regarding body image, the majority of the athletes of adult category (46.2%) indicated a slight dissatisfaction with body image, while in the juvenile category, most gymnasts (73.9%) were not dissatisfied with their bodies. Regarding the correlations of the applied questionnaires, there was a positive correlation of the questionnaire on the image body with the eating attitudes test (r=0.6925; p=<0.0001), both in the adult and juvenile categories. Conclusion: Therefore, dissatisfaction with body image related to the risks of developing eating disorders is visible, since the search for a thin, strong and long body is the ideal envisioned by athletes for better performance. In this way, the psychological preparation of the athlete is of extreme importance, being essential evaluations and orientations, both nutritional and psychological, with the athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body dissatisfaction, defined as a person's negative feelings about her body appearance or weight, is a common problem among women and can lead to different health-related problems. This correlational study aimed to investigate how Instagram use is associated with body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and internalization of beauty ideals. A random sample of 241 Iranian women was recruited from a university of medical sciences. They were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, an Instagram use questionnaire, the Body Dissatisfaction, and the Drive for Thinness as the subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory, and the Internalization-General subscale of the Sociocultural Attitude Toward Appearance Questionnaire. The findings showed that Instagram use and appearance comparison with fitspiration images and the images of relatives and celebrities had significant positive relationships with body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and internalization of beauty ideals. Appearance comparison with the images of relatives and strangers also had significant positive relationships with the drive for thinness and the internalization of body ideals, while appearance comparison with the images of friends had a significant positive relationship with the internalization of beauty ideals. To conclude, the more frequent use of Instagram is associated with greater body image concerns among Iranian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscularity-oriented disordered eating (MODE) refers to a broad cluster of pathological eating patterns driven by the pursuit of muscularity and leanness. Although increasing attention has been devoted towards understanding these symptoms in men, little work has been conducted to understand MODE in women. It is also unclear whether MODE contributes unique variance to functional impairment and emotional distress beyond thinness-oriented disordered eating symptoms. We addressed these gaps in a sample of 1,321 community-based adult women (n = 1136) and men (n = 185). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that MODE explained a significant proportion of unique variance in functional impairment in both men and women, even after controlling for traditional thinness-oriented disordered eating symptoms. MODE also contributed unique variance in symptoms of depression and anxiety in women, but not for men. Findings highlight the possible significance of these unique symptoms patterns geared towards the pursuit of muscularity and leanness. MODE symptoms may be a viable target in eating disorder intervention or prevention programs, although further longitudinal research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article discusses the cognitive process of transforming one representation of mathematical entities into another representation. This process, which has been called mathematical metaphor, allows us to understand and embody a difficult-to-understand mathematical entity in terms of an easy-to-understand entity. When one representation of a mathematical entity is transformed into another representation, more cognitive resources such as the visual and motor systems can come into play to understand the target entity. Because of their nature, some curves, which are one group of visual representations, may have a great motor strength. It is suggested that directedness, straightness, length, and thinness are some possible features that determine degree of motor strength of a curve. Another possible factor that can determine motor strength of a curve is the strength of association between shape of the curve and past experiences of the observer (and her/his prior knowledge). If an individual has had the repetitive experience of observing objects moving along a certain curve, the shape of the curve may have a great motor strength for her/him. In fact, it can be said that some kind of metonymic relationship may be formed between the shapes of some curves and movement experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrialisation of Mg alloys is hindered by low strength and ignitability. In this way, compressive strength is of prime interest, and unfortunately, commercial Mg castings have compressive yield strength less than 200 MPa. We have developed a non-ignitable Mg–0.36Al–1CaO (wt.%) alloy by ECO processing route that, despite its leanness (<1 wt.% total alloying content), has a compressive yield strength of higher than 200 MPa in all three different conditions of as-cast, T4, and peak-aged T6, showing the viability of both age hardening, and solid-solution strengthening accompanied by short-range order. The chemical analysis revealed that the reaction between 1 wt.% of added CaO and the melt led to ~0.4 wt.% alloyed Ca (Ca/Al mass ratio is ~1). The protective effect of alloyed Ca, enabled casting without extra protections (gases or salt) with no sign of ignition. Microstructural evolution was studied by SEM and EDS in conjunction with thermodynamic calculations. Comparison of the compressive yield strength of this alloy (in as-cast, T4, and peak-aged T6 conditions) with that of commercial alloys showed this alloy has the highest strength, with the added benefits of lower production costs and ignition resistance, bestowed by utilising cheap CaO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological studies have reported that among participants with impaired cognitive, overweight and mild obesity are associated with substantially improved survival, this finding has been termed the "obesity paradox" and has led to uncertainty about secondary prevention. Aims: To explore whether the association of BMI with mortality differed in different MMSE score, and whether the obesity paradox in patient with cognitive impairment (CI) is real. Methods: The study used data from CLHLS, a representative prospective population-based cohort study in China, which included 8348 participants aged ≥ 60 years between 2011 and 2018. The independent association between BMI and mortality in differed MMSE score by calculating hazard ratios (HRs) in multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: During a median (IQR) follow-up of 41.18 months, a total of 4216 participants died. In the total population, underweight increased the risk of all-cause mortality (HRs, 1.33; 95% CI 1.23–1.44), compared with normal weight, and overweight was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.83; 95% CI 0.74–0.93). However, compared to normal weight, only underweight was associated with increased mortality risk among participants with MMSE scores of 0–23, 24–26, 27–29, and 30, and the fully-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for mortality were 1.30 (1.18, 1.43), 1.31 (1.07, 1.59), 1.55 (1.34, 1.80) and 1.66 (1.26, 2.20), respectively. The obesity paradox was not found in individuals with CI. Sensitivity analyses carried out had hardly any impact on this result. Conclusion: We found no evidence of an obesity paradox in patients with CI, compared with patients of normal weight. But underweight individuals may have increased mortality risk whether in the population with CI or not. And overweight/obese people with CI should continue to aim for normal weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This is the fourth paper in our supplement on improving the health and well-being of rural indigenous Maya mothers and children in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, where the prevalence of stunting is the highest in Latin America and among the highest in the world. Reducing childhood undernutrition was one of the objectives of the Maternal and Child Health Project, 2011–2015, implemented by Curamericas/Guatemala. The implementation research portion of the Project attempted to determine if there were greater improvements in childhood nutritional status in the Project Area than in comparison areas and whether or not a dose–response effect was present in terms of a greater improvement in the Project Area with a longer duration of interventions. Methods: The Project provided nutrition-related messages to mothers of young children, cooking sessions using locally available nutritious foods, a lipid-based nutrient supplement (Nutributter®) for a short period of time (4 months), anti-helminthic medication, and repeated growth monitoring and nutrition counseling. Measures of height and weight for calculating the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting in under-2 children were analyzed and compared with the anthropometric data for children in the rural areas of the Northwestern Region and in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Results: The prevalence of stunting declined in Area A from 74.5% in September 2012 to 39.5% in June 2015. Area A comprised approximately one-half of the Project Area and was the geographic area with the greatest intensity and duration of nutrition-related Project interventions. Minimal improvements in stunting were observed in the Northwestern Region, which served as a comparison area. Improvements in multiple output and outcome indicators associated with nutritional status were also observed in Areas A and B: infant and young child feeding practices, routine growth monitoring and counseling, and household practices for the prevention and treatment of diarrhea. Conclusion: The Project Area in which Curamericas/Guatemala implemented the CBIO+ Approach experienced a reduction in the prevalence of stunting and other measures of undernutrition in under-2 children. Given the burden of undernutrition in Guatemala and other parts of the world, this approach merits broader application and further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study drew on the act-frequency approach to study eating disturbances by modifying the items of the Eating Expectancy Inventory (EEI) and Thinness and Restricting Expectancy Inventory (TREI) to their frequency versions, namely, EEI-F and TREI-F. In Study 1, a total of 354 young females completed the EEI-F and TREI-F for factor analysis. In Study 2, to assess for construct validity and predictive utility, an independent sample of 241 young females completed a test battery including the EEI-F, TREI-F, and measures of eating disturbances. In Study 1, results from an exploratory factor analysis indicated a one-factor solution for both EEI-F and TREI-F that account for 65.65% and 72.97% of the common variance, respectively. In Study 2, both measures were found to possess good test-retest reliability (11-week) in a subset sample of participants from Study 1. Moreover, in support for construct validity, we found both EEI-F and TREI-F scores were positively associated with scores on measures of eating disturbances (i.e., drive for thinness, bulimic symptoms). Finally, in support of utility, frequency of eating and thinness expectancies predicted eating disturbances above and beyond general attitudes associated with eating and thinness expectancies (measured by the EEI and TREI). Overall, the present findings provide promising evidence for the validity, reliability, and utility of the EEI-F and TREI-F as reliable, valid, and useful measures of frequency of eating and thinness expectancies in young females. Implications for the theory and clinical assessments were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined relationships between acculturation, acculturative stress, and symptoms of eating disorders among Latina university students in the US. We hypothesized that acculturative stress would be associated with increased symptoms, and acculturation would indirectly be associated with fewer symptoms via acculturative stress. Survey data from 567 Latinas age 18 to 54 at a public Western university were collected online. Participants provided data on acculturation, acculturative stress, demographics, and eating disorders symptoms. The results indicated that acculturation was indirectly and negatively related to desire for thinness, binge eating, and bulimia via its negative association with acculturative stress, which in turn was positively associated with eating disorder symptoms. However, acculturation had a direct positive association with binge eating and bulimia after considering its indirect negative associations via acculturative stress. The unique contributions of this study and its implications for mental health professionals, the media, and higher education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the perinatal outcomes by gestational weight gain (GWG) range at 30 weeks of gestation among underweight pregnant women (pre‐pregnancy body mass index ≤ 18.5 kg/m2) in Japan. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a hospital in Japan from 2003 to 2020. The underweight pregnant women (UPW; n = 3643) were divided into quartile groups based on the weight gain at 30 weeks of gestation: group Q1 ≤ 5.7 kg, 5.7 kg < Q2 ≤ 7.2 kg, 7.2 kg < Q3 ≤ 8.8 kg, and 8.8 kg < Q4. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared using the t‐test, chi‐square test, and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The cumulative incidences of preterm births were 7.5% (n = 70), 5.0% (n = 45), 5.4% (n = 50), and 4.9% (n = 44), and the birth rates of small for gestational age (SGA) infants were 15.7% (n = 147), 9.6% (n = 87), 6.9% (n = 64), and 5.9% (n = 53) in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that Q1 was significantly associated with preterm births (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0–2.3), and Q1 and Q2 were significantly associated with SGA (adj. OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 2.2–4.3; adj. OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.2–2.5, respectively). None of the quartile groups were significantly associated with the incidence of primary cesarean sections, gestational diabetes mellitus, and macrosomia. Conclusions: In UPW, GWG at 30 weeks of ≤5.7 kg and ≤7.2 kg are associated with preterm birth and SGA rates, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight-neutral approaches emphasize improving individuals' relationships with food and prioritizing emotional and physical well-being over the pursuit of a lower weight as well as support the reduction of stigma experienced by persons with larger bodies. Discourse about health in schools needs to consider students of all sizes as well as the complexities of the relationship that individuals develop with their bodies. A comprehensive school health (CSH) approach is fundamental to ensuring well-being for every body, including teachers and school staff. We offer concrete suggestions for approaching health discourse from a weight-neutral lens, thus optimizing the health of the entire school community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to develop and provide a preliminary psychometric validation of the Somatomorphic Matrix‐Female (SM‐F), a new bidimensional female figural rating scale which can be used to gauge actual and desired levels of both body fat and muscularity in a consolidated measure, as well as providing an index of actual‐desired body discrepancy based on these measures. Across two studies undergraduate women (n Study 1 = 481; n Study 2 = 391) completed the Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire, the Body Shape Questionnaire‐34, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales‐21 (Study 1) and the Drive for Thinness Scale and the Drive for Muscularity Scale (Study 2), as well as the SM‐F. Overall, the SM‐F demonstrated sound content, concurrent, and convergent validity for actual and desired body fat, actual and desired muscularity, and their respective discrepancy scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]