Search

The purpose of this research was to compare the body dimension and body composition of the youth taekwondo athletes who qualified for Semi-Final, quarter Final, and Round of 16 in the Thailand National Youth Games. The subjects were 281 high-potential youth taekwondo athletes aged 15 to 17 years. They were selected by a purposive sampling method, divided into 142 male athletes in 10 weight categories and 139 female athletes in 10 weight categories. Weight, height, arm span, leg length, sitting height, body fat percentage, and skeletal muscle mass were measured. The findings revealed that the mean height of the male youth taekwondo athletes was significantly different at the .05 level when comparing between Semi-Final vs. Quarter-Final, and Semi-Final vs. Round of 16 (P = 0.003 and P = 0.001, respectively). Also, the arm span, length of right leg, and length of left leg were significantly different at the .05 level when comparing between Semi-Final vs. Round of 16 (P = 0.005, P = 0.018, and P = 0.017, respectively). In addition, among the female youth taekwondo athletes, the mean sitting height was significantly different at the .05 level when comparing between Semi-Final vs. Round of 16 (P = 0.046). Also, when comparing between Semi-Final vs. Quarter-Final, and Semi-Final vs. Round of 16, the height (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001), arm span (P = 0.040 and P = 0.001), length of right leg (P = 0.015 and P = 0.001), and length of left leg (P = 0.007 and P = 0.001) were significantly different, respectively. Anthropometric factors are considered important determinants affecting the athletes’ success in competitions. Therefore, coaches and relevant people should consider using body dimension and composition data in the selection of athletes, which is an important initial process in their development of the athletes in the long term to achieve success at the national and international competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was performed to quantify a latent variable for body size (BS) from the five linear body measurements, including body length (BL), body height (BH), chest width (CW), chest girth (CG), and tube girth (TG). The study population consisted of N= 5573 Yorkshire pigs, 592 individuals out of them were genotyped using a PorcineSNP80 BeadChip. The body size latent variable was determined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Then, the accuracy of breeding values was obtained using pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (PBLUP), genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), and single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) models. The overall fit indices, including standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and comparative fit index (CFI) were obtained for the BS as 0.03, 0.09, 0.93, and 0.96, respectively which imply the adequacy of the considered model for BS construct. The performance of models was measured in a 5-fold cross-validation with 10 repeats to get a more accurate measure of the model's performance. The accuracy of models was compared via the correlation between predicted breeding values (PBV) and estimated breeding values (EBV) metric which was 0.37, 0.30, and 0.28 for PBLUP, ssGBLUP, and GBLUP, respectively. Furthermore, the goodness of fit is measured by the mean square of error (MSE) and Pearson's correlations r(y,) between observed and predicted phenotypes. The lowest MSE and the highest Pearson's correlations were obtained under PBLUP while the highest MSE and the lowest Pearson's correlations were obtained under GBLUP. The obtained results showed the GBLUP method generally provided lower prediction accuracies than PBLUP and ssGBLUP methods, and also ssGBLUP generated lower prediction accuracy than traditional PBLUP. The performance of ssGBLUP and GBLUP was lower than expected mainly due to the small number of genotyped animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Potassium intake has been shown to be inversely associated with blood pressure and premature mortality. Previous studies have suggested that the association between potassium intake and blood pressure is modified by obesity, but whether obesity similarly influences the association between potassium intake and mortality is unclear. Objectives We investigated whether potassium intake, reflected by 24-h urinary excretion, is associated with all-cause mortality, and explored potential effect modification by obesity. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study in community-dwelling individuals. The association between urinary potassium excretion and all-cause mortality was investigated by using multivariable Cox regression. We performed multiplicative interaction analysis and subgroup analyses according to BMI and waist circumference. Results In 8533 individuals (50% male), the mean age was 50 ± 13 y, mean urinary potassium excretion was 71 ± 21 mmol/24 h, median BMI (in kg/m2) was 25.6 (IQR: 23.1, 28.4) and mean waist circumference was 89 ± 13 cm. During median follow-up of 18.4 (IQR: 13.5, 18.8) y, 1663 participants died. Low urinary potassium excretion (first compared with third sex-specific quintile) was associated with an increased mortality risk (fully adjusted HR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.61), P  < 0.001, irrespective of body dimensions (HR range for all body dimensions: 1.36–1.70, all P  < 0.05). High urinary potassium excretion (fifth compared with third quintile) was associated with increased mortality risk in participants with obesity (BMI ≥30; HR: 1.52; CI: 1.00, 2.30), but not in participants without obesity (BMI: <25; HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.62, 1.26; P -interaction = 0.001). Conclusions Low potassium intake was associated with increased mortality risk in community-dwelling individuals. In individuals with obesity, high potassium intake was also associated with increased mortality risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body surface area and volume are both physiologically important traits in amphibians, as their ratio constrains transport rates for water and respiratory gases across the skin. This is especially true in the lungless salamanders (Urodela: Plethodontidae), whose lungless morphology restricts nearly all gas and water transport to the body surface. Due to methodological difficulties of measuring surface area and volume, estimation techniques are the most convenient way to produce usable phenotype scores. To this end, we used high-resolution computerized tomography (CT) scans of three plethodontid species varying in body size and shape to produce allometric regression models to estimate body surface area (SA), volume, and surface area-to-volume ratio (SA:V). We compared our model estimates to empirical measurements and established estimation methods employed in the Plethodontidae using linear models and Deming regressions. We found our model estimates are both accurate and generalizable across temperate plethodontid species. This method significantly improves SA estimation accuracy when compared to published allometric models. Our models are also significantly more accurate than SA or volume estimates following geometric measurements, although SA:V estimates are comparable between these techniques for most body sizes. We discuss the relative utility of different estimation methods for future research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropometric characteristics of the users depend upon the topography, nutrition, age, ethnicity, gender, and living conditions, and play a crucial role in the design of the equipment and the workspace to be used by them. This study aims to establish an anthropometry database for male Ethiopian army personnel and investigate the anthropometric variability across ethnicity, age, and with other countries, with the intention to facilitate ergonomic design and development of various facilities (e.g., equipment/devices, and workspaces) for the Ethiopian army. Following the reliability assessment of the physical measurement technique, the anthropometric data from 250 Ethiopian male army personnel (four different ethnic groups at different age levels) were collected, and normality of the data set was tested. The anthropometric database of Ethiopian army personnel in terms of range, mean, standard deviation, percentile values (5th, 50th, and 95th) was documented. PCA was applied to select a smaller representative by reducing a larger set of variables for further statistical analysis and applications. ANOVA and follow-up posthoc test (Tukey's HSD test) were carried out to compare anthropometric differences among different age groups and ethnic variations. The mean anthropometric differences were also compared with databases from other countries (India, Korea, and USA) using t-test. Significant variations were found when the anthropometry was compared between age, ethnicity, and cross-nationals. The findings indicate that variations in age, ethnicity, and geographical factors could have a significant impact on the ergonomic design of equipment and workspaces of Ethiopian army personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of farrowing month (FM) and sex on growth performance (GP), measured in terms of body weight (BW) and dimensions such as the girth, length and the leg heights, of purebred Berkshire pigs reared in a hoop structure. Body weights were recorded at birth and every four weeks until 20th week for all traits. Backfat thickness (BF) was measured at the shoulder, in the middle and at the back with an ultrasound prior to slaughter. Least square means of GP traits were estimated with Proc Mixed in SAS 9.3 for fixed effects such as sex, parity, FM and FM by day of age interaction. Sex did not have a significant effect on GP. Farrowing month made a difference in GP, however. Pigs farrowed in June were born the heaviest and the largest and finished the heaviest and the largest at 20th week, closely followed by pigs farrowed in October. The smallest pigs were found in those farrowed in September. Prominent trend in correlation between BW and body measurement ratios could not be found. However, pigs with taller legs and shorter length at 8th week have smaller BF, indicating leaner meat.

Objective Growth-related traits are important economic traits in the swine industry. However, the genetic mechanism of growth-related traits is little known. The aim of this study was to screen the candidate genes and molecular markers associated with body dimension and body weight traits in pigs. Methods A genome-wide association study (GWAS) on body dimension and body weight traits was performed in a White Duroc×Erhualian F2 intercross by the illumina PorcineSNP60K Beadchip. A mixed linear model was used to assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the phenotypes. Results In total, 611 and 79 SNPs were identified significantly associated with body dimension traits and body weight respectively. All SNPs but 62 were located into 23 genomic regions (quantitative trait loci, QTLs) on 14 autosomal and X chromosomes in Sus scrofa Build 10.2 assembly. Out of the 23 QTLs with the suggestive significance level (5×10−4), three QTLs exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold (1.15×10−6). Except the one on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 7 which was reported previously all the QTLs are novel. In addition, we identified 5 promising candidate genes, including cell division cycle 7 for abdominal circumference, pleiomorphic adenoma gene 1 and neuropeptides B/W receptor 1 for both body weight and cannon bone circumference on SSC4, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1, and bone morphogenetic protein 7 for hip circumference on SSC17. Conclusion The results have not only demonstrated a number of potential genes/loci associated with the growth-related traits in pigs, but also laid a foundation for studying the genes’ role and further identifying causative variants underlying these loci.

Purpose: Doing regular physical activity offers many positive physiological and psychological advantages. According to the literature there exist some correlations between personality traits and physical activity, which are related to gender diversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits, self-efficacy, body image and psycho-physical well-being, in 145 athletically active young adults (65 males and 80 females). Methods: The participants completed the following: Big Five Questionnaire Short-version, Self-efficacy scale, Silhouette Figure Body Images, Body Mass Index, and digit ratio. Results: Positive correlations were found between openness to experience and conscientiousness (p < 0.05) in both males and females. Real image values and ideal image values were significantly related among them (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, we can affirm that personality traits can influence the idea of body image so much that it can go beyond the objective reality of self-image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the relationships between body weight and morphometric indices in chickens have been mainly on classical analysis with assumptions that, data have normal distribution and constant variances. A more reliable assessment of body weight and morphometric indices requires a Bayesian multiple linear regression with assumptions of unequal variances. Body weight and nine morpho-structural traits of 234 Nigerian indigenous normal-feather chickens were measured using weighing scale and measuring tape at sixteen weeks. Two different regression models (weighted and unweighted) were fitted in Winbugs software to obtain Bayesian inference for each sex. Predicted relationships between body weight and shank length, thigh length, keel length, body length, wing length and breast girth were positive and ranged from 0.272 ± 4.972 to 101.5 ± 24.56. Shank diameter, tail length and wing span had negative relationships with body weight and estimates ranged from -15.94 ± 12.31 to -4.608 ± 59.86. Goodness of fit of models was assessed using Bayesian p-value, Deviance information criterion (DIC) and graph of residuals against predicted values under each model. The Bayesian p-value (0.502) for unweighted model for male chicken was closed to 0.5 compared to its weighted counterpart (0.573). This implied that weighted model fitted relationship between body weight and morpho-structural traits in Nigerian normal-feather male chicken compared to unweighted model. The differences in DIC and Bayesian p-values and residuals' plot against predicted values of weighted and unweighted regression models were sufficient for us to believe that weighted models fitted body weight and morpho-structural traits data better than unweighted models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of farrowing month (FM) and sex on growth performance (GP), measured in terms of body weight (BW) and dimensions such as the girth, length and the leg heights, of purebred Berkshire pigs reared in a hoop structure. Body weights were recorded at birth and every four weeks until 20th week for all traits. Backfat thickness (BF) was measured at the shoulder, in the middle and at the back with an ultrasound prior to slaughter. Least square means of GP traits were estimated with Proc Mixed in SAS 9.3 for fixed effects such as sex, parity, FM and FM by day of age interaction. Sex did not have a significant effect on GP. Farrowing month made a difference in GP, however. Pigs farrowed in June were born the heaviest and the largest and finished the heaviest and the largest at 20th week, closely followed by pigs farrowed in October. The smallest pigs were found in those farrowed in September. Prominent trend in correlation between BW and body measurement ratios could not be found. However, pigs with taller legs and shorter length at 8th week have smaller BF, indicating leaner meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify whether the ratio standard is adequate for the scaling of peak power output (PPO) for body mass (BM) in athletes of different sports and to verify classification agreement for athletes involved in different sports using PPO scaled for BM and jump height (JH). One hundred and twenty-four male athletes divided into 3 different groups-combat sports, team sports, and runners-participated in this study. Participants performed the countermovement jump on a force plate. Peak power output and JH were calculated from the vertical ground reaction force. We found different allometric exponents for each modality, allowing the use of the ratio standard for team sports. For combat sports and runners, the ratio standard was not considered adequate, and therefore, a specific allometric exponent for these 2 groups was found. Significant correlations between adjusted PPO for BM (PPOADJ) and JH were found for all modalities, but it was higher for runners (r = 0.81) than team and combat sports (r = 0.63 and 0.65, respectively). Moderate agreement generated by the PPOADJ and JH was verified in team sports (k = 0.47) and running (k = 0.55) and fair agreement in combat sports (k = 0.29). We conclude that the ratio standard seems to be suitable only for team sports; for runners and combat sports, an allometric model seems adequate. The use of JH as an indicator of power output may be considered reasonable only for runners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Growth-related traits are important economic traits in the swine industry. However, the genetic mechanism of growth-related traits is little known. The aim of this study was to screen the candidate genes and molecular markers associated with body dimension and body weight traits in pigs. Methods: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) on body dimension and body weight traits was performed in a White Duroc×Erhualian F2 intercross by the illumina PorcineSNP60K Beadchip. A mixed linear model was used to assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the phenotypes. Results: In total, 611 and 79 SNPs were identified significantly associated with body dimension traits and body weight respectively. All SNPs but 62 were located into 23 genomic regions (quantitative trait loci, QTLs) on 14 autosomal and X chromosomes in Sus scrofa Build 10.2 assembly. Out of the 23 QTLs with the suggestive significance level (5×10-4), three QTLs exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold (1.15×10-6). Except the one on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 7 which was reported previously all the QTLs are novel. In addition, we identified 5 promising candidate genes, including cell division cycle 7 for abdominal circumference, pleiomorphic adenoma gene 1 and neuropeptides B/W receptor 1 for both body weight and cannon bone circumference on SSC4, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1, and bone morphogenetic protein 7 for hip circumference on SSC17. Conclusion: The results have not only demonstrated a number of potential genes/loci associated with the growth-related traits in pigs, but also laid a foundation for studying the genes' role and further identifying causative variants underlying these loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Oceanography is the property of Instituto Oceanografico da Universidade de Sao Paulo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Anthropometry is the science of measuring various dimensions of body and use of information obtained in determining the shape and size of workplace and tools used in various fields of industry, education and daily life. The purpose of this study is determination of the anthropometric characteristics of paraplegia wheelchair users. And also determines the musculoskeletal disorders in the upper extremity in the sample Methods: This study was a cross sectional study. Evaluated populations in this study were 90 persons of paraplegia male wheelchair users in Tehran, between 25-55 years old. The Simple non-likely sampling method was done. For statistical analysis SPSS16 software was used. Result: The results of this study showed that wheelchair user stature is 131.46 ± 7.12cm and sitting height is 78.4 ± 6.75cm. The study also indicated that most musculoskeletal disorders with 28.4% related to the right shoulder and lowest musculoskeletal disorders with 17.4% related to neck. Spearman test indicate the significant relationship between age and neck pain (P=0.01) also between neck pain and duration use of wheelchair for a day was significant relationship (p=0.03). This study showed Iranian manual wheelchair users shorter in height than the Dutch population but has wider body than the Dutch population. Conclusion: body dimension prepared valuable information about designing the work space, work surface and peripheral equipment designing, such as wheelchair for engineers and designers. The outcome of this, Products is that designed based on ergonomics and have more convenience and usability.

Background and aims Educating of students that have the ability to solve society problems, is considered as the most important task of universities. This important issue is achieved through effective education in a safe and stress free environment. Proper design of classroom seats proportional to anthropometric characteristics of students not only can improve academic quality but also prevent musculoskeletal disorders. In addition it may encourage students to practice correct sitting habits. This study was conducted to check the correlation of physical dimensions of students and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder with educational chair dimensions that provided by companies. Methods This descriptive - analytical study was performed on 115 students of 18 to 27 years. 15 anthropometric parameters correlated with sitting on the chair were measured by anthropometry page and anthropometric caliper gauge. Dimensions of two Types of seats provided in the classrooms were compared with the standard seat dimensions. Results comparison of dimensions confirmed that seat dimension and students dimensions correspond with one another only in elbow length parameter and other parameters were not correspondent with each other. T-Test showed that there are significant differences between girl and boy parameters. conclusion Comparison of the results of measurement of physical dimensions and chair dimensions with results of emotional dissatisfaction questionnaire and body map chart showed that plastic chair is better than wooden type in term of comfort, chair kind and slope of back rest, and in using plastic chairs students do not have to change their sitting postures; however, due to incorrect design of foot rest and high effective depth of sea,، discomfort and pain in lower limbs is higher in plastic chairs when compared with wooden chairs.

Anthropometry is the study of human body dimensions and proportions among different races. In work environments, poorly designed workstations and tools reduce productivity and can lead to fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries. This study aimed to determine the anthropometric characteristics of Iranian workers in comparison to three other Asian countries. This cross-sectional study evaluated 400 male workers between the ages of 25 and 55 yr from all ethnicities working at Iran Khodro Automobile Factory. Results showed that the average height of the Iranian worker is 173.73±6.84 cm and the average sitting height 90.79±3.55 (cm). In comparison to Indian and Philippine workers, Iranian workers are 100% and 83% taller, respectively. This data can be useful for designing workplace space (e.g. height), work levels (e.g. elbow height) and peripheral equipment size, such as chairs (e.g. the width of hips and height of thighs).

Anthropometry is the study of human body dimensions and proportions among different races. In work environments, poorly designed workstations and tools reduce productivity and can lead to fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries. This study aimed to determine the anthropometric characteristics of Iranian workers in comparison to three other Asian countries. This cross-sectional study evaluated 400 male workers between the ages of 25 and 55 yr from all ethnicities working at Iran Khodro Automobile Factory. Results showed that the average height of the Iranian worker is 173.73±6.84 cm and the average sitting height 90.79±3.55 (cm). In comparison to Indian and Philippine workers, Iranian workers are 100% and 83% taller, respectively. This data can be useful for designing workplace space (e.g. height), work levels (e.g. elbow height) and peripheral equipment size, such as chairs (e.g. the width of hips and height of thighs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoe abrasion data can be used as major evidence to distinguish suspects, but their actual application in the field is limited due to a lack of associated empirical studies. This study analyzed the significant factors of shoe abrasion by identifying significant differences between gait, personal characteristics, and shoe abrasion patterns. Experiments were conducted on 291 Korean subjects, and data were analyzed using cluster analysis and cross-tabulation analysis with data collected to identify significant factors. As a result, overall, medial abrasion was very rare and would be useful for human identification. The greater the gait characteristics of the knee valgus, the greater the inner abrasion characteristics shown. In the case of knee varus, outer abrasion characteristics occurred more often. Additionally, in the double support phase while walking, the greater the tilt to the left or right, the more the outer parts of the shoes tend to wear out. Men have the characteristic of wearing out the outer side of their shoes more compared to women. Regarding human body dimensions, there were significant differences between the abrasion patterns of the shoes with some body dimensions. The results of this study could be used effectively in the identification of suspects using shoe abrasion patterns.

Background and aim: Educating of students that have the ability to solve society problems, is considered as the most important task of universities. This important issue is achieved through effective education in a safe and stress free environment. Proper design of classroom seats proportional to anthropometric characteristics of students not only can improve academic quality but also prevent musculoskeletal disorders. In addition it may encourage students to practice correct sitting habits. This study was conducted to check the correlation of physical dimensions of students and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder with educational chair dimensions that provided by companies. Method: This descriptive - analytical study was performed on 115 students of 18 to 27 years. 15 anthropometric parameters correlated with sitting on the chair were measured by anthropometry page and anthropometric caliper gauge. Dimensions of two Types of seats provided in the classrooms were compared with the standard seat dimensions. Results: comparison of dimensions confirmed that seat dimension and students dimensions correspond with one another only in elbow length parameter and other parameters were not correspondent with each other. T-Test showed that there are significant differences between girl and boy parameters. Conclusion: Comparison of the results of measurement of physical dimensions and chair dimensions with results of emotional dissatisfaction questionnaire and body map chart showed that plastic chair is better than wooden type in term of comfort, chair kind and slope of back rest, and in using plastic chairs students do not have to change their sitting postures; however, due to incorrect design of foot rest and high effective depth of sea, discomfort and pain in lower limbs is higher in plastic chairs when compared with wooden chairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High throughput analyses were performed to detect epistatic QTL in 17 body dimension and organ weight traits from a large F pig population derived from a White Duroc and Erhualian intercross. The analyses used a nested test framework to handle multiple tests and a combined search algorithm to map epistatic QTL with empirical genome-wide thresholds derived via prior permutation. Alternative statistical models (e.g. including vs. excluding carcass weight as a covariate) were tested to develop an in-depth understanding of the role of epistasis in these kinds of traits. Epistasis signals were detected in only two or three traits under each statistical model studied. The interaction component of each pair of epistatic QTL explained a small proportion (0.7 to 2.1%) of the phenotypic variance in general. About half of the detected epistatic QTL pairs involved one of the two major QTL on porcine chromosomes 7 and 4. In those traits, the Erhualian allele consistently increased the phenotypes for the chromosome 7 QTL but decreased them for the chromosome 4 QTL. Models including carcass weight as covariate detected epistasis in body dimension traits whereas those excluding carcass weight found epistasis in organ weight traits. In addition, the epistasis results suggested that a QTL on chromosome 14 could be important for a number of organ weight traits. Using the high-throughput analysis tool to examine different statistical models was essential for the generation of a complete picture of epistasis in a whole category of traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study was conducted to examine variation of adult body dimension and prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) with its determinants (socio-economic, nutrient and morbidity) among the Shabar tribe living in urban, rural and forest areas of Orissa, India. Subjects and methods: Anthropometric measurements along with socio-economic, nutrient consumption and morbidity patterns of 444 males and 489 females aged 20–60 years were collected from the Khurda and Cuttack districts. Results: Major differences were found in fat mass rather than muscle mass between habitats, and the urban group showed higher values compared to rural and forest counterparts. The highest prevalence of undernutrition was observed among forest-dwelling males and rural females. Gender difference was higher in the rural area. Higher prevalence of CED was observed among illiterates, within larger families, economically poorer groups, those with inadequate nutrient consumption, and those who had experienced morbid conditions. However, sex and habitation-wise, the risk factors associated with CED were different. Notably, economic disparity and morbidity conditions were a significant risk factor of CED among rural females. Conclusion: Body fat content was found to be the major difference in body dimension across different habitats and rural women may be a vulnerable group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The core aim of the present study is to examine the psychometric qualities of a measurement instrument for self-assessment of driving ability. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey conducted among a representative sample of Norwegian drivers who were 18, 19 and 20 years of age (n =1419). The response rate was 37%. The results showed that self-assessment of driving ability consisted of the following four dimensions: general driving ability, safety orientation, the body dimension, and specific task skills. The reliability and validity of the measurement instrument were found to be satisfactory. The highest level of self-assessed driving ability was found among male respondents, experienced drivers, drivers who had had a high amount of informal driver training, and drivers with the lowest levels of accident risk. The consequences of the results for driver training and accident prevention are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The 3-dimensional photonic scan (3DPS) technique has been used during the past decade in the fashion industry and for epidemiologic surveys to estimate human body sizes. Objective: The objective of the study was to validate the accuracy of a recently developed 3DPS (C9036-02; Hamamatsu Photonics KK, Hamamatsu, Japan) for the measurement of body volume, circumferences, lengths, and percentage body fat with the use of underwater weighing (UWW) and tape measures as criterion methods. Design: Ninety-two subjects (44 females and 48 males) aged 6-83 y and weighing 23-182 kg (52-400 lbs) participated in the study. The subjects were measured while they wore minimal clothing and a head cap. Similar measurements were performed on a mannequin with and without clothing Results: All subjects were measured with 3DPS and a tape measure; 63 subjects underwent UWW and residual lung volume measurements. The values obtained with 3DPS were slightly but significantly greater than those obtained with UWW for body volume (81.9 ± 4.0 L compared with 81.5 ± 4.0 L, P < 0.0001) and those obtained with a tape measure for circumferences (P<0.001), but the values for percentage body fat were not significantly different between 3DPS and UWW (P<0.648). The values obtained with 3DPS were significantly greater than those obtained by UWW and a tape measure for the clothed mannequin, but the values were not uniformly significantly different for the mannequin without clothing. Conclusions: The 3DPS measures body volume, circumferences, and length rapidly and accurately. However, to generate an accurate total-body volume measurement with 3DPS to estimate percentage body fat, the subjects must wear close-fitting minimal clothing and be able to stand motionless for 10 s (normal scan mode) while holding their breath, which is done immediately after a maximum expiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic parameters were estimated with REML for seven body measurements and 13 linearly scored traits in Belgian Bleu du Maine, Suffolk and Texel sheep. Data were collected from 1993 to 2000 on 756 Bleu du Maine, 1153 Suffolk and 5232 Texel yearling ewes. Measured traits included body weight, height, length, body depth, loin width, heart girth and cannon bone girth. Skin thickness, tail thickness, tail implantation, tail position, pelvis slope, topline and legs were scored from 1 to 9 with one point intervals. For muscularity of the gigot half points were allowed. Fatness (F) was also scored in the scheme (1–9 by one point intervals) but was used as an independent variable, rather than a trait.Only the scored traits were standardised within assessor to remove variance heterogeneity between persons. Significant non-genetic effects in the final model were flock and assessor×year (fixed) and two covariables, namely “fatness” and “age”. The additive genetic effect was the only random effect. Co-variance components were estimated using REML in multivariate animal models. The full phenotypic and genetic covariance matrix was formed by combining results from part analyses and using the technique of bending. Heritabilities of measured traits were in the range of 0.26–0.57 and genetic correlations between these traits were high. Heritabilities for scored traits were between 0.04 and 0.43 with rather high values for gigot muscularity traits in all breeds. Genetic correlations between the scored traits were weak except between the gigot muscularity scores and between some of the leg traits. The pattern of correlations was not uniform between breeds. A simplification of the scheme, without loss of applicability to different breeds, seems only possible by removal of some of the measured traits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aimed to analyze if the ratio standard or the allometry is the best scaling methods of handgrip strength (HGS) for body mass (BM) in judo athletes and nonathletes, and to verify if the HGS mean values are higher in judo athletes than nonathletes when the BM effect is removed. One hundred forty-two individuals, being 88 judo athletes and 54 non-athletes participated in this study. The maximal isometric HGS was measured in judo athletes and nonathletes in the preferred hand. Only the allometry method was able to remove the BM effect of HGS. The al-lometric exponents found for athletes was b=0.68 and b=0.563 for non-athletes. A common allometric exponent was identified as (b=0.64) for comparing judo athletes and nonathletes. However, neither was able to allow for the comparison between groups due to a distortion of (bias; P <0.01). Thus, an index (HGS INDEX ) was proposed to allow within-group (judo athletes and nonathletes) and between-group (judo athletes vs. nonathletes) comparison, removing the effect of BM. In summary, the allometric exponent based on the theory of geometric similarity (b=0.67) was able to remove the BM effect of HGS in judo athletes. An index (HGS INDEX ) is suggested for classification (or rank) of the judoka in relation to the expected average of HGS., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2020 Korean Society of Exercise Rehabilitation.)