Search

The present study sought to investigate the short-term growth in the levels of traditional and cyber forms of bullying and victimization and examine how growth in one form of bullying relates to that of others’, for students in late elementary and early high school grades (ages 10 to 15) and to examine how the educational level of the students affects this growth. In total 868 students participated in the study during four measurement waves with an approximate five-week time-lag between each wave. The Latent Growth Modelling technique was implemented in data analysis and results indicated considerable differences between traditional and cyber forms of bullying. For example, a steeper fluctuation was indicated for cyber forms of bullying and victimization, which was more precipitous for students who were already reporting high levels of such behaviours, contrary to what was found for traditional forms of bullying. Nonetheless, similarities between the two forms were also present. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Human milk (HM) is the gold standard for feeding infants but has been associated with slower growth in preterm infants compared with preterm formula. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarises the post-1990 literature to examine the effect of HM feeding on growth during the neonatal admission of preterm infants with birth weight ≤1500g and/or born ≤28 weeks’ gestation. Medline, PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus were searched, and comparisons grouped as: exclusive human milk (EHM) vs exclusive preterm formula (EPTF), any HM vs EPTF and higher vs lower doses of HM. We selected studies that used fortified HM and compared that with a PTF; studies comparing unfortified HM and term formula were excluded. Experimental and observational studies were pooled separately. The GRADE system was used to evaluate risk of bias and certainty of evidence. Forty-four studies were included with 37 (n =9,963 infants) included in the meta-analyses. In general, due to poor quality studies, evidence of the effect of any HM feeds or higher versus lower doses of HM was inconclusive. There was a possible effect that lower doses of HM compared with higher doses of HM improved weight gain during the hospital admission, and separately, a possible effect of increased head circumference growth in infants fed EPTF vs any HM. The clinical significance of this is unclear. There was insufficient evidence to determine the effects of an exclusive HM diet on any outcomes.

Past studies on the effects of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores on firm performance have found mixed support. To further unpack these findings, we focus on the effects of industry-level dynamism and the predictability of ESG scores on sales and investor expectations on the prospects of firm growth. Dynamism (predictability) is based on the standard error (R-squared) of industry ESG ratings regressed on industry sales. Taking an investor’s perspective, we focus on a forward-looking performance measure, specifically, the implied volatility in a firm’s 365-day at-the-money call options. Our findings show that although industry ESG-sales dynamism and predictability lower a firm’s implied volatility, a higher firm-level ESG rating mitigates the decline in the implied volatility under increasing ESG-sales dynamism. The findings show that investors expect lower short-term growth potential of industry firms with experimentation in leveraging ESG to increase sales (i.e., dynamism) and only lower their discounts in growth expectations for firms with higher ESG scores. The industry-level dynamics among ESG scores and sales and investor growth expectations in the form of implied volatility are added considerations in studying ESG and performance relationships.

This paper investigates the effect of sustainability certification on the short-term growth rates of socially responsible companies. A changing business environment in which stakeholders became more sensitive to the sustainability practices of companies induced a growing popularity of hybrid firms, which use market-based approaches to pursue environmental and social goals. However, stakeholders do not take unsubstantiated claims about companies&rsquo, sustainability efforts for granted, creating a potential economic role for independent certification organizations. In addition, the internal processes brought about by the external verification procedure could turn the social mission, which is often creating tension with financial goals, into a strategic advantage. B Lab is one such well-known and rapidly growing organization, granting so-called B Corp certificates across many countries around the world. This paper contributes to the hybrid firm literature by ascertaining the benefit of certification as measured by firm growth. Using a panel dataset of financial data of European firms that obtained B Corp certification between 2012 and 2018 and a quasi-experimental difference-in-difference research design, this paper empirically shows that B Corp certification positively impacts the turnover growth rates one year pre versus one year post certification. No significant effects on employee growth rates or total asset growth rates are found.

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of the Maternal Participation Program (MPP) on growth and neurobehavioral development of preterm infants. The hypothesis was that preterm infants whose mothers were in the experimental group demonstrated better growth and neurobehavioral development than the control group Double-blind randomized control trial evaluated 50 mothers whose preterm infants were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit, a university hospital. Mothers were randomly assigned into two groups (experimental group = 25; control group = 25). The experimental group received the usual nursing care and the MPP, and the control group received only the usual nursing care. Preterm infants in the experimental group showed significantly higher weight gains, weight gain velocity, and growth velocity between 14 and 28 days after birth; as well as better neurobehavioral development at days 14 and 28. The effectiveness of the MPP to promote the growth and neurobehavioral development of preterm infants was proven.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate short- and long-term growth in fetuses with growth restriction (FGR) and elevated umbilical artery Doppler (UAD) systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratios. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, two UAD waveforms were obtained from each umbilical artery weekly and were classified as normal or abnormal. Fetal growth was assessed every 3 weeks. Short-term growth was calculated from the first visit with elevated ratios until next growth assessment. Results were grouped by number of initial elevated S/D ratios (maximum, 4). Long-term growth was evaluated by change in estimated fetal weight from diagnosis of FGR to birth weight. Fetuses were grouped by average number of elevated S/D ratios and compared to a reference population of growth restricted fetuses with normal testing. RESULTS: Of 241 fetuses evaluated, 105 demonstrated elevated S/D ratios. Short-term growth was impaired when fetuses had elevated S/D ratios. Long-term growth was affected when the average number of elevated S/D ratios was ≥1 per visit. Progressive 3 or 4 growth delay was noted as the average number of abnormal S/D ratios increased. CONCLUSIONS: Short- and long-term fetal growth are affected by elevated UAD S/D ratios. Fetuses with more abnormal values initially and those with a higher average of elevated values over pregnancy demonstrate decreased growth.

BackgroundInhaled corticosteroids are associated with a risk of growth suppression in children. The aim of the present study was to assess what children with asthma, lay people and paediatricians feel about the risk of growth suppression by inhaled corticosteroids.MethodsA questionnaire was completed by seven populations consisting of 9–19 years old children and adolescents with asthma; 9–19 year olds with another chronic illness; healthy 9–19 year olds; parents to children with chronic conditions; parents to healthy schoolchildren; young adults; and paediatricians.ResultsA total of 1216 individuals completed the questionnaire. A total of 867 individuals (74.6%) would not worry about a risk of 1-year growth suppression in the range of 0.5–2 cm (range: 233 (63.3%) in parents to patients in a secondary referral centre to 59 (86.8%) in the group of paediatricians (χ2 53.3, df 12, pχ2 49.5, df 12, pConclusionsMost children with asthma, lay people and paediatricians do not worry about the risk of growth suppression of inhaled corticosteroids in the range up to 2 cm. Paediatricians worry less about the risk of 1-year growth suppression but more about final height suppression than children with asthma and other groups of children and adults. Paediatricians need to address the different concerns of some of their patients on this issue.

Research on development has moved away from short-term performance to long-term determinants of success. This paper identifies historical factors that shaped the development of key institutions, the degree to which these institutions affected past economic outcomes and, more importantly, which ones are influencing contemporary performance. We first look at the trend in long-term economic performance for the continent compared with other regions of the world. The paper then evaluates the various explanations provided by the standard development model to explain this performance for Africa. The paper shows that the most important long-term determinant of economic and social performance in the continent has been the nature of the distribution of power, which shaped the distribution of economic resources. Furthermore, the paper argues that the distribution of power and the institutions that ensure this distribution were shaped by a number of historical events whose impact still endures.

Objectives Knemometry, the precise measurement of lower leg (LL) length, suggests that childhood short-term (e.g., weekly) growth is a dynamic, nonlinear process. However, owing to the large size and complexity of the traditional knemometer device, previous study of short-term growth among children has been restricted predominantly to clinical settings in industrialized Western nations. The aim of the present study is to address this limitation and promote broader understandings of global variation in childhood development by: (1) describing a custom-built portable knemometer and assessing its performance in the field; and (2) demonstrating the potential application of such a device by characterizing childhood short-term LL growth among the indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador. Materials and Methods Mixed-longitudinal LL length data were collected weekly from 336 Shuar children age 5–12 years old using the custom portable knemometer (n = 1,145 total observations). Device performance and Shuar short-term LL growth were explored using linear mixed effects models and descriptive statistics. Results The portable knemometer performed well across a range of participant characteristics and possesses a low technical error of measurement of 0.18 mm. Shuar childhood LL growth averages 0.47 mm/week (SD = 0.75 mm/week), but exhibits large between- and within-individual variation. Discussion Knemometry can be reliably performed in the field, providing a means for evaluating childhood short-term growth among genetically and ecologically diverse populations. Preliminary findings suggest that Shuar weekly LL growth is comparable in mean magnitude but likely more variable than reported for healthy Western children. Future work will further explore these patterns. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:353–357, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The study objective was to evaluate the effects of feed removal during acute heat stress (HS) on the cytokine response and its short-term effect on growth performance in finishing pigs. Thirty-two pigs (93.29 &plusmn, 3.14 kg initial body weight, 50% barrows and 50% gilts) were subjected to thermoneutral (TN, 23.47 &plusmn, 0.10 &deg, C, n = 16 pigs) or HS (cycling of 25 to 36 &deg, n = 16 pigs) conditions for 24 h. Within each temperature treatment, 50% of the pigs were provided with feed (AF, n = 8 pigs/temperature treatment) and 50% of the pigs had no feed access (NF, n = 8 pigs/temperature treatment). Following the 24 h temperature and feeding treatment (TF) period, all pigs had ad libitum access to feed and water and were maintained under TN conditions for 6 d. During the first 12 h of the TF period, gastrointestinal (TGI) and skin (Tsk) temperatures were recorded every 30 min. Serum cytokines were determined at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h during the TF period and on Days 3 and 6 of the post-TF period. Average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake were measured on Days 1, 3, and 6 of the post-TF period. Behavioral data were collected from Days 1 to 6 of the post-TF period. Heat stress increased (p &lt, 0.02) the TGI and Tsk. During the post-TF period, interleukin-1&alpha, was greater (p &lt, 0.01) in HS + NF compared to HS + AF and TN + NF pigs. From Days 1 to 2 of the post-TF period, the ADG was reduced (p &lt, 0.01) in TN + AF compared to HS + AF, HS + NF, and TN + NF pigs. In conclusion, feed removal during an acute HS challenge did not reduce the cytokine response or improve short-term growth performance in finishing pigs.

The study was conducted at the farm of Banghobondhu Shekh Mogibur Rahman Agriculture University, Gazipur during the period of November to December, 2010 to enhance the production of red amaranth ( Amaranthus tricolor cv: BARI lal shak 1) through the improvement of growth and yield of red amaranth by optimizing the appropriate levels of nitrogen fertilizer. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) comprising six treatments with four replication each. The treatment combinations were T 0 (0 kg N ha -1 ), T 1 (50 kg N ha -1 ), T 2 (75 kg N ha -1 ), T 3 (100 kg N ha -1 ), T 4 (125 kg N ha -1 ) and T 5 (150 kg N ha -1 ), respectively. Amounts of N, P, K and S applied from urea, TSP, MOP and gypsum were 68, 23, 17 and 4 kg ha -1 , respectively. Data on plant height, leaf number, root-shoot growth and dry weight along with yield and BCR (benefit cost ratio) indicated that urea applied at the rate of 150 kg N ha -1 had a significant (p

Understanding equine growth patterns is important when balancing the economic and perceived athletic benefits of large size and rapid growth against the potential associated risk of skeletal abnormalities. Existing Thoroughbred growth data indicate that the long and short term patterns of growth are different based on when a foal is born, however this difference has not previously been quantified for body weight (BW) and withers height (WH). Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) accurately and precisely characterize the short term patterns of equine growth separated from the long term sigmoidal pattern and (2) investigate the influence of the day of year on which the foal was born (DOB), age, and day of year (DOY) on the short term pattern of growth. Data for this study consisted of 35,044 BW measurements and 25,987 WH measurements from 2184 horses. Data were collected from 1977 to 2007 on farms located in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States. The BW and WH data were examined as changes over age or the DOY on which the measurements were taken. The data were further categorized based on DOB. The Richards sigmoid growth model was fit to the data and percentiles for BW and WH over age described. The long term pattern of growth was similar to that in previous studies of Thoroughbreds. The DOB influenced the short term patterns of BW and WH growth over time, such that at specific ages or on particular DOY foals born in the first 60 days of the year will be growing differently than those born between DOY 91 to 150. The data further indicate that early growth is more closely associated with age, while later growth may be more affected by environment. This study adds to the rich database of Thoroughbred growth data already available and adds significant detail regarding WH development and specific characteristics of short term growth. The data and results presented here should be useful to those managing growing stock and interested in more precisely moderating the pattern of growth. The study also raises questions regarding how the patterns of growth can be controlled and whether certain patterns may be more beneficial or detrimental than others regarding the future health and performance of the horse.

This paper aims at introducing a new improved stochastic differential equation related to Gompertz curve for the projection of vehicle ownership growth. This diffusion model explains the relationship between vehicle ownership and GDP per capita, which has been studied as a Gompertz-like function before. The main innovations of the process lie in two parts: by modifying the deterministic part of the original Gompertz equation, the model can present the remaining slow increase when the S-shaped curve has reached its saturation level; by introducing the stochastic differential equation, the model can better fit the real data when there are fluctuations. Such comparisons are carried out based on data from US, UK, Japan, and Korea with a time span of 1960–2008. It turns out that the new process behaves better in fitting curves and predicting short term growth. Finally, a prediction of Chinese vehicle ownership up to 2025 is presented with the new model, as China is on the initial stage of motorization with much fluctuations in growth.

Background: Gender may affect growth hormone (GH) treatment outcome. This study assessed gender-related differences in change from baseline height standard deviation scores (ΔHSDS) after 2 years’ GH treatment. Methods: Data from two observational databases were analyzed – the NordiNet® International Outcome Study (NordiNet® IOS) and the American Norditropin Studies: Web Enabled Research Program (ANSWER Program®). Of all the evaluated patients (n = 5,880; age 0 to Results: In the total population, after correcting for dose, mean baseline age and HSDS, ΔHSDS was significantly greater in boys than in girls born SGA (p = 0.0261). In the prepubertal cohort, ΔHSDS was significantly greater for boys versus girls with GHD (p = 0.0004) and SGA (p = 0.0019). No between-gender difference in ΔIGF-I SDS was found. Conclusions: A significant gender difference was found in the 2-year response to GH treatment in the total population of SGA children as well as in the prepubertal cohorts of SGA and GHD children.

Plants damaged by insect herbivory often respond by inducing a suite of defenses that can negatively affect an insect's growth and fecundity. Ostrinia nubilalis (European corn borer, ECB) is one of the most devastating insect pests of maize, and in the current study, we examined the early biochemical changes that occur in maize stems in response to ECB herbivory and how these rapidly induced defenses influence the growth of ECB. We measured the quantities of known maize defense compounds, benzoxazinoids and the kauralexin class of diterpenoid phytoalexins. ECB herbivory resulted in decreased levels of the benzoxazinoid, 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one)-β-D-glucopyranose (DIMBOA-Glc), and a corresponding increase in 2-(2-hydroxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one)-β-D-glucopyranose (HDMBOA-Glc). Total quantities of benzoxazinoids and kauralexins were increased as early as 24 h after the initiation of ECB feeding. The plant hormones, jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET), and the transcripts encoding their key biosynthetic enzymes also accumulated in response to ECB herbivory, consistent with a role in defense regulation. The combined pharmacological application of JA and the ET precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid to stem internode tissue likewise resulted in changes in benzoxazinoids similar to that observed with ECB damage. Despite the fact that maize actively mounts a defense response to ECB stem feeding, no differences in percent weight gain were observed between ECB larvae that fed upon non-wounded control tissues compared to tissues obtained from plants previously subjected to 24 h ECB stem herbivory. These rapid defense responses in maize stems do not appear to negatively impact ECB growth, thus suggesting that ECB have adapted to these induced biochemical changes.

This paper investigates the growth effects of three different types of tax policy innovations on short-term economic growth within a Markov-switching framework applied to the U.S. economy.

Commentary on : Quigley M, Embleton ND, McGuire W. Formula versus donor breast milk for feeding preterm or low birth weight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2018;6:CD002971. Artificial formulas and donor breast milk are used as supplements or alternatives for enteral feeding of preterm and low birthweight (LBW) infants when maternal breast milk is insufficient or unavailable. Formula milk offers a degree of certainty in nutritional delivery for infant growth and development; donor breast milk confers less certainty but provides other non-nutritive benefits.1 Effective strategies for early enteral feeding may help mitigate infective and inflammatory sequelae of conditions such …

Cambial growth and wood properties respond to fluctuating environmental conditions. Understanding the nature of these responses is crucial to understanding their cumulative effect on the wood quality characteristics of a forest stand. This paper reports on a study conducted over a period of 3½ years in continuously irrigated, alternately irrigated and non-irrigated Eucalyptus globulus, in which changes in wood density occurring in response to short-term growth responses were examined. The study showed that continuous irrigation led to the production of wood with significantly more homogenous density than was the case in situations, where trees experienced large fluctuations in temporal water availability. Although the trees which were not irrigated had the highest wood density overall, trees in which growth was relatively continuous tended to produce the largest volumes of wood with relatively high density, compared to trees in which periodic growth responses were caused by intermittent irrigation, in which wood density was actually reduced. This was largely due to more growth days in summer under the conditions of higher radiation, and a reduction in the number of growth events leading to the production of disproportionately large amounts of low density wood. Soil water deficits contributed to density variation in all treatments, but the effect of energy limitations became more important in continuously irrigated trees.

Research on firm internationalization has focused primarily on the antecedents, rather than outcomes, of the strategic decision to enter foreign markets. In addition, factors moderating the outcomes of internationalization have not received systematic analysis. Aiming to fill these gaps in the literature, the current study examines the moderating effects of firm age on postinternationalization survival and growth. Consistent with the liabilities of newness perspective, we suggest that firm age will have a positive moderating effect on postinternationalization survival. Building from the liabilities of aging perspective, we propose that firm age will have a negative moderating effect on postinternationalization short-term growth. We test these arguments using a longitudinal sample of 787 firms. Results showed that, postinternationalization, younger firms experienced significantly higher rates of short-term growth than older firms. Findings regarding firm age and survival, postinternationalization, were, however, not conclusive. Overall, our findings indicate that the timing of internationalization has important implications with regard to the short-term growth of firms. Copyright © 2010 Strategic Management Society.

Objective: To describe short-term growth patterns in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Methods: Height was measured daily in 5 children (1 boy) aged 3.9–9.7 years over 9–16 months. Kernel regression analysis was used to characterise short-term growth. The results were compared with data from 43 normal prepubertal children. Results: Growth was characterised by growth spurts with intervening periods of no discernible growth (stasis). Height gain was positively correlated with the mean amplitude of growth spurts (r = 0.9, p < 0.05). Patients with CAH spent significantly less time in stasis than normal children (5 ± 4.8 vs. 11.4 ± 7.2% of study period; p < 0.05), the mean length of growth spurts was significantly longer (110.4 ± 28.3 vs. 54.0 ± 13.1 days; p < 0.05) and the mean amplitude significantly lower (0.022 ± 0.008 vs. 0.037 ± 0.001 cm/day; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Compared with normal controls, short-term growth in children with CAH is characterised by long-duration low amplitude growth spurts with reduced periods of growth stasis. Better growth was correlated with the amplitude of growth spurts. The relatively smooth short-term growth in children with CAH suggests that if significant variations in growth rate are seen, they are more likely to be a consequence of under- or over-treatment rather than non-linear growth itself.

Cadmium(Cd) is an environmental contaminant heavy metal having high toxicity. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Cd on growth dynamics of plants in the order of sub-nanometers, using a novel optical interference technique, named as Statistical Interferometry Technique(SIT). In this study, a special attention is paid to the short-term growth fluctuation in measurements of the in-plane displacement of the leaf. In the experiments, Chinese chives( Allium Tuberosum ) were used as samples, and the growth and its nanometric growth fluctuations were measured for Cd exposure. This nanometric fluctuation that was found in our previous study, is an intrinsic property of the plant and is referred to as nanometric intrinsic fluctuations(NIF). The effect of Cd on plant growth fluctuation, i.e., NIF of growth rate was observed for three days continuously by exposing their roots to four CdCl 2 concentrations 0, 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1mM. The standard deviation(SD) of NIF of healthy leaf was 4.0nm/mm sec, and it reduced to 3.1nm/mm sec and 1.8nm/mm sec after 6 hours and 54 hours after exposing to 0.1mM Cd, respectively. For smaller concentration of 0.01mM, less reduction in SD of NIF was confirmed compared to those for 0.1mM. In addition, under 0.001mM, a significant recovery could be observed after a rapid reduction in the first 6 hours. The results imply that NIF can be a measure for heavy metal stress and is sensitive enough to detect the influence of smaller amount of Cd(from 0.001mM to 0.1mM) on plants in a very early stage.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of castration on short-term growth performance, hormone profiles, and behavior in pigs at 3, 6, 9, or 12 d of age. Ninety intact male pigs were assigned randomly to a treatment age by litter [3, 6, 9, or 12 d of age; n = 9 to 13 pigs per treatment (age) group]. Pigs within a single litter were then assigned to noncastrated (NC) or castrated (CAS) treatment groups according to BW. Pigs were nonsurgically fitted with jugular catheters, and blood samples were drawn immediately before castration (0 h) and at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 24, and 48 h after castration. Body weights were obtained when pigs were catheterized and again at 24 and 48 h after castration. Serum samples were analyzed for cortisol, porcine corticosteroid-binding globulin, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). No differences were detected in initial BW of pigs, and there was no overall treatment effect on growth performance of pigs at 24 or 48 h posttreatment. A time x treatment interaction was detected (P < 0.01) for serum cortisol concentrations, such that cortisol was greater in CAS pigs than in NC pigs. No overall effect of age at castration was observed on cortisol concentrations. At 24 h after castration, serum cortisol concentrations returned to baseline in all treatment groups; however, at 48 h after castration, overall cortisol concentrations were elevated (P < 0.01) in the 6-, 9-, and 12-d-old pigs in both the CAS and NC groups compared with baseline concentrations. Total cortisol and porcine corticosteroid-binding globulin were used to calculate the free cortisol index (FCI). A time x treatment interaction was observed (P < 0.01) for FCI, such that FCI was greater in CAS males than in NC males. The FCI was also affected by age (P < 0.01). There was a time x treatment x age interaction (P < 0.01) for serum DHEA-S, such that DHEA-S concentrations decreased in CAS animals but increased in NC animals, and DHEA-S concentrations increased with age. During the first 2 h after castration, there was an overall age effect (P = 0.01) on the time that pigs spent standing, such that 3-d-old pigs stood more than 6-, 9-, or 12-d-old pigs. Treatment did not influence the time that pigs spent nursing, lying, standing, or sitting, although there was a trend (P = 0.08) for CAS pigs to be less active than NC pigs. These data indicate that castration is stressful regardless of age; however, the stress associated with handling seems to increase as pigs age.

To test potential effects of altered insulin sensitivity on circulating adiponectin levels, we studied patients with GH deficiency (GHD) undergoing high dose GH and IGF-I treatment in a well-defined short-term setting. This design allowed to exclude confounding effects of GH and IGF-I treatment on body composition. Six patients (three women and three men) with acquired GHD were treated in a randomised cross-over trial with GH (subcutaneous injections of GH 0.03 IU/kg/daily) or IGF-I (continuous subcutaneous infusion of 5 μg/kg/h recombinant IGF-I) for 5 days. Median age of patients was 60 (range 25–72) years, BMI 24.7 (20.7–30.7) kg/m 2 , and baseline IGF-I concentration 60 (30–83) μg/L. HOMA scores (to assess insulin sensitivity) at baseline were 0.8 (0.3–11.7) and adiponectin concentrations were 7.0 (2.5–14.8) mg/L. HOMA scores increased rapidly and significantly up to a maximum of 2.7-fold (from baseline) at day 5 of GH treatment and returned promptly to baseline when GH was stopped, while adiponectin serum levels remained within the baseline range throughout the study period. HOMA scores dropped to a nadir of 0.66 from baseline at day 2 of IGF-I treatment whereas adiponectin levels remained within the baseline range. These data suggest that changes in insulin sensitivity (induced by high dose and short-term GH and IGF-I treatment) in patients with GHD are not associated with changes in adiponectin levels.

短期育成の植物から強制的に水分を取得する植物ポンプに関する基礎資料を得るため, 機械的刺激である間欠風の適応周期と小松菜の生長との関連について検討した. その結果, 光合成速度と生長量に関して顕著に増大する風の適応周期が確認された. また, 電気回路を用いた水分移動モデルは風の適応周期の相違を表現することが可能となった.

In the last decade, most investigators found that growth measured on a daily or weekly basis is a non-linear process, but its precise pattern has not yet been fully determined. Data are particularly scarce during puberty. On this basis we evaluated the daily growth in 10 healthy girls during their adolescent growth spurt with replicated height measurements over a period of 128-150 days. The technical error of measurement in each girl varied between 0.08 and 0.12 cm. A jump-preserving smoothing technique based on the technical error with a hard rejection criterion was used. Growth was defined as any increment between two consecutive smoothed values greater than 6 times the standard deviation of the difference of two consecutive smoothed values under the non-growth (stasis) assumption. Steep changes in height were conventionally defined as any 1-day increment greater than 0.3 cm.All girls showed stasis periods, steep changes and days with a continuous growth with a wide range of daily increments in height. The number of stasis periods in each girl varied between three and seven, lasting between 7 and 22 consecutive days. The number of steep changes in each girl ranged between one and four with a mean amplitude between 0.37 and 0.52 cm. The sum of these steep changes calculated in each girl as a percentage of total growth during the study period ranged from 15.3 to 42.9%; the remaining growth was due to continuous growth. Rhythms or cycles were not found.Short-term growth during the pubertal growth spurt in these healthy girls is an irregular and discontinuous process, composed of three types of events: stasis, steep changes and continuous growth periods with a wide individual range of daily height increments.

The effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment for three years were compared in patients with achondroplasia (ACH) and hypochondroplasia (HCH), whose diagnosis had been confirmed by DNA analysis of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene. Height SDS (H-SDS) and height velocity SDS (HV-SDS) using the standard for ACH significantly improved during three-year treatment as compared with that before treatment in both ACH and HCH except HV-SDS in the third year. The improvement was much greater in HCH than in ACH. The mean increase H-SDS using the standard for ACH in three years in ACH (from -0.2 SD to 0.1 SD) is almost negligible but that in HCH (from 1.2 SD to 2.6 SD) can be estimated as effective clinically. It can be concluded short-term GH treatment in HCH is effective to increase growth rate and H-SDS, but it has little effect in ACH. Further studies would be required to confirm the other beneficial effects of GH treatment such as increase in bone mineral density in ACH and HCH and the effect on the final height.

The aim of this paper is to determine experimentally the elemental data regarding the short term growth of plants when two mechanical stimuli -low frequency vibration and artificial wind- are given to plants during a short period. Accordingly, a basic study was carried out determining experimentally the moisture transport quantity in the plant, suggesting a macroscopic moisture transport model based on the experimental result, and attempting a fundamental elucidation of the moisture transport mechanism. The plant used as the experimental target was the golden pothos (a kind of foliage plant) which can grow by water culture throughout the year. The moisture transport quantity in the plant was measured after the application of low frequency vibration and artificial wind to the plant. The results demonstrated that the addition of mechanical stimulation by wind and vibration was related to an increase of the amount of water transported in the plant. Furthermore, an electronic circuit model, which is a moisture transport model of the plant inside, was constructed with a transistor. It was confirmed that this model could express the measured value of water rising in the plant in terms of the difference between the two mechanical stimuli.

Objective : We have previously demonstrated that normal prepubertal growth over 1 year is composed of growth spurts lasting an average of 8 weeks, separated by periods of very slow growth or stasis. We have now analysed short-term growth patterns in eight children with different growth disorders: Turner syndrome ( n = 2), intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR, n = 1) and growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD, n = 5). Methodology : Height was measured daily in the morning by parents over 4-12 months. Regression and time series analysis were used to characterize short-term growth. In two boys (GHD and IUGR) their normal twin brother was measured in parallel. Results : All height velocity curves, based on regression analysis, showed a biphasic pattern, characterized by growth spurts of varying amplitudes and periods of very slow growth or growth stasis. When compared to growth curves in normal children, the principal qualitative differences in GHD and Turner syndrome were increased stasis time and reduced growth spurt amplitude. In IUGR reduced amplitude and length of growth spurts were seen, but the time spent in stasis was similar to normal children. Two naive patients with GHD increased the amplitude of their growth spurts by a mean 0.013 cm day -1 on GH treatment, with the mean length of their growth spurts increasing by 10 days. Their time spent in stasis decreased from 19% to 6% on GH. In two subjects with GHD the growth pattern during maintenance GH treatment was similar to that seen in normal children. Using time series analysis significant periodicities in height measurements were seen in the majority of children with growth disorders, which disappeared in patients with GHD in the catch-up phase after commencing GH therapy. Conclusions : (1) The growth spurts and stases seen in normal children are also observed in those with growth disorders, (2) different growth disorders have variable effects on the spurt-stasis model of childhood growth, (3) catch-up growth on GH in children with GHD was achieved by increasing the amplitude of the growth spurts and reducing the time spent in stasis.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of short-term growth measurements on predicting the individual growth response to GH treatment, and to elucidate the possible reasons for the limited accuracy of current growth prediction models for GH-treated children. Methods: Short-term growth measurements by knemometry and stadiometer in 99 short, GH-treated children (27 girls, 72 boys), aged 10.3 ± 2.3 years, from the Children’s University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany. Results: GH treatment significantly accelerated the mean height velocity (HV) from 4.3 ± 1.0 to 8.1 ± 1.8 cm/year during the first year of treatment, the average height standard deviation score (SDS) shifted by +0.52 SD. The variation in HV also increased, from S2 = 1.0 before to S2 = 3.4 cm2/year2 during treatment. Lower leg length (LLL) velocity accelerated from 1.6 ± 0.7 before treatment to 3.4 ± 1.0 cm/year during the first 8 weeks of treatment. Four coefficients of correlation appeared clinically meaningful: (1) LLL velocity vs. body HV during the first year of GH treatment (r = 0.87), indicating that GH acts simultaneously on leg and rump growth; (2) early (first 8 weeks) LLL velocity vs. 1-year body HV during treatment, with r = 0.61 (R2 = 0.38), indicating that 38% of the variation in HV during the first year of treatment is already predictable by an initial 8-week period of knemometry; (3) early (first 8 weeks) LLL velocity vs. 1-year LLL velocity during treatment, with r = 0.63 (R2 = 0.39), and (4) early (first 8 weeks) LLL velocity vs. later LLL velocity, up to the end of the first year, with r = 0.53 (R2 = 0.28) indicating that the early response on lower leg growth persists for at least 1 year of GH treatment. Conclusions: (1) Thirty-eight percent of the variation in HV during the first year of GH treatment is predictable by an initial 8-week period of knemometry. This parallels early changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover after GH treatment. (2) There is evidence for a baseline variability in HV both in healthy children and in children with growth disorders that make growth prediction difficult.

The heart beat of vertebrate embryos has been assumed to begin when convective bulk transport by blood takes over from transport by simple diffusion. To test this hypothesis, we measured eye growth, cervical flexure and rates of oxygen consumption ( V(O2)) in day 3-4 chick embryos denied cardiac output by ligation of the outflow tract and compared them with those of embryos with an intact cardiovascular system. Eye diameter, used as the index for embryonic growth, increased at a rate of approximately 4.5-5 % h(-)(1) during the observation period. There was no significant difference (P>0.1) in the rate of increase in eye diameter between control (egg opened), sham-ligated (ligature present but not tied) and ligated embryos. Similarly, the normal progression of cervical flexure was not significantly altered by ligation (P>0.1). V(O2) (ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)) at 38 degrees C, measured by closed respirometry, was not significantly different (P>0.1) on day 3 in sham-ligated (14.5+/-1.9 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)) and ligated 17.6+/-1.8 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)) embryos. Similarly, on day 4, V(O2) in sham-ligated and ligated embryos was statistically the same (sham-ligated 10. 5+/-2.9 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1); ligated 9.7+/-2.9 ml O(2 )g(-)(1 )h(-)(1)). Expressed as a linear function of body mass (M), V(O2) in sham-ligated embryos was described by the equation V(O2)=-0.48M+24.06 (r(2)=0.36, N=18, P

Growing interest in the pond culture of silver perch ( Bidyanus bidyanus ) demands the determination of water quality parameters affecting production. The effect of nitrite on the survival and growth of silver perch fingerlings was evaluated in a 25-day experiment. Survival was not affected by exposures up to 16.2 mg l −1 NO 2 –N. Growth was reduced at concentrations above 1.43 mg l −1 NO 2 –N. The EC 5 (the concentration at which growth is reduced by 5%) was estimated to be 2.78 mg l −1 NO 2 –N. Changes in gill histopathology were observed in fish exposed to nitrite, relative to control fish, but the changes were not dose-dependent or consistent among fish exposed to the same nitrite concentration.

SummaryHuman growth is non-linear and short term changes in height velocity cannot be used to predict future growth. This paper discusses the current knowledge of growth dynamics in the context of a historical review of the subject.

An experiment was conducted in southern and central parts of Sweden in order to evaluate consequences of intensive biomass harvest in early thinnings of mixed stands of birch (Betula pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The trial was started by releasing 20 to 30‐year‐old spruce from overstorey birch, whereupon the felled birches were removed as whole trees or left in the stand. After five years the plots were revisited and growth of the residual stand was calculated. No significant effects of the whole‐tree harvest could be found, and it was concluded that in a short‐term the intensive removal of biomass does not adversely affect growth of the residual stand. However, the observation period needs to be extended in order to obtain more reliable results.

Growth rates in terms of area expansion per 30 min were measured in the red alga Porphyra leucosticta under different light/dark (LD) cycles, irradiance levels and light qualities. Twelve hours per day under white light (35 µmol m−2 s−1) promoted a dramatic and rapid increase in thallus expansion during the first part of the light period followed by low values during the remaining light and dark phase. Light/dark regimes of 8:8 h, 6:6 h, 3:3 h and 1.5:1.5 h resulted in a discontinuous growth pattern where thallus expansion was restricted to the light phase while no growth occurred in the dark phase, and there was even a significant thallus contraction just after light-off. Growth rates in terms of percentage area increased with irradiance at LD 12:12. This was due to: (1) the phase of high growth rate following the initial ‘morning peak’ extending from the first 6 h of the light phase to cover almost the entire light phase, and (2) an increase in growth rate during the second half of the night phase. Satu...

Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (330 mm total length) were exposed to pulsed direct current from a Coffelt BP-6 electroshocker for 10 s. Control fish received the same amount of handling but were not shocked. At termination, 35 d after treatment, the control fish had gained an average of 51.3 g (SD, 18.5) and the treated fish had gained 33.7 g (SD, 17.5). The four fish (8.0%) that died during the experiment were all treated fish. The effects of electroshock on growth of juvenile fluvial Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus and cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki were also examined. These fish were exposed to the same duration of electroshock as described above, After 28 d, average growth in length and weight of electroshocked Arctic grayling was significantly less than that of the control fish. Both the electroshocked cutthroat trout and the control fish lost weight. However, at the end of the study, the weight of the control cutthroat trout was significantly greater than the electrosocked fish, ...

Scarce data on systemic activity of corticosteroid eye drops are available in children. Two weeks treatment with fluorometholone eye drops in a case series of five children caused growth suppression detected by knemometry. The suppression had no impact on height growth during the following year.

Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) is characterized by increased visceral fat accumulation. Echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness is a new marker of visceral adiposity. Aim of the present study was to evaluate whether epicardial fat thickness can significantly change and therefore serve as a marker of visceral fat reduction after short-term rhGH replacement therapy in patients with adult-onset GHD.Echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness was measured in 18 patients (10 M, 8 F, age 48 ± 11.8 yrs, BMI 29 ± 5.9 kg/m(2)) with adult-onset GHD, at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of rhGH therapy and in 18 healthy matched controls, at baseline. Echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness, conventional anthropometric and metabolic parameters, body fat percentage and quality of life were also evaluated. Epicardial fat thickness in adult GHD patients was higher than in controls (9.8 ± 2.8 vs 8 ± 3 mm, p 0.05). Epicardial fat thickness significantly decreased after 6-months of rhGH replacement therapy (from 9.8 ± 2.8 to 7.0 ± 2.3 mm, P 0.01, i.e. -29% from baseline). After 12 months of rhGH replacement therapy, epicardial fat thickness showed a further significant decrease (from 7.0 ± 2.3 to 5.9 ± 3.1 mm, P 0.01, i.e. -40% from baseline). No significant changes in BMI or waist circumference after 6 or 12 months of rhGH therapy were observed.Echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness may represent a valuable and easy marker of visceral fat and visceral fat changes during rhGH replacement treatment in patients with adult-onset growth hormone deficiency.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether recombinant human growth hormone (GH) administration enhances muscle protein anabolism in experienced weight lifters. The fractional rate of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the whole body rate of protein breakdown were determined during a constant intravenous infusion of [13C]leucine in 7 young (23 +/- 2 yr; 86.2 +/- 4.6 kg) healthy experienced male weight lifters before and at the end of 14 days of subcutaneous GH administration (40 microgram.kg-1 x day-1). GH administration increased fasting serum insulin-like growth factor-I (from 224 +/- 20 to 589 +/- 80 ng/ml, P = 0.002) but did not increase the fractional rate of muscle protein synthesis (from 0.034 +/- 0.004 to 0.034 +/- 0.002%/h) or reduce the rate of whole body protein breakdown (from 103 +/- 4 to 108 +/- 5 mumol.kg-1 x h-1). These findings suggest that short-term GH treatment does not increase the rate of muscle protein synthesis or reduce the rate of whole body protein breakdown, metabolic alterations that would promote muscle protein anabolism in experienced weight lifters attempting to further increase muscle mass.

Daily changes in height have been found to be a non-linear process. Its exact pattern is still controversial. In previous studies on 34 healthy children aged 0.32-12.99 years, we found that growth is a tri-phasic process: stasis, steep changes (or saltation) and continuous growth. There is very little information in the literature about daily changes in head circumference.The present study analysed growth in head circumference and supine length in eight healthy infants.Supine length and head circumference was measured five times a week during 151 days. Mean intra-observer technical error of measurement (TEM) for head circumference and supine length were 0.10 and 0.15 cm, respectively; smoothing techniques used were based on the TEM with a hard rejection criterion.The three types of events previously found in supine length are also present in head circumference. The number of steep changes was greater in supine length than in head circumference.Growth is a discontinuous and irregular process, present not only in long bones but also in skull bones. Although long-term growth curves of head circumference and supine length are different, when measured on a daily basis findings suggest that skull and long bones have a common pattern; the physiological basis needs future research.

A field trial was conducted for a portable Knee Height Measuring Device (KHMD). Measurement errors for the machine, within and between observers (intraobserver and interobserver) and within subjects (intrasubject), were calculated from repeated observations of two anthropometrists on 40 children, 8 and 9 years of age. Interobserver technical error (0.452 mm) was larger than that published by the KHMD developers, but intraclass reliabilities are still very high (0.9975-0.9983). Attained size and fatness of subjects were not significantly correlated with interobserver measurement errors. Observed errors suggest they are sufficient to allow detection of knee height growth over periods of time much shorter than could be accomplished using more conventional anthropometry.

This article presents a unified model of the two main demand-based explanations of economic growth: Thirlwall's law and the two-gaps model. It is shown that, with certain specifications, the external gap is equivalent to Thirlwall's law with capital movements. The unified model is expressed in rates of growth and is useful to explain mainly short term growth in developing countries. Also, some policy implications are derived from the results.

Aim: This retrospective cohort study describes the short-term growth of very low birth weight (VLBW), preterm babies. We hypothesized that catch-up with term infants occurs by 6 months of chronologic age. Patients and Methods: A total of 113 VLBW preterm babies were discharged alive from the neonatology unit of the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital. Sixty-six of the infants respected their monthly appointments for at least 6 months and were included in the study. The weight was taken daily, while the length and head circumference were taken weekly during postnatal hospitalization period and monthly after discharge. Results: The median birth weight was 1390 g. The mean daily weight gain from the 2nd week of hospitalization was 17.35 g/kg/day. By the 6th month of life, the weights of all the infants were comparable to term babies. The median length at birth was 40 cm, an average monthly increase of 3 cm/month for females, and 3.43 cm/month for males. Babies with length at birth above the 85th percentile reached the growth corridor of term infants by 6 months of life. The median head circumference at birth was 28 cm. The head increased at a rate of 2.5 cm/month for males and 2 cm/month for females. Only those with a head circumference above the 50th percentiles were comparable to term infants at 6 months. Conclusions: VLBW preterm infants caught up in weight with term infants by 6 months of age. Growth in length and head circumference lagged behind.