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Growth Data (growth + data)
Selected AbstractsGrowth and Lipid Metabolism in Girls and Young Women with Epilepsy during Pubertal MaturationEPILEPSIA, Issue 7 2005Kirsi Mikkonen Summary:,Purpose: To assess growth and the serum lipid profile in girls with epilepsy receiving monotherapy at a mean age of 12.6 years and approximately 6 years later. Methods: A population-based cohort of 77 girls with epilepsy and 49 healthy controls participated in this follow-up study including two cross-sectional evaluations (age range, 8,18.5 years on the first evaluation, and 12.5,25.8 years on the second evaluation). Forty of the patients were initially taking valproate (VPA), 19, carbamazepine (CBZ), and 18, oxcarbazepine (OXC). Growth data were compiled, body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and serum total (TC), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were analyzed. Results: Linear growth and final height did not differ between the patients and the controls. At follow-up, the mean BMI of the patients who were off medication (61%) was similar to that of the controls, whereas the patients initially treated with VPA who were still taking any medication had a higher BMI. On the first evaluation, the patients taking VPA had low serum HDL-C, and those taking CBZ or OXC had high serum TC and LDL-C concentrations. At follow-up, serum lipid levels were similar in the patients off medication and the controls. Conclusions: Neither epilepsy nor antiepileptic therapy affects linear growth or final height, but they may have unfavorable effects on body weight and serum lipid concentrations. Lipid-profile impairment seems to be transient if the medication is discontinued. Overweight is common in patients treated with VPA during puberty if epilepsy and medication continue into adulthood. [source] Soybean protein concentrate as a protein source for turbot Scophthalmus maximus L.AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 4 2000O.J. Day In the first of two experiments, the effect of a gradual substitution of dietary fish meal with soybean protein concentrate (SPC) on growth, feed consumption and protein digestibility was examined in 13 g turbot Scophthalmus maximus. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets (50% protein and 22 kJ g,1) containing SPC at protein replacement levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% were offered by hand twice daily. Growth rates of fish fed diets with zero and 25% replacement were not significantly different, with SGRs of 2.47 and 2.28, respectively. At higher replacement levels, growth rates decreased significantly with SGRs of 2.00, 1.33 and 0.68, respectively. Feed conversion ratios increased with soya replacement, with values of 0.68, 0.75, 0.89, 1.27 and 2.32, respectively, although there was no significant difference between the first two. Feed consumption rates remained constant up to 50% replacement, above which they decreased significantly, possibly because of reduced diet palatability. Apparent protein digestibility (APD) was not affected by the incorporation of SPC and ranged from 82.8 to 87.5%. Results suggest that protein catabolism increases in SPC-rich diets, possibly because of rapid assimilation and utilization of the methionine supplement. In the second experiment, the importance of amino acid supplements and the beneficial effects of protecting these, either by coating them in protein or incorporating them in a protein,lipid emulsion, was investigated. Growth data provided some indication that the utilization of SPC may be improved by incorporating the methionine and lysine supplement in a protein,lipid emulsion prior to diet preparation, although this finding was not found to be statistically significant (0.1 < P < 0.2). [source] Acceleration of germination and early growth of wheat and bean seedlings grown under various magnetic field and osmotic conditionsBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 2 2010Turgay Cakmak Abstract Magnetic field (MF) can have different effects on plant metabolism depending on its application style, intensity, and environmental conditions. This study reports the effects of different intensities of static MF (4 or 7,mT) on seed germination and seedling growth of bean or wheat seeds in different media having 0, 2, 6, and 10 atmosphere (atm) osmotic pressure prepared with sucrose or salt. The germination percentages of the treated seeds were compared with untreated seeds germinated in different osmotic pressure during 7 days of incubation. The application of both MFs promoted the germination ratios of bean and wheat seeds, regardless of increasing osmotic pressure of sucrose or salt. Growth data measured on the 7th day showed that the treated plants grew faster than control. After 7 days of incubation, the mean length of treated seedlings was statistically higher than control plants in all the media. The greatest germination and growth rates in both plants were from the test groups exposed to 7,mT MF. Strikingly, effects of static MF on germination and growth increased positively with increasing osmotic pressure or salt stress compared to their respective controls. On the other hand, MF application caused an increase in dry biomass accumulation of root and shoots of both seedlings; however, this effect was found statistically important in all the conditions for wheat but not for bean, in general. Bioelectromagnetics 31:120,129, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Growth defect in Grg5 null mice is associated with reduced Ihh signaling in growth platesDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 1 2002Wen-Fang Wang Abstract Gene-targeted disruption of Grg5, a mouse homologue of Drosophila groucho (gro), results in postnatal growth retardation in mice. The growth defect, most striking in approximately half of the Grg5 null mice, occurs during the first 4,5 weeks of age, but most mice recover retarded growth later. We used the nonlinear mixed-effects model to fit the growth data of wild-type, heterozygous, and Grg5 null mice. On the basis of preliminary evidence suggesting an interaction between Grg5 and the transcription factor Cbfa1/Runx2, critical for skeletal development, we further investigated the skeleton in the mice. A long bone growth plate defect was identified, which included shorter zones of proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocytes and decreased trabecular bone formation. This decreased trabecular bone formation is likely caused by a reduced recruitment of osteoblasts into the growth plate region of Grg5 null mice. Like the growth defect, the growth plate and trabecular bone abnormality improved as the mice grew older. The growth plate defect was associated with reduced Indian hedgehog expression and signaling. We suggest that Grg5, a transcriptional coregulator, modulates the activities of transcription factors, such as Cbfa1/Runx2 in vivo to affect Ihh expression and the function of long bone growth plates. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Juvenile growth of two tilapia species in lakes Naivasha and Baringo, KenyaECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 3 2008J. R. Britton Abstract,,, Tilapia species in East African lakes often form the basis of commercial fisheries, with information on their population biology assisting their management. This study utilised otolith microstructure, with validation by modal progression analysis, to provide growth data for two tilapia species in two Kenyan lakes for the first time. Otolith microstructure revealed the growth rate of Oreochromis niloticus baringoensis, a sub-species endemic to Lake Baringo, was fast compared with populations of Oreochromis niloticus; mean daily growth rates were >0.50 mm·d,1 in fish between 12 and 53 mm total length. Growth of Oreochromis leucostictus in Lake Naivasha was also relatively fast when compared with the growth rates of other tilapia species, with mean daily growth rates of approximately 0.35,0.48 mm·d,1 in fish between 10 and 56 mm total length. Growth rates of both species were well described by the Gompertz model and were corroborated by modal progression analysis that revealed similar daily growth rates in modes of young-of-the-year fish. [source] Impact of microcystin containing diets on physiological performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) concerning stress and growth,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2010Andrea Ziková Abstract Diets containing Microcystis with considerable amounts of the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR) were fed to determine their impact on the physiological performance of the omnivorous Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with regard to stress and growth performance. Four different diets were prepared based on a commercial diet (control, MC-5% [containing 5% dried Microcystis biomass], MC-20% [containing 20% dried Microcystis biomass], and Arthrospira-20% [containing 20% dried Arthrospira sp. biomass without toxin]) and fed to female Nile tilapia. Blood and tissue samples were taken after 1, 7, and 28 d, and MC-LR was quantified in gills, muscle, and liver by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Only in the liver were moderate concentrations of MC-LR detected. The stress hormone cortisol and glucose were analyzed from plasma, suggesting that all modified diets caused only minor to moderate stress, which was confirmed by analyses of hepatic glycogen. In addition, the effects of the different diets on growth performance were investigated by determining gene expression of hypophyseal growth hormone (GH) and hepatic insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). For all diets, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) demonstrated no significant effect on gene expression of the major endocrine hormones of the growth axis, whereas classical growth data, including growth and feed conversion ratio, displayed slight inhibitory effects of all modified diets independent of their MC-LR content. However, no significant change was found in condition or hepatosomatic index among the various diets, so it seems feasible that dried cyanobacterial biomass might be even used as a component in fish diet for Nile tilapia, which requires further research in more detail. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:561,568. © 2009 SETAC [source] What level of effect is a no observed effect?ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2000Mark Crane Abstract The no observed effect concentration (NOEC) is currently a major summary statistic in ecotoxicity testing. Its use is heavily criticized, partly because it is a poor estimator of "safe" chemical concentrations. In this short communication, we review the limited information available on the percentage effect that corresponds with the NOEC, a value designated the ECNOEC, and calculate ECNOEC values for fish growth data. The average ECNOEC for different test protocols was found to vary widely, with values for chronic studies ranging from 10 to 34%. Individual results varied even more widely. This analysis suggests that the NOEC is neither a consistent summary statistic nor an indicator of safe concentrations of toxic chemicals. [source] Predicting creep crack initiation in austenitic and ferritic steels using the creep toughness parameter and time-dependent failure assessment diagramFATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 10 2009C. M. DAVIES ABSTRACT Methods for evaluating the creep toughness parameter, Kmatc, are reviewed and Kmatc data are determined for a ferritic P22 steel from creep crack growth tests on compact tension, C(T), specimens of homogenous parent material (PM) and heterogeneous specimen weldments at 565 °C and compared to similar tests on austenitic type 316H stainless steel at 550 °C. Appropriate relations describing the time dependency of Kmatc are determined accounting for data scatter. Considerable differences are observed in the form of the Kmatc data and the time-dependent failure assessment diagrams (TDFADs) for both the 316H and P22 steel. The TDFAD for P22 shows a strong time dependency, but is insensitive to time for 316H. Creep crack initiation (CCI) time predictions are obtained using the TDFAD approach and compared to experimental results from C(T) specimens and feature components. The TDFAD based on parent material properties can be used to obtain conservative predictions of CCI on weldments. Conservative predictions are almost always obtained when lower bound Kmatc values are employed. Long-term test are generally more relevant to industrial component lifetimes. The different trends between long- and short-term CCI time and growth data indicate that additional long-term test are required to further validate the procedure to predict the lifetimes of high temperature components. [source] The effect of gentamicin sulphate on the fracture properties of a manually mixed bone cementFATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 6 2007M. BALEANI ABSTRACT This work investigates the effect of adding gentamicin, an antibiotic, on the fracture properties of bone cement. Endurance limit, fatigue crack propagation and fracture toughness were determined for a polymethylmethacrylate-based cement, containing 10% w/w of barium sulphate as radiopacifying agent, and the same formulation modified by the addition of 4.22% w/w of gentamicin sulphate. The antibiotic does not affect the endurance limit nor the fracture toughness of the material. There are significant differences in the parameters of the Paris' law fitting the crack growth data: once the main crack is nucleated, it initially propagates at a lower rate but thereafter accelerates faster in gentamicin loaded bone cement. Despite this difference, the growth rate for the same stress intensity factor remains of the same order of magnitude in both formulations. The addition of 4.22% w/w of gentamicin sulphate to radiopaque bone cement has a negligible total effect on the fracture properties of the material. [source] Small crack growth in combined bending,torsion fatigue of A533B steelFATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 3 2001J. Park Crack growth rate data from bending, torsional and in-plane and 90° out-of-phase combined bending,torsional fatigue tests of A533B steel are presented. Crack growth was monitored from initial sizes generally in the range of 50,300 ,m to final sizes of several millimetres. Crack growth rate was found to vary linearly with crack size. Two approaches for correlating the A533B crack growth rate were evaluated, an effective strain-based intensity factor range and a method based on total cyclic strain energy density. The approaches were also evaluated using small crack growth data from the literature for SAE 1045 steel and Inconel 718 specimens tested under axial,torsional loadings. Predicted crack growth lives using both approaches were found to agree within a factor of two of observed lives for nearly all of the data examined. [source] Thermal adaptation of Arctic charr: experimental studies of growth in eleven charr populations from Sweden, Norway and BritainFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005S. LARSSON Summary 1. Experimental growth data for Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.), all fed on excess rations, from 11 European watercourses between 54 and 70°N were analysed and fitted to a new general growth model for fish. The model was validated by comparing its predictions with the growth rate of charr in the wild. 2. Growth performance varied among populations, mainly because of variation in the maximum growth potential, whereas the thermal response curves were similar. The estimated lower and upper temperatures for growth varied between ,1.7 to 5.3 and 20.8,23.2 °C, respectively, while maximum growth occurred between 14.4 and 17.2 °C. 3. There was no geographical or climatic trend in growth performance among populations and therefore no indication of thermal adaptation. The growth potential of charr from different populations correlated positively with fish body length at maturity and maximum weight in the wild. Charr from populations including large piscivorous fish had higher growth rates under standardised conditions than those from populations feeding on zoobenthos or zooplankton. Therefore, the adaptive variation in growth potential was related to life-history characteristics and diet, rather than to thermal conditions. [source] Embryo growth rates in birds and mammalsFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Robert E. Ricklefs Summary 1.,Embryo mass growth curves of 36 species of bird and 18 species of mammal were fitted by sigmoidal Gompertz functions, in which k (days,1) describes the rate at which the embryo approaches an asymptotic mass A (g). 2.,The parameters of the Gompertz function were uncorrelated with parameters of power functions fitted to the same growth data, indicating that the two models describe different aspects of growth. 3.,Asymptotes of the Gompertz functions for embryonic growth averaged 2·5 times neonate size, but were well below adult mass. Thus, the pre- and postnatal phases of growth are distinct and have different target sizes. 4.,Embryo growth rate (k) decreases as the ,1/4 power of neonate size; values for mammals were 63% of those of birds, on average. 5.,Embryo growth rate can be predicted solely by the length of the incubation or gestation period, regardless of the size of the neonate, with the same relationship for birds and mammals. 6.,Postnatal growth rate (kG) scales linearly with embryonic growth rate (k), but is nearly five- times more rapid, on average, in birds than in mammals. kG and k have similar magnitude in birds, but kG is relatively much slower than k in mammals. 7.,Rate of actuarial senescence , (year,1), measured by the increase in mortality rate with age, is positively related to the rate of embryo growth in both birds and mammals, but is higher in the latter. Moreover, rate of ageing in birds is uniquely related to embryo growth while that in mammals is uniquely related to postnatal growth rate. Thus, development and ageing appear to be differently connected in birds and mammals, although the basis for these relationships is not known. [source] Interannual climatic variation mediates elevated CO2 and O3 effects on forest growthGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006MARK E. KUBISKE Abstract We analyzed growth data from model aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forest ecosystems grown in elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]; 518 ,L L,1) and ozone concentrations ([O3]; 1.5 × background of 30,40 nL L,1 during daylight hours) for 7 years using free-air CO2 enrichment technology to determine how interannual variability in present-day climate might affect growth responses to either gas. We also tested whether growth effects of those gasses were sustained over time. Elevated [CO2] increased tree heights, diameters, and main stem volumes by 11%, 16%, and 20%, respectively, whereas elevated ozone [O3] decreased them by 11%, 8%, and 29%, respectively. Responses similar to these were found for stand volume and basal area. There were no growth responses to the combination of elevated [CO2+O3]. The elevated [CO2] growth stimulation was found to be decreasing, but relative growth rates varied considerably from year to year. Neither the variation in annual relative growth rates nor the apparent decline in CO2 growth response could be explained in terms of nitrogen or water limitations. Instead, growth responses to elevated [CO2] and [O3] interacted strongly with present-day interannual variability in climatic conditions. The amount of photosynthetically active radiation and temperature during specific times of the year coinciding with growth phenology explained 20,63% of the annual variation in growth response to elevated [CO2] and [O3]. Years with higher photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) during the month of July resulted in more positive growth responses to elevated [CO2] and more negative growth responses to elevated [O3]. Mean daily temperatures during the month of October affected growth in a similar fashion the following year. These results indicate that a several-year trend of increasingly cloudy summers and cool autumns were responsible for the decrease in CO2 growth response. [source] Modelling the combined effect of temperature, pH and aw on the growth rate of Monascus ruber, a heat-resistant fungus isolated from green table olivesJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003E.Z. Panagou Abstract Aims: Growth modes predicting the effect of pH (3·5,5·0), NaCl (2,10%), i.e. aw (0·937,0·970) and temperature (20,40°C) on the colony growth rate of Monascus ruber, a fungus isolated from thermally-processed olives of the Conservolea variety, were developed on a solid culture medium. Methods and Results: Fungal growth was measured as colony diameter on a daily basis. The primary predictive model of Baranyi was used to fit the growth data and estimate the maximum specific growth rates. Combined secondary predictive models were developed and comparatively evaluated based on polynomial, Davey, gamma concept and Rosso equations. The data-set was fitted successfully in all models. However, models with biological interpretable parameters (gamma concept and Rosso equation) were highly rated compared with the polynomial equation and Davey model and gave realistic cardinal pHs, temperatures and aw. Conclusions: The combined effect of temperature, pH and aw on growth responses of M. ruber could be satisfactorily predicted under the current experimental conditions, and the models examined could serve as tools for this purpose. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results can be successfully employed by the industry to predict the extent of fungal growth on table olives. [source] Are parametric models suitable for estimating avian growth rates?JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007William P. Brown For many bird species, growth is negative or equivocal during development. Traditional, parametric growth curves assume growth follows a sigmoidal form with prescribed inflection points and is positive until asymptotic size. Accordingly, these curves will not accurately capture the variable, sometimes considerable, fluctuations in avian growth over the course of the trajectory. We evaluated the fit of three traditional growth curves (logistic, Gompertz, and von Bertalanffy) and a nonparametric spline estimator to simulated growth data of six different specified forms over a range of sample sizes. For all sample sizes, the spline best fit the simulated model that exhibited negative growth during a portion of the trajectory. The Gompertz curve was the most flexible for fitting simulated models that were strictly sigmoidal in form, yet the fit of the spline was comparable to that of the Gompertz curve as sample size increased. Importantly, confidence intervals for all of the fitted, traditional growth curves were wholly inaccurate, negating the apparent robustness of the Gompertz curve, while confidence intervals of the spline were acceptable. We further evaluated the fit of traditional growth curves and the spline to a large data set of wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina mass and wing chord observations. The spline fit the wood thrush data better than the traditional growth curves, produced estimates that did not differ from known observations, and described negative growth rates at relevant life history stages that were not detected by the growth curves. The common rationale for using parametric growth curves, which compress growth information into a few parameters, is to predict an expected size or growth rate at some age or to compare estimated growth with other published estimates. The suitability of these traditional growth curves may be compromised by several factors, however, including variability in the true growth trajectory. Nonparametric methods, such as the spline, provide a precise description of empirical growth yet do not produce such parameter estimates. Selection of a growth descriptor is best determined by the question being asked but may be constrained by inherent patterns in the growth data. [source] Biodegradation kinetics of benzene, methyl tert -butyl ether, and toluene as a substrate under various substrate concentrationsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Chi-Wen Lin Abstract Owing to the complexity of conventional methods and shortcomings in determining kinetic parameters, a convenient approach using the nonlinear regression analysis of Monod or Haldane type nonlinear equations is presented. This method has been proven to provide accurate estimates of kinetic parameters. The major work in this study consisted of the testing of aromatic compound-degrading cultures in batch experiments for the biodegradation of benzene, methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE), and toluene. Additionally, batch growth data of three pure cultures (i.e., Pseudomonas aeruginosa YAMT421, Ralstonia sp. YABE411 and Pseudomonas sp. YATO411) isolated from an industrial petrochemical wastewater treatment plant under aerobic conditions were assessed with the nonlinear regression technique and with a trial-and-error procedure to determine the kinetic parameters. The growth rates of MTBE-, benzene-, and toluene-degrading cultures on MTBE, benzene, and toluene were significant. Monod's model was a good fit for MTBE, benzene and toluene at low substrate concentrations. In contrast, Haldane's equation fitted well in substrate inhibition concentration. Monod and Haldane's expressions were found to describe the results of these experiments well, with fitting values higher than 98%. The kinetic parameters, including a maximum specific growth rate (µm), a half-saturation constant (Ks), and an inhibition constant (Ki), were given. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Dynamic Predictive Model for Growth of Salmonella Enteritidis in Egg YolkJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 7 2007V. Gumudavelli ABSTRACT:,Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) contamination of poultry eggs is a major human health concern worldwide. The risk of SE from shell eggs can be significantly reduced through rapid cooling of eggs after they are laid and their storage under safe temperature conditions. Predictive models for the growth of SE in egg yolk under varying ambient temperature conditions (dynamic) were developed. The growth of SE in egg yolk under several isothermal conditions (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 37, 39, 41, and 43 °C) was determined. The Baranyi model, a primary model, was fitted with growth data for each temperature and corresponding maximum specific growth rates were estimated. Root mean squared error (RMSE) values were less than 0.44 log10 CFU/g and pseudo- R2 values were greater than 0.98 for the primary model fitting. For developing the secondary model, the estimated maximum specific growth rates were then modeled as a function of temperature using the modified Ratkowsky's equation. The RMSE and pseudo- R2 were 0.05/h and 0.99, respectively. A dynamic model was developed by integrating the primary and secondary models and solving it numerically using the 4th-order Runge,Kutta method to predict the growth of SE in egg yolk under varying temperature conditions. The integrated dynamic model was then validated with 4 temperature profiles (varying) such as linear heating, exponential heating, exponential cooling, and sinusoidal temperatures. The predicted values agreed well with the observed growth data with RMSE values less than 0.29 log10 CFU/g. The developed dynamic model can predict the growth SE in egg yolk under varying temperature profiles. [source] Effect of Low Salinity on Growth and Survival of Postlarvae and Juvenile Litopenaeus vannameiJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 4 2001Susan Laramore The effect of low salinity on survival and growth of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was examined in the laboratory due to the interest of raising shrimp inland at low salinities. In three separate experiments, individual L. vannamei postlarvae (, 0.1 g) were cultured at salinities of either 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, or 3 ppt (N= 5 or 10/treatment) for 18 to 40 d at 30 C in individual 360-mL containers. In each experiment controls of 0 and 30 ppt were run. There was no postlarval survival at salinities < 2 ppt. Survival was significantly different (P < 0.01) at 2 ppt (20%) compared to 30 ppt (80%). Growth was also significantly different (P < 0.01) at 2 and 3 ppt compared to 30 ppt (416%, 475%, and 670%, respectively). A fourth experiment compared juveniles (, 8 g) and postlarvae (, 0.05 and 0.35 g). Shrimp were cultured at salinities of 0, 2, 4, and 30 ppt for 40 d at 25 C, in individual 360-mL and 6-L containers (N= 7/treatment). There was no postlarval survival at < 2 ppt. Postlarval survival at 4 ppt (86%) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from 30 ppt (100%). Juveniles exhibited better survival at lower salinities (100% at 2 ppt) than 0.05 and 0.35 g postlarvae (29% and 14% respectively, at 2 ppt). The effects of salinity on growth varied with sizdage. Final growth of 0.05 g postlarvae at 2 ppt (693%) was significantly less (P < 0.01) than at 4 ppt (1085%) and 30 ppt (1064%). Growth of 0.35 g postlarvae was significantly less (P < 0.01) for 4 ppt (175%) than for 30 ppt (264%). There was no growth data for juveniles (8 g). It appears from these experiments that the culture of L. vannamei poses risks when performed in salinities less than 2 ppt. [source] Evaluation of catch-up growth after liver transplantation in children with biliary atresiaPEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 3 2004G. Alonso Abstract:, Orthotopic liver transplantation (Tx) has improved survival in infants with extrahepatic biliary atresia (BA) when portoenteroanastomosis fails. Symptoms leading to Tx include liver failure, poor quality of life and growth failure. The objective of the study was to determine catch-up growth in children with BA. Medical records and growth data of 36 patients (24 girls) who received a Tx due to BA were analyzed. Thirty-two patients completed 3 yr and 15 patients 7 yr of follow-up after Tx. At Tx, the median age was 2.7 yr (range 0.7,12.6) and mean height Z score (±s.d.) was ,1.56 (±1.3). Patients were divided in two groups according to age at Tx: group I (n = 10), younger than 1.0 yr, and group II (n = 26) older than 1.0 yr. Median age (range) at Tx in group I was 0.8 yr (0.7,1.0) and in group II it was 3.35 yr (1.25,12.6). Thirteen patients (nine in group I) were receptors of living related donors. We evaluated linear growth, liver and renal function, immunosuppressive regimen and allograft rejection episodes. We did not find any significant differences in allograft or renal function, immunosuppressive therapy and number of acute rejection episodes or height Z score at Tx, second and third year post-Tx between both groups. The mean height Z score at Tx in group I was ,1.61 and in group II ,1.54; at the second year, group I ,0.66 and group II ,1.08; at the third year, group I ,0.17 and group II ,0.85; and at the seventh year (total group) ,0.3. However, the height gain at the third year was better in group I than in group II (p < 0.01, t-test). Height Z score at the third year improved more than 1 SDS in seven out of eight patients in group I and in only nine out of 24 in group II (odds ratio 11.6). We also found a correlation between height gain at the third year and age at Tx (r,0.65) and between height gain at the third year and height Z score at Tx (r,0.54) (Pearson, p < 0.05). Children with BA who are transplanted before 12 months of age presented better catch-up growth without change survival and morbidity. Orthotopic liver Tx improves survival and also enables height gain in these children. [source] Synchrony between growth and reproductive patterns in human females: Early investment in growth among Pumé foragersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Karen L. Kramer Abstract Life history is an important framework for understanding many aspects of ontogeny and reproduction relative to fitness outcomes. Because growth is a key influence on the timing of reproductive maturity and age at first birth is a critical demographic variable predicting lifetime fertility, it raises questions about the synchrony of growth and reproductive strategies. Among the Pumé, a group of South American foragers, young women give birth to their first child on average at age 15.5. Previous research showed that this early age at first birth maximizes surviving fertility under conditions of high infant mortality. In this study we evaluate Pumé growth data to test the expectation that if early reproduction is advantageous, then girls should have a developmental trajectory that best prepares them for young childbearing. Analyses show that comparatively Pumé girls invest in skeletal growth early, enter puberty having achieved a greater proportion of adult body size and grow at low velocities during adolescence. For early reproducers growing up in a food-limited environment, a precocious investment in growth is advantageous because juveniles have no chance of pregnancy and it occurs before the onset of the competing metabolic demands of final reproductive maturation and childbearing. Documenting growth patterns under preindustrial energetic and demographic conditions expands the range of developmental variation not otherwise captured by normative growth standards and contributes to research on human phenotypic plasticity in diverse environments. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Vegetative Characteristics of Recently Reforested Bottomlands in the Lower Cache River Watershed, Illinois, U.S.A.RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Brian S. Kruse Abstract Interest in restoring native ecosystems is resulting in conversion of marginal agricultural lands to bottomland hardwood-dominated forests in the midwestern and midsouthern United States. Growing stock for these efforts typically consists of planted oak (Quercus spp.) and volunteer vegetation. Reports of mixed reforestation success and the lack of post-establishment tree growth data prompted this evaluation of vegetation characteristics of 5- to 7-year-old operational restorations in the Lower Cache River Watershed in southernmost Illinois, U.S.A. Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash), Acer negundo (box-elder), and Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum) together comprised 77% of all tree stems observed. Full stocking of overstory tree species can be expected to produce a closed canopy stand within 160 m of a forested edge, due primarily to the abundance of rapidly growing volunteer-origin trees. Planted oaks contributed minimally to total tree stocking but were present in sufficient numbers to eventually improve wildlife habitat, and therefore satisfied restoration objectives. Oak height was 23% greater when in the presence of a non-oak tree species. Herbaceous cover was dominated by Solidago gigantea (late goldenrod) and Juncus spp. (rushes). Solidago gigantea was associated with poor growth and low density of non-oak stems, whereas Juncus dudleyi (Dudley's rush) was associated with taller non-oak stems. These results suggest that the presence of volunteer-origin trees is crucial for the creation of full stand stocking that will result in rapid development of a closed canopy forest. Improved success of future reforestation efforts will require more intensive methods to establish adequate stocking beyond 160 m of a forest edge. Methods described here could be adapted for agricultural field to forest restorations in other regions to predict critical distances from volunteer seed sources within which supplemental planting would be unnecessary to meet tree stocking objectives. [source] The use of alternative diets to culture juvenile cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis: effects on growth and lipid compositionAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 3 2010A. FERREIRA Abstract The effects of feeding three natural frozen diets, grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.), crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and fish (Sardina pilchardus) and two semi-humid artificial diets (based on fish or shrimp powder) to the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, were analysed. Growth rate and feeding rate [FR; % body weight (BW) day,1] and food conversions (FC, %) were determined. Cuttlefish fed shrimp grew larger (3.8% BW day,1) and had the highest FC, followed by those fed crayfish, and sardine. The highest FR was obtained for cuttlefish fed crayfish (10.5% BW day,1). Although both artificial diets were accepted, none produced growth. Digestive gland-to-body weight ratio (DG/BW ratio) was calculated for animals fed each diet. A positive correlation (r = 0.94) between cuttlefish ingestion FR and DG weight was obtained. Mortality occurred mainly during the last week, and some cannibalism occurred among cuttlefish fed artificial diets. Finally, lipid composition of diets, DG and mantle of each group were analysed. Sardine diet was characterized by high levels of triacylglycerol (TG), whereas the main difference between shrimp and crayfish was the higher n -3/n -6 ratio found in shrimp. Changes in the lipid composition of DG were related to diet, but did not correlate with growth data. A strong loss of TG in the DG of artificial diets groups was notable. No differences in mantle lipid composition among the natural diets were found, but artificial diet groups showed higher contents of neutral lipids in their mantle respect to natural diets. According to results obtained, crayfish (P. clarkii) could be used as an alternative prey for rearing S. officinalis compared with shrimp. Artificial diets showed the worst effects in growth and mortality as well as the stronger influence on DG and mantle lipid composition of cuttlefish. [source] Survivorship and tube growth of reef-building Serpula vermicularis (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) in two Scottish sea lochsAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2008David J. Hughes Abstract 1.In the UK, reef formation by the tubicolous polychaete Serpula vermicularis L. has been recorded in only two sea lochs in Argyll, west Scotland. Serpula vermicularis aggregations are now confined to Loch Creran, those in Loch Sween having died out for unknown reasons. 2.Survivorship and tube extension rates were measured in situ in order to compare habitat quality of the two sea lochs and to determine the feasibility of artificial restoration of Loch Sween reefs using stock translocated from Loch Creran. After labelling and measurement, clusters of inhabited tubes collected from Loch Creran were re-planted at two sites in Loch Sween and two in Loch Creran in July 2004, and monitored at intervals before recovery and remeasurement in July 2005. 3.In Loch Sween the tube clusters gradually disappeared over the monitoring period. Only remnants were left by May 2005 and no growth data were obtained. In Loch Creran 76% of the labelled tubes were relocated. Confirmed mortality over the year was 5.3% and mean tube extension rate was 33 mmy,1. 4.There was no significant difference in tube growth between the two Loch Creran sites and inter-individual differences accounted for most of the variability in the data. Individual tube extension declined significantly with worm body mass but mean extension showed no relationship to total worm biomass in each cluster. Annual tube extension rate in Loch Creran was low in comparison with literature data from other serpulids, suggesting that tube growth is strongly seasonal. 5.The 10-month persistence of some living worms in Loch Sween suggests that there is no physiological barrier to survival of stock translocated from Loch Creran but in situ video monitoring would be necessary to determine the cause of tube disappearance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A unified model of sigmoid tumour growth based on cell proliferation and quiescenceCELL PROLIFERATION, Issue 6 2007F. Kozusko Objectives: A class of sigmoid functions designated generalized von Bertalanffy, Gompertzian and generalized Logistic has been used to fit tumour growth data. Various models have been proposed to explain the biological significance and foundations of these functions. However, no model has been found to fully explain all three or the relationships between them. Materials and Methods: We propose a simple cancer cell population dynamics model that provides a biological interpretation for these sigmoids' ability to represent tumour growth. Results and Conclusions: We show that the three sigmoids can be derived from the model and are in fact a single solution subject to the continuous variation of parameters describing the decay of the proliferation fraction and/or cell quiescence. We use the model to generate proliferation fraction profiles for each sigmoid and comment on the significance of the differences relative to cell cycle-specific and non-cell cycle-specific therapies. [source] Breastfeeding duration and exclusivity associated with infants' health and growth: data from a prospective cohort study in Bavaria, GermanyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2009Barbara Rebhan Abstract Aim: To investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and infant health and to describe growth in the first 9 months. Methods: Mothers delivering a baby in April 2005 were recruited throughout Bavaria, Germany, for a prospective birth cohort study. These mothers reported breastfeeding data, health and growth data of 1901 infants assessed by a physician in questionnaires on day 2,6, and in months 2, 4, 6 and 9. Subjects were healthy term infants with a birth weight ,2500 g. We compared 475 infants breastfed exclusively for ,6 months (group A), 870 infants breastfed fully/exclusively ,4 months, but not exclusively ,6 months (group B) and 619 infants not breastfed/breastfed <4 months (group C). Results: In multivariate analysis ,6 months of exclusive breastfeeding reduced significantly the risk for ,1 episode of gastrointestinal infection(s) during months 1,9 compared to no/<4 months breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44,0.82). The application of the World Health Organization (WHO) , child growth standards showed lower weight-for-length z-scores in first days of life in group C versus groups A and B, whereas in months 6/7 group C showed the highest scores. Conclusion: Differences in child growth depending on breastfeeding duration should be investigated further. Concerning health outcomes our findings support the recommendation for ,6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. [source] Children's growth: A health indicator and a diagnostic toolACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2006Lars Gelander Abstract The publication of Werner and Bodin in Acta Paediatrica should inspire countries to use the growth of children as an indicator of health. The development of databases that cover all measurements of all children that have contact with healthcare and medical care will provide new knowledge in this area. Such databases will give us the opportunity to explore health in different areas of the country and to evaluate community projects in order to prevent obesity. Conclusion: Growth charts that are used to identify sick children or children that have other causes for growth disturbances must reflect how a healthy child should grow. If such prescriptive growth charts are computerized together with regional databases, they will provide necessary growth data for descriptive health surveys. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||