Examining human perception of weight during loaded standing and walking

While the psychophysics of weight perception may help assess the effort needed in manual material handling tasks, the perception of weight is subjective and not necessarily accurate. The purpose of this study was to examine weight perception during standing and walking. Participants (n=10) performed a series of weight comparison trials against a reference load while holding loads (standing) or carrying loads (walking). Polynomial logistic regression models were built to examine the effects of walking, box weight ratio, and reference weight level on the probability of detecting a weight difference. The results showed that weight ratio and reference weight level had statistically significant effects on the detection probability while walking did not have a significant effect. Findings from this study can help inform the design of subjective evaluation of job demands involving motion, and it can be further extended to the gradual increase in load of strengthening tasks in therapeutic exercises.

Impact of Weight on Clinical Outcomes of Edoxaban Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Included in the ETNA-AF-Europe Registry

Background: Extremes of body weight may alter exposure to non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and thereby impact clinical outcomes. This ETNA-AF-Europe sub-analysis assessed 1-year outcomes in routine care patients with atrial fibrillation across a range of body weight groups treated with edoxaban. Methods: ETNA-AF-Europe is a multinational, multicentre, observational study conducted in 825 sites in 10 European countries. Overall, 1310, 5565, 4346 and 1446 enrolled patients were categorised into ≤60 kg, >60–≤80 kg (reference weight group), >80–≤100 kg and >100 kg groups. Results: Patients weighing ≤60 kg were older, more frail and had a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score vs. the other weight groups. The rates of stroke/systemic embolism, major bleeding and ICH were low at 1 year (0.82, 1.05 and 0.24%/year), with no significant differences among weight groups. The annualised event rates of all-cause death were 3.50%/year in the overall population. After adjustment for eGFR and CHA2DS2-VASc score, the risk of all-cause death was significantly higher in extreme weight groups vs. the reference group. Conclusions: Low rates of stroke and bleeding were reported with edoxaban, independent of weight. The risk of all-cause death was higher in extremes of weight vs. the reference group after adjustment for important risk modifiers, thus no obesity paradox was observed.

Partial differentiation of air density in mass metrology

There are four major uncertainty components to be considered when performing mass comparisons. They are uncertainties of weighing process, reference weight used, air buoyancy, and mass comparator. The systematic effect of air buoyancy can be greatly reduced if the air density and the densities of the test and reference weights are known. This paper will emphasis on the uncertainty due to air buoyancy correction only. To calculate the uncertainty of air density correction, partial derivatives of temperature, barometric pressure and humidity must be performed. In this paper, two methods for partial differentiation of air density components are discussed.

Simultaneous determination of mass and volume of a set of weights in group weighing

This work introduces a new technique for the determination of mass and volume of a set of weights based on closed series (group weighing). A traditional closed series is repeated at two different air densities. A least squares set of equations, involving two Lagrange multipliers, is used to determine the mass and the volume of each weight simultaneously with a traceability on the mass and the volume of the reference weight.

224 A method for estimating the target for protein energy retention in sheep

Target protein mass at maturity is a common “attractor” used in animal models to derive components of animal growth. This target muscle protein at maturity, M*, is used as a driver of a model of animal growth and body composition with pools representing muscle and visceral protein; where viscera is heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, reticulorumen and gastrointestinal tract; and muscle is non-visceral protein. This M* term then drives changes in protein mass and heat production, based on literature data stating that heat production scales linearly with protein mass but not liveweight. This led us to adopt a modelling approach where energy utilization is directly related to protein content of the animal, and energy not lost as heat or deposited as protein is fat. To maintain continuity with existing feeding systems we estimate M* from Standard Reference Weight (SRW) as follows: M* (kJ) = SRW * SHRINK * (1-FMAT) * (MUSC) * (CPM)* 23800. Where SRW is standard reference weight (kg), SHRINK is the ratio of empty body to live weight (0.86), FMAT is proportion of fat in the empty body at maturity (0.30), MUSC is the proportion of empty body protein that is in muscle (0.85), CPM is the crude protein content of fat-free muscle at maturity (0.21), and 23800 is the energetic content (kJ) of a kilogram of crude protein. Values for SHRINK, FMAT, MUSC and CPM were derived from a synthesis of our own experimental data and the literature. For sheep, these values show M* to be: M* (kJ) = SRW * 0.86* (1-0.3) * 0.85 * 0.21 *23800 = SRW * 2557. This method allows for use of existing knowledge regarding standard reference weight and other parameters in estimating target muscle mass at maturity, as part of a model of body composition and performance in ruminants.

Assessment of combifeed components dosing system under farm conditions

The article considers the results of determining the main characteristics of the operation of the dosage modules of macro- and micro-components of mixed feed in the conditions of the fodder preparation division of the livestock farm. Relationship of reduction of dosing error with increase of weight of suspended components and at their total value is revealed. Microcomponent Vitex D, with a reference weight of 4 kg, was found to have the largest deviation of 12,63 %. However, when dosing four microcomponents with a total weight of 54,4 kg (Status 2, chalk, RumiMix, Vitex D), the dosing error does not exceed 0,71%. For macrocomponents the error value does not exceed 2 %. Theoretical dependence describing dosing error depending on the weight of the dosed component is revealed.

MON-LB106 The Effect of the Ketogenic Diet on Aldosterone Over 6 Weeks

Introduction: A ketogenic diet improves type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Weight loss studies using caloric reduction have demonstrated a decrease in aldosterone, but there is limited data on the effect of a ketogenic diet on aldosterone. Thus, we evaluated the impact of a ketogenic diet on aldosterone in overweight or obese individuals over 6 weeks. Methods: This 3-arm prospective controlled feeding study evaluated aldosterone and renin concentrations over 6 weeks on a hypocaloric (25% energy restricted) ketogenic diet + placebo (KD+PL), ketogenic diet + ketone salt supplement (KD+KS), and a low-fat diet (LFD). Sodium intake consisted of 6100 mg, 2300 mg, and 2000 mg for the KD+KS, KD+PL, and LFD groups, respectively. Both ketogenic diets provided 40 grams(g) day of carbohydrates, 1.5 g/kg reference weight of protein and remaining calories provided as fat. The LFD provided 25% total fat, 1.5 g/kg reference weight of protein, and 100g of carbohydrates. Serum aldosterone was drawn fasting in upright position at 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Scatter plots were used to explore the residual and predicted associations between aldosterone with other measures after accounting for time and group effect.Results: Twenty-four participants in the ketogenic diet groups were matched for age and body mass index, then randomized to either the KD+PL or KD+KS group. A separate group of 12 matched participants were specifically recruited for the LFD group. The median age was 33 years. Weight decreased 6, 8, and 7 kg on average in the KD+KS, KD+PL, and LFD groups, respectively, over 6 weeks (p<0.05 for all). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) improved from 117 and 115 mmHg in the KD+KS and KD+PL groups to 110 mmHg over 6 weeks while the baseline mean SBP 118 in the LF group did not change. Baseline mean aldosterone of 13.6 and 13.6 ng/dL in the KD+KS and KD+PL groups increased to 33.3 and 27.3 ng/dL over 6 weeks (p<0.001). Baseline mean aldosterone of 8 ng/dL in the LF group non-significantly changed to 11.5 ng/dL over 6 weeks (p>0.05). Using predicted value associations, increases in ketones were positively associated with higher aldosterone (R2=0.86; p<0.001). Conclusion: Participants on a ketogenic diet had significantly elevated aldosterone levels throughout the study while participants on low fat diet had little change. Unexpectedly, aldosterone was significantly higher in the high sodium vs. low sodium ketogenic diet. There was a significant association between ketones and aldosterone suggesting that ketones may play a stimulatory role on aldosterone synthesis or secretion.

The Difference Between Unfixed and Postfixation Placental Weight

ABSTRACT Objectives Reference values for placental weights correlated with gestational age are used in surgical pathology. Most reference values were established for fresh placentas. Some laboratories routinely fix all placentas, bringing into question the accuracy of the reference weight values. We wanted to determine the impact of fixation on placental weight. Methods One hundred placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies were weighed in the fresh state, after removal of the cord and membranes. After fixation in formalin for 1 day and 5 days, the placentas were reweighed. The change in weight for each placenta was analyzed by a two-tailed paired t test. Results Statistically, a small but significant gain in weight occurred after 24 hours (3.7%, P << .001), and there was no significant change identified in the additional 4 days (P = .51). Nine placentas lost weight with fixation; the weight of four was unchanged. Conclusions We consider formalin fixation to add a statistically significant but clinically negligible amount of weight to the placenta.

Economic value of pregnancy scanning and optimum nutritional management of dry, single- and twin-bearing Merino ewes

The nutritional requirements of twin-bearing ewes are ~25% greater than those of ewes with single fetuses during late pregnancy and nearly twice those of non-pregnant ewes. Underfeeding ewes, resulting in liveweight loss during late pregnancy, can have adverse effects on the production and survival of both the lamb and the ewe, and improving twin-lamb survival is critical to improving the overall reproductive performance of the National Merino flock. Scanning for pregnancy status and litter size allows for more precise management of the nutrition of the ewe flock according to the different nutritional needs of dry, single- and twin-bearing ewes. In the present paper, we tested the hypothesis that it is profitable to identify pregnancy status and litter size, and the optimum nutrition profiles are different for dry, single- and twin-bearing ewes. We tested this by examining a range of nutrition strategies for flocks where only the dry ewes were identified, or for flocks where the single- and twin-bearing ewes were identified. A MIDAS model set up for the Hamilton region in south-western Victoria was used for this analysis as it represents the whole flock and it includes a powerful feed-budgeting module that optimises animal and pasture management across the whole farm. The survival and production of the single- and twin-born progeny was adjusted on the basis of the liveweight profile of the single- and twin-bearing ewes. Our hypothesis was supported and profitability was increased by approximately AU$4630/farm or AU$0.80/ewe, by scanning ewes for pregnancy status and litter size, and the optimum liveweight profiles were different for dry, single- and twin-bearing ewes. The majority of the increase in profit was due to identifying litter size and being able to differentially manage the single- and twin-bearing ewes. When ewes are scanned for pregnancy status and litter size, the most profitable combination of profiles involves all ewes losing 4 kg in early pregnancy and single-bearing ewes regaining the 4 kg to lamb at their standard reference weight, twin-bearing ewes gaining 8 kg to lamb above their standard reference weight and dry ewes losing a further 4 kg to be 8 kg lighter than their standard reference weight at lambing time.