The Impact of Multimorbidity Burden, Frailty Risk Scoring, and 3-Directional Morphological Indices vs. Testing for CSF Responsiveness in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Objective: Multimorbidity burden across disease cohorts and variations in clinico-radiographic presentations within normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) confound its diagnosis, and the assessment of its amenability to interventions. We hypothesized that novel imaging techniques such as 3-directional linear morphological indices could help in distinguishing between hydrocephalus vs. non-hydrocephalus and correlate with responsiveness to external lumbar drainage (CSF responsiveness) within NPH subtypes.Methodology: Twenty-one participants with NPH were recruited and age-matched to 21 patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and 21 healthy controls (HC) selected from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. Patients with NPH underwent testing via the NPH programme with external lumbar drainage (ELD); pre- and post-ELD MRI scans were obtained. The modified Frailty Index (mFI-11) was used to stratify the NPH cohort, including Classic and Complex subtypes, by their comorbidity and frailty risks. The quantitative imaging network tool 3D Slicer was used to derive traditional 2-dimensional (2d) linear measures; Evans Index (EI), Bicaudate Index (BCI) and Callosal Angle (CA), along with novel 3-directional (3d) linear measures; z-Evans Index and Brain per Ventricle Ratio (BVR). 3-Dimensional (3D) ventricular volumetry was performed as an independent correlate of ventriculomegaly to CSF responsiveness.Results: Mean age for study participants was 71.14 ± 6.3 years (18, 85.7% males). The majority (15/21, 71.4%) of participants with NPH comprised the Complex subtype (overlay from vascular risk burden and AD); 12/21 (57.1%) were Non-Responders to ELD. Frailty alone was insufficient in distinguishing between NPH subtypes. By contrast, 3d linear measures distinguished NPH from both AD and HC cohorts, but also correlated to CSF responsiveness. The z-Evans Index was the most sensitive volumetric measure of CSF responsiveness (p = 0.012). Changes in 3d morphological indices across timepoints distinguished between Responders vs. Non-Responders to lumbar testing. There was a significant reduction of indices, only in Non-Responders and across multiple measures (z-Evans Index; p = 0.001, BVR at PC; p = 0.024). This was due to a significant decrease in ventricular measurement (p = 0.005) that correlated to independent 3D volumetry (p = 0.008).Conclusion. In the context of multimorbidity burden, frailty risks and overlay from neurodegenerative disease, 3d morphological indices demonstrated utility in distinguishing hydrocephalus vs. non-hydrocephalus and degree of CSF responsiveness. Further work may support the characterization of patients with Complex NPH who would best benefit from the risks of interventions.

ИЗМЕНЧИВОСТЬ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ МАСКУЛИННОСТИ СТУДЕНЧЕСКОЙ МОЛОДЕЖИ БЕЛАРУСИ

Цель исследования – оценить изменчивость морфофункциональных показателей маскулинности студенческой молодежи Беларуси во времени и в зависимости от уровня физической подготовки. Исследование проведено в 2016–2021 гг. в г. Минске (Республика Беларусь). Выборку составили 233 студента (102 юноша, 131 девушек) в возрасте от 18 до 21 года. Привлечены также материалы нашего исследования 180 студентов (125 юношей и 65 девушек) Белорусского государственного университета физической культуры. Материалом для сравнения послужили архивные данные отдела антропологии НАН Беларуси 2000–2007 гг.: всего 243 студента г. Минска (98 юношей, 145 девушек). Проведено антропометрическое измерение длины тела, массы тела, ширины плеч и таза, обхватов талии, бедер, плеча напряженного и расслабленного, длины второго и четвертого пальцев обеих рук, кистевой динамометрии правой и левой руки. Рассчитаны морфологические индексы. Выявлено, что у современных юношей обхват талии больше, чем у юношей начала XXI века. У девушек масса тела и обхват талии показали большую стабильность во времени. Ширина таза у представителей обоих полов от начала XXI века к современности уменьшилась. У современных юношей дисгармоничность телосложения за счет избыточности массы тела по отношению к его длине встречается чаще, чем в начале века. Показатели кистевой динамометрии у современной белорусской студенческой молодежи стали меньше по сравнению с началом 2000-х. Юноши и девушки, занимающиеся физической культурой, характеризуются более низкими значениями пальцевого индекса, чем те, кто имеет более низкий уровень физической подготовленности. Таким образом, выявлены особенности изменчивости во времени у студенческой молодежи Беларуси таких показателей как обхват талии, ширина таза и динамометрия (силовые возможности), которые отразились на динамике морфологических индексов маскулинности. The study aims to assess the variability of morphofunctional indicators of masculinity among students in Belarus over time and depending on the level of physical fitness. The research was carried out in 2016–2021 in Minsk (the Republic of Belarus). The sample consisted of 233 students (102 young men, 131 young women) aged 18 to 22. We also used the materials of our earlier study of 180 students (125 young men and 65 young women) of the Belarusian State University of Physical Culture. We compared our data to the archival data of the Department of Anthropology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus from the period 2000–2007: a total of 243 students in Minsk (98 young men, 145 young women). Anthropometric measurements of body length, body weight, shoulder width, pelvic width, waist circumference, hip circumference, tense shoulder circumference, relaxed shoulder circumference, length of the second and fourth fingers of both hands, wrist dynamometry of the right and left hand were carried out. The morphological indices were calculated. It was revealed that modern young men have more waist circumference than young men of the beginning of the XXI century. In young women, waist circumference and body weight showed greater stability. The width of the pelvis has decreased from the beginning of the 21st century to the present in both sexes. In modern young men, disharmony of physique due to excess body weight in relation to its length occurs more often than at the beginning of the century. The indicators of wrist dynamometry among modern Belarusian students have become lower compared to the beginning of the 2000s. The young men and women involved in physical culture had a significantly lower 2D:4D for the left hand and right hand than those who have a lower level of physical fitness. Thus, the study revealed the temporal variability of waist circumference, pelvic width, and dynamometry (strength capabilities) and the dynamics of morphological indices of masculinity among young students in Belarus.

Morphobiological characteristics and taxonomic status of weather loaches (Misgurnus) in the Pad Bolshaya (Middle Amur River)

Morphological signs (32 plastic and 7 meristic) and biological parameters (size, weight, age and sexual structure, fecundity) are considered for weather loaches of gen. Misgurnus inhabiting the Pad Bolshaya (Jewish Autonomous oblast), with the body length Ad 60.2-182.4 mm, body weigh 2.3-55.3 g, age 1-8 years and sex ratio about 1 : 1 (53 % males, 47 % females). Sexual dimorphism is found for antedorsal, anteventral and ventroanal distances, tail fin base length, base length and height of pectoral, pelvic and anal fins, and maximum body height. Ontogenetic variability of morphological indices in dependence on body length is detected for 26 of 32 plastic signs, whereas the dependence of anteanal, antedorsal, pectoventral, and anteventral distances, and maximum and minimum body height on the body length is not statistically significant. Males grow slower than females. Age of puberty is 4-6 years, mean individual absolute fecundity is 7409 eggs. The analysis concluded that the weather loaches Misgurnus in the Pad Bolshaya belonged to the species Misgurnus nikolskyi (Vasil’eva, 2001).

The Role of Root Morphology and Pulling Direction in Pullout Resistance of Alfalfa Roots

There is a growing consensus on soil conservation by mechanics of plant root system. In order to further study how root system exerts its mechanical properties during soil reinforcing process and which morphological indicator is suitable for reflecting pullout resistance, in-situ vertical pullout test (VPT) and 45° oblique pullout test (OPT) were performed on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots in the loess area. The results showed that the failure mode of alfalfa roots was pulling out in this study. The peak pullout resistance of the roots increased with root diameter, root length and root surface area, and power law relationships were observed between the pullout resistance and the morphological indices: root diameter, root length and root surface area. The maximum gray relational degree of the morphological indices was 0.841 (VPT) and 0.849 (OPT) for root surface area, suggesting that root surface area was a more significant root morphological index affecting root pullout resistance than root diameter and root length, and was more suitable for characterizing the difference in peak pullout resistance of roots with different size. The index could be used to validate the methods for predicting root pullout capacity. The value of peak pullout resistance was 17.2 ± 2.3 N in VPT test and 28.2 ± 3.8 N (mean ± SE) in OPT test, and a significant difference was observed between the two tests, which showed that the pulling direction significantly affected the peak pullout resistance of alfalfa roots. Vertical pullout test, giving the safety margin, was suggested to determine root pullout resistance for estimate of root reinforcement.

Are the Morphological Indices of the Vertebrobasilar System Heritable? A Twin Study Based on 3D Reconstructed Models

Background and Objectives: The asymmetrical vertebral artery (VA) flow and diameter are common findings, which can result in an asymmetrical blood flow in the basilar artery (BA), leading to bending of the artery over time. This study investigated whether the variation of the different vertebrobasilar morphological indices that influence flow characteristics might be inherited. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 200 cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of healthy Caucasian twins (100 pairs) who underwent time-of-flight MRI. From the scans, we reconstructed the 3D mesh of the posterior circulation from the start of the V4 segment to the basilar tip and subsequently analyzed the morphology of the vertebrobasilar system. The phenotypic covariances of the different morphological parameters were decomposed into heritability (A), shared (C), and unshared (E) environmental effects. Results: 39% of the twins had left dominant VA, while 32.5% had right dominant. In addition, 28.5% were classified as equal. The vertebral artery V4 segment diameter, curvature, and tortuosity were mainly influenced by shared (C) and unshared (E) environmental factors. A moderate heritability was found for the BA length (A: 63%; 95% CI: 45.7–75.2%; E: 37%; 95% CI: 24.8–54.3%) and volume (A: 60.1%; 95% CI: 42.4–73.2%; E: 39.9%; 95% CI: 26.8–57.6%), while the torsion of both arteries showed no heritability and were only influenced by the unshared environment. Conclusions: The length and volume of the BA show a moderate genetical influence. However, most of the measured morphological indices were influenced by shared and unshared factors, which highlight the role of the ever-changing hemodynamic influences shaping the geometry of the vertebrobasilar system.