Analyzing Neck Circumference as a Tool for Evaluating Overweight and Obesity in Chinese Adolescents

Overweight and obesity at an early age are important criteria for predicting chronic diseases. Each anthropometric method available to assess obesity has its limitations. Recently, neck circumference (NC) has received greater attention as a new evaluation index. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NC and overweight in Chinese Yi adolescents. A total of 647 Chinese Yi male and female students, aged 13–18 years, were randomly selected from a junior high school and a senior middle school in Leshan, Sichuan Province of China. The measurement indexes included height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and NC, and clinical information was collected by trained physicians. The neck cutoff values were determined through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC). The correlation among NC, body mass index (BMI), and WC was determined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The ROC analysis revealed that the AUC values were 0.79–0.95 for boys and 0.83–0.91 for girls. The correlation among NC, BMI, and WC in obese boys and girls was higher than 0.70 in both genders. In addition, the NC cutoff values of high BMI ranged from 31.0 cm to 36.1 cm for boys and 31.2 cm to 34.5 cm for girls, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between NC and obesity in Chinese Yi adolescents. The NC can be used as an additional index to predict the obesity of Chinese Yi adolescents.

High-resolution ultrasound changes of the vagus nerve in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD): a possible additional index of disease

Background and rationale Histopathological studies revealed degeneration of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (VN) early in the course of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD). Degeneration of VN axons should be detectable by high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) as a thinning of the nerve trunk. In order to establish if the VN exhibits sonographic signs of atrophy in IPD, we examined patients with IPD compared with age-matched controls. Material and methods We measured the caliber (cross-sectional area, CSA) and perimeter of the VN in 20 outpatients with IPD (8 females and 12 males; mean age 73.0 + 8.6 years) and in age-matched controls using HRUS. Evaluation was performed by blinded raters using an Esaote MyLab Gamma device in conventional B-Mode with an 8–19 MHz probe. Results In both sides, the VN CSA was significantly smaller in IPD outpatients than in controls (right 2.37 + 0.91, left 1.87 + 1.35 mm2 versus 6.0 + 1.33, 5.6 + 1.26 mm2; p <0.001), as well as the perimeter (right 5.06 + 0.85, left 4.78 + 1.74 mm versus 8.87 + 0.86, 8.58 + 0.97 mm; p <0.001). There were no significant correlations between VN CSA and age, the Hoehn and Yahr scale, L-dopa therapy, and disease duration. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence of atrophy of the VNs in IPD patients by HRUS. Moreover, HRUS of the VN represent a non-invasive easy imaging modality of screening in IPD patients independent of disease stage and duration and an interesting possible additional index of disease.

PRPH2 mutation update: In silico assessment of 245 reported and 7 novel variants in patients with retinal disease

Mutations in PRPH2, encoding peripherin-2, are associated with the development of a wide variety of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). To determine the causality of the many PRPH2 variants that have been discovered over the last decades, we surveyed all published PRPH2 variants up to July 2020, describing 720 index patients that in total carried 245 unique variants. In addition, we identified seven novel PRPH2 variants in eight additional index patients. The pathogenicity of all variants was determined using the ACMG guidelines. With this, 107 variants were classified as pathogenic, 92 as likely pathogenic, one as benign, and two as likely benign. The remaining 50 variants were classified as variants of uncertain significance. Interestingly, of the in total 252 PRPH2 variants, more than half (n=137) were missense variants. All variants were uploaded into the Leiden Open source Variation Database. Our study underscores the need of experimental assays for variants of unknown significance to improve pathogenicity classification, which is needed to better understand genotype-phenotype correlations, and in the long-term, hopefully also support the development of therapeutic strategies for patients with PRPH2-associated IRD.

ALTERATION IN QUALITY OF LIFE IN OBESE CHILDREN (REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE)

A review of publications on current trends in studying the quality of life in obese children is presented. The influence of this disease on various aspects of the quality of life is described, and the possibilities of indices of the quality of life as criteria for the effectiveness of treatment programs, including Schools of weight loss, are defined. A new view of the quality of life is defined as an additional index to assess the motivation of an obese child and his family to lead a healthy lifestyle.

ОЦІНКА ПОСУХОСТІЙКОСТІ У РІЗНОМАНІТНИХ ЗА ПОХОДЖЕННЯМ ГЕНОТИПІВ ГРЕЧКИ ЗВИЧАЙНОЇ (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)

Наведено результати вивчення набору колекційнихзразків протягом 2008–2010 рр. за урожайнимихарактеристиками та морфологічними показни-ками в контрастних умовах оточуючого середо-вища. Як додатковий показник контрастності умоввирощування застосовувався гідротермічний коефіці-єнт (ГТК). Встановлено ступінь толерантності додії екстремальних умов різних характеристик рос-линного організму. Серед групи вивчення виділеногенотипи з кращою здатністю до адаптації за до-сить посушливих умов, які є цінним вихідним мате-ріалом для створення високопродуктивних сортівзі значним потенціалом стійкості до посухи. The article deals with studying of collection samples byfruitful characteristics and morphological indicators incontrast conditions of environment. The hydrothermalcoefficient was used as an additional index of cultivationconditions. Tolerance degree to action of extremeconditions of various characteristics of a vegetativeorganism is defined. Among studying group ofbuckwheat the genotypes have been picked out with theimproved ability to adaptation in enough droughtyconditions which are valuable initial material forselection of highly productive grades with considerablepotential of stability to a drought.

Total organic carbon as a new index for monitoring trophic states in lakes

Total organic carbon (TOC) can be one of the parameters used to determine trophic state in lakes, as shown by the statistically significant correlation between TOC and chlorophyll, total phosphorus and Secchi disk transparency. Calculation of the TSI index based on TOC according to the formula TSI(TOC) = 20.59 + 15.71 ln(TOC) and its introduction as an additional index to the classification by Carlson may optimize the comparative analysis of lakes and allow a measurable assessment of lakes with respect to the trophic gradient.

Extended Strömgren Photometry with CCD’s

CCD’s have made possible the extension of intermediate-band photometric systems, including the Strömgren uvby system, to larger, fainter and cooler stars, with successful applications in old disk and globular clusters. Some of the applications in globular clusters demonstrate the ability to remove foreground stars from photometric diagrams and have enabled a re-evaluation of the evolutionary correction needed for distance modulus determination for metal-poor stars. We have developed an additional index based on measurement of the Ca II H and K lines which retains sensitivity to metallicity changes for extremely metal-poor stars. Finally, we are testing the utility of CCD H/β photometry in the unusual and old open cluster Melotte 66.

Register of Theses on Music in Britain and Ireland Supplement 6

The list of theses which appears below is the first to be prepared with the aid of the Goldsmiths’ College Music Department's computer. Following the practice adopted in the previous edition of the Supplement, a separate author and subject matter index has been compiled. However, the computer programme has facilitated the production of an additional index which identifies the University and/or College of origin of all theses listed below. Furthermore, the indexes make reference to the complete list of dissertations included in this Supplement rather than being confined, as has been the case hitherto, to theses appearing for the first time, i.e. in Sections I, II and III. While the subject index is rather less detailed, and cross-indexing is not as extensive as formerly, it is hoped that readers will be able to locate the information they are seeking at least as readily as in earlier editions.