Anthropometrics without numbers!

(Anthropometrics without Numbers! An Investigation of Designers' Use and Preference of People Data By Nickpour F and Dong H) There is still missing knowledge to encourage and support designers in adoption and implementation of inclusive design. Some of this missing knowledge comes in the form of anthropometric data which provides accessible information on users' capabilities and limitations. Support and resources for designers on this type of data seems to be limited and exclusive. This study focuses on evaluating the existing use of anthropometric data by professional designers, aiming to explore means of presenting such data more effectively. Ten UK-based design consultancies were interviewed and completed questionnaires collecting information on designer’s current use of anthropometric data, their suggestions on presentation of that data and their preferences on data tools. It is concluded that the use of anthropometric data sources by designers is very limited and minimal; experienced designers tend to rely mainly on experimental methods such as physical prototyping and engagement with people. The results provide insights into designers' existing approaches to data collection and use. This study highlights the need for development of a highly visual, simple and intuitive data tool based on the interviewed designers’ preferences and suggestions. This has to be done by carefully adopting the designers’ existing approaches to data collection and use and by adapting existing data into that

Anthropometrics

This document summarizes the rationale, equipment, measurement, protocol and data cleaning procedures for each of the anthropometric measures collected at Wave V. It also documents how constructed variables were derived from the anthropometric measures collected in the field. Whenever possible, data collection and methods in Wave V mirrored those of Wave IV to ensure comparability of data between waves. This document is one in a set of Wave V user guides

Genetic variations in the androgen receptor are associated with steroid concentrations and anthropometrics but not with muscle mass in healthy young men

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between serum testosterone (T) levels, muscle mass and muscle force in eugonadal men is incompletely understood. As polymorphisms in the androgen receptor (AR) gene cause differences in androgen sensitivity, no straightforward correlation can be observed between the interindividual variation in T levels and different phenotypes. Therefore, we aim to investigate the relationship between genetic variations in the AR, circulating androgens and muscle mass and function in young healthy male siblings. DESIGN: 677 men (25-45 years) were recruited in a cross-sectional, population-based sibling pair study. METHODS: Relations between genetic variation in the AR gene (CAGn, GGNn, SNPs), sex steroid levels (by LC-MS/MS), body composition (by DXA), muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) (by pQCT), muscle force (isokinetic peak torque, grip strength) and anthropometrics were studied using linear mixed-effect modelling. RESULTS: Muscle mass and force were highly heritable and related to age, physical activity, body composition and anthropometrics. Total T (TT) and free T (FT) levels were positively related to muscle CSA, whereas estradiol (E2) and free E2 (FE2) concentrations were negatively associated with muscle force. Subjects with longer CAG repeat length had higher circulating TT, FT, and higher E2 and FE2 concentrations. Weak associations with TT and FT were found for the rs5965433 and rs5919392 SNP in the AR, whereas no association between GGN repeat polymorphism and T concentrations were found. Arm span and 2D:4D finger length ratio were inversely associated, whereas muscle mass and force were not associated with the number of CAG repeats. CONCLUSIONS: Age, physical activity, body composition, sex steroid levels and anthropometrics are determinants of muscle mass and function in young men. Although the number of CAG repeats of the AR are related to sex steroid levels and anthropometrics, we have no evidence that these variations in the AR gene also affect muscle mass or function

Towards an Objective Account of Nutrition and Health in Colonial Kenya: A Study of Stature in African Army Recruits and Civilians, 1880-1980

nutrition, health, anthropometrics, inequality, colonial, Kenya

The effects of an individualized diet and exercise program on body fat levels in Taiwanese females aged 40-60 : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Nutritional Science

Obesity is increasingly common throughout the world and is associated with significant health problems. Middle-aged migrant women are one of the risk groups for obesity. Their body fat levels increase because of their age and menopause experiences. Besides, the change of lifestyle and eating habits after immigration also affects their body fat levels. Recent studies show the combination of diet and exercise may decrease body fat levels. This study is to observe the effects of a short-term diet and exercise intervention on body fat levels in middle-aged Taiwanese women in New Zealand. Thirty Taiwanese women aged between 40-60, who currently live in New Zealand were enrolled in this study. Body weight, height, skinfolds and circumferences were measured before and after the study. Subjects also completed a 24-hr diet recall, three-day diet record and answered a questionnaire to provide general information and an assessment of physical activity levels. Subjects were divided into an intervention group (n=17) and a control group (n=10). In the intervention group, subjects were given a personal diet and exercise program for 9 weeks according to their diet and physical activity levels subjects in the control group stayed with their own previous diet and exercise habits without any modification. The results of this study showed no significant differences (P>0.05) in body weight between both groups. However, body fat levels in the intervention group decreased significantly (p<0.001) compared to the control group. It was also found that subjects who had higher initial body weight and BMI, lost more body weight during the intervention. Besides, subjects who were more active during the intervention lost more weight. It was concluded that a short-term diet and exercise interventions might decrease body fat levels in middle-aged Taiwanese women in New Zealand

Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases Among Adults of 25-65 Years at Kakamega County General Hospital, Kenya

In Kenya the growing number of premature deaths with half of all hospital admissions and 33% of all deaths are associated with Non-communicable diseases. The study determined the physical measurements and lipid parameters of adults 25-65 years at Kakamega County General Hospital. Data was collected using the WHO STEPs Instrument: Physical measurements assessed were Mid Upper Arm Circumference, Waist Hip measurements, Body mass Index and blood pressure. The study significance level was 0.05. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics was used. χ2 test of independence was used to find out the relationship between anthropometric measurements and lipid parameters. Data was presented in form of tables, figures and texts. There was a significant relationship between BMI and Triglycerideχ2 (12, N=60)= 25.752 P=0.012, BMI and LDLχ2(8,N=60)=19.312 p=0.013, BMI and Total Cholesterol χ2(8, N=60)=18.694 p=0.017, MUAC and HDL χ2(4, N=60) =14.446 p=0.006, WHR and Total Cholesterol χ2(2, N=60)=17.985 p=0.000, WHR and LDL χ2(2, N=60)=15.246p=0.000. The study advocated for policies to reduce the incidences of risk factors for NCDs which will assist in achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Kenyan population are in need of screening for risks associated with NCDs

Thiopurines are negatively associated with anthropometric parameters in pediatric Crohn's disease.

AimTo determine the distribution of anthropometric parameter (AP)-z-scores and characterize associations between medications/serum biomarkers and AP-z-scores in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD).MethodsCD patients [&lt; chronological age (CA) 21 years] were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics were generated for participants' demographic characteristics and key variables of interest. Paired t-tests were used to compare AP-z-scores calculated based on CA (CA z-scores) and bone age (BA) (BA z-scores) for interpretation of AP's. Linear regression was utilized to examine associations between medications and serum biomarkers with AP-z-scores calculated based on CA (n = 82) and BA (n = 49). We reported regression coefficients as well as their corresponding p-values and 95% confidence intervals.ResultsMean CA at the time of the study visit was 15.3 ± 3.5 (SD; range = 4.8-20.7) years. Mean triceps skinfold (P = 0.039), subscapular skinfold (P = 0.002) and mid-arm circumference (MAC) (P = 0.001) BA z-scores were higher than corresponding CA z-scores. Medications were positively associated with subscapular skinfold [adalimumab (P = 0.018) and methotrexate (P = 0.027)] and BMI CA z-scores [adalimumab (P = 0.029)]. Azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine were negatively associated with MAC (P = 0.045), subscapular skinfold (P = 0.014), weight (P = 0.002) and BMI (P = 0.013) CA z-scores. ESR, CRP, and WBC count were negatively associated, while albumin and IGF-1 BA z-scores were positively associated, with specific AP z-scores (P &lt; 0.05). Mean height CA z-scores were higher in females, not males, treated with infliximab (P = 0.038). Hemoglobin (P = 0.018) was positively associated, while platelets (P = 0.005), ESR (P = 0.003) and CRP (P = 0.039) were negatively associated with height CA z-scores in males, not females.ConclusionOur results suggest poor efficacy of thiopurines and a possible sex difference in statural growth response to infliximab in pediatric CD. Prospective longitudinal studies are required

Deep transfer learning application for automated ischemic classification in posterior fossa CT images

Abstract—Computed Tomography (CT) imaging is one of the conventional tools used to diagnose ischemic in Posterior Fossa (PF). Radiologist commonly diagnoses ischemic in PF through CT imaging manually. However, such a procedure could be strenuous and time consuming for large scale images, depending on the expertise and ischemic visibility. With the rapid development of computer technology, automatic image classification based on Machine Learning (ML) is widely been developed as a second opinion to the ischemic diagnosis. The practical performance of ML is challenged by the emergence of deep learning applications in healthcare. In this study, we evaluate the performance of deep transfer learning models of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN); VGG-16, GoogleNet and ResNet-50 to classify the normal and abnormal (ischemic) brain CT images of PF. This is the first study that intensively studies the application of deep transfer learning for automated ischemic classification in the posterior part of brain CT images. The experimental results show that ResNet-50 is capable to achieve the highest accuracy performance in comparison to other proposed models. Overall, this automatic classification provides a convenient and time-saving tool for improving medical diagnosis