Body fat distribution and other anthropometric blood pressure correlates in a Nigerian urban elderly population

A study of blood pressure patterns among the elderly in Nigerian urban areas.Blood pressure (BP) has been reported to be more consistently correlated with body mass index (BMI) than with waist-hip ratio (WHR) in Blacks. We present the correlates of BP in a systematic sample of 152 (65,7 pc response rate) elderly urban Nigerians, with a mean age of 72,7 yrs. +/-12,1 for males and 73,2 yrs, +/-11,9 for females. There were 12,3 pc and 22,3 pc obesity rates in the males and females respectively, with an equivalent mean BMI of 22,8 kg/m2 and 23,4 kg/m2 and WHR of 0,97 and 0,94. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) correlated with BMI, r = 0,26; p < 0,01 and r = 0,42; p < 0,001, only in females. WHR did not correlate with BP in either sex, but waist and hip measurements correlated significantly with BP in both sexes. The most important predictor of BP is BMI for females and waist measurement for men

Demonstration of surface electron rejection with interleaved germanium detectors for dark matter searches

The SuperCDMS experiment in the Soudan Underground Laboratory searches for dark matter with a 9-kg array of cryogenic germanium detectors. Symmetric sensors on opposite sides measure both charge and phonons from each particle interaction, providing excellent discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils, and between surface and interior events. Surface event rejection capabilities were tested with two 210 Pb sources producing ∼130 beta decays/hr. In ∼800 live hours, no events leaked into the 8–115 keV signal region, giving upper limit leakage fraction 1.7 × 10−5 at 90% C.L., corresponding to < 0.6 surface event background in the future 200-kg SuperCDMS SNOLAB experiment

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

UK guidelines for the management of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis in adults 2016

The overall objective of the guideline is to provide up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of the full spectrum of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and SJS-TEN overlap in adults during the acute phase of the disease.The document aims to:Offer an appraisal of all relevant literature up to February 2016, focusing on any key developments.Address important, practical clinical questions relating to the primary guideline objective, i.e. accurate diagnosis and identification of cases and suitable treatment.Provide guideline recommendations.Discuss areas of uncertainty, potential developments and future directions