Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study

Abstract Background Few digitizers can measure the complexity of upright human postural displacements in six degrees of freedom of the head, rib cage, and pelvis. Methods In a University laboratory, three examiners performed delayed repeated postural measurements on forty subjects over two days. Three digital photographs (left lateral, AP, right lateral) of each of 40 volunteer participants were obtained, twice, by three examiners. Examiners placed 13 markers on the subjects before photography and chose 16 points on the photographic images. Using the PosturePrint® internet computer system, head, rib cage, and pelvic postures were calculated as rotations (Rx, Ry, Rz) in degrees and translations (Tx, Tz) in millimeters. For reliability, two different types (liberal = ICC3,1 & conservative = ICC2,1) of inter- and intra-examiner correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Standard error of measurements (SEM) and mean absolute differences within and between observers' measurements were also determined. Results All of the "liberal" ICCs were in the excellent range (> 0.84). For the more "conservative" type ICCs, four Inter-examiner ICCs were in the interval (0.5–0.6), 10 ICCs were in the interval (0.61–0.74), and the remainder were greater than 0.75. SEMs were 2.7° or less for all rotations and 5.9 mm or less for all translations. Mean absolute differences within examiners and between examiners were 3.5° or less for all rotations and 8.4 mm or less for all translations. Conclusion For the PosturePrint® system, the combined inter-examiner and intra-examiner correlation coefficients were in the good (14/44) and excellent (30/44) ranges. SEMs and mean absolute differences within and between examiners' measurements were small. Thus, this posture digitizer is reliable for clinical use

Integrating multiple lines of evidence to assess the effects of maternal BMI on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes

Background: Higher maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is associated with adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. However, whether these associations are causal remains unclear. Methods: We explored the relation of maternal pre-/early-pregnancy BMI with 20 pregnancy and perinatal outcomes by integrating evidence from three different approaches (i.e. multivariable regression, Mendelian randomisation, and paternal negative control analyses), including data from over 400,000 women. Results: All three analytical approaches supported associations of higher maternal BMI with lower odds of maternal anaemia, delivering a small-for-gestational-age baby and initiating breastfeeding, but higher odds of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, pre-labour membrane rupture, induction of labour, caesarean section, large-for-gestational age, high birthweight, low Apgar score at 1 min, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. For example, higher maternal BMI was associated with higher risk of gestational hypertension in multivariable regression (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.63, 1.70 per standard unit in BMI) and Mendelian randomisation (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.38, 1.83), which was not seen for paternal BMI (OR = 1.01; 95% CI = 0.98, 1.04). Findings did not support a relation between maternal BMI and perinatal depression. For other outcomes, evidence was inconclusive due to inconsistencies across the applied approaches or substantial imprecision in effect estimates from Mendelian randomisation. Conclusions: Our findings support a causal role for maternal pre-/early-pregnancy BMI on 14 out of 20 adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. Pre-conception interventions to support women maintaining a healthy BMI may reduce the burden of obstetric and neonatal complications. Funding: Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Health Research, Research Council of Norway, Wellcome Trust.</p

Epigenome-wide meta-analysis of blood DNA methylation in newborns and children identifies numerous loci related to gestational age

Background Preterm birth and shorter duration of pregnancy are associated with increased morbidity in neonatal and later life. As the epigenome is known to have an important role during fetal development, we investigated associations between gestational age and blood DNA methylation in children. Methods We performed meta-analysis of Illumina's HumanMethylation450-array associations between gestational age and cord blood DNA methylation in 3648 newborns from 17 cohorts without common pregnancy complications, induced delivery or caesarean section. We also explored associations of gestational age with DNA methylation measured at 4-18 years in additional pediatric cohorts. Follow-up analyses of DNA methylation and gene expression correlations were performed in cord blood. DNA methylation profiles were also explored in tissues relevant for gestational age health effects: fetal brain and lung. Results We identified 8899 CpGs in cord blood that were associated with gestational age (range 27-42 weeks), at Bonferroni significance, P <1.06 x 10(- 7), of which 3343 were novel. These were annotated to 4966 genes. After restricting findings to at least three significant adjacent CpGs, we identified 1276 CpGs annotated to 325 genes. Results were generally consistent when analyses were restricted to term births. Cord blood findings tended not to persist into childhood and adolescence. Pathway analyses identified enrichment for biological processes critical to embryonic development. Follow-up of identified genes showed correlations between gestational age and DNA methylation levels in fetal brain and lung tissue, as well as correlation with expression levels. Conclusions We identified numerous CpGs differentially methylated in relation to gestational age at birth that appear to reflect fetal developmental processes across tissues. These findings may contribute to understanding mechanisms linking gestational age to health effects.Peer reviewe

Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies in neonates reveals widespread differential DNA methylation associated with birthweight

Birthweight is associated with health outcomes across the life course, DNA methylation may be an underlying mechanism. In this meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies of 8,825 neonates from 24 birth cohorts in the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics Consortium, we find that DNA methylation in neonatal blood is associated with birthweight at 914 sites, with a difference in birthweight ranging from -183 to 178 grams per 10% increase in methylation (P-Bonferroni <1.06 x 10(-7)). In additional analyses in 7,278 participants,Peer reviewe

Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study-2

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study"</p><p>http://www.chiroandosteo.com/content/15/1/15</p><p>Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2007;15():15-15.</p><p>Published online 24 Sep 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC2077332.</p><p></p>tcomputer program, and used the computer mouse to click-on/identify 16 more anatomical points. The computer program calculated postural displacements using these markers. Illustrated here are the markers easily visualized in the lateral view. (Reprinted with permission from Biotonix, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study-0

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study"</p><p>http://www.chiroandosteo.com/content/15/1/15</p><p>Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2007;15():15-15.</p><p>Published online 24 Sep 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC2077332.</p><p></p>tudy in a university laboratory

Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study-4

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study"</p><p>http://www.chiroandosteo.com/content/15/1/15</p><p>Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2007;15():15-15.</p><p>Published online 24 Sep 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC2077332.</p><p></p>positive to the anterior, postures of the head, rib cage, and pelvis can be described as translations (Tx, Ty, Tz) along these axes. Vertical translations (Ty), which would require radiographic analysis of hypo- or hyper-lordosis, were not calculated in the present study

Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study-3

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study"</p><p>http://www.chiroandosteo.com/content/15/1/15</p><p>Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2007;15():15-15.</p><p>Published online 24 Sep 2007</p><p>PMCID:PMC2077332.</p><p></p>positive to the anterior, postures of the head, rib cage, and pelvis can be described as rotations (Rx, Ry, Rz) around these axes