Perzentile für den Body-mass-Index für das Kindes- und Jugendalter unter Heranziehung verschiedener deutscher Stichproben

Fragestellung: Sowohl die Childhood Group der International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) als auch die European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) empfehlen den Body-mass-Index als Beurteilungskriterium für Übergewicht und Adipositas bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Im Erwachsenenalter erfolgt die Definition von Übergewicht und Adipositas anhand fester Grenzwerte, bei der Beurteilung von Kindern und Jugendlichen müssen die alters- und geschlechtsspezifischen Veränderungen des BMI berücksichtigt werden. Methode: Unter Heranziehung von 17 bereits durchgeführten Untersuchungen aus verschiedenen Regionen Deutschlands wurden BMI-Perzentile für Kinder und Jugendliche erstellt. Die Berechnung der Perzentile basiert auf den Körperhöhen- und Körpergewichtsdaten von 17.147 Jungen und 17.275 Mädchen im Alter von 0–18 Jahren. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerung: Die vorgestellten Perzentile sollten als Referenz für deutsche Kinder und Jugendliche angewendet werden. Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft „Adipositas im Kindes- und Jugendalter“ (AGA) hat in ihren Leitlinien die Anwendung der hier vorgestellten 90. und 97. Perzentile zur Definition von Übergewicht und Adipositas empfohlen.Objectives: Both the Childhood Group of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) recommend to use the body mass index (BMI = weight in kilograms/height in meter2) to evaluate overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Whereas it is customary with adults to use fixed cut off points to define overweight and obesity, in children and adolescents age and sex specific developmental changes in BMI need to be addressed, which are due to physiological alterations of fat mass. Method: Because a national reference population for children and adolescents does not exist in Germany, a BMI reference data set was compiled. Therefore measurements of height and weight from 17 different regional studies including 17147 boys and 17275 girls aged 0 to 18 years were used. Results and conclusions: We recommend the use of the presented percentiles as reference to asses under- and overweight (obesity) in German children and adolescents. In the guidelines of the “Arbeitsgruppe Adipositas im Kindes- und Jugendalter”(AGA) the 90th and 97th BMI percentiles as calculated in this reference population are proposed as cut-off points for the definition of overweight and obesity in German children and adolescents

Clinical and virological characteristics of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in a German tertiary care centre during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a prospective observational study

Purpose: Adequate patient allocation is pivotal for optimal resource management in strained healthcare systems, and requires detailed knowledge of clinical and virological disease trajectories. The purpose of this work was to identify risk factors associated with need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), to analyse viral kinetics in patients with and without IMV and to provide a comprehensive description of clinical course. Methods: A cohort of 168 hospitalised adult COVID-19 patients enrolled in a prospective observational study at a large European tertiary care centre was analysed. Results: Forty-four per cent (71/161) of patients required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Shorter duration of symptoms before admission (aOR 1.22 per day less, 95% CI 1.10-1.37, p < 0.01) and history of hypertension (aOR 5.55, 95% CI 2.00-16.82, p < 0.01) were associated with need for IMV. Patients on IMV had higher maximal concentrations, slower decline rates, and longer shedding of SARS-CoV-2 than non-IMV patients (33 days, IQR 26-46.75, vs 18 days, IQR 16-46.75, respectively, p < 0.01). Median duration of hospitalisation was 9 days (IQR 6-15.5) for non-IMV and 49.5 days (IQR 36.8-82.5) for IMV patients. Conclusions: Our results indicate a short duration of symptoms before admission as a risk factor for severe disease that merits further investigation and different viral load kinetics in severely affected patients. Median duration of hospitalisation of IMV patients was longer than described for acute respiratory distress syndrome unrelated to COVID-19

Assessment of biodegradability of plastics under simulated composting conditions in a laboratory test system

An automated laboratory-scale test system was developed for measuring the aerobic biodegradability of degradable plastics under simulated composting conditions. Biodegradation was monitored by measuring microbial carbon dioxide formation and oxygen consumption. Completeness of biodegradation was assessed in an aquatic test by conducting a carbon mass balance. The percentage of plastic carbon degraded to carbon dioxide, biomass and water-soluble byproducts were determined. The rate of biodegradation under simulated composting conditions was measured in a fixed-bed system with mature compost. A time-dependent temperature profile was applied to simulate the natural self-heating of a composting process. The aquatic test was conducted at a constant temperature of 30 centigrades as well as with a temperature profile. The rate of biodegradation was significantly higher in the aqueous environment. Equal degrees of mineralization were reached in the aquatic and the fixed-bed system only if the same temperature profile was applied. Conducting the aquating test at a constant temperature of 30 centigrades less microbial carbon dioxide formation was observed. However, a carbon mass balance revealed that taking into consideration the portion of the plastic's carbon incorporated into biomass a similar degree of biodegradation was reached. Consequently, the measurement of microbial carbon dioxide production is not sufficient to assess the extent of biodegradation of plastics. In the heterogeneous matrix 'compost', it is not feasable to assess the completeness of biodegradation due to limited possibilities to analyze degradation intermediates and biomass growth. Therefore, a new fixed-bed system with an inert, carbon-free packing material was developed. The inert material was inoculated with an aqueous eluate from compost. First results showed biodegradation rates similar to a compost environment

Solid-State-Fermentation von Starterkulturen in der Gas-Feststoff-Wirbelschicht. Teil 2. Mathematische Modellierung

A dynamic model was evaluated that gives a detailed description of internal diffusion and growth of baker's yeast in pellets in addition to external mass transfer resistance. The model predicts the temporal and local profiles of substrates and product in the support, which cannot be measured. The model clearly shows that substrates (glucose and oxygen) do not reach the core of the sphere of pellets, whereas in the outer shell in a film of 100 mm the substrates rise to their maximum. The results demonstrate that significant substrate limitation (glucose, oxygen) will occur in the centre of the pellet, wheras in the aerobic shell high glucose concentration gives rise to catabolic repression. This results in a significant reduction of the growth rate and in a rise of the ethanol production rate. It is clearly shown that internal diffusion is the most sensitive parameter for the limitation of the growth rate by solid state fermentation of yeast in fluidized beds

Schutzgas-Verpackung für SB-Frischfleisch. Veränderungen der Gasatmosphäre während der Lagerung

Der Anteil von unter Schutzgas verpacktem Frischfleisch zur SB-Vermarktung mit Mindesthaltbarkeiten von ca. einer Woche steigt. Für die möglichen Distributionszeiten spielen Fragen des Verhältnisses von modifizierter Atmosphäre (MA), Barriereeigenschaften des Verpackungsmaterials und Volumen der Verpackung, Veränderungen der MA während der Lagerzeit sowie Oberflächenkeimzahlen des Fleisches eine wesentliche Rolle. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Gasaustauschvorgänge in solchen Verpackungen diskutiert.Die MA-Veränderungen während der Lagerung wurden an Modellsystemen sowie an Handelsverpackungen untersucht und mit Gaspermeation, Absorption und Respiration durch Mikroorganismen sowie Fleisch in Zusammenhang gebracht. Abschließend werden die Erkenntnisse in eine rechnerische Modellierung einbezogen, die Hilfen beim Verpackungsdesign hinsichtlich der notwendigen Verpackungsgröße (Gasraumvolumen) und der für die bei Frischfleisch relevanten Distributionszeiten erforderlichen Barriereeigenschaften der Verpackungsmaterialien eröffnet

Robust Design of Adaptive Output Feedback Controllers for Direct Feedthrough Systems

ISSN:0731-5090ISSN:1533-388