Sex -related differences in the lips and mouth area of Buglarians - an investigation by 3D laser scanning

Purpose : The objective of this study was to supply information about normal sex-related dimensions of the mouth area and lips among contemporary Bulgarian population (linear distances, ratios, angles, area, volume) and compare the results with other populations.Materials and methods : The three-dimensional coordinates of several soft-tissue landmarks on the lips and mouth were obtained by a non-invasive method with FastSCAN in 16 male and 23 female healthy subjects aged 21-35 years. From the landmarks, linear distances (mouth width, width of the philtrum, vermilion heights of the upper, lower and total lips, total lip height), the vermilion height-to-mouth width ratio, areas (vermilion of the upper, lower and total lip) and volumes (upper, lower, and total lip volume) were calculated and averaged for sex.Results : Comparisons were performed by SPSS 17.0. Data collected in the present investigation could serve as a database for the quantitative description of human lip morphology during normal growth, development and aging. Conclusion. Forensic applications (evaluations of trauma, craniofacial alterations, teratogenic- induced conditions, facial reconstruction, aging of living and dead persons, personal identification) may also benefit from age- and sex-based data banks

Birth Size of Neonates and Its Association with Seasonality

The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the season of birth and the birth weight and length of Bulgarian newborns.The weight and length data of 6517 (6098 full-term and 419 preterm) live births in 2000–2001 were collected from the birth registry of II Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology “Sheynovo”, Sofia, Bulgaria. Statistical analyses were done using the SPSS 16 software for Windows: descriptive statistics; the t-test (p<0.05); One-Way ANOVA, (Tukey, HSD-test, p<0.05) and the Pearson’s correlation. The sunshine dura-tion data for 2000 and 2001 were collected at the Sofia Meteorological Station.The mean weight of Bulgarian neonates born in 2000-2001 was 3389.8 g in boys and 3261.8 g in girls. The average newborn’s length was 51.0 cm and 50.3 cm in boys and girls, respectively. In all seasons, significant gender differences were observed with a priority for boys (p≤0.001). The winter period was identified with a peak in birth length for both sexes, and spring and summer were the seasons with the lowest values for boys and girls, respectively. A significant positive correlation between birth length and the daily amount of sunshine during the prenatal period was found (p<0.001).Seasonal fluctuations influenced weight and length in Bulgarian neonates. The results obtained in this study can be useful in prenatal diagnostics, neonatal care, and health prevention of pregnant women and neonates

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

A list of authors and their affiliations appears online.Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified.peer-reviewe

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified