Intrinsic and extrinsic influences on final height

published_or_final_versionPaediatricsDoctoralDoctor of Philosoph

Characterization of drawing movement as schooling advances in primary school

Abstract This study was to investigate the development characteristics of several parameters as schooling advances in primary school using computerized movement analyses.Sixty children without handwriting deficits were selected from a Chinese primary school, and they were asked to perform drawing tasks on a digital tablet for kinematic data collecting. In this study four drawing tasks were used: horizontal strokes, vertical strokes, squares and circles. We investigated a series of kinematic parameters such as velocity, acceleration and drawing force, to exam how these parameters change as schooling proceeds. The mean velocity and mean acceleration increase across the grade in all drawing tasks. The mean force of x-axis decreases only in vertical strokes and circles, while the mean force of z-axis decreases across the grade in horizontal strokes and squares. However, there was no significant correlation between grade and the force of y-axis in all tests.The digital tablet is an effective tool to determine the development of hand movement skills of children. This dynamical analysis technique can be used to study the underlying pathology of fine motor disorders

Design and Implementation of Digital Twin Diesel Generator Systems

In stationary power generation units such as distributed remote site power systems and ship power systems, diesel engine generator systems are essential for supplying electricity. This paper proposes a digital twin diesel generator system for teaching and research purposes. A five-layer resilient architecture, including a web interface layer, server cluster layer, real-time data layer, controller layer, and equipment layer, is proposed in this paper. Based on the resilient architecture, users are able to build, implement and monitor the digital twin through web interfaces. Apart from MATLAB/Simulink, a modeling tool called M2PLink is developed to allow users to create mathematical models using a block diagram editor similar to Simulink. Various basic blocks for control systems are provided for users to form sophisticated models. These models are converted into executable codes which are downloaded to the simulator in the controller layer, where the real-time simulations are implemented. A web-based real-time monitoring interface with many widgets such as charts, oscilloscopes, and three-dimensional (3D) animation is also provided for users to customize their monitoring interface. All the signals can be traced and all the parameters can be tuned in the monitoring interface. The users are able to interact with the digital twin just like they do with the real system. The proposed system can not only be used for research such as digital twin-assisted real-time online monitoring but also for educational purposes, which is not only cost-effective but can also ensure the safety of the user as well as the equipment

Gestational weight gain and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a prospective cohort study

Objective To assess the associations of gestational weight gain (GWG) in early and late pregnancy with subsequent risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Chinese women.Design Prospective cohort study.Setting Shanghai, China.Participants We studied 2630 nulliparous singleton pregnant women with complete data on weight gain in early (≤17 weeks of gestation) and late (>17 weeks) pregnancy in the Shanghai Birth Cohort.Methods GWG was standardised into z-scores by gestational age and categorised as low (z-score <−1), normal (−1 to +1) and high (>1). The adjusted relative risks (aRRs) and 95%CIs were estimated through log-binomial regression models. Interaction effects between GWG and some other adjustment factors were tested, further stratified analyses were performed separately where interaction terms were significant.Outcome measures Adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.Results Independent from GWG in late pregnancy, higher GWG in early pregnancy was associated with higher risks of gestational diabetes mellitus (aRR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.48), caesarean section (aRR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.39) and prolonged hospitalisation (aRR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.38). Higher GWG in late pregnancy was independently associated with higher risks of caesarean section (aRR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.41), large for gestational age (aRR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.50 to 2.7) and macrosomia (aRR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.30 to 2.78). In addition, the risk of gestational hypertension increased significantly with increased total GWG (aRR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.76). The effects of GWG in late pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes were significantly different between the women bearing a female and the women bearing male fetus.Conclusion The GWG associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes differ at early and late pregnancy, and there may be effect modification by fetal sex in the association of GWG in late pregnancy with some pregnancy outcomes

Searching for the definition of macrosomia through an outcome-based approach.

BACKGROUND: Macrosomia has been defined in various ways by obstetricians and researchers. The purpose of the present study was to search for a definition of macrosomia through an outcome-based approach. METHODS: In a study of 30,831,694 singleton term live births and 38,053 stillbirths in the U.S. Linked Birth-Infant Death Cohort datasets (1995-2004), we compared the occurrence of stillbirth, neonatal death, and 5-min Apgar score less than four in subgroups of birthweight (4000-4099 g, 4100-4199 g, 4200-4299 g, 4300-4399 g, 4400-4499 g, 4500-4999 g vs. reference group 3500-4000 g) and birthweight percentile for gestational age (90th-94th percentile, 95th-96th, and ≥ 97th percentile, vs. reference group 75th-90th percentile). RESULTS: There was no significant increase in adverse perinatal outcomes until birthweight exceeded the 97th percentile. Weight-specific odds ratios (ORs) elevated substantially to 2 when birthweight exceeded 4500 g in Whites. In Blacks and Hispanics, the aORs exceeded 2 for 5-min Apgar less than four when birthweight exceeded 4300 g. For vaginal deliveries, the aORs of perinatal morbidity and mortality were larger for most of the subgroups, but the patterns remained the same. CONCLUSIONS: A birthweight greater than 4500 g in Whites, or 4300 g in Blacks and Hispanics regardless of gestational age is the optimal threshold to define macrosomia. A birthweight greater than the 97th percentile for a given gestational age, irrespective of race is also reasonable to define macrosomia. The former may be more clinically useful and simpler to apply

ROC analysis for the prediction of IFD by platelet parameters using the cutoffs with the maximal sum of sensitivity and specificity.

<p>AUC = area under the curve</p><p>ROC analysis for the prediction of IFD by platelet parameters using the cutoffs with the maximal sum of sensitivity and specificity.</p

Birth, clinical characteristics and hematological findings in deceased versus survived IFD at the onset and 14 days after antifungal therapy in survived IFD infants.

<p>Data are presented as the number of subjects in each group, with percentages given in parentheses or mean, with SD given in parentheses.</p><p>^a<i>P</i>1 values compares the deceased IFD with the survived IFD.</p><p>^b<i>P</i>2 values compares hematological parameters at the onset day and at the 14^th day after antifungal treatment in the survived IFD.</p><p>Birth, clinical characteristics and hematological findings in deceased versus survived IFD at the onset and 14 days after antifungal therapy in survived IFD infants.</p

Receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting mortality in IFD infants by platelet count (PC) and plateletcrit (PCT).

<p>For each indicator, sensitivity (true positive rate) is plotted against 1-specificity (false positive rate). Accuracy is measured by the area under the ROC curve. The AUCs for PC and PCT were 0.775 (95% CI: 0.629–0.920, p = .002) and 0.765 (95% CI: 0.610–0.921, p = .006), respectively.</p

Receiver operating characteristic curves for the diagnosis of IFD by four platelet parameters.

<p>For each indicator, sensitivity (true positive rate) is plotted against 1-specificity (false positive rate). Accuracy is measured by the area under the ROC curve. Platelet count (PC) and plateletcrit (PCT) showed better accuracy than platelet distribution width (PDW) and hemoglobin (MPV).</p