Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) for the monitoring of body composition in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: During pregnancy, body composition alterations can be considered as markers of complications and in this context, a non-invasive and low-cost method such as Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA), can be employed to monitor such changes. This study aimed at identifying body compartments trend during physiological pregnancy. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Classic and specific BIVA variables have been measured in a sample of 37 pregnant women approximately every 4 weeks of gestation and once postpartum. Researchers used both longitudinal and cross-sectional approach. The first case included data of women from the 11th to the 15th week along with data from the 28th to the 32nd week of gestation. The cross-sectional approach regarded two more specific moments (11th-12th weeks and 30th-31st weeks) and data within two months postpartum RESULTS: The longitudinal approach showed a significant decrease in classic BIVA variables (R/H, Xc/H, Z/H p < 0.001) and a shortening of the vector, pointing out that TBW and hydration increased significantly. Specific vector length increased significantly, indicating a physiological gain of FM% (p < 0.01). The cross-sectional approach showed lower values of R/H, Xc/H, Z/H between 12th-13th and 30th-31st weeks (p < 0.01), while in the postpartum period values tended to those registered at the beginning of pregnancy. No changes have been found for the phase angle in both approaches, indicating that ECW/ICW ratio remained constant CONCLUSIONS: Among physiological pregnancies, bioelectric values showed a coherent trend and these results represent a first contribution to support routine exams, leading to an early detection of anomalous values potentially correlated to pathologies.

Effectiveness of occupational safety and health training for migrant farmworkers: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Migrant farmworkers report higher rates of work-related illnesses, injuries and fatalities compared with local workers. Language and cultural barriers represent a relevant source of risk, which can be reduced by means of targeted training interventions. However, very little evidence is available about the effectiveness of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training programmes addressing migrant farmworkers. STUDY DESIGN: We carried out a scoping review. METHODS: Currently available literature about the effectiveness of OSH training for migrant farmworkers-in terms of improvements in at least one of the following: safety knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and beliefs and health outcomes-was searched from four databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. The screening was performed independently by two authors, and any disagreement was resolved through discussion until consensus was achieved. Once the articles eligible for inclusion were selected, the objectives, design, sample and setting, interventions and findings of each study were recorded. No quality assessment tool for publications considered by this study has been used because a scoping review does not aim for critical appraisal. RESULTS: Twenty-nine publications met the inclusion criteria. Of these, nine cross-sectional studies discussed the effectiveness of training activities in terms of whether participating in any programme had or did not have a significant effect on the dependent variables, when training was considered along with other sociodemographic factors. In the majority of these studies, training appeared to have low or no effect on the dependent variables considered. Twenty mainly within-subject experimental studies addressed the effectiveness of specific training methods, reporting significant improvements especially for interventions based on a participatory approach. CONCLUSIONS: Training could greatly contribute to an effective attainment of OSH information, but the present review shows that more evidence is needed to guide the future development of effective training activities.

The contribution of postural balance analysis in older adult fallers: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: Falls are a serious health problem for older adults. Several studies have identified the decline of postural balance as one of the main risk factors for falls. Contrary to what may be believed, the capability of force platform measurements to predict falls remains uncertain. The focus of this narrative review is the identification of postural characteristics of older adults at risk of falling using both static and dynamic postural balance assessments. METHODS: The literature analysis was conducted on Medline/PubMed. The search ended in May 2015. RESULTS: Centre of pressure (CoP) path length, CoP velocity and sway in medial lateral and anterior-posterior are the variables that distinguish older adult fallers from non-fallers. DISCUSSION: Recommendations to medical personnel on how to provide efficient balance training for older adults are offered, discussing the relevance and limitations of postural stability on static and dynamic board in falling risk prevention.

Age estimation in subadult Egyptian remains.

In anthropological analyses of past populations, it is very important to be able to accurately reconstruct the palaeodemographic profile in order to interpret infant mortality as an indicator of the environmental, social and cultural conditions. There are various methods to evaluate the age of immature individuals but some of these methods are strongly influenced by the different rates of skeletal development observed in populations from various geographical areas and/or from various time periods, as well as between the sexes. Clearly, there is a need for adopting a method of estimation of age at death, which will be the one most suitable for analysing the particular skeletal sample. In this study we investigated subadults from the Egyptian osteological collection housed in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the University of Turin. For each individual, the age at death was estimated based on the degree of eruption and mineralisation of the teeth. Then the estimated age at death was correlated with the measurements of the long bones and ilium. We showed that greater regularity and constancy of rates of skeletal growth could be assessed with measurements, alternative to using maximum length of diaphysis. Moreover, using alternative characters, it was possible to markedly increase the number of individuals whose age at death could be estimated. Our study also showed the need to use a reference sample consistent with the sample being analysed and, which was derived from similar biological-environmental context. Therefore, our proposed method can be used for the estimation of age at death in pre/protohistorical populations from the Mediterranean region.

Dental histology: study of aging processes in root dentine.

The amount of sclerotic root dentine increases with age, proceeding from the apex towards the crown. There are obvious optical changes in the tissue, which becomes translucent (dentine is normally opaque). Therefore, the sclerosis of root dentine could be a reliable indicator of age in anthropological studies of human remains. We studied the histological aspects of sclerotic dentine in longitudinal thin sections (70-140 microns) of undecalcified premolars, cut in the bucco-lingual plane. To quantify the sclerosis and to construct a reference standard, we sectioned 85 premolars from subjects of known age (70 from odontological extractions and 15 from a university collection). Another 10 teeth from medieval subjects were studied to assess the applicability of the method to ancient skeletal collections. The technique consists of embedding the tooth in a polyester resin (cold method), sectioning it with a diamond blade microtome. Qualitative analysis was performed with polarized light microscopy and measurements were made with a quote 2D x,y viewer and on digital images. The sclerotic root dentine was quantified with both linear and surface area parameters in order to assess the correlation with age. The quality of the sections was sufficient for the clear discernment and quantification of the sclerotic dentine. Indeed, the technique allowed us to obtain good results with a considerable saving of time and money compared with other dental histological techniques. The best correlation with age was obtained from the surface area parameter, particularly after exclusion of the cementum and pulp chamber. To produce comparable data from similar studies, we advise the use of cold resins, as used here, and digital computerized analyzers because of their accuracy, precision and quickness. The qualitative analysis of the ancient teeth indications that this dental aging techniques can be applied to both recent and ancient dental tissues.