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Motivation The transition from evaluating a single time point to examining the entire dynamic evolution of a system is possible only in the presence of the proper framework. The strong variability of dynamic evolution makes the definition of an explanatory procedure for data fitting and clustering challenging. Results We developed CONNECTOR, a data-driven framework able to analyze and inspect longitudinal data in a straightforward and revealing way. When used to analyze tumor growth kinetics over time in 1599 patient-derived xenograft growth curves from ovarian and colorectal cancers, CONNECTOR allowed the aggregation of time-series data through an unsupervised approach in informative clusters. We give a new perspective of mechanism interpretation, specifically, we define novel model aggregations and we identify unanticipated molecular associations with response to clinically approved therapies. Availability and implementation CONNECTOR is freely available under GNU GPL license at https://qbioturin.github.io/connector and https://doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.8epv56e74g1b/v1.

Algal biotechnology has received significant attention over the past two decades in fields ranging from biofuels to cosmeceuticals. However, the development of domesticated or genetically engineered microalgal strains for commercial applications depends on accurate and reliable growth data. To this end, several companies have developed lab-scale photobioreactors (PBRs) that enable precision control of conditions and automated growth recording. Whilst the transition from manual control of conditions and measurements to automated systems has allowed researchers to greatly improve the accuracy and scope of cultivation experiments, it has also presented novel challenges. The most pertinent of these being the analysis of the copious quantities of data produced. A standard PBR experiment can contain tens or even hundreds of thousands of data points, and often features outliers, noise, and a requirement for datasets to be calibrated with a standard curve or merged with replicates. Furthermore, complex analysis of multiple curves may be required in order to extract information such as the gradient or fit to a growth model. This can be laborious, time consuming and is not standardized between research groups. Proprietary software provided with most PBRs tends to lack these more advanced features and is typically unable to process data from other PBR manufacturers. To address these issues, we have developed the Algal Data Analyser (ADA), an open-source software platform providing the tools to rapidly plot and analyse microalgal data. ADA can simultaneously interpret datasets from three major PBR suppliers (Algenuity, Industrial Plankton, Photon Systems Instruments), and can also incorporate data from manual readings. Users can rapidly produce standardized, publication ready plots, and analyse multiple growth curves in parallel. Future iterations of ADA will include compatibility with datasets from other PBR suppliers as they become available, with the aim of making it a universal platform for all PBR data.

This study explores whether maternal well-being and group status predict change in reported parenting behaviours among mothers of young children at elevated likelihood (EL) of autism. Two groups of children at EL of autism are included in our sample: (a) infant siblings of children with an established autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis (Messinger et al., 2015; Ozonoff et al., 2011), (b) children born prematurely, at a gestational age of less than 30 weeks (Agrawal et al., 2018; Laverty et al., 2021). Research findings indicate that lower maternal well-being (i.e., reports of low well-being or more symptoms of depression or parenting stress) is associated with fewer sensitive and responsive parenting behaviours and more disciplinary and critical parenting behaviours, both in the general population (Goodman et al., 2020) and among mothers of autistic children (Boonen et al., 2015; Likhitweerawong et al., 2020; Madarevic et al., 2022; Osborne & Reed, 2010) and children born pre-term (Feldman et al., 2007; Korja et al., 2008; Zengin Akkus et al., 2020). Moreover, parenting behaviours were found to mediate the relationships between well-being and child functioning (Goodman et al., 2020). According to the differential susceptibility theory (Belsky et al., 2007), children who seem most vulnerable to adverse environments, may also benefit the most from enriched environments. Several studies indicate that children at EL of autism may be especially susceptible to their environment, due to their genetic disposition or temperamental reactivity (e.g., Caplan et al., 2021; Gueron-Sela et al., 2015, 2016; Poehlmann et al., 2011, Poehlmann et al., 2012), and may thus benefit the most from sensitive and responsive parenting and be most vulnerable to critical and intrusive parenting. Given that mothers of young children at EL of autism may experience low levels of well-being (e.g., Feldman et al., 2007; Hayes & Watson, 2013; Kersting et al., 2004; Pace et al., 2016; Singer et al., 1999; Tint & Weiss, 2016), an investigation of the role that well-being plays in the course of parenting behaviours is needed. As the determinants of well-being and parenting behaviours may differ between mothers of siblings and pre-terms, an exploration of the influence of EL group could provide a better understanding of the strengths and vulnerabilities in this specific population and may open windows for intervention.

2022 IEEE International Conference on Electrical, Computer, and Energy Technologies, ICECET 2022 -- 20 July 2022 through 22 July 2022 -- -- 182630, The aim of the study is to predict the use of supercapacitors. This paper focuses on the future growth curves of supercapacitors which is modeled using the Gompertz method. In the analysis, export data covering the years 2002-2020 from the world trade center and the growth rates in the same period from the World Bank were used, and reference scenarios that were accepted as possible maximum and minimum growing or average were created. It has been seen in the scenarios created that even if the S curves have different growth figures in the supercapacitor predictions, it has been determined that will reach saturation approximately between 2035 and 2040. In conclusion, the purpose of this study is not to predict the future, however, to guide possible studies by showing the possible effects and potential outputs of technology with scenarios. It is thought that supercapacitors will be mentioned frequently as an alternative energy storage system in the future. © 2022 IEEE., This study is supported by the thesis which is ‘As a Energy Storage System Supercapacitor Forecasting with one of Extrapolation Methods Gompertz Function’.

Post‐maturation growth leading to indeterminate growth patterns is widespread in nature. However, its adaptive value is unclear. Life history theory suggests this allocation strategy may be favored by temporal pulses in the intensity of mortality and/or the capacity to produce new tissues.Addressing the origin of indeterminate growth and the variability of growth patterns, we studied the growth of duck mussels, Anodonta anatina, a pan‐European unionid, in 18 Polish lakes. For each population, the sex, size, and age of collected mussels were measured to estimate Bertalanffy's growth curve parameters. We integrated information on A. anatina mortality rates, lake trophy, biofouling by zebra mussels, Dreissena polymorpha, and the prevalence of parasitic trematode larvae to identify selective conditions in lakes.We found two sources of mortality in A. anatina populations, pertaining to adverse effects of zebra mussel biofouling and trophy state on mussel survival. Additionally, populations with heavier biofouling presented a smaller abundance of parasites, indicative of a relationship between filtering intensity and contraction of water‐borne trematode larvae by filtering A. anatina.Consistently for each sex, populations with a greater trophy‐related mortality were characterized in A. anatina by a smaller asymptotic size Lmax, indicative of a life history response to mortality risk involving early maturation at a smaller body size. In all populations, females featured higher mortality and larger asymptotic size versus males.Our findings support a theoretical view that adaptive responses to selection involve adjustments in the lifetime resource allocation patterns. These adjustments should be considered drivers of the origin of indeterminate growth strategy in species taking parental care by offspring brooding in body cavities., We studied the growth of duck mussels, Anodonta anatina, a pan‐European unionid, in 18 Polish lakes representing different trophic conditions. We found two sources of mortality in A. anatina populations, pertaining to adverse effects of zebra mussel biofouling and trophy state on mussel survival. In all populations, females featured higher mortality and larger asymptotic size versus males, and consistently for each sex, populations with a greater trophy‐related mortality were characterized in A. anatina by a smaller asymptotic size, indicative of a life history response to mortality risk involving early maturation at a smaller body size. Our findings support a theoretical view that adaptive responses to selection involve adjustments in the lifetime resource allocation patterns.

Opuntia joconostle is a semi-wild cactus cultivated for its fruit. However, the cladodes are often discarded, wasting the potentially useful mucilage in them. The mucilage is composed primarily of heteropolysaccharides, characterized by their molar mass distribution, monosaccharide composition, structural features (by vibrational spectroscopy, FT IR, and atomic force microscopy, AFM), and fermentability by known saccharolytic commensal members of the gut microbiota. After fractionation with ion exchange chromatography, four polysaccharides were found: one neutral (composed mainly of galactose, arabinose, and xylose) and three acidic, with a galacturonic acid content from 10 to 35%mol. Their average molar masses ranged from 1.8 × 105 to 2.8 × 105 g·mol−1. Distinct structural features such as galactan, arabinan, xylan, and galacturonan motifs were present in the FT IR spectra. The intra- and intermolecular interactions of the polysaccharides, and their effect on the aggregation behavior, were shown by AFM. The composition and structural features of these polysaccharides were reflected in their prebiotic potential. Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria were not able to utilize them, whereas members of Bacteroidetes showed utilization capacity. The obtained data suggest a high economic potential for this Opuntia species, with potential uses such as animal feed in arid areas, precise prebiotic, and symbiotic formulations, or as the carbon skeleton source in a green refinery. Our methodology can be used to evaluate the saccharides as the phenotype of interest, helping to guide the breeding strategy.

Objective: To provide new information about androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), we studied growth patterns in Chinese children with AIS. Subjects: Data are from 118 untreated AIS patients who were admitted to eight pediatric endocrine centers from January 2010 to December 2019. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, clinical data were collected from a multicenter database. We compared physical assessment data among AIS patients and standard growth charts for Chinese pediatric population. Results: 1. Children with AIS grew slightly less than the mean before 6 months of age, and then, height gradually increased before 12 years of age, from the median to +1 standard deviation (SD), according to the standard reference for Chinese pediatric population. After 12 years of age, height showed differently in profiles: The mean height in AIS patients gradually decreased from the mean to −1 SD, according to the standard for Chinese boys, and increased from the mean to +2 SD, according to the standard for Chinese girls. 2. The weights of children with AIS were greater than the mean standards of Chinese pediatric population from newborn to 11 years of age. From 12–16 years of age, the mean weight of children with AIS showed different profiles, from the mean to −1 SD, according to the standard for Chinese boys and from the mean to +1.5 SD, according to the standard for Chinese girls. 3. Weight standard deviation (WtSDS) and target height (THt) in northern Chinese AIS patients were significantly higher than those from the southern region (p = 0.035, 0.005, respectively). Age in northern Chinese AIS patients was significantly younger than those from the southern region (p = 0.034). No difference was found among birth weight (BW), birth length (BL), height standard deviation (HtSDS) and body mass index (BMI) in AIS patients from different regions (p > 0.05). 4. HtSDS and WtSDS in complete AIS (CAIS) patients were higher than those in partial AIS (PAIS) patients without significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Growth of children with AIS varied to different degrees. AIS patients seemed not to experience a puberty growth spurt. CAIS and PAIS patients show little difference in their growth. Regional differences have no effect on the height but influence the weight of AIS patients.

The presence of lactic acid bacteria can be detrimental when the abundant growth of slime-producing strains (Lactobacillus spp. and Leuconostoc spp.) causes spoilage of meat products. Two strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated from vacuum-packed cooked hams that had been withdrawn from the market for the so-called ropy slime defect and identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides. In an attempt to define the behavior of ropy slime-producing bacteria, two strains of L. mesenteroides were incubated in de Man Rogosa Sharpe broth at different storage temperatures and conditions of thermal abuse (4, 12, 20, 30, 37, and 44°C). Both strains showed a lack of growth at 44°C, a good level of development at 30 and 37°C, and evident growth ability at low temperatures, with a long stationary phase. In particular, the bacterial concentration at 4°C was >105 CFU mL-1 after more than 120 days of incubation. This study demonstrates that the refrigeration temperature for cooked meat products does not constitute a hurdle for ropy slime producers and their subsequent ability to spoil. HIGHLIGHTS

Animal growth is a complex and dynamic process that involves physiological and morphological changes from hatching to maturity. It is defined as the increase in body size per time unit. Mathematical functions, called growth models, have been used to explain growth patterns. The aim of this study was to compare the Gompertz-Laird, logistic, Richards, and Von Bertalanffy growth models to determine which best fits the data of the Creole chickens (CC). Three hundred forty-seven CC were individually weighed from hatching until 177 D of age. Birds were fed a starter diet (0–18 D of age; 19% crude protein (CP) and 3,000 kcal of ME/kg) and grower diet (19–177 D of age; 18% CP and 2,800 kcal of ME/kg). Data were analyzed using PROC NLIN to fit the nonlinear growth curve. The coefficient of determination (R2), Akaike information criteria (AIC), and Bayesian information criteria (BIC) were used to compare the goodness of fit of the models. The Von Bertalanffy (R2: 0.9382, 0.9415; AIC: 2,224.1, 2,424.8; BIC: 2,233.5, 2,434.3, for females and males, respectively) was the model that best explained growth of the birds. On the other hand, both the Gompertz-Laird and logistic models overestimated hatching BW and underestimated the final BW of CC. Females reached age of maximum growth faster than males. The asymptotic weight was higher in males (3,011 g) than in females (2,011 g). Body weight at inflection point was 892 g at 64 D of age for males and 596 g at 54 D for females. In conclusion, the best fit of the data was obtained with the Von Bertalanffy growth model; the information is intended to serve as the basis for utilizing CC.

In freshwater temperate environments, waterbodies warmed by power plants can serve as a stepping stone in the spread of tropical and subtropical species. This offers a unique opportunity to acquire an insight into the life history of organisms undergoing range expansions beyond their native habitat. Here, we studied the patterns of offspring production and growth in the Asian mussel Sinanodonta woodiana inhabiting the thermal plume of the Odra River in Central Europe. Compared to the S. woodiana males, females had more convex shells and had a greater tendency to continue post-maturation growth and thus follow an indeterminate growth pattern. Gravid females were observed all-year round, and individuals with either large or more convex shells brooded more offspring. The proportion of incubating females, brood size and glochidia size were linked to gonadal activity and changed seasonally. Females with a higher amount of nutritive substances in the ovaries produced more and larger offspring. The smallest and the largest offspring occurred in the summer and in the winter, respectively. Sinanodonta woodiana incubated different offspring generations simultaneously, constantly releasing them into the environment. Using a life history evolution perspective, we discuss our results in view of allocation trade-offs between growth and offspring production.

The possible influence of anatomical sections of wood on mold growth was investigated by means of a laboratory experiment. The selected fungi, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Alternaria sp. were inoculated by spraying on the surface of wood specimens prepared from pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies). The incubation was carried out under stable environmental conditions (temperature of 22 °C, relative humidity of 75, 87, and 95%) over three months. Mold growth was evaluated based on regular microscopic and macroscopic observations. The recorded mold coverage fractions and the qualitative indicators of mold development were later expressed by a dimensionless mold index. The differences in mold growth in the anatomical sections of wood were found to be relatively insignificant. In contrast, comparison of measured data with other experimental studies showed large differences, especially in the initial growth phase. The discrepancy is probably related to differences among the experimental protocols. It is concluded that laboratory mold growth studies would be improved if a common standardized methodology was developed and followed.

Height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) curves are widely used for detecting children with stunting. The aim of this study was to provide smoothed HAZ growth reference values and their curves for Pakistani children and adolescents aged 2–18 years. The prevalence of stunting in Pakistani children was determined. A total of 10,668 healthy Pakistani participants were included. Information related to age, sex, city of residence and height (cm) was used. Age- and sex-specific smoothed HAZ growth reference values and associated graphs were obtained using the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method. The prevalence of stunting was calculated by applying WHO 2007 and USCDC 2000 height-for-age references and local reference of the study population. In both sexes, the smoothed HAZ curves increased with age. For 2 and 3 years of age, the height values of the girls were greater than those of the boys. The boys were then taller than the girls. Comparing our median height (z = 0) growth reference data from WHO, USCDC and corresponding data from other countries, Pakistani children and adolescents have significantly different reference values than their counterparts in the reference group. A marked overestimation of the prevalence of stunting was observed (10.8% and 17.9% according to WHO and USCDC, respectively) compared to the local reference (3.0%). It is recommended that the prevalence of stunting in children and adolescents is determined by applying local height growth references to plan health strategies and treatments in the local population.

Three of the most frequently used sigmoidal growth curves from the Richards family are the logistic model, Gompertz model and Richards model. They are used in the analysis of organismal growth over time in many disciplines/studies and were proposed in many parameterisations. Choosing the right parameterisation is not easy. The correct parameterisation of the model should take into account such parameters that are useful to describe the analysed growth phenomenon and are biologically relevant without additional calculations. In addition, each parameter of the model only affects one shape characteristic of each growth curve, which makes it possible to determine standard errors and confidence intervals using statistical software. Growth curves in germination dynamics studies should provide information on topics such as the length of the lag in onset of germination, the maximum germination rate and, when it occurs, the time at which 50% of seeds will germinate and the final germination proportion. In this article, we present three parameterisations of the logistic, Gompertz and Richards models and indicate two parameterisations for each model, corresponding to the above-mentioned issues. Our proposition is parameterisation by taking into account the maximum absolute growth rate. Parameterisations indicated as useful for germination dynamics are characterised by the fact that each parameter has the same meaning in every model, so its estimates can be compared directly amongst the models. We also discussed the goodness-of-fit measures for nonlinear models and in particular measures of nonlinear behaviour of a model’s individual parameters as well as overall measures of nonlinearity. All described models were used to study the dynamics of the epicotyl emergence of pedunculate oak. After checking the close-to-linear behaviour of the studied model parameters and by taking into account the criteria of model selection (AICc of each growth curve and the residual variance [RV]), the best model describing the dynamics of epicotyl appearance of pedunculate oak was the Richards curve.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-05T14:08:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-02-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) In order to describe the growth potential and body chemical composition using the Gompertz function, a total of 360 one-day-old commercial pullets of four different strains (Dekalb White and Brown, and Lohmann White and Brown) (90 pullets/strain) were allotted in stainless steel cages in environmentally controlled room from 1 to 18 weeks of age. Hens were provided water and a unique diet (mash form) throughout 18 weeks and in 15-D-intervals six pullets from each strain had the body composition measured until 18 weeks of age using DXA method. Concomitantly to the DXA measurements, a group of pullets were euthanized and had their body and feather chemical composition determined in order to devise equation to correlate DXA measurements with body chemical composition. Feather composition was determined using chemical analysis. Analyzing the same pullet throughout the aforementioned period using DXA method allowed reducing the error in the prediction of bird growth. The genetic strains assessed in the current research exhibited few differences regarding body and feather growth and their bodily chemical components. The growth parameters described herein are in accordance with those described in literature. With the accurate description of genetic growth rate potential, the amount of nutrient required for maintenance purposes and growth may be predicted though the association of growth curves with factorial models. Sao Paulo State Univ Julio de Mesquita Filho, Dept Anim Sci, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet Jaboticabal, Via Acesso Prof Paulo Donato Castelane S-N, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ Julio de Mesquita Filho, Dept Anim Sci, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet Jaboticabal, Via Acesso Prof Paulo Donato Castelane S-N, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2013/25761- 4

Trabajo Final de Grado: Grado en Biotecnología., [ES]: La levadura Saccharomyces cerevisiae es uno de los organismos modelos que más se usan en Biotecnología y Biomedicina. De hecho, fue el primer eucariota en ser completamente secuenciado. Gracias al avance en secuenciación masiva, se han ido obteniendo cada vez más genomas completos, y se han ido aclarando fenómenos evolutivos complejos. De hecho, en los últimos diez años se ha puesto de manifiesto la importancia que juegan la duplicación génica en la emergencia de nuevas funciones. Saccharomyces cerevisiae es una de las especies de levaduras que se originaron tras un evento de hibridación entre especies hace unos 100 millones de años, que requirieron de una duplicación genómica para volver a ser fértiles. Sin embargo, tras esta duplicación genómica se produjo una rápida reducción del genoma, persistiendo actualmente el 30% del genoma en estado duplicado. Cuáles son los mecanismos moleculares que determinan qué genes se mantienen en duplicado y cuáles no, es uno de los retos que se ha intentado explicar en los proyectos de investigación BFU2015.66073-P y SEJI2018-074. En estos proyectos se ha puesto de manifiesto que el nivel transcripcional de los genes influye en su retención como duplicados, pero tras este largo tiempo evolutivo, se han acumulado mutaciones en cada una de las copias, que ha llevado a una divergencia de secuencia y divergencia funcional que puede estar tras el fenómeno de innovación funcional. Dentro de estos proyectos de investigación se ha generado un conjunto de líneas, procedentes de un ensayo de evolución experimental en que la levadura S. cerevisiae cepa Y06240 se ha sometido a pases diarios aplicando un cuello de botella del 1% en la fase de diversificación (100 pases), y posteriormente, se han generado líneas adaptadas a distintos estreses aplicando un cuello de botella del 10% de la población (durante otros 100 pases). En este TFG se va a: i) estudiar cómo responden estas levaduras evolucionadas ante el estrés oxidativo producido por el medio YPOxD (0.01% H2O2), obteniendo datos de tasa de crecimiento, biomasa producida y otros parámetros de las curvas de crecimiento obtenidas con el Bioscreen c, y analizadas con el correspondiente script en Python y R; y ii) caracterizar el espectro mutacional durante la fase de diversificación (DNAseq a t0 y t100), para ello se determinará el número de SNPs e indels utilizando el programa Breseq, y desarrollando scripts para la comparación de los reads DNAseq comparando dos métodos de extracción de DNA genómico, de generación de las correspondientes librerías DNAseq y de plataforma de secuenciación. Los datos obtenidos se compararán respecto a otra dinámica poblacional (cuello de botella de célula única) realizados previamente, intentando correlacionar los cambios mutacionales con los cambios en el fenotipo medido como tasa de crecimiento o masa generada., [EN]: The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most widely used model organisms in Biotechnology and Biomedicine. In fact, it was the first eukaryote to be fully sequenced. Thanks to the advance in massive sequencing, more and more complete genomes have been obtained, and complex evolutionary phenomena have been clarified. In fact, during the past ten years several researchers have shown the importance of gene duplication in the emergence of new functions through the tree of Life. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the yeast species that originated after a hybridization event about 100 million years ago, which required genomic duplication to become fertile again. After whole genome duplication event, there was a rapid reduction of the genome, currently only 30% of the genome persist as duplicate. What are the molecular mechanisms that determine which genes are kept in duplicate and which are not, is one of the challenges that has been tried to explain in the research projects BFU2015.66073-P and SEJI2018-074. In these projects it has been shown that the transcriptional level of genes influences their retention as duplicates, but after this long evolutionary time, mutations have accumulated in each of the copies, which has led to a divergence of sequence and divergence. functional that may be behind the phenomenon of functional innovation. Within these research projects, a set of lines has been generated, from an experimental evolution test in which the yeast S. cerevisiae strain Y06240 has been subjected to daily passages applying a 1% bottleneck in the diversification phase (100 passages), and subsequently, lines adapted to different stresses have been generated by applying a bottleneck of 10% of the population (for another 100 passages). In this TFG we will: i) study how these evolved yeasts respond to the oxidative stress produced by the YPOxD medium (0.01% H2O2), obtaining data on growth rate (r), biomass yield or carrying capacity (k), and other parameters of the growth curves obtained with the Bioscreen c, and analyzed with the corresponding script in Python and R; and ii) characterize the mutational spectrum during the diversification phase of the experimental evolution (DNAseq at t0 and t100), using Breseq to determine the number of SNPs and indels, and developing scripts for the comparison of DNAseq reads comparing two genomic DNA extraction methods, libraries construction, and/or sequencing platform. The data obtained will be compared with other population dynamics (single cell bottleneck) previously carried out, trying to correlate the mutational changes with the changes in the phenotype measured as growth rate or carrying capacity.

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Cranial capacity, a proxy for the volume of the brain and associated cranial contents, is an important yardstick used to compare early hominin species because increasing brain size is a key characteristic of our lineage. In 1925, Raymond Dart claimed that a natural endocast found at the Buxton Limeworks near Taung, South Africa (which he named Australopithecus africanus), showed signs of neural reorganisation, but its juvenile status complicated comparison to other hominoid species. In an attempt to put its brain size and reorganisation into a comparative context, subsequent researchers have tried to estimate Taung’s adult cranial capacity by comparison to coarse-grained hominoid growth data. In this study, we simulated brain growth in A. africanus using asymptotic growth models in known-age mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and modern humans, and show that, at just under 4 years old, Taung’s brain had already finished or nearly finished growing according to hominoid developmental schedules. Percentage-growth remaining estimates are lower here than in previous studies using cross-sectional ontogenetic samples of unknown chronological age. Our new adult estimates (between 404 cm3 and 430 cm3 overall and 405–406 cm3 for chimpanzee models) are smaller than previous estimates with a ‘starting’ cranial capacity of 404 cm3, supporting the hypothesis that Taung’s adult brain size would have fallen toward the lower end of the A. africanus range of variation and strengthening the case that Taung was female. Significance: This is one of several recent studies to show that brain growth is completed in African apes and humans earlier than previously appreciated. New adult cranial capacity estimates for Taung are lower than previous estimates, supporting the hypothesis that Taung was female. Cessation of brain growth in hominoids at earlier ages than previously reported suggests that adult cranial capacities for hominin juvenile specimens have been overestimated. Open data set: http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/wyfvwd4s22

Acquisition Category (ACAT) Level I programs are held to a mandated reliability growth requirement by the Milestone Decision Authority (MDA). Many times, ACAT Level I programs do not have the data required prior to going to test in order to assess and determine the requirement posed on them by the MDA. Most times, due to the complexity of the ACAT Level I program, there is not a comparable program in which to use its data. While there are existing methods that assess reliability growth, they require having failure data available. Due to the complexity of ACAT Level I programs, having the type of data available early in the program’s schedule is usually not possible. Therefore, the existing methods do not work to answer the mandated requirement posed on such complex programs. To overcome this challenge, a design methodology was developed to exhibit the results of reliability growth for ACAT Level I programs. This thesis (1) prepares data gathered from the program's documents as an input to the AMSAA PM2-C model to develop a baselined reliability growth planning curve, (2) produces a demonstrated reliability growth curve, and then (3) compares the baselined planning curve to the demonstrated reliability growth curve. These tasks are captured within the design methodology, which is presented as a repeatable process applicable to ACAT Level I programs. Executing the series of steps in this thesis fulfills the mandated requirement posed by the MDA with fidelity. http://archive.org/details/reliabilitygrowt1094564131 Civilian, Department of the Navy Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Objective Cell growth curves constitute one of the primary assays employed to analyze cell proliferation dynamics of in vitro cultured cells under specific culture conditions. From the cell growth curve, it is possible to assess the behavior of proliferating cells under different conditions, such as drug treatment and genomic editions. Traditionally, growth curves for adherent cells are obtained by seeding the cells in multiple-well plates and counting the total number of cells at different time points. Here, we compare this traditional method to the fluorescence-based method, which is based on the CFSE fluorescence decay over time. Results The fluorescence-based method is not dependent on the determination of the total number of cells, but rather is approached by assessing the fluorescence of a sample of single cells from a cell population at different time points after plating. Therefore, this method is not biased due to either cell loss during harvesting or to the presence of cellular debris and cell clumps. Moreover, the fluorescence-based method displays lower variation among different measurements of the same time point, which increases the reliability on the determination of lag, log and stationary phase transitions.

The participants at WKLIFE IX made the following suggestions to help in developing improved assessment methodologies and species identification through simulation techniques. How to improve the assessment of Merluccius spp: Using SPiCT as the assessment method to develop an OM (Fischer et al., submitted) to pose alternative hypotheses about the nature of discarding (e.g. percentage of misreporting in hake discards) and then simulate datasets to evaluate the impact on estimates of stock status and reference points (e.g. Omori et al., 2016). Quality of observer data required: how good are the observer data to apply to the whole fleet for separating retained and discarded catches and for separating species Merluccius senegalensis and Merluccius polli in catches of the whole fleet? First, explore existing data to identify potential covariates related to species and fishing effort distribution (e.g. Okamoto, to appear). Develop a two species OM (hake - discards and Merlucciuspolli-Meluccius senegalensis) using FLife developed under the MyDas project to explore robustness of current production models assessment approach (e.g. Kell et al., 2009). Growth: It is not possible currently to provide growth curves by species as more otolith readings are needed to evidence different life strategies. Meanwhile, the first step is to try to estimate a robust model VBGM and provide age-length keys for Merluccius spp. Then separate data by ages to help conduct age-based assessments and develop length based indicators

In very-preterm small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, long-term postnatal growth is confused with extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR). We aimed to document EUGR in SGA infants and in non-SGA infants ("true-EUGR") and its relationship with fetal, maternal, and neonatal etiological factors. Four hundred seventy-nine very-preterm infants (< 32 weeks) born between 2003 and 2014 and attending the follow-up clinic were included. INTERGROWTH-21st preterm postnatal growth standards in conjunction with WHO Child Growth Standards were used to judge the postnatal growth patterns. EUGR was defined as weight < 10th percentile according to the sex at 36-34 weeks postmenstrual age, usually at discharge. Catch-up was evaluated at 2-2.5 years. Low-weight-for-age (wasting), low-length-for-age (stunting), and low-head-circumference-for-age were diagnosed if the z-scores were below - 2 SD. Logistic regression analysis estimated the association between the risk factors and EUGR, according to the SGA status at birth. Overall, EUGR occurred in 51% at 36-34 postmenstrual weeks and 21% at 2-2.5 years. However, among 411 non-SGA infants, "true-EUGR" rates were 43% and 15%, respectively.Conclusion: By 2-2.5 years of age, a "true-EUGR" of 15% can be expected and only the head circumference normalizes in SGA infants. Low birth weight, hyaline membrane disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and male sex were associated with "true-EUGR." What is Known: • Fetal, neonatal, or postnatal charts have been considered to monitor the postnatal growth of preterm infants. • This selection influences the diagnosis of "extrauterine growth restriction" (EUGR) and the clinical strategies used. What is New: • Extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants can not be considered a true EUGR but a postnatal evolution of fetal growth restriction. • Preeclampsia, low gestational age, severe neonatal morbidity and male sex are independently associated with EUGR in non-SGA infants (named "true-EUGR"), which can be expected in 15% of very preterm infants by 2-2.5 years of age.

Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane producer (Saccharum spp.), followed by India and China. In 2019, Brazil produced 642.7 million tons of sugarcane, having collected 1.44 billion and 983.52 million dollars from sugar and ethanol exports, respectively. For crop management, it is important to monitor plant growth, duration of growth phases and point of physiological maturation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fit of nonlinear Logistic, Gompertz, Brody and von Bertalanffy models to the height and diameter growth of ratoon cane stalk RB92579 variety, considering age in days. The parameters of models were estimated using R software routines, applying the least squares method and the iterative Gauss-Newton process. The adjustment of models was compared using the following evaluators: determination coefficient (R2), residual standard deviation (RSD) and corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc). In all models, parameters were significant by the t test at 1% level, except for the Brody model. When using the Shapiro-Wilk, Durbin-Watson and Breusch-Pagan tests, it was found that residues were normal, homoscedastic and independent at 1% significance level. All models fitted well to data, except for the Brody model for stalk height. Based on results, the Gompertz and Logistic models presented higher R2 values and lower RSD and AICc values; thus, it could be concluded that these models are suitable to describe the height and diameter of sugarcane RB92579 cultivar, respectively.

The main objective of this work is to study the existence of a possible dependence between different individuals of the same species of Mediterranean shrubs, in particular Ulex parviflorus Pourret, located on an area of 100 m2 in the Desert of Las Palmas (Benicassim, Castellon, Spain). The possible correlation between them is limited to the temporal and spatial dependence, that is to say, to identify if the individuals have statistically significant growth curves, and in the case of being, to see if there is a correlation of the individuals located with proximity in the space. The characteristics (variables) studied are the height and diameter of the Ulex parviflorus, and one data per week is available for a period of two years. At the same time, the coordinates (x, y) within the study region for each individual of the species studied are also available. The conclusion is that the spatial pattern of the Ulex parviflorus is not random but is governed by some biological mechanism that provides a structure of inhibition at small distances combining a certain aggregation structure at distances between 3 and 4 m.

Knowledge of growth patterns of an animal species is fundamental to understand their life history. This information is also used to help define population boundaries of threatened cetaceans, such as the Franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei. A total of 108 Franciscana dolphins incidentally captured in artisanal fishing nets in estuarine and marine coastal waters of the northern part of the Franciscana Management Area IV (North FMA IV), Argentina, were studied. The objective of the present paper was to study age and growth parameters of Franciscanas from North FMA IV and to compare these parameters between estuarine and marine potential populations within this area. We used von Bertalanffy and Gompertz growth curves to model growth trajectories. The estimated asymptotic lengths demonstrated that Franciscana dolphins from this area were smaller (females: 136.3 cm and males, 122.1 cm) than southern FMA IV values previously published. They also showed the reverse sexual size dimorphism that is known across their range. However, the estimated asymptotic length was not statistically different between the estuarine and marine females within the study area. In spite of this, the fact that the northern forms of the FMA IV were smaller than the southern specimens supports the hypothesis of more than one population of the species within this management area. The North FMA IV has the highest reported mortality levels of Franciscana dolphins within the FMA IV; these results are relevant to the knowledge base of Franciscana dolphins in the region. Fil: Denuncio, Pablo Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: Negri, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Bastida, Ricardo Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: Rodriguez, Diego Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina

Batch cultures are a low maintenance and routine culturing method in microbiology. Automated tools that measure growth curves from microorganisms grown in traditional laboratory glassware, such as Balch-type tubes, are not commercially available. Here, we present a new MicrobiAl Growth Intervalometer (MAGI) that measures optical density as it correlates to microbial growth by utilizing photo-conduction as opposed to photo-attenuation used by traditional OD measurement equipment. Photo-attenuation occurs when biomass in suspension within a medium blocks and/or diffuses light directed at the detector, such that an increase in biomass results in a decrease in the measured signal. Photo-conduction differs in which the biomass contained in a medium conducts light from the emitter to the detector, where an increase in the biomass results in a corresponding increase in the measured signal. MAGI features software-driven automation that provides investigators with a highly sensitive, low-background noise growth measurement instrument with added capabilities for remote visualization and data acquisition. It is a low maintenance, cost effective, versatile, and robust platform for aerobic/anaerobic cultivation. We demonstrate the versatility of this device by obtaining growth curves from two common laboratory organisms Escherichia coli K-12 and Bacillus subtilis. We show that growth rates and generation times in E. coli K-12 are reproducible to previously published results and that morphological changes of B. subtilis during growth can be detected as a change in the slope of the growth curve, which is a function of the effects of cell size on photo-conduction through the medium. We also test MAGI to capture growth curves from an environmental organism, Intrasporangium calvum C5, under various media compositions. Our results demonstrate that the MAGI platform accurately measures growth curves in media under various redox conditions (aerobic, microaerobic, and anaerobic), complex and minimal medias, and resolving diauxic growth curves when I. calvum is grown on a disaccharide. Lastly, we demonstrate that the device can resolve growth curves for μM concentrations of resources that yield low biomass. This research advances the tools available to microbiologists aiming to monitor growth curves in a variety of disciplines, such as environmental microbiology, clinical microbiology, and food sciences.

Understanding variability in growth patterns of marine mammals provides insights into the health of individuals and status of populations. Body growth of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) has been described for particular life stages, but has not been quantified across all ages. We derived a comprehensive growth equation for gray whales by fitting a two-phased growth model to age-specific length data of eastern North Pacific gray whales that were captured, stranded, or harvested between 1926 and 1997. To predict mass-at-age, we used the allometric relationship between mass and length. We found that on average (± SD), calves were 4.6 ± 0.043 m and 972 ± 26 kg at birth, and reached 8.5 ± 0.095 m and 6,019 ± 196 kg by the end of their first year of life (n = 118). Thus, calves almost double (2×) in length and octuple (8×) in mass while nursing, and are effectively about two-thirds of their asymptotic adult length and one-third of their maximum mass when weaned. The large sample of aged individuals (n = 730) indicates that gray whales live up to ~48 years and have a life expectancy of < 30 years. Adult females attain a mean (± SD) asymptotic size of 13.1 ± 0.048 m and 20,758 ± 222 kg, while the smaller males average 12.6 ± 0.048 m and 19,938 ± 222 kg at ~40 years of age. Females are thereby ~4% longer and heavier than males. These age-specific estimates of body size can be used to estimate food requirements and assess nutritional status of individuals.

High yielding perennial grasses are utilized as biomass for the bioeconomy and to displace fossil fuels. Many such grasses, including Miscanthus, are largely undomesticated. The main Miscanthus crop is a naturally occurring hydrid M. × giganteus (Mxg). All above ground biomass from Miscanthus is harvested. Stem traits correlate strongly with yield and therefore understanding the seasonal progression of stem growth should identify routes for improved yield. If such studies utilized high yielding commercial genotypes growing in plots the conclusions are likely to be more commercially relevant. Stem elongation was measured from five high yielding genotypes, 10 plants per plot from 20 plots in a replicated field trial over 4 years. Richards growth function produced an accurate fit to stem elongation. Differentials, double differentials and integrals of the parameterized function produced six growth characteristics, describing growth rate, timing and duration of the logarithmic growth phase and area under the growth curve. Maximum growth rate was correlated with yield and compensatory interactions were identified, for example plants with higher maximal growth rates had shorter durations of logarithmic growth. Plant position within plots of lower yielding genotypes did not affect growth characteristics but had a significant effect on late season growth characteristics in higher yielding genotypes. Two high yielding genotypes were compared over 3 years and growth parameterized using four different factors. The inverse correlation between maximum growth rate and duration of logarithmic growth was consistent across years and factors in both genotypes except when parameterized using temperature and only in Mxg. This suggested that different limitations to growth were exerted on the two genotypes which may help explain the exceptional performance of the Mxg genotype. We discuss the implications of the identified complex interactions in growth characteristics for approaches to maximize seasonal yield in perennial biomass crops.

We previously proposed a simple regression-based method to map quantitative trait loci underlying function-valued phenotypes. In order to better handle the case of noisy phenotype measurements and accommodate the correlation structure among time points, we propose an alternative approach that maintains much of the simplicity and speed of the regression-based method. We overcome noisy measurements by replacing the observed data with a smooth approximation. We then apply functional principal component analysis, replacing the smoothed phenotype data with a small number of principal components. Quantitative trait locus mapping is applied to these dimension-reduced data, either with a multi-trait method or by considering the traits individually and then taking the average or maximum LOD score across traits. We apply these approaches to root gravitropism data on Arabidopsis recombinant inbred lines and further investigate their performance in computer simulations. Our methods have been implemented in the R package, funqtl.

Preterm infant growth is a major health indicator and needs to be monitored with an appropriate growth curve to achieve the best developmental and growth potential while avoiding excessive caloric intake that is linked to metabolic syndrome and hypertension later in life. New international standards for size at birth and postnatal growth for preterm infants are available and need implementation in clinical practice. A prospective, single center observational study was conducted to evaluate the in-hospital and long-term growth of 80 preterm infants with a mean gestational age of 33.3 &plusmn, 2.2 weeks, 57% males. Size at birth and at discharge were assessed using the INTERGROWTH-21ST standards, at preschool age with World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards. The employment of INTERGROWTH-21ST Preterm Postnatal longitudinal standards during the in-hospital follow-up significantly reduced the diagnosis of short term extrauterine growth restriction when compared to commonly used cross sectional neonatal charts, with significant lower loss of percentiles between birth and term corrected age (p &lt, 0.0001). The implementation of a package of standards at birth, preterm postnatal growth standards and WHO child growth standards proved to be consistent, with correlation between centile at birth and at follow-up, and therefore effective in monitoring growth in a moderate and late preterm infant cohort without chronic or major morbidities. Infants identified as small for gestational age at birth showed significantly more frequently a need for auxological referral.

Objectives Latent class trajectory modelling (LCTM) is a relatively new methodology in epidemiology to describe life-course exposures, which simplifies heterogeneous populations into homogeneous patterns or classes. However, for a given dataset, it is possible to derive scores of different models based on number of classes, model structure and trajectory property. Here, we rationalise a systematic framework to derive a ‘core’ favoured model. Methods We developed an eight-step framework: step 1: a scoping model; step 2: refining the number of classes; step 3: refining model structure (from fixed-effects through to a flexible random-effect specification); step 4: model adequacy assessment; step 5: graphical presentations; step 6: use of additional discrimination tools (‘degree of separation’; Elsensohn’s envelope of residual plots); step 7: clinical characterisation and plausibility; and step 8: sensitivity analysis. We illustrated these steps using data from the NIH-AARP cohort of repeated determinations of body mass index (BMI) at baseline (mean age: 62.5 years), and BMI derived by weight recall at ages 18, 35 and 50 years. Results From 288 993 participants, we derived a five-class model for each gender (men: 177 455; women: 111 538). From seven model structures, the favoured model was a proportional random quadratic structure (model F). Favourable properties were also noted for the unrestricted random quadratic structure (model G). However, class proportions varied considerably by model structure—concordance between models F and G were moderate (Cohen κ: men, 0.57; women, 0.65) but poor with other models. Model adequacy assessments, evaluations using discrimination tools, clinical plausibility and sensitivity analyses supported our model selection. Conclusion We propose a framework to construct and select a ‘core’ LCTM, which will facilitate generalisability of results in future studies.

A major achievement of reading research has been the development of effective intervention programs for struggling readers. Most intervention studies employ a pre-post design, to examine efficacy, but this precludes the study of growth curves over the course of the intervention program. Determining the time-course of improvement is essential for cost-effective, evidence-based decisions on the optimal intervention dosage. The goal of this study was to analyze reading growth curves during an intensive summer intervention program. A cohort of 31 children (6–12 years) with reading difficulties (N = 21 with dyslexia diagnosis) were enrolled in 160 h of intervention occurring over 8 weeks of summer vacation. We collected behavioral measures over 4 sessions assessing decoding, oral reading fluency, and comprehension. Mixed-effects modeling of longitudinal measurements revealed a linear dose-response relationship between hours of intervention and improvement in reading ability; there was significant linear growth on every measure of reading skill and none of the measures showed non-linear growth trajectories. Decoding skills showed substantial growth [Cohen’s d = 0.85 (WJ Basic Reading Skills)], with fluency and comprehension growing more gradually [d = 0.41 (WJ Reading Fluency)]. These results highlight the opportunity to improve reading skills over an intensive, short-term summer intervention program, and the linear dose-response relationship between duration and gains enables educators to set reading level goals and design a treatment plan to achieve them.

We present preliminary results on age and growth of Dissostichus mawsoni for the third season (2015/16) of the Spanish research fishing in the 58.4.1 Division obtained for growth rings on otolith readings. It is included the growth parameters estimates by sex. Growth parameters obtained using length-age pair values are: L∞: 208.2, k: 0.074 and t0: 0.564 for females; L∞: 173, k: 0.089 and t0: -0.1771 for males; and L∞: 226.4, k: 0.05673 and t0: -0.745 all combined. Values differ with the previous estimates, and comparisons are made between seasons all seasons together as well as with the parameter values used in the Ross sea assessment.

Resumen: Objetivos: Elaborar unas curvas de peso neonatal con una metodología que permita el acceso al cálculo automático del percentil, el registro y almacenamiento secuencial de los resultados y compararlas con otros modelos creados para niños españoles. Material y métodos: Se realizó un análisis de regresión múltiple considerando como variable dependiente el peso del recién nacido (RN) y la edad gestacional (EG) y el sexo como independientes, para construir un modelo de cálculo del peso óptimo y de los correspondientes percentiles. Se comparan los resultados al clasificar a los RN como grandes o pequeños para la EG con el modelo propuesto y con el de Carrascosa, con el de Figueras y con los de Ramos. Resultados: Modelo de cálculo del peso óptimo: 3.311,062 + 68,074 *sexo + 143,267 *EG40 –13,481 * EG402 – 0,797 *EG403 + sexo* (5,528 *EG40 – 0,674 *EG402 – 0,064 *EG403). Los percentiles de peso se obtuvieron de los datos estandarizados usando el coeficiente de variación del peso óptimo. El grado de concordancia entre el modelo construido y el de Carrascosa, el de Ramos dado en percentiles empíricos y el de Ramos en percentiles suavizados resultó «casi perfecto», κ = 0,866, κ = 0,872 y κ = 0,876 (p < 0,001), respectivamente; y con el de Figueras «considerable», κ = 0,720 (p

SUMMARYThe objective of the current study was to assess the use of nonlinear mixed model methodology to fit the growth curves (weightv.time) of two dairy goat genotypes (Alpine, +A and Saanen, +S). The nonlinear functions evaluated included Brody, Von Bertalanffy, Richards, Logistic and Gompertz. The growth curve adjustment was performed using two steps. First, random effectsu1,u2andu3were linked to the asymptotic body weight (β1), constant of integration (β2) and rate constant of growth (β3) parameters, respectively. In addition to a traditional fixed-effects model, four combinations of models were evaluated using random variables: all parameters associated with random effects (u1,u2andu3), onlyβ1andβ2(u1andu2), onlyβ1andβ3(u1andu3) and onlyβ1(u1). Second, the fit of the best adjusted model was refined by using the power variance and modelling the error structure. Residual variance ($\sigma _e^2 $) and the Akaike information criterion were used to evaluate the models. After the best fitting model was chosen, the genotype curve parameters were compared. The residual variance was reduced in all scenarios for which random effects were considered. The Richards (u1andu3) function had the best fit to the data. This model was reparameterized using two isotropic error structures for unequally spaced data, and the structure known in the literature as SP(MATERN) proved to be a better fit. The growth curve parameters differed between the two genotypes, with the exception of the constant that determines the proportion of the final size at which the inflection point occurs (β4). The nonlinear mixed model methodology is an efficient tool for evaluating growth curve features, and it is advisable to assign biologically significant parameters with random effects. Moreover, evaluating error structure modelling is recommended to account for possible correlated errors that may be present even when using random effects. Different Richard growth curve parameters should be used for the predominantly Alpine and Saanen genotypes because there are differences in their growth patterns.

Different versions of the lognormal diffusion process with exogenous factors have been used in recent years to model and study the behavior of phenomena following a given growth curve. In each case considered, the estimation of the model has been addressed, generally by maximum likelihood (ML), as has been the study of several characteristics associated with the type of curve considered. For this process, a unified version of the ML estimation problem is presented, including how to obtain estimation errors and asymptotic confidence intervals for parametric functions when no explicit expression is available for the estimators of the parameters of the model. The Gompertz-type diffusion process is used here to illustrate the application of the methodology., This work was supported in part by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spain, under Grants MTM2014-58061-P and MTM2017-85568-P.

Persistent disturbing behaviour refers to a chronic condition in highly unstable, therapy resistant psychiatric patients. Because these patients are difficult to maintain in their natural living environment and even in hospital wards, purposely designed residential psychiatric facilities need to be established. Therefore, it is important to define and circumscribe the group carefully. Serroyen and co-workers, starting from the longitudinal analysis of a score based on data from the Belgian national psychiatric registry, undertook a discriminant analysis to distinguish persistent disturbing behaviour patients from a control group. They also indicated that there is scope for further subdividing the persistent disturbing behaviour patients into two subgroups, using conventional cluster analysis techniques. We employ a variety of novel longitudinal-data-based cluster analysis techniques. These are based on either conventional growth models, growth-mixture models or latent class growth models. Unlike in earlier analyses, where some evidence for two groups was found, there now is an indication of three groups, which is a finding with high practical and organizational relevance. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Interuniversity Attraction Pole research network P6/03 of the Belgian Government (Belgian Science Policy).

Genital size is a crucial index for the assessment of male sexual development, as abnormal penile or testicular size may be the earliest visible clinical manifestation of some diseases. However, there is a lack of data regarding penile and testicular size measurements for Chinese boys at all stages of childhood and puberty. This cross-sectional study aimed to develop appropriate growth curves and charts for male external genitalia among children and adolescents aged 0–17 years in Chongqing, China. A total of 2974 boys were enrolled in the present study. Penile length was measured using a rigid ruler, penile diameter was measured using a pachymeter, and testicular volume was determined using a Prader orchidometer. Age-specific percentile curves for penile length, penile diameter, and testicular volume were drawn using the generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape. Very similar growth curves were found for both penile length and penile diameter. Both of them gradually rose to 10 years of age and then sharply increased from 11 to 15 years of age. However, testicular volume changed little before the age of 10 years. This study contributes to the literature covering age-specific growth curve and charts about male external genitalia in Chinese children and adolescents. These age-related values are valuable in evaluating the growth and development status of male external genitalia and could be helpful in diagnosing genital disorders.

14 páginas, 3 figuras, 2 tablas.

El estudio multicéntrico de la Organización Mundial de la Salud sobre el patrón de crecimiento infantil es un proyecto multinacional desarrollado para elaborar nuevas referencias de crecimiento para lactantes y niños pequeños. Combinó un seguimiento longitudinal desde el nacimiento hasta los 24 meses y un estudio transversal en niños entre 18 y 71 meses de edad. La muestra final incluye 8.440 lactantes de Brasil, Estados Unidos, Ghana, India, Noruega y Omán.El nuevo patrón confirma que todos los niños del mundo, si reciben una atención adecuada desde el comienzo de sus vidas, tienen el mismo potencial de crecimiento, y que las diferencias en el crecimiento infantil hasta los 5 años dependen más de la nutrición, el medio ambiente y la atención sanitaria que de factores genéticos o étnicos.El nuevo patrón se basa en el niño alimentado con leche materna como norma esencial para el crecimiento y el desarrollo, lo que asegura una coherencia entre los instrumentos utilizados para evaluar el crecimiento, y las directrices sobre alimentación infantil que recomiendan la leche materna como fuente óptima de nutrición durante el período de lactancia. : The World Health Organization Multicenter Growth Reference Study is a multinational project to develop new growth references for infants and young children. The design combines a longitudinal study from birth to 24 months with a cross-sectional study of children aged 18 to 71 months. The pooled sample from the six participating countries (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, and the United States) consists of 8440 children.The new WHO Child Growth Standards confirm that all children worldwide, given an optimum start in life, have the same potential for growth and prove that differences in children's growth to the age of 5 years are more influenced by nutrition, feeding practices, environment, and healthcare than by genetics or ethnicity.The new standards are based on the breast fed child as the norm for growth and development. For the first time, this ensures coherence among the tools used to assess growth and national and international infant feeding guidelines, which recommend breast feeding as the optimal source of nutrition during infancy.

Prehrambene navike i stavovi formiraju se u ranom djetinjstvu, a usvojena znanja i vještine prenose se na sljedeće generacije. Cilj rada je ispitati stanje uhranjenosti i prehrambene navike učenika petih razreda osnovnih škola na području Bjelovarskobilogorske županije te ih povezati s određenim socioekonomskim i demografskim čimbenicima obitelji (mjesto stanovanja, obrazovanje roditelja, provođenje slobodnog vremena). Ispitivanje je provedeno tijekom obveznog sistematskog pregleda učenika petih razreda prigodom kojeg su učenici anonimno ispunjavali posebno osmišljeni upitnik nakon kojeg im je izmjerena tjelesna masa i visina. U anketi je sudjelovalo 466 učenika, što je 40,5 % ove populacije. Rezultati pokazuju da je, prema kriterijima Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije (WHO) 15,0 % pothranjene, 56,0 % normalno uhranjene i 29,0% prekomjerno teške i pretile djece. Dnevno 54,5 % djece ima tri obroka, od čega su dva kuhana. Prosječno 4,7 % svakodnevno jede brzu hranu, a 11,6 % pije gazirana pića, dok meso jede 24,7 %, voće i povrće 55,8 %, slatkiše 21,9 %, mlijeko 56,9 %. Organiziranom aktivnosti van škole bavi se 57,6 % učenika, dok pred televizorom 4 i više sati provede 11,8 % učenika, a 7,8 % igranjem 3 sata i više od kojih je 77,3 % sedentarnog tipa. Istraživanjem je utvrđen značajan udio prekomjerno teške i pretile djece u županiji, koja imaju loše prehrambene navike i nisku fi zičku aktivnost uz povećan udio sedentarnog načina života., Eating habits and attitudes are formed in early childhood, and acquired knowledge and skills are transferred to the next generation. The aim of this study was to examine nutritional status and dietary habits of elementary school fi fth-graders in Bjelovar-Bilogora County and connect them with certain socioeconomic and demographic family factors (residence, parental education, and activity). The survey was conducted during the obligatory systematic examination. The students fi lled out an anonymous questionnaire specially designed for this purpose and then they had their body weight and height measured. The survey included 466 students, which made 40.5% of the population. The results showed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, 15.0% of study subjects to be underweight, 56.0% had normal weight and 29.0% were overweight and obese children. Furthermore, 54.5% of the children had three meals per day, two of these cooked. About 4.7% of study subjects reported taking fast food daily and 11.6% drank soda. Daily consumption of meat was reported by 24.7%, fruit and vegetables by 55.8%, sweets by 21.9% and milk by 56.9% of the subjects. Organized activities outside the school were reported by 57.6% of students, whereas 11.8% of subjects spent 4 or more hours watching TV and 7.8% playing for 3 hours and more, 77.3% of these of sedentary types. The research identifi ed a signifi cant proportion of overweight and obese children in the county, who had poor eating habits and low physical activity, with an increased proportion of sedentary lifestyle.

The analysis of nonlinear function-valued characters is very important in genetic studies, especially for growth traits of agricultural and laboratory species. Inference in nonlinear mixed effects models is, however, quite complex and is usually based on likelihood approximations or Bayesian methods. The aim of this paper was to present an efficient stochastic EM procedure, namely the SAEM algorithm, which is much faster to converge than the classical Monte Carlo EM algorithm and Bayesian estimation procedures, does not require specification of prior distributions and is quite robust to the choice of starting values. The key idea is to recycle the simulated values from one iteration to the next in the EM algorithm, which considerably accelerates the convergence. A simulation study is presented which confirms the advantages of this estimation procedure in the case of a genetic analysis. The SAEM algorithm was applied to real data sets on growth measurements in beef cattle and in chickens. The proposed estimation procedure, as the classical Monte Carlo EM algorithm, provides significance tests on the parameters and likelihood based model comparison criteria to compare the nonlinear models with other longitudinal methods.

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:55:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S0102-09352005000500011.pdf: 234038 bytes, checksum: 811921e94de96e1caaacc4c855b65c8b (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:55:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S0102-09352005000500011.pdf: 234038 bytes, checksum: 811921e94de96e1caaacc4c855b65c8b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-10-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:48:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0102-09352005000500011.pdf: 234038 bytes, checksum: 811921e94de96e1caaacc4c855b65c8b (MD5) S0102-09352005000500011.pdf.txt: 33436 bytes, checksum: 9f132d5e0ae1afd981bd3bd2eb184177 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-10-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T15:12:55Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S0102-09352005000500011.pdf: 234038 bytes, checksum: 811921e94de96e1caaacc4c855b65c8b (MD5) S0102-09352005000500011.pdf.txt: 33436 bytes, checksum: 9f132d5e0ae1afd981bd3bd2eb184177 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T15:12:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0102-09352005000500011.pdf: 234038 bytes, checksum: 811921e94de96e1caaacc4c855b65c8b (MD5) S0102-09352005000500011.pdf.txt: 33436 bytes, checksum: 9f132d5e0ae1afd981bd3bd2eb184177 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-10-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Utilizaram-se 14.563 pesagens de 1158 fêmeas da raça Nelore, nascidas entre 1984 e 1995, pertencentes a 10 fazendas, distribuídas em sete estados do Brasil. Com o objetivo de estabelecer um padrão médio de crescimento, obter parâmetros individuais das curvas e estimar os componentes de variância, herdabilidade e correlações genéticas dos parâmetros das curvas, foram comparados os modelos de Von Bertalanffy, Brody, logístico e Gompertz. Foram utilizados o procedimento NLIN e o programa MTDFREML sob modelo animal em análise unicaráter e bicaráter. Os parâmetros médios dos pesos assintóticos (A) e das taxas de maturidade (K) foram: 515,06 e 0,071 para Von Bertalanffy; 552,77 e 0,045 para Brody; 501,11 e 0,097 para logístico, e 507,00 e 0,083 para Gompertz, respectivamente. As estimativas de herdabilidade para A e K foram de alta magnitude: 0,39 e 0,42 para Von Bertalanffy, 0,42 e 0,44 para Brody, 0,40 e 0,41 para logístico e 0,39 e 0,39 para Gompertz, respectivamente. As correlações genéticas variaram entre -0,69 e -0,49. Todos os modelos foram adequados para descrever o crescimento. A ordem de escolha do melhor modelo para descrever a curva de crescimento foi: Brody, Von Bertalanffy, logístico e Gompertz. Essas características seriam passíveis de inclusão em índice de seleção para seleção de fêmeas Nelore. Data from 1158 females Nellore beef cattle, born between 1984 and 1995, at 10 breeding farms and located at seven differents States of Brazil were used to establish a growth pattern curve of beef cattle females, and to estimate variance components, heritabilities and genetic correlations between the parameters for Von Bertalanffy, Brody, logístic and Gompertz models. The NLIN procedure and the MTDFREML program under animal model were used for single and two trait analyses. The average weight (A) and growth rate (K) were 515.06 and .071 for Von Bertalanffy; 552.77 and .045 for Brody; 501.11 and .097 for logistic; and 507.00 and .083 for Gompertz, respectively. High heritabilities were estimated for A and K parameters: .39 and .42 for Von Bertalanffy; .42 and .44 for Brody; .40 and .41 for logistic; and .39 and .39 for Gompertz, respectively. All the models described adequately the growth pattern of those females. The best model to describe the growth curve based on the number of iteractions for convergence, error mean square and the coefficient of determination was Brody model, followed by Von Bertalanffy, logistic and Gompetz models. These characteristics (A and K parameters) could be included in selection index for female Nelore selection. Universidade Federal de Tocantins Ciências Biológicas USP Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto Universidade Estadual Paulista Universidade Estadual Paulista

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o crescimento somático de recém-nascidos pré-termo através de curvas de crescimento nas primeiras 12 semanas de vida. MÉTODO: Estudo longitudinal prospectivo realizado em duas maternidades públicas de Belo Horizonte. Peso, perímetro cefálico e comprimento foram avaliados semanalmente em 340 recém-nascidos pré-termo, com peso ao nascer menor que 2.500 g, e construíram-se curvas de crescimento ajustadas pelo modelo de Count para cada variável. RESULTADOS: O modelo de Count demonstra claramente a dinâmica de perda, estabilização e ganho de peso de todas as curvas, que é graficamente semelhante nas diferentes faixas de peso de nascimento. A perda de peso ocorreu dentro da primeira semana (4 a 6 dias), variando de 5,9% a 9,7%, sendo tanto mais acentuada quanto menor o peso de nascimento. O tempo para a recuperação do peso de nascimento variou de 16 a 19 dias, evidenciando um tempo maior de recuperação do peso de nascimento. Uma vez recuperado o peso de nascimento, a partir da terceira semana os recém-nascidos mantiveram taxas crescentes de ganho de peso. As curvas de crescimento do perímetro cefálico e comprimento são pouco afetadas pela perda de peso, mas os recém-nascidos de menores pesos apresentaram perda de perímetro cefálico e comprimento, em função das menores idades gestacionais. CONCLUSÃO: Os achados deste estudo evidenciam que, no que diz respeito à dinâmica, os nossos recém-nascidos apresentaram crescimento semelhante ao de outros estudos e apresentam um déficit de crescimento, mas também mostram que eles têm um grande potencial para recuperar seu crescimento. OBJECTIVE: To assess the somatic growth of preterm newborns through growth curves during the first 12 weeks of life. METHOD: A longitudinal and prospective study was carried out at two state operated maternity hospitals in the city of Belo Horizonte. Three hundred and forty preterm infants with birth weight less than 2,500 g were weekly evaluated in terms of body weight, head circumference, and height. Growth curves were constructed and adjusted to Count's model. RESULTS: Count's model clearly showed that the dynamics of loss, stabilization and gain of weight of all curves are graphically similar. The growth curve was characterized by weight loss during the 1st week (4-6 days) ranging from 5.9 to 9.7% (the greater the percentage, the lower the birth weight). For all curves, recovery of birth weight ranged from 16 to19 days, showing that these newborns took longer to recover their birth weight. After the 3rd week, the newborns maintained increasingly rates of weight gain. Head circumference and height curves are little affected by weight loss. However, newborns with low birth weight presented loss of head circumference and height, probably due to their lower gestational ages. CONCLUSION: The dynamics of the preterm infants evaluated was similar to that of previous studies. The infants also presented growth deficit. However, it was also noted that the infants present a high potential to recover their growth.

Um novo referencial antropométrico de crescimento foi publicado recentemente pelo Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, órgão do United StatesDepartment of Health and Human Services, em substituição àquele elaborado pelo National Center for Health Statistics, padrão amplamente usado desde 1977, recomendado para uso internacional pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e adotado pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil. O objetivo desta revisão é discutir os pressupostos que levaram à substituição do referencial do National Center for Health Statistics/1977, bem como as mudanças procedidas e suas implicações. A new growth anthropometric reference was published recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a division of United States Department of Health and Human Services, to replace the widely used 1977 National Center for Health Statistics reference, which was recommended for international use by the World Health Organization and adopted by the Ministry of Health of Brazil. The objective of this review is to discuss the presuppositions that led to the replacement of the 1977 National Center for Health Statistics reference, as well as the changes which were proceeded and its implications.

Previous studies estimated critical periods of childhood body mass index (BMI) growth and linked these events to adult adiposity and cardiovascular health. We expand upon both results to link childhood BMI growth patterns with adult blood pressure. Data from male and female participants in the Fels Longitudinal Study were used to estimate childhood BMI growth curves, from which we isolate ages of childhood BMI divergence based upon adult BMI and blood pressure measurements. Repeated measure analysis of variances models were used to estimate BMI growth curves from ages 2 to 17.5 based on both adult BMI (< 25 kg/m2 or ≥ 25 kg/m2) and adult blood pressure (< 120 mmHg or ≥ 120 mmHg for systolic blood pressure; < 80 mmHg or ≥ 80 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure). Participants with lower bodyweight throughout childhood had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures in early adulthood. Any relationships between childhood adiposity and adult bodyweight and blood pressure disappeared by age 60. These results were independent of adult BMI and were observed in both men and women. Increased adult blood pressure has its genesis in part from increased childhood BMI.

A functional skeletal criterion, as an extension of the van der Klaauw's cranial theory, was adopted in the present study. The null hypothesis tested was: "The major skeletal components of the platyrrhine body grow linearly, regardless of their functional dependence to different demands." The acceptance of the hypothesis will imply that all Saimiri skeletal growth may be satisfactorily explained by independent variables in a single equation. The rejection will suggest that such skeletal growth patterns have to be explained by variables in several different equations, and perhaps these equations may vary with the effect of sex and undernutrition. Control and undernourished squirrel monkeys were radiographed monthly for 2 years; they were also measured; and their volumetric and morphometric neurocranial, facial, and pelvic indices were calculated. The curves that best described each of the 24-point sequences were obtained. Three main growth patterns were observed: 1) Simple linear (femur length for all groups, and pelvic index for control and undernourished females), for which the simple regression equation explained more than 95% of the variation; 2) Complex linear (pelvic index for control and undernourished males, and neurocranial and facial indices for all of the groups), for which more than 95% of the variation was explained by one of the four four-function type equations; and 3) Noncorrelated with age (neurofacial index for undernourished males, and pelviofemoral index for control females and undernourished males and females), which showed nonsignificant correlations with respect to age. The food intake and the oscillations of the environmental temperature might help to explain the undulating growth trajectory observed in the complex linear components. Fil: Pucciarelli, Hector Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina Fil: Muñe, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina Fil: Oyhenart, Evelia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina Fil: Orden, Alicia Bibiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina Fil: Villanueva, Miriam E.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina Fil: Rodríguez, Raúl R.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina Fil: Pons, Eduardo R.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina

Parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function are presented for 42 fish stocks belonging to 16 families, 22 genera and 27 species. The growth performance index, Phi '(= log K + 2logL sub( infinity )), was computed for each stock and was found to be highest in male Gymnarchus niloticus (Gymnarchidae) from Lake Chad and lowest in Chrysichthys auratus (Bagridae) from the Cross River. Mean Phi ' for major fish genera and families are also presented and was highest in brackishwater fishes, closely followed by freshwater and inshore marine water fishes.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-11T20:51:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015 Goniopsis cruentata é um caranguejo semi-terrestre comum em manguezais brasileiros e um importante recurso pesqueiro para comunidades tradicionais no nordeste do Brasil. Com o objetivo de contribuir com o conhecimento sobre a espécie, o presente estudo avaliou as curvas de crescimento em largura de carapaça e em peso, o crescimento relativo do peso pela largura da carapaça e a variação temporal dos índices gonadossomático e hepatossomático para a espécie. Um total de 524 caranguejos foram coletados em área de manguezal no município de Ubatuba, estado de São Paulo. Os parâmetros das curvas de crescimento e a longevidade (tmax) foram estimados para machos (CW∞=50,6 mm, WE∞=56,4 g, k=2,24, t0=0,003631502 ano-1, tmax=1,3 anos) e fêmeas (CW∞=50,7 mm, WE∞=58,8 g, k=2,50, t0=0,003247209 ano-1, tmax=1,2 anos). A idade no início da maturidade sexual foi de 0,23 anos para ambos os sexos. O modelo de crescimento em peso foi isométrico para indivíduos em estágios de desenvolvimento imaturos e alométrico negativo para adultos. A espécie exibiu reprodução contínua com picos reprodutivos nos meses de primavera e verão. A dinâmica de peso das gônadas e hepatopâncreas não estiveram claramente relacionadas. Os padrões de crescimento e reprodução indicaram que Goniopsis cruentata possui uma história de vida que prioriza a reprodução em detrimento da sobrevivência. A espécie exibiu algumas das maiores taxas de cresci mento e menores estimativas de longevidade relatados para espécies de braquiúros no Brasil. Goniopsis cruentata is a common semi-terrestrial crab in Brazilian mangroves and an important fishery resource for traditional communities in the northeastern Brazilian coast. Aiming to contribute to the knowledge about the species, this study evaluated the carapace width and weight growth curves, the relative growth of weight versus carapace width, and the temporal variation of gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices for the species. A total of 524 crabs were collected in a mangrove area of Ubatuba municipality, state of São Paulo. The growth-curves parameters and longevity (tmax) were estimated for males (CW∞=50.6 mm, WE=56.4 g, k=2.24, t0=0.003631502 year-1, tmax=1.3 years) and females (CW∞=50.7 mm, WE∞=58.8 g, k=2.50, t0=0.003247209 year-1, tmax=1.2 years). The age at onset of sexual maturity was 0.23 years for both genders. The weight-growth model was isometric for the immature developmental stages and allometric negative for adults. The species exhibited a continuous reproduction, with breeding peaks in spring and summer months. The weight dynamics of gonads and hepatopancreas were not clearly related. The growth and reproductive patterns indicated that Goniopsis cruentata has a life-history that prioritizes reproduction instead of survival. The species exhibited some of the highest growth rates and lowest longevity estimates reported for brachyuran species in Brazil. [Taddei, Fabiano G.] Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Brazil Reis, Carla R.G.; Cobo, Valter J.] Universidade de Taubaté, Brazil

Introduction: Growth charts are widely used to assess children’s growth status and can provide a trajectory of growth during early important months of life. The objectives of this study are going to construct growth charts and normal values of weight-for-age for children aged 0 to 5 years using a powerful and applicable methodology. The results compare with the World Health Organization (WHO) references and semi-parametric LMS method of Cole and Green. Methods: A total of 70737 apparently healthy boys and girls aged 0 to 5 years were recruited in July 2004 for 20 days from those attending community clinics for routine health checks as a part of a national survey. Anthropometric measurements were done by trained health staff using WHO methodology. The nonparametric quantile regression method obtained by local constant kernel estimation of conditional quantiles curves using for estimation of curves and normal values. Results: The weight-for-age growth curves for boys and girls aged from 0 to 5 years were derived utilizing a population of children living in the northeast of Iran. The results were similar to the ones obtained by the semi-parametric LMS method in the same data. Among all age groups from 0 to 5 years, the median values of children’s weight living in the northeast of Iran were lower than the corresponding values in WHO reference data. The weight curves of boys were higher than those of girls in all age groups. Conclusion: The differences between growth patterns of children living in the northeast of Iran versus international ones necessitate using local and regional growth charts. International normal values may not properly recognize the populations at risk for growth problems in Iranian children. Quantile regression (QR) as a flexible method which doesn’t require restricted assumptions, proposed for estimation reference curves and normal values.

The body weight records of 1221 heifers were used in this study collected from PT Taurus Dairy Farm Sukabumi from year 2001 until 2011. The records that could be used for analysis were 373 out of 1221 heifers, having completed data from birth to first mating period. Three different models i.e, Logistic, Gompertz, and von Bertalanffy were performed to analyze the growth rate of heifers. The results showed that the three models had different accuracy and heavily depend on age, environment and duration of recording. The body weights of sexual maturity and on certain ages were affected by the duration of recording. The Gompertz model was performed as the simpliest model in form of calculation. On the other hand, the Logistic was more difficult to calculate. All models indicated high accuracy with the determination coefficient (R2) more than 90%. Based on the comparison, the Gompertz and Logistic model are recommended for predicting the growth rate of heifers from birth to sexual maturity.