An evaluation of ureteral diameter ratio and vesicoureteral reflux index in the treatment of primary vesicoureteral reflux

Objective:Vesicoureteral reflux(VUR)index is a simple,validated tool that reliably predicts significant improvement and spontaneous resolution of primary reflux in children.The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the ureter diameter ratio(UDR)and VUR index(VURx)of patients treated with endoscopic injection(EI)and ureteroneocystostomy(UNC)methods in the pediatric age group due to primary VUR.Methods:Patients under the age of 18 years old who underwent EI and UNC with the diagnosis of primary VUR between January 2011 and September 2021 were determined as the participants.The UDR was assessed using voiding cystourethrography,and the VURx score was determined prior to treatment based on hospital records included in the study.Results:A total of 255 patients,60(23.5%)boys and 195(76.5%)girls,with a mean age of 76.5(range 13.0e204.0)months,were included in the study.EI was applied to 130(51.0%)patients and UNC was applied to 125(49.0%)patients due to primary VUR.The optimum cut-off for the distal UDR was obtained as 0.17 with sensitivity and specificity of 73.0%and 63.0%,respectively.The positive and negative predictive values were 66.0%and 70.0%,respectively.Conclusion:When the UDR and VURx score are evaluated together for the surgical treatment of primary VUR in the pediatric age group,it is thought that it may be useful in predicting the clinical course of the disease and evaluating surgical treatment options.

Added value of ratio of cross diameters of the appendix in ultrasound diagnosis of acute appendicitis

BACKGROUND The maximum outer diameter(MOD)of the appendix is an essential parameter for diagnosing acute appendicitis,but there is space for improvement in ultrasound(US)diagnostic performance.AIM To investigate whether combining the ratio of the cross diameters(RATIO)of the appendix with MOD of the appendix can enhance the diagnostic performance of acute appendicitis.METHODS A retrospective study was conducted,and medical records of 233 patients with acute appendicitis and 112 patients with a normal appendix were reviewed.The MOD and RATIO of the appendix were calculated and tested for their diagnostic performance of acute appendicitis,both individually and in combination.RESULTS The RATIO for a normal appendix was 1.32±0.16,while for acute appendicitis it was 1.09±0.07.The cut-off value for RATIO was determined to be≤1.18.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)for diagnosing acute appendicitis using RATIO≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm was 0.870 and 0.652,respectively.There was a significant difference in AUC between RATIO≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm(P<0.0001).When comparing the combination of RATIO≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm with MOD>6 mm alone,the combination showed increased specificity,positive predictive value(PPV),and AUC.However,the sensitivity and negative predictive value decreased.CONCLUSION Combining RATIO of the appendix≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm can significantly improve the specificity,PPV,and AUC in the US diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

One-year results for myopia control of orthokeratology with different back optic zone diameters: a randomized trial using a novel multispectral-based topographer

AIM:To present the 1-year results of a prospective cohort study investigating the efficacy,potential mechanism,and safety of orthokeratology(ortho-k)with different back optic zone diameters(BOZD)for myopia control in children.METHODS:This randomized clinical study was performed between Dec.2020 and Dec.2021.Participants were randomly assigned to three groups wearing ortho-k:5 mm BOZD(5-MM group),5.5 mm BOZD(5.5-MM group),and 6 mm BOZD(6-MM group).The 1-year data were recorded,including axial length,relative peripheral refraction(RPR,measured by multispectral refractive topography,MRT),and visual quality.The contrast sensitivity(CS)was evaluated by CSV-1000 instrument with spatial frequencies of 3,6,12,and 18 cycles/degree(c/d);the corneal higher-order aberrations(HOAs)were measured by iTrace aberration analyzer.The one-way ANOVA was performed to assess the differences between the three groups.The correlation between the change in AL and RPR was calculated by Pearson’s correlation coefficient.RESULTS:The 1-year results of 20,21,and 21 subjects in the 5-MM,5.5-MM,and 6-MM groups,respectively,were presented.There were no statistical differences in baseline age,sex,or ocular parameters between the three groups(all P>0.05).At the 1-year visit,the 5-MM group had lower axial elongation than the 6-MM group(0.07±0.09 vs 0.18±0.11 mm,P=0.001).The 5-MM group had more myopic total RPR(TRPR,P=0.014),with RPR in the 15°–30°(RPR 15–30,P=0.015),30°–45°(RPR 30–45,P=0.011),temporal(RPR-T,P=0.008),and nasal area(RPR-N,P<0.001)than the 6-MM group.RPR 15–30 in the 5.5-MM group was more myopic than that in the 6-MM group(P=0.002),and RPR-N in the 5-MM group was more myopic than that in the 5.5-MM group(P<0.001).There were positive correlations between the axial elongation and the change in TRPR(r=0.756,P<0.001),RPR 15–30(r=0.364,P=0.004),RPR 30–45(r=0.306,P=0.016),and RPR-N(r=0.253,P=0.047).The CS decreased at 3 c/d(P<0.001),and the corneal HOAs increased in the 5-MM group(P=0.030).CONCLUSION:Ortho-k with 5 mm BOZD can control myopia progression more effectively.The mechanism may be associated with greater myopic shifts in RPR.

On the Elastic Vibration Model for High Length-Diameter Ratio Rocket with Attitude Control System

An elastic vibration model for high length diameter ratio spinning rocket with attitude control system which can be used for trajectory simulation is established. The basic theory of elastic dynamics and vibration dynamics were both used to set up the elastic vibration model of rocket body. In order to study the problem more conveniently, the rocket's body was simplified to be an even beam with two free ends. The model was validated by simulation results and the test data.

Preparation of Layered Potassium Titanate Whiskers with Large Length-diameter Ratio by KDC Method

Pure K2Ti4O9 whiskers were prepared by KDC（Kneading-Drying-Calcination） method with TiO2 and K2CO3 as raw materials. The influences of TiO2/K2CO3 molar ratio（RT/K）, calcination temperature（TC） and cooling process on phase composition and morphology of the whiskers were investigated by TG-DSC（thermo gravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter）, XRD（X-ray diffraction）, and SEM（scanning electron microscope）. Pure K2Ti4O9 potassium titanate whiskers with large length-diameter ratio（r）（over 250） can be obtained at RT/K = 2.9 and TC = 950 ℃.

Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio to predict esophageal varices in Mexican patients with hepatic cirrhosis

AIM: To validate whether the platelet count/spleen size ratio can be used to predict the presence of esophageal varices in Mexican patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

EFFECT OF Z-PINS’ DIAMETER,SPACING AND OVERLAP LENGTH ON CONNECTING PERFORMANCE OF CMC SINGLE LAP JOINT

The effect of through-thickness reinforcement by composite pins （Z-pins） on the static tensile strength and failure mechanisms of the joints made from ceramic matrix composite （CMC） is investigated. Overlap length of the single lap joint is 15 mm, 20 mm, 23 mm, 37 mm, and 60 mm, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the final failure modes of the joints can be divided into two groups, （a） the bond-line stops debonding until crack encounters Z-pins; and then the adherends break at the location of Z-pins, when overlap length is more than 20 mm; （b） the bond-line detaches entirely and Z-pins are drawn from adherends, when overlap length is equal to 15 mm. A simple efficient computational approach is presented for analyzing the benefit of through-thickness pins for restricting failure in the single lap joints. Here, the mechanics problem is simplified by representing the effect of the pins by tractions acting on the fracture surfaces of the cracked bond-line. The tractions are prescribed as functions of the crack displacement, which are available in simple forms that summarize the complex deformations to a reasonable accuracy. The resulting model can be used to track the evolution of complete failure mechanisms, for example, bond-line initial delamination and ultimate failure associated with Z-pin pullout, ultimate failure of the adherends. The paper simulates connecting performance of the single lap joints with different Z-pins＇ diameter, spacing and overlap length; the numerical results agree with the experimental results; the numerical results indicate enlarging diameter and decreasing spacing of Z-pins are in favor of improving the connecting performance of the joints. By numerical analysis method, the critical overlap length that lies between two final failure modes is between 18 mm and 19 mm, when Z-pins＇ diameter and spacing are 0.4 mm, 5 mm, respectively.

Stress-strain-acoustic responses in failure process of coal rock with different height to diameter ratios under uniaxial compression

Residual coal pillars play an important role in mining the adjacent coal seam safely,managing the gobs and maintaining the stability of abandoned coal mines.The height to diameter ratio(H/D)affects the stability of residual coal pillars.In this study,uniaxial compressive tests of coal specimens with five H/D(2.0,1.5,1.0,0.8 and 0.6)were performed,and the stress,strain and acoustic emission(AE)were monitored.Results show that the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)and peak strain increase with H/D decreasing.An empirical equation is proposed to calculate the UCS based on the H/D.The AE activities during coal failure process can be separated into four periods.The span of quiet period and rapid decline period shorten with H/D decreasing.The smaller the H/D is,the more complicated the failure characteristics of coal will be.The failure form of coal with H/D of 2.0,1.5,and 1.0 is primarily shear failure,while splitting failure along the axial direction is the mainly mode when H/D is 0.8 or 0.6.The initiation,expansion,aggregation and connection of micro-cracks can be reflected by the real-time spatial evolution of AE event points.

Can platelet count/spleen diameter ratio be used for cirrhotic children to predict esophageal varices?

AIM To determine the laboratory and radiologic parameters, including the platelet count(PC)-to-spleen diameter(SD) ratio as a non-invasive marker that may predict the presence of esophageal varices(EV) in children with cirrhosis.METHODS Eighty-nine patients with cirrhosis, but without a history of variceal bleeding were prospectively included. The children were grouped into 6-12 and 12-18 years of age groups. These groups were also divided into 2 subgroups(presence and absence of EV). All of the patients underwent a complete biochemical and radiologic evaluation. The PC(n/mm^3)-to-SD(mm) ratio was calculated for each patient. RESULTS Sixty-nine of 98(70.4%) patients had EV. The presence of ascites in all age groups was significantly associatedwith the presence of EV. There were no differences in serum albumin levels, PC, SD and the PC-to-SD ratio between the presence and absence of EV groups in both age groups(P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Laboratory and radiologic parameters, including the PC-to-SD ratio as a non-invasive marker(except for the presence of ascites), was inappropriate for detecting EV in children with cirrhosis.

Influence of screw length and diameter on tibial strain energy density distribution after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Postoperative tunnel enlargement has been frequently reported after anterior cruciate ligament（ACL）reconstruction.Interference screw,as a surgical implant in ACL reconstruction,may influence natural loading transmission and contribute to tunnel enlargement.The aims of this study are（1）to quantify the alteration of strain energy density（SED）distribution after the anatomic single-bundle ACL reconstruction;and（2）to characterize the influence of screw length and diameter on the degree of the SED alteration.A validated finite element model of human knee joint was used.The screw length ranging from 20 to 30 mm with screw diameter ranging from 7 to 9 mm were investigated.In the post-operative knee,the SED increased steeply at the extra-articular tunnel aperture under compressive and complex loadings,whereas the SED decreased beneath the screw shaft and nearby the intra-articular tunnel aperture.Increasing the screw length could lower the SED deprivation in the proximal part of the bone tunnel;whereas increasing either screw length or diameter could aggravate the SED deprivation in the distal part of the bone tunnel.Decreasing the elastic modulus of the screw could lower the bone SED deprivation around the screw.In consideration of both graft stability and SED alteration,a biodegradable interference screw with a long length is recommended,which could provide a beneficial mechanical environment at the distal part of the tunnel,and meanwhile decrease the bone-graft motion and synovial fluid propagation at the proximal part of the tunnel.These findings together with the clinical and histological factors could help to improve surgical outcome,and serve as a preliminary knowledge for the following study of biodegradable interference screw.

Research on Large Depth Diameter Ratio Ultra-precision Aspheric Grinding System

In this paper, the factors of affecting surface roughness and profiles accuracy of the machined larege depth diamter ratio aspheric surfaces in ultra-precision grinding process are analyzed theoretically. An ultra-precision aspheric grinding system is then designed and manufactured. Aerostatic form is adopted to build the spindle of the workpiece, transverse guideway, longitudinal guideway and the spindle of the grinder in this system. The following specification is achieved, such as the turning accuracy of the spindle of the workpiece is 0.05 μm, radial rigidity of the spindle is GE 220N/μm, axial rigidity is GE 160 N/μm, radial rigidity of the guideway is GE 200N/μm, the highest rotational speed of the grinder is 80 000 rev/min and its turning accuracy is 0.1 μm, the resolution of linear displacement of the transverse and longitudinal guideway is 4.9 nm. Adjusting range of this adjusting mechanism is 2 mm in the Y direction, the adjusting accuracy of the precise adjusting mechanism is 0.1 μm. Micro displacement measuring system of this ultra-precision aspheric grinding adopts two-backfeed strategy, and angle displacement back-feed is realized by photoelectric encoder, it’s resolution is 655 360 pulse/rev. after 4 frequency multiplication, it’s angle displacement resolution is achieved 2 621 440 pulse/rev. Straight-line displacement is monitored by single frequency laser interferometer (DLSTAX LTM-20B, made in Japan). This CNC system adopts inimitable bi-arc step length flex CN interpolation algorithm, it’s CN system resolution is 5 nm.So this aspheric grinding system ensures profile accuracy of the machined part. The resolution of this interferometer is 5 nm. Finally, lots of ultra-precision grinding experiments are carried out on this grinding system. Some optical aspheric parts, with profiles accuracy of 0.3 μm, surface roughness less than 0.01 μm, are obtained.

Length of the Longest Path and Diameter in Orientations of Graphs

We say that a parameter p of directed graphs has the interval property if for every graph G?and orientations of G, p can take every value between its minimum and maximum values. Let &lambda;be the length of the longest directed path. A question asked by C. Lin in [1] is equivalent to the question of whether &lambda;has the interval property. In this note, we answer this question in the affirmative. We also show that the diameter of directed graphs does not have the interval property.

Automatic Detection and Measurement of Fetal Biparietal Diameter and Femur Length —Feasibility on a Portable Ultrasound Device

An automatic method able to recognize a presented section through the biparietal plane of the fetal head and a section through the fetal femur in ultrasound images is developed. Once the correct anatomical section for measurement is identified by the machine, the placement of the measurement calipers is automatically determined by fitting an active contour model to the structure of interest. The fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) and femur length (FL) are then measured automatically. The validation data set contained 167 and 197 B-mode images for BPD and FL measurements, respectively. The images were acquired using 4 different ultrasound scanners, which resulted in varied image quality and gain settings. The mean gestational age (GA) of the fetuses was 19.4 weeks, range 16 to 41 weeks. A measurement success rate of 90% was achieved for both BPD and FL. The correlation coefficients between the manual and automatic measurements were 0.995 (BPD) and 0.967 (FL), mean errors were 0.5 mm (BPD) and -1.7 mm (FL) and error range with 95% confidence interval (CI) were ﹣3.8 - 4.8 mm (BPD) and ﹣11.4 - 8.1 mm (FL). The automatic measurement results were consistent in both high and low gain settings. The intraclass correlation coefficients between manual and automatic measurements were 0.995 (95% CI;0.981 - 0.999) for BPD in high gain, 1.0 (95% CI;0.998 - 1.0) for BPD in low gain, 0.998 (95% CI;0.991 - 0.999) for FL in high gain and 0.999 (95% CI;0.996 - 1.0) for FL in low gain settings. The method was implemented on a prototype, portable ultrasound machine designed to be used in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The overall performance of the method supports our hypothesis that automated methods can be used and are beneficial in a clinical setting.

Fabrication and Property of SiC Ceramic with Large Thickness/Diameter Ratios

Silicon carbide ceramics with different thicknesses/diameter ratios were prepared by using ultra-fine silicon carbide powder with the sintering additives of 1.0 wt% boron and 1.5 wt% carbon. The influence of thickness/diameter ratio on the microstructure and density of SiC ceramics was investigated in detail. The experimental results show that the addition of boron and carbon sintering aids can promote the densification process of SiC ceramic, leading to the low sintering temperature and improve mechanical properties. At 1950 ℃, SiC ceramic with a density of 99% exhibits Young's modulus, hardness, and flexural strength of 476 MPa, 28.3 GPa, and 334 MPa, respectively. It is found that long holding time has a positive effect on the uniformity of the microstructure and density distribution of SiC ceramics with large thickness/diameter ratios. Additionally, the sintering additive of boron can solid-solve into SiC, and then facilitate the phase transformation of SiC to form 6H-SiC and 4H-SiC composite ceramics.

Prognostic value of the echocardiographic right/left ventricular end-diastolic diameter ratio in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background Previous studies have shown that an echocardiographic right/left ventricular end-diastolic diameter ratio(RV/LV ratio)≥0.9 is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with acute pulmonary embolism. The prognostic value of the RV/LV ratio in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension(IPAH) is still unknown. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 95 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed IPAH and 16 of them were reevaluated by echocardiography at 3-12 months following targeted therapy.Follow-up data were obtained by telephone interviews and review of the patients’ records.Results The RV/LV ratio was in parallel with the severity of World Health Orgnization(WHO) functional class and mean right atrial pressure.The RV/LV ratio was positively correlated with total pulmonary resistance(P P P 2 saturation(P P = 0.001),weight and absence of targeted therapy were independent predictors of death.No significant changes in the RV/LV ratio before and after targeted therapy were observed. A baseline RV/LV ratio≥0.84 or a further increase in the RV/LV ratio during targeted therapy indicated a poor prognosis. Conclusions The RV/LV ratio helps to assess the severity of IPAH and serves as an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with IPAH.

Axial length/corneal radius of curvature ratio and refractive development evaluation in 3-to 4-year-old children: the Shanghai Pudong Eye Study

AIM: To measure and analysis axial length(AL)/corneal radius of curvature(CRC) ratio and other refractive parameters, provide a medical reference range for refractive development evaluation and earlier visual impairment screening of 3 to 4 y kindergarten students.METHODS: Between April and June 2017, a total of 4350 participants aged 3-to 4-year-old(8700 eyes) from 10 cluster random sampling kindergartens in Shanghai, Pudong District were involved. According to the measurement and analysis of the unaided visual acuity(VA), AL, CRC, AL/CRC ratio, astigmatism and other refractive parameters, the data distribution and reference range were obtained.RESULTS: Uncorrected VA of examined children was 0.23±0.08(logMAR, mean±SD) [95% confidence interval(CI) range ≤0.36];AL was 22.10±0.79 mm(95%CI 20.55-23.65);CRC was 7.86±0.26 mm(95%CI, 7.35-8.37);AL/CRC ratio was 2.81±0.12(95%CI, 2.57-3.05). The median of astigmatism was-0.5 D, a total of 56.3% had astigmatism <-0.50 D, 85.3%<-1.00 D, 6.7%>-1.50 D;71% were astigmatism with the rule. Eye-specific analyses were conducted. Statistical difference of VA was in right and left eyes. There were no significant differences between two eyes of AL, CRC, AL/CRC ratio and astigmatism(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: VA and AL/CRC ratio reference could be used to assess refractive development in children and screening uncorrected refractive errors or amblyopia. Astigmatism needs to be considered in the diagnosis.

Research on Two-Step Hydro-Bulge Forming of Ellipsoidal Shell with Larger Axis Length Ratio

The two-step hydro-bulge forming technique was proposed to manufacture the ellipsoidal shell with the length ratio of the long axis to the short axis larger than 1.4. A central tube was introduced into the first step of the hydro-bulge forming process to constrain the over growth of the short axis during bulging,and then the central tube was replaced with two polar plates in the second step of the hydro-bulge forming process to manufacture an integral ellipsoidal shell. It is shown that the central tube restricts the growth of the short axis and simultaneously reduces the shrunk tendency of the long axis. The wrinkling occurs due to the latitudinal compressive stress at the equator at the early stage of hydro-bulge forming. However,with the increase of internal pressure,the compressive stress areas gradually decrease and finally the tensile latitudinal stress occupies approximately the whole shell,thus the wrinkles are eliminated. A sound ellipsoidal shell with the axis length ratio of 1.8 is obtained after two-step hydro bulging.

Effects of dietary forage to concentrate ratio and wildrye length on nutrient intake, digestibility, plasma metabolites, ruminal fermentation and fecal microflora of male Chinese Holstein calves

Twenty-eight male, weaned Chinese Holstein calves（（156.8±33.4） kg） were used to investigate the effects of dietary forage to concentrate ratio（F：C） and forage length on nutrient digestibility, plasma metabolites, ruminal fermentation, and fecal microflora. Animals were randomly allocated to four treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement： whole-length forage（WL） with low F：C（50：50）; WL with high F：C（65：35）; short-length forage（SL） with high F：C（65：35）; and SL with low F：C（50：50）. Chinese wildrye was used as the only forage source in this trial. The grass in the SL treatments was chopped using a chaff cutter to achieve small particle size（-50% particles 〉19 mm）. Dry matter intake（DMI） and organic matter（OM） intake was increased by increasing both F：C（P〈0.01） and forage length（FL）（P〈0.05）, while acid detergent fiber（ADF） and neutral detergent fiber（NDF） intakes were only increased by increasing the F：C（P〈0.01）. The digestibility of NDF was increased as the FL increased（P〈0.01）, and it was also affected by interaction between F：C and FL（P〈0.05）. Cholesterol（CHO）（P〈0.01）, leptin（LP）（P〈0.05）, and growth hormone（GH）（P〈0.01） concentrations in plasma were increased as dietary F：C increased. A significant increase in plasma triglyceride（TG）（P〈0.01）, insulin（INS）（P〈0.05）, and GH（P〈0.01） levels was observed with decreasing dietary FL. Ruminal p H values of calves fed with low F：C diets were significantly lower than those in high F：C treatment（P〈0.05）. Increasing the F：C enhanced ruminal acetic acid（P〈0.05） and acetic acid/propionic acid（P〈0.01）. Fecal Lactobacillus content was significantly higher, while Escherichia coli and Salmonella contents were significantly lower in WL and high F：C groups（P〈0.05）. Lower fecal scores（higher diarrhea rate） were observed in calves fed with SL hay compared to WL hay（P〈0.05）. Denatured gradient gel electrophoresis（DGGE） bands and richness index（S） were significantly affected by the interaction between F：C and FL（P〈0.05）, under high F：C, band numbers and richness index from WL group were higher than that from SL group（P〈0.05）, whereas there were no differences between WL andSL groups under low F：C（P〉0.05）. Microflora similarity was 50–73% among the different treatments. It is concluded that the WL with high F：C（65：35） diet is suitable for weaned calves.

Evaluation of axial length/total corneal refractive power ratio as a potential marker for ocular diagnosis of Marfan’s syndrome in children

AIM:To investigate whether the axial length(AL)/total corneal refractive power(TCRP)ratio is a sensitive and simple factor that can be used for the early diagnosis of Marfan’s syndrome(MFS)in children.METHODS:The relationship between the AL/TCRP ratio and the diagnosis of MFS for 192 eyes in 97 children were evaluate.The biological characteristics,including age,sex,AL,and TCRP,were collected from medical records.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to investigate whether the AL/TCRP ratio effectively distinguishes MFS from other subjects.The Youden index was used to re-divide the whole population into two groups according to an AL/TCRP ratio of 0.59.RESULTS:Of 96 subjects(mean age 7.46±3.28 y)evaluated,56(110 eyes)had a definite diagnosis of MFS in childhood based on the revised Ghent criteria,41(82 eyes)with diagnosis of congenital ectopia lentis(EL)were included as a control group.AL was negatively correlated with TCRP,with a linear regression coefficient of-0.36(R2=0.08).A significant correlation was found between age and the AL/TCRP ratio(P=0.023).ROC curve analysis showed that the AL/TCRP ratio distinguished MFS from the other patients at a threshold of 0.59.MFS patients were present in 24/58(41.38%)patients with an AL/TCRP ratio of≤0.59 and in 34/39(87.18%)patients with an AL/TCRP ratio of>0.59.CONCLUSION:An AL/TCRP ratio of>0.59 is significantly associated with the risk of MFS.The AL/TCRP ratio should be measured as a promising marker for the prognosis of children MFS.Changes in the AL/TCRP ratio should be monitored over time.

Dynamic genetic analysis for body weight and main length ratio in turbot Scophthalmus maximus

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of body width(BW)to body length(BL)ratio(BW/BL)and of body weight traits(BWT)in turbot,and to elucidate the genetic mechanism of the two traits during ontogeny by dynamic genetic analysis.From 3 to 27 months,BW,BL and BWT of each communally stocked fish were measured every 3 months.The BW/BL ratio was measured at different sampling ages.A twotrait animal model was used for genetic evaluation of traits.The results showed that the heritability values of BW/BL ratio ranged from 0.2168 to 0.3148,corresponding to moderate heritability.The BWT heritability values ranged from 0.2702 to 0.3479 corresponding to moderate heritability.The heritability of BW/BL ratio was lower than that of BWT,except at 3 months of age.Genetic correlation between BW/BL ratio and BWT decreased throughout the measurement period.Genetic correlations were higher than the phenotypic correlations.The current results for estimating genetic parameters demonstrate that the BW/BL ratio could be used as a phenotypic marker of fast-growing turbot,and the BW/BL ratio and BWT could be improved simultaneously through selective breeding.