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Stature
Kinds of Stature Selected AbstractsMATE CHOICE AND HUMAN STATURE: HOMOGAMY AS A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING MATING PREFERENCESEVOLUTION, Issue 8 2010Alexandre Courtiol Assortative mating for human height has long attracted interest in evolutionary biology, and the phenomenon has been demonstrated in numerous human populations. It is often argued that mating preferences generate this pattern, but other processes can also induce trait correlations between mates. Here, we present a methodology tailored to quantify continuous preferences based on choice experiments between pairs of stimuli. In particular, it is possible to explore determinants of interindividual variations in preferences, such as the height of the chooser. We collected data from a sample of 200 individuals from France. Measurements obtained show that the perception of attractiveness depends on both the height of the stimuli and the stature of the individual who judged them. Therefore, this study demonstrates that homogamy is present at the level of preferences for both sexes. We also show that measurements of the function describing this homogamy are concordant with several distinct mating rules proposed in the literature. In addition, the quantitative approach introduced here fulfills metrics that can be used to compare groups of individuals. In particular, our results reveal an important disagreement between sexes regarding height preferences in the context of mutual mate choice. Finally, both women and men prefer individuals who are significantly taller than average. All major findings are confirmed by a reanalysis of previously published data. [source] Stimulant medication in 47,XYY syndrome: a report of two casesDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 8 2005Anne Ruud MD In two males, 11 and 12 years of age, referred for attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 47,XYY syndrome was diagnosed. A team that included a neuropsychologist, a physiotherapist, and a physician examined them. Stature (patients were above 97.5% height for age), muscle consistency, and tremor indicated chromosome analysis. Psychological tests results did not fully fit the ADHD diagnosis. On the basis of our clinical observation we felt that stimulant medication was indicated. Administration of methylphenidate led to improved motor and cognitive functions as well as social adaptation in both patients. We suggest that this treatment might well be considered in clinically similar patients with XYY sex chromosomes; we further suggest that learning problems in such individuals may be related to ADHD. [source] On the accuracy of estimating living stature from skeletal length in the grave and by linear regressionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2005H. C. Petersen Abstract This study evaluates a method for obtaining stature estimates for populations represented by skeletal material, with individuals buried in a supine position. During the excavation of a Danish mediaeval cemetery, in situ skeletal length in the grave was measured from a point above the cranial point farthest from the body to the most distal point of the talus. The measurement was made with a folding rule placed on the sagittal midline of the skeleton, allowed to follow any curvature of the skeleton in situ. In the laboratory, stature was reconstructed anatomically, and this stature was regarded as an accurate estimate of living stature. Stature was also reconstructed from femur length by two linear regression procedures: 1) by sample and sex specific formulae, employing a leave-one-out approach, and 2) by sex wise formulae for Euro-Americans from Trotter & Gleser (1952, American Journal of Physical Anthropology10: 463,514). Skeletal length in the grave and the two stature estimates based on linear regression were compared to anatomically reconstructed stature. Skeletal length in the grave estimated anatomically reconstructed stature with practically no bias (95% CI: ,1.3,1.5,cm). Sample specific regression formulae estimated anatomically reconstructed stature also with no bias (95% CI: ,1.2,1.1,cm). In contrast, statures calculated from Trotter & Gleser's regression formulae estimated anatomically reconstructed stature with a bias of about 4,cm (95% CI: 3.3,5.0,cm). Estimates of stature variance were biased for all three estimation procedures. However, for samples of adults, an adjusted variance estimate can be obtained by subtracting 8.7,cm2 from the variance obtained from skeletal lengths in the grave. It is recommended to measure skeletal length in the grave whenever possible, and use this measurement for estimating statures for prehistoric and early historic populations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Stature Estimation from Foot Length Using Universal Regression Formula in a North Indian PopulationJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 1 2010D.F.M., Tanuj Kanchan M.D. Abstract:, Stature is a significant parameter in establishing identity of an unknown. Conventionally, researchers derive regression formula separately for males and females. Sex, however, may not always be determined accurately, particularly in dismembered remains and thus the need for a universal regression formula for stature estimation irrespective of sex of an individual. The study was carried out in an endogamous group of North India to compare the accuracy of sex-specific regression models for stature estimation from foot length with the models derived when the sex was presumed as unknown. The study reveals that regression equation derived for the latter can estimate stature with reasonable accuracy. Thus, stature can be estimated accurately from foot length by regression analysis even when sex remains unknown. [source] Variability of Bodily Measures of Normally Dressed People Using PhotoModeler® Pro 5,JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 6 2008Peter K. Larsen M.Sc. Abstract:, Photogrammetry is used in forensic science to help identify perpetrators from crime scenes by way of surveillance video, but the reproducibility of manually locating hidden body-points such as the joints remains to be established. In this study, we quantified the inter- and intra-observer variability of bodily measures of clothed individuals in two different poses and examined whether body segment lengths could be used to distinguish between people of similar stature. Stature was reproduced within ±1.5 cm in both the intra- and inter-observer study. Segment lengths were best reproduced when flexion in the joints was present in the intra-observer study, but only the length of the trunk could be used to distinguish between people of similar height. The reproducibility between the two poses was low. Other measures than stature should be used with caution and with the perpetrator and suspect in the same pose. Consistent guidelines for locating body-points should be developed. [source] Weight status, energy-balance behaviours and intentions in 9,12-year-old inner-city childrenJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 1 2010W. Jansen Abstract Background:, Dutch youth health care promotes four so-called energy-balance behaviours for the prevention of obesity: increasing physical activity, reducing sedentary behaviour and sugar-containing drinks, and eating breakfast. However, data on the prevalence of these behaviours and intentions to engage in them among primary schoolchildren is limited, especially for multi-ethnic, inner-city populations. The present study aimed to provide these data and explore differences according to socio-demographic characteristics and weight status. Methods:, Data on behaviours and accompanying intentions were collected using classroom questionnaires. Stature and body weight were measured by trained staff. Twenty primary schools in Rotterdam participated. Data on 1095 9,12 year olds (81.7% response rate) were available for analysis. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between behaviours (favourable or unfavourable), intentions (positive or not), gender, age, ethnicity, neighbourhood income level and weight status. Results:, The prevalence of being overweight was 30.4%, including 9.0% obesity. Engagement in energy-balance behaviours varied from 58.6% for outdoor play (>1 h previous day) to 85.9% for active transportation to school (day of survey). The highest positive intentions were reported for taking part in sports (83.9%), and lowest for reducing computer time (41.3%). Small differences in behaviours and intentions according to socio-demographic characteristics were found, most notably a lower engagement in physical activity by girls. Skipping breakfast and total number of energy-balance behaviours were associated with being overweight. Conclusions:, The prevalence of being overweight among Dutch inner-city schoolchildren is high. A general rather than a differentiated approach is needed to improve engagement in energy-balance behaviours among inner-city schoolchildren. [source] Birthweight and stature, body mass index and fat distribution of 14-year-old Polish adolescentsJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 1 2002S Kozie Objectives: The relationships between intra-uterine growth retardation and stature, relative weight and fat distribution at adolescence have not been comprehensively established. The aim of this report is to assess the effect of low birthweight on stature, relative weight and fat distribution in 14-year-old boys and girls from Wroclaw, Poland. Methodology: Cross-sectional measurements of 1197 boys and 819 post-menarcheal girls aged 13.50,14.49 years were performed during medical examinations in 1997. Stature, body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR) were used in the present study. A cut-off value of the 10th percentile of birthweight for particular gestational weeks was used in order to define subjects born small for gestational age (SGA) or appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Two-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the effect of birthweight on anthropometric variables of 14-year-old adolescents, allowing for socioeconomic status (determined by the level of the mother's education). Results: Birthweight affected stature in boys and girls (P < 0.001), BMI in boys (P < 0.05) and WHR and WTR in girls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). At the age of 14 years, both SGA boys and girls were shorter than their AGA peers. The SGA boys had lower BMI, whereas SGA girls accumulated more centralized fat compared with their AGA counterparts. Conclusion: Fetal growth retardation has a long-lasting adverse effect on later physical growth. Polish SGA children do not catch up with their peers in terms of stature by adolescence. Moreover, central fat distribution, as observed among SGA girls, constitutes a significant risk for several adult degenerative diseases. [source] Sex differences in child nutritional and immunological status 5,9 years post contact in fringe highland Papua New GuineaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Jason A. Decaro Objectives: This study examines sex differences in vulnerability among children experiencing rapid culture change that may reflect distinct microecologies driven by differential parental investment and/or sex-specific life history strategies. Apparent female growth canalization may be a life history strategy favoring growth over maintenance but also may reflect sex-differentiated selection for resilience based on unequal treatment during early life. Methods: Stature, weight, and serum measures of C-reactive protein (CRP, an inflammation marker) and Epstein-Barr Virus antibodies (EBV, a humoral immune response marker) were collected longitudinally among children/adolescents ages 5,20 years (N = 65), 5,9 years after sustained contact in a fringe highland hunter-horticulturalist group from the Schrader Range in Papua New Guinea exhibiting male preference and sex-biased survival. It was hypothesized that girls would exhibit canalization, with better nutritional status than boys; lower maintenance investment would yield lower female immune activation; and because of differential survivorship, females would appear increasingly canalized as early conditions for girls worsened relative to boys. Results: Girls had greater arm circumference z -scores than boys, less frequent stunting, and lower CRP despite high pathogen load. Average nutritional status for girls improved over time as the sex ratio became increasingly male biased and the condition of female infants reportedly worsened. Conclusions: Both canalization and survivorship effects were found. Although a life history perspective on female canalization can help explain developmental outcomes in populations undergoing rapid culture change amid adversity, possible sex differences in the strength of survivorship effects that select for resiliency should not be ignored. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 22:657,666, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Growth status and obesity of Hopi childrenAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Joey C. Eisenmann The purpose of this study was to examine the growth status and prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in Hopi children. Subjects were 263 (117 males, 146 females) Hopi children 6,12 years of age. Stature and mass were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Body size variables were plotted relative to age- and sex-specific reference data and the prevalence rates for underweight, overweight, and obesity were estimated using the BMI as the criterion. Age-specific sex differences were compared using independent samples t -tests. In both sexes, mean age-specific stature appeared to be relatively stable around the 50th percentile of reference values. Mean age-specific mass appeared to be relatively stable between the 50th and 90th percentiles of the reference values, while the mean BMI tended to fluctuate about the 85th percentile. Approximately 23% of Hopi children were classified as overweight and an additional 24% were classified as obese. Only two subjects were categorized as underweight. The results are consistent with other reports that childhood obesity is a serious public health concern among Native Americans. Further study is warranted to examine the causes of the high prevalence rates of pediatric obesity among Native Americans and the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 15:741,745, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Stature estimation in an early medieval (XI-XII c.) Polish population: Testing the accuracy of regression equations in a bioarcheological sampleAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Giuseppe Vercellotti Abstract Accurate stature estimation from skeletal remains can foster useful information on health and microevolutionary trends in past human populations. Stature can be estimated through the anatomical method and regression equations. The anatomical method (Fully: Ann Med Leg 36 [1956] 266,273; Raxter et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 130 [2006] 374,384) is preferable because it takes into account total skeletal height and thus provides more accurate estimates, but it cannot be applied to incomplete remains. In such circumstances, regression equations allow estimates of living stature from the length of one or few skeletal elements. However, the accuracy of stature estimates from regression equations depends on similarity in body proportions between the population under examination and those used to calibrate the equations. Since genetic affinity and body proportions similarity are not always clearly known in bioarcheological populations, the criteria for selection of appropriate formulae are not always straightforward. This may lead to inaccurate stature estimates and imprecise accounts of past life conditions. Prompted by such practical and theoretical concerns this study aimed at (1) estimating living stature in an early medieval (XI-XII c.) Polish sample (40 male; 20 female) through the anatomical method and developing population-specific regression formulae; and (2) evaluating the accuracy of estimates obtained with regression methods commonly employed in European populations. Results indicate that when applied to the skeletal remains from Giecz, our formulae provide accurate estimates, with non-age-corrected formulae performing better than age-corrected ones. Our formulae provide better estimates than those calibrated on recent populations and their use in medieval Polish populations is preferable. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A Genetic Study of the Ghrelin and Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor (GHSR) Genes and StatureANNALS OF HUMAN GENETICS, Issue 1 2009M. Gueorguiev Summary Growth and nutrition are interrelated and influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. We studied whether common variants in ghrelin and ghrelin receptor (GHSR) genes could play a role in stature variation in the general population and in families ascertained for obesity. Selected tagging SNPs in the ghrelin and GHSR genes were genotyped in 263 Caucasian families recruited for childhood obesity (1,275 subjects), and in 287 families from a general population (1,072 subjects). We performed familial testing for associations in the entire population and in a sub-set of the samples selected for a case-control study. In the case-control study for height (cases were selected from the obese cohort with mean ZH = 3.17 ± 0.15 confidence interval (CI) versus controls with mean ZH 0.14 ± 0.09), we found an association with a 2 base-pair intronic deletion in the GHSR gene (rs10618418) (p = 0.006, odds ratio (OR) 1.86, 95% CI [1.26;2.74] under additive model), although when adjusting for BMI, the association disappeared (p = 0.06). Individuals carrying no deletion or who were heterozygous were significantly more frequent among the tall obese population (52% vs. 36% in controls, p = 0.007, OR 1.97, 95%CI [1.22;3.18]). However, the association was not maintained after correcting for multiple testing. Familial association testing of the ghrelin and GHSR genes and their interaction testing failed to show that any combination of SNPs had any significant effect. Thus, our results suggest that common variants of the ghrelin and GHSR genes are not major contributors to height variation in a French population. [source] Stature estimation formulae for indigenous North American populationsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Benjamin M. Auerbach Abstract Stature estimation methods for adult indigenous humans from the Americas have generally relied on a limited number of regression equations. The available equations, however, are not broadly applicable to the diversity of the populations that lived in the New World prior to European colonization. Furthermore, some equations that have been used were originally derived from inappropriate reference samples, such as the "Mongoloid" group measured by Trotter and Gleser (Am J Phys Anthropol 16 [1958] 79-123). This study develops new stature estimation equations for long bones of the lower limb from a geographically diverse sample of North American archaeological sites. Statures were reconstructed from 967 skeletons from 75 archaeological sites using the revised Fully anatomical technique (Raxter et al., Am J Phys Anthropol 130 [2006] 374-384). Archaeological samples were grouped according to general body proportions, using relative tibia and femur length to stature as guides. On the basis of differences in these proportions, three broad groupings were identified: a high latitude "arctic" group, a general "temperate" group, and a Great Plains group. Sex-specific ordinary least squares regression formulae were developed based on femoral and tibial lengths for each of these groups. Comparisons of the new stature estimation equations with previously available equations were conducted using several archaeological test samples. In most cases, the new stature estimation equations are more precise than those previously available, and we recommend their use throughout most of North America. The equations developed by Genovés for Mesoamerican and US Southwest samples are a useful alternative for these regions. Applicability of the new equations to South American samples awaits further testing. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Body size estimation of small-bodied humans: Applicability of current methodsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2010H.K. Kurki Abstract Body size (stature and mass) estimates are integral to understanding the lifeways of past populations.Body size estimation of an archaeological skeletal sample can be problematic when the body size or proportions of the population are distinctive. One such population is that of the Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) of southern Africa, in which small stature (mean femoral length = 407 mm, n = 52) and narrow pelves (mean bi-iliac breadth = 210 mm, n = 50) produce a distinctive adult body size/shape, making it difficult to identify appropriate body size estimation methods. Material culture, morphology, and culture history link the Later Stone Age people with the descendant population collectively known as the Khoe-San. Stature estimates based on skeletal "anatomical" linear measures (the Fully method) and on long bone length are compared, along with body mass estimates derived from "morphometric" (bi-iliac breath/stature) and "biomechanical" (femoral head diameter) methods, in a LSA adult skeletal sample (n = 52) from the from coastal and near-coastal regions of South Africa. Indices of sexual dimorphism (ISD) for each method are compared with data from living populations. Fully anatomical stature is most congruent with Olivier's femur + tibia method, although both produce low ISD. McHenry's femoral head body mass formula produces estimates most consistent with the bi-iliac breadth/staturemethod for the females, although the males display higher degrees of disagreement among methods. These results highlight the need for formulae derived from reference samples from a wider range of body sizes to improve the reliability of existing methods. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Growth hormone in short children: beyond medicine?ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2001LLE Bolt The indications for growth hormone (GH) treatment in non-GH-deficient short children are in debate, with some arguing that this treatment does not belong solely in the medical domain. We describe three different approaches to the issue, and argue that neither a disease-oriented nor client-oriented approach is sufficient. Both lead to withdrawal of medical interventions or to an undesirable application. Conclusion: An approach focusing on suffering as an indication for treatment of short stature is the most appropriate. The challenge is to develop proper tools by which to evaluate suffering and the efficacy of GH treatment in these children in order to relieve or prevent suffering. [source] Foetal size to final heightACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2000J Karlberg It is well known that some adult diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, may be programmed during foetal life. It is not clear, however, whether final height may be predicted from foetal growth. A longitudinal cohort of full-term healthy Swedish babies (n = 3650) was followed up from birth to maturity in a population-based growth study. Length or height and its changes were analysed from birth to 18 y of age; 2807 children, with data available on birth length, final height and parental height, were included in this analysis. The result clearly shows that length at birth relates to final height. In terms of standard deviation scores (SDS), the mean difference in length at birth from the mean was greatly decreased in final height, but retained the same order as was seen at birth. In terms of centimeter difference from the reference mean values, the difference in length at birth remained roughly stable into final height. For instance, babies 5 cm above or below the mean birth length will end up approximately 5 cm above or below the mean in final height. Parental height,a surrogate value of the genetic final height potential of an individual,is shown to influence postnatal growth in height strongly. However, the difference from the mean in length at birth remained into adulthood within the same midparental height group. Conclusion: This study reveals that trends in foetal linear growth continue into maturity. Foetal growth is a significant predictor of postnatal growth. Final height is dependent on both the magnitude of foetal growth and the genetic potential in stature, and appears to some extent to be programmed from foetal growth. [source] Congenital Cardiovascular Disease in Turner SyndromeCONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 1 2008Carolyn A. Bondy MD ABSTRACT Turner syndrome (TS), or monosomy X, occurs in ,1/2000 live born females. Intelligence is normal and short stature is the most obvious and consistent feature of the syndrome. Congenital cardiovascular disease affects ,50% of individuals and is the major cause of premature mortality in adults. Unfortunately, this most important aspect of the syndrome has received little attention outside of pediatric medicine, and adult cardiological follow-up is seriously lacking. This review describes the spectrum of cardiovascular defects with particular attention to identifying risk factors for aortic dissection/rupture. X-chromosome genetic pathways implicated in Turner cardiovascular disease, including premature coronary artery disease, are discussed. Recent guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of girls and women with TS are reviewed. [source] National AIDS Commissions in Africa: Performance and Emerging ChallengesDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 2 2009Erasmus Morah This article consolidates and expands on evidence on how National AIDS Commissions (NACs) in sub-Saharan Africa are measuring up to expectations that drove their rapid adoption across the continent. While their overall performance seems reasonably good, most NACs still lack adequate power and incentive structures to hold line ministries accountable, a key requirement for co-ordinating activities and mainstreaming HIV-AIDS across the public sector. Second-generation African NACs urgently need the authority and institutional stature to effectively co-ordinate the channelling of the larger funds now available through government bureaucracy. The evolution of the epidemic also imposes requirements different from those when the current NAC architecture was crafted. [source] The cognitive phenotype in Klinefelter syndrome: A review of the literature including genetic and hormonal factorsDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 4 2009Richard Boada Abstract Klinefelter syndrome (KS) or 47,XXY occurs in ,1 in 650 males. Individuals with KS often present with physical characteristics including tall stature, hypogonadism, and fertility problems. In addition to medical findings, the presence of the extra X chromosome can lead to characteristic cognitive and language deficits of varying severity. While a small, but significant downward shift in mean overall IQ has been reported, the general cognitive abilities of patients with KS are not typically in the intellectual disability range. Most studies support that males with KS have an increased risk of language disorders and reading disabilities. Results of other studies investigating the relationship between verbal and nonverbal/spatial cognitive abilities have been mixed, with differing results based on the age and ascertainment method of the cohort studied. Executive function deficits have been identified in children and adults with KS, however, the research in this area is limited and further investigation of the neuropsychological profile is needed. In this article, we review the strengths and weaknesses of previous cognitive and neuropsychological studies in males with KS in childhood and adulthood, provide historical perspective of these studies, and review what is known about how hormonal and genetic factors influence cognitive features in 47,XXY/KS. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2009;15:284,294. [source] Type I collagen is a genetic modifier of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in murine skeletal developmentDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 6 2007Mikala Egeblad Abstract Recessive inactivating mutations in human matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2, gelatinase A) are associated with syndromes that include abnormal facial appearance, short stature, and severe bone loss. Mmp2,/, mice have only mild aspects of these abnormalities, suggesting that MMP2 function is redundant during skeletal development in the mouse. Here, we report that Mmp2,/, mice with additional mutations that render type I collagen resistant to collagenase-mediated cleavage to TCA and TCB fragments (Col1a1r/r mice) have severe developmental defects resembling those observed in MMP2 -null humans. Composite Mmp2,/,;Col1a1r/r mice were born in expected Mendelian ratios but were half the size of wild-type, Mmp2,/,, and Col1a1r/r mice and failed to thrive. Furthermore, composite Mmp2,/,;Col1a1r/r animals had very abnormal craniofacial features with shorter snouts, bulging skulls, incompletely developed calvarial bones and unclosed cranial sutures. In addition, trabecular bone mass was reduced concomitant with increased numbers of bone-resorbing osteoclasts and osteopenia. In vitro, MMP2 had a unique ability among the collagenolytic MMPs to degrade mutant collagen, offering a possible explanation for the genetic interaction between Mmp2 and Col1a1r. Thus, because mutations in the type I collagen gene alter the phenotype of mice with null mutations in Mmp2, we conclude that type I collagen is an important modifier gene for Mmp2. Developmental Dynamics 236:1683,1693, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Is treatment with growth hormone effective in children with cerebral palsy?DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 8 2004Melanie L Shim MD Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often have poor linear growth during childhood, resulting in a diminished final adult height. Here we report a female with CP and short stature but without growth hormone (GH) deficiency who exhibited increased growth during treatment with GH. We also report two other children with CP who were treated with GH: one female with a history of leukemia, and a male with Klinefelter syndrome. These two children were both found to be GH-deficient by insulin provocative GH testing and responded to treatment with increased growth rate. Growth improved to a greater extent in the two children with apparent GH deficiency. In summary, it is felt that GH therapy might be beneficial for children with CP and warrants further investigation. [source] Craniofacial morphology, dental occlusion, tooth eruption, and dental maturity in boys of short stature with or without growth hormone deficiencyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 5 2000Heidrun Kjellberg The aim of this project was to study the craniofacial morphology, dental occlusion, dental maturation and tooth eruption in short-statured boys with growth hormone secretion ranging from low to high. The measurements from lateral and postero-anterior cephalograms, orthopantomograms and plaster models were used. Almost all linear measurements of the facial structures were significantly smaller. A disproportionate growth in the cranial base structures as well as in the jaws resulted in facial retrognathia, a proportionately smaller posterior than anterior facial height, and a steep vertical inclination of the mandible. Dental crowding was more common and the overbite was small. Dental maturity and tooth eruption were delayed 1.2 and 1.3 yr, respectively. No significant differences between the idiopathic short-statured and the growth hormone-deficient group in any of the above-mentioned variables were found. It can be concluded that although most of the cephalometric variables measured differed significantly from the average, the facial appearance of the boys is not conspicuous and is of minor clinical importance. However, the short-statured boys might be in greater need of orthodontic treatment due to the higher percentage of dental crowding. [source] MATE CHOICE AND HUMAN STATURE: HOMOGAMY AS A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING MATING PREFERENCESEVOLUTION, Issue 8 2010Alexandre Courtiol Assortative mating for human height has long attracted interest in evolutionary biology, and the phenomenon has been demonstrated in numerous human populations. It is often argued that mating preferences generate this pattern, but other processes can also induce trait correlations between mates. Here, we present a methodology tailored to quantify continuous preferences based on choice experiments between pairs of stimuli. In particular, it is possible to explore determinants of interindividual variations in preferences, such as the height of the chooser. We collected data from a sample of 200 individuals from France. Measurements obtained show that the perception of attractiveness depends on both the height of the stimuli and the stature of the individual who judged them. Therefore, this study demonstrates that homogamy is present at the level of preferences for both sexes. We also show that measurements of the function describing this homogamy are concordant with several distinct mating rules proposed in the literature. In addition, the quantitative approach introduced here fulfills metrics that can be used to compare groups of individuals. In particular, our results reveal an important disagreement between sexes regarding height preferences in the context of mutual mate choice. Finally, both women and men prefer individuals who are significantly taller than average. All major findings are confirmed by a reanalysis of previously published data. [source] The impact of the euro on Europe's financial marketsFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 3 2003Gabriele Galati This paper presents an overview of the impact of the introduction of the euro on Europe's financial structure over the first four years since the start of EMU. It analyzes changes in money markets, bond markets, equity markets and foreign exchange markets. Euro's role in originating or catalyzing trends has been uneven across the spectrum of financial markets. From the supply side, banks and investors in fixed income markets have become more focused on the characteristics of individual borrowers rather than the nationality of the issuer and have built up expertise to evaluate credit risk. European equity markets have also been affected by the enhanced ability of investors to build strategies with a pan-European perspective as prices increasingly reflected risk factors specific to industrial sectors rather than individual countries. On the borrower side, EMU has increased the attractiveness of market-based financing methods by allowing debt issuers to tap institutional portfolios across the euro area. Lower barriers to cross-border financial transactions have also increased the contestability of the market for financial services, be it at the wholesale or the retail level. The introduction of the euro has also highlighted the shortcomings of existing institutional structures and areas where excessive focus on narrowly defined interests may stand in the way of realizing the full potential benefits from the new environment. Diverging legal and institutional infrastructures and market practices can impede further financial market development and deepening. Hence, the euro has put a premium on cooperation between national authorities and institution as a means of achieving a more harmonized financial environment. The impact of EMU on depth in foreign exchange markets has been less clear-cut, as volatility, spreads, trading volumes and liquidity appear not to have changed in a substantial way. Overall, it seems that the new currency has made some progress towards the goal of becoming a currency of international stature that would rival that of the US dollar. However, a number of the necessary next steps towards achieving this goal are also among the trickiest to implement. [source] The late Pleistocene horned crocodile Voay robustus (Grandidier & Vaillant, 1872) from Madagascar in the Museum für Naturkunde BerlinFOSSIL RECORD-MITTEILUNGEN AUS DEM MUSEUM FUER NATURKUNDE, Issue 1 2009Constanze Bickelmann Abstract Crocodylian material from late Pleistocene localities around Antsirabe, Madagascar, stored in the collection of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, was surveyed. Several skeletal elements, including skull bones, vertebrae, ribs, osteoderms, and limb bones from at least three large individuals could be unambiguously assigned to the genus Voay Brochu, 2007. Furthermore, the simultaneous occurrence of Voay robustus Grandidier & Vaillant, 1872 and Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti, 1768 in Madagascar is discussed. Voay robustus and Crocodylus niloticus are systematically separate but similar in stature and size, which would make them direct rivals for ecological resources. Our hypothesis on the extinction of the species Voay, which was endemic to Madagascar, suggests that C. niloticus invaded Madagascar only after V. robustus became extinct. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Genotype differences in cognitive functioning in Noonan syndromeGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2009E. I. Pierpont Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal-dominant genetic disorder associated with highly variable features, including heart disease, short stature, minor facial anomalies and learning disabilities. Recent gene discoveries have laid the groundwork for exploring whether variability in the NS phenotype is related to differences at the genetic level. In this study, we examine the influence of both genotype and nongenotypic factors on cognitive functioning. Data are presented from 65 individuals with NS (ages 4,18) who were evaluated using standardized measures of intellectual functioning. The cohort included 33 individuals with PTPN11 mutations, 6 individuals with SOS1 mutations, 1 individual with a BRAF mutation and 25 participants with negative, incomplete or no genetic testing. Results indicate that genotype differences may account for some of the variation in cognitive ability in NS. Whereas cognitive impairments were common among individuals with PTPN11 mutations and those with unknown mutations, all of the individuals with SOS1 mutations exhibited verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills in the average range or higher. Participants with N308D and N308S mutations in PTPN11 also showed no (or mild) cognitive delays. Additional influences such as hearing loss, motor dexterity and parental education levels accounted for significant variability in cognitive outcomes. Severity of cardiac disease was not related to cognitive functioning. Our results suggest that some NS-causing mutations have a more marked impact on cognitive skills than others. [source] The mechanism of emergenesisGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2006D. T. Lykken Since each individual produced by the sexual process contains a unique set of genes, very exceptional combinations of genes are unlikely to appear twice even within the same family. E. O. Wilson (1978) The intraclass correlations of monozygotic twins who were separated in infancy and reared apart (MZA twins) provide estimates of trait heritability, and the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart [MISTRA: Bouchard et al. (1990), The sources of human psychological differences: the Minnesota study of twins reared apart, Science 250, 223,228] has demonstrated that MZA pairs are as similar in most respects as MZ pairs reared together. Some polygenic traits,e.g. stature, IQ, harm avoidance, negative emotionality, interest in sports,are polygenic-additive, so pairs of relatives resemble one another on the given trait in proportion to their genetic similarity. But the existence and the intensity of other important psychological traits seem to be emergent properties of gene configurations (or configurations of independent and partially genetic traits) that interact multiplicatively rather than additively. Monozygotic (MZ) twins may be strongly correlated on such emergenic traits, while the similarity of dizygotic (DZ) twins, sibs or parent,offspring pairs may be much less than half that of MZ pairs. Some emergenic traits, although strongly genetic, do not appear to run in families. MISTRA has provided at least two examples of traits for which MZA twins are strongly correlated, and DZA pairs correlate near zero, while DZ pairs reared together (DZTs) are about half as similar as MZTs. These findings suggest that even more traits may be emergenic than those already identified. Studies of adoptees reared together (who are perhaps more common than twins reared apart) may help to identify traits that are emergenic, but that also are influenced by a common rearing environment. [source] Gladstone, gossip and the post-war generationHISTORICAL RESEARCH, Issue 186 2001John P. Gardiner This article is a case-study of the reputation of W. E. Gladstone at a time when it is often suggested that eminent Victorians were subject to widespread denigration. Drawing upon archival material relating to the way in which Gladstone's family sought to protect and promote his memory in the post-war period, it argues that in tandem with an enduring public respect for his reputation, gossipmongering failed to diminish his stature. This has important implications for the ways in which post-war society related to the lives of eminent Victorians and to the past more generally. [source] The Vikings on the Continent in Myth and HistoryHISTORY, Issue 290 2003Simon Coupland The Vikings have a bad reputation, and it was no different on the Continent in the middle ages where they were regularly portrayed as brutally cruel, devilishly cunning and of superhuman stature. This article examines the evidence for the Vikings' supposed cruelty, cunning and remarkable height and investigates how true the stereotypes were. What emerges is that all three contained a grain of truth, but led to exaggeration and distortion in later medieval texts and even some ninth-century sources. There were, for example, tall individuals among the invaders, but little difference overall between the height of the average Frank and the average Dane. There were likewise instances of Scandinavian brutality, but not on a large scale, and they were no worse than acts carried out by the Franks in the same period. Nor, surprisingly, is there clear evidence of Viking rape: certainly they were not known for ,rape and pillage' in the ninth century. Finally, though the invaders were capable of duplicity, Carolingian parallels are once again not hard to find. In sum, tales of tall, treacherous and brutal Northmen can be shown to have grown in the telling, and there is an evident gap between the Vikings of myth and the Vikings of history. [source] One gene, two phenotypes: ROR2 mutations in autosomal recessive Robinow syndrome and autosomal dominant brachydactyly type B,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 1 2003Ali R. Afzal Abstract Autosomal recessive Robinow syndrome (RRS) is a severe skeletal dysplasia with short stature, generalized limb shortening, segmental defects of the spine, brachydactyly, and a dysmorphic facial appearance. The gene encoding receptor orphan receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ROR2) is located on chromosome 9q22 and homozygous loss-of-function mutations in this gene are responsible for RRS. Moreover, knocking out the mouse Ror2 gene causes mesomelic dwarfism in the homozygous state, with almost identical features to recessive Robinow syndrome. The protein product of this gene is a cell membrane receptor, containing distinct motifs including an immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domain, a Frizzled-like cysteine-rich domain (FRZ or CRD), and a kringle domain (KD) in the extracellular region; and an intracellular region with tyrosine kinase (TK), serine/threonine-rich, and proline-rich structures. The extracellular motifs of the ROR2 protein are known to be involved in protein,protein interactions. The tyrosine kinase domain is involved in an as yet uncharacterized signaling pathway. Interestingly, heterozygous mutations in ROR2 have recently been shown to give rise to autosomal dominant brachydactyly type B1 (BDB1). This condition is characterized by terminal deficiency of fingers and toes. A variety of mutations have been reported in ROR2. Here, these genetic defects are compiled and possible genotype,phenotype correlations are discussed. Hum Mutat 22:1,11, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Avian distribution in treefall gaps and understorey of terra firme forest in the lowland AmazonIBIS, Issue 1 2005JOSEPH M. WUNDERLE JR We compared the bird distributions in the understorey of treefall gaps and sites with intact canopy in Amazonian terra firme forest in Brazil. We compiled 2216 mist-net captures (116 species) in 32 gap and 32 forest sites over 22.3 months. Gap habitats differed from forest habitats in having higher capture rates, total captures, species richness and diversity. Seventeen species showed a significantly different distribution of captures between the two habitats (13 higher in gap and four higher in forest). Gap habitats had higher capture rates for nectarivores, frugivores and insectivores. Among insectivores, capture rates for solitary insectivores and army ant followers did not differ between the two habitats. In contrast, capture rates were higher in gaps for members of mixed-species insectivore flocks and mixed-species insectivore,frugivore flocks. Insectivores, especially members of mixed-species flocks, were the predominant species in gap habitats, where frugivores and nectarivores were relatively uncommon. Although few canopy species were captured in gap or forest habitats, visitors from forest mid-storey constituted 42% of the gap specialist species (0% forest) and 46% of rare gap species (38% forest). Insectivore, and total, captures increased over time, but did so more rapidly in gap than in forest habitats, possibly as a response to gap succession. However, an influx of birds displaced by nearby timber harvest also may have caused these increases. Avian gap-use in Amazonian terra firme forests differs from gap-use elsewhere, partly because of differences in forest characteristics such as stature and soil fertility, indicating that the avian response to gaps is context dependent. 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