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Tall Stature (tall + stature)
Selected AbstractsThe 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] A probable case of gigantism in a fifth Dynasty skeleton from the Western Cemetery at Giza, EgyptINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 4 2005D. M. MulhernArticle first published online: 31 DEC 200 Abstract Pituitary gigantism is a rare endocrine disorder caused by excess secretion of growth hormone during childhood. Individuals with this condition exhibit unusually tall stature due to prolonged growth as well as associated degenerative changes. Continued secretion of excess growth hormone during adulthood results in acromegaly, a related condition that results in bony overgrowth of the skull, hands and feet. The remains of a large adult male, probably in his late 20s or early 30s, from a Fifth Dynasty tomb (2494,2345 BC) were excavated in 2001 from Cemetery 2500 in the Western Cemetery at Giza, Egypt, as part of the Howard University Giza Cemetery Project. This individual exhibits characteristics of pituitary gigantism, including tall but normally-proportioned stature, delayed epiphyseal union, a large sella turcica, advanced arthritis and a transepiphyseal fracture of the left femoral head. Additional pathological features, including osteopenia and thinness of the parietal bones, suggest that this individual may also have been hypogonadal. Craniometric comparisons with other ancient Egyptian groups as well as modern normal and acromegalic patients show some tendency toward acromegalic skull morphology. Differential diagnosis includes eunuchoid gigantism, Sotos syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Marfan syndrome, homocystinuria, Weaver syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome. In conclusion, the pathological features associated with this skeleton are more consistent with pituitary gigantism than any of the other syndromes that result in skeletal overgrowth. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Prediction of species response to atmospheric nitrogen deposition by means of ecological measures and life history traitsJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Martin Diekmann Summary 1The main objective of this study was to predict the responses of vascular plant species to atmospheric nitrogen deposition and enhanced soil nitrogen levels. The study was carried out in deciduous forests located in three regions of southern Sweden. The abundance of vascular plants, as well as soil pH and nitrogen mineralization rates, were studied in a total of 661 sample plots. 2We calculated an ecological measure (Ndev value) for all species based on their observed vs. expected nitrification ratios at a given soil pH, and compared its accuracy in predicting abundance changes with results using life history traits. Data from long-term field studies and fertilization experiments were used for validation. 3Ndev values were positively correlated between neighbouring regions. Values for the southernmost region (Skåne) were also positively related to the changes in species frequency observed in large-scale flora surveys and permanent plot studies in that area and with species changes reported from Central Europe. Values from one of two other regions were also consistent. Ndev values from Skåne (but no other region) predicted species responses in short-term fertilization experiments. 4No life history trait was as good a predictor as Ndev, although plant height, leaf anatomy, leaf nitrogen concentration and phenology showed significant correlations. Attributes related to taxonomy, life form, relative growth rate and habitat type showed no agreement with the changes in species abundance. 5We predict that species with the following attribute syndrome will increase in abundance in response to enhanced nitrogen levels: those favoured by a high soil nitrification ratio relative to other species at a given soil pH, tall stature, hydro- to helomorph anatomy, high leaf nitrogen concentration and a late phenological development. [source] Variation analysis of ,3 -adrenergic receptor and melanocortin-4 receptor genes in childhood obesityPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2007TOMOE KINOSHITA Abstract Background: Decreased energy expenditure and increased food intake are principal causes for obesity. In the present study, genotypes of ,3 -adrenergic receptor (,3AR) and of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), both of which are believed to have a close link to the cause of obesity, were analyzed and compared with phenotypes of childhood obesity. Methods: Thirty-five obese children with moderate to severe obesity were enrolled. Direct sequencing of the MC4R coding region and pinpoint-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect genomic variation in the ,3AR gene using peripheral blood-derived DNA. Results: Allele frequency of Trp64Arg variation in the ,3AR gene in the obese subjects was 0.16, which is comparable with that in the healthy general population in eastern Asia. Comparison of phenotypical characteristics did not show a significant difference between Trp/Trp and Trp/Arg subjects. It was notable that body height SD was significantly higher in the Trp/Trp than the Trp/Arg subjects (0.93 ± 1.0 SD vs 0.07 ± 1.3 SD, P= 0.03). Annual weight gains were far beyond a hypothetical fat gain in an Arg64 heterozygote with decreased energy consumption, suggesting increased food intake in childhood obesity. There was, however, no variation in the MC4R gene despite thorough sequencing of the entire coding region. Conclusions: The Trp64Arg variation in the ,3AR gene has no relationship to the degree or the incidence of childhood obesity. The majority of childhood obesity can be characterized as tall stature, more rapid weight gain than that expected by decreased energy expenditure. Further investigation is necessary in regard to the increased food intake as a major cause of childhood obesity. [source] Plant functional trait variation in relation to riparian geomorphology: The importance of disturbanceAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 7 2009GARRETH KYLE Abstract This study examined the patterns of plant functional trait variation in relation to geomorphology, disturbance and a suite of other environmental factors in the riparian margin of the Upper Hunter River, New South Wales, Australia. Vegetation was surveyed on three geomorphic surfaces (point bar, bench and bank) along a 5.5-km stretch of the Upper Hunter River. Functional traits relating to plant growth and reproduction were collected for the identified species. anova and principal components analysis were used to compare the trait assemblages of species associated with each geomorphic unit. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to investigate trait variation with respect to environmental variables. There were clear differences in the plant functional trait assemblages associated with the three geomorphic units. Generally the point bar was associated with species that were herbaceous, with small seed mass, a short stature and a high specific leaf area (SLA). Conversely, the bench was associated with grasses that had unassisted seed dispersal and intermediate seed mass and SLA, while species on the bank had tall stature, large seed mass, a high SLA and a perennial life cycle. Variation along the primary gradient of plant functional trait composition was most strongly related to disturbance frequency and to a lesser extent soil nutrients and the proportion of clay and silt, while variation along the secondary gradient was associated with variation in substrate texture as well as soil nutrients. [source] | ||||||||||