bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in some health status characteristics of American Samoan men: Preliminary observations from a 12‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Bindon James R. , Crews Douglas E.
Published: June 2005

One of the concomitants of the rapid socioeconomic and medical changes which occurred in American Samoa beginning with World War II has been an increase in chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes. As part of the Samoan Studies Project, a 1976 survey focusing on obesity and blood pressure was conducted in American Samoa. A total of 624 men age 18 or greater were seen at that time. In 1989 we conducted a follow‐up examination of 31 of these men, reassessing blood pressure, and also examining blood glucose and previously diagnosed health problems, focusing on chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. In a prospective analysis of mortality, Crews (Hum. Biol. 60:417–433, 1988) found that 111 American Samoan men who had blood pressures measured in a public health department survey in 1975 and subsequently died between 1975 and 1981, had higher average systolic and diastolic blood pressures than the 2,588 survivors (140/88 vs. 129/84). Using these data, the 1989 sample was stratified according to the 1976 blood pressure measurement of the men and a sample of 14 normotensive men (1976 blood pressure <140/90) and 17 hypertensives (1976 blood pressure ≥140/90) was selected. The average age, weight, and number of cigarettes smoked per day was not significantly different for these two groups at the 12‐year follow‐up. However, several indicators of health status did differ. The hypertensive group had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P ≤ 0.001). Additionally, the hypertensive group had higher random blood glucose values (P ≤ 0.005) and were significantly more likely to be hypertensive and/or have impaired glucose tolerance (P ≤ 0.001). Change in weight was predictive of change in blood pressure, but not of absolute value of blood pressure. This paper notes the importance of elevated blood pressure as a predictor of future chronic disease risk for Samoan men. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stress and changing lifestyles in the Pacific: Physiological stress responses of Samoans in rural and urban settings
Authors: Pearson Jay D. , James Gary D. , Brown Daniel E.
Published: June 2005

The lifestyles and social environments of Pacific Islanders have changed profoundly as a result of local development and migration to urban, cosmopolitan centers. These changes have often been accompanied by an increase in chronic diseases, alcoholism, and suicide. As a result, the health effects of psychological and physiological stress have become an increasing concern in Pacific Island nations and in countries with significant Pacific migrant communities. Several studies in the Samoan Studies Project have examined catecholamine excretion rates in order to understand how the behavioral, psychological, and environmental changes of modernization affect the physiological stress responses of young Samoan adults. The results of studies in rural and urban Western Samoa, American Samoa, and Honolulu, Hawaii show that several complex factors associated with urban, more cosmopolitan lifestyles tend to increase stress hormone levels. Specifically, lifestyle differences in physical activity, diet, and social interaction have significant independent and interactive contributions. These behavioral factors can lead to a high degree of day‐to‐day variability in catecholamine excretion. The implications of these findings for future research designs are discussed. However, the data suggest that it is a complex interaction of lifestyle factors, not any specific single factor, that determines the physiological stress responses of Samoans in different environments. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ethnicity, birth weight, and maternal age in infant mortality: Hawaiian experience
Authors: Park Chai Bin , Horiuchi Brian Y.
Published: June 2005

To investigate the role of ethnicity, birth weight, and maternal age in infant mortality, separately in neonatal and postneonatal phases, this study used linked birth and infant death certificates for a 10‐year period, 1979–1988, in the State of Hawaii. Log‐linear analysis was applied to the cross‐classified tables generated from the two files. Birth weight was a strong factor both in neonatal and postneonatal phases, but ethnicity was a factor only in the latter phase. Maternal age was not significant in infant survival in either phase, but it was strongly associated with the other two factors. Among the nine major ethnic groups residing in the state, black and Hawaiian women were more likely to have infants dying during the postneonatal period. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multiple influences on menstrual synchrony: Kibbutz roommates, their best friends, and their mothers
Authors: Weller Leonard , Weller Aron
Published: June 2005

Menstrual onset dates of women living in kibbutzim were compared with those of their roomates, their best friends in the kibbutz, and their mothers. Since these three groups of women constitute the overwhelming number of the subjects' female interactions, this enabled the examination of multiple influences on menstrual synchrony. Synchrony was found between roommates and between best friends, but not between mothers and daughters. The relationships of friendship and joint activities to synchrony were also analyzed. The findings support a pheromonal, and not an environmental, explanation of menstrual synchrony. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The onset of puberty and the availability of sex steroids in female gymnasts
Authors: de Ridder C. M. , Zonderland M. L. , Thijssen J. H. H. , Bruning P. F. , Barth A. , Steenbruggen A. , Erich W. B. M.
Published: June 2005

Plasma levels of gonadotropins, (sex) steroids, SHBG bound fractions of 17β‐estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T), and sex‐hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) were compared at the onset of puberty in female gymnasts (n = 7) and two groups of schoolgirls with similar anthropometric characteristics. Ten schoolgirls were matched to the gymnasts on the basis of a sum of skinfolds and the waist/hip ratio, while 12 other girls were selected on the basis of the stature and bicristal breadth of the female gymnasts. All girls were in the second stage of breast development (M2) and were classified as being in the first stage (M1) 6 months earlier. When female gymnasts were compared to nonathletic schoolgirls with similar physical characteristics at the same stage of early puberty, the former had significantly lower levels of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), total and available E2, and T. In conclusion, female gymnasts have significantly lower LH, E2, and T plasma levels than nonathletic schoolgirls in early puberty. The E2 and T plasma levels in early female gymnasts are not related to the individual physical characteristics, i.e., fat mass, short stature, or small bicristal breadth. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Secular change: Somatic comparisons of urban and rural black male children and youths living in central South Carolina
Authors: French Karen E. , Spurgeon John H.
Published: June 2005

Somatic data were collected during 1988–1989 on 260 black males, ages 6, 9, and 15 years, living in Calhoun County in rural central South Carolina. Eight measures of body size, four estimates of body form, two skinfold thicknesses, and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed for central tendency and variability. Comparisons were made with earlier samples of black boys measured in Columbia City, South Carolina, during 1974–1977. At ages 9 and 15 years, the Calhoun County boys exceed Columbia City boys in standing height, sitting height, lower limb height, arm girth, and body weight. Measures of body form were similar for both groups. Among worldwide comparisons, Calhoun County boys exceed all groups in standing height and body weight. Comparisons with earlier means indicate secular gains and estimates of their magnitude. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Weights of brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen in healthy and apparently healthy adult Danish subjects
Authors: Garby L. , Lammert O. , Kock K. F. , Thobo‐Carlsen B.
Published: June 2005

Based on a forensic material of 1,598 autopsies of Danish adults (1,086 males, 512 females ≥ 16 years of age), who prior to death were healthy or apparently healthy based on clinical evidence, the weights of brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen were registered. The variability of organ weights was estimated. Relationships between organ weights and body size, and among organ weights were also evaluated. Males had larger organ weights than females. When organ weights were based on the same estimated fat free mass, interesting differences between the sexes were observed: weights of the heart and brain were smaller in females, but weights of the kidney were the same; weights of the liver were consistently larger in females than in males. Useful comparisons of the data with previous studies were impossible because of differences in the criteria of health and of insufficient numbers. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Resting energy expenditure and body composition in rural Sarawaki adults
Authors: Strickland S. S. , Ulijaszek S. J.
Published: June 2005

The resting energy expenditure (REE) of 43 men and 41 nonpregnant women aged 18–42, of the Iban tribe in rural Sarawak, was measured using the Oxylog and analyzed in relation to fat mass (FM) and fat‐free mass (FFM) derived from measurements of skinfold thickness, to estimates of the specific energy expenditure of the FFM, and to microclimatic variables. Measured REEs exceeded values predicted from FFM by 9–22%, but were consistent with the metabolic rates expected of Western adolescents of comparable body size and composition. In both sexes, body fat content significantly influenced REE after accounting for nonlinear effects of variation in FFM. This is consistent with reported high adipocyte metabolic rates in obese Westerners, and with the hypothesis that Iban may possess a relatively large capacity for fat mobilization and storage. Therefore, in some populations, terms representing both FM and FFM should be included in equations describing REE. These findings are consistent with postulated evolutionary advantages of efficiency in regulation of energy turnover. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ethnicity and disease prevention
Authors: Cooper Richard S.
Published: June 2005

Ethnic variations in health present a useful paradigm for the study of disease etiology. The knowledge base in this area has expanded dramatically in recent years, both as a result of research across cultures and studies within multiethnic societies. The growth in descriptive information, however, has not always been paralleled by an increase in causal explanations. At both the theoretical and practical levels confounding remains an unsolved problem. Because of the frequent correlation between ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and risk exposures it is often difficult to isolate the relative impact of genetics and external risk factors. The importance of variation in allele frequencies in determining ethnic diesease patterns is further complicated by the difficulty in providing precise ethnic group designations. Inference regarding causal relationships becomes particularly challenging for polygenic disorders like hypertension and non–insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus, where good candidate genes are not available. At the same time, exposures are often known before the genetic basis of susceptibility has been identified and provide a practical basis for prevention. Prevention campaigns should be merged with etiologic research whenever possible and close collaboration among scientists working in public health and epidemiology and those based in genetics and biology would facilitate development of an appropriately balanced strategy. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetics of atherosclerosis: Some strategies for studies of apolipoprotein E
Authors: Moll Patricia Peyser
Published: June 2005

Many genes are hypothesized to be involved in determining an individual's risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). Recent efforts have focused on the genetic architecture of quantitative traits related to risk for CAD. Studies relating genetic variation in the structural gene for apolipoprotein E to plasma levels of apolipoprotein E illustrate strategies to begin to understand the genetic architecture of plasma levels of apolipoprotein E. Studies using a measured gene approach suggest that variability in the isoforms of apolipoprotein E explain some, but not all, of the variability in plasma levels of apolipoprotein E. Products of other genes may be associated with plasma apolipoprotein E variability. No studies to date have presented findings from an unmeasured gene approach to plasma levels of apolipoprotein E. Models most often used in the unmeasured gene approach are not appropriate for studies of plasma levels of apolipoprotein E and perhaps are inappropriate for the study of other traits. Variations of the models are suggested to ask if a single unmeasured gene is the same gene defined by the apolipoprotein E isoforms. Another model can be used to ask if there is evidence for genes influencing levels of apolipoprotein E after accounting for the effects of the isoforms. Both the measured gene and unmeasured gene strategies have limitations. The failure of most models to allow for the complexity of genotype‐phenotype relationships or the heterogeneity of genetic causes will slow the progress to understand the genetic architecture of quantitative traits associated with risk for CAD. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relationship between physical growth and motor development in infancy and early childhood: Multivariate analysis
Authors: Livshits Gregory , Cohen Zvi , Otremski Itshak
Published: June 2005

This study was based on a sample of 651 singleton infants, from 325 unrelated families. Body weight (WT), length (LT) and head circumference (HC) of each child were measured at day of birth and thereafter every 3 months during the first 2 years. The achievement of five developmental milestones was surveyed, the ages at which the infant could turn him‐ or herself over (TURN), sit up (SAT), stand up (STOOD), walk without support (WALK), and cut the first tooth (TOOTH). Principal component analysis showed several patterns, in particular: (1) PC1 includes all physical measurements of the infant at all specific ages, (2) PC2 is a factor of motor development and early growth rate; gestational age, birth weight, and body length also showed high negative correlations with this component, (3) PC4 is a factor that related the motor development variables with growth rate between 6 and 12 months, and (4) PC6 is a “late growth” component. Path analysis revealed that real relationships between the variables of motor development and growth rate are complicated. It showed the existence of direct relations between sequential motor milestones. However, most of the growth rate variables and birth measurements, in particular birth WT, had only an indirect contribution to rate of motor development. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of pulsatile patterns of growth hormone release in humans: A brief review
Authors: Hartman Mark L. , Iranmanesh Ali , Thorner Michael O. , Veldhuis Johannes D.
Published: June 2005

Growth hormone (GH) is an important metabolic hormone, which stimulates net protein anabolism, lipolysis, and linear bone growth. Pulses of GH secretion arise from interactions of hypothalamic GH‐releasing hormone and somatostatin at the somatotroph cell in the anterior pituitary gland. The frequency and amplitude of GH pulses are regulated by multiple factors including age, geneder, pubertal status, menstrual cycle phase, body composition, sleep, nutrition, and exercise. In diseases such as obesity, type I diabetes mellitus, hypo‐ and hyperthyroidism, Turner's syndrome, uremia, liver failure, and acromegaly the pulsatile secretion of GH and/or its metabolic clearance rate are altered. Deconvolution analysis of serum GH concentrations measured in blood obtained at frequent intervals has made it possible to simultaneously resolve subject‐specific metabolic clearance rates and the number, amplitude, duration, and mass of GH secretory bursts. Such analyses have provided new insights into the mechanisms regulating pulsatile patterns of GH release in human health and disease. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Children do not grow continuously but in spurts
Authors: Hermanussen Michael , Burmeister Jens
Published: June 2005

The description of the human growth pattern in limited largely to the traditional vocabulary of “linear growth rates,” i.e., height or length increments divided by certain time intervals such as months or years. These studies have been performed using conventional techniques of body length or stature measurement with a technical error of approximately 1.5 mm. During the last 10 years, measurements of lower leg length (knemometry) have been performed with a significantly lower technical error (0.09–0.16 mm). Repeated determinations of lower leg length at short intervals are now feasible, and evidence indicates that “short term growth” is a phenomenon that includes both length increment and decrement. At measurement intervals of exactly 1 week, growth appears periodic showing marked spurts that alternate with intervals of decreased growth velocity with a peak‐to‐peak distance of 30–55 days (mini growth spurts). These spurts have significant clinical importance and can be used as predictive criteria for successful growth promotion in growth hormone therapy of short stature. Lower leg length measurements at 24‐hour intervals provide evidence for the existence of circaseptan periodicity. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evidence of saltatory growth in infancy
Authors: Lampl Michelle
Published: June 2005

Auxological measurements were taken weekly (n = 10), semi‐weekly (n = 20), and daily (n = 3) during the first 21 months of life on a sample of normal infants (21 females and 12 males). The serial length measurements are reported. All subjects grew in length during episodic growth saltuses of short duration, with amplitudes of 0.5–2.0 cm during measurements intervals (1 day to 1 week), separated by periods of no measurable growth (2 days to 2 months). The periods of stasis between growth episodes are not positively associated with illness (P = 0.000). These data support the hypothesis that normal human growth during the first 2 years proceeds by pulsatile growth saltuses of substantial amplitude and rapid duration punctuating static intervals. Individual variability in the amplitude and frequency of growth saltuses may account for variation in attained length and growth velocity. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improvement in the Roche‐Wainer‐Thissen stature prediction model: A comparative study
Authors: Khamis H. J. , Guo Shumei
Published: June 2005

The Roche‐Wainer‐Thissen (RWT) prediction model, developed in 1975, predicts the adult stature of a child based on age, current stature, current weight, current skeletal age, and the average stature of the parents. Generally, the method has worked well; however, there are certain steps in the procedure that can be improved. Seven variations of the current version of the RWT prediction model are investigated and compared in terms of the accuracy and reliability of prediction, culminating in a recommendation for the prediction of adult stature in Caucasian Americans. The recommended method, called multivariate cubic spline smoothing [MCS2(1)], uses cubic splines in the smoothing part of the RWT prediction model, resulting in a simpler (i.e., fewer steps) method with smaller maximum deviations between predicted and actual adult statures than the current multivariate semi‐metric smoothing (MS2) method. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Secular changes in stature and biacromial and bicristal diameters of young adult Spanish males
Authors: Mesa María Soledad , Fuster Vicente , Sánchez‐Andrés Angeles , Marrodán Dolores
Published: June 2005

Measurements of stature and biacromial and bicristal diameters were obtained for two samples of young adult male university students, one from 1901 to 1919 and the other from 1989 to 1991. Means and standard deviations were calculated for each measurement and for three indices. Significant positive trends in stature and biacromial and bicristal diameters were apparent between the two samples: 7.3 cm (4.4%), 3.6 cm (9.9%), and 3.4 cm (12.5%), respectively. The results for stature were compared with other Spanish samples from the beginning of the century to the present. These comparisons also showed positive secular changes, although the differences among samples may have been conditioned by regional variations in socioeconomic conditions, industrialization, and so on, all of which complicate the interpretation of the magnitude of changes in Spain. In summary, the results show a positive secular trend in body dimensions, and this can be related to the improvement in living conditions in Spain, especially during the last 40 years. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quantitative genetics of sexual dimorphism in body fat measurements
Authors: Comuzzie Anthony G. , Blangero John , Mahaney Michael C. , Mitchell Braxton D. , Stern Michael P. , Maccluer Jean W.
Published: June 2005

A variance decomposition analysis using maximum likelihood methods was employed to examine the genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism in anthropometric traits in a large pedigreed sample of Mexican American individuals from San Antonio, Texas. For this analysis the magnitude of sexual dimorphism was viewed as arising from a special case of genotype by environment interaction (G × E), that of genotype by sex (G × S). Evidence indicates a marked G × S interaction for 9 of the 12 traits examined and 1 of the 4 indices, findings which are interpreted as indicators of a strong genetic component to the degree of sexual dimorphism expressed in these traits. Such results have important implications for the use and interpretation of these traits in an epidemiological as well as an evolutionary context. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Secular trends in growth and maturation in British girls
Authors: Roberts D. F.
Published: June 2005

Over a period of 28 years, a succession of cross‐sectional surveys was carried out on young women entering the University College of Swansea (1959–1970) and then the University of Warwick (1971–1986) each year. Recall data on age at menarche and measurements of stature provide an indication of secular trends in growth and maturation in this section of the population of Britain. The earlier trend to younger age at menarche came to an end in girls born in approximately 1946 and entering university in 1964, and subsequently reversed, so that there is now a secular increase in menarcheal age. The successive analyses of stature show no such reversal, but instead a steady increase in mean stature throughout the period. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sequence of emergence of the permanent teeth in Macaca, Pan, Homo, and Australopithecus: Its evolutionary significance
Authors: Smith B. Holly
Published: June 2005

There are two main questions about the sequence of emergence of the permanent teeth in humans: 1) Why is there so much variation in sequence within human populations? (2) What is the adaptive or evolutionary significance of emergence sequence? Here, the human condition is considered by comparing us to other living primates and to our evolutionary past and considered in the light of Schultz's hypothesis that sequence of tooth emergence is adapted to rate of postnatal growth (Schultz AH. In JM Tanner (ed.) Human Growth, pp 1–20, 1960). Frequencies of individual pairwise sequences (e.g., M1I1 vs. I1M1) in the emergence of the permanent dentition are described for N = 110 Macaca nemestrina, and compared to N = 157 Pan troglodytes and ≥6,000 Homo sapiens. In addition, sequences of gingival emergence are reconstructed for Australopithecus and early Homo. Trends observed across these catarrhine primates suggest that sequence and variability in sequence can be understood by a simple model of adaptation of tooth emergence to growth rate. As rate of postnatal growth slows, molars drift to later positions in sequence, either by always emerging late in sequence, or by varying in the direction of late emergence. “Augmented sequences” (sequences written with notations about variability) are important in recognizing evolutionary trends; further, they often alter perception of similarities and differences among taxa. Although samples are small, Australopithecus africanus resembles the rapidly developing genera Macaca and Pan more than it resembles Homo sapiens. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evolutionary perspectives on human nutrition: The influence of brain and body size on diet and metabolism
Authors: Leonard William R. , Robertson Marcia L.
Published: June 2005

Human dietary patterns and metabolic requirements are compared to those of nonhuman primate species in order to gain insights into the evolution of our nutritional needs. In general, primate diet quality (i.e., caloric and nutrient density) is inversely related to body size and total resting metabolic requirements (RMR). Humans, however, consume a diet of much higher quality than is expected for our size and metabolic needs. This energy‐rich diet appears to reflect an adaptation to the high metabolic cost of our large brain. Among primates, the relative proportion of resting metabolic energy used for brain metabolism is positively correlated with relative diet quality. Humans represent the positive extreme, having both a very high quality diet and a large brain that accounts for 20–25% of resting metabolism. Evidence from the hominid fossil record implies that major changes in diet and relative brain metabolism occurred with the emergence of the genus Homo. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dietary nutrient intake comparisons for rural and urban Russian boys, ages 6, 9, and 15 years, living in St. Petersburg and surrounding areas
Authors: Steele Marilyn F. , Spurgeon John H. , French Karen E. , Giese Warren K. , Utenko VN , Bundzen PV , Rogozkin VA
Published: June 2005

Dietary intake data were gathered on 123 rural and 111 urban males, ages 6, 9, and 15 years, living in and near St. Petersburg, Russia. Data were analyzed to estimate intakes of kilocalories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, and percentage of kilocalories from protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Comparisons were made between nutrient intakes of urban and rural subjects; intakes were also compared with the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI) of the USSR Research Institute of Nutrition. There were no significant differences between rural and urban boys in energy intake at any age. Urban boys consumed more vitamin C at ages 6 and 9, had higher intakes of protein, calcium, and niacin at age 9, and consumed more protein at age 15. Rural boys had higher intakes of riboflavin and calcium than urban boys at age 6. Urban boys consumed larger proportions of energy as carbohydrate at age 6, protein at age 9, and both protein and fat at age 15 than rural subjects. Rural boys had higher proportions of kilocalories from fat at age 6 and carbohydrate at age 15 than urban boys. Mean nutrient intakes below the RDI were: energy for rural boys at 9 and 15 years; iron for rural subjects at ages 6 and 9 and urban boys at age 6; calcium for rural and urban boys at all ages; vitamin C for rural subjects at ages 6 and 9; vitamin A for rural and urban boys at age 15; and protein for rural boys at age 15. At age 6, rural boys had nutrient intakes superior to those of urban boys; urban nutrient intakes were better than rural at ages 9 and 15. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prediction equations for body composition of Japanese adults by B‐mode ultrasound
Authors: Abe Takashi , Kondo Masakatsu , Kawakami Yasuo , Fukunaga Tetsuo
Published: June 2005

A total of 117 Japanese subjects (62 men and 55 women) volunteered for the study. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) and muscle thicknesses were measured by B‐mode ultrasonography at nine sites of the body. Body density (BD) was determined the hydrodensitometry. Reproducibility of thickness measurements by ultrasonography was high (r = 0.96–0.99). Correlations between AT thickness and BD ranged from −0.46 (gastrocnemius) to −0.87 (abdomen) for males and −0.46 (gastrocnemius) to −0.84 (abdomen) for females. A higher negative correlation (r = −0.89) was observed for the sum of AT thicknesses (forearm, biceps, triceps, abdomen, subscapula, quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior) both in males and in females. Slightly lower coefficients were observed between muscle thickness and LBM (r = 0.36 to r = 0.70 for males and r = 0.44 to r = 0.55 for females). Prediction equations for BD and LBM from AT and muscle thickness were obtained by multiple regression analysis. Cross‐validation on a separate sample (33 men and 44 women) showed an accurate prediction for BD. The present findings suggest that B‐mode ultrasonography can be applied in clinical assessment and field surveys. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reliability for multiple frequency bioelectric impedance
Authors: Chumlea Wm. Cameron , Guo Shumei S. , Bellisari Anna , Baumgartner Richard N. , Siervogel Roger M.
Published: June 2005

Multifrequency impedance may help to quantify body fluid compartments and levels of hydration among individuals. Most studies of bioelectric impedance use impedance machines operating at a frequency of 50 kHz, and observer error is low. The present study evaluates multifrequency impedance measurements at 15 frequencies from 5 to 1,300 kHz to determine observer reliability in 20 White subjects of each sex, 18–65 years of age. Data were collected during two time periods so that a participant was measured by each of two observers during each period. There was an effect of frequency and sex on reliability. The intra‐ and inter‐observer reliability for resistance and reactance were high with coefficients of reliability of greater than 95% at frequencies under about 500 kHz for resistance and under 100 kHz for reactance. Technical errors of measurement were generally stable across frequencies for resistance but became increasingly large above 100 kHz for reactance. Resistance measures of men were more reliable than those of women. Reliability was reduced at high frequencies which are potentially useful in determining body fluid volumes. There was no effect of age on reliability. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Body dimensions and differential fertility in !Kung San males from Namibia
Authors: Winkler Eike Meinrad , Kirchengast Sylvia
Published: June 2005

The relationship between paternal somatic morphology and number and sex of the offspring was investigated with 114 !Kung San males from Namibia. Significant correlations were observed between measures of facial and distal robustness and the total number of sons and daughters as well as for the sex ratio of children and the ratio of living to dead children. Anthropometric characteristics of !Kung San men correlated with the number of daughters more frequently than with the number of sons, and the majority of correlation coefficients were negative. This indicates that more slender men tend to have more daughters, while the positive correlations between body dimensions and the number of sons demonstrate that more robustly built and tall men tend to have more sons. Mortality of children also differs relative to the paternal body build. The mortality rate in children of more slender fathers is higher than in those of more robust fathers. Robust men have more male children and these children have a better chance to survive. The differential fertility of the !Kung may be explained by the association between a high social rank and robustness of physique which may lead to typical patterns of sexual selection. The results of the present study are consistent with the Trivers‐Willard hypothesis, which describes differential sex‐biased parental investment under different socioeconomic conditions. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Small for gestational age associated with short stature during adolescence
Authors: Frisancho A. Roberto , Fields Stephen , Smith Shelley L.
Published: June 2005

This study examined the relationship between intrauterine growth retardation and adolescent stature in a sample of 1510 White subjects (754 males and 756 females) who were evaluated at birth and at the ages of 15, 16, and 17 years. The subjects were classified into two groups based on birthweight, small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA), corresponding respectively to values below the 10th, and between the 11th and 99th, percentiles of gestational age and sex. Results showed that boys and girls born prematurely (gestational age < 37 weeks of gestation) attained the same stature as those born at full term (>37 weeks of gestation). In contrast, those born SGA were significantly shorter than their counterparts born AGA. The average reduction in stature was 4.9 cm for males and 2.9 cm for females. When the analysis included adjustments for parental stature (and adolescent's age at menarche for females), the average reduction in stature equaled about 3.5 cm for males and 2.0 cm for females. It is thus concluded that the stature deficit reflects a reduction in growth rate rather than delay in maturation. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Body weight and ABO blood types: Are AB females heavier?
Authors: Kelso AJ , Maggi Wynne , Beals Kenneth L.
Published: June 2005

Four samples from widely separated and culturally distinct populations—U.S. college students, Mennonites, Egyptian villagers, and Brazilian migrants—are examined for evidence of a relationship between ABO blood type and body weight. Overall, the results do not support the existence of such a relationship, although they do offer further support to the possibility that females of AB blood type are consistently the heaviest phenotype. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Body size, biological maturation, and sport participation related to cortical bone in adolescent girls
Authors: Song JK , Claessens AL , Beunen GP , Lefevre J.
Published: June 2005

The purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to describe the growth of metacarpal bone dimensions in a large sample (n = 819) of Flemish girls, 12–18 years, and (2) to investigate the relationship among cortical bone dimensions, biological maturation, and participation in sports activities. Besides body mass and stature, Tanner‐Whitehouse skeletal age (SA) was estimated and menarcheal status was assessed. Second metacarpal bone dimensions were measured on radiographs. Sports participation was determined by a standardized questionnaire. Results show that whereas medullary diameter decreased, all other second metacarpal dimensions increased significantly with age. When the girls were divided into five subgroups by SA, significant differences were found for metacarpal bone dimensions among the groups. Analysis of covariance revealed that skeletal maturity significantly differentiated for medullary diameter, cortical thickness, cortical area, and percent cortical area, even when chronological age, body mass, and stature were partialled out. However, no differences were found between contrasting SA groups for metacarpal length and periosteal diameter when chronological age, body mass, and stature were held constant. The metacarpals of postmenarcheal girls are ∼4% longer and ∼7% wider, and had ∼14% more bone area than age‐matched, premenarcheal peers. No differences were found in periosteal diameter between pre‐ and postmenarcheal 14–15‐year‐old girls. Finally, sports participation was not associated with cortical bone in this group of healthy females (−0.16 ≤ r ≤ 0.17). © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
V̇ max and nutritional status in Urban Colombian girls and women
Authors: Spurr GB , Reina JC , Dufour DL , Narváez JV
Published: June 2005

Maximal oxygen consumption (V̇max, liters min−1) was measured in 60 nutritionally normal and 74 marginally undernourished girls 6–16 years of age and 27 upper socioeconomic (UEC) women and 22 women living in economically deprived conditions (LEC) in Cali, Colombia. All girls were recruited from the LEC neighborhoods. Lower values for V̇max (liters min−1) in undernourished girls were replaced by a nutritionally normal status in adulthood in which V̇max was not significantly different from that measured in UEC women. Physical condition varied from average to fair in the younger to older subjects compared to women from industrialized countries. When V̇max is expressed as ml min−1kg−1of lean body mass (LBM), all age and group effects disappear, confirming regression analysis which demonstrated a close relationship (r2= 0.81) between V̇max (liters min−1) and LBM in which there were no significant differences between nutritional or socioeconomic groups. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fat distribution in Cuban infants
Authors: Diaz María Elena , Montero Minerva , Wong Iraida , Moreno Vilma , Toledo Emilia Maria , Moreno Raisa
Published: June 2005

Fatness and relative fat distribution of 505 infants from the city of Havana were identified by principal components analysis of four skinfolds. The first principal component accounts for 59–62% of the variance and represents overall fatness; the other components contrast trunk‐extremity and upper‐lower body fat. Principal component scores were also correlated with different anthropometric variables. Estimated fat areas and an energy/protein index are the best indicators of fatness, but indices of fat distribution and skinfold ratios are more representative of fat patterning. Nutritional status is related to fatness, but not to fat distribution. Age and race of the infants are independent of fatness and fat distribution. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Accordance between V̇O2max and behavior in Ngisonyoka Turkana
Authors: Curran‐Everett Linda S.
Published: June 2005

This study examined the relationship between maximal aerobic work capacity (maximal oxygen uptake, V̇O2max) and two variables (occupational group and history of cattle herding) related to the behavior of the Ngisonyoka Turkana, a group of East African pastoralists maintaining a traditional herding lifestyle. Maximal oxygen uptake was measured for 19 men aged 20–44 years using a Monark bicycle ergometer. In line with previous reports for East Africans, there was little difference among mean V̇O2max for three Ngisonyoka age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49 years),P> 0.05. However, V̇O2max varied with history of cattle herding [defined as either (1) presently herding cattle, (2) had formerly herded cattle, or (3) had never herded cattle],P< 0.01. Maximal oxygen uptake also varied with occupational group (defined as junior herder, senior herder, herdowner [= former herder], or impoverished herdowner [= resumed herder]),P< 0.05. Thus, culturally defined work history and occupational group are positively associated with V̇O2max, and may be useful in field studies of the effects of past and present activity levels on aerobic capacity. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Survey of seven plasma protein polymorphisms in the Amhara and Oromo populations of Ethiopia
Authors: Scacchi R. , Corbo RM , Rickards O. , De Stefano GF
Published: June 2005

The Ethiopian population is very difficult to specify due to a very high degree of intermixing among different peoples. The two groups of the present study, the Amhara and Oromo, constitute 38% and 35% of the population, respectively. In order to investigate the genetic composition of the Amhara and Oromo, genetic polymorphisms of seven plasma proteins (F13A, F13B, ORM1, AHSG, C6, C7, and APOC2), already identified as useful anthropological markers, were studied. No statistically relevant differences were found between the two groups for all of the systems examined. ORM1 and F13A showed frequencies in the range observed in other populations of Caucasoid and Negroid origin. F13B, AHSG, and C6 displayed gene frequencies and a number of variant alleles that seem particular to these two groups. No variation was observed for C7 and APOC2. Correspondence and distance analyses were used to interpret and compare the gene frequencies of the Amhara and Oromo with those of other related populations. These methods locate Ethiopians in an intermediate position between African Blacks and a group of Caucasoid populations, confirming cultural and historical data. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Worker motivation and productivity in chinese (beijing) tricycle haulers: Integrating social and biological variables
Authors: Hewner Sharon J. , Sun Wei
Published: June 2005

Ethnographic assessment of worker lifestyle and motivation was paired with measurement of health, maximum oxygen uptake, anthropometry, and cold response to predict productivity in order to determine how well behavioral ratings and biological rankings of worker capacity predict actual productivity. The subjects were Chinese laborers hauling heavy loads on a cycle by human power during a Beijing winter. Worker productivity was measured as pay for unit of work done. This paper reports the ethnographic methods and results. Worker health was assessed through a physical examination including vital signs, echocardiogram (ECG), nutrition, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Worker motivation was assessed during 10 weeks of participant observation, extensive interview, and a visit to the worker's household. Motivation was rated using a rank‐order comparison of all 50 workers from lowest to highest. Other observational ratings (household assets, demands on worker, and health of household members) were completed at the time of the home visit using five‐point scales. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Frequency of haplotypes in the beta globin gene cluster in a selected sample of the mexican population
Authors: Peñaloza Rosenda , García‐carrancá Alejandro , Ceras Teresa , Alvarez Carlos , Berumen Jaime , Zavala Carlos , Salamanca Fabio
Published: June 2005

Five polymorphic restriction enzyme sites in the beta globin gene cluster (HindIII Gγ‐Hind III Aγ‐, Ava IIINV−2β‐and Hpa I and Bam HI 3′β‐globin gene) were studied in individuals from 13 families: 13 homozygote patients for sickle cell anemia, two double heterozygotes (one SC and one S/βThal), 35 AS heterozygotes (23 parents and 12 siblings), one father (A/βThal), and three normal siblings. In addition, 17 normal unrelated Mexican subjects were studied. All subjects were from the state of Veracruz on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The Southern blot technique was used. Fifteen haplotypes were identified in the 142 chromosomes. Five were the most frequent: two haplotypes, (+−+++) (52.4%) and (−−+−+) (19.0%) were associated with βS chromosomes; two haplotypes, (−−+++) (38.2%) and (−−−++) (19.7%), were linked with βA chromosomes, and the fifth (−−++−) was present in both types of chromosomes. Haplotype (+−+++) corresponded to the Bantu or Senegal type. With Hinc II analysis after PCR amplification in both the 5′ and 3′ regions of the ψβ‐globin gene, it was possible to distinguish between these African types, as in the former both restriction sites are absent. This analysis was done in 23 βS and 10 βA subjects. All βS chromosomes disclosed the Bantu type, while βA were similar to Caucasians. Bantu and Benin haplotypes have been found with high frequency in African populations, indicating the great influence of African genes in the population of the Mexican coasts. In addition, two previously unidentified haplotypes were found: (++−−+) and (−++++). These can be explainded by crossing‐over events and/or by new mutations. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Energy cost of physical activity in twelve week old infants
Authors: Wells J. C. K. , Davies Peter S. W.
Published: June 2005

The energy cost of physical activity has long remained the component of energy expenditure most difficult to quantify. Measurement of total energy expenditure (TEE) in free‐living infants by the doubly‐labelled water method permits a new approach. The energy cost of activity was estimated in 12 week infants as the difference between TEE and the sum of minimal metabolic rate, the energy cost of tissue synthesis, and thermogenesis. No differences were found between the sexes or between breast‐fed and formula‐fed infants. However, the cost of activity was substantially higher than previously assumed. The approach is more suitable for use with groups rather than individuals. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Long‐term pharmacologic treatment of women with hypertension
Authors: Charney Pamela
Published: June 2005

As reviewed in “Hypertension in Women: What is Really Known?” (Women's Caucus Working Group on Women's Health of the Society of General Internal Medicine [1991] Ann Intern Med 115:287–293), the published literature reveals that hypertension frequently occurs in women and that only some prospective studies have defined specific benefits and risks of long‐term pharmacologic treatment. Major U.S. epidemiologic studies show the incidence of hypertension to very between 20% and 50% of the population. It is more common among Afro‐Americans than White Americans. Frequency increases with aging. Several studies of at least 3 years duration that have focused on the use of diuretics and B blockers are reviewed: Hypertension Detection and Follow‐Up Program (HDFP), Medical Research Council (MRC), MRC trial in the treatment of older adults (MRC‐Older), and isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly (SHEP). Both diuretics and B blockers generally lower blood pressure, and decrease stroke incidence and mortality. Diuretics seem to be more effective and better tolerated than B blockers. Long‐term studies of newer antihypertensive agents do not yet exist. The sexual side effects of drugs have only been studied to a limited degree in women. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Racial admixture in a Mestizo population from Mexico City
Authors: Lisker Rubén , Ramírez Eva , González‐Villalpando Clicerio , Stern Michael P.
Published: June 2005

Seven genetic systems were used to investigate the racial composition of a sample from a low‐income Mexico City Mestizo group, finding estimates of 0.590, 0.348, and 0.062 of Indian, White, and Black ancestry, respectively. The results are similar to another Mexico City group studied previously and to several Mestizo populations from different parts of the country. The one thing in common in all these groups is low socioeconomic status. There is only one report suggesting that Mexico City Mestizos have around 70% White ancestry, and there is reason to believe the sample was taken from a high socioeconomic group. It is suggested that low socioeconomic Mexican Mestizo groups are characterized by a high Indian ancestry, above 50%. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.