bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between mRNA levels and functional role of α1-adrenoceptor subtypes in arteries: evidence of α1L as a functional isoform of the α1A-adrenoceptor
Authors: Martí Daniel , Miquel Raquel , Ziani Khalid , Gisbert Regina , Ivorra M. Dolores , Anselmi Elsa , Moreno Lucrecia , Villagrasa Victoria , Barettino Domingo , D'Ocon Pilar
Published: June 2005

The mRNA levels for the three α1-adrenoceptor subtypes, α1A, α1B, and α1D, were quantified by real-time RT-PCR in arteries from Wistar rats. The α1D-adrenoceptor was prominent in both aorta (79.0%) and mesenteric artery (68.7%), α1A predominated in tail (61.7%) and small mesenteric artery (73.3%), and both α1A- and α1D-subtypes were expressed at similar levels in iliac artery. The mRNA levels of the α1B-subtype were a minority in all vessels (1.7–11.1%). Concentration-response curves of contraction in response to phenylephrine or relaxation in response to α1-adrenoceptor antagonists on maximal sustained contraction induced by phenylephrine were constructed from control vessels and vessels pretreated with 100 μmol/l chloroethylclonidine (CEC) for 30 min. The significant decrease in the phenylephrine potency observed after CEC treatment together with the inhibitory potency displayed by 8-{2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]-8-azaspiro ( 4 , 5 ) decane-7-dionedihydrochloride} (BMY-7378, an α1D-adrenoceptor antagonist) confirm the relevant role of α1D-adrenoceptors in aorta and iliac and proximal mesenteric arteries. The potency of 5-methylurapidil (an α1A-adrenoceptor antagonist) and the changes in the potency of both BMY-7378 and 5-methylurapidil after CEC treatment provided evidence of a mixed population of α1A- and α1D-adrenoceptors in iliac and distal mesenteric arteries. The low potency of prazosin (pIC50 < 9) as well as the high 5-methylurapidil potency in tail and small mesenteric arteries suggest the main role of α1A/α1L-adrenoceptors with minor participation of the α1D-subtype. The mRNA levels and CEC treatment corroborated this pattern and confirmed that the α1L-adrenoceptor could be a functional isoform of the α1A-subtype.
Collagen and elastin cross-linking: a mechanism of constrictive remodeling after arterial injury
Authors: Brasselet Camille , Durand Eric , Addad Faouzi , Zen Ayman Al Haj , Smeets Mirjam B. , Laurent-Maquin Dominique , Bouthors Sylvie , Bellon Georges , de Kleijn Dominique , Godeau Gaston , Garnotel Roselyne , Gogly Bruno , Lafont Antoine
Published: June 2005

Constrictive remodeling after arterial injury is related to collagen accumulation. Cross-linking has been shown to induce a scar process in cutaneous wound healing and is increased after arterial injury. We therefore evaluated the effect of cross-linking inhibition on qualitative and quantitative changes in collagen, elastin, and arterial remodeling after balloon injury in the atherosclerotic rabbit model. Atherosclerotic-like lesions were induced in femoral arteries of 28 New Zealand White rabbits by a combination of air desiccation and a high-cholesterol diet. After 1 mo, balloon angioplasty was performed in both femoral arteries. Fourteen rabbits were fed β-aminopropionitrile (β-APN, 100 mg/kg) and compared with 14 untreated animals. The remodeling index, i.e., the ratio of external elastic lamina at the lesion site to external elastic lamina at the reference site, was determined 4 wk after angioplasty for both groups. Pyridinoline was significantly decreased in arteries from β-APN-treated animals compared with controls, confirming inhibition of collagen cross-linking: 0.30 (SD 0.03) and 0.52 (SD 0.02) mmol/mol hydroxyproline, respectively ( P = 0.002). Scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed a profound disorganization of collagen fibers in arteries from β-APN-treated animals. The remodeling index was significantly higher in β-APN-treated than in control animals [1.1 (SD 0.3) vs. 0.8 (SD 0.3), P = 0.03], indicating favorable remodeling. Restenosis decreased by 33% in β-APN-treated animals: 32% (SD 16) vs. 48% (SD 24) ( P = 0.02). Neointimal collagen density was significantly lower in β-APN-treated animals than in controls: 23.0% (SD 3.8) vs. 29.4% (SD 4.0) ( P = 0.004). These findings suggest that collagen and elastin cross-linking plays a role in the healing process via constrictive remodeling and restenosis after balloon injury in the atherosclerotic rabbit model.
Protein kinase Cε induces systolic cardiac failure marked by exhausted inotropic reserve and intact Frank-Starling mechanism
Authors: Montgomery David E. , Rundell Veronica L. M. , Goldspink Paul H. , Urboniene Dalia , Geenen David L. , de Tombe Pieter P. , Buttrick Peter M.
Published: June 2005

Myofilament dysfunction is a common point of convergence for many forms of heart failure. Recently, we showed that cardiac overexpression of PKCε initially depresses myofilament activity and then leads to a progression of changes characteristic of human heart failure. Here, we examined the effects of PKCε on contractile reserve, Starling mechanism, and myofilament activation in this model of end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy. Pressure-volume loop analysis and echocardiography showed that the PKCε mice have markedly compromised systolic function and increased end-diastolic volumes. Dobutamine challenge resulted in a small increase in contractility in PKCε mice but failed to enhance cardiac output. The PKCε mice showed a normal length-dependent tension development in skinned cardiac muscle preparations, although Frank-Starling mechanism appeared to be compromised in the intact animal. Simultaneous measurement of tension and ATPase demonstrated that the maximum tension and ATPase were markedly lower in the PKCε mice at any length or Ca2+concentration. However, the tension cost was also lower indicating less energy expenditure. We conclude 1) that prolonged overexpression of PKCε ultimately leads to a dilated cardiomyopathy marked by exhausted contractile reserve, 2) that PKCε does not compromise the Frank-Starling mechanism at the myofilament level, and 3) that the Starling curve excursion is limited by the inotropic state of the heart. These results reflect the significance of the primary myofilament contractilopathy induced by phosphorylation and imply a role for PKCε-mediated phosphorylation in myofilament physiology and the pathophysiology of decompensated cardiac failure.
Efficient Approach to the Structure-Property Relationship of Woven and Braided Fabric-reinforced Composites up to Failure
Authors: Huang Zheng-Ming
Published: June 2005

In the author’s previous work, the woven and braided fabric-reinforced composites were analyzed using fully three-dimensional (3D) formulas of a micromechanics Bridging Model. Although explicit in expression, the 3D formulas require an iteration to determine the bridging elements involved at every load step when the analysis is out of elastic range. This is computationally less effective. In most cases, the woven and braided composites are reinforced with two-dimensional (2D) woven and braided preforms. For these composites, the 2D bridging model formulas may be more suitable. This has indeed been shown in the present paper. By comparing the predicted results of the 2D and the 3D bridging model formulas with the measured data for the stress-strain responses of a number of diamond and regular braided composites up to failure, it has been found that the 2D model is sufficiently accurate. Considering that no iteration is required, the 2D bridging model formulas are more efficient for the failure analysis and strength prediction of composites reinforced with 2D braided as well as woven fabrics.
Teaching Time-Out and Job Card Grounding Procedures to Parents: A Primer for Family Counselors
Authors: Eaves Susan H. , Sheperis Carl J. , Blanchard Tracy , Baylot Laura , Doggett R. Anthony
Published: June 2005

Time-out procedures are proven effective methods for reducing undesirable behavior in children. However, such procedures are often taught incorrectly or used improperly and are therefore of little value in reducing such behaviors. The authors present a review of literature, empirically based instruction methods, and a case scenario to assist family counselors in educating and training parents in the appropriate use of time-out strategies. A form of time-out, known as job card grounding, is also presented as a derivative more applicable to adolescent children.
Expanding Opportunities for Family Counselors in Japan
Authors: Hayes Richard L. , Kameguchi Kenji
Published: June 2005

Japan has experienced enormous social change in the past 40 years, including the near disappearance of the three-generation household and the emergence of the nuclear household, intensified urbanization, and an increase in the participation of women and immigrants in the workforce. These changes have been accompanied by the erosion of the traditional Japanese family structure, rising divorce rates, rising crime and violence among Japanese youth, and an epidemic of suicides, particularly among middle-aged men. Encouraged by a broader social acceptance of counseling and psychotherapy in addressing an array of mental health concerns, family counselors in Japan can expect to see a significant increase in demand for their services.
A Qualitative Exploration of Resilience in Long-Term Lesbian Couples
Authors: Connolly Colleen M.
Published: June 2005

Counselors continually strive to expand knowledge about relational dynamics. This article focuses on a qualitative exploration of resilience with 10 lesbian couples in relationship for 10 to 24 years. The researcher used an ethnographic and phenomenological methodology from a feminist point of view to explore resilience in two joint interviews. Couples described two thematic processes of resilience that helped thwart the effects of cultural marginalization. Relational resiliency, which served to safeguard and protect couples against stressors, consisted of the subthemes of mutuality, relational balance, and interdependence. Couple resilience, processes that facilitated couples overcoming and rebounding from adversity, included subthemes of couple unification, determination, perspective, and external buffers. These areas are discussed along with recommendations and implications for research and counseling.
Teaching Couples Counseling: An Integrative Model
Authors: Long Lynn L. , Burnett Judith A.
Published: June 2005

Traditionally, training in couples counseling has not received equal status as other counseling modalities. Recently, there is renewed interest in specific training for couples counseling as more emphasis is placed on the stability of couple relationships as an important factor for helping families and children function in a society of frequent divorce and escalating school-related violence. Similar to group work, couples counseling has emerged as a discipline that combines theoretical elements and strategies. This article describes teaching couples counseling using an integrative model that is strength-based and solution-focused and helps couples progress through distinct stages and move from the notion of “we have a problem” to “we have a solution.”
Early Recollections: Enhancing Case Conceptualization for Practitioners Working With Couples
Authors: Deaner Richard G. , Pechersky Kara
Published: June 2005

Early recollections are valuable resources for practitioners to enhance further understanding of the interactions related to couple relationships. To illuminate conceptualization for couple therapy, suggestions are made regarding the use of early recollections and the implications for practice. The authors provide a case study in which current research and techniques in the interpretive process are used and discussed.
Nonlinear Plane Strain of Elastic Materials with Voids
Authors: Ieşan D.
Published: June 2005

Starting with the basic equations of nonlinear theory of elastic materials with voids, we apply the successive approximation method to the plane strain problem. The equations of the first- and second-order theories are derived. The complex variable formulation permits integration along the lines followed in the classical elastostatics. As an example, the solution, through second-order theory, is found for the problem of an unbounded region containing a circular hole.
Geometrical Derivation of Lagrange’s Equations for a System of Rigid Bodies
Authors: Casey James , O’reilly Oliver M.
Published: June 2005

A geometrical derivation is given for Lagrange’s equations for a system of rigid bodies subject to general holonomic and non-holonomic constraints. As in the case of a similar derivation for a system of particles, the entire system is represented by an abstract particle P moving in a higher-dimensional Euclidean space, called Hertzian space, the metric of which is determined by the radius of gyration of the physical system. The holonomic constraints confine P to move in a Riemannian manifold - the configuration manifold of the constrained system - embedded in Hertzian space. Euler’s laws of linear and angular momenta are expressed as a single balance equation in Hertzian space and Lagrange’s equations emerge as covariant components of this equation taken along the coordinate directions in the configuration manifold. No appeal is made to variational principles or to notions of virtual work.
Anti-plane States in an Anisotropic Elastic Body Containing an Elliptical Hole
Authors: Craciun Eduard-Marius , Soós Eugen
Published: June 2005

One considers an unbounded, anisotropic elastic body containing an elliptical hole free from external loads but loaded by shear stresses far from the hole. The anti-plane equilibrium of the anisotropic elastic body is determined by using the complex representation of the anti-plane elastic states and the conformal mapping technique. The solution is obtained in compact, elementary form. One verifies by direct calculus that the obtained solution satisfies all boundary conditions. When the smaller semiaxis of the elliptical hole tends to zero; i.e. the hole becomes the classical Griffith-Irwin crack; the potential obtained for the elliptic hole case tends then to that obtained for the classical crack problem by solving the corresponding Riemann-Hilbert problem.
On the Existence of Solutions to the Generalized Marguerre-von Kármán Equations
Authors: Ciarlet Philippe G. , Gratie Liliana
Published: June 2005

Using techniques from asymptotic analysis, the second author has recently identified equations that generalize the classical Marguerre-von Kármán equations for a nonlinearly elastic shallow shell by allowing more realistic boundary conditions, which may change their type along the lateral face of the shell. We first reduce these more general equations to a single “cubic” operator equation, whose sole unknown is the vertical displacement of the shell. This equation generalizes a cubic operator equation introduced by M. S. Berger and P. Fife for analyzing the von Kármán equations for a nonlinearly elastic plate. We then establish the existence of a solution to this operator equation by means of a compactness method due to J. L. Lions.
General Solutions for the Statics of Anisotropic, Transversely Inhomogeneous Elastic Plates in Terms of Complex Functions
Authors: Soldatos Kostas P.
Published: June 2005

This paper develops the general solution of high-order partial differential equations (PDEs) that govern the static behavior of transversely inhomogeneous, anisotropic, elastic plates, in terms of complex functions. The basic development deals with the derivation of such a form of general solution for the PDEs associated with the most general, two-dimensional (“equivalent single-layered”), elastic plate theory available in the literature. The theory takes into consideration the effects of bending–stretching coupling due to possible un-symmetric forms of through-thickness material inhomogeneity. Most importantly, it also takes into consideration the effects of both transverse shear and transverse normal deformation in a manner that allows for a posteriori, multiple choices of transverse strain distributions. As a result of this basic and most general development, some interesting specializations yield, as particular cases, relevant general solutions of high-order PDEs associated with all of the conventional, elastic plate theories available in the literature.
On the Bending Equations for Elastic Plates with Voids
Authors: Bîrsan Mircea
Published: June 2005

In this paper we employ the Nunziato–Cowin theory for elastic materials with voids in order to investigate the bending of plates made from a porous material. We first present the fundamental equations and formulate the boundary initial value problem. Then, we establish some existence and uniqueness results concerning the solution in both equilibrium and dynamic theory. Finally, we apply the theory presented to solve a bending problem for a circular plate with voids.
Neutrophil NADPH-oxidase activation by an annexin AI peptide is transduced by the formyl peptide receptor (FPR), whereas an inhibitory signal is generated independently of the FPR family receptors
Authors: Karlsson Jennie , Fu Huamei , Boulay François , Dahlgren Claes , Hellstrand Kristoffer , Movitz Charlotta
Published: June 2005

Truncation of the N-terminal part of the calcium-regulated and phospholipid-binding protein annexin AI has been shown to change the functional properties of the protein and to generate immunoregulatory peptides. Proinflammatory as well as anti-inflammatory signals are triggered by these peptides, and the two formyl peptide receptor (FPR) family members expressed in neutrophils, FPR and FPR-like 1 (FPRL1), have been suggested to transduce these signals. We now report that an annexin AI peptide (Ac9–25) activates, as well as inhibits, the neutrophil release of superoxide anions. Results obtained from experiments with receptor antagonists/inhibitors, desensitized cells, and transfected cells reveal that the Ac9–25 peptide activates the neutrophil reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase through FPR but not through FPRL1. The Ac9–25 peptide also inhibits the oxidase activity in neutrophils triggered, not only by the FPR-specific agonist N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe but also by several other agonists operating through different G protein-coupled receptors. Our data show that the two signals generated by the Ac9–25 peptide are transmitted through different receptors, the inhibitory signal being transduced by a not-yet identified receptor distinct from FPR and FPRL1.
Evaluating learning gain in a self-access language learning centre
Authors: Morrison Bruce
Published: June 2005

If it is to be argued that self-access language learning centres (SACs) provide an efficient and effective alternative or complement to more traditionally accepted modes of language learning and teaching, it remains a serious concern that there is no research-based framework specifically developed for their evaluation. It is within the context of a study into the development of such a framework that this paper considers the issue of evaluating learning gain in a SAC. Experience and research suggest that the issue of learning gain is crucial to any discussion of SAC evaluation. There is, however, a tension between the perceived need to include learning gain as a focus in an evaluation of a SAC’s effectiveness, and a recognition of there being practical problems in so doing. After briefly examining relevant literature, this paper will discuss data derived from the aforementioned study. It will present a number of reasons for attempting to evaluate learning gain, before going on to identify potential difficulties involved and discussing possible ways of achieving this. It will finally suggest that, in order to evaluate learning gain within a self-access language learning context, there is a need to re-conceptualize what is perceived as learning gain and to look to the learner to identify evidence of such.
Prognostic Value of Serum Concentration of Heart-Type Fatty Acid–Binding Protein Relative to Cardiac Troponin T on Admission in the Early Hours of Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Ishii Junnichi , Ozaki Yukio , Lu Jingchao , Kitagawa Fumihiko , Kuno Takahiro , Nakano Tadashi , Nakamura Yuu , Naruse Hiroyuki , Mori Yoshihisa , Matsui Shigeru , Oshima Hisaji , Nomura Masanori , Ezaki Kouji , Hishida Hitoshi
Published: June 2005

Background: Heart-type fatty acid–binding protein (H-FABP) is proposed as an early biomarker for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but its prognostic value is unclear in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We evaluated the prognostic value of the H-FABP concentration relative to cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in the early hours of ACS.

Methods: Serum concentrations of H-FABP and cTnT were measured on admission in 328 consecutive patients hospitalized for ACS within 6 h after the onset of chest pain [AMI, 241 (73.5%) patients; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, 154 (47.0%) patients; and emergent coronary angiography within 24 h after admission, 287 (87.5%) patients]. Cardiac events, which were defined as cardiac death or subsequent nonfatal AMI, were monitored for 6 months after admission.

Results: During the 6-month follow-up period, there were 25 cardiac events, including 15 cardiac deaths and 10 subsequent nonfatal AMIs. Stepwise multivariate analyses including clinical, electrocardiographic, and biochemical variables revealed that increased H-FABP (above the median of 9.8 μg/L), but not increased cTnT (above the median of 0.02 μg/L), was independently associated with cardiac events in all patients [relative risk (RR) = 8.96; P = 0.0004], the subgroup of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (RR = 11.3; P = 0.02), and the subgroup of patients with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (RR = 8.31; P = 0.007). The area under the ROC curve was higher for H-FABP than for cTnT (0.711 vs 0.578; P = 0.08), suggesting that H-FABP concentrations have a greater predictive capacity for cardiac events than cTnT.

Conclusion: Serum H-FABP is a potential independent predictor of cardiac events within 6 months of patient admission and may provide prognostic information superior to cTnT in the early hours of ACS.
Old and Sleeping Rough: Elderly Homeless Persons on the Streets of Boston
Authors: O’Connell James J. , Roncarati Jill , Reilly Eileen C. , Kane Cheryl A. , Morrison Sharon K. , Swain Stacy E. , Allen Joslyn Strupp , Jones Kendall
Published: June 2005

Older individuals living on the streets of our urban cities are a unique sub-group of the homeless population. No studies have been published about these elderly “rough sleepers” who face daunting obstacles to health care while facing a litany of health risks on the streets that are magnified by the physical and mental limitations of advancing years. To improve our understanding of this itinerant group, the Street Team of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program prospectively followed 30 individuals aged 60 or older living on Boston’s streets for the four-year period from 2000 through 2003. This cohort included 8 (27%) women and 22 (73%) men ranging in age from 60 to 82 years. The average age was 67 years old. At the end of the four year study period, 9 (30%) had died and 6 (20%) were in nursing homes. Despite intense efforts, only 5 (17%) found housing. Seven (23%) were still on Boston’s streets after four years, and one was lost to follow-up. We conclude that elderly rough sleepers have high morbidity and mortality and pose significant challenges to programs seeking to provide housing and supportive health care services for this vulnerable sub-group of elderly homeless persons. New and creative housing options are needed, and the delicate issues of competency and guardianship must be addressed.
Skin Lesions in the Elderly: Precancer and Cancer
Authors: Ollstein Ronald N.
Published: June 2005

Skin lesions, both precancers and cancers, are more common among the elderly White population, especially in exposed body parts such as head, face, neck, and hands. Earliest diagnosis is the key to treatment and survival. Awareness of a new skin lesion or change in a preexisting lesion, with or without pigmentation, flat or nodular, ulcerated or bleeding mandates prompt consultation followed by biopsy. For the cancer, surgical excision and repair remains the treatment of choice. Precancerous superficial lesions may be treated (after biopsy) with cryosurgery, topical chemotherapy, chemosurgery, or in cases of leukoplakia, electrodessication. Radiation may be considered for recurrent or metastatic disease.
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act and the Impact on Care of People With Chronic Illness: Benefit Design and Implementation Issues
Authors: Schlosberg Claudia
Published: June 2005

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act represents the most far-reaching and one of the most controversial reforms of the Medicare program since its enactment in 1965. The Act ushers in a new Medicare prescription drug benefit, revitalizes Medicare Advantage plans and promotes new approaches to care of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illness. However, while the Act evidences a commitment to improving the care of beneficiaries with chronic illness, reform may prove elusive. The basic benefit design is daunting in its complexity and for certain beneficiaries, coverage may be less generous and less comprehensive than currently available coverage. To ensure appropriate transition and treatment for dual eligibles and others with chronic illness, both Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services must be prepared to address a number of important benefit design and operations issues and be willing to make mid-course corrections and adjustment as the process unfolds.
Realigning the Communication Paradigm in Nursing Case Management
Authors: Anderson Mary Ann , Helms Lelia B. , Kelly Norma R.
Published: June 2005

Communication underlies all of case management (CM), and better comprehension of the processes of communication within the context of the CM role may facilitate positive patient and organizational outcomes, and assist providers and policy makers in designing effective CM systems. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative, pilot project was to explore dimensions of communication of the nurse case manager role within a hospital setting. The results describe a “hub and spoke” model of communications and suggest the utility of this familiar model for understanding the communication dynamics for those who work as nursing case managers in hospital settings. Findings suggest that nurse case managers are at various times both advocates and mediators—communications roles that may encompass somewhat contradictory demands and perspectives.
The Journal of Jessie S. Sylvester
Authors: Cassedy Ellen
Published: June 2005

An abridged version of a journal kept by an elderly woman offers a first-person casebook on issues of aging. Jessie S. Sylvester, a retired secretary who lived alone in Brooklyn, New York, kept a fastidious record of her daily activities between January 1976 and May 1978. She wrote unflinchingly of the challenges of old age: the loss of family and friends, the changes in her neighborhood, and the decline of her own faculties. She also chronicled the comfort she found in chores and errands, the joys of living in an urban village, and vital support provided at the local senior center. Introduction by Ellen Cassedy, who discovered and abridged the diary after Ms. Sylvester’s death. Ms. Sylvester’s journal is also available in the form of a one-woman play suitable for use at conferences; see Acknowledgments for contact information.
Maximum oxygen consumption in marginally malnourished Colombian boys and girls 6–16 years of age
Authors: Spurr G. B. , Reina J. C.
Published: June 2005

Treadmill measurements of maximum oxygen intake were made in 218 boys and 136 girls 6–16 years of age who were classified as nutritionally normal or marginally malnourished. max (1· min−1)increased with age, was lower in the undernourished than in the normal, and was significantly lower in girls than in boys. The sex differences persisted when max was expressed in terms of body weight and lean body mass, indicating that differences in physical activity between sexes may be the cause. The lower values of absolute max have implications for the productive ability of these children in heavy physical work when they are adults. When expressed in terms of body weight there are no major differences between Colombian and European children in the magnitude of their max values.
Salivary testosterone levels in males from the Ituri Forest of Zaïre
Authors: Ellison P. T. , Lipson S. F. , Meredith M. D.
Published: June 2005

Morning and evening testosterone levels were measured in the saliva of Efe pygmies (N = 11) and Lese villagers (N = 18) living in the Ituri Forest of northeast Zaïre and compared with levels in Boston controls (N = 10). With one exception, levels in the individual Zaïrois subjects fall within the normal ranges reported for Western clinical populations. Daily variation in the Zaïrois subjects (a.m./p.m. ratio = 1.32 for Efe, 1.22 for Lese) is also comparable to both the Boston controls (1.61) and values reported by other researchers for Western subjects. Average morning levels for the Zairois subjects (420 pmol/liter for Efe, 341 pmol/liter for Lese), however, fall significantly below the average for the Boston subjects (589 pmol/liter; Efe, P <0.05; Lese, P <0.01). A correlation between morning testosterone level and height is observed for the Lese sample (r=0.76, P <0.005). Similar correlations have not been reported for Western subjects. Possible roles of acute and chronic environmental conditions in generating these observations are noted. This study demonstrates the potential utility of salivary steroid assays for investigating questions related to male gonadal function under field conditions.
Socioeconomic correlates of fertility, mortality, and child survival in mothers from a disadvantaged, urban Guatemalan community
Authors: Johnston Francis E. , Reid William , de Baessa Yetilu , Macvean Robert B.
Published: June 2005

Social and economic determinants of fertility, mortality, and child survival were studied in a sample of 519 mothers from EL Progreso, a disadvantaged community located on the outskirts of Guatemala city. Fertility (children ever‐born) and mortality (number of children who had died postnatally) data were obtained from interviews, along with data on the characteristics of the mothers, fathers, and the households. Contraceptive use was recorded on a subsample of 167 mothers of 5‐year old children. Following factor analyses, three variables were selected for analysis: Years of schooling of the father and the mother and the type of fuel used for cooking. Father's education and type of fuel were significantly related to maternal fertility, while only the educational attainment of the mother was related to child mortality and survival. When contraceptive use was included in the ANCOVA in the subsample, it was a significant determinant of fertility, while father's education became nonsignificant. In terms of mortality, contraceptive use was a significant determinant, while the significance of the mother's education fell to a borderline value (P = 0.084).
Population decline in a Philippine Negrito hunter‐gatherer society
Authors: Headland Thomas N.
Published: June 2005

The Casiguran Agta constitute a Negrito hunter‐gatherer society in northeastern Luzon. The hypothesis presented is that this population has suffered serious decline over the last half ‐century. Demographic data collected over a 24‐year period are used to substantiate this hypothesis. Agta figures on crude death rate, rate of natural decrease, infant mortality, life expectancy at birth, and homicide are among the most extreme known for any human population. Reasons for this decline are described, with emphasis on the factor of homicide.
Sexual maturation of Mexican‐American adolescents
Authors: Villarreal Sylvia F. , Martorell Reynaldo , Mendoza Fernando
Published: June 2005

The Sexual maturation patterns of 1,403 Mexican‐American adolescents are described. The report is based on data from the Hispanic Health and Examination Survey (HHANES), which was carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics from 1982 to 1984. Ages of subjects ranged from 10 through 17 years. The development of secondary sexual characteristics was measured by means of a five‐stage scale for specific traits (males: Pubic hair and genitalia; females: Pubic hair and breasts) following methods proposed by Tanner. Mean ages for “being in a stage” or the average age of the children classified as belonging to each particular stage were estimated. The Spearman‐Kärber procedure was used to estimate median ages at “entry” into the various stages. Comparison of median ages at entry to results from studies around the world reveals that Mexican‐Americans begin and end puberty a few months later than is usual.
Relationship between body composition and the components of somatotype
Authors: Bolonchuk W. W. , Hall C. B. , Lukaski H. C. , Siders W. A.
Published: June 2005

In a sample of 422 adults (200 females and 222 males) aged 18–73 years, the relationship was determined between somatotype estimated by the Health‐Carter (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 27:57–74, 1967) method and body composition variables determined by using hydrodensitometry (HD) and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA).

The anthropometric (ANC) dimensions used to estimate somatotype were positively correlated with the endomorphic and mesmorphic components and negatively correlated with the ectomorphic component. For the BIA measurements, resistance (R) was negatively correlated with the mesomorphic component; and reactance (XC) was negatively correlated with the endomorphic component; both measurements were positively correlated with the ectomorphic component. The HD‐negative correlations were observed between mass in water and the endomorphic and mesomorphic components, and positive correlations were observed with the ectomorphic component. Body volume and surface area were positively correlated with the endomorphic and mesomorphic components and negatively correlated with the ectomorphic component.

Percent fat and fat weight were related to each of the three components of somatotype for males and females. Fat‐free weight for males was also related to the mesomorphic and the ectomorphic components.
Who gave whom hemoglobin S: The use of restriction site haplotype variation for the interpretation of the evolution of the βS‐globin gene
Authors: Livingstone Frank B.
Published: June 2005

The hypothesis that three separate mutations to the βS‐globin gene have occurred in Africa in challenged. The distributions of the βS and other β‐globin haplotypes and a simulation of the diffusion of the βS gene are presented and argued to be more in accord with the rapid diffusion of a single mutant that by recombination and gene conversion now occurs on several different haplotypes.
Population biology and aging: The example of blood pressure
Authors: Friedlaender Jonathan S. , Page Lot B.
Published: June 2005

Cross‐sectional studies of aging trends in traditional societies are open to question because of widespread cohort trends, which can have different impacts on different age groups. An illustration of this problem is taken from blood pressures studies on the classic Framingham Heart Study, in which cross‐sectional results give a very different indication from longitudinal results of aging trends in this modern population. Semilongitudinal studies of blood pressure in Soloman Islands populations are reviewed to show the dramatic indicators in modernising groups there of rapid blood pressure increases over approximately a decade in adult cohorts of all ages. The partitioning of aging vs. cohort effects is only possible with this technique.
Validity of anthropometric percent fat prediction equations for use with pregnant women
Authors: Miller Darryl W. , Ballor Douglas L.
Published: June 2005

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the validity of five different skinfold prediction equation for use in forecasting the percent body fat of pregnant women. Twenty‐one pregnant women underwent hydrostatic and skinfold thickness determinations of percent body fat at 6–10, 16, and 28 weeks of gestation. The correlations between hydrostatic and anthropometric determinations of percent body fat were high during the three test periods (r= .78 to r = .89). The slopes of the line of best fit between the criterion (hydrostatic weighing) and predicted variable (prediction equation) decreased across pregnancy. The anthropometric prediction equations tended to overestimate percent body fat changes in comparison to the hydrostatically determined percent body fat changes. Skinfold thickness measurements can be used as a prepregnancy aid in determining recommended weight gain during pregnancy and as a measure of subcutaneous fat status during pregnancy. However, anthropometric prediction equations should not be used during the later stages of pregnancy to estimate percent fat or percent fat changes.
Association of adipose tissue distribution with relative skeletal age in boys: The Fels longitudinal study
Authors: Xi Huanjiu , Roche Alex F. , Baumgartner Richard N.
Published: June 2005

The association between relative skeletal age and fat patterning was analyzed by using data from the Fels Longitudinal Study for boys at chronological ages 8 to 17 years. Fat patterning, as indicated by age‐specific means for three skinfold thickness indices adjusted for weight/stature2, was peripheral between 8 and 12 years of chronological age but began to increase in a centripetal direction towards a generalized distribution after 13 years. From 14 to 17 years of chronological age, boys with advanced relative skeletal ages had more centripetal fat patterns, as indicated by the ratio subscapular/(subscapular + triceps) skinfolds, than did those with retarded skeletal ages. The mean annual increment in this ratio was significantly greater from 13 to 14 years of chronological age in boys with advanced relative skeletal ages than in those with retarded relative skeletal ages. Fat pattern index scores at 17 years of chronological age, however, could not be predicted from relative skeletal ages at 7, 11, or 14 years after adjustment for baseline fat pattern index scores and weight/stature2. It was concluded that fat patterning, as quantified by the ratio indices used in this study, was associated more strongly with other indicators of relative maturity such as secondary sex characteristics in adolescent boys.
Physical growth of Ecuadorian Chachi Amerindians
Authors: Stinson Sara
Published: June 2005

Measurments of height, weight, arm circumference, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds were collected on 457 Ecuadorian Chachi Amerindians between the ages of 4 and 64 years. Compared to US reference values, the Chachi are very small in terms of height‐for‐age, but have normal or above normal weight‐for‐height. The Chachi are also in the lower part of the distribution of body size among South American Indians. In terms of body composition, Chachi arm circumferences and triceps skinfolds are below the US 50th percentile. The estimated upper arm muscle area of Chachi males is below the US median, but Chachi females older than the age of 15 have arm muscle areas exceeding the US median. One reason for the greater arm muscle area of adult Chachi females may be that they perform much more physical activity involving the upper body than do US women. Problems in the interpretation of anthropometric indicators of nutritional status among South American Indian populations limit the conclusions about Chachi nutritional status that can be drawn from these results.
Relationship between clinical parameters and linear growth in children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Byard Pamela J.
Published: June 2005

Mixed longitudinal height data from 1,170 cystic fibrosis patients seen at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in Cleveland form the basis for this analysis. As a group, the patients experience growth retardation throughout the growth cycle, with median height values below the 25th percentile of NCHS standards until late adolescence. Median height increments are also below normal standards until age 16 years in boys and 14 years in girls. Based on these results, it appears that some CF patients have very delayed adolescent growth spurts, and continue to grow into early adulthood. Pancreataic‐enzyme‐sufficient patients have greater height‐for‐age percentiles than enzyme‐deficient patients after 9 years of age. The overall difference between enzyme‐sufficient and enzyme‐deficient patients is not statistically significant (P=0.058), perhaps because of small sample size for the enzyme‐sufficient group (n=19). The correlation between pulmonary status assessed from lung X‐rays and height increment peaks at age 10 years in girls and age 15 years in boys, with significant negative correlation occurring after age 16 years in both sexes. Although both pancreatic enzyme deficiency and lung disease appear to have some effect on linear growth in CF, especially during adolescence, these two factors explain a relatively small portion of the variation in growth percentiles.
Bone cortical area in the evaluation of nutrition and activity levels
Authors: Bridges Patricia S.
Published: June 2005

This study compares the differing impacts of nutrition and habitual activities on cortical area. While nutrition should have a systemic effect on cortical area, activities are more likely to result to localized changes in either cortical area, its distribution, or both. Two groups from the Southeastern United States were examined here: Archaic hunter‐gatherers and Mississippian agriculturalists. Cross‐sectional area and strength were greater in the femora alone of agricultural males. Agricultural females showed no increases in cortical area, but nonetheless had greater strength in both the arms and legs. In addition, in spite of significantly lower cortical area at one site—the proximal humerus—agricultural females maintained bone strength at this level. These findings suggest that most of the differences seen in cross‐sectional area and structure are due to changing activities associated with the introduction of agriculture, although nutrition probably had a constraining effect on cortical area in agricultural females. Finally, in order to distinguish between the effects of diet and activities, it is best to examine more than a single bone and to consider both cortical area and its distribution, rather than area alone.
Asymmetry and intraindividual diversity in digital dermatoglyphics of Bulgarians
Authors: Karev George B.
Published: June 2005

A random sample of 2,130 apparently healthy Bulgarians, 1,065 of each sex, was investigated to obtain a detailed picture of finger dermatoglyphic asymmetry and intraindividual diversity in the population examined.

Both sexes showed an almost equal pattern of asymmetry and diversity. Relative pattern asymmetry, taking into account the pattern type frequencies, tends to be higher in males, being especially pronounced on fingers which show a low asymmetry in other aspects.

Like other populations so far examined, Bulgarians display higher rates in males than in females concerning the total, ulnar, and radial ridge‐counts, their asymmetries, and intraindividual diversities. However, the more analysis of the ridge‐count asymmetry is worked out in detail, the more it becomes evident that both sexes are asymmetrical not so much to a different degree as in a different manner. As a whole, the ambidirectional, directional, fluctuating, and relative asymmetries are practically consistent in both sexes. Important sex differences are revealed in the structure of the directional and fluctuating asymmetries concerning contrasts between their radial and ulnar levels. The sex differences in directional asymmetry are discussed in the light of possible effects of the sex chromosomes upon the mediolateral developmental gradients. Expressed modulation of the fluctuating asymmetry by finger is interpreted as evidence for considerable differences between separate finger pairs in their sensitivity to stressful factors.

Presented results are relevant to anthropology and population genetics and could have implications in medical genetics and teratology, serving as normative data in pathological conditions.
Pubertal growth spurt in the female rhesus monkey: Relation to menarche and skeletal maturation
Authors: Tanner J. M. , Wilson M. E. , Rudman C. G.
Published: June 2005

Three‐monthly measurements of tibia length, crown‐rump length (CRL), and body wieght have been made on nine indoor‐housed and six outdoor‐housed female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) from ages 17 to 41 months. In the indoor‐housed there were clear pubertal growth spurts, identifiable in individual curves, with average peaks at 22.5 months for tibia length, 23.5 months for CRL, and 24.5 for weight. Menarche occurred on average at 26.0 months. In both skeletal dimensions the amount of acceleration exceeded that which occurs in man. The relative timing of the spurts and of menarche was similar to that in man. The outdoor‐housed monkeys showed a similar spurt in tibia length, although a less easily identifiable one in crown‐rump length. The peak velocity of tibia length in these monkeys occurred on average at 30.5 months, with menarche at 32.5 months. We conclude that the pubertal growth spurt in female rhesus is very little different from that in man.
Twinning causative origin investigated by Sartwell's biometrical method
Authors: Philippe P.
Published: June 2005

Sartwell's biometrical model is useful to test potential causal factors at the origin of biological phenomena of unknown etiology. It postulates a lognormal distribution of the incubation time. The method has been applied in the past to infectious and neoplastic diseases and, only lately, to genetic diseases. We report here an application to unlike‐sex and like‐sex twins in an attempt to infer causal origin from a family of potentially related factors. Two hypotheses are tested: the maternal prenatal origin of unlike‐sex twins, and the menopausal basis of like‐sex twins. The hypotheses are respectively grounded in the presumed genetic origin of DZ twinning, and in the ovarian‐dysfunction origin of MZ twinning. The study is population‐based; it proceeds from a matched control group and considers various time windows (induction periods) of possible etiologic significance—namely, age at onset of twins, the time window from the first birth to the twin birth, and the time window from the twin birth to the last birth. The study of lognormality has been carried out with the Box‐Cox transformations, Fisher's cumulants method, and the normal probability plots. Results show clearly that unlike‐sex (presumably DZ) twins have their causal origin in the maternal prenatal period as age of onset is definitely lognormal. Median induction time is 31 ± 6 years. This is interpreted as a multiplicative age‐related causal process involving hypophyseal hormones. The menopausal origin of like‐sex twins, a mixture of MZ and DZ, is less clear‐cut, as the fit of the distribution of the time window until last birth to a lognormal model is less than perfect. In spite of the heterogeneity of the like‐sex twin group, there is evidence that some cases of MZ twins may be menopause‐related. But this complex question needs more study.