Rape--volunteerism for care and support. Interview by Erik Dale

The paper deals with age-specific and time-associated changes in the somatotype of school children. The magnitude of primary components of their constitution was assessed by using the modified Hit-Carter method. Some biological and social factors were found to influence the intragroup changed in the rates of growth and development of children and adolescents.     

Sexual dimorphism in the physiques of World Championship divers

The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual dimorphism in male (n = 43) and female (n = 39) springboard and platform divers at the 1991 World Diving Championships in Perth, Western Australia. In addition to recording the age, height and body mass of each diver, measurements were taken of 8 skinfolds, 13 girths, 8 breadths and depths, and 11 lengths. The derived variables were somatotype, sum of 6 skinfolds (SUM6) and height-adjusted proportional z-scores. The mean (+/- s) values for the males were: age, 22.2 +/- 4.6 years; height, 171 +/- 9 cm; body mass, 66.7 +/- 10.2 kg; somatotype, 2.0-5.3-2.4 +/- 0.5-1.0-0.8; SUM6, 45.9 +/- 11.4 mm. For the females, these values were: age, 20.9 +/- 3.8 years; height, 161 +/- 6 cm; body mass, 53.7 +/- 5.5 kg; somatotype, 2.8-3.8-2.8 +/- 0.7-1.0-0.9; SUM6, 65.6 +/- 17.0 mm. The males were taller, heavier, more mesomorphic, less endomorphic and had a smaller SUM6 than the females (P < 0.01). A series of discriminant function analyses were applied to groups of variables. Wilks' lambda and the overall F-ratio were highly significant (P < 0.001), with correct classification of sex reaching 84-99%. The best combinations of variables were as follows: (1) absolute size, 3 girths + SUM6, or body mass + SUM6 + height (Wilks' lambda = 0.17-0.35); (2) relative size, 2 girths + SUM6 + body mass. Combinations of breadths and lengths, skinfolds, or somatotype components, were less successful, with 84-87% classified correctly (Wilks' lambda = 0.40-0.48). We conclude that, in addition to the expected absolute size differences, sexual dimorphism between male and female divers can be explained by differences in relative size, skinfolds and somatotype, and that these differences may have implications for coaching and selection in diving.     

Serum lipids in pulmonary tuberculosis patients with various types of diabetes mellitus

In 12 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and in 14 with the disease concurrent with types I and II diabetes mellitus, a somatotype was determined and lipid metabolism was studied by the blood levels of various lipid fractions, by the fractional composition of lipoproteins and atherogenicity coefficient. Lipid metabolic changes in patients with tuberculosis and in those with the accompanied abnormality were not found to depend upon sex, age, somatotype and the type of tuberculosis, but are apparently related with the severity of tuberculous intoxication. In the concurrent disease, lipid metabolic changes depended on the type of diabetes.     

Changes in skeletal metabolism in pubertal girls can be revealed by biochemical parameters of calcium metabolism and bone turnover

Biochemical changes related to skeletal turnover in puberty were investigated in a sample of 67 girls aged 8-14 years. The following biochemical parameters were measured in serum: total calcium, phosphate, magnesium, total alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and calcium and hydroxyproline in the second morning urine. Thirty-five premenarchal girls (8-11 years) had significantly lower serum calcium, and higher alkaline phosphatase and phosphate than those menstruating regularly (N = 32, 12-14 years). A statistically significant negative correlation of serum parameters and age was found for phosphate and alkaline phosphatase in all subjects, and for calcium and magnesium only in the premenarchal girls. These results indicated the more intensive processes of skeletal metabolism occurring in prepubertal age and early puberty to reflect in basic biochemical parameters of calcium and bone metabolism. Analysis of correlation between biochemical parameters showed alkaline phosphatase and phosphate to correlate positively with hydroxyproline excretion and negatively with urinary calcium in all subjects. In the subjects after menarche, osteocalcin correlated with alkaline phosphatase and phosphate. Thus, biochemical parameters indirectly reflected physiologic changes occurring with bone turnover in puberty. Variations in bone turnover during puberty, including a more pronounced bone formation during prepubertal or early stages, can be indirectly observed through biochemical parameters related to calcium and bone metabolism. Investigations of skeletal growth and puberty would benefit from specific markers of bone remodeling and "basic" biochemical parameters, as it might disclose subtle metabolic relationships.     

Opioids and the cardiovascular responses to haemorrhage and injury

The aim of this study was to investigate the correspondence of physique structures estimated by the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotyping method and a factor analysis based on the same set of 10 variables used by Heath-Carter. The investigation was carried out on a group of 200 healthy young adults of 20 years of age who were students of physical education. The mean somatotype was 2.7-4.6-3.0 for the males and 3.3-3.4-3.1 for the females. The 73% of the total variance in males and 75% in females were represented by three factors. They were identified as muscular, fatness and skeletal factors in the males, and in the females as muscular-trunk fatness, skeletal and limb fatness factors. A PCA gives different results depending on the measurements used for the calculation. The same set of variables as for the somatotyping method were used intentionally to extract the PCA factors and to evaluate the possible correspondence between these factors and the Heath-Carter components. On the basis of the correlation between the factors and the somatotype components, one can conclude that there is: (1) a high correspondence between endomorphy and fatness factors in both sexes; (2) that mesomorphy correlated positively with the muscular factor in males and negatively with the skeletal factor in both sexes; and (3) that ectomorphy was highly positively correlated with the skeletal factor and negatively with the other two factors in both sexes. Factors and somatotype components do not correspond exactly which leads to the following conclusions: (1) The three somatotype components cannot be identified as orthogonal factors in a factorial analysis based on the same measurements as for the somatotype, e.g. the ectomorphy component is not an independent factor in males or in females; (2) The muscle measurements and bone width used to estimate mesomorphy in somatotyping scored in two independent factors; and (3) The factor structure of the 10 measurements was sex dependent.     

The treatment with biosynthetic growth hormone (GH) of familial short stature

The effect of growth hormone (GH) treatment in non-GH deficient subjects has been amply studied over the past few years. Although the results of these studies are encouraging, there are still no definitive data since the findings are not comparable due to the different characteristics of the populations examined. In the present study the authors examined the following parameters: stature, height SDS, growth rate, bone age and final height prediction according to Tanner, pubertal stage, before and after treatment with biosynthetic GH at a dose of 1.4 IU/kg of bodyweight for 12 months. The population treated consisted of 10 subjects (5 males and 5 females) aged between 7.3 and 9.5 years old, all prepubertal, with "familial short stature", selected according to the following criteria: stature below the 3rd centile, normal growth rate, normal GH response to stimuli using clonidine and insulin, correlation with parental stature between 25th and 75th centile, bone age correlated to chronological age, absence of other pathologies. After 12 months height SDS moved from -2.75 +/- 0.26 to -2.23 +/- 0.25 (p < 0.5); the growth rate changed from 5.75 +/- 0.63 to 6.66 +/- 0.56 (p < 0.05). No abnormal acceleration of bone age as observed: it moved from 8.2 +/- 0.62 to 9.5 +/- 0.72; all subjects continued to be prepubertal. The expected final stature changed from 154 +/- 2.38 to 159 +/- 0.7 (p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Flt3 ligand supports the differentiation of early B cell progenitors in the presence of interleukin-11 and interleukin-7

B cell development is influenced by interactions between B cell progenitors and stromal cells. The precise mechanisms by which these interactions regulate B cell differentiation are currently unknown. Flt3 ligand (FL) is a growth factor which stimulates the proliferation of stem cells and early progenitors. Mice deficient for the FLT3 receptor exhibit severe reductions in early B lymphoid progenitors. We have previously described a clonal assay in vitro which allows us to follow the entire B cell differentiation pathway from uncommitted progenitors to mature, immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells. The growth factor combination of interleukin (IL)-11, mast cell growth factor (MGF) and IL-7 was shown to maintain the differentiation of these hematopoietic precursors into B cell progenitors capable of giving rise to functionally mature B cells in secondary cultures. Here, we show that FL in combination with IL-11 and IL-7 is sufficient to support the differentiation of uncommitted progenitors from day 10 yolk sac (AA4.1+) or day 12 fetal liver (AA4.1+ B220- Mac-1- Sca-1+) into the B lineage. The frequency of B cell progenitors obtained in these conditions was similar, if not better, than the frequency of B cell precursors that arose when cultured in IL-11+MGF+IL-7. Furthermore, the growth factor combination of IL-11+FL+ IL-7 was able to maintain the potential of bipotent precursors giving rise to both the B and myeloid lineages in secondary cultures. We also show that FL synergizes with IL-7 in the proliferation of committed B220+ pro-B cells and may contribute to the maintenance of an earlier pro-B cell population. Together, these results show that FL is important in supporting the differentiation and proliferation of early B cell progenitors in vitro.     

Prognostic factors in the acute lymphoid and myeloid leukemias of infants

The age boundaries and prognostic factors that define the infant leukemias are still controversial. We therefore analyzed event-free survival according to age group in 96 children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 51 treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) before the age of 2 years. The study population was registered in consecutive institutional trials of multiagent chemotherapy conducted between 1980 and 1994. Among infants with ALL, event-free survival was significantly poorer in the 0- to 6-month-old group than in patients treated between 6 and 12 months of age (P = 0.03), whose outcome was in turn inferior to that in the 12- to 18-month and 18- to 24-month age groups (P = 0.013). Leukemic cells from ALL patients younger than 12 months had a significantly higher frequency of 11q23/MLL abnormalities, as well as better growth in stromal cell culture, compared to lymphoblasts from the older groups (P < 0.01). The only independent predictor of adverse prognosis among infants diagnosed with ALL before age 12 months was the presence of an 11q23/MLL rearrangement (P = 0.03). These findings contrast sharply with results for the AML cohort, whose event-free survival did not vary significantly by age group (P = 0.58). Male sex (P = 0.01) and leukocyte count > or = 50 x 10(9/l) (P = 0.04), but not 11q23 abnormalities, were independently associated with a poorer outcome for children with AML younger than 12 months at diagnosis. Thus, in very young children with ALL (but not AML), the rearrangement status of the 11q23/MLL region supersedes age group as a determinant of treatment outcome.     

Teaching behaviors of 9- and 11-year-old girls in mixed-age and same-age dyads.

Examined the hypothesis that the accommodations made by tutors according to the age of their tutees are not specific to the CA of the tutors themselves. Ss were 32 11-yr-old, 32 9-yr-old, and 16 7-yr-old females. Ss who were 9 and 11 yrs old, having learned the rules governing a board game, were asked to teach other Ss to play the game. Nine-year-old tutors taught 9- and 7-yr-old tutees; 11-yr-old tutors taught 11-, 9-, and 7-yr-olds. The tutees' behaviors did not vary among these dyads, but the behaviors of their tutors did. Tutors instructing younger Ss used repetitions, strategic advice, progress checkups, direct assistance, and praise more frequently than tutors who instructed same-age tutees. Overall, results are consistent with the hypothesis that elementary school children possess an implicit "theory of teaching," which assumes that younger children require more cognitive structuring and more supportive and corrective feedback than same-age children. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leptin in persons with simple obesity

Obesity is a disease with distinct genetic determination and its phenotype is defined by the still unknown number of genes whose expression can be influenced by environmental factors. Several years ago, "obesity gene" was isolated in animals. This gene, coding protein which consists of 165 amino acids, is called leptin. Leptin is supposed to be a key substance controlling homeostasis of body weight and energy balance; it is produced by adipocytes and its value correlates highly significantly with anthropometric parameters that characterize physical constitution and amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue. The obese individuals often display hyperleptinemia which is frequently caused by a postreceptor disorder; sporadically, a different leptin structure or hypoleptinemia (caused by genetic anomaly) are reported. It is supposed that either absolute or relative leptin deficiency in obese persons are associated with causal obesity (e.g. appetite stimulation). Leptinemia values correlate with percentage of subcutaneous fatty tissue, insulinemia and sometimes with glycemia. In our study we examined 200 probands, patients of the Metabolic and Diabetologic Out-Patient Department, Hospital in Sternberk. A very close correlation between the amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue (measured by a caliper in 10 skinfolds) and the leptine serum concentration was found. The values of leptinemia in men of normal constitution ranged within 1-11 ng/ml, non-obese women had 3-4 times higher values. Leptinemia in some obese individuals reached up to 70 ng/ml. However, the currently calculated and reported parameters of physical constitution (BMI, WHR, Grant index) did not correlate significantly with leptinemia. Similarly, biochemical parameters considered as general markers of insulin resistance (often associated with obesity) did not correlate significantly with leptinemia. This finding indicates that some calculated parameters, quantifying and gualifying physical constitution, may be ambiguous and leptinemia was found to give more detailed information about the amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue than WHR or BMI. An accidental finding was an important positive correlation between myoglobin concentration and creatinemia. At monitoring the effect of hypolipidemic agents we use the myoglobin examination and therefore we consider this correlation to be very important and every physician performing this analysis should be informed about it. The present study thus confirmed that a more accurate quantification of subcutaneous fatty tissue is required. On the other hand, we believe that examination of leptinemia can contribute significantly to stratification of patients into risk groups (with respect to clinical, economic and time differentiation) and subsequently to the treatment of these patients. In future, criteria for quantification of leptinemia and leptine resistance should be defined precisely.     

YM-60828, a novel factor Xa inhibitor: separation of its antithrombotic effects from its prolongation of bleeding time

Seventy health children underwent an OKN trial. The authors have chosen to perform only four tests (slow and fast clockwise and counterclockwise OKN) taking into account (in agreement with several international studies) four parameters: sTAP, fTAP, sTSAP, fTSAP (where s and f indicate the velocity of the shifting target slow or fast, TAP is total asymmetry percentage of the SSC--speed of slow components--and TSAP is total asymmetry percentage of saccades). They carried out the statistical analysis of the results, which did not show peculiar difference between child and adult OKN. The result of the test was independent of the side first tested and of sex. The authors have tried to identify the normal range of values more suitable to the study of child OKN; on the basis of the calculation of the 95% percentile the normality range was wider than the range assumed for adults. The authors have also tried to subdivided the results for three different groups of age (I = 3-7 years; II = 8-11 years; III = 12-14 years) in order to observe the degree of OKN maturation with age. From the results obtained the maturation of OKN pathways seems to occur in the 7th year of age for the slow movements; the findings related to the fast movements are more doubtful and need further analysis. Finally, although the number of saccades interposed to the tracings depends on enormous variations unrelated to age, sex and first side tested, our data show their higher incidence during the slow test.     

Lexical access in children and adults.

Investigated the retrieval of words from lexical memory in 12 kindergartners, 11 1st graders, 11 3rd graders, and 11 graduate students. Ss named color slides depicting 100 stimulus pictures. Picture-naming latency was the dependent variable. Results of multiple-regression analyses indicate that the codability of pictorial representations of a concept and the frequency of the concept's label contributed to the prediction of naming latency. The effects of these sociolinguistic variables were relatively constant across all age groups. Results support a model of vocabulary growth in which the lexicons of both children and adults in a language community are internally structured and accessed along parameters that reflect the salience of concepts and linguistic events in the environment. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perception and conception in coordination of perspectives.

Conducted 3 experiments, in an attempt to empirically describe the relative development of perceptual and conceptual understanding of projective relationships between objects and to explain a heuristic model of the cognitive processes involved in coordination of perspective tasks. Ss were a total of 330 4-12 yr olds. The results of Exps I and II indicate that the ability to relate perceptually and conceptually left-right and back-front relationships simultaneously emerged between the ages of 41/2 and 53/4 yrs, but by age 53/4 perception was more advanced than conception. On tasks emphasizing perceptual understanding, performance approached asymptote at about age 9, but for tasks emphasizing conceptual understanding, performance was well below asymptote at age 12. In addition, on the latter tasks, the greatest performance increases occurred between the ages of 9 and 11, suggesting that a developmental shift occurs during that age range. The results of all experiments are consistent with a model which identifies "extraction" of spatial relationships from the stimulus array and from the choice stimuli and "comparison" and "matching" of the images derived from extraction as the fundamental processes involved in both the perceptual and conceptual aspects of coordination of perspectives. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In vitro activity of 9 antibiotics and 3 beta-lactamase inhibitors against 107 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumanii

Twenty eight of 227 patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy for inflammatory bowel disease, familial adenomatous polyposis or functional disease were over the age of 50 years: ages 50 to 60 (n = 13), 60 to 70 (n = 10), and over 70 (n = 5). Major complications occurred in 5 patients over the age of 50 (18%) compared with 43 patients under the age of 50 (23%). Three patients above the age of 50 had their pouch excised (11%) compared with 23 under the age of 50 (12%). Functional outcome was assessed with a 12 point symptom score. This was similar in all age bands: under 50 years (mean = 2.2; sd +/- 2.2; n = 109), 50 to 60 years (mean = 2.5; sd +/- 2.5; n = 12), 60 to 70 years (mean = 2.8; sd +/- 2.3; n = 7) and over 70 years (mean = 4.0; sd +/- 3.7; n = 5): P > 0.05). When analysed for ulcerative colitis alone, no significant differences were seen between the two age groups. Restorative proctocolectomy in the elderly gives results which are comparable to the younger population.     

Antimicrobial abietane diterpenoids from Plectranthus elegans

Two novel abietane diterpenoids have been isolated from the aerial material of Plectranthus elegans and identified as 11-hydroxy-12-oxo-7,9(11),13-abietatriene and 7 alpha,11-dihydroxy-12-methoxy-8,11,13-abietatriene. Their structures were determined through rigorous use of spectroscopic methods. Both inhibited spore germination of the fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum, in direct bioautography, at a dose of 1 microgram. The new diterpenes also inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, in the concentration range 10-40 micrograms ml-1 in broth dilution assay. No effect was observed against Gram-negative bacteria. The ecological implications of these findings are discussed.     

Functioning of the porcine pituitary-adrenocortical axis during neonatal development

A study was conducted with neonatal boars to measure age-related changes in functioning of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Pigs were randomly assigned to control (n = 7-10/age) or treated (1-min restraint, n = 9-11/age) groups to be sampled at either 12, 19, or 26 days of age. Blood samples were taken via catheter 10 min before and 3, 10, and 20 min after restraint or at similar time intervals in controls. One day later, pigs were killed and adrenal glands obtained for ACTH receptor measurements. Basal plasma ACTH concentrations were greatest (p = 0.035) on day 12 when compared with later ages, but basal plasma cortisol concentrations were comparable at the three ages. Compared with controls, restraint elevated incremental plasma ACTH and cortisol responses at each age (p < 0.004). On day 12, maximal plasma ACTH (p = 0.0006) and incremental cortisol (p < 0.006) responses to restraint were greater than at later ages. Binding to adrenal ACTH receptors was greatest (p < 0.05) at day 13, which may help explain the apparently increased in vivo response of the adrenal gland to ACTH at this time. Restrained pigs had increased growth rates with increasing age (p = 0.016) whereas growth rates for control pigs did not differ with age. At day 27, 24 h after the 1-min restraint, body weights of restrained pigs exceeded those of control pigs (p = 0.045). At day 20, adrenal DNA and protein in pigs restrained 24 h previously were greater than in control pigs (p < 0.05). These data suggest age-related changes in functioning of the pituitary-adrenal axis in neonatal boars, and an absence of period during neonatal life when the porcine pituitary adrenocortical axis cannot respond to a stressor. The data also indicate both rapid and long-term responses of the adrenal to a very modest stressor and suggest an extreme sensitivity of neonatal pigs to environmental perturbations.     

Developmental and food profiles of infants born to adolescent and adult mothers

OBJECTIVE: To compare developmental markers and dietary intake of infants born to lower socioeconomic adolescent and adult mothers. DESIGN: Sixty-one adolescent (age 14-18 years) and 60 adult (age 22-28 years) mothers met inclusion criteria of comparable socioeconomic status, age range, urban/rural residence, and distribution of infants by gender. SAMPLE/SETTING: Adolescent subjects were recruited in last trimester and adult mothers postpartum. Interviews were conducted when infants were about 6 and 12 months of age. Data included age of occurrence for eight markers, age at adding complementary foods, two 24-h dietary recalls, and two measurements of growth. RESULTS: Adolescent mothers reported a significantly earlier age at which the infant "holds a spoon by self" and "drinks alone from a trainer cup." Six other markers were not significantly different between groups. Adolescent mothers fed cereal significantly earlier than did adult mothers, but there were no significant differences for fruit, vegetables, and meat. At 12 months, infants of adolescents had intakes of vitamin D and iron which were < 100% of recommended allowances, as did infants of adult mothers for vitamin D, iron, and zinc. Dietary fat was significantly higher at 6 and 12 months and vitamin C was lower at 12 months for infants of adolescents compared to the adult group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to adult mothers, adolescent mothers reported earlier mean ages for developmental markers related to self-feeding, and introduced cereal earlier. In each group, selected nutrient intakes decreased from recommended amounts in the 6-12-month period. Fat intakes were significantly different between groups at 6 and 12 months.     

Bronchial inhalation challenge by plethysmography in asthmatic children

A new technique for breath-by-breath controlled bronchial inhalation test is described, using the body plethysmographic method. The values of airway resistance (Raw) and of thoracic gas volume at resting expiratory level (TGV) have been compared to the data of total pulmonary flow resistance (R1), measured with the intraesophageal catheter method, and of functional residual capacity (FRC). The dynamic lung compliance (C1 dyn) was calcualted, too; the mechanical parameters of breathing (R1; Raw; C1 dyn) have been investigated on the same breathing cycles before, during and after respiratory challenges in symptom-free asthmatic children. Regarding the breath-to-breath variation of the parameters, a respiratory challenge is usually considered as positive, if the R1 or Raw values increase 100% or more. Out of 39 assays, "positive" challenges were observed in 14 casis regarding R1 values and in 11 cases regarding Raw values. "Doubtful" tests - i.e. +50% less than or equal to R1 or Raw less than 100% - were observed in 5 assays regarding R1 and in 7 cases regarding Raw. A decrease of more than 40% of C1 dyn was observed in 12 out of the 19 'positive' or 'doubtful-positive' challenges; the largest spontaneous breath-to-breath variation being +/- 25%. Such a decrease of C1 dyn is suggested as a sign of peripheral bronchial obstruction. An increase of more than 25% of TGV was observed in 11 out of 19 assays, considered "positive" or "doubtful-positive". A correlation being observed between C1 dyn decrease and TGV increase this latter parameter is suggested to be an additional sign of bronchial obstruction. Beside the practical problem of the interpretation of a respiratory challenge, these results are discussed from the phatophysiological point of view.     

Growth spurts in brain maturation during middle childhood as indexed by EEG power spectra

Developmental changes in background EEG power spectra were examined in 5-12-year-old children. The results confirmed older and more recent studies that reported continuous maturation and more sudden growth spurts in power spectral amplitude. EEG power in the Delta and Theta frequency bands decreased gradually with age, while power in the Alpha and Beta bands changed very little. Changes in spectral power were relatively increased between 6 and 7 years and between 9, 10 and 11 years. Some methodological problems concerning the assessment of cross-sectional age changes in EEG power spectra were addressed. Peak frequency increased with age; between 5 and 12 years the peak in the power spectrum shifted from fast Theta via slow Alpha to fast Alpha. Transformation of absolute power into relative power produced a high degree of interdependency between the broad bands. This interdependency affected the change with age of relative Alpha. Absolute power Alpha only changed in the eldest children, but because of a substantial decrease in Delta and Theta with increasing age, the proportion of Alpha relative to the other three bands increased. Hence, relative Alpha provided a good indication of the general maturational trend.