Dermatoglyphic patterns in senile dementia of Alzheimer's type

Several reports suggest a genetic relationship between senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) and Down's syndrome. We have analyzed fingerprints and palmar patterns in an elderly female population comprising a group of 34 patients with probable SDAT, a group of 20 patients with other dementias, and a group of 20 non-demented controls. A bilateral Sydney line was found to be significantly more frequent in the SDAT group than in the two other groups (p less than 0.01, sensitivity 30%, specificity 95%, positive predictive value 91%, negative predictive value 61%). A bilateral Sydney line was as frequent in the SDAT group as in Down's syndrome. The limit value of the index of transversality equal or superior to 31, which is considered as a feature of Down's syndrome, was significantly more frequent in the SDAT group than in the two other groups (right hand p less than 0.05, left hand p less than 0.02). A bilateral discriminant value of this index was also significantly more frequent in the SDAT group than in the two other groups (p less than 0.02), as was an index of transversality higher than 31 on at least one hand (p less than 0.01). In contrast with other reports, we haven't found significantly different frequencies of digital ulnar loops and true hypothenar patterns between the SDAT group and the two others.     

Temporal patterns of medications dispensed to children and adolescents in a national insured population

This study aimed to comprehensively describe prevalence and temporal dispensing patterns for medications prescribed to children and adolescents in the United States. Participants were 1.6 million children (49% female) under 18 years old enrolled in a nation-wide, employer-provided insurance plan. All medication claims from 1999–2006 were reviewed retrospectively. Drugs were assigned to 16 broad therapeutic categories. Effects of trend over time, seasonality, age and gender on overall and within category prevalence were examined. Results: Mean monthly prevalence for dispensed medications was 23.5% (range 19.4–27.5), with highest rates in winter and lowest in July. The age group with the highest prevalence was one-year-old children. On average each month, 17.1% of all children were dispensed a single drug and 6.4% were dispensed two or more. Over time, prevalence for two or more drugs did not change, but the proportion of children dispensed a single drug decreased (slope -.02%, p = .001). Overall, boys had higher monthly rates than girls (average difference 0.9%, p = .002). However, differences by gender were greatest during middle childhood, especially for respiratory and central nervous system agents. Contraceptives accounted for a large proportion of dispensed medication to older teenage girls. Rates for the drugs with the highest prevalence in this study were moderately correlated (average Pearson r.66) with those from a previously published national survey. Conclusion: On average, nearly one quarter of a population of insured children in the United States was dispensed medication each month. This rate decreased somewhat over time, primarily because proportionally fewer children were dispensed a single medication. The rate for two or more drugs dispensed simultaneously remained steady.     

The significance of geographic range size for spatial diversity patterns in Neotropical palms

We examined the effect of range size in commonly applied macroecological analyses using continental distribution data for all 550 Neotropical palm species (Arecaceae) at varying grain sizes from 0.5° to 5°. First, we evaluated the relative contribution of range-restricted and widespread species on the patterns of species richness and endemism. Second, we analysed the impact of range size on the predictive value of commonly used predictor variables. Species sequences were produced arranging species according to their range size in ascending, descending, and random order. Correlations between the cumulative species richness patterns of these sequences and environmental predictors were performed in order to analyse the effect of range size. Despite the high proportion of rare species, patterns of species richness were found to be dominated by a minority of widespread species (∼20%) which contained 80% of the spatial information. Climatic factors related to energy and water availability and productivity accounted for much of the spatial variation of species richness of widespread species. In contrast, species richness of range-restricted species was to a larger extent determined by topographical complexity. However, this effect was much more difficult to detect due to a dominant influence of widespread species. Although the strength of different environmental predictors changed with spatial scale, the general patterns and trends proved to be relatively stabile at the examined grain sizes. Our results highlight the difficulties to approximate causal explanations for the occurrence of a majority of species and to distinguish between contemporary climatic factors and history.     

Somatotyping of children and adolescents

Longitudinal observations on growth and development in children and adolescents with a usual (school) and increased (sporting) motor activity regimens have been performed for 13 years and certain metrical characteristics have been obtained. After their treatment by means of the factor and correlative analyses, they are divided into basic and auxiliary. The basic characteristics have a high correlative connection with progress in certain kinds of physical activity (sporting achievements), the auxiliary ones determine the technique of carrying out the movement. Basing on theoretical generalization of the literature data and analyzing the metrical values obtained at anthropometry, an objective scheme of somatotyping is worked out. It considers an independent variation of the signs according to spatial (clearance limit, componental and proportional) and time (variants of development) scales. Nontraditional estimation on manifestation of fatty, muscular and osseous components is elaborated, algorhythm of their estimation is suggested. Three main (micro-, meso-, macrosomatic) and two additional (micromesosomatic and mesomacrosomatic) somatic types are defined. They include manifestation of fatty, muscular and osseous masses, as well as the proportion of the body-build. The mark scale estimation of individual metrical values according to the elaborated age nomograms and scales makes the base of the typing. As demonstrates the retrospective analysis of the material, in 86% of cases the somatic type does not change in the course of ontogenesis. Estimation of the somatic type during the pubertal period should be carried out with a strict consideration of the variant of the child's development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Gradients within gradients: The mesoscale distribution patterns of palms in a central Amazonian forest

Questions: What are the relative contributions of environmental factors and geographic distance to palm community structure at the mesoscale, and how do they depend on the length of the environmental gradient covered? How do soil and topography affect variation of the canopy and understory palm community structure at the mesoscale? How does fine‐scale variation within the broad edaphic/topographic classes affect palm community composition? Location: Reserva Ducke, terra‐firme forest, Manaus, Brazil. Methods: Palms were sampled in 72 plots 250 m × 4 m, systematically distributed over an area of 100 km². Soil, topography and distance to watercourses were measured for all plots. The relationship between community structure axes, summarized by NMDS ordinations, and environmental predictors, was analysed with multivariate regressions. Matrix regressions were used to determine the proportions of variance explained by environmental and geographic predictors. Results: Floristic variation at the mesoscale was mostly related to environmental variation, and the proportion of variance explained depended on the amplitude of the environmental gradient. Soil was the main predictor of floristic change, but its effects differed between life forms, with the understory palm community structured within one of the edaphic/topographic classes, in association with distance to watercourses. Conclusions: Dispersal limitation does not explain palm composition at the mesoscale, and the amplitude of environmental gradients covered by the analysis can be as important as the scale of analysis, in determining the relative contributions of environmental and geographical components to community structure. Soil and topography can predict a large proportion of palm composition, but gradients differ in scale, with some environmental gradients being nested within others. Therefore, although all environmental gradients are nested within distance, they do not necessarily coincide.     

Partial distal 10q trisomy due to de novo amplification: A new case without furrows or ridges in fingers and palms

Background:

Here we describe a new case of partial distal 10q trisomy in a 6-year-old Iranian girl from healthy parents with mental, growth, and psychomotor retardations.

Methods:

Additional clinical features include dysmorphic craniofacial features, microcephaly, bilateral hydronephrosis without heart problems, small and rotated low-set ears, bow-shaped mouth, abnormal teeth, short neck, and as a first case reported, fingers with camptodactly (i.e., without any furrows or ridges in the palms and fingers).

Results:

Cytogenetic analysis (GTG-banding) revealed an unbalanced female karyotype with additional bands at the end of the long arm of chromosome 10, karyotype: 46,XX,dup(10)(q25q26).

Conclusion:

According to the banding pattern it is most likely that a duplication of the distal part of the long arm of chromosome 10 occurred.Key Words: Trisomy, 10q, Distal, de novo     

Dermatoglyphic studies in the parents of trisomy 21 children I. Distribution of dermatoglyphic discriminants

A sample of 312 parents of a child with complete trisomy 21 (168 mothers and 144 fathers) has been compared with 295 parents of non-mongol children (61 mothers and 134 fathers) with respect to distribution of individual dermatoglyphic discriminant scores. Selection of dermatoglyphic traits as well a weightings have been based on the discriminant function, constructed for normal controls against cytogenetically diagnosed trisomy 21 mosaics. The results indicate that the proportion of individuals with an increased chance of mosaicism is appreciably greater in a sample of both the mothers and the fathers of mongol children, as compared with the parents of non-mongol children. For D greater than + 3.00, including also the overlap range values, it is, on the average, twice as high as in the control parents, while for the D values greater than + 4.00, strongly indicative of mosaicism, it is about five times higher than in control parents. This is so in spite of the fact that all parents, who had previously been cytogenetically tested and diagnosed as mosaics, were not included in this sample. Although the meaning of these results cannot yet be completely understood, they justify the extension of the use of dermatoglyphic discriminants in studies on parental mosaicism in trisomy 21.     

Relevance of chronotype for eating patterns in adolescents

During adolescence, a shift from morningness to eveningness occurs, yet school continues to start early in the morning. Hence, adolescents are at risk for social jetlag, i.e. a discrepancy between biological and social timing. It remains to be determined whether chronotype associates with daily and daytime-specific eating patterns during this potentially critical period. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronotype is decisive for daily eating patterns [total energy intake (TEI, kcal), total macronutrient intake (% of TEI), eating occasion frequency (n/day), meal frequency (n/day), snack frequency (n/day), duration of nightly fasting], or daytime-specific eating patterns [morning (before 11 am) energy intake (% of TEI), morning macronutrient intake (% of morning energy intake), regular breakfast skipping (no morning energy intake at least on 2 of 3?days, yes/no), evening (after 6 pm) energy intake (% of TEI), evening macronutrient intake (% of evening energy intake), regular dinner skipping (no evening energy intake at least on 2 of 3?days, yes/no)] in German adolescents. Chronotype was assessed by use of the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire and is defined as the midpoint of sleep corrected for sleep-debt accumulated over the workweek (the later the midpoint of sleep, the later the chronotype). A total of 223 participants (10–18?years) provided 346 questionnaires and concurrent 3-day weighed dietary records. Associations between chronotype and eating patterns were analyzed cross-sectionally using multivariable linear and logistic mixed-effects regression models. Adolescents with earlier and later chronotypes did not differ in their daily eating patterns. With respect to daytime-specific eating patterns, 1?h delay in chronotype was associated with 4.0 (95% CI 2.5–6.6) greater odds of regular breakfast skipping (p < 0.0001). In addition, later chronotype was associated with higher evening energy intake (p = 0.0009). In conclusion, our data show that a later chronotype among adolescents is associated with a shift of food consumption toward later times of the day. Hence, adolescents’ eating patterns appear to follow their internal clock rather than socially determined schedules.     

Dermatoglyphic studies in eastern and south-eastern Europe

In nine population samples from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Macedonia (Skopje and Aromuns from Stip region), Romania, Serbia and Slovakia 12 dermatoglyphic variables have been studied. There are distinct differences between the populations and between males and females. The Macedonian Aromuns are clearly separated from the other populations.