177,444 research outputs found
Cross-validation of the Beunen–Malina method to predict adult height
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to cross-validate the Beunen–Malina method for non-invasive prediction
of adult height. Three hundred and eight boys aged 13, 14, 15 and 16 years from the Madeira Growth
Study were observed at annual intervals in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and re-measured 7–8 years later.
Height, sitting height and the triceps and subscapular skinfolds were measured; skeletal age was
assessed using the Tanner–Whitehouse 2 method. Adult height was measured and predicted using the
Beunen–Malina method. Maturity groups were classified using relative skeletal age (skeletal age minus
chronological age). Pearson correlations, mean differences and standard errors of estimate (SEE) were
calculated. Age-specific correlations between predicted and measured adult height vary between
0.70 and 0.85, while age-specific SEE varies between 3.3 and 4.7 cm. The correlations and SEE
are similar to those obtained in the development of the original Beunen–Malina method. The Beunen–
Malina method is a valid method to predict adult height in adolescent boys and can be used in
European populations or populations from European ancestry. Percentage of predicted adult height is
a non-invasive valid method to assess biological maturity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Prediction of adult height in girls: the Beunen-MalinaFreitas method
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to validate and cross-validate the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method for non-invasive prediction of adult height in girls. A sample of 420 girls aged 10–15 years from the Madeira Growth Study were measured at yearly intervals and then 8 years later. Anthropometric dimensions (lengths, breadths, circumferences, and skinfolds) were measured; skeletal age was assessed using the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method and menarcheal status (present or absent) was recorded. Adult height was measured and predicted using stepwise, forward, and maximum R2 regression techniques. Multiple correlations, mean differences, standard errors of prediction, and error boundaries were calculated. A sample of the Leuven Longitudinal Twin Study was used to cross-validate the regressions. Age-specific coefficients of determination (R2) between predicted and measured adult height varied between 0.57 and 0.96, while standard errors of prediction varied between 1.1 and 3.9 cm. The cross-validation confirmed the validity of the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method in girls aged 12–15 years, but at lower ages the cross-validation was less consistent. We conclude that the Beunen-Malina-Freitas method is valid for the prediction of adult height in girls aged 12–15 years. It is applicable to European populations or populations of European ancestry.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Natura 2000 Network: A comparison of the Italian and Dutch Implementation Experiences
No full textThe implementation of Natura 2000, Ecological Network of protected areas established in the European territory under Council Directive 92/43/EEC, has encountered serious problems in many European States. This is proven by conspicuous juridical interventions initiated by the European Union against Member States failing to comply with the Directive's requirements; by the aversion of stakeholders involved in the use of protected areas and by the criticisms that environmental non-governmental organizations expressed about the governmental approaches towards the network's realization. This paper presents a critical reflection on the problems in the realization of Natura 2000 Network, by analysing and comparing the experiences of two Member States: the Netherlands and Italy. Despite the differences in national natural heritages and nature conservation policy traditions, the two Natura 2000 implementation processes present interesting similarities. These allowed the authors to identify theoretical and practical obstacles that are making the network's implementation problematic and to reflect on the most important challenges to the realization of Natura 2000 Network in the two countries, as well as in other Member States that experienced similar implementation problems
Power/Knowledge as a Driver for Governance Evolution
No full textIn this chapter we argue that the conceptualization of power in a theoretical framework that is based on the idea of contingency, can help to refine the analysis of power in governance. Power can be conceptualized as the potentiality emerging in relations between individuals and structure and it can be understood as a driver for social evolution. The elements and structures of governance are contingent and in constant transformation. This transformation is driven by the productive tensions between discourses, with the results of each operation serving as input for the next one
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