Variation In Relationship Research Articles

Association between hypertension and quality of life in pregnancy

ABSTRACTPurpose: To assess the association between hypertension in pregnancy and women’s quality of life (QoL) and the variation in the quality of life over gestational trimesters. Method: A questionnaire was applied to 194 hypertensive pregnant women and 195 pregnant women without complications. The questionnaire was composed of two parts: socioeconomic profile and specifically QoL, using the instrument Ferrans & Powers Quality of Life Index. All women included underwent a physical examination. Results: Blood pressure was found to be approximately 20 mmHg higher in hypertensive pregnant women compared to pregnant women without complications. All QoL domains of hypertensive pregnant women had lower scores than those of pregnant women without complications, with health/functioning rated the lowest, averaging 17.63. The least affected domain was family, having the best average score (26.0). The QoL had no significant variations in relation to gestational trimesters. Conclusions: Pregnancy causes intense changes, both physical and psychological, in women’s lives and hypertension was found to be a factor of high interference in pregnant woman’s QoL, causing lower scores in all QoL domains of hypertensive pregnant women, compared with pregnant woman without complications.

An experimental study on the thermal-hydraulic phenomena in the Hybrid Safety Injection Tank using a separate effect test facility

This paper reports an experimental research for investigating thermal hydraulic phenomena of Hybrid Safety Injection Tank (Hybrid SIT) using a separate effect test facility in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The Hybrid SIT is a passive safety injection system that enables the safety injection water to be injected into the reactor pressure vessel throughout all operating pressures by connecting the top of the SIT and the pressurizer (PZR). The separate effect test (SET) facility of Hybrid SIT, which is designed based on the APR+ power plant, comprises a PZR, Hybrid SIT, pressure balancing line (PBL), injection line (IL), nitrogen gas line, and refueling water tank (RWT). Furthermore, the pressure loss range of the SET facility was analyzed and compared with that of the reference nuclear power plant. In this research, a condition for balancing the pressure between the Hybrid SIT and PZR is examined and the effects of different variables affecting the pressure balancing, which are flow rate, injection velocity of steam and initial water level, are also investigated. The condition for balancing the pressure between the Hybrid SIT and PZR was derived theoretically from a pressure network for the Hybrid SIT, pressurizer, and reactor pressure vessel. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis as a theoretical approach was conducted on the pressure variations in relation to the rate of steam condensation inside the Hybrid SIT. The results showed that pressure of the Hybrid SIT was predominantly determined by the rate of steam condensation. The results showed that if the rate of condensation increased or decreased by 10%, the Hybrid SIT pressure at the pressure balancing point decreased or increased roughly by 10%, respectively.

The Organization of Repetitive DNA in the Genomes of Amazonian Lizard Species in the Family Teiidae

Repetitive DNA is the largest fraction of the eukaryote genome and comprises tandem and dispersed sequences. It presents variations in relation to its composition, number of copies, distribution, dynamics, and genome organization, and participates in the evolutionary diversification of different vertebrate species. Repetitive sequences are usually located in the heterochromatin of centromeric and telomeric regions of chromosomes, contributing to chromosomal structures. Therefore, the aim of this study was to physically map repetitive DNA sequences (5S rDNA, telomeric sequences, tropomyosin gene 1, and retroelements Rex1 and SINE) of mitotic chromosomes of Amazonian species of teiids (Ameiva ameiva, Cnemidophorus sp. 1, Kentropyx calcarata, Kentropyx pelviceps, and Tupinambis teguixin) to understand their genome organization and karyotype evolution. The mapping of repetitive sequences revealed a distinct pattern in Cnemidophorus sp. 1, whereas the other species showed all sequences interspersed in the heterochromatic region. Physical mapping of the tropomyosin 1 gene was performed for the first time in lizards and showed that in addition to being functional, this gene has a structural function similar to the mapped repetitive elements as it is located preferentially in centromeric regions and termini of chromosomes.

Timing Variations in Two Balkan Percussion Performances

Many songs and dance pieces from the Balkan Peninsula employ aksak meter, in which two categorically different durations, long and short, coexist in the sequence of beats that performers emphasize and listeners move to. This paper analyzes the durations of aksak beats and measures in two recorded percussion performances that use a particular aksak beat sequence, long-short-short. The results suggest that the timing of beats varies in conjunction with factors including melodic grouping and interaction among members of a performing ensemble and audience. Timing variation linked to melodic groups occurs on a solo recording of a Macedonian Romani folk song. The performer, Muzafer Bizlim, taps an ostinato while singing, and the timing of his taps seems to mark some local and large-scale group boundaries. Melodic organization also seems relevant to the timing of beats and measures on a recording of Bulgarian percussionist Mitko Popov playing the tŭpan, a double-headed bass drum, in a small folk music ensemble. In Popov’s performance, however, timing differences might be related to characteristics of the ensemble dynamic, such as the coordination of multiple musical participants. These interpretations generate possibilities for future study of timing variations in relation to rhythm and meter.Supplemental files available for this article: Audio Example 1 and Audio Example 2

Sample size matters in dietary gene expression studies—A case study in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.)

One of the main concerns in gene expression studies is the calculation of statistical significance which in most cases remains low due to limited sample size. Increasing biological replicates translates into more effective gains in power which, especially in nutritional experiments, is of great importance as individual variation of growth performance parameters and feed conversion is high. The present study investigates in the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata, one of the most important Mediterranean aquaculture species. For 24 gilthead sea bream individuals (biological replicates) the effects of gradual substitution of fish meal by plant ingredients (0% (control), 25%, 50% and 75%) in the diets were studied by looking at expression levels of four immune-and stress-related genes in intestine, head kidney and liver. The present results showed that only the lowest substitution percentage is tolerated and that liver is the most sensitive tissue to detect gene expression variations in relation to fish meal substituted diets. Additionally the usage of three independent biological replicates were evaluated by calculating the averages of all possible triplets in order to assess the suitability of selected genes for stress indication as well as the impact of the experimental set up, thus in the present work the impact of FM substitution. Gene expression was altered depending of the selected biological triplicate. Only for two genes in liver (hsp70 and tgf) significant differential expression was assured independently of the triplicates used. These results underlined the importance of choosing the adequate sample number especially when significant, but minor differences in gene expression levels are observed.

Fine mapping the MHC region identified four independent variants modifying susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B in Han Chinese.

Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have demonstrated the association between genetic variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection, but it is still unknown about the disease-causing loci and potential mechanisms owing to the complicated linkage disequilibrium for this region. To systematically characterize the MHC variations in relation to the CHB infection, we fine mapped the MHC region on our existing GWAS data with SNP2HLA taken the Pan-Asian panel as reference and finally identified four independent associations. The HLA-DPβ1 amino acid positions 84-87, which drove the effect of reported single nucleotide polymorphisms rs9277535 and rs3077, showed the most significant association (OR = 0.65, P = 2.03 × 10(-8)). The Leu-15 of HLA-C, conferring the effect of rs3130542, increased the risk of CHB infection independently (OR = 1.61, P = 3.42 × 10(-7)). The HLA-DRβ1*13, in perfect LD with glutamic at site 71, and rs400488, an expression quantitative trait locus for HLA-J, were newly identified to be associated with CHB infection independently (OR = 1.84, P = 3.84 × 10(-9); OR = 0.28, P = 6.27 × 10(-7), respectively). HLA-DPβ1 positions 84-87 and HLA-DRβ1 position 71 implicated the P1 and P4 in the antigen-binding groove, whereas HLA-C position 15 affected the signal peptide. These four independent loci together can explain ∼ 6% of the phenotypic variance for CHB infection, accounting for 72.94% of that explained by known genetic variations. We fine mapped the MHC region and identified four loci that independently drove the chronic HBV infection. The results provided a deeper understanding of the GWAS signals and identified additional susceptibility loci which were missed in previous association studies.

Galling insects in a fragmented forest: incidence of habitat loss, edge effects and plant availability

Galling insects tend to be highly sensitive to changes in their host plants or their environment. Here we analyze the effects of Chaco Serrano forest fragmentation on gall inducing species associated with four native plants species, simultaneously examining area and edge effects as well as the role of host plant availability on such effects. At edge and interior locations in each of nine forest sites in an area gradient in Central Argentina, we estimated herbivory as (1) the proportion of galled plants and (2) the number of galls per plant. Herbivory variations in relation to forest area and edge/interior locations were analyzed with generalized linear models, whereas the influence of plant availability in mediating area and edge effects was assessed by Structural Equation Models. Different responses to fragmentation were observed, depending on the insect species and also on the chosen herbivory indicator. Significant edge and area effects were detected in four and two out of ten performed models, respectively. When significant, edge effects were mostly positive and consistently direct rather than mediated by plant availability; instead, area effects varied from positive and led by plant abundance, to negative and independent of plant availability. Our study provides new evidence of a tendency for galling insects to benefit from edge conditions, while showing less consistent effects regarding forest size. Our results also suggest a very limited role for plant availability as a mechanism mediating fragmentation effects on herbivory by galling insects.

The influence of environmental parameters on the performance and detection range of acoustic receivers

Summary Acoustic telemetry is being increasingly used to study the ecology of many aquatic organisms. This widespread use has been advanced by national and international tracking programs that coordinate deployment of passive acoustic telemetry networks on a regional and continental scale to detect tagged animals. While it is well‐known that environmental conditions can affect the performance of acoustic receivers, these effects are rarely quantified despite the profound implications for tag detection and hence the ecological inferences. Here, we deployed eight receivers at different depths within the water column and at different orientations (hydrophone up or down) and 12 tags 200–800 m from the receivers for 234 days to investigate how the tag detection range of acoustic receivers varied through time and under different meteorologic and oceanographic conditions. The study showed that receiver depth and orientation, and time since deployment had the largest effect on the detection range. Thermocline gradient and depth, and wind speed were the environmental factors most affecting detection range, while wind direction, precipitation and atmospheric pressure had negligible or no effect. Comparison of results to a proposed general acoustic theory model and previous studies showed that findings from specific habitat types cannot be generalised and applied across other habitats or environments. A good understanding of the acoustic coverage and temporal variations in relation to environmental conditions are crucial to accurate interpretation of results, and ensuing management recommendations. We recommend that each study include stationary reference tags to measure changes in detection probability with time, help refine detection range, and be used to improve confidence in the reporting and interpretation of the data.

Editor's Introduction to This Issue.

Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic elements that have the potential to move from one site to another in the genome. Therefore, TEs mediate diverse recombination events and eventually can contribute to genomic evolution. In addition, TEs contribute to genomic instability and diverse diseases, including cancer. However, the mechanisms and extent of disease contribution of TEs are not well known yet. Regarding these areas, three review papers are reported in this issue. Dr. Byung-Dong Kim of Seoul National University reviewed foldback intercoil (FBI) DNA and the mechanism of DNA transposition mediated by FBI. In this review, he introduced the FBI DNA element and the mechanistic features that are relevant to the application of FBI DNA to the mechanisms of DNA transposition. Dr. Nam-Soo Kim's group of Kangwon National University reviewed genome size variations in plants in relation to TEs. Of all eukaryotes, TEs are especially prevalent in plants. The extreme genomic size variation of plants has posited a conundrum in evolutionary genetics. The authors introduced genomic size variations in relation to TEs using some examples, such as the Liliaceae family, known to have large genomes in angiosperms. Dr. Heui-Soo Kim's group of Pusan National University reviewed the biological implications of TEs in genomic evolution, genetic instability, and diverse human diseases. They gave an overview of the importance of TEs in studying genomic evolution and genetic instability and suggested that further in-depth studies on the mechanisms related to these phenomena will be useful for clinical applications. There is another interesting review regarding epigenetic regulation in this issue. Dr. Joomyeong Kim's group of Louisiana State University introduced the regulation and function of the Peg3 imprinted domain. The authors summarized the information that we have learned so far regarding the Peg3 domain and discussed the similarities and differences between the Peg3 and other imprinted domains. The other three articles are the Korean Association Resource (KARE) data genomic analysis award winners. The analysis of KARE data from young scientists' creative points of view has generated new interpretations and interesting evidence, which we should pay attention to in future studies. Genomics & Informatics is already available in PubMed Central and PubMed. Recently, Genomics & Informatics applied to be listed in SCOPUS.

COMPARISON BETWEEN PROPRIETARY AND FREE PROGRAMS IN THE FIELD OF FEM STATIC SIMULATION

Programs that utilize the finite element method (FEM) have as purpose the virtual analysis of real problems, and there is a search for those with better results reliability at lower cost. Hence, the comparison between free and proprietary FEM platforms was proposed, using data from an experimental test to feed the analysis and compare it with the numerical results. It has been noted that in the studied point the variations in relation to experimental data were below 15% and under 6% in comparison to analytical data. Consequently, as to the accuracy of static analysis results, it was possible to verify that free programs have similar reliability as proprietary ones.

Analysis of soil moisture condition under different land uses in the arid region of Horqin sandy land, northern China

Abstract. Land use plays an important role in controlling spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture by influencing infiltration rates, runoff and evapotranspiration, which is important to crop growth and vegetation restoration in semiarid environments, such as Horqin sandy land in north China. However, few studies have been conducted comparing differences of dynamics of soil water conditions and the responses of soil to infiltration under different land use types in semiarid area. Five different land use types were selected to analyze soil moisture variations in relation to land use patterns during the growing season of 2 years. Results showed that soil moisture condition was affected by different land uses in semi-arid sandy soils. The higher soil moisture content among different land uses was exhibited by the grassland, followed by cropland, poplar land, inter-dunes and shrub land. The temporal variations of soil moisture in different land uses were not always consistent with the rainfall due to the dry sequence. Moreover, soil water at the surface, in the root zone and at the deep soil layer indicated statistical differences for different types of land cover. Meanwhile, temporal variations of soil moisture profile changed with precipitation. However, in the deep soil layer, there was a clear lag in response to precipitation. In addition, seasonal variations of profile soil moisture were classified into two types: increasing and waving types. And the stable soil water layer was at 80–120 cm. Furthermore, the infiltration depth exhibited a positive correlation with precipitation under all land uses. This study provided an insight into the implications for land and agricultural water management in this area.

Soil property variations in relation to exclosure and open grazing land use types in the Central Rift Valley area of Ethiopia

Land degradation and unsustainable management practices have resulted in soil organic carbon and nutrient depletion, hydrological instability, reduced primary productivity, and low biological diversity. In response to these problems, communities in the Central Rift Valley area of Ethiopia have started to establish exclosures about three decades ago. This study has investigated the variations in selected soil properties (soil textural fractions, bulk density, soil moisture content, pH (H2O) and soil organic carbon content) under two land use types: open grazing land and exclosures in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Results showed that soil organic carbon varied significantly with land use types (p = 0.040), soil depths (p = 0.010) and the interaction effect (p = 0.039). The soil moisture content showed significant variation (p < 0.0001) only with soil depth. Exclosure land use type has shown an improvement in soil organic carbon against the findings by Mekuria et al. [International Conference on Advances in Agricultural, Biological & Environmental Sciences (AABES-2014), Dubai (UAE) 2014]. Thus, highly degraded open grazing should be designated as exclosure land management zone to restore and rehabilitate severely degraded landscape in the fragile environment of the rift valley area of Ethiopia.

Factors affecting the aluminium content of human femoral head and neck

Tissues for the study were obtained intraoperatively during hip replacement procedures from 96 patients. In all the cases, the indication for this treatment was primary or secondary degenerative changes in the hip joint. The subject of the study was the head and neck of the femur, resected in situ. Aluminium concentrations measured in femoral head and neck samples from patients aged between 25 and 91 were varied. Statistical methods were applied to determine the variations in relation to the parameters from the background survey. Significant differences in the aluminium content of femoral head samples were observed between patients under and over 60years of age. Based on the results, it was confirmed that the aluminium accumulates in bones over a lifetime. The study showed that the content of aluminium in the head and neck of the femur depends on the factors such as: type of medicines taken, contact with chemicals at work, differences in body anatomy and sex. The study on the levels of aluminium in bones and the factors affecting its concentration is a valuable source of information for further research on the role of aluminium in bone diseases. Based on the investigations, it was found that the GF-AAS technique is the best analytical tool for routine analysis of aluminium in complex matrix samples. The use of femoral heads in the investigations was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the University of Medical Sciences in Poznań (Poland).

English

Oral health in England has improved considerably in recent years but continues to show a strong inequalities gradient. This study was aimed at investigating variations in dental decay and relation to social deprivation and local water fluoridation. An ecological analysis using the 2007 and 2008 National Dental Epidemiology Programme survey of 5 year old children in England. Postcode of residence was mapped to census lower super output area (LSOA). LSOAs were assigned a national deprivation quintile and a fluoridation category based upon therapeutic level of 1 mg/L. Multiple logistic regression was applied to determine independent influences on tooth decay. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to investigate interactions between fluoridation and deprivation on the mean levels of dental caries. Analysis is based on 142,030 clinical dental examinations, representing 25% of estimated population of 5 year olds in England. Overall, 31% of children had at least one decayed missing or filled tooth (dmft). Multiple logistic regression showed that children living in the most deprived areas were three times more likely to experience tooth decay than those living in affluent areas; whereas children living in fluoridated areas were 1.5 times less likely to have dmft than those living in non-fluoridated areas. Therefore, although both are independently significant, living in the most deprived quintile of social deprivation doubled the impact on the likelihood of dental decay compared to non-fluoridation. ANCOVA showed a strong gradient of increasing mean dmft with increasing social deprivation in both water-fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, with 3 times more dental decay in more deprived areas than in more affluent areas. In all deprivation quintiles, children living in fluoridated areas have significantly (p < 0.001) lower mean dmft than those living in equivalent deprivation with no water fluoridation. Fluoridated drinking water may moderate dental caries; however, socioeconomic deprivation has a stronger influence on dental decay than local fluoridation of water. Key words: Fluoridation, tooth decay children, social deprivation, ecological epidemiology.

Geoenvironmental studies and heavy metal mapping in soil: the case of Ghohroud area, Iran

Geological features play a key role in determining variations in elemental concentrations in an area. Among different geological phenomena, intrusion of igneous bodies and associated alteration contribute significantly to the introduction of heavy metals into the area. This study has focused on Ghohroud, in central Iran, which is situated in the Urmieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc (UMDA) belt, and magmatism has developed as a result of the intrusion of a granodiorite body. The area has later been affected by hydrothermal fluids, resulting in argillic and propylitic alteration and contact metamorphism. The objectives of this study were to assess the degree of contamination and to describe the surface soil geochemical variations in relation to the geology, lithology, and hydrothermal activity in the Ghohroud area. Soil sampling was used for the geochemical study, and 96 samples were collected and analyzed by ICP-OES. Among the analyzed elements, the concentrations obtained for Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, As, Co, V, and Mo were selected for statistical treatment. Different geoenvironmental indices were calculated, and the results showed that Cu, Mo, Pb, and Zn were present at a contaminating concentration. Remote sensing studies were employed in this study for alteration mapping. It was concluded that the development of different alteration types and proximity to intrusive bodies were the main contributors to the increased heavy metal concentrations in the area.

Undervisning om kriser og katastrofer. Et pedagogisk mulighetsrom?

Artikkelen utforsker pedagogiske mulighetsrom for læring og danning når elever er eksponert for skremmende beskrivelser og bilder gjennom media. Det empiriske materialet er intervjuer med 30 lærere som høsten 2011 tok imot elever etter terrorangrepet og massedrapene i Norge 22. juli. Ved skolestart fikk lærerne i oppdrag av skolemyndighetene å gjenreise elevenes opplevelse av trygghet. Det ble anbefalt å markere terroren og massedrapene på alle klassetrinn og følge elevene opp i tiden fremover. Det var store variasjoner med tanke på hvordan lærerne tilrettela for undervisning og danning. Manglende eller utydelig mandat fra lokal skoleledelse, lærernes sterke emosjonelle reaksjoner på terroren, manglende kunnskap om elevenes sårbarhet og manglende avklaring når det gjaldt lærerens pedagogiske rolle, ser ut til å ha betydning for hva lærerne foretok seg i klasserommet. English abstract The article studies pedagogical opportunities for learning and education when students are exposed to frightening images and descriptions through the media. The empirical material includes interviews with 30 teachers who welcomed students in the fall of 2011 in the wake of the terror attack and mass murder that had occurred in Norway on July 22nd. At the beginning of the academic year, school administrators gave teachers the mission of resurrecting the students’ sense of safety. It was recommended to mark the terror and mass murder at all levels and to follow up with the students throughout the year. There were considerable variations in relation to how teachers facilitated the education. Insufficient or unclear mandates from local school administration, the teachers’ own strong emotional reactions to the terror, lack of knowledge about students’ vulnerability and insufficient explanations when it came to the teachers’ pedagogical role seem to have been significant factors for teachers in taking on this mission.

Variation of nectar production in relation to plant characteristics in protandrous Aconitum gymnandrum

Floral nectar plays a vital role in plant reproductive success by attracting pollinators. Nectar traits of a flower can depend directly on plant characteristics other than environmental factors and exhibit extensive flower- and plant-level variations. Studies on nectar traits frequently focused on intraplant variation for dichogamous plants, but few have paid attention to both intra- and interplant nectar variations in relation to plant characteristics. Revealing within- and among-plant variation and its relative magnitude is important for our understanding of how pollinator-mediated selection can act on nectar traits and evolution of nectar traits. Through investigating protandrous Aconitum gymnandrum populations at the Alpine Meadows and Wetland Ecosystems Research Station of Lanzhou University, we examined the relationships between nectar production per flower and plant characteristics (e.g. flower position within inflorescences, floral sexual phases, flowering time, inflorescence size and floral attractive traits). A. gymnandrum exhibited a declining gradient in the nectar volume along inflorescences, with more nectar in basal flowers than distal ones. Protandrous flowers of A. gymnandrum did not show gender-biased nectar production while the nectar volume varied with different stages of floral sexual phases. The significant correlation between the first flowering date of individuals and the mean nectar volume per flower was positive in 2013, but became negative in 2014, suggesting complex effects of biotic and abiotic factors. The mean nectar volume per flower was not related to inflorescence size (the number of total flowers per plant). Furthermore, nectar production was weakly associated with floral attractive traits (the petal width and the galea height), even if the effect of flowering time of individuals was removed, suggesting that the honesty of floral traits as signals of nectar reward for pollinators is not stable in this species.

Metals in Mediterranean aquatic species

Metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), have been determined in species of Mediterranean marine organisms collected from areas supposed to be at background contamination levels. The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) approach was adopted for the determination of all the metals. Arsenic, Cd and Pb determined in the 42 samples, do not exceed the pertinent maximum level except a sample of hake. In wild fish, the concentration range for Cr, Ni, V and Cu was, respectively: 0.07–0.09, 87.6–124, 0.022–0.075 and 0.79–1.74μg/g fresh weight (fw). The farmed fish samples show concentration levels below the wild fish ones, except for Cr which range at the same levels. Cadmium and Pb show a high sample number under the quantification limit. The elements do not bio-magnify among the species considered and appear to show low variations in relation to organisms’ position in the food chain and at sampling sites.

Gender Issues in Human, Animal and plant health using an Ecohealth Perspective

The ecohealth approach is a core concept integrating environmental aspects with human and animal health (domestic and wild animals). Zoonotic and emerging diseases affect human health and impact negatively on food security. Although both the risk of contracting a disease and the subsequent impacts vary between different genders, age groups, cultures and social conditions, very little research has been done on this and few guidelines or interventions focus adequately on these aspects. This paper is based on a conceptual framework identifying the relationship between gender inequalities and the risk of contracting a disease in an ecohealth perspective. It looks at the varying impacts of plant, animal and human diseases and identifies four contributing factors. This paper first discusses the socially defined roles including social, economic, cultural, legal and political factors that often determine which place men and women occupy in society, which animals and plants men or women have accumulated knowledge of, which they have control of and which they benefit from and consequently the impact men and women have on the environment due to these specific roles. Secondly, it analyses the gender differences in risk of infection. It also analyses cultural differences that influence practices connected to animal, plant and human diseases and discusses respective preventions and treatments. Thirdly, it also identifies the ways men and women are impacted by the diseases of human, plants and animals in different ways. Lastly, this paper assesses the biological factors that influence the differences in exposure, infection rates and mortality rates between men and women during their life cycle. These four factors contribute to gender variations in relation to animal, human, plant and ecological health.

Variasi Morfologi Bambu Tali [Gigantochloa apus (Schult.F.) Kurz.] pada berbagai ketinggian tempat di Sub Daerah Aliran Sungai Pelus

A study on the morphological variation of tali bamboo [Gigantochloa apus (Schult.f.) Kurz] has been conducted at various altitudes of Sub Watershed Pelus Banyumas, Central Java. This study was aimed at determining the morphological variations in relation to altitudes above sea levels. The method used was survey with stratified sampling. The variables measured included culm diameter, culm internode length, culm sheath length and width, ovate-triangular blade length and width, leaf blade length and width, stem color and hairs, and altitude. The results of this study indicated that the altitudinal difference effect some morphological characteristics of tali bamboos such as: 1) green young seedling with black hairs found at 200-299 m and 300-399 m asl. 2) morphological variations are effected by altitude. Tali bamboo grows optimally at the altitude of 400 to 499 m asl. The results of regression analysis showed that the altitude has a relatively close correlation with somes of morphological character of tali bamboo.