Dental maturity is associated with skeletal maturity, which is advanced in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). We investigated the performance of dental maturity as a screening method for CPP using mandibular second premolar and molar calcification stages, assessed the associated anthropometric and laboratory factors, and evaluated pubertal response predictors using the gonadotropin-re...

1. In response to reported declines in crucian carpCarassius carassius across Europe, studies of the status and population biology of the species in England led to Biodiversity Action Plan priority designation in the eastern county of Norfolk. 2. In light of new data on crucian carp populations in eastern England (counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk), a comprehensive review of availabl...

Improvements in temperance, perspective, and responsibility are a part of typical development of psychosocial maturity during adolescence. The existing literature suggests that the developmental course of psychosocial maturity is influenced by normative variations in social context, but little is known about how atypical contexts, such as incarceration, influence its development. The study inve...

Many organizations have recognized the importance of increasing commitment towards delivering longterm success of Business Intelligence (BI). However, effective BI strategies and governance to accommodate the rapid growth of data volumes are still scarce. Furthermore, there appears to be low usage rates of BI and analytics among business users. Consequently, many organizations are still positio...

The present study explores the relationship between the e-business maturity and the perceived benefits from (Information and Communication Technologies) ICT at the firm level. We aim to debunk this relationship in terms of its strength and stability, and to explore the conditions which may influence it. Taking an economic approach, we hypothesise that the relation between e-business maturity an...

The traditional explanation of delayed maturation age, as part of an evolved life history, focuses on the increased costs of juvenile mortality due to early maturation. Prior quantitative models of these trade-offs, however, have addressed only morphological phenotypic traits, such as body size. We argue that the development of behavioral skills prior to reproductive maturity also constitutes a...

Understanding the consequences of environmental change on ecological and evolutionary dynamics is inherently problematic because of the complex interplay between them. Using invertebrates in microcosms, we characterise phenotypic, population and evolutionary dynamics before, during and after exposure to a novel environment and harvesting over 20 generations. We demonstrate an evolved change in ...

The harbour porpoise is the only cetacean species native to German waters. Since human pressures are suggested to shorten their reproductive lifespan, basic knowledge on reproduction is strongly required. One parameter is the onset of sexual maturity in female harbour porpoises. Therefore, we investigated the first signs of sexual maturity for a period of almost two decades (1990-2016). Ovaries...

Forage age and maturity generally have a larger influence on forage quality than environmental factors. Plant environment, however, cause deviations in forage quality even when harvested at the same maturity. Temperature usually has greater influence on forage quality than other environmental factors. Although increasing temperature normally hastens maturity, the primary effect may be through i...

—Most anurans exhibit sexual size dimorphism (SSD). This morphological variation between the sexes may be attributed to different ages at maturity, growth rate, or longevity. We present the first data on age structure and growth pattern of Hypsiboas cordobae using skeletochronology, and analyze SSD considering age-specific differences in body size based on 71 individuals. Snout-vent length (SVL...