General Differences between Early and Late Stages of BATSE Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitrofanov, I. G.; Litvak, M. L.; Anfimov, D. S.; Sanin, A. B.; Briggs, M. S.; Paciesas, W. S.; Pendleton, G. N.; Preece, R. D.; Meegan, C. A.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The early and late stages of gamma-ray bursts are studied in a statistical analysis of the large sample of long BATSE events. The primary peak is used as the boundary between the early and late stages of emission. Significant differences are found between the stages: the early stage is shorter, it has harder emission, and it becomes a smaller fraction of the total burst duration for burst groups of decreasing intensity.

Natural selection and sex differences in morbidity and mortality in early life.

PubMed

Wells, J C

2000-01-07

Both morbidity and mortality are consistently reported to be higher in males than in females in early life, but no explanation for these findings has been offered. This paper argues that the sex difference in early vulnerability can be attributed to the natural selection of optimal maternal strategies for maximizing lifetime reproductive success, as modelled previously by Trivers and Willard. These authors theorized that males and females offer different returns on parental investment depending on the state of the environment. Natural selection has therefore favoured maternal ability to manipulate offspring sex in response to environmental conditions in early life, as shown in variation in the sex ratio at birth. This argument can be extended to the whole period of parental investment until weaning. Male vulnerability in response to environmental stress in early life is predicted to have been favoured by natural selection. This vulnerability is most evident in the harsh conditions resulting from pre-term birth, but can also be seen in term infants, and manifests as greater morbidity and mortality persisting into early childhood. Malnutrition, interacting with infection after birth, is suggested as the fundamental trigger mechanism. The model suggests that whatever improvements are made in medical care, any environmental stress will always affect males more severely than females in early life. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Fadeout in an early mathematics intervention: Constraining content or preexisting differences?

PubMed

Bailey, Drew H; Nguyen, Tutrang; Jenkins, Jade Marcus; Domina, Thurston; Clements, Douglas H; Sarama, Julie S

2016-09-01

A robust finding across research on early childhood educational interventions is that the treatment effect diminishes over time, with children not receiving the intervention eventually catching up to children who did. One popular explanation for fadeout of early mathematics interventions is that elementary school teachers may not teach the kind of advanced content that children are prepared for after receiving the intervention, so lower-achieving children in the control groups of early mathematics interventions catch up to the higher-achieving children in the treatment groups. An alternative explanation is that persistent individual differences in children's long-term mathematical development result more from relatively stable preexisting differences in their skills and environments than from the direct effects of previous knowledge on later knowledge. We tested these 2 hypotheses using data from an effective preschool mathematics intervention previously known to show a diminishing treatment effect over time. We compared the intervention group to a matched subset of the control group with a similar mean and variance of scores at the end of treatment. We then tested the relative contributions of factors that similarly constrain learning in children from treatment and control groups with the same level of posttreatment achievement and preexisting differences between these 2 groups to the fadeout of the treatment effect over time. We found approximately 72% of the fadeout effect to be attributable to preexisting differences between children in treatment and control groups with the same level of achievement at posttest. These differences were fully statistically attenuated by children's prior academic achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Differences in personality and patterns of recidivism between early starters and other serious male offenders.

PubMed

Ge, Xiaojia; Donnellan, M Brent; Wenk, Ernst

2003-01-01

In this study, the differences in personality and patterns of recidivism were compared between individuals with an early incidence of offending ("early starters") and their later-starting counterparts ("later starters"). Results indicated that early starters were significantly different from later starters in several personality characteristics, as measured by the California Personality Inventory (CPI) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Specifically, early starters scored lower on the responsibility and socialization scales of the CPI and higher on the paranoia, schizophrenia, and hypomania scales of the MMPI. Moreover, results indicated that early starters were at a significantly higher risk for recidivism than later starters, both at a 15-month and a 20-year follow-up.

Individual differences in early adolescents' latent trait cortisol (LTC): Relation to early adversity.

PubMed

Stroud, Catherine B; Chen, Frances R; Doane, Leah D; Granger, Douglas A

2016-09-01

Substantial evidence suggests that youth who experience early adversity exhibit alterations in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, thereby increasing risk for negative health outcomes. However, few studies have explored whether early adversity alters enduring trait indicators of HPA axis activity. Using objective contextual stress interviews with adolescents and their mothers to assess early adversity, we examined the cumulative impact of nine types of early adversity on early adolescents girls' latent trait cortisol (LTC). Adolescents (n = 122; M age = 12.39 years) provided salivary cortisol samples three times a day (waking, 30 min post-waking, and bedtime) over 3 days. Latent state-trait modeling indicated that the waking and 30 min post-waking samples contributed to a LTC factor. Moreover, greater early adversity was associated with a lower LTC level. Implications of LTC for future research examining the impact of early adversity on HPA axis functioning are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58:700-713, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Personality differences in early versus late suicide attempters.

PubMed

Lewitzka, Ute; Denzin, Sebastian; Sauer, Cathrin; Bauer, Michael; Jabs, Burkhard

2016-08-09

Suicidality is an individual behaviour caused by a complex framework of internal and external factors. The predictive values of personality traits for a suicide attempt have been demonstrated, especially in conjunction with Cloninger's TCI and impulsivity. Two issues remain unsolved, namely whether these traits alter over time after a suicide attempt, and how they may be influenced by depressive symptoms. We studied two patient cohorts: one sample of 81 patients after a suicide attempt no longer than 3 months previously (SA early) and another sample of 32 patients whose attempt had taken place more than 6 months previously (SA late). We carried out structured interviews with these subjects addressing diagnosis (MINI), suicidality (Scale for suicide ideation), depression (HAMD-17), temperament and character inventory (TCI), and impulsivity (BIS-10). Data analysis was done using SPSS 16.0. Our two groups did not differ significantly in sociodemographics or suicidality. However, patients in the SA early group were significantly more depressed (p < 0.001), and scored lower in reward dependence (p < 0.001) and persistence (p = 0.005) but higher in harm avoidance (p < 0.001); they did not differ significantly in impulsivity (p < 0.01). Reward dependence, persistence, and harm avoidance remained significantly different between the two groups after controlling for depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that some personality traits vary after a suicide attempt. Further investigations are necessary to verify our results, ideally in longitudinal studies with larger, carefully-described cohorts. It would be also clinically important to investigate the influence of therapeutic strategies on the variability of personality traits and their impact on suicidal behavior.

Interkinetic and migratory behavior of a cohort of neocortical neurons arising in the early embryonic murine cerebral wall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, T.; Nowakowski, R. S.; Caviness, V. S. Jr

1996-01-01

Neocortical neuronogenesis occurs in the pseudostratified ventricular epithelium (PVE) where nuclei of proliferative cells undergo interkinetic nuclear movement. A fraction of daughter cells exits the cell cycle as neurons (the quiescent, or Q, fraction), whereas a complementary fraction remains in the cell cycle (the proliferative, or P, fraction). By means of sequential thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine injections in mouse on embryonic day 14, we have monitored the proliferative and post-mitotic migratory behaviors of 1 and 2 hr cohorts of PVE cells defined by the injection protocols. Soon after mitosis, the Q fraction partitions into a rapidly exiting (up to 50 microns/hr) subpopulation (Qr) and a more slowly exiting (6 microns/hr) subpopulation (Qs). Qr and Qs are separated as two distributions on exit from the ventricular zone with an interpeak distance of approximately 40 microns. Cells in Qr and Qs migrate through the intermediate zone with no significant change in the interpeak distance, suggesting that they migrate at approximately the same velocities. The rate of migration increases with ascent through the intermediate zone (average 2-6.4 microns/hr) slowing only transiently on entry into the developing cortex. Within the cortex, Qr and Qs merge to form a single distribution most concentrated over layer V.

Individual Differences in Sibling Teaching in Early and Middle Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Nina; Recchia, Holly

2009-01-01

Research Findings: Sibling teaching and learning behaviors were investigated in 2 studies of children in early and middle childhood. Study 1 addressed individual differences in teaching/learning and associations with dyadic age, age gap, gender, birth order, and relationship quality in 71 middle-class dyads (firstborns M age = 81.54 months;…

Fadeout in an Early Mathematics Intervention: Constraining Content or Pre-existing Differences?

PubMed Central

Bailey, Drew H.; Nguyen, Tutrang; Jenkins, Jade Marcus; Domina, Thurston; Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie S.

2016-01-01

A robust finding across research on early childhood educational interventions is that the treatment effect diminishes over time, with children not receiving the intervention eventually catching up to children who did. One popular explanation for fadeout of early mathematics interventions is that elementary school teachers may not teach the kind of advanced content that children are prepared for after receiving the intervention, so lower-achieving children in the control groups of early mathematics interventions catch up to the higher-achieving children in the treatment groups. An alternative explanation is that persistent individual differences in children’s long-term mathematical development result more from relatively stable pre-existing differences in their skills and environments than from the direct effects of previous knowledge on later knowledge. We tested these two hypotheses using data from an effective preschool mathematics intervention previously known to show a diminishing treatment effect over time. We compared the intervention group to a matched subset of the control group with a similar mean and variance of scores at the end of treatment. We then tested the relative contributions of factors that similarly constrain learning in children from treatment and control groups with the same level of post-treatment achievement and pre-existing differences between these two groups to the fadeout of the treatment effect over time. We found approximately 72% of the fadeout effect to be attributable to pre-existing differences between children in treatment and control groups with the same level of achievement at post-test. These differences were fully statistically attenuated by children’s prior academic achievement. PMID:27505700

Early sex differences in weighting geometric cues.

PubMed

Lourenco, Stella F; Addy, Dede; Huttenlocher, Janellen; Fabian, Lydia

2011-11-01

When geometric and non-geometric information are both available for specifying location, men have been shown to rely more heavily on geometry compared to women. To shed insight on the nature and developmental origins of this sex difference, we examined how 18- to 24-month-olds represented the geometry of a surrounding (rectangular) space when direct non-geometric information (i.e. a beacon) was also available for localizing a hidden object. Children were tested on a disorientation task with multiple phases. Across experiments, boys relied more heavily than girls on geometry to guide localization, as indicated by their errors during the initial phase of the task, and by their search choices following transformations that left only geometry available, or that, under limited conditions, created a conflict between beacon and geometry. Analyses of search times suggested that girls, like boys, had encoded geometry, and testing in a square space ruled out explanations concerned with motivational and methodological variables. Taken together, the findings provide evidence for an early sex difference in the weighting of geometry. This sex difference, we suggest, reflects subtle variation in how boys and girls approach the problem of combining multiple sources of location information. 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Accuracy of different diagnostic tests for early, delayed and late prosthetic joint infection.

PubMed

Fernández-Sampedro, M; Fariñas-Alvarez, C; Garces-Zarzalejo, C; Alonso-Aguirre, M A; Salas-Venero, C; Martínez-Martínez, L; Fariñas, M C

2017-08-25

A combination of laboratory, histopathological and microbiological tests for diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) have been strongly recommended. This study aims to characterize the accuracy of individual or group tests, such as culture of sonicate fluid, synovial fluid and peri-implant tissue, C-reactive protein (CRP) and histopathology for detection of early, delayed and late PJI. A prospective study of patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty from February 2009 to February 2014 was performed in a Spanish tertiary health care hospital. The diagnostic accuracy of the different methods was evaluated constructing receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve areas. One hundred thirty consecutive patients were included: 18 (13.8%) early PJI, 35 (27%) delayed PJI and 77 (59.2%) late PJI. For individual parameters, the area under the ROC curve for peri-implant tissue culture was larger for early (0.917) than for delayed (0.829) and late PJI (0.778), p = 0.033. There was a significantly larger difference for ROC area in the synovial fluid culture for delayed (0.803) than for early (0.781) and late infections (0.679), p = 0.039. The comparison of the areas under the ROC curves for the two microbiological tests showed that sonicate fluid was significantly different from peri-implant tissue in delayed (0.951 vs 0.829, p = 0.005) and late PJI (0.901 vs 0.778, p = 0.000). The conjunction of preoperative parameters, synovial fluid culture and CRP, improved the accuracy for late PJI (p = 0.01). The conjunction of histopathology and sonicate fluid culture increased the area under ROC curve of sonication in early (0.917 vs 1.000); p = 0.06 and late cases (0.901 vs 0.999); p < 0.001. For early PJI, sonicate fluid and peri-implant tissue cultures achieve the same best sensitivity. For delayed and late PJI, sonicate fluid culture is the most sensitive individual diagnostic method. By combining histopathology and peri-implant tissue, all early, 97% of

The effect of siblings on early development: a potential contributor to personality differences in mammals.

PubMed

Hudson, Robyn; Bautista, Amando; Reyes-Meza, Verónica; Montor, Jorge Morales; Rödel, Heiko G

2011-09-01

Although most mammals grow up in the company of same or different age sibs (or half sibs), surprisingly little attention has been given to how relations among them might influence the development of individual differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior. Here we review evidence from our work on domestic and wild European rabbits, and more recently on laboratory rats, mice, and domestic cats, supporting the proposition that in mammals early sibling relations contribute to the development of individual differences in these three domains and thereby to long-term behavioral differences of the kind we might consider part of an animal's behavioral style or personality. First we report a consistent and marked negative relation between litter size and individuals' body mass at birth and weaning, as well as marked within-litter differences in prenatal body mass and placental efficiency. We then report individual differences in preweaning behaviors associated with these morphological variables such as position occupied in the litter huddle and development of motor ability, as well as physiological differences in thermoregulation, immune parameters, and endocrine indicators of stress. Finally, we report first evidence from wild rabbits that early relations among littermates may have long-term consequences for individual differences in behavioral style. We conclude that in mammals, individual differences in early growth, physiology and behavior potentially important for the development of animal personality, are shaped to an appreciable extent by early sibling relations and that this little-researched field deserves closer attention. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[The relationship between accommodative accuracy at different near-work distances and early-onset myopia].

PubMed

Yu, Q W; Zhang, P; Zhou, S B; Hu, Y; Ji, M X; Luo, Y C; You, H L; Yao, Z X

2016-07-01

To observe the accommodative accuracy of children with early-onset myopia at different near-work distances, and discuss the relationship between accommodative accuracy and early-onset myopia. This was a case-control study. Thirty-seven emmetropic children, 41 early-onset myopic children without correction, and 39 early-onset myopic children with spectacles, aged 7 to 13 years, were included. Measures of refractive errors and accommodative accuracy at four near-work distances, including 50 cm, 40 cm, 30 cm, and 20 cm, were made using the binocular fusion cross cylinder (FCC) of an automatic phoropter. Most candidates showed accommodative lags, including the children with emmetropia. The ratio of lags in all candidates at different near-work distances was 75.21% (50 cm), 87.18% (40 cm), 92.31% (30 cm), and 98.29% (20 cm), respectively. All accommodative accuracies became worse, and the accommodative lag ratio and values of FCC increased, along with the shortening of the distance. The difference in accommodative accuracy among groups was statistically significant at 30 cm (χ(2)=7.852, P= 0.020) and 20 cm (χ(2)=6.480, P=0.039). The values of FCC among groups were significantly different at 30 cm (F=3.626, P=0.030) and 20 cm (F=3.703, P=0.028), but not at 50 cm and 40 cm (P>0.05). In addition, the FCC values of 30 cm and 20 cm had a statistically significant difference between myopic children without correction [(1.25±0.44) D and (1.76±0.43) D] and emmetropic children [(0.95±0.52) D and (1.41±0.58) D] (P=0.012, 0.008). The correlation between diopters of myopia and accommodative accuracy at different nearwork distances was not statistically significant (P>0.05). However, the correlation between diopters of myopia and the accommodative lag value (FCC) at 20 cm was statistically significant (r=0.246, P=0.028). The closer the near-work distance is, the worse the accommodative accuracy is. This is more significant in early-onset myopia, especially myopia without

Different nucleosomal architectures at early and late replicating origins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Soriano, Ignacio; Morafraile, Esther C; Vázquez, Enrique; Antequera, Francisco; Segurado, Mónica

2014-09-13

Eukaryotic genomes are replicated during S phase according to a temporal program. Several determinants control the timing of origin firing, including the chromatin environment and epigenetic modifications. However, how chromatin structure influences the timing of the activation of specific origins is still poorly understood. By performing high-resolution analysis of genome-wide nucleosome positioning we have identified different chromatin architectures at early and late replication origins. These different patterns are already established in G1 and are tightly correlated with the organization of adjacent transcription units. Moreover, specific early and late nucleosomal patterns are fixed robustly, even in rpd3 mutants in which histone acetylation and origin timing have been significantly altered. Nevertheless, higher histone acetylation levels correlate with the local modulation of chromatin structure, leading to increased origin accessibility. In addition, we conducted parallel analyses of replication and nucleosome dynamics that revealed that chromatin structure at origins is modulated during origin activation. Our results show that early and late replication origins present distinctive nucleosomal configurations, which are preferentially associated to different genomic regions. Our data also reveal that origin structure is dynamic and can be locally modulated by histone deacetylation, as well as by origin activation. These data offer novel insight into the contribution of chromatin structure to origin selection and firing in budding yeast.

Sociodemographic differences in women's experience of early labour care: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Henderson, Jane; Redshaw, Maggie

2017-07-13

To explore women's experiences of early labour care focusing on sociodemographic differences, and to examine the effect of antenatal education, using mixed methods. England, 2014. Women who completed postal questionnaires about their experience of maternity care, including questions about antenatal education, early labour and sociodemographic factors, included space for free-text comments. Worries about labour, contact with midwives in early labour and subsequent care. This study was based on secondary analysis of a national maternity survey carried out in England in 2014. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression; qualitative data were analysed using a thematic content analytic approach. Completed questionnaires were received from 4578 women (47% response rate). There were significant differences by sociodemographic factors, particularly ethnicity, in women's worries about early labour. Compared with white women, women from black or minority ethnic groups had an adjusted OR of 1.93 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.39) of feeling worried about not knowing when labour would start. Among women who contacted a midwife at the start of labour, 84% perceived their advice as appropriate, more in older and multiparous women. Overall, 64% of women were asked to come to the hospital at this time, more in multiparous women (adjusted OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.96). Those who did not have access to antenatal education experienced greater worry about early labour. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: 'Differentiating between early and active labour', 'Staff attitudes', 'Not being allowed…', 'Previous labours' and 'Perceived consequences for women'. These findings reinforce the importance of providing reassurance to women in early labour, taking care that women do not feel neglected or dismissed. In particular, primiparous and ethnic minority women reported greater worry about early labour and require additional reassurance. �

Birthweight-discordance and differences in early parenting relate to monozygotic twin differences in behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7.

PubMed

Asbury, Kathryn; Dunn, Judith F; Plomin, Robert

2006-03-01

This longitudinal monozygotic (MZ) twin differences study explored associations between birthweight and early family environment and teacher-rated behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7. MZ differences in anxiety, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems and academic achievement correlated significantly with MZ differences in birthweight and early family environment, showing effect sizes of up to 2%. As predicted by earlier research, associations increased at the extremes of discordance, even in a longitudinal, cross-rater design, with effect sizes reaching as high as 12%. As with previous research some of these non-shared environmental (NSE) relationships appeared to operate partly as a function of SES, family chaos and maternal depression. Higher-risk families generally showed stronger negative associations.

Does Early Childhood Teacher Education Affect Students' Cognitive Orientations? The Effect of Different Education Tracks in Teacher Education on Prospective Early Childhood Teachers' Cognitive Orientations in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mischo, Christoph; Wahl, Stefan; Strohmer, Janina; Wolf, Carina

2014-01-01

Early childhood teachers may differ regarding the knowledge base they use when making professional decisions. In this study two orientations are distinguished: the orientation towards scientific knowledge vs. the orientation towards intuition and subjective experience. As different tracks in early childhood teacher education qualify for…

Sociodemographic differences in women’s experience of early labour care: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Henderson, Jane; Redshaw, Maggie

2017-01-01

Objectives To explore women’s experiences of early labour care focusing on sociodemographic differences, and to examine the effect of antenatal education, using mixed methods. Setting England, 2014. Participants Women who completed postal questionnaires about their experience of maternity care, including questions about antenatal education, early labour and sociodemographic factors, included space for free-text comments. Outcome measures Worries about labour, contact with midwives in early labour and subsequent care. Methods This study was based on secondary analysis of a national maternity survey carried out in England in 2014. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression; qualitative data were analysed using a thematic content analytic approach. Results Completed questionnaires were received from 4578 women (47% response rate). There were significant differences by sociodemographic factors, particularly ethnicity, in women’s worries about early labour. Compared with white women, women from black or minority ethnic groups had an adjusted OR of 1.93 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.39) of feeling worried about not knowing when labour would start. Among women who contacted a midwife at the start of labour, 84% perceived their advice as appropriate, more in older and multiparous women. Overall, 64% of women were asked to come to the hospital at this time, more in multiparous women (adjusted OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.96). Those who did not have access to antenatal education experienced greater worry about early labour. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: ‘Differentiating between early and active labour’, ‘Staff attitudes’, ‘Not being allowed…’, ‘Previous labours’ and ‘Perceived consequences for women’. Conclusion These findings reinforce the importance of providing reassurance to women in early labour, taking care that women do not feel neglected or dismissed. In particular, primiparous and

Early interactions between leukocytes and three different potentially bioactive titanium surface modifications.

PubMed

Arvidsson, Anna; Malmberg, Per; Kjellin, Per; Currie, Fredrik; Arvidsson, Martin; Franke Stenport, Victoria

2011-05-01

The aim of the present study was to compare the early interactions between leukocytes and three different surface modifications, suggested as bioactive. Blasted titanium discs were modified by alkali and heat treatment, sodium fluoride treatment, or hydroxyapatite coating. A number of these discs were also immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for a week, a treatment which yielded high levels of calcium and phosphate on each surface type. The specimens were exposed for human venous blood for 32 minutes and the respiratory burst response was measured in terms of reactive oxygen species with a luminometer, and coverage of viable cells with a fluorescence microscope after staining steps. The topography, morphology, and chemistry of the surfaces were evaluated with optical interferometry and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX). A high respiratory burst response was found for HA coated titanium in comparison with the other surface groups (p < 0.0005). The SBF immersion resulted in an increased respiratory burst response (p < 0.0005) and removed statistically significant differences between the surface groups. Thus, the results in the present study indicate that different titanium surface modifications influence the early inflammatory response differently, and that calcium phosphate compounds increase the inflammatory response. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aboveground-belowground biodiversity linkages differ in early and late successional temperate forests

PubMed Central

Li, Hui; Wang, Xugao; Liang, Chao; Hao, Zhanqing; Zhou, Lisha; Ma, Sam; Li, Xiaobin; Yang, Shan; Yao, Fei; Jiang, Yong

2015-01-01

Understanding ecological linkages between above- and below-ground biota is critical for deepening our knowledge on the maintenance and stability of ecosystem processes. Nevertheless, direct comparisons of plant-microbe diversity at the community level remain scarce due to the knowledge gap between microbial ecology and plant ecology. We compared the α- and β- diversities of plant and soil bacterial communities in two temperate forests that represented early and late successional stages. We documented different patterns of aboveground-belowground diversity relationships in these forests. We observed no linkage between plant and bacterial α-diversity in the early successional forest, and even a negative correlation in the late successional forest, indicating that high bacterial α-diversity is not always linked to high plant α-diversity. Beta-diversity coupling was only found at the late successional stage, while in the early successional forest, the bacterial β-diversity was closely correlated with soil property distances. Additionally, we showed that the dominant competitive tree species in the late successional forest may play key roles in driving forest succession by shaping the soil bacterial community in the early successional stage. This study sheds new light on the potential aboveground-belowground linkage in natural ecosystems, which may help us understand the mechanisms that drive ecosystem succession. PMID:26184121

Sex differences in early-life programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in humans.

PubMed

Gifford, Robert M; Reynolds, Rebecca M

2017-11-01

Increasing evidence supports fetal glucocorticoid exposure with associated altered offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity as a key mechanism linking early life events with later life disease. Alterations in HPA axis activity are linked to a range of cardiometabolic and psychiatric diseases. As many of these diseases manifest sex differences in presentation we review the evidence for programmed sex-differences in the HPA axis. Available literature suggests vulnerability of the female HPA axis to prenatal stressors with female offspring demonstrating increased HPA axis reactivity. This may be due to changes in placental glucocorticoid metabolism leading to increased fetal glucocorticoid exposure. We discuss the potential consequences of increased vulnerability of the female HPA axis for later life health and consider the underlying mechanisms. Further studies are needed to determine whether sex-differences in early-life programming of the HPA axis represent a pathway underpinning the sex-differences in common cardiometabolic and psychiatric diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental patterns of spatial ability: an early sex difference.

PubMed

Johnson, E S; Meade, A C

1987-06-01

Over 1,800 public school students (grades K-12, ages 6-18) took a battery of 7 spatial tests tailored to their respective developmental levels. Analyses of resulting data indicate that it is feasible to measure spatial ability throughout this developmental range with modified versions of adult paper-and-pencil tests, that a male advantage in spatial performance appears reliably by age 10, and that the magnitude of the advantage remains constant through age 18. Analysis of covariance suggests that an early female precocity in language skills may mask a male advantage in spatial ability during the primary school years. There is no indication of a sex difference in kindergarten children.

Confidence interval estimation of the difference between two sensitivities to the early disease stage.

PubMed

Dong, Tuochuan; Kang, Le; Hutson, Alan; Xiong, Chengjie; Tian, Lili

2014-03-01

Although most of the statistical methods for diagnostic studies focus on disease processes with binary disease status, many diseases can be naturally classified into three ordinal diagnostic categories, that is normal, early stage, and fully diseased. For such diseases, the volume under the ROC surface (VUS) is the most commonly used index of diagnostic accuracy. Because the early disease stage is most likely the optimal time window for therapeutic intervention, the sensitivity to the early diseased stage has been suggested as another diagnostic measure. For the purpose of comparing the diagnostic abilities on early disease detection between two markers, it is of interest to estimate the confidence interval of the difference between sensitivities to the early diseased stage. In this paper, we present both parametric and non-parametric methods for this purpose. An extensive simulation study is carried out for a variety of settings for the purpose of evaluating and comparing the performance of the proposed methods. A real example of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is analyzed using the proposed approaches. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Identifying differences in early literacy skills across subgroups of language-minority children: A latent profile analysis.

PubMed

Lonigan, Christopher J; Goodrich, J Marc; Farver, JoAnn M

2018-04-01

Despite acknowledgment that language-minority children come from a wide variety of home language backgrounds and have a wide range of proficiency in their first (L1) and second (L2) languages, it is unknown whether differences across language-minority children in relative and absolute levels of proficiency in L1 and L2 predict subsequent development of literacy-related skills. The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of language-minority children and evaluate whether differences in level and rate of growth of early literacy skills differed across subgroups. Five-hundred and twenty-six children completed measures of Spanish and English language and early literacy skills at the beginning, middle, and end of the preschool year. Latent growth models indicated that children's early literacy skills were increasing over the course of the preschool year. Latent profile analysis indicated that language-minority children could be classified into nine distinct groups, each with unique patterns of absolute and relative levels of proficiency in L1 and L2. Results of three-step mixture models indicated that profiles were closely associated with level of early literacy skills at the beginning of the preschool year. Initial level of early literacy skills was positively associated with growth in code-related skills (i.e., print knowledge, phonological awareness) and inversely associated with growth in language skills. These findings suggest that language-minority children are a diverse group with regard to their L1 and L2 proficiencies and that growth in early literacy skills is most associated with level of proficiency in the same language. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Time-resolved metabolomics analysis of individual differences during the early stage of lipopolysaccharide-treated rats.

PubMed

Dai, Die; Gao, Yiqiao; Chen, Jiaqing; Huang, Yin; Zhang, Zunjian; Xu, Fengguo

2016-10-03

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can lead to uncontrollable cytokine production and eventually cause fatal sepsis syndrome. Individual toxicity difference of LPS has been widely reported. In our study we observed that two thirds of the rats (24/36) died at a given dose of LPS, while the rest (12/36) survived. Tracking the dynamic metabolic change in survival and non-survival rats in the early stage may reveal new system information to understand the inter-individual variation in response to LPS. As the time-resolved datasets are very complex and no single method can elucidate the problem clearly and comprehensively, the static and dynamic metabolomics methods were employed in combination as cross-validation. Intriguingly, some common results have been observed. Lipids were the main different metabolites between survival and non-survival rats in pre-dose serum and in the early stage of infection with LPS. The LPS treatment led to S-adenosly-methionine and total cysteine individual difference in early stage, and subsequent significant perturbations in energy metabolism and oxidative stress. Furthermore, cytokine profiles were analyzed to identify potential biological associations between cytokines and specific metabolites. Our collective findings may provide some heuristic guidance for elucidating the underlying mechanism of individual difference in LPS-mediated disease.

Self-Esteem and Mental Health in Early Adolescence: Development and Gender Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolognini, Monique; And Others

1996-01-01

A longitudinal study of a general population (n=219; M age 12, 13, and 14), was carried out between 1990 and 1993 over 3 years in Lausanne (Switzerland). Sought information on global changes in self-esteem during early adolescence, ways in which young people perceive themselves, differences between boys and girls regarding self-esteem, and…

Implementation of Different Teaching Approaches in Early Childhood Education Practices in Estonia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimer, Merilin; Tuul, Maire; Õun, Tiia

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the activities of Estonian preschool teachers in the context of different teaching approaches and to compare the assessments of teachers of their own teaching with the assessments of observers of their teaching. For the data collection, the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM) and a structured…

Socioeconomic and gender group differences in early literacy skills: a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach

PubMed Central

Lee, Julia Ai Cheng; Otaiba, Stephanie Al

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status and gender are important demographic variables that strongly relate to academic achievement. This study examined the early literacy skills differences between 4 sociodemographic groups, namely, boys ineligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), girls ineligible for FRL, boys eligible for FRL, and girls eligible for FRL. Data on kindergarteners (N = 462) were analysed using multiple-group confirmatory factory analysis. Early literacy skill differences between boys and girls are more nuanced than previously reported; subsidy status and gender interact. Both boys and girls from high-poverty households performed significantly lower than the girls from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and spelling. There were gender gaps, with a female advantage, among children from high-poverty households in alphabet knowledge and spelling and among children from low-poverty households in alphabet knowledge. These results highlight the importance of employing methodologically sound techniques to ascertain group differences in componential early literacy skills. PMID:25750582

Does theory of mind performance differ in children with early-onset and regressive autism?

PubMed

Matthews, Nicole L; Goldberg, Wendy A; Lukowski, Angela F; Osann, Kathryn; Abdullah, Maryam M; Ly, Agnes R; Thorsen, Kara; Spence, M Anne

2012-01-01

A deficit in theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to infer the mental states of others, has been implicated as one of the major characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, little attention has been devoted to possible differences in ToM ability within ASD. The current study examined ToM performance in children with early-onset autism and regressive autism in comparison to typically developing children. Results indicated that children in the regressive autism group performed significantly better than the early-onset autism group on the non-verbal appearance-reality task. Additionally, Fisher's exact tests indicated a pattern of lowest scores in the early-onset group and highest scores in the typically developing group, whereas the regressive autism group tended to score in between the early-onset and typically developing groups. The apparent heterogeneity in ToM performance within ASD could account for the lack of universality in ToM ability found in previous studies. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Sex Differences in School Science Performance from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haworth, Claire M. A.; Dale, Philip S.; Plomin, Robert

2010-01-01

We investigated whether the sexes differ in science performance before they make important course and career selections. We collected teacher-report data from a sample of children from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) assessed at ages 9, 10 and 12 years (N greater than 2500 pairs). In addition we developed a test of scientific enquiry and…

To Stroop or Not to Stroop: Sex-Related Differences in Brain-Behavior Associations During Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Cuevas, Kimberly; Calkins, Susan D.; Bell, Martha Ann

2015-01-01

Executive functions (EFs) are linked with optimal cognitive and social-emotional development. Despite behavioral evidence of sex differences in early childhood EF, little is known about potential sex differences in corresponding brain-behavior associations. The present study examined changes in 4-year-olds’ 6–9 Hz EEG power in response to increased executive processing demands (i.e., “Stroop-like” vs. “non-Stroop” day-night tasks). Although there were no sex differences in task performance, an examination of multiple scalp electrode sites revealed that boys exhibited more widespread changes in EEG power as compared to girls. Further, multiple regression analyses controlling for maternal education and non-EF performance indicated that individual differences in boys’ and girls’ EF performance were associated with different frontal neural correlates (i.e., different frontal scalp sites and different measures of EEG power). These data reveal valuable information concerning sex differences in the neural systems underlying executive processing during early childhood. PMID:26681615

Activity in early visual areas predicts interindividual differences in binocular rivalry dynamics

PubMed Central

Yamashiro, Hiroyuki; Mano, Hiroaki; Umeda, Masahiro; Higuchi, Toshihiro; Saiki, Jun

2013-01-01

When dissimilar images are presented to the two eyes, binocular rivalry (BR) occurs, and perception alternates spontaneously between the images. Although neural correlates of the oscillating perception during BR have been found in multiple sites along the visual pathway, the source of BR dynamics is unclear. Psychophysical and modeling studies suggest that both low- and high-level cortical processes underlie BR dynamics. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the involvement of high-level regions by showing that frontal and parietal cortices responded time locked to spontaneous perceptual alternation in BR. However, a potential contribution of early visual areas to BR dynamics has been overlooked, because these areas also responded to the physical stimulus alternation mimicking BR. In the present study, instead of focusing on activity during perceptual switches, we highlighted brain activity during suppression periods to investigate a potential link between activity in human early visual areas and BR dynamics. We used a strong interocular suppression paradigm called continuous flash suppression to suppress and fluctuate the visibility of a probe stimulus and measured retinotopic responses to the onset of the invisible probe using functional MRI. There were ∼130-fold differences in the median suppression durations across 12 subjects. The individual differences in suppression durations could be predicted by the amplitudes of the retinotopic activity in extrastriate visual areas (V3 and V4v) evoked by the invisible probe. Weaker responses were associated with longer suppression durations. These results demonstrate that retinotopic representations in early visual areas play a role in the dynamics of perceptual alternations during BR. PMID:24353304

Sex differences in episodic memory in early midlife: impact of reproductive aging.

PubMed

Rentz, Dorene M; Weiss, Blair K; Jacobs, Emily G; Cherkerzian, Sara; Klibanski, Anne; Remington, Anne; Aizley, Harlyn; Goldstein, Jill M

2017-04-01

Few have characterized cognitive changes with age as a function of menopausal stage relative to men, or sex differences in components of memory in early midlife. The study aim was to investigate variation in memory function in early midlife as a function of sex, sex steroid hormones, and reproductive status. A total of 212 men and women aged 45 to 55 were selected for this cross-sectional study from a prenatal cohort of pregnancies whose mothers were originally recruited in 1959 to 1966. They underwent clinical and cognitive testing and hormonal assessments of menopause status. Multivariate general linear models for multiple memory outcomes were used to test hypotheses controlling for potential confounders. Episodic memory, executive function, semantic processing, and estimated verbal intelligence were assessed. Associative memory and episodic verbal memory were assessed using Face-Name Associative Memory Exam (FNAME) and Selective Reminding Test (SRT), given increased sensitivity to detecting early cognitive decline. Impacts of sex and reproductive stage on performance were tested. Women outperformed men on all memory measures including FNAME (β = -0.30, P < 0.0001) and SRT (β = -0.29, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, premenopausal and perimenopausal women outperformed postmenopausal women on FNAME (initial learning, β= 0.32, P = 0.01) and SRT (recall, β= 2.39, P = 0.02). Across all women, higher estradiol was associated with better SRT performance (recall, β = 1.96, P = 0.01) and marginally associated with FNAME (initial learning, β = 0.19, P = 0.06). This study demonstrated that, in early midlife, women outperformed age-matched men across all memory measures, but sex differences were attenuated for postmenopausal women. Initial learning and memory retrieval were particularly vulnerable, whereas memory consolidation and storage were preserved. Findings underscore the significance of the decline in ovarian estradiol production in

Individual Differences in Toddlers' Prosociality: Experiences in Early Relationships Explain Variability in Prosocial Behavior.

PubMed

Newton, Emily K; Thompson, Ross A; Goodman, Miranda

2016-11-01

Latent class logistic regression analysis was used to investigate sources of individual differences in profiles of prosocial behavior. Eighty-seven 18-month-olds were observed in tasks assessing sharing with a neutral adult, instrumentally helping a neutral adult, and instrumentally helping a sad adult. Maternal mental state language (MSL) and maternal sensitivity were also assessed. Despite differing motivational demands across tasks, we found consistency in children's prosocial behavior with three latent classes: no prosocial behavior, moderate prosocial behavior, and frequent instrumental helping across emotional situations. Maternal sensitivity, MSL, and their interaction predicted toddlers' membership in the classes. These findings evidence moderate consistency in early prosocial behaviors and suggest that these capacities are motivated in early relationships with caregivers. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Two different sources of water for the early solar nebula.

PubMed

Kupper, Stefan; Tornow, Carmen; Gast, Philipp

2012-06-01

Water is essential for life. This is a trivial fact but has profound implications since the forming of life on the early Earth required water. The sources of water and the related amount of delivery depend not only on the conditions on the early Earth itself but also on the evolutionary history of the solar system. Thus we ask where and when water formed in the solar nebula-the precursor of the solar system. In this paper we explore the chemical mechanics for water formation and its expected abundance. This is achieved by studying the parental cloud core of the solar nebula and its gravitational collapse. We have identified two different sources of water for the region of Earth's accretion. The first being the sublimation of the icy mantles of dust grains formed in the parental cloud. The second source is located in the inner region of the collapsing cloud core - the so-called hot corino with a temperature of several hundred Kelvin. There, water is produced efficiently in the gas phase by reactions between neutral molecules. Additionally, we analyse the dependence of the production of water on the initial abundance ratio between carbon and oxygen.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of early pregnancy in cattle using different ultrasound systems.

PubMed

Racewicz, Przemysław; Sickinger, Marlene; Włodarek, Jan; Jaśkowski, Jędrzej M

2016-06-16

To evaluate the efficiency of different ultrasound devices in achieving an early diagnosis of pregnancy in dairy herds. A total of 1976 Holstein Friesian cows and heifers were artificially inseminated (AI) according to the herd manager's regime. Pregnancy diagnostics were performed between day 26 and 35 after AI using six different types of ultrasound systems (linear vs. sector scanners). Manual rectal palpation between day 45 and 60 after AI was used as the gold standard for pregnancy diagnostics. Sensitivity (SENS), specificity (SPEC), positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy (ACC) of the diagnostic measures were determined. Average SENS was 82% (range 67.7-95.2%) with a mean SPEC of 73% (range 50.0-81.0%). ACC was 78.2% with a minimum of 64.6% and a maximum of 89.4%, depending on the ultrasound system. The PPV (ratio of the number of pregnant cows with a positive examination result to the number of cows actually pregnant) was 80.8% (range 59.1-88.1%), whereas the NPV (defined as the ratio of the number of cows correctly diagnosed negative to the number of cows actually open) was 74.4% (72.3-91.9%). Significant differences for these parameters were found depending on the ultrasound system used (p ≤ 0.01; Cramer's V. = 0.14). Regardless of the ultrasound device used, early pregnancy diagnostics between day 26 and 35 show a moderate diagnostic efficiency. Comparing the accuracy of the different devices, there may be a significant influence of type and technical parameters. Even though ultrasound systems with mechanical sector probes are not as convenient to use as systems with linear probes, according to this study, sector scanners are a reasonable alternative.

Promoting Early Literacy via Practicing Invented Spelling: A Comparison of Different Mediation Routines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Iris; Aram, Dorit

2013-01-01

The present study compared the effects of different mediation routines provided to kindergartners from families of low socioeconomic status on the students' invented spelling attempts and on their gains obtained on spelling and other early literacy skills (letter naming, sounds of letters, word segmentation, and word decoding). The effects of the…

Early Childhood General and Special Educators: An Examination of Similarities and Differences in Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spear, Caitlin F.; Piasta, Shayne B.; Yeomans-Maldonado, Gloria; Ottley, Jennifer R.; Justice, Laura M.; O'Connell, Ann A.

2018-01-01

In this study, we provide a contemporary examination of the similarities and differences between early childhood general educators (ECEs) and early childhood special educators (ECSEs) within a theoretically driven model that accounted for the associations of beliefs and knowledge with practice. We used structural equation modeling to examine the…

Sex differences in the consequences of early-life exposure to epidemiological stress--a life-history approach.

PubMed

Störmer, Charlotte

2011-01-01

Exposure to infectious disease in early life has been suggested to have a negative effect on later-life survival,possibly through the induction of inflammatory responses. Although a life-course perspective emphasizes the importance of both survival and reproduction for individual fitness, to date, no studies have investigated whether early-life exposure to infectious disease has an impact on reproduction as it has been suggested for later survival. To address this question, I have used family reconstitution data from a historical (18th and 19th century) human population in the Krummhörn (Germany) comparing survival and reproduction between an exposed and a non-exposed group. The exposed group comprised those exposed to a high-infectious disease load during prenatal and early postnatal development. The results show a marked sex difference in the impact of early-life exposure to infectious disease. Exposed females show no effect on their life expectancy but significantly reduced fertility (number of children). For exposed males, however, the effect on survival is opponent over time: mortality is increased during childhood but decreased in late adulthood. Above that, exposed males reproduce earlier and have a smaller proportion of surviving children. This study does not support former studies indicating a negative association between early-life disease load and later survival. I argue that due to differences in male and female life strategies, males in general are more vulnerable especially early in life. Hence, adverse environmental conditions may have a stronger effect on male survivability and reproductive performance.

Proton and Fe Ion-Induced Early and Late Chromosome Aberrations in Different Cell Types

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Honglu; Lu, Tao; Yeshitla, Samrawit; Zhang, Ye; Kadhim, Munira

2016-01-01

An early stage of cancer development is believed to be genomic instability (GI) which accelerates the mutation rate in the descendants of the cells surviving radiation exposure. To investigate GI induced by charged particles, we exposed human lymphocytes, human fibroblast cells, and human mammary epithelial cells to high energy protons and Fe ions. In addition, we also investigated GI in bone marrow cells isolated from CBA/CaH (CBA) and C57BL/6 (C57) mice, by analyzing cell survival and chromosome aberrations in the cells after multiple cell divisions. Results analyzed so far from the experiments indicated different sensitivities to charged particles between CBA/CaH (CBA) and C57BL/6 (C57) mouse strains, suggesting that there are two main types of response to irradiation: 1) responses associated with survival of damaged cells and 2) responses associated with the induction of non-clonal chromosomal instability in the surviving progeny of stem cells. Previously, we reported that the RBE for initial chromosome damages was high in human lymphocytes exposed to Fe ions. Our results with different cell types demonstrated different RBE values between different cell types and between early and late chromosomal damages. This study also attempts to offer an explanation for the varying RBE values for different cancer types.

[Fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth].

PubMed

Tang, Hui; Yang, Chuan-Zhong; Li, Huan; Wen, Wei; Huang, Fang-Fang; Huang, Zhi-Feng; Shi, Yu-Ping; Yu, Yan-Liang; Chen, Li-Lian; Yuan, Rui-Qin; Zhu, Xiao-Yu

2017-06-01

To investigate the fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth. A total of 98 preterm infants were enrolled and divided into extremely preterm infant group (n=17), early preterm infant group (n=48), and moderate-to-late preterm infant group (n=33). According to the dose of fat emulsion, they were further divided into low- and high-dose subgroups. The umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth were collected. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines. The extremely preterm infant and early preterm infant groups had a significantly lower content of long-chain acylcarnitines in the umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth than the moderate-to-late preterm infant group (P<0.05), and the content was positively correlated with gestational age (P<0.01). On the second day after birth, the low-dose fat emulsion subgroup had a significantly higher content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines than the high-dose fat emulsion subgroup among the extremely preterm infants (P<0.05). In the early preterm infant and moderate-to-late preterm infant groups, there were no significant differences in the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines between the low- and high-dose fat emulsion subgroups within 3 days after birth. Compared with moderate-to-late preterm infants, extremely preterm infants and early preterm infants have a lower capacity to metabolize long-chain fatty acids within 3 days after birth. Early preterm infants and moderate-to-late preterm infants may tolerate high-dose fat emulsion in the early stage after birth, but extremely preterm infants may have an insufficient capacity to metabolize high-dose fat emulsion.

Differences in clinician understanding and management of early menopause after breast cancer.

PubMed

Sayakhot, P; Teede, H J; Gibson-Helm, M; Vincent, A

2013-08-01

Investigation of clinicians' understanding of early menopause diagnosis/management in women with breast cancer. A cross-sectional study of 176 randomly recruited Australian clinicians (35 gynecologists, 35 endocrinologists, 36 oncologists, 35 breast surgeons and 35 general practitioners (GPs)) involved in the care of women with breast cancer. This questionnaire study utilized an index case to assess understanding of early menopause diagnosis and management. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, χ² tests and Student's t-test. Significant differences between clinician groups regarding diagnostic criteria for early menopause were observed; gynecologists, endocrinologists and GPs selected amenorrhea > 12 months, whereas oncologists and breast surgeons selected elevated serum follicle stimulating hormone level (p < 0.05). Non-hormonal treatment was preferred by most clinician groups. Complementary/alternative medicines were more commonly prescribed by breast surgeons (57%), gynecologists (54%) and endocrinologists (49%) compared to oncologists (28%) or GPs (9%) (p = 0.0001). Exercise (63%) and nutrition (66%) were selected by most gynecologists for treatment of hot flushes, whereas endocrinologists (91%), oncologists (94%), breast surgeons (69%) and GPs (63%) prescribed venlafaxine. Hormone therapy was mainly prescribed by breast surgeons (43%) compared to other groups (p = 0.001). Most clinicians reported that the main problem with menopausal therapies was failure to resolve hot flushes. Exercise, lifestyle and stress management were recommended by all clinician groups for treatment of anxiety/depression. This exploratory study demonstrated a lack of consensus between clinician groups in their investigation, diagnosis and management of early menopause in women with breast cancer, with implications for both diagnosis and treatment.

Maternal Sensitivity and Child Secure Base Use in Early Childhood: Studies in Different Cultural Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posada, German; Trumbell, Jill; Noblega, Magaly; Plata, Sandra; Peña, Paola; Carbonell, Olga A.; Lu, Ting

2016-01-01

This study tested whether maternal sensitivity and child security are related during early childhood and whether such an association is found in different cultural and social contexts. Mother-child dyads (N = 237) from four different countries (Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States) were observed in naturalistic settings when children were…

A comparative analysis of early child health and development services and outcomes in countries with different redistributive policies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The social environment is a fundamental determinant of early child development and, in turn, early child development is a determinant of health, well-being, and learning skills across the life course. Redistributive policies aimed at reducing social inequalities, such as a welfare state and labour market policies, have shown a positive association with selected health indicators. In this study, we investigated the influence of redistributive policies specifically on the social environment of early child development in five countries with different political traditions. The objective of this analysis was to highlight similarities and differences in social and health services between the countries and their associations with other health outcomes that can inform better global early child development policies and improve early child health and development. Methods Four social determinants of early child development were selected to provide a cross-section of key time periods in a child’s life from prenatal to kindergarten. They included: 1) prenatal care, 2) maternal leave, 3) child health care, and 4) child care and early childhood education. We searched international databases and reports (e.g. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, World Bank, and UNICEF) to obtain information about early child development policies, services and outcomes. Results Although a comparative analysis cannot claim causation, our analysis suggests that redistributive policies aimed at reducing social inequalities are associated with a positive influence on the social determinants of early child development. Generous redistributive policies are associated with a higher maternal leave allowance and pay and more preventive child healthcare visits. A decreasing trend in infant mortality, low birth weight rate, and under five mortality rate were observed with an increase in redistributive policies. No clear influence of redistributive policies was observed on

A comparative analysis of early child health and development services and outcomes in countries with different redistributive policies.

PubMed

van den Heuvel, Meta; Hopkins, Jessica; Biscaro, Anne; Srikanthan, Cinntha; Feller, Andrea; Bremberg, Sven; Verkuijl, Nienke; Flapper, Boudien; Ford-Jones, Elizabeth Lee; Williams, Robin

2013-11-06

The social environment is a fundamental determinant of early child development and, in turn, early child development is a determinant of health, well-being, and learning skills across the life course. Redistributive policies aimed at reducing social inequalities, such as a welfare state and labour market policies, have shown a positive association with selected health indicators. In this study, we investigated the influence of redistributive policies specifically on the social environment of early child development in five countries with different political traditions. The objective of this analysis was to highlight similarities and differences in social and health services between the countries and their associations with other health outcomes that can inform better global early child development policies and improve early child health and development. Four social determinants of early child development were selected to provide a cross-section of key time periods in a child's life from prenatal to kindergarten. They included: 1) prenatal care, 2) maternal leave, 3) child health care, and 4) child care and early childhood education. We searched international databases and reports (e.g. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, World Bank, and UNICEF) to obtain information about early child development policies, services and outcomes. Although a comparative analysis cannot claim causation, our analysis suggests that redistributive policies aimed at reducing social inequalities are associated with a positive influence on the social determinants of early child development. Generous redistributive policies are associated with a higher maternal leave allowance and pay and more preventive child healthcare visits. A decreasing trend in infant mortality, low birth weight rate, and under five mortality rate were observed with an increase in redistributive policies. No clear influence of redistributive policies was observed on breastfeeding and immunization

Cell wall structures leading to cultivar differences in softening rates develop early during apple (Malus x domestica) fruit growth.

PubMed

Ng, Jovyn K T; Schröder, Roswitha; Sutherland, Paul W; Hallett, Ian C; Hall, Miriam I; Prakash, Roneel; Smith, Bronwen G; Melton, Laurence D; Johnston, Jason W

2013-11-19

There is a paucity of information regarding development of fruit tissue microstructure and changes in the cell walls during fruit growth, and how these developmental processes differ between cultivars with contrasting softening behaviour. In this study we compare two apple cultivars that show different softening rates during fruit development and ripening. We investigate whether these different softening behaviours manifest themselves late during ethylene-induced softening in the ripening phase, or early during fruit expansion and maturation. 'Scifresh' (slow softening) and 'Royal Gala' (rapid softening) apples show differences in cortical microstructure and cell adhesion as early as the cell expansion phase. 'Scifresh' apples showed reduced loss of firmness and greater dry matter accumulation compared with 'Royal Gala' during early fruit development, suggesting differences in resource allocation that influence tissue structural properties. Tricellular junctions in 'Scifresh' were rich in highly-esterified pectin, contributing to stronger cell adhesion and an increased resistance to the development of large airspaces during cell expansion. Consequently, mature fruit of 'Scifresh' showed larger, more angular shaped cells than 'Royal Gala', with less airspaces and denser tissue. Stronger cell adhesion in ripe 'Scifresh' resulted in tissue fracture by cell rupture rather than by cell-to-cell-separation as seen in 'Royal Gala'. CDTA-soluble pectin differed in both cultivars during development, implicating its involvement in cell adhesion. Low pectin methylesterase activity during early stages of fruit development coupled with the lack of immuno-detectable PG was associated with increased cell adhesion in 'Scifresh'. Our results indicate that cell wall structures leading to differences in softening rates of apple fruit develop early during fruit growth and well before the induction of the ripening process.

Social consequences of early socioeconomic adversity and youth BMI trajectories: gender and race/ethnicity differences.

PubMed

Bae, Dayoung; Wickrama, K A S; O'Neal, Catherine Walker

2014-08-01

The present study investigated the mediating effects of adolescent BMI trajectories on socioeconomic continuity over the early life course using a nationally representative sample of 11,075 respondents. This study considered both the initial severity as well as change over time in BMI as psycho-physiological mediators. Consistent with the life course pathway model and the cumulative advantage and disadvantage principle, the results suggested that early socioeconomic adversity is associated with youth BMI trajectories over time, which in turn, impair young adult socioeconomic attainment. The results also revealed important gender and racial/ethnic differences in the hypothesized associations. These findings elucidate how early adversity exerts an enduring long-term influence on social attainment in young adulthood. Further, the findings suggest that effective obesity intervention and prevention programs should focus not only on the severity of obesity but also on growth in BMI over the early years. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An examination of sex differences in the effects of early-life opiate and alcohol exposure

PubMed Central

Terasaki, Laurne S.; Gomez, Julie; Schwarz, Jaclyn M.

2016-01-01

Early-life exposure to drugs and alcohol is one of the most preventable causes of developmental, behavioural and learning disorders in children. Thus a significant amount of basic, animal and human research has focused on understanding the behavioural consequences and the associated neural effects of exposure to drugs and alcohol during early brain development. Despite this, much of the previous research that has been done on this topic has used predominantly male subjects or rodents. While many of the findings from these male-specific studies may ultimately apply to females, the purpose of this review is to highlight the research that has also examined sex as a factor and found striking differences between the sexes in their response to early-life opiate and alcohol exposure. Finally, we will also provide a framework for scientists interested in examining sex as a factor in future experiments that specifically examine the consequences of early-life drug and alcohol exposure. PMID:26833841

Early development and the emergence of individual differences in behavior among littermates of wild rabbit pups.

PubMed

Rödel, Heiko G; Bautista, Amando; Roder, Manuel; Gilbert, Caroline; Hudson, Robyn

2017-05-01

The ontogeny of associated individual differences in behavior and physiology during early postnatal life, and in particular the emergence of such differences among litter siblings, has been hardly explored in mammals under natural conditions. We studied such within-litter differences in behavior in European rabbit pups Oryctolagus cuniculus prior to weaning, and whether and how these differences co-varied with other individual characteristics such as postnatal body temperature and early growth. The study was conducted under semi-natural conditions in a colony of rabbits of wild origin, where the young were born and developed in nursery burrows. We equipped two siblings per litter with interscapular skin temperature loggers on postnatal day 2 and recorded temperature profiles for 48h. Individual body (skin) temperatures of pups within litters were repeatable across time, indicating the existence of consistent individual differences. Such differences within litters were associated with relative differences in pre-weaning growth, revealing that relatively warmer pups showed a greater increase in body mass during the nest period. Between postnatal days 12 and 17, after the pups had reached a developmental stage of greater mobility, we carried out different behavioral tests: a handling-restraint test, an open field test and a jump-down test from a platform. Individual responses in the former two tests were associated, as those pups showing a quicker struggling response to restraint during handling also exhibited greater exploratory activity in the open field. This correlation across contexts suggests the existence of personality types in wild rabbits at an early developmental stage. Furthermore, pups' behavioral responses were strongly associated with their relative within-litter body mass at testing. Animals with a lower body mass compared to their siblings showed a relatively quicker struggle response to handling restraint and covered a relatively larger distance in

Early Intervention and AAC: What a Difference 30 Years Makes.

PubMed

Romski, MaryAnn; Sevcik, Rose A; Barton-Hulsey, Andrea; Whitmore, Ani S

2015-01-01

This article provides an overview of early intervention and AAC over the 30-year period since the founding of the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication in 1985. It discusses the global context for early intervention and addresses issues pertaining to young children from birth to 6 years of age. It provides a narrative review and synthesis of the evidence base in AAC and early intervention. Finally, it provides implications for practice and future research directions.

Theory of Mind differences in older patients with early-onset and late-onset paranoid schizophrenia.

PubMed

Smeets-Janssen, M M J; Meesters, P D; Comijs, H C; Eikelenboom, P; Smit, J H; de Haan, L; Beekman, A T F; Stek, M L

2013-11-01

Theory of Mind (ToM) is considered an essential element of social cognition. In younger schizophrenia patients, ToM impairments have extensively been demonstrated. It is not clear whether similar impairments can be found in older schizophrenia patients and if these impairments differ between older patients with early-onset and late-onset schizophrenia. Theory of Mind abilities were assessed using the Hinting Task in 15 older patients (age 60 years and older) with early-onset paranoid schizophrenia, 15 older patients with late-onset paranoid schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls. ANCOVA was performed to test differences between groups. Analyses were adjusted for level of education. Effect sizes, partial eta squared (ε(2) ), were computed as an indication of the clinical relevance of the findings. Patients with early-onset schizophrenia scored significantly lower on the Hinting Task (mean 16.1; SD 4.3) compared with patients with late-onset schizophrenia (mean 18.6; SD 1.5) and with healthy controls (mean 19.0; SD 1.4). The effect size of this difference was large (ε(2)  = 0.2). These results suggest that ToM functioning may be a protective factor modulating the age at onset of psychosis. Further studies into the relationship between social cognition and onset age of psychosis are warranted. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Writing about Class and Race Differences and Similarities in Early Childhood Mathematics: The Case of One Monograph

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parks, Amy Noelle

2015-01-01

This article reports on a literature review of 49 articles that cited a single monograph East Lansing written in 1981 about early learning in mathematics to make claims of similarity or difference across lines of race and class in early mathematics. The review found that while about two-thirds of the articles cited the monograph to make claims of…

Identification of the Crucial Residues in the Early Insertion of Pardaxin into Different Phospholipid Bilayers.

PubMed

Jafari, Majid; Mehrnejad, Faramarz; Aghdami, Raheleh; Chaparzadeh, Nader; Razaghi Moghadam Kashani, Zahra; Doustdar, Farahnoosh

2017-04-24

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate host defense system, and they are produced by living organisms to defend themselves against infections. Pardaxin is a cationic AMP with antimicrobial and antitumor activities that has potential to be used as a novel antibiotic or for drug delivery in cancer therapy. This peptide acts on the membrane of target cells and can lead to lysis using different mechanisms of action. Here, we conducted 4.5 μs all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to determine the critical fragments and residues of Pardaxin for early insertion into different lipid bilayers. Our results revealed that the N-terminal domain of the peptide, particularly the Phe 2 and (/or) Phe 3 residues, has a crucial role in early insertion, independent of the type of lipid bilayers.

Cell wall structures leading to cultivar differences in softening rates develop early during apple (Malus x domestica) fruit growth

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There is a paucity of information regarding development of fruit tissue microstructure and changes in the cell walls during fruit growth, and how these developmental processes differ between cultivars with contrasting softening behaviour. In this study we compare two apple cultivars that show different softening rates during fruit development and ripening. We investigate whether these different softening behaviours manifest themselves late during ethylene-induced softening in the ripening phase, or early during fruit expansion and maturation. Results ‘Scifresh’ (slow softening) and ‘Royal Gala’ (rapid softening) apples show differences in cortical microstructure and cell adhesion as early as the cell expansion phase. ‘Scifresh’ apples showed reduced loss of firmness and greater dry matter accumulation compared with ‘Royal Gala’ during early fruit development, suggesting differences in resource allocation that influence tissue structural properties. Tricellular junctions in ‘Scifresh’ were rich in highly-esterified pectin, contributing to stronger cell adhesion and an increased resistance to the development of large airspaces during cell expansion. Consequently, mature fruit of ‘Scifresh’ showed larger, more angular shaped cells than ‘Royal Gala’, with less airspaces and denser tissue. Stronger cell adhesion in ripe ‘Scifresh’ resulted in tissue fracture by cell rupture rather than by cell-to-cell-separation as seen in ‘Royal Gala’. CDTA-soluble pectin differed in both cultivars during development, implicating its involvement in cell adhesion. Low pectin methylesterase activity during early stages of fruit development coupled with the lack of immuno-detectable PG was associated with increased cell adhesion in ‘Scifresh’. Conclusions Our results indicate that cell wall structures leading to differences in softening rates of apple fruit develop early during fruit growth and well before the induction of the ripening

Early Diagnosis and Early Intervention in Cerebral Palsy

PubMed Central

Hadders-Algra, Mijna

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the opportunities and challenges for early diagnosis and early intervention in cerebral palsy (CP). CP describes a group of disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation that is attributed to disturbances that occurred in the fetal or infant brain. Therefore, the paper starts with a summary of relevant information from developmental neuroscience. Most lesions underlying CP occur in the second half of gestation, when developmental activity in the brain reaches its summit. Variations in timing of the damage not only result in different lesions but also in different neuroplastic reactions and different associated neuropathologies. This turns CP into a heterogeneous entity. This may mean that the best early diagnostics and the best intervention methods may differ for various subgroups of children with CP. Next, the paper addresses possibilities for early diagnosis. It discusses the predictive value of neuromotor and neurological exams, neuroimaging techniques, and neurophysiological assessments. Prediction is best when complementary techniques are used in longitudinal series. Possibilities for early prediction of CP differ for infants admitted to neonatal intensive care and other infants. In the former group, best prediction is achieved with the combination of neuroimaging and the assessment of general movements, in the latter group, best prediction is based on carefully documented milestones and neurological assessment. The last part reviews early intervention in infants developing CP. Most knowledge on early intervention is based on studies in high-risk infants without CP. In these infants, early intervention programs promote cognitive development until preschool age; motor development profits less. The few studies on early intervention in infants developing CP suggest that programs that stimulate all aspects of infant development by means of family coaching are most promising. More research is urgently needed

Different Pathways to Juvenile Delinquency: Characteristics of Early and Late Starters in a Sample of Previously Incarcerated Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alltucker, Kevin W.; Bullis, Michael; Close, Daniel; Yovanoff, Paul

2006-01-01

We examined the differences between early and late start juvenile delinquents in a sample of 531 previously incarcerated youth in Oregon's juvenile justice system. Data were analyzed with logistic regression to predict early start delinquency based on four explanatory variables: foster care experience, family criminality, special education…

The Little Six Personality Dimensions From Early Childhood to Early Adulthood: Mean-Level Age and Gender Differences in Parents' Reports.

PubMed

Soto, Christopher J

2016-08-01

The present research pursues three major goals. First, we develop scales to measure the Little Six youth personality dimensions: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience, and Activity. Second, we examine mean-level age and gender differences in the Little Six from early childhood into early adulthood. Third, we examine the development of more specific nuance traits. We analyze parent reports, made using the common-language California Child Q-Set (CCQ), for a cross-sectional sample of 16,000 target children ranging from 3 to 20 years old. We construct CCQ-Little Six scales that reliably measure each Little Six dimension. Using these scales, we find (a) curvilinear, U-shaped age trends for Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness, with declines followed by subsequent inclines; (b) monotonic, negative age trends for Extraversion and Activity; (c) higher levels of Conscientiousness and Agreeableness among girls than boys, as well as higher levels of Activity among boys than girls; and (d) gender-specific age trends for Neuroticism, with girls scoring higher than boys by mid-adolescence. Finally, we find that several nuance traits show distinctive developmental trends that differ from their superordinate Little Six dimension. These results highlight childhood and adolescence as key periods of personality development. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Early-Season Host Switching in Adelphocoris spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) of Differing Host Breadth

PubMed Central

Pan, Hongsheng; Lu, Yanhui; Wyckhuys, Kris A. G.

2013-01-01

The mirid bugs Adelphocoris suturalis (Jakovlev), Adelphocoris lineolatus (Goeze) and Adelphocoris fasciaticollis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) are common pests of several agricultural crops. These three species have vastly different geographical distributions, phenologies and abundances, all of which are linked to their reliance on local plants. Previous work has shown notable differences in Adelphocoris spp. host use for overwintering. In this study, we assessed the extent to which each of the Adelphocoris spp. relies on some of its major overwinter hosts for spring development. Over the course of four consecutive years (2009–2012), we conducted population surveys on 77 different plant species from 39 families. During the spring, A. fasciaticollis used the broadest range of hosts, as it was found on 35 plant species, followed by A. suturalis (15 species) and A. lineolatus (7 species). Abundances of the species greatly differed between host plants, with A. fasciaticollis reaching the highest abundance on Chinese date (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), whereas both A. suturalis and A. lineolatus preferred alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The host breadths of the three Adelphocoris spp. differed greatly between subsequent spring and winter seasons. The generalist species exhibited the least host fidelity, with A. suturalis and A. lineolatus using 8 of 22 and 4 of 12 overwinter host species for spring development, respectively. By contrast, the comparative specialist A. fasciaticollis relied on 9 of its 11 overwinter plants as early-season hosts. We highlight important seasonal changes in host breadth and interspecific differences in the extent of host switching behavior between the winter and spring seasons. These findings benefit our understanding of the evolutionary interactions between mirid bugs and their host plants and can be used to guide early-season population management. PMID:23527069

Postembryonic neurogenesis in the procerebrum of the terrestrial snail, Helix lucorum L

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zakharov, I. S.; Hayes, N. L.; Ierusalimsky, V. N.; Nowakowski, R. S.; Balaban, P. M.

1998-01-01

Neuronogenesis during posthatching development of the procerebrum of the terrestrial snail Helix lucorum was analyzed using bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry to label proliferating cells. Comparison of the distribution of labeled cells in a series of animals which differed in age at the time of incubation with bromodeoxyuridine, in survival time after incubation, and in age at sacrifice reveals a clear pattern and developmental sequence in neuron origin. First, the proliferating cells are located only at the apical portion of the procerebrum. Second, cells which are produced at any particular age remain, for the most part, confined to a single layer in the procerebrum. Third, as development proceeds, each layer of previously produced neurons is displaced toward the basal part of the procerebrum by the production of additional neurons. Our results suggest that the vast majority of the neurons (probably about 70-80%) of the snail procerebrum are produced during the first 1-2 months of posthatching development.

Early Childhood Precursors and School age Correlates of Different Internalising Problem Trajectories Among Young Children.

PubMed

Parkes, Alison; Sweeting, Helen; Wight, Daniel

2016-10-01

It is unclear why trajectories of internalising problems vary between groups of young children. This is the first attempt in the United Kingdom to identify and explain different trajectories of internalising problems from 46 to 94 months. Using both mother- and child-reported data from the large Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) birth cohort (N = 2901; male N = 1497, female N = 1404), we applied growth mixture modelling and multivariable multinomial regression models. Three trajectories were identified: low-stable, high-decreasing and medium-increasing. There were no gender differences in trajectory shape, membership, or importance of covariates. Children from both elevated trajectories shared several early risk factors (low income, poor maternal mental health, poor partner relationship, pre-school behaviour problems) and school-age covariates (low mother-child warmth and initial school maladjustment) and reported fewer supportive friendships at 94 months. However, there were also differences in covariates between the two elevated trajectories. Minority ethnic status and pre-school conduct problems were more strongly associated with the high-decreasing trajectory; and covariates measured after school entry (behaviour problems, mother-child conflict and school maladjustment) with the medium-increasing trajectory. This suggests a greater burden of early risk for the high-decreasing trajectory, and that children with moderate early problem levels were more vulnerable to influences after school transition. Our findings largely support the sparse existing international evidence and are strengthened by the use of child-reported data. They highlight the need to identify protective factors for children with moderate, as well as high, levels of internalising problems at pre-school age, but suggest different approaches may be required.

Postural Complexity Differs Between Infant Born Full Term and Preterm During the Development of Early Behaviors

PubMed Central

Dusing, Stacey C; Izzo, Theresa A.; Thacker, Leroy R.; Galloway, James C

2014-01-01

Background and Aims Postural control differs between infants born preterm and full term at 1–3 weeks of age. It is unclear if differences persist or alter the development of early behaviors. The aim of this longitudinal study was to compare changes in postural control variability during development of head control and reaching in infants born preterm and full term. Methods Eighteen infants born preterm (mean gestational age 28.3±3.1 weeks) were included in this study and compared to existing data from 22 infants born full term. Postural variability was assessed longitudinally using root mean squared displacement and approximate entropy of the center of pressure displacement from birth to 6 months as measures of the magnitude of the variability and complexity of postural control. Behavioral coding was used to quantify development of head control and reaching. Results Group differences were identified in postural complexity during the development of head control and reaching. Infants born preterm used more repetitive and less adaptive postural control strategies than infants born full term. Both groups changed their postural complexity utilized during the development of head control and reaching. Discussion Early postural complexity was decreased in infants born preterm, compared to infants born full term. Commonly used clinical assessments did not identify these early differences in postural control. Altered postural control in infants born preterm influenced ongoing skill development in the first six months of life. PMID:24485170

Associations of different phenotypes of wheezing illness in early childhood with environmental variables implicated in the aetiology of asthma.

PubMed

Granell, Raquel; Sterne, Jonathan A C; Henderson, John

2012-01-01

Asthma is a complex heterogeneous disease that has increased in prevalence in many industrialised countries. However, the causes of asthma inception remain elusive. Consideration of sub-phenotypes of wheezing may reveal important clues to aetiological risk factors. Longitudinal phenotypes capturing population heterogeneity in wheezing reports from birth to 7 years were derived using latent class analysis in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Probability of class membership was used to examine the association between five wheezing phenotypes (transient early, prolonged early, intermediate-onset, late-onset, persistent) and early life risk factors for asthma. Phenotypes had similar patterns and strengths of associations with early environmental factors. Comparing transient early with prolonged early wheezing showed a similar pattern of association with most exposure variables considered in terms of the direction of the effect estimates but with prolonged early wheezing tending to have stronger associations than transient early wheezing except for parity and day care attendance. Associations with early life risk factors suggested that prolonged early wheeze might be a severe form of transient early wheezing. Although differences were found in the associations of early life risk factors with individual phenotypes, these did not point to novel aetiological pathways. Persistent wheezing phenotype has features suggesting overlap of early and late-onset phenotypes.

Birdshot Retinochoroidopathy: Differences in Clinical Characteristics between Patients with Early and Late Age of Onset.

PubMed

Silpa-Archa, Sukhum; Cao, Jennifer H; Boonsopon, Sutasinee; Lee, Joan; Preble, Janine M; Foster, C Stephen

2017-10-01

To describe differences in the clinical characteristics of birdshot retinochoroidopathy (BSRC) patients diagnosed early and later in life. This is a retrospective cohort study. Age was primarily analyzed and 50 years of age at diagnosis was selected as a cut-off point. A total of 144 patients (288 eyes) were included; 68 with early-onset and 76 with late-onset BSRC. The younger group had a statistically significant higher rate of more severe iritis (p = 0.04); an average number of non-steroidal immunosuppressants and biologic agents (NSIB) (p = 0.04); and a prolonged time to initiation of NSIB (p = 0.01). There were only four patients (3%) who had >0.5+ cells in the anterior chamber. Patients with early-onset BSRC carried a higher risk for anterior segment inflammation, had a more prolonged delay to initiation of treatment with NSIB, and required a greater number of NSIBs to achieve remission.

A Different View on the Checkerboard? Alterations in Early and Late Visually Evoked EEG Potentials in Asperger Observers

PubMed Central

Kornmeier, Juergen; Wörner, Rike; Riedel, Andreas; Bach, Michael; Tebartz van Elst, Ludger

2014-01-01

Background Asperger Autism is a lifelong psychiatric condition with highly circumscribed interests and routines, problems in social cognition, verbal and nonverbal communication, and also perceptual abnormalities with sensory hypersensitivity. To objectify both lower-level visual and cognitive alterations we looked for differences in visual event-related potentials (EEG) between Asperger observers and matched controls while they observed simple checkerboard stimuli. Methods In a balanced oddball paradigm checkerboards of two checksizes (0.6° and 1.2°) were presented with different frequencies. Participants counted the occurrence times of the rare fine or rare coarse checkerboards in different experimental conditions. We focused on early visual ERP differences as a function of checkerboard size and the classical P3b ERP component as an indicator of cognitive processing. Results We found an early (100–200 ms after stimulus onset) occipital ERP effect of checkerboard size (dominant spatial frequency). This effect was weaker in the Asperger than in the control observers. Further a typical parietal/central oddball-P3b occurred at 500 ms with the rare checkerboards. The P3b showed a right-hemispheric lateralization, which was more prominent in Asperger than in control observers. Discussion The difference in the early occipital ERP effect between the two groups may be a physiological marker of differences in the processing of small visual details in Asperger observers compared to normal controls. The stronger lateralization of the P3b in Asperger observers may indicate a stronger involvement of the right-hemispheric network of bottom-up attention. The lateralization of the P3b signal might be a compensatory consequence of the compromised early checksize effect. Higher-level analytical information processing units may need to compensate for difficulties in low-level signal analysis. PMID:24632708

A different view on the checkerboard? Alterations in early and late visually evoked EEG potentials in Asperger observers.

PubMed

Kornmeier, Juergen; Wörner, Rike; Riedel, Andreas; Bach, Michael; Tebartz van Elst, Ludger

2014-01-01

Asperger Autism is a lifelong psychiatric condition with highly circumscribed interests and routines, problems in social cognition, verbal and nonverbal communication, and also perceptual abnormalities with sensory hypersensitivity. To objectify both lower-level visual and cognitive alterations we looked for differences in visual event-related potentials (EEG) between Asperger observers and matched controls while they observed simple checkerboard stimuli. In a balanced oddball paradigm checkerboards of two checksizes (0.6° and 1.2°) were presented with different frequencies. Participants counted the occurrence times of the rare fine or rare coarse checkerboards in different experimental conditions. We focused on early visual ERP differences as a function of checkerboard size and the classical P3b ERP component as an indicator of cognitive processing. We found an early (100-200 ms after stimulus onset) occipital ERP effect of checkerboard size (dominant spatial frequency). This effect was weaker in the Asperger than in the control observers. Further a typical parietal/central oddball-P3b occurred at 500 ms with the rare checkerboards. The P3b showed a right-hemispheric lateralization, which was more prominent in Asperger than in control observers. The difference in the early occipital ERP effect between the two groups may be a physiological marker of differences in the processing of small visual details in Asperger observers compared to normal controls. The stronger lateralization of the P3b in Asperger observers may indicate a stronger involvement of the right-hemispheric network of bottom-up attention. The lateralization of the P3b signal might be a compensatory consequence of the compromised early checksize effect. Higher-level analytical information processing units may need to compensate for difficulties in low-level signal analysis.

Sex differences of dental pathology in early modern samurai and commoners at Kokura in Japan.

PubMed

Oyamada, Joichi; Kitagawa, Yoshikazu; Hara, Masahito; Sakamoto, Junya; Matsushita, Takayuki; Tsurumoto, Toshiyuki; Manabe, Yoshitaka

2017-07-01

So-called "Ohaguro", teeth blackening, in the married females was a general custom regardless of class in the early modern period. As a result, Ohaguro was thought to have enhanced the acid resistance of tooth substance and tightened gingiva and prevented tooth morbidity due to periodontal disease. For investigation into the influence of Ohaguro, the skeletal remains of early modern samurai and commoners at Kokura were examined for differences in the dental pathology based on sex. Though females from archeological sites have significantly more carious teeth and antemortem tooth loss (AMTL) than males in the previous studies, the prevalence of caries and AMTL in males was higher than in females among the early modern samurai and commoners in Kokura. The efficacies of Ohaguro may influence the good dental health of females. On the other hand, as females were considered inferior to males under the feudal system in Japan, males, including children, might tend to consume more nutritious foods compared to females. However, those foods are certainly not better with regard to dental health, since those foods are more highly cariogenic. These factors may have caused higher caries and AMTL prevalence among males compared to females in early modern Kokura.

Early Selection versus Late Correction: Age-Related Differences in Controlling Working Memory Contents

PubMed Central

Schwarzkopp, Tina; Mayr, Ulrich; Jost, Kerstin

2016-01-01

We examined whether a reduced ability to ignore irrelevant information is responsible for the age-related decline of working-memory (WM) functions. By means of event-related brain potentials we will show that filtering is not out of service in older adults but shifted to a later processing stage. Participants performed a visual short-term memory task (change-detection task) in which targets were presented along with distractors. To allow early selection, a cue was presented in advance of each display, indicating where the targets were to appear. Despite this relatively easy selection criterion, older adults’ filtering was delayed as indicated by the amplitude pattern of the contralateral delay activity. Importantly, WM-equated younger adults did not show a delay indicating that the delay is specific to older adults and not a general phenomenon that comes with low WM capacity. Moreover, the analysis of early visual potentials revealed qualitatively different perceptual/attentional processing between the age groups. Young adults exhibited stronger distractor sensitivity that in turn facilitated filtering. Older adults, in contrast, seemed to initially store distractors and to suppress them after the fact. These early-selection versus late-correction modes suggest an age-related shift in the strategy to control the contents of WM. PMID:27253867

Does Theory of Mind Performance Differ in Children with Early-Onset and Regressive Autism?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Nicole L.; Goldberg, Wendy A.; Lukowski, Angela F.; Osann, Kathryn; Abdullah, Maryam M.; Ly, Agnes R.; Thorsen, Kara; Spence, M. Anne

2012-01-01

A deficit in theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to infer the mental states of others, has been implicated as one of the major characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, little attention has been devoted to possible differences in ToM ability within ASD. The current study examined ToM performance in children with early-onset…

Sex differences in the relationship between prolactin levels and impaired processing speed in early psychosis.

PubMed

Montalvo, Itziar; Nadal, Roser; Armario, Antonio; Gutiérrez-Zotes, Alfonso; Creus, Marta; Cabezas, Ángel; Solé, Montse; Algora, Maria José; Sánchez-Gistau, Vanessa; Vilella, Elisabet; Labad, Javier

2018-06-01

Hyperprolactinaemia is commonly observed in people with psychotic disorders due to D2 receptor blockade by antipsychotic drugs, although it may also exist in drug-naïve patients with first-episode psychosis. Recent studies suggest that hyperprolactinaemia may have a negative impact on cognitive function in people with early psychosis. We aimed to explore whether there are sex differences in the association between prolactin levels and cognitive performance in early psychosis patients. We studied 60 young patients with early psychosis (aged 18-35 years, 35% females) and a sex- and age-matched control group of 50 healthy subjects. Cognitive assessment was performed with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Prolactin, total cortisol, follicular-stimulating hormone, luteal hormone and sex steroids (testosterone in men, oestradiol and progesterone in women) were measured in plasma. Salivary cortisol was measured at different sampling times (awakening response, 10:00 and 23:00). Psychopathological status was assessed, and antipsychotic treatment was registered. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between prolactin and cognitive tasks while adjusting for covariates. Prolactin levels were associated with impaired processing speed in men, and this association was independent of cortisol and testosterone. In women, prolactin levels were not associated with processing speed tasks, although we observed a negative effect of prolactin on verbal learning and spatial working memory in female healthy subjects. The male-dependent effect maintained its significance after adjusting for education status, antipsychotic treatment and negative symptoms. Our study demonstrates that the previously reported association between high prolactin levels and impaired cognitive processes in early psychosis is restricted to men.

A Developmental Shift in Black-White Differences in Depressive Affect across Adolescence and Early Adulthood: The Influence of Early Adult Social Roles and Socio-Economic Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jager, Justin

2011-01-01

This study examined Black-White differences in growth of depressive affect using a longitudinal sample of middle-class, suburban U.S. subjects (n = 956) that spanned from adolescence to early adulthood. Specifically, this study examined whether Black-White differences in growth of depressive affect shift over time, and the extent to which that…

Relation between stability and resilience determines the performance of early warning signals under different environmental drivers.

PubMed

Dai, Lei; Korolev, Kirill S; Gore, Jeff

2015-08-11

Shifting patterns of temporal fluctuations have been found to signal critical transitions in a variety of systems, from ecological communities to human physiology. However, failure of these early warning signals in some systems calls for a better understanding of their limitations. In particular, little is known about the generality of early warning signals in different deteriorating environments. In this study, we characterized how multiple environmental drivers influence the dynamics of laboratory yeast populations, which was previously shown to display alternative stable states [Dai et al., Science, 2012]. We observed that both the coefficient of variation and autocorrelation increased before population collapse in two slowly deteriorating environments, one with a rising death rate and the other one with decreasing nutrient availability. We compared the performance of early warning signals across multiple environments as "indicators for loss of resilience." We find that the varying performance is determined by how a system responds to changes in a specific driver, which can be captured by a relation between stability (recovery rate) and resilience (size of the basin of attraction). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the positive correlation between stability and resilience, as the essential assumption of indicators based on critical slowing down, can break down in this system when multiple environmental drivers are changed simultaneously. Our results suggest that the stability-resilience relation needs to be better understood for the application of early warning signals in different scenarios.

Relation between stability and resilience determines the performance of early warning signals under different environmental drivers

PubMed Central

Dai, Lei; Korolev, Kirill S.; Gore, Jeff

2015-01-01

Shifting patterns of temporal fluctuations have been found to signal critical transitions in a variety of systems, from ecological communities to human physiology. However, failure of these early warning signals in some systems calls for a better understanding of their limitations. In particular, little is known about the generality of early warning signals in different deteriorating environments. In this study, we characterized how multiple environmental drivers influence the dynamics of laboratory yeast populations, which was previously shown to display alternative stable states [Dai et al., Science, 2012]. We observed that both the coefficient of variation and autocorrelation increased before population collapse in two slowly deteriorating environments, one with a rising death rate and the other one with decreasing nutrient availability. We compared the performance of early warning signals across multiple environments as “indicators for loss of resilience.” We find that the varying performance is determined by how a system responds to changes in a specific driver, which can be captured by a relation between stability (recovery rate) and resilience (size of the basin of attraction). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the positive correlation between stability and resilience, as the essential assumption of indicators based on critical slowing down, can break down in this system when multiple environmental drivers are changed simultaneously. Our results suggest that the stability–resilience relation needs to be better understood for the application of early warning signals in different scenarios. PMID:26216946

Late onset dysthymic disorder and major depression differ from early onset dysthymic disorder and major depression in elderly outpatients.

PubMed

Devanand, D P; Adorno, Elizabeth; Cheng, Jocelyn; Burt, Tal; Pelton, G H Gregory H; Roose, S P Steven P; Sackeim, H A Harold A

2004-03-01

Age of onset may affect clinical features and prognosis in elderly patients with major depression (MDD), but there is a lack of such data in elderly patients with dysthymic disorder (DD) and systematic comparisons of late onset MDD and DD have not been conducted. In a Late Life Depression Clinic, patients > or = 60 years old who met DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria for MDD or DD were studied. The 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and SCID-P were completed, family history was obtained, and medical illnesses were assessed. In the total sample (n=370; 211 MDD and 159 DD), compared to early onset patients, late onset (onset > or =60 years) patients had a higher rate of cardiovascular disease (chi(2)=4.12, df=1, P<0.05), lower rate of anxiety disorder (chi(2)=4.19, df=1, P<0.05), and a lower rate of family history of affective disorder (chi(2)=9.37, df=1, P<0.002). Late onset DD patients were more likely to have cardiovascular disease than early onset DD patients (chi(2)=5.63, df=1, P<0.02), but the rate of cardiovascular disease did not differ between late and early onset MDD patients (chi(2)=0.35, df=1, P<0.6). Late onset MDD patients were less likely to have a family history of affective disorder than early onset MDD patients (chi(2)=10.71, df=1, P<0.001). Prevalence of anxiety disorders did not differ between the early and late onset MDD patients (chi(2)=0.07, df=1, P<0.79), but was more common in the early onset DD compared to the late onset DD patients (17.98% versus 4.29%, chi(2)=6.98, df=1, P<0.01). Late onset DD did not differ from late onset MDD in the rates of cardiovascular disease, anxiety disorders, and family history of affective disorder. Excluding patients with double depression (n=32) did not alter the cardiovascular or family history findings, but the difference in anxiety disorders between early and late onset DD patients was no longer significant. Academic clinic sample results may not generalize to community populations. In the

Differences in early speech patterns between Parkinson variant of multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Huh, Young Eun; Park, Jongkyu; Suh, Mee Kyung; Lee, Sang Eun; Kim, Jumin; Jeong, Yuri; Kim, Hee-Tae; Cho, Jin Whan

2015-08-01

In Parkinson variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P), patterns of early speech impairment and their distinguishing features from Parkinson's disease (PD) require further exploration. Here, we compared speech data among patients with early-stage MSA-P, PD, and healthy subjects using quantitative acoustic and perceptual analyses. Variables were analyzed for men and women in view of gender-specific features of speech. Acoustic analysis revealed that male patients with MSA-P exhibited more profound speech abnormalities than those with PD, regarding increased voice pitch, prolonged pause time, and reduced speech rate. This might be due to widespread pathology of MSA-P in nigrostriatal or extra-striatal structures related to speech production. Although several perceptual measures were mildly impaired in MSA-P and PD patients, none of these parameters showed a significant difference between patient groups. Detailed speech analysis using acoustic measures may help distinguish between MSA-P and PD early in the disease process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences? Internet use and parent-child communication about sex toward sexual attitudes among early adolescents in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tseng, Ying-Hua; Weng, Chia-Sui; Kuo, Shih-Hsien; Chou, Fan-Hao; Yang, Yi-Hsin; Chiang, Li-Chi

2015-06-01

With the progress of information technology, early adolescents are able to access sex-related information through the Internet easily. This information has been shown to have a significant influence on the sexual health of this population. In addition, parent-child communications about sex affect the sexual health of adolescents. Few empirical studies have focused on early adolescents and gender differences. This study explores gender differences between early adolescents in terms of the use of the Internet to obtain sex-related information, parent-child communication, and sex-related knowledge and attitudes. This cross-sectional and comparative study uses an analysis of covariance and a hierarchical regression for data analysis. The researchers recruited 457 sixth-grade boys (n = 204) and girls (n = 253) in southern Taiwan as participants and used a structured questionnaire to collect data. Participants exhibited significant differences in terms of Internet usage behavior, parent-child communications about sex, and sex-related knowledge and sexual attitudes. The male participants spent more time on "recreation and entertainment" activities on the Internet, whereas their female peers spent significantly more time searching for information. Regarding parent-child communications about sex, girls had better mother-child communications than boys. In addition, no gender-based difference was found for father-child communications about sex. The knowledge of physical changes occurring during puberty and of menstrual healthcare among female participants was superior to their male counterparts. Girls had a more informed sexual attitude, particularly with regard to issues of gender roles, relationships with the opposite gender, and the social aspects of sex. Sex-related knowledge and parent-child communication about sex were the two major predictors of sexual attitudes for boys and girls, respectively. To develop healthy sexual attitudes among early adolescents, nursing

Gender and social class differences in the association between early retirement and health in Spain.

PubMed

Artazcoz, Lucia; Cortès, Imma; Borrell, Carme; Escribà-Agüir, Vicenta; Cascant, Lorena

2010-01-01

We sought to examine the association between reasons for early retirement and health status and to assess whether this association differs by gender and social class. The sample was all people currently working or retired between 50 and 64 years of age (2,497 men and 1,420 women) who were interviewed in the 2006 Spanish National Health Survey. The health outcomes analyzed were self-perceived health status and mental health. Multiple logistic regression models stratified by gender and occupational social class were fitted. Female manual workers who were forced into early retirement due to organizational reasons were more likely to report poor self-perceived health status (adjusted odds ration [aOR], 4.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44-11.32) and poor mental health (aOR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.15-6.33), whereas no such association was observed among male workers or among female nonmanual workers. Early retirement on health grounds was associated with both health outcomes in all groups, but retirement because of age, voluntary retirement, and retirement for other reasons were not related to poor health outcomes in any group analyzed. Forced early retirement owing to organizational reasons is related to poor health indicators only among female manual workers. Results highlight the importance of paying more attention to the potential vulnerability of female manual workers in downsizing processes as well as in early retirement policies. Copyright © 2010 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural investigation into cognitive underpinnings of individual differences in early arithmetic.

PubMed

Rodic, Maja; Zhou, Xinlin; Tikhomirova, Tatiana; Wei, Wei; Malykh, Sergei; Ismatulina, Victoria; Sabirova, Elena; Davidova, Yulia; Tosto, Maria Grazia; Lemelin, Jean-Pascal; Kovas, Yulia

2015-01-01

The present study evaluated 626 5-7-year-old children in the UK, China, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan on a cognitive test battery measuring: (1) general skills; (2) non-symbolic number sense; (3) symbolic number understanding; (4) simple arithmetic - operating with numbers; and (5) familiarity with numbers. Although most inter-population differences were small, 13% of the variance in arithmetic skills could be explained by the sample, replicating the pattern, previously found with older children in PISA. Furthermore, the same cognitive skills were related to early arithmetic in these diverse populations. Only understanding of symbolic number explained variation in mathematical performance in all samples. We discuss the results in terms of potential influences of socio-demographic, linguistic and genetic factors on individual differences in mathematics. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Development of Early Childhood Teachers' Language Knowledge in Different Educational Tracks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strohmer, Janina; Mischo, Christoph

2015-01-01

Early childhood teachers should have extensive knowledge about language and language development, because these facets of professional knowledge are considered as important requirements for fostering language development in early childhood education settings. It is assumed that early childhood teachers acquire this knowledge during pre-service…

Early Childhood Systems: Transforming Early Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagan, Sharon Lynn, Ed.; Kauertz, Kristie, Ed.

2012-01-01

In this seminal volume, leading authorities strategize about how to create early childhood systems that transcend politics and economics to serve the needs of all young children. The authors offer different interpretations of the nature of early childhood systems, discuss the elements necessary to support their development, and examine how…

The Genetic and Environmental Etiologies of Individual Differences in Early Reading Growth in Australia, the United States, and Scandinavia

PubMed Central

Christopher, Micaela E.; Hulslander, Jacqueline; Byrne, Brian; Samuelsson, Stefan; Keenan, Janice M.; Pennington, Bruce; DeFries, John C.; Wadsworth, Sally J.; Willcutt, Erik; Olson, Richard K.

2013-01-01

This first cross-country twin study of individual differences in reading growth from post-kindergarten to post-2nd grade analyzed data from 487 twin pairs from the United States, 267 pairs from Australia, and 280 pairs from Scandinavia. Data from two reading measures were fit to biometric latent growth models. Individual differences for the reading measures at post-kindergarten in the U.S. and Australia were due primarily to genetic influences, and to both genetic and shared environmental influences in Scandinavia. In contrast, individual differences in growth generally had large genetic influences in all countries. These results suggest that genetic influences are largely responsible for individual differences in early reading development. In addition, the timing of the start of formal literacy instruction may affect the etiology of individual differences in early reading development, but have only limited influence on the etiology of individual differences in growth. PMID:23665180

Early and late components of EEG delay activity correlate differently with scene working memory performance

PubMed Central

Ng, Kenneth; Reichert, Chelsea P.

2017-01-01

Sustained and elevated activity during the working memory delay period has long been considered the primary neural correlate for maintaining information over short time intervals. This idea has recently been reinterpreted in light of findings generated from multiple neural recording modalities and levels of analysis. To further investigate the sustained or transient nature of activity, the temporal-spectral evolution (TSE) of delay period activity was examined in humans with high density EEG during performance of a Sternberg working memory paradigm with a relatively long six second delay and with novel scenes as stimuli. Multiple analyses were conducted using different trial window durations and different baseline periods for TSE computation. Sensor level analyses revealed transient rather than sustained activity during delay periods. Specifically, the consistent finding among the analyses was that high amplitude activity encompassing the theta range was found early in the first three seconds of the delay period. These increases in activity early in the delay period correlated positively with subsequent ability to distinguish new from old probe scenes. Source level signal estimation implicated a right parietal region of transient early delay activity that correlated positively with working memory ability. This pattern of results adds to recent evidence that transient rather than sustained delay period activity supports visual working memory performance. The findings are discussed in relation to synchronous and desynchronous intra- and inter-regional neural transmission, and choosing an optimal baseline for expressing temporal-spectral delay activity change. PMID:29016657

The effect on esophagus after different radiotherapy techniques for early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Anni Y S; Maraldo, Maja V; Brodin, Nils Patrik; Aznar, Marianne C; Vogelius, Ivan R; Rosenschöld, Per Munck Af; Petersen, Peter M; Specht, Lena

2013-10-01

The cure rate of early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is excellent; investigating the late effects of treatment is thus important. Esophageal toxicity is a known side effect in patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) to the mediastinum, although little is known of this in HL survivors. This study investigates the dose to the esophagus in the treatment of early stage HL using different RT techniques. Estimated risks of early esophagitis, esophageal stricture and cancer are compared between treatments. We included 46 patients ≥ 15 years with supradiaphragmatic, clinical stage I-II HL, who received chemotherapy followed by involved node RT (INRT) to 30.6 Gy at our institution. INRT was planned with three-dimensional conformal RT (3DCRT). For each patient a volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), proton therapy (PT) and mantle field (MF) treatment plan was simulated. Mean, maximum and minimum dose to the esophagus were extracted from the treatment plans. Risk estimates were based on dose-response models from clinical series with long-term follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed with repeated measures ANOVA using Bonferroni corrections. Mean dose to the esophagus was 16.4, 16.4, 14.7 and 34.2 Gy (p < 0.001) with 3DCRT, VMAT, PT and MF treatment, respectively. No differences were seen in the estimated risk of developing esophagitis, stricture or cancer with 3DCRT compared to VMAT (p = 1.000, p = 1.000, p = 0.356). PT performed significantly better with the lowest risk estimates on all parameters compared to the photon treatments, except compared to 3DCRT for stricture (p = 0.066). On all parameters the modern techniques were superior to MF treatment (p < 0.001). The estimated dose to the esophagus and the corresponding estimated risks of esophageal complications are decreased significantly with highly conformal RT compared to MF treatment. The number of patients presenting with late esophageal side effects will, thus, likely be minimal in the future.

Hemispheric differences in processing of vocalizations depend on early experience.

PubMed

Phan, Mimi L; Vicario, David S

2010-02-02

An intriguing phenomenon in the neurobiology of language is lateralization: the dominant role of one hemisphere in a particular function. Lateralization is not exclusive to language because lateral differences are observed in other sensory modalities, behaviors, and animal species. Despite much scientific attention, the function of lateralization, its possible dependence on experience, and the functional implications of such dependence have yet to be clearly determined. We have explored the role of early experience in the development of lateralized sensory processing in the brain, using the songbird model of vocal learning. By controlling exposure to natural vocalizations (through isolation, song tutoring, and muting), we manipulated the postnatal auditory environment of developing zebra finches, and then assessed effects on hemispheric specialization for communication sounds in adulthood. Using bilateral multielectrode recordings from a forebrain auditory area known to selectively process species-specific vocalizations, we found that auditory responses to species-typical songs and long calls, in both male and female birds, were stronger in the right hemisphere than in the left, and that right-side responses adapted more rapidly to stimulus repetition. We describe specific instances, particularly in males, where these lateral differences show an influence of auditory experience with song and/or the bird's own voice during development.

Differences in the early cognitive development of children and great apes.

PubMed

Wobber, Victoria; Herrmann, Esther; Hare, Brian; Wrangham, Richard; Tomasello, Michael

2014-04-01

There is very little research comparing great ape and human cognition developmentally. In the current studies we compared a cross-sectional sample of 2- to 4-year-old human children (n=48) with a large sample of chimpanzees and bonobos in the same age range (n=42, hereafter: apes) on a broad array of cognitive tasks. We then followed a group of juvenile apes (n=44) longitudinally over 3 years to track their cognitive development in greater detail. In skills of physical cognition (space, causality, quantities), children and apes performed comparably at 2 years of age, but by 4 years of age children were more advanced (whereas apes stayed at their 2-year-old performance levels). In skills of social cognition (communication, social learning, theory of mind), children out-performed apes already at 2 years, and increased this difference even more by 4 years. Patterns of development differed more between children and apes in the social domain than the physical domain, with support for these patterns present in both the cross-sectional and longitudinal ape data sets. These results indicate key differences in the pattern and pace of cognitive development between humans and other apes, particularly in the early emergence of specific social cognitive capacities in humans. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Individual differences in the development of early peer aggression: integrating contributions of self-regulation, theory of mind, and parenting.

PubMed

Olson, Sheryl L; Lopez-Duran, Nestor; Lunkenheimer, Erika S; Chang, Hyein; Sameroff, Arnold J

2011-02-01

This prospective longitudinal study focused on self-regulatory, social-cognitive, and parenting precursors of individual differences in children's peer-directed aggression at early school age. Participants were 199 3-year-old boys and girls who were reassessed following the transition to kindergarten (5.5-6 years). Peer aggression was assessed in preschool and school settings using naturalistic observations and teacher reports. Children's self-regulation abilities and theory of mind understanding were assessed during a laboratory visit, and parenting risk (corporal punishment and low warmth/responsiveness) was assessed using interview-based and questionnaire measures. Individual differences in children's peer aggression were moderately stable across the preschool to school transition. Preschool-age children who manifested high levels of aggressive peer interactions also showed lower levels of self-regulation and theory of mind understanding, and experienced higher levels of adverse parenting than others. Our main finding was that early corporal punishment was associated with increased levels of peer aggression across the transition from preschool to school, as was the interaction between low maternal emotional support and children's early delays in theory of mind understanding. These data highlight the need for family-directed preventive efforts during the early preschool years.

Fadeout in an Early Mathematics Intervention: Constraining Content or Preexisting Differences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Drew H.; Nguyen, Tutrang; Jenkins, Jade Marcus; Domina, Thurston; Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie S.

2016-01-01

A robust finding across research on early childhood educational interventions is that the treatment effect diminishes over time, with children not receiving the intervention eventually catching up to children who did. One popular explanation for fadeout of early mathematics interventions is that elementary school teachers may not teach the kind of…

Early invasive cervical cancer during pregnancy: different therapeutic options to preserve fertility.

PubMed

Ferraioli, Domenico; Ferriaoli, Domenico; Buenerd, Annie; Marchiolè, Pierangelo; Constantini, Sergio; Venturini, Pier Luigi; Mathevet, Patrice

2012-06-01

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Conservative management is possible, and different options should be discussed with patients. The main decision parameters are stage of disease, lymph node status, trimester of pregnancy and wishes of the patient. We reviewed our experience on cases of early-stage cervical cancer discovered during pregnancy and treated with different options of fertility-sparing management. Between 1990 and 2010, 5 patients with early-stage cervical cancer diagnosed during pregnancy were referred to our department for fertility-sparing treatment. The mean age at diagnosis was 28.6 years (range, 26-30 years). The stages of the tumors according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics were IA2 in 2 women and IB1 in 3 women. The histological type was squamous carcinoma in 3 cases and adenocarcinoma in 2 cases. All patients willing to preserve their fertility were treated with vaginal radical trachelectomy (VRT) and pelvic lymph nodes dissection (PLN-D). Three procedures were performed in the first trimester: 1 patient was treated with medical abortion and then VRT and PLN-D, 2 patients were submitted to VRT and PLN-D during the first trimester, and 1 patient's case was complicated by spontaneous abortion. One patient was observed during the second trimester (20 weeks of gestation) and treated with VRT and PLN-D during pregnancy. Because this patient had pelvic lymph nodes positive for cancer, a cesarean delivery (CD) with radical hysterectomy and para-aortic lymph nodes dissection was performed followed by chemoradiotherapy. The last patient was evaluated during the third trimester of her pregnancy. Treatment included CD followed by VRT and PLN-D, which was delayed, to allow fetal maturity. Diagnosis of cervical cancer can occur during pregnancy. Different options of fertility-sparing treatment can be discussed on the basis of several factors: tumor stage, gestational age, and the patient

Gene expression profiling reveals different molecular patterns in G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways between early- and late-onset preeclampsia.

PubMed

Liang, Mengmeng; Niu, Jianmin; Zhang, Liang; Deng, Hua; Ma, Jian; Zhou, Weiping; Duan, Dongmei; Zhou, Yuheng; Xu, Huikun; Chen, Longding

2016-04-01

Early-onset preeclampsia and late-onset preeclampsia have been regarded as two different phenotypes with heterogeneous manifestations; To gain insights into the pathogenesis of the two traits, we analyzed the gene expression profiles in preeclamptic placentas. A whole genome-wide microarray was used to determine the gene expression profiles in placental tissues from patients with early-onset (n = 7; <34 weeks), and late-onset (n = 8; >36 weeks) preeclampsia and their controls who delivered preterm (n = 5; <34 weeks) or at term (n = 5; >36 weeks). Genes were termed differentially expressed if they showed a fold-change ≥ 2 and q-value < 0.05. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR was used to verify the results. Western blotting was performed to verify the expressions of secreted genes at the protein level. Six hundred twenty-seven genes were differentially expressed in early-compared with late-onset preeclampsia (177 genes were up-regulated and 450 were down-regulated). Gene ontology analysis identified significant alterations in several biological processes; the top two were immune response and cell surface receptor linked signal transduction. Among the cell surface receptor linked signal transduction-related, differentially expressed genes, those involved in the G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling pathway were significantly enriched. G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathway related genes, such as GPR124 and MRGPRF, were both found to be down-regulated in early-onset preeclampsia. The results were consistent with those of western blotting that the abundance of GPR124 was lower in early-onset compared with late-onset preeclampsia. The different gene expression profiles reflect the different levels of transcription regulation between the two conditions and supported the hypothesis that they are separate disease entities. Moreover, the G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathway related genes may contribute to the mechanism underlying early

Gender difference in early initiation of methamphetamine use among current methamphetamine users in Muse, Northern Shan State, Myanmar.

PubMed

Saw, Yu Mon; Saw, Thu Nandar; Yasuoka, Junko; Chan, Nyein; Kham, Nang Pann Ei; Khine, Wint; Cho, Su Myat; Jimba, Masamine

2017-05-08

Globally, methamphetamine (MA) use is a significant public health concern due to unprecedented health effects of its use. However, gender similarities and differences in early age of MA initiation and its risk factors among current MA users have been understudied in a developing country setting. A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted using a computer assisted self-interviewing program from January to March 2013 in Muse, Northern Shan State, Myanmar. A total of 1362 (775 male and 587 female) self-reported current MA users aged between 18 and 35 years were recruited using respondent-driven sampling. Two gender-stratified multiple logistic regression models (models I and II) were done for analysis. For similarities, 73.0% of males and 60.5% of females initiated MA before their 18th birthday. The early age of MA initiation was positively associated with the reasons and places of the first time MA use among both genders. For differences, males [hazard ratio 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.54] had a significantly higher risk than females to initiate MA at earlier age. Among male users, participants who had bisexual/homosexual preferences were more likely to initiate MA use earlier. In contrast, female users who exchanged sex for money and/or drugs were more likely to initiate MA in earlier age. More than 60.0% of male and female participants initiated MA use early; however, males initiated use earlier than females. Although similarities were found among both genders, differences found in key risk factors for early age MA initiation suggest that gender-specific, MA prevention programs are urgently needed in Myanmar.

Not Only Size Matters: Early-Talker and Late-Talker Vocabularies Support Different Word-Learning Biases in Babies and Networks.

PubMed

Colunga, Eliana; Sims, Clare E

2017-02-01

In typical development, word learning goes from slow and laborious to fast and seemingly effortless. Typically developing 2-year-olds seem to intuit the whole range of things in a category from hearing a single instance named-they have word-learning biases. This is not the case for children with relatively small vocabularies (late talkers). We present a computational model that accounts for the emergence of word-learning biases in children at both ends of the vocabulary spectrum based solely on vocabulary structure. The results of Experiment 1 show that late-talkers' and early-talkers' noun vocabularies have different structures and that neural networks trained on the vocabularies of individual late talkers acquire different word-learning biases than those trained on early-talker vocabularies. These models make novel predictions about the word-learning biases in these two populations. Experiment 2 tests these predictions on late- and early-talking toddlers in a novel noun generalization task. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Impacts of Parasites in Early Life: Contrasting Effects on Juvenile Growth for Different Family Members

PubMed Central

Reed, Thomas E.; Daunt, Francis; Kiploks, Adam J.; Burthe, Sarah J.; Granroth-Wilding, Hanna M. V.; Takahashi, Emi A.; Newell, Mark; Wanless, Sarah; Cunningham, Emma J. A.

2012-01-01

Parasitism experienced early in ontogeny can have a major impact on host growth, development and future fitness, but whether siblings are affected equally by parasitism is poorly understood. In birds, hatching asynchrony induced by hormonal or behavioural mechanisms largely under parental control might predispose young to respond to infection in different ways. Here we show that parasites can have different consequences for offspring depending on their position in the family hierarchy. We experimentally treated European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristoteli) nestlings with the broad-spectrum anti-parasite drug ivermectin and compared their growth rates with nestlings from control broods. Average growth rates measured over the period of linear growth (10 days to 30 days of age) and survival did not differ for nestlings from treated and control broods. However, when considering individuals within broods, parasite treatment reversed the patterns of growth for individual family members: last-hatched nestlings grew significantly slower than their siblings in control nests but grew faster in treated nests. This was at the expense of their earlier-hatched brood-mates, who showed an overall growth rate reduction relative to last-hatched nestlings in treated nests. These results highlight the importance of exploring individual variation in the costs of infection and suggest that parasites could be a key factor modulating within-family dynamics, sibling competition and developmental trajectories from an early age. PMID:22384190

Differences in Student Achievement between Early-Exit and Late-Exit Bilingual Programs: A Multiyear, Statewide Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Rosa Maria

2014-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the difference between two bilingual program types: traditional early-exit and late-exit bilingual programs and academic achievement using archival data from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System. An examination of academic achievement rates across a 3-year period…

Socioeconomic and Gender Group Differences in Early Literacy Skills: A Multiple-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Julia Ai Cheng; Al Otaiba, Stephanie

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status and gender are important demographic variables that strongly relate to academic achievement. This study examined the early literacy skills differences between 4 sociodemographic groups, namely, boys ineligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRL), girls ineligible for FRL, boys eligible for FRL, and girls eligible for FRL.…

[Dynamics of numbers of commercial fish in early ontogenesis in different areas of the Central-Eastern Atlantic].

PubMed

Arkhipov, A G; Mamedov, A A; Simonova, T A; Tenitskaia, I A

2011-01-01

Changes in the quantitative composition of mass fish species at early stages of ontogenesis in different areas of the Central-Eastern Atlantic (CEA) in warm and cold seasons in 1994-2008 were analyzed in the paper. The most widespread representatives of ichthyocenosis of CEA were: European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus), common scad (Trachurus trachurus), round sardinella (Sardinella aurita), and West-African scad (Trachrus trecae). The data obtained indicate that, within the economic zone of Morocco, fluctuations of numbers at early stages of development in European pilchard and common scad are close over the entire water area under consideration (36 degrees-21 degrees N). The regularities of fluctuations of the numbers of ichthyoplankton are similar to the interannual changes in the biomass of fish in the area of Morocco. In the area of Mauritania (21 degrees-16 degrees N), fluctuations of numbers of the early stages of development of commercial fish cannot be unambiguously correlated with changes in the biomass of adult fish. It is known that, in the economic zone of Mauritania, there are Senegal-Mauritanian populations of round sardinella and West-African scad that inhabit waters of different states and are not completely assessed by our surveys. Therefore, no obvious relation was observed between the considered data.

Emergence and early survival of early versus late seral species in Great Basin restoration in two different soil types

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Use of early seral species in Great Basin rangeland reseedings efforts may increase invasion resistance, facilitate succession, and improve restoration/rehabilitation success. Because they occupy a similar ecological niche, theory predicts early seral species would compete more strongly against exot...

Grade-Level Differences in Future-Oriented Self-Concept during Early Adolescence: Potential Relevance to School Nursing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoddard, Sarah A.; Pierce, Jennifer; Schmidt, Carissa J.

2016-01-01

The middle school and early high school years are a time of significant development, including an increasing ability to envision oneself in the future. Little is known about how adolescents' future-oriented self-concept (i.e., possible selves) differs across grade levels, although this knowledge may aid in establishing rapport with students and…

Individual differences in the development of early peer aggression: Integrating contributions of self-regulation, theory of mind, and parenting

PubMed Central

OLSON, SHERYL L.; LOPEZ-DURAN, NESTOR; LUNKENHEIMER, ERIKA S.; CHANG, HYEIN; SAMEROFF, ARNOLD J.

2014-01-01

This prospective longitudinal study focused on self-regulatory, social–cognitive, and parenting precursors of individual differences in children’s peer-directed aggression at early school age. Participants were 1993-year-old boys and girls who were reassessed following the transition to kindergarten (5.5–6 years). Peer aggression was assessed in preschool and school settings using naturalistic observations and teacher reports. Children’s self-regulation abilities and theory of mind understanding were assessed during a laboratory visit, and parenting risk (corporal punishment and low warmth/responsiveness) was assessed using interview-based and questionnaire measures. Individual differences in children’s peer aggression were moderately stable across the preschool to school transition. Preschool-age children who manifested high levels of aggressive peer interactions also showed lower levels of self-regulation and theory of mind understanding, and experienced higher levels of adverse parenting than others. Our main finding was that early corporal punishment was associated with increased levels of peer aggression across the transition from preschool to school, as was the interaction between low maternal emotional support and children’s early delays in theory of mind understanding. These data highlight the need for family-directed preventive efforts during the early preschool years. PMID:21262052

Different effects of resveratrol on early and late passage mesenchymal stem cells through β-catenin regulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoon, Dong Suk; Choi, Yoorim; Choi, Seong Mi

2015-11-27

Resveratrol is a sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activator and can function as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant factor. In mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), resveratrol enhances the proliferation and differentiation potential and has an anti-aging effect. However, contradictory effects of resveratrol on MSC cultures have been reported. In this study, we found that resveratrol had different effects on MSC cultures according to their cell passage and SIRT1 expression. Resveratrol enhanced the self-renewal potential and multipotency of early passage MSCs, but accelerated cellular senescence of late passage MSCs. In early passage MSCs expressing SIRT1, resveratrol decreased ERK and GSK-3β phosphorylation, suppressing β-catenin activity. Inmore » contrast, in late passage MSCs, which did not express SIRT1, resveratrol increased ERK and GSK-3β phosphorylation, activating β-catenin. We confirmed that SIRT1-deficient early passage MSCs treated with resveratrol lost their self-renewal potential and multipotency, and became senescent due to increased β-catenin activity. Sustained treatment with resveratrol at early passages maintained the self-renewal potential and multipotency of MSCs up to passage 10. Our findings suggest that resveratrol can be effectively applied to early passage MSC cultures, whereas parameters such as cell passage and SIRT1 expression must be taken into consideration before applying resveratrol to late passage MSCs. - Highlights: • Resveratrol enhances self-renewal potential and multipotency of early passage MSCs. • Resveratrol accelerates the cellular senescence of late passage MSCs. • The effects of resveratrol on MSCs are dependent on the presence of SIRT1. • SIRT1 modulates ERK/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling. • Sustained resveratrol treatment maintains MSC stemness up to P10.« less

Comparing different models of the development of verb inflection in early child Spanish.

PubMed

Aguado-Orea, Javier; Pine, Julian M

2015-01-01

How children acquire knowledge of verb inflection is a long-standing question in language acquisition research. In the present study, we test the predictions of some current constructivist and generativist accounts of the development of verb inflection by focusing on data from two Spanish-speaking children between the ages of 2;0 and 2;6. The constructivist claim that children's early knowledge of verb inflection is only partially productive is tested by comparing the average number of different inflections per verb in matched samples of child and adult speech. The generativist claim that children's early use of verb inflection is essentially error-free is tested by investigating the rate at which the children made subject-verb agreement errors in different parts of the present tense paradigm. Our results show: 1) that, although even adults' use of verb inflection in Spanish tends to look somewhat lexically restricted, both children's use of verb inflection was significantly less flexible than that of their caregivers, and 2) that, although the rate at which the two children produced subject-verb agreement errors in their speech was very low, this overall error rate hid a consistent pattern of error in which error rates were substantially higher in low frequency than in high frequency contexts, and substantially higher for low frequency than for high frequency verbs. These results undermine the claim that children's use of verb inflection is fully productive from the earliest observable stages, and are consistent with the constructivist claim that knowledge of verb inflection develops only gradually.

Differing effects of two synthetic phonics programmes on early reading development.

PubMed

Shapiro, Laura R; Solity, Jonathan

2016-06-01

Synthetic phonics is the widely accepted approach for teaching reading in English: Children are taught to sound out the letters in a word then blend these sounds together. We compared the impact of two synthetic phonics programmes on early reading. Children received Letters and Sounds (L&S; 7 schools) which teaches multiple letter-sound mappings or Early Reading Research (ERR; 10 schools) which teaches only the most consistent mappings plus frequent words by sight. We measured phonological awareness (PA) and reading from school entry to the end of the second (all schools) or third school year (4 ERR, 3 L&S schools). Phonological awareness was significantly related to all reading measures for the whole sample. However, there was a closer relationship between PA and exception word reading for children receiving the L&S programme. The programmes were equally effective overall, but their impact on reading significantly interacted with school-entry PA: Children with poor PA at school entry achieved higher reading attainments under ERR (significant group difference on exception word reading at the end of the first year), whereas children with good PA performed equally well under either programme. The more intensive phonics programme (L&S) heightened the association between PA and exception word reading. Although the programmes were equally effective for most children, results indicate potential benefits of ERR for children with poor PA. We suggest that phonics programmes could be simplified to teach only the most consistent mappings plus frequent words by sight. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Early sex differences are not autism-specific: A Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) study.

PubMed

Messinger, Daniel S; Young, Gregory S; Webb, Sara Jane; Ozonoff, Sally; Bryson, Susan E; Carter, Alice; Carver, Leslie; Charman, Tony; Chawarska, Katarzyna; Curtin, Suzanne; Dobkins, Karen; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Hutman, Ted; Iverson, Jana M; Landa, Rebecca; Nelson, Charles A; Stone, Wendy L; Tager-Flusberg, Helen; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie

2015-01-01

The increased male prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be mirrored by the early emergence of sex differences in ASD symptoms and cognitive functioning. The female protective effect hypothesis posits that ASD recurrence and symptoms will be higher among relatives of female probands. This study examined sex differences and sex of proband differences in ASD outcome and in the development of ASD symptoms and cognitive functioning among the high-risk younger siblings of ASD probands and low-risk children. Prior to 18 months of age, 1824 infants (1241 high-risk siblings, 583 low-risk) from 15 sites were recruited. Hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM) analyses of younger sibling and proband sex differences in ASD recurrence among high-risk siblings were followed by HGLM analyses of sex differences and group differences (high-risk ASD, high-risk non-ASD, and low-risk) on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) subscales (Expressive and Receptive Language, Fine Motor, and Visual Reception) at 18, 24, and 36 months and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) domain scores (social affect (SA) and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB)) at 24 and 36 months. Of 1241 high-risk siblings, 252 had ASD outcomes. Male recurrence was 26.7 % and female recurrence 10.3 %, with a 3.18 odds ratio. The HR-ASD group had lower MSEL subscale scores and higher RRB and SA scores than the HR non-ASD group, which had lower MSEL subscale scores and higher RRB scores than the LR group. Regardless of group, males obtained lower MSEL subscale scores, and higher ADOS RRB scores, than females. There were, however, no significant interactions between sex and group on either the MSEL or ADOS. Proband sex did not affect ASD outcome, MSEL subscale, or ADOS domain scores. A 3.2:1 male:female odds ratio emerged among a large sample of prospectively followed high-risk siblings. Sex differences in cognitive performance and repetitive behaviors were apparent not only in

Characterization of Early Age Curing and Shrinkage of Metakaolin-Based Inorganic Binders with Different Rheological Behavior by Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors.

PubMed

Palumbo, Giovanna; Iadicicco, Agostino; Messina, Francesco; Ferone, Claudio; Campopiano, Stefania; Cioffi, Raffaele; Colangelo, Francesco

2017-12-22

This paper reports results related to early age temperature and shrinkage measurements by means fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), which were embedded in geopolymer matrices. The sensors were properly packaged in order to discriminate between different shrinkage behavior and temperature development. Geopolymer systems based on metakaolin were investigated, which dealt with different commercial aluminosilicate precursors and siliceous filler contents. The proposed measuring system will allow us to control, in a very accurate way, the early age phases of the binding systems made by metakaolin geopolymer. A series of experiments were conducted on different compositions; moreover, rheological issues related to the proposed experimental method were also assessed.

Characterization of Early Age Curing and Shrinkage of Metakaolin-Based Inorganic Binders with Different Rheological Behavior by Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

PubMed Central

Palumbo, Giovanna; Iadicicco, Agostino; Messina, Francesco; Campopiano, Stefania; Cioffi, Raffaele; Colangelo, Francesco

2017-01-01

This paper reports results related to early age temperature and shrinkage measurements by means fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), which were embedded in geopolymer matrices. The sensors were properly packaged in order to discriminate between different shrinkage behavior and temperature development. Geopolymer systems based on metakaolin were investigated, which dealt with different commercial aluminosilicate precursors and siliceous filler contents. The proposed measuring system will allow us to control, in a very accurate way, the early age phases of the binding systems made by metakaolin geopolymer. A series of experiments were conducted on different compositions; moreover, rheological issues related to the proposed experimental method were also assessed. PMID:29271912

Histomorphometry and bone mechanical property evolution around different implant systems at early healing stages: an experimental study in dogs.

PubMed

Jimbo, Ryo; Anchieta, Rodolfo; Baldassarri, Marta; Granato, Rodrigo; Marin, Charles; Teixeira, Hellen S; Tovar, Nick; Vandeweghe, Stefan; Janal, Malvin N; Coelho, Paulo G

2013-12-01

Commercial implants differ at macro-, micro-, and nanolevels, which makes it difficult to distinguish their effect on osseointegration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early integration of 5 commercially available implants (Astra OsseoSpeed, Straumann SLA, Intra-Lock Blossom Ossean, Nobel Active, and OsseoFix) by histomorphometry and nanoindentation. Implants were installed in the tibiae of 18 beagle dogs. Samples were retrieved at 1, 3, and 6 weeks (n = 6 for each time point) and were histologically and nanomechanically evaluated. The results presented that both time (P < 0.01) and implant system and time interaction (P < 0.02) significantly affected the bone-to-implant contact (BIC). At 1 week, the different groups presented statistically different outcomes. No significant changes in BIC were noted thereafter. There were no significant differences in rank elastic modulus (E) or in rank hardness (H) for time (E: P > 0.80; H: P > 0.75) or implant system (E: P > 0.90; H: P > 0.85). The effect of different implant designs on osseointegration was evident especially at early stages of bone healing.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Oral Communicative Competence and Peer Rejection: An Explorative Study in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Wilt, Femke; van Kruistum, Claudia; van der Veen, Chiel; van Oers, Bert

2016-01-01

This study investigated gender differences in the relationship between oral communicative competence and peer rejection in early childhood education. It was hypothesized that children with poorer oral communicative competence would be rejected by their peers more frequently and that the strength of this relationship would differ for boys and…

Randomized controlled trial of early rehabilitation after intracerebral hemorrhage stroke: difference in outcomes within 6 months of stroke.

PubMed

Liu, Ning; Cadilhac, Dominique A; Andrew, Nadine E; Zeng, Lingxia; Li, Zongfang; Li, Jin; Li, Yan; Yu, Xuewen; Mi, Baibing; Li, Zhe; Xu, Honghai; Chen, Yangjing; Wang, Juan; Yao, Wanxia; Li, Kuo; Yan, Feng; Wang, Jue

2014-12-01

Mechanisms, acute management, and outcomes for patients who experience intracerebral hemorrhage may differ from patients with ischemic stroke. Studies of very early rehabilitation have been mainly undertaken in patients with ischemic stroke, and it is unknown if benefits apply to those with intracerebral hemorrhage. We hypothesized that early rehabilitation, within 48 hours of stroke, would improve survival and functional outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. This was a multicenter, randomized controlled study, with blinded assessment of outcome at 3 and 6 months. Eligible patients were randomized to receive standard care or standard care plus early rehabilitation. Primary outcome includes survival. Secondary outcomes includes health-related quality of life using the 36-item Short Form Questionnaire, function measured with the modified Barthel Index, and anxiety measured with the Zung Self-Rated Anxiety Scale. Two hundred forty-three of 326 patients were randomized (mean age, 59 years; 56% men). At 6 months, patients receiving standard care were more likely to have died (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-15.87); for morbidity outcomes, a 6-point difference in the Physical Component Summary score of the 36-item Short Form Questionnaire (95% CI, 4.2-8.7), a 7-point difference for the Mental Component Summary score (95% CI, 4.5-9.5), a 13-point difference in Modified Barthel Index scores (95% CI, 6.8-18.3), and a 6-point difference in Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores (95% CI, 4.4-8.3) was reported in favor of the intervention groups. For the first time, we have shown that commencing rehabilitation within 48 hours of intracerebral hemorrhage improves survival and functional outcomes at 6 months after stroke in hospitalized patients in China. http://www.chictr.org/en. Unique identifier: ChiCTR-TRC-13004039. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Educational differences in continuing or restarting drinking in early and late pregnancy: role of psychological and physical problems.

PubMed

Pfinder, Manuela; Kunst, Anton E; Feldmann, Reinhold; van Eijsden, Manon; Vrijkotte, Tanja G M

2014-01-01

Many women continue drinking alcohol during pregnancy. This study aimed to describe educational differences in continued drinking in early and late pregnancy and to examine the contribution of psychological and physical factors to the explanation of educational differences. We examined 4,885 women enrolled in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study. Information on alcohol intake during pregnancy was based on self-reports at the 16th week of gestation and at 3 months postpartum. Only women who reported alcohol intake before pregnancy were included. Explanatory factors were alcohol intake before pregnancy, psychological problems, and physical problems. The risk of continued drinking in early pregnancy was increased in higher educated women (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% CI [1.25, 1.60]); in addition, in late pregnancy, higher educated women had an increased risk of restarting (OR = 1.67, 95% CI [1.37, 2.04]) and continuing drinking (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.36, 2.30]). The intensity of alcohol intake before pregnancy and all physical and psychological problems together explained 17.1% and 8.8% of the educational differences in continued drinking in early pregnancy, respectively. Higher educated women are more likely to continue drinking during pregnancy. The intensity of alcohol intake before pregnancy and physical and psychological problems contributed to the explanation of continued drinking. However, other factors may play a greater role, such as cultural factors and social norms.

Differences in folic acid use, prenatal care, smoking, and drinking in early pregnancy by occupation.

PubMed

Agopian, A J; Lupo, Philip J; Herdt-Losavio, Michele L; Langlois, Peter H; Rocheleau, Carissa M; Mitchell, Laura E

2012-10-01

To describe differences in four high risk periconceptional behaviors (lack of folic acid supplementation, lack of early prenatal care, smoking, and drinking) by maternal occupation. Analyses were conducted among women in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study who delivered liveborn infants without birth defects. Periconceptional occupational data were collected using a computer-assisted telephone interview and occupational coding was performed using the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification System. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether prevalence of behaviors differed between occupational groups. Subjects included 5153 women employed during early pregnancy from 1997 to 2007. Compared to women in management, business, science, and arts occupations, women in other occupations (e.g., service occupations) were significantly more likely to engage in all four high risk behaviors. Specifically, women in food preparation/serving-related occupations were significantly more likely to engage in all four behaviors compared to women in all other occupational groups (odds ratios: 1.8-3.0), while women in education/training/library occupations were significantly less likely to do so (odds ratios: 0.2-0.5). We identified several occupational groups with an increased prevalence of high-risk maternal behaviors during pregnancy. Our findings could aid in developing interventions targeted towards women in these occupational groups. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education: Issues for Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Kerry; Diaz, Criss Jones

2005-01-01

Early childhood professionals are often required to work with children and families from a range of diverse backgrounds. This book goes beyond simplistic definitions of diversity, encouraging a much broader understanding and helping early childhood educators develop a critical disposition towards assumptions about children and childhood in…

Individual differences in early adolescents' beliefs in the legitimacy of parental authority.

PubMed

Kuhn, Emily S; Laird, Robert D

2011-09-01

Adolescents differ in the extent to which they believe that parents have legitimate authority to impose rules restricting adolescents' behavior. The purpose of the current study was to test predictors of individual differences in legitimacy beliefs during the middle school years. Annually, during the summers following Grades 5, 6, and 7, early adolescents (n = 218; 51% female, 47% African American, 73% in 2-parent homes) reported their beliefs regarding the legitimacy of parents' rules that restrict and monitor adolescents' free time activities. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that legitimacy beliefs were bidirectionally associated with independent decision making, psychological control, antisocial peer involvement, and resistance to control. Legitimacy beliefs declined more rapidly during the middle school years for boys than for girls and for adolescents who were older relative to their classmates. More independent decision making in Grades 5 and 6 predicted larger than expected declines in legitimacy beliefs in Grades 6 and 7. In sum, legitimacy beliefs weaken developmentally, and weaker legitimacy beliefs relative to same-grade peers are anteceded by premature autonomous experiences, psychological control, and adolescent attributes.

Emotional Differences between Early and Late Degree Program Music Teacher Education Students Using a Concise Emotional Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredrickson, William E.; Madsen, Clifford K.

2010-01-01

Teaching music can be a stressful profession. How current and future teachers perceive stress, and the personal emotions that result from stressful situations, raises many questions. This study investigated differences in perception of levels of emotional stress between early and late program students in music teacher education using a concise…

Early Social Fear Predicts Kindergarteners' Socially Anxious Behaviors: Direct Associations, Moderation by Inhibitory Control, and Differences from Nonsocial Fear

PubMed Central

Brooker, Rebecca J.; Kiel, Elizabeth J.; Buss, Kristin A.

2015-01-01

Although social and nonsocial fear are discernable as early as preschool, little is known about their distinct associations with developmental outcomes. For example, fear has been identified as a predictor of social anxiety problems, but no work has examined whether social and nonsocial fear make independent contributions to risk. We investigated the extent to which early social and non-social fear were associated with socially anxious behaviors during kindergarten. To do this, we identified distinct trajectories of social and nonsocial fear across toddlerhood and preschool. Only social fear was associated with socially anxious behaviors at ages 2 and 5. Because the ability to regulate fear contributes to the degree to which fearful children are at risk for anxiety problems, we also tested whether an early-developing aspect of self-regulation modulated associations between early fear and kindergarten socially anxious behaviors. Specifically, we tested whether inhibitory control differentially modulated associations between early levels of social and nonsocial fear and socially anxious behaviors during kindergarten. Associations between trajectories of early social fear and age 5 socially anxious behaviors were moderated by individual differences in inhibitory control. Consistent with previous research showing associations between overcontrol and anxiety symptoms, more negative outcomes were observed when stable, high levels of social fear across childhood were coupled with high levels of inhibitory control. Results suggest that the combination of social fear and overcontrol reflect a profile of early risk for the development of social inhibition and social anxiety problems. PMID:27213729

Individual differences in early adolescents' latent trait cortisol (LTC): Relation to recent acute and chronic stress.

PubMed

Stroud, Catherine B; Chen, Frances R; Doane, Leah D; Granger, Douglas A

2016-08-01

Research suggests that environmental stress contributes to health by altering the regulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Recent evidence indicates that early life stress alters trait indicators of HPA axis activity, but whether recent stress alters such indicators is unknown. Using objective contextual stress interviews with adolescent girls and their mothers, we examined the impact of recent acute and chronic stress occurring during the past year on early adolescent girls' latent trait cortisol (LTC) level. We also examined whether associations between recent stress and LTC level: a) varied according to the interpersonal nature and controllability of the stress; and b) remained after accounting for the effect of early life stress. Adolescents (n=117;M age=12.39years) provided salivary cortisol samples three times a day (waking, 30min post-waking and bedtime) over 3days. Results indicated that greater recent interpersonal acute stress and greater recent independent (i.e., uncontrollable) acute stress were each associated with a higher LTC level, over and above the effect of early adversity. In contrast, greater recent chronic stress was associated with a lower LTC level. Findings were similar in the overall sample and a subsample of participants who strictly adhered to the timed schedule of saliva sample collection. Implications for understanding the impact of recent stress on trait-like individual differences in HPA axis activity are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does shared family background influence the impact of educational differences on early mortality?

PubMed

Søndergaard, Grethe; Mortensen, Laust H; Nybo Andersen, Anne-Marie; Andersen, Per Kragh; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Madsen, Mia; Osler, Merete

2012-10-15

The mechanisms behind social differences in mortality rates have been debated. The authors examined the extent to which shared family background and health in early life could explain the association between educational status and all-cause mortality rates using a sibling design. The study was register-based and included all individuals born in Denmark between 1950 and 1979 who had at least 1 full sibling born in the same time period (n = 1,381,436). All individuals were followed from 28 years of age until death, emigration, or December 2009. The authors used Cox regression analyses to estimate hazard ratios for mortality according to educational level. Conventional cohort and intersibling analyses were carried out and conducted separately for deaths occurring before and after the age of 45 years, respectively. The cohort analyses showed an inverse association between educational status and all-cause mortality that was strongest for males, increased with younger birth cohorts, and tended to be strongest in the analyses of death before 45 years of age. The associations were attenuated slightly in the intersibling analyses and after adjustment for serious health conditions in early life. Hence, health selection and confounding by factors shared by siblings explained only a minor part of the association between educational level and all-cause mortality.

Interdyad differences in early mother-infant face-to-face communication: real-time dynamics and developmental pathways.

PubMed

Lavelli, Manuela; Fogel, Alan

2013-12-01

A microgenetic research design with a multiple case study method and a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses was used to investigate interdyad differences in real-time dynamics and developmental change processes in mother-infant face-to-face communication over the first 3 months of life. Weekly observations of 24 mother-infant dyads with analyses performed dyad by dyad showed that most dyads go through 2 qualitatively different developmental phases of early face-to-face communication: After a phase of mutual attentiveness, mutual engagement begins in Weeks 7-8, with infant smiling and cooing bidirectionally linked with maternal mirroring. This gives rise to sequences of positive feedback that, by the 3rd month, dynamically stabilizes into innovative play routines. However, when there is a lack of bidirectional positive feedback between infant and maternal behaviors, and a lack of permeability of the early communicative patterns to incorporate innovations, the development of the mutual engagement phase is compromised. The findings contribute both to theories of relationship change processes and to clinical work with at-risk mother-infant interactions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Difference in imaging biomarkers of neurodegeneration between early and late-onset amnestic Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Aziz, Anne-Laure; Giusiano, Bernard; Joubert, Sven; Duprat, Lauréline; Didic, Mira; Gueriot, Claude; Koric, Lejla; Boucraut, José; Felician, Olivier; Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Guedj, Eric; Ceccaldi, Mathieu

2017-06-01

Neuroimaging biomarkers differ between patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Whether these changes reflect cognitive heterogeneity or differences in disease severity is still unknown. This study aimed at investigating changes in neuroimaging biomarkers, according to the age of onset of the disease, in mild amnestic Alzheimer's disease patients with positive amyloid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. Both patient groups were impaired on tasks assessing verbal and visual recognition memory. EOAD patients showed greater executive and linguistic deficits, while LOAD patients showed greater semantic memory impairment. In EOAD and LOAD, hypometabolism involved the bilateral temporoparietal junction and the posterior cingulate cortex. In EOAD, atrophy was widespread, including frontotemporoparietal areas, whereas it was limited to temporal regions in LOAD. Atrophic volumes were greater in EOAD than in LOAD. Hypometabolic volumes were similar in the 2 groups. Greater extent of atrophy in EOAD, despite similar extent of hypometabolism, could reflect different underlying pathophysiological processes, different glucose-based compensatory mechanisms or distinct level of premorbid atrophic lesions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of Different Social Rewards Used in Down's Syndrome Children's Early Stimulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanz, Teresa; Menendez, Javier; Rosique, Teresa

2011-01-01

This article describes the results obtained with two types of social rewards used in early stimulation of Down's syndrome children. In the study we focus on the efficiency of the employment of the social rewards or reinforcements used in the early stimulation, bearing in mind that the children with Down's syndrome possess a social development…

Contemporary Perspectives on Early Childhood Curriculum. Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N. Ed.; Spodek, Bernard, Ed.

Noting that the curriculum in early childhood education is dramatically different from that at other levels of education, this volume seeks to clarify some of the issues related to early childhood curriculum development and its bases in both personal knowledge and knowledge from the different disciplines to achieve a "balanced curriculum."…

Modeling the Etiology of Individual Differences in Early Reading Development: Evidence for Strong Genetic Influences

PubMed Central

Christopher, Micaela E.; Hulslander, Jacqueline; Byrne, Brian; Samuelsson, Stefan; Keenan, Janice M.; Pennington, Bruce; DeFries, John C.; Wadsworth, Sally J.; Willcutt, Erik; Olson, Richard K.

2012-01-01

We explored the etiology of individual differences in reading development from post-kindergarten to post-4th grade by analyzing data from 487 twin pairs tested in Colorado. Data from three reading measures and one spelling measure were fit to biometric latent growth curve models, allowing us to extend previous behavioral genetic studies of the etiology of early reading development at specific time points. We found primarily genetic influences on individual differences at post-1st grade for all measures. Genetic influences on variance in growth rates were also found, with evidence of small, nonsignificant, shared environmental influences for two measures. We discuss our results, including their implications for educational policy. PMID:24489459

"It's Just More in the Real World Really": How Can a Local Project Support Early Years Practitioners from Different Settings in Working and Learning Together?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotton, Lizzie

2013-01-01

This article describes how early years practitioners working in different settings, with different experiences and qualifications, can work and learn together. It is a small-scale case study of an eight-month project, with a grass-roots approach, involving early years settings within the reach area of an inner-London Children's Centre. The data…

PARENTAL REPORTS OF EARLY SOCIOEMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS: DOES THE FATHER'S VIEW MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

PubMed

Alakortes, Jaana; Fyrstén, Jenni; Bloigu, Risto; Carter, Alice S; Moilanen, Irma K; Ebeling, Hanna E

2017-05-01

Although both mothers and fathers are essential sources of information to address early socioemotional/behavioral (SEB) problems, there continues to be a dearth of studies considering both parental views. A sample of 208 toddlers (M age = 19.3 months) was recruited through public child health centers. Both parents of 172 toddlers (76 boys, 96 girls) completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 1-5 (T.M. Achenbach & L.A. Rescorla, 2000; Finnish translation by F. Almqvist, ). Correspondence (intraclass correlation coefficients; ICCs) between the maternal and paternal CBCL ratings was good (.64) for the Internalizing and excellent (.76) for the Externalizing and Total Problems scores whereas ICCs varied from .45 for the Withdrawn to .76 for the Sleep Problems and Aggressive Behavior syndrome scores. Regarding discrepancies, mothers consistently reported higher CBCL scale scores than did fathers. Most significant differences between the parental ratings were found on the Aggressive Behavior syndrome, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales. Interparental rating discrepancies increased with elevations in the corresponding CBCL scale scores. Positive correlations were found between maternal, but not paternal, parenting stress and interparental rating discrepancies on the CBCL. The observed differences between maternal and paternal ratings highlight the importance of gathering reports from both parents when assessing early SEB problems. The findings are more profoundly discussed in the article. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Impact of Different Initial Epinephrine Treatment Time Points on the Early Postresuscitative Hemodynamic Status of Children With Traumatic Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest.

PubMed

Lin, Yan-Ren; Syue, Yuan-Jhen; Buddhakosai, Waradee; Lu, Huai-En; Chang, Chin-Fu; Chang, Chih-Yu; Chen, Cheng Hsu; Chen, Wen-Liang; Li, Chao-Jui

2016-03-01

The postresuscitative hemodynamic status of children with traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) might be impacted by the early administration of epinephrine, but this topic has not been well addressed. The aim of this study was to analyze the early postresuscitative hemodynamics, survival, and neurologic outcome according to different time points of first epinephrine treatment among children with traumatic OHCA.Information on 388 children who presented to the emergency departments of 3 medical centers and who were treated with epinephrine for traumatic OHCA during the study period (2003-2012) was retrospectively collected. The early postresuscitative hemodynamic features (cardiac functions, end-organ perfusion, and consciousness), survival, and neurologic outcome according to different time points of first epinephrine treatment (early: <15, intermediate: 15-30, and late: >30 minutes after collapse) were analyzed.Among 165 children who achieved sustained return of spontaneous circulation, 38 children (9.8%) survived to discharge and 12 children (3.1%) had good neurologic outcomes. Early epinephrine increased the postresuscitative heart rate and blood pressure in the first 30 minutes, but ultimately impaired end-organ perfusion (decreased urine output and initial creatinine clearance) (all P < 0.05). Early epinephrine treatment increased the chance of achieving sustained return of spontaneous circulation, but did not increase the rates of survival and good neurologic outcome.Early epinephrine temporarily increased heart rate and blood pressure in the first 30 minutes of the postresuscitative period, but impaired end-organ perfusion. Most importantly, the rates of survival and good neurologic outcome were not significantly increased by early epinephrine administration.

[Knowledge and use of different support programs in the context of early prevention in relation to family-related psychosocial burden].

PubMed

Eickhorst, Andreas; Schreier, Andrea; Brand, Christian; Lang, Katrin; Liel, Christoph; Renner, Ilona; Neumann, Anna; Sann, Alexandra

2016-10-01

The Federal Initiative for Early Prevention (funded by German ministry BMFSFJ), through the development of specific assistance programmes, supports families that suffer from psychosocial burden. As nationally representative data are missing, the National Centre for Early Prevention carried out a national survey on the psychosocial burden experienced by families with children aged 0-3 years. Ascertainment of the connections between family-related psychosocial burden and knowledge and use of different assistance programmes. Via paediatricians, 8063 parents were recruited to complete a questionnaire on objective burden, subjective experience of burden as well as knowledge and use of assistance programmes. Differences in knowledge and use between educational groups were tested by means of chi-squared tests. Very good knowledge of available assistance programmes and the offer and acceptance of aid by family midwives were subjected to regression analyses. Clear differences in knowledge and use of individual assistance programmes between educational groups were observed. Many programmes are predominantly used by better educated families, although there are exceptions, for example in the case of family midwives. Despite generally small group differences, less-educated families are the proportionally largest user group of family midwives. Furthermore we present average predicted percentages of knowledge and use for specific groups of psychosocially burdened parents as derived from the regression analyses. The results are discussed in the context of barriers to access for individual assistance programmes as well as their match with families' needs in the practice of early prevention.

The Drosophila foraging gene human orthologue PRKG1 predicts individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal sensitivity.

PubMed

Sokolowski, H Moriah; Vasquez, Oscar E; Unternaehrer, Eva; Sokolowski, Dustin J; Biergans, Stephanie D; Atkinson, Leslie; Gonzalez, Andrea; Silveira, Patricia P; Levitan, Robert; O'Donnell, Kieran J; Steiner, Meir; Kennedy, James; Meaney, Michael J; Fleming, Alison S; Sokolowski, Marla B

2017-04-01

There is variation in the extent to which childhood adverse experience affects adult individual differences in maternal behavior. Genetic variation in the animal foraging gene, which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase, contributes to variation in the responses of adult fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster , to early life adversity and is also known to play a role in maternal behavior in social insects. Here we investigate genetic variation in the human foraging gene ( PRKG1 ) as a predictor of individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal behavior in two cohorts. We show that the PRKG1 genetic polymorphism rs2043556 associates with maternal sensitivity towards their infants. We also show that rs2043556 moderates the association between self-reported childhood adversity of the mother and her later maternal sensitivity. Mothers with the TT allele of rs2043556 appeared buffered from the effects of early adversity, whereas mothers with the presence of a C allele were not. Our study used the Toronto Longitudinal Cohort (N=288 mother-16 month old infant pairs) and the Maternal Adversity and Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment Cohort (N=281 mother-18 month old infant pairs). Our findings expand the literature on the contributions of both genetics and gene-environment interactions to maternal sensitivity, a salient feature of the early environment relevant for child neurodevelopment.

Early functional outcome of two different orthotic concepts in ankle sprains: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Best, Raymond; Böhle, Caroline; Schiffer, Thorsten; Petersen, Wolf; Ellermann, Andree; Brueggemann, Gert Peter; Liebau, Christian

2015-07-01

Purpose of the study was the evaluation of the early functional outcome of patients with an acute ankle sprain treated either with a semirigid, variable, phase-adapted modular ankle orthosis or an invariable orthotic reference device. Forty-seven patients with acute ankle sprain grade II or more were included. In addition, 77 healthy controls as a reference were investigated. The injured subjects were treated with one of the two devices by random for 6 weeks. Ankle scores (FAOS, AOFAS) were taken at baseline after injury, 1 and 3 months after injury. Functional performance tests (balance platform, zig zag run, shuttle run, vertical drop jump) were performed at 1 and 3 months after injury. No significant score differences could be found between the two intervention groups except for achieving a preinjury activity level after 3 months only in the modular orthosis group. Postural functional performances (balance test) also showed no significant differences whereas the results of the agility tests revealed small but significant better results in the modular orthosis group in comparison to the invariable orthosis group. Cohen's effect sizes were high. Differences between the two intervention groups were marginal and very small but significant and--regarding Cohen's effect sizes--effective. Especially relating to functional performance, this might be a careful indication that a more effective strategy for promoting a protected, rapid recovery to physical activity after ankle sprains might be achieved by applying a phase-adapted ankle orthosis. Especially in athletic patients, phase-adapted orthosis should be further investigated and considered to ensure fully protected ligament healing as well as to regain early functional recovery.

Similarities and differences between infantile and early childhood onset vanishing white matter disease.

PubMed

Zhou, Ling; Zhang, Haihua; Chen, Na; Zhang, Zhongbin; Liu, Ming; Dai, Lifang; Wang, Jingmin; Jiang, Yuwu; Wu, Ye

2018-06-01

Vanishing white matter disease (VWM) is one of the most prevalent inherited leukoencephalopathies in childhood. Infantile VWM is more severe but less understood than the classic early childhood type. We performed a follow-up study on 14 infantile and 26 childhood patients to delineate the natural history and neuroimaging features of VWM. Infantile and childhood patients shared similarities in the incidence of epileptic seizure (35.7 vs. 38.5%) and episodic aggravation (92.9 vs. 84.6%). Developmental delay before disease onset was more common in infantile patients. Motor disability was earlier and more severe in infantile VWM. In survivors with disease durations of 1-3 years, the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) was classified as IV-V in 66.7% of infantile and only 29.4% of childhood patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis indicated that the 5-year survival rates were 21.6 and 91.3% in infantile and childhood VWM, respectively. In terms of MRI, infantile patients showed more extensive involvement and earlier rarefaction, with more common involvement of subcortical white matter, internal capsule, brain stem and dentate nuclei of the cerebellum. Restricted diffusion was more diffuse or extensive in infantile patients. In addition, four novel mutations were identified. In conclusion, we identified some similarities and differences in the natural history and neuroimaging features between infantile and early childhood VWM.

Psychological differences between early- and late-onset psoriasis: a study of personality traits, anxiety and depression in psoriasis.

PubMed

Remröd, C; Sjöström, K; Svensson, A

2013-08-01

Onset of psoriasis may occur at any age. Early negative experiences often influence personality development, and may lead to physical disease, anxiety and depression in adulthood. Knowledge about onset of psoriasis and psychopathology is limited. To examine whether patients with early-onset psoriasis differ psychologically from patients with late-onset psoriasis, regarding personality traits, anxiety and depression. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 101 consecutively recruited outpatients with psoriasis. A psychosocial interview was performed followed by self-assessment of validated questionnaires: Swedish Universities Scales of Personality (SSP), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Psoriasis severity was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Patients with early-onset psoriasis (age < 20 years) were significantly more anxious and depressed than patients with late-onset psoriasis. In multiple linear regression models, younger age at onset of psoriasis was a significant determinant of higher scores of four personality traits: SSP-embitterment, -trait irritability, -mistrust and -verbal trait aggression. Our results indicate that early detection of psychological vulnerability when treating children and adolescents with psoriasis seems to be of great importance. Traits of psychological vulnerability and pessimistic personality traits were found to be significantly associated with the early onset of psoriasis, but not with disease duration in this study. These traits may be seen as a consequence of psoriasis, and/or as individual traits modulating and impairing clinical course and efforts to cope with psoriasis. © 2013 The Authors BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

Unraveling the effect of structurally different classes of insecticide on germination and early plant growth of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr].

PubMed

Dhungana, Sanjeev Kumar; Kim, Il-Doo; Kwak, Hwa-Sook; Shin, Dong-Hyun

2016-06-01

Although a considerable number of studies about the effect of different insecticides on plant physiology and metabolism have been carried out, research work about the comparative action of structurally different classes of insecticide on physiological and biochemical properties of soybean seed germination and early growth has not been found. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different classes of insecticides on soybean seed germination and early plant growth. Soybean seeds of Bosuk cultivar were soaked for 24h in distilled water or recommended dose (2mLL(-1), 1mLL(-1), 0.5gL(-1), and 0.5gL(-1) water for insecticides Mepthion, Myungtaja, Actara, and Stonate, respectively) of pesticide solutions of four structurally different classes of insecticides - Mepthion (fenitrothion; organophosphate), Myungtaja (etofenprox; pyrethroid), Actara (thiamethoxam; neonicotinoid), and Stonate (lambda-cyhalothrin cum thiamethoxam; pyrethroid cum neonicotinoid) - which are used for controlling stink bugs in soybean crop. Insecticides containing thiamethoxam and lamda-cyhalothrin cum thiamethoxam showed positive effects on seedling biomass and content of polyphenol and flavonoid, however fenitrothion insecticide reduced the seed germination, seed and seedling vigor, and polyphenol and flavonoid contents in soybean. Results of this study reveal that different classes of insecticide have differential influence on physiologic and metabolic actions like germination, early growth, and antioxidant activities of soybean and this implies that yield and nutrient content also might be affected with the application of different types of insecticide. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Individual Differences in Biological Stress Responses Moderate the Contribution of Early Peer Victimization to Subsequent Depressive Symptoms

PubMed Central

Rudolph, Karen D.; Troop-Gordon, Wendy; Granger, Douglas A.

2011-01-01

Rationale Some children who are exposed to early peer victimization become depressed, whereas others are resilient. Understanding individual differences in responses to early adversity, such as victimization, is critical for developing both comprehensive theoretical models and effective interventions. Objectives This study examined whether individual differences in biological stress responses (i.e., activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system) moderated the contribution of peer victimization to depressive symptoms across a one-year period. Methods Children (N = 132; M age = 9.46 years, SD = .33) completed measures of peer victimization and depressive symptoms, and rated their ruminative responses (i.e., persistent thoughts about negative task-related emotion and experiences) to a laboratory-based social challenge task involving two conflict-of-interests situations with an unfamiliar peer. Children’s saliva was collected prior to, and following, participation in the task, and was later assayed for cortisol and alpha amylase [sAA]. Results Victimization interacted with levels of cortisol measured in anticipation of the task to predict task-related rumination and depressive symptoms one year later, adjusting for initial symptoms. Specifically, victimization served as a risk factor for rumination and depressive symptoms in children with heightened but not dampened anticipatory cortisol; yet, heightened anticipatory cortisol was protective against rumination and depressive symptoms in low-victimized children. Victimization also predicted subsequent depressive symptoms in girls with high sAA reactivity across the task. Conclusions This study advances contemporary theory and research by implicating individual variation in biological stress responses as one determinant of sensitivity to the mental health effects of early adversity. PMID:20505926

Different early rearing experiences have long term effects on cortical organization in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

PubMed Central

Bogart, Stephanie L.; Bennett, Allyson J.; Schapiro, Steven J.; Reamer, Lisa A.; Hopkins, William D.

2014-01-01

Consequences of rearing history in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have been explored in relation to behavioral abnormalities and cognition, however, little is known about the effects of rearing conditions on anatomical brain development. Human studies have revealed that experiences of maltreatment and neglect during infancy and childhood can have detrimental effects on brain development and cognition. In this study, we evaluated the effects of early rearing experience on brain morphology in 92 captive chimpanzees (ages 11-43) who were either reared by their mothers (n = 46) or in a nursery (n = 46) with age-group peers. Magnetic resonance brain images were analyzed with a processing program (BrainVISA) that extracts cortical sulci. We obtained various measurements from 11 sulci located throughout the brain, as well as whole brain gyrification and white and grey matter volumes. We found that mother-reared chimpanzees have greater global white-to-grey matter volume, more cortical folding and thinner grey matter within the cortical folds than nursery-reared animals. The findings reported here are the first to demonstrate that differences in early rearing conditions have significant consequences on brain morphology in chimpanzees and suggests potential differences in the development of white matter expansion and myelination. PMID:24206013

Different early rearing experiences have long-term effects on cortical organization in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Bogart, Stephanie L; Bennett, Allyson J; Schapiro, Steven J; Reamer, Lisa A; Hopkins, William D

2014-03-01

Consequences of rearing history in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have been explored in relation to behavioral abnormalities and cognition; however, little is known about the effects of rearing conditions on anatomical brain development. Human studies have revealed that experiences of maltreatment and neglect during infancy and childhood can have detrimental effects on brain development and cognition. In this study, we evaluated the effects of early rearing experience on brain morphology in 92 captive chimpanzees (ages 11-43) who were either reared by their mothers (n = 46) or in a nursery (n = 46) with age-group peers. Magnetic resonance brain images were analyzed with a processing program (BrainVISA) that extracts cortical sulci. We obtained various measurements from 11 sulci located throughout the brain, as well as whole brain gyrification and white and grey matter volumes. We found that mother-reared chimpanzees have greater global white-to-grey matter volume, more cortical folding and thinner grey matter within the cortical folds than nursery-reared animals. The findings reported here are the first to demonstrate that differences in early rearing conditions have significant consequences on brain morphology in chimpanzees and suggests potential differences in the development of white matter expansion and myelination. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparing Cultural Differences in Two Quality Measures in Chinese Kindergartens: The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised and the Kindergarten Quality Rating System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Bi Ying

2015-01-01

This study examined the degrees of congruence between two early childhood evaluation systems on various quality concepts: the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and Zhejiang's Kindergarten Quality Rating System (KQRS). Analysis of variance and post hoc least significant difference tests were employed to show the extent to…

Population dynamics during cell proliferation and neuronogenesis in the developing murine neocortex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowakowski, Richard S.; Caviness, Verne S Jr; Takahashi, Takao; Hayes, Nancy L.

2002-01-01

During the development of the neocortex, cell proliferation occurs in two specialized zones adjacent to the lateral ventricle. One of these zones, the ventricular zone, produces most of the neurons of the neocortex. The proliferating population that resides in the ventricular zone is a pseudostratified ventricular epithelium (PVE) that looks uniform in routine histological preparations, but is, in fact, an active and dynamically changing population. In the mouse, over the course of a 6-day period, the PVE produces approximately 95% of the neurons of the adult neocortex. During this time, the cell cycle of the PVE population lengthens from about 8 h to over 18 h and the progenitor population passes through a total of 11 cell cycles. This 6-day, 11-cell cycle period comprises the "neuronogenetic interval" (NI). At each passage through the cell cycle, the proportion of daughter cells that exit the cell cycle (Q cells) increases from 0 at the onset of the NI to 1 at the end of the NI. The proportion of daughter cells that re-enter the cell cycle (P cells) changes in a complementary fashion from 1 at the onset of the NI to 0 at the end of the NI. This set of systematic changes in the cell cycle and the output from the proliferative population of the PVE allows a quantitative and mathematical treatment of the expansion of the PVE and the growth of the cortical plate that nicely accounts for the observed expansion and growth of the developing neocortex. In addition, we show that the cells produced during a 2-h window of development during specific cell cycles reside in a specific set of laminae in the adult cortex, but that the distributions of the output from consecutive cell cycles overlap. These dynamic events occur in all areas of the PVE underlying the neocortex, but there is a gradient of maturation that begins in the rostrolateral neocortex near the striatotelencephalic junction and which spreads across the surface of the neocortex over a period of 24-36 h. The presence of the gradient across the hemisphere is a possible source of positional information that could be exploited during development to establish the areal borders that characterize the adult neocortex.

Impact of Different Initial Epinephrine Treatment Time Points on the Early Postresuscitative Hemodynamic Status of Children With Traumatic Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest

PubMed Central

Lin, Yan-Ren; Syue, Yuan-Jhen; Buddhakosai, Waradee; Lu, Huai-En; Chang, Chin-Fu; Chang, Chih-Yu; Chen, Cheng Hsu; Chen, Wen-Liang; Li, Chao-Jui

2016-01-01

Abstract The postresuscitative hemodynamic status of children with traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) might be impacted by the early administration of epinephrine, but this topic has not been well addressed. The aim of this study was to analyze the early postresuscitative hemodynamics, survival, and neurologic outcome according to different time points of first epinephrine treatment among children with traumatic OHCA. Information on 388 children who presented to the emergency departments of 3 medical centers and who were treated with epinephrine for traumatic OHCA during the study period (2003–2012) was retrospectively collected. The early postresuscitative hemodynamic features (cardiac functions, end-organ perfusion, and consciousness), survival, and neurologic outcome according to different time points of first epinephrine treatment (early: <15, intermediate: 15–30, and late: >30 minutes after collapse) were analyzed. Among 165 children who achieved sustained return of spontaneous circulation, 38 children (9.8%) survived to discharge and 12 children (3.1%) had good neurologic outcomes. Early epinephrine increased the postresuscitative heart rate and blood pressure in the first 30 minutes, but ultimately impaired end-organ perfusion (decreased urine output and initial creatinine clearance) (all P < 0.05). Early epinephrine treatment increased the chance of achieving sustained return of spontaneous circulation, but did not increase the rates of survival and good neurologic outcome. Early epinephrine temporarily increased heart rate and blood pressure in the first 30 minutes of the postresuscitative period, but impaired end-organ perfusion. Most importantly, the rates of survival and good neurologic outcome were not significantly increased by early epinephrine administration. PMID:27015217

RBE of Energetic Iron Ions for the Induction of Early and Late Chromosome Aberrations in Different Cell Types

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Ye; Yeshitla, Samrawit; Hada, Megumi; Kadhim, Munira; Wilson, Bobby; Wu, Honglu

2015-01-01

Numerous published studies have reported the Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) values for chromosome aberrations induced by charged particles of different LET. The RBE for chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes exposed ex vivo has been suggested to show a similar relationship as the quality factor for cancer induction. Therefore, increased chromosome aberrations in the astronauts' white blood cells post long-duration missions are used to determine the biological doses from exposures to space radiation. However, the RBE value is known to be very different for different types of cancer. Previously, we reported that, even though the RBE for initial chromosome damages was high in human lymphocytes exposed to Fe ions, the RBE was significantly reduced after multiple cell divisions post irradiation. To test the hypothesis that RBE values for chromosome aberrations are cell type dependent, and different between early and late damages, we exposed human lymphocytes ex vivo, and human mammary epithelial cells in vitro to various charged particles. Chromosome aberrations were quantified using the samples collected at first mitosis post irradiation for initial damages, and the samples collected after multiple generations for the remaining or late arising aberrations. Results of the study suggested that the effectiveness of high-LET charged particles for late chromosome aberrations may be cell type dependent, even though the RBE values are similar for early damages.

Living with a Grandparent and Parent in Early Childhood: Associations with School Readiness and Differences by Demographic Characteristics

PubMed Central

Pilkauskas, Natasha V.

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing prevalence of three-generation family households (grandparent, parent, child), relatively little research has studied these households during early childhood. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (N∼6,550), this study investigates the associations between three-generation coresidence in early childhood and school readiness, and how the associations differ by maternal age, race/ethnicity, nativity, relationship status and poverty. For the full sample of children, no associations between three-generation coresidence and school readiness were found. Analyses by demographic characteristics found that race/ethnicity and nativity moderate the associations; whereas maternal age, relationship status and poverty do not. The findings suggest that three-generation coresidence was associated with lower levels of expressive language for White, Asian and Black children, but more expressive language for Hispanic children. Coresidence was also associated with more externalizing behavior for White and American Indian/Alaskan Native children but less externalizing behavior for Hispanic and Black children. Analyses by maternal nativity found that for children of immigrant mothers, three-generation coresidence was associated with more expressive language and less externalizing and internalizing behavior. Interactions between race/ethnicity and nativity found that the positive associations for Hispanic children were concentrated among children of immigrant parents. No differences were found between grandmother-only and grandmother/grandfather three-generation family households. Overall the findings suggest there may be heterogeneity by race/ethnicity and nativity in the associations between three-generation coresidence and school readiness. PMID:25365124

Teachers' Perceptions of Their Mentoring Role in Three Different Clinical Settings: Student Teaching, Early Field Experiences, and Entry Year Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gut, Dianne M.; Beam, Pamela C.; Henning, John E.; Cochran, Deborah C.; Knight, Rhonda Talford

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in mentoring across three different clinical settings: student teaching, early field experiences, and entry year teachers. Eighteen teachers with mentoring experience in all three clinical settings were selected and interviewed. The teachers' expectations for teacher development,…

Similarities and differences in physical self-concept of males and females during late adolescence and early adulthood.

PubMed

Cağlar, Emine

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine age and sex differences in physical self-concept of Turkish late adolescents and early adults. A total of 715 high school and 1,125 university students voluntarily participated and were administered the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire. The findings indicate significant sex and age differences on multiple dimensions of physical self, and that males and high school students scored higher on almost all subscales of physical self. However, analysis did not reveal any significant age and sex interactions on physical self. In conclusion, males and females differ from each other on how they perceived themselves on the multiple dimensions of physical self, and developmental age changes were evident in physical self.

GALAXY ZOO: THE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT CO-EVOLUTION OF SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES AND THEIR EARLY- AND LATE-TYPE HOST GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schawinski, Kevin; Urry, C. Megan; Virani, Shanil

We use data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and visual classifications of morphology from the Galaxy Zoo project to study black hole growth in the nearby universe (z < 0.05) and to break down the active galactic nucleus (AGN) host galaxy population by color, stellar mass, and morphology. We find that the black hole growth at luminosities L[O{sub III}]>10{sup 40} erg s{sup -1} in early- and late-type galaxies is fundamentally different. AGN host galaxies as a population have a broad range of stellar masses (10{sup 10}-10{sup 11} M{sub sun}), reside in the green valley of the color-mass diagram andmore » their central black holes have median masses around 10{sup 6.5} M{sub sun}. However, by comparing early- and late-type AGN host galaxies to their non-active counterparts, we find several key differences: in early-type galaxies, it is preferentially the galaxies with the least massive black holes that are growing, while in late-type galaxies, it is preferentially the most massive black holes that are growing. The duty cycle of AGNs in early-type galaxies is strongly peaked in the green valley below the low-mass end (10{sup 10} M{sub sun}) of the red sequence at stellar masses where there is a steady supply of blue cloud progenitors. The duty cycle of AGNs in late-type galaxies on the other hand peaks in massive (10{sup 11} M{sub sun}) green and red late-types which generally do not have a corresponding blue cloud population of similar mass. At high-Eddington ratios (L/L{sub Edd}>0.1), the only population with a substantial fraction of AGNs are the low-mass green valley early-type galaxies. Finally, the Milky Way likely resides in the 'sweet spot' on the color-mass diagram where the AGN duty cycle of late-type galaxies is highest. We discuss the implications of these results for our understanding of the role of AGNs in the evolution of galaxies.« less

Differences in the Association between Segment and Language: Early Bilinguals Pattern with Monolinguals and Are Less Accurate than Late Bilinguals

PubMed Central

Blanco, Cynthia P.; Bannard, Colin; Smiljanic, Rajka

2016-01-01

Early bilinguals often show as much sensitivity to L2-specific contrasts as monolingual speakers of the L2, but most work on cross-language speech perception has focused on isolated segments, and typically only on neighboring vowels or stop contrasts. In tasks that include sounds in context, listeners’ success is more variable, so segment discrimination in isolation may not adequately represent the phonetic detail in stored representations. The current study explores the relationship between language experience and sensitivity to segmental cues in context by comparing the categorization patterns of monolingual English listeners and early and late Spanish–English bilinguals. Participants categorized nonce words containing different classes of English- and Spanish-specific sounds as being more English-like or more Spanish-like; target segments included phonemic cues, cues for which there is no analogous sound in the other language, or phonetic cues, cues for which English and Spanish share the category but for which each language varies in its phonetic implementation. Listeners’ language categorization accuracy and reaction times were analyzed. Our results reveal a largely uniform categorization pattern across listener groups: Spanish cues were categorized more accurately than English cues, and phonemic cues were easier for listeners to categorize than phonetic cues. There were no differences in the sensitivity of monolinguals and early bilinguals to language-specific cues, suggesting that the early bilinguals’ exposure to Spanish did not fundamentally change their representations of English phonology. However, neither did the early bilinguals show more sensitivity than the monolinguals to Spanish sounds. The late bilinguals however, were significantly more accurate than either of the other groups. These findings indicate that listeners with varying exposure to English and Spanish are able to use language-specific cues in a nonce-word language categorization

Studies of Socioeconomic and Ethnic Differences in Intelligence in the Former Soviet Union in the Early Twentieth Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grigoriev, Andrei; Lynn, Richard

2009-01-01

This paper reviews the studies of socioeconomic and ethnic and racial differences in intelligence carried out in Russia/USSR during the late 1920s and early 1930s. In these studies the IQs of social classes and of ethnic minorities were tested. These included Tatars (a Caucasoid people), Chuvash and Altai (mixed Caucasoid-Mongoloid peoples), Evenk…

Late-Onset Cognitive Impairments after Early-Life Stress Are Shaped by Inherited Differences in Stress Reactivity

PubMed Central

McIlwrick, Silja; Pohl, Tobias; Chen, Alon; Touma, Chadi

2017-01-01

Early-life stress (ELS) has been associated with lasting cognitive impairments and with an increased risk for affective disorders. A dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s main stress response system, is critically involved in mediating these long-term consequences of adverse early-life experience. It remains unclear to what extent an inherited predisposition for HPA axis sensitivity or resilience influences the relationship between ELS and cognitive impairments, and which neuroendocrine and molecular mechanisms may be involved. To investigate this, we exposed animals of the stress reactivity mouse model, consisting of three independent lines selectively bred for high (HR), intermediate (IR), or low (LR) HPA axis reactivity to a stressor, to ELS and assessed their cognitive performance, neuroendocrine function and hippocampal gene expression in early and in late adulthood. Our results show that HR animals that were exposed to ELS exhibited an HPA axis hyper-reactivity in early and late adulthood, associated with cognitive impairments in hippocampus-dependent tasks, as well as molecular changes in transcript levels involved in the regulation of HPA axis activity (Crh) and in neurotrophic action (Bdnf). In contrast, LR animals showed intact cognitive function across adulthood, with no change in stress reactivity. Intriguingly, LR animals that were exposed to ELS even showed significant signs of enhanced cognitive performance in late adulthood, which may be related to late-onset changes observed in the expression of Crh and Crhr1 in the dorsal hippocampus of these animals. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that the lasting consequences of ELS at the level of cognition differ as a function of inherited predispositions and suggest that an innate tendency for low stress reactivity may be protective against late-onset cognitive impairments after ELS. PMID:28261058

More Alike than Different: Early Childhood Professional Development in Guatemala

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardin, Belinda J.; Vardell, Rosemarie; de Castaneda, Albertina

2008-01-01

This article describes an early childhood professional development project that took place in the summer of 2005 in Guatemala City. Located in Central America, Guatemala has a population of approximately 12.3 million people, including more than two million children under the age of 5 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2007; UNICEF, 2004). Events…

Do gender differences in help avoidance vary by ethnicity? An examination of African American and European American students during early adolescence.

PubMed

Ryan, Allison M; Shim, S Serena; Lampkins-Uthando, Shawn A; Thompson, Geneene N; Kiefer, Sarah M

2009-07-01

The present research examined whether the nature of gender differences varies by race for two types of academic engagement in the classroom (help avoidance and voice with the teacher) in a sample of early adolescents (N = 456; 55% female, 60% African American and 40% European American) making the transition to middle school. Growth curve analyses indicated that help avoidance increased over time, voice remained stable, and achievement declined. In line with hypotheses based on cultural variations in the female role, there were no gender differences in help avoidance for African American students, whereas for European American students, girls were lower in help avoidance than were boys. For African American students, there were no gender differences in voice with the teacher, whereas for European American students, girls were higher than were boys. These group differences were present at all 3 waves. For all students, increases in help avoidance negatively predicted changes in achievement, whereas increases in voice positively predicted achievement. Results underscore the importance of examining gender and ethnicity together to understand academic adjustment during early adolescence.

Physiologic Inter-eye Differences in Monkey Optic Nerve Head Architecture and Their Relation to Changes in Early Experimental Glaucoma

PubMed Central

Yang, Hongli; Downs, J. Crawford; Burgoyne, Claude F.

2009-01-01

Purpose To characterize physiologic inter-eye differences in optic nerve head (ONH) architecture within six normal rhesus monkeys and compare them to inter-eye differences within three previously-reported cynomolgus monkeys with early experimental glaucoma (EEG). Methods Trephinated ONH and peripapillary sclera from both eyes of six normal monkeys were serial sectioned, 3D reconstructed, 3D delineated and parameterized. For each normal animal, and each parameter, physiologic inter-eye difference (PID) was calculated (both overall and regionally) by converting all OS data to OD configuration and subtracting the OS from the OD value and Physiologic Inter-eye Percent Difference (PIPD) was calculated as the PID divided by the measurement mean of the two eyes. For each EEG monkey, inter-eye (EEG minus normal) differences and percent differences for each parameter overall and regionally were compared to the PID and PIPD Maximums. Results For all parameters the PID Maximums were relatively small overall. Compared to overall PID maximums, overall inter-eye differences in EEG monkeys were greatest for laminar deformation and thickening, posterior scleral canal enlargement, cupping and prelaminar neural tissue thickening. Compared to the regional PID Maximums, the lamina cribrosa was posteriorly deformed centrally, inferiorly, inferonasally and superiorly and was thickened centrally. The prelaminar neural tissues were thickened inferiorly, inferonasally and superiorly. Conclusion These data provide the first characterization of PID/PIPD maximums for ONH neural and connective tissue parameters in normal monkeys and serve to further clarify the location and character of early ONH change in experimental glaucoma. However, because of the species differences, the findings in EEG need to be confirmed within EEG rhesus monkey eyes. PMID:18775866

Differences in the Early Writing Development of Struggling Children Who Beat the Odds and Those Who Did Not

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmey, Sinéad J.; Rodgers, Emily M.

2017-01-01

We used mixed methods to examine differences in the early writing development of children, identified as at risk of literacy difficulties, in the context of Reading Recovery (RR). From an extant dataset of 24 children, we identified those who made fast progress (n = 6) and those who did not (n = 8). We studied change over time in the sources of…

Cognitive sex differences are not magnified as a function of age, sex hormones, or puberty development during early adolescence.

PubMed

Herlitz, Agneta; Reuterskiöld, Lena; Lovén, Johanna; Thilers, Petra P; Rehnman, Jenny

2013-01-01

Are cognitive sex differences magnified by individual differences in age, sex hormones, or puberty development? Cross-sectional samples of 12- to 14-year-old boys (n = 85) and girls (n = 102) completed tasks assessing episodic memory, face recognition, verbal fluency, and mental rotations. Blood estradiol, free testosterone, and self-rated puberty scores were obtained. Sex differences were found on all cognitive measures. However, the magnitude was not larger for older children, hormones and cognitive performance were not associated, and early maturers did not perform better than late maturers. Thus, cognitive sex differences were not associated with age, levels of sex hormones, or puberty development.

Maturational differences in physical self- perceptions and the relationship with physical activity in early adolescent girls.

PubMed

Niven, Alisa G; Fawkner, Samantha G; Knowles, Anne-Marie; Stephenson, Claire

2007-11-01

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between physical self-perceptions (PSPs), maturation, and physical activity and compared the strength of the relationships of biological and chronological age with PSPs in early adolescent girls (N = 208; mean age = 11.83 +/- 0.39 years). Participants completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children, the Children's Physical Self-Perception Profile, and the Pubertal Development Scale. Results indicated that PSPs were significantly and moderately correlated with physical activity. There were no differences in physical activity between maturation stages. Girls who were in the early stages of maturation had significantly more positive perceptions of body attractiveness and physical self-worth than girls in the mid stages of maturation. There was no evidence of a relationship between PSPs and chronological age. This study provided further support for the relationship between PSPs and physical activity and the relationship between maturation and aspects of PSPs. In this age group, maturation does not appear to be related to physical activity or the PSPs most strongly influential on physical activity behavior.

The Effectiveness of Early Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guralnick, Michael J., Ed.

This book reviews research on the effectiveness of early intervention for children with disabilities or who are at risk. Program factors for children at risk and with disabilities, the effects of early intervention on different types of disabilities, and the outcomes of early intervention are explored. Chapters include: "Second-Generation Research…

Glaucoma diagnostic accuracy of optical coherence tomography parameters in early glaucoma with different types of optic disc damage.

PubMed

Shin, Hye-Young; Park, Hae-Young Lopilly; Jung, Younhea; Choi, Jin-A; Park, Chan Kee

2014-10-01

To compare the initial visual field (VF) defect pattern and the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters and investigate the effects of distinct types of optic disc damage on the diagnostic performance of these OCT parameters in early glaucoma. Retrospective, observational study. A total of 138 control eyes and 160 eyes with early glaucoma were enrolled. The glaucomatous eyes were subdivided into 4 groups according to the type of optic disc damage: focal ischemic (FI) group, myopic (MY) group, senile sclerotic (SS) group, and generalized enlargement (GE) group. The values of total deviation (TD) maps were analyzed, and superior-inferior (S-I) differences of TD were calculated. The optic nerve head (ONH) parameters, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses were measured. Comparison of diagnostic ability using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs). The S-I and central S-I difference of the FI group were larger than those of the GE group. The rim area of the SS group was larger than those of the 3 other groups, and the vertical cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) of the GE group was larger than that of the MY group. In addition, the minimum and inferotemporal GCIPL thicknesses of the FI group were smaller than those of the GE group. The AUC of the rim area (0.89) was lower than that of the minimum GCIPL (0.99) in the SS group, and the AUC of the vertical CDR (0.90) was lower than that of the minimum GCIPL (0.99) in the MY group. Furthermore, the AUCs of the minimum GCIPL thicknesses of the FI and MY group were greater than those of the average pRNFL thickness for detecting glaucoma, as opposed to the SS and GE. The OCT parameters differed among the 4 groups on the basis of the distinct optic disc appearance and initial glaucomatous damage pattern. Clinicians should be aware that the diagnostic capability of OCT parameters could differ according to the type of optic

Assessment of two different types of sample for the early detection and isolation of thermophilic Campylobacter in broiler farms.

PubMed

Urdaneta, Saulo; Dolz, Roser; Cerdà-Cuéllar, Marta

2015-01-01

In order to assess the optimal method for the early detection and isolation of thermophilic Campylobacter in broilers at farm level, two types of samples were compared: caecal contents obtained by necropsy and cloacal swabs transported in charcoal Amies medium. The study was conducted in five batches of broilers from five different farms, where weekly samples (caecal contents and cloacal swabs) from 30 birds were obtained. Samples were plated onto selective agar (modified charcoal cefoperazone desoxycholate agar, mCCDA) for Campylobacter isolation. Four out of five batches were positive for Campylobacter. No marked differences in sensitivity of both sample types were observed. However, a higher percentage of positive birds were detected when cloacal swabs were used. The results show that cloacal swab samples are adequate, and in some cases even better than caecal samples for the early detection of Campylobacter in broiler flocks at farm level. Also, this sample avoids sacrificing birds to test Campylobacter, which not only allows saving time in sample collection, transportation and processing at the laboratory, but also improves bird welfare and cost of sampling.

Knowledge and Beliefs of Early Childhood Education Students at Different Levels of Professional Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goble, Carla B.; Horm, Diane M.; Atanasov, Amy M.; Williamson, Amy C.; Choi, Ji Young

2015-01-01

The expansion of early childhood education programming has heightened the focus on teachers' educational preparation and its role in providing high-quality services for young children. The interest in teachers' education is especially relevant in early childhood since differentiated levels of preparation are commonly used in quality rating and…

Training Early Childhood Teachers for Sustainability: Towards a "Learning Experience of a Different Kind"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feriver, Sebnem; Teksöz, Gaye; Olgan, Refika; Reid, Alan

2016-01-01

In this study, we discuss findings from a small-scale project evaluating an in-service teacher training programme focused on "perspective transformation" in early childhood education and education for sustainability (EfS). A bespoke professional development programme was developed for Turkish early childhood teachers, based on a variety…

Grade-Level Differences in Future-Oriented Self-Concept During Early Adolescence: Potential Relevance to School Nursing

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The middle school and early high school years are a time of significant development, including an increasing ability to envision oneself in the future. Little is known about how adolescents’ future-oriented self-concept (i.e., possible selves) differs across grade levels, although this knowledge may aid in establishing rapport with students and building effective health-promotion and risk reduction interventions. Therefore, this study explored grade-level differences in hoped for and feared possible selves in a sample of 6th – 9th grade students (n = 2,498; Mage = 12.72, SD = 1.15; 51.3% female). Findings suggest that adolescents list a variety of possible selves, and the content differs according to grade-level. These findings offer helpful insight for intervention work aimed at improving student outcomes and preventing risk behavior. Understanding what adolescents hope and fear for themselves in the future may be particularly beneficial for school nurses in identifying the unique challenges students experience and tailoring health-promotion efforts. PMID:27222444

Grade-Level Differences in Future-Oriented Self-Concept During Early Adolescence: Potential Relevance to School Nursing.

PubMed

Stoddard, Sarah A; Pierce, Jennifer; Schmidt, Carissa J

2016-12-01

The middle school and early high school years are a time of significant development, including an increasing ability to envision oneself in the future. Little is known about how adolescents' future-oriented self-concept (i.e., possible selves) differs across grade levels, although this knowledge may aid in establishing rapport with students and building effective health promotion and risk reduction interventions. Therefore, this study explored grade-level differences in hoped for and feared possible selves in a sample of sixth- to ninth-grade students (n = 2,498; M age = 12.72, SD = 1.15; 51.3% female). Findings suggest that adolescents list a variety of possible selves, and the content differs according to grade level. These findings offer helpful insight for intervention work aimed at improving student outcomes and preventing risk behavior. Understanding what adolescents hope and fear for themselves in the future may be particularly beneficial for school nurses in identifying the unique challenges students experience and tailoring health promotion efforts. © The Author(s) 2016.

Differing Effects of Two Synthetic Phonics Programmes on Early Reading Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Laura R.; Solity, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Background: "Synthetic phonics" is the widely accepted approach for teaching reading in English: Children are taught to sound out the letters in a word then blend these sounds together. Aims: We compared the impact of two "synthetic phonics" programmes on early reading. Sample: Children received "Letters" and…

Evidence for Different Disk Mass Distributions between Early- and Late-type Be Stars in the BeSOS Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arcos, C.; Kanaan, S.; Curé, M.

The circumstellar disk density distributions for a sample of 63 Be southern stars from the BeSOS survey were found by modeling their H α emission line profiles. These disk densities were used to compute disk masses and disk angular momenta for the sample. Average values for the disk mass are 3.4 × 10{sup −9} and 9.5 × 10{sup −10} M {sub ⋆} for early (B0–B3) and late (B4–B9) spectral types, respectively. We also find that the range of disk angular momentum relative to the star is (150–200) J {sub ⋆}/ M {sub ⋆} and (100–150) J {sub ⋆}/ M {submore » ⋆}, again for early- and late-type Be stars, respectively. The distributions of the disk mass and disk angular momentum are different between early- and late-type Be stars at a 1% level of significance. Finally, we construct the disk mass distribution for the BeSOS sample as a function of spectral type and compare it to the predictions of stellar evolutionary models with rapid rotation. The observed disk masses are typically larger than the theoretical predictions, although the observed spread in disk masses is typically large.« less

Differences in recruitment and early retention among ethnic minority participants in a large pediatric cohort: the TEDDY Study.

PubMed

Baxter, Judith; Vehik, Kendra; Johnson, Suzanne Bennett; Lernmark, Barbro; Roth, Roswith; Simell, Tuula

2012-07-01

The TEDDY Study is an international, multi-center prospective study designed to identify the environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in genetically at-risk children. This report investigates ethnic minority (EM) differences in patterns of enrollment and retention in the US centers. As of June 2009, 267,739 newborns had been screened at birth for high risk T1D genotypes. Data collected at the time of screening, enrollment and at the baseline visit were used. Descriptive and multiple-logistic regression analyses assessed differences between EM groups regarding exclusion, enrollment and early withdrawal. Of the 10,975 eligible subjects, 6,912 (67%) were invited to participate. EM subjects were more likely to be excluded because of an inability to contact. Of those invited 3,265 (47%) enrolled by the age of 4.5 months. Adjusted analyses showed that except for those classified as other EM, the odds of enrolling were similar across groups. EM subjects had elevated early withdrawal rates. Adjusted models demonstrated that this was significantly more likely among Hispanic subjects. Understanding patterns associated with EM participation in research extends our ability to make more accurate inferences and permits assessment of strategies that promote inclusion of EM to better address health disparities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differences in recruitment and early retention among ethnic minority participants in a large pediatric cohort: The TEDDY Study

PubMed Central

Baxter, Judith; Vehik, Kendra; Johnson, Suzanne Bennett; Lernmark, Barbro; Roth, Roswith; Simell, Tuula

2013-01-01

Objective The TEDDY Study is an international, multi-center prospective study designed to identify the environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in genetically at-risk children. This report investigates ethnic minority (EM) differences in patterns of enrollment and retention in the US centers. Methods As of June 2009, 267,739 newborns had been screened at birth for high risk T1D genotypes. Data collected at the time of screening, enrollment and at the baseline visit were used. Descriptive and multiple-logistic regression analyses assessed differences between EM groups regarding exclusion, enrollment and early withdrawal. Results Of the 10,975 eligible subjects, 6,912 (67%) were invited to participate. EM subjects were more likely to be excluded because of an inability to contact. Of those invited 3,265 (47%) enrolled by the age of 4.5 months. Adjusted analyses showed that except for those classified as other EM, the odds of enrolling were similar across groups. EM subjects had elevated early withdrawal rates. Adjusted models demonstrated that this was significantly more likely among Hispanic subjects. Conclusion Understanding patterns associated with EM participation in research extends our ability to make more accurate inferences and permits assessment of strategies that promote inclusion of EM to better address health disparities. PMID:22484339

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF EARLY EXPERIENCE ON AFTER BEHAVIOR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FORGAYS, DONALD G.

TWO SERIES OF STUDIES WHOSE SUBJECTS WERE EITHER HOODED AND ALBINO RATS OR YOUNG CHILDREN INVESTIGATED THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY EXPERIENCES ON LATER BEHAVIOR. IN THE FIRST, BOTH SUBSPECIES OF RATS WERE EXPOSED TO EITHER ENRICHED OR RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENTS TO ASSESS THEIR PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES UNDER VARIOUS LEARNING CONDITIONS. THE RESULTS…

[Early mobilization. Competencies, responsibilities, milestones].

PubMed

Nydahl, P; Dewes, M; Dubb, R; Filipovic, S; Hermes, C; Jüttner, F; Kaltwasser, A; Klarmann, S; Klas, K; Mende, H; Rothaug, O; Schuchhardt, D

2016-03-01

Early mobilization is an evident, interprofessional concept to improve the outcome of intensive care patients. It reduces psychocognitive deficits and delirium and attenuates a general deconditioning, including atrophy of the respiratory pump and skeletal muscles. In this regard the interdisciplinary approach of early mobilization, taking into account different levels of mobilization, appears to be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to explore opinions on collaboration and tasks between different professional groups. During the 25th Bremen Conference on Intensive Medicine and Nursing on 20 February 2015, a questionnaire survey was carried out among the 120 participants of the German Early Mobilization Network meeting. In all, 102 questionnaires were analyzed. Most participants reported on the interdisciplinarity of the approach, but none of the tasks and responsibilities concerning early mobilization can be assigned to a single professional group. The practical implementation of mobilizing orally intubated patients may require two registered nurses as well as a physical therapist. Implementation in daily practice seems to be heterogeneous. There is no consensus regarding collaboration, competencies, and responsibilities with respect to early mobilization of intensive care patients. The approach to date has been characterized by a lack of interprofessional communication, which may lead to an inefficient use of the broad and varied base of knowledge and experienceof the different professions.

Differences in carbon source usage by dental plaque in children with and without early childhood caries

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yan; Zhong, Wen-Jie; Xun, Zhe; Zhang, Qian; Song, Ye-Qing; Liu, Yun-Song; Chen, Feng

2017-01-01

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a considerable pediatric and public health problem worldwide. Preceding studies have focused primarily on bacterial diversity at the taxonomic level. Although these studies have provided significant information regarding the connection between dental caries and oral microbiomes, further comprehension of this microbial community’s ecological relevance is limited. This study identified the carbon source metabolic differences in dental plaque between children with and without ECC. We compared the microbial community functional diversity in 18 caries-free subjects with 18 severe ECC patients based on sole carbon source usage using a Biolog assay. The anaerobic microbial community in the ECC patients displayed greater metabolic activity than that of the control group. Specific carbon source metabolism differed significantly between the two groups. Subjects from the two groups were well distinguished by cluster and principal component analyses based on discriminative carbon sources. Our results implied that the microbial functional diversity between the ECC patients and healthy subjects differed significantly. In addition, the Biolog assay furthered our understanding of oral microbiomes as a composite of functional abilities, thus enabling us to identify the ecologically relevant functional differences among oral microbial communities.

Differing Roles of the Face and Voice in Early Human Communication: Roots of Language in Multimodal Expression

PubMed Central

Jhang, Yuna; Franklin, Beau; Ramsdell-Hudock, Heather L.; Oller, D. Kimbrough

2017-01-01

Seeking roots of language, we probed infant facial expressions and vocalizations. Both have roles in language, but the voice plays an especially flexible role, expressing a variety of functions and affect conditions with the same vocal categories—a word can be produced with many different affective flavors. This requirement of language is seen in very early infant vocalizations. We examined the extent to which affect is transmitted by early vocal categories termed “protophones” (squeals, vowel-like sounds, and growls) and by their co-occurring facial expressions, and similarly the extent to which vocal type is transmitted by the voice and co-occurring facial expressions. Our coder agreement data suggest infant affect during protophones was most reliably transmitted by the face (judged in video-only), while vocal type was transmitted most reliably by the voice (judged in audio-only). Voice alone transmitted negative affect more reliably than neutral or positive affect, suggesting infant protophones may be used especially to call for attention when the infant is in distress. By contrast, the face alone provided no significant information about protophone categories. Indeed coders in VID could scarcely recognize the difference between silence and voice when coding protophones in VID. The results suggest that partial decoupling of communicative roles for face and voice occurs even in the first months of life. Affect in infancy appears to be transmitted in a way that audio and video aspects are flexibly interwoven, as in mature language. PMID:29423398

Differing Roles of the Face and Voice in Early Human Communication: Roots of Language in Multimodal Expression.

PubMed

Jhang, Yuna; Franklin, Beau; Ramsdell-Hudock, Heather L; Oller, D Kimbrough

2017-01-01

Seeking roots of language, we probed infant facial expressions and vocalizations. Both have roles in language, but the voice plays an especially flexible role, expressing a variety of functions and affect conditions with the same vocal categories-a word can be produced with many different affective flavors. This requirement of language is seen in very early infant vocalizations. We examined the extent to which affect is transmitted by early vocal categories termed "protophones" (squeals, vowel-like sounds, and growls) and by their co-occurring facial expressions, and similarly the extent to which vocal type is transmitted by the voice and co-occurring facial expressions. Our coder agreement data suggest infant affect during protophones was most reliably transmitted by the face (judged in video-only), while vocal type was transmitted most reliably by the voice (judged in audio-only). Voice alone transmitted negative affect more reliably than neutral or positive affect, suggesting infant protophones may be used especially to call for attention when the infant is in distress. By contrast, the face alone provided no significant information about protophone categories. Indeed coders in VID could scarcely recognize the difference between silence and voice when coding protophones in VID. The results suggest that partial decoupling of communicative roles for face and voice occurs even in the first months of life. Affect in infancy appears to be transmitted in a way that audio and video aspects are flexibly interwoven, as in mature language.

Living different lives: Early social differentiation identified through linking mortuary and isotopic variability in Late Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic north-central Spain

PubMed Central

Schulting, Rick J.

2017-01-01

Variation in burial location and treatment is often observed in the prehistoric archaeological record, but its interpretation is usually highly ambiguous. Biomolecular approaches provide the means of addressing this variability in a way not previously possible, linking the lives of individuals to their funerary treatment. Here, we undertake stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses on a substantial sample of 166 individuals from a series of broadly contemporary Late Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic (3500 to 2900 cal BC) mortuary monuments (El Sotillo, Alto de la Huesera, Chabola de la Hechicera and Longar) and caves (Las Yurdinas II, Los Husos I and Peña Larga) within a very spatially restricted area of north-central Spain, with sites separated by no more than 10 km on average. This spatial and temporal proximity allows us to focus on the question at the appropriate scale of analysis, avoiding confounding variables such as environmental change, diachronic trends in the subsistence economy, etc. The results demonstrate a statistically significant difference in human δ13C values between those interred in caves and those placed in monuments. The difference appears to be correlated with fine-grained environmental factors (elevation/ temperature/ precipitation), suggesting that use of the landscape was being divided at a very local scale. The reasons for this partitioning may involve differential social status (e.g. those interred in caves may be of lower standing with more restricted access to the valley’s arable resources) or economic specialization (e.g. upland herding vs. valley farming) within the same community or, alternatively, different populations performing different funerary practices and following distinct subsistence economies in some respect. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the development of social differentiation and community specialisation on the scale of the immediate lived landscape. PMID:28953890

Differences between early and late involvement of palliative home care in oncology care: A focus group study with palliative home care teams.

PubMed

Dhollander, Naomi; Deliens, Luc; Van Belle, Simon; De Vleminck, Aline; Pardon, Koen

2018-05-01

To date, no randomised controlled trials on the integration of specialised palliative home care into oncology care have been identified. Information on whether existing models of integrated care are applicable to the home care system and how working procedures and skills of the palliative care teams might require adaptation is missing. To gain insight into differences between early and late involvement and the effect on existing working procedures and skills as perceived by palliative home care teams. Qualitative study - focus group interviews. Six palliative home care teams in Flanders, Belgium. Participants included physicians, nurses and psychologists. Differences were found concerning (1) reasons for initiation, (2) planning of care process, (3) focus on future goals versus problems, (4) opportunity to provide holistic care, (5) empowerment of patients and (6) empowerment of professional caregivers. A shift from a medical approach to a more holistic approach is the most noticeable. Being involved earlier also results in a more structured follow-up and in empowering the patient to be part of the decision-making process. Early involvement creates the need for transmural collaboration, which leads to the teams taking on more supporting and coordinating tasks. Being involved earlier leads to different tasks and working procedures and to the need for transmural collaboration. Future research might focus on the development of an intervention model for the early integration of palliative home care into oncology care. To develop this model, components of existing models might need to be adapted or extended.

Early-type galaxies: mass-size relation at z ˜ 1.3 for different environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raichoor, A.; Mei, S.; Stanford, S. A.; Holden, B. P.; Nakata, F.; Rosati, P.; Shankar, F.; Tanaka, M.; Ford, H.; Huertas-Company, M.; Illingworth, G.; Kodama, T.; Postman, M.; Rettura, A.; Blakeslee, J. P.; Demarco, R.; Jee, M. J.; White, R. L.

2011-12-01

We combine multi-wavelength data of the Lynx superstructure and GOODS/CDF-S to build a sample of 75 visually selected early-type galaxies (ETGs), spanning different environments (cluster/group/field) at z ˜ 1.3. By estimating their mass, age (SED fitting, with a careful attention to the stellar population model used) and size, we are able to probe the dependence on the environment of the mass-size relation. We find that, for ETGs with 10^{10} < M / M_⊙ < 10^{11.5}, (1) the mass-size relation in the field did not evolve overall from z ˜ 1.3 to present; (2) the mass-size relation in cluster/group environments at z ˜ 1.3 lies at smaller sizes than the local mass-size relation (R_{e,z ˜ 1.3}/R_{e,z = 0} ˜ 0.6-0.8).

No sex differences in use of dopaminergic medication in early Parkinson disease in the US and Canada - baseline findings of a multicenter trial.

PubMed

Umeh, Chizoba C; Pérez, Adriana; Augustine, Erika F; Dhall, Rohit; Dewey, Richard B; Mari, Zoltan; Simon, David K; Wills, Anne-Marie A; Christine, Chadwick W; Schneider, Jay S; Suchowersky, Oksana

2014-01-01

Sex differences in Parkinson disease clinical features have been reported, but few studies have examined sex influences on use of dopaminergic medication in early Parkinson disease. The objective of this study was to test if there are differences in the type of dopaminergic medication used and levodopa equivalent daily dose between men and women with early Parkinson disease enrolled in a large multicenter study of Creatine as a potential disease modifying therapy - the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Exploratory Trials in Parkinson Disease Long-Term Study-1. Baseline data of 1,741 participants from 45 participating sites were analyzed. Participants from the United States and Canada were enrolled within five years of Parkinson Disease diagnosis. Two outcome variables were studied: type of dopaminergic medication used and levodopa equivalent daily dose at baseline in the Long-Term Study-1. Chi-square statistic and linear regression models were used for statistical analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of use of different types of dopaminergic medications at baseline between men and women with Parkinson Disease. A small but statistically significant difference was observed in the median unadjusted levodopa equivalent daily dose at baseline between women (300 mg) and men (325 mg), but this was not observed after controlling for disease duration (years since Parkinson disease diagnosis), disease severity (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor and Activities of Daily Living Scores), and body weight. In this large multicenter study, we did not observe sex differences in the type and dose of dopaminergic medications used in early Parkinson Disease. Further research is needed to evaluate the influence of male or female sex on use of dopaminergic medication in mid- and late-stage Parkinson Disease.

Transcriptomic analysis of two Beauveria bassiana strains grown on cuticle extracts of the silkworm uncovers their different metabolic response at early infection stage.

PubMed

Wang, Jing-Jie; Bai, Wen-Wen; Zhou, Wei; Liu, Jing; Chen, Jie; Liu, Xiao-Yuan; Xiang, Ting-Ting; Liu, Ren-Hua; Wang, Wen-Hui; Zhang, Bao-Ling; Wan, Yong-Ji

2017-05-01

Beauveria bassiana is an important entomopathogenic fungus which not only widely distributes in the environment but also shows phenotypic diversity. However, the mechanism of pathogenic differences among natural B. bassiana strains has not been revealed at transcriptome-wide level. In the present study, in order to explore the mechanism, two B. bassiana strains with different pathogenicity were isolated from silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) and selected to analyze the gene expression of early stage by culturing on cuticle extracts of the silkworm and using RNA-sequencing technique. A total of 2108 up-regulated and 1115 down-regulated genes were identified in B. bassiana strain GXsk1011 (hyper-virulent strain) compared with B. bassiana strain GXtr1009 (hypo-virulent strain), respectively. The function categorization of differential expressed genes (DEGs) showed that most of them involved in metabolic process, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, catalytic activity, and some involved in nutrition uptake, adhesion and host defense were also noted. Based on our data, distinct pathogenicity among different strains of B. bassiana may largely attribute to unique gene expression pattern which differed at very early infection process. Most of the genes involved in conidia adhesion, cuticle degradation and fungal growth were up-regulated in hyper-virulent B. bassiana strain GXsk1011. Furthermore, in combination with fungal growth analysis, our research provided a clue that fungal growth may also play an important role during early infection process. The results will help to explain why different B. bassiana strains show distinct pathogenicity on the same host even under same condition. Moreover, the transcriptome data were also useful for screening potential virulence factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex differences in genetic and environmental contributions to alcohol consumption from early adolescence to young adulthood.

PubMed

Seglem, Karoline B; Waaktaar, Trine; Ask, Helga; Torgersen, Svenn

2016-07-01

To estimate genetic and environmental contributions to alcohol consumption from early adolescence to young adulthood, and test whether gender moderates these effects. Longitudinal twin cohort design. Population-based sample from Norway. A total of 2862 male and female twins, aged 14-22 years, were assessed at one (n = 881), two (n = 898) or three (n = 1083) occasions. The percentage of females was between 56 and 63 in the different age groups (in the different waves). Alcohol consumption was measured by two questionnaire items about frequency of alcohol use and frequency of being drunk. Additive genetic effects showed low to moderate contributions [proportion estimate, 95% confidence interval (CI) = range from 0.03 (0.00-0.14) to 0.49 (0.37-0.59) in males and from 0.09 (0.00-0.57) to 0.41 (0.24-0.58) in females] from adolescence to young adulthood, while environmental influences shared by twin pairs and contributing to twin similarity were moderate to highly influential during this developmental period [proportion estimate, 95% CI = range from 0.04 (0.00-0.13) to 0.45 (0.26-0.60) in males for shared environment in common with females, from 0.25 (0.09-0.42) to 0.54 (0.06-0.78) for shared environment specific to males and from 0.36 (0.20-0.52) to 0.51 (0.37-0.71) in females]. There was evidence of qualitative sex differences with shared environmental influences being largely sex-specific from middle adolescence onwards. Alcohol consumption from early adolescence to young adulthood appears to be influenced to a small to moderate degree by genetic factors and to a moderate to high degree by shared environmental factors (e.g. rearing influences, shared friends). The shared environmental factors influencing alcohol consumption appear to be largely gender-specific. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

The Articular Morphology of the First Carpometacarpal Joint Does Not Differ between Men and Women, but Changes with Aging and Early Stage Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Halilaj, Eni; Moore, Douglas C.; Laidlaw, David H.; Got, Christopher J.; Weiss, Arnold-Peter C.; Ladd, Amy L.; Crisco, Joseph J.

2014-01-01

The increased prevalence of thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis (OA) in women has been previously linked to the articular morphology of the trapezium. However, studies report conflicting results on how the articular shapes of male and female trapezia compare to one another, mainly because their findings are based on data from older cadaver specimens. The purpose of this in vivo study was to dissociate the effect of sex from that of aging and early OA by using cohorts of healthy young and healthy older subjects, as well as patients with early stage OA. Computed tomography scans from 68 healthy subjects and 87 arthritic subjects were used to obtain 3-D bone models. The trapezial and metacarpal articular surfaces were manually delineated on scaled bone models, to remove the effect of size, and then were compared between sex, age, and health groups by using polar histograms of curvature and average curvature values. We found no sex differences, but significant age-group and health-group differences, in the articular surfaces of both bones. The older healthy subjects had higher curvature in the concave and lower curvature in the convex directions of both the trapezial and metacarpal saddles than the healthy young subjects. Subjects with early OA had significantly different metacarpal and trapezial articular shapes from healthy subjects. These findings suggest that aging and OA affect the articular shape of the CMC joint, but that, in contrast to previously held beliefs, inherent sex differences are not responsible for the higher incidence of CMC OA in women. PMID:24909332

Early-Type Galaxy Star Formation Histories in Different Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzpatrick, Patrick; Graves, G.

2014-01-01

We use very high-S/N stacked spectra of ˜29,000 nearby quiescent early-type galaxies (ETGs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to investigate variations in their star formation histories (SFHs) with environment at fixed position along and perpendicular to the Fundamental Plane (FP). We separate galaxies in the three-dimensional FP space defined by galaxy effective radius Re, central stellar velocity dispersion σ, and surface brightness residual from the FP, ΔIe. We use the SDSS group catalogue of Yang et al. to further separate galaxies into three categories by their “identities” within their respective dark matter halos: central “Brightest Group Galaxies” (BGGs); Satellites; and Isolateds (those which are “most massive” in a dark matter halo with no Satellites). Within each category, we construct high-S/N mean stacked spectra to determine mean singleburst ages, [Fe/H], and [Mg/Fe] based on the stellar population synthesis models of R. Schiavon. This allows us to study variations in the stellar population properties (SPPs) with local group environment at fixed structure (i.e., fixed position in FP-space). We find that the SFHs of quiescent ETGs are almost entirely determined by their structural parameters σ and ΔIe. Any variation with local group environment at fixed structure is only slight: Satellites have the oldest stellar populations, 0.02 dex older than BGGs and 0.04 dex older than Isolateds; BGGs have the highest Fe-enrichments, 0.01 dex higher than Isolateds and 0.02 dex higher than Satellites; there are no differences in Mg-enhancement between BGGs, Isolateds, and Satellites. Our observation that, to zeroth-order, the SFHs of quiescent ETGs are fully captured by their structures places important qualitative constraints on the degree to which late-time evolutionary processes (those which occur after a galaxy’s initial formation and main star-forming lifetime) can alter their SFHs/structures.

Postnatal BMI changes in children with different birthweights: A trial study for detecting early predictive factors for pediatric obesity

PubMed Central

Nakagawa, Yuichi; Nakanishi, Toshiki; Satake, Eiichiro; Matsushita, Rie; Saegusa, Hirokazu; Kubota, Akira; Natsume, Hiromune; Shibata, Yukinobu; Fujisawa, Yasuko

2018-01-01

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to clarify the degree of early postnatal growth by birthweight and detect early predictive factors for pediatric obesity. Body mass index (BMI) and degree of obesity were examined in children in the fourth year of elementary school and second year of junior high school. Their BMI at birth and three years of age were also examined. Based on birthweight, participants were divided into three groups: low (< 2500 g), middle (2500–3500 g), and high (> 3500 g). Furthermore, according to the degree of obesity, they were divided into two groups: obese (20% ≤) and non-obese (20% >). The change of BMI from birth to three years of age (ΔBMI) showed a strong inverse relationship with birthweight and was significantly different among the three birthweight groups (low > middle > high). The ΔBMI and BMI at three years of age were higher in obese than in non-obese children and showed significant positive correlations with the degree of obesity. Early postnatal growth might be determined by birthweight and was higher in obese than in non-obese children. The ΔBMI from birth to three years of age and BMI at age of three years could be predictive factors for pediatric obesity. PMID:29403153

Emotional Development among Early School-Age Children: Gender Differences in the Role of Problem Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maguire, Lisa K.; Niens, Ulrike; McCann, Mark; Connolly, Paul

2016-01-01

There has been an increasing focus on social and emotional development in educational programmes in early childhood as both variables are believed to influence behavioural outcomes in the classroom. However, relationships between social and emotional development and behaviour in early childhood have rarely been explored. This article sets out to…

Synchronisms between bud and cambium phenology in black spruce: early-flushing provenances exhibit early xylem formation.

PubMed

Perrin, Magali; Rossi, Sergio; Isabel, Nathalie

2017-05-01

Bud and cambial phenology represent the adaptation of species to the local environment that allows the growing season to be maximized while minimizing the risk of frost for the developing tissues. The temporal relationship between the apical and radial meristems can help in the understanding of tree growth as a whole process. The aim of this study was to compare cambial phenology in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) provenances classified as early and late bud flushing. The different phases of cambial phenology were assessed on wood microcores sampled weekly from April to October in 2014 and 2015 from 61 trees growing in a provenance trial in Quebec, Canada. Trees showing an early bud flush also exhibited early reactivation of xylem differentiation, although an average difference of 12 days for buds corresponded to small although significant differences of 4 days for xylem. Provenances with early bud flush had an early bud set and completed xylem formation earlier than late bud flush provenances. No significant difference in the period of xylem formation and total growth was observed between the flushing classes. Our results demonstrate that the ecotype differentiation of black spruce provenances represented by the phenological adaptation of buds to the local climate corresponds to specific growth dynamics of the xylem. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Dimensions of personality, attachment style and early maladaptive schemas in alcohol-dependent patients: Are there gender-specific differences?

PubMed

Camart, N; Cotte, M; Leignel, S; Bouvet, C; Limosin, F

2016-12-01

Literature reports particularities in certain psychological dimensions, such as personality traits, early maladaptive schemas and attachment styles among patients dependent on alcohol. Several international studies have also emphasized significant gender differences in psychological profiles. However, in France, only a few studies have dealt with this subject. Our aim was on the one hand to study the characteristics of alcohol-dependent patients in these variables, and on the other hand to search for gender differences. The personality dimensions were assessed with the French Big Five Inventory (Fr-BFI), the attachment style with Bartholomew's Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ), and early maladaptive schemas with the short version of Young's questionnaire (YSQ-S1). Seventy-three subjects were included: 39 alcohol-dependent patients (19 men and 20 women) and 34 healthy control subjects (17 men and 17 women). The scores of alcohol-dependent patients were compared with those of a healthy control group (n=34, 17 men, 17 women) and available standards. We also compared the scores of men and women with alcohol dependence between them, and we compared the scores of men and women to those of the control group and those of the reference sample of the same sex. This is an ongoing study and we publish here the first results. Compared with control subjects, and the reference sample, alcohol-dependent patients showed significantly higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of extraversion. Furthermore, differences in attachment styles were observed compared to the control group: alcohol-dependent patients presented a less secure attachment, seemed more fearful and detached, but the results remained within the normal standards. Compared to the control subjects, alcohol-dependent patients showed a significant increase in scores regarding many schemas: emotional deprivation, abandonment, abuse/mistrust, isolation, imperfection, dependence, symbiotic relationship

Anxiety and depression symptoms in women and men from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum: parity differences and effects.

PubMed

Figueiredo, Bárbara; Conde, Ana

2011-07-01

This study aimed to investigate both anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum, comparing women and men and first and second-time parents. A sample of 260 Portuguese couples (N=520), first or second-time parents, recruited in an Obstetrics Out-patients Unit, filled in the State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and the Edinburgh Post-Natal Depression Scale (EPDS) at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pregnancy trimesters, childbirth, and 3-months postpartum. A decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum was found in both women and men, as well as in first and second-time parents. Men presented less anxiety and depression symptoms than women, but the same pattern of symptoms over time. Second-time parents showed more anxiety and depression symptoms than first-time parents and a different pattern of symptoms over time: an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms from the 3rd trimester to childbirth was observed in first-time parents versus a decrease in second-time parents. The voluntary nature of the participation may have lead to a selection bias; women and men who agreed to participate could be those who presented fewer anxiety and depression symptoms. Moreover, the use of self-report symptom measures does not give us the level of possible disorder in participants. Anxiety and depression symptoms diminish from pregnancy to the postpartum period in all parents. Patterns of anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum are similar in women and men, but somewhat different in first and second-time parents. Second-time parents should also be considered while studying and intervening during pregnancy and the postpartum. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early Lactation and Infant Feeding Practices Differ by Maternal Gestational Diabetes History.

PubMed

Oza-Frank, Reena; Moreland, Jennifer J; McNamara, Kelly; Geraghty, Sheela R; Keim, Sarah A

2016-11-01

Detailed data on lactation practices by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) history are lacking, precluding potential explanations and targets for interventions to improve lactation intensity and duration and, ultimately, long-term maternal and child health. This study aimed to examine breastfeeding practices through 12 months postpartum by GDM history. Women who delivered a singleton, liveborn infant at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus, OH), in 2011 completed a postal questionnaire to assess lactation and infant feeding practices and difficulties. Bivariate and multivariate associations between GDM history and lactation and infant feeding practices were examined. The sample included 432 women (62% response rate), including 7.9% who had GDM during the index pregnancy. Women with GDM initiated breastfeeding (at-the-breast or pumping) as often as women without any diabetes but were more likely to report introduction of formula within the first 2 days of life (79.4% vs 53.8%, P < .01; adjusted odds ratio: 3.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.47-8.26). Women with GDM initiated pumping 4 days earlier than women without diabetes ( P < .05), which was confirmed in adjusted analyses. There was no difference in the proportion of women reporting breastfeeding difficulty (odds ratio: 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-5.52). However, there was a trend toward women with GDM reporting more formula feeding and less at-the-breast feeding as strategies to address difficulty compared with women without diabetes. Additional research is needed to understand why women with GDM engage in different early lactation and infant feeding practices, and how best to promote and sustain breastfeeding among these women.

Re-evaluation of the "no differences" hypothesis concerning gay and lesbian parenting as assessed in eight early (1979-1986) and four later (1997-1998) dissertations.

PubMed

Schumm, Walter R

2008-08-01

Academic and policy effects of eight early dissertations on gay and lesbian parenting are discussed with a focus on their having been cited at least 234 times in over 50 literature reviews, beginning with Gottman in 1989 and 1990. Most literature reviews, referencing these eight early dissertations and agreeing with Gottman's early conclusions, have reiterated the theme that parenting by gay men or lesbians has outcomes no different than parenting by heterosexual parents. Here it is proposed that certain potential adverse findings may have been obscured by suppressor effects which could have been evaluated had multivariate analyses been implemented. Further, several adverse findings were detected by reanalyzing data where sufficient information was yet available. Some of the dissertations' results (absent controls for social desirability and other differences between homosexual and heterosexual parents) supported the 2001 "no differences" hypothesis discussed by Stacey and Biblarz. Yet, differences were also observed, including some evidence in more recent dissertations, suggesting that parental sexual orientation might be associated with children's later sexual orientation and adult attachment style, among other outcomes. Odds ratios associated with some of the apparent effects were substantial in magnitude as well as statistically significant. Also, more recent research on gay and lesbian parenting continues to be flawed by many of the same limitations as previous research in this area of study, including overlooked suppressor effects.

Monkey primary somatosensory cortical activity during the early reaction time period differs with cues that guide movements.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Denton, John M; Nelson, Randall J

2008-05-01

Vibration-related neurons in monkey primary somatosensory cortex (SI) discharge rhythmically when vibratory stimuli are presented. It remains unclear how functional information carried by vibratory inputs is coded in rhythmic neuronal activity. In the present study, we compared neuronal activity during wrist movements in response to two sets of cues. In the first, movements were guided by vibratory cue only (VIB trials). In the second, movements were guided by simultaneous presentation of both vibratory and visual cues (COM trials). SI neurons were recorded extracellularly during both wrist extensions and flexions. Neuronal activity during the instructed delay period (IDP) and the early reaction time period (RTP) were analyzed. A total of 96 cases from 48 neurons (each neuron contributed two cases, one each for extension and flexion) showed significant vibration entrainment during the early RTPs, as determined by circular statistics (Rayleigh test). Of these, 50 cases had cutaneous (CUTA) and 46 had deep (DEEP) receptive fields. The CUTA neurons showed lower firing rates during the IDPs and greater firing rate changes during the early RTPs when compared with the DEEP neurons. The CUTA neurons also demonstrated decreases in activity entrainment during VIB trials when compared with COM trials. For the DEEP neurons, the difference of entrainment between VIB and COM trials was not statistically significant. The results suggest that somatic vibratory input is coded by both the firing rate and the activity entrainment of the CUTA neurons in SI. The results also suggest that when vibratory inputs are required for successful task completion, the activity of the CUTA neurons increases but the entrainment degrades. The DEEP neurons may be tuned before movement initiation for processing information encoded by proprioceptive afferents.

Early and middle adolescents' disclosure to parents about activities in different domains.

PubMed

Smetana, Judith G; Villalobos, Myriam; Tasopoulos-Chan, Marina; Gettman, Denise C; Campione-Barr, Nicole

2009-06-01

Disclosure, disclosure strategies, and justifications for nondisclosure for prudential, peer, multifaceted, and personal acts were assessed using a sorting task with 118 lower-middle class early and middle adolescents (Ms=12.77 and 15.68 years). Adolescents were less involved in prudential than other behaviors, although prudential behavior was greater among middle than early adolescents; adolescents disclosed more about prudential and personal than multifaceted and peer behaviors. Nondisclosure was primarily due to concerns about parental disapproval (for prudential acts), claims that acts were personal or not harmful (for personal acts), and their mixture (for peer and multifaceted acts). When concerned about parental disapproval, older adolescents fully disclosed less (and lied somewhat more) than younger adolescents, whereas adolescents primarily avoided discussing the issue when they viewed acts as personal. Full disclosure was associated with better relationships with parents and less depressed mood; lying was associated with more parental behavioral control over personal issues and poorer relationships with fathers.

Genotypic differences in intruder-evoked immediate early gene activation in male, but not female, vasopressin 1b receptor knockout mice.

PubMed

Witchey, Shannah K; Stevenson, Erica L; Caldwell, Heather K

2016-11-24

The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (Avp) modulates social behaviors via its two centrally expressed receptors, the Avp 1a receptor and the Avp 1b receptor (Avpr1b). Recent work suggests that, at least in mice, Avp signaling through Avpr1b within the CA2 region of the hippocampus is critical for normal aggressive behaviors and social recognition memory. However, this brain area is just one part of a larger neural circuit that is likely to be impacted in Avpr1b knockout (-/-) mice. To identify other brain areas that are affected by altered Avpr1b signaling, genotypic differences in immediate early gene activation, i.e. c-FOS and early growth response factor 1 (EGR-1), were quantified using immunocytochemistry following a single exposure to an intruder. In females, no genotypic differences in intruder-evoked c-FOS or EGR-1 immunoreactivity were observed in any of the brain areas measured. In males, while there were no intruder-evoked genotypic differences in c-FOS immunoreactivity, genotypic differences were observed in EGR-1 immunoreactivity within the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the anterior hypothalamus; with Avpr1b -/- males having less EGR-1 immunoreactivity in these regions than controls. These data are the first to identify specific brain areas that may be a part of a neural circuit that includes Avpr1b-expressing cells in the CA2 region of the hippocampus. It is thought that this circuit, when working properly, plays a role in how an animal evaluates its social context.

Early and Middle Adolescents' Disclosure to Parents about Activities in Different Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smetana, Judith G.; Villalobos, Myriam; Tasopoulos-Chan, Marina; Gettman, Denise C.; Campione-Barr, Nicole

2009-01-01

Disclosure, disclosure strategies, and justifications for nondisclosure for prudential, peer, multifaceted, and personal acts were assessed using a sorting task with 118 lower-middle class early and middle adolescents (Ms = 12.77 and 15.68 years). Adolescents were less involved in prudential than other behaviors, although prudential behavior was…

Independent controls for neocortical neuron production and histogenetic cell death

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verney, C.; Takahashi, T.; Bhide, P. G.; Nowakowski, R. S.; Caviness, V. S. Jr

2000-01-01

We estimated the proportion of cells eliminated by histogenetic cell death during the first 2 postnatal weeks in areas 1, 3 and 40 of the mouse parietal neocortex. For each layer and for the subcortical white matter in each neocortical area, the number of dying cells per mm(2) was calculated and the proportionate cell death for each day of the 2-week interval was estimated. The data show that cell death proceeds essentially uniformly across the neocortical areas and layers and that it does not follow either the spatiotemporal gradient of cell cycle progression in the pseudostratified ventricular epithelium of the cerebral wall, the source of neocortical neurons, or the 'inside-out' neocortical neuronogenetic sequence. Therefore, we infer that the control mechanisms of neocortical histogenetic cell death are independent of mechanisms controlling neuronogenesis or neuronal migration but may be associated with the ingrowth, expansion and a system-wide matching of neuronal connectivity. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Comparison of salivary cortisol, heart rate, and oxygen saturation between early skin-to-skin contact with different initiation and duration times in healthy, full-term infants.

PubMed

Takahashi, Yuki; Tamakoshi, Koji; Matsushima, Miyoko; Kawabe, Tsutomu

2011-03-01

There are few studies that compare the physiological and biological efficacies between different early skin-to-skin contacts (SSC) post birth. To investigate physiologically and biochemically how early SSC with different initiation and duration time influence the stress post birth for full-term infants. Non-experimental study. Study I; Thirty-two infants who began SSC 5 min or less [birth SSC, mean initiation time (standard deviation): 1.6 (1.1) min] after birth and 36 infants who did so more than 5 min [very early SSC, 26.3 (5.0) min] in heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) analysis. Study II; Eighteen infants who underwent SSC for 60 min or less [mean initiation time: 7.5 (12.2) min] and 61 infants who did so for more than 60 min [15.3 (12.5) min] in salivary cortisol analysis. HR and SpO(2) measured for 30 min post birth. Salivary cortisol concentration measured at 1 min, 60 min, and 120 min post birth. Birth SSC group reached HR stability of 120-160 bpm significantly faster than very early SSC group by Kaplan-Meier analysis (P=0.001 by log-rank test). As for SpO(2) stability of 92% and 96%, no significantly between-group difference was found. Salivary cortisol levels were significantly lower between 60 and 120 min after birth in SSC group, continuing for more than 60 min compared with SSC group for 60 min or less after adjustment for salivary cortisol level at 1 min besides the infant stress factors (P=0.046). Earlier SSC beginning within 5 min post birth and longer SSC continuing for more than 60 min within 120 min post birth are beneficial for stability of cardiopulmonary dynamics and the reduction of infant stress during the early period post birth. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure on Early Sexual Behavior: Gender Difference in Externalizing Behavior as a Mediator

PubMed Central

Min, Meeyoung O.; Minnes, Sonia; Lang, Adelaide; Yoon, Susan; Singer, Lynn T.

2015-01-01

Background Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with increased risk for externalizing behavior problems; childhood externalizing behavior problems are linked with subsequent early sexual behavior. The present study examined the effects of PCE on early sexual initiation (sexual intercourse prior to age 15) and whether externalizing behavior in preadolescence mediated the relationship. Methods Three hundred fifty-four (180 PCE and 174 non-cocaine exposed; 192 girls, 142 boys), primarily African-American, low socioeconomic status, 15-year old adolescents participated in a prospective longitudinal study. Adolescents’ sexual behavior was assessed at 15 years using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Externalizing behavior was assessed at 12 years using the Youth Self-Report. Results Logistic regression models indicated that adolescents with PCE (n=69, 38%) were 2.2 times more likely (95% CI= 1.2 – 4.1, p < .01) to engage in early sexual intercourse than non-exposed peers (n=49, 28%) controlling for covariates. This relationship was fully mediated by self-reported externalizing behavior in girls but not in boys, suggesting childhood externalizing behavior as a gender moderated mediator. Blood lead level during preschool years was also related to a greater likelihood of early sexual intercourse (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.4 – 4.7, p < .002). Greater parental monitoring decreased the likelihood of early sexual intercourse, while violence exposure increased the risk. Conclusions PCE is related to early sexual intercourse, and externalizing behavior problems mediate PCE effects in female adolescents. Interventions targeting externalizing behavior may reduce early sexual initiation and thereby reduce HIV risk behaviors and early, unplanned pregnancy in girls with PCE. PMID:26088698

Effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on early sexual behavior: Gender difference in externalizing behavior as a mediator.

PubMed

Min, Meeyoung O; Minnes, Sonia; Lang, Adelaide; Yoon, Susan; Singer, Lynn T

2015-08-01

Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with increased risk for externalizing behavior problems; childhood externalizing behavior problems are linked with subsequent early sexual behavior. The present study examined the effects of PCE on early sexual initiation (sexual intercourse prior to age 15) and whether externalizing behavior in preadolescence mediated the relationship. Three hundred fifty-four (180 PCE and 174 non-cocaine exposed; 192 girls, 142 boys), primarily African-American, low socioeconomic status, 15-year-old adolescents participated in a prospective longitudinal study. Adolescents' sexual behavior was assessed at 15 years using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Externalizing behavior was assessed at 12 years using the Youth Self-Report. Logistic regression models indicated that adolescents with PCE (n=69, 38%) were 2.2 times more likely (95% CI=1.2-4.1, p<.01) to engage in early sexual intercourse than non-exposed peers (n=49, 28%) controlling for covariates. This relationship was fully mediated by self-reported externalizing behavior in girls but not in boys, suggesting childhood externalizing behavior as a gender moderated mediator. Blood lead level during preschool years was also related to a greater likelihood of early sexual intercourse (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.4-4.7, p<.002). Greater parental monitoring decreased the likelihood of early sexual intercourse, while violence exposure increased the risk. PCE is related to early sexual intercourse, and externalizing behavior problems mediate PCE effects in female adolescents. Interventions targeting externalizing behavior may reduce early sexual initiation and thereby reduce HIV risk behaviors and early, unplanned pregnancy in girls with PCE. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

RBE of Energetic Iron Ions for the Induction of Early and Late Chromosome Aberrations in Different Cell Types

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Ye; Yeshitla, Samrawit; Hada, Megumi; Kadhim, Munira; Wilson, Bobby; Wu, Honglu

2014-01-01

Numerous published studies have reported the RBE values for chromosome chromosomes induced by charged particles of different LET. The RBE for chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes exposed ex vivo showed a similar relationship as the quality factor for cancer induction. Consequently, increased chromosome aberrations in the astronauts' white blood cells post long-duration missions are used to determine the biological doses from exposures to space radiation. The RBE value is known to be very different for different types of cancer. Previously, we reported that the RBE for initial chromosome damages was high in human lymphocytes exposed to Fe ions. After multiple cell divisions post irradiation, the RBE was significantly smaller. To test the hypothesis that the RBE values for chromosome aberrations are different between early and late damages and also different between different cell types, we exposed human lymphocytes ex vivo, and human fibroblast cells and human mammary epithelial cells in vitro to 600 MeV/u Fe ions. Post irradiation, the cells were collected at first mitosis, or cultured for multiple generations for collections of remaining or late arising chromosome aberrations. The chromosome aberrations were quantified using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with whole chromosome specific probes. This study attempts to offer an explanation for the varying RBE values for different cancer types.

CHANGES IN SERUM HOMOCYSTEINE LEVEL FOLLOW TWO DIFFERENT TRENDS IN PATIENTS DURING EARLY POST MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PERIOD

PubMed Central

Valjevac, Amina; Džubur, Alen; Nakaš-Ićindić, Emina; Hadžović-Džuvo, Almira; Zaćiragić, Asija; Lepara, Orhan; Arslanagić, Amila

2009-01-01

The evolution of homocysteine (Hcy) changes after acute myocardial infarction is still not elucidated. Serum Hcy concentration has been shown to increase between acute and convalescent period after myocardial infarction and stroke, Also a decrease in serum Hcy during acute phase was observed, It is still not clear whether the Hcy is a culprit or an innocent bystander in cardiovascular diseases, Addressing the discrepancies in Hcy changes in patients with acute myocardial infarction might give insight in Hcy role in cardiovascular diseases and offer implications both for the clinical interpretation and patients risk stratification, The aim of the study was to evaluate serum Hcy concentration changes during early post myocardial infarction, The study included 55 patients with AMI from the Clinics for Heart Diseases and Rheumatism at University of Sarajevo Clinics Centre, For Hcy analysis blood was collected on day 2 and 5 after the AMI onset, Serum Hcy concentration was determined quantitatively with fluorescent polarisation immunoassay on AxSYM system, Cluster analysis revealed two groups ofAMI patients with different trends of serum Hcy changes, Increase in serum Hcy concentration was observed in 33 (60,0%) patients (AMI 1 group), while in 22 (40,0%) patients a decrease was observed (AMI 2 group), On day 2, patients in AMI 2 group had significantly higher mean Hcy concentration compared to AMI 1 group of patients (15,27±0,96 and 11,59±0,61 μmol/L p<0,05), On day 5, no significant difference in mean Hcy level between AMI 1 and AMI 2 group of patients was observed (14,86±1,1 vs, 12,75±0,74 μmol/L respectively), Significant differences between AMI 1 and AMI 2 patients were observed in VLDLC levels and CK-MB activity on day 2, Patients in AMI 1 group had significant increase in platelets count from day 2 to day 5 (230,1±11,6 vs. 244,2±11,0; p<0,05). Our study of serial Hcy changes in patients with AMI revealed two different patterns of Hcy changes in early post

Public-private differences in short-term neonatal outcomes following birth by prelabour caesarean section at early and full term.

PubMed

Adams, Nicole; Gibbons, Kristen S; Tudehope, David

2017-04-01

Prelabour caesarean section (CS) at early term (37 0 -38 6  weeks) is associated with higher rates of adverse short-term neonatal outcomes and higher costs than those performed at full term (39 0 -40 6  weeks). Prelabour CS is more common in private than in public hospitals in Australia, particularly at early term. To evaluate the impact of hospital sector (public or private) and timing of delivery on short-term neonatal outcomes following prelabour CS at term. A retrospective cohort study of 22 954 viable singleton prelabour CS births at term (37 0 -40 6  weeks) at a single centre encompassing co-located public and private hospitals during 1998-2013 was undertaken. Propensity score analysis was used to adjust for confounding differences between sectors. The primary outcome was Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) admission with serious morbidity. Secondary outcomes included respiratory distress, vigorous resuscitation and jaundice. The private hospital performed prelabour CS at over double the rate of the public hospital (33.7% of all private births vs 14.7% public) and more private than public prelabour CSs occurred at early term (66.8% vs 47.9%). Public babies were more than twice as likely as private babies to require admission to NCCU with serious morbidity (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.54, 95% CI 1.77-3.65) but were less likely to need vigorous resuscitation (AOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.45-0.62). Disparities in outcomes between public and private cohorts were accentuated at full term. Despite early-term prelabour CSs occurring more often in the private hospital, public babies had more adverse outcomes and treatment escalations. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Correlates of Bulimia Nervosa: Early Family Mealtime Experiences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Debra A. F.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined relationship of early mealtime experiences to later bulimia in 128 female college students. Found significant group differences among bulimics, nonbulimics, and repeat dieters on early meal experience questionnaire, with bulimic group reporting most negative and unusual experiences. Found significant differences among groups on depression…

Monkey primary somatosensory cortical activity during the early reaction time period differs with cues that guide movements

PubMed Central

Liu, Yu; Denton, John M.; Nelson, Randall J.

2009-01-01

Vibration-related neurons in monkey primary somatosensory cortex (SI) discharge rhythmically when vibratory stimuli are presented. It remains unclear how functional information carried by vibratory inputs is coded in rhythmic neuronal activity. In the present study, we compared neuronal activity during wrist movements in response to two sets of cues. In the first, movements were guided by vibratory cue only (VIB trials). In the second, movements were guided by simultaneous presentation of both vibratory and visual cues (COM trials). SI neurons were recorded extracellularly during both wrist extensions and flexions. Neuronal activity during the instructed delay period (IDP) and the early reaction time period (RTP) were analyzed. A total of 96 cases from 48 neurons (each neuron contributed two cases, one each for extension and flexion) showed significant vibration entrainment during the early RTPs, as determined by circular statistics (Rayleigh test). Of these, 50 cases had cutaneous (CUTA) and 46 had deep (DEEP) receptive fields. The CUTA neurons showed lower firing rates during the IDPs and greater firing rate changes during the early RTPs when compared with the DEEP neurons. The CUTA neurons also demonstrated decreases in activity entrainment during VIB trials when compared with COM trials. For the DEEP neurons, the difference of entrainment between VIB and COM trials was not statistically significant. The results suggest that somatic vibratory input is coded by both the firing rate and the activity entrainment of the CUTA neurons in SI. The results also suggest that when vibratory inputs are required for successful task completion, the activity of the CUTA neurons increases but the entrainment degrades. The DEEP neurons may be tuned before movement initiation for processing information encoded by proprioceptive afferents. PMID:18288475

Social Cognition in Preschoolers: Effects of Early Experience and Individual Differences

PubMed Central

Bulgarelli, Daniela; Molina, Paola

2016-01-01

Social cognition is the way in which people process, remember, and use information in social contexts to explain and predict their own behavior and that of others. Children’s social cognition may be influenced by multiple factors, both external and internal to the child. In the current study, two aspects of social cognition were examined: Theory of Mind and Emotion Understanding. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of type of early care (0–3 years of age), maternal education, parents’ country of birth, and child’s language on the social cognition of 118 Italian preschoolers. To our knowledge, the joint effect of these variables on social cognition has not previously been investigated in the literature. The measures used to collect social cognition and linguistic data were not parent- or teacher-reports, but based on direct assessment of the children through two standardized tests, the Test of Emotion Comprehension and the ToM Storybooks. Relationships among the variables showed a complex pattern. Overall, maternal education and linguistic competence showed a systematic effect on social cognition; the linguistic competence mediated the effect of maternal education. In children who had experienced centre-base care in the first 3 years of life, the effect of maternal education disappeared, supporting the protective role of centre-base care for children with less educated mothers. The children with native and foreign parents did not significantly differ on the social cognition tasks. Limits of the study, possible educational outcomes and future research lines were discussed. PMID:27895605

Beyond Surviving: Gender Differences in Response to Early Sexual Experiences with Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Sally V.

2009-01-01

The aim of this research project was to explore how men and women constructed a sense of self through narrative following an early sexual experience with an adult. Using narrative inquiry methodology, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted in New South Wales, Australia, with 13 women and 9 men ages between 25 and 70. All participants had an early…

Envisioning the Impact of Decisions Made about Early Childhood Professional Development Systems by Different Constituent Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apple, Peggy; McMullen, Mary Benson

2007-01-01

In this article the authors explore the need for early childhood practitioners and scholars to engage in joint problem solving to create and support early childhood education and care (ECEC) professional development systems in which all constituents benefit. Primary constituent groups and principal decision-making bodies are defined and analyzed,…

Adolescent adrenocortical activity and adiposity: differences by sex and exposure to early maternal depression.

PubMed

Ruttle, Paula L; Klein, Marjorie H; Slattery, Marcia J; Kalin, Ned H; Armstrong, Jeffrey M; Essex, Marilyn J

2014-09-01

Prior research has linked either basal cortisol levels or stress-induced cortisol responses to adiposity; however, it remains to be determined whether these distinct cortisol measures exert joint or independent effects. Further, it is unclear how they interact with individual and environmental characteristics to predict adiposity. The present study aims to address whether morning cortisol levels and cortisol responses to a psychosocial stressor independently and/or interactively influence body mass index (BMI) in 218 adolescents (117 female) participating in a longitudinal community study, and whether associations are moderated by sex and exposure to early maternal depression. Reports of maternal depressive symptoms were obtained in infancy and preschool. Salivary cortisol measures included a longitudinal morning cortisol measure comprising sampling points across ages 11, 13, 15, and 18 and measures of stress-induced cortisol responses assessed via the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) at age 18. Lower morning cortisol and higher TSST cortisol reactivity independently predicted higher age 18 BMI. Morning cortisol also interacted with sex and exposure to early maternal depression to predict BMI. Specifically, girls exposed to lower levels of early maternal depression displayed a strong negative morning cortisol-BMI association, and girls exposed to higher levels of maternal depression demonstrated a weaker negative association. Among boys, those exposed to lower levels of maternal depression displayed no association, while those exposed to higher levels of maternal depression displayed a negative morning cortisol-BMI association. Results point to the independent, additive effects of morning and reactive cortisol in the prediction of BMI and suggest that exposure to early maternal depression may exert sexually dimorphic effects on normative cortisol-BMI associations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex Differences in Language Across Early Childhood: Family Socioeconomic Status does not Impact Boys and Girls Equally.

PubMed

Barbu, Stéphanie; Nardy, Aurélie; Chevrot, Jean-Pierre; Guellaï, Bahia; Glas, Ludivine; Juhel, Jacques; Lemasson, Alban

2015-01-01

Child sex and family socioeconomic status (SES) have been repeatedly identified as a source of inter-individual variation in language development; yet their interactions have rarely been explored. While sex differences are the focus of a renewed interest concerning emerging language skills, data remain scarce and are not consistent across preschool years. The questions of whether family SES impacts boys and girls equally, as well as of the consistency of these differences throughout early childhood, remain open. We evaluated consistency of sex differences across SES and age by focusing on how children (N = 262), from 2;6 to 6;4 years old, from two contrasting social backgrounds, acquire a frequent phonological alternation in French - the liaison. By using a picture naming task eliciting the production of obligatory liaisons, we found evidence of sex differences over the preschool years in low-SES children, but not between high-SES boys and girls whose performances were very similar. Low-SES boys' performances were the poorest whereas low-SES girls' performances were intermediate, that is, lower than those of high-SES children of both sexes but higher than those of low-SES boys. Although all children's mastery of obligatory liaisons progressed with age, our findings showed a significant impeding effect of low-SES, especially for boys.

Age-related differences in event-related potentials for early visual processing of emotional faces.

PubMed

Hilimire, Matthew R; Mienaltowski, Andrew; Blanchard-Fields, Fredda; Corballis, Paul M

2014-07-01

With advancing age, processing resources are shifted away from negative emotional stimuli and toward positive ones. Here, we explored this 'positivity effect' using event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants identified the presence or absence of a visual probe that appeared over photographs of emotional faces. The ERPs elicited by the onsets of angry, sad, happy and neutral faces were recorded. We examined the frontocentral emotional positivity (FcEP), which is defined as a positive deflection in the waveforms elicited by emotional expressions relative to neutral faces early on in the time course of the ERP. The FcEP is thought to reflect enhanced early processing of emotional expressions. The results show that within the first 130 ms young adults show an FcEP to negative emotional expressions, whereas older adults show an FcEP to positive emotional expressions. These findings provide additional evidence that the age-related positivity effect in emotion processing can be traced to automatic processes that are evident very early in the processing of emotional facial expressions. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparison between early and late onset breast cancer in Pakistani women undergoing breast conservative therapy: is there any difference?

PubMed

Bhatti, Abu Bakar Hafeez; Jamshed, Aarif; Khan, Amina; Siddiqui, Neelam; Muzaffar, Nargis; Shah, Mazhar Ali

2014-01-01

Early onset breast cancer is associated with poor outcomes but variable results have been reported. It is a significant problem in Pakistani women but remains under reported. Breast conservation plays an important role in surgical management of this younger patient group. The objective of this study was to determine the outcome of breast conservative therapy in patients with early onset breast cancer in our population and compare it with their older counterparts. A review of patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent breast conservation surgery at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital from 1997 to 2009 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups i.e. Group I age ≤ 40 and Group II >40 years. A total of 401 patients with breast cancer were identified in Group I and 405 patients in Group II. Demographics, histopathological findings and receptor status of the two groups were compared. The Chi square test was used for categorical variables. Outcome was assessed on basis of 10 year locoregional recurrence free survival (LRRFS), disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) . For survival analysis Kaplan Meier curves were used and significance was determined using the Log rank test. Cox regression was applied for multivariate analysis. Median follow up was 4.31 (0.1-15.5) years. Median age at presentation was 34.6 years (17-40) and 51.9 years (41-82) for the two groups. Groups were significantly different from each other with respect to grade, receptor status, tumor stage and use of neoadjuvant therapy. No significant difference was present between the two groups for estimated 10 year LRRFS (86% vs 95%) (p=0.1), DFS (70% vs 70%) (p=0.5) and OS (75% vs 63%) (p=0.1). On multivariate analysis, tumor stage was an independent predictor of LRRFS, DFS and OS. Early onset breast cancer is associated with a distinct biology but does not lead to poorer outcomes in our population.

Rich do not rise early: spatio-temporal patterns in the mobility networks of different socio-economic classes

PubMed Central

Hurtado, Rafael G.; Floría, Luis Mario

2016-01-01

We analyse the urban mobility in the cities of Medellín and Manizales (Colombia). Each city is represented by six mobility networks, each one encoding the origin-destination trips performed by a subset of the population corresponding to a particular socio-economic status. The nodes of each network are the different urban locations whereas links account for the existence of a trip between two different areas of the city. We study the main structural properties of these mobility networks by focusing on their spatio-temporal patterns. Our goal is to relate these patterns with the partition into six socio-economic compartments of these two societies. Our results show that spatial and temporal patterns vary across these socio-economic groups. In particular, the two datasets show that as wealth increases the early-morning activity is delayed, the midday peak becomes smoother and the spatial distribution of trips becomes more localized. PMID:27853531

Socio-demographic differences in acculturation and mental health for a sample of 2nd generation/early immigrant Arab Americans.

PubMed

Amer, Mona M; Hovey, Joseph D

2007-10-01

This study examined socio-demographic differences in acculturation patterns among early immigrant and second-generation Arab Americans, using data from 120 participants who completed a Web-based study. Although sex, age, education, and income did not significantly relate to the acculturation process, respondents who were female and those who were married reported greater Arab ethnic identity and religiosity. Striking differences were found based on religious affiliation. Christian patterns of acculturation and mental health were consistent with acculturation theory. For Muslims, however, integration was not associated with better mental health, and religiosity was predictive of better family functioning and less depression. The results of this study suggest unique acculturation patterns for Christian and Muslim subgroups that can better inform future research and mental health service.

Early-Life Telomere Dynamics Differ between the Sexes and Predict Growth in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

PubMed Central

Parolini, Marco; Romano, Andrea; Khoriauli, Lela; Nergadze, Solomon G.; Caprioli, Manuela; Rubolini, Diego; Santagostino, Marco; Saino, Nicola; Giulotto, Elena

2015-01-01

Telomeres are conserved DNA-protein structures at the termini of eukaryotic chromosomes which contribute to maintenance of genome integrity, and their shortening leads to cell senescence, with negative consequences for organismal functions. Because telomere erosion is influenced by extrinsic and endogenous factors, telomere dynamics may provide a mechanistic basis for evolutionary and physiological trade-offs. Yet, knowledge of fundamental aspects of telomere biology under natural selection regimes, including sex- and context-dependent variation in early-life, and the covariation between telomere dynamics and growth, is scant. In this study of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) we investigated the sex-dependent telomere erosion during nestling period, and the covariation between relative telomere length and body and plumage growth. Finally, we tested whether any covariation between growth traits and relative telomere length depends on the social environment, as influenced by sibling sex ratio. Relative telomere length declined on average over the period of nestling maximal growth rate (between 7 and 16 days of age) and differently covaried with initial relative telomere length in either sex. The frequency distribution of changes in relative telomere length was bimodal, with most nestlings decreasing and some increasing relative telomere length, but none of the offspring traits predicted the a posteriori identified group to which individual nestlings belonged. Tail and wing length increased with relative telomere length, but more steeply in males than females, and this relationship held both at the within- and among-broods levels. Moreover, the increase in plumage phenotypic values was steeper when the sex ratio of an individual’s siblings was female-biased. Our study provides evidence for telomere shortening during early life according to subtly different dynamics in either sex. Furthermore, it shows that the positive covariation between growth and relative telomere

Melancholia in later life: late and early onset differences in presentation, course, and dementia risk.

PubMed

Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie; Moxley, Jerad H; Corsentino, Elizabeth; Rushing, Nicole Collins; Sheffler, Julia; Selby, Edward A; Gotlib, Ian; Steffens, David C

2014-09-01

Depression is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. This risk may vary with age of onset and depression subtype. Late onset depression (LOD, 60 years and older) is associated with more cognitive decline, whereas early onset depression (EOD, before 60 years) is associated with more residual depressive symptoms. Potential differences may reflect divergent etiologies. These onset differences, however, have not been examined in the melancholic subtype of depression in older adults. Data were obtained from the Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly study. Participants (N = 284, 73% EOD-melancholic (EOD-M) and 27% LOD-melancholic (LOD-M)) were followed up over 3 years. Factor analyses examined differences in baseline depressive symptoms. Hierarchical linear growth curve models examined changes in depressive symptoms (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) and cognition (mini mental state examination). An annual clinical review panel assigned diagnoses of dementia. The LOD-M participants had more vegetative symptoms at baseline. LOD-M exhibited greater cognitive decline but fewer residual depressive symptoms than EOD-M. Among participants who remained in the study for at least 1 year, in uncontrolled analyses, a greater percentage of LOD-M compared with EOD-M developed dementia (23.0% vs. 7.8%). Whereas in logistic analyses, controlling for baseline demographics, age at onset remained a predictor of dementia, the odds ratio suggested that the effect was relatively small. The EOD-M and LOD-M participants have a different presentation and course. LOD-M may represent a syndrome of neuropsychiatric deterioration with expression of both depressive symptoms and cognitive decline. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Within-litter differences in personality and physiology relate to size differences among siblings in cavies.

PubMed

Guenther, A; Trillmich, F

2015-06-01

Many aspects of an animal's early life potentially contribute to long-term individual differences in physiology and behaviour. From several studies on birds and mammals it is known that the early family environment is one of the most prominent factors influencing early development. Most of these studies were conducted on highly altricial species. Here we asked whether in the highly precocial cavy (Cavia aperea) the size rank within a litter, i.e. whether an individual is born as the heaviest, the lightest or an intermediate sibling, affects personality traits directly after birth and after independence. Furthermore, we investigated whether individual states (early growth, baseline cortisol and resting metabolic rate) differ between siblings of different size ranks and assessed their relation to personality traits. Siblings of the same litter differed in personality traits as early as three days after birth. Pups born heaviest in the litter were more explorative and in general more risk-prone than their smaller siblings. Physiological state variables were tightly correlated with personality traits and also influenced by the size rank within litter, suggesting that the size relative to littermates constitutes an important factor in shaping an individual's developmental trajectory. Our data add valuable information on how personalities are shaped during early phases of life and indicate the stability of developmentally influenced behavioural and physiological traits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Boys and Girls on the Playground: Sex Differences in Social Development Are Not Stable across Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Barbu, Stéphanie; Cabanes, Guénaël; Le Maner-Idrissi, Gaïd

2011-01-01

Sex differences in human social behaviors and abilities have long been a question of public and scientific interest. Females are usually assumed to be more socially oriented and skilful than males. However, despite an extensive literature, the very existence of sex differences remains a matter of discussion while some studies found no sex differences whereas others reported differences that were either congruent or not with gender stereotypes. Moreover, the magnitude, consistency and stability across time of the differences remain an open question, especially during childhood. As play provides an excellent window into children's social development, we investigated whether and how sex differences change in social play across early childhood. Following a cross-sectional design, 164 children aged from 2 to 6 years old, divided into four age groups, were observed during outdoor free play at nursery school. We showed that sex differences are not stable over time evidencing a developmental gap between girls and boys. Social and structured forms of play emerge systematically earlier in girls than in boys leading to subsequent sex differences in favor of girls at some ages, successively in associative play at 3–4 years, cooperative play at 4–5 years, and social interactions with peers at 5–6 years. Preschool boys also display more solitary play than preschool girls, especially when young. Nevertheless, while boys catch up and girls move on towards more complex play, sex differences in social play patterns are reversed in favor of boys at the following ages, such as in associative play at 4–5 years and cooperative play at 5–6 years. This developmental perspective contributes to resolve apparent discrepancies between single-snapshot studies. A better understanding of the dynamics of sex differences in typical social development should also provide insights into atypical social developments which exhibit sex differences in prevalence, such as autism. PMID:21297987

Boys and girls on the playground: sex differences in social development are not stable across early childhood.

PubMed

Barbu, Stéphanie; Cabanes, Guénaël; Le Maner-Idrissi, Gaïd

2011-01-28

Sex differences in human social behaviors and abilities have long been a question of public and scientific interest. Females are usually assumed to be more socially oriented and skillful than males. However, despite an extensive literature, the very existence of sex differences remains a matter of discussion while some studies found no sex differences whereas others reported differences that were either congruent or not with gender stereotypes. Moreover, the magnitude, consistency and stability across time of the differences remain an open question, especially during childhood. As play provides an excellent window into children's social development, we investigated whether and how sex differences change in social play across early childhood. Following a cross-sectional design, 164 children aged from 2 to 6 years old, divided into four age groups, were observed during outdoor free play at nursery school. We showed that sex differences are not stable over time evidencing a developmental gap between girls and boys. Social and structured forms of play emerge systematically earlier in girls than in boys leading to subsequent sex differences in favor of girls at some ages, successively in associative play at 3-4 years, cooperative play at 4-5 years, and social interactions with peers at 5-6 years. Preschool boys also display more solitary play than preschool girls, especially when young. Nevertheless, while boys catch up and girls move on towards more complex play, sex differences in social play patterns are reversed in favor of boys at the following ages, such as in associative play at 4-5 years and cooperative play at 5-6 years. This developmental perspective contributes to resolve apparent discrepancies between single-snapshot studies. A better understanding of the dynamics of sex differences in typical social development should also provide insights into atypical social developments which exhibit sex differences in prevalence, such as autism.

Theory of mind in middle childhood and early adolescence: Different from before?

PubMed

Im-Bolter, Nancie; Agostino, Alba; Owens-Jaffray, Keely

2016-09-01

Studies with preschool children have shown that language and executive function are important for theory of mind, but few studies have examined these associations in older children and in an integrative theory-guided manner. The theory of constructive operators was used as a framework to test a model of relations among mental attentional capacity, attentional inhibition, language, executive processes (shifting and updating), and higher order theory of mind in two groups of school-aged children: one in middle childhood (n=226; mean age=8.08years) and the other in early adolescence (n=216; mean age=12.09years). Results revealed a complex model of interrelations between cognitive resources and language in middle childhood that directly and indirectly predicted theory of mind. The model in early adolescence was less complex, however, and highlighted the importance of semantic language and shifting for theory of mind. Our findings suggest not only that contributors to theory of mind change over time but also that they may depend on the maturity level of the theory of mind system being examined. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in response to a school-based mindfulness training intervention for early adolescents.

PubMed

Kang, Yoona; Rahrig, Hadley; Eichel, Kristina; Niles, Halsey F; Rocha, Tomas; Lepp, Nathaniel E; Gold, Jonathan; Britton, Willoughby B

2018-06-01

Mindfulness training has been used to improve emotional wellbeing in early adolescents. However, little is known about treatment outcome moderators, or individual differences that may differentially impact responses to treatment. The current study focused on gender as a potential moderator for affective outcomes in response to school-based mindfulness training. Sixth grade students (N = 100) were randomly assigned to either the six weeks of mindfulness meditation or the active control group as part of a history class curriculum. Participants in the mindfulness meditation group completed short mindfulness meditation sessions four to five times per week, in addition to didactic instruction (Asian history). The control group received matched experiential activity in addition to didactic instruction (African history) from the same teacher with no meditation component. Self-reported measures of emotional wellbeing/affect, mindfulness, and self-compassion were obtained at pre and post intervention. Meditators reported greater improvement in emotional wellbeing compared to those in the control group. Importantly, gender differences were detected, such that female meditators reported greater increases in positive affect compared to females in the control group, whereas male meditators and control males displayed equivalent gains. Uniquely among females but not males, increases in self-reported self-compassion were associated with improvements in affect. These findings support the efficacy of school-based mindfulness interventions, and interventions tailored to accommodate distinct developmental needs of female and male adolescents. Copyright © 2018 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences in Word Recognition between Early Bilinguals and Monolinguals: Behavioral and ERP Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehtonen, Minna; Hulten, Annika; Rodriguez-Fornells, Antoni; Cunillera, Toni; Tuomainen, Jyrki; Laine, Matti

2012-01-01

We investigated the behavioral and brain responses (ERPs) of bilingual word recognition to three fundamental psycholinguistic factors, frequency, morphology, and lexicality, in early bilinguals vs. monolinguals. Earlier behavioral studies have reported larger frequency effects in bilinguals' nondominant vs. dominant language and in some studies…

Integrating partner professionals. The Early Explorers project: Peers Early Education Partnership and the health visiting service.

PubMed

Barlow, J; Coe, C

2013-01-01

  A range of voluntary sector organizations are involved in the delivery of services to children, particularly within the Early Year's sector and children's centres. Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) Early Explorers project is one example of the way in which explicit partnerships are being forged across statutory and voluntary sectors with the aim of improving outcomes for children and families. This paper reports an exploration of stakeholder views and experiences of two Early Explorer clinics located in areas of high deprivation.   Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of stakeholders (n= 25) from children's centres, PEEP, the health visiting service and service users. Data were fully transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach.   The data suggest that the two key groups of stakeholders providing Early Explorer clinics (i.e. health visitors and PEEP practitioners) had quite different objectives in terms of their early goals for the clinic, but that despite these differences good progress was achieved in terms of working together effectively. All stakeholders including service users referred to the presence of PEEP as having improved the quality of the clinic environment, and participating mothers identified a wide range of benefits from the enhanced service. However, somewhat restricted views about the role of practitioners within the clinics were identified by users, and the findings suggest that although the early goals for the clinic had been exceeded, these may have been limited in terms of true 'partnership' working.   Early Explorer clinics appeared to have enhanced the service provided within traditional child health clinics and to have provided practitioners with access to hard-to-reach families and parents with access to services that are consistent with the broader policy aims of improving parent-infant interaction. However, questions remain as to whether the benefit of 'partnership' working was fully

Twins and non-twin siblings: different estimates of shared environmental influence in early childhood.

PubMed

Koeppen-Schomerus, Gesina; Spinath, Frank M; Plomin, Robert

2003-04-01

Twin studies typically indicate shared environmental influence for cognitive abilities, especially in early childhood. However, across studies, DZ twin correlations tend to be greater than non-twin sibling correlations, suggesting that twin estimates of shared environment are to some extent specific to twins. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of more than 1800 MZ and 1800 same-sex DZ pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), a study of twins born in England and Wales in 1994 and 1995. For this analysis, we obtained comparable data from more than 130 same-sex younger siblings of the twins. Twins and their younger siblings were assessed for language, cognitive abilities and behavior problems by their parents at 2 and 3 years of age. For language and cognitive measures at both 2 and 3 years, but not for behavior problems, estimates of shared environment were more than twice as large for twins as compared to non-twin siblings. We conclude that about half of twin study estimates of shared environment for cognitive abilities in early childhood are specific to twins. Although many possibilities exist for explaining the special shared environment effect for twins, we suggest that cognitive-relevant experiences that are not shared by siblings are shared by twins because they are exactly the same age.

Sex Differences in Brain Thyroid Hormone Levels during Early Post-Hatching Development in Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata).

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Shinji; Hayase, Shin; Aoki, Naoya; Takehara, Akihiko; Ishigohoka, Jun; Matsushima, Toshiya; Wada, Kazuhiro; Homma, Koichi J

2017-01-01

Thyroid hormones are closely linked to the hatching process in precocial birds. Previously, we showed that thyroid hormones in brain had a strong impact on filial imprinting, an early learning behavior in newly hatched chicks; brain 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) peaks around hatching and imprinting training induces additional T3 release, thus, extending the sensitive period for imprinting and enabling subsequent other learning. On the other hand, blood thyroid hormone levels have been reported to increase gradually after hatching in altricial species, but it remains unknown how the brain thyroid hormone levels change during post-hatching development of altricial birds. Here, we determined the changes in serum and brain thyroid hormone levels of a passerine songbird species, the zebra finch using radioimmunoassay. In the serum, we found a gradual increase in thyroid hormone levels during post-hatching development, as well as differences between male and female finches. In the brain, there was clear surge in the hormone levels during development in males and females coinciding with the time of fledging, but the onset of the surge of thyroxine (T4) in males preceded that of females, whereas the onset of the surge of T3 in males succeeded that of females. These findings provide a basis for understanding the functions of thyroid hormones during early development and learning in altricial birds.

Breaking Bread: Spirituality, Food and Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bone, Jane

2005-01-01

The spiritual aspect of early childhood education is supported by the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand, "Te Whariki". Research in three different early childhood settings presents new perspectives on the everyday experiences of children in terms of spirituality. Each setting formed a case study that included the voices…

Early root growth and architecture of fast- and slow-growing Norway spruce (Picea abies) families differ-potential for functional adaptation.

PubMed

Hamberg, Leena; Velmala, Sannakajsa M; Sievänen, Risto; Kalliokoski, Tuomo; Pennanen, Taina

2018-06-01

The relationship between the growth rate of aboveground parts of trees and fine root development is largely unknown. We investigated the early root development of fast- and slow-growing Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) families at a developmental stage when the difference in size is not yet observed. Seedling root architecture data, describing root branching, were collected with the WinRHIZO™ image analysis system, and mixed models were used to determine possible differences between the two growth phenotypes. A new approach was used to investigate the spatial extent of root properties along the whole sample root from the base of 1-year-old seedlings to the most distal part of a root. The root architecture of seedlings representing fast-growing phenotypes showed ~30% higher numbers of root branches and tips, which resulted in larger root extensions and potentially a better ability to acquire nutrients. Seedlings of fast-growing phenotypes oriented and allocated root tips and biomass further away from the base of the seedling than those growing slowly, a possible advantage in nutrient-limited and heterogeneous boreal forest soils. We conclude that a higher long-term growth rate of the aboveground parts in Norway spruce may relate to greater allocation of resources to explorative roots that confers a competitive edge during early growth phases in forest ecosystems.

Does the association between early life growth and later obesity differ by race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status? A systematic review.

PubMed

Andrea, Sarah B; Hooker, Elizabeth R; Messer, Lynne C; Tandy, Thomas; Boone-Heinonen, Janne

2017-09-01

Rapid growth during infancy predicts higher risk of obesity later in childhood. The association between patterns of early life growth and later obesity may differ by race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status (SES), but prior evidence syntheses do not consider vulnerable subpopulations. We systemically reviewed published studies that explored patterns of early life growth (0-24 months of age) as predictors of later obesity (>24 months) that were either conducted in racial/ethnic minority or low-SES study populations or assessed effect modification of this association by race/ethnicity or SES. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed and SocINDEX. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Faster growth during the first 2 years of life was consistently associated with later obesity irrespective of definition and timing of exposure and outcome measures. Associations were strongest in populations composed of greater proportions of racial/ethnic minority and/or low-SES children. For example, ORs ranged from 1.17 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.24) in a heterogeneous population to 9.24 (95% CI: 3.73, 22.9) in an entirely low-SES nonwhite population. The impact of rapid growth in infancy on later obesity may differ by social stratification factors such as race/ethnicity and family income. More robust and inclusive studies examining these associations are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early Childhood Education: Society and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anning, Angela, Ed.; Cullen, Joy, Ed.; Fleer, Marilyn, Ed.

2004-01-01

This book aims to provide research-based evidence that links theory and research to practice in early childhood settings. Different ways of constructing learning in contrasting settings are explored through the analysis of research in early childhood contexts in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The cross-national focus extends the…

General Similarities but Consistent Differences Between Early- and Late-Onset Depression Among Korean Adults Aged 40 and Older.

PubMed

Park, Jee Eun; Sohn, Ji Hoon; Seong, Su Jeong; Suk, Hye Won; Cho, Maeng Je

2015-08-01

Differences in clinical characteristics, symptomatology, and psychiatric comorbidity between early-onset depression (EOD) and late-onset depression (LOD) were examined in a nationwide representative sample. The Korean Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to investigate psychiatric diagnoses and age of onset. A total of 319 subjects aged 40 years and older with a current major depressive disorder (MDD) were included, and both a continuous and a dichotomous (40 years) age-of-onset indicator were used in the analyses. Despite general similarities between groups, EOD was related to chronic (recurrent and longer episode) and severe (higher lifetime suicidality) clinical features. Hypersomnia and suicidal plans/attempts were associated with EOD, whereas anhedonia was related to LOD. Lifetime generalized anxiety disorder was associated with EOD, whereas dysthymic disorder was related with higher age of MDD onset. This study provides additional evidence of consistent differences between EOD and LOD among middle-aged and older Asians.

A Prospective Birth Cohort Study on Early Childhood Lead Levels and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: New Insight on Sex Differences.

PubMed

Ji, Yuelong; Hong, Xiumei; Wang, Guoying; Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Riley, Anne W; Lee, Li-Ching; Surkan, Pamela J; Bartell, Tami R; Zuckerman, Barry; Wang, Xiaobin

2018-05-08

To investigate the prospective associations between early childhood lead exposure and subsequent risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood and its potential effect modifiers. We analyzed data from 1479 mother-infant pairs (299 ADHD, 1180 neurotypical) in the Boston Birth Cohort. The child's first blood lead measurement and physician-diagnosed ADHD was obtained from electronic medical records. Graphic plots and multiple logistic regression were used to examine dose-response associations between lead exposure and ADHD and potential effect modifiers, adjusting for pertinent covariables. We found that 8.9% of the children in the Boston Birth Cohort had elevated lead levels (5-10 µg/dL) in early childhood, which was associated with a 66% increased risk of ADHD (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.08-2.56). Among boys, the association was significantly stronger (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.46-4.26); in girls, the association was largely attenuated (P value for sex-lead interaction = .017). The OR of ADHD associated with elevated lead levels among boys was reduced by one-half if mothers had adequate high-density lipoprotein levels compared with low high-density lipoprotein, or if mothers had low stress compared with high stress during pregnancy. Elevated early childhood blood lead levels increased the risk of ADHD. Boys were more vulnerable than girls at a given lead level. This risk of ADHD in boys was reduced by one-half if the mother had adequate high-density lipoprotein levels or low stress. These findings shed new light on the sex difference in ADHD and point to opportunities for early risk assessment and primary prevention of ADHD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex Differences in Language Across Early Childhood: Family Socioeconomic Status does not Impact Boys and Girls Equally

PubMed Central

Barbu, Stéphanie; Nardy, Aurélie; Chevrot, Jean-Pierre; Guellaï, Bahia; Glas, Ludivine; Juhel, Jacques; Lemasson, Alban

2015-01-01

Child sex and family socioeconomic status (SES) have been repeatedly identified as a source of inter-individual variation in language development; yet their interactions have rarely been explored. While sex differences are the focus of a renewed interest concerning emerging language skills, data remain scarce and are not consistent across preschool years. The questions of whether family SES impacts boys and girls equally, as well as of the consistency of these differences throughout early childhood, remain open. We evaluated consistency of sex differences across SES and age by focusing on how children (N = 262), from 2;6 to 6;4 years old, from two contrasting social backgrounds, acquire a frequent phonological alternation in French – the liaison. By using a picture naming task eliciting the production of obligatory liaisons, we found evidence of sex differences over the preschool years in low-SES children, but not between high-SES boys and girls whose performances were very similar. Low-SES boys’ performances were the poorest whereas low-SES girls’ performances were intermediate, that is, lower than those of high-SES children of both sexes but higher than those of low-SES boys. Although all children’s mastery of obligatory liaisons progressed with age, our findings showed a significant impeding effect of low-SES, especially for boys. PMID:26696938

Sex differences in depression-like behavior after nerve injury are associated with differential changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in mice subjected to early life stress.

PubMed

Nishinaka, Takashi; Kinoshita, Megumi; Nakamoto, Kazuo; Tokuyama, Shogo

2015-04-10

We recently demonstrated that exposure to early life stress exacerbates nerve injury-induced thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in adult male and female mice. Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic pain causes emotional dysfunction, such as anxiety and depression. In the present study, we investigated the impact of early life stress on depression-like behavior after nerve injury in mice. In addition, we examined the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. Early life stress was induced by maternal separation between 2 and 3 weeks of age combined with social isolation after weaning (MSSI). At 9 weeks of age, the sciatic nerve was partially ligated to elicit neuropathic pain. Depression-like behavior was evaluated using the forced swim test at 12 weeks of age. Tissue samples from different regions of the brain were collected at the end of maternal separation (3 weeks of age) or after the forced swim test (12 weeks of age). At 12 weeks of age, immobility time in the forced swim test was increased only in MSSI-stressed female mice with nerve injury. BDNF expression was increased in male, but not female, MSSI-stressed mice at 3 weeks of age. However, MSSI stress did not impact BDNF expression in male or female mice at 12 weeks of age. Our findings suggest that exposure to early life stress exacerbates emotional dysfunction induced by neuropathic pain in a sex-dependent manner. Changes in BDNF expression after early life stress may be associated with neuropathic pain-induced depression-like behavior in adulthood. Furthermore, sex differences in BDNF expression after exposure to early life stress may contribute to sex-specific susceptibility to neuropathic pain-induced emotional dysfunction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employment and educational outcomes in early intervention programmes for early psychosis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Bond, G R; Drake, R E; Luciano, A

2015-10-01

Young adults with early psychosis want to pursue normal roles - education and employment. This paper summarises the empirical literature on the effectiveness of early intervention programmes for employment and education outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of employment/education outcomes for early intervention programmes, distinguishing three programme types: (1) those providing supported employment, (2) those providing unspecified vocational services and (3) those without vocational services. We summarised findings for 28 studies. Eleven studies evaluated early intervention programmes providing supported employment. In eight studies that reported employment outcomes separately from education outcomes, the employment rate during follow-up for supported employment patients was 49%, compared with 29% for patients receiving usual services. The two groups did not differ on enrolment in education. In four controlled studies, meta-analysis showed that the employment rate for supported employment participants was significantly higher than for control participants, odds ratio = 3.66 [1.93-6.93], p < 0.0001. Five studies (four descriptive and one quasi-experimental) of early intervention programmes evaluating unspecified vocational services were inconclusive. Twelve studies of early intervention programmes without vocational services were methodologically heterogeneous, using diverse methods for evaluating vocational/educational outcomes and precluding a satisfactory meta-analytic synthesis. Among studies with comparison groups, 7 of 11 (64%) reported significant vocational/education outcomes favouring early intervention over usual services. In early intervention programmes, supported employment moderately increases employment rates but not rates of enrolment in education. These improvements are in addition to the modest effects early programmes alone have on vocational/educational outcomes compared with usual services.

Effects of early life abuse differ across development: Infant social behavior deficits are followed by adolescent depressive-like behaviors mediated by the amygdala

PubMed Central

Raineki, Charlis; Cortés, Millie Rincón; Belnoue, Laure; Sullivan, Regina M.

2012-01-01

Abuse during early life, especially from the caregiver, increases vulnerability to develop later life psychopathologies such as depression. Although signs of depression are typically not expressed until later life, signs of dysfunctional social behavior have been found earlier. How infant abuse alters the trajectory of brain development to produce pathways to pathology is not completely understood. Here we address this question using two different but complementary rat models of early-life abuse from postnatal days (PN) 8–12: a naturalistic paradigm, where the mother is provided with insufficient bedding for nest building and a more controlled paradigm, where infants undergo olfactory classical conditioning. Amygdala neural assessment (c-Fos), as well as social behavior and forced swim tests were performed at preweaning (PN20) and adolescence (PN45). Our results show that both models of early life abuse induce deficits in social behavior, even during the preweaning period; however, depressive-like behaviors were observed only during adolescence. Adolescent depressive-like behavior corresponds with an increase in amygdala neural activity in response to forced swim test. A causal relationship between the amygdala and depressive-like behavior was suggested through amygdala temporary deactivation (muscimol infusions), which rescued the depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Our results indicate that social behavior deficits in infancy could serve as an early marker for later psychopathology. Moreover, the implication of the amygdala in the ontogeny of depressive-like behaviors in infant abused animals is an important step toward understanding the underlying mechanisms of later life mental disease associated with early-life abuse. PMID:22649253

Grant Success for Early-Career Faculty in Patient-Oriented Research: Difference-in-Differences Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary Mentored Research Training Program.

PubMed

Libby, Anne M; Hosokawa, Patrick W; Fairclough, Diane L; Prochazka, Allan V; Jones, Pamela J; Ginde, Adit A

2016-12-01

Since 2004, the Clinical Faculty Scholars Program (CFSP) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has provided intensive interdisciplinary mentoring and structured training for early-career clinical faculty from multiple disciplines conducting patient-oriented clinical and outcomes research. This study evaluated the two-year program's effects by comparing grant outcomes for CFSP participants and a matched comparison cohort of other junior faculty. Using 2000-2011 institutional grant and employment data, a cohort of 25 scholars was matched to a cohort of 125 comparison faculty (using time in rank and pre-period grant dollars awarded). A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design was used to identify the CFSP effect on grant outcomes. Grant outcomes were measured by counts and dollars of grant proposals and awards as principal investigator. Outcomes were compared within cohorts over time (pre- vs. post-period) and across cohorts. From pre- to post-period, mean annual counts and dollars of grant awards increased significantly for both cohorts, but mean annual dollars increased significantly more for the CFSP than for the comparison cohort (delta $83,427 vs. $27,343, P < .01). Mean annual counts of grant proposals also increased significantly more for the CFSP than for the comparison cohort: 0.42 to 2.34 (delta 1.91) versus 0.77 to 1.07 (delta 0.30), P < .01. Institutional investment in mentored research training for junior faculty provided significant grant award gains that began after one year of CFSP participation and persisted over time. The CFSP is a financially sustainable program with effects that are predictable, significant, and enduring.

Associations of Early and Late Gestational Weight Gain with Infant Birth Size.

PubMed

Wander, Pandora L; Sitlani, Colleen M; Badon, Sylvia E; Siscovick, David S; Williams, Michelle A; Enquobahrie, Daniel A

2015-11-01

Associations of gestational weight gain (GWG) during specific periods of pregnancy with infant birth size have been inconsistent. Infant sex-specific differences in these associations are unknown Information on GWG (kg) [total, early (<20 weeks gestation), and late (≥20 weeks gestation)] and indices of infant birth size including birthweight (BW), ponderal index (PI), crown-heel length (CHL), and head circumference (HC) was collected from 3,621 pregnant women. We calculated adjusted mean differences and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) relating total, early and late GWG to infant birth size using multivariable linear regression procedures. We used stratified analyses and interaction terms to test whether associations differed by infant sex. One-kg increases in total, early or late GWG were associated with BW increases of 17.2 g (95 % CI 13.8-18.9), 14.1 g (95 % CI 10.3-18.0), and 21.0 g (95 % CI 16.7-25.4), respectively. Early GWG-BW and late GWG-BW associations were different (p = 0.026). Sex-stratified total GWG-BW associations were similar to overall results. There were sex-specific differences in early GWG-BW and late GWG-BW associations. Among females, early GWG-BW (12.0 g, 95 % CI 6.7-17.2) and late GWG-BW (24.2 g, 95 % CI 18.2-30.3) associations differed (p = 0.0042); the corresponding associations did not differ among males. Total, early, and late GWG were associated with CHL and HC, but not with PI. Associations did not differ for early or late GWG. For comparable GWG, late-GWG-related BW increase is greater than early-GWG-related BW increase, particularly among female infants.

Effects of Different Doses of Irbesartan Combined With Spironolactone on Urinary Albumin Excretion Rate in Elderly Patients With Early Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy.

PubMed

Chen, Yingying; Liu, Peng; Chen, Xia; Li, Yanan; Zhang, Fengmei; Wang, Yangang

2018-05-01

There is a lack of research on the effect of low dose of angiotensin receptor blockers combined with spironolactone, and the effect of high dose of angiotensin receptor blockers alone on the urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) in elderly patients with early type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN). We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled study that included 244 elderly patients with early DN and mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. Patients were randomly divided into 4 groups: low-dose irbesartan (group A), high-dose irbesartan (group B), low-dose irbesartan combined with spironolactone (group C) and high-dose irbesartan combined with spironolactone (group D). Changes in UAER, serum potassium and blood pressure were compared. There were no statistical differences in the baseline characteristics among groups. Furthermore, no significant difference in blood pressure before and after treatment was found among different groups. After 72-week treatment, UAER in group D was lower compared to group A and B (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, compared with group B, UAER in group C decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Additionally, significantly higher serum potassium was found in group D compared to other groups (P < 0.05). Also, group D had the highest count of patients who withdrew from the study due to hyperkalemia compared to other groups (P < 0.05). Our results indicate high-dose irbesartan combined with spironolactone may be more efficient in reducing UAER in elderly patients with early DN, but this treatment could cause hyperkalemia. Low-dose irbesartan combined with spironolactone was shown to be safer and more effective in decreasing UAER compared to high-dose irbesartan. Copyright © 2018 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parent-Practitioner Partnerships in Early Childhood Provision in England, Hungary and Kazakhstan: Similarities and Differences in Discourses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Jane; Teszenyi, Eleonora; Varga, Anikó Nagy; Pálfi, Sándor; Tajiyeva, Marzhan; Iskakova, Aigul

2018-01-01

Whilst international policymakers have reached consensus on the importance of investing in early childhood development and increasingly monitor that investment using standardized measurement, the nature and rationale of early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision remain diverse. In the context of that disparity, this article explores an…

Differences in the genetic control of early egg development and reproduction between C. elegans and its parthenogenetic relative D. coronatus.

PubMed

Kraus, Christopher; Schiffer, Philipp H; Kagoshima, Hiroshi; Hiraki, Hideaki; Vogt, Theresa; Kroiher, Michael; Kohara, Yuji; Schierenberg, Einhard

2017-01-01

The free-living nematode Diploscapter coronatus is the closest known relative of Caenorhabditis elegans with parthenogenetic reproduction. It shows several developmental idiosyncracies, for example concerning the mode of reproduction, embryonic axis formation and early cleavage pattern (Lahl et al. in Int J Dev Biol 50:393-397, 2006). Our recent genome analysis (Hiraki et al. in BMC Genomics 18:478, 2017) provides a solid foundation to better understand the molecular basis of developmental idiosyncrasies in this species in an evolutionary context by comparison with selected other nematodes. Our genomic data also yielded indications for the view that D. coronatus is a product of interspecies hybridization. In a genomic comparison between D. coronatus , C. elegans , other representatives of the genus Caenorhabditis and the more distantly related Pristionchus pacificus and Panagrellus redivivus , certain genes required for central developmental processes in C. elegans like control of meiosis and establishment of embryonic polarity were found to be restricted to the genus Caenorhabditis . The mRNA content of early D. coronatus embryos was sequenced and compared with similar stages in C. elegans and Ascaris suum . We identified 350 gene families transcribed in the early embryo of D. coronatus but not in the other two nematodes. Looking at individual genes transcribed early in D. coronatus but not in C. elegans and A. suum , we found that orthologs of most of these are present in the genomes of the latter species as well, suggesting heterochronic shifts with respect to expression behavior. Considerable genomic heterozygosity and allelic divergence lend further support to the view that D. coronatus may be the result of an interspecies hybridization. Expression analysis of early acting single-copy genes yields no indication for silencing of one parental genome. Our comparative cellular and molecular studies support the view that the genus Caenorhabditis differs

Early maternal serum ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) levels and sex-related growth difference of IVF embryos.

PubMed

Esh-Broder, Efrat; Oron, Galia; Son, Weon-Young; Holzer, Hananel; Tulandi, Togas

2015-10-01

Maternal serum ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) represents the trophoblastic cell mass and is an indirect measurement of embryo development at early implantation stage. Studies in animals and human embryos detected sex-related growth differences (SRGD) in favour of male embryos during the pre-implantation period. The purpose of our study was to correlate SRGD and maternal serum ß-hCG at 16 days after embryo transfer. We retrospectively analysed all (fresh and frozen) non-donor, single embryo transfers (SET), elective and not elective, that were performed between December 2008 and December 2013. We included ß-hCG values from day 16 after oocyte collection of pregnancies resulting in live birth. Neonatal gender was retrieved from patient files. Male and female embryos were further grouped to cleavage and blastocyst stage transfers. Regression analysis for confounding variables included maternal age, maternal body mass index (BMI), use of micromanipulation (ICSI), embryo quality (grade), assisted hatching, day of transfer and fresh or frozen embryo transfer. Seven hundred eighty-six non-donor SETs resulted in live birth. After including only day 16 serum ß-hCG results, 525 SETs were analysed. Neonatal gender was available for 522 cases. Mean maternal serum ß-hCG levels were similar, 347 ± 191 IU/L in the male newborn group and 371 ± 200 IU/L in the female group. The difference between ß-hCG levels remained insignificant after adjusting for confounding variables. Early maternal ß-hCG levels after embryo transfers did not represent SRGD in our study.

Early cosmology constrained

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verde, Licia; Bellini, Emilio; Pigozzo, Cassio; Heavens, Alan F.; Jimenez, Raul

2017-04-01

We investigate our knowledge of early universe cosmology by exploring how much additional energy density can be placed in different components beyond those in the ΛCDM model. To do this we use a method to separate early- and late-universe information enclosed in observational data, thus markedly reducing the model-dependency of the conclusions. We find that the 95% credibility regions for extra energy components of the early universe at recombination are: non-accelerating additional fluid density parameter ΩMR < 0.006 and extra radiation parameterised as extra effective neutrino species 2.3 < Neff < 3.2 when imposing flatness. Our constraints thus show that even when analyzing the data in this largely model-independent way, the possibility of hiding extra energy components beyond ΛCDM in the early universe is seriously constrained by current observations. We also find that the standard ruler, the sound horizon at radiation drag, can be well determined in a way that does not depend on late-time Universe assumptions, but depends strongly on early-time physics and in particular on additional components that behave like radiation. We find that the standard ruler length determined in this way is rs = 147.4 ± 0.7 Mpc if the radiation and neutrino components are standard, but the uncertainty increases by an order of magnitude when non-standard dark radiation components are allowed, to rs = 150 ± 5 Mpc.

Early cosmology constrained

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verde, Licia; Jimenez, Raul; Bellini, Emilio

We investigate our knowledge of early universe cosmology by exploring how much additional energy density can be placed in different components beyond those in the ΛCDM model. To do this we use a method to separate early- and late-universe information enclosed in observational data, thus markedly reducing the model-dependency of the conclusions. We find that the 95% credibility regions for extra energy components of the early universe at recombination are: non-accelerating additional fluid density parameter Ω{sub MR} < 0.006 and extra radiation parameterised as extra effective neutrino species 2.3 < N {sub eff} < 3.2 when imposing flatness. Our constraintsmore » thus show that even when analyzing the data in this largely model-independent way, the possibility of hiding extra energy components beyond ΛCDM in the early universe is seriously constrained by current observations. We also find that the standard ruler, the sound horizon at radiation drag, can be well determined in a way that does not depend on late-time Universe assumptions, but depends strongly on early-time physics and in particular on additional components that behave like radiation. We find that the standard ruler length determined in this way is r {sub s} = 147.4 ± 0.7 Mpc if the radiation and neutrino components are standard, but the uncertainty increases by an order of magnitude when non-standard dark radiation components are allowed, to r {sub s} = 150 ± 5 Mpc.« less

Early auditory evoked potential is modulated by selective attention and related to individual differences in visual working memory capacity.

PubMed

Giuliano, Ryan J; Karns, Christina M; Neville, Helen J; Hillyard, Steven A

2014-12-01

A growing body of research suggests that the predictive power of working memory (WM) capacity for measures of intellectual aptitude is due to the ability to control attention and select relevant information. Crucially, attentional mechanisms implicated in controlling access to WM are assumed to be domain-general, yet reports of enhanced attentional abilities in individuals with larger WM capacities are primarily within the visual domain. Here, we directly test the link between WM capacity and early attentional gating across sensory domains, hypothesizing that measures of visual WM capacity should predict an individual's capacity to allocate auditory selective attention. To address this question, auditory ERPs were recorded in a linguistic dichotic listening task, and individual differences in ERP modulations by attention were correlated with estimates of WM capacity obtained in a separate visual change detection task. Auditory selective attention enhanced ERP amplitudes at an early latency (ca. 70-90 msec), with larger P1 components elicited by linguistic probes embedded in an attended narrative. Moreover, this effect was associated with greater individual estimates of visual WM capacity. These findings support the view that domain-general attentional control mechanisms underlie the wide variation of WM capacity across individuals.

The Bidirectional Effects of Early Poverty on Children's Reading and Home Environment Scores: Associations and Ethnic Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kyunghee

2009-01-01

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the author reports secondary analyses that examine the bidirectional effects of the duration of early poverty on children's reading and home environment scores. The author focuses on three specific questions: (1) Does the duration of early childhood poverty affect children's reading scores…

The Development of Self-Regulation across Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Montroy, Janelle J.; Bowles, Ryan P.; Skibbe, Lori E.; McClelland, Megan M.; Morrison, Frederick J.

2016-01-01

The development of early childhood self-regulation is often considered an early life marker for later life successes. Yet little longitudinal research has evaluated whether there are different trajectories of self-regulation development across children. This study investigates the development of behavioral self-regulation between the ages of three and seven, with a direct focus on possible heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories, and a set of potential indicators that distinguish unique behavioral self-regulation trajectories. Across three diverse samples, 1,386 children were assessed on behavioral self-regulation from preschool through first grade. Results indicated that majority of children develop self-regulation rapidly during early childhood, and that children follow three distinct developmental patterns of growth. These three trajectories were distinguishable based on timing of rapid gains, as well as child gender, early language skills, and maternal education levels. Findings highlight early developmental differences in how self-regulation unfolds with implications for offering individualized support across children. PMID:27709999

Influence of first-time mothers' early employment on severe early childhood caries in their child.

PubMed

Plutzer, Kamila; Keirse, Marc J N C

2012-01-01

Aim. To examine whether mothers' early employment status is related to the development of severe early childhood caries in their child. Methods. Questionnaire survey of 429 first-time mothers in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, and dental examinations of their child at 20 months of age. Results. At 20 ± 2.5 months of age, 5.6% of children exhibited caries defined as one or more demineralized or cavitated lesions on the upper incisors. Of the mothers, 52.2% had no paid employment, 39.6% were part-time and 8.2% full-time employed. Overall, mothers' participation in the workforce had no influence on the frequency of severe early childhood caries in their child, but there was a significant interaction with family structure. For mothers without employment there was no difference between single, and two-parent families, but children with an employed single mother more frequently had caries than those with a working mother in a two-parent family (P < 0.04). However, there were no significant differences in children's reported general health. Conclusions. The data indicate a need to explore strategies that may assist single mothers and especially those in the workforce to prevent severe early childhood caries in their child.

Developing a Culture of Respecting Difference in Early Childhood Centers in Northern Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzpatrick, Siobhan

2007-01-01

The Northern Ireland Pre-School Playgroup Association, now known as NIPPA--the Early Years Organisation, was founded in 1965. The history of NIPPA has been strongly influenced by the sectarian conflict between the Republicans and the Loyalists. NIPPA is an umbrella organization that provides a range of support to its 1,200 member groups. This…

The development of functional network organization in early childhood and early adolescence: A resting-state fNIRS study.

PubMed

Cai, Lin; Dong, Qi; Niu, Haijing

2018-04-01

Early childhood (7-8 years old) and early adolescence (11-12 years old) constitute two landmark developmental stages that comprise considerable changes in neural cognition. However, very limited information from functional neuroimaging studies exists on the functional topological configuration of the human brain during specific developmental periods. In the present study, we utilized continuous resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (rs-fNIRS) imaging data to examine topological changes in network organization during development from early childhood and early adolescence to adulthood. Our results showed that the properties of small-worldness and modularity were not significantly different across development, demonstrating the developmental maturity of important functional brain organization in early childhood. Intriguingly, young children had a significantly lower global efficiency than early adolescents and adults, which revealed that the integration of the distributed networks strengthens across the developmental stages underlying cognitive development. Moreover, local efficiency of young children and adolescents was significantly lower than that of adults, while there was no difference between these two younger groups. This finding demonstrated that functional segregation remained relatively steady from early childhood to early adolescence, and the brain in these developmental periods possesses no optimal network configuration. Furthermore, we found heterogeneous developmental patterns in the regional nodal properties in various brain regions, such as linear increased nodal properties in the frontal cortex, indicating increasing cognitive capacity over development. Collectively, our results demonstrated that significant topological changes in functional network organization occurred during these two critical developmental stages, and provided a novel insight into elucidating subtle changes in brain functional networks across development. Copyright �

Development of Early English Language and Literacy Skills among Spanish-Speaking Children: Does Preschool Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Myae; Silva, Luisa; Vukelich, Carol; Buell, Martha; Hou, Likun

2014-01-01

This study examined the early English language and literacy skill development of 179 children from 11 Head Start classrooms who participated in an added focus on language and literacy skill-building supported by Early Reading First programme. Of this sample, 118 children were Spanish-speaking English Language Learners (ELL). All children were…

Early Childhoods in a Changing World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Margaret M., Ed.; Tucker, Stanley, Ed.

2010-01-01

This book challenges taken for granted views of early childhood across the globe. It deepens and broadens our understanding of what it means to be a child today and of the challenges children face in different parts of the world. It will be essential reading for all who work with young children or are students of early years education and…

Telomere length dynamics differ in foetal and early post-natal human leukocytes in a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Holmes, Denise K; Bellantuono, Ilaria; Walkinshaw, Steve A; Alfirevic, Zarko; Johnston, Tracey A; Subhedar, Nimish V; Chittick, Rachel; Swindell, Richard; Wynn, Robert F

2009-06-01

Haemopoietic stem cells (HSC) undergo a process of self renewal to constantly maintain blood cell turnover. However, it has become apparent that adult HSC lose their self-renewal ability with age. Telomere shortening in peripheral blood leukocytes has been seen to occur with age and it has been associated with loss of HSC proliferative capacity and cellular ageing. In contrast foetal HSC are known to have greater proliferative capacity than post-natal stem cells. However it is unknown whether they undergo a similar process of telomere shortening. In this study we show a more accentuated rate of telomere loss in leukocytes from pre term infants compared to human foetuses of comparable age followed longitudinally for 8-12 weeks in a longitudinal study. Our results point to a difference in HSC behaviour between foetal and early postnatal life which is independent of age but may be influenced by events at birth itself.

Differences in Early Stages of Tactile ERP Temporal Sequence (P100) in Cortical Organization during Passive Tactile Stimulation in Children with Blindness and Controls.

PubMed

Ortiz Alonso, Tomás; Santos, Juan Matías; Ortiz Terán, Laura; Borrego Hernández, Mayelin; Poch Broto, Joaquín; de Erausquin, Gabriel Alejandro

2015-01-01

Compared to their seeing counterparts, people with blindness have a greater tactile capacity. Differences in the physiology of object recognition between people with blindness and seeing people have been well documented, but not when tactile stimuli require semantic processing. We used a passive vibrotactile device to focus on the differences in spatial brain processing evaluated with event related potentials (ERP) in children with blindness (n = 12) vs. normally seeing children (n = 12), when learning a simple spatial task (lines with different orientations) or a task involving recognition of letters, to describe the early stages of its temporal sequence (from 80 to 220 msec) and to search for evidence of multi-modal cortical organization. We analysed the P100 of the ERP. Children with blindness showed earlier latencies for cognitive (perceptual) event related potentials, shorter reaction times, and (paradoxically) worse ability to identify the spatial direction of the stimulus. On the other hand, they are equally proficient in recognizing stimuli with semantic content (letters). The last observation is consistent with the role of P100 on somatosensory-based recognition of complex forms. The cortical differences between seeing control and blind groups, during spatial tactile discrimination, are associated with activation in visual pathway (occipital) and task-related association (temporal and frontal) areas. The present results show that early processing of tactile stimulation conveying cross modal information differs in children with blindness or with normal vision.

Differences in Early Stages of Tactile ERP Temporal Sequence (P100) in Cortical Organization during Passive Tactile Stimulation in Children with Blindness and Controls

PubMed Central

Ortiz Alonso, Tomás; Santos, Juan Matías; Ortiz Terán, Laura; Borrego Hernández, Mayelin; Poch Broto, Joaquín; de Erausquin, Gabriel Alejandro

2015-01-01

Compared to their seeing counterparts, people with blindness have a greater tactile capacity. Differences in the physiology of object recognition between people with blindness and seeing people have been well documented, but not when tactile stimuli require semantic processing. We used a passive vibrotactile device to focus on the differences in spatial brain processing evaluated with event related potentials (ERP) in children with blindness (n = 12) vs. normally seeing children (n = 12), when learning a simple spatial task (lines with different orientations) or a task involving recognition of letters, to describe the early stages of its temporal sequence (from 80 to 220 msec) and to search for evidence of multi-modal cortical organization. We analysed the P100 of the ERP. Children with blindness showed earlier latencies for cognitive (perceptual) event related potentials, shorter reaction times, and (paradoxically) worse ability to identify the spatial direction of the stimulus. On the other hand, they are equally proficient in recognizing stimuli with semantic content (letters). The last observation is consistent with the role of P100 on somatosensory-based recognition of complex forms. The cortical differences between seeing control and blind groups, during spatial tactile discrimination, are associated with activation in visual pathway (occipital) and task-related association (temporal and frontal) areas. The present results show that early processing of tactile stimulation conveying cross modal information differs in children with blindness or with normal vision. PMID:26225827

Cultural differences in self-recognition: the early development of autonomous and related selves?

PubMed

Ross, Josephine; Yilmaz, Mandy; Dale, Rachel; Cassidy, Rose; Yildirim, Iraz; Suzanne Zeedyk, M

2017-05-01

Fifteen- to 18-month-old infants from three nationalities were observed interacting with their mothers and during two self-recognition tasks. Scottish interactions were characterized by distal contact, Zambian interactions by proximal contact, and Turkish interactions by a mixture of contact strategies. These culturally distinct experiences may scaffold different perspectives on self. In support, Scottish infants performed best in a task requiring recognition of the self in an individualistic context (mirror self-recognition), whereas Zambian infants performed best in a task requiring recognition of the self in a less individualistic context (body-as-obstacle task). Turkish infants performed similarly to Zambian infants on the body-as-obstacle task, but outperformed Zambians on the mirror self-recognition task. Verbal contact (a distal strategy) was positively related to mirror self-recognition and negatively related to passing the body-as-obstacle task. Directive action and speech (proximal strategies) were negatively related to mirror self-recognition. Self-awareness performance was best predicted by cultural context; autonomous settings predicted success in mirror self-recognition, and related settings predicted success in the body-as-obstacle task. These novel data substantiate the idea that cultural factors may play a role in the early expression of self-awareness. More broadly, the results highlight the importance of moving beyond the mark test, and designing culturally sensitive tests of self-awareness. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Children's Early Numeracy in Finland and Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aunio, Pirjo; Korhonen, Johan; Bashash, Laaya; Khoshbakht, Fariba

2014-01-01

This research investigates similarities and differences in young children's early numeracy skills related to age, nationality and gender. The participants were five- to seven-year-old children from Finland and Iran. Early numeracy was investigated by using tasks measuring number-related relational skills (e.g. comparison, one-to-one…

Sex differences in auditory verbal hallucinations in early, middle and late adolescence: results from a survey of 17 451 Japanese students aged 12-18 years.

PubMed

Morokuma, Yoko; Endo, Kaori; Nishida, Atushi; Yamasaki, Syudo; Ando, Shuntaro; Morimoto, Yuko; Nakanishi, Miharu; Okazaki, Yuji; Furukawa, Toshi A; Morinobu, Shigeru; Shimodera, Shinji

2017-06-01

Women have higher rates of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) than men; however, less is known about sex differences in the prevalence of AVH in early, middle and late adolescence. We sought to elucidate the differences in the prevalence of AVH and to examine the degree to which these differences could be explained by differences in levels of depressive symptoms. We used a cross-sectional design and a self-reported questionnaire. Participants were recruited from public junior and senior high schools in Tsu, Mie Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture, Japan. In total, 19 436 students were contacted and 18 250 participated. Responses from 17 451 students with no missing data were analysed (aged 12-18 years, M age =15.2 years (SD=1.7), 50.6% girls). AVH were assessed through one of four items adopted from the schizophrenia section of the Japanese version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The prevalence of AVH was 7.0% among early adolescents (aged 12-13 years), 6.2% among middle adolescents (aged 14-15 years) and 4.8% among late adolescents (aged 16-18 years). Being female was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of AVH through adolescence (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.23 in early adolescence; OR=1.42, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.76 in middle adolescence; OR=1.52, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.87 in late adolescence); however, these differences became non-significant after adjusting for depressive symptoms (OR=1.21, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.60; OR=1.00, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.25; OR=1.16, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.44, respectively). Sex differences in auditory hallucinations are seen in both adult and youth populations. The higher rates of auditory verbal hallucinations seen in girls may be secondary to the differences in the rate of depressive symptoms. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is

What Makes a Difference: Early Head Start Evaluation Findings in a Developmental Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, John M.; Chazan-Cohen, Rachel; Raikes, Helen; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

2013-01-01

The federal Early Head Start (EHS) program began in 1995, and a randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 17 EHS programs. In all, 3,001 low-income families (35% African American, 24% Hispanic, and 37% White) with a pregnant women or an infant under the age of 12 months were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group (with…

Differences in incidence rates and early detection of cancer among non-Hispanic and Hispanic Whites in the United States.

PubMed

Merrill, Ray M; Harris, Jessica D; Merrill, Joseph G

2013-01-01

Our study compared cancer incidence rates and stage distribution between non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanic Whites in the United States between 1992 and 2009. A retrospective cohort study was conducted for the years 1992 through 2009. Data represent 13 registries in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, which reflect 14% of the total US population. The incidence rates for most cancer sites were significantly higher in non-Hispanic Whites than in Hispanic Whites. Exceptions included cancers of the stomach and liver and, for females only, kidney and renal pelvis and cervix uteri. Overall, cancer incidence in non-Hispanic Whites was 40% greater in males and 34% greater in females as compared with Hispanic Whites. Cancer sites with higher incidence rates among non-Hispanic Whites than Hispanic Whites in 2009 compared with 1992 were melanoma, thyroid cancer, oral cavity and pharynx cancer, lymphoma, urinary bladder cancer, and all cancers combined for males and melanoma, thyroid cancer, cervical cancer, and lung and bronchus cancer for females. However, difference in rates narrowed between the ethnicities for colon and rectal cancer and corpus and uterus cancer. Non-Hispanic Whites tended to have a higher percentage of early staged cancer, with little evidence that disparity between the ethnic groups was narrowing in terms of early detection. However, two exceptions involved liver cancer and thyroid cancer in females. The disparity appeared to widen for lung cancer in males. Cancer incidence rates are generally lower in Hispanic Whites than non-Hispanic Whites. The difference in rates between groups has widened over the study period for many cancer sites, with a few exceptions. Poorer screening practices among Hispanic Whites have tended to persist.

Early Childhood Trauma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2010

2010-01-01

Early childhood trauma generally refers to the traumatic experiences that occur to children aged 0-6. Because infants' and young children's reactions may be different from older children's, and because they may not be able to verbalize their reactions to threatening or dangerous events, many people assume that young age protects children from the…

Early Sex Differences in Weighting Geometric Cues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lourenco, Stella F.; Addy, Dede; Huttenlocher, Janellen; Fabian, Lydia

2011-01-01

When geometric and non-geometric information are both available for specifying location, men have been shown to rely more heavily on geometry compared to women. To shed insight on the nature and developmental origins of this sex difference, we examined how 18- to 24-month-olds represented the geometry of a surrounding (rectangular) space when…

Living with a Grandparent and Parent in Early Childhood: Associations with School Readiness and Differences by Demographic Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilkauskas, Natasha V.

2014-01-01

Despite the increasing prevalence of 3-generation family households (grandparent, parent, child), relatively little research has studied these households during early childhood. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort ("N" = ~6,550), this study investigated the associations between…

The development of self-regulation across early childhood.

PubMed

Montroy, Janelle J; Bowles, Ryan P; Skibbe, Lori E; McClelland, Megan M; Morrison, Frederick J

2016-11-01

The development of early childhood self-regulation is often considered an early life marker for later life successes. Yet little longitudinal research has evaluated whether there are different trajectories of self-regulation development across children. This study investigates the development of behavioral self-regulation between the ages of 3 and 7 years, with a direct focus on possible heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories, and a set of potential indicators that distinguish unique behavioral self-regulation trajectories. Across 3 diverse samples, 1,386 children were assessed on behavioral self-regulation from preschool through first grade. Results indicated that majority of children develop self-regulation rapidly during early childhood, and that children follow 3 distinct developmental patterns of growth. These 3 trajectories were distinguishable based on timing of rapid gains, as well as child gender, early language skills, and maternal education levels. Findings highlight early developmental differences in how self-regulation unfolds, with implications for offering individualized support across children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Wang, Lulu

2017-07-05

Early-stage cancer detection could reduce breast cancer death rates significantly in the long-term. The most critical point for best prognosis is to identify early-stage cancer cells. Investigators have studied many breast diagnostic approaches, including mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, computerized tomography, positron emission tomography and biopsy. However, these techniques have some limitations such as being expensive, time consuming and not suitable for young women. Developing a high-sensitive and rapid early-stage breast cancer diagnostic method is urgent. In recent years, investigators have paid their attention in the development of biosensors to detect breast cancer using different biomarkers. Apart from biosensors and biomarkers, microwave imaging techniques have also been intensely studied as a promising diagnostic tool for rapid and cost-effective early-stage breast cancer detection. This paper aims to provide an overview on recent important achievements in breast screening methods (particularly on microwave imaging) and breast biomarkers along with biosensors for rapidly diagnosing breast cancer.

Early Auditory Evoked Potential Is Modulated by Selective Attention and Related to Individual Differences in Visual Working Memory Capacity

PubMed Central

Giuliano, Ryan J.; Karns, Christina M.; Neville, Helen J.; Hillyard, Steven A.

2015-01-01

A growing body of research suggests that the predictive power of working memory (WM) capacity for measures of intellectual aptitude is due to the ability to control attention and select relevant information. Crucially, attentional mechanisms implicated in controlling access to WM are assumed to be domain-general, yet reports of enhanced attentional abilities in individuals with larger WM capacities are primarily within the visual domain. Here, we directly test the link between WM capacity and early attentional gating across sensory domains, hypothesizing that measures of visual WM capacity should predict an individual’s capacity to allocate auditory selective attention. To address this question, auditory ERPs were recorded in a linguistic dichotic listening task, and individual differences in ERP modulations by attention were correlated with estimates of WM capacity obtained in a separate visual change detection task. Auditory selective attention enhanced ERP amplitudes at an early latency (ca. 70–90 msec), with larger P1 components elicited by linguistic probes embedded in an attended narrative. Moreover, this effect was associated with greater individual estimates of visual WM capacity. These findings support the view that domain-general attentional control mechanisms underlie the wide variation of WM capacity across individuals. PMID:25000526

[Different wavelengths selection methods for identification of early blight on tomato leaves by using hyperspectral imaging technique].

PubMed

Cheng, Shu-Xi; Xie, Chuan-Qi; Wang, Qiao-Nan; He, Yong; Shao, Yong-Ni

2014-05-01

Identification of early blight on tomato leaves by using hyperspectral imaging technique based on different effective wavelengths selection methods (successive projections algorithm, SPA; x-loading weights, x-LW; gram-schmidt orthogonaliza-tion, GSO) was studied in the present paper. Hyperspectral images of seventy healthy and seventy infected tomato leaves were obtained by hyperspectral imaging system across the wavelength range of 380-1023 nm. Reflectance of all pixels in region of interest (ROI) was extracted by ENVI 4. 7 software. Least squares-support vector machine (LS-SVM) model was established based on the full spectral wavelengths. It obtained an excellent result with the highest identification accuracy (100%) in both calibration and prediction sets. Then, EW-LS-SVM and EW-LDA models were established based on the selected wavelengths suggested by SPA, x-LW and GSO, respectively. The results showed that all of the EW-LS-SVM and EW-LDA models performed well with the identification accuracy of 100% in EW-LS-SVM model and 100%, 100% and 97. 83% in EW-LDA model, respectively. Moreover, the number of input wavelengths of SPA-LS-SVM, x-LW-LS-SVM and GSO-LS-SVM models were four (492, 550, 633 and 680 nm), three (631, 719 and 747 nm) and two (533 and 657 nm), respectively. Fewer input variables were beneficial for the development of identification instrument. It demonstrated that it is feasible to identify early blight on tomato leaves by using hyperspectral imaging, and SPA, x-LW and GSO were effective wavelengths selection methods.

Prenatal Cocaine Disrupts Serotonin Signaling-Dependent Behaviors: Implications for Sex Differences, Early Stress and Prenatal SSRI Exposure

PubMed Central

Williams, Sarah K; Lauder, Jean M; Johns, Josephine M

2011-01-01

Prenatal cocaine (PC) exposure negatively impacts the developing nervous system, including numerous changes in serotonergic signaling. Cocaine, a competitive antagonist of the serotonin transporter, similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also blocks dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, leaving the direct mechanism through which cocaine disrupts the developing serotonin system unclear. In order to understand the role of the serotonin transporter in cocaine’s effect on the serotonergic system, we compare reports concerning PC and prenatal antidepressant exposure and conclude that PC exposure affects many facets of serotonergic signaling (serotonin levels, receptors, transporters) and that these effects differ significantly from what is observed following prenatal SSRI exposure. Alterations in serotonergic signaling are dependent on timing of exposure, test regimens, and sex. Following PC exposure, behavioral disturbances are observed in attention, emotional behavior and stress response, aggression, social behavior, communication, and like changes in serotonergic signaling, these effects depend on sex, age and developmental exposure. Vulnerability to the effects of PC exposure can be mediated by several factors, including allelic variance in serotonergic signaling genes, being male (although fewer studies have investigated female offspring), and experiencing the adverse early environments that are commonly coincident with maternal drug use. Early environmental stress results in disruptions in serotonergic signaling analogous to those observed with PC exposure and these may interact to produce greater behavioral effects observed in children of drug-abusing mothers. We conclude that based on past evidence, future studies should put a greater emphasis on including females and monitoring environmental factors when studying the impact of PC exposure. PMID:22379462

Cell kinetics and genetic instabilities in differentiated type early gastric cancers with different mucin phenotype.

PubMed

Shibata, Naomi; Watari, Jiro; Fujiya, Mikihiro; Tanno, Satoshi; Saitoh, Yusuke; Kohgo, Yutaka

2003-01-01

To clarify the biological impact and molecular pathogenesis of cellular phenotype in differentiated-type gastric cancers (DGCs), we investigated cell kinetics and genetic instabilities in early stage of DGCs. A total of 43 early gastric cancers (EGCs) were studied. EGCs were divided into 3 phenotypic categories: gastric (G type, n = 11), ordinary (O type, n = 20), and complete intestinal (CI type, n = 12) based on the combination of HGM, ConA, MUC2, and CD10. Proliferative index (PI), apoptotic index (AI), and p53 overexpression were investigated by immunohistochemical staining with anti-Ki-67, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling method, and p53 antibody, respectively. Using a high-resolution fluorescent microsatellite analysis system, microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) were examined. Frameshift mutation analysis of transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor (TGF-betaRII) and bcl-2-associated X (BAX) in cancers with MSI was also performed. The mean AI/PI ratio values were 0.04 for G-type, 0.10 for O-type, and 0.13 for CI-type cancers--significantly lower in G type than in O and CI types (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively). No difference in the incidence of MSI and LOH was seen among the 3 cellular phenotypes. However, the major pattern of MSI, which showed drastic and widely dispersed changes and is related to an increased risk for cancer, was significantly higher in G and O types than in CI type (P <0.005). No frame shift mutations of TGF-betaRII or BAX were found in CI-type cancers. These results indicate that G-type cancers are likely to show more aggressive behaviors than CI-type cancers, and that O-type cancers show the intermediate characteristics of both types. However, the molecular pathogenesis of each phenotypic cancer is not associated with microsatellite alterations. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Early versus delayed rehabilitation following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: A systematic review.

PubMed

Gallagher, Brian P; Bishop, Meghan E; Tjoumakaris, Fotios P; Freedman, Kevin B

2015-05-01

Early passive range of motion (ROM) following arthroscopic cuff repair is thought to decrease postoperative stiffness and improve functionality. However, early aggressive rehabilitation may compromise repair integrity. Our purpose was to perform a systematic review to determine if there are differences between early and delayed rehabilitation after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in terms of clinical outcomes and healing. We performed a literature search with the terms 'arthroscopic rotator cuff', 'immobilization', 'early', 'delayed', 'late', and 'rehabilitation' using PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE. Selection criteria included: level I/II evidence ≤ 6 months in duration, comparing early versus delayed rehabilitation following arthroscopic repair. Data regarding demographics, sample sizes, duration, cuff pathology, surgery, rehabilitation, functional outcomes, pain, ROM and anatomic assessment of healing were analyzed. PRIMSA criteria were followed. We identified six articles matching our criteria. Three reported significantly increased functional scores within the first 3-6 months with early rehabilitation compared to the delayed group, only one of which continued to observe a difference at a final follow-up of 15 months. Four articles showed improved ROM in the first 3-6 months post-operatively with early rehabilitation. One noted transient differences in pain scores. Only one study noted significant differences in ROM at final follow-up. No study reported any significant difference in rates of rotator cuff re-tear. However, two studies noted a trend towards increased re-tear with early rehabilitation that did not reach significance. This was more pronounced in studies including medium-large tears. Early rehabilitation after arthroscopic cuff repair is associated with some initial improvements in ROM and function. Ultimately, similar clinical and anatomical outcomes between groups existed at 1 year. While there was no

Differences between WHO AND CDC early growth measurements in the assessment of Cystic Fibrosis clinical outcomes.

PubMed

Usatin, Danielle; Yen, Elizabeth H; McDonald, Catherine; Asfour, Fadi; Pohl, John; Robson, Jacob

2017-07-01

Early childhood growth status has been used to predict long-term clinical outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. Adulthood CF outcomes based on early weight-for-length (WFL) measurements, using either World Health Organization (WHO) or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) scales, have not been compared. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation registry patients were studied (n=3014). Participants were categorized at age two years as WFL <50th percentile on both WHO and CDC scales, ≥50th percentile on WHO but not CDC, or ≥50th percentile on both. Pulmonary function and overall survival were assessed at age 18years. Stepwise gains in pulmonary function and lung transplant-free survival were noted across the three increasing WFL categories. Children with CF who achieve higher WFL at age two years have improved pulmonary and survival outcomes into adulthood. CF providers should continue to utilize current early growth recommendations, with goal WFL ≥50th percentile on CDC growth charts before age two. Copyright © 2016 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hands of early primates.

PubMed

Boyer, Doug M; Yapuncich, Gabriel S; Chester, Stephen G B; Bloch, Jonathan I; Godinot, Marc

2013-12-01

Questions surrounding the origin and early evolution of primates continue to be the subject of debate. Though anatomy of the skull and inferred dietary shifts are often the focus, detailed studies of postcrania and inferred locomotor capabilities can also provide crucial data that advance understanding of transitions in early primate evolution. In particular, the hand skeleton includes characteristics thought to reflect foraging, locomotion, and posture. Here we review what is known about the early evolution of primate hands from a comparative perspective that incorporates data from the fossil record. Additionally, we provide new comparative data and documentation of skeletal morphology for Paleogene plesiadapiforms, notharctines, cercamoniines, adapines, and omomyiforms. Finally, we discuss implications of these data for understanding locomotor transitions during the origin and early evolutionary history of primates. Known plesiadapiform species cannot be differentiated from extant primates based on either intrinsic hand proportions or hand-to-body size proportions. Nonetheless, the presence of claws and a different metacarpophalangeal [corrected] joint form in plesiadapiforms indicate different grasping mechanics. Notharctines and cercamoniines have intrinsic hand proportions with extremely elongated proximal phalanges and digit rays relative to metacarpals, resembling tarsiers and galagos. But their hand-to-body size proportions are typical of many extant primates (unlike those of tarsiers, and possibly Teilhardina, which have extremely large hands). Non-adapine adapiforms and omomyids exhibit additional carpal features suggesting more limited dorsiflexion, greater ulnar deviation, and a more habitually divergent pollex than observed plesiadapiforms. Together, features differentiating adapiforms and omomyiforms from plesiadapiforms indicate increased reliance on vertical prehensile-clinging and grasp-leaping, possibly in combination with predatory behaviors in

Developmental Differences in Relations between Episodic Memory and Hippocampal Subregion Volume during Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riggins, Tracy; Blankenship, Sarah L.; Mulligan, Elizabeth; Rice, Katherine; Redcay, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Episodic memory shows striking improvement during early childhood. However, neural contributions to these behavioral changes are not well understood. This study examined associations between episodic memory and volume of subregions (head, body, and tail) of the hippocampus--a structure known to support episodic memory in school-aged children and…

Cognitive load effects on early visual perceptual processing.

PubMed

Liu, Ping; Forte, Jason; Sewell, David; Carter, Olivia

2018-05-01

Contrast-based early visual processing has largely been considered to involve autonomous processes that do not need the support of cognitive resources. However, as spatial attention is known to modulate early visual perceptual processing, we explored whether cognitive load could similarly impact contrast-based perception. We used a dual-task paradigm to assess the impact of a concurrent working memory task on the performance of three different early visual tasks. The results from Experiment 1 suggest that cognitive load can modulate early visual processing. No effects of cognitive load were seen in Experiments 2 or 3. Together, the findings provide evidence that under some circumstances cognitive load effects can penetrate the early stages of visual processing and that higher cognitive function and early perceptual processing may not be as independent as was once thought.

Differences between early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded-sighted people in haptic spatial-configuration learning and resulting memory traces.

PubMed

Postma, Albert; Zuidhoek, Sander; Noordzij, Matthijs L; Kappers, Astrid M L

2007-01-01

The roles of visual and haptic experience in different aspects of haptic processing of objects in peripersonal space are examined. In three trials, early-blind, late-blind, and blindfolded-sighted individuals had to match ten shapes haptically to the cut-outs in a board as fast as possible. Both blind groups were much faster than the sighted in all three trials. All three groups improved considerably from trial to trial. In particular, the sighted group showed a strong improvement from the first to the second trial. While superiority of the blind remained for speeded matching after rotation of the stimulus frame, coordinate positional-memory scores in a non-speeded free-recall trial showed no significant differences between the groups. Moreover, when assessed with a verbal response, categorical spatial-memory appeared strongest in the late-blind group. The role of haptic and visual experience thus appears to depend on the task aspect tested.

Early hominin auditory ossicles from South Africa

PubMed Central

Quam, Rolf M.; de Ruiter, Darryl J.; Masali, Melchiorre; Arsuaga, Juan-Luis; Martínez, Ignacio; Moggi-Cecchi, Jacopo

2013-01-01

The middle ear ossicles are only rarely preserved in fossil hominins. Here, we report the discovery of a complete ossicular chain (malleus, incus, and stapes) of Paranthropus robustus as well as additional ear ossicles from Australopithecus africanus. The malleus in both early hominin taxa is clearly human-like in the proportions of the manubrium and corpus, whereas the incus and stapes resemble African and Asian great apes more closely. A deep phylogenetic origin is proposed for the derived malleus morphology, and this may represent one of the earliest human-like features to appear in the fossil record. The anatomical differences found in the early hominin incus and stapes, along with other aspects of the outer, middle, and inner ear, are consistent with the suggestion of different auditory capacities in these early hominin taxa compared with modern humans. PMID:23671079

Making a Difference in the Lives of Young Children: A Critical Analysis of a Pedagogical Discourse for Motivating Young Women to Become Early Childhood Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langford, Rachel

2008-01-01

Findings in this article indicate that training programs use a key pedagogical and ideological discourse of "teachers make a difference" to motivate female early childhood education students to enter and stay in the field. However, research in the area of workforce retention maintains that many graduates are not willing to enter and stay…

Impact of Different Aortic Entry Tear Sites on Early Outcomes and Long-Term Survival in Patients with Stanford A Acute Aortic Dissection.

PubMed

Merkle, Julia; Sabashnikov, Anton; Deppe, Antje Christin; Weber, Saskia; Mader, Navid; Choi, Yeong-Hoon; Liakopoulos, Oliver; Kuhn-Régnier, Ferdinand; Wahlers, Thorsten

2018-06-13

 Stanford A acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening emergency. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of three different aortic entry tear sites on early outcomes and long-term survival of patients with Stanford A AAD.  From January 2006 to April 2015, a total of 240 consecutive patients with diagnosed Stanford A AAD underwent emergent, isolated surgical aortic repair in our center. Patients were divided into three groups comprising isolated ascending aorta, proximal aortic arch, and distal aortic arch entry tear site and were followed up for up to 9 years.  Thirty-day mortality as well as major cerebrovascular events were significantly different between the three groups ( p  = 0.007 and p  = 0.048, respectively). Overall cumulative short- and long-term survival of all patients revealed significant differences (Log-Rank p  = 0.002), whereas survival of all patients free from major cerebrovascular events was similar (Log-Rank p  = 0.780). Subgroup analysis of short- and long-term survival of patients showed significant differences in terms of men (Log-Rank p  = 0.043), women (Log-Rank p  = 0.004), patients over 65 years of age (Log-Rank p  = 0.007), and hypertensive patients (Log-Rank p  = 0.003). Kaplan-Meier survival estimation plots significantly showed poorest survival for distal aortic arch entry tear site group.  The location of the primary entry tear in patients with Stanford A AAD significantly influences early outcomes, short- and long-term survival of patients, whereas survival of patients free from major cerebrovascular events showed similar results among the three groups. Distal aortic entry tear site showed poorest outcomes and survival. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Early Speech Motor Development: Cognitive and Linguistic Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nip, Ignatius S. B.; Green, Jordan R.; Marx, David B.

2009-01-01

This longitudinal investigation examines developmental changes in orofacial movements occurring during the early stages of communication development. The goals were to identify developmental trends in early speech motor performance and to determine how these trends differ across orofacial behaviors thought to vary in cognitive and linguistic…

Enriching the Early Childhood Expertise of Elementary School Principals: Can a One-Shot College Course Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Julie J.; Barnett, Marion

2004-01-01

A summer course was specifically designed for principals and aspiring principals to help them become more expert in principles of early childhood education. During the pilot, 10 volunteer participants completed a survey of beliefs on early childhood education before and after the course and submitted a piece of reflective writing each day. Gains…

Early Planetary Differentiation: Comparative Planetology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, John H.

2006-01-01

We currently have extensive data for four different terrestrial bodies of the inner solar system: Earth, the Moon, Mars, and the Eucrite Parent Body [EPB]. All formed early cores; but all(?) have mantles with elevated concentrations of highly sidero-phile elements, suggestive of the addition of a late "veneer". Two appear to have undergone extensive differentiation consistent with a global magma ocean. One appears to be inconsistent with a simple model of "low-pressure" chondritic differentiation. Thus, there seems to be no single, simple paradigm for understand-ing early differentiation.

Epigenomic profiling of men exposed to early-life stress reveals DNA methylation differences in association with current mental state.

PubMed

Khulan, B; Manning, J R; Dunbar, D R; Seckl, J R; Raikkonen, K; Eriksson, J G; Drake, A J

2014-09-23

Early-life stress (ELS) is known to be associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric and cardiometabolic disease in later life. One of the potential mechanisms underpinning this is through effects on the epigenome, particularly changes in DNA methylation. Using a well-phenotyped cohort of 83 men from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, who experienced ELS in the form of separation from their parents during childhood, and a group of 83 matched controls, we performed a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in peripheral blood. We found no differences in DNA methylation between men who were separated from their families and non-separated men; however, we did identify differences in DNA methylation in association with the development of at least mild depressive symptoms over the subsequent 5-10 years. Notably, hypomethylation was identified at a number of genes with roles in brain development and/or function in association with depressive symptoms. Pathway analysis revealed an enrichment of DNA methylation changes in pathways associated with development and morphogenesis, DNA and transcription factor binding and programmed cell death. Our results support the concept that DNA methylation differences may be important in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disease.

Historical and Contemporary Evaluations of Early Childhood Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.

2015-01-01

Researchers continue to be interested in the evaluation of early childhood education programmes, their interventions, and the implementation of different types of evaluation. Their interest continues to increase and attract other researchers. In understanding the nature and appropriate use of evaluation in early childhood education and the basis…

Processes of early stroke care and hospital costs.

PubMed

Svendsen, Marie Louise; Ehlers, Lars H; Hundborg, Heidi H; Ingeman, Annette; Johnsen, Søren P

2014-08-01

The relationship between processes of early stroke care and hospital costs remains unclear. We therefore examined the association in a population based cohort study. We identified 5909 stroke patients who were admitted to stroke units in a Danish county between 2005 and 2010.The examined recommended processes of care included early admission to a stroke unit, early initiation of antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy, early computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) scan, early physiotherapy and occupational therapy, early assessment of nutritional risk, constipation risk and of swallowing function, early mobilization,early catheterization, and early thromboembolism prophylaxis.Hospital costs were assessed for each patient based on the number of days spent in different in-hospital facilities using local hospital charges. The mean costs of hospitalization were $23 352 (standard deviation 27 827). The relationship between receiving more relevant processes of early stroke care and lower hospital costs followed a dose–response relationship. The adjusted costs were $24 566 (95% confidence interval 19 364–29 769) lower for patients who received 75–100% of the relevant processes of care compared with patients receiving 0–24%. All processes of care were associated with potential cost savings, except for early catheterization and early thromboembolism prophylaxis. Early care in agreement with key guidelines recommendations for the management of patients with stroke may be associated with hospital savings.

Early-phase musculoskeletal adaptations to different levels of eccentric resistance after 8 weeks of lower body training.

PubMed

English, Kirk L; Loehr, James A; Lee, Stuart M C; Smith, Scott M

2014-11-01

Eccentric muscle actions are important to the development of muscle mass and strength and may affect bone mineral density (BMD). This study's purpose was to determine the relative effectiveness of five different eccentric:concentric load ratios to increase musculoskeletal parameters during early adaptations to resistance training. Forty male subjects performed a supine leg press and calf press training program 3 days week(-1) for 8 weeks. Subjects were matched for pre-training leg press 1-repetition maximum strength (1-RM) and randomly assigned to one of five training groups. Concentric training load (% 1-RM) was constant across groups, but within groups, eccentric load was 0, 33, 66, 100, or 138% of concentric load. Muscle mass (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; DXA), strength (1-RM), and BMD (DXA) were measured pre- and post-training. Markers of bone metabolism were assessed pre-, mid- and post-training. The increase in leg press 1-RM in the 138% group (20 ± 4%) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the 0% (8 ± 3%), 33% (8 ± 5%) and 66% (8 ± 4%) groups, but not the 100% group (13 ± 6 %; P = 0.15). All groups, except the 0% group, increased calf press 1-RM (P < 0.05). Leg lean mass and greater trochanter BMD were increased only in the 138% group (P < 0.05). Early-phase adaptations to eccentric overload training include increases in muscle mass and site-specific increases in BMD and muscle strength which are not present or are less with traditional and eccentric underload training. Eccentric overload provides a robust musculoskeletal stimulus that may benefit bedridden patients, individuals recovering from injury or illness, and astronauts during spaceflight.

Predicting Individual Differences in Low-Income Children's Executive Control from Early to Middle Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raver, C. Cybele; McCoy, Dana Charles; Lowenstein, Amy E.; Pess, Rachel

2013-01-01

The present longitudinal study tested the roles of early childhood executive control (EC) as well as exposure to poverty-related adversity at family and school levels as key predictors of low-income children's EC in elementary school ("n" = 391). Findings suggest that children's EC difficulties in preschool and lower family income from…

Memory in Early Onset Bipolar Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Similarities and Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Udal, Anne H.; Oygarden, Bjorg; Egeland, Jens; Malt, Ulrik F.; Groholt, Berit

2012-01-01

Differentiating between early-onset bipolar disorder (BD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be difficult. Memory problems are commonly reported in BD, and forgetfulness is among the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. We compared children and adolescents with BD (n = 23), ADHD combined type (ADHD-C; n = 26), BD + ADHD-C (n = 15),…

Quality and equity in early childhood care in Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izu, Regina Moromizato

2007-01-01

The present study examines educational policy documents and programs on early childhood development and education in Peru. The author provides an evaluation of early childhood learning programs and their outcomes in different education centers in Peru. Health, nutrition, development, and participation are identified as key areas of concern. The study concludes with a reference to the importance of monitoring quality and equity in early childhood care.

Individual and Day-to-Day Differences in Active Coping Predict Diurnal Cortisol Patterns among Early Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Sladek, Michael R; Doane, Leah D; Stroud, Catherine B

2017-01-01

Prior work has identified alterations in activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as a potential mechanism underlying stress-induced emotional health problems, which disproportionately impact girls beginning in mid-adolescence. How adolescent girls differ from one another in dispositional coping tendencies and shift specific coping strategies in response to varying stressors have been theorized as important predictors of their adaptation, health, and well-being during this dynamic period of development. The goal of this study was to examine whether individual and day-to-day (within-person) differences in adolescent girls' coping responses are associated with daily patterns of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, indexed by cortisol. Participants were 122 early adolescent girls (M age  = 12.39) who provided three saliva samples per day for 3 days and completed daily coping reports, as well as a standard coping survey. Participants and primary caregivers also completed objective life stress interviews. On average, girls who were more likely to respond to interpersonal stress with voluntary engagement (active) coping exhibited generally adaptive daily physiological regulation-steeper diurnal cortisol slopes, lower total diurnal cortisol output, and lower cortisol awakening responses. Chronic interpersonal stress level significantly moderated these associations in different ways for two distinct components of the diurnal pattern-the slope and cortisol awakening responses. Regarding within-person differences, using active coping more than usual was associated with higher waking cortisol the following morning, which may help to prepare adolescent girls for perceived daily demands. These findings highlight the interactive influence of stress and coping in the prediction of daily hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and support the stress-buffering role of active coping for adolescent girls.

The Development of Self-Regulation across Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montroy, Janelle J.; Bowles, Ryan P.; Skibbe, Lori E.; McClelland, Megan M.; Morrison, Frederick J.

2016-01-01

The development of early childhood self-regulation is often considered an early life marker for later life successes. Yet little longitudinal research has evaluated whether there are different trajectories of self-regulation development across children. This study investigates the development of behavioral self-regulation between the ages of 3 and…

Early extubation after cardiac surgery: emotional status in the early postoperative period.

PubMed

Silbert, B S; Santamaria, J D; Kelly, W J; O'brien, J L; Blyth, C M; Wong, M Y; Allen, N B

2001-08-01

To compare the emotional state during the first 3 days after coronary artery surgery of patients who had undergone early versus conventional extubation. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial. University hospital, single center. Eligible patients (n = 100) presenting for elective coronary artery surgery, randomized to an early extubation group or a conventional extubation group. Emotional status was measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), the Self Assessment Manikin (SAM), and the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised (MAACL-R). Tests were administered preoperatively and on the 1st and 3rd days postoperatively. Of patients in the conventional extubation group, 30% showed moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms (HAD score >10) on day 3 postoperatively compared with 8% of patients in the early extubation group (p = 0.02). There was a clinically insignificant increase in MAACL-R depression score on the 1st postoperative day within both groups but no other differences within or between groups in SAM or MAACL-R scores. Early extubation results in fewer patients displaying depressive symptoms on the 3rd postoperative day but appears to have little effect on other measurements of emotional status. Anesthetic management during coronary artery bypass graft surgery may play an important role in the overall well-being of the patient by decreasing the incidence of postoperative depression. Copyright 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.

Gender differences in salary in a recent cohort of early-career physician-researchers.

PubMed

Jagsi, Reshma; Griffith, Kent A; Stewart, Abigail; Sambuco, Dana; DeCastro, Rochelle; Ubel, Peter A

2013-11-01

Studies have suggested that male physicians earn more than their female counterparts. The authors examined whether this disparity exists in a recently hired cohort. In 2010-2011, the authors surveyed recent recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentored career development (i.e., K08 or K23) awards, receiving responses from 1,275 (75% response rate). For the 1,012 physicians with academic positions in clinical specialties who reported salary, they constructed linear regression models of salary considering gender, age, race, marital status, parental status, additional doctoral degree, academic rank, years on faculty, specialty, institution type, region, institution NIH funding rank, K award type, K award funding institute, K award year, work hours, and research time. They evaluated the explanatory value of spousal employment status using Peters-Belson regression. Mean salary was $141,325 (95% confidence interval [CI] 135,607-147,043) for women and $172,164 (95% CI 167,357-176,971) for men. Male gender remained an independent, significant predictor of salary (+$10,921, P < .001) even after adjusting for specialty, academic rank, work hours, research time, and other factors. Peters-Belson analysis indicated that 17% of the overall disparity in the full sample was unexplained by the measured covariates. In the married subset, after accounting for spousal employment status, 10% remained unexplained. The authors observed, in this recent cohort of elite, early-career physician-researchers, a gender difference in salary that was not fully explained by specialty, academic rank, work hours, or even spousal employment. Creating more equitable procedures for establishing salary is important.

Pilot evaluation of short-term changes in macular pigment and retinal sensitivity in different phenotypes of early age-related macular degeneration after carotenoid supplementation.

PubMed

Corvi, Federico; Souied, Eric H; Falfoul, Yousra; Georges, Anouk; Jung, Camille; Querques, Lea; Querques, Giuseppe

2017-06-01

To investigate the response of carotenoid supplementation in different phenotypes of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by measuring macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and retinal sensitivity. Consecutive patients with only medium/large drusen and only reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) and age-matched and sex-matched controls were enrolled. At baseline, participants underwent a complete ophthalmological examination including measurement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), MPOD and retinal sensitivity. Patients were put on vitamin supplementation (lutein 10 mg/day, zeaxanthin 2 mg/day) and 3 months later underwent a repeated ophthalmological examination. Twenty patients with medium/large drusen, 19 with RPD and 15 control subjects were included. At baseline, in controls, mean MPOD and BCVA were significantly higher compared with RPD (p=0.001 and p=0.01) but similar to medium/large drusen (p=0.9 and p=0.4). Mean retinal sensitivity was significantly higher in controls compared with RPD and medium/large drusen (for all p<0.0001). After 3 months of carotenoid supplementation the mean MPOD significantly increased in RPD (p=0.002), thus showing no more difference compared with controls (p=0.3); no significant changes were found in mean retinal sensitivity and BCVA (p=0.3 and p=0.7). Medium/large drusen did not show significant changes on MPOD, retinal sensitivity and BCVA (p=0.5, p=0.7 and p=0.7, respectively). Patients with early AMD, especially RPD phenotype, show lower macular sensitivity and MPOD than controls. After supplementation, MPOD significantly increased in RPD. These results suggest different pathophysiology for RPD as compared with medium/large drusen and may open new ways to identifying further therapeutic targets in this phenotype of early AMD. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Early retirement and income loss in patients with early and advanced Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Johnson, Scott; Davis, Matthew; Kaltenboeck, Anna; Birnbaum, Howard; Grubb, Elizabeth; Tarrants, Marcy; Siderowf, Andrew

2011-11-01

The indirect costs of Parkinson's disease (PD) may be larger than direct healthcare costs, and the largest component of indirect costs is income loss related to early retirement. No recent retrospective analysis details PD-related early retirement and income loss in the US. We used an observational, matched cohort to study wages and labour force participation over 4 years and to simulate lifetime income losses conditional on being newly diagnosed with PD (naive) or having evidence of increasing disability. Actively employed primary beneficiaries of private insurance policies aged 18-64 years with more than two PD diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM]: 332.x) or one diagnosis and a prescription of an antiparkinsonian drug were selected from a privately insured claims database. Continuous health coverage during analysis periods was required. Naive patients were defined as having no claims history indicative of PD during the year prior to first diagnosis or prescription use. A PD with ambulatory assistance devices (PDAAD) cohort was also followed from the date of first evidence of a wheelchair or walker. Controls without PD were matched on age, sex and region. Survival analysis and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare rates of early retirement and income loss. A simulation of projected economic loss was conducted for PD cohorts diagnosed at different ages using Bureau of Labor Statistics labour force participation and income data. Naive PD patients (n = 278) and PDAAD patients (n = 28) were on average aged 53 years and had significantly higher rates of co-morbidities at baseline versus controls. Conditional on being employed, there was no statistical difference in earnings. However, the hazard of early retirement associated with PD was 2.08 (p < 0.001) for the naive cohort and 5.01 (p < 0.001) for the PDAAD cohort. From age 40 to 79 years, earnings losses in year 2009 values were

Racial differences in the relationship between alcohol consumption in early adulthood and occupational attainment at midlife.

PubMed

Sloan, Frank A; Malone, Patrick S; Kertesz, Stefan G; Wang, Yang; Costanzo, Philip R

2009-12-01

We assessed the relationship between alcohol consumption in young adulthood (ages 18-30 years) and occupational success 15 years later among Blacks and Whites. We analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study on employment status and occupational prestige at year 15 from baseline. The primary predictor was weekly alcohol use at baseline, after stratification by race and adjustment for socioeconomic factors. We detected racial differences in the relationship between alcohol use in early adulthood and employment status at midlife. Blacks who were very heavy drinkers at baseline were more than 4 times as likely as Blacks who were occasional drinkers to be unemployed at year 15 (odds ratio [OR]=4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.22, 8.47). We found no statistically significant relationship among Whites. Occupational prestige at midlife was negatively related to very heavy drinking, but after adjustment for marital status, active coping, life stress, and educational attainment, this relationship was statistically significant only among Blacks. Heavy drinking during young adulthood was negatively associated with labor market success at midlife, especially among Blacks.

Hyperspectral recognition of processing tomato early blight based on GA and SVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Xiaojun; Zhao, SiFeng

2013-03-01

Processing tomato early blight seriously affect the yield and quality of its.Determine the leaves spectrum of different disease severity level of processing tomato early blight.We take the sensitive bands of processing tomato early blight as support vector machine input vector.Through the genetic algorithm(GA) to optimize the parameters of SVM, We could recognize different disease severity level of processing tomato early blight.The result show:the sensitive bands of different disease severity levels of processing tomato early blight is 628-643nm and 689-692nm.The sensitive bands are as the GA and SVM input vector.We get the best penalty parameters is 0.129 and kernel function parameters is 3.479.We make classification training and testing by polynomial nuclear,radial basis function nuclear,Sigmoid nuclear.The best classification model is the radial basis function nuclear of SVM. Training accuracy is 84.615%,Testing accuracy is 80.681%.It is combined GA and SVM to achieve multi-classification of processing tomato early blight.It is provided the technical support of prediction processing tomato early blight occurrence, development and diffusion rule in large areas.

Early afterglows in wind environments revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Y. C.; Wu, X. F.; Dai, Z. G.

2005-10-01

When a cold shell sweeps up the ambient medium, a forward shock and a reverse shock will form. We analyse the reverse-forward shocks in a wind environment, including their dynamics and emission. An early afterglow is emitted from the shocked shell, e.g. an optical flash may emerge. The reverse shock behaves differently in two approximations: the relativistic and Newtonian cases, which depend on the parameters, e.g. the initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta. If the initial Lorentz factor is much less than 114E1/453Δ-1/40,12A-1/4*,-1, the early reverse shock is Newtonian. This may take place for the wider of a two-component jet, an orphan afterglow caused by a low initial Lorentz factor and so on. The synchrotron self-absorption effect is significant especially for the Newtonian reverse shock case, as the absorption frequency νa is larger than the cooling frequency νc and the minimum synchrotron frequency νm for typical parameters. For the optical to X-ray band, the flux is nearly unchanged with time during the early period, which may be a diagnostic for the low initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta in a wind environment. We also investigate the early light curves with different wind densities and compare them with those in the interstellar medium model.

Rat pup social motivation: A critical component of early psychological development

PubMed Central

Cromwell, Howard Casey

2011-01-01

Examining the role of the offspring in early social dynamics is especially difficult. Human developmental psychology has found infant behavior to be a vital part of the early environmental setting. In the rodent model, the different ways that a rodent neonate or pup can influence social dynamics are not well known. Typically, litters of neonates or pups offer complex social interactions dominated by behavior seemingly initiated and maintained by the primary caregiver (e.g., the dam). Despite this strong role for the caregiver, the young most likely influence the litter dynamics in many powerful ways including communication signals, discrimination abilities and early approach behavior. Nelson and Panksepp (1996) developed a preference task to examine early rodent pup social motivation. We have used the same task to examine how variations in maternal care or different environmental perturbations could alter the rat pup preferences for social-related stimuli. Rat pups receiving low levels of maternal licking and grooming were impaired in maternal odor cue learning and emitted lower levels of 22 kHz ultrasounds compared to pups from the high licking and grooming cohort. Prenatal stress or early exposure to a toxicant (polychlorinated biphenyl) altered early social preferences in the rat pup in different ways indicating that diverse strategies are expressed and specific to the type of perturbation exposure. A greater focus on the offspring motivation following early ‘stressors’ will allow for more complete understanding of the dynamics in behavior during early social development. PMID:21251926

Different enzymatic antioxidative pathways operate within the sheep caruncular and intercaruncular endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

PubMed

Al-Gubory, K H; Faure, P; Garrel, C

2017-09-01

then increased from day 16 to day 18 of pregnancy. In conclusion, different antioxidant mechanisms operate within CAR and ICAR endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and during early pregnancy. This might be related to the different but important roles of CAR and ICAR endometrial tissues for the establishment of pregnancy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Impaired preparatory re-mapping of stimulus-response associations and rule-implementation in schizophrenic patients--the role for differences in early processing.

PubMed

Finke, Mareike; Barceló, Francisco; Garolera, Maite; Cortiñas, Miriam; Garrido, Gemma; Pajares, Marta; Escera, Carles

2011-07-01

An accurate representation of task-set information is needed for successful goal directed behavior. Recent studies point to disturbances in the early processing stages as plausible causes for task-switching deficits in schizophrenia. A task-cueing protocol was administered to a group of schizophrenic patients and compared with a sample of age-matched healthy controls. Patients responded slower and less accurate compared with controls in all conditions. The concurrent recording of event-related brain potentials to contextual cues and target events revealed abnormalities in the early processing of both cue-locked and target-locked N1 potentials. Abnormally enhanced target-locked P2 amplitudes were observed in schizophrenic patients for task-switch trials only, suggesting disrupted stimulus evaluation and memory retrieval processes. The endogenous P3 potentials discriminated between task conditions but without further differences between groups. These results suggest that the observed impairments in task-switching behavior were not specifically related to anticipatory set-shifting, but derived from a deficit in the implementation of task-set representations at target onset in the presence of irrelevant and conflicting information. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonmarital Fertility, Family Structure, and the Early School Achievement of Young Children from Different Race/Ethnic and Immigration Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosnoe, Robert; Wildsmith, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Working from a life course perspective, this study examined the links between mothers' fertility and relationship statuses and children's early school achievement and how these links varied by race/ethnicity and immigration status. Analyses of nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort revealed…

Providing Culturally Competent Care in Early Childhood Services in New Zealand. Part 1: Considering Culture [and] Part 2: Developing Dialog [and] Part 3: Parents' Experiences of Different Early Childhood Pedagogies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terreni, Lisa; McCallum, Judi

Focusing on early childhood issues specific to New Zealand, this document is comprised of three papers exploring provision of culturally competent care in early childhood services. The first paper, "Considering Culture" (Lisa Terreni with Judi McCallum), addresses some current theories that attempt to understand "culture" and…

Telomere length and early trauma in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Riley, Gabriella; Perrin, Mary; Vaez-Azizi, Leila M; Ruby, Eugene; Goetz, Raymond R; Dracxler, Roberta; Walsh-Messinger, Julie; Keefe, David L; Buckley, Peter F; Szeszko, Philip R; Malaspina, Dolores

2018-04-02

Childhood trauma is emerging as a risk factor for schizophrenia, but its mechanism with respect to etiology is unknown. One possible pathway is through leucocyte telomere length (LTL) shortening, a measure of cellular aging associated with trauma. This study examined early trauma and LTL shortening in schizophrenia and considered sex effects. The early trauma inventory (ETI) was administered to 48 adults with DSM-5 schizophrenia and 18 comparison participants. LTL was measured using qPCR. Cases had significantly more global trauma (F=4.10, p<0.01) and traumatic events (F=11.23, p<0.001), but case and control groups had similar LTL (1.91±0.74 and 1.83±0.62: p=0.68). The association of early trauma and LTL differed by sex in cases and controls (Fisher's R: Z<0.05). Significant negative associations were shown in male cases and, conversely, in female controls. For example, physical punishment was associated LTL shortening in males' cases (r=-0.429, p<01). Only female controls showed significant telomere shortening in association with early trauma. This data confirms the substantial excess of early trauma among schizophrenia cases. There were significant sex-differences in the relationship of the trauma to LTL, with only male cases showing the expected shortening. There were converse sex effects in the control group. Mean LTL was notably similar in cases and controls, despite the trauma-related shortening in male cases, cigarette smoking, older age and chronic illness of the cases. Factors may lengthen LTL in some schizophrenia cases. The converse sex differences in the cases are consistent with findings defective sexual differentiation in schizophrenia, consistent with other findings in the field. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Effective size of subpopulations in early-run sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka from Azabach'e Lake (Kamchatka): the effect of relative reproductive success of different-year cohorts].

PubMed

Efremov, V V

2004-05-01

The effect of variation in reproductive success of cohorts of different year of birth (within generation) on the effective subpopulation (breeding group) size in early-run sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka from Azabach'e Lake (Kamchatka). The annual variation in census size and overlapping of year classes reduced the ratio of the effective subpopulation size to the census size by 7 to 88% in different subpopulations. The total effect of the variance of reproductive success in individual years and the variance of reproductive success of different cohorts reduced the effective size/census size ratio by 68-96%.

A Different Kind of Leader for a Different Kind of School? A Study of Two Early College High Schools in North Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynn, William H., III

2016-01-01

Early College High Schools (ECHS) allow students to combine high school and college curriculum and graduate with a high school diploma and transferable college credit, with students in many cases earning associate's degrees. ECHS schools have a tendency to focus on students that have been underserved in the education system. Currently there is a…

Early Infantile Autism and Autistic Psychopathy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Krevelen, D. Arn

1971-01-01

The paper tries to assign to autistic psychopathy a definite place in psychiatric nosology and to delineate sharply the differences between the essential characteristics of it and of early infantile autism. (Author)

Contemporary divergence in early life history in grayling (Thymallus thymallus).

PubMed

Thomassen, Gaute; Barson, Nicola J; Haugen, Thrond O; Vøllestad, L Asbjørn

2011-12-13

Following colonization of new habitats and subsequent selection, adaptation to environmental conditions might be expected to be rapid. In a mountain lake in Norway, Lesjaskogsvatnet, more than 20 distinct spawning demes of grayling have been established since the lake was colonized, some 20-25 generations ago. The demes spawn in tributaries consistently exhibiting either colder or warmer temperature conditions during spawning in spring and subsequent early development during early summer. In order to explore the degree of temperature-related divergence in early development, a multi-temperature common-garden experiment was performed on embryos from four different demes experiencing different spring temperatures. Early developmental characters were measured to test if individuals from the four demes respond differently to the treatment temperatures. There was clear evidence of among-deme differences (genotype - environment interactions) in larval growth and yolk-to-body-size conversion efficiency. Under the cold treatment regime, larval growth rates were highest for individuals belonging to cold streams. Individuals from warm streams had the highest yolk-consumption rate under cold conditions. As a consequence, yolk-to-body-mass conversion efficiency was highest for cold-deme individuals under cold conditions. As we observed response parallelism between individuals from demes belonging to similar thermal groups for these traits, some of the differentiation seems likely to result from local adaptation The observed differences in length at age during early larval development most likely have a genetic component, even though both directional and random processes are likely to have influenced evolutionary change in the demes under study.

2014 CODEPEH recommendations: Early detection of late onset deafness, audiological diagnosis, hearing aid fitting and early intervention.

PubMed

Núñez-Batalla, Faustino; Jáudenes-Casaubón, Carmen; Sequí-Canet, Jose Miguel; Vivanco-Allende, Ana; Zubicaray-Ugarteche, Jose

2016-01-01

The latest scientific literature considers early diagnosis of deafness as the key element to define the educational and inclusive prognosis of the deaf child, because it allows taking advantage of the critical period of development (0-4 years). Highly significant differences exist between deaf people who have been stimulated early and those who have received late or improper intervention. Early identification of late-onset disorders requires special attention and knowledge on the part of every childcare professional. Programs and additional actions beyond neonatal screening should be designed and planed to ensure that every child with a significant hearing loss is detected early. For this purpose, the CODEPEH would like to highlight the need for continuous monitoring of children's auditory health. Consequently, CODEPEH has drafted the recommendations included in the present document. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.

Early Pubertal Maturation and Internalizing Problems in Adolescence: Sex Differences in the Role of Cortisol Reactivity to Interpersonal Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Klimes-Dougan, Bonnie; Ge, Xiaojia; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A.; Hastings, Paul D.; Zahn-Waxler, Carolyn

2009-01-01

An accumulating body of literature has shown a link between early pubertal maturation and internalizing problems, particularly among girls. Our knowledge is, however, limited with regard to what accounts for this association. Based on a hypothesis that early maturing girls have heightened stress sensitivity that increases the risk of internalizing…

Reliable early opening strength for concrete pavements and patch work

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-06-01

Early opening strengths for concrete vary greatly around the country for many different reasons. DOTD specifies early opening strengths and will benefit from understanding the latest thinking and practices adopted by similar agencies. Knowing the bes...

Promoting Professional Development for Physical Therapists in Early Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Catalino, Tricia; Chiarello, Lisa A.; Long, Toby; Weaver, Priscilla

2015-01-01

Early intervention service providers are expected to form cohesive teams to build the capacity of a family to promote their child's development. Given the differences in personnel preparation across disciplines of service providers, the Early Childhood Personnel Center is creating integrated and comprehensive professional development models for…

Does early reading failure decrease children's reading motivation?

PubMed

Morgan, Paul L; Fuchs, Douglas; Compton, Donald L; Cordray, David S; Fuchs, Lynn S

2008-01-01

The authors used a pretest-posttest control group design with random assignment to evaluate whether early reading failure decreases children's motivation to practice reading. First, they investigated whether 60 first-grade children would report substantially different levels of interest in reading as a function of their relative success or failure in learning to read. Second, they evaluated whether increasing the word reading ability of 15 at-risk children would lead to gains in their motivation to read. Multivariate analyses of variance suggest marked differences in both motivation and reading practice between skilled and unskilled readers. However, bolstering at-risk children's word reading ability did not yield evidence of a causal relationship between early reading failure and decreased motivation to engage in reading activities. Instead, hierarchical regression analyses indicate a covarying relationship among early reading failure, poor motivation, and avoidance of reading.

Creativity: The Early Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shade, Rick; Shade, Patti Garrett

2016-01-01

There is a myth that some people are creative and others are not. However, all children are born creative. They love to explore, ask questions, and are incredibly imaginative. Parents are key in nurturing their child's creativity in the early years. This article offers resources and strategies parents can use at different ages and stages (newborn,…

Early Risk Factors of Overweight Developmental Trajectories during Middle Childhood

PubMed Central

Pryor, Laura E.; Brendgen, Mara; Tremblay, Richard E.; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Liu, Xuecheng; Dubois, Lise; Touchette, Evelyne; Falissard, Bruno; Boivin, Michel; Côté, Sylvana M.

2015-01-01

Background Research is needed to identify early life risk factors associated with different developmental paths leading to overweight by adolescence. Objectives To model heterogeneity in overweight development during middle childhood and identify factors associated with differing overweight trajectories. Methods Data was drawn from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD; 1998-2010). Trained research assistants measured height and weight according to a standardized protocol and conducted yearly home interviews with the child’s caregiver (mother in 98% of cases). Information on several putative early life risk factors for the development of overweight were obtained, including factors related to the child’s perinatal, early behavioral family and social environment. Group-based trajectories of the probability of overweight (6-12 years) were identified with a semiparametric method (n=1678). Logistic regression analyses were used to identify early risk factors (5 months- 5 years) associated with each trajectory. Results Three trajectories of overweight were identified: “early-onset overweight” (11.0 %), “late-onset overweight” (16.6%) and “never overweight” (72.5%). Multinomial analyses indicated that children in the early and late-onset group, compared to the never overweight group, had 3 common types of risk factors: parental overweight, preschool overweight history, and large size for gestational age. Maternal overprotection (OR= 1.12, CI: 1.01-1.25), short nighttime sleep duration (OR=1.66, CI: 1.07-2.57), and immigrant status (OR=2.01, CI: 1.05-3.84) were factors specific to the early-onset group. Finally, family food insufficiency (OR=1.81, CI: 1.00-3.28) was weakly associated with membership in the late-onset trajectory group. Conclusions The development of overweight in childhood follows two different trajectories, which have common and distinct risk factors that could be the target of early preventive interventions. PMID

Validation of the Early Functional Abilities scale: An assessment of four dimensions in early recovery after traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Poulsen, Ingrid; Kreiner, Svend; Engberg, Aase W

2018-02-13

The Early Functional Abilities scale assesses the restoration of brain function after brain injury, based on 4 dimensions. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the validity, objectivity, reliability and measurement precision of the Early Functional Abilities scale by Rasch model item analysis. A secondary objective was to examine the relationship between the Early Functional Abilities scale and the Functional Independence Measurement™, in order to establish the criterion validity of the Early Functional Abilities scale and to compare the sensitivity of measurements using the 2 instruments. The Rasch analysis was based on the assessment of 408 adult patients at admission to sub-acute rehabilitation in Copenhagen, Denmark after traumatic brain injury. The Early Functional Abilities scale provides valid and objective measurement of vegetative (autonomic), facio-oral, sensorimotor and communicative/cognitive functions. Removal of one item from the sensorimotor scale confirmed unidimensionality for each of the 4 subscales, but not for the entire scale. The Early Functional Abilities subscales are sensitive to differences between patients in ranges in which the Functional Independence Measurement™ has a floor effect. The Early Functional Abilities scale assesses the early recovery of important aspects of brain function after traumatic brain injury, but is not unidimensional. We recommend removal of the "standing" item and calculation of summary subscales for the separate dimensions.

Transactional relations between caregiving stress, executive functioning, and problem behavior from early childhood to early adolescence

PubMed Central

LaGasse, Linda L.; Conradt, Elisabeth; Karalunas, Sarah L.; Dansereau, Lynne M.; Butner, Jonathan E.; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta; Bauer, Charles R.; Whitaker, Toni M.; Lester, Barry M.

2016-01-01

Developmental psychopathologists face the difficult task of identifying the environmental conditions that may contribute to early childhood behavior problems. Highly stressed caregivers can exacerbate behavior problems, while children with behavior problems may make parenting more difficult and increase caregiver stress. Unknown is: (1) how these transactions originate, (2) whether they persist over time to contribute to the development of problem behavior and (3) what role resilience factors, such as child executive functioning, may play in mitigating the development of problem behavior. In the present study, transactional relations between caregiving stress, executive functioning, and behavior problems were examined in a sample of 1,388 children with prenatal drug exposures at three developmental time points: early childhood (birth-age 5), middle childhood (ages 6 to 9), and early adolescence (ages 10 to 13). Transactional relations differed between caregiving stress and internalizing versus externalizing behavior. Targeting executive functioning in evidence-based interventions for children with prenatal substance exposure who present with internalizing problems and treating caregiving psychopathology, depression, and parenting stress in early childhood may be particularly important for children presenting with internalizing behavior. PMID:27427803

Gender Differences in Salary in a Recent Cohort of Early-Career Physician-Researchers

PubMed Central

Jagsi, Reshma; Griffith, Kent A.; Stewart, Abigail; Sambuco, Dana; DeCastro, Rochelle; Ubel, Peter A.

2013-01-01

Purpose Since prior studies have suggested that male physicians earn more than their female counterparts, the authors examined whether this disparity exists in a recently hired cohort. Method In 2010-11, the authors surveyed recent recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentored career development (i.e., K08 or K23) awards, receiving responses from 1,275 (75% response rate). For the 1,012 physicians with academic positions in clinical specialties who reported salary, they constructed linear regression models of salary considering gender, age, race, marital status, parental status, additional doctoral degree, academic rank, years on faculty, specialty, institution type, region, institution NIH funding rank, K-award type, K-award funding institute, K-award year, work hours, and research time. They evaluated the explanatory value of spousal employment status using Peters-Belson regression. Results Mean salary was $141,325 (95% confidence interval [CI] 135,607-147,043) for women and $172,164 (95% CI 167,357-176,971) for men. Male gender remained an independent, significant predictor of salary (+$10,921, P < 0.001) even after adjusting for specialty, academic rank, work hours, research time, and other factors. Peters-Belson analysis indicated that 17% of the overall disparity in the full sample was unexplained by the measured covariates. In the married subset, after accounting for spousal employment status, 10% remained unexplained. Conclusions The authors observed, in this recent cohort of elite, early-career physician researchers, a gender difference in salary that was not fully explained by specialty, academic rank, work hours, or even spousal employment. Creating more equitable procedures for establishing salary at academic institutions is important. PMID:24072109

Ethnic Differences in Early Math Learning: A Comparison of Chinese-American and Caucasian-American Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huntsinger, Carol S.; And Others

This study compared Chinese-American and Caucasian-American children and families in order to better understand which cultural and family characteristics, parent beliefs, and parent practices operate at the early childhood level to produce the more uniform high level of math achievement among Asian-American children. Forty second-generation…

Early adolescent music preferences and minor delinquency.

PubMed

Ter Bogt, Tom F M; Keijsers, Loes; Meeus, Wim H J

2013-02-01

To test Music Marker Theory (MMT) positing that early adolescents' preferences for nonmainstream types of popular music indicate concurrent and later minor delinquency. MMT was tested in a 4-year longitudinal study (n = 309). The results showed that early fans of different types of rock (eg, rock, heavy metal, gothic, punk), African American music (rhythm and blues, hip-hop), and electronic dance music (trance, techno/hardhouse) showed elevated minor delinquency concurrently and longitudinally. Preferring conventional pop (chart pop) or highbrow music (classic music, jazz), in contrast, was not related to or was negatively related to minor delinquency. Early music preferences emerged as more powerful indicators of later delinquency rather than early delinquency, indicating that music choice is a strong marker of later problem behavior. The mechanisms through which music preferences are linked to minor delinquency are discussed within the framework of MMT.

Quality and Equity in Early Childhood Care in Peru

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izu, Regina Moromizato

2006-01-01

The present study examines educational policy documents and programs on early childhood development and education in Peru. The author provides an evaluation of early childhood learning programs and their outcomes in different education centers in Peru. Health, nutrition, development, and participation are identified as key areas of concern. The…

Test Bias and the Culturally Different Early Adolescent.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Eileen; DeBlassie, Richard R.

1983-01-01

Defines test bias as a phenomenon in which test scores result in negative outcomes for certain groups, often lower socioeconomic groups and minorities. Discusses three manifestations of test bias including content, atmosphere, and use bias and presents recommendations for remedying bias problems in testing the culturally different. (JAC)

Early College, Early Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berger, Andrea; Turk-Bicakci, Lori; Garet, Michael; Song, Mengli; Knudson, Joel; Haxton, Clarisse; Zeiser, Kristina; Hoshen, Gur; Ford, Jennifer; Stephan, Jennifer; Keating, Kaeli; Cassidy, Lauren

2013-01-01

In 2002, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI) with the primary goal of increasing the opportunity for underserved students to earn a postsecondary credential. To achieve this goal, Early Colleges provide underserved students with exposure to, and support in, college while they are in…

Gender differences in early accommodation and vergence development.

PubMed

Horwood, Anna M; Riddell, Patricia M

2008-03-01

A remote haploscopic photorefractor was used to assess objective binocular vergence and accommodation responses in 157 full-term healthy infants aged 1-6 months while fixating a brightly coloured target moving between fixation distances at 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.33 m. Vergence and accommodation response gain matured rapidly from 'flat' neonatal responses at an intercept of approximately 2 dioptres (D) for accommodation and 2.5 metre angles(MA) for vergence, reaching adult-like values at 4 months. Vergence gain was marginally higher in females (p = 0.064), but accommodation gain (p = 0.034) was higher and accommodative intercept closer to zero (p = 0.004) in males in the first 3 months as they relaxed accommodation more appropriately for distant targets. More females showed flat accommodation responses (p = 0.029). More males behaved hypermetropically in the first two months of life, but when these hypermetropic infants were excluded from the analysis, the gender difference remained. Gender differences disappeared after three months. Data showed variable responses and infants could behave appropriately and simultaneously on both, neither or only one measure at all ages. If accommodation was appropriate (gain between 0.7 and 1.3; r(2) > 0.7) but vergence was not, males over- and under-converged equally, while the females who accommodated appropriately were more likely to overconverge (p = 0.008). The apparent earlier maturity of the male accommodative responses may be due to refractive error differences but could also reflect gender-specific male preference for blur cues while females show earlier preference for disparity, which may underpin the earlier emerging, disparity dependent, stereopsis and full vergence found in females in other studies.

Water-Soluble Lignins from Different Bioenergy Crops Stimulate the Early Development of Maize (Zea mays, L.).

PubMed

Savy, Davide; Cozzolino, Vincenza; Vinci, Giovanni; Nebbioso, Antonio; Piccolo, Alessandro

2015-11-05

The molecular composition of water-soluble lignins isolated from four non-food bioenergy crops (cardoon CAR, eucalyptus EUC, and two black poplars RIP and LIM) was characterized in detail, and their potential bioactivity towards maize germination and early growth evaluated. Lignins were found to not affect seed germination rates, but stimulated the maize seedling development, though to a different extent. RIP promoted root elongation, while CAR only stimulated the length of lateral seminal roots and coleoptile, and LIM improved only the coleoptile development. The most significant bioactivity of CAR was related to its large content of aliphatic OH groups, C-O carbons and lowest hydrophobicity, as assessed by (31)P-NMR and (13)C-CPMAS-NMR spectroscopies. Less bioactive RIP and LIM lignins were similar in composition, but their stimulation of maize seedling was different. This was accounted to their diverse content of aliphatic OH groups and S- and G-type molecules. The poorest bioactivity of the EUC lignin was attributed to its smallest content of aliphatic OH groups and largest hydrophobicity. Both these features may be conducive of a EUC conformational structure tight enough to prevent its alteration by organic acids exuded from vegetal tissues. Conversely the more labile conformational arrangements of the other more hydrophilic lignin extracts promoted their bioactivity by releasing biologically active molecules upon the action of exuded organic acids. Our findings indicate that water-soluble lignins from non-food crops may be effectively used as plant biostimulants, thus contributing to increase the economic and ecological liability of bio-based industries.

Early School Experiences: Gender Differences in Mathematics Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leder, Gilah C.

This study of gender differences in mathematics learning examined two 4-year-olds who attended a Melbourne, Australia preschool. The study traces the experiences of the students, one female and one male, during their first formal exposure to mathematics in kindergarten. Of particular concern was how the preschoolers interacted with their teacher,…

Connecting QGP-Heavy Ion Physics to the Early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafelski, Johann

2013-10-01

We discuss properties and evolution of quark-gluon plasma in the early Universe and compare to laboratory heavy ion experiments. We describe how matter and antimatter emerged from a primordial soup of quarks and gluons. We focus our discussion on similarities and differences between the early Universe and the laboratory experiments.

Synchrony of clonal cell proliferation and contiguity of clonally related cells: production of mosaicism in the ventricular zone of developing mouse neocortex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cai, L.; Hayes, N. L.; Nowakowski, R. S.

1997-01-01

We have analyzed clonal cell proliferation in the ventricular zone (VZ) of the early developing mouse neocortex with a replication-incompetent retrovirus encoding human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP). The retrovirus was injected into the lateral ventricles on embryonic day 11 (E11), i.e., at the onset of neuronogenesis. Three days postinjection, on E14, a total of 259 AP-labeled clones of various sizes were found in 7 fetal brains. There are approximately 7 cell cycles between E11 and E14 (), and there is a 1-2 cell cycle delay between retroviral injection and the production of a retrovirally labeled "founder" cell; thus, we estimate that the "age" of the clones was about 5-6 cell cycles. Almost one-half of the clones (48.3%) identified were pure proliferating clones containing cells only in the VZ. Another 18.5% contained both proliferating and postproliferative cells, and 33.2% contained only postproliferative cells. It was striking that over 90% of the clonally related proliferating cells occurred in clusters of two or more apparently contiguous cells, and about 73% of the proliferating cells occurred in clusters of three or more cells. Regardless of the number of cells in the clone, these clusters were tightly packed and confined to a single level of the VZ. This clustering of proliferating cells indicates that clonally related cells maintain neighbor-neighbor relationships as they undergo interkinetic nuclear migration and progress through several cell cycles, and, as a result, the ventricular zone is a mosaic of small clusters of clonally related and synchronously cycling cells. In addition, cells in the intermediate zone and the cortical plate were also frequently clustered, indicating that they became postproliferative at a similar time and that the output of the VZ is influenced by its mosaic structure.

Early intervention for psychosis

PubMed Central

Marshall, Max; Rathbone, John

2014-01-01

, undertaken by pioneering researchers and with many methodological limitations (18 RCTs, total n=1808). Mostly, meta-analyses were inappropriate. For the six studies addressing prevention of psychosis for people with prodromal symptoms, olanzapine seemed of little benefit (n=60, 1 RCT, RR conversion to psychosis 0.58 CI 0.3 to 1.2), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) equally so (n=60, 1 RCT, RR conversion to psychosis 0.50 CI 0.2 to 1.7). A risperidone plus CBT plus specialised team did have benefit over specialist team alone at six months (n=59, 1 RCT, RR conversion to psychosis 0.27 CI 0.1 to 0.9, NNT 4 CI 2 to 20), but this was not seen by 12 months (n=59, 1 RCT, RR 0.54 CI 0.2 to 1.3). Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA) had advantage over placebo (n=76, 1 RCT, RR transition to psychosis 0.13 CI 0.02 to 1.0, NNT 6 CI 5 to 96). We know of no replications of this finding. The remaining trials aimed to improve outcome in first-episode psychosis. Phase-specific CBT for suicidality seemed to have little effect, but the single study was small (n=56, 1 RCT, RR suicide 0.81 CI 0.05 to 12.26). Family therapy plus a specialised team in the Netherlands did not clearly affect relapse (n=76, RR 1.05 CI 0.4 to 3.0), but without the specialised team in China it may (n=83, 1 RCT, RR admitted to hospital 0.28 CI 0.1 to 0.6, NNT 3 CI 2 to 6). The largest and highest quality study compared specialised team with standard care. Leaving the study early was reduced (n=547, 1 RCT, RR 0.59 CI 0.4 to 0.8, NNT 9 CI 6 to 18) and compliance with treatment improved (n=507, RR stopped treatment 0.20 CI 0.1 to 0.4, NNT 9 CI 8 to 12). The mean number of days spent in hospital at one year were not significantly different (n=507, WMD, −1.39 CI −2.8 to 0.1), neither were data for ‘Not hospitalised’ by five years (n=547, RR 1.05 CI 0.90 to 1.2). There were no significant differences in numbers ‘not living independently’ by one year (n=507, RR 0.55 CI 0.3 to 1.2). At five years significantly fewer

Racial Differences in the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption in Early Adulthood and Occupational Attainment at Midlife

PubMed Central

Malone, Patrick S.; Kertesz, Stefan G.; Wang, Yang; Costanzo, Philip R.

2009-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the relationship between alcohol consumption in young adulthood (ages 18–30 years) and occupational success 15 years later among Blacks and Whites. Methods. We analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study on employment status and occupational prestige at year 15 from baseline. The primary predictor was weekly alcohol use at baseline, after stratification by race and adjustment for socioeconomic factors. Results. We detected racial differences in the relationship between alcohol use in early adulthood and employment status at midlife. Blacks who were very heavy drinkers at baseline were more than 4 times as likely as Blacks who were occasional drinkers to be unemployed at year 15 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.22, 8.47). We found no statistically significant relationship among Whites. Occupational prestige at midlife was negatively related to very heavy drinking, but after adjustment for marital status, active coping, life stress, and educational attainment, this relationship was statistically significant only among Blacks. Conclusions. Heavy drinking during young adulthood was negatively associated with labor market success at midlife, especially among Blacks. PMID:19834006

Antipsychotic medication for early episode schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Bola, John; Kao, Dennis; Soydan, Haluk; Adams, Clive E

2014-01-01

Background Long-term treatment with antipsychotic medications in early episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders is common, but both short and long-term effects on the illness are unclear. There have been numerous suggestions that people with early episodes of schizophrenia appear to respond differently than those with multiple prior episodes. The number of episodes may moderate response to drug treatment. Objectives To assess the effects of antipsychotic medication treatment on people with early episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group register (July 2007) as well as references of included studies. We contacted authors of studies for further data. Selection criteria Studies with a majority of first and second episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders comparing initial antipsychotic medication treatment with placebo, milieu, or psychosocial treatment. Data collection and analysis Working independently, we critically appraised records from 681 studies, of which five studies met inclusion criteria. We calculated risk ratios (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) where possible. For continuous data, we calculated mean difference (MD). We calculated numbers needed to treat/harm (NNT/NNH) where appropriate. Main results Five studies (combined total n=998) met inclusion criteria. Four studies (n=724) provided leaving the study early data and results suggested that individuals treated with a typical antipsychotic medication are less likely to leave the study early than those treated with placebo (Chlorpromazine: 3 RCTs n=353, RR 0.4 CI 0.3 to 0.5, NNT 3.2, Fluphenaxine: 1 RCT n=240, RR 0.5 CI 0.3 to 0.8, NNT 5; Thioridazine: 1 RCT n=236, RR 0.44 CI 0.3 to 0.7, NNT 4.3, Trifulperazine: 1 RCT n=94, RR 0.96 CI 0.3 to 3.6). Two studies contributed data to assessment of adverse effects and present a general pattern of more frequent side effects among individuals treated with typical antipsychotic medications

Men's mobility into management from blue collar and white collar jobs: race differences across the early work-career.

PubMed

Wilson, George; Maume, David

2014-07-01

Within the context of the "particularistic mobility thesis" we examine racial differences in the incidence, and determinants of, as well as timing to, mobility into management across the critical early career years at a refined level, namely, when groups share similar white collar and blue collar jobs. Findings from a Panel Study of Income Dynamics sample of men support theory and indicate that from both job levels a racial hierarchy exists: African Americans have the lowest rate of mobility, reach management through a route that is relatively formal and structured by a traditional range of stratification-based causal factors and take longest to reach management. Whites, in contrast, have the highest mobility rate, reach management through a relatively informal path that is less structured by traditional stratification-based factors, and reach management the quickest, and, across all three issues Latinos occupy an intermediate ground between African Americans and Latinos. Further, as predicted by theory, racial differences, particularly, relative to whites, are greater among those tracked from blue collar jobs than white collar jobs. Discussed are implications of the findings for understanding racial disadvantage in the American labor market across the work-career and on an inter-generational basis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photosynthetic and Canopy Characteristics of Different Varieties at the Early Elongation Stage and Their Relationships with the Cane Yield in Sugarcane

PubMed Central

Luo, Jun; Pan, Yong-Bao; Xu, Liping; Zhang, Yuye; Zhang, Hua; Chen, Rukai

2014-01-01

During sugarcane growth, the Early Elongation stage is critical to cane yield formation. In this study, parameters of 17 sugarcane varieties were determined at the Early Elongation stage using CI-301 photosynthesis measuring system and CI-100 digital plant canopy imager. The data analysis showed highly significant differences in leaf area index (LAI), mean foliage inclination angle (MFIA), transmission coefficient for diffused light penetration (TD), transmission coefficient for solar beam radiation penetration (TR), leaf distribution (LD), net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), and stomatal conductance (GS) among sugarcane varieties. Based on the photosynthetic or canopy parameters, the 17 sugarcane varieties were classified into four categories. Through the factor analysis, nine parameters were represented by three principal factors, of which the cumulative rate of variance contributions reached 85.77%. A regression for sugarcane yield, with relative error of yield fitting less than 0.05, was successfully established: sugarcane yield = −27.19 − 1.69 × PN + 0.17 ×  E + 90.43 × LAI − 408.81 × LD + 0.0015 × NSH + 101.38 ×  D (R 2 = 0.928**). This study helps provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the screening of new sugarcane varieties with high net photosynthetic rate and ideal canopy structure. PMID:25045742

Parents as Discerning Consumers at Three Types of Early Childhood Centres.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farquhar, Sarah-Eve

Parents' views on the goals of early childhood programs and on characteristics of a high quality center were examined in a study that also investigated parents' understandings of quality in three different types of early childhood services. The study was part of a major project on the quality of early childhood centers, which was funded by the New…

Listening to Children's Perspectives of Their Early Childhood Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupree, Elaine; Bertram, Tony; Pascal, Christine

The Effective Early Learning Programme in the United Kingdom (UK) has included the voice of children as an integral part of their evaluation and improvement process. This study interviewed approximately 945 children from 23 different geographical areas of the UK about their views of certain aspects of their early learning settings. Children were…

Shifts in color discrimination during early pregnancy.

PubMed

Orbán, Levente L; Dastur, Farhad N

2012-05-25

The present study explores two hypotheses: a) women during early pregnancy should experience increased color discrimination ability, and b) women during early pregnancy should experience shifts in subjective preference away from images of foods that appear either unripe or spoiled. Both of these hypotheses derive from an adaptive view of pregnancy sickness that proposes the function of pregnancy sickness is to decrease the likelihood of ingestion of foods with toxins or teratogens. Changes to color discrimination could be part of a network of perceptual and physiological defenses (e.g., changes to olfaction, nausea, vomiting) that support such a function. Participants included 13 pregnant women and 18 non-pregnant women. Pregnant women scored significantly higher than non-pregnant controls on the Farnsworth-Munsell (FM) 100 Hue Test, an objective test of color discrimination, although no difference was found between groups in preferences for food images at different stages of ripeness or spoilage. These results are the first indication that changes to color discrimination may occur during early pregnancy, and is consistent with the view that pregnancy sickness may function as an adaptive defense mechanism.

Early Cognitive and Linguistic Profiles of Different Types of 7- to 8-Year-Old Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potocki, Anna; Ecalle, Jean; Magnan, Annie

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the early characteristics of four profiles of readers established in second grade (7-8 years of age): good readers, specific poor decoders, specific poor comprehenders and general poor readers. These profiles were compared retrospectively on a range of measures administered 2 years earlier, in kindergarten.…

A Multilevel Study of Partnership Building to Support Early Childhood Development across Different Education Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jianjun; Ortiz, Theresa; Maier, Roland; Navarro, Diana

2015-01-01

First five years are identified as a critical period of child growth in scientific literature. In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 10 that appropriated a 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to support early childhood development. As a result, Kern County Children and Families Commission administered over $10…

Public-Private Differences in Achievement among Kindergarten Students: Differences in Learning Opportunities and Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbonaro, William

2006-01-01

While much research has focused on public-private differences in learning opportunities and achievement in high school, no studies have examined sector differences early in students' academic careers. In this study, I examine sector differences in learning opportunities and achievement in kindergarten. The analyses indicate: (1) learning…

Effectiveness of potassium carbonate sesquihydrate to increase dietary cation-anion difference in early lactation cows.

PubMed

Harrison, J; White, R; Kincaid, R; Block, E; Jenkins, T; St-Pierre, N

2012-07-01

The effect of additional dietary potassium in early lactation dairy cows was evaluated with the addition of potassium carbonate sesquihydrate, which increased dietary K from 1.3 to 2.1% of dry matter (DM) from wk 3 to 12 of lactation. Cows fed potassium carbonate sesquihydrate in the form of DCAD Plus (Church & Dwight Co. Inc., Princeton, NJ) had increased DM intake, milk fat percentage and yield, energy-corrected milk, and efficiency of milk production per unit of DM intake. Milk fat of cows fed higher dietary K had a lower concentration of trans fatty acids, suggesting a role for potassium carbonate sesquihydrate in the rumen in the biohydrogenation processes converting linoleic to stearic acid. Cows fed the diet with 2.1% K had greater apparent balance of K, and no effects were noted on the concentration of blood Mg or amount of fecal Mg. The data support the feeding of greater amounts of K in the early lactation cow. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expression profile of IGF-I-calcineurin-NFATc3-dependent pathway genes in skeletal muscle during early development between duck breeds differing in growth rates.

PubMed

Shu, Jingting; Li, Huifang; Shan, Yanju; Xu, Wenjuan; Chen, Wenfeng; Song, Chi; Song, Weitao

2015-06-01

The insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)-calcineurin (CaN)-NFATc signaling pathways have been implicated in the regulation of myocyte hypertrophy and fiber-type specificity. In the present study, the expression of the CnAα, NFATc3, and IGF-I genes was quantified by RT-PCR for the first time in the breast muscle (BM) and leg muscle (LM) on days 13, 17, 21, 25, and 27 of embryonic development, as well as at 7 days posthatching (PH), in Gaoyou and Jinding ducks, which differ in their muscle growth rates. Consistent expression patterns of CnAα, NFATc3, and IGF-I were found in the same anatomical location at different development stages in both duck breeds, showing significant differences in an age-specific fashion. However, the three genes were differentially expressed in the two different anatomical locations (BM and LM). CnAα, NFATc3, and IGF-I messenger RNA (mRNA) could be detected as early as embryonic day 13 (ED13), and the highest level appeared at this stage in both BM and LM. Significant positive relationships were observed in the expression of the studied genes in the BM and LM of both duck breeds. Also, the expression of these three genes showed a positive relationship with the percentage of type IIb fibers and a negative relationship with the percentage of type I fibers and type IIa fibers. Our data indicate differential expression and coordinated developmental regulation of the selected genes involved in the IGF-I-calcineurin-NFATc3 pathway in duck skeletal muscle during embryonic and early PH growth and development; these data also indicate that this signaling pathway might play a role in the regulation of myofiber type transition.

Early versus late GD-DTPA MRI enhancement in experimental glioblastomas.

PubMed

Farace, Paolo; Tambalo, Stefano; Fiorini, Silvia; Merigo, Flavia; Daducci, Alessandro; Nicolato, Elena; Conti, Giamaica; Degrassi, Anna; Sbarbati, Andrea; Marzola, Pasquina

2011-03-01

To compare early versus late enhancement in two glioblastoma models characterized by different infiltrative/edematous patterns. Three weeks after inoculation into nude mice of U87MG and U251 cells, T1-weighted images were acquired early (10.5 min), intermediate (21 min) and late (30.5 min) after a bolus injection of Gd-DTPA at 300 μ mol/kg dosage. EARLY(TH) and LATE(TH) were the corresponding volumes with an enhancement higher than a threshold TH, defined by the mean (μ) and standard deviation (σ) on a contralateral healthy area. ADD(TH) was the enhancing volume found in LATE(TH) but not in EARLY(TH). T2 imaging of both tumors was performed, and T2 mapping of U251. In all tumors, LATE(TH) was significantly higher than EARLY(TH) for TH ranging from μ+σ to μ+5σ. The ADD(TH) /EARLY(TH) ratio was not significantly different when U251 and U87MG tumors were compared. In the U87MG tumors, some enhancement was observed outside the regularly demarcated T2-hyperintense area. In the U251 tumors, irregularly T2 demarcated, a large portion of ADD(μ+3σ) had normal T2 values. At histology, U251 showed a higher infiltrative pattern than U87MG. In these models, the increase over time in the enhancing volume did not depend on the different infiltrative/edematous patterns and was not closely related with edema. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Housing tenure and early retirement for health reasons in Sweden.

PubMed

Hartig, Terry; Fransson, Urban

2006-01-01

To assess the association between housing tenure and early retirement for health reasons in Sweden with a view to psychosocial vs. material values of home ownership. The data come from linked registers that cover all people resident in Sweden during 1990-2000. The study population consists of 449,233 people aged 40-63 years in 1997. Of these, 19,350 retired early for health reasons in 1998-99. The remaining 429,883 continued their employment without extended sick leave or income decline. None moved during 1990-2000. We calculated the odds of early retirement for four forms of juridical relationship to one's housing (private owner; part owner in a cooperative; private rental; rental from a public housing company), for men and women separately, controlling for age, education, employment income, household disposable income, region, foreign birth, and housing type. Men in cooperative ownership had lower odds of early retirement than those in the three other tenure forms, for which the odds were similar. Among women, public and private renters had similar odds of early retirement, which were higher than those of women in private or cooperative ownership. For both genders, inclusion of housing type in the model after housing tenure explained little additional variance. The odds of early retirement for health reasons varied across different housing tenure forms in Sweden in 1998-99. The pattern of associations differed as a function of gender. Home ownership appears to involve health resources independent of basic socio-physical factors captured with differences in housing type.

Prognostic Value of Venous to Arterial Carbon Dioxide Difference during Early Resuscitation in Critically Ill Patients with Septic Shock.

PubMed

Helmy, Tamer Abdallah; El-Reweny, Ehab Mahmoud; Ghazy, Farahat Gomaa

2017-09-01

The partial pressure of venous to arterial carbon dioxide gradient (PCO 2 gap) is considered as an alternative marker of tissue hypoperfusion and has been used to guide treatment for shock. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference during early resuscitation of patients with septic shock and compared it with that of lactate clearance and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) score. Forty patients admitted to one Intensive Care Unit were enrolled. APACHE-II score was calculated on admission. An arterial blood gas, central venous, and lactate samples were obtained on admission and after 6 h, and lactate clearance was calculated. Patients were classified retrospectively into Group I (survivors) and Group II (nonsurvivors). Pv-aCO 2 difference in the two groups was evaluated. Data were fed to the computer and analyzed using IBM SPSS software package version 20.0. At T0, Group II showed high PCO 2 gap (8.37 ± 1.36 mmHg) than Group I (7.55 ± 0.95 mmHg) with statistically significant difference ( P = 0.030). While at T6, Group II showed higher PCO 2 gap (9.48 ± 1.47 mmHg) with statistically significant difference ( P < 0.001) and higher mean lactate values (62.71 ± 23.66 mg/dl) with statistically significant difference ( P < 0.001) than Group I where PCO 2 gap and mean lactate values became much lower, 5.91 ± 1.12 mmHg and 33.61 ± 5.80 mg mg/dl, respectively. Group I showed higher lactate clearance (25.42 ± 6.79%) with statistically significant difference ( P < 0.001) than Group II (-69.40-15.46%). High PCO 2 gap >7.8 mmHg after 6 h from resuscitation of septic shock patients is associated with high mortality.

Abusive early child rearing and early childhood aggression.

PubMed

Herrenkohl, R C; Russo, M J

2001-02-01

Childhood aggression is significant for children, their families, and the society because aggressive children often become violent adolescents. This article examines the relationship between maltreatment and early childhood aggression. Data are from a longitudinal study of maltreated and nonmaltreated children assessed as preschoolers and again at school age. The dependent variable is the child's teacher's rating of aggression at school age. The independent variables are from preschool and school age observations of the mother-child interaction and the mother's report of physical discipline practices. Using structural equation modeling, harshness of interaction at preschool age but not school age and severity of physical discipline at school age but not preschool age, relate to aggression at school age. Results suggest a difference in the developmental stage at which different features of harsh child rearing exert their influence. Strategies for intervening to prevent the development of childhood aggression are suggested.

Photodynamic therapy of early stage cancer of lung, esophagus, and stomach with two different photosensitizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chissov, Valery I.; Sokolov, Victor V.; Trakhtenberg, A. K.; Mamontov, A. S.; Vaschakmadze, L. A.; Frank, George A.; Filonenko, E. V.; Telegina, L. V.; Belous, T. A.; Gladunov, V. K.; Aristarkhova, E. I.; Zharkova, Natalia N.; Menenkov, V. D.

1996-01-01

The paper presents the results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) of early-stage cancer of lung (17 patients), esophagus (8 patients) and stomach (10 patients). Fifteen patients had second primary tumors. New drugs photoheme and photosens were used as photosensitizers. Complete remission was obtained in 87%. The patients are followed up without relapses to 2.5 years.

Exploring Trauma, Loss and Healing: Spirituality, "Te Whariki" and Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bone, Jane

2008-01-01

Attention to spirituality is proposed to be a means of restoring and supporting well-being in early childhood educational contexts. In Aotearoa, New Zealand, the spiritual dimension is included in the early childhood curriculum "Te Whariki". This holistic approach to education supported research in three different early childhood…

Early Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathanson, Jeanne H., Ed.

1992-01-01

This theme issue focuses on early intervention. The four articles presented on this theme are: (1) "Deaf Infants, Hearing Mothers: A Research Report" (Kathryn P. Meadow-Orlans, and others), reporting findings on effects of auditory loss on early development; (2) "Maintaining Involvement of Inner City Families in Early Intervention Programs through…

[Adolescent mothers admitted with their children in a highly complex hospital: differences between early-middle and late adolescence].

PubMed

Bulgach, Valeria; Zunana, Cecilia; Califano, Paula; Rodríguez, M Susana; Mato, Roberto

2018-04-01

Teenage pregnancy is highly prevalent. To describe several features of a group of adolescent mothers admitted along with their children in a high complexity pediatric hospital and to explore the difference between those in early-mid and late adolescence. Observational, transversal study, through a survey including socio-demographic variables, information about their pregnancy, delivery and their newborns. We included 227 mothers, 100 were aged < 17 years old and 127 were aged from 17 to 19 years and 11 months. Thirty percent of patients younger than 17 and 33% of the other group had preterm children; 12% and 2% respectively had very low weight newborns. Seventy-six (76%) and 77 (61%) mothers respectively were, in turn, daughters of teenage mothers. Prematurity was high in both groups. Younger mothers had higher rates of low weight newborns. Repeated intergenerational history of adolescence motherhood was found in two thirds of cases in both groups. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

A unique gender difference in early onset melanoma implies that in addition to ultraviolet light exposure other causative factors are important

PubMed Central

Liu, Feng; Bessonova, Leona; Taylor, Thomas H.; Ziogas, Argyrios; Meyskens, Frank L.; Anton-Culver, Hoda

2014-01-01

Summary Using US SEER17 Registry data, age-specific melanoma incidence rates were calculated and comparisons were made between males and females. Relative Risk (RR) for males and females in each age group was computed and compared with that from Nordic Cancer Registry data set and to that for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). For age groups 44 and younger, females showed higher incidence rates, with a peak difference at age 20–24 (RR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.21–3.33). Males exhibited higher incidence rates after age 44. The same bimodal gender difference was confirmed by the Nordic Cancer Registry data set, but it was not observed for NMSC, which is known to be strongly associated with cumulative exposure to solar UV radiation. We conclude that exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the major causative factor for melanoma at older age (>44 yr), but that other factors may play a role in early onset melanomas, particularly in females. PMID:23095171

Early Career Mathematics Teachers' General Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills: Do Teacher Education, Teaching Experience, and Working Conditions Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

König, Johannes; Blömeke, Sigrid; Kaiser, Gabriele

2015-01-01

We examined several facets of general pedagogical knowledge and skills of early career mathematics teachers, asking how they are associated with characteristics of teacher education, teaching experience, and working conditions. Declarative general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) was assessed via a paper-and-pencil test, while early career teachers'…

What Discourses Relating to the Purpose of Early Childhood Are Shaping the Work of Early Childhood Practitioners in Three Different Contexts: UK, Bhutan and Fiji?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Margaret; Alexander, Elise; Pedey, Karma; Tausere-Tiko, Lavinia

2018-01-01

We explore the way dominant political discourses are perceived to influence developing professionalisation of early childhood in three contexts. The UK is strongly influenced by the neoliberal agenda which positions managerialism, bureaucracy, accountability and control as necessary to drive quality improvement. Bhutan has been exposed to western…

Partial and Incomplete Voices: The Political and Three Early Childhood Teachers' Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Linda

2014-01-01

The early childhood-school relationship is reported as having points of separation and difference. In particular, early childhood teachers located in a school setting report experiencing a push-down effect. This paper reports on a participatory action research project involving three early childhood teachers working within an independent school.…

Infusing Early Childhood Mental Health into Early Intervention Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grabert, John C.

2009-01-01

This article describes the process of enhancing early childhood mental health awareness and skills in non-mental health staff. The author describes a pilot training model, conducted the U.S. Army's Early Intervention Services, that involved: (a) increasing early childhood mental health knowledge through reflective readings, (b) enhancing…

[Value of early application of different doses of amino acids in parenteral nutrition among preterm infants].

PubMed

Liu, Zhi-Juan; Liu, Guo-Sheng; Chen, Yong-Ge; Zhang, Hui-Li; Wu, Xue-Fen

2015-01-01

To study the short-term response and tolerance of different doses of amino acids in parenteral nutrition among preterm infants. This study included 86 preterm infants who had a birth weight between 1 000 to 2 000 g and were admitted to the hospital within 24 hours of birth between March 2013 and June 2014. According to the early application of different doses of amino acids, they were randomized into low-dose group (n=29, 1.0 g/kg per day with an increase of 1.0 g/kg daily and a maximum of 3.5 g/kg per day), medium-dose group (n=28, 2.0 g/kg per day with an increase of 1.0 g/kg daily and a maximum of 3.7 g/kg per day), and high-dose group (n=29, 3.0 g/kg per day with an increase of 0.5-1.0 g/kg daily and a maximum of 4.0 g/kg per day). Other routine parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition support were also applied. The maximum weight loss was lower and the growth rate of head circumference was greater in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group (P<0.05). The infants in the medium- and high-dose groups had faster recovery of birth weight, earlier attainment of 100 kcal/(kg·d) of enteral nutrition, shorter duration of hospital stay, and less hospital cost than those in the low-dose group (P<0.05). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in the high-dose group increased compared with the other two groups 7 days after birth (P<0.05). The levels of creatinine, pH, bicarbonate, bilirubin, and transaminase and the incidence of complications showed no significant differences between groups (P>0.05). Parenteral administration of high-dose amino acids in preterm infants within 24 hours after birth can improve the short-term nutritional status of preterm infants, but there is a transient increase in BUN level.

Ethnic variations in pathways into early intervention services for psychosis.

PubMed

Ghali, Sharif; Fisher, Helen L; Joyce, John; Major, Barnaby; Hobbs, Lorna; Soni, Sujata; Chisholm, Brock; Rahaman, Nikola; Papada, Peggy; Lawrence, Jo; Bloy, Sally; Marlowe, Karl; Aitchison, Katherine J; Power, Paddy; Johnson, Sonia

2013-04-01

Ethnic variations have previously been identified in the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and pathways into psychiatric services. These have not been examined in the context of early intervention services, which may alter these trajectories. To explore ethnic differences in the nature and duration of pathways into early intervention services. In a naturalistic cohort study, data were collected for 1024 individuals with psychotic disorders accepted for case management by eight London early intervention services. Duration of untreated psychosis was prolonged in the White British group compared with most other ethnic groups. White British individuals were more likely to make contact with their general practitioner and less likely to be seen within emergency medical services. All Black patient groups were more likely than their White British counterparts to experience involvement of criminal justice agencies. Variations continue to exist in how and when individuals from different ethnic groups access early intervention services. These may account for disparities in DUP.

Effects of dietary cation-anion difference on intake, milk yield, and blood components of the early lactation cow.

PubMed

Chan, P S; West, J W; Bernard, J K; Fernandez, J M

2005-12-01

Early lactation Holsteins cows (15 primiparous and 18 multiparous) were offered rations with dietary cation-anion difference, calculated as mEq (Na + K - Cl - S)/100 g of feed dry matter (DCAD:S), of 20, 35, or 50 mEq from d 0 (calving) to 42 d postpartum (August 20, 2000 to January 9, 2001) to determine the effects of increasing DCAD:S on dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and blood metabolites. For DCAD:S of 20, 35, and 50, DMI was 3.30, 3.38, 2.96 kg/100 kg of body weight (BW); milk yield was 25.5, 24.2, and 22.4 kg/d, respectively. No differences were observed for concentration or yield of milk fat or milk protein. Serum Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Cl, cation-anion difference, insulin, and glucose did not differ with DCAD. Serum HCO3- was 26.07, 25.88, and 27.64 mEq/L for 20, 35, and 50 DCAD:S. Serum Ca, Mg, Na, and K concentrations were greater for primiparous cows (9.52 mg/dL, 2.35 mg/dL, 140.03 mEq/L, 4.66 mEq/L, respectively) than for multiparous cows (9.27 mg/dL, 2.12 mg/dL, 137.63 mEq/L, 4.46 mEq/ L, respectively). A DCAD:S between 23 and 33 mEq/100 g of dry matter (DM) appears to be adequate during cool weather for the milk yield that occurred in the present study based on DMI (kg/100 kg of BW), whereas DCAD:S of 50 mEq/100 g of DM may be excessive and could be too alkaline or unpalatable, resulting in decreased DMI (kg/100 kg of BW).

Decreasing Irradiated Rat Lung Volume Changes Dose-Limiting Toxicity From Early to Late Effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veen, Sonja J. van der; Faber, Hette; Ghobadi, Ghazaleh

2016-01-01

Purpose: Technological developments in radiation therapy result in smaller irradiated volumes of normal tissue. Because the risk of radiation therapy-induced toxicity generally depends on irradiated volume, changing volume could change the dose-limiting toxicity of a treatment. Recently, in our rat model, we found that early radiation-induced lung dysfunction (RILD) was closely related to irradiated volume dependent vascular remodeling besides inflammation. The exact relationship between early and late RILD is still unknown. Therefore, in this preclinical study we investigated the dose-volume relationship of late RILD, assessed its dependence on early and late pathologies and studied if decreasing irradiated volume changed themore » dose-limiting toxicity. Methods and Materials: A volume of 25%, 32%, 50%, 63%, 88%, or 100% of the rat lung was irradiated using protons. Until 26 weeks after irradiation, respiratory rates were measured. Macrovascular remodeling, pulmonary inflammation, and fibrosis were assessed at 26 weeks after irradiation. For all endpoints dose-volume response curves were made. These results were compared to our previously published early lung effects. Results: Early vascular remodeling and inflammation correlated significantly with early RILD. Late RILD correlated with inflammation and fibrosis, but not with vascular remodeling. In contrast to the early effects, late vascular remodeling, inflammation and fibrosis showed a primarily dose but not volume dependence. Comparison of respiratory rate increases early and late after irradiation for the different dose-distributions indicated that with decreasing irradiated volumes, the dose-limiting toxicity changed from early to late RILD. Conclusions: In our rat model, different pathologies underlie early and late RILD with different dose-volume dependencies. Consequently, the dose-limiting toxicity changed from early to late dysfunction when the irradiated volume was reduced. In patients, early and

Early life programming of fear conditioning and extinction in adult male rats.

PubMed

Stevenson, Carl W; Spicer, Clare H; Mason, Rob; Marsden, Charles A

2009-12-28

The early rearing environment programs corticolimbic function and neuroendocrine stress reactivity in adulthood. Although early environmental programming of innate fear has been previously examined, its impact on fear learning and memory later in life remains poorly understood. Here we examined the role of the early rearing environment in programming fear conditioning and extinction in adult male rats. Pups were subjected to maternal separation (MS; 360 min), brief handling (H; 15 min), or animal facility rearing (AFR) on post-natal days 2-14. As adults, animals were tested in a 3-day fear learning and memory paradigm which assessed the acquisition, expression and extinction of fear conditioning to an auditory cue; the recall of extinction was also assessed. In addition, contextual fear was assessed prior to cued extinction and its recall. We found that the acquisition of fear conditioning to the cue was modestly impaired by MS. However, no early rearing group differences were observed in cue-induced fear expression. In contrast, both the rate of extinction and extinction recall were attenuated by H. Finally, although contextual fear was reduced after extinction to the cue, no differences in context-induced fear were observed between the early rearing groups. These results add to a growing body of evidence supporting an important role for early environmental programming of fear conditioning and extinction. They also indicate that different early rearing conditions can program varying effects on distinct fear learning and memory processes in adulthood.

Early Stage Breast Cancer Treatments for Younger Medicare Beneficiaries with Different Disabilities

PubMed Central

Iezzoni, Lisa I; Ngo, Long H; Li, Donglin; Roetzheim, Richard G; Drews, Reed E; McCarthy, Ellen P

2008-01-01

Objective To explore how underlying disability affects treatments and outcomes of disabled women with breast cancer. Data Sources Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data, linked with Medicare files and Social Security Administration disability group. Study Design Ninety thousand two hundred and forty-three incident cases of early-stage breast cancer under age 65; adjusted relative risks and hazards ratios examined treatments and survival, respectively, for women in four disability groups compared with nondisabled women. Principal Findings Demographic characteristics, treatments, and survival varied among four disability groups. Compared with nondisabled women, those with mental disorders and neurological conditions had significantly lower adjusted rates of breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy. Survival outcomes also varied by disability type. Conclusions Compared with nondisabled women, certain subgroups of women with disabilities are especially likely to experience disparities in care for breast cancer. PMID:18479411

The family antecedents and the subsequent outcomes of early puberty.

PubMed

Arim, Rübab G; Tramonte, Lucia; Shapka, Jennifer D; Dahinten, V Susan; Willms, J Douglas

2011-11-01

The purpose of this study was to examine both the family antecedents and the outcomes of early puberty, with a particular focus on factors related to family socioeconomic status (SES). The study employed a comprehensive measurement of pubertal development and longitudinal data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. The sample (N = 8,440; 49% girls) included four cohorts of children who were followed biennially for 10 years, starting from age 4-11 to 14-21 years. Data were drawn at different years of age from these cohorts of children. Girls whose fathers were unemployed were more likely to experience early puberty than those whose fathers were employed. For boys, those living with fathers who had not finished secondary school were more likely to experience early puberty. Early maturing girls tended to engage in smoking and drinking at an earlier age compared with their peers. These findings provide support for psychosocial acceleration theory and suggest that different aspects of low family SES may act as a psychosocial stress for early pubertal maturation in boys versus girls, which may lead to engagement in drinking and smoking at a younger age, at least for girls.

Early Literacy and Early Numeracy: The Value of Including Early Literacy Skills in the Prediction of Numeracy Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purpura, David J.; Hume, Laura E.; Sims, Darcey M.; Lonigan, Cristopher J.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether early literacy skills uniquely predict early numeracy skills development. During the first year of the study, 69 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers were assessed on the Preschool Early Numeracy Skills (PENS) test and the Test of Preschool Early Literacy Skills (TOPEL). Participants were assessed again a…

Bullying in Early Educational Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirves, Laura; Sajaniemi, Nina

2012-01-01

The aim of this research was to study the prevalence of bullying in early educational settings in Finnish kindergartens. In addition, the study investigated whether bullying in kindergartens differs from school bullying and what forms bullying takes among under-school-age children. Two kinds of data were collected for the study: data from a survey…

Contemporary Sex-Based Differences by Age in Presenting Characteristics, Use of an Early Invasive Strategy, and Inhospital Mortality in Patients With Non-ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States.

PubMed

Gupta, Tanush; Kolte, Dhaval; Khera, Sahil; Agarwal, Nayan; Villablanca, Pedro A; Goel, Kashish; Patel, Kavisha; Aronow, Wilbert S; Wiley, Jose; Bortnick, Anna E; Aronow, Herbert D; Abbott, J Dawn; Pyo, Robert T; Panza, Julio A; Menegus, Mark A; Rihal, Charanjit S; Fonarow, Gregg C; Garcia, Mario J; Bhatt, Deepak L

2018-01-01

Prior studies have reported higher inhospital mortality in women versus men with non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Whether this is because of worse baseline risk profile compared with men or sex-based disparities in treatment is not completely understood. We queried the 2003 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample databases to identify all hospitalizations in patients aged ≥18 years with the principal diagnosis of non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Complex samples multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine sex differences in use of an early invasive strategy and inhospital mortality. Of 4 765 739 patients with non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, 2 026 285 (42.5%) were women. Women were on average 6 years older than men and had a higher comorbidity burden. Women were less likely to be treated with an early invasive strategy (29.4% versus 39.2%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.94). Women had higher crude inhospital mortality than men (4.7% versus 3.9%; unadjusted odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-1.25). After adjustment for age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-0.98) and additionally for comorbidities, other demographics, and hospital characteristics, women had 10% lower odds of inhospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.92). Further adjustment for differences in the use of an early invasive strategy did not change the association between female sex and lower risk-adjusted inhospital mortality. Although women were less likely to be treated with an early invasive strategy compared with men, the lower use of an early invasive strategy was not responsible for the higher crude inhospital mortality in women, which could be entirely explained by older age and higher comorbidity burden. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Early detection: the impact of genomics.

PubMed

van Lanschot, M C J; Bosch, L J W; de Wit, M; Carvalho, B; Meijer, G A

2017-08-01

The field of genomics has shifted our view on disease development by providing insights in the molecular and functional processes encoded in the genome. In the case of cancer, many alterations in the DNA accumulate that enable tumor growth or even metastatic dissemination. Identification of molecular signatures that define different stages of progression towards cancer can enable early tumor detection. In this review, the impact of genomics will be addressed using early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) as an example. Increased understanding of the adenoma-to-carcinoma progression has led to the discovery of several diagnostic biomarkers. This combined with technical advancements, has facilitated the development of molecular tests for non-invasive early CRC detection in stool and blood samples. Even though several tests have already made it to clinical practice, sensitivity and specificity for the detection of precancerous lesions still need improvement. Besides the diagnostic qualities, also the accuracy of the intermediate endpoint is an important issue on how the effectiveness of a novel test is perceived. Here, progression biomarkers may provide a more precise measure than the currently used morphologically based features. Similar developments in biomarker use for early detection have taken place in other cancer types.

Ethnic Differences in Family Factors Related to Early Drug Initiation*

PubMed Central

CATALANO, RICHARD F.; MORRISON, DIANE M.; WELLS, ELIZABETH A.; GILLMORE, MARY R.; IRITANI, BONITA; HAWKINS, J. DAVID

2007-01-01

The literature on family predictors of substance use for the general population is reviewed and compared to findings for three specific ethnic groups: black, white and Asian-Americans. Rates of substance use initiation are examined in a sample of 919 urban 5th-grade students. Ethnic differences on measures of family predictors are examined and significant ethnic differences are found on several of these factors. Finally, separate regressions for black, white and Asian American youths of family factors on the variety of substances initiated examine ethnic similarities and differences in predictors. The results demonstrate significant differences by ethnicity in family management practices, involvement in family activity, sibling deviance, parental disapproval of children's drinking and family structure. The regression equations identified unique as well as common predictors of the variety of substances initiated by the end of 5th grade. Implications of the results are discussed. PMID:1285743

Family Strategies to Support and Develop Resilience in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taket, A. R.; Nolan, A.; Stagnitti, K.

2014-01-01

Early childhood is an important time for the development of resilience. A recently completed study has followed three cohorts of resilient children and young people living in disadvantaged areas in Victoria, Australia, through different transitions in their educational careers. This paper focuses on the early childhood cohort, where we have…

Early Parenthood and Coming of Age in the 1990s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenheim, Margaret K., Ed.; Testa, Mark F., Ed.

This book examines how early parenthood differs historically, cross-nationally (in Korea and Sweden), and by class, race, and age in the United States. Contributors discuss how consequential is early parenthood for the future social and economic well-being of parents and children, whether postponing childbearing beyond the teenage years would…

The Importance of Early Experiences: Clinical, Research, and Policy Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeanah, Charles H.

2009-01-01

The degree to which early adverse experiences exert long term effects on development and how much early adversity may be overcome through subsequent experiences are important mental health questions. The clinical, research and policy perspectives on these questions lead to different answers. From a clinical perspective, change is always possible,…

Developmental outcomes after early prefrontal cortex damage.

PubMed

Eslinger, Paul J; Flaherty-Craig, Claire V; Benton, Arthur L

2004-06-01

The neuropsychological bases of cognitive, social, and moral development are minimally understood, with a seemingly wide chasm between developmental theories and brain maturation models. As one approach to bridging ideas in these areas, we review 10 cases of early prefrontal cortex damage from the clinical literature, highlighting overall clinical profiles and real life developmental outcomes. Based on these cases, there is preliminary evidence to support distinctive developmental differences after: (1) dorsolateral, (2) mesial, and (3) orbital-polar prefrontal lesions, for more profound impairments after bilateral damage, and possibly for recovery differences after very early vs. later childhood lesion onset. Further case and group studies are needed to confirm reliable effects of specific lesion locations, the influence of age of lesion onset, and related experiential and treatment variables in determining adult outcomes. Rather than a single underlying deficit associated with early prefrontal cortex damage, we interpret the findings to suggest that it is the altered integration and interplay of cognitive, emotional, self-regulatory, and executive/metacognitive deficits that contribute to diverse developmental frontal lobe syndromes. The findings support the fundamental importance of prefrontal cortex maturation in protracted cognitive, social-emotional, and moral development.

Early stages of Ostwald ripening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shneidman, Vitaly A.

2013-07-01

The Becker-Döring (BD) nucleation equation is known to predict a narrow double-exponential front (DEF) in the distribution of growing particles over sizes, which is due to early transient effects. When mass conservation is included, nucleation is eventually exhausted while independent growth is replaced by ripening. Despite the enormous difference in the associated time scales, and the resulting demand on numerics, within the generalized BD model the early DEF is shown to be crucial for the selection of the unique self-similar Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner asymptotic regime. Being preserved till the latest stages of growth, the DEF provides a universal part of the initial conditions for the ripening problem, regardless of the mass exchange mechanism between the nucleus and the matrix.

[Duration of breast feeding after mandatory early discharge].

PubMed

Kierkegaard, O

1993-08-23

A trial arrangement for mandatory early discharge for all normal multiparae was started in 1990 and the duration of breastfeeding was investigated by a questionnaire. 89 mothers who stayed at the hospital were compared to 113 mothers who were discharged within 24 hours after delivery. The latter group was also compared to 122 early discharged mothers who delivered 14-17 months after the trial arrangement had started. The three groups were comparable in all aspects. After four weeks a large proportion of the later discharged mothers were still breastfeeding compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001). This difference disappeared later, hence when comparing the total duration of breastfeeding no differences were found between the three groups.

Entitled to What? Public Policy and the Responsibilities of Early Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Wesley; Conroy, Maureen

1999-01-01

Examines early-intervention entitlements currently extended by all states. Perspectives from the legislative process, federal and state implementation, judicial interpretation, and professional views are included. Distinctions among the key provisions for differing early intervention service systems are presented, legal cases are reviewed, and…

Racial differences in cortical bone and their relationship to biochemical variables in black and white children in the early stages of puberty

PubMed Central

Warden, Stuart J.; Hill, Kathleen M.; Ferira, Ashley J.; Laing, Emma M.; Martin, Berdine R.; Hausman, Dorothy B.; Weaver, Connie M.; Peacock, Munro; Lewis, Richard D.

2014-01-01

Introduction Racial differences in bone structure likely have roots in childhood as bone size develops predominantly during growth. This study aimed to compare cortical bone health within the tibial diaphysis of black and white children in the early stages of puberty, and explore the contributions of biochemical variables in explaining racial variation in cortical bone properties. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed comparing peripheral quantitative computed tomography-derived cortical bone measures of the tibial diaphysis and biochemical variables in 314 participants (n=155 males; n=164 blacks) in the early stages of puberty. Results Blacks had greater cortical volumetric bone mineral density, mass and size compared to whites (all p<0.01), contributing to blacks having 17.0% greater tibial strength (polar strength-strain index [SSIP]) (p<0.001). Turnover markers indicated blacks had higher bone formation (osteocalcin [OC] and bone specific alkaline phosphatase) and lower bone resorption (N-terminal telopeptide) than whites (all p<0.01). Blacks also had lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and higher 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] and parathyroid hormone (PTH) (all p<0.05). There were no correlations between tibial bone properties, and 25(OH)D and PTH in whites (all p≥0.10); however, SSIP was negatively and positively correlated with 25(OH)D and PTH in blacks, respectively (all p≤0.02). Variation in bone cross-sectional area and SSIP attributable to race was partially explained by tibial length, 25(OH)D/PTH and OC. Conclusions Divergence in tibial cortical bone properties between blacks and whites is established by the early stages of puberty with the enhanced cortical bone properties in black children possibly being explained by higher PTH and OC. PMID:23093348

The role of imaging in early hip OA.

PubMed

Siebelt, M; Agricola, R; Weinans, H; Kim, Y J

2014-10-01

Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by cartilage degradation, subchondral bone sclerosis and osteophyte formation. Nowadays, OA is thought to develop via different etiologies that all lead to a similar form of end stage joint degradation. One of these subtypes is related to an abnormal shaped hip joint, like acetabular dysplasia and a cam deformity. These bony abnormalities are highly predictive for development of hip OA, but they are likely to already be present from childhood. This suggests that these deformations induce OA changes in the hip, well before extensive hip degradation becomes present three to four decades later. Accurate detection and successful characterization of these early OA events might lead to better treatment options for hip OA besides nowadays available invasive joint replacement surgery. However, current diagnostic imaging techniques like radiographs or plain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are not sensitive enough to detect these subtle early OA changes. Nor are they able to disentangle intertwined and overlapping cascades from different OA subtypes, and neither can they predict OA progression. New and more sensitive imaging techniques might enable us to detect first OA changes on a cellular level, providing us with new opportunities for early intervention. In this respect, shape analysis using radiography, MRI, computed tomography (CT), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT, and positron emission tomography (PET) might prove promising techniques and be more suited to detect early pathological changes in the hip joint. A broad application of these techniques might give us more understanding what can be considered physiological adaptation of the hip, or when early OA really starts. With a more clear definition of early OA, more homogenous patient populations can be selected and help with the development of new disease modifying OA interventions. Copyright © 2014 Osteoarthritis Research Society International

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity.

PubMed

Isong, Inyang A; Rao, Sowmya R; Bind, Marie-Abèle; Avendaño, Mauricio; Kawachi, Ichiro; Richmond, Tracy K

2018-01-01

The prevalence of childhood obesity is significantly higher among racial and/or ethnic minority children in the United States. It is unclear to what extent well-established obesity risk factors in infancy and preschool explain these disparities. Our objective was to decompose racial and/or ethnic disparities in children's weight status according to contributing socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors. We used nationally representative data from ∼10 700 children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort who were followed from age 9 months through kindergarten entry. We assessed the contribution of socioeconomic factors and maternal, infancy, and early childhood obesity risk factors to racial and/or ethnic disparities in children's BMI z scores by using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analyses. The prevalence of risk factors varied significantly by race and/or ethnicity. African American children had the highest prevalence of risk factors, whereas Asian children had the lowest prevalence. The major contributor to the BMI z score gap was the rate of infant weight gain during the first 9 months of life, which was a strong predictor of BMI z score at kindergarten entry. The rate of infant weight gain accounted for between 14.9% and 70.5% of explained disparities between white children and their racial and/or ethnic minority peers. Gaps in socioeconomic status were another important contributor that explained disparities, especially those between white and Hispanic children. Early childhood risk factors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption and television viewing, played less important roles in explaining racial and/or ethnic differences in children's BMI z scores. Differences in rapid infant weight gain contribute substantially to racial and/or ethnic disparities in obesity during early childhood. Interventions implemented early in life to target this risk factor could help curb widening racial and/or ethnic disparities in early childhood obesity

The Relation Between Inattentive and Hyperactive/Impulsive Behaviors and Early Mathematics Skills.

PubMed

Sims, Darcey M; Purpura, David J; Lonigan, Christopher J

2016-08-01

Despite strong evidence that inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors are associated with mathematical difficulties in school-age children, little research has been conducted to examine the link between these constructs before the start of formal education. The purpose of this study was to examine how different manifestations of inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors, as measured by different assessment tools, are related to early mathematics skills in preschoolers. Eighty-two preschool children completed a measure of early mathematics and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Teachers rated children's behaviors using the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-15 Item. Sixty-five of these children completed mathematics assessments 1 year later. Teacher ratings of inattention were uniquely related to concurrent early mathematics skills, whereas CPT errors were uniquely predictive of early mathematics skills 1 year later. Findings have implications for the understanding and assessment of behavior problems that are associated with early mathematics difficulties. © The Author(s) 2012.

Early-life nutritional effects on the female reproductive system.

PubMed

Chan, K A; Tsoulis, M W; Sloboda, D M

2015-02-01

There is now considerable epidemiological and experimental evidence indicating that early-life environmental conditions, including nutrition, affect subsequent development in later life. These conditions induce highly integrated responses in endocrine-related homeostasis, resulting in persistent changes in the developmental trajectory producing an altered adult phenotype. Early-life events trigger processes that prepare the individual for particular circumstances that are anticipated in the postnatal environment. However, where the intrauterine and postnatal environments differ markedly, such modifications to the developmental trajectory may prove maladaptive in later life. Reproductive maturation and function are similarly influenced by early-life events. This should not be surprising, because the primordial follicle pool is established early in life and is thus vulnerable to early-life events. Results of clinical and experimental studies have indicated that early-life adversity is associated with a decline in ovarian follicular reserve, changes in ovulation rates, and altered age at onset of puberty. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating the relationship between the early-life developmental environment and postnatal reproductive development and function are unclear. This review examines the evidence linking early-life nutrition and effects on the female reproductive system, bringing together clinical observations in humans and experimental data from targeted animal models. © 2015 Society for Endocrinology.

Vocational Preferences of Early Adolescents: Their Development in Social Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vondracek, Fred W.; Silbereisen, Rainer K.; Reitzle, Matthias; Wiesner, Margit

1999-01-01

This study compared the timing of early vocational preferences in young adolescents from former East Germany and West Germany. Results suggested that as the memory of the Communist system fades and as younger adolescents have had less exposure to it, East-West differences tend to disappear. The formation of early vocational preferences was…

Variations in locoregional therapy in postmenopausal patients with early breast cancer treated in different countries.

PubMed

van Nes, J G H; Seynaeve, C; Jones, S; Markopoulos, C; Putter, H; van de Velde, C J H; Hasenburg, A; Rea, D W; Vannetzel, J-M; Dirix, L; Hozumi, Y; Kerin, M J; Kieback, D G; Meershoek-Klein Kranenbarg, W M; Hille, E T M; Nortier, J W R

2010-05-01

The Tamoxifen and Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational (TEAM) trial is an international randomized trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of exemestane, alone or following tamoxifen. The large number of patients already recruited offered the opportunity to explore locoregional treatment practices between countries. Patients were enrolled in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. The core protocol had minor differences in eligibility criteria between countries, reflecting variations in national guidelines and practice regarding adjuvant endocrine therapy. Between 2001 and 2006, 9779 patients of mean(s.d.) age 64(9) years were randomized. Some 58.4 per cent had T1 tumours (range between countries 36.8-75.9 per cent; P < 0.001) and 47.3 per cent were axillary node positive (range 25.9-84.6 per cent; P < 0.001). Independent factors for type of breast surgery were country, age, tumour status and calendar year of surgery. After breast-conserving surgery, radiotherapy was given to 93.2 per cent of patients, 86.0 per cent in the USA and 100 per cent in France. Axillary lymph node dissection was performed in 82.0 (range 74.6-99.1) per cent. Despite international consensus guidelines, wide global variations were observed in treatment practices of early breast cancer. There should be further efforts to optimize locoregional treatment for breast cancer worldwide. Copyright 2010 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd.

A developmental perspective on early-life exposure to neurotoxicants.

PubMed

Bellinger, David C; Matthews-Bellinger, Julia A; Kordas, Katarzyna

2016-09-01

Studies of early-life neurotoxicant exposure have not been designed, analyzed, or interpreted in the context of a fully developmental perspective. The goal of this paper is to describe the key principles of a developmental perspective and to use examples from the literature to illustrate the relevance of these principles to early-life neurotoxicant exposures. Four principles are discussed: 1) the effects of early-life neurotoxicant exposure depend on a child's developmental context; 2) deficits caused by early-life exposure initiate developmental cascades that can lead to pathologies that differ from those observed initially; 3) early-life neurotoxicant exposure has intra-familial and intergenerational impacts; 4) the impacts of early-life neurotoxicant exposure influence a child's ability to respond to future insults. The first principle is supported by considerable evidence, but the other three have received much less attention. Incorporating a developmental perspective in studies of early-life neurotoxicant exposures requires prospective collection of data on a larger array of covariates than usually considered, using analytical approaches that acknowledge the transactional processes between a child and the environment and the phenomenon of developmental cascades. Consideration of early-life neurotoxicant exposure within a developmental perspective reveals that many issues remain to be explicated if we are to achieve a deep understanding of the societal health burden associated with early-life neurotoxicant exposures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional groups show distinct differences in nitrogen cycling during early stand development: implications for forest management

Treesearch

Doug P. Aubrey; David R. Coyle; Mark D. Coleman

2012-01-01

Background and aims Nutrient acquisition of forest stands is controlled by soil resource availability and belowground production, but tree species are rarely compared in this regard. Here, we examine ecological and management implications of nitrogen (N) dynamics during early forest stand development in productive commercial tree species with narrow (Populus...

The Early Care and Education Workforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Deborah; Austin, Lea J. E.; Whitebook, Marcy

2016-01-01

In this article, Deborah Phillips, Lea Austin, and Marcy Whitebook examine educational preparation, compensation, and professional development among the early childhood workforce. Their central theme is that these features look very different for preschool teachers than they do for the elementary school teaching workforce. Most teachers of…

Setting the Clock for Fail-Safe Early Embryogenesis.

PubMed

Fickentscher, Rolf; Struntz, Philipp; Weiss, Matthias

2016-10-28

The embryogenesis of the small nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a remarkably robust self-organization phenomenon. Cell migration trajectories in the early embryo, for example, are well explained by mechanical cues that push cells into positions where they experience the least repulsive forces. Yet, how this mechanically guided progress in development is properly timed has remained elusive so far. Here, we show that cell volumes and division times are strongly anticorrelated during the early embryogenesis of C. elegans with significant differences between somatic cells and precursors of the germline. Our experimental findings are explained by a simple model that in conjunction with mechanical guidance can account for the fail-safe early embryogenesis of C. elegans.

[Primary research of early oral feeding after total laryngectomy].

PubMed

Huang, N; Zhu, Y M; An, C M; Liu, Y; Xu, Z G; Liu, S Y; Zhang, Z M

2018-06-07

Objective: To explore whether early oral feeding after total laryngectomy is safe and effective by evaluating the incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) and the hospital duration. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 52 patients underwent total laryngectomy, plus partial tongue base resection ( n =2), partial pharyngectomy ( n =1), or pedicle flap ( n =2) between January 2012 and October 2017. Patients who had a history of preoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, previous surgery for larynx or pharynx and who had severe complications were excluded. Early oral feeding started between 48 h and 72 h postoperatively, while delayed oral feeding started within postoperative day 8-10. The incidences of PCF in two groups were compared to evaluate whether PCF and early oral feeding was related. Multi-variables analysis was conducted to evaluate risk factors for PCF. Results: PCF rate was 19.2% among all patients, 11.1% in patients with early oral feeding and 23.5% in patients with delayed oral feeding. No significant statistically difference in PCF rate was found between two groups (χ(2)=0.506, P =0.477). Multi-variables analysis showed that oral feeding time (early or delayed) was not a independent risk factor of PCF (Two classification response variable Logistic regression, P =0.200, OR =0.242, 95% CI [0.028-2.118]). But low preoperative albumin level was observed as an independent risk factor for PCF ( P =0.039, OR =0.848, 95% CI [0.726-0.992]). A negative correlation was observed between preoperative albumin level and PCF. And also there was not a significant difference in hospital duration between patients with early oral feeding and delayed oral feeding( U =268, P =0.464). Conclusion: For patients total laryngectomy with no previous history of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, early oral feeding after surgery is safe and effective.

Early childhood gut microbiomes show strong geographic differences among subjects at high risk for type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Kemppainen, Kaisa M; Ardissone, Alexandria N; Davis-Richardson, Austin G; Fagen, Jennie R; Gano, Kelsey A; León-Novelo, Luis G; Vehik, Kendra; Casella, George; Simell, Olli; Ziegler, Anette G; Rewers, Marian J; Lernmark, Åke; Hagopian, William; She, Jin-Xiong; Krischer, Jeffrey P; Akolkar, Beena; Schatz, Desmond A; Atkinson, Mark A; Triplett, Eric W

2015-02-01

Gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with numerous diseases, including type 1 diabetes. This pilot study determines how geographical location affects the microbiome of infants at high risk for type 1 diabetes in a population of homogenous HLA class II genotypes. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on stool samples collected from 90 high-risk, nonautoimmune infants participating in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study in the U.S., Germany, Sweden, and Finland. Study site-specific patterns of gut colonization share characteristics across continents. Finland and Colorado have a significantly lower bacterial diversity, while Sweden and Washington state are dominated by Bifidobacterium in early life. Bacterial community diversity over time is significantly different by geographical location. The microbiome of high-risk infants is associated with geographical location. Future studies aiming to identify the microbiome disease phenotype need to carefully consider the geographical origin of subjects. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

Increased Pre- and Early-Adolescent Stress in Youth with a Family History of Substance Use Disorder and Early Substance Use Initiation.

PubMed

Charles, Nora E; Mathias, Charles W; Acheson, Ashley; Bray, Bethany C; Ryan, Stacy R; Lake, Sarah L; Liang, Yuanyuan; Dougherty, Donald M

2015-10-01

Individuals with a family history of substance use disorders (Family History Positive) are more likely to have early-onset substance use (i.e., prior to age 15), which may contribute to their higher rates of substance use disorders. One factor that may differentiate Family History Positive youth who engage in early-onset substance use from other Family History Positive youth is exposure to stressors. The aim of this study was to quantify how exposure to stressors from age 11-15 varies as a function of family history of substance use disorders and early-onset substance use. Self-reported stressors were prospectively compared in a sample of predominately (78.9%) Hispanic youth that included 68 Family History Positive youth (50% female) who initiated substance use by age 15 and demographically matched non-users with (n = 136; 52.9% female) and without (n = 75; 54.7% female) family histories of substance use disorders. Stressors were assessed at 6-month intervals for up to 4 years. Both the severity of stressors and the degree to which stressors were caused by an individual's own behavior were evaluated. All three groups differed from one another in overall exposure to stressors and rates of increase in stressors over time, with Family History Positive youth who engaged in early-onset substance use reporting the greatest exposure to stressors. Group differences were more pronounced for stressors caused by the participants' behavior. Family History Positive users had higher cumulative severity of stressors of this type, both overall and across time. These results indicate greater exposure to stressors among Family History Positive youth with early-onset substance use, and suggest that higher rates of behavior-dependent stressors may be particularly related to early-onset use.

Increased Pre- and Early-Adolescent Stress in Youth with a Family History of Substance Use Disorder and Early Substance Use Initiation

PubMed Central

Charles, Nora E.; Mathias, Charles W.; Acheson, Ashley; Bray, Bethany C.; Ryan, Stacy R.; Lake, Sarah L.; Liang, Yuanyuan; Dougherty, Donald M.

2015-01-01

Individuals with a family history of substance use disorders (Family History Positive) are more likely to have early-onset substance use (i.e., prior to age 15), which may contribute to their higher rates of substance use disorders. One factor that may differentiate Family History Positive youth who engage in early-onset substance use from other Family History Positive youth is exposure to stressors. The aim of this study was to quantify how exposure to stressors from age 11 to 15 varies as a function of family history of substance use disorders and early-onset substance use. Self-reported stressors were prospectively compared in a sample of predominately (78.9%) Hispanic youth that included 68 Family History Positive youth (50% female) who initiated substance use by age 15 and demographically matched non-users with (n=136; 52.9% female) and without (n=75; 54.7% female) family histories of substance use disorders. Stressors were assessed at 6-month intervals for up to 4 years. Both the severity of stressors and the degree to which stressors were caused by an individual’s own behavior were evaluated. All three groups differed from one another in overall exposure to stressors and rates of increase in stressors over time, with Family History Positive youth who engaged in early-onset substance use reporting the greatest exposure to stressors. Group differences were more pronounced for stressors caused by the participants’ behavior. Family History Positive users had higher cumulative severity of stressors of this type, both overall and across time. These results indicate greater exposure to stressors among Family History Positive youth with early-onset substance use, and suggest that higher rates of behavior-dependent stressors may be particularly related to early-onset use. PMID:25788123

Brachytherapy in early prostate cancer--early experience.

PubMed

Jose, B O; Bailen, J L; Albrink, F H; Steinbock, G S; Cornett, M S; Benson, D C; Schmied, W K; Medley, R N; Spanos, W J; Paris, K J; Koerner, P D; Gatenby, R A; Wilson, D L; Meyer, R

1999-01-01

Use of brachytherapy with radioactive seeds in the management of early prostate cancer is commonly used in the United States. The early experience has been reported from the prostate treatment centers in Seattle for the last 10 years. In this manuscript we are reporting our early experience of 150 radioactive seed implantations in early stage prostate cancer using either Iodine 125 or Palladium 103 seeds. The average age of the patient is 66 years and the median Gleason score is 5.4 with a median PSA of 6. A brief description of the evolution of the treatment of prostate cancer as well as the preparation for the seed implantation using the volume study with ultrasound of the prostate, pubic arch study using CT scan of the pelvis and the complete planning using the treatment planning computers are discussed. We also have described the current technique which is used in our experience based on the Seattle guidelines. We plan a follow-up report with the results of the studies with longer follow-up.

Chickpea Genotypes Contrasting for Vigor and Canopy Conductance Also Differ in Their Dependence on Different Water Transport Pathways

PubMed Central

Sivasakthi, Kaliamoorthy; Tharanya, Murugesan; Kholová, Jana; Wangari Muriuki, Ruth; Thirunalasundari, Thiyagarajan; Vadez, Vincent

2017-01-01

Lower plant transpiration rate (TR) under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) conditions and early plant vigor are proposed as major traits influencing the rate of crop water use and possibly the fitness of chickpea lines to specific terminal drought conditions—this being the major constraint limiting chickpea productivity. The physiological mechanisms underlying difference in TR under high VPD and vigor are still unresolved, and so is the link between vigor and TR. Lower TR is hypothesized to relate to hydraulic conductance differences. Experiments were conducted in both soil (Vertisol) and hydroponic culture. The assessment of the TR response to increasing VPD showed that high vigor genotypes had TR restriction under high VPD, and this was confirmed in the early vigor parent and progeny genotype (ICC 4958 and RIL 211) having lower TR than the late vigor parent and progeny genotype (ICC 1882 and RIL 022). Inhibition of water transport pathways [apoplast and symplast (aquaporins)] in intact plants led to a lower transpiration inhibition in the early vigor/low TR genotypes than in the late vigor/high TR genotypes. De-rooted shoot treatment with an aquaporin inhibitor led to a lower transpiration inhibition in the early vigor/low TR genotypes than in the late vigor/high TR genotypes. Early vigor genotypes had lower root hydraulic conductivity than late vigor/high TR genotypes. Under inhibited conditions (apoplast, symplast), root hydraulic conductivity was reduced more in the late vigor/high TR genotypes than in the early vigor/low TR genotypes. We interpret that early vigor/low TR genotypes have a lower involvement of aquaporins in water transport pathways and may also have a smaller apoplastic pathway than high TR genotypes, which could explain the transpiration restriction under high VPD and would be helpful to conserve soil water under high evaporative demand. These findings open an opportunity for breeding to tailor genotypes with different “dosage” of these

[The effect of breast massage at different time in the early period after cesarean section].

PubMed

Chu, J Y; Zhang, L; Zhang, Y J; Yang, M J; Li, X W; Sun, L L

2017-11-06

Objective: To evaluate the effect of breast massage at different time in the early period on maternal lactation after cesarean section. Methods: 80 women delivered by cesarean section were randomly selected from maternity ward of a hospital in Shandong province during Jan. 2013 to Jan. 2015; which were divided into four groups, with 20 patients in each. Three groups received 3 times of breast massage every 24 hoursbeginning from 2, 12 and 24 h after cesarean section, respectively. The control group didn't receive any breast massage. The starting time and status of lactation were observed and recorded after cesarean section. 5 ml venous blood sample was drawn from each patient respectively at 2 h before cesarean, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after cesarean to test the level of serum prolactin. The lactation status of each group was compared. Results: The P (50) ( P (25)- P (75)) of starting time of lactation of the three massage groups and control group were 3 (2-6) h, 4 (2-8) h, 4 (3-12) h and 4 (2-12) h, respectively, whose differences showed no statistical significance ( H =3.32, P= 0.345).The number of delivered women with adequate lactation 24 hours after cesarean was 10 in the group who received massage beginning from 2 h after cesarean; while the number was only 2 in the control group. The number of delivered women with adequate lactation 48 hours after cesarean was 18 in the group who received massage beginning from 2 h after cesarean; while the number was 8 in the control group. The differences showed statistical significances ( P values were 0.021 and 0.008, respectively). The serum prolactin level in the group of delivered women who received massage from 2 h after cesarean was separately (195.9±78.5), (176.0±96.5), (216.4±110.0), (190.0±56.8) and (184.8±69.6) μg/L at 2, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after cesarean, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (which were (128.8±40.6), (127.3±66.8), (162.2±58.8), (145.1±64.7) and (141.7±49

Hippocampal arterial cerebral blood volume in early psychosis

PubMed Central

Talati, Pratik; Rane, Swati; Donahue, Manus J.; Heckers, Stephan

2016-01-01

Recent studies of patients in the early stage of psychosis have revealed increased cerebral blood volume (CBV) in specific subfields of the anterior hippocampus. These studies required injection of a contrast agent to measure steady state CBV. Here we used a novel, non-invasive method, inflow-based-vascular-space-occupancy with dynamic subtraction (iVASO-DS), to measure the arterial component of CBV (aCBV) in a single slice of the hippocampus. Based on evidence from contrast-enhanced CBV studies, we hypothesized increased aCBV in the anterior hippocampus in early psychosis. We used 3T MRI to generate iVASO-derived aCBV maps in 17 medicated patients (average duration of illness = 7.6 months) and 25 matched controls. We did not find hemispheric or regional group differences in hippocampal aCBV. The limited spatial resolution of the iVASO-DS method did not allow us to test for aCBV differences in specific subfields of the hippocampus. Future studies should investigate venous and arterial CBV changes in the hippocampus of early psychosis patients. PMID:27644028

Early appendectomy shortens antibiotic course and hospital stay in children with early perforated appendicitis.

PubMed

Tsai, Hsin-Yu; Chao, Hsun-Chin; Yu, Wan-Ju

2017-10-01

The optimal management of perforated appendicitis in the pediatric population has been controversial. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy between conservative treatment (CS) and early appendectomy (EA) in pediatric perforated appendicitis, and to determine whether surgical intervention is an optimal treatment modality for early perforated appendicitis in children. Patients treated between January 2012 and April 2014, aged 0-18 years, with an imaging-based diagnosis of perforated appendicitis were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified into nonabscess and abscess groups by image findings, and were further categorized into CS and EA groups by treatment modality. Early perforated appendicitis was defined as having duration of symptoms≤7 days, C-reactive protein level≤200 mg/L, maximum abscess diameter≤5 cm, and absence of general peritonitis, and unstable vital signs. The clinical features and therapeutic outcomes were compared between CS and EA in each group. A total of 326 patients had confirmed appendicitis, including 116 patients with an image diagnosis of perforation. The CS group had a significantly longer duration of symptoms, larger abscesses, and higher serum C-reactive protein levels at presentation (all p<0.05). Patients in the EA group had a shorter antibiotic course and length of hospitalization, and a lower rate of antibiotic escalation than those in the CS group (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.05, respectively). In patients with early perforated appendicitis, the CS and EA groups showed no difference in baseline disease severity. Patients in the EA group also had a shorter antibiotic course and length of hospitalization than those in the CS group (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). Compared with CS, EA shortens the antibiotic course and hospital stay in pediatric early perforated appendicitis, even in the presence of small abscesses. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sydney, Australia Community Meets Classroom: Celebrating Families and Difference in the Early Stages of Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Kellie

2006-01-01

Teachers and teacher educators are often hard pressed to find resources that creatively integrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and intersex issues into the early stages of primary education. While there is a growing number of academics who stress the importance of addressing topics of sexual and gender diversity during the early…

Positive Development, Sense of Belonging, and Support of Peers among Early Adolescents: Perspectives of Different Actors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drolet, Marie; Arcand, Isabelle

2013-01-01

Trusting relationships at school and within other social networks emerge as protective factors that are crucial to the positive development of early adolescents. School is one of the critical environments where they can develop a sense of belonging. This study involved 20 qualitative interviews with school staff and youth workers recruited from…

So Close, yet So Far Away: Early vs. Late Dropouts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Yanli; Cragg, Kristina M.

2013-01-01

While some students drop out early in their academic career, others drop out close to completion. What similarities and differences exist between these early and late dropouts? Using a sample 3,520 first-time, full-time (FTFT) students seeking a bachelor's degree at a state university, this study employs multinomial logistic regression to model…

Occupational Physicians’ Reasoning about Recommending Early Return to Work with Work Modifications

PubMed Central

Horppu, Ritva; Martimo, Kari-Pekka; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Lallukka, Tea; MacEachen, Ellen

2016-01-01

Previous research indicates that work modifications can effectively enhance return to work (RTW) at an early stage of work disability. We aimed to examine how occupational physicians (OPs) reason about recommending early return to work (RTW) with work modifications. Pre-defined propositions regarding the use of work modifications in promoting early RTW were discussed in four focus groups with altogether 11 Finnish OPs. Discussions were audio recorded, and the transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Five different rationales for supporting early RTW were identified: to manage medical conditions, to enhance employee well-being, to help workplace stakeholders, to reduce costs to society, and to enhance OP’s own professional fulfillment. However, OPs identified situations and conditions in which early RTW may not be suitable. In addition, there were differences between the OPs in the interpretation of the rationales, suggesting variation in clinical practice. In conclusion, encouraging early RTW with work modifications was perceived by OPs as a meaningful task and, to a large extent, beneficial for employees and several stakeholders. However, this practice was not accepted without consideration to the RTW situation and context. If early RTW and work modifications are to be promoted, OPs should be offered education that addresses their views regarding this practice. PMID:27367908

Applying cognitive training to target executive functions during early development.

PubMed

Wass, Sam V

2015-01-01

Developmental psychopathology is increasingly recognizing the importance of distinguishing causal processes (i.e., the mechanisms that cause a disease) from developmental outcomes (i.e., the symptoms of the disorder as it is eventually diagnosed). Targeting causal processes early in disordered development may be more effective than waiting until outcomes are established and then trying to reverse the pathogenic process. In this review, I evaluate evidence suggesting that neural and behavioral plasticity may be greatest at very early stages of development. I also describe correlational evidence suggesting that, across a number of conditions, early emerging individual differences in attentional control and working memory may play a role in mediating later-developing differences in academic and other forms of learning. I review the currently small number of studies that applied direct and indirect cognitive training targeted at young individuals and discuss methodological challenges associated with targeting this age group. I also discuss a number of ways in which early, targeted cognitive training may be used to help us understand the developmental mechanisms subserving typical and atypical cognitive development.

Applying cognitive training to target executive functions during early development

PubMed Central

Wass, Sam V.

2015-01-01

Developmental psychopathology is increasingly recognizing the importance of distinguishing causal processes (i.e., the mechanisms that cause a disease) from developmental outcomes (i.e., the symptoms of the disorder as it is eventually diagnosed). Targeting causal processes early in disordered development may be more effective than waiting until outcomes are established and then trying to reverse the pathogenic process. In this review, I evaluate evidence suggesting that neural and behavioral plasticity may be greatest at very early stages of development. I also describe correlational evidence suggesting that, across a number of conditions, early emerging individual differences in attentional control and working memory may play a role in mediating later-developing differences in academic and other forms of learning. I review the currently small number of studies that applied direct and indirect cognitive training targeted at young individuals and discuss methodological challenges associated with targeting this age group. I also discuss a number of ways in which early, targeted cognitive training may be used to help us understand the developmental mechanisms subserving typical and atypical cognitive development. PMID:24511910

The impact of early bilingualism on controlling a language learned late: an ERP study

PubMed Central

Martin, Clara D.; Strijkers, Kristof; Santesteban, Mikel; Escera, Carles; Hartsuiker, Robert J.; Costa, Albert

2013-01-01

This study asks whether early bilingual speakers who have already developed a language control mechanism to handle two languages control a dominant and a late acquired language in the same way as late bilingual speakers. We therefore, compared event-related potentials in a language switching task in two groups of participants switching between a dominant (L1) and a weak late acquired language (L3). Early bilingual late learners of an L3 showed a different ERP pattern (larger N2 mean amplitude) as late bilingual late learners of an L3. Even though the relative strength of languages was similar in both groups (a dominant and a weak late acquired language), they controlled their language output in a different manner. Moreover, the N2 was similar in two groups of early bilinguals tested in languages of different strength. We conclude that early bilingual learners of an L3 do not control languages in the same way as late bilingual L3 learners –who have not achieved native-like proficiency in their L2– do. This difference might explain some of the advantages early bilinguals have when learning new languages. PMID:24204355

7T T₂*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging reveals cortical phase differences between early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

van Rooden, Sanneke; Doan, Nhat Trung; Versluis, Maarten J; Goos, Jeroen D C; Webb, Andrew G; Oleksik, Ania M; van der Flier, Wiesje M; Scheltens, Philip; Barkhof, Frederik; Weverling-Rynsburger, Annelies W E; Blauw, Gerard Jan; Reiber, Johan H C; van Buchem, Mark A; Milles, Julien; van der Grond, Jeroen

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore regional iron-related differences in the cerebral cortex, indicative of Alzheimer's disease pathology, between early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD, LOAD, respectively) patients using 7T magnetic resonance phase images. High-resolution T2(∗)-weighted scans were acquired in 12 EOAD patients and 17 LOAD patients with mild to moderate disease and 27 healthy elderly control subjects. Lobar peak-to-peak phase shifts and regional mean phase contrasts were computed. An increased peak-to-peak phase shift was found for all lobar regions in EOAD patients compared with LOAD patients (p < 0.05). Regional mean phase contrast in EOAD patients was higher than in LOAD patients in the superior medial and middle frontal gyrus, anterior and middle cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, superior and inferior parietal gyrus, and precuneus (p ≤ 0.042). These data suggest that EOAD patients have an increased iron accumulation, possibly related to an increased amyloid deposition, in specific cortical regions as compared with LOAD patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early literacy and early numeracy: the value of including early literacy skills in the prediction of numeracy development.

PubMed

Purpura, David J; Hume, Laura E; Sims, Darcey M; Lonigan, Christopher J

2011-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether early literacy skills uniquely predict early numeracy skills development. During the first year of the study, 69 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers were assessed on the Preschool Early Numeracy Skills (PENS) test and the Test of Preschool Early Literacy Skills (TOPEL). Participants were assessed again a year later on the PENS test and on the Applied Problems and Calculation subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Three mixed effect regressions were conducted using Time 2 PENS, Applied Problems, and Calculation as the dependent variables. Print Knowledge and Vocabulary accounted for unique variance in the prediction of Time 2 numeracy scores. Phonological Awareness did not uniquely predict any of the mathematics domains. The findings of this study identify an important link between early literacy and early numeracy development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyzing the Impact of Gender on Depictions of Touch in Early Childhood Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Andrew; Williams, Shane

2008-01-01

Early childhood contexts often enact "common-sense identities" that create and sustain the notion that teachers of young children are expressly female and heterosexual. It has also been argued that touch is a key difference between men and women in early childhood classrooms. This exploratory study examined 10 early childhood textbooks to…

Children's Early Approaches to Learning and Academic Trajectories through Fifth Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li-Grining, Christine P.; Votruba-Drzal, Elizabeth; Maldonado-Carreno, Carolina; Haas, Kelly

2010-01-01

Children's early approaches to learning (ATL) enhance their adaptation to the demands they experience with the start of formal schooling. The current study uses individual growth modeling to investigate whether children's early ATL, which includes persistence, emotion regulation, and attentiveness, explain individual differences in their academic…

Early Academic Skills and Childhood Experiences across the Urban-Rural Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Portia; Votruba-Drzal, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The urban-rural continuum provides unique contexts for development. Differences in access to resources and childrearing norms and practices in urban, suburban, and rural areas may be linked to disparities in early achievement. Yet, few studies examine associations between urbanicity and children's early academic skills. Using nationally…

Creative Abilities in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prieto, Maria Dolores; Parra, Joaquin; Ferrando, Mercedes; Ferrandiz, Carmen; Bermejo, Maria Rosario; Sanchez, Cristina

2006-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore creativity in Spanish children during their early years and to explore differences regarding gender and age. We have used a sample of 285 children between five and seven years old. To measure their creativity we used the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). We have used the test of figured expression that…

Electrophysiological evidence of automatic early semantic processing.

PubMed

Hinojosa, José A; Martín-Loeches, Manuel; Muñoz, Francisco; Casado, Pilar; Pozo, Miguel A

2004-01-01

This study investigates the automatic-controlled nature of early semantic processing by means of the Recognition Potential (RP), an event-related potential response that reflects lexical selection processes. For this purpose tasks differing in their processing requirements were used. Half of the participants performed a physical task involving a lower-upper case discrimination judgement (shallow processing requirements), whereas the other half carried out a semantic task, consisting in detecting animal names (deep processing requirements). Stimuli were identical in the two tasks. Reaction time measures revealed that the physical task was easier to perform than the semantic task. However, RP effects elicited by the physical and semantic tasks did not differ in either latency, amplitude, or topographic distribution. Thus, the results from the present study suggest that early semantic processing is automatically triggered whenever a linguistic stimulus enters the language processor.

Early sound patterns in the speech of two Brazilian Portuguese speakers.

PubMed

Teixeira, Elizabeth Reis; Davis, Barbara L

2002-06-01

Sound patterns in the speech of two Brazilian-Portuguese speaking children are compared with early production patterns in English-learning children as well as English and Brazilian-Portuguese (BP) characteristics. The relationship between production system effects and ambient language influences in the acquisition of early sound patterns is of primary interest, as English and BP are characterized by differing phonological systems. Results emphasize the primacy of production system effects in early acquisition, although even the earliest word forms show evidence of perceptual effects from the ambient language in both BP children. Use of labials and coronals and low and midfront vowels in simple syllable shapes is consistent with acquisition data for this period across languages. However, potential ambient language influences include higher frequencies of dorsals, use of multisyllabic words, and different phone types in syllable-offset position. These results suggest that to fully understand early acquisition of sound systems one must account for both production system effects and perceptual effects from the ambient language.

Gender Differences in Educational Attainment: Influences of the Family Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mensah, Fiona K.; Kiernan, Kathleen E.

2010-01-01

There are gender differences in educational attainment amongst British children and there is evidence that these differences emerge early in life. In this study we investigate whether boys' and girls' early educational attainment levels are similarly related to disadvantage in the family environment. This study uses survey data from the Millennium…

Early and long-standing rheumatoid arthritis: distinct molecular signatures identified by gene-expression profiling in synovia

PubMed Central

Lequerré, Thierry; Bansard, Carine; Vittecoq, Olivier; Derambure, Céline; Hiron, Martine; Daveau, Maryvonne; Tron, François; Ayral, Xavier; Biga, Norman; Auquit-Auckbur, Isabelle; Chiocchia, Gilles; Le Loët, Xavier; Salier, Jean-Philippe

2009-01-01

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous disease and its underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Because previous microarray studies have only focused on long-standing (LS) RA compared to osteoarthritis, we aimed to compare the molecular profiles of early and LS RA versus control synovia. Methods Synovial biopsies were obtained by arthroscopy from 15 patients (4 early untreated RA, 4 treated LS RA and 7 controls, who had traumatic or mechanical lesions). Extracted mRNAs were used for large-scale gene-expression profiling. The different gene-expression combinations identified by comparison of profiles of early, LS RA and healthy synovia were linked to the biological processes involved in each situation. Results Three combinations of 719, 116 and 52 transcripts discriminated, respectively, early from LS RA, and early or LS RA from healthy synovia. We identified several gene clusters and distinct molecular signatures specifically expressed during early or LS RA, thereby suggesting the involvement of different pathophysiological mechanisms during the course of RA. Conclusions Early and LS RA have distinct molecular signatures with different biological processes participating at different times during the course of the disease. These results suggest that better knowledge of the main biological processes involved at a given RA stage might help to choose the most appropriate treatment. PMID:19563633

Early dynamics of the semantic priming shift

PubMed Central

Lavigne, Frédéric; Chanquoy, Lucile; Dumercy, Laurent; Vitu, Françoise

2013-01-01

Semantic processing of sequences of words requires the cognitive system to keep several word meanings simultaneously activated in working memory with limited capacity. The real- time updating of the sequence of word meanings relies on dynamic changes in the associates to the words that are activated. Protocols involving two sequential primes report a semantic priming shift from larger priming of associates to the first prime to larger priming of associates to the second prime, in a range of long SOAs (stimulus-onset asynchronies) between the second prime and the target. However, the possibility for an early semantic priming shift is still to be tested, and its dynamics as a function of association strength remain unknown. Three multiple priming experiments are proposed that cross-manipulate association strength between each of two successive primes and a target, for different values of short SOAs and prime durations. Results show an early priming shift ranging from priming of associates to the first prime only to priming of strong associates to the first prime and all of the associates to the second prime. We investigated the neural basis of the early priming shift by using a network model of spike frequency adaptive cortical neurons (e.g., Deco & Rolls, 2005), able to code different association strengths between the primes and the target. The cortical network model provides a description of the early dynamics of the priming shift in terms of pro-active and retro-active interferences within populations of excitatory neurons regulated by fast and unselective inhibitory feedback. PMID:23717346

Selection towards different adaptive optima drove the early diversification of locomotor phenotypes in the radiation of Neotropical geophagine cichlids.

PubMed

Astudillo-Clavijo, Viviana; Arbour, Jessica H; López-Fernández, Hernán

2015-05-01

Simpson envisaged a conceptual model of adaptive radiation in which lineages diversify into "adaptive zones" within a macroevolutionary adaptive landscape. However, only a handful of studies have empirically investigated this adaptive landscape and its consequences for our interpretation of the underlying mechanisms of phenotypic evolution. In fish radiations the evolution of locomotor phenotypes may represent an important dimension of ecomorphological diversification given the implications of locomotion for feeding and habitat use. Neotropical geophagine cichlids represent a newly identified adaptive radiation and provide a useful system for studying patterns of locomotor diversification and the implications of selective constraints on phenotypic divergence in general. We use multivariate ordination, models of phenotypic evolution and posterior predictive approaches to investigate the macroevolutionary adaptive landscape and test for evidence of early divergence of locomotor phenotypes in Geophagini. The evolution of locomotor phenotypes was characterized by selection towards at least two distinct adaptive peaks and the early divergence of modern morphological disparity. One adaptive peak included the benthic and epibenthic invertivores and was characterized by fishes with deep, laterally compressed bodies that optimize precise, slow-swimming manoeuvres. The second adaptive peak resulted from a shift in adaptive optima in the species-rich ram-feeding/rheophilic Crenicichla-Teleocichla clade and was characterized by species with streamlined bodies that optimize fast starts and rapid manoeuvres. Evolutionary models and posterior predictive approaches favoured an early shift to a new adaptive peak over decreasing rates of evolution as the underlying process driving the early divergence of locomotor phenotypes. The influence of multiple adaptive peaks on the divergence of locomotor phenotypes in Geophagini is compatible with the expectations of an ecologically driven

[Gender-specific differences of the early postoperative and oncosurgical long-term outcome in rectal cancer-data obtained in a prospective multicenter observational study].

PubMed

Katzenstein, J; Steinert, R; Ptok, H; Otto, R; Gastinger, I; Lippert, H; Meyer, F

2018-04-11

Gender-specific aspects have been increasingly considered in clinical medicine, also in oncological surgery. To analyze gender-specific differences of early postoperative and oncological outcomes after rectal cancer resection based on data obtained in a prospective multicenter observational study. As part of the multicenter prospective observational study "Quality assurance in primary rectal cancer", data on tumor site, exogenic and endogenic risk factors, neoadjuvant treatment, surgical procedures, tumor stage, intraoperative and postoperative complications of patients with the histological diagnosis of rectal cancer were registered. Data from the years 2005-2006 and 2010-2011 were investigated with respect to gender-specific differences of postoperative morbidity, hospital mortality, local recurrency rate, disease-free and overall survival by univariable and multivariable analyses. Overall, data from 10,657 patients were evaluated: 60.9% of the patients were male, who were significantly younger (p < 0.001). Men had a significantly higher rate of alcohol (p < 0.001) and nicotine abuse (p < 0.001) as well as a trend to a higher body mass index (BMI) compared with women. Although, there was no significant difference in the distribution of various tumor stages comparing men and women, neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy was used significantly more often in male patients (p < 0.001). In addition, male patients underwent an abdominoperineal rectum exstirpation more often, whereas creation of an enterostoma and Hartmann's procedure were more frequently used in women (p < 0.001 each). Multivariate analysis revealed that male patients developed a higher overall morbidity (odds ratio, OR: 1.5; p < 0.001) during both study periods and from 2010-2011 a higher hospital mortality (OR: 1.8; p < 0.001). After a median follow-up period of 36 months, gender did not have a significant impact on overall survival, disease-free survival or on the local

Early Childhood Special Education and Early Intervention Personnel Preparation Standards of the Division for Early Childhood: Field Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Deborah C.; Gallagher, Peggy A.; Stayton, Vicki D.; Dinnebeil, Laurie A.; Lifter, Karin; Chandler, Lynette K.; Christensen, Kimberly A.

2012-01-01

Results of the field validation survey of the revised initial and new advanced Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Division for Early Childhood (DEC) early childhood special education (ECSE)/early intervention (EI) personnel standards are presented. Personnel standards are used as part of educational accountability systems and in teacher…

Early Attachment Relationships and the Early Childhood Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cortazar, Alejandra; Herreros, Francisca

2010-01-01

This article explores the relationship between attachment theory and the early childhood curriculum. During the first years of life children develop early attachment relationships with their primary caregivers. These attachment relationships, either secure or insecure, will shape children's socio-emotional development. In the USA, the predominant…

Teaching of students technology early professional orientation of schoolchildren

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilmanshina, S. I.; Sagitova, R. N.; Gilmanshin, I. R.; Kamaleeva, A. R.

2017-09-01

The necessity of early professional orientation of schoolchildren on the engineering profession and a new type of teacher was proved. Theoretically substantiated and experimentally tested pedagogical conditions of training of students - future teachers of technology early professional orientation of schoolchildren in the system of university preparation of teacher of a new type. This development of courses of special disciplines, aimed at developing of future teachers of readiness for early career guidance activities; development of interactive group projects for schoolchildren of different age groups (including primary school), expanding their understanding of the world of professions; practical testing of career guidance projects dealing with children’s audience.

Spotlight on daytime napping during early childhood.

PubMed

Horváth, Klára; Plunkett, Kim

2018-01-01

Daytime napping undergoes a remarkable change in early childhood, and research regarding its relationship to cognitive development has recently accelerated. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of this relationship focusing on children aged <5 years. First, we evaluate different studies on the basis of the experimental design used and the specific cognitive processes they investigate. Second, we analyze how the napping status of children may modulate the relationship between learning and napping. Third, the possible role of sleep spindles, ie, specific electroencephalographic components during sleep, in cognitive development is explored. We conclude that daytime napping is crucial in early memory development.

Early Identification and Treatment of Antisocial Behavior.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J

2016-10-01

Severe and persistent antisocial behavior is a prevalent, serious, and costly mental health problem. Individuals who are most likely to show persistent antisocial behavior through adolescence and into adulthood often show patterns of severe and varied conduct problems early in childhood. Treatments that intervene early in the development of these problems are most effective and least costly. Furthermore, there appear to be several common causal pathways that differ in their genetic, emotional, cognitive, and contextual characteristics. These pathways are differentiated by the level of callous-unemotional traits displayed by the individual. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review of early assessment models of innovative medical technologies.

PubMed

Fasterholdt, Iben; Krahn, Murray; Kidholm, Kristian; Yderstræde, Knud Bonnet; Pedersen, Kjeld Møller

2017-08-01

Hospitals increasingly make decisions regarding the early development of and investment in technologies, but a formal evaluation model for assisting hospitals early on in assessing the potential of innovative medical technologies is lacking. This article provides an overview of models for early assessment in different health organisations and discusses which models hold most promise for hospital decision makers. A scoping review of published studies between 1996 and 2015 was performed using nine databases. The following information was collected: decision context, decision problem, and a description of the early assessment model. 2362 articles were identified and 12 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. An additional 12 studies were identified and included in the review by searching reference lists. The majority of the 24 early assessment studies were variants of traditional cost-effectiveness analysis. Around one fourth of the studies presented an evaluation model with a broader focus than cost-effectiveness. Uncertainty was mostly handled by simple sensitivity or scenario analysis. This review shows that evaluation models using known methods assessing cost-effectiveness are most prevalent in early assessment, but seems ill-suited for early assessment in hospitals. Four models provided some usable elements for the development of a hospital-based model. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Racial Disparities in Early Criminal Justice Involvement

PubMed Central

Crutchfield, Robert D.; Skinner, Martie L.; Haggerty, Kevin P.; McGlynn, Anne; Catalano, Richard F.

2010-01-01

Criminologists have long reported the existence of racial disparity in the criminal justice system, but the important question is why. While some argue that observed differences are a consequence of more criminal behavior among minorities, the weight of the evidence indicates that this is but a partial explanation. In this paper we study data from a sample of juveniles to examine how racial differences in early police contact, and important social environments—family, school, and neighborhoods—affect later contact and arrests, controlling for self-reported delinquency. We find that early (in middle school) contact with police is an important predictor of later (high school) arrests. Also we found that, in addition to being male and living in a low-income family, children who have parents who have a history of arrest, who have experienced school disciplinary actions, who have delinquent peers, and who are in networks with deviant adults are more likely to have problems with law enforcement. These factors help to explain racial differences in police contacts and arrests. PMID:20190860

Early Executive Function at Age Two Predicts Emergent Mathematics and Literacy at Age Five

PubMed Central

Mulder, Hanna; Verhagen, Josje; Van der Ven, Sanne H. G.; Slot, Pauline L.; Leseman, Paul P. M.

2017-01-01

Previous work has shown that individual differences in executive function (EF) are predictive of academic skills in preschoolers, kindergartners, and older children. Across studies, EF is a stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than literacy. However, research on EF in children below age three is scarce, and it is currently unknown whether EF, as assessed in toddlerhood, predicts emergent academic skills a few years later. This longitudinal study investigates whether early EF, assessed at two years, predicts (emergent) academic skills, at five years. It examines, furthermore, whether early EF is a significantly stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than of emergent literacy, as has been found in previous work on older children. A sample of 552 children was assessed on various EF and EF-precursor tasks at two years. At age five, these children performed several emergent mathematics and literacy tasks. Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the relationships between early EF and academic skills, modeled as latent factors. Results showed that early EF at age two was a significant and relatively strong predictor of both emergent mathematics and literacy at age five, after controlling for receptive vocabulary, parental education, and home language. Predictive relations were significantly stronger for mathematics than literacy, but only when a verbal short-term memory measure was left out as an indicator to the latent early EF construct. These findings show that individual differences in emergent academic skills just prior to entry into the formal education system can be traced back to individual differences in early EF in toddlerhood. In addition, these results highlight the importance of task selection when assessing early EF as a predictor of later outcomes, and call for further studies to elucidate the mechanisms through which individual differences in early EF and precursors to EF come about. PMID:29075209

Early Executive Function at Age Two Predicts Emergent Mathematics and Literacy at Age Five.

PubMed

Mulder, Hanna; Verhagen, Josje; Van der Ven, Sanne H G; Slot, Pauline L; Leseman, Paul P M

2017-01-01

Previous work has shown that individual differences in executive function (EF) are predictive of academic skills in preschoolers, kindergartners, and older children. Across studies, EF is a stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than literacy. However, research on EF in children below age three is scarce, and it is currently unknown whether EF, as assessed in toddlerhood, predicts emergent academic skills a few years later. This longitudinal study investigates whether early EF, assessed at two years, predicts (emergent) academic skills, at five years. It examines, furthermore, whether early EF is a significantly stronger predictor of emergent mathematics than of emergent literacy, as has been found in previous work on older children. A sample of 552 children was assessed on various EF and EF-precursor tasks at two years. At age five, these children performed several emergent mathematics and literacy tasks. Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the relationships between early EF and academic skills, modeled as latent factors. Results showed that early EF at age two was a significant and relatively strong predictor of both emergent mathematics and literacy at age five, after controlling for receptive vocabulary, parental education, and home language. Predictive relations were significantly stronger for mathematics than literacy, but only when a verbal short-term memory measure was left out as an indicator to the latent early EF construct. These findings show that individual differences in emergent academic skills just prior to entry into the formal education system can be traced back to individual differences in early EF in toddlerhood. In addition, these results highlight the importance of task selection when assessing early EF as a predictor of later outcomes, and call for further studies to elucidate the mechanisms through which individual differences in early EF and precursors to EF come about.

Spatiotemporal transcriptome provides insights into early fruit development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

PubMed

Zhang, Shuaibin; Xu, Meng; Qiu, Zhengkun; Wang, Ketao; Du, Yongchen; Gu, Lianfeng; Cui, Xia

2016-03-18

Early fruit development is crucial for crop production in tomato. After fertilization, the ovary undergoes cell division and cell expansion before maturation. Although the roles of regulatory signals such as hormone and carbohydrate during early fruit development have been studied, the spatial distribution and the sequential initiation of these regulatory signals still need to be explored. Using the tomato cultivar 'Moneymaker', we analyzed the transcriptome of the ovule and the ovary wall/pericarp dissected from four different stages of the early developing fruits by stereoscope. These datasets give us the whole picture about the spatial and temporal signal distribution in early development of ovule and pericarp. Our results indicate that the hormone signal was initiated in both ovule and pericarp after fertilization. After that, different signals were activated in ovule and pericarp due to their distinct developmental processes. Our study provides spatiotemporal regulatory landscape of gene expression with sequential information which was not studied by previous work and further strengthens the comprehension of the regulatory and metabolic events controlling early fruit development.

Using Renyi entropy to detect early cardiac autonomic neuropathy.

PubMed

Cornforth, David J; Tarvainen, Mika P; Jelinek, Herbert F

2013-01-01

Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy (CAN) is a disease that involves nerve damage leading to abnormal control of heart rate. CAN affects the correct operation of the heart and in turn leads to associated arrhythmias and heart attack. An open question is to what extent this condition is detectable by the measurement of Heart Rate Variability (HRV). An even more desirable option is to detect CAN in its early, preclinical stage, to improve treatment and outcomes. In previous work we have shown a difference in the Renyi spectrum between participants identified with well-defined CAN and controls. In this work we applied the multi-scale Renyi entropy for identification of early CAN in diabetes patients. Results suggest that Renyi entropy derived from a 20 minute, Lead-II ECG recording, forms a useful contribution to the detection of CAN even in the early stages of the disease. The positive α parameters (1 ≤ α ≤ 5) associated with the Renyi distribution indicated a significant difference (p < 0.00004) between controls and early CAN as well as definite CAN. This is a significant achievement given the simple nature of the information collected, and raises prospects of a simple screening test and improved outcomes of patients.

The effect of depression symptoms and social support on black-white differences in health-related quality of life in early pregnancy: the health status in pregnancy (HIP) study.

PubMed

Liu, Li; Setse, Rosanna; Grogan, Ruby; Powe, Neil R; Nicholson, Wanda K

2013-06-03

Lower physical and social functioning in pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight infants, butt few studies have examined racial differences in pregnant women's perception of their functioning. Even fewer studies have elucidated the demographic and clinical factors contributing to racial differences in functioning. Our objective was to determine whether there are racial differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in early pregnancy; and if so, to identify the contributions of socio-demographic characteristics, depression symptoms, social support and clinical factors to these differences. Cross-sectional study of 175 women in early pregnancy attending prenatal clinics in urban setting. In multivariate analysis, we assessed the independent relation of black race (compared to white) to HRQoL scores from the eight domains of the Medical Outcomes (SF-36) SURVEY: Physical Functioning, Role-Physical, Bodily Pain, Vitality, General Health, Social Functioning, Role-Emotional, and Mental Health. We compared socio-demographic and clinical factors and depression symptoms between black and white women and assessed the relative importance of these factors in explaining racial differences in physical and social functioning. Black women comprised 59% of the sample; white women comprised 41%. Before adjustment, black women had scores that were 14 points lower in Physical Function and Bodily Pain, 8 points lower in General Health, 4 points lower in Vitality and 7 points lower in Social Functioning. After adjustment for depression symptoms, social support and clinical factors, black women still had HRQoL scores that were 4 to 10 points lower than white women, but the differences were no longer statistically significant. Level of social support and payment source accounted for most of the variation in Physical Functioning, Bodily Pain and General Health. Social support accounted for most of the differences in Vitality and Social

Early versus late initiation of epidural analgesia for labour.

PubMed

Sng, Ban Leong; Leong, Wan Ling; Zeng, Yanzhi; Siddiqui, Fahad Javaid; Assam, Pryseley N; Lim, Yvonne; Chan, Edwin S Y; Sia, Alex T

2014-10-09

the studies was low, with the exception of performance bias (blinding of participants and personnel).The nine studies showed no clinically meaningful difference in risk of caesarean section with early initiation versus late initiation of epidural analgesia for labour (risk ratio (RR) 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96 to 1.08, nine studies, 15,499 women, high quality evidence). There was no clinically meaningful difference in risk of instrumental birth with early initiation versus late initiation of epidural analgesia for labour (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.01, eight studies, 15,379 women, high quality evidence). The duration of second stage of labour showed no clinically meaningful difference between early initiation and late initiation of epidural analgesia (mean difference (MD) -3.22 minutes; 95% CI -6.71 to 0.27, eight studies, 14,982 women, high quality evidence). There was significant heterogeneity in the duration of first stage of labour and the data were not pooled.There was no clinically meaningful difference in Apgar scores less than seven at one minute (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.84 to 1.10, seven studies, 14,924 women, high quality evidence). There was no clinically meaningful difference in Apgar scores less than seven at five minutes (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.33, seven studies, 14,924 women, high quality evidence). There was no clinically meaningful difference in umbilical arterial pH between early initiation and late initiation (MD 0.01; 95% CI -0.01 to 0.03, four studies, 14,004 women, high quality evidence). There was no clinically meaningful difference in umbilical venous pH favouring early initiation (MD 0.01; 95% CI -0.00 to 0.02, four studies, 14,004 women, moderate quality evidence). There is predominantly high-quality evidence that early or late initiation of epidural analgesia for labour have similar effects on all measured outcomes. However, various forms of alternative pain relief were given to women who were allocated to delayed epidurals to cover

Sex differences in stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity following early life adversity: a two hit model.

PubMed

Prusator, D K; Greenwood-Van Meerveld, B

2016-12-01

Early life adversity (ELA) has been indicated as a risk factor for the development of stress axis dysfunction in adulthood, specifically in females. We previously showed that unpredictable ELA induces visceral hyperalgesia in adult female rats. It remains to be determined whether ELA alters visceral nociceptive responses to stress in adulthood. The current study tested the hypothesis that following ELA, exposure to an adulthood stressor, or second hit, serves as a risk factor for exaggerated stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity that is sex-specific. Following ELA, adult stress was induced via a single exposure (acute) or repetitive daily exposure, 1 h/day for 7 days (chronic), to water avoidance stress (WAS). Acute WAS increased pain behaviors in all adult female rats, however, females that experienced unpredictable ELA exhibited significantly more pain behaviors compared to those exposed to predictable ELA or controls. Following chronic WAS, all adult females exhibited increased pain responses, however, an exaggerated response was observed in rats exposed to unpredictable or predictable ELA compared to controls. Similarly, in adult male rats exposure to acute or chronic WAS increased pain behaviors, however, there were no differences in pain behaviors between ELA groups. This study highlights a novel consequence of ELA on stress-induced visceral nociception in adulthood that is sex-specific. More importantly, our study suggests that ELA not only serves as a risk factor for development of chronic pain in adulthood, but also serves as a predisposition for worsening of visceral pain following adult stress in female rats. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Complex Genetic Effects on Early Vegetative Development Shape Resource Allocation Differences Between Arabidopsis lyrata Populations

PubMed Central

Remington, David L.; Leinonen, Päivi H.; Leppälä, Johanna; Savolainen, Outi

2013-01-01

Costs of reproduction due to resource allocation trade-offs have long been recognized as key forces in life history evolution, but little is known about their functional or genetic basis. Arabidopsis lyrata, a perennial relative of the annual model plant A. thaliana with a wide climatic distribution, has populations that are strongly diverged in resource allocation. In this study, we evaluated the genetic and functional basis for variation in resource allocation in a reciprocal transplant experiment, using four A. lyrata populations and F2 progeny from a cross between North Carolina (NC) and Norway parents, which had the most divergent resource allocation patterns. Local alleles at quantitative trait loci (QTL) at a North Carolina field site increased reproductive output while reducing vegetative growth. These QTL had little overlap with flowering date QTL. Structural equation models incorporating QTL genotypes and traits indicated that resource allocation differences result primarily from QTL effects on early vegetative growth patterns, with cascading effects on later vegetative and reproductive development. At a Norway field site, North Carolina alleles at some of the same QTL regions reduced survival and reproductive output components, but these effects were not associated with resource allocation trade-offs in the Norway environment. Our results indicate that resource allocation in perennial plants may involve important adaptive mechanisms largely independent of flowering time. Moreover, the contributions of resource allocation QTL to local adaptation appear to result from their effects on developmental timing and its interaction with environmental constraints, and not from simple models of reproductive costs. PMID:23979581

Effectiveness and Cost Efficiency of Different Surveillance Components for Proving Freedom and Early Detection of Disease: Bluetongue Serotype 8 in Cattle as Case Study for Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

PubMed

Welby, S; van Schaik, G; Veldhuis, A; Brouwer-Middelesch, H; Peroz, C; Santman-Berends, I M; Fourichon, C; Wever, P; Van der Stede, Y

2017-12-01

Quick detection and recovery of country's freedom status remain a constant challenge in animal health surveillance. The efficacy and cost efficiency of different surveillance components in proving the absence of infection or (early) detection of bluetongue serotype 8 in cattle populations within different countries (the Netherlands, France, Belgium) using surveillance data from years 2006 and 2007 were investigated using an adapted scenario tree model approach. First, surveillance components (sentinel, yearly cross-sectional and passive clinical reporting) within each country were evaluated in terms of efficacy for substantiating freedom of infection. Yearly cross-sectional survey and passive clinical reporting performed well within each country with sensitivity of detection values ranging around 0.99. The sentinel component had a sensitivity of detection around 0.7. Secondly, how effective the components were for (early) detection of bluetongue serotype 8 and whether syndromic surveillance on reproductive performance, milk production and mortality data available from the Netherlands and Belgium could be of added value were evaluated. Epidemic curves were used to estimate the timeliness of detection. Sensitivity analysis revealed that expected within-herd prevalence and number of herds processed were the most influential parameters for proving freedom and early detection. Looking at the assumed direct costs, although total costs were low for sentinel and passive clinical surveillance components, passive clinical surveillance together with syndromic surveillance (based on reproductive performance data) turned out most cost-efficient for the detection of bluetongue serotype 8. To conclude, for emerging or re-emerging vectorborne disease that behaves such as bluetongue serotype 8, it is recommended to use passive clinical and syndromic surveillance as early detection systems for maximum cost efficiency and sensitivity. Once an infection is detected and eradicated

Age-Related Differences in Longitudinal Structural Change by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Early Experimental Glaucoma

PubMed Central

Yang, Hongli; He, Lin; Gardiner, Stuart K.; Reynaud, Juan; Williams, Galen; Hardin, Christy; Strouthidis, Nicholas G.; Downs, J. Crawford; Fortune, Brad; Burgoyne, Claude F.

2014-01-01

Purpose. To characterize age-related differences in the magnitude of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) structural change in early experimental glaucoma (EG). Methods. Both eyes from four young (1.4–2.6 years) and four old (18.6–21.9 years) rhesus monkeys were imaged at least three times at baseline, and then every 2 weeks after laser-induced, chronic, unilateral IOP elevation until the onset of EG (confocal scanning laser tomographic surface change confirmed twice). Two to 20 weeks after EG onset, animals were euthanized and optic nerve axon counts for all eyes were performed. Masked operators delineated retinal and ONH landmarks in 40 radial B-scans from each eye and imaging session to quantify change from baseline in five SD-OCT neural and connective tissue parameters. The effects of EG, age, and EG × age interactions on the magnitude, rate (magnitude per postlaser time), and IOP responsiveness (magnitude per cumulative IOP insult) of postlaser parameter change were individually assessed using general estimating equation models. Results. Presac SD-OCT RNFLT and minimum rim width change and postmortem axon loss was not significantly different in old compared with young EG eyes. The rate of change and IOP responsiveness of the parameters anterior lamina cribrosa surface depth relative to Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) and BMO depth relative to peripheral Bruch's membrane were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the old compared with the young EG eyes. Conclusions. At similar postlaser times, levels of cumulative IOP insult and axonal damage, SD-OCT–detected ONH connective tissue structural change is greater in young compared with old monkey EG eyes. PMID:25190652

Exploring the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Career Commitment among Early Career Agriculture Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in career commitment and perceived efficacy among early career agriculture teachers as well as the relationships between early career agriculture teachers' perceived efficacy and career commitment. Five areas of self-efficacy were investigated among early career agriculture teachers in…

Selection is stronger in early-versus-late stages of divergence in a Neotropical livebearing fish.

PubMed

Ingley, Spencer J; Johnson, Jerald B

2016-03-01

How selection acts to drive trait evolution at different stages of divergence is of fundamental importance in our understanding of the origins of biodiversity. Yet, most studies have focused on a single point along an evolutionary trajectory. Here, we provide a case study evaluating the strength of divergent selection acting on life-history traits at early-versus-late stages of divergence in Brachyrhaphis fishes. We find that the difference in selection is stronger in the early-diverged population than the late-diverged population, and that trait differences acquired early are maintained over time. © 2016 The Author(s).

[Analysis of the effects on menopausal symptoms, quality of Life, and cardiovascular risk factors of five different therapy in women at early stage of menopause].

PubMed

Xue, W; Sun, A J; Zheng, T P; Jiang, J F; Wang, Y P; Zhang, Y; Chen, F L; Deng, Y; Wang, Y F

2016-08-02

To explore the effects of five different therapy in women at early stage of menopause on menopausal symptoms, quality of Life and cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 140 women at early stage of menopause were randomly divided into five groups. Thirty women took Conjugated estrogen and medroxyprogesterone acetate(CEE+ MPA) sequential therapy, 27 women took estradiol valerate and medroxyprogesterone acetate(E2V+ MPA) sequential therapy, 26 women took estradiol valerate and Progesterone Soft Capsules(E2V+ P) sequential therapy, 30 women took Kuntai capsule, and 27 took Cohosh extract.Patients in the Menopausal Hormone Therapy(MHT) groups took twelve cycles of treatment course, in the botanical drug and Chinese patent drug groups took twelve months. The KMI scalewas used to measure the level of menopausal symptoms. MENQOL scale was used to measure the health-related quality of life before and at the 3(rd) month, 6(th) month, 9(rd) month and 12(th) month after the treatment. Some serological indicators which related to cardiovascular risk factors were collected before and at the 12(th) month after the treatment. (1) KMI: It showed that the KMI in five groups after the treatment were significantly different(P<0.01), the group of CEE+ MPA decreased most(13±1). The KMI after the treatment were all significantly lower than that before. (2)MENQOL: It showed that the MENQOL in five groups were significantly different(P<0.01), the group of CEE+ MPA decreased most (84±3), then the group of Kuntai(85±3). The MENQOL after the treatment were all significantly lower than that before. (3)The change of cardiovascular risk factors: it showed that the serological indicators FBGin group of CEE+ MPA after the treatment were significantly lower than that before(P<0.05); the TC, LDL, FI in group of E2V+ MPA after the treatment were significantly lower than that before(P<0.05); the FBG, FI in group of E2V+ P after the treatment were significantly lower than that before(P<0.05). The

Elevated Social Anxiety among Early Maturing Girls

PubMed Central

Blumenthal, Heidemarie; Leen-Feldner, Ellen W.; Babson, Kimberly A.; Gahr, Jessica L.; Trainor, Casey D.; Frala, Jamie L.

2012-01-01

Adolescence is a key period in terms of the development of anxiety psychopathology. An emerging literature suggests that early pubertal maturation is associated with enhanced vulnerability for anxiety symptomatology, although few studies have examined this association with regard to social anxiety. Accordingly, the current study was designed to further elucidate the relation between pubertal timing and social anxiety, with a focus on clarifying the role of gender. Participants were 138 adolescents (ages 12-17 years) recruited from the general community. Level of social anxiety was examined as a function of gender and within-sample pubertal timing. As expected, early-maturing girls evidenced significantly higher social anxiety as compared to on-time girls and early-maturing boys, and no other differences were found as a function of gender or developmental timing. Findings and future directions are discussed in terms of forwarding developmentally-sensitive models of social anxiety etiology and prevention. PMID:21604866

Effect of early or late resynchronization based on different methods of pregnancy diagnosis on reproductive performance of dairy cows.

PubMed

Sinedino, L D P; Lima, F S; Bisinotto, R S; Cerri, R L A; Santos, J E P

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the reproductive performance of dairy cows subjected to early (ER) or late (LR) resynchronization programs after nonpregnancy diagnoses based on either pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) ELISA or transrectal palpation, respectively. In addition, the accuracy of the PAG ELISA for early pregnancy diagnosis was assessed. Lactating Holstein cows were subjected to a Presynch-Ovsynch protocol with timed artificial insemination (AI) performed between 61 and 74 DIM. On the day of the first postpartum AI, 1,093 cows were blocked by parity and assigned randomly to treatments; however, because of attrition, 452 ER and 520 LR cows were considered for the statistical analyses. After the first postpartum AI, cows were observed daily for signs of estrus and inseminated on the same day of detected estrus. Cows from ER that were not reinseminated in estrus received the first GnRH injection of the Ovsynch protocol for resynchronization 2d before pregnancy diagnosis. On d 28 after the previous AI (d 27 to 34), pregnancy status was determined by PAG ELISA, and nonpregnant cows continued on the Ovsynch protocol for reinsemination. Pregnant cows had pregnancy status reconfirmed on d 46 after AI (d 35 to 52) by transrectal palpation, and those that lost the pregnancies were resynchronized. Cows assigned to LR had pregnancy diagnosed by transrectal palpation on d 46 after AI (d 35 to 52) and nonpregnant cows were resynchronized with the Ovsynch protocol. Blood was sampled on d 28 after AI (d 27 to 34) from cows in both treatments that had not been reinseminated on estrus and again on d 46 after AI (d 35 to 52) for assessment of PAG ELISA to determine the accuracy of the test. Cows were subjected to treatments for 72d after the first insemination. Pregnancy per AI (P/AI) at first postpartum timed AI did not differ between treatments and averaged 28.9%. The proportion of nonpregnant cows that were resynchronized and received timed AI was greater

Assessing early communication skills at 12 months: a retrospective study of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Swain, Nathaniel Robert; Eadie, Patricia Ann; Prior, Margot Ruth; Reilly, Sheena

2015-07-01

Early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is currently limited by the absence of reliable biological markers for the disorder, as well as the reliability of screening and assessment tools for children aged between 6 and 18 months. Ongoing research has demonstrated the importance of early social communication skills in differentiating children later diagnosed with ASD from their typically developing (TD) peers, but researchers have not yet investigated whether these differences can be detected using community-ascertained systematic observation data as early as 12 months. To investigate whether differences in early social communication skills can be detected at 12 months of age, comparing children later diagnosed with ASD, and TD peers; and to determine whether differences remain when groupings are based on age of subsequent ASD diagnosis. From a prospective community-ascertained sample, we collected data on children in early life, then conducted retrospective analyses for those children who were later diagnosed with ASD by the age of 7 years, compared with matched TD peers. We analysed standardized observational data of early communication skills, collected using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP) Behavior Sample, when participants were 12 months of age. Children in the ASD group exhibited significantly lower social communication skills than the TD group, including on the Total score and Social and Symbolic Composite scores of the CSBS-DP Behavior Sample. Differences on the Total score and Social Composite were also detected for both early and late ASD diagnosis groups when compared with the TD group. These findings give further support for the importance of social communication in assessing children at risk of ASD as early as 12 months of age. Future research could evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of direct observation of these early communication skills as diagnostic indicators for ASD at 12 months

Exploring Options in Early Childhood Care in Singapore: Programs and Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Kaili C.

2016-01-01

Early childhood care options and practices differ around the world, as influenced by societal perspectives and needs. As early educators and policymakers around the world work to improve education and care services to better serve young children and their families, we must consider context-specific values and standards of quality to ensure early…

Early stages of soldering reactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lord, R.A.; Umantsev, A.

2005-09-15

An experiment on the early stages of intermetallic compound layer growth during soldering and its theoretical analysis were conducted with the intent to study the controlling factors of the process. An experimental technique based on fast dipping and pulling of a copper coupon in liquid solder followed by optical microscopy allowed the authors to study the temporal behavior of the sample on a single micrograph. The technique should be of value for different areas of metallurgy because many experiments on crystallization may be described as the growth of a layer of intermediate phase. Comparison of the experimental results with themore » theoretical calculations allowed one to identify the kinetics of dissolution as the rate-controlling mechanism on the early stages and measure the kinetic coefficient of dissolution. A popular model of intermetallic compound layer structure coarsening is discussed.« less

Early Vocabulary in Relation to Gender, Bilingualism, Type, and Duration of Childcare

PubMed Central

Stolarova, M.; Brielmann, A. A.; Wolf, C.; Rinker, T.; Burke, T; Baayen, H.

2016-01-01

This study investigates the predictive value of child-related and environmental characteristics for early lexical development. The German productive vocabulary of 51 2-year-olds (27 girls), assessed via parental report, was analyzed taking children’s gender, the type of early care they experienced, and their mono- versus bilingual language composition into consideration. The children were from an educationally homogeneous group of families and state-regulated daycare facilities with high structural quality. All investigated subgroups exhibited German vocabulary size within the expected normative range. Gender differences in vocabulary composition, but not in size, were observed. There were no general differences in vocabulary size or composition between the 2 care groups. An interaction between the predictors gender and care arrangement showed that girls without regular daycare experience before the age of 2 years had a somewhat larger vocabulary than all other investigated subgroups of children. The vocabulary size of the 2-year-old children in daycare correlated positively with the duration of their daycare experience prior to testing. The small subgroup of bilingual children investigated exhibited slightly lower but still normative German expressive vocabulary size and a different vocabulary composition compared to the monolingual children. This study expands current knowledge about relevant predictors of early vocabulary. It shows that in the absence of educational disadvantages the duration of early daycare experience of high structural quality is positively associated with vocabulary size but also points to the fact that environmental characteristics, such as type of care, might affect boys’ and girls’ early vocabulary in different ways. PMID:28127412

Critical Perspectives on Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood: Building an Inclusive Curriculum and Provision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ang, Lynn

2010-01-01

This paper presents a discussion of the complexities that arise from addressing issues of cultural diversity in the early years context. It explores the challenges of developing an effective early years provision and pedagogy that values cultural difference within the framework of a mandated curriculum, "The Early Years Foundation Stage…

Increased efficacy of VX-809 in different cellular systems results from an early stabilization effect of F508del-CFTR.

PubMed

Farinha, Carlos M; Sousa, Marisa; Canato, Sara; Schmidt, André; Uliyakina, Inna; Amaral, Margarida D

2015-08-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common recessive autosomal disease among Caucasians, is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common mutation, F508del, leads to CFTR impaired plasma membrane trafficking. Therapies modulating CFTR basic defect are emerging, such as VX-809, a corrector of F508del-CFTR traffic which just succeeded in a Phase III clinical trial. We recently showed that VX-809 is additive to two other correctors (VRT-325 and compound 4a). Here, we aimed to determine whether the differential rescuing by these compounds results from cell-specific factors or rather from distinct effects at the early biogenesis and/or processing. The rescuing efficiencies of the above three correctors were first compared in different cellular models (primary respiratory cells, cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial and baby hamster kidney [BHK] cell lines) by functional approaches: micro-Ussing chamber and iodide efflux. Next, biochemical methods (metabolic labeling, pulse-chase and immunoprecipitation) were used to determine their impact on CFTR biogenesis / processing. Functional analyses revealed that VX-809 has the greatest rescuing efficacy and that the relative efficiencies of the three compounds are essentially maintained in all three cellular models tested. Nevertheless, biochemical data show that VX-809 significantly stabilizes F508del-CFTR immature form, an effect that is not observed for C3 nor C4. VX-809 and C3 also significantly increase accumulation of immature CFTR. Our data suggest that VX-809 increases the stability of F508del-CFTR immature form at an early phase of its biogenesis, thus explaining its increased efficacy when inducing its rescue.

Increased efficacy of VX-809 in different cellular systems results from an early stabilization effect of F508del-CFTR

PubMed Central

Farinha, Carlos M; Sousa, Marisa; Canato, Sara; Schmidt, André; Uliyakina, Inna; Amaral, Margarida D

2015-01-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common recessive autosomal disease among Caucasians, is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common mutation, F508del, leads to CFTR impaired plasma membrane trafficking. Therapies modulating CFTR basic defect are emerging, such as VX-809, a corrector of F508del-CFTR traffic which just succeeded in a Phase III clinical trial. We recently showed that VX-809 is additive to two other correctors (VRT-325 and compound 4a). Here, we aimed to determine whether the differential rescuing by these compounds results from cell-specific factors or rather from distinct effects at the early biogenesis and/or processing. The rescuing efficiencies of the above three correctors were first compared in different cellular models (primary respiratory cells, cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial and baby hamster kidney [BHK] cell lines) by functional approaches: micro-Ussing chamber and iodide efflux. Next, biochemical methods (metabolic labeling, pulse-chase and immunoprecipitation) were used to determine their impact on CFTR biogenesis / processing. Functional analyses revealed that VX-809 has the greatest rescuing efficacy and that the relative efficiencies of the three compounds are essentially maintained in all three cellular models tested. Nevertheless, biochemical data show that VX-809 significantly stabilizes F508del-CFTR immature form, an effect that is not observed for C3 nor C4. VX-809 and C3 also significantly increase accumulation of immature CFTR. Our data suggest that VX-809 increases the stability of F508del-CFTR immature form at an early phase of its biogenesis, thus explaining its increased efficacy when inducing its rescue. PMID:26171232

Early discharge hospital at home.

PubMed

Gonçalves-Bradley, Daniela C; Iliffe, Steve; Doll, Helen A; Broad, Joanna; Gladman, John; Langhorne, Peter; Richards, Suzanne H; Shepperd, Sasha

2017-06-26

Early discharge hospital at home is a service that provides active treatment by healthcare professionals in the patient's home for a condition that otherwise would require acute hospital inpatient care. This is an update of a Cochrane review. To determine the effectiveness and cost of managing patients with early discharge hospital at home compared with inpatient hospital care. We searched the following databases to 9 January 2017: the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and EconLit. We searched clinical trials registries. Randomised trials comparing early discharge hospital at home with acute hospital inpatient care for adults. We excluded obstetric, paediatric and mental health hospital at home schemes.   DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We followed the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane and EPOC. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the body of evidence for the most important outcomes. We included 32 trials (N = 4746), six of them new for this update, mainly conducted in high-income countries. We judged most of the studies to have a low or unclear risk of bias. The intervention was delivered by hospital outreach services (17 trials), community-based services (11 trials), and was co-ordinated by a hospital-based stroke team or physician in conjunction with community-based services in four trials.Studies recruiting people recovering from strokeEarly discharge hospital at home probably makes little or no difference to mortality at three to six months (risk ratio (RR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 to 1.48, N = 1114, 11 trials, moderate-certainty evidence) and may make little or no difference to the risk of hospital readmission (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.66, N = 345, 5 trials, low-certainty evidence). Hospital at home may lower the risk of living in institutional setting at six months (RR 0.63, 96% CI

An Evaluation of the Savannah Early College Program: An Action Oriented Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kearse, Douglas

2013-01-01

The Savannah Early College Program (SECP) opened its doors in August 2007 to make a difference in the lives of all students who enrolled. Its primary mission was to combine academic rigor and support to help students enter college early and graduate from high school with up to 2 years of college credit. Since SECP joined the Early College High…

Gross Motor Development, Movement Abnormalities, and Early Identification of Autism

PubMed Central

Young, Gregory S.; Goldring, Stacy; Greiss-Hess, Laura; Herrera, Adriana M.; Steele, Joel; Macari, Suzanne; Hepburn, Susan; Rogers, Sally J.

2015-01-01

Gross motor development (supine, prone, rolling, sitting, crawling, walking) and movement abnormalities were examined in the home videos of infants later diagnosed with autism (regression and no regression subgroups), developmental delays (DD), or typical development. Group differences in maturity were found for walking, prone, and supine, with the DD and Autism-No Regression groups both showing later developing motor maturity than typical children. The only statistically significant differences in movement abnormalities were in the DD group; the two autism groups did not differ from the typical group in rates of movement abnormalities or lack of protective responses. These findings do not replicate previous investigations suggesting that early motor abnormalities seen on home video can assist in early identification of autism. PMID:17805956

Glycoprofiling of Early Gastric Cancer Using Lectin Microarray Technology.

PubMed

Li, Taijie; Mo, Cuiju; Qin, Xue; Li, Shan; Liu, Yinkun; Liu, Zhiming

2018-01-01

Recently, studies have reported that protein glycosylation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer. Gastric cancer is a common cancer with high morbidity and mortality owing to most gastric cancers are discovered only at an advanced stage. Here, we aim to discover novel specific serum glycanbased biomarkers for gastric cancer. A lectin microarray with 50 kinds of tumor-associated lectin was used to detect the glycan profiles of serum samples between early gastric cancer and healthy controls. Then lectin blot was performed to validate the differences. The result of the lectin microarray showed that the signal intensities of 13 lectins showed significant differences between the healthy controls and early gastric cancer. Compared to the healthy, the normalized fluorescent intensities of the lectins PWA, LEL, and STL were significantly increased, and it implied that their specifically recognized GlcNAc showed an especially elevated expression in early gastric cancer. Moreover, the binding affinity of the lectins EEL, RCA-II, RCA-I, VAL, DSA, PHA-L, UEA, and CAL were higher in the early gastric cancer than in healthy controls. These glycan structures containing GalNAc, terminal Galβ 1-4 GlcNAc, Tri/tetraantennary N-glycan, β-1, 6GlcNAc branching structure, α-linked fucose residues, and Tn antigen were elevated in gastric cancer. While the two lectins CFL GNL reduced their binding ability. In addition, their specifically recognized N-acetyl-D-galactosamine structure and (α-1,3) mannose residues were decreased in early gastric cancer. Furthermore, lectin blot results of LEL, STL, PHA-L, RCA-I were consistent with the results of the lectin microarray. The findings of our study clarify the specific alterations for glycosylation during the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. The specific high expression of GlcNAc structure may act as a potential early diagnostic marker for gastric cancer.

Early Years Practitioners' Views on Early Personal, Social and Emotional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aubrey, Carol; Ward, Karen

2013-01-01

Current policy guidance stresses the need for early identification of obstacles to learning and appropriate intervention. New standards for learning (Early Years Foundation Stage) place personal, social and emotional development (PSED) as central to learning and development. This paper reports a survey and follow-up interviews with early years…

Early Inherited Risk for Anxiety Moderates the Association between Fathers’ Child-Centered Parenting and Early Social Inhibition

PubMed Central

Brooker, Rebecca J.; Alto, Kathleen M.; Marceau, Kristine; Najjar, Reema; Leve, Leslie D.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Reiss, David; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.

2016-01-01

Studies of the role of the early environment in shaping children’s risk for anxiety problems have produced mixed results. It is possible that inconsistencies in previous findings result from a lack of consideration of a putative role for inherited influences moderators on the impact of early experiences. Early inherited influences not only contribute to vulnerabilities for anxiety problems throughout the lifespan, but can also modulate the ways that the early environment impacts child outcomes. In the current study, we tested the effects of child-centered parenting behaviors on putative anxiety risk in young children who differed in levels of inherited vulnerability. We tested this using a parent-offspring adoption design and a sample in which risk for anxiety problems and parenting behaviors were assessed in both mothers and fathers. Inherited influences on anxiety problems were assessed as anxiety symptoms in biological parents. Child-centered parenting was observed in adoptive mothers and fathers when children were 9 months old. Social inhibition, an early temperament marker of anxiety risk, was observed at child ages 9 and 18 months. Inherited influences on anxiety problems moderated the link between paternal child-centered parenting during infancy and social inhibition in toddlerhood. For children whose birth parents reported high levels of anxiety symptoms, greater child-centered parenting in adoptive fathers was related to greater social inhibition 9 months later. For children whose birth parents reported low levels of anxiety symptoms, greater child-centered parenting in adoptive fathers was related to less social inhibition across the same period. PMID:27572913

Early inherited risk for anxiety moderates the association between fathers' child-centered parenting and early social inhibition.

PubMed

Brooker, R J; Alto, K M; Marceau, K; Najjar, R; Leve, L D; Ganiban, J M; Shaw, D S; Reiss, D; Neiderhiser, J M

2016-12-01

Studies of the role of the early environment in shaping children's risk for anxiety problems have produced mixed results. It is possible that inconsistencies in previous findings result from a lack of consideration of a putative role for inherited influences moderators on the impact of early experiences. Early inherited influences not only contribute to vulnerabilities for anxiety problems throughout the lifespan, but can also modulate the ways that the early environment impacts child outcomes. In the current study, we tested the effects of child-centered parenting behaviors on putative anxiety risk in young children who differed in levels of inherited vulnerability. We tested this using a parent-offspring adoption design and a sample in which risk for anxiety problems and parenting behaviors were assessed in both mothers and fathers. Inherited influences on anxiety problems were assessed as anxiety symptoms in biological parents. Child-centered parenting was observed in adoptive mothers and fathers when children were 9 months old. Social inhibition, an early temperament marker of anxiety risk, was observed at child ages 9 and 18 months. Inherited influences on anxiety problems moderated the link between paternal child-centered parenting during infancy and social inhibition in toddlerhood. For children whose birth parents reported high levels of anxiety symptoms, greater child-centered parenting in adoptive fathers was related to greater social inhibition 9 months later. For children whose birth parents reported low levels of anxiety symptoms, greater child-centered parenting in adoptive fathers was related to less social inhibition across the same period.