Sample records for years findings suggest

  1. Findings suggest possible link between geomagnetic reversals and field intensity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffman, Kenneth A.

    For the past 2000 years the Earth's magnetic field has been weakening. At the going rate of decay, the field's dipole—generated within the convecting metallic fluid of the outer core—would totally vanish, perhaps passing through zero and reversing polarity, in the coming millennia. This scenario of a coming attempt by Earth's dynamo to reverse its polarity is suggested by direct observation of the field since the 19th century and laboratory investigation of historic lavas and other fired materials that record the ambient field while cooling.The ongoing weakening of the field does not insure that a reversal will occur. After all, the north-south axial dipole changes to the opposite direction only on occasion; it currently reverses a few times each million years. How the dynamo actually approaches an attempted change of polarity and, moreover, the degree to which such a process can be predicted, are unclear. Nonetheless, a major step toward such an understanding may have been made through recently reported paleomagnetic findings obtained from the long, quasi-continuous records derived from Ocean Drilling Project (ODP) marine sediment cores.

  2. SpaceWire Tiger Team Findings and Suggestions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ishac, Joseph A.

    2011-01-01

    This technical report intends to highlight the key findings and recommendations of the SpaceWire Tiger Team for the CoNNeCT project. It covers findings which are technical in nature, covering design concepts and approaches.

  3. Control Beliefs and Cognition Over a 10-year Period: Findings from the ACTIVE Trial

    PubMed Central

    Parisi, Jeanine M.; Gross, Alden L.; Marsiske, Michael; Willis, Sherry L.; Rebok, George W.

    2017-01-01

    We examined two facets of control beliefs and cognition over ten-years within the ACTIVE cognitive training program. Intellectual Self-efficacy decreased (β = −0.32 units/year; SE = 0.03) and Concern about Intellectual Aging increased (β = 0.26 units/year; SE = 0.02) over time, with older age being the only predictor of increases in Concern about Intellectual Aging. Although baseline cognitive performance was related to control beliefs over time, the reverse was not supported. Findings were not altered by participation in the ACTIVE training programs, suggesting the need for including intervention components that lead to long-term maintenance or improvements in such beliefs. PMID:28182498

  4. Finding shelter: two-year housing trajectories among homeless youth.

    PubMed

    Tevendale, Heather D; Comulada, W Scott; Lightfoot, Marguerita A

    2011-12-01

    The aim of this study was to (1) identify trajectories of homeless youth remaining sheltered or returning to shelter over a period of 2 years, and (2) to identify predictors of these trajectories. A sample of 426 individuals aged 14-24 years receiving services at homeless youth serving agencies completed six assessments over 2 years. Latent class growth analysis was applied to the reports of whether youth had been inconsistently sheltered (i.e., living on the street or in a squat, abandoned building, or automobile) or consistently sheltered (i.e., not living in any of those settings) during the past 3 months. Three trajectories of homeless youth remaining sheltered or returning to shelter were identified: consistently sheltered (approximately 41% of the sample); inconsistently sheltered, short-term (approximately 20%); and inconsistently sheltered, long-term (approximately 39%). Being able to go home and having not left of one's own accord predicted greater likelihood of membership in the short-term versus the long-term inconsistently sheltered trajectory. Younger age, not using drugs other than alcohol or marijuana, less involvement in informal sector activities, being able to go home, and having been homeless for <1 year predicted membership in the consistently sheltered groups versus the long-term inconsistently sheltered groups in the multivariate analyses. Findings suggest that being able to return home is more important than the degree of individual impairment (e.g., substance use or mental health problems) when determining the likelihood that a homeless youth follows a more or a less chronically homeless pathway. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. Validity of a test of children's suggestibility for predicting responses to two interview situations differing in their degree of suggestiveness.

    PubMed

    Finnilä, Katarina; Mahlberg, Nina; Santtila, Pekka; Sandnabba, Kenneth; Niemi, Pekka

    2003-05-01

    In the present study the relative contributions of internal and external sources of variation in children's suggestibility in interrogative situations were examined. One hundred and eleven children (48 4- to 5-year-olds and 63 7- to 8-year-olds) were administered a suggestibility test (BTSS) and the most suggestible (N=36) and the least suggestible (N=36) children were randomly assigned to either an interview condition containing several suggestive techniques or to one containing only suggestive questions. The effects of internal sources of variation in suggestibility were compared with the effects of the interview styles on the children's answers. The former did influence the children, but the external sources of variation in suggestibility had a stronger impact. Influences of cognitive, developmental factors could be found, but not when abuse-related questions were asked and high pressured interview methods were used. These findings indicate that individual assessment of suggestibility can be of some assistance when interviewing children, but diminishing suggestive influences in interrogations must be given priority.

  6. Renal carcinomas associated with Xp11.2 translocations: are CT findings suggestive of the diagnosis?

    PubMed

    He, J; Huan, Y; Qiao, Q; Zhang, J; Zhang, J S

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to summarize the computed tomography (CT) features of renal carcinomas associated with Xp11.2 translocations, and determine whether the diagnosis can be reliably deduced from imaging findings. Radiological studies of six patients (aged from 9-29 years) with renal carcinoma associated with Xp11.2 translocations were retrospectively analysed. The tumours varied in size from 3.3-11 cm (mean 5.4 cm). Unenhanced CT and cortical, medullary, and pelvic-phase contrast-enhanced CT imaging was undertaken in all cases. Unenhanced CT revealed that tumours had a relatively increased radiodensity (4/6, ranged from 45-60 HU) and suggested the possibility of diffuse haemorrhage. Three of the six cases showed irregular and boundary calcification of the lesion. Contrast-enhanced CT showed relatively well demarcated tumours with heterogeneous enhancement (6/6). Prolonged enhancement of tumours might be a common sign (6/6) in Xp11.2 translocations. Three out of the six cases were combined with retroperitoneal lymph nodes metastasis. Renal carcinomas associated with Xp11.2 translocations should be considered, particularly in children and young patients, when the lesion has calcification and is hyper-dense on unenhanced CT, and has prolonged enhancement on contrast-enhanced images. Copyright © 2013 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Suggestibility and suggestive modulation of the Stroop effect.

    PubMed

    Kirsch, Irving

    2011-06-01

    Although the induction of a hypnotic state does not seem necessary for suggestive modulation of the Stroop effect, this important phenomenon has seemed to be dependent on the subject's level of hypnotic suggestibility. Raz and Campbell's (2011) study indicates that suggestion can modulate the Stroop effect substantially in very low suggestible subjects, as well as in those who are highly suggestible. This finding casts doubt on the presumed mechanism by which suggestive modulation is brought about. Research aimed at uncovering the means by which low suggestible individuals are able to modulate the Stroop effect would be welcome, as would assessment of this effect in moderately suggestible people. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Confidence Judgments in Children's and Adults' Event Recall and Suggestibility.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roebers, Claudia M.

    2002-01-01

    Three studies investigated the role of 8- and 10-year-olds' and adults' metacognitive monitoring and control processes for unbiased event recall tasks and suggestibility. Findings suggested strong tendencies to overestimate confidence regardless of age and question format. Children did not lack principal metacognitive competencies when questions…

  9. The Philadelphia epidemic of Legionnaire's disease: clinical, pulmonary, and serologic findings two years later.

    PubMed

    Lattimer, G L; Rhodes, L V; Salventi, J S; Galgon, J P; Stonebraker, V; Boley, S; Haas, G

    1979-04-01

    Clinical, pulmonary, and serologic findings in Legionnaires who attended the 1976 American Legion Convention in Philadelphia were studied 2 years after the Legionnaires' disease epidemic there. All 31 survivors of Legionnaires' disease studied became ill within 2 weeks after the convention, and 18 had not fully recovered 2 years after the epidemic. Twenty-five (28%) of 90 additional Legionnaires exposed at the convention but not diagnosed as having Legionnaires' disease became ill during the same time interval; five of these had symptoms during the next 2 years. Survivors had decreased diffusion capacities measured by the carbon monoxide single-breath method. These differences could not be accounted for by ventilation abnormalities or concurrent illness. Significant levels of IgG or IgM antibodies persisted in 94% of survivors of Legionnaires' disease and in 53% of Legionnaires exposed at the convention, which suggests a high prevalence of subclinical infection. Persistence of IgM antibody raises the question of latency or subclinical infection as part of the natural history of Legionnaires' disease.

  10. Abnormal immune system development and function in schizophrenia helps reconcile diverse findings and suggests new treatment and prevention strategies.

    PubMed

    Anders, Sherry; Kinney, Dennis K

    2015-08-18

    Extensive research implicates disturbed immune function and development in the etiology and pathology of schizophrenia. In addition to reviewing evidence for immunological factors in schizophrenia, this paper discusses how an emerging model of atypical immune function and development helps explain a wide variety of well-established - but puzzling - findings about schizophrenia. A number of theorists have presented hypotheses that early immune system programming, disrupted by pre- and perinatal adversity, often combines with abnormal brain development to produce schizophrenia. The present paper focuses on the hypothesis that disruption of early immune system development produces a latent immune vulnerability that manifests more fully after puberty, when changes in immune function and the thymus leave individuals more susceptible to infections and immune dysfunctions that contribute to schizophrenia. Complementing neurodevelopmental models, this hypothesis integrates findings on many contributing factors to schizophrenia, including prenatal adversity, genes, climate, migration, infections, and stress, among others. It helps explain, for example, why (a) schizophrenia onset is typically delayed until years after prenatal adversity, (b) individual risk factors alone often do not lead to schizophrenia, and (c) schizophrenia prevalence rates actually tend to be higher in economically advantaged countries. Here we discuss how the hypothesis explains 10 key findings, and suggests new, potentially highly cost-effective, strategies for treatment and prevention of schizophrenia. Moreover, while most human research linking immune factors to schizophrenia has been correlational, these strategies provide ethical ways to experimentally test in humans theories about immune function and schizophrenia. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroimmunology in Health And Disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Upper-Secondary Agricultural Course. A Suggested Three-Year Teacher's Guide. InfoTVE 13.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

    This teacher's guide provides syllabi for a 3-year program for upper secondary agricultural programs in rural agricultural schools. Part 1 contains an introduction, recommendations for early morning practical classes, and suggestions for scheduling of theoretical classes. Part 2 consists of the syllabi. Each syllabus offers a content outline. The…

  12. From Antarctica or Asia? New colonization scenario for Australian-New Guinean narrow mouth toads suggested from the findings on a mysterious genus Gastrophrynoides

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of anurans. Although several extensive molecular analyses have attempted to elucidate their subfamilial relationships, and correlate these with Mesozoic and Cenozoic continental drifts, consensus has not been reached. Further, generic level relationships have not been well investigated in some microhylid subfamilies, and therefore subfamilial affiliations of some genera are still unclear. To elucidate the phylogenetic positions of two mysterious Asian genera, Gastrophrynoides and Phrynella, and to better understand the trans-continental distributions of microhylid taxa, we performed molecular phylogenetic and dating analyses using the largest molecular dataset applied to these taxa to date. Results Six nuclear and two mitochondrial genes (approx. 8 kbp) were sequenced from 22 microhylid frog species representing eight subfamilies. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses could not fully elucidate the subfamilial relationships, suggesting a rapid radiation of these taxa between 85 and 66 million years ago. In contrast, generic relationships of Asian microhylines were generally well resolved. Conclusion Our results clearly showed that one of two problematic Asian genera, Phrynella, was nested in the clade of the Asian subfamily Microhylinae. By contrast, Gastrophrynoides occupied the most basal position of the Australian-New Guinean subfamily Asterophryinae. The estimated divergence of Gastrophrynoides from other asterophryine was unexpectedly around 48 million years ago. Although a colonization scenario via Antarctica to the Australian-New Guinean landmass has been suggested for Asterophryinae, our finding suggested a novel colonization route via Indo-Eurasia. PMID:21689462

  13. From Antarctica or Asia? New colonization scenario for Australian-New Guinean narrow mouth toads suggested from the findings on a mysterious genus Gastrophrynoides.

    PubMed

    Kurabayashi, Atsushi; Matsui, Masafumi; Belabut, Daicus M; Yong, Hoi-Sen; Ahmad, Norhayati; Sudin, Ahmad; Kuramoto, Mitsuru; Hamidy, Amir; Sumida, Masayuki

    2011-06-21

    Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of anurans. Although several extensive molecular analyses have attempted to elucidate their subfamilial relationships, and correlate these with Mesozoic and Cenozoic continental drifts, consensus has not been reached. Further, generic level relationships have not been well investigated in some microhylid subfamilies, and therefore subfamilial affiliations of some genera are still unclear. To elucidate the phylogenetic positions of two mysterious Asian genera, Gastrophrynoides and Phrynella, and to better understand the trans-continental distributions of microhylid taxa, we performed molecular phylogenetic and dating analyses using the largest molecular dataset applied to these taxa to date. Six nuclear and two mitochondrial genes (approx. 8 kbp) were sequenced from 22 microhylid frog species representing eight subfamilies. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses could not fully elucidate the subfamilial relationships, suggesting a rapid radiation of these taxa between 85 and 66 million years ago. In contrast, generic relationships of Asian microhylines were generally well resolved. Our results clearly showed that one of two problematic Asian genera, Phrynella, was nested in the clade of the Asian subfamily Microhylinae. By contrast, Gastrophrynoides occupied the most basal position of the Australian-New Guinean subfamily Asterophryinae. The estimated divergence of Gastrophrynoides from other asterophryine was unexpectedly around 48 million years ago. Although a colonization scenario via Antarctica to the Australian-New Guinean landmass has been suggested for Asterophryinae, our finding suggested a novel colonization route via Indo-Eurasia.

  14. Dieting and disordered eating behaviors from adolescence to young adulthood: Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study

    PubMed Central

    Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Wall, Melanie; Larson, Nicole I.; Eisenberg, Marla E.; Loth, Katie

    2011-01-01

    Background Disordered eating behaviors are prevalent in adolescence and can have harmful consequences. An important question is whether use of these behaviors in adolescence sets the pattern for continued use into young adulthood. Objective To examine the prevalence and tracking of dieting, unhealthy and extreme weight control behaviors, and binge eating from adolescence to young adulthood. Design Population-based, 10-year longitudinal study (Project EAT-III: Eating Among Teens and Young Adults, 1999–2010). Participants/setting The study population includes 2,287 young adults (55% female, 52% non-white). The sample includes a younger group (mean age = 12.8±0.7 years at baseline and 23.2±1.0 years at follow-up) and an older group (mean age = 15.9±0.8 at baseline and 26.2±0.9 years at follow-up). Statistical analyses performed Longitudinal trends in prevalence of behaviors were tested using generalized estimating equations. Tracking of behaviors were estimated using the relative risk of behaviors at follow-up given presence at baseline. Results In general, the prevalence of dieting and disordered eating was high and remained constant, or increased, from adolescence to young adulthood. Furthermore, behaviors tended to track within individuals and, in general, participants who engaged in dieting and disordered eating behaviors during adolescence were at increased risk for these behaviors ten years later. Tracking was particularly consistent for the older females and males transitioning from middle adolescence to middle young adulthood. Conclusions Study findings indicate that disordered eating behaviors are not just an adolescent problem, but continue to be prevalent among young adults. The tracking of dieting and disordered eating within individuals suggests that early use is likely to set the stage for ongoing use. Findings suggest a need for both early prevention efforts prior to the onset of harmful behavioral patterns, as well as ongoing prevention and

  15. Chromosomal aberrations suggestive of mutagen-related leukemia after 21 years of "therapeutic" radon exposure.

    PubMed

    Rechavi, G; Berkowicz, M; Rosner, E; Neuman, Y; Ben-Bassat, I; Ramot, B

    1990-08-01

    A 68-year-old woman with acute myelomonocytic leukemia, who was treated annually for 21 consecutive years by "therapeutic" low-dose radon gas radiation because of spondyloarthritis, is described. The karyotype of the malignant clone was 45,XX, -17, -18,del(5)(q15q33), +t(17;18)(q11.2q23). In 45% of the metaphases, the modal number was between hyperdiploid to near tetraploid. Double minute chromosomes were demonstrated in 60% of the cells. These chromosomal aberrations are suggestive of mutagen-related leukemia.

  16. What MRI Findings Predict Failure 10 Years After Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement?

    PubMed

    Hanke, Markus S; Steppacher, Simon D; Anwander, Helen; Werlen, Stefan; Siebenrock, Klaus A; Tannast, Moritz

    2017-04-01

    Magnetic resonance arthrogram (MRA) with radial cuts is presently the best available preoperative imaging study to evaluate chondrolabral lesions in the setting of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Existing followup studies for surgical treatment of FAI have evaluated predictors of treatment failure based on preoperative clinical examination, intraoperative findings, and conventional radiography. However, to our knowledge, no study has examined whether any preoperative findings on MRA images might be associated with failure of surgical treatment of FAI in the long term. The purposes of this study were (1) to identify the preoperative MRA findings that are associated with conversion to THA, any progression of osteoarthritis, and/or a Harris hip score of < 80 points after acetabuloplasty and/or osteochondroplasty of the femoral head-neck junction through a surgical hip dislocation (SHD) for FAI at a minimum 10-year followup; and (2) identify the age of patients with symptomatic FAI when these secondary degenerative findings were detected on preoperative radial MRAs. We retrospectively studied 121 patients (146 hips) who underwent acetabuloplasty and/or osteochondroplasty of the femoral head-neck junction through SHD for symptomatic anterior FAI between July 2001 and March 2003. We excluded 35 patients (37 hips) with secondary FAI after previous surgery and 11 patients (12 hips) with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. All patients underwent preoperative MRA to further specify chondrolabral lesions except in 19 patients (32 hips) including 17 patients (20 hips) who presented with an MRI from an external institution taken with a different protocol, 10 patients with no preoperative MRA because the patients had already been operated on the contralateral side with a similar appearance, and two patients (two hips) refused MRA because of claustrophobia. This resulted in 56 patients (65 hips) with idiopathic FAI and a preoperative MRA. Of those, three patients (three hips) did

  17. Effects of various presale radiographic findings for yearling Thoroughbreds on 2-year-old racing performance.

    PubMed

    Preston, Stephanie A; Brown, Murray P; Trumble, Troy N; Chmielewski, Terese L; Zimmel, Dana N; Hernandez, Jorge A

    2012-12-01

    To determine the effects of various presale radiographic findings for Thoroughbreds sold at a yearling sale on 2-year-old racing performance of those horses. 397 Thoroughbreds. Cohort study. Thoroughbreds offered for sale at a Thoroughbred sales facility in Kentucky were selected via a randomization procedure. Effects of various presale radiographic findings on the following measures of 2-year-old racing performance were determined: having started a race and having placed (ie, finished in first, second, or third place) in a race at least once, total amount of money earned, and amount of money earned per start. Of the 397 horses, 192 (48%) started in at least 1 race during the 2-year-old racing year. The odds of failure to start a race as a 2-year-old were 1.78 times as great for horses with forelimb proximal sesamoid bone osteophytes or enthesophytes as for horses without this finding (95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 3.16). The odds of failure to start a race as a 2-year-old were 2.02 times as great for horses with hind limb proximal phalanx osteochondral fragments as for horses without this finding (95% confidence interval, 0.95 to 4.31), although this result was not significant. Radiographic findings did not have an effect on total amount of money earned, amount of money earned per start, or whether horses placed in a race. Presale radiographic detection of forelimb proximal sesamoid bone osteophytes or enthesophytes or hind limb proximal phalanx osteochondral fragments in yearlings were associated with failure to start a race during the 2-year-old racing year in study horses.

  18. Theory-of-mind development influences suggestibility and source monitoring.

    PubMed

    Bright-Paul, Alexandra; Jarrold, Christopher; Wright, Daniel B

    2008-07-01

    According to the mental-state reasoning model of suggestibility, 2 components of theory of mind mediate reductions in suggestibility across the preschool years. The authors examined whether theory-of-mind performance may be legitimately separated into 2 components and explored the memory processes underlying the associations between theory of mind and suggestibility, independent of verbal ability. Children 3 to 6 years old completed 6 theory-of-mind tasks and a postevent misinformation procedure. Contrary to the model's prediction, a single latent theory-of-mind factor emerged, suggesting a single-component rather than a dual-component conceptualization of theory-of-mind performance. This factor provided statistical justification for computing a single composite theory-of-mind score. Improvements in theory of mind predicted reductions in suggestibility, independent of verbal ability (Study 1, n = 72). Furthermore, once attribution biases were controlled (Study 2, n = 45), there was also a positive relationship between theory of mind and source memory, but not recognition performance. The findings suggest a substantial, and possibly causal, association between theory-of-mind development and resistance to suggestion, driven specifically by improvements in source monitoring.

  19. Parental Warmth and Risks of Substance Use in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Findings from a 10-12 Year Longitudinal Investigation.

    PubMed

    Tandon, Mini; Tillman, Rebecca; Spitznagel, Edward; Luby, Joan

    2014-06-01

    The study examined factors in the risk trajectory for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) over a 10-12 year period in children with ADHD. N=145 children between the ages of 7 and 16 with ADHD and healthy controls were assessed every 2 years for 10-12 years as part of a larger, longitudinal investigation. Onset of substance use disorder was examined using Cox proportional hazards modeling, and included child and parent psychopathology, and parental warmth as well as other key factors. Low paternal warmth and maternal SUD were predictors of SUD in n=59 ADHD participants after adjusting for gender, child ODD, paternal SUD, maternal/paternal ADHD, maternal/paternal major depressive disorder (MDD), maternal/paternal anxiety, and low maternal warmth in the Cox model. Longitudinal study findings suggest that in addition to the established risk of ADHD and maternal SUD in development of child SUD, low paternal warmth is also associated with onset of SUD. This was evident after controlling for pertinent parent and child psychopathology. These findings suggest that paternal warmth warrants further investigation as a key target for novel interventions to prevent SUD in children with ADHD. More focused investigations examining paternal parenting factors in addition to parent and child psychopathology in the risk trajectory from ADHD to SUD are now warranted.

  20. Findings from a Pilot Study into Student Retention beyond Year 10

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cranston, Neil; Allen, Jeanne Maree; Watson, Jane; Hay, Ian; Beswick, Kim

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports on early findings from a pilot study into student retention beyond Year 10. Located in rural, regional and disadvantaged communities in Tasmania, the research has implications at State, national and international levels. It is being funded by a nationally competitive Australian Research Council Linkage grant and the Tasmanian…

  1. [Ocular findings in patients older than 99 years].

    PubMed

    Cypel, Marcela Colussi; Palácio, Guilherme; Dantas, Paulo Elias Correa; Lottenberg, Cláudio Luis; Belfort, Rubens

    2006-01-01

    To determine vision conditions and ocular findings in patients older than 99 years. Patients were recruited by media advertisement and examined at the Vision Institute of UNIFESP. The following examinations were performed: visual acuity, ectoscopy, refraction, biomicroscopy, tear film break-up time, Schirmer basal test, tonometry, direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Complementary examinations such as optical coherence tomography were performed when indicated. Thirty patients older than 99 years were identified. Mean age of 101.5+/-1.8, 25 females and 5 males. Most common systemic disease, according to history, was arterial hypertension. In 11 patients (55%), the best corrected far visual acuity was 20/100 or better. The best corrected near visual acuity was J4 or better also in 55% (11 patients) and 63.0% (7 patients) of these were the ones that had not been submitted to cataract surgery. The most frequent visual complaint was low vision for reading (55%) and other 8 patients (40%) reported no disturbance (satisfied with their vision). Lens opacity was present in 9 patients (60%) and 8 patients (40%) had previous cataract surgery (5 aphakic eyes, 9 pseudophakic eyes). Cataract was identified as important for impairment of vision in 5 patients but only 2 of them wanted to be submitted to surgery. The main cause of visual impairment was age-related macular degeneration, present in all patients, 95% with no exudative form. Vision improved with new refractive prescription in 4 patients. Once we understand the needs we can plan specific diagnostic and treatment strategies. This sample showed that most were female (83.3%), with good general health (35%), most with systemic arterial hypertension (40%), complaining of low vision for reading (55%) because of age-related macular degeneration (100%, 95% dry form). Only 40% had been previously submitted to cataract surgery. Most of the patients with cataract said to be satisfied with their vision; of the 5 patients that could

  2. Children Undergoing Radiotherapy: Swedish Parents’ Experiences and Suggestions for Improvement

    PubMed Central

    Mullaney, Tara; Nilsson, Kristina; Wickart-Johansson, Gun; Svärd, Anna-Maja; Nyholm, Tufve; Lindh, Jack; Lindh, Viveca

    2015-01-01

    Approximately 300 children, from 0 to 18 years old, are diagnosed with cancer in Sweden every year. Of these children, 80–90 of them undergo radiotherapy treatment for their cancer. Although radiotherapy is an encounter with advanced technology, few studies have investigated the child’s and the parent’s view of the procedure. As part of an ongoing multicenter study aimed to improve patient preparation and the care environment in pediatric radiotherapy, this article reports the findings from interviews with parents at baseline. The aim of the present study was twofold: to describe parents’ experience when their child undergoes radiotherapy treatment, and to report parents’ suggestions for improvements during radiotherapy for their children. Sixteen mothers and sixteen fathers of children between 2–16 years old with various cancer diagnoses were interviewed. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings showed that cancer and treatment turns people’s lives upside down, affecting the entire family. Further, the parents experience the child’s suffering and must cope with intense feelings. Radiotherapy treatment includes preparation by skilled and empathetic staff. The parents gradually find that they can deal with the process; and lastly, parents have suggestions for improvements during the radiotherapy treatment. An overarching theme emerged: that despair gradually turns to a sense of security, with a sustained focus on and close interaction with the child. In conclusion, an extreme burden was experienced around the start of radiotherapy, though parents gradually coped with the process. PMID:26509449

  3. Suicidality and interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Pritchard-Boone, Lea; Range, Lillian M

    2005-01-01

    All people are subject to memory suggestibility, but suicidal individuals may be especially so. The link between suicidality and suggestibility is unclear given mixed findings and methodological weaknesses of past research. To test the link between suicidality and interrogative suggestibility, 149 undergraduates answered questions about suicidal thoughts and reasons for living, and participated in a direct suggestibility procedure. As expected, suggestibility correlated with suicidality but accounted for little overall variance (4%). Mental health professionals might be able to take advantage of client suggestibility by directly telling suicidal persons to refrain from suicidal thoughts or actions.

  4. The role of suggestibility in determinations of Miranda abilities: a study of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales.

    PubMed

    Rogers, Richard; Harrison, Kimberly S; Rogstad, Jill E; LaFortune, Kathryn A; Hazelwood, Lisa L

    2010-02-01

    Traditionally, high levels of suggestibility have been widely assumed to be linked with diminished Miranda abilities, especially in relationship to the voluntariness of waivers. The current investigation examined suggestibility on the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales in a multisite study of pretrial defendants. One important finding was the inapplicability of British norms to American jurisdictions. Moreover, suggestibility appeared unrelated to Miranda comprehension, reasoning, and detainees' perceptions of police coercion. In testing rival hypotheses, defendants with high compliance had significantly lower Miranda comprehension and ability to reason about exercising Miranda rights than their counterparts with low compliance. Implications of these findings to forensic practice are examined.

  5. [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Incidental finding in a renal donor, 10 years after the evolution in recipient].

    PubMed

    Hernández-Rivera, Juan Carlos H; Pérez-López, María Juana; Cardona-Chávez, José Guadalupe; Chucuan-Castillo, Conrado Alejandro; Salazar-Mendoza, Mariana; Paniagua-Sierra, José

    2018-01-01

    The incidence of cancer in transplant recipients is higher than in the general population. Cutaneous and lymphoproliferative tumors are the primary neoplasms that will develop these patients. Little is known about the transmission of cancer in organ and tissue donation; it has been described that neoplasms can be transmitted to immunosuppressed patients when donor organs with neoplasms are inadvertently transplanted. Patient of 29 years of age who underwent kidney transplantation 10 years ago. The kidney was donated by his father, who was 58 years. An incidental finding in the bench surgery showed a tumor of about 1 cm in the donated kidney. The intraoperative histopathological study showed no alterations, but two weeks after the surgery it was diagnosed follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma grade II retroperitoneal. Subsequently, the donor underwent radiotherapy, since it was documented local growth of lymph. The recipient was monitored, given that the complete tumor was removed free of neoplasia in all its edges. 10 years after the transplantation, both donor and recipient are free of neoplastic disease and the latter has a stable renal function. In the presence of an incidental neoplasm from a renal donor, the possibility of donation must be reconsidered in the face of an in situ neoplasm. We suggest detailed protocol prior to transplant and a thorough exploration in the surgical event in order to detect tumors with intraoperative study.

  6. Crisis Phones - Suicide Prevention Versus Suggestion/Contagion Effects.

    PubMed

    Stack, Steven

    2015-01-01

    There has been no systematic work on the short- or long-term impact of the installation of crisis phones on suicides from bridges. The present study addresses this issue. Data refer to 219 suicides from 1954 through 2013 on the Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida. Six crisis phones with signs were installed in July 1999. In the first decade after installation, the phones were used by 27 suicidal persons and credited with preventing 26 or 2.6 suicides a year. However, the net suicide count increased from 48 in the 13 years before installation of phones to 106 the following 13 years or by 4.5 additional suicides/year (t =3.512, p < .001). Although the phones prevented some suicides, there was a net increase after installation. The findings are interpreted with reference to suggestion/contagion effects including the emergence of a controversial bridge suicide blog.

  7. Parental Warmth and Risks of Substance Use in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Findings from a 10–12 Year Longitudinal Investigation

    PubMed Central

    Tandon, Mini; Tillman, Rebecca; Spitznagel, Edward; Luby, Joan

    2013-01-01

    Objective The study examined factors in the risk trajectory for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) over a 10–12 year period in children with ADHD. Method N=145 children between the ages of 7 and 16 with ADHD and healthy controls were assessed every 2 years for 10–12 years as part of a larger, longitudinal investigation. Onset of substance use disorder was examined using Cox proportional hazards modeling, and included child and parent psychopathology, and parental warmth as well as other key factors. Results Low paternal warmth and maternal SUD were predictors of SUD in n=59 ADHD participants after adjusting for gender, child ODD, paternal SUD, maternal/paternal ADHD, maternal/paternal major depressive disorder (MDD), maternal/paternal anxiety, and low maternal warmth in the Cox model. Conclusions Longitudinal study findings suggest that in addition to the established risk of ADHD and maternal SUD in development of child SUD, low paternal warmth is also associated with onset of SUD. This was evident after controlling for pertinent parent and child psychopathology. These findings suggest that paternal warmth warrants further investigation as a key target for novel interventions to prevent SUD in children with ADHD. More focused investigations examining paternal parenting factors in addition to parent and child psychopathology in the risk trajectory from ADHD to SUD are now warranted. PMID:24955084

  8. The protective role of religiosity against problem gambling: findings from a five-year prospective study.

    PubMed

    Mutti-Packer, Seema; Hodgins, David C; Williams, Robert J; Konkolÿ Thege, Barna

    2017-11-06

    Little research has examined the potential protective influence of religiosity against problem gambling; a common addictive behavior, and one with a host of associated negative health and social outcomes. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the potential longitudinal association between religiosity and problem gambling among adults and (2) the potential moderating role of gender on this association. Data were from five waves of the Quinte Longitudinal Study (QLS), between 2006 and 2010. Participants were Canadian adults from Belleville, Ontario, Canada (n = 4121). A multiple group (based on gender) latent growth curve analysis was conducted to examine the overall trajectory of problem gambling severity. Two models were tested; the first examined the influence of past-year religious service attendance, and the second examined an overall measure of personal religiosity on the trajectory of problem gambling. The Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM) was used as a continuous measure. The Rohrbaugh-Jessor Religiosity Scale (RJRS) was used to assess past-year frequency of religious service attendance and personal religiosity. Religious affiliation (Protestant, Catholic, Atheist/Agnostic, Other, Prefer not to say) was also included in the models. At baseline, higher frequency of past-year religious service attendance (males: β= -0.54, females: β= -0.68, p < 0.001 for both) and greater overall personal religiosity (males: β= -0.17, females: β= -0.13, p < 0.001 for both) were associated with lower PPGM scores. The moderating effect of gender indicated that the influence of past-year religious service attendance was greater among females (χ 2 diff (44)  = 336.8, p < 0.001); however, the effect of overall religiosity was greater among males (χ 2 diff (36)  = 213.4, p < 0.001). Findings were mixed with respect to religious affiliation. No measures of religiosity or religious affiliation were associated with the overall decline in

  9. Impacts of a Violence Prevention Program for Middle Schools: Findings from the First Year of Implementation. NCEE 2010-4007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silvia, Suyapa; Blitstein, Jonathan; Williams, Jason; Ringwalt, Chris; Dusenbury, Linda; Hansen, William

    2010-01-01

    This is the first of two reports that summarize the findings from an impact evaluation of a violence prevention intervention for middle schools. This report discusses findings after 1 year of implementation. A forthcoming report will discuss the findings after 2 years and 3 years of implementation. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Education (ED)…

  10. Critical Care Nurses' Suggestions to Improve End-of-Life Care Obstacles: Minimal Change Over 17 Years.

    PubMed

    Beckstrand, Renea L; Hadley, Kacie Hart; Luthy, Karlen E; Macintosh, Janelle L B

    Critical-care nurses (CCNs) provide end-of-life (EOL) care on a daily basis as 1 in 5 patients dies while in intensive care units. Critical-care nurses overcome many obstacles to perform quality EOL care for dying patients. The purposes of this study were to collect CCNs' current suggestions for improving EOL care and determine if EOL care obstacles have changed by comparing results to data gathered in 1998. A 72-item questionnaire regarding EOL care perceptions was mailed to a national, geographically dispersed, random sample of 2000 members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. One of 3 qualitative questions asked CCNs for suggestions to improve EOL care. Comparative obstacle size (quantitative) data were previously published. Of the 509 returned questionnaires, 322 (63.3%) had 385 written suggestions for improving EOL care. Major themes identified were ensuring characteristics of a good death, improving physician communication with patients and families, adjusting nurse-to-patient ratios to 1:1, recognizing and avoiding futile care, increasing EOL education, physicians who are present and "on the same page," not allowing families to override patients' wishes, and the need for more support staff. When compared with data gathered 17 years previously, major themes remained the same but in a few cases changed in order and possible causation. Critical-care nurses' suggestions were similar to those recommendations from 17 years ago. Although the order of importance changed minimally, the number of similar themes indicated that obstacles to providing EOL care to dying intensive care unit patients continue to exist over time.

  11. Extracardiac findings at cardiac MR imaging: a single-centre retrospective study over 14 years.

    PubMed

    Sokolowski, Felix C; Karius, Philipp; Rodríguez, Alejandra; Lembcke, Alexander; Wagner, Moritz; Hamm, Bernd; Dewey, Marc

    2018-04-30

    To determine the prevalence and significance of extracardiac findings (ECF) in a large set of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations. The institutional review board (IRB) of the Charité approved this retrospective, single-centre study. A total of 4376 cardiac MR imaging reports of 3553 patients (age 37.4 ± 20 years, 60.8 % male) examined from 2000 to 2014 were included. Findings with a recommendation for follow-up were considered "major ECF". To analyse the association of indication, age and gender with ECF, Poisson regression and computed incidence rate ratios (IRR) were evaluated. The overall prevalence of ECF was 34% (95% confidence interval [CI] 32.5-35.6%). Major ECF were present in 3.4% (95% CI 2.9-4.1%) while findings that changed patient management were found in 0.9% (95% CI 0.7-1.3%). In the cases of congenital heart disease, ECF prevalence was higher compared to myocarditis (IRR, 6.0; 95% CI 5.1-7.1%; p < 0.001), while the prevalence of major ECF was lower (IRR, 0.2; 95% CI 0.02-0.51%; p < 0.05). Older patient age was associated with more nonvascular ECF (p < 0.001). Female patients had the same probability of having an ECF as male patients (IRR, 1.04; 95% CI 0.95-1.1%; p = 0.43). ECF in cardiac MR imaging are present in about every third patient while relevant ECF that change patient management can be found in about one out of 100 patients. Our data suggest that it is important to involve well-trained radiologists in reading cardiac MR images, which often reveal ECF if congenital heart disease is the clinical indication. • Extracardiac findings are present in about every third patient. • Relevant ECF changing patient management are found in one out of 100 findings. • Chance of ECF is high in patients with CHD and vascular indications.

  12. Does the Nature of the Experience Influence Suggestibility? A Study of Children's Event Memory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gobbo, Camilla; Mega, Carolina; Pipe, Margaret-Ellen

    2002-01-01

    Two experiments examined effects of event modality on young children's memory and suggestibility. Findings indicated that 5-year-olds were more accurate than 3-year-olds and those participating in the event were more accurate than those either observing or listening to a narrative. Assessment method, level of event learning, delay to testing, and…

  13. Suggested Acquaintance/Date Rape Education & Prevention Strategies for School Health Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weiler, Robert M.; Walls, Nicole A.

    Data suggest that acquaintance and date rape may account for 50-70 percent of all reported rapes in the United States. Recent findings also indicate that one in four college women have been raped or a victim of attempted rape. As most rape victims are between 15 and 24 years of age, high school-based education programs must be provided if society…

  14. Attrition analysed in five waves of a longitudinal yearly survey of smokers: findings from the ITC Netherlands survey.

    PubMed

    Zethof, Dennis; Nagelhout, Gera E; de Rooij, Mark; Driezen, Pete; Fong, Geoffrey T; van den Putte, Bas; Hummel, Karin; de Vries, Hein; Thompson, Mary E; Willemsen, Marc C

    2016-08-01

    Attrition bias can affect the external validity of findings. This article analyses attrition bias and assesses the effectiveness of replenishment samples on demographic and smoking-related characteristics for the International Tobacco Control Netherlands Survey, a longitudinal survey among smokers. Attrition analyses were conducted for the first five survey waves (2008-12). We assessed, including and excluding replenishment samples, whether the demographic composition of the samples changed between the first and fifth waves. Replenishment samples were tailored to ensure the sample remained representative of the smoking population. We also constructed a multivariable survival model of attrition that included all five waves with replenishment samples. Of the original 1820 respondents recruited in 2008, 46% participated again in 2012. Demographic differences between waves due to attrition were generally small and replenishment samples tended to minimize them further. The multivariable survival analysis revealed that only two of the 10 variables analysed were significant predictors of attrition: a weak effect for gender (men dropped out more often) and weak to moderate effects for age (respondents aged 15-24 years dropped out more than aged 25-39 years, who dropped out more than those aged 40+ years). Weak to moderate attrition effects were found for men and younger age groups. This information could be used to minimize respondent attrition. Our findings suggest that sampling weights and tailored replenishment samples can effectively compensate for attrition effects. This is already being done for the International Tobacco Control Netherlands Survey, including the categories that significantly predicted attrition in this study. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  15. Pulmonary involvement in long-term mixed connective tissue disease: functional trends and image findings after 10 years.

    PubMed

    Kawano-Dourado, Leticia; Baldi, Bruno G; Kay, Fernando U; Dias, Olivia M; Gripp, Thais E H; Gomes, Paula S; Fuller, Ricardo; Caleiro, Maria T C; Kairalla, Ronaldo A; Carvalho, Carlos R R

    2015-01-01

    Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is highly prevalent in patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). However, little is known about the long-term progression of ILD in MCTD. The aims of this study were to describe pulmonary function test (PFT) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) results in long-term MCTD patients, to measure changes in PFT and HRCT results over a 10-year period, and to ascertain correlations in functional and imaging data. In this retrospective cohort study, comparison between baseline and follow-up PFT and HRCT data was performed for 39 unselected consecutive MCTD patients. At baseline, 51% of the patients had abnormal PFTs. Forced vital capacity (FVC) was slightly reduced at baseline (77% of predicted), but remained stable after 10 years. A relative decrease of 15% in the diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was detected (from 84% to 71% of predicted, p<0.001). The median lower lobes ILD-HRCT score progressed from 7.5% at baseline to 11.2% at follow-up (p=0.02), and findings of traction bronchiolectasis and honeycombing increased (p<0.05). A moderate negative correlation was observed between functional parameters and quantification of image findings. Functional and radiologic alterations suggestive of ILD in long-term MCTD patients are prevalent, mild, and progressed slightly over time. The most sensitive parameters for detecting subtle progression of ILD in MCTD patients are trends in DLCO, quantification of lower-lobes disease by HRCT (lower-lobes %ILD-HRCT score), and qualitative analysis of HRCT imaging.

  16. Impacts of a Violence Prevention Program for Middle Schools: Findings after 3 Years of Implementation. NCEE 2011-4017

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silvia, Suyapa; Blitstein, Jonathan; Williams, Jason; Ringwalt, Chris; Dusenbury, Linda; Hansen, William

    2011-01-01

    This is the second and final report summarizing findings from an impact evaluation of a violence prevention intervention for middle schools. This report provides findings from the second and third years of the 3-year intervention. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) contracted with RTI International and its subcontractors, Pacific Institute for…

  17. Suggestibility under Pressure: Theory of Mind, Executive Function, and Suggestibility in Preschoolers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karpinski, Aryn C.; Scullin, Matthew H.

    2009-01-01

    Eighty preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 years old, completed a 4-phase study in which they experienced a live event and received a pressured, suggestive interview about the event a week later. Children were also administered batteries of theory of mind and executive function tasks, as well as the Video Suggestibility Scale for Children (VSSC), which…

  18. Analysis of 3800-year-old Yersinia pestis genomes suggests Bronze Age origin for bubonic plague.

    PubMed

    Spyrou, Maria A; Tukhbatova, Rezeda I; Wang, Chuan-Chao; Valtueña, Aida Andrades; Lankapalli, Aditya K; Kondrashin, Vitaly V; Tsybin, Victor A; Khokhlov, Aleksandr; Kühnert, Denise; Herbig, Alexander; Bos, Kirsten I; Krause, Johannes

    2018-06-08

    The origin of Yersinia pestis and the early stages of its evolution are fundamental subjects of investigation given its high virulence and mortality that resulted from past pandemics. Although the earliest evidence of Y. pestis infections in humans has been identified in Late Neolithic/Bronze Age Eurasia (LNBA 5000-3500y BP), these strains lack key genetic components required for flea adaptation, thus making their mode of transmission and disease presentation in humans unclear. Here, we reconstruct ancient Y. pestis genomes from individuals associated with the Late Bronze Age period (~3800 BP) in the Samara region of modern-day Russia. We show clear distinctions between our new strains and the LNBA lineage, and suggest that the full ability for flea-mediated transmission causing bubonic plague evolved more than 1000 years earlier than previously suggested. Finally, we propose that several Y. pestis lineages were established during the Bronze Age, some of which persist to the present day.

  19. Prospective Predictors of Body Dissatisfaction in Young Adults: 10-year Longitudinal Findings

    PubMed Central

    Quick, Virginia; Eisenberg, Marla E.; Bucchianeri, Michaela M.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2014-01-01

    This study identified longitudinal risk factors for body dissatisfaction (BD) over a 10-year period from adolescence to young adulthood. Participants (N = 2134; age at baseline: M =15.0, SD =1.6 years) provided two waves of survey data. A 6-step hierarchical linear regression analysis examined the predictive contribution of Time 1 BD, weight status, demographics, family and peer environmental factors, and psychological factors. Among females, Asian race/ethnicity, low self-esteem, greater BD, and higher body mass index during adolescence contributed significantly to predicting greater BD at 10-year follow up (R2 = 0.27). Among males, demographics (i.e., Asian, other-mixed ethnicity, education attainment), depressive symptoms, greater BD, higher body mass index, more parent communication, and less peer weight teasing during adolescence contributed to BD at follow-up (R2 = 0.27). Findings indicate who may be at greatest risk for BD in young adulthood and the types of factors that should be addressed during adolescence. PMID:25045599

  20. An update on age, hypnotic suggestibility, and gender: a brief report.

    PubMed

    Page, Roger A; Green, Joseph P

    2007-04-01

    This study assessed the relationship of age and hypnotic suggestibility in an effort to partially update the findings of Morgan and Hilgard (1973). A total of 2,660 undergraduates were administered the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A; Shor & Orne, 1962) over a 7 year period. Consistent with Morgan and Hilgard's results, we found a general trend for hypnotic suggestibility scores to decrease from age 17 to 40, and then increase thereafter. We also found that female participants scored higher on the HGSHS: A compared with males across the various age ranges that we sampled.

  1. Satellite NO 2 retrievals suggest China has exceeded its NO x reduction goals from the twelfth Five-Year Plan

    DOE PAGES

    de Foy, Benjamin; Lu, Zifeng; Streets, David G.

    2016-10-27

    China’s twelfth Five-Year Plan included pollution control measures with a goal of reducing national emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x) by 10% by 2015 compared with 2010. Multiple linear regression analysis was used on 11-year time series of all nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) pixels from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) over 18 NO 2 hotspots in China. The regression analysis accounted for variations in meteorology, pixel resolution, seasonal effects, weekday variability and year-to-year variability. The NO 2 trends suggested that there was an increase in NO 2 columns in most areas from 2005 to around 2011 which was followed bymore » a strong decrease continuing through 2015. The satellite results were in good agreement with the annual official NO x emission inventories which were available up until 2014. We show the value of evaluating trends in emission inventories using satellite retrievals. It further shows that recent control strategies were effective in reducing emissions and that recent economic transformations in China may be having an effect on NO 2 columns. The satellite information for 2015 suggests that emissions have continued to decrease since the latest inventories available and have surpassed the goals of the twelfth Five-Year Plan.« less

  2. Satellite NO 2 retrievals suggest China has exceeded its NO x reduction goals from the twelfth Five-Year Plan

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

    de Foy, Benjamin; Lu, Zifeng; Streets, David G.

    China’s twelfth Five-Year Plan included pollution control measures with a goal of reducing national emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x) by 10% by 2015 compared with 2010. Multiple linear regression analysis was used on 11-year time series of all nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) pixels from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) over 18 NO 2 hotspots in China. The regression analysis accounted for variations in meteorology, pixel resolution, seasonal effects, weekday variability and year-to-year variability. The NO 2 trends suggested that there was an increase in NO 2 columns in most areas from 2005 to around 2011 which was followed bymore » a strong decrease continuing through 2015. The satellite results were in good agreement with the annual official NO x emission inventories which were available up until 2014. We show the value of evaluating trends in emission inventories using satellite retrievals. It further shows that recent control strategies were effective in reducing emissions and that recent economic transformations in China may be having an effect on NO 2 columns. The satellite information for 2015 suggests that emissions have continued to decrease since the latest inventories available and have surpassed the goals of the twelfth Five-Year Plan.« less

  3. Complete mitochondrial genomes of ancient canids suggest a European origin of domestic dogs.

    PubMed

    Thalmann, O; Shapiro, B; Cui, P; Schuenemann, V J; Sawyer, S K; Greenfield, D L; Germonpré, M B; Sablin, M V; López-Giráldez, F; Domingo-Roura, X; Napierala, H; Uerpmann, H-P; Loponte, D M; Acosta, A A; Giemsch, L; Schmitz, R W; Worthington, B; Buikstra, J E; Druzhkova, A; Graphodatsky, A S; Ovodov, N D; Wahlberg, N; Freedman, A H; Schweizer, R M; Koepfli, K-P; Leonard, J A; Meyer, M; Krause, J; Pääbo, S; Green, R E; Wayne, R K

    2013-11-15

    The geographic and temporal origins of the domestic dog remain controversial, as genetic data suggest a domestication process in East Asia beginning 15,000 years ago, whereas the oldest doglike fossils are found in Europe and Siberia and date to >30,000 years ago. We analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of 18 prehistoric canids from Eurasia and the New World, along with a comprehensive panel of modern dogs and wolves. The mitochondrial genomes of all modern dogs are phylogenetically most closely related to either ancient or modern canids of Europe. Molecular dating suggests an onset of domestication there 18,800 to 32,100 years ago. These findings imply that domestic dogs are the culmination of a process that initiated with European hunter-gatherers and the canids with whom they interacted.

  4. Agricultural Equipment Technology: A Suggested 2-Year Post High School Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

    Developed by a subject matter specialist, this suggested curriculum guide is intended to assist school administrators, advisory committees, supervisors, and teachers in planning and developing new programs or evaluating existing ones in agricultural equipment technology. The guide provides suggested course outlines, including examples of texts and…

  5. Aerobic Fitness Linked to Cortical Brain Development in Adolescent Males: Preliminary Findings Suggest a Possible Role of BDNF Genotype.

    PubMed

    Herting, Megan M; Keenan, Madison F; Nagel, Bonnie J

    2016-01-01

    Aerobic exercise has been shown to impact brain structure and cognition in children and adults. Exercise-induced activation of a growth protein known as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is thought to contribute to such relationships. To date, however, no study has examined how aerobic fitness relates to cortical brain structure during development and if BDNF genotype moderates these relationships. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and FreeSurfer, the current study examined how aerobic fitness relates to volume, thickness, and surface area in 34 male adolescents, 15 to 18 years old. Moreover, we examined if the val66met BDNF genotype moderated these relationships. We hypothesized that aerobic fitness would relate to greater thickness and volumes in frontal, parietal, and motor regions, and that these relationships would be less robust in individuals carrying a Met allele, since this genotype leads to lower BDNF expression. We found that aerobic fitness positively related to right rostral middle frontal cortical volume in all adolescents. However, results also showed BDNF genotype moderated the relationship between aerobic fitness and bilateral medial precuneus surface area, with a positive relationship seen in individuals with the Val/Val allele, but no relationship detected in those adolescents carrying a Met allele. Lastly, using self-reported levels of aerobic activity, we found that higher-fit adolescents showed larger right medial pericalcarine, right cuneus and left precuneus surface areas as compared to their low-fit peers. Our findings suggest that aerobic fitness is linked to cortical brain development in male adolescents, and that more research is warranted to determine how an individual's genes may influence these relationships.

  6. Aerobic Fitness Linked to Cortical Brain Development in Adolescent Males: Preliminary Findings Suggest a Possible Role of BDNF Genotype

    PubMed Central

    Herting, Megan M.; Keenan, Madison F.; Nagel, Bonnie J.

    2016-01-01

    Aerobic exercise has been shown to impact brain structure and cognition in children and adults. Exercise-induced activation of a growth protein known as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is thought to contribute to such relationships. To date, however, no study has examined how aerobic fitness relates to cortical brain structure during development and if BDNF genotype moderates these relationships. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and FreeSurfer, the current study examined how aerobic fitness relates to volume, thickness, and surface area in 34 male adolescents, 15 to 18 years old. Moreover, we examined if the val66met BDNF genotype moderated these relationships. We hypothesized that aerobic fitness would relate to greater thickness and volumes in frontal, parietal, and motor regions, and that these relationships would be less robust in individuals carrying a Met allele, since this genotype leads to lower BDNF expression. We found that aerobic fitness positively related to right rostral middle frontal cortical volume in all adolescents. However, results also showed BDNF genotype moderated the relationship between aerobic fitness and bilateral medial precuneus surface area, with a positive relationship seen in individuals with the Val/Val allele, but no relationship detected in those adolescents carrying a Met allele. Lastly, using self-reported levels of aerobic activity, we found that higher-fit adolescents showed larger right medial pericalcarine, right cuneus and left precuneus surface areas as compared to their low-fit peers. Our findings suggest that aerobic fitness is linked to cortical brain development in male adolescents, and that more research is warranted to determine how an individual’s genes may influence these relationships. PMID:27445764

  7. The effect of posthypnotic suggestion, hypnotic suggestibility, and goal intentions on adherence to medical instructions.

    PubMed

    Carvalho, Claudia; Mazzoni, Giuliana; Kirsch, Irving; Meo, Maria; Santandrea, Maura

    2008-04-01

    The effects of implementation intentions and posthypnotic suggestion were investigated in 2 studies. In Experiment 1, participants with high levels of hypnotic suggestibility were instructed to take placebo pills as part of an investigation of how to best enhance compliance with medical instruction. In Experiment 2, participants with high, medium, and low levels of hypnotic suggestibility were asked to run in place, take their pulse rate before, and send an e-mail report to the experimenter each day. Experiment 1 revealed enhanced adherence as a function of both implementation intentions and posthypnotic suggestion. Experiment 2 failed to find any significant main effects but found a significant interaction between suggestibility and the effects of posthypnotic suggestion. Posthypnotic suggestion enhanced adherence among high suggestible participants but lowered it among low suggestibles.

  8. Communicating Comparative Findings from Meta-Analysis in Educational Research: Some Examples and Suggestions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higgins, Steve; Katsipataki, Maria

    2016-01-01

    This article reviews some of the strengths and limitations of the comparative use of meta-analysis findings, using examples from the Sutton Trust-Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning "Toolkit" which summarizes a range of educational approaches to improve pupil attainment in schools. This comparative use of quantitative…

  9. Clinical and Laboratory Findings in Patients With Acute Respiratory Symptoms That Suggest the Necessity of Chest X-ray for Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Ebrahimzadeh, Azadeh; Mohammadifard, Mahyar; Naseh, Godratallah; Mirgholami, Alireza

    2015-01-01

    Pneumonia is a common illness in all parts of the world and is considered as a major cause of death among all age groups. Nevertheless, only about 5% of patients referring to their primary care physicians with acute respiratory symptoms will develop pneumonia. This study was performed to derive practical criteria for performing chest radiographs for the evaluation of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A total of 420 patients with acute respiratory symptoms and positive findings on chest radiograph were evaluated from December 2008 to December 2009. The subjects were referred to outpatient clinics or emergency departments of Birjand's medical university hospitals, Iran, and were enrolled as positive cases. A checklist was completed for each patient including their demographic information, clinical signs and symptoms (cough, sputum production, dyspnea, chest pain, fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea), abnormal findings in pulmonary auscultation and laboratory findings (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein levels, and white blood cell count). An equal number of age-matched individuals with acute respiratory symptoms, but insignificant findings on chest radiography, were included as the control group. Finally, the diagnostic values of different findings were compared. The data showed that vital signs and physical examination findings are useful screening parameters for predicting chest radiograph findings in outpatient settings. Therefore, by implementing a prediction rule, we would be able to determine which patients would benefit from a chest X-Ray (sensitivity, 94% and specificity, 57%). This study's findings suggest that requesting chest radiographs might not be necessary in patients with acute respiratory symptoms unless the vital signs and/or physical examination findings are abnormal. Considering the 94% sensitivity of this rule for predicting CAP, a chest radiograph is required for patients with unreliable follow-ups or moderate to high likelihood

  10. MRI-induced soft tissue pain: incidental finding of a 15-year-old foreign body

    PubMed Central

    El Sayed Omar, Theofilos; El-Khani, Ussamah; Nehme, Jean

    2013-01-01

    We present the case of an 82-year-old woman who developed intense right middle finger pain during MRI scan This alerted the clinical team to the incidental finding of a 15-year-old metallic foreign body in the distal phalanx of the right middle finger. This case report is a reminder that the responsible clinician should be vigilant when screening for metallic foreign body on completion of the MRI checklist, and should adopt a low threshold for plain imaging prior to MRI. PMID:23417938

  11. Predictors of the frequency and subjective experience of cycling near misses: Findings from the first two years of the UK Near Miss Project.

    PubMed

    Aldred, Rachel; Goodman, Anna

    2018-01-01

    Using 2014 and 2015 data from the UK Near Miss Project, this paper examines the stability of self-report incident rates for cycling near misses across these two years. It further examines the stability of the individual-level predictors of experiencing a near miss, including what influences the scariness of an incident. The paper uses three questions asked for only in 2015, which allow further exploration of factors shaping near miss rates and impacts of incidents. Firstly, a respondent's level of cycling experience; secondly, whether an incident was perceived as deliberate; and finally, whether the respondent themselves described the incident as a 'near miss' (as opposed to only a frightening and/or annoying non-injury incident). Using this data, we find a decline of almost a third in incident rates in 2015 compared to 2014, which we believe is likely to be largely an artefact due to differences in reporting rates. This suggests caution about interpreting small fluctuations in subjectively reported near miss rates. However, in both years near miss rates are many times more frequent than injury collisions. In both years of data collection our findings are very similar in terms of the patterning of incident types, and how frightening different incident categories are, which increases confidence in these findings. We find that new cyclists experience very high incident rates compared to other cyclists, and test a conceptual model explaining how perceived deliberateness, near-miss status, and scariness are connected. For example, incidents that are perceived to be deliberate are more likely to be experienced as very frightening, independent of their 'near miss' status. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Partial achilles tendon rupture presenting with giant hematoma; MRI findings of 4 year follow up.

    PubMed

    Sarsilmaz, Aysegul; Varer, Makbule; Coskun, Gulten; Apaydın, Melda; Oyar, Orhan

    2011-12-01

    In the young population, spontaneous rupture of Achilles tendon is very rare. The big hematoma is also rare finding of the Achilles tendon partial rupture. It is usually seen with complete rupture. We presented imaging findings of 4 years follow up of the spontaneous partial rupture of Achilles tendon presenting with giant expanding hematoma and mimicking complete rupture radiologically. We discussed the alterations of tendon signal intensity and result of conservative therapy after partial rupture with big hematoma in the long term. A 29 year-old man, applied with pain and swelling in the retrocalcaneal region of left ankle. He did not have chronic metabolic disease. He was not active in physical activities. X-ray radiograms were normal. At magnetic resonance images (MRI), there was an intratendinous big hematoma, subcutanous fat planes were edematous around tendon. The diagnosis was partial rupture and giant hematoma. Hematoma was drained. The conservative treatment was applied and his complaints disappeared. After treatment, approximately 4 years later, control MRI showed thickened and hypointense tendon in all images. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Hyperthyroid dementia: clinicoradiological findings and response to treatment.

    PubMed

    Fukui, T; Hasegawa, Y; Takenaka, H

    2001-02-15

    Dementia associated with hyperthyroidism is less well documented than is hypothyroid dementia. Therapeutic response of hyperthyroid dementia and associated cerebral circulatory and/or metabolic abnormalities has not been elucidated. We described a patient with hyperthyroid dementia and clinicoradiological response to treatment. Single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) study was repeated and analyzed semiquantitatively. A 67-year-old man experienced progressive impairments of attention, memory, constructive skills and behavior as well as hand tremor and weight loss of two-year duration. Laboratory findings were compatible with Graves' disease. The initial SPECT showed diffuse tracer uptake defect with an accentuation in the bilateral temporoparietal regions. Clinical and SPECT findings both suggested concurrent "possible" Alzheimer's disease. However, initial treatment with a beta-blocker improved behavior and attention-related cognitive functions as well as tracer uptake in the frontal lobes. Subsequent treatment with additional methimazole then improved memory and constructive abilities when a euthyroid state was established. Uptake defect in the temporoparietal regions also responded gradually to the medication. We suggest that the present patient represent hyperthyroid dementia, which responds favorably to treatment with regard to clinical symptoms and SPECT findings. We also suggest that thyroid function be measured in patients with "possible" Alzheimer's disease because treatable hyperthyroid dementia may not be identified.

  14. Why do generic drugs fail to achieve an adequate market share in Greece? Empirical findings and policy suggestions.

    PubMed

    Balasopoulos, T; Charonis, A; Athanasakis, K; Kyriopoulos, J; Pavi, E

    2017-03-01

    Since 2010, the memoranda of understanding were implemented in Greece as a measure of fiscal adjustment. Public pharmaceutical expenditure was one of the main focuses of this implementation. Numerous policies, targeted on pharma spending, reduced the pharmaceutical budget by 60.5%. Yet, generics' penetration in Greece remained among the lowest among OECD countries. This study aims to highlight the factors that affect the perceptions of the population on generic drugs and to suggest effective policy measures. The empirical analysis is based on a national cross-sectional survey that was conducted through a sample of 2003 individuals, representative of the general population. Two ordinal logistic regression models were constructed in order to identify the determinants that affect the respondents' beliefs on the safety and the effectiveness of generic drugs. The empirical findings presented a positive and statistically significant correlation with income, bill payment difficulties, safety and effectiveness of drugs, prescription and dispensing preferences and the views toward pharmaceutical companies. Also, age and trust toward medical community have a positive and statistically significant correlation with the perception on the safety of generic drugs. Policy interventions are suggested on the bases of the empirical results on 3 major categories; (a) information campaigns, (b) incentives to doctors and pharmacists and (c) to strengthen the bioequivalence control framework and the dissemination of results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Prevalence and Predictors of Persistent Speech Sound Disorder at Eight Years Old: Findings From a Population Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Laura L.; Peters, Tim J.; Emond, Alan; Roulstone, Sue

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence and predictors of persistent speech sound disorder (SSD) in children aged 8 years after disregarding children presenting solely with common clinical distortions (i.e., residual errors). Method Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (Boyd et al., 2012) were used. Children were classified as having persistent SSD on the basis of percentage of consonants correct measures from connected speech samples. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors. Results The estimated prevalence of persistent SSD was 3.6%. Children with persistent SSD were more likely to be boys and from families who were not homeowners. Early childhood predictors identified as important were weak sucking at 4 weeks, not often combining words at 24 months, limited use of word morphology at 38 months, and being unintelligible to strangers at age 38 months. School-age predictors identified as important were maternal report of difficulty pronouncing certain sounds and hearing impairment at age 7 years, tympanostomy tube insertion at any age up to 8 years, and a history of suspected coordination problems. The contribution of these findings to our understanding of risk factors for persistent SSD and the nature of the condition is considered. Conclusion Variables identified as predictive of persistent SSD suggest that factors across motor, cognitive, and linguistic processes may place a child at risk. PMID:27367606

  16. Important imaging finding e-mail alert system: experience after 3 years of implementation.

    PubMed

    Abujudeh, Hani H; Kaewlai, Rathachai; Choy, Garry; Whelton, Dianne G; Rosenthal, Daniel I

    2009-09-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of an important finding alert (IFA) system that uses e-mail technology to alert referring physicians to an important but nonurgent imaging finding. The institutional review board approved the study; the requirement for informed consent was waived. The authors retrospectively reviewed the radiology reports generated from January 2005 to December 2007 to determine how many reports contained an IFA statement, how many IFA messages were sent, and how many such messages were viewed by referring physicians. They reviewed 1000 randomly selected radiology reports that contained the IFA statement to identify the imaging modalities and findings that triggered the radiologists' use of the IFA system. A total of 1540254 radiology reports were generated during the 3-year period. A total of 56 691 (3.7%) reports contained the IFA statement. IFA e-mail messages were sent for 52 883 (93.3%) of the 56 691 reports, and 42 285 (74.6%) of the 56 691 reports were viewed by the referring physicians. The most common important but nonurgent findings were definitive (449 [44.9%] of 1000 reports) and indeterminate (260 [26.0%] of 1000 reports) abnormalities. More than half (n = 503) of the alerts were related to computed tomographic examinations, and the majority (n = 677, 67.7%) of them were initiated by thoracic and abdominal radiologists. The IFA system is a potentially useful method of communicating nonurgent but important imaging findings with use of e-mail technology.

  17. Crying in the First Year: An Opertant Interpretation of the Bell and Ainsworth (1972) Findings. (sic)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsley, Nancy J.; Rabinowitz, F. Michael

    1975-01-01

    Attempts to integrate the ethological interpretation of the Bell and Ainsworth findings on the promptness of mother reaction to infant crying, with operant laboratory infant research. Suggests an alternative operant interpretation based on the concept of counter conditioning. (Author/ED)

  18. High-Percentage Pathological Findings in Obese Patients Suggest that Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy Should Be Made Mandatory Prior to Bariatric Surgery.

    PubMed

    D'Silva, Mizelle; Bhasker, Aparna Govil; Kantharia, Nimisha S; Lakdawala, Muffazal

    2018-04-21

    ᅟ: Obesity is a global epidemic and will soon become the number one priority in healthcare management. Bariatric surgery causes a significant improvement in obesity and its related complications. Pre-operative esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) is done by several bariatric surgical teams across the world but is still not mandatory. To study the percentage of symptomatic and asymptomatic pathological EGD findings in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and to analyze whether these findings influence the eventual choice of bariatric surgery. All patients posted for bariatric surgery at our institute from January 2015 to March 2017 had a pre-operative EGD done by the same team of endoscopists. In this study, totally, 675 patients were assessed prior to routine bariatric surgery. 78.52% of all pre-operative patients had an abnormal EGD. The most common endoscopic abnormalities found were hiatus hernia (52.44%), gastritis (46.22%), presence of Helicobacter (H.) pylori (46.67%), reflux esophagitis (16.89%), Barrett's esophagus (1.78%), gastric erosions (13.19%), and polyps (7.41%). Fifty patients had upper gastrointestinal polyps: 41 in the stomach, 3 in the esophagus, and 6 in the duodenum, mostly benign hyperplastic or inflammatory polyps. Two patients had gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), 6 leiomyoma, and 6 neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Of those with endoscopic evidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), 70 (60.03%) of patients were asymptomatic. The pre-operative EGD findings resulted in a change of the planned surgical procedure in 67 (9.93%) patients. Our study suggests that a large percentage of patients undergoing bariatric surgery have pathologically significant endoscopic findings of which a significant number are asymptomatic; this can lead to a change in the planned bariatric procedure in a section of patients; hence, we believe that EGD should be made mandatory as a pre-operative investigation in all bariatric surgery patients.

  19. Theory of mind, inhibitory control, and preschool-age children's suggestibility in different interviewing contexts.

    PubMed

    Scullin, Matthew H; Bonner, Karri

    2006-02-01

    The current study examined the relations among 3- to 5-year-olds' theory of mind, inhibitory control, and three measures of suggestibility: yielding to suggestive questions (yield), shifting answers in response to negative feedback (shift), and accuracy in response to misleading questions during a pressured interview about a live event. Theory of mind aided in the prediction of suggestibility about the live event, and inhibitory control was a moderator variable affecting the consistency of children's sensitivity to social pressure across situations. The findings indicate that theory of mind and inhibitory control predict children's suggestibility about a live event above and beyond yield, shift, and age and that the construct validity of shift may improve as children's inhibitory control develops.

  20. Twenty-year review of medical findings in a Marshallese population accidentally exposed to radioactive fallout

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

    Conard, R.A.

    1975-01-01

    A summary is presented of results of medical examinations of inhabitants of the Marshall Islands during the 20-year period following the exposure of Rongelap people to radioactive fallout in 1954. The initial effect observed was $beta$ burns of the skin of some individuals. Few significant findings were observed during the subsequent 9-year period, although an increase in miscarriages and stillbirths among the exposed women was noted. In 1963 some thyroid abnormalities and growth retardation of some children were noted. (177 references). (CH)

  1. A temporal discriminability account of children's eyewitness suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Bright-Paul, Alexandra; Jarrold, Christopher

    2009-07-01

    Children's suggestibility is typically measured using a three-stage 'event-misinformation-test' procedure. We examined whether suggestibility is influenced by the time delays imposed between these stages, and in particular whether the temporal discriminability of sources (event and misinformation) predicts performance. In a novel approach, the degree of source discriminability was calculated as the relative magnitude of two intervals (the ratio of event-misinformation and misinformation-test intervals), based on an adaptation of existing 'ratio-rule' accounts of memory. Five-year-olds (n =150) watched an event, and were exposed to misinformation, before memory for source was tested. The absolute event-test delay (12 versus 24 days) and the 'ratio' of event-misinformation/misinformation-test intervals (11:1, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3 and 1:11) were manipulated across participants. The temporal discriminability of sources, measured by the ratio, was indeed a strong predictor of suggestibility. Most importantly, if the ratio was constant (e.g. 18/6 versus 9/3 days), performance was remarkably similar despite variations in absolute delay (e.g. 24 versus 12 days). This intriguing finding not only extends the ratio-rule of distinctiveness to misinformation paradigms, but also serves to illustrate a new empirical means of differentiating between explanations of suggestibility based on interference between sources and disintegration of source information over time.

  2. Male mental health problems, psychopathy, and personality traits: key findings from the first 14 years of the Pittsburgh Youth Study.

    PubMed

    Loeber, R; Farrington, D P; Stouthamer-Loeber, M; Moffitt, T E; Caspi, A; Lynam, D

    2001-12-01

    This paper reviews key findings on juvenile mental health problems in boys, psychopathy, and personality traits, obtained in the first 14 years of studies using data from the Pittsburgh Youth Study. This is a study of 3 samples, each of about 500 boys initially randomly drawn from boys in the 1st, 4th, and 7th grades of public schools in Pittsburgh. The boys have been followed regularly, initially each half year, and later at yearly intervals. Currently, the oldest boys are about 25 years old, whereas the youngest boys are about 19. Findings are presented on the prevalence and interrelation of disruptive behaviors, ADHD, and depressed mood. Results concerning risk factors for these outcomes are reviewed. Psychological factors such as psychopathy, impulsivity, and personality are described. The paper closes with findings on service delivery of boys with mental health problems.

  3. Tympanogram findings in patients with cleft palates aged six months to seven years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yanti, A.; Widiarni, D.; Alviandi, W.; Tamin, S.; Mansyur, M.

    2017-08-01

    Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital craniofacial deformities. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear disease having a prevalence of almost 90% in patients with cleft palates. Tympanometry is a fast, safe, non-invasive, and easy tool for diagnosing middle ear disease qualitatively and quantitatively. Studies have been conducted using tympanometry to detect middle ear conditions in patients with cleft palates, but no research has studied tympanogram findings in patients with cleft palates in Indonesia. The aim of this study is to determine the tympanogram findings in Indonesian children aged six months to seven years with cleft palates. This is a cross-sectional study of 30 patients (17 males and 13 females) with Veau classification of palatal clefts aged six months to seven years (median 26.5 months) who underwent tympanometry examinations using a 226 Hztympanometer. Tympanograms were classified using the Jerger/Liden classification. Examinations of 58 ears found that type B tympanograms occurred most frequently (70.7%). The quantitative values of tympanometry analyzed included SAA (0.1-0.2 cm3), TPP value (-197.2-(-146.8 daPa)), Vec value (0.5-0.6 cm3), and gradient value (0.03-0.07 cm3). Using the Fisher test, a significant relationship was found between age and type of tympanogram (p = 0.0039) with the risk of type B and C tympanograms in infants (6-60 months) as high as 4.8 times that of children without cleft palates. The type B tympanogram was most frequently seen in patients with cleft palates aged six months to seven years old with the quantitative values of tympanometry lower than the normal values. Therefore, there was a significant difference in the type of tympanogram seen with age.

  4. Psychiatric correlates of past year adult bullying behaviors: Findings from the National Epidemiology Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions.

    PubMed

    McMillan, Katherine A; Thorisdottir, Audur S; Asmundson, Gordon J G

    2016-12-30

    Previous research on bully perpetration and psychiatric outcomes has been limited to examination of lifetime associations and has not included evaluation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), despite previously reported correlations between PTSD and anger and aggression. The purpose of the present study was to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the association between bullying behaviour and mental disorders within a past-year framework. Data was obtained from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; n=34,653), a nationally-representative survey of American adults. Cross-tabulations and logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between bullying behaviour and psychiatric diagnosis. A total of 239 individuals (138 males, 101 females) reported engaging in bullying behaviour within the past-year. Mood, anxiety, substance use, and personality disorders were all more common among bully perpetrators compared to others. Of note, strong associations were found between PTSD and bully perpetration. Findings from the current study demonstrate strong associations between bullying perpetration and mental health concerns. The proximity of bullying behaviors and mental health concerns may be important, suggesting avenues for efforts at intervention and bullying prevention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Interrogative suggestibility in opiate users.

    PubMed

    Murakami, A; Edelmann, R J; Davis, P E

    1996-09-01

    The present study investigated interrogative suggestibility in opiate users. A group of patients undergoing a methadone detoxification programme in an in-patient drug treatment unit (Detox group, n = 21), and a group of residents who had come off drugs and were no longer suffering from withdrawal syndrome (Rehab group, n = 19) were compared on interrogative suggestibility and various other psychological factors. Significant differences were found between the two groups, with the Detox group having more physical and psychological problems, and a higher total suggestibility score in comparison with the Rehab group. These findings are discussed in relation to the context of police interrogations and the reliability of confessions made by suspects and witnesses dependent on opiates.

  6. Ornamental Horticulture Technology; Suggested 2-Year Post High School Curriculums.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Adult, Vocational, and Technical Education (DHEW/OE), Washington, DC. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

    Developed by a technical education specialist, this guide is designed to aid school administrators in planning and developing 2-year post-high school programs or evaluating existing programs in ornamental horticulture technology. In addition to general information on the program, contents include course outlines with examples of tests and…

  7. Clinicopathological findings and five year survival rates for patients with central nervous system tumors in Yazd, Iran.

    PubMed

    Zahir, Shokouh Taghipour; Vakili, Mahmood; Navabii, Hossein; Rahmani, Koorosh

    2014-01-01

    The incidence rate of brain tumors has increased more than 40% in the past 20 years, especially in adults. We aimed to study the clinical and pathological findings of central nervous system (CNS) tumor patients and to evaluate their 5 year survival rates. The archives of all patients with CNS tumors in 6 health care centers in Yazd, Iran, from 2006 to 2013, were studied. Patients data were extracted using a checklist which included age, sex, date of reference and diagnosis, date of death, clinical signs, radiography findings, pathology report, size and location of tumor, patient treatment and grade of tumor. A total of 306 patient records were studied in the 8 year period. The most prevalent type of tumor was astrocytoma (n=113, 36.9%). The frequency of almost all tumor types was statistically higher in male patients (p=0.025). In most cases surgery with radiotherapy was the treatment of choice (49.3%). The most frequent symptom reported was headache (in 60.8% of patients) followed by convulsions (15.7%). Most of the tumors were located in the right hemisphere (46.1%) and the frontal and parietal lobe (26% and 12%, respectively). Radiography findings displayed edema with a nonhomogeneous lesion in majority of the patients (87%). The survival fraction of the patients with malignant tumors decreased over time (0.807 in the first year and 0.358 at the end of the 5th year). Astrocytoma was the more common CNS tumor with male predominance. Overall survival rates of malignant tumors decreased over time and this was in relation with tumor grade.

  8. Hypnotic suggestibility predicts the magnitude of the imaginative word blindness suggestion effect in a non-hypnotic context.

    PubMed

    Parris, Benjamin A; Dienes, Zoltan

    2013-09-01

    The present study investigated how the magnitude the word blindness suggestion effect on Stroop interference depended on hypnotic suggestibility when given as an imaginative suggestion (i.e. not post-hypnotic suggestion) and under conditions in which hypnosis was not mentioned. Hypnotic suggestibility is shown to be a significant predictor of the magnitude of the imaginative word blindness suggestion effect under these conditions. This is therefore the first study to show a linear relationship between the imaginative word blindness suggestion effect and hypnotic suggestibility across the whole hypnotizability spectrum. The results replicate previous findings showing that highs respond to the word blindness suggestion to a greater extent than lows but extend previous work by showing that the advantage for those higher on the hypnotizability spectrum occurs even in a non-hypnotic context. Negative attitudes about hypnosis may not explain the failure to observe similar effects of the word blindness suggestion in less hypnotizable individuals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Child witnesses: a study of memory and suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Grattagliano, I; Berlingerio, I; Lisi, A; Carabellese, F; Catanesi, R

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the influence of various factors on the ability of primary school children (aged 6-9 years) to refer an event that occurred during their life. The factors analyzed were: the time since the event occurred; the role the child had in the event; the type of questions asked to elicit the account. The results of this research indicate that 52.4% of 6-year old children are able to describe the main elements of the event if they are allowed to give a free account. Asking direct questions does not improve the quality of the narrative. By contrast, in 9-year-old children the quantity of data collected is improved if direct questions are asked. A role as a participant in the event improves the quality of the child's evidence but only in the group of children aged 9, whereas in younger children the difference is not significant. At the age of 9, the child's resistance to leading questions is already quite good (40.7%), whereas children of 6 are much more suggestible. The Authors conclude this work by making some reflections on the possible use of these findings in Law Courts, and on the need for a highly specific training of experts involved in the task of collecting evidence from young children.

  10. [CADASIL with cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 mutation manifesting as dissociated progression between cognitive impairment and brain image findings in 3 years: A case report].

    PubMed

    Tachiyama, Keisuke; Shiga, Yuji; Shimoe, Yutaka; Mizuta, Ikuko; Mizuno, Toshiki; Kuriyama, Masaru

    2018-04-25

    A 55-year-old man with no history of stroke or migraine presented to the clinic with cognitive impairment and depression that had been experiencing for two years. Neurological examination showed bilateral pyramidal signs, and impairments in cognition and attention. Brain MRI revealed multiple lacunar lesions and microbleeds in the deep cerebral white matter, subcortical regions, and brainstem, as well as diffuse white matter hyperintensities without anterior temporal pole involvement. Cerebral single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) revealed bilateral hypoperfusion in the basal ganglia. Gene analysis revealed an arginine-to-proline missense mutation in the NOTCH3 gene at codon 75. The patient was administered lomerizine (10 mg/day), but the patient's cognitive impairment and cerebral atrophy continued to worsen. Follow-up testing with MRI three years after his initial diagnosis revealed similar lacunar infarctions, cerebral microbleeds, and diffuse white matter hyperintensities to those observed three years earlier. However, MRI scans revealed signs of increased cerebral blood flow. Together, these findings suggest that the patient's cognitive impairments may have been caused by pathogenesis in the cerebral cortex.

  11. Measuring Children's Suggestibility in Forensic Interviews.

    PubMed

    Volpini, Laura; Melis, Manuela; Petralia, Stefania; Rosenberg, Melina D

    2016-01-01

    According to the scientific literature, childrens' cognitive development is not complete until adolescence. Therefore, the problems inherent in children serving as witnesses are crucial. In preschool-aged children, false memories may be identified because of misinformation and insight bias. Additionally, they are susceptible of suggestions. The aim of this study was to verify the levels of suggestibility in children between three and 5 years of age. Ninety-two children were examined (44 male, 48 female; M = 4.5 years, SD = 9.62). We used the correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) and the averages variance by SPSS statistical program. The results concluded that: younger children are almost always more susceptible to suggestibility. The dimension of immediate recall was negatively correlates with that of total suggestibility (r = -0.357 p < 0.001). Social compliance and source monitoring errors contribute to patterns of suggestibility, because older children shift their answers more often (r = 0.394 p < 0.001). Younger children change their answers more times (r = -0.395 p < 0.001). © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  12. Suggestions for Implementing First Year Experience Learning Communities in Teacher Education Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hintz, Kathryn; Genareo, Vincent

    2017-01-01

    This article describes the creation of a First Year Experience learning community in a teacher education program. The First Year Experience model was adopted by the university because of declining enrollment, retention, and graduation rates and has been generally successful in the education department. With little information available for teacher…

  13. Five-year incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among cardiovascular disease-free Greek adults: findings from the ATTICA study.

    PubMed

    Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Pitsavos, Christos; Skoumas, Yannis; Lentzas, Yannis; Stefanadis, Christodoulos

    2008-01-01

    We evaluated the 5-year incidence of diabetes in an adult population from Greece. 3042 individuals (>18 years), free of cardiovascular disease, participated in the baseline examination (during 2001-2002). Of this sample, 1012 men and 1035 women were found alive at the time of follow-up, while 32 (2.1%) men and 22 (1.4%) women died during this period. The rest were lost to follow-up. Incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was evaluated in 1806 participants who did not have diabetes at baseline. The age-adjusted 5-year incidence of diabetes was 5.5% (men, 5.8%; women, 5.2%). A linear trend was observed between diabetes incidence and age (5.6% increases in incidence per 1-year difference in age, p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR per 1 yr=1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06), waist (OR per 1 cm=1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.003), physical activity (OR=0.62, 95% CI 0.35-1.02) and family history of diabetes (OR=2.65, 95% CI 1.58-4.53), as well as fasting glucose levels (OR per 1 mg/dl=1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07), were the most significant baseline predictors for diabetes, after adjusting for various potential confounders. Additionally, presence of metabolic syndrome at baseline evaluation 2.95-fold the risk of diabetes (95% CI 1.89-4.61), and showed better classification ability than the model that contained the components of the syndrome (ie, correct classification rate: 94.5% vs. 92.3%). Our findings show that a 5.5% incidence rate of diabetes within a 5-year period, which suggests that the prevalence of this disorder in Greece is rising. Aging, heredity, and metabolic syndrome were the most significant determinants of diabetes.

  14. Intervening with practitioners to improve the quality of prevention: One year findings from a randomized trial of Assets-Getting To Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Chinman, Matthew; Acosta, Joie; Ebener, Patricia; Burkhart, Q; Malone, Patrick; Paddock, Susan M.; Clifford, Michael; Corsello, Maryann; Duffy, Tim; Hunter, Sarah; Jones, Margaret; Lahti, Michel; Phillips, Andrea; Savell, Susan; Scales, Peter C.; Tellett-Royce, Nancy

    2013-01-01

    There continues to be a gap in prevention outcomes achieved in research trials vs. “real world” practice. This article summarizes interim findings from a randomized trial testing Assets-Getting To Outcomes (AGTO), a two-year intervention to build prevention practitioners’ capacity to implement positive youth development-oriented prevention practices in 12 prevention coalitions in Maine. A survey of coalition members was used to assess change on individual practitioners’ prevention capacity between Baseline and one year later. Structured interviews with 32 program leaders (16 intervention, 16 control) were used to assess changes in prevention practices during the same time period. Change in prevention capacity over time between intervention and control did not differ, however in secondary analyses of only those assigned to the AGTO condition, AGTO users had evidenced greater improvement in their self-efficacy to conduct Assets-based programming and the frequency with which they engaged in AGTO behaviors. Non-users’ self-efficacy of AGTO declined. Interview ratings showed improvement in several key areas of performance among intervention programs. Improvement was associated with the number of technical assistance hours received. These results suggest that, after one year, AGTO is beginning to improve the capacity of community practitioners who make use of it. PMID:23605473

  15. Planning predicts dental service attendance and the effect is moderated by dental anxiety and educational status: findings from a one-year prospective study.

    PubMed

    Pakpour, Amir H; Gellert, Paul; Asefzadeh, Saeed; Sniehotta, Falko F

    2014-07-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate whether planning a dental appointment is a predictor of actual dental visits over a one-year period when controlling for past attendance, demographic factors, and dental health beliefs. In addition, the planning-attendance association was explored to determine whether dental anxiety and educational status moderated this relationship. A total of N = 1,422 adults with a mean age of M = 44.4 (SD = 11.0) years and resident in Iran participated in a prospective study over a one-year period. The primary outcome was self-reported dental appointment attendance at one-year follow-up, which was validated using clinical records. Action planning, coping planning, health beliefs, age, dental insurance, income, dental health status, dental anxiety, and years of education were assessed at baseline by self-report questionnaire. Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression. Action planning and coping planning were significantly associated with dental appointment attendance at one-year follow-up. Planning a dental appointment was more predictive of dental appointment attendance for people with higher levels of education and lower dental anxiety. The findings of this study suggest that implementation of the behaviour change technique planning into routine dental practice may have the potential to increase dental appointment attendance rates. © 2014 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

  16. Construction ages of the Upton Stone Chamber: Preliminary findings and suggestions for future luminescence research

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mahan, Shannon; Martin, Frederick; Taylor, Cathy

    2015-01-01

    The Upton Chamber in Massachusetts, an earth-covered stone structure 3.4 meters (m) in diameter, with a corbelled stone dome, and a 4.3 m long entrance passageway, is studied with the aim of determining whether optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods can be used to establish the approximate construction date of the entranceway. Three samples, taken from soil behind the lowest stones in the wall of the entrance passageway, returned OSL ages between 385 and 660 years ago (or from 1625 A.D. to 1350 A.D.; using the year 2011 as the 0 year). One sample, taken below the bottom of the artifact layers in an archeological test pit in front of the chamber entrance, returned OSL ages between 650 and 880 years ago. A modern sample collected from a nearby fluvial channel returned an age between 55 and 175 years. The Upton Chamber OSL sampling results are challenging to interpret because there are mixtures in the samples of both younger and older grains that likely result from human modification, root or soil processes, animal bioturbation (i.e. ants and worms), and/or partial bleaching. The ages were determined using the lowest component of the finite mixture model as applied to a distribution of quartz grains. Further research may enable us to determine whether older components are of anthropomorphic or geological origin.

  17. Radiographic findings in late-presenting congenital diaphragmatic hernia: helpful imaging findings.

    PubMed

    Muzzafar, Sofia; Swischuk, Leonard E; Jadhav, Siddharth P

    2012-03-01

    Imaging findings in delayed presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia can be confusing and misleading, resulting in a delay in diagnosis. To evaluate the often puzzling plain film findings of late-presenting CDH in an effort to determine whether any of the findings could be helpful in arriving at an early diagnosis. We reviewed and documented the plain film findings and clinical data in eight patients seen during the last 20 years with late-presenting CDH. IRB exempt status was obtained in this study. There were five boys and three girls. The age range was 4 months to 12 years with a mean of 2.4 years. Five children presented with acute respiratory problems while three presented with acute abdominal pain. Two children presented with both respiratory and abdominal findings and one also presented with hematemesis. Two children had radiographic findings that were not difficult to analyze while the remaining six had findings that posed initial diagnostic problems. Although not common, late-presenting CDH can result in confusing plain film radiographic findings and a delay in diagnosis. We found that the most important finding in analyzing these radiographs is in evaluating the location and position of the gastric bubble with the more common left-side hernias.

  18. Findings from the Pilot Teacher Compensation Survey: School Year 2005-06. First Look. NCES 2008-440

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Frank; Cornman, Stephen

    2008-01-01

    This report presents findings from the Pilot Teacher Compensation Survey (TCS), which collected data for school year 2005-2006. This pilot collection is a research and development effort to see if it is possible to collect and publish teacher-level data from the administrative records residing in state departments of education. Seven states…

  19. Stability and change in adult personality over 6 years: findings from the Victoria Longitudinal Study.

    PubMed

    Small, Brent J; Hertzog, Christopher; Hultsch, David F; Dixon, Roger A

    2003-05-01

    Data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study were used to examine the 6-year longitudinal stability of personality in older adults. Personality was measured with the NEO Personality Inventory. The longitudinal sample consisted of 223 adults initially ranging from 55 to 85 years of age. Longitudinal confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the stability of individual differences in change over time, and the stability of the longitudinal factor structure. The results indicated both substantial stability at the level of individual differences in change, as well as significant individual differences in change that were related to age and gender. Finally, the factor structure of personality was invariant over time but did not approximate simple structure for the five dimensions of personality. Our study of 6-year personality development provided both (a). a confirmation of early significant stability findings and (b). unique evidence for significant individual differences in late adulthood.

  20. Executive Function and Falls in Older Adults: New Findings from a Five-Year Prospective Study Link Fall Risk to Cognition

    PubMed Central

    Mirelman, Anat; Herman, Talia; Brozgol, Marina; Dorfman, Moran; Sprecher, Elliot; Schweiger, Avraham; Giladi, Nir; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M.

    2012-01-01

    Background Recent findings suggest that executive function (EF) plays a critical role in the regulation of gait in older adults, especially under complex and challenging conditions, and that EF deficits may, therefore, contribute to fall risk. The objective of this study was to evaluate if reduced EF is a risk factor for future falls over the course of 5 years of follow-up. Secondary objectives were to assess whether single and dual task walking abilities, an alternative window into EF, were associated with fall risk. Methodology/Main Results We longitudinally followed 256 community-living older adults (age: 76.4±4.5 yrs; 61% women) who were dementia free and had good mobility upon entrance into the study. At baseline, a computerized cognitive battery generated an index of EF, attention, a closely related construct, and other cognitive domains. Gait was assessed during single and dual task conditions. Falls data were collected prospectively using monthly calendars. Negative binomial regression quantified risk ratios (RR). After adjusting for age, gender and the number of falls in the year prior to the study, only the EF index (RR: .85; CI: .74–.98, p = .021), the attention index (RR: .84; CI: .75–.94, p = .002) and dual tasking gait variability (RR: 1.11; CI: 1.01–1.23; p = .027) were associated with future fall risk. Other cognitive function measures were not related to falls. Survival analyses indicated that subjects with the lowest EF scores were more likely to fall sooner and more likely to experience multiple falls during the 66 months of follow-up (p<0.02). Conclusions/Significance These findings demonstrate that among community-living older adults, the risk of future falls was predicted by performance on EF and attention tests conducted 5 years earlier. The present results link falls among older adults to cognition, indicating that screening EF will likely enhance fall risk assessment, and that treatment of EF may reduce fall risk. PMID

  1. Executive function and falls in older adults: new findings from a five-year prospective study link fall risk to cognition.

    PubMed

    Mirelman, Anat; Herman, Talia; Brozgol, Marina; Dorfman, Moran; Sprecher, Elliot; Schweiger, Avraham; Giladi, Nir; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M

    2012-01-01

    Recent findings suggest that executive function (EF) plays a critical role in the regulation of gait in older adults, especially under complex and challenging conditions, and that EF deficits may, therefore, contribute to fall risk. The objective of this study was to evaluate if reduced EF is a risk factor for future falls over the course of 5 years of follow-up. Secondary objectives were to assess whether single and dual task walking abilities, an alternative window into EF, were associated with fall risk. We longitudinally followed 256 community-living older adults (age: 76.4±4.5 yrs; 61% women) who were dementia free and had good mobility upon entrance into the study. At baseline, a computerized cognitive battery generated an index of EF, attention, a closely related construct, and other cognitive domains. Gait was assessed during single and dual task conditions. Falls data were collected prospectively using monthly calendars. Negative binomial regression quantified risk ratios (RR). After adjusting for age, gender and the number of falls in the year prior to the study, only the EF index (RR: .85; CI: .74-.98, p = .021), the attention index (RR: .84; CI: .75-.94, p = .002) and dual tasking gait variability (RR: 1.11; CI: 1.01-1.23; p = .027) were associated with future fall risk. Other cognitive function measures were not related to falls. Survival analyses indicated that subjects with the lowest EF scores were more likely to fall sooner and more likely to experience multiple falls during the 66 months of follow-up (p<0.02). These findings demonstrate that among community-living older adults, the risk of future falls was predicted by performance on EF and attention tests conducted 5 years earlier. The present results link falls among older adults to cognition, indicating that screening EF will likely enhance fall risk assessment, and that treatment of EF may reduce fall risk.

  2. New Findings in eNOS gene and Thalidomide Embryopathy Suggest pre-transcriptional effect variants as susceptibility factors

    PubMed Central

    Kowalski, Thayne Woycinck; Fraga, Lucas Rosa; Tovo-Rodrigues, Luciana; Sanseverino, Maria Teresa Vieira; Hutz, Mara Helena; Schuler-Faccini, Lavínia; Vianna, Fernanda Sales Luiz

    2016-01-01

    Antiangiogenic properties of thalidomide have created an interest in the use of the drug in treatment of cancer. However, thalidomide is responsible for thalidomide embryopathy (TE). A lack of knowledge regarding the mechanisms of thalidomide teratogenesis acts as a barrier in the aim to synthesize a safer analogue of thalidomide. Recently, our group detected a higher frequency of alleles that impair the pro-angiogenic mechanisms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), coded by the NOS3 gene. In this study we evaluated variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) functional polymorphism in intron 4 of NOS3 in individuals with TE (38) and Brazilians without congenital anomalies (136). Haplotypes were estimated for this VNTR with previously analyzed polymorphisms, rs2070744 (−786C > T) and rs1799983 (894T > G), in promoter region and exon 7, respectively. Haplotypic distribution was different between the groups (p = 0.007). Alleles −786C (rs2070744) and 4b (VNTR), associated with decreased NOS3 expression, presented in higher frequency in TE individuals (p = 0.018; OR = 2.57; IC = 1.2–5.8). This association was not identified with polymorphism 894T > G (p = 0.079), which influences eNOS enzymatic activity. These results suggest variants in NOS3, with pre-transcriptional effects as susceptibility factors, influencing the risk TE development. This finding generates insight for a new approach to research that pursues a safer analogue. PMID:27004986

  3. Finding Silver Linings: A Preliminary Examination of Benefit Finding in Youth With Chronic Pain.

    PubMed

    Soltani, Sabine; Neville, Alex; Hurtubise, Karen; Hildenbrand, Aimee; Noel, Melanie

    2018-04-01

    Chronic pain is a pervasive condition in adolescence and is associated with significant psychological distress, functional disability, social isolation, and decreased quality of life for a subset of affected youth. There is a paucity of research examining potential resilience factors and adaptive processes in pediatric chronic pain. Benefit finding refers to the process of perceiving positive consequences in the face of adversity. Previous research on benefit finding in pediatric samples (e.g., oncology; acute injury) has yielded inconsistent results. This is the first study to examine this construct in youth with chronic pain. The objective of the current investigation was to extend previous research on benefit finding to adolescents with chronic pain and to assess relationships between benefit finding, internalizing mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), pain outcomes (pain intensity and interference), and quality of life. Psychometrically sound self-report measures of benefit finding, anxiety, depressive, and PTSD symptoms, pain intensity, pain interference, and quality of life were completed by 145 youth (67.4% female, Mage = 13.3 years, SD = 2.6), referred to a tertiary-level chronic pain program. Benefit finding was significantly correlated with internalizing mental health symptoms, pain outcomes, and quality of life. Further, benefit finding significantly predicted children's self-reported pain intensity, pain interference, and quality of life when controlling for age and sex. Findings suggest that benefit finding is associated with internalizing mental health symptoms, pain outcomes, and quality of life in youth with chronic pain. Future research examining this construct is warranted.

  4. The Effects of Repeated Experience on Children's Suggestibility.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, Martine B.; Roberts, Kim P.; Ceci, Stephen J.; Hembrooke, Helene

    1999-01-01

    Examined effect of suggestive questions on 3- to 5-year-olds' and 6- to 8-year-olds' recall of the final occurrence of repeated event. Found that relative to reports of children experiencing single occurrence, reports about fixed items of repeated events were less contaminated by false suggestions. Children's age and delay of interview were…

  5. Evaluation of the School Breakfast Program Pilot Project: Findings from the First Year of Implementation. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLaughlin, Joan E.; Bernstein, Lawrence S.; Crepinsek, May Kay; Daft, Lynn M.; Murphy, J. Michael

    In 1998, Congress authorized implementation of a 3-year pilot breakfast program involving 4,300 students in elementary schools in 6 school districts representing a range of economic and demographic characteristics. The program began in the 2000-01 school year. This lengthy report presents the findings from the pilot's first year. The study had two…

  6. Imaging Findings of Ulceroglandular Tularemia.

    PubMed

    Anand, Neil; Deochand, Osmani; Murphy, Robyn

    2017-01-01

    Francisella tularensis, the causative organism in Tularemia, is a relatively rare disease. There are a few radiological clues to elucidate its presence when suspicion arises. There should be strong consideration for Tularemia in the differential of any patient with its classic symptoms, diffuse cervical lymphadenopathy with evidence of necrosis, and enlarged adenoids. Ultrasound may demonstrate suppurative lymphadenopathy suggestive of infection, as in the case presented. CT often will demonstrate the extent of lymphadenopathy. On chest radiography, tularemia pneumonia is often the presenting finding, which may demonstrate bilateral or lobar infiltrates. Additionally, hilar lymphadenopathy and pleural effusions are often associated findings. Cavitary lesions may be present, which are better delineated on CT scan. We present a case of a 7-year-old male who presented with a painful right-sided palpable neck mass for 9 days, who was diagnosed with Tularemia after numerous admissions.

  7. Histopathologic findings in Unna's nevus suggest it is a tardive congenital nevus.

    PubMed

    Sowa, Junko; Kobayashi, Hiromi; Ishii, Masamitsu; Kimura, Tetsunori

    2008-12-01

    According to A. Bernard Ackerman's clinical histopathologic classification of nevi, the essential histopathologic finding of an Unna's nevus is localization of melanocytic nevus cells to a markedly thickened papillary dermis of an exophytic lesion. In this study, we examined 94 completely resected Unna's nevi in which several sections of the same lesion could be examined. We examined that melanocytic nevus cells were not just localized to the exophytic portion but were also commonly distributed below it (81 lesions, 86.2%). Melanocytic nevus cells were found in a periadnexal distribution in most of the lesions in which they extended below the exophytic part and were most frequently noted around hair follicles (60 lesions, 63.8%), then around eccrine ducts (43 lesions, 45.7%), and least frequently around sebaceous glands or ducts (36 lesions, 38.3%). Nests of melanocytic nevus cells were present in follicular epithelium in 7 lesions, sebaceous ducts in 1 lesion, and eccrine ducts in 1 lesion. Moreover, type A nevus cells containing melanin granules were observed in 16 lesions (17.0%) when they were distributed around hair follicles, in 8 lesions (8.5%) when distributed around sebaceous glands or ducts, and in 1 lesion (1.1%) when distributed around eccrine ducts. Although Unna's nevus is clinically an acquired nevus, it has many histopathologic characteristics of a congenital melanocytic nevus and is therefore likely a tardive congenital lesion.

  8. Type and location of findings in dental panoramic tomographs in 7-12-year-old orthodontic patients.

    PubMed

    Pakbaznejad Esmaeili, Elmira; Ekholm, Marja; Haukka, Jari; Waltimo-Sirén, Janna

    2016-01-01

    The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland has paid attention to the large numbers of dental panoramic tomographs (DPTs), particularly in 7-12-year-old children. The majority of these radiographs are taken for orthodontic reasons. Because of the high radiosensitivity of children, the size of the irradiated field should be carefully chosen to yield the necessary diagnostic information at the lowest possible dose. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to assess the outcome of DPTs within this age group in terms of type and location of pathological findings. It was also hypothesized that DPTs of orthodontic patients rarely display unrestored caries. Four hundred and forty-one DPTs, taken of 7-12-year-old children in 2010-2014, were randomly sampled. The 413 of them (94%) that had been taken for orthodontic reasons were analysed. All pathologic findings were restricted to the tooth-bearing area and there was no pathology in the bone structure or any incidental findings in the region of temporomandibular joint. Unlike hypothesized, 27% of the orthodontic DPTs showed caries in deciduous teeth and 16% in permanent teeth. A sub-sample of 229 DPTs, analysed for developmental dental and occlusal problems, most commonly displayed crowding (50%), positional anomalies and local problems with tooth eruption (32%), as well as hyperodontia (15%). Inclusion of only the actual area of interest in the image field should be considered case-specifically as a means to reduce the radiation dose.

  9. Delaying the Academy: A Gap Year Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Shea, Joseph

    2011-01-01

    This investigation serves as one of the first empirical analyses to examine the international volunteering gap year from an educational perspective, concluding an in-depth case study of a prominent gap year organisation in the UK. Contrary to widespread industry promotion of international development, the findings suggest that the experience can…

  10. Drug-induced sedation endoscopy in children <2 years with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: upper airway findings and treatment outcomes.

    PubMed

    Boudewyns, A; Van de Heyning, P; Verhulst, S

    2017-05-01

    Few data are available about the pattern of upper airway (UA) obstruction in children <2 years with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Also, the role of adenoidectomy versus adenotonsillectomy (AT) is poorly defined in this age group. We performed drug-induced sedation endoscopy (DISE) in young OSAS children to investigate the pattern of UA obstruction and the value of DISE in therapeutic decision making. Retrospective analysis of ≤2-year-old children undergoing DISE-directed UA surgery. OSAS severity and the treatment outcomes were documented by polysomnography. Data are available for 28 patients, age 1.5 years (1.3-1.8), BMI-z score 0.5 (-0.7 to 1.3) with severe OSAS, obstructive apnea/hypopnea index (oAHI) 13.8/hr (7.5-28.3). All but 3 had (>50%) obstruction at the level of the adenoids, and all but 5 had (>50%) tonsillar obstruction. DISE-directed treatment consisted of adenoidectomy (n = 4), tonsillectomy (n = 1), and AT (n = 23). There was a significant improvement in respiratory parameters. Twenty children (71.4%) had a postoperative oAHI <2/hr. None had palatal or tongue base obstruction. Five children had a circumferential UA narrowing (hypotonia), 2 of them had residual OSAS. DISE showed a collapse of the epiglottis in 6 and late-onset laryngomalacia in 4. These findings did not affect surgical outcome. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the major cause of UA obstruction, and DISE-directed UA surgery was curative in 71,4% of children ≤2 years. We suggest that DISE may be helpful in surgical decision making. Circumferential UA narrowing may result in less favorable surgical outcomes.

  11. The Design of Schools' Performance Incentive Programs in Texas: Findings from Year One of TEEG. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center on Performance Incentives, 2008

    2008-01-01

    A recent report published by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) presents findings from the first-year evaluation of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program, one of several statewide educator incentive programs in Texas. This report provides an overview of over 1,000 schools' locally designed TEEG performance incentive…

  12. The Design of Schools' Performance Incentive Programs in Texas: Findings from Year One of GEEG. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Center on Performance Incentives, 2008

    2008-01-01

    A recent report published by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) presents findings from the first-year evaluation of the Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program, one of several statewide educator incentive programs in Texas. In this report, the authors provide an overview of 99 schools' locally designed educator…

  13. Childhood family income and life outcomes in adulthood: findings from a 30-year longitudinal study in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Gibb, Sheree J; Fergusson, David M; Horwood, L John

    2012-06-01

    The aims of this study were to use data gathered over the course of a 30-year longitudinal study to examine the linkages between economic circumstances in childhood and subsequent developmental outcomes spanning educational achievement; economic circumstances; crime; mental health; and teenage pregnancy. All of these outcomes have been linked with childhood economic conditions and it is frequently argued that reducing income inequalities will mitigate psychosocial risks of children reared in families facing economic hardship. Alternatively it may be suggested that the associations between childhood family economic circumstances and later outcomes are mediated by individual, family and social factors that are correlated with low family income and contribute to later outcomes. To examine these issues, data were drawn from a birth cohort of New Zealand children born in 1977 and followed to age 30. Declining childhood family income was associated with a range of negative outcomes in adulthood, including: lower educational achievement; poorer economic circumstances; higher rates of criminal offending; higher rates of mental health problems; and higher rates of teenage pregnancy. After covariate adjustment, childhood family income remained significantly associated with educational achievement and economic circumstances, but was no longer significantly associated with the mental health, offending and teenage pregnancy outcomes. These findings suggest that, after due allowance has been made for social, family and individual contextual factors, low family income during childhood is associated with a range of educational and economic disadvantages in adulthood but is not directly related to increased risks of crime, mental health problems or teen pregnancy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Predisposition for Burnout among First-Year Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Bruce W.; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Findings from a study of 224 first-year teachers suggest: (1) burnout begins during the first year; (2) high-school teachers are more predisposed to burnout; (3) quality teacher preparation, particularly in student discipline, may promote resistance to burnout; (4) burnout is a reflection of emotional and motivational factors rather than academic…

  15. Imaging Findings of Ulceroglandular Tularemia

    PubMed Central

    Anand, Neil; Deochand, Osmani; Murphy, Robyn

    2017-01-01

    Francisella tularensis, the causative organism in Tularemia, is a relatively rare disease. There are a few radiological clues to elucidate its presence when suspicion arises. There should be strong consideration for Tularemia in the differential of any patient with its classic symptoms, diffuse cervical lymphadenopathy with evidence of necrosis, and enlarged adenoids. Ultrasound may demonstrate suppurative lymphadenopathy suggestive of infection, as in the case presented. CT often will demonstrate the extent of lymphadenopathy. On chest radiography, tularemia pneumonia is often the presenting finding, which may demonstrate bilateral or lobar infiltrates. Additionally, hilar lymphadenopathy and pleural effusions are often associated findings. Cavitary lesions may be present, which are better delineated on CT scan. We present a case of a 7-year-old male who presented with a painful right-sided palpable neck mass for 9 days, who was diagnosed with Tularemia after numerous admissions. PMID:28580063

  16. Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study: Findings after the Second Year of Implementation. NCEE 2011-4024

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garet, Michael S.; Wayne, Andrew J.; Stancavage, Fran; Taylor, James; Eaton, Marian; Walters, Kirk; Song, Mengli; Brown, Seth; Hurlburt, Steven; Zhu, Pei; Sepanik, Susan; Doolittle, Fred

    2011-01-01

    This is the second and final report of the Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study, which examines the impact of providing a professional development (PD) program in rational number topics to seventh-grade mathematics teachers. An interim report (Garet et al. 2010) described the findings after one year of PD. The current…

  17. Maltreated Children's Memory: Accuracy, Suggestibility, and Psychopathology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisen, Mitchell L.; Goodman, Gail S.; Qin, Jianjian; Davis, Suzanne; Crayton, John

    2007-01-01

    Memory, suggestibility, stress arousal, and trauma-related psychopathology were examined in 328 3- to 16-year-olds involved in forensic investigations of abuse and neglect. Children's memory and suggestibility were assessed for a medical examination and venipuncture. Being older and scoring higher in cognitive functioning were related to fewer…

  18. The influence of suggestibility on memory.

    PubMed

    Nicolas, Serge; Collins, Thérèse; Gounden, Yannick; Roediger, Henry L

    2011-06-01

    We provide a translation of Binet and Henri's pioneering 1894 paper on the influence of suggestibility on memory. Alfred Binet (1857-1911) is famous as the author who created the IQ test that bears his name, but he is almost unknown as the psychological investigator who generated numerous original experiments and fascinating results in the study of memory. His experiments published in 1894 manipulated suggestibility in several ways to determine effects on remembering. Three particular modes of suggestion were employed to induce false recognitions: (1) indirect suggestion by a preconceived idea; (2) direct suggestion; and (3) collective suggestion. In the commentary we suggest that Binet and Henri's (1894) paper written over 115 years ago is still highly relevant even today. In particular, Binet's legacy lives on in modern research on misinformation effects in memory, in studies of conformity, and in experiments on the social contagion of memory. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Representational constraints on children's suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Ceci, Stephen J; Papierno, Paul B; Kulkofsky, Sarah

    2007-06-01

    In a multistage experiment, twelve 4- and 9-year-old children participated in a triad rating task. Their ratings were mapped with multidimensional scaling, from which euclidean distances were computed to operationalize semantic distance between items in target pairs. These children and age-mates then participated in an experiment that employed these target pairs in a story, which was followed by a misinformation manipulation. Analyses linked individual and developmental differences in suggestibility to children's representations of the target items. Semantic proximity was a strong predictor of differences in suggestibility: The closer a suggested distractor was to the original item's representation, the greater was the distractor's suggestive influence. The triad participants' semantic proximity subsequently served as the basis for correctly predicting memory performance in the larger group. Semantic proximity enabled a priori counterintuitive predictions of reverse age-related trends to be confirmed whenever the distance between representations of items in a target pair was greater for younger than for older children.

  20. The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs: Findings After the First Year of Implementation. NCEE 2008-4021

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Alison Rebeck; Doolittle, Fred; Zhu, Pei; Unterman, Rebecca; Grossman, Jean Baldwin

    2008-01-01

    This report presents findings, after one year of program implementation, from the Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs--a two-year intervention and random assignment evaluation of adapted models of regular-school-day math and reading instruction in after-school settings for students in grades 2 through 5. This…

  1. Accidents on board merchant ships. Suggestions based on Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM) experience.

    PubMed

    Napoleone, Paolo

    2016-01-01

    This statistical study was performed to find out the occurrence of accidents on board ships assisted by Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM) during the years 2010-2015, with the aim of providing suggestions in accident prevention, based on such a wide experience. The case histories of CIRM in the years 2010-2015 were examined. The total number of accidents per year was calculated and compared as a percentage with the total number of cases assisted by CIRM per year. The incidence of accidents on board in these years ranged between 14.4% and 18.4% of total cases assisted per year, which is constantly increasing. The most common injuries on board among cases treated by CIRM were contusions and wounds. Also burns and eye injuries were significantly represented. Multiple injuries and head injuries were found to be the most frequent cause of death on board due to an accident. More information on the occurrence and type of accidents and on the body injured areas should represent the basis for developing strategies and campaigns for their prevention.

  2. Workplace Health Promotion and Mental Health: Three-Year Findings from Partnering Healthy@Work.

    PubMed

    Jarman, Lisa; Martin, Angela; Venn, Alison; Otahal, Petr; Blizzard, Leigh; Teale, Brook; Sanderson, Kristy

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the association between mental health and comprehensive workplace health promotion (WHP) delivered to an entire state public service workforce (~28,000 employees) over a three-year period. Government departments in a state public service were supported to design and deliver a comprehensive, multi-component health promotion program, Healthy@Work, which targeted modifiable health risks including unhealthy lifestyles and stress. Repeated cross-sectional surveys compared self-reported psychological distress (Kessler-10; K10) at commencement (N = 3406) and after 3 years (N = 3228). WHP availability and participation over time was assessed, and associations between the K10 and exposure to programs estimated. Analyses were repeated for a cohort subgroup (N = 580). Data were weighted for non-response. Participation in any mental health and lifestyle programs approximately doubled after 3 years. Both male and female employees with poorer mental health participated more often over time. Women's psychological distress decreased over time but this change was only partially attributable to participation in WHP, and only to lifestyle interventions. Average psychological distress did not change over time for men. Unexpectedly, program components directly targeting mental health were not associated with distress for either men or women. Cohort results corroborated findings. Healthy@Work was successful in increasing participation across a range of program types, including for men and women with poorer mental health. A small positive association of participation in lifestyle programs with mental health was observed for women but not men. The lack of association of mental health programs may have reflected program quality, its universality of application or other contextual factors.

  3. The severity of Minamata disease declined in 25 years: temporal profile of the neurological findings analyzed by multiple logistic regression model.

    PubMed

    Uchino, Makoto; Hirano, Teruyuki; Satoh, Hiroshi; Arimura, Kimiyoshi; Nakagawa, Masanori; Wakamiya, Jyunji

    2005-01-01

    Minamata disease (MD) was caused by ingestion of seafood from the methylmercury-contaminated areas. Although 50 years have passed since the discovery of MD, there have been only a few studies on the temporal profile of neurological findings in certified MD patients. Thus, we evaluated changes in neurological symptoms and signs of MD using discriminants by multiple logistic regression analysis. The severity of predictive index declined in 25 years in most of the patients. Only a few patients showed aggravation of neurological findings, which was due to complications such as spino-cerebellar degeneration. Patients with chronic MD aged over 45 years had several concomitant diseases so that their clinical pictures were complicated. It was difficult to differentiate chronic MD using statistically established discriminants based on sensory disturbance alone. In conclusion, the severity of MD declined in 25 years along with the modification by age-related concomitant disorders.

  4. School satisfaction and social relations: Swedish schoolchildren's improvement suggestions.

    PubMed

    Persson, Louise; Haraldsson, Katarina; Hagquist, Curt

    2016-01-01

    The aim was to explore schoolchildren's views on how to increase school satisfaction and improve social relations among peers at school. Improvement suggestions were collected from school children aged 10-12 years with the help of a feedback model developed for the purpose. Qualitative content analysis was used. Two categories emerged from the analysis: 'psychosocial climate', which included the subcategories 'adults' roles and responsibilities' and 'classmates' norms and values'; 'influence', which included the subcategories 'changes in the physical environment' and 'flexible learning'. The categories are seen as important to increase school satisfaction and improve social relations among peers at school. Examining children's opinions is requested and promoted by the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. The findings contribute to the field by showing how school satisfaction and social relations might be improved, if the child perspective is considered in the planning of health promotion activities in school.

  5. Autistic-like findings associated with a urea cycle disorder in a 4-year-old girl

    PubMed Central

    Görker, Işιk; Tüzün, Ümran

    2005-01-01

    A 4-year-old girl presented at our clinic with autistic-like symptoms, aggressivity and occasional hyperactivity. She had no history of neurologic or physical symptoms. Her condition was diagnosed as pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). She received pharmacologic (thioridazine), educational and speech therapy. During this process, a urea cycle disorder was also identified, namely, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and arginase deficiency, because of the high level of ammonia in the patient's bloodstream, the high level of organic acids in the 24-hour urine collection and the constant presence of slow multifocal epileptic discharges on the electroencephalograms. The patient's protein intake was restricted, and she was treated with sodium benzoate and arginine. After 1 year of treatment, the autistic-like findings and hyperactivity were no longer apparent. PMID:15798789

  6. Autistic-like findings associated with a urea cycle disorder in a 4-year-old girl.

    PubMed

    Görker, Işik; Tüzün, Umran

    2005-03-01

    A 4-year-old girl presented at our clinic with autistic-like symptoms, aggressivity and occasional hyperactivity. She had no history of neurologic or physical symptoms. Her condition was diagnosed as pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). She received pharmacologic (thioridazine), educational and speech therapy. During this process, a urea cycle disorder was also identified, namely, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and arginase deficiency, because of the high level of ammonia in the patient's bloodstream, the high level of organic acids in the 24-hour urine collection and the constant presence of slow multifocal epileptic discharges on the electroencephalograms. The patient's protein intake was restricted, and she was treated with sodium benzoate and arginine. After 1 year of treatment, the autistic-like findings and hyperactivity were no longer apparent.

  7. Surgical Approach, Findings, and Eight-Year Follow-Up in a Twenty-Nine Year Old Female With Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome Presenting With Blepharophimosis Causing Near-Complete Visual Obstruction.

    PubMed

    Portillo, Augusto L; Poling, Mikaela I; McCormick, Rodger J

    2016-07-01

    The authors describe the surgical approach, findings, and 8-year follow-up in a 29-year-old woman, with severe Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, presenting with congenital blepharophimosis of both upper eyelids resulting in near-complete functional visual obstruction. To avoid possible Freeman-Sheldon syndrome-associated complications of malignant hyperthermia, difficult vascular access, and challenging endotracheal intubation, the surgery was completed under local anesthesia without sedation, and anatomical and functional correction was immediate and remained stable at 8-year follow-up. Unlike many congenital craniofacial syndromes, which frequently involve life-long impairments, important implications exist for plastic surgeons to facilitate opportunities for patients to overcome functional limitations.

  8. Workplace Health Promotion and Mental Health: Three-Year Findings from Partnering Healthy@Work

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Angela; Venn, Alison; Otahal, Petr; Blizzard, Leigh; Teale, Brook; Sanderson, Kristy

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the association between mental health and comprehensive workplace health promotion (WHP) delivered to an entire state public service workforce (~28,000 employees) over a three-year period. Government departments in a state public service were supported to design and deliver a comprehensive, multi-component health promotion program, Healthy@Work, which targeted modifiable health risks including unhealthy lifestyles and stress. Repeated cross-sectional surveys compared self-reported psychological distress (Kessler-10; K10) at commencement (N = 3406) and after 3 years (N = 3228). WHP availability and participation over time was assessed, and associations between the K10 and exposure to programs estimated. Analyses were repeated for a cohort subgroup (N = 580). Data were weighted for non-response. Participation in any mental health and lifestyle programs approximately doubled after 3 years. Both male and female employees with poorer mental health participated more often over time. Women’s psychological distress decreased over time but this change was only partially attributable to participation in WHP, and only to lifestyle interventions. Average psychological distress did not change over time for men. Unexpectedly, program components directly targeting mental health were not associated with distress for either men or women. Cohort results corroborated findings. Healthy@Work was successful in increasing participation across a range of program types, including for men and women with poorer mental health. A small positive association of participation in lifestyle programs with mental health was observed for women but not men. The lack of association of mental health programs may have reflected program quality, its universality of application or other contextual factors. PMID:27513577

  9. Preliminary Finnish measures of eating competence suggest association with health-promoting eating patterns and related psychobehavioral factors in 10-17 year old adolescents.

    PubMed

    Tanja, Tilles-Tirkkonen; Outi, Nuutinen; Sakari, Suominen; Jarmo, Liukkonen; Kaisa, Poutanen; Leila, Karhunen

    2015-05-21

    Eating competence is an attitudinal and behavioral concept, based on The Satter Eating Competence Model. In adults, it has been shown to be associated with a higher quality of diet. Eating competence or its association with the quality of diet has not been studied in adolescents. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility of using a preliminary Finnish translation of the ecSI 2.0 for evaluating presumed eating competence and its association with food selection, meal patterns and related psychobehavioral factors in 10-17 year old adolescents. Altogether 976 10-17 years old Finnish adolescents filled in the study questionnaire. When exploring the construct validity of ecSI 2.0, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated acceptable model fit and all four components of the ecSI 2.0 (eating attitudes, food acceptance, internal regulation of food intake, management of eating context) correlated with each other and were internally consistent. Over half (58%) of the adolescents scored 32 or higher and were thus classified as presumably eating competent (pEC). Eating competence was associated with greater meal frequency, more frequent consumption of vegetables and fruits, and more health-promoting family eating patterns. In addition the pEC, adolescents more often perceived their body size as appropriate, had less often tried to lose weight and had a higher self-esteem and a stronger sense of coherence than the not pEC ones. Family eating patterns and self-esteem were the main underlying factors of eating competence. In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests eating competence could be a useful concept to characterize eating patterns and related behaviors and attitudes in adolescents. However, these preliminary findings need to be confirmed in further studies with an instrument fully validated for this age group.

  10. Recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with pulmonary metastases presenting twelve years after initial diagnosis: 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging findings.

    PubMed

    Suman, Sudhir; Sharma, Punit; Jain, Tarun Kumar; Sahoo, Manas Kumar; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Kumar, Rakesh

    2014-01-01

    Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare cutaneous tumor that is locally aggressive and has a high rate of recurrence after surgical excision. The tumor grows slowly, typically over years. On rare occasions, metastasis to distant sites (especially the lung) or regional lymph nodes may occur. Here, we present F-FDG PET/CT imaging findings of a 52-year-old man with a local recurrence of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in the anterior abdominal wall with metastases to bilateral lungs.

  11. Evidence suggesting possible SCA1 gene involvement in schizophrenia

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

    Diehl, S.R.; Wange, S.; Sun, C.

    Several findings suggest a possible role for the SCA1 gene on chromosome 6p in some cases of schizophrenia. First, linkage analyses in Irish pedigrees provided LOD scores up to 3.0 for one model tested using microsatellites closely linked to SCA1. Reanalysis of these data using affected sibpair methods yielded a significant result (p = 0.01) for one marker. An attempt to replicate this linkage finding was made using 44 NIMH families (206 individuals, 80 affected) and 12 Utah families (120 individuals, 49 affected). LOD scores were negative in these new families, even allowing for heterogeneity, as were results using affectedmore » sibpair methods. However, one Utah family provided a LOD score of 1.3. We also screened the SCA1 trinucleotide repeat to search for expansions characteristic of this disorder in these families and in 38 additional unrelated schizophrenics. We found 1 schizophrenic with 41 repeats, which is substantially larger than the maximum size of 36 repeats observed in previous studies of several hundred controls. We are now assessing whether the distribution of SCA1 repeats differs significantly in schizophrenia versus controls. Recent reports suggest possible anticipation in schizophrenia (also characteristic of SCA1) and a few cases of psychiatric symptoms suggesting schizophrenia have been observed in the highly related disorder DRPLA (SCA2), which is also based on trinucleotide repeat expansion. These findings suggest that further investigations of this gene and chromosome region may be a priority.« less

  12. Smoking Prevention for Students: Findings From a Three-Year Program of Integrated Harm Minimization School Drug Education.

    PubMed

    Midford, Richard; Cahill, Helen; Lester, Leanne; Foxcroft, David R; Ramsden, Robyn; Venning, Lynne

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of the Drug Education in Victorian Schools (DEVS) program on tobacco smoking. The program taught about licit and illicit drugs in an integrated manner over 2 years, with follow up in the third year. It focused on minimizing harm, rather than achieving abstinence, and employed participatory, critical-thinking and skill-based teaching methods. A cluster-randomized, controlled trial of the program was conducted with a student cohort during years 8 (13 years), 9 (14 years), and 10 (15 years). Twenty-one schools were randomly allocated to the DEVS program (14 schools, n = 1163), or their usual drug education program (7 schools, n = 589). One intervention school withdrew in year two. There was a greater increase in the intervention students' knowledge about drugs, including tobacco, in all 3 years. Intervention students talked more with their parents about smoking at the end of the 3-year program. They recalled receiving more education on smoking in all 3 years. Their consumption of cigarettes had not increased to the same extent as controls at the end of the program. Their change in smoking harms, relative to controls, was positive in all 3 years. There was no difference between groups in the proportionate increase of smokers, or in attitudes towards smoking, at any time. These findings indicate that a school program that teaches about all drugs in an integrated fashion, and focuses on minimizing harm, does not increase initiation into smoking, while providing strategies for reducing consumption and harm to those who choose to smoke.

  13. Phylogenetic findings suggest possible new habitat and routes of infection of human eumyctoma.

    PubMed

    de Hoog, G Sybren; Ahmed, Sarah A; Najafzadeh, Mohammad J; Sutton, Deanna A; Keisari, Maryam Saradeghi; Fahal, Ahmed H; Eberhardt, Ursala; Verkleij, Gerard J; Xin, Lian; Stielow, Benjamin; van de Sande, Wendy W J

    2013-01-01

    Eumycetoma is a traumatic fungal infection in tropical and subtropical areas that may lead to severe disability. Madurella mycetomatis is one of the prevalent etiologic agents in arid Northeastern Africa. The source of infection has not been clarified. Subcutaneous inoculation from plant thorns has been hypothesized, but attempts to detect the fungus in relevant material have remained unsuccessful. The present study aims to find clues to reveal the natural habitat of Madurella species using a phylogenetic approach, i.e. by comparison of neighboring taxa with known ecology. Four species of Madurella were included in a large data set of species of Chaetomium, Chaetomidium, Thielavia, and Papulaspora (n = 128) using sequences of the universal fungal barcode gene rDNA ITS and the partial LSU gene sequence. Our study demonstrates that Madurella species are nested within the Chaetomiaceae, a family of fungi that mainly inhabit animal dung, enriched soil, and indoor environments. We hypothesize that cattle dung, ubiquitously present in rural East Africa, plays a significant role in the ecology of Madurella. If cow dung is an essential factor in inoculation by Madurella, preventative measures may involve the use of appropriate footwear in addition to restructuring of villages to reduce the frequency of contact with etiologic agents of mycetoma. On the other hand, the Chaetomiaceae possess a hidden clinical potential which needs to be explored.

  14. Phylogeography of a land snail suggests trans-Mediterranean neolithic transport.

    PubMed

    Jesse, Ruth; Véla, Errol; Pfenninger, Markus

    2011-01-01

    Fragmented distribution ranges of species with little active dispersal capacity raise the question about their place of origin and the processes and timing of either range fragmentation or dispersal. The peculiar distribution of the land snail Tudorella sulcata s. str. in Southern France, Sardinia and Algeria is such a challenging case. Statistical phylogeographic analyses with mitochondrial COI and nuclear hsp70 haplotypes were used to answer the questions of the species' origin, sequence and timing of dispersal. The origin of the species was on Sardinia. Starting from there, a first expansion to Algeria and then to France took place. Abiotic and zoochorous dispersal could be excluded by considering the species' life style, leaving only anthropogenic translocation as parsimonious explanation. The geographic expansion could be dated to approximately 8,000 years before present with a 95% confidence interval of 10,000 to 3,000 years before present. This period coincides with the Neolithic expansion in the Western Mediterranean, suggesting a role of these settlers as vectors. Our findings thus propose that non-domesticated animals and plants may give hints on the direction and timing of early human expansion routes.

  15. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among fathers and associated risk factors during the first seven years of their child's life: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Nath, Selina; Psychogiou, Lamprini; Kuyken, Willem; Ford, Tamsin; Ryan, Elizabeth; Russell, Ginny

    2016-06-13

    Increasing evidence suggests that postnatal paternal depression is associated with adverse emotional, behavioural and cognitive outcomes in children. Despite this, few studies have determined the prevalence of fathers' depressive symptoms during the first few years of their children's lives and explored what factors are related to these symptoms. We estimated the prevalence and examined associated risk factors of paternal depressive symptoms in a nationally representative sample of fathers with children aged between 9 months and 7 years old from the Millennium cohort study. The risk factors examined were maternal depressive symptoms, marital conflict, child temperament, child gender, paternal education, fathers' ethnic background, fathers' employment status, family housing, family income and paternal age. Secondary data analysis was conducted using the UK Millennium cohort study, which consisted of data from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland of families with infants born in the year 2000/2001. Data from four sweeps were used from when children in the cohort were aged 9 months, 3, 5 and 7 years old (n = 5155-12,396). The prevalence of paternal depressive symptoms over time was 3.6 % at 9 months, 1.2 % at 3 years old, 1.8 % at 5 years and 2.0 % at 7 years (using Kessler cut-off points to categorise high depressive symptoms vs low depressive symptoms). Linear regression trends (using continuous measures of depressive symptoms) indicated that both paternal and maternal depressive symptoms decreased over time, suggesting similar patterns of parents' depressive symptoms after the birth of a child, but the decrease was more evident for mothers. Paternal depressive symptoms were consistently associated with fathers' unemployment, maternal depressive symptoms and marital conflict. Socioeconomic factors such as rented housing when child was 9 months and low family income when child was 5 and 7 years were also associated with higher paternal

  16. Prostitution advertisements suggest association of transvestism and masochism.

    PubMed

    Chivers, M; Blanchard, R

    1996-01-01

    Previous research and clinical observation have suggested that the sexual interest of many transvestites include involvement in sadomasochistic sexual acts. Through data gathered via prostitution advertisements in print media, we tested the hypothesis that prostitutes welcoming cross-dressing client would be primarily those describing themselves as dominant. The specialty of the prostitute was recorded by coding the advertisements for the presence or absence of the features of dominance, submissiveness, acceptance of cross-dressing clients, and whether the prostitute was a biological male presenting as a woman or quasi-woman. The findings showed that 20% of prostitutes describing themselves as dominant welcomed cross-dressing clients, whereas none of the other subgroups of prostitutes mentioned cross-dressing clients in their advertisements. These findings reinforce other lines of indirect evidence suggesting that, in heterosexual men, the presence of masochism increases the likelihood of transvestism, and vice versa.

  17. Reconciling findings on the employment effect of disability insurance.

    PubMed

    Bound, John; Lindner, Stephan; Waidmann, Timothy

    2014-12-01

    Over the last 25 years, the Social Security Disability Insurance Program (DI) has grown dramatically. During the same period, employment rates for men with work limitations showed substantial declines in both absolute and relative terms. While the timing of these trends suggests that the expansion of DI was a major contributor to employment decline among this group, raising questions about the targeting of disability benefits, studies using denied applicants suggest a more modest role of the DI expansion. To reconcile these findings, we decompose total employment changes into population and employment changes for three categories: DI beneficiaries, denied applicants, and non-applicants. Our results show that during the early 1990s, the growth in DI can fully explain the employment decline for men only under an extreme assumption about the employment potential of beneficiaries. For the period after the mid-1990s, we find little role for the DI program in explaining the continuing employment decline for men with work limitations.

  18. Reconciling findings on the employment effect of disability insurance

    PubMed Central

    Bound, John; Lindner, Stephan; Waidmann, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    Over the last 25 years, the Social Security Disability Insurance Program (DI) has grown dramatically. During the same period, employment rates for men with work limitations showed substantial declines in both absolute and relative terms. While the timing of these trends suggests that the expansion of DI was a major contributor to employment decline among this group, raising questions about the targeting of disability benefits, studies using denied applicants suggest a more modest role of the DI expansion. To reconcile these findings, we decompose total employment changes into population and employment changes for three categories: DI beneficiaries, denied applicants, and non-applicants. Our results show that during the early 1990s, the growth in DI can fully explain the employment decline for men only under an extreme assumption about the employment potential of beneficiaries. For the period after the mid-1990s, we find little role for the DI program in explaining the continuing employment decline for men with work limitations. PMID:27158580

  19. Nature of Science Progression in School Year 1-9: a Case Study of Teachers' Suggestions and Rationales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leden, Lotta; Hansson, Lena

    2017-07-01

    The inclusion of nature of science (NOS) in science education has for a long time been regarded as crucial. There is, however, a lack of research on appropriate NOS aspects for different educational levels. An even more neglected area of research is that focusing on teachers' perspectives on NOS teaching at different levels. The aim of this article is to examine NOS progression in the light of teachers' suggestions and rationales. In order to obtain teachers' informed perspectives, we chose to involve six teachers (teaching grades 1-9) in a 3-year research project. They took part in focus group discussions about NOS and NOS teaching as well as implemented jointly planned NOS teaching sessions. Data that this article builds on was collected at the end of the project. The teachers' suggestions for NOS progression often relied on adding more NOS issues at every stage, thereby creating the foundations of a broader but not necessarily deeper understanding of NOS. Five rationales, for if/when specific NOS issues are appropriate to introduce, emerged from the analysis of the teacher discussions. Some of these rationales, including practice makes perfect and increasing levels of depth can potentially accommodate room for many NOS issues in the science classroom, while maturity and experience instead has a restricting effect on NOS teaching. Also, choice of context and teaching approaches play an important role in teachers' rationales for whether specific NOS issues should be included or not at different stages. The article discusses the implications for teacher education and professional development.

  20. A Novel Mutation on RAF1 in Association with Fetal Findings Suggestive of Noonan Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Kneitel, Anna W; Norby, Audrey; Vettraino, Ivana; Treadwell, Marjorie C

    2015-01-01

    Noonan syndrome is a multisystem genetic disorder caused by genes encoding proteins involved in the RAS-MAPK pathway. Affected fetuses have variable presentations ranging from the absence of prenatal findings to increased nuchal fold, cystic hygromas, pleural effusions, cardiac malformations, or skin edema. We describe a male fetus who had features consistent with Noonan syndrome at the time of fetal anatomic survey, including hydrops and a possible cardiac defect. Subsequent scan revealed persistent bilateral pleural effusions (with predominance of lymphocytes). After bilateral thoracoamniotic shunt placement, the fetus did well and delivered at term. Prenatal testing revealed an S650F missense mutation in the RAF1 gene, which had not previously been associated with Noonan syndrome.

  1. Frequency of abnormal pulmonary computed tomography findings in asylum seeking refugees in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Soydan, Levent; Demir, Ali Aslan; Tunaci, Atadan

    2017-03-01

    Lungs are particularly vulnerable to both acute infections, including TB, and chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as to malignancies, all of which require particular attention during war times in which health conditions are far from optimal. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 1149 refugees that underwent thoracic computed tomography (CT) for respiratory symptoms between March 2013 and February 2015 in Turkey. At least one positive CT finding was seen in 231 (20.1%) of the patients. The most common findings were chronic pulmonary changes (n=197, 17.2%), followed by findings suggestive of infections (n=39, 3.4%), and mass/nodular lesions (n=16, 1.4%). The rates of the lesions suggestive of active TB and malignancy were 1.0% (n=11) and 0.7% (n=8), respectively. Age 55-64 years was an independent significant predictor for any CT lesion, chronic changes, mass lesions, and lesions suggestive of malignancy. Age>65 years was predictive of any CT lesion and chronic changes. The findings of this study indicate the need for implementation of cost-effective screening strategies in refugees, particularly during war times. Screening for TB would improve disease control among both refugees and the host populations. Middle aged and older individuals, in particular, would benefit from more proactive screening tools and strategies for the early diagnosis of pulmonary malignancies and chronic lung diseases. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Do Author-Suggested Reviewers Rate Submissions More Favorably than Editor-Suggested Reviewers? A Study on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

    PubMed Central

    Bornmann, Lutz; Daniel, Hans-Dieter

    2010-01-01

    Background Ratings in journal peer review can be affected by sources of bias. The bias variable investigated here was the information on whether authors had suggested a possible reviewer for their manuscript, and whether the editor had taken up that suggestion or had chosen a reviewer that had not been suggested by the authors. Studies have shown that author-suggested reviewers rate manuscripts more favorably than editor-suggested reviewers do. Methodology/Principal Findings Reviewers' ratings on three evaluation criteria and the reviewers' final publication recommendations were available for 552 manuscripts (in total 1145 reviews) that were submitted to Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, an interactive open access journal using public peer review (authors' and reviewers' comments are publicly exchanged). Public peer review is supposed to bring a new openness to the reviewing process that will enhance its objectivity. In the statistical analysis the quality of a manuscript was controlled for to prevent favorable reviewers' ratings from being attributable to quality instead of to the bias variable. Conclusions/Significance Our results agree with those from other studies that editor-suggested reviewers rated manuscripts between 30% and 42% less favorably than author-suggested reviewers. Against this backdrop journal editors should consider either doing without the use of author-suggested reviewers or, if they are used, bringing in more than one editor-suggested reviewer for the review process (so that the review by author-suggested reviewers can be put in perspective). PMID:20976226

  3. Preliminary Finnish Measures of Eating Competence Suggest Association with Health-Promoting Eating Patterns and Related Psychobehavioral Factors in 10–17 Year Old Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Tanja, Tilles-Tirkkonen; Outi, Nuutinen; Sakari, Suominen; Jarmo, Liukkonen; Kaisa, Poutanen; Leila, Karhunen

    2015-01-01

    Eating competence is an attitudinal and behavioral concept, based on The Satter Eating Competence Model. In adults, it has been shown to be associated with a higher quality of diet. Eating competence or its association with the quality of diet has not been studied in adolescents. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility of using a preliminary Finnish translation of the ecSI 2.0 for evaluating presumed eating competence and its association with food selection, meal patterns and related psychobehavioral factors in 10–17 year old adolescents. Altogether 976 10–17 years old Finnish adolescents filled in the study questionnaire. When exploring the construct validity of ecSI 2.0, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated acceptable model fit and all four components of the ecSI 2.0 (eating attitudes, food acceptance, internal regulation of food intake, management of eating context) correlated with each other and were internally consistent. Over half (58%) of the adolescents scored 32 or higher and were thus classified as presumably eating competent (pEC). Eating competence was associated with greater meal frequency, more frequent consumption of vegetables and fruits, and more health-promoting family eating patterns. In addition the pEC, adolescents more often perceived their body size as appropriate, had less often tried to lose weight and had a higher self-esteem and a stronger sense of coherence than the not pEC ones. Family eating patterns and self-esteem were the main underlying factors of eating competence. In conclusion, this preliminary study suggests eating competence could be a useful concept to characterize eating patterns and related behaviors and attitudes in adolescents. However, these preliminary findings need to be confirmed in further studies with an instrument fully validated for this age group. PMID:26007335

  4. Age-Appropriate Cues Facilitate Source-Monitoring and Reduce Suggestibility in 3- To 7-Year-Olds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bright-Paul, A.; Jarrold, C.; Wright, D.B.

    2005-01-01

    Providing cues to facilitate the recovery of source information can reduce postevent misinformation effects in adults, implying that errors in source-monitoring contribute to suggestibility (e.g., [Lindsay, D. S., & Johnson, M. K. (1989). The eyewitness suggestibility effect and memory for source. Memory & Cognition, 17, 349-358]). The present…

  5. Children's and adults' reactions to magical and ordinary suggestion: are suggestibility and magical thinking psychologically close relatives?

    PubMed

    Subbotsky, Eugene

    2007-11-01

    In Experiment 1, 6- and 9-year-old children and adults were asked to imagine various types of objects. The experimenter then attempted to change the image of those objects in participants' minds by either suggesting that the objects may change against the participants' will, or by asking participants to change the objects as a favor to the experimenter. Two types of suggestive causation were employed: Magical-suggestion (a magic spell was cast with the aim of changing the imagined objects) and ordinary-suggestion (participants were told that the objects in their minds could alter against their will). Ordinary-suggestion was as effective as magical-suggestion in changing the participants' imagined objects. For adults, a direct request for compliance produced a stronger effect than did magical suggestion. This effect was not found in children. In Experiment 2, the two types of suggestion were tested on an alternative type of imagined objects. Adult participants were asked to imagine their futures. It was then proposed that (a) a magic spell could be cast on their futures with the aim of changing them either for the worse or for the better (magical-suggestion), or (b) changing a numerical pattern on a computer screen could change their futures (ordinary-suggestion). All participants denied that changing a numerical pattern on a computer screen could affect their lives, yet in their actions they demonstrated an element of belief in this possibility. As in Experiment 1, in Experiment 2 ordinary suggestion was as effective as magical suggestion. The hypothesis of an historic contiguity between magical causality and ordinary suggestion is discussed.

  6. Grain, Feed, Seed, and Farm Supply Technology. A Suggested 2-Year Post High School Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

    The increasing need for skilled agricultural technicians for the grain, feed, seed, and farm supply industry resulted in preparation of this suggested curriculum guide to aid in planning, developing, and evaluating post-high school programs. The guide includes: (1) suggested course outlines with examples of texts and references, (2) sequence of…

  7. Atmospheric oxygenation three billion years ago.

    PubMed

    Crowe, Sean A; Døssing, Lasse N; Beukes, Nicolas J; Bau, Michael; Kruger, Stephanus J; Frei, Robert; Canfield, Donald E

    2013-09-26

    It is widely assumed that atmospheric oxygen concentrations remained persistently low (less than 10(-5) times present levels) for about the first 2 billion years of Earth's history. The first long-term oxygenation of the atmosphere is thought to have taken place around 2.3 billion years ago, during the Great Oxidation Event. Geochemical indications of transient atmospheric oxygenation, however, date back to 2.6-2.7 billion years ago. Here we examine the distribution of chromium isotopes and redox-sensitive metals in the approximately 3-billion-year-old Nsuze palaeosol and in the near-contemporaneous Ijzermyn iron formation from the Pongola Supergroup, South Africa. We find extensive mobilization of redox-sensitive elements through oxidative weathering. Furthermore, using our data we compute a best minimum estimate for atmospheric oxygen concentrations at that time of 3 × 10(-4) times present levels. Overall, our findings suggest that there were appreciable levels of atmospheric oxygen about 3 billion years ago, more than 600 million years before the Great Oxidation Event and some 300-400 million years earlier than previous indications for Earth surface oxygenation.

  8. Impacts of Social-Emotional Curricula on Three-Year-Olds: Exploratory Findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration. Research Snapshot. OPRE Report 2014-78

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsueh, JoAnn; Lowenstein, Amy E.; Morris, Pamela; Mattera, Shira K.; Bangser, Michael

    2014-01-01

    This report presents exploratory impact findings for 3-year-olds from the Head Start CARES demonstration, a large-scale randomized controlled trial implemented in Head Start centers for one academic year across the country. The study was designed primarily to test the effects of the enhancements on 4-year-olds, but it also provides an opportunity…

  9. Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study: Findings after the Second Year of Implementation. Executive Summary. NCEE 2011-4025

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garet, Michael S.; Wayne, Andrew J.; Stancavage, Fran; Taylor, James; Eaton, Marian; Walters, Kirk; Song, Mengli; Brown, Seth; Hurlburt, Steven; Zhu, Pei; Sepanik, Susan; Doolittle, Fred

    2011-01-01

    This is the second and final report of the Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study, which examines the impact of providing a professional development (PD) program in rational number topics to seventh-grade mathematics teachers. An interim report (Garet et al. 2010) described the findings after one year of PD. The current…

  10. Emergent lineages of mumps virus suggest the need for a polyvalent vaccine.

    PubMed

    May, Meghan; Rieder, Courtney A; Rowe, Rebecca J

    2018-01-01

    Mumps outbreaks among vaccinated patients have become increasingly common in recent years. While there are multiple conditions driving this re-emergence, convention has suggested that these outbreaks are associated with waning immunity rather than vaccine escape. Molecular evidence from both the ongoing American and Dutch outbreaks in conjunction with recent structural biology studies challenge this convention, and suggest that emergent lineages of mumps virus exhibit key differences in antigenic epitopes from the vaccine strain employed: Jeryl-Lynn 5. The American and Dutch 2016-2017 outbreak lineages were examined using computational biology through the lens of diversity in immunogenic epitopes. Findings are discussed and the laboratory evidence indicating neutralization of heterologous mumps strains by serum from vaccinated individuals is reviewed. Taken together, it is concluded that the number of heterologous epitopes occurring in mumps virus in conjunction with waning immunity is facilitating small outbreaks in vaccinated patients, and that consideration of a polyvalent mumps vaccine is warranted. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  11. Hypnosis, suggestion, and suggestibility: an integrative model.

    PubMed

    Lynn, Steven Jay; Laurence, Jean-Roch; Kirsch, Irving

    2015-01-01

    This article elucidates an integrative model of hypnosis that integrates social, cultural, cognitive, and neurophysiological variables at play both in and out of hypnosis and considers their dynamic interaction as determinants of the multifaceted experience of hypnosis. The roles of these variables are examined in the induction and suggestion stages of hypnosis, including how they are related to the experience of involuntariness, one of the hallmarks of hypnosis. It is suggested that studies of the modification of hypnotic suggestibility; cognitive flexibility; response sets and expectancies; the default-mode network; and the search for the neurophysiological correlates of hypnosis, more broadly, in conjunction with research on social psychological variables, hold much promise to further understanding of hypnosis.

  12. Pre-K Longitudinal Study: Findings from the 1999-2000 School Year.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, Gary T.; Gordon, Craig S.; Mashburn, Andrew; Ponder, Bentley D.

    The Georgia Prekindergarten Program was established in 1993 to provide the state's 4-year-olds with high-quality preschool experiences. A five-year, longitudinal study examined the ways in which differences in prekindergarten services received by 3,639 Pre-K 4-year-olds affected them during their first 3 years of elementary school and assessed the…

  13. How interviewers' nonverbal behaviors can affect children's perceptions and suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Almerigogna, Jehanne; Ost, James; Akehurst, Lucy; Fluck, Mike

    2008-05-01

    We conducted two studies to examine how interviewers' nonverbal behaviors affect children's perceptions and suggestibility. In the first study, 42 8- to 10-year-olds watched video clips showing an interviewer displaying combinations of supportive and nonsupportive nonverbal behaviors and were asked to rate the interviewer on six attributes (e.g., friendliness, strictness). Smiling received high ratings on the positive attributes (i.e., friendly, helpful, and sincere), and fidgeting received high ratings on the negative attributes (i.e., strict, bored, and stressed). For the second study, 86 8- to 10-year-olds participated in a learning activity about the vocal chords. One week later, they were interviewed individually about the activity by an interviewer adopting either the supportive (i.e., smiling) or nonsupportive (i.e., fidgeting) behavior. Children questioned by the nonsupportive interviewer were less accurate and more likely to falsely report having been touched than were those questioned by the supportive interviewer. Children questioned by the supportive interviewer were also more likely to say that they did not know an answer than were children questioned by the nonsupportive interviewer. Participants in both conditions gave more correct answers to questions about central, as opposed to peripheral, details of the activity. Implications of these findings for the appropriate interviewing of child witnesses are discussed.

  14. The Psychological Effects of Unemployment and Unsatisfactory Employment on Young Adults: Findings from a 10-Year Longitudinal Study.

    PubMed

    Winefield, Anthony H; Delfabbro, Paul H; Winefield, Helen R; Duong, David; Malvaso, Catia

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to extend the external validity of an earlier longitudinal study of school leavers by including participants from a representative sample of secondary schools. Questionnaires were administered annually to a sample of South Australian school leavers over a 10-year period. At Time 1 participants were in the last compulsory year of high school aged around 15 years and at Time 10 they were aged around 25 years. Results confirmed those from an earlier longitudinal study showing that the transition from school to satisfactory employment was associated with significant improvements in psychological well-being, whereas transition from school to unemployment or unsatisfactory employment showed no change in psychological well-being. The current findings extended the external validity of the earlier study because whereas participants in the earlier study were sampled from co-educational metropolitan public high schools, the current study included participants from every kind of high school: single sex as well as co-educational, rural as well as metropolitan, and private as well as public.

  15. Socioeconomic differences in overweight and weight-related behaviors across adolescence and young adulthood: 10-year longitudinal findings from Project EAT

    PubMed Central

    Watts, Allison W.; Mason, Susan M.; Loth, Katie; Larson, Nicole; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2016-01-01

    Reducing socioeconomic disparities in weight-related health is a public health priority. The purpose of this paper was to examine 10-year longitudinal patterns in overweight and weight-related behaviors from adolescence to young adulthood as a function of family-level socioeconomic status (SES) and educational attainment. Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults) followed a diverse sample of 2,287 adolescents from 1999 to 2009. Mixed-effects regression tested longitudinal trends in overweight, fast food, breakfast skipping, physical inactivity, and screen use by family-level SES. The influence of subsequent educational attainment in young adulthood was examined. Results revealed that the prevalence of overweight increased significantly from adolescence to young adulthood with the greatest change seen in those from low SES (mean change = 30.7%, 95% CI = 25.6%-35.9%) as compared to high SES families (mean change = 21.7%, 95% CI = 18.2% to 25.1%). Behavioral changes from adolescence to young adulthood also differed by SES background; the prevalence of frequent fast food intake (≥ 3 times/wk) increased most dramatically in those from low SES (mean change = 6%, 95% CI = 0.5%-11%) as compared to high SES families (mean change = -1.2%, 95% CI = -5.2%-2.9%). Overall trends suggest that a higher educational attainment mitigates the negative impacts of a low SES background. These findings suggest that continued effort is needed to ensure that public health strategies addressing obesity and related behaviors reach adolescents and young adults from low SES backgrounds and do not contribute to widening socioeconomic gaps in weight-related health. PMID:26970036

  16. Major KEEP Findings, 1971 - 1975.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kamehameha Schools, Honolulu, HI. Kamehameha Early Education Project.

    This report lists the 34 major research findings from the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) for the years 1971-1975. Each finding is accompanied by a listing of KEEP technical reports and working papers which contain information relevant to that finding. Included among areas covered in the findings are: (1) student motivation, (2) teacher…

  17. CT findings of pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculous pleurisy in diabetes mellitus patients.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jihyun; Lee, In Jae; Kim, Joo Hee

    2017-01-01

    We aimed to assess computed tomography (CT) findings of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and TB pleurisy in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and to evaluate the effect of duration of DM on radiologic findings of pulmonary TB and TB pleurisy. Ninety-three consecutive patients diagnosed as active pulmonary TB with underlying DM were enrolled in our study. As a control group, 100 pulmonary TB patients without DM were randomly selected. TB patients with DM were subdivided into two subgroups depending on diabetes duration of ≥10 years or <10 years. Medical records and CT scans of the patients were retrospectively reviewed and compared. Bilateral pulmonary involvement (odds ratio [OR]=2.39, P = 0.003), involvement of all lobes (OR=2.79, P = 0.013), and lymph node enlargement (OR=1.98, P = 0.022) were significantly more frequent CT findings among TB patients with DM compared with the controls. There were no statistically significant differences in CT findings of pulmonary TB depending on the duration of DM. Bilateral pulmonary involvement, involvement of all lobes, and lymph node enlargement are significantly more common CT findings in TB patients with underlying DM than in patients without DM. Familiarity with the CT findings may be helpful to suggest prompt diagnosis of pulmonary TB in DM patients.

  18. [Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Findings in 30 patients].

    PubMed

    Villa, A M; Molina, H; Sanz, O P; Sica, R E

    1999-01-01

    Chronic demyelinating inflammatory polineuropathy (CIDP) is a disease which was recognized several years ago. However, the mechanism underlying its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Nevertheless, there are some clues which strongly suggest that it constitutes an autoimmune disease. Since 1992 we have studied 30 cases. All them were clinically assessed and submitted to laboratory investigations encompassing nerve conduction studies, sera proteins immunoelectrophoresis, spinal fluid analysis and sural nerve biopsies. Upon clinical examination the usual findings were weakness, muscle atrophy, absence or diminished tendon jerks, paresthesias and hyposthesias. Electrophysiological studies disclosed marked slowing of the nerve conduction velocities, suggesting demyelination. Sera immunoelectrophoresis detected monoclonal gammopathy in 17% of the studied patients, which was not associated with lymphoproliferative illnesses. Of the patients 79% had increased levels of spinal fluid proteins. Seventeen patients gave their consent for performing a sural nerve biopsy; all the samples showed demyelination. In conclusion, we think that CDIP is a disease which can be recognized when the clinical assessment, the nerve conduction studies and the spinal fluid findings suggest the diagnosis. Although nerve biopsy may be strongly supporting, we believe that it has to be performed only if doubts arise from the clinical, electrophysiological or spinal fluid observations. It is worth noting that its early detection may benefit the patient through the administration of the right therapy precluding the eventual sequelae of the disease.

  19. Nonsurgically retreated root filled teeth--radiographic findings after 20-27 years.

    PubMed

    Fristad, I; Molven, O; Halse, A

    2004-01-01

    To identify periapical changes in nonsurgically retreated root-filled teeth 20-27 years after root canal treatment. From an original material of 429 roots, retreated by undergraduate students in a teaching clinic, 112 roots in 70 individuals could be evaluated radiographically 20-27 years after treatment. The same roots had been studied 10-17 years earlier. The periapical condition was registered and compared by three observers in two series of intraoral radiographs taken 10-17 and 20-27 years after treatment. A retrospective analysis was performed to gain information about probable endodontic and nonendodontic reasons for extractions of lost roots, by evaluating their periapical status immediately after retreatment and at the 10-17-year follow-up. Favourable outcomes were observed in 11 roots that had radiolucencies at the 10-17-year follow-up. Eight of these roots had periapical pathosis preoperatively, five of them filled with surplus root filling material. The percentage of cases recorded as normal condition at the final follow-up was 95.5%, including five cases initially recorded with increased width of the apical periodontal space. Delayed healing as a result of surplus root filling material explained most of the cases with favourable outcome assessed many years after treatment. Twenty-eight roots were lost because of extraction during the observation period, 17 during the last 10 years. Based on status at previous follow-ups, endodontic failure seems to represent a minor reason for extraction in the material. Late periapical changes, with more successful cases, were recorded when a 10-17-year follow-up after root canal treatment was extended for another 10 years. Persistent asymptomatic periapical radiolucencies, especially those with overfill, should generally not be classified as failures, as many of them will heal after an extended observation period.

  20. Absence of clinical findings reliably excludes unstable cervical spine injuries in children 5 years or younger.

    PubMed

    Hale, Diane F; Fitzpatrick, Colleen M; Doski, John J; Stewart, Ronald M; Mueller, Deborah L

    2015-05-01

    Increased accessibility and rapidity of computed tomography (CT) have led to increased use and radiation exposure to pediatric trauma patients. The thyroid is radiosensitive and therefore at risk for developing malignancy from radiation exposure during cervical spine CT. This analysis aimed to determine which preelementary trauma patients warrant cervical spine CT by defining incidence and clinical characteristics of preelementary cervical spine injury. This was a retrospective review of pre-elementary trauma patients from 1998 to 2010 with cervical spine injury admitted to a Level I trauma center. Patients were identified from the trauma registry using DRG International Classification of Diseases-9th Rev. codes and reviewed for demographics, mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, injury location, injury type, treatment, and outcome. A total of 2,972 preelementary trauma patients were identified. Twenty-two (0.74%) had confirmed cervical spine injuries. Eleven (50%) were boys, and the mean (SD) age was 3 (1.7) years. The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (n = 16, 73%). The majority (59%) were in extremis, and 12 (55%) arrived intubated. The median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 3 (interquartile range, 3-10); the median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 33 (interquartile range, 17-56). Nineteen injuries (76%) were at the level of C4 level and higher. The mortality rate was 50%. All patients had clinical findings suggestive of or diagnostic for cervical spine injury; 18 (82%) had abnormal neurologic examination result, 2 (9%) had torticollis, and 2 (9%) had neck pain. The incidence of cervical spine injury in preelementary patients was consistent with previous reports. Missing a cervical spine injury in asymptomatic preelementary patients is extremely low. Reserving cervical spine CT to symptomatic preelementary patients would decrease unnecessary radiation exposure to the thyroid. Therapeutic study, level IV.

  1. Retrospective Conversion at a Two-Year College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krieger, Michael T.

    1982-01-01

    Findings of a project to convert a single LC class from cards to machine readable tapes at a two-year college suggest that an in-house retrospective conversion is feasible for academic libraries. A high conversion hit rate, implying minimal original cataloging, will keep project costs and duration low. There are five references. (RAA)

  2. Medical consumption and costs during a one-year follow-up of patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH in six european countries: report of the TRIUMPH study.

    PubMed

    van Exel, N J A; Koopmanschap, M A; McDonnell, J; Chapple, C R; Berges, R; Rutten, F F H

    2006-01-01

    To determine the medical consumption and associated treatment costs of patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH. A prospective, cross-sectional, observational survey in six European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, with a one-year follow-up of incident and prevalent patients. Treatment costs were estimated for 5,057 patients with a mean age of 66 years and a mean IPSS score at inclusion of 11.5. In 30% of patients watchful waiting was the therapy of choice for the full follow-up period, 57% were prescribed alpha-lockers, 11% finasteride and 10% phytotherapy at any moment during the follow-up (including switches and combination of treatment). Surgery rate was 4.9%. Mean one-year treatment costs were 858 per patient, three quarters of which concerned medication costs. Multivariate regression analysis showed that medication choice, complications and undergoing surgery were associated with higher costs. Treatment costs for patients with LUTS suggestive of BPH were moderate and largely consisted of medication costs. Daily practice and associated costs varied considerably across the six countries.

  3. Submucosal hematoma is a highly suggestive finding for amyloid light-chain amyloidosis: Two case reports

    PubMed Central

    Yoshii, Shinji; Mabe, Katsuhiro; Nosho, Katsuhiko; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Yasui, Hiroshi; Okuda, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Akira; Fujita, Masahiro; Sato, Toshihiro

    2012-01-01

    The clinical and endoscopic features of amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis are diverse and mimic various other diseases. Endoscopically, few reports on submucosal hematomas of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are available in the literature. Here, we report two cases of AL amyloidosis presenting as submucosal hematomas in the absence of clinical disease elsewhere in the body. The 2 cases were referred to our hospital because of hematochezia. The endoscopic findings in both cases were similar in submucosal hematoma formation. However, the clinical courses differed. In the first case, there was no evidence of systemic amyloidosis and the disease was conservatively managed. In the second case, the disease progressed to systemic amyloidosis and the patient died within a short time. We conclude that the endoscopic detection of a submucosal hematoma in the setting of GI bleeding should raise suspicion of AL amyloidosis. Referral to a hematologist should be done immediately for treatment while the involvement is limited to the GI tract. PMID:23125904

  4. Theory-of-Mind Development Influences Suggestibility and Source Monitoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bright-Paul, Alexandra; Jarrold, Christopher; Wright, Daniel B.

    2008-01-01

    According to the mental-state reasoning model of suggestibility, 2 components of theory of mind mediate reductions in suggestibility across the preschool years. The authors examined whether theory-of-mind performance may be legitimately separated into 2 components and explored the memory processes underlying the associations between theory of mind…

  5. Histological findings in protocol biopsies following pediatric liver transplant: Low incidence of abnormalities at 5 years.

    PubMed

    Sheikh, Amin; Chau, Kai Y; Evans, Helen M

    2018-05-11

    Histological abnormalities, including chronic hepatitis, fibrosis, and steatosis, are increasingly reported in liver biopsies of children after LT. These changes may be progressive and represent a form of rejection. Liver biochemistry is often initially normal. Our LT program began in 2002, utilizing tacrolimus and low-dose steroids for the first year post-LT. Patients undergo a protocol biopsy at 1 year post-LT prior to stopping steroids, then at 5 years and every 5 years thereafter. Target tacrolimus levels are 5-8 μg/L and 3-5 μg/L after 3 and 12 months, respectively. Between 2002 and 2009, 51 LT were performed; 50 (98%) and 49 (96%) patients survived for 1 and 5 years, respectively. A total of 43 patients (median age at LT 2.3 years) underwent a protocol biopsy at 1 year (16 male; median time post-LT 12.5 months), and 44 (20 male; median time post-LT 5.1 years) at 5 years. By 5 years, 3 had transferred to adult services; 1 was re-transplanted for graft failure and 1 moved overseas. Biopsies were reviewed by 2 pathologists. Most patients (31/44) were on tacrolimus monotherapy at 5 years. At 1 and 5 years, 29 of 43 (67.5%) and 31 of 44 (71%) biopsies were normal, respectively. Two of 44 had chronic allograft hepatitis at 5 years. Two of 43 and 1 of 44 had isolated fibrosis, 3 of 43 and 3 of 44 steatosis, and 3 of 43 and 4 of 44 acute rejection at 1 and 5 years, respectively. Other findings included predominantly biliary changes (6/43 & 3/44 at 1 and 5 years, respectively). Tacrolimus levels at 5 years were slightly higher than anticipated (median trough level 5.8 μg/L). With an immunosuppressive regimen of tacrolimus and low-dose steroids for 1 year followed by tacrolimus monotherapy thereafter, the majority of PLB were normal and no progressive changes were observed at 5 years. Compared to other LT programs, we have lower rates of chronic allograft hepatitis, steatosis, and fibrosis at 5 years. However, the tacrolimus levels at 5 years

  6. FORTY YEARS OF SCHOOL PLANT DISSERTATIONS. A REVIEW WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    CLASEN, ROBERT E.

    A BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW OF PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS RELATED TO SCHOOL PLANTS IS COMPILED BY YEARS BEGINNING WITH STUDIES PRODUCED IN 1921 AND IS CROSS INDEXED BY TOPIC. IT REVIEWS THE SCHOOL PLANT PROBLEMS MOST INVESTIGATED BY STUDENTS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCHOOL BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IS PRESENTED IN LIGHT OF CORRESPONDING ECONOMIC AND…

  7. MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, A SUGGESTED 2-YEAR POST HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

    THE PURPOSE OF THIS CURRICULUM GUIDE IS TO ASSIST ADMINISTRATORS, SUPERVISORS, AND TEACHERS TO PLAN AND DEVELOP 2-YEAR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MECHANICAL DESIGN AND PRODUCTION. TECHNICAL MATERIALS WERE DEVELOPED BY AN INSTITUTE STAFF FOR THE WISCONSIN STATE BOARD FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION UNDER CONTRACT TO THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION…

  8. Dental amalgam and cognitive function in older women: findings from the Nun Study.

    PubMed

    Saxe, S R; Snowdon, D A; Wekstein, M W; Henry, R G; Grant, F T; Donegan, S J; Wekstein, D R

    1995-11-01

    The authors determined the number and surface area of occlusal dental amalgams in a group of 129 Roman Catholic sisters who were 75 to 102 years of age. Findings from this study of women with relatively homogeneous adult lifestyles and environments suggest that existing amalgams are not associated with lower performance on eight different tests of cognitive function.

  9. Types of suggestibility: Relationships among compliance, indirect, and direct suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Polczyk, Romuald; Pasek, Tomasz

    2006-10-01

    It is commonly believed that direct suggestibility, referring to overt influence, and indirect suggestibility, in which the intention to influence is hidden, correlate poorly. This study demonstrates that they are substantially related, provided that they tap similar areas of influence. Test results from 103 students, 55 women and 48 men, were entered into regression analyses. Indirect suggestibility, as measured by the Sensory Suggestibility Scale for Groups, and compliance, measured by the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale, were predictors of direct suggestibility, assessed with the Barber Suggestibility Scale. Spectral analyses showed that indirect suggestibility is more related to difficult tasks on the BSS, but compliance is more related to easy tasks on this scale.

  10. Ten- to sixteen-year-olds' perceptions of advertisements for alcoholic drinks.

    PubMed

    Aitken, P P; Leathar, D S; Scott, A C

    1988-01-01

    Groups of children discussed a number of issues concerning advertising, including advertisements they liked and disliked. The findings suggest that advertisements for alcoholic drinks become increasingly salient and attractive over the years 10 to 14. For example, although 10-year-olds rarely mentioned advertisements for alcoholic drinks when talking about favourite television commercials, the older children tended to do so almost immediately. There were also consistent developmental trends in their descriptions of liked and disliked qualities of advertisements and of the symbolism in commercials for alcoholic drinks. Whereas the 10-year-olds' comments tended to be tied to what is specifically shown in commercials, the older children tended to go beyond this and alluded to much more complex imagery, much in the same way that adults do. For example, the 14- and 16-year-olds tended to see larger and beer commercials as promoting masculinity, sociability and working-class values. These findings indicate that advertising campaigns for alcoholic drinks aimed at older teenagers and young adults present qualities which younger teenagers find attractive. We suggest it is no longer tenable for advertisers to absolve themselves of any responsibility by saying that advertisements for alcoholic drinks are targeted only at adults.

  11. Sound effects: Multimodal input helps infants find displaced objects.

    PubMed

    Shinskey, Jeanne L

    2017-09-01

    Before 9 months, infants use sound to retrieve a stationary object hidden by darkness but not one hidden by occlusion, suggesting auditory input is more salient in the absence of visual input. This article addresses how audiovisual input affects 10-month-olds' search for displaced objects. In AB tasks, infants who previously retrieved an object at A subsequently fail to find it after it is displaced to B, especially following a delay between hiding and retrieval. Experiment 1 manipulated auditory input by keeping the hidden object audible versus silent, and visual input by presenting the delay in the light versus dark. Infants succeeded more at B with audible than silent objects and, unexpectedly, more after delays in the light than dark. Experiment 2 presented both the delay and search phases in darkness. The unexpected light-dark difference disappeared. Across experiments, the presence of auditory input helped infants find displaced objects, whereas the absence of visual input did not. Sound might help by strengthening object representation, reducing memory load, or focusing attention. This work provides new evidence on when bimodal input aids object processing, corroborates claims that audiovisual processing improves over the first year of life, and contributes to multisensory approaches to studying cognition. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject Before 9 months, infants use sound to retrieve a stationary object hidden by darkness but not one hidden by occlusion. This suggests they find auditory input more salient in the absence of visual input in simple search tasks. After 9 months, infants' object processing appears more sensitive to multimodal (e.g., audiovisual) input. What does this study add? This study tested how audiovisual input affects 10-month-olds' search for an object displaced in an AB task. Sound helped infants find displaced objects in both the presence and absence of visual input. Object processing becomes more

  12. DEVELOPMENT OF CHINESE HEALTH LAW: OVERVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS.

    PubMed

    Liu, Kai; Tang, Daolu

    2014-07-01

    Health law is a rapidly developing law specialty in China. This article examines the current overall framework and evolution of Chinese health law, as a background to an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of this legal regime. Research suggests that: 1) The independent status of Chinese health law as jurisprudence and a specialty ought to be assured altogether; 2) The convergence between health law and other laws should be strengthened; 3) The current Chinese health law framework ought to be completed. This suggests the necessity to find ways to improve the independence of health law in China by eliminating the convergence and completing the legal framework.

  13. The Impact of First-Year Seminars on College Students' Life-Long Learning Orientations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Padgett, Ryan D.; Keup, Jennifer R.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

    2013-01-01

    Using longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, this study measured the impact of first-year seminars on college students' life-long learning orientations. The findings suggest that first-year seminars enhance students' life-long learning orientations and that the effect of first-year seminars is mediated through…

  14. How do adolescent girls and boys perceive symptoms suggestive of endometriosis among their peers? Findings from focus group discussions in New York City

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Jhumka; Cardoso, Lauren F; Harris, Courtney S; Dance, Arielle D; Seckin, Tamer; Baker, Nina; Ferguson, Yvonne O

    2018-01-01

    Objective Symptoms of endometriosis, including pelvic pain, back and nerve pain, and gastrointestinal pain, often begin in adolescence. Yet, research on the experience of these debilitating symptoms among young people is scarce. Of particular concern is the influence of adolescent girls’ social context. This study qualitatively examined how, among adolescents, endometriosis and symptoms suggestive of endometriosis is perceived at the family, peer/school and community/society levels. Design Eight focus groups were conducted; vignettes were used to elicit participants’ perceptions of factors that may shape girls’ experiences of endometriosis. Data were analysed using constant comparison analysis. Participants An ethnically diverse sample of girls and boys ages 14–18 (n=54) residing in New York City. Results Fifteen themes emerged and were distilled to eight cross-cutting factors that influence perceptions of endometriosis at different levels of the ecological model: distrust of community healthcare providers, societal stigma of menstruation, peer stigma of endometriosis symptoms, distrust of school healthcare providers, lack of endometriosis knowledge among peers and school personnel, inequitable gender norms, invisibility of symptoms and the stigma of teen sex among parents. Further, these factors may compound symptoms’ impact on individual girl’s social, educational and emotional well-being. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of understanding the social environment of girls experiencing symptoms suggestive of endometriosis and educating and engaging their peers, family and school personnel to create a supportive, informed social climate. Efforts should specifically include stigma reduction campaigns targeted towards female and male adolescents. PMID:29866728

  15. 1981-1982 Evaluation Findings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin Independent School District, TX. Office of Research and Evaluation.

    The findings in evaluation and testing activities of the Austin Independent School District (AISD) during the 1981-82 school year are summarized. The first section, "1982 at a Glance," discusses the evaluation findings as a whole. Final reports and abstracts of related reports on achievement test results are presented for the district…

  16. Engaging students in learning: findings from a study of project-led education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandes, Sandra; Mesquita, Diana; Assunção Flores, Maria; Lima, Rui M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on findings from a three-year study of project-based learning implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme, at the University of Minho, Portugal. This particular model was inspired on project-led education (PLE), following Powell and Weenk's [2003. Project-Led Engineering Education. Utrecht: Lemma] work. It aims to analyse students' perceptions of PLE as a learning device and its implications for faculty and students' role in teaching and learning. Data collection took place in two phases through individual surveys and focus groups to students. Findings suggest the importance of PLE as a device to enhance meaningful learning and provide evidence from students that it helps to increase their engagement in learning. Implications of PLE for faculty and students role in teaching and learning will be discussed in the paper.

  17. Finding More Time.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fuery, Carol

    1985-01-01

    Suggests ways for English teachers to use their time more efficiently that include finding a quiet place at school to work, working after school, using a grade-scanner, sharing materials with other teachers, and making lists of tasks arranged in order of importance. (EL)

  18. Enhancement of suggestibility and imaginative ability with nitrous oxide.

    PubMed

    Whalley, M G; Brooks, G B

    2009-05-01

    Imaginative suggestibility, a trait closely related to hypnotic suggestibility, is modifiable under some circumstances. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is commonly used for sedation in dentistry and is reported to be more effective when combined with appropriate suggestions. The aim of this study was to determine whether nitrous oxide inhalation alters imaginative suggestibility and imagery vividness. Thirty participants were tested twice in a within-subjects design, once during inhalation of 25% nitrous oxide and once during inhalation of air plus oxygen. Before the study, participants' expectancies regarding the effects of nitrous oxide were assessed. Participants were blinded to drug administration. During each session, participants were verbally administered detailed measures of imagination and suggestibility: the Sheehan-Betts Quality of Mental Imagery scale and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form C, minus the hypnotic induction. Imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability (imagery vividness) were both elevated in the nitrous oxide condition. This effect was unrelated to participants' expectations regarding the effects of the drug. Nitrous oxide increased imaginative suggestibility and imaginative ability. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed with respect to the effects of N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonists and to other pharmacological effects upon suggestibility and imagination.

  19. Structural and Functional Cerebral Correlates of Hypnotic Suggestibility

    PubMed Central

    Huber, Alexa; Lui, Fausta; Duzzi, Davide; Pagnoni, Giuseppe; Porro, Carlo Adolfo

    2014-01-01

    Little is known about the neural bases of hypnotic suggestibility, a cognitive trait referring to the tendency to respond to hypnotic suggestions. In the present magnetic resonance imaging study, we performed regression analyses to assess hypnotic suggestibility-related differences in local gray matter volume, using voxel-based morphometry, and in waking resting state functional connectivity of 10 resting state networks, in 37 healthy women. Hypnotic suggestibility was positively correlated with gray matter volume in portions of the left superior and medial frontal gyri, roughly overlapping with the supplementary and pre-supplementary motor area, and negatively correlated with gray matter volume in the left superior temporal gyrus and insula. In the functional connectivity analysis, hypnotic suggestibility was positively correlated with functional connectivity between medial posterior areas, including bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus, and both the lateral visual network and the left fronto-parietal network; a positive correlation was also found with functional connectivity between the executive-control network and a right postcentral/parietal area. In contrast, hypnotic suggestibility was negatively correlated with functional connectivity between the right fronto-parietal network and the right lateral thalamus. These findings demonstrate for the first time a correlation between hypnotic suggestibility, the structural features of specific cortical regions, and the functional connectivity during the normal resting state of brain structures involved in imagery and self-monitoring activity. PMID:24671130

  20. Structural and functional cerebral correlates of hypnotic suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Huber, Alexa; Lui, Fausta; Duzzi, Davide; Pagnoni, Giuseppe; Porro, Carlo Adolfo

    2014-01-01

    Little is known about the neural bases of hypnotic suggestibility, a cognitive trait referring to the tendency to respond to hypnotic suggestions. In the present magnetic resonance imaging study, we performed regression analyses to assess hypnotic suggestibility-related differences in local gray matter volume, using voxel-based morphometry, and in waking resting state functional connectivity of 10 resting state networks, in 37 healthy women. Hypnotic suggestibility was positively correlated with gray matter volume in portions of the left superior and medial frontal gyri, roughly overlapping with the supplementary and pre-supplementary motor area, and negatively correlated with gray matter volume in the left superior temporal gyrus and insula. In the functional connectivity analysis, hypnotic suggestibility was positively correlated with functional connectivity between medial posterior areas, including bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus, and both the lateral visual network and the left fronto-parietal network; a positive correlation was also found with functional connectivity between the executive-control network and a right postcentral/parietal area. In contrast, hypnotic suggestibility was negatively correlated with functional connectivity between the right fronto-parietal network and the right lateral thalamus. These findings demonstrate for the first time a correlation between hypnotic suggestibility, the structural features of specific cortical regions, and the functional connectivity during the normal resting state of brain structures involved in imagery and self-monitoring activity.

  1. The functional anatomy of suggested limb paralysis.

    PubMed

    Deeley, Quinton; Oakley, David A; Toone, Brian; Bell, Vaughan; Walsh, Eamonn; Marquand, Andre F; Giampietro, Vincent; Brammer, Michael J; Williams, Steven C R; Mehta, Mitul A; Halligan, Peter W

    2013-02-01

    Suggestions of limb paralysis in highly hypnotically suggestible subjects have been employed to successfully model conversion disorders, revealing similar patterns of brain activation associated with attempted movement of the affected limb. However, previous studies differ with regard to the executive regions involved during involuntary inhibition of the affected limb. This difference may have arisen as previous studies did not control for differences in hypnosis depth between conditions and/or include subjective measures to explore the experience of suggested paralysis. In the current study we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the functional anatomy of left and right upper limb movements in eight healthy subjects selected for high hypnotic suggestibility during (i) hypnosis (NORMAL) and (ii) attempted movement following additional left upper limb paralysis suggestions (PARALYSIS). Contrast of left upper limb motor function during NORMAL relative to PARALYSIS conditions revealed greater activation of contralateral M1/S1 and ipsilateral cerebellum, consistent with the engagement of these regions in the completion of movements. By contrast, two significant observations were noted in PARALYSIS relative to NORMAL conditions. In conjunction with reports of attempts to move the paralysed limb, greater supplementary motor area (SMA) activation was observed, a finding consistent with the role of SMA in motor intention and planning. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, BA 24) was also significantly more active in PARALYSIS relative to NORMAL conditions - suggesting that ACC (BA 24) may be implicated in involuntary, as well as voluntary inhibition of prepotent motor responses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Do MRI Findings Change Over a Period of Up to 1 Year in Patients With Low Back Pain and/or Sciatica?: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Panagopoulos, John; Hush, Julia; Steffens, Daniel; Hancock, Mark J

    2017-04-01

    Systematic review OBJECTIVE.: The aim of the study was to investigate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings change over a relatively short period of time (<1 yr) in people with low back pain (LBP) or sciatica. We also investigated whether there was an association between any change in MRI findings and change in clinical outcomes. MRI offers the potential to identify possible pathoanatomic sources of LBP and/or sciatica; however, the clinical importance of MRI findings remains unclear. Little is known about whether lumbar MRI findings change over the short term and if so whether these changes are associated with changes in clinical outcomes. Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases were searched. Included were cohort studies that performed repeat MRI scans within 12 months in patients with LBP and/or sciatica. Data on study characteristics and change in MRI findings were extracted from included studies. Any data describing associations between change in MRI findings and change in clinical outcomes were also extracted. A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Pooling was not possible due to heterogeneity of studies and findings. Seven studies reported on changes in disc herniation and reported 15% to 93% of herniations reduced or disappeared in size. Two studies reported on changes in nerve root compression and reported 17% to 91% reduced or disappeared. Only one study reported on the association between change in MRI findings and change in clinical outcomes within 1 year, and found no association. This review found moderate evidence that the natural course of herniations and nerve root compression is favorable over a 1-year period in people with sciatica or LBP. There is a lack of evidence on whether other MRI findings change, and whether changes in MRI findings are associated with changes in clinical outcomes. 1.

  3. Frequent binge drinking five to six years after exposure to 9/11: Findings from the World Trade Center Health Registry

    PubMed Central

    Welch, Alice E.; Caramanica, Kimberly; Maslow, Carey B.; Cone, James E.; Farfel, Mark R.; Keyes, Katherine M.; Stellman, Steven D.; Hasin, Deborah S.

    2014-01-01

    Background Exposure to 9/11 may have considerable long-term impact on health behaviors, including increased alcohol consumption. We examined the association between frequent binge drinking, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and number of 9/11-specific experiences among World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) enrollees five-to-six years after 9/11. Methods Participants included 41,284 lower Manhattan residents, workers, passers-by, and rescue/recovery workers aged 18 or older without a pre-9/11 PTSD diagnosis who completed Wave 1 (2003–2004) and Wave 2 (2006–2007) interviews. Frequent binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks on five or more occasions in the prior 30 days at Wave 2. Probable PTSD was defined as scoring 44 or greater on the PTSD Checklist. 9/11 exposure was measured as the sum of 12 experiences and grouped as none/low (0–1), medium (2–3), high (4–5) and very high (6+). Results Frequent binge drinking was significantly associated with increasing 9/11 exposure and PTSD. Those with very high and high exposures had a higher prevalence of frequent binge drinking (13.7% and 9.8%, respectively) than those with medium and low exposures (7.5% and 4.4%, respectively). Upon stratification, very high and high exposures were associated with frequent binge drinking in both the PTSD and no PTSD subgroups. Conclusions Our findings suggest that 9/11 exposure had an impact on frequent binge drinking five-to-six years later among Registry enrollees. Understanding the effects of traumatic exposure on alcohol use is important to identify risk factors for post-disaster alcohol misuse, inform policy, and improve post-disaster psychological and alcohol screening and counseling. PMID:24831753

  4. Prognostic value of coronary computed tomographic angiography findings in asymptomatic individuals: a 6-year follow-up from the prospective multicentre international CONFIRM study.

    PubMed

    Cho, Iksung; Al'Aref, Subhi J; Berger, Adam; Ó Hartaigh, Bríain; Gransar, Heidi; Valenti, Valentina; Lin, Fay Y; Achenbach, Stephan; Berman, Daniel S; Budoff, Matthew J; Callister, Tracy Q; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H; Cademartiri, Filippo; Chinnaiyan, Kavitha; Chow, Benjamin J W; DeLago, Augustin; Villines, Todd C; Hadamitzky, Martin; Hausleiter, Joerg; Leipsic, Jonathon; Shaw, Leslee J; Kaufmann, Philipp A; Feuchtner, Gudrun; Kim, Yong-Jin; Maffei, Erica; Raff, Gilbert; Pontone, Gianluca; Andreini, Daniele; Marques, Hugo; Rubinshtein, Ronen; Chang, Hyuk-Jae; Min, James K

    2018-03-14

    The long-term prognostic benefit of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) findings of coronary artery disease (CAD) in asymptomatic populations is unknown. From the prospective multicentre international CONFIRM long-term study, we evaluated asymptomatic subjects without known CAD who underwent both coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) and CCTA (n = 1226). Coronary computed tomographic angiography findings included the severity of coronary artery stenosis, plaque composition, and coronary segment location. Using the C-statistic and likelihood ratio tests, we evaluated the incremental prognostic utility of CCTA findings over a base model that included a panel of traditional risk factors (RFs) as well as CACS to predict long-term all-cause mortality. During a mean follow-up of 5.9 ± 1.2 years, 78 deaths occurred. Compared with the traditional RF alone (C-statistic 0.64), CCTA findings including coronary stenosis severity, plaque composition, and coronary segment location demonstrated improved incremental prognostic utility beyond traditional RF alone (C-statistics range 0.71-0.73, all P < 0.05; incremental χ2 range 20.7-25.5, all P < 0.001). However, no added prognostic benefit was offered by CCTA findings when added to a base model containing both traditional RF and CACS (C-statistics P > 0.05, for all). Coronary computed tomographic angiography improved prognostication of 6-year all-cause mortality beyond a set of conventional RF alone, although, no further incremental value was offered by CCTA when CCTA findings were added to a model incorporating RF and CACS.

  5. A 3-year serological and virological cattle follow-up in Madagascar highlands suggests a non-classical transmission route of Rift Valley fever virus.

    PubMed

    Nicolas, Gaëlle; Durand, Benoit; Rakotoarimanana, Tafika Tojofaniry; Lacote, Sandra; Chevalier, Véronique; Marianneau, Philippe

    2014-02-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne infection of livestock and human which causes a potentially severe disease. In 2008-2009, a RVF outbreak occurred in a temperate and mountainous area located on the highlands of Madagascar. A three-year cattle follow-up (2009-2011) was conducted in a pilot area of this highland. A seroprevalence rate of 28% was estimated in 2009 and a seroconversion rate of 7% in 2009-2010. A third cross-sectional survey showed a seroconversion rate of 14% in 2010-2011. In 2011 the longitudinal study suggested a RVFV circulation during the year. In this area where vectors density is low and cattle exchanges are linked to the virus local spread, we raise hypotheses that may explain the local persistence of the virus.

  6. Age and interviewer behavior as predictors of interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Dukala, Karolina; Polczyk, Romuald

    2014-05-01

    The main objective was to explore the influence of interviewer behavior-abrupt versus friendly-and the age of participants on interrogative suggestibility. The study involved 42 young adults and 50 elderly participants. The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 2 was used. Data analysis involved a 2-factor between-subjects design (interviewer behavior × age) and mediation analysis. The scores of elderly participants were significantly lower than younger adults on memory indices and significantly higher on some suggestibility indexes. Some suggestibility indices in the abrupt experimental condition were higher than those in the friendly experimental condition. Elderly participants who were interviewed under the abrupt condition were more likely to change their answers after receiving negative feedback than younger adults. Memory quality was a mediator of the relationship between age and the tendency to yield to suggestive questions. Self-appraisal of memory was a mediator between both age and interviewer behavior and the tendency to change answers after negative feedback. Mechanisms of the relationship between age, interviewer behavior, and suggestibility are discussed on the basis of the mediational analyses. The findings suggest that a friendly manner should be adopted when interrogating witnesses.

  7. How do adolescent girls and boys perceive symptoms suggestive of endometriosis among their peers? Findings from focus group discussions in New York City.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Jhumka; Cardoso, Lauren F; Harris, Courtney S; Dance, Arielle D; Seckin, Tamer; Baker, Nina; Ferguson, Yvonne O

    2018-06-04

    Symptoms of endometriosis, including pelvic pain, back and nerve pain, and gastrointestinal pain, often begin in adolescence. Yet, research on the experience of these debilitating symptoms among young people is scarce. Of particular concern is the influence of adolescent girls' social context. This study qualitatively examined how, among adolescents, endometriosis and symptoms suggestive of endometriosis is perceived at the family, peer/school and community/society levels. Eight focus groups were conducted; vignettes were used to elicit participants' perceptions of factors that may shape girls' experiences of endometriosis. Data were analysed using constant comparison analysis. An ethnically diverse sample of girls and boys ages 14-18 (n=54) residing in New York City. Fifteen themes emerged and were distilled to eight cross-cutting factors that influence perceptions of endometriosis at different levels of the ecological model: distrust of community healthcare providers, societal stigma of menstruation, peer stigma of endometriosis symptoms, distrust of school healthcare providers, lack of endometriosis knowledge among peers and school personnel, inequitable gender norms, invisibility of symptoms and the stigma of teen sex among parents. Further, these factors may compound symptoms' impact on individual girl's social, educational and emotional well-being. Findings underscore the importance of understanding the social environment of girls experiencing symptoms suggestive of endometriosis and educating and engaging their peers, family and school personnel to create a supportive, informed social climate. Efforts should specifically include stigma reduction campaigns targeted towards female and male adolescents. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  8. Analysis of Human Rotaviruses from a Single Location Over an 18-Year Time Span Suggests that Protein Coadaption Influences Gene Constellations

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Shu; McDonald, Paul W.; Thompson, Travis A.; Dennis, Allison F.; Akopov, Asmik; Kirkness, Ewen F.; Patton, John T.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Rotaviruses (RVs) are 11-segmented, double-stranded RNA viruses that cause severe gastroenteritis in children. In addition to an error-prone genome replication mechanism, RVs can increase their genetic diversity by reassorting genes during host coinfection. Such exchanges allow RVs to acquire advantageous genes and adapt in the face of selective pressures. However, reassortment may also impose fitness costs if it unlinks genes/proteins that have accumulated compensatory, coadaptive mutations and that operate best when kept together. To better understand human RV evolutionary dynamics, we analyzed the genome sequences of 135 strains (genotype G1/G3/G4-P[8]-I1-C1-R1-A1-N1-T1-E1-H1) that were collected at a single location in Washington, DC, during the years 1974 to 1991. Intragenotypic phylogenetic trees were constructed for each viral gene using the nucleotide sequences, thereby defining novel allele level gene constellations (GCs) and illuminating putative reassortment events. The results showed that RVs with distinct GCs cocirculated during the vast majority of the collection years and that some of these GCs persisted in the community unchanged by reassortment. To investigate the influence of protein coadaptation on GC maintenance, we performed a mutual information-based analysis of the concatenated amino acid sequences and identified an extensive covariance network. Unexpectedly, amino acid covariation was highest between VP4 and VP2, which are structural components of the RV virion that are not thought to directly interact. These results suggest that GCs may be influenced by the selective constraints placed on functionally coadapted, albeit noninteracting, viral proteins. This work raises important questions about mutation-reassortment interplay and its impact on human RV evolution. IMPORTANCE Rotaviruses are devastating human pathogens that cause severe diarrhea and kill >450,000 children each year. The virus can evolve by accumulating mutations and by

  9. Theories of Suggestion.

    PubMed

    Brown, W

    1928-02-01

    The word "suggestion" has been used in educational, scientific and medical literature in slightly different senses. In psychological medicine the use of suggestion has developed out of the earlier use of hypnotic influence.Charcot defined hypnosis as an artificial hysteria, Bernheim as an artificially increased suggestibility. The two definitions need to be combined to give an adequate account of hypnosis. Moreover, due allowance should be made for the factors of dissociation and of rapport in hypnotic phenomena.The relationships between dissociation, suggestibility, and hypnotizability.Theories of suggestion propounded by Pierre Janet, Freud, McDougall, Pawlow and others. Ernest Jones's theory of the nature of auto-suggestion. Janet explains suggestion in terms of ideo-motor action in which the suggested idea, because of the inactivity of competing ideas, produces its maximum effect. Freud explains rapport in terms of the sex instinct "inhibited in its aim" (transference) and brings in his distinction of "ego" and "ego-ideal" (or "super-ego") to supplement the theory. Jones explains auto-suggestion in terms of narcissism. McDougall explains hypnotic suggestion in terms of the instinct of self-abasement. But different instincts may supply the driving power to produce suggestion-effects in different circumstances. Such instincts as those of self-preservation (fear) and gregariousness may play their part. Auto-suggestion as a therapeutic factor is badly named. It supplements, but does not supplant the will, and makes complete volition possible.

  10. Carcinosarcoma of the Extrahepatic Bile Duct Presenting with Stone-like Radiological Findings.

    PubMed

    Kumei, Shinsuke; Onishi, Yutaka; Ogura, Takeshi; Kusumoto, Chosei; Matsuno, Yasuko; Nishigami, Takashi; Maeda, Mitsuo; Harada, Masaru

    2015-01-01

    A 73-year-old woman was referred to our hospital due to epigastralgia and jaundice. The radiological findings showed a stone-like tumor in the extrahepatic bile duct. The patient was initially thought to have adenocarcinoma of the bile duct based on the findings of a pathological examination of the bile duct biopsy specimen and underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy; the final diagnosis of the lesion was so-called carcinosarcoma of the extrahepatic bile duct. She died of liver metastasis six months after the surgery. This case suggests that surgical resection is not adequate for achieving a radical cure, and the optimal treatment for extrahepatic bile duct carcinosarcoma should be established immediately.

  11. Managing Incidental Findings and Research Results in Genomic Research Involving Biobanks & Archived Datasets

    PubMed Central

    Wolf, Susan M.; Crock, Brittney N.; Van Ness, Brian; Lawrenz, Frances; Kahn, Jeffrey P.; Beskow, Laura M.; Cho, Mildred K.; Christman, Michael F.; Green, Robert C.; Hall, Ralph; Illes, Judy; Keane, Moira; Knoppers, Bartha M.; Koenig, Barbara A.; Kohane, Isaac S.; LeRoy, Bonnie; Maschke, Karen J.; McGeveran, William; Ossorio, Pilar; Parker, Lisa S.; Petersen, Gloria M.; Richardson, Henry S.; Scott, Joan A.; Terry, Sharon F.; Wilfond, Benjamin S.; Wolf, Wendy A.

    2013-01-01

    Biobanks and archived datasets collecting samples and data have become crucial engines of genetic and genomic research. Unresolved, however, is what responsibilities biobanks should shoulder to manage incidental findings (IFs) and individual research results (IRRs) of potential health, reproductive, or personal importance to individual contributors (using “biobank” here to refer to both collections of samples and collections of data). This paper reports recommendations from a 2-year, NIH-funded project. The authors analyze responsibilities to manage return of IFs and IRRs in a biobank research system (primary research or collection sites, the biobank itself, and secondary research sites). They suggest that biobanks shoulder significant responsibility for seeing that the biobank research system addresses the return question explicitly. When re-identification of individual contributors is possible, the biobank should work to enable the biobank research system to discharge four core responsibilities: to (1) clarify the criteria for evaluating findings and roster of returnable findings, (2) analyze a particular finding in relation to this, (3) re-identify the individual contributor, and (4) recontact the contributor to offer the finding. The authors suggest that findings that are analytically valid, reveal an established and substantial risk of a serious health condition, and that are clinically actionable should generally be offered to consenting contributors. The paper specifies 10 concrete recommendations, addressing new biobanks and biobanks already in existence. PMID:22436882

  12. Animal Rights: Selected Resources and Suggestions for Further Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidoff, Donald J.

    1989-01-01

    Presents an annotated list of selected resources intended to serve as a guide to the growing amount of material on animal rights. Suggestions to aid in additional research include subject headings used to find books, indexes used to locate periodical articles, sources for locating organizations, and a selected list of animal rights organizations.…

  13. Theories of Suggestion

    PubMed Central

    Brown, William

    1928-01-01

    The word “suggestion” has been used in educational, scientific and medical literature in slightly different senses. In psychological medicine the use of suggestion has developed out of the earlier use of hypnotic influence. Charcot defined hypnosis as an artificial hysteria, Bernheim as an artificially increased suggestibility. The two definitions need to be combined to give an adequate account of hypnosis. Moreover, due allowance should be made for the factors of dissociation and of rapport in hypnotic phenomena. The relationships between dissociation, suggestibility, and hypnotizability. Theories of suggestion propounded by Pierre Janet, Freud, McDougall, Pawlow and others. Ernest Jones's theory of the nature of auto-suggestion. Janet explains suggestion in terms of ideo-motor action in which the suggested idea, because of the inactivity of competing ideas, produces its maximum effect. Freud explains rapport in terms of the sex instinct “inhibited in its aim” (transference) and brings in his distinction of “ego” and “ego-ideal” (or “super-ego”) to supplement the theory. Jones explains auto-suggestion in terms of narcissism. McDougall explains hypnotic suggestion in terms of the instinct of self-abasement. But different instincts may supply the driving power to produce suggestion-effects in different circumstances. Such instincts as those of self-preservation (fear) and gregariousness may play their part. Auto-suggestion as a therapeutic factor is badly named. It supplements, but does not supplant the will, and makes complete volition possible. PMID:19986306

  14. Cystinosis Presenting with Findings of Bartter Syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Özkan, Behzat; Çayır, Atilla; Koşan, Celalettin; Alp, Handan

    2011-01-01

    A five-year-old boy was referred to our pediatric clinic for evaluation of failure to thrive, headache, intermittent high fever, restlessness, polyuria, and polydipsia. His weight and height measurements were under the 3rd percentile. Clinical findings consisted of frontal bossing, carious teeth, O-bain deformity of the lower extremities, and moderate dehydration. The presence of metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, and high renin and aldosterone levels were suggestive of Bartter syndrome and a treatment regimen for Bartter syndrome was started. At follow-up, the polyuria and hyponatremia were found to persist. A reassessment of the patient revealed findings consistent with proximal renal tubular acidosis such as metabolic acidosis with a high urinary pH, proteinuria, aminoaciduria with phosphaturia and hypercalciuria. Based on the presence of parental consanguinity as well as polyuria, proteinuria, low tubular reabsorption of phosphorus, generalized aminoaciduria, light yellow skin and hair color, the probable diagnosis of cystinosis was established and was confirmed by slit-lamp examination of the cornea showing cystine crystal deposition. Our case is a good example demonstrating that development of metabolic alkalosis does not exclude cystinosis and that all findings of the patient should be thoroughly evaluated. Conflict of interest:None declared. PMID:21750641

  15. Cystinosis presenting with findings of Bartter syndrome.

    PubMed

    Özkan, Behzat; Çayır, Atilla; Koşan, Celalettin; Alp, Handan

    2011-01-01

    A five-year-old boy was referred to our pediatric clinic for evaluation of failure to thrive, headache, intermittent high fever, restlessness, polyuria, and polydipsia. His weight and height measurements were under the 3rd percentile. Clinical findings consisted of frontal bossing, carious teeth, O-bain deformity of the lower extremities, and moderate dehydration. The presence of metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, and high renin and aldosterone levels were suggestive of Bartter syndrome and a treatment regimen for Bartter syndrome was started. At follow-up, the polyuria and hyponatremia were found to persist. A reassessment of the patient revealed findings consistent with proximal renal tubular acidosis such as metabolic acidosis with a high urinary pH, proteinuria, aminoaciduria with phosphaturia and hypercalciuria. Based on the presence of parental consanguinity as well as polyuria, proteinuria, low tubular reabsorption of phosphorus, generalized aminoaciduria, light yellow skin and hair color, the probable diagnosis of cystinosis was established and was confirmed by slit-lamp examination of the cornea showing cystine crystal deposition. Our case is a good example demonstrating that development of metabolic alkalosis does not exclude cystinosis and that all findings of the patient should be thoroughly evaluated. ©Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology, Published by Galenos Publishing.

  16. Inoculating against eyewitness suggestibility via interpolated verbatim vs. gist testing.

    PubMed

    Pansky, Ainat; Tenenboim, Einat

    2011-01-01

    In real-life situations, eyewitnesses often have control over the level of generality in which they choose to report event information. In the present study, we adopted an early-intervention approach to investigate to what extent eyewitness memory may be inoculated against suggestibility, following two different levels of interpolated reporting: verbatim and gist. After viewing a target event, participants responded to interpolated questions that required reporting of target details at either the verbatim or the gist level. After 48 hr, both groups of participants were misled about half of the target details and were finally tested for verbatim memory of all the details. The findings were consistent with our predictions: Whereas verbatim testing was successful in completely inoculating against suggestibility, gist testing did not reduce it whatsoever. These findings are particularly interesting in light of the comparable testing effects found for these two modes of interpolated testing.

  17. Open to Suggestion.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Journal of Reading, 1987

    1987-01-01

    Offers (1) suggestions for improving college students' study skills; (2) a system for keeping track of parent, teacher, and community contacts; (3) suggestions for motivating students using tic tac toe; (4) suggestions for using etymology to improve word retention; (5) a word search grid; and (6) suggestions for using postcards in remedial reading…

  18. Maltreated children's memory: accuracy, suggestibility, and psychopathology.

    PubMed

    Eisen, Mitchell L; Goodman, Gail S; Qin, Jianjian; Davis, Suzanne; Crayton, John

    2007-11-01

    Memory, suggestibility, stress arousal, and trauma-related psychopathology were examined in 328 3- to 16-year-olds involved in forensic investigations of abuse and neglect. Children's memory and suggestibility were assessed for a medical examination and venipuncture. Being older and scoring higher in cognitive functioning were related to fewer inaccuracies. In addition, cortisol level and trauma symptoms in children who reported more dissociative tendencies were associated with increased memory error, whereas cortisol level and trauma symptoms were not associated with increased error for children who reported fewer dissociative tendencies. Sexual and/or physical abuse predicted greater accuracy. The study contributes important new information to scientific understanding of maltreatment, psychopathology, and eyewitness memory in children. (c) 2007 APA.

  19. Three-dimensional preservation of cellular and subcellular structures suggests 1.6 billion-year-old crown-group red algae

    PubMed Central

    Bengtson, Stefan; Sallstedt, Therese; Belivanova, Veneta; Whitehouse, Martin

    2017-01-01

    The ~1.6 Ga Tirohan Dolomite of the Lower Vindhyan in central India contains phosphatized stromatolitic microbialites. We report from there uniquely well-preserved fossils interpreted as probable crown-group rhodophytes (red algae). The filamentous form Rafatazmia chitrakootensis n. gen, n. sp. has uniserial rows of large cells and grows through diffusely distributed septation. Each cell has a centrally suspended, conspicuous rhomboidal disk interpreted as a pyrenoid. The septa between the cells have central structures that may represent pit connections and pit plugs. Another filamentous form, Denaricion mendax n. gen., n. sp., has coin-like cells reminiscent of those in large sulfur-oxidizing bacteria but much more recalcitrant than the liquid-vacuole-filled cells of the latter. There are also resemblances with oscillatoriacean cyanobacteria, although cell volumes in the latter are much smaller. The wider affinities of Denaricion are uncertain. Ramathallus lobatus n. gen., n. sp. is a lobate sessile alga with pseudoparenchymatous thallus, “cell fountains,” and apical growth, suggesting florideophycean affinity. If these inferences are correct, Rafatazmia and Ramathallus represent crown-group multicellular rhodophytes, antedating the oldest previously accepted red alga in the fossil record by about 400 million years. PMID:28291791

  20. Three-dimensional preservation of cellular and subcellular structures suggests 1.6 billion-year-old crown-group red algae.

    PubMed

    Bengtson, Stefan; Sallstedt, Therese; Belivanova, Veneta; Whitehouse, Martin

    2017-03-01

    The ~1.6 Ga Tirohan Dolomite of the Lower Vindhyan in central India contains phosphatized stromatolitic microbialites. We report from there uniquely well-preserved fossils interpreted as probable crown-group rhodophytes (red algae). The filamentous form Rafatazmia chitrakootensis n. gen, n. sp. has uniserial rows of large cells and grows through diffusely distributed septation. Each cell has a centrally suspended, conspicuous rhomboidal disk interpreted as a pyrenoid. The septa between the cells have central structures that may represent pit connections and pit plugs. Another filamentous form, Denaricion mendax n. gen., n. sp., has coin-like cells reminiscent of those in large sulfur-oxidizing bacteria but much more recalcitrant than the liquid-vacuole-filled cells of the latter. There are also resemblances with oscillatoriacean cyanobacteria, although cell volumes in the latter are much smaller. The wider affinities of Denaricion are uncertain. Ramathallus lobatus n. gen., n. sp. is a lobate sessile alga with pseudoparenchymatous thallus, "cell fountains," and apical growth, suggesting florideophycean affinity. If these inferences are correct, Rafatazmia and Ramathallus represent crown-group multicellular rhodophytes, antedating the oldest previously accepted red alga in the fossil record by about 400 million years.

  1. Suggestibility in neglected children: The influence of intelligence, language, and social skills.

    PubMed

    Benedan, Laura; Powell, Martine B; Zajac, Rachel; Lum, Jarrad A G; Snow, Pamela

    2018-05-01

    We administered the GSS-2, a standardised measure of suggestibility, to 5- to 12-year-old children to ascertain whether neglected children's responses to leading questions distinguish them from those of their non-neglected counterparts. Neglected children (n = 75) were more likely than an age-matched sample of non-neglected children (n = 75) to yield to leading questions, despite no difference in their ability to recall the test stimuli. Subsequent collection of individual difference data from the neglected sample revealed that this effect could not be attributed to intelligence, language ability, problem behaviours, age at onset of neglect, or time spent in out-of-home care. With respect to social skill, however, suggestibility was positively correlated with communicative skill, and marginally positively correlated with assertion and engagement. While on the surface our social skills findings seem counter-intuitive, it is possible that maltreated children with relative strengths in these areas have learned to comply with adults in their environment as a way to protect themselves or even foster belonging. Our data, while preliminary, raise interesting questions about whether targeted interventions could help these children to more actively participate in decisions about their lives. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Benefit finding in response to general life stress: measurement and correlates

    PubMed Central

    Cassidy, Tony; McLaughlin, Marian; Giles, Melanie

    2014-01-01

    Benefit finding herein defined as “the process of deriving positive growth from adversity” has become a key construct in the evolution of positive psychology, and research suggests that it may provide the basis for a resource model of stress and coping. However, measures of benefit finding have tended to be domain specific. The current study focused on developing a more generic multidimensional measure of benefit finding. A measure of benefit finding was developed and tested in 855 students (574 females and 281 males) aged between 18 and 40 years. A 28-item scale with six dimensions was produced and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the scale structure. The model proposed that psychological and social resources would mediate the relationship between experienced stressors and benefit finding. Structural equation modelling with Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) shows that the model is a good fit for the data and psychological and social resources partially mediated the relationship. It is argued that psychological and social resources enable benefit finding in relation to life stress and provide a focus for the development of preventive interventions to improve positive health. PMID:25750781

  3. Early modern human diversity suggests subdivided population structure and a complex out-of-Africa scenario

    PubMed Central

    Gunz, Philipp; Bookstein, Fred L.; Mitteroecker, Philipp; Stadlmayr, Andrea; Seidler, Horst; Weber, Gerhard W.

    2009-01-01

    The interpretation of genetic evidence regarding modern human origins depends, among other things, on assessments of the structure and the variation of ancient populations. Because we lack genetic data from the time when the first anatomically modern humans appeared, between 200,000 and 60,000 years ago, instead we exploit the phenotype of neurocranial geometry to compare the variation in early modern human fossils with that in other groups of fossil Homo and recent modern humans. Variation is assessed as the mean-squared Procrustes distance from the group average shape in a representation based on several hundred neurocranial landmarks and semilandmarks. We find that the early modern group has more shape variation than any other group in our sample, which covers 1.8 million years, and that they are morphologically similar to recent modern humans of diverse geographically dispersed populations but not to archaic groups. Of the currently competing models of modern human origins, some are inconsistent with these findings. Rather than a single out-of-Africa dispersal scenario, we suggest that early modern humans were already divided into different populations in Pleistocene Africa, after which there followed a complex migration pattern. Our conclusions bear implications for the inference of ancient human demography from genetic models and emphasize the importance of focusing research on those early modern humans, in particular, in Africa. PMID:19307568

  4. [Are Two-Year Vocational Retraining Programs Really Better than One-Year Programs? Findings of a Propensity Score Matched Analysis].

    PubMed

    Bethge, M; Streibelt, M

    2015-12-01

    To analyze if one- and 2-year vocational retraining programs achieve similar effects on employment. Analyses were performed with longitudinal administrative data. We included persons aged 18-59 years, who started their retraining between January and June 2005. One- and 2-year program participants were matched by propensity scores. The matched groups were balanced regarding all baseline scores (one-year program: n=514; 2-year program: n=514). 4 and 5 years after start of the vocational retraining program, annual income, the duration of welfare benefits and the risk of a disability pension were comparable in both groups. However, the accumulative income between 2005 and 2009 was 9 294 Euro higher (95% CI: 3 656-14 932 Euro) in one-year retraining participants. Moreover, participants of one-year programs received less welfare benefits. The development of a vocational rehabilitation strategy needs to consider the accumulative advantage of one-year programs. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. The Thurgood Marshall School of Law Empirical Findings: A Report of the Correlational Analysis of Bar Passing Rates and Final GPA of Years 2005-2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kadhi, T.; Holley, D.; Palasota, A.; Garrison, P.; Green, T.

    2010-01-01

    The following analysis was done to investigate the findings of the Correlational Relationship (R) between the Bar Passing Rates and GPAs of the Years 2005-2009. This report of findings was done to see if there are any significant relationships between the three variables (Bar Pass/Fail/Unknown, Overall GPA, and Bar GPA). The following procedures…

  6. Some Effects of Stress during Grade School Years.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inbar, Michael

    This paper summarizes research findings which suggest that 6 to 11 year olds may be more vulnerable to environmental crises than younger or older youths. A survey of Moroccan immigrants in Israel and France found that those aged 6-ll at the time of immigration had a smaller percentage admitted to college than those aged 0-5 and 12 and over when…

  7. Is the First-Year Predictive for Study Success in Subsequent Years? Findings from an Academy of Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mennen, Josien; van der Klink, Marcel

    2017-01-01

    In higher education, departments are under increasing pressure to improve study success. Research in this field focusing on higher music education is scarce. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the predictive capability of the first year for study success of students at an academy of music in subsequent years. Data on study progression…

  8. Denver Developmental Test Findings and their Relationship with Sociodemographic Variables in a Large Community Sample of 0-4-Year-Old Children.

    PubMed

    Çelikkiran, Seyhan; Bozkurt, Hasan; Coşkun, Murat

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of developmental problems and relationship with sociodemographic variables in a community sample of young children. Participants included 1000 children (558 males, 442 females, age range 1-48 months, mean 18.4 months, SD 7.8 months). Children were referred generally by their parents for developmental evaluation and consultation in response to a public announcement in a district area in Istanbul, Turkey. An interview form and the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST) were used for sociodemographic data and developmental evaluation. The χ 2 test and Pearson's correlation test were used for data analysis. Seven hundred forty-one out of 1000 children (74.1%) had normal, 140 (14%) had risky, and 119 (11.9%) had abnormal findings on the DDST results. The probability of abnormal findings on the DDST results was significantly higher in males (p=0.003), the 2-4-year-old group (p<0.05), families with more than one child (p=0.001), consanguineous marriages (p<0.01), low parental educational levels and low household income (p<0.01), and in children without a history of breastfeeding (p=0.000). Immigration status and delivery mode did not have a significant effect on the probability of abnormal findings on the DDST results (p>0.05). Sociodemographic factors have a noteworthy impact on development. Determining these factors is important especially during the first years of life.

  9. 42 CFR 37.53 - Notification of abnormal roentgenographic findings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... suggesting, enlarged heart, tuberculosis, lung cancer, or any other significant abnormal findings other than... files and the most recent examination was interpreted to show enlarged heart, tuberculosis, cancer... findings suggesting, abnormality of cardiac shape or size, tuberculosis, lung cancer, or any other...

  10. Educating Providers in Return-to-Play Suggested Guidelines Postconcussion.

    PubMed

    Bires, Angela Macci; Leonard, Amanda L; Thurber, Brandon

    As the awareness of concussions increases, it is imperative to be able to evaluate, diagnose, and treat concussed individuals properly to prevent further complications or death. The primary purpose of this study was to compare a provider's current awareness and comfort level as it relates to the return-to-play guidelines for concussions. A secondary aim was to evaluate current protocols that are in use and determine whether they coincide with the suggested guidelines. An educational intervention was implemented to assess the knowledge and confidence of health care providers. The study design was a quantitative, convenient sample, pretest/posttest questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to participants who were nurse practitioners prior to an educational PowerPoint presentation. At 8 weeks, the posttest was administered. Approximately 19% of individuals were not aware of a graded return-to-play protocols. The findings suggest that the educational intervention increased their confidence levels in making a diagnosis of a concussion, in assessing danger signs, and in understanding when to refer to a specialist. Additional supporting evidence from this study indicates that the educational intervention allowed the participants to achieve a greater comfort level in finding appropriate resources for them and their patients.

  11. FDG PET/CT findings in a case of myositis ossificans circumscripta of the forearm.

    PubMed

    Clarençon, Frédéric; Larousserie, Frédérique; Babinet, Antoine; Zylbersztein, Christophe; Talbot, Jean-Noël; Kerrou, Khaldoun

    2011-01-01

    Myositis ossificans circumscripta (MOC) is a rare benign neoplasm located in soft tissues that, most of the time, appears after a local trauma. The positive diagnosis of MOC may be challenging on CT or MRI findings. We report on an atypical case of a spontaneous nontraumatic MOC in a 54-year-old man, located in the longus supinatus muscle diagnosed with MRI and F-18 FDG PET/CT findings. Rarely described F-18 FDG PET/CT features in MOC are presented. Pattern of avid FDG focus on PET/CT, that may wrongly suggest osteosarcoma, is presented.

  12. The muscle findings in the neuroleptic malignant syndrome associated with lysergic acid diethylamide.

    PubMed Central

    Behan, W M; Bakheit, A M; Behan, P O; More, I A

    1991-01-01

    A detailed pathological description of the muscle findings in a case of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) following ingestion of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is given, including the first ultrastructural analysis. Focal necrosis, oedema, and hypercontraction of fibres with glycogen and lipid depletion, were identified, all of which had resolved completely a year later. The findings are compared with those in malignant hyperthermia. It is suggested that the results support the view that in NMS, the muscle rigidity is due to central mechanisms and, in both this disorder and malignant hyperthermia, it is responsible for the hyperpyrexia and its life-threatening complications. Images PMID:1940949

  13. Suggestion of a conventional Islamic calendar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rashed, M. G.; Moklof, M. G.

    2017-12-01

    There is a complexity of the problem concerning the first sighting of the new lunar crescent, which is attributed to various astronomical, astrophysical and geographical factors. Therefore, Astronomers adopted various criteria for the new crescent visibility. Muslims around the world differ in the beginning of the Hijric months. In fact the differences are not due to different methodology of astronomical calculations, which in turn the variations of the calendar at different countries gives. Farewell Hajj of Prophet Mohamed was on Friday, the ninth of Thul'hejja of the tenth year of immigration (Biography of the Prophet Mohamed). Therefor; the beginning of the month of Thul'hejja 10 A.H is on Thursday. Our suggested calendar takes Farewell Hajj of the Prophet Mohammad to be the base of this calendar. The advantage of our suggested calendar far away from any criteria; where the adoption of criteria for the new crescent visibility is often misleading.

  14. The LMD System Experience as a Struggle between the Educational Development and Reform: An Analytical Study of the Endeavour of the Academic Year 2004/2005 in Bejaia University with Suggested Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Idri, Nadia

    2005-01-01

    Background: In this article, we are going to present some details about the educational reform at the level of higher education (i.e. University level) taking the case of the University of Abderrahmane Mira, Bejaia. After a year of its application, we aim at mapping out the problems we have met during the last academic year and trying to find out…

  15. How International Field Experiences Promote Cross-Cultural Awareness in Preservice Teachers through Experiential Learning: Findings from a Six-Year Collective Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malewski, Erik; Sharma, Suniti; Phillion, JoAnn

    2012-01-01

    Background/Context: The article examines how international field experiences promote cross-cultural awareness in U.S. American preservice teachers through experiential learning. The findings presented here are based on a 6-year study of a short-term study abroad program in Honduras that included an international field experience component and took…

  16. Churg-Strauss syndrome concomitant with chronic symmetrical dacryoadenitis suggesting Mikulicz's disease.

    PubMed

    Hanioka, Yusuke; Yamagami, Keiko; Yoshioka, Katsunobu; Nakamura, Tomomi; Kishida, Masatsugu; Nakamura, Tomoyuki; Yamaguchi, Toshimasa; Koshimo, Naomi; Inoue, Takeshi; Imanishi, Masahito

    2012-01-01

    A case of Churg-Strauss syndrome complicated by chronic symmetrical dacryoadenitis suggestive of Mikulicz's disease is herein presented. A 72-year-old Japanese man, who had been previously diagnosed with asthma, presented with weakness of the left leg and purpura on the lower extremities. A neurological examination showed multiple mononeuropathies and a laboratory examination revealed elevated eosinophil counts, IgE levels and the presence of Myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCAs). Churg-Strauss syndrome was diagnosed, although the patient also exhibited bilateral swelling of the lachrymal glands. Furthermore, elevated serum IgG4 levels, an infiltration of a relatively large number of IgG4-positive plasmacytes in the nasal mucosa and hypocomplementemia were also observed. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of Mikulicz's disease (MD). Oral prednisolone (30 mg) was administered and the swelling of the lachrymal glands resolved. Churg-Strauss syndrome may be accompanied by Mikulicz's disease (an IgG4-related disease), and common pathogeneses between Churg-Strauss syndrome and IgG4-related disease may exist.

  17. Children of Depressed Mothers 1 Year After Remission of Maternal Depression: Findings From the StAR*D-Child Study

    PubMed Central

    Wickramaratne, Priya; Gameroff, Marc J.; Pilowsky, Daniel J.; Hughes, Carroll W.; Garber, Judy; Malloy, Erin; King, Cheryl; Cerda, Gabrielle; Sood, A. Bela; Alpert, Jonathan E.; Trivedi, Madhukar H.; Fava, Maurizio; Rush, A. John; Wisniewski, Stephen; Weissman, Myrna M.

    2012-01-01

    Objective Maternal major depressive disorder is an established risk factor for child psychopathology. The authors previously reported that 1 year after initiation of treatment for maternal depression, children of mothers whose depression remitted had significantly improved functioning and psychiatric symptoms. This study extends these findings by examining changes in psychiatric symptoms, behavioral problems, and functioning among children of depressed mothers during the first year after the mothers' remission from depression. Method Children were assessed at baseline and at 3-month intervals with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children–Present and Lifetime Version, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Children's Global Assessment Scale for 1 year after their mothers' remission or for 2 years if the mothers did not remit. The authors compared children of early remitters (0–3 months; N=36), late remitters (3–12 months; N=28), and nonremitters (N=16). Results During the postremission year, children of early-remitting mothers showed significant improvement on all outcomes. Externalizing behavioral problems decreased in children of early- and late-remitting mothers but increased in children of nonremitting mothers. Psychiatric symptoms decreased significantly only in children of mothers who remitted, and functioning improved only in children of early-remitting mothers. Conclusions Remission of mothers' depression, regardless of its timing, appears to be related to decreases in problem behaviors and symptoms in their children over the year after remission. The favorable effect of mothers' remission on children's functioning was observed only in children of early-remitting mothers. PMID:21406462

  18. Review of medical findings in a Marshallese population twenty-six years after accidental exposure to radioactive fallout

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

    Conard, R.A.; Paglia, D.E.; Larsen, P.R.

    1980-01-01

    In March 1954, radioactive debris from a thermonuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll deviated from predicted trajectories and contaminated several atolls in the northern Marshall Islands. As a result, 239 native inhabitants of these islands along with 28 American servicemen and 23 Japanese fishermen received variably severe exposures to diverse ionizing radiations. Fallout material consisted largely of mixed fission products with small amounts of neutron-induced radionuclides and minimal amounts of fissionable elements, producing a complex spectrum of electromagnetic and particulate radiation. Individuals were exposed to deeply penetrating, whole-body gamma irradiation, to internal radiation emitters assimilated either by inhalation or bymore » ingestion of contaminated water and food, and to direct radiation from material accumulating on body surfaces. That accident initiated a cascade of events, medical, social and political, which continue in varying forms to this day. Most of these have been discussed in the open medical literature and in periodic reports issued by the medical team headquartered at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This report attempts to summarize some of the principal findings of medical significnce that have been observed during the subsequent 26 years with particular emphasis on the last six years.« less

  19. Student Teachers' Prior Experiences of History, Geography and Science: Initial Findings of an All-Ireland Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waldron, Fionnuala; Pike, Susan; Varley, Janet; Murphy, Colette; Greenwood, Richard

    2007-01-01

    Research into student teachers' perceptions, attitudes and prior experiences of learning suggests that these experiences can exert an influence on practice which can be relatively undisturbed by their initial teacher education. This article is based on the initial findings of an all-Ireland survey of all first-year students on B.Ed. courses in…

  20. CCHCR1 interacts with EDC4, suggesting its localization in P-bodies

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

    Ling, Y.H.; Wong, C.C.; Li, K.W.

    2014-09-10

    Coiled‐coil alpha‐helical rod protein 1 (CCHCR1) is suggested as a candidate biomarker for psoriasis for more than a decade but its function remains poorly understood because of the inconsistent findings in the literature. CCHCR1 protein is suggested to be localized in the cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, or centrosome and to regulate various cellular functions, including steroidogenesis, proliferation, differentiation, and cytoskeleton organization. In this study, we attempted to find a consensus between these findings by identifying the interaction partners of CCHCR1 using co-immunoprecipiation with a stable cell line expressing EGFP-tagged CCHCR1. Out of more than 100 co-immunoprecipitants identified by liquid chromatography-tandem massmore » spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the enhancer of mRNA-decapping protein 4 (EDC4), which is a processing body (P-body) component, was particularly found to be the major interacting partner of CCHCR1. Confocal imaging confirmed the localization of CCHCR1 in P-bodies and its N-terminus is required for this subcellular localization, suggesting that CCHCR1 is a novel P-body component. As P-bodies are the site for mRNA metabolism, our findings provide a molecular basis for the function of CCHCR1, any disruption of which may affect the transcriptome of the cell, and causing abnormal cell functions. - Highlights: • We identified CCHCR1 as a novel P-body component. • We identified EDC4 as the major interacting partner of CCHCR1. • N-terminus of CCHCR1 protein is required for its P-bodies localization.« less

  1. Effects of Discrete Emotions on Young Children's Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levine, Linda J.; Burgess, Stewart L.; Laney, Cara

    2008-01-01

    Two experiments investigated the effects of sadness, anger, and happiness on 4- to 6-year-old children's memory and suggestibility concerning story events. In Experiment 1, children were presented with 3 interactive stories on a video monitor. The stories included protagonists who wanted to give the child a prize. After each story, the child…

  2. Cholinesterase inhibitors are compatible with psychosocial intervention for Alzheimer disease patients suggested by neuroimaging findings.

    PubMed

    Meguro, Kenichi

    2017-01-30

    We previously reported that the frontal lobe was stimulated by psychosocial intervention for dementia patients, and that the parietal lobe was associated with logical judgment. We hypothesized that the combined therapeutic approach with symptomatic drug treatment can directly stimulate not only attention function but also judgment function indirectly to observing other participants' behaviors. Fifty-two patients with Alzheimer disease underwent the group reminiscence approach with reality orientation, as well as the donepezil treatment. The cerebral blood flow (CBF) was assessed with 99m Tc-ECD SPECT. Two analyses were performed: Analysis 1 was to compare Responders vs. Non-responders as shown by MMSE scores, whereas Analysis 2 was to compare Good vs. Poor reminders of the intervention content. We found that the CBF in the frontal lobe was significantly higher in Responders (vs. Non-responders). The CBF in the parietal lobe, especially the left side, was significantly higher in the Good reminders (vs. Poor reminders). The donepezil stimulated the areas similar to where the psychosocial intervention was previously found to be stimulated directly, thus the drug was thought to be compatible for psychosocial intervention. The parietal lobe was stimulated indirectly, suggesting that the indirect effect of the intervention may be based on logical judgment function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Computed tomographic findings of trichuriasis

    PubMed Central

    Tokmak, Naime; Koc, Zafer; Ulusan, Serife; Koltas, Ismail Soner; Bal, Nebil

    2006-01-01

    In this report, we present computed tomographic findings of colonic trichuriasis. The patient was a 75-year-old man who complained of abdominal pain, and weight loss. Diagnosis was achieved by colonoscopic biopsy. Abdominal computed tomography showed irregular and nodular thickening of the wall of the cecum and ascending colon. Although these findings are nonspecific, they may be one of the findings of trichuriasis. These findings, confirmed by pathologic analysis of the biopsied tissue and Kato-Katz parasitological stool flotation technique, revealed adult Trichuris. To our knowledge, this is the first report of colonic trichuriasis indicated by computed tomography. PMID:16830393

  4. Event memory and suggestibility in abused and neglected children: trauma-related psychopathology and cognitive functioning.

    PubMed

    Chae, Yoojin; Goodman, Gail S; Eisen, Mitchell L; Qin, Jianjian

    2011-12-01

    This study examined event memory and suggestibility in 3- to 16-year-olds involved in forensic investigations of child maltreatment. A total of 322 children were interviewed about a play activity with an unfamiliar adult. Comprehensive measures of individual differences in trauma-related psychopathology and cognitive functioning were administered. Sexually and/or physically abused children obtained higher dissociation scores than neglected children, and sexually abused children were more likely to obtain a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder than physically abused children, neglected children, and children with no substantiated abuse histories. Overall, older children and children with better cognitive functioning produced more correct information and fewer memory errors. Abuse status per se did not significantly predict children's memory or suggestibility whether considered alone or in interaction with age. However, among highly dissociative children, more trauma symptoms were associated with greater inaccuracy, whereas trauma symptoms were not associated with increased error for children who were lower in dissociative tendencies. Implications of the findings for understanding eyewitness memory in maltreated children are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. A Randomized Study of a Literacy-Integrated Science Intervention for Low-Socio-Economic Status Middle School Students: Findings from First-Year Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tong, Fuhui; Irby, Beverly J.; Lara-Alecio, Rafael; Guerrero, Cindy; Fan, Yinan; Huerta, Margarita

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the findings from a randomized control trial study of reading/literacy-integrated science inquiry intervention after 1 year of implementation and the treatment effect on 5th-grade low-socio-economic African-American and Hispanic students' achievement in science and English reading. A total of 94 treatment students and 194…

  6. Central diabetes insipidus: clinical profile that suggests organicity in Peruvian children: Lima - Peru 2001-2013.

    PubMed

    De Los Santos, Miguel Angel; Águila, Carlos Manuel Del; Rojas, Maria Isabel; Falen, Juan Manuel; Nuñez, Oswaldo; Chávez, Eliana Manuela; Espinoza, Oscar Antonio; Pinto, Paola Marianella; Calagua, Martha Rosario

    2016-12-01

    Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a heterogeneous disease caused by arginine vasopressin deficiency; its management implies a profound understanding of the pathophysiology and the clinical spectrum. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical characteristics that indicate organicity in children and adolescents with central diabetes insipidus treated at the Department of Endocrinology from The Child Health's Institute during 2001 to 2013. Cross-sectional, retrospective study. 79 cases of patients diagnosed with CDI (51 males and 28 females) from 1 month to 16 years of age were reviewed. For the descriptive analysis, measures of central tendency and dispersion were used; groups of organic and idiopathic CDI were compared using χ2-test and t-test. A p-value<0.05 was considered significant. The average age of patients was 8.1±4.2 years. Organic causes were intracranial tumors, 44 (55.7%), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), 11 (13.9%) and cerebral malformations in 7 (8.9%) patients, while the idiopathic group was 14 (17.7%) patients. Regarding clinical characteristics suggestive of organicity, headache (p=0.02) and visual disturbances (p=0.01) were found statistically significant. The anterior pituitary hormonal abnormalities were documented in 34 (52.3%) organic CDI patients. Furthermore, we did not find a significant difference in the average daily dose of desmopressin between patients with permanent vs. transitory CDI (0.81±0.65 vs. 0.59±0.62; p=0.363). The main clinical features suggestive of organicity in pediatric patients with central diabetes insipidus were headache and visual disturbances; furthermore, anterior pituitary hormonal abnormalities suggest an underlying organic etiology.

  7. Personalized and not general suggestion produces false autobiographical memories and suggestion-consistent behavior.

    PubMed

    Scoboria, Alan; Mazzoni, Giuliana; Jarry, Josée L; Bernstein, Daniel M

    2012-01-01

    Suggesting false childhood events produces false autobiographical beliefs, memories and suggestion-consistent behavior. The mechanisms by which suggestion affects behavior are not understood, and whether false beliefs and memories are necessary for suggestions to impact behavior remains unexplored. We examined the relative effects of providing a personalized suggestion (suggesting that an event occurred to the person in the past), and/or a general suggestion (suggesting that an event happened to others in the past). Participants (N=122) received a personalized suggestion, a general suggestion, both or neither, about childhood illness due to spoiled peach yogurt. The personalized suggestion resulted in false beliefs, false memories, and suggestion-consistent behavioral intentions immediately after the suggestion. One week or one month later participants completed a taste test that involved eating varieties of crackers and yogurts. The personalized suggestion led to reduced consumption of only peach yogurt, and those who reported a false memory showed the most eating suppression. This effect on behavior was equally strong after one week and one month, showing a long lived influence of the personalized suggestion. The general suggestion showed no effects. Suggestions that convey personal information about a past event produce false autobiographical memories, which in turn impact behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Sex, Gender, and Pain: A Review of Recent Clinical and Experimental Findings

    PubMed Central

    Fillingim, Roger B.; King, Christopher D.; Ribeiro-Dasilva, Margarete C.; Rahim-Williams, Bridgett; Riley, Joseph L.

    2009-01-01

    Sex-related influences on pain and analgesia have become a topic of tremendous scientific and clinical interest, especially in the last 10 to 15 years. Members of our research group published reviews of this literature more than a decade ago, and the intervening time period has witnessed robust growth in research regarding sex, gender, and pain. Therefore, it seems timely to revisit this literature. Abundant evidence from recent epidemiologic studies clearly demonstrates that women are at substantially greater risk for many clinical pain conditions, and there is some suggestion that postoperative and procedural pain may be more severe among women than men. Consistent with our previous reviews, current human findings regarding sex differences in experimental pain indicate greater pain sensitivity among females compared with males for most pain modalities, including more recently implemented clinically relevant pain models such as temporal summation of pain and intramuscular injection of algesic substances. The evidence regarding sex differences in laboratory measures of endogenous pain modulation is mixed, as are findings from studies using functional brain imaging to ascertain sex differences in pain-related cerebral activation. Also inconsistent are findings regarding sex differences in responses to pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain treatments. The article concludes with a discussion of potential biopsychosocial mechanisms that may underlie sex differences in pain, and considerations for future research are discussed. Perspective This article reviews the recent literature regarding sex, gender, and pain. The growing body of evidence that has accumulated in the past 10 to 15 years continues to indicate substantial sex differences in clinical and experimental pain responses, and some evidence suggests that pain treatment responses may differ for women versus men. PMID:19411059

  9. Differential frontal-parietal phase synchrony during hypnosis as a function of hypnotic suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Terhune, Devin Blair; Cardeña, Etzel; Lindgren, Magnus

    2011-10-01

    Spontaneous dissociative alterations in awareness and perception among highly suggestible individuals following a hypnotic induction may result from disruptions in the functional coordination of the frontal-parietal network. We recorded EEG and self-reported state dissociation in control and hypnosis conditions in two sessions with low and highly suggestible participants. Highly suggestible participants reliably experienced greater state dissociation and exhibited lower frontal-parietal phase synchrony in the alpha2 frequency band during hypnosis than low suggestible participants. These findings suggest that highly suggestible individuals exhibit a disruption of the frontal-parietal network that is only observable following a hypnotic induction. Copyright © 2011 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  10. Father-Child Interaction: Associations with Self-Control and Aggression among 4.5-Year-Olds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meece, Darrell; Robinson, Cheryl Malone

    2014-01-01

    Examined correlates of positive father caregiving and harsh control among 721 (350 girls) four-year-old children through analysis of NICHD Study of Early Child Care data and 7050 (3450 girls) four-year-old children through analysis of Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort data. Findings from both samples suggest that, for both boys and…

  11. Ergodicity convergence test suggests telomere motion obeys fractional dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kepten, E.; Bronshtein, I.; Garini, Y.

    2011-04-01

    Anomalous diffusion, observed in many biological processes, is a generalized description of a wide variety of processes, all obeying the same law of mean-square displacement. Identifying the basic mechanisms of these observations is important for deducing the nature of the biophysical systems measured. We implement a previously suggested method for distinguishing between fractional Langevin dynamics, fractional Brownian motion, and continuous time random walk based on the ergodic nature of the data. We apply the method together with the recently suggested P-variation test and the displacement correlation to the lately measured dynamics of telomeres in the nucleus of mammalian cells and find strong evidence that the telomeres motion obeys fractional dynamics. The ergodic dynamics are observed experimentally to fit fractional Brownian or Langevin dynamics.

  12. Three Years of Intelligent Tutoring Evaluation: A Summary of Findings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orey, Michael

    Over the past 3 years, a variety of studies in intelligent tutoring system (ITS) effectiveness have been conducted. A summary is provided of the research into the use of POSIT, MALM, and the Mobile Subscriber Remote-Telephone Terminal (MSRT) Tutor. POSIT is an ITS for the tutoring of whole-number subtraction. It assumes that the learning of a…

  13. Suggestibility and compliance among alleged false confessors and resisters in criminal trials.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H

    1991-04-01

    This paper describes a study which compares the interrogative suggestibility and compliance scores of 20 alleged false confessors and 20 subjects who had persistently denied their involvement in the crime they were charged with in spite of forensic evidence against them (labelled 'resisters'). The two groups were 'matched' for age, sex, intelligence, memory recall capacity, and the seriousness of the offence. It was hypothesized that the resisters would score significantly lower on tests of suggestibility and compliance than the alleged false confessors. The findings were confirmed at a high level of significance. A separate analysis of 14 resisters and 72 alleged false confessors, where IQ and memory were used as covariates rather than 'matching' the two groups on the relevant variables, gave almost identical results. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

  14. Eye-witness memory and suggestibility in children with Asperger syndrome.

    PubMed

    McCrory, Eamon; Henry, Lucy A; Happé, Francesca

    2007-05-01

    Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present with a particular profile of memory deficits, executive dysfunction and impaired social interaction that may raise concerns about their recall and reliability in forensic and legal contexts. Extant studies of memory shed limited light on this issue as they involved either laboratory-based tasks or protocols that varied between participants. The current study used a live classroom event to investigate eye-witness recall and suggestibility in children with Asperger syndrome (AS group; N = 24) and typically developing children (TD group; N = 27). All participants were aged between 11 and 14 years and were interviewed using a structured protocol. Two measures of executive functioning were also administered. The AS group were found to be no more suggestible and no less accurate than their peers. However, free recall elicited less information, including gist, in the AS group. TD, but not AS, participants tended to focus on the socially salient aspects of the scene in their free recall. Both general and specific questioning elicited similar numbers of new details in both groups. Significant correlations were found between memory recall and executive functioning performance in the AS group only. The present study indicates that children with AS can act as reliable witnesses but they may be more reliant on questioning to facilitate recall. Our findings also provide evidence for poor gist memory. It is speculated that such differences stem from weak central coherence and lead to a reliance on generic cognitive processes, such as executive functions, during recall. Future studies are required to investigate possible differences in compliance, rates of forgetting and false memory.

  15. Young Children's Understanding of Conflicting Mental Representation Predicts Suggestibility.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Welch-Ross, Melissa K.; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Examined the relation between developmental suggestibility effects and preschoolers' emerging ability to reason about conflicting mental representations. Subjects were 42 three- to five-year-olds. Found in the children significant initial encoding and ability to retrieve event details. Also found an integration between children's theory of mind…

  16. Laboratory Findings Suggesting an Association Between BoHV-4 and Bovine Abortions in Southern Belgium.

    PubMed

    Delooz, L; Czaplicki, G; Houtain, J Y; Dal Pozzo, F; Saegerman, C

    2017-08-01

    Abortions cause heavy economic losses for the bovine sector. The use of a standardized panel of analyses covering a large spectrum of pathogens responsible of abortion in cattle allowed demonstrating the direct involvement of at least one pathogen in 57% of analysed abortions in the southern part of Belgium. This result suggests a margin of improvement in the diagnostic efficacy. In order to evaluate the interest to broaden the list of pathogens included in the panel of analyses, the implication of bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4) in abortion was assessed by two different studies. In the first study, coupled serology was performed after abortion on 714 dams to identify specific seroconversion against BoHV-4. The overall seroconversion in cows was 19.5%, with a higher frequency in primiparous compared to multiparous females. In addition, the type of breed (beef cattle) and the time period from the fourth quarter 2008 until the last quarter 2009 were significantly related to the seroconversion of cows. The second study investigated the virus ability to infect the foetus. In this study, 368 cases of bovine abortions were specifically tested for BoHV-4, using PCR on foetus tissues and ELISA on dam and foetus sera. The results showed a maternal seroprevalence of 64.7%, a foetal seroprevalence of 0.8% and a PCR prevalence in foetuses of 1.1%, demonstrating the ability of BoHV-4 to infect the foetus. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  17. The Consistency of False Suggestions Moderates Children's Reports of a Single Instance of a Repeated Event: Predicting Increases and Decreases in Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Kim P.; Powell, Martine B.

    2006-01-01

    Participants (6- and 7-year-olds, "N" = 130) participated in classroom activities four times. Children were interviewed about the final occurrence (target event) either 1 week or 4 weeks later, during which half of the event items were described inaccurately. Half of these suggestions were consistent with the theme of the detail across…

  18. [Therapy and suggestion].

    PubMed

    Barrucand, D; Paille, F

    1986-12-01

    Therapy and suggestion are closely related. That is clear for the ancient time: primitive medicine gives a good place to the Word. In plant, animal or mineral remedies, the suggestion is clearly preponderant. Towards the end of the 19th century, the "Ecole de Nancy" sets up a real theory of the suggestion, and Bernheim, its leader, bases hypnosis, then psychotherapy on this concept. Thereafter Coué will bring up the "conscious autosuggestion". Today, despite the progress of scientific medicine, the part of suggestion is still very important in medical therapy (with or without drugs), or in chirurgical therapy; this part is also very important in psychotherapies, whatever has been said in this field. This has to be known and used consciously in the doctor-patient relation, which is always essential in the therapeutic effectiveness.

  19. Clinical, instrumental, serological and histological findings suggest that hemophilia B may be less severe than hemophilia A.

    PubMed

    Melchiorre, Daniela; Linari, Silvia; Manetti, Mirko; Romano, Eloisa; Sofi, Francesco; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Carulli, Christian; Innocenti, Massimo; Ibba-Manneschi, Lidia; Castaman, Giancarlo

    2016-02-01

    Recent evidence suggests that patients with severe hemophilia B may have a less severe disease compared to severe hemophilia A. To investigate clinical, radiological, laboratory and histological differences in the arthropathy of severe hemophilia A and hemophilia B, 70 patients with hemophilia A and 35 with hemophilia B with at least one joint bleeding were consecutively enrolled. Joint bleedings (<10, 10-50, >50), regimen of treatment (prophylaxis/on demand), World Federation of Hemophilia, Pettersson and ultrasound scores, serum soluble RANK ligand and osteoprotegerin were assessed in all patients. RANK, RANK ligand and osteoprotegerin expression was evaluated in synovial tissue from 18 hemophilia A and 4 hemophilia B patients. The percentage of patients with either 10-50 or more than 50 hemarthrosis was greater in hemophilia A than in hemophilia B (P<0.001 and P=0.03, respectively), while that with less than 10 hemarthrosis was higher in hemophilia B (P<0.0001). World Federation of Hemophilia (36.6 vs. 20.2; P<0.0001) and ultrasound (10.9 vs. 4.3; P<0.0001) score mean values were significantly higher in hemophilia A patients. Serum osteoprotegerin and soluble RANK ligand were decreased in hemophilia A versus hemophilia B (P<0.0001 and P=0.006, respectively). Osteoprotegerin expression was markedly reduced in synovial tissue from hemophilia A patients. In conclusion, the reduced number of hemarthrosis, the lower World Federation of Hemophilia and ultrasound scores, and higher osteoprotegerin expression in serum and synovial tissue in hemophilia B suggest that hemophilia B is a less severe disease than hemophilia A. Osteoprotegerin reduction seems to play a pivotal role in the progression of arthropathy in hemophilia A. Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.

  20. Dignity-conserving care: application of research findings to practice.

    PubMed

    McClement, Susan E; Chochinov, Harvey M; Hack, Thomas F; Kristjanson, Linda J; Harlos, Mike

    2004-04-01

    A central tenet of palliative care is to help people die with "dignity". The widespread use of this term presupposes that this construct is well understood from the perspective of the terminally ill, and that the factors that bolster or erode dignity are known. However, the paucity of research related to these issues suggests otherwise. Over the past 5 years, this research team, headed by Dr Chochinov, has undertaken a programme of research aimed at explicating what dignity means to those who are terminally ill, and identifying those factors that support and undermine dignity in this patient population. This article will provide a synopsis of that work, with an emphasis on the application of research findings for practice.

  1. Responding to hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestions: performance standards, imaginative suggestibility, and response expectancies.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Eric C; Lynn, Steven Jay

    2011-07-01

    This study examined the relative impact of hypnotic inductions and several other variables on hypnotic and nonhypnotic responsiveness to imaginative suggestions. The authors examined how imaginative suggestibility, response expectancies, motivation to respond to suggestions, and hypnotist-induced performance standards affected participants' responses to both hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestions and their suggestion-related experiences. Suggestions were administered to 5 groups of participants using a test-retest design: (a) stringent performance standards; (b) lenient performance standards; (c) hypnosis test-retest; (d) no-hypnosis test-retest; and (e) no-hypnosis/hypnosis control. The authors found no support for the influence of a hypnotic induction or performance standards on responding to suggestions but found considerable support for the role of imaginative suggestibility and response expectancies in predicting responses to both hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestions.

  2. The Next Generation of Risk Assessment Multi-Year Study-Highlights of Findings, Applications to Risk Assessment, and Future Directions.

    PubMed

    Cote, Ila; Andersen, Melvin E; Ankley, Gerald T; Barone, Stanley; Birnbaum, Linda S; Boekelheide, Kim; Bois, Frederic Y; Burgoon, Lyle D; Chiu, Weihsueh A; Crawford-Brown, Douglas; Crofton, Kevin M; DeVito, Michael; Devlin, Robert B; Edwards, Stephen W; Guyton, Kathryn Z; Hattis, Dale; Judson, Richard S; Knight, Derek; Krewski, Daniel; Lambert, Jason; Maull, Elizabeth Anne; Mendrick, Donna; Paoli, Gregory M; Patel, Chirag Jagdish; Perkins, Edward J; Poje, Gerald; Portier, Christopher J; Rusyn, Ivan; Schulte, Paul A; Simeonov, Anton; Smith, Martyn T; Thayer, Kristina A; Thomas, Russell S; Thomas, Reuben; Tice, Raymond R; Vandenberg, John J; Villeneuve, Daniel L; Wesselkamper, Scott; Whelan, Maurice; Whittaker, Christine; White, Ronald; Xia, Menghang; Yauk, Carole; Zeise, Lauren; Zhao, Jay; DeWoskin, Robert S

    2016-11-01

    The Next Generation (NexGen) of Risk Assessment effort is a multi-year collaboration among several organizations evaluating new, potentially more efficient molecular, computational, and systems biology approaches to risk assessment. This article summarizes our findings, suggests applications to risk assessment, and identifies strategic research directions. Our specific objectives were to test whether advanced biological data and methods could better inform our understanding of public health risks posed by environmental exposures. New data and methods were applied and evaluated for use in hazard identification and dose-response assessment. Biomarkers of exposure and effect, and risk characterization were also examined. Consideration was given to various decision contexts with increasing regulatory and public health impacts. Data types included transcriptomics, genomics, and proteomics. Methods included molecular epidemiology and clinical studies, bioinformatic knowledge mining, pathway and network analyses, short-duration in vivo and in vitro bioassays, and quantitative structure activity relationship modeling. NexGen has advanced our ability to apply new science by more rapidly identifying chemicals and exposures of potential concern, helping characterize mechanisms of action that influence conclusions about causality, exposure-response relationships, susceptibility and cumulative risk, and by elucidating new biomarkers of exposure and effects. Additionally, NexGen has fostered extensive discussion among risk scientists and managers and improved confidence in interpreting and applying new data streams. While considerable uncertainties remain, thoughtful application of new knowledge to risk assessment appears reasonable for augmenting major scope assessments, forming the basis for or augmenting limited scope assessments, and for prioritization and screening of very data limited chemicals. Citation: Cote I, Andersen ME, Ankley GT, Barone S, Birnbaum LS, Boekelheide K

  3. The Next Generation of Risk Assessment Multi-Year Study—Highlights of Findings, Applications to Risk Assessment, and Future Directions

    PubMed Central

    Cote, Ila; Andersen, Melvin E.; Ankley, Gerald T.; Barone, Stanley; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Boekelheide, Kim; Bois, Frederic Y.; Burgoon, Lyle D.; Chiu, Weihsueh A.; Crawford-Brown, Douglas; Crofton, Kevin M.; DeVito, Michael; Devlin, Robert B.; Edwards, Stephen W.; Guyton, Kathryn Z.; Hattis, Dale; Judson, Richard S.; Knight, Derek; Krewski, Daniel; Lambert, Jason; Maull, Elizabeth Anne; Mendrick, Donna; Paoli, Gregory M.; Patel, Chirag Jagdish; Perkins, Edward J.; Poje, Gerald; Portier, Christopher J.; Rusyn, Ivan; Schulte, Paul A.; Simeonov, Anton; Smith, Martyn T.; Thayer, Kristina A.; Thomas, Russell S.; Thomas, Reuben; Tice, Raymond R.; Vandenberg, John J.; Villeneuve, Daniel L.; Wesselkamper, Scott; Whelan, Maurice; Whittaker, Christine; White, Ronald; Xia, Menghang; Yauk, Carole; Zeise, Lauren; Zhao, Jay; DeWoskin, Robert S.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The Next Generation (NexGen) of Risk Assessment effort is a multi-year collaboration among several organizations evaluating new, potentially more efficient molecular, computational, and systems biology approaches to risk assessment. This article summarizes our findings, suggests applications to risk assessment, and identifies strategic research directions. Objective: Our specific objectives were to test whether advanced biological data and methods could better inform our understanding of public health risks posed by environmental exposures. Methods: New data and methods were applied and evaluated for use in hazard identification and dose–response assessment. Biomarkers of exposure and effect, and risk characterization were also examined. Consideration was given to various decision contexts with increasing regulatory and public health impacts. Data types included transcriptomics, genomics, and proteomics. Methods included molecular epidemiology and clinical studies, bioinformatic knowledge mining, pathway and network analyses, short-duration in vivo and in vitro bioassays, and quantitative structure activity relationship modeling. Discussion: NexGen has advanced our ability to apply new science by more rapidly identifying chemicals and exposures of potential concern, helping characterize mechanisms of action that influence conclusions about causality, exposure–response relationships, susceptibility and cumulative risk, and by elucidating new biomarkers of exposure and effects. Additionally, NexGen has fostered extensive discussion among risk scientists and managers and improved confidence in interpreting and applying new data streams. Conclusions: While considerable uncertainties remain, thoughtful application of new knowledge to risk assessment appears reasonable for augmenting major scope assessments, forming the basis for or augmenting limited scope assessments, and for prioritization and screening of very data limited chemicals. Citation: Cote I

  4. 2,000 Year old β-thalassemia case in Sardinia suggests malaria was endemic by the Roman period.

    PubMed

    Viganó, Claudia; Haas, Cordula; Rühli, Frank J; Bouwman, Abigail

    2017-10-01

    The island of Sardinia has one of the highest incidence rates of β-thalassemia in Europe due to its long history of endemic malaria, which, according to historical records, was introduced around 2,600 years ago by the Punics and only became endemic around the Middle Ages. In particular, the cod39 mutation is responsible for more than 95% of all β-thalassemia cases observed on the island. Debates surround the origin of the mutation. Some argue that its presence in the Western Mediterranean reflects the migration of people away from Sardinia, others that it reflects the colonization of the island by the Punics who might have carried the disease allele. The aim of this study was to investigate β-globin mutations, including cod39, using ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis, to better understand the history and origin of β-thalassemia and malaria in Sardinia. PCR analysis followed by sequencing were used to investigate the presence of β-thalassemia mutations in 19 individuals from three different Roman and Punic necropolises in Sardinia. The cod39 mutation was identified in one male individual buried in a necropolis from the Punic/Roman period. Further analyses have shown that his mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome haplogroups were U5a and I2a1a1, respectively, indicating the individual was probably of Sardinian origin. This is the earliest documented case of β-thalassemia in Sardinia to date. The presence of such a pathogenic mutation and its persistence until present day indicates that malaria was likely endemic on the island by the Roman period, earlier than the historical sources suggest. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Is finding something good in the bad always good? Benefit finding among women with breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Tomich, Patricia L; Helgeson, Vicki S

    2004-01-01

    The correlates and consequences of benefit finding on quality of life were examined for 364 women (93% Caucasian, 6% African American, and 1% Hispanic) diagnosed with Stage I, II, and III breast cancer. Benefit finding and quality of life were measured 4 months postdiagnosis (Tl), 3 months after Tl (T2), and 6 months after T2 (T3). Women with lower socioeconomic status, minorities, and those with more severe disease perceived more benefits at baseline. Benefit finding was associated with more negative affect at baseline and also interacted with stage of disease, such that negative relations to quality of life across time were limited to those with more severe disease. Findings suggest there are qualifiers as to whether "finding something good in the bad" is good or bad. (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved

  6. Water and Beverage Consumption among Children Aged 4-13 Years in Lebanon: Findings from a National Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Jomaa, Lamis; Hwalla, Nahla; Constant, Florence; Naja, Farah; Nasreddine, Lara

    2016-09-08

    This study evaluates total water intake (TWI) from plain water, beverages and foods among Lebanese children and compares TWI to dietary reference intakes (DRIs). In a national cross-sectional survey, data on demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, and physical activity characteristics were obtained from 4 to 13-year-old children (n = 752). Food and beverage consumption patterns were assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. TWI was estimated at 1651 mL/day, with beverages contributing 72% of the TWI compared to 28% from foods. Beverages with the highest contribution to TWI included plain water, fruit juice and soda. A significantly higher proportion of 9-13-year-old children failed to meet the DRIs compared to 4-8 years old (92%-98% vs. 74%). Gender differentials were observed with a significantly higher proportion of boys meeting the DRIs compared to girls. The water to energy ratio ranged between 0.84 and 0.87, which fell short of meeting the desirable recommendations. In addition, children from higher socioeconomic status had higher intakes of water from milk and bottled water, coupled with lower water intakes from sodas. The study findings show an alarming high proportion of Lebanese children failing to meet TWI recommendations, and call for culture-specific interventions to instill healthy fluid consumption patterns early in life.

  7. The Relationship between Stress and Attitudes toward Leisure among First-Year Medical Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Folse, M. Lynn; And Others

    1985-01-01

    First-year medical students' attitudes toward their free time and how these attitudes relate to self-reported stress levels were examined. Findings suggest a need for educating students about the benefits of well-spent leisure time as a stress management mechanism. (Author/MLW)

  8. Findings of Thyroid Ultrasound Examination Within 3 Years After the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident: The Fukushima Health Management Survey.

    PubMed

    Shimura, Hiroki; Sobue, Tomotaka; Takahashi, Hideto; Yasumura, Seiji; Ohira, Tetsuya; Ohtsuru, Akira; Midorikawa, Sanae; Suzuki, Satoru; Fukushima, Toshihiko; Suzuki, Shinichi; Yamashita, Shunichi; Ohto, Hitoshi

    2018-03-01

    Childhood thyroid cancer is of great concern after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Baseline analytical data on thyroid ultrasound examination (TUE) in children are important for future studies. We analyzed the age and sex distribution of findings from the TUEs of children and adolescents in the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS). From October 2011 through March 2014, 294,905 participants aged 18 years or younger at the time of the earthquake voluntarily had TUEs in the first round of the FHMS. A secondary confirmatory examination was performed in 2032 subjects. Age- and sex-dependent prevalence and size of thyroid cysts, nodules, and cancers were analyzed. Age, sex, and size distribution of findings were analyzed. Thyroid cysts, nodules, and cytologically suspected cancers were detected in 68,009, 1415, and 38 male subjects and in 73,014, 2455, and 74 female subjects, respectively. There was an age-dependent increase in the detection rate of thyroid nodules and cancer, but that of cysts reached a peak at 11 to 12 years. Sex affected the prevalence of thyroid nodules and cancers after the onset of puberty, but only a small difference was exhibited in that of cysts. The thyroid cancer detection rate in Fukushima was clarified, and the proportion of individuals with thyroid nodules and cysts varied substantially by age. The results of this study will contribute to future epidemiological research on nodular thyroid diseases in children and adolescents.

  9. Visual direction finding by fishes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Waterman, T. H.

    1972-01-01

    The use of visual orientation, in the absence of landmarks, for underwater direction finding exercises by fishes is reviewed. Celestial directional clues observed directly near the water surface or indirectly at an asymptatic depth are suggested as possible orientation aids.

  10. Declining Orangutan Encounter Rates from Wallace to the Present Suggest the Species Was Once More Abundant

    PubMed Central

    Meijaard, Erik; Welsh, Alan; Ancrenaz, Marc; Wich, Serge; Nijman, Vincent; Marshall, Andrew J.

    2010-01-01

    Background Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) currently occur at low densities and seeing a wild one is a rare event. Compared to present low encounter rates of orangutans, it is striking how many orangutan each day historic collectors like Alfred Russel Wallace were able to shoot continuously over weeks or even months. Does that indicate that some 150 years ago encounter rates with orangutans, or their densities, were higher than now? Methodology/Principal Findings We test this hypothesis by quantifying encounter rates obtained from hunting accounts, museum collections, and recent field studies, and analysing whether there is a declining trend over time. Logistic regression analyses of our data support such a decline on Borneo between the mid-19th century and the present. Even when controlled for variation in the size of survey and hunting teams and the durations of expeditions, mean daily encounter rates appear to have declined about 6-fold in areas with little or no forest disturbance. Conclusions/Significance This finding has potential consequences for our understanding of orangutans, because it suggests that Bornean orangutans once occurred at higher densities. We explore potential explanations—habitat loss and degradation, hunting, and disease—and conclude that hunting fits the observed patterns best. This suggests that hunting has been underestimated as a key causal factor of orangutan density and distribution, and that species population declines have been more severe than previously estimated based on habitat loss only. Our findings may require us to rethink the biology of orangutans, with much of our ecological understanding possibly being based on field studies of animals living at lower densities than they did historically. Our approach of quantifying species encounter rates from historic data demonstrates that this method can yield valuable information about the ecology and population density of species in the past, providing new insight into

  11. The missing foley catheter: an unusual finding in vesicouterine fistula

    PubMed Central

    Shephard, Steven N.; Lengmang, Sunday J.

    2013-01-01

    A 28-year-old G1P1 presented complaining of urine leakage per vaginum following caesarean delivery, accompanied by amenorrhoea, cyclic haematuria and cyclic pelvic pain. Examination findings were suggestive of vesicouterine fistula and the patient was taken for exploratory laparotomy, during which the foley catheter could not be identified within the bladder. During separation of the bladder from the uterus, the catheter was found to be traversing the fistulous tract into the uterine cavity. Vesicouterine fistula is a fairly uncommon type of urogenital fistula that is frequently associated with caesarean section. Surgical treatment remains the mainstay and successfully cured this patient. PMID:24968444

  12. Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita: clinical manifestations, microscopic findings, and surgical periodontal therapy. A case report.

    PubMed

    Hakki, S S; Celenligil-Nazliel, H; Karaduman, A; Usubütün, A; Ertoy, D; Ayhan, A; Ruacan, S

    2001-04-01

    Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an uncommon, acquired, chronic subepidermal bullous disease. This report describes a case of EBA with gingival involvement. A 43-year-old woman with EBA was referred to our clinic for periodontal therapy because of gingival tenderness and bleeding. She has been on cyclosporin A therapy for the last 2 years. Clinical findings were analyzed. Anterior gingivectomy operations were performed in 2 stages. The samples obtained during the surgery were examined using histopathologic, immunohistologic, and electronmicroscopic methods. Long-term effects of the surgical periodontal treatment on gingiva were evaluated both clinically and microscopically. The dentition displayed minimal enamel hypoplasia. Decayed, missing, and filled surfaces score was found to be elevated. Periodontal examination showed generalized diffuse gingival inflammation and gingival enlargement localized mainly to the anterior region. Nikolsky's sign was positive. However, wound healing was uneventful after the operations. Microscopic findings were similar to those obtained from the skin. Twenty-one months after the operations, Nikolsky's sign was negative and no remarkable gingival inflammation was noted. Microscopic examination revealed that the blisters were fewer in number and smaller in size. These results indicate that gingival tissues may also be involved in EBA. Uneventful wound healing after periodontal surgery in this case suggests that periodontal surgery can be performed in patients with EBA. Moreover, both our clinical and histopathologic findings imply that gingivectomy proves useful in maintaining gingival integrity in these patients. Our data may also suggest that the patients with EBA are highly likely to develop dental caries.

  13. Year-round West Nile virus activity, Gulf Coast region, Texas and Louisiana.

    PubMed

    Tesh, Robert B; Parsons, Ray; Siirin, Marina; Randle, Yvonne; Sargent, Chris; Guzman, Hilda; Wuithiranyagool, Taweesak; Higgs, Stephen; Vanlandingham, Dana L; Bala, Adil A; Haas, Keith; Zerinque, Brian

    2004-09-01

    West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in 11 dead birds and two mosquito pools collected in east Texas and southern Louisiana during surveillance studies in the winter of 2003 to 2004. These findings suggest that WNV is active throughout the year in this region of the United States.

  14. Dissociated control as a signature of typological variability in high hypnotic suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Terhune, Devin Blair; Cardeña, Etzel; Lindgren, Magnus

    2011-09-01

    This study tested the prediction that dissociative tendencies modulate the impact of a hypnotic induction on cognitive control in different subtypes of highly suggestible individuals. Low suggestible (LS), low dissociative highly suggestible (LDHS), and high dissociative highly suggestible (HDHS) participants completed the Stroop color-naming task in control and hypnosis conditions. The magnitude of conflict adaptation (faster response times on incongruent trials preceded by an incongruent trial than those preceded by a congruent trial) was used as a measure of cognitive control. LS and LDHS participants displayed marginally superior up-regulation of cognitive control following a hypnotic induction, whereas HDHS participants' performance declined. These findings indicate that dissociative tendencies modulate the influence of a hypnotic induction on cognitive control in high hypnotic suggestibility and suggest that HS individuals are comprised of distinct subtypes with dissimilar cognitive profiles. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Is Alcoholics Anonymous religious, spiritual, neither? Findings from 25 years of mechanisms of behavior change research.

    PubMed

    Kelly, John F

    2017-06-01

    Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a world-wide recovery mutual-help organization that continues to arouse controversy. In large part, concerns persist because of AA's ostensibly quasi-religious/spiritual orientation and emphasis. In 1990 the United States' Institute of Medicine called for more studies on AA's effectiveness and its mechanisms of behavior change (MOBC) stimulating a flurry of federally funded research. This paper reviews the religious/spiritual origins of AA and its program and contrasts its theory with findings from this latest research. Literature review, summary and synthesis of studies examining AA's MOBC. While AA's original main text ('the Big Book', 1939) purports that recovery is achieved through quasi-religious/spiritual means ('spiritual awakening'), findings from studies on MOBC suggest this may be true only for a minority of participants with high addiction severity. AA's beneficial effects seem to be carried predominantly by social, cognitive and affective mechanisms. These mechanisms are more aligned with the experiences reported by AA's own larger and more diverse membership as detailed in its later social, cognitive and behaviorally oriented publications (e.g. Living Sober, 1975) written when AA membership numbered more than a million men and women. Alcoholics Anonymous appears to be an effective clinical and public health ally that aids addiction recovery through its ability to mobilize therapeutic mechanisms similar to those mobilized in formal treatment, but is able to do this for free over the long term in the communities in which people live. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  16. [Atherosclerotic renovascular hypertension: clinical findings and results of treatment over 15 years].

    PubMed

    Alfonzo, J P; Rosario, M N; Ugarte, C; Banasco, J; Fraxedas, R; Lahera, J

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study was to present our clinical experience and results of different treatments in 83 atherosclerotic renovascular hypertensive patients treated in the last 15 years in the Instituto de nefrologia in Havana. Regardless of the type of treatment the patients were divided in two groups. Group I: 52 (62.3%) cases with standard oral hypotensive drugs alone and control of other cardiovascular risk factors (mean age 53 years old, sex m/f 50/50%, race white/no-white 75/25%, mean known hypertension follow-up 10.2 +/- 10 years, mean SBP 208 +/- 30 mmHg, mean DBP 123 +/- 17 mmHg, mean serum creatinina 1.62 mg/dl and increase peripheral plasma renin value in 61.6% of patients) and group II: 31 (37.7%) cases treated with revascularización procedures (PTA or surgery) or nephrectomy in selected patients (mean age 50 years old, sex m/f 68/32%, race white/no-white 16/84%, mean known hypertension follow-up 8.5 +/- 8.6 years, mean SBP 214 +/- 32 mmHg, mean DBP 1.31 +/- 16 mmHg, mean serum creatinina 1.85 mg/dl and increase peripheral plasma renin value 78.3% of patients). As end point for treatment results we selected: 1) hypertension cure or control, 2) evolution of the serum creatinine value and 3) kidney and patients survival. In those cases with a follow up for more than one year, in 82.9% the blood pressure was cure (21.4%) or controlled (61.4%). The proportion of failed was superior in group I (20.9%) than in group II (11.1%). All 18 cases treated by PTA with a follow up period longer than a year, blood pressure cure in 10 (55.6%), ameliorate in 5 (27.8%) and in 3 (16.6%) was unchanged (one patient lost of follow up). Nine patients were treated by surgery (3 revascularization and 6 nephrectomy), 5 (55.5%) cases cured and 4 (44.5%) ameliorate his blood pressure. Patients in group II maintain normal renal function in more cases than in group I (48.4% vs 30.8%). Both group had similar percentage of normal-normal + pathology-normal renal function (G I: 65.4% vs G

  17. Immunofluorescence findings in rapid whitening of scalp hair.

    PubMed

    Guin, J D; Kumar, V; Petersen, B H

    1981-09-01

    Rapid whitening of scalp hair developed during a three-month period along with a diffuse, subtotal alopecia in a patient. Immunofluorescence microscopy of biopsy material showed prominent deposits of IgG and IgM in a granular pattern in the epithelium of the lower portions of hair follicles. Some return of the color and amount of scalp hair occurred within a year, but occasional bouts of hair loss continued to occur. It is theorized that the rapid graying was caused by a selective loss of pigmented hair, which was perhaps caused by an immunologic mechanism. Some of the findings suggest that the cause of this patient's loss of hair color may be different from those of patients who have been previously described as having rapid whitening of scalp hair because of alopecia areata or vitiligo.

  18. Women's empowerment: Finding strength in self-compassion.

    PubMed

    Stevenson, Olivia; Allen, Ashley Batts

    2017-03-01

    Empowerment is often a desired outcome for health programs; however, it is rarely evaluated. One way to increase empowerment may be through self-compassion. The authors of the current study aimed to determine whether self-compassion and empowerment were positively related. Two hundred and five women (ages 18 to 48 years) were recruited from a pool of undergraduate students at a university in the southeastern United States in the summer/fall of 2012. Participants completed the study using Qualtrics, an online survey system. Participants wrote about a fight in a romantic relationship and were randomly assigned to write about the fight either self-compassionately or generally. Empowerment and perceptions of the fight were assessed as dependent measures. Hierarchical regression analyses investigated the relation of self-compassion, manipulated self-compassion, and their interaction with empowerment. A significant positive relationship was found between self-compassion and empowerment. However, manipulated self-compassion was not significantly related to empowerment. These findings suggested that self-compassion and empowerment were strongly related, but using a short-term self-compassion intervention may not be strong enough to influence empowerment. Empowerment-based practitioners may find empowerment increases more easily in women who are self-compassionate. If self-compassion is incorporated into empowerment settings, a long-term intervention may be necessary.

  19. Timing and necessity of a flexible sigmoidoscopy in patients with symptoms suggestive of haemorrhoids.

    PubMed

    Vening, W; Willigendael, E M; Tjeertes, E K M; Hulsewé, K W E; Hoofwijk, A G M

    2010-02-01

    This study was performed to determine the probability of finding additional pathology, requiring treatment or follow-up, in patients referred with symptoms suggestive of haemorrhoids. Secondly, to determine, at what age a flexible sigmoidoscopy should be performed in these patients. All patients referred for the treatment of haemorrhoids over a period of 5 years were prospectively included in a database. Data included patient characteristics, clinical information, histopathological analysis and the sigmoidoscopy results. Haemorrhoids were present in 961 (95.6%) of 1005 patients. Of these patients, 692 (72.0%) patients were free from any additional pathology, 161 (16%) patients had diverticulosis, in 15 (1.5%) patients the sigmoidoscopy showed signs of colitis, 116 (11.5%) patients had polyps and a malignancy was present in eight (0.8%) patients. In the age group between 30-40 and 40-50, the presence of additional pathology increased significantly (P < 0.05). No malignancies were found under the age of 40. The vast majority of patients referred for the treatment and analysis of haemorrhoids were free from any additional pathology. But, over the age of 40, the incidence of additional pathology increased significantly. Therefore, we suggest that a flexible sigmoidoscopy should be performed in all patients over the age of 40, with clinical signs of haemorrhoids.

  20. The relationship between suggestibility and anxiety among suspects detained at police stations.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H; Rutter, S C; Clare, I C

    1995-07-01

    The present study investigated the relationship between anxiety, as measured by the State-Trait Inventory (Spielberger, 1983) and interrogative suggestibility, as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS 2, Gudjonsson, 1987). One hundred and sixty-one suspects detained at two English police stations for questioning were assessed prior to being interviewed by the police. Unexpectedly, trait anxiety correlated more consistently with suggestibility than did state anxiety. The correlations were consistently higher among the Caucasian than the Afro-Caribbean subjects and the Afro-Caribbean subjects were significantly more suggestible than the Caucasian subjects even after their GSS 2 memory and IQ scores had been controlled for. The main practical implications of the findings are that interrogative suggestibility cannot be easily evaluated from the person's self-reported anxiety and the situation in which people are assessed may influence the relationship between these psychological variables.

  1. Are Dysphoric Individuals More Suggestible or Less Suggestible Than Nondysphoric Individuals?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacFarland, Wendy L.; Morris, Steven J.

    1998-01-01

    Dysphoric individuals are shown to be susceptible to interrogative suggestion, whether in the form of leading questions or interrogative pressure. The association of a clinically relevant condition of dysphoria (depression) with relatively high levels of suggestibility was investigated in a college student population (N=139). Applicability to…

  2. Findings from Five Years Investigating Science Literacy and Where Students Get their Information about Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; Impey, C. D.; Nieberding, M. N.; Romine, J. M.; Antonellis, J. C.; Llull, J.; Tijerino, K.; Collaborations of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS)

    2014-01-01

    Supported by funding from NSF, we have been investigating the science literacy of undergraduate students using data collected from 1980 -2013. To date, we have collected over 12,000 surveys asking students about their foundational science knowledge as well as their attitudes towards science and technology topics. In 2012, we began investigating where students get their information about science and we have collected 30 interviews and almost 1000 survey responses. Our findings reveal that students’ science literacy, as measured by this instrument, has changed very little over the 23 years of data collection despite major educational innovations offered to students. A fraction of students continue to hold onto non-scientific beliefs, coupled with faith-based attitudes and beliefs, which are resistant to formal college instruction. Analysis of students’ open-ended responses show that although students use words often associated with science, they lack understandings of key aspects of science including the importance of evidence to support arguments and the need for replication of results. These results have important implications about how we teach science and how we assess students’ scientific understandings during class. Our recent work has shown that students use online sources to gain information about science for classes their own interests. Despite this, they rate professors and researchers as more reliable sources of scientific knowledge than online sources. This disconnect raises questions about how educators can work with students to provide knowledge in ways that are both accessible and reliable and how to help students sort knowledge in an age where everything can be found online. This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this

  3. Diagnosing psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Video-EEG monitoring, suggestive seizure induction and diagnostic certainty.

    PubMed

    Popkirov, Stoyan; Jungilligens, Johannes; Grönheit, Wenke; Wellmer, Jörg

    2017-08-01

    Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) can remain undiagnosed for many years, leading to unnecessary medication and delayed treatment. A recent report by the International League Against Epilepsy Nonepileptic Seizures Task Force recommends a staged approach to the diagnosis of PNES (LaFrance, et al., 2013). We aimed to investigate its practical utility, and to apply the proposed classification to evaluate the role of long-term video-EEG monitoring (VEEG) and suggestive seizure induction (SSI) in PNES workup. Using electronic medical records, 122 inpatients (mean age 36.0±12.9years; 68% women) who received the diagnosis of PNES at our epilepsy center during a 4.3-year time period were included. There was an 82.8% agreement between diagnostic certainty documented at discharge and that assigned retroactively using the Task Force recommendations. In a minority of cases, having used the Task Force criteria could have encouraged the clinicians to give more certain diagnoses, exemplifying the Task Force report's utility. Both VEEG and SSI were effective at supporting high level diagnostic certainty. Interestingly, about one in four patients (26.2%) had a non-diagnostic ("negative") VEEG but a positive SSI. On average, this subgroup did not have significantly shorter mean VEEG recording times than VEEG-positive patients. However, VEEG-negative/SSI-positive patients had a significantly lower habitual seizure frequency than their counterparts. This finding emphasizes the utility of SSI in ascertaining the diagnosis of PNES in patients who do not have a spontaneous habitual event during VEEG due to, for example, low seizure frequency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A bioactive dental luting cement--its retentive properties and 3-year clinical findings.

    PubMed

    Jefferies, Steven R; Pameijer, Cornelis H; Appleby, David C; Boston, Daniel; Lööf, Jesper

    2013-02-01

    A clinical validation study was conducted to determine the performance of a new bioactive dental cement (Ceramir C&B, Doxa Dental AB) for permanent cementation. The cement is a new formulation class, which is a hybrid material comprised of calcium aluminate and glass-ionomer components. A total of 38 crowns and bridges were cemented in 17 patients; 31 of the abutment teeth were vital and seven were non-vital. Six restorations were bridges with a total of 14 abutment teeth (12 vital/ two non-vital). One fixed splint comprising two abutment teeth was also included. Preparation parameters were recorded, as well as cement characteristics such as working time, setting time, seating characteristics, and ease of cement removal. Baseline data were recorded for the handling of the cement, gingival inflammation, and pre-cementation sensitivity. Post-cementation parameters included post-cementation sensitivity, gingival tissue reaction, marginal integrity, and discoloration. All patients were seen for recall examinations at 30 days and 6 months. Fifteen of 17 subjects and 13 of 17 patients were also available for subsequent comprehensive 1- and 2-year recall examination, and 13 patients were available for a 3-year recall examination. Restorations available for the 3-year recall examination included 14 single-unit full-coverage crown restorations, four three-unit bridges comprising eight abutments, and one two-unit splint. Three-year recall data yielded no loss of retention, no secondary caries, no marginal discolorations, and no subjective sensitivity. All restorations rated excellent for marginal integrity. Average visual analogue scale (VAS) score for tooth sensitivity decreased from 7.63 mm at baseline to 0.44 mm at 6-month recall, 0.20 mm at 1-year recall, and 0.00 mm at 2- and 3-year recall. Average gingival index (GI) score for gingival inflammation decreased from 0.56 at baseline to 0.11 at 6-month recall, 0.16 at 1-year recall, 0.21 at 2-year recall, and 0.07 at 3

  5. Burden of Depressive Disorders by Country, Sex, Age, and Year: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

    PubMed Central

    Ferrari, Alize J.; Charlson, Fiona J.; Norman, Rosana E.; Patten, Scott B.; Freedman, Greg; Murray, Christopher J.L.; Vos, Theo; Whiteford, Harvey A.

    2013-01-01

    Background Depressive disorders were a leading cause of burden in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 1990 and 2000 studies. Here, we analyze the burden of depressive disorders in GBD 2010 and present severity proportions, burden by country, region, age, sex, and year, as well as burden of depressive disorders as a risk factor for suicide and ischemic heart disease. Methods and Findings Burden was calculated for major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia. A systematic review of epidemiological data was conducted. The data were pooled using a Bayesian meta-regression. Disability weights from population survey data quantified the severity of health loss from depressive disorders. These weights were used to calculate years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Separate DALYs were estimated for suicide and ischemic heart disease attributable to depressive disorders. Depressive disorders were the second leading cause of YLDs in 2010. MDD accounted for 8.2% (5.9%–10.8%) of global YLDs and dysthymia for 1.4% (0.9%–2.0%). Depressive disorders were a leading cause of DALYs even though no mortality was attributed to them as the underlying cause. MDD accounted for 2.5% (1.9%–3.2%) of global DALYs and dysthymia for 0.5% (0.3%–0.6%). There was more regional variation in burden for MDD than for dysthymia; with higher estimates in females, and adults of working age. Whilst burden increased by 37.5% between 1990 and 2010, this was due to population growth and ageing. MDD explained 16 million suicide DALYs and almost 4 million ischemic heart disease DALYs. This attributable burden would increase the overall burden of depressive disorders from 3.0% (2.2%–3.8%) to 3.8% (3.0%–4.7%) of global DALYs. Conclusions GBD 2010 identified depressive disorders as a leading cause of burden. MDD was also a contributor of burden allocated to suicide and ischemic heart disease. These findings emphasize the importance of including depressive disorders

  6. The dark side of testing memory: repeated retrieval can enhance eyewitness suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Chan, Jason C K; Lapaglia, Jessica A

    2011-12-01

    Eyewitnesses typically recount their experiences many times before trial. Such repeated retrieval can enhance memory retention of the witnessed event. However, recent studies (e.g., Chan, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2009) have found that initial retrieval can exacerbate eyewitness suggestibility to later misleading information--a finding termed retrieval-enhanced suggestibility (RES). Here we examined the influence of multiple retrieval attempts on eyewitness suggestibility to subsequent misinformation. In four experiments, we systematically varied the number of initial tests taken (between zero and six), the delay between initial testing and misinformation exposure (~30 min or 1 week), and whether initial testing was manipulated between- or within-subjects. University undergraduate students were used as participants. Overall, we found that eyewitness suggestibility increased as the number of initial tests increased, but this RES effect was qualified by the delay and by whether initial testing occurred in a within- or between-subjects manner. Specifically, the within-subjects RES effect was smaller than the between-subjects RES effect, possibly because of the influence of retrieval-induced forgetting/facilitation (Chan, 2009) when initial testing was manipulated within subjects. Moreover, consistent with the testing effect literature (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006), the benefits of repeated testing on later memory were stronger after a 1-week delay than after a 30-min delay, thus reducing the negative impact of RES in long-term situations. These findings suggest that conditions that are likely to occur in criminal investigations can either increase (repeated testing) or reduce (delay) the influence of RES, thus further demonstrating the complex relationship between eyewitness memory and repeated retrieval.

  7. Predictors of Success with Writing in the First Year of School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackenzie, Noella; Hemmings, Brian

    2014-01-01

    Language and literacy skills are instrumental to success at school and early success with writing is a key factor in literacy development. By eight years of age, children spend up to half of their school day engaged in writing tasks suggesting that those who find learning to write difficult may be disadvantaged. The ability to hear and record…

  8. The Strategic Regulation of Children's Memory Performance and Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roebers, C.M.; Schneider, W.

    2005-01-01

    We report two empirical studies that investigated previously reported benefits of a high accuracy motivation, and thus a high threshold, for children's and adults' event recall and for their ability to resist false suggestions. In the studies, 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds, as well as adults, were shown a brief video about an event and were later asked…

  9. Going Places with Books. Suggestions from "NSTA Recommends" Reviewers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texley, Juliana

    2008-01-01

    The National Science Education Standards encourage teachers to go on their own special path to professional development. Whether your budget and personal schedule allow real travel or vicarious adventure, summer is a great time to take a book along. So, once again this year, the reviewers of "NSTA Recommends" have come up with suggestions for your…

  10. An Instructional Method Suggestion: Conveying Stories through Origami (Storigami)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oguz, Aysegul

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to elucidate how to convey stories through origami and suggest its use in education with the help of pre-service elementary teachers' opinions. The participants of the study were 103 elementary teacher candidates from a state university in the 2014-2015 academic year. In this qualitative study, the data were collected…

  11. The Dark Side of Testing Memory: Repeated Retrieval Can Enhance Eyewitness Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Jason C. K.; LaPaglia, Jessica A.

    2011-01-01

    Eyewitnesses typically recount their experiences many times before trial. Such repeated retrieval can enhance memory retention of the witnessed event. However, recent studies (e.g., Chan, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2009) have found that initial retrieval can exacerbate eyewitness suggestibility to later misleading information--a finding termed…

  12. 1980-1981 Evaluation Findings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin Independent School District, TX. Office of Research and Evaluation.

    This volume summarizes the results of evaluation and testing activities carried out in the Austin, Texas, Independent School District (AISD) during the 1980-81 school year. The text consists of five parts: Section one highlights important findings in the areas of Title I Schoolwide Projects, compensatory programs, early childhood programs,…

  13. A Randomized Study of a Literacy-Integrated Science Intervention for Low-Socio-economic Status Middle School Students: Findings from first-year implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tong, Fuhui; Irby, Beverly J.; Lara-Alecio, Rafael; Guerrero, Cindy; Fan, Yinan; Huerta, Margarita

    2014-08-01

    This paper presents the findings from a randomized control trial study of reading/literacy-integrated science inquiry intervention after 1 year of implementation and the treatment effect on 5th-grade low-socio-economic African-American and Hispanic students' achievement in science and English reading. A total of 94 treatment students and 194 comparison students from four randomized intermediate schools participated in the current project. The intervention consisted of ongoing professional development and specific instructional science lessons with inquiry-based learning, direct and explicit vocabulary instruction, and integration of reading and writing. Results suggested that (a) there was a significantly positive treatment effect as reflected in students' higher performance in district-wide curriculum-based tests of science and reading and standardized tests of science, reading, and English reading fluency; (b) males and females did not differ significantly from participating in science inquiry instruction; (c) African-American students had lower chance of sufficiently mastering the science concepts and achieving above the state standards when compared with Hispanic students across gender and condition, and (d) below-poverty African-American females are the most vulnerable group in science learning. Our study confirmed that even a modest amount of literacy integration in inquiry-based science instruction can promote students' science and reading achievement. Therefore, we call for more experimental research that focus on the quality of literacy-integrated science instruction from which middle grade students, particularly low-socio-economic status students, can benefit.

  14. Evaluating the Effectiveness of France's Indoor Smoke-Free Law 1 Year and 5 Years after Implementation: Findings from the ITC France Survey.

    PubMed

    Fong, Geoffrey T; Craig, Lorraine V; Guignard, Romain; Nagelhout, Gera E; Tait, Megan K; Driezen, Pete; Kennedy, Ryan David; Boudreau, Christian; Wilquin, Jean-Louis; Deutsch, Antoine; Beck, François

    2013-01-01

    France implemented a comprehensive smoke-free law in two phases: Phase 1 (February 2007) banned smoking in workplaces, shopping centres, airports, train stations, hospitals, and schools; Phase 2 (January 2008) banned smoking in hospitality venues (bars, restaurants, hotels, casinos, nightclubs). This paper evaluates France's smoke-free law based on the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project in France (the ITC France Project), which conducted a cohort survey of approximately 1,500 smokers and 500 non-smokers before the implementation of the laws (Wave 1) and two waves after the implementation (Waves 2 and 3). Results show that the smoke-free law led to a very significant and near-total elimination of observed smoking in key venues such as bars (from 94-97% to 4%) and restaurants (from 60-71% to 2-3%) at Wave 2, which was sustained four years later (6-8% in bars; 1-2% in restaurants). The reduction in self-reported smoking by smoking respondents was nearly identical to the effects shown in observed smoking. Observed smoking in workplaces declined significantly after the law (from 41-48% to 18-20%), which continued to decline at Wave 3 (to 14-15%). Support for the smoke-free laws increased significantly after their implementation and continued to increase at Wave 3 (p<.001 among smokers for bars and restaurants; p<.001 among smokers and p = .003 for non-smokers for workplaces). The findings demonstrate that smoke-free policies that are implemented in ways consistent with the Guidelines for Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) lead to substantial and sustained reductions in indoor smoking while also leading to high levels of support by the public. Moreover, contrary to arguments by opponents of smoke-free laws, smoking in the home did not increase after the law was implemented and prevalence of smoke-free homes among smokers increased from 23.2% before the law to 37.2% 5 years after the law.

  15. Stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion with invasive carcinoma: 12 cases with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings.

    PubMed

    Onishi, Junji; Sato, Yuichiro; Sawaguchi, Akira; Yamashita, Atsushi; Maekawa, Kazunari; Sameshima, Hiroshi; Asada, Yujiro

    2016-09-01

    Stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion (SMILE) is considered to be a variant of adenocarcinoma in situ (defined as intraepithelial malignant glandular epithelium without invasion) or adenosquamous carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix. However, recent study suggested that SMILE is more similar to high-grade squamous epithelial lesion by their immunohistochemical findings. An invasive form of SMILE "invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma (ISMC)" has been also proposed, but immunohistochemical features are not well documented. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the immunohistochemical characteristics of SMILE and ISMC. Twelve cases of SMILE were found among 445 patients (2.7%) with high-grade intraepithelial lesions or invasive carcinomas, 3 of whom had solely intraepithelial disease with SMILE component (mean age, 37 years; range, 30-48 years) and 9 with invasive carcinomas (mean age, 47 years; range, 37-66 years; including ISMC). Immunohistochemically, SMILE and ISMC were diffusely positive for p16 and CAM5.2, focally for IMP3, and almost negative or only focally positive for p63. Nuclear signals in SMILE and invasive carcinomas were detected by human papillomavirus (HPV) in situ hybridization; 5 cases showed HPV16 and/or HPV18 polymerase chain reaction products. The ultrastructural study of 1 case showed surface microvilli and small vacuolar structure in SMILE; ISMC had mucous-like vacuoles, many mitochondria and intracytoplasmic lumen but lacked tonofilament. These findings were more similar to adenocarcinoma in situ or adenocarcinoma than squamous intraepithelial lesion or squamous cell carcinoma. We suggest that SMILE is an intraepithelial neoplasm and ISMC is an invasive form of SMILE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Factors predicting use of mental health and social services by children 6-16 years old: findings from the Ontario Child Health Study.

    PubMed

    John, L H; Offord, D R; Boyle, M H; Racine, Y A

    1995-01-01

    Correlates of mental health and social service utilization are examined based on Ontario Child Health Study data. Findings indicate that psychiatric disorder as a predictor of service use may be confounded by school performance and parental use of services, thus calling into question the extent to which program planning should be based on prevalence rates of child psychiatric disorder. Children from low-income families tend to make greater use of available services, suggesting that programs need to be tailored more specifically to their needs.

  17. Childhood negative emotionality predicts biobehavioral dysregulation 15 years later

    PubMed Central

    Hagan, Melissa J.; Luecken, Linda J.; Modecki, Kathryn L.; Sandler, Irwin N.; Wolchik, Sharlene A.

    2016-01-01

    The temperamental trait of negative emotionality (NE) plays an important role in maladaptation among adults experiencing significant life stress. However, the prospective relation between childhood NE and subsequent inter-related behavioral, emotional, and biological dysregulation in later life has not yet been established among children who experience early adversity. Using a longitudinal sample of youth who experienced parental divorce during childhood (N = 160; 53% male; 83% White), we tested the hypothesis that childhood NE would predict physiological, emotional, and behavioral dysregulation 15 years later. NE was assessed by maternal report when youth were between 9-12 years old. Fifteen years later, young adults (mean age = 25.55 years) participated in a psychosocial stress task to assess cortisol reactivity and reported on internalizing symptoms and problematic alcohol use. Structural equation modeling revealed that higher childhood NE predicted significantly greater alcohol use, internalizing symptoms, and total cortisol output during a stress task 15 years later. Importantly, these findings held adjusting for childhood internalizing symptoms. In addition, problematic alcohol use was associated with greater cortisol reactivity and internalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that childhood NE is a critical risk marker for interrelated forms of dysregulation in young adulthood among at-risk youth. PMID:27100364

  18. An emergency dental service for students: 4-year findings.

    PubMed

    Sinclair, J; Wilson, N H

    1997-06-01

    To describe the arrangements for the provision of emergency dental services for students at the University of Manchester and to report data collected during the first four and a half years of the student emergency dental services (SEDS) unit based at the University Dental Hospital of Manchester. Data pertaining to every student attending SEDS since its inception were collected by means of questionnaire including provision to record diagnoses, treatment needs and the emergency care provided. The incidence of dental emergencies within the student population served by SEDS has been found to be 39 emergencies per 1000 students per annum, with the service being most heavily used by overseas students. Caries, pulpal pathology and failed restorations account for 46 per cent of the presenting emergencies, with pericoronitis (19 per cent) and other emergencies of periodontal origin (14 per cent) being common place. It is concluded that a student emergency dental service may be found to be an important element of student medical and related welfare services.

  19. Physical examination and ECG screening in relation to echocardiography findings in young healthy adults.

    PubMed

    Landau, Dan-Avi; Grossman, Alon; Sherer, Yaniv; Harpaz, David; Azaria, Bella; Carter, Dan; Barenboim, Erez; Goldstein, Liav

    2008-01-01

    Cardiovascular screening in young adults is an important tool in many occupational settings. Our aim was to test whether screening physical examination and ECG influence the rate of abnormal echocardiogarphic findings in young healthy subjects. Consecutive echocardiography results of 18- to 20-year-old flight candidates were analyzed retrospectively. Echocardiographies were performed as part of a screening protocol, which includes ECG, physical examination and referral for echocardiography for any positive finding. A second stage includes universal echocardiography for all candidates. 1,066 subjects were evaluated; 489 subjects underwent echocardiography following referral because of abnormal auscultatory or ECG findings. Findings (mostly mild valvular insufficiencies) were demonstrated in 12.7%, with only 0.6% of subjects disqualified. In subjects who underwent universal echocardiography (n = 577), findings (mostly mild valvular insufficiencies) were detected in 18%, with only 0.5% of subjects disqualified. The rate of significant echocardiography findings is extremely low in this young and healthy population. The presence of abnormal findings on either physical examination or ECG screening was not demonstrated to alter the rate of abnormal echocardiographic findings. We suggest that the low yield of screening should be weighed against the cost of an unidentified congenital cardiac lesion in the specific setting. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. Mindfulness, Eating Behaviours, and Obesity: A Review and Reflection on Current Findings.

    PubMed

    Mantzios, Michail; Wilson, Janet Clare

    2015-03-01

    Mindfulness and mindful eating have become popular in recent years. In this review, we first explore what mindfulness is in the context of psychological research, and why it offers promise for eating behaviours and weight loss. Second, we review the main empirical findings for weight loss in mindfulness-based intervention programmes. Third, contradictions in the findings are explored in more depth, and suggestions are made regarding why they may be occurring. Fourth, the benefits of adding self-compassion (and compassion) training to mindfulness practise to assist weight loss is discussed. Finally, the limitations of the research literature (and possible solutions) are explored. Overall, it is concluded that while mindfulness meditations that specifically focus on eating may be extremely helpful in promoting better eating behaviours, and assist in weight regulation, work is still needed to make such interventions appeal to a wider audience.

  1. The missing foley catheter: an unusual finding in vesicouterine fistula.

    PubMed

    Shephard, Steven N; Lengmang, Sunday J

    2013-12-18

    A 28-year-old G1P1 presented complaining of urine leakage per vaginum following caesarean delivery, accompanied by amenorrhoea, cyclic haematuria and cyclic pelvic pain. Examination findings were suggestive of vesicouterine fistula and the patient was taken for exploratory laparotomy, during which the foley catheter could not be identified within the bladder. During separation of the bladder from the uterus, the catheter was found to be traversing the fistulous tract into the uterine cavity. Vesicouterine fistula is a fairly uncommon type of urogenital fistula that is frequently associated with caesarean section. Surgical treatment remains the mainstay and successfully cured this patient. Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. © The Author 2013.

  2. The First Year Experience in Australian Universities: Findings from Two Decades, 1994-­2014

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baik, Chi; Naylor, Ryan; Arkoudis, Sophie

    2015-01-01

    This report provides an analysis of trends over a twenty year period in the attitudes and experiences of first year students in Australian universities. It is based on the national survey of first year students undertaken by the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education at five-yearly intervals since 1994. Dramatic changes have taken…

  3. Classification of hadith into positive suggestion, negative suggestion, and information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faraby, Said Al; Riviera Rachmawati Jasin, Eliza; Kusumaningrum, Andina; Adiwijaya

    2018-03-01

    As one of the Muslim life guidelines, based on the meaning of its sentence(s), a hadith can be viewed as a suggestion for doing something, or a suggestion for not doing something, or just information without any suggestion. In this paper, we tried to classify the Bahasa translation of hadith into the three categories using machine learning approach. We tried stemming and stopword removal in preprocessing, and TF-IDF of unigram, bigram, and trigram as the extracted features. As the classifier, we compared between SVM and Neural Network. Since the categories are new, so in order to compare the results of the previous pipelines, we created a baseline classifier using simple rule-based string matching technique. The rule-based algorithm conditions on the occurrence of words such as “janganlah, sholatlah, and so on” to determine the category. The baseline method achieved F1-Score of 0.69, while the best F1-Score from the machine learning approach was 0.88, and it was produced by SVM model with the linear kernel.

  4. What the stories children tell can tell about their memory: narrative skill and young children's suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Kulkofsky, Sarah; Klemfuss, J Zoe

    2008-09-01

    The authors examined the relation between children's narrative ability, which has been identified as an important contributor to memory development, and suggestibility. Across 2 studies, a total of 112 preschool-aged children witnessed a staged event and were subsequently questioned suggestively. Results from Study 1 indicated that children's ability to provide a high-quality narrative of the event was related to resistance to suggestive questions, and narrative ability appeared to supersede age as a predictor of such resistance. In Study 2, children's general language and narrative abilities were measured in addition to their ability to produce a high-quality narrative about the target event. These results replicated Study 1's findings that children's ability to produce a high-quality narrative of a previously experienced event predicted resistance to suggestion. However, the quality of children's autobiographical memory narratives predicted shifting from denial to assent. Findings are considered in light of narrative's role in memory development and underlying mechanisms that may explain children's suggestibility.

  5. The five-factor model of personality: findings in males with spinal cord injury.

    PubMed

    Rohe, D E; Krause, J S

    1999-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify common personality traits in males with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). One hundred and five participants with SCI completed the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI). The participants averaged 41.1 years of age and 17.9 years since injury onset. Compared with the NEO-PI normative sample, the SCI sample scored significantly lower on the Conscientiousness factor and the Activity and Assertiveness facet scales. They scored significantly higher on the Excitement-Seeking scale. These results suggest that males with SCI are less determined, have lower energy levels, are socially retiring, and that they tend to seek stimulation. These findings may reflect the contribution of both preinjury personality traits and adaptation to the limitations imposed by SCI.

  6. Asymptomatic tracheal MALT lymphoma discovered on spirometric findings presenting with elevated respiratory resistance.

    PubMed

    Kadota, Naoki; Shinohara, Tsutomu; Machida, Hisanori; Nakanishi, Hirofumi; Suehiro, Fumie; Toda, Hiroko; Yoshino, Tadashi; Ogushi, Fumitaka

    2015-06-06

    Central airway obstruction (CAO) may be caused by various etiologies. However, conventional chest X-rays are rarely diagnostic for patients with CAO. We here described a 64-year-old asymptomatic female with tracheal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma discovered on spirometric findings during a complete physical examination. The plateau of forced expiratory flow was consistent with CAO. A decreased peak expiratory flow rate was noted at least 3 years before the diagnosis, and was attributed to an insufficient effort by the patient. Impulse oscillometric measurements, which were taken during quiet breathing and were effort-independent, suggested elevated respiratory resistance. These abnormalities completely disappeared after radiation therapy. The addition of impulse oscillometry to spirometry may be useful for screening CAO in routine health examinations.

  7. Oxytocin impedes the effect of the word blindness post-hypnotic suggestion on Stroop task performance.

    PubMed

    Parris, Benjamin A; Dienes, Zoltan; Bate, Sarah; Gothard, Stace

    2014-07-01

    The ability to enhance sensitivity to relevant (post)hypnotic suggestions has implications for creating clinically informed analogues of psychological and neuropsychological conditions and for the use of hypnotic interventions in psychological and medical conditions. The aim of this study was to test the effect of oxytocin inhalation on a post-hypnotic suggestion that previously has been shown to improve the selectivity of attention in the Stroop task. In a double-blind placebo-controlled between-subjects study, medium hypnotizable individuals performed the Stroop task under normal conditions and when they had been given a post-hypnotic suggestion that they would perceive words as meaningless symbols. In line with previous research, Stroop interference was substantially reduced by the suggestion in the placebo condition. However, contrary to expectations, oxytocin impeded the effect of the word blindness suggestion on performance. The results are explained in terms of the requirement for the re-implementation of the word blindness suggestion on a trial-by-trial basis and the need to sustain activation of the suggestion between trials. The findings contrast with a recent study showing a beneficial effect of oxytocin on sensitivity to (post)hypnotic suggestions but are consistent with findings showing a detrimental effect of oxytocin on memory processes. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. 7 CFR 3052.315 - Audit findings follow-up.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... fully corrected, the summary schedule need only list the audit findings and state that corrective action... schedule shall provide an explanation. (4) When the auditee believes the audit findings are no longer valid... the following have occurred: (i) Two years have passed since the audit report in which the finding...

  9. Long-term impact of family arguments and physical violence on adult functioning at age 30 years: findings from the simmons longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Paradis, Angela D; Reinherz, Helen Z; Giaconia, Rose M; Beardslee, William R; Ward, Kirsten; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M

    2009-03-01

    To prospectively examine the extent to which an increase in family arguments by age 15 years and the occurrence of family physical violence by age 18 years are related to deficits in key domains of adult functioning at age 30 years. The 346 participants were part of a single-age cohort from a predominately white working-class community whose psychosocial development has been traced since age 5 years. Family arguments and violence were assessed through self-reports during adolescence. Developmentally relevant areas of current adult functioning were measured by self-reports, structured diagnostic interviews, and clinical interviewer ratings. Both family arguments and physical violence were significantly related to compromised functioning across multiple areas of adult functioning. Although many associations were somewhat attenuated after controlling for sex, other early family adversities, and family history of disorder, most relations retained statistical significance. Both risk factors were linked with later mental health problems and deficits in psychological and occupational/career functioning. Family violence was also linked to poorer physical health at age 30 years. Findings underscore the potential long-term impact of troubled family interactions and highlight the critical importance of early intervention programs for youths experiencing either verbal conflict or physical violence in the home.

  10. Retrospective study of sonographic findings in bone involvement associated with rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: preliminary results of a case series.

    PubMed

    Nogueira-Barbosa, Marcello H; Gregio-Junior, Everaldo; Lorenzato, Mario Muller

    2015-01-01

    The present study was aimed at investigating bone involvement secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendonitis at ultrasonography. Retrospective study of a case series. The authors reviewed shoulder ultrasonography reports of 141 patients diagnosed with rotator cuff calcific tendonitis, collected from the computer-based data records of their institution over a four-year period. Imaging findings were retrospectively and consensually analyzed by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists looking for bone involvement associated with calcific tendonitis. Only the cases confirmed by computed tomography were considered for descriptive analysis. Sonographic findings of calcific tendinopathy with bone involvement were observed in 7/141 (~ 5%) patients (mean age, 50.9 years; age range, 42-58 years; 42% female). Cortical bone erosion adjacent to tendon calcification was the most common finding, observed in 7/7 cases. Signs of intraosseous migration were found in 3/7 cases, and subcortical cysts in 2/7 cases. The findings were confirmed by computed tomography. Calcifications associated with bone abnormalities showed no acoustic shadowing at ultrasonography, favoring the hypothesis of resorption phase of the disease. Preliminary results of the present study suggest that ultrasonography can identify bone abnormalities secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy, particularly the presence of cortical bone erosion.

  11. [Old and offline? : Findings on the use of the Internet by people aged 65 years and older in Switzerland].

    PubMed

    Seifert, Alexander; Schelling, Hans Rudolf

    2016-10-01

    The supply of information and communication is becoming continuously more focused on the Internet. While the age groups up to 64 years have shown a vast increase in the use of the Internet since 1997, intensive use of the Internet by age groups above 64 years lags behind and this is not only the case in Switzerland. Against this background and an interest in finding out more about Internet (non)use of older people, two representative surveys were conducted in Switzerland, one in 2009 and another one in 2014. The data used were acquired throughout Switzerland via a standardized telephone survey. The random sample (2014) consisted of 1037 people aged between 65 and 100 years old. Although the digital divide between the age groups has lessened over the past years, only 55.7 % of the elderly people interviewed were using the Internet in the autumn of 2014. Internet usage differs greatly between age groups. Resources such as education, income and health positively impact actual use of the Internet. Additionally, recommendations from a person's social environment, as well as an affinity for technology and a personal benefit assessment have a positive impact on Internet usage. In particular, security concerns and difficulties of use were mentioned as predominant reasons for the non-use of the Internet. Some of the people questioned felt excluded from society because they did not use the Internet. Internet usage among elderly people depends on individual and social resources, as well as on general attitude towards technology and personal benefit expectations. The exclusion of today's elderly "offliners" should be avoided, even if the digital divide will decrease in the future.

  12. Pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis: multidetector computed tomography findings.

    PubMed

    Yuksekkaya, Ruken; Celikyay, Fatih; Yilmaz, Ayse; Arslan, Sule; Inanir, Ahmet; Inonu, Handan; Deniz, Caglar

    2013-12-01

    Pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is common and encompasses a large spectrum of disease with different treatment options and prognoses. Therefore, assessment of these patients with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is vital. To evaluate the MDCT pulmonary findings of patients with RA and to compare these findings with the clinical status. Chest MDCT scans of 85 patients with RA between 2006-2012 were assessed. One patient with a pulmonary infection was excluded from the study. MDCT findings and distribution of the CT findings were examined, and patients were classified according to the predominant CT pattern. The pulmonary function test (PFT) results and categories, demographic characteristics, and clinical status of some of the patients for whom the results were obtained were evaluated, and the CT findings, PFT results, demographic characteristics, and clinical status were compared. The study group consisted of 20 men (mean age, 58.1 years ± 13.1; range, 15-77 years) and 64 women (mean age, 55.3 years ± 11.5; range, 30-84 years). The most frequent findings were nodules (78.6%) and pleural thickening (48.8%). The most common CT patterns were follicular bronchiolitis (FB) in 28 (33.3%) patients and nodular disease (ND) in 12 (14.3%) others. There was no statistically significant difference between the CT findings and PFT results, and no statistically significant difference was noted in the CT findings between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In addition, there were some patients who exhibited no symptoms and/or had abnormal PFT results but had abnormal CT findings. Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a high frequency of CT findings and CT patterns, with nodules and pleural thickening being the most common CT findings and FB and ND being the most common CT patterns. MDCT identification of patients with RA may be helpful in the evaluation of pulmonary disease, even in patients without symptoms and PFT abnormalities.

  13. Repeated evolution of soldier sub-castes suggests parasitism drives social complexity in stingless bees.

    PubMed

    Grüter, Christoph; Segers, Francisca H I D; Menezes, Cristiano; Vollet-Neto, Ayrton; Falcón, Tiago; von Zuben, Lucas; Bitondi, Márcia M G; Nascimento, Fabio S; Almeida, Eduardo A B

    2017-02-23

    The differentiation of workers into morphological castes represents an important evolutionary innovation that is thought to improve division of labor in insect societies. Given the potential benefits of task-related worker differentiation, it is puzzling that physical worker castes, such as soldiers, are extremely rare in social bees and absent in wasps. Following the recent discovery of soldiers in a stingless bee, we studied the occurrence of worker differentiation in 28 stingless bee species from Brazil and found that several species have specialized soldiers for colony defence. Our results reveal that worker differentiation evolved repeatedly during the last ~ 25 million years and coincided with the emergence of parasitic robber bees, a major threat to many stingless bee species. Furthermore, our data suggest that these robbers are a driving force behind the evolution of worker differentiation as targets of robber bees are four times more likely to have nest guards of increased size than non-targets. These findings reveal unexpected diversity in the social organization of stingless bees.Although common in ants and termites, worker differentiation into physical castes is rare in social bees and unknown in wasps. Here, Grüter and colleagues find a guard caste in ten species of stingless bees and show that the evolution of the guard caste is associated with parasitization by robber bees.

  14. Staff Development: Finding the Right Fit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Standerfer, Leslie

    2005-01-01

    Three years ago, when the author joined the staff of Agua Fria High School in Phoenix, Arizona, as an assistant principal, she was excited to find that the students' school day started an hour and a half later than normal each Wednesday to provide staff development time for the teaching staff. That first year, however, neither the principal, Bryce…

  15. Young Children's Block Construction Activities: Findings from 3 Years of Observation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanline, Mary Frances; Milton, Sande; Phelps, Pamela

    2001-01-01

    A 3-year study explored the development of the complexity of block constructions of 65 preschool children. Results indicated that the complexity of block constructions increased with age, the time the child was involved with block construction activities had a positive effect on complexity, and gender did not influence block construction…

  16. The prevalence of childhood victimization experienced outside of the family: Findings from an English prevalence study.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Vicki; Browne, Kevin; Joseph, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    There has been little research carried out in the United Kingdom (UK) aimed at providing a holistic exploration of the victim experiences of young people within the school and community environments (extrafamilial victimization). This study therefore examined the prevalence of 24 different types of extrafamilial victimization experienced by a sample of 730 young people, aged 13-16 years (mean 13.8 years), from one county in the UK. The findings show that the vast majority of young people experienced some form of extrafamilial victimization over their lifetime (84.1%) and past year (67.2%). Looking at individual categories of victimization experienced over the lifetime, 7 out of 10 young people witnessed or experienced indirect victimization, 1 in 3 experienced property victimization, more than 1 in 4 physical victimization, almost 1 in 2 experienced bullying, 1 in 28 dating violence and 1 in 7 experienced sexual victimization. The findings also suggest that victimization is not an isolated event; participants experienced an average 2.8 different types of victimization across their lifetime. These research findings are compared to those from national victimization surveys in the USA and UK to compile a picture of the victimization prevalence rates across studies. The findings highlight the importance of adopting a holistic approach to the exploration of extrafamilial victimization in future research, assessment of victim experiences, and prevention of extrafamilial victimization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The Life of Suggestions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pearce, Cathie

    2010-01-01

    Using the notion of a suggestion, or rather charting the life of suggestions, this article considers the happenings of chance and embodiment as the "problems that got away." The life of suggestions helps us to ask how connectivities are made, how desire functions, and how "immanence" rather than "transcendence" can open up the politics and ethics…

  18. Is Radiologic Evaluation Necessary to Find out Foreign Bodies in Nasal Cavity?

    PubMed

    Oh, Hoon; Min, Hyun Jin; Yang, Hoon Shik; Kim, Kyung Soo

    2016-01-01

    Although there were previous studies on the clinical aspects such as etiology, treatment modalities, studies regarding the necessity of radiologic evaluation for nasal foreign body were limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the necessity and indication of radiologic evaluation for nasal foreign bodies. There are consecutive patients aged less than 10 years who presented with suspected foreign bodies in nasal cavity. We reviewed the patient's age and sex, including the methods of evaluation, management tools, and types of foreign bodies. There were 35 cases (11.4%) on whom radiographs were performed in the 24 uncooperative patients and 11 cooperative patients who were not identified with any foreign bodies via nasal endoscopy. Among them, only 4 cases had positive reports of foreign body and the others were normal radiologic findings. We suggest that the radiologic evaluation is always not necessary to find the location of nasal foreign bodies. It, however, should be performed in cases of negative findings of physical examination with anterior rhinoscopy or sinus endoscopy and unwitnessed foreign bodies to rule out metallic contents, especially button type battery.

  19. "Our Best Friend Is Moving Away": Exploring Parent Transition and Involvement during Their Student's First Year in College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vianden, Jorg; Ruder, Jeff T.

    2012-01-01

    This article documents the results of an exploratory qualitative study of parents of first-year college students at a doctoral-extensive institution in the Midwest. The qualitative survey instrument asked parents to respond to questions about transition and involvement issues during the first college year of their students. Findings suggest that…

  20. Astigmatism in the Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity Study: findings to 3 years of age

    PubMed Central

    Davitt, Bradley V.; Dobson, Velma; Quinn, Graham E.; Hardy, Robert J.; Tung, Betty; Good, William V.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose To examine the prevalence of astigmatism (≥ 1.00 diopter (D)) and high astigmatism (≥ 2.00 D) at 6 and 9 months post-term and 2 and 3 years postnatal, in preterm children with birth weight < 1251g who developed high-risk prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and participated in the Early Treatment for ROP (ETROP) Study. Design Randomized controlled clinical trial Participants 401 infants who developed prethreshold ROP in one or both eyes and were randomized after they were determined to have a high risk (≥ 15%) of poor structural outcome without treatment, using the RM-ROP2 risk management program. Refractive error was measured by cycloplegic retinoscopy. Eyes with additional retinal, glaucoma, or cataract surgery were excluded. Intervention Eyes were randomized to receive laser photocoagulation at high-risk prethreshold ROP (early treated (ET)) or to be conventionally managed (CM), receiving treatment only if threshold ROP developed. Main Outcome Measures Astigmatism and high astigmatism at each visit. Astigmatism was classified as “with-the rule” (75° – 105° (WTR)), “against-the-rule” (0° – 15° and 165° – 180° (ATR), or “oblique” (16° – 74° and 106° – 164° (OBL)). Results The prevalence of astigmatism in ET and CM eyes was similar at each test age. For both groups, there was an increase in prevalence of astigmatism from approximately 32% at 6 months to approximately 42% by 3 years, mostly occurring between 6 and 9 months. Among eyes that could be refracted, astigmatism was not influenced by zone of acute-phase ROP, presence of plus disease, or retinal residua of ROP. Eyes with astigmatism and high astigmatism most often had WTR astigmatism. Conclusions By age 3 years, nearly 43% of eyes treated at high-risk prethreshold ROP developed astigmatism ≥ 1.00 D and nearly 20% had astigmatism ≥ 2.00 D. Presence of astigmatism was not influenced by timing of treatment of acute-phase ROP, characteristics of acute

  1. Assessment of Dog Guides by Users in Japan and Suggestions for Improvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koda, Naoko; Kubo, Masumi; Ishigami, Tomomi; Furuhashi, Hiroaki

    2011-01-01

    Dog guide users in Japan were mostly satisfied with and used their dogs frequently; however, they requested some improvements in training and in basic guiding work. The findings of the study suggest the need for further improvement of training methods, considering cultural factors and individual users' needs. (Contains 3 tables.)

  2. Skin findings in Williams syndrome.

    PubMed

    Kozel, Beth A; Bayliss, Susan J; Berk, David R; Waxler, Jessica L; Knutsen, Russell H; Danback, Joshua R; Pober, Barbara R

    2014-09-01

    Previous examination in a small number of individuals with Williams syndrome (also referred to as Williams-Beuren syndrome) has shown subtly softer skin and reduced deposition of elastin, an elastic matrix protein important in tissue recoil. No quantitative information about skin elasticity in individuals with Williams syndrome is available; nor has there been a complete report of dermatologic findings in this population. To fill this knowledge gap, 94 patients with Williams syndrome aged 7-50 years were recruited as part of the skin and vascular elasticity (WS-SAVE) study. They underwent either a clinical dermatologic assessment by trained dermatologists (2010 WSA family meeting) or measurement of biomechanical properties of the skin with the DermaLab™ suction cup (2012 WSA family meeting). Clinical assessment confirmed that soft skin is common in this population (83%), as is premature graying of the hair (80% of those 20 years or older), while wrinkles (92%), and abnormal scarring (33%) were detected in larger than expected proportions. Biomechanical studies detected statistically significant differences in dP (the pressure required to lift the skin), dT (the time required to raise the skin through a prescribed gradient), VE (viscoelasticity), and E (Young's modulus) relative to matched controls. The RT (retraction time) also trended longer but was not significant. The biomechanical differences noted in these patients did not correlate with the presence of vascular defects also attributable to elastin insufficiency (vascular stiffness, hypertension, and arterial stenosis) suggesting the presence of tissue specific modifiers that modulate the impact of elastin insufficiency in each tissue. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Fontan-associated liver disease: Spectrum of US findings.

    PubMed

    Bae, Jung Min; Jeon, Tae Yeon; Kim, Jung Sun; Kim, Seokhwi; Hwang, Sook Min; Yoo, So-Young; Kim, Ji Hye

    2016-04-01

    To describe ultrasonography (US) findings of Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) and to determine whether screening US examinations can identify FALD before biochemical hepatic dysfunction. This retrospective study included 55 patients who underwent Fontan procedure over a 20-year period. Hepatobiliary US findings (n=55), CT or MRI findings (n=19), biochemical hepatic function tests (n=49), and histopathological results (n=4) were analyzed. Images were reviewed focusing on the hepatic parenchymal changes, presence of focal lesions, and signs of portal hypertension. Hepatic parenchymal changes (either heterogeneous echotexture or surface nodularity) evident on US were present in 67% (37/55) and showed positive correlation with the Fontan duration. Hyper-echoic lesions were noted in 35% (19/55) and showed a predilection for multiplicity, small size, right lobe location, and irregular margin on high-frequency transducer. These lesions were not demonstrated by CT or MRI or by low-frequency transducer. Histopathological results of targeted biopsy for hyper-echoic lesions revealed lesser degree of patchy sinusoidal and portal fibrosis than seen in cases with surface nodularity. Abnormal parenchymal enhancement was commonly seen with CT or MRI in 63% (12/19) and hypervascular nodules in 21% (4/19). Most patients (82%, 40/49) showed normal biochemical hepatic function tests, despite the presence of hepatic parenchymal changes on imaging. The common US findings of FALD included heterogeneous parenchymal echotexture, surface nodularity, and hyper-echoic lesions. We suggest that hyper-echoic lesions without surface nodularity detected by high-frequency transducer may represent the early stage of fibrosis. US examination may be useful for identifying the progression of FALD before biochemical hepatic dysfunction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Suggestions for Content Selection and Presentation in High School Computer Textbooks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Janet Mei-Chuen; Wu, Cheng-Chih

    2007-01-01

    Based on the findings from reviewing 32 textbooks in the past four years for Taiwan's Ministry of Education, we have identified common problems in the reviewed textbooks and analyzed their inadequacies. Typical problems include the Wintel bias, too much coverage of software application tools and too little of computer science concepts, too many…

  5. Speech Characteristics of 8-Year-Old Children: Findings from a Prospective Population Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wren, Yvonne; McLeod, Sharynne; White, Paul; Miller, Laura L.; Roulstone, Sue

    2013-01-01

    Speech disorder that continues into middle childhood is rarely studied compared with speech disorder in the early years. Speech production in single words, connected speech and nonword repetition was assessed for 7390 eight-year-old children within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The majority (n=6399) had typical…

  6. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics

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

    None, None

    2017-09-29

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  7. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics

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

    None, None

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  8. Examining the role of interrogative suggestibility in Miranda rights comprehension in adolescents.

    PubMed

    McLachlan, Kaitlyn; Roesch, Ronald; Douglas, Kevin S

    2011-06-01

    This study aimed to further clarify the association between interrogative suggestibility and Miranda rights comprehension in adolescents; in particular, we examined whether intellectual ability (IQ) serves as a mediator of this relationship. Participants completed Grisso's Miranda Instruments, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, and the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale. Many youth demonstrated poor comprehension of their rights, particularly younger and less intellectually capable adolescents. Both yield and shift components of interrogative suggestibility were inversely related to rights comprehension; however, IQ fully mediated these relationships. Neither demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status after controlling for IQ, and English as a second language (ESL) status) nor previous police experience were significantly associated with rights comprehension in the present sample. The implications of these findings are discussed.

  9. Psychosocial Adaptation to Disability Within the Context of Positive Psychology: Findings from the Literature.

    PubMed

    Martz, Erin; Livneh, Hanoch

    2016-03-01

    This purpose of this article is to review of the trends of research that examined positive psychology constructs in the context of adapting to chronic illness and disability (CID). This article examines the empirical findings on the relationships between six selected positive psychology-associated constructs (optimism, hope, resilience, benefit-finding, meaning-making, and post-traumatic growth) and adaptation to disability. Six positive psychology constructs were selected to represent the trends found in recent literature published on CID. The process of choosing these six variables included reviewing chapters on positive psychology and CID, reviewing the top rehabilitation journals that typically publish articles on psychosocial adaptation to CID, using search engines to find relevant journal articles published since the year 2000, and selecting the most important constructs based on the authors’ professional judgment. The available evidence supports the unique benefits of these six positive psychology constructs in predicting successful adaptation to a range of disabling conditions. Based on the available findings, the authors offer four suggestions for occupational rehabilitation researchers.

  10. Barriers to childhood immunization: findings from a needs assessment study.

    PubMed

    Thomas, M; Kohli, Vandana; King, Dixie

    2004-01-01

    This study examines the current status of immunization among 0-3 year old children in Bakersfield and identifies barriers that prevent families from immunizing their children. A survey research design using a stratified sampling method was employed to collect data from 207 randomly selected English and Spanish speaking households having at least one child between the ages of 0-3 in Bakersfield. The findings reveal that 49% of the parents had no shot cards regarding children's immunization status. However, a significant majority of them immunized their children despite having no records. The most commonly reported consumer related barrier for late immunization was having a sick child followed by lack of parental memory and fear of side effects. The major provider-related barriers included lack of an opening for an appointment with the health care provider, limited clinic hours, and long lines in clinics. Lack of transportation was the single most systemic barrier. These findings suggest that reminder calls, increased transportation, weekend clinics and better rapport with parents can improve the immunization rates in ethnically diverse rural communities.

  11. How Interviewers' Nonverbal Behaviors Can Affect Children's Perceptions and Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Almerigogna, Jehanne; Ost, James; Akehurst, Lucy; Fluck, Mike

    2008-01-01

    We conducted two studies to examine how interviewers' nonverbal behaviors affect children's perceptions and suggestibility. In the first study, 42 8- to 10-year-olds watched video clips showing an interviewer displaying combinations of supportive and nonsupportive nonverbal behaviors and were asked to rate the interviewer on six attributes (e.g.,…

  12. Perinatal pathology: practice suggestions for limited-resource settings.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Drucilla J

    2013-06-01

    The practice of perinatal pathology in much of the world suffers, as do all subspecialties of anatomic pathology, from inadequate resources (equipment, consumables, and both professional and technical personnel), from lack of education (not only of the pathologist but also of the clinicians responsible for sending the specimens, and the technicians processing the specimens), and from lack of appropriate government sector support. Perinatal pathology has significant public health-related utility and should be championing its service by providing maternal and fetal/infant mortality and morbidity data to governmental health ministries. It is with this pathologic data that informed decisions can be made on health-related courses of action and allocation of resources. These perinatal pathology data are needed to develop appropriate public health initiatives, specifically toward achieving the Millennium Developmental Goals as the best way to effectively decrease infant and maternal deaths and to determine causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity. The following overview will focus on the utility of perinatal pathology specifically as related to its public health function and will suggest methods to improve its service in resource-poor settings. This article is offered not as a critique of the current practice that most pathologists find themselves working in globally, but to provide suggestions for improving perinatal pathology services, which could be implemented with the limited available resources and manpower most pathology departments currently have. In addition, we offer suggestions for graded improvements ("ramping up") over time.

  13. Genotype heterogeneity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within geospatial hotspots suggests foci of imported infection in Sydney, Australia.

    PubMed

    Gurjav, Ulziijargal; Jelfs, Peter; Hill-Cawthorne, Grant A; Marais, Ben J; Sintchenko, Vitali

    2016-06-01

    In recent years the State of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has maintained a low tuberculosis incidence rate with little evidence of local transmission. Nearly 90% of notified tuberculosis cases occurred in people born in tuberculosis-endemic countries. We analyzed geographic, epidemiological and genotypic data of all culture-confirmed tuberculosis cases to identify the bacterial and demographic determinants of tuberculosis hotspot areas in NSW. Standard 24-loci mycobacterium interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-24) typing was performed on all isolates recovered between 2009 and 2013. In total 1692/1841 (91.9%) cases with confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection had complete MIRU-24 and demographic data and were included in the study. Despite some year-to-year variability, spatio-temporal analysis identified four tuberculosis hotspots. The incidence rate and the relative risk of tuberculosis in these hotspots were 2- to 10-fold and 4- to 8-fold higher than the state average, respectively. MIRU-24 profiles of M. tuberculosis isolates associated with these hotspots revealed high levels of heterogeneity. This suggests that these spatio-temporal hotspots, within this low incidence setting, can represent areas of predominantly imported infection rather than clusters of cases due to local transmission. These findings provide important epidemiological insight and demonstrate the value of combining tuberculosis genotyping and spatiotemporal data to guide better-targeted public health interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. The intersection syndrome: Ultrasound findings and their diagnostic value

    PubMed Central

    Montechiarello, S.; Miozzi, F.; D’Ambrosio, I.; Giovagnorio, F.

    2010-01-01

    Introduction The intersection syndrome is a well-known overuse syndrome of the distal forearm. It is characterized by noninfectious, inflammatory changes involving the area of intersection of the first (abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis) and second (extensor carpi radialis longus and extensor carpi radialis brevis) extensor compartments in the dorsoradial aspect of the distal forearm. Imaging modalities used to diagnosis this syndrome include ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this report is to describe typical US findings in the intersection syndrome and to demonstrate the diagnostic value of this approach. Materials and methods We reviewed US findings in 4 patients (mean age 40 years) referred to our staff for symptoms suggestive of the intersection syndrome (pain, swelling, erythema, and edema of the wrist). Results In all 4 cases, the US examination revealed peritendinous edema and synovial fluid within the tendon sheaths at the intersection between the first and the second dorsal extensor tendon compartments. Discussion Our experience shows that the intersection syndrome is associated with typical signs on US. This imaging modality can be considered a reliable tool for diagnosing this syndrome and may eliminate the need for other more expensive tests. PMID:23396515

  15. Interactions between spontaneous instantiations to the basic level and post-event suggestions.

    PubMed

    Pansky, Ainat; Tenenboim, Einat

    2011-11-01

    Extensive research shows that post-event suggestions can distort the memory for a target event. In this study we examined the effect of such suggestions as they interact with the products of a spontaneous memory process: instantiation of abstract information to an intermediate level of abstractness, the basic level (Pansky & Koriat, 2004 ). Participants read a narrative containing items presented at the superordinate level (e.g., FRUIT), were exposed to suggestions that referred to these items at the basic level (e.g., APPLE), and were finally asked to recall the original items. We found that the tendency to instantiate spontaneously in the control (non-misleading) condition, particularly over time, increased following exposure to suggestions that were likely to coincide with those instantiations. Exposure to such suggestions, either immediately or following a 24-hour delay, reduced subsequent correct recall of the original items only if the suggested information coincided with the information one tends to instantiate spontaneously in a given context. Suggestibility, in this case, was particularly pronounced and phenomenologically compelling in terms of remember/know judgements. The findings are taken to imply that effects of post-event suggestions can be understood in terms of the constructive processes that set the stage for their occurrence.

  16. Water and Beverage Consumption among Children Aged 4–13 Years in Lebanon: Findings from a National Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Jomaa, Lamis; Hwalla, Nahla; Constant, Florence; Naja, Farah; Nasreddine, Lara

    2016-01-01

    This study evaluates total water intake (TWI) from plain water, beverages and foods among Lebanese children and compares TWI to dietary reference intakes (DRIs). In a national cross-sectional survey, data on demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, and physical activity characteristics were obtained from 4 to 13-year-old children (n = 752). Food and beverage consumption patterns were assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. TWI was estimated at 1651 mL/day, with beverages contributing 72% of the TWI compared to 28% from foods. Beverages with the highest contribution to TWI included plain water, fruit juice and soda. A significantly higher proportion of 9–13-year-old children failed to meet the DRIs compared to 4–8 years old (92%–98% vs. 74%). Gender differentials were observed with a significantly higher proportion of boys meeting the DRIs compared to girls. The water to energy ratio ranged between 0.84 and 0.87, which fell short of meeting the desirable recommendations. In addition, children from higher socioeconomic status had higher intakes of water from milk and bottled water, coupled with lower water intakes from sodas. The study findings show an alarming high proportion of Lebanese children failing to meet TWI recommendations, and call for culture-specific interventions to instill healthy fluid consumption patterns early in life. PMID:27618092

  17. Evaluating the Effectiveness of France’s Indoor Smoke-Free Law 1 Year and 5 Years after Implementation: Findings from the ITC France Survey

    PubMed Central

    Fong, Geoffrey T.; Craig, Lorraine V.; Guignard, Romain; Nagelhout, Gera E.; Tait, Megan K.; Driezen, Pete; Kennedy, Ryan David; Boudreau, Christian; Wilquin, Jean-Louis; Deutsch, Antoine; Beck, François

    2013-01-01

    France implemented a comprehensive smoke-free law in two phases: Phase 1 (February 2007) banned smoking in workplaces, shopping centres, airports, train stations, hospitals, and schools; Phase 2 (January 2008) banned smoking in hospitality venues (bars, restaurants, hotels, casinos, nightclubs). This paper evaluates France’s smoke-free law based on the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project in France (the ITC France Project), which conducted a cohort survey of approximately 1,500 smokers and 500 non-smokers before the implementation of the laws (Wave 1) and two waves after the implementation (Waves 2 and 3). Results show that the smoke-free law led to a very significant and near-total elimination of observed smoking in key venues such as bars (from 94–97% to 4%) and restaurants (from 60–71% to 2–3%) at Wave 2, which was sustained four years later (6–8% in bars; 1–2% in restaurants). The reduction in self-reported smoking by smoking respondents was nearly identical to the effects shown in observed smoking. Observed smoking in workplaces declined significantly after the law (from 41–48% to 18–20%), which continued to decline at Wave 3 (to 14–15%). Support for the smoke-free laws increased significantly after their implementation and continued to increase at Wave 3 (p<.001 among smokers for bars and restaurants; p<.001 among smokers and p = .003 for non-smokers for workplaces). The findings demonstrate that smoke-free policies that are implemented in ways consistent with the Guidelines for Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) lead to substantial and sustained reductions in indoor smoking while also leading to high levels of support by the public. Moreover, contrary to arguments by opponents of smoke-free laws, smoking in the home did not increase after the law was implemented and prevalence of smoke-free homes among smokers increased from 23.2% before the law to 37.2% 5 years after the law. PMID

  18. The Effects of Prior Knowledge on Children's Memory and Suggestibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elischberger, Holger B.

    2005-01-01

    In this study, 5- and 6-year-olds were read a story and asked to recall its details. Two independent factors-prestory knowledge and poststory suggestions-were crossed to examine the effects on children's story recall. The results indicated that prestory social knowledge about the story protagonist as well as academic knowledge relating to the…

  19. Preliminary findings of altered functional connectivity of the default mode network linked to functional outcomes one year after pediatric traumatic brain injury.

    PubMed

    Stephens, Jaclyn A; Salorio, Cynthia F; Barber, Anita D; Risen, Sarah R; Mostofsky, Stewart H; Suskauer, Stacy J

    2017-07-10

    This study examined functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) and examined brain-behavior relationships in a pilot cohort of children with chronic mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Compared to uninjured peers, children with TBI demonstrated less anti-correlated functional connectivity between DMN and right Brodmann Area 40 (BA 40). In children with TBI, more anomalous less anti-correlated) connectivity between DMN and right BA 40 was linked to poorer performance on response inhibition tasks. Collectively, these preliminary findings suggest that functional connectivity between DMN and BA 40 may relate to longterm functional outcomes in chronic pediatric TBI.

  20. Effects of methylphenidate during emotional processing in amphetamine users: preliminary findings.

    PubMed

    Bottelier, M A; Schouw, M L J; de Ruiter, M B; Ruhe, H G; Lindauer, R J L; Reneman, L

    2015-12-01

    D-amphetamine (dAMPH) and methylphenidate (MPH) are stimulants used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Preclinical studies have shown that in healthy animals, dAMPH induces dopamine (DA) dysfunction, as evidenced for instance by loss of DA levels and its transporters. It has also been suggested that DA plays an important role in emotional processing, and that altered DA-ergic intervention may modulate amygdala function. To explore the role of the DA system in emotional processing we examined emotional processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in eight male recreational users of dAMPH and eight male healthy controls. We compared brain activation between both groups during an emotional face-processing task with and without an oral MPH challenge. All subjects were abstinent for at least 2 weeks during the baseline scan. The second scan was performed on the same day 1½ hours after receiving an oral dose of 35 mg MPH. A significant Valence*Group interaction (p = .037) indicated amygdala hyperreactivity to fearful facial expressions in dAMPH users that was robust against adjustment for age (p = .015). Furthermore, duration of amphetamine use in years was positively correlated with amygdala reactivity in dAMPH users (r = .76; p = .029). These exploratory findings are in line with previous findings suggesting that DA plays a role in emotional processing.

  1. Esophageal Xanthoma: Presence of M2 Macrophages Suggests Association with Late Inflammatory and Reparative Processes

    PubMed Central

    Uehara, Karina; Iwashita, Hidehiko; Tanabe, Yasuka; Kurima, Kiyoto; Oshiro, Mariko; Kina, Shinichiro; Ota, Atsuko; Iwashita, Akinori; Kinjo, Takao

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Esophageal xanthoma is a rare lesion which is an asymptomatic small yellowish polyp, and most of the reported cases were solitary lesion. Histologically, aggregations of foam cells are found under the papillary hypertrophic squamous epithelium and the foam cells express CD68. The etiology of esophageal xanthoma is unknown. The focal irritation of the esophageal mucosa and infiltrated inflammatory cells are presumed to contribute to its pathogenesis. Although the pathogenesis may be associated with inflammation, the type and nature of the macrophages remain unclear. Here we report a 46-year-old male with esophageal xanthoma, which was incidentally found by endoscopy. Histologically, acute inflammation was not noted, and immunohistochemistry revealed that the foam cells seen in this case of esophageal xanthoma expressed increased levels of M2 macrophage markers. These findings suggest that esophageal xanthoma is associated with late inflammatory and reparative processes long after the initial inflammation of esophageal squamous epithelium. PMID:29071304

  2. Imaging findings in a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome: a survey using advanced modalities

    PubMed Central

    Shakibafar, Ali Reza; Houshyar, Maneli; Nafarzade, Shima

    2011-01-01

    Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is an infrequent multi-systemic disease which is characterized by multiple keratocysts in the jaws, calcification of falx cerebri, and basal cell carcinomas. We report a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome in a 23-year-old man with emphasis on image findings of keratocyctic odontogenic tumors (KCOTs) on panoramic radiograph, computed tomography, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and Ultrasonography (US). In this case, pericoronal lesions were mostly orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC) concerning the MR and US study, which tended to recur less. The aim of this report was to clarify the characteristic imaging features of the syndrome-related keratocysts that can be used to differentiate KCOT from OOC. Also, our findings suggested that the recurrence rate of KCOTs might be predicted based on their association to teeth. PMID:22232727

  3. Imaging findings in a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome: a survey using advanced modalities.

    PubMed

    Bronoosh, Pegah; Shakibafar, Ali Reza; Houshyar, Maneli; Nafarzade, Shima

    2011-12-01

    Gorlin-Goltz syndrome is an infrequent multi-systemic disease which is characterized by multiple keratocysts in the jaws, calcification of falx cerebri, and basal cell carcinomas. We report a case of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome in a 23-year-old man with emphasis on image findings of keratocyctic odontogenic tumors (KCOTs) on panoramic radiograph, computed tomography, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and Ultrasonography (US). In this case, pericoronal lesions were mostly orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC) concerning the MR and US study, which tended to recur less. The aim of this report was to clarify the characteristic imaging features of the syndrome-related keratocysts that can be used to differentiate KCOT from OOC. Also, our findings suggested that the recurrence rate of KCOTs might be predicted based on their association to teeth.

  4. Adapting Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Older Adults at Risk for Suicide: Preliminary Findings

    PubMed Central

    Heisel, Marnin J.; Duberstein, Paul R.; Talbot, Nancy L.; King, Deborah A.; Tu, Xin M.

    2010-01-01

    We report preliminary findings of the first ever study testing a 16-week course of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) modified for older outpatients at elevated risk for suicide. Participants were referred from inpatient and outpatient medicine and mental health services. Psychotherapy sessions took place in a therapist’s office in a teaching hospital. Twelve adults 60 years or older (M=70.5, SD=6.1) with current thoughts of suicide (suicide ideation) or a wish to die (death ideation) or with recent self-injurious behavior were recruited into weekly sessions of IPT; one was subsequently excluded due to severe cognitive impairment. Participants completed measures of suicide ideation, death ideation, and depressive symptom severity at pre-treatment, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and at 3-month follow-up periods, and measures of therapeutic process variables. Preliminary findings of this uncontrolled pre-post-treatment study support the feasibility of recruiting and retaining older adults at-risk for suicide into psychotherapy research and suggest that adapted IPT is tolerable and safe. Findings indicate a substantial reduction in participant suicide ideation, death ideation, and depressive symptoms; controlled trials are needed to further evaluate these findings. We discuss implications for clinical care with at-risk older adults. PMID:20574546

  5. Stability and change in retrospective reports of childhood experiences over a 5-year period: findings from the Davis Longitudinal Study.

    PubMed

    Yancura, Loriena A; Aldwin, Carolyn M

    2009-09-01

    The paths via which childhood experiences influence well-being in adulthood are not well defined because most research relies on retrospective reports. This study examined the influence of demographic characteristics and current mood states on the reliability of reports of childhood experiences. The Child Experiences Scale (CES) was administered in 1996 and 2001 to participants in the Davis Longitudinal Study (N = 571; age range 22-61 years). Responses showed moderate to high cross-time reliability. Males were slightly more likely to change their responses. The influence of mood states was weak and more evident for global ratings of childhood than for specific experiences. These findings support the use of retrospective reports of childhood. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  6. Metastatic pulmonary calcification: high-resolution computed tomography findings in 23 cases.

    PubMed

    Belém, Luciana Camara; Souza, Carolina A; Souza, Arthur Soares; Escuissato, Dante Luiz; Hochhegger, Bruno; Nobre, Luiz Felipe; Rodrigues, Rosana Souza; Gomes, Antônio Carlos Portugal; Silva, Claudio S; Guimarães, Marcos Duarte; Zanetti, Gláucia; Marchiori, Edson

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in patients diagnosed with metastatic pulmonary calcification (MPC). We retrospectively reviewed the HRCT findings from 23 cases of MPC [14 men, 9 women; mean age, 54.3 (range, 26-89) years]. The patients were examined between 2000 and 2014 in nine tertiary hospitals in Brazil, Chile, and Canada. Diagnoses were established by histopathologic study in 18 patients and clinical-radiological correlation in 5 patients. Two chest radiologists analyzed the images and reached decisions by consensus. The predominant HRCT findings were centrilobular ground-glass nodules ( n = 14; 60.9%), consolidation with high attenuation ( n = 10; 43.5%), small dense nodules ( n = 9; 39.1%), peripheral reticular opacities associated with small calcified nodules ( n = 5; 21.7%), and ground-glass opacities without centrilobular ground-glass nodular opacity ( n = 5; 21.7%). Vascular calcification within the chest wall was found in four cases and pleural effusion was observed in five cases. The abnormalities were bilateral in 21 cases. MPC manifested with three main patterns on HRCT, most commonly centrilobular ground-glass nodules, often containing calcifications, followed by dense consolidation and small solid nodules, most of which were calcified. We also described another pattern of peripheral reticular opacities associated with small calcified nodules. These findings should suggest the diagnosis of MPC in the setting of hypercalcemia.

  7. The Influence of Judgment Calls on Meta-Analytic Findings.

    PubMed

    Tarrahi, Farid; Eisend, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Previous research has suggested that judgment calls (i.e., methodological choices made in the process of conducting a meta-analysis) have a strong influence on meta-analytic findings and question their robustness. However, prior research applies case study comparison or reanalysis of a few meta-analyses with a focus on a few selected judgment calls. These studies neglect the fact that different judgment calls are related to each other and simultaneously influence the outcomes of a meta-analysis, and that meta-analytic findings can vary due to non-judgment call differences between meta-analyses (e.g., variations of effects over time). The current study analyzes the influence of 13 judgment calls in 176 meta-analyses in marketing research by applying a multivariate, multilevel meta-meta-analysis. The analysis considers simultaneous influences from different judgment calls on meta-analytic effect sizes and controls for alternative explanations based on non-judgment call differences between meta-analyses. The findings suggest that judgment calls have only a minor influence on meta-analytic findings, whereas non-judgment call differences between meta-analyses are more likely to explain differences in meta-analytic findings. The findings support the robustness of meta-analytic results and conclusions.

  8. Retrospective study of sonographic findings in bone involvement associated with rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: preliminary results of a case series*

    PubMed Central

    Nogueira-Barbosa, Marcello H.; Gregio-Junior, Everaldo; Lorenzato, Mario Muller

    2015-01-01

    Objective The present study was aimed at investigating bone involvement secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendonitis at ultrasonography. Materials and Methods Retrospective study of a case series. The authors reviewed shoulder ultrasonography reports of 141 patients diagnosed with rotator cuff calcific tendonitis, collected from the computer-based data records of their institution over a four-year period. Imaging findings were retrospectively and consensually analyzed by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists looking for bone involvement associated with calcific tendonitis. Only the cases confirmed by computed tomography were considered for descriptive analysis. Results Sonographic findings of calcific tendinopathy with bone involvement were observed in 7/141 (~ 5%) patients (mean age, 50.9 years; age range, 42-58 years; 42% female). Cortical bone erosion adjacent to tendon calcification was the most common finding, observed in 7/7 cases. Signs of intraosseous migration were found in 3/7 cases, and subcortical cysts in 2/7 cases. The findings were confirmed by computed tomography. Calcifications associated with bone abnormalities showed no acoustic shadowing at ultrasonography, favoring the hypothesis of resorption phase of the disease. Conclusion Preliminary results of the present study suggest that ultrasonography can identify bone abnormalities secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy, particularly the presence of cortical bone erosion. PMID:26811551

  9. Finding False Paths in Sequential Circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matrosova, A. Yu.; Andreeva, V. V.; Chernyshov, S. V.; Rozhkova, S. V.; Kudin, D. V.

    2018-02-01

    Method of finding false paths in sequential circuits is developed. In contrast with heuristic approaches currently used abroad, the precise method based on applying operations on Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (ROBDDs) extracted from the combinational part of a sequential controlling logic circuit is suggested. The method allows finding false paths when transfer sequence length is not more than the given value and obviates the necessity of investigation of combinational circuit equivalents of the given lengths. The possibilities of using of the developed method for more complicated circuits are discussed.

  10. Interrogative suggestibility among adolescent boys and its relationship with intelligence, memory, and cognitive set.

    PubMed

    Singh, K K; Gudjonsson, G H

    1992-06-01

    This study investigates some of the hypotheses generated by the Gudjonsson and Clark model of interrogative suggestibility. The subjects were 40 adolescent boys (11-16 years), who completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale and instruments measuring intellectual skills, memory, field-dependence, hostility, and attitudes towards persons in authority. Suggestibility correlated negatively with I.Q. and memory capacity, and positively with field-dependence.

  11. Athletic pubalgia and the "sports hernia": MR imaging findings.

    PubMed

    Zoga, Adam C; Kavanagh, Eoin C; Omar, Imran M; Morrison, William B; Koulouris, George; Lopez, Hector; Chaabra, Avneesh; Domesek, John; Meyers, William C

    2008-06-01

    To retrospectively determine the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in patients with clinical athletic pubalgia, with either surgical or physical examination findings as the reference standard. Institutional review board approval was granted for this HIPAA-compliant study, and informed consent was waived. MR imaging studies in 141 patients (134 male patients, seven female patients; mean age, 30.1 years; range, 17-71 years) who had been referred to a subspecialist because of groin pain were reviewed for findings including hernia, pubic bone marrow edema, secondary cleft sign, and rectus abdominis and adductor tendon injury. MR imaging findings were compared with surgical findings for 102 patients, physical examination findings for all 141 patients, and MR imaging findings in an asymptomatic control group of 25 men (mean age, 29.8 years; range, 18-39 years). Sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging for rectus abdominis and adductor tendon injury were determined by using a chi(2) analysis, and significance of the findings was analyzed with an unpaired Student t test. Disease patterns seen at MR imaging were compared with those reported in the surgical and sports medicine literature. One hundred thirty-eight (98%) of 141 patients had findings at MR imaging that could cause groin pain. Compared with surgery, MR imaging had a sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 68% and 100% for rectus abdominis tendon injury and 86% and 89% for adductor tendon injury. Injury in each of these structures was significantly more common in the patient group than in the control group (P < .001). Only two patients had hernias at surgery. At MR imaging, injury or disease could be fit into distinct groups, including osteitis pubis, adductor compartment injury, rectus abdominis tendon injury, and injury or disease remote from the pubic symphysis. Patients with injury involving the rectus abdominis insertion were most likely to go on to surgical

  12. Evaluation of Oral Anticoagulant-Associated Intracranial Parenchymal Hematomas Using CT Findings.

    PubMed

    Gökçe, E; Beyhan, M; Acu, B

    2015-06-01

    Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most serious and lethal complications of anticoagulants with a reported incidence of 5-18.5 %. Computed tomographic (CT) findings, should be carefully studied because early diagnosis and treatment of oral anticoagulant use-associated hematomas are vitally important. In the present study, CT findings of intraparenchymal hematomas associated with anticoagulant and antihypertensive use are presented. This study included 45 patients (25 men, 20 women) under anticoagulant (21 patients) or antihypertensive (24 patients) treatment who had brain CT examinations due to complaints and findings suggesting cerebrovascular disease during July 2010-October 2013 period. CT examinations were performed to determine hematoma volumes and presence of swirl sign, hematocrit effect, mid-line shift effect, and intraventricular extension. The patients were 40-89 years of age. In four cases, a total of 51 intraparenchymal hematomas (42 cerebral, 7 cerebellar and 2 brain stem) were detected in multiple foci. Hematoma volumes varied from 0.09 to 284.00 ml. Swirl sign was observed in 87.5 and 63.0 % of OAC-associated ICHs and non-OAC-associated ICHs, respectively. In addition, hematocrit effect was observed in 41.6 % of OAC-associated and in 3.7 % of non-OAC-associated ICHs. Volume increases were observed in all 19 hematomas where swirl sign was detected, and follow-up CT scanning was conducted. Mortality of OAC-associated ICHs was correlated with initial volumes of hematoma, mid-line shift amount, and intraventricular extension. Detection of hematocrit effect by CT scanning of intracranial hematomas should be cautionary in oral anticoagulant use, while detection of swirl sign should be suggestive of active hemorrhage.

  13. Promoting Physical Activity Participation among Adolescents: The Barriers and the Suggestions

    PubMed Central

    Peykari, Niloofar; Eftekhari, Monir Baradaran; Tehrani, Fahimeh Ramezani; Afzali, Hosein Malek; Hejazi, Farzaneh; Atoofi, Mehrdad Kazemzadeh; Qorbani, Mostafa; Asayesh, Hamid; Djalalinia, Shirin

    2015-01-01

    Background: Physical activity is a complex behavior. To designing the effective intervention, qualitative researches may be allowed for greater understanding of the reasons behind the adolescences’ physical activity-related behaviors’. Methods: Using the grounded theory approach, including semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews, we conducted a quantitative study to elicit the adolescents and key informants’ opinion regarding the satiation, needs, social and environmental barriers of adolescents’ physical activity. For FGDs, participants were selected from volunteered adolescent (aged 10–19 years) of the populated western part of Tehran, which was selected as a research field. Key informants were invited from the health professionals and experts in the field of adolescents’ health. Results: According to findings, although the majority of participants agreed on the important role of physical activity, the lack of essential motivation and the pressure of educational assignments remove it from the daily program priorities. Lack of a safe environment for girls’ physical activity and high cost of professional sports were two first mentioned barriers. It was also suggested that future interventions should focus on improving more parents’ engagement and their direct participation in physical activities with their adolescents. Conclusions: We proposed the participatory strategies for adolescent's physical activity promotion. Through which target groups participation during the designing, development, and implementation of health programs led to more effective interventions. PMID:25789144

  14. Conversations about electricity and the future: Findings of an international seminar and lessons from a year of surprises

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

    Rossin, A.D.; Fowler, K.

    In January 1990 thirty-two experts from twelve countries convened for a five-day working Seminar on the Berkeley Campus of the University of California to discuss electricity supply and demand. The participants brought with them deep and diverse backgrounds in energy issues. A major concern of the First 1990 Group on Electricity was the potential impact of electricity shortages on the environment, just at a time of growing awareness of environmental deterioration. These concerns extend from local problems to nations, regions and global impacts. Indeed, because of the importance of electricity in our lives, potential electric power shortages already foreseeable inmore » this decade could overwhelm public concern for the environment, unless critical, long-leadtime measures are taken very soon. The First 1990 Group on Electricity's Findings and Conclusions, the thinking that led to them, and the impact of events in the intervening year form the content of this book.« less

  15. Modeling Longitudinal Changes in Older Adults’ Memory for Spoken Discourse: Findings from the ACTIVE Cohort

    PubMed Central

    Payne, Brennan R.; Gross, Alden L.; Parisi, Jeanine M.; Sisco, Shannon M.; Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A. L.; Marsiske, Michael; Rebok, George W.

    2014-01-01

    Episodic memory shows substantial declines with advancing age, but research on longitudinal trajectories of spoken discourse memory (SDM) in older adulthood is limited. Using parallel process latent growth curve models, we examined 10 years of longitudinal data from the no-contact control group (N = 698) of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) randomized controlled trial in order to test (a) the degree to which SDM declines with advancing age, (b) predictors of these age-related declines, and (c) the within-person relationship between longitudinal changes in SDM and longitudinal changes in fluid reasoning and verbal ability over 10 years, independent of age. Individuals who were younger, White, had more years of formal education, were male, and had better global cognitive function and episodic memory performance at baseline demonstrated greater levels of SDM on average. However, only age at baseline uniquely predicted longitudinal changes in SDM, such that declines accelerated with greater age. Independent of age, within-person decline in reasoning ability over the 10-year study period was substantially correlated with decline in SDM (r = .87). An analogous association with SDM did not hold for verbal ability. The findings suggest that longitudinal declines in fluid cognition are associated with reduced spoken language comprehension. Unlike findings from memory for written prose, preserved verbal ability may not protect against developmental declines in memory for speech. PMID:24304364

  16. Tuberculous spondylodiscitis in a patient with a sickle-cell disease: CT findings.

    PubMed

    Krupniewski, Leszek; Palczewski, Piotr; Gołębiowski, Marek; Kosińska-Kaczyńska, Katarzyna

    2012-01-01

    Although sickle-cell anemia (SCA) is common in black Americans, Sub-Saharan Africa and in the Mediterranean area, the disease is rare in the temperate climate zone. The manifestations of the disease are related mainly to the production of abnormal hemoglobin that leads to organ ischemia and increased susceptibility to infection caused by functional asplenia. The authors present CT findings in a 39-year-old black woman diagnosed due to abdominal pain, lymphadenopathy and fever. CT of the thorax and abdomen demonstrated changes in the liver, spleen, and skeletal system suggestive of SCA complicated with spondylodiscitis in the thoracic spine. Hepatomegaly and small calcified spleen are typical findings in older homozygotic patients with SCA. The lesions in the skeleton may be related either to intramedullary hematopoiesis or osteonecrosis and osteomyelitis. In the latter case, diffuse osteosclerosis and H-shaped vertebrae are most typical. Tuberculous spondylodiscitis is characterized by the location in the thoracic region, preferential involvement of anterior elements, relative sparing of intervertebral discs, and cold abscesses.

  17. The pediatric residency training on tobacco project: four-year parent outcome findings.

    PubMed

    Hymowitz, Norman; Pyle, Sara A; Haddock, C Keith; Schwab, Joseph V

    2008-08-01

    To assess parent behavioral change and perception of resident intervention on tobacco. In a long-term study of the efficacy of training pediatric residents to address tobacco conducted at the New Jersey Medical School, sixteen pediatric training programs were assigned randomly to either special or standard training conditions. Parent surveys were administered in the fall of 2001 and 2005 in order to assess the effects of resident intervention on parent behavior, as well as parent perceptions of resident intervention. The percent of parents who smoke at sites associated with the special training condition, but not of those at sites associated with standard training, who reported that residents advised them to stop smoking, offered to help them quit, and provided quit smoking materials increased significantly from baseline to year 4. The percent of parents in the special training condition who reported quitting smoking in the past year also increased, although the increase was not statistically significant. A majority of the parents associated with each training condition reported receiving intervention for second hand smoke (SHS). For each training condition, the level of intervention to prevent exposure of infants and children to SHS exposure was similar at baseline and year 4, as was the percent of parents who reported having a smoke-free household. The results support the efficacy of the special training program and underscore the importance of preparing pediatric residents to address tobacco.

  18. Validity Generalization of the WISC-R Factor Structure with 10 1/2-Year-Old Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shiek, David A.; Miller, John E.

    1978-01-01

    Investigated robustness of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) factor structure. Comparisons of the loadings obtained with generalization sample and 10 1/2-year-old national standardization sample suggest high degree of similarity in composition, magnitude, and pattern. Findings highly support robustness of WISC-R's…

  19. Vitamin C with metabolites: additional analysis suggests favorable changes in oxalate.

    PubMed

    Moyad, Mark A; Combs, Maile A; Baisley, Joshua E; Evans, Malkanthi

    2009-01-01

    A previously published randomized trial found a significant difference in the proportion of individuals experiencing oxalate reduction with a vitamin C with metabolites product compared with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). This represented a notable finding, which argued against the possibility of a chance finding due to the design and consistency of results. However, these researchers believed it was necessary to further analyze this study to continue to garner more insight on the strength or weakness of original findings. All favorable, neutral, and non-favorable changes of 24-hour oxalate from the previous clinical trial were grouped. Oxalate was considered to "decrease" or "increase" with each intervention only if a 10% or larger change occurred in the 24-hour oxalate baseline value when taking one product compared to another. A greater proportion of subjects taking both products at different time periods experienced favorable oxalate changes with vitamin C with metabolites product compared to ascorbic acid. If this reflects the true clinical scenario, this would represent an important clinical finding on a population level because at least 20% more individuals would experience a more favorable change. Regardless, this further analysis continues to suggest that the original observations were valid and could have positive clinical implications for some patients.

  20. Indicators of complicated mild TBI predict MMPI-2 scores after 23 years.

    PubMed

    Hessen, Erik; Nestvold, Knut

    2009-03-01

    Research suggests that post-concussive syndrome may become persistent after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The aim of this study was to investigate determinants of subjective complaints, characteristic for post-concussive syndrome, 23 years after mTBI. The study was a follow-up after a prospective head injury study at a general hospital in Norway. Ninety-seven patients were assessed with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) 23 years after sustaining primarily mTBI. A good overall outcome was found with scores close to the normative mean, average length of education and normal employment rate. However, the patients that sustained complicated mTBI showed somewhat more pathological scores, well-matched with mild post-concussive syndrome. The most important predictors of poor outcome were a combination of post-traumatic amnesia >30 minutes and EEG pathology within 24 hours after TBI. No influence of pre- and post-injury risk factors on current MMPI-2 profiles was found. The results are in line with previous research findings and support the notion of potentially differential impact of uncomplicated vs. complicated mTBI. The findings suggest that complicated mTBI may cause subtle chronic symptoms typical of post-concussive syndrome.

  1. Fossil Find on Svalbard Highlights the Natural History of the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingolfsson, O.; Wiig, O.

    2007-12-01

    During recent fieldwork on Svalbard a well preserved subfossil left ramus of a polar bear (Ursus maritimus) mandible was discovered. A 14C age determination shows that it is older than 45 ka (kilo-years), and an OSL (Optical Stimulated Luminescence) age determination together with the stratigraphic position of the bone suggests that it is of Eemian-Early Weichselian/Wisconsinan age, 150-80 ka old. This puts the find among the oldest fossil remains of a polar bear ever discovered. Osteological study of the mandible suggests that it comes from a fully grown female. The fossil record suggests that polar bears may have developed from brown bears during the early part of the last glacial cycle, some 100 ka ago. The present interglacial might be the first such that the species has to endure. This underlines the potential status of the polar bears as an endangered species if the current warming trend and diminishing of sea ice cover in the Arctic continues.

  2. Two Cases of Melasma with Unusual Histopathologic Findings

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Won-Hyoung

    2006-01-01

    We reported two cases of clinically typical melasma presenting with unusual histopathologic findings. In one case, the epidermal melanocytes were markedly increased in number and protruded into the dermis, and in the other case, increased epidermal pigmentation as well as dermal melanocytosis were found. We suggested that the various treatment modalities of melasma should be applied depend on its histopathologic finding. PMID:16614533

  3. Eyewitness recall and suggestibility in individuals with Down syndrome.

    PubMed

    Collins, D; Henry, L

    2016-12-01

    Many criminal justice professionals perceive the eyewitness skills of individuals with intellectual disabilities to be weaker than those of typically developing (TD) individuals. Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common genetic causes of intellectual disabilities, yet there is no research addressing eyewitness skills in this population. This study examined the eyewitness recall and suggestibility of young people with DS. Young people with DS and mental age-matched TD children viewed a video of a non-violent petty crime and were subsequently asked to freely recall the event before being asked general and specific questions incorporating both misleading and non-leading prompts. Compared with mental age-matched TD individuals, young people with DS produced as much information, were just as accurate and were no more suggestible. The eyewitness memory skills of young people with DS are comparable to those of mental age-matched TD children. The implications of these findings for the forensic context and eyewitness memory are discussed. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Chest CT findings in patients with dysphagia and aspiration: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Scheeren, Betina; Gomes, Erissandra; Alves, Giordano; Marchiori, Edson; Hochhegger, Bruno

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The objective of this systematic review was to characterize chest CT findings in patients with dysphagia and pulmonary aspiration, identifying the characteristics and the methods used. The studies were selected from among those indexed in the Brazilian Virtual Library of Health, LILACS, Indice Bibliográfico Español de Ciencias de la Salud, Medline, Cochrane Library, SciELO, and PubMed databases. The search was carried out between June and July of 2016. Five articles were included and reviewed, all of them carried out in the last five years, published in English, and coming from different countries. The sample size in the selected studies ranged from 43 to 56 patients, with a predominance of adult and elderly subjects. The tomographic findings in patients with dysphagia-related aspiration were varied, including bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, pulmonary nodules, consolidations, pleural effusion, ground-glass attenuation, atelectasis, septal thickening, fibrosis, and air trapping. Evidence suggests that chest CT findings in patients with aspiration are diverse. In this review, it was not possible to establish a consensus that could characterize a pattern of pulmonary aspiration in patients with dysphagia, further studies of the topic being needed. PMID:28767772

  5. Chest CT findings in patients with dysphagia and aspiration: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Scheeren, Betina; Gomes, Erissandra; Alves, Giordano; Marchiori, Edson; Hochhegger, Bruno

    2017-01-01

    The objective of this systematic review was to characterize chest CT findings in patients with dysphagia and pulmonary aspiration, identifying the characteristics and the methods used. The studies were selected from among those indexed in the Brazilian Virtual Library of Health, LILACS, Indice Bibliográfico Español de Ciencias de la Salud, Medline, Cochrane Library, SciELO, and PubMed databases. The search was carried out between June and July of 2016. Five articles were included and reviewed, all of them carried out in the last five years, published in English, and coming from different countries. The sample size in the selected studies ranged from 43 to 56 patients, with a predominance of adult and elderly subjects. The tomographic findings in patients with dysphagia-related aspiration were varied, including bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, pulmonary nodules, consolidations, pleural effusion, ground-glass attenuation, atelectasis, septal thickening, fibrosis, and air trapping. Evidence suggests that chest CT findings in patients with aspiration are diverse. In this review, it was not possible to establish a consensus that could characterize a pattern of pulmonary aspiration in patients with dysphagia, further studies of the topic being needed.

  6. Testing increases suggestibility for narrative-based misinformation but reduces suggestibility for question-based misinformation.

    PubMed

    LaPaglia, Jessica A; Chan, Jason C K

    2013-01-01

    A number of recent studies have found that recalling details of an event following its occurrence can increase people's suggestibility to later presented misinformation. However, several other studies have reported the opposite result, whereby earlier retrieval can reduce subsequent eyewitness suggestibility. In the present study, we investigated whether differences in the way misinformation is presented can modulate the effects of testing on suggestibility. Participants watched a video of a robbery and some were questioned about the event immediately afterwards. Later, participants were exposed to misinformation in a narrative (Experiment 1) or in questions (Experiment 2). Consistent with previous studies, we found that testing increased suggestibility when misinformation was presented via a narrative. Remarkably, when misinformation was presented in questions, testing decreased suggestibility. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Effect of hypnotic suggestion on the delayed-type hypersensitivity response.

    PubMed

    Locke, S E; Ransil, B J; Zachariae, R; Molay, F; Tollins, K; Covino, N A; Danforth, D

    1994-07-06

    To determine whether individuals selected for good general health, high hypnotizability, and the ability to alter skin temperature under hypnotic suggestion can influence the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to varicella-zoster (VZ) antigen under hypnotic suggestion. A blinded clinical trial using a repeated measures design with subjects serving as their own controls. Subjects were randomly assigned to undergo a predetermined sequence of four different experimental conditions, occurring at weekly intervals, with each condition including VZ skin testing: (1) hypnosis with suggestions to enhance the DTH response to VZ antigen; (2) hypnosis with suggestions to suppress the DTH response; (3) hypnosis with suggestions for relaxation only; and (4) skin testing without hypnosis. A National Institutes of Health-supported clinical research center in a teaching hospital. A stratified sample of 24 ambulatory, healthy, highly hypnotizable, volunteer college students selected for their above-average ability to alter skin temperature after hypnotic suggestions and their positive baseline responses to VZ antigen. There were 11 males and 13 females with a mean +/- SD age of 22 +/- 6 years. The mean +/- SD hypnotizability score (Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility) was 11 +/- 1. Intradermal skin testing with VZ antigen (Mantoux method) and hypnotic suggestion. Areas of induration of the DTH response measured at 24 and 48 hours after injection of antigen. The area of the DTH response was not affected by the experimental interventions. The area of erythema was likewise unaffected. Our subjects were unable to alter their DTH responses using hypnotic suggestion.

  8. BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER IN THE MEDICAL SETTING: Suggestive Behaviors, Syndromes, and Diagnoses.

    PubMed

    Sansone, Randy A; Sansone, Lori A

    2015-01-01

    Borderline personality disorder is a personality dysfunction that is characterized by disinhibition and impulsivity, which oftentimes manifest as self-regulation difficulties. Patients with this disorder have always been present in medical settings, but have been described as "difficult patients" rather than patients with borderline personality disorder. According to empirical findings, a number of behaviors and medical syndromes/diagnoses are suggestive of borderline personality disorder. Suggestive behaviors in the medical setting may include aggressive or disruptive behaviors, the intentional sabotage of medical care, and excessive healthcare utilization. Suggestive medical syndromes and diagnoses in the medical setting may include alcohol and substance misuse (including the abuse of prescription medications), multiple somatic complaints, chronic pain, obesity, sexual impulsivity, and hair pulling. While not all-inclusive or diagnostic, these behaviors and syndromes/diagnoses may invite further clinical evaluation of the patient for borderline personality disorder.

  9. Late onset epilepsy associated with marijuana abuse: a case report with MRI findings.

    PubMed

    Fogang, Yannick Fogoum; Camara, Massaman; Mbonda, Paul Chimi; Toffa, Dènahin; Touré, Kamadore

    2014-01-01

    Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the world. The relation between marijuana use and epileptic seizures is still controversial. We report a case of late onset epilepsy associated with marijuana abuse, with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. A 44-year-old patient was admitted for 03 isolated episodes of secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. He had a history of 26 years regular marijuana smoking. On admission, we found a tachycardia, psychomotor slowing, asymmetric hyperreflexia, bilateral Babinski sign without weakness. Laboratory work-up showed a high level of urine of Δ-9-tétrahydroxycannabinol. Electroencephalogram was normal. Brain MRI revealed abnormal signal intensities in the right frontal lobe and basal ganglia. Seizures cessation was obtained with anti-epileptic treatment. We suggest that marijuana abuse through vascular and toxic mechanisms could explain seizures in this case.

  10. Developmental Differences across Middle Childhood in Memory and Suggestibility for Negative and Positive Events.

    PubMed

    Paz-Alonso, Pedro M; Goodman, Gail S

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, we investigated age differences in children's eyewitness memory and suggestibility for negative and positive events that children often experience during middle childhood. We first examined 216 ratings by children aged 8-12 years of the frequency and intensity of personal negative and positive experiences (Study 1). Based on those ratings, videotapes depicting the most frequent and intense negative (an accident) and positive (a family excursion) events were developed. A new sample of 227 children aged 8-12 years was tested for recognition memory of the videotapes using the three-stage post-event misinformation procedure (Study 2). Compared with 8- to 9-year-olds, 10- to 12-year-olds exhibited less memory malleability and less compliance with false information. Age improvements in recognition accuracy were also evident for children who watched the negative event, but not for those who watched the positive event. Compliance predicted misinformation effects, particularly in regard to peripheral details. Thus, using ecologically representative emotional events, age differences in suggestibility and memory accuracy emerged, especially for negative events.Theoretical and forensic implications concerning children's eyewitness memory and suggestibility are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Clarification of the memory artefact in the assessment of suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Willner, P

    2008-04-01

    effect on either of these measures; multiple presentation of the GSS2 produced a modest increase in recognition memory and a modest decrease in suggestibility; and replacing the GSS with the ASS3 produced a large increase in recognition memory and a large decrease in suggestibility. The results support earlier findings that the GSS is likely to overestimate how suggestible a person will be in relation to a personally significant event. This reflects poor recognition memory for the material being tested, rather than increased suggestibility per se. People with ID may in fact be relatively non-suggestible for well-remembered events, which would include personally significant events, particularly those witnessed recently.

  12. Spontaneous Regulation of Emotions in Preschool Children Who Stutter: Preliminary Findings

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Kia N.; Walden, Tedra A.; Conture, Edward G.; Karrass, Jan

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Emotional regulation of preschool children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS) was assessed using a disappointing gift (DG) procedure (Cole, 1986; Saarni, 1984, 1992). Method Participants consisted of 16 3- to 5-year-old CWS and CWNS (11 boys and 5 girls in each talker group). After assessing each child’s knowledge of display rules about socially-appropriate expression of emotions, children participated in a DG procedure and received a desirable gift preceding a free-play task and a disappointing gift preceding a second free-play task. Dependent variables consisted of participants’ positive and negative expressive nonverbal behaviors exhibited during receipt of a desirable gift and disappointing gift, as well as conversational speech disfluencies exhibited following receipt of each gift. Results Findings indicated that CWS and CWNS exhibited no significant differences in amount of positive emotional expressions after receiving the desired gift; however, CWS, when compared to CWNS, exhibited more negative emotional expressions after receiving the undesirable gift. Furthermore, CWS were more disfluent after receiving the desired gift when compared to receiving the disappointing gift. Ancillary findings also indicated that CWS and CWNS had equivalent knowledge of display rules. Conclusion Findings suggest that efforts to concurrently regulate emotional behaviors and (non)stutterings may be problematic for preschool-age CWS. PMID:20643793

  13. Deepening Sleep by Hypnotic Suggestion

    PubMed Central

    Cordi, Maren J.; Schlarb, Angelika A.; Rasch, Björn

    2014-01-01

    Study Objectives: Slow wave sleep (SWS) plays a critical role in body restoration and promotes brain plasticity; however, it markedly declines across the lifespan. Despite its importance, effective tools to increase SWS are rare. Here we tested whether a hypnotic suggestion to “sleep deeper” extends the amount of SWS. Design: Within-subject, placebo-controlled crossover design. Setting: Sleep laboratory at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Participants: Seventy healthy females 23.27 ± 3.17 y. Intervention: Participants listened to an auditory text with hypnotic suggestions or a control tape before napping for 90 min while high-density electroencephalography was recorded. Measurements and Results: After participants listened to the hypnotic suggestion to “sleep deeper” subsequent SWS was increased by 81% and time spent awake was reduced by 67% (with the amount of SWS or wake in the control condition set to 100%). Other sleep stages remained unaffected. Additionally, slow wave activity was significantly enhanced after hypnotic suggestions. During the hypnotic tape, parietal theta power increases predicted the hypnosis-induced extension of SWS. Additional experiments confirmed that the beneficial effect of hypnotic suggestions on SWS was specific to the hypnotic suggestion and did not occur in low suggestible participants. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of hypnotic suggestions to specifically increase the amount and duration of slow wave sleep (SWS) in a midday nap using objective measures of sleep in young, healthy, suggestible females. Hypnotic suggestions might be a successful tool with a lower risk of adverse side effects than pharmacological treatments to extend SWS also in clinical and elderly populations. Citation: Cordi MJ, Schlarb AA, Rasch B. Deepening sleep by hypnotic suggestion. SLEEP 2014;37(6):1143-1152. PMID:24882909

  14. Sequence divergence and diversity suggests ongoing functional diversification of vertebrate NAD metabolism

    PubMed Central

    Gossmann, Toni I.; Ziegler, Mathias

    2014-01-01

    NAD is not only an important cofactor in redox reactions but has also received attention in recent years because of its physiological importance in metabolic regulation, DNA repair and signaling. In contrast to the redox reactions, these regulatory processes involve degradation of NAD and therefore necessitate a constant replenishment of its cellular pool. NAD biosynthetic enzymes are common to almost all species in all clades, but the number of NAD degrading enzymes varies substantially across taxa. In particular, vertebrates, including humans, have a manifold of NAD degrading enzymes which require a high turnover of NAD. As there is currently a lack of a systematic study of how natural selection has shaped enzymes involved in NAD metabolism we conducted a comprehensive evolutionary analysis based on intraspecific variation and interspecific divergence. We compare NAD biosynthetic and degrading enzymes in four eukaryotic model species and subsequently focus on human NAD metabolic enzymes and their orthologs in other vertebrates. We find that the majority of enzymes involved in NAD metabolism are subject to varying levels of purifying selection. While NAD biosynthetic enzymes appear to experience a rather high level of evolutionary constraint, there is evidence for positive selection among enzymes mediating NAD-dependent signaling. This is particularly evident for members of the PARP family, a diverse protein family involved in DNA damage repair and programmed cell death. Based on haplotype information and substitution rate analysis we pinpoint sites that are potential targets of positive selection. We also link our findings to a three dimensional structure, which suggests that positive selection occurs in domains responsible for DNA binding and polymerization rather than the NAD catalytic domain. Taken together, our results indicate that vertebrate NAD metabolism is still undergoing functional diversification. PMID:25084685

  15. Sequence divergence and diversity suggests ongoing functional diversification of vertebrate NAD metabolism.

    PubMed

    Gossmann, Toni I; Ziegler, Mathias

    2014-11-01

    NAD is not only an important cofactor in redox reactions but has also received attention in recent years because of its physiological importance in metabolic regulation, DNA repair and signaling. In contrast to the redox reactions, these regulatory processes involve degradation of NAD and therefore necessitate a constant replenishment of its cellular pool. NAD biosynthetic enzymes are common to almost all species in all clades, but the number of NAD degrading enzymes varies substantially across taxa. In particular, vertebrates, including humans, have a manifold of NAD degrading enzymes which require a high turnover of NAD. As there is currently a lack of a systematic study of how natural selection has shaped enzymes involved in NAD metabolism we conducted a comprehensive evolutionary analysis based on intraspecific variation and interspecific divergence. We compare NAD biosynthetic and degrading enzymes in four eukaryotic model species and subsequently focus on human NAD metabolic enzymes and their orthologs in other vertebrates. We find that the majority of enzymes involved in NAD metabolism are subject to varying levels of purifying selection. While NAD biosynthetic enzymes appear to experience a rather high level of evolutionary constraint, there is evidence for positive selection among enzymes mediating NAD-dependent signaling. This is particularly evident for members of the PARP family, a diverse protein family involved in DNA damage repair and programmed cell death. Based on haplotype information and substitution rate analysis we pinpoint sites that are potential targets of positive selection. We also link our findings to a three dimensional structure, which suggests that positive selection occurs in domains responsible for DNA binding and polymerization rather than the NAD catalytic domain. Taken together, our results indicate that vertebrate NAD metabolism is still undergoing functional diversification. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B

  16. First-Year Maternal Employment and Child Development in the First Seven Years.

    PubMed

    Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Han, Wen-Jui; Waldfogel, Jane

    2010-08-01

    Using data from the first 2 phases of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, we examine the links between maternal employment in the first 12 months of life and cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes for children at age 3, age 4½, and first grade. Drawing on theory and prior research from developmental psychology as well as economics and sociology, we address three main questions. First, what associations exist between first-year maternal employment and cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes for children over the first seven years of life? Second, to what extent do any such associations vary by the child's gender and temperament, or the mother's occupation? Third, to what extent do mother's earnings, the home environment (maternal depressive symptoms, sensitivity, and HOME scores), and the type and quality of child care mediate or offset any associations between first-year employment and child outcomes, and what is the net effect of first-year maternal employment once these factors are taken into account? We compare families in which mothers worked full time (55%), part time (23%), or did not work (22%) in the first year for non-Hispanic white children (N=900) and for African-American children (N=113). Comparisons are also made taking into account the timing of mothers' employment within the first year. A rich set of control variables are included. OLS and SEM analyses are constructed. With regard to cognitive outcomes, first, we find that full-time maternal employment in the first 12 months of life (but not part-time employment) is associated with significantly lower scores on some, but not all, measures of cognitive development at age 3, 4 ½, and first grade for non-Hispanic white children, but with no significant associations for the small sample of African-American children Part-time employment in the first year is associated with higher scores than full-time employment for some measures. Employment in the second and third year of life is not associated

  17. First-Year Maternal Employment and Child Development in the First Seven Years

    PubMed Central

    Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Han, Wen-Jui; Waldfogel, Jane

    2010-01-01

    Using data from the first 2 phases of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, we examine the links between maternal employment in the first 12 months of life and cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes for children at age 3, age 4½, and first grade. Drawing on theory and prior research from developmental psychology as well as economics and sociology, we address three main questions. First, what associations exist between first-year maternal employment and cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes for children over the first seven years of life? Second, to what extent do any such associations vary by the child’s gender and temperament, or the mother’s occupation? Third, to what extent do mother’s earnings, the home environment (maternal depressive symptoms, sensitivity, and HOME scores), and the type and quality of child care mediate or offset any associations between first-year employment and child outcomes, and what is the net effect of first-year maternal employment once these factors are taken into account? We compare families in which mothers worked full time (55%), part time (23%), or did not work (22%) in the first year for non-Hispanic white children (N=900) and for African-American children (N=113). Comparisons are also made taking into account the timing of mothers’ employment within the first year. A rich set of control variables are included. OLS and SEM analyses are constructed. With regard to cognitive outcomes, first, we find that full-time maternal employment in the first 12 months of life (but not part-time employment) is associated with significantly lower scores on some, but not all, measures of cognitive development at age 3, 4 ½, and first grade for non-Hispanic white children, but with no significant associations for the small sample of African-American children Part-time employment in the first year is associated with higher scores than full-time employment for some measures. Employment in the second and third year of life is not

  18. A Strategic Enrollment Management Approach to Studying High School Student Transition to a Two-Year College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Yan; Ye, Feifei; Pilarzyk, Tom

    2014-01-01

    This study used a strategic enrollment management (SEM) approach to studying high school students' transition to a two-year college and their initial college success. Path analyses suggested two important findings: (a) clear career choices among students, family influence, academic preparedness, and college recruitment efforts predicted earlier…

  19. Breast diseases in children: the spectrum of radiologic findings in a cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Durmaz, Emel; Öztek, Murat Alp; Habibi, Hatice Arıöz; Kesimal, Uğur; Sindel, Hakkı Timur

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the spectrum of radiologic findings and referral reasons for breast diseases in children considering age-appropriate presentation. METHODS Our retrospective cohort study included 348 consecutive pediatric patients aged <19 years (median, 13 years) referred to radiology with a clinical presentation between 2005 and 2016. Radiologic findings were reviewed in four age ranges (0–2 years, 2–8 years, 8–15 years, >15 years). RESULTS Of 348 patients, 257 had a referral reason. The most frequent referral reason was a palpable mass (35%). Developmental abnormalities accounted for 48% of all radiologic findings in 348 patients. We did not detect any breast malignancy. According to age groups, the most common radiologic findings were neonatal hypertrophy (0–2 years), early breast development (2–8 years), developmental abnormalities by a majority of gynecomastia (8–15 years), and normal findings or developmental abnormalities (>15 years). Interestingly, the frequency of gynecomastia was only 4% in neonatal period or early childhood. Fibroadenomas and fibroadenoma-like solid masses were seen after 8 years and constituted the majority of solid masses (65%). Cysts were seen at a rate of 7% and majority of them were of simple type, which tends to resolve in time. CONCLUSION In our study, the most common referral reason to radiology was a palpable breast mass. Neonatal hypertrophy and early breast development in younger children, and developmental abnormalities in older children may be kept in mind as the most common radiologic findings. Our study confirms the substantial absence of malignancies in children as well as a widely different disease spectrum in comparison with the adult population. PMID:29033391

  20. Tomographic findings of acute pulmonary toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients.

    PubMed

    de Souza Giassi, Karina; Costa, Andre Nathan; Apanavicius, Andre; Teixeira, Fernando Bin; Fernandes, Caio Julio Cesar; Helito, Alfredo Salim; Kairalla, Ronaldo Adib

    2014-11-25

    Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common human zoonosis, and is generally benign in most of the individuals. Pulmonary involvement is common in immunocompromised subjects, but very rare in immunocompetents and there are scarce reports of tomographic findings in the literature. The aim of the study is to describe three immunocompetent patients diagnosed with acute pulmonary toxoplasmosis and their respective thoracic tomographic findings. Acute toxoplasmosis was diagnosed according to the results of serological tests suggestive of recent primary infection and the absence of an alternative etiology. From 2009 to 2013, three patients were diagnosed with acute respiratory failure secondary to acute toxoplasmosis. The patients were two female and one male, and were 38, 56 and 36 years old. Similarly they presented a two-week febrile illness and progressive dyspnea before admission. Laboratory tests demonstrated lymphocytosis, slight changes in liver enzymes and high inflammatory markers. Tomographic findings were bilateral smooth septal and peribronchovascular thickening (100%), ground-glass opacities (100%), atelectasis (33%), random nodules (33%), lymph node enlargement (33%) and pleural effusion (66%). All the patients improved their symptoms after treatment, and complete resolution of tomographic findings were found in the followup. These cases provide a unique description of the presentation and evolution of pulmonary tomographic manifestations of toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients. Toxoplasma pneumonia manifests with fever, dyspnea and a non-productive cough that may result in respiratory failure. In animal models, changes were described as interstitial pneumonitis with focal infiltrates of neutrophils that can finally evolve into a pattern of diffuse alveolar damage with focal necrosis. The tomographic findings are characterized as ground glass opacities, smooth septal and marked peribronchovascular thickening; and may mimic pulmonary congestion

  1. Bone marrow cytology in Hiroshima atomic bomb survivors 5 years following exposure (in Japanese and English)

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

    Oesterle, S.N.; Finch, S.C.

    1978-11-01

    Bone marrow aspiration smears obtained from 35 individuals, 5 years following expsoure to the Hiroshima atomic bomb, were intensively evaluated for radiation related cytologic abnormalities. No definite radiaton related changes were observed, but some findings were very suggestive. The most interesting of these was the occurrence of internuclear bridges joining erythroid precursors in the marrow smears of seven (20%) of the heavily exposed survivors. Although not specific it is likely that this lesion is indicative of residual stem cell damage and some degree of ineffectual erythropoiesis. The bone marrow morphologic lesions may be good markers of residual radiation damage butmore » they are too infrequent in their occurrence to be of value as a biologic dosimeter. The findings in this study also suggest that a gradual disappearance of radiation induced late bone marrow changes continues for periods of 3 to 5 years or more following high dose acute radiation exposure.« less

  2. Markers of pubertal timing and leisure-time physical activity from ages 36 to 68 years: findings from a British birth cohort.

    PubMed

    Elhakeem, Ahmed; Cooper, Rachel; Bann, David; Kuh, Diana; Hardy, Rebecca

    2017-11-01

    We aimed to examine associations between markers of pubertal timing and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) from ages 36 to 68 years in men and women from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development. Pubertal timing was ascertained by physicians at age 14-15 years. Boys were grouped, based on their secondary sexual characteristics, as prepubescent, in early-stage puberty, advanced stage puberty or fully mature at age 14-15 years. Girls were grouped as reaching menarche ≤11, 12, 13 or ≥14 years. LTPA was reported at ages 36, 43, 53, 60-64 and 68 years and classified as active or inactive at each age. Associations were examined using standard and mixed-effects logistic regression models. Of 5362 singleton births recruited, 1499 men and 1409 women had at least one measure of LTPA and data on pubertal timing and selected covariates. When compared with men that were fully mature at age 14-15 years, those that were in advanced stage and early-stage puberty, but not the prepubescent stage, had lower likelihood of LTPA at younger but not older adult ages (p=0.06 for pubertal status-by-age at LTPA interaction in mixed-effects model). For example, fully adjusted ORs of LTPA (vs no LTPA) at ages 36 and 68 years, respectively, for advanced puberty versus fully mature were 0.69 (95% CIs 0.50 to 0.96) and 1.03 (0.72 to 1.47). Age at menarche was not associated with LTPA at any age (p interaction with age at LTPA=0.9). For example, OR (from mixed-effects model) of LTPA between 36 and 68 years was 1.23 (0.93, 1.63) for menarche at 13 vs ≤11 years. In a nationally representative study, there was little evidence to suggest that pubertal timing was an important correlate of LTPA between ages 36 and 68 years. Maturity-related variations in adolescents' LTPA may be transitory and lose importance over time. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is

  3. The Year in Cognitive Neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Fitch, W Tecumseh; Martins, Mauricio D

    2014-01-01

    Sixty years ago, Karl Lashley suggested that complex action sequences, from simple motor acts to language and music, are a fundamental but neglected aspect of neural function. Lashley demonstrated the inadequacy of then-standard models of associative chaining, positing a more flexible and generalized “syntax of action” necessary to encompass key aspects of language and music. He suggested that hierarchy in language and music builds upon a more basic sequential action system, and provided several concrete hypotheses about the nature of this system. Here, we review a diverse set of modern data concerning musical, linguistic, and other action processing, finding them largely consistent with an updated neuroanatomical version of Lashley's hypotheses. In particular, the lateral premotor cortex, including Broca's area, plays important roles in hierarchical processing in language, music, and at least some action sequences. Although the precise computational function of the lateral prefrontal regions in action syntax remains debated, Lashley's notion—that this cortical region implements a working-memory buffer or stack scannable by posterior and subcortical brain regions—is consistent with considerable experimental data. PMID:24697242

  4. [Suggestions for buying medical equipment in hospitals].

    PubMed

    Trontzos, Christos

    2004-01-01

    TO THE EDITOR: Both in Greece and in other European countries there are plans to buy more medical equipment. If the whole procedure is not effective, it may result to a large deficit in the hospital budget. The total hospital deficit now in Greece is about 2.5 billion euros. It is suggested that in every hospital, the Authorized Committee for Medical Equipment Purchasing, should include the following: One Director of a Medical Department related to the equipment to be bought and another Director of a Medical Department, unrelated. One accountant. One legal advisor specialized in hospital affairs. One economical advisor specialized in banking who will be able to suggest leasing or other means of financing the purchase of the relevant equipment. A cost accounting analysis described by a detailed report, should be provided to secure that the equipment to be bought should be cost-effective and leaving a reasonable surplus after not more than 10 years from the time it is installed. Finally, the possibility of using one expensive equipment to cover the needs of more than one hospitals either by moving the equipment (i.e. the PET/CT camera by a large vehicle) or by transferring the patients to a central hospital, may be provided by the above Authorized Committee.

  5. A case of temporal lobe epilepsy with improvement of clinical symptoms and single photon emission computed tomography findings after treatment with clonazepam.

    PubMed

    Ide, M; Mizukami, K; Suzuki, T; Shiraishi, H

    2000-10-01

    A 26-year-old female presented psychomotor seizures, deja vu and amnestic syndrome after meningitis at the age of 14 years. Repeated electroencephalograms (EEG) demonstrated occasional spikes localized in the right temporal region in addition to a considerable amount of theta waves mainly in the right fronto-temporal region. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed a marked hypoperfusion corresponding to the region in which the EEG showed abnormal findings, although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated no abnormal findings associated with the clinical features. Treatment with clonazepam in addition to sodium valproate resulted in a remarkable improvement of clinical symptoms (i.e. psychomotor seizures and deja vu), as well as of the EEG and SPECT findings. The present study suggests that SPECT is a useful method not only to determine the localization of regions associated with temporal lobe epilepsy but also to evaluate the effect of treatment in temporal lobe epilepsy.

  6. Health-Related Findings Among Twin Pairs Discordant for Leisure-Time Physical Activity for 32 Years: The TWINACTIVE Study Synopsis.

    PubMed

    Leskinen, Tuija; Kujala, Urho M

    2015-06-01

    We are lacking very long-term and controlled intervention studies investigating the effects of habitual physical activity on health-related factors. To address this gap, we performed a natural experiment by identifying same-sex twin pairs in which the co-twins of each pair differed with respect to leisure-time physical-activity habits throughout their adult life. Our criterion for the discordance was that the same co-twin had a higher leisure time-activity volume than that of the other member of the pair at the majority -- if not all -- of the follow-up time points according to reported/interviewed physical-activity data. Overall, we identified and conducted multidimensional health-related measurements (including fitness, body composition, cardiometabolic risk factor levels, bone and arterial status, and exercise motivation) of 16 twin pairs (seven monozygotic (MZ) and nine dizygotic (DZ) pairs, mean age 60 years) who had persistent discordance in leisure-time physical-activity habits over three decades (TWINACTIVE study). In our discordant-pair study design, after adjusting for sequence-level genes, both systemic-level metabolic, and site-specific structural findings differed significantly in the pairwise analysis in MZ pairs only. These findings included intrapair differences in accumulated fat depots and structure of heart, arteries, and bones. In addition, our study revealed intrapair differences in metabolic and regulatory pathways, which may partly explain the mechanistic links between long-term physical activity, phenotypic changes, and decreased risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

  7. Neuropsychological findings in a patient with Kernohan's notch.

    PubMed

    Clement, V L; Sherer, M

    1996-05-01

    This case report describes the use of neuropsychological testing to Iocalize and diagnose lesions The testing was instrumental in disentangling contradictory symptoms to reveal a Kernohan's notch (later confirmed by MRI), thus ruling out incorrect diagnoses We describe the case of a 36-year-old right-handed man who developed a left epidural hematoma after suffering head trauma from a blunt instrument Sequelae 2 months post-injury included left hemiparesis (ipsilateral to the lesion), dysphonic speech, severe naming/word-finding deficits, and severe memory impairment This patient's symptom pattern presented somewhat of a mystery as his cognitive deficits appeared consistent with left hemisphere damage, while his left motor symptoms suggested right hemisphere damage Medical records were inconsistent Deficits on neuropsychological testing at 3 months post-injury included impairment in verbal and visual memory, confrontation naming, and left-sided motor function Attention, visual-spatial skills, nonverbal problem solving, and right motor speed and coordination were intact A herniation syndrome, Kernohan's notch, was considered to be the most likely explanation This phenomenon occurs when a mass occupying lesion causes significant midline shift of the midbrain, pressing the contralateral cerebral peduncle against the tentorium This pressure produces an ischemic infact in the region of the corticospinal (motor) pathways Subsequent MRI confirmed a lesion in the right cerebral crus The pattern of neuropsychological finding in this patient is discussed.

  8. [Agnosia for streets and defective root finding].

    PubMed

    Takahashi, Nobuyoshi

    2011-08-01

    Topographical disorientation is identified as a condition in which patients are unable to find their way in familiar surroundings, such as their home neighborhood or the admitting hospital after the onset of illness. I proposed to classify topographical disorientation into two categories: agnosia for streets (landmark agnosia) and defective root finding (heading disorientation). Patients with agnosia for streets are unable to identify familiar buildings and landscapes. They can, however, morphologically perceive them and remember their way around familiar areas. The lesions are located in the right posterior part of the parahippocampus gyrus, anterior half of the lingual gyrus and adjacent fusiform gyrus. Clinical findings and functional imaging studies suggest that these regions play a crucial role in the interaction between the visual information of streets and memories of them, which are thought to be retained in the right anterior part of the temporal lobe. In particular, the posterior part of the parahippocampus gyrus is critical for the acquisition of novel information. On the other hand, patients with defective root finding can identify familiar streets, but cannot remember their own location or positional relation between two points within a comparatively wide range not surveyable at one time. The lesions are located in the right retrosplenial cortex (Areas 29, 30), posterior cingulate cortex (Areas 23, 31) and precuneus. Clinical findings and functional imaging studies suggest that these regions are involved in the orientation function for navigating in wide spaces. In particular, the retrosplenial cortex is critical for encoding novel information.

  9. Intelligence, previous convictions and interrogative suggestibility: a path analysis of alleged false-confession cases.

    PubMed

    Sharrock, R; Gudjonsson, G H

    1993-05-01

    The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between interrogative suggestibility and previous convictions among 108 defendants in criminal trials, using a path analysis technique. It was hypothesized that previous convictions, which may provide defendants with interrogative experiences, would correlate negatively with 'shift' as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (Gudjonsson, 1984a), after intelligence and memory had been controlled for. The hypothesis was partially confirmed and the theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

  10. Patterns of Healthcare Spending in the Last Year of Life

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Matthew A.; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K.; Banerjee, Mousumi; Bynum, Julie P.W.

    2016-01-01

    The underlying assumption that healthcare spending skyrockets at the end-of-life may suggest that policymakers should target the last few months of life to control costs. However, spending patterns leading up to death have not been fully examined. We applied a new methodology to administrative claims data for older Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2012 to characterize trajectories of healthcare spending in the last year of life. After adjustment, we identified four unique spending trajectories among decedents: 48.7 percent had High Persistent spending, 29.0 percent had Moderate Persistent spending, 10.2 percent had Progressive spending, and only 12.1 percent had Late Rise spending. High spending throughout the full year before death (approximately half of all decedents) was associated with having multiple chronic conditions but not any specific diseases. These findings suggest that spending at the end-of-life is a marker of general spending patterns often set in motion long before death. PMID:27307350

  11. Interrogative suggestibility: its relationship with assertiveness, social-evaluative anxiety, state anxiety and method of coping.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H

    1988-05-01

    This paper attempts to investigate empirically in 30 subjects some of the theoretical components related to individual differences that are thought by Gudjonsson & Clark (1986) to mediate interrogative suggestibility as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS; Gudjonsson, 1984a). The variables studied were: assertiveness, social-evaluative anxiety, state anxiety and the coping methods subjects are able to generate and implement during interrogation. Low assertiveness and high evaluative anxiety were found to correlate moderately with suggestibility, but no significant correlations emerged for 'social avoidance and distress'. State anxiety correlated significantly with suggestibility, particularly after negative feedback had been administered. Coping methods (active-cognitive/behavioural vs. avoidance) significantly predicted suggestibility scores. The findings give strong support to the theoretical model of Gudjonsson & Clark.

  12. Invigorating Pedagogic Change. Suggestions from Findings of the Development of Secondary Science Teachers' Practice and Cognisance of the Learning Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGregor, Debra; Gunter, Barry

    2006-01-01

    A long-term, 2 year in-service provision to develop pupils thinking capability was provided for 91 secondary schools during the period 1998-2002. The science teachers involved reported that the in-service experience impacted on their pedagogic practice. The evidence was gathered through reflective surveys and interviews. The in-service programme…

  13. The usefulness of assessing suggestibility and compliance in prisoners with unidentified intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Søndenaa, Erik; Rasmussen, Kirsten; Palmstierna, Tom; Nøttestad, Jim Aage

    2010-10-01

    This present study explored the relationship of interrogative suggestibility (n = 133) and compliance (n = 118) to intellectual functioning among prison inmates. The Norwegian versions of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS) and the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS) were used. The results supported previous findings of a negative correlation between the Gudjonsson scales and IQ, and the scales were found useful throughout the IQ range. The impact of a memory artifact was discussed in the light of recent studies and criticism of the scales. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

  14. Factors affecting a recently purchased handgun's risk for use in crime under circumstances that suggest gun trafficking.

    PubMed

    Wright, Mona A; Wintemute, Garen J; Webster, Daniel W

    2010-05-01

    While many handguns are used in crime each year in the USA, most are not. We conducted this study to identify factors present at the time of a handgun's most recent retail sale that were associated with its subsequent use in crime under circumstances suggesting that the handgun had been trafficked--purchased with the intent of diverting it to criminal use. Handguns acquired in multiple-gun purchases were of particular interest. Using data for 180,321 handguns purchased from federally licensed retailers in California in 1996, we studied attributes of the handguns, the retailers selling them, the purchasers, and the sales transactions. Our outcome measure was a handgun's recovery by a police agency, followed by a gun ownership trace, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, that determined (a) that the recovery had occurred within 3 years of the handgun's most recent purchase from a licensed retailer and (b) that the person who possessed the gun when it was recovered by police was not its most recent purchaser. Altogether, 722 handguns were recovered and had trace results that met the additional criteria. Handguns acquired in multiple-gun, same-day transactions were more likely to be traced than were single-purchase handguns (odds ratio [OR] 1.33, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.08 to 1.63). This was not the case for multiple-purchase handguns defined more broadly as multiple handguns purchased by one individual over any 30-day period as used in "one-gun-a-month" laws. Bivariate regressions indicated increased risk of a handgun being traced when it sold new for $150 or less (OR 4.28, 95% CI 3.59 to 5.11) or had been purchased by a woman (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.62 to 2.52). Handguns sold by retailers who also had a relatively high proportion (>or=2%) of purchases denied because the prospective purchasers were prohibited from owning firearms were more likely to be traced than were those sold by other retailers (OR 4.09, 95% CI 3.39 to 4

  15. Apparent changes in body insulation of juvenile king penguins suggest an energetic challenge during their early life at sea.

    PubMed

    Enstipp, Manfred R; Bost, Charles-André; Le Bohec, Céline; Bost, Caroline; Le Maho, Yvon; Weimerskirch, Henri; Handrich, Yves

    2017-07-15

    Little is known about the early life at sea of marine top predators, like deep-diving king penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus ), although this dispersal phase is probably a critical phase in their life. Apart from finding favourable foraging sites, they have to develop effective prey search patterns as well as physiological capacities that enable them to capture sufficient prey to meet their energetic needs. To investigate the ontogeny of their thermoregulatory responses at sea, we implanted 30 juvenile king penguins and 8 adult breeders with a small data logger that recorded pressure and subcutaneous temperature continuously for up to 2.5 years. We found important changes in the development of peripheral temperature patterns of foraging juvenile king penguins throughout their first year at sea. Peripheral temperature during foraging bouts fell to increasingly lower levels during the first 6 months at sea, after which it stabilized. Most importantly, these changes re-occurred during their second year at sea, after birds had fasted for ∼4 weeks on land during their second moult. Furthermore, similar peripheral temperature patterns were also present in adult birds during foraging trips throughout their breeding cycle. We suggest that rather than being a simple consequence of concurrent changes in dive effort or an indication of a physiological maturation process, these seasonal temperature changes mainly reflect differences in thermal insulation. Heat loss estimates for juveniles at sea were initially high but declined to approximately half after ∼6 months at sea, suggesting that juvenile king penguins face a strong energetic challenge during their early oceanic existence. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  16. A two-year longitudinal pilot MRI study of the brainstem in autism.

    PubMed

    Jou, Roger J; Frazier, Thomas W; Keshavan, Matcheri S; Minshew, Nancy J; Hardan, Antonio Y

    2013-08-15

    Research has demonstrated the potential role of the brainstem in the pathobiology of autism. Previous studies have suggested reductions in brainstem volume and a relationship between this structure and sensory abnormalities. However, little is known regarding the developmental aspects of the brainstem across childhood and adolescence. The goal of this pilot study was to examine brainstem development via MRI volumetry using a longitudinal research design. Participants included 23 boys with autism and 23 matched controls (age range=8-17 years), all without intellectual disability. Participants underwent structural MRI scans once at baseline and again at two-year follow-up. Brainstem volumetric measurements were performed using the BRAINS2 software package. There were no significant group differences in age, gender, handedness, and total brain volume; however, full-scale IQ was higher in controls. Autism and control groups showed different patterns of growth in brainstem volume. While whole brainstem volume remained stable in controls over the two-year period, the autism group showed increases with age reaching volumes comparable to controls by age 15 years. This increase of whole brainstem volume was primarily driven by bilateral increases in gray matter volume. Findings from this preliminary study are suggestive of developmental brainstem abnormalities in autism primarily involving gray matter structures. These findings are consistent with autism being conceptualized as a neurodevelopmental disorder with alterations in brain-growth trajectories. More longitudinal MRI studies are needed integrating longitudinal cognitive/behavioral data to confirm and elucidate the clinical significance of these atypical growth patterns. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Incidental Finding of Bronchopulmonary Sequestration in a 64-Year-Old Female.

    PubMed

    Tunsupon, Pichapong; Arshad, Ayesha; Patel, Sumit; Mador, M Jeffery

    2017-01-01

    Bronchopulmonary sequestration is a congenital abnormality of the primitive foregut. In adults, the typical age at presentation is 20-25 years. A 64-year-old female was referred for evaluation of an 8 × 6-cm right lower lobe cystic lesion. Her medical history was significant for recurrent right lower lobe pneumonia requiring multiple hospitalizations. Her physical examination was significant for crackles at the right lung base. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest with contrast showed cystic changes with thickened septation of the medial segment of the right lower lobe lacking distinct visceral pleura and with arterial supply from the anomalous branch of the thoracic aorta arising near the celiac trunk. Pulmonary angiography confirmed the diagnosis of intralobar pulmonary sequestration. The patient underwent celiac endovascular coil embolization of the anomalous artery to lessen the risk of hemorrhage prior to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) resection of the right lower lobe. She recovered well and was discharged home 1 week after VATS lobectomy. Follow-up CT of the chest 2 months later showed normal postsurgical changes related to right lower lobe lobectomy. The patient remained asymptomatic and resumed her daily activities. Pulmonary sequestration can present with recurrent pneumonia in late adulthood. Physicians must review any previous imaging studies of the chest to identify the structural abnormality and be cognizant of differential diagnoses such as infected cystic bronchiectasis, bronchogenic cyst, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or cystic adenomatoid malformation that can occur in conjunction with bronchopulmonary sequestration. Pulmonary angiogram is the gold standard to confirm the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary sequestration. Surgical resection is the standard of care.

  18. Theory of Mind, Inhibitory Control, and Preschool-Age Children's Suggestibility in Different Interviewing Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scullin, Matthew H.; Bonner, Karri

    2006-01-01

    The current study examined the relations among 3- to 5-year-olds' theory of mind, inhibitory control, and three measures of suggestibility: yielding to suggestive questions (yield), shifting answers in response to negative feedback (shift), and accuracy in response to misleading questions during a pressured interview about a live event. Theory of…

  19. Recognition errors suggest fast familiarity and slow recollection in rhesus monkeys

    PubMed Central

    Basile, Benjamin M.; Hampton, Robert R.

    2013-01-01

    One influential model of recognition posits two underlying memory processes: recollection, which is detailed but relatively slow, and familiarity, which is quick but lacks detail. Most of the evidence for this dual-process model in nonhumans has come from analyses of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in rats, but whether ROC analyses can demonstrate dual processes has been repeatedly challenged. Here, we present independent converging evidence for the dual-process model from analyses of recognition errors made by rhesus monkeys. Recognition choices were made in three different ways depending on processing duration. Short-latency errors were disproportionately false alarms to familiar lures, suggesting control by familiarity. Medium-latency responses were less likely to be false alarms and were more accurate, suggesting onset of a recollective process that could correctly reject familiar lures. Long-latency responses were guesses. A response deadline increased false alarms, suggesting that limiting processing time weakened the contribution of recollection and strengthened the contribution of familiarity. Together, these findings suggest fast familiarity and slow recollection in monkeys, that monkeys use a “recollect to reject” strategy to countermand false familiarity, and that primate recognition performance is well-characterized by a dual-process model consisting of recollection and familiarity. PMID:23864646

  20. Brain atrophy and lesion load measures over 1 year relate to clinical status after 6 years in patients with clinically isolated syndromes.

    PubMed

    Di Filippo, M; Anderson, V M; Altmann, D R; Swanton, J K; Plant, G T; Thompson, A J; Miller, D H

    2010-02-01

    Conventional MRI lesion measures modestly predict long term disability in some clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) studies. Brain atrophy suggests neuroaxonal loss in multiple sclerosis (MS) with the potential to reflect disease progression to a greater extent than lesion measures. To investigate whether brain atrophy and lesion load, during the first year in patients presenting with CIS, independently predict clinical outcome (development of MS and disability at 6 years). 99 patients presenting with CIS were included in the study. T1 gadolinium enhanced and T2 weighted brain MRI was acquired at baseline and approximately 1 year later. Percentage brain atrophy rate between baseline and follow-up scans was analysed using SIENA. Mean annual brain atrophy rates were -0.38% for all patients, -0.50% in patients who had developed MS at 6 years and -0.26% in those who had not. Brain atrophy rate (p = 0.005) and baseline T2 lesion load (p<0.001) were independent predictors of clinically definite MS. While brain atrophy rate was a predictor of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score in a univariate analysis, only 1 year T2 lesion load change (p = 0.007) and baseline gadolinium enhancing lesion number (p = 0.03) were independent predictors of EDSS score at the 6 year follow-up. T1 lesion load was the only MRI parameter which predicted Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite score at the 6 year follow-up. The findings confirm that brain atrophy occurs during the earliest phases of MS and suggest that 1 year longitudinal measures of MRI change, if considered together with baseline MRI variables, might help to predict clinical status 6 years after the first demyelinating event in CIS patients, better than measurements such as lesion or brain volumes on baseline MRI alone.

  1. Work after Prison: One-Year Findings from the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Redcross, Cindy; Bloom, Dan; Jacobs, Erin; Manno, Michelle; Muller-Ravett, Sara; Seefeldt, Kristin; Yahner, Jennifer; Young, Alford A., Jr.; Zweig, Janine

    2010-01-01

    More than 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States, and around 700,000 are released from prison each year. Those who are released face daunting obstacles as they seek to reenter their communities, and rates of recidivism are high. Many experts believe that stable employment is critical to a successful transition from prison to the…

  2. Finding the Right Camp: Tips Based on Over 70 Years of Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Bill

    2011-01-01

    Camp provides an opportunity for a child to have fun, learn and grow in a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment. Tucked away in the picturesque Catoctin Mountain Park in Western Maryland, The League for People with Disabilities has run a summer camp program for over 70 years. Camp Greentop, the campground, is part of the national park, built…

  3. Eye Tracking Indices of Attentional Bias in Children of Depressed Mothers: Polygenic Influences Help to Clarify Previous Mixed Findings

    PubMed Central

    Owens, Max; Harrison, Ashley J.; Burkhouse, Katie L.; McGeary, John E.; Knopik, Valerie S.; Palmer, Rohan H. C.; Gibb, Brandon E.

    2016-01-01

    Information-processing biases may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of depression. There is growing evidence that children of depressed mothers exhibit attentional biases for sad faces. However, findings are mixed as to whether this bias reflects preferential attention toward, versus attentional avoidance of, sad faces suggesting the presence of unmeasured moderators. To address these mixed findings, we focused on the potential moderating role of genes associated with HPA-axis reactivity. Participants included children (8–14 years old) of mothers with (n = 81) and without (n = 81) a history of depression. Eye movements were recorded while children passively viewed arrays of angry, happy, sad, and neutral faces. DNA was obtained from buccal cells. Children of depressed mothers exhibited more sustained attention to sad faces than did children of nondepressed mothers. Importantly, however, this relation was moderated by children’s genotype. Specifically, children of depressed mothers who carried reactive genotypes across the CHRH1 TAT haplotype and FKBP5 rs1360780 (but not SLC6A4 5-HTTLPR) exhibited less sustained attention to sad faces and more sustained attention to happy faces. These findings highlight the role played by specific genetic influences and suggest that previous mixed findings may have been due to genetic heterogeneity across the samples. PMID:26030911

  4. The pediatric resident training on tobacco project: interim findings.

    PubMed

    Hymowitz, Norman; Schwab, Joseph; Haddock, Christopher Keith; Pyle, Sara; Meshberg, Sarah

    2006-02-01

    important, third-year residents exposed to the special training condition for two years were more likely than comparable residents in the standard training condition to reveal significant increases in the degree to which they provided active assistance for modifying smoking and ETS. The two-year findings from the pediatric tobacco project are encouraging and suggest that the special training program is efficacious, although aspects of the program in need of improvement were identified.

  5. ''It's Magic!'' the Effects of Presentation Modality on Children's Event Memory, Suggestibility, and Confidence Judgments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roebers, Claudia M.; Gelhaar, Tim; Schneider, Wolfgang

    2004-01-01

    The current study investigated the influence of presentation modality (live, video, and slide show) on children's memory, suggestibility, recognition, and metamemorial monitoring processes. A total of 270 children in three age groups (5- and 6-year-olds, 7- and 8-year-olds, and 9- and 10-year-olds) watched a magic show and were questioned about it…

  6. On Suggestibility and Placebo: A Follow-Up Study.

    PubMed

    Lifshitz, Michael; Sheiner, Eli O; Olson, Jay A; Thériault, Rémi; Raz, Amir

    2017-04-01

    Identifying what makes some people respond well to placebos remains a major challenge. Here, we attempt to replicate an earlier study in which we found a relationship between hypnotic suggestibility and subjective ratings of relaxation following the ingestion of a placebo sedative (Sheiner, Lifshitz, & Raz, 2016). To assess the reliability of this effect, we tested 34 participants using a similar design. Participants ingested a placebo capsule in one of two conditions: (1) relaxation, wherein we described the capsule as a herbal sedative, or (2) control, wherein we described the capsule as inert. To index placebo response, we collected measures of blood pressure and heart rate, as well as self-report ratings of relaxation and drowsiness. Despite using a similar experimental design as in our earlier study, we were unable to replicate the correlation between hypnotic suggestibility and placebo response. Furthermore, whereas in our former experiment we observed a change in subjective ratings of relaxation but no change in physiological measures, here we found that heart rate dropped in the relaxation condition while subjective ratings remained unchanged. Even within a consistent context of relaxation, therefore, our present results indicate that placebos may induce effects that are fickle, tenuous, and unreliable. Although we had low statistical power, our findings tentatively accord with the notion that placebo response likely involves a complex, multifaceted interaction between traits, expectancies, and contexts.

  7. Best Practices in Two-Year to Four-Year Honors Transfers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frana, Philip L.; Rice, Stacy

    2017-01-01

    James Madison University (JMU) and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) teamed up in April 2014 to build a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between their respective four-year and two-year honors programs. This MOU is the basis for the continued work between these two institutions to collaborate and find research to assist other interested…

  8. Finding savings in laundry operations.

    PubMed

    Giancola, D

    1993-07-01

    A 450-bed hospital, operating at 75 percent occupancy, which has a cash outlay of $10.00 per patient day for linen service, will spend $1,231,875 on linen service per year. If the cash outlay for linen service can be reduced to $7.00 per patient day, the hospital will save $369,562 per year. This article details the factors that affect linen service operations expenses, suggests ways such operations may be improved, and provides a method of measuring the potential savings.

  9. Oral vs. Vaginal Sex Experiences and Consequences Among First-Year College Students

    PubMed Central

    Lefkowitz, Eva S.; Vasilenko, Sara A.; Leavitt, Chelom E.

    2015-01-01

    To fully understand late adolescents’ experiences of oral sex, we must consider both risk and normative developmental perspectives. Sexual experiences include a range of behaviors, but research on sexual behaviors and consequences focuses primarily on vaginal sex. Oral sex occurs at rates similar to vaginal sex, and carries some, though less, risk than vaginal sex. The current study examined the event-level prevalence and consequences of oral sex compared to vaginal sex with other-sex partners in first year college students. Daily data were from recently sexually active first year college students (N = 253 people, 834 days; M age, 18.4 years; SD = 0.4; 56% female; 31% Hispanic/Latino; 17% African American, 14% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 25% European American, 12% multiracial) who reported on sexual behaviors and consequences. Both positive (intimacy, physical satisfaction) and negative (worrying about health, guilt) consequences were less common for oral than vaginal sex. Gender differences suggested that female adolescents may find vaginal sex more rewarding than oral sex whereas male adolescents may find them equally rewarding. PMID:26597646

  10. Oral vs. Vaginal Sex Experiences and Consequences Among First-Year College Students.

    PubMed

    Lefkowitz, Eva S; Vasilenko, Sara A; Leavitt, Chelom E

    2016-02-01

    To fully understand late adolescents' experiences of oral sex, we must consider both risk and normative developmental perspectives. Sexual experiences include a range of behaviors, but research on sexual behaviors and consequences focuses primarily on vaginal sex. Oral sex occurs at rates similar to vaginal sex, and carries some, though less, risk than vaginal sex. The current study examined the event-level prevalence and consequences of oral sex compared to vaginal sex with other-sex partners in first-year college students. Daily data were from recently sexually active first-year college students (N = 253 people, 834 days; M age, 18.4 years; SD = 0.4; 56% female; 31% Hispanic/Latino; 17% African American, 14% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 25% European American, 12% multiracial) who reported on sexual behaviors and consequences. Both positive (intimacy, physical satisfaction) and negative (worrying about health, guilt) consequences were less common for oral than vaginal sex. Gender differences suggested that female adolescents may find vaginal sex more rewarding than oral sex, whereas male adolescents may find them equally rewarding.

  11. Extreme Telomere Length Dimorphism in the Tasmanian Devil and Related Marsupials Suggests Parental Control of Telomere Length

    PubMed Central

    Bender, Hannah S.; Murchison, Elizabeth P.; Pickett, Hilda A.; Deakin, Janine E.; Strong, Margaret A.; Conlan, Carly; McMillan, Daniel A.; Neumann, Axel A.; Greider, Carol W.; Hannon, Gregory J.; Reddel, Roger R.; Graves, Jennifer A. Marshall.

    2012-01-01

    Telomeres, specialised structures that protect chromosome ends, play a critical role in preserving chromosome integrity. Telomere dynamics in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) are of particular interest in light of the emergence of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), a transmissible malignancy that causes rapid mortality and threatens the species with extinction. We used fluorescent in situ hybridisation to investigate telomere length in DFTD cells, in healthy Tasmanian devils and in four closely related marsupial species. Here we report that animals in the Order Dasyuromorphia have chromosomes characterised by striking telomere length dimorphism between homologues. Findings in sex chromosomes suggest that telomere length dimorphism may be regulated by events in the parental germlines. Long telomeres on the Y chromosome imply that telomere lengthening occurs during spermatogenesis, whereas telomere diminution occurs during oogenesis. Although found in several somatic cell tissue types, telomere length dimorphism was not found in DFTD cancer cells, which are characterised by uniformly short telomeres. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of naturally occurring telomere length dimorphism in any species and suggests a novel strategy of telomere length control. Comparative studies in five distantly related marsupials and a monotreme indicate that telomere dimorphism evolved at least 50 million years ago. PMID:23049977

  12. Malnutrition at Age 3 Years and Externalizing Behavior Problems at Ages 8, 11, and 17 Years

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Jianghong; Raine, Adrian; Venables, Peter H.; Mednick, Sarnoff A.

    2006-01-01

    Objective Poor nutrition is thought to predispose to externalizing behavior problems, but to date there appear to have been no prospective longitudinal studies testing this hypothesis. This study assessed whether 1) poor nutrition at age 3 years predisposes to antisocial behavior at ages 8, 11, and 17 years, 2) such relationships are independent of psychosocial adversity, and 3) IQ mediates the relationship between nutrition and externalizing behavior problems. Method The participants were drawn from a birth cohort (N=1,795) in whom signs of malnutrition were assessed at age 3 years, cognitive measures were assessed at ages 3 and 11 years, and antisocial, aggressive, and hyperactive behavior was assessed at ages 8, 11, and 17 years. Results In relation to comparison subjects (N=1,206), the children with malnutrition signs at age 3 years (N=353) were more aggressive or hyperactive at age 8 years, had more externalizing problems at age 11, and had greater conduct disorder and excessive motor activity at age 17. The results were independent of psychosocial adversity and were not moderated by gender. There was a dose-response relationship between degree of malnutrition and degree of externalizing behavior at ages 8 and 17. Low IQ mediated the link between malnutrition and externalizing behavior at ages 8 and 11. Conclusions These results indicate that malnutrition predisposes to neurocognitive deficits, which in turn predispose to persistent externalizing behavior problems throughout childhood and adolescence. The findings suggest that reducing early malnutrition may help reduce later antisocial and aggressive behavior. PMID:15514400

  13. Two Cases of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Suggestive of Complicating Multifocal Micronodular Pneumocyte Hyperplasia: A Case Report.

    PubMed

    Nishida, Chinatsu; Yatera, Kazuhiro; Kido, Takashi; Noguchi, Shingo; Akata, Kentaro; Hanaka, Minako; Yamasaki, Kei; Hoshino, Teppei; Shimono, Masayuki; Ishimoto, Hiroshi; Sakamoto, Noriho; Mukae, Hiroshi

    Multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia (MMPH) is pathologically characterized by multifocal nodular hyperplasia of type Ⅱ pneumocyte-like cells. MMPH is usually complicated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). MMPH patients tend to be asymptomatic or only slightly symptomatic. MMPH tends to progress slowly and needs no treatment. We herein describe two cases of MMPH with its characteristic radiological features and clinical manifestations of TSC. Case 1: a 20-year-old female with definitive TSC in infancy. Chest CT at the age of 18 revealed multiple nodular opacities and ground-glass attenuations in a scattered and random distribution in the bilateral lungs. Case 2: a 44-year-old female with probable TSC at 36 years of age. Chest CT at the age of 43 showed random areas of small ground-glass attenuations, predominantly in the upper lung fields. Case 1 and Case 2 have had no respiratory symptoms or radiographic changes in the recent two years and four years, respectively. Although pathological examinations of the lung were not performed because consent for surgical lung biospies was unobtainable, we considered that these pulmonary manifestations were most likely MMPH with TSC because of these characteristic radiographical findings of multiple nodular opacities and ground-glass attenuations of 10 mm or less in size and their scattered distribution, and because there have been no abnormal laboratory data or changes in their chest radiological findings for years. Neither patient is under treatment for pulmonary lesions. Although MMPH is a rare disease, multiple nodules and ground-glass attenuations on lung imaging findings should be considered as pulmonary manifestations in patients with TSC.

  14. 29 CFR 785.45 - Suggestion systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Suggestion systems. 785.45 Section 785.45 Labor Regulations..., Medical Attention, Civic and Charitable Work, and Suggestion Systems § 785.45 Suggestion systems... general suggestion system is not working time, but if employees are permitted to work on suggestions...

  15. 29 CFR 785.45 - Suggestion systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Suggestion systems. 785.45 Section 785.45 Labor Regulations..., Medical Attention, Civic and Charitable Work, and Suggestion Systems § 785.45 Suggestion systems... general suggestion system is not working time, but if employees are permitted to work on suggestions...

  16. 29 CFR 785.45 - Suggestion systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Suggestion systems. 785.45 Section 785.45 Labor Regulations..., Medical Attention, Civic and Charitable Work, and Suggestion Systems § 785.45 Suggestion systems... general suggestion system is not working time, but if employees are permitted to work on suggestions...

  17. 29 CFR 785.45 - Suggestion systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Suggestion systems. 785.45 Section 785.45 Labor Regulations..., Medical Attention, Civic and Charitable Work, and Suggestion Systems § 785.45 Suggestion systems... general suggestion system is not working time, but if employees are permitted to work on suggestions...

  18. Methadone-induced delayed posthypoxic encephalopathy: clinical, radiological, and pathological findings.

    PubMed

    Mittal, Manoj; Wang, Yunxia; Reeves, Alan; Newell, Kathy

    2010-01-01

    Objective. To describe the clinical, radiological and pathological findings in a patient with methadone-induced delayed posthypoxic encephalopathy (DPHE). Case Report. A Thirty-eight-year-old man was found unconscious for an unknown duration after methadone and diazepam ingestion. His initial vitals were temperature 104 degree Fahrenheit, heart rate 148/minute, respiratory rate 50/minute, and blood pressure 107/72 mmhg. He developed renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, and elevated liver enzymes which resolved completely in 6 days. After 2 weeks from discharge he had progressive deterioration of his cognitive, behavioral and neurological function. Brain MRI showed diffuse abnormal T2 signal in the corona radiata, centrum semiovale, and subcortical white matter throughout all lobes. Extensive work up was negative for any metabolic, infectious or autoimmune disorder. Brain biopsy showed significant axonal injury in the white matter. He was treated successfully with combination of steroids and antioxidants. Follow up at 2 year showed no residual deficits. Conclusion. Our observation suggests that patients on methadone therapy should be monitored for any neurological or psychiatric symptoms, and in suspected cases MRI brain may help to make the diagnosis of DPHE. A trial of steroids and antioxidants may be considered in these patients.

  19. The plasticity of early memory reports: social pressure, hypnotizability, compliance, and interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Malinoski, P T; Lynn, S J

    1999-10-01

    Early autobiographical memory reports by adults were very sensitive to social influence in a leading interview. The mean age of initial earliest memory report was 3.7 years. When participants were instructed to close their eyes, visualize, and focus on their 2nd birthday, 59% reported a birthday memory. After repeated probes for earlier memories, 78% of subjects reported memories at or prior to 24 months of age, and 33% reported memories within the first 12 months of age. The mean age of the final earliest memory reported was 1.6 years. Participants rated their memory reports as accurate and did not recant them when given an opportunity. The age of earliest memory reports in the suggestive interview correlated negatively with measures of compliance, hypnotizability, and interrogative suggestibility.

  20. Spontaneous regulation of emotions in preschool children who stutter: preliminary findings.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Kia N; Walden, Tedra A; Conture, Edward G; Karrass, Jan

    2010-12-01

    Emotional regulation of preschool children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) was assessed through use of a disappointing gift (DG) procedure (P. M. Cole, 1986; C. Saarni, 1984, 1992). Participants consisted of 16 CWS and CWNS (11 boys and 5 girls in each talker group) who were 3 to 5 years of age. After assessing each child's knowledge of display rules about socially appropriate expression of emotions, the authors asked the children to participate in a DG procedure. The children received a desirable gift preceding the first free-play task and a disappointing gift preceding a second free-play task. Dependent variables consisted of participants' positive and negative expressive nonverbal behaviors exhibited during receipt of a desirable gift and disappointing gift as well as conversational speech disfluencies exhibited following receipt of each gift. Findings indicated that CWS and CWNS exhibited no significant differences in amount of positive emotional expressions after receiving the desired gift; however, CWS--when compared with CWNS--exhibited more negative emotional expressions after receiving the undesirable gift. Furthermore, CWS were more disfluent after receiving the desired gift than after receiving the disappointing gift. Ancillary findings also indicated that CWS and CWNS had equivalent knowledge of display rules. Findings suggest that efforts to concurrently regulate emotional behaviors and that speech disfluencies may be problematic for preschool-age CWS.

  1. The Difficulties of Female Primary School Administrators in the Administration Process and Solution Suggestions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kosar, Didem; Altunay, Esen; Yalçinkaya, Mu¨nevver

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this research is to determine the administration experiences of female administrators, find out the troubles they have had during their administration process, and suggest some solutions according to these experiences. The qualitative method was used in this research and data was collected via the semi-structured interview form…

  2. Editorial Decisions May Perpetuate Belief in Invalid Research Findings

    PubMed Central

    Eriksson, Kimmo; Simpson, Brent

    2013-01-01

    Social psychology and related disciplines are seeing a resurgence of interest in replication, as well as actual replication efforts. But prior work suggests that even a clear demonstration that a finding is invalid often fails to shake acceptance of the finding. This threatens the full impact of these replication efforts. Here we show that the actions of two key players – journal editors and the authors of original (invalidated) research findings – are critical to the broader public’s continued belief in an invalidated research conclusion. Across three experiments, we show that belief in an invalidated finding falls sharply when a critical failed replication is published in the same – versus different – journal as the original finding, and when the authors of the original finding acknowledge that the new findings invalidate their conclusions. We conclude by discussing policy implications of our key findings. PMID:24023863

  3. Effects of discrete emotions on young children's suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Levine, Linda J; Burgess, Stewart L; Laney, Cara

    2008-05-01

    Two experiments investigated the effects of sadness, anger, and happiness on 4- to 6-year-old children's memory and suggestibility concerning story events. In Experiment 1, children were presented with 3 interactive stories on a video monitor. The stories included protagonists who wanted to give the child a prize. After each story, the child completed a task to try to win the prize. The outcome of the child's effort was manipulated in order to elicit sadness, anger, or happiness. Children's emotions did not affect story recall, but children were more vulnerable to misleading questions about the stories when sad than when angry or happy. In Experiment 2, a story was presented and emotions were elicited using an autobiographical recall task. Children responded to misleading questions and then recalled the story for a different interviewer. Again, children's emotions did not affect the amount of story information recalled correctly, but sad children incorporated more information from misleading questions during recall than did angry or happy children. Sad children's greater suggestibility is discussed in terms of the differing problem-solving strategies associated with discrete emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Evaluating foodservice software: a suggested approach.

    PubMed

    Fowler, K D

    1986-09-01

    In an era of cost containment, the computer has become a viable management tool. Its use in health care has demonstrated accelerated growth in recent years, and a literature review supports an increased trend in this direction. Foodservice, which is a major cost center, is no exception to this predicted trend. Because software has proliferated, foodservice managers and dietitians are experiencing growing concern about how to evaluate the numerous software packages from which to choose. A suggested approach to evaluating software is offered to dietitians and managers alike to lessen the confusion in software selection and to improve the system satisfaction level post-purchase. Steps of the software evaluatory approach include: delineation of goals, assessment of needs, assignment of value weight factors, development of a vendor checklist, survey of vendors by means of the vendor checklist and elimination of inappropriate systems, thorough development of the request for proposal (RFP) for submission to the selected vendors, an analysis of the returned RFPs in terms of system features and cost factors, and selection of the system(s) for implementation.

  5. A case of alkaptonuria - ultrasonographic findings.

    PubMed

    Damian, Laura Otilia; Felea, Ioana; Boloşiu, Călin; Botar-Jid, Carolina; Fodor, Daniela; Rednic, Simona

    2013-12-01

    Alkaptonuria is a rare disease with autosomal recessive inheritance and variable expression. The weight-bearing joint involvement and spondylitis-like vertebral changes occur only after the 3rd decade. Musculoskeletal ultrasonographic findings in alkaptonuria were only rarely described, consisting mainly into enthesopathy and non-synovial tendon degeneration. We present the case of a 50 years old man with alkaptonuria and discuss the ultrasonographic findings and the relationship of the disease with chondrocalcinosis. The tendinous and synovial aspect may be peculiar and it could therefore allow recognition and screening for alkaptonuria, along with clinical and radiologic data.

  6. Risk factors for eating disorder symptoms at 12 years of age: A 6-year longitudinal cohort study.

    PubMed

    Evans, Elizabeth H; Adamson, Ashley J; Basterfield, Laura; Le Couteur, Ann; Reilly, Jessica K; Reilly, John J; Parkinson, Kathryn N

    2017-01-01

    Eating disorders pose risks to health and wellbeing in young adolescents, but prospective studies of risk factors are scarce and this has impeded prevention efforts. This longitudinal study aimed to examine risk factors for eating disorder symptoms in a population-based birth cohort of young adolescents at 12 years. Participants from the Gateshead Millennium Study birth cohort (n = 516; 262 girls and 254 boys) completed self-report questionnaire measures of eating disorder symptoms and putative risk factors at age 7 years, 9 years and 12 years, including dietary restraint, depressive symptoms and body dissatisfaction. Body mass index (BMI) was also measured at each age. Within-time correlates of eating disorder symptoms at 12 years of age were greater body dissatisfaction for both sexes and, for girls only, higher depressive symptoms. For both sexes, higher eating disorder symptoms at 9 years old significantly predicted higher eating disorder symptoms at 12 years old. Dietary restraint at 7 years old predicted boys' eating disorder symptoms at age 12, but not girls'. Factors that did not predict eating disorder symptoms at 12 years of age were BMI (any age), girls' dietary restraint at 7 years and body dissatisfaction at 7 and 9 years of age for both sexes. In this population-based study, different patterns of predictors and correlates of eating disorder symptoms were found for girls and boys. Body dissatisfaction, a purported risk factor for eating disorder symptoms in young adolescents, developed concurrently with eating disorder symptoms rather than preceding them. However, restraint at age 7 and eating disorder symptoms at age 9 years did predict 12-year eating disorder symptoms. Overall, our findings suggest that efforts to prevent disordered eating might beneficially focus on preadolescent populations. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  7. Topographic Change of the Dichotomy Boundary Suggested by Crustal Inversion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neumann, G. A.

    2004-01-01

    Linear negative gravity anomalies in Acidalia Planitia along the eastern edge of Tempe Terra and along the northern edge of Arabia Terra have been noted in Mars Global Surveyor gravity fields. Once proposed to represent buried fluvial channels, it is now believed that these gravity troughs mainly arise from partial compensation of the hemispheric dichotomy topographic scarp. A recent inversion for crustal structure finds that mantle compensation of the scarp is offset from the present-day topographic expression of the dichotomy boundary. The offset suggests that erosion or other forms of mass wasting occurred after lithosphere thickened and no longer accomodated topographic change through viscous relaxation.

  8. Finding Kepler's Exoearths

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petigura, Erik; Marcy, G.

    2012-05-01

    With its unprecedented photometric precision and duty cycle, the Kepler mission offers the first opportunity to detect Earth analog planets. Detecting transits with depths of 0.01%, periods of 1 year, and durations of 10 hours pose a novel challenge, prompting an optimization of both the detrending of the photometry and of the transit search algorithm. We present TERRA, the Transiting Exoearth Robust Reduction Algorithm, designed specifically to find earth analogs. TERRA carefully treats systematic effects with timescales comparable to an exoearth transit and removes features that are not important from the perspective of transit detection. We demonstrate TERRA's detection power through an extensive transit injection and recovery experiment.

  9. A cause of Sudden Cardiac Deaths on Autopsy Findings; a Four-Year Report.

    PubMed

    Rao, Dinesh; Sood, Divya; Pathak, P; Dongre, Sudhir D

    2014-01-01

    Incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been steadily increasing all over the world. While knowing the cause of SCD is one of the favorites of the physicians involved with these cases, it is very difficult and challenging task for the forensic physician. The present report is a prospective study regarding cause of SCDs on autopsy examination in four-year period, Bangalore, India. The present prospective study is based on autopsy observations, carried out for four-year period from 2008 to 2011, and analyzed for cause of SCDs. The cases were chosen as per the definition of sudden death and autopsied. The material was divided into natural and unnatural groups. Finally, on histopathology, gross examination, hospital details, circumstantial, and police reports the cause of death was inferred. A total of 2449 autopsy was conducted of which 204 cases were due to SCD. The highest SCDs were reported in 50-60 years age group (62.24%; n-127), followed closely by the age group 60-69 (28.43%; n-58). Male to female ratio was around 10:1. The maximum number of deaths (n=78) was within few hours (6 hours) after the onset of signs and symptoms. In 24 (11.8%) cases major narrowing was noted in both the main coronaries, in 87 (42.6%) cases in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), and in 18 (51.5%) cases in the right coronary artery (RCA). The major cardiac pathology resulting in sudden death was coronary artery disease (n-116; 56.86%) and myocardial infarction (n-104; 50.9%). most of the SCDs occurred in the place of residence (n-80; 39.2%) followed closely by death in hospital (n-49; 24.01%). Coronary occlusion was the major contributory cause of sudden death with cardiac origin and the highest number of deaths were reported in the age 50-59 years with male to female ratio of 10:1.

  10. Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime under Circumstances That Suggest Gun Trafficking

    PubMed Central

    Wintemute, Garen J.; Webster, Daniel W.

    2010-01-01

    While many handguns are used in crime each year in the USA, most are not. We conducted this study to identify factors present at the time of a handgun’s most recent retail sale that were associated with its subsequent use in crime under circumstances suggesting that the handgun had been trafficked—purchased with the intent of diverting it to criminal use. Handguns acquired in multiple-gun purchases were of particular interest. Using data for 180,321 handguns purchased from federally licensed retailers in California in 1996, we studied attributes of the handguns, the retailers selling them, the purchasers, and the sales transactions. Our outcome measure was a handgun’s recovery by a police agency, followed by a gun ownership trace, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, that determined (a) that the recovery had occurred within 3 years of the handgun’s most recent purchase from a licensed retailer and (b) that the person who possessed the gun when it was recovered by police was not its most recent purchaser. Altogether, 722 handguns were recovered and had trace results that met the additional criteria. Handguns acquired in multiple-gun, same-day transactions were more likely to be traced than were single-purchase handguns (odds ratio [OR] 1.33, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.08 to 1.63). This was not the case for multiple-purchase handguns defined more broadly as multiple handguns purchased by one individual over any 30-day period as used in “one-gun-a-month” laws. Bivariate regressions indicated increased risk of a handgun being traced when it sold new for $150 or less (OR 4.28, 95% CI 3.59 to 5.11) or had been purchased by a woman (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.62 to 2.52). Handguns sold by retailers who also had a relatively high proportion (≥2%) of purchases denied because the prospective purchasers were prohibited from owning firearms were more likely to be traced than were those sold by other retailers (OR 4.09, 95% CI 3.39 to

  11. Memory and Suggestibility in Maltreated Children: Age, Stress Arousal, Dissociation, and Psychopathology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisen, Mitchell L.; Qin, Jianjian; Goodman, Gail S.; Davis, Suzanne L.

    2002-01-01

    This study assessed 3- to 17-year-olds' memory and suggestibility in the context of ongoing child maltreatment investigations. Results from 189 subjects indicated that general psychopathology, short-term memory, and intellectual ability predicted facets of children's memory performance. Older compared to young children evinced fewer memory errors…

  12. Eliminating age differences in children's and adults' suggestibility and memory conformity effects.

    PubMed

    Otgaar, Henry; Howe, Mark L; Brackmann, Nathalie; van Helvoort, Daniël H J

    2017-05-01

    We examined whether typical developmental trends in suggestion-induced false memories (i.e., age-related decrease) could be changed. Using theoretical principles from the spontaneous false memory field, we adapted 2 often-used false memory procedures: misinformation (Experiment 1) and memory conformity (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, 7- to 9-year-old children (n = 33) and adults (n = 39) received stories containing associatively related details. They then listened to misinformation in the form of short narratives preserving the meaning of the story. Children and adults were equally susceptible to the misinformation effect. In Experiment 2, younger (7- to 8-year-olds, n = 30) and older (11- to 12-year-olds, n = 30) children and adults (n = 30) viewed pictures containing associatively related details. They viewed these pictures in pairs. Although the pictures differed, participants believed they had viewed the same pictures. Participants had to report what they could recollect during collaborative and individual recall tests. Children and adults were equally susceptible to memory conformity effects. When correcting for response bias, adults' false memory scores were even higher than children's. Our results show that age trends in suggestion-induced false memories are not developmentally invariant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Children's Memory for Their Mother's Murder: Accuracy, Suggestibility, and Resistance to Suggestion.

    PubMed

    McWilliams, Kelly; Narr, Rachel; Goodman, Gail S; Ruiz, Sandra; Mendoza, Macaria

    2013-01-31

    From its inception, child eyewitness memory research has been guided by dramatic legal cases that turn on the testimony of children. Decades of scientific research reveal that, under many conditions, children can provide veracious accounts of traumatic experiences. Scientific studies also document factors that lead children to make false statements. In this paper we describe a legal case in which children testified about their mother's murder. We discuss factors that may have influenced the accuracy of the children's eyewitness memory. Children's suggestibility and resistance to suggestion are illustrated. Expert testimony, based on scientific research, can aid the trier of fact when children provide crucial evidence in criminal investigations and courtroom trials about tragic events.

  14. Deployment-Related Benefit Finding and Postdeployment Marital Satisfaction in Military Couples.

    PubMed

    Renshaw, Keith D; Campbell, Sarah B

    2017-12-01

    Extensive research has evaluated potential negative effects of military deployments on romantic relationships. Comparatively few studies have examined potential positive effects of such deployments. In stressful situations, benefit finding (BF) has been found to be linked with better functioning on both individual and interpersonal levels. This study reports on deployment-related BF in a sample of 67 male service members (SMs) who deployed at least once since 9/11/2001 and their wives. Couples completed measures of marital satisfaction at baseline (an average of 1 year postdeployment) and follow-up 4-6 months later. At follow-up, SMs also provided data on symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and both partners provided reports of deployment-related BF. Multivariate path analysis controlling for SMs' PTSD symptom severity revealed that wives' BF was positively associated with increases in SMs' relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that wives' responses to deployment may be more influential than SMs' responses to deployment on military couples' relationships. This pattern indicates that support for spouses during deployments is essential; furthermore, such support should include an emphasis on trying to facilitate personal growth in spouses. © 2016 Family Process Institute.

  15. 42 CFR 37.53 - Notification of abnormal roentgenographic findings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... suggesting, enlarged heart, tuberculosis, lung cancer, or any other significant abnormal findings other than... files and the most recent examination was interpreted to show enlarged heart, tuberculosis, cancer...

  16. 42 CFR 37.53 - Notification of abnormal roentgenographic findings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... suggesting, enlarged heart, tuberculosis, lung cancer, or any other significant abnormal findings other than... files and the most recent examination was interpreted to show enlarged heart, tuberculosis, cancer...

  17. Finding Relational Associations in HIV Resistance Mutation Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richter, Lothar; Augustin, Regina; Kramer, Stefan

    HIV therapy optimization is a hard task due to rapidly evolving mutations leading to drug resistance. Over the past five years, several machine learning approaches have been developed for decision support, mostly to predict therapy failure from the genotypic sequence of viral proteins and additional factors. In this paper, we define a relational representation for an important part of the data, namely the sequences of a viral protein (reverse transcriptase), their mutations, and the drug resistance(s) associated with those mutations. The data were retrieved from the Los Alamos National Laboratories' (LANL) HIV databases. In contrast to existing work in this area, we do not aim directly for predictive modeling, but take one step back and apply descriptive mining methods to develop a better understanding of the correlations and associations between mutations and resistances. In our particular application, we use the Warmr algorithm to detect non-trivial patterns connecting mutations and resistances. Our findings suggest that well-known facts can be rediscovered, but also hint at the potential of discovering yet unknown associations.

  18. Burnout as a predictor of self-reported sickness absence among human service workers: prospective findings from three year follow up of the PUMA study.

    PubMed

    Borritz, M; Rugulies, R; Christensen, K B; Villadsen, E; Kristensen, T S

    2006-02-01

    To investigate whether burnout predicts sickness absence days and sickness absence spells in human service workers. A total of 824 participants from an ongoing prospective study in different human service sector organisations were eligible for the three year follow up analysis. Burnout was measured with the work related burnout scale of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Sickness absence was measured with self-reported number of days and spells during the last 12 months before the baseline and the follow up survey. A Poisson regression model with a scale parameter was used to account for over dispersion. A linear regression model was used for analysing changes in burnout and absence between baseline and follow up. Burnout was prospectively associated with both sickness absence days and sickness absence spells per year. Differences in sickness absence days varied from a mean of 5.4 days per year in the lowest quartile of the work related burnout scale to a mean of 13.6 in the highest quartile. An increase of one standard deviation on the work related burnout scale predicted an increase of 21% in sickness absence days per year (rate ratio 1.21, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.32) after adjusting for gender, age, organisation, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, family status, having children under 7 years of age, and prevalence of diseases. Regarding sickness absence spells, an increase of one standard deviation on the work related burnout scale predicted an increase of 9% per year (rate ratio 1.09, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.17). Changes in burnout level from baseline to follow up were positively associated with changes in sickness absence days (estimate 1.94 days/year, SE 0.63) and sickness absence spell (estimate 0.34 spells/year, SE 0.08). The findings indicate that burnout predicts sickness absence. Reducing burnout is likely to reduce sickness absence.

  19. The Portuguese adaptation of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS1) in a sample of inmates.

    PubMed

    Pires, Rute; Silva, Danilo R; Ferreira, Ana Sousa

    2014-01-01

    This paper comprises two studies which address the validity of the Portuguese adaptation of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale, GSS1. In study 1, the means and standard deviations for the suggestibility results of a sample of Portuguese inmates (N=40, Mage=37.5 years, SD=8.1) were compared to those of a sample of Icelandic inmates (Gudjonsson, 1997; Gudjonsson & Sigurdsson, 1996). Portuguese inmates' results were in line with the original results. In study 2, the means and standard deviations for the suggestibility results of the sample of Portuguese inmates were compared to those of a general Portuguese population sample (N=57, Mage=36.1 years, SD=12.7). The forensic sample obtained significantly higher scores in suggestibility measures than the general population sample. ANOVA confirmed that the increased suggestibility in the inmates sample was due to the limited memory capacity of this latter group. Given that the results of both studies 1 and 2 are in keeping with the author's original results (Gudjonsson, 1997), this may be regarded as a confirmation of the validity of the Portuguese GSS1. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Prevalence, risk factors, and impact of knee pain suggesting osteoarthritis in Spain.

    PubMed

    Fernandez-Lopez, J C; Laffon, A; Blanco, F J; Carmona, L

    2008-01-01

    To estimate the point prevalence of knee pain suggesting osteoarthritis (OA) in the adult Spanish population. Secondary objectives were to examine the distribution of associated factors, as well as to assess the impact of knee pain on quality of life and function in the general population. A population survey was conducted in year 2000 for which 2,192 subjects over 20 years of age were selected by stratified polystage cluster sampling from the censuses of 20 towns. Trained rheumatologists administered structured interviews that permitted them to rule out the presence of rheumatic symptoms, and which included validated instruments to measure function and quality of life. We used the definition of clinical symptomatic knee OA of the American College of Rheumatology. The estimated prevalence of knee pain suggesting OA in the general adult population is 10.2% (95% confidence interval: 7.9-12.5). Elderly women with fewer studies and from the lower social class, as well as those subjects involved in physically demanding jobs are more frequently affected. Obesity is also an important determinant for knee pain suggesting OA. Knee pain is associated to a significant decrease in functional ability and quality of life, even after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidity. The prevalence of knee pain suggesting OA in the general Spanish population is higher than expected, mainly related to a high rate of knee pain in women over 55. The proportion of very old persons and of those obese are important factors to take into account when comparing the rate of knee OA between populations.

  1. Active case finding of undetected tuberculosis among chronic coughers in a slum setting in Kampala, Uganda

    PubMed Central

    Sekandi, J. N.; Neuhauser, D.; Smyth, K.; Whalen, C. C.

    2010-01-01

    SUMMARY SETTING Kisenyi slum in peri-urban Kampala, Uganda. OBJECTIVES Using chronic cough (≥2 weeks) inquiry as a screening tool to identify undetected smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) cases and to describe the characteristics of smear-positive TB cases detected by active case finding. DESIGN A house-to-house survey was conducted in five randomly selected villages in Kampala between June and August 2005. A sample of households was visited; adults aged ≥15 years were consecutively interviewed to identify those with chronic cough. Three sputum specimens were collected and examined by smear microscopy. RESULTS Among 930 individuals, we identified 189 (20%) chronic coughers. Of these, we found 33 (18%) undiagnosed smear-positive cases. The newly detected cases had an even sex distribution (P = 0.47), a median age of 30 years, a median cough duration of 1 month and 55% had acid-fast bacilli 1+ sputum smear grade. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that active case finding could supplement DOTS to yield additional smear-positive TB cases, lead to early diagnosis and thus shorten the duration of infectiousness before effective chemotherapy is initiated. In communities such as Kisenyi, this is a feasible strategy that may prove useful for TB control, but its cost-effectiveness needs to be evaluated. Early health care seeking for cough should be emphasized. PMID:19335958

  2. Mars’ First Billion Years: Key Findings, Key Unsolved Paradoxes, and Future Exploration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehlmann, Bethany

    2017-10-01

    In the evolution of terrestrial planets, the first billion years are the period most shrouded in mystery: How vigorous is early atmospheric loss? How do planetary climates respond to a brightening sun? When and how are plate tectonic recycling processes initiated? How do voluminous volcanism and heavy impact bombardment influence the composition of the atmosphere? Under what conditions might life arise? Looking outward to terrestrial planets around other stars, the record from Venus, Earth and Mars in this solar system is crucial for developing models of physical can chemical processes. Of these three worlds, Mars provides the longest record of planetary evolution from the first billion years, comprising >50% of exposed geologic units, which are only lightly overprinted by later processes.Orbital observations of the last decade have revealed abundant evidence for surface waters in the form of lakes, valley networks, and evidence of chemically open-system near-surface weathering. Groundwaters at temperatures ranging from just above freezing to hydrothermal have also left a rich record of process in the mineralogical record. A rsuite of environments - similar in diversity to Earth’s - has been discovered on Mars with water pH, temperature, redox, and chemistries varying in space and time.Here, I will focus on the consequences of the aqueous alteration of the Martian crust on the composition of the atmosphere based on recent work studying aspects of the volatile budget (Usui et al., 2015; Edwards & Ehlmann, 2015; Hu et al., 2015; Jakosky et al., 2017, Wordsworth et al., 2017, and Ehlmann, in prep.). The solid crust and mantle of Mars act as volatile reservoirs and volatile sources through volcanism, mineral precipitation, and release of gases. We examine the extent to which the budget is understood or ill-understood for hydrogen and carbon, and associated phases H2O, CO2, and CH4. Additionally, I identify some key stratigraphies where a combination of focused in

  3. Climate-vegetation modelling and fossil plant data suggest low atmospheric CO2 in the late Miocene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Forrest, M.; Eronen, J. T.; Utescher, T.; Knorr, G.; Stepanek, C.; Lohmann, G.; Hickler, T.

    2015-12-01

    There is an increasing need to understand the pre-Quaternary warm climates, how climate-vegetation interactions functioned in the past, and how we can use this information to understand the present. Here we report vegetation modelling results for the Late Miocene (11-7 Ma) to study the mechanisms of vegetation dynamics and the role of different forcing factors that influence the spatial patterns of vegetation coverage. One of the key uncertainties is the atmospheric concentration of CO2 during past climates. Estimates for the last 20 million years range from 280 to 500 ppm. We simulated Late Miocene vegetation using two plausible CO2 concentrations, 280 ppm CO2 and 450 ppm CO2, with a dynamic global vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) driven by climate input from a coupled AOGCM (Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Model). The simulated vegetation was compared to existing plant fossil data for the whole Northern Hemisphere. For the comparison we developed a novel approach that uses information of the relative dominance of different plant functional types (PFTs) in the palaeobotanical data to provide a quantitative estimate of the agreement between the simulated and reconstructed vegetation. Based on this quantitative assessment we find that pre-industrial CO2 levels are largely consistent with the presence of seasonal temperate forests in Europe (suggested by fossil data) and open vegetation in North America (suggested by multiple lines of evidence). This suggests that during the Late Miocene the CO2 levels have been relatively low, or that other factors that are not included in the models maintained the seasonal temperate forests and open vegetation.

  4. Single-Trial Analysis of V1 Responses Suggests Two Transmission States

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, A. S.; Knuth, K. H.; Truccolo, W. A.; Mehta, A. D.; McGinnis, T.; OConnell, N.; Ding, M.; Bressler, S. L.; Schroeder, C. E.

    2002-01-01

    Sensory processing in the visual, auditory, and somatosensory systems is often studied by recording electrical activity in response to a stimulus of interest. Typically, multiple trial responses to the stimulus are averaged to isolate the stereotypic response from noise. However, averaging ignores dynamic variability in the neuronal response, which is potentially critical to understanding stimulus-processing schemes. Thus, we developed the multiple component, Event-Related Potential (mcERP) model. This model asserts that multiple components, defined as stereotypic waveforms, comprise the stimulus-evoked response and that these components may vary in amplitude and latency from trial to trial. Application of this model to data recorded simultaneously from all six laminae of V1 in an awake, behaving monkey performing a visual discrimination yielded three components. The first component localized to granular V1, the second was located in supragranular V1, and the final component displayed a multi-laminar distribution. These modeling results, which take into account single-trial response dynamics, illustrated that the initial activation of VI occurs in the granular layer followed by activation in the supragranular layers. This finding is expected because the average response in those layers demonstrates the same progression and because anatomical evidence suggests that the feedforward input in V1 enters the granular layer and progresses to supragranular layers. In addition to these findings, the granular component of the model displayed several interesting trial-to-trial characteristics including (1) a bimodal latency distribution, (2) a latency-related variation in response amplitude, (3) a latency correlation with the supragranular component, and (4) an amplitude and latency association with the multi-laminar component. Direct analyses of the single-trial data were consistent with these model predictions. These findings suggest that V1 has at least 2 transmission

  5. CT findings of acute cholecystitis and its complications.

    PubMed

    Shakespear, Jonathan S; Shaaban, Akram M; Rezvani, Maryam

    2010-06-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate the CT findings of acute cholecystitis and its complications. CT findings suggesting acute cholecystitis should be interpreted with caution and should probably serve as justification for further investigation with abdominal ultrasound. CT has a relatively high negative predictive value, and acute cholecystitis is unlikely in the setting of a negative CT. Complications of acute cholecystitis have a characteristic CT appearance and include necrosis, perforation, abscess formation, intraluminal hemorrhage, and wall emphysema.

  6. Assessing the acceptability of NORPLANT implants in four countries: findings from focus group research.

    PubMed

    Zimmerman, M; Haffey, J; Crane, E; Szumowski, D; Alvarez, F; Bhiromrut, P; Brache, V; Lubis, F; Salah, M; Shaaban, M

    1990-01-01

    In 1986-87, a qualitative research project was conducted in the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, and Thailand to expand understanding of the acceptability of NORPLANT contraceptive implants beyond inferences made on the basis of continuation rates. In each of the four study sites, focus group discussions or in-depth interviews were held with potential acceptors, current NORPLANT users, discontinuers, husbands of women in these three groups, and service providers. Nonclinical participants generally had little formal education and lived primarily in urban or semi-urban areas where NORPLANT has been available for at least five years. The study focused on attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of each group regarding NORPLANT implants. Results suggest that factors having an impact on the acceptability of NORPLANT implants fall into three general categories: medical/technical, cultural/religious, and informational/educational. This article discusses each of these categories, including programmatic implications of the findings, and puts forward recommendations for enhancing NORPLANT introduction efforts on the basis of these findings.

  7. Remembering All That and Then Some: Recollection of Autobiographical Memories after a One-Year Delay

    PubMed Central

    Campbell, Jenna; Nadel, Lynn; Duke, Devin; Ryan, Lee

    2013-01-01

    We previously showed that repeated retrievals of remote autobiographical memories over the course of one month led to an overall increase in reported detail (Nadel, Campbell & Ryan, 2007). The current study examined the retrieval of those same memories one year later in order to determine whether the level of detail remained stable or whether the memories returned to their original state. Participants reported even more details than they had recalled at least one year earlier, including new details that were reported for the first time. This finding was consistent across both multiple and single retrieval conditions suggesting that the critical factor leading to the increase in recall was the passage of time. These findings provide evidence for long-term effects of repeated retrieval on memory content. PMID:21678157

  8. Neuropsychological findings associated with Panayiotopoulos syndrome in three children.

    PubMed

    Hodges, Samantha L; Gabriel, Marsha T; Perry, M Scott

    2016-01-01

    Panayiotopoulos syndrome is a common idiopathic benign epilepsy that has a peak age of onset in early childhood. The syndrome is multifocal and shows significant electroencephalogram (EEG) variability, with occipital predominance. Although a benign syndrome often refers to the absence of neurological and neuropsychological deficits, the syndrome has recently been associated with cognitive impairments. Also, despite frequent occipital EEG abnormalities, research regarding the visual functioning of patients is less reported and often contradictory. The purpose of this study was to gain additional knowledge regarding the neurocognitive functioning of patients with Panayiotopoulos syndrome and specifically to address any visual processing deficits associated with the syndrome. Following diagnosis of the syndrome based on typical clinical and electrophysiological criteria, three patients, aged 5, 8, and 10years were referred by epileptologists for neuropsychological evaluation. Neuropsychological findings suggest that the patients had notable impairments on visual memory tasks, especially in comparison with verbal memory. Further, they demonstrated increased difficulty on picture memory suggesting difficulty retaining information from a crowded visual field. Two of the three patients showed weakness in visual processing speed, which may account for weaker retention of complex visual stimuli. Abilities involving attention were normal for all patients, suggesting that inattention is not responsible for these visual deficits. Academically, the patients were weak in numerical operations and spelling, which both rely partially on visual memory and may affect achievement in these areas. Overall, the results suggest that patients with Panayiotopoulos syndrome may have visual processing and visual memory problems that could potentially affect their academic capabilities. Identifying such difficulties may be helpful in creating educational and remedial assistance programs for

  9. [Ultrasound findings in rhabdomyolysis].

    PubMed

    Carrillo-Esper, Raúl; Galván-Talamantes, Yazmin; Meza-Ayala, Cynthia Margarita; Cruz-Santana, Julio Alberto; Bonilla-Reséndiz, Luis Ignacio

    Rhabdomyolysis is defined as skeletal muscle necrosis. Ultrasound assessment has recently become a useful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of muscle diseases, including rhabdomyolysis. A case is presented on the ultrasound findings in a patient with rhabdomyolysis. To highlight the importance of ultrasound as an essential part in the diagnosis in rhabdomyolysis, to describe the ultrasound findings, and review the literature. A 30 year-old with post-traumatic rhabdomyolysis of both thighs. Ultrasound was performed using a Philips Sparq model with a high-frequency linear transducer (5-10MHz), in low-dimensional scanning mode (2D), in longitudinal and transverse sections at the level of both thighs. The images obtained showed disorganisation of the orientation of the muscle fibres, ground glass image, thickening of the muscular fascia, and the presence of anechoic areas. Ultrasound is a useful tool in the evaluation of rhabdomyolysis. Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

  10. Discrepancy detection in the retrieval-enhanced suggestibility paradigm.

    PubMed

    Butler, Brendon Jerome; Loftus, Elizabeth F

    2018-04-01

    Retrieval-enhanced suggestibility (RES) refers to the finding that immediately recalling the details of a witnessed event can increase susceptibility to later misinformation. In three experiments, we sought to gain a deeper understanding of the role that retrieval plays in the RES paradigm. Consistent with past research, initial testing did increase susceptibility to misinformation - but only for those who failed to detect discrepancies between the original event and the post-event misinformation. In all three experiments, subjects who retrospectively detected discrepancies in the post-event narratives were more resistant to misinformation than those who did not. In Experiments 2 and 3, having subjects concurrently assess the consistency of the misinformation narratives negated the RES effect. Interestingly, in Experiments 2 and 3, subjects who had retrieval practice and detected discrepancies were more likely to endorse misinformation than control subjects who detected discrepancies. These results call attention to limiting conditions of the RES effect and highlight the complex relationship between retrieval practice, discrepancy detection, and misinformation endorsement.

  11. In search of average growth: describing within-year oral reading fluency growth across Grades 1-8.

    PubMed

    Nese, Joseph F T; Biancarosa, Gina; Cummings, Kelli; Kennedy, Patrick; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

    2013-10-01

    Measures of oral reading fluency (ORF) are perhaps the most often used assessment to monitor student progress as part of a response to intervention (RTI) model. Rates of growth in research and aim lines in practice are used to characterize student growth; in either case, growth is generally defined as linear, increasing at a constant rate. Recent research suggests ORF growth follows a nonlinear trajectory, but limitations related to the datasets used in such studies, composed of only three testing occasions, curtails their ability to examine the true functional form of ORF growth. The purpose of this study was to model within-year ORF growth using up to eight testing occasions for 1448 students in Grades 1 to 8 to assess (a) the average growth trajectory for within-year ORF growth, (b) whether students vary significantly in within-year ORF growth, and (c) the extent to which findings are consistent across grades. Results demonstrated that for Grades 1 to 7, a quadratic growth model fit better than either linear or cubic growth models, and for Grade 8, there was no substantial, stable growth. Findings suggest that the expectation for linear growth currently used in practice may be unrealistic. Copyright © 2013 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Laryngeal findings and acoustic changes in hubble-bubble smokers.

    PubMed

    Hamdan, Abdul-latif; Sibai, Abla; Oubari, Dima; Ashkar, Jihad; Fuleihan, Nabil

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the laryngeal findings and acoustic changes in hubble-bubble smokers. A total of 42 subjects with history of hubble-bubble smoking were recruited for this study. A corresponding group with a history of cigarette smoking and controls were matched. All subjects underwent laryngeal video-endostroboscopic evaluation and acoustic analysis. In the hubble-bubble smoking group, 61.9% were males. The average age was 30.02 +/- 9.48 years and the average number of years of smoking was 8.09 +/- 6.45 years. Three subjects had dysphonia at the time of examination. The incidence of benign lesions of the vocal folds in the hubble-bubble group was 21.5%, with edema being the most common at 16.7% followed by cyst at 4.8%. The incidence of laryngeal findings was significantly higher in the hubble-bubble group compared to controls. In the cigarette-smoking group, the most common finding was vocal fold cyst in 14.8% followed by polyps in 7.4%, and edema, sulcus vocalis and granuloma. These findings were not significantly different from the hubble-bubble group except for the thick mucus, which was significantly higher in the latter. There were no significant changes in any of the acoustic parameters between hubble-bubble smokers and controls except for the VTI and MPT, which were significantly lower in the hubble-bubble group. In comparison with the cigarette-smoking group, hubble-bubble smokers had significantly higher Fundamental frequency and habitual pitch (p value 0.042 and 0.008, respectively). The laryngeal findings in hubble-bubble smokers are comparable to cigarette smokers. These laryngeal findings are not translated acoustically, as all the acoustic parameters are within normal range compared to controls.

  13. Analogue Mental Transformations in 3-Year-Olds: Introducing a New Mental Rotation Paradigm Suitable for Young Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krüger, Markus; Kaiser, Marlen; Mahler, Kristin; Bartels, Wolfgang; Krist, Horst

    2014-01-01

    Until now, a successful application of the mental rotation paradigm was restricted to children 5?years or older. By contrast, recent findings suggest that even infants can perform mental rotation. Unlike the methods used in infant studies (looking time), our new research paradigm allows for the measurement and interpretation of reaction times.…

  14. Sixteen-year comparisons of parent-reported emotional and behaviour problems and competencies in Norwegian children aged 7-9 years.

    PubMed

    Nøvik, Torunn Stene; Jozefiak, Thomas

    2014-04-01

    Studies about changes in the prevalence of emotional and behaviour problems across time are lacking, especially among younger children. To determine if the level of parent-reported emotional and behaviour problems and competencies in young Norwegian school children had changed across a 16-year time interval. We compared parent reports obtained by the Child Behavior Checklist in two samples of children aged 7-9 years from the general population assessed in 1991 and 2007. The results demonstrated overall stability or slight decreases of emotional and behaviour problems and a significant increase in competencies, mainly due to increased activity and social competence scores in the 2007 sample. Boys obtained higher scores than girls in Total Problems, Externalizing and Attention problems at both time points and there was a high stability of the rank order of items. The findings suggest stability in child emotional and behaviour problems, and an increase of competencies across the period.

  15. Teacher–Student Support, Effortful Engagement, and Achievement: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study

    PubMed Central

    Hughes, Jan N.; Luo, Wen; Kwok, Oi-Man; Loyd, Linda K.

    2008-01-01

    Measures of teacher–student relationship quality (TSRQ), effortful engagement, and achievement in reading and math were collected once each year for 3 consecutive years, beginning when participants were in 1st grade, for a sample of 671 (53.1% male) academically at-risk children attending 1 of 3 school districts in Texas. In separate latent variable structural equation models, the authors tested the hypothesized model, in which Year 2 effortful engagement mediated the association between Year 1 TSRQ and Year 3 reading and math skills. Conduct engagement was entered as a covariate in these analyses to disentangle the effects of effortful engagement and conduct engagement. Reciprocal effects of effortful engagement on TSRQ and of achievement on effortful engagement were also modeled. Results generally supported the hypothesized model. Year 1 variables had a direct effect on Year 3 variables, above year-to-year stability. Findings suggest that achievement, effortful engagement, and TSRQ form part of a dynamic system of influences in the early grades, such that intervening at any point in this nexus may alter children’s school trajectories. PMID:19578558

  16. Recalling a witnessed event increases eyewitness suggestibility: the reversed testing effect.

    PubMed

    Chan, Jason C K; Thomas, Ayanna K; Bulevich, John B

    2009-01-01

    People's later memory of an event can be altered by exposure to misinformation about that event. The typical misinformation paradigm, however, does not include a recall test prior to the introduction of misinformation, contrary to what real-life eyewitnesses encounter when they report to a 911 operator or crime-scene officer. Because retrieval is a powerful memory enhancer (the testing effect), recalling a witnessed event prior to receiving misinformation about it should reduce eyewitness suggestibility. We show, however, that immediate cued recall actually exacerbates the later misinformation effect for both younger and older adults. The reversed testing effect we observed was based on two mechanisms: First, immediate cued recall enhanced learning of the misinformation; second, the initially recalled details became particularly susceptible to interference from later misinformation, a finding suggesting that even human episodic memory may undergo a reconsolidation process. These results show that real-life eyewitness memory may be even more susceptible to misinformation than is currently envisioned.

  17. The powers of suggestion: Albert Moll and the debate on hypnosis.

    PubMed

    Maehle, Andreas-Holger

    2014-03-01

    The Berlin physician Albert Moll (1862-1939) was an advocate of hypnotic suggestion therapy and a prolific contributor to the medical, legal and public discussions on hypnotism from the 1880s to the 1920s. While his work in other areas, such as sexology, medical ethics and parapsychology, has recently attracted scholarly attention, this paper for the first time comprehensively examines Moll's numerous publications on hypnotism and places them in their contemporary context. It covers controversies over the therapeutic application of hypnosis, the reception of Moll's monograph Der Hypnotismus (1889), his research on the rapport between hypnotizer and subject, his role as an expert on 'hypnotic crime', and his views on the historical influence of hypnotism on the development of psychotherapy. My findings suggest that Moll rose to prominence due to the strong late-nineteenth-century public and medical interest in the phenomena of hypnosis, but that his work was soon overshadowed by new, non-hypnotic psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly Freud's psychoanalysis.

  18. An 80-year experience with optic nerve glioma cases at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology: evolution from museum to molecular evaluation suggests possibe interventions in the cellular senescence and microglial pathways (an American Ophthalmological Society thesis).

    PubMed

    Cameron, J Douglas; Rodriguez, Fausto J; Rushing, Elisabeth; Horkayne-Szakaly, Iren; Eberhart, Charles

    2014-01-01

    To determine whether p16, a molecular marker of cellular senescence, and CD68, a microglial marker, are detectible in optic nerve glioma tissue stored for decades, thus providing potential targets for pharmacologic intervention. Cases were retrieved from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Registry of Ophthalmic Pathology. Clinical information was tabulated. In specimens with sufficient tissue, a tissue microarray was constructed to conduct molecular studies. Ninety-two cases were included: gender distribution was in a ratio of one male to 1.6 females, and age range was 2 months to 50 years (average age, 10.8 years). Neurofibromatosis type 1 was identified in 10 cases (10.8%). The majority presented with decreased vision and exophthalmos. Forty-eight cases were studied by a tissue microarray construction. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, a control for immunoreactivity, was positive in 46 cases (96%). Immunoreactivity for p16 protein was seen in 36 cases (75%) and CD68-positive cells in 34 (71%). Limitations include referral bias, limited clinical information, limited amount of tissue, and extended period of tissue preservation. Optic nerve glioma is a tumor of the visual axis in young individuals, which is generally indolent but with a variable clinical course. Traditional histopathologic techniques have not been reliably predictive of clinical course. This microarray contains tumors with representative demographic, clinical, and histologic characteristics for optic nerve glioma. Immunoreactivity for p16 protein and CD68 is positive in the majority. These findings suggest a possible explanation for the variable clinical course and identify therapeutic targets in the cell senescence and microglial pathways.

  19. Increasing seat belt use among 8- to 15-year-olds. Volume I, findings

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-05-01

    The broad aim of this research project was to determine the nature and causes of non-use of seat belts among 8- to 15year- olds, and to recommend interventions and strategic approaches to increase usage among this age group. This report summarizes fi...

  20. Easily overlooked sonographic findings in the evaluation of neonatal encephalopathy: lessons learned from magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Dinan, David; Daneman, Alan; Guimaraes, Carolina V; Chauvin, Nancy A; Victoria, Teresa; Epelman, Monica

    2014-12-01

    Findings of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) and specifically those of hypoxic-ischemic injury are frequently evident on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although MRI has become more widely used and has gained widespread acceptance as the study of choice for the evaluation of NE in recent years, its costs are high and access to MRI is sometimes limited for extremely sick neonates. Therefore, head sonography (US) continues to be the first-line imaging modality for the evaluation of the brain in neonates with NE; furthermore, in many of these infants, the diagnosis of NE may have first been made or suggested using head US. US is noninvasive, inexpensive, and portable, allowing examinations to be performed without moving the infant. However, many of the telltale signs of NE on US are subtle and may be easily overlooked, contributing to diagnostic delay or misdiagnosis. We aim to illustrate the spectrum of US findings in NE, with emphasis on those findings that may be easily overlooked on US. Recognition of these findings could potentially improve detection rates, reduce errors, and improve patient management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Macroscopic findings in collagenous colitis: a multi-center, retrospective, observational cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Koulaouzidis, Anastasios; Yung, Diana E.; Nemeth, Artur; Sjöberg, Klas; Giannakou, Andry; Qureshi, Raheel; Bartzis, Leonidas; McNeill, Morna; Johansson, Gabriele Wurm; Lucendo, Alfredo J.; Fineron, Paul; Trimble, Ken C.; Saeed, Athar; Plevris, John N.; Toth, Ervin

    2017-01-01

    Background Collagenous colitis (CC) is by definition a histological diagnosis. However, colonoscopy often reveals characteristic endoscopic findings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and type of endoscopic findings in patients diagnosed with CC in 4 participating centers. Methods This was a retrospective study; the databases of 2 university hospitals in Edinburgh (Scotland) and Malmö (Sweden), and 2 district general hospitals in Tomelloso (Spain) and Gateshead (England) were interrogated for patients diagnosed with CC between May 2008 and August 2013. Endoscopy reports and images were retrieved and reviewed; data on lesions, sedation, bowel preparation and endoscopist experience were abstracted. Categorical data are reported as mean±SD. Fischer’s exact, chi-square and t (unpaired) tests were used to compare datasets. A two-tailed P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results 607 patients (149 male, mean age 66.9±12.25 years) were diagnosed with CC. A total of 108/607 (17.8%) patients had one or more suggestive endoscopy findings: i.e., mucosal erythema/edema, 91/607 (15%); linear colonic mucosal defects, 12/607 (2%); or mucosal scarring, 5/607 (0.82%). For colonic mucosa erythema, there was no difference in the odds of finding erythema with the use of different bowel preparation methods (P=0.997). For colonic mucosal defects there was some evidence (P=0.005) that patients colonoscoped by experienced endoscopists had 87% less odds of developing such defects. Moreover, there was evidence that analgesia reduced the odds of developing mucosal defects by 84%. Conclusion A significant minority of patients with CC have endoscopic findings in colonoscopy. The description of such findings appears to be related to the endoscopist’s experience. PMID:28469361

  2. Finding Ways to Effectively Use Year 12 Achievement Data to Inform Practice in Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Italiano, Frank; Hine, Gregory

    2014-01-01

    This action research explored how Year 12 achievement data were used by school personnel to inform practice within seven Catholic secondary schools. Deputy Principals of Curriculum from participating schools were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the improvement of Year 12 student achievement outcomes, and their insights into how to…

  3. Histopathologic Findings in Autopsies with Emphasis on Interesting and Incidental Findings-A Pathologist's Perspective.

    PubMed

    Patel, Sapna; Rajalakshmi, B R; Manjunath, G V

    2016-11-01

    Autopsy aids to the knowledge of pathology by unveiling the rare lesions which are a source of learning from a pathologist's perspective Some of them are only diagnosed at autopsy as they do not cause any functional derangement. This study emphasizes the various incidental lesions which otherwise would have been unnoticed during a person's life. The aim of this study was to determine the spectrum of histopathological findings including neoplastic lesions related or unrelated to the cause of death. It was also aimed to highlight various incidental and interesting lesions in autopsies. A retrospective study of medicolegal autopsies for six years was undertaken in a tertiary care centre to determine the spectrum of histopathological findings including neoplastic lesions related or unrelated to the cause of death and to highlight various incidental and interesting lesions in autopsies. Statistical Analysis: Individual lesions were described in numbers and incidence in percentage. The study consisted of a series of 269 autopsy cases and histopathological findings were studied only in 202 cases. The commonest cause of death was pulmonary oedema. The most common incidental histopathological finding noted was atherosclerosis in 55 (27.2%) cases followed by fatty liver in 40 (19.8%) cases. Neoplastic lesions accounted for 2.47% of cases. This study has contributed a handful of findings to the pool of rare lesions in pathology. Some of these lesions encountered which served as feast to a pathologist are tumour to tumour metastasis, a case with coexistent triple lesions, Dubin Johnson syndrome, von Meyenburg complex, Multilocular Cystic Renal Cell Carcinoma (MCRCC), Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), liver carcinod and an undiagnosed vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis. Autopsy studies help in the detection of unexpected findings significant enough to have changed patient management had they been recognized before death.

  4. Hyperfunctioning thyroid cancer: a five-year follow-up.

    PubMed

    Azevedo, Monalisa Ferreira; Casulari, Luiz Augusto

    2010-02-01

    Differentiated thyroid cancer rarely occurs in association with hyperfunctioning nodules. We describe a case of a 47-year-old woman who developed symptoms of hyperthyroidism associated with a palpable thyroid nodule. Thyroid scintigraphy showed an autonomous nodule, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy was suggestive of papillary carcinoma. Laboratorial findings were consistent with the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. The patient underwent thyroidectomy and a papillary carcinoma of 3.0 x 3.0 x 2.0 cm, follicular variant, was described by histological examination. The surrounding thyroid tissue was normal. Postoperatively, the patient received 100 mCi of (131)I, and whole body scans detected only residual uptake. No evidence of metastasis was detected during five years of follow-up. Hot thyroid nodules rarely harbor malignancies, and this case illustrated that, when a carcinoma occurs the prognosis seems to be very good with no evidence of metastatic dissemination during a long-term follow-up.

  5. A presumptive case of Kindler syndrome with a new clinical finding.

    PubMed

    Satter, Elizabeth K

    2008-01-01

    Herein we present a 9-year-old boy with a constellation of clinical findings most consistent with Kindler syndrome, and report a new finding, severe corneal ectasia, which resulted in exposure keratitis requiring enucleation.

  6. Institutionalizing Expanded Schools: Evaluation Findings from the Second Year of TASC's National Demonstration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sinclair, Beth; Russell, Christina A.; McCann, Colleen; Hildreth, Jeanine L.

    2014-01-01

    Policy Studies Associates (PSA) is conducting a five-year evaluation of the implementation and impact of the national demonstration of a model for expanded learning time developed by "The After-School Corporation" (TASC). This model, called "ExpandED Schools," aims to transform the educational experiences of students in ways…

  7. Design, baseline characteristics, and early findings of the MPS VI (mucopolysaccharidosis VI) Clinical Surveillance Program (CSP).

    PubMed

    Hendriksz, Christian J; Giugliani, Roberto; Harmatz, Paul; Lampe, Christina; Martins, Ana Maria; Pastores, Gregory M; Steiner, Robert D; Leão Teles, Elisa; Valayannopoulos, Vassili

    2013-03-01

    To outline the design, baseline data, and 5-year follow-up data of patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) VI enrolled in the Clinical Surveillance Program (CSP), a voluntary, multinational, observational program. The MPS VI CSP was opened in 2005 to collect, for at least 15 years, observational data from standard clinical and laboratory assessments of patients with MPS VI. Baseline and follow-up data are documented by participating physicians in electronic case report forms. Between September 2005 and March 2010 the CSP enrolled 132 patients, including 123 who received enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with galsulfase. Median age at enrolment was 13 years (range 1-59). Mean baseline data showed impaired growth, hepatosplenomegaly, and reduced endurance and pulmonary function. The most common findings were heart valve disease (90%), reduced visual acuity (79%), impaired hearing (59%), and hepatosplenomegaly (54%). Follow-up data up to 5 years in patients with pre- and post-ERT measurements showed a decrease in urinary glycosaminoglycans and increases in height and weight in patients <16 years and suggested reductions in liver and spleen size and improvements in endurance and pulmonary function after ERT was started. Vision, hearing, and cardiac function were unchanged. Safety data were in line with previous reports. The CSP represents the largest cross-sectional study of MPS VI to date. This first report provides information on the design and implementation of the program and population statistics for several clinical variables in patients with MPS VI. Data collected over 5 years suggest that ERT provides clinical benefit and is well-tolerated with no new safety concerns.

  8. Illuminating and Improving National Curriculum Development: Students' Perceptions and Suggestions. A Pilot Study in a State Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wakefield, Peter; Pumfrey, D.

    2009-01-01

    In curriculum evaluation and development, the views of students are important--but often overlooked. We report findings from a small innovative project involving 60 male (M) and female (F) students in two successive age groups: UK National Curriculum Year Groups (NCYG) 8 and 9 (aged 12-13 years and 13-14 years, respectively). The project was…

  9. Strategies for Sharing Scientific Research on Sea Level Rise: Suggestions from Stakeholder Focus Groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DeLorme, D.; Hagen, S. C.; Stephens, S. H.

    2013-12-01

    This presentation reports results of focus groups with coastal resource managers on suggestions for effectively sharing sea level rise (SLR) scientific research with the public and other target audiences. The focus groups were conducted during three annual stakeholder workshops as an important and innovative component of an ongoing five-year multi-disciplinary NOAA-funded project, Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (EESLR-NGOM). The EESLR-NGOM project is assessing SLR risks to the natural and built environment along the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida Panhandle coasts. The purpose was to engage stakeholders (e.g., coastal resource managers) in helping target, translate, and tailor the EESLR-NGOM project's scientific findings and emerging products so they are readily accessible, understandable, and useful. The focus groups provided insight into stakeholders' SLR informational and operational needs, solicited input on the project's products, and gathered suggestions for public communication and outreach. A total of three ninety-minute focus groups of between eight and thirteen participants each were conducted at annual workshops in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. The moderator asked a series of open-ended questions about SLR-related topics using an interview guide and encouraged participant interaction. All focus group audio-recordings were transcribed, and analyzed by carefully reading the 102 total pages of transcript data and identifying patterns and themes. Participants thought outreach about SLR impact and the EESLR-NGOM project scientific research/products was vital and acknowledged various communication challenges and opportunities. They identified three target audiences (local officials, general public, coastal resource managers themselves) that likely require different educational efforts and tools. Participants felt confident the EESLR-NGOM project products will benefit their resource planning and decision making and

  10. Emergency department management of falls in the elderly: A clinical audit and suggestions for improvement.

    PubMed

    Hatamabadi, Hamid Reza; Sum, Shima; Tabatabaey, Ali; Sabbaghi, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Falls are a major source of injury in the elderly and their incomplete management is a cause for concern by health systems. The present study looks at the current state of managing fall victims in Iran and offers suggestions for improvement. This was a clinical care audit comparing the state of current care with an institutionally approved optimum. Patients aged 60 years and over presenting with a fall were evaluated and deficiencies in their care were recorded and categorized. These were presented to an expert panel, where the Delphi method was used to come up with a list of actions to address the deficiencies. Furthermore an educational program was implemented based on these suggestions. Chi-squared and t-test were used to evaluate the efficacy of this program in improving treatment. Linear regression analysis was used to find factors affecting care. Overall 431 cases were reviewed. The most common errors during clinical examination were: not performing Romberg test (92.75%) and lack of physiotherapy consultation (82.75%). The educational program had a modest effect on improving the clinical audit processes (β = 3.79; P < 0.001) and medical interventions (β = 2.004; P = 0.002); however, performing the correct diagnostic tests was worse after the program (β = -1.21; P = 0.008). There is a wide gap between the care services delivered in the management of falls and international standards. Therefore, measures should be adopted to close this gap. Education may have a modest positive effect in this regard. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Accuracy of MRI findings in chronic lateral ankle ligament injury: comparison with surgical findings.

    PubMed

    Park, H-J; Cha, S-D; Kim, S S; Rho, M-H; Kwag, H-J; Park, N-H; Lee, S-Y

    2012-04-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in chronic lateral ankle ligament injury in comparison with that of surgical findings. Forty-eight cases (25 men, 23 women, mean age 36 years) of clinically suspected chronic ankle ligament injury underwent MRI studies and surgery. Sagittal, coronal, and axial, T1-weighted, spin-echo, proton density and T2-weighted, fast spin-echo images with fat saturation were obtained in all patients. MRI examinations were read in consensus by two fellowship-trained academic musculoskeletal radiologists who evaluated the lateral ankle ligaments, including the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) without clinical information. The results of the MRI studies were then compared with the surgical findings. The MRI findings of ATFL injury showed a sensitivity of detection of complete tears of 75% and specificity of 86%. The sensitivity of detection of partial tears was 75% and the specificity was 78%. The sensitivity of detection of sprains was 44% and the specificity was 88%. Regarding the MRI findings of CFL injury, the sensitivity of detection of complete tears was 50% and the specificity was 98%. The sensitivity of detection of partial tear was 83% and the specificity was 93%. The sensitivity of detection of sprains was 100% and the specificity was 90%. Regarding the ATFL, the accuracies of detection were 88, 58, 77, and 85% for no injury, sprain, partial tear, and complete tear, respectively, and for the CFL the accuracies of detection were 90, 90, 92, and 96% for no injury, sprain, partial tear, and complete tear, respectively. The diagnosis of a complete tear of the ATFL on MRI is more sensitive than the diagnosis of a complete tear of the CFL. MRI findings of CFL injury are diagnostically specific but are not sensitive. However, only normal findings and complete tears were statistically significant between ATFL and CFL (p < 0.001). Copyright © 2011 The Royal College of

  12. Suggestibility, Social Support, and Memory for a Novel Experience in Young Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quas, J.A.; Wallin, A.R.; Papini, S.; Lench, H.; Scullin, M.H.

    2005-01-01

    This study examined 5- and 6-year-olds' suggestibility and interviewer demeanor as joint predictors of their memory for a novel experience. Session 1 consisted of children taking part in a novel laboratory event. Session 2 took place after approximately a 1-week delay and consisted of children completing both a memory test concerning what happened…

  13. Selective mutism: an update and suggestions for future research.

    PubMed

    Scott, Samantha; Beidel, Deborah C

    2011-08-01

    Speculation continues regarding the accurate classification of selective mutism and potential etiologic factors. Current research has shed some light on several factors that may predispose some children to this disorder, but conclusions are difficult to draw due to reliance on subjective measures, few comparison groups, and/or limited theoretical grounding. This article provides an update on recent efforts to elucidate the etiologic pathways of selective mutism and on the current debate regarding its strong overlap with anxiety disorders, most notably social phobia. An additional attempt is made to examine findings based on a developmental perspective that accounts for multiple pathways, context, and the developmental stage of the child. Emotion regulation theory is offered as a potential factor in why some children may be more vulnerable to the etiologic factors described. Suggestions for future research are offered based on this integration of information.

  14. A de novo 11q23 deletion in a patient presenting with severe ophthalmologic findings, psychomotor retardation and facial dysmorphism.

    PubMed

    Şimşek-Kiper, Pelin Özlem; Bayram, Yavuz; Ütine, Gülen Eda; Alanay, Yasemin; Boduroğlu, Koray

    2014-01-01

    Distal 11q deletion, previously known as Jacobsen syndrome, is caused by segmental aneusomy for the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 11. Typical clinical features include facial dysmorphism, mild-to-moderate psychomotor retardation, trigonocephaly, cardiac defects, and thrombocytopenia. There is a significant variability in the range of clinical features. We report herein a five-year-old girl with severe ophthalmological findings, facial dysmorphism, and psychomotor retardation with normal platelet function, in whom a de novo 11q23 deletion was detected, suggesting that distal 11q monosomy should be kept in mind in patients presenting with dysmorphic facial features and psychomotor retardation even in the absence of hematological findings.

  15. Motivating first-year university students by interdisciplinary study projects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koch, Franziska D.; Dirsch-Weigand, Andrea; Awolin, Malte; Pinkelman, Rebecca J.; Hampe, Manfred J.

    2017-01-01

    In order to increase student commitment from the beginning of students' university careers, the Technische Universität Darmstadt has introduced interdisciplinary study projects involving first-year students from the engineering, natural, social and history, economics and/or human sciences departments. The didactic concept includes sophisticated task design, individual responsibility and a differentiated support system. Using a self-determination theory framework, this study examined the effects of the projects based on survey findings from two projects with more than 1000 students. The results showed that the projects were successful in fulfilling students' basic psychological needs and in promoting students' academic engagement. Basic psychological needs were found to be significant predictors of academic engagement. These findings suggest that interdisciplinary study projects can potentially contribute to improving higher education as they fulfil students' basic psychological needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy and enhance students' academic engagement.

  16. Landform elevation suggests ecohydrologic footprints in subsurface geomorphology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watts, A. C.; Watts, D.; Kaplan, D. A.; Mclaughlin, D. L.; Heffernan, J. B.; Martin, J. B.; Murray, A.; Osborne, T.; Cohen, M. J.; Kobziar, L. N.

    2012-12-01

    Many landscapes exhibit patterns in their arrangement of biota, or in their surface geomorphology as a result of biotic activity. Examples occur around the globe and include northern peatlands, Sahelian savannas, and shallow marine reefs. Such self-organized patterning is strongly suggestive of coupled, reciprocal feedbacks (i.e. locally positive, and distally negative) among biota and their environment. Much research on patterned landscapes has concerned emergent biogeomorphologic surfaces such as those found in peatlands, or the influence of biota on soil formation or transport. Our research concerns ecohydrologic feedbacks hypothesized to produce patterned occurrence of depressions in a subtropical limestone karst landscape. Our findings show strong evidence of self-organized patterning, in the form of overdispersed dissolution basins. Distributions of randomized bedrock elevation measurements on the landscape are bimodal, with means clustered about either higher- or lower-elevation modes. Measurements on the thin mantle of soil overlying this landscape, however, display reduced bimodality and mode separation. These observations indicate abiotic processes in diametric opposition to the biogenic forces which may be responsible for generating landscape pattern. Correlograms show higher spatial autocorrelation among soil measurements compared to bedrock measurements, and measurements of soil-layer thickness show high negative correlation with bedrock elevation. Our results are consistent with predictions of direct ecohydrologic feedbacks that would produce patterned "footprints" directly on bedrock, and of abiotic processes operating to obfuscate this pattern. The study suggests new steps to identify biogeochemical mechanisms for landscape patterning: an "ecological drill" by which plant communities modify geology.

  17. Sarcoidosis in children: HRCT findings and correlation with pulmonary function tests.

    PubMed

    Sileo, C; Epaud, R; Mahloul, M; Beydon, N; Elia, D; Clement, A; Le Pointe, H Ducou

    2014-12-01

    High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) plays an important role in the diagnosis and staging of pulmonary sarcoidosis, but implies radiation exposure. In this light, we aimed to describe HRCT findings as well as their relationship with pulmonary function tests (PFT) in children with pulmonary sarcoidosis. In a retrospective study, 18 pediatric patients with sarcoidosis, including 12 with pulmonary abnormalities (PA group) and 6 without pulmonary abnormalities (APA group) were followed over a 16-year period. Relationships between HRCT scores and PFT were studied by non-parametric Spearman's test at diagnosis and by restricted maximum likelihood (REML) analysis during follow-up. Forty-three HRCT were scored. Twelve patients showed abnormal HRCT findings at diagnosis with multiple nodules or micronodules, while ground-glass opacities were seen in 11 patients. Ten patients exhibited pleural thickening or thickening of the fissure and 6 had interlobular septal thickening at diagnosis. No correlation between HRCT and forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), forced expiratory flow during the mid-half of the FVC (FEF(25-75)) and specific dynamical compliance (SpecC(Ldyn)) was found at diagnosis. However, linear mixed models showed that changes in total HRCT scores over time were significantly associated with SpecC(Ldyn), FVC, and FEV1 modifications. Radiologic findings in children with pulmonary sarcoidosis were similar to those in adults. HRCT and PFT are both essential investigations at diagnosis; however, the correlation between HRCT pulmonary parenchymal findings and PFT over time suggests the possibility of reducing the number of HRCT during follow-up to decrease unnecessary radiation exposure. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Methadone-Induced Delayed Posthypoxic Encephalopathy: Clinical, Radiological, and Pathological Findings

    PubMed Central

    Mittal, Manoj; Wang, Yunxia; Reeves, Alan; Newell, Kathy

    2010-01-01

    Objective. To describe the clinical, radiological and pathological findings in a patient with methadone-induced delayed posthypoxic encephalopathy (DPHE). Case Report. A Thirty-eight-year-old man was found unconscious for an unknown duration after methadone and diazepam ingestion. His initial vitals were temperature 104 degree Fahrenheit, heart rate 148/minute, respiratory rate 50/minute, and blood pressure 107/72 mmhg. He developed renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, and elevated liver enzymes which resolved completely in 6 days. After 2 weeks from discharge he had progressive deterioration of his cognitive, behavioral and neurological function. Brain MRI showed diffuse abnormal T2 signal in the corona radiata, centrum semiovale, and subcortical white matter throughout all lobes. Extensive work up was negative for any metabolic, infectious or autoimmune disorder. Brain biopsy showed significant axonal injury in the white matter. He was treated successfully with combination of steroids and antioxidants. Follow up at 2 year showed no residual deficits. Conclusion. Our observation suggests that patients on methadone therapy should be monitored for any neurological or psychiatric symptoms, and in suspected cases MRI brain may help to make the diagnosis of DPHE. A trial of steroids and antioxidants may be considered in these patients. PMID:21209817

  19. "Is this man your daddy?" suggestibility in children's eyewitness identification of a family member.

    PubMed

    Lewis, C; Wilkins, R; Baker, L; Woobey, A

    1995-06-01

    Studies of natural language development suggest that overextension of family memberships terms, such as daddy or papa, occurs in children in the second year of life, but rarely persists thereafter. However, in British Courts it is common for the testimony of 3- and even 4-year-olds to be dismissed on the grounds that these children may not be reliably identifying their father or stepfather when they claim that daddy was the perpetrator of abuse. This study examined whether 3-year-olds could be persuaded to confirm that a stranger who was labelled as daddy was their own father. A mock interview with experienced disclosure interviewers was conducted. Five of the 17 children--all from blue-collar families--misidentified a photograph of their own father when an identification question was repeated. Rather than undermining the validity of all preschoolers testimony, it is suggested that the responses of some children to apparently mundane questions of fact are influenced by contextual factors, including repetition of the question and the perceived omniscience of the interviewer.

  20. Neuropathologic findings in an aged albino gorilla.

    PubMed

    Márquez, M; Serafin, A; Fernández-Bellon, H; Serrat, S; Ferrer-Admetlla, A; Bertranpetit, J; Ferrer, I; Pumarola, M

    2008-07-01

    Pallido-nigral spheroids associated with iron deposition have been observed in some aged clinically normal nonhuman primates. In humans, similar findings are observed in neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation diseases, which, in some cases, show associated mutations in pantothenate kinase 2 gene (PANK2). Here we present an aged gorilla, 40 years old, suffering during the last 2 years of life from progressive tetraparesis, nystagmus, and dyskinesia of the arms, hands, and neck, with accompanying abnormal behavior. The postmortem neuropathologic examination revealed, in addition to aging-associated changes in the brain, numerous corpora amylacea in some brain areas, especially the substantia nigra, and large numbers of axonal spheroids associated with iron accumulation in the internal globus pallidus. Sequencing of the gorilla PANK2 gene failed to detect any mutation. The clinical, neuropathologic, and genetic findings in this gorilla point to an age-related pallido-nigral degeneration that presented PKAN-like neurologic deficits.

  1. Are You Suggesting That's My Hand? The Relation Between Hypnotic Suggestibility and the Rubber Hand Illusion.

    PubMed

    Walsh, E; Guilmette, D N; Longo, M R; Moore, J W; Oakley, D A; Halligan, P W; Mehta, M A; Deeley, Q

    2015-01-01

    Hypnotic suggestibility (HS) is the ability to respond automatically to suggestions and to experience alterations in perception and behavior. Hypnotically suggestible participants are also better able to focus and sustain their attention on an experimental stimulus. The present study explores the relation between HS and susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion (RHI). Based on previous research with visual illusions, it was predicted that higher HS would lead to a stronger RHI. Two behavioral output measures of the RHI, an implicit (proprioceptive drift) and an explicit (RHI questionnaire) measure, were correlated against HS scores. Hypnotic suggestibility correlated positively with the implicit RHI measure contributing to 30% of the variation. However, there was no relation between HS and the explicit RHI questionnaire measure, or with compliance control items. High hypnotic suggestibility may facilitate, via attentional mechanisms, the multisensory integration of visuoproprioceptive inputs that leads to greater perceptual mislocalization of a participant's hand. These results may provide insight into the multisensory brain mechanisms involved in our sense of embodiment.

  2. Physical examination findings and their relationship with performance-based function in adults with knee osteoarthritis.

    PubMed

    Iversen, Maura D; Price, Lori Lyn; von Heideken, Johan; Harvey, William F; Wang, Chenchen

    2016-07-12

    Many physical examination (PE) maneuvers exist to assess knee function, none of which are specific to knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The Osteoarthritis Research Society International also recommends the use of six functional performance measures to assess function in adults with KOA. While earlier studies have examined the relationship between PE findings and self-reported function or PE findings and select performance tests in adults with knee pain and KOA, few have examined the all three types of measures. This cross-sectional study specifically examines the relationships between results of PE findings, functional performance tests and self-reported function in adults with symptomatic KOA. We used baseline PE data from a prospective randomized controlled trial in 87 participants aged ≥40 years with symptomatic and radiographic KOA. The PE performed by three experienced physical therapists included: muscle assessment, function and special tests. Participants also completed functional performance tests and the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Multivariate linear regression identified contributions of PE findings towards functional performance and WOMAC scores, adjusting for age and gender. Participants' mean age was 60.4 years (SD = 10.5), mean disease duration was 8.4 years (SD = 10.1) and 27 participants had varus knee alignment. Mean WOMAC pain and function scores were 211 (SD = 113) and 709 (SD = 394), respectively. Weakness was present in major hip and knee muscles. Seventy-nine participants had a positive Ely's, 65 a positive Waldron and 49 a positive Grind. Mean 6-min walk was 404 m (SD = 83) and mean Berg Balance was 53 (SD = 4). Regression analysis identified positive findings on 5 special tests (P < 0.05) as indicative of poorer 6 min walk. Positive Apley's was associated (P < 0.05) with slower 20 m walk and a positive Ober with poorer balance scores (P < 0.05). Diminished hip muscle

  3. Neuroimaging findings in pediatric sports-related concussion.

    PubMed

    Ellis, Michael J; Leiter, Jeff; Hall, Thomas; McDonald, Patrick J; Sawyer, Scott; Silver, Norm; Bunge, Martin; Essig, Marco

    2015-09-01

    The goal in this review was to summarize the results of clinical neuroimaging studies performed in patients with sports-related concussion (SRC) who were referred to a multidisciplinar ypediatric concussion program. The authors conducted a retrospective review of medical records and neuroimaging findings for all patients referred to a multidisciplinary pediatric concussion program between September 2013 and July 2014. Inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) age ≤ 19 years; and 2) physician-diagnosed SRC. All patients underwent evaluation and follow-up by the same neurosurgeon. The 2 outcomes examined in this review were the frequency of neuroimaging studies performed in this population (including CT and MRI) and the findings of those studies. Clinical indications for neuroimaging and the impact of neuroimaging findings on clinical decision making were summarized where available. This investigation was approved by the local institutional ethics review board. A total of 151 patients (mean age 14 years, 59% female) were included this study. Overall, 36 patients (24%) underwent neuroimaging studies, the results of which were normal in 78% of cases. Sixteen percent of patients underwent CT imaging; results were normal in 79% of cases. Abnormal CT findings included the following: arachnoid cyst (1 patient), skull fracture (2 patients), suspected intracranial hemorrhage (1 patient), and suspected hemorrhage into an arachnoid cyst (1 patient). Eleven percent of patients underwent MRI; results were normal in 75% of cases. Abnormal MRI findings included the following: intraparenchymal hemorrhage and sylvian fissure arachnoid cyst (1 patient); nonhemorrhagic contusion (1 patient); demyelinating disease (1 patient); and posterior fossa arachnoid cyst, cerebellar volume loss, and nonspecific white matter changes (1 patient). Results of clinical neuroimaging studies are normal in the majority of pediatric patients with SRC. However, in selected cases neuroimaging can provide

  4. Safety of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose versus oral iron in patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD: an analysis of the 1-year FIND-CKD trial.

    PubMed

    Roger, Simon D; Gaillard, Carlo A; Bock, Andreas H; Carrera, Fernando; Eckardt, Kai-Uwe; Van Wyck, David B; Cronin, Maureen; Meier, Yvonne; Larroque, Sylvain; Macdougall, Iain C

    2017-09-01

    The evidence base regarding the safety of intravenous (IV) iron therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is incomplete and largely based on small studies of relatively short duration. FIND-CKD (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00994318) was a 1-year, open-label, multicenter, prospective study of patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD, anemia and iron deficiency randomized (1:1:2) to IV ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), targeting higher (400-600 µg/L) or lower (100-200 µg/L) ferritin, or oral iron. A post hoc analysis of adverse event rates per 100 patient-years was performed to assess the safety of FCM versus oral iron over an extended period. The safety population included 616 patients. The incidence of one or more adverse events was 91.0, 100.0 and 105.0 per 100 patient-years in the high ferritin FCM, low ferritin FCM and oral iron groups, respectively. The incidence of adverse events with a suspected relation to study drug was 15.9, 17.8 and 36.7 per 100 patient-years in the three groups; for serious adverse events, the incidence was 28.2, 27.9 and 24.3 per 100 patient-years. The incidence of cardiac disorders and infections was similar between groups. At least one ferritin level ≥800 µg/L occurred in 26.6% of high ferritin FCM patients, with no associated increase in adverse events. No patient with ferritin ≥800 µg/L discontinued the study drug due to adverse events. Estimated glomerular filtration rate remained the stable in all groups. These results further support the conclusion that correction of iron deficiency anemia with IV FCM is safe in patients with nondialysis-dependent CKD. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA.

  5. [Silicosis: computed tomography findings].

    PubMed

    González Vázquez, M; Trinidad López, C; Castellón Plaza, D; Calatayud Moscoso Del Prado, J; Tardáguila Montero, F

    2013-01-01

    Silicosis is an occupational lung disease, which is caused by the inhalation of silica and affects a wide range of jobs. There are many clinical forms of silicosis: acute silicosis, results from exposure to very large amounts of silica dust over a period of less than 2 years. Simple chronic silicosis, the most common type that we see today, results from exposure to low amounts of silica between 2 and 10 years. Chronic silicosis complicated, with silicotic conglomerates. In many cases the diagnosis of silicosis is made according to epidemiological and radiological data, without a histological confirmation. It is important to know the various radiological manifestations of silicosis to differentiate it from other lung diseases and to recognize their complications. The objective of this work is to describe typical and atypical radiological findings of silicosis and their complications in helical and high resolution (HRCT) thorax CT. Copyright © 2011 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  6. Risk Factors for Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections during the First 3 Years of Life in the Tropics; Findings from a Birth Cohort

    PubMed Central

    Menzies, Stefanie K.; Rodriguez, Alejandro; Chico, Martha; Sandoval, Carlos; Broncano, Nely; Guadalupe, Irene; Cooper, Philip J.

    2014-01-01

    Background Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect more than 2 billion humans worldwide, causing significant morbidity in children. There are few data on the epidemiology and risk factors for infection in pre-school children. To investigate risk factors for infection in early childhood, we analysed data prospectively collected in the ECUAVIDA birth cohort in Ecuador. Methods and Findings Children were recruited at birth and followed up to 3 years of age with periodic collection of stool samples that were examined microscopically for STH parasites. Data on social, demographic, and environmental risk factors were collected from the mother at time of enrolment. Associations between exposures and detection of STH infections were analysed by multivariable logistic regression. Data were analysed from 1,697 children for whom a stool sample was obtained at 3 years. 42.3% had at least one STH infection in the first 3 years of life and the most common infections were caused by A. lumbricoides (33.2% of children) and T. trichiura (21.2%). Hookworm infection was detected in 0.9% of children. Risk of STH infection was associated with factors indicative of poverty in our study population such as Afro-Ecuadorian ethnicity and low maternal educational level. Maternal STH infections during pregnancy were strong risk factors for any childhood STH infection, infections with either A. lumbricoides or T. trichiura, and early age of first STH infection. Children of mothers with moderate to high infections intensities with A. lumbricoides were most at risk. Conclusions Our data show high rates of infection with STH parasites during the first 3 years of life in an Ecuadorian birth cohort, an observation that was strongly associated with maternal STH infections during pregnancy. The targeted treatment of women of childbearing age, in particular before pregnancy, with anthelmintic drugs could offer a novel approach to the prevention of STH infections in pre-school children. PMID:24587469

  7. Reconstructed Homo habilis type OH 7 suggests deep-rooted species diversity in early Homo.

    PubMed

    Spoor, Fred; Gunz, Philipp; Neubauer, Simon; Stelzer, Stefanie; Scott, Nadia; Kwekason, Amandus; Dean, M Christopher

    2015-03-05

    Besides Homo erectus (sensu lato), the eastern African fossil record of early Homo has been interpreted as representing either a single variable species, Homo habilis, or two species. In the latter case, however, there is no consensus over the respective groupings, and which of the two includes OH 7, the 1.8-million-year-old H. habilis holotype. This partial skull and hand from Olduvai Gorge remains pivotal to evaluating the early evolution of the Homo lineage, and by priority names one or other of the two taxa. However, the distorted preservation of the diagnostically important OH 7 mandible has hindered attempts to compare this specimen with other fossils. Here we present a virtual reconstruction of the OH 7 mandible, and compare it to other early Homo fossils. The reconstructed mandible is remarkably primitive, with a long and narrow dental arcade more similar to Australopithecus afarensis than to the derived parabolic arcades of Homo sapiens or H. erectus. We find that this shape variability is not consistent with a single species of early Homo. Importantly, the jaw morphology of OH 7 is incompatible with fossils assigned to Homo rudolfensis and with the A.L. 666-1 Homo maxilla. The latter is morphologically more derived than OH 7 but 500,000 years older, suggesting that the H. habilis lineage originated before 2.3 million years ago, thus marking deep-rooted species diversity in the genus Homo. We also reconstructed the parietal bones of OH 7 and estimated its endocranial volume. At between 729 and 824 ml it is larger than any previously published value, and emphasizes the near-complete overlap in brain size among species of early Homo. Our results clarify the H. habilis hypodigm, but raise questions about its phylogenetic relationships. Differences between species of early Homo appear to be characterized more by gnathic diversity than by differences in brain size, which was highly variable within all taxa.

  8. Influencing the parents of children aged 9-13 years: findings from the VERB campaign.

    PubMed

    Price, Simani M; Huhman, Marian; Potter, Lance D

    2008-06-01

    The CDC's VERB campaign was designed to increase physical activity among children aged 9-13 years (tweens). As part of the strategy to surround tweens with support to be physically active, VERB developed messages for parents, the secondary target audience, to encourage them to support their tween's physical activity. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether parent awareness of VERB was a significant predictor of seven factors that related to parental attitudes, beliefs, and supportive behaviors for tweens' physical activity using the Youth Media Campaign Longitudinal Survey (YMCLS). Parents (N=1946) of U.S. children aged 9-13 years. Advertising directed at tweens through paid television, radio, print, Internet, and schools was the primary VERB intervention; tween advertising could have been also seen by parents. Messages directed at parents encouraging their support of tweens' physical activity were delivered in English through mainly print and radio. In-language messages for Latino and Asian audiences were delivered through print, radio, television, and at events. Parents' awareness of VERB; parents' attitudes, beliefs, and support for their tweens' physical activities. Awareness increased each year of the campaign; more than 50% of parents were aware of VERB by the third year of the campaign. Parents reported that their main source of awareness was television, the main channel used to reach tweens. Awareness of VERB was predictive of positive attitudes about physical activity for all children, belief in the importance of physical activity for their own child, and the number of days parents were physically active with their child. Parents' awareness of VERB was associated with positive attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. Parents' awareness probably resulted from a combination of messages directed to parents and tweens. To maximize audience reach, social marketers who are developing health messages should consider the potential value of

  9. The Effects of Suggestibility on Relaxation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rickard, Henry C.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    Selected undergraduates (N=32) on the basis of Creative Imagination Scale scores and randomly assigned high and low suggestibility subjects to progressive relaxation (PR) and suggestions of relaxation (SR) training modes. Results revealed a significant pre-post relaxation effect, and main efffects for both suggestibility and training mode. (NRB)

  10. Four-Year Degree and Employment Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial of a One-Year Performance-Based Scholarship Program in Ohio

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayer, Alexander K.; Patel, Reshma; Gutierrez, Melvin

    2016-01-01

    A college degree is often viewed as a key step toward better employment and higher earnings. Many community college students, however, never graduate and cannot reap the financial benefits associated with a college degree. Although existing research suggests that financial aid interventions can modestly improve students' short-term academic…

  11. Comparison of Clinical Results, Second-Look Arthroscopic Findings, and MRI Findings Between the Transportal and Outside-In Techniques for Double-Bundle Anatomic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial With a Minimum 2-Year Follow-up.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jae Gyoon; Kang, Seung Hoon; Kim, Jun Ho; Lim, Chae Ouk; Wang, Joon Ho

    2018-03-01

    Although image analysis has shown that the outside-in (OI) technique is associated with different femoral tunnel geometry than the transportal (TP) technique in anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, it is not known whether clinical results differ between the 2 techniques. To compare clinical results, second-look arthroscopic findings, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings between the TP and OI techniques in anatomic double-bundle (DB) ACL reconstruction. Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2. From November 2010 to March 2013, 128 patients were enrolled in this study and were randomly assigned to either the TP group (64 patients) or the OI group (64 patients), and DB ACL reconstructions were performed. At the minimum 2-year follow-up (34.9 ± 10.9 months), 111 patients (86.7%) were evaluated with multiple clinical scores and stability tests (KT-2000 arthrometer, Lachman test, and pivot-shift test). Ninety-three knees were evaluated for graft continuity, graft tension, and synovialization by use of second-look arthroscopy. Seventy-eight knees were evaluated on MRI for graft continuity, femoral graft tunnel healing, and graft signal/noise quotient (SNQ). The primary outcome was KT-2000 arthrometer results. Results were compared between the TP and OI groups. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of KT-2000 arthrometer results, which was the primary outcome, and other clinical results, with the exception of the postoperative functional test of International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) objective score. The ratio of grade A and B on the postoperative functional test of IKDC objective score was significantly larger for the OI group (51/58) than the TP group (36/53) ( P = .005). The second-look arthroscopic findings were not significantly different between the 2 groups in either bundle ( P > .05). In addition, MRI findings did not differ significantly between the 2 groups ( P > .05). With the

  12. Suggestibility, social support, and memory for a novel experience in young children.

    PubMed

    Quas, Jodi A; Wallin, Allison R; Papini, Silvia; Lench, Heather; Scullin, Matthew H

    2005-08-01

    This study examined 5- and 6-year-olds' suggestibility and interviewer demeanor as joint predictors of their memory for a novel experience. Session 1 consisted of children taking part in a novel laboratory event. Session 2 took place after approximately a 1-week delay and consisted of children completing both a memory test concerning what happened during the prior event and the Video Suggestibility Scale for Children (VSSC). During the second session, the interviewer behaved either supportively or nonsupportively. Greater acquiescence on the VSSC was associated with fewer correct responses to misleading questions about the laboratory event in the supportive and nonsupportive conditions and with more errors in response to specific questions in the nonsupportive condition. Results indicate that individual differences in children's suggestibility are related to the accuracy of their memory for separate events, although some of these relations may vary depending on the context in which children are interviewed.

  13. Is the quality of donated semen deteriorating? Findings from a 15 year longitudinal analysis of weekly sperm samples.

    PubMed

    Haimov-Kochman, Ronit; Har-Nir, Ruth; Ein-Mor, Eliana; Ben-Shoshan, Vered; Greenfield, Caryn; Eldar, Ido; Bdolah, Yuval; Hurwitz, Arye

    2012-06-01

    Studies suggest that global semen quality is declining, but the debate remains open owing to geographic variation. To evaluate temporal trends of sperm parameters - namely concentration, motility and total motile sperm count - in sperm donated during the period 1995-2009. In a retrospective longitudinal cohort study we analyzed the sperm count and motility of 2182 semen samples provided on a weekly basis by 58 young, healthy, fertile, university-educated, paid donors. Despite the lowering of criteria for sperm parameters satisfactory for donation that were implemented in 2004, 38% of applicants for sperm donation are now rejected based on semen quality as compared to a third of applicants 10-15 years ago (P < 0.001). If the old strict criteria were in place 88% of candidates would be rejected today (P < 0.0001). Over the study period, the average sperm parameters dropped from a concentration of 106 +/- 25 million spermatozoa/ml with 79% +/- 4.3% motility to 68 +/- 14 million/ ml with 66% +/- 4.5% motile sperm (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively). The total motile sperm count per ejaculate also decreased, from 66.4 +/- 18.2 million to 48.7 +/- 12 million (P < 0.005). When the previous criteria were implemented for the analysis of the latest group of sperm donors, only 18% of donors had an acceptable sperm quality, with an average concentration of 87 +/- 12 million spermatozoa/ml, 73% +/- 2.6% motile sperm and total motile sperm count of 53.1 +/- 3.8 million per ejaculate - still significantly lower than 15 years ago (P= 0.01, P= 0.003, P= 0.058 respectively). The rapid deterioration of sperm quality among fertile semen donors is alarming and may lead to cessation of sperm donation programs.

  14. Perceived Partner Responsiveness Predicts Diurnal Cortisol Profiles 10 Years Later.

    PubMed

    Slatcher, Richard B; Selcuk, Emre; Ong, Anthony D

    2015-07-01

    Several decades of research have demonstrated that marital relationships have a powerful influence on physical health. However, surprisingly little is known about how marriage affects health--both in terms of psychological processes and biological ones. Over a 10-year period, we investigated the associations between perceived partner responsiveness--the extent to which people feel understood, cared for, and appreciated by their romantic partners--and diurnal cortisol in a large sample of married and cohabitating couples in the United States. Partner responsiveness predicted higher cortisol values at awakening and steeper (i.e., healthier) cortisol slopes at the 10-year follow-up. These associations remained strong after we controlled for demographic factors, depressive symptoms, agreeableness, and other positive and negative relationship factors. Furthermore, declines in negative affect over the 10-year period mediated the prospective association between responsiveness and cortisol slope. These findings suggest that diurnal cortisol may be a key biological pathway through which social relationships affect long-term health. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. ORAL FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH APERT SYNDROME

    PubMed Central

    Dalben, Gisele da Silva; Neves, Lucimara Teixeira das; Gomide, Marcia Ribeiro

    2006-01-01

    Introduction: The Apert syndrome is a rare disorder of autosomal dominant inheritance caused by mutations in the FGFR2 gene at locus 10q26; patients with this syndrome present severe syndactyly, exophthalmia, ocular hypertelorism and hypoplastic midface with Class III malocclusion, besides systemic alterations. Most investigations available on the Apert syndrome address the genetic aspect or surgical management, with little emphasis on the oral aspects. Objective: to investigate the oral findings, including dental anomalies, ectopic eruption of the maxillary permanent first molars and soft tissue alterations, in subjects with Apert syndrome. Material and methods: clinical and radiographic examination of nine patients with Apert syndrome, aged 6 to 15 years, not previously submitted to orthodontic or orthognathic treatment. Results: dental anomalies were present in all patients, with one to eight anomalies per individual. The most frequent anomalies were tooth agenesis, mainly affecting maxillary canines, and enamel opacities (44.4% for both). Ectopic eruption of maxillary first molars was found in 33.3% of patients; lateral palatal swellings were observed in 88.8% of patients. Conclusions: The occurrence of typical lateral palatal swellings agrees with the literature. The high prevalence of dental anomalies and ectopic eruption may suggest a possible etiologic relationship with the syndrome. PMID:19089249

  16. Evaluation of the smoking ban in public places in France one year and five years after its implementation: Findings from the ITC France survey

    PubMed Central

    Fong, Geoffrey T.; Craig, Lorraine V.; Guignard, Romain; Nagelhout, Gera E.; Tait, Megan K.; Driezen, Pete; Kennedy, Ryan David; Boudreau, Christian; Wilquin, Jean-Louis; Deutsch, Antoine; Beck, François

    2013-01-01

    France implemented a comprehensive smoke-free policy in public places in February 2007 for workplaces, shopping centres, airports, train stations, hospitals and schools. On January 2008, it was extended to meeting places (bars, restaurants, hotels, casinos, nightclubs). This paper evaluates France’s smoke-free law based on the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project in France (the ITC France Project), which conducted a cohort survey of approximately 1,500 smokers and 500 non-smokers before the implementation of the laws (Wave 1, conducted December 2006 to February 2007) and two waves after the implementation (Wave 2, conducted between September-November 2008; and Wave 3, conducted between September-December 2012). Results show that the smoke-free law led to a very significant and near total elimination of indoor smoking in key venues such as bars (from 95.9% to 3.7%) and restaurants (from 64.7% to 2.3%) at Wave 2, which was sustained four years later at Wave 3 (1.4% in restaurants; 6.6% in bars). Smoking in workplaces declined significantly after the law (from 42.6% to 19.3%), which continued to decline at Wave 3 (to 12.8%). Support for the smoke-free law increased significantly after their implementation and continued to increase at Wave 3 (among smokers for bars and restaurants; among smokers and non-smokers for workplaces). The findings demonstrate that smoke-free policies that are implemented in ways consistent with the Guidelines for Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) lead to substantial and sustained reductions in tobacco smoke in public places while also leading to high levels of support by the public. PMID:24803715

  17. Hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy syndrome: characteristic early magnetic resonance imaging findings.

    PubMed

    Freeman, Jeremy L; Coleman, Lee T; Smith, Lindsay J; Shield, Lloyd K

    2002-01-01

    We report three patients with hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy syndrome who presented acutely and were shown to have striking neuroimaging findings suggestive of diffuse cytotoxic edema confined to one hemisphere, including extensive diffusion-weighted imaging abnormalities in two cases. Two patients subsequently developed progressive and extensive atrophy of the involved hemisphere. These findings are consistent with earlier descriptions of the classic neuroradiologic features of this syndrome and are helpful in the differential diagnosis of acute infantile hemiplegia. Further, the findings support the previously proposed pathogenetic mechanism of neuronal injury caused by status epilepticus.

  18. One year test-retest reliability of neurocognitive baseline scores in 10- to 12-year olds.

    PubMed

    Moser, Rosemarie Scolaro; Schatz, Philip; Grosner, Emily; Kollias, Kelly

    2017-01-01

    How often youth athletes 10-12 years of age should undergo neurocognitive baseline testing remains an unanswered question. We sought to examine the test-retest reliability of annual ImPACT data in a sample of middle school athletes. Participants were 30 youth athletes, ages 10-12 years (Mean = 11.6, SD = 0.6) selected from a larger database of 10-18 year old athletes, who completed two consecutive annual baseline evaluations using the online version of ImPACT. Athlete assent and parental consent were obtained for all participants. Assessments were conducted either individually or in small groups of 2 to 3 athletes, under the supervision of a neuropsychologist or post-doctoral fellow. Test-retest coefficients were as follows: Verbal Memory .71, Visual Memory .35, Visual Motor Speed .69, Reaction Time .34. Intra-class Correlation Coefficients (single/average) were as follows: Verbal Memory .70/.83, Visual Memory .35/.52, Visual Motor Speed .69/.82, Reaction Time .34/.50. Regression-based measures to correct for practice effects revealed that only a small percentage of cases fell outside 90 and 95% confidence intervals, reflecting stability across assessments. Findings indicate that test-retest reliability of Verbal Memory and Visual Motor Speed are generally stable in 10-12 year old athletes. Nevertheless, Visual Memory Index, Reaction Time Index, and Symptom Checklist scores appear to be less reliable over time, especially compared to published data on high school athletes, suggesting the utility of re-testing on an annual basis in this younger age group.

  19. The Vulnerable Age: A Serendipitous Finding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inbar, Michael; Adler, Chaim

    1976-01-01

    Six to 11 year old children may be generally more vulnerable to crises in their environment than their younger or older siblings. Based upon a cross cultural study of Moroccan and Rumanian immigrants to Israel, the authors suggest some theoretical considerations and note some practical implications. (Author/DB)

  20. Reappraisal of abnormal EEG findings in children with ADHD: on the relationship between ADHD and epileptiform discharges.

    PubMed

    Kanazawa, Osamu

    2014-12-01

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is suggested to be closely related to epilepsy. A recent large-scale study revealed that ADHD in children is often accompanied by epilepsy. In Japan, methylphenidate (MPH) as a sustained-action tablet and atomoxetine (ATX) became commercially available as medications for children recently. Since then, the number of prescriptions of both medicines has increased rapidly. Methylphenidate, as a psychostimulant, has been a source of concern because of the perceived lowered threshold for convulsions in children. Based on this background, reappraisal of EEG findings in children with ADHD is important in order to detect indications of potential comorbid epilepsy and to investigate the developmental mechanisms of the neurophysiological manifestations in patients with ADHD. EEG findings in children newly diagnosed with ADHD and their relationship with clinical findings were investigated. The author evaluated 208 patients with ADHD newly diagnosed between 2008 and 2013. Of these, there were 145 patients for whom EEG findings were obtained along with a clinical follow-up for at least three months. Patients with IQ<70 were excluded in order to obtain a homogenous group of patients with ADHD. The male-to-female ratio was 130:15, and the age range was between 5 years, 9 months and 19 years, 9 months, with mean age of 11 years, 4 months. The results revealed that about half (48.3%) of the children with ADHD had abnormal EEG findings and that 22.1% of them had epileptiform discharges. Patients without comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder (ore homogenous group with ADHD) were especially likely to show abnormal EEG findings (51.0%) including epileptiform discharges (24.5%). Afebrile seizures, that is, epileptic seizures, occurred in a boy three days after commencement of administration with MPH as a sustained-action tablet. In four patients with a past history of epilepsy, neither relapse of EEG abnormality nor epileptic seizures were

  1. LSD enhances suggestibility in healthy volunteers.

    PubMed

    Carhart-Harris, R L; Kaelen, M; Whalley, M G; Bolstridge, M; Feilding, A; Nutt, D J

    2015-02-01

    Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has a history of use as a psychotherapeutic aid in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, and it was also explored as an enhancer of mind control. The present study sought to test the effect of LSD on suggestibility in a modern research study. Ten healthy volunteers were administered with intravenous (i.v.) LSD (40-80 μg) in a within-subject placebo-controlled design. Suggestibility and cued mental imagery were assessed using the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS) and a mental imagery test (MIT). CIS and MIT items were split into two versions (A and B), balanced for 'efficacy' (i.e. A ≈ B) and counterbalanced across conditions (i.e. 50 % completed version 'A' under LSD). The MIT and CIS were issued 110 and 140 min, respectively, post-infusion, corresponding with the peak drug effects. Volunteers gave significantly higher ratings for the CIS (p = 0.018), but not the MIT (p = 0.11), after LSD than placebo. The magnitude of suggestibility enhancement under LSD was positively correlated with trait conscientiousness measured at baseline (p = 0.0005). These results imply that the influence of suggestion is enhanced by LSD. Enhanced suggestibility under LSD may have implications for its use as an adjunct to psychotherapy, where suggestibility plays a major role. That cued imagery was unaffected by LSD implies that suggestions must be of a sufficient duration and level of detail to be enhanced by the drug. The results also imply that individuals with high trait conscientiousness are especially sensitive to the suggestibility-enhancing effects of LSD.

  2. The powers of suggestion: Albert Moll and the debate on hypnosis

    PubMed Central

    Maehle, Andreas-Holger

    2014-01-01

    The Berlin physician Albert Moll (1862–1939) was an advocate of hypnotic suggestion therapy and a prolific contributor to the medical, legal and public discussions on hypnotism from the 1880s to the 1920s. While his work in other areas, such as sexology, medical ethics and parapsychology, has recently attracted scholarly attention, this paper for the first time comprehensively examines Moll’s numerous publications on hypnotism and places them in their contemporary context. It covers controversies over the therapeutic application of hypnosis, the reception of Moll’s monograph Der Hypnotismus (1889), his research on the rapport between hypnotizer and subject, his role as an expert on ‘hypnotic crime’, and his views on the historical influence of hypnotism on the development of psychotherapy. My findings suggest that Moll rose to prominence due to the strong late-nineteenth-century public and medical interest in the phenomena of hypnosis, but that his work was soon overshadowed by new, non-hypnotic psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly Freud’s psychoanalysis. PMID:24594818

  3. Eye tracking indices of attentional bias in children of depressed mothers: Polygenic influences help to clarify previous mixed findings.

    PubMed

    Owens, Max; Harrison, Ashley J; Burkhouse, Katie L; McGeary, John E; Knopik, Valerie S; Palmer, Rohan H C; Gibb, Brandon E

    2016-05-01

    Information-processing biases may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of depression. There is growing evidence that children of depressed mothers exhibit attentional biases for sad faces. However, findings are mixed as to whether this bias reflects preferential attention toward, versus attentional avoidance of, sad faces, suggesting the presence of unmeasured moderators. To address these mixed findings, we focused on the potential moderating role of genes associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity. Participants included children (8-14 years old) of mothers with (n = 81) and without (n = 81) a history of depression. Eye movements were recorded while children passively viewed arrays of angry, happy, sad, and neutral faces. DNA was obtained from buccal cells. Children of depressed mothers exhibited more sustained attention to sad faces than did children of nondepressed mothers. However, it is important that this relation was moderated by children's genotype. Specifically, children of depressed mothers who carried reactive genotypes across the corticotropin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor (CHRH1) TAT haplotype and FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) rs1360780 (but not the solute carrier family C6 member 4 [SLC6A4] of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region [5-HTTLPR]) exhibited less sustained attention to sad faces and more sustained attention to happy faces. These findings highlight the role played by specific genetic influences and suggest that previous mixed findings may have been due to genetic heterogeneity across the samples.

  4. The effects of HIV and aging on brain functions: proposing a research framework and update on last 3 years' findings.

    PubMed

    Cysique, Lucette A; Brew, Bruce J

    2014-07-01

    The effect of HIV and aging on brain functions is an increasingly important topic of research: HIV-infected (HIV+) persons aged ≥50 represent a growing part of the HIV epidemic. Research is embracing this new axis, but there has been a lack of conceptualization of the factors that are at stake in both aging and HIV. To start to remedy this theoretical limitation, we are proposing a research framework in the hope that it will optimize how research questions and findings are formulated. Moreover, in the light of this proposed research framework, we review the last 3  years' research findings. Our review highlights that as HIV+ persons are aging, there is some signal for acceleration of normal aging processes and facilitated expression of age-associated diseases. Evidence for dramatic neurodegeneration in aging HIV+ persons remains limited and may be different in nature to typical neurodegenerative processes. Also, it should be kept in mind that most HIV+ persons are still below age 60. The vast majority of studies are still cross-sectional thereby underlining the critical importance of longitudinal studies to fully assess the effect of comorbidities. The complex effects of aging and nonaging comorbidities and key HIV effects (as opposed to only HIV status) need to be taken into account in future research by increasing sample size and selecting the most appropriate control group(s). Ideally, life-span studies should be established using neuropsychological and neuroimaging outcomes that have a proven track record in both HIV-related brain injury and brain aging. These would be similar to those that exist in non-HIV aging research and would optimally account for comorbidity effects and survivor bias.

  5. Tracing children's vocabulary development from preschool through the school-age years: An 8-year longitudinal study

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Cuiping; Liu, Hongyun; Zhang, Yuping; McBride-Chang, Catherine; Tardif, Twila; Li, Hong; Liang, Weilan; Zhang, Zhixiang; Shu, Hua

    2014-01-01

    In this 8-year longitudinal study, we traced the vocabulary growth of Chinese children, explored potential precursors of vocabulary knowledge, and investigated how vocabulary growth predicted future reading skills. Two hundred sixty-four (264) native Chinese children from Beijing were measured on a variety of reading and language tasks over 8 years. Between the ages of 4 to 10 years, they were administered tasks of vocabulary and related cognitive skills. At age 11, comprehensive reading skills, including character recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension were examined. Individual differences in vocabulary developmental profiles were estimated using the intercept-slope cluster method. Vocabulary development was then examined in relation to later reading outcomes. Three subgroups of lexical growth were classified, namely high-high (with a large initial vocabulary size and a fast growth rate), low-high (with a small initial vocabulary size and a fast growth rate) and low-low (with a small initial vocabulary size and a slow growth rate) groups. Low-high and low-low groups were distinguishable mostly through phonological skills, morphological skills and other reading-related cognitive skills. Childhood vocabulary development (using intercept and slope) explained subsequent reading skills. Findings suggest that language-related and reading-related cognitive skills differ among groups with different developmental trajectories of vocabulary, and the initial size and growth rate of vocabulary may be two predictors for later reading development. PMID:24962559

  6. Suzaku Finds "Fossil" Fireballs from Supernovae

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Suzaku Finds "Fossil" Fireballs from Supernovae In a supernova remnant known as the Jellyfish Nebula, Suzaku detected X-rays from fully ionized silicon and sulfur -- an imprint of higher-temperature conditions immediately following the star's explosion. The nebula is about 65 light-years across. (12/30/2009) Credit: JAXA/NASA/Suzaku To learn more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/astro-e2/news/fossil-fireballs...

  7. Steady Increase In Prices For Oral Anticancer Drugs After Market Launch Suggests A Lack Of Competitive Pressure.

    PubMed

    Bennette, Caroline S; Richards, Catherine; Sullivan, Sean D; Ramsey, Scott D

    2016-05-01

    The cost of treating cancer has risen to unprecedented heights, putting tremendous financial pressure on patients, payers, and society. Previous studies have documented the rising prices of cancer drugs at launch, but less critical attention has been paid to the cost of these drugs after launch. We used pharmacy claims for commercially insured individuals to examine trends in postlaunch prices over time for orally administered anticancer drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the period 2007-13, inflation-adjusted per patient monthly drug prices increased 5 percent each year. Certain market changes also played a role, with prices rising an additional 10 percent with each supplemental indication approved by the FDA and declining 2 percent with the FDA's approval of a competitor drug. Our findings suggest that there is currently little competitive pressure in the oral anticancer drug market. Policy makers who wish to reduce the costs of anticancer drugs should consider implementing policies that affect prices not only at launch but also later. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  8. Evidence Suggests That The ACA's Tobacco Surcharges Reduced Insurance Take-Up And Did Not Increase Smoking Cessation

    PubMed Central

    Friedman, Abigail S.; Schpero, William L.; Busch, Susan H.

    2017-01-01

    To account for tobacco users' excess health care costs and encourage cessation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed marketplace plans to impose a surcharge on tobacco users' premiums. Because tax credits were calculated from premiums for non-tobacco-users, this policy greatly increased many smokers' out-of-pocket costs. Using data from the 2011-2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we examined the effect of tobacco surcharges on insurance coverage and smoking cessation in the first year of marketplace implementation, among adults most likely to purchase insurance from state marketplaces. Relative to those facing no surcharges, smokers facing medium or high surcharges had significantly reduced insurance coverage (-4.3 to -11.6 percentage points), but no significant differences in smoking cessation. In contrast, those facing low surcharges showed significantly reduced smoking cessation. Taken together, these findings suggest that tobacco surcharges conflicted with a major goal of the ACA – increased financial protection – without increasing smoking cessation. States should consider these potential effects when deciding whether to constrain the surcharge below the federal limit in the future. PMID:27385231

  9. Histopathologic Findings in Autopsies with Emphasis on Interesting and Incidental Findings-A Pathologist’s Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Rajalakshmi, B.R.; Manjunath, G.V.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Autopsy aids to the knowledge of pathology by unveiling the rare lesions which are a source of learning from a pathologist’s perspective Some of them are only diagnosed at autopsy as they do not cause any functional derangement. This study emphasizes the various incidental lesions which otherwise would have been unnoticed during a person’s life. Aim The aim of this study was to determine the spectrum of histopathological findings including neoplastic lesions related or unrelated to the cause of death. It was also aimed to highlight various incidental and interesting lesions in autopsies. Materials and Methods A retrospective study of medicolegal autopsies for six years was undertaken in a tertiary care centre to determine the spectrum of histopathological findings including neoplastic lesions related or unrelated to the cause of death and to highlight various incidental and interesting lesions in autopsies. Statistical Analysis: Individual lesions were described in numbers and incidence in percentage. Results The study consisted of a series of 269 autopsy cases and histopathological findings were studied only in 202 cases. The commonest cause of death was pulmonary oedema. The most common incidental histopathological finding noted was atherosclerosis in 55 (27.2%) cases followed by fatty liver in 40 (19.8%) cases. Neoplastic lesions accounted for 2.47% of cases. Conclusion This study has contributed a handful of findings to the pool of rare lesions in pathology. Some of these lesions encountered which served as feast to a pathologist are tumour to tumour metastasis, a case with coexistent triple lesions, Dubin Johnson syndrome, von Meyenburg complex, Multilocular Cystic Renal Cell Carcinoma (MCRCC), Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), liver carcinod and an undiagnosed vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis. Autopsy studies help in the detection of unexpected findings significant enough to have changed patient management had they been

  10. Access to Bridge Employment: Who Finds and Who Does Not Find Work After Retirement?

    PubMed

    Dingemans, Ellen; Henkens, Kène; Solinge, Hanna van

    2016-08-01

    Empirical studies on the determinants of bridge employment have often neglected the fact that some retirees may be unsuccessful in finding a bridge job. We present an integrative framework that emphasizes socioeconomic factors, health status, social context, and psychological factors to explain why some people fully retired after career exit, some participated in bridge jobs, while others unsuccessfully searched for one. Using Dutch panel data for 1,221 retirees, we estimated a multinomial logit model to explain participation in, and unsuccessful searches for, bridge employment. About 1 in 4 retirees participated in bridge employment after retirement, while 7% searched unsuccessfully for such work. Particularly those who experienced involuntary career exit were found to have a higher probability of being unsuccessful at finding bridge employment. The current study provides evidence for the impact of the social context on postretirement work and suggests a cumulative disadvantage in the work domain in later life. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Mathematical tasks, study approaches, and course grades in undergraduate mathematics: a year-by-year analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maciejewski, Wes; Merchant, Sandra

    2016-04-01

    Students approach learning in different ways, depending on the experienced learning situation. A deep approach is geared toward long-term retention and conceptual change while a surface approach focuses on quickly acquiring knowledge for immediate use. These approaches ultimately affect the students' academic outcomes. This study takes a cross-sectional look at the approaches to learning used by students from courses across all four years of undergraduate mathematics and analyses how these relate to the students' grades. We find that deep learning correlates with grade in the first year and not in the upper years. Surficial learning has no correlation with grades in the first year and a strong negative correlation with grades in the upper years. Using Bloom's taxonomy, we argue that the nature of the tasks given to students is fundamentally different in lower and upper year courses. We find that first-year courses emphasize tasks that require only low-level cognitive processes. Upper year courses require higher level processes but, surprisingly, have a simultaneous greater emphasis on recall and understanding. These observations explain the differences in correlations between approaches to learning and course grades. We conclude with some concerns about the disconnect between first year and upper year mathematics courses and the effect this may have on students.

  12. Expertise finding in bibliographic network: topic dominance learning approach.

    PubMed

    Neshati, Mahmood; Hashemi, Seyyed Hadi; Beigy, Hamid

    2014-12-01

    Expert finding problem in bibliographic networks has received increased interest in recent years. This problem concerns finding relevant researchers for a given topic. Motivated by the observation that rarely do all coauthors contribute to a paper equally, in this paper, we propose two discriminative methods for realizing leading authors contributing in a scientific publication. Specifically, we cast the problem of expert finding in a bibliographic network to find leading experts in a research group, which is easier to solve. We recognize three feature groups that can discriminate relevant experts from other authors of a document. Experimental results on a real dataset, and a synthetic one that is gathered from a Microsoft academic search engine, show that the proposed model significantly improves the performance of expert finding in terms of all common information retrieval evaluation metrics.

  13. The Thermal State of KS 1731-260 after 14.5 years in Quiescence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merritt, Rachael L.; Cackett, Edward M.; Brown, Edward F.; Page, Dany; Cumming, Andrew; Degenaar, Nathalie; Deibel, Alex; Homan, Jeroen; Miller, Jon M.; Wijnands, Rudy

    2016-12-01

    Crustal cooling of accretion-heated neutron stars provides insight into the stellar interior of neutron stars. The neutron star X-ray transient, KS 1731-260, was in outburst for 12.5 years before returning to quiescence in 2001. We have monitored the cooling of this source since then through Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. Here we present a 150 ks Chandra observation of KS 1731-260 taken in 2015 August, about 14.5 years into quiescence and 6 years after the previous observation. We find that the neutron star surface temperature is consistent with the previous observation, suggesting that crustal cooling has likely stopped and the crust has reached thermal equilibrium with the core. Using a theoretical crust thermal evolution code, we fit the observed cooling curves and constrain the core temperature (T c = 9.35 ± 0.25 × 107 K), composition (Q {}{imp}={4.4}-0.5+2.2), and level of extra shallow heating required (Q sh = 1.36 ± 0.18 MeV/nucleon). We find that the presence of a low thermal conductivity layer, as expected from nuclear pasta, is not required to fit the cooling curve well, but cannot be excluded either.

  14. The thermal state of KS 1731-260 after 14.5 years in quiescence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merritt, R.; Cackett, E.; Brown, E.; Page, D.; Cumming, A.; Degenaar, N.; Deibel, A.; Homan, J.; Miller, J.; Wijnands, R.

    2017-10-01

    Crustal cooling of accretion-heated neutron stars provides insight into the stellar interior of neutron stars. The neutron star X-ray transient, KS 1731-260, was in outburst for 12.5 years before returning to quiescence in 2001. We have monitored the cooling of this source since then through Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. Here, we present a 150 ks Chandra observation of KS 1731-260 taken in August 2015, about 14.5 years into quiescence, and 6 years after the previous observation. We find that the neutron star surface temperature is consistent with the previous observation, suggesting that crustal cooling has likely stopped and the crust has reached thermal equilibrium with the core. Using a theoretical crust thermal evolution code, we fit the observed cooling curves and constrain the core temperature (T_c = 9.35±0.25×10^7 K), composition (Q_{imp} = 4.4^{+2.2}_{-0.5}) and level of extra shallow heating required (Q_{sh} = 1.36±0.18 MeV/nucleon). We find that the presence of a low thermal conductivity layer, as expected from nuclear pasta, is not required to fit the cooling curve well, but cannot be excluded either.

  15. A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of "Time to Read", a Volunteer Tutoring Program for 8- to 9-Year-Olds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Sarah; Connolly, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Tutoring is commonly employed to prevent early reading failure, and evidence suggests that it can have a positive effect. This article presents findings from a large-scale ("n" = 734) randomized controlled trial evaluation of the effect of "Time to Read"--a volunteer tutoring program aimed at children aged 8 to 9 years--on…

  16. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings fail to suspect Fabry disease in young patients with an acute cerebrovascular event.

    PubMed

    Fazekas, Franz; Enzinger, Christian; Schmidt, Reinhold; Grittner, Ulrike; Giese, Anne-Katrin; Hennerici, Michael G; Huber, Roman; Jungehulsing, Gerhard J; Kaps, Manfred; Kessler, Christof; Martus, Peter; Putaala, Jukka; Ropele, Stefan; Tanislav, Christian; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Thijs, Vincent; von Sarnowski, Bettina; Norrving, Bo; Rolfs, Arndt

    2015-06-01

    Fabry disease (FD) may cause stroke and is reportedly associated with typical brain findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In a large group of young patients with an acute cerebrovascular event, we wanted to test whether brain MRI findings can serve to suggest the presence of FD. The Stroke in Young Fabry Patients (SIFAP 1) study prospectively collected clinical, laboratory, and radiological data of 5023 patients (18-55 years) with an acute cerebrovascular event. Their MRI was interpreted centrally and blinded to all other information. Biochemical findings and genetic testing served to diagnose FD in 45 (0.9%) patients. We compared the imaging findings between FD and non-FD patients in patients with at least a T2-weighted MRI of good quality. A total of 3203 (63.8%) patients had the required MRI data set. Among those were 34 patients with a diagnosis of FD (1.1%), which was definite in 21 and probable in 13 cases. The median age of patients with FD was slightly lower (45 versus 46 years) and women prevailed (70.6% versus 40.7%; P<0.001). Presence or extent of white matter hyperintensities, infarct localization, vertebrobasilar artery dilatation, T1-signal hyperintensity of the pulvinar thalami, or any other MRI finding did not distinguish patients with FD from non-FD cerebrovascular event patients. Pulvinar hyperintensity was not present in a single patient with FD but seen in 6 non-FD patients. Brain MRI findings cannot serve to suspect FD in young patients presenting with an acute cerebrovascular event. This deserves consideration in the search for possible causes of young patients with stroke. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00414583. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

  17. Long-term outcome of epilepsy with onset in the first three years of life: Findings from a large cohort of patients.

    PubMed

    Vignoli, Aglaia; Peron, Angela; Turner, Katherine; Scornavacca, Giulia Federica; La Briola, Francesca; Chiesa, Valentina; Zambrelli, Elena; Canevini, Maria Paola

    2016-07-01

    To describe the clinical features of patients with seizure onset within the first three years of life, and to evaluate risk factors for long-term prognosis. We selected 266 patients among 3096 individuals consecutively observed at a single Epilepsy Center between 1992 and 2012, and retrospectively analyzed their clinical, EEG, neuro-radiological and genetic characteristics. Mean ages at epilepsy onset and at follow-up were 14.9 months and 29.3 years, respectively. Mean follow-up period 8.2 years. We identified a recognizable etiology in 147 individuals (55.2%), while 76 (28.6%) were classified as unknown cause and 43 (16.2%) as genetic, according to the ILAE criteria. Thirty-four patients (27.9%) had a confirmed genetic diagnosis and 12 (9.8%) had a metabolic diagnosis. Febrile seizures (p = 0.008), positive family history (p = 0.049), drug resistance (p = 0.048), moderate (p = 0.04) and severe intellectual disability (p = 0.005) were significantly more frequent in patients with seizure onset 0-12 months than in those with onset 13-36 months. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a link between early age of epilepsy onset and intellectual disability (p = 0.008). No further variables were significantly associated with age at epilepsy onset (for etiology p = 0.095, for drug resistance p = 0.646, and for neuro-radiological findings p = 0.087). Our study demonstrated worse outcome in symptomatic epilepsies in a large and representative sample. We also confirmed that the earlier age at seizure onset, the poorest the epilepsy outcome. Copyright © 2016 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. LDEF materials: An overview of the interim findings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stein, Bland A.

    1992-01-01

    The flight and retrieval of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) provided an opportunity for the study of the low-Earth orbit (LEO) environment and long-duration space environmental effect (SEE) on materials that are unparalleled in the history of the U.S. space program. The 5.8-year flight of LDEF greatly enhanced the potential value of materials data from LDEF to the international SEE community, compared to that of the original 1-year flight plan. The remarkable flight attitude stability of LDEF enables specific analyses of various individual and combined effects of LEO environmental parameters on identical materials of the same space vehicle. NASA recognized the potential by forming the LDEF Space Environmental Effects on Materials Special Investigation Group (MSIG) to address the greatly expanded materials and LEO space environment parameter analysis opportunities available in the LDEF structure, experiment trays, and corollary measurements, so that the combined value of all LDEF materials data to current and future space missions will be assessed and documented. This paper provides an overview of the interim LDEF materials findings of the Principal Investigators and the Materials Special Investigation Group. These revelations are based on observations of LEO environmental effects on materials made in-space during LDEF retrieval and during LDEF tray deintegration at the Kennedy Space Center, and on findings of approximately 1.5 years of laboratory analyses of LDEF materials by the LDEF materials scientists. These findings were extensively reviewed and discussed at the MSIG-sponsored LDEF Materials Workshop '91. The results are presented in a format which categorizes the revelations as 'clear findings' or 'confusing/unexplained findings' and resultant needs for new space materials developments and ground simulation testing/analytical modeling in seven categories: environmental parameters and data bases; LDEF

  19. Sexual behavior experiences and characteristics of male-female partnerships among HIV positive adolescent girls and young women: Qualitative findings from Zimbabwe.

    PubMed

    Mavhu, Webster; Rowley, Elizabeth; Thior, Ibou; Kruse-Levy, Natalie; Mugurungi, Owen; Ncube, Getrude; Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne

    2018-01-01

    New HIV infections among sub-Saharan Africa's adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, ages 15-24) greatly exceed those of their male peers. In addition, AGYW tend to acquire HIV at a much earlier age. Understanding the factors associated with HIV infection in AGYW could inform effective prevention and treatment interventions for these populations and their male sexual partners. This qualitative study, conducted October-November 2016, was a follow on to a quantitative survey that sought to characterize male sexual partners and sexual behaviors of sexually active HIV positive AGYW in Zimbabwe. The qualitative study explored sexual behavior experiences and characteristics of male-female partnerships among the same participants. We conducted in-depth interviews with purposively sampled AGYW (16-24 years). Audio recorded qualitative data were transcribed, translated into English, and thematically coded using NVivo. 28 AGYW (n = 14 urban, n = 14 rural) took part in the in-depth interviews. 50% were 16-19 years old. Discussions with 10/11 (91%) AGYW who were reportedly infected through sex suggested that they had acquired HIV from their husbands or romantic partners. Accounts also suggested that the age difference between respondents and their male sexual partners was ≥5 years. Overall, respondents described two types of male partners: those older (''sugar daddies'', men ≥35 years old) and younger (<35 years). Respondents felt unable to suggest condom use to both older and younger partners. Evident in respondents' accounts was a general low HIV risk perception, particularly with younger men, which was largely due to poor HIV knowledge. Discussions suggested that an AGYW's relationship with either male partner was characterized by some form of violence. Discussions highlighted the nature and characteristics of relationships between AGYW and their male sexual partners. Findings could inform interventions to engender risk perception among AGYW, promote female

  20. Two-year-olds' understanding of self-symbols.

    PubMed

    Herold, Katherine; Akhtar, Nameera

    2014-09-01

    This study investigated 48 2.5-year-olds' ability to map from their own body to a two-dimensional self-representation and also examined relations between parents' talk about body representations and their children's understanding of self-symbols. Children participated in two dual-representation tasks in which they were asked to match body parts between a symbol and its referent. In one task, they used a self-symbol and in the other they used a symbol for a doll. Participants were also read a book about body parts by a parent. As a group, children found the self-symbol task more difficult than the doll-task; however, those whose parents explicitly pointed out the relation between their children's bodies and the symbols in the book performed better on the self-symbol task. The findings demonstrate that 2-year-old children have difficulty comprehending a self-symbol, even when it is two-dimensional and approximately the same size as them, and suggest that parents' talk about self-symbols may facilitate their understanding. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  1. Suggestibility, social support, and memory for a novel experience in young children

    PubMed Central

    Quas, Jodi A.; Wallin, Allison R.; Papini, Silvia; Lench, Heather; Scullin, Matthew H.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined 5- and 6-year-olds' suggestibility and interviewer demeanor as joint predictors of their memory for a novel experience. Session 1 consisted of children taking part in a novel laboratory event. Session 2 took place after approximately a 1-week delay and consisted of children completing both a memory test concerning what happened during the prior event and the Video Suggestibility Scale for Children (VSSC). During the second session, the interviewer behaved either supportively or nonsupportively. Greater acquiescence on the VSSC was associated with fewer correct responses to misleading questions about the laboratory event in the supportive and nonsupportive conditions and with more errors in response to specific questions in the nonsupportive condition. Results indicate that individual differences in children's suggestibility are related to the accuracy of their memory for separate events, although some of these relations may vary depending on the context in which children are interviewed. PMID:15904929

  2. A Comparison between 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging and Biological and Radiological Findings in Restaging of Hepatoblastoma Patients

    PubMed Central

    Treglia, Giorgio; Pagano, Manuela; Fania, Piercarlo; Basso, Maria Eleonora; Fagioli, Franca; Ficola, Umberto

    2013-01-01

    Background. In this study we retrospectively evaluated if 18F-FDG-PET/CT provided incremental diagnostic information over CI in a group of hepatoblastoma patients performing restaging. Procedure. Nine patients (mean age: 5.9 years; range: 3.1–12 years) surgically treated for hepatoblastoma were followed up by clinical examination, serum α-FP monitoring, and US. CI (CT or MRI) and PET/CT were performed in case of suspicion of relapse. Fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) were carried out for final confirmation if the results of CI, PET/CT, and/or α-FP levels were suggestive of relapse. PET/CT and CI findings were analyzed for comparison purposes, using FNAB as reference standard. Results. α-FP level was suggestive of disease recurrence in 8/9 patients. Biopsy was performed in 8/9 cases. CI and PET/CT resulted to be concordant in 5/9 patients (CI identified recurrence of disease, but 18F-FDG-PET/CT provided a better definition of disease extent); in 4/9 cases, CI diagnostic information resulted in negative findings, whereas PET/CT correctly detected recurrence of disease. 18F-FDG-PET/CT showed an agreement of 100% (8/8) with FNAB results. Conclusions. 18F-FDG-PET/CT scan seems to better assess HB patients with respect to CI and may provide incremental diagnostic value in the restaging of this group of patients. PMID:24063012

  3. Impulsivity, self-control, and hypnotic suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Ludwig, V U; Stelzel, C; Krutiak, H; Prunkl, C E; Steimke, R; Paschke, L M; Kathmann, N; Walter, H

    2013-06-01

    Hypnotic responding might be due to attenuated frontal lobe functioning after the hypnotic induction. Little is known about whether personality traits linked with frontal functioning are associated with responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions. We assessed whether hypnotic suggestibility is related to the traits of self-control and impulsivity in 154 participants who completed the Brief Self-Control Scale, the Self-Regulation Scale, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS:A). BIS-11 non-planning impulsivity correlated positively with HGSHS:A (Bonferroni-corrected). Furthermore, in the best model emerging from a stepwise multiple regression, both non-planning impulsivity and self-control positively predicted hypnotic suggestibility, and there was an interaction of BIS-11 motor impulsivity with gender. For men only, motor impulsivity tended to predict hypnotic suggestibility. Hypnotic suggestibility is associated with personality traits linked with frontal functioning, and hypnotic responding in men and women might differ. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Excretion of lead and its biological activity several years after termination of exposure

    PubMed Central

    Přerovská, I.; Teisinger, J.

    1970-01-01

    Přerovská, and Teisinger, J. (1970).Brit. J. industr. Med.,27, 352-355. Excretion of lead and its biological activity several years after termination of exposure. A group of 27 persons who had been treated some years previously for chronic lead poisoning at our clinic, and who had not come into occupational contact with lead since, was examined. Half of them had had no occupational exposure to lead for 3 to 5 years and the others for 8 to 17 years. In most of these persons there is still an increased lead excretion, originating from an increased deposit in the bones. The mobilization test after calcium versenate (CaEDTA) injection was greater than 0·350 mg/24 hours. The values found for haemoglobin, punctate basophilia, coproporphyrin and ALA in urine were normal, but there was, in all cases, a decreased ALA-D activity. This finding suggests biological activity of such negligible lead flow many years after termination of exposure. PMID:5488694

  5. Laryngeal juvenile xanthogranuloma: Imaging finding.

    PubMed

    Wang, L M; Chen, Q H; Zhang, Y X; Fang, Y Q

    2010-08-01

    Laryngeal juvenile xanthogranuloma is rare and there were only four cases have been reported previously in English literature. We report a case of isolated JXG of larynx in the superglottic region. The mass was well-defined and homogeneous hypoechoic in ultrasonography while presented indistinct boundary and soft tissue density in Computed Tomography images. Radiological findings are nonspecific but could help to understand the extent of the lesion. We suggest that JXG should be considered as differential diagnosis for laryngeal stridor. Laryngeal ultrasound is safe and reliable, which could be considered a useful diagnostic tool for supplementing laryngoscopy.

  6. Histological findings and immunohistochemical surfactant protein A (SP-A) expression in asphyxia: its application in the diagnosis of drowning.

    PubMed

    Pérez-Cárceles, M D; Sibón, A; Vizcaya, M A; Osuna, E; Gómez-Zapata, M; Luna, A; Martínez-Díaz, F

    2008-09-01

    The histopathological alterations that permit the diagnosis of death by asphyxia are very unspecific, although pulmonary alterations are of great importance in this respect. The postmortem diagnosis of drowning, particularly, continues to be one of the most difficult in forensic pathology. The aim of this study is to jointly evaluate microscopic findings and immunohistochemical surfactant protein A (SP-A) expression in the upper and lower lobes of lungs in different causes of death, and their possible application to the diagnosis of drowning. We studied 120 cadavers from subjects with a mean age of 48.73 years (SD 19.45; range 2-86 years), and with a mean post-mortem interval of 30 hours (SD 39.59; range 3-216 hours). According to the scene, cause and circumstances of death, and autopsy findings, cases were classified into groups as follows: (a) drowning (n=47); (b) other asphyxia (n=44) and (c) other causes (n=29). In the upper and lower lobes of lungs, histological studies of H&E staining and immunohistochemical surfactant protein A expression were made. The presence and severity of congestion, haemorrhage and oedema, together with immunohistochemical SP-A expression, may have a diagnostic value in differentiating asphyxia and drowning from other causes of death, and drowning from other types of asphyxia. Our findings suggest that both lobes should be investigated to establish the diagnosis, although the findings in the upper lobe might be the most important for differentiating the exact cause of death.

  7. Suggestibility and negative priming: two replication studies.

    PubMed

    David, Daniel; Brown, Richard J

    2002-07-01

    Research suggests that inhibiting the effect of irrelevant stimuli on subsequent thought and action (cognitive inhibition) may be an important component of suggestibility. Two small correlation studies were conducted to address the relationship between different aspects of suggestibility and individual differences in cognitive inhibition, operationalized as the degree of negative priming generated by to-be-ignored stimuli in a semantic categorization task. The first study found significant positive correlations between negative priming, hypnotic suggestibility, and creative imagination; a significant negative correlation was obtained between negative priming and interrogative suggestibility, demonstrating the discriminant validity of the study results. The second study replicated the correlation between negative priming and hypnotic suggestibility, using a different suggestibility measurement procedure that assessed subjective experience and hypnotic involuntariness as well as objective responses to suggestions. These studies support the notion that the ability to engage in cognitive inhibition may be an important component of hypnotic responsivity and maybe of other forms of suggestibility.

  8. The suggestible brain: posthypnotic effects on value-based decision-making

    PubMed Central

    Stelzel, Christine; Krutiak, Harald; Magrabi, Amadeus; Steimke, Rosa; Paschke, Lena M.; Kathmann, Norbert; Walter, Henrik

    2014-01-01

    Hypnosis can affect perception, motor function and memory. However, so far no study using neuroimaging has investigated whether hypnosis can influence reward processing and decision-making. Here, we assessed whether posthypnotic suggestions can diminish the attractiveness of unhealthy food and whether this is more effective than diminishing attractiveness by one’s own effort via autosuggestion. In total, 16 participants were hypnotized and 16 others were instructed to associate a color cue (blue or green) with disgust regarding specific snacks (sweet or salty). Afterwards, participants bid for snack items shown on an either blue or green background during functional magnetic resonance imaging measurement. Both hypnosis and autosuggestion successfully devalued snacks. This was indicated by participants’ decision-making, their self-report and by decreased blood oxygen level-dependent signal in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a region known to represent value. Different vmPFC subregions coded for cue and snack type. The cue had significantly stronger effects on vmPFC after hypnosis than after autosuggestion, indicating that hypnosis was more effective in genuinely reducing value. Supporting previous findings, the precuneus was involved in the hypnotic effects by encoding whether a snack was sweet or salty during hypnotic cue presentation. Our results demonstrate that posthypnotic suggestions can influence valuation and decision-making. PMID:23887809

  9. Returning Incidental Findings in Low-Resource Settings: A Case of Rescue?

    PubMed

    Mackay, Douglas

    2018-05-01

    In a carefully argued article, Haley K. Sullivan and Benjamin E. Berkman address the important question of whether investigators have a duty to report incidental findings to research participants in low-resource settings. They suggest that the duty to rescue offers the most plausible justification for the duty to return incidental findings, and they explore the implications of this duty for the context of research in low-resource settings. While I think they make valuable headway on an important problem, in this commentary, I identify a significant difference between the paradigmatic rescue case and the return of incidental findings in low-resource settings. This difference, I suggest, implies that their framework may be too narrow in scope. If investigators (and their sponsors) really wish to fulfill their duty to rescue, they must consider factors that are left out of Sullivan and Berkman's framework. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

  10. She bought the unicorn from the pet store: Six- to seven-year-olds are strongly inclined to generate natural explanations.

    PubMed

    Nancekivell, Shaylene E; Friedman, Ori

    2017-06-01

    In two experiments (N = 64), we told 6- to 7-year-olds about improbable or impossible outcomes (Experiment 1) and about impossible outcomes concerning ordinary or magical agents (Experiment 2). In both experiments, children claimed that the outcomes were impossible and could not happen, but nonetheless generated realistic and natural explanations for the outcomes. These findings show that 6- to 7-year-olds are strongly inclined to provide natural explanations. The findings are also informative about children's judgments about whether outcomes are possible, and further suggest that asymmetries between children's predictions and explanations may stem from differences in how these 2 forms of reasoning are constrained by possibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Glass-to-cryogenic-liquid transitions in aqueous solutions suggested by crack healing

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Chae Un; Tate, Mark W.; Gruner, Sol M.

    2015-01-01

    Observation of theorized glass-to-liquid transitions between low-density amorphous (LDA) and high-density amorphous (HDA) water states had been stymied by rapid crystallization below the homogeneous water nucleation temperature (∼235 K at 0.1 MPa). We report optical and X-ray observations suggestive of glass-to-liquid transitions in these states. Crack healing, indicative of liquid, occurs when LDA ice transforms to cubic ice at 160 K, and when HDA ice transforms to the LDA state at temperatures as low as 120 K. X-ray diffraction study of the HDA to LDA transition clearly shows the characteristics of a first-order transition. Study of the glass-to-liquid transitions in nanoconfined aqueous solutions shows them to be independent of the solute concentrations, suggesting that they represent an intrinsic property of water. These findings support theories that LDA and HDA ice are thermodynamically distinct and that they are continuously connected to two different liquid states of water. PMID:26351671

  12. Hypnotic suggestion: opportunities for cognitive neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Oakley, David A; Halligan, Peter W

    2013-08-01

    Hypnosis uses the powerful effects of attention and suggestion to produce, modify and enhance a broad range of subjectively compelling experiences and behaviours. For more than a century, hypnotic suggestion has been used successfully as an adjunctive procedure to treat a wide range of clinical conditions. More recently, hypnosis has attracted a growing interest from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Recent studies using hypnotic suggestion show how manipulating subjective awareness in the laboratory can provide insights into brain mechanisms involved in attention, motor control, pain perception, beliefs and volition. Moreover, they indicate that hypnotic suggestion can create informative analogues of clinical conditions that may be useful for understanding these conditions and their treatments.

  13. Small intestinal obstruction by remnants of the omphalomesenteric duct: findings on contrast enema.

    PubMed

    Fenton, L Z; Buonomo, C; Share, J C; Chung, T

    2000-03-01

    We reviewed the contrast enema examinations and medical records of six patients with small intestinal obstruction due to omphalomesenteric duct remnant to evaluate for characteristic imaging findings. In five out of the six patients the point of obstruction was demonstrated on the enema; in three patients, the characteristic "beak" of a volvulus was seen, either in the terminal ileum or cecum. In three patients, there was medial deviation of the cecum. The characteristic radiographic features of volvulus at the cecum or terminal ileum and medial deviation of the cecum should suggest persistence of an omphalomesenteric duct remnant as the etiology of obstruction in a child less than 2 years of age. The appearance of omphalomesenteric duct remnant obstruction on enema examination, though not specific, is characteristic and should be familiar to pediatric radiologists.

  14. Imaging findings of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome.

    PubMed

    Hajalioghli, Parisa; Ghadirpour, Ali; Ataie-Oskuie, Reza; Kontzialis, Marinos; Nezami, Nariman

    2015-01-01

    A 15-year-old girl was referred to a dentist complaining of parageusia, bad taste in the mouth, which started 9 months ago. Panoramic X-ray and non-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed multiple bilateral unilocular cysts in the mandible and maxilla, along with calcification of anterior part of the falx cerebri. She was eventually diagnosed with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome based on imaging and histopathologic finding of keratocystic odontogenic tumor.

  15. Are Suicidal Behaviors Contagious in Adolescence?: Using Longitudinal Data to Examine Suicide Suggestion.

    PubMed

    Abrutyn, Seth; Mueller, Anna S

    2014-04-01

    Though Durkheim argued that strong social relationships protect individuals from suicide, we posit that these relationships have the potential to increase individuals' vulnerability when they expose them to suicidality. Using three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we evaluate whether new suicidal thoughts and attempts are in part responses to exposure to the suicide attempts of role models, specifically friends and family. We find that the suicide attempts of role models do in fact trigger new suicidal thoughts and in some cases attempts, even after significant controls are introduced. Moreover, we find that these effects fade with time, that girls are more vulnerable to them than boys, and that the relationship to the role model-for teenagers at least-matters. Friends appear to be more salient role models for both boys and girls. Our findings suggest that exposure to suicidal behaviors in significant others may teach individuals new ways to deal with emotional distress, namely by becoming suicidal. This reinforces the idea that the structure - and content - of social networks conditions their role in preventing suicidality. Specifically, social ties can be conduits of not just social support, but also anti-social behaviors, like suicidality.

  16. Using virtual environments to investigate wayfinding in 8- to 12-year-olds and adults.

    PubMed

    Lingwood, Jamie; Blades, Mark; Farran, Emily K; Courbois, Yannick; Matthews, Danielle

    2018-02-01

    Wayfinding is the ability to learn and recall a route through an environment. Theories of wayfinding suggest that for children to learn a route successfully, they must have repeated experience of it, but in this experiment we investigated whether children could learn a route after only a single experience of the route. A total of 80 participants from the United Kingdom in four groups of 20 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 12-year-olds, and adults were shown a route through a 12-turn maze in a virtual environment. At each junction, there was a unique object that could be used as a landmark. Participants were "walked" along the route just once (without any verbal prompts) and then were asked to retrace the route from the start without any help. Nearly three quarters of the 12-year-olds, half of the 10-year-olds, and a third of the 8-year-olds retraced the route without any errors the first time they traveled it on their own. This finding suggests that many young children can learn routes, even with as many as 12 turns, very quickly and without the need for repeated experience. The implications for theories of wayfinding that emphasize the need for extensive experience are discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Weierstrass method for quaternionic polynomial root-finding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falcão, M. Irene; Miranda, Fernando; Severino, Ricardo; Soares, M. Joana

    2018-01-01

    Quaternions, introduced by Hamilton in 1843 as a generalization of complex numbers, have found, in more recent years, a wealth of applications in a number of different areas which motivated the design of efficient methods for numerically approximating the zeros of quaternionic polynomials. In fact, one can find in the literature recent contributions to this subject based on the use of complex techniques, but numerical methods relying on quaternion arithmetic remain scarce. In this paper we propose a Weierstrass-like method for finding simultaneously {\\sl all} the zeros of unilateral quaternionic polynomials. The convergence analysis and several numerical examples illustrating the performance of the method are also presented.

  18. Millennial-scale iron fertilization of the eastern equatorial Pacific over the past 100,000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loveley, Matthew R.; Marcantonio, Franco; Wisler, Marilyn M.; Hertzberg, Jennifer E.; Schmidt, Matthew W.; Lyle, Mitchell

    2017-10-01

    The eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean plays a crucial role in global climate, as it is a substantial source of CO2 to the atmosphere and accounts for a significant portion of global new export productivity. Here we present a 100,000-year sediment core from the eastern equatorial Pacific, and reconstruct dust flux, export productivity and bottom-water oxygenation using excess-230Th-derived fluxes of 232Th and barium, and authigenic uranium concentrations, respectively. We find that during the last glacial period (71,000 to 41,000 years ago), increased delivery of dust to the eastern equatorial Pacific was coeval with North Atlantic Heinrich stadial events. Millennial-scale pulses of increased dust flux coincided with episodes of heightened biological productivity, suggesting that dissolution of dust released iron that promoted ocean fertilization. We also find that periods of low atmospheric CO2 concentrations were associated with suboxic conditions and increased storage of respired carbon in the deep eastern equatorial Pacific. Increases in CO2 concentrations during the deglaciation are coincident with increases in deep Pacific and Southern Ocean water oxygenation levels. We suggest that deep-ocean ventilation was a primary control on CO2 outgassing in this region, with superimposed pulses of high productivity providing a negative feedback.

  19. Restricted hip mobility: clinical suggestions for self-mobilization and muscle re-education.

    PubMed

    Reiman, Michael P; Matheson, J W

    2013-10-01

    Restricted hip mobility has shown strong correlation with various pathologies of the hip, lumbar spine and lower extremity. Restricted mobility can consequently have deleterious effects not only at the involved joint but throughout the entire kinetic chain. Promising findings are suggesting benefit with skilled joint mobilization intervention for clients with various hip pathologies. Supervised home program intervention, while lacking specifically for the hip joint, are demonstrating promising results in other regions of the body. Application of an accompanying home program for the purpose of complementing skilled, in clinic intervention is advisable for those clients that respond favorably to such methodology. 5.

  20. Comparison of electrocardiographic findings and associated risk factors between Taiwan Chinese and US White adults.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chih-Cheng; Yeh, Wen-Ting; Crow, Richard S; Bai, Chyi-Huey; Pan, Wen-Harn

    2008-08-18

    Electrocardiographic (ECG) findings are known to differ by race, however, systematic comparisons of findings between eastern and western countries are rare. To compare the ECG findings and associated coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors between Taiwan Chinese and US White adults aged >or=40 years. We compared the prevalence rate of Minnesota Code criteria based ECG findings and associated CHD risk factors by using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993-1996). Examining all the ECG findings collectively, we observed a higher prevalence of major Minnesota Code findings in Taiwan Chinese women than in US White women (15.0% vs. 10.5%), particularly ST segment depression (5.4% vs. 2.4%) and T wave abnormalities (10.8% vs. 4.8%). The prevalence of major Minnesota Code findings was similar in both Taiwan Chinese and US White men (22.7% vs. 19.6%). Taiwan Chinese men had a higher prevalence of ST segment elevation (13.7% vs. 0.9%). Taiwan Chinese also had a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy with repolarization change than US Whites in both sexes (2.7% vs. 1.4% for men, 4.3% vs. 1.3% for women). Taiwan Chinese had more favorable CHD risk factor profiles than US Whites, including lipid profile, obesity, central obesity, and smoking status. The prevalence of hypertension was similar between the two groups, however, a lower percentage of Taiwan Chinese received treatment. Taiwan Chinese men had a lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus than US White men, whereas Taiwan Chinese women had a higher prevalence than US White women. These results suggest that substantial differences in ECG findings exist between Taiwan Chinese and US Whites which cannot be entirely explained by CHD risk factors alone.