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Sixth
Terms modified by Sixth Selected AbstractsDFT-Based Pseudo-Jahn,Teller Coupling Studies on the Steric and Energetic Lone Pair Effect of Four- and Five-Coordinate Halide Molecules and Complexes with Central Ions from the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Main Groups.CHEMINFORM, Issue 22 2004M. Atanasov No abstract is available for this article. [source] A classwide peer-modeling intervention package to increase on-task behaviorPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 6 2010Laura C. Richards Evidence-based classwide interventions have the potential to help a large number of students by preventing problem behaviors before they become a significant problem in the classroom. Results of a study examining the effectiveness of a classwide peer-modeling intervention package to improve students' on-task behavior in the classroom are presented. The classwide intervention took place in three mixed-grade classrooms (third/fourth, fourth/fifth, and fifth/sixth) with 14,20 students each. Fifteen-minute intervention sessions occurred approximately two times a week for a total of six to eight sessions. During each intervention session, students watched a 4-minute videotape segment depicting a peer model demonstrating near 100% on-task behavior, which was accompanied by verbal coaching and small tangible rewards. Results demonstrated large treatment effects across all three classrooms, which remained large in two of the classrooms at follow-up 4,8 weeks later. Corresponding positive social validity by participating students and teachers was also documented. Results are discussed in terms of implications, limitations, and future research directions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Examination stress in Singapore primary schoolchildren: how compliance by subjects can impact on study resultsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2003G. Parker Objective: Examinations are anecdotally viewed as extremely stressful to Singapore schoolchildren. We test this postulate by obtaining parental ratings of children's emotional stress levels longitudinally in a large representative sample of sixth (P6) and fifth (P5) class primary schoolchildren, respectively, exposed and unexposed to a streaming examination. Method: Children's stress levels were rated monthly by a parent for 10 months. Results: Analyses failed to find evidence of any differential stress impact across P6 and P5 comparison groups, apart from a subset of P6 children whose parents complied with every monthly survey. Conclusion: The streaming examination in the final year of primary school did not emerge as a general stressor to children, but achieved salience within a defined subset of children whose parents were highly study compliant. Study compliance may be a proxy variable of some import, and have wider relevance to other cohort studies and to intervention trials. [source] Fluency remediation in dyslexic children: does age make a difference?DYSLEXIA, Issue 2 2008Patrizio E. Tressoldi Abstract This study tested the hypothesis whether older dyslexic children may obtain fewer gains on fluency and accuracy with respect to their younger peers after specific remediation. Changes in accuracy and fluency of a group of children with a diagnosis of dyslexia attending third and fourth grades were compared with those obtained by a group of children attending the sixth, seventh or eighth grade in two different treatments, one based on the Balance model (Bakker) and the second based on the automatization of syllable recognition (sublexical). Among all comparisons between the gains in accuracy and fluency obtained by the two groups, only the younger group in the sublexical treatment obtained a statistically significant gain with respect to their older peers' accuracy in reading words. These outcomes suggest that, at least for the chronological ages and types of treatments considered in this study, older children with dyslexia may obtain comparable gains to their younger peers, suggesting that ,it is never too late' to remediate reading fluency and accuracy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] When documents are destroyed or lost: lay people and archives in the early Middle AgesEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 4 2002Warren Brown In this paper, I discuss some largely unexplored evidence about lay archives in early medieval Europe. This evidence consists of a set of formulae from late Roman, Merovingian, and Carolingian Gaul, and from Carolingian Bavaria. According to these formulae, lay men and women in these regions from the sixth to the ninth centuries kept documents in private archivesbecause they regarded documents as vital to the security of their property holdings. The manuscripts in which the formulae survive indicate that lay people continued to keep archives throughout the ninth century and into the tenth. They also suggest, however, that by the end of the eighth century traditions about how lay people used and stored documents were being preserved and maintained to a large degree by churches and monasteries. [source] The temptations of cult: Roman martyr piety in the age of Gregory the GreatEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 3 2000Conrad Leyser Pope Gregory the Great (590,604) was arguably the most important Roman writer and civic leader of the early middle ages; the Roman martyrs were certainly the most important cult figures of the city. However modern scholarship on the relationship between Gregory and the Roman martyrs remains curiously underdeveloped, and has been principally devoted to comparison of the gesta martyrum with the stories of Italian holy men and women (in particular St Benedict) told by Gregory in his Dialogues; in the past generation the Dialogues have come to be understood as a polemic against the model of sanctity proposed by the Roman martyr narratives. This paper explores Gregory's role in the development of Roman martyr cult in the context of the immediate social world of Roman clerical politics of the sixth and seventh centuries. Gregory's authority as bishop of Rome was extremely precarious: the Roman clerical hierarchy with its well-developed protocols did not take kindly to the appearance of Gregory and his ascetic companions. In the conflict between Gregory and his followers, and their opponents, both sides used patronage of martyr cult to advance their cause. In spite of the political necessity of engaging in such ,competitive generosity', Gregory was also concerned to channel martyr devotion, urging contemplation on the moral achievements of the martyrs , which could be imitated in the present , as opposed to an aggressive and unrestrained piety focused on their death. Gregory's complex attitude to martyr cult needs to be differentiated from that which was developed over a century later, north of the Alps, by Carolingian readers and copyists of gesta martyrum and pilgrim guides, whose approach to the Roman martyrs was informed by Gregory's own posthumous reputation. [source] Short-term responses by the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, to insecticidal baits: behavioural observationsENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 1 2002Stephen A. Jones Abstract Toxicants may cause insects to avoid a bait, and yet bait efficacy is dependent upon insects ingesting it in adequate quantities. Amounts ingested are, in turn, determined by meal frequency, meal durations and ingestion rate within meals, but to date no report has been made of these variables for domestic cockroaches. We report an experiment in which sixth instar German cockroach, Blattella germanica, nymphs were initially able to self-select their protein and carbohydrate intake independently, then daily at the start of the scotophase some insects had their choice of foods replaced by a single treatment food, which varied through the presence or absence of protein, carbohydrate, and insecticide. Insect behaviour was recorded for the following 5 h, and the data were subsequently subjected to bout analysis in order to identify discrete meals. The age of insects in days on first exposure to a treatment food (,age') and the amount of food eaten in the observation period were both recorded and included in the analysis. Amounts eaten were affected by insect age and food nutrient content, but not by the presence of insecticide. Toxicant effects were, however, seen on average meal duration and meal frequency, in interactions with age and food nutrient effects. These results suggest ways in which direct observations of behaviours may lead to improved bait design. [source] Primary and secondary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the larynx: A reviewHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 4 2008Alfio Ferlito MD, DPath, FASCP, FDSRCS, FHKCORL, FRCPath, FRCSEd, FRCSGlasg, FRCSI Abstract Primary laryngeal small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNC) is an unusual malignancy accounting for <0.5% of laryngeal carcinomas. To date, approximately 200 cases of primary and 5 of secondary SCNC of the larynx have been reported. This tumor most often presents in the sixth and seventh decades in men who are heavy cigarette smokers. The lesion may be associated with different paraneoplastic syndromes (ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome, Schwartz,Bartter syndrome or syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, and Eaton,Lambert myasthenic syndrome) or with ectopic hormone production. The diagnosis is based essentially on the histologic appearance of the tumor, confirmed by immunocytochemical investigations. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens offer potential for long-term survival. This tumor is biologically aggressive, and the extent of the disease is the most significant independent prognostic factor of survival. The survival rate is similar to that with pulmonary SCNC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008 [source] Transportation, Communication, and the Movement of Peoples in the Frankish Kingdom, ca.HISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2009900 C.E As historians and archeologists continue to debate the volume of commercial traffic in Western Europe following the disappearance of Roman imperial rule, it has become increasingly clear that an infrastructure of transportation and communication continued to facilitate travel and the movement of people in this period. This is particularly apparent in the Frankish Kingdom between the sixth and tenth centuries. Relying to a substantial degree on technology and routes inherited from the Roman past, the Franks employed this communication infrastructure for purposes dictated by entirely contemporary concerns. Recent scholarship has demonstrated conclusively that commerce was far from the only motivation for travel in the Frankish Kingdom, and that the diversity of means and motives for communication is indicative of a mobile society. [source] Maternal depression and anxiety effects on the human fetus: Preliminary findings and clinical implications,INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008John N.I. Dieter Newborns of depressed and anxious mothers show biobehavioral abnormalities suggesting that maternal psychological distress has negative effects on the fetus. Two studies examined the fetuses of depressed and nondepressed mothers: (a) a cross-sectional investigation of fetal activity during the second and third trimesters and (b) an examination of behavioral and heart rate response to vibratory stimulation in late-gestation fetuses. Fetuses of depressed mothers were more active during the fifth, sixth, and seventh gestational months. Assessment of late-term fetuses consisted of a baseline, trials of vibratory stimulation directed towards measuring habituation, and a poststimulation period. During baseline, the fetuses of depressed mothers exhibited a lower heart rate. During stimulation trials, they showed less total movement and appeared to habituate more often. Approximately 35% of the variance in fetal behavior was accounted for by the mothers' depression and anxiety symptoms. Maternal depression may be linked to greater fetal activity during the second and third trimesters and decreased behavioral responsivity during late gestation. The response of late-term fetuses of depressed mothers to vibratory stimulation may reflect "receptor adaptation/effector fatigue" and not true habitation. Future studies should examine the value of clinical interventions provided to the pregnant mother. [source] The effect of diet on the expression of lipase genes in the midgut of the lightbrown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana Walker; Tortricidae)INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010J. T. Christeller Abstract We have identified lipase-like genes from an Epiphyas postvittana larval midgut EST library. Of the 10 pancreatic lipase family genes, six appear to encode active lipases and four encode inactive lipases, based on the presence/absence of essential catalytic residues. The four gastric lipase family genes appear to encode active proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of 54 lepidopteran pancreatic lipase proteins resolved the clade into five groups of midgut origin and a sixth of non-midgut lipases. The inactive proteins formed two separate groups with highly conserved mutations. The lepidopteran midgut lipases formed a ninth subfamily of pancreatic lipases. Eighteen insect and human gastric lipases were analysed phylogenetically with only very weak support for any groupings. Gene expression was measured in the larval midgut following feeding on five artificial diets and on apple leaves. The artificial diets contained different levels of triacylglycerol, linoleic acid and cholesterol. Significant changes in gene expression (more than 100-fold for active pancreatic lipases) were observed. All the inactive lipases were also highly expressed. The gastric lipase genes were expressed at lower levels and suppressed in larvae feeding on leaves. Together, protein motif analysis and the gene expression data suggest that, in phytophagous lepidopteran larvae, the pancreatic lipases may function in vivo as galactolipases and phospholipases whereas the gastric lipases may function as triacylglycerol hydrolases. [source] Cloning of two novel P450 cDNAs from German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.): CYP6K1 and CYP6J1INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Z. Wen Abstract Two novel P450 cDNAs, CYP6K1 and CYP6J1, were isolated from German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L). Both CYP6K1 and CYP6J1 are typical microsomal P450s and their deduced amino acid sequences share a number of common characteristics with other members of the P450 superfamily. Both CYP6K1 and CYP6J1 showed the highest per cent identity (based on the deduced amino acid sequence) to CYP6L1 from B. germanica and CYP6H1, a putative ecdysone 20-hydroxylase from Locusta migratoria. Using a CYP6K1 probe, two mRNA signals (~2.5 and ~2.1 kb) were detected in all life stages. Both signals were just detectable in the eggs and became stronger in later instars. The strongest signals were detected in the fifth and sixth instars as well as in adults. These two bands were also detected in the abdomens and in the remainder of bodies of both male and female adults. Southern blots suggest the two mRNA bands detected in the Northern blot might be a result of alternative splicing. No signal could be detected at any life stage using the CYP6J1 probe, suggesting that CYP6J1 was expressed at a low level. [source] Accuracy of an electronic apex locator in primary teeth with root resorptionINTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009O. Angwaravong Abstract Aim, To evaluate whether root resorption of primary molar teeth affects the accuracy of the Root ZX apex locator and to compare the Root ZX at different meter readings with direct canal measurement. Methodology, Sixty extracted primary molar teeth with root resorption affecting one sixth to one third of root length were used. The teeth were embedded in an alginate model. A K-type file was used in association with a Root ZX apex locator to measure canal length. Measurements were recorded using the Root ZX meter reading ,Apex' and ,0.5 bar'. Actual tooth length was measured with a K-file to the major foramen. All measurements were read under a stereomicroscope at 15× magnification. The deviation of the Root ZX measurement from the actual canal length was determined. Results, Mean differences between Root ZX length meter reading ,Apex' and actual length were 0.01 ± 0.23 mm whereas mean differences between Root ZX length meter reading ,0.5 bar' and actual length were ,0.33 ± 0.30 mm. The Root ZX was 96.7% accurate to within ± 0.5 mm of the apical foramen when compared with the actual canal length of primary molars with root resorption. Conclusions, Using a criterion of ± 0.5 mm, the accuracy of the Root ZX was high and not affected by root resorption. When compared with direct canal measurement, the error in locating the apical foramen was smaller with measurement at meter reading ,Apex' than meter reading ,0.5 bar'. [source] Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor by erlotinib (TarcevaÔ) for the treatment of esophageal cancerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 7 2006Andreas P. Sutter Abstract Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Because of very poor 5-year survival new therapeutic approaches are mandatory. Erlotinib (TarcevaÔ), an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK), potently suppresses the growth of various tumors but its effect on esophageal carcinoma, known to express EGFR, remains unexplored. We therefore studied the antineoplastic potency of erlotinib in human esophageal cancer cells. Erlotinib induced growth inhibition of the human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines Kyse-30, Kyse-70 and Kyse-140, and the esophageal adenocarcinoma cell line OE-33, as well as of primary cell cultures of human esophageal cancers. Combining erlotinib with the EGFR-receptor antibody cetuximab, the insulin-like growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin AG1024, or the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme. A reductase (HMG-CoAR) inhibitor fluvastatin resulted in additive or even synergistic antiproliferative effects. Erlotinib induced cell cycle arrest at the G1/S checkpoint. The erlotinib-mediated signaling involved the inactivation of EGFR-TK and ERK1/2, the upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21Waf1/CIP1 and p27Kip1, and the downregulation of the cell cycle promoter cyclin D1. However, erlotinib did not induce immediate cytotoxicity or apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. The inhibition of EGFR-TK by erlotinib appears to be a promising novel approach for innovative treatment strategies of esophageal cancer, as it powerfully induced growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest in human esophageal cancer cells and enhanced the antineoplastic effects of other targeted agents. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The role of family of origin food-related experiences in bulimic symptomatologyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 2 2001Elizabeth K. MacBrayer Abstract Objective With the goal of developing a model relating family of origin experiences to maladaptive cognitions to bulimic symptom formation, the authors developed a measure of family of origin food-related experiences called the Family History Inventory. Method A number (N = 662) of sixth to eighth-grade adolescents completed the inventory, eating and dieting expectancy measures, and the Bulimia Test-Revised (BULIT-R). Results Fourteen scales were identified in the inventory. They emphasized family teasing about weight, negative maternal modeling regarding food, and family rules concerning eating. Eleven of the 14 scales correlated with the BULIT-R. Two superordinate factors called Family Teasing and Negative Maternal Modeling summarized 8 of the 14 subscales. Statistical tests were consistent with the hypothesis that eating and dieting expectancies mediate the influence of Family Teasing and Negative Maternal Modeling on bulimic symptomatology. Discussion There was good evidence for the validity of the Family History Inventory. The theoretical implications of the mediation tests are discussed. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 30: 149,160, 2001 [source] Development of pharyngeal arch arteries in early mouse embryoJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 1 2002Tamiko Hiruma Abstract The formation and transformation of the pharyngeal arch arteries in the mouse embryo, from 8.5 to 13 days of gestation (DG), was observed using scanning electron microscopy of vascular casts and graphic reconstruction of 1-µm serial epoxy-resin sections. Late in 8.5,9DG (12 somites), the paired ventral aortae were connected to the dorsal aortae via a loop anterior to the foregut which we call the ,primitive aortic arch', as in the chick embryo. The primitive aortic arch extended cranio-caudally to be transformed into the primitive internal carotid artery, which in turn gave rise to the primitive maxillary artery and the arteries supplying the brain. The second pharyngeal arch artery (PAA) appeared late in 9,9.5DG (16,17 somites), and the ventral aorta bent dorsolaterally to form the first PAA anterior to the first pharyngeal pouch by early in 9.5,10DG (21,23 somites). The third PAA appeared early in 9.5,10DG (21,23 somites), the fourth late in 9.5,10DG (27,29 somites), and the sixth at 10DG (31,34 somites). By 10.5DG (35,39 somites), the first and second PAAs had been transformed into other arteries, and the third, fourth and sixth PAAs had developed well, though the PAA system still exhibited bilateral symmetry. By 13DG, the right sixth PAA had disappeared, and the remaining PAAs formed an aortic-arch system that was almost of the adult type. [source] Gregarious development of the solitary endo-parasitoid, Microplitis rufiventris in its habitual host, Spodoptera littoralisJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2005E. M. Hegazi Abstract:, Earlier research has shown that the koinobiont parasitoid, Microplitis rufiventris, attacks and can develop on early instars of Spodoptera littoralis larvae with preference to third instars. However, the present study was carried out using the newly moulted sixth instar larvae at two different temperatures (20 ± 1 and 27 ± 1°C) to study the developmental interaction between the parasitoid and the last instar host larvae. Parasitoid eggs laid in singly parasitized host larvae invariably died. As the number of parasitoid eggs/host larvae increased, the proportion of eggs that hatched and number of viable parasitoid larvae successfully reached to their final instar increased. The effect of superparasitization seems to be dose (no. of eggs + parasitoid factors)-temperature-dependent. The results demonstrate a kind of ,Allee effect' suggesting that superparasitized last instar S. littoralis larvae provide a better host environment than singly parasitized hosts for the parasitoid, M. rufiventris. This may be due to host's hormone and/or low dose of factors injected with parasitoid eggs. The supernumerary individuals of wasp larvae developed normally to the point of emergence but most did not successfully emerge from the host. The improvement of both hatchability and post-embryonic development of parasitoid wasp was significantly (P < 0.01) greater at 20°C than at 27°C. The results of the present study are useful in understanding the evolution of life-history strategies and host range in parasitic hymenoptera. [source] Gypsy moth parasitoids in the declining outbreak in LithuaniaJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2001Zolubas A 3 year study was conducted on the parasitoids of gypsy moth larvae in two reducing outbreak areas in Lithuania. Overall parasitism of 25.0 ± 2.0% in the first post-culmination year was significantly lower than the 36.3 ± 1.4 and 35.2 ± 1.4% parasitism in the two subsequent years. When analysed in terms of the life stage at which the host was collected, the total parasitism over 3 years was constantly increasing from 3.1 ± 0.8 in the first to 72.5 ± 2.9% in the sixth instar. Parasetigena silvestris R.-D. dominated causing 48.7 ± 1.5% parasitism and 16.7 ± 0.6% larval mortality preferably in late instars. Phobocampe disparis Vier. contributed to 21.9 ± 1.2% parasitism and 7.5 ± 0.5% mortality recovering from early instar larvae. Meteorus pulchricornis Wes. parasitized 4.3 ± 0.6% gypsy moth larvae causing 1.5 ± 0.2% mortality and a few Apanteles species provided 2.8 ± 0.6% parasitism and 1.0 ± 0.2% mortality. The gypsy moth in Lithuania was reported to act as host for Rogas sp. (Hym., Braconidae) and Siphona boreata Mes. (Dipt., Tachinidae). [source] Periprocedural Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation AblationJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008M. EYMAN MORTADA M.D. Background: Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) can increase risk of left atrial (LA) thrombi and stroke. Optimal periprocedural anticoagulation has not been determined. Objective: We report the role of administering warfarin and aspirin without low molecular weight heparin in patients undergoing AF ablation. Methods: A total of 207 patients underwent ablation for AF. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guided transseptal puncture and ruled out clot in the LA. After first puncture, the sheath was flushed with heparin (5,000 Units/mL). After second puncture, a bolus of 80 units/kg of heparin was given, followed by an infusion to maintain activated clotting time (ACT) around 300,350 seconds. Warfarin was stopped and aspirin was started (325 mg/day) 3 days preprocedure. Warfarin was restarted on the day of the procedure. Both medications were continued for 6 weeks postablation. Warfarin was continued for 6 months in patients with prior history of persistent or recurrent AF. Thirty-seven patients who showed smoke in the LA on TEE were given low molecular weight heparin postprocedure until international normalized ratio (INR) was therapeutic. Results: Thirty-two patients had persistent and 175 had paroxysmal AF; 87 were cardioverted during ablation. Two patients had transient ischemic attack (TIA) on the sixth and eighth days, respectively, following ablation, with complete recovery. Both had subtherapeutic INRs. Conclusion: In patients without demonstrable clot or smoke in the LA, starting aspirin 3 days prior and warfarin immediately post-radiofrequency ablation, without low molecular weight heparin, with meticulous anticoagulation during the procedure, appears to be a safe mode of anticoagulation. [source] Intravenous magnesium sulfate for post-operative pain in patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgeryACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 8 2009A. DABBAGH Introduction: This study looks at the effect of supplementary intravenous magnesium sulfate on acute pain when administered in patients undergoing lower limb orthopedic surgery using spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine. Method and materials: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 60 patients were selected and randomly divided into two groups. Efforts were made to place both groups under the same method of anesthesia. One group received 8 mg/kg intravenous magnesium sulfate, started before the incision and continued up to the end of the surgical procedure, using a 50 ml syringe, via a peripheral large bore catheter; the second group received the same volume of placebos using the same method. To present the results, mean (± SD) was used; a P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no difference between the two groups in terms of the basic variables. Pain reported by the first group that received magnesium sulfate was significantly less at the first, third, sixth and 12th hours after the operation in comparison with the group that received placebo. Also, the intravenous morphine requirements in the first 24 h after the surgery were less in the magnesium group (4.2 ± 1.6 mg) than in the control group (9.8 ± 2.1 mg). Conclusion: Intravenous magnesium sulfate can serve as a supplementary analgesic therapy to suppress the acute post-operative pain, leading to less morphine requirements in the first 24 h. [source] Accuracy of patient recall of preoperative symptom severity (angina and breathlessness) at one year following aorta-coronary artery bypass graftingJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3 2009Grace M Lindsay Aim and objective., The accuracy with which patients recall their cardiac symptoms prior to aorta-coronary artery bypass grafting is assessed approximately one year after surgery together with patient-related factors potentially influencing accuracy of recall. Background., This is a novel investigation of patient's rating of preoperative symptom severity before and approximately one year following aorta-coronary artery bypass grafting. Design., Patients undergoing aorta-coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 208) were recruited preoperatively and 177 of these were successfully followed up at 16·4 (SD 2·1) months after surgery and asked to describe current and recalled preoperative symptoms using a 15-point numerical scale. Method., Accuracy of recall was measured and correlated (Pearson's correlation) with current and past symptoms, health-related quality of life and coronary artery disease risk factors. Hypothesis tests used Student's t -test and the chi-squared test. Results., Respective angina and breathlessness scores were recalled accurately by 16·9% and 14·1% while 59% and 58% were inaccurate by more than one point. Although the mean preoperative and recalled scores for severity of both angina and breathlessness and were not statistically different, patients who recalled most accurately their preoperative scores had, on average, significantly higher preoperative scores than those with less accurate recall. Patients whose angina and breathlessness symptoms were relieved by operation had significantly better accuracy of recall than patients with greater levels of symptoms postoperatively. Conclusion., Patient's rating of preoperative symptom severity before and one year following aorta-coronary artery bypass grafting was completely accurate in approximately one sixth of patients with similar proportions of the remaining patients overestimating and underestimating symptoms. The extent to which angina and breathlessness was relieved by operation was a significant factor in improving accuracy of recall. Relevance to clinical practice., Factors associated with accuracy of recall of symptoms provide useful insights for clinicians when interpreting patients' views of the effectiveness of aorta-coronary artery bypass grafting for the relief of symptoms associated with coronary heart disease. [source] Social capital, safety concerns, parenting, and early adolescents' antisocial behaviorJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Alessio Vieno This study explores the relations between neighborhood social capital (neighbor support and social climate), safety concerns (fear of crime and concern for one's child), parenting (solicitation and support), and adolescent antisocial behavior in a sample of 952 parents (742 mothers) and 588 boys and 559 girls from five middle schools (sixth through eighth grades) in a midsize Italian city. In structural equation models, social capital is strongly and inversely related to safety concerns and positively related to parental support and solicitation. In turn, safety concerns are also positively related to parental support and solicitation. Social capital and safety concerns have indirect effects on children's antisocial behavior through their effects on parenting. Implications are discussed for parenting and community-based interventions to prevent or reduce youth antisocial behaviors. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Images of self and others as computer users: the role of gender and experienceJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 5 2006E. M. Mercier Abstract Gender differences in the pursuit of technology careers are a current issue of concern. We report on two studies that use surveys, drawings and interviews to examine sixth- and eighth-grade students' perceptions of knowledgeable computer users and their self-perception as a computer-type person. In Study 1, participants were asked to generate representations of computer users in pictures or words. The results indicate that the majority of representations were of male users and they frequently wore glasses. Students of both genders were more likely to draw males. Eighth-grade students' representations included more stereotypical features than those of sixth-grade students. In Study 2, students were asked whether they believed that there was such a thing as a computer-type person and whether they perceived themselves to be one. Eighty per cent of students rejected this characterization. They differed from students who accepted it in their levels of past experience, their confidence, and the probability that they shared their knowledge with others. The results of both studies suggest that while there is a male image of computer science in general, it is not overly negative and students' self-perception is not governed by their own gender as much as by other variables. [source] Adolescents' and Mothers' Understanding of Children's Rights in the HomeJOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 3 2002Martin D. Ruck Adolescents' and mothers' understanding of children's self-determination and nurturance rights was examined in the context of the home. In individual interviews, 141 sixth, eighth, and tenth graders and their mothers responded to hypothetical vignettes in which a child story character wished to exercise a right that conflicted with parental practices. For each vignette, participants were asked to judge whether the story character should have the right in question and to provide a justification for their decision. Generally, eighth and tenth graders were more likely than their mothers to endorse requests for self-determination and less likely than their mothers to support requests for nurturance. Mothers of tenth graders were more likely to support requests for self-determination and less likely to favor adolescents' request for nurturance in the home than were mothers of sixth and eighth graders. In terms of reasoning, adolescents and mothers were more likely to consider the individuals' rights when discussing self-determination situations, whereas nurturance situations elicited responses pertaining to participants' understanding of familial roles and relationships. Furthermore, mothers' reasoning about childrenÃ,s rights reflected sensitivity to the developmental level of their children. The findings are discussed in terms of previous research on the development of children's understanding of rights and adolescent autonomy. [source] Adolescents' Perceptions and Standards of Their Relationships with Their Parents as a Function of Sociometric StatusJOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 3 2001Louis S. Matza This study examined adolescents' cognitions of their relationships with their parents as a function of sociometric status. The adolescents' subjective views of their relationships with their mothers and fathers were assessed with respect to seven relationship qualities (general warmth, displays of warmth, intimate self-disclosure, parental monitoring, conflict, instrumental aid, and provisions of autonomy) across two cognition types: perceptions (beliefs about "how things are") and standards (beliefs about "how things should be"). The participants were sixth-, eighth-, tenth-, and twelfth-grade students. Peer sociometric status was determined based on unlimited peer nominations completed by 462 participants. The 190 adolescents classified as average, popular, or rejected were included in the analyses. Perceptions and standards were shown to be distinct but related cognitions. Rejected adolescents differed from their more accepted peers in their perceptions of relationships with both mothers and fathers, specifically with regard to warmth from both parents and autonomy from mothers. Rejected adolescents also reported lower standards for parental monitoring and a range of support qualities from both parents. In addition, rejected adolescents' reports demonstrated greater perception-standard discrepancies, indicating unmet standards. Overall, sociometric status group differences were more pronounced and consistent for standards than for perceptions, and most status group differences occurred primarily among older adolescents. Findings are discussed in terms of social cognitive patterns associated with peer rejection and developmental changes in family,peer linkages across adolescence. [source] Alcohol Use Among Rural Middle School Students: Adolescents, Parents, Teachers, and Community Leaders' Perceptions*JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 2 2009Laura DeHaan PhD ABSTRACT BACKGROUND:, Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments. METHODS:, Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming). Surveys were collected from 1424 rural sixth- to eighth-grade adolescents and 790 adults, including parents, teachers, and community leaders. Census data were also collected. RESULTS:, Drinkers differed from nondrinkers by the following factors: higher perceptions of peer, parental, and overall community drinking, as well as lower levels of parental closeness and religiosity. Factors distinguishing binge and nonbinge drinkers were increased drinking to reduce stress, drinking to fit in, perceptions of peer drinking, and perceived lack of alternatives to drinking. Parents were significantly less likely to perceive adolescent alcohol use as a problem than other community adults; school officials were most likely to perceive it as a problem. Parental perceptions were also the least correlated to actual adolescent use, while adolescent perceptions were the most highly correlated. CONCLUSIONS:, Community fac tors such as overall prevalence of drinking, community support, and controls against drinking are important predictors of reported use in early adolescence. School officials were more likely to view adolescent alcohol use as a problem than were parents. School officials' perceptions of adolescent use were also more related to actual adolescent use than were parental perceptions of adolescent use. [source] Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs About Inclusion of Students with Learning DisabilitiesLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 2 2006Janet R. DeSimone The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate middle school general education mathematics teachers' beliefs and self-perceived knowledge regarding teaching students with learning disabilities (LD) in inclusive classrooms. Teacher beliefs regarding administrative support and higher education teacher preparation were also examined. The Survey on Teaching Mathematics to Students With Learning Disabilities in Middle School was completed by 228 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade general education mathematics inclusion teachers from 19 states. In addition, telephone interviews were conducted with a subset of 26 survey respondents. Frequency analyses were performed on the survey data, with ,2 tests comparing teachers on demographic variables. Follow-up interview responses were summarized to elaborate on the major research questions. The findings revealed three central issues: (1) teachers had a limited understanding of the mathematics learning needs of students with LD, (2) teacher collaboration was judged to be the most beneficial and available resource by general educators teaching students with LD in inclusive mathematics classrooms, and (3) teachers did not feel that teacher education programs at the preservice level and professional development at the inservice level were adequate in preparing them for teaching students with LD in inclusive mathematics classrooms. Implications and recommendations for teacher preparation and program implementation are provided. [source] US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for the macronutrients, energy and physical activityNUTRITION BULLETIN, Issue 2 2005B. A. Yon Summary The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in conjunction with Health Canada, released the sixth in a series of reports on dietary reference values for the intake of macronutrients and energy by Americans and Canadians. This report established Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for carbohydrate, fibre, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, amino acids, energy and physical activity. The DRIs replace the USA's Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) last updated in 1989, and Canada's Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs), last published in 1990. A panel of 21 US and Canadian research scientists, clinicians and epidemiologists with expertise in energy, protein and amino acids, carbohydrate, fibre, sugar, lipids, physical activity and life-stage nutrition were appointed to begin the process of reviewing observational and experimental studies published primarily in peer-reviewed journals. The DRIs are based on scientifically grounded relationships between nutrient intake and the prevention of chronic disease, as well as the maintenance of good health. The purpose of this paper is to highlight a number of the definitions, new approaches, and key findings as they apply to the DRIs for the macronutrients, energy and physical activity. [source] Two-year follow-up results after treatment of lumbar instability with titanium-coated fusion systemORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY, Issue 2 2009Ya-feng Zhang MD Objective:, The purpose of this prospective clinical trial, with a minimum two-year follow-up, was to evaluate the clinical effects of a titanium-coated lumbar interbody fusion system in the treatment of lumbar instability. Methods:, The study cohort consisted of 94 patients with lumbar instability who accepted posterior lumbar interbody fusion with a titanium-coated fusion system. The patients were examined at the sixth, 12th and 24th month postoperatively. The clinical outcomes of all patients were evaluated according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and Oswestry disability index (ODI). Radiological studies, which included assessment of loss of disc space height, intervertebral angle and isodense bone bridging, were used to evaluate the fusion. Results:,The overall fusion rate was 95.75% at the 24th month after surgery. Ninety-two (97.87%) patients were able to work while 53 patients (56.38%) were capable of performing heavy manual labor. Neurological assessment showed 77 patients (81.92%) had no sensory or motor deficit. The mean JOA score had increased from 15.34 to 28.92 and ODI had decreased from 45 to 15 at the 24th month after surgery. No implant fracture or displacement was found. Conclusion:, The titanium-coated intervertebral fusion cage is effective and safe for treatment of lumbar instability. [source] Alpha interferon and lamivudine combination therapy for chronic hepatitis B in childrenPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2002Mukadder Ay, e Selimo Abstract Background: Lamivudine is a new alternative therapeutic agent for chronic hepatitis B, in which alpha interferon (IFN-,) monotherapy is not successful enough. Published reports have revealed no satisfactory data on IFN-, and lamivudine combination therapy in children. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: Children with chronic hepatitis B were given either IFN-, and lamuvidine (group 1, n = 47) or IFN-, alone (group 2, n = 30). Alpha interferon was administered as 5 million U/m2 s.c., thrice a week for 6 months and lamivudine 4 mg/kg per day p.o., maximum 100 mg, for 1 year. Clinical examination was performed; blood cell counts and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and amylase were studied at each visit. At the third, sixth and twelfth month, serological markers were determined. Results: End of therapy response was achieved in 19 (40.4%) patients in group 1 and in 14 (46.7%) children in group 2 (P > 0.05). In group 1, pretreatment serum ALT and hepatic activity index (HAI) were statistically higher in children who responded to therapy (P < 0.005). In group 2, mean serum ALT was higher and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was lower in responders. Sustained response rate was 40.4 versus 43.3% in two groups. Conclusion: The response rate of IFN-, and lamivudine combination therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B was similar to that of IFN-, monotherapy. High ALT level and HAI, rather than low HBV-DNA level were found to be important predictors of response. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||