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Results Analyses (result + analysis)
Selected AbstractsEarly childhood predictors of mothers' and fathers' relationships with adolescents with developmental disabilitiesJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2010D. B. Mitchell Abstract Background The importance of positive parent,adolescent relationships is stressed in research on adolescents, although very little is known about this relationship when a teen has developmental disabilities (DD). We investigated the relationships of adolescents with disabilities with their mothers and their fathers in order to answer a number of questions regarding these relationships. In particular, we asked: are there differences in the relationships of mothers and fathers with their adolescent with DD? Are there early childhood predictors of the parent,teen relationship and are those based on variables that are amenable to intervention? Finally, do these predictors differ for mothers and fathers? Methods This study focused on the relationships of 72 mothers and 53 fathers with their 15-year-old teens with DD and their predictors from the early childhood years. Data were collected from parents through interviews and self-administered questionnaires, and from their children with disabilities through structured assessment when children were age 3 years and again at age 15 years. Results Analyses indicated that both mother,teen and father,teen relationships were predicted by earlier parenting stress. The father,teen relationship was also predicted by early behaviour problems, but this relation was mediated by parenting stress. Socio-economic status, type of disability and the child's level of functioning were not predictive of later relationships between parents and teens. Mothers and fathers did not differ significantly in their reports of perceived positive relationships with their teens. Conclusions The findings from this study suggest two important points of potential intervention during the early intervention years. First, parenting assistance and support to reduce stress during the early childhood years can benefit both mothers and fathers. Second, helping families and children cope with and diminish problem behaviours is likely to yield multiple advantages for parents and children and deserves emphasis in early intervention and pre-school programmes. [source] Predictors of care-giver stress in families of preschool-aged children with developmental disabilitiesJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007K. M. Plant Abstract Background This study examined the predictors, mediators and moderators of parent stress in families of preschool-aged children with developmental disability. Method One hundred and five mothers of preschool-aged children with developmental disability completed assessment measures addressing the key variables. Results Analyses demonstrated that the difficulty parents experienced in completing specific care- giving tasks, behaviour problems during these care-giving tasks, and level of child disability, respectively, were significant predictors of level of parent stress. In addition, parents' cognitive appraisal of care-giving responsibilities had a mediating effect on the relationship between the child's level of disability and parent stress. Mothers' level of social support had a moderating effect on the relationship between key independent variables and level of parent stress. Conclusions Difficulty of care-giving tasks, difficult child behaviour during care-giving tasks, and level of child disability are the primary factors which contribute to parent stress. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are outlined. [source] Autoimmune Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Young Patients: An Exploratory StudyTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 11 2001Jean-Paul Tomasi MD Abstract Objectives P0 protein is expressed exclusively in myelinating Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system. In a previous study from our laboratory, 27% of patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) had antibodies to P0 protein in their serum. The purpose of the present exploratory study was to examine the relationship between the clinical presentation of SNHL among children and young adults (age range, 5,30 y) and the presence of serum anti-P0 antibodies. Study Design The data were collected by retrospective questionnaires from Belgian otolaryngologists. Methods Patients were divided for comparison into two groups according to the presence or absence of anti-P0 antibodies. Results Analyses of clinical data and audiometric results indicated that a progressive hearing loss was more frequently recorded in the patients in the anti-P0 antibody,positive group (82% [14 of 17]) than in those in the anti-P0 antibody,negative group (35% [6 of 17]) (P <.005). Conclusions Thus, in the age group in the present study, autoimmune SNHL (as measured in the present study by the presence of anti-P0 antibodies) is more frequently associated with progressive than with sudden hearing loss. The implications of this finding for preventive screening of hearing loss in children and young adults are discussed. [source] Sexuality and personal relationships for people with an intellectual disability.JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2009Part I: service-user perspectives Abstract Background Despite a recent ideological shift towards the recognition of sexual autonomy for people with an intellectual disability (ID), there are continuing social and cultural barriers to sexual expression. Part I of the current two-part study assessed the sexual knowledge, experiences and aspirations of service users through focus groups and also examined their perceptions of impediments to achieving sexual autonomy. Method Thirty-two participants (20 male, 12 female) attending an ID service participated in focus groups delineated by gender and age group (13,17 years; 18,30 years; 31+ years). Results Analysis of the focus groups showed that service users, especially those over the age of 18 years, had an understanding of their sexual rights but also identified a number of social and cultural barriers that they felt prevent them from achieving sexual autonomy. Those under the age of 18 years had only rudimentary knowledge of sexuality issues, for example pregnancy and sexual anatomy, but aspired to relationships and marriage similar to those over the age of 18 years. Family and staff attitudes appeared to be very influential in the views of respondents. All service users had received some form of sex education, although the benefits of such education appeared most enduring for those over 18 years. Conclusion Service users had an understanding of their sexual rights and the social and environmental barriers that prevent them from fulfilling their rights. The provision of sex education training and promotion of positive attitudes towards appropriate sexual expression is critical to the realization of sexual autonomy for people with an ID. [source] Direct laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of conjugated polymersJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 1 2007Zhun Ma Abstract Two conjugated polymers (CPs), poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PF) and poly(3-octylthiophene) (PT) were analyzed by direct laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-ToF MS). Because of their strong absorption near the wavelength of the laser (337 nm), easy and transient energy transfer properties and sufficient thermal stability, CPs can be desorbed and ionized directly without a matrix. For comparison, these two polymers were also analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-ToF MS in the positive reflectron mode. The results revealed that they are very similar in terms of quality and resolution. All results demonstrate that LDI-ToF MS is an alternative method for the mass characterization of some conjugated systems, thereby simplifying the process of sample preparation and result analysis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Interlaboratory evaluation of two Reverse-transcriptase Polymeric Chain Reaction-based methods for detection of four fruit tree virusesANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009S. Massart Abstract Recent technological development of molecular methods has led to the proliferation of new rapid PCR or reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR-derived diagnostic tests for plant viruses. Nevertheless, for routine use, the reliability of all these new methods is not widely established and there is still an apprehension to adopt them in official diagnostic for certification of plant material. This is partly because of the lack of confidence in the obtained results and the poor knowledge on the reproducibility and limits of the RT-PCR protocols. There is a lack of information on the adequate risk assessment in the use of this new technology. An interlaboratory evaluation of two RT-PCR duplex protocols for the detection of four different fruit tree viruses was performed to address these questions. Identical samples were sent as crude extract preparation to each of the participant laboratories. Samples were coded to ensure a double-blind test. General principles of result analysis are described, for example calculation of parameters such as specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, reproducibility, likelihood ratios and post-test probabilities. These parameters and the integration of the protocols within official certification scheme are discussed. Finally, guidelines for researchers desirous of validating their new plant virus diagnostic protocols through interlaboratory evaluation are suggested. [source] Operational Optimization of Ideal Internal Thermally Coupled Distillation ColumnsASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 1-2 2001Xing-Gao Liu Lack of the optimal operation parameters in operation is one of major difficulties associated with the use of advanced energy saving distillation methods. In this paper, the operational optimization of the ideal Internal Thermally Coupled Distillation Column (ITCDIC) is considered. An optimization model and the related simulation algorithm are proposed. An optimization and the related result analysis are carried out, which pave the way for further design studies and its practical application. [source] | |||||||||||||