Bidirectional links and concurrent development of parent-child relationships and boys' offending behavior.

This study examined different types of longitudinal associations (i.e., directional links and overlapping developmental changes) between children's delinquency and the quality of parent–child relationships from middle childhood to late adolescence. We used 10-wave interview data of 503 boys, their primary caregivers, and their teachers. Our first aim was to unravel the direction of effects between parent–child relationships and children's offending. Cross-lagged panel models revealed bidirectional links over time between poorer quality parent–child relationships and boys' offending across late childhood (age 7–10), early adolescence (age 10–13) and middle adolescence (age 13–16). Second, we examined the associations between mean changes in delinquency, on the one hand, and mean changes in relationship quality, on the other hand. Although parent–child relationships improved during childhood, their quality decreased in early adolescence and remained stable in middle adolescence. Delinquency increased only in middle adolescence. In five out of six models, the slope factors of relationship quality and offending were strongly correlated, indicating that stronger increases in delinquency were associated with stronger decreases in parent–child relationship quality across childhood, early adolescence, and middle adolescence. The discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of these two types of longitudinal associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determination of bixin and norbixin in meat using liquid chromatography and photodiode array detection

The development of an analytical method that enables routine analysis of annatto dye, specifically bixin and norbixin, in meat tissue is described. Liquid-solid extraction was carried out using acetonitrile. Analysis was by HPLC with photodiode array detection using two fixed wavelengths (458 and 486 nm). The possibilities of ion trap mass spectrometry (MS) were also assessed. Method performance characteristics, according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, were determined, with recoveries between 99 and 102% and calibration curves being linear in the 0.5–10 mg kg^?1 range. The limit of quantification was 0.5 mg kg^?1.     

Proton MR spectroscopy of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy

PURPOSE: To determine the potential of proton MR spectroscopy to monitor patients with childhood-onset cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (COCALD). METHODS: Single-voxel MR spectroscopy was performed in 16 children with COCALD (24 examinations) who had had no treatment and in 7 children (13 examinations) who had had bone marrow transplantation. RESULTS: In the untreated children with clinically active COCALD, the metabolite ratios N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and NAA/choline (Ch) were decreased while Ch/Cr was increased. This trend agrees well with those reported by other researchers, although different experimental sequences and parameters were used in our study. Comparison of these ratios with those from a control group yielded significant differences in the occipital region. In the children who were clinically stable after bone marrow transplantation, the mean levels of the three ratios were between those of the control subjects and the patients with untreated COCALD: the differences in these ratios approached significance. In patients who had been monitored periodically, MR spectroscopy metabolite ratios correlated well with the dementia rating score, reflecting clinical status. CONCLUSION: There is good correlation between MR spectroscopy metabolite ratios and a patient's clinical status. MR spectroscopy appears to be a useful, noninvasive tool to monitor patients with adrenoleukodystrophy, and it increases the overall sensitivity of MR techniques in clinical applications.     

Increased attention for computer-tailored health communications: An event-related potential study.

The authors tested whether individually tailored health communications receive more attention from the reader than nontailored health communications in a randomized, controlled trial among student volunteers (N = 24). They used objective measures of attention allocation during the message exposure. In a between-subjects design, participants had to read tailored or nontailored nutrition education messages and at the same time had to pay attention to specific odd auditory stimuli in a sequence of frequent auditory stimuli (odd ball paradigm). The amount of attention allocation was measured by recording event-related potentials (ERPs; i.e., N100 and P300 ERPs) and reaction times. For the tailored as opposed to the nontailored group, results revealed larger amplitudes for the N100 effect, smaller amplitudes for the P300 effect, and slower reaction times. Resource allocation theory and these results suggest that those in the tailored group allocated more attention resources to the nutrition message than those in the nontailored group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Education of parents of infants and very young children with asthma: a developmental evaluation of the Wee Wheezers program

A randomized control trial of the Wee Wheezers asthma education program was conducted with 76 children < 7 years of age, 31% of whom were on a medication regimen consistent with mild, 51% with moderate, and 18% with moderately severe/severe asthma. Treatment children showed improved morbidity at 3-month follow-up relative to the changes in the controls: increased symptom-free days in the preceding 2 weeks (mean change of +2.2 vs. -2.6 in the controls; p = .004) and month (+2.0 vs. -3.8; p < .02), fewer nights of parental sleep interruption in a typical week (+0.7 vs. +1.8; p < or = .05), and a trend toward fewer asthma sick days (-0.2 vs +0.7; p = ns). These improvements were accompanied by significantly better parental asthma management compared with controls (more consistent use of preventive medications, p < or = .01; early symptom intervention, [corrected] p < or = .05) and trends toward more restrictions on smoking in the home (p < .07) and decreased parental confusion about asthma treatment (p < .11). This study provides evidence that a multisession program of asthma education for parents can improve parental asthma management and clinical outcomes in very young children and provides information on the validity and sensitivity of various asthma outcome measures in this age group.     

Conversion disorder presenting in a patient with an implantable morphine pump and an epidural abscess resulting in paraplegia

The purpose of this study was to determine long-term role of nitric oxide in modulating the chronic renal and arterial pressure responses to angiotensin II (AII). In normal dogs, intrarenal AII infusion (1.0 ng/KG/min) decreased renal plasma flow (RPF) by 31% and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by 17% and increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) by 22%. In dogs with chronic intrarenal NO synthesis blockade with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (3 micrograms/kg/min), AII decreased RPF by 25% and GFR by 19%, and increased MAP by 7%. These data indicate that chronic inhibition of NO synthesis within the kidney attenuated the long-term renal and arterial pressure responses by AII in dogs.     

Design and development of a digital farmer field school. Experiences with a digital learning environment for cocoa production and certification in Sierra Leone

This article reports on the design and development of the Digital Farmer Field School (DFFS). The DFFS offers a tablet-based digital learning environment for farmers and extension agents for knowledge sharing and knowledge co-creation. It provides an alternative to conventional agricultural extension training and monitoring. The prototype DFFS applies Farmer Field School (FFS) learning principles and is designed and developed following user experience (UX) design principles and user interface (UI) design principles from a responsible innovation perspective, using existing FFS material and tailored films which support and enrich the content. The prototype DFFS has been tested in Sierra Leone to assess its success in providing a substitute for face-to-face voluntary sustainability standard certification training for cocoa farmers. Results show that the DFFS as an off-line, telephonically connected and regular on-line updated learning platform offers an appropriate environment in which collective and individual learning is stimulated and facilitated. The DFFS prototype was socio-culturally and technologically appropriate and fitted the operational and strategic communication skills of cocoa farmers and other value chain stakeholders. Films capturing the testing are available as additional learning media.     

A Potential Role for Fructosamine-3-Kinase in Cataract Treatment

Cataracts are the major cause of blindness worldwide, largely resulting from aging and diabetes mellitus. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been identified as major contributors in cataract formation because they alter lens protein structure and stability and induce covalent cross-linking, aggregation, and insolubilization of lens crystallins. We investigated the potential of the deglycating enzyme fructosamine-3-kinase (FN3K) in the disruption of AGEs in cataractous lenses. Macroscopic changes of equine lenses were evaluated after ex vivo intravitreal FN3K injection. The mechanical properties of an equine lens pair were evaluated after treatment with saline and FN3K. AGE-type autofluorescence (AF) was measured to assess the time-dependent effects of FN3K on glycolaldehyde-induced AGE-modified porcine lens fragments and to evaluate its actions on intact lenses after in vivo intravitreal FN3K injection of murine eyes. A potential immune response after injection was evaluated by analysis of IL-2, TNFα, and IFNγ using an ELISA kit. Dose- and time-dependent AF kinetics were analyzed on pooled human lens fragments. Furthermore, AF measurements and a time-lapse of macroscopic changes were performed on intact cataractous human eye lenses after incubation with an FN3K solution. At last, AF measurements were performed on cataractous human eyes after crossover topical treatment with either saline- or FN3K-containing drops. While the lenses of the equine FN3K-treated eyes appeared to be clear, the saline-treated lenses had a yellowish-brown color. Following FN3K treatment, color restoration could be observed within 30 min. The extension rate of the equine FN3K-treated lens was more than twice the extension rate of the saline-treated lens. FN3K treatment induced significant time-dependent decreases in AGE-related AF values in the AGE-modified porcine lens fragments. Furthermore, in vivo intravitreal FN3K injection of murine eyes significantly reduced AF values of the lenses. Treatment did not provoke a systemic immune response in mice. AF kinetics of FN3K-treated cataractous human lens suspensions revealed dose- and time-dependent decreases. Incubation of cataractous human eye lenses with FN3K resulted in a macroscopic lighter color of the cortex and a decrease in AF values. At last, crossover topical treatment of intact human eyes revealed a decrease in AF values during FN3K treatment, while showing no notable changes with saline. Our study suggests, for the first time, a potential additional role of FN3K as an alternative treatment for AGE-related cataracts.