bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sirenomelia with Oligodactylia: Early Ultrasonographic and Hysteroscopic Embryoscopic Diagnosis during the First Trimester of Gestation
Authors: Clemente Claudia Maria , Farina Marco , Cianci Antonio , Iraci Sareri Marco
Published: July 2010

The case we describe reports the early sonographic findings of sirenomelia with oligodactylia at 9 weeks of gestation by transvaginal two-dimensional color Doppler ultrasonography imaging and its confirmation by hysteroscopic embryoscopy at 12 weeks to further characterize the findings. The embryo showed increased nuchal translucency and fused lower limbs with a large intra-abdominal vessel and two-vessel umbilical cords. The pregnancy was terminated by medical abortion induction after the patient viewed the embryoscopic images. Diagnosis is commonly made later in the second trimester of pregnancy, oligohydramnios being a warning signal, which usually makes the diagnosis difficult. Survival, only possible in the absence of renal agenesis, is extremely rare. In view of the extremely poor prognosis, early diagnosis allows for earlier counseling and less traumatic therapeutic termination of pregnancy.
Amniotic Fluid Prolidase Activity and Oxidative Status in Neural Tube Defects
Authors: Vural Mehmet , Camuzcuoglu Hakan , Toy Harun , Aksoy Nurten
Published: July 2010

Objective: To evaluate oxidative stress markers and prolidase activity in the amniotic fluid of fetuses with a neural tube defect (NTD) compared to the amniotic fluid of normal fetuses. Methods: Amniotic fluid samples from 36 pregnancies of fetuses with NTD were compared with the amniotic fluid from 36 pregnancies of genetically normal fetuses for analysis of oxidative status and prolidase activity. The control group consisted of fetuses from pregnancies that were diagnosed as high-risk according to a 1st or 2nd trimester aneuploidy screening, but which were later confirmed to have normal results. An automated method was used to measure oxidative status. Prolidase enzyme activity was determined using a photometric method. Results: Prolidase activity, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index of amniotic fluid from fetuses with NTD were significantly higher compared to controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively), whereas total antioxidant capacity was significantly lower (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Levels of prolidase activity and oxidative stress are increased in the amniotic fluid of fetuses with NTD. These indicators may serve as diagnostic markers in this disease.
Spontaneous Isolated Midtrimester Fracture of Tibia and Fibula in a Normal Fetus with in utero Healing and Good Long-Term Outcome
Authors: Scheier M. , Peter M. , Hager C. , Lang T. , Barvinek A. , Marth C.
Published: July 2010

We report a case of spontaneous intrauterine fracture of the right tibia and fibula in an otherwise healthy fetus at 20 weeks of gestation. The fracture healed in utero in an abnormal position. Postnatal development of the baby was normal with spontaneous correction of the angulation, and no underlying disease could be discovered. Spontaneous isolated fetal fractures are rare and need to be differentiated from fractures that occur due to trauma or underlying skeletal diseases.
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Fetal Cardiac Function: Clinical and Anatomical Correlations in Two Cases of Endocardial Fibroelastosis
Authors: Clur S.A. , van der Wal A.C. , Ottenkamp J. , Bilardo C.M.
Published: July 2010

Background: Two fetuses with endocardial fibroelastosis, one with critical aortic stenosis and one with high-output cardiac failure due to chorioangiomatosis, are presented to evaluate the correlation between Doppler echocardiographic findings, the fetal clinical condition and the anatomical substrate found at postmortem. Methods: Doppler measurements of cardiac function (systolic, diastolic and global) and a cardiovascular score incorporating five parameters of fetal well-being were recorded. Results: In the fetus with critical aortic stenosis, the cardiovascular score was diminished, there was no hydrops, the systolic and global cardiac function indices were within normal limits but the diastolic function indices were abnormal. The fetus with high-output cardiac failure was hydropic, the cardiovascular score was diminished and abnormal Doppler indices of systolic, diastolic and global cardiac function were found. In both fetuses, abnormalities in the measured Doppler parameters were found consistent with clinical cardiac dysfunction and the postmortem findings. Conclusion: Recognition of abnormal diastolic function Doppler indices may assist in earlier identification of fetal cardiac compromise.
Generalized Solar Lentigines in a Patient with a History of Radon Exposure
Authors: Mauerer Andreas , Betz Regina C. , Pasternack Sandra M. , Landthaler Michael , Hafner Christian
Published: July 2010

A woman with generalized lentigines without associated non-cutaneous abnormalities is described. The patient showed brownish-pigmented flat or slightly elevated spots with a diameter of 1–5 mm. The histopathology of the lesions was compatible with a diagnosis of solar lentigines (SLs) or flat seborrhoeic keratosis. Unlike SLs, which develop typically on sun-damaged skin of the face, the dorsum of the hands and forearms, this patient showed the lentigines most prominently on the thighs and lower legs. Besides increased recreational UV exposure, the patient had a history of occupational radon exposure in a spa with radon-containing water. Genetic analysis identified a p.S249C FGFR3 hotspot mutation in 1 lesion, supporting the diagnosis of SLs. It remains elusive whether the occupational exposure to radon-containing water in addition to the recreational UV light exposure caused the unusual distribution of the SLs in this patient.
Are Both Psychological and Physical Dimensions in Health-Related Quality of Life Associated with Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients: A 7-Year Taiwan Cohort Study
Authors: Peng Yu-Sen , Chiang Chih-Kang , Hung Kung-Yu , Chang Chung-Hsin , Lin Chien-Yu , Yang Chwei-Shiun , Chen Tzen-Wen , Hsia Ching-Chih , Chen Da-Lung , Hsu Wen-Ding , Chang Chao-Fu , Wu Kwan-Dun , Lin Ru-Ping , Tsai Tun-Jun , Chen Wang-Yu
Published: July 2010

Background: Psychological depression and physical disability are closely correlated in hemodialysis patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine the independent association of physical and psychological functioning with mortality in a hemodialysis cohort in Taiwan. Methods: A total of 888 stable hemodialysis patients were included. Patients completed two questionnaires: the 36-item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36, Taiwan Standard Version 1.0) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, Chinese Version). Mortality outcomes were recorded for a seven-year follow-up period. Results: There were 303 deaths recorded. BDI scores were inversely related to all health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains (p < 0.001). In the Cox-proportional hazard model, only poor physical dimension of HRQoL was independently associated with higher mortality. Conclusion: Poor physical dimension in HRQoL is a strong predictor of mortality among hemodialysis patients in Taiwan. Psychological depression is closely correlated with poor HRQoL but does not predict mortality.
Serum Biochemical Markers for Brain Damage in Children with Emphasis on Mild Head Injury
Authors: Menascu Shay , Brezner Amichai , Tshechmer Shany M. , Rumeny Peter G.
Published: July 2010

Despite the high incidence of mild pediatric head injuries, only within the past few years has there been increased interest and research in this area. This interest began when the findings from research done in adult patients showed that the effects of mild closed head injuries could interfere significantly with higher cognitive functioning, which impacted daily activities and employment. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often involves a combination of mechanical trauma and local hypoxemia, on which serum biomarker concentrations may provide critical therapeutic data to time the brain injury. Biochemical serum markers after TBI may be used as a source for the identification of the injury, the extent of the injury and the time of its occurrence, and even for identifying its most likely outcome. This article discusses current research and theories regarding biochemical serum markers in brain injury with an emphasis on their impact on and utility in mild head injury in children.
Clinical Factors Associated with Intracranial Complications after Pediatric Traumatic Head Injury: An Observational Study of Children Submitted to a Neurosurgical Referral Unit
Authors: Astrand Ramona , Undén Johan , Hesselgard Karin , Reinstrup Peter , Romner Bertil
Published: July 2010

Background: Clinically validated guidelines for the management of head injury in children do not exist, and the treatment is often based upon adult management routines. In order to examine the safety of this procedure, an analysis of clinical factors associated with complications after pediatric head injury was attempted. Method: We performed a descriptive retrospective study, including patients who received any S06 diagnosis during treatment in the Neurointensive Care Unit at Lund University Hospital between 2002 and 2007. One hundred children were included during the 6 years. Results: During 6 years, 100 children with head injury needed neurointensive care or neurosurgery for their injury in southern Sweden. Traffic accidents (50%) were the main cause of head trauma, followed by falls (36%). Thirty-two percent of all children were injured in bicycle and motorcycle accidents. Both loss of consciousness and amnesia were absent in 23% of the children with intracranial injury. Seven children with intracranial injury, 6 of them requiring neurosurgery, were classed as having minimal head injury according to the Head Injury Severity Scale (HISS). Interesting differences in intracranial injuries between helmet users and nonusers were observed. Conclusion: Children with minimal head injuries (according to HISS) may develop intracranial complications and may even require neurosurgical intervention. Hence, the HISS classification, as well as other risk classifications based upon unconsciousness and amnesia, are unreliable in children.
Currarino Triad: Surgical Management and Follow-Up Results of Three Cases
Authors: Isik Nejat , Elmacı Ilhan , Gokben Bekir , Balak Naci , Tosyalı Nadir
Published: July 2010

The Currarino syndrome is a rare triad that is a combination of a presacral mass, a congenital sacral bony abnormality and an anorectal malformation. We present 4 children with complete Currarino triad who were diagnosed using MRI. Our aim was to report the neurosurgical management of Currarino syndrome in children. All of the patients had chronic constipation and pain in the lumbosacral region. In the plain radiograph, 3 patients had a sacral scimitar-shaped bony abnormality, and 1 patient had total sacral agenesis. There was a narrow anal canal or narrow ventrally displaced anus in all patients. Their anorectal malformations were characterized as anal stenoses (4 patients), associated with Hirschsprung’s disease in 2 cases. In 3 patients, MRI showed tethered cord syndrome in addition to the presacral mass. There was hydrocephalus in 1 patient. Anal stenosis was treated by anal dilatation. In 2 patients, rectal biopsy and temporary colostomy (2 patients) had been performed previously due to Hirschsprung’s disease. We performed a posterior procedure via lumbar and sacral partial laminectomy-laminoplasty and transdural ligation of the neck of the meningocele for anterior sacral meningoceles, or alternatively, tumor excision for other types of presacral lesions. Histopathologically, 3 were cases of anterior sacral meningoceles and 1 was a teratoma. One of them also had a spinal abscess. He required reoperation (twice) and appeared at the time to have improved with medical therapy. All patients improved and stabilized. There were no additional neurological deficits and no recurrence of the presacral mass over the follow-up period (6 years, on average). The family pedigree did not reveal any familial transmission pattern. In cases of Currarino triad, MRI can allow the characterization of the presacral masses. If it is an anterior sacral meningocele or a solid tumor without severe anorectal malformation, it can be managed with posterior lumbar and sacral procedures. Such approaches are performed easily by transdural ligation of the neck of the anterior sacral meningocele or through tumor excision.
Distribution and Categorization of Left Ventricular Measurements in the General Population
Authors: Wild Philipp S. , Sinning Christoph R. , Roth Alexander , Wilde Sandra , Schnabel Renate B. , Lubos Edith , Zeller Tanja , Keller Till , Lackner Karl J. , Blettner Maria , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Münzel Thomas , Blankenberg Stefan
Published: July 2010

Background—

Echocardiography, the dominant imaging modality for quantification of left ventricular metrics, has undergone continuing development in the past few decades. However, given the lack of population-based data, current guidelines are still based on restricted and small data sets analyzed with methods including expert opinion. This work presents empirically derived reference values from a large-scale, epidemiologic study conducted with state-of-the-art imaging technology and methods.

Methods and Results—

The distribution of echocardiographic measurements of the left ventricle was analyzed in a population-based sample of 5000 mid-Europeans from the Gutenberg Heart Study in Germany. The randomly selected, noninstitutionalized sample provides data on apparently healthy individuals, as well as on those with prevalent disease. Standardized echocardiograms were recorded in a comprehensive data set at a single site with centralized training and certification of sonographers. Sex-specific reference limits and categories indicating the grade of deviation from the reference were calculated, and nomograms were created by quantile regression. Detailed information is given on the association between left ventricular geometry and age.

Conclusions—

The rapidly evolving echocardiographic technology with persistent improvements in image quality and new measurement conventions require the evaluation of new reference limits for left ventricular metrics. The present investigation formulates reference limits and nomograms from state-of-the-art technology and methods based on a large population-based data set. The distribution of echocardiographic measures of left ventricular geometry presents, in part, nonlinear associations with age, which should be the subject of future investigations.
A Cluster-Randomized Effectiveness Trial of a Physician-Pharmacist Collaborative Model to Improve Blood Pressure Control
Authors: Carter Barry L. , Clarke William , Ardery Gail , Weber Cynthia A. , James Paul A. , Vander Weg Mark , Chrischilles Elizabeth A. , Vaughn Thomas , Egan Brent M. ,   on behalf of the Collaboration Among Pharmacists Physicians To Improve Outcomes Now (CAPTION) Trial Investigators*
Published: July 2010

Abstract—

Numerous studies have demonstrated the value of team-based care to improve blood pressure (BP) control, but there is limited information on whether these models would be adopted in diverse populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a collaborative model between physicians and pharmacists can improve BP control in multiple primary care medical offices with diverse geographic and patient characteristics and whether long-term BP control can be sustained. This study is a randomized prospective trial in 27 primary care offices first stratified by the percentage of underrepresented minorities and the level of clinical pharmacy services within the office. Each office is then randomized to either a 9- or 24-month intervention or a control group. Patients will be enrolled in this study until 2012. The results of this study should provide information on whether this model can be implemented in large numbers of diverse offices, if it is effective in diverse populations, and whether BP control can be sustained long term.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00935077.
Platelet Microparticles Enhance the Vasoregenerative Potential of Angiogenic Early Outgrowth Cells After Vascular Injury
Authors: Mause Sebastian F. , Ritzel Elisabeth , Liehn Elisa A. , Hristov Mihail , Bidzhekov Kiril , Müller-Newen Gerhard , Soehnlein Oliver , Weber Christian
Published: July 2010

Background—

Angiogenic early outgrowth cells (EOCs) have been reported to contribute to endothelial regeneration and to limit neointima formation after vascular injury. Vascular pathologies comprise platelet activation and concomitant generation of platelet microparticles (PMPs). We hypothesized that PMPs may interact with EOCs in the context of vascular injury and modulate their regenerative potential.

Methods and Results—

Using flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrated the binding of thrombin/collagen-induced PMPs to EOCs with subsequent membrane assimilation and incorporation. This interaction promoted phenotypic alterations of EOCs with increased expression of endothelial cell markers and transfer of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 to EOCs with enhanced responsiveness to its ligand CXCL12/SDF-1α. In addition, PMPs augmented the adhesion of EOCs to extracellular matrix components and to the injured vessel wall and accelerated cytoskeletal reorganization and migration of EOCs. PMPs induced changes in the EOC secretome toward a more proangiogenic profile and amplified the EOC-mediated induction of proliferation, migration, and capillary tube formation by mature endothelial cells. Compared with untreated EOCs, the injection of PMP-treated EOCs resulted in accelerated reendothelialization after arterial denudation injury in athymic nude mice, whereas the EOC-mediated reduction of neointima formation remained unchanged.

Conclusions—

Our data provide evidence that PMPs can boost the potential of EOCs to restore endothelial integrity after vascular injury. Major mechanisms involve the enhancement of EOC recruitment, migration, differentiation, and release of proangiogenic factors.
Short- and Medium-Term Outcomes After Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Placement in the Expanded Multicenter US Melody Valve Trial
Authors: McElhinney Doff B. , Hellenbrand William E. , Zahn Evan M. , Jones Thomas K. , Cheatham John P. , Lock James E. , Vincent Julie A.
Published: July 2010

Background—

Transcatheter pulmonary valve placement is an emerging therapy for pulmonary regurgitation and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction in selected patients. The Melody valve was recently approved in the United States for placement in dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tract conduits.

Methods and Results—

From January 2007 to August 2009, 136 patients (median age, 19 years) underwent catheterization for intended Melody valve implantation at 5 centers. Implantation was attempted in 124 patients; in the other 12, transcatheter pulmonary valve placement was not attempted because of the risk of coronary artery compression (n=6) or other clinical or protocol contraindications. There was 1 death from intracranial hemorrhage after coronary artery dissection, and 1 valve was explanted after conduit rupture. The median peak right ventricular outflow tract gradient was 37 mm Hg before implantation and 12 mm Hg immediately after implantation. Before implantation, pulmonary regurgitation was moderate or severe in 92 patients (81% with data); no patient had more than mild pulmonary regurgitation early after implantation or during follow-up (≥1 year in 65 patients). Freedom from diagnosis of stent fracture was 77.8±4.3% at 14 months. Freedom from Melody valve dysfunction or reintervention was 93.5±2.4% at 1 year. A higher right ventricular outflow tract gradient at discharge (
P
=0.003) and younger age (
P
=0.01) were associated with shorter freedom from dysfunction.

Conclusions—

In this updated report from the multicenter US Melody valve trial, we demonstrated an ongoing high rate of procedural success and encouraging short-term valve function. All reinterventions in this series were for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, highlighting the importance of patient selection, adequate relief of obstruction, and measures to prevent and manage stent fracture.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00740870.
Pulmonary and Systemic Vascular Dysfunction in Young Offspring of Mothers With Preeclampsia
Authors: Jayet Pierre-Yves , Rimoldi Stefano F. , Stuber Thomas , Salmòn Carlos Salinas , Hutter Damian , Rexhaj Emrush , Thalmann Sébastien , Schwab Marcos , Turini Pierre , Sartori-Cucchia Céline , Nicod Pascal , Villena Mercedes , Allemann Yves , Scherrer Urs , Sartori Claudio
Published: July 2010

Background—

Adverse events in utero may predispose to cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. During preeclampsia, vasculotoxic factors are released into the maternal circulation by the diseased placenta. We speculated that these factors pass the placental barrier and leave a defect in the circulation of the offspring that predisposes to a pathological response later in life. The hypoxia associated with high-altitude exposure is expected to facilitate the detection of this problem.

Methods and Results—

We assessed pulmonary artery pressure (by Doppler echocardiography) and flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery in 48 offspring of women with preeclampsia and 90 offspring of women with normal pregnancies born and permanently living at the same high-altitude location (3600 m). Pulmonary artery pressure was roughly 30% higher (mean±SD, 32.1±5.6 versus 25.3±4.7 mm Hg;
P
<0.001) and flow-mediated dilation was 30% smaller (6.3±1.2% versus 8.3±1.4%;
P
<0.0001) in offspring of mothers with preeclampsia than in control subjects. A strong inverse relationship existed between flow-mediated dilation and pulmonary artery pressure (
r
=−0.61,
P
<0.001). The vascular dysfunction was related to preeclampsia itself because siblings of offspring of mothers with preeclampsia who were born after a normal pregnancy had normal vascular function. Augmented oxidative stress may represent an underlying mechanism because thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances plasma concentration was increased in offspring of mothers with preeclampsia.

Conclusions—

Preeclampsia leaves a persistent defect in the systemic and the pulmonary circulation of the offspring. This defect predisposes to exaggerated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension already during childhood and may contribute to premature cardiovascular disease in the systemic circulation later in life.
Methylglyoxal Is a Predictor in Type 2 Diabetic Patients of Intima-Media Thickening and Elevation of Blood Pressure
Authors: Ogawa Susumu , Nakayama Keisuke , Nakayama Masaaki , Mori Takefumi , Matsushima Masato , Okamura Masashi , Senda Miho , Nako Kazuhiro , Miyata Toshio , Ito Sadayoshi
Published: July 2010

We test whether plasma level of methylglyoxal (MG) is an independent risk factor predicting the progression of diabetic macroangiopathy or microangiopathy in type 2 diabetic patients. We measured in 50 type 2 diabetic patients plasma levels of MG and 3-deoxyglucosone (DG) using an electrospray ionization-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We assessed the correlations between baseline levels of MG or DG and the percentage changes after 5 years of clinical parameters linked to diabetic macroangiopathy or microangiopathy, that is, intima-media thickness (IMT), systolic blood pressure (SBP), the amount of urinary albumin excretion (ACR), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Multiple regression analysis was performed using the percentage changes in IMT, SBP, ACR, PWV, and eGFR over the 5-year period as the independent or objective variables and the values of MG, DG, glycohemoglobin A1c, body mass index, triglyceride, and diabetic duration at the baseline as the dependent variables. The values of IMT, PWV, SBP, and ACR all increase, but eGFR reduces with time during the 5-year period. Baseline level of MG correlates significantly with the percentage changes of IMT, SBP, ACR, PWV, and eGFR, whereas that of DG does only with ACR. A multiple regression analysis reveals that MG is an independent risk factor for the percentage changes of IMT, PWV, and SBP but not for those of ACR and eGFR. DG is an independent risk factor for the percentage change of ACR. MG is a predictor in type 2 diabetic patients of intima-media thickening, of increase of PWV, and of elevation of SBP.
Land revenues, schools and literacy
Authors: Chaudhary Latika
Published: July 2010

Despite the centralised nature of the fiscal system in colonial India, public education expenditures varied dramatically across regions with the western and southern provinces spending three to four times as much as the eastern provinces. A significant portion of the inter-regional difference was due to historical differences in land taxes, an important source of provincial revenues in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The large differences in public spending, however, did not produce comparable differences in enrolment rates or literacy in the colonial period. Nonetheless, public investments influenced the direction of school development and perhaps the long run trajectory of rural literacy.
Who is a Muslim? Identities of exclusion—north Indian Muslims, c. 1860–1900
Authors: Zaidi S.A.
Published: July 2010

In the second half of the nineteenth century, multiple and contested interpretations of the practices and scriptures of Islam emerged in north India, as different groupings of faith be-came formalised. Fundamental questions, such as who a Muslim was, were answered differently by each group, based on the exclusion of all other Muslims who did not subscribe to their school of thought. Differences in practice, rituals, faith and even demeanour were emphasised through the vibrant Urdu press. The British, in their efforts to count and classify, used very different set of criteria, which were quite alien to how Muslims appropriated their own sense of authenticity.
Polymer Microvascular Network Composites
Authors: Olugebefola S.C. , Aragón A.M. , Hansen C.J. , Hamilton A.R. , Kozola B.D. , Wu W. , Geubelle P.H. , Lewis J.A. , Sottos N.R. , White S.R.
Published: July 2010

Microvascular networks show promise for applications such as self-healing, self-cooling, and structural damage sensing. Fluid-filled micro-scale channels have been investigated extensively in the field of microfluidics, but three-dimensional networks in polymeric structural materials have been achieved only recently. The purpose of microvascular network integration is to provide a vehicle for the distribution and replenishment of active fluids throughout a matrix material enabling multifunctional operation. This perspective seeks to examine the advances in fabrication techniques, characterization, and new theoretical and computational tools for guiding design that are leading to systems with greater functionality and complexity.
The Whitings’ Concepts of Culture and How They Have Fared in Contemporary Psychology and Anthropology
Authors: Pope Edwards Carolyn , Bloch Marianne
Published: July 2010

This article presents a brief intellectual biography of John and Beatrice Whiting, followed by an examination of five key ideas that they put forward to the fields of psychology and anthropology through their theoretical and empirical writings. These key ideas are (a) the assumption of the psychic unity of humankind, (b) the cultural learning environment, (c) the psychocultural model, (d) the synergistic relationship of the disciplines of psychology and anthropology, and (e) the role of mothers as agents of social change through child-rearing roles as well as through various other ways they guide change in the communities and learning environments of their families and children. The authors provide readers with an introduction to several aspects of the Whitings’ contributions to social science and an evaluation of the Whitings’ enduring intellectual legacy.
Environmental Change, Family Adaptations, and Child Development: Longitudinal Research in India
Authors: Seymour Susan C.
Published: July 2010

John and Beatrice Whiting provided both the research tools and the theoretical framework for the author’s longitudinal study of children and their families in a rapidly changing town in India. This article describes some of the major findings of that research project, beginning with a 2-year study of young children from 1965 to 1967 and follow-up work with the same children and families through 1999. Results of the Six Culture Study and the larger sample of communities in Bea Whiting and Carolyn Edwards’s Children of Different Worlds are used to put the author’s research findings into a broader, cross-cultural framework.
Defensible Progress Monitoring Data for Medium- and High-Stakes Decisions
Authors: Parker Richard I. , Vannest Kimberly J. , Davis John L. , Clemens Nathan H.
Published: July 2010

Within a response to intervention model, educators increasingly use progress monitoring (PM) to support medium- to high-stakes decisions for individual students. For PM to serve these more demanding decisions requires more careful consideration of measurement error. That error should be calculated within a fixed linear regression model rather than a classical test theory model, which has been more common. Seven practical skills are described for improving the use of PM data for medium- to high-stakes decisions: (a) estimating a static performance level in PM, (b) fitting a level of confidence to an educational decision, (c) expressing an estimated score ( Yhat) with its measurement error, (d) judging reliable improvement from one time to a later time, (e) properly using slope versus trendedness, (f) expressing “rate of improvement” (slope) with error, and (g) controlling autocorrelation. An example data set and PM graphs are used to illustrate each.
Factors Predicting Post-High School Employment for Young Adults With Visual Impairments
Authors: McDonnall Michele Capella
Published: July 2010

Although low levels of employment among transition-age youth with visual impairments (VI) have long been a concern, empirical research in this area is very limited. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that predict future employment for this population and to compare these factors to the factors that predict employment for the general population. Participants in the study were young adults between the ages of 18 and 23 in 2002 whose data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Multilevel modeling for longitudinal data was the technique used to analyze 5 years of employment data for the participants. Two models were developed and tested: one for persons with VI and one for the general population. Independent variables found to significantly predict employment for young adults with VI were number of jobs held as a teenager, math and verbal aptitude, parental support, and self-reported health. Participation in school-to-work programs and educational level did not significantly predict employment for this population. Results are compared and contrasted with results for the general population. The importance of having a number of early work experiences while also focusing on academic skills for youth with VI is discussed.
Does Children’s Academic Achievement Improve when Single Mothers Marry?
Authors: Wagmiller Robert L. , Gershoff Elizabeth , Veliz Philip , Clements Margaret
Published: July 2010

Promoting marriage, especially among low-income single mothers with children, is increasingly viewed as a promising public policy strategy for improving developmental outcomes for disadvantaged children. Previous research suggests, however, that children’s academic achievement either does not improve or declines when single mothers marry. In this article, the authors argue that previous research may understate the benefits of mothers’ marriages to children from single-parent families because (1) the short-term and long-term developmental consequences of marriage are not adequately distinguished and (2) child and family contexts in which marriage is likely to confer developmental advantages are not differentiated from those that do not. Using multiple waves of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), the authors find that single mothers’ marriages are associated with modest but statistically significant improvements in their children’s academic achievement trajectories. However, only children from more advantaged single-parent families benefit from their mothers’ marriage.
Racial-Ethnic Differences at the Intersection of Math Course-taking and Achievement
Authors: Riegle-Crumb Catherine , Grodsky Eric
Published: July 2010

Despite increases in the representation of African American and Hispanic youth in advanced math courses in high school over the past two decades, recent national reports indicate that substantial inequality in achievement remains. These inequalities can temper one’s optimism about the degree to which the United States has made real progress toward educational equity. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS), the authors find that the math achievement gap is most pronounced among those students who take the most demanding high school math classes, such as precalculus and calculus. The authors explore the roles of family socioeconomic status and school composition in explaining this pattern. Findings suggest that among those students reaching the advanced math high school stratum, Hispanic youth from low-income families and African American youth from segregated schools fare the worst in terms of closing the achievement gap with their white peers. The authors discuss potential explanations for the achievement differences observed and stress the need for more research that focuses explicitly on the factors that inhibit minority/majority parity at the top of the secondary curricular structure.
Bidding Conventions and the Degree of Overpricing in the Market for Houses
Authors: Pryce Gwilym
Published: July 2010

How do buyers decide whether a property is overpriced? Do they base their judgement on the simple difference between the asking price and expected selling price? Or do they take into account local bidding conventions—the typical asking–selling price spread in the neighbourhood? This paper explores the implications of bidding conventions for the definition and measurement of the degree of overpricing and the effect this has on a survival model of time on the market. The paper also considers the impact of uncertainty and employs fractional polynomial regression to explore whether spatio-temporal variations in attribute prices affect market perceptions of overpricing.
Institutions, Property Taxation and Local Government Finance in China
Authors: Tang Bo-sin , Wong Siu-wai , Liu Sing-cheong
Published: July 2010

China’s rapid urbanisation has prompted its government to explore new sustainable sources of public revenue to finance the continued demand for urban infrastructure and services. Property tax advocates have sought to take advantage of the real estate booms that have occurred since economic liberalisation by actively campaigning for a real property levy as an appropriate policy choice. Against this background, this study evaluates the prospect of implementing market-value-based property tax reforms in mainland China. Based on the new institutional economics perspective, it posits property tax as an institutional arrangement which requires complementary mechanisms in land registration, property appraisal, tax administration, social security and dispute resolution. Property tax reforms would not only necessitate technical changes, but would also have extensive social, political and legal repercussions for Chinese society.
Planning Delay and the Responsiveness of English Housing Supply
Authors: Ball Michael
Published: July 2010

There is growing international interest in the impact of regulatory controls on the supply of housing. Most research focuses on the supply impacts of prescribed limits on land use but housing supply may also be affected by the process of planning monitoring and approval but this is hard to measure in detail. The UK has a particularly restrictive planning regime and a detailed and uncertain process of development control linked to it, but does offer the opportunity of detailed site-based investigation of planning delay. This paper presents the findings of empirical research on the time taken to gain planning permission for selected recent major housing projects in southern England. The scale of delay found was far greater than is indicated by average official data measuring the extent to which local authorities meet planning delay targets. Hedonic modelling indicated that there is considerable variation in the time it takes local authorities to process planning applications. Housing association developments are processed more quickly than those of large developers and small sites appear to be particularly time-intensive. These results suggest that delays in development control may be a significant contributory factor to the low responsiveness of UK housing supply to upturns in market activity.
Heterogeneous Treatment Effects: What Does a Regression Estimate?
Authors: Rhodes William
Published: July 2010

Regressions that control for confounding factors are the workhorse of evaluation research. When treatment effects are heterogeneous, however, the workhorse regression leads to estimated treatment effects that lack behavioral interpretations even when the selection on observables assumption holds. Regressions that use propensity scores as weights and regressions based on random coefficients or hierarchical models provide alternative estimators that have clear behavioral interpretations. Assuming selection on the observables and heterogeneous treatment effects, this article (a) shows what is identified as the treatment effect in the workhorse model, (b) shows what is identified as the treatment effect by propensity score models and models based on random coefficients/ hierarchical models, and (c) provides advice for evaluators.
Elucidation of neurobiology of anxiety disorders in children through pharmacological challenge tests and cortisol measurements: a systematic review
Authors: Garcia de Miguel Berta , Nutt David J , Hood Sean D , Davies Simon JC
Published: July 2010

Anxiety disorders are common both in adults and children. While there have been major advances in understanding the neurobiology of anxiety disorders in adults, progress has been more limited in the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying these disorders in childhood. There is a need to delineate childhood biological models, since anxiety represents a significant clinical problem in children and is a risk factor for the subsequent development of anxiety and depression in adulthood. We conducted a review of the literature regarding pharmacological challenge tests and direct hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis measurement in children with anxiety disorders, with emphasis on panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. Studies identified were contrasted with those in adult panic disorder and social anxiety disorder. Despite this broad approach few studies emerged in children, with only 22 studies meeting inclusion criteria. When contrasted with adult neurobiological models of panic disorder and social anxiety disorder, children studied showed some abnormalities which mirrored those reported in adults, such as altered baseline respiration, altered responses to CO2 challenge tests and blunted growth hormone response to yohimbine. However, results differed from adults with panic disorder and social anxiety in some aspects of noradrenergic and serotonergic function. For endpoints studied in panic disorder children, unlike adults, displayed a lack of baseline end-tidal CO2 abnormalities and a different hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal pattern response under low-dose CO2. The biology of these anxiety disorders in children may only partially mirror that of adult anxiety disorders. However, caution is required as the evidence is limited, and many studies combined patients with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder with other disorders or non-specific anxiety. Further research is required to fully understand the biology and progression of childhood anxiety disorders.
Presenting the Results of Cochrane Systematic Reviews to a Consumer Audience: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Glenton Claire , Santesso Nancy , Rosenbaum Sarah , Nilsen Elin Strømme , Rader Tamara , Ciapponi Agustin , Dilkes Helen
Published: July 2010

Objective. To develop and obtain feedback about a summary format for Cochrane reviews that is accessible to a consumer audience, without oversimplification or incorrect presentation. Methods. We developed 3 versions of a Plain Language Summary (PLS) format of a Cochrane Systematic Review. Using a semi-structured interview guide we tested these versions among 34 members of the public in Norway, Argentina, Canada, and Australia. The authors analyzed feedback, identified problems, and generated new solutions before retesting to produce a final version of a Plain Language Summary format. Results. Participants preferred results presented as words, supplemented by numbers in a table. There was a lack of understanding regarding the difference between a review and an individual study, that the effect is rarely an exact number, that evidence can be of low or high quality, and that level of quality is a separate issue from intervention effect. Participants also found it difficult to move between presentations of dichotomous and continuous outcomes. Rephrasing the introduction helped participants grasp the concept of a review. Confidence intervals were largely ignored or misunderstood. Our attempts to explain them were only partially successful. Text modifiers (‘‘probably,’’ ‘‘may’’) to convey different levels of quality were only partially understood, whereas symbols with explanations were more helpful. Participants often understood individual information elements about effect size and quality of these results, but did not always actively merge these elements. Conclusion. Through testing and iteration the authors identified and addressed several problems, using explanations, rephrasing, and symbols to present scientific concepts. Other problems remain, including how best to present confidence intervals and continuous outcomes. Future research should also test information elements in combination rather than in isolation. The new Plain Language Summary format is being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.
Acculturative Stress Among Documented and Undocumented Latino Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Arbona Consuelo , Olvera Norma , Rodriguez Nestor , Hagan Jacqueline , Linares Adriana , Wiesner Margit
Published: July 2010

The purpose of the study was to examine differences between documented and undocumented Latino immigrants in the prevalence of three immigration-related challenges (separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties), which were made more severe after the passage of restrictive immigration legislation in 1996. Specifically, the study sought to determine the combined and unique associations of legal status, the three immigration-related challenges listed above, and fear of deportation to acculturative stress related to family and other social contexts. Participants in the study consisted of 416 documented and undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants living in two major cities in Texas. The Hispanic Stress Inventory—Immigrant form was used to assess acculturative stress in the sample. Results indicated that although undocumented immigrants reported higher levels of the immigration challenges of separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties than documented immigrants, both groups reported similar levels of fear of deportation. Results also indicated that the immigration challenges and undocumented status were uniquely associated with extrafamilial acculturative stress but not with intrafamilial acculturative stress. Only fear of deportation emerged as a unique predictor of both extrafamililal and intrafamilial acculturative stress.
Latino Students in New Arrival States: Factors and Services to Prevent Youth From Dropping Out
Authors: Behnke Andrew O. , Gonzalez Laura M. , Cox Ronald B.
Published: July 2010

Latino youth are more likely than any other ethnic group to drop out of high school in the United States. Though some research has helped us understand the factors leading to dropout, very few studies have assessed Latino student’s opinions of services and factors that would help them stay in school (e.g., family, school, peers, and policies). This study presents the results of an in-depth survey of 501 Latino students in North Carolina public schools. Findings suggest that Latino youth drop out because of the difficulty of their school work, personal problems (e.g., pregnancy or problems at home), the need to work to support their family economically, and peer pressure. Students suggest improved academic and personal support in the form of tutoring, mentoring, after-school programs; improved English as a second language classes; and more Spanish-speaking staff/teachers. Recommendations for intervention and policy are suggested.
The Relationship of Ethnicity-Related Stressors and Latino Ethnic Identity to Well-Being
Authors: French Sabine Elizabeth , Chavez Noé R.
Published: July 2010

Based on the risk and resilience model, the current study examined the effect of ethnicity-related stressors (perceived discrimination, stereotype confirmation concern, and own-group conformity pressure) and ethnic identity (centrality, private regard, public regard, and other-group orientation) on the well-being of 171 Latino American college students. The study also examined the moderating role of ethnic identity on the relationship between ethnicity-related stressors and well-being. Findings showed that stereotype confirmation concern significantly predicted less well-being, whereas a positive ethnic identity predicted greater well-being. Ethnic identity also moderated the effect of ethnicity-related stressors on well-being. Different patterns emerged for the moderating effect of different ethnic identity dimensions and different ethnicity-related stressors. Findings are discussed in terms of the acculturative and ethnic diversity context of the college students.
Multilevel Posterior Lumbar Interlaminar Fusion in Rabbits Using Bovine Bone Protein Extract Delivered by a RP-synthesized 3D Biopolymer Construct
Authors: Xing Ma  , Yunyu Hu  , Rong Lv  , Jun Wang  , Xiaoming Wu  , Yongnian Yan
Published: July 2010

Rapid prototyping (RP)-based highly porous poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid)/tricalcium phosphate (PLGA/TCP(RP)) scaffolds were fabricated. PLGA/TCP constructs (PLGA/TCP(TS)) were also made via thermally induced phase separation with solvent casting and by particulate leaching approach. Both scaffolds were loaded with bovine bone protein extract (BBPE). Sixty-four New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into four groups (groups of A, B, C, and D) and unilaterally underwent posterior lumbar interlaminar fusion at L2—L4 level. Spinal fusions were systematically evaluated. In groups of A (PLGA/TCP (RP)/BBPE constructs) and C (autogenous iliac bone grafts), good bone fusions occurred in vivo. Histological analyses indicated that endochondral ossification played an essential role in initiation of bone fusions in group A, whereas in group B (PLGA/TCP(TS)/BBPE constructs), few bone fusions were observed. In group D (PLGA/TCP(RP) scaffolds alone), the scaffolds were biocompatible and biodegradable; however, no newly formed bone mass or bone fusion was found. Twelve weeks after surgery, the fusion was significantly higher in groups of A and C compared with groups B and D (p<0.01). The PLGA/ TCP(RP)/BBPE biomaterials have potential as grafting substitutes for bone healing and spinal fusion.