bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One-step acquisition of functional biomolecules from tissues
Authors: Paliwal Sumit , Ogura Makoto , Mitragotri Samir
Published: August 2010

Direct determination of functional biomolecular chemistry of clinically relevant tissues in vivo is a challenging task. Current approaches, based on tissue retrieval by biopsy and subsequent solubilization, are limited in terms of accurate representation of tissue constituents, reproducibility, and retention of functionality of solubilized tissue biomolecules. Using a pool of known surfactants, we designed and screened a large combinatorial library of surfactant formulations, which led to the discovery of rare synergistic formulations that greatly enhance tissue solubilization as well as preserve bioactivity of solubilized molecules, in particular proteins. By combining these formulations with a short ultrasound application, we developed a tissue sampling method—STAMP (
S
urfactant-based
T
issue
A
cquisition for
M
olecular
P
rofiling)—for rapid one-step determination of functional tissue chemistry in vivo. We specifically demonstrate STAMP-assisted profiling of a multitude of proteins, lipids, and genomic DNA in skin and mucosal tissues. Applications of this sampling methodology to rapid molecular diagnostics of cutaneous allergies and infectious diseases are also presented.
A subtilisin-like protein from soybean contains an embedded, cryptic signal that activates defense-related genes
Authors: Pearce Gregory , Yamaguchi Yube , Barona Guido , Ryan Clarence A.
Published: August 2010

Among the arsenal of plant-derived compounds activated upon attack by herbivores and pathogens are small peptides that initiate and amplify defense responses. However, only a handful of plant signaling peptides have been reported. Here, we have isolated a 12-aa peptide from soybean (
Glycine max
) leaves that causes a pH increase of soybean suspension-cultured cell media within 10 min at low nanomolar concentrations, a response that is typical of other endogenous peptide elicitors and pathogen-derived elicitors. The amino acid sequence was determined and was found to be derived from a member of the subtilisin-like protease (subtilase) family. The sequence of the peptide was located within a region of the protein that is unique to subtilases in legume plants and not found within any other plant subtilases thus far identified. We have named this peptide signal

G
lycine
m
ax

Sub
tilase
Pep
tide (
Gm
SubPep). The gene (Glyma18g48580) was expressed in all actively growing tissues of the soybean plant. Although transcription of Glyma18g48580 was not induced by wounding, methyl jasmonate, methyl salicylate, or ethephon, synthetic
Gm
SubPep peptide, when supplied to soybean cultures, induced the expression of known defense-related genes, such as
Cyp93A1
,
Chib-1b
,
PDR12
, and
achs
.
Gm
SubPep is a unique plant defense peptide signal, cryptically embedded within a plant protein with an independent metabolic role, providing insights into plant defense mechanisms.
Neural sensitivity to social rejection is associated with inflammatory responses to social stress
Authors: Slavich George M. , Way Baldwin M. , Eisenberger Naomi I. , Taylor Shelley E.
Published: August 2010

Although stress-induced increases in inflammation have been implicated in several major disorders, including cardiovascular disease and depression, the neurocognitive pathways that underlie inflammatory responses to stress remain largely unknown. To examine these processes, we recruited 124 healthy young adult participants to complete a laboratory-based social stressor while markers of inflammatory activity were obtained from oral fluids. A subset of participants (
n
= 31) later completed an fMRI session in which their neural responses to social rejection were assessed. As predicted, exposure to the laboratory-based social stressor was associated with significant increases in two markers of inflammatory activity, namely a soluble receptor for tumor necrosis factor-α (sTNFαRII) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In the neuroimaging subsample, greater increases in sTNFαRII (but not IL-6) were associated with greater activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula, brain regions that have previously been associated with processing rejection-related distress and negative affect. These data thus elucidate a neurocognitive pathway that may be involved in potentiated inflammatory responses to acute social stress. As such, they have implications for understanding how social stressors may promote susceptibility to diseases with an inflammatory component.
Allogeneic T cells impair engraftment and hematopoiesis after stem cell transplantation
Authors: Müller Antonia M. S. , Linderman Jessica A. , Florek Mareike , Miklos David , Shizuru Judith A.
Published: August 2010

Because of the perception that depleting hematopoietic grafts of T cells will result in poorer immune recovery and in increased risk of graft rejection, pure hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), which avoid the potentially lethal complication of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), have not been used for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in humans. Ideal grafts should contain HSC plus mature cells that confer only the benefits of protection from pathogens and suppression of malignancies. This goal requires better understanding of the effects of each blood cell type and its interactions during engraftment and immune regeneration. Here, we studied hematopoietic reconstitution post-HCT, comparing grafts of purified HSC with grafts supplemented with T cells in a minor histocompatibility antigen (mHA)-mismatched mouse model. Cell counts, composition, and chimerism of blood and lymphoid organs were evaluated and followed intensively through the first month, and then subsequently for up to 1 yr. Throughout this period, recipients of pure HSC demonstrated superior total cell recovery and lymphoid reconstitution compared with recipients of T cell-containing grafts. In the latter, rapid expansion of T cells occurred, and suppression of hematopoiesis derived from donor HSC was observed. Our findings demonstrate that even early post-HCT, T cells retard donor HSC engraftment and immune recovery. These observations contradict the postulation that mature donor T cells provide important transient immunity and facilitate HSC engraftment.
A tumor-suppressing mechanism in
Drosophila
involving cell competition and the Hippo pathway
Authors: Menéndez Javier , Pérez-Garijo Ainhoa , Calleja Manuel , Morata Ginés
Published: August 2010

Mutant larvae for the
Drosophila
gene
lethal giant larva (lgl)
develop neoplastic tumors in imaginal discs. However,
lgl
mutant clones do not form tumors when surrounded by wild-type tissue, suggesting the existence of a tumor-suppressing mechanism. We have investigated the tumorigenic potential of
lgl
mutant cells by generating wing compartments that are entirely mutant for
lgl
and also inducing clones of various genetic combinations of

lgl
−

cells. We find that

lgl
−

compartments can grow indefinitely but

lgl
−

clones are eliminated by cell competition.
lgl
mutant cells may form tumors if they acquire constitutive activity of the Ras pathway (

lgl
−
UAS-ras
V12

), which confers proliferation advantage through inhibition of the Hippo pathway. Yet, the majority of

lgl
−
UAS-ras
V12

clones are eliminated in spite of their high proliferation rate. The formation of a tumor requires in addition the formation of a microenvironment that allows mutant cells to evade cell competition.
Cooperation of Tim-3 and PD-1 in CD8 T-cell exhaustion during chronic viral infection
Authors: Jin Hyun-Tak , Anderson Ana C. , Tan Wendy G. , West Erin E. , Ha Sang-Jun , Araki Koichi , Freeman Gordon J. , Kuchroo Vijay K. , Ahmed Rafi
Published: August 2010

Inhibitory receptors play a crucial role in regulating CD8 T-cell function during chronic viral infection. T-cell Ig- and mucin-domain–containing molecule–3 (Tim-3) is well known to negatively regulate T-cell responses, but its role in CD8 T-cell exhaustion during chronic infection in vivo remains unclear. In this study, we document coregulation of CD8 T cell exhaustion by Tim-3 and PD-1 during chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. Whereas Tim-3 was only transiently expressed by CD8 T cells after acute infection, virus-specific CD8 T cells retained high Tim-3 expression throughout chronic infection. The majority (approximately 65% to 80%) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus–specific CD8 T cells in lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs coexpressed Tim-3 and PD-1. This coexpression of Tim-3 and PD-1 was associated with more severe CD8 T-cell exhaustion in terms of proliferation and secretion of effector cytokines such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2. Interestingly, CD8 T cells expressing both inhibitory receptors also produced the suppressive cytokine IL-10. Most importantly, combined blockade of Tim-3 and PD-1 pathways in vivo synergistically improved CD8 T cell responses and viral control in chronically infected mice. Taken together, our study defines a parameter for determining the severity of CD8 T cell dysfunction and for identifying virus-specific CD8 T cells that produce IL-10, and shows that targeting both PD-1 and Tim-3 is an effective immune strategy for treating chronic viral infections.
Exposing the co-adaptive potential of protein–protein interfaces through computational sequence design
Authors: Fromer Menachem , Linial Michal
Published: August 2010

Motivation: In nature, protein–protein interactions are constantly evolving under various selective pressures. Nonetheless, it is expected that crucial interactions are maintained through compensatory mutations between interacting proteins. Thus, many studies have used evolutionary sequence data to extract such occurrences of correlated mutation. However, this research is confounded by other evolutionary pressures that contribute to sequence covariance, such as common ancestry.

Results: Here, we focus exclusively on the compensatory mutations deriving from physical protein interactions, by performing large-scale computational mutagenesis experiments for >260 protein–protein interfaces. We investigate the potential for co-adaptability present in protein pairs that are always found together in nature (obligate) and those that are occasionally in complex (transient). By modeling each complex both in bound and unbound forms, we find that naturally transient complexes possess greater relative capacity for correlated mutation than obligate complexes, even when differences in interface size are taken into account.

Contact:  michall@cc.huji.ac.il

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Primary care teams
Authors: BAMFORD TERRY
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Northern Ireland has a health and social services structure which should lead to the easier establishment of effective primary care teams. Following an analysis of constraints on interprofessional collaboration, various models of practice in Northern Ireland and in England and Wales are discussed to demonstrate potential solutions. Child abuse in particular is used to identify both problems and ways forward, especially concerning the general practitioner's key role in the primary care team
Family centres
Authors: HOLMAN BOB
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Family centres have multiplied in number of late but as yet analytical studies about them are few. In this paper the results are presented of interviews with the staff, users and ‘outsiders’ of three centres. From this it is possible to deduce three models of family centres. The models are then used to discuss how they serve differing kinds of consumers and how each best fits into the statutory and voluntary sectors

This article is based on material contained in Boh Holman's hook Putting Families First: Prevention and Child Care, to be published by Macmillan Education in 1988. It appears here by permission of the publishers
Pre‐school immunisation: the importance of achieving adequate uptake
Authors: SENTURIA YVONNE D. , PECKHAM CATHERINE S.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. With the anticipated introduction of a triple vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella, the proportion of children vaccinated each year will need to rise from 68 per cent to 95 per cent if the target of eliminating measles is to be achieved. This article reviews the morbidity associated with preventable infectious diseases of childhood, discusses possible reasons for inadequate vaccine uptake and suggests ways for improving this situation including the case for school entry legislation.
Motherhood under twenty: prevailing ideologies and research
Authors: MELHUISH EDWARD , PHOENIX ANN
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY.Women who become mothers under the age of 20 are usually thought to he at greater risk of health and social problems. The authors argue that such a prevailing view has become institutionalised in the approaches of practitioners and researchers. They examine the ideological and factual bases of such an attitude towards teenage mothers and conclude that ideology is dominant. Suggestions are made as to how this might be overcome to allow a more balanced approach to research about young motherhood.
Children who refuse to speak: Ethnic background of children with special educational needs described as elective mute
Authors: CLINE TONY , KYSEL FLORISSE
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Headteachers reported on the characteristics of 8,067 children in a large sample of urban special schools and units. Twenty‐three children were identified as elective mute. The age, sex, ethnic background, and other behaviour difficulties described in this sample are outlined. It is argued that previous explanations for the ethnic composition of samples of elective mute children need to be reconsidered in the light of this data.
Infant teachers have a major impact on children's self‐awareness
Authors: CROCKER A.C. , CHEESEMAN R.G.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. A conclusion of a study into ‘the ability of young children to rank themselves for academic ability’ was that very young children were able to rank, their own and each other's academic ability with a high degree of agreement. The hypothesis was developed that the teacher's beliefs were the influencing factor. This article uses further analysis of the data to show a very strong relationship between peer and teacher estimates of ability, in contrast with the relatively lower co‐relation between peer estimates and measured intelligence
Children's conversation with adults
Authors: McGURK HARRY , GLACHAN MARTIN
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. nderstanding inter‐personal communication is no easy task and seems particularly uncertain when adults are talking to children. The authors set out to identify how children perceive what adults say to them by seeking to understand the nature of children's knowledge about adults in general. A study of 300 children, aged 4–14 was carried out to ascertain the types of response children gave at different ages to a standard set of questions in conversation. The authors conclude that as children grow older they move from anecdotal, through physical and social, to psychological responses. They conclude this greater understanding of the way children, in particular adolescents, perceive adults could have a very positive effect on professional relationships with young people
Using written agreements with families
Authors: TUNNARD JO
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The notion of contracts in work between professionals and clients is not new, but their use remains patchy and little researched. This paper highlights the growing interest in written agreements. It describes their use in two American and several British child care projects and sets out some criteria against which to judge whether agreements are likely to be viewed positively by family members
Adolescent sexual behaviour: the challenge for adults
Authors: KENDELL KATHERINE , COLEMAN JOHN
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This paper considers adult responses to the changing patterns of teenage sexual behaviour. Using comparative material from other western countries, sex education, public policy and the use of statistics are discussed in the light of these social changes. The paper concludes by underlining the urgent need for adults to respond positively to the challenges presented by the sexuality of the young
How fair are child care procedures? Lessons from Cleveland and beyond
Authors: FREEMAN M.D.A.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Even before the Cleveland ‘crisis’ there was concern that care proceedings and child care practices ignored ‘due process’. In particular they were seen as being balanced too heavily in favour of the local authority

In this article, the author argues that events in Cleveland were only an extreme example of the short‐comings of current law and social work and judicial practice. He compares what happened in Cleveland with other, less dramatic, cases elsewhere in the country to show the need for major changes concerning place of safety orders, access arrangements and the ability of parents to challenge local authorities
Working together for whose benefit?
Authors: RICHES PETER
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Lack of multi‐disciplinary cooperation was seen by the Cleveland Inquiry as one of the major causes of what went wrong. The need for the many different professionals to work together in child abuse has been stressed many times before, but in sexual abuse matters the task, seems particularly daunting. This article reviews the traditional barriers to cooperation, applies them to sex abuse and suggesfs ways of beginning to overcome them
Child advocacy in Norway
Authors: FLEKKOY MALFRID
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. One of the first countries to establish an ‘Ombudsman’ for children was Norway. This article outlines the principles and practice of the Office and sets it in historical context. The author, the first and current Barneombudet, argues that the post has much potential, not just in assisting individual children, but in advancing new policies and legislation concerning young people.
The French puéricultrice
Authors: FOSTER MARIE‐CLAUDE
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This paper looks at the French equivalent of the British health visitor—the puéricultrice. Through consideration of the role of the State in child surveillance and official social policy regarding children, it explores the hypothesis that the work of these two sets of workers (and hence their perspectives) is to a large extent socially constructed.

The paper is based on an exploratory study conducted in 1987 and funded by the Institute of Education, London. Data on health visitors are drawn from a recent research project at Thomas Coram Research Unit, ‘Parents and Professionals—perspectives on child health care’, carried out by the author together with Berry Mayall. The Economic and Social Research Council funded the study from 1985–1988.
Very young children and the Family Fund
Authors: LAWTON DOROTHY
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. A startling increase in the number of severely handicapped babies surviving beyond their first few weeks is confirmed by an analysis of families applying to the Family Fund for help. Many more of these babies, too, require so much more care and attention than a normal tiny baby that they are now immediately accepted as eligible for Family Fund help. Though the Fund exists to meet the needs of these families, this article also considers the issues for the increasing number who are having their lives irrevocably altered by having to care for a very severely handicapped child
Involving children in conciliation
Authors: GARWOOD FIONA
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The question of involving children themselves in conciliation, when their parents are being divorced., has been considered and debated over the ten years since conciliation services began in this country as described in two articles in the last issue of Children & Society. This article describes how children are involved in one service — the Lothian Family Conciliation Service. The author followed up a sample of children who had been involved in conciliation., to ask their views on the service. While the findings point to positive outcomes for many of the children., some safeguards and conditions are needed to improve the service when conciliators see children as well as their parents
Children with epilepsy who have special needs
Authors: KURTZ ZAKRINA , RICHMAN NAOMI
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. About five percent of children with epilepsy are severely or multiply handicapped. Many of these probably did not go to school before the 1970 Education Act, although epilepsy had been a named category for special education from the earliest provision. This paper describes two studies of the characteristics of children attending the residential special schools for epilepsy in England and Wales before the 1981 Education Act, and discusses the provision of local services for severely handicapped children with epilepsy as a consequence of the Act and the possible continuing role for residential schools for this group.
Children's rights: developments and prospects
Authors: FRANKLIN BOB
Published: August 2010

The decade since International Year of the Child has witnessed a variety of suggestions and initiatives to promote the rights of children. Proposals for ombudswork with children, a Minister for Children, a Children's Congress, a Children's Rights Officer, a Youth Charter and Youth Councils are each critically assessed. It is argued that the forthcoming Convention on the Rights of the Child may prove less effective in winning rights for children than its advocates imagine. The author concludes that rights for children are less likely to be achieved by adopting any specific group of reforms, than by acknowledging and supporting the principle that, wherever possible, children should be encouraged to make decisions for themselves and act on their own behalf
Towards Empowerment in Child Protection Work
Authors: Boushel Margaret , Lebacq Marie
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The authors argue in this paper that the dominance of legal and professional approaches that individualise and pathologise child abuse has left welfare workers ill‐equipped to respond to the emergent interest in parent's and children's rights. They suggest that such approaches fail to take adequate account of inequalities based on class, gender and race and the socially‐constructed aspects of adult‐child relationships. They develop a concept of empowerment, informed by radical traditions within welfare work, which can be applied in the context of state intervention to protect children. The applicability of the model is then examined through the use of two case studies.
Teachers' Training Needs in the Area of Child Abuse and Protection
Authors: Barker Janice , Jamieson Colin
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: In issue 5(2), Robert Webster outlined the issues in school‐based child sexual abuse prevention. He argued that teachers were not being given the training they needed and wanted. This paper reports on a survey in one county of England, and shows the lack of training in child sexual abuse matters to be consistent with Robert Webster's experience. The authors go on to outline the types of training demanded by the vast majority of teachers.
Early Development Delays and Extreme Poverty
Authors: Din Anne Bar
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The children of Santa Ursula, a marginalised area of Mexico City, suffer extreme forms of deprivation both in terms of their material conditions and their social context. The author of this paper describes her study of the children and their mothers, using standard psychological tests. Acknowledging that these tests are culturally specific to the so called ‘developed’ world, the results are nonetheless interesting in that the administration of the tests produces as significant results as the tests themselves. The article emphasises that there are important lessons for those working with children in deprived and oppressed circumstances, in all parts of the world.
The First Interview in Child Protection: Social Work Method and Process
Authors: Oppenheim Lesley
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. A particularly problematic aspect of practice is the initial investigation into non‐accidental injury. This article describes a social work approach which will be of interest to other disciplines in seeking to understand social work method. Within a task‐centred framework, the author outlines three major tasks in initial child protection interviews: safeguarding the child, obtaining an explanation, and establishing a working alliance with the parent. An exploratory interview, following up an allegation of non‐accidental injury, is then analysed to highlight the actual social work process or technical moves within it Although a single example is limited in the number of factors it can illustrate, the principle of trying to establish collaborative alliances is clear, if not always possible. The case example should prove useful in training, from whence it has been developed.
Laws, Conventions and Rights
Authors: Freeman Michael
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This article traces the developing recognition of children's rights, both at an international and national level. The UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the UN Convention thirty years later provide a context within which a child's right to self‐determination and autonomy have gradually become more central. The tensions between listening to children's views and the welfare of the child are examined, in relation to the Children Act, and the case is made for the need to move beyond conventions towards empowerment.
The Contract Culture: Mix or Muddle?
Authors: Walby Christine
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This paper was originally a contribution to a conference organised by the National Children's Bureau and local authority associations on childcare and the contract culture. It suggests that the current preoccupation with organisation and process is a dangerous diversion from the substantive issues facing services to children. It also claims that in the absence of coherent and integrated strategies for children an incremental drift towards a contract culture will fundamentally change the voluntary sector, dissipate the strengths of the public sector and enhance the problems of fragmentation apparent in other services. The lack of evidence to support a view that the contract culture would lead to better or cheaper services is also explored.
Children's Welfare in the Courtroom: Preparation and Protection of the Child Witness
Authors: Westcott Helen L. , Davies Graham M.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY.This paper summarises recent attempts to safeguard children's welfare in the courtroom. Drawing on international research and practice developments, the paper compares programmes that prepare children for their role as witnesses with reforms designed toprotectchildren once they testify. Benefits and disadvantages associated with both approaches are highlighted, and the paper concludes that all professionals have a responsibility to promote children's welfare in the courtroom.
International Parental Abduction and Its Implications for Social Work Practice: Great Britain to the United States
Authors: Greif Geoffrey L. , Hegar Rebecca L.
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. Indications are that abduction of children by their own parents is on the rise and may increase further with the coming European Community and the relaxation of travel barriers between countries. A case example of an international parental abduction from Great Britain to the United States is used to illustrate some of the treatment issues confronting social workers who may come in contact with these families.
Issues of Access and Choice in the Mixed Economy of Daycare for Under Fives in Tower Hamlets Docklands
Authors: Bernstock Penny
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The ‘market’ is now being promoted as the most appropriate mechanism for meeting parents' needs for daycare. This article reports research undertaken in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets early in 1992 to assess the consequences for access to child daycare of changes in policy which have led to increased emphasis upon market‐based solutions and a ‘mixed economy’ of daycare. Socio‐economic change, with a widening range of employment and income levels, and increasing numbers of young children characterise the area. There has been a reduction in daycare options for the majority of households with under fives. Affordability is now one of the major factors determining access to daycare. Many other problems in the operation of the market in Tower Hamlets are described. Questions are raised about the viability of a mixed economy of daycare, in the light of the financial problems being experienced by day nurseries operating in the area, and the extent to which private companies can be relied on to provide childcare assistance for their staff. National policy makers must ensure that the daycare needs of low income households are met through the mixed economy of daycare.
Trends and Issues in the Dissemination of Child Development and Early Education Knowledge
Authors: Katz Lilian
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The ideas presented in this paper draw on the author's 25 years experience as Director of the ERIC Clearing House on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (ERIC/EECE), and the responsibility for disseminating the information from this vast document collection to teachers, parents and others in the field. The paper discusses current trends in the environment to which the dissemination of child development and early education knowledge is directed. It considers ways in which practitioners receive and use new information and research findings, and particularly the culture gap between scientist/researcher and clinician/practitioner, and considers the implications of this for those who disseminate this information.
Young Children in Rural Areas: Implementing the Children Act
Authors: Statham June , Cameron Claire
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. This article is based on the results of the first stage of a study of the Children Act (day care and preschool education), and looks at how the Children Act 1989 has been put into practice with respect to services for children under eight, in rural local authorities in England and Wales. It considers the duties given by the Act to local authorities from a rural perspective, including providing a range of services for children in need, reviewing the services that are available for all young children, and setting standards for day care services provided by the voluntary and private sectors. It concludes that although the Act has helped to focus attention on the needs of children in rural areas, there is a danger that nothing will be done to meet them because of the principle of targeting resources on children who are most in need. Rural isolation was rarely specified as an indicator of need, and other criteria often had an urban bias which may work against the development of services in rural areas. The article also argues that there is a particular need to develop new models of service delivery and ways of providing training and support to early years workers which are appropriate for rural areas.
Interests and Advocacy: Identifying the Role of Safeguarders in the Scottish Children's Hearings System
Authors: Lockyer Andrew
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. ‘Safeguarders’ within the Scottish Children's Hearings have until recently been a neglected resource. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Orkney Inquiry have served to raise their profile, such that the development of their role now has a place on the agenda for change in Scotland. Some difficulties in identifying their current role in courts and hearings are discussed, and some changes are proposed. It is argued that safeguarders must be advocates of children's views as well as representatives of their interests. In certain cases they may fill a gap which avoids the need to bring legal agents into hearings, which would undermine the system.
‘Droit de Regard au Nom de l'Etat’: The Juge des Enfants and Child Protection in France
Authors: Foster Marie‐Claude
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: This paper, which looks at child protection in France, is based on a small study undertaken in a large city in France—the study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The paper focuses on the work of the juge des enfants—a specialist judge who deals with juvenile delinquents and child protection. It considers the child protection role of the juge des enfants and discusses how the juge des enfants seems to operate outside the traditional judiciary system.
Ethnic Diversity and Child Protection
Authors: Thanki Vyomesh
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: Black and minority ethnic children in need of protection receive a poor response from health and social services. Practitioners are reluctant to intervene, and when intervention does take place it reflects a eurocentric approach that fails to engage with the ethnic diversity of vulnerable children. Increasing the levels of safety far all children, black and white, suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, requires taking positive action: collecting ethnically relevant data, a commitment to an equitable distribution of resources, consulting children and parents and involving them in planning and designing services.
Principles and Practice in the Permanent Placement of Older Children
Authors: Rushton Alan
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY:This questionnaire and interview‐based survey of a sample of principal adoption and fostering officers in English social services departments was designed to explore current viewpoints about policy implementation and practice in the permanent family placement of older children. Variations and commonalities of opinion are described in relation to topics such as recruitment policy, contact with birth parents, race matching and post adoption support The reaction of the agencies to new proposals will be important in the consultation process which is to follow the recent Government White Paper on Adoption
Careful The Tale You Tell Fairy tales, drama and moral education
Authors: Winston Joe
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: In this article, I examine theories which argue both for and against the educational potential of fairy tales, with special attention to the field of moral learning. I conclude that, in the contemporary world, stories have a particular importance for such learning but that the hidden moral values conveyed by many traditional tales may well be disquieting for a teacher. I propose that educational drama offers an appropriate pedagogy for exploring such values with children and describe in some detail a case study, in which I used a version of a traditional Hindu tale for these purposes. I offer a brief analysis on how the strategies employed by drama teachers can be harnessed for moral educational purposes and suggest that drama can offer children much needed opportunities to actively and creatively engage with stories and their values in a communal framework.
Promoting the Children Act (1989) in Day Services to Disabled Children: Findings from an Action Research Project
Authors: Weston Clive
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: This article describes an action research project designed to assess and promote the implementation of the Children Act (1989) in day services to disabled children under five. Evaluations of six service were undertaken with staff in different local authorities in England and Wales. Each service was evaluated twice, in 1992 and again in 1993. The quality of care on offer to children was consistently high across services, and local authorities appeared to be adopting a flexible approach to the promotion of standards. In addition, services had made improvements in areas such as publicity and information, cultural sensitivity and partnership with parents. Some suggestions are made about factors which contributed to these developments, and issues requiring further attention are highlighted.
Children and Poverty in Ireland
Authors: Kilmurray Avila
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: The life chances of children and young people can only be understood in the context of their material circumstances. Through a review of what is known about children and poverty in Ireland today, North and South, this article highlights the causes and impact of poverty and makes the case for more resources to be committed to children and their carers in the interests of both social justice and economic prudence.
Foster Parents and Long‐Term Placements: Key Findings from a Northern Ireland Study
Authors: Kelly Greg
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: This article draws on the findings of a recent Northern Ireland Study on planned long‐term foster care placements which it sets in both an all Ireland and a UK context. The article focuses on the aspirations and experiences of what the study found to be a very traditional group of foster parents. The article also identifies and discusses the implications of this type of foster carer for the development of the service.
Rights and the Children's Hearings System: The perceptions of five participant groups
Authors: Veitch William
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY: This article arises out of research conducted between 1990 and 1993 into the Scottish children's hearings system. The research was undertaken over a three‐year period in three regions of Scotland and involved five groups associated with hearings system operations: panel members, reporters, social workers, secondary teachers and police officers. Two research techniques were employed‐a questionnaire which was distributed to 620 respondents and follow‐up semi‐structured interviews with 45 of those respondents. This article provides a brief outline of the features of the Scottish children's hearings system, and considers the rights held by children and parents within the system and some possible developments of those rights.
Engaging with Primary‐aged Children about their Emotions and Well‐being: Methodological Considerations
Authors: Hill Malcolm , Laybourn Ann , Borland Moira
Published: August 2010

This article notes that an increasing number of researchers are seeking to carry out studies which engage with children rather than use them as passive sources of data. Often there need to be compromises between ideals of participation and requirements of research sponsors. Some of the relevant methodological issues are illustrated with reference to a qualitative study of children's perceptions of their emotional needs and well‐being. The authors describe some of the benefits of combining focus group discussions and individual interviews. Examples are given of a range of techniques that proved helpful.
Involving Young People—Empowerment or Exploitation?
Authors: Allard Amanda
Published: August 2010

The principle that children should be heard as well as seen—that they have a right to be consulted over decisions affecting them and to have their views taken into account by the adults working with or for them—now has general currency. One consequence is that increasing numbers of children and young people are now appearing on conference platforms or are included on the executive councils of charities or participate in working parties. Such events are often effective, but sometimes they can be embarrassing or counter‐productive to all concerned. Amanda Allard considers the lessons to be learnt from a successful initiative to involve young people in policy advocacy.
Standards, Regulation and Development of School‐age Day Care and ‘Open Door’ Services1
Authors: Petrie Pat
Published: August 2010

The subject is play and day‐care services for school‐age children. The paper draws on research carried out by the author and colleagues at Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU). It reports a survey of 120 services, randomly sampled, from 20 local authorities in England and Wales. This provides data about the standards to be found in such services when they became subject to registration and inspection under the Children Act 1989, and identifies shortcomings with regard to material resources and practice. The paper then draws on two case studies, and reports and discusses the problems met by local authorities in carrying out their new duties under the Act. These included their inexperience of services for over fives, the lack of resources available to improve services and the transient nature of holiday play schemes. It covers ways in which registration personnel used the Act to raise standards, eg ‘counselling out’, making requirements and conditions, and advising and resourcing service providers. The concluding discussion points to the need for further policy development in this area.
Parents’ Perceptions of Services for Young Children with Faltering Growth
Authors: Batchelor Jane
Published: August 2010

This article reports on a qualitative study exploring the experiences of parents of young children with faltering growth and feeding difficulties. They were interviewed as part of an evaluation of two projects using a behavioural model to resolve persistent feeding problems. The 22 respondents provided valuable insights into their experiences of parenting such children and of the various services they had received. One important finding was the extent to which they found input by some professionals unhelpful. It concludes by suggesting how workers in this field might better support parents, using the principles of partnership combined with behavioural techniques. © 2006 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2006 National Children's Bureau
The Cycle of Deprivation: Myths and Misconceptions
Authors: Welshman John
Published: August 2010

The year 2006 marked the 30th anniversary of the publication of Michael Rutter and Nicola Madge'sCycles of Disadvantage(1976). As such, it provides an opportunity to take stock of debates over an alleged cycle of deprivation, both in the 1970s, and more recently. This article seeks to use historical methods in order to outline some areas in which a historical perspective can add significantly to existing knowledge on this topic of enduring interest. In particular, it explores five myths or misconceptions: firstly, that we know the origins of the cycle of deprivation hypothesis, secondly, that we know what happened in the course of the Research Programme, thirdly, that the Department of Health and Social Security supported the research; fourthly, that social scientists were interested in the cycle hypothesis and lastly, that there has been significant progress since 1976.
Steps in the Right Direction, Against the Odds, An Evaluation of a Community‐Based Programme Aiming to Reduce Inactivity and Improve Health and Morale in Overweight and Obese School‐Age Children
Authors: Fraser Claire , Lewis Kiara , Manby Martin
Published: August 2010

The study describes an evaluation of a 48‐week physical activity and nutritional education programme for overweight/obese school‐age children using quantitative and qualitative methods. The majority of participants were obese or severely obese when enrolled, and while some improvements in body mass index, self‐esteem and engagement in a range of physical activities were noted, difficulties in evaluating a complex community‐based intervention were highlighted. Children, parents and health professionals described a range of benefits from attending the programme but more intensive services are likely to be needed for the most seriously obese children and for those families resisting intervention.
Polymorphism of sorbitol dehydrogenase and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in swine (Sus scrofa)
Authors: Hof J. Op't , Osterhoff D. R. , de Beer G.
Published: August 2010

More than 300 kidneys from the local bacon factory were investigated and it was shown that the enzyme sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.14) exhibits a genetically determined polymorphism. While homozygous individuals yield only a single enzyme band after starch gel electrophoresis, heterozygotes show multiple bands.

On the same material also 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.44) and lactate dehydrogenase were investigated, the former showed also clear genetic variants while the latter appeared only in one form.

Gene frequencies for different breeds and types of pigs are given and the results discussed.
The use of genetic relationships among cattle breeds in the formulation of rational breeding policies: an example with South Devon (South Africa) and Gelbvieh (Germany)*
Authors: Kidd K. K. , Osterhoff D. , Erhard L. , Stone W. H.
Published: August 2010

At the instigation of the South Devon Cattle Breeders' Society of South Africa we studied the genetic relationships of South Devon cattle (South Africa) and Gelbvieh cattle (Germany) with eight other breeds including Red Angus and Black Angus (USA). On the basis of comparisons at ten immungenetic loci Gelbvieh and South Devon cattle are nearly as genetically similar as Red and Black Angus. The results indicate that Gelbvieh and South Devon had a common ancestry on the Continent and are distinct from other British breeds such as Hereford, Angus and Jersey. This study illustrates the application of studies of the genetic similarities of different breeds to the rational development of future breeding and preservation programs.
Genetic polymorphism of the vitamin D binding protein and another post‐albumin protein in horse serum
Authors: Juneja R. Kumar , Gahne Bo , Sandberg Kaj
Published: August 2010

Horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, on 10% separation gel, of horse serum revealed polymorphism of the vitamin D binding protein (Gc protein) and another post‐albumin protein (Pa). Family data supported the hypothesis that Gc and Pa types were controlled by autosomal codominant alleles. For both Gc and Pa proteins, the homozygous types showed a single fraction while the heterozygous type had two fractions. Pa types were found to be identical to the post‐albumin types reported earlier by starch gel electrophoresis. Two Gc alleles, Gc F and Gc S, and three Pa alleles, Pa D, Pa F and Pa S, were observed in samples from Swedish (four breeds), Lipizzaner and Arab horses. The frequency of the more common allele at the two loci, i.e. Gc F and Pa F, ranged from 0.72–0.93 and from 0.58–0.99, respectively, in the different breeds studied. Plasma samples showed an extra protein fraction near the Gc S fraction and thus were found unsuitable for Gc typing.
Polymorphism of A, B and C loci of lactate dehydrogenase in European fish species of the Cyprinidae family
Authors: Valenta M.
Published: August 2010

In 24 fish species of the Cyprinidae family, belonging to 21 genera, isoenzyme patterns of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined, which could be classified in the majority of cases into 3 main groups. Isoenzyme patterns in natural hybrids of roach and rudd, roach and bream, roach and bleak were also analysed. In bitterling, polymorphism was observed in B locus of LDH. In white bream polymorphism exists in the A locus. In bream, rudd, silver carp and barbel polymorphism was found in C loci. Isoenzyme patterns indicate that in each case the polymorphism is genetically controlled by two alleles at a single locus. The populations investigated were in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. No significant differences were found in the activity of liver LDH in various polymorphic types of C loci of bream and rudd.
Breed differences in frequency of BoLA specificities*
Authors: Caldwell J. , Cumberland P. A. , Weseli D. F. , Williams J. D.
Published: August 2010

A total of 675 cattle of five purebred and one crossbred group were tested for lymphocyte antigens. The purebred animals represented progeny of 107 sires. Lymphocytotoxicity sera obtained from parous cows were used to detect six antigens which are controlled by codominant alleles at the BoLA‐TxA locus. Gene frequencies for the six alleles varied within breeds and large differences were observed between breeds for a given allele.
An unusual transferrin variant in sheep
Authors: Glasnák V. , Stratil A.
Published: August 2010

An unusual variant, Tf Aw, has been found in sheep transferrins. Its position in starch gel electrophoresis is identical with the variant Tf A, but the intensity of corresponding bands is substantially lower. Family analyses prove that the variant Aw is genetically controlled and represents either the product of an unusual allele Tf Aw or the interaction between the allele Tf A and a hypothetical modifying locus.