bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of temporal pattern of mandibular condylar growth: a molecular and biochemical experiment
Authors: Shen G , Hägg U , Rabie AB , Kaluarachchi K
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Shen G, Hägg U, Rabie AB, Kaluarachchi K

Objectives –  Based on the phenomenon that expression of type X collagen and capillary endothelium correlates with endochondral ossification, the prime aim of this study was to establish the temporal pattern of condylar growth in Sprague–Dawley rats by biochemically identifying the expression of these two factors.

Design –  Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into five groups representing five different stages during somatic pubertal growth. In situ hybridization and immunoperoxidase were performed to examine expression of type X collagen in hypertrophic zone and capillary endothelium in erosive zone of condylar cartilage. Computer‐assisted imaging analyses were conducted to allow for a quantitative assessment of the expression of these two factors, from which the temporal pattern of condylar growth was inferred.

Results –  (1) Synthesis of type X collagen and emergence of capillary endothelium were critical factors during the transition of condylar cartilage from chondrogenesis into osteogenesis, a biological pathway that leads to endochondral bone formation, the mode through which the condyle grows. (2) Quantitative analyses revealed the temporal pattern of the expression of these two factors, indicating that the thrust of natural growth of the condyle in the rats occurred in concomitance with somatic pubertal growth, featured by an acceleration starting from day 38, a maximum growth rate on day 56, followed by a decrease afterwards.

Conclusion –  It is suggested that the biochemical examination of growth markers, such as type X collagen, might be a new approach to accurately depict temporal pattern of condylar growth which is too delicate to be reflected by gross measurement not only in Sprague–Dawley rats but potentially also in other species.
The investigation of the changing facial appearance of identical twins employing a three‐dimensional laser imaging system
Authors: Kau CH , Zhurov A , Bibb R , Hunter L , Richmond S
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Kau CH, Zhurov A, Bibb R, Hunter L, Richmond S

Objective –  An investigation to determine the changing facial appearance of identical twins.

Design –  Clinical study.

Materials and Methods –  Two Minolta Vivid 900 3D optical laser scanners were placed as a stereo pair to capture the soft tissues of a pair of identical twins. Each scan took approximately 2.5 s. The scanned whole faces were superimposed to determine changes in facial morphologies at different time intervals.

Outcome measures –  The shell deviations between left and right scans of each patient were recorded and analysed for differences. Furthermore, final merged faces were overlaid to determine the changes in facial morphology over time.

Results –  The results showed that changes in height and weight correlated with changes in facial morphology.

Conclusion –  The 3D laser scanning device is a clinically useful tool in the study of facial growth and facial morphology in a pair of twins.
The effect of drugs on orthodontic tooth movement
Authors: Krishnan V , Davidovitch Z
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Krishnan V, Davidovitch Z

Objective –  Molecules produced in various diseased tissues, or drugs and nutrients consumed regularly by patients, can reach the mechanically stressed paradental tissues through the circulation, and interact with local target cells. The combined effect of mechanical forces and one or more of these agents may be inhibitory, additive or synergistic. The objective of this review is to outline the mechanisms of action and effects of some commonly used drugs on tissue remodeling and orthodontic tooth movement.

Design –  All the existing published literature on the effects of various drugs that are prescribed by orthodontists, which are consumed by patients for systemic diseases and those that are known to promote and retard the tooth movement process was obtained and subjected to thorough review process.

Results –  All the drugs reviewed have therapeutic effects, as well as side effects, that may influence the cells targeted by orthodontic forces. Therefore, it is imperative that the orthodontist pays close attention to the drug consumption history of each and every patient, before and during the course of orthodontic treatment. When the use of drugs is revealed, their effects and side effects on tissue systems should be explored, to determine their potential influence on the outcome of mechanotherapy.

Conclusion –  Drug‐consumption history must be an integral part of every orthodontic diagnosis and treatment plan.
Relationship of TMJ osteoarthritis / osteoarthrosis to head posture and dentofacial morphology
Authors: Ioi H , Matsumoto R , Nishioka M , Goto TK , Nakata S , Nakasima A , Counts AL
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Ioi H, Matsumoto R, Nishioka M, Goto TK, Nakata S, Nakasima A, Counts AL

Objective –  The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis (OA), head posture and dentofacial morphology.

Design –  Case–control study.

Subjects and Methods –  The subjects consisted of 34 Japanese females with TMJ OA (aged 24.7 ± 6.1 years) and a control group of 25 healthy Japanese females (aged 23.6 ± 1.3 years). Six cranio‐cervical angular measurements were constructed for head posture analysis. Nine angular and three linear measurements were constructed for the skeletal hard tissue analysis. Five angular and one linear measurements were constructed for the dental hard tissue analysis. Unpaired t‐tests were used to compare the mean differences of head posture measurements and dentofacial cephalometric measurements between the TMJ OA and the control group.

Results –  The TMJ OA group had significantly larger cranio‐cervical angles (p < 0.05) and had more posteriorly rotated mandibles (p < 0.0001) than those in the control group. They also had a significantly shorter posterior facial height (p < 0.0001). The TMJ OA group had more retroclined lower incisors (p < 0.05).

Conclusion –  These results suggest that an association may exist between TMJ OA, head posture and dentofacial morphology.
Cervical column morphology in patients with skeletal open bite
Authors: Sonnesen L , Kjær I
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Sonnesen L, Kjær I

Objectives –  To examine and compare the cervical column morphology in adult patients with skeletal open bite with the cervical column morphology of an adult control group with neutral occlusion and normal craniofacial morphology.

Design –  A retrospective case–control study.

Setting and Sample Population –  Thirty‐eight open bite patients, 27 women, aged 17–39 years, and 11 males, aged 18–40 years were compared with 21 controls, 15 females, aged 23–40 years, and six males aged 25–44 years from profile radiographs.

Outcome measure –  From each individual a visual assessment of the cervical column and angular measurements of the craniofacial dimensions were performed on profile radiographs.

Results –  In the open bite group 42.1% had cervical column body fusion, and 13.2% had posterior arch deficiency. The fusion always occurred between C2 and C3. Cervical column deviations occurred significantly more often in the open bite group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Associations were found between fusions of the cervical column and maxillary retrognathia (p < 0.05), large maxillary inclination (p < 0.05) and large cranial base angle (p < 0.05). Associations were also found between posterior arch deficiency and maxillary retrognathia (p < 0.05) and cranial base angle (p < 0.05). The craniofacial parameter most important for the fusions and posterior arch deficiency was the maxillary retrognathia (p < 0.01, R 2 = 0.20; p < 0.05, R 2 = 0.26, respectively).

Conclusion –  New associations between skeletal open bite and cervical column deviations are described. It is suggested that this knowledge is incorporated in future diagnostic and orthodontic treatment planning.
Treatment results and long‐term stability of anterior open bite malocclusion
Authors: Remmers D , Van’t Hullenaar RWGJ , Bronkhorst EM , Bergé SJ , Katsaros C
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Remmers D, Van’t Hullenaar RWGJ, Bronkhorst EM, Bergé SJ, Katsaros C

Objectives –  To evaluate treatment results and long‐term stability of anterior open bite malocclusion and to identify predictive factors for both treatment results and their stability.

Design –  Retrospective study.

Setting and Sample Population –  The Department of Orthodontics and Oral Biology at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands. Fifty‐two patients with an anterior open bite.

Methods –  Lateral cephalograms and dental casts were analysed at: start of treatment (Ts), end of treatment (T0), 2 and at least 5 years after the end of treatment (T2 and T5, respectively). A standard cephalometric analysis was performed, while the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index was used to evaluate the occlusion.

Results –  The mean PAR reduction at T0 was 74%, but decreased to 56% at T5. The mean overbite (OB) increased from −3.2 mm (± 1.9) at Ts to 0.4 mm (± 1.1) at T0, 0.1 mm (± 1.6) at T2 and 0.2 mm (± 1.8) at T5. Thirty‐seven patients (71%) had a positive OB at T0, but the bite opened again in 10 of these patients (27%) from T0 to T5. Forty‐four per cent of our patients had an open bite at T5. No pre‐treatment variables could predict these changes.

Conclusion –  Treatment response and long‐term stability of the anterior open bite was found to be rather poor. This has to be taken into consideration when planning treatment of open bite patients. Prediction of open bite closure at the end of active treatment or at the follow‐up was not possible.
Five year follow‐up of mandibular distraction osteogenesis on the dentofacial structures of syndromic children
Authors: Gürsoy S , Hukki J , Hurmerinta K
Published: September 2010

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Gürsoy S, Hukki J, Hurmerinta K

Objectives –  To determine long‐term treatment outcomes of mandibular distraction osteogenesis (DO) in syndromic children with severely hypoplastic lower jaws.

Design –  Descriptive clinical study.

Setting and Sample Population –  Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Centre, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital. Ten children (mean age 7.6 years) with various syndromes (craniofacial microsomia, Treacher Collins syndrome, Nager syndrome).

Subjects and Methods –  Ten growing children with severely retrognathic lower jaws were distracted with an extraoral bicortically fixed DO device (mean, 34 days) followed by a consolidation period (mean, 9 weeks). Orthodontic treatment was performed pre‐ and/or postoperatively with fixed or functional appliances (mean 14 months).

Outcome Measure –  The landmarks on standard lateral cephalometric X‐rays were digitized and angular and linear measurements were compared using Student’s t‐test to assess changes in pre‐distraction, post‐distraction, post‐consolidation and 1 year follow‐up. Long‐term follow‐up (2 and 5 years) was interpreted according to mean values.

Results –  The measurements of SNB, ANB, facial convexity angle, overjet and overbite, and soft tissue facial profile showed significant correction of the mandibular retrognathia and malocclusion. The mandibular divergence decreased and mandibular, corpus, and ramus lengths remained stable during the consolidation period. The regression of mandibular measurements towards pre‐distraction values was observed in skeletal and dental parameters and soft tissue profiles during the first postoperative year and continued during the 2‐ to 5‐year follow‐up period. The achieved mandibular corpus and ramus lengthening was stable while the mandible displayed considerable posterior rotation but no further growth. Orthodontic treatment could not overcome the regression of mandibular measurements to their original values. The maxilla continued its normal growth during the long‐term follow‐up. Two patients had tracheostomies, but the tube was removed from both during or immediately after distraction.

Conclusion –  Excellent short‐term structural results of mandibular DO are not stable during the growth of syndromic children because of restricted mandibular growth. Thus, a re‐evaluation of DO timing in the improvement of facial aesthetics must be considered. However, mandibular DO in children with severe airway problems is recommended.
Contrast‐Induced Nephropathy: A Review Focusing on X‐ray and CT Applications and the Iso‐Osmolar Controversy
Authors: Uder M. , Heinrich M.
Published: September 2010

After administration of contrast media the incidence of acute renal failure requiring dialysis is low. Clinical studies on contrast‐induced nephropathy (CIN) therefore use a relative or absolute increase in serum creatinine as a surrogate marker. However, there is no generally accepted threshold for increases in creatinine. The lack of consistency in the definition of CIN makes it difficult to compare trials. The serum creatinine level is also only a poor marker of renal function. Increases in serum creatinine after contrast examination are associated with increased mortality, morbidity and longer hospital stays. However, such correlations have been shown only for coronary interventions. Not all cases of renal failure following cardiac angiography are necessarily related to the contrast medium, as in these patients there are several other reasons for loss of renal function. There are no studies showing a correlation between patient outcome and CIN after intravenous administration of contrast media. While the pathophysiology of CIN is not yet completely understood, it most certainly involves the interplay of multiple factors. It is highly likely that direct tubular toxicity of the CM contributes to the aetiology, whereas the role of the physicochemical properties of CM may have been over‐interpreted. There is an ongoing controversy as to whether the iso‐osmolar CM iodixanol is better tolerated by the kidneys than low‐osmolar CM (LOCM). Some randomized trials have demonstrated benefits of this substance. However, to date meta‐analyses and registry studies have not shown a consistent picture. In the last few months some randomized trials have been published which have not found an advantage of iodixanol over LOMC, whether administered intra‐arterially or intravenously.
High‐molar contrast agents for CNS application
Authors: Engelhorn T. , Doerfler A.
Published: September 2010

This work describes the clinical advantages of highly concentrated MRI contrast media as well as double or even treble dose contrast application.
Aorto‐Peripheral MDCT Angiography: Implications for Contrast Medium Delivery
Authors: Wildberger J. E. , Mahnken A. H. , Seidensticker P. R.
Published: September 2010

The overall iodine load is the key determinant for the imaging of solid organs. For CTA studies, however, injection duration and particularly the iodine delivery rate (IDR; given in g iodine/s) are the determining factors for the quality of the bolus. An optimized contrast injection is mandatory to achieve high quality CT scans with homogeneous attenuation and high contrast throughout the entire data‐set.
Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
Authors: Thomsen H. S.
Published: September 2010

For more than 10 years it has been believed that gadolinium‐based contrast agents in doses used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are relatively safe with regard to acute non‐renal and renal adverse reactions and delayed reactions. However, recent observations have shown that it may not be the case in patients with reduced renal function as gadolinium‐based contrast agents may trigger the development of fibrosis in all parts of the body so‐called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Its primary predilection is the skin. Unrelated to the development of NSF, contrast‐induced nephropathy may occur after administration of gadolinium‐based contrast agents. The current review updates the recent developments regarding the severe delayed reaction. However, the fear of NSF should not lead to a denial of a well‐indicated enhanced MRI examination.
The Added Value of a Dedicated Cardiac CT Scanner for the Assessment of Coronary Calcium
Authors: Greuter M. J. W. , Groen J. M.
Published: September 2010

The amount of coronary calcium is generally used as an indicator for risk stratification of patients with (suspected) coronary artery disease. Orginally, electron beam tomography (EBT) was used to image the amount of coronary calcium and quantification was performed by the Agatston score. Risk stratification has been validated on large patients populations using the EBT scanner in combination with this scoring method. While EBT scanners become more and more obsolete nowadays, these scanners are being replaced by multi‐detector computer tomography (MDCT) systems and dedicated cardio scanners like dual source computer tomography (DSCT). However, in order to used the calcium score obtained from a patient scan on these systems, it must be demonstrated to be accurate, clinically relevant and reproducible. In this study we compared the infiuence of cardiac motion on the calcium score for a 64‐slice MDCT scanner and for an EBT and a DSCT systems. A moving cardiac phantom was used and the measured Agatston scores were compared on these three systems as a function of heart rate, calcification density and slice thickness. The results show that DSCT is approximately 50% less susceptible to cardiac motion than 64‐slice MDCT and that the susceptibility is further reduced by using a smaller slice thickness. At a slice thickness of 3.0 mm DSCT and 64‐slice MDCT show similar results, however, at a slice thickness of 0.6 mm DSCT gives the best approximation of the calcium score on EBT in comparison to 64‐slice MDCT.
Statistics in the Jury Box: How Jurors Respond to Mitochondrial DNA Match Probabilities
Authors: Kaye David H. , Hans Valerie P. , Dann B. Michael , Farley Erin , Albertson Stephanie
Published: September 2010

This article describes parts of an unusually realistic experiment on the comprehension of expert testimony on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing in a criminal trial for robbery. Specifically, we examine how jurors who responded to summonses for jury duty evaluated portions of videotaped testimony involving probabilities and statistics. Although some jurors showed susceptibility to classic fallacies in interpreting conditional probabilities, the jurors as a whole were not overwhelmed by a 99.98 percent exclusion probability that the prosecution presented. Cognitive errors favoring the defense were more prevalent than ones favoring the prosecution. These findings lend scant support to the legal argument that mtDNA evidence (with modest exclusion probabilities) should be excluded because jurors are prone to overvalue such evidence. The article also introduces a new method for inferring the perceived probability of guilt that satisfies the burden of persuasion for most jurors.
Who Pays for Medical Errors? An Analysis of Adverse Event Costs, the Medical Liability System, and Incentives for Patient Safety Improvement
Authors: Mello Michelle M. , Studdert David M. , Thomas Eric J. , Yoon Catherine S. , Brennan Troyen A.
Published: September 2010

Patient safety advocates argue that the high costs of adverse events create economic incentives for hospitals to invest in safety improvements. However, this may not be the case if hospitals externalize the bulk of these costs. Analyzing data on 465 hospital adverse events derived from medical record reviews, we investigated the amounts that hospitals and other payers incurred in medical‐injury‐related expenses. On average, the sampled hospitals generated injury‐related costs of $2,013, and negligent‐injury‐related costs of $1,246, per discharge. However, hospitals bore only 22 percent of these costs. Legal reforms or market interventions may be required to address this externalization of injury costs.
A Quarter‐Century of Summary Judgment Practice in Six Federal District Courts
Authors: Cecil Joe S. , Eyre Rebecca N. , Miletich Dean , Rindskopf David
Published: September 2010

Summary judgment in federal courts has been widely regarded as an initially underused procedural device that was revitalized by the 1986 Supreme Court trilogy of Celotex, Anderson, and Matsushita. Some recent commentators believe summary judgment activity has expanded to the point that it threatens the right to trial. We examined summary judgment practice in six federal district courts during six time periods over 25 years (1975–2000), extracting information on summary judgment practice from 15,000 docket sheets in random samples of terminated cases. We found that when we controlled for changes over time in the types of cases being filed, the likelihood that a case contained one or more motions for summary judgment increased before the Supreme Court trilogy, from approximately 12 percent in 1975 to 17 percent in 1986, and has remained fairly steady at approximately 19 percent since that time. The increase prior to the 1986 trilogy and the modest changes subsequent to the trilogy would be unexpected by many legal commentators. Although summary judgment motions have increased over this 25‐year period, this increase reflects, at least in part, increased filings of civil rights cases, which have always experienced a high rate of summary judgment motions. Surprisingly, no statistically significant changes over time were found in the outcome of defendants’ or plaintiffs’ summary judgment motions, again after controlling for differences across courts and types of cases. These findings call into question the interpretation that the trilogy led to expansive increases in summary judgment. Our analysis suggests, instead, that changes in civil rules and federal case‐management practices prior to the trilogy may have been more important in bringing about changes in summary judgment practice.
Daubert in the States: Diffusion of a New Approach to Expert Evidence in the Courts
Authors: Kritzer Herbert M. , Beckstrom Darryn C.
Published: September 2010

This article applies a diffusion analysis to the adoption of Daubert principles by state supreme courts. We examine political, institutional, and legal factors. Applying event history analysis, we find little that systematically accounts for the adoption of Daubert in the states. We do find an unexpected relationship between adoption and the amount of tort reform a state's legislature has passed (adoption of Daubert is less likely in states that have adopted substantial numbers of tort reform measures); we speculate on what might account for this unexpected relationship.
Assessment of weight changes during and after pregnancy: practical approaches
Authors: Amorim Amanda R. , Linné Yvonne , Kac Gilberto , Lourenço Paulo M.
Published: September 2010

The usefulness of routine prenatal weight measurements in predicting pregnancy outcomes is still a controversial issue. Comparisons among studies and the interpretation of research findings are complicated due to the variety of indicators applied to express maternal weight changes during and after pregnancy. A review of literature was conducted to clarify the definitions and examine the strengths and limitations of methods for measuring gestational weight gain (WG) and postpartum weight changes. The reasons for weak correlations or non‐significant associations between gestational WG and maternal and neonatal outcomes were probably owing to poor quality of obstetrics records and selection of wrong indicators to compute gestational WG. The choice of an indicator depends on clinical and research purpose, availability and reliability of data and cost. Considering the health implication of gestational WG, it is necessary to take into account the measurements used as initial and final weight, accuracy of gestational age estimation and the inclusion of fetal weight as part of maternal WG. Regardless of the indicators used to compute the weight changes after delivery, attention is drawn to the approach for designating prepregnancy weight, the time frame of postpartum weight measurements and the use of overlapping variables, which results in bias (part–whole correlation). It is necessary to address criticisms on the accuracy of prenatal weight measurements and the way of expressing the maternal weight changes during and after pregnancy in order to have reliable results from research.
Feeding patterns of underweight children in rural Malawi given supplementary fortified spread at home
Authors: Flax Valerie L. , Ashorn Ulla , Phuka John , Maleta Kenneth , Manary Mark J. , Ashorn Per
Published: September 2010

Fortified spread (FS), containing dry food particles embedded in edible fat, offers a convenient means for nutrition rehabilitation. To describe how caregivers feed FS to their undernourished children at home, and how FS use affects other feeding patterns, we conducted a longitudinal observational study in rural Malawi. Sixteen 6‐ to 17‐month‐old underweight children (weight‐for‐agez‐score < −2.0; −3.0 < weight‐for‐heightz‐score < 0) received FS for 12 weeks. Twelve‐hour observations were conducted before supplementation and during weeks 1, 4, 8 and 12 of FS use. FS was fed to children about two times per day; each serving was 15–20 g. The spread was first used mainly alone as a between‐meal snack, and then became integrated into the typical complementary feeding pattern by being mixed with porridge. Introduction of FS reduced the number of plain porridge meals, but did not decrease the total number of meals or breastfeeds per day and did not change the daily mean time caregivers spent on feeding. Children accepted the FS well, but more FS was wasted when it was offered mixed with porridge than when given alone (23.6% vs. 1.2%, 95% CI for the difference 13.2% to 31.6%). FS supplementation is feasible for community‐based nutrition interventions in Malawi because it easily becomes part of the feeding routine, does not replace other foods and does not take extra caregiver time. To limit wastage, caregivers should be advised to serve FS plain or to mix it with only a small quantity of porridge.
Breast is no longer best: promoting normal infant feeding
Authors: Berry Nina J. , Gribble Karleen D.
Published: September 2010

The recent release of new growth charts by the World Health Organization (WHO) heralds a fresh understanding of what constitutes normal infant growth and development. The Multicenter Growth Reference Study that underpins these new growth standards ‘establish[es] breastfed infants as the normative model for growth and development’. This is in contrast to past practice, which treated breastfeeding as the optimal, rather than the normal, way to feed babies. This idealization of breastfeeding has been counterproductive, because it has reinforced a perception that formula feeding is the standard way of feeding babies. It is, therefore, suggested that breastfeeding promotion and education programmes should abandon the ‘breast is best’ message in favour of messages that normalize breastfeeding, and that future research ought to use infants breastfed according to WHO recommendations as the norm reference or control group in every instance.
Methodological challenges when monitoring the diet of pregnant women in a large study: experiences from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)
Authors: Meltzer Helle Margrete , Brantsæter Anne Lise , Ydersbond Trond A. , Alexander Jan , Haugen Margaretha ,   The MoBa Dietary Support Group
Published: September 2010

The aim of this article is to describe the main methodological challenges in the monitoring of dietary intake in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), a pregnancy cohort aiming to include 100 000 participants. The overall challenge was to record dietary patterns in sufficient detail to support future testing of a broad range of hypotheses, while at the same time limiting the burden on the participants. The main questions to be answered were: which dietary method to choose, when in pregnancy to ask, which time period should the questions cover, which diet questions to include, how to perform a validation study, and how to handle uncertainties in the reporting. Our decisions were as follows: using a semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) (in use from 1 March 2002), letting the participants answer in mid‐pregnancy, and asking the mother what she has eaten since she became pregnant. The questions make it possible to estimate intake of food supplements, antioxidants and environmental contaminants in the future. Misreporting is handled by consistency checks. Reports with a calculated daily energy intake of <4.5 and >20 MJ day−1 are excluded, about 1% in each end of the scale. A validation study confirmed that the included intakes are realistic. The outcome of our methodological choices indicates that our FFQ strikes a reasonable balance between conflicting methodological and scientific interests, and that our approach therefore may be of use to others planning to monitor diet in pregnancy cohorts.
Moo-Cow! Mummy! More! How Do Children Learn so Many Words?
Authors: McMurray Bob
Published: September 2010

Learning the words of your language is a huge challenge for children. In particular, it is a challenge of scale. At least 40,000 words have to be learnt. At 18 months a child's vocabulary starts to explode. How do they do it? Bob McMurray says it is all to down to statistics.
Risedronate, the BBC and Me
Authors: Bland Martin
Published: September 2010

Risedronate is a drug used to reduce fractures in women with osteoporosis. The story of the Sheffield Risedronate trial made national news when one of the clinical researchers, Aubrey Blumsohn, dissociated himself from the trial because he was refused access to the data he had helped to collect. Later, some of that data turned up. Here Martin Bland describes how he came to analyse the data on behalf of the BBC, what he found and what happened next.
The Statistics and Registration Service Act
Authors: Holt Tim
Published: September 2010

“When we first saw the draft act, we were dismayed.” The new Act for the independence of official statistics has now passed into law. Is the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) still dismayed? Tim Holt, President of the RSS, explains the Act, its workings, how parts of it have been changed for the better and what concerns still remain.
Playing and resisting: rethinking young people's reading cultures
Authors: Kendall Alex
Published: September 2010

In this paper I will argue that while young adult readers may often be represented through ‘othering’ discourses that see them as ‘passive’, ‘uncritical’ consumers of ‘low‐brow’, ‘throw‐away’ texts, the realities of their reading lives are in fact more subtle, complex and dynamic. The paper explores the discourses about reading, identity and gender that emerged through discussions with groups of young adults, aged between 16 and 19, about their reading habits and practices. These discussions took place as part of a PhD research study of reading and reader identity in the context of further education in the Black Country in the West Midlands. Through these discussions the young adults offered insights into their reading cultures and the ‘functionality’ of their reading practices that contest the kinds of ‘distinction[s]’ that tend to situate them as the defining other to more ‘worthy’ or ‘valuable’ reading cultures and practices. While I will resist the urge to claim that this paper represents the cultures of young adult readers in any real or totalising sense I challenge the kinds of dominant, reductive representations that serve to fix and demonise this group and begin to draw a space within which playfulness and resistance are alternatively offered as ways of being for these readers.
Txt msg n school literacy: does texting and knowledge of text abbreviations adversely affect children's literacy attainment?
Authors: Plester Beverly , Wood Clare , Bell Victoria
Published: September 2010

This paper reports on two studies which investigated the relationship between children's texting behaviour, their knowledge of text abbreviations and their school attainment in written language skills. In Study One, 11–12‐year‐old children provided information on their texting behaviour. They were also asked to translate a standard English sentence into a text message and vice versa. The children's standardised verbal and non‐verbal reasoning scores were also obtained. Children who used their mobiles to send three or more text messages a day had significantly lower scores than children who sent none. However, the children who, when asked to write a text message, showed greater use of text abbreviations (‘textisms’) tended to have better performance on a measure of verbal reasoning ability, which is highly associated with Key Stage 2 (KS2) and 3 English scores. In Study Two, children's performance on writing measures was examined more specifically. Ten to eleven‐year‐old children were asked to complete another English to text message translation exercise. Spelling proficiency was also assessed, and KS2 Writing scores were obtained. Positive correlations between spelling ability and performance on the translation exercise were found, and group‐based comparisons based on the children's writing scores also showed that good writing attainment was associated with greater use of textisms, although the direction of this association is nor clear. Overall, these findings suggest that children's knowledge of textisms is not associated with poor written language outcomes for children in this age range.
Kindergarten reading and writing curricula in the European Union
Authors: Tafa Eufimia
Published: September 2010

The aim of this study was to examine whether the current literacy programmes in European Union kindergarten curricula support and enhance young children's reading and writing development. This study investigated whether the kindergarten curricula of 10 European countries: Britain, Belgium, France, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden set appropriate goals for young children's acquisition of literacy, provide methodological guidelines that support children's active engagement in reading and writing activities, provide a print‐rich classroom environment, emphasise the communicative nature of reading and writing and use play in the learning process. The comparative data analysis showed that European kindergarten curricula seem to support and enhance young children's reading and writing development, and that early literacy acquisition is based on the principles of the new perspective of the emergence of literacy.
Metaphors, discourse and identity in adult literacy policy
Authors: Taylor Nina
Published: September 2010

This paper discusses the metaphors and discourses employed in the current Skills for Life Strategy in terms of the identity of potential adult literacy learners. It argues that metaphors and discourses are necessarily value laden and reflect the beliefs of those with authority to influence others. The current Strategy, it is argued, is based on a discourse of deficit, outcomes and employability that positions adult literacy learners as ‘depersonalised others’.
Graphonomics, automaticity and handwriting assessment
Authors: Tucha Oliver , Tucha Lara , Lange Klaus W.
Published: September 2010

A recent review of handwriting research in Literacy concluded that current curricula of handwriting education focus too much on writing style and neatness and neglect the aspect of handwriting automaticity. This conclusion is supported by evidence in the field of graphonomic research, where a range of experiments have been used to investigate this issue from a movement perspective. The present article offers a brief introduction to a graphonomic approach to handwriting analysis and the findings of graphonomic research about handwriting automaticity. These findings indicate that attentional control to any characteristic of the writing process (e.g. direction, lexical status, movement, style) results in an impairment of handwriting automaticity. These findings support and add a new dimension to previous conclusions.
“It's all coming together”: an encounter between implied reader and actual reader in the Australian rainforest
Authors: Williams Sandra J.
Published: September 2010

In this paper I discuss how taking a particular literary theory— the implied reader—serves to offer a focus for the teacher's initial reading of a text and provides a formative assessment tool. Iser's Implied Reader theory is discussed, after which a picture book, Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker, is analysed from this perspective. An account of a series of reading events with Year 4 children then follows. An analysis of these readings highlights where the pupils were able to take up the invitation offered by the text and where there were difficulties. Finally, implications for teachers' subject knowledge are discussed.
The Veterans' Bonus and the Evolving Presidency of Warren G. Harding
Authors: PALMER NIALL A.
Published: September 2010

Scholars attempting a positive reappraisal of Warren G. Harding's presidency claim that his political beliefs changed markedly during his short administration. This article concurs but suggests that revisionist writers underestimate the crucial part played in this metamorphosis by the president's clashes with Congress over cash compensation for war veterans. These confrontations shattered Harding's belief that the presidency and Congress could return to a cooperative working relationship after the tensions of the Roosevelt‐Wilson era. The bonus clashes are, therefore, the defining moments of Harding's administration—eroding his partisan loyalty and forcing him to adopt the assertive, interventionist executive posture he had once criticized.
The Presidential Pork Barrel and the Conditioning Effect of Term
Authors: TAYLOR ANDREW J.
Published: September 2010

I examine across‐state distributions of procurement contracts from 1984 to 2004 to test two hypotheses that a presidential electoral connection explains geographic patterns in federal spending. Both hypotheses are derived from a basic vote‐buying theory and are assumed to be conditioned by the president's term. The first hypothesis is that, during first terms, the president will direct a disproportionate amount of procurement dollars per capita to battleground states. The second is that, during first terms, states that gave winning presidential candidates a disproportionately large share of their popular vote will benefit this way. I reject both and, therefore, challenge the generalizability of important extant work. Instead, I find that states that gave presidents disproportionately fewer of their popular votes in the reelection receive more procurement dollars per capita—that is, there is a counterintuitive second‐term effect.
Why “Go Public”? Presidential Use of Nominees to the U.S. Courts of Appeals
Authors: HOLMES LISA M.
Published: September 2010

In recent years, presidents have utilized public appeals on behalf of their nominees to the U.S. Courts of Appeals with increasing regularity. In this study, I examine the timing, audience, and themes of these presidential speeches from 1977 to 2004. I find that presidents have tended to discuss circuit court nominees who are vulnerable to defeat in the confirmation process before narrow audiences consisting of sympathetic groups or campaign supporters. Presidents discussed nominees in an effort to influence Senate behavior, but more so to court favor with like‐minded groups and link nominees to electoral politics. These findings indicate that presidents have begun to insert their nominees into public political discourse for their own political gain, rather than to help their nominees secure confirmation.
The Contemporary Presidency Constraining Executive Power: George W. Bush and the Constitution
Authors: PFIFFNER JAMES P.
Published: September 2010

The modern tradition of constraining the power of political executives has deep roots in Anglo‐American governmental traditions. The Magna Carta of 1215, the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, the English Bill of Rights of 1689, the Common Law, and other documents and traditions of the British Constitution all provided precedents upon which the Framers of the U.S. Constitution drew. From the ratification of the U.S. Constitution to contemporary times, the experience and precedents of the presidency have also played an important role in laying the basis for the legitimate authority exercised by the president in the constitutional system. This article will examine several actions of President George W. Bush and argue that he has made exceptional claims to presidential authority. Four instances of President Bush's claims to presidential power will be examined: his suspension of the Geneva Conventions in 2002, his denial of the writ of habeas corpus for detainees in the war on terror, his order that the National Security Agency monitor messages to or from domestic parties in the United States without a warrant, and his use of signing statements.
Intertemporal substitution in consumption, labor supply elasticity and sunspot fluctuations in continuous‐time models
Authors: Garnier Jean‐Philippe , Nishimura Kazuo , Venditti Alain
Published: September 2010

The aim of this paper is to discuss the roles of the elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption and the elasticity of the labor supply on the local determinacy properties of the steady state in a two‐sector economy with constant elasticity of substitution technologies and sector‐specific externalities. Our main results provide necessary and sufficient conditions for local indeterminacy. First, we show that the consumption good sector needs to be capital intensive at the private level and labor intensive at the social level. Second, we prove that under this capital intensity configuration, the existence of sunspot fluctuations is obtained if and only if the elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption is large enough but the elasticity of the labor supply is low enough. In particular, we will show on the one hand that when the labor supply is infinitely elastic, the steady state is always saddle‐point stable, and on the other hand that when the elasticity of intertemporal substitution in consumption is infinite, labor does not have any influence on the local stability properties of the equilibrium path.
Note on uncertainty and socially excessive entry
Authors: Creane Anthony
Published: September 2010

It is well known that under general conditions entry into imperfectly competitive markets is usually excessive. This note explores the effects of uncertainty on this result. Specifically, a firm that incurs entry costs might fail to successfully enter a market. In this environment, it is found that the previous conditions might not hold when there is uncertainty. That is, with uncertainty entry might be socially insufficient (instead of excessive) by more than one firm.
A new class of production functions and an argument against purely labor‐augmenting technical change
Authors: Growiec Jakub
Published: September 2010

This paper derives the macro‐level production function from idea‐based microfoundations. Labor‐augmenting and capital‐augmenting developments are assumed to be Pareto‐distributed and mutually dependent. Using the Clayton copula family to capture this dependence, a new “Clayton–Pareto” class of production functions is derived that nests both the Cobb–Douglas and the constant elasticity of substitution. In the most general case, technical change is not purely labor‐augmenting over the long run, but it augments both capital and labor. Under certain parametrizations, the derived elasticity of substitution between capital and labor exceeds unity and, therefore, gives rise to long‐run endogenous growth.
Current status of discharge planning activities and systems: National survey of discharge planning in Japan
Authors: NAGATA Satoko , TABATA Marie , OOSHIMA Hiroko , MURASHIMA Sachiyo , SUMI Naomi , HARUNA Megumi
Published: September 2010

Aim:  We investigated the current situation of discharge planning in Japan and the variables related to the implementation of discharge planning.

Methods:  A questionnaire was mailed to 3268 general hospitals in 2001; 1359 hospitals were used as the subjects of analysis.

Results:  The majority of the hospitals experienced problems in terms of patients’ discharge (1313 or 96.6%). More than 90% of the hospitals described discharge planning activities. The most common professions involving discharge planning were ward nursing staff and physicians, and only 29.4% hospitals reported that a discharge planning department was established in their hospitals. More hospitals with these departments implemented almost all activities of discharge planning compared with hospitals without such departments. Implementation of discharge planning was also related to hospital size, affiliated institutions, implementation of home visits by medical staff, and nurse/patient ratios.

Conclusion:  This survey showed a high implementation rate of discharge planning activities but that departments for discharge planning have not been widely adopted. It is recommended that such departments should be established or that staff should be allocated to carry out discharge planning in order to assure the continuity of quality care for patients as they move among care settings.
Screening of domestic violence against women in the perinatal setting: A systematic review
Authors: KATAOKA Yaeko , YAJU Yukari , ETO Hiromi , MATSUMOTO Naoko , HORIUCHI Shigeko
Published: September 2010

Aim:  To review published studies focusing on the screening of domestic violence (DV) against women, in particular, the instruments, the screening methods and the interventions used to help abused women after screening. Based on the results of the review, the suitability of introducing routine screening for DV in the perinatal setting in Japan would be assessed.

Methods:  National Guideline Clearinghouse database, HSTAT, PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and the Ichushi‐Web were all used to searched from when records were first held until February 2003 for eligible primary studies and systematic reviews for this literature review. Each selected article was independently read and appraised by two reviewers who finally selected 12 primary studies and three systematic reviews that fulfilled the criteria for inclusion.

Results:  Three studies evaluated screening instruments for DV (i.e. Abuse Assessment Screen, Partner Violence Screen and Violence Against Women Screen) and of these, the Violence Against Women Screen was the most valid, reliable and suitable for use in the clinical setting in Japan. The three studies that examined the screening method had differing results, but the one conducted in Japan showed a significantly higher rate of identification in the self‐administered questionnaire group compared with the interview group. The six studies that tested the effectiveness of interventions for abused women showed that counseling sessions after screening and the advocacy program for postsheltered women were effective in reducing DV.

Conclusion:  Routine screening of all pregnant women in Japan for DV should be introduced, considering the high burden of suffering that women expose to DV experience, and the existence of both acceptable screening instruments and effective interventions.