bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in body mass index in 11−12‐year‐old children in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (1989−2000)
Authors: Turnbull A , Barry D , Wickens K , Crane J
Published: January 2004

Objective:  To describe and compare the body mass index (BMI; weight/height2) profile of 11−12‐year‐old children in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand in 1989 and 2000. To subsequently determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity at the two time points using international definitions.

Methodology:  As part of asthma prevalence studies in Hawkes Bay data on height, weight and ethnicity were collected from 871 school children in 1989, and 894 children in 2000 who reached 12 years of age during the year of testing.

Results:  In the total study population the geometric mean BMI increased from 18.1 kg/m2 (95% CI 17.9; 18.3) in 1989 to 19.8 kg/m2 (95% CI 19.6; 20.0) in 2000, a relative increase of 9.2% (95% CI 7.6; 10.9), P < 0.001. Significant relative increases were found for males (9.0%: 95% CI 6.8; 11.3), females (9.3%: 95% CI 6.8; 11.8), Maori (7.6%: 95% CI 4.3; 11.1), European (9.1%: 95% CI 7.3; 11.0) and Pacific Island children (11.0%: 95% CI 2.2; 20.5). In 2000 20.9% of Hawkes Bay children were classified as overweight and 9.1% as obese. The risk of being overweight in 2000 was 2.2 times greater than the risk in 1989, and the risk of being obese was 3.8 times greater, with these problems more pronounced among Maori (overweight 24.7%, obese 15.3%) and Pacific Island (overweight 35.0%, obese 15.0%) than European (overweight: 18.2%, obese 5.7%) children. However, the risk of being overweight (RR = 3.0, 95% CI 2.2−4.0) or obese (RR = 8.3, 95% CI 3.0−23.3) in 2000 compared to 1989 was greater among European children.

Conclusion:  Higher percentages of Maori and Pacific Island children are overweight or obese compared to European, but in all ethnic groups there has been a statistically significant increase in mean BMI over an 11‐year period. This increase reflects the trend observed in other developed countries and underlines childhood obesity as a major health problem in New Zealand.
Outcomes for infants weighing less than 1000 grams cared for with a nasal continuous positive airway pressure‐based strategy
Authors: Meyer M , Mildenhall L , Wong M
Published: January 2004

Objective:  To compare outcomes for infants weighing less than 1000 g treated with a predominantly nasal continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) approach (modelled on that of Columbia University, New York) with outcomes audited by the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN).

Methods:  Data on all infants weighing less than 1000 g admitted for intensive care were collected prospectively for the 29 neonatal units contributing to the ANZNN database. Outcomes for infants treated at Middlemore Hospital over a 3‐year period (1998−2001) were compared with the ANZNN data for 1999.

Results:  Sixty‐four infants were admitted to Middlemore Hospital and 954 to the other 28 neonatal units. The two groups were similar with respect to birthweight, Apgar scores, sex and delivery method. Gestational age was lower in the Middlemore infants and outcome variables were adjusted for this difference. Fewer babies at Middlemore were born to mothers who had completed antenatal corticosteroids. The Middlemore Hospital group spent longer on CPAP (P < 0.001) but had less time in oxygen (median 4 days compared to 54 days; P < 0.001). Fewer of the Middlemore cohort were in oxygen at both 28 days (odds ratio 0.17 with 95% CI 0.09−0.30) and 36 weeks corrected gestation (odds ratio 0.15 95% CI 0.07−0.32) and fewer infants were discharged home on oxygen (odds ratio risk 0.38 95% CI 0.16−0.90). Other outcomes were a reduction in the number of infants with culture proven sepsis at Middlemore Hospital but a higher rate of necrotizing enterocolitis. Length of hospital stay and survival rates were not significantly different.

Conclusions:  Improved respiratory outcomes for infants weighing less than 1000 g were evident at Middlemore Hospital. This was attributed to the use of a nasal CPAP‐based respiratory support system.
Lack of plasma leptin response to feeding in newborn infants
Authors: Shimizu T , Satoh Y , Shoji H , Hisata K , Tadokoro R , Shinohara K , Shiga S , Yamashiro Y
Published: January 2004

Objective:  Previous reports of the postprandial regulation of leptin are controversial, and there have been few studies on the effects of breast‐feeding on postprandial regulation in newborn infants. We examined the response of plasma leptin to breast‐ and formula‐feeding in newborn infants.

Methods:  We measured the plasma leptin levels using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit before and after feeding in 12 breast‐fed and 11 formula‐fed mature infants.

Results:  There was no significant difference in plasma leptin levels in breast‐fed infants before and after feeding or in artificially fed infants before and after feeding.

Conclusion:  Our results suggest that feeding does not play a role in the acute response of circulating leptin levels in either breast‐ or formula‐fed infants.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome: ‘SARS’ or ‘not SARS’
Authors: Li AM , Hon KLE , Cheng WT , Ng PC , Chan FY , Li CK , Leung TF , Fok TF
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  Accurate clinical diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) based on the current World Health Organization definition is difficult and at times impossible at the early stage of the disease. Both false positive and false negative cases are commonly encountered and this could have far‐reaching detrimental effects on the patients, their family and the clinicians alike. Contact history is particularly important in diagnosing SARS in children as their presenting features are often non‐specific. The difficulty in making a correct diagnosis is further compounded by the lack of a sensitive rapid diagnostic test. Serology is not particularly helpful in the initial triaging of patients as it takes at least 3 weeks to become positive. Co‐infection and other treatable conditions should not be missed and conventional antibiotics should remain as part of the first‐line treatment regimen. We report five cases to illustrate the difficulties and dilemmas faced by clinicians in diagnosing SARS in children.
Acute transverse myelitis caused by Coxsackie virus B5 infection
Authors: Minami K , Tsuda Y , Maeda H , Yanagawa T , Izumi G , Yoshikawa N
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  A 6‐year‐old boy developed symptoms of rapidly progressive paraplegia, associated with bowel and urinary dysfunction, but without sensory loss. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination showed diffuse swelling of the lower spinal cord on T1‐weighted images. Based on the clinical presentation and MRI findings, a diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis was made. The serum titer of neutralizing antibody against Coxsackie virus B5 rose from 1/4 on admission to 1/256 1 month later and Coxsackie virus B5 was isolated from stool samples. This case serves as a reminder that acute transverse myelitis can be a rare clinical manifestation of Coxsackie virus B5 infection.
Fatal necrotizing pneumonia caused by group A streptococcus
Authors: Cengiz AB , Kanra G , Cag^lar M , Kara A , Güçer S¸ , İnce T
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  Group A streptococcus (GAS) causes invasive, non‐invasive and non‐suppurative diseases. Pneumonia is one of the invasive infections caused by GAS. Although GAS is a significant and serious cause of childhood pneumonia, it is often overlooked clinically. Similarly, the recent literature is surprisingly scant on reports of GAS pneumonia and concentrates mainly on varicella‐associated invasive GAS diseases. In this case report, we present a previously healthy 7‐year‐old child with community‐acquired pneumonia that progressed rapidly and resulted in sepsis, respiratory failure and death. In both blood and pleural fluid cultures, Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated. On autopsy, macroscopic examination revealed that the lung tissue appeared to have lost its normal architecture. Necrosis was present and the lung had a spongy appearance with some solid areas. The light microscopy revealed massive oedema, haemorrhages, intense inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis. This case report highlights the need for consideration of invasive GAS infection in the event of severe, rapidly progressing pneumonia in children.
Links between attachment theory and systemic practice: some proposals
Authors: Akister Jane , Reibstein Janet
Published: January 2004

This paper considers some of the current thinking in relation to attachment theory and systemic theory in understanding the development of adult couple relationships in terms of their attachment to each other and of their adaptations as a family. There is an increasing interest in adults' attachments to their own parental (attachment) figures, how these have an impact on the attachment relationship they have with their own children, and to the idea that adult partners can become attachment figures for each other with the potential for development being lifelong. Discussion focuses on attachment issues within the family group and the relevance of these to systemic practice.
Family therapy and the politics of evidence
Authors: Larner Glenn
Published: January 2004

This article situates family therapy in the politics of evidence‐based practice. While there is a wealth of outcome research showing that family therapy works, it remains on the margin of mainstream therapy and mental health practice. Until recently it has been difficult to satisfy ‘gold standards’ of randomized control research which require manualization and controlled replication by independent investigators. This is because systemic family therapy is language‐based, client‐directed and focused on relational process rather than step‐by‐step operational techniques.

As a consequence family therapy is an empirically supported treatment unable to join the evidence‐based club. The politics here concerns what is ‘evidence’, who defines it and the limitations of a scientist‐practitioner model. Therapy is art and science and its research needs to be grounded in real‐life clinical practice. Common factors such as personal hope and resourcefulness and the therapeutic relationship contribute more to change than technique or model.

While arguing for a wider definition of science and evidence it is politic to seek evidence‐based status for family therapy. Family therapy is a best practice approach for all therapists where systemic wisdom helps to decide what to do with whom when. A systemic‐practitioner model is informed by quantitative and qualitative research and holds modern and postmodern perspectives in tension, a stance I call paramodern. Family therapy is both scientific and systemic; it is a science of context, narrative and relationship.
Attachment narrative therapy: integrating ideas from narrative and attachment theory in systemic family therapy with eating disorders
Authors: Dallos Rudi
Published: January 2004

This paper proposes that recent developments in attachment theory, especially the move to the study of representations, offers some helpful new directions for systemic family therapy. Some of the findings of a close association between early attachment experiences and the coherence of the narratives are reviewed. It is suggested that this offers a useful link for systemic approaches in showing how early interactions in families promote not only particular emotional attachment patterns, but also shape the content and style of the narratives that are formed. These implications are then explored in the context of work with anorexia nervosa. It is suggested that commonly observed patterns, such as avoidance of conflict and apparent difficulties in discussing relationships and feelings, is consistent with transgenerational experiences of insecure/avoidant attachments. Some implications for systemic therapy with families are outlined and an illustrative case study is offered.
Adolescents with Turkish background in Norway and Sweden: A comparative study of their psychological adaptation
Authors: Virta Erkki , Sam David L. , Westin Charles
Published: January 2004

Using a questionnaire survey, this study compared psychological adaptation (self‐esteem, life satisfaction, and mental health problems) of Turkish adolescents in Norway and Sweden, and examined to what extent ethnic and majority identities, acculturation strategies, and perceived discrimination accounted for adaptation among Turkish adolescents. The samples consisted of 407 Turks (111 in Norway and 296 in Sweden) with a mean age of 15.2 years and 433 host adolescents (207 in Norway, 226 in Sweden) with a mean age of 15.6 years. Turks in Norway reported poorer psychological adaptation than Turks in Sweden. Predictors of good adaptation were Turkish identity and integration, whereas poor adaptation was related to marginalization and perceived discrimination. The results indicated that the poorer adaptation of Turks in Norway compared to that of Turks in Sweden could be due to lower degree of Turkish identity and higher degree of perceived discrimination.
Preference for current mood, anticipated emotional reaction, and experienced emotional reaction
Authors: Västfjäll Daniel , Gärling Tommy , Kleiner Mendel
Published: January 2004

Two experiments investigated how preference for emotions is related to valence and activation of current mood, anticipated emotional reaction, and experienced emotional reaction. In Experiment 1, 40 undergraduates on one occasion rated valence and activation of and preference for their emotional reaction to an aircraft noise, then on a later occasion rated valence and activation of and preference for their recalled or anticipated emotional reaction to the same aircraft noise. On both occasions they also rated valence and activation of current mood. In Experiment 2, another 40 undergraduates rated valence and activation of current mood followed by ratings of preference for and valence and activation of anticipated emotional reaction to descriptions of familiar emotion‐eliciting situations. The results showed that preference is related to valence and activation of current mood, anticipated emotional reaction, or experienced emotional reaction. The valence of current mood was also found to influence preference for anticipated and experienced emotions.
Note on the rationality of rule‐based versus exemplar‐based processing in human judgment
Authors: Juslin Peter , Olsson Henrik
Published: January 2004

This paper reports a study of the relationship between rule‐ versus exemplar‐based processing and criteria for rationality of judgment. Participants made probability judgments in a classification task devised byS. W. Allen and L. R. Brooks (1991). In the exemplar condition, the miscalibration was accounted for by stochastic components of the judgment with a format‐dependence effect, implying simultaneous over‐ and underconfidence depending on the response scale. In the rule condition, there was an overconfidence bias not accounted for by the stochastic components of judgment. In both conditions the participants were additive on average and reasonably transitive, but the larger stochastic component in the exemplar condition produced somewhat larger absolute deviations. The results suggest that exemplar processes are unbiased but more perturbed by stochastic components, while rule‐based processes may be more prone to bias.
Personality traits in leadership behavior
Authors: Kornør Hege , Nordvik Hilmar
Published: January 2004

Correlational analyses of the personality traits measured by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI‐R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) and three leadership styles, that is, Change, Production, and Employee (CPE) measured by Ekvall and Arvonen's (1991) CPE questionnaire, were performed. The sample was 106 Norwegian leaders. Three common factors comprising leadership styles and personality domains were interpreted as “looking for new possibilities,”“hard working,” and “dealing with people.” Considering personality traits as behavior tendencies in unspecified situational contexts and leadership styles as behavioral tendencies in the leadership context, and due to the self‐report nature of the data, it is argued that the factors show consistency in self‐perceptions independent of context. The strongest predictors of the CPE total score were Conscientiousness and Extraversion; Openness and Agreeableness were specific predictors of Change and Employee, respectively.
Modification of performance on the Span of Apprehension Task in a group of young people with early onset psychosis
Authors: Ueland Torill , Rishovd Rund Bjørn , Borg Nancy Elliot , Newton Elisabeth , Purvis Rick , Wykes Til
Published: January 2004

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of contingent monetary reinforcement and enhanced instructions on Span of Apprehension (SPAN) performance in a group of young people with early onset psychosis. Twenty‐five participants (mean age 16.7) received a 3‐ and 12‐letter version of the SPAN task six times: baseline, three x intervention, post‐test, and 10‐day follow‐up. No significant effects of time were found in the 3‐letter condition, indicating a ceiling effect for accuracy. In the 12‐letter condition detection rates improved significantly reaching a maximum at the third intervention (p < 0.001). Performance showed a temporary decline at post‐test, but performance returned to the maximum level at the 10‐day follow‐up. The study suggests that SPAN performance can be improved in young people with early onset psychosis using relatively simple interventions and that performance gains are relatively durable.
Child‐rearing in an indigenous Sami population in Norway: A cross‐cultural comparison of parental attitudes and expectations
Authors: Javo Cecilie , Rønning John A. , Heyerdahl Sonja
Published: January 2004

Semi‐structured interviews of 76 Sami mothers and 58 Sami fathers, and 86 Norwegian mothers and 58 Norwegian fathers of four‐year olds, revealed consistent cross‐cultural differences in parenting. ANCOVA results showed that parental permissiveness was higher in the Sami group. Moreover, the effect of ethnicity was different for boys and girls (mothers’ reports). Co‐sleeping and self‐regulation of food and sleep were commonly practiced in the Sami, but not in the Norwegian families. Sami children were more socially independent than their Norwegian peers. Indirect or internal types of control were used more by Sami parents, and they were less tolerant of child aggression, in the form of temper tantrums and displays of jealousy. These patterns are similar to those found in other indigenous cultures in the circumpolar region. The results are discussed with reference to the Individualism–Collectivism dimension. The study challenges the Individualism–Collectivism construct for apparently confounding the individualism common in European liberalism with the individual autonomy commonly encountered among hunting‐gathering peoples.
The longitudinal and concurrent role of neuroticism for partner relationships
Authors: Möller Kristiina
Published: January 2004

Neurotic characteristics of spouses have often been associated with dissatisfaction with the partner relationship. This article addresses the question whether the link between dissatisfaction with the relationship and neuroticism appears during the partner relationship, or whether it is present before the person enters the relationship. Utilizing data from a Swedish longitudinal project, satisfaction with the partner relationship was linked with neuroticism both in adolescence and in adulthood. Adolescent neuroticism was measured at age 15 with the High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ), and adult neuroticism was measured at age 37 with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ‐I). Results showed that a lower degree of satisfaction in partner relationships in mid‐life was linked with higher concurrent neuroticism scores. Opposing most of the previous studies, this association appeared for both men and women. Higher neuroticism in adolescence was, however, not significantly associated with satisfaction in partner relationships in mid‐life.
Annotation: Childhood‐onset schizophrenia: clinical and treatment issues
Authors: Asarnow Joan Rosenbaum , Tompson Martha C. , McGrath Emily P.
Published: January 2004

Background:  In the past 10 years, there has been increased research on childhood‐onset schizophrenia and clear advances have been achieved.

Method:  This annotation reviews the recent clinical and treatment literature on childhood‐onset schizophrenia.

Results:  There is now strong evidence that the syndrome of childhood‐onset schizophrenia exists and there are several similarities between childhood‐ and later‐onset schizophrenia. Schizophrenia in youth can be reliably diagnosed using the same criteria employed with adults, and childhood‐onset schizophrenia is predictive of schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum disorders in adulthood. Data is accumulating to guide pharmacological treatment strategies, and practice parameters have been developed to guide clinical care.

Conclusions:  Despite significant advances, there remains an urgent need for additional research on treatment and service delivery strategies. Promising work with adults highlights the importance of attending to psychosocial as well as pharmacologic treatment strategies, and the potential value of preventive interventions.
Validity of adult retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences: review of the evidence
Authors: Hardt Jochen , Rutter Michael
Published: January 2004

Background:  Influential studies have cast doubt on the validity of retrospective reports by adults of their own adverse experiences in childhood. Accordingly, many researchers view retrospective reports with scepticism.

Method:  A computer‐based search, supplemented by hand searches, was used to identify studies reported between 1980 and 2001 in which there was a quantified assessment of the validity of retrospective recall of sexual abuse, physical abuse, physical/emotional neglect or family discord, using samples of at least 40. Validity was assessed by means of comparisons with contemporaneous, prospectively obtained, court or clinic or research records; by agreement between retrospective reports of two siblings; and by the examination of possible bias with respect to differences between retrospective and prospective reports in their correlates and consequences. Medium‐ to long‐term reliability of retrospective recall was determined from studies in which the test–retest period extended over at least 6 months.

Results:  Retrospective reports in adulthood of major adverse experiences in childhood, even when these are of a kind that allow reasonable operationalisation, involve a substantial rate of false negatives, and substantial measurement error. On the other hand, although less easily quantified, false positive reports are probably rare. Several studies have shown some bias in retrospective reports. However, such bias is not sufficiently great to invalidate retrospective case‐control studies of major adversities of an easily defined kind. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that little weight can be placed on the retrospective reports of details of early experiences or on reports of experiences that rely heavily on judgement or interpretation.

Conclusion:  Retrospective studies have a worthwhile place in research, but further research is needed to examine possible biases in reporting.
Executive functioning in children: a comparison of hospitalised ODD and ODD/ADHD children and normal controls
Authors: Van Goozen Stephanie H.M. , Cohen‐Kettenis Peggy T. , Snoek Heddeke , Matthys Walter , Swaab‐Barneveld Hanna , Van Engeland Herman
Published: January 2004

Background:  Deficits in executive functioning are supposed to have a predisposing influence on impulsive or aggressive behaviour. We tested the hypothesis that oppositional‐defiant disorder (ODD) children with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have problems in executive functioning.

Method:  Seventy‐seven 7‐ to 12‐year‐old children (15 ODD, 26 ODD/ADHD, and 36 normal controls), all with normal IQ, completed 7 neuropsychological measures of executive functioning, assessing the abilities of set shifting, planning, working memory, inhibition/attention, and impulsivity. Some of these tasks involved the possibility of monetary rewards with a view to testing the prediction of a specific motivational inhibitory deficit.

Results:  We found no evidence of deficits in working memory, planning, inhibition, or impulsivity. However, the ODD/ADHD group was worse than the normal control (NC) group in set shifting, and both the ODD and ODD/ADHD groups performed worse on a response perseveration task. Moreover, on the basis of one variable derived from a motivational inhibition task, 77% of the children could be correctly classified as ODD or NC.

Conclusions:  The findings do not support the hypothesis that ODD and ODD/ADHD children have a deficit in executive inhibitory control; rather, they emphasise that they have problems in regulating their behaviour under motivational inhibitory conditions.
Methylphenidate improves working memory and set‐shifting in AD/HD: relationships to baseline memory capacity
Authors: Mehta Mitul A. , Goodyer Ian M. , Sahakian Barbara J.
Published: January 2004

Objective:  Catecholamine stimulant drugs are highly efficacious treatments for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (AD/HD). Catecholamine modulation in humans influences performance of numerous cognitive tasks, including tests of attention and working memory (WM). Clear delineation of the effects of methylphenidate upon such cognitive functions in AD/HD would enhance understanding of the effects of drug treatment.

Method:  Here we present a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of the cognitive effects of an acute dose of methylphenidate (c. .5 mg/kg) in 14 boys aged 10.86 (±1.19) years meeting criteria for DSM‐IV AD/HD. Current behaviour was ascertained using Conners’ teacher and parent self‐report questionnaires and IQ was tested using sub‐tests from WISC‐III‐UK. Tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) were selected to assess visuo‐spatial recognition memory, spatial WM, planning, visual‐search and attentional‐set shifting.

Results:  Methylphenidate improved spatial WM, attentional‐set shifting and visual‐search task performance. Correlational analyses suggested possible relationships between WM capacity and spatial WM performance improvement. Also, poor performance on the attentional‐set shifting task on placebo was associated with increased errors on the spatial WM task on placebo.

Conclusions:  Methylphenidate may selectively improve both underlying cognitive difficulties in tasks dependent on intact fronto‐striatal structures, and clinical symptoms of AD/HD. Pre‐treatment measures may have some predictive value in determining individual differences in drug response.
Familial influences on sustained attention and inhibition in preschoolers
Authors: Groot Alexia S. , De Sonneville Leo M.J. , Stins John F. , Boomsma Dorret I.
Published: January 2004

Background:  In this study several aspects of attention were studied in 237 nearly 6‐year‐old twin pairs. Specifically, the ability to sustain attention and inhibition were investigated using a computerized test battery (Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks). Furthermore, the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) was filled out by the teacher of the child and the attention subscale of this questionnaire was analyzed.

Methods:  The variance in performance on the different tasks of the test battery and the score on the attention scale of the TRF were decomposed into a contribution of the additive effects of many genes (A), environmental effects that are shared by twins (C) and unique environmental influences not shared by twins (E) by using data from MZ and DZ twins.

Results:  The genetic model fitting results showed an effect of A and E for the attention scale of the TRF, and for some of the inhibition and sustained attention measures. For most of the attention variables, however, it was not possible to decide between a model with A and E or a model with C and E. Time‐on‐task effects on reaction time or number of errors and the delay after making an error did not show familial resemblances. A remarkable finding was that the heritability of the attention scale of the TRF was found to be higher than the heritability of indices that can be considered to be more direct measures of attention, such as mean tempo in the sustained attention task and response speed in the Go–NoGo task.

Conclusion:  In preschoolers, familial resemblances on sustained attention and inhibition were observed.
Genetic and environmental influence on language impairment in 4‐year‐old same‐sex and opposite‐sex twins
Authors: Viding Essi , Spinath Frank M. , Price Thomas S. , Bishop Dorothy V.M. , Dale Philip S. , Plomin Robert
Published: January 2004

Background:  We investigated the aetiology of language impairment in 579 four‐year‐old twins with low language performance and their co‐twins, members of 160 MZ twin pairs, 131 same‐sex DZ pairs and 102 opposite‐sex DZ pairs.

Methods:  Language impairment in 4‐year‐olds was defined by scores below the 15th percentile on a general factor derived from an extensive language test battery. Language impairment of different degrees of severity was investigated by using multiple cut‐offs below the 15th percentile.

Results:  DeFries–Fulker extremes analysis indicated that language impairment as measured by the general language scale is under strong genetic influence. In addition, group differences heritability showed an increasing trend (from 38% to 76%) as a function of severity of language impairment. Although more boys are impaired than girls, incorporating opposite‐sex DZ pairs into the analysis found neither quantitative nor qualitative differences between boys and girls in genetic and environmental aetiologies.

Conclusions:  Language impairment at four years is heritable. This finding replicates previous research on language impairment and extends it by showing that language impairment is heritable in twins selected from a representative community sample. Despite the mean difference between boys and girls, genetic and environmental influences are quantitatively and qualitatively similar for language impairment for boys and girls. For both boys and girls, heritability appears to be greater for more severe language impairment, indicating stronger influence of genes at the lower end of language ability.
Phonological memory as a predictor of language comprehension in Down syndrome: a five‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Laws Glynis , Gunn Deborah
Published: January 2004

Background:  This study reports the language and memory progress over five years of 30 adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome, and investigates the relationship of earlier phonological memory abilities to later language development.

Methods:  Tests of nonverbal ability, receptive vocabulary, grammar comprehension, digit span and nonword repetition were administered at two points in time.

Results:  For the sample as a whole, there were significant gains in nonverbal ability, receptive vocabulary and grammar comprehension, but no increases in phonological memory measured by nonword repetition or digit span. However, there were considerable individual differences in progress which, in part, were related to chronological age. Phonological memory improved in many younger participants but there were signs of decline in some older ones. Partial correlations between earlier nonword repetition scores and later language scores, controlling for nonverbal ability and earlier language scores, indicated a significant role for phonological memory in the acquisition of vocabulary knowledge. There was similar evidence of a role for phonological memory in grammar comprehension, but only for younger participants. Earlier receptive vocabulary also predicted later nonword repetition scores, particularly for participants with higher levels of vocabulary knowledge.

Conclusion:  Relationships among the processes involved in language and memory development in Down syndrome may be similar to those established for typical development.
Quality of parent communication about sex and its relationship to risky sexual behavior among youth in psychiatric care: a pilot study
Authors: Wilson Helen W. , Donenberg Geri
Published: January 2004

Background:  The number of HIV infections among adolescents is increasing, and youth in psychiatric care are at particular risk because of their high rates of risky sexual behavior.

Methods:  As part of a larger longitudinal study examining AIDS‐risk behavior among adolescents in psychiatric care, this pilot study investigated the relationship between parent communication about sex and sexual risk‐taking among treatment‐seeking adolescents. Adolescents reported their risky sexual behavior (e.g., inconsistent condom use, sex with multiple partners), and parents reported how frequently they bring up topics related to sex, HIV/AIDS, and birth control. Parents and adolescents participated together in videotaped discussions of fictional vignettes describing situations related to sex, birth control, and AIDS/HIV. Quality of the parent–teen discussions was coded based on a system developed by Whalen, Henker, Hollingshead, and Burgess (1996) to code AIDS‐related discussions.

Results:  Quality but not frequency of parent–teen communication was associated with adolescent sexual risk‐taking, and ethnic differences in communication were found.

Conclusions:  Findings from this pilot investigation underscore the importance of studying the relationship between parent–teen communication and risky sexual behavior among troubled youth and provide direction for the development of family‐based intervention programs that focus on parental behavior during conversations with teens.
Subtypes of self‐esteem and self‐concept in adolescent violent and property offenders
Authors: Vermeiren Robert , Bogaerts Jef , Ruchkin Vladislav , Deboutte Dirk , Schwab‐Stone Mary
Published: January 2004

Aim:  To investigate the relationship between subtypes of self‐esteem/self‐concept (familial, academic, social, and personal security) and antisocial behavior in adolescents (violent and property offending).

Method:  A self‐report survey was administered in a representative group of 1466 students aged 12 to 18.

Results:  Both low family acceptance and low academic competence were found to predict property and violent offending, while high peer popularity was found to predict mainly violent offending.

Conclusion:  The finding that subtypes of self‐esteem/self‐concept present differently in antisocial adolescents may have clinical and scientific consequences, and such differentiation should be considered in future research. It should also be investigated whether this finding has therapeutic consequences.
Mind‐reading difficulties in the siblings of people with Asperger's syndrome: evidence for a genetic influence in the abnormal development of a specific cognitive domain
Authors: Dorris L. , Espie C.A.E. , Knott F. , Salt J.
Published: January 2004

Background:  Previous research suggests that the phenotype associated with Asperger's syndrome (AS) includes difficulties in understanding the mental states of others, leading to difficulties in social communication and social relationships. It has also been suggested that the first‐degree relatives of those with AS can demonstrate similar difficulties, albeit to a lesser extent. This study examined ‘theory of mind’ (ToM) abilities in the siblings of children with AS relative to a matched control group.

Method:  27 children who had a sibling with AS were administered the children's version of the ‘Eyes Test’ (Baron‐Cohen, Wheelwright, Stone, & Rutherford, 1999). The control group consisted of 27 children matched for age, sex, and a measure of verbal comprehension, and who did not have a family history of AS/autism.

Results:  A significant difference was found between the groups on the Eyes Test, the ‘siblings’ group showing a poorer performance on this measure of social cognition. The difference was more pronounced among female siblings.

Discussion:  These results are discussed in terms of the familial distribution of a neuro‐cognitive profile associated with AS, which confers varying degrees of social handicap amongst first‐degree relatives. The implication of this finding with regard to the autism/AS phenotype is explored, with some discussion of why this neuro‐cognitive profile (in combination with corresponding strengths) may have an evolutionary imperative.
Attitudes Toward Control in Uncontrollable Situations: The Multidimensional Impact of Health Locus of Control on the Well‐Being of Mothers of Children with Disabilities
Authors: Green Sara E.
Published: January 2004

This study examines the additive and interactive impact of four dimensions of health locus of control (internality, desire for information, powerful others, and chance) on two measures of well‐being (perceived social support and subjective caregiver burden) among 81 mothers of children with disabilities. Narrative accounts and interactive interviews with such mothers are used to interpret and contextualize the quantitative results. Findings clearly support the multidimensionality of health locus of control. Among these mothers, internality is uncorrelated with both of the dimensions of externality often treated as its polar opposite. It is also uncorrelated with desire for information—often used as its indicator. Complex individual, additive and interactive affects on the measures of well‐being were found for dimensions of health locus of control. Desire for information is negatively correlated with subjective burden. Mothers who do not want information about health feel greater burden of care. Internality and chance interact in their relationships to both aspects of well‐being. Mothers who believe that both their own actions and chance affect health outcomes report the highest levels of social support. Where internality is low, the belief in chance increases perceived social support. Conversely, where chance is low, internality increases support. For highly internal mothers, belief in chance serves to reduce perceived subjective burden. Mothers high in chance but low in internality, on the other hand, feel more burdened by their parenting task. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
“Sustainability” as a Dialogue of Values: Challenges to the Sociology of Development
Authors: Ratner Blake D.
Published: January 2004

Even in an increasingly polarized climate of global policy‐making, the ideal of “sustainable development” retains currency across a remarkably broad swath of the political spectrum in debating alternative scenarios for the future. By adapting Weber's classic categories of value spheres and collective rationality, I distinguish contemporary approaches to operationalizing the concept of sustainability and elucidate the practical implications of each. For some, the social, ecological, and economic dimensions of sustainability are synergistic components of a single meaningful goal, pursued by either an overarching technique or a unifying ethic. In contrast to these unifying models, one may conclude that the dimensions of sustainable development invoke values that inevitably conflict in any complex social interaction to derive strategies for collective action. Framing the concept in such terms, as a dialogue of values, highlights the need to adapt social institutions to mediate value conflict at different scales, and points to opportunities for engaging development debates through applied research on comparative governance.
The Declining Significance of Race in Federal Civil Rights Law: The Social Structure of Employment Discrimination Claims
Authors: Wakefield Sara , Uggen Christopher
Published: January 2004

We examine changes in the nature and rate of complaints filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the past 35 years. The EEOC's role has shifted over this period from ensuring job access for racial minorities to providing diverse protections for a much broader class of incumbent workers. We first describe trends in discrimination complaints, most notably the shift from racial discrimination to other bases of discrimination, and develop a conceptual model of choice among socially structured alternatives to account for them. We then test the model with a time series analysis of changes in the complaint rate among different worker groups to evaluate the relative importance of legal, political, and socioeconomic determinants of civil rights complaints. Net of changes in the political climate, benefit compensation, inequality, and education levels, we find that legal changes and group‐specific unemployment rates are the strongest and most consistent determinants of the rate of race, sex, and total discrimination complaints. Our results suggest that people will bear the costs of filing a complaint when legal options are relatively attractive and when employment options on the external labor market are unattractive.
Levator function before and after childbirth
Authors: Dietz Hans Peter
Published: January 2004

Background:  Vaginal childbirth is assumed to affect pelvic floor muscle function as a result of direct trauma and/or neuropathy.

Aims:  To assess levator function by ultrasound prior to and after delivery and correlate changes with delivery data.

Methods:  A total of 200 nulliparous women were seen at 6–18 and 32–37 weeks’ gestation as well as 2–5 months post‐partum. Appointments consisted of an interview, paper towel test, flowmetry and translabial ultrasound (supine and after voiding). The most effective of at least three contractions was used for evaluation according to a previously published method quantifying cranioventral displacement of the bladder neck. Labour and delivery details were collected through data collection sheets and the institutional database.

Results:  A total of 173 women were seen in late pregnancy; 169 returned on average 93 days post‐partum. At the last visit, a reduction of cranioventral lift from 11.2 mm (SD 4.5) to 8.8 mm (SD 4.2) was noted (P < 0.001) which correlated weakly with active second stage (Spearman's r = −0.196, P = 0.013), passive second stage (r = −0.15, P = 0.059) and total second stage of labour (r = −0.225, P = 0.004). Good antenatal levator function was not protective of changes in levator function or pelvic organ support.

Conclusions:  Childbirth reduces bladder neck displacement on levator contraction. The main obstetric determinant affecting levator function seems to be the length of the second stage. A Caesarean section in the second stage appears to exert no protective effect. It seems to be full engagement of the fetal head, not childbirth itself, that impairs levator function.
Lack of antenatal care in far north Queensland
Authors: Humphrey Michael D , Keating Susan M
Published: January 2004

Objective:  To examine reasons for women not accessing antenatal care, and subsequent pregnancy outcomes for this group of women.

Design:  Retrospective observational study between 1992 and 2001.

Setting:  Large public provincial referral obstetric unit.

Sample:  A total of 226 of 16 176 women (1.4%) who gave birth had not accessed antenatal care in the index pregnancy.

Results:  The women who did not access antenatal care were more likely to be highly parous or young, indigenous, and users of alcohol than the women who did access antenatal care; women who lived in remote communities and women who significant medical conditions complicating their pregnancy were less likely to default on antenatal care. The women who did not access antenatal care had a higher incidence of preterm birth and post‐partum haemorrhage; their babies were more likely to be of low birthweight, to be born with 5‐min Apgar scores less than 5, and had a higher incidence of perinatal death.

Conclusions:  Lack of antenatal care is associated with a significant number of poor pregnancy outcomes, which are not explained by the basic epidemiological characteristics of women. As the women not accessing antenatal care tend to be from the most disadvantaged or marginalised groups in our society, a better understanding of their reasons for not accessing antenatal care is necessary so that care options can be provided which this high‐risk group of women may find acceptable and use.
Learning curve for hysteroscopic sterilisation: Lessons from the first 80 cases
Authors: Rosen David M. B.
Published: January 2004

The present report looks at the first 80 patients of Essure sterilisation performed by a surgeon with experience in operative hysteroscopy. The results show that the procedure is well tolerated under local anaesthesia with or without sedation, and that devices can be successfully placed in 90% of cases. Surgical time is reduced with increased experience, and successful placement increased by improving visibility within the endometrial cavity (cycle timing).
Predictive value of mid luteal progesterone concentration before luteal support in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination
Authors: Costello Michael F. , Emerson Sandra , Lukic Julie , Sjoblom Peter , Garrett Don , Hughes Graeme , Steigrad Stephen
Published: January 2004

Background:  There is no published data assessing whether higher mid luteal serum progesterone (P4) levels are associated with a higher cycle pregnancy rate (CPR) in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Aims:  To assess whether the mid luteal serum P4 level is predictive of pregnancy in COH with IUI.

Methods:  A retrospective cohort study of all women with unexplained, minimal endometriosis or mild male factor infertility who underwent COH with IUI between October 1999 and December 2000 at our department was analysed. The COH was achieved with follicle stimulating hormone injections. All cycles were triggered with human chorionic gonadotropin when at least one follicle ≥15 mm was visible on ultrasound and IUI performed the following day. A serum P4 and beta human chorionic gonadotropin level was measured at 7 and 14 days post‐trigger, respectively.

Results:  There were 33 pregnancies in the 188 cycles analysed, giving a CPR of 18%. The median (range) mid luteal P4 level for all cycles was 51 nmol/L (1.8–234). This did not differ between the pregnant (55 nmol/L) and non‐pregnant (50 nmol/L) cycles (P = 0.282, Mann–Whitney U‐test). There was also no difference in CPR between cohorts below or above the cut‐off levels of 33 nmol/L (25th percentile) (13.3 vs 18.9%; P = 0.39), 51 nmol/L (50th percentile) (16.0 vs 19.1%; P = 0.57), or 69 nmol/L (75th percentile) (16.3 vs 21.3%; P = 0.44), respectively.

Conclusions:  Increased mid luteal serum P4 levels are not associated with a higher CPR in women undergoing COH with IUI. However, a low mid luteal P4 level ≤25 nmol/L may help predict treatment failure.