bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Potential role for bone marrow-derived fibrocytes in the orbital fibroblast heterogeneity associated with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy
Authors: Smith T J 
Published: July 2010

SummaryFibroblast heterogeneity has been recognized for decades, but the basis for multiple phenotypes among these cells has been investigated only recently. More than 15 years ago, Bucalla and his colleagues described for the first time a population of fibroblast-like cells among circulating mononuclear blood cells. Subsequently these mesenchymal cells, termed fibrocytes, have been characterized and found to participate in normal and pathological tissue remodelling. In this review, I have attempted to present the evidence generated thus far suggesting that fibrocytes are participants in autoimmune diseases where tissues are injured and undergo remodelling. Aspects of their phenotype suggest that they are well suited to help orchestrate immune responses through mononuclear cell recruitment and their ability to produce inflammatory mediators and extracellular matrix molecules. These attributes also raise the possibility that they might be useful targets against which therapeutic agents might be aimed.
Apes in a changing world – the effects of global warming on the behaviour and distribution of African apes
Authors: Lehmann Julia , Korstjens Amanda H. , Dunbar Robin I. M. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractAim  In this study we use a modelling approach to identify: (1) the factors responsible for the differences in ape biogeography, (2) the effects that global warming might have on distribution patterns of African apes, (3) the underlying mechanisms for these effects, and (4) the implications that behavioural flexibility might be expected to have for ape survival. All African apes are highly endangered, and the need for efficient conservation methods is a top priority. The expected changes in world climate are likely to further exacerbate the difficulties they face. Our study aims to further understand the mechanisms that link climatic conditions to the behaviour and biogeography of ape species.Location  Africa.Method  We use an existing validated time budgets model, derived from data on 20 natural populations of gorillas (Gorilla beringei and Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes and Pan paniscus), which specifies the relationship between climate, group size, body weight and time available for various activities, to predict ape distribution across Africa under a uniform worst‐case climate change scenario.Results  We demonstrate that a worst‐case global warming scenario is likely to alter the delicate balance between different time budget components. Our model points to the importance of annual temperature variation, which was found to have the strongest impact on ape biogeography. Our simulation indicates that rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns are likely to have strong effects on ape survival and distribution, particularly for gorillas. Even if they behaved with maximum flexibility, gorillas may not be able to survive in most of their present habitats if the climate was to undergo extreme changes. The survival of chimpanzees was found to be strongly dependent on the minimum viable group size required.Main conclusions  Our model allows us to explore how climatic conditions, individual behaviour and morphological traits may interact to limit the biogeographical distributions of these species, thereby allowing us to predict the effects of climate change on African ape distributions under different climate change regimes. The model suggests that climate variability (i.e. seasonality) plays a more important role than the absolute magnitude of the change, but these data are not normally provided by climate models.
Mental outcome in West syndrome: prognostic value of some clinical factors
Authors: FAVATÀ I. , LEUZZI V. , CURATOLO P. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Fifty‐eight cases of West syndrome (eight idiopathic, 50 secondary) have been followed‐up for a mean period of 5 years 5 months. The relationship has been studied between intellectual status at the final follow‐up and the following variables: etiology, age of onset, neurological examination and developmental assessment at the onset, CT scan findings, short‐term effect of ACTH treatment, and age of acquiring four developmental milestones (sitting unsupported, walking unsupported, uttering the first specific word and using a sentence of two words).Developmental and/or neurological abnormalities before the onset of the spasms, symptomatic etiology and abnormal CT findings are associated with a low IQ at the final follow‐up.The age for sitting unsupported and for walking unsupported has proved to be not predictive of intellectual outcome, but the speech development data have shown a highly significant relationship with intellectual development.Early identification of the children with mental retardation has turned out to be superior to prediction of normal mental outcome.
Offer sequences between parents and young children with Down's syndrome
Authors: WOOTTON A. J. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT.Videorecordings were made in the homes of six children with Down's syndrome whose developmental ages ranged between about 1 and 2 years. Analysis of sequences initiated by parental offers to their children suggests that these children's response behaviour is sensitive to both non‐verbal aspects of the offerer's behaviour and the context in which the offer is made.
The effect of social contact on college students’ attitudes toward severely handicapped students and their educational integration
Authors: BEH‐PAJOOH A. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT.Research on integration suggests that the major benefit of educational integrated programmes is the facilitation of intergroup contact between mentally handicapped and non‐handicapped students. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of different amounts of social contact with severely handicapped students on attitudes and emotional reactions of college students towards such students and their integration into mainstream education. The study was carried out in a tertiary college which has a link programme with a local school for pupils with severe learning difficulties. The results indicated that those participants who had social contact with severely handicapped students held more favourable attitudes and emotional reactions toward such students than did those who had no social contact with this group. The study concludes that the educational integration programmes can positively modify attitudes and emotional reactions of college students towards severely handicapped students. However, in order to implement an effective link or integration programme and to foster attitudes more favourable towards severely handicapped students, the study recommends that more opportunities for intergroup contact and social interaction between non‐handicapped and handicapped students need to be provided.
The sterilization of people with a mental handicap: the views of parents
Authors: BAMBRICK M. , ROBERTS G. E. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT.The issue of sterilization in people with mental handicap has re‐emerged in recent years. Historical aspects are briefly reviewed, and attention is drawn to the different context in which this issue has been revived. A postal survey of parental views was undertaken. Fifty‐three per cent of the respondents indicated that they had or would consider sterilization for their child with mental handicap, and a large majority of the parents felt that they alone, or in conjunction with a doctor, should be able to consent on behalf of the person with mental handicap. Consideration needs to be given to parental anxieties with regard to sexual and reproductive health issues which are surfacing with the current emphasis on community care and the philosophy of normahzation.
The validity and applicability of the ADIECAS classroom rating scale in a sample of children with Down's syndrome
Authors: TURNER S. , SLOPER P. , KNUSSEN C. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT.The ADIECAS classromm behaviour rating scale (Evans & Hogg, 1984) was used with a sample of 123 children with Down's sydrome as part of a wider study of child and family adaptation. According to Evans & Hogg, the ADIECAS scale measures two types of behaviour: attentiveness‐distractability, and inhibition‐excitability. Such measures of behaviour style may be related to behaviour problems and child and family relationships for children with mental handicap. The factor structure of the 16 ADIECAS items was investigated by using confirmatory factor analysis within the LISREL program. Overall, the original factor structure was found to be a poor fit to the new data, in that, while the distractability factor replicated well, the excitability factor split into three. Alter examining the components of the four factors, two were discarded as containing unreliable items, and goodness of fit statistics on the two revised factors, using 10 of the original 16 items, gave the best results. Thus, the factors structure showed only limited replicability with a different subject group from the original Evans & Hogg study.
A study of the homeostatic level of stereotypy and other motor movements of persons with mental handicaps
Authors: REPP A. C. , KARSH K. G. , DEITZ D. E. D. , SINGH N. N. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT.Stereotypy is one of the most common behaviours demonstrated by persons with mental handicaps. As such, it has generated a number of theories concerning its origin or maintenance. One of these theories, the homeostatic one, suggests that some persons engage in stereotypies and other motor behaviours in order to maintain a relatively constant level of responding. If this was indeed true, the fact would have important implications for treatment, i.e. those persons who varied rates of both stereotypy and other movements but retained an overall level of motoric responding would seem to be those for whom procedures like the differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour would be highly appropriate. The purpose of this paper was to determine whether some people do engage in constant levels of responding, and it did so by collecting data on stereotypy and other motor movements of 12 persons with retardation. Collected throughout the sehool day for 5 consecutive days on micro‐computers, the data showed (1) that the stereotypic responding of four subjects was extraordinarily consistent, with the most deviant day's total being only 15 or 16% from the mean of the 5 days, (2) that other motor movements were inconsistent for all but one subject, but (3) that total movement (i.e. stereotypy plus other motor movements) was very high and was consistent for most subjects. The data were discussed in terms of assessing baselines for subjects for whom reinforcing adaptive motor movements would seem an appropriate means for reducing stereotypic responding.
Activities and engagement in day services for people with a mental handicap
Authors: LOWE K. , BEYER S. , KILSBY M. , FELCE D. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTPolicy on the role and function of day services for adults with mental handicaps has changed considerably during the last 2 decades. What such settings offer their users has also changed as services have attempted to evolve in line with policy. However, the impaa of these changes has gone largely unevaluated. This paper describes a study of two day centres to categorize the activity programmes of these services, and to assess service user and staff behaviour prior to a larger scale study of such services in Wales. The two centres were found to differ significantly in their programmes but not in the extent to which activities were organized in the community. Service user participation in activities varied with activity type, group composition and activity location. Whether activities were organized for the fall duration of the timetabled sessions was critical to the interpretation of the extent of service user engagement. Staff showed a commendable orientation to clients and their activities in both services. Differences in the activity programmes of the two centres are discussed in terms of a continuing lack of clarity over the purposes of such day services in general. The relevance of some activities to objectives is questioned. Concem is also expressed about the resulting level of engagement achieved in planned activity.
Prefrontal neocortical disturbances in mental retardation
Authors: LÖGDBERGi B. , BRUN A. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTMorphometrical analysis of the frontal lobe neocortex of seven selected cases of mental retardation of unclassified aetiology and pathology, showing mild dysplastic changes of the neocortex on routine workup, were compared with nine normal controls and seven cases with Down's syndrome. In comparison with the normal controls, the group with‘unclassified’mental retardation showed an increased percentage of disoriented pyramidal neurons in layers III and IV‐V (8–17%, P<0.01), an abnormal distribution of small pyramidal cells with a shift from superficial to deeper layers of the prefrontal cortex (P<0.01), and an increased cortical thickness (+ 38%, P<0.05) of Brodmann area 10, as well as a tendency to a decreased gyration of the frontal lobe sulci (−14%, P=0.18). However, no statistically significant macroscopicai differences either in frontal lobe gyration or in the size of the cerebrum and its frontal lobes were found between those two groups. On the other hand, the Down's syndrome group had a significantly decreased gyration (−36%, P<0.01). These findings may indicate an inhibited and disordered migration of putative small pyramidal neurons in cases of'unclassified’mental retardation.
Immunological features of Down's syndrome: a review
Authors: NESPOLI L. , BURGIO G. R. , UGAZIO A. G. , MACCARIO R. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTYoung patients with Down's syndrome (DS) have high rates of infections, malignancies and autoimmune phenomena. Therefore, DS may be considered as a model of precocious, abnormal ageing of the thymus‐dependent system in man. In DS children less than 6 years of age, the levels of serum immunoglobulins did not differ from healthy controls, but after that age, considerable hyper‐IgG and ‐IgA were found. Furthermore, high levels of IgGl and IgG3 have been found, whereas a progressive decline of IgG2 and IgG4 with age has been observed. The frequency of hepatitis B virus carriers even in the youngest age group is much higher among DS children. It has been reported that an IgG response was detectable in 75% of controls after HBsAg vaccination as compared to the 16–6% of DS patients. The presence of autoantibodies against human thyroblobulin did show a positive association with HB Virus Ag carriers, but only in the oldest DS subjects. Natural antibodies against intestinal antigens are low, while in the presence of cow's milk, abnormally high titres against casein and betalactoglobulin were present. High levels of IgG antibodies against gliadin have been observed. In spite of a normal percentage of CD3‐ and CD2‐positive lymphocytes, a high proportion of cells express low‐avidity receptors for sheep erythrocytes. Although the proportion of CD4+ T‐lymphocyte helper‐cells is normal, a marked imbalance in the CD4+ subpopulations has been documented. The percentage of suppressor‐cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes is markedly increased. The responses to phytoemagglutinin and concanavalin A are within the normal range in the first decade of life and decline progressively thereafrer. A recent study reported defective proliferative response to allo‐mixed lymphocyte culture, with decreased expression of the membrane CD25, low secretion of interleukin 2 in the supernatant and depressed allo‐specific cytotoxic activity. Defective production of interferon alfa and gamma in DS has been described in vivo and in vitro. Recently, it has been reported that the absolute number of TCR alfa, beta+ cells was considerably lower for DS subjects than for controls, while DS subjects had a markedly higher proportion of cells expressing TCR gamma and delta. Therefore, it can be concluded that, while the primary immune defect seems to be greatest in the cellular compartment, even the humoral immunity in DS subjects undergoes a precocious ageing, as has already been shown for the T‐cell compartment.
Clinical and cytogenetic survey of institutionalized mentally retarded patients with emphasis on the fragile‐X syndrome
Authors: BUTLER M. G. , SINGH D. N. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTA detailed clinical and cytogenetic survey for the fragile‐X syndrome was undertaken on 201 institutionalized mentally retarded males with no previously recognized cause of retardation, and the causes of mental retardation were summarized from a total of 595 institutionalized male and female patients after the review of their medical records including clinical and cytogenetic data. Among the 201 males clinically and cytogenetically examined, five (2.5%) had abnormal chromosome findings with four (2%) having the fragile‐X syndrome. Twelve of the males (60%) were diagnosed with a single gene disorder. In the present study, mental retardation was classified as possibly due to multifactorial causes when a genetic syndrome, chromosome abnormality or environmental insult was not identified, but mental retardation was present in one or more first and/or second degree relatives, but did not follow a recognizable inheritance pattern. Hence, mental retardation was recorded in other family members and may indicate possible multifactorial causes in 45 males (22.4%). An environmental insult was noted in 25 males (12.4%); unexplained birth defects in three males (1.5%); a specific condition or diagnosis identified, but cause unknown (e.g. Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome) in 10 males (5%); and no diagnosis made in the remaining 101 males (50.2%). Of all 595 patients (334 males and 261 females), including the 201 males who had undergone a detailed clinical and cytogenetic evaluation, 39 (6.6%) had abnormal chromosome findings, with Down's syndrome noted in 31 of the patients. Twenty‐five patients (4.2%) were diagnosed with a single gene disorder while mental retardation was noted in other family members and may indicate possible multifactorial causes in 64 patients (10.8%). An environmental insult was noted in 170 patients (28.6%); unexplained birth defects in 17 patients (2.9%); a specific condition or diagnosis but cause unknown in 27 patients (4.5%); and no diagnosis made in 253 patients (42.5%). Clinical and cytogenetic screening of mentally retarded patients for the fragile‐X syndrome and other causes of mental retardation is helpful in identifying individuals and their families who may benefit from genetic services such as counseling and treatment. This study was performed over an approximate 2 year period from 1987 to 1989.
Factors influencing the expectations of parents for their mentally retarded children
Authors: NARAYAN J. , MADHAVAN T. , PRAKASAM B. SURYA 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTIn terms of treatment for cure, education, training and general information, parental expectations for their mentally retarded children are influenced by various factors such as the age and sex of the retarded child, the level of mental retardation, the education and occupation of the parents, and the socio‐economic status and area of living. In the present study, an attempt has been made to find out the correlation of six variables namely, age, sex, literacy, locality of living, level of retardation and duration of follow‐up on the expectation of one hundred parents of mentally retarded children who attend the home‐based services at the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad, India. The intercorrelation among the six independent variables and the dependent variable revealed that age of the child and duration of follow‐up have a high correlation (P < 0.01), and literacy of the parents and duration of follow‐up were positively correlated (P < 0.05 level). It was also found that age and duration of follow‐up have a positive correlation. Further detailed multiple regression analysis was conducted and the results are discussed.
Surgical treatment of corneal pathology in patients with Down's syndrome
Authors: VÖLKER‐DIEBEN H. J. , ODENTHAL M. T. P. , D'AMARO J. , KRUIT P. J. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTKeratoconus is a major cause of blindness in patients with Down's syndrome. A retrospective study of 30 corneal grafts for keratoconus in these patients revealed a 5‐year graft survival of 67%. Postoperative trauma and/or infection was the main cause for graft failure. Conditions that should be met before the indication for corneal transplantation in a patient with Down's syndrome are formulated as a result of 15 years experience with that patient population. In appropriate cases, corneal transplantation may undoubtedly improve the quality of life in these patients.
Span of apprehension in mentally retarded children: an initial investigation
Authors: UTLEY C. A. , HOEHN T. P. , SORACIJR S. A. , BAUMEISTER A. A. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTThe present investigation is the first to apply Estes' (1965) span of apprehension task to the study of attentional functioning in mentally retarded persons. Detection accuracies of 25 children diagnosed as mildly mentally retarded and 25 non‐retarded children were compared under conditions of 100‐ms exposure duration, and either two, four, six or eight distractor letters. Significant main effects of subject group and distractor number were found, with no Interaction. These results provide converging evidence in support of previous positions that posit a structural deficit in mentally retarded individuals with respect to centrally mediated processing.
Effects of a community‐based service on adaptive and maladaptive behaviours: a longitudinal study*
Authors: LOWE K. , DE PAIVA S. , FELCE D. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTChanges in skill acquisition and problem behaviour, contingent upon the introduction of a new community‐based service, were compared for subjects in three different residential settings: supported accommodation; hospital; and private family homes. Results over a 5‐year period indicate links between service contact and increases in skill level, together with an increase in problem behaviour for subjects who moved from hospital to supported accommodation. The interpretation of client income in the context of service process is discussed.
Factor structure of the Motivation Assessment Scale
Authors: SINGH N. N. , DONATELLI L. S. , BEST A. , WILLIAMS D. E. , BARRERA F. J. , LENZ M. W. , LANDRUM T. J. , ELLIS C. R. , MOE T. L. 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTThe Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) was developed to provide clinical information on four hypothesized functions that may control problem behaviour in persons with developmental disabilities. The original four‐factor structure of the MAS was based on face validity, with the items being grouped in terms of each of the hypothesized functions. Validation of the scale was provided in terms of correlations between teacher ratings of eight children on the MAS and ranking of the controlling variables from functional analogue tests. In this study, staff in residential facilities rated 60 residents and teachers in schools rated 96 students on the MAS. The target behaviour rated for both samples was self‐injury, with the institutional sample engaging in the behaviour more than 15 times an hour and the school sample, less than 15 times an hour. The results of factor analyses, with varimax rotation, provided a conceptually meaningful factor structure with the institutional sample, but not with the school sample. The 16 MAS items resolved into four factors that were conceptually related to four conditions that may maintain problem behaviour (i.e. sensory, escape, attention and tangible). The results suggested that the original MAS has a robust factor structure and may be clinically useful in predicting the controlling functions of problem behaviours, if the target behaviours occur at a rate no less than 15 responses per hour.