bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Volunteers, families and children in need: an evaluation of Family Friends
Authors: Parrott Lester , Buchanan Julian , Williams Debbie 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the findings from a small‐scale research project that analysed the impact of Family Friends – a voluntary agency that provides support to families under stress who have children aged between 5 and 11 years. The study, funded by Family Friends, evaluated service users’ perceptions of the support they received, specifically in relation to the significance and impact of the volunteer befrienders. The research identified that there are a proportion of families in need who fail to attract services from mainstream statutory agencies. It also identified that the Family Friends voluntary agency makes a particular contribution to service provision by offering a friendly, non‐stigmatizing, caring and responsive service.
Community in a children's home
Authors: Törrönen Maritta 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTIn this paper the focus is on ‘the community’ of a children's home and what it looks like from the children's point of view. The research data consist of ethnographic research material produced in conjunction with a doctoral thesis in 1996.The community was analysed in respect to four features: periodic adult relationships, alliance creation, importance of peers relationships and continuous negotiations, where children take active roles. In addition to periodic employees, the community of a children's home includes different relationships between peers and adults. The significance of the community is individually experienced. According to the field research, a children's home can offer home‐like experiences for some children and give a feeling of belonging, while there are also children for whom a sense of belonging is more complex.There is a need for a community approach in child protection and child welfare research. The studies of children's friendship and other human relationships provide adults and professionals with an understanding of the role of these relationships in the children's life and future. The studies also yield information on how these personal relationships are interpreted by young people.
Disabled children, parent–child interaction and attachment
Authors: Howe David 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTAlthough caregiver factors are generally considered the more potent in determining children's attachment organization, a number of child factors have also been considered. Among these have been temperament and disabilities. The present paper examines the effect of various types of children's disability on parent–child interactions, including how disabilities affect parental sensitivity and communications. A brief outline of attachment theory and patterns of organization is followed by a review of the research evidence that has looked at children with disabilities and insecure attachments. A complex picture emerges in which it is not a child's disability per se that is associated with insecure attachments but rather an interaction between children with disabilities and the caregiver's state of mind with respect to attachment. Transactions between both child and caregiver vulnerability factors affect sensitivity, communications and security of attachment. Practice implications for prevention, advice and support are considered.
A family support service for homeless children and parents: user and staff perspectives
Authors: Anderson Lisa , Stuttaford Maria , Vostanis Panos 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTChildren and their parents who become homeless constitute a group of families with a complex range of social care and health needs, including mental health difficulties. In response to this, a local authority housing department established a family support team (FST) that provides assessment and detection of a range of problems, support to parents and children, parenting interventions for child behavioural problems, liaison with other agencies, and referral to specialist services when appropriate. The aim of this study was to establish the perceptions of parents and staff on their experience of the service, and ways of improving it in the future. The study adopted a developmental evaluation approach and used multiple methods, including in‐depth interviews with families; diaries; reflective activities; participatory learning and action; and observation of the FST. The study mapped the innovative service and captured the range of skills in the team and the complexity of agencies the team interacted with. It also identified areas for further development in terms of the mental health needs of children and parents who have become homeless.
Adoption by foster carers: a profile of interest and outcomes
Authors: Kirton Derek , Beecham Jennifer , Ogilvie Kate 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTThis paper looks at the issue of adoption by foster carers and in particular its financial aspects. The findings stem from a wider study of remuneration and performance in foster care. Drawing on a survey of 1181 foster carers, this paper examines the characteristics of those who have considered adoption. The outcomes of such consideration, including the part played by financial concerns and anticipated loss of support in decisions to proceed with adoption or not, are also examined. The findings reveal a significant level of interest in adoption on the part of foster carers, to which three particular sets of characteristics are found to be associated. First, interest is greater among those more extensively involved in foster care in terms of experience, specialisms and range of placements offered. Second, it is associated with relatively less concern with payment and less ‘professional’ views of foster care. Third, there is evidence that adoption is more commonly pursued by those who feel less valued by social workers. Fears of losing financial help and support were cited as reasons by more than half of all foster carers who had considered but not pursued adoption.
Factors influencing the acceptance of volunteer home‐visiting support offered to families with new babies
Authors: Barnes Jacqueline , MacPherson Kristen , Senior Rob 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the characteristics of families with a new baby, screened to identify families with vulnerability, who did not take up the offer of home‐visiting support from a community volunteer. Using logistic regression, background factors were compared with those families receiving support. Those not receiving support, 59.1% of those referred, were more socially, educationally and economically disadvantaged, living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Those who received support were more likely to have larger families, no local support network, or had family members with health or mental health problems. One in nine families referred had not been reached by the support service. In brief qualitative telephone interviews, mothers who did not take up the offer of support reported changing their mind, wanting to cope without help and in some cases feeling that the support offered did not meet their specific needs. Policy implications are suggested, in particular offering support to new parents thought to be vulnerable within a statutory framework, with sufficient infrastructure and resources to conduct outreach work. Research implications include making a concerted effort to find out about families who decide not to take part in service evaluation studies, or who drop out after initial agreement.
Professionals’ decision‐making in cases of physical punishment reported to child welfare authorities: does family poverty matter?
Authors: Moraes Sabrina , Durrant Joan E. , Brownridge Douglas , Reid Grant 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTThe influence of family poverty on professionals’ decision‐making in cases of physical punishment reported to child welfare agencies was examined. The sample was drawn from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. The influence of five indicators of poverty on six investigation outcomes was assessed. In addition, a Poverty Index was constructed from these five variables to assess whether the family's overall poverty status influenced investigation outcomes. The outcome variables examined were case substantiation, provision of ongoing child welfare services, referrals to child and family support programmes, out‐of‐home placement, applications to child welfare court and police involvement. Together, the poverty indicators did not account for more than 6% of the explained variation in any of the outcome variables, nor did the magnitude of the Poverty Index affect the likelihood of any of the investigation outcomes. These findings suggest that family poverty does not influence professionals’ decision‐making in cases of physical punishment reported to child welfare agencies in Canada. The findings have implications for the ongoing development of policy aimed at reducing parental use of physical punishment.
Uterine leiomyoma versus leiomyosarcoma: a new attempt at differential diagnosis based on their cellular characteristics
Authors: Watanabe K , Suzuki T 
Published: March 2006

Aim : To differentiate uterine leiomyoma (LM) with ‘pseudosarcomatous’ features from leiomyosarcoma (LMS). We hypothesized that because pseudosarcomatous LM is only a benign variant of conventional LM, it may have some characteristics different from LMS.Methods and results : Fourteen uterine smooth muscle tumours, which had been diagnosed as LMS previously, were reviewed and divided into adverse outcome (true LMS; seven cases) and excellent outcome groups (presumed pseudosarcomatous LM; seven cases) based on their clinical course. The tumours of the adverse outcome group were composed of rather uniform long spindle cells similar to those of leiomyosarcoma arising from the soft tissue. All tumours in this group had coagulative necrosis and all but one case were diagnosed preoperatively as malignant. In contrast, the tumours of the excellent outcome group showed significant histological diversity both between tumours and also in the same tumour and areas indistinguishable from conventional LM were often seen. All the tumours of this group were diagnosed preoperatively as benign. Immunohistochemically, all tumours of the excellent outcome group expressed progesterone receptor, often intensely, and also frequently expressed oestrogen receptor. In contrast, all the tumours of the adverse outcome group lacked them completely.Conclusion : Pseudosarcomatous LM has characteristics useful for differentiating it from LMS, which are common in conventional LM.
Oval cells in hepatitis B virus‐positive and hepatitis C virus‐positive liver cirrhosis: histological and ultrastructural study
Authors: Sun C , Jin X‐L , Xiao J‐C 
Published: March 2006

Aims : It is still not clear whether oval cells demonstrate diverse morphology, immunophenotype or quantity in different human liver diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate these differences in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐positive and hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐positive human liver cirrhosis (HLC).Methods and results : Thirty‐eight cases of HBV+ HLC and 32 cases of HCV+ HLC were investigated by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry for Hepatocyte, CK19, stem cell factor (SCF) and CD34. Five cases were also examined by transmission electron microscopy. Oval cells of similar morphology could be found in proliferating bile ductules in both groups. These cells coexpressed CK19 and Hepatocyte, but did not express SCF or CD34. Some of these cells exhibited a trend towards differentiation. There was no difference in the amount of oval cells between the two groups. The oval cell number was found to increase significantly with the progression of inflammation. A similar stem‐like cell was not seen in the normal liver.Conclusions : There are bipotential oval cells in both HBV+ and HCV+ HLC. The lack of difference in oval cells between the two groups suggests that they might play a similar biological role in the histogenesis of different liver diseases.
High promoter hypermethylation frequency of p14/ARF in supratentorial PNET but not in medulloblastoma
Authors: Inda M M , Muñoz J , Coullin P , Fauvet D , Danglot G , Tuñón T , Bernheim A , Castresana J S 
Published: March 2006

Aims : Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET) of the central nervous system. Although supratentorial PNET (sPNET) and MB are histologically similar, their clinical behaviour differs, sPNET being more aggressive than MB. The aim of this study was to determine whether sPNET and MB are genetically different entities.Methods and results : We investigated 32 PNET primary tumour samples (23 MB and nine sPNET) and four PNET cell lines, for the presence of CDKN2A homozygous deletions at exon 1‐α of p16/INK4 and exon 1‐β of p14/ARF, and promoter hypermethylation of both genes. No homozygous deletion of either p16/INK4 or p14/ARF was demonstrated in any of the PNET primary tumour samples. Methylation of p16/INK4 was found in one of six sPNET and in one of 23 MB, while p14/ARF methylation was observed in three of six sPNET and in three of 21 MB. No methylation of p16/INK4 or p14/ARF was found in any of the PNET cell lines analysed. The three MB cell lines did not show p16/INK4 expression, and only the MB Daoy cell line (homozygously deleted at CDKN2A) presented loss of p14/ARF expression.Conclusions : Our results in this limited series of central PNET show that p14/ARF is frequently involved in PNET carcinogenesis, with a higher frequency, but not statistically significant, for sPNET than for MB.
The prevalence and clinical implications of c‐kit expression in plasma cell myeloma
Authors: Pruneri G , Ponzoni M , Ferreri A J M , Freschi M , Tresoldi M , Baldini L , Mattioli M , Agnelli L , Govi S , Mancuso P , Agazzi A , Bertolini F , Peccatori J , Bosari S , Gianelli U , Viale G , Neri A 
Published: March 2006

Aim:  To evaluate the clinical implications of c‐kit (CD117) expression in plasma cell myeloma (PCM).Methods and results:  We first evaluated the reliability of immunohistochemistry in assessing c‐kit expression by comparing the results with those obtained by flow cytometry and gene expression arrays in 22 PCM and in 10 PCM cell lines. Immunohistochemical results showed a perfect concordance with those of flow cytometry; likewise, immunohistochemical and gene expression data were also concordant in all but one PCM and cell lines analysed. Then, we investigated the clinical implications of c‐kit immunoreactivity in bone marrow biopsies of 85 PCM patients with a mean follow‐up of 41 months. C‐kit immunoreactivity was detected in 24 (28.2%) of the 85 cases and it was significantly associated with a high microvessel density, but not with traditional clinicopathological characteristics or with survival.Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that immunohistochemistry is a reliable indicator of c‐kit gene expression and reinforce the notion that approximately one‐third of PCM express high levels of c‐kit. The lack of association with traditional clinicopathological parameters and patient survival suggests that c‐kit expression may not be an adjunct in predicting the clinical course of the disease.
ALK expression in pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferations of the genitourinary tract
Authors: Hirsch M S , Cin P Dal , Fletcher C D M 
Published: March 2006

Aims : Pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferation of the genitourinary tract is rare and may develop after trauma or spontaneously. The aim of this study was to characterize further the clinicopathological features of these lesions and to examine their relationship to inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT).Methods and results : Twenty‐seven cases of pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferation were analysed. There were seven males and 20 females; median age was 37 years (range 16–88). Most lesions were from the bladder (n = 21), while others were in the urethra, vulva, vagina, rectum and retrovesical space. Median tumour size was 30 mm (range 6–120 mm). Seven cases (25%) had a history of prior trauma or surgery. Three cases recurred locally but not destructively. The tumours had fasciitis‐like features including bland spindle cells with evenly distributed chromatin, admixed inflammatory cells (mainly lymphocytes) and often a myxoid stroma. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for smooth muscle actin in 14/20 cases, keratin in 8/19, desmin in 7/20 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in 10/21 cases. Fluorescent in situ hybridization was performed in six ALK+ cases; all were negative for ALK gene rearrangement.Conclusions : Pseudosarcomatous myofibroblastic proliferations of the genitourinary tract may show ALK immunopositivity but do not show consistent ALK rearrangement. Given subtle morphological differences and more consistently benign behaviour, their relationship to inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour at other sites remains uncertain.
Epstein–Barr viral infection in extranodal lymphoma of the head and neck: correlation with prognosis and response to treatment
Authors: Bahnassy A A , Zekri A‐R N , Asaad N , El‐Houssini S , Khalid H M , Sedky L M , Mokhtar N M 
Published: March 2006

Aims : To determine the prevalence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection in primary extranodal lymphoma of the head and neck (PELHN) in immunocompetent patients. PELHN represents 16.18% of all lymphoma diagnosed at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo. Although EBV infection is highly associated with lymphoma in immunocompromised patients, the situation in immunocompetent patients is still unclear.Material and methods : The study included 50 PELHN (11 cases in the nose and paranasal sinuses, 11 in the nasopharynx, 13 in the tonsils, seven in the oropharynx and eight in the oral cavity), five reactive lymph nodes, 15 normal nasopharyngeal tissue and 25 throat washes of healthy subjects from Egypt. Cases and controls were assessed for the presence of EBV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization techniques, the presence of 30 base pair deletion of the LMP‐1 (del‐LMP1) gene and for the expression of p53, Ki67, bcl‐2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry. This was also correlated with the clinical outcome of patients.Results : EBV was detected in 90% and 70% of the cases using EBER in situ hybridization and PCR, respectively. All cases of nasal type lymphoma were positive for EBV. del‐LMP1 gene was detected in 24/35 of EBV+ cases (68.6%), whereas 11 cases had wild‐type variant either alone or mixed with del‐LMP1. There was a significant difference in the frequency of del‐LMP1 between lymphoma and normal tissues. Overexpression of Ki67, p53 and bcl‐2 was detected in 78.1%, 62.5% and 20% of cases, whereas loss of Bax was detected in 18% of the cases. Multivariate analysis showed that only p53 overexpression, del‐LMP1 variant and advanced disease stage are independent prognostic factors.Conclusion : EBV infection is frequent in PELHN in Egypt. Possible pathogenic mechanisms involve deregulation of p53 and enhanced proliferation (as detected by high Ki67 index). The presence of del‐LMP1 variants, p53 overexpression and advanced disease stage are poor prognostic factors associated with reduced survival and poor response to therapy.
Ki67 staining pattern as a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of lymphoproliferative disorders
Authors: Bryant R J , Banks P M , O'Malley D P 
Published: March 2006

Aims : To evaluate a group of lymphoid proliferations using only Ki67‐stained slides to determine the value of the pattern of proliferating cells in diagnosis. Ki67 immunohistochemistry allows evaluation of the distribution of proliferating cells in addition to simply determining the proliferation rate of cells.Methods and results : Three observers, using a Ki67‐stained slide only, studied 149 cases from five diagnostic groupings: follicular hyperplasia, mixed pattern hyperplasia, localized Castleman's disease, follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma. The sensitivity for benign lesions varied from 94% to 97% among the three observers. Follicular lymphomas were recognized as neoplastic with a sensitivity of 96% and 100% by two of the observers. Marginal zone lymphoma was recognized as neoplastic in 67–73% of cases.Conclusions : The Ki67 stain alone is a powerful tool for distinguishing benign from malignant proliferations within the selected groups. Nuances and pitfalls in the interpretation of Ki67 staining pattern are discussed.
The distribution of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in the lungs of congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients and age‐matched controls
Authors: Masumoto K , De Rooij J D , Suita S , Rottier R , Tibboel D , De Krijger R R 
Published: March 2006

Aims : In congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), the pathogenesis of abnormal pulmonary morphology is still incompletely understood. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are known to play an important role in the turnover of the extracellular matrix (ECM) during development and in remodelling of tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the expression of MMPs and TIMPs between CDH lungs and controls, against the background of the abnormal pulmonary vasculature in CDH.Methods : We studied 12 lungs of term CDH patients who died < 24 h after birth and 11 normal age‐matched control lungs, by immunohistochemistry with antibodies against human MMP‐1, ‐2, ‐9, TIMP‐1 and ‐2.Results : There was a clear increase in the number of MMP‐1‐reactive capillaries and fibroblasts in CDH lungs compared with controls. In contrast, TIMP‐2 reactivity in these structures was decreased in CDH lungs. The arterial endothelium and medial smooth muscle expressed MMP‐2, ‐9 and TIMP‐2 in both CDH and control lungs. In small arteries (< 100 µm in diameter), the positive surface area of MMP‐2, ‐9 and TIMP‐2 was significantly larger in CDH lungs than in controls. There was no difference in the distribution and expression of TIMP‐1 between CDH lungs and normal controls.Conclusion : The differences in staining pattern of MMPs and TIMPs between normal and CDH lungs suggest that these enzymes might play a role in the abnormal remodelling of the interstitium and the pulmonary arteries in CDH lungs. This could contribute to our understanding of the abnormal lung morphology and the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension, which forms one of the major obstacles to the successful treatment of these patients.