bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Where The Jobs Are and What Do They Pay?
Authors: Grossman Ronald P. 
Published: December 2008

As the Editor-in-Chief of JLD once observed, “learning disabilities” means several things all at the same time. Explaining the concept to our pediatric colleagues in a journal of that profession, he noted that LD refers to: a) a category of disability especially manifest in the classroom, b) a field of scientific inquiry which stands at the intersection of education, psychology and medicine, and c) the group of professionals who assume a responsibility for the care of young people so disabled and for research into the nature of their problems. Logically, those three definitions arrange themselves into the order stated. For obviously, it was the phenomenon of disabled children which called into being the field of scientific endeavor and the profession which centers around it. But from the standpoint of services which are actually rendered to children, the order reverses itself. Except for the development, over the last decade and a half, of a coherent group of professionals, the LD child could find no immediate relief from the burden of his handicap, nor could research continue which will one day unlock the secret of his disability. It was from this perspective that JLD undertook the first survey of the economic standing of the LD profession. How well, we wanted to know, are LD teachers, school psychologists, teacher trainers and special education administrators doing in today's job market? From the viewpoint of young professionals about to complete their training this spring: Will there be jobs out there commensurate with the special skills they have developed? From the viewpoint of established professionals: Is the job market elastic enough so that they can advance from one position to another as their ripening experience demands they should. Contained within the answers to those questions, we assumed, was that of an even more fundamental one: Is the LD field continuing to grow at a rate which will ensure a flow of services to all the children who need them? We also assumed that since this is only the first of an annual series of such surveys, for the present we would only be able to sketch out an overview: Where the jobs are, where they are lacking, and what kinds of salaries can professionals expect for their services. Over the next several years, then, we will attempt to fill in the details. For now we hope that—in addition to supplying the profession with some immediately useful data—we will have discovered the questions which must be answered in subsequent surveys.
The Cognitive Patterns of Israeli Learning Disabled Children as Reflected in the Hebrew Version of the WISC-R
Authors: Raviv Amiram , Margalith Malcha , Raviv Alona , Sade Edna 
Published: December 2008

The present study examined cognitive aspects of learning disabled children as reflected in the Hebrew version of the WISC-R. Sixty LD and 60 normal children were tested for differences on various aspects, such as Bannatyne's suggestion for recategorization of the WISC, scatter patterns, and discrepancies between the Verbal IQ and Performance IQ. Despite the translation of the test to Hebrew, the WISC-R preserved its ability to differentiate between LD and normal children. Nevertheless, certain limitations exist in the use of the test as a diagnostic tool for an individual child.
Individual Differences in the Cognitive Processes of Reading: II. Text-Level Processes
Authors: Stanovich Keith E. 
Published: December 2008

For those who missed last issue's introduction to the Topical Review series, this new monthly feature is designed to provide a continuing series of authoritative reviews on topics of central importance to the field of learning disabilities. While some reviews may focus on basic research on the physiological, cognitive, or social characteristics of learning disabled children, others will examine evidence for the efficacy of various remedial techniques. The present article is a continuation of last month's discussion of individual differences in cognitive processes related to reading. The article contains an excellent presentation of recent research that demonstrates several different ways the ability to use context can influence reading performance.---J.K.T. The literature on individual differences in cognitive processes that operate at the text level is reviewed. Less-skilled readers display performance deficits on a wide variety of short-term memory tasks, probably due to an inability to efficiently employ various memory strategies, and most certainly due to inadequate phonological coding. Poor readers are not characterized by a general ability to use contextual information to facilitate word recognition. However, situations where such readers fail to utilize context to facilitate ongoing word recognition will arise when their slow and inaccurate decoding of words renders the context useless. Poor readers do display comprehension deficits that are independent of word-decoding skill, due to deficient syntactic abilities and to more general metacognitive strategies. The general conclusions from this review and from Part I are discussed.
Self-Monitoring of Attention with Learning-Disabled Children
Authors: Hallahan Daniel P. , Sapona Regina 
Published: December 2008

This month's Topical Review describes an intervention technique that appears to be helpful with learning-disabled children who have difficulty sustaining attention to classroom tasks. The review should prove particularly helpful to teachers because it provides an in-depth description of the actual implementation of the technique with several children. Another helpful feature of this paper is that it presents the broad theoretical context for the use of self-monitoring techniques in a way that shows how the method is responsive to the special needs of learning-disabled children.—JKT The primary focus of this article is a review of self-monitoring of attention studies with learning-disabled children. A rationale for the use of this procedure, based upon results obtained from laboratory research in the areas of memory, metacognition, and personal control, is discussed briefly. Following a detailed presentation of two studies conducted at the University of Virginia Learning Disabilities Research Institute, conclusions from the entire series are summarized. Finally, issues related to the use of self-monitoring of attention in a mainstream setting, the question of accuracy in self-monitoring, and self-recording of academic responses are discussed.
Books In Brief
Authors: Newberger Darryl Alan , Wakefield James A. , Nisson Paul Burdoc 
Published: December 2008

Neuropsychology of Language, Reading, and Spelling by Ursula Kirk (Ed.), 283 pages, $29.00. Academic Press, Inc., 111 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003, 1983. Learning-Disabled/Gifted Children: Identification and Programming by Lynn H. Fox, Linda Brody, and Dianne Tobin (Eds.). $28.95. University Park Press, 300 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201, 1983.
The Survival Story of a Non-reader: An Interview
Authors: Heshusius Lous 
Published: December 2008

In this article a learning disabled person tells about his most difficult, yet successful educational and social career as a non-reader. Both positive and negative aspects of our educational system are imbedded in this phenomenological account of what it means to be a non-reader in our culture. The introduction argues the need for views by exceptional persons to appear alongside the professional literature to complement and broaden our knowledge. For philosophical, epistemological, theoretical, and methodological reasons this has rarely been the case in standard social science research.
Vision Development in the Classroom
Authors: Busby Robert A. 
Published: December 2008

An Enhancement Program was offered to 59 elementary special education students for the 1981-1982 school year. The program was under direct supervision of two Developmental Optometrists who served as consultants to the teachers and administration of the Speech and Language Development Center in Buena Park, California. The primary objective was to establish a Vision Enhancement Program that would be designed to detect vision problems that directly affected learning and program training, thereby alleviating future problems in educational and social development.
Administrative Support for Mainstreaming Learning Disabled Students
Authors: McGrady Harold J. 
Published: December 2008

In our June/July Feature, “The Kids-in-Between: Some Solutions,'' section editor Harry Chandler introduced three articles concerned with education of the marginally handicapped children. One article on mainstreaming, by Gayle and Don Smith, described a curriculum model designed to serve those in the “gray'' area. Termed the Parallel Alternate Curriculum, this program is in the administative control (and protection) of Dr. Harold McGrady, the Mesa Arizona district's Director of Special Education. His article, providing an administrator's perspective on such programs, was inadvertently deleted from the three-piece set. Those who missed reading the June/July issue may wish to consult pages 368-372 in conjunction with reading Dr. McGrady's comments which follow.—GMS Critics of public school education claim that research based innovations fail, that schools should not change but remain the way they were forty years or more ago. New ideas in teaching do fail, not because the ideas are necessarily bad but because educators and, especially, administrators, expect quick results. Dr. McGrady has been able to avoid the major dangers to educational innovation: lack of proper teacher training and support, lack of sustained administrative support, lack of money, and lack of time. The PAC program is effective, but it would not have survived without the administrative involvement described here—H.N.C.
Subclinical Lead Level and Developmental Deficit: Re-Analyses of Data
Authors: Ernhart Claire B. , Landa Beth , Wolf Abraham W. 
Published: December 2008

Perino and Ernhart (1974) reported that moderate levels of lead exposure in 80 preschool urban black children were related to cognitive impairment. Ernhart, Landa, and Schell (1981) re-examined 63 of these children five years later and found no significant association of preschool lead level and outcome measures—including cognitive measures, reading tests, and teacher behavior ratings. School-age lead level was marginally related to a few measures. After review of methodological issues, it was concluded that if these results were due to lead, the effect was minimal. Since the issue is important to the task of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EPA appointed an Expert Committee to examine these reports and those of another person whose work has been questioned. Some data re-analyses were requested. The previously reported positive findings of the preschool study were not substantiated in re-analysis. The school-age lead data required technical adjustment. Additional variables were generated including change scores, combinations, and interactions. Out of 66 analyses, two tests of the lead effect were significant. The first depended on a deviant case; the second was an uninterpretable interaction. It was concluded that if these results are due to a lead effect, the effect is minimal. The most important result was unchanged; there was no evidence of an effect of moderate blood lead levels in the preschool period and any school-age outcome measure.
A Biochemical Approach to the Problem of Dyslexia
Authors: Baker Sidney McDonald 
Published: December 2008

This paper discusses the importance, in cases of dyslexia as in the case of other difficulties, of treating the child with the problem rather than the problem as such. It presents the case of a boy, labelled dyslexic, who responded positively to a biochemical approach which checked both what necessary substances he could be lacking and what substances, if any, he might be getting too much of. Iron and zinc as well as Vitamin B-6 deficiencies were found, as well as an imbalance of fatty acids. When these imbalances were remedied, not only the quality of his hair and skin improved but also his reading. Further improvement followed reduction in intake of milk and dairy products. A biochemical approach to the solution of behavior problems is proposed.
Association between synapsin III gene promoter SNPs and multiple sclerosis in Basque patients
Authors: Otaegui D , Zuriarrain O , Castillo-Triviño T , Aransay AM , Ruíz-Martinez J , Olaskoaga J , Marti-Masso JF , Lopez de Munain A 
Published: December 2008

Background Synapsins are a family of neuron-specific phosphoproteins, one of whose subunits is encoded by the SYN3 gene. This gene is located close to one of the multiple sclerosis susceptibility regions (in 22q13.1). Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs133945 and rs133946) in the promoter region of this gene have been proposed as factors protecting against MS. This relationship is not clear because another report failed to found such association. Objectives In an attempt to clarify this association, the frequency of these SNPs was analyzed in a population of 221 Spanish MS patients with a cluster of 72 Basque patients and in 373 controls with a cluster of 138 controls of a Basque origin. Methods The SNis analysis was performed by 9 PCR. Results According to our findings, these SNPs are differently distributed in the two populations. This significant bias should therefore be taken into account in association studies. Our data suggest that the C/C genotype in rs133946 and the G/G genotype in rs133945 could be protecting factors against MS in the Basque population.
Evaluation of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation (eGFR) against simultaneous, dual-marker multi-sample measurements of glomerular filtration rate
Authors: Peters A Michael , Bird Nicholas J , Halsall Ian , Peters Christina , Michell A Robert 
Published: December 2008

Background Estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using plasma creatinine remains controversial, especially when GFR approaches normal values. The aim was to re-examine estimated GFR (eGFR) using dual-reference GFR measurements. Methods eGFR (simplified modified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation) was compared with GFR measured with iohexol for predicting GFR measured with 51Cr-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Dual six-sample GFR (20–240 min postinjection) was measured in 60 patients and 20 normal volunteers with 51Cr-EDTA (GFREDTA) and iohexol (GFRiohexol) injected into separate arms and sampled contralaterally. This was repeated in the normal volunteers under fasting conditions (twice in nine). Percentage bias, imprecision (SD of bias) and disagreement (sign-less difference) between eGFR and GFREDTA were compared with those between GFRiohexol and GFREDTA. Results Changes between fasting and postprandial eGFR correlated significantly with corresponding changes in GFRiohexol and GFREDTA. eGFR predicted GFREDTA less precisely (SD 19.9%) than GFRiohexol (10.5%; P < 0.01). Although eGFR showed a poorer correlation with GFREDTA when GFREDTA > 80 mL/min/1.73 m2 compared with <80 mL/min/1.73 m2, there was no significant difference with respect to imprecision or disagreement of >20 or 30%. However, eGFR was closer than GFRiohexol to GFREDTA in a higher fraction of studies when GFREDTA > 80 mL/min/1.73 m2 (28/60) than when it was <80 mL/min/1.73 m2 (9/37; P < 0.05). Conclusion eGFR is inferior to GFRiohexol for predicting GFREDTA. The disagreement between GFRiohexol and GFREDTA illustrates the extent to which uncertainty in GFREDTA contributes to the performance of eGFR. eGFR performs no better at lower, compared with higher levels of GFR.
Family tracing to identify patients with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia: the second Audit of the Department of Health Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Cascade Testing Project
Authors: Hadfield S G , Horara S , Starr B J , Yazdgerdi S , Marks D , Bhatnagar D , Cramb R , Egan S , Everdell R , Ferns G , Jones A , Marenah C B , Marples J , Prinsloo P , Sneyd A , Stewart M F , Sandle L , Wang T , Watson M S , Humphries S E 
Published: December 2008

Background Family tracing is a method recognized to find new patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). We have implemented family tracing led by FH Nurses and have determined acceptability to patients, feasibility and costs. Methods Nurses were located at five National Health Service (NHS) Trusts; they identified FH patients and offered them family tracing. Responses and test results were recorded on a database and summarized on a family pedigree. Results The majority (∼70%) of index cases participated; the proportion was lower when patients had been discharged from the clinics and in metropolitan areas. On average, 34% (range 13–50%) of relatives lived outside the catchment area of the clinics and could not attend the nurse-led FH clinics. Of the previously untested relatives, 76% who lived in the catchment area of the clinic came forward to be tested. One-third of the relatives who came forward for testing were children ≤16 y of age. The proportion of relatives diagnosed as likely to have FH was lower than would be predicted (30% vs. 50%). This was mainly due to the uncertainty of a diagnosis based on lipid measurements. The average cost to identify and test one relative was approximately £500 but was higher in the metropolitan areas. Conclusion Cascade testing for FH in the UK is feasible, acceptable and likely to be cost-effective if it is a routine aspect of clinical care. However, national implementation would require an integrated infrastructure, so that all individuals have access to testing, and specialist services for the management of young people.
Appropriate laboratory utilization in diagnosing pulmonary embolism
Authors: Eva Fiappo , Rosanna Quattrin , Laura Calligaris , Piero Cappelletti , Silvio Brusaferro 
Published: December 2008

Background The appropriateness of clinical laboratory use in hospital clinical practice is a very debated question. In fact diagnostic tests are essential tools for disease screening or diagnosis but at the same time they represent an important expenditure. Methods A quantitative study was conducted in an Italian general hospital with 535 beds and about 27,000 admissions per year. The sample was made of all patients discharged from the hospital with DRG 78 between the period 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2005. Results The Emergency Department (ED) discharged 2.9% (116/4009) of patients with pulmonary embolism diagnosis in the year 2005. The percentage of prescription inappropriateness inferred by analysis of all required tests by operative unit was 21.7% (950/4385). The approximate estimate of the economic value of unnecessarily required tests was of 3495€. Of these 96.5% (112/116) had enlisting criteria. All haematological and clinical-chemical tests (1295) concerning studied patients were analysed. About 70.4% (93/132) of d-dimer tests were ordered in ED. In the studied patients, unfractionated heparin was administered in 17.8% (20/112) of the cases, low-molecular weight heparin in 79.5% (89/112) and heparin therapy was not administered in 2.7% (three of 112). Conclusion This study uses a method to assess the quality of laboratory test orders using results as a tool to estimate the impact of economic resources devolved in executing inappropriate tests.
Criteria for opiate identification using liquid chromatography linked to tandem mass spectrometry: problems in routine practice
Authors: Fox Elizabeth J , Twigger Shirley , Allen Keith R 
Published: December 2008

Background Liquid chromatography linked to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is being increasingly used for drug confirmation. At present, no official criteria exist for drug identification using this technique although the European Union (EU) criteria for compound identification have been adopted. These criteria are evaluated with respect to opiate confirmation by LC/MS/MS and problems highlighted. Methods Urine samples screened positive for opiates by immunoassay were subjected to confirmation by LC/MS/MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and two separate buffer systems of pH 6.8 and 8.0, respectively. The EU criteria for compound identification were applied for confirmation of morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine (6MAM), codeine and dihydrocodeine (DHC). Results Using the pH 6.8 buffer, confirmation could be achieved for 84%, 94%, 96% and 95%, respectively, for samples demonstrating MRM chromatographic peaks at retention times for morphine, 6MAM, codeine and DHC. Failure to meet the EU criteria was mainly attributed to low signal-to-noise (S:N) ratios or excessively high drug concentrations. Isobaric interferences and poor chromatography were also contributing factors. The identification of morphine was considerably improved with chromatography at pH 8.0 owing to resolution of interferences. Oxycodone metabolites were a potential problem for the identification of DHC. Conclusion Isobaric interferences can pose a problem with drug identification using LC/MS/MS. Optimizing chromatographic conditions is important to overcome these interferences. Consideration needs to be given to investigating drug metabolites as well as parent drugs in method development.
Development and validation of an improved test for the measurement of human faecal elastase-1
Authors: Kampanis Petros , Ford Loretta , Berg Jonathan 
Published: December 2008

Background Human faecal elastase-1 (FE-1) is an established biochemical test for the investigation of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Conventional extraction methods for FE-1 analysis can give false-positive results with watery stools. This is a major limitation as patients investigated for pancreatic disease commonly produce such stools. We have developed an improved FE-1 test that overcomes water interference by measuring the enzyme in dried faeces. Methods A novel collection device for FE-1 analysis that involves drying and weighing the stool sample was developed in our laboratory and compared with a conventional wet method, E1 Quick-Prep (Schebo, Biotech AG, Germany). The concentration of faecal FE-1 was determined using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (Schebo). Results FE-1 values obtained using the new dry extraction procedure (mean 1777 μg/g dry stool) were higher when compared with the conventional wet analysis (mean 402 μg/g stool). A 1:2 dilution in water, mimicking a loose stool, was found to affect FE-1 results obtained using the conventional wet extraction procedure. The new dry extraction method gave consistent results when water content was varied in the original stool sample. Conclusion We have demonstrated that our new device overcomes water interference, allowing results to be obtained from stool samples that would otherwise be unsuitable for FE-1 analysis.