bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pesticide Exposure and Stunting as Independent Predictors of Neurobehavioral Deficits in Ecuadorian School Children
Authors: Grandjean Philippe , Harari Raul , Barr Dana B. , Debes Frodi 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVES. To examine possible effects on blood pressure, neurological function, and neurobehavioral tests in school-aged children with and without prenatal pesticide exposure in an area where stunting is common.
METHODS. In a community of Northern Ecuador with intensive floriculture and a high female employment rate, we invited 79 children attending the 2 lowest grades of a public school for clinical examinations. In addition to a thorough physical examination, we administered simple reaction time, Santa Ana dexterity test, Stanford-Binet copying, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised Digit Spans forward. Maternal interview included detailed assessment of occupational history to determine pesticide exposure during pregnancy. Recent and current pesticide exposure was assessed by erythrocyte acetylcholine esterase activity and urinary excretion of organophosphate metabolites.
RESULTS. All eligible children participated in the study, but 7 children were excluded from data analysis due to other disease or age &gt;9 years. A total of 31 of the remaining 72 children were classified as stunted based on their height for age. Maternal occupational history revealed that 37 children had been exposed to pesticides during development. After confounder adjustment, prenatal pesticide exposure was associated with a higher systolic blood pressure than in the controls. On neurological examination, 14 exposed children and 9 controls showed ≥1 abnormalities. Of 5 neurobehavioral tests, the Stanford-Binet copying test showed a lower drawing score for copying designs in exposed children than in controls. Stunting was associated with a lower score on this test only, and both risk factors remained statistically significant in a multiple regression analysis with adjustment for demographic and social confounders. Increased excretion of dimethyl and diethyl metabolites of organophosphates was associated with increased reaction time and no other outcomes.
CONCLUSION. Prenatal pesticide exposure may cause lasting neurotoxic damage and add to the adverse effects of malnutrition in developing countries. The effects differ from those due to acute pesticide exposure.
Success in the Prevention of Infant Walker–Related Injuries: An Analysis of National Data, 1990–2001
Authors: Shields Brenda J. , Smith Gary A. 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVE. Here we describe the epidemiologic characteristics and secular trends of infant walker–related injuries among children who are younger than 15 months in the United States.METHODS. A retrospective analysis was conducted of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1990–2001. Sample weights that were provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were used in all analyses to adjust for the inverse probability of case selection and make national projections regarding infant walker–related injuries.RESULTS. An estimated 197200 infant walker–related injuries occurred among children who were younger than 15 months and treated in US emergency departments from 1990 through 2001. Five percent of these children required admission to the hospital. The number of infant walker–related injuries remained relatively constant from 1990 through 1994, averaging 23000 cases per year. After the introduction in 1994 of stationary activity centers as an alternative to mobile infant walkers and the implementation of the revised American Society for Testing and Materials F977 voluntary infant walker standard in 1997, there was a marked decrease in the number of infant walker–related injuries. Overall, there was a 76% decrease in the number of injuries from 1990 to 2001 from 20900 injuries in 1990 to 5100 in 2001. Soft tissue injuries and lacerations represented 63% of the injuries. Trauma to the head region occurred in 91% of cases. Skull fractures were the most common (62%) type of fracture. Falls down stairs was the mechanism of injury in 74% of cases.CONCLUSIONS. The adoption of passive injury-prevention strategies, such as use of stationary activity centers as alternatives to mobile infant walkers and redesign of infant walkers to prevent falls down stairs, were associated with a marked decrease in the number of infant walker–related injuries.
Automated Mechanical Passaging: A Novel and Efficient Method for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Expansion
Authors: Joannides Alexis , Fiore-Hériché Christelle , Westmore Kristine , Caldwell Maeve , Compston Alastair , Allen Nicholas , Chandran Siddharthan 
Published: March 2006

Abstract
There is a need for more standardized methods of maintenance and propagation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) cultures. Enzymatic passaging currently represents the most widely used method for expansion of hESCs. Although rapid and straightforward, this technique results in variable-sized cell clusters and significant cellular trauma, which may apply selective pressure in long-term culture. Mechanical passaging has the potential advantages of defined colony fragment sizes, reduced cellular trauma, and the possibility of selecting undifferentiated colonies for transfer. However, manual dissection of individual colonies is a prohibitively time-consuming process unsuitable for maintaining large numbers of hESCs without the use of additional chemical means. In this study we report an efficient automated method for mechanically passaging hESCs. We have used this method exclusively to maintain hESCs in long-term undifferentiated culture without the use of enzymatic digestion for longer than 100 days. This automated technique can thus be used routinely to culture hESCs in the laboratory.
SERIOUS DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AS PART OF A SIGNIFICANTLY HANDICAPPING CONDITION: CURES AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Authors: Wolf Montrose M. , Braukmann Curtis J. , Ramp Kathryn A. 
Published: March 2006

The past 20 years have been productive ones for the field of applied behavior analysis. A brief review of our own efforts during this period reveals that we have accomplished several but not all of our goals for the Teaching‐Family approach. In this context, we note that the setting of realistic and appropriate goals is important for the field and for society. Moreover, we suggest that the realistic goal for some persons with serious delinquent behavior may be extended supportive and socializing treatment rather than permanent cure from conventional short‐term treatment programs. We base this suggestion on the accumulating evidence that serious delinquent behavior may often be part of a significantly disabling and durable condition that consists of multiple antisocial and dysfunctional behaviors, often runs in families, and robustly eludes effective short‐term treatment. Like other significant disabilities such as retardation, autism, and blindness, the effects of this condition may be a function of an interaction of environmental and constitutional variables.We argue that our field has the wherewithal to construct effective and humane long‐term supportive environments for seriously delinquent youths. In this regard, we explore the dimensions, rationales, logistics, and beginnings of a new treatment direction that involves long‐term supportive family treatment. We contend that such supportive families may be able to provide long, perhaps even lifetime, socializing influences through models, values, and contingencies that seem essential for developing and maintaining prosocial behavior in these high‐risk youths.
GOING BEYOND WITH BAYESIAN UPDATING
Authors: O'Flaherty Brendan , Komaki Judith L. 
Published: March 2006

It all started innocently enough. One spring‐like winter day, I happened to ask Brendan whether economists ever dealt with escalation.“With what?” he replied.“A phenomenon where people keep investing in the face of continuing losses,” I answered.Then I described how industrial/organizational psychologists had become intrigued with situations in which investors seemed to throw good money after bad, how their explanations for the phenomenon centered on individual characteristics such as commitment, how Sonia Goltz (1992) used a standard bread‐and‐butter operant procedure—fixed and variable schedules of reinforcement—to explain their persistence, and how Goltz's experiments had shown that during the extinction phase investors even increased their investments for a while when the news was all bad.Without a moment's hesitation, he exclaimed, “I bet I can predict the turning point.”Another arrogant‐economist remark, I thought to myself. “How?”“Bayesian updating.”Then we talked at length about Bayesian analysis techniques and how they could be used to predict the shape of extinction curves. I realized that these techniques might be just what psychologists needed as an enticement to study sequences of behavior over time.And that's how this commentary got started.
Efficacy of the North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks in Reducing Childhood Agricultural Injuries
Authors: Gadomski Anne , Ackerman Susan , Burdick Patrick , Jenkins Paul 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We assessed whether active dissemination of the North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) reduced childhood agricultural injuries. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial, lay educators visited intervention farms to review NAGCAT. New York State farms with resident or working children were randomized. Control farms were visited only to collect baseline data. Data on childhood injuries, tasks, and hours worked were obtained quarterly for 21 months. Injury rates per farm were compared between the treatment and control groups, along with time span to occurrence of an injury and to violation of NAGCAT age guidelines. Results. Intervention farms were less likely than control farms to violate NAGCAT age guidelines in the areas of all-terrain-vehicle use and tractor and haying operations. Cox proportional hazards regression models showed a significant protective effect of the intervention on preventable injuries after adjustment for important covariates. Conclusions. Our results showed that dissemination of NAGCAT reduced rates of work-related childhood agricultural injuries. A comprehensive public health approach is needed to reduce non–work-related childhood injuries.
An Ecological Study of Tuberculosis Transmission in California
Authors: Myers Ward P. , Westenhouse Janice L. , Flood Jennifer , Riley Lee W. 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We evaluated the association between ecological factors and rates of tuberculosis within California, using pediatric tuberculosis as an indicator of new transmission. Methods. Ecological variables such as racial/ethnic distribution, immigration level, education, employment, poverty, and crowding were obtained from the United States Census for each census tract in California. These data were incorporated into a negative binomial regression model with the rate of pediatric tuberculosis disease in each census tract as an outcome variable. Disease rates were obtained by geocoding reported cases. Subsections of the state (San Francisco and Los Angeles) were examined independently. Results. Census tracts with lower median incomes, more racial/ethnic minorities, and more immigrants had higher rates of pediatric tuberculosis. Other frequently cited risk factors such as overcrowding and unemployment were not associated with increased disease after adjusting for other measures. Risks were comparable across regions, but subtle differences were noted. Conclusions. The techniques used in this work provide a way to examine a disease within its social context. The results confirmed that tuberculosis in California continues to be a disease of poverty and racial/ethnic minorities.
Health Status and Health Service Access and Use Among Children in U.S. Immigrant Families
Authors: Huang Zhihuan Jennifer , Yu Stella M. , Ledsky Rebecca 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We examined the health status and patterns of health care use of children in US immigrant families. Methods. Data from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families were used to create 3 subgroups of immigrant children: US-born children with noncitizen parents, foreign-born children who were naturalized US citizens, and foreign-born children with noncitizen parents. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships between immigrant status and health access variables. Subgroup analyses were conducted with low-income families. Results. Foreign-born noncitizen children were 4 times more likely than children from native families to lack health insurance coverage and to have not visited a mental health specialist in the preceding year. They were 40% and 80% more likely to have not visited a doctor or dentist in the previous year and twice as likely to lack a usual source of care. US-born children with noncitizen parents were also at a disadvantage in many of these aspects of care. Conclusions. We found that, overall, children from immigrant families were in worse physical health than children from non-immigrant families and used health care services at a significantly lower frequency.
Slippery Road Conditions and Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes in the Northeastern United States, 1998–2002
Authors: Marmor Michael , Marmor Nicholas E. 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We investigated risk factors for fatal motor vehicle crashes on slippery roads in the Northeastern United States, 1998–2002. Methods. We analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Results. Rates of crashes on slippery roads, and ratios of crashes on slippery roads to crashes on dry roads, were greatest among the youngest drivers. Among those aged 16 to 19 years, logistic regression analysis showed significant, independent risks associated with excessive speed for conditions (odds ratio [OR]=1.38), time of day (OR=1.80 for 5:00 to 9:00 am vs 10:00 am to 2:00 pm), time of year (OR=6.17 for January vs July), type of road (OR=1.27 for rural vs urban roads ), and age (OR=1.19 for those aged 16 to 17 years vs those aged 18 to 19 years). Licensure from states with graduated licensing programs was protective against crashes attributed to swerving on slippery roads (adjusted OR = 0.63). Risk factors among drivers older than 19 years were similar but peaked at different times of day and included increased risks for women compared with men. Conclusions. Driver training programs need to better address hazards presented by slippery roads.
Differential Effects of the DTaP and MMR Vaccine Shortages on Timeliness of Childhood Vaccination Coverage
Authors: Santibanez Tammy A. , Santoli Jeanne M. , Barker Lawrence E. 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We determined the effect of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) and measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine shortages on timeliness of the third dose of DTaP (DTaP3), the fourth dose of DTaP (DTaP4), and the first dose of MMR (MMR1) among subgroups of preschool children. Methods. Data from the 2001 and 2002 National Immunization Surveys were analyzed. Children age-eligible to receive DTaP3, DTaP4, or MMR1 during the shortages were considered subject to the shortage, and those not age-eligible were not subject to the shortage; timeliness of vaccinations was compared. Results. Among children vaccinated only at public clinics, children residing outside metropolitan statistical areas, and children in the Southern Census Region, those age-eligible to receive DTaP4 during the shortage were less likely to be vaccinated by 19 months of age than children not subject to the shortage. Conclusions. There was notable disparity in the effects of the recent vaccine shortages; children vaccinated only in public clinics, in rural areas, or in the Southern United States were differentially affected by the shortages.
Effect of a National Vaccine Shortage on Vaccine Coverage for American Indian/Alaska Native Children
Authors: Groom Amy V. , Cheek James E. , Bryan Ralph T. 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We determined the effect of national vaccine shortages on coverage with 4 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine for American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children. Methods. Data on DTaP coverage for children aged 19 to 27 months were abstracted from Indian Health Service (IHS) immunization reports. Coverage with the fourth DTaP dose (DTaP4) was compared for different periods to determine coverage levels before, during, and after the shortage. Data were stratified geographically to determine regional variation. Results. AIAN children experienced a significant decline (14.8%) in DTaP4 coverage during the shortage. Considerable variation was seen among IHS regions (declines ranged from 4.5% to 26.5%). Conclusions. AIAN children included in IHS immunization reports experienced a greater decline in DTaP4 coverage during the shortage than the decline reported nationally for children receiving vaccine at public clinics (14.8% vs 6%). Variations in the decline in coverage highlight possible inequities in vaccine supply and distribution and in implementation of vaccine shortage recommendations. We must identify ways to ensure more equitable vaccine distribution and consistent implementation of vaccine recommendations to protect all children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Effects of Cost-Shifting in the State Children’s Heath Insurance Program
Authors: Johnson Tricia J. , Rimsza Mary , Johnson William G. 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. Many states are increasing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) cost-sharing requirements to induce reductions in enrollment. We examined the effect of increasing SCHIP premiums on both health care use and cost to the public. Methods. The net cost to the public of increased cost sharing for SCHIP-insured children in a border community was estimated with multivariate methods. The majority (88%) of children were of Mexican origin. Results. We estimated that a $10 increase in monthly premiums would induce 10% of SCHIP children to disenroll, resulting in a 6% increase in public expenditures. Conclusions. Families that disenroll from SCHIP and become uninsured typically turn to emergency departments for primary care, which increases total health care expenditures through the use of more expensive services.
Social Support as a Buffer for Perceived Unfair Treatment Among Filipino Americans: Differences Between San Francisco and Honolulu
Authors: Gee Gilbert C. , Chen Juan , Spencer Michael S. , See Sarita , Kuester Oliva A. , Tran Diem , Takeuchi David 
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We examined whether perceived unfair treatment is associated with health conditions, whether social support moderates this association, and whether such relationships differ by location. Methods. Data were derived from the 1998–1999 Filipino American Community Epidemiological Study, a cross-sectional investigation of 2241 Filipino Americans living in San Francisco and Honolulu. Negative binomial regression was used to examine potential 2-way and 3-way interactions between support, unfair treatment, and city (San Francisco vs Honolulu). Results. Reports of unfair treatment were associated with increased illness after control for education, employment, acculturation, ethnic identity, negative life events, gender, and age. Furthermore, 2-way interactions were found between instrumental support and city, emotional support and city, and unfair treatment and city, and a 3-way interaction was shown between instrumental support, unfair treatment, and city. Conclusions. Local contexts may influence the types of treatment encountered by members of ethnic minority groups, as well as their resources. These factors in turn may have implications for health disparities and well-being
Improving Access to Health Care Among New Zealand’s Maori Population
Authors: Ellison-Loschmann Lis , Pearce Neil 
Published: March 2006

The health status of indigenous peoples worldwide varies according to their unique historical, political, and social circumstances. Disparities in health between Maoris and non-Maoris have been evident for all of the colonial history of New Zealand. Explanations for these differences involve a complex mix of components associated with socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, availability of health care, and discrimination. Improving access to care is critical to addressing health disparities, and increasing evidence suggests that Maoris and non-Maoris differ in terms of access to primary and secondary health care services. We use 2 approaches to health service development to demonstrate how Maori-led initiatives are seeking to improve access to and quality of health care for Maoris.
Childhood Trauma and Employment Disability
Authors: Sansone Randy A. , Dakroub Hassan , Pole Michele , Butler Melissa 
Published: March 2006

Introduction: While the relationship between childhood trauma and employment disability has undergone very limited study, existing data suggest a possible correlation. Method: In this study of 91 outpatients in an internal medicine setting, we surveyed participants and inquired about their childhood histories of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, of physical neglect, and of witnessing violence. We also asked whether participants had ever been on employment disability, either psychiatric or non-psychiatric, and the length of that disability. Results: Being or having been on disability was significantly related to childhood histories of emotional abuse, physical neglect, and witnessing violence. Being or having been on psychiatric disability was significantly related to childhood emotional abuse and physical neglect while being on non-psychiatric medical disability was significantly related to witnessing violence. The percent of one's lifetime on disability was significantly related to physical and emotional abuse as well as witnessing violence. Conclusions: Maltreatment in childhood appears to have a relationship to employment disability in adulthood. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.
Changes in Depressive Symptoms and Metabolic Control over 3 Years among African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Gary Tiffany L. , Baptiste-Roberts Kesha , Crum Rosa M. , Cooper Lisa A. , Ford Daniel E. , Brancati Frederick L. 
Published: March 2006

Objective: It is established that individuals with diabetes have high rates of depression, but the longitudinal relationship between depression and glycemic control has not been well examined, particularly among African Americans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between depressive symptoms and metabolic control. Method: We conducted an earlier cross-sectional study that demonstrated marginal and significant associations between depressive symptoms (using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]) and metabolic control (HbA1c, lipids, blood pressure) among 183 African Americans with type 2 diabetes. In this report, we present data on these individuals, followed for three years, and examine the relationship between change in depressive symptoms and change in metabolic control over that time period. Results: Results showed that that there were no statistically significant associations between baseline or change in depressive symptoms and metabolic control over three years. Limited statistical power may explain this negative finding. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the relationship between depression and metabolic control. Prospective observational studies are needed to further evaluate this relationship.