Children's Ability to Recall Obligatory and Optional Acts within a Script and Over Time

Εισαγωγή: Η παιδική παχυσαρκία αποτελεί μία επιδημία του σύγχρονου δυτικού κόσμου και ορίζεται λειτουργικά ως η υπέρμετρη αύξηση του λιπώδους ιστού. Η παχυσαρκία αποτελεί ανεξάρτητο παράγοντα κινδύνου για την ανάπτυξη μίας πληθώρας συνοσηροτήτων όπως την αντίσταση στην ινσουλίνη, το σακχαρώδη διαβήτη τύπου 2, καρδιοαγγειακά νοσήματα και μεταβολικό σύνδρομο. Ο λιπώδης ιστός είναι ένα παρακρινές και ενδοκρινές όργανο, το οποίο μέσω της έκκρισης κυτταροκινών και φλεγμονογόνων παραγόντων έχει την ικανότητα να ρυθμίσει το ενεργειακό ισοζύγιο του οργανισμού. Η αντιπονεκτίνη μία από τις πιο σημαντικές κυτταροκίνες του λιπώδους ιστού, μέσω των υποδοχέων της AdipoR1 και AdipoR2, ενεργοποιεί την ινσουλινοεπαγώμενη πρόσληψη της γλυκόζης από το λιποκύτταρο, ενώ έχει αντι-φλεγμονώδης και αντι-αθηρωματική δράση σε άλλους ιστούς του οργανισμού. Ο PPAR-γ, ανήκει στην υπερ-οικογένεια των πυρηνικών υποδοχέων PPARs (peroxisome proliferative-activated receptors) και είναι ένας μεταγραφικός παράγοντας, ο οποίος σε ανταπόκριση στα κυκλοφορούντα ελεύθερα λιπαρά οξέα, ενεργοποιεί τη διαφοροποίηση των προλιποκυττάρων σε ώριμα λιποκύτταρα μικρού μεγέθους με πολλά λιποσταγονίδια. Το PPAR-γ μέσω της ενεργοποίησης του από τους ενδογενείς υποκαταστάτες του, τις θειαζολιδινεδιόνες, επάγει την ινσουλινοευαισθησία και αυξάνει την έκφραση της αντιπονεκτίνης. Τα ενδοκανναβινοειδή, μέσω των υποδοχέων τους CB1 και CB2, ρυθμίζουν την όρεξη στο κεντρικό νευρικό σύστημα, ενώ μπορούν να ενεργοποιήσουν περιφερικά τη λιπογένεση και να μειώσουν τη γονιδιακή έκφραση της αντιπονεκτίνης. Τα ενδοκανναβινοειδή βρίσκονται υπερενεργοποιημένα σε ενήλικες παχύσαρκους, ενώ τα επίπεδα της αντιπονεκτίνης μειώνονται σημαντικά. Σκοπός: Να μελετηθούν τα επίπεδα έκφρασης του AdipoR1, του PPAR-γ, του CB1 και των ενζύμων των ενδοκανναβινοειδών FAAH και DAGL-α, σε λεπτόσωμα και παχύσαρκα προεφηβικά παιδιά και να συσχετιστούν με τα κυκλοφορούντα επίπεδα της αντιπονεκτίνης και της ινσουλίνης. Μεθοδολογία: Για το σκοπό αυτό αναπτύχθηκαν πρωτογενείς καλλιέργειες προλιποκυττάρων και ώριμων λιποκυττάρων από βιοψίες κοιλιακού υποδόριου λιπώδους ιστού 17 παχύσαρκων (BMI>95%) και 36 λεπτόσωμων (BMI<85%) προεφηβικών παιδιών. Τα παιδιά χωρίστηκαν σε δύο ηλικιακές ομάδες, ομάδα Α: 2 μηνών-7 ετών και ομάδα Β: 9-12 ετών. Η γονιδιακή και πρωτεϊνική έκφραση του AdipoR1, PPAR-γ και CB1 μελετήθηκαν με τη μέθοδο RT-PCR και Western Immunoblotting. Επίσης, η γονιδιακή έκφραση των ενζύμων των ενδοκανναβινοειδών FAAH και DAGL-α, μελετήθηκαν με Real-Time PCR. Τα κυκλοφορούντα επίπεδα της ολικής και HMW αντιπονεκτίνης όπως και της ινσουλίνης μετρήθηκαν με ELISA, ενώ υπολογίστηκε ο δείκτης ινσουλινοαντίστασης HOMA-IR και μετρήθηκε η περίμετρος κοιλίας σε κάθε παιδί. Αποτελέσματα: Η πρωτεϊνική έκφραση του AdipoR1 βρέθηκε μειωμένη στα προλιποκύτταρα και ώριμα λιποκύτταρα των μικρότερων παχύσαρκων παιδιών της ομάδας Α, σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα λεπτόσωμά τους. To PPAR-γ βρέθηκε αυξημένο στα ώριμα λιποκύτταρα των λεπτόσωμων και παχύσαρκων παιδιών, σε σύγκριση με τα προλιποκύτταρά τους, ενώ ήταν και σημαντικά αυξημένο στα ώριμα λιποκύτταρα των μικρότερων παχύσαρκων παιδιών, σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα λεπτόσωμά τους. Ο υποδοχέας των ενδοκανναβινοειδών, CB1, ήταν σημαντικά μειωμένος στα ώριμα λιποκύτταρα των παχύσαρκων παιδιών και των δύο ηλικιακών ομάδων, σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα λεπτόσωμά τους, ενώ παρουσίασε μία σημαντική αύξηση με την ηλικία. Επιπρόσθετα, το ένζυμο αποδόμησης FAAH (για την ανανδαμίδη) μειώθηκε με την ηλικία στα μεγαλύτερα λεπτόσωμα παιδιά της ομάδας Β, ενώ στα μεγαλύτερα παχύσαρκα παιδιά ήταν αυξημένο σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα λεπτόσωμά τους. Το ένζυμο βιοσύνθεσης DAGL-α (για το 2-AG) βρέθηκε αυξημένο στα μεγαλύτερα λεπτόσωμα και παχύσαρκα παιδιά της ομάδας Β σε σύγκριση με τα λεπτόσωμα και παχύσαρκα παιδιά της ομάδας Α. Η ινσουλίνη και το HOMA-IR ήταν σημαντικά αυξημένα στα μεγαλύτερα παιδιά, λεπτόσωμα και παχύσαρκα, σε σύγκριση με τα μικρότερα παιδιά. Η HMW αντιπονεκτίνη βρέθηκε μειωμένη στα λεπτόσωμα και παχύσαρκα παιδιά της ομάδας Β σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα παιδιά της ομάδας Α, ενώ ήταν σημαντικά αυξημένη στα μικρότερα παχύσαρκα παιδιά σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα λεπτόσωμά τους. Η περίμετρος κοιλίας ήταν σημαντικά αυξημένη στα μεγαλύτερα παχύσαρκα αγόρια σε σύγκριση με τα αντίστοιχα λεπτόσωμά τους. Συμπεράσματα: Η μειωμένη έκφραση του CB1 και η αυξημένη έκφραση του PPAR-γ στα μικρότερα παχύσαρκα προεφηβικά παιδιά της ομάδας Α, σε συνάφεια με τα αυξημένα επίπεδα της HMW αντιπονεκτίνης, πιθανόν να αντικατοπτρίζουν έναν προστατευτικό μηχανισμό ελεγχόμενης λιπογένεσης και διατήρησης της ινσουλινοευαισθησίας στα παιδιά αυτά που ήδη παρουσιάζουν μειωμένα επίπεδα έκφρασης του υποδοχέα της αντιπονεκτίνης, AdipoR1. Επιπλέον, τα μειωμένα επίπεδα της HMW αντιπονεκτίνης και τα αυξημένα επίπεδα της ινσουλίνης στα μεγαλύτερα παιδιά πιθανόν απεικονίζει την προετοιμασία των παιδιών αυτών για την «φυσιολογική» ινσουλινοαντίσταση της εφηβείας. Η αύξηση των ενζύμων FAAH και DAGL-α στα μεγαλύτερα παχύσαρκα παιδιά της ομάδας Β, μπορεί έμμεσα να μας δείχνει ότι τα επίπεδα της ανανδαμίδης στα παιδιά αυτά είναι μειωμένα, ενώ τα επίπεδα του ενδοκανναβινοειδούς 2-AG αυξάνονται, θέτοντας πιθανόν τα παχύσαρκα παιδιά σε μεγαλύτερο κίνδυνο για λιπογένεση. Η μειωμένη έκφραση του CB1 στα μεγαλύτερα παχύσαρκα παιδιά όμως, μπορεί να απεικονίζει είτε την προσπάθεια του οργανισμού να περιορίσει την λιπογένεση στα παιδιά αυτά, που ήδη βρίσκονται σε κίνδυνο λόγω της παχυσαρκίας τους, είτε αντικατοπτρίζει τη μειωμένη ικανότητα του υποδόριου λιπώδους ιστού να αποθηκεύσει λίπος αυξάνοντας τον κίνδυνο εναπόθεσης λίπους ενδοκοιλιακά, το οποίο μπορεί να διαταράξει την ενεργειακή ισορροπία του οργανισμού τους προκαλώντας διαταραγμένη ανοχή στη γλυκόζη.

Choices abound for 2013–14 influenza season

This study examines the Universities’ Anthems in Nigeria as a distinct Genre. The present study analyzes a corpus composed of ten (10) anthems texts belonging to six federal Universities, two State owned Universities, and two private Universities in Nigeria. This study seeks to establish University anthems in Nigeria as a sub-genre of anthems by identifying the Generic structure Potential (GSP) of the selected university anthems as permitted by their contextual configuration (CC) following the theory of Halliday and Hasan (1985) as a theoretical framework for the study. The analysis in this study intends to come up with the total range of optional and obligatory elements in the University anthems analysed which are the possibilities of text structure for every text that can come up under the Genre of University anthem. The analysis revealed two obligatory elements -Identity/ Orientation IO* and Mission /Vision MV*- and five optional elements- Ideology (ID), Evocation/Eulogy (EE), Prayer (PR), Exhortation (EX), and Pledge/Allegiance (PA). The study concludes that even though University anthems, as a form of poem seemingly appear in different structures, there is a certain pattern of a Generic Structure that construes the purpose the anthems are intended to serve for the institutions; that is to communicate the identity of the institution.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare masked English speech recognition thresholds between Spanish-English bilingual and English monolingual children and to evaluate effects of age, maternal education, and English receptive language abilities on individual differences in masked speech recognition. Method Forty-three Spanish-English bilingual children and 42 English monolingual children completed an English sentence recognition task in 2 masker conditions: (a) speech-shaped noise and (b) 2-talker English speech. Two age groups of children, younger (5-6 years) and older (9-10 years), were tested. The predictors of masked speech recognition performance were evaluated using 2 mixed-effects regression models. In the 1st model, fixed effects were age group (younger children vs. older children), language group (bilingual vs. monolingual), and masker type (speech-shaped noise vs. 2-talker speech). In the 2nd model, the fixed effects of receptive English vocabulary scores and maternal education level were also included. Results Younger children performed more poorly than older children, but no significant difference in masked speech recognition was observed between bilingual and monolingual children for either age group when English proficiency and maternal education were also included in the model. English language abilities fell within age-appropriate norms for both groups, but individual children with larger receptive vocabularies in English tended to show better recognition; this effect was stronger for younger children than for older children. Speech reception thresholds for all children were lower in the speech-shaped noise masker than in the 2-talker speech masker. Conclusions Regardless of age, similar masked speech recognition was observed for Spanish-English bilingual and English monolingual children tested in this study when receptive English language abilities were accounted for. Receptive English vocabulary scores were associated with better masked speech recognition performance for both bilinguals and monolinguals, with a stronger relationship observed for younger children than older children. Further investigation involving a Spanish-dominant bilingual sample is warranted given the high English language proficiency of children included in this study.

Acute Appendicitis in Infants: Still a Diagnostic Dilemma

Service Utilization and Event Reaction Patterns Among Children Who Received Project Liberty Counseling Services

The script frameworks model (R. Schank, 1975) and causal network model (T. Trabasso & L. Sperry, 1985) were used to assess script-based story retellings of children with and without language impairments (LI). When retelling scripts and stories, children developing typically include (a) more obligatory than optional elements, with few temporal sequencing errors, and (b) story elements having several versus few causal connections to other story elements. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with LI demonstrated a similar pattern of recall. A script-based story retell was collected from 22 children with LI and 22 age-matched peers (AM). Retells were analyzed for inclusion of obligatory and optional elements, elements with high and low causal connectivity, and temporal sequencing accuracy. Retells from both groups contained more obligatory elements and elements with high causal connectivity. However, groups differed on the specific elements included. Children in the AM group appeared to utilize script and causal connectivity elements when retelling a script-based story. Children in the LI group appeared to focus more on script elements than causal connectivity. Their deficiencies may reflect difficulties with flexible application of scripts and accessing relevant knowledge, and/or generalized difficulties organizing information and extracting patterns.

Differences between a clinical sample of younger (ages 5 to 11) and older (ages 12 to 19) children meeting DSM-III criteria for overanxious disorder (OAD) were examined. Younger and older children were compared in terms of (1) the rates of OAD diagnoses occurring in the two age groups, (2) sociodemographic characteristics, (3) symptom expression, (4) association with other forms of maladjustment, and (5) self-reported anxiety and depression. The prevalence of OAD diagnoses and sociodemographic characteristics did not differ. Although younger and older OAD children showed similar rates of most specific DSM-III OAD symptoms, older children presented with a higher total number of overanxious symptoms than younger children. Older children more frequently exhibited a concurrent major depression or simple phobia, whereas younger OAD children more commonly had coexisting separation anxiety or attention deficit disorders. Older OAD children reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression on self-report measures. Findings indicated that the expression of OAD varies by developmental level.

Prevention and Control of Influenza With Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2015–16 Influenza Season

The present research applied a multidimensional framework to the study of gender stereotypes by investigating whether elementary school children display different levels of endorsement when considering distinct gender stereotype constructs (ability, category, and interest) and feminine versus masculine stereotypes. Study 1 (N = 403) compared children's ability and category beliefs using a set of gender‐neutral skill items. Study 2 (N = 539) extended this research by examining whether children showed different patterns of ability and category decisions for feminine versus masculine occupational items. Study 3 (N = 974) furthered our understanding of the construct dimension by comparing children's interest and ability decisions within the STEM domain. Findings revealed that older elementary school children endorsed ability stereotypes more strongly than category stereotypes and, across all age groups, children endorsed interest stereotypes more strongly than ability stereotypes. Findings also revealed age differences in how children think about masculine versus feminine stereotypes. For masculine stereotypes, younger children showed stronger endorsement than older children; however, for feminine stereotypes, the reverse pattern was found such that older children showed more stereotyped thinking than younger children. The present study illustrates the benefits of employing a multidimensional framework to gain a more nuanced understanding of how children apply their increasing knowledge of gender stereotypes.

BackgroundParents can influence their children's physical activity participation and screen time.This study examined the relative significance of perceived parental barriers and self-efficacy in relation to children's physical activity participation and screen time viewing. The associations between these factors and the behaviours were analysed.MethodsCross-sectional population survey in New South Wales, Australia of parents of pre-school (N = 764), younger (Kindergarten, Grades 2 and 4; N = 1557) and older children (Grades 6, 8 and 10; N = 1665). Parents reported barriers and self-efficacy to influence their child's physical activity and screen time behaviours in a range of circumstances. Differences were examined by child's sex and age group, household income, maternal education and location of residence. The duration of physical activity and screen viewing was measured by parental report for pre-school and younger children and self-report for older children. Associations between parental factors and children's organised, non-organised and total activity and screen time were analysed.ResultsCost, lack of opportunities for participation and transport problems were the barriers most often reported, particularly by low income parents and those in rural areas. The number of barriers was inversely related to children's time spent in organised activity, but not their non-organised activity. Higher parental self-efficacy was positively associated with organised physical activity in the younger and older children's groups and the non-organised activity of older children. School-age children (younger and older groups) were less likely to meet physical activity guidelines when parents reported ≥4 barriers (OR 3.76, 95% CI 1.25-11.34 and OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.71-8.11 respectively). Low parental self-efficacy was also associated with the likelihood of children exceeding screen time guidelines for each age group (pre-school OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.87; young children OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39-0.80; and older children OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.43-0.74).ConclusionParental barriers are associated with the time that children spend in both active and sedentary pursuits. These findings highlight family, economic and environmental factors that should be addressed in programs to promote child physical activity and tackle sedentary behaviour.

Differences in Cyto- and Molecular Genetic Abnormalities between Children <2 Years and Older Children with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The differential effect of meteorological factors and air pollutants on pediatric epistaxis in younger and older children has not been evaluated. We evaluated the distribution of pediatric epistaxis cases between younger (0–5 years) and older children (6–18 years). Subsequently, we assessed and compared the effects of meteorological variables and the concentration of particulate matter measuring ≤ 10 μm in diameter (PM10) on hospital epistaxis presentation in younger and older children. This retrospective study included pediatric patients (n = 326) who presented with spontaneous epistaxis between January 2015 and August 2019. Meteorological conditions and PM10 concentration were the exposure variables, and data were obtained from Korea Meteorological Administration 75. The presence and cumulative number of epistaxis presentations per day were considered outcome variables. Air temperature, wind speed, sunshine duration, and PM10 concentration in younger children, and sunshine duration and air pressure in older children, significantly correlated with the presence of and cumulative number of epistaxis presentations per day. The PM10 concentration was not a significant factor in older children. Thus, meteorological factors and PM10 concentration may differentially affect epistaxis in younger (0–5-year-olds) and older (6–18-year-olds) children. Risk factors for pediatric epistaxis should be considered according to age.

The goal of this study was to establish the developmental trajectories for children's open-set recognition of monosyllabic words in each of two maskers: two-talker speech and speech-shaped noise. Listeners were 56 children (5 to 16 years) and 16 adults, all with normal hearing. Thresholds for 50% correct recognition of monosyllabic words were measured in a two-talker speech or a speech-shaped noise masker in the sound field using an open-set task. Target words were presented at a fixed level of 65 dB SPL throughout testing, while the masker level was adapted. A repeated-measures design was used to compare the performance of three age groups of children (5 to 7 years, 8 to 12 years, and 13 to 16 years) and a group of adults. The pattern of age-related changes during childhood was also compared between the two masker conditions. Listeners in all four age groups performed more poorly in the two-talker speech than the speech-shaped noise masker, but the developmental trajectories differed for the two masker conditions. For the speech-shaped noise masker, children's performance improved with age until about 10 years of age, with little systematic child-adult differences thereafter. In contrast, for the two-talker speech masker, children's thresholds gradually improved between 5 and 13 years of age, followed by an abrupt improvement in performance to adult-like levels. Children's thresholds in the two masker conditions were uncorrelated. Younger children require a more advantageous signal-to-noise ratio than older children and adults to achieve 50% correct word recognition in both masker conditions. However, children's ability to recognize words appears to take longer to mature and follows a different developmental trajectory for the two-talker speech masker than the speech-shaped noise masker. These findings highlight the importance of considering both age and masker type when evaluating children's masked speech perception abilities.

Acute mastoiditis in children aged 0–16 years—A national study of 678 cases in Sweden comparing different age groups