Distribution Of Children Research Articles

Comment: Aminoglycoside Volume of Distribution in Children

Comment: Aminoglycoside Volume of Distribution in Children

Detection of Serum Antibody by the Antimitogen Assay against Streptococcal Erythrogenic Toxins. Age Distribution in Children and the Relation to Kawasaki Disease

We describe a new method to measure human serum antibody against streptococcal erythrogenic toxins that uses inhibition of lymphocyte mitogenicity of the toxins as the indicator. Sera from 53% of 53 Kawasaki disease patients contained specific inhibitory activity against A toxin, whereas only 15% had serum inhibitory activity against B toxin. The specific anti-A toxin serum inhibitor was found in 10% of 118 age-matched control patients suffering from various infections and allergic diseases (p = 0.001, compared to Kawasaki disease patients). Serum inhibitory activity was detected in a small number of patients with beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection (3/19) and in none of the age-matched healthy children (0/17). However, four of seven cord blood sera samples and five of 13 sera samples from healthy neonates contained the inhibitor, a result suggesting passive transfer from mothers. Most of the antimitogen-positive sera were also positive by ELISA of IgG antibody against A toxin, and IgG fractions of the positive sera remained positive in both assays. Thus, it is possible that the specific serum inhibitor detected by the antimitogen assay represents anti-A toxin antibody. The role of toxin-producing bacteria in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease remains to be investigated.

Modification of sociometric status and social interaction with mainstreamed mild developmentally disabled children

Abstract An intervention package based upon personal attraction theory was used to modify the sociometric standing and social interactions of three mildly developmentally disabled boys enrolled in a regular fourth-grade class. The study employed a withdrawal of treatment (ABAB) design with replication across subjects. Also, sociometric ratings and social interactions were assessed at two- and four-week follow-up points. Intervention consisted of three, interrelated components: (a) assignment of each target child as a team captain for a daily competition game; (b) manipulation of target children's scores such that the teams always won a prize; and (c) target children's distribution of prizes to teammates. Results indicate that: (a) the intervention procedure produced an immediate and durable increase in the sociometric standing of the boys; (b) an immediate and durable decrease in negative social interactions between the target children and regular class peers obtained; and (c) the positive interaction between the three boys and class peers was substantially increased when the intervention was in effect.

RACE AND INEQUITY1

Two experiments examined the effects of beneficiary‐victim status and race on the reactions of fifth‐ and sixth‐grade children to an inequitable allocation. In the first experiment, mixed‐race dyads of black and white children were subjected to profitable or unprofitable inequity by black or white allocators. Following this, they were allowed to request portions of a second reward and were interviewed in order to assess inequity distress and their cognitive reactions to the experience of being a beneficiary or victim. Allocator's race was found to have a significant impact on the efforts of black victims to redistribute rewards and to be relevant to all children's perceptions of the inequity. Although neither subject's race nor beneficiary‐victim status had a major impact on children's distributions, these factors did influence their interpretations of the initial allocation and the amount of distress experienced. The second experiment examined the impact of race of observer and participant on observers' perceptions of an inequitable allocation. The results of this study confirmed the pervasive and complex impact of racial identity on reactions to inequity, pointing to its influence even on persons who have nothing tangible to gain or lose by their ratings and allocations.

Process training derived from a computer simulation theory

Kotovsky and Simon (1973) identified four basic subprocesses in their computer simulation of adult and adolescent performance on Thurstone letter series completion problems. In Experiment I, children from Grades 1 to 6 were pretested on those problems, and then experimental subjects were trained on two of the four processes as an attempt to experimentally support a correspondence between the computer subroutines and human cognitive processes. A posttest administered in the experimental and control conditions revealed a significantly greater improvement for experimental subjects, although both groups made significant gains. The children's distributions of errors were consistent with Kotovsky and Simon's predictions. In Experiment II, children from Grades 3 and 5 took four series completion tests without intervening training. The additional practice was sufficient for Grade 5 subjects to make improvements similar in magnitude to those produced by training. Grade 3 subjects, however, made no gains. These results are related to Tulving and Pearlstone's (1966) distinction between the availability and the accessibility of memory traces.

Effects of Representational Role Obligations on the Process of Children's Distribution of Resources

The effects of a representative's role obligations on attempts to reach a decision by two children on a distribution of resources (chips) between them was examined in two experiments. Subjects played a game in which they alternated distribution suggestions until they agreed on a distribution. In the first experiment, contestants (male subjects) who were delegated to represent a teammate took longer to reach a decision, rejected more of their opponent's offers, moved more chips toward themselves and were more equally competitive than nonrepresentatives. While role obligations did not affect verbal statements made following each offer, a communication set manipulation did, with justifiers making more self-centered statements and fewer value statements than persuaders. The second experiment was designed to separate audience-presence and anticipation of splitting with one's teammate from role obligations. The representation main effect obtained in the first study was replicated on some of the indices for male subjects. Neither audience presence nor splitting of winnings affected males' negotiating behavior. Females, on the other hand, were not responsive to role obligations