Structure, stability, and development of young children's self-concepts: a multicohort-multioccasion study

A new, individual administration procedure for assessing multiple dimensions of self-concept for young children 5-8 years of age (Marsh, Craven, & Debus) was the basis of this study. We expanded this application in a multicohort-multioccasion (MCMO) study that provides simultaneous multicohort comparisons (cross-sectional comparisons of different age cohorts) and longitudinal comparisons of the same children on multiple occasions. There was reasonable support for predictions that reliability, stability, factor structure, and the distinctiveness of the SDQ factors would improve with age (a between-group age cohort comparison) and from 1 year to the next (a longitudinal comparison), and that small gender differences were reasonably stable over age. Consistent with the proposal that children's self-perceptions become more realistic with age, Time 1 (T1) teacher ratings were more highly correlated with student self-ratings at T2 than T1 and contributed to the prediction of T2 self-concept beyond effects mediated by T1 self-concepts. The results support and expand the surprisingly good support for the multidimensionality of self-concept responses for very young children using this procedure.

An evaluation of a measure of subjective oral health status in the UK

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the performance in the United Kingdom of an instrument to measure the subjective impact of oral conditions; that is, the functional restrictions and symptoms, as well as the disability and disadvantage experienced as a result of oral problems.

BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN

The instrument tested was the Subjective Oral Health Status Indicators (SOHSI) that consists of a battery of eight subjective indicators and which has been developed and tested in Canada. A questionnaire containing these indicators was administered by post to two random samples of two hundred and fifty residents aged 60-65 years, one from an affluent and one from a deprived electoral ward in Liverpool.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Reliability was assessed as test-retest, and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Construct and concurrent validity were assessed by determining the association between the subjective indicators and dentate status, reported satisfaction and overall subjective assessment of oral health. The constituent concepts of the theoretical model on which the instrument is based were tested by correlating the subjective indicators and the self-reported number of teeth.

CONCLUSIONS

The instrument was found to be reliable both in terms of test-retest reliability and internal consistency. It also demonstrated satisfactory construct and concurrent validity. Correlations between self-reported number of teeth and the subjective indicators confirm the strength of the theoretical model on which the instrument was based and provide further evidence of the content validity of this composite measure.

A comparison of the subjective oral health status of older adults from deprived and affluent communities

A comparative study of the subjective oral health status of 60-65-year-old residents was undertaken in two Liverpool electoral wards, Vauxhall, the most deprived, and Woolton, the most affluent in the city. The measuring instrument used was the Subjective Oral Health Status Indicators (SOHSI) questionnaire devised by Locker. The questionnaire was administered by post to random samples of 250 residents from each ward. The main aim of the study was to compare the reported impact of oral conditions on the lives of individuals living in deprived and affluent communities. Responses of 59.6% for the deprived ward and 77.7% for the affluent ward were achieved. The literature suggested that significant differences could be expected between the wards in the reporting of subjective impact. However, significantly greater impact for only one functional sub-scale and one psycho-social sub-scale was reported by residents from the deprived ward. Further analysis of the relationship between impact and socio-demographic variables revealed a strong association between self-reported general health status and the subjective oral health indicators. Finally, a stepwise regression analysis found that pain and chewing problems were the only significant predictors of psycho-social impact. This finding confirms that the individual's socio-economic circumstances are of secondary importance to pain and functional problems in determining the psycho-social effects of oral conditions, as predicted by the conceptual model on which the measuring instrument is based.

Effects of oestrogen and progesterone on age-related changes in arteries of postmenopausal women

1. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with oestrogen or oestrogen plus progestin may have different effects on arterial structure and function. To examine this question, carotid artery intima-medial thickness (IMT) and indices of systemic and carotid arterial compliance were measured in groups of older men, postmenopausal women not on HRT (non-HRT) and those women on long-term HRT with oestrogen alone (HRT-E) or oestrogen plus progestin (HRT-EP). 2. Sixty men, 90 postmenopausal women taking HRT and 91 not taking HRT participated in the study. The groups were similar for age, body mass index, numbers of smokers, physical activity, alcohol intake and blood pressure. 3. Plasma total cholesterol was reduced and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was increased in the HRT group compared with the non-HRT group; low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride and lipoprotein (a) values were similar in these two groups. Results for HRT-E and HRT-EP subgroups were similar. 4. Carotid IMT was significantly reduced in the HRT group compared with men and non-HRT groups. Results for HRT-E and HRT-EP subgroups were similar. 5. Mean systemic arterial compliance (SAC) was significantly greater in men than in women and was related to age; SAC was higher in both HRT-E and HRT-EP groups compared with the non-HRT group. Indices of carotid stiffness were similar in men and in non-HRT groups. The HRT-EP group showed increased carotid stiffness compared with the HRT-E group. 6. There is an apparent protective effect of long-term oestrogen therapy on carotid IMT and age-related changes in arterial stiffness. Progestin does not alter the IMT effects but may adversely influence arterial stiffness.

Use of self-report postal questionnaires for district-based adult oral health needs assessment

Self-report postal questionnaires have been advocated as an efficient means of collecting local data on adult oral health needs. The aim of this study was to compare the response from deprived and affluent communities and examine a method for the detection and compensation of non-response bias. An oral health status questionnaire was administered by post to random samples of older residents from affluent and deprived electoral wards. The survey was conducted in three distinct stages to increase the response rate and to quantify the effects of non-response. A response of 59.6 per cent was achieved from the deprived ward and 77.7 per cent from the affluent ward, this difference was statistically significant. The response rate compared favourably with contemporary national and international studies of oral health using postal survey methods. The pattern of response over the three stages was used to detect the presence and direction of non-response bias. This analysis showed evidence of non-response bias for only one variable of interest, for which an estimated prevalence value was calculated.

Pitfalls in orthodontic health service research

With the increasing interest in the field of orthodontic health service and related research, this paper reviews some of the factors that should be considered when planning such research.

WAY-100635 and GR127935: effects on 5-hydroxytryptamine-containing neurones

N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2- pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY-100635) is a potent and selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist in a slice preparation of the guinea pig dorsal raphe nucleus: the inhibitory actions on 5-HT neuronal firing of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin), 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), but not those of baclofen, were abolished by 30 nM WAY-100635. The selective 5-HT1D receptor antagonist N-[4-methoxy-3-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)phenyl]-2'- methyl-4'-(5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl) [1,1-biphenyl]-4-carboxamide (GR127935, 300 nM) did not attenuate the 5-HT induced inhibition, indicating that 5-HT1D receptors do not contribute to the inhibitory action of exogenous 5-HT on 5-HT neurones.

The response of 1578 school leavers to a campaign combining commercial, Health Boards' and GDPs' sponsorship in an effort to improve dental attendance

A dental health promotion campaign was developed by Forth Valley Health Board in conjunction with the Scottish Health Education Group and the Department of Marketing at Strathclyde University. The aim was to encourage dental attendance among early school leavers. The emphasis was on the contribution of dental care to appearance and attractiveness. To highlight the importance of appearance, a major clothing retailer offered discounts on clothes to participants who made a dental visit. The impact of the campaign was evaluated by a questionnaire 3 months after its close. Recall of the campaign was high at 62% and 16% actually initiated a dental visit. However, only 2% claimed that the campaign was their main reason for attending. The project demonstrated the feasibility of collaboration between a commercial company and a health board in a health promotion effort. The results underline the difficulties in initiating a behaviour change, overcoming apathy and modifying the lack of felt need for dental care among the age group concerned. It does, however, suggest that there is potential for a more prolonged marketing effort.

Overcoming Problems in Confirmatory Factor Analyses of MTMM Data: The Correlated Uniqueness Model and Factorial Invariance

The general model typically used in the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach to multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) data is plagued with methodological problems and frequently results in improper or unstable solutions. Here we reanalyze data from a previously published study, demonstrating that this model may lead to inappropriate interpretations even when it does converge to a proper solution, and describe safeguards against this occurrence. The results support the correlated uniqueness model, diagnostic tests of the validity of CFA-MTMM solutions, the inclusion of external validity criteria in the MTMM design as described by Marsh (1988; 1989; Marsh & Bailey, 19911, and the application of factorial invariance to test the stability of CFA-MTMM solutions. More generally, we demonstrate the flexibility of the CFA-MTMM approach for testing a variety of construct validity issues.

Effects of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist 'Zoladex' upon pituitary and gonadal function in hypogonadal (hpg) male mice: a comparison with normal male and testicular feminized (tfm) mice

Hypogonadal (hpg) mutant mice, with a congenital deficiency of hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and testicular feminized (tfm) mice, which lack a functional androgen receptor, were used to study the effects of the potent GnRH agonist 'Zoladex' (ICI 118630; D-Ser (Bu(t))6, Azgly10-GnRH) on pituitary and gonadal function. Zoladex (0.5 mg) in a sustained-release lactide-glycolide copolymer depot was administered subcutaneously under anaesthesia and was left in place for 7 days, after which time the effects of the drug upon pituitary and serum gonadotrophin concentrations, glycoprotein hormone subunit mRNAs and testicular morphology were investigated. At the pituitary level, Zoladex treatment resulted in a substantial reduction in LH content in normal males, and LH content was depressed in hpg mice even below the basal levels normally found in these mutants. Pituitary LH content in the Zoladex-treated animals was depressed in the tfm groups, but not to the same levels as those found in the normal and castrated normal mice. Zoladex treatment at the time of castration prevented the post-operative elevation in serum LH associated with castration alone. In the androgen-deficient tfm mouse, Zoladex did not depress the normally elevated serum LH levels. Serum LH in the hpg animals was, in all cases, below the limit of detection of the assay. Pituitary FSH content was depressed into the hpg range in both the normal and castrated animals, but there was no further depression in the hpg mice. The pituitary content was reduced in the tfm mice, again the effects not being as dramatic as in the normal and castrated animals. Serum FSH content, as measured by radioimmunoassay, was depressed by 50% in normal mice; there was no reduction in the hpg mice, however. With regard to pituitary gonadotrophic hormone gene expression, Zoladex administration to normal mice caused a dramatic reduction in LH beta mRNA content, to a level approximating that found in untreated hpg mice. The drug also depressed LH beta mRNA in the castrated group to the hpg range when given at the time of castration, whereas in untreated castrated mice there was a significant increase in LH beta mRNA. In the tfm mouse, which can be considered as a model for long-term failure of androgen feedback, Zoladex again induced a fall in LH beta mRNA, but not to the same extent as in the normal and normal castrated group. Zoladex had no effect on the already low levels of LH beta mRNA found in hpg mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Characterization of cytokines present in middle ear effusions

Retention of inflammatory mediators and cells in the middle ear cleft during chronic otitis media with effusion (COME), results in ongoing inflammation with the potential for pathologic changes and hearing loss. Cytokines are glycoproteins produced by macrophages and other cells. Activities of cytokines include fever production, osteoclast, fibroblast, phagocyte and cytotoxic cell activation, regulation of antibody formation, and inhibition of cartilage, bone and endothelial cell growth. Using enzyme-linked immunospecific assays we measured levels of six cytokines in middle ear effusions (MEE) from children with COME. Significant levels of four cytokines: interleukin-1-beta (greater than 50 pg/ml), interleukin-2 (greater than 300 pg/ml), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (greater than 40 pg/ml), and gamma-interferon (greater than 6.25 pg/ml) were found in 51%, 54%, 63%, and 19% of MEE, respectively. In contrast, levels of a fifth cytokine, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and a sixth cytokine, interleukin-4, were undetectable. Age was observed to have a significant effect on the levels of specific cytokines. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) correlated inversely (P less than .02) with age such that the younger the child, the higher the level of IL-1 in MEE. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) correlated directly (P less than .005) with age such that the older the child, the higher the level of TNF in MEE. Children undergoing tympanostomy on multiple occasions had average MEE TNF levels (234.2 +/- 109.1 pg/mg total protein) that were nearly 14 times higher (P less than .005) than those from children undergoing their first tympanostomy (16.9 +/- 3.0 pg/mg total protein). Thus IL-1 correlated with the early stages of COME, while TNF correlated with persistence of disease. The presence of these cytokines in MEE may be responsible for the mucosal damage, bone erosion, fibrosis, and resulting hearing loss seen in some cases of COME.

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies reactive with the 1-32 amino terminal sequence of the alpha subunit of human 32K inhibin

A monoclonal antibody was made after immunization of mice with the 1-32 amino terminal peptide of the alpha subunit of 32K human ovarian inhibin. The IgG2a mouse antibody reacted 6 times better with bovine 1-32 peptide than it did with 32K bovine inhibin. By contrast sheep polyclonal antibodies made by a similar method had a 29 fold bias in reactivity towards the immunizing peptide. Relative to homologous 1-32 peptide standards, the monoclonal antibody measured apparently higher amounts of immunoreactive material(s) in human (13.5 fold) and bovine (27 fold) follicular fluids than did the polyclonal anti 1-32 peptide antibodies. Immunochemical studies revealed that the epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody was different from the major epitope recognized by the polyclonal antibodies. The monoclonal antibody reacted much better with human inhibin 1-32 sequences than with bovine (73 fold) or porcine (23 fold). Although the 32K form of human inhibin has not yet been purified, it can be inferred that the monoclonal antibody would be able to detect as little as 2 ng/ml of 32K human inhibin in competitive radioimmunoassays. The antibody must also react with some of the multiple molecular forms of inhibin found in human follicular fluids, and it was shown to function well in the quantitative immunoaffinity extraction of inhibin-like immunoreactivity from follicular fluid. It seems likely that this monoclonal antibody will prove a useful tool for research on human inhibin.

Regulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa chemotaxis by the nitrogen source

The regulation of amino acid chemotaxis by nitrogen was investigated in the gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The quantitative capillary tube technique was used to measure chemotactic responses of bacteria to spatial gradients of amino acids and other attractants. Chemotaxis toward serine, arginine, and alpha-aminoisobutyrate was sharply dependent on the form in which nitrogen was presented to the bacteria. Bacteria grown on mineral salts-succinate with potassium nitrate gave responses to amino acids that were 2 to 3 times those of cells grown on ammonium sulfate and 10 to 20 times those of cells grown in mineral salts-succinate with Casamino Acids as the nitrogen source. A combination of ammonium sulfate and glutamate was as effective as Casamino Acids in depressing serine taxis. The threshold concentration for alpha-aminoisobutyrate taxis was consistently lower in nitrate-grown bacteria than in ammonia-grown bacteria. Responsiveness to sodium succinate, however, was not subject to regulation by nitrogen, and glucose chemotaxis was inhibited, rather than enhanced, in nitrate-grown bacteria. These results indicate that chemotaxis of P. aeruginosa toward amino acids is subject to regulation by nitrogen and that this regulation probably is expressed at the level of the chemoreceptors or transducers.

Trace minerals, amino acids, and plasma proteins in adult men fed wheat diets

In summary, the ingestion by adult men of an all-plant diet supplying 46 gm. protein per day, primarily as bread made from white wheat four, over a period of 74 days, resulted in positive balances for copper, iron, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc. Iron balances were significantly decreased by the isonitrogenous substitution of pinto beans or peanut butter for 20 percent of the nitrogen supplied by white bread. When pinto beans or white rice substituted for 20 percent of the nitrogen of white bread, the retention of molybdenum was lower and the retention of selenium was greater. Although the men were nitrogen balance and total plasma protein concentrations were normal, the ingestion of diets providing 46 gm. protein, from all-plant sources resulted in significantly lower plasma albumin, with corresponding elevations in alpha, beta and gamma globulins. However, the substitution of pinto beans for a portion of the white bread improved plasma albumin and alpha-globulin levels. Routine clinical data obtained on patients who previously consumed strictly vegetarian diets should include determinations of plasma albumin. The ability of the subjects to maintain nitrogen balance on protein intakes of 46 gm. per day from all-plant sources appeared to be correlated with decreases in the urinary excretion and plasma concentration of alpha-aminobutyric acid, a metabolite of methionine and threonine, suggesting conservation of methionine or re-utilization of this metabolite. The possible mechanism of this adaptation to minimal protein intake, or dietary protein from all-plant sources, is discussed.