A Latent Class Analysis of Bullies,Victims and Aggressive Victims in Chinese Adolescence: Relations with Social and School Adjustments

This study used the latent class analysis (LCA) to identify and classify Chinese adolescent children''s aggressive behaviors. It was found that (1) Adolescent children could be divided into four categories: general children, aggressive children, victimized children and aggressive victimized children. (2) There were significant gender differences among the aggressive victimized children, the aggressive children and the general children. Specifically, aggressive victimized children and aggressive children had greater probabilities of being boys; victimized children had equal probabilities of being boys or girls. (3) Significant differences in loneliness, depression, anxiety and academic achievement existed among the aggressive victims, the aggressor, the victims and the general children, in which the aggressive victims scored the worst in all questionaires. (4) As protective factors, peer and teacher supports had important influences on children''s aggressive and victimized behaviors. Relative to general children, aggressive victims, aggressive children and victimized children had lower probabilities of receiving peer supports. On the other hand, compared to general children, aggressive victims had lower probabilities of receiving teacher supports; while significant differences in the probability of receiving teacher supports did not exist between aggressive children and victimized children.     

肺炎支原体肺炎患儿口咽部菌群的改变

目的比较健康儿童与肺炎支原体肺炎患儿口咽部菌群的差异,分析肺炎支原体感染对儿童口咽部菌群变化的可能影响。方法采用高通量测序技术,对30例肺炎支原体肺炎患儿及30例健康儿童16SrDNA进行测序分析,比较两组间的菌群多样性及在门、属水平上菌群结构差异。结果健康儿童与肺炎支原体肺炎患儿在性别、年龄、抗生素使用等方面差异无统计学意义。肺炎支原体肺炎患儿口咽部菌群多样性比健康儿童明显降低。在门水平上,Proteobacteria(变形菌门)、Bacteroidetes(拟杆菌门)和Fusobacteria(梭杆菌门)在健康儿童中相对丰度显著高于肺炎支原体肺炎患儿组,而Firmicutes(厚壁菌门)、Tenericutes(柔膜菌门)和Actinobacteria(放线菌门)在肺炎支原体肺炎患儿组中相对丰度均显著高于健康儿童组;在属水平上,两组排在相对丰度前10位的属差异具有统计学意义,共有6个属在肺炎支原体肺炎患儿中显著增加,分别为Staphylococcus(葡萄球菌)、Actinomyces(放线菌属)、Acinetobacter(不动细菌属)、Atopobium(阿托波菌属)、Corynebacterium(棒状杆菌)和Abiotrophia(营养缺陷菌属)。结论肺炎支原体肺炎患儿口咽部菌群存在明显的改变,其口咽部菌群多样性比健康儿童明显降低,在门、属水平肺炎支原体肺炎患儿与健康儿童差异均有统计学意义。     

Chromosome abnormalities in newborn children. Physical aspects

Summary A chromosome examination was made on 11,148 consecutively live-born children: 93 had a chromosome abnormality and 192 a chromosome variant. The physical aspects of the children with chromosome abnormalities and variants were compared with those of the children with normal karyotypes. Children with aneuploid or unbalanced chromosome abnormalities were more frequently immature or not fully developed at birth than those with normal karyotypes. Birth weight was lower in children with all types of chromosome abnormalities, including reciprocal translocations and chromosome variants. The low birth weight in children with chromosome variants was mainly due to the low birth weight of children with G variants. These children were also subject to a higher frequency of special delivery treatment. Heart disorders were increased in children with aneuploid or unbalanced chromosome abnormalities. The frequency of foetal erythroblastosis was increased in children with short Y as well as in children with acentric fragments. Neonatal mortality was higher in children with aneuploid or unbalanced chromosome abnormalities than in children with normal karyotypes.     

Serum glycoconjugates in children with schizophrenia and conduct and adjustment disorders

The serum glycoproteins represented by the individual protein-bound carbohydrate components and glycosaminoglycans represented by the hexuronic acid contents were determined in the sera of black and Caucasian normal children and children with diagnoses of schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorder. There were no race-related or sex-related differences in glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the sera of normal children. Although the serum glycosaminogltents were determined in the sera of black and Caucasian normal children and children with diagnoses of schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorder. There were no race-related or sex-related differences in glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the sera of normal children. Although the serum glycosaminogltents were determined in the sera of black and Caucasian normal children and children with diagnoses of schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorder. There were no race-related or sex-related differences in glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the sera of normal children. Although the serum glycosaminoglycans were significantly elevated in children with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, the levels were in normal range in children with conduct and adjustment disorders. All of the protein-bound carbohydrates were elevated in schizophrenic children. However, only arabinose and galactosamine were significantly elevated in children with a diagnosis of conduct disorder, while only galactosamine was elevated in children with adjustment disorder. The presence of arabinose in serum glycoprotein was confirmed by chemical ionization-mass spectrometry. The possible causes of the differential elevation of the glycoconjugates in psychiatric disorders in relation to the effect of stress and environment are discussed.     

血清IL-8在过敏性紫癜的表达及意义

目的:研究血清白介素-8(IL-8)在过敏性紫癜(HSP)中的表达及意义。方法:采用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测和比较过敏性紫癜急性期(包括紫癜性肾炎、非紫癜性肾炎)患儿、过敏性紫癜恢复期患儿、健康体检儿童血清IL-8的含量。结果:过敏性紫癜急性期患儿血清IL-8含量显著高于过敏性紫癜恢复期患儿和健康儿童(P0.05),而过敏性紫癜恢复期、健康儿童血清IL-8含量比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。紫癜性肾炎患儿、非紫癜性肾炎患儿的血清IL-8含量均明显高于健康儿童,且非紫癜性肾炎血清IL-8含量显著低于紫癜性肾炎患儿(P0.05)。结论:急性期过敏性紫癜患儿血清IL-8含量上调,可能参与了过敏性紫癜的发生,并可能与紫癜性肾炎的发生有关。     

HIV infection in children perinatally infected

During the period from 1987 to the middle of 1996 only 20 children were born of HIV-infected women, while during the following 1.5 years the number of such children were 59, the maximum number of seropositive children being registered in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region, in the Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol and Nizhny Novgorod (altogether 46 children). Out of 79 children born of HIV-infected mothers during the whole period of the epidemic, 8 children died. Out of the children born before 1995 who remained alive, 9 children were struck off the register after 3 years of observation due to the absence of HIV infection. By the end of 1997 63 children were registered, the majority of them born in 1996-1997.     

The incidence of cone epiphyses and ivory epiphyses of the hand in Nigerian children.

Radiographs of the left hand of 594 children from Ibadan, Nigeria were inspected for skeletal anomalies to determine differences in the incidence of cone and ivory epiphyses for the rich and poor children and differences in incidence for four hemoglobin types. Ivory epiphyses ovvurred more often in children in the lower socio-economic class and children with hemoglobin AA. The cone epiphyses observed in Hb SS children were primarily a result of bone infarcts, while cones in children of other hemoglobin types appeared to be normal variants. The incidence of ivory epiphyses was higher in the Nigerian children than in American black children in the Ten-State Nutrition Survey. The incidence of cone epiphyses was much lower than those reported for other normal populations.     

Adaptive significance of small body size: strength and motor performance of school children in Mexico and Papua New Guinea

The postulated superior functional efficiency in association with reduced body size under conditions of chronic protein-energy undernutrition was considered in school children from rural Mexico and coastal Papua New Guinea. Grip strength and three measures of motor performance were measured in cross-sectional samples of children 6-16 years of age from a rural agricultural community in Oaxaca, Mexico, and from the coastal community Pere on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. The strength and performance of a mixed-longitudinal sample of well nourished children from Philadelphia was used as a reference. The Oaxaca and Pere children are significantly shorter and lighter and are not as strong as the well nourished children. Motor performances of Pere children compare favorably to those of the better-nourished Philadelphia children, whereas those of the Oaxaca children are poorer. Throwing performance is more variable. When expressed relative to body size, strength is similar in the three samples, but the running and jumping performances of Pere children per unit body size are better than the relative performances of Oaxaca and Philadelphia children. Throwing performance per unit body size is better in the undernourished children. The influence of age, stature, and weight on the performance of Oaxaca and Pere children is generally similar to that for well nourished children. These results suggest that the hypothesized adaptive significance of small body size for the functional efficiency of populations living under conditions of chronic undernutrition varies between populations and with performance tasks.     

Molecularly assessed shifts of Bifidobacterium ssp. and less diverse microbial communities are characteristic of 5-year-old allergic children

The composition of intestinal microbiota and the Bifidobacterium group community in 20 allergic and 20 nonallergic 5-year-old children was visualized by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The number of dominant bands in the DGGE profiles was smaller in allergic children than in nonallergic children (P<0.001). Allergic children mainly formed a single group upon cluster analysis, whereas nonallergic children were divided between four different groups. In allergic children the Bifidobacterium adolescentis species prevailed, and in nonallergic children the Bifidobacterium catenulatum/pseudocatenulatum prevailed (P=0.01 and P=0.01, respectively). The less diverse composition of intestinal microbiota and prevalence of particular species of Bifidobacterium were characteristic of allergic children even at the age of 5 years.     

广西农村留守儿童人格特质特点及其影响因素研究

目的:了解广西农村留守儿童人格特质的特点及其影响因素。方法:运用儿童十四种人格特质问卷(CPQ)对1477名留守儿童和286名非留守儿童进行问卷调查。结果:(1)留守儿童和非留守儿童在大多数人格维度上并不存在显著差异;(2)留守儿童人格特质多维度皆存在显著的性别和年级差异;(3)留守儿童人格特质不同家庭经济状况、父母文化程度、父母与留守儿童的联系频率之间存在显著的差异。结论:"留守"只是一个较远端的环境变量,留守状态并不足以直接导致儿童人格特征的改变;家庭经济状况、父母文化程度、父母与留守儿童的联系频率和性别、年龄皆为影响留守儿童人格特质的重要影响因素。     

Role of Breast Milk in Acquisition of Cytomegalovirus Infection

The prevalence of IgG antibody against cytomegalovirus (CMV) was compared between the age-matched (0 month to 2 years of age) groups of 212 breast-fed children and 223 bottle-fed children to examine the role of breast milk for acquisition of CMV. Mothers of both groups of children were also examined for CMV IgG antibodies. Both the breast-fed and bottle-fed children groups showed high seropositivity for CMV at 0 to 2 months of age, which gradually decreased and bottomed at 6 to 8 months of age. Thereafter, in the breast-fed children group, the seropositivity rate increased up to 70% by 1 year of age. In contrast, in the bottle-fed children group, the seropositivity rate remained at the bottom level of lower than 30%, without showing any apparent increases. The serological data of the children whose mothers were confirmed to be seropositive, revealed that mother-to-child transmission of CMV occurred in 11 of 17 (64.7%) of the breast-fed children and in 24 of 87 (27.6%) of the bottle-fed children. All the bottle-fed children born to seronegative mothers remained seronegative for CMV up to 1 year of age. The bottle-fed children showed significantly lower seropositivity than the breast-fed children, although most of both groups of children were born to seropositive mothers. The results strongly suggested that about 40% of the breast-fed children acquire CMV via breast milk and breast-feeding has certain protective effects on congenital CMV disease in the offspring.     

Antibiotic therapy of acute dysentery in children with immunologic deficiency conditions

One hundred children with acute Sonnei and flexneri dysentery were followed up with respect to the infection process and main immunity indices. In 32 children the immunity indices were physiological (group 1) and in 68 children secondary immune deficiency was observed (group 2). The children were treated with aminoglycoside antibiotics and prodigiozan and it was stated that the time of recovery in the children with immune deficiency was longer by 5.2 days as compared to that in the children without immune deficiency. In the children with immune deficiency the combined use of one of the aminoglycosides, prodigiozan and lysozyme, led to a reduction of the host immunological reactivity and recovery within the same periods as those recorded for children with the physiological immunity status. It is recommended to use the antibiotic combination with prodigiozan and lysozyme in the treatment of all the forms of dysentery in children with secondary immune deficiency.     

Child growth and the economic value of children in rural Bolivia

Previous investigations have yielded contradictory conclusions concerning the importance of the economic contribution of children to households in agricultural societies. The present study evaluates the significance of children 's economic input in rural Ancoraimes, Bolivia by using child growth as an indirect indicator of the economic value of children. Children whose households differed in size and age composition were compared on the basis of five anthropometric measurements. Children from households with many young, nonproducing children were found to be significantly smaller for their age than children from households with few nonproducing children. Absolute household size had no major effect on child growth. While young children have a negative effect on the growth of children in the household, the positive effect of children as they grow older appears to make up for this loss. In terms of child growth, children are neither a net liability nor a net asset to agricultural households in Ancoraimes.     

Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements in Children with Strabismus and in Children with Vergence Deficits

Purpose

The objective of our study was to examine horizontal smooth pursuit performance in strabismic children and in children with vergence deficits, and to compare these data with those recorded in a group of control age-matched children.

Methods

Binocular eye movements were recorded by video-oculography in ten strabismic children (mean age: 9.8±0.8) and seven children with vergence deficits (mean age: 10.8±0.6). Data were compared to that of age-matched control children (mean age: 9.8±0.8 years).

Results

Catch-up saccades amplitude in strabismic children and in children with vergence deficits were significantly higher than in control age-matched children. Moreover, in strabismic children the amplitude of catch-up saccades was significantly higher in rightward than in leftward direction. The number of catch-up saccades was also significantly higher in rightward than in leftward direction. The gain value of pursuits in rightward direction was significantly higher in the right eye than in the left one; for the right eye, the gain value was significantly higher in rightward than in leftward direction. Binocular coordination of pursuit was better in control age-matched children than in children with vergence deficits and than in strabismic children.

Conclusions

Binocular coordination of pursuit is abnormal in children with vergence deficits and worse in strabismic children. Binocular vision plays an important role in improving binocular coordination of pursuit.     

Incidence of Heart Disease in Children in the City of Toronto

A special registry of children with heart disease in the City of Toronto was set up (a) to provide for follow-up of all children with heart disease in that community, (b) to remove the “cardiac” label from children with functional murmurs, (c) to acquaint parents with facilities available for the management of children with heart disease, and (d) to record useful data regarding heart disease in children.The 1961-62 Cardiac Registry showed that 542 of 156,775 pre-school and school children had evidence of heart disease; 464 were congenital and 68 rheumatic in origin: 121 children with congenital heart defects had been treated surgically. Congenital cardiac disease ranked fifth in frequency among the causes of death in children. There was a diminution of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in children in 1961-62 when compared with data for previous years. Seventy-eight per cent of children in this series with a history of rheumatic fever were receiving continuous prophylaxis.     

Blood histamine levels (BHL) in infants and children with respiratory and non-respiratory diseases

BACKGROUND: Blood histamine levels are decreased after severe allergic reactions and in various chronic diseases. AIMS: To study blood histamine levels in infants and children with acute infectious and non-infectious, non-allergic, disease. METHODS: Blood histamine levels were investigated by a fluorometric method in infants and children admitted to hospital with bronchiolitis, non-wheezing bronchitis, acute infections of the urinary tract, skin and ear-nose-throat, gastroenteritis, or hyperthermia of unknown aetiology. Results of blood histamine levels and white blood cell counts were compared with those obtained for children recovering from benign non-infectious, non-allergic illnesses. RESULTS: As compared with control children, white blood cell numbers were significantly increased in children with acute infections of the urinary tract, skin and ear-nose-throat, and were significantly decreased in children with gastroenteritis. Blood histamine levels were significantly lower in children with gastroenteritis and hyperthermia than in children with other diseases and control children. It was not possible to correlate blood histamine levels and the number of blood basophils. CONCLUSIONS: BHL are significantly decreased in infants and children with acute gastroenteritis and hyperthermia of unknown aetiology. The mechanisms responsible for the decrease in blood histamine levels in children with gastroenteritis and hyperthermia are discussed.     

Parenting stress and affective symptoms in parents of autistic children

We examined parenting stress and mental health status in parents of autistic children and assessed factors associated with such stress. Participants were parents of 188 autistic children diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria and parents of 144 normally developing children. Parents of autistic children reported higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than parents of normally developing children. Mothers of autistic children had a higher risk of depression and anxiety than that did parents of normally developing children. Mothers compared to fathers of autistic children were more vulnerable to depression. Age, behavior problems of autistic children, and mothers' anxiety were significantly associated with parenting stress.     

Croatian children's views towards importance of health care information

The aim of research was to investigate: the need for health care information of Croatian adolescents aged from 13 to 18 years; the difference in evaluation of the frequency of receiving information between hospitalized and healthy children; if the hospitalized children expectations about the frequency of receiving health care information differed significantly from information they have actually received; whose information was most comprehensible to the hospitalized children (doctors, parents, other health care givers). The children were either hospitalized in the pediatrics departments or were high schools pupils (healthy children). The hospitalized children "Completely agreed" (92.7%) with the statement "When I am sick, I should receive information about my health" in comparison to the healthy children (85.1%). In comparison to healthy children, the hospitalized children assessed that doctors, other health care givers and parents should give them information more frequently. The experience of hospitalized children indicate that they received less information then they have actually excepted. The information received from doctors was mostly in correlation with the understanding of this information. We concluded that the children want to be informed about their health, especially hospitalized children. Health care professionals should offer understandable health care information according to the children's expectation.     

Effect of a dual task on postural control in dyslexic children

Several studies have examined postural control in dyslexic children; however, their results were inconclusive. This study investigated the effect of a dual task on postural stability in dyslexic children. Eighteen dyslexic children (mean age 10.3±1.2 years) were compared with eighteen non-dyslexic children of similar age. Postural stability was recorded with a platform (TechnoConcept®) while the child, in separate sessions, made reflex horizontal and vertical saccades of 10° of amplitude, and read a text silently. We measured the surface and the mean speed of the center of pressure (CoP). Reading performance was assessed by counting the number of words read during postural measures. Both groups of children were more stable while performing saccades than while reading a text. Furthermore, dyslexic children were significantly more unstable than non-dyslexic children, especially during the reading task. Finally, the number of words read by dyslexic children was significantly lower than that of non-dyslexic children and, in contrast to the non-dyslexic children. In line with the U-shaped non-linear interaction model, we suggest that the attention consumed by the reading task could be responsible for the loss of postural control in both groups of children. The postural instability observed in dyslexic children supports the hypothesis that such children have a lack of integration of multiple sensorimotor inputs.     

Serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels in children with celiac disease]

The study was aimed at determining relationship between thyroid function and the type and degree of malabsorption. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels were determined in children with celiac disease and the secondary malabsorption. Hundred fifty five children aged between 6 months and 7 years were followed up 3 years. Coeliac disease was diagnosed with classic Interlaken criteria. All children were divided into three groups: group I--57 children aged between 6 months and 3 years with suspected celiac disease; group II--55 children aged between 2.5 and 6 years after gluten-free diet therapy; group III--52 children aged between 3 and 7 years after gluten provocation test. Serum T3 and T4 levels for each group were compared with those in children with normal gut mucous membrane. Blood serum T3 and T4 were assayed with OPIDI kit (manufactured in Swierk). Serum T4 levels were significantly lower in children with mucous membrane atrophy in comparison with dystrophic children and normal gut mucous membrane. Both serum T3 and T4 were significantly lowered in the youngest children upto 12 months of life with mucous membranes atrophy. Serum T3 and T4 concentrations were below the normal values in 4 youngest children. Blood serum T3 and T4 levels did not depend on the morphology of the intestinal villi in children treated with gluten-free diet (some children did not observe the diet and had atrophic lesions to the mucous membrane of the small intestine). Blood serum T3 level was relatively increased in children of group II with mucous membrane regeneration; in comparison with the value determined in the period of active disease.