A study of personality in children aged 8-12 years: Comparing self- and partents' ratings

This study was designed to investigate personality development with children aged 8 to 12. For this purpose, Children's self-perceptions were compared to parent's ratings. 506 children and their parents completed a selection of 38 questions from the Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPIC). Results showed an age-related increase in the structural congruence of children's ratings compared to parents' ratings and a highly significant increase in the reliabilities of both parents' and children's assessments. The mean correlation between the children's self-descriptions and parents' ratings were higher for Conscientiousness and Imagination than for Extraversion, Benevolence and Emotional Stability and significantly increased with the children's age. Mean-levels decreased with age for Imagination in parents' ratings and for Benevolence, Conscientiousness, and Imagination, in children's ratings. This study showed that personality development from 8 to 12 years goes along with an increase in the agreement between the children's self-perceptions and the parents' perceptions of the children's personality.

Epiphyseal fracture of distal humerus in children, treated with bio-absorbable materials: one year follow-up

Introduction: The use of bioabsorbable materials for orthopaedic useand traumatic fracture fixation in children has been poorly investigatedin the litterature and the effects on growing bones seem contradictory.The aim of the study is to compare the clinical and radiological resultsand evolution between bioabsorbable and traditional K-Wires for thetreatment of elbow epiphyseal fractures in children.Method: From jan. 2008 to Dec. 2009 21 children with similar fracturesand age were separated in two groups according to the way of fracturefixation: bioabsorbable K-Wire group and traditional K-Wire group.Follow-up was done at 3, 6 and 12 month post-operatively. Range ofmotion and elbow stability were measured for all patients. Theradiological evolution of the two groups were compared in term ofconsolidation, ossous resorption and radiolucencies. The clinicalresults were compared according to the Mayo Elbow Peformancescore. Controlateral elbow is compared with injured elbow in the twogroups.Results: In the bioabsorbable K-wire group, there were 10 children,including 5 girles and 5 boys with an average age of 9.5 years, rangingfrom 5 to 14 years. They were 7 external condylar fractures and3 epitrochlear fractures. In the traditional K-Wire group there were11 children, 2 girls and 9 boys with an average age of 7.6 years,ranging from 4 to 14 years. There were 10 external condylar fracturesand 1 epitrochlear fracture. At first follow up. The Mayo ElbowPerformance score was 93.8 (85-100 )for the bioabsorbable K-Wiregroup and 95.5 (85-100) for the traditional K-Wire group. In twochildren from the bioabsorbable K-Wire group there were transitoryradiolucencies along the wire tract on the x-ray, without clinicalmanifestation of it.We didn't see any premature closure of growingcartilage.Discussion: There is no significant differencies in term of clinical andradiological outcome between the two groups. The use ofbioabsorbable pins seems to be a good alternative to removabletraditional materials, avoiding a second operation.

Lateral condyle fracture of the humerus in children treated with bioabsorbable materials.

The aim of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcome of lateral condyle fracture of the elbow in children treated with bioabsorbable or metallic material. From January 2008 to December 2009, 16 children with similar fractures and ages were grouped according to the fixation material used. Children were seen at 3, 6, and 12 months and more than 4 years (mean 51.8 months) postoperatively. The clinical results were compared using the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS). Radiographic studies of the fractured and opposite elbow were assessed at last follow-up control. Twelve children had a sufficient followup and could be included in the study. Seven could be included in the traditional group and 5 in the bioabsorbable group. At 12 months, the MEPS was 100 for every child in both groups. Asymptomatic bony radiolucent visible tracks and heterotopic ossifications were noted in both groups. There were no significant differences in terms of clinical and radiological outcome between the two groups. The use of bioabsorbable pins or screws is a reasonable alternative to the traditional use of metallic materials for the treatment of lateral condyle fracture of the elbow in children.

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This chapter discusses how the industrial ecological systems can help in dealing with environmental issues in developing countries, and it presents three case studies from India that highlight some of the unique environmental issues of developing world. Industrial ecology explores the assumption that the industrial system can be seen as a certain kind of ecosystem. The scope of industrial ecology goes well beyond waste exchange to the optimization of resources flowing through the economic system. Among the various specific aspects of developing countries, which have to be born in mind, is the fact that the pattern of resource flows in developing countries, and hence, the resultant environmental threat could be very different than what it is in the industrialized west. Typically, the flow of materials through the large, organized manufacturing facilities in the developing countries could be very small in relation to the overall material flow as the small, informal ?industry? plays a key role and forms a very significant portion of the economic activity. The case studies of the Tirupur textile industries, and the leather industry in India, illustrate how redefining the problem from a perspective of resource conservation, and on the basis of resource flow data could point to totally new directions for strategy planning. The case study of the Damodar Valley region amplifies the importance of looking beyond formal industry to solve an environmental problem. It shows that even for globally critical programs, such as climate change program in developing countries, it is just not enough to estimate the emissions from the formal industrial sectors.

Genetically resistant mice lacking interleukin-12 are susceptible to infection with Leishmania major and mount a polarized Th2 cell response.

Mice with homologous disruption of the gene coding for either the p35 subunit or the p40 subunit of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and derived from a strain genetically resistant to infection with Leishmania major have been used to study further the role of this cytokine in resistance to infection and the differentiation of functional CD4+ T cell subsets in vivo. Wild-type 129/Sv/Ev mice are resistant to infection with L. major showing only small lesions which resolve spontaneously within a few weeks and develop a type 1 CD4+ T cell response. In contrast, mice lacking bioactive IL-12 (IL-12p35-/- and IL-12p40-/-) developed large, progressing lesions. Whereas resistant mice were able to mount a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to Leishmania antigen, susceptible BALB/c mice as well as IL-12-deficient 129/Sv/Ev mice did not show any DTH reaction. To characterize the functional phenotype of CD4+ T cells triggered in infected wild-type mice and IL-12-deficient mice, the expression of mRNA for interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in purified CD4+ lymph node cells was analyzed. Wild-type 129/Sv/Ev mice showed high levels of mRNA for IFN-gamma and low levels of mRNA for IL-4 which is indicative of a Th1 response. In contrast, IL-12- deficient mice and susceptible BALB/c mice developed a strong Th2 response with high levels of IL-4 mRNA and low levels of IFN-gamma mRNA in CD4+ T cells. Similarly, lymph node cells from infected wild-type 129 mice produced predominantly IFN-gamma in response to stimulation with Leishmania antigen in vitro whereas lymph node cells from IL-12-deficient mice and susceptible BALB/c mice produced preferentially IL-4. Taken together, these results confirm in vivo the importance of IL-12 in induction of Th1 responses and protective immunity against L. major.