Exposure to bisphenol A differentially impacts neurodevelopment and behavior in Drosophila melanogaster from distinct genetic backgrounds.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous environmental chemical that has been linked to behavioral differences in children and shown to impact critical neurodevelopmental processes in animal models. Though data is emerging, we still have an incomplete picture of how BPA disrupts neurodevelopment; in particular, how its impacts may vary across different genetic backgrounds. Given the genetic tractability of Drosophila melanogaster, they present a valuable model to address this question. Fruit flies are increasingly being used for assessment of neurotoxicants because of their relatively simple brain structure and variety of measurable behaviors. Here we investigated the neurodevelopmental impacts of BPA across two genetic strains of Drosophila-w1118 (control) and the Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) model-by examining both behavioral and neuronal phenotypes. We show that BPA induces hyperactivity in larvae, increases repetitive grooming behavior in adults, reduces courtship behavior, impairs axon guidance in the mushroom body, and disrupts neural stem cell development in the w1118 genetic strain. Remarkably, for every behavioral and neuronal phenotype examined, the impact of BPA in FXS flies was either insignificant or contrasted with the phenotypes observed in the w1118 strain. This data indicates that the neurodevelopmental impacts of BPA can vary widely depending on genetic background and suggests BPA may elicit a gene-environment interaction with Drosophila fragile X mental retardation 1 (dFmr1)-the ortholog of human FMR1, which causes Fragile X Syndrome and is associated with autism spectrum disorder.

The role of transduced bone marrow cells overexpressing BMP-2 in healing critical-sized defects in a mouse femur.

The role that transduced mouse bone marrow stromal cells (mBMSCs) engineered to overexpress human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) play in healing critical-sized skeletal defects is largely unknown. We evaluated the interaction between host osteoprogenitor cells and donor mBMSCs transduced with either a lentiviral (LV) vector-expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) with or without BMP-2 that were implanted into a critical-sized femoral defect. Radiographs taken at the time of killing were evaluated using a five-point scaled scoring system. Frozen histologic sections were analyzed to assess both the transduced cells' role in bone repair and the local osteoprogenitor response. There was complete radiographic bridging in 94% of group I (LV-RFPch-BMP-2-cmyc) and 100% of group III (recombinant human BMP-2) specimens. Radiographs demonstrated a lack of healing in group II (LV-RFPch). Mouse BMSCs transduced with an LV-RFPch-BMP-2 vector were able to induce host cells to differentiate down an osteoblastic lineage and heal a critical-sized defect. However, the donor cells appeared to be functioning as a delivery vehicle of BMP-2 rather than actually differentiating into osteoblasts capable of participating in bone repair as evidenced by a lack of colocalization of the transduced cells to the sites of skeletal repair where the host progenitor cells were found.

Maternal personality and health communication in the pediatric context.

Maternal personality and social skills were used to predict both maternal and pediatrician communication patterns during pediatric well-child examinations. Audiotape recordings of mother-pediatrician interaction were collected and analyzed from 78 mothers of children less than 2 years of age at 5 private practice pediatric offices; questionnaires were completed at home by the mothers. Canonical and zero-order correlations indicated that specific utterances made by both mothers and pediatricians can be predicted from the mother's personality (particularly with regard to openness to experience, extraversion, and neuroticism) and from the mother's social skills, providing support for a dynamic mutuality model of medical communication. Theoretical and applied implications for doctor training and development of parent education programs are discussed.

Pediatricians' knowledge and attitudes concerning diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders. A national survey approach.

OBJECTIVE: To examine pediatricians' knowledge and attitudes concerning the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred eighty pediatricians comprising respondents from a random sample of 1000 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS: Pediatricians' perceptions of diagnostic modalities, child and family communication concerning ADD and ADHD diagnosis and treatment, and a variety of treatment issues were assessed in this study. Findings indicate that methylphenidate (Ritalin) hydrochloride is the most prescribed medication for treatment of ADD and ADHD. Pediatricians reported common parent and child misperceptions about ADD and ADHD treatment. Results suggest a wide range of reported physician behavior with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of ADD and ADHD. CONCLUSION: Greater attention could be paid to providing accurate information in medical and educator training with respect to the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of ADD and ADHD.

Developmental status, gender, age, and self-reported decision-making influences on students' risky and preventive health behaviors.

This study used decision-making theory to analyze the developmental changes associated with children's and adolescents' health behavior. High school and elementary school children completed surveys concerning (1) the extent to which they engage in a variety of preventive and risky health behaviors, and (2) influence sources used in decision making concerning the enactment of these behaviors. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the sources of influence children and adolescents report considering in making health-related decisions change developmentally and as a function of gender. Moreover, within and across age, children's sources of influence with respect to health decision making are dependent on the health domains being considered. The findings are discussed in relation to decision-making theory and the implications for the content and timing of health education initiatives for adolescents.

Postpartum depression: how much do obstetric nurses and obstetricians know?

Postpartum depression affects 10 to 15 percent of all mothers. A study of 725 obstetric nurses and 204 obstetricians was conducted using a reliable two-factor scale to measure their knowledge and awareness of postpartum depression. Nurses were more aware than physicians of the emotional impact of postpartum depression. Nurses who demonstrated more empathy and who believed education of postpartum depression does not increase a mother's risk were more aware of the postpartum phenomenon than nurses who were less empathic and who did not hold the same belief. Younger and women physicians recognized the psychosocial antecedents to postpartum depression to a greater degree than did older and men physicians. These findings offer potential use in the training of perinatal health care professionals and in the education of pregnant women about postpartum depression.

Multiple influences on the acquisition and socialization of children's health attitudes and behavior: an integrative review.

An overview and synthesis of the literature documenting various influences on the socialization and acquisition of children's health attitudes and behavior is the focus of this review. Cognitive-developmental approaches to understanding children's health attitudes are presented, followed by an exploration of an individual differences perspective on children's acquisition of health attitudes and behavior. The influence of various socialization agents, including families, peers, schools, and the media, on children's acquisition of health attitudes and behavior is considered. Implications of these findings for social policy, future research, and modeling of child health attitudes and behavior are examined.

Maternal health locus of control beliefs, utilization of childhood preventive health services, and infant health.

This study examined the relationships among mothers' health locus of control beliefs concerning their children's health, utilization of childhood preventive health services, and child health status. Mothers' health beliefs were measured with the Parental Health Belief (PHB) scales developed to explore three factors: (1) mothers' degree of perceived control or internality with respect to their children's health, (2) the extent to which they believe that "chance" or (3) "powerful others" affected their children's health. Eighty-eight low- and middle-socioeconomic status black and Caucasian mothers and infants participated. Results indicate relationships among maternal health locus of control beliefs, utilization of preventive health services, and child health outcome, suggesting targeted ways in which utilization of childhood preventive health services and child health levels might be improved.

Grandparents as interactive and social support agents for families with young infants.

The role of grandparents in infancy was examined in a comparative analysis of grandparent-infant grandchild and parent-infant interaction patterns. A second focus of the study was an exploration of the extent to which grandparents function as social support agents for their adult children and infant grandchildren. Grandparents (30 grandmothers and 21 grandfathers) and parents (30 mothers and 30 fathers) of seven-month-old infants were observed in individual five-minute dyadic play sessions with the infant in the parents' homes, yielding twenty minutes of agent-infant interaction. The observations were scored using both time-sampling and global coding schemes. Information on grandparental support to the young parents and infants, relative to other social support sources, were also obtained from grandparents and parents. Results indicated that both grandmothers and grandfathers are active interactive and support agents, with a pattern of similarities and differences in interactive style across generation and gender. Although there was a high degree of overlap in parent and grandparent interaction styles, parents were rated as more competent. Gender consistencies were found between female agents (mothers and grandmothers) and male agents (fathers and grandfathers). High levels of intergenerational contact were reported, with both parents and grandparents highly satisfied with the contact. The results of this study support an expanded view of the effects of various agents in young children's social environment.

A Grille Spectrometer for Measurements near 14 micro.

A new design of the grille spectrometer allows its use for measurements of thermal ir emissions. The grilles are made of self-supporting etched metal foil, and the curved chessboard pattern allows optical chopping of one spectral element at a time by oscillation of the exit grille. Although the effective noise level obtained is as low as 1 erg sec(-1) cm(-2) sr(-1) cm(-1) for an integration time of 448 ms, the specific detectivity of the thermister bolometer appropriate for the large throughput of this instrument is much less than in small throughput versions, and a different detector or detector system will be required to achieve optimum performance.

The circularly symmetric grille spectrometer.

A grille spectrometer, with grilles formed of alternately transparent and nontransparent concentric circular zones, has been constructed. The quantity of light that can be accepted from an extended source with such an instrument is orders of magnitude greater than that of a slit spectrometer with the same resolution, and greater even than that of a scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometer of the same resolution. For extended sources of brightness insufficient to bring the photon shot noise above detector noise, the grille spectrometer offers an advantage over the slit spectrometer and Fabry-Perot in greater signal to noise. In cases where the photon shot noise is greater than the detector noise, the better signal to noise applied for emission-line sources, and also for continuum sources if a large interference filter premonochromator is used. The spectrometer is being used in airglow observation.