Planning the transition process: A model for teachers of preschoolers who will be entering kindergarten

Children today experience many transitions within their school careers. One transition in particular, from preschool to kindergarten presents many challenges for children, families, and teachers. A model for planning and carrying out this transition is presented. The model includes developing and implementing the transition process.     

Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Surface Antigen Expression and Prognosis in Myeloma: Australian Leukaemia Study Group Study

The Australian Leukaemia Study Group myeloma study (MM1) aimed to determine the prognostic significance of clinical and immunophenotypic markers in patients with multiple myeloma. All patients were treated with standard dose melphalan and prednisone. Seventy-four patients were entered and the median survival was 27 months. Serum beta 2-microglobulin (βM) and albumin levels were the only significant clinical factors influencing survival (p = 0.007 and p = 0.008, respectively). Patients with raised levels of CD38+ lymphocytes at presentation had a significantly shorter survival than patients with normal levels (p = 0.01, logrank test, median 19 months vs 33 months). CD38 antigen expression was independent of β2M but patients with raised levels of CD38 had significantly lower levels of albumin than patients with normal levels (p = 0.001) which may explain their poorer survival. Salmon and Durie stage was not associated with antigen expression. No other B-cell antigens (CD10, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, FMC1 or FMC7) or plasma cell antigens tested (PCA-1) were found to be associated with prognosis. Patients who achieved plateau phase had a better prognosis than those who did not (p = 0.04 in a landmark analysis). Patients who achieved plateau phase following an objective response appeared to have a better prognosis than those who were in plateau phase at presentation (p = 0.09 in a landmark analysis). Light chain isotype suppression (LCIS) was not associated with a significant survival advantage and did not correlate with any known prognostic indicator. We conclude that phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes for CD38 antigen at diagnosis may be useful as a prognostic indicator in patients with myeloma.     

The kappa-opioid U-50,488H suppresses the initiation of nocturnal spontaneous drinking in normally hydrated rats

The effect of a systemic (IP) treatment with 1.0, 3.0 and 9.0 mg/kg U-50,488H (U50), a highly selective kappa-agonist, on spontaneous, nocturnal ingestive behavior of the rat was studied using a microcomputer controlled data acquisition system. The latency to initiate drinking was increased and drinking behavior was suppressed in the first hour after injection in a dose-dependent manner. The consummatory indices of drinking were not affected. After this period of adipsia, a phase of polydipsia, that was probably due to the diuretic effect of U50, was evident. The prophagic effect of U50 was evident only at the dose of 3 mg/kg and was accompanied by an increased duration of feeding episodes but not by a reduced latency to feed. These results suggest that kappa-receptors play a pivotal role in modulating spontaneous drinking in the normally hydrated rat and that this control is mainly exerted on the motivational aspect of drinking.