Disproportionate referrals for child academic/behavior problems: replication and extension

Drabman, Tarnowski, and Kelly (1987) investigated children's month of birth in relation to mental health referrals and found that the younger children in a class were disproportionately referred for services. We conducted a replication and extension of the Drabman et al. investigation. Data were collected on children's (N = 222) cognitive and academic competencies. Results indicated that (a) younger children in a class were disproportionately referred, (b) the referral pattern remained constant across all grades examined, (c) the referral pattern could not be explained by differences in children's competencies, and (d) although the youngest children in the class were referred most frequently, they had the lowest rate of qualification for special services.     

BRCA1 mutation, leptin and estrogen levels in breast cancer patients

Pre- and postmenopausal patients with breast cancer were screened for mutation of the BRCAI gene and estrogens and leptin levels were measured. In postmenopausal BRCA1 mutation carriers, leptin levels were significantly lower and correlated with the body mass index (BMI). No significant difference in leptin levels was revealed between pre- and postmenopausal patients. Our findings suggest the existence of an alternative mechanism responsible for carcinogenesis in breast cancer patients with a genetic background.     

Assessing treatment acceptance: the Abbreviated Acceptability Rating Profile.

As part of a broad focus on service accountability, increased attention has been devoted to the assessment of consumer judgments of treatment acceptability. Current treatment acceptability measures are limited by item complexity and time-intensiveness. These limitations were addressed with the modification of an existing instrument (Intervention Rating Profile; Witt & Elliott, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 13, 59-67, 1985). Psychometric support was found for the revised measure (Abbreviated Acceptability Rating Profile; AARP) in an initial sample of parents (N = 60) who rated child treatments. Results were replicated in a cross-validation study of a second independent sample of parents (N = 80). A third sample of subjects was used to assess the time-intensiveness and readability of the AARP. The usefulness of the modified instrument is discussed.     

Antitumor tests of amygdalin in transplantable animal tumor systems

Except for oral administration, there was no grossly observed toxicity from carefully administered high doses of amygdalin in the experimental systems used. The compound in high doses was ineffective against the DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinoma and the following transplanted experimental tumors: Sarcoma 180, plasma cell tumor LPC-1, leukemia L1210, Mecca lymphosarcoma, Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma, sarcoma T241, mammary carcinoma E0771, Taper liver tumor, Ehrlich carcinoma (solid and ascites), and Walker carcinosarcoma 256. Amygdalin did not noticeably influence the toxicity or impair the efficacy of these chemotherapeutic agents in their respective systems: Cytosine arabinoside, methotrexate, cytoxan, or 5-fluorouracil in L1210; the latter two in LPC-1; 6-mercaptopurine in Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma; estradiol-17beta or 2alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate in the DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinoma.