A study of relation between hopelessness and causal attribution in school-aged children

This study was conducted to investigate the relation between hopelessness and causal attribution in Japanese school-aged children. In Study 1, the Japanese edition of hopelessness scale for children developed by Kazdin, French, Unis, Esveldt-Dawsan, and Sherick (1983) was constructed. Seventeen original items were translated into Japanese and they were administrated to 405 fifth- and sixth-graders. All of the items could be included to the Japanese edition of hopelessness scale. The reliability and validity was examined. In Study 2, the relation between hopelessness and causal attribution in children were investigated. The causal attribution questionnaire developed by Higuchi, Kambare, and Otsuka (1983) and the hopelessness scale developed by Study 1 were administered to 188 sixth-graders. Children with high scores in hopelessness scale significantly attributed negative events to much more effort factor than children with low scores. It supports neither the reformulated learned helplessness model nor the causal attribution theory of achievement motivation. It was explained mainly from points of self-serving attribution, cultural difference, and social desirability. Some questions were discussed for developing studies on depression and causal attribution in Japan.     

Bending and torsion fractures in long bones (a mechanical and radiologic assessment of clinical cases).

Long bone injuries in clinical cases are studied by comparison of roentgenograms with a rational mechanical analysis of the injuries. Fractures produced by torsional loads have a spiral shape with a smooth and even surface. Fractures induced by bending loads have uneven and rugged fracture surfaces perpendicular to the bone axis. Long bones are weak in torsion but strong in tensile stress produced by bending. This result corresponds to the clinical fact that a large direct external force is needed to produce a transverse fracture while a spiral fracture is produced by a relatively small torque.     

Effects of N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)acetamide (DM-9384) on learning and memory in rats

Effects of N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl) acetamide (DM-9384) on learning and memory were studied using four different experimental rat models. In electroconvulsive shock- or scopolamine-induced amnesia in the step-through passive avoidance task, DM-9384 improved both types of amnesia when administered before the training trial. Aniracetam also showed similar but somewhat weaker effects. Furthermore, in the scopolamine amnesia model, an improvement was confirmed with arecoline. The dose-response curves for these compounds were bell-shaped. In the shuttle box active avoidance task, DM-9384 administered daily 1 hr before each training session facilitated the acquisition process of the avoidance response. In addition, the experiment of light-dark discrimination task with positive reinforcement showed that this compound administered daily after each session slightly accelerated the acquisition process of the correct response. These results suggest an ability of DM-9384 to enhance cognitive functions.     

Allergic Predisposition Among Infants with Bronchiolitis

Allergic predisposition among infants with bronchiolitis was examined. The number of infants with serum IgE exceeding mean +1 SD was 31/70 (44.3%). The rate of positive radioallergosorbent test (RAST) scores of 1 or more to mites, egg white, or milk was 31/71 (43.7%) and that of scores over 2 was 11/71 (15.5%). Eosinophils and/or mast cells were found in their nasal smears on several occasions. These results indicated that allergic predisposition may be observed among infants with bronchiolitis.     

Inhibition of NMDA-induced protein kinase C translocation by a Zn chelator: Implication of intracellular Zn

The role of intracellular Zn²⁺ in the translocation of protein kinase C from cytosol to membrane fractions was examined by the [³H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding method in guinea pig cerebral synaptoneurosomes. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA, 100 μM) and calcium ionophore A23187 (0.3–30 μM) decreased the binding activity in the cytosol with a concomitant increase in the membrane fractions. Pretreatment of synaptoneurosomes with a heavy metal chelator, N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN), inhibited the NMDA- and A23187-induced changes of the distribution of [³H]PDBu binding sites in cytosol and membrane fractions. The inhibitory effect of TPEN was negated by a preincubation of TPEN with equimolar Zn²⁺ but not by that with Ca²⁺. The addition of 500 μM Zn²⁺ to the lysate of synaptoneurosomes induced an increase of [³H]PDBu binding activity in the membrane fraction with a concomitant decrease in the cytosol fraction, as did 100 μM Ca²⁺. Low concentrations of Zn²⁺ (10 μM), which alone had no effect on the distribution of the binding, significantly enhanced the effect of 10 μM Ca²⁺ in the lysate. Under those conditions TPEN inhibited the Zn²⁺-potentiated Ca²⁺-dependent changes in the binding. These results suggest that intracellular Zn²⁺ is essential for the agonist-induced translocation of protein kinase C in guinea pig synaptoneurosomes.     

The influence of in-season injury prevention training on lower-extremity kinematics during landing in female soccer players.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of in-season injury prevention training on hip and knee kinematics during a landing task. DESIGN: Longitudinal pre-post intervention study. SETTING: Testing sessions were conducted in a biomechanics research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen female soccer players between the ages of 14 and 17 participated in this study. All subjects were healthy with no current complaints of lower extremity injury. INTERVENTIONS: Testing sessions were conducted prior to and following a season of soccer practice combined with injury prevention training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: During each testing session three-dimensional kinematics were collected while each subject performed a drop landing task. Peak hip and knee joint angles were measured during the early deceleration phase of landing and compared between pre- and post-training using paired t-tests. RESULTS: Following a season of soccer practice combined with injury prevention training, females demonstrated significantly less hip internal rotation (7.1 degrees vs. 1.9 degrees; P = 0.01) and significantly greater hip abduction (-4.9 degrees vs. -7.7 degrees; P = 0.02). No differences in knee valgus or knee flexion angles were found post-season. CONCLUSIONS: Female soccer players exhibited significant changes in hip kinematics during a landing task following in-season injury prevention training. Our results support the premise that a season of soccer practice combined with injury prevention training is effective in altering lower extremity motions that may play a role in predisposing females to ACL injury.     

Influence of Chewing and Clenching on Salivary Cortisol Levels as an Indicator of Stress

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chewing and clenching on salivary cortisol levels as an indicator of stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen healthy dentulous subjects were given arithmetic exercises to perform within a 20-minute time limit in order to elicit stress (stress loading). In the first experiment (chewing), after stress loading, the subjects were asked to chew a paraffin wax while reading printed material (books, magazines, etc.) in silence for 10 minutes. The same procedure was then carried out again for control purposes, but this time the subjects were not required to chew wax. In the second experiment (light clenching), after stress loading, the subjects were required to carry out 5 seconds of light clenching followed by 5 seconds of rest repeatedly over a 3-minute period. The whole 3-minute process was repeated a total of three times. The control data for this second experiment consisted of measurements taken during the rest periods. Saliva specimens were collected in both experiments both before stress loading and after each procedure during 1-minute intervals to measure cortisol levels. RESULTS: In the chewing experiment, salivary cortisol levels were significantly reduced by chewing, compared with those in the controls (p < 0.05). This reduction in salivary cortisol was observed during chewing over a 10-minute period following stress loading. In the clenching experiment, salivary cortisol levels also showed a significant reduction during clenching, compared with those in the controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chewing and clenching promote relaxation in subjects under stress.     

A case of parathyroid hormone-related peptide producing gallbladder carcinoma presenting humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy]

Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) in neoplastic syndrome has been most commonly reported in squamous cell carcinoma. Gallbladder carcinoma with HHM is uncommon. In this report, we describe a male case of gallbladder carcinoma with marked hypercalcemia and a high level of serum parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). An immunohistochemical examination using PTHrP was also positive.