Emerging Infectious Diseases: a 10-Year Perspective from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Advances in infectious disease research over the past 10 years have allowed breakthroughs in th

Effects of idiosyncratic stimulus variables on functional analysis outcomes.

As the methods for the functional analysis of problem behavior have continued to develop, there has been a greater focus on the specificity of controlling variables, both antecedents and consequences. Accelerating research interest in the role of antecedents reveals that a large array of stimulus variables can influence the rate of problem behavior. Indeed, the variety of these stimuli is so great that it is sometimes possible to overlook specific stimulus variables during initial assessment. The present study shows that a failure to identify these very specific (idiosyncratic) stimulus variables is serious because their presence can systematically alter the outcomes of functional analyses that are designed to assess the motivation of problem behavior. Guidelines are therefore discussed concerning when to suspect that idiosyncratic stimuli might be acting to influence assessment data, thereby promoting a search for additional stimulus variables whose identification can aid in improving the design of functional analysis conditions

Is it time for bed? Short sleep duration increases risk of obesity in Mexican American children

OBJECTIVE: Cross-sectional studies show that sleep is related to childhood obesity. We aimed to examine the longitudinal impact of sleep on obesity risk in Mexican American children. DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated 229 Mexican American 8–10-year-olds and their mothers at baseline and 12- and 24-month follow-ups. Sleep duration and anthropometrics were collected. Age- and gender-specific BMI z-scores (BMIz) were calculated based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Sleep duration was estimated using accelerometry. Children were also categorized as long or short sleepers, using the National Sleep Foundation’s recommendation to define adequate sleep duration (10–11 hours for 5- to 12-year-olds). Using linear regressions, we examined whether sleep duration predicted BMIz, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and weight gain at 24 months. RESULTS: Children were mostly short sleepers (82%). Children who slept less were more likely to have a higher BMI z-score, WHtR and weight gain at 24-month follow-up (β = −0.07, P = 0.01; β = −0.11, P < 0.01; β = −0.14, P = 0.02, respectively), after controlling for baseline weight status, child gender, maternal BMI and occupation. CONCLUSION: In Mexican American children, shorter sleep duration at baseline was associated with increased weight status over 24 months