Open-resorcinarenes, a new family of multivalent scaffolds

A new family of multivalent ligand platforms, the open-resorcinarenes, has been prepared in a straightforward two-step reaction. Modification of the core gives a range of topologically diverse scaffolds; functionalisation confirms the versatility of this approach, as shown through the formation of an octacalixarene array

Gesture and naming therapy for people with severe aphasia: a group study

In this study, the authors (a) investigated whether a group of people with severe aphasia could learn a vocabulary of pantomime gestures through therapy and (b) compared their learning of gestures with their learning of words. The authors also examined whether gesture therapy cued word production and whether naming therapy cued gestures

Sleep quantity, quality and optimism in children

We tested the relationship of objectively measured sleep quantity and quality with positive characteristics of the child. Sleep duration, sleep latency and sleep efficiency were measured by an actigraph for an average of seven (range = 3-14) consecutive nights in 291 8-year-old children (standard deviation = 0.3 years). Children's optimism, self-esteem and social competence were rated by parents and/or teachers. Sleep duration showed a non-linear, reverse J-shaped relationship with optimism (P = 0.02), such that children with sleep duration in the middle of the distribution scored higher in optimism compared with children who slept relatively little. Shorter sleep latency was related to higher optimism (P = 0.01). The associations remained when adjusting for child's age, sex, body mass index, and parental level of education and optimism. In conclusion, sufficient sleep quantity and good sleep quality are related to children's positive characteristics. Our findings may inform why sleep quantity and quality and positive characteristics are associated with wellbeing in children

Prenatal Origins of Poor Sleep in Children

Pesonen A-K, Räikkönen K, Matthews K, et al. Prenatal Origins of Poor Sleep in Children. Sleep. 2009;32(8):1086-1092.Study Objectives: We examined whether small body size at birth and prenatal tobacco or alcohol exposure predict poor sleep and more sleep disturbances in children. Design: An epidemiologic cohort study of 289 eight-year-old children born at term. Measurements and Results: Sleep duration and efficiency were measured by actigraphy for 7 consecutive nights (mean = 7.1, SD = 1.2). We used both continuous measures of poor sleep and binary variables of short sleep and low sleep efficiency ( ≤ 10th percentiles). Parents completed the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Lower birth weight and shorter length at birth were associated with lower sleep efficiency. For every 1-SD decrease in weight and length at birth, the odds for low sleep efficiency increased by 1.7 fold (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1 to 2.7) and 2.2 fold (95% CI: 1.3 to 3.7), respectively. For every 1-SD decrease in ponderal index at birth, the risk of parent-reported sleep disorders increased by 1.4 fold (95% CI: 1.0 to 2.0). Moreover, children exposed prenatally to alcohol had a 2.9-fold (95% CI: 1.1 to 7.6) and 3.6-fold (95% CI: 1.3 to 10.0) increased risk for having short sleep and low sleep efficiency, respectively. The associations were not confounded by sex, gestational length, prenatal and perinatal complications, body mass index at 8 years, asthma, allergies, or parental socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Poor sleep in children may have prenatal origins. Possible mechanisms include alcohol consumption during pregnancy and other conditions associated with small body size at birth

A new measure for dispositional optimism and pessimism in young children

We describe here a new test for dispositional optimism and pessimism in young children, the Parent-rated Life Orientation Test of children (the PLOT) and assess its psychometric properties. Two hundred and twenty one mother–father pairs rated their children's (mean age = 8.1, SD  = 0.3 years) dispositional optimism and pessimism using a new scale, the PLOT, including four optimism and four pessimism items. We associated the PLOT with parent-rated self-esteem (Behavioral Rating Scale of Presented Self-Esteem in Young Children), social competence (Social Competence and Behaviour Evaluation Scale, the SCBE-30), psychiatric symptoms (Child Behaviour Checklist, the CBCL) and temperament (Children's Behaviour Questionnaire, the CBQ) of the child. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the mother- and father-rated PLOT revealed a significantly better fit for a two- over a one-factor solution (p < 0.001). The optimism and pessimism subscales displayed good reliabilities, inter-parental agreement and modest to moderate associations, in the expected direction, with the measures of self-esteem, social competence, temperament and behaviour problems. To conclude, the PLOT shows good construct and convergent validity and reliability. The findings encourage its use to assess early emerging generalized expectancies of positive and negative outcomes in young children.</p

A new measure for dispositional optimism and pessimism in young children

Lemola S, Räikkönen K, Matthews KA, et al. A new measure for dispositional optimism and pessimism in young children. European Journal of Personality. 2010;24(1):71-84.We describe here a new test for dispositional optimism and pessimism in young children, the Parent‐rated Life Orientation Test of children (the PLOT) and assess its psychometric properties. Two hundred and twenty one mother–father pairs rated their children's (mean age = 8.1, SD = 0.3 years) dispositional optimism and pessimism using a new scale, the PLOT, including four optimism and four pessimism items. We associated the PLOT with parent‐rated self‐esteem (Behavioral Rating Scale of Presented Self‐Esteem in Young Children), social competence (Social Competence and Behaviour Evaluation Scale, the SCBE‐30), psychiatric symptoms (Child Behaviour Checklist, the CBCL) and temperament (Children's Behaviour Questionnaire, the CBQ) of the child. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the mother‐ and father‐rated PLOT revealed a significantly better fit for a two‐ over a one‐factor solution (p < 0.001). The optimism and pessimism subscales displayed good reliabilities, inter‐parental agreement and modest to moderate associations, in the expected direction, with the measures of self‐esteem, social competence, temperament and behaviour problems. To conclude, the PLOT shows good construct and convergent validity and reliability. The findings encourage its use to assess early emerging generalized expectancies of positive and negative outcomes in young children. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Sleep quantity, quality and optimism in children.

We tested the relationship of objectively measured sleep quantity and quality with positive characteristics of the child. Sleep duration, sleep latency and sleep efficiency were measured by an actigraph for an average of seven (range = 3-14) consecutive nights in 291 8-year-old children (standard deviation = 0.3 years). Children's optimism, self-esteem and social competence were rated by parents and/or teachers. Sleep duration showed a non-linear, reverse J-shaped relationship with optimism (P = 0.02), such that children with sleep duration in the middle of the distribution scored higher in optimism compared with children who slept relatively little. Shorter sleep latency was related to higher optimism (P = 0.01). The associations remained when adjusting for child's age, sex, body mass index, and parental level of education and optimism. In conclusion, sufficient sleep quantity and good sleep quality are related to children's positive characteristics. Our findings may inform why sleep quantity and quality and positive characteristics are associated with wellbeing in children.</p

Poor sleep and altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical and sympatho-adrenal-medullary system activity in children

CONTEXT: Neuroendocrine alterations, with well-known links with health, may offer insight into why poor sleep is associated with poor health. Yet, studies testing associations between sleep and neuroendocrine activity in children are scarce.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether actigraphy-based sleep pattern is associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and sympatho-adrenal-medullary system activity in children.DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a birth cohort in Helsinki, Finland.PARTICIPANTS: We studied 282 8-yr-old children.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured diurnal salivary cortisol and salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase (a sympatho-adrenal-medullary system marker) responses to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C).RESULTS: Children with short (&lt;or=7.7 h) vs. average sleep duration (7.8-9.3 h) displayed higher cortisol awakening response and nadir (P &lt; 0.042). Those with low (&lt;or=77.4%) vs. average-high sleep efficiency (&gt;77.4%) displayed higher diurnal cortisol levels across the entire day (P &lt; 0.03), higher cortisol levels after the TSST-C stressor (P &lt; 0.04), and higher overall alpha-amylase levels across the entire TSST-C protocol (P &lt; 0.05). The effects were not confounded by factors that may alter sleep or hormonal patterns.CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep may signal altered neuroendocrine functioning in children. The findings may offer insight into the pathways linking poor sleep with poor health.</p