The outcome of non-residential youth care compared to residential youth care: A multilevel meta-analysis

Objective: This multilevel meta-analysis compared the outcomes of Treatment Foster Care Oregon for Adolescents (TFCO-A) and home-based treatment programs (HBT) with residential youth care for children and youth aged 0 to 23 years. Methods: A total of 145 effect sizes for different types of behavioral problems were derived from 24 controlled studies (n = 16,943 participants). A three-level random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. Results: We found a small statistically significant overall effect (d = 0.21), 95% CI [0.090-0.338], which indicated that non-residential youth care was slightly more effective than residential youth care. However, moderator analysis revealed that TFCO-A yielded a larger effect size (d = 0.36) than HBT (d = 0.08). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that youth treated in treatment foster care have better outcomes than youth in residential care, which is not true for children who are treated at home. Therefore, in case of out-of-home placement treatment foster care should be the first option. Given that residential care has no additional value for youth who are treated a

Войтенко Анатолію Михайловичу — 75 років!

22 липня 2010 року виповнюється 75 років з дня народження Войтенка Анатолія Михайловича і 51 рік трудової і громадської діяльності. Він заслужений діяч науки і техніки України, доктор медичних наук, професор, академік Української академії екологічних наук, академік Міжнародної академії безпеки життєдіяльності

Toxicity of brominated flame retardants in fish, with emphasis on endocrine effects and reproduction

Abstract The abundant use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in modern polymers has over the passed decades resulted in contamination of the environment, and BFRs are increasingly found in fish. Laboratory studies have shown that a number of BFRs and BFR-metabolites can interfere with thyroid and (sex)steroid hormone function (endocrine disruption). The studies presented in this thesis investigate whether exposure to environmentally relevant BFRs is likely to cause endocrine disruption and failure of reproduction in fish. To address this question, we carried out long term exposure studies with the most frequently found BFRs: tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and a brominated diphenylether mixture (PentaBDE). Juvenile flounder (Platichthys flesus, a common flatfish in estuaries along the European coastal zone) and adult reproducing zebrafish (Danio rerio, a freshwater cyprinid) were used as test species. Flounders were exposed to TBBPA for 105 days via the water, and to HBCD and PBDE (78 and 101 days, respectively) via food and/or sediment. Zebrafish were exposed to the test substances via the water. Exposure of adults was for four weeks, followed by exposure of eggs and juveniles until six weeks after hatching, which enabled monitoring of reproduction and juvenile development (partial life-cycle approach). Exposed fish were examined macroscopically and histologically with emphasis on reproductive and endocrine organs. Plasma thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) concentrations were determined in all flounder studies and in zebrafish exposed to PentaBDE. Cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) activity (EROD) was determined in livers from flounder as indication for dioxin-like effects. Activities of the steroidogenic enzyme CYP19 (aromatase) were determined in flounder gonads, and production of the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (VTG) was determined in plasma from flounder exposed to TBBPA. Concentrations of BFRs in tissue from exposed fish were evaluated to provide a dose background for risk assessment. All exposures resulted in a linear increase of internal BFR concentrations with exposure concentrations. Whereas the concentrations in zebrafish were generally higher, the range in flounder included environmentally relevant concentrations. Exposure of flounder to TBBPA resulted in an increase in the concentration of thyroid hormone T4 in plasma and a mild increase of aromatase activity in testes. In zebrafish, egg production and juvenile survival were reduced. Significant effects occurred at internal concentrations that were at least 10 times the highest levels observed in fish in the environment. Exposure to HBCD did not result in adverse effects in flounder or zebrafish (reported elsewhere). Exposure to a mixture of PBDEs resulted in juvenile mortality in zebrafish at the highest PBDE concentrations, and a mild decrease of aromatase activity in ovaries, and plasma T4 concentrations in flounder. Dose-response modeling indicates that T4 concentrations and CYP19 activities could be affected at internal concentrations that have in exceptional cases been observed in fresh water fish in the wild. However, concentrations in estuarine and marine fish are usually around two orders of magnitude lower indicating a limited risk for estuarine and marine fish. In general, the studies presented in this thesis show minimal indications for endocrine effects of exposure to BFRs in fish at concentrations observed in the environment

Toxicity of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) in a partial life-cycle test

Toxicological effects of the widely used flame retardant, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) were assessed in a partial life-cycle test with zebrafish (Danio rerio). Exposure of adult fish during 30 days to water-borne TBBPA in nominal concentrations ranging from 0 (control) to 1.5 muM was followed by exposure of the offspring in early life stages up to 47 days posthatching (dph) to the same concentrations. Adults exposed to 3 and 6 muM showed severe disorientation and lethargy shortly after beginning of exposure and were euthanized. Because semistatic exposure resulted in fluctuating water concentrations, pooled fish samples were chemically analyzed for internal dose assessment. Egg production was decreased in fish exposed to TBBPA concentrations of 0.047 muM and higher, and a critical effect level of 7.2 mug/g lipid with a lower 5% confidence limit of 3.9 mug/g lipid for 50% decreased egg production was calculated. Histology of adult ovaries indicated a relative increase of premature oocytes in two surviving females exposed to 1.5 muM. Hatching of TBBPA-exposed larvae was decreased except in animals exposed to 0.375 muM. In the highest exposure concentration, early posthatching mortality was high (81%) in larvae and the surviving juveniles showed a significant predominance of the female phenotype. Exposure of eggs from control parents up to 6 muM TBBPA resulted in increasing malformation and pericardial fluid accumulation from 1.5 muM; at higher concentrations, all embryos failed to hatch. The presented results indicate decreased reproductive success in zebrafish at environmentally relevant TBBPA concentrations