Associations between Social Support and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis: Results from the TACcare Study.

Key Points: Mean baseline levels of perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) were comparable with other chronically ill populations. Higher Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scores were correlated with lower levels of fatigue, pain, depressive symptoms, anxiety, better sleep quality, and health-related quality of life (Short Form-12 Mental Component Score). Moderation analyses revealed male sex and non-Hispanic ethnicity resulted in stronger positive associations of perceived social support with Short Form-12 Mental Component Score.

Preliminary longitudinal evidence for stability of maternal behavior and infant stress regulation among infants born preterm at 4 and 9 months during the Still Face paradigm.

Stress regulation begins to develop in the first year of life through interactions with caregivers, particularly in the presence of stressors. High quality caregiving, characterized by maternal sensitivity and responsiveness to the infant's emotional cues, is particularly important in the development of infant stress regulation. The purpose of this study was to assess the longitudinal stability of, and associations between, maternal interactive behavior and infant stress regulation (indexed by positive infant affect and cortisol reactivity) in response to the Still Face paradigm (SF) in a cohort of infants born preterm (< 32 weeks gestation, N = 22) at four months and nine months (adjusted age).

Pediatric Cancer Survivorship: Impact Upon Hair Cortisol Concentration and Family Functioning.

A clearer understanding of the association between a biomarker of long-term stress reactivity and family functioning among pediatric cancer survivors may guide both survivorship research and clinical practice. The current study examined the relationship between a long-term measure of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity (cortisol concentration; CORT) and parent-reported family functioning (Family Environment Scale; FES) in a cross-sectional sample of survivors (n = 26) and controls (n = 53). Child CORT was not different in survivors and controls, though treatment severity was significantly related to child survivor CORT.

The role of maternal interactive behavior and gestational age in predicting infant affect during the Still-Face Paradigm.

Background: Emotion regulation develops through bidirectional affective communication.

Aim: To investigate the role of maternal interactive behavior in predicting infant affect among preterm versus full-term infants.

Study Design: The association between maternal interactive behavior (contingent, attention seeking, watching) and infant affect during a modified Still Face (SF) paradigm in a sample of 22 preterm and 28 full term infants (3 ½ - 4 ½ months old) was investigated.

A factor analytic approach to understanding health risk behaviors and resilience among multi-racial/ethnic adolescents in New Mexico.

Objective: This study examined the factor validity of health risk behaviors and resilience indicators and their covariation across a large racially/ethnically diverse adolescent population.

Design: The study subsample (47% Hispanic, 31% White Non-Hispanic, 17% American Indian) was derived from the 2013 New Mexico Youth Risk Resilience Survey (YRRS; N-19,033). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis on the 6 health risk domains identified by the CDC as contributing most to adolescent morbidity/mortality: (1) cigarette use, (2) alcohol and other illicit drug use, (3) marijuana use, (4) sexual activity, (5) nutrition habits, and (6) physical activity.

The association of infant temperament and maternal sensitivity in preterm and full-term infants.

Infants who experience sensitive caregiving are at lower risk for numerous adverse outcomes. This is especially true for infants born preterm, leading them to be more susceptible to risks associated with poorer quality caregiving. Some research suggests that preterm and full-term infants differ on temperament, which may contribute to these findings.

Self-reported and parent proxy reported functional impairment among pediatric cancer survivors and controls.

Background: A unique and limiting component in the research on functional impairment among children has been the exclusive use of parent proxy reports about child functioning; and there is limited information regarding the impact of pediatric cancer treatment on children's day-to-day functioning and how this is related to neurocognitive functioning. The objective of the current study was to examine a novel measure of self-reported functional impairment, and explore the relationship between self-reported and parent-reported child functional impairment in pediatric cancer survivors compared to controls.

Methods: A cross-sectional cohort of survivors (n = 26) and controls (n = 53) were recruited.

The association between maternal interaction and infant cortisol stress reactivity among preterm and full term infants at 4 months adjusted age.

The purpose of this study was to assess the association between maternal interactive behavior and infant cortisol stress reactivity in response to the Still Face paradigm (SF) in a cohort of four-month old infants (adjusted age) born preterm (<32 weeks gestation, N = 22) compared with infants born full term (>37 weeks gestation, N = 28). Infant cortisol reactivity was calculated as area under the curve (AUC) from baseline to the third cortisol sample (30 min post-SF) using the trapezoidal rule, while the percent of time mothers spent using a contingent interaction style was measured (0-100%) during episodes 1 (Play; baseline), 3 (Reunion#1), and 5 (Reunion#2) while mother-infant dyads participated in the SF paradigm. We hypothesized that because infants born preterm are at increased risk for dysregulation, they would show, compared to full-term infants, a blunted stress response, involving under-responsiveness.

Association Between Executive Functioning and Functional Impairment Among Pediatric Cancer Survivors and Controls.

Objective: To examine the impact of cancer treatment upon neurocognitive and functional impairment; and to explore the relationship between these constructs in pediatric cancer survivors compared to controls.

Method: A cross-sectional cohort of survivors (n = 26) and controls (n = 53) was included. Survivors were off treatment an average of 6.

Adolescent cancer survivors' posttraumatic stress symptoms: Concordance between self-report and maternal-proxy report.

Subsyndromal posttraumatic stress among pediatric cancer survivors has been associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. However, adolescent self-report and mother-proxy report of adolescents' posttraumatic stress symptoms evidenced varying concordance depending on methodology. There was moderate concordance, particularly among younger respondents, when total posttraumatic stress symptoms were viewed continuously and low-moderate concordance when viewed categorically; moderate-strong concordance for only one posttraumatic stress disorder symptom cluster; low-moderate agreement for high-frequency items; and no concordance for identifying caseness.

Self-Reported HIV and HCV Screening Rates and Serostatus Among Substance Abuse Treatment Patients.

Substance users are at increased risk for HIV and HCV infection. Still, many substance use treatment programs (SUTP) fail to offer HIV/HCV testing. The present secondary analysis of screening data from a multi-site randomized trial of rapid HIV testing examines self-reported HIV/HCV testing patterns and serostatus of 2473 SUTP patients in 12 community-based sites that had not previously offered on-site testing.

Mothers' and daughters' beliefs about factors affecting preadolescent girls' body satisfaction.

Body dissatisfaction is common in preadolescent girls. In this qualitative study, preadolescent girls (N=145) wrote descriptions of factors that made them feel good and bad about their bodies. Their mothers (N=145) also wrote about factors they believed made their daughters feel good and bad about their bodies.

Associations between maternal scaffolding and executive functioning in 3 and 4 year olds born very low birth weight and normal birth weight.

Background: Deficits in executive function, including measures of working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility, have been documented in preschoolers born very low birth weight (VLBW) compared with preschoolers born normal birth weight (NBW). Maternal verbal scaffolding has been associated with positive outcomes for both at-risk and typically developing preschoolers.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between maternal verbal scaffolding, Verbal IQ (VIQ) and executive function measures in preschoolers born VLBW.

Perinatal medical variables predict executive function within a sample of preschoolers born very low birth weight.

The goal was to identify perinatal predictors of early executive dysfunction in preschoolers born very low birth weight. Fifty-seven preschoolers completed 3 executive function tasks: Dimensional Change Card Sort-Separated (inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility), Bear Dragon (inhibition and working memory), and Gift Delay Open (inhibition). Relationships between executive function and perinatal medical severity factors (gestational age, days on ventilation, size for gestational age, maternal steroids, and number of surgeries) and chronological age were investigated by multiple linear regression and logistic regression.

Parental stress predicts functional outcome in pediatric cancer survivors.

Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for long-term neurocognitive and psychosocial morbidities. Research has seldom examined the relationship between these morbidities; thus, little empirical evidence exists concerning overall salience and how morbidities converge to impair day-to-day functioning. An increased understanding of functional impairment resulting from the pediatric cancer experience can inform early risk identification as well as sources for intervention.

Resolution of a Gen-2 handheld optical imager: diffuse and fluorescence imaging studies.

A generation-2 (Gen-2) handheld optical imager capable of two-dimensional surface and three-dimensional tomographic imaging has recently been developed. Herein, the ability of the handheld imager to detect and resolve two targets under diffuse and fluorescence imaging conditions has been demonstrated via tissue phantom studies. Two-dimensional surface imaging studies demonstrated that two 0.

Differential associations between maternal scaffolding and toddler emotion regulation in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Background: Parental "scaffolding" behavior has been associated with developmental outcomes in at-risk children.

Aims: Because there are limited empirical data regarding how scaffolding is associated with emotion-based developmental skills, the purpose of this study was to compare associations between maternal verbal scaffolding and toddler emotion regulation, including fewer displays of negative affect and increased contentment and enjoyment during play, in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Study Design: This study was a cross-sectional cohort design.

Differential associations between infant affective and cortisol responses during the still face paradigm among infants born very low birth weight versus full-term.

Psychological stress responses may have both emotional and cortisol reactivity correlates, but there are limited data addressing the association between generalized negative and positive emotional states and cortisol reactivity to a psychological stressor among infants born very low birth weight (VLBW; <1250 g) compared to infants born full-term. Examining this relationship between behavioral (affect) and physiological (cortisol) responses may provide insight into the nature of regulation difficulties identified in infants born VLBW. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between infant affective and cortisol responses to the Still Face paradigm (SF) in a cohort of six- to eight-month old infants born VLBW compared with infants born full-term (N=53 total; N=29 and N=24, respectively).

Three-dimensional fluorescence tomography of human breast tissues in vivo using a hand-held optical imager.

Diffuse optical imaging using non-ionizing radiation is a non-invasive method that shows promise towards breast cancer diagnosis. Hand-held optical imagers show potential for clinical translation of the technology, yet they have not been used towards 3D tomography. Herein, 3D tomography of human breast tissue in vivo is demonstrated for the first time using a hand-held optical imager with automated coregistration facilities.

Hand-held optical imager (Gen-2): improved instrumentation and target detectability.

Hand-held optical imagers are developed by various researchers towards reflectance-based spectroscopic imaging of breast cancer. Recently, a Gen-1 handheld optical imager was developed with capabilities to perform two-dimensional (2-D) spectroscopic as well as three-dimensional (3-D) tomographic imaging studies. However, the imager was bulky with poor surface contact (~30%) along curved tissues, and limited sensitivity to detect targets consistently.

Association of maternal scaffolding to maternal education and cognition in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Aim: Parental behaviour described as 'scaffolding' has been shown to influence outcomes in at-risk children. The purpose of this study was to compare maternal verbal scaffolding in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Methods: The scaffolding behaviour of mothers of toddlers born preterm and healthy full term was compared during a 5-min videotaped free play session with standardized toys.

Differential ethnic associations between maternal flexibility and play sophistication in toddlers born very low birth weight.

Children born very low birth weight (<1500 g, VLBW) are at increased risk for developmental delays. Play is an important developmental outcome to the extent that child's play and social communication are related to later development of self-regulation and effective functional skills, and play serves as an important avenue of early intervention. The current study investigated associations between maternal flexibility and toddler play sophistication in Caucasian, Spanish speaking Hispanic, English speaking Hispanic, and Native American toddlers (18-22 months adjusted age) in a cross-sectional cohort of 73 toddlers born VLBW and their mothers.

Comparison of the Bayley II Mental Developmental Index and the Bayley III Cognitive Scale: are we measuring the same thing?

Aim: To better understand differences between Bayley Scales 3rd edition (Bayley III) Cognitive Scale and Bayley Scales 2nd edition (Bayley II) Mental Developmental Index (MDI) in 18-22-month-old children born term and preterm and to create a conversion algorithm using Bayley II MDI to calculate Bayley III Cognitive score.

Methods: This study included 51 term and 26 preterm children between 18 and 22 months, ages adjusted for prematurity. Children's scores on Bayley II MDI and Bayley III Cognitive Scale were compared using t-tests.

Improved detection limits using a hand-held optical imager with coregistration capabilities.

Optical imaging is emerging as a non-invasive and non-ionizing method for breast cancer diagnosis. A hand-held optical imager has been developed with coregistration facilities towards flexible imaging of different tissue volumes and curvatures in near real-time. Herein, fluorescence-enhanced optical imaging experiments are performed to demonstrate deeper target detection under perfect and imperfect (100:1) uptake conditions in (liquid) tissue phantoms and in vitro.

Cognitive correlates in toddlers born very low birth weight and full-term.

Understanding what contributes to children's cognitive development can improve our ability to identify those children at risk for later developmental disorders. We hypothesized that cognition would be more strongly associated with child and mother interaction variables such as communication, sensitivity and affect during play in contrast to medical variables in preterm children, and that these same variables would also be correlates of cognition in children born full-term. Cognition was measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II Mental Developmental Index and mother-toddler play interactions were coded with the Caregiver-Child Affect, Responsiveness and Engagement Scales (C-CARES) for child and mother affect, communication, and sensitivity in 40 very low birth weight (VLBW) and 54 full-term toddlers at 18-22 months of age, adjusted for gestational age.