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The article discusses the National Institute of Aging's (NIA) push for inclusion of diverse older adults in clinical studies as of September 2024. Topics covered include the barriers of comorbidities' exclusion, age limits, concerns on vulnerable persons, and distrust of the healthcare system, and the needs to ensure representation and for appropriate analysis and research expertise in designing trials. Also noted is the NIA's support of initiatives to diversify the research workforce.

The article presents a study on the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging's Diversity Administrative Supplement Program. Topics discussed include purpose of establishing the NIH Diversity Supplements (DS) program in 1989, demographics and scientific areas of interest, and institutional characteristics.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was founded in 1974 to support and conduct research on aging and the health and well‐being of older adults. Fifty years ago, the concept of studying aging generated much skepticism. Early NIA‐funded research findings helped establish the great value of aging research and provided the foundation for significant science advances that have improved our understanding of the aging process, diseases and conditions associated with aging, and the effects of health inequities, as well as the need to promote healthy aging lifestyles. Today, we celebrate the many important contributions to aging research made possible by NIA, as well as opportunities to continue to make meaningful progress. NIA emphasizes that the broad aging research community must continue to increase and expand our collective efforts to recruit and train a diverse next generation of aging researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“The first important point is to win the young women with whom we work,” explains an early campaign newsletter from the women's English Young Christian Workers (YCW) Movement. In a context where the Catholic community was still a defensive minority, the outward looking mission of the YCW was remarkable and unique. The Movement's praxis was particularly distinctive, focused on a demographic group, working‐class girls and young women, who held little significance in either Church or society. The YCW engaged them as apostles and activists, challenging ecclesial and social assumptions and expectations. This paper draws material from YCW archives and oral interviews to argue that what YCW offered young women in the 1940s–1960s expressed an ecclesiological vision that was ahead of its time. The YCW empowered them to be leaders in a Church where women still rarely spoke or held leadership roles. It also nudged them into a confident construction of their citizenship and agency within secular contexts. This is significant in relation to how the English Catholic Church negotiated its restored presence in a protestant state but is barely recognised in existing historical analysis. The YCW's “leaven in the dough” model of activism within workplaces and other political domains deserves greater notice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of secondary metabolites in flower nectar can mediate interactions between plants, pollinators, herbivores, and microbes. Milkweeds range in concentrations of cardenolides in flower nectar from ~ 1 to 100 ng μl–1. Using three different behavioral assays with bumblebees Bombus impatiens, we examined the impacts of the commercially available cardenolide ouabain at the range of concentrations at which cardenolides naturally occur in milkweeds. We show that after four days of exposure bees in consumption assays drank more of a nectar solution with a low ouabain concentration of 10 ng μl–1 than the control sucrose nectar, and over the course of the experiment bees consumed less of the 100 ng μl–1 ouabain solution than the control. Bee activity levels in Petri dish arena assays were not impacted by ouabain consumption, even at the highest concentrations; however, in free‐flying choice assays, bees preferentially visited artificial flowers containing 10 ng μl–1 ouabain more than flowers with sucrose control, or flowers with 100 ng μl–1 of ouabain. We therefore conclude that cardenolides may provide plants advantages to pollination at the low end of the naturally occurring range of concentrations for cardenolides, but may be costly to plants at the high end of the range. This research highlights that secondary metabolites in nectar may be under selection to be maintained at low concentrations, and species with high concentrations of secondary metabolites may be under conflicting selection pressures to maintain high circulating levels to deter herbivores at the cost of reduced pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction in procellariiform birds is characterized by a single egg clutch, slow development, a long breeding season and obligate biparental care. Female Leach's Storm Petrels Hydrobates leucorhous, nearly monomorphic members of this order, produce eggs that are between 20 and 25% of adult bodyweight. We tested whether female foraging behaviour differs from male foraging behaviour during the ~ 44‐day incubation period across seven breeding colonies in the Northwest Atlantic. Over six breeding seasons, we used a combination of Global Positioning System and Global Location Sensor devices to measure characteristics of individual foraging trips during the incubation period. Females travelled significantly greater distances and went farther from the breeding colony than did males on individual foraging trips. For both sexes, the longer the foraging trip, the greater the distance. Independent of trip duration, females travelled farther, and spent a greater proportion of their foraging trips prospecting widely, as defined by behavioural categories derived from a hidden Markov Model. For both sexes, trip duration decreased with date. Sex differences in these foraging metrics were apparently not a consequence of morphological differences or spatial segregation. Our data are consistent with the idea that female foraging strategies differed from male foraging strategies during incubation in ways that would be expected if females were still compensating for egg formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One important cause of retinal haemorrhages (RHs) in children is abusive head trauma (AHT). Our programme of research was conducted on children admitted to hospital over a seven‐year period who had RHs as part of their clinical presentation. This paper summarises important findings from previous publications. As a prerequisite, two basic studies were necessary: (i) a method of reporting the precise location of the RH in the retina; and (ii) defining a simple clinical classification of RHs based on the appearance of the retinal layer involved. Because raised intracranial pressure (RICP) is a frequent secondary brain insult following serious adult head injury, causing hypoxic‐ischaemic injury with a resultant poor outcome, it was considered whether such RICP might also cause RHs in children. Detailed, state‐of‐the‐art monitoring methods were used to investigate this relationship along with retinal imaging. Methodical documentation of the type, area and lifespan of RHs meant that it was possible to address the question of predicting AHT from RH numbers and characteristics, and to describe not only the duration of different layer haemorrhages, but also a previously unreported observation that some RHs transiently enlarge over two to three days before resolving normally. 'One important cause of retinal haemorrhages (RHs) in children is abusive head trauma' Key Practitioner Messages: A new retinal zone classification for research and legal purposes has been developed, as well as a simplified five‐point working classification of RHs, based on existing fundoscopic descriptions.In this cohort study, a young age and a high 'dot‐blot' count (>25 intraretinal haemorrhages) are strong predictors of AHT.There is a complex association between the burden of intracranial pressure insult and RHs.Time to resolution of different RHs has been calculated using two‐dimensional RH area pixel counts from sequential retinal imaging. Two patterns of resolution are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has risen considerably in the US since 1980. The main causes include metabolic disorders (NAFLD, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome), alcohol‐related disease (ALD) and hepatitis C and B virus infections (HCV, HBV). Etiology‐specific HCC incidence rates by detailed race‐ethnicity are needed to improve HCC control and prevention efforts. Methods: All HCC cases diagnosed in Florida during 2014‐2015 were linked to statewide hospital discharge data to determine etiology. Age‐specific and age‐adjusted rates were used to assess the intersection between etiology and detailed racial‐ethnicities, including White, African American, Afro‐Caribbean, Asian, Cuban, Puerto Rican and Continental Hispanic (Mexican, South and Central American). Results: Of 3666 HCC cases, 2594 matched with discharge data. HCV was the leading cause of HCC among men and women (50% and 43% respectively), followed by metabolic disorders (25% and 37%) and ALD (16% and 9%). Puerto Rican and African American men had the highest HCV‐HCC rates, 7.9 and 6.3 per 100 000 respectively. Age‐specific rates for HCV‐HCC peaked among baby boomers (those born in 1945‐1965). Metabolic‐HCC rates were highest among populations above age 70 and among Continental Hispanics. Afro‐Caribbean men had high rates of HBV‐HCC, whereas Puerto Rican men had high ALD‐HCC. Conclusions: HCC etiology is associated with specific race/ethnicity. While HCV‐related HCC rates are projected to decrease soon, HCC will continue to affect Hispanics disproportionately, based on higher rates of metabolic‐HCC (and ALD‐HCC) among Continental Hispanics, who demographically represent 80% of all US Hispanics. Multifaceted approaches for HCC control and prevention are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Checkpoint inhibitors have shown modest activity in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, the authors report a prospective single-institution clinical/translational phase 2 study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced HCC and circulating biomarkers closely related to response.Methods: Pembrolizumab was administered at a dose of 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks among patients who may have developed disease progression while receiving, were intolerant of, or refused sorafenib. The circulating levels of cytokines, chemokines, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and PD-L2 were correlated with response, tumor PD-L1 expression, and other clinicopathological features.Results: A total of 29 patients were treated and 28 patients were evaluable for response. The most common laboratory grade 3/4 adverse events were increases in aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase and serum bilirubin, which for the most part were reversible. In terms of efficacy, one patient achieved a complete response and 8 patients achieved partial responses for an overall response rate of 32%. Four other patients had stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 4.5 months and the median overall survival was 13 months. Response did not correlate with prior sorafenib therapy, PD-L1 tumor staining, or a prior history of hepatitis. Correlative studies revealed that high baseline plasma TGF-β levels (≥200 pg/mL) significantly correlated with poor treatment outcomes after pembrolizumab. Tumor PD-L1 and plasma PD-L1/PD-1 levels were associated with plasma IFN-γ or IL-10.Conclusions: Pembrolizumab was found to demonstrate activity in patients with advanced HCC. Toxicity generally was tolerable and reversible. A set of immunological markers in blood plasma as well as PD-L1 staining indicated that baseline TGF-β could be a predictive biomarker for response to pembrolizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The connection between adult preferences and offspring performance is a long‐standing issue in understanding the evolutionary and ecological forces that dictate host associations and specialization in herbivorous insects. Indeed, decisions made by females about where to lay their eggs have direct consequences for fitness and are influenced by interacting factors including offspring performance, defence and competition. Nonetheless, in addition to these attributes of the offspring, a female's choices may be affected by her own prior experience. Here we examined oviposition preference, larval performance and the role of learning in the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, which encounters diverse milkweed host species across its broad range and over the course of migration. Monarch females consistently preferred to oviposit on Asclepias incarnata subspecies pulchra. This plant, however, was associated with poor caterpillar growth, low sequestration of toxins and the highest plant defences (latex and trichomes). We examined flexibility in this apparently maladaptive preference by testing the impact of previous experience and competition on preference. Experience laying on an alternative plant species enhanced preference for that species in contrast to A. i. pulchra. In addition, presence of a (competing) conspecific caterpillar on A. i. pulchra had a strongly deterrent effect and reversed host plant preferences. Thus, monarch butterflies exhibit preferences contrary to what would be expected based on offspring development and sequestered defences, but their preferences are altered by learning and competition, which may allow butterflies to shift preferences as they encounter diverse milkweeds across the landscape. Learning and perception of threats (i.e. competition or predation) may be critical for most herbivorous insects, which universally experience heterogeneity among their potential host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The application of in situ near‐infrared spectroscopy monitoring of xylose metabolizing yeast such as Pichia stipitis for ethanol production with semisynthetic media, applying chemometrics, was investigated. During the process in a bioreactor, biomass, glucose, xylose, ethanol, acetic acid, and glycerol determinations were performed by a transflection probe immersed in the culture broth and connected to a near‐infrared process analyzer. Wavelength windows in near‐infrared spectra recorded between 800 and 2200 nm were pretreated using Savitzky–Golay smoothing, second derivative and multiplicative scattering correction in order to perform a partial least squares regression and generate the calibration models. These calibration models were tested by external validation (78 samples). Calibration and validation criteria were defined and evaluated in order to generate robust and reliable models for an alcoholic fermentation process matrix. Moreover, regressions coefficients (β) and variable influence in the projection plots were used to assess the results. A novelty is the use of β versus VIP dispersion plots to determine which vectors have more influence on the response in order to improve process comprehension and operability. Validated models were used in a real‐time monitoring during P. stipitis NRRL Y7124 semisynthetic media fermentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the daily practice of forensic pathology, sudden cardiac death ( SCD) is a diagnostic challenge. Our aim was to determine the usefulness of blood biomarkers [creatine kinase CK- MB, myoglobin, troponins I and T ( cTn-I and T), and lactate dehydrogenase] measured by immunoassay technique, in the postmortem diagnosis of SCD. Two groups were compared, 20 corpses with SCD and 8 controls. Statistical significance was determined by variance analysis procedures, with a post hoc Tukey multiple range test for comparison of means ( p < 0.05). SCD cases showed significantly higher levels ( p < 0.05) of cTn-T and cTn-I compared to the control group. Although only cases within the first 8 h of postmortem interval were included, and the control group consisted mainly of violent death cases, our results suggest that blood troponin levels may be useful to support a diagnosis of SCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the relationship between raised intracranial pressure (RICP) and retinal haemorrhages in traumatic and non-traumatic childhood encephalopathies.Method: A prospective study of 112 children (35 females and 77 males, age range 0.01mo-17y 8.3mo; mean 5y 8.6mo, median 4y 5.6mo) included 57 accidental traumatic brain injuries (ATBIs), 21 inflicted traumatic brain injuries (ITBIs), and 34 non-traumatic encephalopathy cases. Measurements included intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure, pressure-time index of ICP, and number, zone, and layer of retinal haemorrhages on retinal imaging.Results: Group I had measured elevated ICP (n=42), Group II had clinical and/or radiological signs of RICP (n=21), and Group III had normal ICP (n=49). In the combined Groups I and II, 38% had retinal haemorrhages. Multiple logistic regression confirmed that the presence of retinal haemorrhages was significantly related to the presence of RICP independent of age and aetiology; however, the occurrence and overall numbers were not significantly related to the specific ICP level. The numbers of intraretinal (nerve-fibre layer and dot blot) retinal haemorrhages were significantly greater in those with RICP. The ITBI population was significantly different from the other combined aetiological categories.Interpretation: The study results indicate a complex RICP/retinal haemorrhage relationship. There was no evidence of existing retinal haemorrhages being exacerbated or new retinal haemorrhages developing during periods of confirmed RICP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attraction of mutualists and defense against antagonists are critical challenges for most organisms and can be especially acute for plants with pollinating and non-pollinating flower visitors. Secondary compounds in flowers have been hypothesized to adaptively mediate attraction of mutualists and defense against antagonists, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. The tissues of milkweeds ( Asclepias spp.) contain toxic cardenolides that have long been studied as chemical defenses against herbivores. Milkweed nectar also contains cardenolides, and we have examined the impact of manipulating cardenolides in nectar on the foraging choices of two flower visitors: generalist bumble bees, Bombus impatiens, which are mutualistic pollinators, and specialist monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, which are herbivores as larvae and ineffective pollinators as adults. Although individual bumble bees in single foraging bouts showed no avoidance of cardenolides at the highest natural concentrations reported for milkweeds, a pattern of deterrence did arise when entire colonies were allowed to forage for several days. Monarch butterflies were not deterred by the presence of cardenolides in nectar when foraging from flowers, but laid fewer eggs on plants paired with cardenolide-laced flowers compared to controls. Thus, although deterrence of bumble bees by cardenolides may only occur after extensive foraging, a primary effect of nectar cardenolides appears to be reduction of monarch butterfly oviposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application feasibility of in-situ or in-line monitoring of S. cerevisiae ITV01 alcoholic fermentation process, employing Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) and Chemometrics, was investigated. During the process in a bioreactor, in the complex analytical matrix, biomass, glucose, ethanol and glycerol determinations were performed by a transflection fiber optic probe immersed in the culture broth and connected to a Near-Infrared (NIR) process analyzer. The NIR spectra recorded between 800 and 2,200 nm were pretreated using Savitzky-Golay smoothing and second derivative in order to perform a partial least squares regression (PLSR) and generate the calibration models. These calibration models were tested by external validation and then used to predict concentrations in batch alcoholic fermentations. The standard errors of calibration (SEC) for biomass, ethanol, glucose and glycerol were 0.212, 0.287, 0.532, and 0.296 g/L and standard errors of prediction (SEP) were 0.323, 0.369, 0.794, and 0.507 g/L, respectively. Calibration and validation criteria were defined and evaluated in order to generate robust and reliable models for an alcoholic fermentation process matrix. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:510-517, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translating evidence-based HIV/STD prevention interventions and research findings into applicable HIV prevention practice has become an important challenge for the fields of community psychology and public health due to evidence-based interventions and evidence-based practice being given higher priority and endorsement by federal, state, and local health department funders. The Interactive Systems Framework (ISF) for Dissemination and Implementation and the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) Research-to-Practice model both address this challenge. The DHAP model and the ISF are each presented with a brief history and an introduction of their features from synthesis of research findings through translation into intervention materials to implementation by prevention providers. This paper describes why the ISF and the DHAP model were developed and the similarities and differences between them. Specific examples of the use of the models to translate research to practice and the subsequent implications for support of each model are provided. The paper concludes that the ISF and the DHAP model are truly complementary with some unique differences, while both contribute substantially to addressing the gap between identifying effective programs and ensuring their widespread adoption in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To identify care-related factors associated with hospital-acquired pressure ulcers ( HAPUs). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Nine hospitals in Baltimore Hip Studies network. Participants Six hundred fifty-eight individuals aged 65 and older who underwent surgery for hip fracture. Measurements Skin examinations at baseline and on alternating days until hospital discharge. Participants were deemed to have a HAPU if they developed one or more new Stage 2 or higher pressure ulcers ( PUs) during the hospital stay. Results Longer emergency department stays were associated with lower HAPU incidence (>4-6 hours: adjusted incidence rate ratio ( aIRR) = 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.48-0.96; >6 hours: aIRR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.46-0.99, both vs ≤ 4 hours). Participants with 24 hours or longer between admission and surgery had a higher postsurgery HAPU rate than those with less than 24 hours ( aIRR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.24-2.11). Surgery with general anesthesia had a lower postsurgery HAPU rate than surgery with other types of anesthesia ( aIRR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49-0.88). There was no significant association between HAPU incidence and timing of transport to the hospital, type of transport to the hospital, or surgery duration. Conclusion Most of the factors hypothesized to be associated with higher PU incidence were associated with lower incidence or were not significantly associated, suggesting that HAPU development may not be as sensitive to care-related factors as commonly believed. Rigorous studies of innovative preventive interventions are needed to inform policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature on responsibility of adult children for aging parents reflects lack of conceptual clarity. We examined filial concepts across five cultural groups: African-, Asian-, Euro-, Latino-, and Native Americans. Data were randomly divided for scale development (n = 285) and cross-validation (n = 284). Exploratory factor analysis on 59 items identified three filial concepts: Responsibility, Respect, and Care. Confirmatory factor analysis on a 12-item final scale showed data fit the three-factor model better than a single factor solution despite substantial correlations between the factors (.82, .82 for Care with Responsibility and Respect, and .74 for Responsibility with Respect). The scale can be used in cross-cultural research to test hypotheses that predict associations among filial values, filial caregiving, and caregiver health outcomes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 34:310-326, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Post-traumatic hypopituitarism is well described amongst adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. We aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of pituitary dysfunction after head injury in childhood. Design Retrospective exploratory study. Patients: 33 survivors of accidental head injury (27 boys). Mean (range) age at study was 13·4 years (5·4-21·7 years) and median (range) interval since injury 4·3 years (1·4-7·8 years). Functional outcome at study: 15 good recovery, 16 moderate disability, two severe disability. Measurements Early morning urine osmolality and basal hormone evaluation were followed by the gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) and insulin tolerance ( n = 25) or glucagon tests (if previous seizures, n = 8). Subjects were not primed. Head injury details were extracted from patient records. Results No subject had short stature (mean height SD score +0·50, range −1·57 to +3·00). Suboptimal GH responses (<5 μg/l) occurred in six peri-pubertal boys (one with slow growth on follow-up) and one postpubertal adolescent (peak GH 3·2 μg/l). Median peak cortisol responses to insulin tolerance or glucagon tests were 538 and 562 nm. Nine of twenty-five and two of eight subjects had suboptimal responses, respectively, two with high basal cortisol levels. None required routine glucocorticoid replacement. In three, steroid cover was recommended for moderate/severe illness or injury. One boy was prolactin deficient. Other basal endocrine results and GnRH-stimulated LH and FSH were appropriate for age, sex and pubertal stage. Abnormal endocrine findings were unrelated to the severity or other characteristics of TBI or functional outcome. Conclusions No clinically significant endocrinopathy was identified amongst survivors of accidental childhood TBI, although minor pituitary hormone abnormalities were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To identify care settings associated with greater pressure ulcer risk in elderly patients with hip fracture in the postfracture period. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Nine hospitals that participate in the Baltimore Hip Studies network and 105 postacute facilities to which patients from these hospitals were discharged. PARTICIPANTS: Hip fracture patients aged 65 and older who underwent surgery for hip fracture. MEASUREMENTS: A full-body skin examination was conducted at baseline (as soon as possible after hospital admission) and repeated on alternating days for 21 days. Patients were deemed to have an acquired pressure ulcer (APU) if they developed one or more new stage 2 or higher pressure ulcers after hospital admission. RESULTS: In 658 study participants, the APU cumulative incidence at 32 days after initial hospital admission was 36.1% (standard error 2.5%). The adjusted APU incidence rate was highest during the initial acute hospital stay (relative risk (RR)=2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.3–3.7) and during re-admission to the acute hospital (RR=2.2, 95% CI=1.1–4.2). The relative risks in rehabilitation and nursing home settings were 1.4 (95% CI=0.8–2.3) and 1.3 (95% CI=0.8–2.1), respectively. CONCLUSION: Approximately one-third of hip fracture patients developed an APU during the study period. The rate was highest in the acute setting, a finding that is significant in light of Medicare's policy of not reimbursing hospitals for the treatment of hospital-APUs. Hip fracture patients constitute an important group to target for pressure ulcer prevention in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of digital photographs for the assessment of the presence of pressure ulcers stage 2 or higher. Participants were 48 patients (28 white and 20 black) with pressure ulcers identified in the course of a wound specialist's routine clinical practice at the University of Maryland Medical Center. One pressure ulcer and one unaffected skin area were photographed on each participating patient. The gold standard diagnosis (stage 2 pressure ulcer vs. stage 1 or no pressure ulcer) was recorded by the wound specialist based on bedside examination. The photographs were reviewed blindly by another wound expert. The sensitivity of the blinded assessment was 97% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91–100%). The specificity was 97% (95% CI 92–100%). The sensitivity and specificity were both 100% in the white patients. In black patients, the sensitivity and specificity were 92% (95% CI 75–100%) and 93% (95% CI 82–100%), respectively. These results suggest that the use of photographic images to assess the presence or absence of a pressure ulcer stage 2 or higher has a high degree of validity. Since blinded outcome assessment is one of the cornerstones of good clinical trial design, photography offers the potential to strengthen future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explaining the coexistence of closely related species sharing a single resource has been a long-standing challenge in ecology. Here we report on studies comparing the aphids Aphis nerii and A. asclepiadis that feed sympatrically on the milkweed Asclepias syriaca in northeastern North America. We sought to identify tradeoffs among species’ attributes that might promote coexistence, but in most instances A. nerii was superior to A. asclepiadis. Aphis nerii was 84% more fecund, fed upon 880% more phloem sap, and was affected 70% less by intraspecific competition as compared to A. asclepiadis. In interspecific competition, A. nerii reduced A. asclepiadis abundance by 77%, whereas A. asclepiadis did not affect A. nerii. In dispersal trials, 10% of winged A. nerii but only 1% of A. asclepiadis successfully moved from non-host plants to A. syriaca. We also investigated whether there were differences in aphid interactions with milkweed cardenolides. Jasmonic acid increased milkweed cardenolides by 33%, a realistic amount similar to that induced by several leaf-chewing herbivores. Nevertheless, jasmonate-induced cardenolides failed to affect aphid performance and aphid feeding had no effect on milkweed cardenolide concentration. Yet cardenolides were important for aphid resistance to predators; A. nerii sequestered 25% more cardenolides and was preyed upon 50% less than A. asclepiadis. Interactions with cardenolides thus again favored A. nerii over A. asclepiadis. Given that A. nerii and A. asclepiadis are decidedly not equivalent in their demography, competitive ability, defense and dispersal, our results strongly refute the notion that neutral processes can explain coexistence of these aphids. Based on field observations, we propose two tradeoffs – timing of milkweed colonization and relationships with ants – as putative mechanisms for the coexistence of these congeners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of wild and prescribed fires in montane forests of the southwestern United States has increased after a century of fire suppression and subsequent fuels accumulation. To assess the effects of recent fires (median time since fire = 6 yr) on the montane forest bird community, we surveyed birds in 8 Sky Island mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona, USA, and examined how the distribution (i.e., presence-absence) of 65 species and relative abundance of 16 species correlated with evidence of severe and less severe fire at > 1,500 survey points. We detected associations between fire and bird presence-absence for 17% of the 65 species analyzed and between fire and bird relative abundance for 25% of the 16 species analyzed. Most species (73%) were positively associated with burned areas and displayed stronger associations (i.e., more extreme odds ratios) with survey points that had evidence of severe as opposed to less severe fire. Positive associations with severe fire were strong (>3 to 1 odds) for western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus) and house wren (Troglodytes aedon), and negative associations with severe fire were strong for warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus) and red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). Although recent fires appear to have had a positive effect on the distribution and relative abundance of several montane forest bird species in the region, these species are not the open-woodland birds that we would have expected to have benefited from fire based on previous research. Nevertheless, our results confirm associations between fire and bird presence-absence and relative abundance reported previously for 7 species of birds. Our results also provide new information for Grace's warbler (Dendroica graciae) and greater pewee (C. pertinax), 2 species for which fire data were formerly lacking. Managers can use these data to make and test predictions about the effects of future fires, both severe and less severe, on montane forest birds in the southwestern United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural differences in responses to a Likert scale were examined. Self-identified Chinese, Japanese, and Americans ( N=136, 323, and 160, respectively) recruited at ethnic or general supermarkets in Southern California completed a 13-question Sense of Coherence scale with a choice of either four, five, or seven responses in either Chinese, Japanese, or English. The Japanese respondents more frequently reported difficulty with the scale, the Chinese more frequently skipped questions, and both these groups selected the midpoint more frequently on items that involved admitting to a positive emotion than did the Americans, who were more likely to indicate a positive emotion. Construct validity of the scale tended to be better for the Chinese and the Americans when there were four response choices and for the Japanese when there were seven. Although culture affected response patterns, the association of sense of coherence and health was positive in all three cultural groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 25:295-306, 2002 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the UIUC Virtual Spectrometer (UIUC-VS), an interactive, Java-based simulation and tutoring system, is discussed. The apprenticeship model of learning is utilized to create a learning environment for the study of a one-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment, with the goal of linking theoretical knowledge with practical operational experience. Active, exploratory, apprentice-style learning is supported via modes of operation within the system. Students can flexibly choose to "observe the expert" perform and explain operational steps, or "act as an apprentice" and carry out the steps autonomously. Students can switch between modes at their discretion, giving them control of the level of system intervention. Students can also explore and reflect on an "information space" of objects, procedures, and related concepts. UIUC-VS extends a previous tutorial application, LEMRS, using Java-based, Web-capable technologies to provide a basis for a shared simulation environment teaching NMR. As a computer-supported collaborative learning environment, the system includes a method of asynchronous communication, where the student can post questions and comments to a "question board," with the ability to capture the current state of the system via annotations on a screen capture. Formative evaluations involving undergraduate chemistry students were crucial to system redesign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents two case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of Facilitated Communication (FC). Examination of a wide variety of sources of data; Consistent behavior found within FC interactions; Indications that changes in behavior of both people resulted at least in part from the use of FC.

There has been interest in the implications of learning by doing, and in particular in the possibility that learning by doing may be slower in less developed countries and in industries which use simpler technologies. This paper uses firm-level data from Ghana to estimate learning-by-doing effects and generates three main findings. First, the learning curve, though present, is flatter in Ghana than in developed countries. Second, any industry-wide spillovers are small and insignificant. Third, (contrary to the assumption of much theory) learning-by-doing effects are stronger at low levels of technology than at intermediate levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experience with three patients whose courses are described suggested that delirium and persistent neurologic dysfunction follow rapid correction of hyperlithemia, which develops after regular lithium doses. From all retrievable published reports of adult hospitalization for hyperlithemia, all cases that described cognitive dysfunction after lithium administration for at least 10 days with insubstantial neuroleptic exposure were selected. Lithium was universally discontinued before or on admission. Of the 65 such cases, 50 were at least somewhat responsive on admission; of these, substantial deterioration during hospitalization occurred in 56%. Dialysis was associated with greater incidence of persistent neurologic sequelae (62% vs. 22%, P = .012) and deterioration during hospitalization (65% vs. 46%, P = .016), although cognitive dysfunction on hospital admission was less (P < .001) for patients who were then dialyzed. The greater neurotoxicity after dialysis suggests that while hyperlithemia can be toxic, its rapid correction can be more toxic. Parallels with hyponatremia, including a potential mechanism, suggest that gradual rather than abrupt correction of hyperlithemia might decrease the risk of neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meniere's disease is a well recognized clinical entity, yet the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease is not fully understood. Impaired endolymphatic sac function resulting in faulty reabsorption of endolymph has been implicated in the production of the disease. The histopathological findings from biopsied sac specimens and observed by transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electronmicroscopy in two patients with early Meniere's disease are presented and discussed. Extensive subepithelial fibrosis with loss of vascularity and obliteration of portions of the lumen of the endolymphatic sac by an ingrowth of collagen is noted in both specimens. The implications of these findings are discussed and the need for more TEM and SEM studies of inner ear disorders is stressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]