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The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomena of participation in a democratic large ensemble experience in a secondary public school setting. Specific research questions included (a) Do high school band students feel capable of performing a music work without teacher intervention? (b) In what ways do high school band students describe the experience of performing in a student-led large ensemble? (c) What music decisions were most often made by high school band students in a student-led large ensemble? and (d) Were there any changes in high school students' perceptions of autonomy following a student-led large ensemble music rehearsal and performance experience? Findings illustrated that the democratic experience increased student autonomy and music discrimination across larger distances in the classroom as students listened to other nonsimilar sections. Furthermore, student voice, self-efficacy, and personal affect also increased as a result of the experience. Students felt empowered to offer their rehearsal critiques; however, a lingering concern is that participants continued to feel that their peers would not listen to their opinions on rehearsal issues or strategy usage.

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the phenomenon of participation in a high school rock orchestra from the perspective of alumni. Specific research questions addressed the musicians' reflections on experiences in the rock orchestra and the perceived possible impact on their current musical and professional lives. Survey and interview results provided a retrospective portrait of membership in the ensemble and what young adult members indicate was valuable, helpful, transformative, and transferable about participation in the rock orchestra. Textural elements of experiential learning, social-emotional processes, and skills for life were supported by structural elements of informal learning practices and a dialogue between Western classical and rock music traditions. This led to the essence of involvement identified as multi-dimensional growth through experience in a rich musical environment. We discuss whether informal learning practices may spur students to continue making music after they have left the structured environment of a school music program, the impact of student agency in their own musical space, and ways in which the rock ensemble might provide an example for integrating informal learning practices into existing school music ensemble programs.

There are constant calls for reform in the criminal justice system, but observers have often reported that criminal justice reform is an exceptionally challenging task. As with any organizational change, resistance to new policies, procedures, and practices comes from a variety of sources. The relatively broad discretionary authority vested in line-level personnel often contributes to the difficulty associated with implementing change in criminal justice agencies. There is ample evidence that line staff resistance to organizational reform can undermine the implementation of organizational change. In this study, the authors examine the effects of the state of Ohio's transition to graduated sanctioning guidelines on parole officers--in particular, how these reforms were perceived by the key actors in the sanctioning process: parole officers. Findings from a statewide survey revealed that officers were generally dissatisfied with the restrictions on their discretion resulting from the reform. Analyses revealed that organizational factors such as officers' perceptions concerning how the sanctioning policy was implemented and its intended purposes were more influential than individual characteristics in shaping officers' views concerning the efficacy of the reform. (Contains 2 notes and 3 tables.)

The Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Research Committee annually hosts a Graduate Research Forum in conjunction with the OMEA's Professional Development Conference. In 2009, the guest speaker was Dr. Wendy Sims, Director of Music Education at the University of Missouri--Columbia and Editor of the Journal of Research in Music Education. An Ohio native, Sims received her undergraduate and masters degrees in music education from Kent State University and earned her Ph. D. from Florida State University. An author and practicing researcher, Sims has published in a variety of preeminent journals including "Psychology of Music, International Journal of Music Education, Music Educators Journal, and Journal of Research in Music Education". Sims encouraged those in attendance to consider research as a viable opportunity for professional growth. She also provided insights into the periodical publication process, offering suggestions to assist both novice and experienced researchers in developing their understanding of what is needed to author publishable research studies.

Coastal marshes of Lake St. Clair, in southwest Ontario, CAN and Lake Erie, in northwest Ohio, USA are important migratory staging locations for waterfowl despite experiencing substantial wetland losses. Waterfowl habitat management at these locations focuses on providing food resources for Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), a highly sought game species. We examined direct recovery rates of Mallards banded prior to the 2014, 2015, and 2016 hunting seasons as a measure of harvest mortality. We compared harvest mortality between the two locations, among years, among four sex and age cohorts, and as a function of body condition. We found that banding location for juvenile Mallards was an important variable predicting harvest mortality. The probability of being a direct recovery was 126% greater for juvenile females and 70% greater for juvenile males banded at Lake St. Clair compared to those banded in northwest Ohio. Average body condition was slightly less for juvenile male Mallards banded in northwest Ohio during 2016 compared to those banded in 2015 or those banded in LSC in 2014 or 2015. We did not detect any other significant differences related to body condition and location or location-year with respect to direct recovery rates. We hypothesize that harvest mortality of juvenile Mallards could be related to differences in harvest regulations, bird abundances, or hunter density between the two study sites, all of which may have different implications for those interested in managing Mallard populations in the lower Great Lakes region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite remote sensing has been widely used to map suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in waterbodies. However, due to the complexity of sediment-water interactions, it has been difficult to derive linear and non-linear regression equations to reliably predict SSC, especially when trying to estimate depth of integrated sediment. This study uses Landsat 8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) sensor to map SSC within the Maumee River in Ohio, USA, at multiple depth intervals (15, 61, 91, and 182 cm). Simple linear least squares regression (LLSR), and three common machine learning models: random forest (RF), support vector regression (SVR), and model averaged neural network (MANN) were used to estimate SSC at the depth intervals. All machine learning models significantly outperformed LLSR while RF performed the best. In both RF and MANN, R2 (coefficient of determination) increases with depth with a maximum R2 of 0.89 and 0.83, respectively, at a depth of 0–182 cm. The results show that machine learning models can implement nonlinear relationships that produce better predictions than traditional linear regression methods in estimating depth integrated SSC, especially when samples are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blanding's turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are considered threatened or endangered throughout most of their range. A critical step in determining appropriate conservation actions for this species is assessing the status of remaining populations. The long-term surveys required to adequately document population trends are lacking, as they are generally labor-intensive and time-consuming. We used community and citizen science–collected data and free pattern-recognition software to conduct a mark–recapture study on female Blanding's turtles in a northwest Ohio wetland. Over a 5-yr period, community and citizen scientists gathered 155 images of 65 individual female Blanding's turtles. Our results suggest the wetland has a population of 87 (95% CI = 74–116; SE = 10.1) adult female Blanding's turtles. Deriving preliminary population estimates from photographic recapture data is an example of how the efforts of community and citizen scientists can benefit ongoing research projects and conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella is an invasive species to the Laurentian Great Lakes that was first detected in the 1980s. The western basin of Lake Erie is the putative invasion front for the Great Lakes, with spawning known to occur in two of the basin's tributaries (Sandusky and Maumee rivers). Targeted removal is being used to reduce Grass Carp abundance, with an ultimate aim of eradication in part to prevent spread and establishment in the other Great Lakes; response efforts are being concentrated in the Sandusky River due to its heavy use by Grass Carp and because it is the tributary where spawning occurs consistently. The goal of this research was to identify areas in the Sandusky River where Grass Carp aggregate and identify variables that influence movement to improve efficiency of response efforts. Movement and space use of 27 Grass Carp were monitored using acoustic telemetry. Detection data were used to estimate movement and daily detection rates and also used in a spatial capture–recapture model to estimate activity centers of tagged fish. Grass Carp movement was highest when daily discharge and water temperature exceeded 31 m3/s and 18°C, respectively, and next highest when discharge exceeded 31 m3/s and temperature was between 4.5°C and 18.0°C. Daily detection rates at receivers and concentrations of activity centers suggested that aggregations occurred between river kilometers (RKMs) 34 and 36 and at RKM 45. During spawning conditions, Grass Carp also aggregated near RKM 48.6, which is proximal to suspected spawning locations. We recommend concentrating response efforts in these general locations and using passive capture gear when Grass Carp are the most mobile. Response efforts could be further refined by using a variety of acoustic telemetry monitoring techniques, including fine‐scale positioning, real‐time receivers, and mobile tracking to provide precise location and timing for removal actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autumn waterfowl habitat management often focuses on providing high energy food resources to attract and concentrate waterfowl for harvest. Similarly, many waterfowl conservation plans assume food resources are the primary, controllable limiting factor influencing waterfowl distribution during migration; however, hunting‐related disturbance also influences waterfowl distribution in autumn. We investigated factors influencing mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) movements in an intensively hunted and food‐rich landscape in Ohio, USA, during autumn of 2015 and 2016. We used locations from female mallards equipped with global positioning system (GPS) back‐pack‐transmitters to determine the probability of mallards switching land cover types based on seasonal and daily patterns of hunting disturbance and to determine the distances mallards moved between cover types that offer refuge and those that offer food resources as evidence for or against food resource depletion during the hunting season. Mallards switched cover types to exploit food‐rich but intensively hunted locations nocturnally and cover type switching during times subject to disturbance increased significantly from the early segment to the late segment of hunting season. Distances mallards moved between refuge cover types and food‐rich cover types did not change over the duration of the study. Hunting disturbance is a key variable influencing autumn movements and distribution of mallards, and mallards in a food‐rich and intensively hunted landscape likely employ nocturnal foraging as a strategy to survive autumn migration. Nocturnal foraging behavior has consequences for waterfowl managers tasked with providing quality waterfowl hunting opportunities because ducks that forage only at night are largely unavailable to hunters. © 2020 The Wildlife Society. Hunting disturbance was a significant factor influencing female mallard movements in northwest Ohio with mallards exploiting food‐rich land cover types nocturnally and refuge land cover types diurnally. Extensive nocturnal foraging behavior could have negative effects on waterfowl hunting success and further research is needed to understand how food availability and hunting disturbance interact to influence mallard movements in autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between auditory processing (AP) test results and reading has shown significant correlations in the literature; however, whether the relationship is more coincidental or more causal is uncertain. Improving AP deficits is also not well understood, especially regarding its impacts on real-world benefits such as with reading and language. Purpose: This study investigates the efficacy of two deficitspecific AP therapy programs and compares them to a control therapy program on behavioral AP measures. It also investigates relationships between the improved AP skills and related real-world skills, particularly reading ability. Method: From three school regions, 335 children were tested using the Feather Squadron Diagnostic Assessment AP test and, if qualified, given a deficit-specific AP therapy (either Insane Earplane or Zoo Caper Skyscraper) or placed in a control therapy group. After therapy, AP abilities were measured again and compared across groups. For one region, pre- and posttherapy reading abilities were also compared across groups. Results: Both experimental therapies were significantly efficacious for the AP areas in which they claimed to target, whereas the control therapy group was not. One experimental therapy revealed significant improvement (p < .01) and the other approached significant improvement (p < .02) of the reading ability of the participants, whereas the control group did not. Conclusions: The current study found significant improvements for both AP skills and real-world skills compared to the control group. This information provides evidence that bottom-up, deficit-specific therapy approaches are beneficial for the targeted areas and can have associated benefits as well. One of the schools in the study was a special school for children with known speech and language disorders. Of the children tested at this special speech and language school, 83% of them qualified for an AP deficit-specific therapy, indicating a very strong relationship between AP and speech/language difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inmates who violate prison rules and regulations may be confined in disciplinary segregation as a punishment, which includes a loss of privileges and reduced opportunities to socialize and participate in prison programming. Few studies have explored the relationship between confinement in disciplinary segregation and recidivism. In this study, data collected from offenders released to postrelease supervision in Ohio are used to examine how various types of exposure to confinement in disciplinary segregation influence the odds of recidivism. In addition, confinement in disciplinary segregation in the months preceding release from prison is examined by use of difference of means tests. We found that confinement in disciplinary segregation and the timing of confinement prior to release are associated with increased odds of recidivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified at least 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) risk. Most of these SNPs are common variants with small to moderate effect sizes. Here we assessed the combined genetic effects of these variants on PTC risk by using summarized GWAS results to build polygenic risk score (PRS) models in three PTC study groups from Ohio (1,544 patients and 1,593 controls), Iceland (723 patients and 129,556 controls), and the United Kingdom (534 patients and 407,945 controls). A PRS based on the 10 established PTC SNPs showed a stronger predictive power compared with the clinical factors model, with a minimum increase of area under the receiver-operating curve of 5.4 percentage points (P ≤ 1.0 × 10-9). Adding an extended PRS based on 592,475 common variants did not significantly improve the prediction power compared with the 10-SNP model, suggesting that most of the remaining undiscovered genetic risk in thyroid cancer is due to rare, moderate- to high-penetrance variants rather than to common low-penetrance variants. Based on the 10-SNP PRS, individuals in the top decile group of PRSs have a close to sevenfold greater risk (95% CI, 5.4-8.8) compared with the bottom decile group. In conclusion, PRSs based on a small number of common germline variants emphasize the importance of heritable low-penetrance markers in PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses what the author refers to as the limits of Ohio's limited guardianship statute as of 2016, and it mentions the legal rights of parents in connection with medical decision-making involving their children. An Ohio appellate court judgment dealing with parental discretion is addressed, along with a court-appointed limited guardian's legal authority to make medical treatment decisions for a child. Judge-made law and a best interests of the child legal standard are assessed.

In an analysis of all Ohio newborn infants discharged home alive between 2007 and 2012, the authors identified that significant variation in hospital charges (among Medicare Severity Diagnostic Related Group categorizations), previously identified nationally, persists at the state and local levels among term and preterm infants (p <.0001). Additionally, the authors identified variation in length of stay among infants with extreme immaturity or respiratory distress syndrome (p <.0001). Charge data remain the best available proxy for closely guarded hospital cost figures; increased pricing transparency would further support comparison of hospital newborn care costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk principle suggests that effective correctional interventions should vary the intensity of treatment by offender risk, with higher risk offenders receiving more intense services than lower risk offenders. Although much research indicates that programs that target higher risk cases are more likely to be effective, relatively little research has examined the impact of varying levels of treatment dosage by risk. Consequently, this study seeks to identify the number of hours of treatment that are necessary to reduce recidivism in a sample of offenders placed in a residential community corrections facility. The sample for this study includes 689 adult male offenders successfully discharged from a Community-Based Correctional Facility in Ohio. The results provide support for providing higher levels of dosage to high-risk offenders, with substantial reductions in recidivism for high-risk offenders receiving 200 or more hours of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the organizational control structure in prison suggests that correctional officers' perceptions of reduced control negatively affected work-related attitudes. This study seeks to extend the literature by examining the impact that perceptions regarding the organizational control structure have on parole officers' attitudes toward policy change. The Ohio Adult Parole Authority Progressive Sanction Grid was implemented to increase uniformity when officers impose sanctions for offenders' violations of their release conditions. Using data collected via a statewide survey of parole officers concerning the implementation of a graduated sanctioning policy, this study examines the relationships between officers' perceptions of the organizational control structure, their satisfaction with upper-level management, and their attitudes toward policy change. Results indicate that perceptions of control impact satisfaction with upper management, which in turn, affects attitudes regarding the legitimacy of a reform that limited officers' discretion during the sanctioning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which was conducted to examine the effect low-dose caffeine (CAF) administered in chewing gum at three different time points during submaximal cycling had on cycling to exhaustion. Researchers evaluated eight college aged, physically active subjects. They found that low dose caffeine administered in chewing gum does not enhance cycling to exhaustion.

This paper centers on an interdisciplinary collaboration in an interpersonal communication (IPC) course that resulted in a reenactment of a flashmob performance historically juxtaposed with the students' understanding of performance art and Allan Kaprow's "Happening." Students in the course, along with graduate and undergraduate students from the Department of Theatre and Film, came together to produce and perform what was called "the freeze." Students chose two separate locations on campus and froze in place for four minutes in order to explore the role of the body in interpersonal communication by perturbing normative considerations of spatial practice. Through the use of performance pedagogy, the class utilized theories of performance and embodied knowledge to execute the freeze, challenging both themselves and traditional ways of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although prior research suggests that juvenile correctional programs can be effective at reducing recidivism, research has also found that some programs are more effective than others. This suggests that identifying the characteristics of effective correctional programs is an important issue surrounding interventions with juveniles. The current research not only examines the effectiveness of Ohio's community correctional facilities in reducing recidivism, but it also examines whether measures of treatment integrity are related to recidivism. The findings revealed that programs that scored higher on treatment integrity were more effective at reducing recidivism. Specifically, community corrections facilities that served higher risk youth, targeted dynamic risk factors with cognitive behavioral modalities, and employed trained and qualified staff were found to have stronger effects on recidivism than those that did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. When studying speciation, researchers commonly examine reproductive isolation in recently diverged populations. Polymorphic species provide an opportunity to examine the role of reproductive isolation in populations that may be in the process of divergence. 2. We examined a polymorphic population of Plethodon cinereus (red-backed salamanders) for evidence of sympatric ecological separation by colour morphology. Recent studies have correlated temperature and climate with colour morphology in this species, but no studies have looked at differences in diet or mate choice between colour morphs. We used artificial cover objects to assess salamander diet, mating preference and surface activity over a 2-year period at a field site in north-eastern Ohio. 3. We detected differences in diet between two colour morphs, striped and unstriped. The diets of striped individuals were significantly more diverse and were made up of more profitable prey than the diets of unstriped salamanders. 4. Opposite sex pairs were made up of individuals of the same colour morph and striped males were found more often with larger females than were unstriped males. 5. We corroborate findings of earlier studies suggesting that the unstriped form is adapted to warmer conditions. Unstriped individuals were the first to withdraw from the forest floor as temperatures fell in the late fall. We found no evidence that the colour morphs responded differently to abiotic factors such as soil moisture and relative humidity, and responses to surface temperatures were also equivocal. 6. We conclude that the two colour morphs exhibit some degree of ecological separation and tend to mate assortatively, but are unlikely to be undergoing divergence given the observed frequency of intermorph pairings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucosinolates are secondary plant metabolites derived from amino acids and they influence human health, pest populations and crop flavor. Our primary objective was to determine the independent and interactive effects of planting date (PD) and cultivar (C) on total glucosinolate concentrations in cabbage, in part to help develop management systems that optimize them. A second objective was to explore the reported link between total glucosinolate concentrations and pungency in fresh cabbage. Six commercial fresh market cabbage cultivars were planted in May and June 2001 and 2002 at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) Vegetable Crops Research Branch in Fremont, Ohio. Total glucosinolate concentrations in horticulturally mature heads were determined using a glucose evolution procedure. In 2001, 12 to 14 experienced panelists also scored sample pungency. Total glucosinolate concentrations were significantly affected by PD and C, but the PD x C interaction was not significant. Mean glucosinolate concentrations were greater in May- than June-planted cabbage in both years. Cultivar ranking with regard to glucosinolate concentrations was similar between planting dates in both years. 'Cheers' had the highest mean glucosinolate concentrations (23.1 and 29.5 mmol⋅kg-1 dry weight in 2001 and 2002, respectively) and 'Solid Blue 790' the lowest (17.1 and 19.7 mmol⋅kg-1 dry weight in 2001 and 2002, respectively). In 2001, panelists generally scored cultivars highest in glucosinolates as more pungent than cultivars lowest in glucosinolates. These data suggest that planting date and cultivar effects on total glucosinolate concentrations in cabbage are largely independent. Climatic data suggest that higher air temperatures during head development of May-compared to June-planted cabbage induced plant stress and resulted in higher glucosinolate concentrations in May-planted cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of pattern-recognition software Wild-ID for identifying individual eastern box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina). Topics discussed include observation of turtle's shell patterns, analysis of photographs of Eastern Box Turtles from areas such as the Oak Openings Region of northwestern Ohio, and no change in the plastron pattern of turtles.

Objective: To construct and validate models that predict a patient's risk of developing stress and urgency urinary incontinence and adverse events 12 months after sling surgery.Methods: This was a secondary analysis of four randomized trials. Twenty-five candidate predictors (patient characteristics and urodynamic variables) were identified from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Trial of Mid-Urethral Slings (N=597). Multiple logistic models were fit to predict four different outcomes: 1) bothersome stress urinary incontinence; 2) a positive stress test; 3) bothersome urgency urinary incontinence; and 4) any adverse event up to 12 months after sling surgery. Model discrimination was measured using a concordance index. Each model's concordance index was internally validated using 1,000 bootstrap samples and calibration curves were plotted. Final models were externally validated on a separate data set (n=902) from a combination of three different multicenter randomized trials.Results: Four best models discriminated on internal validation between women with bothersome stress urinary incontinence (concordance index 0.728, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.683-0.773), a positive stress test (concordance index 0.712, 95% CI 0.669-0.758), bothersome urgency urinary incontinence (concordance index 0.722, 95% CI 0.680-0.764), and any adverse event (concordance index 0.640, 95% CI 0.595-0.681) after sling surgery. Each model's concordance index was reduced as expected when important variables were removed for external validation, but model discrimination remained stable with bothersome stress urinary incontinence (concordance index 0.548), a positive stress test (concordance index 0.656), bothersome urgency urinary incontinence (concordance index 0.621), and any adverse event (concordance index 0.567). Predicted probabilities are closest to actual probabilities when predictions are less than 50%.Conclusion: Four best and modified models discriminate between women who will and will not develop urinary incontinence and adverse events 12 months after midurethral sling surgery 64-73% and 55-66% of the time, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma, and nearly 40% of prehospital deaths can be attributed to blood loss. The Stop the Bleed program provides a structured curriculum for teaching hemorrhage control and the use of bleeding control kits. To overcome implementation barriers and to achieve the goal of making education on bleeding control as common as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, widespread implementation with outreach to the public and law enforcement is necessary., Methods: We provide a description and analysis of the implementation of a regional Stop the Bleed program, which includes a step-by-step guide to the design of this program provided as a template to guide attempts at large-scale Stop the Bleed program development., Results: Combining the efforts of regional trauma and nontrauma centers as a hub-and-spoke design, a region covering four states, 72 counties, and 30,000 square miles was targeted. A total of 27,291 individuals were trained in a 21-month period including 3,172 trainers, 19,310 lay public, and 4,809 law enforcement officers. A total of 436 bleeding control kits were distributed to 102 public schools, and tourniquets were provided to 4,809 law enforcement officers. Program development and community outreach resulted in official recognition of the program by the Pennsylvania State Senate., Conclusions: With the use of a multicenter outreach program design with emphasis on law enforcement and public education while developing a train-the-trainer program, widespread and rapid dissemination of Stop the Bleed teaching is feasible. The general steps described in this manuscript may serve as a template for new or developing programs in other areas to increase the national exposure to Stop the Bleed., Level of Evidence: Economic/Decision study, level IV.

Context: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate pathological processes, yet their potential roles in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are poorly understood., Objective: To profile transcriptionally dysregulated lncRNAs in PTC and identify lncRNAs associated with clinicopathological characteristics., Design: We performed RNA sequencing of 12 paired PTC tumors and matched noncancerous tissues and correlated the expression of lncRNAs with clinical parameters. The 2 most significantly dysregulated lncRNAs were studied in an Ohio PTC cohort (n = 109) and in PTC data (n = 497) from The Cancer Genome Atlas., Setting: A combination of laboratory-based studies and computational analysis using clinical data and samples and a publically available database., Main Outcome Measures: Correlation between expression values and clinical parameters., Results: We identified 218 lncRNAs showing differential expression in PTC (fold change ≥ 2.0, P < .01). Significant correlation was observed between the expression of 2 lncRNAs (XLOC&#95;051122 and XLOC&#95;006074) and 1) lymph node metastasis (N stage) and 2) BRAF(V600E) mutation. Among patients with wild-type BRAF, the expression of these 2 lncRNAs showed significantly higher levels in the patients with lymph node metastasis. In silico analysis of these lncRNAs pinpointed cell movement and cellular growth and proliferation as targeted functions., Conclusions: Comprehensive expression screening identified 2 novel lncRNAs associated with risk factors of adverse prognosis in PTC patients. These lncRNAs may be novel players in PTC carcinogenesis.

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) shows high heritability, yet efforts to find predisposing genes have been largely negative., Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify susceptibility genes for PTC., Methods: A genome-wide linkage analysis was performed in 38 families. Targeted association study and screening were performed in 2 large cohorts of PTC patients and controls. Candidate DNA variants were tested in functional studies., Results: Linkage analysis and association studies identified the Slit-Robo Rho GTPase activating protein 1 gene (SRGAP1) in the linkage peak as a candidate gene. Two missense variants, Q149H and A275T, localized in the Fes/CIP4 homology domain segregated with the disease in 1 family each. One missense variant, R617C, located in the RhoGAP domain occurred in 1 family. Biochemical assays demonstrated that the ability to inactivate CDC42, a key function of SRGAP1, was severely impaired by the Q149H and R617C variants., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that SRGAP1 is a candidate gene in PTC susceptibility. SRGAP1 is likely a low-penetrant gene, possibly of a modifier type.

The spatial and temporal variability of riverbed vertical hydraulic conductivity (K(v)) was investigated at a site of induced infiltration, associated with a municipal well field, to assess the impact of high-stage events on scour and subsequently the riverbed K(v). Such impacts are important when considering the potential loss of riverbank filtration capacity due to storm events. The study site, in and along the Great Miami River in southwest Ohio, overlaid a highly productive glacial-outwash aquifer. A three-layer model for this system was conceptualized: a top layer of transient sediment, a second layer comprising large sediment resistant to scour, but clogged with finer sediment (the armor/colmation layer), and a third layer that was transitional to the underlying higher-K(v) aquifer. One location was studied in detail to confirm and quantify the conceptual model. Methods included seepage meters, heat-flow modeling, grain-size analyses, laboratory permeameter tests, slug tests and the use of scour chains and pressure-load cells to directly measure the amount of sediment scour and re-deposition. Seepage meter measured riverbed K(v) ranged from 0.017 to 1.7 m/d with a geometric mean of 0.19 m/d. Heat-transport model-calibrated estimates were even lower, ranging from 0.0061 to 0.046 m/d with a mean of 0.017 m/d. The relatively low K(v) was indicative of the clogged armor layer. In contrast, slug tests in the underlying riverbed sediment yielded K(v) values an order of magnitude greater. There was a linear relationship between scour chain measured scour and event intensity with a maximum scour of only 0.098 m. Load-cell pressure sensor data over a 7-month period indicated a total sediment-height fluctuation of 0.42 m and a maximum storm-event scour of 0.28 m. Scour data indicated that the assumed armor/colmation layer almost always remained intact. Based on measured layer conductivities and thicknesses, the overall K(v) of this conceptualized system was 1.6 m/d. Sensitivity analyses indicated that even complete scour of the armor/colmation layer would likely increase the overall K(v) only by a factor of 1.5. Most scour events observed removed only the transient sediment, having very little effect on the entire system indicating low risk of losing filtration capacity during storms. The research, however, focused on the point bar, depositional side of the river. More research of the entire river profile is necessary., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To estimate the reliability and interobserver consistency of urodynamic interpretations of female bladder and urethral function., Methods: Three urogynecologists and three female urologists at a tertiary care medical center reviewed masked, abstracted clinical and urodynamic information from 100 charts, selected for adequate completeness from a consecutive series of 135 women referred for urodynamic testing. For each of the 100 cases, the reviewers assigned International Continence Society filling and voiding phase diagnoses, and overall clinical diagnoses. Raw agreement proportions and weighted kappa chance-corrected agreement statistics (kappa) were used jointly to describe both reliability and interobserver agreement. Reliability was estimated from duplicate reviews, masked and separated by at least 4 months, of each case by each physician. Interobserver agreement was estimated from comparisons of all pairs of responses from different physicians., Results: For clinical diagnosis of stress incontinence (present, absent, indeterminate), the within- and across-physician weighted kappa's were, respectively, 0.78 and 0.68. Corresponding results were 0.40 and 0.13 for detrusor overactivity without incontinence, 0.58 and 0.38 for detrusor overactivity with incontinence, and 0.51 and 0.26 for voiding dysfunction. Standard errors of each kappa were between 0.023 and 0.043., Conclusion: In our group, lower urinary tract diagnoses of stress urinary incontinence from both clinical and urodynamic data demonstrated substantial reliability and interobserver agreement. However, by conventional interpretation of kappa-statistics, reliability of diagnoses of detrusor overactivity or voiding dysfunction was only moderate, and interobserver agreement on these diagnoses was no better than fair. Urodynamic interpretations may not be satisfactorily reproducible for these diagnoses.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent anthrax scare, there is growing concern about the United States' vulnerability to terrorist use of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). As part of ongoing preparation for this terrible reality, many jurisdictions have been conducting simulated terrorist incidents to provide training for the public safety community, hospitals, and public health departments. As an example of this national effort to improve domestic preparedness for such events, a large scale, multi-jurisdictional chemical weapons drill was conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 20, 2000. This drill depicted the components of the early warning system for hospitals and public health departments, the prehospital medical response to terrorism. Over the course of the exercise, emergency medical services personnel decontaminated, triaged, treated, and transported eighty-five patients. Several important lessons were learned that day that have widespread applicability to health care delivery systems nationwide, especially in the areas of decontamination, triage, on-scene medical care, and victim transportation. As this training exercise helped Cincinnati to prepare for dealing with future large scale WMD incidents, such drills are invaluable preparation for all communities in a world increasingly at risk from terrorist attacks.

Objective: To compare sexual function in women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse and to determine the effects of therapy on sexual function., Methods: 343 community-dwelling women older than 45 years with urinary incontinence or advanced prolapse were recruited into a multi-armed clinical trial. Women with incontinence were stratified to receive estrogen therapy, behavioral therapy, or surgical therapy. Women with prolapse were enrolled in a randomized surgical trial. All women completed a standardized urogynecologic evaluation and a sexual function questionnaire at baseline and after therapy., Results: Women with prolapse or detrusor instability were more likely to cite pelvic floor symptoms as a reason for sexual inactivity than were women with other conditions. One third of patients with prolapse reported that their pelvic floor condition affected their ability to have sexual relations "moderately" or "greatly" significantly more than did other groups. Patients with genuine stress incontinence who underwent surgical or behavioral therapy were less likely to report being worried about urine leakage during intercourse after therapy than at baseline. After surgery, women with prolapse were less likely to report that their symptoms affected their ability to have sexual relations compared with baseline. Overall sexual satisfaction was the same at baseline and remained unchanged in all therapeutic groups at 6 months., Conclusion: Prolapse is more likely than urinary incontinence to result in sexual inactivity and to be perceived as affecting sexual relations. However, overall sexual satisfaction appears to be independent of diagnosis of or therapy for urinary incontinence or prolapse.