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Resource-selection studies of passerine birds during the breeding season have mainly been limited to understanding those factors important to nesting. However, little is known about what resources are selected by juveniles that are no longer dependent on their parents. The postfledging period may be a critical part of the breeding season for independent juveniles because they must avoid predators and learn to forage on a changing resource base. We used radio-telemetry to study postfledging habitat use and resource selection of juvenile Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) in coastal California from 2000 to 2002. We generated population-level contours (50% and 95% fixed-kernel) to describe habitat use by independent juveniles, and we determined juvenile resource selection by comparing vegetation characteristics at sites used by juveniles versus random sites. Juvenile Swainson's Thrushes used mixed-hardwood forest and coastal scrub during the postfledging period as well as riparian vegetation used by nesting adults. The most parsimonious predictors of resource selection were fruit abundance variables, suggesting that postfledging habitat selection by the Swainson's Thrush is best explained by the optimal-foraging hypothesis. We suggest that juvenile thrushes can track food resources in a habitat mosaic and use vegetation types distinct from what is traditionally considered Swainson's Thrush breeding habitat. Selección de Recursos por Juveniles de Cathatus ustulatus Durante el Periodo de Emancipación Resumen. Los estudios de selección de recursos en aves paserinas durante la estación reproductiva, se han centrado principalmente en entender los factores importantes para la anidación. Sin embargo, se sabe poco acerca de los recursos seleccionados por los juveniles que ya no dependen de sus padres. Para los juveniles independientes, el periodo de emancipación podría ser una parte crítica de la estación reproductiva en la que deben evitar depredadores y aprender a forrajear sobre una base de recursos fluctuante. Por medio de telemetría, estudiamos el uso de hábitat y selección de recursos en juveniles del zorzal Catharus ustulatus en la costa de California entre los años 2000 y 2002. A nivel de población, generamos polígonos (de 50% y 95% de “kernel” fijo) para describir la utilización de hábitat por juveniles independientes, y para determinar la selección de recursos comparamos las características de la vegetación de los sitios utilizados con la de sitios aleatorios pareados. Los juveniles utilizaron bosques mixtos y matorral costero durante el periodo de emancipación, así como la vegetación riparia utilizada por adultos nidificantes. Las variables con las predicciones más parsimoniosas del uso de recursos fueron las relacionadas con la abundancia de frutos, lo que sugiere que la selección de hábitat de emancipación por C. ustulatus es explicada en mejores términos por la hipótesis de forrajeo óptimo. Sugerimos que los zorzales juveniles pueden encontrar recursos alimenticios en mosaicos de hábitat y usar tipos de vegetación distintos a los que tradicionalmente se consideran como hábitat de anidación.

Practice Guidelines have become increasingly popular at the national and international level. Practice Guidelines are a natural extension of the “evidence-based intervention” movement, and could be a mechanism to promote the use of evidence-based interventions within the field of school psychology practice and training. In this paper we review the use of Practice Guidelines in other fields and the promise and potential pitfalls associated with the development and application of Practice Guidelines within the field of school psychology. Recommendations for how to avert some of the difficulties faced by other disciplines in the development and application of Practice Guidelines are discussed. Suggestions for next steps in the profession and future research are noted.

SUMMARY Ecological processes can have strong effects on production systems, many of which prevent crops from reaching their maximal yield. Past and present management strategies have been developed to mitigate the negative interactions, thereby improving crop production. However, when applied to complex and variable agroecosystems, some of these strategies have resulted in unintended ecological effects that ultimately hindered production. Transgenic crops are a widespread and powerful management option, and there is a tremendous need to understand their intended ecological effects as well as potential unintended direct and indirect effects. The purpose of this review is threefold: (1) to discuss four of the major ecological effects that limit crop production: competition, herbivory, disease, and abiotic stresses, (2) to describe how biotechnology is addressing these problems, and (3) to examine the ways these biotechnological solutions may cause ecological effects that unintentionally hinder crop producti...

Oviposition behavior is an important mechanism for establishing spatial distribution and mitigating potential interactions among community members. We studied the oviposition behavior of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner, in the presence of conspecific larvae, the aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), and corn pollen to determine whether these potential interacting factors affect the distribution of European corn borer egg masses laid on sweet corn in field cages. We found that ovipositing females in the field differentiate between adjacent corn plants in response to conspecific larvae. We also found that European corn borers laid significantly fewer egg masses on plants with large aphid colonies compared with adjacent plants with few aphids. Furthermore, fewer egg masses were laid on the top one third of the plant where the aphid colonies were located. We also tested for a fitness advantage of European corn borer’s oviposition behavior in response to aphids and found that neonate ...

2-Mercapto-1-tert-butylimidazole (HmimtBu) and its Group 12 metal complexes (HmimtBu)2 MBr2 (M = Zn, Cd, Hg) have been readily prepared and structurally characterized. Whereas the former displays a dimeric structure in the solid state with two S ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ H–N interactions linking each pair of molecules, the four-coordinate complexes exhibit distorted tetrahedral geometries with the S–M–S angles in the range 103.2–135.2○. The average M–Br bond lengths are 2.401, 2.567, and 2.688 A for M = Zn, Cd, and Hg, respectively, and the corresponding average M–S bond distances are 2.350, 2.540, and 2.467 A. The average C–S bond length for all the complexes (1.72 A) is only ca. 0.02 A longer than the corresponding value in the free ligand. HmimtBu is orthorhombic, space group Pbca, a = 10.1571(5) A, b = 9.7906(5) A, c = 17.6616(9) A, V = 1756.34(15) A3, Z = 8; (HmimtBu)2ZnBr2 is monoclinic, space group C2/c, a = 17.187(3) A, b = 8.9908(17) A, c = 15.560(3) A, β = 117.206(3)○, V = 2138.3(7) A3, Z = 4; (HmimtBu)2CdBr2 is triclinic, space group P $${\bar 1}$$ , a = 7.4625(6) A, b = 9.6149(9) A, c = 31.020(3) A, α = 93.485(2)○, β = 94.579(2)○, γ = 103.872(2)○, V = 2146.6(3) A3, Z = 4; (HmimtBu)2HgBr2 is monoclinic, space group P21/c, a = 6.8908(6) A, b = 10.2397(9) A, c = 29.859(3) A, β = 94.364(2)○, V = 2100.7(3) A3, Z = 4.

An improved preparation of the bulky tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate ligand [TmtBu]− is reported together with convenient high yield syntheses of the Group 12 metal derivatives [TmtBu]MBr (M = Zn, Cd, Hg). The molecular structures of the three new complexes have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and together constitute the first complete triad of TmR compounds in the periodic table to be structurally characterized. The isostructural complexes display in the solid state distorted tetrahedral structures, with the heavier members of the group exhibiting larger Br–M–S and smaller S–M–S angles.

Importance Understanding the risk of birth defects associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy may help guide communication, prevention, and planning efforts. In the absence of Zika virus, microcephaly occurs in approximately 7 per 10 000 live births. Objective To estimate the preliminary proportion of fetuses or infants with birth defects after maternal Zika virus infection by trimester of infection and maternal symptoms. Design, Setting, and Participants Completed pregnancies with maternal, fetal, or infant laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika virus infection and outcomes reported in the continental United States and Hawaii from January 15 to September 22, 2016, in the US Zika Pregnancy Registry, a collaboration between the CDC and state and local health departments. Exposures Laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika virus infection in a maternal, placental, fetal, or infant sample. Main Outcomes and Measures Birth defects potentially Zika associated: brain abnormalities with or without microcephaly, neural tube defects and other early brain malformations, eye abnormalities, and other central nervous system consequences. Results Among 442 completed pregnancies in women (median age, 28 years; range, 15-50 years) with laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika virus infection, birth defects potentially related to Zika virus were identified in 26 (6%; 95% CI, 4%-8%) fetuses or infants. There were 21 infants with birth defects among 395 live births and 5 fetuses with birth defects among 47 pregnancy losses. Birth defects were reported for 16 of 271 (6%; 95% CI, 4%-9%) pregnant asymptomatic women and 10 of 167 (6%; 95% CI, 3%-11%) symptomatic pregnant women. Of the 26 affected fetuses or infants, 4 had microcephaly and no reported neuroimaging, 14 had microcephaly and brain abnormalities, and 4 had brain abnormalities without microcephaly; reported brain abnormalities included intracranial calcifications, corpus callosum abnormalities, abnormal cortical formation, cerebral atrophy, ventriculomegaly, hydrocephaly, and cerebellar abnormalities. Infants with microcephaly (18/442) represent 4% of completed pregnancies. Birth defects were reported in 9 of 85 (11%; 95% CI, 6%-19%) completed pregnancies with maternal symptoms or exposure exclusively in the first trimester (or first trimester and periconceptional period), with no reports of birth defects among fetuses or infants with prenatal exposure to Zika virus infection only in the second or third trimesters. Conclusions and Relevance Among pregnant women in the United States with completed pregnancies and laboratory evidence of possible recent Zika infection, 6% of fetuses or infants had evidence of Zika-associated birth defects, primarily brain abnormalities and microcephaly, whereas among women with first-trimester Zika infection, 11% of fetuses or infants had evidence of Zika-associated birth defects. These findings support the importance of screening pregnant women for Zika virus exposure.

Macrocentrus grandii is a polyembryonic parasitoid, with embryos that divide asexually within the host (European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis) to produce broods of clonal offspring. From a biological control standpoint, polyembryony seems advantageous because each parasitized host yields multiple parasitoids with minimal time and egg investment. When we observed M. grandii in the field, however, we found that the parasitoid virtually always invested additional time and, if possible, stings into hosts that it had already stung, apparently reducing some of the advantages of polyembryony. We therefore investigated and found support for two potential benefits that can be gained by self-superparasitism in this system. First, multiple stings allowed production of mixed-sex broods: 27% of multiply-stung versus 0% of singly-stung hosts produced mixed-sex broods. Second, multiple stings increased mean parasitoid progeny produced per host, primarily by reducing the chance of complete brood failure. Our results indicate substantial benefit for a second sting, but little benefit for three or more stings, even though M. grandii was sometimes observed to invest more than two stings within a single host. However, we also found that within-host larval competition is prevalent, suggesting that supernumerary stings may pay off in competition against conspecific larvae. Such additional investment within a single host would be particularly beneficial when hosts, rather than eggs, are limiting, but would decrease the overall efficacy of M. grandii as a biological control agent.

Objectives:(1) Understand the principles for safe outpatient thyroid surgery. (2) Review the outcomes of outpatient thyroid surgery in a large patient cohort.Methods:A protocol for outpatient thyroidectomy was conceived and refined over 3 years. A prospective analysis of all thyroidectomies accomplished by a single surgeon using this protocol from May 2008 to November 2013 was then undertaken. Patient demographics, surgical and pathological data, admission status, and complication and readmission rates were recorded.Results:A total of 1311 thyroidectomy procedures were performed during the study period, of which 1018 (77.7 %) were conducted on an outpatient basis. The readmission rate for outpatients was 0.8%, with only 1 readmission in the last 200 procedures. Inpatients were readmitted more often than outpatients (3.9% vs 0.8%, P < .01). Outpatient management increased steadily throughout the study period (from 59.2% to 92.8%, P < .01), despite a larger mean nodule size and a higher rate of malignancy o...

Many insects are associated with heritable symbionts that mediate ecological interactions, including host protection against natural enemies. The cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora , is a polyphagous pest that harbors Hamiltonella defensa , which defends against parasitic wasps. Despite this protective benefit, this symbiont occurs only at intermediate frequencies in field populations. To identify factors constraining H. defensa invasion in Ap. craccivora , we estimated symbiont transmission rates, performed fitness assays, and measured infection dynamics in population cages to evaluate effects of infection. Similar to results with the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum , we found no consistent costs to infection using component fitness assays, but we did identify clear costs to infection in population cages when no enemies were present. Maternal transmission rates of H. defensa in Ap. craccivora were high (ca. 99%) but not perfect. Transmission failures and infection costs likely limit the spread of protective H. defensa in Ap. craccivora . We also characterized several parameters of H. defensa infection potentially relevant to the protective phenotype. We confirmed the presence of H. defensa in aphid hemolymph, where it potentially interacts with endoparasites, and performed real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to estimate symbiont and phage abundance during aphid development. We also examined strain variation of H. defensa and its bacteriophage at multiple loci, and despite our lines being collected in different regions of North America, they were infected with a nearly identical strains of H. defensa and APSE4 phage. The limited strain diversity observed for these defensive elements may result in relatively static protection profile for this defensive symbiosis.

No previous qualitative exploration of urinary incontinence (UI) or post-stroke urinary incontinence (PSUI) has been undertaken in an Australian population.The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of community-dwelling stroke survivors who were living with UI/PSUI and understand how context shaped those experiences.A pragmatic approach using thematic analysis was employed for this study.Four themes emerged from the data: "I've got to go": onset and daily experience of UI; "No one ever mentioned it": lack of advice and information from the health system; "You can't enjoy something if you've got to go the toilet": experience of occupational restrictions; and "It's just a matter of planning": management strategies.UI continued well beyond discharge and was shaped by limited advice, distress, and role loss. Occupational therapists are encouraged to engage in assessment, management, and treatment of UI, including the provision of education that promotes continence, attenuates negative experiences, and enhances community participation.

This study assessed how landcover classification affects associations between landscape characteristics and Lyme disease rate. Landscape variables were derived from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), including native classes (e.g., deciduous forest, developed low intensity) and aggregate classes (e.g., forest, developed). Percent of each landcover type, median income, and centroid coordinates were calculated by census tract. Regression results from individual and aggregate variable models were compared with the dispersion parameter-based R 2 (R 2 a) and AIC. 2 a was 0.82 and 0.83 for the best aggregate and individual model, respectively. The AICs for the best models differed by less than 0.5%. The aggregate model variables included forest, developed, agriculture, agriculture-squared, y-coordinate, y-coordinate-squared, income and income-squared. The individual model variables included deciduous forest, deciduous forest-squared, developed low intensity, pasture, y-coordinate, y-coordinate-squared, income, and income-squared. Results indicate that regional landscape models for Lyme disease rate are robust to NLCD landcover classification resolution. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The IMProved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial (IMPROVE-IT) is evaluating the potential benefit for reduction in major cardiovascular (CV) events from the addition of ezetimibe versus placebo to 40 mg/d of simvastatin therapy in patients who present with acute coronary syndromes and have low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≤ 125 mg/dL.The primary composite end point is CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, rehospitalization for unstable angina (UA), and coronary revascularization (≥ 30 days postrandomization). The simvastatin monotherapy arm's LDL-C target is70 mg/dL. Ezetimibe was assumed to further lower LDL-C by 15 mg/dL and produce an estimated ~8% to 9% treatment effect. The targeted number of events is 5,250.We enrolled 18,144 patients with either ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI, n = 5,192) or UA/non-ST-segment elevation MI (UA/NSTEMI, n = 12,952) from October 2005 to July 2010. Western Europe (40%) and North America (38%) were the leading enrolling regions. The STEMI cohort was younger and had a higher percentage of patients naive to lipid-lowering treatment compared with the UA/NSTEMI cohort. The UA/NSTEMI group had a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and prior MI. Median LDL-C at entry was 100 mg/dL for STEMI and 93 mg/dL for UA/NSTEMI patients.This trial is evaluating LDL-C lowering beyond previously targeted LDL-C levels. The results depend on achieving the desired separation of LDL-C with ezetimibe and on the assumption that ezetimibe's lowering of LDL-C will have similar event reduction efficacy as the LDL-C lowering from a statin. The results could affect future therapies and guidelines.

Obesity is associated with a number of medical comorbidities and is considered a risk factor for surgical complications. However, the impact of obesity on the safety of minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) has not been well defined. We sought to determine the relationship between obesity and the risk of complications in patients undergoing MIVAT.A prospectively maintained database of all thyroid surgeries performed from January 2006 through June 2012 was searched and all cases of MIVAT were identified. Patients were stratified into three body mass index (BMI) groups according to the National Institutes of Health classification for obesity: normal (BMI ≤ 24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)). The total number of complications was compared among the three groups, and MIVAT patients were also compared to a cohort of patients undergoing conventional thyroid surgery.There were 233 MIVATs performed on 223 patients. The mean overall BMI for the study population was 25.4 kg/m(2). There were 123 procedures (52.8%) in the normal group, 76 procedures (32.6%) in the overweight group, and 34 procedures (14.6%) in the obese group. Complications included 1 case of cellulitis (0.4%), 6 cases of temporary hypocalcemia (2.6%), and 6 cases of transient vocal fold paresis (2.6%). No patients suffered permanent hypocalcemia or a permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. There were 9 complications in the normal group (7.3%), 4 complications in the overweight group (5.3%), and no complications in the obese group. Due to the low number of complications in this series, the overweight and obese groups were combined into a high BMI group for further analysis. Statistical analysis using simple logistic regression models revealed that there was no significant difference in the number of complications in patients with a high BMI compared with patients with a normal BMI (odds ratio [OR] 0.48 [confidence interval (CI) 0.14-1.63], p=0.2). The MIVAT group had fewer overall complications than the conventional thyroidectomy group.Overweight and obese patients undergoing MIVAT in this series were not at an increased risk for surgical complications. The MIVAT procedure may be considered safe in patients with a high BMI, who may derive particular benefit from a minimally invasive approach.

International audience; Facultative bacterial endosymbionts can play an important role in the evolutionary trajectory of their hosts. Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are infected with a wide variety of facultative endosymbionts that can confer ecologically relevant traits, which in turn may drive microevolutionary processes in a dynamic selective environment. However, relatively little is known about how symbiont diversity is structured in most aphid species. Here, we investigate facultative symbiont species richness and prevalence among worldwide populations of the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch. We surveyed 44 populations of A. craccivora, and detected 11 strains of facultative symbiotic bacteria, representing six genera. There were two significant associations between facultative symbiont and aphid food plant: the symbiont Arsenophonus was found at high prevalence in A. craccivora populations collected from Robinia sp. (locust), whereas the symbiont Hamiltonella was almost exclusively found in A. craccivora populations from Medicago sativa (alfalfa). Aphids collected from these two food plants also had divergent mitochondrial haplotypes, potentially indicating the formation of specialized aphid lineages associated with food plant (host-associated differentiation). The role of facultative symbionts in this process remains to be determined. Overall, observed facultative symbiont prevalence in A. craccivora was lower than that of some other well-studied aphids (e.g., Aphis fabae and Acyrthosiphon pisum), possibly as a consequence of A. craccivora's almost purely parthenogenetic life history. Finally, most (70 %) of the surveyed populations were polymorphic for facultative symbiont infection, indicating that even when symbiont prevalence is relatively low, symbiont-associated phenotypic variation may allow population-level evolutionary responses to local selection.

Although Typha (cattail) species have been reported to be non-mycorrhizal, recent studies have reported arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) struc- tures in Typha roots, even in very wet habitats. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation- ship between phosphorus availability and AM colo- nization of Typha angustifolia. Typha angustifolia was grown in factorial combinations of four phosphorus concentrations (1, 10, 100, and 500 FtM P) and two inoculum densities (200 or 500 spores/pot), with an uninoculated control treatment at 100 (LM P. After

To develop analytical methodology to assess the genetic complexity of a DNA sample, capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection is used to monitor the annealing process of DNA samples. Coated columns are filled with an entangled polymer solution shown to optimally separate DNA through size-selective capillary electrophoresis. DNA samples are denatured by heating in a boiling water bath for approximately 10 min and then cooled to approximately 25 degrees C below the melting point of the DNA sample to initiate the reassociation process. The DNA is detected by means of the laser-induced fluorescence of intercalated ethidium bromide, which produces a substantially greater signal for double- versus single-stranded DNA. The rate of reassociation is dependent upon the rate at which complimentary strands of DNA encounter each other and the degree of repeating base sequences in the sample (hence, the diversity of the DNA). Experimental parameters also influence the reassociation rate. The effects of salt concentration and incubation temperature are presented. Traditional plots of C(o)t (C(o) = DNA concentration and t = reassociation time) versus % recovery of double-stranded DNA signal are generated for PhiX 174 Hae III digest and 50 bp stepladder DNA, individually and combined, to calculate the reassociation rate constants for these samples. Because reassociation of individual fragments is observed by the CE-LIF method, more information about the samples is available than with less specific and time-consuming traditional methods of investigating DNA reassociation.

The content of four phonological awareness training programs was analyzed according to six principles of effective instructional design related to teaching students at risk for reading failure. The four programs analyzed were selected because they are readily available and are grounded, at least in part, by research. All of the programs were comprehensive but showed differences in skill emphasis as well as in their application of the six design principles. Adaptations related to improving instruction for at-risk learners are presented for each program.

As part of ongoing revisionary work on Antillean Megalonychidae, we document four new sloth species from Quaternary cave localities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.* The new taxa and their tribal affiliations are as follows: Megalocnus zile (Megalocnini), Acratocnus ye (Acratocnini), and Neocnus dousman and N. toupiti (Cubanocnini). Significantly, each is closely related to species in genera long known from Cuba. This observation is of primary biogeographical importance because the most parsimonious explanation for the presence of parallel arrays of lower-level clades of sloths on opposite sides of the Windward Passage is vicariance, not a series of uncoordinated over-water dispersals. For a brief period in the late Paleogene, eastern Cuba, northern Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Aves Rise formed a large positive structure (GAARlandia) that was evidently briefly continuous with northwestern South America. We infer that the later subdivision and subsidence of major portions of GAARlandia mus...

Associational resistance, which refers to decreased herbivory experienced by a plant growing with heterospecific neighbors, is a well documented ecological phe- nomenon. In contrast, studies that describe increased herbivory due to heterospecific neigh- bors (associational susceptibility) are relatively rare. In this study we document associational susceptibility among hosts of the fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria). Cottonwoods (Populus angustifolia X P. fremontii) located under box elder (Acer negundo) were col- onized by two to three times more cankerworms, and suffered two to three times greater defoliation than cottonwoods growing under mature cottonwoods, or cottonwoods growing in the open. This associational pattern reflects fall cankerworm's strong preference for box elder over cottonwood: egg densities were 26 times greater on box elder than cottonwood, first instar larvae consumed 75 times more box elder than cottonwood in larval palatability trials, and fourth instar larvae consumed three times more box elder than cottonwood. In terms of larval performance, first instar larvae exhibited approximately six times greater mortality and 40% slower development time on cottonwood relative to box elder, whereas fourth instar larval performance did not differ between the hosts. Based on these and other findings, we predict that, when generalist herbivores reach outbreak proportions and con- sume their preferred hosts, they will then move to nearby less-preferred hosts to complete their life cycle. This "spillover" effect will result in associational susceptibility for less- preferred hosts and is likely common in forest outbreak situations where herbivore densities are high. With increased emphasis on diversified plantings in agriculture and forestry, it is important to understand potential drawbacks such as associational susceptibility.

The relationship between nutrient availability and mycorrhizal status has been well studied for terrestrial plant species, but has been examined rarely in aquatic and emergent aquatic species. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of phosphorus availability on the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) status of an emergent aquatic, Lythrum salicaria L. L. salicaria was grown in hydroponic sand culture at five phosphorus concentrations (0, 100, 1000, 10 000, and 47 500 μg PO4/l nutrient solution) for 49 days with or without mycorrhizal inoculum obtained from wetland soil. Inoculated plants at the lowest three phosphorus concentrations were colonized by AM, whereas there was no colonization of plants grown at the highest two phosphorus concentrations. Colonization by AM fungi occurred in conjunction with symptoms of phosphorus deficiency in L. salicaria under experimental conditions: plants at the lowest three phosphorus concentrations had lower biomass and higher root: shoot weight ratios than plants at the highest two concentrations. However, total biomass and internal phosphorus concentration did not differ between inoculated and control plants. Further studies are needed under conditions more closely mimicking natural dynamics.

A key issue concerning the primary conversion (Q(O)) site function in the cytochrome bc(1) complex is the stoichiometry of ubiquinone/ubihydroquinone occupancy. Previous evidence suggests that the Q(O) site is able to accommodate two ubiquinone molecules, the double occupancy model [Ding, H., Robertson, D. E., Daldal, F., and Dutton, P. L. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 3144-3158]. In the recently reported crystal structures of the cytochrome bc(1) complex, no electron density was identified in the Q(O) site that could be ascribed to ubiquinone. To provide further insight into this issue, we have manipulated the cytochrome bc(1) complex Q(O) site occupancy in photosynthetic membranes from Rhodobacter capsulatus by using inhibitor titrations and ubiquinone extraction to modulate the amount of ubiquinone bound in the site. The nature of the Q(O) site occupants was probed via the sensitivity of the reduced [2Fe-2S] cluster electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra to modulation of Q(O) site occupancy. Diphenylamine (DPA) and methoxyacrylate (MOA)-stilbene are known Q(O) site inhibitors of the cytochrome bc(1) complex. Addition of stoichiometric concentrations of MOA-stilbene or excess DPA to cytochrome bc(1) complexes with natural levels of ubiquinone elicits the same change in the [2Fe-2S] cluster EPR spectra; the g(x)() resonance broadens and shifts from 1. 800 to 1.783. This is exactly the same signal as that obtained when there is only one ubiquinone present in the Q(O) site. Furthermore, addition of MOA-stilbene or DPA to the cytochrome bc(1) complex depleted of ubiquinone does not alter the [2Fe-2S] cluster EPR spectral line shapes, which remain indicative of one ubiquinone or zero ubiquinones in the Q(O) site, with broad g(x)() resonances at 1. 783 or 1.765, respectively. The results are quite consistent with the Q(O) site double occupancy model, in which MOA-stilbene and DPA inhibit by displacing one, but not both, of the Q(O) site ubiquinones.

Diphenylamine (DPA), a known inhibitor of polyene and isoprene biosynthesis, is shown to inhibit flash-activatable electron transfer in photosynthetic membranes of Rhodobacter capsulatus. DPA is sp...

pellets samples from Newport, Oregon. D Bailey, P Sullivan, and R Sullivan collected and examined samples from Ocean Shores, Washington. W Hoffman helped confirm prey identification for Newport samples, and D Paulson helped with Washington samples. Many people from the ID-frontiers listserve provided useful comments and reference sources regarding beak parts eventually identified as belonging to a Steller's Jay.

Materials and Methods Human anatomic study. Using cadavers (n 7), the main pulmonary trunk was removed and trimmed to create a tissue cylinder with a height equal to the corresponding aortic annulus diameter (Figure 1, A). Three longitudinal incisions, 2 mm less than one half the cylinder height, were positioned 120° apart (Figure 1, A). The resulting flaps were involuted and secured 2 to 3 mm from the superior rim of the cylinder with 6-0 polypropylene (Prolene; Ethicon, Inc, Somerville, NJ) sutures passed through adjacent flaps near their free edges and tied, making each a U stitch (Figure 1, B-D). The base of the involuted tissue was joined with additional 6-0 polypropylene sutures, creating interleaflet triangles and eliminating acute corners from the inner surface of the valve (Figure 1, E). The outermost wall was scalloped (Figure 1, D and E). Implantation was performed with a subcoronary, modified freehand method (Figure 1, F and G). After removal of the native leaflets, stay sutures were passed through the aortic annulus at a position corresponding to the midpoint of each excised leaflet. These were placed through the construct at the superior cut edge (as opposed to the base of the valve in the freehand method), and the construct was lowered into position (Figure 1, F). A 6-0 polypropylene suture was run along the superior aspect of the construct’s outermost wall, following the commissural pillars’ contours (Figure 1, G). Passive testing of each valve’s competency was performed under a 200 mm Hg saline column, enabling endoscopic inspection of the neoleaflets. One aortic root was positioned in a flow simulator, and transvalvular pressure gradients were determined across a range of flows (1-6 L/min, 0.9% saline). Sheep study. The valve design was tested in an adult sheep model (n 2). Before each operation, a replacement valve derived from the pulmonary trunk of a donor sheep was passively tested. The valve constructs were implanted as aortic valve replacements in the subcoronary position by the modified freehand technique described previously (Figure 1, F and G). After weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, the valves were examined with an epicardial echocardiography probe. Regurgitant flow was determined by continuous-wave Doppler scanning in the long-axis view. Peak velocity was obtained in the one animal in which anatomic alignment of the probe allowed measurement. All animals received humane care in compliance with the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Resources, National Research Council.

Bacterial symbionts infect most insect species, including important pests such as whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and often exert important effects on host ecology. The facultative symbiont Hamiltonella is found at high frequencies in the B. tabaci MED (type: Mediterranean-MED) in China. The prevalence of this symbiont in natural populations suggests beneficial effects of infection or manipulation of host reproduction. To date, however, no empirical studies on the biological role of Hamiltonella on the host B. tabaci have been reported. Here, we investigated the effects of Hamiltonella infection on the sex ratio and several fitness parameters in B. tabaci MED by comparing Hamiltonella-infected whiteflies with Hamiltonella-free ones. We found that Hamiltonella-infected whiteflies produced significantly more eggs, exhibited significantly higher nymphal survival, faster development times, and larger adult body size in comparison with Hamiltonella-free whiteflies, while no evidence of reproductive manipulation by Hamiltonella were found in B. tabaci MED. In conclusion, Hamiltonella infection substantially enhanced B. tabaci MED performance. This beneficial role may, at least partially, explain the high prevalence of Hamiltonella in B. tabaci MED populations and may also contribute to their effectiveness in spread of the plant pathogens tomato yellow leaf curl virus.

Aphids commonly harbor bacterial facultative symbionts that have a variety of effects upon their aphid hosts, including defense against hymenopteran parasitoids and fungal pathogens. The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is infected with the symbiont Arsenophonus sp., which has an unknown role in its aphid host. Our research goals were to document the infection frequency and diversity of the symbiont in field-collected soybean aphids, and to determine whether Arsenophonus is defending soybean aphid against natural enemies. We performed diagnostic PCR and sequenced four Arsenophonus genes in soybean aphids from their native and introduced range to estimate infection frequency and genetic diversity, and found that Arsenophonus infection is highly prevalent and genetically uniform. To evaluate the defensive role of Arsenophonus, we cured two aphid genotypes of their natural Arsenophonus infection through ampicillin microinjection, resulting in infected and uninfected isolines within the same genetic background. These isolines were subjected to parasitoid assays using a recently introduced biological control agent, Binodoxys communis [Braconidae], a naturally recruited parasitoid, Aphelinus certus [Aphelinidae], and a commercially available biological control agent, Aphidius colemani [Braconidae]. We also assayed the effect of the common aphid fungal pathogen, Pandora neoaphidis (Remaudiere & Hennebert) Humber (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae), on the same aphid isolines. We did not find differences in successful parasitism for any of the parasitoid species, nor did we find differences in P. neoaphidis infection between our treatments. Our conclusion is that Arsenophonus does not defend its soybean aphid host against these major parasitoid and fungal natural enemies.

Polyvascular disease and diabetes (DM) are each associated with increased early CV risk in patients with ACS. Whether these risks are additive over long-term follow up is unknown. We explored the long-term CV risk associated with polyvascular disease, DM and their combination in patients with ACS.

Facultative bacterial endosymbionts can transfer horizontally among lineages of their arthropod hosts, providing the recipient with a suite of traits that can lead to rapid evolutionary response, as has been recently demonstrated. But how common is symbiont-driven evolution? Evidence suggests that successful symbiont transfers are most likely within a species or among closely related species, although more distant transfers have occurred over evolutionary history. Symbiont-driven evolution need not be a function of a recent horizontal transfer, however. Many endosymbionts infect only a small proportion of a host population, but could quickly increase in frequency under favorable selection regimes. Some host species appear to accumulate a diversity of facultative endosymbionts, and it is among these species that symbiont-driven evolution should be most prevalent. It remains to be determined how frequently symbionts enable rapid evolutionary response by their hosts, but substantial ecological effects are a likely consequence whenever it does occur.

Background There is a little empirical evidence to determine which, if any, monitoring practices best achieve the goals of trial monitoring set forth in ICH E6 under the variable circumstances of different clinical trial settings. Purpose The purpose of this project was to describe current methods of monitoring clinical trials and to explore the rationale for the use of those methods. Methods An electronic survey of known monitoring practices was developed and sent to over 200 organizations involved in conducting clinical research. The survey collected information on institutional demographics, methods of overall study oversight, use of risk-based monitoring and factors that influence assessments of risk, and details on quality assurance and monitoring practices. Results Seventy-nine organizations completed the survey; our analysis included the 65 organizations that indicated they perform clinical trials. Data from the survey indicate that a wide variety of monitoring practices are currently being employed. Eighty-three percent of respondents use centrally available data to evaluate site performance, but only 12% of respondents always or frequently used centralized monitoring to replace on-site visits. Eighty-seven percent of respondents indicated that they always performed on-site visits. This varied by type of organization, with 31% of academic coordinating centers/cooperative groups/government organizations always performing on-site monitoring visits versus 84% of other organizations. The rationale for using a specific monitoring approach does not appear to be based on empirical evidence. Fifty-four percent of respondents stated that ‘usual practice’ determined the frequency with which they conducted on-site monitoring visits. Limitations The overall response rate to our survey was only 30%; thus, we may not have captured the full variance of current monitoring practices, and our responding sample may not be representative. Conclusion These findings underscore the necessity of research to provide an evidence base for monitoring practice.

A growing body of evidence has linked vitamin D deficiency to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D deficiency is also more common in African Americans for whom an increased cardiovascular disease risk exists. This study sought to test the hypothesis that 16 weeks of 60,000 IU monthly supplementation of oral vitamin D(3) would improve flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in African Americans, whereas no change would be observed in the placebo group.A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. Fifty-seven African-American adults were randomly assigned to either the placebo group or vitamin D group.Following 16 weeks of placebo (n = 23; mean age 31 ± 2 years) or 60,000 IU monthly oral vitamin D(3) (n = 22; mean age 29 ± 2 years), serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) increased from 38.2 ± 3.0 to 48.7 ± 3.2 nmol/l and 34.3 ± 2.2 to 100.9 ± 6.6 nmol/l, respectively. No changes in serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum calcium, or urine calcium/creatinine were observed following either treatment. Following 16 weeks of treatment, significant improvements in FMD were only observed in the vitamin D group (1.8 ± 1.3%), whereas the placebo group had no change (-1.3 ± 0.6%). Similarly, the vitamin D group exhibited an increase in absolute change in diameter (0.005 ± 0.004 cm) and FMD/shear (0.08 ± 0.04 %/s(-1), area under the curve (AUC) × 10(3)) following treatment, whereas no change (-0.005 ± 0.002 cm and -0.02 ± 0.02 %/s(-1), AUC, respectively) was observed following placebo.Supplementation of 60,000 IU monthly oral vitamin D(3) (~2,000 IU/day) for 16 weeks is effective at improving vascular endothelial function in African-American adults.

Current strategies for managing congestive heart failure are limited, validating the search for an alternative treatment modality. Gene therapy holds tremendous promise as both a practical and translatable technology platform. Its effectiveness is evidenced by the improvements in cardiac function observed in vector-mediated therapeutic transgene delivery to the murine myocardium. A large animal model validating these results is the likely segue into clinical application. However, controversy still exists regarding a suitable method of vector-mediated cardiac gene delivery that provides for efficient, global gene transfer to the large animal myocardium that is also clinically translatable and practical. Intramyocardial injection and catheter-based coronary delivery techniques are attractive alternatives with respect to their clinical applicability; yet, they are fraught with numerous challenges, including concerns regarding collateral gene expression in other organs, low efficiency of vector delivery to the myocardium, inhomogeneous expression, and untoward immune response secondary to gene delivery. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) delivery with dual systemic and isolated cardiac circuitry precludes these drawbacks and has the added advantage of allowing for control of the pharmacological milieu, multiple pass recirculation through the coronary circulation, the selective addition of endothelial permeabilizing agents, and an increase in vector residence time. Collectively, these mechanics significantly improve the efficiency of global, vector-mediated cardiac gene delivery to the large animal myocardium, highlighting a potential therapeutic strategy to be extended to some heart failure patients.

A striking diversity in limb morphology among fossil sloths suggests that the traditional distinction between extant “tree” sloths and fossil “ground” sloths merits closer scrutiny. Morphologically, xenarthrans (sloths, anteaters, and armadillos) are divergent from other mammalian orders. However, morphological shape indices of aspects of the elbow, hip, and knee joints that clearly discriminate locomotor modes in primates, carnivores, and bovids also succeed in differentiating the fully arboreal, semiarboreal, and terrestrial genera of anteaters. When compared to this extant data base, fossil sloths from both the Pleistocene radiation of the Antilles and the Santacrucian radiation of Argentina exhibit a range of values for these indices comparable to those of primates and anteaters. These results indicate that the diversity of limb structure in fossil sloths is associated with variation in posture and locomotor habits including arboreality, semiarboreality, and terrestriality.

Context: Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency is commonly observed in black youth.Objective: The aim was to determine 25-hydroxyvitaminD[25(OH)D] in response to 2000 IU vitaminD supplementation over time; to evaluate the relation between 25(OH)D concentrations and totalbody fat mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; and to determine whether vitamin D supplementation improves arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV).Design: We conducted a randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial.Setting and Participants: Forty-nine normotensive black boys and girls, aged 16.3 1.4 yr, wererandomly assigned to either the control group (400 IU/d; n 24) or the experimental group (2000IU/d; n 25).Results: Plasma 25(OH)D values at baseline and at 4, 8, and 16 wk were 34.010.6, 44.99.4, 51.211.1, and 59.818.2 nmol/liter, respectively, for the control group; and 33.18.7, 55.011.8, 70.922.0, and 85.730.1 nmol/liter, respectively, for the experimental group. The experimental group vs.the control group reached significantly higher 25(OH)D concentrations at 8 and 16 wk, respectively.Partial correlation analyses indicated that totalbodyfatmassat baselinewassignificantlyandinverselyassociated with 25(OH)D concentrations in response to the 2000-IU supplement across time. Furthermore, carotid-femoralPWVincreased from baseline (5.380.53 m/sec) to posttest (5.710.75 m/sec) in the control group (P 0.016), whereas in the experimental group carotid-femoral PWV decreased from baseline (5.41 0.73 m/sec) to posttest (5.33 0.79 m/sec) (P 0.031).Conclusion: Daily 2000 IU vitamin D supplementation may be effective in optimizing vitamin Dstatus and counteracting the progression of aortic stiffness in black youth. Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations in response to the 2000 IU/d supplementation are negatively modulated by adiposity.

Theory suggests that maternally inherited endosymbionts can promote their spread and persistence in host populations by enhancing the production of daughters by infected hosts, either by improving overall host fitness, or through reproductive manipulation. In the doubly infected parasitoid wasp Encarsia inaron, Wolbachia manipulates host reproduction through cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), but Cardinium does not. We investigated the fitness costs and/or benefits of infection by each bacterium in differentially cured E. inaron as a potential explanation for persistence of Cardinium in this population. We introgressed lines infected with Wolbachia, Cardinium or both with the cured line to create a similar genetic background, and evaluated several parasitoid fitness parameters. We found that symbiont infection resulted in both fitness costs and benefits for E. inaron. The cost was lower initial egg load for all infected wasps. The benefit was increased survivorship, which in turn increased male production for wasps infected with only Cardinium. Female production was unaffected by symbiont infection; we therefore have not yet identified a causal fitness effect that can explain the persistence of Cardinium in the population. Interestingly, the Cardinium survivorship benefit was not evident when Wolbachia was also present in the host, and the reproduction of doubly infected individuals did not differ significantly from uninfected wasps. Therefore, the results of our study show that even when multiple infections seem to have no effect on a host, there may be a complex interaction of costs and benefits among symbionts.

Human mutations in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GNRHR) gene cause autosomal recessive, normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). At least 19 different mutations have been identified in this G-protein-coupled receptor, which consist mostly of missense mutations. The Gln106Arg and Arg262Gln mutations comprise nearly half of the identified alleles. Most mutations impair ligand binding and all compromise cell signaling events. Some of the mutations also adversely affect activation of gonadotropin subunit or Gnrhr gene promoters. Interestingly, a number of the mutant GnRHRs can be rescued in vitro from misfolding and degradation within the cell by the addition of a GnRHR antagonist IN3. Most affected patients have compound heterozygous GNRHR mutations that may cause either complete IHH (no evidence of puberty) or incomplete IHH (partial evidence of puberty), although some genotypes are associated with mild disease in some families and severe disease in others. GNRHR mutations also appear to cause constitutional delay of puberty, and one genotype (homozygosity for Gln106Arg) may be reversible in patients with IHH. Mutations in the human GNRHR gene have contributed greatly to the understanding of normosmic IHH, as well as the structure and function of the GnRHR.

This study examined developmental and sex differences in the exploratory and investigatory behaviors of Long-Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus). Littermate sextuplets were divided into sex-matched groups (at 30, 60, and 90 days of age) and were individually videotaped on 2 consecutive nights in an arena that contained stimulus objects. Multiple measures of locomotor exploration and object investigation increased significantly with age but were not influenced by sex. Older rats entered more quickly, were more active, spent more time in the arena, and spent more time investigating inanimate stimulus objects than did younger rats. Sex did not significantly affect most measures of open-field behavior; however, the data suggest that the sexes may begin to diverge by 90 days. These results suggest that preadult rats of both sexes are equipped early in development with similar strategies and repertoires for exploration and investigation.

Neuropsychological and socio-emotional factors associated with specific-arithmetic disability were investigated in an unselected sample of New Zealand children. Subjects were 17 specific-arithmetic disabled, 27 specific-reading disabled, 63 generally disabled, and 50 nondisabled 13 year olds. Evidence was sought for an association between specific-arithmetic disability and the neuropsychological and socio-emotional correlates of Nonverbal Learning Disability syndrome (NLD). NLD is characterized by a pattern of nonverbal and verbal neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses, and appears to place individuals at greater risk for internalizing psychopathology, than other learning disabilities. Only specific-arithmetic disabled subjects were found to show a neuropsychological profile reminiscent of NLD. Evidence of poor socio-emotional adjustment was found across all three learning-disabled groups, and was greatest among generally disabled subjects. We found that the specific-arithmetic-disabled subjects exhibited the greatest degree of overlap between internalizing psychopathology and a NLD neuropsychological profile. The results are interpreted as providing some support for the idea that specific-arithmetic-disabled individuals may be at greater risk for the NLD syndrome than either generally disabled or specific-reading-disabled individuals.

Many bacterial endosymbionts of insects are capable of manipulating their host's reproduction for their own benefit. The most common strategy of manipulation is cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), in which embryonic mortality results from matings between uninfected females and infected males. In contrast, embryos develop normally in infected females, whether or not their mate is infected, and infected progeny are produced. In this way, the proportion of infected females increases in the insect population, thereby promoting the spread of the maternally inherited bacteria. However, what happens when multiple endosymbionts inhabit the same host? The parasitoid wasp Encarsia inaron is naturally infected with two unrelated endosymbionts, Cardinium and Wolbachia, both of which have been documented to cause CI in other insects. Doubly infected wasps show the CI phenotype. We differentially cured E. inaron of each endosymbiont, and crossed hosts of different infection status to determine whether either or both bacteria caused the observed CI phenotype in this parasitoid, and whether the two symbionts interacted within their common host. We found that Wolbachia caused CI in E. inaron, but Cardinium did not. We did not find evidence that Cardinium was able to modify or rescue Wolbachia-induced CI, nor did we find that Cardinium caused progeny sex ratio distortion, leaving the role of Cardinium in E. inaron a mystery.

Atheroemboli caused by aortic manipulation poses a risk for stroke in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery. One potential cause is the high velocity jet from aortic perfusion cannulae. This study describes the flow patterns of a novel funnel-tip cannula designed to reduce emboli by decreasing fluid velocity and resultant shear force on the aortic wall.A funnel-tip cannula was constructed and compared with standard straight-tip cannulae and the Dispersion (Research Medical Inc, Midvale, UT) and Sarns Soft Flow (Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corp, Ann Arbor, MI) cannulae. Pressure drop measurements were collected at 1 to 6 L/minute flows. Velocity flow profiles were created using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Absolute velocity was measured in a phantom aorta at 5 L/minute flow. Each cannula was further studied in a synthetic model of an atherosclerotic aorta to determine the mass of dislodged particulate matter generated at 2, 3, and 5 L/minute flows.The funnel-tip cannula demonstrated significantly lower values (p0.05) in pressure drop (55 mm Hg), exit velocity (309 cm/second, 167 cm/second for center axis and wall, respectively), and particulate dislodgement (0.15 +/- 0.05 g) than other tested cannulae. The Soft Flow cannula generated the next lowest pressure drop but exhibited twice the exit velocity and particulate dislodgement of the funnel-tip cannula. The Dispersion cannula did not demonstrate a reduction in velocity or particulate dislodgement compared with the standard straight-tip cannulae.The results of this study suggest that a low-angled funnel-tip cannula has favorable flow characteristics warranting further investigation. Design development may reduce the risk of atheroemboli generation during CPB surgery.

SummaryThe ability to repress P-element-induced gonadal dysgenesis was studied in 14 wild-type strains ofD. melanogasterderived from populations in the central and eastern United States. Females from each of these strains had a high ability to repress gonadal dysgenesis in their daughters. Reciprocal hybrids produced by crossing each of the wild-type strains with an M strain demonstrated that repression ability was determined by a complex mixture of chromosomal and cytoplasmic factors. Cytoplasmic transmission of repression ability was observed in all 14 strains and chromosomal transmission was observed in 12 of them. Genomic Southern blots indicated that four of the strains possessed a particular type of P element, called KP, which has been proposed to account for the chromosomal transmission of repression ability. However, in this study several of the strains that lacked KP elements exhibited as much chromosomal transmission of repression ability as the strains that had KP elements, suggesting that other kinds of P elements may be involved.

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) and Kallmann syndrome (KS) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders caused by a deficiency of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Mutations in three genes--KAL1, GNRHR and FGFR1--account for 15-20% of all causes of IHH/KS. Nearly all mutations are point mutations identified by traditional PCR-based DNA sequencing. The relatively new method of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) has been successful for detecting intragenic deletions in other genetic diseases. We hypothesized that MLPA would detect intragenic deletions in approximately 15-20% of our cohort of IHH/KS patients. Fifty-four IHH/KS patients were studied for KAL1 deletions and 100 were studied for an autosomal panel of FGFR1, GNRH1, GNRHR, GPR54 and NELF gene deletions. Of all male and female subjects screened, 4/54 (7.4%) had KAL1 deletions. If only anosmic males were considered, 4/33 (12.1%) had KAL1 deletions. No deletions were identified in any of the autosomal genes in 100 IHH/KS patients. We believe this to be the first study to use MLPA to identify intragenic deletions in IHH/KS patients. Our results indicate approximately 12% of KS males have KAL1 deletions, but intragenic deletions of the FGFR1, GNRH1, GNRHR, GPR54 and NELF genes are uncommon in IHH/KS.

In prior studies, we show that naturally occurring IgM anti-leukocyte autoantibodies (IgM-ALA) bind to CD3, CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4 receptors. These observations prompted us to determine whether IgM-ALA have a role in inhibiting HIV-1 infectivity by inhibiting viral entry into cells. We show that purified IgM, but not IgG, from individual sera of both normal and HIV-1 infected individuals is highly inhibitory (>95%) to HIV-1 viral infectivity both in vitro using PHA plus IL-2 activated PBL and in vivo using the human PBL-SCID mouse. Inhibition was observed with physiological doses of purified serum IgM and even after IgM was added 3 days postinfection in the in vitro assays. Absorbing purified serum IgM either with leukocytes or immobilized recombinant CD4 significantly decreased (>80%) the inhibitory effect on HIV-1 infectivity. IgM inhibited by >90% syncytia formation with the X4-IIIB infected SupT-1 cells indicating therefore that IgM inhibits viral attachment to core-receptors. IgM mediated anti-HIV-1 activity was highly specific as only certain IgM-ALA, obtained from human B cell clones inhibited HIV-1. IgM from certain HIV-1 infected individuals were not inhibitory to some R5-HIV-1 viral strains indicating that certain HIV-IgM may lack Abs reactive to strain specific coreceptor epitopes. These data indicate that an innate immune mechanism which is present from birth i.e., IgM-ALA, has a role in inhibiting HIV-1 viral entry into cells. Validation of this data with other in vivo models will be needed to determine whether in vivo administration or enhancement of IgM-ALA, e.g., through a vaccine, could prolong the asymptomatic state in HIV-1 infected individuals.

It is often argued that intervention efforts can benefit from the early identification of children at risk for antisocial disorders. Little is known, however about the predictive efficacy of early predictors This study examined the predictive power of a variety of characteristics of the preschool child for antisocial outcome at ages 11 and 15. The subjects were 1,037 members of a longitudinal investigation of a New Zealand birth cohort. Groups with no disorders (n = 837), disorders other than antisocial disorders (n =37), and antisocial disorders (n = SO) were defined. Preschool descriptors were screened for their predictive power. A discriminant function analysis was computed with the jive most promising preschool variables. The function correctly classified 81 % of subjects as antisocial, or not. at age 11, and 66% of subjects as delinquent, or not, at age 15. Having preschool behavior problems was the single best predictor of antisocial disorders at age 11. This result is consistent with earlier findings that, among measures assessed in childhood, behavior problems are the best predictor of later antisocial outcome.