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The Arctic is undergoing large-scale changes that are likely to accelerate in future decades such as introductions and expansions of invasive species. The Arctic is in a unique position to prevent new introductions and spread of existing invasive species by adopting policies and actions aimed at early detection. Responding to threats from invasive species to minimize impacts to ecosystems, communities, food security, and northern economies will necessitate extensive observations and monitoring, but resource managers often face decisions without having adequate data and resources at hand. Local observing programs such as citizen science and community-based monitoring programs present attractive methods for increasing observing capacity that span contributory and co-created approaches while raising awareness of an issue among stakeholders. While the co-created model has been widely applied and encouraged in the Arctic context, contributory citizen science programs offer an additional tool for addressing observing needs in the Arctic. We showcase three contributory citizen science programs related to freshwater, terrestrial, and marine environments that have supported the objectives of the Alaska Invasive Species Partnership. We discuss criteria for achieving ARIAS priority actions at the participant scale related to participants' motivation and participants' understanding of the value of their contributions, at the programmatic scale, for example promoting accessible, reciprocal, and transparent knowledge exchange, and at the policy and science scale where management action is data driven. The approach is aimed at successful integration of citizen science into Arctic policy making. Finally, we discuss challenges related to broader global data collection and future directions for contributory citizen science within Arctic observing networks. Key words: citizen science; community science; Arctic observing; alien species; monitoring; early detection; evidence-based policy L'Arctique fait l'objet de changements de taille susceptibles de s'accelerer au cours des prochaines decennies, comme l'introduction et l'intensification d'especes envahissantes. L'Arctique se trouve dans la position unique d'empecher les nouvelles introductions et la propagation des especes envahissantes actuelles grace a l'adoption de politiques et de mesures visant a en faire la detection precoce. Reagir aux menaces des especes envahissantes afin de minimiser leurs incidences sur les ecosystemes, les collectivites, la securite alimentaire et les economies nordiques necessitera des activites d'observation et de surveillance d'envergure. Toutefois, les gestionnaires de ressources sont souvent tenus de prendre des decisions sans posseder de donnees et de ressources adequates. Les programmes d'observation locaux, comme les programmes de science citoyenne et les programmes de surveillance communautaire, constituent des methodes interessantes d'augmentation de la capacite d'observation qui comportent des approches contributives et creees en collaboration tout en ayant pour effet de sensibiliser les parties prenantes aux enjeux. Bien que le modele cree en collaboration ait ete applique et encourage a grande echelle dans le contexte de l'Arctique, les programmes de science citoyenne contributive offrent un outil supplementaire pour s'attaquer aux besoins d'observation dans l'Arctique. Nous presentons trois programmes de science citoyenne contributive se rapportant a l'environnement d'eau douce, a l'environnement terrestre et a l'environnement marin, programmes qui s'inscrivent dans les objectifs du partenariat de l'Alaska en matiere d'especes envahissantes (Alaska Invasive Species Partnership). Nous discutons des criteres necessaires a l'atteinte des mesures prioritaires de l'ARIAS a l'echelle du participant, soit en matiere de motivation des participants et de leur comprehension de la valeur de leurs contributions, a l'echelle programmatique, par exemple enfaisant la promotion d'un echange de connaissances accessible, reciproque et transparent, et a l'echelle des politiques et des sciences pour lesquelles les mesures de gestion sont fondees sur les donnees. La demarche vise l'integration reussie de la science citoyenne dans l'elaboration des politiques touchant l'Arctique. Enfin, nous discutons des defis inherents a la collecte generale des donnees globales et a l'orientation future de la science citoyenne contributive au sein des reseaux d'observation de l'Arctique. Mots cles : science citoyenne; science communautaire; observation de l'Arctique; especes etrangeres; surveillance; detection precoce; politique fondee sur des donnees probantes Traduit pour la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguere., INTRODUCTION Native biodiversity of the Arctic provides sustainable resources that support rural and urban cultures, global ecological processes, and economies of the North (Johnson et al., 2007; Courtney et al., [...]

Background: Evidence suggests a rise in childhood disability rates across the United States with males and those with lower socioeconomic status bearing greater burden. We investigated childhood disability rates in the Mississippi Delta (MDR) and Appalachian regions (AR) in comparison to other parts of the country. Methods: Using data from the US Census Bureau, we calculated childhood disability rates by type and sex at national, regional, and subregional levels. We used risk ratios (RR) to compare childhood disability rates by sex, type, and region. We generated choropleth maps to represent the geographic distribution of disability. Results: Childhood disability was more prevalent, at the national level, among boys (6.64%) than girls (4.08%). Children in the MDR (boys = 8.60%; girls = 5.08%) and AR (boys = 7.81%; girls = 4.83%) had greater risk of disability than those elsewhere in the country (boys = 6.47%; girls = 3.98%), with rates generally higher in rural compared to urban areas in said regions. Conclusions: Childhood disability affects rural areas of the country more extensively, with the MDR and AR affected to an even greater extent. School-based health centers, in particular, which are disproportionately located in urban areas, could benefit disabled children living in the MDR and AR.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, are involved in tumor progression and metastasis (1). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate both normal stem cells and CSCs (2-5), and dysregulation of miRNAs has been implicated in tumorigenesis (6). CSCs in many tumors--including cancers of the breast (7), pancreas [8], head and neck (9), colon (10,11), small intestine (12), liver (13), stomach (14), bladder (15) and ovary (16)--have been identified using the adhesion molecule CD44, either individually or in combination with other marker(s). Prostate CSCs with enhanced clonogenic (17) and tumor-initiating and metastatic (18,19) capacities are enriched in the [CD44.sup.+] cell population, but whether miRNAs regulate [CD44.sup.+] prostate cancer cells and prostate cancer metastasis remains unclear. Here we show, through expression analysis, that miR-34a, a p53 target (20-24), was underexpressed in [CD44.sup.+] prostate cancer cells purified from xenograft and primary tumors. Enforced expression of miR-34a in bulk or purified [CD44.sup.+] prostate cancer cells inhibited clonogenic expansion, tumor regeneration, and metastasis. In contrast, expression of miR-34a antagomirs in [CD44.sup.-] prostate cancer cells promoted tumor development and metastasis. Systemically delivered miR-34a inhibited prostate cancer metastasis and extended survival of tumor-bearing mice. We identified and validated CD44 as a direct and functional target of miR-34a and found that CD44 knockdown phenocopied miR-34a overexpression in inhibiting prostate cancer regeneration and metastasis. Our study shows that miR-34a is a key negative regulator of [CD44.sup.+] prostate cancer cells and establishes a strong rationale for developing miR-34a as a novel therapeutic agent against prostate CSCs., Many human cancers contain CSCs, which possess an enhanced tumor-initiating capacity, can self-renew, partially recreate the cellular heterogeneity of the parental tumor, and seem to be generally more resistant than [...]

With a sample of 332 employed adults we tested the factor structure of a 29-item scale proposed by Davis in 1987 to measure seven factors. While Davis's work did not support that structure, with the use of confirmatory factor analysis we found support for a seven-factor structure over that of a six-factor structure.

The startle reflex is a response to sudden intense stimuli resulting in such reactions as eyeblink, forward and downward head movement, and muscle contraction and abduction (moving a limb away from the center of the body). The degree of underlying fear or anxiety within an individual has been suggested as a factor that contributes to the intensity of the startle reflex. For example, it has been observed that individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder exhibit exaggerated startle responses. Other research has found an association between the emotional state of the individual and the intensity of the startle response, that is, the underlying emotional state may potentiate this response. To further investigate this phenomenon, 32 of 538 undergraduates who completed a Fear Survey Schedule were asked to participate in a study because of their extreme scores. The subjects were then classified as having a response of 'low fear' (seven males and eight females) or 'high fear' (nine males and eight females). Negative or positive imagery were displayed to the participants; the subject matter was selected based on its likelihood of eliciting such responses as fear, anger, or sadness (negative imagery), or joy and relaxation (positive imagery). The subjects were equipped with electrodes which measured physical manifestations of the startle response during a particular set of imagery. When the results were examined, a positive relationship was found in both groups between the magnitude of the startle response and the negative imagery. However, those in the high-fear group exhibited a stronger response than those in the low-fear group. Although this hypothesis is not new, this is the first objective evidence that supports this reaction in humans. It is concluded that the startle reflex is potentiated by negative affect, and fear, in particular, enhances this response. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)