Showing papers by "Nova Southeastern University published in 1996"

Experimental Studies of Rapid Bioerosion of Coral reefs in the Galápagos Islands

Abstract: Experimental carbonate blocks of coral skeleton,Porites lobata (PL), and cathedral limestone (LS) were deployed for 14.8 months at shallow (5–6 m) and deep (11–13m) depths on a severely bioeroded coral reef, Champion Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Sea urchins (Eucidaris thouarsii) were significantly more abundant at shallow versus deep sites.Porites lobata blocks lost an average of 25.4 kg m−2yr−1 (23.71 m−2yr−1 or 60.5% decrease yr−1). Losses did not vary significantly at depths tested. Internal bioeroders excavated an average of 2.6 kg m−2 yr−1 (2.41 m−2 yr−1 or 0.6% decrease yr−1), while external bioeroders removed an average of 22.8 kg m−2 yr−1). (21.31 m−2 yr−1). or 59.9% decrease yr−1). few encrusting organisms were observed on the PL blocks. Cathedral limestone blocks lost an average of 4.1 kg m−2 yr−1). (1.81 m−2 yr−1). or 4.6% decrease yr-'), also with no relation to depth. Internal bioeroders excavated an average of 0.6 kg m−2 yr−1). (0.31 m−2 yr−1). or 0.7% decrease yr−1). and external bioeroders removed an average of 3.5 kg m−2 yr−1). (1.51 m−2 yr−1). or 3.9% decrease yr−1). from the LS blocks. Most (57.6%) encrustation occurred on the bottom of LS blocks, and there was more accretion on block bottoms in deep (61.4 mg cm−2 yr−1). versus shallow (35.0 mg cm−2 yr−1) sites. External bioerosion reduced the average height of the reef framework by 0.2 cm yr−1). for hard substrata (represented by LS) and 2.3 cm yr−1). for soft substrata (represented by PL). The results of this study suggest that coral reef frameworks in the Galapagos Islands are in serious jeopardy. If rates of coral recruitment do not increase, and if rates of bioerosion do not decline, coral reefs in the Galapagos Islands could be eliminated entirely.

Mammalian Evolution and the Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein (IRBP) Gene: Convincing Evidence for Several Superordinal Clades

Abstract: Phylogenetic relationships of 25 mammalian species representing 17 of the 18 eutherian orders were examined using DNA sequences from a 1.2-kb region of the 5′ end of exon 1 of the single-copy nuclear gene known as interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP). A wide variety of methods of analysis of the DNA sequence, and of the translated products, all supported a five-order clade consisting of elephant shrew (Macroscelidea)/aardvark (Tubulidentata)/and the paenungulates (hyracoids, sirenians, and elephants), with bootstrap support in all cases of 100%. The Paenungulata was also strongly supported by these IRBP data. In the majority of analyses this monophyletic five-order grouping was the first branch off the tree after the Edentata. These results are highly congruent with two other recent sources of molecular data. Another superordinal grouping, with similar 100% bootstrap support in all of the same wide-ranging types of analyses, was Artiodactyla/Cetacea. Other superordinal affinities, suggested by the analyses, but with less convincing support, included a Perissodactyla/Artiodactyla/Cetacea clade, an Insectivora/Chiroptera clade, and Glires (an association of rodents and lagomorphs).

A Comparison Study of United States and African Students on Perceptions of Obesity and Thinness

Abstract: There is a negative correlation between body weight and income in the United States, and epidemic numbers of people diet to become thin. In developing nations, on the other hand, there is a positive correlation between weight and income, and fatness is associated with wealth and abundance. Although these differing cross-cultural trends have been documented by anthropologists, there has been minimal cross-cultural research on attitudes toward obesity and thinness and corresponding dieting behaviors in the psychological literature. A sample of 349 students at a university in Ghana and 219 students at a U.S. university completed questionnaires about their weight, frequency of dieting and restrained eating, the degree to which their weight has interfered with social activities, their perceptions of ideal bodies, disordered eating, and stereotypes of thin and heavy people. Students in Ghana more often rated larger body sizes as ideal for both males and females and also assumed that these larger sizes were held...

Predicting Marital Success For Premarital Couple Types Based on PREPARE

Abstract: Recent studies have shown that group differences in marital stability and satisfaction can be predicted based on premarital relationship quality. There is also a growing literature indicating that there are distinct types of relationships, both premarital and developmentally over time. This study examined the relationship between the four premarital types (Vitalized, Harmonious, Traditional, and Conflicted) identified by Fowers and Olson (1992) and relationship outcome over a 3-year period with 393 couples. A substantial relationship was found, with conflicted couples being the most likely to separate or divorce. Vitalized couples had the highest levels of satisfaction, followed by Harmonious, Traditional, and Conflicted couples. Traditional couples were less likely to have divorced than Harmonious couples, even though Harmonious couples had higher premarital relationship satisfaction scores. Researchers have been interested in identifying factors predictive of successful marriages for decades. The pioneering work of Burgess and Wallin (1954) and Terman (1938) has been continued and expanded with increasingly sophisticated research. According to the U. S. Bureau of the Census (1992), 52% of all first marriages end in divorce. This high divorce rate continues to spur the search for predictors of marital stability and satisfaction. The professional response has included attempts to reduce both the frequency and difficulty of divorce through research, preventive, and remedial efforts. Most marital and family therapists encounter the critical social problem of divorce in the context of offering therapeutic services for those suffering from marital discord

A 240-Year Stable Oxygen and Carbon Isotopic Record in a Coral from South Florida: Implications for the Prediction of Precipitation in Southern Florida

Abstract: This study reports on the 6180 and 613C composition of the skeleton from a 240-year-old specimen of Montastraea faveolata growing in Biscayne National Park, South Florida. Annual variations in the 6180 of the skeleton deposited during the summer months show a bimodal correlation with summer rainfall. During wetter years, the 180 of the coral skeleton and the amount of precipitation during the summer months are inversely correlated (r = -0. 7) reflecting dilution of the seawater by meteoric water lower in 80. During years in which summer rainfall is less than normal, increases in precipitation are positively correlated with skeletal 180 (r = +0.6) reflecting the input of freshwater from the Everglades higher in 80. Based on this correlation the 5180 record of the coral skeleton suggests that the 19th and 18th centuries have been relatively dry compared to the 20th century. Carbon isotopic compositions of the skeleton are positively correlated with 80,Q with the minimum in 63C occurring several months after the minimum in 180. Since the mid 1930s there has been a decrease in 13C of the skeleton. Explanations for this trend may be (1) it reflects the increased input of carbon derived from the destruction of terrestrial ecosystems, (2) its part of a long-term decrease in 13C associated with increased addition of fossil fuel-derived CO2. INTRODUCTION

Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Sex Offenders: An Empirical Review

Abstract: Approximately 20% of all sexual offenses are committed by individuals under the age of 18. Furthermore, nearly 60% of all sexual offenses against children under the age of 12 are committed by juveniles. Unfortunately, however, the assessment and treatment of juvenile sex offenders has been largely neglected in the empirical literature, as research with sexual offenders, especially pedophiles, has typically focused on adult offenders. While there are some similarities with adult offenders, juvenile sex offenders require distinct interventions and assessment approaches. Although the frequency and quality of studies that have been conducted to specifically examine juvenile sexual offenders appears to be increasing in recent years, an integration of such findings is warranted. Hence, the purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to provide an empirically based description of juvenile sexual offenders, (2) to review the empirical support of assessment and treatment methods utilized with this population,...

Development and validation of alternative metabolic systems for mutagenicity testing in short-term assays

Abstract: We present here the results obtained within the framework of an EU funded project aimed to develop and validate alternative metabolic activating systems to be used in short-term mutagenicity assays, in order to reduce the use of laboratory animals for toxicology testing. The activating systems studied were established cell lines (Hep G2, CHEL), genetically engineered V79 cell lines expressing specific rat cytochromes P450, erythrocyte-derived systems, CYP-mimetic chemical systems and plant homogenates. The metabolically competent cell lines were used as indicator cells for genotoxic effects as well as for the preparation of external activating systems using other indicator cells. The following endpoints were used: micronuclei, chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges, mutations at the hprt locus, gene mutations in bacteria (Ames test), unscheduled DNA synthesis and DNA breaks detected in the comet assay, All metabolic systems employed activated some promutagens. With some of them, promutagens belonging to many different classes of chemicals were activated to genotoxicants, including carcinogens negative in liver S9-mediated assays. In other cases, the use of the new activating systems allowed the detection of mutagens at much lower substrate concentrations than in liver S9-mediated assays. Therefore, the alternative metabolizing systems, which do not require the use of laboratory animals, have a substantial potential in in vitro toxicology, in the basic genotoxicity testing as well as in the elucidation of activation mechanisms. However, since the data basis is much smaller for the new systems than for the activating systems produced from subcellular liver preparations, the overlapping use of both systems is recommended for the present and near future. For example, Liver S9 preparations may be used with some indicator systems (e.g., bacterial mutagenicity), and metabolically competent mammalian cell lines may be used with other indicator systems (e.g., a cytogenetic endpoint) in a battery of basic tests.

Diets of calanoid copepods on the West Florida continental shelf : Relationships between food concentration, food composition and feeding activity

Abstract: Bottle incubations were conducted in March, July/August and October 1992. to measure the daily rations (R) and objectively characterize the diets of the calanoid copepodsEucalanus elongatus, Undinula vulgaris, Centropages velificatus andTemora stylifera from the west Florida continental shelf. Daily rations,R, were clustered around two, order-of-magnitude different means, 1.3 and 11.2% of body C d−1, representative of quiescent and active feeding modes, respectively. The food concentration at which the transition from quiescent to active mode occurred was influenced by food particle size. In the quiescent mode, diets were dominated by nanoplankton, whereas no food type dominated the diet in the active mode. Selective feeding, defined as a statistically significant difference between the frequency distributions of foods in the diet and environment, occurred in both quiescent and active copepods. However, what appeared to be selective feeding in quiescent copepods could be explained by processes that passively modified the distribution of the diet relative to that of the food supply. Conversely, selective feeding in active copepods apparently resulted from foraging for particles >5 μm in diameter in food environments dominated by nanoplankton (<5 μm).

Species Composition, Abundance, and Vertical Distribution of the Stomiid (Pisces: Stomiiformes) Fish Assemblage of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract: Species composition, abundance, and vertical distribution of the stomiid fish assemblage were investigated in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, a low-latitude, oligotrophic oceanic ecosystem. Seventy-two described species, representing l8 genera, and one undescribed species were identified from 1155 trawl samples. With an additional lO species reported elsewhere, the stomiid species number now known equals 83, making the Stomiidae the most diverse fish family in the Gulf of Mexico. The assemblage was dominated by three species, Photostomias guernei, Chauliodus sloani and Stomias ctffinis. These species, as well as four other common species, exhibited an asynchronous diel vertical migration pattern (450-900 m during day; 20-300, 550-900 m at night). The percentage of the populations of rhe rhree dominant species migrating daily ranged from 50-7OVo. Two other patterns occurred in less abundant species: synchronous migration (4OO-700 m during the day, 0-200 m at night); and, possible migration from the bathypelagial (>lOO0 m during day; 50-3OO m ar night). Minimum abundance and biomass estimates for the entire assemblage were 1.86 X 105 individuals and 35.3 kg DW'km 2 in the upper IOOO m. Stomiids comprised approximately lOVo of the micronekton standing stock in the eastern Gulf. Extrapolating eastern Gulf data to the world warm-water mesopelagial, abundance results suggest that stomiids are the dominant mesopelagic upper-trophic level predatory llshes, and as such may serve as key trophic mediators in the transfer of energy in these ecosystems.

Using Computer-Managed Instructional Software to Increase Motivation and Achievement in Elementary School Children.

Abstract: This study provides evidence that the use of computer-managed instructional (CMI) feedback can have a positive effect on student motivation and achievement. An experimental research study, based on the Cognitive Evaluation Theory’s proposition that extrinsic, informational feedback will result in higher levels of achievement, compared two groups of students. One of the groups received computer-generated, graphical grade feedback for 27 weeks, while the other received traditional achievement feedback. In this study, the group receiving the computer-generated feedback showed a significant increase in intrinsic motivation and achievement, thereby supporting the theory and demonstrating the efficacy of CMI in a heretofore untested manner.

Testing the Efficacy of a Molecular Surveillance Network: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) Genotypes in Six Hospitals in the Metropolitan New York City Area

Abstract: Molecular fingerprinting techniques are rapidly becoming indispensable tools for hospital epidemiology. On the other hand, the relative complexity and unfamiliarity of these techniques to most hospital diagnostic laboratories limit their usefulness. In an attempt to provide a solution for this dilemma, we tested the feasibility and efficacy of a cooperative venture in which molecular typing of isolates recovered from patients in six hospitals was performed at two microbiology research laboratories with expertise in these techniques. In a small preliminary study, 30 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 30 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) isolates were collected over a 3-week period from six hospitals in the metropolitan New York area and transported to the Laboratory of Microbiology at The Rockefeller University during the summer months of 1994. Nineteen of the 27 confirmed MRSA isolates were closely related strains carrying the same mecA and the same Tn554 polymo...

Computer-Assisted Cognitive Training for ADHD A Case Study

Abstract: A computer-assisted cognitive training program was used to treat a 13-year-old Caucasian male with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder The subject was administered a cognitive training computer program, Captain's Log, for 35 sessions Pre/post differences on the Conners Parent Rating Scale revealed a decrease on all subscales The scores on the Conners Teacher Rating Scale were less conclusive Electrophysiological testing on the A620 EEG/Neurofeedback revealed a reduction in EMG, theta, and beta wave amplitudes However, the theta/beta ratio increased A 7-month follow-up revealed that most of the acquired gains were maintained, but at a slightly lower level

Relationship between ADHD and Anxiety in Boys: Results from a Family Study

Abstract: Objective Recent studies have found an increased risk for both anxiety disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the adult relatives of children with ADHD in comparison with adult relatives of normal controls. Such findings may account for the high rates of comorbid anxiety found in children with ADHD, and they suggest a relationship between the two disorders. However, additional studies are needed to address this relationship that include both anxiety disorder and normal control groups. Method The first- ( n = 239) and second-degree relatives ( n = 1,266) of clinically referred boys with ADHD ( n = 49), clinically referred boys with anxiety disorder ( n = 46), and controls who have never been psychiatrically ill (NPI controls) ( n = 37) were assessed with structured interview and diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria. Lifetime rates of ADHD and anxiety disorder were then compared for relatives in the three proband groups. Results Female relatives of ADHD probands had significantly higher rates of anxiety disorder than female relatives of NPI controls. However, relatives of anxious probands and NPI controls did not differ for ADHD. Furthermore, no evidence of cosegregation of anxiety disorder with ADHD was found in the relatives of probands in the two patient groups. Conclusions ADHD and anxiety may share common risk factors but appear to be independently transmitted in families. The high rate of anxiety in female relatives of ADHD probands was comparable with that found in relatives of anxious probands and warrants further investigation.

Findings From Research on Children's Suggestibility and Implications for Conducting Child Interviews

Abstract: The primary purpose of investigations of suspected child maltreatment should be to arrive at valid conclusions about the “truth” of the matter. Determinations about whether child maltreatment has occurred are often based, at least in part, on the perceived reliability of the statements of the suspected child victim. This has given rise to questions about children's suggestibility and the impact of various child interview practices on the reliability of children's statements. Recent research has attempted to address some of these questions in a more “ecologically valid” fashion than did earlier research. This article summarizes pertinent research relating to children's suggestibility and discusses the implications of this research as it relates to child interview practices. Specific suggestions are offered for minimizing suggestibility effects and maximizing the reliability of children's statements during child interviews.

Phylogenetic evidence from the IRBP gene for the paraphyly of toothed whales, with mixed support for Cetacea as a suborder of Artiodactyla.

Abstract: Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of Cetacea and of their affinities with Artiodactyla have suggested two surprising possibilities: (1) sperm whales are more closely related with baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti) than with the other toothed whales (suborder Odontoceti; Milinkovitch, Orti, and Meyer 1993; Milinkovitch, Meyer, and Powell 1994) and (2) Cetacea may represent a suborder of Artiodactyla (Graur and Higgins 1994). The first of these phylogenetic hypotheses was based initially on an analysis of portions of mitochondrial 12s and 16s genes (Milinkovitch, Orti, and Meyer 1993) and subsequently on a tandem alignment of portions of the 12S, 16S, and cytochrome b loci from 21 species of Cetacea, and several artiodactyl outgroups (Milinkovitch, Meyer, and Powell 1994). In a separate analysis involving the complete cytochrome b locus, Arnason and Gullberg (1994) presented data suggesting a further possibility, which was that toothed whales might be closer relatives of baleen whales than of sperm whales. Adachi and Hasegawa (1995) have since reanalyzed the cytochrome b data using maximum likelihood and show that the conclusion is highly sensitive to choice of outgroup taxa, with the majority of situations supporting the baleen/sperm whale clade. Most recently, Arnason and Gullberg (1996), in a further analysis of the complete cytochrome b gene, including representatives of all currently recognized cetacean families, present evidence for a monophyletic Odontoceti; however, this conclusion was not strongly supported. There is at present no published account of this issue from the perspective of a nucleotide sequence analysis of a single-copy nuclear gene. The Graur and Higgins hypothesis suggests that cows are more closely related to cetaceans than to pigs, which disrupts the monophyly of Artiodactyla, resulting in either the interpretation of a paraphyletic Artiodactyla or an Artiodactyla that includes Cetacea as a suborder. This hypothesis was based on the analysis of 11 nuclear encoded protein sequences and five mitochondrial genes from two artiodactyl suborders, one species of cetacean, and either mouse, seal, or mouse and seal as outgroup. We are aware of no published account that addresses this issue from the perspective of a single-copy nuclear gene at the DNA sequence level. Earlier papers of ours have demonstrated the utility of exon 1 sequences from the gene encoding interpho-

A structural equation analysis of the wide range assessment of memory and learning in the standardization sample

Abstract: A maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis was performed by applying LISREL VII to the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning standardization sample (N = 2363). Analyses were designed to determine which of nine hypothesized oblique factor solutions could best explain memory as measured by the WRAML. Competing latent variable models were identified in previous studies and monographs on memory. Models were tested separately in two samples of children used in the standardization of the scale, providing a cross-validation of results. Findings supported a three-factor model including Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, and Attention/Concentration factors. Our results are consistent with previous characterizations of attention as an important component of memory as measured by the WRAML. A distinct Learning Index was not empirically supported in the current analysis.

Assessing the effects of violence on women in battering relationships with the Keane MMPI-PTSD Scale

Abstract: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-Keane Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (PK) has proven to be a reliable and valid measure of PTSD in combat veterans. However, few studies have examined the scale's validity in battered women, who often present with PTSD. Using empirically derived cutoff scores for the PK Scale, 69 battered women were assigned to PTSD-Positive and PTSD-Negative groups and then compared on measures of PTSD, distress, social support, and history of abuse in and out of the battering relationship. The PTSD-Positive group scored significantly higher across all measures of PTSD and distress, supporting the concurrent validity of the PK Scale in this population. However, the two groups differed only for the frequency of death threats, suggesting that the PK Scale is only mildly sensitive to the level of trauma exposure. Finally, lower levels of perceived social support were found in the PTSD-Positive than the PTSD-Negative group. Implications of these findings for the assessment of PTSD in battered women are discussed.