Showing papers by "University of Miami published in 1997"
TL;DR: A brief form of a previously published measure of coping assessing several responses known to be relevant to effective and ineffective coping called the COPE inventory is presented, which has proven to be useful in health-related research.
Abstract: Studies of coping in applied settings often confront the need to minimize time demands on participants. The problem of participant response burden is exacerbated further by the fact that these studies typically are designed to test multiple hypotheses with the same sample, a strategy that entails the use of many time-consuming measures. Such research would benefit from a brief measure of coping assessing several responses known to be relevant to effective and ineffective coping. This article presents such a brief form of a previously published measure called the COPE inventory (Carver, Scheier, & Wcintraub, 1989), which has proven to be useful in health-related research. The Brief COPE omits two scales of the full COPE, reduces others to two items per scale, and adds one scale. Psychometric properties of the Brief COPE arc reported, derived from a sample of adults participating in a study of the process of recovery after Hurricane Andrew.
5,820 citations
Harvard University1, University of Alabama at Birmingham2, University of London3, University of Rochester4, University of Southern California5, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill6, University of Cincinnati7, University of Minnesota8, National Institutes of Health9, Merck & Co.10, University of Miami11, Northwestern University12, Bristol-Myers Squibb13
TL;DR: In this article, the efficacy and safety of adding a protease inhibitor to two nucleoside analogues to treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are not clear.
Abstract: Background The efficacy and safety of adding a protease inhibitor to two nucleoside analogues to treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are not clear. We compared treatment with the protease inhibitor indinavir in addition to zidovudine and lamivudine with treatment with the two nucleosides alone in HIV-infected adults previously treated with zidovudine. Methods A total of 1156 patients not previously treated with lamivudine or protease inhibitors were stratified according to CD4 cell count (50 or fewer vs. 51 to 200 cells per cubic millimeter) and randomly assigned to one of two daily regimens: 600 mg of zidovudine and 300 mg of lamivudine, or that regimen with 2400 mg of indinavir. Stavudine could be substituted for zidovudine. The primary end point was the time to the development of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or death. Results The proportion of patients whose disease progressed to AIDS or death was lower with indinavir, zidovudine (or stavudine), and lamivudine (...
2,615 citations
TL;DR: Depression is more common in chronic pain patients (CPPs) than in healthy controls as a consequence of the presence of CP and at pain onset, predisposition to depression (the scar hypothesis) may increase the likelihood for the development of depression in some CPPS.
Abstract: :Objective:To determine the current status for the association of chronic pain and depression and to review the evidence for whether depression is an antecedent or consequence of chronic pain (CP).Design:A computer and manual literature review yielded 191 studies that related to the pain-
1,003 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an insightful synthesis of the literature on customer value and point out why and how current theory on the subject should be strengthened and offer suggestions for companies to foster customer value learning and incorporate it as a cornerstone of their competitive strategies.
Abstract: Woodruff’s detailed discussion of the meaning and measurement of customer value and how companies can use customer value information in designing their strategies makes a major contribution to marketing theory and practice. It provides an insightful synthesis of the literature on customer value and points out why and how current theory on the subject should be strengthened. It also offers suggestions for companies to foster customer value learning and incorporate it as a cornerstone of their competitive strategies. The primary objectives of my commentary have been (1) to critically examine Woodruff’s contributions and highlight unresolved issues requiring further investigation and (2) extend Woodruff’s contributions by proposing and discussing a detailed framework for monitoring and leveraging customer value. In addressing these objectives, I have attempted to raise questions and offer suggestions—some of which are necessarily tentative—in the hope that they will stimulate additional interest, debate, and research on the topic.
982 citations
TL;DR: The predictive validity of two measurement methods of self-image congruence (traditional versus new) were compared in six studies involving different consumer populations, products, consumption settings, and dependent variables (brand preference, preference for product form, consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction, brand attitude, and program choice).
Abstract: The predictive validity of two measurement methods of self-image congruence—traditional versus new—were compared in six studies involving different consumer populations, products, consumption settings, and dependent variables (brand preference, preference for product form, consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction, brand attitude, and program choice). The traditional method is based on tapping the subject’s perception of product-user image and the subject’s perception of his/her self-image along a predetermined set of image attributes and adding the self-congruity scores across all image dimensions. Three problems were identified and discussed in relation to the traditional method: (1) the use of discrepancy scores, (2) the possible use of irrelevant images, and (3) the use of the compensatory decision rule. The new method is based on tapping the psychological experience of self-congruity directly and globally. The findings demonstrated the predictive validity of the new method over and beyond the traditional method.
960 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that during fetal development and childhood, mRNAs for insulin and other islet cell autoantigens are expressed at low levels in the human thymus, and this finding provides a plausible explanation for the dominant protective effect of class III VNTRs, and suggests that diabetes susceptibility and resistance associated with IDDM2 may derive from the VN TR influence on INS transcription in the thymos.
Abstract: Type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is an autoimmune disease associated with loss of tolerance to several pancreatic islet cell molecules, including insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), ICA69 and the tyrosine phosphatase IA-2 (refs 1-3). Among several predisposing loci, IDDM2 maps to the insulin gene (INS) VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) minisatellite on chromosome 11p15 (refs 4-9). Allelic variation at this VNTR locus correlates with steady-state levels of INS mRNA in pancreas and transfected rodent cell lines, but it is difficult to reconcile the association of lower INS mRNA levels in the pancreas with class III VNTRs that are dominantly protective from IDDM. We show that during fetal development and childhood, mRNAs for insulin and other islet cell autoantigens (GAD, ICA69, IA-2) are expressed at low levels in the human thymus. Critically, we also detect proinsulin and insulin protein. VNTR alleles correlate with differential INS mRNA expression in the thymus where, in contrast to the pancreas, protective class III VNTRs are associated with higher steady-state levels of INS mRNA expression. This finding provides a plausible explanation for the dominant protective effect of class III VNTRs, and suggests that diabetes susceptibility and resistance associated with IDDM2 may derive from the VNTR influence on INS transcription in the thymus. Higher levels of (pro)insulin in the thymus may promote negative selection (deletion) of insulin-specific T-lymphocytes which play a critical role in the pathogenesis of type-1 diabetes.
928 citations
Veterans Health Administration1, George Washington University2, University of Miami3, University of Pittsburgh4, Anschutz Medical Campus5, United States Department of Veterans Affairs6, University of California, Los Angeles7, University of South Florida8, Brigham and Women's Hospital9, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio10
TL;DR: The Department of Veterans Affairs has successfully implemented a system for the prospective collection and comparative reporting of risk-adjusted postoperative mortality rates after major noncardiac operations and risk adjustment had an appreciable impact on the rank ordering of the hospitals and provided a means for monitoring and potentially improving the quality of surgical care.
Abstract: Background: The National Veterans Affairs Surgical Risk Study was designed to collect reliable, valid data on patient risk and outcomes for major surgery in the Veterans Health Administration and to report comparative risk-adjusted postoperative mortality rates for surgical services in Veterans Health Administration. Study Design: This cohort study was conducted in 44 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Included were 87,078 major noncardiac operations performed under general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia between October 1, 1991, and December 31, 1993. The main outcomes measure was all-cause mortality within 30 days after the index procedure. Multivariable logistic regression risk-adjustment models for all operations and for eight surgical subspecialties were developed. Risk-adjusted surgical mortality rates were expressed as observed-to-expected ratios and were compared with unadjusted 30-day postoperative mortality rates. Results: Patient risk factors predictive of postoperative mortality included serum albumin level, American Society of Anesthesia class, emergency operation, and 31 additional preoperative variables. Considerable variability in unadjusted mortality rates for all operations was observed across the 44 hospitals (1.2-5.4%). After risk adjustment, observed-to-expected ratios ranged from 0.49 to 1.53. Rank order correlation of the hospitals by unadjusted and risk-adjusted mortality rates for all operations was 0.64. Ninety-three percent of the hospitals changed rank after risk adjustment, 50% by more than 5 and 25% by more than 10. Conclusions: The Department of Veterans Affairs has successfully implemented a system for the prospective collection and comparative reporting of risk-adjusted postoperative mortality rates after major noncardiac operations. Risk adjustment had an appreciable impact on the rank ordering of the hospitals and provided a means for monitoring and potentially improving the quality of surgical care.
822 citations
TL;DR: HURLEY, TERRI A. SCANDURA, CHESTER A. SCHRIESHEIM, MICHAEL T. BRANNICK, ANSON SEERS, ROBERT J. VANDENBERG and LARRY J. WILLIAMS as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: AMY E. HURLEY, TERRI A. SCANDURA, CHESTER A. SCHRIESHEIM, MICHAEL T. BRANNICK, ANSON SEERS, ROBERT J. VANDENBERG AND LARRY J. WILLIAMS Department of Professional Studies, Chapman University, U.S.A. Department of Management, University of Miami, U.S.A. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, U.S.A. Department of Management, Virginia Commonwealth University, U.S.A. Department of Management, The University of Georgia, U.S.A. Department of Management, University of Tennessee, U.S.A.
821 citations
TL;DR: Treatment with ibuprofen reduces levels of prostacyclin and thromboxane and decreases fever, tachycardia, oxygen consumption, and lactic acidosis, but it does not prevent the development of shock or the acute respiratory distress syndrome and does not improve survival.
Abstract: Background In patients with sepsis the production of arachidonic acid metabolites by cyclooxygenase increases, but the pathophysiologic role of these prostaglandins is unclear. In animal models, inhibition of cyclooxygenase by treatment with ibuprofen before the onset of sepsis reduces physiologic abnormalities and improves survival. In pilot studies of patients with sepsis, treatment with ibuprofen led to improvements in gas exchange and airway mechanics. Methods From October 1989 to March 1995, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous ibuprofen (10 mg per kilogram of body weight [maximal dose, 800 mg], given every six hours for eight doses) in 455 patients who had sepsis, defined as fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, and acute failure of at least one organ system. Results In the ibuprofen group, but not the placebo group, there were significant declines in urinary levels of prostacyclin and thromboxane, temperature, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and lactic acidosis....
776 citations
TL;DR: It is found that the ecologically dominant Caribbean corals Montastraea annularis and M. faveolata can act as hosts to dynamic, multi-species communities of Symbiodinium, implying that physiological acclimatization is not the only mechanism by which corals cope with environmental heterogeneity.
Abstract: Reef-building corals are obligate, mutualistic symbioses of heterotrophic animals and phototrophic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp)1 Contrary to the earlier, widely accepted belief that corals harbour only one symbiont, we found that the ecologically dominant Caribbean corals Montastraea annularis and M faveolata can act as hosts to dynamic, multi-species communities of Symbiodinium Composition of these communities follows gradients of environmental irradiance, implying that physiological acclimatization2,3,4 is not the only mechanism by which corals cope with environmental heterogeneity The importance of this diversity was underlined by analysis of a natural episode of coral bleaching Patterns of bleaching could be explained by the preferential elimination of a symbiont associated with low irradiance from the brightest parts of its distribution Comparative analyses of symbionts before and after bleaching from the same corals supported this interpretation, and suggested that some corals were protected from bleaching by hosting an additional symbiont that is more tolerant of high irradiance and temperature This ‘natural experiment’ suggests that temporal and spatial variability can favour the coexistence of diverse symbionts within a host, despite the potential for destabilizing competition among them5,6
754 citations
TL;DR: Because the biological actions of TGF-β are complex and affect many different cell types, CTGF may serve as a more specific target for selective intervention in processes involving connective tissue formation during wound repair or fibrotic disorders.
TL;DR: Amniotic membrane transplantation may be considered an alternative method for treating persistent epithelial defects and sterile ulceration that are refractory to conventional treatment and before considering treatment by conjunctival flaps or tarsorrhaphy.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between gender, family responsibility, and flexible work hours to organizational commitment and job satisfaction among 160 matched male and female managers in a cross-organizational study.
Abstract: Psychological contract theory (Rousseau, 1995) suggests that women and those with family responsibilities may negotiate new psychological contracts that include family-responsive benefits such as flexible work hours. Relationships of gender, family responsibility, and flexible work hours to organizational commitment and job satisfaction were examined among 160 matched male and female managers in a cross-organizational study. Results revealed that women who perceived their organizations offered flexible work hours reported higher levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction than women who did not. Also, flexible work hours were related to higher organizational commitment and job satisfaction for those having family responsibilities. Implications of these results for future research and organizational policy are discussed. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: The authors found a significant correlation between language exposure estimates and vocabulary learning for 25 simultaneous bilingual infants (ages 8 to 30 months) with differing patterns of exposure to the languages being learned using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories.
Abstract: The bilingual child is seen as a unique source of information about the relation between input and intake. The strength of the association between language exposure estimates and vocabulary learning was examined for 25 simultaneous bilingual infants (ages 8 to 30 months) with differing patterns of exposure to the languages being learned. Using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories, standardized parent report forms in English and Spanish, the percentage of all words that were known in each language was calculated and then plotted against the estimates of language input (also in percentages). A significant correlation was found, r(25) = .82, p < .001. The correlation was also strong when examined pointby-point, even for children whose language environments changed by more than 2O"7o between observations, although it was not reliable at lower levels of exposure to Spanish. Especially for children with less input in the minority language, the factors which appeared to affect the strength of the association between input and amount learned in a language are discussed.
TL;DR: This unusual architecture of the interface between MMP-3 and TIMP-1 suggests new possibilities for designing TIMP variants and synthetic MMP inhibitors with potential therapeutic applications.
Abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc endopeptidases that are required for the degradation of extracellular matrix components during normal embryo development, morphogenesis and tissue remodelling. Their proteolytic activities are precisely regulated by endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Disruption of this balance results in diseases such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, tumour growth and metastasis. Here we report the crystal structure of an MMP-TIMP complex formed between the catalytic domain of human stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) and human TIMP-1. TIMP-1, a 184-residue protein, has the shape of an elongated, contiguous wedge. With its long edge, consisting of five different chain regions, it occupies the entire length of the active-site cleft of MMP-3. The central disulphide-linked segments Cys 1-Thr 2-Cys 3-Val 4 and Ser 68-Val 69 bind to either side of the catalytic zinc. Cys 1 bidentally coordinates this zinc, and the Thr-2 side chain extends into the large specificity pocket of MMP-3. This unusual architecture of the interface between MMP-3 and TIMP-1 suggests new possibilities for designing TIMP variants and synthetic MMP inhibitors with potential therapeutic applications.
TL;DR: The relatively low recurrence rate for primary pterygia allows one to use amniotic membrane transplantation as an alternative first choice, especially for advanced cases with bilateral heads or those who might need glaucoma surgery later.
TL;DR: In this article, a rhetorical discussion on the subject of fiber-reinforced concrete, FRC, is presented, which is intended as an overview of the types of commercially available FRCs and how they work.
Abstract: This paper presents a rhetorical discussion on the subject of fiber-reinforced concrete, FRC. It is intended as an overview of the types of commercially available FRCs and how they work. It discusses commonly applied terminology and models of mechanical behavior that form a basis for understanding material performance without presenting mathematical details. Historical review is intended to help build a background for what is currently understood about FRC rather than as historical reporting. References from both early and contemporary authors are included as a means of tying the subject together along a time line.
TL;DR: The deduced primary structure of a sodium channel, peripheral nerve type 1 (PN1), is described, which is expressed at high levels throughout the peripheral nervous system and is targeted to nerve terminals of cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons.
Abstract: Membrane excitability in different tissues is due, in large part, to the selective expression of distinct genes encoding the voltage-dependent sodium channel. Although the predominant sodium channels in brain, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle have been identified, the major sodium channel types responsible for excitability within the peripheral nervous system have remained elusive. We now describe the deduced primary structure of a sodium channel, peripheral nerve type 1 (PN1), which is expressed at high levels throughout the peripheral nervous system and is targeted to nerve terminals of cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons. Studies using cultured PC12 cells indicate that both expression and targeting of PN1 is induced by treatment of the cells with nerve growth factor. The preferential localization suggests that the PN1 sodium channel plays a specific role in nerve excitability.
TL;DR: This paper updates the author's earlier hypothesis that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) reflects underactivity in Gray's Behavioral Inhibition System by supporting disinhibition as a core deficit in ADHD.
Abstract: This paper updates the author's earlier hypothesis that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) reflects underactivity in Gray's Behavioral Inhibition System Five areas of research are reviewed: (1) studies using the stop-signal task, (2) studies of errors of commission, (3) a study of inhibition indexed by eye movements, (4) a neuroimaging study of the corpus callosum, and (5) a study on the prediction of response to methylphenidate Data from the many different dependent variables in these studies are interpreted as supporting disinhibition as a core deficit in ADHD
TL;DR: The development of resistance to lamivudine in three patients who underwent transplantation for end-stage liver disease secondary to hepatitis B indicates a common mechanism of lamivUDine resistance for HIV and HBV that involves similar point mutations in homologous domains of the viral polymerases.
TL;DR: Amniotic membrane transplantation can be considered an alternative substrate for conjunctival surface reconstruction during removal for large tumors, disfiguring scars, or symblepharon, especially for those whose surrounding conjunctiva tissue remains relatively normal.
Johns Hopkins University1, University of Massachusetts Medical School2, Ohio State University3, National Institutes of Health4, Harvard University5, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai6, University of Chicago7, Mayo Clinic8, University of Miami9, Cornell University10, United States Department of Veterans Affairs11, University of Cincinnati12, Genzyme13
TL;DR: Thyrotropin stimulates radioiodine uptake for scanning in patients with thyroid cancer, but the sensitivity of scanning after the administration of thyrotrop in is less than that after the withdrawal of thyroid hormone.
Abstract: Background To detect recurrent disease in patients who have had differentiated thyroid cancer, periodic withdrawal of thyroid hormone therapy may be required to raise serum thyrotropin concentrations to stimulate thyroid tissue so that radioiodine (iodine-131) scanning can be performed. However, withdrawal of thyroid hormone therapy causes hypothyroidism. Administration of recombinant human thyrotropin stimulates thyroid tissue without requiring the discontinuation of thyroid hormone therapy. Methods One hundred twenty-seven patients with thyroid cancer underwent whole-body radioiodine scanning by two techniques: first after receiving two doses of thyrotropin while thyroid hormone therapy was continued, and second after the withdrawal of thyroid hormone therapy. The scans were evaluated by reviewers unaware of the conditions of scanning. The serum thyroglobulin concentrations and the prevalence of symptoms of hypothyroidism and mood disorders were also determined. Results Sixty-two of the 127 patients had...
TL;DR: Major inroads into profiling individual or population risk of SCD will require better understanding of each of these epidemiologic-clinical-physiologic interactions.
Abstract: The epidemiology of ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) must be explored from multiple aspects, each of which contributes insights into the problem and no one of which exerts exclusive dominance for preventive or therapeutic strategies. These include: (1) population dynamics, using conventional epidemiologic approaches; (2) risk as a function of time from an index event; (3) conditioning risk factors, based on the presence of underlying disease states; (4) transient risk factors that are dynamic and trigger a potentially fatal event at a specific point in time; and (5) “response risk,” which refers to individual susceptibility (possibly determined genetically) to the adverse effects of longitudinal and/or dynamic risk factors. Major inroads into profiling individual or population risk of SCD will require better understanding of each of these epidemiologic-clinical-physiologic interactions. The disciplines range from epidemiology, through clinical medicine, to membrane channel physiology, genetic determinants, and molecular biology.
TL;DR: Results indicate that selenium deficiency is an independent predictor of survival for those with HIV-1 infection.
Abstract: To determine the independent contribution of specific immunologic and nutritional factors on survival in HIV-1 disease, CD4 cell count, antiretroviral treatment, plasma levels of vitamins A, E, B6, and B12 and minerals selenium and zinc were considered in relation to relative risk for HIV-related mortality. Immune parameters and nutrients known to affect immune function were evaluated at 6-month intervals in 125 HIV-1-seropositive drug-using men and women in Miami, FL, over 3.5 years. A total of 21 of the HIV-1-infected participants died of HIV-related causes during the 3.5-year longitudinal study. Subclinical malnutrition (i.e., overly low levels of prealbumin, relative risk [RR] = 4.01, p < 0.007), deficiency of vitamin A (RR = 3.23, p < 0.03), vitamin B12 deficiency (RR = 8.33, p < 0.009), zinc deficiency (RR = 2.29.1, p < 0.04), and selenium deficiency (RR = 19.9, p < 0.0001) over time, but not zidovudine treatment, were shown to each be associated with HIV-1-related mortality independent of CD4 cell counts <200/mm3 at baseline, and CD4 counts over time. When all factors that could affect survival, including CD4 counts <200/mm3 at baseline, CD4 levels over time, and nutrient deficiencies were considered jointly, only CD4 counts over time (RR = 0.69, p < 0.04) and selenium deficiency (RR = 10.8, p < 0.002) were significantly associated with mortality. These results indicate that selenium deficiency is an independent predictor of survival for those with HIV-1 infection.
TL;DR: Sepsis not only causes deaths acutely, but also increases the risk of death for up to 5 years after the septic episode even after comorbidities are accounted for.
Abstract: Objective. —To determine the magnitude and duration of the effects of sepsis on survival. Design. —Cohort study. Setting. —The 10 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers of the Systemic Sepsis Cooperative Studies Group, which from 1983 to 1986 conducted the Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study of Corticosteroids in Systemic Sepsis. Patients. —The septic population consisted of 1505 patients with evaluable data from the screening log of the Cooperative Study of Corticosteroids in Systemic Sepsis. All 91 830 nonpsychiatric, noninfected patients discharged from the participating medical centers between October 1,1984, and September 30,1985, were included in the control population. Main Outcome Measure. —Death through 8 years after the index hospitalization. Results. —On the basis of a proportional hazards model constructed from the demographic and illness characteristics of the control population, the septic population was at significant risk of dying of nonseptic causes (26% predicted 1-year mortality). In the septic population, the daily risk of dying exceeded predictions from this model for 5 years, and the hazard rate rose with increasing severity of the septic episode throughout the first year (P Conclusions. —Sepsis not only causes deaths acutely, but also increases the risk of death for up to 5 years after the septic episode even after comorbidities are accounted for. The risk of late death during the first year is associated with the severity of the septic episode.
TL;DR: Although at age 8 years there were modest intervention-related differences in the cognitive and academic skills of heavier LBW premature children, attenuation of the large favorable effects seen at 3 years was observed in both the heavier and lighter LBW groups.
Abstract: Objective. —To reevaluate at age 8 years children who had participated during the first 3 years of life in a randomized clinical trial of special services for low-birthweight (LBW) premature infants. Design. —Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of premature infants ( Setting. —Eight sites serving diverse populations. Participants. —At age 8 years, 874 children were assessed: 336 in the intervention group and 538 in the follow-up only group. Intervention. —The 3-year intervention consisted of home visits (birth to 3 years), child development center services (ages 1 to 3 years), and parent group meetings (ages 1 to 3 years). Primary Outcome Measures. —Cognitive functioning (Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Ill; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised); academic achievement (Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-Revised); and parental reports of school performance, behavior (Child Behavior Checklist), and health (Child General Health Survey). Results. —At age 8 years, in the entire cohort and in the lighter LBW stratum, the intervention and follow-up only groups were similar on all primary outcome measures. Differences favoring the intervention group were found within the heavier LBW group: full-scale IQ score (4.4 points higher, P =.007), verbal IQ score (4.2 points higher, P =.01 ), performance IQ score (3.9 points higher, P =.02), mathematics achievement score (4.8 points higher, P =.04), and receptive vocabulary score (6.7 points higher, P =.001 ). On a physical functioning subscale, the whole intervention group received less favorable ratings, while the lighter LBW intervention group had lower maternal ratings assessing social limitations caused by behavior. Conclusion. —Although at age 8 years there were modest intervention-related differences in the cognitive and academic skills of heavier LBW premature children, attenuation of the large favorable effects seen at 3 years was observed in both the heavier and lighter LBW groups. This indicates a need to develop additional intervention strategies for LBW premature children that can provide sustained benefits.
TL;DR: Loss was a key correlate of both posttraumatic symptoms and immune measures, and evidence was found for new onset of sleep problems as a mediator of the posttraumatic symptom - NKCC relationship.
Abstract: Objective To examine the impact of and relationship between exposure to Hurricane Andrew, a severe stressor, posttraumatic stress symptoms and immune measures. Methods Blood draws and questionnaires were taken from community volunteer subjects living in the damaged neighborhoods between 1 and 4 months after the Hurricane. Results The sample exhibited high levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms by questionnaire (33% overall; 76% with at least one symptom cluster), and 44% scored in the high impact range on the Impact of Events (IES) scale. A substantial proportion of variance in posttraumatic stress symptoms could be accounted for by four hurricane experience variables (damage, loss, life threat, and injury), with perceived loss being the highest correlate. Of the five immune measures studied Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity (NKCC) was the only measure that was meaningfully related (negatively) to both damage and psychological variables (loss, intrusive thoughts, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). White blood cell counts (WBCs) were significantly positively related with the degree of loss and PTSD experienced. Both NKCC (lower) and WBC were significantly related to retrospective self-reported increase of somatic symptoms after the hurricane. Overall, the community sample was significantly lower in NKCC, CD4 and CD8 number, and higher in NK cell number compared to laboratory controls. Finally, evidence was found for new onset of sleep problems as a mediator of the posttraumatic symptom - NKCC relationship. Conclusions Several immune measures differed from controls after Hurricane Andrew. Negative (intrusive) thoughts and PTSD were related to lower NKCC. Loss was a key correlate of both posttraumatic symptoms and immune (NKCC, WBC) measures.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the relationship that firms need to develop with their suppliers and propose that effective relationship with suppliers will provide firms with next-generational competitive advantage.
TL;DR: It may be that measures of nonverbal social communication skills are especially important in the study of preschool intervention programs because these measures appear to tap into a cardinal component of the early social disturbance of autism.
Abstract: Highly structured, intensive early intervention may lead to significant developmental gains for many children with autism. However, a clear understanding of early intervention effects may currently be hampered by a lack of precision in outcome measurement. To improve the precision and sensitivity of outcome assessment it may be useful to integrate research on the nature of the social disturbance of autism with research on early intervention. In this regard, it may be that measures of nonverbal social communication skills are especially important in the study of preschool intervention programs. This is because these measures appear to tap into a cardinal component of the early social disturbance of autism, and because these measures have been directly related to neurological, cognitive, and affective processes that may play a role in autism. The research and theory that support the potential utility of these types of measures for early intervention research are reviewed. Examples are provided to illustrate how these types of measures may assist in addressing current issues and hypotheses about early intervention with autism including the “recovery hypothesis,” the “pivotal skill hypothesis,” and the relative effectiveness of discrete trial versus incidental learning approaches to early intervention. A cybernetic model of autism is also briefly described in an effort to better understand one potential component of early psychoeducational treatment effects with children with autism.
TL;DR: Before concentrations of dissolved CO2 can be estimated from isotopic fractionations, some means of accounting for variations in growth rate must be found, perhaps by drawing on relationships between [PO4] and Cd/Ca ratios in shells of planktonic foraminifera.
Abstract: The carbon isotopic fractionation accompanying formation of biomass by alkenone-producing algae in natural marine environments varies systematically with the concentration of dissolved phosphate Specifically, if the fractionation is expressed by epsilon p approximately delta e - delta p, where delta e and delta p are the delta 13C values for dissolved CO2 and for algal biomass (determined by isotopic analysis of C37 alkadienones), respectively, and if Ce is the concentration of dissolved CO2, micromole kg-1, then b = 38 + 160*[PO4], where [PO4] is the concentration of dissolved phosphate, microM, and b = (25 - epsilon p)Ce The correlation found between b and [PO4] is due to effects linking nutrient levels to growth rates and cellular carbon budgets for alkenone-containing algae, most likely by trace-metal limitations on algal growth The relationship reported here is characteristic of 39 samples (r2 = 095) from the Santa Monica Basin (six different times during the annual cycle), the equatorial Pacific (boreal spring and fall cruises as well as during an iron-enrichment experiment), and the Peru upwelling zone Points representative of samples from the Sargasso Sea ([PO4] < or = 01 microM) fall above the b = f[PO4] line Analysis of correlations expected between mu (growth rate), epsilon p, and Ce shows that, for our entire data set, most variations in epsilon p result from variations in mu rather than Ce Accordingly, before concentrations of dissolved CO2 can be estimated from isotopic fractionations, some means of accounting for variations in growth rate must be found, perhaps by drawing on relationships between [PO4] and Cd/Ca ratios in shells of planktonic foraminifera