10 research outputs found
Impaired fasting glucose and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in middle-age adults: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 2971 subjects
Effects of a token reinforcement system on journal reshelving
A token reinforcement program involving two levels of token value and backup reinforcers to increase journal reshelving behavior in a large university library was experimentally evaluated. Results showed that instructions (in which signs asked users to reshelve journals) had no impact. By contrast, token reinforcement contingent on reshelving behavior led to a marked increase in journals reshelved. A return to instructions-only conditions, when data were corrected for library usage, showed an increase in unreshelved journals over the token reinforcement period, though the increase was not to baseline levels. For the next 11 months, library staff maintained a modified token program. Follow-up data collected after that interval showed that number of unreshelved journals remained markedly lower than levels at baseline and the first instructions-only period, though they were slightly higher than at the token reinforcement period. Token reinforcement of the variety employed in this study constitutes an efficient, economical means of changing the behavior of library users who fail to reshelve books and journals
Comparison of two different dosages of hydroxyzine for sedation in the paediatric dental patient
Identifying Individual, Cultural and Asthma-Related Risk and Protective Factors Associated With Resilient Asthma Outcomes in Urban Children and Families
ObjectiveâThe goal of this study is to identify individual, family/cultural, and illness-related protective factors that may minimize asthma morbidity in the context of multiple urban risks in a sample of inner-city children and families.âMethodsâParticipating families are from African-American (33), Latino (51) and non-Latino white (47) backgrounds. A total of 131 children with asthma (56% male), ages 6â13 years and their primary caregivers were included.âResultsâAnalyses supported the relationship between cumulative risks and asthma morbidity across children of the sample. Protective processes functioned differently by ethnic group. For example, Latino families exhibited higher levels of family connectedness, and this was associated with lower levels of functional limitation due to asthma, in the context of risks.âConclusionsâThis study demonstrates the utility of examining multilevel protective processes that may guard against urban risks factors to decrease morbidity. Intervention programs for families from specific ethnic groups can be tailored to consider individual, family-based/cultural and illness-related supports that decrease stress and enhance aspects of asthma treatment
Drivers of spontaneous plant richness patterns in urban green space within a biodiversity hotspot
Urban green space provides refuges for species that are unintentionally introduced by humans and which do not belong to the remnants of natural habitats in urban areas. However, the quantitative relationships between urban green space properties and these spontaneous species are unclear. To address this, we surveyed plant species occurring in urban green patches in Kunming city, which is located in a biodiversity hotspot in southwest China. We classified spontaneous plants into native, non-native and invasive plant species. A total of 386 spontaneous species belonging to 278 genera and 92 families were recorded in 190 patches. Most of the recorded species were herbaceous plants (76.2 %). While invasive species constituted a relatively small proportion of the total species pool (17.9 %), six out of ten of the most frequently occurring species were invasive. Regression models inspired by the theory of Island Biogeography show that total, native, non-native and invasive spontaneous species richness in urban green patches were best explained by the size of the âislandâ (patch area), dispersal limitations (as expressed by âdistance to city boundaryâ) and edge effects (as shown by the landscape shape index). While the set of drivers of spontaneous plants is similar for the different groups of species, the relative importance of each driver varies among them. Our study provides quantification of drivers of biodiversity patterns in urban green space. Based on this understanding, planning and management of urban green space can be adapted to maximize spontaneous plant conservation in rapidly urbanizing biodiversity hotspot regions.Environmental Biolog