Population Structure in an Indian Cooperative Spider, Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch (Eresidae)

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_tocs/JOA_contents_v22n2.html.Twenty-nine colonies of a population of the cooperative spider Stegodyphus sarasinorum Karsch (Eresidae), from two sites in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India, were examined using protein allozyme electrophoresis . Thirty-five enzyme systems were examined . Twenty-two enzymes (the products of 25 putative loci) gave scorable results . Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) werepolymorphic with two alleles each; hexokinase exhibited uninterpretable variation . The rest were monomorphic. One LDH allele was found at only one of two collection sites, and one G6PDH allele was found only at the other collection site. The pattern of variation in S. sarasinorum is similar to that found in three other studies of cooperative spiders : extreme population subdivision, with most colonies consisting of identical homozygotes

Using Multi-method Assessment to Evaluate a Media Enhanced Classroom

This paper looks at the process of assessment of a media-enhanced classroom experience. It utilizes an assessment model based on Rathbun and Goodrum (8) that suggests multi-methods of data collection. The use of triangulation (3) to answer a research question fits into the proposed multi-method design. The Living Textbook was developed to support a senior level management class in a Recreation and Park Administration program. The instructor identified four instructional goals of the multi-media program: Triangulation techniques included group observations, individual student observations, data based and open ended surveys, and debriefing of instructors. The results suggested that usability/accessibility were essential precursors to students developing receptivity to the multimedia program. When receptivity was achieved students valued the program as a contributor to their base of knowledge about the real work world. The use of student workbooks where opportunities for learning by doing occurred and in-class discussions in small groups were strongly linked to valuing the Living Textbook

Solving Dynamic Addition Math Word Problems Using The Start-Change-Result Strategy

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the impact the Start-Change-Result strategy had on the ability level of first-grade students working to solve dynamic addition math word problems. During an eight-week period, a class of 15 first-grade students from a high poverty setting participated in this study. These students struggled with correctly answering dynamic addition math word problems in which the unknown could be in any of three positions: the start, the change, or the result even though they had the computational skills to answer these questions accurately. All of these students had mastered solving basic addition facts and missing addend problems. The problem was these students were lacking in the ability to determine what was the unknown in the problem and apply an appropriate strategy for finding a solution. Data was collected through pre- and posttest results, as well as, student responses to a simple interview and teacher recorded observations. Results of a nationally normed Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) math test were also examined to see if teaching this strategy had any effect on these test results. The researcher analyzed the collected data and found that the implementation of the Start-Change-Result strategy increased the ability of these first-grade students to solve dynamic addition math word problems

The Creative Economy in Maine: Measurement & Analysis

The Creative Economy is today a large and important part of Maine’s economy. The data in this study show that both the arts & culture and technology sectors of the Creative Economy are large and growing. Arts & culture industries have exhibited particularly strong employment growth at a time when major parts of our technology industries have seen significant employment declines. Although concentrated in urban areas, arts & culture industries flourish throughout Maine, and it is outside urban counties that this economy particularly blooms during the summer

Racial Equity Considerations In Safe To Sleep Messaging: Learning From The Community

Black infants are dying at a rate of over twice that of White infants. We know that infants in unsafe sleep positions are more likely to die from Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Safe to Sleep® education has led to a dramatic decrease in mortality among white infants, but over 60% of Black families do not follow the Safe to Sleep® parameters. Safe to Sleep® education is given to pregnant women during the prenatal period and prior to hospital discharge, but what is the best way to share this message with Black families

Potency of a human monoclonal antibody to diphtheria toxin relative to equine diphtheria anti-toxin in a guinea pig intoxication model

Prompt administration of anti-toxin reduces mortality following Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection. Current treatment relies upon equine diphtheria anti-toxin (DAT), with a 10% risk of serum sickness and rarely anaphylaxis. The global DAT supply is extremely limited; most manufacturers have ceased production. S315 is a neutralizing human IgG1 monoclonal antibody to diphtheria toxin that may provide a safe and effective alternative to equine DAT and address critical supply issues. To guide dose selection for IND-enabling pharmacology and toxicology studies, we dose-ranged S315 and DAT in a guinea pig model of diphtheria intoxication based on the NIH Minimum Requirements potency assay. Animals received a single injection of antibody premixed with toxin, were monitored for 30 days, and assigned a numeric score for clinical signs of disease. Animals receiving \u3e /= 27.5 microg of S315 or \u3e /= 1.75 IU of DAT survived whereas animals receiving \u3c /= 22.5 microg of S315 or \u3c /= 1.25 IU of DAT died, yielding a potency estimate of 17 microg S315/IU DAT (95% CI 16-21) for an endpoint of survival. Because some surviving animals exhibited transient limb weakness, likely a systemic sign of toxicity, DAT and S315 doses required to prevent hind limb paralysis were also determined, yielding a relative potency of 48 microg/IU (95% CI 38-59) for this alternate endpoint. To support advancement of S315 into clinical trials, potency estimates will be used to evaluate the efficacy of S315 versus DAT in an animal model with antibody administration after toxin exposure, more closely modeling anti-toxin therapy in humans

Genetic validation of Leishmania genes essential for amastigote survival in vivo using N-myristoyltransferase as a model

BACKGROUND: Proving that specific genes are essential for the intracellular viability of Leishmania parasites within macrophages remains a challenge for the identification of suitable targets for drug development. This is especially evident in the absence of a robust inducible expression system or functioning RNAi machinery that works in all Leishmania species. Currently, if a target gene of interest in extracellular parasites can only be deleted from its genomic locus in the presence of ectopic expression from a wild type copy, it is assumed that this gene will also be essential for viability in disease-promoting intracellular parasites. However, functional essentiality must be proven independently in both life-cycle stages for robust validation of the gene of interest as a putative target for chemical intervention. METHODS: Here, we have used plasmid shuffle methods in vivo to provide supportive genetic evidence that N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) is essential for Leishmania viability throughout the parasite life-cycle. Following confirmation of NMT essentiality in vector-transmitted promastigotes, a range of mutant parasites were used to infect mice prior to negative selection pressure to test the hypothesis that NMT is also essential for parasite viability in an established infection. RESULTS: Ectopically-expressed NMT was only dispensable under negative selection in the presence of another copy. Total parasite burdens in animals subjected to negative selection were comparable to control groups only if an additional NMT copy, not affected by the negative selection, was expressed. CONCLUSIONS: NMT is an essential gene in all parasite life-cycle stages, confirming its role as a genetically-validated target for drug development

Rates and causes of mortality among children and young people with and without intellectual disabilities in Scotland: a record linkage cohort study of 796,190 schoolchildren

Objectives: To investigate mortality rates and causes in children and young people with intellectual disabilities. Design: Retrospective cohort; individual record linkage between Scotland’s annual pupil census and National Records of Scotland death register. Setting: General community. Participants: Pupils receiving local authority-funded schooling in Scotland, 2008 to 2013, with an Additional Support Need due to intellectual disabilities, compared with other pupils. Main outcome measures: Deaths up to 2015: age of death, age-standardised mortality ratios (age-SMRs); causes of death including cause-specific age-SMRs; avoidable deaths as defined by the UK Office of National Statistics. Results: 18 278/947 922 (1.9%) pupils had intellectual disabilities. 106 died over 67 342 person-years (crude mortality rate=157/100 000 person-years), compared with 458 controls over 3 672 224 person-years (crude mortality rate=12/100 000 person-years). Age-SMR was 11.6 (95% CI 9.6 to 14.0); 16.6 (95% CI 12.2 to 22.6) for female pupils and 9.8 (95% CI 7.7 to 12.5) for male pupils. Most common main underlying causes were diseases of the nervous system, followed by congenital anomalies; most common all-contributing causes were diseases of the nervous system, followed by respiratory system; most common specific contributing causes were cerebral palsy, pneumonia, respiratory failure and epilepsy. For all contributing causes, SMR was 98.8 (95% CI 69.9 to 139.7) for congenital anomalies, 76.5 (95% CI 58.9 to 99.4) for nervous system, 63.7 (95% CI 37.0 to 109.7) for digestive system, 55.3 (95% CI 42.5 to 72.1) for respiratory system, 32.1 (95% CI 17.8 to 57.9) for endocrine and 14.8 (95% CI 8.9 to 24.5) for circulatory system. External causes accounted for 46% of control deaths, but the SMR for external-related deaths was still higher (3.6 (95% CI 2.2 to 5.8)) for pupils with intellectual disabilities. Deaths amenable to good care were common. Conclusion: Pupils with intellectual disabilities were much more likely to die than their peers, and had a different pattern of causes, including amenable deaths across a wide range of disease categories. Improvements are needed to reduce amenable deaths, for example, epilepsy-related and dysphagia, and to support families of children with life-limiting conditions

The value of source data verification in a cancer clinical trial

Background Source data verification (SDV) is a resource intensive method of quality assurance frequently used in clinical trials. There is no empirical evidence to suggest that SDV would impact on comparative treatment effect results from a clinical trial. Methods Data discrepancies and comparative treatment effects obtained following 100% SDV were compared to those based on data without SDV. Overall survival (OS) and Progression-free survival (PFS) were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests and Cox models. Tumour response classifications and comparative treatment Odds Ratios (ORs) for the outcome objective response rate, and number of Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) were compared. OS estimates based on SDV data were compared against estimates obtained from centrally monitored data. Findings Data discrepancies were identified between different monitoring procedures for the majority of variables examined, with some variation in discrepancy rates. There were no systematic patterns to discrepancies and their impact was negligible on OS, the primary outcome of the trial (HR (95% CI): 1.18(0.99 to 1.41), p = 0.064 with 100% SDV; 1.18(0.99 to 1.42), p = 0.068 without SDV; 1.18(0.99 to 1.40), p = 0.073 with central monitoring). Results were similar for PFS. More extreme discrepancies were found for the subjective outcome overall objective response (OR (95% CI): 1.67(1.04 to 2.68), p = 0.03 with 100% SDV; 2.45(1.49 to 4.04), p = 0.0003 without any SDV) which was mostly due to differing CT scans. Interpretation Quality assurance methods used in clinical trials should be informed by empirical evidence. In this empirical comparison, SDV was expensive and identified random errors that made little impact on results and clinical conclusions of the trial. Central monitoring using an external data source was a more efficient approach for the primary outcome of OS. For the subjective outcome objective response, an independent blinded review committee and tracking system to monitor missing scan data could be more efficient than SDV