Taking be proud! Be responsible! To the suburbs: a replication study.

Context: An important phase of HIV prevention research is replicating successful interventions with different groups and in different settings.

Methods: Be Proud! Be Responsible!, a successful intervention originally targeting black urban males and carried out in nonschool settings, was presented in health classes at urban and suburban schools with diverse student bodies. A group-randomized intervention study, which included 1,357 ninth and 10th graders from 10 paired schools in a Midwestern metropolitan area, was conducted in 2000-2002.

Structure-activity relationships of antitubercular nitroimidazoles. 2. Determinants of aerobic activity and quantitative structure-activity relationships.

The (S)-2-nitro-6-substituted 6,7-dihydro-5H-imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]oxazines have been extensively explored for their potential use as new antituberculars based on their excellent bactericidal properties on aerobic whole cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. An oxygen atom at the 2-position of the imidazole ring is required for aerobic activity. Here, we show that substitution of this oxygen by either nitrogen or sulfur yielded equipotent analogues.

Autophagosome-independent essential function for the autophagy protein Atg5 in cellular immunity to intracellular pathogens.

The physiologic importance of autophagy proteins for control of mammalian bacterial and parasitic infection in vivo is unknown. Using mice with granulocyte- and macrophage-specific deletion of the essential autophagy protein Atg5, we show that Atg5 is required for in vivo resistance to the intracellular pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii. In primary macrophages, Atg5 was required for interferongamma (IFN-gamma)/LPS-induced damage to the T.

Thermal formation of mixed-metal inorganic complexes at atmospheric pressure.

Atmospheric-pressure thermal desorption ionization (APTDI), a new variant on older ionization methods, is employed to generate gas-phase ions from inorganic and organometallic compounds. The method is compared to conventional electrospray ionization (ESI) of these compounds and found in most cases examined to yield simpler mass spectra which are useful in the characterization of the pure compounds. Cluster formation, however, is prominent in these spectra and mixtures of V(IV)O(salen), Ni(II)(salen) and Co(II)(salen) show mixed-metal cluster ions.

Time series analysis of treatment adherence patterns in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Adherence to medical recommendations is often suboptimal, making examination of adherence data an important scientific concern. Studies that attempt to predict or modify adherence often face the problem that adherence as a dependent variable is complex and non-normally distributed. Traditional statistical approaches to adherence data may mask individual variability that may guide clinician and researcher's development of adherence interventions.

Ion soft landing using a rectilinear ion trap mass spectrometer.

A new ion soft landing instrument has been built for the controlled deposition of mass selected polyatomic ions. The instrument has been operated with an electrospray ionization source; its major components are an electrodynamic ion funnel to reduce ion loss, a 90-degree bent square quadrupole that prevents deposition of fast neutral molecules onto the landing surface, and a novel rectilinear ion trap (RIT) mass analyzer. The ion trap is elongated (inner dimensions: 8 mm x 10 mm x 10 cm).

Dimensions of child punishment in two Central American countries: Guatemala and El Salvador.

Objective: Severe physical punishment of children is an important issue in international child health and welfare. This study examines such punishment in Guatemala and El Salvador.

Methods: Data came from nationally representative surveys of women aged 15-49 and men aged 15-59 residing in Guatemala (2002) and El Salvador (2002-2003).

Effect of Poultry Litter Treatment(R) (PLT(R)) on the development of respiratory tract lesions in broilers.

In previous studies, Poultry Litter Treatment(R) (PLT(R)) was shown to reduce atmospheric ammonia levels and ascites death rates, and produce higher profit value in broiler chickens. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of PLT(R) on atmospheric ammonia levels, the development of respiratory tract lesions, and body weight gains in broiler chickens. Data were collected from chicks that were raised in containment conditions that resembled commercial settings.

Quantitative pathology of small intestinal coccidiosis caused by Eimeria maxima in young broilers.

The objective of this study was to apply a microscopic lesion scoring system for assessing the severity of experimental coccidiosis. To accomplish this objective, we examined the effects of varying doses of E. maxima in chicks by comparisons of gross and microscopic lesion scores, body weight gains, feed conversion ratios and faecal oocyst counts.

Use of microscopic lesion scores, gross lesion scores and oocyst count scores to detect Eimeria maxima in chickens.

We recently found that the microscopic lesion scoring (MLS) method is superior to gross lesion scores (GLS) for detecting endogenous stages of Eimeria maxima in chickens. In the present study, the MLS was found to be superior to either oocyst count scoring (OCS) or GLS for detecting E. maxima infections in broiler chickens, and the OCS was better than the GLS.

Dimensions of child sexual abuse before age 15 in three Central American countries: Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Objective: The prevalence of sexual abuse during childhood or adolescence varies depending on the definitions and age categories used. This study examines the first national, population-based data available on child sexual abuse that occurs before age 15 in three countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This study uses comparable indicators and measures of sexual abuse for the three countries to document the prevalence of abuse, types of perpetrators, and the association of child sexual abuse with recent intimate partner violence.

Telemetric monitoring in the behavior sciences.

This article reviews recent advances in telemetrics, a class of wireless information systems technology that can collect and transmit a wide variety of behavioral and environmental data remotely. Telemetrics include wearable computers that weave on-body sensors into articles of clothing, ubiquitous computers that embed sensors and transmitters seamlessly into the environment, and handheld devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants, that can record cognitive and affective states. Examples of telemetric applications are provided to illustrate how this technology has been used in the behavioral sciences to unobtrusively and repeatedly gather physiological, behavioral, environmental, cognitive, and affective data in natural settings.

Synthesis and antitubercular activity of 7-(R)- and 7-(S)-methyl-2-nitro-6-(S)-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)benzyloxy)-6,7-dihydro-5H-imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]oxazines, analogues of PA-824.

Nitroimidazoles such as PA-824 and OPC-67683 are currently in clinical development as members of a promising new class of therapeutics for tuberculosis. While the antitubercular activity of these compounds is high, they both suffer from poor water solubility thus complicating development. We determined the single crystal X-ray structure of PA-824 and found a close packing of the nitroimidazoles facilitated by a pseudoaxial conformation of the p-trifluoromethoxybenzyl ether.

Mutations in the neutral sphingomyelinase gene SMPD3 implicate the ceramide pathway in human leukemias.

Ceramide is a lipid second messenger derived from the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin by sphingomyelinases (SMases) and implicated in diverse cellular responses, including growth arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis. Defects in the neutral SMase (nSMase) gene Smpd3, the primary regulator of ceramide biosynthesis, are responsible for developmental defects of bone; regulation of ceramide levels have been implicated in macrophage differentiation, but this pathway has not been directly implicated in human cancer. In a genomic screen for gene copy losses contributing to tumorigenesis in a mouse osteosarcoma model, we identified a somatic homozygous deletion specifically targeting Smpd3.

The pitfalls of lung cancer screening.

Lung cancer screening has received extensive attention for a number of years. As yet the goal of such a screening programme, a reduction in lung cancer mortality proven by a large randomised controlled trial, has not been achieved. Instead we are left with a number of unanswered questions and practical problems.

Detecting longitudinal patterns of daily smoking following drastic cigarette reduction.

To enhance prolonged smoking cessation or reduction, a better understanding of the process of change is needed. This study examines daily smoking rates following the end of an intensive smoking reduction program originally designed to evaluate the relationship of tobacco biomarkers with reduced levels of smoking. A novel pattern-oriented approach called time series-based typology is used to detect homogeneous smoking patterns in time-intensively (i.

Good laboratory practice 30 years on: challenges for industry.

The principles of good laboratory practice (GLP) have undergone little change since they were established 30 years ago. Conversely, there have been huge advances in science and technology during this time. Test facilities (TF) have been challenged to utilise these advancements and thus enhance the quality of their programmes of non-clinical safety testing.

A novel theory for nursing education: holistic comfort.

This article discusses how aspects of a holistic comfort theory were adapted to create a taxonomic structure to apply its concepts to a fast-track nursing education program. The principles of learner-centered education were combined with comfort theory to develop strategies that appear to have produced positive influences on the attributes and contexts of comfort within the learning community. With emphasis on balanced academic exposure to the art of comfort as well as the rigorous science of nursing, students and teachers developed a mutually rewarding learning partnership.

Antifungal serum concentration monitoring: an update.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are occurring with increasing incidence and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding the relationship between the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of antifungals is essential to optimize the potential for favourable clinical and microbiological outcomes while minimizing risks of treatment-related toxicity. Antifungal serum concentrations may aid in the determination of appropriate dosing in select circumstances.

Improved detection of atmospheric turbulence with SLODAR.

We discuss several improvements in the detection of atmospheric turbulence using SLOpe Detection And Ranging (SLODAR). Frequently, SLODAR observations have shown strong ground-layer turbulence, which is beneficial to adaptive optics. We show that current methods which neglect atmospheric propagation effects can underestimate the strength of high altitude turbulence by up to ~ 30%.

Blood lactate measurements and analysis during exercise: a guide for clinicians.

Blood lactate concentration ([La(-)](b)) is one of the most often measured parameters during clinical exercise testing as well as during performance testing of athletes. While an elevated [La(-)](b) may be indicative of ischemia or hypoxemia, it may also be a "normal" physiological response to exertion. In response to "all-out" maximal exertion lasting 30-120 seconds, peak [La(-)](b) values of approximately 15-25 mM may be observed 3-8 minutes postexercise.