Teacher supply and demand: a program of action.

Mode of access: Internet.

Bureau of Power staff report : electric power supply and demand 1977-1986 as projected by the regional electric reliability councils in their April 1, 1977 responses to FPC order 383-4, docket R-362.

Chiefly tables.

Examining Gender Differences in Writing Skill with Latent Factor Modeling

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Latent and Lytic KSHV Infection Require Host Cell Metabolism

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Latent class and genetic analysis does not support migraine with aura and migraine without aura as separate entities

Latent class and genetic analyses were used to identify subgroups of migraine sufferers in a community sample of 6,265 Australian twins (55% female) aged 25-36 who had completed an interview based on International Headache Society UHS) criteria. Consistent with prevalence rates from other population-based studies, 703 (20%) female and 250 (9%) male twins satisfied the IHS criteria for migraine without aura (MO), and of these, 432 (13%) female and 166 (6%) male twins satisfied the criteria for migraine with aura (MA) as indicated by visual symptoms. Latent class analysis (LCA) of IHS symptoms identified three major symptomatic classes, representing 1) a mild form of recurrent nonmigrainous headache, 2) a moderately severe form of migraine, typically without visual aura symptoms (although 40% of individuals in this class were positive for aura), and 3) a severe form of migraine typically with visual aura symptoms (although 24% of individuals were negative for aura). Using the LCA classification, many more individuals were considered affected to some degree than when using IHS criteria (35% vs. 13%). Furthermore, genetic model fitting indicated a greater genetic contribution to migraine using the LCA classification (heritability, h(2) =0.40; 95% CI, 0.29-0.46) compared with the IHS classification (h(2)=0.36; 95% CI, 0.22-0.42). Exploratory latent class modeling, fitting up to 10 classes, did not identify classes corresponding to either the IHS MO or MA classification. Our data indicate the existence of a continuum of severity, with MA more severe but not etiologically distinct from MO. In searching for predisposing genes, we should therefore expect to find some genes that may underlie all major recurrent headache subtypes, with modifying genetic or environmental factors that may lead to differential expression of the liability for migraine. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Random error in willingness to pay measurement: A multiple indicators, latent variable approach to the reliability of contingent values

The reliability of measurement refers to unsystematic error in observed responses. Investigations of the prevalence of random error in stated estimates of willingness to pay (WTP) are important to an understanding of why tests of validity in CV can fail. However, published reliability studies have tended to adopt empirical methods that have practical and conceptual limitations when applied to WTP responses. This contention is supported in a review of contingent valuation reliability studies that demonstrate important limitations of existing approaches to WTP reliability. It is argued that empirical assessments of the reliability of contingent values may be better dealt with by using multiple indicators to measure the latent WTP distribution. This latent variable approach is demonstrated with data obtained from a WTP study for stormwater pollution abatement. Attitude variables were employed as a way of assessing the reliability of open-ended WTP (with benchmarked payment cards) for stormwater pollution abatement. The results indicated that participants' decisions to pay were reliably measured, but not the magnitude of the WTP bids. This finding highlights the need to better discern what is actually being measured in VVTP studies, (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of a reduction in drug supply on demand for and compliance with treatment for drug dependence

Background: In early 2001, Australia experienced a sudden, dramatic and;sustained decrease in heroin availability that was accompanied by sharp increases in price and decreases in street level purity-the so-called heroin shortage. These unprecedented changes occurred in a context of widespread treatment availability, which made it possible for the first time to examine the impact of a sharp reduction in heroin supply in New South Wales (NSW) on entry to and adherence with treatment for heroin dependence. Given the evidence of drug substitution by some users. the current paper also examines the effects of the shortage on entry to treatment for other forms of drug dependence. Methods: Interrupted time-series analysis of the number of persons entering opioid pharmacotherapy and other treatment modalities in NSW for heroin dependence and for the treatment for other types of drug dependence. Findings: The heroin shortage was associated with a reduction in the number of younger persons entering opioid pharmacotherapy. There was a dramatic decrease in the number of persons entering heroin withdrawal or assessment only treatment episodes. There appear to have been small improvements in adherence to and retention in heroin treatment after the reduction in heroin supply. Relatively small increases were observed in numbers being treated for cocaine dependence. Conclusions: In the context of good treatment provision, a reduction in heroin supply appeared to produce modest improvements in intermediate outcomes. Supply and demand reduction measures, when both are implemented successfully, may be complementary. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subtypes of Illicit Drug Users: A Latent Class Analysis of Data From an Australian Twin Sample

This article applies methods of latent class analysis (LCA) to data on lifetime illicit drug use in order to determine whether qualitatively distinct classes of illicit drug users can be identified. Self-report data on lifetime illicit drug use (cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens, sedatives, inhalants, cocaine, opioids and solvents) collected from a sample of 6265 Australian twins (average age 30 years) were analyzed using LCA. Rates of childhood sexual and physical abuse, lifetime alcohol and tobacco dependence, symptoms of illicit drug abuse/dependence and psychiatric comorbidity were compared across classes using multinomial logistic regression. LCA identified a 5-class model: Class 1 (68.5%) had low risks of the use of all drugs except cannabis; Class 2 (17.8%) had moderate risks of the use of all drugs; Class 3 (6.6%) had high rates of cocaine, other stimulant and hallucinogen use but lower risks for the use of sedatives or opioids. Conversely, Class 4 (3.0%) had relatively low risks of cocaine, other stimulant or hallucinogen use but high rates of sedative and opioid use. Finally, Class 5 (4.2%) had uniformly high probabilities for the use of all drugs. Rates of psychiatric comorbidity were highest in the polydrug class although the sedative/opioid class had elevated rates of depression/suicidal behaviors and exposure to childhood abuse. Aggregation of population-level data may obscure important subgroup differences in patterns of illicit drug use and psychiatric comorbidity. Further exploration of a 'self-medicating' subgroup is needed.

Use of latent profile analysis to identify eating disorder phenotypes in an adult Australian twin cohort

Context: The relationships among the different eating disorders that exist in the community are poorly understood, especially for residual disorders in which bingeing or purging occurs in the absence of other behaviors. Objective: To examine a community sample for the number of mutually exclusive weight and eating profiles. Design: Data regarding lifetime eating disorder symptoms and weight range were submitted to a latent profile analysis. Profiles were compared regarding personality, current eating and weight, retrospectively reported life events, and lifetime depressive psychopathology. Setting: Longitudinal study among female twins from the Australian Twin Registry in whom eating was assessed by a telephone interview. Participants: A community sample of 1002 twins (individuals) who had participated in earlier waves of data collection. Main Outcome Measures: Number and clinical character of latent profiles. Results: The best fit was a 5-profile solution with women who were (1) of normal weight with few lifetime eating disorders (4.3%), (2) overweight (10.6% had a lifetime eating disorder), (3) underweight and generally had no eating disorders except for 5.3% who had restricting anorexia nervosa, (4) of low to normal weight (89.0% had a lifetime eating disorder), and (5) obese (37.0% had a lifetime eating disorder). Each profile contained more than 1 type of lifetime eating disorder except for the third profile. Women in the first and third profiles had the best functioning, with women in the fourth and fifth profiles having similarly poorer functioning. The women in the fourth group had a symptom profile distinctive from the other 4 groups in terms of severity; they were also more likely to have had lifetime major depression and suicidality. Conclusion: Lifetime weight ranges and the severity of eating disorder symptoms affected clustering more than the type of eating disorder symptom.

Expression of LAG-3 by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is coincident with the suppression of latent membrane antigen-specific CD8(+) T-cell function in Hodgkin lymphoma patients

In Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), the malignant Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells constitute only 0.5% of 10% of the diseased tissue. The surrounding cellular infiltrate is enriched with T cells that are hypothesized to modulate antitumor immunity. We show that a marker of regulatory T cells, LAG-3, is strongly expressed on infiltrating lymphocytes present in proximity to HRS cells. Circulating regulatory T cells (CD4(+) CD25(hi) CD45 ROhi, CD4(+) CTLA4(hi), and CD4(+) LAG-3(hi)) were elevated in HL patients with active disease when compared with remission. Longitudinal profiling of EBV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses in 94 HL patients revealed a selective loss of interferon-gamma expression by CD8(+) T cells specific for latent membrane proteins 1 and 2 (LMP1/2), irrespective of EBV tissue status. Intratumoral LAG-3 expression was associated with EBV tissue positivity, whereas FOXP3 was linked with neither LAG-3 nor EBV tissue status. The level of LAG-3 and FOXP3 expression on the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was coincident with impairment of LMP1/2-specific T-cell function. In vitro pre-exposure of peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells to HRS cell line supernatant significantly increased the expansion of regulatory T cells and suppressed LMP-specific T-cell responses. Deletion of CD4(+) LAG-3(+) T cells enhanced LMP-specific reactivity. These findings indicate a pivotal role for regulatory T cells and LAG-3 in the suppression of EBV-specific cell-mediated immunity in HL.