Case studies of conservation plans that incorporate geodiversity.

Geodiversity has been used as a surrogate for biodiversity when species locations are unknown, and this utility can be extended to situations where species locations are in flux. Recently, scientists have designed conservation networks that aim to explicitly represent the range of geophysical environments, identifying a network of physical stages that could sustain biodiversity while allowing for change in species composition in response to climate change. Because there is no standard approach to designing such networks, we compiled 8 case studies illustrating a variety of ways scientists have approached the challenge. These studies show how geodiversity has been partitioned and used to develop site portfolios and connectivity designs; how geodiversity-based portfolios compare with those derived from species and communities; and how the selection and combination of variables influences the results. Collectively, they suggest 4 key steps when using geodiversity to augment traditional biodiversity-based conservation planning: create land units from species-relevant variables combined in an ecologically meaningful way; represent land units in a logical spatial configuration and integrate with species locations when possible; apply selection criteria to individual sites to ensure they are appropriate for conservation; and develop connectivity among sites to maintain movements and processes. With these considerations, conservationists can design more effective site portfolios to ensure the lasting conservation of biodiversity under a changing climate.

Preoperative versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for surgically curable carcinoma of the rectum and distal sigmoid colon.

From January 1979 to October 1986, 86 patients with surgically resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum or rectosigmoid were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy consisting of preoperative 2,400 cGy (22 patients), preoperative 4,000 cGy (14 patients), "sandwich" technique (27 patients), and postoperative irradiation (23 patients). Average follow-up was 42.9 months. The local recurrence rate was 4.5%, 9.1%, 7.4%, and 34.8%, respectively. The distant metastasis rate was 18.2%, 18.2%, 7.4%, and 30.4%, respectively. Preoperative radiotherapy with adequate surgical resection appears more effective in reducing the incidence of local recurrence.

Influence of self-monitoring on heterosexual conversational behaviors of head trauma youth.

This study evaluates the impact of self-monitoring on three heterosexual conversational behaviors of head trauma youths. Two 5-minute audiotaped conversations occurred daily between the youths and unfamiliar female confederates. Two conversations occurring on alternate days in clinical and natural conversational settings were scored for the frequency of compliments, questions, and self-disclosures. A multiple baseline analysis with alternating treatments for "instructions to self-monitor" and "no instructions to self-monitor" revealed (a) self-monitoring had an accelerative effect on compliments and questions and a decelerative effect on self-disclosure; (b) self-monitoring effects were maintained despite transferring from a mechanical counter to an unspecified covert monitoring procedure; (c) self-monitoring had a comparable effect whether employed in a clinical or functional communication setting; (d) performance of the target behavior was most strongly influenced under the "instructions to self-monitor condition;" (e) once intervention was directed to another response, the rate under the instructions and no instruction conditions became equivalent; and (f) the results maintained over a 1-month follow-up for one youth available for observation. Finally, social comparison and subjective evaluation data supported the importance of intervention.

Effects of feedback and self-monitoring on head trauma youths' conversation skills.

The effects of feedback and self-recording on the small group conversational behaviors of two head trauma youths were evaluated. Feedback involved providing clients a light signal corresponding to positive or negative social interactions. The self-monitoring procedure required that the clients flip a switch corresponding with their positive or negative interactions. An A1-B1-C1-A2-C2-B2 design in which the feedback phase (B) and self-monitoring phase (C) were alternated to control for order effects demonstrated the efficacy of both interventions. Performance gains were also shown to generalize to less structured situations, bringing the clients' level of positive responses into a range established with a social comparison group.

Stacking the deck: teaching social skills to retarded adults with a modified table game.

This study developed and evaluated a social skills training program for institutionalized mildly or moderately retarded and dually diagnosed individuals. Social skills were conceptualized as requiring an action or reaction within six skill areas: compliments, social interactions, politeness, criticism, social confrontation, and questions/answers. The program taught social skills using a commercially available table game, Sorry, and a specially designed card deck. Each card represented one of the skill areas and was designed to train either an actor or reactor response. The program featured response specific feedback, self-monitoring, individualized reinforcers, and individualized performance criterion levels. A multiple baseline across two groups (N = 3 per group) revealed that the game contingencies increased social skills in all targeted areas. After training, the subjects displayed their newly learned skills at or above their trained levels in two different settings with novel persons present. Although untargeted, the complexity of the subjects' responses increased across conditions, since there was a steady increase in the number of words they used per response. The program appears to be a viable means of training social skills since it uses standardized training procedures, requires only one facilitator, and is in itself a social situation that may encourage interactions with peers, cooperation, competition, and politeness.