bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parathyroidectomy for the treatment of hyperparathyroidism: Thirty‐day morbidity and mortality
Authors: Tang Jessica A. , Salapatas Anna M. , Bonzelaar Lauren B. , Friedman Michael
Published: May 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

Evaluate morbidity and mortality rates for patients with different levels of hyperparathyroidism (HPT) undergoing parathyroidectomy (PTX), specifically comparing primary hyperparathyroidism to secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Assess predictive factors of increased morbidity and mortality.

Study Design

Retrospective national database review.

Methods

Patients undergoing PTX, defined by Current Procedural Terminology codes 60500, 60502, 60505, for the treatment of HPT, were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database between 2006 and 2014. Incidence of morbidity and mortality was calculated for primary, secondary, and tertiary HPT. A t test, analysis of variance, and χ2 analyses were used to assess preoperative characteristics among the three groups.

Results

A total of 21,267 patients were included in the analysis. There was an overall 7.2% morbidity and mortality rate, including 45 (0.21%) deaths, a 1.8% readmission rate, and a 1.9% reoperation rate, but morbidity and mortality rates were widely divergent when comparing primary to secondary and tertiary HPT. PTX resulted in a 4.9% morbidity and mortality rate for primary HPT (n = 14,500), 26.8% morbidity and mortality rate for secondary HPT (n = 1661), and 21.8% morbidity and mortality rate for tertiary HPT (n = 588). The primary reason for readmission was hypocalcemia (18.3%). Hematoma (7.2%) and postoperative hemorrhage (3.3%) were the two most common causes of reoperation. Elevated preoperative serum creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, and hypertension resulted in a higher rate of complications after PTX (P < .0001).

Conclusions

Although surgery for primary HPT is an extremely common and safe procedure with minimal morbidity and mortality rates, PTX for secondary and tertiary HPT has significantly higher rates of morbidity and mortality, requiring special attention in the postoperative period. Predictive factors of poor outcomes include hypertension, elevated creatinine, and elevated alkaline phosphatase.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 128:528–533, 2018
Depth gradient in the resource use of a fish community from a semi‐enclosed sea
Authors: Giraldo Carolina , Ernande Bruno , Cresson Pierre , Kopp Dorothée , Cachera Marie , Travers‐Trolet Morgane , Lefebvre Sébastien
Published: May 2017

Depth is one of the environmental variables influencing the structure of marine food webs by directly or indirectly influencing benthic‐pelagic coupling and predator‐prey relationships. In shallow waters, the high degree of connectivity between pelagic and benthic networks results in complex systems with multiple interactions. Digestive tract (DT) and stable isotope (SI) analyses were used to investigate depth‐related changes in feeding patterns for 33 fish species (eastern English Channel [EEC]) collected between 5 m and 80 m depth. Fish species were first arranged into functional groups based upon trophic and habitat similarities. DTs were used to determine the general topology of the food web and SIs were used to estimate the contributions of different sources to fish diets. At the scale of the aggregated EEC food web, the main food sources for all groups were of benthic origin (> 50%). The aggregated food web was then used as a template to explore the influence of depth on resource use by predatory fish. Mixing models including depth as a continuous covariate successfully untangled and identified different feeding strategies among functional groups. In shallow waters, fish species benefited from both pelagic and benthic prey whereas, in deeper waters, they fed predominantly on either benthic or pelagic sources depending on their habitat preferences. Our results support the hypothesis of a stronger benthic‐pelagic coupling in shallow waters, notably through fish diet, and highlight the importance of including environmental factors such as depth as proxies of habitat variation to fully understand resource use and food web structure in epicontinental seas.
Patterns and drivers of benthic macrofaunal communities dwelling within extant peritidal stromatolites
Authors: Rishworth Gavin M. , Perissinotto Renzo , Bird Matthew S.
Published: May 2017

Metazoans contributed historically to the decline of the microbialites and continue to restrict their formation in most modern environments through grazing and burrowing pressures. Recent evidence suggests that metazoans can coexist with layered microbialites (stromatolites). However, the possible drivers of the invertebrate assemblage directly associated with these unique habitats are not well‐understood. This study measured environmental and resource variables within peritidal stromatolites along the South African coastline and related these to the infaunal metazoan community. Clitellates (Naididae and Enchtraeidae), malacostracans (Amphipoda, Isopoda and Tanaidacea), insect larvae (Chironomidae), and polychaetes (Nereididae) were the most abundant groups. The benthic macrofaunal community was most strongly related to salinity, nutrients (dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus) and macroalgal cover. This suggests that the distribution of some species was restricted by physiological tolerances associated with salinity, while others responded to resource variability within the primary producer community. The absence of an apparent relationship between stromatolite microalgal biomass or composition and the metazoan community occupying the matrix indicates that the invertebrates might be relying on other primary producers as a food resource, such as macroalgae. This suggests that the benthic macrofaunal community may have a limited direct grazing effect on the stromatolite matrix, thereby not hindering the formation of its typical layered fabric.
Pitfalls in genetic testing: a case of a SNP in primer‐annealing region leading to allele dropout in BRCA1
Authors: Silva Felipe Carneiro , Torrezan Giovana Tardin , Brianese Rafael Canfield , Stabellini Raquel , Carraro Dirce Maria
Published: May 2017

Background

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is characterized by mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and PCR‐based screening techniques, such as capillary sequencing and next‐generation sequencing (NGS), are considered gold standard methods for detection of pathogenic mutations in these genes. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) constitute a vast source of variation in the human genome and represent a risk for misdiagnosis in genetic testing, since the presence of a SNP in primer‐annealing sites may cause false negative results due to allele dropout. However, few reports are available and the frequency of this phenomenon in diagnostic assays remains unknown.

Methods and Results

In this article, we investigated the causes of a false negative capillary sequencing result in BRCA1 involving a mother‐daughter dyad. Using several molecular strategies, including different DNA polymerases, primer redesign, allele‐specific PCR and NGS, we established that the initial misdiagnosis was caused by a SNP located in the primer‐annealing region, leading to allele dropout of the mutated allele.

Conclusion

Assuming that this problem can also occur in any PCR‐based method that are widely used in diagnostic settings, the clinical report presented here draws attention for one of the limitations of genetic testing in general, for which medical and laboratory communities need to be aware.
Avenacosides: Metabolism, and potential use as exposure biomarkers of oat intake
Authors: Wang Pei , Yang Junli , Yerke Aaron , Sang Shengmin
Published: May 2017

Scope

Exposure biomarkers used for objective estimation of whole‐grain (WG) intake are essential for epidemiologic studies of WG consumption, however, up to now, no exposure biomarkers were developed for WG oat intake. This study investigates the potential of oat unique components, Avenacoside‐B (AVE‐B) and –A (AVE‐A), as exposure biomarkers of oat intake.

Methods and results

Anin vivostudy performed in mice and an in vitro batch fecal fermentation study were used to investigate the potential metabolic routes of AVE‐B and ‐A. Twelve healthy volunteers were recruited in the human urinary pharmacokinetic study, each participant received a single dose of oat bran as breakfast, 48 h urine samples were collected at baseline and after treatment period, and AVE‐B and ‐A were quantified by LC‐MS/MS. Deglycosylation metabolic route was identified as the major metabolic path for AVE‐B and ‐A. Urinary AVE‐B and ‐A concentrations increased rapidly after oat ingestion, reached their maximum excretion rates (ERmax) fairly simultaneously within 5 h, then decreased gradually. And the mean eliminate half‐lives (T1/2) for AVE‐B and ‐A were determined as 6.22 and 4.55 h, respectively.

Conclusion

Oat AVE‐B and ‐A have great potential to be used as specific exposure biomarkers to reflect oat intake.
Evaluation of the tumor registration error in biopsy procedures performed under real‐time PET/CT guidance
Authors: Fanchon Louise M. , Apte Adytia , Schmidtlein C. Ross , Yorke Ellen , Hu Yu‐Chi , Dogan Snjezana , Hatt Mathieu , Visvikis Dimitris , Humm John L. , Solomon Stephen B. , Kirov Assen S.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to quantify tumor displacement during real‐time PET/CT guided biopsy and to investigate correlations between tumor displacement and false‐negative results.

Methods

19 patients who underwent real‐time 18F‐FDG PET‐guided biopsy and were found positive for malignancy were included in this study under IRB approval. PET/CT images were acquired for all patients within minutes prior to biopsy to visualize the FDG‐avid region and plan the needle insertion. The biopsy needle was inserted and a post‐insertion CT scan was acquired. The two CT scans acquired before and after needle insertion were registered using a deformable image registration (DIR) algorithm. The DIR deformation vector field (DVF) was used to calculate the mean displacement between the pre‐insertion and post‐insertion CT scans for a region around the tip of the biopsy needle. For 12 patients one biopsy core from each was tracked during histopathological testing to investigate correlations of the mean displacement between the two CT scans and false‐negative or true‐positive biopsy results. For 11 patients, two PET scans were acquired; one at the beginning of the procedure, pre‐needle insertion, and an additional one with the needle in place. The pre‐insertion PET scan was corrected for intraprocedural motion by applying the DVF. The corrected PET was compared with the post‐needle insertion PET to validate the correction method.

Results

The mean displacement of tissue around the needle between the pre‐biopsy CT and the postneedle insertion CT was 5.1 mm (min = 1.1 mm, max = 10.9 mm and SD = 3.0 mm). For mean displacements larger than 7.2 mm, the biopsy cores gave false‐negative results. Correcting pre‐biopsy PET using the DVF improved the PET/CT registration in 8 of 11 cases.

Conclusions

The DVF obtained from DIR of the CT scans can be used for evaluation and correction of the error in needle placement with respect to the FDG‐avid area. Misregistration between the pre‐biopsy PET and the CT acquired with the needle in place was shown to correlate with false negative biopsy results.
MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers to predict the risk of urinary retention following intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxin‐A injection
Authors: Chermansky Christopher J. , Kadow Brian T. , Kashyap Mahendra , Tyagi Pradeep
Published: May 2017

Aims

MicroRNAs (miRs) control post‐transcriptional gene expression, and this is relevant in understanding better chronic diseases and treatment outcomes. The role of miRs in the pathology and treatment outcomes of overactive bladder (OAB) is unknown. In this study, we assessed the differential expression of miRs in OAB patients responding with either normal or elevated post‐void residual volumes (PVRs) ≥200 mL following intradetrusor injection of onabotulinumtoxin‐A (onaBoNT‐A).

Methods

Female OAB patients refractory to OAB drugs were consented for this study. Cystoscopic‐guided punch bladder biopsy was obtained at the time of injection of onaBoNT‐A 100 units. The expression of 13 miR species, selected for their known effect on neurotrophin expression and smooth muscle function, was measured. PVRs and urine nerve growth factor (NGF) levels were measured at baseline and at the follow‐up visit.

Results

Fourteen patients with mean age of 66 years were consented. Of these patients, nine maintained PVRs <200 mL after onaBoNT‐A injection to comprise the low PVR group. The other five patients with PVRs ≥200 mL comprised the high PVR group. The expression of miR221 and miR125b was upregulated by 11‐ and 2‐fold, respectively, in patients who responded with low PVRs after onaBoNT‐A (P < 0.05). Urine NGF levels at baseline were not different between the two groups.

Conclusions

This study suggests that deficiency in the pretreatment expression of miR221 and miR125b may predispose OAB patients to high PVRs following intradetrusor onaBoNT‐A. Additional studies are needed to better understand the role of miRs in OAB.
Natural cellulose nanofiber extracted from cell wall of bamboo leaf and its derived multifunctional aerogel
Authors: Fan Bitao , Yao Qiufang , Wang Chao , Jin Chunde , Wang Hanwei , Xiong Ye , Li Song , Sun Qingfeng
Published: May 2017

In the current research, high‐purity natural cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from bamboo leaf (BL) was successfully obtained via a combination of chemical pretreatment and ultrasonic technique. The as‐prepared CNF was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TGA−DTG). The as‐obtained CNF had an average diameter of 53.2 nm and a high aspect ratio of about 5600. The crystallinity of CNF was 55%, which increased by 27% compared to that of the raw BL. With further modification by methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), the aerogel derived from the obtained CNF through a freeze‐drying process showed superior multifunctions of superabsorbent performance, thermal insulation, and sound absorption. The study might provide a new family of nature‐based nanocellulose. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3869–3876, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Oncology Drug Dosing in Gilbert Syndrome Associated with UGT1A1: A Summary of the Literature
Authors: Ha Vincent H. , Jupp Jennifer , Tsang Roger Y.
Published: May 2017

Gilbert syndrome (GS) is a hereditary condition that affects ~10% of the population. It is characterized by intermittent, unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in the absence of hepatocellular damage and hemolysis. Although GS is often described as a benign laboratory finding, it may alter drug metabolism by decreasing the ability to conjugate drugs. Genetic polymorphisms, specifically the UGT1A1*28 allele, may reduce glucuronidation by 30% that severely impacts the ability to metabolize certain medications. Antineoplastic agents used in oncologic settings have toxic side effects, and alterations in metabolism may result in severe or even life‐threatening toxicities. Many of the drug monographs provided by manufacturers contain dose adjustment parameters for hepatic function, using serum bilirubin as a surrogate marker. However, in patients with GS, hepatic function remains normal in the setting of hyperbilirubinemia, and scant literature is available to provide guidance on empirical dosage adjustment. In this review, we conducted a literature search of routinely used oncology medications and assessed the need for empirical dose adjustments in the setting of GS.
Pilus biogenesis of Gram‐positive bacteria: Roles of sortases and implications for assembly
Authors: Khare Baldeep , V. L. Narayana Sthanam
Published: May 2017

Successful adherence, colonization, and survival of Gram‐positive bacteria require surface proteins, and multiprotein assemblies called pili. These surface appendages are attractive pharmacotherapeutic targets and understanding their assembly mechanisms is essential for identifying a new class of ‘anti‐infectives’ that do not elicit microbial resistance. Molecular details of the Gram‐negative pilus assembly are available indepth, but the Gram‐positive pilus biogenesis is still an emerging field and investigations continue to reveal novel insights into this process. Pilus biogenesis in Gram‐positive bacteria is a biphasic process that requires enzymes called pilus‐sortases for assembly and a housekeeping sortase for covalent attachment of the assembled pilus to the peptidoglycan cell wall. Emerging structural and functional data indicate that there are at least two groups of Gram‐positive pili, which require either the Class C sortase or Class B sortase in conjunction with LepA/SipA protein for major pilin polymerization. This observation suggests two distinct modes of sortase‐mediated pilus biogenesis in Gram‐positive bacteria. Here we review the structural and functional biology of the pilus‐sortases from select streptococcal pilus systems and their role in Gram‐positive pilus assembly.
Anticholinergic drug exposure is associated with delirium and postdischarge institutionalization in acutely ill hospitalized older patients
Authors: Egberts Angelique , van der Craats Saskia T. , van Wijk Melissa D. , Alkilabe Shams , van den Bemt Patricia M. L. A. , Mattace‐Raso Francesco U. S.
Published: May 2017

Several studies investigated the possible association between anticholinergic drugs and diverse clinical outcomes in older persons, but the results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate whether anticholinergic drug exposure is associated with delirium on admission, length of hospital stay, postdischarge institutionalization and in‐hospital mortality in acutely ill hospitalized older patients. In this observational chart review study, we included acutely ill patients aged 65 and older who were admitted to the geriatric ward of the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, between 2012 and 2015 (n = 905). Anticholinergic drug exposure on admission was defined as the use of anticholinergic drugs, total number of anticholinergic drugs and anticholinergic drug burden score (ADB), quantified with the Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS), the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden scale (ACB) and the list of Chew et al. (Chew). Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate possible associations between anticholinergic drug exposure and the aforementioned outcomes. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, non‐anticholinergic drugs and delirium, where appropriate. Moderate and high ADB measured with the ARS were associated with delirium on admission with odds ratios (OR) of 1.70 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16–2.49) and 1.83 (95% CI = 1.06–3.15), respectively. High ADB measured with the ARS was also associated with postdischarge institutionalization (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.24–4.75). No associations were found using the ACB and Chew. Future studies are warranted to investigate the clinical usefulness of the ARS in reducing complications in older persons.
Main predators of insect pests: screening and evaluation through comprehensive indices
Authors: Yang Tingbang , Liu Jie , Yuan Longyu , Zhang Yang , Peng Yu , Li Daiqin , Chen Jian
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND

Predatory natural enemies play key functional roles in integrated pest management. However, the screening and evaluation of the main predators of insect pests has seldom been reported in the field. Here, we employed comprehensive indices for evaluating the predation of a common pest (Ectropis obliqua) by nine common spider species in Chinese tea plantations.

RESULTS

We established the relative dominance of the spider species and their phenological overlap with the pest species, and analyzed DNA from the nine spider species using targeted real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to identify the residual DNA of E. obliqua. The predation rates and predation numbers per predator were estimated by the positive rates of target fragments and the residual minimum number of E. obliqua in predators' guts, respectively. The results showed that only four spider species preyed on E. obliqua, and the order of potential of the spiders to control E. obliqua from greatest to smallest was Neoscona mellotteei, Xysticus ephippiatus, Evarcha albaria and Coleosoma octomaculatum by the Z‐score method.

CONCLUSION

The orb‐weaving spider N. mellotteei has the maximum potential as a biological control agent of E. obliqua in an integrated pest management strategy. An approach of screening and evaluating main predators of insect pests through comprehensive indices was preliminarily established. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
An adaptive exponentially weighted moving average chart for the mean with variable sampling intervals
Authors: Tang Anan , Castagliola Philippe , Sun Jinsheng , Hu XueLong
Published: May 2017

The AEWMA control chart is an adaptive EWMA (exponentially weighted moving average) type chart that combines the Shewhart and the classical EWMA schemes in a smooth way. To improve the detection performance of the FSI (fixed sampling interval) AEWMA control chart in terms of the ATS(average time to signal), this paper proposes a new VSI (variable sampling interval) AEWMA control chart. A Markov chain approach is used to calculate the ATS values of the new VSI AEWMA control chart, and comparative results show that the proposed control chart performs better than the standard FSI AEWMA control chart and than other VSI control charts over a wide range of shifts.
Anticipating AI in Everyday Life
Authors: Mann Antonia
Published: May 2017

Can researchers leverage emerging technologies to gain more authentic insights?
Retrospective analysis of patients submitted to surgical treatment of perianal fistula in Santa Marcelina Hospital, São Paulo
Authors: Neto Isaac José Felippe Corrêa , Wercka Janaína , Rangel Diego Palmeira , Lopes Eduardo Augusto , Watté Hugo Henriques , Souza Rogério Freitas Lino , Rolim Alexander Sá , Robles Laercio
Published: May 2017

Introduction Perianal fistula is a condition commonly found in surgical practice, with an incidence of approximately 1 in 10,000 individuals, with a predisposition for the male gender, occurring mainly in patients between 30 and 50 years and in 80% of the cases originating from infection in the glandular crypts (cryptoglandular).

Objective To perform a retrospective analysis using electronic medical record data of patients submitted to surgical treatment for perianal fistula in Santa Marcelina Hospital in São Paulo, as well as to verify the incidence of relapse and anal continence disorders, in addition to the complexity and types of fistulas and patient characterization.

Results Two hundred patients were submitted to surgical treatment of perianal fistula were analyzed. Among men, there was a higher incidence of patients with lower educational level (p = 0.02), hypertension (0.03), diabetes (0.05), older age (p = 0.001), whereas among women previous perianal abscess predominated (0.001). There was no statistical difference in anal continence between patients submitted to fistulotomy with or without seton.

Conclusion We observed a predominance of male patients and a low incidence of recurrence and symptoms of anal continence disorders, in addition to a predominance of complex fistulas.
Technology for home dementia care: A prototype locating system put to the test
Authors: Megges Herlind , Freiesleben Silka Dawn , Jankowski Natalie , Haas Brigitte , Peters Oliver
Published: May 2017

Introduction

The user experience of persons with dementia and their primary caregivers with locating systems is not firmly established.

Methods

Eighteen dyads used a prototype locating system during 4 weeks. Primary outcome measures were ratings of usability, and product functions and features. Secondary outcome measures were caregiver burden, perceived self‐efficacy, frequency of use, and willingness to purchase the prototype. Changes in scores between baseline (T1) and end of testing period (T2) were compared by performing independent and dependent samples correlations and descriptive statistics.

Results

Seventeen dyads made up the final sample. Ratings of usability and product functions and features were fair, but usability ratings were significantly reduced after 4 weeks. Although the prototype was used infrequently by majority of the participants, most caregivers would be willing to purchase the prototype, with men more willing than women. No significant change in technological willingness, caregiver burden, or perceived self‐efficacy was found between T1 and T2. Perceived self‐efficacy significantly negatively correlated with willingness to purchase the prototype after 4 weeks.

Discussion

Results highlight the importance of including end users in the research and development phase of locating systems to improve the user experience in home dementia care. Necessary indications for further research are carrying out randomized controlled trials with larger, more representative samples and developing innovative software and hardware solutions.
TERRITORIAL RISK CLASSIFICATION USING SPATIALLY DEPENDENT FREQUENCY-SEVERITY MODELS
Authors: Shi Peng , Shi Kun
Published: May 2017

In non-life insurance, territory-based risk classification is useful for various insurance operations including marketing, underwriting, ratemaking, etc. This paper proposes a spatially dependent frequency-severity modeling framework to produce territorial risk scores. The framework applies to the aggregated insurance claims where the frequency and severity components examine the occurrence rate and average size of insurance claims in each geographic unit, respectively. We employ the bivariate conditional autoregressive models to accommodate the spatial dependency in the frequency and severity components, as well as the cross-sectional association between the two components. Using a town-level claims data of automobile insurance in Massachusetts, we demonstrate applications of the model output–territorial risk scores–in ratemaking and market segmentation.
Prevalence of Convergence Insufficiency-Type Symptomatology in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Law Caroline , Chriqui Estefania , Kergoat Marie-Jeanne , Leclerc Bernard-Simon , Panisset Michel , Irving Elizabeth L. , Postuma Ronald B. , Chouinard Sylvain , Kergoat Hélène
Published: May 2017

Background:Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often present with visual symptoms (e.g., difficulty in reading, double vision) that can also be found in convergence insufficiency (CI). Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of CI-type visual symptomatology in individuals with PD, in comparison with controls.Methods:Participants ≥50 years with (n=300) and without (n=300) PD were recruited. They were administered the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS–15) over the phone. A score of ≥21 on the CISS–15, considered positive for CI-type symptomatology, served as the cutoff. Data from individuals (n=87 with,n=94 without PD) who were approached but who reported having a known oculovisual condition were analysed separately. Student’sttest and chi-square at the 0.05 level were employed for statistical significance.Results:A total of 29.3% of participants with versus 7.3% without PD presented with a score of ≥21 on the CISS–15 (p=0.001). Of the participants having a known oculovisual condition, 39.1% with versus 19.1% without PD presented with a score of ≥21 on the CISS–15 (p=0.01).Conclusions:The prevalence of CI-type visual symptoms is higher in individuals with versus without PD whether or not they have a coexisting oculovisual condition. These results suggest that PD per se places individuals with the disease at greater risk of visual symptomatology. These results further underline the importance of providing regular eye exams for individuals with PD.
A juvenile Koskinonodon perfectus (Temnospondyli, Metoposauridae) from the Upper Triassic of Arizona and its implications for the taxonomy of North American metoposaurids
Authors: Gee Bryan M. , Parker William G.
Published: May 2017

Metoposaurids are temnospondyl amphibians that are well known from Upper Triassic deposits in North America, Europe, India, and Africa. Two species of metoposaurids, Koskinonodon perfectus and Apachesaurus gregorii, are among the most common fossils found in the Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO) of the southwestern United States. The two are distinguished on the basis of several cranial traits and the morphology of their intercentra, and are more informally distinguished by their overall size and biostratigraphic range. While material of adult metoposaurids is extremely common in Upper Triassic deposits, described material of juveniles is very rare, which limits the study of ontogenetic trajectories that would assist in assessing whether diagnostic traits of the smaller A. gregorii are also ontogenetically influenced traits in juveniles of K. perfectus. Here we report on material from a juvenile specimen of K. perfectus from the Petrified Forest Member (Norian) of the Chinle Formation in the PEFO. This specimen is significant because it represents the highest known occurrence of the species within the PEFO, documents a rare occurrence of a juvenile specimen of a North American metoposaurid, and records a rare North American metoposaurid specimen that includes associated cranial and postcranial material. Additionally, the combination of cranial features diagnostic of K. perfectus and intercentra of proportions intermediate between K. perfectus and A. gregorii in this specimen raises questions about the utility of several characters for species discrimination in North American metoposaurids.
THE STANDARD THEORY OF ADMINISTRATIVE UNLAWFULNESS
Authors: Adams Thomas
Published: May 2017

According to the standard theory of administrative unlawfulness an act that is public law unlawful is, for that reason, invalid and of no effect in law. In this article I suggest that the theory ought to be rejected. I begin by outlining the standard theory as well as noting its endorsement by the Supreme Court in the case ofAhmed (no. 2). Having in the main part of the paper criticised the theory, I move to lay out an alternative: that unlawfulness signals not the invalidity of an administrative act but a duty on the part of the court to invalidate it. Noting that the alternative rests upon what appears to be a paradox – that unlawful administrative action may nonetheless have legal effect – I try to show why it is more apparent than real. Finally, I return to the decision inAhmed (no. 2).
Revisiting the role of dissimilarity of host communities in driving dissimilarity of ectoparasite assemblages: non-linearvslinear approach
Authors: VAN DER MESCHT LUTHER , KHOKHLOVA IRINA S. , WARBURTON ELIZABETH M. , KRASNOV BORIS R.
Published: May 2017

We revisited the role of dissimilarity of host assemblages in shaping dissimilarity of flea assemblages using a non-linear approach. Generalized dissimilarity models (GDMs) were applied using data from regional surveys of fleas parasitic on small mammals in four biogeographical realms. We compared (1) model fit, (2) the relative effects of host compositional and phylogenetic turnover and geographic distance on flea compositional and phylogenetic turnover, and (3) the rate of flea turnover along gradients of host turnover and geographic distance with those from earlier application of a linear approach. GDMs outperformed linear models in explaining variation in flea species turnover and host dissimilarity was the best predictor of flea dissimilarity, irrespective of scale. The shape of the relationships between flea compositional turnovers along host compositional turnover was similar in all realms, whereas turnover along geographic distance differed among realms. In contrast, the rate of flea phylogenetic turnover along gradients of host phylogenetic turnover differed among realms, whereas flea phylogenetic turnover did not depend on geographic distance in any realm. We demonstrated that a non-linear approach (a) explained spatial variation in parasite community composition better than and (b) revealed patterns that were obscured by earlier linear analyses.
Impact on Milk Assembly Costs of Daily Milk Pick-Ups
Authors: Strang Daniel R. , Eiler Doyle A.
Published: May 2017

The majority of U.S. dairy farmers have invested in on-farm storage equipment with capacity for at least two days’ milk production. However, the remaining farms, with limited investment in storage capacity may have a major impact on milk assembly costs. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact daily milk pick-ups have on milk assembly costs and to compare these costs to the cost of increasing on-farm milk storage capacity.
Economic Criteria for Decisions on Preservation and use of Inland Wetlands in Massachusetts
Authors: Gupta Tirath R.
Published: May 2017

A long sustained belief that undeveloped natural resources constitute unproductive economic waste has recently been losing ground. Moreover, preserving a natural resource such as wetlands is not preserving something unproductive. On the contrary, the resource can often be considered as socially and economically productive in its undeveloped form. In other words, an unaltered natural resource has the potential of being productive in both material and non-material ways. In making a decision about preservation the relevant point is the social productivity of a resource in its preserved condition as compared to its social productivity in an altered condition.
Private Enterprise in Soviet Agriculture in the 1970's
Authors: Jarvesoo Elmar
Published: May 2017

The Soviet economic system is based on the principle of public ownership of all means of production. Consequently, private enterprise in Soviet socialist economy as a rule is not tolerated, allegedly to exclude unearned income and to prevent “exploitation of man by man”. From the Soviet point of view, private enterprise is a disturbing and unpredictable element in their system of central planning, command economy and Party control. If it is not considered an outright crime it is characterized in the Soviet Union as a parasitic, socially unnecessary activity undertaken primarily for personal profiteering and for obtaining unearned income – all unacceptable activities in a socialist society.
The Two-Way Stretches in Contemporary Agriculture
Authors: Waggoner Paul E.
Published: May 2017

When my father was growing up on a farm in Appanoose County, Iowa, his environment, except for a clock made in Connecticut, was largely homegrown. The homegrown even included the hay-burners that pulled the plow and the timothy that they burned. I have brought home to Connecticut the clock that my grandfather bought from a peddlar, but time has changed almost everything else. The Lockwood Farm of the Connecticut Station is the source of some of the changes, and it shows all of them clearly. There is, of course, the hybrid corn that was invented on the Farm, but there is also a tractor made in the Middle West burning oil pumped from the Middle East and pulling a Dutch sprayer full of fungicide from Pennsylvania. The workers were born in other states as I was, and they spread fertilizer from Tennessee and plant seeds from Idaho. To conclude the contrasts between eras, I can say that my father may have gone to the annual fair in a nearby Missouri county, but he had to enlist in the AEF to see Europe, which is a tour my son can now take for a couple of weeks wages.
The Impact of Alternative Distribution Formulas on the Allocation of Revenue Sharing Funds in New York State
Authors: Mapp Harry P.
Published: May 2017

Over the past decade, a fundamental transformation has occurred in the attitudes of our citizens regarding the range, quantity and quality of services desired of all levels of government. One result has been a dramatic rise in public expenditures to provide the diverse set of services desired. For example, between 1960 and 1972, expenditures of federal, state and local governments increased from $151.3 billion to $410.3 billion, about 171 percent. Local government expenditures, which were pushed upward by expanding school enrollments and welfare caseloads, maintained their relative importance by growing from $29.0 billion to $75.4 billion, about 169 percent.
Community Adjustment to a Major Plant Closure: A Case Study of Berwick, Pennsylvania
Authors: Beck Roger , Jansma J. Dean
Published: May 2017

In recent years, rural development has become an increasingly important domestic issue. External diseconomies such as congestion, water and air pollution, transportation problems have underscored the gravity of this issue. One proposed strategy of coping with this issue is that of promoting growth in existing small cities and towns in nonmetropolitan areas.
Economic Implications of Surface Mine Regulation in the Rural Coal Producing Counties of West Virginia
Authors: Whetzel Virgil L.
Published: May 2017

Traditionally coal has held the distinction of being West Virginia's bedrock industry. With the exception of 1971, West Virginia has lead the nation in coal production consistently since 1931. In recent years many changes have occurred in the coal industry, one of these changes being the relative importance of strip mined coal. In 1960, 6.8 percent of West Virginia's coal was produced by surface mining. By 1971 surface mined coal accounted for 21.9 percent of total production, an increase of 15.1 percentage points. During the same time period the percent of total mining industry employment engaged in surface mining increased from 4.5 to 14.1 percent, an increase of only 9.6 percentage points, indicating the higher relative efficiency of labor in surface mining as compared to underground mining.
Extent of Local Efforts to form Agricultural Districts in New York State
Authors: Bills Nelson L.
Published: May 2017

The public has an abiding interest in land and its use. This interest is reflected in a long list of publicly sponsored programs and policies which directly or indirectly affect land. A segment of the public policy arena deals with the conversion of agricultural land to non-farm uses. Necessary ingredients for policy in farmland conversion include some understanding of conversion trends, the forces influencing these trends, and the likely outcomes of specific policy instruments designed to intervene in the conversion process and register public or communitywide interests in private uses of farmland.
Natural Resources as Related to Community Development –A Preliminary Analysis–
Authors: Colyer Dale
Published: May 2017

Natural resources play a role in economic development, but the exact nature and importance of that role is a matter of dispute. The spectacular development of natural resource poor Japan compared with a, say, relatively well endowed Argentina certainly indicates that the lack of resources need not undully hinder development while their abundance does not insure rapid growth. Much of the difference lies, undoubtedly, with the human and institutional factors.
The Agricultural Sector and Horizontal Equity of the Property Tax: A Historical Look
Authors: Stam Jerome M. , Sibold Ann Gordon
Published: May 2017

The property tax continues to play a major role in raising public revenues at the local level. While this tax contributed only 15.1 percent of all governmental (Federal, State and local) tax revenue in fiscal 1974, it accounted for 35.3 percent of local general revenue and 82.2 percent of all local tax revenue. It also continues to be especially important as a source of revenue for local schools with 57.4 percent of all local property taxes going to support local schools in 1969–70–the latest year for which data are available.
Competitive Position Implications of an Energy Conservation Program for Feeding Livestock and Poultry in the Northeast
Authors: Davulis John P. , Frick George E. , Morris Douglas E.
Published: May 2017

This paper examines the potential that exists for energy conservation in feeding livestock and poultry in the Northeast by analyzing the “What if” question: “What if national policy dictates using imputed energy “costs” to minimize energy use in feed rations?” Current feed rations contain large amounts of embodied energy reflecting the quantity of fossil fuel energy required to produce, process and transport the various ingredients included in the feed rations. By changing the mix of ingredients in feed rations, perhaps considerable energy could be saved in the Northeast.
Estimating the Extent to Which the Existing Property Tax Structure in Pennsylvania, Aside from Preferential Assessment, Subsidizes the Agricultural Sector
Authors: Sauerlender Owen H. , Downing Roger H.
Published: May 2017

There is widespread use at this time of various tax incentives (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 16) to stimulate property owners to maintain agriculture or open space on their land. The success of such programs will depend to a great extent upon the monetary incentives that they provide to property owners. The existence of preferential treatment in the taxing system prior to the implementation of preferential farmland assessment legislation has been proven by several authors (2, 4, 12). Such de facto preferential assessment has been noted in areas other than agricultural land (13, 20). This type of preferential assessment may be innate to the system that assessors use in determining the value of farmland (17, 18), or it may be the result of a conscious effort on the part of the assessing authorities to give preferential assessment to farm land and open space (15). The following quotation is taken from the Lehigh-Northampton County Joint Planning Commission Study, “Act 515 in Lehigh County – A Follow-Up Study”.
Impact of Wastewater Treatment Regulations on Rural Communities
Authors: Young C. Edwin
Published: May 2017

Federal and state laws require all communities to construct and operate facilities to treat domestic sewage. The 1972 Amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (P.L. 92–500) require that all facilities provide the “best practical treatment” by 1977. They established the goal of “best available treatment” by 1983. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines best practical treatment as secondary treatment. It is the premise of this paper that required treatment levels and cost sharing arrangements specified in the current wastewater treatment laws impose relatively greater economic costs on small rural communities than on larger communities.
The Options in Perspective
Authors: Forker Olan D.
Published: May 2017

About two years ago a small group of agricultural economists from throughout the United States met to discuss the possibility of developing an educational program on possible alternative institutional arrangements associated with the marketing of agricultural commodities. The group identified eleven options for further investigation. And then gathered together a total of 26 colleagues to make the study.
The Potential Impact of Industrial Deconcentration and Some Related Questions About Current Antitrust Activity in the Milk Industry
Authors: Harris H. M.
Published: May 2017

Industrial deconcentration or restructuring refers to the break up or diffusion of large firms in markets with high concentration. The idea of carving up large companies into two or more separate entities is not new. A number of prominent economists, including Stigler, Kaysen and Turner, and Mueller, have argued persuasively for just such an action. Since passage of the Sherman Act, the courts, while generally reluctant to perform surgery on large firms, have ordered corporate split-ups in at least 26 cases. Some of the early orders were quite drastic, including the division of Standard Oil of New Jersey into 33 parts, the break up of American Tobacco into 16 pieces, the splitting of DuPont into three separate powder manufacturing firms. With the exception of the Pullman and Paramount cases in the 1940's, both of which are of interest because they involved vertical as well as horizontal dimensions of market power, more recent divestitures have been mild.
Housing Preferences in the Nonmetropolitan Northeast
Authors: Derr Donn A. , LeRay Nelson L.
Published: May 2017

The dwelling unit is often described as the focal point or hub in the delivery of a whole array of services to a household. It delivers “physical space … sanitary and cooking facilities …” and its geographic location provides access to a particular neighborhood and affects proximity and access to jobs, retail stores, public services, association with other people, and cultural and religious facilities. Thus, housing has a very important role in human resource development, and, subsequently, in economic growth and development. In general, housing plays an important role in the quality of life and living.
Coverage of Agricultural Workers Under the Unemployment Compensation Amendment of 1976
Authors: Elterich G. Joachim
Published: May 2017

The “Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1976” are expected to insure about two-fifths of all hired agricultural workers. Large interstate variations in the proportion of workers insured result from their differing work histories and state's qualifying provisions. Of these insured workers, three-tenths will receive benefits, ranging from about $250 to $1,000 depending upon the state benefit schedule and the worker's employment history. Average benefits amount to 14 percent of earnings of the workers which average $3,613. Nearly one-fourth of the beneficiaries will exhaust their benefit entitlements.
Fiscal Impacts of Changes in Population for Nonmetropolitan Areas of the Northeast
Authors: Fox William F. , Sullivan Patrick J.
Published: May 2017

The recent reversal in the intraregional migration into non-metropolitan areas has generated a great deal of interest in the problems of local government finance. Of specific concern are the changes in local government expenditures and revenues that have accompanied population growth and decline and related shifts in population composition in nonmetropolitan areas of the Northeast. Using a supply and demand framework, it is argued that the approach used in previous studies of examining the relationship between growth rates and various fiscal variables leads to biased inferences regarding the impact of growth. By analyzing the impacts of changes in the socioeconomic make-up of the population which often accompany growth and decline, the study increases the understanding of fiscal strains on local governments resulting from population shifts.
A Mail/Telephone Technique for Collecting Primary Data
Authors: Smith Richard W. , Conrad Jon M. , Storey David A.
Published: May 2017

A mail/telephone technique is discussed which achieved a 79 percent response rate at a cost per usable survey which was only about 50 percent above the general average costs for using mailed questionnaires. With proper follow-up techniques this method is capable of yielding even higher response rates at a cost far below personal, face-to-face interviews.
Alternative Representations of Dummy Variables and Their Interpretations
Authors: Kuehn John P. , Harner E. James
Published: May 2017

The objective of the paper was to bring together some of the preexisting theoretical treatments of dummy variables in regression analysis and to present them in such a way as they could be more effectively used and interpreted. This will enable researchers to select the particular representation that best suits their hypotheses. Four alternatives were exhibited for both a one-way analysis of variance and a one-way analysis of variance with a covariate. The predicting equations were presented in the text of the paper along with numerical examples and their interpretations. The derivations of the predicting equations and variable definitions were presented in the Appendix.