bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain, mind, and behavior: A new perspective on human nature by David L. Robinson, Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1996. 192 pp.
Authors: Lykken David T.
Published: December 2004

“3. For the first time, it has been possible to map out in a clear and unambiguous manner the neurological determinants of the major dimensions of personality and to show, after more than two millennia, the essential validity of the fourfold classification of temperaments into the melancholic, sanguine, phlegmatic, and choleric types.

“4. The same fundamental dimensions of neurological variation determine the ‘structure’ of intelligence, and with this new knowledge, it is possible to reconcile earlier conflicting notions of intelligence structure proposed by Spearman and Cattell.

“9. Reference to the new theory demonstrates how Freud was led to erroneous conclusions, and alternative explanations are provided for the chief phenomena of chief interest to him.

“15. No less important than the medical and educational applications, there is a sure and certain basis for providing vocational guidance and for the determination of employee selection criteria which would guarantee major improvements in human resource management.”
Admixture analysis of smooth pursuit eye movements in probands with schizophrenia and their relatives suggests gain and leading saccades are potential endophenotypes
Authors: Ross Randal G. , Olincy Ann , Mikulich Susan K. , Radant Allen D. , Harris Josette G. , Waldo Merilyne , Compagnon Nina , Heinlein Shari , Leonard Sherry , Zerbe Gary O. , Adler Lawrence , Freedman Robert
Published: December 2004

Abnormalities during a smooth pursuit eye movement task (SPEM) are common in schizophrenic patients and their relatives. This study assessed various components of SPEM performance in first‐degree unaffected relatives of schizophrenic patients. One hundred individuals with schizophrenia, 137 unaffected first‐degree relatives, and 69 normal controls completed a 16.7°/s SPEM task. Smooth pursuit gain, catch‐up saccades (CUS), large anticipatory saccades, and leading saccades (LS) were identified. Groups were compared with parametric and admixture analyses. Schizophrenic patients performed more poorly than unaffected relatives and normals on gain, CUS, and LS. Unaffected relatives were more frequently impaired than normals only on gain and LS. Relatives of childhood‐onset and adult‐onset probands had similar impairments. Gain and frequency of leading saccades may be genetic endophenotypes in childhood‐onset and adult‐onset schizophrenia.
Stability of individual differences in cellular immune responses to two different laboratory tasks
Authors: Marsland Anna L. , Henderson Brent N. , Chambers William H. , Baum Andrew
Published: December 2004

To explore the stability of immune reactivity across laboratory tasks, we correlated enumerative and functional lymphocyte responses to a speech task and a mental arithmetic task, delivered on the same occasion of testing in 31 healthy undergraduates. Both tasks were associated with an increase in peripheral CD8+ and CD56+ cell populations, and a decrease in proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and ratio of CD4:CD8 cells. Intertask correlations were significant for the magnitude of change in proliferative responses at two different concentrations of PHA, r= 0.76, p < .0001 and r= 0.46, p < .05, and in numbers of circulating CD56+ cells, r= 0.46, p < .005. Concomitant heart rate and systolic blood pressure responses also correlated significantly over the two experimental tasks (heart rate: r= 0.52 and systolic blood pressure: r= 0.58. ps < .0005). These data provide initial evidence that interindividual variability of some cellular immune responses is moderately reproducible across different stimulus conditions, providing further evidence that it may denote a stable individual difference.
Memory‐based detection of task‐irrelevant visual changes
Authors: Czigler István , Balázs László , Winkler István
Published: December 2004

Colored grating patterns were presented to 8 participants in a passive oddball condition (standard, 87.5% and deviant, 12.5%, differing in their color). In the corresponding multicolor condition, grating patterns of eight different colors were presented, their probabilities set equal both to each other and to that of the deviant in the oddball task. Compared with the ERP response elicited by the standard stimulus, the deviant response was negatively displaced over posterior areas, the difference wave peaking at 136 ms. A similar negative wave was obtained when the ERP response to the deviant was compared with the ERP elicited by the same stimulus in the multicolor condition. This result rules out stimulus‐ (color‐) specific refractoriness as a major factor in the generation of the deviance‐related posterior negativity. The observed posterior negativity can therefore be regarded as a visual analog of the mismatch negativity (vMMN).
Temporal dynamics of lateralized ERP components elicited during endogenous attentional shifts to relevant tactile events
Authors: van Velzen José , Forster Bettina , Eimer Martin
Published: December 2004

To investigate the temporal dynamics of lateralized event‐related brain potential (ERP) components elicited during covert shifts of spatial attention, ERPs were recorded in a task where central visual symbolic cues instructed participants to direct attention to their left or right hand in order to detect infrequent tactile targets presented to that hand, and to ignore tactile stimuli presented to the other hand, as well as all randomly intermingled peripheral visual stimuli. In different blocks, the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between cue and target was 300 ms, 700 ms, or 1,100 ms. Anterior and posterior ERP modulations sensitive to the direction of an attentional shift were time‐locked to the attentional cue, rather than to the anticipated arrival of a task‐relevant stimulus. These components thus appear to reflect central attentional control rather than the anticipatory preparation of sensory areas. In addition, attentional modulations of ERPs to task‐irrelevant visual stimuli were found, providing further evidence for crossmodal links in spatial attention between touch and vision.
Measuring distance in personal relationships: The Relational Distance Index
Authors: Hess Jon A.
Published: December 2004

This article describes the development of an instrument that measures people's reported use of distancing tactics in personal relationships. Two versions of the Relational Distance Index (RDI) were developed, an 8‐itemversion and a 17‐item version. Four studies were conducted to examine the instrument's psychometric properties. The index exhibited a stable two‐factor structure (unfriendly and withdrawal), had acceptable internaland temporal reliability, and performed well on the tests of convergent and discriminant validity. The data suggested the RDI is suitable for use with both student and nonstudent samples.
Hostile, volatile, avoiding, and validating couple‐conflict types: An investigation of Gottman's couple‐conflict types
Authors: Holman Thomas B. , Jarvis Mark O.
Published: December 2004

Using two very different sets of survey data, we investigated Gottman's (1994a, 1999) observational findings regarding couple‐conflict types. We hypothesized that defensible couple‐conflict types could be established using survey data based on an individual's perception of the style he or she uses in couple‐conflict situations. Furthermore, we hypothesized that membership type would be related to relationship quality indicators such as satisfaction, stability, communication processes, and affect regulation. Our results showed that survey data can reliably produce couple‐conflict types similar to Gottman’s. We further found that, on satisfaction, stability, positive communication, and soothing, hostile couple‐conflict types had the lowest mean scores and validating couple‐conflict types the highest mean scores. The types related in the opposite manner to negative communication, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and flooding. The other couple‐conflict‐type means ‐ volatile and avoiding ‐ are almost always between the extreme means of the hostile and validating couple‐conflict types. Implications for research and practice conclude the article.
Piracy and politics in Heywood and Rowley's Fortune by Land and Sea (1607‐9)
Authors: Jowitt Claire
Published: December 2004

This article focuses on one particular transition between the foreign policies of Elizabeth and James, the state's attitude to piracy. By focusing on the representation of piracy in a dramatic text, Fortune by Land and Sea (1607–9), by Thomas Heywood and William Rowley, I explore the extent to which such seaborne activities are aligned with the oppositional discourses which were critical of Jacobean policies. I argue that Fortune by Land and Sea uses values and activities associated with Elizabeth in James's reign as a contrast to those promulgated by the new monarch. In the play we have two spheres represented—one at sea with young Forrest, one on land with Philip—and the contrasts between the brave and adventurous young Forrest and the passive, arguably weak, Philip can be seen as tapping into a nostalgia for Elizabethan values that threatens to undermine Jacobean policies. In what follows, then, I test the extent to which Fortune by Land and Sea should be read as expressing a growing, but coded, sense of dissatisfaction with the king.
The Politics of Russia's Partial Democracy
Authors: Robinson Neil
Published: December 2004

This review looks at the failure of Russia to consolidate democracy over the past decade. Most explanations of this failure concentrate on the role of institutions, particularly the influence of the presidency. The design of Russian democracy has undermined democratic governance and lessened the chance of democratic consolidation in the future by weakening two preconditions for democratic maturity in Russia, the development of a common legal and political space through the improvement of the federal system and the construction of a national market economy. The review concludes by asking whether, and in what dimensions, Russia's partial democratic system can be stable.
Determinants of Trust in Industry, Government, and Citizen's Groups in Japan
Authors: Maeda Yasunobu , Miyahara Makota
Published: December 2004

The causal structure of the determinants of trust in industry, government, and citizen's groups in Japan was investigated on the basis of Peters et al. (1997). A preliminary survey of the adequacy of the hypotheses proposed by Peters et al. in Japan was made. A set of hypothesized determinants of trust in Japan was proposed based on results of the preliminary survey. Questionnaires concerning perceptions of trust in the organizations and the proposed determinants were sent by mail to residents in the area where environmental risk problems had emerged. The data were analyzed by covariance structure analysis to construct models of trust in industry, government, and citizen's groups. As a result, “openness and honesty,”“concern and care,”“competence,”“people's concern with risks,” and “consensual values” were found to be factors directly determining trust. Suggested in particular is that “openness” of an organization is not attained merely by information disclosure, but also by bi‐directional communication with the people. Moreover, these models include “consensual values,” which do not appear in the model proposed by Peters et al.
The Use of Mental Models in Chemical Risk Protection: Developing a Generic Workplace Methodology
Authors: Cox Patrick , Niewöhner Jörg , Pidgeon Nick , Gerrard Simon , Fischhoff Baruch , Riley Donna
Published: December 2004

We adopted a comparative approach to evaluate and extend a generic methodology to analyze the different sets of beliefs held about chemical hazards in the workplace. Our study mapped existing knowledge structures about the risks associated with the use of perchloroethylene and rosin‐based solder flux in differing workplaces. “Influence diagrams” were used to represent beliefs held by chemical experts; “user models” were developed from data elicited from open‐ended interviews with the workplace users of the chemicals. The juxtaposition of expert and user understandings of chemical risks enabled us to identify knowledge gaps and misunderstandings and to reinforce appropriate sets of safety beliefs and behavior relevant to chemical risk communications. By designing safety information to be more relevant to the workplace context of users, we believe that employers and employees may gain improved knowledge about chemical hazards in the workplace, such that better chemical risk management, self‐protection, and informed decision making develop over time.
The European Commission's White Paper “Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy”: A Review
Authors: Rogers Michael D.
Published: December 2004

The European Commission has proposed a radical new policy for the regulation of chemicals in the EU in the form of a White Paper. The current system has separate regulatory provisions for “new” chemicals (introduced to the market since September 18, 1981) and “existing” chemicals (on the market before September 18, 1981). The proposed future policy will have a single unified regulatory system for all chemicals, which should result in better regulation of chemicals in the EU single market. It will be better because risk assessments will be targeted at the chemicals of greatest concern. Furthermore, the system will be streamlined, making regulatory decisions faster, and thus reducing the so‐called burden of the past (the large number of chemicals that have never been assessed for their risks to human health or the environment). The new system incorporates the precautionary principle, which will be applied where there is an early indication of unacceptable risk or where there is undue delay in the regulatory process. Moreover, the new strategy is intended to promote greater transparency for all stakeholders.
The Commission White Paper on a Strategy for a Future EU Chemicals Policy: The View of European Companies of American Parentage
Authors: Montfort Jean‐Philippe
Published: December 2004

After years of good service, EU legislation on chemicals is currently subject to a major review. This process, initiated by the Council of Ministers at Chester in April 1998, will soon lead to new legislative proposals. In the meantime, a review of the Commission's White Paper on “Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy,” published in February 2001, clearly shows that the regulatory landscape in this area will be significantly reshaped and that a new burden will be imposed on industry to demonstrate that the production and use of chemicals indeed conform to high standards of protection of human health and the environment. In the view of industry, on both sides of the Atlantic, while the objectives of the proposed reform can be supported, the measures proposed in the White Paper to implement these objectives are not properly balanced and will lead to substantial societal and economic drawbacks, unless significant adjustments are made. The purpose of this article is to present the pitfalls and difficulties of the reform as they are perceived by the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels, an organization that regroups about 150 European companies of American parentage, belonging to a broad range of European business sectors, including producers and users of chemicals. In view of the transatlantic and cross‐business character of its membership, the EU Committee offers a different perspective on the debate.
Lessons Learned: Obtaining Value from Federal Asset Sales
Authors: Stanton Thomas H.
Published: December 2004

If the government decides to sell assets, how can it obtain full value? Four case studies provide valuable lessons: (1) sale of the Elk Hills oil field by the U.S. Department of Energy, (2) sales of loans and property by the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) after the savings and loan debacle, (3) loan asset sales by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and (4) excess property sales by the Defense Reutilization and Management Service (DRMS). The federal government should create an office to assist agencies that seek to develop effective asset sales programs.
Another Look at the Effect of Method of Sale on the Interest Cost in the Municipal Bond Market—A Certification Model
Authors: Peng Jun , Brucato Peter F.
Published: December 2004

Whether competitive bidding or negotiated sale leads to lower borrowing cost for municipal debt issuers has been studied extensively in municipal finance research. There is a potential self‐selection bias when estimating the relative cost effectiveness of these two methods of sale. This article argues that sale method can be viewed as a certification mechanism as issuers self‐select themselves into either competitive or negotiated groups based on their perception of the underlying degree of information asymmetry. By correcting for this self‐selection bias, we find that for issues with no or little information asymmetry, neither sale method has a significant cost advantage over the other.
The Mythology of Privatization in Contracting for Social Services
Authors: Van Slyke David M.
Published: December 2004

States and municipalities have privatized services in an effort to improve their cost‐effectiveness and quality. Competition provides the logical foundation for an expectation of cost savings and quality improvements, but competition does not exist in many local marketplaces—especially in the social services, where governments contract primarily with nonprofit organizations. As government increases its use of contracting, it simultaneously reduces its own public‐management capacity, imperiling its ability to be a smart buyer of contracted goods and services. This article examines two questions about the privatization of social services based on interviews conducted with public and nonprofit managers in New York state: Does social services contracting exist in a competitive environment? And do county governments have enough public‐management capacity to contract effectively for social services? The findings suggest an absence of competition and public‐management capacity, raising the question of why governments contract when these conditions are not met.
Who Wants to Privatize Social Security? Understanding Why the Poor Are Wary of Private Accounts
Authors: Devroye Dan
Published: December 2004

The poor are less likely than others to support the privatization of Social Security. What accounts for this income‐based difference in public opinion? This article uses a new survey to explore attitudes toward privatization. The poor tend to believe the government will manage Social Security responsibly, expect that they will rely on Social Security as a primary source of income, and prefer to keep their money in the current system rather than save or invest it. Together, these expectations and beliefs explain much of the income gap in support of privatization.
Poor Nations, Rich Nations: A Theory of Governance
Authors: Werlin Herbert H.
Published: December 2004

This article argues that the difference between poor countries and rich countries has to do with governance rather than resources. In emphasizing the importance of public administration in explaining economic success and failure, the author examines three general theories of governance (organizational, cultural, and structural‐functional) presented in Ferrel Heady's textbook in comparative administration. Political elasticity theory is introduced as a way to reconcile and overcome the weaknesses of these theories and to explain a number of unresolved questions in the literature having to do with decentralization, corruption, democracy, culture, and globalization, using comparative case studies (the Netherlands and Ghana, Singapore and Jamaica, and Japan and Nigeria). The implications of political elasticity theory for foreign aid are suggested at the conclusion, illustrated by a comparison of Spain and Mexico. What ties these case studies together is the heretofore unnoticed and/or unexplained fact that as countries prosper, political power takes on “rubber‐band” and “balloon” characteristics.
Local Policy Responses to Globalization: Place‐Based Ownership Models of Economic Enterprise
Authors: Imbroscio David L. , Williamson Thad , Alperovitz Gar
Published: December 2004

The destabilizing forces wrought by economic globalization increasingly buffet local communities throughout America. This article explores a local policy strategy for coping with the effects of these forces and restoring some degree of stability to local economies. This strategy entails the creation of place‐based ownership models of economic enterprise. With ownership and control held in a more collective or community‐oriented fashion, such enterprises tend to anchor or root investment more securely in communities, providing a counterforce to globalization. We present and critically assess six place‐based ownership models while providing illustrative examples to demonstrate how each model can work in practice.
Beyond CO2‐fixation by Rubisco – an interpretation of 13C/12C variations in tree rings from novel intra‐seasonal studies on broad‐leaf trees
Authors: HELLE G. , SCHLESER G. H.
Published: December 2004

Evidence is presented for a very specific, seasonally recurring tri‐phase carbon isotope pattern in tree rings of broad‐leaf deciduous tree species. It is derived from highly resolved intra‐annual measurements of 13C/12C ratios of wood and cellulose from tree rings of Fagus sylvatica, Populus nigra, Quercus petraea and Morus alba. Investigations on δ13C from buds and leaves of Fagus sylvatica revealed a similar tri‐phase δ13C pattern. At the very beginning of a growing season, the δ13C trend of tree rings and foliage shows a marked increase of up to 5‰. The maximum δ13C‐value of each vegetation period always occurs in young heterotrophic leaves shortly after bud burst and persistently in the early wood of each tree ring, when growth depends on carbon reserves. Thereafter, δ13C profiles represent the autotrophic stage of the leaves, which show different patterns of variation, by and large characterized by a decline. The minimum δ13C‐value always shows up in the late wood of each tree ring. At the very end of each tree ring δ13C‐values start rising again. This increase in δ13C marks the gradual switch‐over to storage‐dependent growth and can also be observed in senescent leaves. Seasonal changes of more than 4‰ were measured, whereas contiguous δ13C values rarely differed from each other by more than 0.3‰. This tri‐phase pattern cannot be explained by the common model of carbon isotope fractionation during photosynthesis. It appears to be primarily an indication of seasonal changes in down‐stream processes of the carbohydrate metabolism. Environmental influences on the carbon isotope fractionation during photosynthesis are presumably of secondary importance and expressed by certain peculiarities showing up during the autotrophic phase, i.e. the mid‐section of the seasonal δ13C pattern.
Role of K+ in leaf growth: K+ uptake is required for light‐stimulated H+ efflux but not solute accumulation
Authors: STILES K. A. , VAN VOLKENBURGH E.
Published: December 2004

The stimulation of dicotyledonous leaf growth by light depends on increased H+ efflux, to acidify and loosen the cell walls, and is enhanced by K+ uptake. The role of K+ is generally considered to be osmotic for turgor maintenance. In coleoptiles, auxin‐induced cell elongation and wall acidification depend on K+ uptake through tetraethylammonium (TEA)‐sensitive channels (Claussen et al., Planta 201, 227–234, 1997), and auxin stimulates the expression of inward‐rectifying K+ channels (Philippar et al. 1999). The role of K+ in growing, leaf mesophyll cells has been investigated in the present study by measuring the consequences of blocking K+ uptake on several growth‐related processes, including solute accumulation, apoplast acidification, and membrane polarization. The results show that light‐stimulated growth and wall acidification of young tobacco leaves is dependent on K+ uptake. Light‐stimulated growth is enhanced three‐fold over dark levels with increasing external K+, and this effect is blocked by the K+ channel blockers, TEA, Ba++ and Cs+. Incubation in 10 mm TEA reduced light‐stimulated growth and K+ uptake by 85%, and completely inhibited light‐stimulated wall acidification and membrane polarization. Although K+ uptake is significantly reduced in the presence of TEA, solute accumulation is increased. We suggest that the primary role of K+ in light‐stimulated leaf growth is to provide electrical counterbalance to H+ efflux, rather than to contribute to solute accumulation and turgor maintenance.
Dispersal among habitats varying in fitness: reciprocating migration through ideal habitat selection
Authors: W. Morris Douglas , E. Diffendorfer James , Lundberg Per
Published: December 2004

Current evolutionary models of dispersal set the ends of a continuum where the number of individuals emigrating from a habitat either equals the number of individuals immigrating (balanced dispersal) or where emigrants flow from a source habitat to a corresponding sink. Theories of habitat selection suggest a more sophisticated conditional strategy where individuals disperse from habitats where they have the greatest impact on fitness to habitats where their per capita impact is lower. Asymmetries between periods of population growth and decline result in a reciprocating dispersal strategy where the direction of migration is reversed as populations wax and wane. Thus, for example, if net migration of individuals flows from high‐ to low‐density habitats during periods of population growth, net migration will flow in the opposite direction during population decline. Stochastic simulations and analytical models of reciprocating dispersal demonstrate that fitness, carrying capacity, stochastic dynamics, and interference from dominants interact to determine whether dispersal is balanced between habitats, or whether one habitat or the other acts as a net donor of dispersing individuals. While the pattern of dispersal may vary, each is consistent with an underlying strategy of density‐dependent habitat selection.
Landscape‐scale patterns of biological invasions in shoreline plant communities
Authors: Bruno John F. , Kennedy Coleman W. , Rand Tatyana A. , Grant Mary‐Bestor
Published: December 2004

Little is known about the patterns and dynamics of exotic species invasions at landscape to regional spatial scales. We quantified the presence (identity, abundance, and richness) and characteristics of native and exotic species in estuarine strandline plant communities at 24 sites in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. Our results do not support several fundamental predictions of invasion biology. Established exotics (79 of 147 recorded plant species) were nearly indistinguishable from the native plant species (i.e. in terms of growth form, taxonomic grouping, and patterns of spatial distribution and abundance) and essentially represent a random sub‐set of the current regional species pool. The cover and richness of exotic species varied substantially among quadrats and sites but were not strongly related to any site‐level physical characteristics thought to affect invasibility (i.e. the physical disturbance regime, legal status, neighboring habitat type, and substrate characteristics). Native and exotic cover or richness were not negatively related within most sites. Across sites, native and exotic richness were positively correlated and exotic cover was unrelated to native richness. The colonization and spread of exotics does not appear to have been substantially reduced at sites with high native diversity. Furthermore, despite the fact that the Rhode Island strandline system is one of the most highly‐invaded natural plant communities described to date, exotic species, both individually and as a group, currently appear to pose little threat to native plant diversity. Our findings are concordant with most recent, large‐scale investigations that do not support the theoretical foundation of invasion biology and generally contradict small‐scale experimental work.
Using parallel projection mathematics to orient an object relative to a single image
Authors: Kyle Stephen
Published: December 2004

The paper presents a straightforward method of calculating approximate orientation parameters (six degrees of freedom) of a known targeted object relative to a single calibrated camera. These can then initialise an optimised non‐linear calculation of the same parameter values. The method uses the mathematics of a scaled parallel projection and is particularly suited to narrow angle images obtained using a telescope, telephoto or zoom lens. However, the method can also be used with cameras having wider fields of view provided the target group occupies a moderately small part of the image.
Managing Potential Health Risks from Electric Powerlines: A Decision Analysis Caught in Controversy
Authors: Von Winterfeldt Detlof , Eppel Thomas , Adams John , Neutra Raymond , DelPizzo Vincent
Published: December 2004

Over the past 20 years, several epidemiological studies have found an association between exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and health effects, including childhood leukemia and adult brain cancer. However, experts strongly disagree about whether this association is causal and, if so, how strong it is. In this article, we examine several alternatives to reduce EMFs from sources of the California power grid, including undergrounding distribution and transmission lines and reconfiguring or rephasing lines. The alternatives were evaluated in terms of the potential health risk reduction, cost, impacts on service reliability, property values, and many other consequences. Because of the uncertainty about an EMF‐health link, the main effort was to determine the sensitivity of the decisions to the probability and seriousness of an EMF hazard. User‐friendly computer models were developed to allow stakeholders to change the model assumptions and parameters to analyze the impacts of their own assumptions and estimates on the decision. The analysis clearly demonstrated that only four of the many concerns raised by the stakeholders could make a difference in the decision: health risks, costs, service reliability, and property values. Whether undergrounding, moderate alternatives for EMF reduction, or no change was the best decision depended on a few key factors, including the probability that EMF exposure is a hazard, the severity of this hazard, how the EMF reduction measures are financed, and the impacts on property values. While the analysis did not resolve the EMF issues, it showed that even in the most controversial settings, a little analysis goes a long way to clarifying the issues and to focus the debate.
Aviation Risk Perception: A Comparison Between Experts and Novices
Authors: Thomson Mary E. , Önkal Dilek , Avcioğlu Ali , Goodwin Paul
Published: December 2004

This article describes an exploratory investigation of the risk perceptions of experts and novices in relation to helicopter operations, under conditions where the participants are matched on various characteristics previously found to affect perceptions, such as demographic, gender, and background factors. The study reports considerable evidence of perceptual differences between the two participant groups (i.e., expert pilots and candidate pilots). We find that the experts' perceptions of relative risks are more veridical, in terms of their higher correlation with the true relative frequencies. A significant positive correlation between the flight hours and the contextual risk‐taking tendency is also shown, leading the experienced pilots' choices toward risky alternatives in scenarios—a potential result of their overconfidence based on superior task performance. Possible explanations are offered for the findings and potential avenues for future research are identified.
Direct Data Manipulation for Local Decision Analysis as Applied to the Problem of Arsenic in Drinking Water from Tube Wells in Bangladesh
Authors: Gelman Andrew , Trevisani Matilde , Lu Hao , Van Geen Alexander
Published: December 2004

A wide variety of tools are available, both parametric and nonparametric, for analyzing spatial data. However, it is not always clear how to translate statistical inferences into decision recommendations. This article explores the possibilities of estimating the effects of decision options using very direct manipulation of data, bypassing formal statistical analysis. We illustrate with the application that motivated this research, a study of arsenic in drinking water in nearly 5,000 wells in a small area in rural Bangladesh. We estimate the potential benefits of two possible remedial actions: (1) recommendations that people switch to nearby wells with lower arsenic levels; and (2) drilling new community wells. We use simple nonparametric clustering methods and estimate uncertainties using cross‐validation.
Promoting Transparency of Long‐Term Environmental Decisions: The Hanford Decision Mapping System Pilot Project
Authors: Drew Christina H. , Nyerges Timothy L. , Leschine Thomas M.
Published: December 2004

Nuclear waste cleanup is a challenging and complex problem that requires both scientific analysis and dialogue among a variety of stakeholders. This article describes an effort to develop an online information system that supports this analytic‐deliberative dialogue by integrating cleanup information for the Hanford Site, and making it more “transparent.” A framework for understanding and evaluating transparency guided system development. Working directly with stakeholders, we identified information needs and developed new ways to organize and present the information so that it would be more transparent to interested parties, with the ultimate aim of fostering greater participation in decision dialogues and processes. The complexity of the information needed for dialogue suggested that several types of communication devices (“information structures”) were warranted. Five information structures were developed for the pilot Decision Mapping System (http://nalu.geog.washington.edu/dms). Decision maps hyperlinked decision information to maps of Hanford. Background Information provided context in a narrative format. Decision Paths organized decision process information on a timeline and provided direct hyperlinks to online documentation. The Geographic Library hyperlinked decision documents to maps. Finally, a Discussion Forum allowed users to make comments and view remarks from others. Early lessons from this work suggest that transparency is integral to long‐term management, a participatory design process contributed greatly to its perceived success, and better data integration to support decision making is needed. This work has broad implications for risk communicators and risk managers because it speaks to the design of information systems to support “analytic‐deliberative” decision processes (i.e., those that rely upon both risk science and public dialogue).
Developmental Disruption of Thyroid Hormone: Correlations with Hearing Dysfunction in Rats
Authors: Crofton K. M.
Published: December 2004

A wide variety of environmental contaminants adversely affect thyroid hormone (TH) homeostasis. Hypothyroidism and/or hypothyroxinemia during the early postnatal period in the rat leads to permanent structural damage and loss of function in the cochlea. A major uncertainty in assessing the risks of developmental exposure to thyroid‐disrupting chemicals (TDCs) is the lack of a clear characterization of the dose‐response relationship, especially in the lower region, between disruption of hormones and adverse consequences. The current work correlated early postnatal hypothyroxinemia with hearing loss in the adult rat. Linear regression was performed on the log transform for total serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations on postnatal day 14 or 21 versus dB(SPL) of hearing loss in adult animals developmentally exposed to TDCs. Regression analyses revealed a highly significant correlation between T4 concentration and hearing loss. In the rat, a 50–60% decrease in circulating T4 was needed to significantly impact hearing function. This correlation suggests that T4 serum concentrations at 14 or 21 days of postnatal age may be a good predictive biomarker in rodents of the adverse consequence of developmental exposure to TDCs.
Quantitative Risk Assessment for Developmental Neurotoxic Effects
Authors: Razzaghi Mehdi , Kodell Ralph
Published: December 2004

Developmental neurotoxicity concerns the adverse health effects of exogenous agents acting on neurodevelopment. Because human brain development is a delicate process involving many cellular events, the developing fetus is rather susceptible to compounds that can alter the structure and function of the brain. Today, there is clear evidence that early exposure to many neurotoxicants can severely damage the developing nervous system. Although in recent years, there has been much attention given to model development and risk assessment procedures for developmental toxicants, the area of developmental neurotoxicity has been largely ignored. Here, we consider the problem of risk estimation for developmental neurotoxicants from animal bioassay data. Since most responses from developmental neurotoxicity experiments are nonquantal in nature, an adverse health effect will be defined as a response that occurs with very small probability in unexposed animals. Using a two‐stage hierarchical normal dose‐response model, upper confidence limits on the excess risk due to a given level of added exposure are derived. Equivalently, the model is used to obtain lower confidence limits on dose for a small negligible level of risk. Our method is based on the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic (cf. Crump, 1995). An example is used to provide further illustration.
Effects of Exposure Imprecision on Estimation of the Benchmark Dose
Authors: Budtz‐Jørgensen Esben , Keiding Niels , Grandjean Philippe
Published: December 2004

In regression analysis failure to adjust for imprecision in the exposure variable is likely to lead to underestimation of the exposure effect. However, the consequences of exposure error for determination of safe doses of toxic substances have so far not received much attention. The benchmark approach is one of the most widely used methods for development of exposure limits. An important advantage of this approach is that it can be applied to observational data. However, in this type of data, exposure markers are seldom measured without error. It is shown that, if the exposure error is ignored, then the benchmark approach produces results that are biased toward higher and less protective levels. It is therefore important to take exposure measurement error into account when calculating benchmark doses. Methods that allow this adjustment are described and illustrated in data from an epidemiological study on the health effects of prenatal mercury exposure.
Lipodystrophia Centrifugalis Abdominalis in Korea
Authors: Chang Sung‐Eun , Bae Gee‐Young , Jeong Young‐Il , Lee Hae‐Woong , Choi Jee‐Ho , Moon Kee‐Chan
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  Lipodystrophia centrifugalis abdominalis infantilis is a rare disorder described exclusively in Asians. Thirty Korean patients (4 women, 20 girls, and 6 boys) with a clinical and/or histopathologic diagnosis of this disorder were evaluated. The mean age of onset was 6.2 years. Infantile or congenital onset was seen in only three girls and two boys. In 50% of females, onset was after 5 years of age. All patients had involvement of the lower abdomen and groin both as the site of onset and as the main site. Histopathologic analysis showed loss of fat with or without an infiltrate of lymphocytes and histiocytes in the subcutis. Only one patient responded to treatment, an adult female who received photochemotherapy with softening of the lesions and symptomatic improvement. In previous reports, the age of onset of this disorder was at an age younger than 5 years but older than infants, making the term lipodystrophia centrifugalis abdominalis juvenilis more appropriate. In our series, 50% of females had onset after 5 years of age and 12.5% after 18 years of age. In one woman, the lesion that developed at 4 years of age progressed until adulthood. Our study of affected Korean patients showed a fourfold female predilection and later onset in female patients.
A Pruritic Linear Urticarial Rash, Fever, and Systemic Inflammatory Disease in Five Adolescents: Adult‐Onset Still Disease or Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis sine Arthritis?
Authors: Prendiville Julie S. , Tucker Lori B. , Cabral David A. , Crawford Richard I.
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  The characteristic rash of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a transient erythematous eruption associated with a quotidian spiking fever. Usually asymptomatic, it can be pruritic, with dermatographism at sites of scratching or pressure. An illness similar to this entity in adults is designated adult‐onset Still disease. The relationship between the pediatric and adult disease is uncertain and differences in case definition have evolved. Specifically, a sustained arthritis for at least 6 weeks is required for a diagnosis of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, whereas transient arthritis and arthralgia are accepted criteria in adult‐onset Still disease. We describe five patients less than 16 years of age who presented with an acute illness characterized by fever and a distinctive skin eruption. Intense pruritus and linear erythematous lesions flared with a spiking fever, usually in the late afternoon and evening. Periorbital edema/erythema and nonlinear urticarial lesions were also seen. Two children had splinter hemorrhages of the nail beds and one girl developed a fixed, scaling, pigmented, linear eruption. Severe malaise, myalgia, arthralgia, and leukocytosis were present in every patient. Other systemic manifestations included sore throat, transient arthritis, abdominal pain, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, hyperferritinemia, and hepatic dysfunction. No patient had a sustained arthritis. The course of the disease was variable. One patient, diagnosed with macrophage activation syndrome, recovered on oral naproxen. Two patients responded to systemic corticosteroid therapy. One girl developed status epilepticus and died from aspiration and asphyxia. A boy with severe hepatitis developed renal failure and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and was treated with plasmapheresis, dialysis, and systemic corticosteroids; he had recurrent episodes of rash and fever into adult life. These children did not fulfill the case definition of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis because they lacked a persistent arthritis. Adolescent and adult patients with the same clinical and laboratory findings are described under the rubric of adult‐onset Still disease. Recognition of the distinctive urticarial skin eruption and spiking fever is important in the diagnosis of a disease with severe morbidity and potentially life‐threatening complications.
The physical properties of star-forming galaxies in the low-redshift Universe
Authors: Brinchmann J. , Charlot S. , White S. D. M. , Tremonti C. , Kauffmann G. , Heckman T. , Brinkmann J.
Published: December 2004

We present a comprehensive study of the physical properties of ∼ 105 galaxies with measurable star formation in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). By comparing physical information extracted from the emission lines with continuum properties, we build up a picture of the nature of star-forming galaxies at z < 0.2. We develop a method for aperture correction using resolved imaging and show that our method takes out essentially all aperture bias in the star formation rate (SFR) estimates, allowing an accurate estimate of the total SFRs in galaxies. We determine the SFR density to be 1.915+0.02−0.01 (random)+0.14−0.42 (systematic) h7010−2 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 at z= 0.1 (for a Kroupa initial mass function) and we study the distribution of star formation as a function of various physical parameters. The majority of the star formation in the low-redshift Universe takes place in moderately massive galaxies (1010–1011 M⊙), typically in high surface brightness disc galaxies. Roughly 15 per cent of all star formation takes place in galaxies that show some sign of an active nucleus. About 20 per cent occurs in starburst galaxies. By focusing on the SFR per unit mass we show that the present to past average SFR, the Scalo b-parameter, is almost constant over almost three orders of magnitude in mass, declining only at M* > 1010 M⊙. The volume averaged b parameter is 0.408+0.005−0.002 (random)+0.029−0.090 (systematic)h−170. We use this value to constrain the star formation history of the Universe. For the concordance cosmology the present-day Universe is forming stars at at least 1/3 of its past average rate. For an exponentially declining cosmic star formation history this corresponds to a time-scale of 7+0.7−1.5 Gyr. In agreement with other work we find a correlation between b and morphological type, as well as a tight correlation between the 4000-Å break (D4000) and b. We discuss how D4000 can be used to estimate b parameters for high-redshift galaxies.
On the need to incorporate sensitivity to CO2 transfer conductance into the Farquhar–von Caemmerer–Berry leaf photosynthesis model
Authors: ETHIER G. J. , LIVINGSTON N. J.
Published: December 2004

Virtually all current estimates of the maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and the maximum electron transport rate (Jmax) for C3 species implicitly assume an infinite CO2 transfer conductance (gi). And yet, most measurements in perennial plant species or in ageing or stressed leaves show that gi imposes a significant limitation on photosynthesis. Herein, we demonstrate that many current parameterizations of the photosynthesis model of Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry (Planta 149, 78–90, 1980) based on the leaf intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) are incorrect for leaves where gi limits photosynthesis. We show how conventional A–Ci curve (net CO2 assimilation rate of a leaf –An– as a function of Ci) fitting methods which rely on a rectangular hyperbola model under the assumption of infinite gi can significantly underestimate Vcmax for such leaves. Alternative parameterizations of the conventional method based on a single, apparent Michaelis–Menten constant for CO2 evaluated at Ci[Km(CO2)i] used for all C3 plants are also not acceptable since the relationship between Vcmax and gi is not conserved among species. We present an alternative A–Ci curve fitting method that accounts for gi through a non‐rectangular hyperbola version of the model of Farquhar et al. (1980). Simulated and real examples are used to demonstrate how this new approach eliminates the errors of the conventional A–Ci curve fitting method and provides Vcmax estimates that are virtually insensitive to gi. Finally, we show how the new A–Ci curve fitting method can be used to estimate the value of the kinetic constants of Rubisco in vivo is presented