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Features abstracts of the research reports given at the Science Fairs, and the Display and Discussion poster session of the 17th Annual Meeting of The Society for Psychophysiological Research held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 19-22, 1977. Members of the Program Committee; Dual track workshops; Day-time program; Topics covered by the discussions and paper presentations.

The article presents information on the annual meeting of the society of scientific study of religion at Vista International Hotel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This year's theme of religious marginality encourages participants to go beyond core beliefs and practices of members of mainline churches to the expressions of interest or disinterest in religion that are less common religious experience, mixed intermarriage, unclear interpreting "don't know" responses to questions on belief, nonestablishment (religion among street people), or rejections of religion atheism and apostasy. List of topics related to this year's theme would include, denominational switching and conversion, sources of membership change in the mainline churches, apostates and returnees, new nones (apostates) vs. stable nones with no prior ties, inter-religious marriage and religion of children, divorce, religious socialization of children, religiosity and the life cycle, Inter-racial marriage and religion and the Black Church.

Editorial. Introduces articles featured in the September 2000 issue of the periodical 'Bipolar Disorders,' which highlight papers presented during the Third International Conference on Bipolar Disorder held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in June 1999. Significant limitations of available treatments for bipolar affective disorder; Pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.

Context There exists a disparity between the views of physicians and the views of their patients on end-of-life decisions. However, the timing of when the end-of-life preferences of physicians and non-medically-trained individuals diverge is currently unknown. The objective of this paper is to characterise how preferences for medical interventions change throughout medical education and residency or fellowship training when confronted with scenarios of critical or terminal illness. Methods This is a single-centre cross-sectional study that enrolled medical students at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and residents and fellows at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Through an online survey we determined the preferences of medical trainees for specific interventions throughout medical training when presented with different clinical scenarios. Interventions were organised into three categories: standard, intermediate and aggressive. We analysed responses to questions regarding different scenarios in separate repeated measures logistic regression models. The probability of declining medical interventions was modelled, and significant predictors of refusal of interventions were identified. Results Years of training was a significant predictor of declining interventions for several scenarios. When faced with permanent physical disability, increased years of training led to a higher rate of refusal of intermediate ( OR = 1.14 [1.02-1.28], p = 0.02) and aggressive interventions ( OR = 1.15 [1.03-1.28], p = 0.01). For the scenario of terminal illness with associated physical disability, years of training significantly influenced refusal of intermediate ( OR = 1.14 [1.04-1.26], p = 0.006) and aggressive ( OR = 1.20 [1.08-1.34], p = 0.001) interventions. For the scenario of permanent cognitive impairment, increased years of training led to a higher rate of refusal of standard ( OR = 1.14 [1.01-1.29], p = 0.03), intermediate ( OR = 1.30 [1.13-1.50], p < 0.001) and aggressive ( OR = 1.38 [1.14-1.66], p = 0.001) interventions. Conclusion Changes in end-of-life preferences occur throughout medical training. Years of training influenced the likelihood of declining medical interventions when faced with scenarios of terminal illness and physical or cognitive disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural often is viewed as a setting for study rather than an object of study often a priori definitions of rural are used these definitions may bear little resemblance to residents understanding of the concept. A cognitive mapping experiment to explore the meaning of rural is undertaken in this paper. Results indicate that urban residents could readily identify rural areas on a blank map of Pennsylvania. Their responses to the question varied however with the some respondents indicating urban areas or writing images on the map. A discussion of these thought processes and implication from these varying responses are presented. Then the cognitive maps are compared to three commonly accepted definitions of rural. Population density was found to best approximate the areas that urban residents perceived as rural. The paper concludes by discussing policy implication of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major theme in social theory concerns the transformation of social relationships in small communities as a result of modernization. This paper examines changing social relations in some small towns in southeastern Pennsylvania. For several hundred years, the residents of these towns have continuously developed institutions to preserve their local identity and maintain personal relations at the same time that they are incorporated into larger, regional social systems. The same local institutions and relations, however, are replicated in each small town, suggesting that local and particular interests are expressed through regional institutions. Although focused on a few small towns in one region of the United States, this paper examines the local expression of processes which are global. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper contains observations of families in a small anthracite coal region in Pennsylvania who regularly present themselves for treatment at the local Mental Health Center. These observations are anecdotal in nature and they are not based on any statistical findings. The purpose of the paper is to present a unique cultural tradition and how this tradition influences the operation of the family in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents reply to the criticism of the research paper related to sediment intrusion and rheoplasis in Pennsylvanian fluvial strata of eastern Canada, prepared by the author, as of February 1989. Evaluation of the hypothesis of researchers H.W. van de Poll and I.M. Patel, regarding diapiric intrusion of siltstone into sandstone; Explanation regarding the visibility of two blocks of siltstones at Alma, Michigan; Reason for the absence of explanation of flutes and other structures in the research paper.

Discusses the research paper prepared by researcher A.G. Plint, regarding the concept of sediment intrusion and rheoplasis, in Pennsylvanian fluvial strata of eastern Canada, as of February 1989. Criticism of Plint's description of occurrences of slump blocks of Alma, Michigan, in the paper; Omission of the fluted mangled mass of twisted mudstone and sandstone in the paper; Demonstration regarding the formation of mudblocks and flute moulds in this area.

Social scientists have increasingly come to recognize the informal economy as a prominent and permanent structural feature of modern society. Rural sociologists have made a considerable contribution to this literature, demonstrating informal work to factor prominently in the livelihood strategies of rural Americans. Despite this scholarly attention significant gaps persist in our understanding of the informal economy. Drawing on data from a survey of family households in nonmetropolitan Pennsylvania, this paper examines the contours and correlates of informal work. The results make a strong case that participation in informal work is widespread and most often combined with formal work as a household livelihood strategy. While income is not found to be a significant correlate of informal work, it is found to influence the reasons cited for participation. Important correlates of informal work are identified and differences in the factors associated with informal work done to generate income (cash or inkind) versus savings are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how satellite image data [e.g., from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM)], in conjunction with an urban growth model and simple runoff calculations, can be used to estimate future surface runoff and, by implication, water quality within a watershed. To illustrate the method, predictions of land use change and surface runoff are shown for Spring Creek Watershed, a medium sized urbanizing watershed in Central Pennsylvania. Land cover classifications for this watershed were created from images for summertime1986 and 1996 and subsequently used as input to the Clarke urban growth model, called SLEUTH, to predict land use changes to the year 2025. Simulations with this model show a progressive growth in the percentage of urban pixels and in impervious surface area in the watershed but also an increase in woodland, primarily in previously clear-cut areas. Given that woodland area will continue to increase in area, surface runoff into Spring Creek is predicted to remain only slightly above present level. However, should the woodland amount fail to increase, surface runoff is then predicted to increase more significantly during the next 25 years. Finally, the concept of urban sprawl is addressed within the context of predicted increases in urbanization by relating the implied increase in impervious surface area to population density within the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined whether community readiness, prevention knowledge, coalition functioning, and barriers are linked to perceived effectiveness of community prevention coalitions. Interviews were conducted with 203 key leaders in Communities That Care (CTC) prevention boards in 21 Pennsylvania communities. Community-level means for the reliable self-report measures were utilized separately and in combination with research staff ratings, state technical assistant staff ratings, and other data. The results indicated that the strong link between readiness and perceived effectiveness was mediated by internal coalition functioning. The extent of CTC linkage with outside community entities was not linked to perceived effectiveness. The study concludes that community readiness is an important condition for success of a prevention coalition, and exerts effects mainly through the quality of the coalition's internal functioning. Member turnover and infighting appear to be important factors related to internal functioning. Linkage with outside entities may be more important for coalition models where the coalition is more dependent on local institutions for resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of various legislative research reports that were presented at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The paper, 'The Strategic Choice of Electoral Systems: Two Worldwide Tests,' by Josep M. Colomer, presents discusses and tests the hypothesis that it is the number of parties that can explain the choice of electoral systems rather than the other way round. Already existing political parties tend to choose electoral systems that crystallize, consolidate, or reinforce previously existing party configurations rather than generate new party systems by themselves.

This paper presents a study on the relationship between type of neighborhood socioeconomic context, individual characteristics (individuals are classified by a set of selected key measures of individual dispositions and social situation) and serious male juvenile offending (prevalence and early and late onsets) in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania. The analytical strategy may best be described as holistic and epidemiological. The key research question is whether onset and prevalence of juvenile serious offending is invariant by neighborhood socioeconomic context when controlling for individual sets of risk and protective characteristics. The results do not support the notion that neighborhood socioeconomic context has any greater direct impact on the early onset of serious offending. However, neighborhood socioeconomic context appears to have a direct impact on the late onset of offending for those juveniles who score high on protective factors, or who have a balanced mix of risk and protective factors. No support was found for the notion that individual risk characteristics and neighborhood risk are additive. Children and adolescents with high scores on risk characteristics offend in serious crime at a similar high rate regardless of the socioeconomic context of their neighborhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A familiar but little studied area of criminal justice is that of pardons. Using data from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the decision-making process is examined to determine the degree of correspondence between the board's recommendation and the governor's decision to grant or deny a pardon. Included in the analysis is aa assessment of the relative impact of legal and extra-legal variables on the decision-making process. The paper concludes with a discussion on the dynamics of the process, including why some individuals are more likely than others to be granted a pardon, and the implications the findings have for both policy and theory development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the leading industry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the same time, encroaching development has pressured prime agricultural land to change uses, a change usually considered irreversible. Some regions of Pennsylvania have used zoning to control and plan for the development of agricultural land, but these decisions have not always been agreed on. In response to conflicts over zoning and calls for more effective restrictions of development of prime agricultural soils, the state government implemented agricultural preservation programs designed to ensure the future viability of Pennsylvania's agriculture. While response has been reported as favorable, most reviews relied on voters support of a state referendum to fund agricultural preservation programs. Few have examined local responses to the implementation of these programs. This paper explores local community responses in agricultural preservation arid the state's programs in three regions of Pennsylvania which differ in levels of urban presence and pressure. Using secondary sources, qualitative data, and general population surveys, tills analysis provides implications about strategies of agricultural preservation in a state which leads in such efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well recognized that the informal economy-unregulated economic activities that generate real or in-kind income-features prominently in the day-to-day lives of many in the developing world. Researchers have begun to explore the informal economy in developed countries but this work has focussed primarily on urban areas to the neglect of rural areas. In this paper the nature and correlates of informal work in nonmetropolitian Pennsylvania are described through an analysis of survey data on 505 families. Results indicate that participation in informal activities is widespread is not more typical of the poor does not contribute greatly to family income on average but those help many families whether difficult economic time is both economically and noneconomically motivated and net of other sociodemographic varaibles is positively related to rurality of residence and formal labor supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role that state government can play in addressing the critical issue of venture capital—specifically seed capital. Arranging debt financing mechanisms for small business is not new to governmental development finance agencies. What is new is state government involvement in arranging early stage equity financing. This state intervention entails striking a balance between private venture capital incentives and markets, and a desire to promote public economic development objectives. An overview of the problem and the venture capital industry provides a backdrop for discussion on states' roles and how one state, Pennsylvania, has designed state-sponsored seed venture capital programs.

In Centralia, Pennsylvania, a twenty-four-year-old underground coal mine fire has slowly destroyed the physical community, leaving in its wake much community conflict and suffering. And yet, unlike in most cases of natural disasters, local religious institutions and community residents failed to assign religious meaning to the problems associated with the fire.
The paper argues that the failure of local religion to respond effectively is related to the chronic technical nature of the disaster agent. Unlike a tornado or hurricane, the mine fire struck slowly, lasted a long time, was caused by human beings, and required sophisticated technical apparatus to detect and abate In addition, the patterns of victimization associated with the chronic technical disaster are different from those resulting from immediate impact natural disasters. These differences resulted in the acceptance of a technical not moral or religious, definition of the problem Implications of this for religion's response to other chronic technical disaster situations are discussed
As Centralians board up their homes and prepare to move, few would deny that something terrible has happened to their town. Their way of life is gone, their homes are being destroyed. And, yet, only a handful of residents interpreted this crisis within the local context of religious meaning. It is not that attributing a religious meaning to the mine fire would have insulated residents from the ecological effects of the blaze so much as it would have encouraged a common understanding of and promoted a collective response to, their predicament. For a majority of residents, however, the environmental disaster that plagued Centralia was interpreted and acted towards in a manner that excluded the relevance of religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the medicine-literature relationship through the general medical journals published in New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1901 and 1906. One of the most common ways that literary interest manifested itself in these medical journals is through the presence of poetry and fiction on medical themes. Physicians' literary interests also manifested themselves on the pages of Philadelphia- and New York-based medical journals' book review columns, many of which reviewed poetry, short stories, drama and novels relating in some way to medicine. In addition to book reviews, in these medical journals physicians' interest in literature also manifested itself in criticism and commentary on various literary works that portrayed doctors and their activities. While some contended that doctors who read literature would become better doctors, others claimed that doctors who write literature would not only live better lives but also help to elevate the human spirit. During the early years of the 20th century, the primary exponent of the literarily-inclined physician was William Osler, who lectured throughout the mid-Atlantic states in 1905 and 1906.

This article reports on the twenty-eighth annual meeting of the American Association of Endodontists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was held on April 22-25. The meeting devoted considerable time to research reports. The article briefly describes the papers presented by several authors pertaining to different aspects of endodontics. Julius Fox of the Albert Einstein college of medicine, reported on a radiographic study of teeth whose root canals had been filled either accidentally or intentionally with broken instruments. Similarly, Marvin Gross from Temple University presented a method of differential diagnosis of peripheral lesions in which the separation of protein fractions is effected by the use of acrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The article presents the information that papers of the seventh international conferences on endodontics was scheduled to be held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from September 12-15, 1983. Regrettably the meeting had to be cancelled for reasons beyond the control of organizers. The theme of the conference was "Endodontic Treatment around the World." The "International Endodontic Journal" considered that papers of the conference should not be lost and therefore sought to produce an issue of the journal devoted to the theme of the cancelled conference. The July 1, 1984 issue of the journal is a collection of papers, which give a valuable insight into endodontic treatment in different countries across continents.

The article reports on the Biennial Congress of the International Association of Oral Pathologists (IAOP) held in conjunction with the American Association of Oral Pathology (AAOP) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during May 8-12, 1988. The joint meeting was formally opened by AAOP President, Arthur Miller who welcomed members of both organizations and guests to Philadelphia and then introduced IAOP. The papers included in the congress are "Immunologic Characterization and Pathology of Basement Membranes," by researcher Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, "Tumor Markers in Diagnostic Pathology," by researcher John J. Brooks.

This article provides information on various meetings related to psychophysiology as of November 1981. From February 3-6, 1982, the tenth annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) will be held at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Proposals for papers and symposia are welcome from both INS members and nonmembers. The twenty-second annual meeting of the Association for the Psychophysiological Study of Sleep will be held at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio, Texas from June 16-20, 1982.

This article announces the tenth annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) to be held from February 3-6, 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Proposals for papers and symposia are welcome from both INS members and nonmembers. For information contact: Kenneth M. Adams, PhD, Division of Neuropsychology (K-11), Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48202.

This article reports on the seventeenth annual meeting organized by the Society of Psychophysiological Research to be held from October 19-22, 1977. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Information regarding submission of papers and deadlines for abstracts may be obtained from Donald C. Fowles, Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City.