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Seasonality is a natural feature of wild caught fisheries that introduces variation in food supply, and which often is amplified by fisheries management systems. Seasonal timing of landings patterns and linkages to consumption patterns can have a potentially strong impact on income for coastal communities as well as import patterns. This study characterizes the relationship between seasonality in seafood production and consumption in the United States by analyzing monthly domestic fisheries landings and imports and retail sales of farmed and wild seafood from 2017 to 2019. Analyses were conducted for total seafood sales, by product form, by species group, and by region of the United States. The data reveal strong seasonal increases in consumption around December and March. Seasonal increases in consumption in Spring and Summer occurred in parallel with domestic fishing production. Domestic landings vary by region, but most regions have peak fishing seasons between May and October. Alaska has the largest commercial fishery in the United States and seasonal peaks in Alaska (July/August, February/March) strongly influence seasonality in national landings. Misalignment between domestic production and consumption in some seasons and species groups creates opportunities for imports to supplement demand and lost opportunities for domestic producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific aim was to characterize retail purchases of red and processed meat and other major protein-rich foods in the U.S. and by state. Supermarket scanner data from grocery stores, supermarkets, and big box stores collected from 2017-2019 (NielsenIQ, New York, NY) was used to characterize retail purchases of red meat, processed meat, and other protein-rich foods in thirty-one states representative of US retail food sales. Red meat, processed meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, other meats, and non-meat foods (beans, nuts, seeds, meat alternatives) by weight accounted for 25.9%, 20.4%, 25.8%, 5.9%, 12.6%, 1.3%, and 10.1%, respectively of total sales in 2017-2019. Mean per capita purchases of red meat by weight was 30.1 g/d, ranging from 45.4 g/d in Mississippi to 21.9 g/d in New York. Mean per capita purchases of processed meat by weight was 23.8 g/d, ranging from 36.6 g/d in Mississippi to 15.2 g/d in California. We observed statistically significant correlations between red and processed meat purchases with cardiovascular mortality and colorectal cancer by state. Per capita retail purchases of red and processed meat appear to reflect a dietary pattern that is not consistent with current national and international dietary recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior studies in the civilian population have reported racial disparities in lung cancer outcomes following surgical treatment, including inferior quality of care and worse survival. It is unclear if racial disparities exist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest integrated health care system in the United States.Research Question: Do racial disparities affect early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) outcomes following surgical treatment within the VHA?Study Design and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in veterans with clinical stage I NSCLC undergoing surgical treatment in the VHA system. Demographic characteristics, access to care, surgical quality measures, and short- and long-term oncologic outcomes between White and Black veterans were evaluated.Results: From 2006 to 2016, a total of 18,800 veterans with clinical stage I NSCLC were included. The rates of definitive surgical treatment were similar between Black (57.3%) and White (58.1%) veterans (P = .42). The final study cohort included 9,842 patients receiving surgical treatment, of whom 8,356 (84.9%) were White and 1,486 (15.1%) were Black. Black patients were younger and more likely to smoke, although comorbidities were similar between the two groups. Black patients were somewhat less likely to receive adequate lymph node sampling (30.6% vs 33.3%; P = .050); however, other access-to-care metrics and surgical quality measures, including rates of anatomic lobectomy (71.9% vs 69.4%; P = .189) and positive margins (3.2% vs 3.1%; P = .955), were similar between the two groups. Although Black veterans were less likely to experience major postoperative complications, there was no difference in 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality, or disease-free survival between the two groups. Black patients had significantly better risk-adjusted overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.802; 95% CI, 0.729-0.883; P < .001).Interpretation: Among veterans with NSCLC undergoing surgical treatment through the VHA, Black patients received comparable care with equivalent if not superior outcomes compared with White patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancing use of risk-informed decision-making in dam safety, there is interest in identifying tolerable public safety criteria or guidance for dam failures. Historical data has been used as a benchmark for establishing tolerable risk guidelines in use today. One metric for measuring public safety risks is the F-N curve, which shows the frequency of exceedance per year (F) of fatalities (N or more). In this paper, we present the development of an F-N relationship for dam failure-related fatalities based on an up-to-date database, statistical analysis, and evaluation of uncertainties. The result of the analysis is an estimate of the F-N curve that includes an estimate of the uncertainty (5-95% confidence intervals) in the results. The findings from this assessment provide a perspective on the scale of the threat dam failures have posed historically in the United States, a basis for comparison to other industries, and may be a useful baseline for future dam safety guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The 2020 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that the US population consume more seafood. Most analyses of seafood consumption ignore heterogeneity in consumption patterns by species, nutritional content, production methods, and price, which have implications for applying recommendations. Objectives We assessed seafood intake among adults by socioeconomic and demographic groups, as well as the cost of seafood at retail to identify affordable and nutritious options. Methods NHANES 2011–2018 dietary data (n  = 17,559 total, n  = 3285 eating seafood) were used to assess adult (≥20 y) intake of seafood in relation to income and race/ethnicity. Multivariable linear regression assessed the association between seafood consumption and income, adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, and the association between nutrients and seafood price, using Nielsen 2017–2019 retail sales data, adjusted for sales volume. Results Low-income groups consume slightly less seafood than high-income groups [low income: mean 120.2 (95% CI: 103.5, 137.2) g/wk; high income: 141.8 (119.1, 164.1) g/wk] but substantially less seafood that is high in long-chain n–3 (ω-3) PUFAs [lower income: 21.3 (17.3, 25.5) g/wk; higher income: 46.8 (35.4, 57.8) g/wk]. Intake rates, species, and production method choices varied by race/ethnicity groups and within race/ethnicity groups by income. Retail seafood as a whole costs more than other protein foods (e.g. meat, poultry, eggs, beans), and fresh seafood high in n–3 PUFAs costs more (P  < 0.002) than fresh seafood low in n–3 PUFAs. Retail seafood is available in a wide range of price points and product forms, and some lower-cost fish and shellfish were high in n–3 PUFAs, calcium, iron, selenium, and vitamins B-12 and D. Conclusions New insights into the relation between seafood affordability and consumption patterns among income and ethnicity groups suggest that specific policies and interventions may be needed to enhance the consumption of seafood by different groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides accelerated approval to drugs on the basis of surrogate end points deemed to be "reasonably likely" to predict clinical benefit. To receive full approval, drugs must complete a confirmatory trial. Although most accelerated approved drugs ultimately receive full approval, others remain on the market without full approval for many years, and some are withdrawn before full approval is granted. Until confirmatory trials are completed and full approval is granted, there is uncertainty surrounding each drug's clinical benefits.Objective: To estimate fee-for-service Medicare payments on accelerated approved drugs without full approvals.Design: Cross-sectional analysis.Setting: Fee-for-service Medicare Part B and Part D drug claims in 2019.Participants: Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B and Part D plans.Measurements: Medicare spending for drugs treating accelerated approved indications without full approval, beneficiary spending, and drug characteristics.Results: In 2019, 45 drugs associated with 69 accelerated approved indications lacked full approval. Of those, the fee-for-service Medicare program spent $1.2 billion on 36 drugs across 55 indications. Medicare beneficiaries had $209 million in out-of-pocket spending on these drugs. Oncology drugs represented 82% of these indications and 72% of the Medicare spending. Extrapolating to Medicare Advantage, total Medicare spending on these drugs in 2019 was $1.8 billion.Limitations: The study drugs may have clinical benefit and may come to receive full approval after this analysis. The algorithm used to identify accelerated approved indications is novel. Generalizability to other years is unclear.Conclusion: In 2019, fee-for-service Medicare spent $1.2 billion on accelerated approved drugs without full approval. Medicare should adjust incentives to encourage sponsors to complete confirmatory trials as soon as possible.Primary Funding Source: Laura and John Arnold Foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study examines the impact of the transition from NCAA Football Championship Series (FCS) participation to Football Bowl Series (FBS) participation on demand for university football. The primary empirical analysis uses 23 schools that transitioned to the FBS between 1987 and 2013 to examine attendance effects. We first examine the change as a type of event study and estimate the impact in a short run "transition window" of the 5 years leading up to and after the transition. We then estimate the long run impact of membership on annual attendance over a period extending from 5 years before transition through 2013 for all transition schools. Finally, we estimate impact on an alternative sample that includes a control group of top performing FCS schools that have not transitioned to FBS. The results derived from these panel regressions indicate a substantial positive impact on per game attendance over the transition period and for many years beyond the transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined clergy's use of 15 suicide prevention competencies. Four hundred ninety-eight U.S. Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant clergy responded to an online survey regarding their use of these competencies. Analysis of variance, backward stepwise regression, and principal components analysis were used to determine clergy group differences, predictors of use of competencies, and a parsimonious summary of competencies. Some respondents reported infrequent opportunities to develop these competencies. Respondents reported using general pastoral competencies more than suicide-specific competencies. Protestant clergy reported that their congregants watch over each other significantly more than Jewish clergy. Catholic and Jewish clergy reported significantly more competence in conducting suicide funerals than Protestant clergy. Contacts by suicidal people and number of hours of suicide-specific training predicted the use of more competencies. Competency components included postvention following a suicide, nonjudgmental attitudes, talking with a suicidal person, and pastoral care. Findings suggest that clergy may benefit from consultation and suicide-specific training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients older than 80 years of age form an increasing proportion of the patient population undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). With increasing life expectancy and the success of TJA, orthopaedic surgeons are more likely to operate on patients older than 80 years than ever before. Given that most other studies focus on younger populations, only evaluate primary TJA, or limit patient populations to institutional or regional data, we felt a large-database, nationwide analysis of this demographic cohort was warranted, and we wished to consider both primary and revision TJA.Questions/purposes: In this study, we sought to investigate the risk factors for surgical site infections (SSIs) at 90 days and periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) at 2 years after surgery in patients aged 80 years and older undergoing (1) primary and (2) revision lower extremity TJA.Methods: All patients aged 80 years or older who underwent primary or revision TJA between 2005 and 2014 were identified using the Medicare Analytical Files of the PearlDiver Supercomputer using ICD-9 codes. This database is unique in that it is one of the largest nationwide databases, and so it provides a large enough sample size of patients 80 years or older. Additionally, this database provides comprehensive and longitudinal patient data tracking, and a low error rate. Our final cohort consisted of 503,241 patients (TKA: n = 275,717; THA: n = 162,489; revision TKA: n = 28,779; revision THA: n = 36,256). Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the association of risk factors on the incidences of 90-day SSI and 2-year PJI. Variables such as sex, diabetes, BMI, and congestive heart failure, were included in the multivariate regression models. Several high-risk comorbidities as identified by the Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidity indices were selected to construct the models. We performed a Bonferroni-adjusted correction to account for the fact that multiple statistical comparisons were made, with a p value < 0.002 being considered statistically significant.Results: For primary TKA patients, an increased risk of 90-day SSIs was associated with male sex (OR 1.28 [95% CI 1.25 to 1.52]; p < 0.001), BMI greater than 25 k/m (p < 0.001), and other comorbidities. For primary THA patients, an increased risk of 90-day SSIs was associated with patients with obesity (BMI 30-39 kg/m; OR 1.91 [95% CI 1.60 to 2.26]; p < 0.001) and those with morbid obesity (BMI 40-70 kg/m; OR 2.58 [95% CI 1.95 to 3.36]; p < 0.001). For revision TKA patients, an increased risk of SSI was associated with iron-deficiency anemia (OR 1.82 [95% CI 1.37 to 2.28]; p < 0.001). For revision THA patients, electrolyte imbalance (OR 1.48 [95% CI 1.23 to 1.79]; p < 0.001) and iron-deficiency anemia (OR 1.63 [95% CI 1.35 to 1.99]; p < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of 90-day SSI. Similar associations were noted for PJI in each cohort.Conclusions: These findings show that in this population, male sex, obesity, hypertension, iron-deficiency anemia, among other high-risk comorbidities are associated with a higher risk of SSIs and PJIs. Based on these findings, orthopaedic surgeons should actively engage in comanagement strategies with internists and other specialists to address modifiable risk factors through practices such as weight management programs, blood pressure reduction, and electrolyte balancing. Furthermore, this data should encourage healthcare systems and policy makers to recognize that this patient demographic is at increased risks for PJI or SSI, and these risks must be considered when negotiating payment bundles.Level Of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) are available to treat chemotherapy‐induced anemia (CIA). In 2007–2008, regulatory notifications advised of venous thromboembolism and mortality risks while the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' restricted ESA initiation to patients with hemoglobin <10 g/dl. In 2010, a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies required consent prior to administration. We evaluated ESA utilization from 2003 to 2012 and obtained private health insurer claims data for persons with lung, colorectal, or breast cancer from 2001 to 2012. ESA use for CIA was determined by an ESA claim after chemotherapy, up to 6 months after treatment. We identified 839,948 commercially insured patients, including 24,785 patients with ESA‐treated CIA (3.2%). Darbepoetin use increased 3.9‐fold from 2003 to 2007 (12.3% to 48.7%) and then decreased 95% to 2.6% by 2012. Epoetin use decreased 90% from 2003 to 2012 (30.3% to 3.1%). Between 2003 and 2012, mean epoetin dosing decreased 0.8‐fold (244,979 in 2003 vs. 196,216 units in 2012), but increased 1.8‐fold for darbepoetin‐treated CIA (262 in 2003 to 467 μg in 2012). Among CIA patients, transfusions were low (4.5%) in 2002–2007, then increased 2.2‐fold between 2008 and 2012. Safety initiatives between 2007 and 2010 facilitated reductions in ESA use combined with changes in coverage. These data show the efficacy of regulatory efforts, publication of adverse events and changes in reimbursement in reducing use of ESAs. Future studies are warranted to optimize deimplementation strategies to improve patient safety. What's new?: Chemotherapy‐induced anemia was theorized to impair quality of life, and delay administration of chemotherapy, but is potentially overcome with erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs). The safety and effectiveness of ESAs, however, came into question in the early 2000s. The extent of their current use is now minimal in the United States. In the present analysis, ESA prescribing was found to have dropped significantly after 2004, when safety concerns were first raised. Prescribing further declined following changes in reimbursement introduced in 2008 by the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The changes in ESA prescribing may be used to inform de‐implementation processes for other pharmaceuticals with known harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Headwater streams draining urbanized watersheds are subject to frequent and intense storm flows. These floods can disrupt metabolic processes occurring in benthic biofilms via the removal of biomass (i.e., scouring flows, bed mobilization) or light attenuation due to turbidity. Furthermore, channel incision caused by frequent hydraulic disturbance alters the geomorphology of streams, indirectly changing the flow and light regimes experienced by benthic biofilms. We measured dissolved oxygen (DO) and modeled whole‐stream metabolism for 18 months in six urban headwater streams in the North Carolina Piedmont, U.S.A. All streams were heterotrophic and had low rates of productivity despite relatively high streamwater nutrient concentrations. Light availability at the channel surface explained more of the day to day variation in gross primary productivity within each stream than did hydrologic disturbance. Yet among streams, the explanatory power of light declined with increasing hydrologic flashiness. We found a surprisingly wide range in DO regimes, which ranged from frequent hypoxia to near constant saturation. Hypoxia was more common in streams with lower channel gradients where bedrock outcroppings and culverts create rapid slope transitions between pools. We hypothesize this geomorphic change increases the susceptibility of benthic biota to perturbation during storms and the mean water residence time during baseflow. Increased water residence times together with elevated organic matter and nutrient inputs can set up ideal conditions for hypoxia at baseflows punctuated by frequent scouring storm flows. As a result, benthic biota are caught between hydrologic and chemical extremes that constrain their productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most major rivers in the United States are managed by a system of reservoirs; many of which were built more than a half century ago. These reservoirs were designed based on environmental, societal, and regulatory assumptions at the time of construction. Since then, we have learned that climate is not stationary, population growth is being decoupled from energy needs and water demand, and new regulations (such as the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act) affect how river systems are managed. This study explores changing environmental, societal, and regulatory conditions relevant to the design and operation of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs across the conterminous United States. Results demonstrate large geographic variability in how these conditions have changed over time. In the south‐western United States, there is an amplified trend towards drier conditions and less reservoir flexibility with warmer temperatures, less precipitation, high sedimentation rates, and large population growth. In the north‐eastern United States, the impacts of increased temperature on reservoirs may be masked by greater precipitation and lower water demand. Environmental, societal, and regulatory changes can reduce the flexibility of reservoir operations and, in some instances, make it challenging for the reservoir to meet its intended purpose as designed decades ago. This study is the first step towards formalizing a process for monitoring broad trends relevant to water resources management for the purpose of moving towards adaptation of infrastructure. An interactive tool was developed for each condition: https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/reservoir‐national‐trends/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic fracturing has made vast quantities of natural gas from shale available, reshaping the energy landscape of the United States. Extracting shale gas, however, generates large, unavoidable volumes of wastewater, which to date lacks accurate quantification. For the Marcellus shale, by far the largest shale gas resource in the United States, we quantify gas and wastewater production using data from 2189 wells located throughout Pennsylvania. Contrary to current perceptions, Marcellus wells produce significantly less wastewater per unit gas recovered (approximately 35%) compared to conventional natural gas wells. Further, well operators classified only 32.3% of wastewater from Marcellus wells as flowback from hydraulic fracturing; most wastewater was classified as brine, generated over multiple years. Despite producing less wastewater per unit gas, developing the Marcellus shale has increased the total wastewater generated in the region by approximately 570% since 2004, overwhelming current wastewater disposal infrastructure capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeated severe droughts over the last decade in the South Atlantic have raised concern that streamflow may be systematically decreasing, possibly due to climate variability. We examined the monthly and annual trends of streamflow, precipitation, and temperature in the South Atlantic for the time periods: 1934-2005, 1934-1969, and 1970-2005. Streamflow and climate (temperature and precipitation) trends transitioned ca. 1970. From 1934 to 1969, streamflow and precipitation increased in southern regions and decreased in northern regions; temperature decreased throughout the South Atlantic. From 1970 to 2005, streamflow decreased, precipitation decreased, and temperature increased throughout the South Atlantic. It is unclear whether these will be continuing trends or simply part of a long-term climatic oscillation. Whether these streamflow trends have been driven by climatic or anthropogenic changes, water resources management faces challenging prospects to adapt to decadal-scale persistently wet and dry hydrologic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doyle, Martin W., 2012. America's Rivers and the American Experiment. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(4): 820-837. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00652.x Abstract: America's rivers are managed, over long periods of time, based on the most basic ideologies of the United States (U.S.) government. An essential notion of the U.S. government, and thus a necessity of river management, is governing as experiment. This leads to three necessary characteristics of river management: (1) adapting management practices based on experience and thus creating management and agency structures that are highly malleable and that can change directions, (2) overlapping of management roles and responsibilities between agencies which includes intentional redundancy and interagency competition, and (3) federalism - the devolution of responsibilities between national, state, and other unit governments (e.g., municipalities, counties). While these characteristics are often criticized as inefficient, in fact they have provided a surprisingly effective system for river management that has responded to the needs of society at different times and in different places. A key question for river and water resource managers is whether this particular system, so initially unappealing, is best able to meet the future needs of the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Evidence suggests that the level of physical activity of physicians can be correlated directly with physician counselling patterns about this behaviour. Our objective was to determine if medical students, resident and fellow physicians and attending physicians meet the physical activity guidelines set forth by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Methods A representative cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in June 2009-January 2010 throughout the USA (N=1949). Using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the authors gathered demographical data and information related to physical activity, the level of training, the number of work hours per week, body mass index (BMI), confidence about counselling about physical activity and frequency with which the physical activity is encouraged to his/her patients. Results Based on the 1949 respondents, attending physicians (84.8%) and medical students (84%) were more likely than resident (73.2%) and fellow physicians (67.9%) to meet physical activity guidelines. Conclusion Physicians and medical students engage in more physical activity and tend to have a lower BMI than the general population. Resident and fellow physicians engage in less physical activity than attending physicians and medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River restoration as a science needs to balance numerical analysis with a more general systems understanding typical of a classification-based approach. We show the need for this balance by comparing the Davis–Gilbert debate in physical geography to the current ‘Rosgen wars' (Lave, 2008) in fluvial geomorphology and river restoration. In both controversies, one perspective was accepted for a period of time, but then subsequently vilified by vocal members of the discipline. However, in the process of replacing one paradigm with another, former viewpoints are often misrepresented and set up as contradictory to the newer paradigm. Careful reconsideration of Gilbert’s and Davis' approaches to geomorphology shows them not as mutually exclusive, but rather as complementary. Observation and nomenclature, as well as measurement and process analysis, are not only parts of the general temporal progression of a discipline, but are complementary scientific approaches. Davis' nomenclature and Gilbert’s analytical processes are both necessary to understand and discuss landscape geomorphology. Similarly, both Rosgen’s classification system, or one like it, and other more analytical, process-based examinations, are necessary for a comprehensive approach to river restoration. It is clear that multiple viewpoints and approaches triangulate towards a more thorough understanding of a system and will increase the probability of successful restoration. This will most likely include system-wide observation and classification married to numerical process modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on trusts and estates law in New York in 2011. Topics include the threshold for New York estate tax, the New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act, and the filing requirements for resident trusts. Information is provided on the includibility of trust Interests in estates and liability for estate planning malpractice.

Abstract: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency''s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program develops assessments of health effects that may result from chronic exposure to chemicals in the environment. The IRIS database contains more than 540 assessments. When supported by available data, IRIS assessments provide quantitative analyses of carcinogenic effects. Since publication of EPA''s 2005 Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment, IRIS cancer assessments have implemented new approaches recommended in these guidelines and expanded the use of complex scientific methods to perform quantitative dose–response assessments. Two case studies of the application of the mode of action framework from the 2005 Cancer Guidelines are presented in this paper. The first is a case study of 1,2,3-trichloropropane, as an example of a chemical with a mutagenic mode of carcinogenic action thus warranting the application of age-dependent adjustment factors for early-life exposure; the second is a case study of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, as an example of a chemical with a carcinogenic action consistent with a nonlinear extrapolation approach. The use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to quantify interindividual variability and account for human parameter uncertainty as part of a quantitative cancer assessment is illustrated using a case study involving probabilistic PBPK modeling for dichloromethane. We also discuss statistical issues in assessing trends and model fit for tumor dose–response data, analysis of the combined risk from multiple types of tumors, and application of life-table methods for using human data to derive cancer risk estimates. These issues reflect the complexity and challenges faced in assessing the carcinogenic risks from exposure to environmental chemicals, and provide a view of the current trends in IRIS carcinogenicity risk assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses streams and their defining aspects, noting the lack of a clear definitions for U.S. waters in the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA). The history and content of the CWA is discussed. The authors present a table of physical and biological aspects of streams. The authors focus on distinguishing streams from natural and anthropogenic conveyances including ponds, wetlands, drains, and pipes. The article delineates the hydrological, geomorphological, biological, and chemical characteristics of streams.

The article discusses the new National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) policy publication which focuses on the importance of reasoning and sense making for high school mathematics teachers in the U.S. The said publication provides focus that parallels to the book "Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence" being offered to elementary and middle school teachers. It notes that reasoning and sense making are important factors that will help elementary school students develop and nurture the fundamental knowledge that they need. It suggests that reasoning and sense making should be part of the daily activities in Math classrooms for students success.

Detrimental physiological effects due to stressors can contribute to the low captive success of primates. The objective of this research was to investigate the potential impact of diet composition on cortisol concentrations in feces and saliva in woolly (n = 27) and spider monkeys (n = 61). The research was conducted in three studies: the first investigated spider monkeys in the United States, the second investigated spider monkeys within Europe, and the third investigated woolly monkeys within Europe. Fecal cortisol in spider monkeys in US zoos varied (P = .07) from 30 to 66 ng/g. The zoo with the highest fecal cortisol also had the highest salivary cortisol (P ≤ .05). For European zoos, fecal cortisol differed between zoos for both spider and woolly monkeys (P ≤ .05). Spider monkeys had higher fecal cortisol than woolly monkeys (P ≤ .05). Zoos with the highest dietary carbohydrates, sugars, glucose, and fruit had the highest cortisol. Cortisol was highest for zoos that did not meet crude protein requirements and fed the lowest percentage of complete feeds and crude fiber. Differences among zoos in housing and diets may increase animal stress. The lifespan and reproductive success of captive primates could improve if stressors are reduced and dietary nutrients optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the importance of identifying curriculum standards to improve student learning of mathematics in High School. A focus was provided by the academic administrators and federal government in the United States in formulating a coherent and focused curriculum for school mathematics. Different States across the United States and school districts have been engaged in discussion on how to proceed with the recommendations given in relation to the need for improving high school mathematics.

Abstract: Monte Carlo simulations and equilibrium analyses are used to explore the behavior of threshold management strategies. The analyses explore the medium- to long-term implications of uncertainty about the steepness of the stock–recruitment relationship, variation as well as possible temporal autocorrelation in recruitment, and estimation and implementation uncertainty. The results highlight the trade-offs among various management strategies, in particular the trade-offs between average catch, inter-annual variation in catch, and the risk of dropping below the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) overfished threshold of 25% of the average unfished spawning biomass. Uncertainty regarding steepness is the major source of variation in the final size of the resource and whether it is below the overfished threshold, although the extent of recruitment variability also impacts these quantities. The extent of inter-annual variation in catches is determined primarily by the amount of implementation error. Although the values for the various performance measures depend on all of the factors examined to some extent, the impact of interactions among these factors is generally small. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Annual expenditures by the federal government in the United States for agricultural conservation programs increased about 80 percent with passage of the 2002 Farm Bill. However, environmental benefits of these programs have not been quantified. A national project is under way to estimate the effect of conservation practices on environmental resources. The watershed models intended for use in that project are focused on water quantity and quality and have minimal habitat assessment capability. Major impairments to aquatic ecosystems in many watersheds consist of physical habitat degradation, not water quality, suggesting that current models for this national initiative do not address one of the most significant aspects of aquatic ecosystem degradation. Currently used models contain some components relevant to aquatic habitat, and this paper describes specific components that should be added to allow rudimentary stream habitat quality assessments. At least six types of variables could be examined for ecological impact: land use, streamflow, water temperature, streambed material type, large woody debris, and hydraulic conditions at base flow. All of these variables are influenced by the presence, location, and quality of buffers. Generation of stream corridor ecological or habitat quality indices might contribute to assessments of the success or failure of conservation programs. Additional research is needed to refine procedures for combining specific measures of stream habitat into ecologically meaningful indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dam removal is gaining credibility as a viable management option for dams that have deteriorated physically and are no longer economically practical. However, the decision to remove or repair a dam is often contentious and emotionally charged. Part of the acrimony arises from our limited scientific knowledge of the effects of dam removal. We believe that the ecological consequences are best understood by viewing the removal process as a disturbance. Ecological outcomes will include changes that are both environmentally costly, such as invasion of exotic species, and environmentally beneficial, such as increasing access to spawning habitats for migratory fish. It has also become apparent that the wholesale aging of the US dam infrastructure will make dam removal even more common in the future. The challenge ahead is to better understand and manage the consequences of these removals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the topic of geomorphic models as a means of predicting ecosystem responses to dam removal, drawn from the context of agriculturally dominated watersheds in Wisconsin. Nutrient retention in streams and rivers; Effects of reservoirs on riverine nutrient dynamics; Channel form and dam removal; Nutrient dynamics and channel evolution; Assumptions and implications of linking geomorphic and ecological models.

Focuses on the provision of electronic resources to illuminate the Principle and Standards for School Mathematics in the United States. Improvement in teaching and learning of mathematics for students; Description of resources available for school mathematics; Discussion of the vision put forth in Principles and Standards.

ABSTRACT. Stories exposing the lack of global knowledge among American high school and college students are ubiquitous. But it is not just students who have difficulty navigating a world map. Global ignorance, in fact, is appallingly prevalent even among scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals who write about globalization and world history. Otherwise erudite and insightful authors commit such basic geographical errors that they can only mystify the public. The present article focuses on, but is not limited to, the misconceptions of Benjamin Barber, Thomas L. Friedman, John Gray, David Landes, and Paul Krugman. It further explores the reasons why the debate over globalization, in particular, generates so much nonsense, and it concludes with a call for the revitalization of world geography. Keywords: global knowledge, globalization, world geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The area-studies model of global scholarship, based on dividing the world into a set number of large, quasi-continental regions, is under assault from a variety of intellectual and institutional forces. New, less rigid models of global scholarship are increasingly being called for by both scholars and funding agencies. One useful alternative, currently being explored at Duke University, reframes area studies around ocean and sea basins. Putting maritime interactions at the center of vision brings to light a set of historical regions that have largely remained invisible on the conventional map of the world. Keywords: area studies, metageography, oceans, world regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the May Day celebrations of the `Sons of Saint Tammany,' an American holiday fraternity under the patronage of an historical Indian chieftain. Details on the celebration throughout the United States; Reference to drinking during the celebration.

Reports that transnational institutes that operate across international borders have become an important element in world governance. Reasons for government's creation of institutions; Environmental Institutions rise; Environmental move; Antics assessed; Transnational institutions listed.

Studies free appropriate public education under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Purposes of IDEA; Determination of the provision of free appropriate public education; Appropriateness tests; Procedural requirements of IDEA.

The aim of this study was to assess the utility of a radioimmunoconjugate containing a lead radionuclide for therapy and scintigraphy applications. The radioimmunoconjugate evaluated consisted of a bifunctional DOTA ligand and monoclonal antibody (MAb) B72.3 using athymic mice bearing LS-174T tumors, human colon carcinoma xenografts. In the studies reported here, the lead-203-DOTA complex itself was first demonstrated to have in vivo stability. MAb B72.3 was then conjugated with the DOTA ligand and labeled with [sup 203] Pb, and the immunoreactivity of B72.3 was maintained. The localization of the radioimmunoconjugate to tumor tissue and other select organs paralleled that of DOTA-[sup 125] I-B72.3, suggesting a similar metabolic pattern of the two radioimmunoconjugates. Thus, the DOTA-metal complex does not alter the behavior of the radioimmunoconjugate. Tumor localization of the [sup 203] Pb-DOTA-B72.3 conjugate was demonstrated with biodistribution studies as well as immunoscintigraphy studies. Such data highlight the stability of a lead radionuclide in the DOTA ligand. The suitability of this chelation chemistry for labeling radioimmunoconjugates with a lead radionuclide now makes its application in nuclear medicine a feasible proposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the trends in workers' compensation insurance in the U.S. Existence of interstate differences in the cost of workers' compensation insurance; Jurisdictions on insurance premiums.

Presents several correspondence related to medicine. Rise in motorcycle deaths in the United States; Incidence of residual paralysis from poliomyelitis; Concern over outbreak of tuberculosis following minimal exposure.

The article presents information on a survey of research studies related to the principles in science teaching in the United States. The important generalizations and principles of science lies on the basic understandings of courses in terms of which behavior can be modified. The researches were conducted at the centers in the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, Columbia University in New York City, New York and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In these studies the concept of scientific principle and the statements of the principles have been carried out independently. A study conducted in 1927, under the direction of professor S. Ralph Powers at Columbia University is the pioneering one in this regard. It analyzed text-books and courses of study in science along with the articles and discussions regarding the topic. In 1927 another study was conducted at the University of Chicago to determine the percentage of word space given in the biology text books for various generalizations and its application in the practical life situations.

Focuses on the impact of Section 83 of the Internal Revenue Code of Tax Reform Act 1969 in the United States. Details of the restricted stock plan; Legislative history of Section 83; Enumeration of excepted areas under Section 83.

The article offers information on the Stream Mitigation Banking (SMB) in the U.S. According to the author, strream mitigation banking is becoming a major driver of the stream restoration industry, particularly in the Southern States. Like other types of SMB, it gives developers the choice to offset construction impacts by purchasing credits, generated by for-profit companies that restore damaged streams on a speculative basis and approved by the federal regulatory agencies. Moreover, while bundled credits remain the norm, restoration practitioners and scientists have an impact role to play in debates on this question, as well as the future of the mitigation banking industry.

An outbreak of influenza A (H3N2) occurred aboard a U.S. Navy ship in February 1996, despite 95% of the crew's having been appropriately vaccinated. Virus isolated from ill crew members was antigenically distinct from the vaccination strain. With an attack rate of 42%, this outbreak demonstrates the potential for rapid spread of influenza in a confined population and the impact subsequent illness may have upon the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]