Sensitivity of tag-recovery mortality estimates to inaccuracies in tag shedding,handling mortality,and tag reporting

We used Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the sensitivity of tag-recovery mortality estimates to inaccuracies in tag shedding, handling mortality, and tag reporting. The data-generating model used in the simulations assumed that tagging was conducted annually for 4 years with tag recoveries occurring over a 4-year period. Several different combinations of instantaneous fishing (F) and natural (M) mortality were evaluated in the simulations. The data-generating model additionally assumed that immediate-shedding and handling-mortality rates equaled 2.5% and 0%, respectively, and that chronic shedding was a sigmoidal function of months since tagging. Two spatial patterns of reporting rates were considered—one where reporting was a function of distance from the tagging site and one where reporting was a random generation across the study area. Maximum likelihood estimates of F and M were calculated from the recovery of tags from the data-generating model under different assumed rates of tag shedding, handling mortality, and tag reporting. We found that assumptions about reporting rates resulted in the most variability in mortality estimates regardless of which combination of F and M was evaluated, with assumptions about chronic shedding also contributing substantially to overall variability in mortality estimates for most mortality combinations. Assumptions about immediate tag shedding and handling mortality had relatively minor effects on mortality estimates compared to reporting rate. When planning a tag-recovery study, care should be taken to ensure that chronic shedding and tag-reporting rates are accurately measured, as inaccurate measurements in these factors can result in significant errors in mortality estimates.     

Thermal decomposition and electrical conductivity of oxide cathode emission materials

Thermal decomposition and electrical conductivity of oxide cathode emission materials used for cathode ray tubes (CRTs) have been studied under different heat treatment conditions for commercial sprayed cathode systems based on barium-strontium carbonate precursors. Conversion of the carbonate precursor commenced at temperatures above approximately 700 K in vacuum, evidenced by increases in conductivity, however, the rate of the conversion reaction increased dramatically as the temperature was increased. The corresponding chemical and microstructural changes have also been investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with multiple decomposition stages identified corresponding to the conversion of the carbonate precursor and separate activation steps associated with the reaction of barium oxide with the Mg and Al activating agents in the nickel cathode substrate. © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Mode of chemotherapy does not affect complications with an implantable venous access device

BACKGROUND: Few reports have been made regarding the long term safety of implantable venous access devices used for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. The authors' goals were to determine the frequency of complications in patients receiving chemotherapy with these devices; to determine whether complications were associated with the mode of chemotherapy delivery (push/bolus or infusional regimens); and to evaluate the influence of other risk factors, including home-based versus hospital-based administration. METHODS: A total of 152 oncology patients at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Administration Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas (ages 26-81 years; mean age, 62 years), who underwent surgical placement of an Infus-a-Port (Strato, Inc., Beverly, MA) between May 1, 1992 and May 31, 1994, were evaluated retrospectively for postplacement device complications, such as infection, thrombosis, and mechanical failure. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients experienced 1 complication each: 17 episodes of device-related sepsis, cellulitis, or fever of unknown origin; 8 episodes of thrombosis or catheter occlusion; 1 episode of drug extravasation; and 1 mechanical failure. Patient age, frequency of port accession, mode of chemotherapy delivery, tumor type, and neutropenia were evaluated as risk factors, but none was statistically significant. Complications were more frequent during the first 90 days after implantation, but they continued to occur throughout the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: Complications attributable to an implantable venous access device were infrequent in this patient population. No differences in complications for patients receiving home-based versus hospital-based chemotherapy administration were noted, opening the possibility of significant time and cost savings with home treatment.     

Crime News and Racialized Beliefs: Understanding the Relationship Between Local News Viewing and Perceptions of African Americans and Crime

A survey of Los Angeles County adults was undertaken to determine whether exposure to the overrepresentation of Blacks as criminals on local news programs, attention to crime news, and news trust predicted perceptions of Blacks and crime. After controlling for a number of factors including the diversity of respondents' neighborhood and neighborhood crime rate, attention to crime news was positively related to concern about crime. In addition, attention to crime news was positively associated with harsher culpability ratings of a hypothetical race-unidentified suspect and a Black suspect but not a White suspect. Finally, heavier consumption of Blacks' overrepresentation as criminals on local television news was positively related to the perception of Blacks as violent. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed in light of chronic activation and accessibility of stereotypical constructs.     

The Influence of Race in Police–Civilian Interactions: A Content Analysis of Videotaped Interactions Taken During Cincinnati Police Traffic Stops

Although the study of police–civilian relations has recently entered the intergroup communication arena, there are no studies of actual interactions between these social categories. In part to rectify that stark omission and guided by communication accommodation theory, 313 randomly sampled video recordings from police cars on traffic stops in Cincinnati, Ohio were content analyzed. The study revealed 3 key differences as a function of the officers' and drivers' races: (a) Black drivers were more likely to experience extensive policing during the stop; (b) the communication quality of White drivers was, on average, more positive than that of the Black drivers; and (c) officers' communication behavior was more positive when the officer and driver were of the same race. These findings are consistent with public opinion data and their implications for theory are discussed.     

Diagnostic accuracy of a rural live video telepathology system

Accuracy of diagnoses rendered using a live video telepathology network was assessed for permanent sections of surgical pathology specimens. To determine accuracy, telepathology diagnoses were compared with those obtained by directly viewing the glass slide using a standard microscope. A total of 294 cases were read via both telepathology and glass slide by attending pathologists at a tertiary care medical center. Overall accuracy was defined as exact concordance between diagnoses. Clinically insignificant differences in diagnoses were excluded to determine clinically significant accuracy. For the 285 cases with complete data, the overall accuracy for telepathology was 0.912 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.872-0.941), whereas the overall accuracy for glass slide readings was 0.968 (95% CI, 0.939-0.985). This difference is statistically significant (p = 0.009). When focusing on clinically significant discrepancies, where the difference in diagnosis might affect therapeutic decisions, the video accuracy was only slightly less than the glass slide accuracy (0.965 [95% CI, 0.934-0.982] vs. 0.982 [95% CI, 0.957-0.994], respectively), but this difference is not statistically significant (p = 0.302). Most of the cases with clinically significant differences involved lesions with inherently high interobserver variation. Certainty of diagnosis did not differ between video and glass slide readings (p = 0.911), but there was an association between certainty of diagnosis and diagnostic accuracy for video (p = 0.003 for clinically significant accuracies). Based on these findings, we recommend when using this telepathology system that only preliminary diagnoses should be given in the following situations: for diagnostic areas with known high interobserver variability; when the consultant has any degree of uncertainty about the presence or absence of the lesion in question; and when there is insufficient experience using telepathology as a diagnostic medium.     

The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized controlled trial

Background  

High-intensity interval training has been shown to be a time-efficient way to induce physiological adaptations similar to those of traditional endurance training. Creatine supplementation may enhance high-intensity interval training, leading to even greater physiological adaptations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and creatine supplementation on cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance performance (maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2PEAK), time-to-exhaustion (VO_2PEAKTTE), ventilatory threshold (VT), and total work done (TWD)) in college-aged men.