Local Authority Archaeological Services in Scotland Two Years after Local Government Reorganization

We report a survey of the state of local authority archaeological services in Scotland following local government reorganization. Several service provision models are in place, including a new model of joint provision by councils of the former Strathclyde Region. Several councils which lacked a service before reorganization now buy it in from neighbouring councils. Some gaps in cover however persist. There are good reasons for the variety of models, and it would not be appropriate to seek to impose a single model. Planning guidance issued in 1994 has shifted the balance of service provision towards development control and away from other functions, as resources are squeezed. The implications of the Scottish Parliament are considered.     

Groundwater quality surrounding Lake Texoma during short-term drought conditions

Water quality data from 55 monitoring wells during drought conditions surrounding Lake Texoma, located on the border of Oklahoma and Texas, was compared to assess the influence of drought on groundwater quality. During the drought month of October, water table levels were three feet (0.9 m) lower compared with several months earlier under predrought climate conditions. Detection frequencies of nitrate (> 0.1 mg/l), orthophosphates (> 0.1 mg/l), chlorides (> MCL), and sulfates (> MCL) all increased during drought. Orthophosphate level was higher during drought. Largest increases in concentration were nitrate under both agriculture lands and in septic tank areas. An increase in ammonium-nitrogen was only detected in the septic tank area. The study showed that stressors such as nitrate and total salts could potentially become a health or environmental problem during drought.     

Pericentric inversion of chromosome 19: prenatal diagnosis and genetic counselling

During prenatal diagnosis for advanced maternal age, a pericentric inversion of a chromosome 19 was detected in a male fetus. The inversion was familial, transmitted to the fetus by the phenotypically normal mother. The pregnancy resulted in a term birth of a phenotypically normal male infant. Inversion 19 appears to be a rare abnormality with only seven families reported thus far including ours. Infants with duplication deficiencies for chromosome 19 have not been reported in these families. This may suggest an apparent suppression of crossing over and recombination within the inverted segment of chromosome 19 during meiosis.     

Predicting Respiratory Morbidity from Pulmonary Function Tests: A Reanalysis of Ozone Chamber Studies

Some consequences of acute exposure to ozone are best measured In studies of human respiratory responses in controlled exposure chambers. These studies typically examine relationships between exposures to alternative pollutant concentrations and Indicators of lung function as measured by spirometry, such as forced expiratory volume In one second, FEV₁ However, the association of respiratory morbidity with these changes In lung function is not well established. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between ozonerelated changes in pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms, data from several clinical studies have been reanalyzed. Logistic regression models were used to determine the quantitative relationship between changes in FEV₁ and the probability of a mild or moderate lower respiratory symptom. Models were developed that corrected for repeated sampling of individuals and both population-averaged and subject-specific effects were determined. The results indicate the existence of a strong and consistent quantitative relationship between changes in lung function and the probability of a respiratory symptom. Specifically, a 10 percent reduction in FEV₁ is associated with a 15 percentage point increase In the probability of a mild, moderate or severe lower respiratory symptom and a 6 percentage point increase in the probability of a moderate or severe lower respiratory symptom.