Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is often predicted by allometric interpolation, but such predictions are critically dependent on the quality of the data used to derive allometric equations relating BMR to body mass (Mb). An examination of the metabolic rates used to produce conventional and phylogenetically independent allometries for avian BMR in a recent analysis revealed that only 67 of 248 data ...

In trying to mitigate natural hazards, society plays a high-stakes game against nature. Often nature surprises us when an earthquake, hurricane, or flood is bigger or has greater effects than expected from detailed natural hazard assessments. In other cases, nature outsmarts us, doing great damage despite expensive mitigation measures. These difficulties are illustrated by the March 2011 earthq...

Survival rates were low in large 19th-century American cities. We ask whether this was attributable to a few “bad” wards or whether urban wards were uniformly bad. The paper employs two datasets. The Union Army database has been augmented with veterans who enlisted in and/or resided in Boston, Chicago, New York City (including Brooklyn), and Philadelphia. Additionally, the Historical Urban Ecol...

Incident reporting is a central strategy for improving safety in the NHS (UK National Health Service). In this paper we discuss incident reporting in anaesthesia. We discuss four schemes for reporting: longstanding, departmental based schemes; newer, hospital wide schemes; a national scheme; and an inter-departmental scheme (developed by the authors). We also discuss an example report. We argue...

Only very small quantities of vitamins and minerals are needed for human health but deficiencies can have disproportionately large, often life-threatening, effects. Micronutrient deficiencies lead to a vicious cycle of malnutrition and infection in poorly nourished populations. Fortification of staple foods is the cheapest, most efficient and most effective way to supply large populations with ...