bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spruce budworm and management effects on forest and wood product carbon for an intensively managed forest
Authors: Hennigar Chris R. , MacLean David A.
Published: September 2010

An integrated forest management optimization model was developed to calculate potential spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) effects on forest and wood product carbon (C) from 2007 to 2057 and to evaluate potential C sequestration benefits of alternative management strategies (salvage, biological insecticide application). The model was tested using simulated spruce budworm outbreaks on a 210 000 ha intensively managed forest in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Under a severe spruce budworm outbreak scenario from 2007 to 2020, harvest volume and forest and wood product C storage in 2027 were projected to be reduced by 1.34 Mm3, 1.48 Mt, and 0.26 Mt, respectively, compared with the levels under no defoliation. Under the same severe outbreak scenario, implementation of salvage and harvest replanning plus a biological insecticide applied aerially to 40% of susceptible forest area, reduced harvest, forest C, and wood product C impacts by 73%, 41%, and 56%, respectively. Extrapolation of these results to all of New Brunswick suggests that a future severe spruce budworm outbreak could effectively increase total provincial annual C emissions (all sources) by up to 40%, on average, over the next 20 years. This modeling approach can be used to identify to what extent insecticide application, as a forest-C-offset project, could result in additional C storage than without forest and pest management.
Fuel treatment effects on modeled landscape-level fire behavior in the northern Sierra Nevada
Authors: Moghaddas Jason J. , Collins Brandon M. , Menning Kurt , Moghaddas Emily E.Y. , Stephens Scott L.
Published: September 2010

Across the western United States, decades of fire exclusion combined with past management history have contributed to the current condition of extensive areas of high-density, shade-tolerant coniferous stands that are increasingly prone to high-severity fires. Here, we report the modeled effects of constructed defensible fuel profile zones and group selection treatments on crown fire potential, flame length, and conditional burn probabilities across 11 land allocation types for an 18 600 ha study area within the northern Sierra Nevada, California. Fire modeling was completed using FlamMap and FARSITE based on landscape files developed with high-resolution aerial (IKONOS) imagery, ground-based plot data, and integrated data from ARCFUELS and the Forest Vegetation Simulator. Under modeled 97th percentile weather conditions, average conditional burn probability was reduced between pre- and post-treatment landscapes. A more detailed simulation of a hypothetical fire burning under fairly severe fire weather, or “problem fire”, revealed a 39% reduction in final fire size for the treated landscape relative to the pre-treatment condition. To modify fire behavior at a landscape level, a combination of fuel treatment strategies that address topographic location, land use allocations, vegetation types, and fire regimes is needed.
The functional regression tree method for diameter distribution modelling
Authors: Lane Stephen E. , Robinson Andrew P. , Baker Thomas G.
Published: September 2010

Forest stand diameter distributions adopt a wide variety of shapes, not all of which can be easily matched by specific functional forms. Sometimes, diameter distributions within a single population can be too variable to be matched by a single parametric family. Motivated by this observation, we investigate the functional regression tree (FRT) method, a recursive partitioning procedure that can be used for modelling probability density functions. We use FRT to estimate forest stand diameter distributions without needing to make assumptions about the functional form. We use an example study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in which we compare the FRT method with a parameter prediction and percentile method with favourable results. We show the FRT approach to be suitable for diameter distributions that exhibit multimodality and excess skewness, which are not easily dealt with in a parametric context.
Seed tree density, variable retention, and stand composition influence recruitment of white spruce in boreal mixedwood forests
Authors: Solarik Kevin A. , Lieffers Victor J. , Volney W. Jan A. , Pelletier Rick , Spence John R.
Published: September 2010

In an operational-scale experiment, we examined natural regeneration of white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) under various degrees of variable retention harvesting across different overstory canopy compositions. We sampled four types of overstory canopy compositions (ranging from deciduous dominated to conifer dominated) and six rates of retention (2%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 75% and 100%). Spruce seedling densities, maximum height, and stocking rates were assessed in 432 transects and were found to be lowest in the deciduous stands and with 100% canopy retention (control). Regression tree analysis indicated that densities, maximum height, and stocking of spruce seedlings were greatest with higher availability of seed trees (>30·ha–1) and on machine corridors; in these circumstances stocking reached 74%. By contrast, stocking was less than 14% on retention strips with no machine traffic, when seed tree density was less than 11 seed trees·ha–1. However, stocking also declined with higher density of residual trees. Stocking in relation to density of seed trees was highest within clearcuts and lowest within the 75% retention intensity where low light transmission may have limited regeneration success. Passive soil disturbance from skidding appeared to be more important for the establishment of spruce seedlings than was the abundance of competing vegetation.
Incorporating environmental and geographical information in forest data analysis: a new fitting approach for universal kriging
Authors: Montes Fernando , Ledo Alicia
Published: September 2010

Universal kriging gives the optimal linear model to incorporate auxiliary information in data analysis in the presence of spatial dependence of observations if the underlying variogram is known. However, in practice, the variogram is typically unknown and its estimation constitutes one of the major problems in universal kriging theory. In this paper, a new method is proposed to estimate the variogram and the mean function in universal kriging based on the relationship between the second moments of the variable Z(s) and the auxiliary variables. The performance of the proposed method is analysed in three case studies: the prediction of site index in an Italian stone pine ( Pinus pinea L.) forest, the estimation of growing stock in a Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) stand, and the assessment of the environmental factors involved in the distribution of a Meliosma species in a tropical montane cloud forest. The results show that the proposed method performs as well as the maximum likelihood and least squares methods in terms of unbiasedness and precision of the kriging predictor and prediction error variance estimation. The proposed method allows the spatial variability linked to environmental and geographical factors to be identified in the analysis of data from forest ecosystems.
Isolation of periportal, midlobular, and centrilobular rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cells enables study of zonated drug toxicity
Authors: Xie Guanhua , Wang Lin , Wang Xiangdong , Wang Lei , DeLeve Laurie D.
Published: September 2010

Many liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC)-dependent processes, including drug-induced liver injury, ischemia-reperfusion injury, acute and chronic rejection, fibrosis, and the HELLP (hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) syndrome, may have a lobular distribution. Studies of the mechanism of this distribution would benefit from a reliable method to isolate LSEC populations from different regions. We established and verified a simple method to isolate periportal, midlobular, and centrilobular LSEC. Three subpopulations of LSEC were isolated by immunomagnetic separation on the basis of CD45 expression. Flow cytometry showed that 78.2 ± 2.3% of LSEC were CD45 positive and that LSEC could be divided into CD45 bright (28.6 ± 2.7% of total population), dim (49.6 ± 1.0%), and negative populations (21.8 ± 2.3%). Immunohistochemistry confirmed that in vivo expression of CD45 in LSEC had a lobular distribution with enhanced CD45 staining in periportal LSEC. Cell diameter, fenestral diameter, number of fenestrae per sieve plate and per cell, porosity, and lectin uptake were significantly different in the subpopulations, consistent with the literature. Endocytosis of low concentrations of the LSEC-specific substrate, formaldehyde-treated serum albumin, was restricted to CD45 bright and dim LSEC. Acetaminophen was more toxic to the CD45 dim and negative populations than to the CD45 bright population. In conclusion, CD45 is highly expressed in periportal LSEC, low in midlobular LSEC, and negative in centrilobular LSEC, and this provides an easy separation method to isolate LSEC from the three different hepatic regions. The LSEC subpopulations obtained by this method are adequate for functional studies and drug toxicity testing.
Impact of Molecular Genetics on Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Management
Authors: Balsamo A. , Baldazzi L. , Menabò S. , Cicognani A.
Published: September 2010

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a family of autosomal recessive disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding the enzymes involved in one of the 5 steps of adrenal steroid synthesis or the electron donor P450 oxidoreductase (POR) enzyme. Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD), the principal focus of this review, accounts for about 90–95% of all CAH cases, and its biochemical and clinical severity depends on the underlying CYP21A2 gene disruption. Molecular genetic advancements have been achieved in recent years, and the aim of this review is to attempt to highlight its contribution to the comprehension and management of the disease. When possible, we will try to achieve this goal also by providing some results from our personal experience regarding: some aspects of CYP21A2 gene analysis, with basic genotype/phenotype relationships; its crucial role in both genetic counselling and in prenatal diagnosis and treatment in families at risk for 21-OHD; its help in the comprehension of the severity of the disease in patients diagnosed by neonatal screening and possibly treated before an evident salt-loss crisis or before performing adequate blood sampling; its usefulness in the definition of post ACTH 17-hydroxyprogesterone values, discriminating between non-classic, heterozygote and normal subjects; and finally the contribution of genes other than CYP21A2 whose function or dysfunction could influence 21-hydroxylase activity and modify the presentation or management of the disease.
Klinefelter’s Syndrome: A Clinical and Therapeutical Update
Authors: Forti G. , Corona G. , Vignozzi L. , Krausz C. , Maggi M.
Published: September 2010

The prevalence of the Klinefelter’s syndrome, ranging between 1/500 and 1/1,000 in the general male population, rises up to 3–4% among infertile males and to 10–12% in azoospermic patients. Due to the paucity of symptoms, only 10% of Klinefelter patients are diagnosed prepubertally. The clinical spectrum of the phenotype of adult Klinefelter patients is very broad and ranges from clinically overt hypogonadism to normally virilized males. The diagnosis is usually made during the evaluation of couple infertility. The only nearly constant clinical feature is the reduced testicular volume and azoospermia or, in few cases, cryptozoospermia. Due to the variability of the phenotype and also to the fact that the main symptoms of the syndrome (androgen deficiency, infertility) are in the reproductive domain, approximately two thirds of Klinefelter patients are not diagnosed during their life. Low/normal testosterone and high levels of the luteinizing hormone (LH) suggest that all Klinefelter patients have overt or compensated hypogonadism which should be treated with testosterone, starting from the peri-pubertal age. Even if no medical treatment is possible for infertility, testicular sperm for assisted reproduction techniques can be obtained by multiple testicular biopsies in experienced centers in up to 50% of subjects. Although there are no predictors for successful sperm retrieval, the birth of 101 children with normal karyotype was reported in the last 15 years. Furthermore, the genetic risk to the offspring of Klinefelter patients has recently not been found to be greater than that of patients with nonobstructive azoospermia with normal karyotype.
A Study of Gender Outcome of Egyptian Patients with 46,XY Disorder of Sex Development
Authors: Ismail S.I. , Mazen I.A.
Published: September 2010

Children with disorder of sex development (DSD) may be born with ambiguous genitalia. Decision-making in relation to sex assignment has been perceived as extremely disturbing and difficult to families and health care professionals. This is mainly due to a general paucity of information about the condition and an exaggerated feeling of stigma and shame associated with genital abnormalities. This is the first study in Egypt aimed at studying the psychosexual development and gender outcome of 40 Egyptian patients with 46,XY DSD focusing on the impact of social and religious factors. The patients were subjected to history-taking, pedigree analysis, full clinical examination, and cytogenetic studies. Hormonal, radiological investigations and molecular studies were performed when possible. Accordingly, they were classified into 4 groups: (1) sex chromosome aneuploid DSD (mixed gonadal dysgenesis) and (2) disorders of gonadal development (gonadal dysgenesis); (3) androgen biosynthesis defect (5α-reductase deficiency, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency), and (4) defect in androgen action (androgen insensitivity syndrome). The psychosexual development was assessed using adapted structured questionnaire and the Bem sex role inventory for patients below and above 12 years of age, respectively. Thirty-two patients (80%) were initially assigned as females; 3 patients with gonadal dysgenesis, 1 patient with 5α-reductase deficiency, and 1 patient with androgen insensitivity were reassigned as male. Male reassignment also was recorded in 5 patients with 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency and one of them showed sex reversal twice. Gender outcome of our patients is elusive; the social component has a significant impact on the gender outcome in our society, even more than religion. We recommend that in the future more and more patients should be analyzed as well. These studies should be designed to emphasize the quality of life of DSD patients.
Disclosing Disorders of Sex Development and Opening the Doors
Authors: D’Alberton F.
Published: September 2010

This paper focuses on the importance of full disclosure in disorders of sex development (DSD), as a universal human right and closely related to informed consent. Full disclosure is not only a way of communicating a diagnosis, it is a methodological constant that permeates all the clinical moments expressed by a multidisciplinary team. As stated by The Chicago consensus, DSD should be referred to specialized centers of excellence. In these centers provided with the necessary multidisciplinary team that is able to: provide knowledge, skills and experience; deliver quality and care, and cope with the emotional barriers that often hinder the practice of full disclosure. Full disclosure is important when a person is informed about something, can participate in making a decision or is advised about something that needs to be done before he/she will be able to make a choice. However, if a person is informed about something that was done unnecessarily and could have been postponed until he/she could have been involved in making the decision, full disclosure can be seen as deception colored by rage, sorrow and regret.
Ex vivo Pulsatile Perfusion of Human Saphenous Veins Induces Intimal Hyperplasia and Increased Levels of the Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1
Authors: Saucy F. , Probst H. , Alonso F. , Bérard X. , Déglise S. , Dunoyer-Geindre S. , Mazzolai L. , Kruithof E. , Haefliger J.-A. , Corpataux J.-M.
Published: September 2010

Vessel wall trauma induces vascular remodeling processes including the development of intimal hyperplasia (IH). To assess the development of IH in human veins, we have used an ex vivo vein support system (EVVSS) allowing the perfusion of freshly isolated segments of saphenous veins in the presence of a pulsatile flow which reproduced arterial conditions regarding shear stress, flow rate and pressure during a period of 7 and 14 days. Compared to the corresponding freshly harvested human veins, histomorphometric analysis showed a significant increase in the intimal thickness which was already maximal after 7 days of perfusion. Expression of the endothelial marker CD31 demonstrated the presence of endothelium up to 14 days of perfusion. In our EVVSS model, the activity as well as the mRNA and protein expression levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, the inhibitor of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), were increased after 7 days of perfusion, whereas the expression levels of tPA and uPA were not altered. No major change was observed between 7 and 14 days of perfusion. These data show that our newly developed EVVSS is a valuable setting to study ex vivo remodeling of human veins submitted to a pulsatile flow.
Theophylline and Cardiac Stress in Patients with Dyspnea: An Observational Study
Authors: Wieshammer Siegfried , Dreyhaupt Jens , Basler Beate
Published: September 2010

Background/Aims: Appreciation of the anti-inflammatory actions of theophylline at low serum concentrations has revived the interest in this drug, but its cardiac side effects remain a concern. The serum level of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker for cardiac stress. This study examined the association between theophylline intake and NT-proBNP. Methods: The effect of theophylline on NT-proBNP was prospectively evaluated by multiple regression analysis in 753 outpatients referred for pulmonary evaluation of dyspnea. Results: Of 548 patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or respiratory muscle weakness, 107 were taking theophylline (median serum concentration 8.1 µg/ml). The theophylline users were older (mean 64.5 ± 11.6 vs. 56.5 ± 16.8 years, p < 0.01), had severer airway obstruction (p < 0.01) and had a higher prevalence of heart disease (33.6 vs. 23.1%, p = 0.02) than the patients not taking theophylline. Among the patients with heart disease (n = 138), the adjusted levels of NT-proBNP were lower (p < 0.01) in the theophylline-treated patients (n = 36) than in the patients not using theophylline (median 144.5 vs. 236.4 pg/ml). Theophylline had no effect on NT-proBNP in patients without heart disease. Conclusion: The results of this observational study call into question the traditional view that even low-dose theophylline therapy may be detrimental in patients with coexisting heart disease.
Reinforcement of Colonic Anastomoses with a Collagenous Double-Layer Matrix Extracted from Porcine Dermis
Authors: Hoeppner J. , Willa K. , Timme S. , Tittelbach-Helmrich D. , Hopt U.T. , Keck T. , Marjanovic G.
Published: September 2010

Background: Anastomotic leakage is a major factor for morbidity in colorectal surgery. Anastomotic reinforcement with biological or synthetic materials has been claimed to be useful in preventing anastomotic leakage. Methods: We evaluated a non-cross-linked collagenous matrix Bio-Gide® (BG) for sealing colonic anastomoses in a rodent model. The animals were investigated for 4, 30 and 90 days. Macroscopic examination, histological examination and measurement of bursting pressure were performed. The anastomotic stricture rate was evaluated by radiographic contrast enema. Results: Microscopically anastomoses sealed by BG showed impaired anastomotic healing. Blood vessel ingrowth and collagen deposition were decreased without reaching significance after 4 days. The anastomotic bursting pressure was significantly decreased (p = 0.0454) in the early phase of healing. Anastomotic neovascularization was significantly decreased compared to the control group after 30 (p = 0.0058) and 90 days (p = 0.0275). Although no difference in anastomotic stricture rate was evident, the rate of intra-abdominal adhesions was significantly increased after 30 (p = 0.0124) and 90 days (p = 0.0281). Conclusion: BG failed to improve colonic anastomotic healing. Early anastomotic healing was impaired if anastomoses were reinforced with BG. BG did not affect the anastomotic stricture rate for up to 3 months; nevertheless, intra-abdominal adhesions were increased.
Relational Timing in the Production and Perception of Japanese Singleton and Geminate Stops
Authors: Idemaru Kaori , Guion-Anderson Susan
Published: September 2010

This work examines the production and perception of the Japanese singleton versus geminate stop contrast in order to investigate properties that distinguish the contrast in the face of variability due to speech rate. The acoustic study found two local relational durations, the ratio of the stop to the preceding mora and the ratio of the stop to the following vowel, to be stable across speaking rates and to accurately classify singleton and geminate productions. However, the subsequent perception study demonstrated an influential role of the preceding mora duration and a marginal role of the following vowel duration on listeners’ categorization. These results demonstrate that Japanese listeners can take advantage of relative duration in the perception of the stop length contrast, and that relative strength of simultaneously available acoustic cues does not necessarily translate into equal perceptual importance.
Coordinating Voicing Onset with Articulation: A Potential Role for Sensory Cues in Shaping Phonological Distinctions
Authors: Loucks Torrey M.J. , Shosted Ryan K. , De Nil Luc F. , Poletto Christopher J. , King Amie
Published: September 2010

In the typical speech of any language, voicing onset and offset are effortlessly coordinated with articulation as part of the intrinsic coordination of sound production. In this paper, we argue that voicing-articulatory coordination patterns could be shaped by sensory feedback during early speech learning and these patterns persist in mature syllable productions. Our experimental results show that voicing onset is closely associated with the peak velocity and peak amplitude of jaw and upper lip movements for VC syllables in adults. This robust coordination in the onset position may function to increase the salience of VC syllables and provide a phonetically natural explanation for vowels to undergo phonological lengthening and to avoid phonological reduction in word-initial onset position.
Role of Imaging Methods in Diagnosis of Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Válek V. , Kala Z. , Dítě P.
Published: September 2010

Diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis is a complex interdisciplinary team problem. Without knowledge of classification and the current opinion of other experts on this disease, the radiologist cannot be an adequate partner in this team. Nonetheless, the radiologist has a very important position, primarily ‘thanks to’ computed tomography (CT) in diagnosis and fading of the disease and the possibilities offered by minimally invasive treatment of early and late complications of this disease. A turning point from the viewpoint of diagnosing acute pancreatitis was first marked by Balthazar’s classification and then establishing the CTSI (severity index for the disease based on CT findings), proposed by Balthazar as well. Radiologists’ increasingly more active approach to drainage of acute fluid collections and pseudocysts in patients with acute pancreatitis as well as some possibilities for percutaneous treatment of necroses has led to a reassessment of surgeons’ attitudes. A persistent problem is the correct indication and timing of CT scans and the drainage itself. In their concise communication, the authors present data from the literature and summarize their own experience. They highlight the most common mistakes, especially in the indication and timing of individual methods. Finally, they present their views on a practical approach to the use of CT and percutaneous drainage in these patients.
Sesame Oil Accelerates Kidney Healing following Gentamicin-Induced Kidney Injury in Rats
Authors: Periasamy Srinivasan , Liu Chuan-Teng , Hsu Dur-Zong , Liu Ming-Yie
Published: September 2010

Background/Aims:We investigated the therapeutic effect of a single dose of sesame oil against gentamicin-induced renal damage in rats. Methods: Experimental rats were subcutaneously injected with gentamicin (100 mg/kg/day for 7 days) to induce renal injury. Sesame oil (1, 2 or 4 ml/kg) was given orally 24 h after the last dose of gentamicin. Control rats were treated with saline only. Renal injury, histopathological examination, histochemical staining, osteopontin expression, superoxide anion, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite radical and lipid peroxidation were assessed 24 h after sesame oil administration. Results: Serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine as well as renal osteopontin expression, superoxide anion, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite radical and lipid peroxidation levels were higher in gentamicin-treated rats than in control rats. Sesame oil significantly decreased all the tested parameters compared with gentamicin-alone rats. Furthermore, histopathological and histochemical staining showed that renal tubules had recovered and regenerated in the sesame oil-treated rats. Conclusion: We hypothesize that a single dose of sesame oil inhibits oxidative stress to shorten the recovery period and allow the regeneration of renal tubules after the onset of gentamicin-induced renal injury in rats.
Elevated Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide, Troponin T and Malnutrition Inflammatory Score in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients with Overt Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Trimarchi Hernán , Muryan Alexis , Campolo-Girard Vicente , Dicugno Mariana , Barucca Nanci , Lombi Fernando , Young Pablo , Pomeranz Vanesa , Forrester Mariano , Alonso Mirta , Iriarte Romina , Díaz Marisa Luisa , Lindholm Bengt
Published: September 2010

Background: We assessed the relationship between pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP), troponin T (TropT) and nutritional status. Methods: A total of 48 chronic hemodialysis patients were grouped according to the presence [group A (GA); n = 24] or not [group B (GB)] of cardiovascular disease. Results: Compared to GB subjects, GA subjects were older, had been on hemodialysis for a longer period and had higher prevalences of vascular grafts, hypertension and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) [GA vs. GB: 1.1 (range 0.1–32.9) vs. 0.4 (0–28.1) mg/dl; p = 0.028], malnutrition inflammatory score (MIS) (GA vs. GB: 7.50 vs. 4.00; p = 0.001), pro-BNP [GA vs. GB: 6,760 (601–103,200) vs. 686 (75–83,700) pg/ml; p < 0.001] and TropT [GA vs. GB: 0.3650 (0.011–0.199) vs. 0.010 (0.0–0.290) ng/ml; p = 0.002]. Pro-BNP correlated with TropT (rho 0.539; p < 0.001), MIS (rho 0.502; p < 0.0001), homocysteine (rho 0.321; p = 0.13) and CRP (rho 0.511; p < 0.0001). Pro-BNP levels were lower in GB patients as the body mass index increased; the opposite occurred in GA. Conclusions: Patients with cardiovascular disease had elevated pro-BNP and TropT levels. In patients without cardiovascular disease, malnutrition and inflammation were associated with vascular prostheses, while pro-BNP was lower in obese patients.
Creatinine Fluctuation Has a Greater Effect than the Formula to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate on the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: de Lusignan Simon , Tomson Charles , Harris Kevin , van Vlymen Jeremy , Gallagher Hugh
Published: September 2010

Background/Aims: Cases of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are defined by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated using the Modified Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) or, more recently, the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula. This study set out to promote a systematic approach to reporting CKD prevalence. Design, Setting, Participants and Measurements: The study explores the impact of the way in which eGFR is calculated on the prevalence of CKD. We took into account whether including (1) ethnicity, (2) using a single eGFR, (3) using more than 1 eGFR value or (4) using the CKD-EPI formula affected the estimates of prevalence. Sample: Of 930,997 registered patients, 36% (332,891) have their eGFR defined (63% of those aged 50–74 years, 81% >75 years). Results: The prevalence of stage 3–5 CKD is 5.41% (n = 50,331). (1) Not including ethnicity data the prevalence would be 5.49%, (2) just using the latest eGFR 6.4%, (3) excluding intermediary values 5.55% and (4) using the CKD-EPI equation 4.8%. All changes in eGFR (t test) and the proportion with CKD (χ2 test) were significant (p < 0.001). Using serum-creatinine-calculated eGFR instead of laboratory data reduced the prevalence of stage 3–5 CKD by around 0.01%. Sixty-six percent of people with stage 3–5 disease have cardiovascular disease and 4.0% significant proteinuria using the MDRD formula; the corresponding figures using CKD-EPI are 74 and 4.6%. Conclusions: A standardised approach to reporting case finding would allow a better comparison of prevalence estimates. Using a single eGFR tends to inflate the reported prevalence of CKD by ignoring creatinine fluctuation; this effect is greater than the difference between MDRD and CKD-EPI.
Treatment of Colorectal Cancer with and without Bevacizumab: A Phase III Study
Authors: Stathopoulos G.P. , Batziou C. , Trafalis D. , Koutantos J. , Batzios S. , Stathopoulos J. , Legakis J. , Armakolas A.
Published: September 2010

Objective: The objective of this phase III trial was to compare chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab versus chemotherapy alone in the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Methods: From September 2004 till September 2008, 222 treatment-naive patients were enrolled and divided into 2 arms: 114 arm A patients were treated with leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil plus irinotecan in combination with bevacizumab, and 108 arm B patients were treated as above without bevacizumab. All patients were stage IV with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma. Results: The median overall survival of arm A patients was 22.0 months (95% CI: 18.1–25.9) and 25.0 months (CI: 18.1–31.9) for arm B patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 arms (p = 0.1391). No statistically significant difference between the 2 arms regarding the response ratewas observed: partial response, 42 patients (36.8%) and 38 patients (35.2%) for arms A and B, respectively. Hematologic toxicity did not differ in the comparison of the 2 arms. Nonhematologic toxicity in arm A involved hypertension in 23 (20.2%) of the patients and proteinuria in 7 (6.1%); 3 patients experienced hemorrhage and 1 patient intestinal perforation. None of these side effects was observed in arm B patients. Conclusion: No statistically significant difference in median overall survival in patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab plus a combination therapy (arm A) and those treated with the combination only, without bevacizumab (arm B), was observed.
Interleukin-17–Dependent Autoimmunity to Collagen Type V in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Dart Melanie L. , Jankowska-Gan Ewa , Huang Guorui , Roenneburg Drew A. , Keller Melissa R. , Torrealba Jose R. , Rhoads Aaron , Kim Byoungjae , Bobadilla Joseph L. , Haynes Lynn D. , Wilkes David S. , Burlingham William J. , Greenspan Daniel S.
Published: September 2010

Rationale:

Considerable evidence shows atherosclerosis to be a chronic inflammatory disease in which immunity to self-antigens contributes to disease progression. We recently identified the collagen type V [col(V)] α1(V) chain as a key autoantigen driving the Th17-dependent cellular immunity underlying another chronic inflammatory disease, obliterative bronchiolitis. Because specific induction of α1(V) chains has previously been reported in human atheromas, we postulated involvement of col(V) autoimmunity in atherosclerosis.

Objective:

To determine whether col(V) autoimmunity may be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results:

Here, we demonstrate Th17-dependent anti-col(V) immunity to be characteristic of atherosclerosis in human coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and in apolipoprotein E–null (ApoE
−/−
) atherosclerotic mice. Responses were α1(V)-specific in CAD with variable Th1 pathway involvement. In early atherosclerosis in ApoE
−/−
mice, anti-col(V) immunity was tempered by an interleukin (IL)-10–dependent mechanism. In support of a causal role for col(V) autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, col(V) sensitization of ApoE
−/−
mice on a regular chow diet overcame IL-10–mediated inhibition of col(V) autoimmunity, leading to increased atherosclerotic burden in these mice and local accumulation of IL-17–producing cells, particularly in the col(V)-rich adventitia subjacent to the atheromas.

Conclusions:

These findings establish col(V) as an autoantigen in human CAD and show col(V) autoimmunity to be a consistent feature in atherosclerosis in humans and mice. Furthermore, data are consistent with a causative role for col(V) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
Recovery of Upper Limb Function After Cerebellar Stroke
Authors: Konczak Jürgen , Pierscianek Daniela , Hirsiger Sarah , Bultmann Uta , Schoch Beate , Gizewski Elke R. , Timmann Dagmar , Maschke Matthias , Frings Markus
Published: September 2010

Background and Purpose—

Loss of movement coordination is the main postacute symptom after cerebellar infarction. Although the course of motor recovery has been described previously, detailed kinematic descriptions of acute stage ataxia are rare and no attempt has been made to link improvements in motor function to measures of neural recovery and lesion location. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of how lesion site and arm dysfunction are associated in the acute stage and outlines the course of upper limb motor recovery for the first 4 months after the infarction.

Methods—

Sixteen adult patients with cerebellar stroke and 11 age-matched healthy controls participated. Kinematics of goal-directed and unconstrained finger-pointing movements were measured at the acute stage and in 2-week and 3-month follow-ups. MRI data were obtained for the acute and 3-month follow-up sessions. A voxel-based lesion map subtraction analysis was performed to examine the effect of ischemic lesion sites on kinematic performance.

Results—

In the acute stage, nearly 70% of patients exhibited motor slowing with hand velocity and acceleration maxima below the range of the control group. MRI analysis revealed that in patients with impaired motor performance, lesions were more common in paravermal lobules IV/V and affected the deep cerebellar nuclei. Stroke affecting the superior cerebellar artery led to lower motor performance than infractions of the posterior cerebellar artery. By the 2-week-follow-up, hand kinematics had improved dramatically (gains in acceleration up to 86%). Improvements between the 2-week and the 3-month-follow-ups were less pronounced.

Conclusion—

In the acute stage, arm movements were mainly characterized by abnormal slowness (bradykinesia) and not dyscoordination (ataxia). The motor signs were associated with lesions in paravermal regions of lobules IV/V and the deep cerebellar nuclei. Motor recovery was fast, with the majority of gains in upper limb function occurring in the first 2 weeks after the acute phase.
The Spot Sign Is More Common in the Absence of Multiple Prior Microbleeds
Authors: Evans Andrea , Demchuk Andrew , Symons Sean P. , Dowlatshahi Dariush , Gladstone David J. , Zhang Liying , Fox Allan J. , Aviv Richard I.
Published: September 2010

Background and Purpose—

Mural thickening and permeability changes in patients with amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and chronic hypertension are implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple, chronic subclinical microbleeds. The Spot sign, contrast extravasation on CT angiography, predicts hematoma expansion and is presumed to represent acute vessel damage. We hypothesize that the Spot sign is more common in patients without multiple prior chronic microbleeds.

Methods—

A retrospective study was conducted of 59 patients presenting within 6 hours of primary intracranial hemorrhage onset undergoing CT angiography and MRI. CT angiography spot sign presence was documented blinded to MRI. Hematoma expansion was defined as >6 mL or 30% enlargement. The Boston criteria were applied to microbleed interpretation dichotomizing subjects into probable and negative CAA. Basal ganglia, thalamic, and brain stem microbleed location were interpreted as chronic hypertensive pattern. Univariate logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression analysis identified significant predictive factors between spot-positive and -negative patients or microbleed pattern.

Results—

The incidence of spot positivity was 42%, 22%, and 0% for CAA-negative, chronic hypertensive, and CAA-positive patients, respectively (
P
=0.01). CAA-negative patients had higher baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (
P
=0.039), larger follow-up hematoma volume (
P
=0.02), and poorer Rankin score (
P
=0.049) than chronic hypertensive or CAA-positive patients. After age adjustment, spot-positive (
P
=0.023), age-related white matter change (
P
=0.041), number of microbleeds (
P
<0.0001), and modified Rankin score (
P
=0.027) remained significantly different between groups.

Conclusion—

Boston criteria-defined CAA-negative status demonstrates the highest risk of spot positivity compared with patients with probable CAA and chronic hypertension.
Effects of previous interactions and sex on over-marking in meadow voles
Authors: Ferkin Michael
Published: September 2010

The effects of winning and losing on over-marking behaviour of mammals, a behaviour associated with competition, are not known. The current study tests the hypothesis that after having a staged dyadic encounter with a same-sex conspecific, individuals adjust the proportion of scent marks they use to over-mark the marks of same-sex conspecifics. Female meadow voles that won their encounter used a higher proportion of their marks to over-mark the marks of female conspecifics than did females that either lost their encounter, were evenly matched, unfamiliar, or had no previous paired encounter. Females that lost their encounter used a lower proportion of their marks to over-mark those of female conspecifics than did females that either won their encounter or females that were evenly matched, unfamiliar, or had no previous paired encounter. Females that were evenly matched, unfamiliar, or had no previous paired encounter used a similar percentage of marks to over-mark those of another female. Male meadow voles, however, independent of whether they won, lost, were evenly matched, unfamiliar, or had no previous paired encounter used a similar proportion of marks to over-mark those of male conspecifics. The role of over-marking and the effects of previous social experience are discussed.
A Land–Atmospheric Interaction Study in the Coastal Tropical City of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Authors: Comarazamy Daniel E. , González Jorge E. , Luvall Jeffrey C. , Rickman Douglas L. , Mulero Pedro J.
Published: September 2010

This paper focuses on the surface–atmospheric interaction in a tropical coastal city including the validation of an atmospheric modeling and an impact study of land-cover and land-use (LCLU) changes. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), driven with regional reanalysis data for a 10-day simulation, is used to perform the study in the San Juan metropolitan area (SJMA), one of the largest urban conglomerations in the Caribbean, which is located in the island of Puerto Rico and taken as the test case. The model’s surface characteristics were updated using airborne high-resolution remote sensing information to obtain a more accurate and detailed configuration of the SJMA. Surface and rawinsonde data from the San Juan Airborne Thermal and Land Applications Sensor (ATLAS) Mission are used to validate the modeling system, yielding satisfactory results in surface/canopy temperature, near-surface air temperatures, and vertical profiles. The impact analysis, performed with the updated SJMA configuration and a potential natural vegetation (PNV) scenario, showed that the simulation with specified urban LCLU indexes in the bottom boundary produced higher air temperatures over the area occupied by the city, with positive values of up to 2.5°C. The same analysis showed changes in the surface radiative balance in the urban case attributed to modifications in the LCLU. This additional heat seems to motivate additional vertical convection that may be leading to possible urban-induced precipitation downwind of the SJMA. This was evident in a precipitation disturbance when the city is present (∼0.9 mm, 22.5% increase) captured by the model that was accompanied by increases in cloud formation and vertical motions mainly downwind of the city.
Satellite-Based Modeling of the Carbon Fluxes in Mature Black Spruce Forests in Alaska: A Synthesis of the Eddy Covariance Data and Satellite Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Ueyama Masahito , Harazono Yoshinobu , Ichii Kazuhito
Published: September 2010

Scaling up of observed point data to estimate regional carbon fluxes is an important issue in the context of the global terrestrial carbon cycle. In this study, the authors proposed a new model to scale up the eddy covariance data to estimate regional carbon fluxes using satellite-derived data. Gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) were empirically calculated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). First, the model input is evaluated by comparing with the field data, then established and tested the model at the point scale, and then extended it into a regional scale. At the point scale, the empirical model could reproduce the seasonal and interannual variations in the carbon budget of the mature black spruce forests in Alaska and Canada sites, suggesting that seasonality of the NDVI and LST could explain the carbon fluxes and that the model is robust within mature black spruce forests in North America. Regional-scale analysis showed that the total GPP and RE between 2003 and 2006 were 1.76 ± 0.28 and 1.86 ± 0.26 kg CO2 m−2 yr−1, respectively, in mature black spruce forests in Alaska, indicating that these forests were almost carbon neutral. The authors’ model analysis shows that the proposed method is effective in scaling up point observations to estimate the regional-scale carbon budget and that the mature black spruce forests increased in sink strength during spring warming and decreased in sink strength during summer and autumn warming.
Viscous Fingering and Gravity Segregation through Porous Media: Experimental Findings
Authors: Abbas Farhat , Rose Derek A.
Published: September 2010

During downward vertical flow of a viscous solution, the viscous fingering (VF) phenomenon affects miscible displacement of solutes through a soil profile. On the other hand, during horizontal flow, when the liquid residing in a horizontal bed of porous materials is displaced by another liquid of different density, the resulting hydrodynamic dispersion is modified by the formation of a tongue of denser liquid undershooting the less dense liquid, a phenomenon known as gravity segregation (GS). To explore VF and GS phenomena, the authors present laboratory experimental results on the vertical and horizontal transport of bulk solution and ions of different concentrations and/or densities through inert and reactive porous media. The study showed that, with miscible liquids, breakthrough starts later and ends earlier. The authors predicted the behavior of immiscible liquids by the nondimensional gravity segregation number β: that is, with increase in β, the segregation becomes extreme. The curve fitting technique CXTFIT 2.0 fitted the experimental breakthrough curves well, showing that the apparent coefficients of hydrodynamic dispersion vary much less with pore-water velocity in horizontal than in vertical flow, but retardation factors are not influenced by the orientation of flow. This work is relevant to the preferential flow of viscous liquids such as liquid fertilizers in agricultural fields, oil recovery processes, and the intrusion of saline water into the freshwater of coastal aquifers.
Estimation of Liquid Cloud Properties that Conserve Total-Scene Reflectance Using Satellite Measurements
Authors: Foster Michael J. , Bennartz Ralf , Heidinger Andrew
Published: September 2010

A new method of deriving statistical moments related to the distribution of liquid water path over partially cloudy scenes is tested using a satellite cloud climatology. The method improves the ability to reconstruct total-scene visible reflectance when compared with an approach that relies on valid liquid water path retrievals, and thus it maintains physical consistency with the primary satellite observations when deriving cloud climatologies. A global application of the new method finds a mean bias of −0.008 ± 0.017 when reconstructing total-scene reflectance from liquid water path distributions, as compared with a bias of 0.05 ± 0.047 when using a conventional approach. Application of the method to a multidecadal cloud climatology suggests that this may provide a means of identifying data artifacts that could affect long-term cloud property trends. The conservation of reflectance plus the ease of applicability to various satellite datasets makes this method a valuable tool for model validation and comparison of satellite climatologies. Gaussian and gamma functions are used to approximate the distribution of horizontal subgrid-scale liquid water path for 1° × 1° scenes, and while both functions perform well for the majority of atmospheric conditions, it is found that the Gaussian distribution generates a negative bias for cases in which visible reflectance is very high and that neither function is able to represent liquid water path well in the few cases in which the observed distribution is bi- or multimodal.
Modeling Aerosol Impacts on Convective Storms in Different Environments
Authors: Storer Rachel L. , van den Heever Susan C. , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: September 2010

Aerosols are known to have both direct and indirect effects on clouds through their role as cloud condensation nuclei. This study examines the effects of differing aerosol concentrations on convective storms developing under different environments. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), a cloud-resolving model with sophisticated microphysical and aerosol parameterization schemes, was used to achieve the goals of this study. A sounding that would produce deep convection was chosen and consistently modified to obtain a variety of CAPE values. Additionally, the model was initiated with varying concentrations of aerosols that were available to act as cloud condensation nuclei. Each model run produced long-lived convective storms with similar storm development, but they differed slightly based on the initial conditions. Runs with higher initial CAPE values produced the strongest storms overall, with stronger updrafts and larger amounts of accumulated surface precipitation. Simulations initiated with larger concentrations of aerosols developed similar storm structures but showed some distinctive dynamical and microphysical changes because of aerosol indirect effects. Many of the changes seen because of varying aerosol concentrations were of either the same order or larger magnitude than those brought about by changing the convective environment.