bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitation of cytological parameters of malignant lymphocytes using computerized image analysis
Authors: JAHANMEHR S. A. HAMID , ROGERS M. , ZHENG J. , LAI R. , WANG C.
Published: August 2007

Computerized image analysis may add to morphological evaluation by turning qualitative data into quantitative values. In this study, image analysis program was used to quantitate cytological parameters of lymphocytes in B‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and B‐cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B‐PLL) were selected to represent typically small, medium, and large‐sized lymphocytes, respectively. Image analysis was performed to determine the morphological parameters. A set of measurements was generated for quantitation of total cell area, cell diameter, cytoplasm area, nuclear area, nuclear/cell ratio, and nuclear density. The quantitated parameters substantiated morphological characteristics of the tumor cells. Comparative assessments demonstrated that CLL, MCL, and PLL can be differentiated by the quantitative descriptors. The results from image analysis may assist in defining morphological criteria and in developing quantitative cell morphology.
Surveillance of injury-related deaths: medicolegal autopsy rates and trends in Finland
Authors: Lunetta Philippe , Lounamaa Anne , Sihvonen Sanna
Published: August 2007

Medicolegal autopsies are a vital tool for obtaining reliable injury mortality data. In Finland, medicolegal autopsies have increased from 13.6% of all deaths in 1970 to 23.8% in 2004. In fact, medicolegal autopsies are performed in 87.2% of all unintentional injury deaths, 98.3% of homicides and 99.5% of suicides. Finland has exceedingly high medicolegal autopsy rates compared with other countries. Autopsy rates should be appropriately considered when performing international comparisons of injury-related deaths.
Proportion of injury deaths with unspecified external cause codes: a comparison of Australia, Sweden, Taiwan and the US
Authors: Lu T H , Walker S , Anderson R N , McKenzie K , Bjorkenstam C , Hou W H
Published: August 2007

Background:The proportion of injury deaths with unspecified external cause codes has been used as an indicator of the level of comprehensiveness and specificity of information on death certificates provided by certifiers.

Objective:To compare the proportion of unspecified external cause codes across countries.

Methods:Multiple-cause-of-death mortality data for people who died in 2001 due to external causes in Australia, Sweden, Taiwan and the USA were used for this international comparison study. The proportion of injury deaths coded as due to an unspecified external cause (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, ICD-10, chapter XX) to all injury deaths in each block was calculated.

Results:Sweden (33%) had the highest proportion of use of the least specific code (ICD-10 code X59 exposure to unspecified factor), followed by Australia (17%), Taiwan (13%) and the USA (7%). More than two-thirds of the deceased for whom an ICD-10 code X59 was assigned in Sweden and Australia were those aged ⩾65 years, and more than half of them had femoral fractures. The percentage of use of the unspecified codes within specific groups of external causes was relatively high for falls and unintentional drowning.

Conclusions:Caution should be used in examining the compensatory effects of the unspecified external event code (ICD-10 code X59) on specific external causes (especially falls) when making international comparisons. Efforts are needed to educate certifiers to report sufficient information for specific coding so as to provide more useful information for injury prevention.
Prevalence of behaviors related to cigarette-caused fires: a survey of Ontario smokers
Authors: O’Connor R J , Bauer J E , Giovino G A , Hammond D , Hyland A , Fong G T , Cummings K M
Published: August 2007

Objective:To identify the prevalence and correlates of behaviors related to the risk of cigarette-caused fires.

Design and setting:Random-digit-dialed telephone survey in Ontario, Canada, July–September, 2005.

Subjects:596 current cigarette smokers.

Outcome measures:Prevalence of fire-risk events and behaviors such as burning clothing or objects in the home, leaving lit cigarettes unattended, dozing while smoking, and smoking in bed and correlates of these behaviors. Respondents were also asked if they ever worry about cigarette-caused fires.

Results:One in four smokers admitted to leaving lit cigarettes unattended in the last 30 days, while 15% admitted to smoking while in bed. Leaving lit cigarettes unattended was independent of demographic, socioeconomic or nicotine dependence indicators, but was related to worry about burning other persons with a cigarette (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.85) and smoking inside the home (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.66 to 5.35). Persons who were not white (OR 3.97, 95% CI 1.80 to 8.80), aged 18–24 years (OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.41 to 9.96), who had high nicotine dependence (OR 9.13, 95% CI 2.22 to 37.52) and worried about burning objects in their home (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.31 to 4.52) were more likely to smoke in bed. 10 (1.7%) smokers reported having ever had a fire in their home started by a cigarette.

Conclusions:Smokers engage in behaviors such as smoking in bed and leaving lit cigarettes unattended that may place them at an increased risk of cigarette-caused fires. As governments move to regulate cigarette ignition propensity, it is important to establish surveillance for behaviors related to fire risk.
Use of national health interview data to measure the burden of disease and injuries
Authors: Basterra-Gortari F J , Segui-Gomez M
Published: August 2007

Background:Although it is acknowledged that injuries place a substantial burden on populations throughout the world, few studies have measured the burden of non-fatal injuries and compared it with that of other health conditions.

Methods:Data for the adult population were obtained from the 2001 Spanish National Health Interview, a household telephone survey of the Spanish population. Differences in six measures of burden were compared for up to 11 conditions by age and gender. Proportions and their 95% CIs are reported.

Results:Injuries contribute 11–23% of the total health burden of the adult Spanish population, depending on which of the six indicators is used. They rank first and second out of the 11 conditions with regard to emergency visits and hospital admission, respectively. They rank third to sixth when other measures are chosen (ie, reduction in leisure activities, reduction in main activities, consulting a doctor, bedridden for half a day). Rheumatological, cardiovascular, and respiratory conditions are the only other conditions with a burden of comparable magnitude.

Conclusion:In the adult Spanish population, injuries are an important cause of burden, regardless of the specific indicator used to define burden. These findings are likely to be equally applicable in similar countries. This type of comparison may raise the profile of injuries among health professionals and policy makers.
US women’s choices of strategies to protect themselves from violence
Authors: Runyan Carol W , Casteel Carri , Moracco Kathryn E , Coyne-Beasley Tamera
Published: August 2007

Objectives:To examine the extent to which US women’s self-protection strategies are associated with either their personal or vicarious victimization experiences.

Design:A cross-sectional random digit dial telephone survey.

Setting:Continental United States.

Subjects:Non-institutionalized, English-speaking women, age 18 and older.

Outcome measures:Women’s self-protection strategies.

Results:1800 US women were interviewed (response rate 73%). They were found to use a wide variety of strategies to protect themselves. Their reported self-protection strategies did not vary relative to their assessment of the safety of their neighborhoods, but 47% avoided doing things they needed to do and 71% avoided doing things they wanted to do because of their fear of victimization. Victimization experiences, either personal or vicarious, were associated with increased weapon ownership and carrying. Compared with those with no victimization experiences, those with both personal and vicarious experience were more likely to have guns (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.08 to 2.29), carry weapons (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.66 to 4.28), carry devices (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.09 to 2.26), and use home strategies (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.33 to 2.78), suggesting a cumulative impact of multiple types of exposure to violence.

Conclusions:Ultimately, this research may help to guide women in making decisions about their choices of self-protection strategies and may help to inform policies about what approaches US women will support. Examining women’s patterns of strategy selection in other cultural contexts could be valuable for identifying and promoting interventions acceptable to women.
Risk perception, road behavior, and pedestrian injury among adolescent students in Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Poudel-Tandukar Kalpana , Nakahara Shinji , Ichikawa Masao , Poudel Krishna C , Jimba Masamine
Published: August 2007

Objective:To examine the relationship between the perceived safety of specified road behaviors, self-described road behaviors, and pedestrian injury among adolescent students in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1557 adolescents in grades 6–8 across 14 schools in Kathmandu using a self-administered questionnaire in 2003. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results:Adolescents were more likely to suffer from pedestrian injury when they did not always “wait for green signals to cross the road”. There were no significant associations between road behaviors such as “looking both ways along the road before crossing” or “playing in the road or sidewalks” and pedestrian injury. Adolescents who “perceived it safe to cross the road from any point” or “did not perceive it to be safer to cross the road at a zebra crossing” were less likely to “look both ways” or “wait for green signals” before crossing the road. Adolescents who “perceived it to be safe to play in the road” were more likely to play in the road or sidewalk. Similarly, this study showed a positive association between road safety education and adolescents’ road crossing behaviors.

Conclusion:Adolescents’ road behaviors, except for compliance with green signals, were not significantly associated with pedestrian injury. This suggests that a behavioral approach without modification of the traffic environment (such as provision of crossing signals) might not effectively prevent the occurrence of pedestrian injury in developing countries with poor traffic conditions.
Using online databases to find peer-reviewed journal articles on injury prevention and safety promotion research: a study of textword queries by SafetyLit users: Table 1
Authors: Lawrence David W
Published: August 2007

Objective:To assess the capacity of textword queries to provide a comprehensive listing of articles on injury prevention and safety promotion (IPSP) concepts in a literature database.

Methods:All terms used to search SafetyLit (a database of scholarly literature selected for its relevance to the IPSP field) during the years 2000–2005 were listed and then examined to identify terms that are synonyms for the same concept. Terms were grouped by concept, the number of queries that used terms within each concept category were summed, and the concepts were then ordered by the total number of searches for each concept category. For each textword, the proportion of all articles for that concept that could be found by using it alone was calculated.

Results:Each of the 25 most searched-for concepts has 4 to 40 synonyms. Sixteen of the concepts required queries using two or more terms to find 75% of the available articles. Few searchers used a sufficient number of textword synonyms in their queries to return a complete listing of the available material.

Conclusion:On the basis of this study, queries using only one or two textword terms are insufficiently sensitive to find all relevant journal articles about an IPSP concept.
Ukraine set to act on high suicide burden
Authors: Nordstrom D L
Published: August 2007

Having survived multiple catastrophes in the 20th century, newly independent Ukraine now has some of the highest injury death rates in Europe. The nation’s most common type of injury death is suicide, and its rate is one of Europe’s and the world’s highest. Alcohol abuse occurs in 20% of men, and major depression in 20% of women. Suicide is the leading cause of death in the Ukrainian Army, which has begun to recognize and address the problem. Mental health is one of three current priorities of the Ukrainian Ministry of Public Health. The government is developing a mental health policy and plan, with potential for prevention of suicide. A national university in the capital has created a graduate school of public health to build human capacity to prevent and control disease and injury.
Pathological networking: a new approach to understanding COPD
Authors: Sabroe I , Parker L C , Calverley P M A , Dower S K , Whyte M K B
Published: August 2007

Developing new treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is extremely challenging. This disease, chronic by definition, becomes apparent only after substantial—and probably irreversible—tissue damage has occurred. The observable phenotype is of a stable disease state whose progression is hard to influence and reversal of which appears almost impossible. Identifying key components of the pathological process, targeting of which will result in substantial clinical benefit, is a significant challenge. In this review the nature of the disease is examined and conceptual information and simple tissue models of inflammation are used to explore the pathological network that is COPD. From the concept of COPD as a disease network displaying the features of contiguous immunity (in which many processes of innate and adaptive immunity are in continual dialogue and evolution), refinements are suggested to the strategies aimed at developing effective new treatments for this disease.
Sexual zonation in the crown of Piceaglauca and the flowering response to exogenous GA4/7
Authors: Marquard Robert D. , Hanover James W.
Published: August 2007

Strobili distribution on crowns of 8- and 9-year-old white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) was evaluated and modified by gibberellin A4/7 (GA4/7) applied as a foliar spray to branches in the transitional (female → male) zone and strictly male zone. Treatment with GA4/7 increased female strobili production 6.2-fold and male strobili production 2.4-fold on branches in the transitional zone. On male zone branches treated with GA4/7, female strobili were induced and male strobili production increased sixfold.
Winter injury to shoots as it affects root activity in black spruce container seedlings
Authors: Colombo S. J. , Glerum C.
Published: August 2007

Reduced levels of root activity were associated with winter injury to shoots of 1-year-old black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) container seedlings.
Control of sampling error and measurement error in a horizontal point cruise
Authors: Gertner George Z.
Published: August 2007

A horizontal point cruise for basal area was conducted to develop the functional relationship between measurement error and the time allowed to measure a prism point. With this information, it was then possible to design for subsequent inventories a survey that was optimal in respect to the total survey time, given a desired level of precision of the estimated mean basal area. It was shown that using traditional techniques for estimating sample size will not provide an optimal design, if measurement error does exist and is controllable. When designing a forest survey, a great deal can be gained by explicitly accounting for measurement error, as well as sampling error.
Dendrochronology of a fir wave
Authors: Marchand Peter J.
Published: August 2007

Standard analyses in dendrochronology were combined with estimates of wood production efficiency to clarify patterns of tree mortality in wave-regenerated fir forests (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.). Results revealed important differences in radial growth and wood production per unit foliage area between dieback stands of young (37 years) and old (74 years) wave sites, indicating that wave mortality is not related to age nor restricted to trees of low vigor. Overstory trees in both young and old dieback areas are characterized by a high frequency of missing or partial rings in late years without significant change in wood production efficiency, suggesting that the primary cause for a decline at the wave edge is a mechanical loss of foliage rather than a decrease in photosynthetic efficiency. This is supported by a highly significant reduction (P = 0.005) in projected leaf area for dieback-zone trees. Tree-ring characteristics reported here are symptomatic of a carbon balance problem which may lead to tree death through a number of secondary causes.
Cost functions for the line intersect method of sampling forest residue in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Hazard John W. , Pickford Stewart G.
Published: August 2007

Cost functions were developed for estimating the cost of inventorying forest residue in the Pacific Northwest region by line intersect sampling. Time was accurately recorded for individual tasks of measuring forest residue on three widely varying clear cuttings. The model developed relates the total cost of completing an inventory to fixed costs associated with the entire unit and each sample line, and variable costs of residue loading, fine fuel loadings, number of lines, and length of lines. The slope of the inventory unit was not found to be significantly (P ≤ 0.05) related to the cost, however, the residue loading was significant. Several simplified versions of the cost function are provided which are applicable under certain assumptions and conditions.
Impact of clearcutting and slash burning on ectomycorrhizal associations of Douglas-fir seedlings
Authors: Pilz David P. , Perry David A.
Published: August 2007

The effect of clear-cutting, with and without slash burning, on ectomycorrhizal formation of Douglas-fir seedlings (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) was studied in field and greenhouse bioassays. Twelve ectomycorrhizal types were found in three western Cascade Mountain sites on seedlings planted in soils exchanged among burned and unburned portions of clear-cuts and undisturbed forest. Rhizopogon sp. and an unidentified brown type consistently formed at least two-thirds of the ectomycorrhizal root tips. Regardless of soil origin, more ectomycorrhizae formed in clear-cuts than in undisturbed forest (primarily due to more brown mycorrhizae). Soil origin did not affect total numbers of ectomycorrhizae; however, more different types formed in undisturbed forest soils than in clear-cut soils, irrespective of aboveground environment. More nonmycorrhizal tips occurred in clear-cut soils. Seedlings grown in the same soils formed the same proportions of Rhizopogon and brown types in field and greenhouse, but not the same proportions of less common ectomycorrhizal types. Soil pasteurization increased root-tip numbers. Inoculated soils (1 part nonpasteurized: 9 parts pasteurized) produced as many ectomycorrhizae as nonpasteurized field soils and generally fewer tips than pasteurized soils. Formation of major (but not minor) ectomycorrhizal types on all sites was influenced more by aboveground changes that accompany clear-cutting and site preparation than by alterations in soil chemistry or biology.
Tissue proportions and cell dimensions for red and white oak groups
Authors: Maeglin R. R. , Quirk J. T.
Published: August 2007

A vast source of oak wood is available for use in the United States for papermaking. Knowledge of the proportions of tissue types and cell dimensions for hardwoods, especially on a weight basis, could help extend their use in the pulp and paper industry. This report provides such information for 11 red and white oak species. A method for calculating tissue proportions by weight from proportions by volume is given. The proportion by weight for fibers varied from 74% for fast-grown trees to 38% for slow-grown trees; for axial and ray parenchyma from 24% for fast grown to 54% for slow grown; and for vessels from 2% for fast grown to 8% for slow grown. Results show the relationship of tissue proportions to both growth rate and site. Information in this report can be used to help decide whether it is economical to separate fines and other components in pulping hardwoods. The amount of axial and ray parenchyma by weight in slow-grown material suggests it may be economically feasible to separate the parenchyma for possible use as fuel, chemical stock, or cattle feed.
Prescribed burning for lowland black spruce regeneration in northern Minnesota
Authors: Aksamit Scott E. , Irving Frank D.
Published: August 2007

Concern over the variability of black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) regeneration on peatlands in northern Minnesota following prescribed burning led to a cooperative study between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Twenty-seven black spruce cutovers on State lands that had been prescribed burned and either seeded or left to regenerate naturally were sampled. These were stratified into sphagnum – Labrador-tea – leather-leaf (SPHG) sites (10), feather moss (FM) sites (9), and alder – graminoid – other tall shrub (ALDR) sites (8). Results indicate that fire was not necessary to regenerate SPHG sites. FM sites required fire to modify unfavorable seedbeds and to reduce competition. Best results were obtained by burning when the upper layers of the peat were highly desiccated. ALDR sites occupied a wide range of ecological conditions which led to highly variable regeneration results. A larger sample size and possibly more carefully controlled study conditions are needed to fully understand ALDR site regeneration. Seeding results were uncertain for all sites.
Effects of low temperature and light treatment, following winter cold storage, on starch accumulation in Scots pine seedlings
Authors: Ericsson Anders
Published: August 2007

To increase the amount of starch reserves, 1-year-old Pinussylvestris L. seedlings were conditioned in a climate chamber at +5 °C with irradiance of different levels, following thawing from cold storage at −5 °C. Exposure to the conditioning climate was for 0, 1, or 2 weeks, after which the seedlings were transferred to an artificial "summer" climate (25/15 °C, day/night, respectively). The variations in starch concentration of roots and needles were followed during the experimental period. During the conditioning period, starch concentration increased in roots as well as in needles. The result indicated that starch accumulated only in presence of light. Two weeks of treatment with a photon flux density of about 140 μE•m−2•s−1 resulted in starch concentrations comparable with those found in trees during a normal spring in nature. After removal of the seedlings to artificial "summer" climate, the starch reserves of the roots decreased quickly, while the levels of the needles continued to increase to a final maximum value. When seedlings without low temperature and light treatment were placed in "summer" conditions, the starch level increased in the needles but decreased in the roots. The dry-weight determinations showed that growth was not affected by the conditioning in low temperature and light.
Effect of collection date and storage conditions on field performance of Populus hardwood cuttings
Authors: Fege Anne S. , Phipps Howard
Published: August 2007

Survival and height growth of seven hybrid Populus clones were evaluated for hardwood cuttings collected from September to December, and stored at temperatures from −20 to 2 °C. Field survival was less than 18% for cuttings of all clones collected in September and for cuttings of four clones collected in October and stored at −20 °C. Field survival and height growth during the first growing season were not significantly different for all seven clones collected from October to December and stored at −20 to 2 °C. However, since shoots and roots had begun to emerge from cuttings held at −3 and 2 °C at the end of the storage period, and cuttings at −20 and −10 °C were soaked in water for a week before root emergence and planting, nursery managers gain flexibility by storing cuttings at lower temperatures. Performance of three clones evaluated during 1981–1982 at temperatures from −10 to 2 °C followed the same patterns. Field performance of cuttings of five clones stored in moist mulch and plastic bags did not vary significantly by treatment at two nurseries, but survival of those stored as entire whips varied by location and clone.
Application method and timing of gibberellin A4/7 treatments for increasing pollen conebud production in southern pines
Authors: Hare Robert C.
Published: August 2007

In 4 different years' experiments with loblolly (Pinustaeda L.), slash (Pinuselliottiielliottii Engelm.), and longleaf (Pinuspalustris Mill.) pine, timing of gibberellin A4/7 (GA4/7) treatments was critical for optimal promotion of pollen conebuds. Two or three biweekly treatments given at strategic times were equivalent to six given from May to August. July to August applications best promoted pollen conebuds. Using the cationic surfactant Aromox C/12, aqueous foliar sprays of 200 mg/L of GA4/7 were more effective than ethanolic topical bud treatments for pollen conebud induction in slash pine. Addition of naphthaleneacetic acid enhanced the GA4/7 effect in loblolly pine but diminished it in slash and longleaf pine.
Interaction of light, temperature, and chilling in the germination of black spruce
Authors: Farmer Robert E. , Charrette Paul , Searle Ian E. , Tarjan David P.
Published: August 2007

A factorial experiment was used to evaluate light, a range of alternating temperatures, and stratification on germination of freshly collected current year's seed of Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P. Light was required for complete germination of unstratified seed at low (5–15 °C) and moderate (10–20 °C) temperatures. This light requirement was removed by moist chilling at 3 °C for 24 days.
Response of yellow poplar (Liriodendrontulipifera L.) seedling shoot growth to low concentrations of O3, SO2, and NO2
Authors: Mahoney M. J. , Skelly J. M. , Chevone B. I. , Moore L. D.
Published: August 2007

Six-week-old yellow poplar (Liriodendrontulipifera L.) seedlings from one half-sib family were exposed to various combinations of 0.07 ppm O3, 0.06 ppm SO2, and 0.10 ppm NO2 6 h daily for 35 consecutive days. Ozone and SO2 alone did not suppress total shoot elongation compared with control seedlings after the 5-week fumigation period, whereas the combinations of O3 + SO2, SO2 + NO2, or O3 + SO2 + NO2 significantly reduced total shoot height 51, 64, and 51%, respectively. Of the pollutant combinations, SO2 + NO2 most severely inhibited the rate of height growth with this effect initially occurring after only 2 weeks of fumigation. The dry weight of seedlings exposed to O3 + SO2, SO2 + NO2, or O3 + SO2 + NO2 were significantly less than plants exposed to no pollutants, O3, or SO2. Total shoot height growth was highly correlated with seedling dry weight (r = 0.97)
Chemithermomechanical pulping of white birch for newsprint
Authors: Law K. N. , Rioux P. , Lapointe M. , Valade J. L.
Published: August 2007

The main objective of the study was to investigate the mechanical pulping characteristics of white birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.) by a chemithermomechanical process using NaOH and Na2SO3 in the pretreatment of chips prior to pressurized refining. The results indicated that the NaOH had significant effect upon the pulp quality, whereas the Na2SO3 was of limited importance. Chemithermomechanical pulp of white birch was further found to be suitable for at least partial replacement of high-cost chemical pulp component, customarily added to newsprint furnishes, without lowering of paper properties.
The jackknife: an introduction with applications in forestry data analysis
Authors: Gregoire Timothy G.
Published: August 2007

An explanation of the theory and utility of the jackknife procedure is provided. The latter is exemplified by a sampling simulation using ratio-of-means estimation from three forestry populations. A universal reduction in the bias of the ratio estimator was achieved, but of greater importance is the considerably more accurate estimates of its variance that are possible by jackknifing. Another use of the jackknife is provided by the derivation of an estimator of the theoretically complex variance of quadratic mean stem diameter from prism sampling data.
Structural changes in the timber economy of southeast Alaska
Authors: Rideout Doug
Published: August 2007

Recent structural changes in southeast Alaskan markets for logs, lumber and pulp are identified and analyzed using the familiar analytics of production theory, supply and demand. Structural changes in the southeast Alaskan markets are identified as responses to either legislative enactments or to changing world market conditions. Recent legislative enactments, especially the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the Alaskan National Interest Land Conservation Act, have altered the land base from which the commercial timber source is drawn, specified an average annual harvest level, and established important native rights to timber lands. The economic implications of this new legislative setting, coupled with downturns in world markets, projections of slower construction activity in Japan, and a major new pulp producer indicate that the timber economy of southeast Alaska may have entered a new era with the advent of the 1980's.
Growth patterns in immature and mature western hemlock stands infected with dwarf mistletoe
Authors: Thomson A. J. , Smith R. B. , Alfaro R. I.
Published: August 2007

Growth patterns of western hemlock, Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. infected with dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobiumtsugense (Rosendahl) G. N. Jones, were studied by stem analysis. The volume increment versus age relationships of average trees were used to project growth and evaluate volume losses. Based on a particular assumption of growth loss ratios between infection classes, volume losses in moderately and severely infected trees by the age of 80 years were conservatively estimated at 15 and 25%, respectively, with respect to comparable healthy trees. As these estimates were based on projection of growth curves of average trees, confidence intervals were not calculated. Healthy trees selected from a different part of the stand generally exhibited patterns of establishment and early growth which differed from the infected trees to an extent which invalidated their use as controls for infected tree growth. Moderately infected trees were more comparable to severely infected trees from the same part of the stand. The variety of growth patterns within stands is discussed in relation to the use of the stand as a sampling unit.
Detection of root disease in coastal Douglas-fir stands using large scale 70-mm aerial photography
Authors: Wallis G. W. , Lee Y. J.
Published: August 2007

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands 15, 40, and 100 years of age containing root disease openings of various sizes were photographed using 70-mm Aerochrome color and color-infrared film at scales of 1:1 500 to 1:15 000. Success in detecting disease centers varied with scale relative to stand age and disease symptomatology. Scales of 1:6 000 provided adequate information for young stands 15–20 years of age whereas scales of up to 1:15 000 proved satisfactory for locating most centers in 100-year-old stands. The large variation in symptomatology among stands in the midage class made accurate assessment of disease occurrence difficult at all scales used. Measurement of area within most disease centers in a stand using aerial photographs is probably feasible only in mature stands. Color photographs were superior to color-infrared for detecting early foliage discoloration; the reverse was true when characterization of ground features and downed trees was desired.
Responses of planted northern red oak to three overstory treatments
Authors: Johnson Paul S.
Published: August 2007

Northern red oak (Quercusrubra L.) were planted in upland oak forests of the Missouri Ozarks. Plantings were made in 8 clearcut plots and in 16 plots thinned to 60% stocking. After three field growing seasons, the overstory was removed on one-half of the underplanted plots. The 2304 planted trees consisted of four classes of planting stock: small 1 + 0, large 1 + 0, 1 + 1, and container-grown. Shoots were clipped on one-half of the trees in each class. After five field growing seasons, average survival was 84%. Average heights of survivors were as follows: 118 cm for trees planted directly into clearcuts, 97 cm for underplanted–released trees, and 59 cm for underplanted–unreleased trees. Based on net shoot growth of trees after overstory removal, success probabilities were estimated using logistic regression analysis. The most successful trees were clipped 1 + 1 stock with initial shoot diameters (2 cm above the root collar) of 10 mm or more that were underplanted and subsequently released. For clipped 1 + 1 stock, success probabilities for a success criterion of 30 cm net height growth per year after overstory removal ranged from 0.61 to 0.77 for 10 to 16 mm diameter trees; for a success criterion of 40 cm, success probabilities were 0.42 to 0.63, respectively.
A method for describing equilibrium moisture content of forest fuels
Authors: Nelson Jr. Ralph M.
Published: August 2007

The isothermal adsorption and desorption of water vapor by forest fuels is represented with a two-parameter model based on an exponential relationship between Gibbs free energy change and equilibrium moisture content. The model is applied to five sets of sorption data in the literature to illustrate goodness of fit. Two of the data sets are well reproduced by the model; description of the remaining data is less satisfactory. Whether the deviations are due to experimental factors or a deficiency in the model is not determined. At constant temperature, hysteresis ratios tend to increase as percent relative humidity increases.
Application of DNA-Based Methods in Forensic Entomology
Authors: Wells Jeffrey D. , Stevens Jamie R.
Published: August 2007

A forensic entomological investigation can benefit from a variety of widely practiced molecular genotyping methods. The most commonly used is DNA-based specimen identification. Other applications include the identification of insect gut contents and the characterization of the population genetic structure of a forensically important insect species. The proper application of these procedures demands that the analyst be technically expert. However, one must also be aware of the extensive list of standards and expectations that many legal systems have developed for forensic DNA analysis. We summarize the DNA techniques that are currently used in, or have been proposed for, forensic entomology and review established genetic analyses from other scientific fields that address questions similar to those in forensic entomology. We describe how accepted standards for forensic DNA practice and method validation are likely to apply to insect evidence used in a death or other forensic entomological investigation.
The Frontiers of Intellectual Property: Expanded Protection versus New Models of Open Science
Authors: Rhoten Diana , Powell Walter W.
Published: August 2007

The growing salience of intellectual property (IP) rights has reconfigured U.S. science, shifting it from the formerly separate realms of university and commercial science to an increasingly interconnected field of public and proprietary science. We assess both the magnitude and consequences of these developments, first describing the primary tools of IP and the changing nature of their influence on science, and then examining the effects of IP on the roles, rules, and relations of the scientific enterprise. We also consider the emergence of new models of scientific practice that blend both public and private. We debate whether current changes represent a transition or transformation in the relations between science and property. Finally, we argue that just as the public and private spheres of science may be converging, so must future scholarship if we are to answer harder questions about the appropriate balance between traditional logics of open science and the more recent regimes of proprietary science.
The molecular and biochemical basis of nonshivering thermogenesis in an African endemic mammal, Elephantulus myurus
Authors: Mzilikazi Nomakwezi , Jastroch Martin , Meyer Carola W. , Klingenspor Martin
Published: August 2007

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mediated nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important avenue of thermoregulatory heat production in many mammalian species. Until recently, UCP1 was thought to occur exclusively in eutherians. In the light of the recent finding that UCP1 is already present in fish, it is of interest to investigate when UCP1 gained a thermogenic function in the vertebrate lineage. We elucidated the basis of NST in the rock elephant shrew, Elephantulus myurus (Afrotheria: Macroscelidea). We sequenced Ucp1 and detected Ucp1 mRNA and protein restricted to brown fat deposits. We found that cytochrome c oxidase activity was highest in these deposits when compared with liver and skeletal muscle. Consistent with a thermogenic function of UCP1 isolated BAT mitochondria showed increased state 4 respiration in the cold, as well as palmitate-induced, GDP-sensitive proton conductance, which was absent in liver mitochondria. On the whole animal level, evidence of thermogenic function was further corroborated by an increased metabolic response to norepinephrine (NE) injection. Cold acclimation (18°C) led to an increased basal metabolic rate relative to warm acclimation (28°C) in E. myurus, but there was no evidence of additional recruitment of NE-induced NST capacity in response to cold acclimation. In summary, we showed that BAT and functional UCP1 are already present in a member of the Afrotheria, but the seasonal regulation and adaptive value of NST in Afrotherians remain to be elucidated.
Lentiviral vectors: are they the future of animal transgenesis?
Authors: Park Frank
Published: August 2007

Lentiviral vectors have become a promising new tool for the establishment of transgenic animals and the manipulation of the mammalian genome. While conventional microinjection-based methods for transgenesis have been successful in generating small and large transgenic animals, their relatively low transgenic efficiency has opened the door for alternative approaches, including lentiviral vectors. Lentiviral vectors are an appealing tool for transgenesis in part because of their ability to incorporate into genomic DNA with high efficiency, especially in cells that are not actively dividing. Lentiviral vector-mediated transgene expression can also be maintained for long periods of time. Recent studies have documented high efficiencies for lentiviral transgenesis, even in animal species and strains, such as NOD/ scid and C57Bl/6 mouse, that are very difficult to manipulate using the standard transgenic techniques. These advantages of the lentiviral vector system have broadened its use as a gene therapy vector to additional applications that include transgenesis and knockdown functional genetics. This review will address the components of the lentiviral vector system and recent successes in lentiviral transgenesis using both male- and female-derived pluripotent cells. The advantages and disadvantages of lentiviral transgenesis vs. other approaches to produce transgenic animals will be compared with regard to efficiency, the ability to promote persistent transgene expression, and the time necessary to generate a sufficient number of animals for phenotyping.
Relative quantification of peptide phosphorylation in a complex mixture using 18O labeling
Authors: Smith Julia R. , Olivier Michael , Greene Andrew S.
Published: August 2007

We have developed a method to determine the degree of phosphorylation of a peptide in a complex mixture without enrichment or operation of the mass spectrometer in negative ion mode. Yeast lysate containing known amounts of synthetic peptides (VPQLEIVPNSAEERLHSMK and VPQLEIVPN[pS]AEERLHSMK) was labeled with 16O and 18O during hydrolysis. After treatment of one sample with a cocktail of phosphatases, the two samples were pooled. The intensity of the dephosphorylated peptide peaks was used to infer the degree of phosphorylation present before treatment. The linear dynamic range of this method is >10-fold before either of the peptide envelopes becomes indistinguishable from the surrounding noise. Since both the site of posttranslational modification and the proportion of the protein population that is modified are vital in protein function, the employment of this technique will provide a valuable tool for the analysis of the functional implications of protein phosphorylation.
Transcript of protein kinase A knock-down modulates feeding behavior and neuropeptide Y gene expression in phenylpropanolamine-treated rats
Authors: Hsieh Yih-Shou , Yang Shun-Fa , Chu Shu-Chen , Kuo Dong-Yih
Published: August 2007

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an appetite-controlling neuromodulator that contributes to the appetite-suppressing effect of phenylpropanolamine (PPA). Aims of this study were to investigate whether protein kinase A (PKA) signaling is involved in regulating NPY gene expression and PPA-induced anorexia. Rats were given daily with PPA for 5 days. Changes in daily food intake and hypothalamic NPY, PKA, cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene expression were measured and compared. To further determine if PKA was involved, intracerebroventricular infusions of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide were performed at 60 min before daily PPA treatment in freely moving rats. Results showed that daily PKA, CREB, and POMC expression were increased following PPA treatment, which showed a closely reverse relationship with alterations of decreased feeding behaviors and NPY mRNA levels. Results also showed that PKA knock-down could block PPA-induced anorexia as well as restore NPY mRNA level, indicating the involvement of PKA signaling in the regulation of NPY gene expression. It is suggested that hypothalamic PKA signaling may participate in the central regulation of PPA-mediated appetite suppression via the modulation of hypothalamic NPY gene expression. The present findings reveal that manipulations at the molecular level of PKA or cAMP may allow the development of therapeutic agents to improve the undesirable properties of PPA or other amphetamine-like anorectic drugs.
Hyalograft® C: Hyaluronan-Based Scaffolds in Tissue-Engineered Cartilage
Authors: Tognana Enrico , Borrione Anna , De Luca Claudio , Pavesio Alessandra
Published: August 2007

Articular cartilage injuries have poor reparative capability and, if left untreated, may progress to osteo-arthritis. Unsatisfactory results with conventional treatment methods have prompted the development of innovative solutions including the use of cell transplantations, with or without a supporting scaffold. Tissue engineering combines cells, scaffolds and bio-active factors, which represents one of the most promising approaches for the restoration of damaged tissues. Available today, hyaluronan, also known as hyaluronic acid, is a natural glycosaminoglycan present in all soft tissues of higher organisms and in particularly high concentrations in the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage and in the mesenchyme during embryonic development in which it plays a number of biological functions, not only as a structural component but as an informational molecule as well. Moreover, hyaluronan can be manufactured in a variety of physical forms including hydrogels, sponges, fibres and fabrics allowing to develop a variety of hyaluronan-based scaffolds. This review will present both theoretical and experimental evidences that led to the development of Hyalograft® C, an exploitation of hyaluronic acid technology and a tissue engineering approach for the resolution of articular cartilage defects.
Immunohistochemical Demonstration of Vitamin D Receptor Distribution in Goat Intestines
Authors: Boos Alois , Riner Katharina , Hässig Michael , Liesegang Annette
Published: August 2007

Vitamin D (VD) plays an important role in calcium homeostasis. 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol or calcitriol modulates gene transcription via nuclear VD receptors (VDR). In the intestines, VD promotes calcium resorption via VDR. VDR has not been systematically assessed within the intestine in any species. We therefore present a semiquantitative immunohistochemical study of the distribution patterns of VDR in goat intestines. Intestinal tissue probes were collected from 5 lambs and 5 non-lactating non-pregnant dams, fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and assessed for VDR. Nuclear VDR immunoreaction was scored semiquantitatively. VDR exhibited a segment-specific distribution pattern. Goblet cells were always devoid of VDR. Enterocytes within the surface epithelium and the superficial crypts generally demonstrated only a weak immunoreaction along the length of the intestine, while basally and/or intermediately located crypt epithelial cells exhibited strong VDR immunoreactions in the duodenum, jejunum and colon descendens. The difference in VDR staining between deep and superficial locations was most prominent in the duodenum and less evident in the jejunum, ileum and colon descendens. Results demonstrate that VDR distribution exhibits cell type-, segment- and location-specific patterns in the goat. Data may serve as a basis for future experiments on the role of VDR in Ca metabolism.