bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Template Complexity on Visual Search and Dual-Task Performance
Authors: Bourke Patrick A. , Duncan John
Published: February 2005

Even dissimilar tasks interfere with one another when done together. We used visual search to examine the underlying cause of such interference. In many models, visual search is a process of biased competition controlled by a template describing the target to be sought. When the display is processed, matching against this template guides attention to the target. We show that increasing template complexity increased interference with a dissimilar concurrent task, story memory. This result was independent of reaction time: Increases in template complexity were associated with no increase in search time in Experiment 1 and with a decrease in search time in Experiment 2. The results show that the dual-task demands of visual search reflect the complexity of the template used in task control, and that this factor can be isolated from other sources of difficulty.
Orientation Congruency Effects for Familiar Objects
Authors: Graf M. , Kaping D. , Bülthoff H.H.
Published: February 2005

How do observers recognize objects after spatial transformations? Recent neurocomputational models have proposed that object recognition is based on coordinate transformations that align memory and stimulus representations. If the recognition of a misoriented object is achieved by adjusting a coordinate system (or reference frame), then recognition should be facilitated when the object is preceded by a different object in the same orientation. In the two experiments reported here, two objects were presented in brief masked displays that were in close temporal contiguity; the objects were in either congruent or incongruent picture-plane orientations. Results showed that naming accuracy was higher for congruent than for incongruent orientations. The congruency effect was independent of superordinate category membership (Experiment 1) and was found for objects with different main axes of elongation (Experiment 2). The results indicate congruency effects for common familiar objects even when they have dissimilar shapes. These findings are compatible with models in which object recognition is achieved by an adjustment of a perceptual coordinate system.
Hearing What the Eyes See
Authors: Guttman Sharon E. , Gilroy Lee A. , Blake Randolph
Published: February 2005

When the senses deliver conflicting information, vision dominates spatial processing, and audition dominates temporal processing. We asked whether this sensory specialization results in cross-modal encoding of unisensory input into the task-appropriate modality. Specifically, we investigated whether visually portrayed temporal structure receives automatic, obligatory encoding in the auditory domain. In three experiments, observers judged whether the changes in two successive visual sequences followed the same or different rhythms. We assessed temporal representations by measuring the extent to which both task-irrelevant auditory information and task-irrelevant visual information interfered with rhythm discrimination. Incongruent auditory information significantly disrupted task performance, particularly when presented during encoding; by contrast, varying the nature of the rhythm-depicting visual changes had minimal impact on performance. Evidently, the perceptual system automatically and obligatorily abstracts temporal structure from its visual form and represents this structure using an auditory code, resulting in the experience of “hearing visual rhythms.”
Victim Derogation and Victim Enhancement as Alternate Routes to System Justification
Authors: Kay Aaron C. , Jost John T. , Young Sean
Published: February 2005

Numerous studies have documented the potential for victim-blaming attributions to justify the status quo. Recent work suggests that complementary, victim-enhancing stereotypes may also increase support for existing social arrangements. We seek to reconcile these seemingly contradictory findings by proposing that victim derogation and victim enhancement are alternate routes to system justification, with the preferred route depending on the perception of a causal link between trait and outcome. Derogating “losers” (and lionizing “winners”) on traits (e.g., intelligence) that are causally related to outcomes (e.g., wealth vs. poverty) serves to increase system justification, as does compensating “losers” (and down-grading “winners”) on traits (e.g., physical attractiveness) that are causally unrelated to those outcomes. We provide converging evidence using system-threat and stereotype-activation paradigms.
Emotional and Deliberative Reactions to a Public Crisis
Authors: Sinaceur Marwan , Heath Chip , Cole Steve
Published: February 2005

Although most theories of choice are cognitive, recent research has emphasized the role of emotions. We used a novel context—the Mad Cow crisis in France—to investigate how emotions alter choice even when consequences are held constant. A field study showed that individuals reduced beef consumption in months after many newspaper articles featured the emotional label “Mad Cow,” but beef consumption was unaffected after articles featured scientific labels for the same disease. The reverse pattern held for the disease-related actions of a government bureaucracy. A lab study showed that the Mad Cow label induces people to make choices based solely on emotional reactions, whereas scientific labels induce people to consider their own probability judgments. Although the Mad Cow label produces less rational behavior than scientific labels, it is two to four times more common in the environment.
Frequency distributions of sward height under sheep grazing
Authors: Barthram G. T. , Duff E. I. , Elston D. A. , Griffiths J. H. , Common T. G. , Marriott C. A.
Published: February 2005

Cattle and sheep can create and maintain a mixture of relatively tall and short patches in grass swards through selective grazing. In swards that are grazed by cattle this heterogeneous structure can result in the frequencies of height measurements having a skewed distribution that has variously been better described by the double‐normal distribution the gamma distribution and the Weibull distribution than by the more common normal distribution. The fit of these statistical distributions, and the adequacy of the potentially useful log‐normal distribution, to sward height frequencies were tested in sown temperate swards grazed by sheep and compared within a single sward. It was concluded that the single‐normal and Weibull distributions were inadequate and that overall the log‐normal and gamma distributions had the best fit to the measurements.
Plant functional traits, herbivore selectivity and response to sheep grazing in Patagonian steppe grasslands
Authors: CINGOLANI ANA M. , POSSE GABRIELA , COLLANTES MARTA B.
Published: February 2005

In some ecosystems there is a positive feedback between forage quality and grazing intensity. This involves three components of plant tolerance to grazing: functional traits, herbivore selectivity and response to grazing. We analysed the relationships between these components at species and community levels in Patagonian steppe grasslands.

We measured plant functional traits [height, specific leaf area (SLA) and foliar toughness] and estimated sheep selectivity and grazing response indices for 35 plant species. Sheep selectivity indices were obtained from microhistological and species’ availability data, and grazing response indices from species’ abundances in sites with contrasting grazing intensities. We performed correlations and multiple regressions among the three types of variables across the pool of 35 species.

To analyse data at the community level, we computed weighted averages of traits and sheep selectivity indices for 34 floristic samples taken from each side of 17 fence lines with contrasting grazing intensities. Correlations between mean trait values and sheep selectivity across the 34 samples, and paired comparisons of those variables between sides of the fences, were performed.

Taller plants had leaves with lower SLA and/or higher toughness. Short species of intermediate toughness were selected more often by sheep, while SLA was not related to sheep selectivity. Short species with high SLA increased with grazing, while toughness and sheep selectivity were unrelated to grazing response.

At the community level, short swards with high average SLA had high selectivity indices and were more abundant on the most intensively grazed sides of fence lines. Leaf toughness was unrelated to other traits or to sheep selectivity, and showed no significant response to grazing.

Synthesis and applications. Intensive grazing can increase the forage value of grasslands by the creation of lawns dominated by tolerant species. However, results from this study showed that some plant species that were avoided by grazers also increased, indicating a potential risk of a shift in composition of grazing lawns towards states of low forage value. This suggests that periodic resting of lawns could be a good management strategy to favour palatable species, thereby minimizing the risk of undesirable shifts in the overall species composition.
Demographic meta‐analysis: synthesizing vital rates for spotted owls
Authors: BOYCE MARK S. , IRWIN LARRY L. , BARKER RICHARD
Published: February 2005

Effective resource management ultimately influences vital rates of fecundity and survival for target species. Meta‐analysis can be used to combine results from multiple demographic studies replicated in time and space to obtain estimates of vital rates as well as metrics of population growth.

Workshop formats were used to conduct meta‐analyses of mark–recapture experiments on spotted owlsStrix occidentalisin the western USA. The implied motivation for demographic studies of spotted owls has been that changes in vital rates and population growth, λ, reflect the success of conservation strategies, but how to interpret results may not be obvious. Demographic analysis is of little practical utility until vital rates can be linked to management. In the case of spotted owls, future meta‐analyses must focus on co‐variation between vital rates and habitat variables, and experiments will be necessary.

Sensitivity of population growth to variation in vital rates is central to demographic analysis, but results must be interpreted cautiously because these sensitivities are not likely to identify the vital rates most responsible for variation in population size, and cannot reveal which vital rates will be most responsive to conservation investments.

Difficulties in documenting dispersal seriously compromised estimates of juvenile survival and thereby biased estimates of λpmfrom a projection matrix, a problem that was resolved in later workshops by estimating λRJSdirectly using a reparameterized Jolly–Seber mark–recapture method.

Several sources of bias for estimates of vital rates and λ were reviewed. Bias exists in meta‐analysis estimates of λ combined over spatial replicates because λ is a non‐linear function of vital rates. Bias also exists in estimates of average population growth where λtvaries over time. This problem can be reduced by calculating the geometric mean of λ. Research to measure biases associated with the estimation of vital rates and the selection of study areas will be necessary to validate meta‐analyses of demography for spotted owls.

Synthesis and applications.Meta‐analysis is ideally suited to studies of the demography of long‐lived species because of the large areas involved, high costs for each individual study, and multiple jurisdictions within which the organisms occur. Mixed models selected using information–theoretic approaches provide a powerful way to combine research results from several studies in a meta‐analysis.
Development of inland lakes as hubs in an invasion network
Authors: MUIRHEAD JIM R. , MACISAAC HUGH J.
Published: February 2005

The ability to predict spatially explicit dispersal by non‐indigenous species is a difficult but increasingly important undertaking as it allows management efforts to be focused around areas identified as susceptible to invasion. Lakes may serve as useful models for these studies because the habitats are well defined, and vectors of spread may be readily identified and quantified. In this study, we examined patterns of spread of the non‐indigenous spiny waterflea Bythotrephes longimanus to inland lakes in Ontario, Canada, to identify lakes for which management efforts to reduce traffic would be most effective.

We surveyed people using lakes for recreational purposes to quantify movements of trailered boats and other risky activities, to model relative vector traffic from invaded lakes to non‐invaded and other invaded lakes. Non‐linear functions were developed to describe the cumulative number of invaded and non‐invaded destination lakes visited by people leaving five important lakes already invaded by the spiny waterflea (Huron, Simcoe, Muskoka, Panache and Kashagawigamog). The relative difference in these functions was used to identify which lakes will develop into future invasion hubs and will therefore be most important to future dispersal of the species.

In the recent past, Lake Muskoka has been an important hub from which the spiny waterflea has invaded other lakes. It is unlikely to continue to be a source for waterflea invasion as most outbound traffic is to previously invaded lakes. Conversely, most outbound traffic from Lakes Kashagawigamog and Simcoe is to non‐invaded lakes and, therefore, these lakes are likely to develop into hubs in the future.

Synthesis and applications. These data on zooplankton in lake systems and associated mechanisms of transport indicate patterns not only of intrinsic value to lake management, but also of potential importance in understanding invasions more generally. Frequency distributions of the number of outbound connections to both invaded and non‐invaded destinations from invaded sources follow a power function, consistent with scale‐free networks. These networks indicate that small proportions of sources function as hubs. Management efforts targeted to remove developing hubs from the invasion network, rather than equal effort applied to outbound vector traffic from all sources, may reduce the predicted rate of new invasions.
Fungicide levels and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in golf putting greens
Authors: BARY FREDERIC , GANGE ALAN C. , CRANE MARK , HAGLEY KAREN J.
Published: February 2005

Annual meadow grass Poa annua is the most problematic weed within sports turf in temperate climates. It is so abundant that herbicides cannot be used against it because almost total loss of the sward would occur. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can be used as biological control agents of P. annua, acting to reduce its growth while increasing that of desirable perennial grasses. However, natural levels of AM fungi in amenity turf are very low. Sports turf is characterized by high fungicide usage, so this study tested the hypothesis that levels of toxic elements (derived from historical fungicide applications) and/or organic fungicides are related to the low mycorrhizal abundance observed.

Records of fungicide applications to putting greens at four golf courses in south‐east England were collected for the period 1993–2000. Soils from all 18 putting greens on each course were sampled during spring 2000. Levels of arsenic, cadmium, copper and lead were recorded, as these elements formed part of the fungicidal compounds applied in the past. Of the organic fungicides in current use, chlorothalonil, fenarimol and iprodione were found to comprise more than 70% of all compounds used and soil levels of these three chemicals were also measured. Levels of AM colonization of P. annua were recorded at every putting green. The rates of AM colonization of desirable grasses could not be obtained because these were too rare in all the swards examined.

There was little evidence that the abundance of AM fungi, as measured by arbuscular colonization of roots, was affected by the presence of any of the chemicals. Levels of all elements were below the ambient levels for UK soils.

Chlorothalonil, fenarimol and iprodione were applied to a single putting green over a 6‐month period but no effects on AM colonization were found.

Synthesis and applications. We have demonstrated that the low levels of AM fungi in putting greens are unlikely to be a consequence of excessive fungicide application. Levels of compounds applied in the last 20 years are very low and modern fungicides do not reduce existing AM colonization when applied to turf. Therefore, if AM fungi are added to sports turf to control P. annua, their effectiveness will not be compromised by current or past fungicide use.
Managing heterogeneity: the importance of grazing and environmental variation on post‐fire succession in heathlands
Authors: VANDVIK VIGDIS , HEEGAARD EINAR , MÅREN INGER ELISABETH , AARRESTAD PER ARILD
Published: February 2005

Semi‐natural habitats have been shaped by human disturbance regimes for centuries. Spatially and temporally heterogeneous land‐use practices, such as cutting, burning, grazing and turf‐cutting, have resulted in complex mosaic landscapes that are of high priority for conservation in Europe. Contemporary conservation subjects these systems to management regimes that are generally less diverse, in terms of disturbances and fine‐scale temporal and spatial variability, than traditional land use, but the ecological consequences of these simplifications are unclear.

We investigated the interactive effects of fire and grazing on plant species composition and diversity along local environmental (moisture) gradients in coastal heathlands. A replicated series of post‐fire successions (n = 12) was initiated in three heathland habitats and the areas subjected to two grazing regimes. Floristic and environmental data were recorded in permanent plots over a 5‐year period. Community data were analysed using multivariate ordination techniques (principal components analysis, partial redundancy analyses, and principal response curves) and generalized linear models.

Fire induced strong successional trends in the species composition of the heathlands. These trends differed among heathland habitats, and with grazing. Strong interactions between fire, habitat and grazing implied that the effect of grazing on the successional dynamics differed among habitats. Species diversity decreased in the first year after fire but increased beyond the pre‐fire levels during succession. This trend was not affected by local environment or grazing, although there were main effect differences in diversity between environments and grazing regimes.

Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate that the two management practices do not have simple additive effects within the semi‐natural system studied, as grazing created ecological opportunities for additional sets of species, increased variability among habitats, and added complexity to the post‐fire successional dynamics. In order to preserve diversity, conservation management should thus aim to preserve the level of complexity of the traditional management regimes, both in terms of the actual disturbances (e.g. fire and grazing) as well as the spatial scales at which they are applied. Further, the considerable change in these effects along the local environmental gradient brings into question the efficiency of general management prescriptions, and indicates that local environmental variability should be taken into account in the conservation of semi‐natural habitats.
Assessing the value of roadless areas in a conservation reserve strategy: biodiversity and landscape connectivity in the northern Rockies
Authors: CRIST MICHELE R. , WILMER BO , APLET GREGORY H.
Published: February 2005

Roadless areas on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service lands hold significant potential for the conservation of native biodiversity and ecosystem processes, primarily because of their size and location. We examined the potential increase in land‐cover types, elevation representation and landscape connectivity that inventoried roadless areas would provide in a northern Rockies (USA) conservation reserve strategy, if these roadless areas received full protection.

For the northern Rocky Mountain states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, USA, we obtained GIS data on land‐cover types and a digital elevation model. We calculated the percentage of land‐cover types and elevation ranges of current protected areas (wilderness, national parks and national wildlife refuges) and compared these with the percentages calculated for roadless and protected areas combined. Using five landscape metrics and corresponding statistics, we quantified how roadless areas, when assessed with current protected areas, affect three elements of landscape connectivity: area, isolation and aggregation.

Roadless areas, when added to existing federal‐protected areas in the northern Rockies, increase the representation of virtually all land‐cover types, some by more than 100%, and increase the protection of relatively undisturbed lower elevation lands, which are exceedingly rare in the northern Rockies. In fact, roadless areas protect more rare and declining land‐cover types, such as aspen, whitebark pine, sagebrush and grassland communities, than existing protected areas.

Synthesis and applications. Landscape metric results for the three elements of landscape connectivity (area, isolation and aggregation) demonstrate how roadless areas adjacent to protected areas increase connectivity by creating larger and more cohesive protected area ‘patches.’ Roadless areas enhance overall landscape connectivity by reducing isolation among protected areas and creating a more dispersed conservation reserve network, important for maintaining wide‐ranging species movements. We advocate that the USDA Forest Service should retain the Roadless Area Conservation Rule and manage roadless areas as an integral part of the conservation reserve network for the northern Rockies.
The kangaroo conundrum: home range studies and implications for land management
Authors: VIGGERS K. L. , HEARN J. P.
Published: February 2005

The movement of native herbivores onto agricultural land is a key management issue world‐wide as they may compete with domestic livestock for pasture and contribute to overgrazing and soil erosion. Eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus are viewed as a problem species in temperate south‐eastern Australia, where high‐density populations in reserves encroach on nearby farmland.

This study examined home range size and use in M. giganteus across different types of land use and in relation to population density and pasture availability.

Farmland adjacent to either radiata pine plantations or reserves supporting high‐density populations of M. giganteus was subject to frequent incursions by kangaroos moving onto farmland to rest or graze. However, animals from reserves moved on average only 135 m onto farms.

Home ranges of M. giganteus were significantly smaller in the reserves than in farm study sites where population densities were lower. At reserve sites, home range size was limited by higher population densities and limited opportunity for dispersal across surrounding open farmland because of a lack of cover. Home range size was not affected by resource availability.

Where suitable vegetation cover occurred on farmland (e.g. woodland remnants or scrub), M. giganteus occurred as resident or roving small mobs. This may be seen by farmers as a disincentive to preserve remnant vegetation as it can provide habitat for unwanted native wildlife.

Home range attributes of M. giganteus suggest the species could be controlled by culling. However, recolonization occurs quickly and little is known of dispersal.

Synthesis
and
applications. Population density, presence of cover and reluctance to disperse across cleared landscapes are key factors influencing kangaroo home range size and use of adjacent farmland. Currently, little incentive exists for farmers to preserve remnant vegetation, as it may be regarded as providing habitat for unwanted or ‘pest’ kangaroos. Given the potential importance of remnant vegetation on private land for the conservation of plants and other species of wildlife, government incentives and compensation programmes may be required to limit land clearing on farms and to encourage improved pasture management.
Adaptive restoration of sand‐mined areas for biological conservation
Authors: CUMMINGS JASON , REID NICK , DAVIES IAN , GRANT CARL
Published: February 2005

Adaptive management approaches to ecological restoration are current best practice. The usefulness of such an approach was tested in this study by implementing repeated experiments that examined restoration options for derelict sand mine sites dominated by Imperata cylindrica. Reclamation of degraded land that is dominated by I. cylindrica is a common problem throughout the tropics.

Initially, the hypothesized barrier to regeneration was limited seedling establishment because of I. cylindrica competition. After burning the grassland, woody weed control and planting of seedlings were implemented in factorial combination.

Seedling survival 28 months after planting averaged 26%, with < 1% of all seedlings establishing to a height > 1 m. The hypothesis that a transition barrier comprising solely biotic interactions restricted regeneration of native woody cover was rejected after seedlings and natural regeneration failed to thrive in this experiment.

A revised hypothesis, that the transition barrier comprised a combination of abiotic limitations (soil deficiencies) and biotic interactions (Wallabia bicolor browsing and I. cylindrica competition), was developed. A second experiment tested this hypothesis by removing W. bicolor (fencing), slashing the I. cylindrica, adding organic mulch and planting a mixture of native pioneer and secondary successional woody species in factorial combination.

Seedling survival was 61% in the second experiment and mulching significantly enhanced the survival and growth of all planted species. Planting alone reduced the regeneration of I. cylindrica after slashing. Native woody cover establishment was maximized by planting seedlings in mulched treatments.

Synthesis and applications. Taken together, these experiments support the hypothesis that there is a barrier restricting regeneration of native woody cover, and the barrier probably comprises both abiotic and biotic components. By adopting an adaptive management approach to the ecological restoration of sites, significant insights into their management requirements have been gained, supporting the current best practice restoration framework. Insights gained through monitoring and adaptation will be used to update the reserve plan of management, enhancing restoration of this severely degraded area and promoting connectivity of native woody cover within the conservation estate.
Numerical analysis of surface and fossil pollen spectra from northern Fennoscandia
Authors: Bennett K. D. , Hicks S.
Published: February 2005

Aim  Determination of the main directions of variance in an extensive data base of annual pollen deposition, and the relationship between pollen data from modified Tauber traps and palaeoecological data.

Location  Northern Finland and Norway.

Methods  Pollen analysis of annual samples from pollen traps and contiguous high‐resolution samples from a peat sequence. Numerical analysis (principal components analysis) of the resulting data.

Results  The main direction of variation in the trap data is due to the vegetation region in which each trap is located. A secondary direction of variation is due to the annual variability of pollen production of some of the tree taxa, especially Betula and Pinus. This annual variability is more conspicuous in ‘absolute’ data than it is in percentage data which, at this annual resolution, becomes more random. There are systematic differences, with respect to peat‐forming taxa, between pollen data from traps and pollen data from a peat profile collected over the same period of time.

Main conclusions  Annual variability in pollen production is rarely visible in fossil pollen samples because these cannot be sampled at precisely a 12‐month resolution. At near‐annual resolution sampling, it results in erratic percentage values which do not reflect changes in vegetation. Profiles sampled at near annual resolution are better analysed in terms of pollen accumulation rates with the realization that even these do not record changes in plant abundance but changes in pollen abundance. However, at the coarser temporal resolution common in most fossil samples it does not mask the origin of the pollen in terms of its vegetation region. Climate change may not be recognizable from pollen assemblages until the change has persisted in the same direction sufficiently long enough to alter the flowering (pollen production) pattern of the dominant trees.
Bioclimatic analysis of disjunct populations of the giant burrowing frog, Heleioporus australiacus
Authors: Penman T. D. , Mahony M. J. , Towerton A. L. , Lemckert F. L.
Published: February 2005

Aim  A bioclimatic analysis of the giant burrowing frog was conducted to determine if the northern and southern populations have distinct climatic profiles and to determine if the disjunction in the species records is a result of a climatically unsuitable area.

Location  The study utilized records throughout the species range in south‐eastern Australia.

Methods  The bioclim package was used to examine the climatic envelope of the species, as well as envelopes for the southern and northern populations. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used in an attempt to refine the model.

Results  The package predicted the observed gap between the populations as climatically suitable in all of the models. The northern populations were found in warmer and wetter sites than the southern populations. River valleys and coastal lowlands were generally unsuitable climatically for the species.

Main conclusions  The area of the observed disjunction is climatically suitable for both the northern and southern populations. Large river valleys appear to have played a significant role in determining the distribution of the species. PCA was used successfully to alter the model, however further research is needed to determine which is the most accurate approach.
Waveguide sidewall roughness measurement on full wafers by SEM‐based stereoscopy
Authors: BONY A. , HEID A. , TAKAKURA Y. , SATZKE K. , MEYRUEIS P.
Published: February 2005

We present a technique aiming at sidewall roughness measurement on integrated optical silica waveguides using a scanning electron microscope. The technique uses the principles of stereoscopy to retrieve sidewall topography. Practical implementation details and first results are provided.
Imaging the substructure of antibodies with tapping‐mode AFM in air: the importance of a water layer on mica
Authors: THOMSON N. H.
Published: February 2005

Monoclonal antibodies (immunoglobulin G; IgG) against the N‐terminal domain of the A subunit of DNA gyrase have been imaged using tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy under ambient conditions on hydrophilic mica surfaces. The familiar tri‐nodal submolecular resolution of IgG (i.e. 50‐kDa resolution) has been achieved when operating the microscope with the tip predominantly in the attractive force regime. Under common laboratory conditions of about 40% relative humidity, the resolution of this substructure was not achieved owing to motion of the antibodies on the surface and/or image distortion from tip–sample instabilities. Reproducible imaging of the tri‐nodal antibody substructure was achieved by desiccating the samples for extended periods of time (1 week or more) before imaging. This effect is attributed to the presence of a humidity‐dependent thin water layer (a few molecules or nanometres thick), which has been observed previously using the surface force apparatus and scanning polarization force microscopy. Desiccation of the mica surfaces allowed enough water to be removed from the mica surface to prevent this effect. Degradation in the image quality over the imaging period of an hour or two was observed, owing to re‐adsorption of water under the ambient laboratory conditions.
Radon track imaging in CR‐39 plastic detectors using confocal scanning laser microscopy
Authors: PETFORD N. , WERTHEIM D. , MILLER J. A.
Published: February 2005

Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) has been used to provide the first images of radon track populations in two external CR‐39 plastic detectors. Measurements of variables including track area distribution and estimates of the angle of track inclination (dip) derived from surface CSLM sections are presented. CSLM depth slices, combined with three‐dimensional (3D) visualization techniques, provide a new, non‐destructive way of examining the 2D and 3D geometry of the etched tracks within solid‐state nuclear track detectors that may prove useful in complementing existing optical microscopy methods.
Characterization of ultrafine coal fly ash particles by energy‐filtered TEM
Authors: CHEN Y. , SHAH N. , HUGGINS F. E. , HUFFMAN G. P. , DOZIER A.
Published: February 2005

In this study, energy‐filtered transmission electron microscopy is demonstrated to be a valuable tool for characterizing ultrafine coal fly ash particles, especially those particles encapsulated in or associated with carbon. By examining a series of elemental maps (K‐edge maps of C and O, and L‐edge maps of Si, Al, Ti and Fe) recorded using the three‐window method, considerable numbers of titanium and iron species with sizes from several nanometres to submicrometre were shown to be present, typically as oxides dispersed in the carbonaceous matrix. Crystalline phases, such as rutile and iron‐rich oxide spinel, were also identified from electron diffraction patterns and high‐resolution TEM images. Information about these ultrafine coal fly ash particles regarding their size, morphology, elemental composition and distribution, and crystalline phases, which has not been available previously in conventional ash studies, should be useful in toxicological studies and related environmental fields.
New technique for in‐situ measurement of backscattered and secondary electron yields for the calculation of signal‐to‐noise ratio in a SEM
Authors: SIM K. S. , WHITE J. D.
Published: February 2005

The quality of an image generated by a scanning electron microscope is dependent on secondary emission, which is a strong function of surface condition. Thus, empirical formulae and available databases are unable to take into account actual metrology conditions. This paper introduces a simple and reliable measurement technique to measure secondary electron yield (δ) and backscattered electron yield (η) that is suitable for in‐situ measurements on a specimen immediately prior to imaging. The reliability of this technique is validated on a number of homogenous surfaces. The measured electron yields are shown to be within the range of published data and the calculated signal‐to‐noise ratio compares favourably with that estimated from the image.
A method for automated detection of gene expression required for the establishment of a digital transcriptome‐wide gene expression atlas
Authors: CARSON J. P. , EICHELE G. , CHIU W.
Published: February 2005

Acquiring information about the expression of a gene in different cell populations and tissues can provide key insight into the function of the gene. A high‐throughputin situhybridization (ISH) method was recently developed for rapid and reproducible acquisition of gene expression patterns in serial tissue sections at cellular resolution. Characterizing and analysing expression patterns on thousands of sections requires efficient methods for locating cells and estimating the level of expression in each cell. Such cellular quantification is an essential step in both annotating and quantitatively comparing high‐throughput ISH results. Here we describe a novel automated and efficient methodology for performing this quantification on postnatal mouse brain.
The use of rhodamine 6G and fluorescence microscopy in the evaluation of phospholipid‐based polymeric biomaterials
Authors: WANG J‐H. , BARTLETT J. D. , DUNN A. C. , SMALL S. , WILLIS S. L. , DRIVER M. J. , LEWIS A. L.
Published: February 2005

A technique is described that allows the staining and subsequent visualization of polymers that contain the phosphorylcholine (PC) group. These materials are useful as bulk materials or coatings for the fabrication of medical devices. The staining method employs rhodamine 6G, which can be simply and rapidly applied to the polymer coating and imaged using fluorescence microscopy. The specificity of the staining for the PC polymers makes this technique suitable for the evaluation of a wide range of substrates and provides qualitative information on coating uniformity, coverage and morphology. It can be used to examine the durability of, and defects in, the coating. Statistical analysis of the fluorescent intensity by measuring the pixel value during imaging can allow for the method to be used as a quality control tool.
Longitudinal Left Ventricular Myocardial Dysfunction Assessed by 2D Colour Tissue Doppler Imaging in a Dog with Systemic Hypertension and Severe Arteriosclerosis
Authors: Nicolle A. P. , Carlos Sampedrano C. , Fontaine J. J. , Tessier‐Vetzel D. , Goumi V. , Pelligand L. , Pouchelon J.‐L. , Chetboul V.
Published: February 2005

A 12‐year‐old sexually intact male Vendée Griffon Basset was presented for acute pulmonary oedema. Severe systemic systolic arterial hypertension (SAH) was diagnosed (290 mmHg). Despite blood and abdominal ultrasound tests, the underlying cause of the systemic hypertension could not be determined, and primary SAH was therefore suspected. Conventional echocardiography showed eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy with normal fractional shortening. Despite this apparent normal systolic function, 2D colour tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) identified a marked longitudinal systolic left ventricular myocardial alteration, whereas radial function was still preserved. Three months later, the dog underwent euthanasia because of an acute episode of distal aortic thromboembolism. Necropsy revealed severe aortic and iliac arteriosclerosis. SAH related to arteriosclerosis is a common finding in humans, but has not been previously described in dogs. Moreover, its consequence on longitudinal myocardial function using TDI has never been documented before in this species.
Uninephrectomy induces progressive glomerulosclerosis and apoptosis in anti‐Thy1 glomerulonephritis
Authors: Sakai Nobuko , Iseki Ken , Suzuki Shigeo , Mori Tetsuji , Hagino Seita , Zhang Yuxiang , Yokoya Sachihiko , Kawasaki Yukihiko , Suzuki Junzo , Isome Masato , Wada Ikuo , Homma Yoshimi , Suzuki Hitoshi
Published: February 2005

Administration of the anti‐Thy1 antibody in rats induces reversible glomerulonephritis resembling human mesangiolytic and mesangioproliferative diseases. The purpose of the present study was to design a model of irreversible glomerulosclerosis, using the anti‐Thy1 antibody injection after uninephrectomy, and examine it, focusing on apoptosis in the process of progressive sclerotic changes. Wistar rats were divided into three groups: one‐kidney groups (group I and III) and a two‐kidney group (group II). All groups were injected with the anti‐Thy1 antibody (OX‐7) at day 0, and group I and III were uninephrectomized at day −6. Only group III rats were given a half dose of OX‐7 as compared with group I and II. Rats were killed for histological examinations at days 7, 14 and 30. In group I, progressive glomerular lesions, such as glomerular adhesion to Bowman's capsule, crescent formation, and collapse of capillary tufts were observed at days 14 and 30. No significant differences were observed in the pathological findings between group I and III. There was a significantly higher number of glomerular terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling‐positive cells in group I as compared to group II at days 7 and 14. Moreover, the glomerular expression of transforming growth factor‐β, heparan sulfate proteoglycan and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan significantly increased in group I as compared to group II at days 7 and 14. Progressive glomerulosclerosis can be induced in the rat by a single injection of the anti‐Thy1 antibody after unilateral nephrectomy. It is suggested that apoptosis and extracellular matrix accumulation play an important role in the development of glomerulosclerosis.
Reproducibility of the diagnosis of small adenocarcinoma of the lung and usefulness of an educational program for the diagnostic criteria
Authors: Noguchi Masayuki , Minami Yuko , Iijima Tatsuo , Matsuno Yoshihiro
Published: February 2005

Using 32 small adenocarcinomas of the lung including bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC), the reproducibility of diagnosis by the modified diagnostic criteria for small adenocarcinoma (Cancer 75; 2844, 1995) and the effectiveness of an educational program for 27 volunteer general pathologists were examined. The average coincidence rate of the diagnosis before and after the program was 42.4% and 56.6%, respectively. The coincidence rate after the program was significantly higher than that before the program (P < 0.05). In contrast, the average coincidence rate of six lung cancer specialists was 71.4%, and this was significantly higher than that for general pathologists after the program (P < 0.05). When the cases were divided into two groups (in situ adenocarcinoma (BAC and BAC with alveolar collapse) and early invasive adenocarcinoma), the average coincidence rate for the general pathologists after the program increased to 85.3%, which was significantly higher than that before the program (80.3%; P < 0.05). The rate for the specialists was 89%, which was higher than that for the general pathologists after the program but not significantly so. This trial was thought to provide a theoretical background for the histological diagnosis of peripheral type adenocarcinoma of the lung and to justify the existing diagnostic criteria.
Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy caused by a gastric carcinoma expressing vascular endothelial growth factor and tissue factor
Authors: Chinen Katsuya , Kazumoto Tomoko , Ohkura Yasuo , Matsubara Osamu , Tsuchiya Eiju
Published: February 2005

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a rare clinicopathological entity causing severe pulmonary hypertension. Its histological features include widespread tumor emboli along with fibrocellular intimal proliferation and thrombus formation in the small arteries and arterioles of the lungs. The result is occlusion or stenosis of the pulmonary vasculature, but the detailed pathogenesis has yet to be clarified in spite of the serious clinical manifestations. Herein is described the case of a 62‐year‐old man with a gastric adenocarcinoma who died of sudden cardiopulmonary arrest. The autopsy revealed advanced cancer disease as well as findings of PTTM, which seemed to be the cause of his unexpected death. The carcinoma cells were immunohistochemically positive for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and also for tissue factor (TF). There is another report suggesting that TF might play an important role in the pathogenesis of PTTM. Also, VEGF has been reported to be involved in a variety of forms of pulmonary hypertension and to be upregulated by TF. These findings suggest that VEGF and TF may be involved in the pathogenesis of PTTM. The present PTTM case, in which the tumor cells demonstrate the coexpression of VEGF and TF, is important in facilitating understanding of the lethal disorder in the future.
Expression of E‐cadherin and catenins in meningioma: Ubiquitous expression and its irrelevance to malignancy
Authors: Shimada Shio , Ishizawa Keisuke , Hirose Takanori
Published: February 2005

The expression of cell adhesion molecules in 107 meningiomas was analyzed with immunohistochemical methods using antibodies to epithelial (E)‐cadherin and catenins (α, β and γ). According to the provided World Health Organization (WHO) grading, 84, 18 and five cases were classified as grade I, II and III, respectively. In addition, hemangioblastoma (15 cases) and hemangiopericytoma (four cases) were also evaluated. In most meningiomas, E‐cadherin, α‐ and β‐catenins were expressed along the cell membrane or inside the cytoplasm. The tumor cells constituting whorls and glandular structures of secretory type showed a strong immunoreactivity. γ‐Catenin expression tended to be weak and infrequent in fibrous meningiomas, while other types exhibited diffuse stainings. Even in meningiomas of more than grade II, the expressions of cell adhesion molecules were detected in all cases. Hemangiopericytoma was positive for α‐ and β‐catenins, and hemangioblastomas were positive for β‐catenin alone, which was distinct from the expression pattern in meningiomas. Quantitatively, there were no correlations between the histological variants, Ki‐67 indexes, or grades of meningiomas and the immunoreactive scores except for γ‐catenin scores of fibrous meningiomas. The present study demonstrates that cell adhesion molecules are ubiquitously expressed in all variants of meningioma and may be involved in the tumor morphogenesis. This result suggests that the expression of cell adhesion molecules is not a reliable indicator of malignancy in meningiomas. The present study also suggests that these markers may be useful for the differential diagnosis of meningioma.
Characteristics of patients with delayed diagnosis of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: PHOA Lee‐Lan , TELEMAN Monica D. , WANG Yee‐Tang , CHEE Cynthia B. E.
Published: February 2005

Objective:  The aim of this study was to identify patient and disease characteristics associated with delayed diagnosis of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Methodology:  A retrospective analysis of 375 adult patients with culture‐positive pulmonary TB and cough, treated at the Singapore Tuberculosis Control Unit (TBCU) in 2000, was carried out using data extracted from the TB notification registry and clinical records of the TBCU. Demographic, social, clinical and disease characteristics of patients with reported cough of duration less than, and exceeding, the median duration for the study population were compared.

Results:  The median duration of cough reported at TB notification was 4 weeks (range, 1–156 weeks). By multivariate analysis, patients with cough > 4 weeks were more likely to be < 65 years old (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–2.9; P = 0.02), of Chinese ethnicity (adjusted OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2–3; P = 0.004), more likely to be sputum acid‐fast bacilli smear‐positive (adjusted OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.7; P = 0.016), and to have weight loss (adjusted OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.7–4; P < 0.01).

Conclusion:  Further studies are needed to identify the possible reasons for delayed diagnosis of TB among those < 65 years old, in the Chinese population in Singapore.