bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between positive patch tests to epoxy resin and fragrance mix I ingredients
Authors: Andersen Klaus Ejner , Christensen Lars Porskjær , Vølund Aage , Johansen Jeanne Duus , Paulsen Evy 
Published: February 2009

Background:  Both epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A) and fragrance mix I are included in the European baseline series of contact allergens. A significant association between positive reactions to epoxy resin and fragrance mix has been reported by others.Objective:  To investigate and possibly reproduce this association with the use of TRUE® test data and supplementary tests with fragrance mix ingredients from the Department of Dermatology, Odense University Hospital.Materials and Methods:  Six thousand one hundred and fifteen consecutive eczema patients tested from 1995 to 2007 were included, and test results from all patients tested with fragrance mix ingredients were analysed.Results:  One hundred and forty‐five (2.4%) were positive to epoxy resin and 282 (4.6%) were positive to fragrance mix I. Nineteen were positive to both giving an odds ratio of 3.3, which is significant (95% CI 2.0–5.4). Analysis of association to individual fragrance mix ingredients showed a significant association to α‐amyl cinnamal and isoeugenol.Conclusions:  The significant association between positive reactions to epoxy resin and fragrance mix I was reproduced. However, the clinical implications are not clarified, and even though the association may be coincidental, the fact that it can be reproduced with a different patch test system and in a different population speaks against a random result. Further studies may help to interpret the association.
A correlation found between contact allergy to stent material and restenosis of the coronary arteries
Authors: Svedman Cecilia , Ekqvist Susanne , Möller Halvor , Björk Jonas , Pripp Carl‐Magnus , Gruvberger Birgitta , Holmström Eva , Gustavsson Carl‐Gunnar , Bruze Magnus 
Published: February 2009

Background:  Metallic implants, stents, are increasingly being used especially in patients with stenosis of the cardiac vessels. Ten to thirty per cent of the patients suffer from restenosis regardless of aetiology. We have shown increased frequency of contact allergy to stent metals in stented patients.Objectives:  To we evaluate whether contact allergy to stent material is a risk factor for restenosis.Methods:  Patients with stainless steel stents, with or without gold plating, were epicutaneously tested and answered a questionnaire. The restenosis rate was evaluated.Results:  We found a correlation between contact allergy to gold, gold stent, and restenosis (OR 2.3, CI 1.0–5.1, P = 0.04). The risk for restenosis was threefold increased when the patient was gold allergic and stented with a gold‐plated stent. An increased degree of chest pain in gold‐allergic patients stented with gold‐plated stent was found.Conclusions:  We found a correlation between contact allergy to gold, gold‐stent, and restenosis. It may be of importance to consider contact allergy when developing new materials for stenting.
The impact of measures for secondary individual prevention of work‐related skin diseases in health care workers: 1‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Apfelbacher Christian J. , Soder Stefanie , Diepgen Thomas L. , Weisshaar Elke 
Published: February 2009

Background:  Specific instruction courses as a tool for secondary prevention of occupational skin disease (secondary individual prevention, SIP courses) affecting individuals have been introduced in Germany. Little is yet known about the outcome of occupational disease and related behavioural patterns following these courses.Objectives:  To investigate the outcome of occupational skin disease in health care workers (HCW) 1 year after attendance of a SIP course.Patients/methods:  Two hundred and fifty‐three HCW participated in SIP courses and were contacted by telephone 1 year after attendance. Patients were interviewed about skin lesions, medical treatment, sick leave, change of occupation, skin protection, skin care and skin cleansing, and the impact of skin disease.Results:  The follow‐up rate was 81%. The proportion of participants reporting skin lesions decreased significantly (68% at follow‐up compared with 77% at baseline; P = 0.02). Seventy‐two per cent reported that their skin lesions had improved. Nine per cent reported having left their occupation due to their skin disease. Skin care and skin protection had improved, while the frequency of reported hand washing was reduced. Twenty‐seven per cent said their quality of life was impaired due to the skin disease, compared with 54% at baseline (P < 0.001).Conclusions:  Outcome parameters, including behavioural parameters, indicate a positive impact of courses for SIP on skin health of HCW 1 year after attendance.
Cervical necrotizing fasciitis and myositis in a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Authors: Allender M.C. , McCain S.L. , Ramsay E.C. , Schumacher J. , Ilha M.R.S. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractA 39‐yr‐old wild‐caught, female western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) died during an immobilization to assess swelling and apparent pain of the cervical region. Necropsy revealed a fistulous tract containing plant material in the oropharynx, above the soft palate, communicating with a left‐sided cervical necrotizing fasciitis and myositis. Alpha‐hemolytic Streptococcus and Prevotella sp. were isolated from the cervical lesion. This is a report of cervical necrotizing fasciitis in a western lowland gorilla.
The use of calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate on apexification of a replanted tooth: a case report
Authors: Jacobovitz Marcos , De Pontes Lima Regina Karla 
Published: February 2009

Abstract –  Aim:  To report the outcome of the endodontic treatment of a reimplanted central maxillary incisor with open apex after 8 years and 7 months of follow‐up.Summary:  This case report presents the treatment of a right central maxillary incisor of an 8‐year old white male patient with history of traumatic avulsion and immediate replantation. The endodontic therapy consisted of periodical changes of calcium hydroxide dressing and a definitive root canal filling with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). The treatment was successful without pathologies up to 7 years of follow‐up. After the institution of orthodontic treatment a localized and late root resorption was noticed at the last radiographic examination (8 years and 7 months postoperative follow‐up). Moreover, the use of MTA promoted a mild crown grey discoloration.
Vegetation change in an ombrotrophic mire in northern England after excluding sheep
Authors: Smith R.S. , Charman D. , Rushton S.P. , Sanderson R.A. , Simkin J.M. , Shiel R.S. 
Published: February 2009

Abstract. The role of sheep grazing on vegetation change in upland mires removed from livestock farming and surrounded by conifer plantation was investigated with a grazing trial at Butterburn Flow in northern England. Paired grazed and ungrazed plots from central and peripheral locations were compared over 14 yr. Vegetation data from 34 mires in Kielder Forest provided an ordination framework within which vegetation trends were investigated. A gradient from dry moorland/hummock to wet mire/hollow vegetation dominated this framework and may reflect hydrological variability and structural vegetation differences between the mires.Some species were significantly affected by change in grazing intensity and there were differences between the edge and the centre of the mire. Overall vegetation change depended upon the grazing management and the position of the plots such that the removal of sheep grazing decreased the cover of species typical of wet ombrotrophic conditions, but only at the periphery of the mire. The vegetation in one plot became very similar to that of mires elsewhere in Kielder Forest where sheep were removed several decades ago.Cessation of grazing on upland mires is likely to lead to slow structural and species change in vegetation at the mire edge with a long‐term loss of ombrotrophic species. The nature conservation significance of these changes will depend upon whether or not management objectives target natural conditions or wish to maximize ombrotrophic vegetation. The context of external factors such as climate and pollution may, however, be more important in determining site condition on the wettest mires.
A new forest cover map of continental southeast Asia derived from SPOT‐VEGETATION satellite imagery
Authors: Stibig H.‐J. , Achard F. , Fritz S. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestion: Can recent satellite imagery of coarse spatial resolution support forest cover assessment and mapping at the regional level?Location: Continental southeast Asia.Methods: Forest cover mapping was based on digital classification of SPOT4‐VEGETATION satellite images of 1 km spatial resolution from the dry seasons 1998/1999 and 1999/2000. Following a geographical stratification, the spectral clusters were visually assigned to land cover classes. The forest classes were validated by an independent set of maps, derived from interpretation of satellite imagery of high spatial resolution (Landsat TM, 30 m). Forest area estimates from the regional forest cover map were compared to the forest figures of the FAO database.Results: The regional forest cover map displays 12 forest and land cover classes. The mapping of the region's deciduous and fragmented forest cover remained challenging. A high correlation was found between forest area estimates obtained from this map and from the Landsat TM derived maps. The regional and sub‐regional forest area estimates were close to those reported by FAO.Conclusion: SPOT4‐VEGETATION satellite imagery can be used for mapping consistently and uniformly the extent and distribution of the broad forest cover types at the regional scale. The new map can be considered as an update and improvement on existing regional forest cover maps.
A new practical tool for deriving a functional signature for herbaceous vegetation
Authors: Hunt R. , Hodgson J.G. , Thompson K. , Bungener P. , Dunnett NP. , Askew AP. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractHypothesis: For any one time and place a ‘functional signature’ can be derived for a sample of herbaceous vegetation in a way that concisely represents the balance between the different clusters of functional attributes that are present among component species.Methods: We developed a spreadsheet‐based tool for calculating functional signatures within the context of the C‐S‐R system of plant functional types. We used the tool to calculate and compare signatures for specimen British vegetation samples which differed in management regime and location in time.Conclusion: The integrative power of the ‘C‐S‐R signature’ is useful in comparative studies involving widely differing samples. Movements in the signature can be used to indicate degree of resistance, resilience, eutrophication and dereliction. Systems of plant functional types other than C‐S‐R might also be approached in this way.Availability: The tool can be downloaded free of charge from the first author's web pages or from the journal's electronic archive.
Landscape, soil and meteorological influences on canopy dynamics of northern flooding Pampa grasslands, Argentina
Authors: Posse Gabriela , Oesterheld Martín , Bella Di , Marcelo Carlos 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestion:How do meteorological variations at seasonal, interannual scales differentially affect the canopy dynamics of four contrasting landscape units within a region?Location:Flooding Pampa, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 5000 km2. Central point: 35°15′S, 57°45′W.Methods:We used a 19‐year series of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from NOAA‐AVHRR PAL (Pathfinder AVHRR Land) images and meteorological data provided by a nearby weather station. The NDVI was used as surrogate of canopy photosynthetic status. The relationship between annually integrated NDVI and meteorological conditions was explored by stepwise multiple regressions for each defined unit. PC A was performed to compare units and growing seasons on a multivariate basis.Results:Mean seasonal NDVI curve was similarly shaped among landscapes. However, the absolute values differed widely. There was high interannual variation so that the mean seasonal pattern was seldom observed in any particular year. Annually integrated NDVI of all landscapes was negatively associated with summer temperature and positively with previous year precipitation. It was also directly related with current year winter precipitation in two landscapes and with summer precipitation in the others. NDVI response to September and March precipitation accounted for some of the differences in interannual variation among landscapes.Conclusions:Our results revealed a strong intra‐regional variation of canopy dynamics, closely linked to landscape (vegetation‐soil) and water availability (mainly in summer and during the previous year). These links may be used to predict forage production rates for livestock.
Disturbance of suburban Fagus forests by recreational activities: Effects on soil characteristics, above‐ground vegetation and seed bank
Authors: Amrein Dominik , Rusterholz Hans‐Peter , Baur Bruno 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestions: How does recreational disturbance (human trampling) affect soil characteristics, the performance of the understorey vegetation, and the density and species composition of the soil seed bank in Fagus sylvatica forests?Location: Suburban forests near Basel, northwestern Switzerland.Methods: We compared various soil characteristics and the performance of the understorey vegetation in six beech forest areas frequently disturbed by recreational activities with those in six undisturbed control areas, in spring 2003. In the same forest areas, the soil seed bank was investigated using the seedling emergence method. Samples were obtained from soil cores in January 2003.Results: We found substantial changes in soil compaction, above‐ground vegetation and in the soil seed bank due to recreational activities. In frequently visited areas, soil compaction was enhanced which caused a decrease in cover, height and species richness of both herb and shrub layers. Compared with control areas, the number of trampling‐tolerant species of the seed bank was significantly higher in disturbed areas, and total species richness tended to be higher in disturbed than in control areas. Furthermore, the similarity in species composition between the above‐ground vegetation and seed bank was significant lower in disturbed than in control areas.Conclusions: The intensive use of suburban forests for recreational activities, mainly picnicking, affects the vegetation of natural beech forests. Our study indicates that a restoration of degraded forest areas from the soil seed bank would result in a substantial change of the vegetation composition.
Conservation of genetic diversity in old‐growth forest communities of the southeastern United States
Authors: Hamrick J.L. , Godt Mary Jo W. , Gonzales Eva 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestion: How do studies of the distribution of genetic diversity of species with different life forms contribute to the development of conservation strategies?Location: Old‐growth forests of the southeastern United States.Methods: Reviews of the plant allozyme literature are used to identify differences in genetic diversity and structure among species with different life forms, distributions and breeding systems. The general results are illustrated by case studies of four plant species characteristic of two widespread old‐growth forest communities of the southeastern United States: the Pinus palustris – Aristida stricta (Longleaf pine – wiregrass) savanna of the Coastal Plain and the Quercus – Carya – Pinus (Oak‐hickory‐pine) forest of the Piedmont. Genetic variation patterns of single‐gene and quantitative traits are also reviewed.Results: Dominant forest trees, represented by Pinus palustris(longleaf pine) and Quercus rubra (Northern red oak), maintain most of their genetic diversity within their populations whereas a higher proportion of the genetic diversity of herbaceous understorey species such as Sarracenia leucophylla and Trillium reliquum is distributed among their populations. The herbaceous species also tend to have more population‐to‐population variation in genetic diversity. Higher genetic differentiation among populations is seen for quantitative traits than for allozyme traits, indicating that interpopulation variation in quantitative traits is influenced by natural selection.Conclusion: Developing effective conservation strategies for one or a few species may not prove adequate for species with other combinations of traits. Given suitable empirical studies, it should be possible to design efficient conservation programs that maintain natural levels of genetic diversity within species of conservation interest.
Comparison of three devices for estimating fire temperatures in ecological studies
Authors: Wally Alaä L. , Menges Eric S. , Weekley Carl W. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestions:Are calorimeters and pyrometers accurate and reliable for describing fire parameters in large‐scale ecological projects, and can data from them predict data derived from thermocouples? Do mechanical pre‐treatments in Florida scrub areas alter fire properties?Location:Lake Wales Ridge, Florida, USA.Methods:We deployed thermocouples attached to digital dataloggers, copper and lacquer paint pyrometers and aluminium can calorimeters filled with water in four areas of undisturbed Florida scrub and sandhill vegetation and in adjoining areas pre‐treated with logging, subcanopy felling or mowing. Individual dataloggers were positioned in areas spanning a range of vegetation structure; three calorimeters and three pyrometers were placed with each thermocouple. We also deployed individual calorimeter‐pyrometer pairs. Sites were burned, after which we compared methods for characterizing fire, particularly the ability of pyrometers and calorimeters to predict values derived from thermocouples.Results:Pyrometers best predicted peak 1‐minute mean temperatures and were least successful at estimating maximums. Calorimeters were associated with the number of minutes maximum temperatures exceeded 60 ßC, but were damaged at high residence times and inconsistent at low temperatures. Both pyrometers and calorimeters detected site and treatment differences in fire intensities. These analyses and logistic considerations give pyrometers an edge over calorimeters in situations where dataloggers are impractical. Mechanical pre‐treatments to fire altered fire parameters. Mowing reduced fire temperatures but had different effects on areas burned; this was related to the length of time elapsed between mowing and burning. Subcanopy felling increased both fire coverage and temperatures.Conclusion:Pyrometers outperformed calorimeters as a cheap method for describing relative temperature regimes that are a function of both temperature and residence time. Pyrometers were able to demonstrate how mechanical treatments applied prior to prescribed burning altered fire parameters. Pyrometers are a useful tool for investigating biological responses to fire at multiple scales and in heterogeneous vegetation.
The effects of groundwater discharge, mowing and eutrophication on fen vegetation evaluated over half a century
Authors: van Belle Jasper , Barendregt Aat , Schot Paul P. , Wassen Martin J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestions: Were continued groundwater discharge and mowing regimes sufficient for vegetation preservation from 1944 to 1993? Which has a stronger effect on vegetation development; groundwater discharge or mowing? What is the role of surface water eutrophication as driver of vegetation change?Location: Het Hol, The Netherlands (ca. 92 ha, 52°13′N, 5°05′E).Methods: Hydrology was simulated for the late 1940s, early 1960s and 1987. Vegetation maps (1944, 1960, 1975 and 1993) were compared for biotope cover. Vegetation recordings in 1944 and 1987 were compared. Surface water quality was compared between 1950 and 1987. Which sites were mown was reconstructed from an interview. Effects of periodic mowing and groundwater discharge on vegetation development were tested for correlation.Results: Biotope diversity reduced significantly through decrease of semi‐aquatic and tall‐herb biotopes, and expansion of forest. The quagfen terrestrialization sere nearly disappeared from 1987 recordings, while the reed sere did well concerning abundance and species richness. Several typical (rich) fen species disappeared from recordings, while new species were mostly field margin species. Periodic mowing and discharge combined are correlated with increasing species numbers. The P‐concentration in surface water increased while N‐concentration decreased.Conclusions: Preservation of the reed sere was successful, whereas preservation of the quagfen sere was not. Periodic mowing and discharge stimulate species richness, discharge more so than periodic mowing. But slight eutrophication likely induced a shift from P‐limitation to N‐limitation, which stimulated the reed sere at the expense of the quagfen sere.
Comparison of nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes in some European fens and floodplains
Authors: Wassen Martin J. , Olde Venterink Harry 
Published: February 2009

AbstractQuestion: How do nitrogen and phosphorus budgets and balances differ between eutrophic fens and floodplains in western Europe and fens and floodplains in Poland, where we expect less eutrophication to occur?Location: Wetlands along the rivers Dommel (The Netherlands), Zwarte Beek (Belgium) and Biebrza (NE Poland).Methods: Assessment of external input and output fluxes as well as net N‐mineralization rates. Annual N‐ and P‐balances were estimated by the sum of all external input and output fluxes: atmospheric deposition, input of dissolved matter by flooding, input of sediment by flooding, input by groundwater, output by leaching, output by hay‐making and for N also input by N2‐fixation. For N we also estimated net annual N‐availability for plant growth, i.e. the N‐budget, which includes net mineralization in soil.Results: The studied wetland sites had a negative balance, which means that nutrients are depleted but only if mown annually, except for the Dutch/Belgian fens which had an equilibrium N‐balance and the Polish fen which had an equilibrium P‐balance. For the N‐budget it appeared that atmospheric deposition added significantly to the budget of Dutch/Belgian fens and N‐mineralization added significantly to fen and floodplain budgets, except for the Polish fens. Mineralization dominates the N‐budget of the western European floodplains. Hay‐making is the most important output pathway, particularly if practised annually. It seems to diminish N‐enrichment in the Dutch fens and floodplains.Conclusions: We conclude that western European fens and floodplains as well as Polish floodplains have a significant positive N‐budget indicating that there is a surplus of N for plant growth. In the Polish fens this is less due to low atmospheric deposition and lower N‐mineralization rates. The latter is associated with less drying out of the studied Polish ecosystems in summer. Our approach, although an approximate quantification, is helpful for assessing priorities focused on nutrient management.