bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predation by wolves interacts with the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) on a western North American elk population
Authors: HEBBLEWHITE MARK 
Published: March 2005

Summary

Recent research reveals the widespread influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a large‐scale climatic variation, on northern ungulate populations. Little is known, however, about the influence of the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO), a similar climatic index, on ungulates.
The influence of the NPO on elk population dynamics in Banff National Park (BNP) was examined using a 15‐year time‐series of three elk subpopulations exposed to different levels of predation by wolves. NPO was strongly related to local climate data including snow depth (r =+0·61) and winter temperatures (r = −0·51).
Higher NPO values reflected increasing winter severity, reducing elk population‐growth rate irrespective of wolf‐predation pressure. Elk population‐growth rate, however, declined more strongly in areas with wolf predation through the interaction with winter severity, indexed by NPO. Effects of NPO were weaker in the absence of wolf predation.
Differences between the effects of snow and NPO were revealed that depended on wolf‐predation pressure. Without wolf predation, NPO reduced elk population‐growth rate, suggesting overall climate was important. With wolf predation, snow depth was more important than NPO, suggesting a mechanism of increased wolf‐predation rates in deeper snow.
This study is the first to demonstrate the influential role of Pacific climate on western North American ungulate population dynamics and provides further evidence of the role of large‐scale climatic variation in terrestrial ecosystem dynamics.
Resource dilution effects on specialist insect herbivores in a grassland biodiversity experiment
Authors: OTWAY STUART J. , HECTOR ANDY , LAWTON JOHN H. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe resource concentration hypothesis predicts that specialist insect herbivores attain higher loads (density per unit mass of the host‐plant species) when their food plants grow in high‐density patches in pure stands.We tested the resource concentration hypothesis for nine specialist insect herbivore species sampled from a field experiment where plant diversity had been manipulated experimentally, generating gradients of host‐plant abundance.The specialist insects responded to varying host‐plant abundance in two contrasting ways: as expected, specialist herbivore species were more likely to be present when their host‐plant species were abundant; however, counter to predictions, in plots where specialists were present we found strong negative linear relationships between herbivore loads and host‐plant abundances ‐ a ‘resource dilution’ rather than concentration effect.Increased plant species‐richness had an additional, but weak, negative influence on loads beyond that due to host‐plant abundance.We discuss the implications of resource dilution effects for biodiversity manipulation experiments and for the study of plant–herbivore interactions more generally.
Lessons from the establishment of exotic species: a meta‐analytical case study using birds
Authors: CASSEY PHILLIP , BLACKBURN TIM M. , DUNCAN RICHARD P. , LOCKWOOD JULIE L. 
Published: March 2005

Summary

The establishment of species outside their natural geographical ranges is an important driver of changes in global biodiversity. This creates an imperative to understand why some species are more successful than others at establishing viable populations following introduction.
Historical data are particularly useful in this regard, and those for birds especially comprehensive. This has resulted in the publication of regional‐scale studies that have used these data to attempt to quantify relationships between establishment success and characteristics of bird introductions.
We use a meta‐analytical approach to summarize quantitatively the results of these studies, and to assess the influence of variables invoked to explain the variation in establishment success in birds.
We find that variables describing characteristics specific to the individual introduction event (i.e. event‐level variables), such as introduction effort (or ‘propagule pressure’), are the most consistent predictors of establishment success.
Selection for birth date in North Sea haddock and its relation to maternal age
Authors: WRIGHT PETER J. , GIBB FIONA M. 
Published: March 2005

Summary

Birth date can be important to lifetime reproductive success. However, selection for birth date has rarely been addressed in fish, despite the opportunity provided by otolith microstructure.
This study examined the relationship between maternal age, spawning time and early survivorship in the North Sea haddock stock. Temporal changes in egg production were compared with the birth date distribution of progeny surviving to the demersal phase in 1994, 1996 and 1999, when the age structure of the spawning stock differed.
Estimates of intra‐annual variation in stock egg production indicated that first‐time spawning 2‐year‐olds began spawning much later than older age‐classes.
The form and magnitude of selection on birth date varied between years, indicating that the production of multiple batches of eggs over an extended period has some adaptive significance to progeny survival.
Survivorship was consistently poor from the late spawning period when age 2 females contributed most to stock egg production. This persistent selection against late hatched offspring could reflect either low parental investment, as age 2 females produce smaller eggs, or the short length of the growing season prior to settlement.
Variability in birth date selection, particularly with respect to first vs. subsequent years of spawning, implies a strong selection pressure for a long reproductive lifespan. As such, reproductive potential in this and other exploited fish species with a similar reproductive trait may have been affected adversely by the general decline in repeat spawning females in recent years.
Human leukocyte antigen‐DR expression on peripheral blood monocytes and the risk of pneumonia in pediatric lung transplant recipients
Authors: Hoffman J.A. , Weinberg K.I. , Azen C.G. , Horn M.V. , Dukes L. , Starnes V. A. , Woo M.S. 
Published: March 2005

Abstract: Background.Pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after living lobar lung transplantation (LT). Low levels of human leukocyte antigen‐DR (HLA‐DR) expression on peripheral blood monocytes, have been demonstrated to correlate with risk of infection in surgical, trauma, and adult transplant patients. In addition, interleukin (IL)‐10 has been shown to be a negative regulator of HLA‐DR expression. This study investigates whether HLA‐DR expression and serum IL‐10 levels correlate with the development of pneumonia after pediatric LT.Methods.Thirteen LT recipients were prospectively monitored with blood samples obtained pre‐LT (baseline) and post‐LT weeks 1–4. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of HLA‐DR on CD14+ monocytes was measured by flow cytometry. IL‐10 levels were determined by ELISA from frozen serum collected at the same time points as monocyte HLA‐DR expression. Correlates of pneumonia were abstracted from the medical record.Results.Monocyte HLA‐DR expression declined in 11 of 13 patients in the first week post‐LT. Two patients without an initial decline and four others whose HLA‐DR expression recovered by week 2 post‐LT, did not develop pneumonia or other infection or rejection. Pneumonia was observed in seven patients, six of whom failed to recover their monocyte HLA‐DR expression by 2 weeks post‐LT. Six of seven patients with pneumonia recovered, and one patient died of aspergillosis. During weeks 1–4, a statistically significant difference was seen in the profile of mean monocyte HLA‐DR expression levels, analyzed as percent of baseline, between the patients with and without pneumonia (P=0.002). The greatest difference between groups over time was seen from post‐LT weeks 1–2 (P=0.003). In addition, when comparing the values at each week, a significant difference was seen between the two groups at post‐LT week 2 (P=0.006) and week 4 (P=0.05). Analysis of IL‐10 concentrations revealed that the overall difference between the groups (patients with and without pneumonia) was statistically significant (P=0.014), with a paradoxical positive correlation between HLA‐DR expression at post‐LT week 4 and IL‐10 concentrations.Conclusions.Persistent low monocyte HLA‐DR expression was associated with the risk of post‐LT pneumonia in these patients. This measurement may be useful for monitoring risk of infection and stratifying patients into higher and lower risk groups. Increased IL‐10 levels may be protective for infection in this group of patients. At present it is unknown whether the predictive power of HLA‐DR expression is indicative of a global defect in monocytic function or a specific abnormality.
Gender differences in bipolar disorder: age of onset, course, comorbidity, and symptom presentation
Authors: Kawa Izabela , Carter Janet D , Joyce Peter R , Doughty Caroline J , Frampton Chris M , Elisabeth Wells J , Walsh Anne ES , Olds Robin J 
Published: March 2005

Objective:  To determine whether men and women with bipolar disorder differ in age of onset, course of illness, number of suicide attempts, comorbidity rates and symptom presentation.Method:  Data were collected from 211 (121 women; 90 men) adults using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies, medical records, and additional information gathered from relatives.Results:  Most gender comparisons showed no evidence of differences. Nonetheless, more men than women reported mania at the onset of bipolar I disorder. Men also had higher rates of comorbid alcohol abuse/dependence, cannabis abuse/dependence, pathological gambling and conduct disorder. Men were more likely to report ‘behavioural problems’ and ‘being unable to hold a conversation’ during mania. Women reported higher rates of comorbid eating disorders, and weight change, appetite change and middle insomnia during depression.Conclusions:  Men and women were generally similar in their symptom presentation, age of onset of bipolar disorder, and in the total number of mood episodes. However, they differed in the type of episode at onset and comorbidity patterns.
Using GIS in Areawide Pest Management: A Case Study in South Dakota
Authors: Beckler Amber A. , Wade French B. , Chandler Laurence D. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractInfestations of corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) create economic and environmental concerns in the Corn Belt region of the United States. To supplement the population control tactics of areawide pest management programs, we believe that a better understanding of the spatial relationships between biotic and abiotic or physical factors at the landscape scale is needed. Our research used several geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial analytical techniques to examine relationships between corn rootworm metapopulation dynamics, soil texture, and elevation. Within GIS, several spatially explicit procedures were used that include an interpolation technique, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and contingency analysis. Corn rootworm metapopulation distributions were found to be aggregated and related to soil texture and elevation. We review techniques and discuss our preferences for using particular spatially explicit procedures. The information derived from the spatial analyses demonstrates how GIS can be used in areawide pest management to provide inputs for spatially explicit models to predict future pest populations and formulate more well‐informed pest management decisions. The techniques described in this paper could easily be extended to study the spatial dynamics between other pest populations in agricultural landscapes.
A Comparison Between Contour Elevation Data Sources for DEM Creation and Soil Carbon Prediction, Coshocton, Ohio
Authors: Venteris Erik R. , Slater Brian K. 
Published: March 2005

AbstractA raster and vector GIS was created for the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed (NAEW) from legacy (1960) 1:2,400‐scale contour maps. The intent of the study was to use terrain data for the spatial modeling of soil organic carbon. It was hypothesized that DEMs derived from these data would be more accurate and therefore more useful for terrain‐based soil modeling than those from USGS 1:24,000‐scale contour data. Central tasks for this study were to digitally capture the 1:2,400‐scale maps, convert digital contour data sources to raster DEMs at multiple resolutions, and derive terrain attributes. A flexible approach was adopted, using software outside of mainstream GIS sources where scientifically or practically advantageous. Elevation contours and streamlines were converted to raster DEMs using ANUDEM. DEMs ranging in resolution from 0.5–30 m were tested for accuracy against precision carrier‐phase GPS data. The residual standard deviation was 1.68 meters for the USGS DEM and 0.36 meters for the NAEW DEM. The optimal horizontal resolution for the NAEW DEM was 5 m and for the USGS 10 m. Five and 10 m resolution DEMs from both data sources were tested for carbon prediction. Multiple terrain parameters were derived as proxies for surficial processes. Soil samples (n = 184) were collected on four zero‐order watersheds (conventional tillage, no‐till, hay and pasture). Multiple least squares regressions (m.l.s.) were used to predict mass C (kg m−2, 30 cm depth) from topographic information. Model residuals were not spatially autocorrelated. Statistically significant topographic parameters were attained most consistently from the 5 m NAEW DEM. However, topography was not a strong predictor of carbon for these watersheds, with r2 ranging from 0.23 to 0.58.
Assessing Similarity of Geographic Processes and Events
Authors: McIntosh John , Yuan May 
Published: March 2005

AbstractThe increased availability of spatiotemporal data collected from satellite imagery and other remote sensors provides opportunities for enhanced analysis of geographic phenomena. Much of the new data includes regular snapshots of the environment. Comparison of these snapshots can provide information about changes to the phenomena of interest. However, conventional GIS data models and analytical tools lack capabilities to adequately handle massive multidimensional data. One of the fundamental tools necessary to meet such challenges is query support to retrieve and summarize data according to dynamic geographic phenomena, such as geographic events and processes, of interest. Such query support depends upon abilities to assess spatiotemporal similarity so that data representing geographic events that exhibit the spatiotemporal characteristics of interest can be identified in a GIS database. To this end, this paper introduces a method to assess similarity of geographic events and processes (such as storms) based on their spatiotemporal characteristics (such as distribution of precipitation). We developed six indices to capture static and dynamic characteristics of geographic events and applied the Dynamic Time Warping method to temporal sequences of the six indices to examine the similarity among these events. With a case study, we demonstrated the proposed indices and method capable of comparing spatiotemporal characteristics of events as recorded in a GIS database and categorizing spatiotemporal data into groups of events according to their behavior in space and time.
PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: The Impact of Social Support on End‐Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Patel Samir S. , Peterson Rolf A. , Kimmel Paul L. 
Published: March 2005

ABSTRACTSocial support is a concept recognizing patients exist to varying degrees in networks through which they can receive and give aid, and in which they engage in interactions. Social support can be obtained from family, friends, coworkers, spiritual advisors, health care personnel, or members of one's community or neighborhood. Several studies have demonstrated that social support is associated with improved outcomes and improved survival in several chronic illnesses, including cancer and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). The mechanism by which social support exerts its salutary effects are unknown, but practical aid in achieving compliance, better access to health care, improved psychosocial and nutritional status and immune function, and decreased levels of stress may all play key roles. Few data exist regarding social support in patients with ESRD and chronic renal insufficiency, but links between social support and depressive affect and quality of life have been established. Interventions that enhance social support in ESRD patients should be evaluated.
Long‐Term (2‐Year) Clinical Events Following Transthoracic Intramyocardial Gene Transfer of VEGF‐2 in No‐Option Patients
Authors: REILLY JOHN P. , GRISE MARK A. , FORTUIN F. DAVID , VALE PETER R. , SCHAER GARY L. , LOPEZ JOHN , VAN CAMP JOSEPH R. , HENRY TIMOTHY , RICHENBACHER WAYNE E. , LOSORDO DOUGLAS W. , SCHATZ RICHARD A. , ISNER JEFFREY M. 
Published: March 2005

Background: The short‐term clinical impact of intramyocardial gene transfer (GT) of the angiogenic protein vascular endothelial growth factor‐2 (VEGF‐2) has been previously reported to significantly reduce Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina class and to prolong exercise treadmill test (ETT) time. We describe the safety and long‐term events (>1 year) in consecutive, nonrandomized, patients who received intramyocardial VEGF‐2.
Methods: Thirty patients with intractable CCS class III or IV angina and no options for revascularization underwent direct intramyocardial GT of VEGF‐2 naked DNA via limited thoracotomy at total doses of 0.2, 0.8, or 2.0 mg. Patients were followed for clinical events after 1 year by hospital records, follow‐up visits or telephone contact. Due to one perioperative death, 29 patients were followed.
Results: At a mean follow‐up of 751 ± 102.5 days (range 459–959) there were four deaths (13.8%), five myocardial infarctions (MIs) (17.2%), and seven revascularization procedures (24.1%). There were 15 hospitalizations in 12 patients. At the end of the follow‐up period no patient (0%) had CCS class IV angina, 3 patients (11.5%) had class III angina, and 23 (88.5%) had class I to II angina. There were two new diagnoses of cancer.
Conclusion: Transthoracic intramyocardial injection of VEGF‐2 is associated with an improvement of symptoms of angina in the majority of patients beyond the first year of treatment. Major clinical events such as death, MI, and repeat revascularization are uncommon during the first year but more frequent after 1 year at a rate consistent with the severity of underlying disease in this population with advanced atherosclerosis. The majority of events were the result of progression of disease in areas of the heart remote from the site of GT. A large randomized trial is planned to determine the efficacy of intramyocardial VEGF‐2 injections in inoperable patients.
Review of Subacute Stent Thrombosis Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention at a Low‐Volume Catheterization Laboratory
Authors: JONES SAMUEL O. , ECKART ROBERT E. , SHRY ERIC A. , SIMPSON DANIEL E. 
Published: March 2005

Background: The frequency of coronary stent subacute thrombosis (SAT) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with uncoated stents in recent studies is 0.5%–0.9%. Prior studies have indicated that complication rates are significantly higher when performed in low‐volume centers. We sought to determine the incidence and outcomes of SAT following PCI with stent placement at a low‐volume catheterization laboratory.
Methods: We reviewed the Brooke Army Medical Center Interventional Database for all consecutive PCIs with stent implantation performed from January 1998 to December 2002. Clinical outcomes were obtained primarily through hospitalization records and clinic follow‐up visits.
Results: There were 789 interventions with stenting on 750 patients over the specified time period, for an average of 158 procedures on 150 patients per year. There were seven cases of SAT, representing a rate of 0.89%. There was no difference in the clinical characteristics, procedural technique, or postprocedural antithrombotic therapy of the subjects with and without SAT. Of those with SAT, there were no subjects requiring surgical revascularization during index hospitalization, and all survived to index hospital discharge. Six of these seven subjects with SAT (85.7%) were alive at one year, with the single death noncardiovascular related.
Conclusions: The incidence of thrombosis occurring within 30 days of intracoronary stent implantation is similar in low‐ and high‐volume catheterization laboratories. In our low‐volume laboratory experience, these events were not associated with significantly increased adverse outcomes.
Methicillin‐resistenter Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in chronischen Wunden: Therapeutische Optionen und Perspektiven
Authors: Dissemond Joachim , Körber Andreas , Lehnen Michaela , Grabbe Stephan 
Published: March 2005

ZusammenfassungEs findet sich eine weltweit zunehmende Kontamination chronischer Wunden mit sogenannten Problemkeimen wie dem Methicillin‐resistenten Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Auch wenn bislang nicht eindeutig geklärt werden konnte, ob die bakterielle Kontamination einen die Wundheilung prolongierenden Effekt hat, sind die logistischen wie therapeutischen Konsequenzen, die sich aus dem Nachweis von MRSA ergeben sowohl für den Patienten als auch für die behandelnde medizinische Institution erheblich. Insbesondere wenn sich in der Folge eine systemische Infektion manifestieren sollte, stehen für die Therapie von MRSA aktuell lediglich einige wenige Reserveantibiotika zur Verfügung.Wir möchten in diesem Artikel, neben dem aktuell vorhandenen therapeutischen Standard und verfügbaren Alternativen, insbesondere Perspektiven aufzeigen, die in Zukunft zur Eradikation von MRSA bei Patienten mit chronischen Wunden genutzt werden könnten.Sollten wir nicht in der Lage sein, neue Therapiestrategien zu entwickeln, die die Resistenzen von Bakterien gegenüber Antibiotika umgehen, werden wir in absehbarer Zukunft bakterielle Infektionen, insbesondere auch bei Patienten mit chronischen Wunden, nicht mehr suffizient behandeln können.