Survival of Northern Bobwhite Infected with Avian Pox

Avian pox is an enzootic disease among northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in the southeastern United States, but occasionally it occurs as local or regional epizootics. Little information exists concerning survival of wild bobwhite infected with this disease. During the winters of 1985 and 1986, we compared survival of radio-tagged bobwhite with and without pox lesions. Pox lesions were considered wet or dry depending on field evaluations. The incidence of pox was greater in 1985 (x1=\u27 16.536, df= 1, P\u3c 0.005) than in 1986. Bobwhite with wet pox lesions weighed less than those with dry pox (t = 2.550, P = 0.014) or no pox (t = 2.393, P = 0.018). In 1985 6-week survivorship of bobwhite showing signs of wet pox was different compared to those with dry pox (Z = 1. 7 498, P = 0.0402) and no pox (Z = 2.9992, P = 0.0014). Survivorship of birds with dry pox and no pox was not different (Z = 0.6460, P = 0.2611. Bobwhite with wet pox in 1985 had 45.6 and 53.3% overall lower 6-week survival rates than birds with dry and no pox, respectively. No difference in survivorship existed between bobwhite with dry pox and those with no pox in 1986 (Z = 1.1727, P= 0.1210). No difference in predatory agents responsible for mortalities between birds with or without pox occurred (X2 = 0.8851, df= 2, P\u3e 0.05). All mortality of infected birds appeared to be caused by predation and not the disease itself. Implications of these data for inter- and intraspecific disease transmission are discussed

Ecological Risk Assessment for Highways in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

The population of coastal counties in the United States is over six-fold higher than non-coastal counties and population density along the Atlantic coast is much greater than all other coasts in the nation. Many areas around the Chesapeake Bay watershed are participating in this growth and extensive interstate construction is planned for this region. A wide array of primary ecological risks to the Chesapeake Bay exists, and may be classified as biological, physical, or chemical. Biological risks range from physical threats to motorists and animals to genetic risks to local flora and fauna populations. Island biogeography theory can be used to predict species losses associated with highway construction and resultant limits to migration. Introduction of exotic species and loss of ecologically significant areas (e.g. wetlands) are included as biological risks. Physical risks are primarily associated with hydrology, erosion, and related water quality considerations. Chemical concerns can be described as either chronic, such as certain airborne pollutants, or acute, such as accidental or illegal discharges. Secondary risks associated with highway construction result from facilitated traffic flow. Included are a variety of effects resulting from urban sprawl, strip development, and economic development of adjacent areas. Some ecological risks have received legislative, and subsequently transportation department attention. However, most ecological risks do not affect the decision-making process.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1179/thumbnail.jp

The Strong Maximum Circulation Algorithm: A New Method for Aggregating Preference Rankings

We present a new optimization-based method for aggregating preferences in settings where each decision maker, or voter, expresses preferences over pairs of alternatives. The challenge is to come up with a ranking that agrees as much as possible with the votes cast in cases when some of the votes conflict. Only a collection of votes that contains no cycles is non-conflicting and can induce a partial order over alternatives. Our approach is motivated by the observation that a collection of votes that form a cycle can be treated as ties. The method is then to remove unions of cycles of votes, or circulations, from the vote graph and determine aggregate preferences from the remainder. We introduce the strong maximum circulation which is formed by a union of cycles, the removal of which guarantees a unique outcome in terms of the induced partial order. Furthermore, it contains all the aggregate preferences remaining following the elimination of any maximum circulation. In contrast, the well-known, optimization-based, Kemeny method has non-unique output and can return multiple, conflicting rankings for the same input. In addition, Kemeny's method requires solving an NP-hard problem, whereas our algorithm is efficient, based on network flow techniques, and runs in strongly polynomial time, independent of the number of votes. We address the construction of a ranking from the partial order and show that rankings based on a convex relaxation of Kemeny's model are consistent with our partial order. We then study the properties of removing a maximal circulation versus a maximum circulation and establish that, while maximal circulations will in general identify a larger number of aggregate preferences, the partial orders induced by the removal of different maximal circulations are not unique and may be conflicting. Moreover, finding a minimum maximal circulation is an NP-hard problem.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

923-3 Fluosol Reduces Myocardial Reperfusion Injury by Prolonged Suppression of Neutrophils by its Detergent Component (RheothRx) and not by Enhancing O2Delivery

Fluosol, a complex mixture of O2carrying perfluorocarbons (PFCs) emulsified by the detergent pluronic F-68 and a variety of lipids, significantly reduces myocardial reperfusion injury (RI) in animals and humans as shown in some initial clinical trials. Potential mechanisms for Fluosol include enhanced O2delivery to the reperfused tissue and modulation of various neutrophil (PMNs) functions. Recent studies in dogs and man demonstrate the same beneficial effect for treatment of Rl with the detergent component alone, RheothRx, which is currently undergoing clinical trials. We have shown that the effect of Fluosol on PMNs is related to this detergent. However, prolonged infusion (48 hrs) of detergent is required to reduce Rl to the same extent as Fluosol given over only 1 hr. Possible mechanisms for the beneficial effects of Fluosol (O2delivery vs effects on PMNs) were investigated in a model of regional ischemia utilizing rabbits undergoing 30mins of circumflex occlusion and 48 hrs of reperfusion. Infarct size (area of necrosis, AN) was determined histologically and expressed as percent of risk region (area at risk, AR). Animals received Fluosol (30cc/kg) with or without O2or saline over the first 60mins of reperfusion. AR was similar in all groups. (Mean±SEM of AN/AR (%), n=11 for all groups). The treatment with Fluosol with or without O2(44±3 and 40;±3, respectively) was significantly (p<0.05) reduced compared to control (63±4). Another group received F-I08, a larger size pluronic detergent found to be 2.5-fold more potent in suppressing PMN function in vitrocompared to F-68, during the first 3 hrs of reperfusion. This treatment did not alter the infarct size (63±5). RheothRx was found to form 4 nm micelles in solution whereas Fluosol formed particles approximately 100 times larger. Similar sized particles were formed by substituting the perfluorocarbons with mineral oil. The in vitroactivity of this pluronic/mineral oil micelle on PMN function was similar to Fluosol. Infusion of these larger oil micelles was tolerated by rabbits and used in further infarct studies.ConclusionsThese studies suggest that (1) reduction of RI by Fluosol is not due to enhanced O2delivery by the PFCs to reperfused myocardium and (2) since the Fluosol emulsion markedly reduces the clearance of the detergent F-68 (t½: Fluosol ≅ 8 hrs vs RheothRx ≅ 1.5 hrs). prolonged PMN suppression rather than potency of suppression is the mechanism whereby Fluosol ameliorates RI. Fluosol's clinical efficacy may be enhanced by prolonging its infusion to ensure an adequate blood level to suppress PMN function beyond the time of reperfusion injury. RheothRx's clinical usefulness may be facilitated by decreasing its renal clearance by delivering larger micelles of the detergent in order to produce prolonged PMN suppression with a shorter infusion time

Reliable change in neuropsychological assessment of breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to enhance the current understanding and interpretation of longitudinal change on tests of neurocognitive function in individuals with cancer. Scores on standard neuropsychological instruments may be impacted by practice effects and other random forms of error. METHODS: The current study assessed the test-retest reliability of several tests and overarching cognitive domains comprising a neurocognitive battery typical of those used for research and clinical evaluation using relevant time frames. Practice effect-adjusted reliable change confidence intervals for test-retest difference scores based on a sample of patient-matched healthy controls are provided. RESULTS: By applying reliable change confidence intervals to scores from two samples of breast cancer patients at post-treatment follow-up assessment, meaningful levels of detectable change in cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors were ascertained and indicate that standardized neuropsychological instruments may be subject to limitations in detection of subtle cognitive dysfunction over clinically relevant intervals, especially in patient samples with average to above average range baseline functioning. CONCLUSIONS: These results are discussed in relation to reported prevalence of cognitive change in breast cancer patients along with recommendations for study designs that enhance detection of treatment effects

Primary Productivity in 20-year Old Created Wetlands in Southwestern Virginia

Abstract Thousands of depressional wetlands accidentally formed as a result of pre-1977 contour coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains. Eleven 20-yr old sites were found in a watershed that did not receive acid mine drainage. The purpose of this study was to quantify and model above-and below-ground plant biomass in these created wetlands and to evaluate functional development. Sampling was stratified by weighted average of two plant communities, which corresponded to shallower and deeper water levels, facultative wetland and obligate wetland communities, respectively. In 1994, peak above-ground biomass averaged 473.7 g m −2 in the facultative wetland community and 409.5 g m −2 in the obligate wetland community. Scirpus cyperinus exhibited the highest peak above-ground biomass (51.8% of total biomass) and Typha latifolia ranked second. Canonical correspondence analysis detected positive effects of longer soil exposure to the atmosphere and greater sediment depth on above-ground biomass at the site (wetland ecosystem) level. Within communities, forward stepwise regression identified positive association of aboveground biomass with water soluble reactive P, water soluble NH 3 , decomposition rate over 507 d, live S. cyperinus tissue P content, and sediment depth. When these results are combined with prior studies conducted at the same 20-yr old sites, it appears that both structural and functional development has been arrested at a somewhat immature state resulting primarily from soil and hydrologic factors

Aerosol Optical Hygroscopicity Measurements during the 2010 CARES Campaign

Measurements of the effect of water uptake on particulate light extinction or scattering made at two locations during the 2010 CARES study around Sacramento, CA are reported. The observed influence of water uptake, characterized through the dimensionless optical hygroscopicity parameter γ, is compared with calculations constrained by observed particle size distributions and size-dependent particle composition. A closure assessment has been carried out that allowed for determination of the average hygroscopic growth factors (GF) at 85% relative humidity and the dimensionless hygroscopicity parameter κ for oxygenated organic aerosol (OA) and for supermicron particles, yielding κ = 0.1–0.15 and 0.9–1.0, respectively. The derived range of oxygenated OA κ values are in line with previous observations. The relatively large values for supermicron particles is consistent with substantial contributions of sea salt-containing particles in this size range. Analysis of time-dependent variations in the supermicron particle hygroscopicity suggest that atmospheric processing, specifically chloride displacement by nitrate and the accumulation of secondary organics on supermicron particles, can lead to substantial depression of the observed GF

Extensive Aerosol Optical Properties and Aerosol Mass Related Measurements During TRAMP/TexAQS 2006 – Implications for PM Compliance and Planning

Extensive aerosol optical properties, particle size distributions, and Aerodyne quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer measurements collected during TRAMP/TexAQS 2006 were examined in light of collocated meteorological and chemical measurements. Much of the evident variability in the observed aerosol-related air quality is due to changing synoptic meteorological situations that direct emissions from various sources to the TRAMP site near the center of the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) metropolitan area. In this study, five distinct long-term periods have been identified. During each of these periods, observed aerosol properties have implications that are of interest to environmental quality management agencies. During three of the periods, long range transport (LRT), both intra-continental and intercontinental, appears to have played an important role in producing the observed aerosol. During late August 2006, southerly winds brought super-micron Saharan dust and sea salt to the HGB area, adding mass to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) measurements, but apparently not affecting secondary particle growth or gas-phase air pollution. A second type of LRT was associated with northerly winds in early September 2006 and with increased ozone and sub-micron particulate matter in the HGB area. Later in the study, LRT of emissions from wildfires appeared to increase the abundance of absorbing aerosols (and carbon monoxide and other chemical tracers) in the HGB area. However, the greatest impacts on Houston PM2.5air quality are caused by periods with low-wind-speed sea breeze circulation or winds that directly transport pollutants from major industrial areas, i.e., the Houston Ship Channel, into the city center

Aerosol optical hygroscopicity measurements during the 2010 CARES campaign

Measurements of the effect of water uptake on particulate light extinction or scattering made at two locations during the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) study around Sacramento, CA are reported. The observed influence of water uptake, characterized through the dimensionless optical hygroscopicity parameter γ, is compared with calculations constrained by observed particle size distributions and size-dependent particle composition. A closure assessment has been carried out that allowed for determination of the average hygroscopic growth factors (GFs) at 85% relative humidity and the dimensionless hygroscopicity parameter κ for oxygenated organic aerosol (OA) and for supermicron particles (defined here as particles with aerodynamic diameters between 1 and 2.5 microns), yielding κ = 0.1–0.15 and 0.9–1.0, respectively. The derived range of oxygenated OA κ values are in line with previous observations. The relatively large values for supermicron particles is consistent with substantial contributions of sea-salt-containing particles in this size range. Analysis of time-dependent variations in the supermicron particle hygroscopicity suggest that atmospheric processing, specifically chloride displacement by nitrate and the accumulation of secondary organics on supermicron particles, can lead to substantial depression of the observed GF