Estimating areal means and variances of forest attributes using the k-Nearest Neighbors technique and satellite imagery

The k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) technique has become extremely popular for a variety of forest inventory mapping and estimation applications. Much of this popularity may be attributed to the non-parametric, multivariate features of the technique, its intuitiveness, and its ease of use. When used with satellite imagery and forest inventory plot data, the technique has been shown to produce useful estimates of many forest attributes including forest/non-forest, volume, and basal area. However, variance estimators for quantifying the uncertainty of means or sums of k-NN pixel-level predictions for areas of interest (AOI) consisting of multiple pixels have not been reported. The primary objectives of the study were to derive variance estimators for AOI estimates obtained from k-NN predictions and to compare precision estimates resulting from different approaches to k-NN prediction and different interpretations of those predictions. The approaches were illustrated by estimating proportion forest area, tree volume per unit area, tree basal area per unit area, and tree density per unit area for 10-km AOIs. Estimates obtained using k-NN approaches and traditional inventory approaches were compared and found to be similar. Further, variance estimates based on different interpretations of k-NN predictions were similar. The results facilitate small area estimation and simultaneous and consistent mapping and estimation of multiple forest attributes.     

CONDITIONING COAL GAS WITH REFRIGERATED METHANOL IN A SYSTEM OF PACKED COLUMNS

Experience with the operation of a pilot-scale unit is used to outline potential difficulties in the operation of acid gas removal systems on gases produced from coal. The pilot plant has been used to condition gases produced from subbituminous coal, devolatilized char, peat and lignite. The solvent used in the acid gas removal system has been refrigerated methyl alcohol. Data from this study document accumulation of hydrocarbons, sulfur and nitrogen compounds, and mercury in the circulating solvent.     

Salmonid observations at a Klamath River thermal refuge under various hydrological and meteorological conditions

The Beaver Creek confluence with the main‐stem Klamath River was studied to assess salmonid use in a thermal mixing zone under various summer hydrological and meteorological conditions. Main‐stem flow releases from Iron Gate Dam ranged from 17 cms (615 cfs) to 37 cms (1320 cfs) during the study period and main‐stem water temperatures ranged from 19.5 to 26°C. A grid was constructed to define the thermal refuge as a system of cells. Temperatures were monitored using remote temperature loggers and fish counts were conducted using daytime snorkelling. Most juvenile salmonids were observed moving into the refuge when main‐stem temperatures exceeded 22–23°C. Salmonids in the thermal refuge did not necessarily seek the coolest water, but were generally located in habitats commensurate with species‐specific behavioural needs within their thermal tolerance range. Such ranges largely occurred within refuge areas. Variable meteorological conditions confounded observable biological thermal benefit to fish resulting from higher or lower main‐stem flows. Thermal regime dynamics indicated that under the hydrological and meteorological conditions observed, higher flows from Iron Gate Dam showed some ability to change the structure of the refuge area. It appeared that without the thermal refuge, main‐stem flows alone could not sustain the salmonid population because high water temperatures usually exceeded their published thermal tolerance limits. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Disguise and the structured self-report assessment of psychopathology: I. An analogue investigation.

Explored the utility of disguise in structured self-report assessments of psychopathology in 3 experiments with 370 university students. Exp I used items from the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI); Exp II used the BPI, the Desirability scale of the Personality Research Form—Form E, and 4 criterion measures; and Exp III used 2 of the criterion measures and the BPI. Data indicate that under normal test-taking circumstances, the use of disguised test items was not advantageous. This relationship, however, was moderated by a number of dimensional parameters. When faking response sets in terms of desirability was induced, the use of disguised test item content was not useful. Data are interpreted in terms of the various strategies of test construction underlying the assessment of psychopathology. Results support a rational strategy of test construction emphasizing the use of relevant test item content. It is concluded that, in structured self-report assessments, the most valid results may be obtained through the use of direct questions with cooperative test respondents. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlation between vascular and cellular responses to atrial natriuretic peptide and to sodium nitroprusside

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) increase cGMP in vascular smooth muscle cells and act as vasodilators in some, but not all, blood vessels. In this present study, we attempted to correlate the ability of these two agents to dilate blood vessels with the ability to increase cGMP in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. In the isolated guinea pig heart, SNP dose-dependently increased coronary flow while ANP was ineffective. In smooth muscle cells cultured from the coronary system, SNP increased intracellular cGMP in a dose-dependent manner while ANP had no effect on cGMP in these cells. In isolated guinea-pig thoracic aorta, precontracted with K+, both ANP and SNP produced relaxation and ANP was the more potent. In smooth muscle cells cultured from the aorta, ANP and SNP increased cGMP and the potency relationship was similar to the intact vessel. These results support the view that phenotypic properties of vascular smooth muscle cells can account for differences in the response of blood vessels to vasodilators.     

Hedgehog''s escape from Pandora''s box

The Hedgehog family of secreted glycoproteins proteins plays multifarious roles during vertebrate embryogenesis. In both the Drosophila and vertebrate embryo correct deployment of Hedgehog-like proteins is critical for the generation of pattern in many tissues and organs. New evidence now reveals that genes involved in hedgehog signalling are mutated in a number of common human genetic disorders, including skin cancer and craniofacial defects. The understanding of how cells generate, receive and transduce the Hedgehog signal during development has led to the establishment of molecular paradigms for the pathogenesis of these diseases. These studies clearly illustrate that knowledge of the normal role of a gene during development is critical for generating an understanding of the disease state in which it is mutated.     

High nutrient loading and climatic parameters influence the dominance and dissimilarity of toxigenic cyanobacteria in northern bays of Lake Victoria

Eutrophication of Lake Victoria led to changes in its phytoplankton communities. However, different levels of eutrophication exist in the open lake and the bays, and between embayments. This study utilized spatial and temporal sampling of Napoleon Gulf and Murchison Bay, exhibiting different trophic conditions. Over one year, we investigated phytoplankton biomass, richness, diversity and dissimilarity, and related the dynamics of the dominant species to the limnological and climatic conditions. The results confirmed that Napoleon Gulf and Murchison Bay showed large differences in eutrophication status, with lower nutrient concentrations in Napoleon Gulf than in Murchison Bay, where a strong gradient was observed from inshore to offshore areas. These nutrient dynamics resulted in a 4 to 10 fold higher chlorophyll-a in Murchison Bay than in Napoleon Gulf. From the embayments, 135 phytoplankton taxa were recorded with no significant differences in alpha diversity. However, high dissimilarity in community structure was observed in beta diversity, mostly due to a turnover among the dominant toxigenic species. Thus, from a similar species pool, there was a shift in the dominant toxigenic cyanobacteria from Microcystis flos-aquae and M. aeruginosa in Murchison Bay, Dolichospermum circinale and Planktolyngbya circumcreta in Napoleon Gulf to D. circinale in the offshore stations. These cyanobacteria are toxigenic taxa with known health hazards. Using partial least square models, we showed that both climatic variables (e.g. wind, solar radiation) and levels of inorganic dissolved nutrients (e.g. SRP, NO₃^–, and NH₄⁺) are the main drivers of differences and dominance in cyanobacteria communities in northern Lake Victoria.     

Exploring the Biomaterial-Induced Secretome: Physical Bone Substitute Characteristics Influence the Cytokine Expression of Macrophages

In addition to their chemical composition various physical properties of synthetic bone substitute materials have been shown to influence their regenerative potential and to influence the expression of cytokines produced by monocytes, the key cell-type responsible for tissue reaction to biomaterials in vivo. In the present study both the regenerative potential and the inflammatory response to five bone substitute materials all based on β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), but which differed in their physical characteristics (i.e., granule size, granule shape and porosity) were analyzed for their effects on monocyte cytokine expression. To determine the effects of the physical characteristics of the different materials, the proliferation of primary human osteoblasts growing on the materials was analyzed. To determine the immunogenic effects of the different materials on human peripheral blood monocytes, cells cultured on the materials were evaluated for the expression of 14 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, i.e., IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, VEGF, RANTES, IL-12p40, I-CAM, IL-4, V-CAM, TNF-α, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, Il-8 and MCP-1 using a Bio-Plex^® Multiplex System. The granular shape of bone substitutes showed a significant influence on the osteoblast proliferation. Moreover, smaller pore sizes, round granular shape and larger granule size increased the expression of GM-CSF, RANTES, IL-10 and IL-12 by monocytes, while polygonal shape and the larger pore sizes increased the expression of V-CAM. The physical characteristics of a bone biomaterial can influence the proliferation rate of osteoblasts and has an influence on the cytokine gene expression of monocytes in vitro. These results indicate that the physical structure of a biomaterial has a significant effect of how cells interact with the material. Thus, specific characteristics of a material may strongly affect the regenerative potential in vivo.     

Bioenergetic Alterations of Metabolic Redox Coenzymes as NADH,FAD and FMN by Means of Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Techniques

Metabolic FLIM (fluorescence lifetime imaging) is used to image bioenergetic status in cells and tissue. Whereas an attribution of the fluorescence lifetime of coenzymes as an indicator for cell metabolism is mainly accepted, it is debated whether this is valid for the redox state of cells. In this regard, an innovative algorithm using the lifetime characteristics of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to calculate the fluorescence lifetime induced redox ratio (FLIRR) has been reported so far. We extended the FLIRR approach and present new results, which includes FLIM data of the various enzymes, such as NAD(P)H, FAD, as well as flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Our algorithm uses a two-exponential fitting procedure for the NAD(P)H autofluorescence and a three-exponential fit of the flavin signal. By extending the FLIRR approach, we introduced FLIRR1 as protein-bound NAD(P)H related to protein-bound FAD, FLIRR2 as protein-bound NAD(P)H related to free (unbound) FAD and FLIRR3 as protein-bound NAD(P)H related to protein-bound FMN. We compared the significance of extended FLIRR to the metabolic index, defined as the ratio of protein-bound NAD(P)H to free NAD(P)H. The statistically significant difference for tumor and normal cells was found to be highest for FLIRR1.