Identification of QTLs influencing wood property traits in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.). II. Chemical wood properties.

Chemical wood property traits were analyzed for the presence of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in a three-generation outbred pedigree of loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.). These traits were assayed using pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry and include mass spectrum peak intensities associated with carbohydrates, alpha-cellulose and hemicellulose sugars, and lignin. Models for projection to latent structures (PLS) were used to also estimate the chemical composition of cell walls (i.e., alpha-cellulose, galactan and lignin) from mass spectrum data using multivariate regression. Both earlywood and latewood fractions from the fifth annual ring were analyzed for each trait. An interval mapping approach designed for an outbred pedigree was used to estimate the number of QTLs, the magnitude of QTL effects, and their genomic position. Eight unique QTLs influencing cell wall chemistry were detected from multiple peak intensities and/or PLS estimates using the one- and two-QTL models. Significant differences in chemical contents were observed among the populations from North Carolina vs Oklahoma, and results from QTLxenvironment analyses suggest that QTLs interact with environmental location. QTLs should be verified in larger experiments and in different genetic and environmental backgrounds. QTL mapping will help towards eventually identifying genes having a major effect on chemical wood properties.

A population-based survey of hospitalized work-related ocular injury: diagnoses, cause of injury, resource utilization, and hospitalization outcome.

Occupational injury is a major source of ocular trauma and is often preventable. A statewide population-based survey of severe work-related ocular injury was generated by using the California Hospital discharge database to identify hospitalized ocular injury and workers compensation as principal payor to identify work-relatedness. Information concerning diagnoses, procedures, causes of injury, length of hospital stay, total hospital charges and disposition at hospital discharge were obtained for injuries occurring during the calendar year 1988. A total of 455 admissions for work-related ocular trauma were identified. The most common work-related ocular trauma diagnoses associated with hospitalizations were open globe injury (46%), adnexal wounds (20%), orbital fractures (11%), and traumatic hyphema (11%). The most common causes of work-related ocular trauma were foreign-body or projectile objects (19%), transport vehicles (18%), cutting or piercing objects (17%), and assaults (9%). Approximately 8% reported other than routine disposition at time of hospital discharge, including long-term nursing or rehabilitation services and death. Mean hospital stay when ocular trauma was the principal admitting diagnosis was 3.7 days. Results differed significantly for admissions reporting ocular trauma as the principal admitting diagnosis compared to admissions that did not. Hospitalized work-related ocular trauma is represented by a wide spectrum of injuries with substantial morbidity and economic costs. Projected to the United States population, these data indicate annual hospital charges excluding professional fees of $14.6 million when work-related ocular trauma is the principal admitting diagnosis and $40 million for admissions where ocular trauma is either a principal or secondary diagnosis.

Vision screening of abused and neglected children by the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of our study was to present descriptive findings of ocular abnormalities in vision screening examinations of abused and neglected children. We compared the prevalence and the nature of eye diseases and refractive error between abused and neglected boys staying at the Hathaway Home, a residential facility for abused children, and boys from neighboring Boys and Girls clubs. METHODS: The children in the study received vision screening examinations through the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic following a standard format. Clinical data were analyzed by chi-square test. RESULTS: The children with a history of abuse demonstrated significantly higher prevalence of myopia, astigmatism, and external eye disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that children with a history of abuse may be at higher risk for visual impairment. These visual impairments may be the long-term sequelae of child abuse.

Reproducibility of intraocular pressure and outflow facility measured by pneumatic tonography and Schiotz tonography.

The purpose of this study was to compare means, variability, and reproducibility in intraocular pressure and in outflow facility measured repeatedly over several days by Bio-Rad pneumatonography and Schiotz tonography in normal human volunteers. For each instrument a measurement of intraocular pressure and one of outflow facility were obtained at each of three repeated examinations of eight healthy subjects in the supine position. For pressure, the Bio-Rad mean was significantly higher by 5.31 mmHg than the Schiotz mean (p < 0.00005). Reproducibility was 71.1% and 59.0% for the Bio-Rad and Schiotz, respectively. For outflow, the Bio-Rad and Schiotz means were not significantly different. Reproducibility was 17.3% and 58.7% for the Bio-Rad and Schiotz, respectively. For measuring pressure, both the Bio-Rad and Schiotz instruments had good reproducibility; for measuring outflow, the Bio-Rad and Schiotz instruments had low and good reproducibility, respectively.

Ophthalmic disorders among the homeless and nonhomeless in Los Angeles.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have addressed ocular disorders among the homeless and nonhomeless poor. METHODS: To better understand the health problems of the homeless, ophthalmic disorders were analyzed among 512 homeless and 413 nonhomeless poor individuals receiving vision-screening examinations in Los Angeles. RESULTS: Significantly, more 4- to 17-year-old nonhomeless poor were diagnosed with uncorrected visual acuity worse than or equal to 20/50 without correction (p = 0.001), total refractive errors (p < 0.0005), astigmatism (p = 0.001), and myopia (p < 0.0005) than were a control group of 4- to 17-year-old homeless individuals. More homeless individuals had extraocular muscle imbalance (p < 0.040), but fewer had external eye diseases (p2 = 0.016) than the nonhomeless poor, when age adjusted. In addition, higher rates of glaucoma and cataracts were observed in both homeless and poor nonhomeless populations than in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Health care professionals should provide vision screenings intended to detect these ocular disorders. Screening and correction of myopia and glaucoma, in particular, can greatly improve the quality of life for those treated.

Demographic factors in a population-based survey of hospitalized, work-related, ocular injury.

PURPOSE: To obtain population-based estimates of the incidence of severe work-related ocular trauma and to identify demographic factors related to increased risk of this type of injury. METHODS: A statewide population-based survey of severe work-related ocular injury was performed using hospital discharge data. These data were derived from all inpatient admissions to nonfederal, acute-care hospital facilities in the state of California during 1988. Worker's compensation was used as the principal payor code to establish the work-relatedness of a given ocular injury. Census data for the state of California were used to obtain population denominators. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-nine (approximately 14.3%) of all admissions for which ocular trauma was the principal diagnosis (1,876) were work related. Annual incidence for severe work-related ocular injury was 1.76 per 100,000 employed persons when ocular trauma was the principal diagnosis and 2.98 per 100,000 employed persons when ocular trauma was a principal or secondary diagnosis. Projected to the working-age United States population (128 million) these annual rates correspond to an estimated 2,165 acute hospitalizations for work-related ocular trauma as the principal diagnosis, and an estimated 3,745 acute hospitalizations for work-related ocular trauma as a principal or secondary diagnosis. Incidence of severe work-related ocular injury was highest among men, Hispanics, and individuals 20 to 24 years of age (5.02, 3.72, and 4.64 per 100,000 employed per year, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The workplace accounts for a substantial proportion of severe ocular injury. Demographic groups at highest risk for this type of injury are men, Hispanics, and young adults.

Prevalence of ocular disorders among 6- and 7-year-olds in Santa Monica, California.

BACKGROUND: Undetected ocular disorders can cause serious problems in a child's mental and social development. METHODS: To investigate relationships between ocular disease, gender and ethnicity in children, vision screening examination data was analyzed from the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic (MEC), collected from 1985 to 1990 on first graders (69.9 percent 6- and 30.1 percent 7-year-olds) in Santa Monica, California. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1,469 individuals, of whom 48.1 percent were female and 51.9 percent were male. Ethnicity data was available from 1988 to 1990 on 834 individuals, of whom 46.9 percent were Hispanic, 27.9 percent were White. 11.5 percent were Black, 4.4 percent were Asian, and 9.2 percent were of other races. Significantly more females than males had refractive errors, specifically hyperopia and astigmatism, and uncorrected visual acuity of 20/50 or worse in at least one eye. There were no significant associations of ethnicity or sex with any other disease category. The overall prevalences of other diseases were less than 4 percent. Of the 6- and 7-year-olds studied in Santa Monica, California, 18.5 percent had refractive errors. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for ocular disorders at an early age allows for detection of problems, especially refractive errors, that might affect school performance if uncorrected.

Identification of a RAPD marker linked to the pendula gene in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. f. pendula).

The pendula phenotype of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst f. pendula] is characterized by narrow crowns and strong apical dominance and is controlled by a single dominant gene (P). This defined genetic control presents one of the few opportunities to map a single gene controlling a morphological trait in a forest tree. We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and bulked segregant analysis to identify one locus OPH10_720, linked to the pendula gene. The estimated recombination frequency (r) between OPH10_720 and P was 0.046 (SE r =0.032). Mapping of the pendula gene is an important first step towards the ultimate identification and cloning of this gene.

Inheritance of restriction fragment length polymorphisms and random amplified polymorphic DNAs in coastal Douglas-fir.

A total of 225 new genetic loci [151 restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and 74 random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD)] in coastal Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii] have been identified using a three-generation outbred pedigree. The Mendelian inheritance of 16 RFLP loci and 29 RAPD loci was demonstrated based on single-locus segregation in a sample of F2 progeny. One RFLP locus, PtIFG2025, showed segregation distortion. Probe pPtIFG2025 is a loblolly pine cDNA probe encoding for rbcS. The 16 RFLP loci and 23 allozyme loci were also assayed in a sample of 16 Douglas-fir seed-orchard clones. Allelism was determined at 11 of the 16 RFLP loci. RFLPs were able to detect slightly more variation (4.0 alleles per locus) than allozymes (3.1 alleles per locus). The inheritance of an additional 80 RAPD loci was determined based on haploid segregation analysis of megagametophytes from parent tree 013-1. Once 200-300 markers are identified and placed on a genetic map, quantitative trait loci affecting bud phenology will be mapped.

Reproducibility of postural changes in intraocular pressure with the Tono-Pen and Pulsair tonometers.

Reproducibility of measurements of postural changes in intraocular pressure was determined by using the Tono-Pen (Mentor O & O, Inc., Norwell, Massachusetts) and Pulsair (Keeler Instruments, Inc., Broomhall, Pennsylvania) tonometers. Thirty subjects had three repeated sitting and reclining measurements performed on three separate visit days. Reproducibility coefficients of 3.3% for the Tono-Pen and 6.3% for the Pulsair were obtained for the within-visit postural change measurements. Across-visit reproducibility coefficients were 7.9% and 26.2% for the Tono-Pen and Pulsair, respectively. The estimated standard deviations for both the within-visit and across-visit postural change measurements were high for both instruments. These results indicate poor reproducibility of measurements of postural changes in intraocular pressure.

Prevalence of eye disorders among the elderly in Los Angeles.

A series of 431 vision screening records of seniors 55 years of age and older were analysed. Patients were examined by the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic at two senior centers in the Los Angeles area, between the years 1982 and 1990. Sixty-eight percent of patients were females and 32% were males. The mean (+/-S.D.) age was 69 (+/-7.5) years. Common diagnoses were refractive errors (65.2%) and impaired visual acuity (37.0%). The prevalences of refractive errors were: hyperopia, 24.8%; myopia, 10.4%; presbyopia, 54.1%; and astigmatism, 31.8%. In most patients (94.0%), impaired visual acuity was corrected by spectacles. The prevalence of cataract was 29.5% and age-specific prevalences of cataract increased with age. The prevalences of other eye disorders were as follows: glaucoma, 6.3%; diabetic retinopathy, 1.2%; and macular degeneration, 5.1%. This study highlights the degree of ophthalmic disorders identified by vision screenings in the elderly population in senior centers; our results are consistent with previously reported studies of eye diseases in the elderly.

Immunoassay of taxol and taxol-like compounds in plant extracts.

A mouse monoclonal anti-taxol antibody (69E4A8E) and a rabbit polyclonal anti-taxol antiserum were used to measure taxol levels in plant extracts in a double-blind experiment in conjunction with assays by HPLC. 69E4A8E was previously shown by ELISA to be specific for taxol with only a slight cross reaction with another bioactive compound, cephalomannine; the antiserum, on the other hand, was, by radioimmunoassay (RIA), essentially equally reactive with taxol and cephalomannine. Immunoassays of the plant extracts gave results in agreement with that found by HPLC, suggesting that the antibodies can be used in simple routine procedures for the quantification of taxol or taxol-like compounds in extracts of plants or other potential natural sources.

Reliability coefficients of three corneal pachymeters.

We compared the accuracy and reproducibility of a hand-held portable ultrasound pachymeter, the Pach-Pen (Bio-Rad, Ophthalmic Division, Santa Ana, California); another ultrasound pachymeter, the DGH 1000 (DGH Technology, Inc., Frazer, Pennsylvania); and the Pro-Cem 4 endothelial specular microscope (Alcon-Surgical, Inc., Irvine, California). Each eye of 18 healthy human subjects was examined to determine corneal thickness using the three different instruments. For each instrument, five repeated measurements were obtained at each of five corneal locations (one central, four peripheral), for a total of 25 measurements per eye. The accuracy of the two ultrasound pachymeters was tested by comparing measurements obtained on specially designed test blocks of known thickness. The Pach-Pen was the more accurate of the two ultrasound pachymeters, with measurements within the range of 0.003 to 0.065 mm from the true thickness. The three instruments were most consistent in mean thickness in the center of the cornea. All three instruments showed excellent intraobserver reproducibility, as measured by reliability coefficients over 90%. Overall, the Pach-Pen pachymeter had high reproducibility, and produced more accurate measurements than the DGH 1000 pachymeter.

Results of inpatient and outpatient cataract surgery. A historical cohort comparison.

PURPOSE: The transition from inpatient to outpatient cataract surgery during the last decade was not accompanied by prospective investigation of its effect on visual outcomes or surgical complications. The authors performed this study to assess the impact of this transition on surgical results. METHODS: The authors reviewed 600 extracapsular cataract extractions performed by 4 experienced ophthalmic surgeons during a 36-month period; in 300 cases, patients were hospitalized after surgery (inpatient group), and, in 300 cases, patients were never hospitalized (outpatient group). The same surgical techniques were used in all cases. Visual outcome and rates for operative and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the inpatient and outpatient groups for visual acuity. Excluding patients with pre-existing nonlenticular ocular disease, a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved in 93.1% of inpatient cases and in 97.2% of outpatient cases 6 months after surgery. Postoperative, clinically apparent cystoid macular edema was more common in the inpatient group (P = 0.03); however, after exclusion of patients with diabetes, hypertension, age younger than 65 years, and eyes with pre-existing nonlenticular disease, there was no statistically significant difference between groups. No significant differences in rates for other operative and postoperative complications were identified, including wound dehiscence, unplanned postoperative filtering blebs, infectious endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, persistent iridocyclitis, glaucoma, and corneal edema. CONCLUSION: This study does not demonstrate that the transition to outpatient cataract extractions has had an adverse effect on surgical outcomes.

Impact of the Los Angeles County Trauma System on the survival of seriously injured patients.

We compared the survival of 658 seriously injured patients treated in Los Angeles County in the Fall of 1982 (prior to the activation of the trauma system) with that of 766 such patients treated in the Fall of 1984 (when the system was young and composed of essentially a full complement of trauma centers). We demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the adjusted odds of survival for 1984 over 1982 with regard to victims of motor vehicle collisions who sustained multiple serious injuries (1980 Injury Severity Score: 26-50) (p = 0.042). For the data set as a whole, although an improvement in survivorship over this period was suggested by the data, statistical significance could not be demonstrated.

Effects of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors on taxol content in Taxus brevifolia and related species.

The demand for taxol, a promising cancer chemotherapeutic agent, far exceeds supply. Presently, taxol is derived from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, a small, slow-growing evergreen tree native to the northwestern United States. Knowledge of the distribution and magnitude of genetic and non-genetic sources of variation in taxol content in the genus Taxus is necessary if supply issues are to be met through plant harvesting. Analytical determinations of taxol, cephalomannine, and baccatin III in more than 200 trees representing several populations of T. brevifolia and other yew taxa indicate that (1) significant variation in taxane content exists among and within populations and species, (2) taxol levels exceeding those reported for T. brevifolia bark were found in shoots of individual trees from most taxa studied, and (3) the season in which samples are collected and handling procedures can influence taxane content.

Self-fertility variation and paternal success through outcrossing in Douglas fir.

Douglas fir trees, Pseudotsuga menziesii, vary greatly in their self-fertility, but little is known about the relationship of self-fertility to outcrossing success. If low self-fertility pollen donors have lethal recessive alleles that are widespread, then in crosses with other trees they should have poor paternal success competing with high self-fertility donors that have few recessive lethals. We compared Douglas fir trees with high and low self-fertility for differences in pollen grain size, pollen number per milligram, and respiration rate. Pair-wise mixtures of pollen from individuals with high and low self-fertility were applied in controlled pollinations. Electrophoretic markers identified seed paternity. The pollen donors did differ in all three pollen traits but, as a class, the low self-fertility donors had neither inferior pollen nor low paternal success in outcrossing. Paternal success depended upon the identity of the competing pollen donors and the seed parent. It was not related to pollen grain number or respiration rate, but donors with the smaller pollen grains in a mixture had greater success.

Prospective study of manikin-only versus manikin and human subject endotracheal intubation training of paramedics.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of manikin-only training on field success of endotracheal intubation by paramedics. DESIGN: Prospective evaluation of individual field endotracheal intubation success rates for paramedics after they participated in a manikin-only or a manikin-plus-cadaver training program. TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: Paramedics responding to emergency calls involving adult medical or trauma victims. INTERVENTIONS: All participants were trained using a controlled manikin training program; then, half were randomly selected for additional instruction using fresh human cadavers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Individuals trained using only the manikin program had mean +/- SD individual success rates of 82 +/- 32%, and individuals who received additional cadaver training had mean individual success rates of 83 +/- 31%. Overall success rates for the two groups were 86% for the manikin-only group and 85% for the manikin-plus-cadaver-trained group. The sample size was not adequate to allow rejection of the null hypothesis. CONCLUSION: Paramedics trained in endotracheal intubation using a systematic manikin-only teaching program can attain acceptable individual success rates in the actual field setting.

Cytomegalovirus retinopathy as the initial manifestation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Of 100 consecutive patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and cytomegalovirus retinopathy, 15 did not have a previous diagnosis of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome before the ocular infection. All had other HIV-related disorders that would place them in Group IV of the Centers for Disease Control hierarchical classification system for HIV infections. In nine patients, cytomegalovirus retinopathy was the only disorder that fulfilled the Centers for Disease Control criteria for diagnosis of AIDS. In the other six, examination disclosed additional preexistent or concurrent nonocular disorders that were also diagnostic of AIDS. No demographic, medical, or ophthalmic characteristics distinguished the nine patients for whom cytomegalovirus retinopathy was initially the only manifestation of AIDS. On the basis of published figures for the prevalence of cytomegalovirus retinopathy in patients with AIDS, and the incidence with which HIV-infected persons develop AIDS, it is estimated that approximately 1.8% of patients with AIDS have cytomegalovirus retinopathy as the first manifestation and that less than 1% of HIV-infected persons will develop cytomegalovirus retinopathy as the initial manifestation of AIDS during the first seven years after infection with HIV.

The prediction of autologous red cell survival.

Nine donors predicted from earlier studies to have increased autologous red cell survival and four predicted to have lesser survival were selected from a pool of previously studied donors. Blood was drawn from these donors, and stored in Neutracel (R-Cutter Lab) preservative for eight hours at room temperature. The platelet rich plasma was removed, the additive solution was introduced, and the red cells were stored for 42 days in an approved refrigerator. At the end of the storage period, a 24 hour Cr-51 viability analysis was performed on each donor. Predicted red cell survival scores correlated reasonably well with the observed percent of red cell viability (r = 0.648). This study suggests that it may be possible to predict increased viability of autologous red cells in certain donors.