Confidence Intervals for the Risk Ratio in Cohort Studies under Inverse Sampling

Three simple interval estimates for the risk ratio in inverse sampling are considered. The first two interval estimates are derived on the basis of Fieller's Theorem and the delta method with the logarithmic transformation, respectively. The third interval estimate is derived on the basis of an F-test statistic proposed by BENNETT (1981) for testing equal probabilities of a disease between two comparison groups when the disease is rare. To evaluate the performance of these three methods, a Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare the actual coverage probability with the nominal confidence level for each method and to estimate the expected length of the corresponding confidence interval in a variety of situations. On the basis of the results found in the simulation, we have concluded that the method with the logarithmic transformation is either equivalent to or better than the other two methods for all situations considered here.     

Stereological Determination of Orientations,Second-Order Quantities and Correlations for Random Spatial Fibre Systems

This paper presents methods for the stereological analysis of spatial fibre systems on the base of planar or thin sections. Under the assumption that the cross-section figures of the tubular fibres can be measured, the orientation distribution of the fibre system and its line density L_v can be determined from one section only and without distributional assumptions. A simple way to study the degree of randomness of fibre systems consists in the statistical analysis of the point pattern of centres of intersection figures. More sophisticated methods are of stereological nature and yield the spatial reduced second moment measure. Similarly also correlations between two fibre systems can be quantified. The methods are demonstrated by two examples concerning samples of human brain.     

Muscle fine structure reflects ecotype in two nototheniids

The fine structure of swimming (pectoral) and myotomal (axial) skeletal muscle and myocardium of two species of Antarctic nototheniid fishes were studied by electron microscopy, comparing the cryopelagic Pagothenia borchgrevinki and the benthic Trematomus bernacchii . Mean fibre size varied by a factor of four among muscles within each species and may have reflected the locomotory power available, being larger in pectoral oxidative (red) and axial glycolytic (white) muscle of P. borchgrevinki . Both species use labriform locomotion, and the more active P. borchgrevinki had a greater capillary supply, expressed as a capillary to fibre ratio, than T. bernacchii to both red (3·48 ± 0·36 v . 1·63 ± 0·14, mean ±  s . e .; P  < 0·01) and white (2·70 ± 0·20 v . 1·53 ± 0·18, mean ±  s . e .; P  < 0·01) regions of the pectoral musculature. The greater aerobic scope of P. borchgrevinki was strikingly demonstrated in the higher mitochondrial content of all skeletal muscle types sampled, and the ventricular myocardium (0·269 ± 0·011 v . 0·255 ± 0·012 mean ±  s . e .; P  < 0·05). Minor differences were found in other elements of fibre composition, with the exception of a five‐fold greater lipid content in pectoral red fibres of P. borchgrevinki (0·074 ± 0·014 mean ±  s . e .) v . T. bernacchii (0·010 ± 0·003; P  < 0·05). Differences in muscle fine structure among species clearly reflected differences in their ecotype.     

Separating the climatic signal from tree-ring width and maximum latewood density records

We propose a technique for separating the climatic signal which is contained in two tree-ring parameters widely used in dendroclimatology. The method is based on the removal of the relationship between tree-ring width (TRW) and maximum latewood density (MXD) observed for narrow tree rings from high latitudes. The new technique is tested on data from three larch stands located along the northern timberline in Eurasia. Correlations were calculated between the temperatures of pentads (five consecutive days), TRW chronologies and MXD chronologies calculated according to the standard and proposed methods. The analysis confirms the great importance of summer temperature for tree radial growth and tree-ring formation. TRW is positively correlated with the temperature of four to eight pentads (depending on the region) at the beginning of the growth season, but MXD as obtained by the standard technique is correlated with temperature over a much longer period. For maximum density series from which the relationship between MXD and TRW has been removed (MXD′), there is a clear correlation with temperatures in the second part of the growing season. These results are consistent with the known dynamics of tree-ring growth in high latitudes and mechanisms of tree-ring formation.     

Reproductive ecology and growth of a population of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) in an aquifer-fed stream of Old Castile (Spain)

In the River Lobos-Ucero and its tributary the River Avión-Milanos (Duero basin, Old Castile, Central Spain), two limestone streams fed by aquifers, the population of brown trout, as compared with the populations of other European streams, shows a high growth rate, high condition coefficients, short life-span and early age at first maturity. Gonad cycle was also studied. Size distributions of unshed eggs exhibit a dynamic activity with a bi-modal distribution from June onwards, spawning occurred in the last days of November. Fecundity (F) can be predicted from trout length (L, mm) according to the equation: F= –646.47+5.6167 · L. Numbers and standing crop of trout range from 18 to 3903 ind. ha^–1 and 3.6 to 452.9 Kg ha^–1, reaching higher values in the sites close to the aquifers. Egg production had values of 22.4 and 18.0 eggs m^–2 in the Rivers Ucero and Avión-Milanos respectively. Some factors suggested as regulators of these demographical characteristics are discussed in the light of recent literature.     

Comparing Stochastically Restricted Linear Estimators in a Regression Model

Conditions for superiority of the minimum dispersion estimator over another with respect to the covariance matrix are derived when the vector parameter of a regression model is subject to competing stochastic restrictions. The restrictions may also consist both of a deterministic part and a stochastic part.     

The Effect of Traffic Density on Lead Contents in Roadside Soils: An Analysis of Published Data

Data from eight published studies were combined to show that the influence of traffic density on Pb contents in roadside soils increases with proximity to the road.     

Fine root distribution of trees and understory in mature stands of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) on dry and humid sites

Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) is the main tree cropping species in the Landes of Gascogne forest range in south western France. Soils are nutrient poor, sandy podzosols and site fertility is determined essentially by organic matter content and depth of water table, which is known to limit root growth. We hypothesised, with an ultimate goal of constructing a nutrient uptake model applicable to this region, that the organic top horizons together with the depth of the water table should be the most important parameters related to fine root distribution and presence of associated mycorrhiza. To test this hypothesis, we compared two adult Pinus pinaster stands, contrasting in depth of water table and soil fertility and evaluated fine roots (diameter ≤2 mm) of understory species and fine roots and ectomycorrhizal morphotypes of Pinus pinaster down to 1.2 m, using a soil corer approach. Total fine root biomass of Pinus pinaster was not significantly different between both sites (3.6 and 4.5 t ha⁻¹ for the humid, respectively, dry site), but root distribution was significantly shallower and root diameter increased more with depth at the humid site, presumably due to more adverse soil conditions as related to the presence of a hardpan, higher amount of aluminium oxides and / or anoxia. Fine roots of Pinus pinaster represented only about 30% of total fine root biomass and 15% of total fine root length, suggesting that the understory species cannot be ignored with regards to competition for mineral nutrients and water. A comparison of the ectomycorrhizal morphotypes showed that the humid site could be characterised by a very large proportion of contact exploration types, thought to be more relevant in accessing organic nutrient sources, whereas the dry site had a significantly higher proportion of both long-distance and short-distance exploration types, the latter of which was thought to be more resistant to short-term drought periods. These results partly confirm our hypothesis on root distribution as related to the presence of soil mineral nutrients (i.e. in organic matter), point out the potential role of understory plant species and ectomycorrhizal symbiosis and are a valuable step in building a site-specific nutrient uptake model.     

Factors influencing seasonal and monthly changes in the group size of chital or axis deer in southern India

Chital or axis deer (Axis axis) form fluid groups that change in size temporally and in relation to habitat. Predictions of hypotheses relating animal density, rainfall, habitat structure, and breeding seasonality, to changes in chital group size were assessed simultaneously using multiple regression models of monthly data collected over a 2 yr period in Guindy National Park, in southern India. Over 2,700 detections of chital groups were made during four seasons in three habitats (forest, scrubland and grassland). In scrubland and grassland, chital group size was positively related to animal density, which increased with rainfall. This suggests that in these habitats, chital density increases in relation to food availability, and group sizes increase due to higher encounter rate and fusion of groups. The density of chital in forest was inversely related to rainfall, but positively to the number of fruiting tree species and availability of fallen litter, their forage in this habitat. There was little change in mean group size in the forest, although chital density more than doubled during the dry season and summer. Dispersion of food items or the closed nature of the forest may preclude formation of larger groups. At low densities, group sizes in all three habitats were similar. Group sizes increased with chital density in scrubland and grassland, but more rapidly in the latter—leading to a positive relationship between openness and mean group size at higher densities. It is not clear, however, that this relationship is solely because of the influence of habitat structure. The rutting index (monthly percentage of adult males in hard antler) was positively related to mean group size in forest and scrubland, probably reflecting the increase in group size due to solitary males joining with females during the rut. The fission-fusion system of group formation in chital is thus interactively influenced by several factors. Aspects that need further study, such as interannual variability, are highlighted.