Areal Index Research Articles

Structural indices of indigenous goats reared under traditional management systems in East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

In phenotypic characterization of animal genetic resources, structural indices are essential components to understand the breed structure and body proportions. They are the ethnological characteristics as well as functional traits of animals providing information about the type, aptitude, and production purpose of animals. This study intends to provide information on the structural indices of indigenous goats reared under the smallholder management systems in selected districts of East Gojjam Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Data on body weight and nine morphometric measurements were collected from 706 goats (589 does and 117 bucks) selected using their dentition (≥ One Pair of Permanent Incisor), physiological status (lactating females and intact males), and health condition (healthy). Nineteen structural indices were calculated from morphometric measurements and analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the statistical analysis system (SAS, 9.0). Data were analyzed for does and bucks separately. Location had a significant (p < 0.05) influence on pelvic index, transversal and longitudinal pelvic indices, dactyl thoracic index, and relative cannon thickness index of bucks. Except for height slope, pelvic index, baron and crevat, body ratio, areal index, over increase index, weight-1, and weight-2, all other structural indices calculated for does were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by location. Strong correlations were observed between the structural indices calculated from the linear body measurements. The study revealed that goats in the study area are longilinear and light animals that have dairy biotype. However, further studies are needed to classify the goat types for their production purposes.

Quantitative Measurements of the Bulbous Tip in Ethnic Rhinoplasty.

Refinement of the bulbous nasal tip continues to be one of the more challenging aspects of ethnic rhinoplasty. Better objective measures are necessary to quantitatively assess changes in surgery of the bulbous tip. We propose the use of a new nasal anatomic landmark in the subnasal vertex view, designated c, in conjunction with previously described landmarks to offer an improved means of characterizing the bulbous tip. Together, these landmarks form a pentagon, allowing for measurement of its angles and distances to quantitatively evaluate the nasal tip in the subnasal vertex view. We hypothesize that this method will provide a means of demonstrating a decrease in tip bulbosity postoperatively. An institutional review board-approved retrospective analysis of 44 nonwhite patients undergoing ethnic rhinoplasty was undertaken and preoperative and postoperative photographs in the subnasal vertex view were subjected to the proposed analysis. All patients underwent an open approach rhinoplasty with a combination of tip defatting and cartilage graft placement. Using the polygonal construct, several angles, distances, and areal indices were measured from the preoperative and postoperative photographs and comparison was made for statistical significance. All but 1 of the 8 parameters examined demonstrated statistical significance comparing preoperative and postoperative values. These measures, thus, allow the surgeon to objectively assess and ascertain a reduction in tip bulbosity of postoperative ethnic rhinoplasty patients. This article presents a new anatomic landmark c seen from a subnasal view of the tip. This landmark can be combined with previously established landmarks to create a polygon that allows for a simple yet objective method for measuring the reduction and contouring of the ethnic bulbous tip.

Empirical assessment of incorporating sediment quality triad data into a single index to distinguish dominant stressors between sites

Benthic infaunal community structure, sediment contamination, and sediment toxicity data (Sediment Quality Triad) were condensed into a single index based on the area of tri-axial plots, which were examined in relation to various habitat parameters. The purpose was to assess its utility for evaluating the relative impact of contaminants versus other stressors on benthic communities. The regression relationship between the areal index and the Effects Range-Median quotient (ERMq) was used to separate contaminant-impacted sites from sites impacted by hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay. Regression using the areal index and bottom oxygen confirm the utility of the approach. Data from Delaware, Galveston, and Biscayne Bays were also examined to determine if the approach may be effective in other estuaries.

Increasing inequalities in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among US adults aged 25-64 years by area socioeconomic status, 1969-1998.

This study examined the extent to which areal socio-economic gradients in all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among US men and women aged 25-64 years increased between 1969 and 1998. Using factor analysis 17 census tract variables were used to develop an areal index of socio-economic status that was used to stratify all US counties into five socio-economic categories. By linking the index to county-level mortality data from 1969 to 1998, we calculated annual age-adjusted mortality rates for each area socio-economic group. Poisson regression models were fitted to estimate areal socio-economic gradients in mortality over time. Areal socio-economic gradients in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality have increased substantially over the past three decades. Compared to men in the highest area socio-economic group, rates of all-cause and CVD mortality among men in the lowest area socio-economic group were 42% and 30% greater in 1969-1970 and 73% and 79% greater in 1997-1998, respectively. The gradients in mortality among women were steeper for CVD than for all causes. Compared to women in the highest area socio-economic group, rates of all-cause and CVD mortality among women in the lowest area socio-economic group were 29% and 49% greater in 1969-1970 and 53% and 94% greater in 1997-1998, respectively. Although US all-cause and cardiovascular mortality declined for all area socio-economic groups during 1969-1998, the gradient increased because of significantly larger mortality declines in the higher socio-economic groups. Increasing areal inequalities in mortality shown here may be related to increasing temporal differences in the material and social living conditions between areas.

面積を指標としたシベリア高気圧の年々変化と東西差

シベリア高気圧全体の年々変化を客観的に解明する目的で, 1月の月平均SLPを使用し, 1951～1990年におけるシベリア高気圧の拡大を表す指標として,1,030hPaの閉曲線内部の面積を求めて解析を行った. その結果,シベリア高気圧全体の面積の年々変化としては,7～10年程度の周期的な変動がみられた. 次に,シベリア高気圧を経緯度で分けることにより東西への「広がりの指数」を定義し,それぞれの変動を明らかにした.その結果,東への広がりは安定して面積が大きいのに対し,西への広がりは変動が非常に激しいことがわかった.～次に,シベリア高気圧の東西への拡大と上層の循環場との関連を求めた. 500h Pa面高度のEOF解析を行い,それぞれのパターンを,従来提唱されている上層高度場のテレコネクションパターンと比較した.その結果,第1モードは西大西洋 (WA) ないしは北大西洋振動 (NAO) パタージと対比することができ,シベリア高気圧の西への広がりと有意な相関があることがわかった.第2モードは西太平洋(WP)ないしは西太平洋振動(WPO)パターンと対比することができ,シベリア高気圧の東への広がりと有意な相関があることがわかつた また,第3モードは太平洋一北米(PNA)+ユーラシア(EU)パターンと対比することができるが,地上でのシベリア高気圧の東西方向への拡大とは有意な相関がみられない.しかし,シベリア高気圧の東西への拡大の影響を除去すると, PNA+EUパターンとシベリア高気圧の中心強度とは有意な相関があることがわかった,このように,上層の高度場で示された循環場とシベリア高気圧の東西への拡大,および一定の条件の下での中心強度と有意な相関があることは,シベリア高気圧の形成・発達のメカニズムに,これらのテレコネクションが関係していることを示唆している.

Stochastic modelling of regional annual rainfall anomalies in East Africa

ARIMA (p, d, q) models were fitted to areal annual rainfall of two homogeneous regions in East Africa with rainfall records extending between the period 1922–80. The areal estimates of the regional rainfall were derived from the time series of the first eigenvector, which was significantly dominant at each of the two regions. The first eigenvector accounted for about 80% of the total rainfall variance in each region. The class of ARIMA (p, d, q) models which best fitted the areal indices of relative wetness/dryness were the A R M A (3, 1) models. Tests of forecasting skill however indicated low skill in the forecasts given by these models. In all cases the models accounted for less than 50% of the total variance. Spectral analysis of the indices time series indicated dominant quasi-periodic fluctuations around 2.2–2.8 years, 3–3.7 years, 5–6 years and 10–13 years. These spectral bands however accounted for very low proportion of the total rainfall variance.