bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dual Role of the Antioxidant Enzyme Peroxiredoxin 6 in Skin Carcinogenesis
Authors: Rolfs Frank , Huber Marcel , Gruber Florian , Böhm Friederike , Pfister Herbert J. , Bochkov Valery N. , Tschachler Erwin , Dummer Reinhard , Hohl Daniel , Schäfer Matthias , Werner Sabine
Published: April 2013

The antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) is a key regulator of the cellular redox balance, particularly under stress conditions. We identified Prdx6 as an important player in different phases of skin carcinogenesis. Loss of Prdx6 in mice enhanced the susceptibility to skin tumorigenesis, whereas overexpression of Prdx6 in keratinocytes of transgenic mice had the opposite effect. The tumor-preventive effect of Prdx6, which was observed in a human papilloma virus 8–induced and a chemically induced tumor model, was not due to alterations in keratinocyte proliferation, apoptosis, or in the inflammatory response. Rather, endogenous and overexpressed Prdx6 reduced oxidative stress as reflected by the lower levels of oxidized phospholipids in the protumorigenic skin of Prdx6 transgenic mice and the higher levels in Prdx6-knockout mice than in control animals. In contrast to its beneficial effect in tumor prevention, overexpression of Prdx6 led to an acceleration of malignant progression of existing tumors, revealing a dual function of this enzyme in the pathogenesis of skin cancer. Finally, we found strong expression of PRDX6 in keratinocytes of normal human skin and in the tumor cells of squamous cell carcinomas, indicating a role of Prdx6 in human skin carcinogenesis. Taken together, our data point to the potential usefulness of Prdx6 activators or inhibitors for controlling different stages of skin carcinogenesis. Cancer Res; 73(11); 3460–9. ©2013 AACR.
Gankyrin Activates IL-8 to Promote Hepatic Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Bai Zhaofang , Tai Yanhong , Li Weihua , Zhen Cheng , Gu Weiting , Jian Zhao , Wang Qianyi , Lin Jieru E. , Zhao Qing , Gong Weili , Liang Bing , Wang Chenguang , Zhou Tao
Published: April 2013

Hepatic metastasis is responsible for the majority of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related mortalities. Although Gankyrin (PSMD10) has been implicated in cancer metastasis, its exact role and underlying mechanisms of CRC hepatic metastasis remain largely unknown. Herein, we showed that the expression of Gankyrin was higher in primary CRC with hepatic metastasis compared with CRC without metastasis. RNAi-mediated silencing of Gankyrin expression in highly metastatic human CRC cells impaired their migratory and metastatic capacity in vivo. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling revealed activation of the interleukin (IL)-8 signaling pathway by Gankyrin. Protein levels of IL-8 and cyclin D1 (CCND1), the two important molecules in the IL-8 pathway, were positively correlated with Gankyrin expression in human CRC specimens. Furthermore, genetic deletion of cyclin D1 showed its requirement in Gankyrin-mediated cell migration. Finally, administration of recombinant IL-8 rescued the migratory defect of CRC cells where Gankyrin expression was silenced. Together, our findings highlight the importance of Gankyrin in hepatic metastasis of CRC and point out its candidature as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target to improve the clinical management of metastatic CRC. Cancer Res; 73(14); 4548–58. ©2013 AACR.
Early Diagnostic Biomarkers for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma—The Current State of Play
Authors: Shah Alok Kishorkumar , Saunders Nicholas A. , Barbour Andrew P. , Hill Michelle M.
Published: April 2013

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is one of the two most common types of esophageal cancer with alarming increase in incidence and very poor prognosis. Aiming to detect EAC early, currently high-risk patients are monitored using an endoscopic-biopsy approach. However, this approach is prone to sampling error and interobserver variability. Diagnostic tissue biomarkers related to genomic and cell-cycle abnormalities have shown promising results, although with current technology these tests are difficult to implement in the screening of high-risk patients for early neoplastic changes. Differential miRNA profiles and aberrant protein glycosylation in tissue samples have been reported to improve performance of existing tissue-based diagnostic biomarkers. In contrast to tissue biomarkers, circulating biomarkers are more amenable to population-screening strategies, due to the ease and low cost of testing. Studies have already shown altered circulating glycans and DNA methylation in BE/EAC, whereas disease-associated changes in circulating miRNA remain to be determined. Future research should focus on identification and validation of these circulating biomarkers in large-scale trials to develop in vitro diagnostic tools to screen population at risk for EAC development. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(7); 1185–209. ©2013 AACR.
Translation Initiation Factor eIF3b Expression in Human Cancer and Its Role in Tumor Growth and Lung Colonization
Authors: Wang Hong , Ru Yuanbin , Sanchez-Carbayo Marta , Wang Xuejiao , Kieft Jeffrey S. , Theodorescu Dan
Published: April 2013

Purpose: Discovery transcriptomic analyses suggest eukaryotic initiation factor 3b (eIF3b) is elevated in human bladder and prostate cancer, yet its role as a prognostic factor or its requirement in the maintenance or progression of human cancer is not established. Here, we determine the therapeutic potential of eIF3b by examining the clinical relevance of its expression in human cancer tissues and its role in experimental tumor models.

Experimental Design: We examined mRNA expression of eIF3b in bladder (N = 317) and prostate (N = 566) tissue samples and protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 143 bladder tumor samples as a function of clinicopathologic features. The impact of eIF3b depletion by siRNA in human cancer lines was evaluated in regard to in vitro cell growth, cell cycle, migration, in vivo subcutaneous tumor growth, and lung colonization.

Results: eIF3b mRNA expression correlated to tumor grade, stage, and survival in human bladder and prostate cancer. eIF3b protein expression stratified survival in human bladder cancer. eIF3b depletion reduced in vitro cancer cell growth; inhibited G1–S cell-cycle transition by changing protein but not RNA expression of cyclin A, E, Rb, and p27Kip1; inhibited migration; and disrupted actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions. These changes were associated with decreased protein expression of integrin α5. Integrin α5 depletion phenocopied effects observed with eIF3b. eIF3b-depleted bladder cancer cells formed fewer subcutaneous tumors that grew more slowly and had reduced lung colonization.

Conclusion: eIF3b expression relates to human bladder and prostate cancer prognosis, is required for tumor growth, and thus a candidate therapeutic target. Clin Cancer Res; 19(11); 2850–60. ©2013 AACR.
Discovery and Prevalidation of Salivary Extracellular microRNA Biomarkers Panel for the Noninvasive Detection of Benign and Malignant Parotid Gland Tumors
Authors: Matse Johannes H. , Yoshizawa Janice , Wang Xiaoyan , Elashoff David , Bolscher Jan G.M. , Veerman Enno C.I. , Bloemena Elisabeth , Wong David T.W.
Published: April 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the differences in salivary microRNA (miRNA) profiles between patients with malignant or benign parotid gland tumors as a potential preoperative diagnostic tool of tumors in the salivary glands.

Experimental Design: Whole saliva samples from patients with malignant (n = 38) or benign (n = 29) parotid gland tumors were obtained from the Salivary Gland Tumor Biorepository (SGTB). After total RNA isolation, human miRNA cards were used for miRNA profiling. The differential miRNA expression was analyzed using two-sided Wilcoxon test. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate selected miRNAs in an independent sample set. Receiver-operating characteristics curve and probability of malignancy was exploited to evaluate the diagnostic power of the validated miRNAs.

Results: With miRNA profiling, 57 of 750 investigated miRNAs were differently expressed, of which 54 showed higher miRNA expression in samples from patients with malignant tumors than those from patients with benign tumors. Validating the expression in an independent sample set of 9 miRNAs revealed indeed higher expression of miRNAs in malignant samples compared with benign samples. The expression of 6 validated miRNAs was statistically significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). A four miRNA combination was able to discriminate between saliva samples from patients with malignant tumors from those of patients with benign parotid gland tumors (sensitivity 69%, specificity 95%).

Conclusions: Salivary miRNA profiles differ in saliva from patients with malignant from saliva from patients with a benign parotid gland tumor. These preliminary results are promising to develop a noninvasive diagnostic tool for diagnosing tumors in the salivary glands. Clin Cancer Res; 19(11); 3032–8. ©2013 AACR.
Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Likelihood of Breast Cancer among Black and White Women: A Report from the Southern Community Cohort Study
Authors: Cohen Sarah S. , Matthews Charles E. , Bradshaw Patrick T. , Lipworth Loren , Buchowski Maciej S. , Signorello Lisa B. , Blot William J.
Published: April 2013

Increased physical activity has been shown to be protective for breast cancer although few studies have examined this association in Black women. In addition, limited evidence to date indicates that sedentary behavior may be an independent risk factor for breast cancer. We examined sedentary behavior and physical activity in relation to subsequent incident breast cancer in a nested case–control study within 546 cases (374 among Black women) and 2,184 matched controls enrolled in the Southern Community Cohort Study. Sedentary and physically active behaviors were assessed via self-report at study baseline (2002–2009) using a validated physical activity questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate mutually adjusted ORs and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for quartiles of sedentary and physical activity measures in relation to breast cancer risk. Being in the highest versus lowest quartile of total sedentary behavior (≥12 vs. <5.5 h/d) was associated with increased odds of breast cancer among White women [OR, 1.94 (95% CI, 1.01–3.70); Ptrend = 0.1] but not Black women [OR, 1.23 (95% CI, 0.82–1.83); Ptrend = 0.6] after adjustment for physical activity. After adjustment for sedentary activity, greater physical activity was associated with reduced odds for breast cancer among White women (Ptrend = 0.03) only. In conclusion, independent of one another, sedentary behavior and physical activity are risk factors for breast cancer among White women. Differences in these associations between Black and White women require further investigation. Reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity are potentially independent targets for breast cancer prevention interventions. Cancer Prev Res; 6(6); 566–76. ©2013 AACR.
A Model for Primary Melanoma of the CNS Implicates NRAS
Authors: Ciarlo Christie A. , Zon Leonard I.
Published: April 2013

Summary: In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Pedersen and colleagues present the first mouse model of primary CNS melanoma, which arises when oncogenic NRAS is expressed from the endogenous Nras promoter in melanocytes during embryogenesis. In support of this model, two pediatric cases of NRAS-mutant primary melanoma of the CNS are identified. Cancer Discov; 3(4); 382–3. ©2013 AACR.

See related article by Pedersen et al., p. 458
Imputation of Rare Variants in Next-Generation Association Studies
Authors: Asimit Jennifer L. , Zeggini Eleftheria
Published: April 2013

The role of rare variants has become a focus in the search for association with complex traits. Imputation is a powerful and cost-efficient tool to access variants that have not been directly typed, but there are several challenges when imputing rare variants, most notably reference panel selection. Extensions to rare variant association tests to incorporate genotype uncertainty from imputation are discussed, as well as the use of imputed low-frequency and rare variants in the study of population isolates.
Genistein Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Stimulates Apoptosis in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells
Authors: Kayisli Umit A. , Guzeloglu-Kayisli Ozlem , Guzel Elif , Arici Aydin
Published: April 2013

Background/Aims: Isoflavone genistein is a plant-derived compound structurally similar to estradiol, which behaves weakly estrogenic or anti-estrogenic in a cell- and concentration-dependent manner. Genistein has been hypothesized to have beneficial effects on vascular diseases, although the mechanism has been unclear. Here, we investigated whether genistein may play a role in atherogenesis by regulating human coronary artery endothelial cell (HCAEC) survival. Methods: HCAECs obtained from 48- to 53-year-old women (n = 3) were used and immunocytochemistry, cell proliferation assay and apoptosis assay were carried on HCAECs treated by genistein. Results: Immunocytochemistry confirmed that HCAECs in culture express predominantly ESR2. Cell proliferation assay revealed that following 72 h of genistein treatment, HCAEC proliferation decreased in a concentration-dependent (10-10 to 10-6M) manner compared to control (p < 0.01). The anti-proliferative effect of genistein is inhibited by estradiol. Genistein (10-8M) also induced a time-dependent increase in the number of apoptotic HCAECs after 24-, 48- and 72-hour treatments as detected by TUNEL and morphological analyses. Conclusion: These findings suggest that genistein acts as an anti-proliferative agent on HCAECs. The anti-proliferative and proapoptotic effects of genistein on vascular cells underlie the proposed anti-atherogenic and cardioprotective role of genistein.
Mitochondria and Endothelial Function
Authors: Kluge Matthew A. , Fetterman Jessica L. , Vita Joseph A.
Published: April 2013

In contrast to their role in cell types with higher energy demands, mitochondria in endothelial cells primarily function in signaling cellular responses to environmental cues. This article provides an overview of key aspects of mitochondrial biology in endothelial cells, including subcellular location, biogenesis, dynamics, autophagy, reactive oxygen species production and signaling, calcium homeostasis, regulated cell death, and heme biosynthesis. In each section, we introduce key concepts and then review studies showing the importance of that mechanism to endothelial control of vasomotor tone, angiogenesis, and/or inflammatory activation. We particularly highlight the small number of clinical and translational studies that have investigated each mechanism in human subjects. Finally, we review interventions that target different aspects of mitochondrial function and their effects on endothelial function. The ultimate goal of such research is the identification of new approaches for therapy. The reviewed studies make it clear that mitochondria are important in endothelial physiology and pathophysiology. A great deal of work will be needed, however, before mitochondria-directed therapies are available for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
The Argument Culture: Agonism & the Common Good
Authors: Tannen Deborah
Published: April 2013

Agonism – taking a warlike stance in contexts that are not literally war – pervades our public and private discourse, leading us to approach issues and each other in an adversarial spirit. The resulting “argument culture” makes it more difficult to solve problems and is corrosive to the human spirit. While examples from the intertwined domains of politics and the press may seem beyond individuals' power to change, the domain of private interactions – where equally destructive effects of the argument culture are felt – is one in which individuals have power to make quotidian yet revolutionary contributions to the common good.
Action Concepts in the Brain: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-analysis
Authors: Watson Christine E. , Cardillo Eileen R. , Ianni Geena R. , Chatterjee Anjan
Published: April 2013

Many recent neuroimaging studies have investigated the representation of semantic memory for actions in the brain. We used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analyses to answer two outstanding questions about the neural basis of action concepts. First, on an “embodied” view of semantic memory, evidence to date is unclear regarding whether visual motion or motor systems are more consistently engaged by action concepts. Second, few studies have directly investigated the possibility that action concepts accessed verbally or nonverbally recruit different areas of the brain. Because our meta-analyses did not include studies requiring the perception of dynamic depictions of actions or action execution, we were able to determine whether conceptual processing alone recruits visual motion and motor systems. Significant concordance in brain regions within or adjacent to visual motion areas emerged in all meta-analyses. By contrast, we did not observe significant concordance in motor or premotor cortices in any analysis. Neural differences between action images and action verbs followed a gradient of abstraction among representations derived from visual motion information in the left lateral temporal and occipital cortex. The consistent involvement of visual motion but not motor brain regions in representing action concepts may reflect differences in the variability of experience across individuals with perceiving versus performing actions.
ECOLOGICAL TRENDS IN THE WOOD ANATOMY OF SOME BRAZILIAN SPECIES. 1. GROWTH RINGS AND VESSELS
Authors: Alves Edenise Segala , Angyalossy-Alfonso Veronica
Published: April 2013

Some ecological trends based on wood were established in woody florulas of several regions in Brazil. Growth rings and qualitative vessel features were analysed in trees belonging to the 22 most representative families of the Brazilian flora, including 133 genera, 491 species and 686 specimens. Some ecological trends were statistically proven by Pearsonʼs Standardised Residues. The presence of growth rings was associated with seasonal environments. Vessels tended to show special arrangement patterns at higher latitudes and in environments affected by thermal seasonality. Vessels in multiples were more common in environments that were seasonal for temperature and humidity. Although not statistically significant, there is a trend for multiple perforation plates and helical thickenings to be most common in higher latitudes and colder environments. Overall, the results for Brazilian species are compatible with trends established by other authors for other floras and /or taxa.
VARIABILITY OF FIBRE LENGTH IN WOOD AND BARK IN EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS
Authors: Jorge Fátima , Quilhó Teresa , Pereira Helena
Published: April 2013

Ten trees of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. from three different sites within Portugal were felled at 12–15 years, to study fibre length variation in bark and wood. The fibres of E. globulus were morphologically similar in bark and wood, but generally longer in the bark (on average, 0.97 mm in wood and 1.11 mm in bark). The axial variation was small and opposite in wood and bark; fibre lengths decreased in the wood and increased in the bark from the base to the top. Fibre length in wood increased significantly from pith to bark at all height levels. The measurement of fibre length at 1.3 m height level was representative for the tree average for both wood and bark.
INHIBITION OF WATER CONDUCTIVITY CAUSED BY WATERMARK DISEASE IN SALIX SACHALINENSIS
Authors: Sakamoto Yasuaki , Sano Yuzou
Published: April 2013

Water conduction and wood anatomy of Salix sachalinensis attacked by watermark disease were investigated. The internal symptom, the watermark, appeared as a brown to brown-black stained zone in sapwood. Dye injection tests revealed that water conduction did not take place in the watermark. However, soft X-ray photography and cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed that the watermark had a high moisture level. In the watermark, some of the vessels were plugged with tyloses and masses of bacteria, and some of the ray parenchyma cells caused necrosis. Hence, the non-conductive watermark in sapwood can be considered similar to discoloured wood or wetwood.
PERFORATED RAY CELLS IN BATHYSA MERIDIONALIS (RUBIACEAE)
Authors: Ceccantini Gregório C.T. , Angyalossy-Alfonso Veronica
Published: April 2013

This paper describes the morphology and size of perforated ray cells in Bathysa meridionalis Smith & Downs and compares its features with the adjacent ray cells and vessel elements. The perforated ray cells are much bigger and more voluminous than normal ray cells. Their shapes vary from ellipsoid to polygonal. The perforation plates may be solitary to tree per wall, round to reniform. The dimensions of perforated ray cells suggest that they are at least as effective for water flow as axial vessel elements.
LATE CRETACEOUS WOODY DICOTS FROM THE AGUJA AND JAVELINA FORMATIONS, BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS, USA
Authors: Wheeler E. A. , Lehman T. M.
Published: April 2013

Angiosperm woods occur throughout Upper Cretaceous (84–66 million years old) continental strata of Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA. Vertebrate remains occur along the same stratigraphic levels, providing a rare opportunity to reconstruct associations of sedimentary facies, wood remains, and vertebrate remains. The wood collection sites span a vertical stratigraphic succession that corresponds to an environmental transect from poorly-drained coastal salt- or brackish water swamps to progressively better drained freshwater flood-plains lying at increasingly greater distance from the shoreline of the inland Cretaceous sea and at higher elevations. The eight dicot wood types of the Aguja Formation differ from the five types of the Javelina Formation, paralleling a change from a fauna dominated by duckbill and horned dinosaurs to a fauna dominated by the large sauropod, Alamosaurus. These woods increase the known diversity of Cretaceous woods, and include the earliest example of wood with characteristics of the Malvales. The lower part of the upper shale member of the Aguja contains numerous narrow axes, some seemingly in growth position, of the platanoid/ icacinoid type, and of another wood that has a suite of features considered primitive in the Baileyan sense. Duckbill dinosaur remains are common in the facies with these woods. In contrast to other Cretaceous localities with dicot wood, Paraphyllanthoxylon is not common. Dicotyledonous trees are most abundant at the top of the Aguja and the lower part of the Javelina Formations in sediments indicating well-drained inland fluvial flood-plain environments. One locality has logs and insitu stumps, with an average spacing of 12–13 metres between each tree, and trees nearly 1 metre in diameter. To our knowledge this is the first report of anatomically preserved in situ Cretaceous dicot trees. Javelinoxylon wood occurs at all levels where remains of the giant sauropod Alamosaurus occur. The vertebrate faunas of the late Cretaceous of New Mexico and Texas are said to comprise a ʻsouthernʼ fauna distinct from the ʻnorthern faunaʼ of Alberta and Montana. The wood remains are consistent with such provincialism. It has been suggested that dicots were not commonly trees in the late Cretaceous of the northern part of the western interior of North America. The Big Bend woods provide direct evidence for dicot trees having more than a subordinate role in Cretaceous vegetation at lower latitudes. Most of the dicot wood types of Big Bend are characterized by high proportions of parenchyma, over 50% in one type. Whether these high proportions of parenchyma are correlated with the higher CO2 levels of the Cretaceous and /or the pressures exerted by aggressive browsing by large dinosaur herbivores is unknown.
MICROMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WOOD BIODEGRADATION IN WET ENVIRONMENTS: A REVIEW
Authors: Kim Yoon Soo , Singh Adya P.
Published: April 2013

Wood in wet environments is attacked and degraded by soft rot fungi and erosion and tunnelling bacteria, which are more tolerant to high moisture and reduced oxygen conditions than basidiomycetes, such as white and brown rot fungi. Since wood decaying basidiomycete fungi are normally more aggressive and can degrade wood faster than soft rot fungi and bacteria, wood in wet environments can survive for a relatively long time. Archaeological investigations show that wood buried deep in ocean sediments can survive for hundreds and even thousands of years. In this review degradation patterns of various types of microbial wood decay are briefly described, and examples of decay type(s) in wood exposed in various wet environments presented. It is important to understand biological wood decay in wet environments in order to find appropriate ways to prolong woodʼs service life and properly restore wooden artefacts.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF ACIDIC AND ESTERIFIED PECTIN IN CAMBIUM, DEVELOPING XYLEM AND MATURE XYLEM OF PINUS SYLVESTRIS
Authors: Hafrén Jonas , Daniel Geoffrey , Westermark Ulla
Published: April 2013

Homogalacturonans with low and high degree of methyl esterification have been immuno-localised in the cambium, differentiating xylem and mature xylem of Pinus sylvestris, by monoclonal antibodies JIM5 and JIM7. In the unlignified cambial tissue the antibodies revealed a similar distribution for acidic and esterified pectin in the compound middle lamella, ray cell walls and pit membranes. In the lignified xylem tissue, pectin was also found in the compound middle lamella, although dominantly in the methylesterified form. Lignification seemed to coincide with a decrease in the presence of acidic pectin in the compound middle lamella. Both antibodies indicated labelling in pit membranes and ray cell walls in partially and fully lignified wood fibres.
ALUMINIUM ACCUMULATION IN RUBIACEAE: AN ADDITIONAL CHARACTER FOR THE DELIMITATION OF THE SUBFAMILY RUBIOIDEAE?
Authors: Jansen S. , Robbrecht E. , Beeckman H. , Smets E.
Published: April 2013

The chrome azurol-S test, which is a chemical spot-test for Al accumulation in wood, was applied to 443 wood samples of members of the Rubiaceae. A positive reaction was found in 103 specimens. Comparison of the results with earlier analyses of leaves of Rubiaceae shows that Al accumulation occurs more frequently in leaves than in wood. The strongest Al accumulators occur in the neotropical genera Psychotria subg. Heteropsychotria, Coussarea, Faramea, and Rudgea. The distribution of Al accumulators is discussed in view of recent tribal and subfamilial classification of the Rubiaceae. The major conclusion is that Al accumulation is almost limited to the subfamily Rubioideae. Within the Rubioideae, however, not all tribes show the character, especially the predominantly herbaceous Anthospermeae, Paederieae, Rubieae, and Spermacoceae. Al accumulation in the Urophylleae, Pauridiantheae, Craterispermeae, and Knoxieae supports earlier associations of these tribes with the Rubioideae.
WOOD ANATOMY OF ACALYPHOIDEAE (EUPHORBIACEAE)
Authors: John Hayden W. , Hayden Sheila M.
Published: April 2013

Via LM and SEM, we studied wood structure of 51 genera representing 19 tribes of Acalyphoideae, the largest subfamily of Euphorbiaceae. Many acalyphoid woods possess the following features: growth rings indistinct or weakly defined; pores evenly distributed; simple perforation plates (but admixture of irregular scalariform plates common); alternate intervessel pits; vessel-ray pits larger than intervessel pits, circular to elongate and alternate to irregular; thin to moderately thick-walled non-septate fibre-tracheids or libriform wood fibres; parenchyma distribution diffuse, diffuse-in-aggregates, and scanty paratracheal, sometimes in thin-tangential bands; heterocellular rays seldom more than 3 cells wide; and prismatic crystals in parenchyma and /or ray cells. Within this syndrome, a number of other wood characters also occur but at lower frequency. For the most part, the unusual features have not proven systematically informative at the tribal level. Presence of lysigenous radial canals, however, supports recognition of tribe Alchorneae. Wood data do not support the segregation of Peraceae and Pandaceae from subfamily Acalyphoideae.
UTILITY OF WOOD ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS IN CLADISTIC ANALYSES
Authors: Herendeen Patrick S. , Miller Regis B.
Published: April 2013

Wood anatomy is an important source of systematically informative character information that can and should be used in cladistic phylogenetic analyses of relationships in flowering plants. However, the results of a cladistic analysis are only as good as the characters and observations, which together comprise the data set that is analyzed. The goal of this paper is to address the former of these issues, specifically the definition and use of wood anatomical characters in cladistic analyses. We first provide a brief introduction to the principles of cladistics. We then discuss the standard IAWA List of wood anatomical characters, which are defined primarily for identification, and recast them in a format that is more appropriate for cladistic analysis. As a means of illustrating some common problems and their possible solutions, we conclude with a brief discussion of recent cladistic analyses that have included wood anatomical characters.
COMPARISON OF GROWTH DYNAMICS AND WOOD CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTATION-GROWN AND PRIMARY FOREST CARAPA GUIANENSIS IN CENTRAL AMAZONIA
Authors: Bauch Josef , Dünisch Oliver
Published: April 2013

This study responds to the demand for recultivation of degraded land areas in Central Amazonia and the desire to add long-lived trees for high-quality timber production to polyculture plantation systems. Carapa guianensis Aubl. from two monocultures (ages 4 and 17 years) and a primary forest were studied. The growth dynamics of the 4-yearold trees revealed 11 to 15 increments marked by tangentially oriented vessel rows. By the 5th year, parenchyma bands indicate mature wood. Monthly labelling by pin-markers revealed short dormancy periods during the dry season. The early formation of mature wood is shown by the pattern of percentage composition of vessels, fibres, and parenchyma. Fibre length reaches its plateau of 1.45–1.59 mm at about four years. Fibre lengths and average density (0.63 g /cm3) of plantation-grown trees correspond to those of primary forest trees. According to this study, Carapa guianensis can be recommended for plantations in order to produce high-quality timber with a decorative heartwood.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CELL LENGTH AND RING WIDTH AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROWTH RATE IN FIVE CANADIAN SPECIES
Authors: Fujiwara S. , Yang K. C.
Published: April 2013

Variation in cell length and the relationship between cell length and ring width and circumferential growth rate were studied in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), balsam fir (Abies balsamea Mill.), white spruce (Picea glauca Voss), black spruce (Picea mariana Britton, Sterns & Pogg.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) collected in the natural forest in Ontario, Canada. There was a negative relationship between cell length and ring width in jack pine, balsam fir and black spruce, and a positive relationship in trembling aspen. No relationship was found in white spruce. There was a negative relationship between tracheid length and circumferential growth rate in all conifers. In trembling aspen fibre length decreased in both higher and lower circumferential growth rate. Circumferential growth rate is a good index of the effect of tree growth on cell length.
DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A NEW TYPE OF OPTO-ELECTRONIC DENDROMETER
Authors: Yoda Kiyotsugu , Suzuki Mitsuo , Suzuki Hitoshi
Published: April 2013

A new type of dendrometer, comprising two reflection type photointerruptors and flexible mirrors, was developed to record precisely the diameter changes of tree trunks, and the practicality of this device was examined. The maximum resolution of the detector was 600 nm, due to the quantization noise of A /D conversion. Measurement in the laboratory at a constant temperature demonstrated fluctuations in the output of only three bits of A /D conversion, corresponding to a change of c. 3.6 μm in diameter. There was no thermal drift of the device during measurements. Diameter changes of sapling stems and /or a tree trunk of Castanospermum australe (Leguminosae) and Zelkova serrata (Ulmaceae) were measured by this device. In addition to steadily thickening growth and diurnal diameter changes, all the plants showed spikelike diameter changes of the order of minutes, the discovery of which illustrates the superior performance of this new type of dendrometer.
WOOD ANATOMY OF THE VANGUERIEAE (IXOROIDEAERUBIACEAE), WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON SOME GEOFRUTICES
Authors: Lens Frederic , Jansen Steven , Robbrecht Elmar , Smets Erik
Published: April 2013

The Vanguerieae is a tribe consisting of about 500 species ordered in 27 genera. Although this tribe is mainly represented in Africa and Madagascar, Vanguerieae also occur in tropical Asia, Australia, and the isles of the Pacific Ocean. This study gives a detailed wood anatomical description of 34 species of 15 genera based on LM and SEM observations. The secondary xylem is homogeneous throughout the tribe and fits well into the Ixoroideae s.l. on the basis of fibre-tracheids and diffuse to diffuse-in-aggregates axial parenchyma. The Vanguerieae include numerous geofrutices that are characterised by massive woody branched or unbranched underground parts and slightly ramified unbranched aboveground twigs. The underground structures of geofrutices are not homologous; a central pith is found in three species (Fadogia schmitzii, Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri and Tapiphyllum cinerascens var. laetum), while Fadogiella stigmatoloba shows central primary xylem which is characteristic of roots. Comparison of underground versus aboveground wood shows anatomical differences in vessel diameter and in the quantity of parenchyma and fibres.
CONDUCTIVE FUNCTION OF INTERVESSEL PITS THROUGH A GROWTH RING BOUNDARY OF MACHILUS THUNBERGII
Authors: Fujii Tomoyuki , Lee Sung-Jae , Kuroda Naohiro , Suzuki Youki
Published: April 2013

Vessels in some species are connected by intervessel pits on the tangential walls of radial multiples, which may allow the radial flow of sap. This network was investigated in Machilus thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc., a diffuse-porous wood with radial multiples extending through growth ring boundaries. Air permeability measurements suggest radial flow paths exist through a growth ring boundary. Flow paths were pressurestained with reduced basic fuchsin solution. Observations of serial cross sections confirmed the flow paths to be via vessels and intervessel pits in radial multiples of vessels on growth ring boundaries. Resin casts of low-density polyethylene, viewed by scanning electron microscopy, showed the vessel network extending through a growth ring boundary as well as the branching of vessels.
GROWTH RINGS AND TREE GROWTH IN YOUNG PARA RUBBER TREES FROM PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
Authors: Ogata Y. , Nobuchi T. , Fujita M. , Sahri M. H.
Published: April 2013

As part of a study of growth ring structure and growth periodicity in tropical trees, the formation of indistinct growth rings in young Hevea brasiliensis cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia was investigated. The cycle of shoot elongation included the following stages: apical growth (three phases), leaf maturation (two phases), and radial growth with no change in appearance (one phase). Correlation analysis of height and radial increment revealed a 6-week cycle and a 4- to 5-week delay between the height increment and the radial increment. The darker bands visible on wood disks had radially flattened wood fibres and characteristic vessels in radial multiples. It is suggested that the darker bands include growth ring boundaries, but with quite different radial variation of fibre thickness than in growth ring boundaries of temperate trees.
THE EFFECT OF SUBMERGENCE ON ONTOGENY OF CAMBIUM AND SECONDARY XYLEM AND ON FIBER LIGNIFICATION IN INFLORESCENCE STEMS OF ARABIDOPSIS
Authors: Lev-Yadun Simcha , Flaishman Moshe A.
Published: April 2013

The inflorescence stem of Arabidopsis thaliana is characterized by a wavy ring of lignified fibers inward to the cortex. In young stems, primary fibers develop from the ground meristem, forming the outer part of the pith, while in mature stems the fiber system is comprised both of these primary fibers as well as secondary ones that differentiate from the cambium. Typically, the cambium formed in the inflorescence stem is not always continuous. Therefore, the secondary xylem and the secondary parts of the wavy band of fibers are usually formed only in sectors at the circumference. Submergence of the developing inflorescence stem arrests both the lignification of the wavy band of primary fibers and the development of the cambium. The arrest of cambial ontogeny and fiber lignification by environmental conditions offers new avenues to study the cascade of genes involved in cambial initiation and fiber lignification.
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CELLULOSE CRYSTALLITE WIDTH AND TENSION WOOD OCCURRENCE IN EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS
Authors: Washusen Russell , Evans Robert
Published: April 2013

The association between cellulose crystallite width and the occurrence of tension wood was assessed for Eucalyptus globulus Labill., a commercially important plantation hardwood species. Crystallite width (uncorrected for instrumental broadening) was determined from X-ray diffraction patterns collected on SilviScan-2, an instrument developed for the rapid assessment of wood microstructure. Comparisons of crystallite widths were made using 66 samples of tension wood and normal wood selected randomly from one tree known to have abundant tension wood. Tension wood was found to have significantly wider crystallites than normal wood. The mean crystallite widths were 3.6 nm for tension wood and 3.2 nm for normal wood. The normal wood crystallite widths were consistent with those reported in previous studies, allowing for an experimental broadening equivalent to about 0.5 nm in this work. This study demonstrates that SilviScan-2 is useful for the detection of tension wood in solid wood samples such as increment cores.
NEW TECHNIQUES FOR THE ANATOMICAL STUDY OF CHARCOALIFIED WOOD
Authors: Angeles Guillermo
Published: April 2013

Studies of charcoalified wood have followed two main approaches: observation of fractured surfaces, either under the dissecting or SE microscope, and observation of thin slices of epoxy-embedded samples with the light microscope. I introduce here a combination of techniques overcoming some of the problems these typical methods have presented, related to trouble with the high reflectance of fractured surfaces when observations are made using light microscopy, unavailability of equipment, and time-consuming, sample-altering methodologies.

I used transverse surfaces painted with correction fluid for determination of vessel grouping and distribution, and indirect replicas of transverse and longitudinal surfaces made of nail polish for observation of other features including intervessel pit apertures, and ray size and composition. Good results are obtained even with a routine light microscope.
FORMATION AND STRUCTURE OF LARVAL TUNNELS OF PHYTOBIA BETULAE IN BETULA PENDULA
Authors: Bonham V.A. , Barnett J.R.
Published: April 2013

Structural abnormalities in the wood of Betula pendula Roth caused by the larvae of Phytobia betulae Kangas have been examined by light microscopy. The larvae bore through the zone of differentiating xylem from the crown to the base of the tree. The wound callus formed by the tree in response to the damage becomes sclerified and appears as brown streaks running through the wood. In transverse section the tunnels are elliptical in shape up to 3 mm wide and correspond to ʻpith flecksʼ.
A SURVEY OF THE SYSTEMATIC WOOD ANATOMY OF THE RUBIACEAE
Authors: Jansen Steven , Robbrecht Elmar , Beeckman Hans , Smets Erik
Published: April 2013

Recent insight in the phylogeny of the Rubiaceae, mainly based on macromolecular data, agrees better with wood anatomical diversity patterns than previous subdivisions of the family. The two main types of secondary xylem that occur in Rubiaceae show general consistency in their distribution within clades. Wood anatomical characters, especially the fibre type and axial parenchyma distribution, have indeed good taxonomic value in the family. Nevertheless, the application of wood anatomical data in Rubiaceae is more useful in confirming or negating already proposed relationships rather than postulating new affinities for problematic taxa. The wood characterised by fibre-tracheids (type I) is most common, while type II with septate libriform fibres is restricted to some tribes in all three subfamilies. Mineral inclusions in wood also provide valuable information with respect to systematic relationships.
LIGHT SHORTAGE AS A MODIFYING FACTOR FOR GROWTH DYNAMICS AND WOOD ANATOMY IN YOUNG DECIDUOUS TREES
Authors: Hoffmann Silke , Schweingruber Fritz H.
Published: April 2013

Suppressed trees growing under the canopy of mature forests exceed the number of tall, dominant individuals by far. This paper focuses on the wood structure of suppressed trees modified by light shortage. Secondly, the growth dynamics of suppressed deciduous trees within two sites was reconstructed by internal (tree rings) and external (bud scale scars) age determination. The social status of each specimen within the natural regeneration changes with time. Suppressed plants could once have held higher-ranking positions and individuals suffering from periods of suppression are able to recover after light conditions improve. This is an important process for the long-term survival strategy of shade tolerant tree species. Wood anatomy modified by suppression provides additional information on tree growth through the following properties: low percentage of pores in earlywood, changed distribution of pores, indistinct or absent growth ring boundaries, discontinuous growth rings. The low percentage of pores in earlywood may be a means of identifying light shortage in deciduous trees.
WITHIN-TREE VARIATION IN GROWTH RATE AND CELL DIMENSIONS IN THE WOOD OF BLACK LOCUST (ROBINIA PSEUDOACACIA)
Authors: Adamopoulos Stergios , Voulgaridis Elias
Published: April 2013

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is regarded as an important natural resource almost throughout the world but relatively little is known about the within-tree variability of the anatomical characteristics of its wood. Discs 2 cm thick were cut at 2.25 m intervals, from the ground level to the top from ten black locust trees, 18–37-years-old, from the University Forest of Taxiarchi, Chalkidiki, Greece. The discs were used for the determination of growth rate and cell dimensions (fiber length and vessel member length and diameter) and their withintree variability (radial, oblique, vertical). Growth rate increased within the first 5–9 growth rings from the pith and then gradually decreased. Oblique variation of growth rate did not exhibit any clear tendency but a decrease at the top. In the case of vertical variation, growth rate decreased gradually with the year of cambium formation. Radial variability curves were found to be typical for the dimensions of cells (fibers, vessel members) especially for the fiber length. A rapid increase in cell dimensions was observed in the first 7–11 growth rings, the juvenile zone. Oblique and vertical variation of cell dimensions did not exhibit any clear tendencies.
A PROCEDURE BASED ON CONDITIONAL PROBABILITIES TO ESTIMATE PROPORTIONS AND DENSITIES OF TISSUES FROM X-RAY IMAGES OF QUERCUS PETRAEA SAMPLES
Authors: Guilley Edith , Mothe Frédéric , Nepveu Gérard
Published: April 2013

This paper describes a procedure to estimate within-ring proportions and densities of earlywood vessels, fibres and parenchyma, and then validates the procedure for each tissue type. The procedure uses conditional probabilities for these estimates. It was developed using 16 annual growth rings of contrasting anatomy sampled from five mature sessile oaks (Quercus petraea Liebl.). The X-ray images of the sampled rings were converted into density maps and the two components of the rings (i.e. earlywood and latewood) were delimited manually. First, mean tissue densities of individual rings were estimated from anatomical characteristics combined with a simple analysis of the frequency histograms of density in earlywood and latewood. Second, the procedure used the radial position and density of each point of a digitised ring to calculate a probability for a point belonging to either vessels, multiseriate wood rays, fibres or axial parenchyma. The procedure was evaluated using i) measurements of tissue proportions from anatomical sections and ii) measurements of tissue densities performed on X-ray images. The validation demonstrates that the procedure provides an accurate estimation of the proportion and density of earlywood vessels, fibres and axial parenchyma in earlywood and latewood. However, it also demonstrates that the procedure is not sufficiently effective to estimate the proportion of multiseriate wood rays.
BRIEF COMMENTS ON THE NOMENCLATURE OF SOFTWOOD AXIAL RESIN CANALS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED CELLS
Authors: Wiedenhoeft Alex C. , Miller Regis B.
Published: April 2013

The terminology related to axial resin canals in conifers is briefly reviewed, standard terms are clarified and a new term is proposed. The definitions proposed are intended primarily for light microscopic observations. All the cells and spaces of an axial resin canal as differentiated from the axial tracheids are collectively referred to as the resin canal complex. The resin canal is the intercellular space itself, and the epithelium is the uniseriate layer of cells lining the canal. We propose the term subsidiary cells to include all cells exterior to the epithelium, which may be subsidiary parenchyma and /or strand tracheids.
MACROSCOPIC AND ANATOMICAL INVESTIGATION OF INTERLOCKED GRAIN IN ACACIA MANGIUM
Authors: Ogata Y. , Fujita M. , Nobuchi T. , Sahri M.H.
Published: April 2013

Interlocked grains record change in the orientation of axial elements. In this report, vessel and fiber orientations in Acacia mangium Willd. were compared macroscopically and microscopically to analyze the interlocked grain. A method to print the cylindrical surface of a dry wood disk after bark exfoliation was devised to evaluate the stem axis and circumferential grain fluctuation and revealed circumferential heterogeneity in the vessel orientation. Fiber orientation manifested on some radial splits also was heterogeneous. A 3 mm-thick transverse plate was used to estimate vessel orientation with soft X-ray photography, which enables a wider-ranging evaluation than microscopy. Serial tangential thin plates and sections were used to measure fiber orientation angle with reflecting and polarized light microscopy, respectively, and fast Fourier transform. Both vessel and fiber orientations had a similar radial tendency and distinct inversion of the grain. However, the vessel orientation had a larger amplitude of change than fiber orientation.