bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High Tie of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery in Curative Surgery for Left Colonic and Rectal Cancers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Titu L.V. , Tweedle E. , Rooney P.S.
Published: April 2008

Background: During surgery for left colonic and rectal cancers, the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) can be ligated either at its aortic origin (high tie) or below the origin of the left colic artery (low tie). There is no consensus as to which method should be employed. Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane collaboration, and National Guidelines Clearinghouse databases and undertook a systematic review on the use of IMA high tie during curative resections for left colonic and rectal cancers and its impact on patient survival, peri-operative morbidity and mortality, and lymph node retrieval rates. Results: Sixteen studies were eligible for systematic review, including one randomized controlled study, 7 quasi-experimental studies, and 8 retrospective cohort studies. Data on 7,649 patients were analyzed, of whom 4,847 underwent high ligation of the IMA. Despite a trend for improved survival in patients in whom high tie was employed, there is no conclusive evidence to support this. Mortality and morbidity, including anastomotic leak and autonomic nerve injury rates, are similar, while lymph node retrieval is improved. Conclusions: Although there is no undisputable evidence of improved survival, the use of IMA high tie contributes to improved lymph node retrieval rates and accuracy of tumour staging.
Eosinophilic Bronchitis without Asthma
Authors: Gonlugur Ugur , Gonlugur Tanseli Efeoglu
Published: April 2008

Background: Eosinophilic bronchitis without asthma causes chronic coughs without the physiologic features of asthma. The aim of this study was to review the clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this condition. Methods: The current literature was reviewed using Pubmed for all studies published in the English language using the search term ‘eosinophilic bronchitis’. Results: Eosinophilic bronchitis presents as normal spirometry, without evidence of airway hyperresponsiveness, and normal peak expiratory flow variability. When compared with asthma, mast cell recruitment to the superficial airways and mast cell activation appear to be a feature of eosinophilic bronchitis. In contrast, mast cell infiltration in the smooth muscle is significantly higher in asthma patients than in either eosinophilic bronchitis patients or healthy control subjects. In this condition, the absence of high IL-13 expression can contribute to the normal airway reactivity. The cough usually responds well to inhaled corticosteroids but dose and duration of treatment remain unclear. The condition can be transient, episodic or persistent unless treated, and occasionally, patients may require long-term treatment with oral corticosteroids. Conclusions: The condition is an important cause of chronic coughs which are corticosteroid responsive. The study of eosinophilic bronchitis suggests that eosinophil-dependent mechanisms are generally not important in the pathogenesis of asthma.
Evolutionary Changes of Astroglia in Elasmobranchii Comparing to Amniotes: A Study Based on Three Immunohistochemical Markers (GFAP, S-100, and Glutamine Synthetase)
Authors: Ari Csilla , Kálmán Mihály
Published: April 2008

This paper supplements former studies on elasmobranch species with an immunohistochemical investigation into glutamine synthetase and S-100 protein, in addition to GFAP, and extends its scope to the representatives of almost every group of Elasmobranchii: squalomorph sharks, galeomorph sharks, skates (Rajiformes) and rays (Torpediniformes and Myliobatifomes). More glial elements were labeled by S-100 protein, and even more so by using glutamine synthetase immunostaining than by GFAP: more astrocytes (mainly non-perivascular ones) were detected in the telencephalon of sharks, skates and rays. Only the markers S-100 and glutamine synthetase, but not GFAP, characterized the Bergmann-glia of skates and rays and astrocyte-like non-ependymal cells in Squalus acanthias. Another squalomorph shark species, Pristiophorus cirratus, however, had GFAP immunopositive astrocytes. Of all the species studied, the greatest number of GFAP positive astrocytes could be observed in Mobula japanica (order Myliobatiformes), in each major brain part. According to anatomical location, perivascular glia comprised varied types, including even a location in Mobula, which can also be found in mammals. Remnants of radial glia were found in confined areas of skates, less so in rays. In the rhombencephalon and in the spinal cord modified ependymoglia predominated in every group. In conclusion, there was no meaningful difference between the astroglial architectures of squalomorph and galeomorph sharks. The difference in the astroglial structure between sharks and batoids, however, was confined to the telencephalon and mesencephalon, and did not take place in the rhombencephalon, the latter structure being quite similar in all the species studied. The appearance of astrocytes in the relatively thin-walled shark telencephalon, however, indicates that the brain thickening promoted the preponderance of astrocytes rather than their appearance itself. Although the evolutionary changes of astroglia had some similarities in Elasmobranchii and Amniota, there was one meaningful difference: in Elasmobranchii astrocytes did not prevail in conservative brain regions as they did in the progressive brain regions.
An Apparently Identical Extra Autosome in two Severely Retarded Sisters with Multiple Malformations
Authors: Gustavson K.-H. , Hagberg Bengt , Finley Sara C. , Finley Wayne H.
Published: April 2008

Two female siblings, aged 5½ years and 7½ years, with similar clinical and apparently identical cytological findings are presented. They had marked mental deficiency, severe retardation in growth and development, microcephaly, cleft palate, micrognathia and low-set malformed ears. The younger one expired during the course of the study and autopsy revealed an atrial septal defect of the secundum type. Cells from peripheral blood cultures of both patients and cells from cultures of several different organs of the deceased patient consistently had 47 chromosomes. The extra small autosome could not be identified with certainty. It closely resembles one of the small acrocentrics, but the signs and symptoms of the two patients were quite different from those reported to be associated with trisomy for chromosome 21 (mongolism) or 22. Alternatively, it could be a deleted member of another group. As there are some clinical and pathological similarities to the syndromes associated with trisomy in groups 13–15 and 17–18, it is possible that this extra autosome is a deleted member of one of these groups. This is the second report of an extra autosome occurring in siblings except in mongolism.
Familial Mongolism
Authors: Shaw Margery W.
Published: April 2008

Cytogenetic studies of 77 individuals, including 13 mongols, in six families are described. Chromosomal abnormalities which are segregating include a 13–15/21 type translocation (three families), a 21/22 translocation (one family), and a deletion of the short arm of chromosome no. 21 (one family). Clinical, biographical, and karyological data are presented. Segregation ratios are discussed. Serological data for eight blood group loci are given in all families in a search for linkage of these markers with the mongol chromosome.
The Chromosomes of Ellobius lutescens Th. (Mammals-Muridae – Microtinae)
Authors: Matthey R.
Published: April 2008

1. The chromosome complement of Ellobius lutescens (2 N = 17 in both sexes) is the simplest known for higher mammals. 2. The author has tried to apply the criteria proposed in the Denver System to six mitoses (three of each sex) obtained from the bone marrow of animals which had previously been treated with Colcemid. 3. The results are no more exact than those previously obtained by the author (Matthey, 1957) on material which had not been treated with Colcemid. 4. The results seem to some extent applicable to the group C chromosomes (autosomes 6–12 and the X) of the human karyotype and justify the scepticism of Patau (1961) concerning the possibility of individually identifying all human chromosomes. 5. The comparison of the long, despiralized mitotic chromosomes (1957 material) with the contracted ones shows that the contraction induced by colchicine does not modify the relative proportions of the chromosomes nor the value of the centromeric index. These findings are in contradiction with the conclusions of Sasaki (1960).
A Reciprocal Translocation in the Mouse Between the X Chromosome and a Short Autosome
Authors: Ford C.E. , Evans E.P.
Published: April 2008

Preparations were obtained from the testes of six sterile males of the T(X; ?) 16H stock. 81.7% of 694 primary spermatocytes in stages from diakinesis to first metaphase contained chain quadrivalents composed of a terminal Y chromosome and three other elements that were distinguishable in length. A normal XY pair was not seen in any cell. These observations and others indicate that the stock carries an unequal reciprocal translocation between the X chromosome and one of the shortest autosomes, the break points being approximately median in both chromosomes. This suggests that the locus of tabby (Ta), which is known to be closely linked with the breakage point, lies near the middle of the X chromosome.
Twins, Probably Monozygotic: One Mongoloid with 48 Chromosomes, the Other Normal
Authors: Dekaban A.
Published: April 2008

A five-year-old mongoloid female twin was found to have the aneuploid number of 48 chromosomes. The karyotypic analysis revealed the presence of trisomy G and an additional abnormal chromosome in the smallest length range. Appropriate measurements of the chromosomes, studies of the association and satellites as well as DNA synthesis have provided certain information about the abnormal chromosome; however, its precise derivation could not be established at this time. The interest in this patient is further enhanced by the finding that she is one of twins, probably monozygotic; her twin sister is normal in all respects. Both twins have identical blood groups, Gm types and haptoglobins. Analysis of the palm and sole prints of the twins is also compatible with their monozygosity. The possible mechanism leading to the chromosomal and clinical abnormality encountered is discussed.
Gene Action in the X Chromosome of the Cat (Felis Catus L.)
Authors: Norby D.E. , Thuline H.C.
Published: April 2008

The size of yellow and black spots in the coats of cats heterozygous for the pair of alleles controlling these colors is shown to vary in proportion to the degree of white spotting. This appears to be an example of the control of X-inactivation mosaicism of black and yellow by the autosomal locus producing the white spotting, by some mechanism as yet undescribed.
Abnormalities of Human Chromosomes Following Therapeutic Irradiation
Authors: Millard Rosemary E.
Published: April 2008

Blood leucocytes were cultured from six men before and at intervals after therapeutic irradiation of the abdomen and pelvis. There was no evidence of increased aneuploidy after exposure. By the end of radiotherapy, 32 % of metaphases showed chromosome structural aberrations (control 2 %); these declined to 8 % by the end of the follow-up (17–19 months after treatment). Cells with ‘unstable’ aberrations declined faster than ‘stable’ cells. No clones of cells were observed. Many polyploid metaphases were seen in the cultures after irradiation. There was no evidence that they were derived from circulating tumour cells or other large cells. The irradiated bone marrow was aplastic. Cells from unirradiated bone marrow had normal chromosomes. Thus, there was no evidence for the propagation of small lymphocytes (or other cells) with radiation-induced chromosome ‘markers’ in the bone marrow.
A Method for the Culture of Leucocytes of the Guinea Pig (Cavia cobaya) with Karyotype Analysis
Authors: Watson E.D. , Blumenthal H.T. , Hutton W.E.
Published: April 2008

A technique is described which facilitates the culture of guinea pig leucocytes. Mitotic indices with this technique range from·to 9.3 with a mean of 6.4. The modal number of 64 in the diploid form confirms that found by others with fixed tissue cells. The ready identification of the X chromosome because of its distinctive shape suggests the possibility of studying the influence of experimental conditions on its morphology.
A Mouse Translocation Giving a Metacentric Marker Chromosome
Authors: Evans E.P. , Lyon Mary F. , Daglish Mary
Published: April 2008

The paper describes genetic and cytological studies of mice carrying a sub-metacentric chromosome, apparently formed by the combination of a medium-sized acrocentric chromosome with a small one having a secondary constriction. The chromosome arose spontaneously in a stock of mice carrying Cattanach’s translocation and has been designated translocation T163H. Heterozygotes and homozygotes of both sexes have 39 and 38 chromosomes respectively and are phenotypically normal and fertile. The fertility of male heterozygotes is somewhat reduced, but females are fully fertile. There was a normal Mendelian segregation of the chromosome among the progeny. Cytologically, there was little evidence of instability of the chromosome, and at mitosis the long and short arm appeared equivalent in length to the tenth longest and the shortest acrocentric chromosomes respectively. At first meiotic metaphase in male heterozygotes a trivalent was recognised in all cells, and at second metaphase 98% of cells had a balanced chromosome complement with either 18 acrocentrics and a metacentric or 20 acrocentrics. Homozygous males had 19 bivalents at first meiotic metaphase, and that formed by the metacentrics was identifiable in many cells as a large ring bivalent. The translocation had a chromosome in common with translocation T138Ca, thought to be the chromosome carrying linkage group II. The chromosome provides a useful marker. The mechanism of its formation is not known.
Autoradiographic Re-Appraisal of an XXXxY Male as a Probable XXXXY with a 4/11 Translocation
Authors: Ockey C.H. , de la Chapelle A.
Published: April 2008

A case previously described as an XXXxY male has been re-appraised using 3H-thymidine. A balanced translocation probably involving the long arms of chromosomes 4 and 11 was found; all four X chromosomes were normal. Without quantitative autoradiography, this case would not have been correctly evaluated. The translocation was carried only in the balanced form. The translocated segment did not alter its labelling behaviour in its new site. Apart from the propositus, who had XXXXY sex chromosomes and the typical clinical features of the XXXXY syndrome, a brother and the father, both healthy, had the autosomal translocation. Pedigree and blood group studies showed no apparent abnormalities in the family.
Spontaneous chromosomal alteration in cell lines of poikilothermic origin (Gekko gecko)
Authors: Cohen M.M. , Clark H.F.
Published: April 2008

Cell cultures derived from the heart (GH-1) and lung (GL-1) of an adult male Tokay gekko (Gekko gecko) have been serially propogated for more than two years. Cytogenetic examination of primary cultures as well as various subcultures from different passage levels of both lines was undertaken. The diploid karyotype possesses 38 chromosomes with no evident heteromorphic pair in either sex nor presence of microchromosomes. In the cultured cells, a bimodal distribution of chromosome numbers (38 and 40) was evident in both the GH-1 and GL-1 lines. The same subtelocentric chromosome was affected in both lines. In the GH-1 line, this element appeared tetrasomic, but one member of the group appeared to have undergone a pericentric inversion. The GL-1 line also showed tetrasomy for this chromosome. Attempts to repeat this karyotypic alteration by thawing cells frozen at low passage levels were unsuccessful, although cells from these cultures possessing 39 chromosomes were trisomic for the subtelocentric chromosome.
Factors influencing mammalian X chromosome condensation and sex chromatin formation
Authors: Klinger H.P. , Davis Jessica , Goldhuber Phyllis , Ditta Tina , Leitner J. , Mattingly C. , Rubin H.
Published: April 2008

The aim of this study is to determine why, in contrast to expectations based on the Lyon hypothesis, a variable number of nuclei of cells from mammalian females are sex chromatin negative. The frequency of sex chromatin positive nuclei was determined in cell cultures of varying cell densities. The cells were derived from seven chromosomally normal human female embryos, one newborn female with an extra E group chromosome and two normal male embryos. In all cultures of females the frequency of sex chromatin positive nuclei increased linearly from about 35% to 60% at cell densities of less than one cell per 0.01 mm2 of culture surface to 90% to 100% at densities of 20 to 125 cells per 0.01 mm2. This frequency-to-density relationship was independent of the mitotic rate and the rate at which cell density increased. When large variations in cell density were produced intentionally on the same glass coverslip, sex chromatin frequency was related to the density of cells in any one area of a coverslip and seemed to be largely independent of the cell density in other parts of the coverslip. The frequency of sex-chromatin-like bodies of male cultures remained very low at all cell densities. These and other preliminary observations described suggest that, in the nucleus of the female, sex chromatin formation resulting from the condensation of an X chromosome at interphase is not directly related to the mitotic cycle but may be related to the metabolic state of the cell.
Chromosomal analysis of Rana pipiens, Bufo americanus and their hybrid
Authors: Kiley Sheila , Wohnus J.F.
Published: April 2008

Karyotypes and a composite idiogram are presented for the parent species. Viable hybrids obtained by fertilizing eggs of Bufo americanus with Rana pipiens sperm were obtained. Chromosomal analysis of these hybrids demonstrated that they had a diploid number of 24 chromosomes, intermediate between 22 for B. americanus and 26 for R. pipiens. Fourteen of the chromosomes of the hybrids could be identified on the basis of structural characteristics or measurements as to their parental origin. The remaining ten chromosomes could not be identified with certainty because of similarities of these in the parents.
Pericentric inversion in a family with a 21/22 translocation
Authors: Soudek D. , Laxová Renata , Adámek R.
Published: April 2008

A pericentric inversion has been discovered in one branch of a family, in which a 21/22 translocation of the usual type had been transmitted through three generations. The female carrier of the translocation with inversion appears to be phenotypically normal. She has, however, an obvious tendency to develop aneuploid offspring.
Chronology of DNA replication in the sex chromosomes of the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.)
Authors: Fraccaro M. , Gustavsson I. , Hultén Maj , Lindsten J. , Tiepolo L.
Published: April 2008

The chromosomes of the reindeer (2n = 70) were studied with special reference to the chronology of DNA replication of the sex chromosomes. The X chromosome was metacentric and nearly of the duplicate type, being about 9% in length of the total complement. All the other chromosomes, including the Y, were acrocentric except one submetacentric pair. The X and Y chromosomes were apparently terminally associated at first meiotic metaphase in the male. A single, rather large chromocenter was observed in the majority of cultured female cells. The male cells were predominately negative but occasionally demonstrated a somewhat smaller, distinct chromocenter. Autoradiography showed that in the female cultured cells the ‘one entire X plus half of the other X heavily labelled’ pattern was conspicuously present at the end of the S period. A quantitative analysis indicated that one hour from the end of the S period both X chromosomes were uniformely labelled. One X was still completely labelled, while one arm of the other was not 45 min before the end of S, and at 30 min only one arm in each X chromosome was labelled. The two X chromosomes then seemed to be slightly asynchronous until the very end of S. In the male cells semiquantitative analysis indicated that one arm of the X and the entire Y chromosome were synchronous in terminating DNA synthesis.
Two generations of 13-15 chromosomal mosaicism: possible evidence for a genetic defect in the control of chromosomal replication
Authors: Green, Jr. J.R. , Krovetz L.J. , Taylor W.J.
Published: April 2008

An identical nontranslocation autosomal mosaicism occurring in two consecutive generations is presented. A mother and two of her four daughters have been demonstrated to be 46/47 mosaics. The trisomic cells have an extra autosome in the 13–15, or D, group. The proband and one of her sisters reveal varying phenotypic expressions of the trisomic state. The mother and her two other daughters are phenotypically normal. The observation of 46/47 chromosomal mosaicism in man in a pattern which suggests that it is under genetic control necessitates the introduction of a new theory since it cannot be explained by earlier hypotheses which are directed towards understanding the chance occurrence of an individual mosaic. The rapidly accumulating evidence of the nonrandomness of chromosomal abnormalities points towards a possible defect in primary gene control of DNA replication. It is theorized that a gene which regulates the replication of a chromosome in the 13–15, or D, group is defective and that, as a result, this chromosome replicates twice instead of once during some, but not all mitoses, producing a mosaic of trisomic and normal cells. Presumably, the postulated mutant gene is present in the heterozygous state in the affected individuals and behaves as a dominant, with half of the children of an affected parent being abnormal.
The chromosomes of the domestic rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus
Authors: Issa M. , Atherton G.W. , Blank C.E.
Published: April 2008

The rabbit karyotype is divided into 11 groups on the combined basis of the arm ratio and relative length of the chromosomes. This division is compared with rabbit karyotypes derived by other authors. Radioautographic techniques are used as an aid to the identification of the sex chromosomes. Chromosome preparations from mitotic cells of pre-implantation embryos and from adult rabbit biopsy specimens are analysed. Techniques are described by which chromosome preparations may be obtained from pre-implantation embryos and for the rapid culture of adult rabbit tissues. Attention is drawn to an accurate method of chromosome measurement.
Quantitative studies on the arrangement of human metaphase chromosomes
Authors: Zang K.D. , Back Elke
Published: April 2008

Two populations of normal persons were investigated for associations of acrocentric chromosomes in lymphocyte cultures. We studied in the first series (macrocultures), 1,300 metaphase cells from five males and eight females, in the second series (microcultures), 1,550 metaphase cells from 31 males and 31 females. In the second series all the absolute values were significantly lower than in the first series. In both populations no statistically significant sex differences were observed. Differentiating between D-D, D-G and G-G associations, a relative increase of G-G associations could be shown. In a double variance analysis, performed with the results of the first series, a high stability of individual association patterns could be shown. In a single χztest of the second series significant deviations from the expected D-D, D-G and G-G associations for the individuals were observed.
Cytogenetics of Saanen goats showing abnormal development of the reproductive tract associated with the dominant gene for polledness
Authors: Soller M. , Padeh B. , Wysoki M. , Ayalon N.
Published: April 2008

Genetic studies have shown that the dominant gene for polledness found in the Saanen breed will, when homozygous, lead to pseudohermaphrodism, testicular hypoplasia or epididymal sperm granuloma and to an abnormal sex ratio (excess of males). An analysis of chromosomal constitution and nuclear appendages in peripheral leucocytes and tissue cultures of 17 pseudohermaphrodites, 10 males with epididymal sperm granuloma and 3 males with testicular hypoplasia was carried out. Sex chromatin could not be unequivocally distinguished in buccal or urinary bladder smears owing to the presence of other large chromatin masses. In no case was any trace of ovarian tissue found. One pseudohermaphrodite was a blood chimaera (XX/XY). This animal, a typical freemartin, was indistinguishable in anatomy or histology from the other pseudohermaphrodites. The chromosomal constitution and nuclear appendages of the remaining 16 pseudohermaphrodites and of the males with testicular hypoplasia were those of a genetic female. It is concluded that the pseudohermaphroditic effect of the polled gene is limited to genetic females and that males with testicular hypoplasia are actually genetic females showing an extreme pseudohermaphroditic effect. The abnormal sex ratio characteristic of the Saanen breed is thus shown to be a trivial consequence of classifying extreme pseudohermaphrodites as males. The chromosomal constitution and nuclear appendages of the males with epididymal sperm granuloma were those of a normal male. Hence the genetic factor for polledness, when homozygous in genetic males, can lead to the development of epididymal sperm granuloma.
Number of each type of acrocentric association and probability of its occurrence in human male and female metaphase cells
Authors: Galperin Helene
Published: April 2008

In this study we have used a method enabling associations between acrocentrics to be determined without recourse to any subjective measurements. By this method, with computer assistance, we were able to investigate the number and probability of occurrence of different types of acrocentric associations (D-D, G-G, D-G) in human male and female spread metaphases. The number of associations per cell are, in ascending order: G-G = 0.28; D-D = 0.37; D-G = 0.91. Their probability of occurrence per 100 cells is, in ascending order: D-D = 2.45; D-G = 3.82; G-G = 4.64. The results show that, on a per cell basis, the most numerous associations are between D and G chromosomes (D-G) because of the greater number of combinations possible. But in terms of chromosome pairwise associations, the clearest probability, or trend, to association seems to be within group G (G-G).
In vitro alteration of satellite association and nucleolar persistence in mitotic human lymphocytes
Authors: Nankin H.R. , Brecher S. , Mullins Judith
Published: April 2008

Satellite association (SA) in lymphocytes obtained from women was found in 89.9% of cells after 48 h in culture and in 66.1% of cells after 96 h. After 48 h, 33.7% of acrocentrics participate in SA, whereas 30.7%, and 17.7% participate after 72 and 96 h. Prophase through prometaphase nucleoli were found in 26.8% of cells after 48 h and in 13.1% of cells after 96 h. SA and mitotic nucleoli are most common in 48 h cultures, and both decrease with increasing in vitro duration. These findings suggest a relationship between nucleolar persistence and SA.
Clarification of alleged “cytologically verified” hybrids between a toad and a frog
Authors: Volpe E.P. , Duplantier D. , Earley Elizabeth M.
Published: April 2008

The unusual finding by Kiley and Wohnus (1968) of “true” hybrids from a Bufo americanus ♀ × Rana pipiens ♂ mating has been controverted by Bogart et al. (1969). The latter argued, on theoretical grounds, that the alleged hybrid embryos were rather gynogenetic diploid embryos. We present experimental evidence that the sperm of the leopard frog (Rana pipiens) lacks the competence to penetrate or activate the egg of a toad of the genus Bufo. We suggest that the presumed hybrid embryos were derived from eggs of Bufo americanus inseminated (accidentally) by a male of the same species.
A complex familial translocation involving chromosomes 5, 9 and 13
Authors: Fredga K. , Hall B.
Published: April 2008

The chromosomes of two phenotypically normal individuals of a family with a complex chromosome rearrangement were studied. Karyotype analysis and measurements of certain chromosomes showed three abnormal chromosomes, and the apparently balanced karyotypes were interpreted as the result of reciprocal translocations between a B-, a C- and a D-group chromosome. The B- and D-group chromosomes involved were identified as a No. 5 and a No. 13 by means of autoradiography and the C-group chromosome as a No. 9 on morphological grounds.
Familial normal/partial trisomy 16 with selective endoreduplication in malformed proband
Authors: Drets M.E. , Cardoso J.H. , Delfino A.H. , Carrau J.
Published: April 2008

A malformed infant and her phenotypically normal relatives were studied cytogenetically. Mosaicism consisting of normal cells and cells carrying an abnormally long chromosome 16 was detected in members of three generations of the same family. The abnormal chromosome presented a terminal secondary constriction and an extra chromosome segment. Breakage of the abnormal secondary constriction and separation of the extra chromosome segment from the abnormal No. 16 occurred in all the carriers in the family. The proband also presented selective endoreduplication of the abnormal segment with subsequent successive separation of the extra fragments formed. The cytogenetic mechanisms involved in the production of these chromosome aberrations and their possible phenotypical consequences are discussed.
Sexual dimorphism in somatic interphase nuclei of snakes
Authors: Ray-Chaudhuri S.P. , Singh L. , Sharma T.
Published: April 2008

Somatic interphase nuclei of different tissues of heterogametic females of various species of snakes with a differentiated W chromosome possess a distinct, darkly stained chromocenter comparable to the characteristic mammalian sex chromatin. The absence of such a prominent body in similar tissues of homogametic males, the allocycly in the DNA replication pattern exhibited by the W, and the positive correlation between the size of the chromocenter and the size of the W in different species are the evidence from which it is concluded that the sex-chromatin body of the interphase nuclei in snakes is formed by the W chromosome of the heterogametic females. The lack of incorporation of 3H-uridine by the chromocenter indicates its inactivity. In order to distinguish this heteropycnotic body from the sex chromatin of the homogametic sex in mammals, it is suggested that it be termed “W chromatin”.
Chromosome structure and function in man
Authors: Hungerford D.A.
Published: April 2008

The advance of pachytene chromosome mapping as a practical method in human cytogenetic analysis has been hindered by preparations of insufficient quality. Slides suitable for chromomere mapping of pachytene chromosomes in the human male have been obtained with the use of an improved preparative method which incorporates hypotonic pretreatment in 0.125 m KC1 for 60 min at 37°C and the substitution of air-drying for squashing. These preparations meet the minimal requirements we propose: (1) accurately countable pachytene complements are present, and (2) patterns of discrete chromomeres are present late in pachytene. A further observation is that centromere positions of the autosomes are marked early in the pachytene stage by heavily compacted chromomeres; arm ratios derived on the basis of this assumption agree well with those of somatic metaphase chromosomes. The XY bivalent has not exhibited a comparable chromomere pattern, possibly because of its precocious compaction. Pachytene chromomere maps of normal bivalents provide a basis for higher resolution in the analysis of structural variation in the human chromosome complement.
Inherited pericentric inversion of chromosome 5: a family with history of neonatal death and a case of the ‘cri du chat’ syndrome
Authors: Faed M.J.W. , Marrian V.J. , Robertson J. , Robson E.B. , Cook P.J.L.
Published: April 2008

Only a few families have been recorded in which an inherited pericentric inversion has been shown to give rise to a chromosome with a duplication-deletion in a child with congenital malformations. This family, with a pericentric inversion of chromosome 5, was ascertained through a child with the “cri du chat” syndrome. Although no other cases of this syndrome were identified in the family, there was a history of neonatal death as well as infertility. Banding studies with the fluorescent and trypsin/Giemsa techniques showed the inverted segment to be large. None of the biochemical markers studied segregated with the marker chromosome.
Identification of Syrian hamster chromosomes by acetic-saline-Giemsa (ASG) and trypsin techniques
Authors: Popescu N.C. , DiPaolo J.A.
Published: April 2008

The Syrian hamster karyotype was established by use of known banding techniques with ASG and trypsin. Each pair of chromosomes was definitely identified on the basis of banding patterns. Differences in patterns between the two techniques were limited to resolution of fine bands in some chromosomes. Examination of 4-nitroquinoline-n-oxide transformed cells after use of the trypsin technique made possible accurate identification of numerical changes in chromosome groups and of chromosomes with uncommon banding patterns which occurred subsequent to neoplastic transformation.
A new electrophoretic technique for mouse, human, and Chinese hamster galactokinase
Authors: Nichols E.A. , Elsevier S.M. , Ruddle F.H.
Published: April 2008

In this paper we describe an electrophoretic, autoradiographic technique for galactokinase which will separate the mouse, Chinese hamster, and human enzyme.
Support for European Union Environmental Policy by Citizens of EU-Member and Accession States
Authors: Lengfeld Holger , Gerhards Jürgen
Published: April 2008

In a first step we reconstruct the emergence and content of European Union environmental policies and their underlying normative ideas. These policies have become increasingly important since the 1970s such that today the EU expects member states actively to protect the natural environment even at the price of less economic freedom and higher financial costs. We then analyze the extent to which citizens support the idea of protecting the environment. Overall the approval rating for the EU ecological ideas is rather high, and environmental protection is an integral component of European citizens' values. Nevertheless, not all countries support this to the same degree. Citizens of EU-15 countries show higher levels of support for having the environment take precedence over economic claims than do citizens in Accession I and II country groups and in Turkey. As regression analysis shows, the level of support depends on several factors. The most important ones are a country's level of economic modernization and its citizens' post-material value orientation.
The American Past Politicized: Uses and Misuses of History
Authors: Kammen Michael
Published: April 2008

This article examines some of the major ways in which American history has been written, revised, and reinterpreted from partisan perspectives and for political purposes. It takes note of the Revolutionary founders' concerns about the ways in which their pivotal era (1765-1789) was likely to be misunderstood or distorted; how several of the most central events in the national narrative, such as the sectional conflict and Civil War, came to be misremembered for politically self-serving reasons; how presidents have misread or misrepresented American and international history to justify their policies; how the Supreme Court (and lower courts) has used history selectively to achieve outcomes (often desirable) that the justices felt were necessary; and finally, how the so-called culture wars of the early 1990s caused innocent words like “interpretation” and “revisionism” to become fighting phrases and the basis for shrill and often small-minded polemics between progressive and conservative agendas.
The Future of Memory
Authors: Lebow Richard Ned
Published: April 2008

The author compares and contrasts the public discourse over memory in Western Europe and North America. The greater awareness in continental Europe of memory as a political resource and site of contestation has profound implications for elite behavior and mass responses. It also has the potential to alter the dynamics by which collective and institutional memory is created, recalled, and altered.
The Politics of History and Memory in Democratic Spain
Authors: Boyd Carolyn P.
Published: April 2008

This article examines the political uses of history and memory in Spain since the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975. The myth of the war as a collective tragedy facilitated the democratic transition, as did the Amnesty Law of 1977, which applied to the agents of Franquist repression as well as its victims. Once democracy was consolidated, professional historians clarified military responsibility for the civil war and documented the extent of the repression; the right responded by reviving the Franquist myth of the civil war as a crusade against communism. “Memory” replaced history in public discourse with the breakdown of the transition consensus and the maturation of a generation with no recall of the war or the dictatorship. Demands for official condemnation of the dictatorship and public recognition of its victims culminated in the passage of the so-called Law of Historical Memory in October 2007.
Blank Spots in Collective Memory: A Case Study of Russia
Authors: Wertsch James V.
Published: April 2008

The dynamics of collective remembering are examined by analyzing what happens when a “blank spot” in history is filled with information that had previously not been available or publicly acknowledged. Taking Russian accounts of the secret protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 as a case study, it is argued that “schematic narrative templates” that shape deep collective memory give rise to a tendency to maintain this memory and help it overcome the “narrative rift” that occurs when embarrassing episodes from the past are publicly acknowledged. Schematic narrative templates are set forth as underlying strong conservative forces that resist change in collective memory at a deep level. It is suggested that debates grounded in formal history may help overcome this resistance to change but that such efforts will be limited as long as the forces of deep collective memory are not recognized.
Can Truth Be Negotiated? History Textbook Revision as a Means to Reconciliation
Authors: Pingel Falk
Published: April 2008

International school textbook revision and research became a professional academic activity after the First World War. It broadened its scope and methodological approaches considerably after the collapse of the bipolar world. Today, a number of different agencies, such as international governmental institutions, NGOs, and academic as well as pedagogical institutions, are involved in projects on the revision of history teaching in postconflict societies. This article examines the pros and cons of different project designs, focusing on the sometimes contradictory aims projects are expected to achieve and on the interplay between the various agencies. Examples highlighting the reconstruction and reconciliation process are taken from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel-Palestine, and Rwanda and South Africa.
Challenged Histories and Collective Self-Concepts: Politics in History, Memory, and Time
Authors: Heisler Martin O.
Published: April 2008

Societies, like individuals, strive to have positive self-concepts. They endow stories of their origin and associate their course through history with ethical principles that attest to who they are and how they want to be seen. Such principles define the society for its members and for the world at large. But all societies must at some time confront evidence of actions undertaken in their name that violate their fundamental principles and conflict with their desired self-image. Following a glance at the basic elements of the politics of history and identity, the author suggests two sources of the tensions between “bad acts” and positive self-concepts. Both relate to shifts in developmental time. First, actions not considered wrong when they were undertaken in the past are inconsistent with current expectation. Second, transsocietal differences in normative frameworks lead to cross-boundary criticisms of behavior in which the critics' societies likely engaged at an earlier time. Accusations or criticisms generally meet with defensive, often hostile responses. Hypocrisy tends to rule in most cases, with little or no normative learning.
Disputes in Japan over the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” System and Its Perception in History
Authors: Hayashi Hirofumi
Published: April 2008

In 2007, then-Japanese Prime Minister Abe stirred up controversy by denying that “comfort women” were coerced by the Japanese military. He was supported by more than a few politicians, and his opinion may be viewed as a reflection of the nationalistic atmosphere of Japanese society. Since the early 1990s, research has been establishing proof that the Japanese government and military were fully and systematically involved in the comfort women system and that the system violated numerous international and domestic laws. Ultrarightist groups have been trying to erase the fruits of such research. The U.S. House of Representatives' resolution in July 2007 (H. Res. 121) and Abe's sudden resignation seem to mean that the ultrarightist movement toward historical revision has come to a deadlock. The comfort women issue and other questions about Japan's war responsibilities may have an important impact on Japan's future.
The Japanese History Textbook Controversy in East Asian Perspective
Authors: Schneider Claudia
Published: April 2008

Controversy over the inadequate presentation of Japan's colonial and wartime past in the country's history textbooks is one of the most protracted, notorious, and politically relevant “history problems” currently troubling East Asia. This article provides an overview of the controversy's evolution since 1982, situating it in changing domestic and regional contexts, analyzing its particularities and interrelations with other controversial issues, and evaluating its impacts on textbooks and societies at large. It shows how increased domestic and foreign scrutiny and contestation have triggered cycles of greater openness, conservative counterreactions, subsequent backlashes, and renewed debate in the field of textbooks and have overall contributed both to reinforcements and to reconsiderations of foreign relations in the region.
Constitutionalist Contention in Contemporary Egypt
Authors: El-Ghobashy Mona
Published: April 2008

This article tackles the problem of political—institutional change in undemocratic regimes commonly considered impervious to meaningful political contention. Egypt is one of the contemporary world's most stolid authoritarian regimes, a superpresidential system in which all effective power resides in the executive. It has been governed by uninterrupted emergency law since 1981 and since 1992 has experienced a further process of political deliberalization. Simultaneously, Egyptian politics have witnessed the rise of new political actors: courts, human rights organizations, and professional associations. What explains such manifestations of political dynamism in the midst of political stasis? This article contends that two processes of legal mobilization and internationalization have interacted to produce revived courts, new human rights organizations, and transformed professional unions. This interpretation departs from the emphasis on authoritarian resilience in the Middle East, advancing a more relational conception of state—society relations.
Analysis of Left Ventricular Changes After Acute Myocardial Infarction Using Transthoracic Real-Time Three-Dimensional Echocardiography
Authors: Yang Ning-I , Hung Ming-Jui , Cherng Wen-Jin , Wang Chao-Hung , Cheng Chi-Wen , Kuo Li-Tang
Published: April 2008

Background Little information is available regarding the relationship between three-dimensional (3-D) echocardiographic parameters in acute stage of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and subsequent left ventricular (LV) remodeling after AMI.

Methods Consecutive patients with AMI were analyzed for echocardiographic predictors of subsequent LV remodeling after AMI using two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography and real-time 3-D echocardiography at baseline and month 3 of follow-up. LV adverse and favorable remodeling were defined as a >10% and ≤10% increase in 3-D derived LV end diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) at 3 months' follow-up compared with baseline, respectively.

Results 19 AMI patients underwent real-time 3-D echocardiography at baseline and at 3 months after AMI. In patients with favorable remodeling (n = 12), baseline, LVEDVI, LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) and LV stroke volume index (LVSVI) were significantly increased compared with patients with adverse remodeling. At 3 months of follow-up, patients with favorable remodeling had significant 3-D LVEDVI, LVESVI, and systolic sphericity index reductions compared to patients with adverse remodeling in which these variables were increased. Baseline clinical and echocardiographic variables were analyzed for the identification of favorable LV remodeling. Of these, LVESVI was the most predictive variable with sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for a cutoff value of >42 mL/m2 of 75%, 71%, 75%, and 71%, respectively.

Conclusions LVESVI assessed by 3-D echocardiography was the most predictive parameter indicating favorable LV remodeling after AMI. LV shape on contraction changed from elliptical shape to more globular in the adverse remodeling process after AMI.
Effect of Antihypertensive Therapy on Serum Lipids in Newly Diagnosed Essential Hypertensive Men
Authors: Nandeesha Hanumanthappa , Pavithran Purushothaman , Madanmohan T
Published: April 2008

The effect of antihypertensives on serum lipids in newly diagnosed male essential hypertensive patients was studied. The participants (n = 99) were randomly allocated to receive amlodipine, atenolol, enalapril, hydrochlorothiazide, and a combination of amlodipine and atenolol. Lipid parameters were estimated before and after 8 weeks of therapy. The atenolol and thiazide group showed a significant increase in triglycerides (TGs) and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and HDL-C to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ratio were significantly increased and TC to HDL-C ratio was significantly decreased in the amlodipine and amlodipine–atenolol combination groups. In the enalapril group, we found a significant reduction in TC, TGs, VLDL-C, non-HDL-C, and TG to HDL-C ratio after treatment. It can be concluded from the present study that some drugs have beneficial effects on the lipid status, whereas others adversely affect the lipid status in hypertension.