bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of mucosal surface reduction after ethmoidal surgery in nasal polyposis
Authors: Bonfils P , Avan P , Palimi P , Malinvaud D 
Published: May 2007

Objectives: To assess the reduction of mucosal surface after total sphenoethmoidectomy.Study design: Prospective study.Methods: Twelve normal, consecutive computed tomography scans were used. Computed tomography measurements were made at two different levels: the cribriform plate, and the upper level of the maxillary antrum. The length of the lateral wall of the ethmoid sinus and the perimeter of each ethmoid cell were measured at each level and on each side. The whole perimeter of the ethmoid sinus was evaluated for each CT scan level. For each side and each level, the ratio between the ethmoid sinus perimeter and the lateral ethmoid wall length was calculated.Results: The mean length of the lateral ethmoid sinus wall was 61.7±1.3 mm and 59.9±1.6 mm at the upper and lower parts of the ethmoid sinus, respectively. The mean ethmoid sinus perimeter was 263.2±11.5 mm and 250.4±11.1 mm at the upper and lower parts of the ethmoid sinus, respectively. No significant statistical difference was observed between measurements as a function of side (right or left) or level (upper or lower). The mean ratio between the ethmoid sinus perimeter and the lateral ethmoid wall length was 4.2.Conclusion: After total sphenoethmoidectomy, the mucosal surface of the ethmoid sinuses is reduced by a factor of 4.2; about 76 per cent of the mucosa is removed during total sphenoethmoidectomy.
Acute orbital complications of sinusitis: the benefits of magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: McIntosh D , Mahadevan M 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIntroduction:Acute sinusitis is a relatively common condition, which usually responds to medical therapy. In most cases, there are no sequelae or complications subsequent to this infection. However, like many acute illnesses, there are well documented complications of acute sinusitis, and in particular these include peri-orbital and intracranial spread.Objective:The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of vigilance regarding both peri-orbital involvement of sinusitis and the limitations of imaging techniques such as computed tomography. An illustrative case is presented to demonstrate this.Conclusion:Magnetic resonance imaging is a valuable modality in assessing complex presentations of peri-orbital complications of acute sinusitis.
Two-hundred-year seed survival of Leucospermum and two other woody species from the Cape Floristic region, South Africa
Authors: Daws Matthew I. , Davies Jennifer , Vaes Elly , van Gelder Roelof , Pritchard Hugh W. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe ability of orthodox seeds to survive long-term dry storage is a key prerequisite for ex situ seed conservation in genebanks. However, only a few credible observations of seed survival for ≥ 200 years have been reported. In this paper, seed survival is shown for three species under suboptimal storage conditions for a documented time of ≥ 203 years and carbon dated at 218–270 years. Two species that germinated are in the Fabaceae (Liparia sp. and Acacia sp.). A water-impermeable seed coat, and hence an inability to equilibrate with ambient relative humidity, may contribute to long-term survival of these species. The third species that germinated (Leucospermum sp.) does not have a water-impermeable seed coat, and long-term survival may be linked to an oxygen-impermeable barrier in the seed. These results for species from the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, suggest adaptation for extreme longevity in seeds of species of seasonally dry, Mediterranean environments.
Diaspore morphology and the potential for attachment to animal coats in Mediterranean species: an experiment with sheep and cattle coats
Authors: de Pablos Isabel , Peco Begoña 
Published: May 2007

AbstractMorphological traits of diaspores that can predict their potential attachment to animal coats may help to model epizoochory in plant populations and communities. The present study tested the role of seed mass, shape and the presence of dispersal structures in the attachment potential of a sample of 14 abundant species in Mediterranean grassland and shrubland, using sheep and cattle coats that were shaken mechanically using a standardized protocol. We also tested recently proposed predictive models for the attachment potential of diaspores. Attachment potential measured on cattle hide was low in comparison with sheep wool for all types of diaspores. Differences between vertically and horizontally positioned coats were significant only for cattle, in which attachment potential was higher in vertically positioned coats. Seed weight was highly significant to predict attachment potential in sheep coats, but yielded significant results only in the case of vertically positioned cattle coats. In both cases, light seeds were best retained. Shape yielded marginally significant results only in the case of horizontally positioned cattle coats. In this case, elongated seeds seemed to be best retained. The presence of appendages in diaspores was significant only for sheep, in which attachment potential was higher for seeds with appendages. Recently proposed predictive models for the attachment potential were found to be highly robust for predicting this parameter in sheep coats, and thus support their generalization for this type of coat.
Adventitious presence of other varieties in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) from seed banks and certified seed
Authors: Jørgensen Tina , Hauser Thure Pavlo , Jørgensen Rikke Bagger 
Published: May 2007

AbstractTo obtain information on possible sources of contamination of the seed harvest of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., spp. napus) by other varieties (adventitious presence), we investigated the purity of certified seed lots; the abundance and origin of volunteers; and longevity and origin of seeds in the soil seed-bank. This information was acquired through DNA analysis of volunteers collected in the field and seedlings derived from the soil seed-bank. DNA profiles of the volunteers and seedlings were obtained using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers, and the profiles were compared with ISSR profiles from an assortment of 14 of the most commonly cultivated oilseed rape varieties from 1985 to 2004. This comparison was performed using the assignment program, AFLPOP. The age of the seed bank germinating to become volunteers was assumed from information on previously cultivated oilseed rape varieties at the site and the year of cultivation. The results showed that plants or seeds belonged to varieties cultivated at the site 4–17 years earlier, suggesting a long persistence of volunteer populations. High volunteer frequencies (6%, 29% and 32%) were found in the three oilseed rape fields analysed and, from soil cores, their soil seed-bank was estimated to be 50–100 seeds m− 2. The ISSR analysis of the 14 reference varieties showed that three of the certified seed lots contained other varieties above the allowed threshold. Our findings are discussed in the context of the coexistence between GM (genetically modified) and non-GM oilseed rape, and future levels of seed purity.
Reduced embryo sensitivity to abscisic acid in a sprouting-susceptible sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) variety is associated with altered ABA signalling
Authors: Gualano Nicolás , Carrari Fernando , Verónica Rodríguez María , Pérez-Flores Laura , Sánchez Rodolfo , Iusem Norberto , Benech-Arnold Roberto 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn the work reported in this paper, we attempted to elucidate the nature of the different abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivities presented by developing embryos from sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] lines with contrasting pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) behaviour (Redland B2, susceptible; IS 9530, resistant). We explored two different hypotheses for a possible mechanism: (1) a different functionality of the ABA signalling pathway, and (2) a different rate of ABA degradation/conjugation in the apoplast of embryos from these genotypes. To assess the first possibility, we used an ABA-responsive gene (Rab17) as a reporter of changes in endogenous ABA content, which were artificially induced in embryos from both genotypes by means of fluridone application immediately after anthesis, to reduce ABA content, and embryo incubation in the presence of ABA. A defect in ABA signalling should be seen as a level of Rab17 expression that is independent of endogenous ABA content. For testing the second possibility at two stages of development, embryos from both lines were isolated and incubated in water for different periods. ABA concentrations in embryos and the incubation media were quantified through radioimmunoassay. In contrast to our findings for the resistant IS 9530 line, Rab17 expression did not respond to changes in ABA levels in sensitive Redland B2 embryos. The ABA degradation/conjugation rates in embryos and incubation media did not show clear differences between sorghum lines for any of the developmental stages analysed. These results suggest that a disruption in the ABA signal transduction pathway in Redland B2 underlies the low ABA sensitivity shown by embryos from this line.
Adaptation and spectral tuning in divergent marine proteorhodopsins from the eastern Mediterranean and the Sargasso Seas
Authors: Sabehi Gazalah , Kirkup Benjamin C , Rozenberg Mira , Stambler Noga , Polz Martin F , Béjà Oded 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Proteorhodopsins (PRs) phototrophy was recently discovered in oceanic surface waters. PRs have been observed in different marine environments and in diverse taxa, including the ubiquitous marine alphaproteobacterial SAR11 group and the uncultured gammaproteobacterial SAR86 group. Previously, two SAR86 PR subgroups, discovered in the Pacific Ocean, were shown to absorb light with different maxima, λmax 527 nm (green) and λmax 490 nm (blue) and their distribution was explained by prevailing light conditions – green pigments at the surface and blue in deeper waters. Here, we show that PRs display high diversity in geographically distinct patterns despite similar physical water column properties such as mixing and light penetration. We compared summer and winter samples representing stratified and mixed conditions from both the Mediterranean and Sargasso Sea. As expected, in the Mediterranean Sea, green pigments were mainly confined to the surface and the percentage of blue pigments increased toward deeper samples; in the Sargasso Sea, unexpectedly, all PRs were of the blue type. As an additional result, both locations show seasonal dependence in the distribution of different PR families. Finally, spectral tuning was not restricted to a single PR family as previously reported but occurs across the sampled PR families from various microbial taxa. The distribution of tunable PRs across the PR tree suggests that ready adaptability has been distributed widely among microorganisms, and may be a reason that PRs are abundant and taxonomically widely dispersed.
GeoChip: a comprehensive microarray for investigating biogeochemical, ecological and environmental processes
Authors: He Zhili , Gentry Terry J , Schadt Christopher W , Wu Liyou , Liebich Jost , Chong Song C , Huang Zhijian , Wu Weimin , Gu Baohua , Jardine Phil , Criddle Craig , Zhou Jizhong 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Owing to their vast diversity and as-yet uncultivated status, detection, characterization and quantification of microorganisms in natural settings are very challenging, and linking microbial diversity to ecosystem processes and functions is even more difficult. Microarray-based genomic technology for detecting functional genes and processes has a great promise of overcoming such obstacles. Here, a novel comprehensive microarray, termed GeoChip, has been developed, containing 24 243 oligonucleotide (50 mer) probes and covering &gt;10 000 genes in &gt;150 functional groups involved in nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and phosphorus cycling, metal reduction and resistance, and organic contaminant degradation. The developed GeoChip was successfully used for tracking the dynamics of metal-reducing bacteria and associated communities for an in situ bioremediation study. This is the first comprehensive microarray currently available for studying biogeochemical processes and functional activities of microbial communities important to human health, agriculture, energy, global climate change, ecosystem management, and environmental cleanup and restoration. It is particularly useful for providing direct linkages of microbial genes/populations to ecosystem processes and functions.
Long-term ecological impacts of antibiotic administration on the human intestinal microbiota
Authors: Jernberg Cecilia , Löfmark Sonja , Edlund Charlotta , Jansson Janet K 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Antibiotic administration is known to cause short-term disturbances in the microbiota of the human gastrointestinal tract, but the potential long-term consequences have not been well studied. The aims of this study were to analyse the long-term impact of a 7-day clindamycin treatment on the faecal microbiota and to simultaneously monitor the ecological stability of the microbiota in a control group as a baseline for reference. Faecal samples from four clindamycin-exposed and four control subjects were collected at nine different time points over 2 years. Using a polyphasic approach, we observed highly significant disturbances in the bacterial community that persisted throughout the sampling period. In particular, a sharp decline in the clonal diversity of Bacteroides isolates, as assessed by repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) and long-term persistence of highly resistant clones were found as a direct response to the antibiotic exposure. The Bacteroides community never returned to its original composition during the study period as assessed using the molecular fingerprinting technique, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Furthermore, using real-time PCR we found a dramatic and persistent increase in levels of specific resistance genes in DNA extracted from the faeces after clindamycin administration. The temporal variations in the microbiota of the control group were minor compared to the large and persistent shift seen in the exposed group. These results demonstrate that long after the selection pressure from a short antibiotic exposure has been removed, there are still persistent long term impacts on the human intestinal microbiota that remain for up to 2 years post-treatment.
Microbial ecology meets electrochemistry: electricity-driven and driving communities
Authors: Rabaey Korneel , Rodríguez Jorge , Blackall Linda L , Keller Jurg , Gross Pamela , Batstone Damien , Verstraete Willy , Nealson Kenneth H 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Bio-electrochemical systems (BESs) have recently emerged as an exciting technology. In a BES, bacteria interact with electrodes using electrons, which are either removed or supplied through an electrical circuit. The most-described type of BES is microbial fuel cells (MFCs), in which useful power is generated from electron donors as, for example, present in wastewater. This form of charge transport, known as extracellular electron transfer, was previously extensively described with respect to metals such as iron and manganese. The importance of these interactions in global biogeochemical cycles is essentially undisputed. A wide variety of bacteria can participate in extracellular electron transfer, and this phenomenon is far more widespread than previously thought. The use of BESs in diverse research projects is helping elucidate the mechanism by which bacteria shuttle electrons externally. New forms of interactions between bacteria have been discovered demonstrating how multiple populations within microbial communities can co-operate to achieve energy generation. New environmental processes that were difficult to observe or study previously can now be simulated and improved via BESs. Whereas pure culture studies make up the majority of the studies performed thus far, even greater contributions of BESs are expected to occur in natural environments and with mixed microbial communities. Owing to their versatility, unmatched level of control and capacity to sustain novel processes, BESs might well serve as the foundation of a new environmental biotechnology. While highlighting some of the major breakthroughs and addressing only recently obtained data, this review points out that despite rapid progress, many questions remain unanswered.
Oxygen-octahedral phonon properties of xBaTiO3+(1−x)Ba(Mg1∕3Ta2∕3)O3 and xCa(Sc1∕2Nb1∕2)O3+(1−x)Ba(Sc1∕2Nb1∕2)O3 microwave ceramics
Authors: Chia Chih-Ta , Chang Pi-Jung , Chen Mei-Yu , Lin I.-Nan , Ikawa Hiroyuki , Lin L.-J. 
Published: May 2007

Oxygen-octahedral A1g(O) phonons for both 1:2 ordered xBaTiO3+(1−x)Ba(Mg1∕3Ta2∕3)O3 (0≤x≤ 0.05) and 1:1 ordered xCa(Sc1∕2Nb1∕2)O3+(1−x)Ba(Sc1∕2Nb1∕2)O3 (0≤x≤ 0.25) ceramics were investigated using Raman scattering. Lineshapes of A1g(O) phonons directly reflect structural characteristic of TiO6, TaO6, ScO6, and NbO6 octahedral cages that are strongly correlated with microwave performance of the samples. The larger width of stretching A1g(O) phonon, implies poor crystalline structure and short phonon lifetime, giving us lower value of Q×f. The atomic polarizabilities of Ta5+, Ti4+, Ca2+, Sc3+, and Nb5+ have a strong influence on the structure of oxygen octahedron that dominates microwave performance of xBaTiO3+(1−x)Ba(Mg1∕3Ta2∕3)O3 and xCa(Sc1∕2Nb1∕2)O3+(1−x)Ba(Sc1∕2Nb1∕2)O3 ceramics.
Recovery from optic neuritis: an ROI-based analysis of LGN and visual cortical areas
Authors: Korsholm Kirsten , Madsen Kristoffer H. , Frederiksen Jette L. , Skimminge Arnold , Lund Torben E. 
Published: May 2007

Abstract
Optic neuritis (ON) is the first clinical manifestation in ∼20% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The inflammation and demyelination of the optic nerve are characterized by symptomatic visual impairment and retrobulbar pain, and associated with decreased visual acuity, decreased colour and contrast sensitivity, delayed visual evoked potentials and visual field defects. Spontaneous recovery of vision typically occurs within weeks or months after onset, depending on the resolution of inflammation, remyelination, restoration of conduction in axons which persist demyelinated and neuronal plasticity in the cortical and subcortical visual pathways. To assess where recovery takes place along the visual pathway, visual activation was studied in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the main thalamic relay nucleus in the visual pathway and in three areas of the visual cortex: the lateral occipital complexes (LOC), V1 and V2. We conducted a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of regions of interest (ROI) of activation in LGN and visual cortex in 19 patients with acute ON at onset, 3 and 6 months from presentation. With fMRI we measured the activation in the ROIs and compared activation during monocular stimulation of the affected and unaffected eye. In the acute phase the activation of LGN during visual stimulation of the affected eye was significantly reduced (P&lt; 0.01) compared to the unaffected eye. This difference in LGN activation between the affected and unaffected eye diminished during recovery, and after 180 days the difference was no longer significant (P = 0.59). The decreased difference during recovery was mainly due to an increase in the fMRI signal when stimulating the affected eye, but included a component of a decreasing fMRI signal from LGN when stimulating the unaffected eye. In LOC, V1 and V2 activation during visual stimulation of the affected eye in the acute phase was significantly reduced (P&lt; 0.01) compared to the unaffected eye, and during recovery the difference diminished with no significant differences left after 180 days. As the pattern of activation in LOC, V1 and V2 resembled the development in LGN we found no evidence of additional cortical adaptive changes. The reduced activation of the LGN to stimulation of the unaffected eye is interpreted as a shift away from early compensatory changes established in the acute phase in LGN and may indicate very early plasticity of the visual pathways.
Inducing Ovulation in Xenopus laevis: Figure 1.
Authors: Sive Hazel L. , Grainger Robert M. , Harland Richard M. 
Published: May 2007

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a method for inducing ovulation in Xenopus laevis for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. Ovulation is induced by injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) into the dorsal lymph sac of a female frog. Females can lay many hundreds of eggs. However, because the actual number of eggs laid and the efficiency of fertilization are unpredictable, ovulation should be induced in more than one female, even when only a few eggs are required.
Isolating Xenopus laevis Testes: Figure 1.
Authors: Sive Hazel L. , Grainger Robert M. , Harland Richard M. 
Published: May 2007

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a method of isolating Xenopus laevis testes for use in in vitro fertilization. The testes from one male Xenopus contain sufficient sperm to fertilize several thousand eggs.
Mass Spectrometry-Compatible Silver Staining
Authors: Stochaj Wayne R. , Berkelman Tom , Laird Nancy 
Published: May 2007

INTRODUCTIONThe ammoniacal silver staining method is one of the most sensitive methods used to detect proteins on an SDS-PAGE gel. However, this and other standard silver staining methods are not compatible with mass spectrometry (MS), which is fast becoming the best way to identify proteins isolated on 2D gels. Because the proteins in gels to be analyzed by mass spectroscopy cannot be modified, many of the common sensitizing agents (e.g., glutaraldehyde and strong oxidizing agents) cannot be used. This method is compatible with MALDI and ESI-MS, and it shows an increased ability to deal with semipreparative protein loads without negative staining as compared with other silver staining methods. However, this process is less sensitive than standard silver staining methods.
In Vivo Isotopic Labeling of Proteins for Quantitative Proteomics
Authors: Oda Yoshiya 
Published: May 2007

INTRODUCTIONStable isotope coding strategies are of immense value in determining protein concentration changes in cells and tissues triggered by regulatory stimuli (e.g., drugs and toxins) and disease (e.g., caused by mutational changes). Recognizing and identifying the small number of proteins whose expression levels differ as a consequence of disease or external stimuli are complicated by the complexity of biological extracts and the fact that protein post-translational modifications are numerous and can occur at many sites on a protein. One way of quantifying global protein expression patterns involves in vivo labeling. Using the following protocol, stable isotopes can be incorporated into metabolic products, and the relative difference between these products from cells grown in normal or isotope-enriched media can be readily quantified by MS analysis.