bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphological Analysis of the Foramen Magnum of Dogs from the Iron Age
Authors: Janeczek M. , Chrószcz A. , Onar V. , Pazvant G. , Pospieszny N. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryThe investigations were carried out on 37 skulls from the Van‐Yoncatepe early Iron Age necropolis (in eastern Anatolia) (first group) and 11 skulls from the scythians castle from Bileskoje Iron Age (second group). The major distance between both occipital condyles and both bases of the jugular processes, the major width of the foramen magnum, height of the foramen magnum, height of the skull, height of the occipital triangle and the length of the dorsal notch were measured. A dorsal notch was present in seven dogs (six male and one female) from Van‐Yoncatepe. The average length of the dorsal notch was 2.5 mm. The investigation states that the dorsal notch occurred in dogs from the Iron Age. This anatomical formation had no association with their death.
Assessment of Cold and Heat Tolerance of Winter‐grown Canola (Brassica napus L.) Cultivars by Pollen‐based Parameters
Authors: Singh S. K. , Kakani V. G. , Brand D. , Baldwin B. , Reddy K. R. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractWinter‐grown canola (Brassica napus L.) production is limited mostly by frost and winter kill in the southern canola‐growing regions of the United States. Tolerance to cold and heat were assessed by studying percentage of pollen viability (PV), in vitro pollen germination (PG) and pollen tube length (PTL) for 12 field‐grown cultivars. Freshly collected pollen from all cultivars were incubated on artificial solid growth media at a constant temperature ranging from 10 to 35 °C at 5 °C interval for 30 h to determine PG and PTL. A modified bilinear model best described the temperature response functions of PG and PTL. Canola cultivars showed significant variability (P < 0.001) for PV (61.3 % to 89.7 %), PG (29.0 % to 48.2 %) and PTL (463 to 931 μm). The average cardinal temperatures, Tmin, Topt and Tmax, for PG and PTL were 6.4, 24.3 and 33.7 °C, respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that maximum PG, PTL, Tmin and Topt of both PG and PTL were the most important factors in determining cold tolerance, whereas Tmax of PG and PTL, and maximum PG and PTL were more responsible in separating the cultivars for heat tolerance. The canola cultivar, KS3077, was the most cold tolerant with the lowest Tmin and the widest temperature adaptability range, and the cultivar Kadore was the most heat tolerant with the highest Tmax for the PG. The identified cold‐ and heat‐tolerant cultivars may be useful in canola‐breeding programmes to develop cultivars suitable for a niche environment.
Heterologous In Vitro Fertility Evaluation of Cryopreserved Iberian Red Deer Epididymal Spermatozoa with Zona‐intact Sheep Oocytes and its Relationship with the Characteristics of Thawed Spermatozoa
Authors: Soler AJ , Poulin N , Fernández‐Santos MR , Cognie Y , Esteso MC , Garde JJ , Mermillod P 
Published: May 2008

ContentsA heterologous in vitro system, using zona‐intact sheep oocytes, was used to evaluate the relationship between sperm factors of Iberian red deer thawed epididymal sperm and the percentage of cleaved oocytes. Epididymal spermatozoa were recovered from six males, diluted with freezing extender and cryopreserved. After thawing sperm motility (SM) and acrosome and membrane integrities were evaluated. Again, these parameters were assessed after incubation in freezing extender at 37°C for 2 h. After cryopreservation the values for SM and acrosome and membrane integrities were high (∼80, 80 and 70% respectively). However, these values significantly decreased after incubation (∼59, 62 and 47% respectively). Red deer thawed epididymal sperm fertilized zona‐intact sheep oocytes, although the percentage of cleaved oocytes was low (∼22%). No relationship was found between sperm parameters assessed after thawing and the percentage of cleaved oocytes. Likewise, any sperm parameter evaluated after incubation was assessed in relation to the percentage of cleaved oocytes. However, acrosome and membrane integrities were near to significance (p = 0.06 and p = 0.09 respectively). Then, we conducted a reduced model with these two variables and both were related to the percentage of cleaved oocytes (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04 respectively). Thus, acrosome and membrane integrities were related to the percentage of cleaved oocytes negatively and positively respectively. It was concluded that the classical parameters assessed in deer thawed sperm samples can be good predictors of the ability to fertilize zona‐intact sheep oocytes.
Calves Born after Direct Transfer of Vitrified Bovine In Vitro‐produced Blastocysts Derived from Vitrified Immature Oocytes
Authors: Vieira AD , Forell F , Feltrin C , Rodrigues JL 
Published: May 2008

ContentsVitrification has been the method of choice for the cryopreservation of bovine oocytes, as rapid cooling decreases chilling sensitivity. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro and in vivo survival and the viability of immature oocytes vitrified using super‐cooled liquid nitrogen. Immature oocytes were randomly allocated to three groups: (i) non‐vitrified control group, (ii) vitrified in normal (−196°C) liquid nitrogen (LN2) and (iii) vitrified in super‐cooled LN2 (≤−200°C). Open‐pulled glass micropipettes were used as vitrification containers. Immature oocytes were in vitro‐matured, fertilized and cultured to the blastocyst stage. In vitro viability was assessed by cleavage and blastocyst rates on days 2 and 7 of culture respectively. Vitrified blastocysts derived from the immature vitrified oocytes were directly transferred to synchronous recipients. The in vitro embryo development of vitrified immature oocytes was not influenced by the LN2 state. After direct transfer (one embryo per recipient) of 16 embryos obtained from immature vitrified oocytes (eight from each vitrified group), two healthy calves were born in each group. These results indicated that vitrification of immature bovine oocytes using glass micropipettes under normal or super‐cooled LN2, resulted in viable blastocysts and live calves following in vitro embryo production.
Ovarian Cyclicity and Reproductive Performance of Holstein Cows Carrying the Mutation of Complex Vertebral Malformation in Japan
Authors: Ghanem ME , Isobe N , Kubota H , Suzuki T , Kasuga A , Nishibori M 
Published: May 2008

ContentsThis study was carried out on 71 lactating Holstein Friesian cows to investigate the resumption of ovarian cyclicity postpartum and the reproductive performance in cows carrying the mutation of complex vertebral malformation (CVM) compared with control ones. The cows were distributed in two dairy farms in Hiroshima Prefecture, Western Japan. Blood samples were collected from the cows to detect carrier cows with CVM mutation. Furthermore, plasma samples were collected weekly after calving from control cows (n = 10) and CVM carrier cows (n = 10), until 10 weeks postpartum to investigate the day of first ovulation and the resumption of ovarian cyclicity postpartum. The reproductive parameters were investigated and compared with control and CVM carrier cows. Thirty‐six cows were diagnosed to be CVM carriers by DNA examination and confirmed later by DNA sequencing. The pedigree analysis of the carrier cows revealed that they were daughters of six types of CVM carrier semen that still was used in dairy farms in Western Japan. In terms of reproductive indices, there were no significant differences between the control and the CVM carrier cows on the day of the first ovulation postpartum and the interval from calving to first insemination. However, CVM carrier cows significantly required more inseminations per conception and showed a significantly longer period to conception and subsequent calving than control ones. In conclusion, the reproductive performance of the CVM carrier cows was lowered through conception failure that might indicate the occurrence of intra‐uterine mortality in those cows.
Quantification and Viability Assessment of Isolated Bovine Primordial and Primary Ovarian Follicles Retrieved Through a Standardized Biopsy Pick‐Up Procedure
Authors: Aerts JMJ , Martinez‐Madrid B , Flothmann K , De Clercq JBP , Van Aelst S , Bols PEJ 
Published: May 2008

ContentsThe feasibility of repeated collection and enzymatic isolation of large numbers of viable primordial and primary follicles from living donor cows were tested. Ovarian cortical biopsies were collected transvaginally by the Biopsy Pick‐Up (BPU) device, a modification of an Ovum Pick‐Up instrument. Follicles were enzymatically isolated from the retrieved cortical tissue samples, and follicle viability was determined by a live/dead fluorescent assay. Six cows were subjected to BPU once per week during 4 consecutive weeks, and in each BPU session 4 cortical tissue samples were collected per ovary. Over the 4‐week trial period, a total of 1443 primordial and primary follicles were collected, 1358 (94%) of which were primordial and 85 (6%) were primary follicles. In each BPU session, an average 60.1 ± 10.7 (mean ± SEM) primordial and primary follicles were isolated per cow. The number of follicles varied considerably throughout the trial period and between cows. Statistical analysis of the data, however, did not support the presence of any distinct trends in the follicle yields over time or between cows. A total of 111 enzymatically isolated follicles were analyzed for viability with fluorescent probes. The vast majority of isolated follicles (92.8%) were totally viable. We conclude that the standardized BPU procedure generates sufficiently large numbers of vital primordial and primary follicles, thus validating BPU as a new tool for research into early bovine follicular development.
The prognostic impact of pelvic lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion on bladder cancer
Authors: Herrmann Edwin , Stöter Eva , van Ophoven Arndt , Bierer Stefan , Bolenz Christian , Hertle Lothar , Wülfing Christian 
Published: May 2008

Objectives:  To present long‐term results of a single‐center series of patients undergoing bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and to analyze the impact of pelvic lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion on clinical outcome.Methods:  Between 1986 and 2005 833 patients were treated with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical cystectomy at our institution. 614 of them with valid clinical follow‐up information and no neoadjuvant therapy could be evaluated.Results:  Disease‐free and overall survival in the entire cohort was 56.7% and 49.5% at 5 years and 52.4% and 38.2% at 10 years, respectively. 28.1% of all patients had pelvic lymph node metastasis. We found organ‐confined tumor stages (≤pT2) in 43.8%. Patients with non‐organ‐confined tumor stages (≥pT3) and positive pelvic lymph nodes had a significantly shorter overall survival than those without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001). In the subgroup of ≤pT2, the presence of pelvic lymph node metastasis did not show a statistically significant effect on overall survival (P = 0.618). The presence of lymphovascular invasion was associated with an impaired survival (P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, pathological tumor stage (P < 0.0001), lymph node stage (≥pT3) (P = 0.004) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.001) were independent prognostic parameters.Conclusions:  According to the present series, survival for patients with ≤pT2 does not depend on the lymph node stage. Lymphovascular invasion is an independent parameter of impaired survival and should be determined routinely in cystectomy specimens to identify patients, who may benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy.
Parasites in food webs: the ultimate missing links
Authors: Lafferty Kevin D. , Allesina Stefano , Arim Matias , Briggs Cherie J. , De Leo Giulio , Dobson Andrew P. , Dunne Jennifer A. , Johnson Pieter T. J. , Kuris Armand M. , Marcogliese David J. , Martinez Neo D. , Memmott Jane , Marquet Pablo A. , McLaughlin John P. , Mordecai Erin A. , Pascual Mercedes , Poulin Robert , Thieltges David W. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractParasitism is the most common consumer strategy among organisms, yet only recently has there been a call for the inclusion of infectious disease agents in food webs. The value of this effort hinges on whether parasites affect food‐web properties. Increasing evidence suggests that parasites have the potential to uniquely alter food‐web topology in terms of chain length, connectance and robustness. In addition, parasites might affect food‐web stability, interaction strength and energy flow. Food‐web structure also affects infectious disease dynamics because parasites depend on the ecological networks in which they live. Empirically, incorporating parasites into food webs is straightforward. We may start with existing food webs and add parasites as nodes, or we may try to build food webs around systems for which we already have a good understanding of infectious processes. In the future, perhaps researchers will add parasites while they construct food webs. Less clear is how food‐web theory can accommodate parasites. This is a deep and central problem in theoretical biology and applied mathematics. For instance, is representing parasites with complex life cycles as a single node equivalent to representing other species with ontogenetic niche shifts as a single node? Can parasitism fit into fundamental frameworks such as the niche model? Can we integrate infectious disease models into the emerging field of dynamic food‐web modelling? Future progress will benefit from interdisciplinary collaborations between ecologists and infectious disease biologists.
Characteristics of human intestinal Escherichia coli with changing environments
Authors: Skurnik David , Bonnet Daniel , Bernède‐Bauduin Claire , Michel Rémy , Guette Christian , Becker Jean‐Marie , Balaire Corinne , Chau Françoise , Mohler Jacqueline , Jarlier Vincent , Boutin Jean‐Paul , Moreau Brigitte , Guillemot Didier , Denamur Erick , Andremont Antoine , Ruimy Raymond 
Published: May 2008

SummaryTo investigate if the characteristics of human intestinal Escherichia coli are changing with the environment of the host, we studied intestinal E. coli from subjects having recently migrated from a temperate to a tropical area. We determined the phylogenetic group, the prevalence of the antibiotic resistance, the presence of integrons and the strain diversity in faecal isolates from 25 subjects originally from metropolitan France and expatriated to French Guyana. These characteristics were compared with those of 25 previously studied Wayampi Amerindian natives of French Guyana and from 25 metropolitan French residents. The three groups of subjects were matched for age and sex, had not taken antibiotics for at least 1 month, nor had been hospitalized within the past year. In all, the characteristics of intestinal E. coli from Expatriates were intermediate between those found in residents from metropolitan France and those found in natives of French Guyana. Prevalence of carriage of resistant Gram‐negative bacteria in Expatriates was intermediate between French residents and Wayampi as were the prevalence of integrons in E. coli (12.3% versus 16.3% and 7.8% respectively), and the intra‐host diversity of E. coli (2.3 strains/subject versus 1.9 and 3.1, respectively); lastly, in Expatriates, the prevalence of carriage of phylogenetic group B2 strains was lower than in French residents (16% versus 56%, P = 0.005), while carriage of phylogenetic group A strains was lower than in Wayampi (56% versus 88%, P = 0.03). Our results suggest that the composition of the commensal intestinal flora of humans is not static but changes dynamically in response to new environmental conditions.
Botulinum toxin reduces anal spasm but has no effect on pain after haemorrhoidectomy
Authors: Singh B. , Box B. , Lindsey I. , George B. , Mortensen N. , Cunningham C. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjective  Pain following haemorrhoidectomy is due to a combination of factors including spasm of the internal sphincter, an open wound and local infection. In this study, we investigated the effect of botulinum toxin on postoperative pain following Milligan–Morgan haemorrhoidectomy.Method  A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted in 32 patients undergoing haemorrhoidectomy. Routine postoperative care included metronidazole and bupivacaine. Patients were also given an inter‐sphincteric injection of either placebo or botulinum toxin (150 units). Maximal resting pressure (MRP) and maximal squeeze pressure (MSP) were measured postoperatively. A linear analogue score was used to assess postoperative pain. The sample size calculation was calculated to show one standard deviation difference between groups. The primary endpoint was reduction in postoperative pain.Results  The MRP was significantly lower in the botulinum toxin group (mean 50.5 mmHg; 95% CI 39.77–61.23) compared with the placebo group (mean 64.94 mmHg; 95% CI 55.65–74.22) (P = 0.04) at week 6. At week 12 there was no significant difference in MRP between the two groups. In contrast MSP was significantly lower in the botulinum toxin group at weeks 6 and 12 (mean 87.1 mmHg; 95% CI 66.9–107.1) compared with the placebo group (mean 185.8 mmHg; 95% CI 134.2–237.4) at week 12 (P = 0.0014). There was no significant effect on overall or maximal pain scores. Median time for return to normal activities was not significantly different between groups.Conclusion  Botulinum toxin reduces anal spasm but has no significant effect on postoperative pain.
Case report of uncontrollable pelvic bleeding – managed by a previously unreported method (QuikClot®)
Authors: Shanmugam V. , Robinson M. H. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractPelvic haemorrhage can be difficult to control. Several measures including packing, drawing pins, stenting and embolization are available. We present a case where these measures failed to control catastrophic pelvic bleeding while operating in the pelvis to excise a dumbbell tumour involving the right S1 nerve root. Attempted surgical control by a vascular surgeon and radiological control through stenting and embolization failed to control the bleeding. QuikClot® is an inert substance and acts as a selective sponge. This product is licensed for external use by the British military. We felt that ‘internal’ use of Quikclot in this situation might be lifesaving and was applied to the bleeding area, stopping the bleeding immediately.
Extramural vascular invasion is an adverse prognostic indicator of survival in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Courtney E. D. , West N. J. , Kaur C. , Ho J. , Kalber B. , Hagger R. , Finlayson C. , Leicester R. J. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBackground/aims  Extramural vascular invasion (EVI) in colorectal cancer is reported to be a stage‐independent adverse prognostic factor, and is a core item in the Royal College of Pathologists minimum data set for colorectal cancer histopathology reporting. The detection of EVI is also highly variable amongst pathologists. Our aims were to analyse both the frequency of EVI in colorectal cancer resections, and the effect of EVI on survival, in patients operated on over a 5‐year period.Method  A retrospective analysis of patients having potentially curative surgery for colorectal cancer between January 1999 and December 2004.Results  Over 5 years, 378 patients underwent a potentially curative resection. One‐hundred seven (28.3%) cancers exhibited EVI, of which 104 (97%) were T3 and T4 tumours. Survival curves with and without EVI, unadjusted for nodal status and T stage, were significantly different (P = 0.0001) with 5‐year survivals of 52% and 73% respectively. Survival curves for T3 and T4 tumours stratified with and without EVI also showed significantly different survival distributions (P = 0.007). A significant difference in frequency of EVI year on year was seen (P < 0.001), ranging from 8.5% to 46.7%, whereas the number of T3 and T4 tumours in each year was not significantly different (P = 0.677).Conclusions  EVI is an adverse prognostic indicator for survival in patients undergoing potentially curative resection of colorectal cancer, and the routine requirement of EVI in colorectal cancer histopathology reporting is justified. Optimal specimen preparation, meticulous histopathological analysis and regular auditing of EVI detection rates are essential for the accurate staging of colorectal cancer.
Prognostic factors in survival of colorectal cancer patients after surgery
Authors: Mehrkhani F. , Nasiri S. , Donboli K. , Meysamie A. , Hedayat A. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractObjective To determine the factors affecting survival, following resection of large bowel for colorectal carcinoma.Method From the cancer database of a single referral institution, a total of 1090 patients who had undergone colorectal resection between 1999 and 2002 were identified. Cases with recurrent colorectal cancer or previous history of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate analysis of factors thought to influence survival was then made using Logrank test. Criteria studied consisted of age, sex, TNM stage, T‐status, nodal status, distant metastasis, histological grade, lymphatic and vascular invasion, tumour location, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level and liver function tests. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Cox regression analysis.Results The mean survival time for all patients was 42.8 (SEM = 2.8) months. The overall 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year survival rates were 72%, 54% and 47%, respectively. In univariate analysis, patients’ age (P < 0.0001), TNM stage (P < 0.0001), T‐status (P = 0.015), nodal status (P = 0.016), distant metastasis (P < 0.0001), grade (P = 0.005), lymphatic and vascular invasion (P < 0.0001) and presurgery CEA level > 5 ng/ml (P = 0.021) were found to be predictors that could affect survival. In Cox regression analysis, age (P < 0.0001), TNM stage (P = 0.001) and grade (P = 0.008) were determined as independent prognostic factors of survival.Conclusion Age, TNM stage, T‐status, nodal status, distant metastasis, grade, lymphatic and vascular invasion and presurgery CEA level can predict the postsurgical survival rate in patients with colorectal cancer.
The prevalence of parastomal hernia after formation of an end colostomy. A new clinico‐radiological classification
Authors: Moreno‐Matias J. , Serra‐Aracil X. , Darnell‐Martin A. , Bombardo‐Junca J. , Mora‐Lopez L. , Alcantara‐Moral M. , Rebasa P. , Ayguavives‐Garnica I. , Navarro‐Soto S. 
Published: May 2008

AbstractIntroduction  Parastomal hernia (PH) is a common complication of end colostomy, found in over 50% of patients. Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) may help diagnosis. The prevalence of PH may be higher than previously reported. We present a new CT classification for use in clinical practice.Method  A cross‐sectional, descriptive observational study was carried out, assessing the clinical and radiological prevalence of PH in 75 patients with an end colostomy operated on since 1997. Clinical examinations were performed by a single surgeon. Abdominal CTs were assessed by a single radiologist.Results  PH was observed clinically in 33 (44%) of 75 patients and 27 (82%) were symptomatic. Using the classification 0 (Normal), I (Hernial sac containing stoma loop), II (Sac containing omentum), III (Sac containing a loop other than stoma), radiological PH was observed in 35 (47%) patients. Clinical/radiological concordance (Kappa index = 0.4) increased proportionally with sac size. All type‐III PHs (n = 9) were symptomatic. The combined prevalence of PH detected by one or other method was 60.8%.Conclusion  Clinical and radiological prevalence of PH is high. As there is no gold standard for PH detection, we recommend a combination of the two methods. A new classification for use in clinical practice is proposed.