bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Micromorphology of trichomes of Thymus malyi (Lamiaceae)
Authors: MARIN M. , KOKO V. , DULETIĆ‐LAUŠEVIĆ S. , MARIN P.D. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryMicromorphological, ultrastructural and morphometric investigations of the trichomes of Thymus malyi were carried out using a light microscope, a scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope. Unbranched non‐glandular trichomes, peltate and capitate glandular trichomes were described. The leaves of Thymus malyi bear non‐glandular and glandular trichomes on both sides. Estimates of the volume density (i.e. their volume fraction per unit volume) of non‐glandular trichomes were higher as compared to volume density of peltate and capitate glandular trichomes. Estimates of the number of these trichomes per area on sections showed that the capitate trichomes were the most abundant. Ultrastructural analyses of cell inner structure have shown numerous mitochondria, big nuclei and plastids with lipid globules and starch grains.
Applicability of the energy dispersive x‐ray microanalysis for quantification of irregular calcium deposits on fruit and leaf cuticles
Authors: HUNSCHE M. , NOGA G. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryIn our studies, we evaluated the relation between CaCl2 concentration and the scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive x‐ray microanalysis parameters, net intensity, peak/background and standardized percentage of atoms and percentage of weight after application of single microdroplets on enzymatically isolated tomato fruit cuticles and apple seedling leaves. After analysis, the Ca/Cl ratio was calculated and the area ultimately covered with Ca and Cl within the droplet spread area determined. According to our findings, all evaluated parameters were influenced by both droplet volume and calcium chloride concentration, whereas Pearson's analysis revealed a strong correlation between net intensity and area ultimately covered by Ca or Cl, respectively. Simple linear regressions for net intensity, peak/background and Ca/Cl ratio showed variable determination coefficients (R2) ranging between 0.49 and 0.79. Multiple regression equations comprising net intensity, Ca/Cl ratio and deposit area were established to estimate the amount of calcium present on the cuticles. Equation slopes depended on droplet volumes, with determination coefficients of 0.89 and 0.81 for 0.5 and 1.0‐μL droplets, respectively. The importance of the physicochemical properties of the spray solution was exploited in another study where a hydrophobic or a hydrophilic adjuvant was added to a 10 g L−1 CaCl2 solution, which was applied to apple seedling leaves. The addition of adjuvants increased values of net intensity and peak/background, which correlated significantly with the area covered by calcium. The importance of the methodology for studies on the interaction between leaf applied fertilizers (also extended to agrochemicals) and the characteristics of target surfaces is discussed.
Semi‐thin sections of epoxy resin‐embedded mouse embryos in morphological analysis of whole mount in situ RNA hybridization
Authors: MITREČIĆ D. , ČUNKO V.F. , GAJOVIĆ S. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryDescriptive morphological studies are often combined with gene expression pattern analyses. Unembedded vibratome or cryotome sections are compatible with in situ RNA hybridization, but spatial resolution is rather low for precise microscopic studies necessary in embryology. Therefore, use of plastic embedding media, which allow semi‐thin and ultra‐thin sectioning for light and electron microscopy, could be an important advantage. This work suggested a new approach based on the whole mount hybridization of mouse embryos and subsequent epoxy resin embedding. Epoxy resin allowed serial sectioning of semi‐thin sections with preserved in situ RNA hybridization signal, which was a necessary prerequisite for precise morphological analysis of embryo development.
Levels of plant cell wall structural organization revealed by atomic force microscopy
Authors: RADOTIĆ K. , DJIKANOVIĆ D. , BOGDANOVIĆ J. , VASILJEVIĆ‐RADOVIĆ D. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryWe used an atomic force microscope to image cell wall isolated from needles of Serbian spruce tree and that synthesized from cell wall components. We also observed the structure of lignin model polymer (DHP), as a best substitute for the natural lignin. A tendency of aggregate formation was observed in all samples. Cell wall was revealed as a laminated fibrous structure. General organization is similar in both isolated and synthesized cell wall samples, with dominating globular motifs arranged regularly as rods and forming cavities. The synthesized cell wall has a more regular structural organization than isolated cell wall. The dimensions of individual globular aggregates and pores differed between the two samples. DHP showed a similar, regular organization, with globular aggregates and holes. Globules and pores are smaller in size than the corresponding structures in both the isolated and synthesized cell walls. Such modular organization of cell walls may have a physiological role in response to the external mechanical stress caused to plant cells.
Morphological changes of poly(DI‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) nano‐particles containing ascorbic acid during in vitro degradation process
Authors: STEVANOVIĆ M. , JORDOVIĆ B. , USKOKOVIĆ D. 
Published: November 2008

SummaryPoly(dl‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) powder composed of uniform particles with the mean particle size in the range of 110–170 nm was obtained from commercial granules. Ascorbic acid in different concentrations was encapsulated into the poly(dl‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) particles. Degradation of the latter in terms of morphological changes in the physiological solution was followed. Within a period of 2 months, the particles completely degrade and all the ascorbic acid is released. The samples were characterized by ultraviolet spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
Relationship between maternal and newborn anthropometric measurements in Sudan
Authors: Elshibly Eltahir M. , Schmalisch Gerd 
Published: November 2008

AbstractBackground:  The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between maternal and newborn anthropometry.Methods:  In 1000 Sudanese mothers and newborns anthropometric measurements were taken within 24 h of birth. The relationship between maternal characteristics including age, years of education, social class and anthropometry, and newborn characteristics including gestational age, weight, body length, body circumference and skin‐fold thickness, was investigated on multiple regression with backward selection, and multivariate anova (where appropriate) to identify the most important associations.Results:  Maternal age and anthropometry were significantly associated with newborn anthropometry to a variable extent. The strongest associations (R2 > 5–6%) were found for mid‐arm circumference, supine length and birthweight. The postpartum maternal lean body mass (LBM) was significantly associated with birthweight, body length and body circumference (P < 0.001), while skin‐fold thickness was mainly associated with maternal age and maternal body mass index (BMI). Gestational age was only weakly associated with the maternal height (R2 > 1.3%) and the association between maternal anthropometry and the ponderal index (PI) of the newborn was negligible (R2 < 1%). Maternal education was significantly associated with birthweight and body circumference (except the abdominal), and the PI and the latter increased significantly with increasing number of years of education. No association between social class and newborn anthropometry was obtained.Conclusion:  There was a significant association between maternal LBM and newborn size and between maternal BMI and newborn fat stores. Maternal education and not social class was associated with newborn size.
Macrophage inflammatory protein‐1β and interleukin‐8 associated with idiopathic steroid‐sensitive nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Kanai Takahiro , Yamagata Takanori , Momoi Mariko Y. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractBackground:  The cytokines associated with idiopathic steroid‐sensitive nephrotic syndrome (ISSNS) have not been identified definitively, because previous studies had variable sampling and population heterogeneity. To clarify the cytokines involved, serum cytokine levels were measured using uniform sampling in a homogeneous population.Methods:  Five children meeting the following criteria were included: (i) ISSNS; (ii) selectivity index <0.1; (iii) paired sera obtained in the nephrotic phase before steroid treatment (STx; group A) and in the remission phase under STx (group B); (iv) no infection; and (v) no immunosuppressant. Control groups were as follows: group C, four children with ISSNS in the remission phase without STx; group D, five with normal urinalysis; group E, five with symptomatic secondary nephrotic syndrome before STx. Cytokine levels were measured using bead‐based assay.Results:  Serum macrophage inflammatory protein‐1β (MIP‐1β) levels were higher in group B compared to group A, and group C was lower than groups A and B. Serum interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) levels were higher in group A than in groups B and C, and groups B and C did not differ. With regard to both cytokine levels, there were no differences between groups C and D, and groups A and E.Conclusion:  Serum MIP‐1β and IL‐8 are associated with the clinical status of ISSNS in children. A relationship between MIP‐1β and ISSNS has not been previously reported. The mechanism by which MIP‐1β and IL‐8 affect ISSNS is unclear. Nevertheless, the present findings are an interesting starting point for further investigations into the pathophysiology of ISSNS in children.
Usefulness of panoramic views for novice surgeons doing retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy
Authors: Naya Yukio , Nakamura Kazuyoshi , Araki Kazuhiro , Kawamura Koji , Kamijima Syuichi , Imamoto Takashi , Nihei Naoki , Suzuki Hiroyoshi , Ichikawa Tomohiko , Igarashi Tatsuo 
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  Laparoscopic surgery is widely accepted for managing renal disease. Thus, the system used to educate and train novice surgeons in laparoscopic surgery becomes important to reduce the risks of surgery during their training. A prospective study was carried out to determine the usefulness of using panoramic views during laparoscopic surgery.Methods:  Between April 2004 and March 2007, four novice surgeons started learning laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: two carried out surgery without panoramic views and two used panoramic views. Operating time and blood loss for the initial 10 cases of each surgeon were compared. Panoramic views were obtained by interlacing each video frame of the video images electronically; the images were then processed and displayed during each step of laparoscopic surgery.Results:  Panoramic, real‐time views could be obtained, and they served as navigation maps. The learning curve of surgeons using the panoramic views was shorter than that of surgeons who did not use panoramic views. Time to ligation of renal artery from port placement and the operating time was shorter (69.0 ± 21.5 min vs 106.8 ± 44.9 min, P = 0.0016, 212 ± 42 min vs 254 ± 46 min, P = 0.0489, respectively) and the estimated blood loss was less for the surgeons who used panoramic views (87 ± 109 mL vs 334 ± 268 mL, P = 0.0005).Conclusion:  Panoramic views during laparoscopic surgery shortened operating time and reduced blood loss, indicating their usefulness in assisting novice surgeons to carry out procedures safely and accurately.
Plastic and reconstructive surgery in Uganda – 10 years experience
Authors: HODGES SARAH , WILSON JOANNA , HODGES ANDREW 
Published: November 2008

SummaryWe describe our experience of working in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Uganda over the last 10 years. There is a high burden of disease, a health system that is under resourced, and few qualified physicians to provide healthcare for a principally rural population. Training the physicians of the future is essential. Prevention and early wound management needs to be emphasized for traumatic injuries including burns. Subsidized up‐country visits by trained specialists with the appropriate equipment are required to provide a service for the rural poor. There appears to be a high mortality rate in babies with unrepaired cleft palate, probably due to feeding difficulties in an environment where intercurrent illness is common. We now offer nutritional support with early combined cleft lip and palate repair in these babies, a practice that has a high success rate and may be suited to other specialist units in the developing world.
Symptomatic stenosis of the vertebrobasilar arteries: results of extra‐ and intracranial stent‐PTA
Authors: Seifert T. , Augustin M. , Klein G. E. , Horner S. , Niederkorn K. , Fazekas F. 
Published: November 2008

Background and purpose:  About half of all transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) or strokes in the posterior circulation are caused by the arterial stenosis. The purposes of this study were to determine the safety of stent‐assisted percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (stent‐PTA) and its efficacy for the prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with symptomatic artery stenosis in the extra‐ and intracranial posterior circulation.Methods:  Forty‐six patients with a previous stroke or TIA who received balloon‐mounted coronary stents for vertebral artery origin stenosis (VAOS; 29 patients) or self‐expanding nitinol stents for vertebrobasilar intracranial stenosis (VBIS; 17 patients) were followed‐up for a mean of 24.1 (VAOS) and 12.7 (VBIS) months.Results:  When all cause morbidity/mortality within 30 days from stent‐PTA and stroke or death from stroke in the treated vascular territory during the first 12 months of follow‐up are combined, the incidence of periprocedural complications and disease progression for the first year is 10.3% in VAOS patients and 17.6% in the VBIS group. Vessel restenosis ≥50% was found in 52.0% of VAOS and in 32.1% of VBIS patients who completed 6 months follow‐up.Conclusions:  We observed a higher periprocedural complication rate for patients with VBIS and a higher rate of restenosis in VAOS patients after stent‐PTA for symptomatic artery stenosis.
Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination validation in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Reyes M. A. , Lloret S. P. , Gerscovich E. R. , Martin M. E. , Leiguarda R. , Merello M. 
Published: November 2008

Background:  There is a clear need for brief, sensitive and specific cognitive screening instruments in Parkinson’s disease (PD).Objectives:  To study Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE) validity for cognitive assessment of PD patient’s using the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS) as reference method. A specific scale for cognitive evaluation in PD, in this instance the Scales for Outcomes of Parkinson’s disease – Cognition (SCOPA‐COG), as well as a general use scale the Mini‐mental state examination (MMSE) were also studied for further correlation.Methods:  Forty‐four PD patients were studied, of these 27 were males (61%), with a mean (SD) age of 69.5 (11.8) years, mean (SD) disease duration of 7.6 (6.4) years (range 1–25), mean (SD) total Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score 37 (24) points, UPDRS III 16.5 (11.3) points. MDRS, ACE and SCOPA‐COG scales were administered in random order. All patients remained in on‐state during the study. Results: Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination correlated with SCOPA‐COG (r = 0.93, P < 0.0001), and MDRS (r = 0.91 P < 0.0001) and also with MMSE (r = 0.84, P < 0.001). Area under the receiver‐operating curve, taking MDRS as the reference test, was 0.97 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92–1.00] for ACE, 0.92 (95% CI: 0.83–1.00) for SCOPA‐COG and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83–1.00) for MMSE. Best cut‐off value for ACE was 83 points [Sensitivity (Se) = 92%; Specificity (Sp) = 91%; Kappa concordance (K) = 0.79], 20 points for the SCOPA‐COG (Se = 92%; Sp = 87%; K = 0.74) and 26 points for MMSE (Se = 61%; Sp = 100%; K = 0.69).Conclusion:  Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination appears to be a valid tool for dementia evaluation in PD, with a cut‐off point which should probably be set at 83 points, displaying good correlation with both the scale specifically designed for cognitive deficits in PD namely SCOPA‐COG, as well as with less specific tests such as MMSE.
Scale Theory, Serial Theory and Voice Leading
Authors: Tymoczko Dmitri 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTEfficient voice leading, in which melodic lines move by short distances from chord to chord, is a hallmark of many different Western musical styles. Although musicians can often find maximally efficient voice leadings with relative ease, theorists have not adequately described general principles or procedures for doing so. This article formalises the notion of voice leading, shows how to classify voice leadings according to transpositional and inversional equivalence and supplies algorithms for identifying maximally efficient voice leadings between arbitrarily chosen chords. The article also includes analytical and theoretical discussions of neo‐Riemannian theory, the ‘tritone substitution’ in contemporary jazz, the music of Wagner and Debussy, the relation between harmony and counterpoint and the connections between scale theory and serial theory.
Paradoxes ofPitchSpace
Authors: Brower Candace 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTParallels between the mathematics of tiling, which describes geometries of visual space, and neo‐Riemannian theory, which describes geometries of musical space, make it possible to show that certain paradoxes featured in the visual artworks of M. C. Escher also appear in the pitch space modelled by the neo‐RiemannianTonnetz. This article makes these paradoxes visually apparent by constructing an embodied model of triadic pitch space in accordance with principles drawn from the mathematics of tiling, on the one hand, and from cognitive science, on the other – specifically, the notion that our experience of pitch relationships is governed in part by the metaphorical projection of patterns abstracted from embodied experience known as image schemas. These paradoxes are illustrated with reference to passages drawn from four compositions to whose expressive character such paradoxes contribute: the fifteenth‐century motet ‘Absalon fili mi’; the finale of Haydn's String Quartet in G major, Op. 76 No. 1; Brahms's Intermezzo in B minor, Op. 119 No. 1; and Wagner'sParsifal.
Recruitment of mitochondria into apoptotic signaling correlates with the presence of inclusions formed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis‐associated SOD1 mutations
Authors: Soo Kai Y. , Atkin Julie D. , Horne Malcolm K. , Nagley Phillip 
Published: November 2008

AbstractMutations in Cu, Zn‐superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are associated with degeneration of motor neurons in the disease, familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Intracellular protein inclusions containing mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) are associated with disease but it is unclear whether they are neuroprotective or cytotoxic. We report here that the formation of mSOD1 inclusions in a motor neuron‐like cell line (NSC‐34) strongly correlates with apoptosis via the mitochondrial death pathway. Applying confocal microscopic analyses, we observed changes in nuclear morphology and activation of caspase 3 specifically in cells expressing mSOD1 A4V or G85R inclusions. Furthermore, markers of mitochondrial apoptosis (activation and recruitment of Bax, and cytochrome c redistribution) were observed in 30% of cells bearing mSOD1 inclusions but not in cells expressing dispersed SOD1. In the presence of additional apoptotic challenges (staurosporine, etoposide, and hydrogen peroxide), cells bearing mSOD1 inclusions were susceptible to further apoptosis suggesting they were in a pro‐apoptotic state, thus confirming that inclusions are linked to toxicity. Surprisingly, cells displaying dispersed SOD1 [both wildtype (WT) and mutant] were protected against apoptosis upstream of mitochondrial apoptotic signaling, induced by all agents tested. This protection against apoptosis was unrelated to SOD1 enzymatic activity because the G85R that lacks enzymatic function protected cells similarly to both WT SOD1 and A4V that possesses WT‐like activity. These findings demonstrate new aspects of SOD1 in relation to cellular viability; specifically, mSOD1 can be either neuroprotective or cytotoxic depending on its aggregation state.
Combining plant and animal traits to assess community functional responses to disturbance
Authors: Moretti Marco , Legg Colin 
Published: November 2008

There is a general consensus that functional traits are reliable indicators of adaptation of organisms to particular environmental characteristics. In this study we relate the combined distributions of species traits of plants and animals to disturbance regimes in chestnut forests of southern Switzerland affected by regular winter fires. We used co‐inertia analysis for combining the trait response of 471 invertebrate species (117 001 individuals) and 81 plant species at 23 sites with different fire and cutting histories. Trait response was assessed by calculating the variation in weighted mean traits averaged over the communities and by using mean traits in multivariate analyses. The analysis showed a strong association between plant and animal traits under fire constraints (Monte‐Carlo test, p=0.0045). Plants and animal distributions show parallel trends in responses to fire which selects traits relating to persistence (ability to survive), resilience (ability to recover) and mobility. Warmth‐demanding insects, herbivores, flying carnivores and pollinators were associated with recent fires, as were annual, ruderal and light‐demanding plant species with long flowering duration. Small arthropods feeding on dead wood and those with narrow habitat requirements were associated with low fire frequency and unburnt sites, as were competitive plants with large seeds favoring moist sites. The spatial association between plant and animal traits reflected adaptations that promote survival in the disturbance regime, while the disturbance acts as an environmental filter on the distribution and assemblage of the trait values within communities.This combined analysis of plant and invertebrate traits distributions illustrates how community and ecosystem responses can be monitored and the results generalized across localities and disturbance types. Analyses of traits that cross trophic levels provide powerful and promising tools for validating management procedures and controlling ecosystem functions.
Pagetoid reticulosis (Woringer‐Kolopp disease)
Authors: Lichte Verena , Ghoreschi Kamran , Metzler Gisela , Möhrle Mathias , Geyer Annette , Röcken Martin , Schaller Martin 
Published: November 2008

SummaryPagetoid reticulosis (Woringer‐Kolopp disease) is a rare subtype of cutaneous CD8‐positive T‐cell lymphoma. A 41‐year‐old man presented with a 7‐year history with a slowly progressive erythematous plaque on his right buttocks. With the working diagnosis of psoriasis, he was treated with topical corticosteroids which produced no improvement. Histological examination showed an epidermotropic T‐cell lymphoma with predominance of CD8‐ vs.CD4‐positive lymphocytes. Based on the clinical picture and the histological findings, we diagnosed pagetoid reticulosis. Excision of the plaque and cream PUVA photo‐chemotherapy produced long‐term remission.