bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Development of the Metanephric Kidney in the Pig
Authors: Bragulla H. 
Published: November 2005

Aims:  The metanephric kidneys of the pig are used as xenotransplants in human medicine. In order for transplants to fit within the host organisms, the subcapsular blastema and blood vessels are crucial for the development of new nephrons to sustain the organ functions. The aim of this study is to obtain data concerning the post‐natal development of metanephric nephrons in the porcine kidney.Materials and Methods:  The metanephric kidneys of six porcine fetuses with a crown‐rump length ranging from 40 mm to 220 mm of eight piglets aged between 6 to 10 weeks and of three adult pigs were studied. Eight lectins as well as anti‐actin and anti‐myosin antibodies were used for lectin‐ and immunohistochemistry to study the subcapsular metanephric blastema, to visualize the blood‐urine barrier in the nephrons and collecting tubules, and to study the blood vessels in both the renal cortex and marrow.Results and Conclusions:  A subcapsular metanephric blastema was still present in the kidney of 10‐week‐old piglets. Dense condensation of mesenchymal cells surrounded the terminal branches of the collecting ducts and showed first signs of mesenchymal‐epithelial transformation. Characteristic comma‐shaped and s‐shaped bodies were found in and underneath the subcapsular blastema. In the fibrous renal capsule of six‐week‐old piglets, a first faint binding reaction of anti‐actin was visible and intensified in the fibrous renal capsule in ten‐week‐old piglets and in adult pigs. In addition, the smooth‐muscle layers of the blood vessels were stained by the anti‐actin and anti‐myosin antibodies. The lectins showed various affinities to the endothelium of blood vessels and to the epithelial cells lining of the capsules of the metanephric renal corpuscles, the various parts of the renal tubules, as well as the collecting tubules and the renal pelvis. The affinity of the epithelial cells to a specific lectin varies in neighbouring cells, indicating different cell activities or cell cycles.
Computed Tomography as a New Tool for Investigating Leg Weakness in Turkeys
Authors: Buda S. , Grönemeyer D. , Hafez H. M. , Matzke M. , Walter A. , Budras K. D. 
Published: November 2005

Introduction:  Leg weakness causes high economic losses in commercial poultry. The unspecific term includes, amongst others, diseases of the skeletal system caused by genetic, nutritional or microbiological factors. The analysis of computed tomography images may be a new tool to discriminate and evaluate skeletal abnormalities in turkeys and can therefore provide valuable hints in the treatment of turkey stocks suffering from leg weakness.Material and Methods:  Legs of healthy turkeys and those showing clinical signs of leg weakness were examined using a Tomoscan M/EG/Compact (Philips Medical Systems) CT system. The slice thickness and distance were set to 2 mm. In addition to the evaluation of the obtained images, the software system 3D‐Doctor was used to create three‐dimensional objects of the investigated samples.Results:  Differences between physiological and abnormal parts of the leg bones are distinguishable in the CT‐images and three‐dimensional reconstructed objects. Bone density can be calculated and thus provides a base to estimate possible nutritional demands or deficiencies. The three‐dimensional reconstruction compensates for the difficulties in understanding the detailed anatomical CT cross‐sections by which the examiner is confronted while studying the CT images.Conclusion:  Although computed tomography of poultry is too expensive for routine herd diagnosis, and far less for single‐animal diagnosis, it is a valuable tool for investigating skeletal abnormalities and is very useful in examining samples related to leg weakness.
Diversity and host association of the tropical tree endophyte Lasiodiplodia theobromae revealed using simple sequence repeat markers
Authors: Mohali S. , Burgess T. I. , Wingfield M. J. 
Published: November 2005

Summary Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a cosmopolitan fungus with a worldwide distribution in the tropics and subtropics, where it causes shoot blight and dieback of trees and shrubs and imparts blue stain in timber. In this study, eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity and gene flow between populations of L. theobromae. The relationships between isolates from different hosts were considered using three populations from different tree species in Venezuela (VEN) and the relationships between isolates from different geographical origins included populations from VEN, South Africa (RSA) and Mexico (MEX). A small number of predominant genotypes were encountered in the VEN and RSA populations and thus genotypic diversity was low. There was no evidence of host specificity for isolates of L. theobromae and there was very high gene flow between populations from different hosts. Geographical isolation existed between populations of the pathogen from different regions, with unique alleles fixed in the different populations. Gene flow was, however, less restricted between isolates from MEX and the other populations, consistent with MEX as a common source of seed in both VEN and RSA. Genetic analysis suggested predominantly clonal reproduction with some genotypes widely distributed within a region. The broad host range of L. theobromae and the lack of evidence for host specialization, coupled with its endophytic nature and the common appearance of symptoms only after harvest, is likely to hinder disease management strategies.
Melatonin corrects reticuloendothelial blockade and iron status in haemodialysed patients
Authors: LABONIA WALTER , RUBIO DEBORA , ARIAS CARLOS 
Published: November 2005

SUMMARY:Aim:  Treatment of anaemia in haemodialysed patients in the setting of inflammation usually displays high levels of serum ferritin (>800 ng/mL) and low transferrin saturation (TSAT) (<20%) despite i.v. iron supplementation, thus proving iron trapping in the reticuloendothelial system. Melatonin has been reported to reduce cytokine production and, in dialysis patients, to prevent oxidative stress resulting from iron and erythropoietin treatment.Method:  In this study, we evaluated a group of 10 patients undergoing haemodialysis who displayed elevated serum ferritin (981 ± 44.6 ng/mL) and TSAT <20% (15.6 ± 3.8%) after having received 1.2 g of i.v. iron dextran over a period of 8 weeks. These patients received oral melatonin, 6 mg/day at night for 30 days.Results:  After this treatment, all of them markedly increased TSAT values, reaching 35.5 ± 6.7% (P < 0.0001 vs basal values). In addition, ferritin values decreased to 754.4 ± 263.7 ng/mL (P < 0.05), and serum iron dramatically increased in all of the patients under study (42.4 ± 9.4 vs 109.7 ± 24.3 µg/dL; P < 0.0001). Values for haematocrit (28.6 ± 2.7 vs 31.9 ± 3.57%; P < 0.05) and haemoglobin (9.19 ± 0.97 vs 10.04 ± 1.29 g/dL; P < 0.05) were also improved. Measurements were then repeated 2 weeks after melatonin withdrawal, showing an impressive decrease in TSAT (16.4 ± 5.3%; P < 0.00001) and serum iron (48 ± 14.7 µg/dL; P < 0.0001) values and an almost significant increase in ferritin values (954.4 ± 86 ng/mL; P < 0.054).Conclusion:  The present study demonstrates that melatonin may strongly correct the reticuloendothelial blockade seen in dialysis patients under an inflammatory status, thus allowing a better management of iron derangements and renal anaemia.
Is cytogenetic diagnosis of 46,XX karyotype spontaneous abortion specimens erroneous? Fluorescence in situ hybridization as a confirmatory technique
Authors: Karaoguz Meral Yirmibes , Nas Tuncay , Konaç Ece , Ince Didem , Pala Elif , Menevse Sevda 
Published: November 2005

AbstractAim: Performing the standard cytogenetic technique on spontaneous abortion material is still a valuable tool, but finding a normal 46,XX karyotype can confuse investigators and lead to a problem in diagnosis. This is mainly because it is possible for the female or male conceptus to retain contaminating maternal cells. To address this possibility, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization technique (FISH). X (DXZ1: p11.1‐q11.1 region) and Y (DYZ3: p11.1‐q11.1 region) chromosome α‐satellite probes were employed to confirm the karyotypes previously diagnosed as 46,XX by our cytogenetic laboratory, or to verify the occurrence of ‘Y chromosome component’.Methods: Besides conventional long‐term tissue cultures and G‐bands by trypsin using Giemsa (GTG) bandings, FISH analyses were also performed.Results: A total of 134 spontaneous abortion specimens (singleton gestations) were referred for cytogenetic evaluation, of which 125 specimens were successfully karyotyped. Of these, 20.8% (26/125) had chromosome aberrations; 88.5% (23/26) of these aberrations were numerical and 11.5% (3/26) were structural. The most prevalent numerical anomalies were trisomies 15, 16 and 21, tetraploidies, triploidies and monosomy X. FISH results were obtained for 45 out of 92 cases with 46,XX, of which 2 (4.4%) showed XY signals.Conclusions: For accurate cytogenetic evaluation of spontaneous abortion materials, an additional technique such as FISH is required in order to confirm the cytogenetic results or to provide an estimate of the error rate in the analysis of miscarriages.
Late recurrence of invasive cervical cancer: Twenty years’ experience in a single cancer institute
Authors: Goto Tomoko , Kino Nao , Shirai Takako , Fujimura Masaki , Takahashi Michiko , Shiromizu Kenshi 
Published: November 2005

AbstractAim: To estimate the characteristics of, and prognosis for, late recurrence of cervical cancer.Method: Between 1977 and 1996, of 1721 patients with invasive cervical cancer, 1157 survived more than 5 years. Twenty‐eight patients whose cancer recurred after a disease‐free interval of 5 years were retrospectively investigated. For 22 patients the cancer recurred after less than 10 years, for five patients it recurred between 10 and 20 years after the original occurrence, and in one patient the cancer recurred after more than 20 years.Results: The histologic subtypes included 20 squamous cell carcinomas and eight adenocarcinomas. The initial therapies were surgery alone (on one patient), surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (on 20 of the patients) and radiotherapy alone (on seven of the patients). Recurrence was initially diagnosed by internal or external examination (11 patients), chest X‐ray (six patients) and computed tomography (11 patients). Rates of lymphogenous metastases were 19% of patients with primary surgery and 57% of patients without primary surgery, while those of hematogenous metastases were 48% of patients with primary surgery and none of patients without primary surgery (P = 0.023). The overall survival rate after recurrence was 50.5% after 2 years and 22.3% after 5 years, respectively. Four of the patients survived for more than 3 years without evidence of disease; these patients all had recurrence outside the irradiated field and achieved complete remission with radiotherapy.Conclusions: Late recurrence of cervical cancer was frequently observed in patients with initial treatment, including radiotherapy. Some had very long disease‐free intervals, but many were diagnosed by ordinary internal or external examination or chest X‐ray. Patients with primary surgery experienced recurrence less frequently in the case of lymph node metastasis than was the case for hematogenous metastasis. Radiotherapy was effective and improved prognosis, especially for recurrence of cancer outside the irradiated field.
Importance of species interactions to community heritability: a genetic basis to trophic‐level interactions
Authors: Bailey Joseph K. , Wooley Stuart C. , Lindroth Richard L. , Whitham Thomas G. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractRecent community genetics studies have shown that specific genotypes of a host plant support distinct arthropod communities. Building upon these findings, we examined the hypothesis that a trophic community consisting of cottonwood trees, a galling herbivore and avian predators could also be related to the genetics of the host tree. We found genetic correlations among phytochemistry of individual tree genotypes, the density of a galling herbivore, and the intensity of avian predation on these herbivores. We detected significant broad‐sense heritability of these interactions that range from H = 0.70 to 0.83. The genetic basis of these interactions tended to increase across trophic levels suggesting that small genetic changes in the cottonwood phenotype could have major consequences at higher trophic levels affecting species interactions and energy flow. These findings show a heritable basis to trophic‐level interactions indicating that there is a significant genetic basis to community composition and energy flow that is predictable by plant genotype. Our data clearly link plant genetics to patterns of avian foraging and show that species interactions are important components of community heritability and ecosystem processes. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that evolution of plant traits can alter trophic‐level interactions and community composition.
Assessing environmental risks of transgenic plants
Authors: Andow D. A. , Zwahlen Claudia 
Published: November 2005

AbstractBy the end of the 1980s, a broad consensus had developed that there were potential environmental risks of transgenic plants requiring assessment and that this assessment must be done on a case‐by‐case basis, taking into account the transgene, recipient organism, intended environment of release, and the frequency and scale of the intended introduction. Since 1990, there have been gradual but substantial changes in the environmental risk assessment process. In this review, we focus on changes in the assessment of risks associated with non‐target species and biodiversity, gene flow, and the evolution of resistance. Non‐target risk assessment now focuses on risks of transgenic plants to the intended local environment of release. Measurements of gene flow indicate that it occurs at higher rates than believed in the early 1990s, mathematical theory is beginning to clarify expectations of risks associated with gene flow, and management methods are being developed to reduce gene flow and possibly mitigate its effects. Insect pest resistance risks are now managed using a high‐dose/refuge or a refuge‐only strategy, and the present research focuses on monitoring for resistance and encouraging compliance to requirements. We synthesize previous models for tiering risk assessment and propose a general model for tiering. Future transgenic crops are likely to pose greater challenges for risk assessment, and meeting these challenges will be crucial in developing a scientifically coherent risk assessment framework. Scientific understanding of the factors affecting environmental risk is still nascent, and environmental scientists need to help improve environmental risk assessment.
Herbivore control of annual grassland composition in current and future environments
Authors: Peters Halton A. , Cleland Elsa E. , Mooney Harold A. , Field Christopher B. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractSelective consumption by herbivores influences the composition and structure of a range of plant communities. Anthropogenically driven global environmental changes, including increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), warming, increased precipitation, and increased N deposition, directly alter plant physiological properties, which may in turn modify herbivore consumption patterns. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that responses of annual grassland composition to global changes can be predicted exclusively from environmentally induced changes in the consumption patterns of a group of widespread herbivores, the terrestrial gastropods. This was done by: (1) assessing gastropod impacts on grassland composition under ambient conditions; (2) quantifying environmentally induced changes in gastropod feeding behaviour; (3) predicting how grassland composition would respond to global‐change manipulations if influenced only by herbivore consumption preferences; and (4) comparing these predictions to observed responses of grassland community composition to simulated global changes. Gastropod herbivores consume nearly half of aboveground production in this system. Global changes induced species‐specific changes in plant leaf characteristics, leading gastropods to alter the relative amounts of different plant types consumed. These changes in gastropod feeding preferences consistently explained global‐change‐induced responses of functional group abundance in an intact annual grassland exposed to simulated future environments. For four of the five global change scenarios, gastropod impacts explained > 50% of the quantitative changes, indicating that herbivore preferences can be a major driver of plant community responses to global changes.
Evolution of natural algal populations at elevated CO2
Authors: Collins Sinéad , Bell Graham 
Published: November 2005

AbstractOver the next century, it is expected that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere will roughly double (Watson et al., 2001, Climate Change 2001: the Scientific Basis, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Geneva). Microbial populations, which have large population sizes and short generation times, may respond to CO2 enrichment through genetic change. Here we describe microalgae isolated from the soil of natural CO2 springs and compare these strains with lines of Chlamydomonas that were selected at elevated CO2 in the laboratory. Both the laboratory and natural populations failed to evolve specific adaptations to elevated CO2, and contain populations that grow poorly at ambient levels of CO2. Laboratory and CO2 spring populations also include lines whose growth rates are insensitive to CO2. This demonstrates that, although laboratory selection experiments use simplified environments, the evolutionary responses that are seen following long‐term CO2 enrichment correspond to those found in natural populations that have experienced similar conditions.
Plant cell wall biosynthesis: genetic, biochemical and functional genomics approaches to the identification of key genes
Authors: Farrokhi Naser , Burton Rachel A. , Brownfield Lynette , Hrmova Maria , Wilson Sarah M. , Bacic Antony , Fincher Geoffrey B. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryCell walls are dynamic structures that represent key determinants of overall plant form, plant growth and development, and the responses of plants to environmental and pathogen‐induced stresses. Walls play centrally important roles in the quality and processing of plant‐based foods for both human and animal consumption, and in the production of fibres during pulp and paper manufacture. In the future, wall material that constitutes the major proportion of cereal straws and other crop residues will find increasing application as a source of renewable fuel and composite manufacture. Although the chemical structures of most wall constituents have been defined in detail, the enzymes involved in their synthesis and remodelling remain largely undefined, particularly those involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis. There have been real recent advances in our understanding of cellulose biosynthesis in plants, but, with few exceptions, the identities and modes of action of polysaccharide synthases and other glycosyltransferases that mediate the biosynthesis of the major non‐cellulosic wall polysaccharides are not known. Nevertheless, emerging functional genomics and molecular genetics technologies are now allowing us to re‐examine the central questions related to wall biosynthesis. The availability of the rice, Populus trichocarpa and Arabidopsis genome sequences, a variety of mutant populations, high‐density genetic maps for cereals and other industrially important plants, high‐throughput genome and transcript analysis systems, extensive publicly available genomics resources and an increasing armoury of analysis systems for the definition of candidate gene function will together allow us to take a systems approach to the description of wall biosynthesis in plants.
Enhanced seed phytosterol accumulation through expression of a modified HMG‐CoA reductase
Authors: Hey Sandra J. , Powers Stephen J. , Beale Michael H. , Hawkins Nathaniel D. , Ward Jane L. , Halford Nigel G. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryThe regulation of phytosterol biosynthesis in seeds is of interest to biotechnologists because of the efficacy of dietary phytosterols in reducing blood cholesterol in humans. Mevalonate synthesis via 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase (HMG‐CoA reductase) is a key step in phytosterol biosynthesis. HMG‐CoA reductase is inactivated by phosphorylation by SNF1‐related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1). With the aim of increasing seed phytosterol levels, transgenic tobacco plants were produced expressing a full‐length Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) HMG‐CoA reductase gene (HMG1) coding sequence, a modified HMG1 sequence encoding a protein lacking the target serine residue for phosphorylation by SnRK1, or a chimaeric sequence encoding the N‐terminal domain of the Arabidopsis HMG1 enzyme fused with the catalytic domain of yeast HMG‐CoA reductase, which lacks an SnRK1 target site. All three transgenes (35S‐AtHMG1, 35S‐AtHMG1m and 35S‐AtScHMG1) were under the control of a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter. Levels of seed phytosterols were up to 2.44‐fold higher in plants transformed with the 35S‐AtHMG1m gene than in the wild‐type, and were significantly higher than in plants expressing 35S‐AtHMG1 or 35S‐AtScHMG1. In contrast, levels of phytosterols in leaves of plants transformed with the 35S‐AtHMG1m gene were unchanged, suggesting that regulation of HMG‐CoA reductase by SnRK1 is an important factor in seeds but not in leaves. A total of 11 independent transgenic lines expressing 35S‐AtHMG1m or 35S‐AtScHMG1 also showed an altered flower phenotype, comprising a compact floret, prolonged flowering, short, pale petals, a protruding style, short stamens, late anther development, little or no pollen production, premature flower abscission and poor seed set. Because of this phenotype, the modified HMG‐CoA reductase gene would have to be expressed seed specifically if it were to be engineered into a crop plant for biotechnological purposes.