bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of Feminizing Genitoplasty for Gender Dysphoria
Authors: Goddard Jonathan Charles , Vickery Richard M. , Terry Tim R. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Determining the history and development of feminizing genitoplasty is fascinating and instructive but fraught with difficulty. Earliest examples relate to practices carried out in ancient cultures. Gender reassignment surgery (GRS) developed from reconstructive procedures for congenital abnormalities. Some surgery was disguised, techniques were not recorded, and operations were carried out in secret.

Aim
The aim of this article is to review the historical development of male-to-female GRS.

Methods
Information was gleaned from Medline and general Internet searches. Further evidence was found by reviewing the references of early articles. A fascinating insight was also found in the autobiographies of GRS patients.

Results
The first recorded case was by Abrahams in 1931. Techniques evolved from the early vaginal absence work of Beck and Graves. Pioneers of GRS were Sir Harold Gillies in England and Georges Burou of Casablanca. In the 1950s, they both used invagination of the penile skin sheath to form a vagina. Howard Jones, of Johns Hopkins, published the second classic technique using penile and scrotal skin flaps. These two methods form the basis of male-to-female GRS today. The history of GRS reveals a struggle to improve functionality as well as cosmesis. In particular, the neovagina but also a functioning neoclitoris, which has developed from a cosmetic swelling into an innovated organ, derived from the glans penis and harvested penile neurovascular bundle.

Conclusions
Improved function and cosmesis continue to be the aim of the gender dysphoria surgeon. However, this review suggests the future management of transwomen should address not only refinements of surgical techniques but also prospective collection of posttreatment quality-of-life issues.
Depression in Dhat Syndrome
Authors: Dhikav Vikas , Aggarwal Neeraj , Gupta Supriya , Jadhavi Radhika , Singh Kuljeet 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT

Aims and Objectives
Dhat syndrome is a widely recognized clinical condition in the Indian subcontinent characterized by excessive preoccupation with semen loss as the main presenting complaint. This condition has been considered to be a culture-bound syndrome, and depressive symptoms have previously been reported. We were interested to know how common depression is, and to quantify these features.

Materials and Methods
We studied 30 patients attending the Psychiatry Outpatient Department of a tertiary care hospital for their complaints about passing of semen in urine frequently. Those with depressive symptoms were further evaluated using the fourth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) Diagnostic Criteria for Depression, and depression severity was assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Patients meeting the criteria were started on capsule fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, in dose of 20–40 mg per day. Patients were periodically followed fortnightly and were reevaluated for therapeutic response using the HAM-D.

Results
A total of 30 patients (age=20–40 years; mean age=29 years; mean age of onset=19 years; mean duration of illness=11 months) were studied. The majority of cases were unmarried (64.2%) and educated till 5th class or above (70%). Twenty out of 30 (66%) patients met DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Depression. Ten patients (33.3%) were found to have a comorbid problem of premature ejaculation, and two patients reported erectile dysfunction (6.6%). Patients showed statistically significant therapeutic response to fluoxetine.

Conclusion
Depressive phenomenology meeting DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Depression seems common in Dhat syndrome and responds to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors along with regular counseling.
Cloning, sequencing and expression of cDNA of bovine neutrophil β‐defensin from water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
Authors: Bera B. C. , Chaudhury P. , Bhattacharya D. , Bera A. K. , Das S. K. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryNeutrophil β‐defensins have been identified as naturally occurring potent antibacterial cationic peptides serving as effector molecules of innate immunity that provide a first line of defence against pathogens. Considering the broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity against microorganisms and role in innate immunity of the neutrophil β‐defensins, it has been characterized in many livestock species including cattle, sheep, caprine and porcines. Here we report the isolation, cloning, sequencing and expression of precursor bovine neutrophil β‐defensin isolated from Indian water buffalo. Full‐length cDNA was amplified using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The cDNA contained an open reading frame of 192 bp encoding a putative polypeptide of 63 amino acids. Deduced amino acid sequence of buffalo BNBD4 showed varying amino acid identity with the published sequences of related β‐defensins of other domestic ruminant species ranging from 67.18 to 79.68%. Recombinant buffalo defensin was produced in Escherichia coli as fusion protein.
HLA‐A2 class I antigens in couples with recurrent spontaneous abortions
Authors: Komlos L. , Klein T. , Korostishevsky M. 
Published: May 2007

SummaryClass I human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antigens, locus A and B, were typed in fertile and infertile couples in cases where one of the spouses carried the HLA‐A2 antigen. HLA‐class I typing data were obtained from 282 participants, 63 fertile couples and 78 infertile couples with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA). Locus A antigens were grouped into eight broad specificities (A1, A2, A3, A9, A10, A11, A19, A28) and locus B antigens were grouped, according to HLA epitopes, in two classes (BW4 and BW6). Although the number of cases is small, significant differences in the distribution of locus A antigens were found between HLA‐A2–positive (A2+) women from fertile and infertile couples. HLA‐A3, A11 and A28 cross‐reacting antigens were absent in women from fertile couples and present in women from infertile couples. HLA‐A19, which is associated with amino acid triplets of low immunogenicity, was significantly more often observed in A2+ fertile than in infertile women. An excess of the BW4 epitope was found in A2− husbands from infertile couples compared to fertile ones. The results of this study support the idea that in the presence of the HLA‐A2 molecule the distribution of HLA‐A and B loci antigens may be different in fertile couples compared to couples with recurrent spontaneous abortions. It can be suggested that the HLA‐A2 molecule, in context with specific genotypes, may contribute to the overall maternal immune response in normal and disturbed pregnancy.
Basin‐Wide Effects of Game Harvest on Vertebrate Population Densities in Amazonian Forests: Implications for Animal‐Mediated Seed Dispersal
Authors: Peres Carlos A. , Palacios Erwin 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTVertebrate responses to hunting are widely variable for target and nontarget species depending on the history of hunting and productivity of any given site and the life history traits of game species. We provide a comprehensive meta‐analysis of changes in population density or other abundance estimates for 30 mid‐sized to large mammal, bird and reptile species in 101 hunted and nonhunted, but otherwise undisturbed, Neotropical forest sites. The data set was analyzed using both an unnested approach, based on population density estimates, and a nested approach in which pairwise comparisons of abundance metrics were restricted to geographic groups of sites sharing similar habitat and soil conditions. This resulted in 25 geographic clusters of sites within which 1811 population abundance estimates were compared across different levels of hunting pressure. Average nested changes in abundance across increasingly greater levels of hunting pressure ranged from moderately positive to highly negative. Populations of all species combined declined across greater differences in hunting pressure by up to 74.8 percent from their numeric abundance in less intensively hunted sites, but harvest‐sensitive species faired far worse. Of the 30 species examined, 22 declined significantly at high levels of hunting. Body size significantly affected the direction and magnitude of abundance changes, with large‐bodied species declining faster in overhunted sites. Frugivorous species showed more marked declines in abundance in heavily hunted sites than seed predators and browsers, regardless of the effects of body size. The implications of hunting for seed dispersal are discussed in terms of community dynamics in semi‐defaunated tropical forests.
Bushmeat and the Fate of Trees with Seeds Dispersed by Large Primates in a Lowland Rain Forest in Western Amazonia
Authors: Nuñez‐Iturri Gabriela , Howe Henry F. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTIn Neotropical forests, large fruit‐eating primates play important ecological roles as dispersal agents of large seeds. Bushmeat hunting threatens to disrupt populations of primates and large‐seeded trees. We test the hypothesis that otherwise intact Neotropical forests with depressed populations of large primates experience decline in recruitment of large‐seeded trees. We quantify the proportion of small juveniles (> 0.5 m tall–1 cm diameter at breast height, DBH) of large primate‐dispersed tree species found underneath heterospecifc trees that are also dispersed by large primates at two protected sites in Manu National Park and one hunted site outside Manu N.P. in southeastern Peru. The forests are comparable in edaphic and climatic qualities, successional stage, and adult tree species composition. We found that hunting locally exterminates populations of large primates, and reduced primates of intermediate body size (hereafter “medium primates”) by 80 percent. Moreover, tree species richness was 55 percent lower and density of species dispersed by large and medium‐bodied primates 60 percent lower in hunted than in protected sites. In addition, richness and density of abiotically dispersed species and plants dispersed by non‐game animals are greater in hunted sites. Overhunting threatens to disrupt the ecological interactions between primates and the plants that rely on them for seed dispersal and recruitment. Sustainable wildlife management plans are urgently needed, because protected areas are at risk of becoming “island” parks if buffer zones become empty of animals and have impoverished flora.
The Bushmeat Harvest Alters Seedling Banks by Favoring Lianas, Large Seeds, and Seeds Dispersed by Bats, Birds, and Wind
Authors: Wright S. Joseph , Hernandéz Andrés , Condit Richard 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTWe evaluated predictions that hunters favor lianas, large seeds, and seeds dispersed by bats, small birds, and mechanical means for seedling banks in central Panama. We censused 3201 trees in 20 1‐ha plots and 38,250 seedlings in the central 64 m2 of each plot. We found significant differences in the species composition of the seedling bank between nine protected sites in the Barro Colorado Nature Monument and 11 hunted sites in the contiguous Parque Nacional Soberanía. Lianas, species with large seeds, and species with seeds dispersed by bats, small birds, and mechanical means were all overrepresented at hunted sites. The latter two findings could also be evaluated relative to the species composition of reproductively mature adults for canopy trees. The tree species present in the seedling bank had significantly heavier seeds than the tree species present as adults at hunted sites but not at protected sites. The representation of seed dispersal modes among the species present in the seedling bank did not reflect pre‐existing differences in the local species composition of adults. We hypothesize that hunting large seed predators favors large seeds by reducing predation and increasing survival. We also hypothesize that the harvest of large birds and mammals that disperse many seeds favors other species whose seeds are dispersed by bats, small birds, and mechanical means. This process also favors lianas because the seeds of disproportionate numbers of liana species are dispersed by wind.
Hunting and Plant Community Dynamics in Tropical Forests: A Synthesis and Future Directions
Authors: Stoner Kathryn E. , Vulinec Kevina , Wright S. Joseph , Peres Carlos A. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis synthesis builds on the preceding articles of this Special Section and has three goals. We first review the nascent literature that addresses indirect effects of hunting for tropical forest plant communities. Next, we highlight the potential indirect effects of hunting for other groups of organisms. Our final goal is to consider what could be done to ameliorate the demographic threats to harvest‐sensitive game species caused by unsustainable hunting. Three conclusions are possible at this time concerning the impact of hunting for tropical forest plant communities: (1) Hunting tends to reduce seed movement for animal‐dispersed species with very large diaspores; (2) Hunting reduces seed predation by granivorous vertebrates for species with large seeds; and (3) Hunting alters the species composition of the seedling and sapling layers. The cascading effects of hunting are already known to affect bruchid beetles and dung beetles and are likely to affect other, nongame taxa. To ameliorate these problems, several lines of research should be further explored to facilitate the development of game management plans including: (1) alternative use of sources of animal protein; (2) income supplementation for local people from sources other than wild meat; (3) outreach and extension activities for communities; (4) recognition and facilitation of the shifting of attitudes towards hunting; (5) implementation of community‐based wildlife management programs in regulated‐use areas such as extractive reserves; and (6) landscape‐scale conservation planning that maximizes the source‐sink dynamics of harvested and unharvested game populations and enforces game regulations in strictly protected areas.
The Role of Mammals in Creating and Modifying Seedshadows in Tropical Forests and Some Possible Consequences of Their Elimination
Authors: Stoner Kathryn E. , Riba‐Hernández Pablo , Vulinec Kevina , Lambert Joanna E. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTMammal populations are increasingly hunted, yet the consequences of their disappearance from tropical forests have only recently been explored. Here, we summarize current research on the role of mammals in seed dispersal and postdispersal processes, such as seed predation and secondary dispersal, in different tropical regions. We evaluate how mammal features influence seedshadows and ultimately forest regeneration. Finally, we discuss the potential effect of changes in seedshadows caused by the elimination of many medium‐ and large‐sized mammals. The complex role that mammals play in creating and modifying seedshadows in tropical forests cannot be easily quantified, and in this review we emphasize the variation that exists both within and among mammal taxa and across continents. To bridge this gap in information, we suggest that more studies should evaluate the relative importance of the disappearance of both seed dispersers and seed predators for particular plant species so that we may begin to understand the balance between these two influences. We also suggest that future studies identify ecological redundancy in nonhunted vertebrates within any particular community to evaluate compensatory behavior that may help ameliorate some of the negative effects of hunting of large and medium mammals.
COMPARISONS OF MEAT QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND INTRAMUSCULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE BETWEEN BEEF LONGISSIMUS DORSI AND SEMITENDINOSUS MUSCLES FROM CHINESE YELLOW BULLS
Authors: LI C.B. , ZHOU G.H. , XU X.L. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT This study was designed to compare meat quality characteristics and the traits of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) of beef longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles at 4 and 21 days postmortem. LD had higher (P < 0.05) moisture content and Warner‐Bratzler shear force (WBSF) but lower (P < 0.05) collagen content and filtering residue than ST at 4 days. Aging could more efficiently improve LD tenderness by decreasing the perimysial maximum transition temperature, increasing the collagen solubility and destroying the muscle structure. Both the natures of IMCT (insoluble collagen, perimysial thickness) and the status of muscle fiber were contributors to the tenderness of different muscles from the same carcass.
THE EFFECTS OF MARINATING WITH CITRIC ACID SOLUTIONS AND GRAPEFRUIT JUICE ON COOKING AND EATING QUALITY OF TURKEY BREAST
Authors: SERDAROĞLU MELTEM , ABDRAIMOV KYIALBEK , ÖNENÇ ALPER 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT Turkey breast slices were marinated using solutions containing 0.05 M (C1), 0.1 M (C2), 0.2 M (C3) citric acid and 50% (G1), 100% (G2) grapefruit juice. Distilled water was used for control group (C). Marinade and meat pH, moisture, expressible moisture, cooking loss, marinade uptake, color coordinate values (L*, a*, b*) and textural properties of samples were evaluated. Sensory evaluation was also conducted. With increasing citric acid concentration, there was a clear decrease in muscle pH (from 5.8 to 3.9). The lowest expressible moisture (20.6%) was obtained in samples marinated with G2 solution. Marinating with C2 and G2 solutions resulted in lower cooking losses and higher marinade absorption than other treatment groups. Color analyses revealed that the marinated samples were significantly lighter (higher L* values) than distilled water treated in control. Marinade treatments significantly affected hardness and chewiness. Sensory analyses of the marinated samples showed that acidic marination increased juiciness and tenderness scores.
CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY OF YEARLING BULLS AS AFFECTED BY THE USE OF CLENBUTEROL AND STEROID HORMONES COMBINED WITH DEXAMETHASONE
Authors: MONSÓN FRANCO , SAÑUDO CARLOS , BIANCHI GIANNI , ALBERTÍ PERE , HERRERA ANTONIO , ARIÑO AGUSTÍN 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT Twelve yearling bulls were assigned to one of three groups: (1) control with no treatment; (2) implanted with hormones; or (3) fed with the β‐agonist clenbuterol. Groups b and c were also fed with dexamethasone during the finishing period. After slaughter, six muscles aged for 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days at 4C were used for the analyses of the meat quality. Clenbuterol‐fed animals presented the highest muscle percentage (74.72%) and diameter B of the loin (8.05 cm), whereas hormone‐implanted animals had the highest bone percentage (16.12%) and lower percentage of muscle (68.15%). Meat from animals fed with clenbuterol tended to have higher water‐holding capacity than from the other groups. Clenbuterol‐fed animals also presented the lowest CIE a* (redness) values. Instrumental texture was affected by the growth promoters used, although it varied with muscle or aging time. The use of clenbuterol brought about tougher meat, but the combination with dexamethasone might decrease toughness.
ENZYMATIC MODIFICATION THROUGH MICROBIAL TRANSGLUTAMINASE ENHANCES THE VISCOSITY OF STIRRED YOGURT
Authors: JAROS DORIS , HEIDIG CORA , ROHM HARALD 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT Among others, dairy proteins and, especially, the caseins are well‐suited substrates for enzymatic modification by microbial transglutaminase. Apart from studies on chemically acidified dairy gels, some research has been performed on the impact of cross‐linking on rheology and texture of set yogurt. In this study, stirred yogurt was produced from skim milk that was incubated with transglutaminase. Dry matter of the base milk and starter cultures were varied at two levels, and the products were analyzed after 2 and 9 d of storage. The rheological measurements revealed a significant but shear rate‐dependent impact of enzymatic cross‐linking on the properties of stirred yogurt. Under steady‐shear conditions, the viscosity‐enhancing effect was more pronounced at low shear rates or shear stresses, pointing on enhanced interactions among the aggregated proteins in the products made from cross‐linked milk. The cross‐link‐induced viscosity‐enhancing effect diminished with increasing shear rates.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSMicrobial transglutaminase represents an interesting tool for texture modification of protein‐containing foods. The formation of new covalent cross‐links among and within protein molecules generates considerable changes in the technofunctional properties of the final products. Acid gels, such as yogurt, made from enzyme‐treated milk are characterized by reduced syneresis and improved viscosity. A better understanding of the enzyme‐catalyzed impact on the rheological behavior of stirred yogurt may help create new products with interesting properties.
METHODOLOGIES FOR SYMMETRICAL‐FLOW FIELD‐FLOW FRACTIONATION ANALYSIS OF POLYMERIC GLUTENIN
Authors: DAQIQ LAILA , FELLOWS CHRISTOPHER M. , BEKES FERENC , LEES EDITH 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACT Symmetrical‐flow field‐flow fractionation analysis was used to estimate the molecular size distribution (MSD) of glutenin from Australian wheat cultivars. The high molecular weight end of the MSD is important for predicting dough quality, but is difficult to measure by most characterization methods. Two parameters were considered to quantify the high molecular part of the distribution. A measure of the ratio of the rates of chain extension and termination, Λ, was adopted from methods introduced for synthetic polymers. The molecular weight below which 99% of total signal intensity should be observed, A99, was also estimated. It was hypothesized that Λ would not be sensitive to extraction conditions, but it was found to be dependent on the sonication time used in isolation of the glutenin. Λ and A99 showed strong positive correlations with mixing time and maximum resistance to extension, parameters related to dough quality.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe goal of this work was to develop structure–property relations allowing prediction of dough quality properties important in bread manufacture (e.g., maximum resistance of dough to extension) from measurements of the size distribution of the glutenins present in the flour. Two parameters were derived enabling such predictions that do not require accurate measurement of the peak size or measurement of the entire glutenin size distribution. These parameters may be of use in assessing wheat cultivars for bread and pasta manufacture.
Diaspora as Process: (De)Constructing Boundaries
Authors: Mavroudi Elizabeth 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis article discusses different conceptualisations of diaspora, as bounded, unbounded and as a process, in order to help highlight the useful role diaspora can play in explorations and (de)constructions of nation‐state, community and identity boundaries. There are two main ways in which diaspora has been theorised. The first theorises diaspora in relation to defined homeland‐orientated ethnic groups and identities and the second theorises diaspora in relation to fluid, non‐essentialised, nomadic identities. This article argues that it is necessary to look beyond such conceptualisations of diaspora as nomadic/fluid (unbounded) or homeland‐centred/ethnic‐religious (bounded). This article advocates a flexible use of diaspora as process that is able to examine the dynamic negotiations of collective, strategic and politicised identities based around constructions of ‘sameness’ and the homeland, as well as individual identities that are malleable, hybrid and multiple. It stresses that it is within this notion of diaspora as process that geographers, with their emphasis on place, space and time, have an important role to play.