bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tumour responding accessory cells in testicular seminoma: an immunohistochemical study
Authors: Cope N J , McCullagh P , Sarsfield P T L 
Published: October 2006

AimTo investigate the role of accessory cells (and other chronic inflammatory cells) in the host immune response to testicular seminoma by defining their immunophenotypic characteristics and topographical arrangement.Methods and resultsA panel of antibodies applicable to paraffin‐embedded tissues was employed to characterize the host chronic inflammatory response in eight cases of classical testicular seminoma. The antibodies were directed against CD45RO, CD20, CD68, acid cysteine proteinase inhibitor (ACPI), MAC387, muramidase (MUR), S100 protein, Factor XIIIa, CD21 and HLA Class II. In all cases the majority of the inflammatory cells were T‐lymphocytes situated mainly in areas of apparent tumour destruction. Large numbers of macrophages/dendritic cells which had not been evident by conventional light microscopy were also demonstrated. In particular, an immunophenotypically distinct population of accessory cells showing a specific pattern of distribution was revealed. It clearly rimmed islands of tumour and showed strong positive staining for CD68, MAC387 and HLA Class II.ConclusionThe study has identified an immunophenotypically distinct population of accessory cells showing a characteristic topographical arrangement. It is proposed that it represents a subpopulation of macrophages which are responding directly to the tumour and are likely to play a part in influencing tumour dynamics.
Genetics of recent habitat contraction and reduction in population size: does isolation by distance matter?
Authors: LEBLOIS RAPHAEL , ESTOUP ARNAUD , STREIFF REJANE 
Published: October 2006

AbstractFragmentation and loss of natural habitats are recognized as major threats to contemporary flora and fauna. Detecting past or current reductions in population size is therefore a major aim in conservation genetics. Statistical methods developed to this purpose have tended to ignore the effects of spatial population structure. However in many species, individual dispersal is restricted in space and fine‐scale spatial structure such as isolation by distance (IBD) is commonly observed in continuous populations. Using a simulation‐based approach, we investigated how comparative and single‐point methods, traditionally used in a Wright–Fisher (WF) population context for detecting population size reduction, behave for IBD populations. We found that a complex ‘quartet’ of factors was acting that includes restricted dispersal, population size (i.e. habitat size), demographic history, and sampling scale. After habitat reduction, IBD populations were characterized by a stronger inertia in the loss of genetic diversity than WF populations. This inertia increases with the strength of IBD, and decreases when the sampling scale increases. Depending on the method used to detect a population size reduction, a local sampling can be more informative than a sample scaled to habitat size or vice versa. However, IBD structure led in numerous cases to incorrect inferences on population demographic history. The reanalysis of a real microsatellite data set of skink populations from fragmented and intact rainforest habitats confirmed most of our simulation results.
Hybridization between mtDNA‐defined phylogeographic lineages of black ratsnakes (Pantherophissp.)
Authors: GIBBS H. LISLE , COREY SARAH J. , BLOUIN‐DEMERS GABRIEL , PRIOR KENT A. , WEATHERHEAD PATRICK J. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractPhylogeographic analyses using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have revealed many examples of apparently deep historical subdivisions (‘phylogroups’) within many vertebrates. It remains unclear whether these phylogroups represent independently evolving, adaptively differentiated lineages or groups that show little functional differentiation and, hence, will merge on contact. Here, we use mtDNA sequence data to evaluate the phylogeographic relationships between two of the northernmost populations of black ratsnakes (Pantherophis obsoletuscomplex) in Ontario, Canada and previously analysed populations in the United States. We then use population‐level analyses to evaluate the level of adaptive divergence between previously established mtDNA phylogroups. Phylogenetic analyses show that southern Ontario snakes have mtDNA haplotypes that fall within the Central mtDNA phylogroup, as designated byBurbrinket al. (2000). In contrast, snakes in eastern Ontario carry either Central or Eastern‐specific haplotypes. Within the hybrid region, we found highly variable frequencies of mtDNA haplotypes among isolated sub‐populations, no association between variation in cytonuclear (mtDNA) and nuclear (microsatellite DNA) markers, no difference in survival or reproductive success among snakes with different mtDNA haplotypes, and no effect of mate similarity in mtDNA on female clutch size. These results argue that the Eastern and Central phylogroups have merged in this region, likely due to a lack of adaptive differentiation between individuals in each lineage. Hence, in these snakes, phylogeographic structure in mtDNA is more a reflection of historical isolation rather than adaptive divergence. The observed reticulation between lineages and lack of evidence for hybrid disgenesis also bears on the classification of these lineages as distinct species.
Evolution of whole‐body enantiomorphy in the tree snail genus Amphidromus
Authors: SUTCHARIT C. , ASAMI T. , PANHA S. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractDiverse animals exhibit left–right asymmetry in development. However, no example of dimorphism for the left–right polarity of development (whole‐body enantiomorphy) is known to persist within natural populations. In snails, whole‐body enantiomorphs have repeatedly evolved as separate species. Within populations, however, snails are not expected to exhibit enantiomorphy, because of selection against the less common morph resulting from mating disadvantage. Here we present a unique example of evolutionarily stable whole‐body enantiomorphy in snails. Our molecular phylogeny of South‐east Asian tree snails in the genus Amphidromus indicates that enantiomorphy has likely persisted as the ancestral state over a million generations. Enantiomorphs have continuously coexisted in every population surveyed spanning a period of 10 years. Our results indicate that whole‐body enantiomorphy is maintained within populations opposing the rule of directional asymmetry in animals. This study implicates the need for explicit approaches to disclosure of a maintenance mechanism and conservation of the genus.
Repeatability and heritability of reproductive traits in free‐ranging snakes
Authors: BROWN G. P. , SHINE R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe underlying genetic basis of life‐history traits in free‐ranging animals is critical to the effects of selection on such traits, but logistical constraints mean that such data are rarely available. Our long‐term ecological studies on free‐ranging oviparous snakes (keelbacks,Tropidonophis mairii(Gray, 1841), Colubridae) on an Australian floodplain provide the first such data for any tropical reptile. All size‐corrected reproductive traits (egg mass, clutch size, clutch mass and post‐partum maternal mass) were moderately repeatable between pairs of clutches produced by 69 female snakes after intervals of 49–1152 days, perhaps because maternal body condition was similar between clutches. Parent–offspring regression of reproductive traits of 59 pairs of mothers and daughters revealed high heritability for egg mass (h2 = 0.73, SE = 0.24), whereas heritability for the other three traits was low (< 0.37). The estimated heritability of egg mass may be inflated by maternal effects such as differential allocation of yolk steroids to different‐sized eggs. High heritability of egg size may be maintained (rather than eroded by stabilizing selection) because selection acts on a trait (hatchling size) that is determined by the interaction between egg size and incubation substrate rather than by egg size alone. Variation in clutch size was mainly because of environmental factors (h2 = 0.04), indicating that one component of the trade‐off between egg size and clutch size is under much tighter genetic control than the other. Thus, the phenotypic trade‐off between egg size and egg number in keelback snakes occurs because each female snake must allocate a finite amount of energy into eggs of a genetically determined size.
Noninvasive serum markers in the diagnosis of structural liver damage in chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Parise Edison R. , Oliveira Ana C. , Figueiredo‐Mendes Cláudio , Lanzoni Valéria , Martins João , Nader Helena , Ferraz Maria L. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract: Aim: Several noninvasive markers are being used to assess the structural liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We evaluated the capacity of serum hyaluronic acid (HA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ALT ratio, the AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) and γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels to predict the intensity of hepatic fibrosis in patients with CHC.Patients and methods: In a total of 206 hepatitis C virus RNA‐positive biopsied patients, AST, ALT, GGT levels, platelet count and serum HA concentration were determined. The APRI was calculated as the ratio of AST to platelets.Results: HA levels were best correlated with disease stage (r=−0.694; P<0.001). In the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (F2–F4), HA levels [AUC=0.879, 95% CI (0.832–0.927)] and APRI [AUC=0.824 (0.772–0.903)] were the markers with the best diagnostic accuracy. These parameters also best identified the presence of cirrhosis (F4), with an AUC of 0.908 (0.868–0.949) for HA and of 0.837 (0.772–0.903) for APRI.Conclusion: Serum HA was the parameter that alone presented the best diagnostic accuracy in the assessment of hepatic fibrosis in CHC. The APRI showed a better diagnostic sensitivity than GGT levels or the AST/ALT ratio. Its simple determination and low cost make this index a valid alternative for the noninvasive staging of CHC.
Assessment of the management practices facilitating the establishment and spread of exotic diseases of pigs in the Sydney region
Authors: Schembri N , Hart K , Petersen R , Whittington R 
Published: October 2006

Objective To assess management factors that would influence the establishment and spread of exotic diseases in pigs in the Sydney region.Design Saleyard and pig producer practices that could assist the initiation and subsequent spread of exotic diseases in pigs were surveyed and assessed over a 12 month period.Procedure Two saleyards in the Sydney region selling pigs were attended weekly for 12 months (2002–2003) to collect details on vendors and purchasers of pigs. Pig producer locations were mapped. All pig farmers on the Department of Primary Industries temporary brand register were surveyed to record management practices and knowledge of exotic diseases. Swine brands were inspected to determine their quality as a tracing mechanism.Results There were 101 pig sale days during the survey period with 13,869 pigs sold. There were 305 vendors, of whom 95% were identifiable through saleyard records. However, only 40% of the 377 purchasers were identifiable. More than one third of the 1749 transactions were for cash without the identity of the purchaser being recorded at the saleyards. Some 3% of pigs failed to sell and were returned to the property of origin. A total of 64 of 132 pig producers in the Sydney region were surveyed and 52 responded with survey information. The production systems of pig producers were predominately intensive or semi‐intensive (88%) with 69% of these operators being small hobby producers. Pigs were mostly fed household and commercial scraps that were free of meat scraps, however, 2 producers were found to be feeding meat scraps (swill) illegally. Some 56% of producers surveyed did not have a tattoo swine brand and of the 23 producers with registered brands, 3 were not available for inspection or were not functional and 2 used the brand irregularly.Conclusion This survey has identified factors that would assist the establishment and spread of vesicular and other exotic diseases in pigs. The factors included feeding meat scraps (swill), poor farmer knowledge of exotic diseases, ineffective pig owner identification at saleyards, the practice of cash sales that precluded the collection of purchaser details, and inadequate identification of pigs. Tracing the movements of pigs under these circumstances would be difficult.
TWISTED CHARACTER OF A SMALL REPRESENTATION OF GL(4)
Authors: FLICKER YUVAL Z. , ZINOVIEV DMITRII 
Published: October 2006

We compute by a purely local method the (elliptic) θ-twisted character χπY of the representation πY = I(3, 1)(13 × χY) of G = GL (4, F), where F is a p-adic field, p ≠ 2, and Y is an unramified quadratic extension of F; χY is the nontrivial character of F×/NY/FY×. The representation πY is normalizedly induced from [Formula: see text], mi ∈ GL (i, F), on the maximal parabolic subgroup of type (3, 1); θ is the "transpose-inverse" involution of G. We show that the twisted character χπY of πY is an unstable function: its value at a twisted regular elliptic conjugacy class with norm in CY = CY(F)="( GL (2, Y)/F×)F" is minus its value at the other class within the twisted stable conjugacy class. It is 0 at the classes without norm in CY. Moreover πY is the endoscopic lift of the trivial representation of CY. We deal only with unramified Y/F, as globally this case occurs almost everywhere. The case of ramified Y/F would require another paper. Our CY = "( R Y/F GL (2)/ GL (1))F" has Y-points CY(Y) = {(g, g′) ∈ GL (2, Y) × GL (2, Y); det (g) = det (g′)}/Y× (Y× embeds diagonally); σ(≠ 1) in Gal (Y/F) acts by σ(g, g′) = (σg′, σg). It is a θ-twisted elliptic endoscopic group of GL(4). Naturally this computation plays a role in the theory of lifting of CY and GSp(2) to GL(4) using the trace formula, to be discussed elsewhere. Our work extends — to the context of nontrivial central characters — the work of [7], where representations of PGL (4, F) are studied. In [7] we develop a 4-dimensional analogue of the model of the small representation of PGL (3, F) introduced by the first author and Kazhdan in [5] in a 3-dimensional case, and we extend the local method of computation introduced in [6]. As in [7] we use here the classification of twisted (stable) regular conjugacy classes in GL (4, F) of [4], motivated by Weissauer [13].
Pirfenidone Prevents the Development of a Vulnerable Substrate for Atrial Fibrillation in a Canine Model of Heart Failure
Authors: Lee Ken W. , Everett Thomas H. , Rahmutula Dulkon , Guerra Jose M. , Wilson Emily , Ding Chunhua , Olgin Jeffrey E. 
Published: October 2006

Background—Atrial fibrosis is an important substrate in atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly in the setting of structural heart disease. In a canine model, congestive heart failure (CHF) produces significant atrial fibrosis and the substrate for sustained AF. This atrial remodeling is a potential therapeutic target. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effects of the antifibrotic drug pirfenidone (PFD) on arrhythmogenic atrial remodeling in a canine CHF model.Methods and Results—We studied 15 canines, divided equally into 3 groups: control, CHF canines not treated with PFD, and CHF canines treated with PFD. CHF was induced by ventricular tachypacing (220 bpm for 3 weeks), and oral PFD was administered for the 3-week pacing period. We performed electrophysiology and AF vulnerability studies, atrial fibrosis measurements, and atrial cytokine expression studies. Only canines in the untreated CHF group developed sustained AF (>30 minutes, 4 of 5 canines;P<0.05). Treatment of CHF canines with PFD resulted in an attenuation of arrhythmogenic left atrial remodeling, with a significant reduction in left atrial conduction heterogeneity index (median [25% to 75% interquartile range] 4.96 [3.53 to 5.64] versus 2.52 [2.11 to 2.82],P<0.01; pacing cycle length 300 ms), left atrial fibrosis (16.0% [13.0% to 17.5%] versus 8.7% [5.7% to 10.6%],P<0.01), and AF duration (1800 [1020 to 1800] seconds versus 6 [5 to 22] seconds,P<0.01). Immunoblotting studies demonstrated the drug’s effects on multiple cytokines, including a reduction in transforming growth factor-β1 expression.Conclusions—Treatment of CHF canines with PFD results in significantly reduced arrhythmogenic atrial remodeling and AF vulnerability. Pharmacological therapy targeted at the fibrotic substrate itself may play an important role in the management of AF.
VEGF-C–induced lymphangiogenesis in sentinel lymph nodes promotes tumor metastasis to distant sites
Authors: Hirakawa Satoshi , Brown Lawrence F. , Kodama Shohta , Paavonen Karri , Alitalo Kari , Detmar Michael 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
The mechanisms by which tumors metastasize to sentinel and distant lymph nodes, and beyond, are poorly understood. We developed transgenic mice that overexpress vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and green fluorescent protein specifically in the skin and studied the effects of chemically-induced skin carcinogenesis in this model. We found that in contrast to VEGF-A, VEGF-C does not increase the growth of primary tumors, but instead induces expansion of lymphatic networks within sentinel lymph nodes, even before the onset of metastasis. Once the metastatic cells arrived at the sentinel lymph nodes, the extent of lymphangiogenesis at these sites increased. Of importance, in mice with metastasis-containing sentinel lymph nodes, tumors that expressed VEGF-C were more likely to metastasize to additional organs, such as distal lymph nodes and lungs. No metastases were observed in distant organs in the absence of lymph node metastases. These findings indicate an important role of VEGF-C–induced lymph node lymphangiogenesis in the promotion of cancer metastasis beyond the sentinel lymph nodes. VEGF-C is therefore a good target to slow or even prevent the onset of metastasis.
Triglyceride associated polymorphisms of the APOA5gene have very different allele frequencies in Pune, India compared to Europeans
Authors: Chandak Giriraj R , Ward Kirsten J , Yajnik Chittaranjan S , Pandit Anand N , Bavdekar Ashish , Joglekar Charu V , Fall Caroline HD , Mohankrishna P , Wilkin Terence J , Metcalf Bradley S , Weedon Michael N , Frayling Timothy M , Hattersley Andrew T 
Published: October 2006

Abstract

Background
The APOA5 gene variants, -1131T>C and S19W, are associated with altered triglyceride concentrations in studies of subjects of Caucasian and East Asian descent. There are few studies of these variants in South Asians. We investigated whether the two APOA5 variants also show similar association with various lipid parameters in Indian population as in the UK white subjects.

Methods
We genotyped 557 Indian adults from Pune, India, and 237 UK white adults for -1131T>C and S19W variants in the APOA5 gene, compared their allelic and genotype frequency and determined their association with fasting serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels using univariate general linear analysis. APOC3 SstI polymorphism was also analyzed in 175 Pune Indian subjects for analysis of linkage disequilibrium with the APOA5 variants.

Results
The APOA5 -1131C allele was more prevalent in Indians from Pune (Pune Indians) compared to UK white subjects (allele frequency 20% vs. 4%, p = 0.00001), whereas the 19W allele was less prevalent (3% vs. 6% p = 0.0015). Patterns of linkage disequilibrium between the two variants were similar between the two populations and confirmed that they occur on two different haplotypes. In Pune Indians, the presence of -1131C allele and the 19W allele was associated with a 19% and 15% increase respectively in triglyceride concentrations although only -1131C was significant (p = 0.0003). This effect size was similar to that seen in the UK white subjects. Analysis of the APOC3 SstI polymorphism in 175 Pune Indian subjects showed that this variant is not in appreciable linkage disequilibrium with the APOA5 -1131T>C variant (r2 = 0.07).

Conclusion
This is the first study to look at the role of APOA5 in Asian Indian subjects that reside in India. The -1131C allele is more prevalent and the 19W allele is less prevalent in Pune Indians compared to UK Caucasians. We confirm that the APOA5 variants are associated with triglyceride levels independent of ethnicity and that this association is similar in magnitude in Asian Indians and Caucasians. The -1131C allele is present in 36% of the Pune Indian population making it a powerful marker for looking at the role of elevated triglycerides in important conditions such as pancreatitis, diabetes and coronary heart disease.
Prognostic significance of fascin expression in advanced colorectal cancer: an immunohistochemical study of colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas
Authors: Hashimoto Yosuke , Skacel Marek , Lavery Ian C , Mukherjee Abir L , Casey Graham , Adams Josephine C 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackgroundFascin is an actin bundling protein with roles in the formation of cell protrusions and motility of mesenchymal and neuronal cells. Fascin is normally low or absent from epithelia, but is upregulated in several epithelial neoplasms where it may contribute to an invasive phenotype. Here, we report on the prevalence and potential clinical significance of fascin expression in relation to the progression of colorectal adenocarcinoma and to tumor cell proliferation as measured by Ki67 index.MethodsConventional tissue sections of 107 colorectal adenomas and 35 adenocarcinomas were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for fascin and Ki67 expression.Fascin expression and Ki67 proliferation index were also investigated by use of a tissue microarray containing cores from a further 158 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 15 adenomas linked to a CCF, IRB-approved database with a mean of 38 months of clinical follow-up. Survival analysis was carried out by the Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods.ResultsFascin was not expressed by the normal colonic epithelium. In conventional sections, 16% of adenomas and 26% of adenocarcinomas showed fascin expression in greater than 10% of the tumor cells. In the clinically-annotated tumors, fascin immunoreactivity was more common in tumors located in the proximal colon (p = 0.009), but was not associated with age, gender, or TNM stage. Patients with stage III/IV adenocarcinomas (n = 62) with strong fascin immunoreactivity had a worse prognosis than patients with low or absent fascin, (3-year overall survival of 11% versus 43% for fascin-negative patients; p = 0.023). In adenomas, fascin and Ki67 tended to be inversely correlated at the cellular level; this trend was less apparent in adenocarcinomas.ConclusionFascin is upregulated in a proportion of adenomas, where its expression is often focal. Strong and diffuse expression was seen in a subset of advanced colorectal adenocarcinomas that correlated with shorter survival in stage III and IV patients. Fascin may have prognostic value as an early biomarker for more aggressive colorectal adenocarcinomas.