bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Lectin Histochemical Study on the Testis of the Babirusa, Babyroussa babyrussa (Suidae)
Authors: Agungpriyono S. , Kurohmaru M. , Prasetyaningtyas W. E. , Kaspe L. , Leus K. Y. G. , Sasaki M. , Kitamura N. , Yamada J. , Macdonald A. A. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryThe distribution of lectin bindings in the testis of babirusa, Babyrousa babyrussa (Suidae) was studied histochemically using 10 biotinylated lectins, Peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA I), Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), Vicia villosa agglutinin (VVA), Soybean agglutinin (SBA), Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), Pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA), Concanavalin A(Con A) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA I). Nine of 10 lectins showed a variety of staining patterns in the seminiferous epithelium and interstitial cells. The acrosome of Golgi‐, cap‐ and acrosome‐phase spermatids displayed various PNA, RCA I, VVA, SBA and WGA bindings, indicating the presence of glycoconjugates with d‐galactose, N‐acetyl‐d‐galactosamine and N‐acetyl‐d‐glucosamine sugar residues respectively. No affinity was detected in the acrosome of late spermatids. LCA, PSA and Con A which have affinity for d‐mannose and d‐glucose sugar residues were positive in the cytoplasm of spermatids and spermatocytes. DBA was positive only in spermatogonia. In addition to DBA, positive binding in spermatogonia was found for VVA, WGA and Con A, suggesting the distribution of glycoconjugates with N‐acetyl‐d‐galactosamine, N‐acetyl‐d‐glucosamine, d‐mannose and d‐glucose sugar residues. Sertoli cells were stained intensely with RCA I, WGA and Con A. In Leydig cells, RCA I and Con A were strongly positive, while WGA, LCA and PSA reactions were weak to moderate. The present findings showed that the distribution pattern of lectin binding in the testis of babirusa is somewhat different from that of pig or other mammals reported previously.
Imbalance between expression of endothelin receptors A and B in terminal liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C viral infection: Immunohistochemical study of autopsy cases
Authors: Kitamura Yukisato , Hayashi Kazuhiko 
Published: June 2007

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Expression of endothelin receptors in terminal liver cirrhosis is not well investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the endothelin type A receptor (ETAR) and endothelin type B receptor (ETBR) immunohistochemically using paraffin‐embedded tissue sections from patents with terminal liver cirrhosis (TLC), non‐terminal liver cirrhosis (NTLC) and non‐cirrhotic liver fibrosis (NCLF) caused by hepatitis C viral infection.Methods:  Liver tissue sections from 38 autopsy cases, including 12 cases of NCLF (mild, moderate or severe liver fibrosis), 11 cases of NTLC and 15 cases of TLC, were stained using anti‐ETAR and anti‐ETBR antibodies after antigen retrieval. Double staining using antibodies to alpha‐smooth muscle actin (ASMA) was also performed.Results:  There were significantly fewer ETBR‐positive cells in TLC compared with NTLC and NCLF. Numbers of ASMA‐positive stellate cells expressing ETBR were also significantly lower in TLC. Therefore, the ETAR/ETBR ratio of sinusoidal cells is significantly higher in TLC than in NTLC and NCLF. ASMA‐positive stellate cells showed similar evidence of ETAR and ETBR expression.Conclusions:  There is a difference in ETAR and ETBR expression among TLC, NTLC and NCLF: the ETAR/ETBR ratio is increased in TLC due to a relative decrease in ETBR expression. This finding may be useful for the diagnosis of TLC with regard to circulatory disturbances in the liver.
How should we manage patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in 2007?
Authors: Chan Henry L‐Y , De Silva H Janaka , Leung Nancy W‐Y , Lim Seng‐Gee , Farrell Geoffrey C ,   the Asia–Pacific Working Party on NAFLD
Published: June 2007

AbstractEvidence‐based management guidelines for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are lacking in the Asia–Pacific region or elsewhere. This review reports the results of a systematic literature search and expert opinions. The Asia–Pacific Working Party on NAFLD (APWP‐NAFLD) has generated practical recommendations on management of NAFLD in this region. NAFLD should be suspected when there are metabolic risk factors and/or characteristic changes on hepatic ultrasonography. Diagnosis by ultrasonography, assessment of liver function and complications, exclusion of other liver diseases and screening for metabolic syndrome comprise initial assessment. Liver biopsy should be considered when there is diagnostic uncertainty, for patients at risk of advanced fibrosis, for those enrolled in clinical trials and at laparoscopy for another purpose. Lifestyle measures such as dietary restrictions and increased physical activity (aerobic exercise) should be encouraged, although the best management strategy to achieve this has yet to be defined. Complications of metabolic syndrome should be screened for regularly. Use of statins to treat hypercholesterolemia is safe and recommended; frequent alanine aminotransferase (ALT) monitoring is not required. Obese patients who do not respond to lifestyle measures should be referred to centers specializing in obesity management; consideration should be given to bariatric surgery or gastric ballooning. The role of pharmacotherapy remains investigational and is not recommended for routine clinical practice. Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease should be recognized as part of the metabolic syndrome and managed in a multidisciplinary approach that addresses liver disease in the context of risk factors for diabetes and premature cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle changes are the first line and mainstay of management.
Conjunctival fungal flora in healthy donkeys
Authors: Nardoni Simona , Sgorbini Micaela , Barsotti Giovanni , Corazza Michele , Mancianti Francesca 
Published: June 2007

AbstractObjective To identify and quantify ocular fungi from healthy donkeys living in the center of Italy.Animals studied One hundred and two Amiata donkeys were examined.Procedures Conjunctival swabs from both eyes were seeded onto Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) and malt extract agar (MEA), and incubated at 25 °C over a 10‐day period. Filamentous fungi identification was achieved to the genus level; yeast colonies were identified for macro‐micromorphologic and physiological characteristics.Results Eighty‐one donkeys out of 102 (79.4%) were positive for fungi; 47/102 (46.1%) had positive cultures from both eyes. Most frequently recovered fungal genera wereAspergillusspp.,Penicilliumspp.,Cladosporiumspp.,Acremoniumspp. Different fungal genera and/or species were recovered from the same donkey in 43 cases (42.1%). Yeasts were isolated from five subjects; the yeasts were never associated with molds. The number of colony forming units (CFU) ranged from 1 to 100.Conclusions Aspergilluswas the most commonly isolated fungal genus (33%). This result agrees with the findings of similar surveys carried out in horses. There was a remarkable presence of fungi and perfect forms. These observations may be explained by the optimal conditions for presence and development of fungi in the conjunctival fornix microenvironment in Amiata donkeys.
Central corneal thickness in koi fish: effects of age, sex, body length, and corneal diameter
Authors: Lynch Gwendolyn L. , Hoffman Allison , Blocker Tiffany 
Published: June 2007

AbstractObjective To establish the central corneal thickness (CCT) of normal koi fish by ultrasonic pachymetry, and its relationship to age, sex, body length and corneal diameter.Methods Age, sex and body length of 33 koi fish (17 male and 16 female fish) were recorded. Horizontal and vertical corneal diameters of each eye were obtained using Jameson calipers. Central corneal thickness of all eyes was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry. Intraocular pressure (IOP) by rebound tonometry was obtained for a subgroup of nine koi (18 eyes).Results Mean central corneal thickness was 325.9 µm. Central corneal thickness of female koi was greater than CCT of male fish (P < 0.01). Central corneal thickness increased with increasing age overall and within both sexes (P < 0.01). Central corneal thickness increased with increasing body length (P < 0.001). For male and female fish, CCT increased with increasing horizontal and vertical corneal diameters (P < 0.01). Mean horizontal corneal diameter (HCD) was 8.05 mm, mean vertical corneal diameter (VCD) was 7.38 mm, and HCD was consistently greater than VCD. Mean IOP of a subgroup of these koi was 4.9 mmHg by rebound tonometry.Conclusions Koi CCT increases with increasing age, body length and corneal diameter.
Management of bilateral uveitis in aToxoplasma gondii‐seropositive cat with histopathologic evidence of fungal panuveitis
Authors: Pearce J. , Giuliano E. A. , Galle L. E. , Klauss G. , Ota J. , Moore C. P. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractA 5‐year‐old, neutered male Domestic Short‐haired cat was referred with a 5‐month history of anterior uveitis and cataract in the right eye. Clinical examination confirmed anterior uveitis and immature cataract in the right eye and chorioretinitis in the left eye. Ocular ultrasound showed a retinal detachment in the right eye. Diagnostic testing revealed elevated serum titers forToxoplasma gondii. Anterior uveitis in the right eye and chorioretinitis in the left eye progressed, resulting in blindness despite a 21‐day course of clindamycin and aggressive topical medical management of uveitis. The right eye was enucleated and histopathologic evaluation of the globe revealed panuveitis and multiple organisms morphologically consistent withHistoplasma capsulatum. Systemic treatment with itraconazole was initiated. Vision returned after 3 months of treatment and complete resolution of the retinal hemorrhages with formation of a flat chorioretinal scar was noted after 6 months of therapy. Itraconazole was discontinued 7 months after starting therapy, at which time the funduscopic appearance of the chorioretinal scar had remained static for 1 month. The cat has remained visual without evidence of disease progression for 6 months following discontinuation of itraconazole.
In vivo confocal microscopy in the normal corneas of cats, dogs and birds
Authors: Kafarnik Christiane , Fritsche Jens , Reese Sven 
Published: June 2007

AbstractObjective  To evaluate the applicability of in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) in veterinary ophthalmology and analyze the morphology of living, healthy cornea.Animals examined  Thirty‐seven dogs, 34 cats and five birds.Procedure  Various corneal sublayers were visualized in the central region using an in vivo confocal corneal microscope (HRTII/RCM®).Results  An investigation method was developed and adapted for use on animals with varying skull forms and eye positions. Real‐time images of the epithelial cells, the corneal stroma and the endothelial layer were obtained. The corneal stromal nerve trunks and the subepithelial and basal epithelial nerve plexus were visualized. In dogs, full corneal thickness (FCT) was 585 ± 79 µm (mean ± SD) and endothelial cell density (ECD) 3175 ± 776 cells/mm2 (mean ± SD). In cats, FCT was 592 ± 80 µm and ECD 2846 ± 403 cells/mm2. There were no significant differences between canine and feline FCT and ECD and no morphologic differences could be seen between dogs and cats. The bird images revealed a number of structural differences.Conclusion  Noninvasive IVCM allows accurate detection of corneal sublayers, corneal pachymetry, endothelial cell density and corneal innervation in various animal species. For clinical usage, patients must be under general anesthesia. The confocal images provided anatomic reference images of various healthy corneal structures in dogs, cats and birds.
Functional anatomy of the ocular circulatory system: vascular corrosion casts of the cetacean eye
Authors: Ninomiya Hiroyoshi , Yoshida Emi 
Published: June 2007

AbstractObjective  To examine the functional anatomy of the ocular circulation in four bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and five melon‐headed whales (Peponocephala electra).Procedure  Eyes were obtained postmortem from whales that died while in captivity and/or were found beached. Specimens from whales were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of vascular corrosion casts and histology. The thermal characteristics of live dolphin eyes were measured using an infrared imaging system.Results  The whale eye receives its primary blood supply from the ophthalmic rete, which extends just behind the eyeball. The ophthalmic rete diverges from the basilar rete and the cervical rete via the posterior thoracic artery. The iris and ciliary processes are supplied by iridic arteries via the major arterial circle that is located around the iris edge. The retinal vessels show the holangiotic type. Choroidal arteries run in parallel arrays so as to interdigitate the densely packed choroidal veins. The venules in the conjunctival fold and palpebral conjunctiva form a well‐developed venous plexus. Thermographic examination revealed that the eye shows a substantially higher degree of thermal emission than adjacent skin areas.Conclusions  The cetacean eye is characterized by a unique vascular pattern and multivessel plexuses, which are quite different from those of terrestrial mammals. This suggests that the ocular vasculature might function as a thermoregulatory system so that the appropriate operating temperature for the photoreceptors can be maintained in a deep and cold aquatic environment. The distinctive plexuses in the orbit might also be for pooling blood in the eye to conserve oxygen during dives. The ophthalmic rete might play a role in a pressure‐damping effect on cetacean ocular circulation as well.
Proteinases of the cornea and preocular tear film
Authors: Ollivier F. J. , Gilger B. C. , Barrie K. P. , Kallberg M. E. , Plummer C. E. , O’Reilly S. , Gelatt K. N. , Brooks D. E. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractMaintenance and repair of corneal stromal extracellular matrix (ECM) requires a tightly coordinated balance of ECM synthesis, degradation and remodeling in which proteolytic enzymes (proteinases) perform important functions. There are natural proteinase inhibitors present in preocular tear film (PTF) and cornea simultaneously with proteinases that prevent excessive degradation of normal healthy tissue. Disorders occur when there is an imbalance between proteinases and proteinase inhibitors in favor of the proteinases, causing pathologic degradation of stromal collagen and proteoglycans in the cornea. Two matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP‐2 and MMP‐9, are of major importance in terms of remodeling and degradation of the corneal stromal collagen. Immunohistochemical studies have shown different origins of MMP‐2 and ‐9. MMP‐2 is synthesized by corneal keratocytes and performs a surveillance function in the normal cornea, becoming locally activated to degrade collagen molecules that occasionally become damaged. Alternatively, MMP‐9 may be produced by epithelial cells and polymorphonuclear neutrophils following corneal wounding. Because the cornea is in close contact with the preocular tear film (PTF), proteinases have been evaluated in the PTF. In damaged corneas, total proteolytic activity in the tear fluid was found to be significantly increased compared to normal eyes and contralateral eyes. Studies analyzing the proteolytic activity in serial PTF samples during corneal healing led to the following conclusions: ulcerative keratitis in animals is associated with initially high levels of tear film proteolytic activity, which decrease as ulcers heal; proteinase levels in melting ulcers remain elevated leading to rapid progression of the ulcers. The success of medical and surgical treatment of the corneal ulcers is reflected by the proteolytic activity in tears. In animals, successful treatment leads to a rapid reduction in tear film proteolytic activity that corresponds with the improvement in the clinical signs of corneal ulceration. The in vitro effects of various compounds on proteolytic activity in the tear fluid of animals with ulcerative keratitis have been evaluated and their important inhibitory effects have been confirmed. Because these various compounds utilize different mechanisms to inhibit various families of proteinases, a combination of these proteinase inhibitors may be beneficial.
Cloning and functional characterization of the fatty acid elongase 1 (FAE1) gene from high erucic Crambe abyssinica cv. Prophet
Authors: Mietkiewska Elzbieta , Brost Jennifer M. , Giblin E. Michael , Barton Dennis L. , Taylor David C. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryA genomic fatty acid elongation 1 (FAE1) clone was isolated from Crambe abyssinica. The genomic clone corresponds to a 1521‐bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein of 507 amino acids. In yeast cells expression of CrFAE led to production of new very long chain monounsaturated fatty acids such as eicosenoic (20 : 1Δ11) and erucic (22 : 1Δ13) acids. Seed‐specific expression in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in up to a 12‐fold increase in the proportion of erucic acid. On the other hand, in transgenic high‐erucic Brassica carinata plants, the proportion of erucic acid was as high as 51.9% in the best transgenic line, a net increase of 40% compared to wild type. These results indicate that the CrFAE gene encodes a condensing enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of very long‐chain fatty acids utilizing monounsaturated and saturated acyl substrates, with a strong capability for improving the erucic acid content.
Oral immunization with transgenic rice seeds expressing VP2 protein of infectious bursal disease virus induces protective immune responses in chickens
Authors: Wu Jianxiang , Yu Lian , Li Long , Hu Jinqiang , Zhou Jiyong , Zhou Xueping 
Published: June 2007

SummaryThe expression of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) host‐protective immunogen VP2 protein in rice seeds, its immunogenicity and protective capability in chickens were investigated. The VP2 cDNA of IBDV strain ZJ2000 was cloned downstream of the Gt1 promoter of the rice glutelin GluA‐2 gene in the binary expression vector, pCambia1301‐Gt1. Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing the recombinant vector was used to transform rice embryogenic calli, and 121 transgenic lines were obtained and grown to maturity in a greenhouse. The expression level of VP2 protein in transgenic rice seeds varied from 0.678% to 4.521% µg/mg of the total soluble seed protein. Specific pathogen‐free chickens orally vaccinated with transgenic rice seeds expressing VP2 protein produced neutralizing antibodies against IBDV and were protected when challenged with a highly virulent IBDV strain, BC6/85. These results demonstrate that transgenic rice seeds expressing IBDV VP2 can be used as an effective, safe and inexpensive vaccine against IBDV.
Rule‐Based Discovery in Spatial Data Infrastructure
Authors: Lutz Michael , Kolas Dave 
Published: June 2007

AbstractAnswering questions based on spatial data is becoming increasingly important in a variety of domains. Often the required data are distributed and heterogeneous, and several data sources need to be combined in order to derive the information required by a user. Spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) are aimed at making the discovery and access to distributed geographic data more efficient. However, the catalogue services currently used in SDIs for discovering geographic data do not allow expressive queries and do not take into account that more than one data source might be required to answer a question. In this paper, we present a methodology that uses rules for both the discovery of data sources and, based on the discovered data, answering user queries in SDIs. We illustrate how this methodology allows inferences that use relationships between individuals and the combination of data from different sources, thus overcoming some of the limitations of other Semantic Web approaches that are based on Description Logics. The approach is illustrated by an example from the domain of disaster management.
Towards Geospatial Queries in a Semantic Digital Library for 3D Data
Authors: Bilasco Ioan Marius , Gensel Jérôme , Villanova‐Oliver Marlène , Martin Hervé 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe evolution of the computing power as well as the success of standards such as X3D point to a future omnipresence of 3D in the multimedia world. A broad panoply of tools assisting designers when building realistic 3D scenes exists. In a near future, a new challenge will be to control the quantity of 3D contents that will be available. For instance, large amounts of 2D or 3D geographic data are spread all over the Internet. Nevertheless, appropriate description techniques and tools for the deployment and the retrieval of such data are still lacking. Our global objective is to propose a geographic digital library which can be exploited for describing, annotating and indexing geographic contents using geometric and topologic descriptions, geographic and appearance features, and semantics. Descriptions, annotations, and indexations are then exploited in queries to retrieve contents. The existing 3D scene description languages are generally free of any semantic information which could improve the management of 3D data (and especially research and re‐use). In this paper, we propose the construction of geographic 3D data warehouses managed by a semantic digital library 3DSDL (3D Semantic Digital Library). This library, through a standardized communication interface, gives access to all the 3D models indexed in the warehouse and facilitates their exploitation. Each object is characterized by a set of both semantic and geographic annotations and some common features (colour, geometry, and topology).
Semantic Expansion of Geographic Web Queries Based on Natural Language Positioning Expressions
Authors: Delboni Tiago M , Borges Karla A V , Laender Alberto H F , Davis Clodoveu A 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe need for better Web search tools is getting increasing attention nowadays. About 20% of the queries currently submitted to search engines include geographic references. Thus, it is particularly important to work with the semantics of such queries, both by understanding the terminology and by recognizing geographic references in natural language text. In this paper, we explore the use of natural language expressions, which we callpositioning expressions, to perform geographic searches on the Web, without resorting to geocoded data or gazetteers. Such positioning expressions denote the location of a subject of interest with respect to a landmark. Our approach leads to a query expansion technique that can be explored by virtually any keyword‐based search engine. Results obtained in our experiments show an expressive improvement over the traditional keyword‐based search and a potential path for tackling many kinds of common geographic queries.
Characterizing Spatial Databases via their Derivation: A Complement to Content Ontologies
Authors: Dean Denis J 
Published: June 2007

AbstractDeveloping an ontology that succinctly describes the contents of a spatial database is a very difficult undertaking. Yet most current efforts to develop spatial ontologies remain focused on describing content. Ontologies describing other aspects of spatial databases may prove to be much easier to develop and nearly as useful as content ontologies, and yet these alternative ontologies have received little attention from the research community. This paper explores one such alternative, specifically, an ontology that describes how a spatial database may have been derived. Derivation ontologies are shown to be highly complementary to content ontologies, and in some cases can perform nearly identical tasks. It is also shown that derivation ontologies are much more straightforward to develop than are content ontologies. Finally, we present a genetic programming (GP)‐based approach to automatically developing derivation ontologies for existing databases. It is concluded that while derivation ontologies cannot replace content ontologies, they are a useful and practical complement that offer their own unique set of strengths to the problem of semantically characterizing spatial data.