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PubMed1989

[Esophagoplasty in caustic stenosis in children. Apropos of 28 cases].

28 cases of oesophagectomy for caustic stenosis in children are reported. The authors discuss the technical modalities and the evolution of ideas, especially the importance of the oesophagectomy, in front of the risk of a secondary cancerisation. This severe complication becomes accentuated with the years and prescribes in children more systematic oesophagectomy concomitant or secondary to the oesophagoplasty.

Burns, Chemical↗

PubMed1984

[Spontaneous rupture of the ascending aorta. Rare form of parietal ulceration on angiography, with pericardial effusion].

A localised rupture of the aorta, notably less frequent than a true dissection, is often difficult to diagnose and should be attentively sought for whenever faced with acute chest pains resulting from a suspected aortic lesion. The authors' observation show, on aortography, a small ulcer-like projection on the internal wall of the dilated ascending aorta, only visible on an antero-posterior view. The true scientific value of this image is arguable and we are reminded of the rigorous routine needed in any angiographical examination. The particular case in question involves a subadventitial ulcer which could be the initial stage of a true dissection. The echography demonstrated the presence of a pericardial effusion (whose dreaded prognostic value is well known), but no aortic lesion. The authors feel that the diagnostic reliability of echography, computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography warrants further systematic study. It would appear that direct aortography until otherwise proved, remains the only real method capable of detecting these localised ruptures at an early stage, before their spontaneous and dramatic evolution into perforation or a true dissection; and so benefiting the patient from surgical repair work only without prosthesis insertion.

Aged↗

PubMed1993

Staging in cholesteatoma surgery.

The closed technique is the treatment of choice for middle ear cholesteatoma in the opinion of the author. Several interventions may be required. At the onset, the purpose of the systematic second stage procedure was to verify the absence of any residual cholesteatoma. Experience has shown that the interest of this second intervention lies equally in the opportunity to observe the evolution of the otitis disease process, and the tubal status and in the possibility of restoring transmission under optimal conditions, thanks in particular to the utilization of thick silastic sheeting. This technique necessitates, however, a long-term follow-up. On occasion, a third intervention may be required. Despite the iterative nature of this surgery, it should be considered as a form of a logical progression offering the best chances of a successful anatomic and functional outcome for the patient.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

A systematic search for positive selection in higher plants (Embryophytes).

BACKGROUND: Previously, a database characterizing examples of Embryophyte gene family lineages showing evidence of positive selection was reported. Of the gene family trees, 138 Embryophyte branches showed Ka/Ks>>1 and are candidates for functional adaptation. The database and these examples have now been studied in further detail to better understand the molecular basis for plant genome evolution. RESULTS: Neutral modeling showed an excess of positive and/or negative selection in the database over a neutral expectation centered on the mean Ka/Ks ratio. Out of 673 families with assigned structures, 490 have at least one branch with Ka/Ks >>1 in a region of the protein, enabling a picture of selective pressures delineated by protein structure. Most gene families allowed reconstruction back to the last common ancestor of flowering plants (Magnoliophytes) without saturation of 4- fold degenerate codon position. Positive selection occurred in a wide variety of gene families with different functions, including in the self incompatibility locus, in defense against pathogens, in embryogenesis, in cold acclimation, and in electrontransport. Structurally, selective pressures were similar between alpha-helices and beta- sheets, but were less negative and more variant on the surface and away from the hydrophobic core. CONCLUSION: Positive selection was detected statistically significantly in a small and nonrandom minority of gene families in a systematic analysis of embryophyte gene families. More sensitive methods increased the level of positive selection that was detected and presented a structural basis for the role of positive selection in plant genomes.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1989

The phylogeny of the cercomeria (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela) and general evolutionary principles.

The unified theory of evolution is an expansion of Darwinian theory that asserts that evolution is driven by entropic accumulation of genetic information that is constrained and organized primarily by the genealogical effects of phylogenetic history and developmental integration, and secondarily by ecological effects, or natural selection in its classical mode. Phylogenetic systematic analysis of the 8 major groups of parasitic rhabdocoelous platyhelminths permits empirical macroevolutionary evaluation of these postulates. Of the 131 characters considered, 127 are phylogenetically constrained, and 4 show evidence of 1 case of convergence each. Data from different developmental stages are phylogenetically congruent, despite differences in ecology among those stages. Ecological diversification, indicated by phylogenetic association of definitive hosts and parasites, and by changes in ecological components of life cycle patterns, is more conservative evolutionarily than diversification in developmental patterns, indicated by the appearance of unique larval stages, asexual proliferation of larvae, polyembryony, and heterochronic changes. These observations support the macroevolutionary postulates of the unified theory.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Evolution of redoxin genes in the green lineage.

The availability of the Arabidopsis genome revealed the complexity of the gene families implicated in dithiol disulfide exchanges. Most non-green organisms present less dithiol oxidoreductase genes. The availability of the almost complete genome sequence of rice now allows a systematic search for thioredoxins, glutaredoxins and their reducers. This shows that all redoxin families previously defined for Arabidopsis have members in the rice genome and that all the deduced rice redoxins fall within these families. This establishes that the redoxin classification applies both to dicots and monocots. Nevertheless, within each redoxin type the number of members is not the same in these two higher plants and it is not always possible to define orthologues between rice and Arabidopsis. The sequencing of two unicellular algae (Chlamydomonas and Ostreococcus) genomes are almost finished. This allowed us to follow the origin of the different gene families in the green lineage. It appears that most thioredoxin and glutaredoxin types, their chloroplastic, mitochondrial and cytosolic reducers are always present in these unicellular organisms. Nevertheless, striking differences appear in comparison to higher plant redoxins. Some thioredoxin types are not present in these algal genomes including thioredoxins o, clot and glutaredoxins CCxC. Numerous redoxins, including the cytosolic thioredoxins, do not fit with the corresponding higher plant classification. In addition both algae present a NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase with a selenocysteine which is highly similar to the animal thioredoxin reductases, a type of thioredoxin reductase not present in higher plants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Biochemical evolution III: polymerization on organophilic silica-rich surfaces, crystal-chemical modeling, formation of first cells, and geological clues.

Catalysis at organophilic silica-rich surfaces of zeolites and feldspars might generate replicating biopolymers from simple chemicals supplied by meteorites, volcanic gases, and other geological sources. Crystal-chemical modeling yielded packings for amino acids neatly encapsulated in 10-ring channels of the molecular sieve silicalite-ZSM-5-(mutinaite). Calculation of binding and activation energies for catalytic assembly into polymers is progressing for a chemical composition with one catalytic Al-OH site per 25 neutral Si tetrahedral sites. Internal channel intersections and external terminations provide special stereochemical features suitable for complex organic species. Polymer migration along nano/micrometer channels of ancient weathered feldspars, plus exploitation of phosphorus and various transition metals in entrapped apatite and other microminerals, might have generated complexes of replicating catalytic biomolecules, leading to primitive cellular organisms. The first cell wall might have been an internal mineral surface, from which the cell developed a protective biological cap emerging into a nutrient-rich "soup." Ultimately, the biological cap might have expanded into a complete cell wall, allowing mobility and colonization of energy-rich challenging environments. Electron microscopy of honeycomb channels inside weathered feldspars of the Shap granite (northwest England) has revealed modern bacteria, perhaps indicative of Archean ones. All known early rocks were metamorphosed too highly during geologic time to permit simple survival of large-pore zeolites, honeycombed feldspar, and encapsulated species. Possible microscopic clues to the proposed mineral adsorbents/catalysts are discussed for planning of systematic study of black cherts from weakly metamorphosed Archaean sediments.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Phylogeny and life history evolution of the genus Chrysoritis within the Aphnaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequences.

Phylogenetic relationships among 26 South African species in the tribe Aphnaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) were inferred from DNA characters of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI), using maximum-parsimony methods. The resulting phylogenetic estimate supports the systematic hypothesis made by Heath (1997, Metamorphosis, supplement 2), based on morphological characters, that at least three preexisting genera (Chrysoritis, Poecilmitis, and Oxychaeta) should be collapsed into the single monophyletic genus Chrysoritis. Two of the species groups described by Heath within Chrysoritis are also monophyletic, while one is paraphyletic and thus unsupported by the molecular data. Strong node support and skewed transition/transversion ratios suggest that two Chrysoritis clades contain synonymous species. Aphytophagy appears as a derived feeding strategy. Evolutionary patterns of ant association indicate lability at the level of ant genus, while association with different ant subfamilies may have played an ancestral and chemically mediated role in the diversification of South African aphnaeines.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Evolutionary perspectives on imitation: is a comparative psychology of social learning possible?

Studies of imitation in animals have become numerous in recent times, but do they contribute to a comparative psychology of social learning? We review this burgeoning field to identify the problems and prospects for such a goal. Difficulties of two main kinds are identified. First, researchers have tackled questions about social learning from at least three very different theoretical perspectives, the "phylogenetic", "animal model", and "adaptational". We examine the conflicts between them and consider the scope for integration. A second difficulty arises in the methodological approaches used in the discipline. In relation to one of these - survey reviews of published studies - we tabulate and compare the contrasting conclusions of nine articles that together review 36 studies. The basis for authors' disagreements, including the matters of perceptual opacity, novelty, sequential structure, and goal representation, are examined. In relation to the other key method, comparative experimentation, we identify 12 studies that have explicitly compared species' imitative ability on similar tasks. We examine the principal problems of comparing like with like in these studies and consider solutions, the most powerful of which we propose to be the use of a systematic range of task designs, rather than any single "gold standard" task.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The mitochondrial genome of Strongyloides stercoralis (Nematoda) - idiosyncratic gene order and evolutionary implications.

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis was determined, and its organisation and structure compared with other nematodes for which complete mitochondrial sequence data were available. The mitochondrial genome of S. stercoralis is 13,758 bp in size and contains 36 genes (all transcribed in the clockwise direction) but lacks the atp8 gene. This genome has a high T content (55.9%) and a low C content (8.3%). Corresponding to this T content, there are 16 (poly-T) tracts of >/=12 Ts distributed across the genome. In protein-coding genes, the T bias is greatest (76.4%) at the third codon position compared with the first and second codon positions. Also, the C content is higher at the first (9.3%) and second (13.4%) codon positions than at the third (2%) position. These nucleotide biases have a significant effect on predicted codon usage patterns and, hence, on amino acid compositions of the mitochondrial proteins. Interestingly, six of the 12 protein-coding genes are predicted to employ a unique initiation codon (TTT), which has not yet been reported for any other animal mitochondrial genome. The secondary structures predicted for the 22 transfer RNA (trn) genes and the two ribosomal RNA (rrn) genes are similar to those of other nematodes. In contrast, the gene arrangement in the mitochondrial genome of S. stercoralis is different from all other nematodes studied to date, revealing only a limited number of shared gene boundaries (atp6-nad2 and cox2-rrnL). Evolutionary analyses of mitochondrial nucleotide and amino acid sequence data sets for S. stercoralis and seven other nematodes demonstrate that the mitochondrial genome provides a rich source of phylogenetically informative characters. In conclusion, the S. stercoralis mitochondrial genome, with its unique gene order and characteristics, should provide a resource for comparative mitochondrial genomics and systematics studies of parasitic nematodes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

[The scholarly program of Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger (1781-1833) and it importance for the development of life sciences].

Although Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger was one of the most famous anatomists, his research work has been severely neglected in the recent historiographical literature on the German morphology. The goal of our study is to approach a general characterization of his research program. Our analysis reveals that Meckel introduced the Cuvierian empiricism in Germany, but he also considered the "Abstraktion" as a main component of the scientific knowledge. According to his epistemology on nascent organisms and transmutable species, both, variability and relatedness of the organic forms are important to the same degree. Meckel explicitly adopted the Jean-Baptiste de Lamarcks (1744-1829) evolutionary theories. Even though in Meckel's discourse about diversity the Cuvierian notion of "functional adaptation" was preserved, the main goal of his research program was to demonstrate empirically the "Allgemeinheit des Bildungstypus". For this purpose, he considered the entire variety of the animal kingdom: normal as well as abnormal organisms, adult specimens and above all embryos. Moreover, he believed that the abnormal development is due to the same laws as the normal development. He applied parallelisms to a new domain, the study of malformation. With Meckel's researches on teratology, a new era in the analyses of the anomalies was opened. They became an integral part of the natural diversity and thus a highly exploited subject of biomedical researches. Meckel's empirical and epistemological writings on the embryology, comparative embryology, teratology, pathology, systematics and comparative anatomy have largely contributed to the foundation of the biological research.

Anatomy↗

PubMed2005

Systematic prediction of kinetically limited crystal growth morphologies.

We develop a new, combined experimental and theoretical approach to make reliable predictions for the limiting case of surface reaction kinetics controlled growth. We solve the inverse problem of determining the growth velocity from observations of the evolution of the morphology of GaN islands grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and make use of crystal symmetry and established theorems. We are able to predict the growth for both convex and concave surfaces, with faceted and curved features. We also give a general guideline for deducing growth velocities from experimental observations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

The imprint of the geographical, evolutionary and ecological context on species-area relationships.

Species-area relationships (SAR) are fundamental in the understanding of biodiversity patterns and of critical importance for predicting species extinction risk worldwide. Despite the enormous attention given to SAR in the form of many individual analyses, little attempt has been made to synthesize these studies. We conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of 794 SAR, comprising a wide span of organisms, habitats and locations. We identified factors reflecting both pattern-based and dynamic approaches to SAR and tested whether these factors leave significant imprints on the slope and strength of SAR. Our analysis revealed that SAR are significantly affected by variables characterizing the sampling scheme, the spatial scale, and the types of organisms or habitats involved. We found that steeper SAR are generated at lower latitudes and by larger organisms. SAR varied significantly between nested and independent sampling schemes and between major ecosystem types, but not generally between the terrestrial and the aquatic realm. Both the fit and the slope of the SAR were scale-dependent. We conclude that factors dynamically regulating species richness at different spatial scales strongly affect the shape of SAR. We highlight important consequences of this systematic variation in SAR for ecological theory, conservation management and extinction risk predictions.

Biological Evolution↗

PubMed1998

Theoretical and empirical scaling patterns and topological homology in bone trabeculae.

Trabecular or cancellous bone is a major element in the structural design of the vertebrate skeleton, but has received little attention from the perspective of the biology of scale. In this study, we investigated scaling patterns in the discrete bony elements of cancellous bone. First, we constructed two theoretical models, representative of the two extremes of realistic patterns of trabecular size changes associated with body size changes. In one, constant trabecular size (CTS), increases in cancellous bone volume with size arise through the addition of new elements of constant size. In the other model, constant trabecular geometry (CTG), the size of trabeculae increases isometrically. These models produce fundamentally different patterns of surface area and volume scaling. We then compared the models with empirical observations of scaling of trabecular dimensions in mammals ranging in mass from 4 to 40x10(6)g. Trabecular size showed little dependence on body size, approaching one of our theoretical models (CTS). This result suggests that some elements of trabecular architecture may be driven by the requirements of maintaining adequate surface area for calcium homeostasis. Additionally, we found two key consequences of this strongly negative allometry. First, the connectivity among trabecular elements is qualitatively different for small versus large animals; trabeculae connect primarily to cortical bone in very small animals and primarily to other trabeculae in larger animals. Second, small animals have very few trabeculae and, as a consequence, we were able to identify particular elements with a consistent position across individuals and, for some elements, across species. Finally, in order to infer the possible influence of gross differences in mechanical loading on trabecular size, we sampled trabecular dimensions extensively within Chiroptera and compared their trabecular dimensions with those of non-volant mammals. We found no systematic differences in trabecular size or scaling patterns related to locomotor mode.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

[Faunistics--the science of XIX or XXI age?].

Rapid development of modern research techniques which has exploded in the second half of 20th century supressed interest in faunistic research. On the other hand the negative impact of human activity on the biosphere caused the need of intensification of the biodiversity studies. Several international and regional programs were founded to gather data about all species living in Europe and other continents. They also emphasize the importance of the faunistic researches that comprise studies on nature of parasite fauna (description of species, their morphology, variability, life cycles). Since faunistics and systematics are regain their weight, they are becoming the important area of twenty first century research.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Structural, functional and evolutionary implications of the three-dimensional crystal structure of murine interferon-beta.

The crystal structure of recombinant murine interferon-beta as elucidated by Senda et al. (Proc. Jap. Acad. 66B: 77-80 (1990); EMBO J. 11: 3193-3201 (1992)) appears to represent the basic structural framework of all Type I interferons including interferons-beta and all subtypes of interferons-alpha of various mammalian origin. Now the huge accumulated data on the structure-activity relationship of Type I interferons using various chemical and genetic techniques can be systematically evaluated in terms of the three-dimensional structure. Structural comparison with other cytokines, for which three-dimensional structures have been established, including interferon-gamma and considerations on the evolution of cytokines and cytokine receptors are also given.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2026

A novel jakobid genus from the soil of an indoor plant.

Jakobids are a group of free-living heterotrophic flagellates that hold a key phylogenetic position for understanding early eukaryote evolution and are particularly notable for their gene-rich, bacteria-like mitochondrial genomes. Although the number of formally described species is small, jakobids are frequently detected in anoxic marine habitats. However, their edaphic diversity remains unexplored, with the few documented isolations from soil over the past two decades, each yielding a new genus. Here, we describe a novel jakobid, Celatomonas quasimodo gen. et sp. nov., isolated from commercial potting soil used for cultivating indoor plants. The organism was characterised by light and scanning electron microscopy, and its phylogenetic position was inferred using 18S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis. While exhibiting typical jakobid features, the cells adopt a highly unusual curved-triangular morphology during division, which has not been reported for any other jakobid. Phylogenetic analysis placed C. quasimodo as the firmly supported sister lineage of Moramonas marocensis within the family Moramonadidae (suborder Histionina). Despite this close affinity, the two taxa present a level of 18S rRNA gene divergence comparable to that between already recognised genera of Moramonadidae. Together, these data support the recognition of Celatomonas quasimodo as a new genus and species within Moramonadidae. Furthermore, screening of soil environmental DNA datasets revealed the presence of multiple novel jakobid lineages, alongside a novel jakobid clade (JENV-1) of uncertain phylogenetic position from equatorial environments. This newly described jakobid genus provides a valuable model for future comparative studies of cellular ultrastructure and the evolution of jakobid mitochondrial genomes. Combined with the environmental DNA screening results, our findings underscore the importance of soil habitats as reservoirs of unexplored eukaryotic diversity and provide new insights into jakobid systematics.

Phylogeny↗

PubMed2006

Nuclear markers reveal that inter-lake cichlids' similar morphologies do not reflect similar genealogy.

The apparent inter-lake morphological similarity among East African Great Lakes' cichlid species/genera has left evolutionary biologists asking whether such similarity is due to sharing of common ancestor or mere convergent evolution. In order to answer such question, we first used Geometric Morphometrics, GM, to quantify morphological similarity and then subsequently used Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism, AFLP, to determine if similar morphologies imply shared ancestry or convergent evolution. GM revealed that not all presumed morphological similar pairs were indeed similar, and the dendrogram generated from AFLP data indicated distinct clusters corresponding to each lake and not inter-lake morphological similar pairs. Such results imply that the morphological similarity is due to convergent evolution and not shared ancestry. The congruency of GM and AFLP generated dendrograms imply that GM is capable of picking up phylogenetic signal, and thus GM can be potential tool in phylogenetic systematics.

Africa, Eastern↗