Three-dimensional cephalometric evaluation of maxillary growth following in utero repair of cleft lip and alveolar-like defects in the mid-gestational sheep model

Objective: To evaluate maxillary growth following in utero repair of surgically created cleft lip and alveolar (CLA)-like defects by means of three-dimensional (3D) computer tomographic (CT) cephalometric analysis in the mid-gestational sheep model. Methods: In 12 sheep fetuses a unilateral CLA-like defect was created in utero (untreated control group: 4 fetuses). Four different bone grafts were used for the alveolar defect closure. After euthanasia, CT scans of the skulls of the fetuses, 3D re-constructions, and a 3D-CT cephalometric analysis were performed. Results: The comparisons between the operated and nonoperated skull sides as well as of the maxillary asymmetry among the experimental groups revealed no statistically significant differences of the 12 variables used. Conclusions: None of the surgical approaches used for the in utero correction of CLA-like defects seem to affect significantly postsurgical maxillary growth; however, when bone graft healing takes place, a tendency for almost normal maxillary growth can be observed. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Non-timber tree products: A partial inventory of products available in the Mount Cameroon area

The value of tree-growing on tropical farms, for subsistence uses, commercial sale and environmental stability, has been increasingly argued in recent decades. But while impressive progress has been made in identifying a wide range of tree production systems, there has been very little associated research on the market potential of these systems. The failures of many sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, and community forestry programmes have now been attributed to 'market failures'. The Natural Resources Institute is collaborating with the International Food Policy Research Instihtte on a project funded by the Overseas Development Administration (UK), to explore domestic market potential for tree products from farms and rural communities. Field work is being conducted in Cameroon and Brazil. This partial inventory of non-timber tree products (nttps) is the product of the initial field work in 1995 in South West Province in Cameroon, where Mount Cameroon is located - an area which is recognised globally for its biodiversity. The inventory was derived from visits to markets, and villages bordering the forest, interviews with key informants (particularly traders and forestry professionals) and from secondary sources. Approximately 300 products available in the Mount Cameroon area are listed by their local name. Additional information is provided, where available, on latin names, end use, product source, seasonality, location of markets and availability in markets. The inventory has been reproduced now in response to the growing interest in non-timber tree products, and particular interest in the highly biodiverse flora of the Mount Cameroon area

Amnion cells engineering: A new perspective in fetal membrane healing after intrauterine surgery?

In this study we aimed to set up an in vitro culture of the rabbit amnion in order to support in vivo fetal membrane healing capacity following fetoscopy. Fetal membranes were collected from a mid- gestational rabbit, and cultured on collagen support material for 14 days. 34 rabbits at 22 - 23 days gestational age ( GA) underwent fetoscopy. The entry site was randomly allocated to 4 closure technique study groups: group I, human amnion membrane ( n = 23); group II, collagen foil ( n = 16); group III, collagen plug ( n = 19), and group IV, collagen plug with cultured amnion cells ( n = 19). In all groups membrane access sites were additionally sealed with fibrin sealant, and the myometrium was closed with sutures. Fetal survival, amnion membrane integrity, and the presence of amniotic fluid were evaluated at 30 days GA. Cultures showed good survival in the collagen support material. Increased cellularity, survival and proliferations were observed. The amnion at the access site resealed in 58 - 64% of cases in groups II - IV, but none of the tested techniques was significantly better than the other. Histological examination indirectly revealed the anatomic repair of the membranes, since no entrapment of the membranes could be demonstrated in the myometrial wound. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Plant Speciation on Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island (LHI) is an ideal location for researching the speciation process. The diversity of unique species, its isolation and minute size offer a rare opportunity to investigate the contribution that speciation has made to the entire flora of an ecosystem. On LHI, speciation in sympatry has been documented previously in Howea palms and this project sought to investigate whether this divergence was an exceptional occurrence or if the process is more general. A phylogenetic approach was used to acquire the first estimates of the frequency of sympatric speciation and speciation with gene flow in a community of island plants. The results indicate that speciation with gene flow may be relatively common on LHI. Biogeographic patterns show that Australia is a major source of species for LHI and that, for a given region, the number of immigrants that can establish and speciate is dependent on dispersal limitation and niche conservatism. Speciation events in two genera (Metrosideros and Coprosma) were examined in greater detail to determine whether ecological divergent selection may have promoted the evolution of reproductive isolation. In both cases, evidence is presented demonstrating that natural selection, habitat isolation and competitive exclusion may have played vital roles in these speciation events. Closer examination of speciation in Coprosma revealed that six species have evolved following a single colonisation of LHI, the first documented evidence for a sympatric radiation in plants. Four of these species have evolved via speciation with gene flow and two species are derived from hybrid speciation events; supporting theories that speciation with gene flow and hybrid speciation may be integral to the onset of an adaptive radiation. Together with speciation in Howea, these new cases show that ecologically driven speciation with gene flow is an important source of biodiversity on LHI and potentially in other botanical communities

Report of a visit to Cameroon, November - December 1995, to complete the first two phases of fieldwork for the project, "Domestic market potential for tree products from farms and rural communities"

A visit was made to Cameroon by an NRI economist, in November/December 1995, to begin fieldwork for the IFPRI-NRI joint project, "Domestic Market Potential for Tree Products from Farms and Rural Communities", funded by the Overseas Development Administration. The Mount Cameroon area had been selected as the research site on an earlier visit. The project aims to inform tree product or agroforestry interventions by highlighting the constraints to the development of markets. It aims to achieve this through study of nttp marketing in Brazil (where fieldwork is being conducted by IFPRI) and Cameroon (covered by NRI). A three phase approach to fieldwork has been agreed between NRI and IFPRI: complilation of an annotated tree product inventory; rapid collection of data on market systems for 30-40 products, to identify key issues for follow-up through more detailed case studies; and case studies for selected products. Secondary data sources were used to compile an inventory of non timber tree products and with assistance from staff of the Mount Cameroon Project,information on product source and final market destination was added to this. Approximately thirty products were then selected, covering a range of market destinations and sources (forest, cultivated or products which could be either). Data collection on the thirty products involved visits to markets in the Mount Cameroon area to gather information from traders on markets and marketing. This market information was later used to construct annotated marketing chains. The field work indicates three areas where case studies may provide useful insights into the marketing of nttps: identification of issues affecting scope for domestication; factors influencing the extent and location of value added; and the economic importance of a "basket" of several minor products vis a vis specialised high volume trade

Economic Situation and Law Regulation of Public Broadcasters in Czech republic and Specific Central European Countries

Import 02/11/2016Bakalářská práce se zabývá realitou veřejnoprávních televizí ve vybraných zemích střední Evropy, konkrétně v České republice, na Slovensku, v Polsku a v Maďarsku. Okrajově se v žurnalistické části zajímá také o to, jak fungují média veřejné služby v Německu a to z důvodu stručné historické komparace. V úvodu práce popisuje a vysvětluje obecné principy veřejnoprávního vysílání, připomíná některé koncepty a připouští kritiku současných vysílacích modelů. V další části se zabývá tím, zda je veřejnoprávní vysílání pro společnost výhodné a stojí za to si jej různými prostředky udržovat. V závěrečných kapitolách využívám dosud popsaných jevů k sestavení žurnalistických komunikátů – úvodního článku subjektivně reflektujícího skutečnou realitu České televize jako nejsilnějšího veřejnoprávního média v regionu, publicistického interview se socioložkou zabývající se fungováním masmédií, ankety se známými osobnostmi české mediální scény a fejetonu jako publicistického žánru subjektivně komentujícího fragment dění kolem ČT.This thesis deals with the reality of public broadcasters in selected countries of Central Europe, namely the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland and Hungary. Marginally, is this thesis interested in how public service media works, due to historical comparation.The introduction describes and explains the general principles of public service broadcasting, recalling some concepts and accepts criticism of the current broadcasting model. The next section examines whether public service broadcasting is beneficial to society, and if it is worth to keep. The final chapters, I use the previously described phenomenon to write journalistic article which is introducing the reality of Czech TV as the strongest public media in region of Central Europe. Next, I did a journalistic interview with sociologist on the functioning of mass media which is accompagned by an opinion poll with respected czech journalists. This bachelor thesis ends with specific article which is subjectively pointing at key issue of whole problem.121 - Katedra ekonomické žurnalistikyvýborn

Membrane shaping by actin and myosin during regulated exocytosis

The cortical actin network in neurosecretory cells is a dense mesh of actin filaments underlying the plasma membrane. Interaction of actomyosin with vesicular membranes or the plasma membrane is vital for tethering, retention, transport as well as fusion and fission of exo- and endocytic membrane structures. During regulated exocytosis the cortical actin network undergoes dramatic changes in morphology to accommodate vesicle docking, fusion and replenishment. Most of these processes involve plasma membrane Phosphoinositides (PIP) and investigating the interactions between the actin cortex and secretory structures has become a hotbed for research in recent years. Actin remodelling leads to filopodia outgrowth and the creation of new fusion sites in neurosecretory cells and actin, myosin and dynamin actively shape and maintain the fusion pore of secretory vesicles. Changes in viscoelastic properties of the actin cortex can facilitate vesicular transport and lead to docking and priming of vesicle at the plasma membrane. Small GTPase actin mediators control the state of the cortical actin network and influence vesicular access to their docking and fusion sites. These changes potentially affect membrane properties such as tension and fluidity as well as the mobility of embedded proteins and could influence the processes leading to both exo- and endocytosis. Here we discuss the multitudes of actin and membrane interactions that control successive steps underpinning regulated exocytosis

Seed size and its rate of evolution correlate with species diversification across angiosperms

Species diversity varies greatly across the different taxonomic groups that comprise the Tree of Life (ToL). This imbalance is particularly conspicuous within angiosperms, but is largely unexplained. Seed mass is one trait that may help clarify why some lineages diversify more than others because it confers adaptation to different environments, which can subsequently influence speciation and extinction. The rate at which seed mass changes across the angiosperm phylogeny may also be linked to diversification by increasing reproductive isolation and allowing access to novel ecological niches. However, the magnitude and direction of the association between seed mass and diversification has not been assessed across the angiosperm phylogeny. Here, we show that absolute seed size and the rate of change in seed size are both associated with variation in diversification rates. Based on the largest available angiosperm phylogenetic tree, we found that smaller-seeded plants had higher rates of diversification, possibly due to improved colonisation potential. The rate of phenotypic change in seed size was also strongly positively correlated with speciation rates, providing rare, large-scale evidence that rapid morphological change is associated with species divergence. Our study now reveals that variation in morphological traits and, importantly, the rate at which they evolve can contribute to explaining the extremely uneven distribution of diversity across the ToL.Gatsby Charitable Trust Wellcome Trust Sir Isaac Newton Trust BBSRC DTP grant to EF Miller (BB/M011194/1

Seed size and its rate of evolution correlate with species diversification across angiosperms

Species diversity varies greatly across the different taxonomic groups that comprise the Tree of Life (ToL). This imbalance is particularly conspicuous within angiosperms, but is largely unexplained. Seed mass is one trait that may help clarify why some lineages diversify more than others because it confers adaptation to different environments, which can subsequently influence speciation and extinction. The rate at which seed mass changes across the angiosperm phylogeny may also be linked to diversification by increasing reproductive isolation and allowing access to novel ecological niches. However, the magnitude and direction of the association between seed mass and diversification has not been assessed across the angiosperm phylogeny. Here, we show that absolute seed size and the rate of change in seed size are both associated with variation in diversification rates. Based on the largest available angiosperm phylogenetic tree, we found that smaller-seeded plants had higher rates of diversification, possibly due to improved colonisation potential. The rate of phenotypic change in seed size was also strongly positively correlated with speciation rates, providing rare, large-scale evidence that rapid morphological change is associated with species divergence. Our study now reveals that variation in morphological traits and, importantly, the rate at which they evolve can contribute to explaining the extremely uneven distribution of diversity across the ToL

An acto-myosin II constricting ring initiates the fission of activity-dependent bulk endosomes in neurosecretory cells

Activity-dependent bulk endocytosis allows neurons to internalize large portions of the plasma membrane in response to stimulation. However, whether this critical type of compensatory endocytosis is unique to neurons or also occurs in other excitable cells is currently unknown. Here we used fluorescent 70 kDa dextran to demonstrate that secretagogue-induced bulk endocytosis also occurs in bovine chromaffin cells. The relatively large size of the bulk endosomes found in this model allowed us to investigate how the neck of the budding endosomes constricts to allow efficient recruitment of the fission machinery. Using time-lapse imaging of Lifeact–GFP-transfected chromaffin cells in combination with fluorescent 70 kDa dextran, we detected acto-myosin II rings surrounding dextran-positive budding endosomes. Importantly, these rings were transient and contracted before disappearing, suggesting that they might be involved in restricting the size of the budding endosome neck. Based on the complete recovery of dextran fluorescence after photobleaching, we demonstrated that the actin ring-associated budding endosomes were still connected with the extracellular fluid. In contrast, no such recovery was observed following the constriction and disappearance of the actin rings, suggesting that these structures were pinched-off endosomes. Finally, we showed that the rings were initiated by a circular array of phosphatidylinositol(4,5)bisphosphate microdomains, and that their constriction was sensitive to both myosin II and dynamin inhibition. The acto-myosin II rings therefore play a key role in constricting the neck of budding bulk endosomes before dynamin-dependent fission from the plasma membrane of neurosecretory cells