Amount Of Parenchyma Research Articles

Is the amount of parenchyma in storage organs a good predictor of non-structural carbohydrate storage in herbs?

Is the amount of parenchyma in storage organs a good predictor of non-structural carbohydrate storage in herbs?

Influence of Colder Temperature on the Axial and Radial Parenchyma Fraction of Quercus ciliaris C.C.Huang & Y.T.Chang Wood and Its Relationship with Carbohydrate Reserve (NSC)

Parenchyma in the secondary xylem comprises the main tissue for the storage of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in woody plants. Across species, the amount of parenchyma depends on the general environment of the distribution area and determines to a large extent the NSC storage. However, little information is available on the relationship between parenchyma fractions, NSC storage, and the environmental influences within individual species. This information is crucial to assessing the adaptive capacities of tree populations in the context of increasing the frequency and severity of stress-inducing events. In this study, parenchyma fractions and NSC concentrations of the secondary xylem in trunks of a subtropical evergreen oak (Quercus ciliaris C.C.Huang & Y.T.Chang) were quantified along an elevational gradient from 700 m to 1200 m a.s.l. in eastern China. Air temperatures within the distribution area correlated with altitude were recorded. The results showed that the total parenchyma fractions did not covary with the colder temperatures. However, axial parenchyma fractions were lower with a colder climate, while the fractions of multiseriate rays and total ray parenchyma were higher. Higher concentrations of starch and NSC were significantly associated with larger axial parenchyma fractions. The sugar concentration displayed no significant relationship with parenchyma fractions. These findings suggest that the total parenchyma fractions in secondary xylem do not increase in response to a colder climate, while colder temperatures drive changes in the composition of parenchyma for Q. ciliaris.

Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) Biomass as Substitute for Expanded Polystyrene in Bonded Leveling Compounds

Biomass for non-food applications is considered as a substitute for petro-based materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS). This research analyzes physical properties of an EPS containing commercial bonded leveling compound (BLC) which was substituted with cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) biomass. Cup plant is a high-yielding biomass plant with several ecological benefits that is yet mainly used for biogas production. Furthermore, the high amount of parenchyma in senescent biomass with its EPS-like structure could be a possible substitute for petrochemical foams in lightweight aggregates. The natural variation in parenchyma content of several European cup plant accessions is promising, regarding the development of cultivars with suitable biomass properties for the proposed material use. Two binders with different proportions of cup plant and EPS were used to produce samples of BLC for thermal conductivity and compression strength tests. The compression strength of 0.92 N mm−2 and a thermal conductivity of 84 mW m−1 K−1 were analyzed and comparable to the commercial BLC. The thermal conductivity within the tested borders appears nearly independent of the biomass content. With increasing cup plant content, the shape characteristics of the lightweight aggregate mix changes towards more elongated aggregates. The mechanical strength and thermal conductivity are highly sensitive to the water demand of the biomass. Direct partial substitution of EPS by cup plant appears feasible and could be a part of the decarbonization of the construction sector.

Management of Bleeding During Robotic Hepatectomy in the Cirrhotic Liver

Hepatectomy in the cirrhotic liver is limited by the amount of parenchyma that can be resected and a more challenging parenchymal division due to fibrous scarring affecting the dissection, isolation and control of intrahepatic vascular structures.

Approaches to kidney anti-ischemic protection in organ-preserving surgical treatment of patients with renal cell cancer

The advantages of organ-preserving kidney operations are the improvement of functional results, the reduction in the number of patients with end-stage chronic renal failure in long-term follow up and related cardiovascular complications along with overall patients quality of life improvement. On the one hand, a dry surgical field is necessary for visualizing the resection margin and on the other hand, its creation starts the process of acute ischemic damage to the tissue of the operated kidney. Each minute of kidney ischemia proportionally increases the risk of developing renal failure in the long-term postoperative period. It is especially important to consider the duration of ischemia during operations on a single kidney, with bilateral tumor lesions of the kidneys, as well as in the presence of chronic renal failure. After resection of the kidney, its residual function depends on the preoperative level of glomerular filtration, the amount of parenchyma retained during surgery, and the duration of renal ischemia. The predicted functional insufficiency of the healthy contralateral kidney in the postoperative period is 18%. The possibility of the chronic renal failure onset or worsening of the existing one due to the progression of nephrosclerosis reaches almost 80%. The development of chronic renal failure stage III and above in the long term after renal resection is more than 30%. Thus, there is a need for the development of precision surgery, as well as the search for anti-ischemic kidney protection, aimed at maintaining the maximum volume of functioning renal parenchyma.

Retrospective Study of Mammary Lesions in Bitches - Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

Background: Mammary tumors are a type of neoplasia that are most commonly found in female dogs and are mostly malignant. The aim of this study, performed in the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology of the Federal University of Uberlândia (LVP-FUU) from 2004 to 2014, was to determine the prevalence of mammary tumors in bitches and to verify the relationship between the epidemiological factors (age and breed) and clinicopathological aspects (ulceration, tumor size, and malignancy) in the occurrence of tumors.Materials, Methods & Results: A retrospective study was carried out using histopathological information retrieved from the LPV-UFU database. We collected the information on age and breed of female dogs, as well as about the location, macroscopic aspects, and histological diagnosis of mammary lesions. Only female dogs were considered for this study; a total of 911 histopathological protocols (with only one diagnosis) were analyzed along with 36 protocols that presented more than one diagnosis of mammary tumor. The age of animals ranged from one to 20 years, and the mean age was 9.99 years. The most affected breeds of dogs were: Cross breed (39.56% - 288/728) and Poodle (20.19% - 147/728). The inguinal glands were most affected by the malignant tumors (P < 0.05). A prevalence of tumors bigger than 5 cm in diameter (T3) was observed in the elderly animals (P = 0.0154) and in the inguinal mammary glands (P = 0.044). Simple carcinoma was the most frequent histological type.Discussion: Research shows that more than 40% of the tumors in bitches are located in the mammary glands, emphasizing the importance of this type of neoplasia in female dogs. Mammary tumors develop more frequently in the middle-aged and elderly bitches, with the highest occurrence being in the age range of 8 and 10 years, corroborating our observation in the present study that the mean age of bitches was 9.99 years. In this survey, a higher incidence was observed in mongrel bitches compared to that in the Poodle breed. Some authors affirm that there is no racial predisposition for the occurrence of this pathology; however, a compilation of data suggests a predisposition of at least 10 breeds, with the involvement of an as yet unidentified genetic component. Of these, six breeds (Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Pointer, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, and Dachshund) were found to be predisposed to mammary tumors in this study. The percentage (49.23%) of malignant tumors found in the inguinal glands is consistent with the findings reported in literature, and might be associated with a greater amount of parenchyma, abundance of hormone receptors in these glands, and vascularization provided by the caudal superficial epigastric artery and vulvar branches of external pudendal artery. Tumor size is considered to be a prognostic factor and tumors ≤ 3 cm in diameter (T1) have a better prognosis. Consequently, the prevalence of tumors ≥ 5 cm in diameter (T3) in elderly animals is probably related to malignancy of the lesions, because tumors usually progress to a worse histological grade with time. The higher occurrence of T3 in inguinal glands might be related to the abundance of parenchyma and/or hormonal receptors in them. As in the present study, data from literature refer to the superiority of malignant histological types, with prevalence varying between 68 and 91%. When prolonged, the time between the onset of tumor and clinical evaluation may be a determinant in the progression from benign to malignant tumors. Among the malignant neoplasms, simple carcinoma was observed to be prevalent, followed by mixed tumors with carcinoma, in agreement with the results of several studies. It is concluded that mammary tumors are more prevalent in older mongrel dogs and Poodle. Attention should be paid to inguinal mammary tumors, because these are mainly malignant.

Performance strategies affect mammary gland development in prepubertal heifers

In Brazil, the majority of dairy cattle are Holstein × Gyr (H×G). It is unknown whether excessive energy intake negatively affects their mammary development to the same extent as in purebred Holsteins. We hypothesized that mammary development of H×G heifers can be affected by dietary energy supply. We evaluated the effect of different average daily gains (ADG) achieved by feeding different amounts of a standard diet during the growing period on biometric measurements, development of mammary parenchyma (PAR) and mammary fat pad (MFP), and blood hormones. At the outset of this 84-d experiment, H×G heifers (n = 18) weighed 102.2 ± 3.4 kg and were 3 to 4 mo of age. Heifers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 ADG programs using a completely randomized design. Treatments were high gain (HG; n = 6), where heifers were fed to gain 1 kg/d; low gain (LG; n = 6), where heifers were fed to gain 0.5 kg/d; and maintenance (MA; n = 6), where heifers were fed to gain a minimal amount of weight per day. Heifers were fed varying amounts of a single TMR to support desired BW gains. Over the 84 d, periodic biometric and blood hormone measurements were obtained. On d 84, all heifers were slaughtered and carcass and mammary samples were collected. At the end, HG heifers weighed the most (181 ± 7.5 kg), followed by LG (146 ± 7.5 kg) and MA (107 ± 7.5 kg) heifers. The ADG were near expected values and averaged 0.907, 0.500, and 0.105 ± 0.03 kg/d for HG, LG, and MA, respectively. In addition, body lengths, heart girths, and withers heights were affected by dietary treatment, with MA heifers generally being the smallest and HG heifers generally being the largest. Body condition scores differed by treatment and were highest in HG and lowest in MA heifers; in vivo subcutaneous fat thickness measurement and direct analysis of carcass composition supported this. The HG heifers had the heaviest MFP, followed by LG and then MA heifers. Amount of PAR was highest in LG heifers and was the same for HG and MA heifers. The percentage of udder mass occupied by PAR was lowest in HG heifers, differing from LG and MA heifers. Composition of MFP was not evaluated. Regarding PAR composition, no differences in ash or DM were found. On the other hand, CP concentration of PAR for HG heifers was lower than that for LG heifers, which was lower than that for MA heifers. Regarding the fat content, HG treatment was higher than LG and MA treatment, which did not differ from each other. In PAR, differences in relative abundance of genes related to both stimulation and inhibition of mammary growth were observed to depend on dietary treatment, sampling day, or both. The same can be said for most of the blood hormones that were measured in this experiment. In this experiment, high ADG achieved by feeding different amounts of a standard diet during the growing period negatively affected mammary development.

High-intensity focused ablation (HIFU) of single benign thyroid nodule rarely alters underlying thyroid function

Background: High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising ablation technique for benign thyroid nodules. However, its effect on underlying thyroid function remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the 6 months changes in serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) after HIFU treatment.Methods: Eighty-three consecutive patients who underwent single HIFU ablation for symptomatic benign thyroid nodule were analysed. Eligible patients had serum TSH and FT4 checked before treatment (baseline), 1 week, 3 and 6 months following HIFU treatment. Primary endpoints were hypothyroidism (FT4 < 12 pmol/L) and hyperthyroidism (FT4 > 23 pmol/L) in the 6 months following treatment. To express extent of nodule ablation relative to the total gland volume, an ablation volume ratio was calculated by [(Ablated nodule volume/total thyroid volume)/(total thyroid volume)] × 100.Results: Relative to baseline, 1-week serum TSH significantly dropped (from 1.16 to 0.76 mIU/L, p < 0.001) while 1-week serum FT4 significantly rose (from 16.0 to 17.8 pmol/L, p < 0.001). However, 3- and 6-months TSH and FT4 did not changed significantly from baseline (p > 0.05). No patients developed hyperthyroidism while one (1.4%) developed hypothyroidism (FT4 = 11 pmol/L) at 3 months and 6 months. Interestingly, this patient had a previous lobectomy and an ablation volume ratio of 64.00%.Conclusions: Hypothyroidism following single HIFU ablation occurred rarely (1.4%) and resulted in little clinical relevance. Given that only one patient developed hypothyroidism following single HIFU ablation, it remains unclear how patients with different amount of parenchyma and relative extent of ablation may affect subsequent thyroid function.

The amount of parenchyma and living fibers affects storage of nonstructural carbohydrates in young stems and roots of temperate trees.

Concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) are used as proxies for the net carbon balance of trees and as indicators of carbon starvation resulting from environmental stress. Woody organs are the largest NSC-storing compartments in forest ecosystems; therefore, it is essential to understand the factors that affect the size of this important storage pool. In wood, NSC are predominantly deposited in ray and axial parenchyma (RAP); however, direct links between nutrient storage and RAP anatomy have not yet been established. Here, we tested whether the NSC storage capacity of wood is influenced by the amount of RAP. We measured NSC concentrations and RAP fractions in root and stem sapwood of 12 temperate species sampled at the onset of winter dormancy and in stem sapwood of four tropical trees growing in an evergreen lowland rainforest. The patterns of starch distribution were visualized by staining with Lugol's solution. The concentration of NSCs in sapwood of temperate trees scales tightly with the amount of RAP and living fibers (LFs), with almost all RAP and LFs being densely packed with starch grains. In contrast, the tropical species had lower NSC concentrations despite their higher RAP and LFs fraction and had considerable interspecific differences in starch distribution. The differences in RAP and LFs abundance affect the ability of sapwood to store NSC in temperate trees, whereas a more diverse set of functions of RAP might be pronounced in species growing in a tropical environment with little seasonality.

Excess of exogenous nitrates inhibits formation of abnormal wood in the Karelian birch

The effect of exogenous nitrate on the sucrose-metabolizing enzyme activities—sucrose synthase (SS) and apoplastic invertase (ApInv)—in the xylem and phloem of the silver (Betula pendula Roth var. pendula) and Karelian (B. pendula var. carelica) birches (the latter is well known for its abnormal, patterned wood) has been studied. A stable correlation between the enzyme activities and deviations in the growth and development of stem vascular tissues during cambial growth has been demonstrated. Formation of the birch wood with a common structure is associated with high SS activity. In this case, the reaction yields UDP glucose, which is utilized mainly for synthesis of the cell wall components of vessels and fiber tracheids. As for the Karelian birch, the SS activity in the xylem formation zone is decreased, which complies with a higher sucrose level in the tissue. The excess sucrose is released into the apoplast to be cleaved by ApInv. The resulting hexoses induce storage metabolism, thereby increasing the amount of storage substances and the share of storage parenchyma cells in the xylem. As a result, the Karelian birch wood acquires large inclusions in the parenchyma, which render a characteristic pattern. A change in the ratio of SS to ApInv activities underlies a great variety in the degree of wood patterning observed in Karelian birch trees. In the common silver birch, the nitrate application increases the sucrose utilization via SS pathway, which results in an increase in wood growth. In the Karelian birch xylem, nitrates lead to a decrease in both the SS (a decrease in wood growth) and ApInv (a decrease in the amount of parenchyma, i.e., normalization of the wood structure). The sucrose metabolizing in the xylem decreases on the background of an increase in its utilization in the phloem, where both enzyme activities elevate. It is assumed that the fact that the Karelian birch distribution range is limited by rich soils can be determined by a shift from intensive apoplastic sucrose utilization zone towards the phloem caused by high doses of nitrogen nutrition.

Examination of weekly mammary parenchymal area by ultrasound, mammary mass, and composition in Holstein heifers reared on 1 of 3 diets from birth to 2 months of age

Monitoring in vivo growth of mammary parenchyma (PAR) has historically been difficult, necessitating slaughter studies to measure PAR quantity. Advances in ultrasound (US) technology warrant revisiting its use as a noninvasive tool to monitor PAR growth in vivo. The level of nutrient intake during the first 2mo of life may affect measures of mammary growth and composition. Objectives were to examine the utility of US as an in vivo tool to quantify PAR cross-sectional area in Holstein heifers reared on 1 of 3 diets from birth to 2mo of age, assessing potential dietary effects; assess the relationships between weekly US measurements, teat length, manual palpation of PAR scores, and PAR mass at 2mo of age; and examine mammary composition in experimental animals. Holstein heifers (n=24; 41±1kg of initial body weight) from a single farm were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 milk replacers that differed in source and amount of fat. Milk replacer was fed at 660g of dry matter/d until weaning at 42 d. Heifers had ad libitum access to a common calf starter (20% crude protein) and water for the duration of the 56-d trial. Teat length and palpation scores were obtained weekly. A real-time B-mode US with a 7.5-MHz convex probe was used to examine 2-dimensional PAR area in all 4 glands of heifers once weekly from 2 to 3 d of age to harvest at 56 d. The left front and left rear glands were also examined by US 24h postharvest to validate final US measurements, and then bisected to produce a sagittal plane view of PAR for comparison with US images. Mass and composition of mammary gland tissue were determined at 8 wk using standard methodology. Over the course of this 8-wk trial, average teat length increased from 11 to 17mm. The PAR area started small (6.6±3.2mm2 per gland) and increased to 42.1±2.5mm2 per gland by the end of the trial. As anticipated, based on measurements obtained at slaughter, US measurements were more related to amount of PAR (r=0.74) than either teat length (r=0.34) or palpation scoring (r=0.63). Importantly, US is quantitative, whereas palpation scoring is subjective. Diet did not affect mass or composition of PAR in young heifers; total udder PAR mass averaged 1.40±0.80g. In conclusion, we showed that in heifers younger than 2mo of age, obtaining weekly PAR measurements via ultrasound is an effective quantitative tool for measuring changes in PAR area in vivo. Future studies may incorporate and expand upon the methods developed here to determine what quantitative evaluation of PAR in young heifers can reveal about milk production capacity.

The effect of Meloidogyne incognita on the histopathology of Momordica charantia roots

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) was inoculated with root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita to investigate the anatomical abnormalities in the affected roots. Soon after inoculation the second-stage juveniles (J2) entered at or near the root caps and migrated intercellularly towards the zone of vascular differentiation. Discrete giant cells were observed after three days of inoculation. The nematode induced hypertrophy and hyperplasia near the giant cells. After six days, the juveniles moulted to their third stage (J3). At the same, time giant cell size and density of giant cell cytoplasm increased. The continuity of vascular strands remained unaffected. Between 12 and 24 days of inoculation the giant cells enlarged several times and became multinucleate and enclosed dense and granular cytoplasm. The nematodes became almost pyriform 18 days after inoculation. The orientation of vascular strands changed, due to hypertrophy, hyperplasia and enlargement of the nematode. After 30 days of inoculation the nematodes developed into mature females and started egg laying. A large amount of parenchyma transformed into abnormal xylem.

WOOD ANATOMY OF THE VANGUERIEAE (IXOROIDEAERUBIACEAE), WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON SOME GEOFRUTICES

The Vanguerieae is a tribe consisting of about 500 species ordered in 27 genera. Although this tribe is mainly represented in Africa and Madagascar, Vanguerieae also occur in tropical Asia, Australia, and the isles of the Pacific Ocean. This study gives a detailed wood anatomical description of 34 species of 15 genera based on LM and SEM observations. The secondary xylem is homogeneous throughout the tribe and fits well into the Ixoroideae s.l. on the basis of fibre-tracheids and diffuse to diffuse-in-aggregates axial parenchyma. The Vanguerieae include numerous geofrutices that are characterised by massive woody branched or unbranched underground parts and slightly ramified unbranched aboveground twigs. The underground structures of geofrutices are not homologous; a central pith is found in three species (Fadogia schmitzii, Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri and Tapiphyllum cinerascens var. laetum), while Fadogiella stigmatoloba shows central primary xylem which is characteristic of roots. Comparison of underground versus aboveground wood shows anatomical differences in vessel diameter and in the quantity of parenchyma and fibres.

Technique of thoracoscopic retrieval of the lung

Extraction of a resected specimen after a thoracic minimally invasive operation presents different problems depending on the amount of parenchyma removed. After a major pulmonary resection (lobectomy or pneumonectomy), the size of the specimen always requires a minimal thoracotomy incision of at least 5–6 cm. In the case of neoplasms it is mandatory to adopt precautions in order to protect the wound edges from possible tumoral seeding during the extraction. The authors, based on their personal experience of 545 video-thoracoscopic procedures, discuss the problems of retrieving the specimens after video-endoscopic resections and describe techniques and precautions which must be taken to extract the resected tissue safely.

Morphometric Estimation of Regional Differences in the Rat Lung

To provide a safe basis for the sampling of tissue in future morphometric investigations of the rat lung, we searched for quantitative regional differences in pulmonary structure at light microscopic (LM) and electron microscopic (EM) levels. The lungs of 11 male rats about 6 weeks of age were fixed by standard intratracheal instillation of glutaraldehyde in the supine position and embedded either in paraffin for LM or in epoxy resin for EM investigation. Sampling of tissue was designed to test for differences between lobes and between central and peripheral lung parenchyma. LM morphometry was performed by manual point counting and by using a version of an improved automated image analyzer, Quantimet 720. EM morphometric results were obtained by manual point and intersection counting only. LM point counting showed that the proportion of parenchyma was highly constant in all lobes, varying only between 79.9% and 81.5%. In the left lung, which was partitioned into two equal halves, the amount of parenchyma was significantly lower in the apical region (mean values, 72.6% compared to 83.1%; p less than 0.002), which regularly contained the hilum. Quantimet analysis of central and subpleural lung portions revealed intralobar differences. The volume density of interalveolar septa and the air space surface density were significantly decreased in subpleural compared to central lung regions (by 7% and 4.6%, respectively). EM morphometry demonstrated that the interalveolar septa were evenly structured in all lobes except for the harmonic mean thickness of the air-blood barrier, which was lower in upper lobes. In addition, the volume density of interstitial cells was found to be significantly increased in central compared to peripheral parenchyma. The results indicate that for quantitative LM analysis the smallest possible sampling unit is an entire lobe. For EM morphometry, the often practiced approach to consider information drawn from one lobe representative for the whole lung seems to be appropriate for most parameters. In view of the structural differences between central and peripheral lung parenchyma, however, attention has to be paid to applying a properly weighted sampling procedure. Depending on the size of the lobe, the peripheral mantle (2 mm thick) can represent up to 75% of the lobar volume.

General abstracts of current literature

The amino-acidity curve induced by the ingestion of gelatine may be applied in pancreatic disorders in adults. It may, if positive, offer a useful complement to the clinical diagnosis and be compared with other laboratory tests. Certain sources of error must be eliminated: in particular, delay in the absorption due to gastric or intestinal stenosis. The test may prove faulty if the excretory canal is not compressed and if lesions allow a sufficient quantity of parenchyma to be secreted.