Louis Ombredanne and the origin of muscle flap use for immediate breast mound reconstruction

The myocutaneous flaps that are being used for breast reconstruction have a long history, although the techniques of today are more sophisticated than those of the past. Louis Ombredanne was the first to describe the pectoralis muscle flap for immediate breast mound reconstruction in 1906. Mastectomy, as performed by Halstead, is described with some insight into the reasons why breast reconstruction was not encouraged in this country in the early part of this century. Lately, the advances in the myocutaneous flap have made breast reconstruction without a prosthesis possible. The tissue that was transferred to reconstruct a breast using a tubed pedicle flap in multiple stages can now be transferred in a single stage with a better result.     

The origin,structure and occurrence of corpora amylacea in the bovine mammary gland and in milk

Summary Fibres growing from neurons of explanted dorsal root ganglia from 10 day chick embryos were transected and subsequently observed by light and electron microscopy after periods of a few to fifty minutes. Changes immediately proximal and distal to the cut together with alterations further away from the site of injury on both sides of the cut were recorded. Observations were also made on the growth cones of damaged axons and on changes in associated glial cells.Reactive and degenerative changes including the rotation, retraction and swelling of cut axons occurred rapidly. Electron microscopy revealed tracts of filamentous material close to the sealed-off ends of axons, swollen organelles such as mitochondria, and lamellar bodies of varying dimensions.Proximal to the injury and closer to the expiant, damaged and degenerating axons mingled with normal processes. Many contained only a fine granular material, others clumps of organelles, particularly mitochondria.Distal to the cut, microspikes were lost from some growth cones. The dense granular material filling microspikes and growth cones remained unchanged. Clumps of large clear vesicles, lamellar bodies and swollen degenerating mitochondria were present, not only within growth cones, but also in all parts of the axon distal to the cut.Glial cells associated with transected axons soon developed an electron dense cytoplasm containing swollen organelles. Large numbers of vesicles filled with a particulate substance were also found.The possible significance of the changes observed after transection are considered and discussed.The author wishes to thank Prof. D.W. James in whose laboratory at University College London these studies were initiated, Dr. A.R. Lieberman for his expert help and advice and the University of London Central Research Fund and Wellcome Trust for financial assistance     

The occurrence of infectious diseases in mixed farming of domesticated wild herbivores and livestock in Kenya. II. Bacterial diseases

The prevalence of antibodies to Brucella spp., Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and the Mycoplasma spp. causing contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia was determined in various species of ruminants on a ranch in the semi-arid zone of southeastern Kenya. Antibody titers to Brucella spp. were found in eland (Taurotragus oryx), oryx (Oryx beisa) and camels (Camelus dromedarius). Reactors were not found in buffalo (Syncerus caffer), sheep (Ovis aries) and goats (Capra hircus). Brucella sp. was not isolated from eland and camels. Antibody titers to M. paratuberculosis were found only in camels and goats. Mycobacteria were not detected in feces of two serologically positive camels. Significant serum antibody titers to Mycoplasma mycoides mycoides were found only in camels. Antibody titers to Mycoplasma sp. (strain F38), which causes contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, were found in buffalo, cattle and camels but not in the other species. Attempts to isolate the Mycoplasma sp. from nasal secretion of the buffalo and camels failed. The possible occurrence of tuberculosis in camels is discussed. Under the conditions at the ranch, contagious bacterial diseases appear to be of minor importance in the domesticated wild herbivores. The introduced camels, however, might be a source of various infections such as brucellosis, mycoplasmosis and possibly tuberculosis for the other susceptible species.     

The tempo and mode of gopher mound production in a tallgrass prairie remnant

To gain better insight into how small-scale disturbances might affect ecological processes, such as the maintenance of plant species diversity, we conducted a two-year study characterizing spatio-temporal patterns of gopher mound production on a tallgrass prairie remnant located at Anderson Prairie, Iowa. USA. The locations of all newly produced gopher mounds were mapped on two 80 × 80 m permanent plots. We used these data to characterize spatio-temporal patterns of mound production across a range of scales. We found that mound production was highly clustered at scales of < 8 m over short periods of time (< 2 weeks), but shifted in location over a 3–4 weeks time period, resulting in a clustered pattern at scales of < 20 m over longer time periods (up to the 2 yr of the study). We also found that patterns of mound production at intermediate spatial scales (> 20 m) remained fairly static over time, although they differed significantly from site to site. The results of this study suggest that small-scale patterns of variability in mound production may increase habitat variability over very short spatial scales, possibly providing a mechanism that can enhance the development and maintenance of species diversity.     

Mima mounds in Kenya–a case of mistaken identity

Earth mounds at seven sites in upland areas of Kenya were examined. Termite activity was recorded from 91% of mounds and the major termite genus present was Odontotermes. Generally, signs of the mole rat, Tachyoryctes splendens were few and were present on only 18% mounds. All termite activity was mound-centred but only at Kiserian were mounds obvious centres for mole rat activity. At Molo, where Tachyoryctes were abundant, neither mounds nor much sign of termite activity were observed. The data are discussed in relation to the work of Cox and Gakahu. No convincing evidence was found to support the conclusion made by these workers for a mole rat origin of large earth mounds. The weight of the data suggests that a termite origin for these mounds is more likely.     

Molecular and cytological evidences for the natural wheatgrass hybrids occurrence and origin in west China

Interspecies hybridization has been frequently observed in the tribe Triticeae. Natural hybridization between Kengyilia and Roegneria or Elymus species has not been reported as yet. Several sterile wheatgrass individuals exhibiting intermediately morphological traits between Kengyilia and Roegneria or Elymus species were identified in the meadow of Sichuan and Gansu provinces in China, suggesting their natural hybrid origin. The putative hybrids were analyzed by using the sequences of ITS and trnH-psbA together with cytological observation in order to assess the origin of hybrids. Both ITS and cytological data revealed the evidence of allopolyploid origin and confirmed the presence of StStYYP and StStYYHP genomes in the putative natural hybrids. The data suggest that the StStYYP hybrid originated from hybridization between Kengyilia and Roegneria and the hybrid with StStYYHP originated from hybridization between Kengyilia and Elymus. Chloroplast sequence data demonstrated that K. rigidula and K. melanthera were the likely maternal donors in the hybridization events.     

The relation between hairpin formation by mitochondrial WANCY tRNAs and the occurrence of the light strand replication origin in Lepidosauria

Mitochondrial light strand DNA replication is initiated at light strand replication origins (OLs), short stem-loop hairpins formed by the heavy strand DNA. OL-like secondary structures are also formed by heavy strand DNA templating for the five tRNAs adjacent to OLs, the WANCY tRNA cluster. We tested whether natural OL absence associates with greater capacities for formation of OL-like structures by WANCY tRNA genes. Using lepidosaurian taxa (Sphenodon, lizards and amphisbaenids), we compared WANCY tRNA capacities to form OL-like structures between 248 taxa possessing an OL with 131 taxa without OL (from different families). On average, WANCY tRNA genes form more OL-like structures in the absence of a regular OL than in its presence. Formation of OL-like structures by WANCY tRNAs follows hierarchical patterns that may reduce competition between the tRNA's translational function and its secondary OL function: the rarer the tRNA's cognate amino acid, the greater the capacity to form OL-like structures. High OL-forming capacities for neighboring tRNAs are avoided. Because OL absence usually occurs in taxa with reduced genomes, increased formation of OL-like structures by WANCY tRNAs might result from selection for greater metabolic efficiency. Further analyses suggest that OL loss is one of the latest steps in genome reduction, and promotes the increase in formation of OL-like structures by WANCY tRNA genes in Lepidosauria.     

Polyphyletic origin of toxic Pitohui birds suggests widespread occurrence of toxicity in corvoid birds

Pitohui birds from New Guinea have been found to contain a toxin otherwise only found in neotropical poison arrow frogs. Pitohuis have been considered to be monophyletic and thus toxicity is thought to have evolved once in birds. Here, we show that Pitohuis, rather than being a tight-knit group, are polyphyletic and represent several lineages among the corvoid families of passerine birds. This finding demonstrates that the ability to be toxic is widespread among corvoid birds and suggests that additional members of this radiation, comprising more than 700 species, could prove to be toxic. It is postulated that toxic birds ingest the toxin through their insect diet and excrete it through the uropygial gland, from where it is applied to the skin and feathers. Thus, the ability to become toxic is most likely an ancestral condition but variation in diet determines the extent to which toxicity is expressed among corvoid birds. Variability in toxicity levels further suggests that the main function of the toxin is that of a deterrent against ectoparasites and bacterial infection rather than being a defence against predators as initially proposed.     

The influence of terrain age and altitude on the arthropod communities found on recently deglaciated terrain

Climate warming has been more pronounced in the Arctic than elsewhere, resulting in a recent rapid glacial retreat. Over 85% of the Almajallojekna glacier has disappeared over the last 115 years and it is one of the fastest retreating glaciers in Sweden. In 2011 and 2012, at 18 sites in the vicinity of the remaining glacier network, we sampled arthropods and related the species richness, abundance and proportion of herbivores to altitude （ranging from 824 to 1,524 m.a.s.1.） and the age of the site （ranging from 0 to 〉 115 years）. Temperature was measured at six sites and the average annual air temperature ranged from -3.7℃ to 1.1℃. In total, we recorded 3,705 arthropods from 117 species in nine different taxonomic groups. The most abundant and species-rich group was Coleoptera （1,381 individuals, 41 species） followed by Araneae （1,050 individuals, 15 species） and Macrolepidoptera （732 individuals, 17 species）. Only at lower altitudes did the abundance and species richness of arthropods increase with increasing age of the site. The results were consistent among the studied taxonomic groups and when controlling for sam- piing intensity using two different approaches. The proportion of herbivores decreased with increasing age of the site and with increasing altitude. Clearly, altitude appears more important than the age of the site and, at higher altitudes, abundance, species richness and herbivory are low [Current Zoology 60 （2）： 203-220, 2014].     

The determinants of delivery care in Kenya

This paper examines the determinants of place of delivery and childbirth attendant in Kenya based on the 1993 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data. The analysis utilizes multilevel logistic and multilevel multinomial regression models for the place of delivery and the type of childbirth attendant, respectively. The results show that delivery care in Kenya is determined by a wide range of factors: socioeconomic and cultural factors associated with the individual woman or her household, her demographic status or reproductive behavior relating to a specific birth, as well as availability and accessibility of health services within her community. In addition, a significant variation in delivery care behavior is observed between women and between communities, implying that there are unobserved factors within families and communities that have a significant effect on delivery care. The woman or family effect on delivery care is particularly strong, but varies by distance to the nearest delivery care facility.     

A biochemical study of adult and cystic stages of Echinococcus granulosus of human and animal origin from Kenya

A comparative biochemical study was performed on adult and cystic stages of Echinococcus granulosus. Basic quantitative differences in metabolism were apparent between the cystic forms of sheep origin from the UK and Kenya which suggest that each may represent a different geographical strain or sub-strain. The biochemistry of the human and sheep forms from Kenya was very similar, which probably reflects a certain close affinity between the two. The fact that the cattle, goat and camel forms of E. granulosus, from that country, were distinct biochemically, both from each other and from the sheep and human types, suggests the existence of an unusually complex strain picture there, and that these organisms are either non-infective or only poorly infective to man. The differences in biochemical composition and metabolism observed between adults produced experimentally and those obtained from naturally infected dogs, may have been as a result of their original hydatid source and/or their differing stage of development.