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[A prospective study of the evolution of coronary lesions: clinico-morphologic correlations].

In order to evaluate the evolution (progression and regression) of coronary atherosclerosis, 61 patients (8 with stable angina, 9 with unstable angina, 15 with a recent myocardial infarction, 29 with multivessel coronary artery disease and treated with successful one-vessel angioplasty) were enrolled in a prospective study. In the angioplasty group, only untreated vessels were considered for the analysis. All patients underwent coronary angiography before hospital discharge and after one year, in accordance with the study protocol. In 13 patients (21%) a repeat angiography was performed at 6.3 +/- 2.7 months for clinical reasons (myocardial infarction, changing pattern angina, angina recurrence). All patients were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic on medical therapy between the angiographic studies. Progression (decrease in internal luminal diameter at the site of stenosis greater than or equal to 20%; new onset of lesions, new episodes of total occlusions) was found in 16 out of 216 stenoses (7%) and in 14 out of 61 patients (23%). Regression (increase greater than or equal to 20% in internal luminal diameter; reopening of a previously occluded vessel) was found in 11 out of 227 lesions (5%) and in 7 out 61 patients (11%). At repeat angiography, the increase in severity was found more frequently in stenoses greater than 5 mm in length and with a reduction of greater than or equal to 75% in luminal diameter. Regression was more frequent in the occluded vessel supplying a recently infarcted area. No significant relationship was observed between lesion morphology (concentric, eccentric, with plaque ulceration, thrombi, border irregularities) and progression or regression. Lesions with plaque ulceration (with or without superimposed thrombi) were found only in patients submitted to coronary angiography close to an acute ischemic attack. Morphologic regression (disappearance of ulceration, border irregularities, thrombi) was also observed, without any significant changes occurring in the severity of the underlying stenosis. Progression may occur independently of worsening in the clinical status; on the contrary, regression was only found in patients without new cardiac events. Nevertheless, clinical status does not seem to be closely correlated to progression, regression, or changes in plaque morphology.

Angina Pectoris↗

Prospective evaluation of early morphological changes in pelvic ileal pouches.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Little is known about the evolution of morphological changes in pelvic ileal-pouch mucosa. This study evaluates prospectively the sequence of early morphological, histochemical, and phenotypic features in pouch mucosal biopsy specimens. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with pelvic ileal pouches constructed after total colectomy for chronic ulcerative colitis had biopsies performed at the time of ileostomy closure and after 6 weeks and 6 months of pouch function and were evaluated to assess the type and degree of inflammation, villus atrophy, Paneth's cell hyperplasia, mucin histochemical changes, the mucosal proliferative activity using the murine monoclonal antibody 1 (MIB-1), and the expression of the enzyme sucrase-isomaltase. RESULTS: Early changes (6 weeks) were characterized by neutrophilic and eosinophilic inflammation, mild villus atrophy, Paneth's cell hyperplasia, a partial transition to colonic mucin phenotype, and an increased MIB-1 proliferation index. These features remained relatively stable after 6 months, except for a greater degree of mononuclear infiltration, a progressive increase in the degree of eosinophilic inflammation and a new higher steady state level of crypt epithelial kinetics. Expression of sucrase-isomaltase remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic ileal pouches develop inflammatory, phenotypic, and kinetic changes early in the course of function but have only a limited potential for colonic type metaplasia. The persistence of these changes is evidence in support of an adaptive response to a new luminal environment.

Adolescent↗

Fossils, genes and the evolution of animal limbs.

The morphological and functional evolution of appendages has played a crucial role in the adaptive radiation of tetrapods, arthropods and winged insects. The origin and diversification of fins, wings and other structures, long a focus of palaeontology, can now be approached through developmental genetics. Modifications of appendage number and architecture in each phylum are correlated with regulatory changes in specific patterning genes. Although their respective evolutionary histories are unique, vertebrate, insect and other animal appendages are organized by a similar genetic regulatory system that may have been established in a common ancestor.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Extraordinary haplotype diversity in haplodiploid inbreeders: phylogenetics and evolution of the bark beetle genus Coccotrypes.

Regular inbreeding by sib-mating is one of the most successful ecological strategies in the bark beetle family Scolytinae. Within this family, the many species (119) in Coccotrypes are found breeding in an exceptional variety of untraditional woody tissues different from bark and phloem. Species delineation by morphological criteria is extremely difficult, however, as in most other inbreeding groups of beetles, perhaps due to the unusual evolutionary dynamics characterizing sib-mating organisms. Hence, we here performed a phylogenetic analysis using molecular data in conjunction with morphological data to better understand morphological and ecological evolution in this sib-mating group. We used partial DNA sequences from the nuclear gene EF-alpha and the mitochondrial genes 12S and CO1 to elucidate patterns of morphological evolution, haplotype variation, and evolutionary pathways in resource use. Sequence variation was high among species and far above that expected at the species level (e.g., 19% for CO1 within Coccotrypes advena). The tendency for exhaustive sequence variation at deeper nodes resulted in ambiguous reconstructions of the deepest splits. However, all results suggested that species with the broadest diets were clustered in a single derived position-another piece of evidence against specialization as a derived evolutionary feature.

Animals↗

Evolution and mechanics of long jaws in butterflyfishes (family Chaetodontidae).

We analyzed the functional morphology and evolution of the long jaws found in several butterflyfishes. We used a conservative reanalysis of an existing morphological dataset to generate a phylogeny that guided our selection of seven short- and long-jawed taxa in which to investigate the functional anatomy of the head and jaws: Chaetodon xanthurus, Prognathodes falcifer (formerly Chaetodon falcifer), Chelmon rostratus, Heniochus acuminatus, Johnrandallia nigrirostris, Forcipiger flavissimus, and F. longirostris. We used manipulations of fresh, preserved, and cleared and stained specimens to develop mechanical diagrams of how the jaws might be protruded or depressed. Species differed based on the number of joints within the suspensorium. We used high-speed video analysis of five of the seven species (C. xanthurus, Chel. rostratus, H. acuminatus, F. flavissimus, and F. longirostris) to test our predictions based on the mechanical diagrams: two suspensorial joints should facilitate purely anteriorly directed protrusion of the lower jaw, one joint should allow less anterior protrusion and result in more depression of the lower jaw, and no joints in the suspensorium should constrain the lower jaw to simple ventral rotation around the jaw joint, as seen in generalized perciform fishes. We found that the longest-jawed species, F. longirostris, was able to protrude its jaws in a predominantly anterior direction and further than any other species. This was achieved with little input from cranial elevation, the principal input for other known lower jaw protruders, and is hypothesized to be facilitated by separate modifications to the sternohyoideus mechanism and to the adductor arcus palatini muscle. In F. longirostris the adductor arcus palatini muscle has fibers oriented anteroposteriorly rather than medial-laterally, as seen in most other perciforms and in the other butterflyfish studied. These fibers are oriented such that they could rotate the ventral portion of the quadrate anteriorly, thus projecting the lower jaw anteriorly. The intermediate species lack modification of the adductor arcus palatini and do not protrude their jaws as far (in the case of F. flavissimus) or in a purely anterior fashion (in the case of Chel. rostratus). The short-jawed species both exhibit only ventral rotation of the lower jaw, despite the fact that H. acuminatus is closely related to Forcipiger.

Animals↗

[Evolutionary relationships among narrow-headed rats (genus Stenocephalemys, Muridae, Rodentia) inferred from complete cytochrome b gene sequences].

Using the data on complete sequences of cytochrome b gene, phylogenetic relationships were studied among the Stenocephalemys s. lat. (Stenocephalemys ssp. + Praomys albipes) murine rodents, inhabiting adjacent altitudinal belts of the isolated Ethiopian mountain massifs, and among the related Praomys s. lat. species. Extremely low resolution of the relationships among the main Praomys s. lat. lineages hampered identification of the nearest sister group for the Stenocephalemys s. lat. "Ethiopian" clade, monophyly of which was strongly supported. Sister relationships between P. albipes and S. griseicauda (implying "accelerated" morphological and chromosomal evolution upon the formation of the former species), as well as between S. albocaudata and the recently described novel chromosomal form of Stenocephalemus sp. A (2n = 50; NFa = 56) were demonstrated. Definite discordance between the rates of their molecular, chromosomal, and morphological evolution was revealed. Based on phylogenetic reconstructions and the estimates of the divergence time, obtained by use of molecular clock method, an attempt to draw a phylogenetic scenario for the group examined was made. The obtained data were compared to those for analogous Sigmodontinae species complexes, distributed across a marked altitudinal gradient on the Andean slopes. It was shown that molecular genetic data on the rodents from mountain tropics did not support the gradient model of diversification, based on the possibility of morphological diversification prior to their achievement of the species status (without interruption of the gene flow between the forms) due to differently directed selection across a strong environmental gradient.

Animals↗

[Morphological study on occlusal grove of mandibular molar of Chinese adults]

During human evolution,the morphology of mandibular molar occlusal grooves have changed from the pattern "Y" to pattern "+".Six types of occlusal grooves were classified as:Y5,Y4,+5,+5,X5 and X4. Using computer analysis,we get the result.(1)The rate of "Y5" in first mandibular molar is the highest,the rate of "X4" is the lowest.(2)The rate of "+4" in second mandibular molar is the highest,while the rate of "Y5" is the lowest. (3)The rates of each type groove between male and remale have no significant difference.Our conclusion coincides in the evolution of human mandibular molar,that is helpful to direct the clinic and anthropology study.

Journal Article↗

Large Magellanic Cloud Planetary Nebula Morphology: Probing Stellar Populations and Evolution.

Planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) offer the unique opportunity to study both the population and evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars, by means of the morphological type of the nebula. Using observations from our LMC PN morphological survey, and including images available in the Hubble Space Telescope Data Archive and published chemical abundances, we find that asymmetry in PNe is strongly correlated with a younger stellar population, as indicated by the abundance of elements that are unaltered by stellar evolution (Ne, Ar, and S). While similar results have been obtained for Galactic PNe, this is the first demonstration of the relationship for extragalactic PNe. We also examine the relation between morphology and abundance of the products of stellar evolution. We found that asymmetric PNe have higher nitrogen and lower carbon abundances than symmetric PNe. Our two main results are broadly consistent with the predictions of stellar evolution if the progenitors of asymmetric PNe have on average larger masses than the progenitors of symmetric PNe. The results bear on the question of formation mechanisms for asymmetric PNe-specifically, that the genesis of PNe structure should relate strongly to the population type, and by inference the mass, of the progenitor star and less strongly on whether the central star is a member of a close binary system.

Journal Article↗

Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary traits in Ranunculus s.l. (Ranunculaceae) inferred from ITS sequence analysis.

Ranunculus is a large genus with a worldwide distribution. Phylogenetic analyses of c. 200 species of Ranunculus s.l. based on sequences of the nrITS using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference yielded high congruence with previous cpDNA restriction site analyses, but strongly contradict previous classifications. A large core clade including Ranunculus subg. Ranunculus, subg. Batrachium, subg. Crymodes p.p., Ceratocephala, Myosurus, and Aphanostemma is separated from R. subg. Ficaria, subg. Pallasiantha, subg. Coptidium, subg. Crymodes p.p., Halerpestes, Peltocalathos, Callianthemoides, and Arcteranthis. Within the core clade, 19 clades can be described with morphological and karyological features. Several sections are not monophyletic. Parallel evolution of morphological characters in adaptation to climatic conditions may be a reason for incongruence of molecular data and morphology-based classifications. In some mountainous regions, groups of closely related species may have originated from adaptive radiation and rapid speciation. Split decomposition analysis indicated complex patterns of relationship and suggested hybridization in the apomictic R. auricomus complex, R. subg. Batrachium, and the white-flowering European alpines. The evolutionary success of the genus might be due to a combination of morphological plasticity and adaptations, hybridization and polyploidy as important factors for regional diversification, and a broad range of reproductive strategies.

DNA, Plant↗

The myelodysplastic syndromes: different evolution patterns based on sequential morphological and cytogenetic investigations.

Serial morphological and cytogenetic investigations were performed in 46 patients with the myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Twenty-one patients (45.5%) progressed to AML (greater than 30% blasts in bone marrow smears). Based on sequential determinations of percentages of bone marrow blasts, three patterns of evolution were observed in MDS. Patients with evolution pattern A (48%) had an apparently stable disease with minimal or no increase in bone marrow blasts. Exceptionally they developed new or additional chromosomal anomalies during the course of their disease. Cases in this group, who showed no abnormal localization of immature myeloid precursors (ALIP) at time of diagnosis experienced prolonged survival (median: 43 months), while ALIP positive patients had shorter survival times (median: 14 months), with high probability of early death from infections and/or bleeding problems. Patients with evolution pattern B (28%) initially had a morphologically stable disease, comparable to cases with evolution pattern A, but showed an abrupt shift from MDS to AML. Most of these patients (82%) were ALIP positive and a substantial proportion (46%) showed karyotype anomalies at diagnosis. The abrupt shift to AML in these patients was frequently (61.5%) associated with additional cytogenetic anomalies. Patients with evolution pattern C (24%) showed a gradual increase in bone marrow blasts. The majority of these cases (8/11) ultimately developed acute myeloid leukaemia (gradual progression to AML), whereas some patients (3/11) died from infections and/or haemorrhagic complications before they had reached the level of clinical AML. All of these patients were ALIP positive at diagnosis and no additional cytogenetic alterations occurred during evolution. Acquisition of new karyotypic anomalies during the course of MDS was almost invariably associated with abrupt shift to AML. From this retrospective study we conclude that evolution in MDS shows two important aspects, which seem to be preponderant in determining the course and outcome of the disease: one is the proliferative capacity and resulting growth advantage of the neoplastic clone over normal haematopoiesis, as measured by increasing percentages of bone marrow blasts in sequential aspirates; the other one is instability of the clone. Unstable clones have a high propensity to further intraclonal changes; they are expressed morphologically by the abrupt increase in bone marrow blasts and cytogenetically by the acquisition of new or additional karyotype anomalies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of an ancient Holarctic lineage of mygalomorph spiders (Araneae: Antrodiaetidae: Antrodiaetus).

The mygalomorph spider genera Antrodiaetus and Atypoides (Antrodiaetidae) belong to an ancient lineage that has persisted since at least the Cretaceous. These spiders display a classic disjunct Holarctic distribution with species in the eastern Palaearctic plus the western and eastern Nearctic. Prior phylogenetic analyses of this group have been proposed on the basis of morphology, but lack strong support and independent corroboration. Here we present the first phylogenetic analysis of species-level relationships based on molecular data obtained from the mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and nuclear (18S and 28S rRNA) genomes. Analyses corroborate earlier findings that Atypoides forms a paraphyletic grade with respect to Antrodiaetus, and consequently, that genus is formally synonymized under Antrodiaetus. In addition, our results support the relatively early divergence of Antrodiaetus roretzi. Antrodiaetus pacificus is "paraphyletic" with respect to the A. lincolnianus group and is likely an assemblage of numerous species. The final topology based on a combined molecular dataset, in conjunction with two different molecular dating techniques (penalized likelihood plus a Bayesian approach) and ancestral distribution reconstructions, was used to infer the historical biogeography of these spiders. Trans-Beringian and trans-Atlantic routes appear to account for the present-day distribution of Antrodiaetus in Japan and North America. Future studies on Antrodiaetus phylogeny will be used to address questions regarding morphological stasis and the evolution of quantitative morphological characters.

Animals↗

Functional evolution in the ancestral lineage of vertebrates or when genomic complexity was wagging its morphological tail.

Early vertebrate evolution is characterized by a significant increase of organismal complexity over a relatively short time span. We present quantitative evidence for a high rate of increase in morphological complexity during early vertebrate evolution. Possible molecular evolutionary mechanisms that underlie this increase in complexity fall into a small number of categories, one of which is gene duplication and subsequent structural or regulatory neofunctionalization. We discuss analyses of two gene families whose regulatory and structural evolution shed light on the connection between gene duplication and increases in organismal complexity.

Animals↗

Phylogenetics of the australasian mudfishes: evolution of an eel-like body plan.

The mudfish genus Neochanna (Osmeriformes: Galaxiidae) contains six species that exhibit varying degrees of morphological and ecological adaptation to life in swampy conditions. Here, we present the first molecular phylogenetic analysis (16S rRNA+cytochrome b; 1681bp) of the entire genus to (1) test for monophyly of Australian and New Zealand taxa and (2) elucidate morphological character evolution. In addition, we analyse a matrix of 21 morphological characters to test for congruence between mitochondrial DNA and morphology, and to examine total evidence under a Bayesian framework. Molecular data indicate that the diadromous Tasmanian mudfish, N. cleaveri, is sister to a clade of five non-diadromous New Zealand mudfishes. Mapping of morphological characters onto the molecular phylogeny suggests an evolutionary transition from a plesiomorphic "stream" galaxiid morphotype to a more specialised "anguilliform" galaxiid morphotype. Pelvic fins have become increasingly reduced and dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are increasingly confluent. Associated with these changes are elongated nostrils, reduced eyes, and increased anterior cranial ossification. Morphological and total evidence analyses yield similar or identical topologies, respectively. The phylogenetic distribution of diadromy in Neochanna is consistent with a single loss of this character state in New Zealand. However, the strong sister relationship (3.6% divergent; 100% bootstrap support) detected between non-diadromous N. burrowsius (South Island, NZ) and N. rekohua (Chatham Islands) indicates geologically recent dispersal across 850km of ocean. Diadromy may therefore have been retained in the common ancestor of these two mudfish species, and subsequently lost from both lineages.

Animals↗