AIMS In women with Marfan syndrome pregnancy presents an increased risk of dilatation, dissection, and rupture of the aorta. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of pregnancy on growth of the aortic root. METHODS AND RESULTS Between 1993 and 2004 127 women with Marfan syndrome were prospectively followed; 61 women had one or more children; in 23 women, 33 pregnancies could b...

BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for subclinical cardiovascular outcomes in adults. We examined the influence of these variants on the same outcomes in childhood. METHODS AND RESULTS In a population-based prospective cohort study among 4137 children, we examined the associations of SNPs, individually and incorporated in genetic ...

the establishment and survival of seedlings is one of the main objectives of forest management which ensures continues production. the aim of this article is the investigation of dead trees effect on beech and hornbeam seedlings in masal's forests. for this reason, 30 dead trees were selected, and the control trees were selected in four aspects around the dead trees. they were the same as ...

Root decay after timber cutting can lead to slope failure. In situ measurements of soil with tree roots showed that soil strength increased linearly as root biomass increased. Forests clear-felled 3 years earlier contained about one-third of the root biomass of oldgrowth forests. Nearly all of the roots < 2 mm in diameter were gone from 7-year-old logged areas while about 30 percent of the < 17...

Effects of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) interactions on root morphology and metal translocation in the hyperaccumulating ecotype (HE) and non-hyperaccumulating ecotype (NHE) of S. alfredii were investigated under hydroponic conditions. Specific root lengths (SRL), specific root surface areas (SRA) and specific root volumes (SRV) of the HE increased significantly when plant were treated with 500 m...

Water scarcity and the increasing severity of water deficit stress are major challenges to sustaining irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) production. Despite the technologies developed to reduce the water requirement, rice growth is seriously constrained under water deficit stress compared with other dryland cereals such as wheat (Triticum aestivum). We exposed rice cultivars with contrasting respons...

OBJECTIVE Valve-sparing surgery can be used in patients with dilated aortic roots and aortic insufficiency (AI) but has not become a common practice, in part because the spared valve may be incompetent. Our goal was to study how the dimensions of the aortic root and leaflets have changed in such patients. METHODS Fourteen patients with dilated aortic root and AI were examined by transesophage...

Rootstock-induced dwarfing of apple scions revolutionized global apple production during the twentieth century, leading to the development of modern intensive orchards. A high root bark percentage (the percentage of the whole root area constituted by root cortex) has previously been associated with rootstock-induced dwarfing in apple. In this study, the root bark percentage was measured in a fu...