Do endothelin 1 and transforming growth factor-β1 correlate with liver function and portal pressure in cirrhotic patients?
Peripheral endothelin-1 and transforming growth factor-β1 levels, which strongly correlate with their hepatic levels, reflect the stage of portal hypertension and liver insufficiency in cirrhosis.
These results suggest that limited within-donor variation in genetic quality of pollen grains reduces the potential benefits of pollen competition in the study population. The lack of paternal effects on early sporophyte performance further suggests that benefits of pollen competition among pollen from multiple donors should be limited as well, and it raises questions about the significance of pollen competition as a mechanism of sexual selection.