Machine learning for genomic and pedigree prediction in sugarcane.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) plays a crucial role in global sugar production; however, the efficiency of breeding programs has been hindered by its heterozygous polyploid genomes. Considering non-additive genetic effects is essential in genome prediction (GP) models of crops with highly heterozygous polyploid genomes.

[STATE-OF-THE-ART OF GLOBAL START-UP INVESTMENT FOR ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 2022].

Background: In 2022, the "New Capitalism Grand Design and Implementation Plan" was adopted in Japan, emphasizing the promotion and environmental development of startups. Given this context, an investigation into the startup and investment landscape in the allergy sector, both domestically and internationally, becomes imperative.

Methods: We analyzed 156 allergy-related startups from Japan, the US, and Europe from 2010 to 2021.

[Postnatal epigenome-mediated aging control and global trends].

The epigenome can adequately regulate the on/off states of genes in response to external environmental factors and stress. In recent years, it has been observed that the epigenome, which is modulated through DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodeling, changes with age. Alterations in the epigenome lead to the loss of cell-specific epigenome/identity, which in turn triggers a decline in tissue function.

Aberrant association of chromatin with nuclear periphery induced by Rif1 leads to mitotic defect.

The architecture and nuclear location of chromosomes affect chromatin events. Rif1, a crucial regulator of replication timing, recognizes G-quadruplex and inhibits origin firing over the 50-100-kb segment in fission yeast, , leading us to postulate that Rif1 may generate chromatin higher order structures inhibitory for initiation. However, the effects of Rif1 on chromatin localization in nuclei have not been known.

Loss of epigenetic information as a cause of mammalian aging.

All living things experience an increase in entropy, manifested as a loss of genetic and epigenetic information. In yeast, epigenetic information is lost over time due to the relocalization of chromatin-modifying proteins to DNA breaks, causing cells to lose their identity, a hallmark of yeast aging. Using a system called "ICE" (inducible changes to the epigenome), we find that the act of faithful DNA repair advances aging at physiological, cognitive, and molecular levels, including erosion of the epigenetic landscape, cellular exdifferentiation, senescence, and advancement of the DNA methylation clock, which can be reversed by OSK-mediated rejuvenation.

Prevalence and characteristics of dry eye disease in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We investigated and characterized the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) in Parkinson's disease (PD). PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant studies between January 1, 1979 and March 10, 2022. Quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist.

Dynamic stem cell selection safeguards the genomic integrity of the epidermis.

Maintaining genomic integrity and stability is crucial for life; yet, no tissue-driven mechanism that robustly safeguards the epithelial genome has been discovered. Epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) continuously replenish the stratified layers of keratinocytes that protect organisms against various environmental stresses. To study the dynamics of DNA-damaged cells in tissues, we devised an in vivo fate tracing system for EpiSCs with DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and demonstrated that those cells exit from their niches.

[Light as a Non-Invasive Controller of Brain Function: Novel Functions of Violet Light and OPN5].

Brain function is greatly affected by light, including the daylight hours and light intensity, which are known to have various effects on sleep, cognitive function, and symptoms of depression and Parkinson's disease. On the other hand, light has various colors, such as red and blue, depending on the wavelength, and light receivers also have a diversity of colors, not only to "see" it as visual information but also to "feel" it as a signal of non-visual information. In this section, I would like to introduce the recent findings on the specific regulation of brain functions by the eye, focusing on violet light receptors in the 360-400nm range such as OPN5.

Photobiological Neuromodulation of Resting-State EEG and Steady-State Visual-Evoked Potentials by 40 Hz Violet Light Optical Stimulation in Healthy Individuals.

Photobiological neuromodulation and its clinical application has been investigated in recent years. The response of the gamma-oscillation to human visual stimuli is known to be both burst and resonant in nature, and the coupling between alpha and gamma oscillations may play a functional role in visual processing. To date, there is no study that examined the effects of gamma-frequency violet light (VL) stimulation on human electroencephalography (EEG).

Oral administration of resveratrol or lactic acid bacterium improves lens elasticity.

A decrease in the elasticity of the ocular lens during aging is associated with loss of the accommodative ability of the eye, leading to presbyopia. Although near vision impairment is a social issue affecting the length of healthy life expectancy and productivity of elderly people, an effective treatment to improve near vision has not yet become available. Here we examined the effect of Enterococcus faecium WB2000, Lactobacillus pentosus TJ515, and resveratrol on lens elasticity in rats, where the stiffness of the ocular lens increases exponentially during the aging process.

Pentacyclic Nano-Trefoil.

Tetra-armed cyclen (1) bearing two 4-(4'-pyridyl)benzyl and two 3,5-difluorobenzyl groups and its Ag complexes were prepared and structurally characterized. The complexes formed between 1 and Ag undergoes a reversible structural transformation between a 2:2 dimeric complex and a 3:5 pentacyclic trefoil complex with changes in the Ag /1 molar ratio. It was also revealed that the 3:5 trefoil complex could encapsulate benzene and [D ]benzene selectively in solid-state.

Propranolol Attenuates Late Sodium Current in a Long QT Syndrome Type 3-Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Model.

Background: Long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3) is caused by gain-of-function mutations in the gene, which encodes the α subunit of the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel. LQT3 patients present bradycardia and lethal arrhythmias during rest or sleep. Further, the efficacy of β-blockers, the drug used for their treatment, is uncertain.

Influence of the Molar Ratio and Solvent on the Coordination Modes of 1,7-Dibenzyl-4,10-bis(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)cyclen.

The synthesis of a tetra-armed cyclen () with two benzyl groups at the 1- and 7-positions and two pyridin-4-ylmethyl groups at the 4- and 10-positions as side arms and the solvent- and/or molar-ratio-dependent coordination modes in the formation of silver(I) complexes are reported. H NMR and cold-spray-ionization mass spectrometry studies suggest that a silver(I) complex with gives different species depending on the molar ratio of silver ions used as the reactant. Furthermore, the conformation of cyclen in the one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers, obtained using 2 equiv of silver(I), changes depending on the presence or absence of acetonitrile.

Senescence-associated secretory phenotype promotes chronic ocular graft-vs-host disease in mice and humans.

Chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD) is a multifactorial inflammatory disease that affects patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Multiple organs, including the lacrimal glands (LGs), are negatively affected by cGVHD and lose function due to the resultant fibrosis. An abnormal immune response is thought to be a major factor in the development of chronic ocular GVHD, which is currently treated primarily with immunosuppressive therapies.

Cardiopulmonary Impairments Caused by a Large Hiatal Hernia with Organoaxial Gastric Volvulus Showing Upside-Down Stomach: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Upside-down stomach (UDS) is the rarest type of hiatal hernia (HH), with organoaxial gastric volvulus. A large HH sometimes causes cardiopulmonary impairments owing to multiple factors. CASE REPORT We herein report a case of a large HH with UDS that had induced weight loss and severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction in a 74-year-old female patient who presented with shortness of breath, chest pain, severe anorexia, and weight loss of 5 kg over the 3 previous months.

Copy number variations of SCN5A in Brugada syndrome.

Background: Loss-of-function mutations in SCN5A are associated in ∼20% of Brugada syndrome (BrS) patients. Copy number variations (CNVs) have been shown to be associated with several inherited arrhythmia syndromes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate SCN5A CNVs among BrS probands.

Gene-Based Risk Stratification for Cardiac Disorders in Mutation Carriers.

Background: Mutations in (), which encodes lamin A and C, typically cause age-dependent cardiac phenotypes, including dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiac conduction disturbance, atrial fibrillation, and malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Although the type of mutations have been reported to be associated with susceptibility to malignant ventricular arrhythmias, the gene-based risk stratification for cardiac complications remains unexplored.

Methods And Results: The multicenter cohort included 77 mutation carriers from 45 families; cardiac disorders were retrospectively analyzed.

Very long-term clinical outcomes after radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: A large single-center experience.

Aims: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has become widely used for drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there is a paucity of data on the long-term clinical outcomes after RFCA for AF. The aim of the present study was to investigate the very long-term outcomes after RFCA for AF in a large number of consecutive patients.

Development of a Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Model for the Investigation of SCN5A-D1275N-Related Cardiac Sodium Channelopathy.

Background: TheSCN5Agene encodes the α subunit of the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel, Na1.5. The missense mutation, D1275N, has been associated with a range of unusual phenotypes associated with reduced Na1.

Estimation of total CH emission from Japanese rice paddies using a new estimation method based on the DNDC-Rice simulation model.

Methane (CH) is a greenhouse gas, and paddy fields are one of its main anthropogenic sources. In Japan, country-specific emission factors (EFs) have been applied since 2003 to estimate national-scale CH emission from paddy field. However, these EFs did not consider the effects of factors that influence CH emission (e.

Allele-specific ablation rescues electrophysiological abnormalities in a human iPS cell model of long-QT syndrome with a CALM2 mutation.

Calmodulin is a ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor molecule encoded by three distinct calmodulin genes, CALM1-3. Recently, mutations in CALM1-3 have been reported to be associated with severe early-onset long-QT syndrome (LQTS). However, the underlying mechanism through which heterozygous calmodulin mutations lead to severe LQTS remains unknown, particularly in human cardiomyocytes.