Live-cell analysis of plant reproduction: live-cell imaging, optical manipulation, and advanced microscopy technologies.

Sexual reproduction ensures propagation of species and enhances genetic diversity within populations. In flowering plants, sexual reproduction requires complicated and multi-step cell-to-cell communications among male and female cells. However, the confined nature of plant reproduction processes, which occur in the female reproductive organs and several cell layers of the pistil, limits our ability to observe these events in vivo.

Fertilization recovery system is dependent on the number of pollen grains for efficient reproduction in plants.

For over a century, plant fertilization has been thought to depend on the fertility of a single pollen tube. However, we reported recently a "fertilization recovery system" in flowering plants that actively rescues failed fertilization of a defective mutant pollen tube by attracting a second, functional pollen tube. In typical flowering plants, two synergid cells beside the egg cell attract pollen tubes, one of which degenerates upon pollen tube discharge.

Distant metastasis at diagnosis and large tumor size are significant prognostic factors of widely invasive follicular thyroid carcinoma.

In contrast to minimally invasive follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), widely invasive FTC is aggressive and is associated with a dire prognosis. However, prognostic factors of widely invasive FTC have not been intensively investigated. In this study, we investigated this issue in a series of 79 widely invasive FTC patients.

Prognostic factors of minimally invasive follicular thyroid carcinoma: extensive vascular invasion significantly affects patient prognosis.

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is divided into two categories: minimally and widely invasive FTC. Generally, the prognosis of minimally invasive FTC is excellent, but patients showing certain characteristics have a dire prognosis. In this study, we investigated the prognostic factors of minimally invasive FTC using a series of 292 patients.

A species-specific cluster of defensin-like genes encodes diffusible pollen tube attractants in Arabidopsis.

Genes directly involved in male/female and host/parasite interactions are believed to be under positive selection. The flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana has more than 300 defensin-like (DEFL) genes, which are likely to be involved in both natural immunity and cell-to-cell communication including pollen-pistil interactions. However, little is known of the relationship between the molecular evolution of DEFL genes and their functions.

Relationship of biochemically persistent disease and thyroglobulin-doubling time to age at surgery in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

In patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), detectable serum thyroglobulin (Tg) after total thyroidectomy implies biochemically persistent disease (BPD). We reported that the thyroglobulin-doubling time (Tg-DT) was a potent prognostic indicator in patients with BPD. To identify factors that are related to BPD and Tg-DT, we performed new analyses on the data gathered in our previous study.

Incidence and predictors of right paraesophageal lymph node metastasis of N0 papillary thyroid carcinoma located in the right lobe.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) frequently metastasizes to the regional lymph nodes and, thus, guidelines edited by Japan Association of Endocrine Surgeons/Japanese Society of Thyroid Surgery routinely recommend central node dissection even for patients with no clinically detectable node metastasis (N0). However, in the central compartment, metastasis to the right paraesophageal node has not been intensively investigated. We investigated the incidence and predictors of right paraesophageal node metastasis based on pre- and intraoperative findings in 922 patients with N0 PTC in the right lobe.

Evaluation of cytologically benign solitary thyroid nodules by ultrasonography: a retrospective analysis of 1877 cases.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of ultrasonography (US) in the management of thyroid nodules when the cytology is benign tumor on fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

Methods: Between 2006 and 2011, we investigated 13,972 patients who had solitary thyroid nodule with cytological findings of benign. Surgery was performed according to our criteria for surgical indication.

Transcriptional repressor PRR5 directly regulates clock-output pathways.

The circadian clock is an endogenous time-keeping mechanism that enables organisms to adapt to external daily cycles. The clock coordinates biological activities with these cycles, mainly through genome-wide gene expression. However, the exact mechanism underlying regulation of circadian gene expression is poorly understood.

Tumor size is the strongest predictor of microscopic lymph node metastasis and lymph node recurrence of N0 papillary thyroid carcinoma.

It is well-known that papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) frequently metastasizes to the regional (central and lateral) lymph nodes, even though it is diagnosed as node-negative on preoperative imaging studies. In this study, we investigated predictors of microscopic node metastasis and lymph node recurrence of PTC without node metastasis detected preoperatively (N0). Of the clinicopathological features that can be evaluated pre- and intraoperatively, tumor size (> 2 cm) was the strongest predictor of microscopic central and lateral node metastasis on multivariate logistic analysis.

DNA methylation dynamics during sexual reproduction in Arabidopsis thaliana.

DNA methylation maintains genome stability and regulates gene expression [1]. In mammals, DNA methylation is reprogrammed in the germline from one generation to the next [2]. In plants, it was considered that patterns of DNA methylation are stably maintained through sexual reproduction [3-6].

The ima approach for the quick identification of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid cancer surgery.

Background: The right recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is more difficult to identify than the left RLN. The superior, lateral and inferior approaches are currently used to identify the RLN. This report presents a new technique, called the ima approach (the most inferior approach) for the quick identification of the right RLN.

Clinical trial of weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy for papillary thyroid carcinoma with squamous cell carcinoma component.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PC) can occasionally include a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) component. In this study, we evaluated the effect of weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy in 3 patients with PC including an SCC component. None of these patients had lesions of anaplastic carcinoma on pathological examination.

Fertilization recovery after defective sperm cell release in Arabidopsis.

In animal fertilization, multiple sperms typically arrive at an egg cell to "win the race" for fertilization. However, in flowering plants, only one of many pollen tubes, conveying plant sperm cells, usually arrives at each ovule that harbors an egg cell. Plant fertilization has thus been thought to depend on the fertility of a single pollen tube.

Arabidopsis ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 protein required for leaf morphogenesis consistently forms speckles during mitosis of tobacco BY-2 cells via signals in its specific sequence.

Leaf primordia with high division and developmental competencies are generated around the periphery of stem cells at the shoot apex. Arabidopsis ASYMMETRIC-LEAVES2 (AS2) protein plays a key role in the regulation of many genes responsible for flat symmetric leaf formation. The AS2 gene, expressed in leaf primordia, encodes a plant-specific nuclear protein containing an AS2/LOB domain with cysteine repeats (C-motif).

Double fertilization on the move.

Double fertilization is a flowering plant mechanism whereby two immotile sperm cells fertilize two different female gametes. One of the two sperm cells fertilizes the egg cell to produce the embryo and the other fertilizes the central cell to produce the endosperm. Despite the biological and agricultural significance of double fertilization, the mechanism remains largely unknown owing to difficulties associated with the embedded structure of female gametes in the maternal tissue.

Prospective comparisons of intravitreal injections of triamcinolone acetonide and bevacizumab for macular oedema due to branch retinal vein occlusion.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of intravitreal injections of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and that of bevacizumab for macular oedema because of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Design: Prospective, comparative, randomized, interventional clinical trial.

Methods: Forty-three eyes of 43 patients with macular oedema because of BRVO were randomly assigned to 4-mg intravitreal injections of TA (IVTA)(21 patients, IVTA group) or 1.

Significance of prophylactic modified radical neck dissection for patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma measuring 1.1-3.0 cm: first report of a trial at Kuma Hospital.

Purpose: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) frequently metastasizes to and recurs in regional lymph nodes. Of the two compartments, the central compartment can be dissected through the same wound as the thyroidectomy, and the central node dissection (CND) is routinely performed in most Japanese surgical departments. However, the indications for prophylactic lateral compartment dissection (modified radical neck dissection [MND]) for low-risk PTC remain unclear.

Biological behavior of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid including squamous cell carcinoma components and prognosis of patients who underwent locally curative surgery.

Thyroid carcinoma showing squamous differentiation throughout the entire lesion is diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (SCCT) in the WHO classification. This entity is a rare disease and shows a dire prognosis; however, squamous differentiation is more frequently detected in only a portion of papillary thyroid carcinoma. In this paper, we present our experience of 10 patients (8 primary lesions and 2 with recurrence in the lymph nodes) with papillary thyroid carcinoma having an SCC component (PTC-SCC).

HMG domain containing SSRP1 is required for DNA demethylation and genomic imprinting in Arabidopsis.

In Arabidopsis, DEMETER (DME) DNA demethylase contributes to reprogramming of the epigenetic state of the genome in the central cell. However, other aspects of the active DNA demethylation processes remain elusive. Here we show that Arabidopsis SSRP1, known as an HMG domain-containing component of FACT histone chaperone, is required for DNA demethylation and for activation and repression of many parentally imprinted genes in the central cell.

Ultrasonographic features of intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma causing primary hyperparathyroidism.

Preoperative localization study is difficult in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) caused by intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis of intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma. Between January 2004 and December 2009, seven of 373 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy because of PHPT in our hospital were found to have intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma.

Prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma located in one lobe showing lateral node metastasis in the contralateral but not ipsilateral compartment.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) frequently metastasizes to the lymph node in lateral compartment, which can often be detected on preoperative ultrasonography (N1b). However, PTC located in one lobe showing contralateral but not ipsilateral N1b is not common. We analyzed the clinicopathological features and prognosis of 13 patients with PTC limited in one lobe showing contralateral but not ipsilateral N1b.

Clinical significance and prognostic impact of subcutaneous or intrastrap muscular recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Subcutaneous or intrastrap muscular (SIM) recurrence is rare in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, and its clinical significance remains unclear. We analyzed 29 patients with PTC who showed SIM recurrence in order to elucidate this issue. The incidence of patient age 55 years or older at initial surgery, extrathyroid extension, and clinically detected lymph node metastasis was 83%, 35%, and 46%, respectively.