Kinematic study of root elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana with a novel image-analysis program.

The measurement of the spatial profile of root elongation needs to determine matching points between time-lapse images and calculate their displacement. These data have been obtained by laborious manual methods in the past. Some computer-based programs have been developed to improve the measurement, but they require many time-series digital images or sprinkling graphite particles on the root prior to image capture.

Two novel mutations of the CYP11B2 gene in a Japanese patient with aldosterone deficiency type 1.

Isolated hypoaldosteronism is a rare and occasionally life-threatening cause of salt wasting in infancy. A 2-month-old Japanese boy of unrelated parents was examined for failure to thrive and poor weight gain. Laboratory findings were hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, high plasma renin and low aldosterone levels.

Certain protein transducing agents convert translocated proteins into cell killers.

The majority of proteins are unable to translocate into the cell interior. Hence for peptide- and protein-based therapeutics a direct intracytoplasmic delivery with the aid of transducing agents is an attractive approach. We wanted to deliver to the cell interior a putatively cytotoxic protein VPg.

Xenorhabdus ishibashii sp. nov., isolated from the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema aciari.

Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Xenorhabdus exhibit a mutualistic association with steinernematid entomopathogenic nematodes and a pathogenic relationship with insects. Here we describe two isolates of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema aciari collected from China and Japan. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolates obtained from S.

Lineage-specific growth inhibition of NK cell lines by FOXO3 in association with Akt activation status.

FOXO3 and PRDM1 are located on 6q21, one of the most frequently deleted regions among natural killer (NK) cell neoplasms. We previously demonstrated that forced expression of each gene suppresses the proliferation of NK cell lines with the 6q deletion. In this study, the forced expression of FOXO3 or PRDM1 was performed in various cell lines to clarify these suppressive effects.

Positive and negative regulation of podoplanin expression by TGF-β and histone deacetylase inhibitors in oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

Objectives: Podoplanin, a transmembrane sialomucin-like glycoprotein, is known to express at high frequency in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and possess metastasis-promoting activity such as increased invasion and platelet-aggregating activity. However, the regulatory mechanism of podoplanin expression in OSCC remains unknown.

Materials And Methods: In the present study, we investigated the podoplanin expression in both clinical specimens from total 80 patients (50 OSCC and 30 pharyngeal SCC) and in 4 OSCC cell lines in vitro.

Flurbiprofen concentration in soft tissues is higher after topical application than after oral administration.

Aim: To compare tissue concentrations of flurbiprofen resulting from topical application and oral administration according to the regulatory approved dosing guidelines.

Method: Sixteen patients were included in this study. Each patient was randomly assigned to the topical application or oral administration group.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into chondrogenic lineage via generation of mesenchymal progenitor cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) exhibit pluripotency, proliferation capability, and gene expression similar to those of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). hESCs readily form cartilaginous tissues in teratomas in vivo; despite extensive effort, however, to date no efficient method for inducing mature chondrocytes in vitro has been established. hiPSCs can also differentiate into cartilage in vivo by teratoma formation, but as with hESCs, no reliable system for in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of hiPSCs has yet been reported.

Tumour lineage-homing cell-penetrating peptides as anticancer molecular delivery systems.

Cell-penetrating peptides have gained attention owing to their promise in noninvasive delivery systems. Among the identified cell-penetrating peptides, the TAT peptide has been preferentially used for transduction into cells of diverse origins. However, this activity is nonselective between neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells.

Preoperative management of patients with gynecologic malignancy complicated by existing venous thromboembolism.

Objectives: In treating gynecologic malignancies, we sometimes encounter patients in whom venous thromboembolism (VTE) has developed before surgery. Few reports exist on preoperative management of VTE. We conducted a study to determine the optimum preoperative management strategy for patients with gynecologic malignancy and existing VTE.

Establishment and characterization of novel gastric signet-ring cell and non signet-ring cell poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cell lines with low and high malignant potential.

Background: Poorly differentiated signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) and non signet-ring cell carcinoma (NSRCC) are prevalent histological subtypes of gastric cancers with distinct morphological features. To date, however, the molecular basis of their growth, differentiation, and metastasis still remains unclear, because of the limitation of available cell lines.

Methods: In the present study, we established novel SRCC and NSRCC cell lines (designated GPM-2 and GPM-1) derived from the ascites of two individual gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.

Recessive RYR1 mutations in a patient with severe congenital nemaline myopathy with ophthalomoplegia identified through massively parallel sequencing.

Nemaline myopathy (NM) is a group of congenital myopathies, characterized by the presence of distinct rod-like inclusions "nemaline bodies" in the sarcoplasm of skeletal muscle fibers. To date, ACTA1, NEB, TPM3, TPM2, TNNT1, and CFL2 have been found to cause NM. We have identified recessive RYR1 mutations in a patient with severe congenital NM, through high-throughput screening of congenital myopathy/muscular dystrophy-related genes using massively parallel sequencing with target gene capture.

A case of myelolipoma with bilateral adrenal hyperaldosteronism cured after unilateral adrenalectomy.

Myelolipomas are adrenal tumors composed of both adipose and hematopoietic tissues which are rarely associated with primary aldosteronism (PA). Here, we report a case of myelolipoma associated with PA. Aldosterone hypersecretion from bilateral adrenal glands had been confirmed by adrenal venous sampling and pathological analyses, but PA was clinically cured after surgical removal of the unilateral adrenal gland together with the myelolipoma that was not producing aldosterone.

Minimally invasive procedure for accurate diagnosis of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the head and neck.

Sonography-guided cutting needle biopsy for the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma has recently come into wide use. However, surgery is sometimes unavoidable for the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma, particularly for low-grade malignant lymphoma such as extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, because cutting needle biopsy offers limited diagnostic accuracy for low-grade malignant lymphoma. Of course, unnecessary invasive procedures like open biopsy should be avoided wherever possible, given the cosmetic problems and burden on the patient.

TGF-β synergizes with defects in the Hippo pathway to stimulate human malignant mesothelioma growth.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an incurable malignancy that is caused by exposure to asbestos and is accompanied by severe fibrosis. Because MM is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and clinical identification of early lesions is difficult, its molecular pathogenesis has not been completely elucidated. Nearly 75% of MM cases have inactivating mutations in the NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2; Merlin) gene or in downstream signaling molecules of the Hippo signaling cascade, which negatively regulates the transcription factor Yes-associated protein (YAP).

Acquisition of EMT phenotype in the gefitinib-resistant cells of a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line through Akt/GSK-3β/snail signalling pathway.

Background: Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to be associated with chemoresistance as well as increased invasion/metastasis. However, the relationship between EMT and resistance to an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -targeting drug in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the acquisition of EMT by gefitinib in HNSCC cell line (UMSCC81B).

Skeletal analysis of the long bone abnormality (lbab/lbab) mouse, a novel chondrodysplastic C-type natriuretic peptide mutant.

Long bone abnormality (lbab/lbab) is a strain of dwarf mice. Recent studies revealed that the phenotype is caused by a spontaneous mutation in the Nppc gene, which encodes mouse C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). In this study, we analyzed the chondrodysplastic skeletal phenotype of lbab/lbab mice.

Changes in hydrocarbon groups, soil ecotoxicity and microbiology along horizontal and vertical contamination gradients in an old landfarming field for oil refinery waste.

Horizontal and vertical contaminant gradients in an old landfarming field for oil refinery waste were characterised with the aim to assess parallel changes in hydrocarbon groups and general, microbiological and ecotoxicological soil characteristics. In the surface soil polar compounds were the most prevalent fraction of heptane-extractable hydrocarbons, superseding GC-FID-resolvable and high-molar-mass aliphatics and aromatics, but there was no indication of their relatively higher mobility or toxicity. The size of the polar fraction correlated poorly with soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties, which were better explained by the total heptane-extractable and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH).

A pilot study of anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with ligament remnant tissue preservation.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the preliminary results of an anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction procedure with ligament remnant tissue preservation.

Methods: By use of the transtibial technique, 2 doubled semitendinosus tendons were grafted into 4 tunnels created at the center of each bundle attachment, penetrating the ACL remnant tissue. In total, 44 patients (27 male and 17 female patients) with an isolated ACL injury underwent ACL reconstruction with this procedure.

D-allose and D-psicose reinforce the action of metronidazole on trichomonad.

The effects of D-allose and D-psicose on Tritrichomonas foetus were examined. They were cultured in F-bouillon medium including glucose, but had never increased when glucose was substituted to those sugars. When cultured in a medium including a dose of ED(50) metronidazole and those sugars, trichomonad density was significantly less than that in a medium with metronidazole only.

Clinical comparison of two suspensory fixation devices for anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the operation time required and the clinical outcome 2 years postoperatively, after anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstructions using hamstring tendon grafts fixed with either the EndoButton-CL-BTB(®) (ECL-BTB) or the EndoButton-CL(®) (ECL).

Methods: Forty-six patients, who underwent anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction, were non-randomly divided into 2 groups. Patients with a combined ligament injury or complete meniscal tear were excluded from this study.

Isolation and characterization of the fragrant cyclamen O-methyltransferase involved in flower coloration.

Anthocyanin O-methyltransferase (OMT) is one of the key enzymes for anthocyanin modification and flower pigmentation. We previously bred a novel red-purple-flowered fragrant cyclamen (KMrp) from the purple-flowered fragrant cyclamen 'Kaori-no-mai' (KM) by ion-beam irradiation. Since the major anthocyanins in KMrp and KM petals were delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside and malvidin 3,5-diglucoside, respectively, inactivation of a methylation step in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway was indicated in KMrp.

Gender-based differences in outcome after anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring tendon autografts.

Background: Although previous studies suggested that female patients are predisposed to increase graft laxity compared with male patients after single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using autogenous hamstring tendons, there have been no studies specifically examining gender-based differences in outcome after anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring tendon autografts.

Hypotheses: (1) Female patients have significantly smaller hamstring graft diameters than do men for anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery; (2) female patients will have increased graft laxity compared with male patients after anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using autogenous hamstring tendons.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.