Development of 12 sets of chromosome segment substitution lines that enhance allele mining in Asian cultivated rice.

Many agronomic traits that are important in rice breeding are controlled by multiple genes. The extensive time and effort devoted so far to identifying and selecting such genes are still not enough to target multiple agronomic traits in practical breeding in Japan because of a lack of suitable plant materials in which to efficiently detect and validate beneficial alleles from diverse genetic resources. To facilitate the comprehensive analysis of genetic variation in agronomic traits among Asian cultivated rice, we developed 12 sets of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) with the background, 11 of them in the same genetic background, using donors representing the genetic diversity of Asian cultivated rice.

Probing local structure of glass with orientation-dependent luminescence.

The local ordering of particles is considered an important process in glass transition. Ordering is usually observed in simulation and micrometer-sized colloid. However, clear information on local ordering at the molecular level is difficult to obtain experimentally.

Effect of enhanced CaCl, MgSO, and KHPO on improved in vitro growth of potato.

Potato ( L.) is a major global food crop. Contemporary potato production largely utilizes micropropagation to produce healthy seed potatoes.

Propagation of (Maxim.) Koidz. from immature seeds using a new sterilization procedure.

Natural seed germination is difficult to achieve in numerous plant species of wide economic importance. The germination of seeds takes as long as one and a half years under natural conditions. In addition, propagation by rhizome is also extremely slow in this species.

Pancreatic carcinoma metastasis to a lung carcinoma lesion and pulmonary fibrotic regions, overtaking the stromal microenvironment: A case report.

Rationale: Suppression and of cancer metastasis is one of the most important issues in cancer care. Considering the typical clinical course of metastases, cancer cells might prefer certain environments or conditions. However, favorable environments for cancer metastasis have not been clearly identified.

A Fluid Liquid-Crystal Material with Highly Polar Order.

An anomalously large dielectric permittivity of ≈10 is found in the mesophase temperature range (MP phase) wherein high fluidity is observed for a liquid-crystal compound having a 1,3-dioxane unit in the mesogenic core (DIO). In this temperature range, no sharp X-ray diffraction peak is observed at both small and wide Bragg angles, similar to that for a nematic phase; however, an inhomogeneous sandy texture or broken Schlieren one is observed via polarizing optical microscopy, unlike that for a conventional nematic phase. DIO exhibits polarization switching with a large polarization value, i.

Effects of molecular weight on the optical and electrochemical properties of EDOT-based π-conjugated polymers.

Absolute molecular weight values obtained by gel permeation chromatography with multi angle light scattering of PEDOTF8 were approximately 65% of the relative molecular weight values obtained by gel permeation chromatography using polystyrene standards. Both light absorption and molecular weight measurements showed the effective conjugation lengths (absolute molecular weight <2600, relative molecular weight <4000, number of EDOT-F8 units: n < ca. 5 unit).

Cryopreservation of blueberry shoot tips derived from in vitro and current shoots using D cryo-plate technique.

Cryopreservation is an important tool for long-term storage of plant germplasm that is currently used for plant germplasm storage at many institutes worldwide. Recently, novel cryogenic procedures (V and D cryo-plate methods) have been developed. In this study, the most suitable conditions for preserving blueberry shoot tips derived from in vitro and current shoots using the D cryo-plate method were investigated.

Population demographic history of a temperate shrub, (Ericaceae), on continental islands of Japan and South Korea.

Continental islands provide opportunities for testing the effects of isolation and migration on genetic variation in plant populations. In characteristic of continental islands is that the geographic connections between these islands, which are currently distinguished by seaways, have experienced fluctuations caused by sea-level changes due to climate oscillations during the Quaternary. Plant populations on the islands have migrated between these islands via the exposed seafloors or been isolated.

Cryopreservation of sugarcane using the V cryo-plate technique.

Background: Sugarcane is a tropical crop of major importance primarily for its high sucrose content. It is difficult to conserve it in the field or in vitro because of biotic and abiotic stresses. Cryopreservation of sugarcane germplasm is an appropriate approach for conserving its genetic diversity.

Genetic architecture of variation in heading date among Asian rice accessions.

Background: Heading date, a crucial factor determining regional and seasonal adaptation in rice (Oryza sativa L.), has been a major selection target in breeding programs. Although considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular regulation of heading date in rice during last two decades, the previously isolated genes and identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) cannot fully explain the natural variation for heading date in diverse rice accessions.

Light-sensitive vertical migration of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica revealed by real-time tracking and its utilization for geolocation.

Short-time tracking (one to eight days) of the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) using ultrasonic transmitter was performed in the tropical-subtropical area adjacent to the spawning area and temperate area off the Japanese Archipelago. Of 16 eels (11 wild and five farmed) used, 10 wild eels displayed clear diel vertical migration (DVM) from the beginning, while the other five farmed eels tracked for 19 to 66 hours did not. During daytime, a significantly positive correlation between migration depth and light intensity recorded on the vessel was observed in the 10 wild eels, indicating that the eels were sensitive to sunlight even at the middle to lower mesopelagic zone (500 to 800 m).

Intraoperative red cell salvage during obstetric surgery in 50 Japanese women.

Objective: To determine the clinical usefulness of intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) in obstetrics.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using data for 50 patients who had received ICS blood during obstetric surgery at 13 Japanese facilities between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2013. The frequencies of ICS-associated adverse events, allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT), and preoperative autologous donation (PAD) were assessed.

Natural variation of the RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1 contributes to flowering time divergence in rice.

In rice (Oryza sativa L.), there is a diversity in flowering time that is strictly genetically regulated. Some indica cultivars show extremely late flowering under long-day conditions, but little is known about the gene(s) involved.

Characteristics of distributed-type inorganic electroluminescence panels with comb-shaped electrodes.

We deposited comb electrodes with narrow gaps between the teeth on a glass substrate, thus realizing a high electric field intensity that cannot be achieved with conventional structures. Au electrodes are deposited to form a comb shape and then spin-coated with a phosphor layer obtained by mixing ZnS phosphor particles with resins in a certain ratio. An AC voltage was applied to the gaps between the teeth of the comb electrode to emit light, from which the luminance was measured for different electric field intensities.

Genetic stability assessment of wWasabi plants regenerated from long-term cryopreserved shoot tips using morphological, biochemical and molecular analysis.

This study compared the effect of cryopreserved storage duration of wasabi shoot tips, which derived from the same in vitro mother-plant. We compared the survival of shoot tips and the genetic stability of regenerated plants originating from four experimental groups: shoot tips stored in a -150°C deep-freezer for 10 years; shoot tips stored in liquid nitrogen for 2 h; shoot tips treated with PVS2 vitrification solution; and untreated controls. No significant difference in survival was observed between the four experimental groups.

Patterns of pollen flow in a dense population of the insect-pollinated canopy tree species Castanopsis sieboldii.

Insect pollinations of tree species with high-density populations have rarely been studied. Since the density of adults can affect effective pollen dispersal, short-distance pollination, even by insects, may frequently occur in high-density populations. To test this prediction, we investigated pollination patterns in a high-density population of the insect-pollinated canopy tree species Castanopsis sieboldii by paternity analysis using genotypes at 8 microsatellite loci of 145 adult trees and 439 seeds from 11 seed parents in a 4-ha plot.

[Clinicopathological study of small lung cancer (diameter of 2 cm or less) by uptake value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose].

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) for lung cancer may be a biomarker for malignancy as well as a useful tool for detection of nodal involvement and distant metastasis. The goal of this study was to clarify a relationship between clinicopathological findings and maximum standardized uptake value( SUVmax) obtained by preoperative PET in patients with non-small cell lung cancer in diameter of 2 cm or less. Between January 2008 and April 2011, 124 patients( 54 men and 70 women) with non-small cell lung cancer in diameter of 2 cm or less undergoing lobectomy or segmentectomy were enrolled.

Development of a cryopreservation procedure using aluminium cryo-plates.

A cryopreservation procedure using an aluminium cryo-plate was successfully developed using in vitro-grown Dalmatian chrysanthemum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium) shoot tips. Shoot cultures were cold-hardened at 5 degree C on MS medium containing 0.5 M sucrose over a period of 20 to 40 days.

Folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects: awareness among laywomen and healthcare providers in Japan.

It is known that neural tube defects are folic acid preventable congenital anomalies. We investigated to what extent this information was disseminated among laywomen and healthcare providers. Questionnaire studies were conducted twice, in 2002 and 2007, for four groups of laywomen and seven groups of healthcare providers in Japan regarding awareness, folic acid supplements and healthy diets.

[Folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects: awareness and folate intake among pregnant women in 2006].

Folic acid plays an important role in proliferating cells and tissues of the fetus. A randomized control trial demonstrated in 1991 that 4 mg of folic acid supplements successfully prevented 72% of recurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in women who had had afflicted pregnancy. In 2000, the Japanese Government recommended women of childbearing age to take 400 microgram of folate supplements per day from 4 weeks prior to and 12 weeks after conception.

Growth factor treatment and genetic manipulation stimulate neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis by endogenous neural progenitors in the injured adult spinal cord.

Neurons and oligodendrocytes are highly vulnerable to various insults, and their spontaneous replacement occurs to only a limited extent after damage in the adult spinal cord. The environment of injured tissue is thus thought to restrict the regenerative capacity of endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells; strategies for overcoming such restrictions remain to be developed. Here, we combined growth factor treatment and genetic manipulation to stimulate neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis by endogenous progenitors in vivo.

Seasonal variations in water relations in current-year leaves of evergreen trees with delayed greening.

We investigated seasonal patterns of water relations in current-year leaves of three evergreen broad-leaved trees (Ilex pedunculosa Miq., Ligustrum japonicum Thunb., and Eurya japonica Thunb.

Signaling axis in schwann cell proliferation and differentiation.

Recent progress in molecular biology has markedly expanded our knowledge of the molecular mechanism behind the proliferation and differentiation processes of Schwann cells, the myelin-forming cells in peripheral nervous systems. Intracellular signaling molecules participate in integrating various stimuli from cytokines and other humoral factors and control the transcriptional activities of the genes that regulate mitosis or differentiation. This article provides an overview of the roles played by the intracellular pathways regulating Schwann cell functions.