Effects of air temperature before harvest on the concentration of human adiponectin in transgenic strawberry fruits.

Transgenic ever-bearing strawberry (× Duch. 'HS 138') was cultivated in a closed plant production system to produce functional proteins that can enhance human immune functions. We investigated the effects of air temperature before harvest on fruit growth and the concentration of human adiponectin (hAdi) at harvest in transgenic strawberry.

Analysis of the mechanisms regulating the expression of isoprenoid biosynthesis genes in hydroponically-grown Nicotiana benthamiana plants using virus-induced gene silencing.

Secondary metabolites in plants play important roles in defence against biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the biosynthesis pathways of secondary metabolites have been extensively studied, the regulatory mechanism of gene expression involved in these pathways remains poorly understood. In this study, we develop a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system that enables a rapid analysis of the regulatory mechanism of genes involved in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids, one of the largest groups in secondary metabolites, using hydroponically-grown Nicotiana benthamiana.

Association Between Optic Nerve Head Blood Flow Measured Using Laser Speckle Flowgraphy and Radial Arterial Pressure During Aortic Arch Surgery.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the association between ocular blood flow measured using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) and radial arterial pressure during aortic arch surgery.

Design: A prospective study.

Setting: A single university hospital.

Ocular Blood Flow Measured Using Laser Speckle Flowgraphy During Aortic Arch Surgery With Antegrade Selective Cerebral Perfusion.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of ocular blood flow measured using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) for the assessment of cerebral perfusion during aortic arch surgery.

Design: A prospective study.

Setting: A single university hospital.

Experimental use of crosslinked gelatin glue for arterial hemostasis in cardiovascular surgery.

Background: Anastomotic needle hole bleeding is a frequently encountered problem in cardiovascular surgeries.

Objective: To examine the feasibility of crosslinked gelatin glue as an anastomotic needle hole sealant in comparison with fibrin glue.

Methods: The in vitro burst water pressures were measured for gelatin and fibrin glue sealed needle holes of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) or collagen coated woven polyester grafts.

Clinical outcomes of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair using commercially available fenestrated stent graft (Najuta endograft).

Objective: Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) for the aortic arch aneurysm is challenging because of its curved anatomic configuration and the presence of the supra-aortic branches. The Najuta fenestrated endograft (Kawasumi Laboratories, Inc, Tokyo, Japan) was developed to treat aortic arch diseases, offering maximal proximal landing length while preserving the blood flow to the supra-aortic branches. We evaluated the perioperative and midterm outcomes of this fenestrated endograft.

[An operative case of a chronic traumatic thoracic aortic aneurysm 16 years after a jet skiing crash; report of a case].

Injury of the thoracic aorta following a major blunt trauma to the chest occurs most frequently at the aortic isthmus and more than 80% of such patients die within 1st 30 minutes. However, less than 5% of patients survive and later develop chronic thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). Usually, most cases of chronic traumatic TAA have no symptoms for a long time after an accident.

Deletion of plant-specific sugar residues in plant N-glycans by repression of GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase and β-1,2-xylosyltransferase genes.

Production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins, such as therapeutic antibodies and cytokines, in plants has many advantages in safety and reduced costs. However, plant-made glycoproteins have N-glycans with plant-specific sugar residues (core β-1,2-xylose and α-1,3-fucose) and a Lewis a (Le(a)) epitope, Galβ(1-3)[Fucα(1-4)]GlcNAc. Because it is likely that these sugar residues and glycan structures are immunogenic, many attempts have been made to delete them.

A decade of outcomes and predictors of sac enlargement after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using zenith endografts in a Japanese population.

Purpose: To present 10-year outcomes and risk factors for sac enlargement after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) using the Zenith AAA Endovascular Graft (Cook, Inc, Bloomington, Indiana) in a Japanese population.

Material And Methods: During the period 1999-2011, 127 patients underwent elective EVAR using Zenith endografts at a single institution. A retrospective investigation looked at initial rates of technical success and complications, 10-year rate of freedom from all-cause and aneurysm-related mortality, freedom from secondary intervention and sac enlargement, and risk factors for second intervention and sac enlargement.

Technical tips and procedural steps in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair with concomitant recanalization of iliac artery occlusions.

Purpose: The goal of this paper is to describe our technical strategy and procedural steps for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) when performed with concomitant recanalization of the iliac artery occlusion.

Materials And Methods: Three octogenarians having abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)/common iliac artery aneurysms (CIAA) with unilateral external iliac artery (EIA) occlusion underwent EVAR with recanalization of the occluded iliac arteries. Crossing the iliac artery occlusions was attempted in a retrograde approach using a 0.

Catheter-based bailout techniques for an interrupted deployment of the excluder endograft due to broken deployment string.

In this report we describe catheter-based bailout techniques for when the distal end of the ipsilateral leg of an Excluder endograft has remained undeployed due to a broken deployment string. We attempted to advance a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon into an undeployed leg via the brachial artery, but were unable to do so. The delivery catheter was then pulled out through the undeployed leg while the main body was supported by a dilated touch-up balloon to prevent stent graft migration, which subsequently enabled insertion of the balloon via the ipsilateral femoral artery.

Booster responses by oral vaccination with transgenic plants against chicken leucocytozoonosis.

We developed a transgenic potato (TrP/R7) expressing the recombinant R7 (rR7) antigen for use as an oral vaccine to protect against a chicken protozoan disease, chicken leucocytozoonosis. The TrP/R7 potato was produced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and regeneration, and the R7 gene insertion into potato chromosomes was confirmed by genomic polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization. rR7 antigen expression in TrP/R7 potato was also confirmed by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting using an antibody against the second-generation schizont of Leucocytozoon caulleryi.

Assessment of intraoperative motor evoked potentials for predicting postoperative paraplegia in thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Purpose: Monitoring motor evoked potentials (MEPs) has been recognized as a highly reliable method to detect intraoperative spinal cord ischemia (SCI) in aortic repair. However, the data regarding the sensitivity and specificity of MEPs for predicting postoperative paraplegia are limited. We retrospectively assessed the value of intraoperative MEP amplitudes for predicting postoperative paraplegia.

Production of biologically active Atlantic salmon interferon in transgenic potato and rice plants.

Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines that induce an antiviral state in vertebrate cells. The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) IFN gene (SasaIFN-alpha1) was introduced in potato and rice plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to produce a biologically active fish IFN in these plants. The transgenes and their transcripts were detected by PCR and Northern blot analysis.

Risk-managed production of bioactive recombinant proteins using a novel plant virus vector with a helper plant to complement viral systemic movement.

A plant viral vector has the potential to efficiently produce recombinant proteins at a low cost in a short period. Although recombinant proteins can be also produced by transgenic plants, a plant viral vector, if available, may be more convenient when urgent scale-up in production is needed. However, it is difficult to use a viral vector in open fields because of the risk of escape to the environment.

Initial experience of branched endovascular graft for abdominal aortic aneurysm with complex anatomy of proximal neck: planning and technical considerations.

The purpose of this report was to demonstrate initial Japanese cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with complex anatomy of proximal neck treated using a Zenith fenestrated endograft with branched endovascular technique and to describe the device's design and technical considerations. Planning and sizing of endografts were performed using high-resolution computed tomography on a three-dimensional workstation. Branched endograft technique combined with reinforced fenestrated device and balloon-expandable stent graft was used in two patients because of challenging morphology for the fenestrated device with a bare stent.

[Current status and future of TEVAR for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm].

As a new option for treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm, thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) has become more popular recently in Japan, because TEVAR is less invasive and TAG and Tallent are approved as a commercially available device for descending thoracic aorta The results of TEVAR showed more favorable compared to open surgery. Incidence of paraplegia after TEVAR is lower than that of open surgery. However we performed spinal cord drainage to avoid paraplegia in patients with history of the aortic aneurysm repair or long segmental coverage with stent graft.

Accuracy of centerline of flow measurement for sizing of the Zenith AAA endovascular graft and predictive factor for risk of inadequate sizing.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of centerline of flow (CLF) measurement for precise sizing of the Zenith AAA endovascular graft (Zenith) and to identify predictive factors of risk of inadequate endograft sizing. We analyzed 42 consecutive patients treated using the Zenith with pre- and postoperative multidetector CT between 2001 and 2007. Endograft sizing was retrospectively performed using CLF on a three-dimensional workstation.

Impact of 3-dimensional-computed tomography workstation for precise planning of endovascular aneurysm repair.

Background: Compared with open surgery, imaging is considered to be important for planning and device selection of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). The present study evaluated the usefulness of a 3-dimensional (3D)-computed tomography (CT) workstation in planning EVAR.

Methods And Results: A prospective study was conducted in 8 patients who underwent EVAR using Zenith endograft between February and August 2007.

Midterm outcomes of endovascular repair with the zenith endovascular graft: does the ipsilateral limb level of the main body of the graft affect outcome?

Purpose: To clarify whether the ipsilateral limb level of the main body of the graft above or below the aortic bifurcation affects midterm outcomes of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) with the Zenith abdominal aortic aneurysm endovascular graft.

Materials And Methods: The authors analyzed 70 consecutive patients treated with the Zenith endograft between 1999 and 2006 with a retrospective review of prospectively collected clinical and imaging data. Patients were divided into two groups--those in whom the ipsilateral limb of the main body was placed above the aortic bifurcation (group A, n = 34) and those in whom the ipsilateral limb of the main body was placed below the aortic bifurcation (group B, n = 36).