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Roses are the most important crop in the floriculture industry and attract both pollinators and human admirers. Until now, a lot of research focusing on postharvest physiology including flower senescence has been conducted, leading to improvement in vase life. However, few studies have focused on the physiology of petal growth, the perception of light by petals, and the relationship between petal growth and environmental conditions. Regarding roses, whose ornamental value lies in the process of blooming from buds, it is also important to understand their flowering mechanisms and establish methods to control such mechanisms, as well as focus on slowing the aging process, in order to achieve high quality of postharvest cut roses. Elucidation of the mechanisms of rose flower opening would contribute to enhanced quality and commercial production of floricultural crops as well as greatly advance basic scientific knowledge regarding plant biology. In this review, we describe the progress and future prospects in the study of petal growth physiology of cut roses.

The role of mannitol differs from that of glucose, fructose and sucrose in sepal cell expansion associated with flower opening in Delphinium × belladonna. Sepals of Delphinium × belladonna are colored and much larger than the petals. To determine whether the role of mannitol in sepal growth associated with flower opening differs from those of ubiquitous metabolic sugars including glucose, fructose and sucrose, we investigated changes in cell number, subcellular concentrations of soluble carbohydrates, and osmotic potential in sepals during flower opening in Delphinium × belladonna cv. Bellamosum. The number of epidermal cells in the sepals did not increase from the stage when sepal pigmentation started, whereas the cell area increased during flower opening, indicating that petal growth during flower opening depends on cell expansion. Mannitol concentrations in the vacuole at three different stages were approximately 100 mM, which were much higher than the other carbohydrate concentrations, but they decreased slightly at open stage. In contrast, mannitol concentration in the cytoplasm was 56 mM at bud stage, but it increased to 104 mM at open stage. Glucose and fructose concentrations in the vacuole at open stage increased to 45 and 56 mM, respectively. Total osmotic potential in apoplast and symplast, which was partially due to soluble carbohydrates, was almost constant during flower opening. Therefore, mannitol may be acting constitutively as the main osmoticum in the vacuole where it may contribute to the maintenance of the osmotic balance between the cytoplasm and vacuole in open flowers. The role of mannitol differs from those of glucose, fructose, and sucrose in sepal cell expansion in Delphinium × belladonna.

Forged composites of raw particulate unsintered hydroxyapatite/poly-L-lactide (F-u-HA/PLLA) devices possess high mechanical strength, bioactivity, and radio-opacity. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of F-u-HA/PLLA screws in the treatment of lateral tibial condylar fractures. From January 2005 to December 2010, a total of 7 patients with displaced closed lateral tibial condylar fractures (Schatzker type II) were treated using F-u-HA/PLLA screws. Open reduction and internal fixation was performed using 2 or 3 F-u-HA/PLLA screws. After surgery, weight bearing was not allowed for 6 weeks. Range of motion exercise was initiated after removal of the plaster splint. Radiographs were evaluated for fracture healing, joint depression, and the radioopacity of F-u-HA/PLLA screws. Clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were also assessed. Average follow-up was 44 months. All fractures were successfully healed. Average values for joint depression were 4.7 mm (range, 2–9 mm) preoperatively, 0.4 mm (range, 0–1 mm) postoperatively, and 0.4 mm (range, 0–1 mm) at final follow-up. Whole shadows of F-u-HA/PLLA screws were observed during the follow-up period. Breakage of screws, osteolysis, and a radiolucent zone around the screws were not observed at final follow-up. Average knee flexion and extension were 134° (range, 110° to 150°) and −1° (range, −10° to 0°), respectively. No patient had wound infection, late aseptic tissue response, or foreign body reaction postoperatively. None of the patients reported pain at final follow-up. These results suggest that F-u-HA/PLLA screws could be an alternative option for the treatment of lateral tibial condylar fractures. [ Orthopedics . 2018; 41(3):e365–e368.]

To understand the role that the leaves play in the translocation of soluble carbohydrates in cut rose flowers, we first evaluated the effect of leaf removal on flower quality and the sugar content in petals. Cut rose flowers with leaves had higher soluble sugar content in petals compared with cut flower without leaves. Next, we treated cut flowers with radioactive glucose to clarify translocation routes of exogenously applied sugar. There was no significant difference between the specific radioactivity of sucrose and glucose in leaves, but specific radioactivity of sucrose in petals was much higher than that of glucose. These results suggested that most of the exogenously applied glucose first moved to the leaves, where it was converted into sucrose and then the synthesised sucrose was translocated to the petals. Our results showed that the leaves of cut rose flowers play an important role in the metabolism and transportation of exogenously applied soluble carbohydrates toward the petals, thus contributing to sustaining the post-harvest quality.

Petal growth associated with flower opening depends on cell expansion caused by water influx. To understand the mechanism of flower opening and to develop a method for improving cut flower quality, we investigated the changes in the amount of soluble carbohydrates and invertase activities in rose (Rosa ‘Meivildo’) petals using attached and cut flowers, and the effects of α-napthylacetic acid (NAA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on cut flowers. Cut rose flowers were harvested at the tight bud stage (TB), or mature bud stage (MB), which is the commercial harvest stage, and 2 days after TB. Cut flowers were immediately treated with deionized water or 1% (w/v) glucose. Fresh weight (FW) and the levels of soluble carbohydrates in petals in cut flowers were lower under postharvest conditions than those of attached flowers during flower opening. Although invertase activities in petals of attached flowers increased drastically during TB and MB, those in the petals harvested at TB did not increase under postharvest conditions. These results suggested that sucrose metabolism, including invertase activity, could be an important factor in cut rose flower opening to a greater extent after harvest. In addition, we tried to control flower opening by affecting invertase activities in petals of cut rose flowers. Cut flowers treated with NAA opened faster and those treated with MeJA opened later than in controls. Levels of soluble carbohydrates and invertase activity in petals were also changed by these treatments. In flowers treated with NAA, activities of both vacuolar and cell wall invertases increased 1 day after treatment and then decreased through to the end of the treatment, although activities in control flowers never increased after harvested. By contrast, cell wall invertase activity in MeJA treated flowers increased 1 day later than with the NAA treatment and remained at a relatively high level until 4 days after treatment compared to the controls. Our results suggest that inducing invertase activity in postharvest conditions may important for the quality of cut roses.

The present study describes a case of leg lymphedema due to iliopectineal bursitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which was satisfactorily controlled by surgery and combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and tacrolimus. A 68-year-old male, who had a six-year history of RA, developed an iliopectineal bursa associated with destruction of the hip joint. The mass gradually increased in size, and there was swelling in his right lower extremity. The patient was subsequently hospitalized with increasing right hip pain and leg edema. A colorless transparent lymph fluid leaked from his leg, and leg lymphedema was thus diagnosed. The patient also had a 20-year history of myelodysplastic syndrome. Therefore, the extensive or total resection of the bursa was considered to be too invasive, so a partial bursal excision was performed via an anterior approach. Following the partial bursal excision, total hip arthroplasty (THA) was performed using the Hardinge approach. The leg lymphedema disappeared following the surgery, and the iliopectineal bursa was no longer enlarged. MTX and tacrolimus were postoperatively administered to strictly control the RA. The RA was subsequently well controlled, without any increases in the levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and matrix metalloproteinase-3. This case demonstrated that iliopectineal bursitis was resolved following THA, without complete excision of the intrapelvic bursa, and that strict RA control led to a good clinical course without recurrent inflammation of the bursa. Similar procedures may be beneficial in other patients contraindicated for resection of the entire bursa.

Establishing the technique for controlling the rate of cut flower opening is important to maintain appropriate cut flower supplies to meet consumer demand. Cut flowers of Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn. were held in a vase solution containing (±)-abscisic acid (ABA), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), gibberellic acid-3 (GA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 100 μM. MeJA accelerated flower opening. Only the timing of flowering was earlier, and there was no change in maximum flower diameter at the fully open stage. Expansin and xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase (XTH), regarded as cell wall loosing proteins, participate in petal growth from bud stage to the fully open stage in Eustoma. MeJA also accelerated the expression of EgEXPA2, EgEXPA3 and EgXTH1 mRNA and the accumulation of expansin and XTH protein in petals. Meanwhile, the acceleration of both flower opening and expression of these genes was not observed by ABA, BA or GA treatment. It was proposed that early flower opening by JA treatment resulted from petal cell wall loosening by accelerated expression of expansin and XTH.

The purpose of this report is to present our surgical technique using forged composites of unsintered hydroxyapatite particles/poly-L-lactide (F-u-HA/PLLA) pins for pediatric displaced fractures of the lateral condyle of the humerus, to retrospectively evaluate clinical outcomes, and to verify the advantages of this device by using postoperative radiographs.Retrospective (level IV) case series.Academic medical center.From October 2004 to September 2006, 8 pediatric displaced closed fractures of the lateral condyle of the humerus (AO/OTA 13-B1) were treated.Lateral condyle fractures were fixed using 2 threaded pins. All the patients were placed in a long arm cast for 4 weeks after surgery.Radiographic and clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were evaluated.The average follow-up period was 52.5 months. All fractures were successfully united. All shadows of pins were observed, and there were no radiolucent zones around the pins at the final radiographic follow-up. No patients experienced pain or cosmetic deformity at the most recent follow-up. Loss of reduction, malunion, deep infection, implant failure, osteolysis, skin ulcer, and foreign body reaction were not observed postoperatively. No patient required secondary operation.Radioopacity of F-u-HA/PLLA devices is a major advantage of this device. No radiolucent zones were present around the pins, no osteolysis was observed on postoperative radiographs, and there were no postoperative complications. Reoperation for removal was unnecessary. Open reduction, internal fixation using F-u-HA/PLLA pins offers several advantages in treating pediatric displaced fractures of the lateral condyle of the humerus.Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Background Since 2006, the authors have been using minimally invasive osteosynthesis with an intramedullary nail (MICRONAIL; Wright Medical Technologies, Arlington, TN) for treating osteoporotic distal radius fractures. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome of patients treated with this method.

Flower opening involving petal growth from bud to full bloom should be enjoyed by consumers. If the speed of petal growth could be controlled and petals made to open fully, cut roses might be enjoyed for longer. Petal growth is mainly due to the expansion of petal cells. However, it has been proposed that when the cell wall remains rigid, cell expansion does not occur. Expansin and xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase (XTH) are known as representative proteins that loosen cell wall in plant. In our study, we are trying to clarify how these proteins involve in petal growth of rose and contribute to improvement of rose vase life. First, petal cell wall extensibility was analyzed. Proteins extracted from cell wall fraction of the petals were suggested to have a positive effect on petal cell wall extensibility. We have isolated three expansin cDNAs and four XTH cDNAs from rose petal and analyzed their mRNA expression using primers that recognize all of their paralogs during petal growth. The results showed that mRNA transcripts level exclusively correlated to petal growth. Further, to clarify the functions of expansin and XTH in more detail, we are now analyzing the phenotype of the petal using a model plant, eustoma, which expansin and XTH were knocked down by RNAi technique.

We have used a red-fleshed apple cultivar, Malus ×domestica Pink Pearl, and its progeny, ‘JPP 35’, as paternal parents for producing new red-fleshed cultivars suitable for fresh use or processing such as pie fillings, dried apple, apple juice, or cider. In this process, we found that the S3-RNase allele of ‘Pink Pearl’ was linked to its red flesh trait. It was suggested that this trait might be controlled by a new gene apart from the MYB10 (MdMYB10) gene. Using ‘JPP 35’ (S-RNase allele genotype; S3S7) produced by ‘Jonathan’ (S7S9) × ‘Pink Pearl’ (S3Sx) as a paternal parent, we developed a system for producing red-fleshed progenies suitable for fresh use. That is, 96% and 86% of progenies from ‘Shinano Sweet’ (S1S7) × ‘JPP35’ (S3S7) and ‘Orin’ (S2S7) × ‘JPP35’ (S3S7) containing the S3-RNase allele, respectively, showed the red flesh trait. Similarly, red-fleshed progenies suitable for apple pie or natural red juice could be produced by ‘Jonathan’ (S7S9) × ‘JPP35’ (S3S7).

As flower opening involves the expansion of petal cells, the mechanisms of expansion growth were investigated in Rosa hybrida L. ‘FEbesa’ (syn. ‘Pretty Woman’) petals. Petal cell-wall extensibility was analyzed by creep extension analysis. Walls of the petal cells became loose at developing stage IV of completely separated sepals on an opening flower. Furthermore, cell-wall proteins extracted from rose petals at stage IV were suggested to have a positive effect on cell-wall loosening of stage III petals. Expansin and xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase (XTH) proteins, which are located on apoplasts, are probably involved in cell-wall loosening in plants. Transcripts of these cell-wall proteins were extracted from rose petals with a view to elucidating their potential role in rose flower opening. Expansin and XTH transcript levels changed markedly during petal development. In particular, transcript levels of RhEXPA1 and RhXTH1 increased markedly during petal growth and were relevant to the typical growth in different part of the petals. Based on the present findings, we suggest that RhEXPA1 and RhXTH1 are the major paralogs involved in expansion growth of rose petals.

Constant rooting by cuttings to raise seedlings at high temperatures during summer in a forced elevated bench culture system of strawberry is important. Abscisic acid (ABA) applied to crown tissue of cuttings of strawberry runner plants at higher temperature (30°C) without low temperature treatment (storage for 2 days at 5°C) stimulated rooting to the same level as at low temperature; however, naphtaleneacetic acid, gibberellic acid, and benzyl adenine did not stimulate rooting well. Sucrose synthase (SuSy) activity increased 1 day after starting ABA treatment at 30°C and 2 days after 5°C exposure. SuSy activity treated with ABA at 30°C was always higher than that without ABA at 30°C. Soluble acid invertase activity at 5°C increased at 1 day compared with that at 30°C, and the activity when treated with ABA at 30°C did not change compared with that without ABA at 30°C. Bound acid invertase activity showed no marked differences among crown tissues treated at 5°C, 30°C, and with ABA at 30°C. The content of ABA in crown tissue of cuttings at 5°C was compared with that at 30°C, but they showed only a slight difference. At high temperature, cuttings of strawberry runner plants produced roots by ABA without low temperature treatment.

There have been few reports on the morphology of flower opening, despite its horticultural significance. It is not clear when cell division stops during rose petal development or what changes occur in cell morphology. This study aims to clarify the details of cell morphological changes during rose petal development. Rose (Rosa hybrida L. ‘Sonia’) petals were sampled in six flower bud stages. Cell morphological changes were observed by light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy using cross sections of the petals, and the number of epidermal cells was measured using Nomarski differential interference contrast microscopy. The number of epidermal cells increased with flower opening, but the rate of increase in the number of abaxial epidermal cells slowed down at an earlier stage than in adaxial epidermal cells. The increase in the epidermal cell area was much more rapid in later stages compared with the increase in cell number, suggesting that petal growth in later stages is mainly due to cell expansion. During flower opening, the unique expansion of spongy parenchyma cells produced large air spaces. Epidermal cells of the upper part showed obvious lateral expansion. In particular, marked expansion of adaxial epidermal cells with enlargement of the central vacuole was observed. Differences in the patterns of cell expansion among cell types and locations would contribute to the reflex of petals during rose flower opening.

The effect of exposing runner plants cut from strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ‘Tochiotome’) to low temperature to stimulate rooting was examined for its usefulness as a practical strategy for raising seedlings from cuttings taken from runner plants dropping in the air to force elevated bed strawberry culture during the summer. The rooting of cuttings cultured at various temperatures for 7 days was good at 15°C to 25°C but was reduced at 5°C and 30°C; however, cuttings excised from ten different cultivars showed varying responses for the most suitable temperature for rooting. The rooting of cuttings from ‘Tochiotome’ cultured at 30°C for 5 days after pretreatment at 5°C for 2 days was almost the same as for cuttings cultured at a constant 15°C for 7 days, but rooting of cuttings cultured at 30°C for 7 days was retarded. Interestingly, rooting was observed by storing only the crown at 5°C for 2 days even if both foliage and shoot tip were detached. Rooting was better in dark conditions than with 16-h day length, and was best for the subsequent development stage of runner plants with 2.5 leaves attached. Our results showed that rooting occurred during summer by culturing cut runner plants with 2.5 leaves at 30°C for 5 days after pretreatment at 5°C in the refrigerator for 2 days in the dark.

SummaryThe sorbitol metabolic pathway in strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch. var. ‘Nyoho’) is unclear, despite strawberry belonging to the family Rosaceae. Therefore, the presence or absence of genes for NAD+-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (NAD-SDH) and sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (S6PDH) in strawberry, and their levels of expression related to growth were investigated. A full-length cDNA encoding the NAD-SDH gene in strawberry (FaSDH) was obtained using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length clone consisted of 1,399 bp and contained a 1,083 bp open reading frame encoding 361 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 38.8 kDa, and a predicted isoelectric point (pI) of 6.08. This nucleotide sequence showed 79 – 85% similarity with the NAD-SDH genes of other plants. Its amino acid sequence contained both zinc- and NAD-binding sites, confirming that this sequence belonged to the NAD-SDH gene family. Southern blotting suggested that the genomic copy number of FaSDH was less th...

To clarify the mechanism of flower opening, we investigated sucrose metabolism in rose petals using attached and detached flowers. The petal fresh weight of sucrose-treated detached flowers was lower than for attached flowers, and hexose levels of these detached-flower petals were also lower. Invertase activities in attached flowers increased markedly during petal growth, but these activities in detached flowers decreased, even when detached flowers were treated with sucrose. These different invertase activities might be the cause of the different growth between attached flowers and sucrose-treated detached flowers. Our results suggest that inducing invertase activity in postharvest conditions might be important for the quality of some rose cultivars.

Many efforts have been made to engineer stress tolerance by accumulating polyols. Transformants that accumulate polyols often show growth inhibition, because polyols are synthesized as a dead-end product in plants that do not naturally accumulate polyols. Here, we show a novel strategy in which a sorbitol cycle was engineered by introducing apple cDNA encoding NAD-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) in addition to sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (S6PDH). Tobacco plants transformed only with S6PDH showed growth inhibition, and very few transformants were obtained. In contrast, many transgenic plants with both S6PDH and SDH were easily obtained, and their growth was normal despite their accumulation of sorbitol. Interestingly, the engineered sorbitol cycle enhanced the accumulation of sucrose instead of fructose that was expected to be increased. Sucrose, rather than fructose, was also increased in the immature fruit of tomato plants transformed with an antisense fructokinase gene in which the phosphorylation of fructose was inhibited. A common phenomenon was observed in the metabolic engineering of two different pathways, showing the presence of homeostatic regulation of fructose levels.

Si–Ti–C–O (Tyrano) fibers, with their advantages of light weight and high strength, are increasingly being applied as structural materials in the fields of aerospace and mover engineering. A twisting has been a serious problem on standard tensile test to evaluate the elasticity, fracture stress and strain of the fibers. Thus, stress–strain curves have been obtained by using developed a novel twisting relaxation tensile tester with the constant strain rate. The twisting relaxation apparently enhances the fracture stress and clearly increases the fracture strain of Si–Ti–C–O (Tyrano) fibers at every fracture probability. Although the twisting relaxation decreases the gradient of stress–strain curve, the elongation induced by relaxation mainly enlarges the fracture stress. Our results and discussion show that the twisting relaxation enhances the reliability against fracture for Si–Ti–C–O (Tyrano) fibers.

To clarify the roles of the five sorbitol- and sucrose-related enzymes important to the development of ‘La France’ pear fruit, we traced the fluctuations in the activities and mRNA levels of these enzymes. Such an approach of simultaneously assaying five sugar-metabolizing enzymes is a first in pear fruit and the Rosaceae family. Both the activity and the mRNA level of NAD+-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (NAD-SDH) were high in young fruit, but decreased during fruit enlargement and rose again with fruit maturation. Sucrose synthase (SS) showed nearly the same fluctuation pattern as did NAD-SDH. The changes in both NAD-SDH and SS activities, based on fresh weight, were proportional to that of the relative growth rate (RGR) of the fruit. This suggests that they function closely in supplying hexose from the unloaded sugars in the phloem for active growth. Two isogenes of soluble acid invertase (S-AIV), S-AIV1 and S-AIV2, were present in pear fruit; the former was expressed highly in young fruit, whereas the latter was expressed both in young and mature fruits. The fluctuation pattern of the activity for sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (S6PDH) was similar to that of NAD-SDH. However, the role of S6PDH in fruit is unclear. Although sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity was higher in young fruit, it decreased and remained low with fruit maturation. This may be attributed to the finding that ‘La France’ pear fruit accumulates hexose but not sucrose. These results showed that NAD-SDH, SS, and S-AIV are of prime importance in supplying sugars for the development and accumulation of hexose necessary for pear fruit enlargement.

SUMMARYA cDNA library was constructed from mRNA extracted from plumules including shoot apical meristems, 24 h after a 16 h dark treatment, to clone genes preferentially expressed during flower evo...

SummaryPost-harvest characteristics of Rosa hybrida L. cv. ‘Delilah’, a long-lived cultivar, were compared with those of cv. ‘Sonia’, a short-lived cultivar. The vase-life of ‘Delilah’ was 10.6 d whereas that of ‘Sonia’ was 5.6 d. Petals of ‘Sonia’ flowers kept in water did not reflect fully and showed blueing. However, treatment with sucrose plus 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate (HQS) markedly promoted petal reflection and inhibited blueing. In contrast, ‘Delilah’ flowers kept in water reflected fully and did not show blueing. In both cultivars, hydraulic conductance of stem segments in the control treatment decreased rapidly after harvest. Treatment with HQS suppressed this decrease. Concentrations of glucose, fructose and sucrose in petals of ‘Delilah’ were much higher throughout the experimental period than those of ‘Sonia’. There was no difference between ‘Sonia’ and ‘Delilah’ in soluble carbohydrate concentrations in stems and leaves. Starch concentration in petals of ‘Sonia’ was higher than in ‘Delilah’...

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. NAD-SDH antibody, NAD-SDH cDNA, Pyrus serotina, sugar accumulation ABSTRACT. The regulation of NAD + -dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (NAD-SDH, EC 1.1.1.14) by sugar was inves- tigated by using sliced tissues of japanese pear (Pyrus serotina Nakai cv. Kousui) fruit in order to determine its role in the mechanism of sugar accumulation in fruit tissue. The results of the activities and steady-state levels of the protein and mRNA indicate that NAD-SDH in japanese pear fruit is among the sugar-inducible genes. By preincubating the sliced tissues for 16 hours in a medium without sugar, NAD-SDH activity declined and reached a stable level that was maintained for up to 40 hours. The washing procedure also reduced the sugar concentration in the apoplast and cytosol of the sliced tissues to low concentrations and enabled them to be manipulated by exogenous applications of carbohydrate solutions. Incubation of tissues in 50 or 100 mM sorbitol for 8 hours led to enhanced expression of the NAD-SDH gene as determined by increased mRNA and protein levels and enhanced enzyme activity. The presence of 100 mM glucose, sucrose, or mannitol also gave signifi cant stimulation on the levels of activity, protein, and mRNA of NAD-SDH compared with those of control tissues bathed in media in which the osmotic potential had been adjusted to that of the sugar solutions by adding polyethylene glycol. However, fructose was ineffective in stimulating NAD-SDH activities and the level of the protein was not enhanced but the level of mRNA was increased. Therefore, it is suggested that NAD-SDH gene transcription is enhanced by each sugar investigated, and fructose appears to be unique as it also infl uences NAD-SDH at a post-transcriptional level.

To clarify the role of sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (S6PDH) in sugar accumulation in apple ( Malus domestica Borkh. cv. ‘Orin’), transgenic apple plants expressing a S6PDH cDNA under the control of a CaMV 35S promoter were obtained and studied. The sorbitol content in leaves changed markedly in several transformed lines. In five transgenic lines, the levels of mRNA, protein and activity of S6PDH decreased markedly, but in three transgenic lines they increased. The five lines that had less activity contained only a small levels of sorbitol, but showed six- to seven-fold increase in sucrose compared with the non-transgenic control. However, two lines with increased S6PDH activity had increased sorbitol and sucrose. In contrast, a third line having the highest S6PDH activity did not increase the sorbitol content. This study showed that S6PDH is a key enzyme regulating partitioning between sorbitol and sucrose in apple leaves.

To determine the collision fatigue limit for piezoelectric ceramics, an electrical nondestructive method was suggested. The materials show large changes in electrical potential induced by pressure on the collision. Measurements on this type of material found a relationship between the maximum value of electrical potential (V m ) and supplied collision energy (E c s) below the collision fatigue limit. It was expressed by the following simple equation. V m = 9.5(E c s) 0 . 5 Applying the critical differential electrical potential (Vc = 4 V), we confirmed that the collision fatigue limit was nondestructively determined for PZT materials.

Effects of electron beam (EB) irradiation on bending stress-strain curve were studied for soda glass. The stress-strain curves were measured by standard bending test. EB irradiation enhanced bending fracture stress and rigidity and then also enhanced the crack length of homogeneously fractured sample. The enhancements were mainly explained by the enlargement of bonding energy for silicon-oxygen atomic pair in atomic network structure of soda glass. The enlargement was probably induced by relaxation of the network structure, when EB irradiation generated the dangling bonds at the weaker bonded metal-oxygen atomic pairs in the network structure.

To clarify to what extent vascular occlusion or shortage of soluble carbohydrate shortens vase life of cut 'Sonia' roses (Rosa hybrida L.), cut flowers were continuously treated with 200 mg·liter-1 8-hydroxyquinoline sulphate (HQS group), 20 g·liter-1 sucrose (Sue group) or 20 g·liter-1 sucrose plus 200 mg·liter-1 HQS (Sue + HQS group), whereas control flowers were kept in water. All cut flowers were kept at 23°C, 70% RH and 12 hr photoperiod, with 10 μmol·m-2·s-1 irradiance. Although all treatments extended the vase life, sucrose was more effective than HQS. Treatment with sucrose promoted unfolding of petals, suppressed the decrease in fresh weight of cut flowers, and inhibited the occurrence of blueing more than did HQS. Water conductivity of stem segments in the control and Sue groups decreased rapidly after harvest, but that in the HQS and Sue + HQS groups was maintained near the initial level for seven days. The number of bacteria in the stem segments increased in the control and Sue groups, but this increase was suppressed by HQS. Glucose, fructose and sucrose concentrations in petals in the Sue and Sue + HQS groups were much higher than those in the control or HQS groups. These results show that decrease in the soluble carbohydrate concentration in petals was more important than vascular occlusion in determining the vase life of cut 'Sonia' roses under our experimental conditions.

The Statak is a suture anchor device used for attaching soft tissue to bone. This is a report on six knees in which this device was used to repair partial avulsion of the patellar ligament during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The six patients were all women. The average age of the patients was 69 years. The diagnosis was osteoarthritis in three patients, rheumatoid arthritis in two, and steroid arthropathy in one. Three of the operations were revision arthroplasties. In all six cases, approximately half of the patellar ligaments were accidentally detached from the tibial tubercles during surgery, and were repaired using the Statak devices. The average length of follow-up was 3 years. The Knee Society knee score improved from an average of 15 points preoperatively to 87 points at the latest follow-up. The average total range of motion measured 104° before surgery and 108° at the latest follow-up. Three of the six knees operated on had no extensor lag. The suture anchor simplifies the secure fixation of the ligament to bone. The procedure can be performed easily and quickly. In our opinion, the Statak device has proven itself to be effective for the repair of partial patellar ligament avulsion during TKA.

We have been researching and developing an image space that based mainly on a photo-realistic texture, that can be shared by people in different locations and that can lend a real sense of being present. This paper proposes a technique for creating a setting representation of a natural panorama. The setting representation is a compact pseudo 3D expression using approximate representation on planes, which enables virtual views to be generated. The scene is captured using an original three-camera system. The images are stitched into stereo panoramas and the depth is estimated. The (texture) panorama is segmented into regions, each of which can be regarded approximately as a plane. The set of plane parameter for each region is estimated depending on the depth data (setting representation). Based on the setting representation the virtual views are calculated using the center panorama, and the left and right panoramas are used for occlusion compensation.

A prospective study was conducted to determine the optimal clamping time in the drain-clamping method after total knee arthroplasty. In a randomized trial, 44 primary total knee arthroplasties were studied after the drain-clamping method using diluted epinephrine solution was applied for 1 hour or 24 hours. The mean blood loss into the drains was less in the 24-hour group compared with the 1-hour group (35 mL in the 24-hour group and 247 mL in the 1-hour group). No statistically significant difference was found in hemoglobin or hematocrit levels between the 2 groups after surgery. Only 1 patient (4.5%) in the 1-hour group and 2 patients (9.1%) in the 24-hour group received blood transfusion. There were significantly more complications in the 24-hour group (P

A method for high-quality stereo panorama mosaicing is presented. A scene is captured with an original three-camera system as stereo moving-picture sequences. The images are stitched together after improving their texture. The multi-purpose three-camera system features accurate frame synchronization between three channels and can be used outdoors through battery operation. For registration of the panorama stitching, under a newly investigated distortion-free condition, affine parameters are estimated through the overlapped areas using the steepest descent algorithm. The texture improvement has two steps : vertical resolution recovery by field integration and image enhancement by two dimensional quadratic Volterra filtering that satisfies Weber-Fechner's law. The presented method enables high-quality stereo mosaicing with accurate mutual disparities between channels and without visible distortion of textures.

In 1995, Eckhoff and colleagues demonstrated a new method for assessing relative rotational alignment of the femoral and tibial components in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We studied the usefulness of a modified Eckhoff method. Five knee prostheses (Natural Knee, Deltafit, and three different sizes of Press-Fit Condylar) were used in an in-vitro study. A series of lateral radiographs were taken with the femoral component rotated in 1 degrees increments from 15 degrees internal rotation to 15 degrees external rotation. The rotation of the implant was calculated based on the geometric relationship of pegs that were present symmetrically on the medial and lateral sides of the femoral components in all prostheses. In a study of the clinical applications, two independent observers measured the relative rotation of 18 knees in 16 patients after TKA, using this method. In the in-vitro study, the measurement error of rotation averaged 0.27 degrees, and the maximum error was 0.96 degrees. Clinically, the mean difference between the measurements of the two observers in each knee was 0.64 degrees; there was a high correlation between the values measured by the two observers (r = 0.89; P0.0001). This is a useful method for determining the relative rotation in TKA accurately and reproducibly.

The aim of this study is to clarify the roles of NAD+-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (NAD-SDH) and NADP+-dependent sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (S6PDH) in fruit development, and the regulatory mechanism (s) underlying their expression during development using loquat as the study material. The cDNA of NAD-SDH, cloned from loquat fruit, consisted of 1, 572 bp and contained an open reading frame of 1, 023 bp capable of encoding a protein of 371 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence has 97.8% identity to that of an apple fruit. The activity of NAD-SDH is a function of fruit development, i.e. the increase in protein of this enzyme synchronized consistently with that of activity showing no posttranslational modification throughout the developmental stages. Furthermore, NAD-SDH activity correlated with the mRNA levels, indicating that the key regulatory step of the activity is at the transcriptional level. The increase in NAD-SDH with fruit development plays a dominantly important role during fruit maturation and sugar accumulation. The trend of S6PDH activity during fruit development paralleled that of NAD-SDH activity. It correlated with protein and mRNA levels revealing that the regulation of the activity is mainly at the transcriptional level like NAD-SDH. However, the role of S6PDH in fruit is not yet clear.