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Heating of charged particles via collisionless shocks, while ubiquitous in the universe, is an intriguing yet puzzling plasma phenomenon. One outstanding question is how electrons and ions approach an equilibrium after they were heated to different immediate-postshock temperatures. In order to fill the significant lack of observational information of the downstream temperature-relaxation process, we observe a thermal-dominant X-ray filament in the northwest of SN 1006 with Chandra. We divide this region into four layers with a thickness of |$15^{\prime \prime }$| or |$0.16\:$| pc each, and fit each spectrum by a non-equilibrium ionization collisional plasma model. The electron temperature was found to increase toward downstream from 0.52–0.62 to 0.82– |$0.95\:$| keV on a length scale of |$60^{\prime \prime }$| (or |$0.64\:$| pc). This electron temperature is lower than thermal relaxation processes via Coulomb scattering, requiring some other effects such as plasma mixture due to turbulence and/or projection effects, etc. which we hope will be resolved with future X-ray calorimeter missions such as XRISM and Athena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Adrenal crisis (AC) is a life-threatening complication that occurs during follow-up of patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI). No prospective study has thoroughly investigated AC in children with primary and secondary AI. Objective This work aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for AC in patients with pediatric-onset AI. Methods This multicenter, prospective cohort study conducted in Japan enrolled patients diagnosed with AI at age ≤15 years. The incidence of AC was calculated as events per person-year (PY), and risk factors for AC were assessed using Poisson regression multivariable analysis. Results The study population comprised 349 patients (164 male, 185 female) with a total follow-up of 961 PY. The median age at enrollment was 14.3 years (interquartile range [IQR] 8.5-21.2 years), and the median follow-up was 2.8 years (IQR 2.2-3.3 years). Of these patients, 213 (61%) had primary AI and 136 (39%) had secondary AI. Forty-one AC events occurred in 31 patients during the study period. The calculated incidence of AC was 4.27 per 100 PY (95% CI, 3.15-5.75). Poisson regression analysis identified younger age at enrollment (relative risk [RR] 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.97) and increased number of infections (RR 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07-1.27) as significant risk factors. Female sex (RR 0.99; 95% CI, 0.53-1.86), primary AI (RR 0.65; 95% CI, 0.30-1.41), or equivalent dosage of hydrocortisone per square meter of body area (RR 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96-1.08) was not a significant risk factor. Conclusion A substantial proportion of patients with pediatric-onset AI experience AC. Younger age and an increased number of infections are independent risk factors for developing AC in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To comprehensively evaluate diagnostic algorithms for myocardial infarction using a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay. Patients and methods We prospectively enrolled patients with suspected myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation from nine emergency departments in Japan. The diagnostic algorithms evaluated: (i) based on hs-cTnI alone, such as the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1-h or 0/2-h and High-STEACS pathways; or (ii) used medical history and physical findings, such as the ADAPT, EDACS, HEART, and GRACE pathways. We evaluated the negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity as safety measures, and proportion of patients classified as low or high-risk as an efficiency measure for a primary outcome of type 1 myocardial infarction or cardiac death within 30 days. Results We included 437 patients, and the hs-cTnI was collected at 0 and 1 hours in 407 patients and at 0 and 2 hours in 394. The primary outcome occurred in 8.1% (33/407) and 6.9% (27/394) of patients, respectively. All the algorithms classified low-risk patients without missing those with the primary outcome, except for the GRACE pathway. The hs-cTnI-based algorithms classified more patients as low-risk: the ESC 0/1-h 45.7%; the ESC 0/2-h 50.5%; the High-STEACS pathway 68.5%, than those using history and physical findings (15–30%). The High-STEACS pathway ruled out more patients (20.5%) by hs-cTnI measurement at 0 hours than the ESC 0/1-h and 0/2-h algorithms (7.4%). Conclusions The hs-cTnI algorithms, especially the High-STEACS pathway, had excellent safety performance for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction and offered the greatest improvement in efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strigolactones (SLs) are root-secreted small molecules that influence organisms living in the rhizosphere. While SLs are known as germination stimulants for root parasitic plants and as hyphal branching factors for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, recent studies have also identified them as chemoattractants for parasitic plants, sensors of neighboring plants and key players in shaping the microbiome community. Furthermore, the discovery of structurally diverged SLs, including so-called canonical and non-canonical SLs in various plant species, raises the question of whether the same SLs are responsible for their diverse functions 'in planta' and the rhizosphere or whether different molecules play different roles. Emerging evidence supports the latter, with each SL exhibiting different activities as rhizosphere signals and plant hormones. The evolution of D14/KAI2 receptors has enabled the perception of various SLs or SL-like compounds to control downstream signaling, highlighting the complex interplay between plants and their rhizosphere environment. This review summarizes the recent advances in our understanding of the diverse functions of SLs in the rhizosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The concept of locomotive syndrome was proposed to highlight older adults who require nursing care services due to the malfunctioning of their locomotive organs. With the coming of a super-ageing society, there is a growing need to understand the relation between systemic chronic diseases and locomotive syndrome. Methods: We analysed the second-visit dataset of the Nagahama Study. The association analysis was performed to identify the chronic diseases that were risk factors associated with the occurrence and the progression of locomotive syndrome in both the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Results: Hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic renal failure, osteoporosis, anaemia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease were independently correlated with locomotive syndrome through the deterioration of body pain, social activity, and cognitive function in the cross-sectional study. Multiple chronic diseases had additive effects and significantly increased the risk of locomotive syndrome. In the longitudinal study, osteoporosis and kidney disease were significantly correlated with the worsening of the total GLFS-25 score. Conclusions: Locomotive syndrome coexisted with various systemic chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases. Osteoporosis and kidney disease were significantly correlated with the progression of locomotive dysfunction. The management of various chronic diseases may be useful to prevent locomotive syndrome and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This phase 2b part of a randomized phase 2/3 study assessed the efficacy and safety of ensitrelvir for mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the Omicron epidemic. Methods Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to orally receive ensitrelvir fumaric acid 125 mg (375 mg on day 1) or 250 mg (750 mg on day 1) or placebo once daily for 5 days. The co-primary endpoints were the change from baseline in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) titer on day 4 and time-weighted average change from baseline up to 120 hours in the total score of predefined 12 COVID-19 symptoms. Safety was assessed through adverse events. Results A total of 341 patients (ensitrelvir 125-mg group: 114; ensitrelvir 250-mg group: 116; and placebo group: 111; male: 53.5–64.9%; mean age: 35.3–37.3 years) were included in the efficacy analyses. The change from baseline in SARS-CoV-2 titer on day 4 was significantly greater with both ensitrelvir doses than with placebo (differences from placebo: −0.41 log10 50% tissue-culture infectious dose/mL; P <.0001 for both). The total score of the 12 COVID-19 symptoms did not show a significant difference between the ensitrelvir groups and placebo group. The time-weighted average change from baseline up to 120 hours was significantly greater with ensitrelvir versus placebo in several subtotal scores, including acute symptoms and respiratory symptoms. Most adverse events were mild in severity. Conclusions Ensitrelvir treatment demonstrated a favorable antiviral efficacy and potential clinical benefit with an acceptable safety profile. Clinical Trials Registration Japan Registry of Clinical Trials: jRCT2031210350 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCT2031210350) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an agroecosystem, plants and microbes coexist and interact with environmental factors such as climate, soil, and pests. However, agricultural practices that depend on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and frequent tillage often disrupt the beneficial interactions in the agroecosystem. To reconcile the improvement of crop performance and reduction in environmental impacts in agriculture, we need to understand the functions of the complex interactions and develop an agricultural system that can maximize the potential benefits of the agroecosystem. Therefore, we are developing a system called the agroecosystem engineering system, which aims to optimize the interactions between crops, microbes, and environmental factors, using multi-omics analysis. This review first summarizes the progress and examples of omics approaches, including multi-omics analysis, to reveal complex interactions in the agroecosystem. The latter half of this review discusses the prospects of data analysis approaches in the agroecosystem engineering system, including causal network analysis and predictive modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in bottom-up synthetic biology have made it possible to reconstitute cellular systems from non-living components, yielding artificial cells with potential applications in industry, medicine and basic research. Although a variety of cellular functions and components have been reconstituted in previous studies, sustained biological energy production remains a challenge. ATP synthesis via ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), a central enzyme in biological CO2 fixation, holds potential as an energy production system, but its feasibility in a cell-free expression system has not yet been tested. In this study, we test RuBisCO expression and its activity-mediated ATP synthesis in a reconstituted Escherichia coli -based cell-free translation system. We then construct a system in which ATP is synthesized by RuBisCO activity in giant vesicles and used as energy for translation reactions. These results represent an advance toward independent energy production in artificial cells. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although clozapine is effective for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), the rate of clozapine prescription is still low. Whereas antipsychotic monotherapy is recommended in clinical practice guidelines, the rate of antipsychotic polypharmacy is still high. There is little evidence on whether a clozapine prescription influences changes in the rate of monotherapy and polypharmacy, including antipsychotics and other psychotropics. We therefore hypothesized that the rate of antipsychotic monotherapy in patients with TRS who were prescribed clozapine would be higher than that in patients with schizophrenia who were not prescribed clozapine. Methods We assessed 8306 patients with schizophrenia nationwide from 178 institutions in Japan from 2016 to 2019. We analyzed the psychotropic prescription data at discharge in patients diagnosed with TRS and with no description of TRS (ND-TRS) based on the diagnosis listed in the discharge summary. Results The rate of antipsychotic monotherapy in the TRS with clozapine group (91.3%) was significantly higher than that in the TRS without clozapine group (45.9%; P  < 2.0 × 10−16) and the ND-TRS without clozapine group (54.7%; P  < 2.0 × 10−16). The rate of antipsychotic monotherapy without any other concomitant psychotropics in the TRS with clozapine group (26.5%) was significantly higher than that in the TRS without clozapine group (12.6%; P  = 1.1 × 10−6) and the ND-TRS without clozapine group (17.0%; P  = 5.9 × 10−6). Conclusions Clozapine prescription could be associated with a high rate of antipsychotic monotherapy. Patients will benefit from the correct diagnosis of TRS and thus from proper clozapine prescription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate the association between joint line tenderness (JLT) of the knee and knee joint structural changes evaluated with ultrasonography (US) for the early diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 121 participants (age 71.7±5.8 years, 75 women) from a community-based population. Bilateral structural changes in the knee joint were evaluated with US, and the presence or absence of JLT was evaluated using a pressure algometer. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the odds ratios (ORs) of US findings for the presence of JLT. Moreover, when the analysis was limited to knees with pre-/early radiographic KOA, the ORs were also calculated using logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the 242 knees, 38 had medial JLT, which was significantly associated with female sex (OR 11.87) and loss of cartilage thickness of the distal medial femoral condyle (CTh-MFC) (OR 0.12). Among 96 knees with Kellgren--Lawrence grade ≤2, 18 knees had medial JLT, which was also significantly associated with loss of CTh-MFC (OR 0.07) and medial osteophytes (OR 2.01). Conclusions: JLT is significantly associated with thinning of the femoral cartilage and larger osteophytes in elderly patients, even in those with pre-/early radiographic KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automated hologram acquisition system for big-data analysis and for improving the statistical precision of phase analysis has been upgraded with automated particle detection technology. The coordinates of objects in low-magnification images are automatically detected using zero-mean normalized cross-correlation with preselected reference images. In contrast with the conventional scanning acquisitions from the whole area of a microgrid and/or a thin specimen, the new method allows efficient data collections only from the desired fields of view including the particles. The acquisition time of the cubic/triangular nanoparticles that were observed was shortened by about one-fifty eighth that of the conventional scanning acquisition method because of efficient data collections. The developed technology can improve statistical precision in electron holography with shorter acquisition time and is applicable to the analysis of electromagnetic fields for various kinds of nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic plants reduce crop yield worldwide. Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) is a stem parasite that attaches to its host, using haustoria to extract nutrients and water. We analyzed the transcriptome of six C. campestris tissues and identified a key gene, LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN 25 (CcLBD25), as highly expressed in prehaustoria and haustoria. Gene coexpression networks from different tissue types and laser-capture microdissection RNA-sequencing data indicated that CcLBD25 could be essential for regulating cell wall loosening and organogenesis. We employed host-induced gene silencing by generating transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) hosts that express hairpin RNAs to target and down-regulate CcLBD25 in the parasite. Our results showed that C. campestris growing on CcLBD25 RNAi transgenic tomatoes transited to the flowering stage earlier and had reduced biomass compared with C. campestris growing on wild-type (WT) hosts, suggesting that parasites growing on transgenic plants were stressed due to insufficient nutrient acquisition. We developed an in vitro haustorium system to assay the number of prehaustoria produced on strands from C. campestris. Cuscuta campestris grown on CcLBD25 RNAi tomatoes produced fewer prehaustoria than those grown on WT tomatoes, indicating that down-regulating CcLBD25 may affect haustorium initiation. Cuscuta campestris haustoria growing on CcLBD25 RNAi tomatoes exhibited reduced pectin digestion and lacked searching hyphae, which interfered with haustorium penetration and formation of vascular connections. The results of this study elucidate the role of CcLBD25 in haustorium development and might contribute to developing parasite-resistant crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower opening time (FOT) is affected by genetic and environmental factors, but little is known about the effect of light and dark conditions on FOT in cereal crops. FOT of an indica rice cultivar, IR64, and its near-isogenic line carrying a QTL for an early-morning flowering trait (IR64+ qEMF3) were investigated in a natural-light and temperature-controlled small greenhouse by exposing either the panicle or stem or both plant organs to different light and dark conditions. FOT did not change in either genotype when panicles were exposed to light. A large difference in FOT was found between genotypes when panicles were exposed to dark conditions; no flower opening was observed in IR64, whereas flower opening was delayed but observed in IR64+ qEMF3. These results suggest that the panicle is the organ that perceives light for flower opening in both genotypes, whereas the light requirement to reach flower opening was quite different between genotypes. Flower opening of IR64 occurred concomitantly with elongation of anther filament in the light after the dark treatment stopped, whereas approximately half of flowering of IR64+ qEMF3 resulted in apparent cleistogamy even during dark treatment. An extended duration of the dark treatment until 1730H (30–50 min before sunset) made FOT of IR64 spikelets on the next day shifted to a time as early as that of IR64+ qEMF3 , with significant advancement of FOT compared to the control IR64 spikelets. Our results indicated that different flowering responses to light and dark conditions exist between IR64 and IR64+ qEMF3. These findings provide clues for understanding the unique genetic controls of flowering in an EMF line in rice. This study also showed evidence that artificial light environments can shift the FOT of IR64 to that of IR64+ qEMF3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of pollen, the male gametophyte of flowering plants, is tightly controlled by dynamic changes in gene expression. Recent research to clarify the molecular aspects of pollen development has revealed the involvement of several transcription factors in the induction of gene expression. However, limited information is available about the factors involved in the negative regulation of gene expression to eliminate unnecessary transcripts during pollen development. In this study, we revealed that AtNOT1 is an essential protein for proper pollen development and germination capacity. AtNOT1 is a scaffold protein of the AtCCR4–NOT complex, which includes multiple components related to mRNA turnover control in Arabidopsis. Phenotypic analysis using atnot1 heterozygote mutant pollen showed that the mature mutant pollen failed to germinate and also revealed abnormal localization of nuclei and a specific protein at the tricellular pollen stage. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of atnot1 heterozygote mutant pollen showed that the downregulation of a large number of transcripts, along with the upregulation of specific transcripts required for pollen tube germination by AtNOT1 during late microgametogenesis, is important for proper pollen development and germination. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the negative regulation of gene expression during pollen development, by showing the severely defective phonotype of atnot1 heterozygote mutant pollen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phi29 DNA polymerase is widely used for DNA amplification through rolling-circle replication or multiple displacement amplification. Here, we performed completely in vitro artificial evolution of phi29 DNA polymerase by combining the in vitro compartmentalization and the gene expression-coupled rolling-circle replication of a circular DNA encoding the polymerase. We conducted the experiments in six different conditions composed of three different levels of inhibitor concentrations with two different DNA labeling methods. One of the experiments was performed in our previous study and the other five experiments were newly conducted in this study. Under all conditions, we found several mutations that enhance the rolling-circle amplification by the polymerase when it was expressed in the reconstituted gene expression system. Especially, a combinatorial mutant polymerase (K555T/D570N) exhibits significantly higher rolling-circle activity than the wild type. These highly active mutant polymerases would be useful for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The accumulation of advanced glycation end product (AGE) might exert deleterious effects on musculoskeletal properties. Our study aims to clarify this possible association in a large general population.Methods: This study investigated a general population of 9,203 patients (mean age, 57.8 years). Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, whereas accumulation of AGEs was assessed by skin autofluorescence (SAF-AGE). The muscle strength of upper and lower limbs and usual gait speed were measured in a portion of older (≥60 years of age) participants (n = 1,934). The speed of sound (SOS) in the calcaneal bone was assessed via a quantitative ultrasound technique.Results: In the total population, the frequency of low skeletal muscle mass linearly increased with the SAF-AGE quartiles (Q1: 14.2%, Q2: 16.1%, Q3: 21.1%, Q4: 24.8%; p < .001), and this association was independent of covariates including glycemic traits (Q4: odds ratio [OR] = 1.48, p < .001). The association between the highest SAF-AGE quartile and low skeletal muscle mass remained significant in the older subpopulation (OR = 1.85, p = .002). A similar but weak association was observed for low SOS (Q1: 8.9%, Q2: 8.3%, Q3: 10.4%, Q4: 12.2%; p < .001). Similar inverse associations were also observed with grip strength (OR = 1.98, p = .003), hip flexion strength (OR = 1.50, p = .012), and hip abduction strength (OR = 1.78, p = .001), but not with usual gait speed.Conclusion: Accumulation of AGEs might be a deleterious factor for musculoskeletal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited knowledge about vertical variation in wood CO2 efflux (R wood) is still a cause of uncertainty in R wood estimates at individual and ecosystem scales. Although previous studies found higher R wood in the canopy, they examined several tree species of similar size. In contrast, in the present study, we measured vertical variation in R wood for 18 trees including 13 species, using a canopy crane for a more precise determination of the vertical variation in R wood, for various species and sizes of trees in order to examine the factors affecting vertical variation in R wood and thus, to better understand the effect of taking into account the vertical and inter-individual variation on estimates of R wood at the individual scale. We did not find any clear pattern of vertical variation ; R wood increased significantly with measurement height for only one tree, while it decreased for two more trees, and was not significantly related with measurement height in 15 other trees. Canopy to breast height R wood ratio was not related to diameter at breast height or crown ratio, which supposedly are factors affecting vertical variation in R wood. On average, R wood estimates at individual scale, considering inter-individual variation but ignoring vertical variation, were only 6% higher than estimates considering both forms of variation. However, estimates considering vertical variation, while ignoring inter-individual variation, were 13% higher than estimates considering both forms of variation. These results suggest that individual measurements at breast height are more important for estimating R wood at the individual scale, and that any error in R wood estimation at this scale, due to the absence of any more measurements along tree height, is really quite negligible. This study measured various species and sizes of trees, which may be attributed to no clear vertical variation because factors causing vertical variation can differ among species and sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Orthostatic hypertension was associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes, although the factors responsible for an orthostatic rise in blood pressure (BP) are uncertain. We investigated a possible relationship between a stooping posture and orthostatic BP change. METHODS Study participants consisted of 1,992 older individuals. Orthostatic BP change was calculated by systolic BP measured at sitting position, and again 1 and 3 minutes after standing up. Spinal alignment and curvature was assessed by guiding the SpinalMouse device on the surface of the skin along the spine. RESULTS Mean lumbar lordosis at standing position was 13.4° ± 12.4°. The degree of lumbar lordosis was significantly smaller in orthostatic hypertensive individuals (systolic BP change, ≥+20 mm Hg: 3.3° ± 15.6°, ≥+10 mm Hg: 10.4° ± 14.3°) than in individuals who were orthostatic normotensive (14.2° ± 11.9°). Multiple linear regression analysis identified lumbar lordosis (β = −0.171, P < 0.001) and thoracic kyphosis (β = 0.062, P = 0.007), but not sacral inclination (β = 0.033, P = 0.303), as independent determinants for orthostatic BP change. As waist circumference was another independent determinant, the frequency of orthostatic hypertensive individuals was linearly increased with the combination of abdominal obesity and small degree of lumbar lordosis (control: 9.9%, abdominal obesity: 17.4%, small degree of lordosis: 19.4%, both: 24.1%, P < 0.001). Participants who sustained orthostatic hypertension for 3 minutes after standing up had the smallest degree of lumbar lordosis (5.2° ± 16.4°). CONCLUSION Stooped posture was an overlooked determinant for orthostatic increases in BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most plants show remarkable developmental plasticity in the generation of diverse types of new organs upon external stimuli, allowing them to adapt to their environment. Haustorial formation in parasitic plants is an example of such developmental reprogramming, but its molecular mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we performed field-omics using transcriptomics and metabolomics to profile the molecular switch occurring in haustorial formation of the root parasitic plant, Thesium chinense, collected from its natural habitat. RNA-sequencing with de novo assembly revealed that the transcripts of very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis genes, auxin biosynthesis/signalingrelated genes and lateral root developmental genes are highly abundant in the haustoria. Gene co-expression network analysis identified a network module linking VLCFAs and the auxin-responsive lateral root development pathway. GC-TOF-MS analysis consistently revealed a unique metabolome profile with many types of fatty acids in the T. chinense root system, including the accumulation of a 25-carbon long chain saturated fatty acid in the haustoria. Our field-omics data provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that the molecular developmental machinery used for lateral root formation in non-parasitic plants has been co-opted into the developmental reprogramming of haustorial formation in the linage of parasitic plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell differentiation is a complex process involving multiple steps, from initial cell fate specification to final differentiation. Procambial/cambial cells, which act as vascular stem cells, differentiate into both xylem and phloem cells during vascular development. Recent studies have identified regulatory cascades for xylem differentiation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying phloem differentiation is largely unexplored due to technical challenges. Here, we established an ectopic induction system for phloem differentiation named Vascular Cell Induction Culture System Using Arabidopsis Leaves (VISUAL). Our results verified similarities between VISUAL-induced Arabidopsis thaliana phloem cells and in vivo sieve elements. We performed network analysis using transcriptome data with VISUAL to dissect the processes underlying phloem differentiation, eventually identifying a factor involved in the regulation of the master transcription factor gene APL. Thus, our culture system opens up new avenues not only for genetic studies of phloem differentiation, but also for future investigations of multidirectional differentiation from vascular stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmid vector and allelic exchange mutagenesis systems were established for the genetic analysis of a phenanthrene-degrading mycobacterial strain, Mycobacterium sp. EPa45. Successful application of these systems revealed the necessity of the EPa45 phdI gene for the degradation of 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate, which has been proposed to be an intermediate product in the degradation pathway of phenanthrene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic and phenotypic diversity are the basis of evolution. Despite their importance, however, little is known about how they change over the course of evolution. In this study, we analyzed the dynamics of the adaptive evolution of a simple evolvable artificial cell-like system using single-molecule real-time sequencing technology that reads an entire single artificial genome. We found that the genomic RNA population increases in fitness intermittently, correlating with a periodic pattern of genetic and fitness diversity produced by repeated diversification and domination. In the diversification phase, a genomic RNA population spreads within a genetic space by accumulating mutations until mutants with higher fitness are generated, resulting in an increase in fitness diversity. In the domination phase, the mutants with higher fitness dominate, decreasing both the fitness and genetic diversity. This study reveals the dynamic nature of genetic and fitness diversity during adaptive evolution and demonstrates the utility of a simplified artificial cell-like system to study evolution at an unprecedented resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants sense the foliar shade of competitors and alter their developmental programs through the shade-avoidance response. Internode and petiole elongation, and changes in overall leaf area and leaf mass per area, are the stereotypical architectural responses to foliar shade in the shoot. However, changes in leaf shape and complexity in response to shade remain incompletely, and qualitatively, described. Using a meta-analysis of more than 18,000 previously published leaflet outlines, we demonstrate that shade avoidance alters leaf shape in domesticated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and wild relatives. The effects of shade avoidance on leaf shape are subtle with respect to individual traits but are combinatorially strong. We then seek to describe the developmental origins of shade-induced changes in leaf shape by swapping plants between light treatments. Leaf size is light responsive late into development, but patterning events, such as stomatal index, are irrevocably specified earlier. Observing that shade induces increases in shoot apical meristem size, we then describe gene expression changes in early leaf primordia and the meristem using laser microdissection. We find that in leaf primordia, shade avoidance is not mediated through canonical pathways described in mature organs but rather through the expression of KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX and other indeterminacy genes, altering known developmental pathways responsible for patterning leaf shape. We also demonstrate that shade-induced changes in leaf primordium gene expression largely do not overlap with those found in successively initiated leaf primordia, providing evidence against classic hypotheses that shaded leaf morphology results from the prolonged production of juvenile leaf types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related Mikulicz's disease (MD) is a fibrosis-associated inflammatory disease, often accompanied by lacrimal gland swelling. Although much attention has been paid to the inflammatory aspects of this disease, the mechanisms of the fibrotic processes are still unclear. We focused on the fibrotic changes occurring in the lacrimal glands of IgG4-related MD patients, by examining molecules involved in the epithelial - mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods. Lacrimal gland tissue specimens were obtained from 3 IgG4-related MD patients and 3 control patients with Sj ö gren's syndrome (SS). The glands were examined by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Results. Storiform fibrosis, a characteristic of IgG4-related MD, was observed in the lacrimal glands of IgG4-related MD, but rarely in those of SS. Reduced E-cadherin expression, increased phalloidin-stained filamentous actin, and increased a -smooth muscle actin, snail, and heat-shock protein 47 levels were observed in the lacrimal glands of IgG4-related MD compared with those of SS. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an abnormal periodicity of collagen bundles, and basal membrane thickening in the IgG4-related MD compared with that in the SS tissues. Conclusion. EMT-like changes were frequently observed in the lacrimal gland epithelia from patients with IgG4-related MD. Thus, EMT may be involved in the pathology of IgG4-related MD fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic plants have the ability to obtain nutrients directly from other plants, and several species are serious biological threats to agriculture by parasitizing crops of high economic importance. The uniqueness of parasitic plants is characterized by the presence of a multicellular organ called a haustorium, which facilitates plant-plant interactions, and shutting down or reducing their own photosynthesis. Current technical advances in next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics have allowed us to dissect the molecular mechanisms behind the uniqueness of parasitic plants at the genome-wide level. In this review, we summarize recent key findings mainly in transcriptomics that will give us insights into the future direction of parasitic plant research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The root hemiparasite witchweed (Striga spp.) is a devastating agricultural pest that causes losses of up to $1 billion US annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Development of resistant crops is one of the cost-effective ways to address this problem. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance are not well understood. To understand molecular events upon Striga spp. infection, we conducted genome-scale RNA sequencing expression analysis using Striga hermonthica-infected rice (Oryza sativa) roots. We found that transcripts grouped under the Gene Ontology term defense response were significantly enriched in upregulated differentially expressed genes. In particular, we found that both jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) pathways were induced, but the induction of the JA pathway preceded that of the SA pathway. Foliar application of JA resulted in higher resistance. The hebiba mutant plants, which lack the JA biosynthesis gene ALLENE OXIDE CYCLASE, exhibited severe S. hermonthica susceptibility. The resistant phenotype was recovered by application of JA. By contrast, the SA-deficient NahG rice plants were resistant against S. hermonthica, indicating that endogenous SA is not required for resistance. However, knocking down WRKY45, a regulator of the SA/benzothiadiazole pathway, resulted in enhanced susceptibility. Interestingly, NahG plants induced the JA pathway, which was down-regulated in WRKY45-knockdown plants, linking the resistant and susceptible phenotypes to the JA pathway. Consistently, the susceptibility phenotype in the WRKY45-knockdown plants was recovered by foliar JA application. These results point to a model in which WRKY45 modulates a cross talk in resistance against S. hermonthica by positively regulating both SA/benzothiadiazole and JA pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic flowering plants are one of the most destructive agricultural pests and have major impact on crop yields throughout the world. Being dependent on finding a host plant for growth, parasitic plants penetrate their host using specialized organs called haustoria. Haustoria establish vascular connections with the host, which enable the parasite to steal nutrients and water. The underlying molecular and developmental basis of parasitism by plants is largely unknown. In order to investigate the process of parasitism, RNAs from different stages (i.e. seed, seedling, vegetative strand, prehaustoria, haustoria, and flower) were used to de novo assemble and annotate the transcriptome of the obligate plant stem parasite dodder (Cuscuta pentagona). The assembled transcriptome was used to dissect transcriptional dynamics during dodder development and parasitism and identified key gene categories involved in the process of plant parasitism. Host plant infection is accompanied by increased expression of parasite genes underlying transport and transporter categories, response to stress and stimuli, as well as genes encoding enzymes involved in cell wall modifications. By contrast, expression of photosynthetic genes is decreased in the dodder infective stages compared with normal stem. In addition, genes relating to biosynthesis, transport, and response of phytohormones, such as auxin, gibberellins, and strigolactone, were differentially expressed in the dodder infective stages compared with stems and seedlings. This analysis sheds light on the transcriptional changes that accompany plant parasitism and will aid in identifying potential gene targets for use in controlling the infestation of crops by parasitic weeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf shape is mutable, changing in ways modulated by both development and environment within genotypes. A complete model of leaf phenotype would incorporate the changes in leaf shape during juvenile-to-adult phase transitions and the ontogeny of each leaf. Here, we provide a morphometric description of >33,000 leaflets from a set of tomato (Solanum spp) introgression lines grown under controlled environment conditions. We first compare the shape of these leaves, arising during vegetative development, with >11,000 previously published leaflets from a field setting and >11,000 leaflets from wild tomato relatives. We then quantify the changes in shape, across ontogeny, for successive leaves in the heteroblastic series. Using principal component analysis, we then separate genetic effects modulating (1) the overall shape of all leaves versus (2) the shape of specific leaves in the series, finding the former more heritable than the latter and comparing quantitative trait loci regulating each. Our results demonstrate that phenotype is highly contextual and that unbiased assessments of phenotype, for quantitative genetic or other purposes, would ideally sample the many developmental and environmental factors that modulate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difficult access to 40-m-tall emergent trees in tropical rainforests has resulted in a lack of data related to vertical variations in wood CO2 efflux, even though significant variations in wood CO2 efflux are an important source of errors when estimating whole-tree total wood CO2 efflux. This study aimed to clarify vertical variations in wood CO2 efflux for emergent trees and to document the impact of the variations on the whole-tree estimates of stem and branch CO2 efflux. First, we measured wood CO2 efflux and factors related to tree morphology and environment for seven live emergent trees of two dipterocarp species at four to seven heights of up to ∼40 m for each tree using ladders and a crane. No systematic tendencies in vertical variations were observed for all the trees. Wood CO2 efflux was not affected by stem and air temperature, stem diameter, stem height or stem growth. The ratios of wood CO2 efflux at the treetop to that at breast height were larger in emergent trees with relatively smaller diameters at breast height. Second, we compared whole-tree stem CO2 efflux estimates using vertical measurements with those based on solely breast height measurements. We found similar whole-tree stem CO2 efflux estimates regardless of the patterns of vertical variations in CO2 efflux because the surface area in the canopy, where wood CO2 efflux often differed from that at breast height, was very small compared with that at low stem heights, resulting in little effect of the vertical variations on the estimate. Additionally, whole-tree branch CO2 efflux estimates using measured wood CO2 efflux in the canopy were considerably different from those measured using only breast height measurements. Uncertainties in wood CO2 efflux in the canopy did not cause any bias in stem CO2 efflux scaling, but affected branch CO2 efflux. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on a study that was conducted to examine the impact of Anaerobiosis on strain-dependent phenotypic variations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium. It mentions the procedure where phenotypes were compared between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and clinical isolates under anaerobic conditions. It reveals the result showing that aeruginosa is strain dependent.

Introgression lines (ILs), in which genetic material from wild tomato species is introgressed into a domesticated background, have been used extensively in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) improvement. Here, we genotype an IL population derived from the wild desert tomato Solanum pennellii at ultrahigh density, providing the exact gene content harbored by each line. To take advantage of this information, we determine IL phenotypes for a suite of vegetative traits, ranging from leaf complexity, shape, and size to cellular traits, such as stomatal density and epidermal cell phenotypes. Elliptical Fourier descriptors on leaflet outlines provide a global analysis of highly heritable, intricate aspects of leaf morphology. We also demonstrate constraints between leaflet size and leaf complexity, pavement cell size, and stomatal density and show independent segregation of traits previously assumed to be genetically coregulated. Meta-analysis of previously measured traits in the ILs shows an unexpected relationship between leaf morphology and fruit sugar levels, which RNA-Seq data suggest may be attributable to genetically coregulated changes in fruit morphology or the impact of leaf shape on photosynthesis. Together, our results both improve upon the utility of an important genetic resource and attest to a complex, genetic basis for differences in leaf morphology between natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the non-genomic effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) on inhibition of plasma membrane lipid raft formation in activated human basophils. Human basophils obtained from house dust mite (HDM)-sensitive volunteers were pretreated with hydrocortisone (CORT) or dexamethasone (Dex) for 30 min and then primed with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 10 ng/ml) or HDM (10 µg/ml). The expression of CD63, a basophil activation marker, was assessed by flow cytometry. Membrane-bound GC receptors (mGCRs) were analysed by flow cytometry and confocal laser microscopy. Lipid rafts were assessed using a GM1 ganglioside probe and visualization by confocal laser microscopy. Pretreatment of basophils with CORT (10−4 M and 10−5 M) and Dex (10−7 M) significantly inhibited CD63 expression 20 min after addition of PMA or HDM. The inhibitory effects of GCs were not altered by the nuclear GC receptor (GCR) antagonist RU486 (10−5 M) or the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (10−4 M) ( P < 0·05). CORT coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA-CORT) mimicked the rapid inhibitory effects of CORT, suggesting the involvement of mGCRs. mGCRs were detectable on the plasma membrane of resting basophils and formed nanoclusters following treatment with PMA or HDM. Pretreatment of cells with BSA-CORT inhibited the expression of mGCRs and nanoclustering of ganglioside GM1 in lipid rafts. The study provides evidence that non-genomic mechanisms are involved in the rapid inhibitory effect of GCs on the formation of lipid raft nanoclusters, through binding to mGCRs on the plasma membrane of activated basophils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Recently, several studies have reported age-associated increases in muscle coactivation during postural control. A rigid posture induced by strong muscle coactivation reduces the degree of freedom to be organized by the postural control system. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of balance training on muscle coactivation during postural control in older adults. METHODS: Forty-eight subjects were randomized into an intervention (mean age: 81.0 ± 6.9 years) and a control group (mean age: 81.6 ± 6.4 years). The control group did not receive any intervention. Postural control ability (postural sway during quiet standing, functional reach, and functional stability boundary) was assessed before and after the intervention. A cocontraction index was measured during the postural control tasks to assess muscle coactivation. RESULTS: Cocontraction index values in the intervention group significantly decreased following the intervention phase for functional reach (p < .0125). Cocontraction index values had a tendency to decrease during functional stability boundary for forward and quiet standing tasks. Functional improvements were observed in some of the tasks after the intervention, that is, functional reach, functional stability boundary for forward, one-leg stance, and timed up and go (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study raised the possibility that balance training for older adults was associated with decreases in muscle coactivation during postural control. Postural control exercise could potentially lead older adults to develop more efficient postural control strategies without increasing muscle coactivation. Further research is needed to clarify in greater detail the effects of changes in muscle coactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves are the most important, fundamental units of organogenesis in plants. Although the basic form of a leaf is clearly divided into the leaf blade and leaf petiole, no study has yet revealed how these are differentiated from a leaf primordium. We analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of mitotic activity in leaf primordia of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in detail using molecular markers in combination with clonal analysis. We found that the proliferative zone is established after a short interval following the occurrence of a rod-shaped early leaf primordium; it is separated spatially from the shoot apical meristem and seen at the junction region between the leaf blade and leaf petiole and produces both leaf-blade and leaf-petiole cells. This proliferative region in leaf primordia is marked by activity of the ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) promoter as a whole and seems to be differentiated into several spatial compartments: activities of the CYCLIN D4;2 promoter and SPATULA enhancer mark parts it specifically. Detailed analyses of the an3 and blade-on-petiole mutations further support the idea that organogenesis of the leaf blade and leaf petiole is critically dependent on the correct spatial regulation of the proliferative region of leaf primordia. Thus, the proliferative zone of leaf primordia is spatially differentiated and supplies both the leaf-blade and leaf-petiole cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Elderly individuals who are at high risk for a fall generally exhibit increased gait variability, a decline in visuomotor control of foot movement, and cognitive impairment, particularly in executive functions. A new walking test, a multitarget stepping task, was developed in the present study to identify elderly individuals with impaired stepping performance on a walkway requiring the involvement of executive functions to find a footfall target. METHODS: Thirty-one high-risk (82.7 ± 6.4 years) and 87 low-risk (80.7 ± 7.9 years) elderly individuals performed the multitarget stepping task on 2 days with a 2-week interval. For the multitarget stepping task, they walked while stepping on squares with an assigned color as a footfall target continuously along the 15 lines while avoiding other colors (distracters). Two types of failure were measured: (a) failure to step precisely on the target (stepping failure) and (b) failure to avoid distracters (avoidance failure). The two groups' performance was compared. A logistic regression analysis was also performed to determine whether the measurements were independently associated with falling. RESULTS: The high-risk groups showed a significantly higher rate in stepping (64.5 vs 25.3% of participants in the group) and avoidance (54.8 vs 17.2%) failure than the low-risk groups. The test-retest analyses showed good agreement for both measurements. A logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the stepping failure was independently associated with falling (odds ratio = 19.365, 95% confidence interval = 3.28-113.95; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of stepping accuracy while performing the multitarget stepping task, particularly precise stepping failure, could contribute to identifying high-risk elderly individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Obstacles are a common cause of falls among older adults. Anticipatory motor planning for obstacle negotiation must be completed during the precrossing phase in order to step over the obstacle safely. This cognitive load may affect anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) in older adults at high risk of falling. This study explored the effect of obstacle negotiation on APA during gait initiation in older adults at high risk of falling. Methods. Seventy-six elderly volunteers (mean age: 80.5 [7.6 years]) from the community participated in this study. Participants performed gait initiation tasks from a starting position on a force platform under the following two conditions: (1) unobstructed (smooth walkway) and (2) obstructed (walkway with an obstacle placed at 1 m from the initial position). The reaction and APA phases were measured from the data of center of pressure. Each participant was categorized as a high-risk or a low-risk individual according to the presence or absence of a fall experience within the past year. Results. High-risk participants had significantly longer APA phases than low-risk participants under the obstructed condition even though there was no significant difference between groups under the unobstructed condition. Reaction phase was not significantly different between groups in either the unobstructed or the obstructed condition. Conclusion. Motor performance deterioration occurred in high-risk participants in the beginning of the precrossing phase of obstacle negotiation. A slow and inefficient APA at the precrossing phase of obstacle negotiation might be one of the causes of accidental falls. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The size and shape of leaves are influenced by the progression of the cell cycle arrest front (AF). However, the AF progression with leaf growth has not been characterized quantitatively. Moreover, the mechanism linking AF progression and genetic factors is not fully understood. Recently, it was proposed that a KLUH/CYP78A5 (KLU)-dependent signal acts as a mobile growth factor (MGF) for cell proliferation and controls the lateral organ size of Arabidopsis. This study examines this hypothesis under the assumption that the gradient field dynamics of the KLU-dependent MGF provide the mechanism of AF progression using molecular markers and computer simulations. First, we measured the exact AF position with leaf growth using the pCYCB1;1::CYCB1;1::GUS expression pattern, which visualizes mitotic cells. As a result, we found that the AF stayed at an almost constant distance from the leaf blade base (stage 1) and then progressed towards the base and disappeared relatively quickly (stage 2), which previously had not been identified. Secondly, we showed that KLU may generate a concentration gradient of MGF in leaves, if KLU really controls cell division via the biosynthesis of MGF, by comparing the expression patterns of pKLU::GUS and pCYCB1;1::CYCB1;1::GUS. Finally, we built a simulation model using a diffusion equation with a decay term, in which the rate of MGF production estimated from the KLU expression level was included in the boundary condition. Our simulation model successfully reproduced both stages 1 and 2 of the AF, suggesting that the proposed mechanism does explain the AF progression under some restricted conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Leaves possess intrinsic information about their final size, but the developmental mechanisms setting the limits of growth are not well characterized. By screening enhancer trap lines that show a specific expression pattern in leaf primordia, we isolated one line, 576. This line contains a T-DNA insertion upstream of the basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor SPATULA (SPT) gene, and shows expression in the basal region of young leaves, where cell proliferation is active. An spt loss-of-function mutation increased leaf size and total cell number within a leaf, while SPT overexpression decreased leaf size and total cell number within a leaf. Although spt mutations did not affect cell size, SPT overexpression decreased the cell size in fully expanded leaves. Genetic analysis suggested that SPT acts independently from another set of cell proliferation-dependent organ size regulators ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) and GROWTH REGULATING FACTOR5 (AtGRF5). Detailed analysis of spt leaf development showed that the spt mutation enlarged the size of the meristematic region in leaf primordia, while overexpression of AtGRF5 promoted cell proliferation without affecting the enlargement of the meristematic region. These results suggest that SPT functions as a repressor of leaf growth and that meristematic region size in young leaf primordia, in terms of proliferative cell number within leaf primordia, is another target of leaf size determination, which previously had not been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports on results of a study of the laxative effect of agarwood leaves from Aguilaria sinensis. A description of the experimental set-up and measurement methods is presented. The study concluded that the laxative mechanism for compound 4 may in part involve stimulation of intestinal motility via acetylcholine receptors. Also, the laxative effect of the acetone extract was milder than that of the anthraquinoid laxative.

An electron-beam-induced-current technique has been applied to scanning transmission electron microscopy to characterize GaN/AlGaN/n-Si heterostructures. The structure was formed by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using AlGaN as an intermediate layer. Two samples with nominal intermediate layer thicknesses of 60 and 120 nm were studied. It was found that there is a junction in the n-type Si region underneath the nitride/Si interface irrespective of the intermediate layer thickness, whereas induced current occurred neither in the nitride region nor at the nitride/Si interface. The junction formed was found to be undulated. The sample with the thin intermediate layer had undulations of a shorter periodicity than that with the thick intermediate layer. The formation of the junction is attributed to the diffusion of Al during the nitride growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The muscle strength of people with severe cerebral palsy (CP) is difficult to quantify because of cognitive and selective motor control problems. However, if muscle strength is related to muscle atrophy caused by activity limitation, quantitative morphological analysis such as analysis of muscle thickness (MTH), measured by ultrasound imaging, may be used to examine the muscle condition in daily use. The primary purpose of this investigation was to clarify the difference in MTH of several muscles by the motor functions used in daily activity in adults with CP with different levels of severity of involvement. The secondary purpose was to examine whether MTH is associated with age, body characteristics, and muscle spasticity. SUBJECTS: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 25 adults with severe CP. METHODS: The MTH of the biceps brachii (BB), quadriceps femoris (QF), triceps surae (TS), and longissimus (LO) muscles was measured with an ultrasound imaging device. The severity of the condition was classified with the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and functional status in sitting and standing was evaluated with a questionnaire administered to the staff assisting in the care of the subjects. Muscle spasticity was assessed with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). RESULTS: The MTH of the QF, LO, and TS showed significant differences according to the GMFCS level, and the MTH of the QF and LO differed significantly depending on functional status during activities of daily living. Age and body mass index showed no significant correlation with the MTH of any muscle. Body weight was correlated with the MTH of the BB and LO. The girth of the extremity was correlated only with the MTH of the BB. There was no relationship between MTH and MAS scores. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the MTH of the QF and LO differed significantly depending on the subjects' motor function during daily activity. The measurement of MTH may be an alternative method of quantitative muscle evaluation for people with severe CP for whom direct measurement of muscle strength is difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]