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Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae ( Xoo) causes bacterial blight disease in rice ( Oryza sativa L.). For a study of function, we constructed a random insertion mutant library of Xoo using a Tn5 transposon and isolated the mutant strain (M11; aroK∷Tn5) that had extremely low pigment production. In addition, M11 had decreased virulence against the susceptible rice cultivar IR24. Thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR and sequence analysis of M11 revealed that the transposon was inserted into the aroK gene (which encodes a shikimate kinase). To investigate the expression patterns of the pigment- and virulence-deficient mutant, DNA microarray analysis was performed. In addition, reverse transcriptase-PCR was performed to confirm the expression levels of several genes, including the aro genes of the aroK mutant. Our findings reveal that several crucial genes for virulence, including cellulase and hypersensitive response and pathogenicity ( hrp) genes, were regulated by mutations in the aroK gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genus Brassica includes the most extensively cultivated vegetable crops worldwide. Investigation of the Brassica genome presents excellent challenges to study plant genome evolution and divergence of gene function associated with polyploidy and genome hybridization. A physical map of the B. rapa genome is a fundamental tool for analysis of Brassica "A" genome structure. Integration of a physical map with an existing genetic map by linking genetic markers and BAC clones in the sequencing pipeline provides a crucial resource for the ongoing genome sequencing effort and assembly of whole genome sequences. Results: A genome-wide physical map of the B. rapa genome was constructed by the capillary electrophoresis-based fingerprinting of 67,468 Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones using the five restriction enzyme SNaPshot technique. The clones were assembled into contigs by means of FPC v8.5.3. After contig validation and manual editing, the resulting contig assembly consists of 1,428 contigs and is estimated to span 717 Mb in physical length. This map provides 242 anchored contigs on 10 linkage groups to be served as seed points from which to continue bidirectional chromosome extension for genome sequencing. Conclusion: The map reported here is the first physical map for Brassica "A" genome based on the High Information Content Fingerprinting (HICF) technique. This physical map will serve as a fundamental genomic resource for accelerating genome sequencing, assembly of BAC sequences, and comparative genomics between Brassica genomes. The current build of the B. rapa physical map is available at the B. rapa Genome Project website for the user community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Methods: Numerous genetic studies have mapped asthma susceptibility genes to a region on chromosome 5q31–33 in several populations. This region contains a cluster of cytokines and other immune-related genes important in immune response. In the present study, to determine the genetic variations and patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD), we resequenced all the exons and promoter regions of the 29 asthma candidate genes in the chromosome 5q31–33 region. Results: We identified a total of 314 genetic variants, including 289 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 22 insertion/deletion polymorphisms and 3 microsatellites. Standardized variance data for allele frequency revealed substantial differences in SNP allele frequencies among different ethnic groups. Interestingly, significant ethnic differences were observed mainly in intron SNPs. LD block analysis using 174 common SNPs with a frequency of >10% disclosed strong LD within most candidate genes. No significant LD was observed across genes, except for one LD block (CD14-IK block). Gene-based haplotype analyses showed that 1–5 haplotype-tagging SNPs may be used to define the six or fewer common haplotypes with a frequency of >5%, regardless of the number of SNPs. Conclusion: Overall, our results provide useful information for the identification of immune-mediated disease genes in the chromosome 5q31–33 region, as well as valuable evidence for gene-based haplotype analysis in disease association studies. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the association between the transcriptional co-repressor Ski and the Ski-binding protein C184M involving the leucine-rich region of C184M and the C-terminal coiled-coil motif of Ski. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down and immunoprecipitation assays; Co-immunoprecipitation; Luciferase reporter assay.

The article presents a case study of a 12-years-old boy who complained of posterior neck pain radiating to the right arm. Topics include signs of intervertebral disc calcification via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), pain medication and physical therapy provided to patient and cervical root block (CRB) procedure for pain management.

Background: Accurate core temperature measurement in children is crucial; however, measuring esophageal temperature (TE) using a supraglottic airway device (SAD) can be challenging. Second-generation SADs, which have a gastric channel, can measure TE, and reduce gastric air volume. This study aimed to compare TE, measured using a probe inserted through the SAD gastric channel, with tympanic membrane (TTM) and forehead (TZHF) temperatures, measured using a zero-heat-flux cutaneous thermometer, with rectal temperature (TR). Methods: Temperature was recorded at 10-min intervals from 10 min after probe insertion until completion of surgery. We performed an equivalence test to evaluate whether the TE, TTM, and TZHF were equivalent to TR, with a margin of 0.3°C. Additionally, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess the reliability of TE and TR at each time point. Results: We included 41 patients in the final analysis. In all patients, the esophageal probe was successfully inserted through the gastric channel of the SAD. When assessing agreement with TR as a reference, TE demonstrated equivalent results at all time points (P < 0.001 at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40-min intervals and P = 0.018 at the 50-min interval), except at the completion of surgery (P = 0.697). TE also demonstrated good reliability with TR as a reference throughout the surgery (ICC > 0.75). Conclusions: In children with SAD insertion, TE can be accurately and feasibly measured through the SAD’s gastric channel, making it suitable for routine application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but severe complication of peritoneal dialysis. It has been reported that the condition of patients with EPS may improve after renal transplantation. However, there are also several reports of EPS occurring after renal transplantation. In this report, we present a patient who developed EPS combined with gastrointestinal cytomegalovirus infection 21 months after successful renal transplantation, despite the use of tacrolimus and low-dose steroid as maintenance immunosuppression. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Posterior spinal fusion (PSF), commonly used for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), causes severe postoperative pain. Intravenous (IV) administration of acetaminophen has shown promise for opioid-sparing analgesia; however, its analgesic effect and optimal timing for its standard use remain unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect and optimal timing of IV acetaminophen administration in pediatric and adolescent patients undergoing PSF and requiring adequate pain control. Methods: This prospective, randomized, triple-blind trial was conducted in patients aged 11-20 undergoing PSF. Participants were randomized into three groups: the preemptive group (received IV acetaminophen 15 mg/kg after anesthetic induction/before surgical incision), the preventive group (received IV acetaminophen 15 mg/kg at the end of surgery/before skin closure), and the placebo group. The primary outcome was cumulative opioid consumption during the first 24 h postoperatively. Results: Among the 99 enrolled patients, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) amount of opioid consumption during the postoperative 24 h was 60.66 ± 23.84, 52.23 ± 22.43, and 66.70 ± 23.01 mg in the preemptive, preventive, and placebo groups, respectively (overall P = 0.043). A post hoc analysis revealed that the preventive group had significantly lower opioid consumption than the placebo group (P = 0.013). However, no significant differences between the groups were observed for the secondary outcomes. Conclusions: The preventive administration of scheduled IV acetaminophen reduces cumulative opioid consumption without increasing the incidence of drug-induced adverse events in pediatric and adolescent patients undergoing PSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rise in national health care costs has emerged as a global problem given the ever-aging population and rapid development of medical technology. The utilization of interventional pain management has, similarly, shown a continued rise worldwide. This study evaluates the differences in the medical costs in the field of interventional pain treatment (IPT) between two countries: Korea and Japan. Methods: Korean medical insurance costs for 2019 related to pain management focused on IPT were compared to those of Japan. Purchasing power parity (PPP) was used to adjust the exchange rate differences and to compare prices in consideration of the respective societies' economic power. Results: The cost of trigger point injections in Japan was 1.06 times higher than that of Korea, whereas the perineural and intraarticular injection prices were lower in Japan. The cost of epidural blocks was higher in Japan compared to Korea in both cervical/thoracic and lumbar regions. As for blocks of peripheral branches of spinal nerves, the cost of scapular nerve blocks in Japan was lower than that in Korea, given a PPP ratio 0.09. For nerve blocks in which fluoroscopy guidance is mandatory, the costs of epidurography in Japan were greater than those in Korea, given a PPP ratio 1.04. Conclusions: This is the first comparative study focusing on the medical costs related to IPT between Korea and Japan, which reveals that the costs differed along various categories. Further comparisons reflecting more diverse countries and socio-economic aspects will be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brucella abortus is a major pathogen that infects livestock and humans. A new strain of B. abortus (A13334) was isolated from the fetal gastric fluid of a dairy cow, with the aim of using it to compare genetic properties, analyze virulence factor, and survey the epidemiological relationship to other Brucella species. Here, we report the complete and annotated genome sequence of B. abortus A13334. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The percutaneous transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has been a widely used treatment method. However, PDA device closure in neonates or patients with specific PDA morphology has been difficult due to the protrusion of the device into the descending aorta. The right angle between the disc and plug causes some degree of protrusion of the disc into the descending aorta because normal PDA forms an acute angle with the descending aorta. Objectives: There have been limited data about the angles of PDA since Mancini's study in 1951, and new studies are required in this regard. This study measured the angles between PDA and descending aorta through angiography in a beating heart. Methods: Within December 2008 to November 2016, 190 patients undergoing percutaneous PDA occlusion were included in this study. Retrospectively, the mean angle of PDA was measured by three cardiologists between the longitudinal axis of the descending aorta and the longitudinal axis of the PDA through an aortogram. The patients were divided into three groups according to age (group A: under 1, group B: 1-6, and group C: over 6 years of age) and PDA morphology based on Krichenko's classification (type A: conical PDA, type B: window PDA, type C: tubular PDA, type D: complex PDA, and type E: elongated PDA). Results: Of 190 study patients, 135 patients were female, and the median age of the patients was 7 years (range: 75 days to 60 years). The mean angle of PDA was 48.2±12.0°. There were no statistical differences regarding PDA angle among the groups classified by age and PDA morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical plexus blocks (CPBs) have been used in various head and neck surgeries to provide adequate anesthesia and/or analgesia; however, the block is performed in a narrow space in the region of the neck that contains many sensitive structures, multiple fascial layers, and complicated innervation. Since the intermediate CPB was introduced in addition to superficial and deep CPBs in 2004, there has been some confusion regarding the nomenclature and definition of CPBs, particularly the intermediate CPB. Additionally, as the role of ultrasound in the head and neck region has expanded, CPBs can be performed more safely and accurately under ultrasound guidance. In this review, the authors will describe the methods, including ultrasound-guided techniques, and clinical applications of conventional deep and superficial CPBs; in addition, the authors will discuss the controversial issues regarding intermediate CPBs, including nomenclature and associated potential adverse effects that may often be neglected, focusing on the anatomy of the cervical fascial layers and cervical plexus. Finally, the authors will attempt to refine the classification of CPB methods based on the target compartments, which can be easily identified under ultrasound guidance, with consideration of the effects of each method of CPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]