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Kazuhiro Furumachi,1 Tatsuki Kagatsume,2 Akari Higuchi,2 Mariko Kozaru,2 Etsuko Kumagai,1 Keiko Hosohata2 1Department of Nephrology, Kenwakai Hospital, Nagano, Japan; 2Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka, JapanCorrespondence: Keiko Hosohata, Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka, Japan, Tel +81-72-690-1271, Fax +81-72-690-1023, Email keiko.hosohata@ompu.ac.jpPurpose: The aim of the study was to determine the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and diabetes management indices in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Patients and Methods: A single-center, retrospective, observational study of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Kenwakai Hospital (Nagano, Japan) was conducted. Data of 95 patients (mean age, 72 ± 12 years; men, 67.4%) who visited between March 1, 2019 and February 28, 2022 were obtained from the hospital’s electronic information system. COVID-19 was diagnosed by a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA).Results: There was no association between COVID-19 infection and age, sex, hemodialysis treatment status, or the Charlson Comorbidity Index. After adjustment for possible confounding factors, the incidence of COVID-19 infection was significantly correlated with HbA1c ≥ 7.0% (odds ratio [OR], 5.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30– 23.26).Conclusion: The results suggest an association between high HbA1c levels and COVID-19 infection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Appropriate management of diabetes mellitus, focusing on HbA1c levels, may help prevent COVID-19 infection and severe disease after infection.Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, COVID-19, risk factors, HbA1c, Japanese

Akie Yoshida,1 Kazuhiro Furumachi,2 Etsuko Kumagai,2 Keiko Hosohata1 1Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka, Japan; 2Department of Nephrology, Kenwakai Hospital, Nagano, JapanCorrespondence: Keiko Hosohata, Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka, Japan, Tel +81-72-690-1271, Fax +81-72-690-1023, Email keiko.hosohata@ompu.ac.jpPurpose: The aim of the study was to identify the characteristics of patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to determine risk factors for COVID-19 infection in Japanese patients.Patients and Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective observational study in Japanese adult patients (≥ 20 years) who visited Kenwakai Hospital (Nagano Japan). We analyzed data of 378 patients (mean age, 75 ± 14 years; men, 54%) from the hospital’s electronic information system. COVID-19 was diagnosed by polymerase-chain reaction. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on diagnosis of COVID-19.Results: Patients infected with COVID-19 showed significantly higher rates of men (69.8 vs 51.6%, P = 0.025) than uninfected control patients. After adjustment for possible confounding factors, COVID-19 infection was significantly associated with BUN (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01– 1.03) and serum creatinine (Scr) (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05– 1.24). This association was observed in men (BUN, P = 0.012; Scr, P = 0.012), but not in women (BUN, P = 0.43; Scr, P = 0.54).Conclusion: BUN and Scr are potential risk factors for infection of COVID-19 in Japanese patients, particularly in men. Our results suggest that renal parameters might be important in Japanese male patients for the early detection of COVID-19 infection.Keywords: adult patients, COVID-19, risk factors, kidney function, Japanese

Masushi Kohta,1 Takehiko Ohura,2 Katsuyuki Okada,3 Yoshinori Nakamura,4 Eiko Kumagai,5 Hitomi Kataoka,6 Tomomi Kitagawa,7 Yuki Kameda,8 Toshihiro Kitte9 1Medical Engineering Laboratory, ALCARE Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; 2Pressure Ulcers and Wound Healing Research Center, Sapporo, Japan; 3Department of Dermatology, Kiryu Kosei General Hospital, Kiryu, Japan; 4Department of Medical Home Healthcare Center, Tenri Hospital Shirakawa Branch, Tenri, Japan; 5Murata Day Surgery & WOC Clinic, Sendai, Japan; 6Department of Nursing, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan; 7Department of Nursing, Hikone Municipal Hospital, Hikone, Japan; 8Wound Care Marketing Division, ALCARE Co Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; 9Department of Health Care Policy, Shiga Government Office, Otsu, JapanCorrespondence: Masushi KohtaMedical Engineering Laboratory, ALCARE Co., Ltd., 1-21-10 Kyojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-0046, JapanTel +81-3-3611-1101Fax +81-3-3613-6894Email mkouta@alcare.co.jpPurpose: The Pressure Injury Primary Risk Assessment Scale for Home Care (PPRA-Home) was developed to predict pressure injury risk in geriatric individuals requiring long-term care in home settings. This study aimed to compare the convergent validity of the PPRA-Home to that of the two other standardized pressure injury prevention scales: the Braden and Ohura-Hotta (OH) scales.Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted with 34 home-based geriatric support service providers located in five Japanese districts. The study included 69 participants (30 had a pressure injury and 39 did not) who were at classified at care levels of 1 through 5 under Japan’s long-term care insurance system. Care managers served as assessors for the PPRA-Home, while physicians or certified expert nurses served as assessors for the Braden and OH scales. Convergent validity was investigated by examining correlation coefficients between total scores on the PPRA-Home and the other two scales. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to quantify each scale’s accuracy for the two groups: those with and without a pressure injury.Results: The PPRA-Home was found to be negatively correlated with the Braden scale (r=− 0.79, p< 0.05), and positively correlated with the OH scale (r=0.58, p< 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) for the PPRA-Home, Braden scale, and OH scale were 0.737, 0.814, and 0.794, respectively. A PPRA-Home cutoff score of 4 had a sensitivity of 63.3% and specificity of 81.6%.Conclusion: The AUC for the PPRA-Home as scored by care managers was similar to those of the Braden and OH scales as scored by physicians or expert nurses. More research on the PPRA-Home’s content and predictive validity is required.Keywords: pressure ulcer, risk assessment, geriatrics, wound care

Masushi Kohta,1 Takehiko Ohura,2 Kunio Tsukada,3 Yoshinori Nakamura,4 Mishiho Sukegawa,5 Eiko Kumagai,6 Yuki Kameda,7 Toshihiro Kitte8 1Medical Engineering Laboratory, ALCARE Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; 2Pressure Ulcers and Wound Healing Research Center, Sapporo, Japan; 3Takaoka Ekinan Clinic, Takaoka, Japan; 4Department of Medical Home Healthcare Center, Tenri Hospital Shirakawa Branch, Tenri, Japan; 5Miyama-Takinoi Comprehensive Community Support Center, Funabashi, Japan; 6Murata Day Surgery & WOC Clinic, Sendai, Japan; 7Wound Care Marketing Division, ALCARE Co Ltd., Tokyo, Japan; 8Department of Health Care Policy, Shiga Government Office, Otsu, Shiga, JapanCorrespondence: Masushi KohtaMedical Engineering Laboratory, ALCARE Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JapanEmail mkouta@alcare.co.jpPurpose: The aim of the current study was to assess the inter-rater reliability and agreement of the Pressure Injury Primary Risk Assessment Scale for Home Care (PPRA-Home), a risk assessment scale recently developed for Japan-specific social welfare professionals called care managers, to predict pressure injury risk in geriatric individuals who require long-term home care needs.Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted at 30 home-based geriatric support services facilities located at four local districts in Japan. Eligible participants were individuals who needed partial or full assistance for daily living under Japan’s long-term care insurance system (care levels 1– 5). The degree of agreement and kappa coefficient were calculated for each item and the total score, after which inter-rater reliability was determined. The effect of the participant’s care level on reliability was also evaluated as secondary analysis.Results: A total of 96 participants were assessed by 83 care managers (two assessors scored each participant). The degree of agreement and calculated kappa coefficient of the PPRA-Home total score were 59% and 0.72, respectively, with the inter-rater reliability for the total score determined to be “Substantial”. Our subgroup analysis showed that the inter-rater reliability differed according to the participant’s care level. Accordingly, the kappa coefficient for the total score was lower in subgroup “care level 1– 3” than in subgroup “care level 4– 5” (0.51 and 0.76, respectively).Conclusion: Our result showed that the PPRA-Home has substantial inter-rater reliability for evaluation of risks of pressure injury development at home care. However, some research focusing on intra-later reliability and validity of the PPRA-Home with adequate sample sizes are required to provide categorical conclusions on whether it can be used for the risk assessment scale in actual clinical settings.Keywords: pressure ulcer, risk assessment, reproducibility, agreement, geriatrics

AIM OF THE STUDY: Various parts of Carica papaya Linn. (CP) have been traditionally used as ethnomedicine for a number of disorders, including cancer. There have been anecdotes of patients with advanced cancers achieving remission following consumption of tea extract made from CP leaves. However, the precise cellular mechanism of action of CP tea extracts remains unclear. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of aqueous-extracted CP leaf fraction on the growth of various tumor cell lines and on the anti-tumor effect of human lymphocytes. In addition, we attempted to identify the functional molecular weight fraction in the CP leaf extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of CP extract on the proliferative responses of tumor cell lines and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and cytotoxic activities of PBMC were assessed by [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation. Flow cytometric analysis and measurement of caspase-3/7 activities were performed to confirm the induction of apoptosis on tumor cells. Cytokine productions by PBMC were measured by ELISA. Gene profiling of the effect of CP extract treatment was performed by microarray analysis and real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: We observed significant growth inhibitory activity of the CP extract on tumor cell lines. In PBMC, the production of IL-2 and IL-4 was reduced following the addition of CP extract, whereas that of IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha was enhanced without growth inhibition. In addition, cytotoxicity of activated PBMC against K562 was enhanced by the addition of CP extract. Moreover, microarray analyses showed that the expression of 23 immunomodulatory genes, classified by gene ontology analysis, was enhanced by the addition of CP extract. In this regard, CCL2, CCL7, CCL8 and SERPINB2 were representative of these upregulated genes, and thus may serve as index markers of the immunomodulatory effects of CP extract. Finally, we identified the active components of CP extract, which inhibits tumor cell growth and stimulates anti-tumor effects, to be the fraction with M.W. less than 1000. CONCLUSION: Since Carica papaya leaf extract can mediate a Th1 type shift in human immune system, our results suggest that the CP leaf extract may potentially provide the means for the treatment and prevention of selected human diseases such as cancer, various allergic disorders, and may also serve as immunoadjuvant for vaccine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short period of exposure to elevated CO 2 is known to decrease evapotranspiration via stomatal closure. Based on theoretical evaluation of a canopy transpiration model, we hypothesized that this decrease in the evapotranspiration of rice under elevated CO 2 was greater under higher temperature conditions due to an increased sensitivity of transpiration to changes in CO 2 induced by the greater vapour pressure deficit. In a temperature gradient chamber-based experiment, a 200 ppm increase in CO 2 concentration led to 0.4 mm (-7%) and 1.5 mm (-15%) decreases in 12 h evapotranspiration under ambient temperature and high temperature (+3.7°C) conditions, respectively. Model simulations revealed that the greater vapour pressure deficit under higher temperature conditions explained the variations in the reduction of evapotranspiration observed under elevated CO 2 levels between the temperature treatments. Our study suggests the utility of a simple modelling framework for mechanistic understanding of evapotranspiration and crop energy balance system under changing environmental conditions., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Duplication of chromosome 15q11-13 has been reported to be one of the most frequent cytogenetic copy number variations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and a mouse model of paternal 15q11-13 duplication was generated, termed 15q dup mice. While previous studies have replicated some of the behavioral and brain structural phenotypes of ASD separately, the relationship between brain structure and behavior has rarely been examined. In this study, we performed behavioral experiments related to anxiety and social behaviors and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the same set of 15q dup and wild-type mice. 15q dup mice showed increased anxiety and a tendency toward alterations in social behaviors, as reported previously, as well as variability in terms of sociability. MRI analysis revealed that a lower sociability index was correlated with a smaller gray matter volume in the right medial entorhinal cortex. These results may help to understand how variability in behavioral phenotypes of ASD arises even in individuals with the same genetic background and to determine the individual differences in neurodevelopmental trajectory correlated with specific brain structures that underlie these phenotypes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background/aims: Intestinal Behçet disease is typically associated with ileocecal punched-out ulcers and significant morbidity and mortality. Intestinal ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging technique for disease monitoring. However, no previous reports have compared intestinal ultrasound with endoscopic ulcer activity or histopathological findings for intestinal Behçet disease. We evaluated the usefulness of intestinal ultrasound for assessing the activity of ileocecal ulcers in intestinal Behçet disease., Methods: We retrospectively compared intestinal ultrasound findings with 73 corresponding endoscopic images and 6 resected specimens. The intestinal ultrasound findings were assessed for 7 parameters (bowel wall thickness, vascularity [evaluated using the modified Limberg score with color Doppler], bowel wall stratification, white-plaque sign [strong hyperechogenic lines or spots], mesenteric lymphadenopathy, extramural phlegmons, and fistulas), and endoscopic ulcer activity was classified into active, healing, and scar stages. Histopathological findings were evaluated by consensus among experienced pathologists., Results: Bowel wall thickness (P< 0.001), vascularity (P< 0.001), loss of bowel wall stratification (P= 0.015), and white-plague sign (P= 0.013) were significantly exacerbated in the endoscopic active ulcer stage. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a bowel wall thickness of > 5.5 mm (sensitivity 89.7%, specificity 85.3%) was potentially useful for detecting active lesions. When compared with histopathological findings, an increase in bowel wall thickness reflected the ulcer marginal ridge, and the white-plaque sign reflected the ulcer bottom., Conclusions: Intestinal ultrasound is useful for monitoring intestinal ulcer activity in intestinal Behçet disease.

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive histiocytosis (ALK-H) is an emerging entity in the category of histiocytic neoplasms that was first reported as a multisystemic disease in three infants in 2008. The clinicopathological spectrum of ALK-H has been expanded to include localized disorders in specific organs, but the features of this subtype are not well known. The authors report a case of ALK-H localized in the central nervous system that was difficult to treat and review the relevant literature., Observations: The authors reviewed archival histiocytic tumors at their institute and found a pediatric case of ALK-H localized in a cerebellar hemisphere that had previously been reported as histiocytic sarcoma. Chemotherapy (approximately 1 year), additional surgery, and conventional chemotherapy (approximately 2.5 years) led to clinical remission, and maintenance chemotherapy was continued (approximately 1.5 years). Three years after completing treatment, a high-grade glioma was found in a cerebral hemisphere, and the patient died of the glioma 2 years later., Lessons: Although the prognosis of ALK-H is generally good according to prior cases, the authors' case required long-term conventional chemotherapy, suggesting the tumor displayed aggressive characteristics. Early administration of ALK inhibitors may be necessary.

Background: Mixed medullary and follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinoma (MMFCC) is characterized by the coexistence of follicular and C cell-derived tumour cell populations within the same lesion. Due to its rarity, its etiology and clinical course remain unclear, and treatment for advanced or recurrent cases has not been established., Case Presentation: We report a case of MMFCC treated with selpercatinib. The patient was a 69-year-old male presenting with tumors in the right thyroid lobe and in the upper mediastinum. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of the right thyroid lobe tumor revealed a medullary carcinoma; germline RET mutations were not detected. After resection of the right thyroid lobe with central node dissection, rapid intraoperative diagnosis of the mediastinal mass confirmed malignancy, leading to total thyroidectomy with excision of the upper mediastinal tumor. Histologically, the tumor in the right thyroid lobe and the pretracheal lymph node revealed a mixture of medullary and follicular carcinoma components, diagnosed as MMFCC. The mediastinal lymph node exhibited only medullary carcinoma components. At 11 months postoperatively, computed tomography scans showed enlargement of the right supraclavicular and upper mediastinal lymph nodes. FNA cytology of the right supraclavicular lymph node suggested the recurrence of medullary thyroid carcinoma. The gene panel testing (The Oncomine Dx Target Test Multi-CDx system®, Thermo Fisher SCIENTIFIC) of metastatic lymph node revealed RET somatic mutation (M918T). Treatment with selpercatinib was initiated, and both the cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes showed a reduction in size., Conclusions: We report a rare case of selpercatinib use for MMFCC. Since RET mutations may occur frequently in MMFCC, selpercatinib could be effective in treating MMFCC., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We present an alternative method to determine leaf CO 2 assimilation rate (A n ), eliminating the need for gas exchange measurements in proximal and remote sensing. This method combines the Farquhar-von Caemmerer-Berry photosynthesis model with mechanistic light reaction (MLR) theory and leaf energy balance (EB) analysis. The MLR theory estimates the actual electron transport rate (J) by leveraging chlorophyll fluorescence via pulse amplitude-modulated fluorometry for proximal sensing or sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence measurements for remote sensing, along with spectral reflectance. The EB equation is used to directly estimate stomatal conductance from leaf temperature. In wheat and soybean, the MLR-EB model successfully estimated A n variations, including midday depression, under various environmental and phenological conditions. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the leaf boundary layer conductance (g b ) played an equal, if not more, crucial role compared to the variables for J. This was primarily caused by the indirect influence of g b through the EB equation rather than its direct impact on convective CO 2 exchange on the leaf. Although the MLR-EB model requires an accurate estimation of g b , it can potentially reduce uncertainties and enhance applicability in photosynthesis assessment when gas exchange measurements are unavailable., (© 2023 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Upper-lung field pulmonary fibrosis (upper-PF), radiologically consistent with pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE), was reported to develop in patients with a history of asbestos exposure and tuberculous pleurisy, indicating that chronic pleuritis is correlated with upper-PF development. Round atelectasis reportedly emerges after chronic pleuritis. This study aimed to clarify the association between round atelectasis and upper-PF., Methods: We examined the radiological reports of all consecutive patients with round atelectasis between 2006 and 2018 and investigated the incidence of upper-PF development., Results: Among 85 patients with round atelectasis, 21 patients (24.7%) were confirmed to finally develop upper-PF lesions. Upper-PF was diagnosed after round atelectasis recognition in more than half of the patients (13/21, 61.9%), whereas upper-PF and round atelectasis were simultaneously detected in the remaining 8 patients. At the time of round atelectasis detection, almost all patients (19/21, 90.5%) had diffuse pleural thickening and round atelectasis was commonly observed in non-upper lobes of 19 patients (90.5%). Fourteen patients had round atelectasis in unilateral lung, and the remaining 7 patients had round atelectasis in bilateral lungs. Among all 14 patients with unilateral round atelectasis, upper-PF developed on the same (n = 11) or both sides (n = 3). Thus, upper-PF emerged on the same side where round atelectasis was present (14/14, 100%). The autopsy of one patient revealed a thickened parietal-visceral pleura suggestive of chronic pleuritis. Subpleural fibroelastosis was also observed., Conclusions: Upper-PF occasionally develops on the same side of round atelectasis. Upper-PF may develop as a sequela of chronic pleuritis., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Zinc supplementation may ameliorate zinc deficiency in maintenance hemodialysis patients; however, no standard protocol has been established. This study aimed to investigate the effects of zinc acetate hydrate (ZAH) and polaprezinc (PPZ) as zinc supplements in hemodialysis patients. We enrolled 75 hemodialysis patients with serum zinc levels <60  μ g/dL for this study and randomly assigned Zinc supplementation to these 75 patients: 37 received ZAH (50 mg/day), and 38 received PPZ (34 mg/day). Serum zinc levels of both groups were compared every 4 weeks for 1 year. In both groups, serum zinc levels significantly increased at 4-52 weeks. Serum zinc levels were significantly higher in the ZAH group at 4-12 weeks; however, no significant differences were observed between the groups at 16-52 weeks. Adverse events requiring a reduction in the zinc dose, including copper deficiency, occurred significantly more frequently in the ZAH group. In conclusion, PPZ can safely maintain serum zinc levels for 1 year. ZAH provides rapid zinc supplementation but can cause adverse events., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Etsuko Kumagai et al.)

Introduction: Transthyretin (TTR) is a sensitive marker of nutritional status and independent risk factor for mortality in hemodialysis patients. However, its range associated with prognosis in Japanese hemodialysis patients is unknown., Methods: Maintenance hemodialysis Patients (n = 664) were enrolled, and their TTR levels were measured to assess 1-year mortality. Patients were assigned to four groups based on TTR levels: <20, 20 to <30 (control), 30 to <40, and ≥40 mg/dl. One-year mortality at each TTR range was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model after adjustment for prognostic factors., Results: Seventy-seven (11.6%) deaths were recorded during follow-up. The hazard ratio (HR) of TTR <20 mg/dl was significantly higher compared with the control group in terms of all-causes (HR: 3.14) and non-cardiovascular mortality (HR: 6.986)., Conclusion: TTR levels were independent and sensitive predictors of mortality in hemodialysis patients. TTR <20 mg/dl is a risk factor for 1-year mortality in Japanese hemodialysis patients., (© 2021 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.)

Photosynthesis is a key target to improve crop production in many species including soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. A challenge is that phenotyping photosynthetic traits by traditional approaches is slow and destructive. There is proof-of-concept for leaf hyperspectral reflectance as a rapid method to model photosynthetic traits. However, the crucial step of demonstrating that hyperspectral approaches can be used to advance understanding of the genetic architecture of photosynthetic traits is untested. To address this challenge, we used full-range (500-2,400 nm) leaf reflectance spectroscopy to build partial least squares regression models to estimate leaf traits, including the rate-limiting processes of photosynthesis, maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate, and maximum electron transport. In total, 11 models were produced from a diverse population of soybean sampled over multiple field seasons to estimate photosynthetic parameters, chlorophyll content, leaf carbon and leaf nitrogen percentage, and specific leaf area (with R2 from 0.56 to 0.96 and root mean square error approximately <10% of the range of calibration data). We explore the utility of these models by applying them to the soybean nested association mapping population, which showed variability in photosynthetic and leaf traits. Genetic mapping provided insights into the underlying genetic architecture of photosynthetic traits and potential improvement in soybean. Notably, the maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate mapped to a region of chromosome 19 containing genes encoding multiple small subunits of Rubisco. We also mapped the maximum electron transport rate to a region of chromosome 10 containing a fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase gene, encoding an important enzyme in the regeneration of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate and the sucrose biosynthetic pathway. The estimated rate-limiting steps of photosynthesis were low or negatively correlated with yield suggesting that these traits are not influenced by the same genetic mechanisms and are not limiting yield in the soybean NAM population. Leaf carbon percentage, leaf nitrogen percentage, and specific leaf area showed strong correlations with yield and may be of interest in breeding programs as a proxy for yield. This work is among the first to use hyperspectral reflectance to model and map the genetic architecture of the rate-limiting steps of photosynthesis., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Genetics Society of America 2022. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.)

Membrane lipid remodeling contributes to the environmental acclimation of plants. In the green lineage, a betaine lipid, diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS), is included exclusively among green algae and nonflowering plants. Here, we show that the green alga Chlorella kessleri synthesizes DGTS under phosphorus-deficient conditions through the eukaryotic pathway via the ER. Simultaneously, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, which are similar to DGTS in their zwitterionic properties, are almost completely degraded to release 18.1% cellular phosphorus, and to provide diacylglycerol moieties for a part of DGTS synthesis. This lipid remodeling system that substitutes DGTS for extrachloroplast phospholipids to lower the P-quota operates through the expression induction of the BTA1 gene. Investigation of this lipid remodeling system is necessary in a wide range of lower green plants for a comprehensive understanding of their phosphorus deficiency acclimation strategies., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Traditional gas exchange measurements are cumbersome, which makes it difficult to capture variation in biochemical parameters, namely the maximum rate of carboxylation measured at a reference temperature (V cmax25 ) and the maximum electron transport at a reference temperature (J max25 ), in response to growth temperature over time from days to weeks. Hyperspectral reflectance provides reliable measures of V cmax25 and J max25 ; however, the capability of this method to capture biochemical acclimations of the two parameters to high growth temperature over time has not been demonstrated. In this study, V cmax25 and J max25 were measured over multiple growth stages during two growing seasons for field-grown soybeans using both gas exchange techniques and leaf spectral reflectance under ambient and four elevated canopy temperature treatments (ambient+1.5, +3, +4.5, and +6°C). Spectral vegetation indices and machine learning methods were used to build predictive models for V cmax25 and J max25 , based on the leaf reflectance. Results showed that these models yielded an R 2 of 0.57-0.65 and 0.48-0.58 for V cmax25 and J max25 , respectively. Hyperspectral reflectance captured biochemical acclimation of leaf photosynthesis to high temperature in the field, improving spatial and temporal resolution in the ability to assess the impact of future warming on crop productivity., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We investigated the effectiveness of monitoring serum carnitine levels in hemodialysis patients receiving L-carnitine supplementation. One-hundred forty-five hemodialysis patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of patients (n = 30) who had been receiving supplementation before this study and then discontinued at the beginning. The remaining patients were divided into Group 2 (n = 13) and Group 3 (n = 102) based on their baseline free carnitine (FC) level, <20 or ≥ 20 μmol/L. Group 2 was started on supplementation, and Groups 1 and 3 were observed without any intervention for the first 6 months. FC was measured every 6 months in all three groups up to 18 months. All patients in whom FC was less than 20 μmol/L at 6 and 12 months were prescribed supplementation. After the first 6 months, the mean ± SD of FC changed from 262.5 ± 87.5 μmol/L at baseline to 70.8 ± 33.6 μmol/L (P < 0.001) in Group 1, from 17.4 ± 1.9 to 193.9 ± 43.3 μmol/L (P < 0.001) in Group 2, and from 49.2 ± 24.6 to 44.2 ± 19.8 μmol/L (P < 0.05) in Group 3. The acyl/free carnitine changed from 0.62 to 0.59 in Group 1 (P = 0.287), from 0.76 to 0.66 in Group 2 (P = 0.054) and from 0.57 to 0.60 in Group 3 (P < 0.05). Of the 145 patients, 126 continued follow-up for the full 18 months. FC remained in the normal range (36-74 μmol/L) within the 95% CI. FC was considered a strong predictor of carnitine deficiency after 6 months (AUC: 0.9146, cut-off value: 33.8 μmol/L). FC monitoring is essential for appropriate carnitine supplementation in hemodialysis patients., (© 2021 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.)