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Purpose Enhanced acceleration selective arterial spin labeling (eAccASL) was introduced as non-enhanced and non-gated magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). This technique has not been applied to hand MRA. The objective of this study was to optimize the eAccASL for MRA of the hands and to investigate the factors for MRA visibility of the hands. Methods Twenty healthy volunteers were examined on a 1.5 T MR system. To evaluate arterial visualization, we compared four different acceleration-encoding (AENC) values (i.e., 0.12, 0.29, 0.58, and 0.87 m/s2). Image quality score regarding the MRA depiction of the proximal artery (range, 0–10), the distal artery (0–5), and venous contamination (0–5) was evaluated by three radiologists. We measured the peak to peak arterial blood flow velocity (Vpp) measured by phase contrast cine MRI and hand temperature as the factors for arterial visualization. Qualitative scores were compared with Friedman's tests. Spearman's correlation of qualitative scores with Vpp and hand temperature was performed to analyze influencing factors. Results For the distal arterial depiction, scores at AENC 0.12 (median, 9.0) and AENC 0.29 (8.0) were significantly better (both P 0.05). Conclusion eAccASL MRA of the hands was optimized by using low AENC values (0.12–0.29 m/s2). Venous contamination may increase with elevation of arterial blood flow.

Anesthetic management of patients with severe pulmonary hypertension combined with a difficult airway is challenging. The present case suggests that the use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is useful for safe anesthetic management.

An externally controllable sealed isotope generator has been proposed for radiation education activities. Column (68Ge-68Ga and 137Cs-137mBa) and solvent extraction (68Ge-68Ga)-based isotope generators were applied as radioactive sources. These generators showed high milking efficiencies and low breakthrough after repeated uses, and are expected to promote the use of isotope generators without radioactive contamination or the emission of radioactive waste. This isotope generator provides a new concept for sealed radioisotope sources.

Summary Land plants differentiate germ cells in the haploid gametophyte. In flowering plants, a generative cell is specified as a precursor that subsequently divides into two sperm cells in the developing male gametophyte, pollen. Generative cell specification requires cell-cycle control and microtubule-dependent nuclear relocation (reviewed in [1–3]). However, the generative cell fate determinant and its evolutionary origin are still unknown. In bryophytes, gametophytes produce eggs and sperm in multicellular reproductive organs called archegonia and antheridia, respectively, or collectively called gametangia. Given the monophyletic origin of land plants [4–6], evolutionarily conserved mechanisms may play key roles in these diverse reproductive processes. Here, we showed that a single member of the subfamily VIIIa of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha primarily accumulated in the initial cells and controlled their development into gametangia. We then demonstrated that an Arabidopsis thaliana VIIIa bHLH transiently accumulated in the smaller daughter cell after an asymmetric division of the meiosis-derived microspore and was required for generative cell specification redundantly with its paralog. Furthermore, these A. thaliana VIIIa bHLHs were functionally replaceable by the M. polymorpha VIIIa bHLH. These findings suggest the VIIIa bHLH proteins as core regulators for reproductive development, including germ cell differentiation, since an early stage of land plant evolution.

In vivo incorporation and reduction abilities of 4-carboxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-carboxy-TEMPO) (1), 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrroline-1-oxyl (3-carboxy-dehydro-PROXYL, 3-carboxy-DPRO) (2), 4-hydroxy-TEMPO and 3-hydroxymethyl-DPRO O-β-D-glucosides (3 and 5), and newly designed forms of 6-O-(TEMPO-4-carbonyl and DPRO-3-carbonyl)-D-glucose (4 and 6) were evaluated using white radish sprouts. For each of these compounds, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry was used to measure two effects: the rate of in vitro reduction via the addition of ascorbic acid; and, the rate of successful incorporation into radish sprouts for a reduction to the corresponding hydroxyl amine. DPRO-radicals 2, 5, and 6 were detected significantly more than TEMPO-radicals 1, 3, and 4 in vitro and in vivo for both experiments. Four glucose-linked nitroxide radicals were reduced faster than the glucose-non-linked ones in the in vitro experiment, but were nonetheless detected more each time in radish sprouts due to the absorbability. Glucose ester-linked radicals 4 and 6 were detected more than glycosides 3 and 5, which suggests that glucose ester-linked DPRO-radical 6 is the best for use as a spin-label probe that a plant will incorporate.

Gibberellins (GAs) are the plant hormones that control many aspects of plant growth and development, including stem elongation. Genes encoding enzymes related to the GA biosynthetic and metabolic pathway have been isolated and characterized in many plant species. Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) catalyzes bioactive GAs or their immediate precursors to inactive forms; therefore, playing a direct role in determining the levels of bioactive GAs. In the present study, we produced transgenic plants of the liliaceous monocotyledon Tricyrtis sp. overexpressing the GA2ox gene from the linderniaceous dicotyledon Torenia fournieri (TfGA2ox2). All six transgenic plants exhibited dwarf phenotypes, and they could be classified into two classes according to the degree of dwarfism: three plants were moderately dwarf and three were severely dwarf. All of the transgenic plants had small or no flowers, and smaller, rounder and darker green leaves. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the TfGA2ox2 expression level generally correlated with the degree of dwarfism. The endogenous levels of bioactive GAs, GA1 and GA4, largely decreased in transgenic plants as shown by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, and the level also correlated with the degree of dwarfism. Exogenous treatment of transgenic plants with gibberellic acid (GA3) resulted in an increased shoot length, indicating that the GA signaling pathway might normally function in transgenic plants. Thus, morphological changes in transgenic plants may result from a decrease in the endogenous levels of bioactive GAs. Finally, a possibility of molecular breeding for plant form alteration in liliaceous ornamental plants by genetically engineering the GA metabolic pathway is discussed.