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Abstract Background Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is one of the most economically important marine species in Northeast Asia. Information on genetic markers associated with quantitative trait loci (QTL) can be used in breeding programs to identify and select individuals carrying desired traits. Commercial production of Japanese flounder could be increased by developing disease-resistant fish and improving commercially important traits. Previous maps have been constructed with AFLP markers and a limited number of microsatellite markers. In this study, improved genetic linkage maps are presented. In contrast with previous studies, these maps were built mainly with a large number of codominant markers so they can potentially be used to analyze different families and populations. Results Sex-specific genetic linkage maps were constructed for the Japanese flounder including a total of 1,375 markers [1,268 microsatellites, 105 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two genes]; 1,167 markers are linked to the male map and 1,067 markers are linked to the female map. The lengths of the male and female maps are 1,147.7 cM and 833.8 cM, respectively. Based on estimations of map lengths, the female and male maps covered 79 and 82% of the genome, respectively. Recombination ratio in the new maps revealed F:M of 1:0.7. All linkage groups in the maps presented large differences in the location of sex-specific recombination hot-spots. Conclusions The improved genetic linkage maps are very useful for QTL analyses and marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding programs for economically important traits in Japanese flounder. In addition, SNP flanking sequences were blasted against Tetraodon nigroviridis (puffer fish) and Danio rerio (zebrafish), and synteny analysis has been carried out. The ability to detect synteny among species or genera based on homology analysis of SNP flanking sequences may provide opportunities to complement initial QTL experiments with candidate gene approaches from homologous chromosomal locations identified in related model organisms.

Abstract Background Bee pollen, a honeybee product, is the feed for honeybees prepared themselves by pollens collecting from plants and has been consumed as a perfect food in Europe, because it is nutritionally well balanced. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of bee pollen from Cistus sp. of Spanish origin by a method of carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats, and to investigate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action and also to elucidate components involved in bee pollen extracted with ethanol. Methods The bee pollen bulk, its water extract and its ethanol extract were administered orally to rats. One hour later, paw edema was produced by injecting of 1% solution of carrageenan, and paw volume was measured before and after carrageenan injection up to 5 h. The ethanol extract and water extract were measured COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activities using COX inhibitor screening assay kit, and were compared for the inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The constituents of bee pollen were purified from the ethanol extract subjected to silica gel or LH-20 column chromatography. Each column chromatography fractions were further purified by repeated ODS or silica gel column chromatography. Results The bee pollen bulk mildly suppressed the carrageenan-induced paw edema and the water extract showed almost no inhibitory activity, but the ethanol extract showed relatively strong inhibition of paw edema. The ethanol extract inhibited the NO production and COX-2 but not COX-1 activity, but the water extract did not affect the NO production or COX activities. Flavonoids were isolated and purified from the ethanol extract of bee pollen, and identified at least five flavonoids and their glycosides. Conclusions It is suggested that the ethanol extract of bee pollen show a potent anti-inflammatory activity and its effect acts via the inhibition of NO production, besides the inhibitory activity of COX-2. Some flavonoids included in bee pollen may partly participate in some of the anti-inflammatory action. The bee pollen would be beneficial not only as a dietary supplement but also as a functional food.

Abstract Background Higher crustaceans (class Malacostraca) represent the most species-rich and morphologically diverse group of non-insect arthropods and many of its members are commercially important. Although the crustacean DNA sequence information is growing exponentially, little is known about the genome organization of Malacostraca. Here, we constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library and performed BAC-end sequencing to provide genomic information for kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus), one of the most widely cultured species among crustaceans, and found the presence of a redundant sequence in the BAC library. We examined the BAC clone that includes the redundant sequence to further analyze its length, copy number and location in the kuruma shrimp genome. Results Mj024A04 BAC clone, which includes one redundant sequence, contained 27 putative genes and seemed to display a normal genomic DNA structure. Notably, of the putative genes, 3 genes encode homologous proteins to the inhibitor of apoptosis protein and 7 genes encode homologous proteins to white spot syndrome virus, a virulent pathogen known to affect crustaceans. Colony hybridization and PCR analysis of 381 BAC clones showed that almost half of the BAC clones maintain DNA segments whose sequences are homologous to the representative BAC clone Mj024A04. The Mj024A04 partial sequence was detected multiple times in the kuruma shrimp nuclear genome with a calculated copy number of at least 100. Microsatellites based BAC genotyping clearly showed that Mj024A04 homologous sequences were cloned from at least 48 different chromosomal loci. The absence of micro-syntenic relationships with the available genomic sequences of Daphnia and Drosophila suggests the uniqueness of these fragments in kuruma shrimp from current arthropod genome sequences. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that hyper-expansion of large DNA segments took place in the kuruma shrimp genome. Although we analyzed only a part of the duplicated DNA segments, our result suggested that it is difficult to analyze the shrimp genome following normal analytical methodology. Hence, it is necessary to avoid repetitive sequence (such as segmental duplications) when studying the other unique structures in the shrimp genome.

Low‐grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) is principally characterized by low‐grade cytology without evidence of invasion to other organs. We report a LAMN surgical case whose appendiceal tumor penetrated the sigmoid colon wall. An 87‐year‐old man was referred for endoscopic resection (ER) of a colon polyp. Despite four ERs over 5 years, the polyp recurred at the same site. Laparoscopic surgery revealed a dilated appendix firmly attached to the sigmoid colon. We performed en bloc resection of both the sigmoid colon and appendix without tumor exposure. The histopathological evaluation showed that the LAMN had penetrated the sigmoid colon wall, forming two polyps on the colonic mucosa. In cases where the appendiceal‐colonic fistula is suspected, en bloc resection of the appendix and colon wall should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: This study aims to externally validate a predictive model for distant metastasis (DM) with computed tomography (CT)‐based radiomics features in prospectively enrolled non‐small‐cell lung cancer patients undergoing dynamic tumor‐tracking stereotactic body radiation therapy (DTT‐SBRT). Materials and methods: The study collected retrospective data from 567 patients across 11 institutions as the training dataset and prospectively enrolled 42 patients from four institutions as the external test dataset. Four clinical features were collected, and 944 CT‐based radiomic features were extracted from gross tumor volumes. After standardization and feature selection, DM predictive models were developed using fine and gray regression (FG) and random survival forest (RSF), incorporating clinical and radiomic features, and their combinations within the training dataset. Then, the model was applied to the test dataset, dividing patients into high‐ and low‐risk groups based on medians of risk scores. Model performance was assessed using the concordance index (C‐index), and the statistical significance between groups was evaluated using Gray's test. Results: In the training dataset, 122 of 567 patients (21.5%) developed DM, compared to 9 of 42 patients (21.4%) in the test dataset. In the test dataset, the C‐indices of the clinical, radiomics, and hybrid models with FG were 0.559, 0.544, and 0.560, respectively, whereas those with RSF were 0.576, 0.604, and 0.627, respectively. The hybrid model with RSF, which exhibited the best predictive performance of all models, identified 7 of 23 patients (30.4%) as high risk and 2 of 19 patients (10.5%) as low risk for DM incidence in the test dataset (p = 0.116). Conclusion: Although predictive models for DM lack significance when applied to prospectively enrolled cases undergoing DTT‐lung SBRT, the model with RSF exhibits a consistent capacity to effectively classify patients at a high risk of developing DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results on the classification of traveling wave solutions, including nonnegative traveling wave solutions in a weak sense, in the spatial 1D degenerate parabolic equation. These are obtained through dynamical systems theory and geometric approaches (in particular, Poincaré compactification). Classification of traveling wave solutions means enumerating those that exist and presenting properties of each solution, such as its profile and asymptotic behavior. The results examine a different range of parameters included in the equation, using the same techniques as discussed in the earlier work [Y. Ichida, Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst., Ser. B, 28 (2023), no. 2, 1116-1132]. In a clear departure from this previous work, the classification results obtained in this paper and the successful application of the known transformation also yield results for the classification of (weak) nonnegative traveling wave solutions for spatial 1D porous medium equations with special nonlinear terms. Finally, the bifurcations at infinity occur in the two-dimensional ordinary differential equations that characterize these traveling wave solutions are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We evaluated the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (NAC‐IMRT) in patients with borderline‐resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC). Methods: BRPC patients were treated with IMRT (45 Gy/15fr) combined with two courses of S‐1 (40 mg/m2 bid) before surgery. Outcomes after NAC‐IMRT, surgery, and survival were then evaluated. This single‐center retrospective study assessed 26 consecutive patients. Results: Twenty‐six patients (BR‐PV: 7, BR‐A: 19) with a median age of 73 years were enrolled from 2016 to 2021. Ten (38%) patients were 75‐years‐old and above. Twenty‐three patients completed NAC‐IMRT treatment. The median reductions in tumor size and cancer antigen 19‐9 level were 13.6% and 69%, respectively. All 26 patients underwent resection within a median time of 71 days after NAC‐IMRT initiation. R0 resection was achieved in 24 patients (92%). The median overall survival (OS) was 28.0 months, and the 1‐ and 3‐year OS rates were 100% and 34%, respectively. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 12.5 months, and the 1‐ and 3‐year PFS rates were 50% and 32%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in OS between the patients under and over the age of 75 (29 vs. 20 months, p = 0.86). The 12 patients who completed NAC‐IMRT, resection, and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) exhibited a 3‐year survival rate of 73%, which was significantly better than that of the patients who did not receive or complete AC (median OS, not reached vs. 19 months, p < 0.001). Conclusion: NAC‐IMRT showed outstanding clinical efficacy with acceptable tolerability in patients with BRPC, including geriatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium tantalate niobate (KTa1−xNbxO3, KTN) single crystals have a very large relative permittivity εr (>104) just above the paraelectric to ferroelectric phase transition temperature (TC). The quadratic electro-optic coefficient and the electro-strictive coefficient are also very large because of their proportionality to εr2. However, the local relative permittivity can easily vary spatially due to the incongruently melting nature of KTN. In this study, we quantitatively estimated the in-plane distribution of the huge local relative permittivity of KTN. First, we measured the spatial distribution of TC using scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy, then deposited the electrodes and measured the temperature dependence of the spatially averaged permittivity using an LCR meter. Following that, we evaluated the spatial distribution of the huge local permittivity from the combination of the spatial distribution of TC and the spatially averaged permittivity. Finally, we measured the deflection angle of light to confirm the validity of the εr estimation procedure. The maximum error for the estimated permittivity was estimated to be around 3.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]