A systematic study of genus

First, pollen grains of tribe Sanguisorbeae (Rosaceae, Rosoideae) were examined using scanning electron microscopy in order to identify useful characters in the tribe, test taxonomic and phylogenetic hypotheses among genera, and elucidate pollen character evolution. Aperture number, aperture structure, equatorial shape, and exine sculpturing characters grouped the pollen grains into six types. Microverrucate and striate exine sculpturing patterns support a monophyly of Sanguisorbinae and Agrimoniinae respectively. In Agrimoniinae, evolutionary directions of elliptic to circular equatorial shapes and striate to microverrucate sculpturing are apparent and distinguish Hageniafrom the other genera. Pontoperculate apertures are found only in Sanguisorbinae and support close relationships of Acaena, Cliffortia, Margyricarpus, and Polylepis. In chapter 2, phylogeny and biogeography of Agrimoniinae composed of four monotypic endemics (Aremonia, Hagenia, Leucosidea, and Spenceria) and a worldwide genus (Agrimonia) are constructed from nuclear and plastid sequences (GBSSI-1, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG-trnG). All nucleotide data support the monophyly of Agrimoniinae with a basal group of the Asian monotypic Spenceria (2n=2x=14), the sister relationship of the African genera Hagenia and Leucosidea, and the monophyly of Agrimonia (2n=4x, 6x, and 8x) + Aremonia (2n=6x). In Agrimonia, nuclear data define a lineage of Asian and American tetraploids (Agrimonia coreana, A. microcarpa, A. parviflora, and A. rostellata). These results suggest that the most recent ancestor of the subtribe distributed in Asia (tethyan) and paleo-migration might have occurred between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and that polyploidy is a major evolutionary process in Agrimoniinae and Agrimonia. Lastly, the genus Agrimonia is characterized as a monophyletic group of 19 species defined by two unique characters, interrupted pinnately compound leaves and bristly epicalyx segments. Species occur primarily in temperate regions throughout North America, Central America, the West Indies, southern South America, Europe, Asia, and southern Africa. Descriptions, nomenclatural histories, distribution maps, and keys are presented to 19 species and three varieties of A. pilosa. Neotypes of A. hirsuta and A. nipponica, an isolectotype of A. pilosa, and a lectotype of A. villosa are designated. The evolution of polyploidy and 12 morphological characters is evaluated within a phylogenetic framework

Effect of immobilized cell-binding peptides on chitosan membranes for osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Two cell-binding domains from FGF-2 (fibroblast growth factor-2) were shown to increase cell attachment and osteoblastic differentiation. Two synthetic peptides derived from FGF-2, namely residues 36-41 (F36; PDGRVD) and 77-83 (F77; KEDGRLL), were prepared and their N-termini further modified for ease of surface immobilization. Chitosan membranes were used in the present study as mechanical supportive biomaterials for peptide immobilization. Peptides could be stably immobilized on to the surface of chitosan membranes. The adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells to the peptide (F36 and F77)-immobilized chitosan membrane was increased in a dose-dependent manner and completely inhibited by soluble RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) and anti-integrin antibody, indicating the existence of an interaction between F36/F77 and integrin. Peptide-immobilized chitosan supported human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal-stem-cell differentiation into osteoblastic cells, as demonstrated by alkaline phosphate expression and mineralization. Taken together, the identified peptide-immobilized chitosan membranes were able to support cell adhesion and osteoblastic differentiation; thus these peptides might be useful as bioactive agents for osteoblastic differentiation and surface-modification tools in bone regenerative therapy.This study was supported in part by the KOSEF (Korea Science and Technology Foundation) Nanobiotechnology Development Program [no. 2007-00952] entitled Regenomics (innovative surface activation of regenerative biomaterials), in part by the Korea Research Foundation [grant no. D00192] and in part by an Engineering Research Center grant from KOSEF through the IBEC (Intelligent Biointerface Engineering Center) [grant no. R11-2000-084-09001-0]

Bloodstream Infections and Clinical Significance of Healthcare-associated Bacteremia: A Multicenter Surveillance Study in Korean Hospitals

Recent changes in healthcare systems have changed the epidemiologic paradigms in many infectious fields including bloodstream infection (BSI). We compared clinical characteristics of community-acquired (CA), hospital-acquired (HA), and healthcare-associated (HCA) BSI. We performed a prospective nationwide multicenter surveillance study from 9 university hospitals in Korea. Total 1,605 blood isolates were collected from 2006 to 2007, and 1,144 isolates were considered true pathogens. HA-BSI accounted for 48.8%, CA-BSI for 33.2%, and HCA-BSI for 18.0%. HA-BSI and HCA-BSI were more likely to have severe comorbidities. Escherichia coli was the most common isolate in CA-BSI (47.1%) and HCA-BSI (27.2%). In contrast, Staphylococcus aureus (15.2%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (15.1%) were the common isolates in HA-BSI. The rate of appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy was the highest in CA-BSI (89.0%) followed by HCA-BSI (76.4%), and HA-BSI (75.0%). The 30-day mortality rate was the highest in HA-BSI (23.0%) followed by HCA-BSI (18.4%), and CA-BSI (10.2%). High Pitt score and inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy were the independent risk factors for mortality by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, the present data suggest that clinical features, outcome, and microbiologic features of causative pathogens vary by origin of BSI. Especially, HCA-BSI shows unique clinical characteristics, which should be considered a distinct category for more appropriate antibiotic treatment

Вихретоковый анизотропный термоэлектрический первичный преобразователь лучистого потока

Представлена оригинальная конструкция первичного преобразователя лучистого потока, который может служить основой для создания приемника неселективного излучения с повышенной чувствительностью

The 5p15.33 Locus Is Associated with Risk of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Never-Smoking Females in Asia

Genome-wide association studies of lung cancer reported in populations of European background have identified three regions on chromosomes 5p15.33, 6p21.33, and 15q25 that have achieved genome-wide significance with p-values of 10−7 or lower. These studies have been performed primarily in cigarette smokers, raising the possibility that the observed associations could be related to tobacco use, lung carcinogenesis, or both. Since most women in Asia do not smoke, we conducted a genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma in never-smoking females (584 cases, 585 controls) among Han Chinese in Taiwan and found that the most significant association was for rs2736100 on chromosome 5p15.33 (p = 1.30×10−11). This finding was independently replicated in seven studies from East Asia totaling 1,164 lung adenocarcinomas and 1,736 controls (p = 5.38×10−11). A pooled analysis achieved genome-wide significance for rs2736100. This SNP marker localizes to the CLPTM1L-TERT locus on chromosome 5p15.33 (p = 2.60×10−20, allelic risk = 1.54, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.41–1.68). Risks for heterozygote and homozygote carriers of the minor allele were 1.62 (95% CI; 1.40–1.87), and 2.35 (95% CI: 1.95–2.83), respectively. In summary, our results show that genetic variation in the CLPTM1L-TERT locus of chromosome 5p15.33 is directly associated with the risk of lung cancer, most notably adenocarcinoma

第868回千葉医学会例会・第8回磯野外科例会

matK sequences matri

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma in East Asia and comparison with a European population.

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Known risk variants explain only a small fraction of lung adenocarcinoma heritability. Here, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma of East Asian ancestry (21,658 cases and 150,676 controls; 54.5% never-smokers) and identified 12 novel susceptibility variants, bringing the total number to 28 at 25 independent loci. Transcriptome-wide association analyses together with colocalization studies using a Taiwanese lung expression quantitative trait loci dataset (n = 115) identified novel candidate genes, including FADS1 at 11q12 and ELF5 at 11p13. In a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of East Asian and European studies, four loci were identified at 2p11, 4q32, 16q23, and 18q12. At the same time, most of our findings in East Asian populations showed no evidence of association in European populations. In our studies drawn from East Asian populations, a polygenic risk score based on the 25 loci had a stronger association in never-smokers vs. individuals with a history of smoking (Pinteraction = 0.0058). These findings provide new insights into the etiology of lung adenocarcinoma in individuals from East Asian populations, which could be important in developing translational applications

Genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma in East Asia and comparison with a European population

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer. Known risk variants explain only a small fraction of lung adenocarcinoma heritability. Here, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of lung adenocarcinoma of East Asian ancestry (21,658 cases and 150,676 controls; 54.5% never-smokers) and identified 12 novel susceptibility variants, bringing the total number to 28 at 25 independent loci. Transcriptome-wide association analyses together with colocalization studies using a Taiwanese lung expression quantitative trait loci dataset (n = 115) identified novel candidate genes, including FADS1 at 11q12 and ELF5 at 11p13. In a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of East Asian and European studies, four loci were identified at 2p11, 4q32, 16q23, and 18q12. At the same time, most of our findings in East Asian populations showed no evidence of association in European populations. In our studies drawn from East Asian populations, a polygenic risk score based on the 25 loci had a stronger association in never-smokers vs. individuals with a history of smoking (P interaction  = 0.0058). These findings provide new insights into the etiology of lung adenocarcinoma in individuals from East Asian populations, which could be important in developing translational applications