Sonographic size of newborn testis

Purpose : It is essential to determine normative data of testicular size and penile length in newborn infants in order to assess the development during the fetal period. In this study, we evaluated testicular volumes using ultrasonography and also measured penile lengths in Japanese newborn infants. We also examined the associations of the development of these organs with factors including placental weight and anthropometric data. Methods : One hundred and fifteen full-term male newborn infants were recruited for this study. Testicular size was measured by ultrasonography. Results : Mean testicular volumes were 187.4 mm3 in the right testis and 185.4 mm3 in the left testis, and there was no significant difference between the right and left testicular volumes. Right and left testicular volumes showed positive and significant correlations with body lengths and weights. Testicular volumes in the right and left sides were not significantly associated with penile lengths. In 4 groups according to gestational weeks, testicular volume increased significantly with advance of gestational weeks in the left testis. Conclusion : We determined testicular volumes using ultrasonography in Japanese newborn infants. We believe that the results for newborn infants provide important information for assessment of the development of fetal testicular volume

Sulfonylurea-resistant biotypes of Monochoria vaginalis generate higher ultraweak photon emissions than the susceptible ones

All living organisms spontaneously generate ultraweak photon emissions, which originate from biochemical reactions in cells. Current research uses the ultraweak photon emission from organisms as a novel indicator in nondestructive analyses of an organisms living state. This study indicates that ultraweak photon emissions from Monochoria vaginalis are different between resistant biotypes (R) to sulfonylurea (SU) and susceptible biotypes (S). In SU-R biotypes, distinct increases in photon emissions were observed, but there was little increase in SU-S biotypes. In addition, photon emissions from the resistant biotypes of M. vaginalis were suppressed by treatment with P450 inhibitors. This suggests that cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, which plays a crucial role in the metabolic detoxification of SUs, could be associated with the generation of ultraweak photon emissions. Ultraweak photon emissions have a potential use in a novel diagnosis system as an indicator in a nondestructive testing of weeds resistant to SUs

Adenomyoepithelioma of the Breast A with an Immunohistochemical Study

Adenomyoepithelioma is a rare primary tumor of the breast in women. It is characterized by a bicellular pattern consisting of both ductal and myoepithelial elements. We report here an additional case of adenomyoepithelioma in a 57-year-old woman. The aspiration cytology revealed atypical cell clusters, and the simple mastectomy was performed under the diagnosis of ductal carcinoma. Macroscopically, the tumor presented as a well-defined mass. Histologically, the tumor demonstrated the characteristic bicellular growth pattern consisting of ducts and a periductal proliferation of mainly polygonal neoplastic cells. Immunohistochemically, epithelial cells lining the glandular structures were strongly positive for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Polygonal myoepithelial cells gave negative reactions with cytokeratin and EMA. Most polygonal myoepithelial cells were positive for ﾎｱ-smooth muscle actin (SMA) and S-100 protein. Our case was a representative example of a typical adenomyoepithelioma, but the cytological diagnosis needs a deep attention to avoid overdiagnosis

Androgen’s effects in female

The metabolic effects of androgens and their underlying mechanisms in females have been revealed by recent studies. An excess of androgens can have adverse effects on feeding behavior and metabolic functions and induce metabolic disorders / diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, in women and experimental animals of reproductive age. Interestingly, these effects of androgens are not observed in ovariectomized animals, indicating that their effects might be dependent on the estrogen milieu. Central and peripheral mechanisms, such as alterations in the activity of hypothalamic factors, reductions in energy expenditure, skeletal muscle insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction, might be related to these androgens’ effects

Diverse genetic mechanisms underlie worldwide convergent rice feralization

Background: Worldwide feralization of crop species into agricultural weeds threatens global food security. Weedy rice is a feral form of rice that infests paddies worldwide and aggressively outcompetes cultivated varieties. Despite increasing attention in recent years, a comprehensive understanding of the origins of weedy crop relatives and how a universal feralization process acts at the genomic and molecular level to allow the rapid adaptation to weediness are still yet to be explored. Results: We use whole-genome sequencing to examine the origin and adaptation of 524 global weedy rice samples representing all major regions of rice cultivation. Weed populations have evolved multiple times from cultivated rice, and a strikingly high proportion of contemporary Asian weed strains can be traced to a few Green Revolution cultivars that were widely grown in the late twentieth century. Latin American weedy rice stands out in having originated through extensive hybridization. Selection scans indicate that most genomic regions underlying weedy adaptations do not overlap with domestication targets of selection, suggesting that feralization occurs largely through changes at loci unrelated to domestication. Conclusions: This is the first investigation to provide detailed genomic characterizations of weedy rice on a global scale, and the results reveal diverse genetic mechanisms underlying worldwide convergent rice feralization

コナギ ノ ハンショク セイタイ ト スルホニルウレアケイ ジョソウザイ テイコウセイ ノ イデン ヨウシキ

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(農学)甲第14105号農博第1733号新制||農||963(附属図書館)学位論文||H20||N4405(農学部図書室)UT51-2008-L160京都大学大学院農学研究科農学専攻(主査)教授 冨永 達, 教授 谷坂 隆俊, 教授 白岩 立彦学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of Agricultural ScienceKyoto UniversityDA

Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements for determining voltage-dependent charge-separation efficiencies of subcells in triple-junction solar cells

Conventional external quantum-efficiency measurement of solar cells provides charge-collection efficiency for approximate short-circuit conditions. Because this differs from actual operating voltages, the optimization of high-quality tandem solar cells is especially complicated. Here, we propose a contactless method, which allows for the determination of the voltage dependence of charge-collection efficiency for each subcell independently. By investigating the power dependence of photoluminescence decays, charge-separation and recombination-loss time constants are obtained. The upper limit of the charge-collection efficiencies at the operating points is then obtained by applying the uniform field model. This technique may complement electrical characterization of the voltage dependence of charge collection, since subcells are directly accessible

Photoperiod throughout the maternal life cycle, not photoperiod during seed imbibition, influences germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Plants adjust their phenology in response to seasonal cues experienced both by their parents and by themselves, and coordinating responses to these cues is necessary for expressing adaptive phenology. We investigated how cues are integrated across time to influence an important progeny phenotype, i.e., seed germination. METHODS: We used Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate how the photoperiod experienced by maternal parents and by progeny influences seed germination. We examined when maternal photoperiod effects on germination are imposed and how long they persist in progeny. KEY RESULTS: The photoperiod experienced by maternal plants more strongly influenced germination than the photoperiod experienced during seed imbibition. In addition, the photoperiod experienced at the prereproductive stage frequently influenced germination as strongly as that experienced during reproduction. In general, seeds from plants grown under short days had higher seed germination percentages than seeds from plants grown in longer days. These maternal effects diminished with after-ripening, but reappeared in seeds induced into secondary dormancy. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that the effect of photoperiod systematically attenuates in proportion to the time that elapsed between the cue and the timing of seed germination. Moreover, more recently experienced cues did not override the effects of cues experienced previously. Instead, specific sequences of photoperiods experienced at the prereproductive and reproductive stages appear to influence germination behavior.Fil: Imaizumi, Toshiyuki. University of Duke; Estados UnidosFil: Auge, Gabriela Alejandra. University of Duke; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Donohue, Kathleen. University of Duke; Estados Unido