Genetic structure of landraces in foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.) revealed with transposon display and interpretation to crop evolution of foxtail millet

Although the origin and domestication process of foxtail millet (Setaria italica subsp. italica (L.) P. Beauv.) has been studied by several groups, the issue is still ambiguous. It is essential to resolve this issue by studying a large number of accessions with sufficient markers covering the entire genome. Genetic structures were analyzed by transposon display (TD) using 425 accessions of foxtail millet and 12 of the wild ancestor green foxtail (Setaria italica subsp. viridis (L.) P. Beauv.). We used three recently active transposons (TSI-1, TSI-7, and TSI-10) as genome-wide markers and succeeded in demonstrating geographical structures of the foxtail millet. A neighbor-joining dendrogram based on TD grouped the foxtail millet accessions into eight major clusters, each of which consisted of accessions collected from adjacent geographical areas. Eleven out of 12 green foxtail accessions were grouped separately from the clusters of foxtail millet. These results indicated strong regional differentiations and a long history of cultivation in each region. Furthermore, we discuss the relationship between foxtail millet and green foxtail and suggest a monophyletic origin of foxtail millet domestication

A novel superior factor widely controlling the rice grain quality

Synthesis of storage starch and protein accumulation is the main action of endosperm organogenesis in term of the economic importance of rice. This event is strongly disturbed by abiotic stresses such as high temperature; thus, the upcoming global warming will cause a crisis with a great impact on food production^1,2^. The enzymes for the protein storage and starch synthesis pathway should work in concert to carry out the organogenesis of rice endosperm^3-5^, but the regulatory mechanism is largely unknown. Here we show that a novel regulatory factor, named OsCEO1, acts as the conductor of endosperm organogenesis during the rice grain filling stage. The physiological properties of _floury-endosperm-2_ (_flo2_) mutants showed many similarities to symptoms of grains developed under high-temperature conditions, suggesting important roles of the responsible gene in sensitivity to high-temperature stress. Our map-based cloning identified the responsible gene for the _flo2_ mutant, _OsCEO1_, which has no homology to any genes of known function. The _OsCEO1_ belongs to a novel conserved gene family and encodes a protein composed of 1,720 amino acid residues containing a TPR (tetratricopeptide repeat) motif, which is considered to mediate a protein-protein interaction. The yeast two-hybrid analysis raised an unknown protein showing homology to a late embryogenesis abundant protein and a putative basic helix-loop-helix protein as candidates for the direct interactor for _OsCEO1_, whereas no enzyme genes for the synthesis of storage substances were detected. The _flo2_ mutant exhibited reduced expression of several genes for putative regulatory proteins as well as many enzymes involved in storage starch and proteins. These results suggest that _OsCEO1_ is a superior conductor of the novel regulatory cascade of endosperm organogenesis and may have important roles in the response to high-temperature stress

National survey of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: The Japanese catheter ablation registry of atrial fibrillation (J-CARAF)

AbstractTo assess the current status of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in Japan, the Japanese Heart Rhythm Society (JHRS) instituted a national registry, the Japanese Catheter Ablation Registry of AF (J-CARAF).MethodsUsing an online questionnaire, the JHRS invited electrophysiology centers in Japan to voluntarily and retrospectively register data regarding the AF ablation procedures performed in September, 2011.ResultsA total of 128 centers submitted data regarding AF ablation procedures in 932 patients (age 62.1±10.4 years; male 76.8%; paroxysmal AF 65.7%, CHADS2 score 1.0±1.0). The majority received oral anticoagulant therapy during and following the procedure (68.9% and 97.5%, respectively). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was performed in 97.5% of the patients; ipsilateral encircling PVI was the preferred technique (79.7%). Three-dimensional (3D) mapping systems and irrigated-tip catheters were used in 94.8% and 87.7% of the procedures, respectively. Ablation methods other than PVI were performed in 78.8% of all the patients and 73.5% of the patients with paroxysmal AF. Acute complications were reported in 6.2% of the patients, but no early deaths were recorded.ConclusionsIpsilateral encircling PVI, using 3D mapping and irrigated-tip catheters, is the standard AF ablation method in Japan. However, adjunctive ablations were performed frequently, even in patients with paroxysmal AF

Global snapshot of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research activities of materials scientists between Spring and Autumn 2020

We conducted a global survey on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the research activities of materials scientists by distributing a questionnaire on 9th October 2020 with a response deadline of 23rd October 2020. The questions covered issues such as access to labs, effectiveness of online conferences, and effects on doctoral students for the period covering the first lockdowns until the relaxation of restrictions in late September 2020 in many countries. The survey also included online interviews with eminent materials scientists who shared their local experiences during this period. The interviews were compiled as a series of audio conversations for The STAM Podcast that is freely available worldwide. Our findings included that the majority of institutes were not prepared for such a crisis; researchers in China, Japan, and Singapore were able to resume research much quicker—for example after approximately one month in Japan—than their counterparts in the US and Europe after the first lockdowns; researchers adapted to using virtual teleconferencing to maintain contact with colleagues; and doctoral students were the hardest hit by the pandemic with deep concerns about completing their research and career prospects. We hope that the analysis from this survey will enable the global materials science community to learn from each other’s experiences and move forward from the unprecedented circumstances created by the pandemic

Mapping patterns of abiotic and biotic stress resilience uncovers conservation gaps and breeding potential of Vigna wild relatives

This study provides insights in patterns of distribution of abiotic and biotic stress resilience across Vigna gene pools to enhance the use and conservation of these genetic resources for legume breeding. Vigna is a pantropical genus with more than 88 taxa including important crops such as V. radiata (mung bean) and V. unguiculata (cowpea). our results show that sources of pest and disease resistance occur in at least 75 percent of the Vigna taxa, which were part of screening assessments, while sources of abiotic stress resilience occur in less than 30 percent of screened taxa. This difference in levels of resilience suggests that Vigna taxa co-evolve with pests and diseases while taxa are more conservative to adapt to climatic changes and salinization. twenty-two Vigna taxa are poorly conserved in genebanks or not at all. this germplasm is not available for legume breeding and requires urgent germplasm collecting before these taxa extirpate on farm and in the wild. Vigna taxa, which tolerate heat and drought stress are rare compared with taxa, which escape these stresses because of short growing seasons or with taxa, which tolerate salinity. We recommend prioritizing these rare Vigna taxa for conservation and screening for combined abiotic and biotic stress resilience resulting from stacked or multifunctional traits. the high presence of salinity tolerance compared with drought stress tolerance, suggests that Vigna taxa are good at developing salt-tolerant traits. Vigna taxa are therefore of high value for legume production in areas that will suffer from salinization under global climate change.publishedVersio

CD40L-Tri, a novel formulation of recombinant human CD40L that effectively activates B cells

CD40L has a well-established role in enhancing the immunostimulatory capacity of normal and malignant B cells, but a formulation suitable for clinical use has not been widely available. Like other TNF family members, in vivo and in vitro activity of CD40L requires a homotrimeric configuration, and growing evidence suggests that bioactivity depends on higher-order clustering of CD40. We generated a novel formulation of human recombinant CD40L (CD40L-Tri) in which the CD40L extracellular domain and a trimerization motif are connected by a long flexible peptide linker. We demonstrate that CD40L-Tri significantly expands normal CD19+ B cells by over 20- to 30-fold over 14 days and induces B cells to become highly immunostimulatory antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Consistent with these results, CD40L-Tri-activated B cells could effectively stimulate antigen-specific T responses (against the influenza M1 peptide) from normal volunteers. In addition, CD40L-Tri could induce malignant B cells to become effective APCs, such that tumor-directed immune responses could be probed. Together, our studies demonstrate the potent immune-stimulatory effects of CD40L-Tri on B cells that enable their expansion of antigen-specific human T cells. The potent bioactivity of CD40L-Tri is related to its ability to self-multimerize, which may be facilitated by its long peptide linker. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00262-012-1331-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Retrospective chart review of oral somatic delusions

Objective: Oral cenesthopathy is characterized by foreign body sensations without medical and dental evidence for them. It is thought to be a rare disease in psychiatry, but many patients are visiting dental clinics seeking treatment to remove a foreign body. Even though the features of oral cenesthopathy might be different between a psychiatric clinic and a dental clinic, there has been no clinico-statistical study from dentists. In this study, we report a clinico-statistical study of patients with oral cenesthopathy in dentistry. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of 606 outpatients with oral cenesthopathy in Tokyo Medical and Dental University from April 2010 through to March 2015. Results: A total of 159 male and 447 female patients were included in this study. The mean age was 62.08 years, and female patients were older than male patients. The trigger of the dental treatment and the acute phase of depression at the onset were significantly related (p=0.037). Only 128 patients (36%) had clinically significant improvement after 6 months of pharmacotherapy. No history of psychiatric disorders (odds ratio [OR] 0.479 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.262–0.875], p=0.017) and longer duration of illness (>18 months) (OR 2.626 [95% CI: 1.437–4.799], p=0.002) were significant factors for clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Patients with oral cenesthopathy in our clinic were predominantly elderly female patients. Dental treatment in the acute phase of depression might be a risk factor for oral cenesthopathy. Therefore, comprehending the situation of psychiatric disorder and obtaining adequate informed consent might be required to prevent the trouble concerning oral cenesthopathy

GALAXY CRUISE: Deep Insights into Interacting Galaxies in the Local Universe

We present the first results from GALAXY CRUISE, a community (or citizen) science project based on data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). The current paradigm of galaxy evolution suggests that galaxies grow hierarchically via mergers, but our observational understanding of the role of mergers is still limited. The data from HSC-SSP are ideally suited to improve our understanding with improved identifications of interacting galaxies thanks to the superb depth and image quality of HSC-SSP. We have launched a community science project, GALAXY CRUISE, in 2019 and collected over 2 million independent classifications of 20,686 galaxies at z < 0.2. We first characterize the accuracy of the participants' classifications and demonstrate that it surpasses previous studies based on shallower imaging data. We then investigate various aspects of interacting galaxies in detail. We show that there is a clear sign of enhanced activities of super massive black holes and star formation in interacting galaxies compared to those in isolated galaxies. The enhancement seems particularly strong for galaxies undergoing violent merger. We also show that the mass growth rate inferred from our results is roughly consistent with the observed evolution of the stellar mass function. The 2nd season of GALAXY CRUISE is currently under way and we conclude with future prospects. We make the morphological classification catalog used in this paper publicly available at the GALAXY CRUISE website, which will be particularly useful for machine-learning applications.Comment: 23 pages, 22 figures, PASJ in press. Data available at https://galaxycruise.mtk.nao.ac.jp/en/for_researchers.htm