Susceptibility in Soybean to Red Crown Rot and Characteristics of Virulence in Calonectria Crotalariae.

Susceptibility in soybean to red crown rot was investigated and virulence in Calonectria crotalariae was characterized. The following areas were examined: (i) variability and stability in virulence among C. crotalariae isolates, (ii) disease reaction in soybean cultivars in a greenhouse inoculation technique, (iii) disease development on hosts of different ages at time of inoculation, (iv) cultural characteristics and presence of dsRNA in isolates, and (v) the involvement of a toxin(s) in the C. crotalariae/soybean system. A wide range in virulence of isolates of C. crotalariae was observed, and soybean isolates were more virulent on soybean than were peanut isolates. Virulence of the fungus was stable. Evidence for physiologic specialization was not recognized in this system, but possible host specialization was observed. A range of responses among cultivars to a highly virulent isolate was detected using a greenhouse inoculation technique. This technique was rapid, efficient, provided consistent results between greenhouse and field tests, and identified the least susceptible cultivars. Quadratic and linear relationships were described between plant age and lesion length or perithecia production in older plants (10-40 days old) and seedlings (4-10 days old), respectively. Differences in lesion length and perithecia production that were observed on seedlings were similar to relative levels of susceptibility in cultivars in greenhouse and field tests. Variability in disease severity, production of microsclerotia and perithecia, and mycelial growth was observed in isolates of C. crotalariae. However, isolates did not contain detectable levels of dsRNA. Disease severity correlated positively with production of both microsclerotia and perithecia. Isolates of C. crotalariae from soybean demonstrated greater virulence and production of microsclerotia and perithecia than did isolates from peanut. A trifoliate assay with half-strength culture filtrates detected toxic metabolites produced by C. crotalariae. At least one of these toxic metabolites was heat stable. The cultivar least susceptible to red crown rot also showed the least sensitivity to culture filtrates. The toxic metabolites are secondary determinants of virulence and play a role in symptom development. Results suggest that toxic metabolites of C. crotalariae may be involved in red crown rot of soybean

Readmissions following elective radical total gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: A case-controlled study

AbstractBackgroundReadmission after gastrectomy is one of the factors that reflect quality of life. Therefore, we analyzed the several factors related to readmissions after total gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.MethodsFrom January 2002 through December 2009, 102 consecutive patients who underwent radical total gastrectomy for early gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the incidence, cause, time point, and type of treatment for readmission after discharge; we compared the readmission and non-readmission groups in regard to clinicopathologic features and postoperative outcomes.ResultsThe readmission rate during the five years after total gastrectomy was 22 of 102 (21.6%). The most common cause for readmission was esophagojejunostomy stricture (5 cases). The treatment given for 31 readmissions included 23 conservative therapies, 3 radiologic or endoscopic interventions, and 5 re-operations. No significant differences were detected in the clinicopathologic feature, postoperative outcomes, or 5-year survival rates between the readmission and non-readmission group. No specific risk factor was found to be associated with readmission.ConclusionAlthough we could not determine a specific risk factor associated with readmission after radical total gastrectomy, prevention of readmission by evaluating the causes and treatments after radical total gastrectomy can improve the patient's quality of life

Evidence for the Existence of Secretory Granule (Dense-Core Vesicle)-Based Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate-Dependent Ca2+ Signaling System in Astrocytes

BACKGROUND: The gliotransmitters released from astrocytes are deemed to play key roles in the glial cell-neuron communication for normal function of the brain. The gliotransmitters, such as glutamate, ATP, D-serine, neuropeptide Y, are stored in vesicles of astrocytes and secreted following the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-induced intracellular Ca2+ releases. Yet studies on the identity of the IP3-dependent intracellular Ca2+ stores remain virtually unexplored. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have therefore studied the potential existence of the IP3-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ stores in the cytoplasm of astrocytes using human brain tissue samples in contrast to cultured astrocytes that had primarily been used in the past. It was thus found that secretory granule marker proteins chromogranins and secretogranin II localize in the large dense core vesicles of astrocytes, thereby confirming the large dense core vesicles as bona fide secretory granules. Moreover, consistent with the major IP3-dependent intracellular Ca2+ store role of secretory granules in secretory cells, secretory granules of astrocytes also contained all three (types 1, 2, and 3) IP3R isoforms. SIGNIFICANCE: Given that the secretory granule marker proteins chromogranins and secretogranin II are high-capacity, low-affinity Ca2+ storage proteins and chromogranins interact with the IP3Rs to activate the IP3R/Ca2+ channels, i.e., increase both the mean open time and the open probability of the channels, these results imply that secretory granules of astrocytes function as the IP3-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ store

High-Recycling Characteristics in the KSTAR Tokamak Divertor by Using Two-Dimensional Transport Simulations

The operation space in the conduction-limited divertor regime of the KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) tokamak is obtained in terms of the upstream density and the input power through numerical simulations using a two-dimensional two-fluid edge plasma transport code coupled with a two-dimensional Monte Carlo recycling neutral transport code in which the electron impact ionization and the charge exchange of recycling neutrals are taken into account. Two major high-recycling characteristics, the parallel temperature gradient and plasma pressure conservation, are identi ed in this operation space along the magnetic ux tubes between the upstream position and the divertor target plate in the KSTAR tokamak. Inclusion of ion pressures in the present simulations for total plasma pressures shows firm evidence of pressure conservation in the high-recycling regime. In addition, scalings of the plasma temperature and density at the divertor plate with the upstream plasma density are derived, and they are compared with those in a simple one-dimensional analytic transport model, the so-called two-point model. Finally, the simulation shows that the peaked feature of the upstream ion temperature pro le adjacent to the separatrix a ects the distribution of the divertor heat flux. This indicates that the ion parallel heat conduction near the separatrix plays an important role in determining the radial pro le of the heat flux onto the divertor target, as the electron parallel heat conduction does in the conduction-limited regime. It is, therefore, suggested that modification of the upstream plasma property profiles will make it possible to control the power dispersal on the divertor plate

Parenchymal Neurocutaneous Melanosis in Association with Intraventricular Dermoid and Dandy-Walker Variant: A Case Report

Neurocutaneous melanosis (NCM) is a rare congenital disease that is characterized by the presence of large or multiple congenital melanocytic nevi and melanotic lesions of the central nervous system. We report here on the CT and MR imaging findings of an unusual case of NCM that was associated with intraventricular dermoid and Dandy-Walker malformation

Salinomycin enhances doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in multidrug resistant MCF-7/MDR human breast cancer cells via decreased efflux of doxorubicin

Salinomycin is a monocarboxylic polyether antibiotic, which is widely used as an anticoccidial agent. The anticancer property of salinomycin has been recognized and is based on its ability to induce apoptosis in human multidrug resistance (MDR). The present study investigated whether salinomycin reverses MDR towards chemotherapeutic agents in doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/MDR human breast cancer cells. The results demonstrated that doxorubicin-mediated cytotoxicity was significantly enhanced by salinomycin in the MCF-7/MDR cells, and this occurred in a dose-dependent manner. This finding was consistent with subsequent observations made under a confocal microscope, in which the doxorubicin fluorescence signals of the salinomycin-treated cells were higher compared with the cells treated with doxorubicin alone. In addition, flow cytometric analysis revealed that salinomycin significantly increased the net cellular uptake and decreased the efflux of doxorubicin. The expression levels of MDR-1 and MRP-1 were not altered at either the mRNA or protein levels in the cells treated with salinomycin. These results indicated that salinomycin was mediated by its ability to increase the uptake and decrease the efflux of doxorubicin in MCF-7/MDR cells. Salinomycin reversed the resistance of doxorubicin, suggesting that chemotherapy in combination with salinomycin may benefit MDR cancer therapyopen