Characterization of wheat Bell1-type homeobox genes in floral organs of alloplasmic lines with Aegilops crassa cytoplasm

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alloplasmic wheat lines with <it>Aegilops crassa </it>cytoplasm often show homeotic conversion of stamens into pistils under long-day conditions. In the pistillody-exhibiting florets, an ectopic ovule is formed within the transformed stamens, and female sterility is also observed because of abnormal integument development.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, four wheat <it>Bell1</it>-like homeobox (<it>BLH</it>) genes were isolated and named <it>WBLH1 </it>to <it>WBLH4</it>. <it>WBLH1</it>/<it>WBLH3</it>/<it>WBLH4 </it>expression was observed in the basal boundary region of the ovary in both normal pistils and transformed stamens. <it>WBLH2 </it>was also strongly expressed in integuments not only of normal ovules in pistils but also of the ectopic ovules in transformed stamens, and the <it>WBLH2 </it>expression pattern in the sterile pistils seemed to be identical to that in normal ovules of fertile pistils. In addition, WBLH1 and WBLH3 showed interactions with the three wheat KNOX proteins through the BEL domain. WBLH2, however, formed a complex with wheat KNOTTED1 and ROUGH SHEATH1 orthologs through SKY and BEL domains, but not with a wheat LIGULELESS4 ortholog.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Expression of the four <it>WBLH </it>genes is evident in reproductive organs including pistils and transformed stamens and is independent from female sterility in alloplasmic wheat lines with <it>Ae. crassa </it>cytoplasm. KNOX-BLH interaction was conserved among various plant species, indicating the significance of KNOX-BLH complex formation in wheat developmental processes. The functional features of <it>WBLH2 </it>are likely to be distinct from other <it>BLH </it>gene functions in wheat development.</p

Prognostic impact of KIHON checklist score in elderly patients with hemodialysis initiation

Abstract Background Frailty pervades the demographic of individuals afflicted by chronic kidney disease (CKD) and exhibits a robust correlation with a less favorable prognosis. Nonetheless, the evaluation and prognostication of frailty within the incipient stages of dialysis initiation remain shrouded in ambiguity. The necessity arises for an uncomplicated metric that holistically assesses frailty among aged CKD patients, one which lends itself to pragmatic clinical application. Methods In our prospective endeavor, we conducted assessments using the “KIHON checklist (KCL),” a questionnaire comprising 25 points, thoughtfully crafted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to provide a thorough evaluation of the elderly population. This assessment was administered at the commencement of hemodialysis in patients aged 65 years or older. Subsequently, we analyzed the prognostic ramifications of the initial KCL scores on the composite primary endpoint, which encompassed the undesirable outcomes of either being bedridden or succumbing to mortality. Results A total of 24 patients (median age 76 years, 20 men) were included. The median KCL score was 6 [4, 10] points, and it was significantly correlated with the number of components in the revised Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study, which is a diagnostic criterion for frailty (p < 0.05). The group with a KCL score ≥ 10 points had a significantly lower 1-year freedom from the primary endpoints than the other group (43% versus 87%, p < 0.05). Among the components of the KCL, physical strength was significantly associated with the prognosis (p < 0.05). Conclusion The screening protocol employing the KCL during the commencement of hemodialysis among elderly individuals proved to be a valuable tool for the anticipation of both the state of being bedridden and mortality

Relations of Strain Parameters to Wall Stress

Whether and how left ventricular (LV) strain and strain rate correlate with wall stress is not known. Furthermore, it is not determined whether strain or strain rate is less dependent on the afterload. In 41 healthy young adults, LV global peak strain and systolic peak strain rate in the longitudinal direction (LS and LSR, respectively) and circumferential direction (CS and CSR, respectively) were measured layer-specifically using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) before and during a handgrip exercise. Among all the points before and during the exercise, all the STE parameters significantly correlated linearly with wall stress (LS: r = -0.53, p < 0.01, LSR: r = -0.28, p < 0.05, CS in the inner layer: r = -0.72, p < 0.01, CSR in the inner layer: r = -0.47, p < 0.01). Strain more strongly correlated with wall stress than strain rate (r = -0.53 for LS vs. r = -0.28 for LSR, p < 0.05; r = -0.72 for CS vs. r = -0.47 for CSR in the inner layer, p < 0.05), whereas the interobserver variability was similar between strain and strain rate (longitudinal 6.2 vs. 5.2 %, inner circumferential 4.8 vs. 4.7 %, mid-circumferential 7.9 vs. 6.9 %, outer circumferential 10.4 vs. 9.7 %), indicating that the differences in correlation coefficients reflect those in afterload dependency. It was thus concluded that LV strain and strain rate linearly and inversely correlated with wall stress in the longitudinal and circumferential directions, and strain more strongly depended on afterload than did strain rate. Myocardial shortening should be evaluated based on the relationships between these parameters and wall stress

A Prospective Observational Study on Effect of Short-Term Periodic Steroid Premedication on Bone Metabolism in Gastrointestinal Cancer (ESPRESSO-01)

Background. A multicenter prospective observational study evaluated the effect of gastrointestinal cancer chemotherapy with short‐term periodic steroid premedication on bone metabolism. Patients and Methods. Seventy‐four patients undergoing chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer were studied. The primary endpoints were changes in bone mineral densities (BMDs) and metabolic bone turnover 16 weeks after initiation of chemotherapy. BMDs, measured by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry, and serum cross‐linked N‐telopeptides of type I collagen (sNTX), and bone alkaline phosphatase (sBAP) were assessed for evaluation of bone resorption and formation, respectively. Results. In 74.3% (55/74) of the patients, BMDs were significantly reduced at 16 weeks relative to baseline. The percent changes of BMD were -1.89% (95% confidence interval [CI], -2.67% to -1.11%: p < .0001) in the lumbar spine, -2.24% (95% CI, -3.59% to -0.89%: p = .002) in the total hip, and -2.05% (95% CI, -3.11% to -0.99%: p < .0001) in the femoral neck. Although there was no significant difference in sNTX levels during 16 weeks (p = .136), there was a significant increase in sBAP levels (p = .010). Decreased BMD was significantly linked to number of chemotherapy cycles (p = .02). There were no significant correlations between changes in BMDs and the primary site of malignancy, chemotherapy regimens, total cumulative steroid dose, steroid dose intensity, and additive steroid usage. Conclusion. Gastrointestinal cancer chemotherapy with periodic glucocorticoid premedication was associated with reduced BMD and increased sBAP levels, which were linked to number of chemotherapy cycles but independent of primary site, chemotherapy regimen, duration, and additive steroid usage

Additional file 1 of Prognostic impact of KIHON checklist score in elderly patients with hemodialysis initiation

Additional file 1: Table 1. KIHON checklist. Table 2. Revised Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria

Everolimus-Eluting Biodegradable Abluminal Coating Stent versus Durable Conformal Coating Stent: Termination of the Inflammatory Response Associated with Neointimal Healing in a Porcine Coronary Model

Objectives. We evaluated the effect of the different carrier systems on early vascular response through histological analysis and scanning electron microscopy using a porcine model. Background. Although Synergy™ and Promus PREMIER™ share an identical stent material and drug elution (everolimus), they use different drug carrier systems: biodegradable abluminal coating polymer or durable conformal coating polymer, respectively. However, data regarding the impact of the different coating systems on vessel healing are currently limited. Methods. Twelve Synergy™ and Promus PREMIER™ were implanted in 12 swine. Histopathological analysis of the stented segments was performed on the 2nd and 14th days after implantation. Morphometric analysis of the inflammation and intimal fibrin content was also performed. Results. On the 2nd day, neointimal thickness, percentage of neointimal area, and inflammatory and intimal fibrin content scores were not significantly different between the two groups. On the 14th day, the inflammatory and intimal fibrin content scores were significantly lower in Synergy™ versus those observed in Promus PREMIER™. In Synergy™, smooth muscle cells were found and the neointimal layers were smooth. In contrast, inflammatory cells were observed surrounding the struts of Promus PREMIER™. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that termination of reactive inflammation is accelerated after abluminal coating stent versus implantation of conformal coating stent

Novel double-filtration plasmapheresis preserves fibrinogen while removing immunoglobulin-G antibodies before ABO blood type-incompatible kidney transplantation

Background Removal of anti-blood group antibodies is important for successful ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation (ABOi-KTx). Double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) using albumin solution removes antibodies effectively. However, fibrinogen is largely removed resulting in hemostatic failure. Herein, we designed an altered combination of plasma membranes in DFPP (novel DFPP, nDFPP) to retain more fibrinogen while removing IgG, and assessed its efficacy and safety compared with conventional DFPP (cDFPP). Methods Consecutive ABOi-KTx recipients (from 2015 to 2018) were enrolled. For the first membrane, we used Cascadeflo EC-50W in nDFPP and Plasmaflo OP-08W in cDFPP, and Cascadeflo EC-20W as the second membrane in both modalities. Removal rates (RR) of IgG, IgM and fibrinogen per DFPP session, and adverse events were compared with historical control patients who underwent cDFPP before ABOi-KTx, between 2006 and 2015. Results nDFPP and cDFPP groups included 12 and 23 cases, respectively. nDFPP was inferior to cDFPP in RR of IgG and IgM. nDFPP was also inferior to cDFPP in the decline in anti-blood group IgG and IgM antibody titers. However, fibrinogen was more preserved in nDFPP compared with cDFPP, indicating that nDFPP has more selective removal properties (median RR of IgG, IgM, and fibrinogen: 62.1%, 15.7% and 37.6%, respectively, in nDFPP; and 74.5%, 85.0% and 76.6%, respectively, in cDFPP). In the comparison of hemostatic function among the patients who had arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis, prolonged hemostasis (> 20 min) at the cannulation site was significantly less frequently observed in nDFPP group (1 in 9 cases, 9.1%) than in cDFPP group (all 18 cases, 10%, p < 0.0001). Conclusions nDFPP preserves fibrinogen while removing anti-blood type IgG antibodies before ABOi-KTx