Tumor formation in hybrids between Solanum lycopersicum and S. habrochaites

Genetic tumors are neoplastic growths that arise spontaneously in particular genotypes in plants. In the present study, we observed the occurrence of tumors in interspecific hybrids between Solanum lycopersicum L. and Solanum habrochaites S. Knapp and D. M. Spooner. The hybridity of these plants was confirmed based on morphological characteristics, flow cytometry and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Hybrids formed tumors when the plants were grown in a growth chamber. These tumors were formed most frequently on leaves, but also on cotyledons, stems and petioles. When hybrid plants bearing tumors were transferred to a greenhouse, the tumors disappeared and necrotic brown spots were visible in the positions where tumors existed previously. Further analyses indicated that tumors were never formed in the greenhouse. These results suggest that environmental conditions influenced tumorigenesis in hybrids raised from S. lycopersicum × S. habrochaites crosses. In addition, when stem segments of hybrids were cultured in vitro on plant growth regulator-free medium, tumors and shoot formation were induced. Thus, hybrids between S. lycopersicum × S. habrochaites provide an excellent experimental system to study plant tumorigenesis and to understand cell division and differentiation.Keywords: Environmental condition, growth abnormality, interspecific cross, tomato, tissue culture, tumorAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(15), pp. 1745-175

Matrix coefficients of the middle discrete series of SU(2,2) II, the explicit asymptotic expansion

AbstractWe obtain the explicit asymptotic expansion of the matrix coefficients of the middle discrete series representation of SU(2,2) by means of degenerate Gaussian hypergeometric series

A Discovery of Rapid Optical Flares from Low-Luminosity Active Nuclei in Massive Galaxies

We report a serendipitous discovery of six very low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) only by optical variability in one-month baseline. The detected flux variability is ~ 1-5% of the total luminosity of host galaxies. Careful subtraction of host galaxy components in nuclear regions indicates that the fractional variability (Delta F / F) of the nuclei is of order unity. At least one of them is showing a compelling flaring activity within just a few days, which appears to be quite different from previously known AGN variability. We obtained spectroscopic data for the one showing the largest flare and confirmed that it is in fact an AGN at z = 0.33 with an estimated black hole mass of ~10^8 M_sun. As a possible interpretation, we suggest that these activities are coming from the region around the black hole event horizon, which is physically similar to the recently discovered near-infrared flares of our Galactic nucleus. It is indicated that our Galaxy is not special, and that surprisingly rapid flaring activity in optical/near-infrared bands may be commonly hidden in nuclei of apparently normal galaxies with low Eddington ratios, in contrast to the variability of well-studied luminous AGNs or quasars.Comment: Accepted to ApJ Letter

Differentiating between Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma and Glioblastoma: The Diagnostic Value of Combining 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography with Arterial Spin Labeling

Using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods, the differentiation of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and glioblastoma (GBM) is often difficult due to overlapping imaging characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of combining 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) with arterial spin labeling (ASL) for differentiating PCNSL from GBM. In all, 20 patients with PCNSL and 55 with GBM were retrospectively examined. From the FDG-PET data, the maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and the ratio of tumor to normal contralateral gray matter (T/N_SUVmax) were calculated. From the ASL data, the T/N ratio of the maximum tumor blood flow (relative TBFmax: rTBFmax) was obtained. Diagnostic performance of each parameter was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. A generalized linear model was applied for comparing the performance of FDG-PET and ASL individually, and in combination. In univariate analysis, SUVmax and T/N_SUVmax were statistically higher in patients with PCNSL and rTBFmax was higher in patients with GBM. In the multivariate analysis, T/N_SUVmax and rTBFmax were statistically independent. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) for discriminating PCNSL from GBM were 100%, 87.3%, and 0.950 in T/N_SUVmax; 90%, 72.7%, and 0.824 in rTBFmax; and 95%, 96.4%, and 0.991 in the combined model, respectively. The combined use of T/N_SUVmax and rTBFmax may contribute to better differentiation between PCNSL and GBM

Social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns ("Kodawari") considered from the "Comprehension" section of the WISC-IV in autism spectrum disorder

Background: Many studies have used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC) to examine the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most studies have been based on profile analysis, not on content analysis. Objective: The objective of the present study was to apply the WISC-IV to clinical assessment of ASD and clarify how the characteristics of the disorder were reflected in specific items. Methods: The study participants were 20 patients aged 5-16 years diagnosed with ASD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). We recruited 20 patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 20 patients with other disorders (neurotic disorders) as controls. We then compared the scores of the ninth item of the WISC-IV ("Comprehension") among the three groups. Results: The differences observed between the ASD vs. the other disorders group were not significant by the standard scoring method. Thus, a two-level scoring method of 0 and ≥1 point was adopted. As a result, significantly more participants in the ASD group scored 0 points compared with the ADHD and other disorders grou