180 research outputs found
Effectiveness of spatial analysis in Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (sugi) forward selection revealed by validation using progeny and clonal tests
International audienceAbstractKey messageAccurate evaluation of genetic performances of trees is crucial in order to improve the efficiency of forest tree breeding. We revealed that spatial analysis is effective for predicting individual tree breeding values at the forward selection stage ofCryptomeria japonicaD. Don (sugi) breeding program by using a novel validation approach.ContextIn the process of selecting genetically superior trees for breeding, appropriate handling of environmental effects is important in order to precisely evaluate candidate trees. Spatial analysis has been an effective statistical approach for genetic evaluation at sites with heterogeneous microenvironments. However, the efficiency of spatial analysis on forward selection has not been validated on a practical scale to date.AimsThis study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of spatial analysis, which incorporates spatially autocorrelated residuals into mixed models, for the prediction of breeding values at the forward selection stage by validation using progeny or clonal tests of forward-selected individuals.MethodsTree height was analyzed by ordinary randomized complete block design models and spatial models incorporating spatially autocorrelated residuals in a linear mixed model framework, and model selection was conducted at thirty Cryptomeria japonica D. Don breeding population sites having various topographical ruggedness. For validation, three clonal tests and one progeny test of individuals selected from three and four breeding populations, respectively, were used. The effectiveness of forward selection using the two models was evaluated based on the correlation between individual breeding values at the stage of forward selection and genotypic and breeding values that were estimated by clonal and progeny tests.ResultsSpatial models were more predictive than ordinary models in all cases. Spatial correlation parameters tend to increase with the topographical ruggedness index of each site. The correlation coefficients between breeding values at the time of forward selection and genotypic or breeding values evaluated in succeeding clonal and progeny tests were significantly higher in spatial models than in ordinary models in six out of nine cases.ConclusionValidation using progeny and clonal tests of forward-selected individual trees revealed that spatial analysis is more effective for the evaluation of genetic performance of individuals at the stage of forward selection in Cryptomeria japonica
ダイガク シンニュウセイ ニ タイスル キソ エンシュウ ノ アリカタ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ キャリア カウンセリング ノ タチバ カラ
最近、多くの大学で新入学生に対して基礎演習(ゼミ)を必修科目としてとらせるところが多くなっている。一般的には、それらは6ヶ月から1年かけ、内容も大体似ているようだ。基礎ゼミにおいては、学生は大学生活の送り方や、科目やコースをどのように選ぶか、またクラブ活動などへの参加の方法などを学ぶ。しかしキャリアカウンセリングに関するゼミを持っているところは、一部の先進的な大学にしかない。キャリアカウンセリングプログラムは、学生に対して組織的で、系統的なキャリア形成に関する計画を提供し、学生は大学生活やコースに関する意思決定を自主的に行うことができる。この論文では基礎ゼミにおけるキャリアカウンセリングの方法や内容について検討を進める。Recently, many Japanese universities are requiring their first year students to take a basic introductory seminar (or \u27zemi\u27 in Japanese) as a required course. Generally, the course runs for six months to one year, and all have a similar content.In the basic seminar, the student learns about university life and how to benefit most from it, how to choose courses and specialty courses, and about participating in clubs, and so on.However, only the more progressive universities have seminars offering career counseling. A program of career counseling gives the student an organized and coherent plan of action towards school life, and allows the student to make independent decisions based upon their own examination of their own life and the courses available to them at the university.The modern world is increasingly diversified and complicated, and a wide range of value systems compete with each other, providing a choice of alternative life styles. If universities do not give precise and comprehensive lesson advising students on the options available to them, they will have difficulties making a fully informed and suitable decision on their future.Because of the current environment of job shortages, many people have entered university to postpone the task of finding a job. In addition, there are many students who failed to enter one of their preferred universities, and were forced to enter a lower preference university. These two factors result in students often lacking in motivation and a will to learn.Faced with this challenge, career counseling has become increasingly necessary. This paper will examine methods of organizing career counseling in freshman seminars, and discuss the contents of such a program
Characteristic expression of HTLV-1 basic zipper factor (HBZ) transcripts in HTLV-1 provirus-positive cells
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HTLV-1 causes adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Although there have been many studies on the oncogenesis of the viral protein Tax, the precise oncogenic mechanism remains to be elucidated. Recently, a new viral factor, HTLV-1 basic Zip factor (HBZ), encoded from the minus strand mRNA was discovered and the current models of Tax-centered ATL cell pathogenesis are in conflict with this discovery. HBZs consisting of non-spliced and spliced isoforms (HBZ-SI) are thought to be implicated in viral replication and T-cell proliferation but there is little evidence on the HBZ expression profile on a large scale.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To investigate the role of HBZ-SI in HTLV-1 provirus-positive cells, the HBZ-SI and Tax mRNA loads in samples with a mixture of infected and non-infected cells were measured and then adjusted by dividing by the HTLV-I proviral load. We show here that the HBZ-SI mRNA level is 4-fold higher than non-spliced HBZ and is expressed by almost all cells harboring HTLV-1 provirus with variable intensity. The proviral-adjusted HBZ-SI and Tax quantification revealed a characteristic imbalanced expression feature of high HBZ and low Tax expression levels in primary ATL cells or high HBZ and very high Tax levels in HTLV-1-related cell lines (cell lines) compared with a standard expression profile of low HBZ and low Tax in infected cells. Interestingly, according to the mutual Tax and HBZ expression status, HTLV-1-related cell lines were subcategorized into two groups, an ATL cell type with high HBZ and low Tax levels and another type with high Tax and either high or low HBZ, which was closely related to its cell origin.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first comprehensive study to evaluate the mutual expression profile of HBZ and Tax in provirus-positive cells, revealing that there are quantitative and relative characteristic features among infected cells, primary ATL cells, and cell lines.</p
Muscle activity and hemodynamics during twisting action of the wrist
Diastolic blood pressure is typically considered to indicate arterial stiffness. Atherosclerosis develops as the functioning of vascular endothelial cells diminishes. When blood flows rapidly through those endothelial cells, they release a vasodilator called nitric oxide (NO).NO relaxes smooth muscle in the tunica media and it dilates blood vessels. In other words, blood vessels stiffen and lose their elasticity depending on the level of NO. Research over the past few years has suggested that performing an exercise with a grip strength of about 30% may decrease blood pressure. However, no studies thus far have examined the decrease in blood pressure as a result twisting an object. Moreover, the relationship between twisting motion and grip strength has yet to be determined. The current authors hypothesized that gripping and twisting action might have similar effects. Accordingly, the aims of the current study were to observe muscle activity and hemodynamics during repeated twisting action and to ascertain the relationship between grip strength and twisting action. Thus, left and right grip strength was measured in a standing position, and maximum twisting strength was measured in a seated position while twisting a twist bar in the opposite direction with the right and left hands. In addition, grip strength of the right hand was measured in a seated position, and maximum twisting strength was measured with a twist bar. Muscle activity of the brachioradialis and flexor carpi ulnaris was measured during that action, and the relationship between muscle activity and twisting action was examined. Results indicated that twisting action was correlated with grip strength. Grip strength was correlated with the level of muscle activity of the flexor carpi ulnaris and the brachioradialis during twisting action. The appropriate pace for twisting motion was not evident, so the pace of twisting was examined. Subjects performed 40, 50, or 60 twists for 1 min continuously, rested for 1 min, and then performed the twisting action for another min. Before and afterwards, blood flow volume around the flexor carpi ulnaris and the brachioradialis was measured, and blood pressure was also measured. Results indicated that blood flow volume tended to increase after twisting action at all 3 paces. Blood flow volume around the brachioradialis in particular was significantly greater at a pace of 60 twists per min. Moreover, blood flow volume in the vicinity of the flexor carpi ulnaris increased significantly at all 3 paces. Systolic blood pressure increased after twisting action at all 3 paces. In contrast, diastolic blood pressure tended to decrease at all 3 paces, and it was significantly lower particularly at a pace of 40 twists per min. Based on these findings, repeatedly performing continuous twisting action alternately activates the brachioradialis and the flexor carpi ulnaris. As a result, blood flow volume increases and the stretchability of the vascular wall increases, presumably causing diastolic blood pressure to decrease
High Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type-1(HTLV-1) Provirus Load in Patients with HTLV-1 Carriers Complicated with HTLV-1-unrelated disorders
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To address the clinical and virological significance of a high HTLV-1 proviral load (VL) in practical blood samples from asymptomatic and symptomatic carriers, we simultaneously examined VL and clonal expansion status using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification (infected cell % of peripheral mononuclear cells) and Southern blotting hybridization (SBH) methods.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The present study disclosed extremely high VL with highly dense smears with or without oligoclonal bands in SBH. A high VL of 10% or more was observed in 16 (43.2%) of a total of 33 samples (one of 13 asymptomatic carriers, 8 of 12 symptomatic carriers, and 7 of 8 patients with lymphoma-type ATL without circulating ATL cells). In particular, an extremely high VL of 50% or more was limited to symptomatic carriers whose band findings always contained at least dense smears derived from polyclonally expanded cells infected with HTLV-1. Sequential samples revealed that the VL value was synchronized with the presence or absence of dense smears, and declined at the same time as disappearing dense smears. Dense smears transiently emerged at the active stage of the underlying disease. After disappearance of the smears, several clonal bands became visible and were persistently retained, explaining the process by which the clonality of HTLV-1-infected cells is established. The cases with only oligoclonal bands tended to maintain a stable VL of around 20% for a long time. Two of such cases developed ATL 4 and 3.5 years later, suggesting that a high VL with oligoclonal bands may be a predisposing risk to ATL.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The main contributor to extremely high VL seems to be transient emergence of dense smears detected by the sensitivity level of SBH, corresponding to polyclonal expansion of HTLV-1-infected cells including abundant small clones. Major clones retained after disappearance of dense smears stably persist and acquire various malignant characteristics step by step.</p
A novel role of serum cytochrome c as a tumor marker in patients with operable cancer.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate serum cytochrome c (cyto-c) levels as a novel role of tumor marker in patients with operable malignant tumors. METHODS: Serum cyto-c levels and lactate dehydrogenase (LD) activity were measured in a total of 257 cases (232 malignant and 25 benign). To identify the relationship between serum cyto-c and current tumor markers, six variables, such as gender, age, invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and LD, were analyzed by uni- and multivariate regression analysis methods. The test performance of serum cyto-c for the prediction of malignant behavior was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: The serum cyto-c level was significantly higher in patients with malignant tumors than patients with benign tumors (20.6 vs. 15.5 ng/mL; P = 0.017, Mann-Whitney U test). No difference in the levels among subtypes of cancer was found, indicating that the change in serum cyto-c levels reflect cancer individually and not specific subtypes of cancer. The survival in patients with serum cyto-c levels over 40 ng/mL was poor (Kaplan-Meier test, P < 0.0001, Hazard ratio 16.76, 95% confidential interval 4.45-63.04). Multiple linear regression analyses disclosed the close association of serum cyto-c levels with invasion (P = 0.0004), metastasis (P = 0.0262) except for regional lymph node metastasis, and activity of serum LD (P < 0.0001), all of which are well known to represent malignant behavior. Conversely, the measurement of serum cyto-c was verified to have excellent diagnostic accuracy of 0.802 and 0.781 for the detection of invasion and metastasis (the area under curves of the constructed ROCs). CONCLUSION: Serum cyto-c is a potent tumor marker as a predictor for malignant potential in cancers
ACPA-negative RA consists of two genetically distinct subsets based on RF positivity in Japanese.
HLA-DRB1, especially the shared epitope (SE), is strongly associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, recent studies have shown that SE is at most weakly associated with RA without anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibody (ACPA). We have recently reported that ACPA-negative RA is associated with specific HLA-DRB1 alleles and diplotypes. Here, we attempted to detect genetically different subsets of ACPA-negative RA by classifying ACPA-negative RA patients into two groups based on their positivity for rheumatoid factor (RF). HLA-DRB1 genotyping data for totally 954 ACPA-negative RA patients and 2,008 healthy individuals in two independent sets were used. HLA-DRB1 allele and diplotype frequencies were compared among the ACPA-negative RF-positive RA patients, ACPA-negative RF-negative RA patients, and controls in each set. Combined results were also analyzed. A similar analysis was performed in 685 ACPA-positive RA patients classified according to their RF positivity. As a result, HLA-DRB1*04:05 and *09:01 showed strong associations with ACPA-negative RF-positive RA in the combined analysis (p = 8.8×10(-6) and 0.0011, OR: 1.57 (1.28-1.91) and 1.37 (1.13-1.65), respectively). We also found that HLA-DR14 and the HLA-DR8 homozygote were associated with ACPA-negative RF-negative RA (p = 0.00022 and 0.00013, OR: 1.52 (1.21-1.89) and 3.08 (1.68-5.64), respectively). These association tendencies were found in each set. On the contrary, we could not detect any significant differences between ACPA-positive RA subsets. As a conclusion, ACPA-negative RA includes two genetically distinct subsets according to RF positivity in Japan, which display different associations with HLA-DRB1. ACPA-negative RF-positive RA is strongly associated with HLA-DRB1*04:05 and *09:01. ACPA-negative RF-negative RA is associated with DR14 and the HLA-DR8 homozygote
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