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

Infliximab 治療中のクローン病にStreptococcus intermedius による肝膿瘍と膿胸を合併した1例

症例は31歳女性．クローン病再燃に対して抗TNF-α抗体製剤であるInfliximab治療中に，Streptococcus intermediusによる肝膿瘍と膿胸を発症し，治療に難渋するも抗菌薬治療，経皮経肝膿瘍ドレナージにて軽快した．Infliximab投与は，易感染性により様々な感染症を合併する可能性があるが，肝膿瘍の合併は非常にまれながら診断・治療の遅れが重篤になりやすく注意が必要である

Knowledge, experience, and potential risks of dating violence among Japanese university students: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Domestic Violence Prevention Act came into effect in Japan in 2001, but covers only marriage partner violence and post-divorce partner violence, and does not recognize intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study was performed to determine the experience of harassment, both toward and from an intimate partner, and recognition of harassment as IPV among Japanese university students.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A self-administered questionnaire survey regarding the experience of harassment involving an intimate partner was conducted as a cross-sectional study among freshman students in a prefectural capital city in Japan.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 274 students participated in the present study. About half of the subjects (both male and female students) had experience of at least one episode of harassment toward or had been the recipient of harassment from an intimate partner. However, the study participants did not recognize verbal harassment, controlling activities of an intimate partner, and unprotected sexual intercourse as violence. Experience of attending a lecture/seminar about domestic violence and dating violence did not contribute to appropriate help-seeking behavior.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>An educational program regarding harassment and violence prevention and appropriate help-seeking behavior should be provided in early adolescence to avoid IPV among youth.</p

C 型肝炎患者に対するインターフェロン療法後の肝発癌についての検討

目的：C型慢性肝炎患者に対するインターフェロン(IFN)療法後の肝発癌について検討した．方法：C型慢性肝炎に対してIFN療法が施行された180例を対象とした．非発癌群と発癌群の間で，治療前の背景因子と半年後のウイルス学的著効(SVR24)の有無，治療後のALT，AFPについて比較した．また，それぞれの因子別に発癌曲線を作成して発癌率を比較した．結果：IFN治療によるSVR24の達成率は68.9％(124/180)であり，36.3ヶ月の観察期間で全体の発癌率は2.3％(5/180)であった．発癌群では非発癌群に比べ，高齢者，男性，SVR24非達成例，ALT高値例が多い傾向にあった．治療後のALT高値，AFP高値例は発癌が多かったが，特にAFPでは統計学的な有意差を認めた．結論：IFN治療前の線維化進展例と高齢者，男性，治療後ALT高値，AFP高値は肝発癌率が高い傾向にある．特に治療後AFP高値は肝発癌予測因子になる

A Case of Hemangiosarcoma of the Liver which led to a Diagnosis with Hemoptysis

Angiosarcoma is a vascular endothelium-derived malignant tumor that arises in blood vessel walls, accounting for only 2.3% of soft tissue sarcomas in adults. Primary hepatic angiosarcoma(PHA)is rare, comprising< 5% of all angiosarcomas. We report a case of PHA in a 61-year-old man evaluated by another clinic around our hospital for a chief complaint of hemoptysis in May 2012. Chest computed tomography(CT) showed abnormal shadows in bilateral lung fields, so he was referred to Department of Respiratory Medicine at our hospital in late July. However, no definitive diagnosis was not made, even after bronchoscopy. In mid-August, he presented to the outpatient clinic of the respiratory department with a chief complaint of right-sided abdominal pain. Abdominal CT showed a liver lesion, and he was urgently admitted to our department. Initial physical examination was unremarkable except for palpable liver in the right hypochondrium. Tumor markers for liver and biliary cancers were all within normal limits, and negative results were obtained for hepatitis B and C virus. CT, ultrasonography, and(MRI)identified a large lesion replacing the right hepatic lobe and medial segment of the left hepatic lobe. Hemangioma or hepatic angiosarcoma was suspected, accompanied by intraperitoneal rupture. Transcatheter arterial embolization was attempted, but had to be discontinued, and the patient died from hemorrhagic shock due to tumor rupture after onset of abdominal pain. The PHA which assumes hemoptysis primary symptom is extremely rare, and by reports for the past ten years searched using PubMed, this is the second report in the world