Atypical Holt-Oram syndrome: Early-onset sick sinus syndrome in a Japanese family with a novel mutation, Q469.

Unlabelled: Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS; OMIM 142900) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder, typically involving upper limb anomalies and cardiac septal defects. HOS is caused by mutations in the gene, which encodes a T-box transcription factor. We report a Japanese family with a novel -Q469* nonsense variant that exhibited atypical HOS characteristics, including early-onset sick sinus syndrome (SSS), but no apparent upper limb abnormalities.

Impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in heart failure patients without type-2 diabetes.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reportedly decreased the new-onset atrial arrhythmias in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) or heart failure (HF). This study examined the impact of SGLT2is on catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in HF patients without T2DM.

Methods: Persistent AF (PeAF) and HF (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, NT-proBNP ≥400 pg/ml) patients without T2DM undergoing catheter ablation were prospectively enrolled (n = 102).

Impact of different energy sources on coagulation biomarkers and silent cerebral events in balloon-based ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Background: Different energy sources of balloon-based ablation for pulmonary vein isolation cause different kinds of endothelial damage and coagulation responses associated with thromboembolic risk.

Objectives: The study sought to compare the impact of different balloon-based ablation, cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and laser balloon ablation (LBA), on coagulation/fibrinolysis biomarkers and silent cerebral events (SCEs) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Methods: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients who underwent pulmonary vein isolation using either CBA (n = 52) or LBA (n = 53) without radiofrequency touch-up ablation were eligible.

Applications of Plant-Made Fibroblast Growth Factor for Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) hold great potential in regenerative medicine. These cells can be expanded indefinitely in theory and are able to differentiate into different types of cells for cell therapies, drug screening, and basic biology studies. The reliable and effective propagation of hESCs and hiPSCs is important for their downstream applications.

Circulating miR-20b-5p and miR-330-3p are novel biomarkers for progression of atrial fibrillation: Intracardiac/extracardiac plasma sample analysis by small RNA sequencing.

Background: Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs, miR) have been considered as biomarkers reflecting the underlying pathophysiology in atrial fibrillation (AF). Nevertheless, miRNA expression in the peripheral blood samples might not reflect a cardiac phenomenon since most miRNAs are expressed in numerous organs. This study aimed to identify the cardiac-specific circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for AF.

Effect of pulmonary vein isolation on rotor/multiple wavelet dynamics in persistent atrial fibrillation, association with vagal response and implications for adjunctive ablation.

Persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) may develop arrhythmogenic substrates of rotors/multiple wavelets. However, the ways in which pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) affects the dynamics of rotor/multiple wavelets in PeAF patients remain elusive. Real-time phase-mapping (ExTRa mapping, EXT) in the whole left atrium (LA) was performed during PeAF before and after PVI (n = 111).

DOMINANT AWN INHIBITOR Encodes the ALOG Protein Originating from Gene Duplication and Inhibits AWN Elongation by Suppressing Cell Proliferation and Elongation in Sorghum.

The awn, a needle-like structure extending from the tip of the lemma in grass species, plays a role in environmental adaptation and fitness. In some crops, awns appear to have been eliminated during domestication. Although numerous genes involved in awn development have been identified, several dominant genes that eliminate awns are also known to exist.

Selvester QRS score predicts improvement of LVEF in atrial fibrillation patients with systolic heart failure.

Background: Left-ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) comorbid with atrial fibrillation is reversible, but recovery is limited in a subset of patients. The Selvester QRS (S-QRS) score is an electrocardiogram-based assessment that reportedly reflects myocardial scar/damage. We evaluated the predictability of S-QRS score for the recovery of left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in persistent AF (PeAF) patients with LVSD undergoing catheter ablation (CA).

Metagenomic mining and structure-function studies of a hyper-thermostable cellobiohydrolase from hot spring sediment.

Enzymatic breakdown is an attractive cellulose utilisation method with a low environmental load. Its high temperature operation could promote saccharification and lower contamination risk. Here we report a hyper-thermostable cellobiohydrolase (CBH), named HmCel6A and its variant HmCel6A-3SNP that were isolated metagenomically from hot spring sediments and expressed in Escherichia coli.

Wall thickness-based adjustment of ablation index improves efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation in atrial fibrillation: Real-time assessment by intracardiac echocardiography.

Background: Ablation index (AI) linearly correlates with lesion depth and may yield better therapeutic performance in pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) when tailored to a patient's wall thickness (WT) in the left atrium (LA).

Methods And Results: First study: In paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients (PAF; n = 20), the average LA WT (mm) in each anatomical segment for PVI was measured by intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) placed in the LA; the optimal AI for creating 1-mm transmural lesion (AI/mm) was calculated. Second study: PAF (n = 80) patients were randomly assigned either to a force-time integral protocol (FTI; 400 g·s, n = 40) or a tailored-AI protocol (TAI; n = 40).

Factors associated with silent cerebral events during atrial fibrillation ablation in patients on uninterrupted oral anticoagulation.

Introduction: Silent cerebral events (SCEs) are related to the potential thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Periprocedural uninterrupted oral anticoagulation (OAC) reportedly reduced the risk of SCEs, but the incidence still remains.

Methods And Results: AF patients undergoing catheter ablation were eligible.

Comparison of effectiveness and safety between uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulants with and without switching to dabigatran in atrial fibrillation ablation.

Introduction: Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with a temporary switch to dabigatran ("dabigatran bridge") for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We compared the effectiveness and safety between uninterrupted DOACs with and without the "dabigatran bridge" in patients taking factor Xa inhibitors.

Methods: AF patients on factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban/apixaban/edoxaban) undergoing catheter ablation were eligible (n = 348).

Association between inflammation and skeletal muscle proteolysis, skeletal mass and strength in elderly heart failure patients and their prognostic implications.

Background: Inflammation and skeletal muscle wasting often coexist in elderly populations, but few studies have examined their relationship in elderly heart failure (HF) patients. This study examined the relationship between inflammation and increased skeletal muscle proteolysis, reduced skeletal mass and strength, and their prognostic implications in elderly HF patients (> 65 years) using a random forest approach.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive elderly HF patients (n = 78) and age- and sex-matched control subjects (n = 83).

Agrobacterium Transformation in the Rice Genome.

Modification of the rice genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a general technique that can be easily performed today. Successful methods were established by vigorous studies on the culture system and the elucidation of Agrobacterium transformation mechanisms. This section provides a detailed description of routine and efficient rice transformation protocols by Agrobacterium.

Isolation of highly thermostable β-xylosidases from a hot spring soil microbial community using a metagenomic approach.

The DNA extracted from a high-temperature environment in which micro-organisms are living will be a good source for the isolation of thermostable enzymes. Using a metagenomic approach, we aimed to isolate thermostable β-xylosidases that will be exploited for biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. DNA samples obtained from the soil near a spout of a hot spring (70°C, pH7.

Symmetrically dividing cell specific division axes alteration observed in proteasome depleted C. elegans embryo.

A fertilised Caenorhabditis elegans embryo shows an invariable pattern of cell division and forms a multicellular body where each cell locates to a defined position. Mitotic spindle orientation is determined by several preceding events including the migration of duplicated centrosomes on a nucleus and the rotation of nuclear-centrosome complex. Cell polarity is the dominant force driving nuclear-centrosome rotation and setting the mitotic spindle axis in parallel with the polarity axis during asymmetric cell division.

A protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in rice.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of rice is an important method that has been widely adopted by many laboratories. However, because current approaches rely on culture systems, routine protocols have been established only in japonica rice, especially those varieties with higher regeneration potential. Some very efficient methods have been developed for japonica varieties that enable high-throughput functional analysis in rice; however, many elite japonica, and most indica, varieties are difficult to regenerate, leading to low transformation efficiencies.

Isolation of a rice regeneration quantitative trait loci gene and its application to transformation systems.

Regeneration of plant organs is often the essential step in genetic transformation; however, the regeneration ability of a plant varies depending on the genetic background. By conventional crosses of low-regeneration rice strain Koshihikari with high-regeneration rice strain Kasalath, we identified some quantitative trait loci, which control the regeneration ability in rice. Using a map-based cloning strategy, we isolated a main quantitative trait loci gene encoding ferredoxin-nitrite reductase (NiR) that determines regeneration ability in rice.

Rice globular embryo 4 (gle4) mutant is defective in radial pattern formation during embryogenesis.

In higher plants, the main elements of the fundamental body plan, the apical-basal and radial patterns, are established during embryogenesis. We have isolated several globular embryo (gle) mutants of rice that fail to develop any embryonic organs. We expected that these gle mutants might include mutants defective in their radial pattern formation ability.

OsPNH1 regulates leaf development and maintenance of the shoot apical meristem in rice.

The Arabidopsis PINHEAD/ZWILLE (PNH/ZLL) gene is thought to play an important role in the formation of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) and in leaf adaxial cell specification. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of rice development, we have isolated a rice homologue of PNH/ZLL, called OsPNH1. Around the SAM, OsPNH1 was strongly expressed in developing leaf primordia, specifically in the presumptive vascular domains, developing vascular tissues, a few cell-layers of the adaxial region, and future bundle sheath extension cells.

Position dependent expression of GL2-type homeobox gene, Roc1: significance for protoderm differentiation and radial pattern formation in early rice embryogenesis.

In early plant embryogenesis, the determination of cell fate in the protodermal cell layer is considered to be the earliest event in radial pattern formation. To elucidate the mechanisms of epidermal cell fate determination and radial pattern formation in early rice embryogenesis, we have isolated a GL2-type homeobox gene Roc1 (Rice outermost cell-specific gene1), which is specifically expressed in the protoderm (epidermis). In early rice embryogenesis, cell division occurs randomly and the morphologically distinct layer structure of the protoderm cannot be observed until the embryo reaches more than 100 microm in length.