Of sea, rivers and symbiosis: Diversity, systematics, biogeography and evolution of the deeply diverging florideophycean order Hildenbrandiales (Rhodophyta).

The Hildenbrandiales, a typically saxicolous red algal order, is an early diverging florideophycean group with global significance in marine and freshwater ecosystems across diverse temperature zones. To comprehensively elucidate the diversity, phylogeny, biogeography, and evolution of this order, we conducted a thorough re-examination employing molecular data derived from nearly 700 specimens. Employing a species delimitation method, we identified Evolutionary Species Units (ESUs) within the Hildenbrandiales aiming to enhance our understanding of species diversity and generate the first time-calibrated tree and ancestral area reconstruction for this order. Mitochondrial cox1 and chloroplast rbcL markers were used to infer species boundaries, and subsequent phylogenetic reconstructions involved concatenated sequences of cox1, rbcL, and 18S rDNA. Time calibration of the resulting phylogenetic tree used a fossil record from a Triassic purportedly freshwater Hildenbrandia species and three secondary time points from the literature. Our species delimitation analysis revealed an astounding 97 distinct ESUs, quintupling the known diversity within this order. Our time-calibration analysis placed the origin of Hildenbrandiales (crown age) in the Ediacaran period, with freshwater species emerging as a monophyletic group during the later Permian to early Triassic. Phylogenetic reconstructions identified seven major clades, experiencing early diversification during the Silurian to Carboniferous period. Two major evolutionary events-colonization of freshwater habitats and obligate systemic symbiosis with a marine fungus-marked this order, leading to significant morphological alterations without a commensurate increase in species diversification. Despite the remarkable newly discovered diversity, the extant taxon diversity appears relatively constrained when viewed against an evolutionary timeline spanning over 800 million years. This limitation may stem from restricted geographic sampling or the prevalence of asexual reproduction. However, species richness estimation and rarefaction analyses suggest a substantially larger diversity yet to be uncovered-potentially four times greater. These findings drastically reshape our understanding of the deeply diverging florideophycean order Hildenbrandiales species diversity, and contribute valuable insights into this order's evolutionary history and ecological adaptations. Supported by phylogenetic, ecological and morphological evidence, we established the genus Riverina gen. nov. to accommodate freshwater species of Hildenbrandiales, which form a monophyletic clade in our analyses. This marks the first step toward refining the taxonomy of the Hildenbrandiales, an order demanding thorough revisions, notably with the creation of several genera to address the polyphyletic status of Hildenbrandia. However, the limited diagnostic features pose a challenge, necessitating a fresh approach to defining genera. A potential solution lies in embracing a molecular systematic perspective, which can offer precise delineations of taxonomic boundaries.

Providing a phylogenetic framework for trait-based analyses in brown algae: Phylogenomic tree inferred from 32 nuclear protein-coding sequences.

In the study of the evolution of biological complexity, a reliable phylogenetic framework is needed. Many attempts have been made to resolve phylogenetic relationships between higher groups (i.e., interordinal) of brown algae (Phaeophyceae) based on molecular evidence, but most of these relationships remain unclear. Analyses based on small multi-gene data (including chloroplast, mitochondrial and nuclear sequences) have yielded inconclusive and sometimes contradictory results. To address this problem, we have analyzed 32 nuclear protein-coding sequences in 39 Phaeophycean species belonging to eight orders. The resulting nuclear-based phylogenomic trees provide virtually full support for the phylogenetic relationships within the studied taxa, with few exceptions. The relationships largely confirm phylogenetic trees based on nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial sequences, except for the placement of the Sphacelariales with weak bootstrap support. Our study indicates that nuclear protein-coding sequences provide significant support to conclusively resolve phylogenetic relationships among Phaeophyceae, and may be a powerful approach to fully resolve interordinal relationships with increased taxon sampling.

Phylogeography of a canopy-forming kelp, Eisenia bicyclis (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae), based on a genome-wide sequencing analysis.

Analyses of phylogeographic patterns and genetic diversity provide fundamental information for the management and conservation of species. However, little is published about these patterns in Japanese kelp species. In this study, we conducted phylogeographic analyses of a canopy-forming kelp, Eisenia bicyclis, based on genome-wide SNPs identified by ddRAD-seq. We obtained 1,299 SNPs for 76 samples from nine localities across the distribution. STRUCTURE, NeighborNet, and discriminant analysis of principal components consistently showed high genetic differentiation among the Eastern Pacific, Central Pacific, and Sea of Japan coastal regions. Relatively strong gene flow was detected only within populations in the Eastern Pacific and in the Sea of Japan. Genetic diversity and genetic uniqueness were high in the Central Pacific and low in the Sea of Japan. These results suggest that there were at least three independent refugia corresponding to the three regions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, relatively larger populations in the Central Pacific and smaller populations in the Sea of Japan have been maintained in the demographic history from before the LGM to the present. These phylogeographic histories were supported by an Approximate Bayesian Computation analysis. From a conservation genetics perspective, the loss of southern populations in the Central Pacific would greatly reduce the total genetic diversity of the species. Southern populations in the Sea of Japan, which have relatively low genetic diversity, may be highly vulnerable to environmental change, such as heat waves and increased feeding. Therefore, careful monitoring and conservation are needed in the two regions.

Role of bone marrow cells in the development of pancreatic fibrosis in a rat model of pancreatitis induced by a choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented diet.

Bone marrow cell (BMC)-derived myofibroblast-like cells have been reported in various organs, including the pancreas. However, the contribution of these cells to pancreatic fibrosis has not been fully discussed. The present study examined the possible involvement of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) originating from BMCs in the development of pancreatic fibrosis in a clinically relevant rat model of acute pancreatitis induced by a choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented (CDE) diet. BMCs from female transgenic mice ubiquitously expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) were transplanted into lethally irradiated male rats. Once chimerism was established, acute pancreatitis was induced by a CDE diet. Chronological changes in the number of PSCs originating from the donor BMCs were examined using double immunofluorescence for GFP and markers for PSCs, such as desmin and alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), 1, 3 and 8 weeks after the initiation of CDE feeding. We also used immunohistochemical staining to evaluate whether the PSCs from the BMCs produce growth factors, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF) ß1. The percentage of BMC-derived activated PSCs increased significantly, peaking after 1 week of CDE treatment (accounting for 23.3±0.9% of the total population of activated PSCs) and then decreasing. These cells produced both PDGF and TGFß1 during the early stage of pancreatic fibrosis. Our results suggest that PSCs originating from BMCs contribute mainly to the early stage of pancreatic injury, at least in part, by producing growth factors in a rat CDE diet-induced pancreatitis model.

3D Body Parts Tracking of Mouse Based on RGB-D Video from Under an Open Field.

The mouse is a valuable animal model to address the neural mechanism of higher brain function and test the pharmacodynamics of new drugs. The development of novel behavioral analysis to detect subtleties of emotion is valuable for the evolution of neuroscience research and drug discovery. 3D pose estimation is expected to contribute significantly to them. Several methods for 3D pose estimation of the mouse using optical motion capture with markers and multiple cameras have been proposed, but these methods have problems such as preparing marker sets and the influence of the markers on mouse behavior. A low-cost and simple method for markerless 3D pose estimation of the mouse using a single RGB-D (Depth) camera is proposed. As a result, the proposed method improved the accuracy of limbs tracking compared to existing limbs tracking methods. In addition, this method could track other body parts (nose, base of tail) and the center of gravity.Clinical Relevance-This study could contribute to the development of neuroscience research and drug discovery by clarifying the relationship between subtle changes in mouse behavior and emotional movements.

Detection of Rapid Mouse's Scratching Behavior Based on Shape and Motion Features.

A mouse's scratching behavior is one of the reaction effected by a new drug, which is rapid movement of its hind leg around its head. Currently, the number of mouse scratching behavior is counted by manual human's decision, and conventional automatic detections used a high-speed camera. Improving the accuracy of the detection, the automation for counting the scratching behavior is necessary, and the evaluation must be quantitative. We propose the detection of the mouse's scratching behavior based on the shape and the motion feature using a wide-used camera. We apply Improved Dense Trajectories to the classifier to identify the scratching behavior. The classifier could detect the scratching around 90 % accuracy. Based on the length of scratching, we could decrease the ratio of the detection failure to half using a median processing.

Cystic mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) is a rare tumor. We report herein a case of pancreatic MANEC with cystic features. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 67-year-old woman presented with jaundice. A CT scan revealed an 18-mm mass at the pancreatic head that obstructed the common bile duct and another 35-mm cystic lesion containing a mural nodule in the pancreatic body, which was suspected to be an intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma. A biopsy of the head mass led to the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, and the body cyst was resected with the head mass. A histopathological analysis revealed that the body cyst had two components, ductal adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumor. We diagnosed the cystic tumor as MANEC. DISCUSSION: Cases of MANEC have been reported as originating from the stomach, small intestine, and colon, but pancreatic MANEC is rare. The histogenesis and the therapeutic strategy for pancreatic MANEC are controversial. CONCLUSION: The clinicopathological features of pancreatic MANEC remain unclear; therefore, more reports of cases of pancreatic MANEC are necessary for a complete analysis.

Gold Nanoparticles Supported on Mesoporous Titania Thin Films with High Loading as a CO Oxidation Catalyst.

In the present work, 2.4 nm gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are uniformly dispersed on mesoporous titania thin films which are structurally tuned by controlling the calcination temperature. The gold content of the catalyst is as high as 27.8 wt %. To our knowledge, such a high loading of Au NPs with good dispersity has not been reported until now. Furthermore, the reaction rate of the gold particles is enhanced by one order of magnitude when supported on mesoporous titania compared to non-porous titania. This significant improvement can be explained by an increase in the diffusivity of the substrate due to the presence of mesopores, the resistance to agglomeration, and improved oxygen activation.

Incomplete ventricular septal rupture following blunt chest trauma--a case report.

This report describes a case of traumatic incomplete rupture of the ventricular septum, a rare complication caused by blunt chest trauma. Although a serial ECG progressed its course similar to acute anteroseptal myocardial infarction in this case, there was little clinical clue of septal tear. The diagnosis was established by transthoracic echocardiography. The authors chose a conservative line of management rather than surgical repair for incomplete septal rupture because of the patent's stable clinical course and hemodynamic status. A sequence of echocardiography during a 32-day stay in the hospital showed no change in the extent of incomplete septal rupture, septal structure, systolic function, and shape of left ventricle and also obtained no evidence of shunting through the rupture. In conclusion, echocardiography is a useful investigation to make a diagnosis as well as for follow-up in case of incomplete ventricular septal rupture. A close follow-up of incomplete septal rupture with serial echocardiography should be performed, because several cases of delayed ventricular septal rupture following blunt chest trauma have been reported.

Hepatocellular carcinoma associated with sarcoidosis.

INTRODUCTION: The association of hepatic sarcoidosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considerably rare. Here we report a rare case of HCC associated with sarcoidosis. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 75-year-old male with no history of alcohol addiction or viral hepatitis was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal liver mass. Subsegmentectomy of the liver was performed for the diagnosis of HCC. A histopathological examination revealed small non-necrotizing granulomas with a tendency to coalesce that were scattered in and around the carcinoma. No features of cirrhosis, steatohepatitis, and any other liver diseases were observed. Furthermore, swelling of the bilateral lung hilar lymph nodes with uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose was found on positron emission tomography/computed tomography and the tuberculin reaction test results were negative. On the basis of these findings, the final diagnosis of HCC associated with sarcoidosis was confirmed. DISCUSSION: By reviewing previous cases, we found only five cases that described patients diagnosed with HCC associated with sarcoidosis. Of these, four patients died within two years after diagnosis because of ruptures or inoperable huge tumors. In contrast, radical hepatectomy was performed at an earlier stage of disease in two patients, including ours, and both these patients have remained healthy with no recurrences or metastases at the latest follow-up visit. CONCLUSION: Periodic checkups of the liver should be conducted for patients with systemic sarcoidosis, regardless of the presence of liver cirrhosis.

A case report of follicular lymphoma arising from the extrahepatic bile duct: interesting contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic findings.

We report a case of follicular lymphoma of the extrahepatic bile duct and the associated characteristic findings of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). A 60-year-old man with jaundice was scheduled to undergo surgical treatment because of a suspected diagnosis of biliary adenocarcinoma. CEUS in the high-resolution power Doppler mode showed early pulsatile enhancement of the inner layer of the thickened bile duct wall. Thereafter, gradual weak enhancement was detected in the outer layer. Extrahepatic bile duct resection was performed, and the resected specimen was diagnosed as a follicular lymphoma. On microscopic examination, the fibromuscular and deeper layers of the specimen were found to be infiltrated by follicle-forming tumor cells. The mucosal epithelium of the bile duct was almost normal. Although this is the fourth report of this condition in the English-language literature, it is the first to discuss the possibility of a preoperative diagnosis by CEUS.