First Observation of Electron Scattering from Online-Produced Radioactive Target.

We successfully performed electron scattering off unstable nuclei which were produced online from the photofission of uranium. The target ^{137}Cs ions were trapped with a new target-forming technique that makes a high-density stationary target from a small number of ions by confining them in an electron storage ring. After developments of target generation and transportation systems and the beam stacking method to increase the ion beam intensity up to approximately 2×10^{7} ions per pulse beam, an average luminosity of 0.9×10^{26} cm^{-2} s^{-1} was achieved for ^{137}Cs. The obtained angular distribution of elastically scattered electrons is consistent with a calculation. This success marks the realization of the anticipated femtoscope which clarifies the structures of exotic and short-lived unstable nuclei.

Gradient subthalamic neurodegeneration and tau pathology in the hypoglossal nucleus as essential pathological markers of progressive supranuclear palsy - Richardson syndrome.

Progressive supranuclear palsy - Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS) was first described in 1964 by Steele et al. Tau pathology has not been reported in the hypoglossal nuclei of PSP-RS patients, whereas Steele et al. described gliosis with no remarkable neuronal losses in the hypoglossal nucleus. This study aimed to investigate the distribution and degree of tau pathology-associated neurodegeneration, with an emphasis on the hypoglossal nucleus, in patients with PSP-RS. Six clinicopathologically proven PSP-RS cases were included in this study. All patients were clinicopathologically and immunohistochemically re-evaluated. This study confirmed the following neuropathological characteristics of PSP-RS: (1) neurodegeneration usually affects the striatonigral system and cerebellar dentate nucleus; (2) the cerebellar afferent system in PSP-RS is affected by absent-to-mild neurodegeneration; and (3) the extent of tau distribution throughout the central nervous system is greater than the extent of neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we found that subthalamic neurodegeneration was more prominent in the ventromedial region than in the dorsolateral region. Nevertheless, the tau pathology showed no remarkable differences between these two sites. Interestingly, the tau pathology was frequently observed in the hypoglossal nuclei of PSP-RS patients. Gradient neurodegeneration of the subthalamus and tau pathology in the hypoglossal nucleus could be regarded as essential pathological features of PSP-RS.

Barriers and facilitators to attendance at Type 2 diabetes structured education programmes: a qualitative study of educators and attendees.

AIMS: Attendance at structured diabetes education has been recommended internationally for all people with Type 2 diabetes. However, attendance rates are consistently low. This qualitative study aimed to explore experiences of attending and delivering Type 2 diabetes structured education programmes in Ireland and barriers and facilitators to attendance. METHODS: People with Type 2 diabetes who had attended one of the three programmes delivered in Ireland and educators from the three programmes took part in semi-structured telephone interviews. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twelve attendees and 14 educators were interviewed. Two themes were identified in relation to experiences of programme attendance and delivery: 'Structured education: addressing an unmet need' and 'The problem of non-attendance'. The third theme 'Barriers to attendance: can't go, won't go, don't know and poor system flow' outlined how practicalities of attending, lack of knowledge of the existence and benefits, and limited resources and support for education within the diabetes care pathway impacts on attendance. The final theme 'Supporting attendance: healthcare professionals and the diabetes care pathway' describes facilitators to participants' attendance and the strategies educators perceived to be important in increasing attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals have an important role in improving attendance at structured diabetes education programmes. Improving attendance may require promotion by healthcare professionals and for education to be better embedded and supported within the diabetes care pathway.

The preferences of young adults with Type 1 diabetes at clinics using a discrete choice experiment approach: the D1 Now Study.

AIM: Attending routine outpatient clinic appointments is a central self-management behaviour of individuals living with Type 1 diabetes. A large number of young adults with Type 1 diabetes disengage from diabetes services, which may contribute to poor psychosocial and diabetes outcomes. The aim of this study is to elicit preferences from young adults with Type 1 diabetes regarding clinic-related services to inform service delivery. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was developed to understand the preferences of young adults with Type 1 diabetes for clinic-related services. RESULTS: Young adults recruited from young adult Type 1 diabetes clinics in 2016 completed the experiment (n = 105). Young adults with Type 1 diabetes showed a preference for shorter waiting times, seeing a nurse and a consultant, relative to a nurse alone, and a flexible booking system compared with fixed appointment times. Results suggest no preference for a nurse and a doctor, relative to a nurse alone, or other optional services (e.g. seeing dietitians or psychologists), type of HbA1c test and digital blood glucose diaries over paper-based diaries. CONCLUSION: This study highlights aspects of routine clinic appointments that are valued by young adults living with Type 1 diabetes, namely shorter waiting times at clinic, the option to see both a nurse and consultant at each visit and a flexible clinic appointment booking system. These findings suggest young adults with Type 1 diabetes value convenience and should help services to restructure their clinics to be more responsive to the needs of young adults.

The correlation of urinary podocytes and podocalyxin with histological features of lupus nephritis.

Objectives The objective of this study was to test the correlation of urinary podocyte number (U-Pod) and urinary podocalyxin levels (U-PCX) with histology of lupus nephritis. Methods This was an observational, cross-sectional study. Sixty-four patients were enrolled: 40 with lupus nephritis and 24 without lupus nephritis (12 lupus nephritis patients in complete remission and 12 systemic lupus erythematosus patients without lupus nephritis). Urine samples were collected before initiating treatment. U-Pod was determined by counting podocalyxin-positive cells, and U-PCX was measured by sandwich ELISA, normalized to urinary creatinine levels (U-Pod/Cr, U-PCX/Cr). Results Lupus nephritis patients showed significantly higher U-Pod/Cr and U-PCX/Cr compared with patients without lupus nephritis. U-Pod/Cr was high in proliferative lupus nephritis (class III±V/IV±V), especially in pure class IV (4.57 (2.02-16.75)), but low in pure class V (0.30 (0.00-0.71)). U-Pod/Cr showed a positive correlation with activity index ( r=0.50, P=0.0012) and was independently associated with cellular crescent formation. In contrast, U-PCX/Cr was high in both proliferative and membranous lupus nephritis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed significant correlation of U-Pod/Cr with pure class IV, class IV±V and cellular crescent formation, and the combined values of U-Pod/Cr and U-PCX/Cr were shown to be associated with pure class V. Conclusions U-Pod/Cr and U-PCX/Cr correlate with histological features of lupus nephritis.

Factors influencing health-related quality of life in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: Generic, preference-based measures of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are a common input to the economic evaluation of new health technologies. As such, it is important to explore what characteristics of patients with Type 1 diabetes might impact scores on such measures. METHODS: This study utilizes baseline data from a cluster-randomized trial that recruited patients with Type 1 diabetes at six centers across Ireland. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the three-level EuroQol EQ-5D (EQ-5D) measure. Patients' responses to individual dimensions of the EQ-5D were explored. To see which patient factors influenced EQ-5D scores, multivariate regression analysis was conducted with EQ-5D scores as the outcome variable. RESULTS: Data was available for 437 Type 1 diabetes patients. The median age of these patients was 40 (IQR: 31-49) years and 53.8% were female. Overall, patients reported a high HRQoL based on EQ-5D scores (0.87 (SD: 0.19). Fifty-four percent of patients reported a perfect HRQoL. For those that reported problems, the most common dimension was the anxiety/depression dimension of the EQ-5D (29.6%). In the multivariate regression analysis, self-reported mental illness (- 0.22 (95% CI: -0.34, - 0.10)) and being unemployed (- 0.07 (95% CI: -0.13, - 0.02)) were negatively associated with EQ-5D scores (p < 0.05). The influence of self-reported mental illness was persistent in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate that patients with Type 1 diabetes report a high HRQoL based on responses to the EQ-5D. However, there are a substantial number of Type 1 diabetes patients that report problems in the anxiety/depression dimension, which may provide avenues to improve patients' HRQoL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN79759174 .

The Perceptions of Patients, their Parents and Healthcare Providers on the Transition of Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes to Adult Services in the West of Ireland.

Aim This study aims to describe the perceptions of young adults', parents of young adults' and health care professionals' (HCPs) of the transition process for young adults with Type 1 Diabetes in the West of Ireland. Methods Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with the three stakeholder groups was performed. Results Young adults hardly noticed the transition, with many of them seeing it as a physical move, whereas parents were more anxious and felt their involvement was still needed but not accommodated. Both groups perceived the young adults' ability to manage their diabetes as a facilitator, as well as the continuity of care provided by the diabetes nurse. Resource limitations and an inability of a young adult to self-manage were identified as barriers to smooth transition by parents, whilst HCPs were experiencing problems with non-attendance and a lack of a psychology service. Conclusion This study highlights the importance of encouraging adolescents' autonomy in the years leading to transition. A key healthcare professional link between both services appears to facilitate smooth transition. Being flexible and supportive of both parents and adolescents including the provision of mental health services are other important considerations.

First Elastic Electron Scattering from

The first elastic electron scattering has been successfully performed at the self-confining radioactive-isotope ion target (SCRIT) facility, the world's first electron scattering facility for SCRIT technique achieved high luminosity (over 10^{27} cm^{-2} s^{-1}, sufficient for determining the nuclear shape) with only 10^{8} target ions. While ^{132}Xe used in this time as a target is a stable isotope, the charge density distribution was first extracted from the momentum transfer distributions of the scattered electrons by comparing the results with those calculated by a phase shift calculation.

The impact of education, country, race and ethnicity on the self-report of postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

BACKGROUND: Universal screening for postpartum depression is recommended in many countries. Knowledge of whether the disclosure of depressive symptoms in the postpartum period differs across cultures could improve detection and provide new insights into the pathogenesis. Moreover, it is a necessary step to evaluate the universal use of screening instruments in research and clinical practice. In the current study we sought to assess whether the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the most widely used screening tool for postpartum depression, measures the same underlying construct across cultural groups in a large international dataset. METHOD: Ordinal regression and measurement invariance were used to explore the association between culture, operationalized as education, ethnicity/race and continent, and endorsement of depressive symptoms using the EPDS on 8209 new mothers from Europe and the USA. RESULTS: Education, but not ethnicity/race, influenced the reporting of postpartum depression [difference between robust comparative fit indexes (∆*CFI) 0.01), but not between European countries (∆*CFI < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Investigators and clinicians should be aware of the potential differences in expression of phenotype of postpartum depression that women of different educational backgrounds may manifest. The increasing cultural heterogeneity of societies together with the tendency towards globalization requires a culturally sensitive approach to patients, research and policies, that takes into account, beyond rhetoric, the context of a person's experiences and the context in which the research is conducted.

A systematic review of interventions to improve outcomes for young adults with Type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Many young adults with Type 1 diabetes experience poor outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving clinical, behavioural or psychosocial outcomes for young adults with Type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched. Any intervention studies related to education, support, behaviour change or health service organizational change for young adults aged between 15-30 years with Type 1 diabetes were included. A narrative synthesis of all studies was undertaken due to the large degree of heterogeneity between studies. RESULTS: Eighteen studies (of a possible 1700) were selected and categorized: Health Services Delivery (n = 4), Group Education and Peer Support (n = 6), Digital Platforms (n = 4) and Diabetes Devices (n = 4). Study designs included one randomized controlled trial, three retrospective studies, seven feasibility/acceptability studies and eight studies with a pre/post design. Continuity, support, education and tailoring of interventions to young adults were the most common themes across studies. HbA1c was the most frequently measured outcome, but only 5 of 12 studies that measured it showed a significant improvement. CONCLUSION: Based on the heterogeneity among the studies, the effectiveness of interventions on clinical, behavioural and psychosocial outcomes among young adults is inconclusive. This review has highlighted a lack of high-quality, well-designed interventions, aimed at improving health outcomes for young adults with Type 1 diabetes.

Predictive performance of eleven pharmacokinetic models for propofol infusion in children for long-duration anaesthesia.

Background: Predictive performance of eleven published propofol pharmacokinetic models was evaluated for long-duration propofol infusion in children. Methods: Twenty-one aged three-11 yr ASA I-II patients were included. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol or sevoflurane, and maintained with propofol, remifentanil, and fentanyl. Propofol was continuously infused at rates of 4-14 mg kg - 1 h - 1 after an initial bolus of 1.5-2.0 mg kg - 1 . Venous blood samples were obtained every 30-60 min for five h and then every 60-120 min after five h from the start of propofol administration, and immediately after the end of propofol administration. Model performance was assessed with prediction error (PE) derivatives including divergence PE, median PE (MDPE), and median absolute PE (MDAPE) as time-related PE shift, measures for bias, and inaccuracy, respectively. Results: We collected 85 samples over 270 (130) (88-545), mean (SD) (range), min. The Short model for children, and the Schüttler general-purpose model had acceptable performance (-20%≤MDPE ≤ 20%, MDAPE ≤ 30%, -4% h - 1 ≤ divergence PE ≤ 4% h - 1 ). The Short model showed the best performance with the maximum predictive performance metric. Two models developed only using bolus dosing (Shangguan and Saint-Maurice models) and the Paedfusor of the remaining nine models had significant negative divergence PE (≤-6.1% h - 1 ). Conclusions: The Short model performed well during continuous infusion up to 545 min. This model might be preferable for target-controlled infusion for long-duration anaesthesia in children.

Multilocus DNA sequencing of the whiskey fungus reveals a continental-scale speciation pattern.

Baudoinia was described to accommodate a single species, B. compniacensis. Known as the 'whiskey fungus', this species is the predominant member of a ubiquitous microbial community known colloquially as 'warehouse staining' that develops on outdoor surfaces subject to periodic exposure to ethanolic vapours near distilleries and bakeries. Here we examine 19 strains recovered from environmental samples near industrial settings in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Far East. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of a portion of the nucLSU rRNA gene confirms that Baudoinia is a monophyletic lineage within the Teratosphaeriaceae (Capnodiales). Multilocus phylogenetic analysis of nucITS rRNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and partial nucLSU rRNA, beta-tubulin (TUB) and elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) gene sequences further indicates that Baudoinia consists of five strongly supported, geographically patterned lineages representing four new species (viz. Baudoinia antilliensis, B. caledoniensis, B. orientalis and B. panamericana).

Interleukin-6 released by colon cancer-associated fibroblasts is critical for tumour angiogenesis: anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody suppressed angiogenesis and inhibited tumour-stroma interaction.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has an important role in cancer progression, and high levels of plasma IL-6 are correlated with a poor prognosis in a variety of cancers. It has also been reported that tumour stromal fibroblasts are necessary for steps in cancer progression, such as angiogenesis. There have been few reports of a correlation between fibroblast actions and IL-6 levels. In this study, we examined the correlation between cancer stromal fibroblasts and IL-6 and the utility of IL-6 as a therapeutic target in human colon cancer. METHODS: The expression levels of IL-6 and VEGF of fibroblasts and cancer cell lines were evaluated using real-time PCR and ELISA. The anti-angiogenic effect of inhibiting IL-6 signalling was measured in an angiogenesis model and animal experiment. RESULTS: We demonstrate that stromal fibroblasts isolated from colon cancer produced significant amounts of IL-6 and that colon cancer cells enhanced IL-6 production by stromal fibroblasts. Moreover, IL-6 enhanced VEGF production by fibroblasts, thereby inducing angiogenesis. In vivo, anti-IL6 receptor antibody targeting stromal tissue showed greater anti-tumour activity than did anti-IL6 receptor antibody targeting xenografted cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Cancer stromal fibroblasts were an important source of IL-6 in colon cancer. IL-6 produced by activated fibroblasts induced tumour angiogenesis by stimulating adjacent stromal fibroblasts. The relationship between IL-6 and stromal fibroblasts offers new approaches to cancer therapy.

First report: Robotic pelvic exenteration for locally advanced rectal cancer.

AIM: The aim of this study was to present the feasibility and surgical outcome of robotic en bloc resection of the rectum and with prostate and seminal vesicle invaded by rectal cancer. METHOD: The details of three consecutive cases involving male patients in their forties, with locally invasive low rectal cancers are presented. The da Vinci robotic system was used by experienced colorectal and urological surgeons to perform en bloc resection of the rectum, prostate and seminal vesicles. RESULTS: In the first case, coloanal and vesico-urethral anastomoses were performed, and the second included an end colostomy and vesico-urethral anastomosis. The bladder and bulbar urethra were also removed en bloc in the third case, with robotic intracorporeal ileal conduit formation and end colostomy. There was no major complication postoperatively. In the second patient there was a minor leakage at the vesico-urethral anastomosis. The third was readmitted the following week with a urinary infection which settled with intravenous antibiotics. In the first case, the circumferential resection margin was microscopically positive but the patient is currently free of recurrence after 14 months. In the second and third cases, all margins were clear. CONCLUSION: This the first report of the use of the da Vinci robotic system for pelvic exenteration in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer invading the prostate and seminal vesicles. The robot may have a potential role in selected patients requiring exenterative pelvic surgery particularly in men.

Effects of varying fixed lingual apex positions on tongue pressure during straw drinking.

We investigated the impact of tongue-thrusting on lingual pressure during fluid intake with a straw. In this study, 12 healthy young dentate individuals (two women and 10 men; 19-33 years) were instructed to drink 15 mL of water with a regular drinking straw at 37 °C, when indicated by the investigator. Participants drank after adjusting tongue position to one of the following patterns: (i) Holding the tip of the straw between the lips (Normal Position: NP), (ii) Sticking out the tongue to the vermilion zone of the lower lip and inserting the straw 1 cm past the front teeth (Tongue-thrusting Position: TP). Five recordings were conducted for each participant in a randomised order. To measure tongue pressure during swallowing, a specially designed 0.1-mm thick sensor sheet (Nitta, Osaka, Japan) with a tactile system for measurement of pressure distribution (I-SCAN; Nitta) was used. Duration, maximal magnitude and integrated value of tongue pressure were analysed based on the wave of tongue pressure recorded while water was swallowed. Magnitude, duration and integrated value of tongue pressure were significantly lower in TP than in NP at the median line (Ch1-3). Magnitude and integrated value of tongue pressure at the lateral part of the tongue (Ch5) were significantly lower in TP than in NP. When duration, maximal magnitude and integrated values were compared by channel, no significant differences were observed in NP, but a significant difference was found between Ch3 and the lateral areas Ch4/Ch 5 in TP. When the tongue was thrust forward, movement dynamics of the entire tongue changed and influenced contact between the tongue and palate during liquid intake with a straw. The impact was noticeably weaker on the median line than in lateral areas.

Temporal change in the gut community of rats fed high amylose cornstarch is driven by endogenous urea rather than strictly on carbohydrate availability.

AIM: To examine change in the gut community of rats fed high amylose maize starch (HAMS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Rats were fed AIN93G diets containing HAMS (5% resistant starch type 2) or alphacell (control). HAMS increased faecal short-chain fatty acid output, faecal propionate and total bacteria output but reduced gut pH and blood urea concentrations compared with rats ingesting the control diet. Feeding HAMS resulted in a gut community dominated by four phylotypes homologous with Ruminococcus bromii, Bacteroides uniformis and with yet to be cultivated organisms aligning into the Family Porphyromonadaceae. Enrichment of phylotypes aligning within the Bacteroidetes occurred primarily in the caecum, whereas those homologous with R. bromii were found primarily in the faeces. HAMS altered community structure such that the phylum Bacteroidetes represented the dominant gut lineage and progressively reduced faecal community phylotype richness over the duration of feeding. CONCLUSIONS: Feeding HAMS resulted in a caecal and faecal community dominated by organisms that require ammonia as a primary nitrogen source. Gut ammonia derived from endogenous urea represents an important factor contributing to caecal community composition in addition to the ability to utilize HAMS. Increases in faecal propionate, rather than butyrate as is often observed following resistant starch feeding, reflected a gut community dominated by the Bacteroidetes. SIGNIFICANCE: Diet-mediated change is often viewed strictly in terms of available carbohydrate. Here, we have shown that ammonia derived from endogenous urea is an important factor contributing to gut community composition and structure in rats fed this substrate.

MRI findings of granulomatous prostatitis developing after intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy.

AIM: To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of granulomatous prostatitis (GP) developing after intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with pathologically proven GP underwent prostatic MRI. Lesion shape and signal intensity (SI) were evaluated on T2-weighted (T2WI), T1WI, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). RESULTS: Polygonal nodular lesions with notches, diffuse lesions, and cystic lesions with mural nodules were seen in two, six, and one patients, respectively. The remaining patient had a diffuse and cystic lesion. All diffuse lesions showed higher SI than muscle on T1WI and higher SI than the normal peripheral zone (PZ) on DWI. On T2WI, six of seven diffuse lesions showed a slightly lower SI than bone marrow and the remaining one lesion was iso-intense. All nodular lesions showed a low SI similar to muscle on T2WI and were iso-intense to muscle on T1WI. On DWI, two each of the four nodular lesions showed slightly lower SI and slightly higher SI than the normal PZ, respectively. All contents within the cyst and mural nodules showed markedly high and low SI on T2WI, respectively. On DWI, all fluids within cysts showed markedly high SI. One each of the mural nodules showed slightly higher SI and slightly lower SI than the normal PZ on DWI. CONCLUSION: Three main MRI patterns of GP were identified: diffuse, nodular, and cystic with mural nodule; among them, the diffuse type was the most common. Cystic lesions with mural nodules could accompany the lesion.

Genetic variation in the gene encoding calpain-10 is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is the most common form of diabetes worldwide, affecting approximately 4% of the world's adult population. It is multifactorial in origin with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to its development. A genome-wide screen for type 2 diabetes genes carried out in Mexican Americans localized a susceptibility gene, designated NIDDM1, to chromosome 2. Here we describe the positional cloning of a gene located in the NIDDM1 region that shows association with type 2 diabetes in Mexican Americans and a Northern European population from the Botnia region of Finland. This putative diabetes-susceptibility gene encodes a ubiquitously expressed member of the calpain-like cysteine protease family, calpain-10 (CAPN10). This finding suggests a novel pathway that may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Urinary podocalyxin is an early marker for podocyte injury in patients with diabetes: establishment of a highly sensitive ELISA to detect urinary podocalyxin.

AIMS/OBJECTIVE: Nephropathy, a major complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that podocyte injury is involved in the onset of and progression to renal insufficiency. Here, we describe a novel, highly sensitive ELISA for detecting urinary podocalyxin, a glycoconjugate on the podocyte apical surface that indicates podocyte injury, particularly in the early phase of diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Urine samples from patients with glomerular diseases (n = 142) and type 2 diabetes (n = 71) were used to quantify urinary podocalyxin by ELISA. Urine samples were obtained from 69 healthy controls for whom laboratory data were within normal values. Podocalyxin was detected in urine by immunofluorescence, immunoelectron microscopy and western blotting. RESULTS: Morphologically, urinary podocalyxin was present as a vesicular structure; western blotting showed it as a positive band at 165-170 kDa. Levels of urinary podocalyxin were elevated in patients with various glomerular diseases and patients with diabetes. In patients with diabetes, urinary podocalyxin was higher than the cut-off value in 53.8% patients at the normoalbuminuric stage, 64.7% at the microalbuminuric stage and 66.7% at the macroalbuminuric stage. Positive correlations were observed between urinary podocalyxin levels and HbA(1c), urinary ß(2) microglobulin, α(1) microglobulin and urinary N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase, although urinary podocalyxin levels were not correlated with other laboratory markers such as blood pressure, lipid level, serum creatinine, estimated GFR or proteinuria. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Urinary podocalyxin may be a useful biomarker for detecting early podocyte injury in patients with diabetes.

Integration of linkage and chromosome maps of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.).

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a forage legume and an allogamous diploid plant (2n = 14; 440 Mb). Here, we examine the 7 prometaphase chromosomes of red clover using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with ribosomal RNA sequences, pericentromeric and telomeric repeats, as well as bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones. Position of hybridization signals and chromosome condensation patterns were quantified by the help of the chromosome image analysis system ver. 4.0 (CHIAS IV). Fourteen BAC clones belonging to linkage groups (LG) 1-7 hybridized to individual chromosomes 4, 2, 6, 5, 1, 7, and 3, respectively. Quantitative analysis of FISH mapping and chromosome analysis using CHIAS IV allowed us to construct a quantitative idiogram that constitutes the comprehensive chromosome map of red clover. Chromosomal positions of the 26S rDNA locus were detected at a heterozygous locus on chromosome 6 in the variety HR, and polymorphisms of rDNA loci were observed in other varieties, although chromosomal positions of some BAC clones did not vary among HR and other varieties. These results demonstrate chromosomal collinearity among allogamous red clover varieties. This integration of genetic linkage and quantitative chromosome maps should provide valuable insight into allogamous legume genetics.