PREPs: An Open-Source Software for High-Throughput Field Plant Phenotyping.

An open-source software for field-based plant phenotyping, Precision Plots Analyzer (PREPs), was developed using Window.NET. The software runs on 64-bit Windows computers. This software allows the extraction of phenotypic traits on a per-microplot basis from orthomosaic and digital surface model (DSM) images generated by Structure-from-Motion/Multi-View-Stereo (SfM-MVS) tools. Moreover, there is no need to acquire skills in geographical information system (GIS) or programming languages for image analysis. Three use cases illustrated the software's functionality. The first involved monitoring the growth of sugar beet varieties in an experimental field using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), where differences among varieties were detected through estimates of crop height, coverage, and volume index. Second, mixed varieties of potato crops were estimated using a UAV and varietal differences were observed from the estimated phenotypic traits. A strong correlation was observed between the manually measured crop height and UAV-estimated crop height. Finally, using a multicamera array attached to a tractor, the height, coverage, and volume index of the 3 potato varieties were precisely estimated. PREPs software is poised to be a useful tool that allows anyone without prior knowledge of programming to extract crop traits for phenotyping.

[Combined Resection of the Aorta under Cardiopulmonary Bypass for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer].

We present two cases with locally advanced lung cancer invading the descending aorta. Case 1 is a 67 years old male, who had been followed up for stroke. Enlargement of a mass lesion in the left lung was pointed out on further examination. Case 2 is a 64-year-old man, who was referred to our hospital because of cough and abnormal shadow on the chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT). We suspected that both tumors were lung carcinoma invading the descending aorta based on enhanced CT findings. In both cases, the clinical stage was cT4N0M0 stageⅢA. They underwent left pneumonectomy with combined en bloc tubular resection and reconstruction of the descending aorta via a posterolateral thoracotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass in the right lateral decubitus position. The histologic type of both tumors was squamous cell carcinoma. The pathological staging was pT4N0M0 in case 1, and pT4N2M0 in case 2. After surgery, the first patient received chemotherapy consisting of carboplatin and vinorelbine plus pembrolizumab. He survived 17 months until sudden death of unknown reason. The second did not receive adjuvant treatment because his postoperative performance status was slightly reduced. He died of local recurrence 6 months after the operation.

[Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery: Report of a Case].

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva is a rare anomaly known to cause sudden death in young competitive athletes. We report a case of 58-year-old male who was admitted to our hospital because of acute coronary syndrome. Emergency coronary angiography documented a critical stenosis in the right coronary artery. A cardiologist implanted a stent with good angiographic result. It was not possible to place a catheter in left coronary artery ostium at normal position. The patient was diagnosed to have an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery arising from the right sinus of Valsalva, passing between the aorta and the main pulmonary artery by coronary 3 dimensional computed tomography angiography (3D-CTA). After a stent insertion, he still had angina. Further examination of the left coronary artery including intravascular ultrasound revealed a hard plaque in the left main trunk as the culprit lesion. Because previous percutaneous coronary intervention was ineffective, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was performed using bilateral internal thoracic arterial grafts to the left anterior descending artery and the obtuse marginal branch. Postoperative 3D-CTA demonstrated patent grafts. Two years after the operation, he is free from chest discomfort.

[Papillary Thyroid Cancer Metastasizing Anterior Mediastinal Lymph Node with Extra-nodal Invasion to the Lung:Report of a Case].

We describe a 79-year-old female with a prior history of two times of mitral valve surgery and pacemaker implantation. She was transferred to our hospital presenting bloody sputum with dyspnea. Chest enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a large anterior mediastinal mass of 64×52 mm in size. She underwent surgery for the mediastinal tumor through third time median sternotomy approach. As the tumor was suspected of infiltrating to the lung, combined resection of right upper lobe was additionally performed. Histological examination revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasizing anterior mediastinal lymph node with extra-nodal invasion to the lung. After surgery, echography detected primary lesion in the left lobe of thyroid gland, and the patient was finally diagnosed as papillary thyroid cancer metastasizing mediastinal lymph node. Two months later, she underwent total thyroidectomy.

[Resection under Endoscopic Guidance of Papillary Fibroelastoma in the Left Ventricular Outflow Tract:Report of a Case].

A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for a thorough examination of a suspected cardiac tumor on transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a 9.4×8.1 mm mobile stalk-like mass in the left ventricular outflow tract. A preoperative electrocardiogram revealed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Tumor resection and pulmonary vein isolation were performed to prevent embolism and confirm the diagnosis. The tumor was resected using an endoscope because it was difficult to evaluate the tumor under direct view from the aortic valve. Pathological diagnosis was cardiac papillary fibroelastoma. Postoperative echocardiography showed no residual tumor or aortic regurgitation. One year and eight months passed since the surgery, and no recurrence of the tumor was detected. In cases like this one, where direct observation of the tumor is difficult, we suggest that the use of an endoscope may be effective because it has the advantage of sharing information with other surgeons.

[Superior Vena Cava Syndrome due to Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Originated in the Mediastinum].

We report a case of a 53-year-old man with superior vena cava( SVC) syndrome due to large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) in the mediastinum. His chief complaint was general fatigue. On physical examination, both jugular veins were distended and his face and bilateral upper limbs were swollen. Enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a heterogenous tumor of approximately 50 mm in diameter in the middle mediastinum, which infiltrated into the SVC and right atrium, and caused SVC syndrome. Since SVC syndrome developed rapidly, the tumor was resected and the occluded SVC was replaced with a ringed polytetrafluoroethylene graft under cardiopulmonary bypass. After surgery, SVC obstruction was resolved with improvement of the initial symptoms. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged from our hospital. The tumor was diagnosed as LCNEC histologically. He received postoperative adjuvant systemic chemotherapy. Unfortunately, he died of extensive brain and bone metastasis 10 months after the operation. However, we believe that surgical relief from SVC syndrome improved quality of the rest of his life.

Anatomical characteristics of two cases of aberrant right subclavian artery.

An aberrant right subclavian artery is a branching variation of the aortic arch. We encountered two female cadavers with an aberrant right subclavian artery during routine student dissection at our school. In both cases, the right subclavian artery was not a branch of the brachiocephalic trunk but originated directly from the distal part of the aortic arch as the last branch and ran between the esophagus and vertebral column, traveling to the upper limb. The right recurrent laryngeal nerve was absent, but a non-recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve branching from the vagus and traveling directly toward the larynx was observed. In the first case, the right and left common carotid arteries originated solely from the aortic arch as the first and second branches, respectively, whereas the right and left common carotid arteries formed a bicarotid trunk at their origin in the second case. A Kommerell diverticulum was present at the base of the aberrant right subclavian artery in the second case, but not in the first case. We analyzed the anatomical differences between the two cases and discussed the developmental aspects and potential clinical risks.

Easy MPE: Extraction of Quality Microplot Images for UAV-Based High-Throughput Field Phenotyping.

Microplot extraction (PE) is a necessary image processing step in unmanned aerial vehicle- (UAV-) based research on breeding fields. At present, it is manually using ArcGIS, QGIS, or other GIS-based software, but achieving the desired accuracy is time-consuming. We therefore developed an intuitive, easy-to-use semiautomatic program for MPE called Easy MPE to enable researchers and others to access reliable plot data UAV images of whole fields under variable field conditions. The program uses four major steps: (1) binary segmentation, (2) microplot extraction, (3) production of ∗.shp files to enable further file manipulation, and (4) projection of individual microplots generated from the orthomosaic back onto the raw aerial UAV images to preserve the image quality. Crop rows were successfully identified in all trial fields. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated by calculating the intersection-over-union (IOU) ratio between microplots determined manually and by Easy MPE: the average IOU (±SD) of all trials was 91% (±3).

Novel curved balloon catheter for dilating postoperative angled lesions associated with congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the surface stress generated by a novel curved balloon and assess its efficacy for treating angular lesions associated with congenital heart disease. BACKGROUND: Obstructions at the anastomosis of aortopulmonary shunts and cavopulmonary connections may occur postoperatively. Catheter interventions are often performed for such lesions; however, acute angulation may cause balloon slippage or inappropriate stress on the vessel wall. METHODS: We dilated the curved balloon in a curved vessel model and measured the resultant wall stress and its distribution. Clinical evaluations were performed using this balloon in angled lesions. RESULTS: In the curved vessel model, curved balloons generated uniform stress on the lesser and greater curvatures (curved type, lesser/greater = 0.343 MPa/0.327 MPa; P = 0.61), whereas straight balloons caused disproportionate stress (straight type, lesser/greater = 0.358 MPa/0.254 MPa; P = 0.19). However, the difference in average stress was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the stress was uniform along the entire length of the curved balloon, but differed between the mid and end portions of the straight balloon. Curved balloon dilations were performed for 10 lesions in 7 patients. The curved balloon conformed well to the angulated lesion without slipping. The median percent change in the minimal lumen diameter (MLD) was 64% (range, 0-206%). In 5 lesions, MLD increased by ≥50%. Oxygen saturation increased by 5% (0-9%). CONCLUSIONS: Although further clinical evaluation is necessary, this novel curved balloon may be a reasonable alternative in angled lesions, providing better conformability and preventing excessive stress to the vessel wall adjacent to the stenosis.

Soy germ protein concentrate diet decreased body fat weight and increased hindlimb muscle weight in rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of soy germ protein intake on body composition. Wistar rats were fed experimental diets for 16 weeks. These consisted of soy germ protein, soy protein, or casein. Abdominal adipose tissue weights significantly lower and hindlimb muscle weights were significantly higher in the soy germ protein group than in the casein group.

Apico-brachiocephalic artery bypass for aortic stenosis with porcelain aorta.

Apicoaortic bypass for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction has been performed with acceptable mid-term mortality. However, sometimes it is difficult to anastomose the distal end of the conduit to the calcified descending aorta in patients with a porcelain aorta. We report an aortic non-touch modification of the apicoaortic bypass in an 80-year-old woman with valvular aortic stenosis and a porcelain aorta extending from the ascending to abdominal aorta. We performed apico-brachiocephalic artery bypass under circulatory arrest with deep hypothermia. This procedure may become a useful surgical option for patients with a severe porcelain aorta.

Stereotactic directional vacuum-assisted breast biopsy using lateral approach.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy [so-called Mammotome® biopsy (ST-MMT)] has been established as a reliable method for diagnosis of nonpalpable and mammographically detected lesions with microcalcification. However, there are few reports regarding the lateral approach. We performed ST-MMT using the lateral approach. The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of the lateral approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 124 women with microcalcifications underwent stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (median age, 52.5 years). All underwent stereotactic biopsy using the lateral approach. We compared our data with those of other institutes using the vertical approach. RESULTS: We removed microcalcifications and used an 11-gauge vacuum-assisted probe in all cases. The range of breast thickness was 10-45 mm. 12 patients had vasovagal reactions, however they quickly recovered without drug intervention. No patients had major complications. Of 124 cases, cancer was diagnosed in 37 patients. In other institutes using the vertical approach, it was impossible to use 11G probes in some cases due to the breast being too thin. In our study, minimum breast thickness was 10 mm (7 cases) and we were able to use 11G probes in all 7 cases with only polyethylene foam. CONCLUSION: With the lateral approach, it is possible to use 11G probes if the breast is thin (in our study minimum thickness was 10 mm) with only polyethylene foam. We believe this to be an advantage of the lateral approach. This advantage is very important in stereotactic biopsy, especially in Japan, as Japanese women's breasts are generally thinner than most Western women's.

Doppler echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in chronic hypoxic rats.

Little information is available on the mechanism of diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with chronic respiratory disease complicated by hypoxia. The purpose of this study was to investigate how chronic hypoxia impairs LV diastolic function in an hypoxic animal model. Thirty-six male Wistar rats 8 weeks old were assigned to normoxia (N), chronic hypoxia (CH), and re-normoxia (RN) groups, 12 rats per group. The N group rats were kept in ambient air for 8 weeks, while the CH group was kept hypoxic for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of hypoxia the RN group rats were kept for a further 8 weeks in ambient air. LV systolic and diastolic functions, as well as right ventricular (RV) function, were analyzed using Doppler echocardiography;we also measured the hematocrit, and weighed the LV and RV. Hematocrit, RV weight/body weight, and RV weight/LV weight were higher in the CH group than in the other 2 groups. However, most of these parameters returned to normoxia levels after re-normoxia. In the CH group, LV dimension and area were smaller than in the other 2 groups. LV systolic function was preserved in all groups;however, in the CH group, mitral flow showed a restrictive pattern, while pulmonary flow demonstrated a pulmonary hypertensive pattern with prolonged RV ejection time. In conclusion, chronic hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension and RV hypertrophy. Although LV systolic function was preserved, diastolic function was impaired in hypoxia. Ventricular interaction may impair LV diastolic function.

Bioconversion of small molecules by cytochrome P450 species expressed in Escherichia coli.

P450 (cytochrome P450) enzymes catalyse the mono-oxygenation of a wide range of compounds such as steroids, fatty acids, vitamins and drugs. In the present paper we demonstrate a system for bioconverting diverse compounds [flavanone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) and 7-ethoxycoumarin] using P450 species expressed in Escherichia coli. First, we expressed four P450 species: rabbit CYP2B (P450 family 2, subfamily B), fruitfly (Drosophila) CYP317A, rat CYP3A23 and mouse CYP2J5. Next, we added substrates directly to the incubation medium. The resulting metabolites were extracted and analysed by HPLC and spectrofluorimetry. The first substrate, 7-ethoxycoumarin, was de-ethylated by CYP2B; CYP2J5 and CYP3A23 showed weak activity, and CYP317A had no activity for 7-ethoxycoumarin. We next used flavanone, a flavonoid, as a substrate for these four P450 species and other P450 species expressed previously. As a result, CYP2B, CYP2C43 and CYP2C29 catalysed flavanone 2-hydroxylation. CYP2A5 catalysed 2- and 4-hydroxylations. Finally, to produce diverse modified compounds, variants of CYP2A5 with point mutations were incubated with a steroid (DHEA) and an antioxidant (flavanone) in vivo. HPLC analysis indicated that two P450 species produced a 7-beta-hydroxy-DHEA and two P450 species produced a 2-alpha-hydroxy-DHEA. Four P450 species catalysed flavanone 2- and 4-hydroxylations. These results indicate that bioconversion by P450 is a useful technique to modify small molecules (steroids, coumarin and flavanone) and produce new, diverse hydroxylated compounds, which could be used for high-throughput screening for drug discovery.

Primary cardiac chondrosarcoma with large cell pulmonary carcinoma.

A 55-year-old man was transferred to our hospital for removal of cardiac and pulmonary tumors. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a large echogenic mass in the left ventricle. The mass was attached to the posterior wall of the left ventricle and the mitral valve. Chest computed tomography showed a solitary, well-defind nodular lesion in the right upper lung. We performed concomitant resection of cardiac and pulmonary tumors through a midline sternotomy. The pathological diagnosis was cardiac chondrosarcoma with pulmonary large cell carcinoma. Postoperatively pelvic computed tomography, bone and gallium scintigrams did not identify any other active lesion, hence the cardiac tumor was considered to be of cardiac origin. He is alive 20 months after the operation and findings from the cardiac and pulmonary examination are unremarkable. Primary cardiac chondrosarcoma is extremely rare, and to our knowledge, only 13 cases have been recorded. We summarize herein these 14 cases.

Effect of Quinapril on the Circadian Blood Pressure Pattern Evaluated by Periodic Analysis of Covariance.

The effects of quinapril on casual blood pressure (BP) and circadian variations in 24-h blood pressure (24ABPM) were studied in patients with essential hypertension. Twenty-six patients were enrolled in the study (mean age 59 plus minus 11 years). After a 4-week washout period, patients, were treated with quinapril 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg once a day until casual blood pressures become optimal within 8--10 weeks. The 24ABPM was performed before and after treatment at 30-min intervals using an ABPM-630 in patients during usual daily activities on the work days. Measured BP was fitted to a periodic regression curve with 24-h and 12-h harmonics. Quinapril significantly decreased casual blood pressure but had no effect on pulse rate. It exhibited an excellent antihypertensive effect throughout 24 h; this effect, however, was stronger during the day than at night, resulting in no excessive nocturnal hypotension. The level of the periodic regression curves for systolic and diastolic blood pressures was significantly decreased following treatment but that of the pulse rate was not affected by this drug. The drug caused changes in the pattern of the periodic regression curve for blood pressure and pulse rate. This was attributed to the more prominent antihypertensive effect of quinapril in the afternoon and evening. To evaluate the efficacy of this drug semiquantitatively, the hyperbaric indices were compared before and after the treatment, and those indices for both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly decreased. Adverse effects occurred in four patients (15.4%), all of which were mild and thought to be clinically insignificant. It was concluded that quinapril, 5--20 mg day(minus sign1), was considered to be useful for patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.