A linkage map was constructed using PCR-based markers developed from barley expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for recombinant inbred (RI) lines (F 10 ) derived from a cross between Triticum monococcum L. strain KT3-5 and T. boeoticum Boiss. strain KT1-1. Among the primer sets of 2,695 barley ESTs, 242 EST markers were integrated into the frame of a previously constructed diploid wheat linkage map with 96 RFLP markers. The total map length comprising barley EST, previously mapped RFLP and morphological markers was 1,038.1 cM, and the average distance between two adjacent loci was 3.1 cM. The linkage map showed saturation with the barley EST markers by covering extended telomeric regions and increasing the resolution compared with the previous RFLP map. Order of barley ESTs on the diploid wheat linkage map mostly showed a collinearity to that on the barley linkage map constructed previously, although the long arms of the homoeologous linkage groups 4 and 5 showed structural changes between diploid wheat and barley. Phenotypes of nine quantitative traits were scored for the diploid wheat RI lines and their parents. Composite interval mapping enabled to detect 24 quantitative trait loci for the traits. Thus, barley ESTs could become powerful tools to reveal homoeologous relationships between barley and wheat chromosomes, and valuable resources to develop genetic markers for wheat genomes.

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The initial symptoms of Crohn's disease (CD) sometimes present as extraintestinal lesions, which can be a diagnostic challenge for physicians. Painful legs, known as “gastrocnemius myalgia syndrome”, are rare complications that often precede abdominal manifestations. We herein report the case of a 38-year-old man who presented with bilateral leg myalgia lasting for 4 months. Magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal intensity, and a muscle biopsy revealed inflammatory cell infiltration. Abdominal symptoms appeared three months after the myalgia onset, and the diagnosis of CD was confirmed later by endoscopic and radiological findings. To our knowledge, this is the first description of gastrocnemius myalgia syndrome in Japan.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization for the palliation of radiotherapy (RT)-failure bone metastases (BMs) with those of re-radiotherapy (Re-RT) in achieving pain relief.Materials and Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with RT-failure BMs who had undergone Re-RT (23 patients) and transarterial chemoembolization (27 patients) were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was clinical response, and the secondary endpoints were objective response and adverse events. Pain assessment was performed using the numerical rating scale, and tumor response was evaluated using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Pain relief was defined as lack of pain with no analgesic usage (complete pain response) or a decrease in pain score by !3 points with analgesic usage (partial pain response).Results: The pain relief rates in the Re-RT and transarterial chemoembolization groups were 57% and 92%, respectively (P ¼ .006). The median pain relief duration was 2 and 3 months in the Re-RT and transarterial chemoembolization groups, respectively (P ¼ .002). The 6-month pain-free survival rates were 30% and 51% in the Re-RT and transarterial chemoembolization groups, respectively (P ¼ .08). The median tumor reduction rates were -4% and 9% in the Re-RT and transarterial chemoembolization groups, respectively (P < .001). The objective response rates were 0% and 11% in the Re-RT and transarterial chemoembolization groups, respectively (P ¼ .29). No serious adverse events or complications were observed.Conclusions: Transarterial chemoembolization achieved a superior response rate and longer duration of palliation in symptomatic RTfailure BMs. ABBREVIATIONSBMs ¼ bone metastases, NRS ¼ numerical rating scale, RT ¼ radiotherapy Bone metastases (BMs) are a major cause of morbidity, resulting in pain, pathological fracture, and spinal cord compression (1,2). In general, painful BMs are treated via radiotherapy (RT). Approximately 60%-90% of patients experience pain relief after RT (3,4), although 1 metaanalysis (5) has demonstrated that within the first year, pain exacerbation due to tumor regrowth can occur after RT in approximately 50% of patients, including RT responders. In patients with recurrent BMs for whom salvage surgery is not indicated, re-radiotherapy (Re-RT) is a standard second-line treatment option (6,7), with 8%-42% of the patients receiving this treatment (8,9). However, another meta-analysis on Re-RT (6) reported pain relief rates of approximately 58% for Re-RT, which are unsatisfactory.

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