Dual regulation of iron deficiency response mediated by the transcription factor IDEF1.

Higher plants respond to fluctuating Fe availability by regulating the expression of genes involved in Fe homeostasis. Transcriptional responses to Fe deficiency in plants are mediated via various interactions between cisacting elements and trans-acting factors. The transcription factor IDEF1 regulates the response to Fe deficiency in (rice) by recognizing the CATGC sequence within the Fe deficiency-responsive cis-acting element IDE1.

Identification of growth insensitive to ABA3 (gia3), a recessive mutation affecting ABA Signaling for the control of early post-germination growth in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The stress phytohormone ABA inhibits the developmental transition taking the mature embryo in the dry seed towards a young seedling. ABA also induces the accumulation of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor ABA-insensitive 5 (ABI5) which, apart from blocking endosperm rupture, also protects the embryo by stimulating the expression of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) genes that conferred osmotolerance during seed maturation. It is unknown whether ABA recruits additional embryonic pathways to control early seedling growth and fitness.

Polarization-maintaining, high-energy, wavelength-tunable, Er-doped ultrashort pulse fiber laser using carbon-nanotube polyimide film.

A high-energy, wavelength-tunable, all-polarization-maintaining Er-doped ultrashort fiber laser was demonstrated using a polyimide film dispersed with single-wall carbon nanotubes. A variable output coupler and wavelength filter were used in the cavity configuration, and high-power operation was demonstrated. The maximum average power was 12.

A highly sensitive, quick and simple quantification method for nicotianamine and 2'-deoxymugineic acid from minimum samples using LC/ESI-TOF-MS achieves functional analysis of these components in plants.

A highly sensitive quantitative method for assaying nicotianamine (NA) and 2'-deoxymugineic acid (DMA) using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-TOF-MS) was developed. The amino and hydroxyl groups of NA and DMA were derivatized using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride. The amounts of NA and DMA in 10 mul of xylem sap from rice cultivated under iron (Fe)-sufficient and Fe-deficient conditions were quantified without concentration.

Rice-specific mitochondrial iron-regulated gene (MIR) plays an important role in iron homeostasis.

Mitochondria utilize iron (Fe), but the proteins involved in mitochondrial Fe regulation are not characterized in plants. We cloned and characterized a mitochondrial iron-regulated (MIR) gene in rice involved in Fe homeostasis. MIR, when expressed in tobacco BY-2 cells, was localized to the mitochondria.

Measurement of the rate of myofibrillar protein degradation using the arteriovenous difference in plasma 3-methylhistidine concentration of rats.

There are several methods for measuring the rate of myofibrillar protein degradation using 3-methylhistidine (3-MeHis) levels in urine, plasma and isolated muscle. However, these methods lack the accuracy of rate measurements. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new method for determining the rate of myofibrillar protein degradation.

The rice transcription factor IDEF1 is essential for the early response to iron deficiency, and induces vegetative expression of late embryogenesis abundant genes.

Higher plants maintain iron homeostasis by regulating the expression of iron (Fe)-related genes in accordance with Fe availability. The transcription factor IDEF1 regulates the response to Fe deficiency in Oryza sativa (rice) by recognizing CATGC sequences within the Fe deficiency-responsive cis-acting element IDE1. To investigate the function of IDEF1 in detail, we analyzed the response to Fe deficiency in transgenic rice plants exhibiting induced or repressed IDEF1 expression.

High-speed three-dimensional measurement using electronically controlled wavelength-tunable ultrashort pulse fiber laser.

A high-speed three-dimensional measurement system was demonstrated using an electronically controlled wavelength-tunable ultrashort pulse fiber laser and an all-fiber interferometer. A longitudinal scanning range of 2.8 mm and a scanning speed of 100,000 points/s were achieved without moving parts.

OsYSL18 is a rice iron(III)-deoxymugineic acid transporter specifically expressed in reproductive organs and phloem of lamina joints.

Iron uptake and translocation in plants are important processes for both plant and human nutrition, whereas relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms of iron transport within the plant body. Several reports have shown that yellow stripe 1 (YS1) and YS1-like (YSL) transporters mediate metal-phytosiderophore uptake and/or metal-nicotianamine translocation. Among the 18 YSL genes in rice (OsYSLs), OsYSL18 is predicted to encode a polypeptide of 679 amino acids containing 13 putative transmembrane domains.

High-resolution time-of-flight terahertz tomography using a femtosecond fiber laser.

High-resolution tomographic imaging is demonstrated using a reflection-type terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. To realize a practical system for general use, a robust all-fiber laser was used as the pump light source. Broadband terahertz waves were generated with the combination of optical pulses compressed to 17 fs using optical fibers and a DAST crystal.

Voice-related quality of life after treatment of laryngeal cancer.

Objective: To determine patient-perceived voice-related quality of life in patients treated with various methods based on the results of Voice-Related Quality of Life (VRQOL) and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) questionnaires.

Design: The VRQOL and VHI-10 questionnaires.

Setting: University hospital.

Arteriovenous differences in NO2- kinetics in anesthetized rabbits.

Despite of the importance of plasma NO2- as an index of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) formation and a substrate for NO production, only a limited kinetic knowledge is available in vivo. To address this issue, we intravenously injected NaNO2 into anesthetized rabbits and quantified changes in arterial and venous plasma NO2- levels. Plasma NO2- levels in arterial blood (956 +/- 220 nM) were slightly, but significantly, higher than those in venous blood (889 +/- 214 nM) under control conditions.

Dietary Japanese millet protein ameliorates plasma levels of adiponectin, glucose, and lipids in type 2 diabetic mice.

Millet is an important food crop in Asia and Africa, but the health benefits of dietary millet are little known. This study defined the effects of dietary Japanese millet on diabetic mice. Feeding of a high-fat diet containing Japanese millet protein concentrate (JMP, 20% protein) to type 2 diabetic mice for 3 weeks significantly increased plasma levels of adiponectin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) and decreased the levels of glucose and triglyceride as compared to control.

Time course analysis of gene expression over 24 hours in Fe-deficient barley roots.

Typical for a graminaceous plant, barley secretes mugineic acid-family phytosiderophores (MAs) to acquire iron (Fe). Under Fe-deficient conditions, MAs secretion from barley roots increases markedly. Secretion shows a diurnal pattern, with a clear peak 2-3 h after sunrise and cessation within a few hours.

Quasi-super-continuum generation using ultrahigh-speed wavelength-tunable soliton pulses.

A quasi-super-continuum (quasi-SC) source is demonstrated as a new broadband light source for the first time to our knowledge using electronically controlled ultrahigh-speed wavelength tuning of a femtosecond soliton pulse. The scanning speed is as fast as 1 MHz. The center wavelength, bandwidth, and spectrum shape can be changed arbitrarily.

(52)Fe translocation in barley as monitored by a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS): evidence for the direct translocation of Fe from roots to young leaves via phloem.

The real-time translocation of iron (Fe) in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Ehimehadaka no.

Rice OsYSL15 is an iron-regulated iron(III)-deoxymugineic acid transporter expressed in the roots and is essential for iron uptake in early growth of the seedlings.

Graminaceous plants take up iron through YS1 (yellow stripe 1) and YS1-like (YSL) transporters using iron-chelating compounds known as mugineic acid family phytosiderophores. We examined the expression of 18 rice (Oryza sativa L.) YSL genes (OsYSL1-18) in the epidermis/exodermis, cortex, and stele of rice roots.

Development of phonemic distinction in Japanese preschool children.

The literature suggests that, within several months of birth, infants develop the ability to distinguish between different speech sounds. However, the time frame for discrimination of a specific phonological system remains unclear. In order to clarify this, the discrimination responses of 211 preschool children were examined.

The diagnosis and management of globus: a perspective from Japan.

Purpose Of Review: The etiology of globus is multifactorial and its management is controversial. Recent findings in the etiology and diagnosis of globus are discussed, and a subjective opinion on its management is presented.

Recent Findings: Although there is considerable debate concerning the role of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with globus, the globus symptom score has been shown to be significantly higher in patients with GERD than in those without GERD.

Effects of dietary Korean proso-millet protein on plasma adiponectin, HDL cholesterol, insulin levels, and gene expression in obese type 2 diabetic mice.

We investigated the effect of dietary Korean proso-millet protein concentrate (PMP) on glycemic responses, plasma lipid levels, and the plasma level and gene expression of adiponectin in obese type 2 diabetic mice under normal and high-fat feeding conditions. The findings were that the feeding of PMP clearly elevated plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) and adiponectin levels and brought about effective reduction in the levels of glucose and insulin in mice under high-fat diet conditions as compared with a control diet. Gene expression study revealed that the diet up-regulated expression of adiponectin and down-regulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).

Genetically engineered rice containing larger amounts of nicotianamine to enhance the antihypertensive effect.

Nicotianamine (NA), a metal chelator ubiquitous in higher plants, serves as an antihypertensive substance in humans. To engineer a novel antihypertensive rice that contains larger amounts of NA, the barley NA synthase gene, HvNAS1, was introduced into rice via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The introduced HvNAS1 was driven by pGluB-1, which induces strong gene expression in the endosperm of rice seeds.

Regulation of muscle protein degradation, not synthesis, by dietary leucine in rats fed a protein-deficient diet.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of long-term intake of leucine in dietary protein malnutrition on muscle protein synthesis and degradation. A reduction in muscle mass was suppressed by leucine-supplementation (1.5% leucine) in rats fed protein-free diet for 7 days.

Generation and detection of broadband coherent terahertz radiation using 17-fs ultrashort pulse fiber laser.

We describe the generation and detection of broadband terahertz radiation using an all-fiber laser. Optical pulses from a mode-locked fiber laser oscillator are compressed using nonlinear and dispersion effects induced in optical fibers, and 17-fs optical pulses with 170-kW peak power are generated at the wavelength region around 1.5 microm.

Evaluation of upper abdominal symptoms using the Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms.

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate upper abdominal symptoms in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) patients and changes in both upper abdominal and LPR symptoms before and after acid-suppression therapy.

Methods: In 100 patients with LPR symptoms, upper abdominal and LPR symptoms were evaluated by using the Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (FSSG) and the LPR symptom scoring system, respectively. In the 52 assessable patients, changes in these symptoms before and after acid-suppression therapy were evaluated.

All-polarization-maintaining Er-doped ultrashort-pulse fiber laser using carbon nanotube saturable absorber.

We present an all-polarization-maintaining Er-doped ultrashort-pulse fiber laser using a single-wall carbon nanotube polyimide nanocomposite saturable absorber. The maximum average power for single-pulse operation is 4.8 mW, and the repetition frequency is 41.