We used an 8987-EST collection to construct a cDNA microarray system with various genomics information (full-length cDNA, expression profile, high accuracy genome sequence, phenotype, genetic map, and physical map) in rice. This array was used as a probe to hybridize target RNAs prepared from normally grown callus of rice and from callus treated for 6 hr or 3 days with the hormones abscisic acid (ABA) or gibberellin (GA). We identified 509 clones, including many clones that had never been annotated as ABA-or GA-responsive. These genes included not only ABA- or GA-responsive genes but also genes responsive to other physiological conditions such as pathogen infection, heat shock, and metal ion stress. Comparison of ABA- and GA-responsive genes revealed antagonistic regulation for these genes by both hormones except for one defense-related gene, thionin. The gene for thionin was up-regulated by both hormone treatments for 3 days. The upstream regions of all the genes that were regulated by both hormones had cis-elements for ABA and GA response. We performed a clustering analysis of genes regulated by both hormones and various expression profiles that showed three notable clusters (seed tissues, low temperature and sugar starvation, and thionin-gene related). A comparison of the cis-elements for hormone response genes between rice and Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified cis-elements for dehydration-stress response or for expression of amylase gene as Arabidopsis gene-specific or rice gene-specific, respectively.

The reactions of cobaltadithiolene complexes bearing phenyl or ester ligands with tetracyanoethylene oxide (TCNEO) result in the formation of dicyanomethylene-bridged complexes, via dicyanomethylide intermediates. Furthermore, the reaction of cobaltadithiolene complex bearing 4-pyridyl ligands produces pyridinium dicyanomethylide complexes in good yields.

Objectives-Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) with retrograde contrast is useful as a monitoring tool for small intestinal lesions in Crohn's disease (CD), but these are burdensome for patients. Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) can be used with ease in daily clinical practice, but there is less evidence regarding the accuracy of detection of small intestinal stenosis in CD. This study aimed to examine the diagnostic power of IUS for small intestinal stenosis in patients with CD.Methods-The findings of DBE and IUS in 86 patients with CD with small intestinal lesions were evaluated. Using DBE as the reference standard, we examined the detection rate of IUS for small intestinal stenosis. We evaluated three parameters: luminal narrowing, prestenotic dilation, and to-and-fro movement for determining stenosis using IUS. In addition, we compared the characteristics between the stenosis-detectable and stenosis-undetectable groups by IUS.Results-Of the 86 patients, 30 had small intestinal stenosis. In IUS findings, when lesions that met two or more of the three parameters were judged as stenosis, the detection rate was 70.0% for sensitivity, 98.2% for specificity, and 88.4% for accuracy. Moreover, there were patients with a younger age at diagnosis (P < 0.05) and more ileocolonic disease location (P < 0.05) in the stenosisdetectable group by IUS. The stenoses detected by IUS were significantly longer than those undetected by IUS (14.1 mm versus 5.2 mm, P < 0.05).Conclusions-IUS delivered reliable results for clinically important small intestinal stenosis of CD with high diagnostic accuracy.

Peppermint oil was useful as an antispasmodic during EGD, especially for elderly patients.

How does the developing brain of the human infant solve the feature-binding problem when visual stimuli consisting of multiple colored objects are presented? A habituation--dishabituation procedure revealed that 1-month-old infants have the ability to discriminate changes in the conjunction of a familiar shape and color in two objects. However, this good earlier performance was followed by poorer performance at 2 months of age. The performance improved again at 3 months of age. Detailed analysis of the oculomotor behaviors revealed that the age of 2 months was a period of drastic transition when the tendency to stay with the fixated objects disappeared and repetitive saccades between the two objects emerged. Our findings suggest that the ability to perceive conjunctions of features is available to infants very early, that the perceptual/neural basis at 1 and at 3 months of age may be fundamentally different, and that feature integration by vigorous eye movements or selective attention may be the key functional difference between the age groups.