Search

Body size is influenced by various environmental and genetic factors. The migratory locust, Locusta migratoriaL.,exhibits phase polyphenism in which nymphs change body coloration and adult body dimensions undergo specific changes in response to different population densities experienced during nymphal development. In this study, I collected adults of the migratory locust L. migratoriain solitarious (low-density) populations in central Japan over 16 years to determine how adult body size changed with years and how stable their body dimensions were. Four size parameters including head width (C), hind femur length (F), forewing length (E) and total body length (TBL) were highly correlated with each other. None of these parameters correlated with years except for E with a marginally significant correlation. None of these parameters showed a significant correlation with mean annual temperatures. The classical morphometric ratios, F/C and E/F, which are often used to separate different phases, showed no significant differences among years, suggesting that they may serve as reliable phase indicators for solitarious populations. The sexual size dimorphism (SSD) was confirmed and consistently larger variances in adult body size were observed in females than in males. When the mean values of the two sexes in different years were plotted, no significant correlation was observed in any of the body size parameters including C, F and E, indicating that the two sexes varied these parameters independently. The present data may provide a basis to analyze body size changes in relation to global climate changes in the future.

Rituximab is the standard therapy for childhood-onset complicated frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRNS/SDNS). However, most patients redevelop FRNS/SDNS after peripheral B cell recovery. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to examine whether mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) administration after rituximab can prevent treatment failure (FRNS, SDNS, steroid resistance, or use of immunosuppressive agents or rituximab) in these patients. MMF after rituximab decreased the risk of treatment failure during the MMF administration period by 80% and was well tolerated. However, after MMF discontinuation, the relapse-preventing effect disappeared, and most patients in the MMF group presented with treatment failure. In conclusion, MMF maintenance therapy after rituximab may be an option for sustaining remission in children with complicated FRNS/SDNS.

Colibactin is a polyketide-nonribosomal peptide hybrid secondary metabolite that can form interstrand cross-links in double-stranded DNA. Colibactin-producing Escherichia colihas also been linked to colorectal oncogenesis. Thus, there is a strong interest in understanding the role colibactin may play in oncogenesis. Here, using the high-colibactin-producing wild-type E. colistrain we isolated from a clinical sample with the activity-based fluorescent probe we developed earlier, we were able to identify colibactin 770, which was recently identified and proposed as the complete form of colibactin, along with colibactin 788, 406, 416, 420, and 430 derived from colibactin 770 through structural rearrangements and solvolysis. Furthermore, we were able to trap the degrading mature colibactin species by converting the diketone moiety into quinoxaline in situin the crude culture extract to form colibactin 860 at milligram scale. This allowed us to determine the stereochemically complex structure of the rearranged form of an intact colibactin, colibactin 788, in detail. Furthermore, our study suggested that we were capturing only a few percent of the actual colibactin produced by the microbe, providing a crude quantitative insight into the inherent instability of this compound. Through the structural assignment of colibactins and their degradative products by the combination of LC-HRMS and NMR spectroscopies, we were able to elucidate further the fate of inherently unstable colibactin, which could help acquire a more complete picture of colibactin metabolism and identify key DNA adducts and biomarkers for diagnosing colorectal cancer.

To understand the genetics of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS), we conducted a genome-wide association study in 987 childhood SSNS patients and 3,206 healthy controls with Japanese ancestry. Beyond known associations in the HLA-DR/DQregion, common variants in NPHS1-KIRREL2(rs56117924, P=4.94E-20, odds ratio (OR) =1.90) and TNFSF15(rs6478109, P=2.54E-8, OR=0.72) regions achieved genome-wide significance and were replicated in Korean, South Asian and African populations. Trans-ethnic meta-analyses including Japanese, Korean, South Asian, African, European, Hispanic and Maghrebian populations confirmed the significant associations of variants in NPHS1-KIRREL2(Pmeta=6.71E-28, OR=1.88) and TNFSF15(Pmeta=5.40E-11, OR=1.33) loci. Analysis of the NPHS1risk alleles with glomerular NPHS1mRNA expression from the same person revealed allele specific expression with significantly lower expression of the transcript derived from the risk haplotype (Wilcox test p=9.3E-4). Because rare pathogenic variants in NPHS1cause congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type (CNSF), the present study provides further evidence that variation along the allele frequency spectrum in the same gene can cause or contribute to both a rare monogenic disease (CNSF) and a more complex, polygenic disease (SSNS).

Here, Terui et al. studied the mechanisms underlying chromatin remodeling that occurs during MMR. They show that the eukaryotic MMR system has an ability to exclude local nucleosomes and identify Smarcad1/Fun30 as an accessory factor for the MMR reaction.

Schistocerca gregariasometimes refuse to lay eggs into the “old sand” that is kept in their cages for several days. We investigated why they rejected the old sand for oviposition. Locusts exclusively laid eggs into new sand when presented together with old sand, indicating that the old sand contained an oviposition-inhibiting (OI) factor. We examined whether this factor was derived from locust feces or fed grass (Bromus catharticus). Locusts laid all eggs into the sand with grass when presented together with sand containing feces. In contrast, few eggs were laid into the sand with grass when clean sand was offered at the same time, suggesting that the OI factor originated from the grass and was concentrated in the feces. The OI factor was efficiently extracted from feces with water compared with ethanol and acetone. OI activity was detected by extraction of feces with water for 1 min, although a longer extraction time yielded higher activity. The water extract of feces retained OI activity after boiling. None of the eggs which were buried in sand containing fecal extract hatched, whereas most of the eggs buried in clean sand or sand containing grass extract hatched, showing a correlation between OI activity and a lethal effect on eggs.

This study examined the time of hatching of the desert locust Schistocerca gregariaForskål (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the laboratory to test the effect of eggs within a pod versus individualized eggs. The pod organization of eggs is thought to play a role in controlling hatching time and to facilitate synchronous hatching at constant temperatures. In the present study, we examined the hatching times of eggs in a pod and individualized eggs under 24-h thermocycles and simulated field temperatures. We tested two patterns of thermocycles consisting of a 12-h thermoperiod (35 or 30 °C) and 12-h cryoperiod (low temperature period; 30 or 25 °C), and two patterns of field temperatures observed in a natural habitat, Mauritania, in May and September. The majority of eggs hatched during low temperature periods in all patterns tested. In addition, the variances of hatching times for individualized eggs were significantly greater than for egg pods in which a clear peak of time of hatching was observed. We show that egg condition influences hatching time under thermocycles of constant and fluctuating temperatures in the laboratory, and may play a role in the adaptive time of hatching.

The white grub beetle Dasylepida ishigakiensisNiijima et Kinoshita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a serious sugarcane pest on the Miyako Islands, Okinawa, Japan. Because this beetle stays underground for most of its lifetime, mating disruption using a synthetic sex pheromone has been suggested as a promising control measure. The amount of pheromone (2-butanol) released by the females is known to decrease drastically as they repeat calling each day. In this study, we determined the response of males to different concentrations of (R)-2-butanol, both in the laboratory and in the field. Males showed typical pre-mating behaviors and they were attracted to (R)-2-butanol even at a concentration 1/100 of the amount typically emitted by a female during the 1st period of calling. We examined whether female attractiveness to males was reduced with the frequency of calling, by counting the number of males attracted to females that had called during zero to five periods beforehand. Our results indicated that a high level of female attractiveness was maintained even after three periods of calling. Based on these findings, we propose that releasing synthetic sex pheromone shortly before the start of the mating season and into the late mating season may be optimal for disrupting the mating of this beetle.

The effect of mating disruption by the ground-surface application of 2-cm-long dispensers (mini-dispensers) of 2-butanol against the white grub beetle Dasylepida ishigakiensisNiijima et Kinoshita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was examined in sugarcane fields on the Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan. Mating rates and male catches with sex pheromone traps were reduced to a low level comparable to that obtained from a conventional method in which rope dispensers (25 m) were hung at a height of ca. 30 cm along the sugarcane ridges. Both mating rates and male catches were reduced with increasing number of treated mini-dispensers. These results suggest that by using mini-dispensers the amounts of synthetic sex pheromone and plastic resin can be reduced to 1/10–1/5 and 1/6–1/3, respectively, of their conventional application with rope-type dispensers, without impairing the efficiency of mating disruption in this beetle. Furthermore, the amount of labor required for the application of this method is expected to be greatly reduced compared to the rope-type dispenser method.

Locusts exhibit phase polyphenism in which phase transition between the solitarious (isolation-reared) and gregarious (crowd-reared) phenotypes occurs in response to crowding conditions. Phase transformation from solitarious to gregarious nymphs is accompanied by darkening of the body color and changes in classical morphometric ratios such as F/C(Fhind femur length; Cmaximum head width). These changes occur in the absence of crowding if solitarious locusts are injected with the neuropeptide, corazonin (Crz). This study investigated the effects of the knockdown of the CRZgene on body color and morphometric characteristics in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria(L.) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). An injection of dsRNA for Crz significantly reduced CRZmRNA levels and reduced the intensity of darkening on the pronotum in nymphs. The silencing of CRZexpression in gregarious nymphs shifted the F/Ctoward a value typical of the solitarious form in the adult stage. However, the expression profiles of CRZwere similar between the gregarious and solitarious nymphs. Therefore, we conclude that Crz is responsible for phase-dependent changes in darkening and the morphometric ratio; however, these changes are not controlled through differential CRZexpression at the transcriptional level.

The seasonal life cycle and biology of a white grub beetle, Lepidiota mansuetaBurmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), were studied on Majuli river island and in the laboratory during 2005–2010. This species has become an extremely serious pest of many field crops on Majuli river island, the largest mid-river deltaic island of the world. L.mansuetahas a biennial life cycle, the first of its kind in North East India, and the duration of egg, grub, and pupal stages varied from 12 to 17, 635 to 671, and 28 to 35 days, respectively. Third instar grubs as heavy as 6 g caused heavy damage to crops and had a prolonged developmental period ranging from 545 to 563 days in the laboratory (27 °C). L. mansuetacan be regarded as a rare species, because it spends its entire life cycle under the ground except for a short period during which adults emerge from the ground for mating. There was no evidence that the adults fed on plants either in the field or in the laboratory and hence this species has the unique distinction of being the first Indian phytophagous white grub species with nonfeeding adults.

We report cases of two sisters with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). A complete female appearance, blind-ending vagina, and testes in the pelvis are characteristics of CAIS. Prophylactic laparoscopic gonadectomy was performed in both cases. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level is known to be very high in patients with CAIS; AMH is secreted by Sertoli cells and testosterone suppresses the secretion. In our cases, serum AMH was very high before gonadectomy and dramatically decreased after gonadectomy. AMH could be the diagnostic feature for patients with CAIS.

The feasibility of mating disruption with synthetic sex pheromone for the control of the white grub beetle Dasylepida ishigakiensis(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was examined by permeating sugarcane fields with a racemic mixture of 2-butanol (rac-2B) released from polyethylene-tube dispensers on Miyako Island, Japan in 2011. An application of rac-2B released from 10,000 tube dispensers into 3,200 m2sugarcane fields significantly reduced the mating rate of feral females and catches of feral males with R2B-baited traps compared with the results from untreated sugarcane fields. The larval density for the treated fields was found to be nearly zero in the following winter when the corresponding figure for untreated fields was high (1.73 and 2.33/40 × 40 cm quadrat). These results clearly show that the mating disruption technique using rac-2B could be highly promising for the control of D. ishigakiensisin sugarcane fields.

Abstract: Males of the white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis Niijima et Kinoshita, transfer a large amount of a colloidal substance to females during mating. In this study we investigated the effect of the male substance on the reproductive performance of mated females and the significance of multiple mating of this beetle. Females artificially separated from the males 5 min after the start of mating produced fewer eggs than those separated after 30 min or those that were undisturbed and separated spontaneously, suggesting that the male substance is used as a nutrient for egg production by the females. When females were allowed to mate with 1–4 males, multiple mating had no clear effect on reproductive performance. The amount of male substance stored in the bursa copulatrix (BC) was not significantly increased by a second mating. The functions of multiple mating of this species may be to provide a chance for females to obtain sufficient amounts of male substance when the first male to mate has only small amounts of this substance, and to increase the genetic heterogeneity of the progeny. The presence of a serine proteinase and its possible involvement in the dynamics of the BC contents are reported.

In this paper, we revisit the energy-based swing-up control problem for a rotational pendulum. Different from the existing energy-based control solution, first, we present a necessary and sufficient condition such that the control law has no singularities for all states of the rotational pendulum.Next, we carry out a global motion analysis of the pendulum, and we remove the previous required constraint on the initial state of the pendulum and the control parameters for preventing the pendulum getting stuck at the downward equilibrium point by revealing that the point is a saddle. Specifically, we show that the Jacobian matrix evaluated at the point has two and two eigenvalues in the open left- and right-half planes, respectively. We prove that the pendulum will eventually be swung up into the basin of attraction of any (locally) stabilizing controller for all initial conditions with the exception of a set of Lebesgue measure zero. Finally, we validate the presented theoretical results via numerical simulation. Our simulation results show that the swing-up control can be achieved quickly under the improved conditions on the control parameters.

Abstract: Virgin females of the white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis Niijima et Kinoshita, emit the sex pheromone, 2-butanol. To investigate the relationships between pheromone emission and ovarian development in this beetle, virgin adult females were kept at 18°C for various lengths of time. The sex pheromone released by individual females at first calling was collected at 23°C and the amounts determined. Females started developing visible oocytes at day 44 and emitting sex pheromone at day 50. Almost all females at day 52 or later possessed eggs, indicating that diapause had ended. A high positive correlation was found between the amounts of pheromone emitted and levels of ovarian development. A large variation of pheromone emission was encountered even among individuals of the same age. Females retained the ability to emit sex pheromone as long as they were virgin. These results may provide important information regarding the timing and duration of application of synthetic sex pheromone in an attempt to control this pest through disrupting the male-female communication.

In this paper, we revisit the energy-based swing-up control problem for a rotational pendulum. Different from the existing energy-based control solution, first, we present a necessary and sufficient condition for avoiding singular points in the control law and carry out a global motion analysis of the pendulum. Next, we remove the previous required constraint on the initial state of the pendulum and the control parameters for preventing the pendulum getting stuck at the downward equilibrium point by revealing that the point is saddle (hyperbolic and unstable). Specifically, we show that the Jacobian matrix evaluated at the point has two and two eigenvalues in the open left- and right-half planes, respectively. We prove that the pendulum will eventually be swung up into the basin of attraction of any locally stabilizing controller for all initial conditions with the exception of a set of Lebesgue measure zero. Finally, we validate the presented theoretical results via numerical simulation of two rotational pendulums. Our simulation results show that the swing-up control can be achieved quickly under the improved conditions on the control parameters.

Intestinal crypts are composed of a well-defined hierarchy of epithelial cells, and proliferating epithelial cells reside close to the bottom of the crypts—even in the large intestine. We investigated whether CD8+and CD4+intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and CD161+natural killer (NK) cells localized in proliferating or differentiated epithelial region of cecum and colon. Both proliferating epithelial layer cells and the immune cells along the longitudinal crypt axis of the large intestine were measured histochemically. Dietary intervention revealed that the physiological localization of the immune cells in the longitudinal crypt axis depended on the immune cell type. CD8+IELs were preferentially located among differentiated epithelial cells. In contrast, CD161+NK cells were located adjacent to the epithelial cells at the bottom of crypt. Cecal crypts contained significantly larger numbers of CDS+IELs than did colonic crypts. However, there was only a minor population of CD4+IEL in the cecal and colonic epithelia. Some dietary fibers increased the densities of CD8+IELs and CD161+NK cells in the cecum, with the magnitude of response varying among the types of fiber. There was a significant relationship between SCFA and the localization of Immune cells, especially CD8+IEL and CD161+NK celts, which are considered to be involved in the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis.

We studied whether ingestion of dietary fiber modifies the distribution of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) in a physiological condition. Male WKAH rats were fed diets either with fiber (sugar beet fiber or crystalline cellulose, 100 g/kg diet each) or without fiber for 3 weeks. The number of CD8+, CD4+, and NKR-P1+IEL per epithelial layer in the crypt section of the cecum, proximal colon, and distal colon were scored by immunohistochemical staining. We found that the proportion of CD8+IEL was greater in the cecal mucosa and was gradually reduced toward the distal large intestine in general. In contrast, there was no difference in the proportion of CD4+and NKR-P1+IEL in the large intestine. Dietary sugar beet fiber, but not crystalline cellulose, increased the proportion of CD8+IEL, especially in the cecal mucosa, but not the CD4+and NKR-P1+IEL. Analysis of cecal organic acid concentration confirmed higher concentrations of acetate and butyrate, and lower concentration of succinate and isovalerate, in the cecum of the rats fed sugar beet fiber than other diets. These results indicate that ingestion of some dietary fiber modulates local cell proliferation of a progenitor of CD8+IEL or promotes homing of CD8+T cells into the large intestinal epithelium, most likely via the fermentation in the luminal contents.

Although genomic instability is a hallmark of human cancer cells, the mechanisms by which genomic instability is generated and selected for during oncogenesis remain obscure. In most human cancers, the pathway leading to the activation of the G1 cyclins is deregulated. Using budding yeast as a model, we show that overexpression of the G1 cyclin Cln2 inhibits the assembly of prereplicative complexes (pre-RCs) and induces gross chromosome rearrangements (GCR). Our results suggest that deregulation of G1 cyclins, selected for in oncogenesis because it confers clonal growth advantage, may also provide an important mechanism for generating genomic instability by inhibiting replication licensing.

The bakers' yeast reduction of trifluoroacetyl derivatives was examined in the presence of various esters of methanethiosulfonate. The yeast reduction of 4-bromo-4′-trifluoroacetylbiphenyl using the cyclohexylmethyl methanethiosulfonate resulted in the Rproduct with the highest enantiomeric excess of 96% ee, which is compared with the reduction without the additive to give the corresponding alcohol with 84% ee. On the other hand, in the case of 4-hyrdoxy-4′-trifluoroacetylbiphenyl, the highest enantioselectivity was observed also using cyclohexylmethyl methanethiosulfonate to give the R-product with 90% ee, in contrast with the reduction without the additives to give the same product with 77% ee.

We report here the isolation and functional analysis of therfc3+gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which encodes the third subunit of replication factor C (RFC3). Because the rfc3+gene was essential for growth, we isolated temperature-sensitive mutants. One of the mutants, rfc3-1, showed aberrant mitosis with fragmented or unevenly separated chromosomes at the restrictive temperature. In this mutant protein, arginine 216 was replaced by tryptophan. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis suggested that rfc3-1cells had defects in DNA replication. rfc3-1cells were sensitive to hydroxyurea, methanesulfonate (MMS), and gamma and UV irradiation even at the permissive temperature, and the viabilities after these treatments were decreased. Using cells synchronized in early G2 by centrifugal elutriation, we found that the replication checkpoint triggered by hydroxyurea and the DNA damage checkpoint caused by MMS and gamma irradiation were impaired inrfc3-1cells. Association of Rfc3 and Rad17 in vivo and a significant reduction of the phosphorylated form of Chk1 inrfc3-1cells after treatments with MMS and gamma or UV irradiation suggested that the checkpoint signal emitted by Rfc3 is linked to the downstream checkpoint machinery via Rad17 and Chk1. From these results, we conclude that rfc3+is required not only for DNA replication but also for replication and damage checkpoint controls, probably functioning as a checkpoint sensor.

Intra- and inter-specific comparisons in progeny size and clutch size were used to identify possible selection pressures acting on three sympatric species of ovoviviporous flesh flies. Both progeny and clutch sizes increased with body weight of the female parent in all species. There was no evidence for a simple trade-off between the two traits. In one species, the larger the female adult the smaller the relative biomass of larvae per clutch (total weight of larvae/body weight of female parent). Female flies produced similar progeny and clutch sizes over successive batches. Variation in progeny size did not influence either larval survival or duration of larval and pupal development. However, larger first instar larvae tended to form larger pupae in two of the species. The experiments testing the effect of progeny size on pupal weight under limited food conditions suggest a selective advantage for larger progeny size.

Wing shedding or de-alation is a common phenomenon among crickets. Its significance and effects on other traits were examined based on the results from experiments using artifical or natural de-alation. Artificial de-alation at adult emergence induces rapid egg production and flight muscle histolysis in several species examined. However, natural de-alation does not always shorten the pre-ovipositional period because it does not occur immediately after adult emergence and because oviposition starts before de-alation. In some cases, naturally de-alated females produce more eggs than to intact females during early adult life, but peak ovipositing activity occurs before de-alation. Therefore, retention of the hindwings does not suppress high ovipositing activity in such cases. It appears that de-alation is a result rather than a causal factor in ending migration. Ovarian development and flight muscle histolysis, which can be stimulated by de-alation, are controlled by the jevenile hormone, but the mechanism inducing de-alation remains unknown. The possible factors leading to the evolution of de-alation are discussed.

The thermal decomposition of cyclobutanol has been investigated behind incident and reflected shock waves at temperatures between 950 K and 1450 K in the total density region (1.5 × 10−6– 1.5 × 10−5) mol/cm3. A strong absorption by an intermediate was observed at the wavelength of 193 nm. By comparing the kinetics with that of pyruvic acid, this absorption was identified to be that of vinyl alcohol. The kinetic parameters of vinyl alcohol, both for the production and the decomposition, were determined. The production rate constant was in agreement with that obtained by Back (Can J. Chem.1982, 60, 2357), who monitored the ethylene production. The total decomposition mechanism of cyclobutanol was discussed on the basis of MO calculations. It was shown that vinyl alcohol was produced through a biradical before it isomerized to acetaldehyde.

We have developed a new procedure for easy and rapid identification of autonomously replicating sequences (ARSs) and have applied it to the analysis of chromosome V of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The procedure makes use of the ordered λ phage clone bank of this chromosome that we have constructed, and includes transposition of a mini‐transposon and selection of transposon‐containing derivatives, isolation of their DNA and circularization at their cos‐ends, transformation of yeast cells with the circularized DNA, and scoring transformation frequency. The transposon used was derived from Tn5supF, contained the yeast LEU2gene, and was placed, together with the hyperactive transposase gene, on a mini‐F plasmid for stable maintenance in Escherichia coliK‐12. Sixteen regions of chromosome V showing ARS activity were identified, of which 12 were newly found in this work. Thus, the procedure will be useful for systematic genomic scale analysis of ARSs in yeast and related organisms in which ordered clone banks have been established. The average distance between adjacent ARS‐containing regions was approximately 40 kb. Two‐dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of chromosome replication indicated that one of the newly identified ARSs was functional as an actual in situreplication origin, at least under the conditions employed.

Two species of ground crickets, Allonemobius fasciatus (from Corvallis, 44.3 N) and A. socius (from Gainesville, 30.3 N), and their hybrids were compared for nymphal development, wing form, and embryonic diapause. A. fasciatus matured more rapidly at a short photoperiod than at a long photoperiod and also than A. socius which showed no developmental response to photoperiod. The proportion of long-winged forms varied with nymphal photoperiod greatly in A. fasciatus but slightly in A. socius. A. fasciatus laid only diapause eggs, while A. socius responded to a long parental photoperiod and a high incubation temperature by averting diapause. A. fasciatus showed temperature-dependent shift of the diapause stage butA. socius entered diapause only at the early stage. These differences are related to their voltinism and distribution.

We developed a rapid and sensitive liposome turbidimetric assay (LTA) for determining C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum. The assay system was based on the increase of the turbidity induced by the reaction of anti-CRP antibodies-bearing liposomes with CRP antigen, and the assay procedure was fully automated on a Hitachi 717 analyzer. The method had an analytical range of 2–120 mg/l. The results of within-run and between-run precision studies indicated that this system is accurate and gives reproducible data (< 3.0% and < 6.0%, respectively). The assay detection limit was less than 1 mg/l. There was no interference from bilirubin, hemoglobin, intrafat, rheumatoid factor, or high-γ-globulin. Furthermore, our results showed good agreement with those obtained using the Bebring nephelometer analyzer (n= 100, r= 0.98). The LTA using a Hitachi 717 automated analyzer was a convenient method, and represented an interesting alternative to other immunoassays for measuring CRP in serum.

The adsorption states and photochemistry of Fe(CO)5adsorbed on Ag(111) surface at ∼90 K were studied using IR reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). Fe(CO)5is molecularly adsorbed on the surface and desorbed around 180 K. A totally symmetric vibrational band appears at 2114 cm−1in the IRA spectrum, indicating that structural deformation of Fe(CO)5or charge transfer between the substrate and the adsorbate occurs to some extent upon adsorption. Irradiation of the adsorbed Fe(CO)5leads to decarbonylation with a high quantum yield, especially around 330 nm. This enhanced photodecomposition is attributable to resonant coupling with excited surface plasmon of Ag. Effect of the surface plasmon on the photodecarbonylation yield was measured as a function of the absorption amount of n-decane preadsorbed on the surface as a spacer layer. The yield was increased with increasing n-decane layer, maximized at around two monolayers, and then decreased to a value twice as large as the initial yield after n-decane coverage is over three monolayers. This result implies that Fe(CO)5molecules near the surface undergo significant quenching of photoexcited states, and the surface-plasmon induced enhancement lies within ca. 1 nm apart from the surface. The final photo-product exhibits two sharp C–O stretching bands at 2058 and 2068 cm−1in IRA spectrum, which are assigned to the species produced from the first layer and the overlayer Fe(CO)5, respectively.

Pyometra is a relatively common event. However, it is extremely rare for this condition to perforate spontaneously into the peritoneum, and to date only 14 cases have been reported in English literature. We recently experienced such a case in a patient with cervical cancer. The clinical features, pathologic findings, diagnosis, therapy, and outcome of these 15 cases were reviewed. Only 5 cases were associated with malignant diseases, consisting of 2 cervical cancers, 2 colon cancers, and 1 endometrial cancer. All of the patients developed generalized peritonitis, and 4 patients died of this. Correct preoperative diagnosis was difficult. Therefore, immediate and appropriate therapy is important.

The photolysis of 2-cyanoquinoline 1-oxide and its 4-methyl derivative in a variety of alcohols in the presence of conc. HCl gives the corresponding 6-alkoxy-and 6-chloroquinoline 2-carbonitriles, whose relative ratio depends on the concentration of the acid and the kind of alcohols. Similarly, the photolysis of these N-oxides in an alcohol in the presence of cone. H2SO4gives 6-alkoxyquinoline 2-carbonitriles as the main substitution product.A mechanism is postulated for this novel photo-alkoxylation reaction.

The reaction mechanism of the photochemical reaction of alkanenitronate anions to form hydroxamic acids was explored on the basis of the potential energy curves obtained by means of MINDO/3 CI calculations. The O-oxaziridine was calculated to be not an intermediate, but an unstable transient species in this photoreaction. This is different from the photoisomerization of methyleneamine N-oxide derivatives into the corresponding amides, in which the oxaziridine is considered to be an intermediate. The proposed reaction mechanism elucidates well the regioselectivity observed in the photochemical formation of hydroxamic acids from nitronate anions.

Seasonal activity and environmental and hormonal regulation of development and diapause were studied in three different orders of tropical insects at Barro Colorado Island (9°N), Panama. The seed bug, Jadera aeola, reproduces in the late dry season coincident with mass production of its food, seeds of Sapindaceae. Newly emerged adults enter diapause. Population density and food, but not photoperiod, appear to be involved in diapause regulation. Juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) stimulates sexual maturation in both sexes. The fungus beetle, Stenotarsus rotundus, aggregates at the base of a palm tree where it remains in imaginai diapause for up to 10 months. In addition to daylength (Tanaka et al., 1987), humidity plays an important role in regulating diapause termination. Gonad and flight muscle development occur more rapidly at high humidity than at low humidity. Beetles treated with JHA initiate oocyte and flight muscle development but not testis development. 20-hydroxyecdysone has no effect on diapause termination. Flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), when monitored with a meat-baited trap, show striking seasonal fluctuations in abundance. Yet, we found no evidence for diapause in three fly species reared in the laboratory under a range of photoperiod and temperature conditions. L’activité àu cours de l’année et la régulation du développement et de la diapause de trois ordres d’insectes tropicaux ont été étudiées dans l’île de Barro Colorado, Panama, 9°N. L’hemiptère Jadera aeola, se réproduit dans la dernière moitié de la saison sèche, au màme temps de la production massive de sa nourriture, les fruits des Sapindaceae. Les adultes jusqu’après l’éclosion, entrent dans une diapause. La densité de la population et la présence de la nourriture, mais pas la photopériode, paraissent àtre impliquées dans la régulation de la diapause. Un analogue de l’hormone juvénile (JHA) stimule la maturité sexuelle des deux sexes. Le coleoptère Stenotarsus rotundusse rassemble au base d’un palmier où l’agrégation séjourne, en diapause adulte, durant presque dix mois. A part de la photopériode (Tanaka et al., 1987), l’humidité joue un rôle important dans la régulation de la conclusion de la diapause. Le développement des gonades et des muscles du vol est plus vite dans une humidité élevée que dans une humidité basse. Les coleoptères traités avec JHA commencent le développement des oöcytes et des muscles du vol, mais pas des testes. La hydroxyecdysone n’a aucun effet sur la terminaison de la diapause. Les mouches carnassières (Sarcophagidae), étudiées avec une piège amorcée de la foie de poule, montrent des fluctuations marquées en abondance saisonelles. Cependant, nous n’avons trouvé aucune indication d’une diapause dans les trois espèces de mouches élevées dans le laboratoire sous des conditions diverses de photopériode et de température.

Time-serial data were accumulated for the distribution of instantaneous heat transfer coefficients around the flow reattachment region behind a two-dimensional backward-facing step, in order to clarify the heat transfer mechanism at that region. Ten heat flux meters, based on a constant-temperature method, were arrayed on the bottom surface of the step. The ensemble-averaged heat transfer coefficients were calculated under the condition that the maximum heat transfer coefficient appeared at a specified heat flux meter. On the average the peak value of the instantaneous heat transfer distribution shows a maximum at about one step height upstream position from the time-averaged reattachment point. In general, the position of the maximum instantaneous heat transfer coefficient moves downward and appears discontinuous^ near the time-averaged reattachment point.

Theoretical calculations on the mean square unperturbed end-to-end length ‹R0sub2› of poly(N-methyl glycine) chains in random coil form were carried out in accordance with presumed conformations of imide bonds in the chains. Two cases were taken into account: in the first case, all the imide bonds were assumed to be in trans conformation, and in the second case, a trans imide sequence was assumed to be interrupted by an isolated cis imide bond. In the former case, numerical calculations were carried out on two different approximations about nonbonded interactions by adopting the method used for poly-a-L-amino acids with amide bonds all in trans conformation, and resulted in the unperturbed characteristic ratios of 1.46 and 1.53 for each case. In the latter case, a theoretical expression was proposed. These results on theoretical calculations were satisfactorily in accord with the experimental results.

Conformational analyses for polypeptides having ionizable side chains were carried out by varying side-chain length. The entropy of the chain in the random-coil state was evaluated from the calculated conformational energy. For such acidic polypeptides as poly(L-aspartic acid) and poly(L-glutamic acid), the helix conformation in an ionized state is more stable than in an un-ionized state. On the other hand, with basic polypeptides having long side chains, such as poly(L-lysine), the helix conformation is destabilized by ionization of the side chains. These theoretical results successfully interpret results obtained experimentally on the pH-induced transition of polypeptides.

Conformational energy and characteristic ratio ‹R02›/nl2were theoretically investigated for polyglycine, poly(L-alanine), poly(N-methylglycine), and poly(N-methyl-L-alanine), assuming trans conformation for amide and imide bonds, and employing suitable molecular parameters and plausible potential functions. The theoretically calculated characteristic ratios for polyglycine, poly(L-alanine), poly(N-methylglycine), and poly(N-methyl-L-alanine) were, respectively, ‹R02›/nl2=2.17, 8.38, 2.97, and 0.58. These results are discussed in connection with the experimental and theoretical results reported to date.