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The design and implementation of a furnace for inelastic x-ray scattering from liquids with sample temperatures up to ~1600C is described. Carbon composite heaters operating in vacuum provide robust heating elements: one pair of heaters has been used for >18 days of operational time above 1500C, including 8 cycles to room temperature. High quality data has been obtained to scattering angles as low as 7 mrad in two-theta (Q, 15 pages, 8 Figures, Proceeding of NCM 14

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is one of the powerful methods that can be applied to high sensitivity mass analysis and high-spatial resolution mass imaging. For the analysis of minor components of the complex biological samples, however, superior sensitivity with low background is required. We have developed an MeV-SIMS apparatus with distinctively high secondary ion yield for large organic molecules. In this study, the detection limit of our original MeV-SIMS apparatus was investigated using compounds of two lipids. In the acquired mass spectra, the molecular ions of both lipids were clearly observed with high quantitativity. In addition, the results were compared with conventional time-of-flight-SIMS results. As a result, the detection limit of MeV-SIMS apparatus was found to be below 0.1% and was much lower than that of the conventional Bi cluster SIMS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

RATIONALE Ar gas cluster ion beam secondary ion mass spectrometry (Ar-GCIB SIMS) has been developed as one of the most powerful tools used for analyzing complex biological materials because of its distinctively high secondary ion yield of large organic molecules. However, for the practical analysis of minor components in complex biological materials, the sensitivity of the technique is still insufficient. METHODS The detection limits of our original Ar-GCIB SIMS apparatus were investigated by measuring lipid compound samples in positive ion mode. The samples were mixtures of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (C44H88NO8P, DSPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (C40H80NO8P, DPPC). The primary ions were accelerated with 10 keV and the mean cluster size was 1500. The secondary [M+H]+ ions emitted from the sample were analyzed using an orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer (oa-TOF-MS). In addition, the isotope abundance ratio and the ratio of the [M+H]+ ion signal to the fragment ion signal acquired with Ar-GCIB SIMS were compared with those obtained with conventional Bi cluster SIMS. RESULTS Secondary [M+H]+ ions and some characteristic fragment ions were clearly observed with high quantitative accuracy in the mass spectra acquired with Ar-GCIB SIMS. The results were clearly better than those obtained with conventional Bi cluster SIMS. CONCLUSIONS The detection limit of Ar-GCIB SIMS was found to be below 0.1% and was much lower than that of conventional Bi cluster SIMS because of the high [M+H]+ ion yield and the low background. The results suggested that the new Ar-GCIB SIMS apparatus has the capability to acquire valuable information on complex biological materials. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The phytophagous lady beetle, Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata, feeds mainly on potato, tomato, and eggplant leaves. The methanol extracts of tomato and eggplant leaves stimulated feeding activity in the adult beetles. The feeding stimulants from the lipid-soluble fractions of tomato and eggplant leaves were found to be same compounds, identified as methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate. The feeding stimulants in the aqueous fractions of tomato leaves were identified as three sugars – fructose, glucose, and sucrose – and in eggplant leaves, the feeding stimulant was one sugar, sucrose. Although methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate were inactive without sugars, they acted synergistically with sugars, and the amounts of methyl linoleate, methyl linolenate, and sugars contained in tomato and eggplant leaves were adequate to stimulate feeding activity in the beetles. It is suggested that the synergisms of methyl esters of unsaturated fatty acid and sugars play important roles in host selection of this insect. Solanaceae species are often rich in alkaloids, which act as feeding deterrents for many insect species. Leaves of potato, Chinese wolfberry, and black nightshade, which are suitable hosts of H. vigintioctomaculata, contain α-solanine and α-chaconine as the main alkaloids. A mixture of α-solanine and α-chaconine showed neither feeding stimulant nor inhibitory activity at a concentration of 1 g leaf equivalents of the above plants. α-Solanine and tomatine contained in tomato did not inhibit the beetle’s feeding at a concentration of 0.5%. On the contrary, nicotine and capsaicin contained in non-hosts (tobacco and red pepper, respectively) showed feeding deterrent activities at a concentration of 0.1%. It is thought that adaptation of the beetles to alkaloids contained in solanaceous hosts also plays an important role in their host selection.

1 The host-odour preferences of the rice leaf bug Trigonotylus caelestialium between the rice plant Oryza sativa L. and four species of graminaceous weeds, Poa annua, Alopecurus aequalis, Digitaria ciliaris and Eleusine indica, were investigated with an olfactometer aiming to clarify the influence of these odours on invasion of the bug to paddy fields at the flowering stage of rice. 2 Both female and male adults significantly preferred the graminaceous weed A. aequalis in the flowering stage to rice in the fifth-leaf stage. The bugs also significantly preferred flowering P. annua and A. aequalis to rice in the panicle-formation stage. However, the bugs showed no preferences between rice in the flowering and grain-filling stages and the flowering graminaceous weeds P. annua, D. ciliaris and E. indica. 3 The preference of the rice leaf bug for the flowering graminaceous weeds before rice flowering coincides with the fact that these bugs mainly live on these weeds before rice flowering. It is considered that the bug's similar preference for flowering rice panicles as the flowering graminaceous weeds causes the intense invasion of the bug into paddy fields at this rice developmental stage.

Depending upon preceding dietary exposure, the tortoise beetle, Cassida nebulosa L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), exhibits various feeding responses to spinach, Spinacia oleracea L. (Chenopodiaceae). Adult tortoise beetles reared as adults on the main host Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum Makino (CAC) (Chenopodiaceae) eat little spinach, whereas those reared on spinach accept this plant as food. In this study, we investigated the suppressive effect of exposure to CAC on the feeding response of tortoise beetles to spinach. To investigate the effect of chemical factors in CAC, we provided beetles with Gomphrena globosa L. (Amaranthaceae) as the base food and exposed them to a CAC extract, because bioassays have indicated that exposure to G. globosa did not affect the feeding response of beetles to spinach. Adults reared on G. globosa treated with CAC extract consumed significantly less than adults reared on untreated G. globosa. Thus, we determined that exposure to CAC components is responsible for the suppressive effect on the feeding response to spinach observed in the beetles. In a choice feeding test with membrane filter discs, we found that adults reared on G. globosa treated with CAC extract exhibited a greater feeding deterrent response to the spinach deterrent than adults reared on untreated G. globosa leaves. Therefore, the suppression of spinach consumption due to exposure to CAC is probably caused by the development of a response to the feeding deterrents present in spinach.

Preoperative imaging is widely used and extremely helpful in hepatobiliary surgery. However, transfer of preoperative data to a intraoperative situation is very difficult. Surgeons need intraoperative anatomical information using imaging data for safe and precise operation in the field of hepatobiliary surgery. We have developed a new system for mapping liver segments and cholangiograms using intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence under infrared light observation. The imaging technique for mapping liver segments and cholangiogram based on ICG fluorescence used an infrared-based navigation system. Eighty one patients with liver tumors underwent hepatectomy from 2006, January to 2009, March. In liver surgery, 1 ml of ICG was injected via the portal vein under observation by the fluorescent imaging system. Fourteen patients were underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for chronic cholecystitis with gallstones. In laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 5 ml of ICG was administered intravenously just before operation and the bile duct was observed using the infrared-based navigation system. This new technique successfully identified stained subsegments and segments of the liver in 73 of 81 patients (90.1%). Moreover, clear mapping of liver segments was obtained even against a background of liver cirrhosis. Fluorescent cholangiography clearly showed the common bile duct and cystic duct in 10 of 14 patients (71.4%). No adverse reactions to the ICG were encountered. Application of this technique allows intraoperative identification of anatomical landmark in hepatobiliary surgery.

Feeding responses of Cassida nebulosa to spinach vary depending on prior dietary experience. Adults reared on spinach, eat much spinach whereas those reared on Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum rarely eat it. However, there are a few reports that address the mechanisms of this phenomenon, which is termed ‘induction of preference’. It has been presumed that this phenomenon arises in response to a reduction of sensitivity to the feeding deterrents contained in spinach as a result of early experience feeding on it. Therefore, we attempted to verify the effects of the feeding deterrent that was isolated from spinach. The feeding-deterrent response was reduced in adults reared on spinach compared with adults reared on C. album var. centrorubrum. Additionally, consumption of spinach by adults reared on deterrent-treated leaves of C. album var. centrorubrum was significantly higher than that by adults reared on control leaves of C. album var. centrorubrum. These results indicate that C. nebulosa acquires the ability to tolerate spinach because sensitivity to the feeding deterrent contained in spinach is reduced by early experience with the deterrent.

Previously, we reported that Mycoplasma fermentans has specific antigens (phosphocholine-containing glycoglycerolipids: GGPL-I and GGPL-III) and discussed the possibility of their pathogenic role. In this paper, we report the characterization of a monoclonal antibody (MF-III-1) specific to GGPL-III (phosphocholine-containing aminoglycoglycerolipid) using methods of electron microscopy, immunofluorescence cell surface staining, laser scanning microscopy, immunoelectron microscopy, and thin-layer chromatography immunostaining. The MF-III-1 antibody specifically recognized M. fermentans attached to the surface of HTLV-I-infected human helper T-cells, and it did not cross-react with other lipids nor with human T-cell antigens. Since MF-III-1 distinguishes GGPL-III from GGPL-I, the binding site may include a serinol (2-amino-1,3-propanediol) residue of GGPL-III. MF-III-1 is useful for the in vitro study of M. fermentans, and may also be useful as a tool for the study of the involvement of M. fermentans in human diseases.

Previously, we have reported the occurrence of novel phosphocholine-containing glycoglycerolipids (GGPLs: GGPL-I and GGPL-III) in human helper T-cell culture (MT-4 cell line) (Matsuda et al, Glycoconjugate J. 10: 340). However, the GGPLs disappeared from the MT-4 cells after treatment with an antimycoplasma agent. This disappearance suggested the involvement of microorganisms in the GGPL expression. In this paper, we show that the novel lipids are components of Mycoplasma fermentans itself. The supernatant fluid of the antimycoplasma agent-untreated MT-4 cell culture produced mycoplasma-like colonies on PPLO agar plates, and PCR and immunological methods revealed the presence of M. fermentans. GGPLs were expressed again in the treated MT-4 cells after infection with the isolated M. fermentans. The isolated M. fermentans had glycoglycerolipids corresponding to GGPL-I and GGPL-III. Thin-layer chromatography-mass spectrometry and immunological analyses showed that these glycoglycerolipids which were derived from the isolated M. fermentans were identical with GGPL-I and GGPL-III previously obtained. This is the first report that shows mycoplasma has phosphocholine-containing glycoglycerolipids.

We propose terabit-class super-networking technologies, designed to improve the scalability, reliability and performance of optical Internet protocol networks. Our technologies comprise both intra- and interlayer traffic engineering technologies. The intralayer technologies include an optical path protection scheme, an electrical load-balancing scheme and a distributed content-caching scheme. These provide an effective and economical way of improving performance and reliability. The interlayer technologies include both traffic-driven and application-driven optical cut-through control schemes and a policy control scheme. These provide an effective and economical way of improving scalability and performance. The feasibility of our technologies has been verified by means of experiments using prototype systems. The results showed that the different techniques can be combined to form a single network architecture for dynamic optical path control. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine, reverse tri-iodothyronine, free tri-iodothyronine, free thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine resin uptake, thyrotropin, thyroxine-binding globulin and free thyroxine index in both arterial and venous cord blood of 20 normal full-term newborn infants were investigated. There was little difference in the values in arterial and venous cord blood in all examinations. The results suggest that venous cord blood, which is more easily obtainable in sufficient quantity than arterial cord blood, and arterial cord blood are equally useful in the determination of thyroid function in the newborn infant.