Adaptive Significance and Evolution of Dispersal Polymorphisms in Insects

昆虫の分散多型性とは,「飛翔能力に影響を及ぼす多型性」と定義される.それは,大きく,翅多型性,飛翔筋多型性,及び飛翔行動多型性に分類される.さらに,このような分類では必ずしも包含できない,もう一つの分散多型性として,相変異性がある. 分散多型性の中でも,とりわけ翅多型性あるいは翅二型性は,もっとも顕著な例である.翅型は,単純なメンデル遺伝を行う場合もあるが,通常はポリジーン支配が多い.そのいずれも,短翅化に促す幼若ホルモンのあるレベルに対する遺伝子型の閾値反応により,翅型が決定されると考えられている,しかし,同じ遺伝子型であっても,幼虫期の環境条件により翅型は変化することが多いので,翅多型性は表現型の上できわめて可塑性な性質でもある. 卵形成と飛翔とはトレード・オフの関係(卵形成-飛翔症候群)にあるので,短翅化は,繁殖開始を早め,かつ産卵数を増大させる効果を持つことが多い.このことは,飛翔器官の形成と維持に関するエネルギーを,いち早く卵巣成熟に転換させることで達成されているものと考えられる.したがって,昆虫の翅多型性は,生息環境の異質性に対する適応としての移動性が大きなエネルギーコストを含み,それ故に他の適応度形質を制約することのジレンマから抜け出す一つの進化的道筋であるとみなされる. 飛翔行動多型形は,通常の長翅からばかりなる種で見られる,飛翔能力における変異性であり,翅多型あるいは翅二型性へと至る進化の出発と考えられる. したがって長翅型の方が祖先型であり,生息場所の安定化にともない二次的に短翅型が出現したものとみなされている.飛翔筋多型性は,これら二つの分散多型性の中間に位置づけられる性質である. 一方,相変異性の場合は,低密度で生じる独相を祖先型として,高密度で生じる群生相が二次的に進化したものであり,不規則に変動する予測不能な環境に対する適応でると考えられている. この総説は,昆虫の分散多型性の適応的意義と進化について,主に近年の成果を中心に紹介し,今後の研究のあり方を考察したものである

Fluorescent Gelators for Detection of Explosives

Carbazole-, quinoline-, benzothiazole-, and stilbene-containing fluorescent gelators are synthesized by connecting gelation-driving segments, and their gelation abilities are studied with 13 solvents. Fibrous thin-layer films are prepared on quartz plates from the solutions or gels, and they are studied as chemosensors for explosives. Fluorescence quenching of the films upon exposure to saturated TNT or RDX vapor is used to evaluate the abilities of the films to detect explosives. The relationship between the thickness of the thin-layer film and the quenching efficiency upon exposure to TNT is studied. The morphologies of the thin-layer films are observed by dynamic force mode scanning probe microscopy and discussed with regard to their fluorescence quenching. The interactions among chromophores in the gels, thin-layer films, and solutions are studied by variable-temperature spectroscopy. The mechanism of TNT detection is discussed from the viewpoint of the HOMO and LUMO energy levels.ArticleBULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN.89(11):1391-1401(2016)journal articl

Development of Fluorescent Gelators and Detectionof Explosives Using Fibrous Xerogel Films

Fluorescent gelators containing stilbene segments were synthesized, and their gelation abilities were studied. Fibrous xerogel films were prepared from the gels on quartz plates, and their abilities to detect explosives were evaluated by the fluorescence quenching of the xerogel films upon exposure to saturated TNT or RDX vapor. The morphologies of the xerogel films were studied by TEM and DFM. The xerogel films that showed effective fluorescence quenching were found to have 3D fibrous networks with widths of several tens of nanometers and entangled fibrous aggregates with very uneven surfaces. The mechanism for detecting TNT was discussed from the viewpoint of HOMO and LUMO levels.ArticleMacromolecular Symposia.364(1):7-18(2016)journal articl

Stochastic Optimal Investment Strategy for Net-Zero Energy Houses

In this research, we investigate Net-Zero Energy Houses (ZEH), which harness regionally produced electricity from photovoltaic(PV) panels and fuel cells, integrating them into a local power system in pursuit of achieving carbon neutrality. This paper examines the impact of electricity sharing among users who are working towards attaining ZEH status through the integration of PV panels and battery storage devices. We propose two potential scenarios: the first assumes that all users individually invest in storage devices, hence minimizing their costs on a local level without energy sharing; the second envisions cost minimization through the collective use of a shared storage device, managed by a central manager. These two scenarios are formulated as a stochastic convex optimization and a cooperative game, respectively. To tackle the stochastic challenges posed by multiple random variables, we apply the Monte Carlo sample average approximation (SAA) to the problems. To demonstrate the practical applicability of these models, we implement the proposed scenarios in the Jono neighborhood in Kitakyushu, Japan.Comment: Submitted to IET Renewable Power Generatio

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of tropisetron in patients with schizophrenia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are associated with psychosocial deficits that are primarily responsible for the poor long-term outcome of this disease. Auditory sensory gating P50 deficits are correlated with neuropsychological deficits in attention, one of the principal cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia. Our studies suggest that the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) agonist tropisetron might be a potential therapeutic drug for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Therefore, it is of particular interest to investigate the effects of tropisetron on the cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A randomised, placebo-controlled trial of tropisetron in patients with schizophrenia was performed. A total of 40 patients with chronic schizophrenia who had taken risperidone (2 to 6 mg/day) were enrolled. Subjects were randomly assigned to a fixed titration of tropisetron (n = 20, 10 mg/day) or placebo (n = 20) in an 8-week double-blind trial. Auditory sensory gating P50 deficits and Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all, 33 patients completed the trial. Tropisetron was well tolerated. Administration of tropisetron, but not placebo, significantly improved auditory sensory gating P50 deficits in non-smoking patients with schizophrenia. The score on the rapid visual information processing (sustained visual attention) task of CANTAB was significantly improved by tropisetron treatment. Total and subscale scores of PANSS were not changed by this trial. QLS scores in the all patients, but not non-smoking patients, were significantly improved by tropisetron trial.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This first randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial supports the safety and efficacy of adjunctive tropisetron for treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.</p

Semantics about soil organic carbon storage: DATA4C+, a comprehensive thesaurus and classification of management practices in agriculture and forestry

Identifying the drivers of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes is of the utmost importance to contribute to global challenges like climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss, or food security. Evaluating the impacts of land use and management practices in agriculture and forestry on SOC is still challenging. Merging datasets or making databases interoperable is a promising way, but still has several semantic challenges. So far, a comprehensive thesaurus and classification of management practices in agriculture and forestry has been lacking, especially while focusing on SOC storage. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present a first comprehensive thesaurus for management practices driving SOC storage (DATA4C+). The DATA4C+ thesaurus contains 224 classified and defined terms related to land management practices in agriculture and forestry. It is organized as a hierarchical tree reflecting the drivers of SOC storage. It is oriented to be used by scientists in agronomy, forestry, and soil sciences with the aim of uniformizing the description of practices influencing SOC in their original research. It is accessible in Agroportal (http://agroportal.lirmm.fr/ontologies/DATA4CPLUS, last access: 24 March 2022) to enhance its findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reuse by scientists and others such as laboratories or land managers. Future uses of the DATA4C+ thesaurus will be crucial to improve and enrich it, but also to raise the quality of meta-analyses on SOC, and ultimately help policymakers to identify efficient agricultural and forest management practices to enhance SOC storage.</p

Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis with Delayed Appearance of Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody Successfully Treated with Multiple Courses of Steroid Pulse Therapy

Patients with anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody glomerulonephritis typically exhibit rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN). The renal outcome as well as the prognosis of this disease is worse than other forms of RPGN such as those from microscopic polyangiitis. Therefore, early therapeutic intervention is essential to improve its prognosis. One month before referral to our hospital, a 54-year-old female attended another hospital because of macrohematuria. At that time, she had proteinuria and macrohematuria with normal renal function, was negative for anti-GBM antibodies, and was diagnosed with chronic glomerulonephritis. A month later when she was admitted to our hospital, she showed renal insufficiency and was positive for anti-GBM antibodies. Immediately after recognizing the anti-GBM antibody status, plasma exchange and the first course of steroid pulse therapy was started. After 5 days of therapy, renal biopsy confirmed severe crescentic glomerulonephritis in which all the observed glomeruli were involved with cellular crescents. Despite this, she survived without end-stage renal disease after three courses of steroid pulse therapy and seven sessions of plasma exchange. This favorable outcome reflects the repeated analysis of anti-GBM antibodies within a very short period and the rapid therapeutic intervention in addition to the intensive immunosuppressive therapies