The olfactory basis of orchid pollination by mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are important vectors of disease and require sources of carbohydrates for reproduction and survival. Unlike host-related behaviors of mosquitoes, comparatively less is understood about the mechanisms involved in nectar-feeding decisions, or how this sensory information is processed in the mosquito brain. Here we show that Aedes spp. mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti, are effective pollinators of the Platanthera obtusata orchid, and demonstrate this mutualism is mediated by the orchid's scent and the balance of excitation and inhibition in the mosquito's antennal lobe (AL). The P. obtusata orchid emits an attractive, nonanal-rich scent, whereas related Platanthera species-not visited by mosquitoes-emit scents dominated by lilac aldehyde. Calcium imaging experiments in the mosquito AL revealed that nonanal and lilac aldehyde each respectively activate the LC2 and AM2 glomerulus, and remarkably, the AM2 glomerulus is also sensitive to N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), a mosquito repellent. Lateral inhibition between these 2 glomeruli reflects the level of attraction to the orchid scents. Whereas the enriched nonanal scent of P. obtusata activates the LC2 and suppresses AM2, the high level of lilac aldehyde in the other orchid scents inverts this pattern of glomerular activity, and behavioral attraction is lost. These results demonstrate the ecological importance of mosquitoes beyond operating as disease vectors and open the door toward understanding the neural basis of mosquito nectar-seeking behaviors

映像のアルケオロジー : 19世紀転換期における視覚理論・光学装置・映像文化

学位の種別:課程博士University of Tokyo(東京大学

Volcanic magma reservoir imaged as a low-density body beneath Aso volcano that terminated the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake rupture

Additional file 2: Figure S2. Calculated density contrast models beneath Aso volcano in horizontal slices at depths of 3.1, 4.9, and 8.2 km: (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) correspond to density contrasts of ±0.15, ±0.20 ±0.25, ±0.30, ±0.35, and ±0.40 g/cm3, respectively (Additional file 5: Table S1)

Self-Assembly of Elastin–Mimetic Double Hydrophobic Polypeptides

We have constructed a novel class of “double-hydrophobic” block polypeptides based on the hydrophobic domains found in native elastin, an extracellular matrix protein responsible for the elasticity and resilience of tissues. The block polypeptides comprise proline-rich poly(VPGXG) and glycine-rich poly(VGGVG), both of which dehydrate at higher temperature but form distinct secondary structures, β-turn and β-sheet respectively. In water at 45 °C, the block polypeptides initially assemble into nanoparticles rich in β-turn structures, which further connect into long (>10 μm), beaded nanofibers along with the increase in the β-sheet content. The nanofibers obtained are well-dispersed in water, and show thermoresponsive properties. Polypeptides comprising each block component assemble into different morphologies, showing that the conjugation of poly(VPGXG) and poly(VGGVG) plays a role for beaded fiber formation. These results may provide innovative ideas for designing peptide-based materials but also opportunities for developing novel materials useful for tissue engineering and drug delivery systems

Adult Worm Exclusion and Histological Data of Dogs Repeatedly Infected with the Cestode \u3ci\u3eEchinococcus multilocularis\u3c/i\u3e

The data presented in this article are related to a previously published research article titled The timing of worm exclusion in dogs repeatedly infected with the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis (Kouguchi et al. 2016). This data describe a comparison of worm exclusion in the early stage of infection (1 day and 6 days post-infection) between dogs infected for the first time (control group) and dogs repeatedly infected with the parasite 4 times (repeated infection groups). We observed that 6 days post reinfection, the number of adult worms in repeated-infection groups decreased by 88.7% compared with the control group. Histological analysis comparison of the small intestinal mucosa from healthy, first infected, and repeatedly infected dogs are also reported. We observed no clear pathological abnormality, except the shortening of microvillus in reinfected dogs. However, eosinophil accumulation and eosinophilic ulcers were observed in some reinfected dogs. This data could be useful as preliminary data to develop a final host vaccine for this parasite