Predicting the Start of the Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Female Adult Biting Season Using the Spring Temperature in Japan

Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) is distributed widely and is common in much of Japan. In Japan, female adults begin to bite in between April and June, except in the southern subtropics where the mosquito has no dormant period. It is difficult to estimate the first Ae. albopictus biting day because it varies annually depending on the location. Over several years, we surveyed the mosquitoes at different locations that covered a range of warmer to cooler areas of Japan. We found an association between the timing of first biting day by Ae. albopictus and spring temperature. In spring months, the strongest correlation was found with mean April temperatures, followed by March. Based on these data, it may, therefore, be possible to apply a simple formula to predict the timing of the first biting day at various geographical locations in Japan. Forecasting maps were created using a simple prediction formula. We found that the first biting day for Ae. albopictus changed depending on early spring temperatures for each year. There was an approximate 20-d difference in first biting day between years with warmer and cooler springs. This prediction model will provide useful insight for planning and practice of Ae. albopictus control programs, targeting larvae and adults, in temperate regions globally.ArticleJournal of Medical Entomology.54(6):1519-1524(2017)journal articl

Improving the efficiency of essential-oil extraction from Abies sachalinensis with an underwater shockwave pretreatment

Abies sachalinensis (Sakhalin fir) is a conifer species belonging to the family Pinaceae that is native to and widely distributed throughout Sakhalin Island, the southern Kurils (Russia), and northern Hokkaido (Japan). The essential oil of A. sachalinensis has been found to be an active removal agent, similar to γ-terpinene, myrcene, and β-phellandrene, which effectively remove nitrogen dioxide. Essential oils provide a relaxing effect; the use of essential oils is expected to improve overall air quality.                Underwater shockwaves generate instantaneous high pressure that reaches the entire cell and causes multiple cracks along the tracheids, causing the pit membrane to flake off through spalling destruction. These cracks function as permeation pathways [1]; this application was expected to result in a more effective essential oil extraction by subsequent steam distillation [2]. We, herein, introduce a novel application of this pretreatment process aimed at improving the efficiency of essential-oil extraction from A. sachalinensis leaves and branches. A. sachalinensis leaves and branches were oven-dried (40-45 °C) to a moisture content of 10% or less, and were subjected to the shockwave pretreatment or left untreated before essential-oil extraction by steam distillation. Chemical analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The essential-oil yields of raw untreated and untreated dried leaves were 5.1 and 2.4 g/kg of leaf dry weight (DW), respectively. Upon application of a 3.0 kV, 3.6 kJ shockwave, the essential-oil yield increased with the number of shockwave cycles; the yield was 32.7 g/kg DW after 10 cycles, a 13.6-fold increase compared to that of the untreated dried leaves. In addition, sesquiterpenes increased by more than 30-fold in content compared to that of untreated dried leaves. Thus, these results suggest that instantaneous high-pressure treatment, as a pretreatment for conventional steam distillation, has a distinct advantage in increasing the essential-oil yield and extracting the bioactive components. Furthermore, this method also can be used for the pretreatment of microwave essential-oil extraction or steam distillation under reduced pressure

スイチュウ デンキ ホウデン ニ ヨリ セイセイ サレル ショウゲキ ハ ト ソノ オウヨウ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

熊本大

スイチュウ デンキ ホウデン ニ ヨリ セイセイ サレル ショウゲキ ハ ト ソノ オウヨウ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

博士（工学）熊本大

Underwater Shockwave Pretreatment Process to Improve the Scent of Extracted Citrus junos Tanaka (Yuzu) Juice

Citrus junos Tanaka (yuzu) has a strong characteristic aroma and thus its juice is used in various Japanese foods. Herein, we evaluate the volatile compounds in yuzu juice to investigate whether underwater shockwave pretreatment affects its scent. A shockwave pretreatment at increased discharge and energy of 3.5 kV and 4.9 kJ, respectively, increased the content of aroma-active compounds. Moreover, the underwater shockwave pretreatment afforded an approximate tenfold increase in the scent intensity of yuzu juice cultivated in Rikuzentakata. The proposed treatment method exhibited reliable and good performance for the extraction of volatile and aroma-active compounds from the yuzu fruit. The broad applicability and high reliability of this technique for improving the scent of yuzu fruit juice were demonstrated, confirming its potential for application to a wide range of food extraction processes

Eicosapentaenoic Acid Supplementation Changes Fatty Acid Composition and Corrects Endothelial Dysfunction in Hyperlipidemic Patients

We investigated the effects of purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on vascular endothelial function and free fatty acid composition in Japanese hyperlipidemic subjects. In subjects with hyperlipidemia (total cholesterol ≥220 mg/dL and/or triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL), lipid profile and forearm blood flow (FBF) during reactive hyperemia were determined before and 3 months after supplementation with 1800 mg/day EPA. Peak FBF during reactive hyperemia was lower in the hyperlipidemic group than the normolipidemic group. EPA supplementation did not change serum levels of total, HDL, or LDL cholesterol, apolipoproteins, remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol, RLP triglycerides, or malondialdehyde-modified LDL cholesterol. EPA supplementation did not change total free fatty acid levels in serum, but changed the fatty acid composition, with increased EPA and decreased linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. EPA supplementation recovered peak FBF after 3 months. Peak FBF recovery was correlated positively with EPA and EPA/arachidonic acid levels and correlated inversely with dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. EPA supplementation restores endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in hyperlipidemic patients despite having no effect on serum cholesterol and triglyceride patterns. These results suggest that EPA supplementation may improve vascular function at least partly via changes in fatty acid composition

Clinical Study Eicosapentaenoic Acid Supplementation Changes Fatty Acid Composition and Corrects Endothelial Dysfunction in Hyperlipidemic Patients

We investigated the effects of purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on vascular endothelial function and free fatty acid composition in Japanese hyperlipidemic subjects. In subjects with hyperlipidemia (total cholesterol ≥ 220 mg/dL and/or triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL), lipid profile and forearm blood flow (FBF) during reactive hyperemia were determined before and 3 months after supplementation with 1800 mg/day EPA. Peak FBF during reactive hyperemia was lower in the hyperlipidemic group than the normolipidemic group. EPA supplementation did not change serum levels of total, HDL, or LDL cholesterol, apolipoproteins, remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol, RLP triglycerides, or malondialdehyde-modified LDL cholesterol. EPA supplementation did not change total free fatty acid levels in serum, but changed the fatty acid composition, with increased EPA and decreased linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. EPA supplementation recovered peak FBF after 3 months. Peak FBF recovery was correlated positively with EPA and EPA/arachidonic acid levels and correlated inversely with dihomo-γ-linolenic acid. EPA supplementation restores endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in hyperlipidemic patients despite having no effect on serum cholesterol and triglyceride patterns. These results suggest that EPA supplementation may improve vascular function at least partly via changes in fatty acid composition