Effects of Floral Scents and Their Dietary Experiences on the Feeding Preference in the Blowfly, Phormia regina

AbstractThe flowers of different plant species have diverse scents with varied chemical compositions. Hence, every floral scent does not uniformly affect insect feeding preferences. The blowfly, Phormia regina, is a nectar feeder, and when a fly feeds on flower nectar, its olfactory organs, antennae, and maxillary palps are exposed to the scent. Generally, feeding preference is influenced by food flavor, which relies on both taste and odor. Therefore, the flies perceive the sweet taste of nectar and the particular scent of the flower simultaneously, and this olfactory information affects their feeding preference. Here, we show that the floral scents of 50 plant species have various effects on their sucrose feeding motivation, which was evaluated using the proboscis extension reflex (PER). Those floral scents were first categorized into three groups, based on their effects on the PER threshold sucrose concentration, which indicates whether a fly innately dislikes, ignores, or likes the target scent. Moreover, memory of olfactory experience with those floral scents during sugar feeding influenced the PER threshold. After feeding on sucrose solutions flavored with floral scents for 5 days, the scents did not consistently show the previously observed effects. Considering such empirical effects of scents on the PER threshold, we categorized the effects of the 50 tested floral scents on feeding preference into 16 of all possible 27 theoretical types. We then conducted the same experiments with flies whose antennae or maxillary palps were ablated prior to PER test in a fly group naïve to floral scents and prior to the olfactory experience during sugar feeding in the other fly group in order to test how these organs were involved in the effect of the floral scent. The results suggested that olfactory inputs through these organs play different roles in forming or modifying feeding preferences. Thus, our study contributes to an understanding of underlying mechanisms associated with the convergent processing of olfactory inputs with taste information, which affects feeding preference or appetite

Cuticular Hydrocarbon Content that Affects Male Mate Preference of Drosophila melanogaster from West Africa

Intraspecific variation in mating signals and preferences can be a potential source of incipient speciation. Variable crossability between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans among different strains suggested the abundance of such variations. A particular focus on one combination of D. melanogaster strains, TW1(G23) and Mel6(G59), that showed different crossabilities to D. simulans, revealed that the mating between females from the former and males from the latter occurs at low frequency. The cuticular hydrocarbon transfer experiment indicated that cuticular hydrocarbons of TW1 females have an inhibitory effect on courtship by Mel6 males. A candidate component, a C25 diene, was inferred from the gas chromatography analyses. The intensity of male refusal of TW1 females was variable among different strains of D. melanogaster, which suggested the presence of variation in sensitivity to different chemicals on the cuticle. Such variation could be a potential factor for the establishment of premating isolation under some conditions

Sampling, identification and sensory evaluation of odors of a newborn baby’s head and amniotic fluid

For baby odor analyses, noninvasive, stress-free sample collection is important. Using a simple method, we succeeded in obtaining fresh odors from the head of five newborn babies. These odors were chemically analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC x GC-MS), and compared with each other or with the odor of amniotic fluid from the baby\u27s mother. We identified 31 chemical components of the volatile odors from neonate heads and 21 from amniotic fluid. Although 15 of these components were common to both sources, there was an apparent difference in the GC x GC patterns between the head and amniotic fluid odors, so the neonate head odor might be individually distinct immediately after birth. Therefore, we made artificial mixtures of the major odor components of the neonate head and maternal amniotic fluid, and used psychological tests to examine whether or not these odors could be distinguished from each other. Our data show that the artificial odor of a neonate head could be distinguished from that of amniotic fluid, and that the odors of artificial head odor mixtures could be correctly discriminated for neonates within an hour after birth and at 2 or 3 days of age

Novel antimyeloma therapeutic option with inhibition of the HDAC1-IRF4 axis and PIM kinase

Multiple myeloma (MM) preferentially expands and acquires drug resistance in the bone marrow (BM). We herein examined the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in the constitutive activation of the master transcription factor IRF4 and the prosurvival mediator PIM2 kinase in MM cells. The knockdown or inhibition of HDAC1 by the class I HDAC inhibitor MS-275 reduced the basal expression of IRF4 and PIM2 in MM cells. Mechanistically, the inhibition of HDAC1 decreased IRF4 transcription through histone hyperacetylation and inhibiting the recruitment of RNA polymerase II at the IRF4 locus, thereby reducing IRF4-targeting genes, including PIM2. In addition to the transcriptional regulation of PIM2 by the HDAC1-IRF4 axis, PIM2 was markedly upregulated by external stimuli from BM stromal cells and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Upregulated PIM2 contributed to the attenuation of the cytotoxic effects of MS-275. Class I HDAC and PIM kinase inhibitors cooperatively suppressed MM cell growth in the presence of IL-6 and in vivo. Therefore, the present results demonstrate the potential of the simultaneous targeting of the intrinsic HDAC1-IRF4 axis plus externally activated PIM2 as an efficient therapeutic option for MM fostered in the BM

Putative Neural Network Within an Olfactory Sensory Unit for Nestmate and Non-nestmate Discrimination in the Japanese Carpenter Ant: The Ultra-structures and Mathematical Simulation

Ants are known to use a colony-specific blend of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as a pheromone to discriminate between nestmates and non-nestmates and the CHCs were sensed in the basiconic type of antennal sensilla (S. basiconica). To investigate the functional design of this type of antennal sensilla, we observed the ultra-structures at 2D and 3D in the Japanese carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus, using a serial block-face scanning electron microscope (SBF-SEM), and conventional and high-voltage transmission electron microscopes. Based on the serial images of 352 cross sections of SBF-SEM, we reconstructed a 3D model of the sensillum revealing that each S. basiconica houses > 100 unbranched dendritic processes, which extend from the same number of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). The dendritic processes had characteristic beaded-structures and formed a twisted bundle within the sensillum. At the “beads,” the cell membranes of the processes were closely adjacent in the interdigitated profiles, suggesting functional interactions via gap junctions (GJs). Immunohistochemistry with anti-innexin (invertebrate GJ protein) antisera revealed positive labeling in the antennae of C. japonicus. Innexin 3, one of the five antennal innexin subtypes, was detected as a dotted signal within the S. basiconica as a sensory organ for nestmate recognition. These morphological results suggest that ORNs form an electrical network via GJs between dendritic processes. We were unable to functionally certify the electric connections in an olfactory sensory unit comprising such multiple ORNs; however, with the aid of simulation of a mathematical model, we examined the putative function of this novel chemosensory information network, which possibly contributes to the distinct discrimination of colony-specific blends of CHCs or other odor detection

Spatial resolved high-energy particle diagnostic system using time-of-flight neutral particle analyzer in Large Helical Device

The time-of-flight-type neutral particle analyzer has an ability of horizontal scanning from 40 to 100° of the pitch angle. The information from the spatially resolved energy spectrum gives not only the ion temperature but also the information of the particle confinement and the electric field in plasmas. We have been studying the energy distributions at various magnetic configurations in the neutral beam injection (NBI) plasma. The spatially resolved energy spectra can be observed during long discharges of the NBI plasma by continuous scanning of the neutral particle analyzer. The shape of spectra is almost similar from 44° to 53°. However, the spectra from 55° are strongly varied. They reflect the injection pitch angle of the beam. The pitch angle scanning experiment during the long discharge of NBI plasma has also been made under the reversal of the magnetic field direction. NBI2 becomes counter injected with the reversal. We can easily observe the difference between co- and counter injections of NBI. During the electron cyclotron heating in the low-density plasma for the formation of the internal thermal barrier, large neutral particle increase or decease can be observed. The degree of the increase/decrease depends on the energy and the density. The reason for the variation of the particle flux is that the orbit of the trapped particle changes due to the electric field formed by the strong electron cyclotron heating

An Inhibitory Sex Pheromone Tastes Bitter for Drosophila Males

Sexual behavior requires animals to distinguish between the sexes and to respond appropriately to each of them. In Drosophila melanogaster, as in many insects, cuticular hydrocarbons are thought to be involved in sex recognition and in mating behavior, but there is no direct neuronal evidence of their pheromonal effect. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures of responses to natural and synthetic compounds, we show that Z-7-tricosene, a Drosophila male cuticular hydrocarbon, acts as a sex pheromone and inhibits male-male courtship. These data provide the first direct demonstration that an insect cuticular hydrocarbon is detected as a sex pheromone. Intriguingly, we show that a particular type of gustatory neurons of the labial palps respond both to Z-7-tricosene and to bitter stimuli. Cross-adaptation between Z-7-tricosene and bitter stimuli further indicates that these two very different substances are processed by the same neural pathways. Furthermore, the two substances induced similar behavioral responses both in courtship and feeding tests. We conclude that the inhibitory pheromone tastes bitter to the fly

High Energy Particle Measurements during Long Discharge in LHD

The spatial resolved energy spectra can be observed during a long discharge of NBI plasma bycontinuously scanning the neutral particle analyzer. In these discharges, the plasmas are initiated by the ECH heating, after that NBI#2 (Co-injection) sustains the plasma during 40-60 seconds. The scanned pitch angle is from 44 degrees to 74 degrees. The injected neutral beam (hydrogen) energy of NBI#2 is only 130 keV because the original ion source polarity is negative. The shape of spectra is almost similar from 44 degrees to 53 degrees. However the spectra from 55 degrees are strongly varied. It reflects the injection pitch angle of the beam according to the simulation (53 degrees ot R* = 3.75 m in simulation). The beam keeps the pitch angle at incidence until the beam energy becomes to the energy, which the pitch angle scattering is occurred by the energy loss due to the electron collision. The low flux region can be observed around 10-15 keV, which is 15 times of the electron temperature. The energy region may be equal to the energy at which the pitch angle scattering is occurred. At the energy, the particle is scattered by the collision with the plasma ions and some of particles may run away from the plasma because they have a possibility to enter the loss cone. According to the simulation, the loss cone can be expected at the 10 keV with the small angular dependence. The depth of the loss cone is deep at the small pitch angle. The hollow in the spectrum may be concluded to be the loss cone as the tendency is almost agreed with the experimental result

HIV感染症およびAIDS患者の臨床的特徴

【Introduction】The survival rate in patients with HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome （AIDS） has been improved dramatically due to the advances in anti-HIV drug therapy, while aging-associated complications become a critical issue. The incidence of sudden occurrence of AIDS without prior detection of HIV infection, so called “Ikinari AIDS”, still remains high. 【Objective】We retrospectively analyzed the incidence and clinical characteristics of HIV/AIDS patients in both Tokushima University Hospital and Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital. 【Results】Eighty four patients （74 males and 10 females） with a median age of 39 years old （range 16 - 85） were enrolled. Thirty-four patients （40.5％） were diagnosed with “Ikinari AIDS” from 2001 to 2020. All 4 patients were diagnosed with “Ikinari AIDS” after 2020. AIDS-defining illnesses were diagnosed as follows ; pneumocystis pneumonia in 21 cases, CMV infection in 8 cases and candidiasis in 6 cases. All patients over 60 years old were suffered from AIDS. Other complications included syphilis in 17 cases, hepatitis B infection in 12 and herpes zoster in 7. 【Discussion/Conclusion】In Tokushima, the incidence rate of “Ikinari AIDS” appeared to be higher than that of national average. COVID - 19 pandemic hampered the public health care services of awareness-raising activity for HIV infection and telephone consultations about HIV, which may become more lease asymptomatic HIV patients without diagnosis. For early diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, it is becoming more important to share information to make early screening of HIV infection among medical staffs, such as medical doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and MSWs