Essential Compounds in Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles that Attract the Predatory Mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neoseiulus womersleyi</Emphasis>

Carnivorous arthropods use volatile infochemicals emitted from prey-infested plants in their foraging behavior. Although several volatile components are common among plant species, the compositions differ among prey–plant complexes. Studies showed that the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi is attracted only to previously experienced plant volatiles. In this study, we identified the attractant components in prey-induced plant volatiles of two prey–plant complexes. N. womersleyi reared on Tetranychus kanzawai-infested tea leaves showed significant preference for a mixture of three synthetic compounds [mimics of the T. kanzawai-induced tea leaves volatiles: (E)-β-ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), and (E,E)-α-farnesene] at a level comparable to that for T. kanzawai-induced tea plant volatiles. However, mixtures lacking any of these compounds did not attract the predatory mites. Likewise, N. womersleyi reared on T. urticae-infested kidney bean plants showed a significant preference for a mixture of four synthetic compounds [mimics of the T. urticae-induced kidney bean volatiles: DMNT, methyl salicylate (MeSA), β-caryophyllene, and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene] at a level comparable to that for T. urticae-induced kidney bean volatiles. The absence of any of the four compounds resulted in no attraction. These results indicate that N. womersleyi can use at least four volatile components to identify prey-infested plants.     

On‐Demand Control of the Photochromic Properties of Naphthopyrans

Photofunctional compounds have emerged as critically important materials for both fundamental studies and industrial applications. Control of the thermal decoloration speed to within several seconds while sustaining satisfactory photochromic colorability is an important challenge for the application of such materials to photochromic lenses and smart windows. Photochromic naphthopyran derivatives are utilized for photochromic lenses because of their high durability and easily controllable colorability. However, the residual color imparted by the long‐lived transient species upon ceasing light irradiation remains a hindrance to practical applications. In this study, a strategy is demonstrated for on‐demand control of the thermal decoloration speed of the transient colored species of naphthopyran derivatives. The increase in the ring‐size of the alkylenedioxy moiety on the naphthopyrans accelerates the thermal back‐reaction independently of the maximum‐absorption wavelength of the colored isomer, leading to the realization of yellow‐, red‐, and blue‐photochromic naphthopyrans with similar thermal fading speeds. This novel molecular design provides a strategy for the future development of advanced photoresponsive materials.     

Synthesis of hollow silica microparticles from bacterial templates

Hollow inorganic particles have attracted great interest because of their unique physicochemical properties. In this study, hollow silica microparticles were prepared using a rod-shaped gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli (KP7600), as a biological template. Silica nanoparticles were generated in addition to coated biological templates when the reaction rate was increased, so control of reaction rate is important for coating silica smoothly onto the bacterial surface. Silica coating was also carried out using the fixed cells (with and without internal water) using glutaraldehyde as templates. When the fixed cells without internal water were used as templates, no rod-shaped particles were observed after calcination of the synthesized particles. By contrast, silica hollow particles were formed using the fixed cells with internal water as templates. This means that the internal water inside biological cells acts as an initiator for hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and results in the formation of smooth silica shell surface and indicates that the use of dry cultured bacteria templates is not required. Thus, there is a significant benefit in using gram-negative bacteria as templates for producing hollow silica microparticles, compared with the method using dried gram-positive bacteria templates.     

Formation of dot arrays with a pitch of 20 nm × 20 nm for patterned media using 30 keV EB drawing on thin calixarene resist

We studied the possibility of achieving very fine-pitch dot arrays with a pitch of 20?nm × 20?nm using 30?keV electron beam (EB) drawing on negative calixarene resist. In order to form such patterns, we studied the dependence on resist thickness of the dot size and the packing. We propose EB drawing on an extremely thin film for very highly packed dot-array formation. Our experimental results demonstrate the possibility of forming highly packed dot-array patterns with a pitch of 20?nm × 20?nm and a resist thickness of about 13?nm, which corresponds to about 1.6?Tbits?in(-2).     

Thruster fault-tolerant control of a hovering AUV with four horizontal and two vertical thrusters

This paper deals with the motion control of a hovering autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with four horizontal and two vertical thrusters, when one or more thrusters are completely malfunctioned. Three thruster fault cases are considered: one horizontal thruster is faulty; two horizontal thrusters are faulty; and one vertical thruster is faulty. Through a series of simulations and an experiment, it is validated that the AUV can track a planned path in a 3-D space with minimally three thrusters (two are horizontal ones); however, some cases require the changes of the vehicle’s preferred direction of motion and its movement manner. Additionally, when the number of active horizontal thrusters is less than the required degree-of-freedom, a continuous state feedback control law does not exist due to the non-holonomic constraint. This paper highlights that the hovering AUV can overcome the non-holonomic constraint if using the feature that their translational and rotational motions can be controlled independently.     

Algorithmic randomness and monotone complexity on product space

We study algorithmic randomness and monotone complexity on product of the set of infinite binary sequences. We explore the following problems: monotone complexity on product space, Lambalgen’s theorem for correlated probability, classification of random sets by likelihood ratio tests, decomposition of complexity and independence, and Bayesian statistics for individual random sequences. Formerly Lambalgen’s theorem for correlated probability is shown under a uniform computability assumption in [H. Takahashi Inform. Compt. 2008]. In this paper we show the theorem without the assumption.     

Comparative effects of safflower oil and perilla oil on serum and hepatic lipid levels, fatty acid compositions of serum and hepatic phospholipids, and hepatic mRNA expressions of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase in young and adult rats

Male Wistar rats, 4 and 33 weeks of age, were fed the diets containing safflower oil (SO-diet, 77.3% linoleic acid) or perilla oil (PO-diet, 58.4% -linolenic acid) for 7 days. Serum total cholesterol was lower on the PO-diet in both ages. On the other hand, hepatic cholesterol and phospholipids were significantly higher in the PO group than in the SO group of the adult rats. The PO group showed significantly lower 20:4 n-6 but higher 18:2 n-6 in hepatic phosphatidylcholine compared with the SO group in both ages. Hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase mRNA was significantly lower on the PO-diet than on the SO-diet irrespective of age. The present results show that -linolenic acid has a higher hypocholesterolemic ability than linoleic acid in rats irrespective of age and these fatty acids behaved differently in affecting hepatic mRNA expressions of HMG-CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol 7-hydroxylase.     

Metabolic Alteration Analysis of Steroid Hormones in Niemann–Pick Disease Type C Model Cell Using Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a functional deficiency of cholesterol-transporting proteins in lysosomes, and exhibits various clinical symptoms. Since mitochondrial dysfunction in NPC has recently been reported, cholesterol catabolism to steroid hormones may consequently be impaired. In this study, we developed a comprehensive steroid hormone analysis method using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and applied it to analyze changes in steroid hormone concentrations in NPC model cells. We investigated the analytical conditions for simultaneous LC–MS/MS analysis, which could be readily separated from each other and showed good reproducibility. The NPC phenotype was verified as an NPC model with mitochondrial abnormalities using filipin staining and organelle morphology observations. Steroid hormones in the cell suspension and cell culture medium were also analyzed. Steroid hormone analysis indicated that the levels of six steroid hormones were significantly decreased in the NPC model cell and culture medium compared to those in the wild-type cell and culture medium. These results indicate that some steroid hormones change during NPC pathophysiology and this change is accompanied by mitochondrial abnormalities.