Assignment of a human serum glycoprotein SP-40,40 gene (CLI) to chromosome 8.

SP-40,40 is a serum glycoprotein consisting of two different subunits (alpha and beta) assembled into a dimer by disulfide bonds. Northern blot hybridization, using total RNA from several cell lines, showed that SP-40,40 is expressed in glioblastoma and testicular tumor cells, as well as hepatoma cells. Spot blot hybridization of flow-sorted human chromosomes, using a SP-40,40 cDNA fragment as a probe, localized the gene for SP-40,40 to human chromosome 8. This gene has been given the designation CLI, for complement lysis inhibitor, by the Human Gene Nomenclature Committee.     

Two new flavone glycosides from Cirsium lineare

An examination of four species of Cirsium disclosed the presence of two new flavonoids in C. lineare. The structure of one was 5,4′-dihydroxy-6,7,3′-trimethoxyflavone (cirsilineol) 4′-monoglucoside and the other 5,3′,4′-trihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone (cirsiliol) 4′-monoglucoside. Luteolin 7-glucoside was found in C. suffultum, and pectolinarin and linarin in C. kamtschaticum and C. pectinellum.     

The first isolation of enantiomeric and meso-zeaxanthin in nature

Racemic mixtures of (3RS, 3'RS)-zeaxanthin were separated into the three optical isomers, (3R, 3'R)-zeaxanthin (1), (3R,3'S;meso)-zeaxanthin (2) and (3S,3'S)-zeaxanthin (3), by converting to their corresponding dibenzoates and by using HPLC on an optical resolution column Sumipax OA-2000. According to this procedure, it has been shown that only (1) is isolated from higher plants, shellfish, starfish, sea squirt, sea cucumber and then examined; on the other hand (1), (2) and (3) are isolated from zeaxanthin fraction of shrimp, fish and turtle examined. This is the first isolation of enantiomeric and meso-zeaxanthin in nature.     

Maternal induction of larval diapause and its sensitive stage in the blow fly Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Lucilia sericata has a facultative diapause in the third larval instar after cessation of feeding. Induction of the diapause is influenced by the photoperiod and temperature conditions experienced by insects in the parental generation as well as those experienced by the larvae themselves. The sensitive stage of the parental generation for induction of diapause was examined using diapause‐averting conditions of 16 h light : 8 h darkness (LD 16:8) at 25°C and diapause‐inducing conditions of LD 12:12 at 20°C. The incidence of diapause in the progeny was predominantly determined by the conditions experienced by the parents in the adult stage. Moreover, the results of reciprocal crosses showed that only the mother's experience is involved in the induction of diapause in the progeny.     

Nesting behavior of the semi-aquatic spider wasp,Anoplius eous,which transports its prey on the surface film of water (Hymenoptera,Pompilidae)

Anoplius eous Yasumatsu (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) exhibits some outstanding nesting behavior. Females excavate a unicellular or multicellular nest in wet ground, or dig a single-celled nest in rotten wood, or build clustered mud cells in narrow spaces between walls of such substances as wood or vinyl sheets. The latter nest-type has been unknown within the subfamily Pompilinae. Females prepare a nest-cell before hunting, and construct it further after hunting, leaving the prey near the nest (behavior-formula: IVPTIOC). They transport their prey backward on the ground, grasping it in their mandibles by any part of the legs, and forward on the surface film of water or on the ground, grasping it by the middle part of the 1st or 2nd legs. Their only prey is the adult female semi-aquatic spider,Pardosa pseudoannulata (Lycosidae). These nesting and provisioning behavior patterns are compared with those of other pompilids. The position of the present species in the behavioral evolution of the Pompilidae is suggested.     

How to discriminate between vibration syndrome and local fatigue of motorcyclists

Motorcyclists who work in some offices sometimes complained of coldness, pain and numbness of upper limbs. We studied how to discriminate between vibration syndrome and local fatigue of the motorcyclists. Subjects are 42 motorcyclists of an office in Aichi prefecture. 25 of them held several letters in their left hand when they delivered the letters. They complained of coldness, pain and numbness in the left upper limbs more than in the right limbs (p less than 0.01). We think that it is the local fatigue rather than the disorder of vibration syndrome that causes such symptoms. So it is very important to recognize the existence of local fatigue in order to know how to discriminate between vibration syndrome and local fatigue of the motorcyclists.     

Differentiation of Langerhans Cells from Interdigitating Cells Using CD1a and S-100 Protein Antibodies

The present study shows that Langerhans cells can be differentiated from Interdigitating cells at the light microscopic level. Superficial lymph nodes and skin taken from necropsies and the lymph nodes of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy (DPL) were used for this experiment. Sections of lymph node and skin were embedded using the acetone, methyl benzoate and xylene (AMeX) method and dendritic cells were immunostained with anti S-100 protein antibody (S-100, and OKT-6 (CD1a) using the restaining method. Langerhans cells in the skin were positive for both CD1a and S-100. Dendritic cells positive for both CD1a and S-100, and dendritic cells positive for S-100, but not for CD1a were observed in superficial lymph nodes. In normal superficial lymph nodes, there were more interdigitating cells than Langerhans cells. The majority of the dendritic cells in the DPL were Langerhans cells. We conclude that the S-100 and CD1a positive cells are Langerhans cells, and the S-100 positive-CD1a negative cells are interdigitating cells.     

Host discrimination modulates brood guarding behaviour and the adaptive superparasitism in the parasitoid wasp Trissolcus semistriatus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

Because hosts utilized by parasitoids are vulnerable to further oviposition by conspecifics, host guarding benefits female wasps. The present study aims to test whether female adults regulate brood guarding behaviour by host discrimination in a solitary parasitoid Trissolcus semistriatus by presenting an intact or parasitized host egg mass to a female adult. Virgin females without oviposition experience have host discrimination ability, which enables them to adjust the number of eggs laid in the hosts. Mating experience increases superparasitism by female adults, whereas mated females achieve a higher discrimination ability as a result of oviposition experience and show a lower superparasitism rate. As expected, females exhibit brood guard after parasitizing an intact host egg mass, whereas those females visiting a previously parasitized host egg mass, do not. Because the survival of eggs in superparasitized hosts is relatively low, regulating brood guarding behaviour by host discrimination is adaptive for female wasps.