The intestinal bacterial diversity of Stichopus japonicus was investigated using 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) clone library and Polymerase Chain Reaction/Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The clone library yielded a total of 188 clones, and these were sequenced and classified into 106 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with sequence similarity ranging from 88 to 100%. The cov...

Indirect defense of plants against herbivores often involves the induced emission of volatile infochemicals including terpenoids that attract natural enemies of the herbivores. We report the isolation and characterization of a terpene synthase cDNA (LjEbetaOS) from a model legume, Lotus japonicus. Recombinant LjEbetaOS enzyme produced (E)-beta-ocimene (98%) and its Z-isomer (2%). Transcripts of...

The interactionist model (IM) of human development (R. D. Conger & M. B. Donellan, 2007) proposes that the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and human development involves a dynamic interplay that includes both social causation (SES influences human development) and social selection (individual characteristics affect SES). Using a multigenerational data set involving 271 families, ...

Stille and Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of 7-iodo-1,3-diphenyl-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4-benzotriazin-4-yl are presented as rare examples of cross-coupling reactions with stable organic radicals. Both the Stille and Suzuki-Miyaura reactions are in most cases high yielding but the latter are cleaner while the former are faster and are accompanied by 1,3-diphenyl-1,2,4-benzotriazin-7(H)-one as by-product. A ...

The mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus, originally restricted to temperate East Asia, is now widespread in North America and more recently has become established in Europe. To ascertain the putative number of separate introductions to Europe and examine patterns of expansion we analyzed the genetic makeup of Ae. j. japonicus populations from five cemeteries in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhinela...

In this study the interplay between the symbiotic and defence signalling pathways in Lotus japonicus was investigated by comparing the responses to Mesorhizobium loti, the symbiotic partner of L. japonicus, and the elicitor flg22, a conserved peptide motif present in flagellar protein of a wide range of bacteria. It was found that defence and symbiotic pathways overlap in the interaction betwee...

Flavonols are one of the largest groups of flavonoids that confer benefits for the health of plants and animals. Flavonol glycosides are the predominant flavonoids present in the model legume Lotus japonicus. The molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of flavonol glycosides as yet remain unknown in L. japonicus. In the present study, we identified a total of 188 UDP-glycosyltransferas...

The spread of exotic mosquito species into new environments can introduce shifts in mosquito populations and potentially alter public health risks to mosquito-borne diseases. The successful establishment of exotic species may occur due to their competitive advantage over other cohabitating species. We hypothesized that the recently introduced exotic mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald)...

A new species of the genus Megoura, M. lathyricola sp. n., was collected from Lathyrus japonicus subsp. japonicus (Leguminosae) in seashore areas of northern and southern Japan. This species is described and illustrated, and a revised key to the identification of the world species of Megoura is presented.

We survey some recent developments in the theory of b-function, spectrum, and multiplier ideals together with certain interesting relations among them including the case of arbitrary subvarieties. Dedicated to Professor Masaki Kashiwara