Kanagawa Environmental Research Center

The detection of various biomarkers using field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors is expected to effectively contribute to the promotion of human health. Aptamers, single-stranded DNA molecules, are promising candidates as receptors for FET biosensors, capable of recognizing a wide range of targets from viruses to small-molecule hormones. By immobilizing aptamers on the FET gate surface through terminally modified functional groups, effective changes in surface potential can be induced upon binding to the target molecule. In this study, we investigated a method for immobilizing thiol-terminated aptamers onto surfaces modified with an amine-terminated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) using N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP), a cross-linker for amine-to-thiol conjugation. A terminal immobilization of the aptamer effectively facilitated the capture of the model target, (cortisol; stress hormone) along with an accompanying conformational change of the aptamer. Furthermore, an aptamer-immobilized FET fabricated via disulfide bonding successfully demonstrated specific cortisol detection in the nanomolar range.

A new insecticide formulation of broflanilide (VECTRON FL) is expected to be effective against insecticide-resistant German cockroaches. In the current study, the efficacy of broflanilide was tested in the field and laboratory. A single application of broflanilide at 50 mg (ai)/m2 in a restaurant led to complete extermination by 6 weeks post-treatment. Broflanilide applied to plywood killed 100% of organophosphorus- and pyrethroid-resistant colonies in a 6 h contact test. In addition, the residual activity of broflanilide was maintained for 92 days on permeable plywood at 50 mg/m2 and nonpermeable plywood at 25 mg/m2, whereas that of fenitrothion was reduced at 92 days post-treatment. Broflanilide was also highly lethal in 10 and 60 min contact tests against resistant colonies. Moreover, when cockroaches exposed for 10 or 60 min to a surface residue of broflanilide were mixed with unexposed cockroaches, >50% of the unexposed cockroaches died by day 8. Thus, broflanilide performs well against directly exposed cockroaches and the unexposed cockroaches they encounter in hiding places. In conclusion, even if atomized particles of the chemical solution do not reach deeply into the crevices of the kitchens in the restaurants, a single treatment of broflanilide exhibits high extermination efficacy.

Kyushu Shinkansen and conventional railway lines run parallel in the areas 5 km north of Kumamoto Station (northern area) and 12 km south of the station (southern area). Following the operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line in 2011, the adjacent conventional railway line in the north was elevated, a new station was operated in the south, and large earthquakes struck the Kumamoto area from March to April 2016. Sleep disturbances were compared before and after the interventions and earthquakes based on noise source (Shinkansen and conventional railways), area (northern and southern), and house type (detached and apartment) through socio-acoustic surveys from 2011 to 2017. The Shinkansen railway caused significantly less sleep disturbances in detached houses in the north after compared to before the earthquakes, presumably due to more frequent closures of bedroom windows in northern detached houses following the earthquakes. The Shinkansen railway caused significantly more sleep disturbances in apartments in the south after compared to before the earthquakes, presumably because the Shinkansen slowed down immediately after the earthquakes and returned to normal speed during the survey, suddenly increasing the noise exposure. There was no significant difference in the other six cases investigated. Overall, the interventions may not have caused significant differences in sleep disturbances. This article expands on the congress paper by Morihara et al. presented in the "Community Response to Noise" session at the 52nd International Congress and Exhibition on Noise Control Engineering in Makuhari, Japan, organized by the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a significant public health concern owing to its expanding habitat and vector competence. Disease outbreaks attributed to this species have been reported in areas under its invasion, and its northward expansion in Japan has caused concern because of the potential for dengue virus infection in newly populated areas. Accurate prediction of Ae. albopictus distribution is crucial to prevent the spread of the disease. However, limited studies have focused on the prediction of Ae. albopictus distribution in Japan. Herein, we used the random forest model, a machine learning approach, to predict the current and potential future habitat ranges of Ae. albopictus in Japan. The model revealed that these mosquitoes prefer urban areas over forests in Japan on the current map. Under predictions for the future, the species will expand its range to the surrounding areas and eventually reach many areas of northeastern Kanto, Tohoku District, and Hokkaido, with a few variations in different scenarios. However, the affected human population is predicted to decrease owing to the declining birth rate. Anthropogenic and climatic factors contribute to range expansion, and urban size and population have profound impacts. This prediction map can guide responses to the introduction of this species in new areas, advance the spatial knowledge of diseases vectored by it, and mitigate the possible disease burden. To our knowledge, this is the first distribution-modelling prediction for Ae. albopictus with a focus on Japan.

大気中マイクロプラスチック（AMPs）の存在が近年明らかとなったが，現状では未解明の点が多く，調査手法の確立および実態解明が喫緊の課題である。本研究では，感度や空間分解能に優れる顕微ラマン分光法を使用したものとしては国内で初のAMPs調査として，4地点（新潟曽和および川崎（都市），笠堀ダム（田園），小笠原（遠隔））における存在状況の把握を試みた。その結果，精度管理下においてAMPsが検出された（n＝32）。AMPsの大気中個数濃度は 0.52±0.24 MPs m－3，種類はポリエチレン（PE），プラスチック樹脂（RES），ポリアミド（PA）の順に多く，粒径（フェレ径）は 7.6±3.7 μm，形状はいずれも粒子または破片状であり，既往研究の報告と矛盾しなかった。2023/11/14～12/12にかけて実施した集中観測（新潟曽和，川崎，笠堀ダムの並行測定）の結果から，地点間の平均濃度水準は概ね同等だが，週別変動は都市と田園とで異なる推移を示した。気象場や捕集地点の立地状況，潜在的な発生源の違いが結果に与えた影響は不明確だが，清浄な大気環境下でもプラスチック汚染のおそれがあると考えられた。手法の精度のさらなる向上およびその確立，他の大気汚染物質を含め観測データの蓄積による検証が必要である。

The feeling of oppressive or vibratory due to low-frequency sound is widely known as a sensation inherent to low-frequency sound. Some previous studies showed the frequency characteristics of sound pressure levels that induced an oppressive or vibratory feeling, finding that these feelings tended to occur prior to others. However, the threshold of the feeling has not been investigated yet. In the present study, we conducted a laboratory experiment and investigated it by the method of adjustment. The participants adjusted the sound pressure level by themselves, at which they started to feel an oppressive or vibratory sensation. The frequencies of the stimuli were 20 Hz, 40 Hz, 50 Hz, 63 Hz, and 80 Hz. The results showed that the higher the frequency was, the lower the threshold it was, in the range of the frequency of the present experiment. Also, the threshold is largely different among the participants, and the higher the frequency, the more pronounced it was. In the future, we will examine the validity of the results using a different method from that in the present study.

Cape Primroses (Streptocarpus, Gesneriaceae) are an ideal study system for investigating the genetics underlying species diversity in angiosperms. Streptocarpus rexii has served as a model species for plant developmental research for over five decades due to its unusual extended meristem activity present in the leaves. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial genomes of S. rexii using Oxford Nanopore Technologies long read sequencing. Two flow cells of PromethION sequencing resulted in 32 billion reads and were sufficient to generate a draft assembly including the chloroplast, mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, spanning 776 Mbp. The final nuclear genome assembly contained 5,855 contigs, spanning 766 Mbp of the 929‐Mbp haploid genome with an N50 of 3.7 Mbp and an L50 of 57 contigs. Over 70% of the draft genome was identified as repeats. A genome repeat library of Gesneriaceae was generated and used for genome annotation, with a total of 45,045 genes annotated in the S. rexii genome. Ks plots of the paranomes suggested a recent whole genome duplication event, shared between S. rexii and Primulina huaijiensis. A new chloroplast and mitochondrial genome assembly method, based on contig coverage and identification, was developed, and successfully used to assemble both organellar genomes of S. rexii . This method was developed into a pipeline and proved widely applicable. The nuclear genome of S. rexii and other datasets generated and reported here will be invaluable resources for further research to aid in the identification of genes involved in morphological variation underpinning plant diversification.

Thermal bridges at the connections between window and wall are generally not added to evaluation of heat loss from building envelopes. This report presents evaluation method for the thermal bridge around the window. Linear thermal transmittance between window and wall in typical configurations was calculated as an evaluation index. In addition, quantities of the heat loss from the thermal bridge were compared with the total heat loss amount of a house.