The long-range periodic amino acid sequence of the bifunctional silk/cement protein from larvae of the caddisfly, Stenopsyche marmorata, is discussed in this study. The protein, named the S. marmorata silk protein (Smsp-1), was first purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The results of Edman-based sequencing of Smsp-1 tryptic digests were consistent with the amino acid sequence deduced from a cDNA clone of the Smsp-1 gene. All undetected amino acids in the Edman-based sequencing were encoded as Ser, suggesting the presence of O-phospho-Ser. (31)P-NMR and an O-phospho-amino acid analysis successfully showed that the O-phospho-Ser residue occurred in a clustered manner, serving a cement function for Smsp-1. Two patterns of non-phosphorylated repeats, -SLGPYGDPRGDXLGPYGG- (X = V, G or D) and -GVGPYGDGLGPYGG-, were enriched in Smsp-1 compared with the O-phospho-Ser cluster, and have fibre-forming functions.

A German traveler developed dengue fever in late August 2013, following a direct flight from Germany. Autochthonous dengue virus (DENV) infection has not been reported in Japan. To evaluate the risk of autochthonous DENV transmission in Japan, the authors performed a retrospective search of the five areas visited by the German patient to determine the population density of dengue vector mosquito, Aedes albopictus. The annual mean temperature of each area was higher than 12°C, which is considered suitable for the establishment of A. albopictus populations. Our retrospective search revealed the population density of A. albopictus to be high in the urban areas of Japan.

The distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates was studied in November 1985 in Lake Kizaki (maximum depth : 29.5m). The average biomass of the benthic community comprised oligochaetes (7.7%), chaoborids (44.9%) and chironomids (47.4%). The oligochaetes inhabited the entire lake bottom, with higher densities in the shallower regions (<10m). In contrast, densities of chaoborid larvae were higher in the deeper regions (>20m) than in the shallower regions. Chironomid larvae, on the other hand, were distributed in higher populations in the transitional regions (10-20m), and a marked decline in the number of species was observed as the depth increased. The most abundant species was C. nipponensis which was distributed most widely from 2m to 27m, although the density was very low at depths of 20m or more due to the lack of dissolved oxygen. In the deeper regions, the dominant species of chironomid had changed from Endochironomus sp. in the 1930's to C. nipponensis in the present study. It is suggested that the environmental conditions for larval survival in deeper regions will continue to deteriorate.

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