The components of the volatile oil from wild mushroom (Lactarius hatsudake), used in Japanese traditional food, were analysed and quantifi ed for the fi rst time by capillary GC and GC-MS. Seventy-six components were separated from the oil and of these 71 components were identifi ed. The main components of the oil were oxidized sesquiterpenes [cisisolongifolanone (624.9 μg/100 g), α-cedrene epoxide (578.7 μg/100 g), humulene epoxide III (453.9 μg/100 g), clovane (425.4 μg/100 g)], aliphatic acids [linoleic acid (585.9 μg/100 g) and palmitoleic acid (333.3 μg/100 g)]. Odour evaluation of the volatile oil from L. hatsudake was also carried out using GC-MS/olfactometry (GC-MS/O) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), from which it was found that hexanal, 4-dehydroviridifl orol, myliol and phenylacetaldehyde seem to contribute to the green, spicy and sweet odour of L. hatsudake.

In the present study, we developed a new chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) using a two-step sandwich method to measure aldosterone concentrations. We investigated serum and plasma aldosterone concentrations in 75 blood samples from 27 patients using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) and the CLEIA (with current and newly improved reagents) as well as liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Based on the results of the Passing–Bablok regression analysis, the aldosterone levels measured using CLEIA with the new reagents and those measured by LC-MS/MS were found to be significantly correlated (slope, 0.984; intercept, 0.2). However, aldosterone levels varied depending on the measurement method (i.e., CLEIA with the new reagent, CLEIA with the current reagent, and RIA). Aldosterone levels were lower with the improved CLEIA method than with RIA and CLEIA using the current reagent. Therefore, the cutoff values of the screening test as well as those of the confirmatory test for primary aldosteronism (PA) should be adjusted to follow current clinical practice guidelines for PA. The formula that can be used to obtain the aldosterone level (pg/mL) when using CLEIA with the new reagent is 0.765 × RIA (pg/mL) − 33.7. This formula will enable PA cutoff values to be set for provisional screening and confirmatory tests.

Recent climate warming has affected some life‐history traits of insects, including voltinism and body size. The magnitude of changes in these traits may differ latitudinally within a species because of the differing lengths of season available for growth. The present study aims to estimate the change in voltinism of the lawn ground cricket, Polionemobius mikado (Shiraki) (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae), over the last four decades by comparing the body size between adults collected from a wide range of latitudes in Japan in recent years (2015–2017) and those collected four decades ago (1969–1976). The body size of adults collected in recent years showed a latitudinal saw‐tooth cline, in the same way as body size did four decades ago, and the cline shifted northward over the last four decades: In 2015–2017, the body size decreased slightly with increasing latitude from 31°N to 36°N, and then increased to 40°N, and again decreased from 40°N to 44°N. Comparison of the body size between recent years and four decades ago revealed that the body size has decreased significantly at the middle latitudes (36–40°N), suggesting that the proportion of smaller bivoltine individuals there has increased over the last four decades. The sum of effective temperatures for postdiapause embryonic development at around 36°N in recent years was comparable to that at 31–35°N four decades ago, at which P. mikado populations were bivoltine. Taken together, these findings suggested that the latitudinal range suitable for the bivoltine life cycle of P. mikado has expanded northward over the last four decades because of climate warming. This is the first report that shows that a decrease in body size can be caused by climate warming via an increase in voltinism.

The compositions of the essential oils obtained from leaves and stems of Gynura bicolor DC. were analyzed by GC-MS. One hundred eight components of these oils were identified. (E)-β-caryophyllene (31.42 %), α-pinene (17.11 %), and bicyclogermacrene (8.09 %) were found to be the main components of the leaf oil, while α-pinene (61.42 %), β-pinene (14.39 %), and myrcene (5.10 %) were the major constituents of the stem oil. We found 73 previously unidentified components in these oils from G. bicolor. The oils were also subjected to odor evaluation. Eleven and 12 aroma-active compounds were detected in the leaf and stem oils, respectively. The abilities of these oils to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were determined. The sesquiterpenoids in the oils were found to inhibit AChE activity more strongly than the monoterpenoids in the oils did. It was suggested that the three main components in each essential oil act synergistically against AChE activity. These results show that the essential oils obtained from G. bicolor are a good dietary source of AChE activity inhibition.

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