No abstract

The natural blind spot in the visual field has been known as a large oval region that cannot receive any optical input because it corresponds to the retinal optic disk containing no rod/cone-photoreceptors. Recently, stimulation inside the blind spot was found to enhance, but not trigger, the pupillary light reflex. However, it is unknown whether blind-spot stimulation also affects visual perception. We addressed this question using psychophysical brightness-matching experiments. We found that a test stimulus outside the blind spot was judged as darker when it was accompanied by a consciously unexperienced blue oval inside the blind spot; moreover, the pupillary light reflex was enhanced. These findings suggested that a photo-sensitive mechanism inside the optic disk, presumably involving the photopigment melanopsin, contributes to our image-forming vision and provides a ‘reference’ for calibrating the perceived brightness of visual objects.

No abstract

The organophosphate pesticide fenitrothion and its degradation product 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (3M4NP), which possesses greater mutagen formation potential (MFP) than fenitrothion, were monitored. A total of 109 samples were collected from 41 sites of 12 rivers in the Tokyo metropolitan area and 71 samples were collected from 4 sites of 2 streams close to paddy fields in Kanagawa, Japan. The concentrations of fenitrothion and 3M4NP were determined by GC/MS with selected ion monitoring after solid-phase extraction and derivatization of 3M4NP with N, O-bis-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA). Both fenitrothion and 3M4NP were below 1 µg/L (0 -0.083 µg/L of fenitrothion and 0 -0.156 µg/L of 3M4NP) in the river water samples, whereas fenitrothion and 3M4NP reached 0.16 and 1.6 µg/L, respectively, in the stream water samples. Seasonal and areal fluctuations were also observed in the streams. Nevertheless, the maximum concentration of 3M4NP appeared in late May at all sites. Furthermore, among the samples in which fenitrothion and/or 3M4NP were detected, 3M4NP largely contributed to the potential in 56% and 67% of the river and stream samples, respectively. These results strongly support the need for simultaneous monitoring of various pesticides and their degradation products, identification of degradation products and their MFP, and characterization of their behavior in water purification processes.

Chitin‐supported palladium and iridium catalysts (i.e., Pd/chitin, Ir/chitin) successfully promote the hydrogen borrowing C–C bond formation reaction to afford phytochemicals and aroma compounds in excellent yields.