Herbicidal and biological characteristics of a new benzenesulfonylurea compound K-11451 under submerged paddy conditions

The new benzenesulfonylurea K-11451, an α-hydroxy-β-fluoropropyl- compound, applied at 3–9 g ha ⁻¹, controlled annual and perennial weeds grown in submerged paddy soil under greenhouse conditions. It effectively controlled barnyardgrass at growth stages varying from pre-emergence to the five-leaf stage. The compound inhibited acetolactate synthase, I₅₀ values for the enzyme isolated from barnyardgrass and rice being 56 and 67 nM , respectively. K-11451 inhibited the growth of rice when it was transplanted at a shallow depth (0–1 cm) and water leaching from the paddy soil was high (3–5 cm per day). With a water depth of 3 cm, the compound appeared to move readily down into the paddy soil and had the relatively short half-life of 15.2 days under submerged paddy conditions. A mixture of K-11451 + mefenecet + daimuron (9 + 250 + 250 g ha⁻¹) controlled almost all weeds in the paddy field without injury to rice, so that the combination could be used as a ‘one-shot’ herbicide in rice culture.     

Influence of protein characteristics and the proportion of gluten on end-use quality in Korean wheat cultivars

The effects of protein characteristics and the proportion of gluten on end-use quality in 13 Korean wheat cultivars for three years were verified in this study. Year, cultivar, and the interaction between the year and the cultivar influenced protein characteristics, the proportion of gluten except for γ-and ω-gliadin using RP-HPLC(reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography), and end-use quality. Protein characteristics and the proportion of gluten in Korean wheat cultivars were between those of Australian standard white(ASW) and hard wheat(AH). Korean wheat cultivars exhibited a higher average α+β gliadin proportion than imported wheat, a γ-gliadin proportion similar to that of dark northern spring wheat, and the same ω-gliadin proportion as AH. They showed a bread-loaf volume intermediate between those of ASW and AH and a texture of cooked noodles similar to that of soft white wheat, but less springiness than imported wheat. The cookie diameter of Korean wheat cultivars was similar to that of hard red winter wheat. There was a correlation between bread-loaf volume and protein characteristics, except for the protein content in Korean wheat cultivars. Springiness and cohesiveness of cooked noodles were not correlated with protein characteristics, while hardness was correlated with the protein content and water absorption of a mixograph. Cookie diameter was negatively correlated with the sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) sedimentation volume and water absorption of a mixograph. The end-use quality was not correlated with any proportion of gluten composition. Principal component analysis(PCA) showed that the proportion of gluten was not related to the quality of the bread(both PCs, 81.3%), noodle(77.7%), and cookie(82.4%). PCA explained that Keumkang is suitable for superior bread, while Uri is good for cooked noodles and cookies.     

Metagenomic analysis using 16S ribosomal RNA genes of a bacterial community in an urban stream,the Tama River,Tokyo

In an effort to determine genus- or species-level taxonomic profiles and diversity of bacterial consortia in the Tama River around urban Tokyo, next-generation sequencing technology targeting a 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon was employed. Metagenomic analysis performed by an Ion Personal Genome Machine after sequentially filtering samples through 5-, 0.8- and 0.2-μm filters yielded 1.48 Gb of 16S sequences (average 2.38 M reads/sample). The results indicated that half of the bacterial sequences belonged to Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria. Flavobacterium (Bacteroidetes), possibly including a potential fish pathogen, was the most numerous genera in the Tama River metagenome, and accounted for?~?16% of assigned 16S reads, followed by Mycobacterium. Other dominant bacterial genera including Zoogloea, Sediminibacterium, Hyphomicrobium, Sphingopyxis, Thiothrix and Lysobacter, were thought to be associated with waste water and sludge. MiSeq metagenomic analysis revealed that environmental factors, particularly water temperature, influenced the bacterial composition throughout the year, with a strong negative correlation observed for Proteobacteria and a positive correlation for Bacteroidetes. In terms of bacterial genera, Flavobacterium was positively correlated with temperature, while Polaromonas, Pseudomonas and Bradyrhizobium were negatively correlated with this, suggesting dynamic change in the free-living bacterial population throughout the year and versatile adaptation strategies in relation to environmental factors.     

Habitat use and movement patterns of small (age‐0) juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) relative to the Kuroshio

The habitat use of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis; PBF) in nursery waters off the southern coast of Japan was investigated using archival tags over a 3 year study period (2012–2015), and the data were used to examine the free‐ranging habitat preferences of PBF and the relationship between their horizontal movements and the path of the Kuroshio off the Pacific coast of Japan. The path of the Kuroshio fluctuated seasonally, leading to changes in water temperature that strongly influenced the habitat use of small PBF (2–3 months after hatching). Most PBF were present in coastal waters inshore of the path of the current, and their habitat use changed in response to the distance of the current from the coast. The Kuroshio typically flowed along the coast from summer to autumn, and PBF remained in the coastal waters off Kochi Prefecture during this period. In contrast, PBF quickly moved eastward in winter when the current moved away from the coast. Throughout the winter and spring, the area of habitat use extended widely from the eastern end of the southern coast of Japan (the Boso Peninsula) to the offshore Kuroshio‐Oyashio transition region. These findings suggest that the seasonal habitat use and movement behavior of juvenile PBF are influenced by the distance of the Kuroshio axis from the coast, and the ultimate drivers are likely variations in oceanographic conditions and prey availability along the southern coast of Japan.     

Long‐term changes in recruitment of age‐0 Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) and environmental conditions around Japan

Recruitment of age‐0 Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) from 1952 to 2014 was examined by a sequential regime shift detection method. The regime shifts in recruitment were detected in 1957, 1972, 1980, 1994 and 2009. The durations of regime shift ranged from 8–15 years and averaged 13.0 years. In both the total (1952–2014) and data rich (1980–2014) periods, negative relationships were found between recruitment and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in autumn, and positive relationships were found between recruitment and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the northern part of the East China Sea, in the southwestern part of the Sea of Japan, and in the waters off Shikoku and Tokai in summer and autumn. The 1994 and 2009 regime shifts in recruitment occurred in the same years as shifts in SST anomalies in the northern part of the East China Sea in summer. These results suggest that the ocean conditions in the northern part of the East China Sea are closely related to recruitment of Pacific bluefin tuna, and that the warmer conditions result in higher recruitment of the species.     

Harvest index is a critical factor influencing the grain yield of diverse wheat species under rain-fed conditions in the Mediterranean zone of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria

Environmental and plant factors critical to the grain yields of bread (Triticum aestivum L.), durum (T. durum L.) and emmer (T. dicoccum L.) wheat cultivars were investigated at two Mediterranean rain-fed field sites: Adana in southeastern Turkey (2009 and 2010) and Aleppo in northern Syria (2009). The grain yield (GY) and biological yield (BY) of most cultivars were higher in Adana than in Aleppo, and the lower GY in Aleppo resulted from lower harvest index (HI) and lower BY due to higher temperatures and lower rainfall. The variations in the HI among cultivars were greater in Adana than in Aleppo. The GY was closely related to the HI but not the BY across cultivars at each site, and a higher GY was accompanied by a superior conversion-efficiency of incident radiation during the grain filling period for grain yield [GY/Ra, where Ra is the cumulative radiation for 30 days after heading (D₃₀)] across all observations. The GY/Ra correlated negatively with the average temperature for D₃₀, and higher HI values resulted in higher GY/Ra. In Adana, the time from anthesis to physiological-maturity decreased as the average temperature for D₃₀ increased, resulting in a lower HI. Cultivars exhibiting the early heading trait can effectively escape the negative impacts of terminal high-temperature and water-shortage conditions on the HI. The results suggested that the HI is a critical factor for GY across diverse wheat cultivars under terminal high-temperatures and water-shortages in Mediterranean areas, and the BY is also an important factor under severe water-limitation conditions.     

Comparative observation of freeze–thaw-induced damage in pig, rabbit, and human corneal stroma

Objective  Although variations exist between species with respect to outcomes after cryopreservation, little is known about the differences in the susceptibility of the corneal stroma to cryoinjury. We performed this study to investigate freeze–thaw-induced damage in keratocytes and collagen in rabbit, pig, and human corneas.
Animals studied  Rabbit, pig, and human.
Procedures  We prepared 250-μm-thick anterior stroma from rabbit, pig, and human corneas after scraping off the epithelium and endothelium. Each 250-μm-thick corneal stroma without epithelium was placed in a 50-mL tube, frozen with liquid N₂ for 15 min and taken out to thaw rapidly at 37 °C. This procedure of rapid freezing and thawing was repeated three times. Differences between the species with respect to cells and collagen structures were examined using hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We orthotopically transplanted the pig and rabbit corneal transplants after the triple freeze–thaw cycle into rabbit eyes and evaluated graft survival.
Results  On gross examination, rabbit corneas became opaque after the triple freeze–thaw procedure, while pig and human corneas remained transparent. Histologically, keratocytes were apoptotic on TUNEL assay and TEM in rabbit, pig, and human corneas. Collagen fibrils were fragmented and the arrangement of collagen fibrils was severely disturbed in rabbit corneas on H&E staining and TEM; collagen was well preserved in pig and human corneas. Rabbit corneal stroma underwent autolysis after transplantation, whereas the pig corneal stroma remained clear for 1 month.
Conclusions  Our study showed that rabbit corneal stroma was more susceptible to freeze–thaw injury than pig and human corneas.     

Mechanical and ecophysiological significance of the form of a young Acer rufinerve tree: vertical gradient in branch mechanical properties

Most tree biomechanics models assume uniformity of mechanical properties within a tree, and only a few studies have focused on differences in mechanical status among branches. We examined mechanical properties of 49 branches of two 10-year-old trees of Acer rufinerve Sieb. et Zucc. For each branch, bending moment due to its own fresh mass, elastic modulus, section modulus and flexural stiffness were obtained. Elastic modulus of the branch was correlated with the density and thickness of the fiber cell wall and decreased with crown depth, indicating that branches at lower positions were more elastic than branches at upper positions. Compared to lower branches, upper branches were less inclined, possessed thicker growth rings, more long shoots and were subject to smaller stresses. The leaf arrangement in the upper branches might be effective in transmitting more light to the lower branches. In contrast, the lower branches were more inclined toward the horizontal and subject to greater stresses than the upper branches. Lower branch inclinations were attributed to smaller dry matter investment in diameter growth. Upper and lower branch inclinations were slightly greater and smaller, respectively, than those predicted by beam theory. The alleviation in inclination of the lower branches is probably caused by negative gravitropic responses such as tension wood formation or upward shoot elongation, or both. The horizontal display of leaves in the lower branches would be effective in light interception. The reduction in cost of the lower branches can be adaptive because they have a shorter life expectancy than the upper branches. The results showed that an adaptive tree form is realized by a vertical gradient in branch mechanical properties.     

Changes in anthocyanin and isoflavone concentrations in black seed-coated soybean at different planting locations

This study assessed the altitudinal variations in the anthocyanin and isoflavone contents of six black seed coated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] cultivars. The black soybean cultivars Heugcheong, Seonheuk, Geomjeong 1, Geomjeong 2, Cheongja 2, and Cheongja 3 were planted at Milyang (12 m above mean sea level — low altitude) and Muju (600 m — high altitude), Korea on 10 June 2005 and 2006. The total anthocyanin and isoflavone contents and individual components were investigated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All black soybean cultivars cultivated in high altitude possessed significantly higher total anthocyanin (p < 0.01) and isoflavone (p < 0.01) contents than those grown in low altitude. For anthocyanin composition, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, and peonidin-3-O-glucoside contents were significantly higher while delphinidin-3-O-glucoside contents was significantly lower at high altitude. The composition of individual isoflavones, 6″-O-malonyldaidzin, and 6″-O-malonylgenistin contents significantly increased at high altitude.     

Effect of Addition of Different Acetic Acid Concentrations on the Quality of Marinated Herring

This study investigated the effect of acetic acid concentrations from 3 to 8% on the physicochemical and sensory quality of marinated Atlantic and Baltic herring from fresh and frozen-thawed material. The increased concentration of acetic acid was found to exert a strong impact on decreased sensory scores, weight yield, and pH value as well as on an increased brightness parameter of meat. In turn, moisture, protein hydrolysis products (PHB), total volatile bases (TVB) content, and hardness parameter were affected by the higher addition of acid to a lesser extent. Enhanced protein hydrolysis was observed only at acetic acid concentration of 5% or 5–8%, whereas there was a decrease in the content of TVB only at an acid concentration of up to 4–5%. The marinated frozen-thawed fillets, compared to the fresh ones, required a greater addition of acid in the brine, by 1.5%, to reach a similar pH value. The freezing of fish contributed also to a decrease of PHB and free hydroxyproline, along with an increased concentration of acetic acid. The marinades from frozen-thawed herring contained more TVB, had worse color, and hardness parameters, as well as less yield.