Effect of soil physical properties on soybean nodulation and N2 fixation at the early growth stage in heavy soil field in Hachirougata Polder,Japan

We studied the effect of the soil physical properties on soybean nodulation and N₂ fixation in the heavy soil of an upland field (UF) and an upland field converted from a paddy field (UCPF) in the Hachirougata polder, Japan. Seeds of the soybean cultivar Ryuho were sown in each field with or without inoculation of Bradyrhizobium japonicum A1017. The soybean plants were sampled at 35 (V3) and 65 (Rl) d after sowing (DAS), and then nodulation and the percentage of N derived from N₂ fixation in the xylem sap were determined. The soil physical properties were different between UF and UCPF, especially the air permeability and soil water regime. Nodule growth was restricted in UCPF irrespective of rhizobial inoculation, though rhizobial infection was not inhibited by the unfavorable soil physical conditions. Soybean plant growth was closely related to the nodule mass and N₂ fixation activity, and the inoculation of a superior rhizobium strain was effective only at 35 DAS. These results indicate that soybean nodulation and N₂ fixation was considerably affected by the physical properties of heavy soil, and that it is important to maintain the N₂ fixation activity and inoculate the soybean plants with a superior rhizobium strain at a later growth stage in order to increase soybean production in heavy soil fields.     

Soil aggregate as a favorable habitat for Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains

Abstract

Rhizobial cells are present in soils as saprophytes after the decay of host plant nodules, and must survive in the soil until the next encounter with the infection sites of the host plant root. Biotic and abiotic environmental factors affect the population size of these rhizobia in the soil (Vincent 1977). Precise estimation of the population size of the native and the introduced rhizobia in the soil is necessary to study the conditions for the successful nodule formation by introduced strains.     

Low pH and aluminum tolerance of Bradyrhizobium strains isolated from acid soils in Indonesia

Sixty-seven strains of Bradyrhizobium isolated from soybean plants growing on acid soils in West Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, were examined for the effect of the pH and aluminum concentration on their growth in nutrient media, compared with 61 strains of Bradyrhizobium from soils in Japan. The results in this study indicated that the indigenous population of Bradyrhizobium in the soils of Indonesia showed a large difference in acid- and Al-tolerance from that of Japan. Eighty-five and 48% of the isolates from Japanese soils and Indonesian soils, respectively, were unable to grow in YEM broth at pH below 4.5. The acid-tolerance was correlated with AI-tolerance of the isolates on YEM agar plates at pH 4.4. Seventy-five percent of the isolates that grew in YEM broth at pH 4.5 were also resistant to 400 µM Al on the YEM plates. Acetylene reduction assay of the root nodules revealed that 3 of the acid- and Al-tolerant isolates from Indonesian soils showed a significantly high nitrogen fixation activity.     

Bending creep behavior of hot-pressed wood under cyclic moisture change conditions

This study examined the bending creep behavior of hot-pressed wood during cyclic moisture changes. Sugi (Cryptomerica japonica D. Don) specimens were pressed in the radial direction under six combinations of nominal compressive strain (33% and 50%) and press temperatures (140°C, 170°C, 200°C). Creep tests were conducted at 20°C with three cyclic relative humidity changes between 65% and 95% under 25% of short-breaking stress. The effect of moisture content (MC) change on elastic compliance and mechanosorptive (MS) compliance was investigated. The relation between MS compliance and thickness swelling was studied. The results indicated that total compliance increased over the history of cyclic moisture changes; and its behavior was closely related to the changes in MC and thickness swelling. The total compliance increased during adsorption and decreased during desorption. Elastic compliance increased linearly with MC and was dependent on press temperature and compression. With increasing MC change, MS compliance increased during adsorption and decreased during desorption. The first adsorption led to greater MS compliance than did the subsequent adsorption with the same amount of MC change. In general, the elastic parameterK _E and the MS parameterK _Mincreased with compression and decreased as the press temperature increased. The MS parameterK _M was apparently greater than the elastic parameterK _E. The MS parameterK _M increased with swelling coefficient K_SW of the hot-pressed specimen during adsorption and decreased with an increasing shrinkage coefficientK _SH during desorption.     

Anatomical variation of habitat‐related changes in scapular morphology

The mammalian forelimb is adapted to different functions including postural, locomotor, feeding, exploratory, grooming and defence. Comparative studies on morphology of the mammalian scapula have been performed in an attempt to establish the functional differences in the use of the forelimb. In this study, a total of 102 scapulae collected from 66 species of animals, representatives of all major taxa from rodents, sirenians, marsupials, pilosa, cetaceans, carnivores, ungulates, primates and apes, were analysed. Parameters measured included scapular length, width, position, thickness, area, angles and index. Structures included supraspinous and infraspinous fossae, scapular spine, glenoid cavity, acromium and coracoid processes. Images were taken using computed tomographic (CT) scanning technology (CT‐Aquarium, Toshiba and micro CT‐LaTheta, Hotachi, Japan), and measurement values were acquired and processed using Avizo computer software and CanvasTM 11 ACD systems. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2013. Results obtained showed that there were differences in morphological characteristics of scapula between mammals with arboreal locomotion and living in forest and mountainous areas and those with leaping and terrestrial locomotion living in open habitat or savannah. Differences were seen in the ratio of maximum length and maximum width, the orientation of scapular spine and the horizontal length of acromion and coracoid processes. The cause for the statistical grouping of the animals and the way the scapular shape covaries with habitat and to the type of locomotion and speed are discussed in detail.     

Prevention of immune responses to human erythropoietin in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

Genes and proteins of human origin are often administered to monkeys for research purposes, however, it can be difficult to obtain sufficient levels of the products in vivo due to immunological clearance. In this study, we showed that human erythropoietin (hEPO) induces generation of anti-hEPO antibody in cynomolgus macaques (n=2), although 92% of amino acid residues are common between the human and macaque EPO. The administered hEPO was thus eliminated from the animals. On the other hand, when an immunosuppressant, cyclosporin A (CyA), was administered (6 mg/kg) intramuscularly every other day in combination with hEPO (n=2), no anti-hEPO antibody was generated and high serum levels of hEPO were obtained during administration of hEPO, resulting in an increase in serum hemoglobin levels. No adverse effects associated with CyA were observed. Thus, CyA treatment is useful for prevention of immune responses associated with the administration of human proteins in monkeys.     

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces apoptosis in cultured porcine luteal cells

Some studies in mammalian species recently demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha plays an important role for corpus luteum (CL) function by way of apoptosis during the estrous cycle. The objectives of this study were to clarify the induction of apoptosis in cultured porcine luteal cells by TNF-alpha treatment. Luteal cells prepared from porcine ovaries collected from crossbred mature gilts on Days 10-14 of the estrous cycle were isolated and examined as follows: 1) Flow cytometric analysis was carried out to determine apoptosis in cultured luteal cells. 2) Single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was performed to investigate apoptotic DNA fragmentation in luteal cells. The results of the flow cytometric analysis and comet assay demonstrated coincidentally that TNF-alpha induces DNA fragmentation in luteal cells causing apoptosis. These results revealed that TNF-alpha is an inducing factor of apoptosis in luteal cells.     

Anisotropy and corotation of galactic cosmic rays

The intensity of Galactic cosmic rays is nearly isotropic because of the influence of magnetic fields in the Milky Way. Here, we present two-dimensional high-precision anisotropy measurement for energies from a few to several hundred teraelectronvolts (TeV), using the large data sample of the Tibet Air Shower Arrays. Besides revealing finer details of the known anisotropies, a new component of Galactic cosmic ray anisotropy in sidereal time is uncovered around the Cygnus region direction. For cosmic-ray energies up to a few hundred TeV, all components of anisotropies fade away, showing a corotation of Galactic cosmic rays with the local Galactic magnetic environment. These results have broad implications for a comprehensive understanding of cosmic rays, supernovae, magnetic fields, and heliospheric and Galactic dynamic environments.     

Protective Effect of Stachybotrys microspora Triprenyl Phenol-7on the Deposition of IgA to the Glomerular Mesangium in Nivalenol-induced IgA Nephropathy Using BALB/c Mice

Activators of tissue proteolysis including Stachybotrys microspora triprenyl phenol (SMTP)-7 are a new class of agents that are expected to be effective for amelioration of chronic tissue destructive diseases. The present study was performed to examine whether SMTP-7 is effective for the amelioration or protection of early-stage IgA nephropathy (IgAN) induced by nivalenol (NIV) in female BALB/c mice. In Experiment 1, mice were administered NIV at 24 ppm in diet for 8 weeks, and during the NIV treatment, they were intraperitoneally injected with SMTP-7 (10 mg/kg) three times a week. In Experiment 2, mice were injected similarly with SMTP-7 during the last 4 weeks of a 16-week NIV treatment. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed an inhibitory effect of SMTP-7 on the glomerular deposition of IgA in Experiment 1; however, it was ineffective in Experiment 2. On the other hand, SMTP-7 did not affect the serum concentration of IgA in both experiments. These results suggest that SMTP-7 has a potential to decrease the progression of IgAN induced by NIV through inhibition of local accumulation of IgA in the glomerular mesangium, while it was ineffective for suppression of IgA production. On the other hand, SMTP-7 was found to be ineffective for already deposited IgA, suggesting that SMTP-7 may not be effective for ameliorating advanced IgAN.