Flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometric determination of Vendex, an organic tin miticide, in apples, oranges, and tea leaves.

A method is described for the determination of an organic tin insecticide, Vendex or hexakis(2-methyl-2-phenylpropyl)distannoxane (HMPD). Tin compounds are extracted from the sample homogenate with ethyl ether containing 1% acetic acid. HMPD and its degradation products are separated through a silica gel column, and analyzed by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled with a heated graphite atomizer. By this technique, as little as 5 ng HMPD and its degradation products can be determined with an average recovery of 67-96%.     

Plant viruses and viroids in Japan

Journal of General Plant Pathology - An increasing number of plant viruses and viroids have been reported from all over the world due largely to metavirogenomics approaches with technological...     

Immunocyte Ca2+ influx system mediated by LTRPC2

We characterized an activation mechanism of the human LTRPC2 protein, a member of the transient receptor potential family of ion channels, and demonstrated that LTRPC2 mediates Ca2+ influx into immunocytes. Intracellular pyrimidine nucleotides, adenosine 5'-diphosphoribose (ADPR), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), directly activated LTRPC2, which functioned as a Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation channel and enabled Ca2+ influx into cells. This activation was suppressed by intracellular adenosine triphosphate. These results reveal that ADPR and NAD act as intracellular messengers and may have an important role in Ca2+ influx by activating LTRPC2 in immunocytes.     

Phosphorus application affects root length distribution and water uptake of upland rice in a column experiment

Abstract

Clay mineralogy of thirteen spodic horizon samples from seven Cryorthods developed on diverse materials (peridotite, andesite, lapilli, volcanic ash, slate, granite and granodiorite) in Chubu and Kanto, Japan was determined by successive chemical dissolutions with dithionitecitrate and 0.5 m NaOH-differential infrared spectroscopy in combination with chemical, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopic and thermogravimetric analyses. Thc major part of the soluble iron was found to be crystalline goethite. Presence of allophane (and imogolite) in the lower parts of the spodic horizons, but not in the upper parts, was interpreted as indicating a relatively limited supply of complexing fulvic acid from the overlying organic-rich horizons. The well-developed Al interlayers in the 2 : 1 type minerals associated with gibbsite suggest that the environment of the lower sub-horizons is rich in active aluminium,     

Comparative analysis of the relationship between Cs and K in soil and plant parts toward control of Cs accumulation in rice

The effect of soil exchangeable potassium (K) and cesium (Cs) levels on Cs uptake and accumulation in different parts of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were examined using paddy soils with diverse exchangeable K and Cs in pot experiments. Aboveground Cs uptake decreased with higher exchangeable K and was linearly correlated with exchangeable Cs/K ratios, indicating competitive absorption of these elements by roots. Variation in Cs concentration in brown rice among soils was also related to the exchangeable Cs/K ratio. The exchangeable Cs/K ratio was positively reflected in the Cs/K concentration ratio in each plant part, with a specific slope, suggesting that Cs transport was coordinated with K transport and that there were regulated discriminations of Cs against K in the translocation process among parts. The Cs/K ratio was higher in brown rice and dead leaves than in active leaves, stems and husks. The distribution of Cs accumulation in brown rice was 14.5% on average, but it was variable and negatively related to K concentration in the stem. The Cs distribution in aboveground plant parts also decreased with higher K concentration in the root. These results imply the importance of the competitiveness with K in the root absorption and translocation of Cs within the plant. Based on the observed relationship between Cs and K, effective K management and other measures to control Cs accumulation in plant parts are discussed.     

Comparison of invertebrate abundance in a seagrass bed and adjacent coral and sand areas at Amitori Bay,Iriomote Island,Japan

ABSTRACT:   To examine whether or not reef-associated seagrass beds harbor abundant food resources for resident and visiting fishes, the invertebrate density and biomass in a seagrass bed were compared with those in adjacent coral and sand areas at Amitori Bay, Iriomote Island, Japan, in June 2002. The vegetation within the bed was dominated by Enhalus acoroides , the coral area comprising primarily Acropora spp. Epifaunal density was greater on the seagrass than on the corals, whereas biomass was greater on the latter. Tanaids, chironomid larvae, errant polychaetes, and gammaridean amphipods were dominant taxa on the seagrass; larger crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimps, being abundant on the corals. The density of infauna was greatest in the seagrass bed, followed by the coral and sand areas, whereas biomass was greatest in the coral area, followed by the seagrass bed and sand area. Each of the three habitats was dominated by harpacticoid copepods and errant polychaetes, although the density of each taxonomic group differed among the habitats. Important food items of seagrass bed fishes, such as harpacticoid copepods, gammaridean amphipods, errant polychaetes, and tanaids, were abundant in the seagrass bed, the density of each being greater than in the other two habitats.     

Relationships between short-term variations in density of juvenile yellowfin goby <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acanthogobius flavimanus</Emphasis> and environmental variables on an estuarine mudflat

Weekly variations in density of juvenile yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus with a variety of environmental variables (e.g. water temperature, salinity and transparency, and prey density) were investigated on a tidal mudflat within the Tama River estuary, central Japan, from March to July 2001. Metamorphosing newly settled juveniles occurred from mid-March to late May. Metamorphosed benthich juveniles first appeared in late March, the density sharply increasing to a peak (67.0 ind./m²) in early May but rapidly decreasing to less than 10% of that two weeks later. No consistent relationships were apparent between short-term variations in fish density by developmental stages and water temperature, or salinity. In contrast, a weak negative relation was found between juvenile density and water transparency. Further, benthic juvenile density was positively related to short-term fluctuations of errant polychaetes, which is one of the main prey items.     

Effect of feeding garlic leaf on microbial nitrogen supply,kinetics of plasma phenylalanine,tyrosine and protein synthesis in sheep

The objective of the present study was to assess the feeding effects of garlic leaf on microbial N supply (MNS), turnover rates of plasma phenylalanine (PheTR) and tyrosine (TyrTR) and whole body protein synthesis (WBPS) in sheep. The sheep were fed either mixed hay (Hay‐diet, as control) or hay plus garlic leaf diet (GL‐diet, at a ratio of 9:1) in a crossover design each for a 21 day period. The isotope dilution method using [²H₅]Phe and [²H₂]Tyr was performed on the 21st day of each dietary treatment. Nitrogen intake remained similar between the diets and N absorption and N digestibility were higher (P < 0.05) in the GL‐diet than Hay‐diet. Total purine derivatives excretion and MNS were greater (P < 0.05) in the GL‐diet than the Hay‐diet. Plasma PheTR tended to be higher (P = 0.06) during GL feeding and TyrTR did not differ between the diets. Further, WBPS tended to be greater (P = 0.05) for the GL‐diet compared with the Hay‐diet. Hence, the present results suggest that garlic leaf may have positive effects on N metabolism by influencing MNS in sheep and could be used as a potential ruminant feed in the future.     

Isolation and Characterization of Large Marine Bacteriophage (Myoviridae), VhKM4 Infecting Vibrio harveyi

Abstract

The causative agent responsible for vibriosis in tropical fish aquaculture, Vibrio harveyi, has become a major bacterial pathogen. Studies suggest that this bacterium has developed resistance to antibiotics commonly used in aquaculture. In view of this situation and the requirement for the proposed postantibiotic era, bacteriophage therapy seems to be a promising control strategy for fish vibriosis. In this study, a lytic Vibrio phage VhKM4 belonging to a member of large, marine Myoviridae was successfully isolated. It exhibited bacteriolysis to both V. harveyi VHJR7 and V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802. The latent period of the VhKM4 phage was recorded at 60 min. It also recorded average burst size of approximately 52 plaque-forming units per infected cell. A strong bacteriolytic activity at low multiplicity of infection of 0.01 indicates the effectiveness of this large marine myovirid against fish pathogenic strain of V. harveyi VHJR7.

Received June 16, 2016; accepted October 7, 2016 Published online February 6, 2017     

Identification of quantitative trait loci for panicle structure and grain filling using a cross between indica- and japonica-type high-yielding rice cultivars

ABSTRACT

To enhance the yield potential of rice by breeding, it is important to reveal the genetic factors affecting yield components in high-yielding cultivars. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for panicle structure and spikelet weight as an index of grain filling was conducted using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between an indica-dominant high-yielding cultivar, Takanari, and a japonica-dominant high-yielding cultivar, Momiroman in 2012 and 2013 in eastern Japan. The grain-filling ability of Takanari is reported to be better than that of Momiroman. Since grain filling is generally better near the tip of the panicle and decreases as the number of branches from the rachis increases, we classified whole panicles into upper and lower side panicles and spikelets into primary, secondary, and tertiary spikelets according to the number of branches from the rachis. On chromosomes 1, 4, and 6, QTLs regulating the number of spikelets per panicle and panicle structure were detected and were most likely identical to GN1a, SPIKE, and APO1, respectively, which has been previously reported as QTLs regulating the number of spikelets per panicle. Takanari produced much heavier secondary and tertiary spikelets than Momiroman on the lower side panicle. On chromosome 5, novel QTLs regulating spikelet weight were detected. The Takanari allele enhanced secondary and tertiary spikelet weight on the lower side panicle. These results indicate that it may be possible to enhance sink capacity and translocation of source with a combination of novel QTLs detected on chromosome 5 and GN1, APO1, and SPIKE.