Leaf spot of barnyardgrass caused by Exserohilum oryzicola in Japan and the fungal influence on rice,barley, bread wheat,durum wheat,and soybean

Journal of General Plant Pathology - Brown lesions were found on leaves of the weed barnyardgrass in paddy fields in Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan in June 2017. A fungus, isolated...     

A yeast prion, Mod5, promotes acquired drug resistance and cell survival under environmental stress

Prion conversion from a soluble protein to an aggregated state may be involved in the cellular adaptation of yeast to the environment. However, it remains unclear whether and how cells actively use prion conversion to acquire a fitness advantage in response to environmental stress. We identified Mod5, a yeast transfer RNA isopentenyltransferase lacking glutamine/asparagine-rich domains, as a yeast prion protein and found that its prion conversion in yeast regulated the sterol biosynthetic pathway for acquired cellular resistance against antifungal agents. Furthermore, selective pressure by antifungal drugs on yeast facilitated the de novo appearance of Mod5 prion states for cell survival. Thus, phenotypic changes caused by active prion conversion under environmental selection may contribute to cellular adaptation in living organisms.     

Effect of row type,flowering type and several other spike characters on resistance to Fusarium head blight in barley

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a destructive disease of barley. The genetics and expression of resistance to FHB in barley is complex, and various spike characters are thought to possibly influence resistance. Tests using spray-inoculation of Fusarium graminearum at anthesis in greenhouse environments showed that two-rowed and cleistogamous varieties from Japan belong to the highest resistance group, while six-rowed and chasmogamous varieties are mostly susceptible. In order to evaluate the effect of such spike characters, including row type and flowering type, on FHB resistance, near-isogenic lines (NILs) differing in these characters were tested for their resistance. Two testing methods were used: the pot-plant and cut-spike methods, in which spikes at anthesis were spray-inoculated in greenhouse environments. The chasmogamous NILs and some six-rowed NILs were significantly more diseased than cleistogamous and two-rowed parent lines, respectively, and the difference in FHB severity was greater and more stable between cleistogamous/chasmogamous NIL pairs than between two-/six-rowed pairs. Slight or no differences were observed in glaucous/non-glaucous, normal/dense spike, normal/uzu type and normal/deficiens NIL pairs. The results indicate that the contribution of cleistogamy and/or the genetic background toward FHB resistance is more than that of row type and the other tested spike characters. Further, it should be possible to develop six-rowed varieties with FHB resistance nearly as good as that of the two-rowed varieties.     

Multifunctional Alloys Obtained via a Dislocation-Free Plastic Deformation Mechanism

We describe a group of alloys that exhibit "super" properties, such as ultralow elastic modulus, ultrahigh strength, super elasticity, and super plasticity, at room temperature and that show Elinvar and Invar behavior. These "super" properties are attributable to a dislocation-free plastic deformation mechanism. In cold-worked alloys, this mechanism forms elastic strain fields of hierarchical structure that range in size from the nanometer scale to several tens of micrometers. The resultant elastic strain energy leads to a number of enhanced material properties.     

Evaluation of the Autonomic Nervous System in a Canine Model of Chronic Embolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Veterinary Research Communications - Sildenafil improves autonomic dysfunction caused by pulmonary hypertension (PH) in humans, but its effect is unknown in dogs with PH. This prospective study...     

Development of correction formulas for canine and feline urine specific gravity measured using a Japanese refractometer

One of the most important functions of the kidney is to concentrate urine through the reabsorption of water. Urine specific gravity (USG) is used in routine tests of urine concentration and can be estimated using a refractometer. However, as the scale of Japanese refractometer is based on experimental data from healthy Japanese people, and human USG obtained by Japanese refractometers show higher values than that by refractometer produced in Europe or the U.S.A. The purpose of this study was to establish correction formulas for the USG of dogs and cats measured using Japanese refractometers. In this study, we found that Japanese refractometers overestimated USG in both dogs and cats. This study shows that the correlation formulas described in this study are useful for the accurate evaluation of USG.     

Development of discrimination markers between Japanese domestic and imported beef

In the meat industry, correct labeling of beef origins or breed is required to assure quality and safety. This paper describes the development of discrimination markers between Japanese domestic and imported beef from the United States (US) and Australia (AUS) based on a bovine 50K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array using a total of 110 samples: Japanese Black (n = 50), Japanese Holstein (n = 50) and US cattle (n = 10). Genotyping information revealed 1081 SNPs as candidate markers that were polymorphic only in US cattle. The genotyping results by PCR – restriction length polymorphism in Japanese Black (n = 300) and Holstein cattle (n = 146) revealed that 11 SNPs had alleles specific to US cattle. Their allelic frequencies in US cattle (n = 108) ranged from 0.097 to 0.250 with an average of 0.178 and the combined identification probability of US cattle was 0.987. In addition, we also verified the applicability of these US‐specific markers to AUS cattle. Their allelic frequencies in AUS cattle (n = 280) ranged from 0.063 to 0.224 with an average of 0.137 and the combined identification probability of AUS cattle was 0.963. In conclusion, a set of these markers could be useful for discriminating between Japanese domestic and imported beef and would contribute to identify origins and prevent falsified labeling of beef.     

A comparison of different survey methods for assessing gap parameters in old-growth forests

Examining the actual state of canopy gaps in forests is critically important for evaluating forest community structure and dynamics, and for comparing gap disturbance regimes in different forests. We, therefore, re-examined our own previously published data from three studies of three different gap survey methods - the Belt transect method, the canopy coverage census method, and an aerial photography method - in order to ascertain how gap parameters (area, size and density of gaps, and related gap characteristics) obtained from these methods differ from each other. We found that the Belt transect method is easy to apply and practical in the field, and the method used for gap measurement is simple. Mean gap size and size distribution obtained using the Belt transect method were not different statistically from those of the other gap survey methods, and quantified gap parameters were in the range recorded for other forests of the world. For preliminary studies of gap dynamics in different forest types, an easy, speedy and workable gap survey method is needed. In addition, surveying a large number of gaps and a large area improve the accuracy of the method. We conclude that the Belt transect method is most suitable method for preliminary gap surveys in the field.     

Relationships of neonatal plasma oxytocin with the behavioral characteristics of cattle introduced into a novel environment

To examine the influence of postnatal oxytocin (OXT) on behavioral development, we examined individual variations in basal OXT and suckling‐induced changes in OXT, and their relationship with emotional traits during development. Blood OXT were measured in 20 Holstein heifer calves at 1 (wk1), 2 (wk2), and 6 weeks of age (wk6). The relationships of OXT variables with principal component scores in the open‐field tests at wk2 and 2 months and the number of flinch, step and kick responses during first artificial insemination and machine milking were analyzed. The basal OXT showed individual variability and significantly correlated (wk1 vs. wk2: r = 0.753, P < 0.001; wk1 vs. wk6: r = 0.499, P < 0.05; wk2 vs. wk6: r = 0.476, P < 0.05). The personality traits reflecting a response in the form of escape from novel environments in the open‐field test at wk2 were inversely correlated with basal OXT at wk1 (r_s = ?0.640, P < 0.01) and wk2 (r_s = ?0.447, P < 0.05). However, none of the behavioral variables after 2 months correlated with OXT. These findings suggest that, postnatal OXT might be related to behavioral characteristics in novel environments only during the early stages of life.