Lower Cambrian vendobionts from China and early diploblast evolution

Ediacaran assemblages immediately predate the Cambrian explosion of metazoans and should have played a crucial role in this radiation. Their wider relationships, however, have remained refractory and difficult to integrate with early metazoan phylogeny. Here, we describe a frondlike fossil, Stromatoveris (S. psygmoglena sp. nov.), from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerst?tte (Yunnan, China) that is strikingly similar to Ediacaran vendobionts. The exquisite preservation reveals closely spaced branches, probably ciliated, that appear to represent precursors of the diagnostic comb rows of ctenophores. Therefore, this finding has important implications for the early evolution of this phylum and related diploblasts, some of which independently evolved a frondose habit.     

Application of inorganic element ratios to chemometrics for determination of the geographic origin of welsh onions

The composition of concentration ratios of 19 inorganic elements to Mg (hereinafter referred to as 19-element/Mg composition) was applied to chemometric techniques to determine the geographic origin (Japan or China) of Welsh onions (Allium fistulosum L.). Using a composition of element ratios has the advantage of simplified sample preparation, and it was possible to determine the geographic origin of a Welsh onion within 2 days. The classical technique based on 20 element concentrations was also used along with the new simpler one based on 19 elements/Mg in order to validate the new technique. Twenty elements, Na, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba, Co, Ni, Rb, Mo, Cd, Cs, La, Ce, and Tl, in 244 Welsh onion samples were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on 20-element concentrations and 19-element/Mg composition was applied to these analytical data, and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) on 19-element/Mg composition was applied to these analytical data. The results showed that techniques based on 19-element/Mg composition were effective. LDA, based on 19-element/Mg composition for classification of samples from Japan and from Shandong, Shanghai, and Fujian in China, classified 101 samples used for modeling 97% correctly and predicted another 119 samples excluding 24 nonauthentic samples 93% correctly. In discriminations by 10 times of SIMCA based on 19-element/Mg composition modeled using 101 samples, 220 samples from known production areas including samples used for modeling and excluding 24 nonauthentic samples were predicted 92% correctly.     

Chemical modification of wood by non-formaldehyde cross-linking reagents

Summary The features of the reaction between sitka spruce wood and non-formaldehyde reagents, i. e. glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, and dimethylol dihydroxy ethyleneurea (DMDHEU), were investigated from the aspects of moisture adsorption and bending creep properties. To the moisture adsorption data, Hailwood-Horrobin adsorption equation was applied, and whole adsorbed water was separated into hydrated water and dissolved water which correspond to monolayer and multilayer adsorption, respectively. In the treatments with non-formaldehyde reagents, the decrease of equilibrium moisture content was mainly attributed to the decrease of dissolved water, but not largely to that of hydrated water. This suggested that the reagent in the multilayer adsorption region contributed pronouncedly to suppress the moisture adsorption by the bulking and cross-linking effects, but that the reagent in the monolayer adsorption region did not considerably. The creep deformation and remaining strain of the specimens treated with glyoxal and glutaraldehyde were as small as those of formaldehyde treatment. Also by the DMDHEU treatment, creep deformation was restrained to some extent. The eminent creep restraint effect by these treatments showed the formation of cross-linkings, although the crosslinkings were not stable to the drastic water leaching.     

Pseudodynamic tests and earthquake response analysis of timber structures I: plywood-sheathed conventional wooden walls with opening

Pseudodynamic (PSD) lateral loading tests were conducted on conventional post and beam timber frames with plywood-sheathed shear walls to validate the dynamic model of wall panels, each with an opening of a different configuration. The lateral forces were applied step by step at the top of the wooden frames by the computer-controlled actuator, and the displacement response for the next step was computed on the basis of the input accelerogram of the 1940 El Centro earthquake scaled up to 0.4g. The test results were compared with those of the lumped mass time-history earthquake response analysis using the hysteresis model with pinching. The results of the dynamic analysis with this global model consisting of the envelope curves, unloading and reloading with pinching agreed well with the experimental results of the PSD tests of this type of earthquake record. Some parametric studies may be necessary, however, to validate the model with different earthquake records. The hysteretical parameters obtained in this study showed similar values for each of the wall panels with different opening configurations. This makes it possible to use the model and parameters for the plywood-sheathed shear walls to estimate the dynamic behavior of entire structures without conducting expensive PSD tests or shaking table tests.     

Controlling the timbre of wooden musical instruments by chemical modification

Summary A method to control the tone quality of wooden string instruments by chemical modification is proposed. Sitka spruce specimens impregnated with saligenin solutions of various concentrations were allowed to react with gaseous formaldehyde using SO₂ as a catalyst. In the frequency range where shearing deformation is negligible, the values of specific dynamic Young's modulus (E/) in the radial direction increased with increasing saligenin concentration by up to 27%, whereas the values of dynamic loss tangent (tan ) decreased as much as 40% in the longitudinal direction and 50% in the radial direction along with small increases in air-dry specific gravity. The degree of increase of tan with increasing frequency was inversely proportional to the saligenin content. The frequency dependence of E/ did not change as a result of treatment. From these results, it is considered that the sound level radiated from wooden string instruments changes at high frequencies according to the saligenin content.     

Mechanical properties of wood in an unstable state due to temperature changes,and analysis of the relevant mechanism VI: dielectric relaxation of quenched wood

To analyze the effects of lignin on the destabilization of wood due to quenching, we examined the dielectric properties of untreated and delignified wood before and after quenching at 20°C from 50 Hz to 100 MHz. For untreated wood, the inflection points of log ε′ and log σ vs log f and the peak of log(tan δ) vs log f were attributed to interfacial polarization before quenching, and the location of the inflection point shifted to a higher frequency with increasing moisture content because of changes in the water cluster. After quenching, the inflection points of log ε′ and log σ and the peak of log(tan δ ) shifted to higher frequency; however, the values of log ε′, log σ recovered to those before quenching with the passage of time. For delignified wood, dielectric relaxation was observed at a higher frequency than for untreated wood irrespective of quenching. It was inferred that the mobility of water molecules was influenced by the cluster surroundings because of increased number of adsorption sites in hemicellulose. Moreover, after quenching, the recovery process did not change greatly over time; it was shown that the matrix structure was affected more by quenching with the loss of lignin.     

Potassium acetate-catalyzed acetylation of wood: extraordinarily rapid acetylation at 120°C

The catalytic effect of potassium acetate (KAc) on wood acetylation was investigated. Spruce wood specimens were impregnated with KAc and then heated in acetic anhydride at 120°C. The degree of acetylation was evaluated by the weight percent gain (WPG). In the presence of KAc, the reaction time to achieve a 20% WPG decreased by a factor of 200: 2 min was required in the KAc-catalyzed acetylation, while the uncatalyzed acetylation required at least 5 h. The hygroscopicity and dimensional stability of acetylated wood depended on the WPG irrespective of the treatment methods. This fact proved that KAc had no adverse influence on the dimensional stability of acetylated wood. As KAc is a cheap, water-soluble and non-toxic salt it can be a useful catalyst for the extraordinarily rapid acetylation of wood.     

Functional insulin‐like factor 3 (INSL3) hormone‐receptor system in the testes and spermatozoa of domestic ruminants and its potential as a predictor of sire fertility

Insulin‐like factor 3 (INSL3) is essential for fetal testis descent, and has been implicated in the testicular and sperm functions in adult males; however, similar functions in domestic ruminants remain largely unknown. This study investigated the functional INSL3 hormone‐receptor system in adult ruminant testes and spermatozoa, and explored its potential to diagnose the fertility of sires. Testes and spermatozoa were obtained from fertile bulls, rams and he‐goats, whereas subfertile testes and spermatozoa were obtained only from bulls. As expected, INSL3 was visualized in Leydig cells, while we clearly demonstrated that the functional receptor, relaxin family peptide receptor 2 (RXFP2), enabling INSL3 to bind was identified in testicular germ cells and in the sperm equatorial segment of bulls, rams and he‐goats. In comparison to fertile bulls, the percentage of INSL3‐ and RXFP2‐expressing cells and their expression levels per cell were significantly reduced in the testes of subfertile bulls. In addition, the population of INSL3‐binding spermatozoa was also significantly reduced in the semen of subfertile bulls. These results provide evidence for a functional INSL3 hormone‐receptor system operating in ruminant testes and spermatozoa, and its potential to predict subfertility in sires.