Nitrogen-fixing microoganisms in paddy soils XVI

1. It was proved that under aerobic shaking conditions of the system of R. capsulatus mixed with Az. agilis or R. capsulatus mixed with B. megaterium, the bacterial growth of both and the nitrogen fixation were promoted markedly, comp:ired with the non-shaking culture. However, in the system of R. capsulatus mixed with B. subtilis under aerobic shaking conditions. such remarkable stimulative effects were not recognized altough some slow effects were recognized in the nonshaking culture.

2. It was also proved that under aerobic shaking conditions of the system of R. capsulatus mixed with Az. agilis or R. capsulatus mixed with B. megaterium the assimilative activity of carbon dioxide increased over 10 times more than in the separate pure culture.

From these results, it is conceivable that a very good environment was created for the internal metabolism of R. capsulatus in such mixing systems (R-Az and R-Bm).     

Foliar absorption of nutrients: III

In the last report¹⁾ the purity of radioactive potassium. which had been produced by ⁴¹K (d, p) ⁴²K nuclear reaction and separated from, radioactive anions by the use of ion exchange resin, was tested by means of its decay curve. By this test, it is difficult to distinguish ⁴²K from ²⁴Na contamination, because the half life of radioactive sodium (²⁴Na) is 15.06 hours²⁾ and it is very similar to that of radioactive potassium (⁴²K) which is 12.4 hours. When the nuclear reaction ²³Na (d, p) ²⁴Na occurs, the cross section of this reaction for deuterons is about 100 times that of potassium nuclear reaction. In this case the purity of radioactive potassium (⁴²K) could be confirmed by its Gamma-ray spectrum. According to the result, radioactive potassium of high purity was obtained. Potassium phosphate which was double-labeled by this radioactive potassium and imported radioactive phosphorus (³²P) was applied to leaves or roots of bean plants.     

Investigations on Cambodian soils

Basic information on the nature of soils, their potentialities, and their limitations is necessary to evaluate Cambodian agriculture properly, and to develop a program for increasing food and other crops. Suitable information has, however, been limited, especially as there is not to be found in any report much data relating to soils of different origins over the whole country. There is, needless to say, some information on confined areas of Cambodia.     

Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in paddy soils IV

In 1949, GEST and KAMEN (1,2) reported that Photosynthetic bacteria can fix molecular nitrogen. LINDSTROM et al. (3,4) tested the nitrogen fixing ability of five species of photosynthetic bacteria under the following four conditions; 1) anaerobic light, 2) aerobic light, 3) aerobic dark, 4) anaerobic dark. As the result of the experiment, they certified that it Was only under the anaerobic light condition that the bacteria can fix molecular nitrogen.     

Changes in proline-14C metabolism in barley seedlings germinating at low temperature

Changes in the metabolic pattern of proline-¹⁴C were examined in barley seedlings germinated at the low temperature of 2°C (LT) and compared with those germinated at 25°C (HT). In the LT shoots. proline-¹⁴C incorporation was higher in the cationic fraction and lower in the acid-neutral fraction than that of HT, respectively. More proline-¹⁴C of LT was converted to other amino acids, especially to acidic amino acids in free amino acid state, than was the HT proline-¹⁴C which had a comparatively wide distribution.

In the LT protein fractions. more proline-¹⁴C was incorporated into the cytoplasmic protein than into the cell wall protein. On the contrary, the radioactivity of the lIT cell wall increased more distinctively. proline-¹⁴C in the two proteins of LT was a little less converted to other amino acids than in those of HT. A little higher radioactivity was found in the aspartate and glutamate of the LT protein hydrolysates. The hydroxyproline which is closely related with proline had a little lower level of radioactivity in the LT cell wall.     

Vulnerability of feline T-lymphocytes to charged particles

An analysis of ionizing radiation-induced damage in peripheral lymphocytes has been employed to predict the prognosis of radiotherapy in terms of toxicity in normal tissues. Therefore, understanding the sensitivity of lymphocytes to high linear energy transfer (LET)-charged particles would be indispensable for utilizing charged particle therapy in veterinary medicine. However, the availability of such information is very limited. This study aimed to compare the radiosensitivity of feline T lymphocytes to gamma-rays (0.2 keV/microm) and 4 different types of charged particles with LET values ranging from 2.8 to 114 keV/microm. It was observed that the relative biological effectiveness, inactivation cross-section, and isodose-induced apoptosis increased in an LET-dependent manner. On the other hand, no difference in apoptosis frequency was observed in the cells exposed to an isosurvival dose of all the radiation types tested. This is the first study that demonstrates the LET dependence of cell killing and apoptosis induction in feline T lymphocytes. Our results suggest that lymphocytes can be effectively used to predict the prognosis of charged-particle therapy in cat patients.     

Microvascular architecture of the rabbit eye: a scanning electron microscopic study of vascular corrosion casts

The microvasculature of the eyes of 5 rabbits was investigated using scanning electron microscopy on corrosion casts. The study revealed that the pars plana vessels draining blood from the iris and ciliary body coursed directly into the anterior vortex venous system constituting the scleral venous plexus (the venous circle of Hovius). The episcleral vasculature was found to possess a specialized morphology, with channels draining the aqueous humor. The capillaries of the third palpebral, bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva formed a single-layered capillary network approximately parallel to the epithelium and formed a well-developed venous plexus in the stroma. The retina was found to be merangiotic, meaning that vessels were present only in a small part of the retina, extending in a horizontal direction to form bands on either side of the optic disc. Channels representing the aqueous veins that drained blood mixed with aqueous humor were found to derive directly from the suprachoroidal space and communicate with the scleral venous plexus via the anterior vortex veins. The functional significance of the microvasculature of the iris, cilia, retina and choroid is discussed in this report as well. The elaborate microvasculature of the conjunctiva may be a prerequisite for the exchange of nutrients and gasses between the cornea and the vessels across the conjunctival epithelium when the eyelids are shut during sleep, and possibly for the dynamics of eye drop delivery. The scleral venous plexus in rabbits may be analogous to the scleral venous sinus (Schlemm's canal) in rats, primates and humans.     

A new spore precipitator with polarized dielectric insulators for physical control of tomato powdery mildew

ABSTRACT In an attempt to physically protect greenhouse tomato plants from the powdery mildew fungus Oidium neolycopersici, we developed a new electrostatic spore precipitator in which a copper wire conductor is linked to an electrostatic generator and covered with a transparent acrylic cylinder (insulator). The conductor was negatively charged by the generator, and the electrostatic field created by the conductor was used to dielectrically polarize the insulator cylinder. The dielectrically polarized cylinder also produced an electrostatic force without a spark discharge. This force was directly proportional to the potential applied to the conductor and was used to attract conidia of the pathogen. The efficacy of this spore precipitator in protecting hydroponically cultured tomato plants from powdery mildew was evaluated in the greenhouse. The hydroponic culture troughs were covered with a cubic frame installed with the spore precipitator, and the disease progress on precipitator-guarded and unguarded seedlings was traced after the conidia were disseminated mechanically from inoculum on tomato plants. Seedlings in the guarded troughs remained uninfected during the entire experiment, in spite of rapid spread of the disease to all leaves of the unguarded seedlings.