Carrier rate of the c.235G>C mutation in the bovine isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS) gene of Japanese Black cows at Kagoshima prefecture, Japan,and analysis of the metabolic profiling and reproductive performance of heterozygous cows

Bovine isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS) disorder, a major cause of weak calf syndrome, is caused by a homozygous missense (c.235G>C) mutation in the bovine IARS gene of Japanese Black (JB) cattle, which was identified in 2013. However, the extent to which the carrier rate has changed at Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, and whether the carrier status is associated with any clinical or reproductive problems, have yet to be ascertained. In this study, using a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping assay, we determined the carrier rate in a regional JB cow population at Kagoshima prefecture. Comparative analyses were performed on the metabolic profile test (MPT) results and reproductive performance data obtained for heterozygous carrier and homozygous wild-type cows. In 2009 and 2018, DNA samples were collected from 130 and 462 clinically healthy JB cows, respectively, in Kagoshima prefecture. MPT results and reproductive performance data were evaluated for 62 cows, comprising four heterozygous carriers and 58 wild-type cows. Genotyping revealed that the carrier rate was 6.9% in 2009 and 1.5% in 2018, the difference of which was statistically significant (P<0.005). There were no statistically significant differences between the carrier and wild-type cows with respect to either MPT results or reproductive performance, indicating that the carrier cows have necessary IARS activity to maintain minimal health and reproductive potential.     

Influence of pasture grass and legume swards on seedling emergence and growth of Carduus nutans L. and Cirsium vulgare L.

Swards of 10 pasture species (six grasses and four legumes) were established and planted with seeds of either of the thistle species Carduus nutans L. or Cirsium vulgare L., and emergence and growth of the thistle seedlings were subsequently monitored. Emergence of C. nutans seedlings was inhibited by ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus L.) swards, while C, vulgare emergence was inhibited by Yorkshire fog relative to some of the other treatments. Speed of emergence of C. nutans and absolute emergence of C. vulgare seedlings were significantly negatively correlated with pasture cover density, presumably as a consequence of alteration of light quality by the pasture swards. All pasture species inhibited seedling shoot and root growth of both thistle species, although the grasses were the most effective inhibitors. The seedling emergence and growth data for C. nutans in the swards of the 10 species were significantly correlated with the results of a previous study on residual allelopathic effects of the same 10 species on nodding thistle root growth. It is concluded that inhibitory (including allelopathic) influences of pasture species on thistle seedlings have considerable potential as a mechanism for managing problematic thistle populations. Influence de converts de pature de graminees et de legumineuses sur la levée et la croissance de Carduus nutans L. et Cirsium vulgare L. Des couverts de 10 espèces fourrageres (6 graminées et 4 légumineuses) ont étéétablis et infestés avec des graines de 1'une ou 1'autre des espèces de chardon, Carduus nutans L. et Cirsium vulgare L.; la levée et la croissance des plantules de chardon ont été ensuite suivies. La levée des plantules de C. nutans a été inhibéee par les couverts de ray-grass (LoliumperenneL.) et de houlque laineuse (Holcus lanatus L.) tandis que la levée de C. vulgareétait inhibée par la houlque laineuse en comparaison de quelques-unes des autres modalites. La vitesse de levée de C. nutans et la levée globale de C. vulgare ont été corrélées négativement de façon significative avec la densité du couvert, probablement en conséquence de 1'altération de la qualité de la lumière par les tapis, fourragers. Toutes les espèces de fourrages ont inhibé la croissance des tiges et des racines des plantules des 2 espèces de chardon, bien que les graminèes aient été des inhibiteurs plus efficaces. La Ievée des plantules et les chiffres de la croissance de C. nutans dans les couverts des 10 espéces étaient correlées de façon significative avec les résultats d'une étude antérieure sur les effets allélopathiques résiduels de quelques-unes des 10 espèces sur la croissance racinaire du chardon. II est conclu que les effets inhibiteurs (y compris I'allélopathie) des espèces fourragères sur les plantules de chardon ont un potentiel considèrable pour gérer le problème des populations de chardon. Einfluβ von Weidegräser- und Leguminosen-Beständen auf Samenkeimung und Wachstum von Carduus nutans L. und Cirsium vulgare L. In Beständen von 10 Weide-Pflanzenarten (6 Gräser und 4 Leguminosen) wurden Samen der Disteln Carduus nutans L. und Cirsium vulgare L. ausgebracht und deren Keimung und Wachstum beobachtet. Die Keimung von Carduus nutans wurde in Beständen von Weidelgras (Lolium perenne L.) und Wolligem Honiggras (Holcus lanatus L.) gehemmt, während die Keimung von Cirsium vulgare in Wolligem Honiggras genauso wie in einigen anderen Beständen gehemmt war. Die Keimungsgeschwindigkeit von Carduus nutans und die gesamte Keimung von Cirsium vulgäre waren signifikant negativ mit der Dichte der Weide-Pflanzenbestände korreliert, vermutlich wegen Änderung der Lichtqualität durch die Pflanzendecke. Alle Weide-Pflanzenarten, besonders jedoch die Gräser, hemmten das Sproß- und Wurzelwachstum der Keimpflanzen der beiden Disteln. Keimung und Wachstum der Carduus-nutans-Keimpflanzen in den Beständen der 10 Arten entsprachen ganz den Befunden einer früheren Untersuchung über allelopathische Wirkungen derselben 10 Arten auf das Wurzelwachstum der Nickenden Distel. Den Hemmwirkungen (einschließlich allelopathischen) von Weide-Pflanzenarten auf Distel-Keim-pflanzen kommt offenbar eine erhebliche Bedeutung für die Unterdrückung problematischer Distelpopulationen zu.     

EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND SOIL TYPE ON THE PHYTOTOXICITY OF TRIFLURALIN

Summary. Wheat, oats, and green foxtail were grown at day-night temperatures of 32–16, 27–16, or 16–16°C in the growth chamber. The caryopses were planted at depths of 2·5 or 6·3 cm, and trifluralin was incorporated in the surface 5 cm of soil. The results indicated that the phytotoxicity of trifluralin was somewhat greater when plants were grown at day-night temperatures of 32–16°C than at a temperature regime of 16–16°C. A further study in the greenhouse indicated that the phytotoxicity of trifluralin was dependant upon soil properties. In general, the toxicity of trifluralin to both wheat and green foxtail appeared to decrease with an increase in the organic matter content of the soil.
Effets de la température et de la nature du sol sur la phytotoxicité de la trifluraline     

Methanotrophy-driven accumulation of organic carbon in four paddy soils of Bangladesh

Biological methane oxidation is a crucial process in the global carbon cycle that reduces methane emissions from paddy fields and natural wetlands into the atmosphere.However,soil organic carbon accumulation associated with microbial methane oxidation is poorly understood.Therefore,to investigate methane-derived carbon incorporation into soil organic matter,paddy soils originated from different parent materials(Inceptisol,Entisol,and Alfisol) were collected after rice harvesting from four major rice-producing regions in Bangladesh.Following microcosm incubation with 5%(volume/volume)¹³ CH₄,soil¹³ C-atom abundances significantly increased from background level of 1.08% to 1.88%–2.78%,leading to a net methane-derived accumulation of soil organic carbon ranging from 120 to 307 mg kg^-1.Approximately 23.6%–60.0% of the methane consumed was converted to soil organic carbon during microbial methane oxidation.The phylogeny of¹³ C-labeled pmoA(enconding the alpha subunit of the particulate methane monooxygenase) and 16 S rRNA genes further revealed that canonical α(type II) and γ(type I) Proteobacteria were active methane oxidizers.Members within the Methylobacter-and Methylosarcina-affiliated type Ia lineages dominated active methane-oxidizing communities that were responsible for the majority of methane-derived carbon accumulation in all three paddy soils,while Methylocystis-affiliated type IIa lineage was the key contributor in one paddy soil of Inceptisol origin.These results suggest that methanotroph-mediated synthesis of biomass plays an important role in soil organic matter accumulation.This study thus supports the concept that methanotrophs not only consume the greenhouse gas methane but also serve as a key biotic factor in maintaining soil fertility.     

Persistence of terbacil and trifluralin under different soil and climatic conditions

Soil samples were collected from forty-three field trials conducted on ten soil types to investigate the residual activity of terbacil and trifluralin at the end of the cropping season, approximately 6 months after application. The soil was bioassayed in a glasshouse using soya beans and German millet for terbacil and trifluralin respectively. At 1 kg/ha terbacil phytotoxic residues occurred in a majority of the trials, while at 2 kg/ha such a carry-over could be found in every case. Trifluralin doses of up to 1 kg/ha did not persist in toxic amounts in most soils, while application of 2 kg/ha showed residual activity in 74% of the trials and application of 4 kg/ha killed German millet in all instances. Results are also presented from the time-rate dissipation studies conducted on both herbicides by assaying soil samples collected at monthly intervals. Both organic matter and clay content of the trial sites affected the persistence of terbacil, while trifluralin residues were influenced only by the soil organic matter content. Trial sites receiving high rainfall showed considerably less residues of terbacil, but the persistence of trifluralin was not affected by rainfall to any appreciable extent.     

Influence of soil physicochemical properties, particle size fractions and mineralogy on the leaching potentials of arsenic and antimony in abandoned mine soils

At abandoned mine sites, arsenic (As)- and antimony (Sb)-enriched soils are often disposed of through onsite burial or capping. In highly weathered mine sites, the mobility of As and Sb is typically controlled by iron (Fe)(Ⅲ)/Fe(Ⅱ) phases; thus, the suitability of such disposal methods and appropriate testing techniques are questionable. In the present study, leaching potentials of As and Sb were examined using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), waste extraction test (WET), and WET-extended procedure (WET-EXT) at three abandoned mine site soils in Australia. The leached concentration of As regularly exceeded USEPA criteria (5 mg L^-1). The highest leached concentrations of As and Sb were observed in the finest particle size fraction (< 0.053 mm) by WET-EXT (1 040 mg L^-1 for As and 21.10 mg L^-1 for Sb) followed by WET (800 mg L^-1 for As and 20.90 mg L^-1 for Sb). The TCLP method resulted in the lowest concentrations of leached As (0.000 9 mg L^-1) and Sb (0.000 3 mg L^-1). Crystalline and amorphous As-bearing Fe oxides were the main phases in the soils studied. However, the best correlations of leached As determined by TCLP (0.832), WET (0.944), and WET-EXT (0.961) were found with the non-specifically sorbed (NS1) As fraction. The mineralogical and sequential extraction data clearly indicate the dominant role of Fe geochemistry in controlling leachability of As and Sb. The TCLP method was unlikely to be suitable for assessing leachability, as it exhibited no relationship with leachable Fe and substantially lower leached As and Sb than the other two methods. Given the high to extremely high leachable As and Sb concentrations, most of the soil samples would not be recommended for placement in capping works, old shafts, or reduction systems (e.g., collection in drainage basins).     

A bioassay technique to study the leaching behaviour of sulfonylurea herbicides in different soils

A bioassay procedure is described for quantitative determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in water and for studying their leaching behaviour in soils. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was found a more susceptible bioassay species than turnip (Brassica rapa L.) or lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.). The limit of quantitative detection (EC₃₀) in soil leachates was 0.12 μg 1^?1 for triasulfuron and 0.15 μg 1^?1 for metsulfuron-methyl. Leaching experiments were carried out by uniformly packing the soil in glass columns corresponding to its natural bulk density and applying simulated irrigation of 50 mm day^?1 with leachate water from untreated soil columns. Results obtained by measuring fresh weights of the true leaves of sunflowers in soil leachates showed that metsulfuron-methyl was much more mobile than triasulfuron in two soils with different sorption capacity. The BBA soil with low sorptive capacity showed very little retardation of both herbicides in the columns. The Horotiu soil with high sorptive capacity retarded triasulfuron for a long period, even under high flow conditions. Une technique d'essai biologique pour étudier l'aptitu.de au lessivage des herbicides sul-fony-lurées dans des différents sols Un protocole d'essai biologique est décrit pour la détermination quantitative des herbicides sulfonylurées dans l'eau, et pour l'étude de leur lessivage dans les sols. Le tournesol (Helianthus annuus) a été reconnu comme une espèce pour l'essai biologique plus sensible que le navet (Brassica rapa) ou la lentille (Lens culinaris). La limite de détection quantitative (EC₃₀) dans le lessivat du sol a été 0,12 μg 1^?1 pour le triasulfuron et 0,15 μg 1^?1 pour le metsulfuron methyl. Des études de lessivage ont été con-duites en mettant unifomément du sol dans des colonnes de verre de façon équivalente à la densité naturelle dans le sol et en appliquant une irrigation simulée de 50 mm jour^?1 avec de l'eau d'un lessivat de sol non traité. Les résult ats obtenus en mesurant le poids frais des feuilles vraies de tournesol dans les lessivats de sol ont montré que le metsulfuron-methyl était beau-coup plus mobile que le triasulfuron dans les 2 sols de capacités d'adsorption différentes. Le sol BBA avec une capacité d'adsorption faible a entraiîné un faible ralentissement des 2 herbicides dans les colonnes. Le sol Horotiu avec une capacité d'adsorption élevée a retardé le triasulfuron pendant une longue période, même sous des conditions de fortes précipitations. Biotestmethode zur Bestimmung des Ein-waschungsverhaltens von Sulfonyl-Harnstoff-herbiziden in unterschiedlich sorptiven Böden Eine Biotestmethode zum quantitativen Nach-weis von Sulfonyl-Harnstoffherbiziden in Was-serproben zur Bestimmung des Einwaschungs-verhaltens wurde entwickelt. Sonnenblume (Helianthus annuus L.) war unter den geprüf-ten Testpflanzen wesentlich empfindlicher als Herbstrübe (Brassica rapa L.) oder Linse (Lens culinaris Medic.). Als empfindlichste Meßgröße erwiesen sich die Echten Laubblätter der Sonnenblume. Die Nachweisgrenzen (EC₃₀-Werte) in Bodenperkolatwasser lagen bei 0,12 μg 1^?1 für Triasulfuron und 0,15 μg l^?1 für Metsulf-uron-methyl. Die Einwaschungsversuche wurden in Glassäulen durchgeführt, wobei die Böden gleichmäßig entsprechend ihrer Lagerungsdichte gepackt wurden. Die Beregnung erfolgte mit 50 mm Perkolat/Tag, das von nicht mit Herbiziden behandelten Säulenversuchen vorab gewonnen wurde. In beiden, unterschiedlich sorptiven, Böden zeigte Met-sulfuron-methyl eine stärkere Einwaschung als Triasulfuron. Im schwach sorptiven BBA-Boden wurden beide Wirkstoffe kaum retardiert, während Triasulfuron im stark sorptiven Horotiu-Boden über einen langen Zeitraum, auch unter den extremen Flußraten, zurückgehalten wurde.     

Number and density of retinal photoreceptor cells with emphasis on oil droplet distribution in the Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus)

This study was intended to determine the number and regional distribution of photoreceptor cells and different colored oil droplets in the retina of the Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos var. domesticus). To estimate the number and density of photoreceptor cells, adult ducks were killed and both eyes were enucleated under deep anesthesia to prepare Nissl‐stained retinal whole‐mount samples. Different colored oil droplets were counted from color microphotographs of the freshly prepared retina. The mean number of retinal photoreceptors was approximately 6 308 828 ± 521 927, with a peak density of 33 573/mm² in the central retina. The density was similar in the nasal, temporal, ventral and dorsal areas of the retina. Five types of oil droplets were identified on the basis of color: red, orange, greenish‐yellow, yellow and clear. The mean density of oil droplets was highest in the central retina (17 639/mm²) and gradually declined towards the nasal, temporal, ventral and dorsal areas. The size of oil droplets gradually increased with retinal eccentricity and varied even within an area. The greenish‐yellow oil droplets were most abundant across the retina. Taken together, these results demonstrate the differential retinal distribution of photoreceptor cells and oil droplets in duck retina. We conclude that the area of high photoreceptor cell density, which is matched by high neuron densities of the ganglion cell layer, corresponds to the site of acute vision in duck retina.