Characterization of a new Maillard type reaction product generated by heating 1-deoxymaltulosyl-glycine in the presence of cysteine

The reaction between Amadori compounds and cysteine was investigated. When 1-deoxymaltulosyl-glycine (glycyl-fructosyl-glucose) was heated at 100 degrees C with cysteine in a neutral aqueous solution, a novel intermediate composed of 1-deoxyosone and cysteine was detected. NMR and mass spectrometry studies revealed the structure of the isolated intermediate to be 7,8a-dihydroxy-4a-methyl-8-(alpha-d-glucopyranosyloxy)hexahydro-5-oxa-4-thia-1-azanaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid. This intermediate easily generated isomaltol and acetylfuran as volatile compounds in 1 mol/L HCl at 100 degrees C.     

Migration history of Sakhalin taimen <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hucho perryi</Emphasis> captured in the Sea of Okhotsk,northern Japan,using otolith Sr:Ca ratios

Sakhalin taimen Hucho perryi populations have decreased drastically to near extinction. It is urgent to establish an effective conservation strategy based on an understanding of the characteristics of migration and habitat use of this species. We examined the migration history of anadromous Sakhalin taimen captured off the Sarufutsu coast, northern Hokkaido, Japan, using otolith Sr:Ca ratios and also examined the relationship between their otolith Sr:Ca ratios during freshwater and seawater residence in a rearing experiment. Otolith Sr:Ca ratios of some fish from the Sarufutsu coast showed freshwater levels (0.5–4.0 × 10⁻³) near the core, which thereafter increased to brackish water levels (4.0–6.0 × 10⁻³), and then to seawater levels (6.0–10.0 × 10⁻³) in the outermost regions. Those findings indicate that specimens from the Sarufutsu coast migrated to the brackish water region or the sea and spent most of their lives there. The anadromous migration pattern including the timing of downstream migration seems to be flexible among individuals in the species. They migrate between freshwater and seawater or brackish water several times during their lives, showing extensive habitat use. It is essential to secure the continuity among the freshwater, brackish water, and seawater areas for their effective conservation.     

Nucleotide-dependent single- to double-headed binding of kinesin

The motility of kinesin motors is explained by a "hand-over-hand" model in which two heads of kinesin alternately repeat single-headed and double-headed binding with a microtubule. To investigate the binding mode of kinesin at the key nucleotide states during adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis, we measured the mechanical properties of a single kinesin-microtubule complex by applying an external load with optical tweezers. Both the unbinding force and the elastic modulus in solutions containing AMP-PNP (an ATP analog) were twice the value of those in nucleotide-free solution or in the presence of both AMP-PNP and adenosine 5'-diphosphate. Thus, kinesin binds through two heads in the former and one head in the latter two states, which supports a major prediction of the hand-over-hand model.     

Model-based forecasting of twig canker incidence of bacterial spot of peach in Fukushima Prefecture

Bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (Xap) is the most important disease that affects peach production. A disease-forecasting model was developed to help growers decide when to apply bactericides and remove diseased, last-year twigs. To predict the incidence of “spring cankers”, peach twigs damaged by Xap, we used 12 years (2009–2020) of data from Fukushima Prefecture to develop a forecasting system using a hierarchical Bayesian model (HBM). The model included the number of fields with a bacterial spot incidence (BSI) on leaves?≥?10% in late September of the previous season and the number of days with rain (≥?10 mm/day) and maximum wind speed (≥?5 m/s) during the previous October as predictors. Using a best-fit cutoff value based on a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the model achieved a 0.836 accuracy, 0.804 sensitivity, 0.847 specificity, 0.847 precision, and 0.712 F-measure. The model was validated using a fourfold cross-validation (CV) procedure and achieved an average accuracy of 0.847. Thus, the model explained 65.7% of the variability compared to observed frequencies with predicted probabilities of twig canker incidence (TCI)?≥?2% from April to May 2009 to 2020 in Fukushima Prefecture. These results suggest that this disease-forecasting model using HBM based on 12 years of historical data can be used to predict the risk of twig cankers of bacterial spot of peach.

     

Migration of biological control agent Rhizobium vitis strain ARK-1 in grapevine stems and inhibition of galls caused by tumorigenic strain of R. vitis

Journal of General Plant Pathology - Nonpathogenic strain ARK-1 of Rhizobium vitis has antagonistic activity against a tumorigenic (Ti) strain of R. vitis and works as a biocontrol agent, but the...     

Time-course comparison of pulmonary inflammation induced by intratracheal instillation of four different nickel oxide nanoparticles in male Fischer rats

Occupational exposure to nickel oxide (NiO) is an important cause of respiratory tract cancer. Toxicity is known to be associated with the dissociated component, i.e. nickel (II) ions. To address the relationship between physicochemical properties, including solubility in artificial lysosomal fluid, of NiO and time-course changes in the pulmonary response, we conducted an intratracheal instillation study in male Fischer rats using four different well-characterized NiO products, US3352 (NiO A), NovaWireNi01 (NiO B), I small particle (NiO C), and 637130 (NiO D). The NiOs were suspended in purified water and instilled once intratracheally into male F344 rats (12 weeks old) at 0 (vehicle control), 0.67, 2, and 6 mg/kg body weight. The animals were euthanized on days 3, 28, or 91 after instillation, and blood analysis, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) testing, and histopathological examination were performed. The most soluble product, NiO B, caused the most severe systemic toxicity, leading to a high mortality rate, but the response was transient and surviving animals recovered. The second-most-soluble material, NiO D, and the third, NiO A, caused evident pulmonary inflammation, and the responses persisted for at least 91 days with collagen proliferation. In contrast, NiO C induced barely detectable inflammation in the BALF examination, and no marked changes were noted on histopathology. These results indicate that the early phase toxic potential of NiO products, but not the persistence of pulmonary inflammation, is associated with their solubility.     

Oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroidal materials returned from Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission

Meteorite studies suggest that each solar system object has a unique oxygen isotopic composition. Chondrites, the most primitive of meteorites, have been believed to be derived from asteroids, but oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroids themselves have not been established. We measured, using secondary ion mass spectrometry, oxygen isotopic compositions of rock particles from asteroid 25143 Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Compositions of the particles are depleted in (16)O relative to terrestrial materials and indicate that Itokawa, an S-type asteroid, is one of the sources of the LL or L group of equilibrated ordinary chondrites. This is a direct oxygen-isotope link between chondrites and their parent asteroid.     

Distribution of free oxides along soil profiles in time series of dry rice fields in polder lands of Kojima-basin

The distributions of free oxides along profiles of some dry rice fields were set forth in the previous reports²,³,⁴,⁶⁾, In this paper, the distribution of free oxides in dry rice field⁵⁾ in polder lands of Kojima-Basin, Okayama pref. is reported. Localities, years elapsed since the planting of rice began in each field and the characteristic of soil profiles are given in Table 1. All the fields are dry rice fields except Soil A, and carry barley or wheat in winter season. Parent materials are similar in all horizons of all soils and rich in fine particles. Fine sands (0.2-0.02 mm) are mainly composed of quartz somewhat accompanied with feldspars, mica, augite and amphibolite. Clays (< 0.002 mm) are mainly composed of halloysite accompanied with a small proportion of montmorillonite. The structure develops well in all the soils.     

Specific and non-specific adsorption of inorganic ions I. Evaluation of specific adsorbability by means of minimum concentration for specific adsorption

The Minimum Concentration for Specific Adsorption (MCSA) was defined as a reversal of the charge concentration of the ion at the infinite dilution of sol (adsorbent), or practically at such concentration of sol that equilibrium of the ion Is but negligibly affected by adsorption of the ion.

The MCSAs of 15 species of cations were measured with respect to SiO₂ at pH 4,6,5, and 10; the MCSAs of 10 species of anions were measured with respect to Fe(OH)₃ at pH 4, and 6.5; and the MCSAs of 10 species of anions were measured with respect to Al-coated-SiO₂ at pH 6.5. Relative specificities of the inorganic ions based on the MCSAs at pH 6.5 were as follows:

The MCSAs of cations with respect to SiO₂ and of anions to Fe(OH)₃ and Al-coated-SiO₂ at pH 6.5 had close relationships to ionic potentials and general solubility of the elements in water. Based on these results, the authors concluded that the MCSA could be used u an index of specificity (i.e. covalent bond-forming tendency) of an Jon at adsorption reactions.

The values corresponding to the apparent stability constants of surface complexes formed by adsorption reaction with SiO₂ and cations at pH 4 were calculated from the values of the MCSAs.