覆盖作物与耕作法对土壤性质的影响

冬季种植覆盖作物结合免耕法构成的保护性耕作法,在冬春季土壤休闲时期可提高土壤含水率,抑制土壤风蚀,回收土壤残留氮素;在夏季作物栽培时期仍可提高土壤的含水率,抑制土壤有机质下降,提高土壤生物活性,改善土壤团粒结构,起到土壤保护作用。     

How different or similar are nematode communities between a paddy and an upland rice fields across a flooding-drainage cycle?

The paddy field is being recognised as a biodiversity hotspot fostering a variety of organisms. However, there are few studies on the ecology of paddy field nematodes. We characterised nematode communities in rice paddy fields by comparing them with upland fields of rice or soybean. We examined nematode communities of the top (0-15 mm) and second (15-50 mm) soil layers before flooding (March or April), during flooding (June or July) and during the draining period (October) 2007-2009. We found that the nematode community in the paddy was different than that in the upland fields during all periods. Rhabdolaimus, Tobrilus, Mesodorylaims and Monhysteridae characterised the top of the paddy and Hirschmanniella characterised the second layer of the paddy. Total nematode density was generally lower in the paddy than in the upland field. However, the density in the paddy top layer increased with time from the flooding period to the draining period, during which time it was about the same as (or even greater than) the peak density in the upland fields. The density in the second layer of the paddy remained lower than that in the top layer of the paddy throughout the time course. Community diversity values were generally greater in the paddy top layer than in the paddy second layer across the six sampling periods, but periodic differences between the paddy and upland fields or between soil layers were not significant. During the flooding period, the F/(F + B) (13-37) and Enrichment Index (17-38) values were lower in the paddy than in the upland fields (32-47, 37-74, respectively) to reflect that bacteria dominate over fungi with slow decomposition due to anaerobic conditions in the flooded paddy field. In addition, particularly in the top layer, the Maturity (2.0-2.4) and Structure Index (23-72) values were greater in the paddy than in the upland fields (1.7-2.1, 9-15, respectively), indicating a well-developed ecosystem under water. These unique nematode communities persisted during the draining period, but there was a rapid increase in opportunistic bacterivores, which increased the EI values. We suggest that bactivorous nematodes in the families Cephalobidae and Chronogasteridae, herbivores in the genus Hirschmanniella, and fungivores in the genus Filenchus may be specific to paddy field soil rather than to pond and lake sediments.     

The smell and odorous components of dried shiitake mushroom, Lentinula edodes V: changes in lenthionine and lentinic acid contents during the drying process

This study on dried shiitake mushroom [Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler] focuses on the behavior of the aromatic lenthionine compound and its precursor, lentinic acid, during the drying process. Only a small amount of lenthionine was present after the drying process, regardless of the drying temperature or time; however, the amount increased during the rehydration process using pH 8.0 buffer. The lenthionine content after incubation in the buffer was correlated with the lentinic acid content in the dried shiitake mushroom. The lentinic acid content increased signifi cantly during the drying process at 40°C up to 4 h. The results show that the characteristic smell of dried shiitake mushroom was weak after drying, and that rehydration in a mild alkaline solution was necessary to increase the smell. The lentinic acid content of dried shiitake could serve as an indicator of the smell produced by rehydration and would be useful in screening to select odor-rich strains. Moderate heating likely caused the increase in lentinic acid content, which might be related to a reaction to heat.     

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone directly increases the plasma calcitonin level and involves calcium metabolism in goldfish

International Aquatic Research - The effects of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on calcium metabolism were examined with goldfish. The scales on the left side of goldfish bodies...     

DNA methylation status of bovine blastocyst embryos obtained from various procedures

DNA methylation is an important factor for the regulation of gene expression in early embryos. It is well known that the satellite I sequence is more heavily methylated in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT-SC) embryos than in embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, the methylation status of bovine embryos obtained by other procedures is not well known. To clarify DNA methylation levels of bovine embryos obtained from various procedures, we examined satellite I sequences in bovine blastocyst (BC) embryos derived from NT-SC, NT using embryonic blastomeres (NT-EM), in vivo (Vivo), IVF and parthenogenetic treatment (PA). Furthermore, in order to evaluate the efficacy of DNA demethylation by the NT procedure, we determined the DNA methylation levels in bovine embryos in which NT was recapitulated (Re-NT). Although the DNA methylation levels in the NT-SC embryos were higher than those in the other embryos, the NT-EM embryos exhibited lower DNA methylation levels. The satellite I sequence in the NT-SC embryos was more demethylated than that in the donor cells. Although the DNA methylation level in the individual NT-SC embryos showed variation, the full-term developmental efficacy of these embryos were not different. These findings suggest that the methylation level of the satellite I sequence at the BC stage is not related to the abnormalities of bovine embryos produced by NT-SC. There was no difference in methylation levels between Re-NT and NT-SC embryos. Our results indicated that the DNA methylation status differed among embryos produced by various methods and that at least some of the demethylation of the donor cell genome occurred in the recipient cytoplast after NT-SC, but the demethylation ability of the NT procedure was noted in the first NT but not in the second NT.     

Wireless monitoring of blood glucose levels in flatfish with a needle biosensor

A wireless biosensor system was developed for the continuous measurement of blood glucose levels in flatfish. The biosensor was implanted in the interstitial fluid under the scleral surface of the eyeball (EISF) to investigate the relationship between EISF and blood glucose levels. EISF glucose levels were found to be correlated with those in the blood and to be approximately the same as blood glucose levels in the range of 7–25 mg dl⁻¹. A needle-type biosensor was prepared for the continuous EISF glucose monitoring in flatfish. A working electrode was constructed using platinum iridium wire, and glucose oxidase was immobilized to the electrode. The biosensor was inserted into the EISF of flatfish for sensor implantation. A 650-mV potential (vs. Ag/AgCl) was applied by a wireless potentiostat to the working electrode for the amperometric glucose measurement. We investigated whether glucose in the EISF can be determined in vivo. The estimated glucose levels using a one-point calibration method were correlated with actual blood glucose levels. In conclusion, using a wireless biosensor system, we were able to monitor blood glucose levels in flatfish under free-swimming conditions for 16 h.     

Catalog of Micro-Tom tomato responses to common fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens

Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar Micro-Tom is a miniature tomato with many advantages for studies of the molecular biology and physiology of plants. To evaluate the suitability of Micro-Tom as a host plant for the study of pathogenesis, Micro-Tom plants were inoculated with 16 well-known fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens of tomato. Athelia rolfsii, Botryotinia fuckeliana, Oidium sp., Phytophthora infestans, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum caused typical symptoms and sporulated abundantly on Micro-Tom. Micro-Tom was resistant to Alternaria alternata, Corynespora cassiicola, and Fusarium oxysporum. When Micro-Tom was inoculated with 17 isolates of Ralstonia solanacearum, many isolates induced wilt symptoms. Agrobacterium tumefaciens also was pathogenic, causing crown galls on stem tissue after needle prick inoculation. In Micro-Tom sprayed with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, P. s. pv. tabaci, or P. s. pv. glycinea, bacterial populations did not increase, and yellow lesions appeared only on leaves sprayed with P. s. pv. tomato. Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato aspermy virus, and Cucumber mosaic virus systemically infected Micro-Tom, which developed symptoms characteristic of other cultivars of tomato after infection with the respective virus. These results indicated that Micro-Tom was generally susceptible to most of the important tomato pathogens and developed typical symptoms, whereas certain pathogens were restricted by either hypersensitive resistance or nonhost resistance on Micro-Tom. Therefore, an assortment of Micro-Tom–pathogen systems should provide excellent models for studying the mechanism of susceptible and resistant interactions between plants and pathogens.     

Simulations of a quasi-Taylor state geomagnetic field including polarity reversals on the Earth Simulator

High-resolution, low-viscosity geodynamo simulations have been carried out on the Earth Simulator, one of the fastest supercomputers, in a dynamic regime similar to that of Earth's core, that is, in a quasi-Taylor state. Our dynamo models exhibit features of the geodynamo not only in spatial and temporal characteristics but also in dynamics. Polarity reversals occurred when magnetic flux patches at high latitudes moved poleward and disappeared; patches with reversed field at low and mid-latitudes then moved poleward.     

Relative shoot height and irradiance and the shoot and leaf properties of Quercus serrata saplings

Effects of relative shoot height and irradiance on shoot and leaf properties of Quercus serrata Thunb. saplings growing in the understory and in gaps were investigated. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) at the location of the shoot relative to that in the open (relative PPF; rPPF) and the height of the shoot base relative to tree height (relative height; rHeight) were measured for all current-year shoots of each sapling. Current-year shoot properties (length, leaf area, number of daughter shoots) and mortality, and leaf properties (mass per area (LMA) and nitrogen content per area (N(area))) were examined in relation to rPPF and rHeight. N(area) was used as a proxy for area-based assimilative capacity. Shoot length, leaf area per shoot and number of daughter shoots increased with increasing rHeight, especially in well-lit conditions. Shoot mortality decreased with increasing rHeight and rPPF. Both LMA and N(area) were positively correlated with rPPF, but not rHeight.