Efficacy of some biodegradable films as pre-harvest covering material for guava

To produce guavas with good commercial or industrial potential, fruit farmers use phytosanitary practices such as fruit bagging. Bagging protects the fruit mainly from the attack of pests, such as the fruit fly (Anastrepha spp.) and the guava weevil (Conotrachelus psidii), and reduces the use of insecticides and fungicides. This investigation aimed to develop and produce biodegradable films from cassava starch and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) by extrusion for application in pre-harvest guava fruit bagging. After the fruit harvest, for 6–9 weeks all films were more fragile and rigid, but did not present cracks. BF70 was the most fragile and had the greatest tendency to tear; however, it remained whole until harvesting. Fruit bagged with films BF30, BF50, BF70 was analyzed for fruit quality and compared with PSF control and non-bagged fruit. There was no difference between the treatments relative to physical and chemical characteristics, indicating that biodegradable film did not influence fruit development when compared to the PSF control.     

Isolation, characterization, and quantitative analysis of ceruloplasmin from horses.

Ceruloplasmin (Cp) was isolated from fresh equine plasma by precipitation, cellulose chromatography, and improved ion-exchange chromatography. Purified equine Cp is a glycoprotein having a molecular weight of approximately 115,000. In electrophoresis, equine Cp migrated to the alpha 1-globulin region, its isoelectric point was about 4.15 and consisted of about 890 amino acid residues. Serum Cp concentration was measured by use of the single radial immunodiffusion method. In clinically normal horses, the mean (+/- SD) serum Cp concentration of newborn foals was 2.87 +/- 0.40 mg/ml and that of 3-month-old foals was 5.02 +/- 0.92 mg/ml, which was similar to the adult value. It reached a peak of 6.06 +/- 0.74 mg/ml in 2-year-old horses. The Cp concentration in mares was not statistically different for the perinatal period, but it decreased immediately before and after delivery. Concentration of Cp increased at 6 days after IM administration of turpentine oil, castration, or jejunojejunostomy in adult horses, and increased to peak values twice as high as baseline values at 7 to 14 days, returning to baseline values at 28 days after treatment. We concluded that equine serum Cp is an acute-phase reactive protein increased in the intermediary or later phase of acute inflammation.     

Distribution of methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-immunoreactive nerves in the forestomach of cattle

The distribution of methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-immunoreactive nerves in the forestomach of calves and cows was studied, using immunohistochemical methods. Methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-immunoreactive nerves were found in all regions of the bovine forestomach. Cell bodies were found mainly in myenteric ganglia, and nerve fibers were found principally in muscular layers. Nerve fibers and ganglia were concentrated in the lips of the reticular groove, but were least numerous in ruminal and omasal walls. The reduced number of immunoreactive nerves in cows, compared with the number of those in calves, was striking, especially in the lips of the reticular groove and the omasal leaves. Results may indicate that the importance of methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8-containing nerves in the physiologic regulation of the forestomach of the calf is different from that of the cow.     

N-Acetyl-d-Glucosamine-Binding Lectin in Acropora tenuis Attracts Specific Symbiodiniaceae Cell Culture Strains

Many corals establish symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae cells from surrounding environments, but very few Symbiodiniaceae cells exist in the water column. Given that the N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-binding lectin ActL attracts Symbiodiniaceae cells, we hypothesized that corals must attract Symbiodiniaceae cells using ActL to acquire them. Anti-ActL antibody inhibited acquisition of Symbiodiniaceae cells, and rearing seawater for juvenile Acropora tenuis contained ActL, suggesting that juvenile A. tenuis discharge ActL to attract these cells. Among eight Symbiodiniaceae cultured strains, ActL attracted NBRC102920 (Symbiodinium tridacnidorum) most strongly followed by CS-161 (Symbiodinium tridacnidorum), CCMP2556 (Durusdinium trenchii), and CCMP1633 (Breviolum sp.); however, it did not attract GTP-A6-Sy (Symbiodinium natans), CCMP421 (Effrenium voratum), FKM0207 (Fugacium sp.), and CS-156 (Fugacium sp.). Juvenile polyps of A. tenuis acquired limited Symbiodiniaceae cell strains, and the number of acquired Symbiodiniaceae cells in a polyp also differed from each other. The number of Symbiodiniaceae cells acquired by juvenile polyps of A. tenuis was correlated with the ActL chemotactic activity. Thus, ActL could be used to attract select Symbiodiniaceae cells and help Symbiodiniaceae cell acquisition in juvenile polyps of A. tenuis, facilitating establishment of symbiosis between A. tenuis and Symbiodiniaceae cells.     

Enhancement of nitrate efflux and the plasma membrane hydrogen ion‐transport activity of barley roots by nitrate treatment

The effect of nitrate (NO₃) on the activities of hydrogen (H⁺)‐ATPase and H⁺‐transport in the plasma membrane vesicles isolated from barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Kikaihadaka) roots was investigated. After treatment with 10 mM NO₃ for longer than 24 h, both activities of H⁺‐ATPase and H⁺‐transport assayed in the presence of chloride (Cl) were stimulated less than 20%. While H⁺‐transport activity was approximately two times higher in NO₃‐grown roots than in control roots when assayed in the presence of NO₃ instead of Cl. This result suggests that NO₃ is permeable in the plasma membrane vesicles isolated from NO₃‐grown roots rather than that of the control, and thereby stimulate H⁺‐transport activity through the collapse of positive potentials established by H⁺‐ATPase. Furthermore, NO₃ efflux from roots was markedly enhanced after 48 h of the exposure to NO₃. Taken together, NO₃ efflux may be mediated by the permeability to NO₃ which is induced by NO₃.     

Studies on amino acids generated from rape seed cake in the soil

Among the several kinds of seed cakes, the cake made from rape seeds has been most widely employed for tobacco cultivation. Numerous investigations have been conducted by many workers, on the mineralization of organic nitrogen in rape seed cake applied to the soil and on the absorption of inorganic nitrogen degraded from the seed cake in soil by tobacco plants (8,9). However, little has been known about the organic nitrogen compounds which are generated through the process of decomposition of the seed cake. Recently, it has been believed that the plant roots are able to absorb the organic nitrogen compounds such as amino acids (10,11, 12). Therefore, it is considered that these organic nitrogen compounds produced by mineralization of the seed cake applied to the soil would have some effects upon the yield and quality of some crops such as tobacco plant with their physiological effects on plants. This paper deals with the changes in amino acids produced by the mineralization of rape seed cake in the soil.     

Significance of litter layer in enhancing mesofaunal abundance and microbial biomass nitrogen in sweet corn-white clover living mulch systems

Living mulch is a type of sustainable farming system that consists of cover crops planted either before or with a main crop; a living mulch is maintained as a living ground cover throughout the growing season of the main crop. Microbial biomass and abundance of mesofauna (microarthropods and enchytraeids) are important soil biological parameters in relation to soil function, plant productivity, and nutrient cycling; however, the effects of living mulch on these parameters are not fully understood. In this study we examined the effects of living mulch treatment with nitrogen fertilizer (0, 40, 160, or 200?kg?ha^?1) on the abundance of soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, and Collembola) and the effects of living mulch treatment on the dynamics of the soil biota (mesofauna, microarthropods, enchytraeids, and microbial biomass nitrogen) from spring to autumn. Our results showed that living mulch treatment significantly (p?p?相似文献   

Differences in lamina joint anatomy cause cultivar differences in leaf inclination angle of rice

ABSTRACT

Leaf erectness is an important agronomic trait for improving canopy photosynthesis in rice. It is well known that leaf inclination angle (LIA) decreases after expansion during ripening. However, the high-yielding indica cultivar ‘Takanari’ retains a greater LIA during ripening than the high-quality japonica cultivar ‘Koshihikari’. To clarify the cause of the cultivar difference in LIA, we investigated anatomical characteristics of the lamina joint of a flag leaf. We found a close linear correlation between LIA at the centre and at the base of the leaf blade in both cultivars during ripening. The length of the lamina joint increased significantly more on the adaxial side of a leaf (the margin of the collar) than on the abaxial side (the abaxial side of the central part of the collar) in ‘Koshihikari’ after leaf expansion, but there was no clear difference in ‘Takanari’. We found a close linear correlation between the ratio of lamina joint length on the adaxial to abaxial sides and LIA in ‘Koshihikari’ and ‘Takanari’ during ripening. In ‘Koshihikari’, the average length of cells on the adaxial side increased significantly after leaf expansion, with no significant increase in that on the abaxial side and no significant change in cell number on either side. In ‘Takanari’, cell length and cell number showed no significant changes on either side of the lamina joint. We conclude that the cultivar difference in LIA during ripening is caused mainly by cell elongation on the adaxial side of the lamina joint.

List of Abbreviations: k: light extinction coefficient; LIA: leaf inclination angle; QTL: quantitative trait locus     

Genetic variations within Symbiodinium clade C among zooxanthellate corals (Scleractinia) in the temperate zone of Japan

In a recent study most of the temperate-living corals were found to harbor stress-sensitive Symbiodinium clade C, which is common in the tropical zone. In this study, we investigated the genetic variations within Symbiodinium clade C among corals living in temperate waters of Japan (17 genera; 26 species) using rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) to clarify the genetic differences between climatic zones. We also focused on two widespread coral species, Acropora hyacinthus and Pocillopora damicornis, to compare the genetic differences of Symbiodinium clade C between subtropical and temperate regions. We found multiple haplotypes of Symbiodinium ITSs in clade C, which formed nine subclades. Our data indicate that five genera (Acropora, Cyphastrea, Stylocoeniella, Porites, Pocillopora) contained host-specific Symbiodinium, while members of the family Faviidae and others contained several Symbiodinium ITS haplotypes from two or three subclades. A comparative analysis using Acropora and Pocillopora also revealed that the temperate zone coral population formed a single subclade of Symbiodinium clade C that was genetically isolated from those of subtropical populations. In summary, the majority of corals living in temperate waters of Japan, such as faviid corals, have several ITS haplotypes which possibly are utilized as an opportunistic survival strategy under severe environmental conditions, whereas Acropora and Pocillopora at the very least harbor temperate zone-specific Symbiodinium.