Three-dimensional structure of Hayabusa samples: origin and evolution of Itokawa regolith

Regolith particles on the asteroid Itokawa were recovered by the Hayabusa mission. Their three-dimensional (3D) structure and other properties, revealed by x-ray microtomography, provide information on regolith formation. Modal abundances of minerals, bulk density (3.4 grams per cubic centimeter), and the 3D textures indicate that the particles represent a mixture of equilibrated and less-equilibrated LL chondrite materials. Evidence for melting was not seen on any of the particles. Some particles have rounded edges. Overall, the particles' size and shape are different from those seen in particles from the lunar regolith. These features suggest that meteoroid impacts on the asteroid surface primarily form much of the regolith particle, and that seismic-induced grain motion in the smooth terrain abrades them over time.     

Oxygen consumption rate of early pre-antral follicles from vitrified human ovarian cortical tissue

The study of human ovarian tissue transplantation and cryopreservation has advanced significantly. Autotransplantation of human pre-antral follicles isolated from cryopreserved cortical tissue is a promising option for the preservation of fertility in young cancer patients. The purpose of the present study was to reveal the effect of vitrification after low-temperature transportation of human pre-antral follicles by using the oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Cortical tissues from 9 ovaries of female-to-male transsexuals were vitrified after transportation (6 or 18 h). The follicles were enzymatically isolated from nonvitrified tissue (group I, 18 h of transportation), vitrified-warmed tissue (group II, 6 and 18 h of transportation) and vitrified-warmed tissue that had been incubated for 24 h (group III, 6 and 18 h of transportation). OCR measurement and the LIVE/DEAD viability assay were performed. Despite the ischemic condition, the isolated pre-antral follicles in group I consumed oxygen, and the mean OCRs increased with developmental stage. Neither the transportation time nor patient age seemed to affect the OCR in this group. Meanwhile, the mean OCR was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in group II but was comparable to that of group I after 24 h of incubation. The integrity of vitrified-warmed primordial and primary follicles was clearly corroborated by the LIVE/DEAD viability assay. These results demonstrate that the OCR can be used to directly estimate the effect of vitrification on the viability of primordial and primary follicles and to select the viable primordial and primary follicles from vitrified-warmed follicles.     

Comparison of statistical tests for habitat associations in tropical forests: A case study of sympatric dipterocarp trees in a Bornean forest

Habitat difference is an important mechanism for maintenance of tree diversity in tropical forests. The first step in studies of habitat difference is to statistically analyze whether the spatial distributions of tree populations are skewed to species-specific habitats; this is called a habitat association test. We propose a novel habitat association test on the basis of the probability of tree occurrence along a continuous habitat variable. The test uses torus shift simulations to obtain a statistical significance level. We applied this test to 55 common dipterocarp species in a 52-ha plot of a Bornean forest to assess habitat associations along an elevation gradient. The results were compared to those of three existing habitat association tests using the same torus shift simulations. The results were considerably different from one another. In particular, the results of two existing tests using discrete habitat variables varied with differences in habitat definitions, specifically, differences in elevation break points, and the number of habitat classes. Thus, definitions of habitats must be taken into account when habitat association tests with discrete habitat variables are used. Analyses of artificial populations independent of habitat showed that all of the tests used were robust with respect to spatial autocorrelation in tree distributions, although one existing test had a higher risk of Type I errors, probably due to the use of multiple tests of significance. Power analysis of artificial populations in which distributions were skewed to certain elevations showed that the novel test had comparable statistical power to the most powerful existing test. Statistical power was affected not by the total number of a given tree but by the number of clumps in a plot, suggesting that >5 clumps were required for a reliable result.     

Fasting in freshwater severely affects growth of juvenile chum salmon when entering cold seawater

Fisheries Science - We conducted rearing experiments to examine the cumulative effects of fasting in freshwater and transfer to cold seawater on the growth of juvenile chum salmon. In the first...     

Survival and germination of an experimental seed bank population of two species of Lauraceae in a tropical montane forest in Thailand

The survival and germination traits of two tropical species of Lauraceae, Lindera metcalfiana and Litsea cubeba, were investigated in a 2-year burial experiment and subsequent germination tests of sequentially excavated seeds. Fresh seeds extracted from fruit were packed in aluminum mesh bags and buried 5cm deep in a mature montane forest in northern Thailand (1700m altitude). No seed mortality was recorded for Litsea, but Lindera experienced 26%–48% mortality after being buried for 122 days. These seeds did not germinate in the forest soil during the 2-year experimental period. We found that fresh seeds of these two species did not germinate even under open conditions, suggesting that the seeds are initially deeply dormant after dispersal. In contrast, 29%–60% of excavated Lindera seeds germinated under open conditions after being buried for 30–753 days, and excavated Litsea seeds began to germinate after being buried for 408 days. These findings suggest that seeds enter a state of enforced dormancy. The ratio of germinable seeds peaked 184 days after burial in Lindera (33%) and 930 days after burial in Litsea (91%). The longer period of deep dormancy in Litsea prior to enforced dormancy is concordant with the fact that for regeneration Litsea requires larger-scale disturbance than Lindera.     

Polyphosphate kinase is essential for swarming motility, tolerance to environmental stresses, and virulence in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605

Polyphosphate kinase (PPK), encoded by the ppk gene, is a principal enzyme responsible for synthesis of inorganic polyphosphate (poly P) from ATP in many Gram-negative bacteria. In order to elucidate the functions of poly P in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605, an in-frame deletion mutant of the ppk gene (ppk) was constructed. The ppk mutant did not accumulate poly P, whereas the wild-type strain accumulated a large quantity. The mutant had reduced swarming motility, even though it retains swimming motility like the parental strain. The mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to prolonged incubation and environmental stresses, such as heat shock and oxidative stress and reduced exopolysaccharide (EPS) production compared to the wild-type. Northern blot analysis revealed that expression of the rpoS gene, encoding the stationary phase sigma factor RpoS, was reduced in ppk in the logarithmic phase, indicating that rpoS is regulated by the ppk gene. The poly P deficient mutant had significantly reduced ability to cause disease in its host tobacco plant and in planta growth of the mutant was also significantly reduced in host tobacco leaves as compared to the wild-type strain. Thus, our results suggest that poly P plays an important role in the virulence of P. syringae pv. tabaci 6605.