Development of a simple method for sperm cryopreservation of Scombridae fishes in outdoor environments

We developed a simple dry shipper method for cryopreserving the sperm of Scombridae fish in outdoor environments. First, we undertook a preliminary study to optimize the sperm cryopreservation conditions using bullet tuna, Auxis rochei (Risso, 1810) sperm. We found that the optimum cryomedium contained 90% foetal bovine serum (FBS) or 300 mM trehalose as an external cryoprotectant and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an internal cryoprotectant. Under these optimized conditions, the post‐thaw sperm had a duration of motility of 500 s and a motility rate of >70%. We then performed practical trials of the optimized protocol in various outdoor environments (e.g., fishing boats and ports) using the sperm of five Scombridae species: chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782); blue mackerel, S. australasicus (Cuvier, 1832); skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758); longtail tuna Thunnus tonggol, (Bleeker, 1851) and Pacific bluefin tuna, T. orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844). The post‐thaw sperm of all five of these species had a duration of motility of 650 s and a motility rate of >70%, indicating that this simple method can be used to obtain high‐quality cryopreserved sperm of various Scombridae species in outdoor environments.     

Suppressive effect of hyaluronan on chondrocyte apoptosis in experimentally induced acute osteoarthritis in dogs

Dogs receiving anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) were treated with either intravenous (IV) or intraarticular (IA) administration of hyaluronan (HA), and differences in appearance of chondrocyte apoptosis of the stifle joint were investigated. Chondrocyte apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry as well as by staining with TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The percentage of apoptotic chondrocytes in dogs with ACLT was significantly higher than that in intact (non-ACLT) dogs. Dogs treated with IA or IV injection of HA after ACLT had fewer apoptotic chondrocytes than non-treated dogs after ACLT. It was suggested that ACLT-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes was suppressed by HA administration of either IA or IV.     

Importance of individual root traits to understand crop root system in agronomic and environmental contexts

Resource acquisition, one of the major functions of roots, can contribute to crop growth and mitigating environmental impacts. The spatio-temporal distribution of roots in the soil in relation to the dynamics of the soil resources is critical in resource acquisition. Root distribution is determined by root system development. The root system consists of many individual roots of different types and ages. Each individual root has specific development, resource acquisition, and transport traits, which change with root growth. The integration of individual root traits in the root system could exhibit crop performance in the various environments via root distribution in the soil. However, the relationship between individual root traits and the pattern of root distribution is complicated. To understand this complicated relationship, we need to evaluate enormous numbers of individual root traits and understand the relationship between individual root development and root distribution as well as the integrated functions of individual root traits along with dynamics of resources in the soil.     

Atmospheric moisture influences on conidia development in Podosphaera xanthii through host-plant morphological responses

This study investigated the effects of atmospheric moisture on conidia development in cucurbit powdery mildew fungus (Podosphaera xanthii) through host-plant responses. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings were grown under a high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) (3.8 kPa) or a low VPD (0.4 kPa). When the cotyledons had expanded, spores of P. xanthii were inoculated onto the adaxial surface. Inoculated seedlings for both treatments were then placed in a growth chamber maintained at a VPD of 2.1 kPa. The density of visible P. xanthii colonies on the high-VPD-acclimated cotyledons was 0.46 to 0.85 times that of the low-VPD-acclimated cotyledons 7 days after inoculation. It is likely the post-germination behaviour of P. xanthii such as the infection and consequent hyphal development was affected because spore germination did not differ between the treatments. The percentage of adaxial epidermal leaf cells with haustoria was also lower in the seedlings which had acclimated to a higher VPD. The high-VPD-acclimated cotyledons were thicker and had greater dry mass per area. The water potential of cotyledons did not differ between the treatments, although the stomatal conductance of high-VPD-acclimated cotyledons was lower than that of low-VPD-acclimated cotyledons. From these results, we conclude that the inhibition of P. xanthii conidia development on high-VPD-acclimated cotyledons was mainly caused by changes in leaf morphological properties.     

两种NDVI时间序列数据拟合方法比较

归一化植被指数（NDVI）时间序列数据拟合目的是降低时序数据的噪声水平,重建高质量的NDVI时序数据,有利于多种参数反演和信息提取。针对国际上普遍应用的两种NDVI时间序列数据拟合方法,即Savitzky-Golay滤波法和非对称性高斯函数拟合法,该文在介绍两种方法基本概念的基础上,利用直接比较法和间接比较法在中国对两种拟合方法进行了比较分析。结果表明,Savitzky-Golay滤波法和非对称性高斯函数拟合法的拟合效果总体上一致,但二者之间还是存在区域差异性,这种区域差异与两种方法的自身特点和中国区域自然条件紧密相关。不同数据拟合方法的比较研究可以弄清每种方法的优缺点和区域适宜性,有助于研究人员针对不同研究目的和研究区域选择适宜的NDVI数据拟合方法,减少遥感数据处理中的误差,提高研究精度。     

Characterizing Spatial Patterns of Phenology in Cropland of China Based on Remotely Sensed Data

This study used time-series of global inventory modeling and mapping studies （GIMMS） normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI） datasets at a spatial resolution of 8 km and 15-d interval to investigate the spatial patterns of cropland phenology in China. A smoothing algorithm based on an asymmetric Gaussian function was first performed on NDVI dataset to minimize the effects of anomalous values caused by atmospheric haze and cloud contamination. Subsequent processing for identifying cropping systems and extracting phenological parameters, the starting date of growing season （SGS） and the ending date of growing season （EGS） was based on the smoothed NVDI time-series data. The results showed that the cropping systems in China became complex as moving from north to south of China. Under these cropping systems, the SGS and EGS for the first growing season varied largely over space, and those regions with multiple cropping systems generally presented a significant advanced SGS and EGS than the regions with single cropping patterns. On the contrary, the phenological events of the second growing season including both the SGS and EGS showed little difference between regions. The spatial patterns of cropping systems and phenology in Chinese cropland were highly related to the geophysical environmental factors. Several anthropogenic factors, such as crop variety, cultivation levels, irrigation, and fertilizers, could profoundly influence crop phenological status. How to discriminate the impacts of biophysical forces and anthropogenic drivers on phenological events of cultivation remains a great challenge for further studies.     

Tree species-specific effects on soil microbial residues in an upper Michigan old-growth forest system

Microbial contribution to carbon and nitrogen cycling in forestsoils is important, and may depend on tree species. The amountof amino sugars and their ratios can serve as reliable indicatorsfor bacterial and fungal contribution. We compare forest floormicrobial residues (amino sugars) beneath three canopy-treespecies (Sugar Maple (SM), Acer saccharum Marsh; Basswood (BA),Tilia americana L.; Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis L.) replicatedin five plots in an upper Michigan old-growth forest. We hypothesizedthat because individual tree species develop a unique microbialcommunity over time, they will accumulate microbial residuesto different degrees. In this study at three tree species sites,the absolute amount of fungal residue (glucosamine (GluN)) wasrelatively constant, while absolute quantities of bacterialresidues (galactosamine (GalN) and muramic acid (MurA)) wereleast in the Hemlock site. Amino sugar ratios revealed thatmicrobial residues were compositionally distinct in the threesites. The lower ratios of GluN to GalN and GluN to MurA inBA and SM sites relative to Hemlock site indicate the lowernet accumulations of GalN and MurA in Hemlock site. In termsof microbial contribution to carbon and nitrogen cycle in forestsoils, we suggest that caution may be needed when using aminosugars as a tool, especially for nitrogen pool assessment, asthe amino sugars are diluted by plant-derived litter. This studyprovides information on the microbial residues in undisturbedforest soils which may assist interpretation of data derivedfrom managed or damaged forests in the future.     

Estimation of cadmium load on Japanese farmland associated with the application of chemical fertilizers and livestock excreta

It is very important to use ¹⁵N labeled nitrogen gas (¹⁵N₂) in studies on biological nitrogen fixation. For example, ¹⁵N₂ is necessary for direct measurement of the amount of fixed nitrogen, and is useful for studies on the assimilation and transport of fixed nitrogen. However, ¹⁵N₂ is sometimes troublesome to deal with for the following reasons. Decline in the ¹⁵N content of ¹⁵N₂ gas may occur as a result of contamination with atmospheric N₂ during the storage period or application to nitrogen fixing organisms. Also, the ¹⁵N₂ gas provided commercially in a glass bottle or gas cylinder is technically and economically not convenient for experiments employing small amounts of ¹⁵N₂. Moreover, purification of ¹⁵N₂ gas is necessary for biological research, since contamination with the oxidized forms of nitrogen represses biological nitrogen fixation to a certain extent. A simple method for the preparation, purification and storage of ¹⁵N₂ gas for biological nitrogen fixation studies, was therefore devised.