Circular polarization in star- formation regions: implications for biomolecular homochirality

Strong infrared circular polarization resulting from dust scattering in reflection nebulae in the Orion OMC-1 star-formation region has been observed. Circular polarization at shorter wavelengths might have been important in inducing chiral asymmetry in interstellar organic molecules that could be subsequently delivered to the early Earth by comets, interplanetary dust particles, or meteors. This could account for the excess of L-amino acids found in the Murchison meteorite and could explain the origin of the homochirality of biological molecules.     

The Solar Acoustic Spectrum and Eigenmode Parameters

The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) project estimates the frequencies, amplitudes, and linewidths of more than 250,000 acoustic resonances of the sun from data sets lasting 36 days. The frequency resolution of a single data set is 0.321 microhertz. For frequencies averaged over the azimuthal order m, the median formal error is 0.044 microhertz, and the associated median fractional error is 1.6 x 10(-5). For a 3-year data set, the fractional error is expected to be 3 x 10(-6). The GONG m-averaged frequency measurements differ from other helioseismic data sets by 0.03 to 0.08 microhertz. The differences arise from a combination of systematic errors, random errors, and possible changes in solar structure.     

Seasonal and Annual Fluxes of Inorganic Constituents in a Small Catchment of a Japanese Cedar Forest near the Sea of Japan

Fluxes of major ions in rainfall (RF), throughfall plus stemflow (TF + SF), and stream water (SW) were measured for five water years in a small catchment of a Japanese cedar forest near the Sea of Japan. The fluxes of most ions in RF and in TF + SF, including the non-sea-salt constituents, increased from late autumn to midwinter owing to the seasonal westerly wind. The concentrations of most ions in SW showed no obvious seasonal trend during the study period, whereas ${\text{NO}}_3 ^ - $ concentrations were lowest in summer, with a small seasonality. The Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ outputs in SW were approximately 3.7 and 1.8 times the TF + SF inputs of these cations, respectively. The large net outputs of base cations in the catchment may indicate a decrease in the soil's acid-neutralizing capacity. Annual dissolved inorganic nitrogen inputs in RF and in TF + SF were 17.7 and 17.9 kg N ha^?1 year^?1, respectively, which exceeded previously published thresholds in Europe and the U.S. (i.e., the values at which these inputs increased ${\text{NO}}_3 ^ - $ levels in SW) and equaled the highest level of nitrogen deposition previously reported in Japan. The ${\text{NO}}_{\text{3}} ^{\text{ - }} $ concentrations in SW were relatively high even in summer. During high-precipitation events, ${\text{NO}}_{\text{3}} ^{\text{ - }} $ concentrations in SW increased with increasing water discharge, and the pH decreased simultaneously during several events. Nitrogen deposition may contribute to the high ${\text{NO}}_{\text{3}} ^{\text{ - }} $ concentrations in SW and the temporary acidification that occurred during the rain events.     

Markers to differentiate species of anthracnose fungi identify <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum fructicola</Emphasis> as the predominant virulent species in strawberry plants in Chiba Prefecture of Japan

Colletotrichum fungi belonging to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex include a number of economically important postharvest pathogens that often cause anthracnose. Until now, different species within this group could only be distinguished from one another reliably using multigenic phylogenetic analyses. Using a comparative genomics approach, we developed a marker that can differentiate Colletotrichum fructicola, Colletotrichum aenigma and Colletotrichum siamense within the C. gloeosporioides species complex based on PCR amplicon size differences. When we used this marker to classify 115 isolates collected over 20 years from strawberries in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, the isolates were predominantly C. fructicola. To our knowledge, this is the first report characterizing different species of Colletotrichum infecting strawberries in Japan and contributes to our understanding on the diversity of anthracnose pathogens in Japan.     

New infection with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis reduces wool production

SUMMARY The effect of natural Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection on wool production and quality in sheep was examined in light of evidence that artificial C pseudotuberculosis infection causes wool production loss. A toxin ELISA was used to identify sheep that had been infected with C pseudo tuberculosis. Greasy and clean fleece weights and fibre diameter were compared in infected and uninfected sheep. C pseudotuberculosis infection caused a 3.8 to 4.8% decrease in greasy wool production and a 4.1 to 6.6% decrease in clean wool production. C pseudotuberculosis infection did not affect fibre diameter. The effects of caseous lymphadenitis (the disease caused by C pseudotuberculosis infection) cause an annual loss of about $17 million in wool production to the Australian wool industry.