Effect of Controlled-release Fertilizer and Root-proof Capillary Wick Addition to Root-zone on Tomato Growth and Yield

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of controlled-release fertilizers and wick addition to the root-zone on plant growth and yield of medium-fruit sized tomato up to the 18(th) truss in long-term forcing culture. The set-up consisted of a box partitioned by a board into two halves, named box 1 and box 2. Box 1 contained 2.8 ℓ of growth medium (soil : bark : perlite : peat=2 : 2 : 1 : 1). Plant was grown in box 1 with a capillary wick, and at flowering of the 8(th) truss, the partition was removed and box 2 filled with 2.8 ℓ of the medium. There were two treatments, with or without capillary wick in box 2, namely, single wick (S) and double wicks (D). Plant height was greater in D than S in January, and the difference increased gradually thereafter. Flowering time of 18(th) truss in D was 10 days earlier and decapitated shoot weight was twice that of S. Fruit yield per plant was 8 kg in S and 9 kg in D with similar value of Brix and titratable acidity. There was no difference between S and D in dry root weight (7g/plant) or in xylem exudates (8ml/h), while in S in April plant growth was inferior, leaf color yellow greenish and fruit colour uneven towards the end of growth of plants. Xylem sap analysis showed that NO(3)-N was 10 me/ℓ in S and 6 me/ℓ in D. This concentration is weaker than that of Enshi standard nutrient solution generally used in hydroponics. These results suggest that application of controlled-release fertilizers and wick addition to box 2 with root-zone extended was effective for plant growth performance and fruit yield.中玉トマト18段摘心の長期促成栽培における肥効調節型肥料の適用と生育途中の根域拡張に伴う「紐」適用が生育と果実収量に及ぼす効果を調べた．栽培容器は可動仕切り板で2つに仕切り区画当たり容量は2.8ℓとし，第8段花房開花時に仕切り板をはずして5.6ℓ（1st Box＋2nd Box）とした．試験区は2区で2nd Boxに紐を配置しない1本区と2nd Boxにもう１本を配した2本区である．2本区の草丈は1月以降，1本区に比べ高く推移し第18段花房の開花日が約10日早まり，成長の指標とした摘心時の茎頂部新鮮重も1本区の2倍となった．1株の果実収量は1本区で8kg，2本区で9kgとなり果実の糖度，酸度には両区間に差はなかった．栽培終了時の根の乾物重と茎切断面から採取した木部いっ泌液は両区間に差はなかったが，両区とも栽培終期の4月には生育が衰え葉色は黄緑色で果実の着色も不均一であった．木部いっ泌の成分分析ではNO(3)-N濃度が1本区で10me/ℓ，2本区で6me/ℓであり，これらの濃度は一般に養液栽培に使用される園試標準濃度よりも低かった．以上の結果から，第8段花房開花時に仕切りを開放し新区画への土壌と肥料ならびに紐の新たな適用は，生育安定と収量確保に効果的に作用することが明らかとなった．しかし，紐の有無にかかわらず生育後期の生育が不良となったことから，今後は施肥設計の面から，とくにNO(3)-NとSO(4)-Sの両面から検討する必要があると考察した

Physical properties of portland cement based concrete exposed at a depth of 3520 m in the Nankai Trough

Concrete is widely used in large-scale construction of submarine infrastructure because of its high strength, durability, and ease of handling. However, knowledge of its durability in deep seawater is lacking. In the deep sea, materials are exposed to high pressures and low temperatures, which may cause early deterioration of concrete over time. Concrete materials may also be affected by the chemical composition of seawater, which induces the leaching of calcium. In situ exposure tests are therefore important for understanding degradation processes in the deep sea. In this study, Portland cement based concrete specimens were placed at a depth of 3520 m on the northern edge of the Nankai Trough in 2018 and retrieved in 2019, in the deepest exposure testing conducted to date. Here we provide an outline of the tests, describe the physical properties of materials exposed to deep seawater, freshwater, and air, and discuss possible concrete degradation mechanisms

Localization of Adenylate Kinase 4 in Mouse Tissues

Adenylate kinase (AK) is a key enzyme in the high-energy phosphoryl transfer reaction in living cells. Of its isoforms, AK4 has a similar sequence and subcellular localization to that of AK3 in the mitochondrial matrix. However, unlike AK3, AK4 lacks the guanosine triphosphate: adenosine monophosphate phosphotransferase activity. To elucidate the physiological role of AK4, we explored the protein localization of AK4 in various mouse tissues by immunohistochemical analysis. AK4 protein was detected in the kidney, liver, brain, heart, stomach, intestine, and gonads but not in the lung and spleen. Interestingly, cell-type specific expression was evident in the brain, gastrointestinal tract, and gonads. In the cerebellum, AK4 was detected in granular cells but not in Purkinje cell bodies. In the gastrointestinal tract, AK4 was highly expressed in epithelia. In the ovary, AK4 was detected in oocytes and corpora lutea. In the testis, AK4 was detected in spermatocytes but not in spermatogonia. Our findings demonstrate that AK4 localizes uniquely in a cell-type and tissue-specific manner in mouse tissues

Tissue Characterization of Coronary Plaque by Using Fractal Analysis-based Features of IVUS RF-signal

We propose a precise tissue characterization method of coronary plaque by using fractal analysis-based features which are obtained from radiofrequency (RF) signal employing intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) method. The IVUS method is used for the diagnosis of the acute coronary syndromes (ACS). In the proposed method, the fact that the RF signal reflects the complexity of the structure of tissue is used. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through a series of experiments by using IVUS RF signals obtained from a rabbit and a human patient

Observation of band crossings protected by nonsymmorphic symmetry in the layered ternary telluride Ta3SiTe6

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of layered ternary telluride Ta3SiTe6 which is predicted to host nodal lines associated with nonsymmorphic crystal symmetry. We found that the energy bands in the valence-band region show Dirac-like dispersions which present a band degeneracy at the R point of the bulk orthorhombic Brillouin zone. This band degeneracy extends one-dimensionally along the whole SR high-symmetry line, forming the nodal lines protected by the glide mirror symmetry of the crystal. We also observed a small band splitting near EF which supports the existence of hourglass-type dispersions predicted by the calculation. The present results provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the interplay between exotic nodal fermions and nonsymmorphic crystal symmetry.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure