Effect of Lighting Using Yellow LEDs Designed for Moth Control on Flowering Response of Chrysanthemum

In order to develop a single light source which can be used both for moth control and flower inhibition in chrysanthemum, effects of blue (463nm), green (519nm), yellow green (576nm), yellow (597nm) and red light (646nm) LEDs on the flowering and the cut flower characteristics of chrysanthemum were investigated. As irradiance increased, the days to flower budding increased except under blue light. Yellow green and yellow LED had flower inhibiting effect equivalent to red LED. There was no difference in the crown bud number and the occurrence of abnormal flower irrespective of the light quality and irradiance. Next the, effects of night break and continuous lighting treatment by yellow LED on the flowering and cut flower characteristics of the chrysanthemum were investigated. There were significant differences in the cut flower characteristics except for the blade number on the neck in these treatments ; there was no practical problem with night break or continuous lighting. The minimum irradiance strength enough for flower inhibition in the continuous lighting treatment was about 80 mW m−2 that was half in night break treatment. Therefore, it is considered that yellow LED can be used as single light source for both moth control and flower inhibition in chrysanthemum.キクの防蛾と開花抑制に両用できる単一の光源を開発するために，青（ピーク波長：463nm），緑（519nm），黄緑（576nm），黄（597nm）および赤色（646nm）LED光が開花および切り花形質に及ぼす影響を調査した．青色光を除いて，放射照度が大きいほど発蕾までの日数が大きくなった．黄緑および黄色光は，赤色光とほぼ同等の開花抑制作用を有していた．いずれの光質および放射照度に関わらず，やなぎ葉数や花弁の展開異常の発生に差は見られなかった．次に，黄色LED光による暗期中断と終夜照明による影響を調査した．暗期中断と終夜照明では，やなぎ葉数を除く切り花形質に有意な差が見られたが，実用上の問題はなかった．開花抑制に必要となる放射照度の下限値は，終夜照明では約80mW m-2であり，暗期中断のほぼ半分であった．以上のことから，黄色LED光は，単一の光源としてキクの防蛾と開花抑制に両用することが可能であった

Accelerating NBODY6 with Graphics Processing Units

We describe the use of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for speeding up the code NBODY6 which is widely used for direct $N$-body simulations. Over the years, the $N^2$ nature of the direct force calculation has proved a barrier for extending the particle number. Following an early introduction of force polynomials and individual time-steps, the calculation cost was first reduced by the introduction of a neighbour scheme. After a decade of GRAPE computers which speeded up the force calculation further, we are now in the era of GPUs where relatively small hardware systems are highly cost-effective. A significant gain in efficiency is achieved by employing the GPU to obtain the so-called regular force which typically involves some 99 percent of the particles, while the remaining local forces are evaluated on the host. However, the latter operation is performed up to 20 times more frequently and may still account for a significant cost. This effort is reduced by parallel SSE/AVX procedures where each interaction term is calculated using mainly single precision. We also discuss further strategies connected with coordinate and velocity prediction required by the integration scheme. This leaves hard binaries and multiple close encounters which are treated by several regularization methods. The present nbody6-GPU code is well balanced for simulations in the particle range $10^4-2 \times 10^5$ for a dual GPU system attached to a standard PC.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, MNRAS accepte

Effect of seed cold PEG–priming concentration and period followed by re–drying on germination, growth and flowering of Eustoma grandiflorum （Raf.） Shinn ʻExe Lavenderʼ

This study aimed to investigate whether seed cold priming by PEG‒6000, followed by re‒drying would affect the germination, growth, and flowering of Eustoma ‘Exe Lavender’ raised seedling under high temperatures. Seeds of control treatment were not treated with cold‒priming or re‒drying. In experiment 1, seeds were cold‒primed with water and PEG‒6000 at ‒0.75 and ‒1.5 MPa for 5 weeks at 10°C in the dark and then subjected to re‒dried and storage for 30 days at 10°C. The results showed that cold‒primed seeds germinated earlier than those of the control. Compared to water treatment, plants grown from PEG‒6000 treatments and re‒drying showed similar germination rate, bolting rate, days to bolting, bolting node and flowering rate. In experiment 2, cold priming periods by water and ‒1.5 MPa PEG‒6000 were investigated for 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 weeks. ‘Exe Lavender’ seeds treated with cold water and in the dark for longer than 5 weeks increased their percentage of radicle emergence and decreased germination rate after 30 days of re‒drying and storage. Meanwhile, those treated with cold-PEG did not protrude the radicle even for 8 weeks of priming and maintained the germination rate after re‒drying and storage. Days to bolting and days to flowering tended to decrease when the priming period decreased. The results suggest that the seed cold priming treatment by ‒1.5 MPa PEG‒6000 and subsequent re‒drying improved germination rate and maintained bolting rate and flowering rate in Eustoma compared to cold priming treatment by water raised seedling under high temperature conditions

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Seismic Exploration Using Active Sources at Kuchierabujima Volcano, Southwest Japan

Seismic exploration using artificial sources was conducted at Kuchierabujima volcano, southwest Japan in November 2004 by 40 participants from 9 national universities andJapan Meteorological Agency to investigate the subsurface seismic structure. The exploration was the 11th joint experiment under the National Project for Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions. A total of 183 temporal stations equippedwith a 2 Hz vertical component seismometer (including 75 3component seismometers) and a portable data logger were deployed on Kuchierabu Island. Dynamite shots with charges of 10-115 kg were detonated at 19 locations, and seismic signals were successfully recorded. To reveal the P-wave velocity structure, 2955 arrival times of the first motion were picked from the seismograms, and 2187 were classified into ranks A and B. From the record sections and the arrival time data, characteristics reflecting the geological structure were identified. Refracted waves of 5 km/s were observed at stations＞5km from the shot points. Apparent velocities near the shot points depend on the surface geology around the shots. P-wave arrived earlier at stations near the summits. Strongly scattered waves were observed similarly near the summits

Invited Article: Label-free nerve imaging with a coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering rigid endoscope using two optical fibers for laser delivery

A coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) rigid endoscope using two optical fibers to deliver excitation beams individually is developed. The use of two optical fibers allows the correction of longitudinal chromatic aberration and enhances the CARS signal by a factor of 2.59. The endoscope is used to image rat sciatic nerves with an imaging time of 10 s. Imaging of the rabbit prostatic fascia without sample slicing is also demonstrated, which reveals the potential for the application of the CARS endoscope to robot-assisted surgery

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering rigid endoscope toward robot-assisted surgery

Label-free visualization of nerves and nervous plexuses will improve the preservation of neurological functions in nerve-sparing robot-assisted surgery. We have developed a coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) rigid endoscope to distinguish nerves from other tissues during surgery. The developed endoscope, which has a tube with a diameter of 12 mm and a length of 270 mm, achieved 0.91% image distortion and 8.6% non-uniformity of CARS intensity in the whole field of view (650 μm diameter). We demonstrated CARS imaging of a rat sciatic nerve and visualization of the fine structure of nerve fibers

Effect of seed cold PEG-priming and subsequent long storage on germination, growth and flowering of Eustoma grandiflorum（Raf.）Shinn ʻExe Lavenderʼ

Cold wet treatment is frequently applied to Eustoma seeds to enhance the bolting rate of plants grown under high temperatures. Our previous study indicated that cold PEG‒primed Eustoma seeds could maintain their germination rate and bolting rate even after being re‒dried for 30days and grown under high temperatures. The present study aimed to investigate whether prolonged storage after cold PEG‒priming affect the germination, growth, and flowering of Eustoma ‘Exe Lavender’ seedling. Seeds were initially cold‒primed with water or PEG‒6000 at ‒1.5 MPa for 5 weeks at 10°C in the dark and were then subjected to re‒drying and storage for 30, 60, 90 and 360days at 10°C. After 360days of storage, cold PEG‒primed seeds germinated earlier and more effectively than cold hydro‒primed seeds. Compared to the results after 30days of storage, plants grown from 360days exhibited similar bolting rate, days to bolting, bolting node and flowering rate, cut flower length and number of flower node. These results suggest that ‘Exe Lavender’ seeds can germinate and develop well even after 360days of storage and under high temperature conditions when subjected to cold PEG‒6000 treatment