Microbial Diversity in the Phyllosphere and Rhizosphere of an Apple Orchard Managed under Prolonged "Natural Farming" Practices.

Microbial diversity in an apple orchard cultivated with natural farming practices for over 30 years was compared with conventionally farmed orchards to analyze differences in disease suppression. In this long-term naturally farmed orchard, major apple diseases were more severe than in conventional orchards but milder than in a short-term natural farming orchard. Among major fungal species in the phyllosphere, we found that and were significantly less abundant in long-term natural farming, while predominated.

Synthesis of NaMoOF and NaWOF with Morphological Controllability in Non-Aqueous Solvents.

NaMoOF and NaWOF were synthesized by solvothermal reaction of MoO and WO, respectively, with NaF in nonaqueous solvents. These reactions were realized at low temperatures (150-200 °C) without the use of HF. This synthesis method is much more facile and safe procedure compared with general synthesis methods for oxyfluorides which includes hydrothermal reaction under a presence of HF or solid-state reaction at high temperatures in vacuum sealed tube or under high pressure.

A comparative study of the violet root rot fungi, Helicobasidium brebissonii and H. mompa, from Japan.

A violet root rot fungus recently found in Japan was identified as Helicobasidium brebissonii. The fungus was compared with another violet root rot fungus, H. mompa, which is distributed throughout Japan, in terms of morphological characteristics of the basidiospores and the conidial state, sequences of rDNA ITS regions, and pathogenicity on carrot, sweet potato and apple rootstock.

[Gait disturbance in aging and equilibrium disorders--body sway research no. 45].

Initiation of gait in relation to aging in normal adults and patients with equilibrium disorders were examined by a large force platform to analyze trace of the center of foot pressure while walking with eyes open. Sixty normal adults and fifty-one patients with equilibrium disorders underwent examinations. Normal adult subjects were divided into three groups by depending on the age; the young age group (20-39 years), the middle age group (40-64 years), and the aged group (over 65 years).

Vestibulo-ocular reflex and visual vestibulo-ocular reflex during sinusoidal rotation in children.

To clarify the relationship between vestibular and visual (optokinetic) stimuli in normal children, we investigated the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and visual VOR (VVOR). The subjects were 20 healthy children aged 3-6 years and 24 healthy adults aged 21-29 years. The VOR gains and phase were measured under two visual conditions: with eyes open in complete darkness and with eyes open in a lighted optokinetic drum.