Glucose intolerance associated with hypoxia in people living at high altitudes in the Tibetan highland.

Objectives: To clarify the association between glucose intolerance and high altitudes (2900-4800 m) in a hypoxic environment in Tibetan highlanders and to verify the hypothesis that high altitude dwelling increases vulnerability to diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerated by lifestyle change or ageing.

Design: Cross-sectional epidemiological study on Tibetan highlanders.

Participants: We enrolled 1258 participants aged 40-87 years.

Biodegradation of cyromazine by melamine-degrading bacteria.

Biodegradation of cyromazine was investigated in liquid cultures using three melamine-degrading bacteria sp. MCO, sp. CSP and sp.

Ecological effect assessment by species sensitivity distribution for 68 pesticides used in Japanese paddy fields.

In this study, the species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) of 68 pesticides commonly used in Japanese paddy fields were analyzed based on collected acute toxicity data as a higher-tier ecological effect assessment. Then, based on each SSD, the 5% hazardous concentration (HC) values were calculated as the predicted no-effect concentrations for aquatic ecosystems. The differences between HC and registration criteria were small (within 10-fold) for 50 of the 68 pesticides.

Enhancement of Biodegradable Plastic-degrading Enzyme Production from Paraphoma-like Fungus, Strain B47-9.

To improve the productivity of Paraphoma-like fungal strain B47-9 for biodegradable plastic (BP)-degrading enzyme (PCLE), the optimal concentration of emulsified poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) in the medium was determined. Emulsified PBSA was consumed as a sole carbon source and an inducer of PCLE production by strain B47-9. Among the various concentrations of emulsified PBSA [0.

Leaf unfolding of Tibetan alpine meadows captures the arrival of monsoon rainfall.

The alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau is the highest and largest pasture in the world, and its formation and distribution are mainly controlled by Indian summer monsoon effects. However, little is known about how monsoon-related cues may trigger spring phenology of the vast alpine vegetation. Based on the 7-year observations with fenced and transplanted experiments across lower to upper limits of Kobresia meadows in the central plateau (4400-5200 m), we found that leaf unfolding dates of dominant sedge and grass species synchronized with monsoon onset, regardless of air temperature.

Evaluation of the cause of unexplained radiocaesium contamination of brown rice in Fukushima in 2013 using autoradiography and gamma-ray spectrometry.

The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, caused the release of radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), contaminating eastern Japan, particularly in part of Fukushima Prefecture. In 2012 and 2014, the radiocaesium concentration in brown rice did not exceed regulatory levels in Minamisoma City, Fukushima. However, in 2013, some radiocaesium concentrations in brown rice exceeded regulatory levels.

Internal structure of cesium-bearing radioactive microparticles released from Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Microparticles containing substantial amounts of radiocesium collected from the ground in Fukushima were investigated mainly by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray microanalysis with scanning TEM (STEM). Particles of around 2 μm in diameter are basically silicate glass containing Fe and Zn as transition metals, Cs, Rb and K as alkali ions, and Sn as substantial elements. These elements are homogeneously distributed in the glass except Cs which has a concentration gradient, increasing from center to surface.

Plutonium, Cs and uranium isotopes in Mongolian surface soils.

Plutonium (Pu and Pu), Cs and plutonium activity ratios (Pu/Pu) as did uranium isotope ratio (U/U) were measured in surface soil samples collected in southeast Mongolia. The Pu and Cs concentrations in Mongolian surface soils (<53 μm of particle size) ranged from 0.42 ± 0.

Development of a method for estimating total CH4 emission from rice paddies in Japan using the DNDC-Rice model.

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas, and paddy fields are one of its main anthropogenic emission sources. To mitigate this emission based on effective management measures, CH4 emission from paddy fields must be quantified at a national scale. In Japan, country-specific emission factors have been applied since 2003 to estimate national CH4 emission from paddy fields.

Toward integration of genomic selection with crop modelling: the development of an integrated approach to predicting rice heading dates.

It is suggested that accuracy in predicting plant phenotypes can be improved by integrating genomic prediction with crop modelling in a single hierarchical model. Accurate prediction of phenotypes is important for plant breeding and management. Although genomic prediction/selection aims to predict phenotypes on the basis of whole-genome marker information, it is often difficult to predict phenotypes of complex traits in diverse environments, because plant phenotypes are often influenced by genotype-environment interaction.

Efficacy of SDHI fungicides, including benzovindiflupyr, against Colletotrichum species.

Background: Colletotrichum species cause anthracnose diseases on many plants and crops. A new generation of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) was developed recently. The inhibitory activity of the five SDHI fungicides against Colletotrichum species was determined in this study.

How Universal Is the Relationship between Remotely Sensed Vegetation Indices and Crop Leaf Area Index? A Global Assessment.

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is a key variable that bridges remote sensing observations to the quantification of agroecosystem processes. In this study, we assessed the universality of the relationships between crop LAI and remotely sensed Vegetation Indices (VIs). We first compiled a global dataset of 1459 in situ quality-controlled crop LAI measurements and collected Landsat satellite images to derive five different VIs including Simple Ratio (SR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), two versions of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI and EVI2), and Green Chlorophyll Index (CI).

Re-estimating NH3 Emissions from Chinese Cropland by a New Nonlinear Model.

Ammonia (NH3) released to the atmosphere leads to a cascade of impacts on the environment, yet estimation of NH3 volatilization from cropland soils (VNH3) in a broad spatial scale is still quite uncertain in China. This mainly stems from nonlinear relationships between VNH3 and relevant factors. On the basis of 495 site-years of measurements at 78 sites across Chinese croplands, we developed a nonlinear Bayesian tree regression model to determine how environmental factors modulate the local derivative of VNH3 to nitrogen application rates (Nrate) (VR, %).

High-level recombinant protein production by the basidiomycetous yeast Pseudozyma antarctica under a xylose-inducible xylanase promoter.

Yeast host-vector systems are useful tools for the production of recombinant proteins. Here, we report the construction of a new high-level expression plasmid pPAX1-neo for the basidiomycetous yeast, Pseudozyma antarctica. pPAX1-neo harbours a xylose-inducible expression cassette under control of the xylanase promoter and terminator of P.

4,4'-DDE and Endosulfan Levels in Agricultural Soils of the Çukurova Region, Mediterranean Turkey.

Mediterranean Turkey has long been at the forefront of Turkish agriculture and the use of organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in this area rose considerably between the 1940s and 1980s. This study aimed to determine OCP residue levels in agricultural soils collected from the Mersin and Adana Districts, Çukurova Basin in Mediterranean Turkey. Most soil samples were contaminated with one, or both, of two OCP metabolites; 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4'-DDE) and endosulfan sulfate.

Eradication of Invading Insect Populations: From Concepts to Applications.

Eradication is the deliberate elimination of a species from an area. Given that international quarantine measures can never be 100% effective, surveillance for newly arrived populations of nonnative species coupled with their eradication represents an important strategy for excluding potentially damaging insect species. Historically, eradication efforts have not always been successful and have sometimes been met with public opposition.

Harpin Hpa1 Interacts with Aquaporin PIP1;4 to Promote the Substrate Transport and Photosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Harpin proteins produced by plant-pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria are the venerable player in regulating bacterial virulence and inducing plant growth and defenses. A major gap in these effects is plant sensing linked to cellular responses, and plant sensor for harpin Hpa1 from rice bacterial blight pathogen points to plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP). Here we show that Arabidopsis AtPIP1;4 is a plasma membrane sensor of Hpa1 and plays a dual role in plasma membrane permeability of CO2 and H2O.

Multiple factors drive regional agricultural abandonment.

An understanding of land-use change and its drivers in agroecosystems is important when developing adaptations to future environmental and socioeconomic pressures. Agricultural abandonment occurs worldwide with multiple potentially positive and negative consequences; however, the main factors causing agricultural abandonment in a country i.e.

Control of enzymatic degradation of biodegradable polymers by treatment with biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids, derived from Pseudozyma spp. yeast strains.

Cutinase-like esterase from the yeasts Pseudozyma antarctica (PaE) shows strong degradation activity in an agricultural biodegradable plastic (BP) model of mulch films composed of poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA). P. antarctica is known to abundantly produce a glycolipid biosurfactant, mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL).

Rice grain yield and quality responses to free-air CO2 enrichment combined with soil and water warming.

Rising air temperatures are projected to reduce rice yield and quality, whereas increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2 ]) can increase grain yield. For irrigated rice, ponded water is an important temperature environment, but few open-field evaluations are available on the combined effects of temperature and [CO2 ], which limits our ability to predict future rice production. We conducted free-air CO2 enrichment and soil and water warming experiments, for three growing seasons to determine the yield and quality response to elevated [CO2 ] (+200 μmol mol(-1) , E-[CO2 ]) and soil and water temperatures (+2 °C, E-T).

Insect's intestinal organ for symbiont sorting.

Symbiosis has significantly contributed to organismal adaptation and diversification. For establishment and maintenance of such host-symbiont associations, host organisms must have evolved mechanisms for selective incorporation, accommodation, and maintenance of their specific microbial partners. Here we report the discovery of a previously unrecognized type of animal organ for symbiont sorting.

Joint Effect of Solar UVB and Heat Stress on the Seasonal Change of Egg Hatching Success in the Herbivorous False Spider Mite (Acari: Tenuipalpidae).

Seasonal population dynamics of an herbivorous mite has been documented in terms of the relationship between thermoresponses and temporal biological factors such as resource availability or predation risk. Although recent studies emphasize the deleterious effects of solar ultraviolet-B (UVB; 280-320 nm wavelengths) radiation on plant-dwelling mites, how UVB affects mite population remains largely unknown. On a wild shrub Viburnum erosum var.

Route and Regulation of Zinc, Cadmium, and Iron Transport in Rice Plants (Oryza sativa L.) during Vegetative Growth and Grain Filling: Metal Transporters, Metal Speciation, Grain Cd Reduction and Zn and Fe Biofortification.

Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) are essential but are sometimes deficient in humans, while cadmium (Cd) is toxic if it accumulates in the liver and kidneys at high levels. All three are contained in the grains of rice, a staple cereal. Zn and Fe concentrations in rice grains harvested under different levels of soil/hydroponic metals are known to change only within a small range, while Cd concentrations show greater changes.

Orchestration of three transporters and distinct vascular structures in node for intervascular transfer of silicon in rice.

Requirement of mineral elements in different plant tissues is not often consistent with their transpiration rate; therefore, plants have developed systems for preferential distribution of mineral elements to the developing tissues with low transpiration. Here we took silicon (Si) as an example and revealed an efficient system for preferential distribution of Si in the node of rice (Oryza sativa). Rice is able to accumulate more than 10% Si of the dry weight in the husk, which is required for protecting the grains from water loss and pathogen infection.