As the spreading of abandoned bamboo forests is becoming a serious problem in Japan, new possible uses for bamboo biomass are being sought toward controlling their further spread. In the present study, we investigated the potential of bamboo powder substrates in cultivation of horticultural plants as well as for bamboo powder to be used as a soil supplement in potting substrate recycling. Twenty varieties of ornamental flowering species were sown either in a conventional potting substrate or bamboo powder substrates. After 30 days, the cumulative germination rate of each variety was not affected by the type of substrate the plants were grown in. Although the overall plant growth of pot French marigold, pansy, and strawberry showed a tendency of being inferior in the bamboo powder substrates compared with the conventional potting substrate, it was improved by the addition of compost. The growth of French marigold also improved when the fermented bamboo powder substrate was additionally fertilized. We found that the microbiota present in the recycled potting substrate containing fermented bamboo powder was similar to that found in fresh potting substrate. These results indicate that bamboo substrate has great potential to be employed both as a growing substrate for various garden plants and as a soil supplement in recycling of used potting substrate.

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The photoluminescence (PL) properties of four gypsums from three localities, namely, Inner Mongolia (China), Turkey, and Canada, are investigated at room temperature. Under 365-nm excitation, two types of gypsums from Inner Mongolia exhibit different luminescence colors, namely, yellow and cyan-white, and gypsums from Turkey and Canada exhibit yellow and bluish-white luminescence, respectively. The PL spectra of these gypsums consist of continuous sub-bands distributed in all visible wavelengths, and the excitation spectra of these gypsums consist of continuous sub-bands distributed in a wide range of wavelengths, i.e., 200-500 nm. The features of PL and excitation spectra suggest that the origin of luminescence from these gypsums may be luminescent organic substances included into crystals in the growth process rather than the impurity ions substituted for Ca²⁺.

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Blue flower color of Nemophila menziesii Hook. and Arn. is derived from a metalloanthocyanin, nemophilin, which comprises petunidin-3-O-[6-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-β-glucoside]-5-O-[6-O-(malonyl)-β-glucoside], apigenin-7-O-β-glucoside-4′-O-(6-O-malonyl)-β-glucoside, and Mg²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions. The flavonoid biosynthetic pathway of nemophilin has not yet been characterized. RNA-Seq analysis of the petals yielded 61,491 contigs. These were searched using BLAST against petunia or torenia flavonoid biosynthetic proteins, which identified 11 putative full-length protein sequences belonging to the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. RT-PCR using primers designed on the basis of these sequences yielded 14 sequences. Spatio-temporal transcriptome analysis indicated that genes involved in the early part of the pathway are strongly expressed during early-petal development and that those in the late part at late-flower opening stages, but they are rarely expressed in leaves. Flavanone 3-hydroxylase and flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase cDNAs were successfully expressed in yeast to confirm their activities. Recombinant anthocyanin O-methyltransferase cDNA (NmAMT6) produced using Escherichia coli was subjected to biochemical characterization. Km of NmAMT6 toward delphinidin 3-O-glucoside was 22 µM, which is comparable with Km values of anthocyanin O-methyltransferases from other plants. With delphinidin 3-O-glucoside as substrate, NmAMT6 almost exclusively yielded petunidin 3-O-glucoside rather than malvidin 3-O-glucoside. This specificity is consistent with the anthocyanin composition of Nemophila petals.

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2 種類の主要アントシアニン（色素 1 と 2）が青色花弁のネモフィラ（Nemophila menziesii ‘Insignis blue’）およびその変異系統の紫色花弁から検出された．これら 2 種類のアントシアニンを青色花弁から単離し，化学およびスペクトル分析による構造解析を行った結果，ペチュニジン 3-O-［6-O-（シス-p- クマロイル）-β- グルコピラノシド］-5-O-［6-O-（マロニル）-β- グルコピラノシド］（色素 1）とペチュニジン 3-O-［6-O-（トランス-p- クマロイル）-β- グルコピラノシド］-5-O-［6-O-（マロニル）-β- グルコピラノシド］（色素 2）であり，色素 1 は新規化合物であった．さらに，2 種類の主要フラボノール配糖体（色素 3 と 5）と 2 種類の主要フラボン配糖体（色素 4 と 6）も青色花弁から単離され，ケンフェロール 3-（6- ラムノシル）- グルコシド-7- グルコシド（色素 3），アピゲニン 7,4′- ジグルコシド（色素 4），ケンフェロール3-（2,6- ジラムノシル）- グルコシド（色素 5），そしてアピゲニン 7- グルコシド-4′-（6- マロニル）- グルコシド（色素 6）と同定された．これら 4 種類のフラボノイドの内，色素 4 と 6 は紫色花弁からは検出されなかったことから，これらの違いにより花色が異なることが示唆された．

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To improve the understanding on the mechanisms of phase distribution and bubble interaction for cap bubbly flow in rod bundles, the adiabatic upward cap bubbly flow has been investigated experimentally in 5×5 rod bundles with prototypical mixing vane spacer grids (MVSGs). Miniaturized four-sensor conductivity probe (MFSCP) has been developed to measure the local two phase flow parameters, such as void fraction, interfacial area concentration (IAC), bubble velocity, and bubble chord length. The detailed local parameters in cap bubbly flow has been measured and analyzed, based on which the phase distribution characteristics have been analyzed for Group I and II bubbles in detail. Moreover, the axial development and the effect of MVSG have also been analyzed. Some interesting phenomenon have been observed: Group I void fraction profile is almost flat at the measuring line while Group II void fraction profile has the skewed peaks near the sub-channel center resulted for the limitation of rod walls and the strong secondary flow; Group I IAC is the main contribution to the total IAC, whose profile has the peaks near the rod gap due to the smaller bubble size near the rod walls. For current cap bubbly flow condition, the bubble velocity and size are the two determined factors for Group I IAC for the similar void fraction, while the void fraction is the key factor for Group II IAC for the larger bubble size. Furthermore, because of the shear force of MVSG and induced stronger turbulence, the large Group II bubbles break up into Group I bubbles and smaller Group II bubbles, which results in the smaller bubble size and larger Group I void fraction and IAC. According to the analysis on the axial development of local parameter profiles, the MVSG dissipation length might be larger than 19.4 L/Dh, but smaller than 32.1 L/Dh for current cap bubbly flow condition.

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In the present work, a phenanthroline derivative (2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, MPP), as a fluorescent probe, was synthesized to realize a rapid, simple and sensitive detection of silver(I). The detection conditions of Ag⁺ were optimized. This fluorescent probe has the advantages of a fast reaction time, a wide pH applicable range, and a low detection limit, exhibiting a good linear response between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration in the range of 0.05 – 1.5 μmol/L for Ag⁺. The detection limit is as low as 3.38 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L (S/N = 3). This probe had been used to detect Ag⁺ in real samples, and the recovery efficiency of spiked Ag⁺ had been also tested. The recovery efficiency is satisfactory, ranging from 92.0 to 105.4%. Therefore, this fluorescent probe should provide a new choice for the quantitative detection of silver ions in environmental water samples.

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琉球列島の河川急流域に生息するハゼ科ヨシノボリ属魚類2 新種、Rhinogobius yaima と R. yonezawai を記載した。Rhinogobius yaima（ヤイマヒラヨシノボリ：新称）は縦列鱗数40–43、脊椎骨数26、第1 背鰭棘数6、頭部はよく縦偏し、体と尾柄は細長い、雄の第1 背鰭低く後端は倒しても第2 背鰭起部に達しない、腹鰭第5 軟条は普通最初に5 分岐する、胸鰭基底、腹鰭起部前方、腹部腹中線周辺は無鱗である、生時もしくは生鮮時に側頭部から第2 背鰭起部にかけての背面に橙色または赤色の2 縦線がある、胸鰭基底に1 暗色楕円形斑がある、雄の尾鰭に橙色の4 横点列がある、雌の尾鰭基底に垂直に並んだ1 対の長方形または円形の黒色斑があるなどの特徴で同属他種から区別できる。Rhinogobius yonezawai（ケンムンヒラヨシノボリ：新称）は縦列鱗数35–39、脊椎骨数26、雄の第1 背鰭は高く烏帽子形、その第2・3 棘が最長で糸状に伸長しないものの倒すと第2 背鰭第1 から第4 軟条基部に達する、腹鰭第5 軟条は最初に4 分岐する、胸鰭基底、腹鰭起部前方、腹部腹中線周辺もしくは腹部腹中線前半周辺は無鱗である、胸鰭基底に黒色楕円形斑がある、生時もしくは生鮮時に側頭部から第1 背鰭下方にかけての背面に橙色または赤色の2 縦線がある、胸鰭基底に1 暗色楕円形斑がある、雄の尾鰭に橙色または赤色の6–8 垂線がある、雌の尾鰭基底に横Y 字形の1 黒色斑があるなどの特徴で同属他種から区別できる。

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