We investigated the effects of commercial fungicides on the Japanese mycoparasitic Ampelomyces sp. (AM) strain Xs-q, considered to be a promising biocontrol agent of powdery mildew (PM) fungi, in two settings: (a) in vitro assays; and (b) in vivo assays with a melon PM isolate (Podosphaera xanthii KMP-6N) on leaves of host seedlings (Cucumis melo 'Earl's Favourite'). When Xs-q was inoculated onto nutrient media supplemented with one of 37 fungicides, 12 of these, including pyriofenone and mepanipyrim, failed to inhibit its growth and the production of pycnidia. We also used a digital microscope to monitor Xs-q in fungicide-resistant KMP-6N colonies. In the presence of fungicides, Xs-q hyphae penetrated the KMP-6N hyphae and grew internally. Under greenhouse conditions (low RH, 30%-55%), at 7 days post-inoculation (dpi) with Xs-q spores, the KMP-6N conidiophores and hyphae atrophied and collapsed. Under growth chamber conditions (high RH, 80%-90%), at approximately 7-10 dpi, Xs-q hyphae produced intracellular pycnidia in KMP-6N conidiophores and at approximately 10-14 dpi, Xs-q released spores from its mature pycnidia. Pycnidia of Xs-q were formed in KMP-6N colonies pretreated with the fungicide kresoxim-methyl. When combined with fungicides, the mycoparasitic fungus inhibited the development of the fungicide-resistant fungus, which failed to release progeny conidia from the PM colonies, regardless of the relative humidity. Our study is the first to demonstrate biotrophic interactions between an AM strain and a fungicide-resistant P. xanthii in the presence of a fungicide on host leaves, by combining digital microscopic and electrostatic techniques.
Molecular cocrystals are crystalline materials composed of multiple types of molecular components held together by noncovalent interactions. Among these, porphyrin-fullerene cocrystals represent a well-studied class of supramolecular assemblies. The close packing arrangement between porphyrins and fullerenes is known to contribute to high crystallinity and structural stability. Porphyrin-fullerene cocrystal systems including C60, which has a spherical shape, have provided insights on intermolecular interaction. In contrast, cocrystals incorporating C70, which has an ellipsoidal shape, remain relatively unexplored, and the influence of fullerene shape on cocrystal structures and stability remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the differences between C60 and C70 using cocrystals of a nickel(ii) porphyrin derivative (NiTEPP) with these fullerenes. Two distinct cocrystals were successfully obtained: the porous cocrystal NiTEPP/C70 featuring one-dimensional channels, and the nonporous crystal NiTEPP/C70-n. High-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction results show that these cocrystals maintained their single crystal structure under high pressure. Furthermore, intermolecular interaction energies depending on the fullerene species were evaluated using density functional theory calculations. The combined experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that the shape of the fullerene plays a crucial role in governing intermolecular interactions and structural stability, and these results provide valuable guidelines for the rational design of molecular cocrystals with controlled intermolecular interactions.
The uneven distribution of universities across regions has been argued to create educational inequalities based on place of residence. While studies have shown positive associations between college proximity, measured by distance to nearest college or its presence, and enrolment among local residents, regional availability has often been measured insufficiently, and longitudinal evidence on the relationship is limited. Using multiple social survey datasets combined with population census data from Japan, a country that has experienced significant policy shifts regarding university locations, we examine how longitudinal changes in regional university availability in an individual's residential and neighbouring prefectures are associated with their likelihood of university enrolment and how these associations differ by parental class and education. Our results show that increased university availability in both residential and neighbouring prefectures is positively associated with enrolment. While the strength of the association does not differ significantly by parental class, individuals with tertiary-educated parents are more responsive to increased availability. These findings suggest that increased university availability in underserved areas could reduce spatial inequality in enrolment, though may have a limited role in reducing, or may even be positively associated with, inequality based on social origin.
The new genus Pseudoangiostoma gen. n. (Nematoda: Angiostomatidae) was established on the basis of the type species Pseudoangiostoma onychodactyla comb. n. (syn. Angiostoma onychodactyla), which parasitizes the stomach and intestine of some species of the genus Onychodactylus (Amphibia: Hynobiidae) in Japan. Pseudoangiostoma gen. n. differs from the genus Angiostoma by having a lower inverted truncated cone-shaped buccal cavity, a thicker and strongly curved buccal wall, and for parasitizing hosts of the order Caudata. The phylogenetic pattern provided substantial suppot for the new genus, exhibiting two major divergent lineages (diverged in terrestrial gastropods vs. salamanders). This study indicated that P. onychodactyla comb. n. did not originate from host-switching event from terrestrial gastropods to salamanders. However, other species of Angiostoma parasitic in amphibians and reptiles are still considered insertae sedis.
Previous research has established the essential role of aural lexical knowledge (ALK) in second language (L2) listening comprehension; however, from a measurement perspective, it remains underexplored how best to measure ALK and which word frequency bands show the strongest predictive power for L2 listening comprehension. This study examines the effectiveness of three item formats in an aural vocabulary test (Yes/No, first language meaning-recall, or meaning-recognition) in predicting variance in L2 listening comprehension among 176 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Following a vocabulary levels test (VLT) format, 300 words representing the first 5000 flemmas of a television and movie transcript-based word frequency list were tested across the three item formats. The results indicated that the meaning-recall VLT was significantly more difficult than the Yes/No and meaning-recognition formats. Overall scores for all three tests significantly correlated with scores on a standardized L2 English listening comprehension test (TOEIC (R)), with the strongest correlations observed for the meaning-recall (r = .63) and recognition formats (r = .65). The vocabulary bands that provide significant predictive power across each format are identified, and implications for language teachers and vocabulary knowledge testing are discussed.
