Search

Fabrication of a two-dimensional covalent network of honeycomb nanosheets comprising small 1,3,5-triamino benzene and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxaldehyde aromatic building blocks was conducted on Au(111) in a pH-controlled aqueous solution. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy revealed a large defect-free and homogeneous honeycomb π-conjugated nanosheet at the Au(111)/liquid interface. An electrochemical potential dependence indicated that the nanosheets were the result of thermodynamic self-assembly based not only on the reaction equilibrium but also on the adsorption (partition) equilibrium, which was controlled by the building block surface coverage as a function of electrode potential.

Serpula himantioides is a widely distributed wood rot fungus that causes heart rot in various tree species. In Japan, heart rot associated with S. himantioides occurs in Chamaecyparis pisifera; however, its distribution within living trees and changes in its abundance as decay progresses remain unclear. In this study, we used a real‐time polymerase chain reaction (real‐time PCR) assay to specifically detect and quantify S. himantioides in wood. This allowed us to determine the distribution of S. himantioides in living C. pisifera and to monitor changes in its abundance as decay progressed. In addition, the mode of decay progression was characterized using nonhierarchical clustering. Serpula himantioides was detected from both decayed and undecayed heartwood and at sites as high as 12 m in the trunk, suggesting that it was widely distributed in the heartwood. The clustering analysis grouped samples into three clusters corresponding to the incipient, intermediate and advanced stages of decay. The abundance of S. himantioides increased from the incipient stage to the intermediate stage of decay and decreased at the advanced stage. The results quantitatively showed that intermediate stage decay moved up the trunk and replaced the part corresponding to the incipient stage as decay progressed. These results will be useful for devising methods for the early detection of heart rot caused by S. himantioides and to understand the progress of decay caused by wood rot fungi in living trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serpula himantioides is a globally distributed wood decay fungus that causes heartwood decay in several tree species. We investigated the occurrence of S. himantioides fruiting bodies in Japan for two years and six months to characterize their biology. The fruiting bodies matured in autumn and occurred on living Chamaecyparis pisifera, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Larix kaempferi, and Cryptomeria japonica trees, as well as on dead trees and soil. Assessing three circular plots, the incidence of living trees with S. himantioides fruiting bodies was lowest in the plot with the most advanced heartwood decay. Furthermore, fruiting bodies occurred more frequently in the lower slope direction of the trunk. Analysis using the pair correlation function suggested that the spatial distribution pattern of living trees with fruiting bodies may change from intensive to random with heartwood decay progress. Finally, according to generalized linear and generalized linear mixed models, which were used to investigate the factors affecting the development of fruiting bodies in C. pisifera, C. obtusa, and L. kaempferi, no clear relationship was found between the presence or absence of fruiting bodies and heartwood decay. Thus, we suggest that fruiting bodies can occur in healthy living trees as well as in living trees in the early stages of heartwood decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]