Pigeonpea improvement: An amalgam of breeding and genomic research

In the past five decades, constant research has been directed towards yield improvement in pigeonpea resulting in the deployment of several commercially acceptable cultivars in India. Though, the genesis of hybrid technology, the biggest breakthrough, enigma of stagnant productivity still remains unsolved. To sort this productivity disparity, genomic research along with conventional breeding was successfully initiated at ICRISAT. It endowed ample genomic resource providing insight in the pigeonpea genome combating production constraints in a precise and speedy manner. The availability of the draft genome sequence with a large‐scale marker resource, oriented the research towards trait mapping for flowering time, determinacy, fertility restoration, yield attributing traits and photo‐insensitivity. Defined core and mini‐core collection, still eased the pigeonpea breeding being accessible for existing genetic diversity and developing stress resistance. Modern genomic tools like next‐generation sequencing, genome‐wide selection helping in the appraisal of selection efficiency is leading towards next‐generation breeding, an awaited milestone in pigeonpea genetic enhancement. This paper emphasizes the ongoing genetic improvement in pigeonpea with an amalgam of conventional breeding as well as genomic research.     

云南怒江傈僳族自治州古树名木资源现状调查

对怒江傈僳族自治州人为活动区域古树名木资源现状进行调查。结果表明:共记录到古树名木496株,涉及36科54属76种,其中有8种国家重点保护野生植物,分别为澜沧黄杉、秃杉、南方红豆杉、云南榧树、千果榄仁、红椿、光叶珙桐和香果树;怒江州古树名木主要分布在乡村街道及远郊野外,占总数的98.8%,63.6%的古树生长在海拔1500~1999 m;古树名木的生长环境及长势总体较好,但保护力度相对薄弱,应采取相关措施加强保护和管理。     

硅藻土吸附固定化Bacillus sp.DL-2胞内蛋白酶拆分制备(S)-乙酸苏合香酯

[目的](S)-乙酸苏合香酯是手性药物合成的关键手性砌块,其在多种手性化合物的合成及医药、香料的工业生产中具有重要的作用.传统的化学合成手性化合物的方法需要有毒有机溶剂及重金属的参与,对环境及人类具有严重的危害,同时得到的手性化合物的光学纯度较低.与传统的化学合成相比,酶法选择性拆分消旋体化合物,具有高立体专一性和区域选择性、副反应少、产率高、产物光学纯度好以及反应条件温和的优点,是一种被广泛认可的拆分方法.实验表明,Bacillus sp.DL-2胞内蛋白游离酶可拆分制备(S)-乙酸苏合香酯,然而游离酶不易回收且稳定性差,将Bacillus sp.DL-2胞内蛋白游离酶制备成固定化制剂,克服了游离酶对环境敏感,稳定性不高的缺点,为工业化生产(S)-乙酸苏合香酯奠定了基础.[方法]酶的固定化方法主要有物理吸附法、离子结合法、共价结合法、交联法和包埋法.以吸附法固定酶,酶的构象很少改变,因此,酶的催化活力损失较少;且吸附法固定化操作过程简单,因此吸附法在经济上是最具吸引力的固定化方法.硅藻土由硅藻的细胞壁沉积而成,硅藻土表面的多孔性与负电性使其呈现明显表面吸附性,因而被常用做吸附载体.以硅藻土作为固定化载体,对Bacillus sp.DL-2胞内蛋白酶进行固定化,用以拆分制备高光学纯的(S)-乙酸苏合香酯.利用单因素实验优化,确定制备固定化酶的最佳固定化条件及制备(S)-乙酸苏合香酯的最佳拆分条件,并测定了制备的固定化酶对金属离子的敏感度及储存稳定性.[结果]最佳固定化条件为:温度40℃,pH为7,固定化时间10 h,载体添加量100 g/L.在最佳固定化条件下制备了固定化酶,优化确定了制备(S)-乙酸苏合香酯的最佳拆分条件为:固定化酶用量为160 mg/mL,拆分时间7 h,拆分温度30℃,缓冲液pH为7.[结论]在最佳固定化及拆分条件下,制备的(S)-乙酸苏合香酯e.e.值可达到96.8％,转化率为73.9％,且固定化酶对金属离子敏感度较低,对反应环境要求较低,适用于工业化生产.固定化酶在4℃条件下储存,随保存周数的增加,e.e.值及转化率均逐渐降低,但4周后e.e.值仍能达到90.1％,转化率保持在66.6％左右,具备较高的储存稳定性,为工业化生产(S)-乙酸苏合香酯提供了参考.     

不同植被措施下排土场边坡细沟发育时空特征

为明确不同恢复年限植被措施对煤矿排土场边坡水土流失的防治效应,采用样方调查法,以内蒙古准格尔旗永利煤矿矿区排土场边坡为研究对象,以裸露边坡(CK)为对照,研究不同恢复年限(1a、3a、5 a)的沙柳方格+沙棘+沙打旺(SHA)和沙柳方格+沙打旺(SA)2种措施对细沟发育的影响。结果表明:(1)1a时CK、SHA与SA措施细沟宽度均集中分布在4～8 cm,细沟深度均集中分布在2～4 cm;3 a时CK、SHA与SA措施细沟宽度则集中分布在4～8 cm、8～12 cm、4～8 cm,细沟深度均集中分布在4～6 cm;5 a时CK与SHA措施细沟宽度均集中分布在8～12 cm,而细沟深度则集中分布在4～6 cm和8～14 cm;(2)CK(1～5 a)、SHA措施(1～5 a)和SA措施(1～3 a)的细沟平均宽分别为7.57～11.35 cm、7.58～13.31 cm和5.57～6.14 cm,细沟平均深分别为3.38～6.23 cm、4.19～10.34 cm、2.59～4.24 cm,三者的细沟平均宽深比分别为2.39、2.12和2.05,平均细沟密度分别为1.52～5.25 m·m–2、1.42～1.68 m·m–2和1.88～2.25 m·m–2;(3)1 a时CK、SHA和SA措施的细沟宽深比随坡长变化幅度较大,随着恢复年限增加,宽深比则呈下降趋势,CK、SHA措施和SA措施的细沟密度和细沟侵蚀量均随坡长增加呈增大趋势;(4)与CK相比,1 a时SHA和SA措施边坡细沟侵蚀模数分别减小25.0%和25.86%,两种措施减蚀效果差别不大,而3 a时则分别减小了61.73%和35.31%,SHA措施减蚀效果显著增强。研究结果可以为矿区排土场边坡的植被合理布设提供科学依据与理论指导。     

EPS364, a Novel Deep-Sea Bacterial Exopolysaccharide,Inhibits Liver Cancer Cell Growth and Adhesion

The prognosis of liver cancer was inferior among tumors. New medicine treatments are urgently needed. In this study, a novel exopolysaccharide EPS364 was purified from Vibrio alginolyticus 364, which was isolated from a deep-sea cold seep of the South China Sea. Further research showed that EPS364 consisted of mannose, glucosamine, gluconic acid, galactosamine and arabinose with a molar ratio of 5:9:3.4:0.5:0.8. The relative molecular weight of EPS364 was 14.8 kDa. Our results further revealed that EPS364 was a β-linked and phosphorylated polysaccharide. Notably, EPS364 exhibited a significant antitumor activity, with inducing apoptosis, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Huh7.5 liver cancer cells. Proteomic and quantitative real-time PCR analyses indicated that EPS364 inhibited cancer cell growth and adhesion via targeting the FGF19-FGFR4 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that EPS364 is a promising antitumor agent for pharmacotherapy.     

Silage and total mixed ration hygienic quality on commercial farms: implications for animal production

Implications of silage hygienic quality for animal production were investigated on forty‐five dairy farms in South West England. Samples of grass and maize silages and of total mixed rations (TMR) were obtained together with information on silage technology, herd size and animal production. Samples were analysed for mycotoxins, bacteria, yeasts, moulds and chemical composition. Thirteen mycotoxins were assayed, but none were detected in the samples of grass silage. However, mycotoxins were found in 0·9 of all maize and other silage samples, with deoxynivalenol and zearalenone predominating. There was no relationship between total mycotoxin concentration and mean lactation milk yield per cow. Enterobacteria counts tended to be higher in maize silage than in grass silage and higher still in TMR – a cause for concern. There were no relationships between mould counts and mycotoxin concentrations in silages, implying that mycotoxins may have been produced in the field pre‐ensiling.     

文冠果优良无性系授粉组合选择及结实性状分析

  目的  探究文冠果Xanthoceras sorbifolium优良无性系最佳授粉组合，提高其坐果率、种实产量，为科学配置授粉树及优良种质资源无性系化推广提供参考。  方法  以文冠果5个优良无性系为材料，进行花期物候观测、柱头可授性及花粉活力检测。进行控制授粉，分析各授粉组合受精率、坐果率、种实产量及种实性状。  结果  ① 5个无性系开花时间在4月27日至5月14日。②雌能花开花当天及花后1 d柱头可授性较强。③雄能花初开放和完全开放当天花粉活力较高。④综合考虑各授粉组合受精率、最终坐果率、产量及种实性状得出，10号无性系较佳授粉组合为10×16、10×119，14号、15号、16号最佳授粉组合分别为14×15、15×16、16×15，10号、14号、15号、16号均不适合做119号的授粉无性系。  结论  科学的授粉树配置可以提高文冠果坐果率及种实产量。     

Cryptococcal osteomyelitis in a dog

Osteomyelitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans was diagnosed in a three-year-old male Irish wolfhound. The case details and radiological findings of radiolucency and periosteal reaction of the left third metatarsal bone had lead to an initial diagnosis of a malignant bone tumour. Biopsy revealed a fungal granuloma and culture identified the causal organism. A four month course of ketaconazole was instigated and the lameness resolved. Twelve months after the end of treatment there was no recurrence of the problem.     

Antibody response to crustacean ectoparasites in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), immunized with Argulus foliaceus L. antigen extract

Abstract. A humoral antibody response was demonstrated by ELISA in rainbow trout immunized intraperitoneally with extracts from the branchiuran ectoparasite Argulus foliaceus. A similar immunization protocol produced a higher titre response in a rabbit. Both trout and rabbit identified several antigenic components on immunoblots. ELISA and immunoblotting indicated that rainbow trout and rabbit anti-A. foliaceus sera identified components from the parasitic copepods Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus.     

Effects of dietary molybdenum on nematode and host during Haemonchus contortus infection in lambs.

The addition of molybdenum (0.05 mmol kg-1 dry-matter) to the diet of lambs given a trickle infection of Haemonchus contortus larvae (500 third stage larvae d-1 over six weeks) reduced mean faecal egg counts (epg) from 3952 to 2312 +/- 402 by 32 days (P less than 0.02) and greatly reduced the mean number of worms recovered from the abomasum 14 days after infection ceased (907 compared with 4167: P less than 0.01). Infection reduced haemoglobin concentrations less in lambs given molybdenum although the difference was small relative to the reduction in worm burden. Lambs not given molybdenum had low intraepithelial mast cell counts in the abomasal mucosa and less abomasal hypertrophy than expected from abomasal parasitism. Molybdenum did not consistently reduce the copper status of the host or the parasite. Previous exposure to molybdenum greatly reduced protein but not proteinase activity in, or secreted by, adult worms cultured for eight hours. It is suggested that molybdenum either increased the inflammatory response which preceded worm rejection or that it indirectly enhanced that reaction by reducing the effectiveness of copper-dependent, anti-inflammatory enzymes in the gastrointestinal mucosa.