Basal internode elongation of rice as affected by light intensity and leaf area

Short basal internodes are important for lodging resistance of rice(Oryza sativa L.).Several canopy indices affect the elongation of basal internodes,but uncertainty as to the key factors determining elongation of basal internodes persists.The objectives of this study were(1)to identify key factors affecting the elongation of basal internodes and(2)to establish a quantitative relationship between basal internode length and canopy indices.An inbred rice cultivar,Yinjingruanzhan,was grown in two split-plot field experiments with three N rates(0,75,and 150 kg N ha−1 in early season and 0,90,and 180 kg N ha−1 in late season)as main plots,three seedling densities(16.7,75.0,and 187.5 seedlings m−2)as subplots,and three replications in the 2015 early and late seasons in Guangzhou,China.Light intensity at base of canopy(Lb),light quality as determined from red/far-red light ratio(R/FR),light transmission ratio(LTR),leaf area index(LAI),leaf N concentration(NLV)and final length of second internode(counted from soil surface upward)(FIL)were recorded.Higher N rate and seedling density resulted in significantly longer FIL.FIL was negatively correlated with Lb,LTR,and R/FR(P<0.01)and positively correlated with LAI(P<0.01),but not correlated with NLV(P>0.05).Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that FIL was strongly associated with Lb and LAI(R2=0.82).Heavy N application to pot-grown rice at the beginning of first internode elongation did not change FIL.We conclude that FIL is determined mainly by Lb and LAI at jointing stage.NLV has no direct effect on the elongation of basal internodes.N application indirectly affects FIL by changing LAI and light conditions in the rice canopy.Reducing LAI and improving canopy light transmission at jointing stage can shorten the basal internodes and increase the lodging resistance of rice.     

Conservation of freshwater wildlife in Hong Kong: A genetic perspective

1. Freshwater fauna is highly threatened owing to various human disturbances and a lack of natural connectivity among populations. Immediate conservation actions are vital to save freshwater wildlife from population decline and extinction. Given the paucity of resources, conservation prioritization is essential to guide resource allocation for effective and practical management; however, the incorporation of quantitative ranking approaches in population genetic studies is highly limited.
2. This study scrutinized the genetic diversity and examined the population structure of three invertebrates (the atyid shrimp Caridina cantonensis, the pachychilid snail Sulcospira hainanensis, the palaemonid shrimp Macrobrachium hainanense) and five fishes (the Chinese barb Barbodes semifasciolatus, the paradise fish Marcopodus opercularis, the Hong Kong paradise fish Macropodus hongkongensis, the Beijiang thick‐lipped barb Acrossocheilus beijiangensis, and the rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus) in Hong Kong, based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and control region, respectively. In general, the three fish species of conservation concern (M. hongkongensis, A. beijiangensis, and R. ocellatus) showed low to no genetic diversity while the other species showed high genetic diversity and strong population differentiation.
3. This study also investigated the use of Heightened Evolutionary Distinctiveness (HED) estimation on quantitatively prioritizing the 95 populations for conservation, including three previously studied species (the white cheek goby Rhinogobius duospilus, the sucker‐belly loach Pseudogastromyzon myersi, and the striped loach Schistura fasciolata). Only five sites had relatively high normalized HED values (>0.70) for all taxa occurring there, and thus are of relatively higher conservation priority. Many sites harboured evolutionarily distinct populations for only one to three species; therefore, a general plan for all freshwater inhabitants cannot be formulated.
4. This comprehensive comparative study highlights the importance of genetic attributes in conservation decision making and sheds light on plausible conservation management in Hong Kong and other highly developed areas with significant freshwater biodiversity.

     

Distribution of Aeolothrips intermedius Bagnall (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) and its potential prey Thysanoptera species on different cultivated host plants

The results of the monitoring of Thysanoptera species on cultivated plants in Slovenia (2000–2001), Croatia (1994–1996), and Serbia and Montenegro (1988–2003) are presented in this study. The aim of the investigation was to study the host plant distribution of the predator Aeolothrips intermedius Bagnall and its potential prey. Banded thrips were found on 30 different host plant species belonging to 16 botanical families, always in mixed populations with phytophagous or facultative phytophagous insects (including 18 Thysanoptera species). On the vegetative parts of the cultivated plants, banded thrips were found less numerous in spite of the massive population of some harmful thrips species. This indicates highly important role of pollen as alternative food for Aeolothrips intermedius.     

Policosanol has no antioxidant activity in human low-density lipoprotein but increases excretion of bile acids in hamsters

Policosanol is a group of long chain primary alcohols and has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels and to inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The present study examined (i) the effect of policosanol supplementation in the diet on the fecal excretion of neutral and acidic sterols in hamsters and (ii) the antioxidant activity of policosanol in human LDL. Golden Syrian hamsters were divided into four groups (n = 12/each) fed one of the four diets containing 0 (control), 0.38, 0.75, and 1.50 g kg(-1) policosanol for 6 weeks. It was found that hamsters given 0.38-1.5 g kg(-1) diets had a serum total cholesterol level lowered by 15-25% and had a high-density lipoprotein cholesterol elevated by 7-16.8%. It was found that policosanol increased the excretion of acidic sterols by 25-73%. Contrary to that in previous reports, policosanol had no apparent anti-LDL oxidation activity when 1-tetracosanol, 1-hexacosanol, and 1-octacosanol were incubated in human LDL. Policosanol also possessed no scavenging activity on the free radical2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. These data provide evidence that in addition to the effect of HMG-CoA reductase, the cholesterol-lowering activity of policosanol is partially mediated by its inhibition on the absorption of bile acids, but these data disprove the claim that policosanol is an antioxidant.     

南方低甲烷排放的高产水稻品种筛选与评价

为综合评价高产和低甲烷(CH4)排放兼具的水稻品种,应对我国粮食安全和环境保护问题,于2013年晚季和2014年早季,以南方稻区50个代表品种为供试材料,在盆栽条件下采用静态箱-气相色谱法测定品种的CH4排放通量,并对生育期的CH4排放量、稻谷产量及植株农艺性状进行了综合评价。结果表明,早、晚季供试品种间的CH4排放量和产量均存在显著差异。早季全生育期的CH4排放量在7.37～21.10 g·m-2之间,晚季分蘖期至幼穗分化期的CH4排放量在1.37～13.97 g·m-2之间;早季产量在0.40～0.65kg·m-2之间,晚季在0.59～0.87 kg·m-2之间。根据系统聚类法的分析结果,将供试品种划分成具有不同CH4排放量和产量水平的类型,从中筛选出了适合推广应用的CH4低排高产、中排高产和低排中产品种,如黄华占、五优308、丰华占、特三矮、茉莉占选、广超丝苗、珍桂矮、广恢998和七桂早25等。其中,恢复系广恢998组配品种、黄华占和五优308已在我国南方稻区大面积推广应用。相关分析结果表明,株高、叶面积指数与CH4排放通量呈显著正相关,这2个性状可作为高产低CH4排放水稻新品种选育的辅助筛选指标。此外,稻谷产量与CH4排放量无显著相关。研究结果为培育高产与低CH4排放兼具的新品种提供了亲本材料和理论依据。     

江黄颡鱼鱼苗与雌雄亲鱼肌肉脂肪酸组成分析

采用常规的化学分析方法结合气相色谱-质谱法检测江黄颡鱼鱼苗、雌雄亲鱼肌肉脂肪酸的组成与含量变化,以期为优化江黄颡鱼的饲料配制和饲养方式、提高其产量和品质提供理论依据.结果显示:江黄颡鱼鱼苗、雌性和雄性鱼的不饱和脂肪酸(UFA)含量是63.00%～69.00%,饱和脂肪酸(SFA)含量是31.00%～37.00%;在鱼苗、雌雄性亲鱼肌肉中平均含量最高的脂肪酸依次是:C16:0、C18:In-9、C18:0、C16:1、C22:6n-3、C22:5n-3、C18:3n-3.江黄颡鱼鱼苗、雌性和雄性亲鱼中不饱和脂肪酸(UFA)的含量高于饱和脂肪酸(SFA)的含量;江黄颡鱼在代谢不同生长时期,是以饱和脂肪酸和短不饱和脂肪酸为代谢能量的主要来源;鱼苗和亲鱼的肌肉脂肪酸组成种类相同.     

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of Pseudomonas syringae strains associated with the recent citrus bacterial blast and bacterial black pit epidemics in Tunisia

In the spring of 2012, symptoms of a disease resembling citrus blast and citrus black pit were observed in some orchards in Tunisia. The epidemic spread rapidly in the following years. Twenty‐four commercial citrus orchards from four Tunisian regions showing characteristic symptoms of bacterial diseases were surveyed during a 3‐year study. Eighty‐eight Pseudomonas‐like bacterial isolates were successfully obtained from the northeast and west of Tunisia. No isolates were recovered from the central region. Overall, 46 isolates were identified as Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and most of them showed similar phenotypic and genetic profiles. The virulence of three selected isolates differed from one plant cultivar to another as well as from the type of plant organ used for the inoculation. In a bioassay test, all isolates produced syringomycin, which was confirmed by molecular detection based on the syrB and syrD genes. Only EC122 possessed syrD but not syrB. DNA fingerprints, based on repetitive sequence‐based polymerase chain reaction (rep‐PCR) and PCR melting profile (PCR MP), were used to determine the potential genetic diversity among strains. Clustering of PCR MP fingerprinting data matched with rep‐PCR fingerprinting data. The generated distribution tree showed that Tunisian isolates were closely related to the citrus reference strain LMG5496. In contrast, EC112, isolated from citrus, and the almond isolate EC122 were distantly related to the type strain LMG1247^T isolated from lilac. Such studies have not been reported until now for P. syringae from citrus.     

水稻“三控”施肥技术在仁化县的示范应用效果

2009—2010年晚季在广东省仁化县进行了水稻"三控"施肥技术对比试验和连片示范。结果表明,与习惯施肥法相比,采用水稻"三控"技术每667 m2增产54.7~60.6 kg,增幅11%左右,增加收入121~168.4元。水稻后期倒伏大幅减轻,纹枯病、稻纵卷叶螟、稻飞虱等病虫害明显减少,少打农药2次。     

金岳霖的形上学与人生观

基于高管过度自信的视角考量我国上市公司股权激励实施对企业非效率投资行为的影响,结果表明,我国上市公司普遍存在过度投资和投资不足的现象,股权激励能有效抑制过度投资行为,但对企业投资不足现象具有显著的促进作用,同时,高管过度自信会导致企业过度投资行为的发生,相应地会降低投资不足行为的产生;高管过度自信是导致股权激励效果弱化的重要原因,股权激励的实施会在高管过度自信的作用下加剧企业过度投资行为,而对投资不足表现出不显著的抑制效果;良好的公司治理环境能有效抑制高管过度自信概率,也是激励效果得以发挥的重要前提。     

Impact of crop production system on the content of macronutrients in potato tubers

ABSTRACT

The content of macronutrients in potato tubers arouses interest because of their substantial consumption in the world and significant role in elements' budget in human diet. The research objective has been to evaluate the content of macronutrients in tubers of potatoes grown in different systems of crop production in Poland. In 2012–2014, an experiment was conducted to test potato cultivation in three-crop production systems: conventional, integrated and organic. In each of the six-field crop rotation systems, there were five potato cultivars classified into different earliness groups. The following macronutrients in dry mass of potato tubers were determined: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S and Cl, and the various ratios between them were calculated. The research carried out proved that potatoes production systems affect the chemical composition of tubers, which is additionally modified by whether condition and genetic features of cultivars. Potato tubers from organic farming contained by about 20% less N than tubers from conventional or integrated systems. Potato tubers from organic production system displayed lower content of Ca and Na in comparison with the conventional and integrated systems. The least of P and S were detected in tubers of the potatoes grown conventionally.