Comparative metabolic profiling of pigmented rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars reveals primary metabolites are correlated with secondary metabolites

Gas-chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) was used to analyze the relationships between primary metabolites and phenolic acids in rice (Oryza sativa L.), including six black cultivars and one white cultivar. A total of 52 metabolites were identified, including 45 primary metabolites and seven phenolic acids from rice seeds. The metabolite profiles were subjected to data mining processes, including principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation analysis, and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). PCA could fully distinguish between these cultivars. HCA of these metabolites resulted in clusters derived from common or closely related biochemical pathways. There was a positive relationship between all phenolic and shikimic acids. Projection to latent structure using partial least squares (PLS) was applied to predict the total phenolic content based on primary metabolite profiles from rice grain. The predictive model showed good fit and predictability. The GC-TOFMS-based metabolic profiling approach could be used as an alternative method to predict food quality and identify metabolic links in complex biological systems.     

A review of potential image fusion methods for remote sensing-based irrigation management: part II

Satellite-based sensors provide data at either greater spectral and coarser spatial resolutions or lower spectral and finer spatial resolutions due to complementary spectral and spatial characteristics of optical sensor systems. In order to overcome this limitation, image fusion has been suggested to obtain higher spatial and spectral resolution images at the same time. Image fusion has been a valuable technique in digital image analysis and comparison because of the availability of multi-spatial and multispectral images from satellite and airborne sensors. It has been applied to merge coarser spatial resolution of multispectral images with a finer spatial resolution panchromatic image to enhance visual apprehension and to provide images that are more informative. Part I companion paper presented and discussed the image downscaling methods. In this paper (part II), the main objective is to review existing image fusion methods for their capability to downscale coarser spatial resolution images for irrigation management applications. A literature review indicated that image fusion methods have not been actively used in obtaining high-resolution land surface temperature (LST) and evapotranspiration (ET) images for irrigation management. However, there is a great potential for applying image fusion methods to retrieve finer LST and ET images from coarser thermal images by fusing them with finer non-thermal color or panchromatic images for irrigation scheduling and management purposes.     

Preparation of oligoalginate plant growth promoter by γ irradiation of alginate solution containing hydrogen peroxide

Degraded alginate compounds with molecular weights of 7-26, 40-77, or 11-26 kDa were obtained by γ irradiation, hydrogen peroxide (5% H(2)O(2)) treatment, or a combination treatment involving ionizing radiation and H(2)O(2), respectively. The 14 kDa oligoalginate, prepared by the combined method, promoted the growth of mustard greens and lettuce at an optimal concentration of 75 mg/L. The growth promotion effects of the oligoalginate prepared by γ irradiation in the presence of H(2)O(2) were statistically equivalent to those of the oligoalginate prepared by γ irradiation only. The combination of γ irradiation and H(2)O(2) reduced the required irradiation dosage by a factor of 9 relative to the oligoalginate produced by γ irradiation only. The combination treatment (γ irradiation/H(2)O(2)) may be carried out on a large scale at low cost to produce oligoalginate for use as a plant growth promoter in agricultural industries.     

Quantity of IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐10, INF‐γ, TNF‐α and KC‐Like Cytokines in Serum of Bitches With Pyometra in Different Stages of Oestrous Cycle and Pregnancy

The occurrence of the pyometra is most common in the first half of the dioestrus when there is decreased cellular immunity associated with increased serum concentration of progesterone in females. The aim of this study was to determine the immunological profile of bitches with pyometra, studying serum levels of IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐10, IFN‐γ, KC‐like and TNF‐α and comparing them with those of healthy bitches in anoestrus, dioestrus and pregnant. Forty females were divided into four experimental groups: group 1 (G1): with pyometra (n = 10); group 2 (G2): bitches in the second week of gestation (n = 10); group 3 (G3): in anoestrus (n = 10); and group 4 (G4): in dioestrus (n = 10). The serum levels for IL‐2, KC‐like, INF‐γ and TNF‐α were similar for all experimental groups. The values obtained for IL‐10 were found increased (p < 0.001) in animals in dioestrus and pyometra compared with females in anoestrus and pregnant, and the levels of IL‐4 observed were significantly greater (p < 0.001) in bitches with pyometra when compared with others. The cytokine profile in animals with pyometra is similar to bitches in dioestrus for IL‐10 and had increase in IL‐4 for bitches with pyometra, which represents an anti‐inflammatory these cases. This suggests the presence of an immunosuppressive state in both cases, which may explain the propensity of bitches in dioestrus to be affected by pyometra and the severity of the disease on these animals.     

Evaluation of genetic diversity in Korean soybean landraces by protein banding patterns using high-throughput screening

The agronomic performance and storage protein patterns of 722 soybean landraces collected from eight geographically different Korean locations were investigated. The days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, and 100-seed weight ranged from 68.9 to 71.9 (d), 140.1 to 146.6 (d), and 22.4 to 26.8 (g), respectively. High-throughput protein profiling electrophoresis was performed, and the banding patterns were analyzed. Among the 722 soybean landraces, lipoxygenase bands were found to be absent in 21 lines. Nei’s gene diversity (h) ranged from 0 to 0.2642, with an average value of 0.1565. The mean coefficient of gene differentiation (Gst) was 0.0944, and the estimated gene flow (Nm) in the population was 4.7971. In a correlation matrix between the agronomic traits and protein banding patterns, the acidic banding pattern was significantly associated with all the other factors. The phenotypic and genotypic differences of the collection areas were evaluated, and the excellent soybean lines with high-value proteins, including 11S globulins, or without antinutritional factors such as lipoxygenase and trypsin inhibitor were selected.     

平菇菌丝耐碱性研究初报

本试验对平菇菌丝在同一培养基pH6～13范围内的生长速度、生长势和形态结构进行了观测,并对棉子皮生料与发酵料在其范围内抑制杂菌污染情况进行了比较。试验结果表明平菇菌丝在pH6～13范围内均可生长,但pH10以上生长势显著减弱。因此可为驯化耐碱性菌种和提高栽培成功率提供依据。     

Canine tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene and dopamine beta -hydroxylase (DBH) gene: their sequences, genetic polymorphisms, and diversities among five different dog breeds

Dopamine and noradrenaline are catecholamine neurotransmitters that are produced by biosynthetic enzymes such as tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta -hydroxylase (DBH). As a first step to elucidate the genetic background of canine behavioral traits, we selected these genes as targets and sequenced these canine genes, and found that both were highly homologous with those of human beings. Then brain cDNAs derived from ten unrelated Beagles were used to search for polymorphisms in these genes. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (C97T, G168A, G180A and C264T), one of which (C97T) will cause amino acid substitution in the TH gene, and two SNPs (C789A and A1819G), both of which will cause amino acid substitutions in the DBH gene were identified. The allelic frequencies among five dog breeds (47 Golden Retrievers, 41 Labrador Retrievers, 40 Malteses, 26 Miniature Schnauzers, and 39 Shibas) were examined and found to have significant variation between them with regards to all these SNPs, except for C97T in the TH gene and A1819G in the DBH gene. The polymorphisms of C97T and A1819G were found only in the Shiba. The present results suggest that the polymorphisms of the genes encoding catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes may become important markers for examining the genetic background of behavioral characteristics in dogs.