In vitro screening and QTL analysis for drought tolerance in diploid potato

Drought stress is a major abiotic constraint limiting crop production worldwide. Screening for drought tolerance and the traits that enhance drought tolerance is not straightforward in large mapping populations. In this study, we investigated the possibility of screening a mapping population in vitro for PEG-induced water deficit stress and recovery potential. We have measured several shoot and root growth parameters or traits in the C × E diploid potato mapping population. Significant variation was observed for genotype-specific responses to water deficit and recovery potential. Genetic variation and heritability estimates were high to very high for the measured traits depending on growth conditions. In order to identify potato QTLs for drought tolerance and recovery potential an SNP marker-rich integrated linkage map was used. A total of 23 QTLs were detected under control, stress and recovery treatments explaining 10.3–22.4% of the variance for each phenotypic trait. Among these, 10 QTLs were located on chromosome 2. Three QTLs involved in the important trait root to shoot ratio were identified on linkage groups 2, 3 and 8. These loci explained together 41.1% of the variance for this trait, and may be breeding targets for stress tolerance and yield in the field as well. The SNP markers derived from EST sequences underlying these QTLs led to the identification of putative candidate genes for further study in potato. This study constitutes the first knowledge of in vitro screening of a mapping population for drought tolerance in potato.     

安徽烟区土壤供钾特性的研究

用常规分析、钾的容量强度(Q/I)关系和电超滤(EUF)等法研究了安徽烟区黄红壤、黄棕壤和砂姜黑土的供钾特性。结果表明:粘粒矿物以高岭石、水云母为主的黄红壤有较高的供钾强度及速效钾数量,但土壤的供钾潜力及钾位缓冲容量PBC~k较低,固钾能力弱。粘粒矿物以水云母、蒙脱石为主的黄棕壤及以蒙脱石、水云母为主的砂姜黑土的供钾特性与黄红壤相反,其中砂姜黑土除固钾能力高于黄棕壤外,其他供钾指标略低于黄棕壤。土壤的供钾特性对烟草的吸钾量及钾肥肥效有直接影响。     

Evidence for ozone formation in human atherosclerotic arteries

Here, we report evidence for the production of ozone in human disease. Signature products unique to cholesterol ozonolysis are present within atherosclerotic tissue at the time of carotid endarterectomy, suggesting that ozone production occurred during lesion development. Furthermore, advanced atherosclerotic plaques generate ozone when the leukocytes within the diseased arteries are activated in vitro. The steroids produced by cholesterol ozonolysis cause effects that are thought to be critical to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, including cytotoxicity, lipid-loading in macrophages, and deformation of the apolipoprotein B-100 secondary structure. We propose the trivial designation "atheronals" for this previously unrecognized class of steroids.     

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to climate change in a wild bird population

Rapid climate change has been implicated as a cause of evolution in poorly adapted populations. However, phenotypic plasticity provides the potential for organisms to respond rapidly and effectively to environmental change. Using a 47-year population study of the great tit (Parus major) in the United Kingdom, we show that individual adjustment of behavior in response to the environment has enabled the population to track a rapidly changing environment very closely. Individuals were markedly invariant in their response to environmental variation, suggesting that the current response may be fixed in this population. Phenotypic plasticity can thus play a central role in tracking environmental change; understanding the limits of plasticity is an important goal for future research.     

When fear is near: threat imminence elicits prefrontal-periaqueductal gray shifts in humans

Humans, like other animals, alter their behavior depending on whether a threat is close or distant. We investigated spatial imminence of threat by developing an active avoidance paradigm in which volunteers were pursued through a maze by a virtual predator endowed with an ability to chase, capture, and inflict pain. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that as the virtual predator grew closer, brain activity shifted from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to the periaqueductal gray. This shift showed maximal expression when a high degree of pain was anticipated. Moreover, imminence-driven periaqueductal gray activity correlated with increased subjective degree of dread and decreased confidence of escape. Our findings cast light on the neural dynamics of threat anticipation and have implications for the neurobiology of human anxiety-related disorders.     

老参地短期轮作技术体系的建立Ⅰ.人参西洋参轮作体系

老参地问题是制约参业发展的重大难题，笔者在总结前人关于老参地研究成果和经验的基础上，采取了测土施肥，有益微生物菌剂处理，酸碱度调整等土壤处理方法，成功地实现了老参地的短期再利用，建立了周期为1－3年的人参和西洋参的短期轮作体系。在处理后的老参地上种植西洋参，其长势，产量，病虫害及烧须情况，总皂苷含量等，与对照地新林土栽参无显著差异（P＞0．05）。并开展了中试规模的推广，试验结果显示，老参地短期轮作制是改造老参地的有效措施之一，该轮作技术方法应用简便，实用，可操作性强，轮作效果好。     

意向性建构原理与读者理论

现象学哲学的“意向性建构”原理的实质意义给与 :主体建构对象就是给与对象意义。这是讲求读者建构 (再创造 )文本意义一路文学理论的哲学基础     

Reducing endogenous tau ameliorates amyloid beta-induced deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model

Many potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease target amyloid-beta peptides (Abeta), which are widely presumed to cause the disease. The microtubule-associated protein tau is also involved in the disease, but it is unclear whether treatments aimed at tau could block Abeta-induced cognitive impairments. Here, we found that reducing endogenous tau levels prevented behavioral deficits in transgenic mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein, without altering their high Abeta levels. Tau reduction also protected both transgenic and nontransgenic mice against excitotoxicity. Thus, tau reduction can block Abeta- and excitotoxin-induced neuronal dysfunction and may represent an effective strategy for treating Alzheimer's disease and related conditions.     

Long-Term Variable Rate Lime and Phosphorus Application for Piedmont No-Till Field Crops

Variable rate (VR) fertilizer application is a paradigm with potential to improve input efficiency and farm profitability. It is widely marketed by commercial applicators in the southeastern US. However, field studies comparing VR with traditional management have not demonstrated consistent, positive results. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the soil impact, crop response and economic potential of VR phosphorus (P) and lime application in a North Carolina Piedmont no-till field crop system using intensive soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production and (2) to economically evaluate alternatives to standard commercial grid soil sampling for directing VR P and lime. A 23-ha long-term no-till field in the SE Piedmont was divided into 0.4ha plots assigned to either VR or uniform P and lime application. Grid soil sampling and VR P and lime application were done prior to four crops over 3 years: full season soybean, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–double cropped soybean, and full season soybean. Soil test P, pH and crop yield response to VR P were inconsistent. Soil pH in areas with low pH initially did increase in response to VR lime, but it took two to three applications to bring all of these areas to the target pH. Once VR-liming raised initially low soil pH to levels close to target, yield of soybean, but not wheat, were up to 0.74Mgha^–1 higher than with uniform lime. Even with significantly higher soybean yields associated with VR lime, 3 years of grid sampling and VR application were not profitable compared to uniform application. The results indicated that VR lime could be profitable if the initial grid sampling data were used either for 2 consecutive years, or if it was used to restrict future grid sampling to specific areas requiring further VR lime.