Colorimetric determination of boric acid in prawns, shrimp, and salted jelly fish by chelate extraction with 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol.

Borate was directly chelate-extracted from foods with 5% 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol (EHD) in n-hexane-n-butyl acetate mixture (8 + 2), from which borate was selectively transferred into 1% NaOH, since EHD-chelated boron did not react with curcumin to develop color. Finally, an aliquot of the alkaline solution was acidified with HCl and reacted with curcumin in a rotary evaporator. Color development was increased by heating for 8 min at 80 degrees C under reduced pressure of 16 mm Hg. Frozen shrimp and prawns (peeled and with shells) and salted jelly fish were analyzed by the proposed method. Results were compared with the contemporary official method of Japan based on curcumin reaction on an incinerated sample. Over 90% of the boric acid was recovered by the proposed method when samples were fortified with 20 ppm boric acid. Recoveries were superior to those of the official method especially for shrimp and prawns with shells and salted jelly fish. Detection limit of boric acid is 1 ppm. Moreover, the method requires only about 1 hr for analysis of one sample, making it suitable for routine analysis.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of barbaloin (aloin) in foods

A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of barbaloin (aloin, 10-D-glucopyranosyl-1,8-dihydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-9(10H)-anthraceno ne) in foods. Barbaloin is extracted with water from foods containing aloe and the extract is cleaned up on a disposable cartridge by using methanol-water (55 + 45) as eluant. The eluted barbaloin is separated by liquid chromatography on a YMC A-302 column with methanol-water (50 + 50) mobile phase, and detected at 293 nm. Recoveries of barbaloin added to foods at the levels of 0.05 and 0.50 mg/g were 94.4-100%. Assay results for commercial food samples indicated that the present method is applicable to a variety of foods supplemented with aloe.     

Adsorption of sulphate and fluoride by variable charge soils

The adsorption of sulphate and fluoride by three variable charge soils was studied. Adsorption increased with increase in the amount of sulphate added at constant _pH, and decreased with increase of _pH.
The ratios of the amount of released OH⁻to that of the adsorbed SO^2-₄ at pH 5–0 were 0.12, 0.14 and 0.20 for the three soils, respectively, much lower than the corresponding OH⁻/F⁻ ratios which ranged from 0.3 to 1.0. For a ferric acrisol the OH⁻ released accounted, on average, for only 15% of the SO^2-₄ adsorbed, leaving more than 60% to be explained by the decrease in positive charge and the increase in negative charge carried by the soil.     

The effect of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption behavior of phosphate

As repeatedly reported, soil flooding improves the availability of P to rice. This is in contrast with an increased P sorption in paddy soils. The effects of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption of P of two paddy soils of Zhejiang Province in Southeast‐China were studied in anaerobic incubation experiments (submerging with water in N₂ atmosphere). Soil flooding significantly increased oxalate‐extractable Fe (Fe_ox), mainly at the expense of dithionite‐soluble Fe (Fe_DCB), as well as oxalate‐extractable P (P_ox), but decreased the ratio of P_ox/Fe_ox. Flooding largely increased both, P adsorption and the maximum P adsorption capacity. The majority of newly sorbed P in the soils was P_ox, but also more newly retained P was found to be not extractable by oxalate. Flooding also changed the characteristics of P desorption in the soils. Due to a decrease of the saturation index of the P sorption capacity, P adsorbed by flooded soils was much less desorbable than that from non‐flooded soils. There are obviously significant differences in the nature of both, the Fe_ox and P_ox fractions under non‐flooded and flooded conditions. The degree of the changes in Fe_ox, P_ox, P adsorption and P desorption by flooding depended on the contents of amorphous and total Fe oxides in non‐flooded soils. Our results confirm that the adsorption and desorption behavior of P in paddy soils is largely controlled by the transformation of the Fe oxides. The reasons of the often‐reported improved P availability to rice induced by flooding, in spite of the unfavorable effect on P desorbability, are discussed.     

基于Hopfeild神经网络的油菜籽脱皮冷榨压榨系数识别

在油菜籽脱皮侧限排油一维冷榨试验基础上，采用半固态饱和物料和滤饼物料物理模型分别建立两个理论压榨比模型，运用Hopfeild神经网络方法识别压榨系数。识别结果表明：脱皮油菜籽在压力低于10 MPa段为半固态状饱和物理模型，在压力高于20 MPa段则为滤饼状物理模型，对整个压榨过程，采用分段计算物理模型可有效提高整体压榨模型精度。脱皮冷榨的压榨系数远小于未脱皮冷榨的压榨系数。     

马尾松林下套种阔叶树土壤理化性质的研究

马尾松(Pinus massoniana)是我国南方的主要用材树种，具有适应性强、主根明显、用途广、速生丰产等优点。然而营造的人工马尾松纯林，树种层次单一，结构简单，针叶化明显，弱点逐渐暴露出来，导致林地地力衰退、林分抗逆性差、火灾频率增加，已引起人们的广泛关注。研究表明，大力营造混交林，增加森林生态系统中生物类群的多样性、多层性，就能从根本上改善林分的生态环境，提高生产力。营造马尾松混交林不仅是一项重要的营林技术措施，而且涉及到对树种生物学和生态学特征，尤其是种间关系的全面了解。良好的混交模式应该既可以充分利用地力，增加产量，又可改善生态环境，提高系统的多样性和稳定性。马尾松属阳性树种，林冠稀疏，透光度大，深根发达。     

商陆(Phytolacca acinosa Roxb.)的锰耐性和超积累

超积累植物的确证对成功实施重金属污染环境植物修复是必不可少的。通过野外调查和营养液培养试验 ,研究超积累植物商陆 (PhytolaccaacinosaRoxb )的锰富集特性 ,结果表明 ,商陆对生长介质中的Mn具有很强的耐性和累积能力。商陆在锰含量高达 114× 10 3 mgkg-1的尾矿废弃地上依然生长良好 ,叶锰含量最高达 19 3× 10 3 mgkg-1。温室培养条件下 ,当生长介质中Mn浓度为 8 0 0 0mmolL-1时 ,虽然其生物量与对照相比有所降低 ,但植株仍能生长。随着生长介质中Mn浓度的升高 ,商陆叶和茎的Mn含量逐渐增加 ,生物富集系数则逐渐降低 ,但是地上部分锰积累量则先增加后减少。当Mn浓度为 5 0 0 0mmolL-1时 ,商陆地上部分锰积累量达到最大值 2 5 8 2mgplant-1;当Mn浓度为 12 0 0 0mmolL-1时 ,商陆仍能完成整个生命周期 ,叶锰含量达到最大值 36 4× 10 3 mgkg-1,生物富集系数为 5 5。不同锰供应水平下 ,商陆吸收的锰有87%～ 95 %被转移到地上部分。这进一步验证商陆的锰超积累特性 ,为利用超积累植物对大面积污染土壤实施植物修复提供了有力证据 ,对锰污染土壤和水体实施植物修复具有很大的应用前景     

作物空间诱变效应及其地面模拟研究进展

本文简要分析了国外空间植物学研究概况 ,评述了我国利用返回式卫星等搭载作物种子开展空间诱变效应研究及其在种质创新和新品种培育方面的现状。从粒子生物学、物理场生物学和重力生物学等不同角度介绍了地面模拟空间环境因素的方法途径和研究进展。     

Assessment of tillage translocation and tillage erosion by hoeing on the steep land in hilly areas of Sichuan, China

Most of the tillage erosion studies have focused on the effect of tractor-plough tillage on soil translocation and soil loss. Only recently, have a few studies contributed to the understanding of tillage erosion by manual tillage. Furthermore, little is known about the impact of tillage erosion in hilly areas of the humid sub-tropics. This study on tillage erosion by hoeing was conducted on a purple soil (Regosols) of the steep land, in Jianyang County, Sichuan Province, southwestern China (30°24′N and 104°35′E) using the physical tracer method.

The effects of hoeing tillage on soil translocation on hillslopes are quite evident. The tillage transport coefficients were 26–38 kg m⁻¹ per tillage pass and 121–175 kg m⁻¹ per tillage pass respectively for k₃- and k₄-values. Given that there was a typical downslope parcel length of 15 m and two times of tillage per year in this area, the tillage erosion rates on the 4–43% hillslopes reached 48–151 Mg ha⁻¹ per year. The downslope soil translocation is closely related to slope gradient. Lateral soil translocation by such tillage is also obvious though it is lower than downslope soil translocation. Strong downslope translocation accounts for thin soil layers and the exposure of parent materials/rocks at the ridge tops and on convexities in the hilly areas. Deterioration in soil quality and therefore reduction in plant productivity due to tillage-induced erosion would be evident at the ridge tops and convex shoulders.     

Cloning, functional expression, and characterization of cystatin in sesame seed

A cDNA fragment encoding cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor, was obtained from maturing sesame seeds. The clone was constructed in a nonfusion or fusion vector and then overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant cystatins were found in the soluble fraction of cell extract and were demonstrated to be functionally active in a reverse zymographic assay. The corresponding endogenous 22 kDa cystatin of low abundance in mature seeds was purified to homogeneity via a papain-coupling affinity column and confirmed by western blotting with antibodies against the recombinant cystatin. Both endogenous and recombinant cystatin proteins showed effective inhibitory activities against papain with K(i) values of 7.89 x 10(-8) M and 2.77 x 10(-8) M, respectively. Immunodetection indicated that cystatin was specifically expressed in maturing seeds and rapidly degraded in germination. Accordingly, zymographic and inhibition analyses showed that sesame cystatin could not inhibit the de novo synthesized proteases in germinating seeds. It is suggested that sesame cystatin may play a role in the regulation of endogenous cysteine proteases during seed maturation and germination.