Abscisic Acid May Alter the Salicylic Acid‐Related Abiotic Stress Response in Maize

The effect of 0, 0.05 or 0.1 mm abscisic acid treatment on chilling tolerance and salicylic acid‐related responses was investigated in young maize seedlings (Zea mays L., hybrid Norma). Although the pre‐treatment of maize seedlings with abscisic acid slightly decreased the chlorophyll content, it also reduced the level of chilling injury caused by 6 days of cold treatment at 5 °C. Under normal growth conditions, increased levels of bound salicylic acid and of bound ortho‐hydroxycinnamic acid were observed in the leaves during abscisic acid treatment. In the roots, abscisic acid did not affect the free and bound salicylic acid levels, but increased the amount of free and bound ortho‐hydroxycinnamic acid. The activity of glutathione‐S‐transferase increased on the 3rd day of abscisic acid treatment, whereas it did not change when followed by cold stress, compared with the control leaves. In the roots, the activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione‐S‐transferase and ascorbate peroxidase increased during the abscisic acid treatment, and those of glutathione‐S‐transferase and ascorbate peroxidase were also stimulated when abscisic acid pre‐treatment was followed by cold stress, compared with the control roots. Our results suggest that an overlap may exist between the abscisic acid‐induced cold acclimation and the salicylic acid‐related stress response.     

原始云冷杉、红松林树木生长对氮沉降的响应

本文通过野外控制试验，设置4个梯度的施氮处理，分别为对照(CK，不加氮)、低氮(T_L，5 g/(m2·a))、中氮(T_M，10 g/(m2·a))、高氮(T_H，15 g/(m2·a))，研究云冷杉红松林主要树种的径生长对氮沉降增加的响应。结果表明，枫桦径生长随氮添加梯度的增加出现了先促进后抑制的趋势；臭冷杉和红松径生长随氮添加梯度的增加而受到抑制，其中臭冷杉表现出明显的衰退现象甚至死亡；花楷槭则表现出较为复杂的响应，可能与该树种对不同梯度氮添加的响应机制不同有关。同时还发现，各处理、各树种的胸径大小与径生长量存在相关性，可能与树种年龄及其所处的生态位相关。研究表明，氮沉降改变树木生长速率和死亡率，可能影响地上生态系统碳库和整个生态系统碳循环。      

Heme oxygenase-1 alleviates alcoholic liver steatosis: histopathological study

Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most important causes of hepatic steatosis, which involves oxidative stress. In particular, increased oxidative stress has been strongly linked to stimulation of the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This study aimed to investigate whether HO-1 could alleviates alcoholic steatosis in rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) the control group, 2) the EtOH group, 3) the EtOH + ZnPP-IX group and 4) the EtOH + Hemin group. Liver histopathology was investigated in weeks 1 and 4 after the start of the treatment period. Alcohol treatment significantly increased the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, an oxidative stress marker. In addition, it increased the triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in both weeks. Gross examination demonstrated a yellowish and slightly enlarged liver in the alcohol-treated rats. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Oil Red O staining indicated hepatic steatosis, which was characterized by diffuse, extensive fatty accumulation and discrete lipid droplets of variable size in hepatocytes of the alcohol-treated rats. Administration of the HO-1 inducer hemin resulted in upregulation of hepatic HO-1 gene expression, reduced the MDA, triglyceride, ALT and AST levels and alleviated alcoholic hepatic steatosis, whereas administration of the HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP-IX) resulted in downregulation of hepatic HO-1 gene expression and could not alleviate alcoholic hepatic steatosis either week. In conclusion, HO-1 could alleviate alcoholic hepatic steatosis in male Wistar rats and may be useful in development of a new therapeutic approach.     

Environmental stress response limits microbial necromass contributions to soil organic carbon

The majority of dead organic material enters the soil carbon pool following initial incorporation into microbial biomass. The decomposition of microbial necromass carbon (C) is, therefore, an important process governing the balance between terrestrial and atmospheric C pools. We tested how abiotic stress (drought), biotic interactions (invertebrate grazing) and physical disturbance influence the biochemistry (C:N ratio and calcium oxalate production) of living fungal cells, and the subsequent stabilization of fungal-derived C after senescence. We traced the fate of ¹³C-labeled necromass from ‘stressed’ and ‘unstressed’ fungi into living soil microbes, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total soil carbon and respired CO₂. All stressors stimulated the production of calcium oxalate crystals and enhanced the C:N ratios of living fungal mycelia, leading to the formation of ‘recalcitrant’ necromass. Although we were unable to detect consistent effects of stress on the mineralization rates of fungal necromass, a greater proportion of the non-stressed (labile) fungal necromass C was stabilised in soil. Our finding is consistent with the emerging understanding that recalcitrant material is entirely decomposed within soil, but incorporated less efficiently into living microbial biomass and, ultimately, into stable SOC.     

响应曲面法优化高粱挤压最佳操作参数的研究

以高粱为原料,研究系统操作参数,包括:物料含水率、喂料速度、螺杆转速、机筒温度对目标参数的影响,并以响应曲面法优化最佳操作参数,优化得到的最佳操作参数为:物料含水率15.77%,喂料速度26.97r/min,螺杆转速181.20r/min,五区温度158.28℃。     

美味牛肝菌中油脂提取工艺的研究

采用超声波辅助法提取美味牛肝菌中的油脂，在单因素（提取时间、液料比和温度）实验考察的基础上，以油脂提取率为指标，通过响应面法对美味牛肝菌油脂的提取工艺进行优化。实验结果表明：响应面回归模型显著，拟合性好，可用于预测油脂提取率；优化后的油脂提取工艺为：液料比34.2 mL/g，温度36℃，提取时间4.5 h，此条件下油脂提取率为3.54826 %，与模型预测值相符，表明优化的油脂提取工艺合理。     

Preparation of Adjuvant Diluent for Live Vaccine against Classical Swine Fever and Evaluation of its Immune Effects

The aim of this study was to develop a novel oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion as adjuvant diluents (AD) for live vaccine against classical swine fever (CSF) that could effectively enhance the immune effect of vaccine.The AD was prepared by high-pressure homogenization technique.Formulations and preparation parameters were optimized with response surface design.Its stability, particle size, polydispersity (PDI) and Zeta potential were characterized.The humoral immune response and cellular immune response of the AD were evaluated with BALB/c mice by intramuscular injection.The particle size of the AD prepared by optimized formulation and parameters was 100.4 nm, PDI was 0.147, and Zeta potential was —28.7 mV.The experiment results showed that the AD had good stability.The AD was inoculated combined with live vaccine against CSF into BALB/c mice by intramuscular injection.The results showed that the live vaccine against CSF specific immune responses could be evoked in mice by co-inoculation with AD and vaccine.The cellular immune response levels in co-inoculated groups were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05), with obvious phenomena of higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-4 in serum.The result revealed that cellular immune capability significantly improved with the AD.The results strongly revealed that cellular immune capability significantly improved by introducing AD for effective immune-adjuvant for live vaccine against CSF.     

Physiological processes associated with salinity tolerance in an alfalfa half‐sib family

We previously reported an alfalfa half‐sib family, HS‐B, with improved salt tolerance, compared to parental plants, P‐B. In this study, we conducted additional experiments to address potential physiological mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B. Vegetatively propagated HS‐B and P‐B plants were treated with a nutrient solution (control) or a nutrient solution containing NaCl (EC = 12 dS/m). Shoots and roots were harvested at various time points after treatment for quantification of proline, soluble sugar, and H₂O₂ using spectrophotometers. Subcellular localization and quantification of Na in roots were conducted using a Na⁺‐specific dye under a confocal microscope. HS‐B produced 86 and 89% greater shoot and root dry biomass, respectively, compared to parental plants, P‐B, under salinity in the greenhouse. Under saline conditions the HS‐B shoots accumulated 115% and roots 55% more soluble sugars than P‐B counterparts. The non‐saline HS‐B shoots, however, showed 72% less soluble sugars than the non‐saline P‐B plants. Under saline conditions HS‐B accumulated 39% less proline in shoots, while roots accumulated 56% more proline, compared to their P‐B parents. HS‐B plants also showed a greater reduction of stomatal conductance under mild saline stress. HS‐B shoots and roots contained 3–4 times less reactive oxygen species (H₂O₂) after salt treatment compared to P‐B plants. Sodium localization and distribution analysis using Na⁺‐specific dye revealed HS‐B plants accumulated 88% and 48% less Na⁺ in stele and xylem vessels compared to P‐B. The study provides insights into the potential mechanisms that may contribute to salt tolerance in HS‐B: maintaining RWC by accumulating soluble sugars while reducing transpiration, maintaining healthy status by reducing oxidative stresses, and preventing salt toxicity by reducing accumulation of Na⁺ inside root cells and xylem.