Responses of glutamine synthetase activity and gene expression to nitrogen levels in winter wheat cultivars with different grain protein content

Glutamine synthetase (GS) plays a central role in plant nitrogen (N) metabolism, which improves crops grain protein content. A pot experiment in field condition was carried out to evaluate GS expression and activity, and grain protein content in high (Wanmai16) and low grain protein (Loumai24) wheat cultivars under two N levels (0.05 and 0.15 g N kg⁻¹ soil). High nitrogen (HN) resulted in significant increases in GS1 and GS2 expression at 10 days after anthesis (DAA), and higher GS activity during the entire grain filling stage. HN also significantly increased yield, grain protein content and protein fraction (except for glutenin of Luomai24) in two wheat cultivars, which indicated that it increased grain yield and protein content by improving nitrogen metabolism. Wanmai16 showed higher grain protein content, gliadin and glutenin content, and had higher expression level of GS2 both in flag leaves and grains at early grain filling stage. However, Luomai24 had greater yield and higher expression level of GS1. The difference expression of GS2 and GS1 genes indicates they had various contributions to the accumulation of protein and starch in wheat grains, respectively. The results suggest that GS2 would be serving as a potential breeding target for improving wheat quality.     

Cryopreservation of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) shoot tips by encapsulation-vitrification

Shoot tips excised from in vitro cultured plants of Dianthus caryophyllus L. (cv. Pallas, cv. Pink Candy and cv. Wanessa) were successfully cryopreserved using an encapsulation-vitrification method. Shoot tips (2–3 mm in length) were encapsulated in sodium alginate, precultured on liquid Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with various sucrose concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 M) for 24 h or 48 h and dehydrated with the vitrification solution PVS2 (up to 4 h) at 24 °C or 0 °C prior to direct immersion in liquid nitrogen (−196 °C). A maximum of shoot regeneration from cryopreserved shoot tips was obtained with the following combinations: preculture in 0.5 M sucrose and 180 min dehydration treatment at 0 °C for cv. Pallas (60% shoot formation), or preculture in 0.75 M and 200 min dehydration at the same temperature for cv. Pink Candy (66.6% shoot formation) and cv. Wanessa (73% shoot formation).     

中药“连黄”对巴氏杆菌耐药性的影响

采用琼脂平板点种培养法和常规药敏纸片法,观察中药“连黄”对耐药巴氏杆菌的体外抑制作用,并进行统计学分析,判断其对耐药性的影响效果．结果表明,经中药“连黄”亚抑菌浓度作用后,耐药巴氏杆菌对链霉素、磺胺等药物的敏感性明显提高,表明中药“连黄”可有效降低巴氏杆菌的耐药性．     

生防菌株2LN3对水稻纹枯病的防效和产量构成的影响

[目的]进一步验证生防菌株2LN3对水稻纹枯病的防治效果。[方法]通过大田生产试验研究生防菌剂2LN3、生防菌剂2LN3+井冈霉素、井冈·腊芽菌、井冈霉素和清水对照5个处理对水稻纹枯病的防效和产量构成的影响。[结果]生防菌剂2LN3+井冈霉素对水稻纹枯病的防治效果较好,2次用药后第7和第15天的防效分别达60.85%和72.16%,2次调查防效均超过生防菌剂2LN3、井冈·腊芽菌和井冈霉素,而单用生防菌剂2LN3则表现为药效持续时间较短,在2次用药后的第15天防效比井冈霉素略高,但与井冈·腊芽菌相比防效则降低了6.5%;与井冈霉素相比,生防菌株2LN3具有促生作用,能显著提高有效穗数、实粒数、结实率和千粒重;喷施生防菌剂2LN3和生防菌剂2LN3+井冈霉素都具有一定的增产作用,与井冈霉素相比分别增产3.8%和12.1%,均达到显著性差异。[结论]将生防菌剂2LN3和井冈霉素复配可替代井冈霉素应用于实际生产中来提高对水稻纹枯病的防效。     

Detection of cows with insemination problems using selected classification models

In the present study, the detection of cows with artificial insemination (AI) difficulties using selected statistical and machine learning methods is presented. Cows were divided into two classes: those that conceived after one or two services (“GOOD”) and those that required more than two services per conception (“POOR”). The best performance was exhibited by one of the artificial neural networks (ANN) and the multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) method (AIC, BIC, RMS and accuracy); whereas logistic regression (LR) and classification functions (CF) were of somewhat lower quality. The detection of cows with AI difficulties, performed on the basis of the test set comprising new instances, showed that the ANN and MARS were more precise in comparison with the statistical methods. Sensitivity and specificity were over 85% for the perceptron with two hidden layers (MLP2) and MARS and approximately 80% or lower for LR and CF. From among variables determining the AI category, the average calving interval and cow body condition index were the most important. Other significant variables were lactation number, pregnancy length, sex of calf from previous calving and cow age. The prognoses obtained using ANN and MARS can be used for the appropriate preparation of cows for AI.     

Hepatoprotective effects of polyprenols from Ginkgo biloba L. leaves on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The hepatoprotective effects of polyprenols from Ginkgo biloba L. leaves were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic damage in Sprague-Dawley rats. The elevated levels of serum ALT, AST, ALP, ALB, TP, HA, LN, TG, and CHO were restored towards normalization significantly by GBP in a dose dependent manner. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections. Meanwhile, GBP also produced a significant and dose-dependent reversal of CCl₄-diminished activity of the antioxidant enzymes and reduced CCl₄-elevated level of MDA. In general, the effects of GBP were not significantly different from those of the standard drug Essentiale.     

Droplet-vitrification of apical shoot tips of Rubus fruticosus L. and Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.

Apical shoot tips excised from in vitro plantlets of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L. ‘?a?anska Bestrna’) and cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) were tested for recovery after cryopreservation using the droplet-vitrification technique. Following treatment for 30 min with a loading solution comprising 1.9 M glycerol and 0.5 M sucrose, explants were dehydrated with a highly concentrated cryoprotectant solution, so called vitrification solution. Shoot tips were dehydrated for 10, 20 and 30 min at room temperature with a solution derived from the original PVS2 solution (containing 37.5% (w/v) glycerol, 15% (w/v) dimethylsulfoxide, 15% (w/v) ethylene glycol and 22.5% (w/v) sucrose) and for 60, 90 and 120 min using the PVS3 solution (containing 50% (w/v) glycerol and 50% (w/v) sucrose). Explants were cooled by direct immersion in LN in 10 μl droplets of vitrification solution placed on aluminium foil strips. Rewarming was done by direct plunging of foil strips in a preheated (37 °C) unloading solution (0.8 M sucrose) for 30 s, after which an equal volume of unloading solution (at room temperature) was added for further incubation for 30 min. As for regrowth of blackberry, PVS3 proved more effective than the modified PVS2, but the difference was significant (P < 0.05) only for the shortest treatment duration. The duration of PVS3 treatment had no significant effect on regrowth of cryopreserved shoot tips (45.8–70%). By contrast, a 30-min treatment with modified PVS2 solution resulted in a significant increase in regeneration percentage (30%), as compared with a 10-min treatment with the same solution (5%). Cherry plum shoot tips were very sensitive to both vitrification solutions and growth recovery of cryopreserved samples was generally lower (5–20%) than that of blackberry explants. No significant influence of PVS treatment (both type of solution and treatment duration) on regrowth of cryopreserved shoot tips was observed with cherry plum shoot tips. Experiments performed in France and in Serbia produced similar results, thereby showing the robustness and reproducibility of the protocols developed.     

雾滴大小和覆盖密度与农药防治效果的关系

农药的雾滴粒径大小、覆盖密度、药液配制浓度对杀虫剂、杀菌剂和除草剂等的药效均有显著影响。根据农药雾滴粒径大小,可以将雾滴分为极细雾、细雾、中等雾、粗雾等。一定范围内,对于触杀作用的农药,采用细小雾滴喷雾对农作物病虫草害能取得更好的防治效果。雾滴粒径与农药药效之间存在生物最佳粒径的关系,农药喷雾技术理论研究认为,防治飞行的害虫适合使用10~50μm的细小杀虫剂雾滴,防治作物叶面爬行类害虫幼虫则适合采用30~150μm的杀虫剂雾滴,喷洒杀菌剂防治植物病害时适合采用30~150μm的雾滴,而喷洒除草剂时,则适合采用100~300μm的较粗大雾滴。在农药喷雾中,一定的雾滴覆盖密度就可以达到理想的防治效果,并不需要采用大容量淋洗式的喷雾方式,这是因为每个农药雾滴类似"炸弹",都有其"杀伤范围",称之为雾滴杀伤面积/杀伤半径(biocide area/biocide radius),且杀伤面积/杀伤半径与雾滴致死中密度(LN50)有关。本文论述了雾滴粒径大小、覆盖密度与杀虫剂、杀菌剂和除草剂药效之间的关系,进而分析农药雾滴致死中密度以及雾滴杀伤面积/杀伤半径,以期为农业生产、精准化施药提供参考。     

四君子汤对FCIR大鼠大脑皮质神经保护作用的实验研究

目的 探讨四君子汤对局灶性脑缺血再灌注（focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion,FCIR）大鼠大脑皮质神经保护作用的机制。方法 将48只SD雄性大鼠随机分成对照组、模型组、尼莫地平组（10.80 mg/kg）、四君子汤组（6 g/kg）,每组12只。运用大脑中动脉栓塞法制备大鼠FCIR模型,对照组和模型组给予生理盐水,其它各组则用相应药物连续灌胃14 d。运用Zea-Longa 5级评分法评定FCIR大鼠神经功能,免疫组化检测层粘连蛋白（laminin,LN）、组织金属蛋白酶抑制剂1（tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases 1,TIMP1）和基质金属蛋白酶9（matrix metalloproteinases 9,MMP9）表达。结果 与对照组比较,模型组神经功能评分显著增加（P<0.01）;与模型组比较,四君子汤组、尼莫地平组神经功能评分均明显减少（P<0.01）,且四君子汤组、尼莫地平组组间差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。模型组大脑皮质LN阳性表达明显低于对照组（P<0.01）,四君子汤和尼莫地平组LN阳性表达明显高于模型组（P<0.01）。模型组大脑皮质TIMP1、MMP9阳性表达明显高于对照组（P<0.01）。四君子汤和尼莫地平组TIMP1阳性表达明显高于模型组（P<0.01）,而MMP9阳性表达明显低于模型组（P<0.01）。结论 四君子汤可能通过促进LN和TIMP1表达,抑制MMP9表达,减轻大鼠的神经功能症状,进而对FCIR大鼠大脑皮质起到神经保护作用。     

In vitro germination and seedling development of cryopreserved Dendrobium hybrid mature seeds

In vitro germination and seedling development from Dendrobium Swartz. hybrid ‘Sena Red’, ‘Mini WRL’, ‘Jaquelyn Thomas’, and ‘BFC Pink’ seeds cryopreserved through vitrification (PVS2) were evaluated. Germination percentages after cryopreservation (LN) were variable among different controls and treatments, despite the initial high seed viability for all hybrids. Seeds exposed to PVS2 at ice temperature from 1 to 3 h prior to LN exhibited significantly higher germination than seeds exposed to PVS2 at room temperature for the same time periods. No significant differences in germination percentages were observed for time exposure to PVS2 at 1, 2 or 3 h for ‘Sena Red’, ‘Mini WRL’, and ‘BFC Pink’. Seeds of ‘Jaquelyn Thomas’ exposed to 1 h prior to LN showed higher germination percentage than for exposure to 2 or 3 h. The combination of a pre-cooling treatment (ice) with a dehydration treatment (PVS2) for a period of time of 1–3 h was essential to allow proper germination of cryopreserved seeds. Although variability in seed germination among different hybrids and treatments was observed, germination was above 50% of the controls and all germinated seeds developed into normal seedlings with healthy shoot and root formation. No abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, or diseases were observed in developed seedlings and no significant differences were observed for seedling growth and development from germinated seeds among the different hybrids. Seedlings transplanted to pots acclimatized well and developed into normal plants within 6–8 months in greenhouse. Transplanted seedlings exhibited 100% survival for all hybrids.