热氧老化对麦秸秆/橡胶/PE仿藤条性能的影响

秸塑复合材料(SPC)是一种使用秸秆纤维替代木材纤维的新型木塑复合材料。以麦秸秆和低密度聚乙烯为原料,利用天然橡胶增韧的特性开发出了麦秸秆/橡胶生物质仿藤条。在100℃条件下加速热氧老化60天,观察分析其力学性能和微观结构的变化规律。结果表明,初始条件下,一方面麦秸秆纤维的加入降低了仿藤条的力学性能;另一方面橡胶的加入增强了仿藤条的韧性,起到了弥补作用。老化过程中,材料表面出现裂纹,生物质和PE界面的结合官能团丧失,界面结合能力降低,力学性能下降。结合动力学模型,0~15天为快速降解阶段,材料断裂伸长率降低较快,橡胶的加入降低了老化速率,老化系数降低了70%。含有橡胶的仿藤条在15~60天的老化过程中保持较低的老化速率,起到了抗老化作用。     

西双版纳农田弃耕后橡胶园的建立对碳的固存作用

 由于温室气体的大量排放引起的全球气候变暖等环境问题日益严重,近年来人们开始考虑通过植被和土壤的碳固存,以缓解大气中CO2浓度的升高速度,减缓温室效应的影响。有研究表明,热带原始森林的保护和人工林的建立能有效地固存大气中的碳。但是,在建立热带种植园和人工林以固存大气CO2的可行性及其碳的固存潜力大小等方面还存在较大争议。云南省西双版纳自治州是我国重要的热带地区之一,目前橡胶(Hevea brasiliensis)园的面积为1.3×105 hm2,约占该地区林地面积的14%。在本研究中,选择11块在弃耕后的农田上建立的橡胶园（定植年限为3至38年）,初步探讨了橡胶园建立后植被和土壤中碳的固存规律。两个生物量模型（唐建维等的模型和Brown模型）的模拟结果显示,橡胶园建立后植被中生物量的平均增长速率分别为10.2×103和9.4×103 kg·hm-2·a-1,40和100 cm表层土壤碳的平均固存速率分别为0.61×103和0.72×103 kg C·hm-2·a-1,植被和100 cm表层土壤中碳的平均固存速率为5.82×103和5.42×103 kg C·hm-2·a-1,而定植40年后植被和100 cm表层土壤碳的固存潜力为232.8×103和216.8×103 kg C·hm-2。对两个模型的比较结果显示,唐建维等的模型生物量计算结果明显高于Brown模型,尤其是在对中幼龄橡胶园生物量估算时更是如此。     

18.4 mm橡皮霰弹对动物致伤后生物学效应及X 线表现

目的：近年来,防暴武器的发展迅速,防暴武器伤的救治已成为医学上的一个重要研究课题。在此背景下,制定了18.4 mm 橡皮霰弹的生物学试验模型,即在常温状态下,研究18.4 mm 橡皮霰弹对两种试验动物在不同距离、不同防护、不同部位条件下 的胸、腹部损伤情况。通过损伤效应研究,判断防暴武器的安全性能及损伤特点,为客观的从生物学角度评价防暴武器性能及防 暴武器伤的救治提供可靠的生物学依据,建立可靠的生物学模型,并进一步探讨损伤后X线检查的重要性和必要性。方法：利用 两种动物、三个距离、三种防护、四个部位定点射击,从临床及X线表现等多方面进行比较、分析,并得出统计学结果。结果：两 种生物、三种条件、三个距离、四个部位均出现了不同程度橡皮弹损伤,体内出现具有统计学规律的弹丸存留,部分出现贯通伤。 结论：18.4 mm 橡皮霰弹的损伤程度与距离增加呈负相关,三种距离条件下,5 m对生物的损伤最大。动物种类的不同,射击部位 的不同,有着明显的损伤差异,主要与组织厚度和组织结构特点有关与组织厚度和组织结构特点有关。损伤的程度,与防护密切 相关,三种防护条件下,棉服防护的损伤效应明显减轻。X线摄片检查可以直观显示弹丸在其体内存留的数量、位置及深度,以及 造成的骨折损伤,可以为临床解剖提供比较可靠的依据,为防暴武器生物学试验提供较为直观的影像学依据。     

Diversity of the cassiicolin gene in Corynespora cassiicola and relation with the pathogenicity in Hevea brasiliensis

Corynespora cassiicola is an important plant pathogenic Ascomycete causing the damaging Corynespora Leaf Fall (CLF) disease in rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). A small secreted glycoprotein named cassiicolin was previously described as an important effector of C. cassiicola. In this study, the diversity of the cassiicolin-encoding gene was analysed in C. cassiicola isolates sampled from various hosts and geographical origins. A cassiicolin gene was detected in 47 % of the isolates, encoding up to six distinct protein isoforms. In three isolates, two gene variants encoding cassiicolin isoforms Cas2 and Cas6 were found in the same isolate. A phylogenetic tree based on four combined loci and elucidating the diversity of the whole collection was strongly structured by the toxin class, as defined by the cassiicolin isoform. The isolates carrying the Cas1 gene (toxin class Cas1), all grouped in the same highly supported clade, were found the most aggressive on two rubber tree cultivars. Some isolates in which no Cas gene was detected could nevertheless generate moderate symptoms, suggesting the existence of other yet uncharacterized effectors. This study provides a useful base for future studies of C. cassiicola population biology and epidemiological surveys in various host plants.     

Climate and natural production of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) in Xishuangbanna,southern part of Yunnan province,China

According to the author's and his collaborators' investigations, the climate influences the growth of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) in Xishuangbanna, the southern part of Yunnan Province, China, in at least four aspects: (1) The yield of latex per tapping and the final yield of dry rubber per tree per year or per unit area per year; (2) the growth rate, as expressed by increment of girth in cm; (3) the survival during the over-wintering period; (4) the initiation or suppression of certain diseases; In this paper the author would like to describe the influence of climatic elements on yield of latex and on survival during the over-wintering period. As for the other two aspects, only general comments are given.     

A role for a Hevea latex lectin-like protein in mediating rubber particle aggregation and latex coagulation

An in vitro aggregation of washed lutoid membrane and rubber particles, respectively, prepared from the bottom (lutoid) fraction and rubber layer of centrifuged fresh latex, leading to the formation of rubber coagulum necessary for a latex coagulation was demonstrated. A Triton X-100 extract of washed lutoid membrane proteins, isolated and prepared from the bottom fraction of centrifuged fresh latex was examined for its role in the latex coagulation process. It induced agglutination of rabbit erythrocytes, indicating the presence of a lectin-like protein. Hevea latex lectin-like protein (HLL) was purified to homogeneity by active chitin binding separation, followed by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. Its M(r) analyzed by SDS-PAGE was 17 kDa, whereas that determined by gel filtration was 267 kDa. The HLL had a pI value of 7.2. Several glycoproteins were shown to inhibit the HLL-induced hemagglutination. The hemagglutinin activity of HLL was enhanced by Ca(2+). Of most interest was the finding that HLL strongly induced aggregation of the Hevea latex rubber particles (RP). This strong RP aggregation leads to latex coagulation, indicating the possibility that it is involved in the formation of the coagulum that plugs the latex vessel ends and stops the flow of latex upon tapping. In addition, the purified HLL also induced aggregation of RP taken from several other non-Hevea latex producing plants. This might indicate either a common or universal role of this lectin-like protein in RP aggregation and hence latex coagulation. This paper, for the first time, provides clear and unequivocal evidence for either a key biological role or physiological function of an endogenous latex lectin-like protein in the sequential process of latex coagulation.     

Initiation of rubber biosynthesis: In vitro comparisons of benzophenone-modified diphosphate analogues in three rubber-producing species

Natural rubber, cis-1,4-polyisoprene, is a vital industrial material synthesized by plants via a side branch of the isoprenoid pathway by the enzyme rubber transferase. While the specific structure of this enzyme is not yet defined, based on activity it is probably a cis-prenyl transferase. Photoactive functionalized substrate analogues have been successfully used to identify isoprenoid-utilizing enzymes such as cis- and trans-prenyltransferases, and initiator binding of an allylic pyrophosphate molecule in rubber transferase has similar features to these systems. In this paper, a series of benzophenone-modified initiator analogues were shown to successfully initiate rubber biosynthesis in vitro in enzymatically-active washed rubber particles from Ficus elastica, Heveabrasiliensis and Parthenium argentatum.Rubber transferases from all three species initiated rubber biosynthesis most efficiently with farnesyl pyrophosphate. However, rubber transferase had a higher affinity for benzophenone geranyl pyrophosphate (Bz-GPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (Bz-DMAPP) analogues with ether-linkages than the corresponding GPP or DMAPP. In contrast, ester-linked Bz-DMAPP analogues were less efficient initiators than DMAPP. Thus, rubber biosynthesis depends on both the size and the structure of Bz-initiator molecules. Kinetic studies thereby inform selection of specific probes for covalent photolabeling of the initiator binding site of rubber transferase.     

Biodiesel production from rubber seed oil using poly (sodium acrylate) supporting NaOH as a water-resistant catalyst

Poly (sodium acrylate) supporting NaOH (NaOH/NaPAA) was prepared by in situ polymerization of aqueous solution of acrylic acid with an over-neutralization by adding excess of NaOH. NaOH/NaPAA presented a promising selectivity for water absorbency and good water retention with negligible swelling capacity in the organic solvents of methanol, glycerol, rubber seed oil methyl esters, and rubber seed oil. NaOH/NaPAA catalysts showed a basic strength of 15.0 < H_ < 18.4 and their basicity increased with the increase of the NaOH loading amount. NaOH/NaPAA catalysts exhibited almost the same catalytic activity in the transesterification of rubber seed oil with methanol under the optimized reaction conditions compared to conventional homogeneous NaOH catalyst. Furthermore, the functional absorbent/catalyst system presented a good water resistance in the transesterification which retained high catalytic activity when a water concentration in the reaction system was less than 2 wt.%.     

Purification and characterization of NAD(P)H quinone reductase from the latex of Hevea brasiliensis Müll.-Arg. (Euphorbiaceae)

NAD(P)H quinone reductase [NAD(P)H-QR] present in the latex of Hevea brasiliensis Müll.-Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) was purified to homogeniety from the B-serum fraction obtained by freeze-thawing of the bottom fraction of ultracentrifuged fresh latex. The purification protocol involved acetone fractionation, heat treatment, ion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography. The M(r) determined by SDS-PAGE for the protein subunit was 21 kDa, and the molecular mass of the native enzyme estimated by gel filtration was 83 kDa, indicating that the native enzyme is a homotetramer. The enzyme showed pH stability over a range of 6 to at least 10 (with an optimum at pH 8) and thermal stability up to 80 degrees C. High NAD(P)H-QR activity (70%) was still retained after 10 h of preincubation at 80 degrees C. A comparable substrate specificity for this enzyme was observed among menadione, p-benzoquinone, juglone, and plumbagin, with only duroquinone generating a lower activity. Positive correlations between latex NAD(P)H-QR activity and rubber yield per tapping [fresh latex (r=0.89, P<0.01), dry rubber (r=0.81, P<0.01)] together with flow time (r=0.85, P<0.01) indicated that enzyme activity could possibly be used as a marker to predict the yield potential of selected clones.