Termites and Chinese agricultural system: applications and advances in integrated termite management and chemical control

Termites are eusocial arthropod decomposers,and improve soil fertility,crop yield,and also are used by humans for their ben efits across the world.However,some species of termites are becoming a threat to the farming community as they are directly and indirectly causing major losses to the agricultural system.It is estimated that termites cost the global economy more than 40 billion USD annually,and considerable research has been done on their management.In this review,we present the available information related to sustainable and integrated termite management practices(ITM).Furthermore,we insist that the better management of this menace can be possible through:(i)improving traditional methods to keep termites away from crops;(ii)improving agricultural practices to maintain plants with more vigor and less susceptible to termite attack;and(iii)integration of available techniques to reduce termite infestation in crops and surroundings.The application of an effective combination of traditional practices with recently developed approaches is the best option for agricultural growers.Moreover,keeping in mind the beneficial nature of this pest,more innovative efforts for its management,particularly using rapidly emerging technology(e.g.,RNA interference),are needed.     

Cryobiotechnology of forest trees: recent advances and future prospects

Globally, forests are of great economic importance and play a vital role in maintaining friendly ecological environments, sustainability of eco-systems, and biodiversity. Harsh environments, human activities and climate warming have long threatened the diversity of forest genetic resources. Among all conservation strategies, cryopreservation is at present time considered an ideal means for long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. To date, studies on cryopreservation of forest trees have been far behind agricultural and horticultural crops. The present review provides a comprehensive and update information on recent advances in cryopreservation of shoot tips, somatic embryogenic callus and seeds of forest trees. Assessments of genetic stability in the regenerants following cryopreservation were also analyzed and addressed. Further studies on cryopreservation of forest trees are proposed and needed. By doing so, we expect to re-evoke research interests and promote further developments in forest tree cryobiotechnology, thus assisting to ensure maintenance of biodiversity of genetic resources of forest trees.     

白蚁毒饵诱杀技术研究进展

毒饵技术(baiting technology)是一项古老而又有新意的白蚁防治技术,在白蚁的防治中起了重要作用。近年来毒饵技术的研究与应用取得了突破性进展。文中就国内外白蚁毒饵诱杀药剂及技术的研究与应用进行了综述。     

Crop resistant starch and genetic improvement: a review of recent advances

Resistant starch (RS), as a healthy dietary fiber, meets with great human favor along with the rapid development and improvement of global living standards. RS shows direct effects in reducing postprandial blood glucose levels, serum cholesterol levels and glycemic index. Therefore, RS plays an important role in preventing and improving non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, colon cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. In addition, RS leads to its potential applied value in the development of high-quality foodstuffs, such as bread, noodles and dumplings. This paper reviews the recent advances in RS research, focusing mainly on RS classification and measurement, formation, quantitative trait locus mapping, genome-wide association studies, molecular marker development and genetic improvement through induced mutations, plant breeding combined with marker-assisted selection and genetic transformation. Challenges and perspectives on further RS research are also discussed.     

TDZ研究进展(综述)

TDZ在组培中应用广泛,植物中许多生理生化现象受TDZ影响。近年来研究初步表明,TDZ是通过调节内源激素起作用,或是诱导胁迫的结果。本文综述TDZ作用机理的研究进展。     

低温和水分亏缺对常绿果树成花作用研究进展(综述)

本文综述了低温和水分亏缺对常绿果树成花作用的最新研究结果,包括不同果树成花对胁迫过程中树体发生的生理变化,以及可能的作用机理等,提出了低温和水分亏缺对成花作用的模式图,展望了研究方向.     

Unrooted trees discovered independently in philology and phylogenetics: a remarkable case of methodological convergence

We report on the only known case of independent discovery of unrooted trees in a historical science outside of biological systematics. The method of textual criticism (ecdotics, i.e., the building of text-version genealogies) created by French philologist Henri Quentin (1872–1935) proposes the use of a type of branching scheme equivalent to unrooted trees in phylogenetics. Because Quentin's method has never become the prevailing paradigm in philology, his insight into unrooted trees has not been noticed in previous studies comparing philology and phylogenetics. In fact, the modern use of unrooted trees in philology is seen as imported from phylogenetics. Quentin's procedure starts by building an unrooted tree (‘chain’) expressing the network of text versions (taxa) based on ‘variants’ (equivalent to unpolarized character states). Such undirected scheme is then rooted on the basis of extrinsic temporal information, thus resulting in a complete (rooted) hypothesis of relationships. Quentin asserts that the building of an unrooted tree precedes the determination of its orientation (rooting) and that the two procedures reflect distinct levels of structural organization, relying on different assumptions. Henri Quentin fully grasped the implications of time-reversible properties of unrooted trees and associated characters, in striking prescience of the same concepts developed in phylogenetics some 45 years later. The two versions of unrooted trees were developed entirely independently of each other and such convergence is testimony to the formal efficiency of approaching historical reconstruction in unrooted and rooted dimensions.     

Production of conjugated fatty acids: A review of recent advances

Conjugated fatty acids (CFAs) have received a deal of attention due to the increasing understanding of their beneficial physiological effects, especially the anti-cancer effects and metabolism-regulation activities. However, the production of CFAs is generally difficult. Several challenges are the low CFAs content in natural sources, the difficulty to chemically synthesize target CFA isomers in high purity, and the sensitive characteristics of CFAs. In this article, the current technologies to produce CFAs, including physical, chemical, and biotechnical approaches were summarized, with a focus on the conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) and conjugated linolenic acids (CLNAs) which are the most common investigated CFAs. CFAs usually demonstrate stronger physiological effects than other non-conjugated fatty acids; however, they are more sensitive to heat and oxidation. Consequently, the quality control throughout the entire production process of CFAs is significant. Special attention was given to the micro- or nano-encapsulation which presented as an emerging technique to improve the bioavailability and storage stability of CFAs. The current applications of CFAs and the potential research directions were also discussed.     

A review: recent advances and future prospects of taxol-producing endophytic fungi

In the urgent search for more effective ways to treat cancer, new extraction methods of taxol from endophytic fungus have demonstrated high potential in increasing the efficiency of taxol extraction for more efficient and sustainable production of taxol and cancer treatment products. This paper summarizes recent advances in taxol-producing endophytic fungi, both in China and abroad, in the following areas: isolation and identification of endophytic fungi types, extraction and detection methods of endophytic taxol in plants, and improved efficiency of the extraction process. With the advancement of science and technology, new techniques in biotechnology, such as fungal strain improvement and recombining technique and microbial fermentation engineering, have increased the extraction yield from taxol-producing fungi, thereby improved the overall efficiency of taxol production.     

Methods and recent advances in speciation analysis of mercury chemical species in environmental samples: a review

Mercury (Hg) and its compounds are much concerned for their high toxicity and wide presence in the environment. Since the toxicity of Hg is species dependent, various methods have been developed for the speciation analysis of Hg. This review focus on the determination and speciation analysis of Hg chemical species in water, sediment, and soil samples. Recent developments on sample pre-treatment and extraction/pre-concentration, separation, and quantification of Hg chemical species, and associated analytical challenges have been reviewed and briefly discussed based on recent reports.     

Acoustic detection of termite infestations in urban trees

A portable, low-frequency acoustic system was used to detect termite infestations in urban trees. The likelihood of infestation was rated independently by a computer program and an experienced listener that distinguished insect sounds from background noises. Because soil is a good insulator, termite sounds could be detected easily underneath infested trees, despite the presence of high urban background noise. Termite sounds could be detected also in trunks, but background noise often made it difficult to identify termite signals unambiguously. High likelihoods of termite infestation were predicted at four live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill, Fagacae), two loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L., Pinacae), and two baldcypress (Taxodium distichum Rich. Pinacae) trees that wood-baited traps had identified as infested with Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Infestations also were predicted at two pine trees with confirmed recoveries of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Low likelihoods of infestation were predicted in four oak trees where no termites were found. Additional tests were conducted in anechoic environments to determine the range of acoustic detectability and the feasibility of acoustically estimating termite population levels. There was a significant regression between the activity rate and the number of termites present in a wood trap block, with a minimum detectable number of approximately 50 workers per liter of wood. The success of these field tests suggests that currently available acoustic systems have considerable potential to detect and monitor hidden infestations of termites in urban trees and around building perimeters in addition to their present uses to detect and monitor termite infestations in buildings.     

西番莲生物技术研究进展(综述)

本文综述近年来西番莲组织培养、原生质体培养以及基因工程的研究进展,并提出应用前景。     

Approaches,challenges and recent advances in automated bee counting devices: A review

For nearly 100 years, electronic bee counters have been developed using various technologies to track the foraging activity of mostly honey bee colonies. These counters should enable remote monitoring of the hives without disturbing natural flight behaviour while generating precise scientific data. However, there are few counters on the market that are able to fulfil this task. One main challenge is the lack of standardised methods to validate a counter's precision, as validation is crucial to categorise and judge the data produced by the counter, especially for scientific purposes. Another challenge is the interpretation of flight data to measure the effects of environmental or anthropogenic sources. Nevertheless, recent developments in the field are promising. This review describes the historic development of automated bee flight measurements and critically compares validation methods to encourage their improvement. To increase the comparability of future analyses of bee counters, current advances in data interpretation are also presented.