Morpho-molecular analysis as a prognostic model for repulsive feedback of the medicinal plant “Andrographis paniculata” to allogamy

Andrographis paniculata Nees. (AP) is a self-pollinated medicinal herb with a wide range of pharmaceutical properties, facing a low diversity in Malaysia. Cross-pollination of AP accessions leads to considerable rates of heterosis in the agro-morphological characteristics and anticancer phytochemicals of this eminent medicinal herb. However, the poor crossability of the plant at the interpopulation or intraspecific levels is an obstacle from the evolutionary and breeding points of view as an average of 4.56% crossability was recorded for AP in this study. Hence, this research aimed to elicit the impact of parental genetic distances (GDs) on the rate of crossability of AP using seven accessions in 21 possible cross combinations. To this end, a set of 55 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and a total of 13 agro-morphological markers were employed to test the hypothesis. Twenty-two out of the 55 RAPD primers amplified a total of 257 bands of which 107 bands were found to be polymorphic. The principal component analysis (PCA) based on the RAPD markers revealed that the studied AP accessions were distributed to three distinct groups. Furthermore, it was noticed that even a minor increase in GD between two parents can cause a decline in their crossability. Unlike, the morphological-based GDs acted neutrally to crossability. This finding suggests that, despite the low genetic diversity among the Malaysian APs, a population prescreening using RAPD markers would be useful to enhance the rate of fruit set through selecting the genetically adjacent parents.     

Variation in Photosynthetic Rates and Biomass Productivity among Four Mulberry Cultivars

Among four mulberry (Morus alba L.) cultivars (K-2, MR-2, BC2-59, and S-13), highest net photosynthetic rate (P _N) was observed in BC2-59 while the lowest rates were recorded with K-2. Significant differences among the four cultivars were found in leaf area, biomass production, activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and sucrose phosphate synthase, and glucose and sucrose contents. The P _N and the activities of photosynthetic enzymes in the four cultivars were significantly correlated with the growth and biomass production measured as leaf yield, total shoot mass, and aerial plant biomass.     

不同林龄第2代杉木林枝叶凋落前的养分转移特征

利用会同杉木林25年的定位测定的基础数据,探讨了不同林龄杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata(lamb) Hook)枝叶凋落前的养分转移特征,为人工林经营管理提供科学依据。结果表明:杉木枝叶凋落前年均养分转移量为3.22—31.89 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1),其中,叶占71.31%—94.41%,枝占5.59%—28.69%。枝的养分转移量随林龄增加而增加。林分20年生以前,叶的养分转移量呈上升趋势,20年生以后,呈下降趋势。枝的养分转移率为20.97%—22.59%,叶是22.98%—26.06%,枝和叶的养分转移率都随林龄增加而增大。各林龄段的枝的养分转移率差异不显著(P0.05),叶的养分转移率除1—7年生与其他林龄段的差异显著(P0.05),其余各林龄段之间差异不显著(P0.05)。转移的元素量中,N和K占83.75%—84.25%,P、Ca、Mg占15.75%—16.25%。N、P、K、Ca、Mg的转移率分别为24.59%—34.53%,36.36%—46.64%,42.86%—51.27%,3.68%—7.35%,3.67%—9.56%。养分转移率主要受枝叶凋落前、后的养分浓度差值与枝叶凋落前的养分浓度控制,与凋落物量无关。养分的转移量不仅受枝叶凋落前、后的养分浓度差值的影响外,更多地取决于凋落物量,而且与杉木生长发育特征有很大的关联。     

川金丝猴脊神经腹侧支（躯干部）观察

本文较详细地叙述了川金丝猴脊神经腹侧支（躯干部）的分支分布,并发现川金丝猴无颈袢,无肩胛舌骨肌支,无枕小神经,第１、２腰神经腹侧支发出颅侧髂腹下神经和尾侧髂腹下神经。此外,对颈横神经、耳大神经、锁骨上神经等皮神经与颈皮肌的关系作了讨论。     

Control efficiency of leaf beetle,Ophraella communa,on the invasive common ragweed,Ambrosia artemisiifolia,at different growing stages

Ophraella communa LeSage (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), an effective biological control agent of A. artemisiifolia, was unintentionally introduced into China. To understand the biological control potential of O. communa on A. artemisiifolia, plant height, the number of branches and leaf control index of A. artemisiifolia injured by the beetle were determined. The results showed that plant height and number of branches decreased and leaf control index increased with the increasing initial release density of O. communa adults, when they were released at 90–100-cm plant height stage in 2008 and 60–70-cm stage in 2009. Even when O. communa was released at a low average density of 1.07 adults per plant at early growth stage of A. artemisiifolia in 2009, it could significantly suppress plant height and number of branches and led to a higher leaf control index compared with the herbicide treatment with Roundup. Prior to the fructicative period, the leaf control index of A. artemisiifolia by O. communa was up to 1.0 on the 47th day after the average initial release of 12 beetles per plant in 2008 or on the 85th day after the average release of 1.07 beetles per plant in 2009, which was significantly higher than that in the herbicide treatment. We suggest that the initial release average density of O. communa adults should be ≥1.07 beetles per plant at the early growth stage, or ≥12 beetles per plant at the late growth stage for an effective control of A. artemisiifolia in the field.     

葡萄枝条水分含量变化与抗寒性关系

以12个葡萄品种1年生枝条为试材,通过0、-15、-18、-21、-24、-27、-30、-133℃8个低温处理24h后,测定不同低温胁迫下葡萄枝条的,6-含水量、束缚水含量、自由水含量和束缚水与自由水的比值。结果表明：随着处理温度的降低,同一品种枝条的总含水量基本恒定,自由水含量呈先下降再升高的趋势,束缚水含量和束缚水与自由水的比值均呈现为先升高再下降的趋势;束缚水与自由水的比值随低温胁迫的变化呈Cubic方程,不同品种束缚水与自由水的比值达到最高点的温度不同,‘双红’、‘北冰红’、‘左优红’的拐点温度在-25℃以下,‘775’、‘巨峰’的拐点温度在-20℃左右,‘雷司令’、‘黑比诺’、‘霞多丽’的拐点温度在-18℃左右,‘赤霞珠’、‘梅鹿特’、‘白比诺’、‘红地球’拐点温度在-16～17℃。对葡萄休眠枝条进行低温处理后,通过测定束缚水与自由水含水量变化鉴定葡萄品种的抗寒性是可行的。     

Efforts to Explain and Control the Prolonged Thermophilic Period in Two-phase Olive Oil Mill Sludge Composting

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the use of different bulking agents in different ratios as a means to control, optimise and eventually reduce the duration of the thermophilic period in two-phase olive oil mill sludge (OOMS) composting. The bulking agents used were: (i) olive tree leaves (OTL), (ii) olive tree shredded branches (OTB) and (iii) woodchips (WDC). The selection of these materials was based on their abundance and availability on the island of Crete, the southernmost point of Greece. The ratios studied were: Pile 1, OOMS:OTL in 1:1 v/v; Pile 2, OOMS:WDC in 1:1.5 v/v; Pile 3, OOMS:OTL in 1:2 v/v; Pile 4, OOMS:OTL:OTB in 1:1:1 v/v; and Pile 5, OOMS:OTL:OTB in 1:1:2 v/v. The composting system used was that of windrows with the volume of each pile approximately 20–25 m³. The experiments took place over two consecutive years. A composting turner was used and turnings were performed at one and two week intervals. In each pile a variety of physiochemical parameters were monitored. Temperature remained high in all five trials. Piles 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 temperatures recorded values of above 50 °C for 106, 158, 160, 175 and 183 days, respectively. Volumes were reduced by approximately 67%, 62%, 63%, 80% and 84%, respectively. Temperature remained high, mainly due to the presence in large amounts of oily substances which during their complete oxidation release important amounts of energy and aid the cometabolism of more stable molecules such as lignin. This process is better described as the slow “burning” of a “fuel” mixture in an “engine” than composting. This approach is based on the extensive similarities of this process to that of crude oil sludge or similar waste composting.     

小桐子枝叶提取物对植物病原真菌的生物活性

采用菌丝生长抑制法,测定了小桐子枝叶6种不同溶剂提取物对小麦赤霉病菌、稻瘟病菌、烟草疫霉菌和辣椒疫霉菌的抑制作用,从中筛选出抑制作用最强的粗提物进行进一步的活性组分分离和抑菌活性测定。结果表明小桐子枝叶的乙醇提取物对4种植物病原菌抑制活性最高,在浓度为0.8 g·L^-1时,小桐子枝叶的乙醇提取物对小麦赤霉病菌、稻瘟病菌、烟草疫霉菌、辣椒疫霉菌菌丝生长抑制率分别为：87.1%、90.3%、86.4%、77.9%,其抗菌活性与农药世高均无显著差异;在小桐子枝叶乙醇提取物的不同溶剂萃取物对稻瘟病菌和烟草疫霉病菌进行生物活性追踪测试中发现,石油醚和水萃取物都具有较好的活性,当浓度为0.8 g·L^-1时,石油醚和水萃取物对两种病菌抑制率都达50%以上。表明小桐子枝叶含有丰富的抗植物病原真菌活性物质,且主要存在于小桐子枝叶乙醇提取物的石油醚相和水相中。     

Inducible recombination in the cardiac conduction system of minK: CreERT² BAC transgenic mice

Inducible Cre recombination is a powerful technology that allows for spatial and temporal modulation of gene expression in vivo. Diseases of the cardiac conduction system (CCS) pose a significant clinical burden but are not currently well understood at the molecular level. To enable inducible recombination in the murine CCS, we created a minK:CreERT(2) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse line. Cre activity is present after tamoxifen administration in the atrioventricular (AV) node, AV bundle, and bundle branches of adult transgenic mice. We anticipate that by enabling inducible recombination specifically in the AV node, bundle, and bundle branches, minK:CreERT(2) BAC transgenic mice will prove useful in advancing our understanding of CCS disease and function.