Integration of Ideological and Political Curriculum into Botany Experimental Teaching in Agricultural and Forestry Colleges

Ideological and political education is an important direction of curriculum reform,which aims to explore the organic combination of ideological and political elements and professional knowledge in the teaching process of professional courses,and enhance the guidance of students’ideological education while teaching knowledge.Botany experiments are an important part of the botany courses in agricultural and forestry colleges.This article takes the botany experimental courses as an example to explore the necessity,methods,and processes of implementing ideological and political education in the botany experimental courses,and to explore the practical teaching of botany experiments.The potential ideological and political elements existing in the course were excavated,and the results of integrating ideological and political education in the botany experimental course were summarized,which provided a guideline for the better implementation of ideological and political education in the botany experimental course.

Advancement of Structural Botany in the Past Fifty Years in China

Structural botany, being derived from plant anatomy, has been considered as an important branch of botany, both in concept and practice. In this paper, a review concerning the evolutionary trends of development from plant developmental anatomy to plant developmental biology, plant comparative anatomy to plant systematic biology and plant ecological anatomy to plant environmental biology during the past 50 years in China is addressed and their potential development and usefulness in the near future were largely discussed.

Euphorbia neriifolia L.:Review on botany,ethnomedicinal uses,phytochemistry and biological activities

The present review is intended to provide information on botany,ethnomedicinal uses,phytochemistry and biological activities of various parts of Euphorbia neriifolia(E. neriifolia). E. neriifolia has several ethnomedicinal uses. The latex of E. neriifolia is used as laxative,purgative,rubefacient,carminative and expectorant as well as in treatment of whooping cough,gonorrhea,leprosy,asthma,dyspepsia,jaundice,enlargement of the spleen,tumors,stone in the bladder,abdominal troubles and leucoderma. Leaves are brittle,heating,carminative,and good for improving the appetite and treatment of tumors,pains,inflammations,abdominal swellings and bronchial infections. Roots are used as symptomatic treatment of snake bite,scorpion sting and antispasmodic. Various plant parts or whole E. neriifolia extract and its isolates have been reported scientifically using various in-vivo and in-vitro experimental methods for anaesthetic,analgesic,anti-anxiety,anti-convulsant,anti-psychotic,anti-arthritis,anti-carcinogenic,antidiabetic,anti-diarrhoeal,anti-inflammatory,anti-thrombotic,antimicrobial,antioxidant,antiulcer,cytotoxic,death-receptor expression enhancing,dermal irritation,diuretic,hemolytic,immunomodulatory,radioprotective,scorpion venom and wound healing properties. It is reported to have chemical constituents like,neriifolin-S,neriifolin,neriifoliene,euphol,neriifolione,cycloartenol,nerifoliol,lectin,euphonerins A–G,3-O-acetyl-8-O-tigloylingol,taraxerol,antiquorin,etc. Identified chemical constituents are still required to be explored for their advanced isolation techniques and biological activities.

Botany,Traditional Uses,and Pharmacology of Polygonati Rhizoma

Huang Jing (黄精 Polygonati Rhizoma, PR) was first documented as a herbal medicine in Ming Yi Bie Lu (《名医别录》 Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians) in China. However, there was no comprehensive review on the botany, traditional uses, and pharmacological effects of PR till now. In this study, the botany, traditional uses including Taoist medicine, and pharmacological effects of PR were reviewed and summarized to provide insights on drug development of PR. In Taoist medicine, PR maintains agerasia and helps prolong human life-span, and is used for fasting (Bigu). In the Zhong Guo Yao Dian (《中国药典》Chinese Pharmacopeia) version 2020, PR exerts replenishing qi and nourishing yin, invigorating the spleen, moistening the lung, and strengthening the kidney. Pharmacological studies show that PR has effects of anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, anti-osteoporosis, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia, cardiomyocyte protection, immunomodulatory, and thus can be used for treatment of infertility, anti-microorganisms, and improving sleep and memory. In conclusion, PR may play a potential role for chronic disease management and health preservation and this very role deserves a more in-depth research.

Exploration of a New Task-driven Model for Botany Field Practice

In the present context of increasing social demands for natural science education,increasing people s awareness of environmental biodiversity protection,and ecological civilization lifting to the state strategy,it is just the time to explore a new botany field practice model.The attempt of a new task-driven model for botany field practice will greatly enhance students thinking about plants and nature,plants and environment,and plant and ecological civilization,and will inevitably enhance students initiative awareness and practical ability to protect and rationally utilize plant resources.

Optimization of Botany Teaching Based on the Cultivation of Interest

Structure botany is a fundamental course in biotechnology.In order to improve the quality of structure botany teaching,this paper studies on the teaching management of structure botany in classrooms,the teacher’s passion for work,and the standardization in teaching,so as to mobilize students’enthusiasm and initiative for learning,to develop their imagination and the ability to analyze and solve problems,and finally optimize the teaching patterns in classrooms.The paper aims to optimize teaching methods based on the existing problems of classroom botany teaching with developing students’learning interest as its core,and as a result,to help students master effective methods of botany learning.

The Implementation Strategy of Quality-oriented Education in Botany Teaching Reform

Botany is necessary in the teaching process.With the development of economy and society,a reform in this area become imperative.Quality-oriented education is an indispensable part of modern education.That’s why we should apply it to botany teaching as the direction of the reform.This paper aims to briefly introduce what is botany and the importance of qualityoriented education,then to propose strategies of carrying out the reform of quality-oriented education in botany teaching,providing references for the integration of botany and quality-oriented education.

Rubus chingii Hu: an overview of botany, traditional uses,phytochemistry, and pharmacology

Rubus chingii Hu, a member of the rosaceae family, is extensively distributed in China and Japan. Its unripe fruits(Fupenzi in Chinese) have a long history of use as an herbal tonic in traditional Chinese medicine for treating various diseases commonly associated with kidney deficiency, and they are still in use today. Phytochemical investigations on the fruits and leaves of R. chingii indicate the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics, and organic acids. Extracts or active substances from this plant are reported to have various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antifungal, antithrombotic, antiosteoporotic, hypoglycemic, and central nervous system-regulating effects. This review provides up-to-date information on the botanical characterizations, traditional usages, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, toxicity,and quality control of R. chingii. Possible directions for future research are also briefly proposed. This review aims to supply fundamental data for the further study of R. chingii and contribute to the development of its clinical use.

Domain-Specific Ontology of Botany

Domain-specific ontologies are greatly useful in knowledge acquisition,sharing and analysis. In this paper, botany-specific ontology for acquiring and analyzing botanicalknowledge is presented. The ontology is represented in a set of well-defined categories, and eachconcept is viewed as an instance of certain category. The authors also introduce botany-specificaxioms, an integral part of the ontology, for checking and reasoning with the acquired knowledge.Consistency, completeness and redundancy of the axioms are discussed.

Microcos paniculata: a review on its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology

The shrub Microcos paniulata(MPL;Tiliaceae), distributed in south China, south and southeast Asia, yields a phytomedicine used to treat heat stroke, fever, dyspepsia, diarrhea, insect bites and jaundice. Phytochemical investigations on different parts of MPL indicate the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, triterpenoids and organic acids. The MPL leaves, fruits, barks and roots extracts showed antidiarrheal, antimicrobial and insecticidal, anti-inflammation, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, blood lipids reducing, analgesic, jaundice-relieving and antipyretic activities, etc. The review aims to summary the traditional uses, botany,phytochemistry, pharmacological bioactivity, quality control, toxicology and potential mechanisms of MPL. Additionally, this review will highlight the existing research gaps in knowledge and provide a foundation for further investigations on this plant.

Projects Funded by the Division of Botany （NSFC） in 2005： Retrospect and Prospect

The present paper briefly introduces information about proposals received and funded, statistics and analysis of evaluation of peer review, and supporting strategies and reforms in program reviewing and administration in the Division of Botany at the Natural Science Foundation of China （NSFC） in 2005. A list of general programs and the abstract of key programs funded by this Division in 2005 are also provided.

Botanical,quality control,phytochemistry,pharmacology and toxicity characteristics of Corydalis bungeana Turcz.:a review

Corydalis bungeana Turcz.(CB)is a medicinal herb with significant medicinal value in traditional Chinese medicine.This paper reviews the progress of research on CB’s botany,quality control,phytochemistry,pharmacology and toxicity.The plant’s information was gathered from scientific databases such as PubMed,GeenMedical,Springer Link(https://link.springer.com),Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Pharmacopoeia and Flora.Currently,137 phytochemicals have been identified and isolated from CB,including alkaloids,flavonoids,amino acids,terpenoids,coumarins and organic acids.In addition,many phytochemicals reported various antiinflammatory,antibacterial,antiviral,antitumor,analgesic,hepatoprotective,immunomodulatory,neuromodulatory,and lipid reduction activities.However,the study of its toxicity is still at the preliminary exploration stage and needs further intensive exploration.Herein,we provide an in-depth investigation of the progress of CB to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of activity of CB extracts and its major components,deliver valuable resources and information for further research and rational drug use,and explore the potential research directions and prospects of CB.

Toxic Effects of Lanthanum, Cerium, Chromium and Zinc on Potamogeton Malaianus

The toxic effects of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and heavy metal elements such as chromium, zinc on Potamogeton malaianus Miq. were studied. The results show that the contents of chlorophyll and soluble protein increase to a certain degree and then decrease under La3+ Ce3+ Zn2+ stress, while there is a constantly dropping tendency under Cr6+ stress. The four ions have different effects on protective enzyme systems of Potamogeton malaianus. They can induce rises of the activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxides (POD) at lower concentration, however, with the increase of ions concentration, the activities decline. The change of SOD activity is exactly opposite to that of CAT and POD activity. It falls at first and rises later. An increasing tendency of MDA content appears with the increasing concentration. The toxicities of La3+, Zn2+, Ce3+ and Cr6+ become more serious in the order. The lethal concentration of Cr6+ to Potamogeton malaianus ranges from 0.5 to I mg(-1) that of Ce3+ and Zn2+ ranges from 3 to 5 mg(-1) and that of La3+ ranges from 7 to 10 mg(.)L(-1). The toxic mechanism of La3 + and Ce3+ is similar to that of Cr6+ and Zn2+.

Efficient production of ethyl levulinate from cassava over Al2(SO4)3 catalyst in ethanol–water system

One-pot achievement of ethyl levulinate from cassava was conducted in ethanol–water system over several simple sulfate salt catalysts. Al2(SO4)3catalyst had the best performance in synthesizing ethyl levulinate comparing with those of a series of sulfate salts. The highest yields of ethyl levulinate was up to 39.27% as well as 7.78% levulinate acid when cassava was catalyzed in ethanol medium by adding 10 wt% water.13C and1H NMR spectroscopic investigations confirmed that isomerization of glucose to fructose over Al2(SO4)3catalyst is an important step in producing ethyl levulinate and levulinate acid. Due to aggregations of Al3+under hydrothermal conditions, tiny amount of Al3+were detected in filtrate at the percentage of 0.32% even if in absolute water. Brønsted and Lewis acids could improve the yield of ethyl levulinate and levulinate acid by synergistic effect. All results suggested that Al2(SO4)3was a simple and efficient catalyst for ethyl levulinate and levulinate acid production. © 2016 Science Press

Review of Studies on Rare Earth against Plant Disease

Agricultural application of rare earth (RE) has been generalized for several decades, and it is involved in crops, vegetables and stock raising in China. However, all the researches on RE mainly focus on the fields such as plant physiological activity, physiological and biochemical mechanism, sanitation toxicology and environmental security. Plant protection by using RE and the induced resistance of plant against diseases were summarized. The mechanism of rare earth against plant disease is highlighted, which includes following two aspects. First, RE elements can control some phytopathogen directly and reduce its virulence to host plant. Another possibility is that RE elements can affect host plant and induce the plant to produce some resistance to disease.

Toxicity of Lanthanum Against Rhizoctonia solani and Its Effect on Disease-Related Enzymes

The inhibition of lanthanum (La) to mycelial growth and three disease-related enzymes of Rhizoctonia solani were studied. The results showed that lanthanum inhibits the growth of Rhizoctonia solani strongly. EC_(50) and EC_(95) of La were 171.9 and 667.7 mg·L^(-1) measured in solid culture media respectively, while 111.4 and 500.7 mg·L^(-1) measured in liquid culture media respectively. Lanthanum also has activating effects on disease-related enzymes of the fungus such as pectinase, protease and cellulase. However, the quantity or the activity of the total enzymes decreases significantly because of the strong blockage of mycelial growth when the La_2O_3 concentration is over 50 mg·L^(-1), and the virulence of pathogen decreases as well.

Effects of Rare Earth Elements on Vigor Enhancement of Aged Spinach Seeds

The effect and the mechanism of action of lanthanum, cerium and neodymium on aged seeds of spinach were studied. By LaCl_3, CeCl_3, and NdCl_3 treatment, the germination rate, germination index and vigor index of aged spinach seeds are increased and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase are enhanced. Moreover the ·O_2^- and malondialdehyde content are decreased and the cell membrane permeability of aged spinach seeds is reduced. Among these three rare earth elements, Ce treatment enhances vigor of aged seeds most significantly, that of Nd treatment secondly and La treatment is not as effective as the other two treatments. The reason may be from 4f electron characteristic and alternation valence of REEs.

Effect of Nd^(3+) on Photosynthesis of Spinach

The effect of Nd^(3+) on the photosynthesis and the growth of spinach was studied. The results show that Nd^(3+) improves the growth of spinach and increases chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate. UV-Vis spectrum indicates that the Soret band of chl-a in spinach with NdCl_3 treatment is blue shifted by 2 nm, and the Q band is red shifted by 1 nm, and the ratio of Soret band intensity and Q band intensity increases. FT-IR spectra show that the peak of porphyrin ring in chl-a of spinach with NdCl_3 treatment is widened, suggesting that the formation of Nd^(3+)-chl-a. Treated by NdCl_3, the fluorescence emission peak of PSⅡ in spinach leaves is blue shifted by 12 nm and the intensity declines obviously, indicating that Nd^(3+) is bound to the PSⅡ protein-pigment complex and the electron transfer rate increases.

Simulating canopy stomatal conductance of winter wheat and its distribution using remote sensing information

The canopy stomatal movement, a plant physiological process, generally occurs within leaves but its influence on exchange of CO2, water vapor, and sensible heat fluxes between atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystem. Many studies have documented that the interaction between leaf photosynthesis and canopy stomatal conductance is obvious. Thus, information on stomatal conductance is valuable in climate and ecosystem models. In current study, a newly developed model was adopted to calculate canopy stomatal conductance of winter wheat in Huang-Huai-Hai (H-H-H) Plain of China (31.5 - 42.7°N, 110.0 - 123.0°E). The remote sensing information from NOAA-AVHRR and meteorological observed data were used to estimate regional scale stomatal conductance distribution. Canopy stomatal conductance distribution pattern of winter wheat on March 18, 1997 was also presented. The developed canopy stomatal conductance model might be used to estimate canopy stomatal conductance in land surface schemes and seems can be acted as a boundary condition in regional climatic model runs.

Effect of different water supply on morphology, growth and physiological characteristics of Salix psammophila seedlings in Maowusu sandland, China

Response pattern was investigated for seedlings of Salix psammophila, a dominant shrub in Maowusu sandland, to the simulated precipitation change by artificially controlling water supply at four levels. The growth characters, in terms of plant height, stem diameter, total branch number, total leaf number and area, total bifurcation ratio, total branch lenght and branch number, branch lenght, leaf number and leaf area of each branch order, and leaf, branch and root biomass significantly increased when water supply increased. That water supply had significant effect on biomass allocation showed different investment pattern of biomass resource of the seedlings grown under different water supply treatments. Stomatal density of abaxial leaf surface decreased, and stomatal apparatus length and width of adaxial and abaxial leaf surface increased with the increase of water supply, while Stomatal density of adaxial leaf surface was not affected by water supply. Water supply obviously affected the diumal changes of photosynthetic rate, and the photosynthetic rate of the seedlings showed strongly midday depression grown under the 157.5 mm water supply, but not grown under higher water supply. Additionally the assimilation-light response curves and flourescence efficiency more showed that water supply improve photosynthesis capacity. Finally, S. psammophila seedlings stood out by their slow growth and relatively high investments in root growth in order to reduce tissue losing rate and consumption of water resource for keeping water balance under water stress. The seedlings that grown under rich water supply did by their fast growth and relatively high investments in branch and leaf growth in order to improve the power of capturing light energy for higher photosynthesis.