Resistance of Major and Backup Rice Cultivars against Ustilaginoidea virens in Anhui Province

[Objective] The aim was to study resistance of major and backup rice cul- tivars against Ustilaginoidea virens. [Method] Experiments and surveys were made on resistance of seventeen backup rice cultivars and some major cultivars in Anhui Province to identify resistance of different rice cultivars. [Result] Yanjing No.9, 80You 226, Tianxie No.l, A01 Xian, Lvjingnuo No.6 were moderate resistant; A03 Xian and Yangjing 636 were susceptible and the rest ten showed moderate susceptibility. Based on surveys on major rice cultivars, most of Liangyou rice series are suscept- able and novel Liangyou Xiang 4 enjoys resistance to certain extent. [Conclusion] The research provided references for resistance of rice against diseases in Anhui Province.

Isolation and Characterization of a Mitochondrial atp6 Gene from Soybean (Glycine max)

Mitochondrial ATPase (mtATPase) complex plays vital roles in higher plants. It consists of a few subunits. In the present study, a new copy of the mtATPase subunit 6 (EC 3.6.1.34) gene (atp6) was cloned and characterized from Glycine max (L.) Merr., which has the shortest opening reading frame of 223 amino acids in all organisms examined and designated as the atp6 copy3 (atp6_3). PCR amplifications of the atp6_3 from 9 soybean cultivars combined with sequencing analysis suggested its wide occurrence in G. max . RFLP analysis of a RILs population implied that paternal inheritance of the atp6_3 might occur in G. max at undetermined frequency. Under salicylic acid (SA)_treated condition, the expression of the atp6 gene was significantly inhibited. The possible role of this inhibition was discussed.

Winter Wheat Salt Tolerance Appraisal Indices with Varied Mineral Content of Saline Water

[Objective] The aim was to study wheat salt resistance appraisal indicators under the condition of saline water irrigation.[Method] A trial was conducted with five varieties irrigated with saline water at 1,2,4,6,and 8 g/L during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 in the research station of Dry-land Farming Institute of Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.With standardized indicators for measuring treatment,the response relations among different salt stress levels and winter wheat growth index were analyzed in this study.[Result] Under the condition of different salinity of irrigation,relative plant height after jointing stage,relative leaf area index,relative dry matter weight,relative ear number per unit area showed significant differences among treatments and yield showed significant correlation,which can be taken as salt-resistance examination index of wheat.[Conclusion] The results showed that the relative height after jointing stage was recommended as the most practical salt-tolerance appraisal indices,because it was easy to be observed and sensitive to salt stress.

Extraction of Polysaccharides from Spirulina with Boiling Water

[Objective] The aim of this study was to develop a simple and effective method for the polysaccharide extraction from Spirulina. [Method] The polysaccha- rides were directly extracted from the fresh algae mat or dry powder of Spirulina in boiling water. The contents and quality of the extracted polysaccharides were measured. [Result] On average, 236.06 g of polysaccharide was extracted from 25 kg of fresh Spirulina mat, with a yield rate of 0.94%, while 191.95 g of polysac- charide was extracted from 2.5 kg of dry powder of Spirulina with a yield rate of 0.77%. The polysaccharide content in the extract of fresh Spirulina mat was 12.56% （according to glucose content）, while that of the dry powder was 12.38% （according to glucose content）; the glucose was produced during the hydrolysis of Spirulina polysaccharide. [Conclusion] Extraction polysaccharide from Spirulina with boiling wa- ter greatly reduces the use of ethanol, and the possibility of pollution from the ex- ogenous non-food chemical reagents, so that the extracted polysaccharides can be used as food materials. This method makes it possible to establish the production line for Spirulina polysaccharide.

Screening of Rice Stripe Virus(RSV)-resistant Germplasm from Landraces of Rice(Oryza sativa L.)

[Objective] The aim of this study was to screen rice strip virus （RSV）-resistant landraces. [Method] The resistance of 119 rice landraces to rice stripe virus was identified in field spontaneously infected with smal plant-hopper. [Result] There were 55 landraces resistant to rice strip disease in 56 indica rice landraces, but on-ly two resistant to rice strip disease in 63 japonica rice landraces. [Conclusion] The results revealed that there were abundant rice landscapes resistant to RSV in Chi-na, and these varieties can be used to develop more genes resistant to RSV.

Preliminary Identification of Red Pigment and Positive Correlation between the Contents of Red Pigment and Total Saponins of Panax notoginseng Fruits

[Objective] This study aimed to identify red pigment of Panax notoginseng fruits and explore the correlation between pigment content and total saponins of the fruits. [Method] The red pigment of Panax notoginseng fruits was preliminarily identi- fied with specific color reactions and UV-vis spectra, and the contents of the pigment and total saponins were determined via spectrophotometry. [Result] The red hues of the fruits were contributed by anthocyanins and/or the anthocyanidins. The contents of anthocyanins and total saponins of the fruits both decreased along with thinning of the red hues. The content difference of the anthocyanins in fruits with different red hues reached extremely significant level, but that of total saponins just reached significant level. [Conclusion] The red pigment of P. notoginseng fruits is anthocyanins which are of extremely significant positive correlation with total saponins in contents.

Pharmacokinetic study with N-Ile^1-Thr^2-63-desulfato-r-hirudin in rabbits by means of bioassay

Aim： To study the pharmacokinetic （PK） properties in rabbits treated with N-Ile^1-Thr^2-63-desulfato-r-hirudin （rH） newly developed in China by means of bioassay in order to provide preclinical experiment basis for its development as a novel anticoagulant agent. Methods： rH plasma concentration was determined using bioassay based on ex vivo antithrombin activity of rH. Normal rabbits received iv rH 4.0, 2.0 and 1.0 mg/kg or sc rH 2.0 mg/kg, respectively. The rabbits with acute severe renal failure were given iv rH 2.0 mg/kg. Results： The bioassay described in this paper met requirements for study of PK in rabbits. The major PK parameters after iv dosing were as follows： t1/2p 58.4-59 min. Vd 0.09-0.12 L/kg, CL 0.0035-0.0040 L/（kg·min）; AUC were proportional to the doses, ti/2 and CL did not change significantly with the doses. The sc bioavailability reached 94%. The rabbits suffering from acute severe renal failure presented 11-fold longer t1/2p and 13-fold greater.4 UC than normal healthy rabbits. Conclusion： rH exhibited rapid elimination, distribution was only limited to extracellular space and good absorption from sc site. The excretion ofrH by kidneys played a very important role in the elimination of rH. The PK ofrH could be described by the two- and one-compartment model after iv and sc dosing, respectively, and folio,wed linear kinetics.

Development of a real-time PCR assay(SYBR Green I) for rapid identification and quantification of scyphomedusae Aurelia sp.1 planulae

The complicated life cycle ofAurelia spp., comprising benthic asexually-reproducing polyps and sexually-reproducing medusae, makes it hard for researchers to identify and track them, especially for early stage individuals, such as planulae. To solve this problem, we developed a real-time PCR assay （SYBR Green I） to identify planulae in both cultured and natural seawater samples. Species-specific primers targeting Aurelia sp.1 mitochondrial 16S rDNA （mr 16S rDNA） regions were designed. Using a calibration curve constructed with plasmids containing the Aurelia sp. 1 mt 16S rDNA fragment and a standard curve for planulae, the absolute number of mt 16S rDNA copies per planula was determined and from that the total number ofplanulae per sample was estimated. For the field samples, a 100-fold dilution of the sample DNA combined with a final concentration of 0.2 μg/μL BSA in the PCR reaction mixture was used to remove real- time PCR inhibitors. Samples collected in Jiaozhou Bay from July to September 2012 were subsequently analyzed using this assay. Peak Aurelia sp.1 planula abundance occurred in July 2012 at stations near Hongdao Island and Qingdao offshore; abundances were very low in August and September. The real-time PCR assay （SYBR Green I） developed here negates the need for traditional microscopic identification, which is laborious and time-consuming, and can detect and quantify jellyfish planulae in field plankton samples rapidly and specifically.

Proteomic analysis of acute responses to copper sulfate stress in larvae of the brine shrimp,Artemia sinica

Proteomics was used to reveal the differential protein expression profiles of acute responses to copper sulfate exposure in larvae of Artemia sinica.Fourteen differentially displayed protein spots were detected and seven of them were identified.Three spots were up-expressed and identified:actin, heat shock protein 70,and chaperone subunit 1;three down-regulated proteins were identified:arginine kinase,elongation factor-2,and glycine-rich protein;and a newly expressed protein was identified as peroxiredoxin.The study indicates the involvement of all the differentially expressed proteins in the early responses of protein expression,and in the survival of A.sinica in the presence of copper and other heavy metals;the findings improve understanding of the organism’s adaptive responses and resistance.

WATERMARKING AUTHENTICATION:USING THE FRAGILE MODE OR THE ROBUST MODE?

Due to the lack of a unified authentication model certain mistakes occurred in the use of the wa-termarking authentication methods. To clarify the confusion, authentication models of robust and fragile wa-termarking are developed respectively in the paper. Concrete algorithms are proposed to prove the models that different Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) domains are utilized to embed the watermarks and quanti-zation method is presented with Just Notice Differences (JNDs) threshold as the quantization size. After the key technologies about the two methods are discussed, we detail the comparison of the two modes and rec-ommend their respective application scenarios as applicable results.

GyrB Gene Acts as a Phylogenetic Discriminator for Bacterial Diversity in Acid Mine Drainage

To study the efficiency ofDNA gyrase subunit B （gyrB） gene as means of diversity analysis, diversities of gyrB genes in three AMD samples collected from Dabaoshan Mine were studied by analyzing gyrB gene library. Many novel gyrB sequences and groups were detected. The results show that Acidithiobacillusferrooxidans-like bacteria represented 88.0% of the bacterial population in a sample. However, other two samples showed much high diversities. These diversities were characterized by the reciprocal of Simpson＇s index （l/D）, and show ferrous ion strongly influenced the composition of the microbial communities. The study indicate that gyrB Gene as a phylogenetic discriminator is a good tool to study different strains in same species that were difficult to be distinguished by 16S genes. But now gyrB Gene cannot define clearly unknown sequences to certain lineage, due to the incompleteness of the gyrB database.

Identification and Evolution of Groundwater Chemistry in the Ejin Sub-Basin of the Heihe River, Northwest China

Hydro-chemical characteristics of groundwater and their changes as affected by human activities were studied in the Ejin Sub-Basin of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, to understand the groundwater evolution, to identify the predominant geochemical processes taking place along the horizontal groundwater flow path, and to characterize anthropogenic factors affecting the groundwater environment based on previous data. The concentrations of major ions and total dissolved solids （TDS） in the groundwater showed a great variation, with 62.5% of the samples being brackish （TDS ≥ 1 000 mg L^-l）. The groundwater system showed a gradual hydro-chemical zonation composed of Na^＋ -HCO3^-, Na^＋ -Mg^2＋ -SO4 ^2 -Cl^-, and Na^＋ -Cl^-. The relationships among the dissolved species allowed identification of the origin of solutes and the processes that generated the observed water compositions. The dissolution of halite, dolomite, and 2- gypsum explained, in part, the presence of Na^＋, K^＋, Cl^-, SO^4 , and Ca^2＋, but other processes, such as mixing, Na^＋ exchange for Ca^2＋ and Mg^2＋, and calcite precipitation also contributed to the composition of water. Human activity, in particular large-scale water resources development associated with dramatic population growth in the last 50 years, has led to tremendous changes in the groundwater regime, which reflected in surface water runoff change, decline of groundwater table and degeneration of surface water and groundwater quality. Solving these largely anthropogenic problems requires concerted, massive and long-term efforts.

Isolation and Identification of a Bacterium from Marine Shrimp Digestive Tract:A New Degrader of Starch and Protein

It is a practical approach to select candidate probiotic bacterial stains on the basis of their special traits. Production of digestive enzyme was used as a trait to select a candidate probiotic bacterial strain in this study. In order to select a bacterium with the ability to degrade both starch and protein, an ideal bacterial strain STE was isolated from marine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) intestines by using multiple selective media.The selected isolate STE was identified on the basis of its morphological, physiological,and biochemical characteristics as well as molecular analyses. Results of degradation experiments confirmed the ability of the selected isolate to degrade both starch and casein. The isolate STE was aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile and non-spore-forming, and had catalase and oxidase activities but no glucose fermentation activity. Among the tested carbon/nitrogen sources, only Tween40, alanyl-glycine, aspartyl-glycine, and glycyl-l-glutamic acid were utilized by the isolate STE. Results of homology comparison analyses of the 16S rDNA sequences showed that the isolate STE had a high similarity to several Pseudoalteromonas species and, in the phylogenetic tree, grouped with P. ruthenica with maximum bootstrap support (100%). In conclusion, the isolate STE was characterized as a novel strain belonging to the genus Pseudoalteromonas.This study provides a further example of a probiotic bacterial strain with specific characteristics isolated from the host gastrointestinal tract.

Application of Stable Isotope Tracing Technologies in Identification of Transformation among Waters in Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

In order to investigate the transformation among the precipitation,groundwater,and surface water in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China,precipitation and groundwater samples which were collected at the meteorological station of the Sanjiang Mire Wetland Experimental Station,Chinese Academy of Sciences and the surface water which collected from the Wolulan River were used to identify the transformation of three types of water.The isotope composition of different kinds of water sources were analyzed via stable isotope(deuterium and oxygen-18) investigation of natural water.The results show a clear seasonal difference in the stable isotopes in precipitation.During the cold half-year,the mean stable isotope in precipitation in the Sanjiang Plain reaches its minimum with the minimum temperature.The δ18O and δD values are high in the rainy season.In the Wolulan River,the evaporation is the highest in August and September.The volume of evaporation and the replenishment to the river is mostly same.The groundwater is recharged more by the direct infiltration of precipitation than by the river flow.The results of this study indicate that the water bodies in the Sanjiang Plain have close hydrologic relationships,and that the transformation among each water system frequently occurs.

Screening of Drought Resistance Identification Indexes for Rice(Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars in Ningxia

The morphological characters, physiological characters, yield traits and yield per plant of total 49 rice cultivars from Ningxia were investigated under conditions of water stress and non-water stress so as to determine the relationship between each trait and yield per plant under water stress and the relationship between each relative character and drought resistance coefficient under water stress and non-water stress. The correlation, grey correlation, stepwise regression and path analyses showed that the tiller number per plant, plant height, grain density, effective panicle number per plant and grain number per panicle, total 5 traits, were significantly correlated with the drought resistance of rice, and they could be used to identify the drought resistance of rice in Ningxia. In addition, the drought resistance of rice was graded qualitatively according to the subordinate function value of corresponding drought resistance coefficient. The results showed that among the 49 rice cultivars from Ningxia,6 rice cultivars were highly drought resistant, and 9 rice cultivars were moderately drought resistant, suggesting that the evaluation method was feasible and effective.

An Authentication Technique Based on Classification

We present a novel watermarking approach based on classification for authentication, in which a watermark is embedded into the host image. When the marked image is modified, the extracted watermark is also different to the original watermark, and different kinds of modification lead to different extracted watermarks. In this paper, different kinds of modification are considered as classes, and we used classification algorithm to recognize the modifications with high probability. Simulation results show that the proposed method is potential and effective.

New Genera of Foraminifera Identified for the Upper Badenian Deposits to the North-Eastern Part of the Moldavian Platform

In the North-East of the Moldavian Platform, the upper Badenian is composed of three lithologic units, on top of which there is Limestones and Marls with Lithothamnium Formation. At the level of this formation, the geological research conducted in four localities near the Prut Valley demonstrated, based on two new foraminifera genera identified in this area--Oolina and Velapertina-favorable conditions for the development of the stenohaline fauna, a marine shelf environment with warm water, as well as the certitude regarding the age of the late Badenian for these. These results were not previously reported in this area.

Exploration of Antifouling Potential of the Brown Algae Laminaria ‘Sanhai’

Seaweeds are one of the largest producers of biomass in the marine environment. It has been well known that marine algae, especially brown algae was a rich source of biogeinc compounds with antifouling potential that could be ideal alternatives of tributyltin （TBT）. In this paper, antifouling potential of the brown algae Laminaria ＇sanhai＇ was explored. Firstly, the dried alga was extracted and the antialgal and antilarval activities were investigated. The EC50 and LC50 values of crude extract of Laminaria ＇sanhai＇ against diatom （Skeletonema costatum） and barnacle larval （Chthamalus challengeri） were 8.9 μg·mL -1 and 12.0 μg·mL -1 respectively. Then, guided by bioassay, the bioactive substances were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction. The antialgal and antilarval activities of isolated fraction were improved with the EC50 value of 7.4 μg· mL -1 against S. costatum and LC50 value of 9.7 μg mL 1 against C. challengeri larvae. Identification by IR, Q-TOFMS and GC-MS of the isolated bioactive substances revealed the abundance of fatty acids. These fatty acids, most with 16, 18 or 20 carbon atoms, contained myristic, hexadecanoic, oleic, linolenic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The results indicated that both the crude extract and the isolated bioactive substances had high antialgal and antilarval activities with no highlighted cytotoxicity which made the brown algae Laminaria ＇sanhai＇ a promising source of the environmentally friendly antifoulants.

Methods of identifying gas-bearing reservoirs by logs and applications of volcanic formations

The authors generalized the methods how to identify and evaluate gas zones using logs,and put forward the methods of crossplots and overlays of porosity logs on the identification of volcanic gas-bearing reservoirs in the northern Songliao Basin with good results.This study provides technical clues in deep formations and offers references for other areas to identify oil and gas layers.

Sex Determination Mechanisms in Fish

In fish,sex determination(SD) system shows high variation. The SD mechanisms include environmental and genetic regulation. The research on SD system and related genes in intensively studied fish species was reviewed. Although some genes have been described as sex-related,only DMRT1bY can be considered as a master sex determination gene and none of them has been utilized in aquaculture. The variation of fish SD system,the importance of sex-related genes in evolution research and the relations between environmental factors and sex-related genes were also discussed. The fish sex determination mechanism remains largely unknown. Further research needs to be done considering the significance of fish SD studies in basic and applied aspects.