A novel Effective Panicle Number per Plant 4 haplotype enhances grain yield by coordinating panicle number and grain number in rice

Increasing effective panicle number per plant(EPN)is one approach to increase yield potential in rice.However,molecular mechanisms underlying EPN remain unclear.In this study,we integrated mapbased cloning and genome-wide association analysis to identify the EPN4 gene,which is allelic to NARROW LEAF1(NAL1).Overexpression lines containing the Teqing allele(TQ)of EPN4 had significantly increased EPN.NIL-EPN4^(TQ) in japonica(geng)cultivar Lemont(LT)exhibited significantly improved EPN but decreased grain number and flag leaf size relative to LT.Haplotype analysis indicated that accessions with EPN4-1 had medium EPN,medium grain number,and medium grain weight,but had the highest grain yield among seven haplotypes,indicating that EPN4-1 is an elite haplotype of EPN4 for positive coordination of the three components of grain yield.Furthermore,accessions carrying the combination of EPN4-1 and haplotype GNP1-6 of GNP1 for grain number per panicle showed higher grain yield than those with other allele combinations.Therefore,pyramiding of EPN4-1 and GNP1-6 could be a preferred approach to obtain high yield potential in breeding.

Effects of Pigment Indicators on the Color Expression of Leaves of the Colored-leaf Garden Plants

[Objective] In this study, the relationship between the pigments and the color expression of leaves of colored-leaf plants was discussed. [Method] The colors of leaf blades of 6 kinds of plants were analyzed with the Royal Horticultural Soci-ety Colour Chart. The chlorophyl content, carotenoids content and anthocyanin con-tent in leaf blades were determined. In addition, the color types of leaf blades, kinds of pigments, pigment contents and pigment distributions of 6 kinds of plants were compared. [Result] The chlorophyl contents ranked as Populus canadensis Moench （green leaves） 〉 Populus deltoids cv. Zhonghuahongye （purple green leaves） 〉 Populus euramericana cv. Quanhong （red leaves）; Acer palmatum Thunb. （green leaves） 〉 Acer palmatum cv. Atropurpureum （purple red leaves） 〉 Acer pal-matum Thunb. cv. Atropurpureum （red leaves）. The ranking of anthocyanin contents was just opposite. The chlorophyl content was negatively related to the anthocyanin content. The leaf color of plants is determined by various pigments. The more the chlorophyl is, the greener the leaf is. The more the anthocyanin is, the redder the leaf is. In the colored-leaf plants, the chlorophyl content represents about 80% of the content of pigments, the carotenoids content represents about 17%, and the an-thocyanin represents about 3%. There is a difference in the chlorophyl content be-tween colored-leaf plants and green plants. However, the relatively low chlorophyl content wil not hamper the normal life activities of colored-leaf plants. [Conclusion] We hoped to provide reference and basis for the production and landscaping of col-ored-leaf plants.

Control Effect of Floating Plants Constructed Wetland to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution from Rice Field Drainage

[Objective] The control effect of floating plants constructed wetland to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from rice field drainage was studied.[Method] Firstly,the characteristic of floating plants and the purification principle of pollutants were introduced,and then purification effect was analyzed through controlling nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from rice field drainage by floating plants constructed wetland.[Result] By means of floating plants constructed wetland,the average removal rate of total nitrogen(TN) from double-season early and late rice field drainage reached 52.17% and 62.23%,respectively,while that of total phosphorus(TP) was 45.69% and 74.37%,respectively,with better removal effect.Meanwhile,floating plants have ecological and ornamental value to some extent.[Conclusion] Floating plants constructed wetland could not only control nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in field drainage effectively but also keep farmland ecosystem in healthy state.

Medical plant extracts and natural compounds with a hepatoprotective effect against damage caused by antitubercular drugs: A review

Drug-induced liver injury encompasses a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild biochemical abnormalities to acute liver failure; example of this scenery is hepatotoxicity caused by the first-line antituberculous drugs isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide, which are basic for treatment of drug-sensible and drug-resistant tuberculosis. In the search for pharmacological alternatives to prevent liver damage, antitubercular drugs have been the subject of numerous studies and published reviews, a great majority of them carried out by Asian countries. At the same time, hepatoprotectors from plant source are now emerging as a possible alternative to counteract the toxic effects of these therapeutic agents. The present review aims to highlight the most recent studies on the subject, based information published in scientific databases such as Scopus and Pub Med.

Synergistic effects of plant extracts and antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical specimens

Objective:This study has been done to evaluate the interaction between water extracts of Psidium guajava, Rosmarinus officinalis,Salvia fruticosa,Majorana syriaca,Ocimum basilucum,Syzygium aromaticum,Laurus nobilis,and Rosa damascena alone and then synergy testing of these extracts with known antimicrobial agents including oxytetracycline HCl,gentamicin sulfate,penicillin G,cephalexin and enrofloxacin.This study was conducted against five S.aureus isolates;one is Methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and 4 Methicillin - sensitive Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA).Methods:Evaluation of the interaction between plant extracts and different antimicrobial agents has been done using well - diffusion and microdilution methods. Results:The results of the conducted experiments using well - diffusion method demonstrate that these plants showed in vitro interactions between antimicrobial agents and plant extracts were additive,while using microdilution method showed synergistic effects with significant reduction in the MICs of the test antibiotics against these strains of S.aureus.This change in MIC was noticed in all plant extracts against test antibiotics including these plants showed weak antibacterial activity by well diffusion method.Synergism effect was occurred in both sensitive and resistant strains but the magnitude of minimum fold reduction of inhibitory concentration in resistant strains especially MRSA strain was higher than the sensitive strains.Coclusion:This study probably suggests the possibility of concurrent use of these antimicrobial drugs and plant extracts in combination in treating infections caused by S.aureus strains or at least the concomitant administration may not impair the antimicrobial activity of these antibiotics.

Mapping QTLs with epistatic effects and QTL×environment interactions for plant height using a doubled haploid population in cultivated wheat

Quantitative trait loci （QTLs） for plant height in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） were studied using a set of 168 doubled haploid （DH） lines, which were derived from the cross Huapei 3/Yumai 57. A genetic linkage map was constructed using 283 SSR and 22 EST-SSR markers. The DH population and the parents were evaluated for wheat plant height in 2005 and 2006 in Tai＇an and 2006 in Suzhou. QTL analyses were performed using the software of QTLNetwork version 2.0 based on the mixed linear model. Four additive QTLs and five pairs of epistatic effects were detected, which were distributed on chromosomes 3A, 4B, 4D, 5A, 6A, 7B, and 7D. Among them, three additive QTLs and three pairs of epistatic QTLs showed QTL×environment interactions （QEs）. Two major QTLs, Qph4B and Qph4D, which accounted for 14.51% and 20.22% of the phenotypic variation, were located similar to the reported locations of the dwarfing genes Rhtl and Rht2, respectively. The Qph3A-2 with additive effect was not reported in previous linkage mapping studies. The total QTL effects detected for the plant height explained 85.04% of the phenotypic variation, with additive effects 46.07%, epistatic effects 19.89%, and QEs 19.09%. The results showed that both additive effects and epistatic effects were important genetic bases of wheat plant height, which were subjected to environmental modifications, and caused dramatic changes in phenotypic effects. The information obtained in this study will be useful for manipulating the QTLs for wheat plant height by molecular marker-assisted selection （MAS）.

Psychophysiological Effects of Bamboo Plants on Adults

The present study was conducted to clarify the psychophysiological relaxation effects of viewing bamboo on university students. Forty healthy Chinese participants enrolled in this study to clarify the psychophysiological relaxation effects of viewing bamboo. The effects of visual stimulation using a pot both with and without a bamboo were recorded by measuring the student＇s blood pressure, EEG and STAI. We observed that viewing bamboo plants resulted in significantly lower systolic（female, P 〈 0.001; male, P 〈 0.001; P 〈 0.05） and diastolic（female,P 〈 0.001; male, P 〈 0.001; P 〈 0.05） blood pressures, but no changes in the pulse rate（female, P = 0.09; male, P = 0.07; P 〉 0.05） were observed. The results of the EEG analysis indicated brainwave variation（all P 〈 0.05） and lower anxiety scores（P 〈 0.01） after 3 min of viewing bamboo compared with the control. These findings indicate that visual stimulation with bamboo plants induced psychophysiological relaxation effects on adults.

Effects of Eichhornia crassipes Growth on Aquatic Plants in Dianchi Lake

[Objective] The aim was to study the effects of Eichhornia crassipes as an invasive plant on aquatic plants in Dianchi Lake. [Method] Based on the determination of chlorophyll content of phytoplankton and submerged plant (Potamogeton pectinatus) in Dianchi Lake in different months, the effects of E. crassipes on aquatic plants in Dianchi Lake were studied, and the allelopathy effect of root culture solution of E. crassipes on Microcystis aquaticum was discussed. [Result] The growth of E. crassipes in Dianchi Lake reduced the chlorophyll content of phytoplankton and submerged plant (P. pectinatus), and it showed that E. crassipes had certain inhibitory effect on their growth; the culture solution of E. crassipes root inhibited M. aeruginosa growth obviously. [Conclusion] The study could provide scientific references for the prevention and control of ecological safety of E. crassipes.

Immunomodulatory effects of selected Malaysian plants on the CD18/11a expression and phagocytosis activities of leukocytes

Objective:To investigate the effects of 20 methanolic extracts from Malaysian selected plants on CD18/11 a expression and phagocytosis activity of leukocytes using flow cytometry analysis.Methods:The effects of methanolic extracts on CD18/11 a expression and phagocytosis of leukocytes were measured by labelling the cells with CD18-fluorescein isolhiocyanaie and ingestion labelled with Escherichia coli-fluorescein isothiocyanate and then analyzed using flow cytometer.Results:About 12 out of 20 methanolic extracts of selected Malaysian medicinal plants significantly(P≤0.05) inhibited the CD18/1 la expression of leukocytes at both concentrations of 6.25 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL in dose dependent manner.The most active inhibitory was shown in Citrus aurantifolia(Christm.) Swingle and Alpinia galangal(L.) Willd.at dosage 100ug/mL.Moreover,the Orthosiphon aristatus(Blume) Miq(O.aristatus).showed the highest stimulatory activity at the concentration of 100 μg/mL.Other than that,four plant extracts significantly(P<0.05) rose the phagocytosis activities of leukocytes in dose dependent manner.However,Annona muricata L.and O.aristatus showed the highest stimulated activities at the 100 pg/mL concentration.Conclusions:The results suggest that methanolic extracts of Cirrus aurantifolia.Alpinia gaiangal,O.aristatus and Annona muricata are able to modulate innate immune system and can potentially be recognized as therapeutic agents for modulating immune system.

Effects of plant latex based anti-termite formulations on Indian white termite <i>Odontotermes obesus</i>(Isoptera: Odontotermitidae) in sub-tropical high infestation areas

In the present investigation various bioassays were conducted to evaluate the anti-termite efficacy of plant latex based formulations to control population of Indian white termite in subtropical soil. Results reveal that crude latex, its fractions and combinatorial fractions have shown very high toxicity against O. obesus. The LD50 values for different latex fractions of 24 h were in a range of 5.0-17.613 μg/mg while combined mixtures of Calotropis procera have shown synergistic activity against termites and caused comparably high mortality with LD50 1.987-6.016 μg/mg. The mortality rate was found dose and time dependent as it was found to be increased with an increase in dose and exposure period. In olfactometry tests, C. procera latex solvent fractions have shown significant repellency at a very low dose 0.010-0.320 μg/mg. Interestingly, solvent fractions have significantly repelled large numbers of worker termites due to volatile action of active components of latex and different additives. ED50 values obtained in crude latex were 0.121 μg/mg body weights while combinatorial formulations have shown ED50 in between 0.015-0.036 μg/mg. Statistical analysis of repelled and un-repelled termites gave a low Chi-square value (X2 value = 0.890) which is an indicator of independence of repellent action in randomly selected termite groups. In field experiments pre-soaked cotton threads impregnated with Calotropis procera crude latex were tagged around tree trunks of Tectona grandis provided a wider protection against O. obesus. By employing these pre-coated threads, termite infestation and tunneling activity were significantly decreased (p Calotropis procera possesses enough anti-termite potential against Indian white termite, O. obesus population. If used these, formulations may also provide wide a range of control against other kinds of pests including house hold, medical and veterinary. However, Calotropis procera latex based formulations can be recommended for effective control of termites in high infestation areas by applying spray, or in form of poison baits or as fumigant in pure form.

The effect of dehydration on plant regeneration and some physiology characters in rice calli

The plant regeneration frequencies of ealli fromplant tissue and cell culture,especially that of thecalli from rice tissue culture and rice anther cul-ture,and that of the foreign-DNA-transfor-mation-derived rice calli is very low(usually 10-15%).It is therefor very important to improve theplant regeneration frequency of rice calli.A1-

Stability and Ecological Effects of Main Plant Communities in Minqin Desert Area

[ Objective ] To elucidate the change trend in stability and ecological effects of plant communities in desert along with global wanning. [ Method ] The data of site-specific observation on five main plant communities at ten plots in Minqin desert area were used to analyze the stability and ecological effects of desert plant communities by using two indicators vegetation coverage and projective cover degree. [ Results ] The vegetation coverage of Artemisia arenaria and Ephedra przewalskii, and the projective cover degree of A. arenaria and man-made Haloxylon ammodendron forest decreased remarkably; and the vegetation coverage of Ni- traria tangutorum was also decreased to some extent. [ Conduslon] （1） The plant communities with poor vegetation coverage gives a relatively strong stability, while that with high vegetation coverage has a relatively poor stability; （2） the yearly precipitation is the determinant of vegetation coverage and projective cover deglee; （3） the ecological function is found to be most remarkable in per unit area N. tangutorum, followed by E. przewalskii and N. tangutorum ＋H. ammodendron, and least in per unit area A. Arenaria. The vegetation is sparse in desert and plant branches does not distribute regularly, thus the crown-based vegetation coverage can not reflect the actual surface coverage.

Inter-Row Spacing of PV Power Plant

When designing a solar power plant, it is much more important to avoid the shadow on the PV Panels. As the shadow falls on the PV Panels;it significantly reduces the generation of required power as planned and designed. This research paper and case study will help a lot to avoid shadow, especially when selecting inter-row spacing between the strings of solar power plants.

Effect of CRMS on male sterility of rice plant

The experiments were carried out in paddy field of CNRRI in 1985-1989. Seedlings of the indica variety Erjiufeng were raised in a seedbed and transplanted to pots with area of 0.1 m~2 at seedling age of 30 d. Treatments with (CRMS) were conducted at different stages: pistil and stigma primordium formation

Valuing Health Effects of Natural Radionuclides Releases from Yatagan Power Plant

The objective of this paper is the valuation of radiological health effects of Yatagan Power Plant. To this aim the radiation dose calculations are carried out for the population living within 80 km radius of the plant. The average of the maximum measured specific isotopes 238U, 232Th and 226Ra in the flying ash samples are considered as radioactive sources. Based on the dose calculations, first the stochastic health effects and then monetary health effects are estimated. The estimated total collective dose and economic value of the pre-dicted health effects are 0.3098 man Sv/y and 14791 US$/y respectively. The results obtained from the dose calculations are lower than the limits of International Commission of Radiation Protection (ICRP) and it does not pose any risk for public health. Monetary value of health risks is also negligible in comparison to the av-erage yearly sales revenue of the plant which is 250 million US$.

Assessing the Efficacy of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and Sambong (Blumea balsamifera) Extracts in Combating Black Pod Disease: Sustainable Solutions for Controlling Phytophthora megakarya in Cameroon’s Cocoa Plantations

The use of plant extracts as antifungal agents is gaining increasing attention, particularly for the control of black pod disease in cocoa. Despite extensive research, current strategies haven’t been entirely effective. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Cymbopogon citratus and Blumea balsamifora leaf extracts, both individually and in combination, against Phytophthora megakarya. We assessed the efficacy of the most promising combination (75% B. balsamifera, 25% C. citratus) after storage at room temperature for up to 9 days. Agar microdilution and in vivo bioassays were conducted to determine antifungal susceptibility and effectiveness. Blumea extract exhibited the highest overall inhibitory activity, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (117 µl mL−1) while C. citratus had a narrower range of MIC (146 to 233 µl mL−1). The combination of C. citratus and B. balsamifera demonstrated a synergistic effect against P. megakarya, achieving growth inhibition on V8 media (92.72 ± 4.20% to 100%) and on artificially infected detached pod cortex (92.24 ± 4.53% to 98.75 ± 1.25%), which was not significantly different from the positive control (Ridomil). Furthermore, this combination maintained its effectiveness for up to 9 days at room temperature. These findings suggest that combining plant extracts can enhance their antifungal properties.

Effect of plant growth regulator on rate of twin seedlings of rice with polyembryony

Rice with polyembryony characterized bytwin seedlings is a good genetic tool for apomixisresearch.A study on the effect of five plantgrowth regulators(IAA,KT,GA,2,4-D and6-BAP)on rate of twin seedlings in 3 rice varie.ties with polyembryony(Shuang 3,Shuang 13and Lu 52)was conducted.The results showed

Control Effects of Bacillus subtilis DJ-6 and Pyraclostrobin Alone and in Combination Against Fusarium oxysporum

[Objective] This study was conducted to screen a synergistic biological fungicide complex to control Fusarium wilt, reducing the use of chemical pesticides. [Method] The inhibitory effects of Bacil us subtilis DJ-6 and pyraclostrobin alone or in combination at five ratios against Fusarium oxysporum were detected by mea-suring mycelium growth rate in laboratory tests. The growth promotion and disease control effect of combined or single use of 20% pyraclostrobin and 2 ×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 WP at 1∶1 000, 1∶2 000 and 1∶3 000 dilutions were detected in field trials. [Result] The EC50 values of combined use of B. subtilis DJ-6 and pyra-clostrobin at ratios of 1∶1, 1∶2, 1∶3, 1∶4 and 1∶5 against F. oxysporum were 5.311 5, 4.008 6, 3.570 6, 3.350 9 and 3.218 9 μg/ml, with the synergistic ratios （SR） of 2.28, 1.77, 1.53, 1.64, 1.11, among which the synergetic effect at 1∶1 was the best. The fungicidal activity of pyraclostrobin was greater than that of B. subtilis DJ-6 in laboratory tests. Field trials revealed that al the 1∶1 000, 1∶2 000 and 1∶3 000 dilu-tions of 20% pyraclostrobin·2×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 WP in combination, 1∶1 000 dilution of 1 ×1012 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 WP and 1∶2 000 dilution of 250 g/L pyra-clostrobin EC promoted the growth of strawberry by increasing plant height, leaf petiole, leaf blade area and stem diameter. Among them, the treatments with 1∶1 000 and 1∶2 000 of 20% pyraclostrobin · 2×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 WP in combina-tion had better effects than other treatments. The control effects of al the treat-ments were measured 30 and 80 d after fungicide application. The control effects of 1∶1 000 dilution of 20% pyraclostrobin and 2×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 in combina-tion were up to 100% and 93.11%, which were higher than those in al other treat-ments. The second highest control effects were found in the treatment with 1∶ 2 000 dilution of 20% pyraclostrobin and 2×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 in combination, they were 92.49% and 86.49%, higher than those in other treatments except the 1∶1 000 dilution of 20% pyraclostrobin and 2 ×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 in combination. The control effects of 1∶3 000 dilution of 20% pyraclostrobin and 2×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 in combination were 82.61% and 72.42%, higher than those in treatment with 1∶1 000 dilution of 1×1012 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 WP, but lower than those in treat-ment with 1∶2 000 dilution of 25% pyraclostrobin EC. [Conclusion] Al the results re-vealed that the combination use of 20% pyraclostrobin and 2 ×1011 cfu/g B. subtilis DJ-6 WP at 1∶1 000 to 1∶2 000 dilution had better control effect against strawberry Fusarium wilt.

Oxidative Stress and Role of Natural Plant Derived Antioxidants in Animal Reproduction

The experimental knowledge on the role of oxidative stress,and beneficial and detrimental effects of plant derived antioxidants in male and female animal reproduction are reviewed in this article.Free radical-induced oxidative stress in animal reproduction causes great loss to livestock industry.Antioxidant therapy has been implicated to be effective in preventing diseases resulted from oxidative stress.Considering the advantages of lower side effects of natural antioxidants than those of synthetic antioxidants,plants or their extracts have been extensively utilized in animals.Although many advances have been gained on application of plant derived antioxidants in alleviating oxidative stress,debatable issues still exist.Because many opposite effects were observed even using plant extracts containing similar bioactive substances in the same animal species.Therefore,plant derived antioxidants,like free radicals,are ＂double-edged swords＂ in animal reproduction,representing that they may exhibit beneficial or detrimental effects in animal reproduction,including spermatogenesis,semen functions,estrous cycles,ovulation,ovary functions,endometrium,embryo development,and pregnancy.Besides dose-dependent manner as an explanation of plant extracts＇ dual function,future studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of double-edged actions of plant derived antioxidants in different animal reproduction systems.