Rational and Continuous Measurement of the Emotional Decision Making in Visual Recognition of Facial Emotional Expressions with M.A.R.I.E.: First Half

Context: The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) requires modeling prior to its implementation in algorithms for most human skills. This observation requires us to have a detailed and precise understanding of the interfaces of verbal and emotional communications. The progress of AI is significant on the verbal level but modest in terms of the recognition of facial emotions even if this functionality is one of the oldest in humans and is omnipresent in our daily lives. Dysfunction in the ability for facial emotional expressions is present in many brain pathologies encountered by psychiatrists, neurologists, psychotherapists, mental health professionals including social workers. It cannot be objectively verified and measured due to a lack of reliable tools that are valid and consistently sensitive. Indeed, the articles in the scientific literature dealing with Visual-Facial-Emotions-Recognition (ViFaEmRe), suffer from the absence of 1) consensual and rational tools for continuous quantified measurement, 2) operational concepts. We have invented a software that can use computer-morphing attempting to respond to these two obstacles. It is identified as the Method of Analysis and Research of the Integration of Emotions (M.A.R.I.E.). Our primary goal is to use M.A.R.I.E. to understand the physiology of ViFaEmRe in normal healthy subjects by standardizing the measurements. Then, it will allow us to focus on subjects manifesting abnormalities in this ability. Our second goal is to make our contribution to the progress of AI hoping to add the dimension of recognition of facial emotional expressions. Objective: To study: 1) categorical vs dimensional aspects of recognition of ViFaEmRe, 2) universality vs idiosyncrasy, 3) immediate vs ambivalent Emotional-Decision-Making, 4) the Emotional-Fingerprint of a face and 5) creation of population references data. Methods: With M.A.R.I.E. enable a rational quantified measurement of Emotional-Visual-Acuity (EVA) of 1) a) an individual observer, b) in a population aged 20 to 70 years old, 2) measure the range and intensity of expressed emotions by 3 Face-Tests, 3) quantify the performance of a sample of 204 observers with hyper normal measures of cognition, “thymia,” (ibid. defined elsewhere) and low levels of anxiety 4) analysis of the 6 primary emotions. Results: We have individualized the following continuous parameters: 1) “Emotional-Visual-Acuity”, 2) “Visual-Emotional-Feeling”, 3) “Emotional-Quotient”, 4) “Emotional-Deci-sion-Making”, 5) “Emotional-Decision-Making Graph” or “Individual-Gun-Trigger”6) “Emotional-Fingerprint” or “Key-graph”, 7) “Emotional-Finger-print-Graph”, 8) detecting “misunderstanding” and 9) detecting “error”. This allowed us a taxonomy with coding of the face-emotion pair. Each face has specific measurements and graphics. The EVA improves from ages of 20 to 55 years, then decreases. It does not depend on the sex of the observer, nor the face studied. In addition, 1% of people endowed with normal intelligence do not recognize emotions. The categorical dimension is a variable for everyone. The range and intensity of ViFaEmRe is idiosyncratic and not universally uniform. The recognition of emotions is purely categorical for a single individual. It is dimensional for a population sample. Conclusions: Firstly, M.A.R.I.E. has made possible to bring out new concepts and new continuous measurements variables. The comparison between healthy and abnormal individuals makes it possible to take into consideration the significance of this line of study. From now on, these new functional parameters will allow us to identify and name “emotional” disorders or illnesses which can give additional dimension to behavioral disorders in all pathologies that affect the brain. Secondly, the ViFaEmRe is idiosyncratic, categorical, and a function of the identity of the observer and of the observed face. These findings stack up against Artificial Intelligence, which cannot have a globalist or regionalist algorithm that can be programmed into a robot, nor can AI compete with human abilities and judgment in this domain. *Here “Emotional disorders” refers to disorders of emotional expressions and recognition.

Natural regeneration characteristics of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica forests on sandy land in Honghuaerji, China

Natural regeneration in Mongolian pine, Pinus sylvesttis var. mongolica, forest at Honghuaerji of China （the original of the natural Mongolian pine, forest on sandy land） was studied in 2004. The total mean values of regeneration indexes were higher in mature stands （more than 80% individual stems were older than 50 years）, the maximum of regeneration index reached 29 seedlings, m^ 2, with lowest values in the younger stand, e.g., in 32-year old and 43-year old stands. The stand age was an important factor determining the natural regeneration, which was the best in the older stands in this investigation （e.g. about 80-year old）. The regeneration index seemed not to be closely in relation to canopy openness although Mongolian pine is a photophilic tree species. In each type of gaps, natural regeneration was very well. Regeneration indexes were satisfactory at the south and east edges in the circle gaps; and at the east edge of the narrow-square gaps. Results indicated that Mongolian pine, seedlings could endure shading understory, but it would not enter the canopy layer without gap or large disturbance, e.g., fire, wind/snow damage or clear cutting etc. These results may provide potentially references to the management and afforestation of Mongolian pine, plantations on sandy land in arid and semi-arid areas. Researches such as the comprehensive comparisons on regeneration, structure and ecological conditions and so on between natural Mongolian pine, forests and plantations should be conducted in the future.

Effects of Chlorine Dioxide Gas on Postharvest Physiology and Storage Quality of Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.var.Longrum)

The effects of treatment of chlorine dioxide （C1Oz） gas on postharvest physiology and preservation quality of green bell peppers were studied. Green bell peppers were collected in bags and treated with 0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg L^-1 ClO2 gas at 10±0.5℃ for over 40 d, and the changes in postharvest physiology and preservation quality of the peppers were evaluated during the storage. The inhibition of rot of the peppers was observed for all the tested ClO2 gas treatments. The rot rates of the treated samples were 50% lesser than those of the control after day 40 of storage. The highest inhibitory effect was obtained after 50 mg L^-1 ClO2 gas treatment, where the peppers did not decay until day 30 and showed only one-fourth of the rot rate of the control at day 40 of storage. The respiratory activity of the peppers was significantly （P〈0.05） inhibited by 20 and 50 mg L^-1 ClO2 treatments, whereas no significant effects on respiratory activity were observed with 5 and 10 mg L^-1 ClO2 treatments （P〉0.05）. Except for 50 mg L^-1 ClO2, malondialdenyde （MDA） contents in the peppers treated with 5, 10, or 20 mg L^-1 ClO2 were not significantly （P〉0.05） different from those in the control. Degradation of chlorophyll in the peppers was delayed by 5 mg L-1ClO2, but promoted by 10, 20, or 50 mg L^-1 ClO2. The vitamin C content, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids of the peppers treated by all the tested ClO2 gas did not significantly change during the storage. The results suggested that ClO2 gas treatment effectively delayed the postharvest physiological transformation of green peppers, inhibited decay and respiration, maintained some nutritional and sensory quality, and retarded MDA accumulation.

Comparison of foliar nutrient concentrations between natural and artificial forests of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica on sandy land, China

In order to examine the causes of degradation of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations on sandy land, the foliar concentrations of N, P, K and C were analyzed and compared between the field grown P. sylvestris var. mongolica trees from two provenances （natural forests and plantations）. The results indicated that natural tree needles had lower N, P and C concentrations, and higher K concentrations than those of plantation tree needles. For plantation tree needles, ratios of N： P, P. K and N： K increased with tree age before 45 years old; but they were not clear for the natural tree needles. Compared with the conclusions reported on Pinus spp., we found that the foliar N and P concentrations were in the optimal range for both natural and plantation tree needles. This result suggested that N or P might not be the absolute limit factors in plant nutrient for P sylvestris var. mongolica on sandy land. However, foliar K concentrations in both natural and plantation tree needles were much lower than those reported on Pinus spp. （〉4.80 g kg-1）.The N： P ratio of natural needles was in the adequate ranges, but N： P ratio of plantation needles was out of the adequate ranges. These results indicated that there was a better balanced nutrition status in the natural forest than in the plantations. If only considering the foliar nutrient concentrations of P sylvestris var. mongolica from different provenances, it might be concluded that the degradation phenomenon of P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations was not induced by nutrition deficiency of absolute nutrients of N and P, but might be induced by other mineral nutrients or by the effectiveness of N and P nutrients. The unbalanced nutrition status and relatively quick decomposition of needles in the plantations might also contribute to the degradation.

Chemical Constituents from Bletilla ochracea Schltr.

To study the chemical constituents in Bletilla ochracea Schltr. , repeated column chromatographies and preparative TLC were used for the isolation of compounds, and spectroscopic techniques （NMR, IR, UV and MS） were used for their structural identification. Seven compounds, 2,7-bis （ allyloxy ） -5-methoxy-3-methyl-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene（1）, gastrodin（2）, gastrodigenin（3）, β-sitosterol（4）, stigmasterol（5）, 4-hydroxybernzaldehyde（6）, and daucosterol（7） were obtained from the roots of B. ochracea Schltr. Compound 1 is structurally illustrated as a novel compound, and the others are isolated from the title plant for the first time.

Analysis of QTLs for the Trichome Density on the Upper and Downer Surface of Leaf Blade in Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Trichomes （plant hairs） are present on nearly all land plants and are known to play important roles in plant protection, specifically against insect herbivory, drought, and UV radiation. The identification of quantitative trait loci （QTL） associated with trichome density should help to interpret the molecular genetic mechanism of soybean trichome density. 184 recombinant inbred lines （RILs）, derived from a cross between soybean cultivars Kefeng 1 and Nannong 1138-2 were used as segregating population for evaluation of TDU （trichome density on the upper surface of leaf blade） and TDD （trichome density on the downer surface of leaf blade）. A total of 15 QTL were detected on molecular linkage groups （MLG） A2, Dla, Dlb, E and H by composite interval mapping （CIM） and among all the QTL, qtuA2-1, qtuD 1 a-1, qtuD lb-2, qtuH-2 qtuE-1, qtdDlb-2, and qtdH- 2 were affirmed by multiple interval mapping （MIM）. The contribution ofphenotypic variance of qtuH-2 was 31.81 and 29.4% by CIM and MIM, respectively, suggesting it might be major gene Ps loci. Only 10 pairs of main QTL interactions for TDU were detected, explained a range of 0.2-5.1% of phenotypic variations for each pair for a total of 22.8%. The QTL on MLG Dlb affecting trichome density were mapped near to Rsc-7 conditioning resistance to SMV （soybean mosaic virus）. This study showed that the genetic mechanism of trichome density was the mixed major gene and polygene inheritance, and also suggested that the causal nature between trichome density and other agronomic traits.

Antifungal Flavonoids from Ficus sarmentosa var. henryi (King) Corner

The methanol extract of Ficus sarmentosa var. henryi （King） Corner was found to detect potent inhibitory activities against 6 crop pathogenic fungi, Fusarium graminearum, Pumpkin fusarium Wilt, Curvularia lunata （Wakker） Boed, Septoria zeicola Stout, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizoctonia solani. Four flavonoids were isolated from the extract of F. sarmentosa var. henryi by activity-guided fractionation and they were identified as eriodictyol （1）, homoeriodictyol （2）, dihydroquercetin （3）, and luteolin （4） by spectroscopic means and displayed excellent inhibitory activity against F. graminearum and S. zeicola. Among them, luteolin （4） showed the strongest inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 56.38 and 81.48 mg L^-1, to the fungi, respectively. The in vitro inhibitory activity of F. sarmentosa var. henryi （King） Corner was reported for the first time and the inhibitory action mechanism of luteolin （4） was worthy of further research.

Relationship between rooting ability and endogenous phytohormone changes in successive continuous generation cuttings of Buxus sinica var. parvifolia, an endangered woody species in China

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of successive continuous generation （SCG） cuttings of Buxus sinica var. parvifolia on the rejuvenation of ortets at the hormone level, detect levels of indoleacetic acid （IAA）, abscisic acid （ABA）, isopentenyladenosine （iPA）, zeatin riboside （ZR） and gibberellin4 （GA4） during the rooting process of different generations by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） technology and statistically analyze the rooting characteristics of cuttings. The results show that, the root systems of subsequent generations （generation 1998, 2000） developed satisfactorily, only a few initial generation （generation 1990, 1994） cuttings rooted and the root growth was inhibited. Around the period of callus formation and root projection through the epidermis, there was a marked, regular variation in the levels of IAA, ABA and GA4 between the initial generations and subsequent generations.

Physiology Mechanism of Metabolisms in the Middle Scales of Lilium davidii var. unicolor Bulbs Stored at Low Temperature for Dormancy-Release

Changes in carbohydrate, phenols, free amino acids and endogenous hormones in middle scales of Lilium davidii var.unicolor bulbs during the 101 days storage at 2, 6 and 10°C in moist sawdust were studied. The results indicated that asthe storage time increased and the storage temperature delined, contents of starch and abscisic acid (ABA) decreasedmarkedly, and the level of total soluble sugar, phenols, gibberellic acid (GA3) and indole acetic acid (IAA) increasedsharply. In the first 34 days, the contents of the above substances changed most actively. Correlation analysis revealedthat the increase in content of total soluble sugar and phenols was respectively caused by activation of amylase andphenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). During the storage, the content of free amino acids decreased, and the level ofarginine was the highest and changed most remarkably. According to the results of stepwise regression analysis and pathanalysis, we could primarily conclude that the metabolism of carbohydrates, phenols and free amino acids in the middlescales may be mainly regulated by endogenous GA3.

Expression of Nitrilases in Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen in Root Galls Caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae

Five commonly-used reference genes： ACT （actin）, UBE （ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme）, RPL2 （ribosomal protein L2）, BRP II （RNA polymerase II subunit）, and NADH （nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide） were examined using geNorm software as reference genes for RT-qPCR. Among the tested reference genes, ACT and UBE were the most stable in all samples. In parallel, expression analysis of nitrilases in Brassica juncea var. tumida, was performed to preliminarily investigate the molecular interactions between nitrilase and clubroot development at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40 d postinoculation （dpi） with a suspension of resting spores of Plasmodiophora brassicae. The results showed that different gene expressions of nitrilases were regulated during the initial periods of clubroot development. The expression level of BjNIT1 increased sharply from 20 to 40 dpi in infected roots while there were no remarkable changes in healthy roots. From 15 to 30 dpi, the expression levels of BjNIT2 and BjNIT4 in infected roots were lower than those in non-infected roots. Finally, BjNIT2 in treatment was down approximately to control at 40 dpi. Our results suggest that BjNIT1, which promoted overproductions of auxin, might be involved in P. brassicae infection of B. juncea.

Isolation and characterization of the AGAMOUS homologous gene NTAG in Chinese narcissus (Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis Roem)

Amaryllidaceae, a monocot plant family, consists of many important ornamental bulb flower species. Chinese narcissus （Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis Roem）, its flowers developed at high temperatures and bloomed at lower temperatures during the Chinese Spring Festival, is a traditional Chinese flower with high economic and ornamental value. To study its flower development, a full length cDNA containing MADS box domain from narcissus was isolated by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） with degenerate oligo-nucleotide primers derived from a conserved MADS- and K-box domain sequence. The 5＇ and the 3＇ regions of the gene were amplified using the PCR protocol for the rapid amplification of cDNA ends （RACE）. The 690 bp open reading frame encodes 230 amino acid residues. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of NTAG with the sequence of other MADS box proteins showed 91.3% amino acid identities with HAG （Hyacinthus orientalis）. Sequence analysis and alignment showed significant similarity with other AG homologues. RNA blot analysis indicated that the narcissus NTAG gene was expressed only in reproductive organs, especially in stamens and carpels. These results indicated that the NTAG gene was an AG homologue and that the AG genes appeared to be structurally and functionally conserved between dicots and monocots.

cDNA Fragment Cloning of L-Galactono-1,4-Lactone Dehydrogenase andIt＇s Expression in Different Organs of R. roxburghii Tratt

A 855 bp cDNA encoding L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH) fragment was cloned from fruit of R. roxburghii Tratt by the method of RT-PCR, on the basis of the homologous genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, cauliflower, sweet potato, strawberry, etc. in GenBank. Sequence analysis showed 79-92% identity in nucleotide sequence and 75-87% identity in amino acid sequence to that of strawberry and Arabidopsis thaliana, etc. Northern blot showed that the expression of GalLDH was significantly different in different organs. The transcription level of GalLDH in fruit was significantly higher than that in leaf, stem and root respectively. Furthermore, this expression mode was highly correlated with AsA levels.

Insecticidal Constructure and Bioactivities of Compounds from Ficus sarmentosa var.henryi

Insecticidal activities of the petroleum ether-, chloroform-, ethyl acetate-, and water-soluble fractions of the methanolic extract ofFicus sarmentosa var. henryi were assayed against Musca domestica adults. The chloroform- and ethyl acetate- soluble fractions were the most active with 92.6 and 88.9% mortalities （24 h after treatment） respectively. Therefore, the two fractions were combined and four compounds, isolated from the fractions by activity-guided fractionation, were elucidated as 7-hydroxycoumarin, apigenin, eriodictyol, and quercetin by spectroscopic method and displayed excellent insecticidal activities against adults of M. domestica and 4th instar larva of Aedes albopictus. Among those, 7- hydroxycoumarin showed the strongest insecticidal activities with lethal concentrations （LC50） values of 72.13 μg g^-1 sugar and 4.87 μg mL^-1 （48 h after treatment） against the test insects respectively. The cytoxicities of these compounds on BTI-Tn-5B 1-4 cell were also investigated for the insecticidal mechanism and found that quercetin represented superior inhibitory activity with MTT assay and reactive oxygen species （ROS） against BTI-Tn-5B 1-4 cell, but slightly weaker than that of the positive control （azadirachtin） and significantly greater than the negative control （DMSO only）. Meanwhile, eriodictyol demonstrated the strongest effect on the mitochondrial membrane potentials （MMP）. In conclusion, based on their comparative toxicities to commercial insecticides and their cytotoxic effects, some of the compounds from the F. sarmentosa have potential as botanical insecticides.

Genetic Analysis of Combining Abilities and Heterosis for the Contents of Soybean Isoflavone and Its Components Among the Soybean Varieties [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

The genetic analysis of soybean isoflavone content and its components were carried out based on the NC Ⅱ matingdesign in eight soybean varieties. The results showed that the isoflavone contents and its components of soybean seedare quite differences among the tested materials, the contents of isoflavone and daidzein are controlled not only byadditive effects and but also by non-additive effects, while the content of genistin is dominated by non-additive effects,and genistein, glycitin and daidzin are mainly controlled by additive effects. There are significant differences in thecontents of isoflavone and its components among the combinations derived from different parents. Results also indicatedthat the tested traits are negatively heterosis except for the contens of daidzein and daidzin are positively heterosis basedon the data of the GCA and SCA in average heterosis values. In this research we have a suggestion that soybean varietywith high isoflavone should be used as one of the parents in the breeding program, and it is the best choice that thecombinations crossed between two high isoflavone varieties or a high variety and a low one.

Genetic Relationships among Prunus mume var. pendula Using AFLP Markers

Genetic relationships among Prunus mume var. pendula were studied by using AFLP markers. 18 accessions representing 14 cultivars of Prunus mume var. pendula were selected from the germplasm collection at the Research Center of China Mei Flower. Seven Mse I-EcoR I AFLP primer combinations revealed 450 legible bands, and 269 of which were polymorphic markers. A similarity matrix was prepared using the simple matching coefficient of similarity and Neis (72) distance coefficient. A UPGMA dendrogram demonstrated the genetic relationships of the cultivars. The information given by AFLP markers was basically consistent with the morphological classification and the evolutionary history of the morphotypes, and roughly supported the new revised classification system for Chinese Mei Cultivars. But there were still several exceptions: 1) the Guhong Chuizhi inserted between the Tiaoxue Chuizhi and the Danfen Chuizhi; 2) the Wufu Chuizhi kept off the Pink Pendant Form, and the Moshan Chuizhi was removed from Viridiflora Pendant Form; 3) the Danbi Chuizhi and the Shuangbi Chuizhi of Viridiflora Pendant Form got together well but fell within the Pink Pendant Form.

Storage and Remobilization of Nitrogen by Chinese Jujube(Z. jujuba Mill. var. inermis Rehd) Seedling as Affected by Timing of ^(15)N Supply

Winter jujube orchard nitrogen （N） management aims at increasing N reserves to meet the tree＇s growth requirements. Fertilization strategies should maximize the efficiency of fertilizers, including the choice of the optimal timing of N supply. ^15N-urea was applied to winter jujubes on Jinsixiaozao jujubes rootstock to evaluate the effect of application timing on Nstorage and remobilization in mature trees in pot culture. The treatments consisted of ground application before budding （BB）, during fruit core-hardening stage （FCH）, and fruit rapid-swelling stage （FRS）. Nitrogen-use efficiency of treatments were significantly different, which were 2.42% （BB）, 9.77% （FCH）, and 9.01% （FRS） in the dormant and 5.20% （BB）, 16.16% （FCH）, and 10.30% （FRS） in the following full-bloom. N supply in the pre-harvest helped to increase N-reserves of trees and then translocate to the new growth organs the following year. The largest amount of ^15N was detected in the roots and trunks. In all the treatments, the partition rates were highest in coarse roots, which were 30.43% （BB）, 38.61% （FCH）, and 40.62% （FRS）, respectively. ^15N stored in roots and trunks was used by jujube trees to sustain new growth in the following full-bloom. ^15N applied before budding resulted in lower Ndff% in perennial organs （trunks and coarse roots） sampled in the following full-bloom, but fine roots had highest Ndff% （1.28%）. Other organs recovered similar amount of Ndff%. In contrast, FCH and FRS treatments led to higher Ndff% （4.01-5.15%） in the new growth organs （new growth branches, deciduous spurs, leaves and flowers）, but lower Ndff% in perennial branches （1.49-2.89%）. With the delay of ^15N-urea application time, ^15N increased the partitioning to roots. FCH treatment increased N-storage in perennial organ during winter, which should be remobilized to sustain new growth the following spring.

New Chemical Compound from Caragana jubata(pall.) Poir.

A new pterocarpan glycoside, （-）-maackiain 3-O-6＇-O-acrylyl-β-D-galactopyranoside（1） was isolated from the whole parts of Caragana jubata（pall.） Poir., together with three known pterocarpan glycosides, （-）-maackiain 3-O-6＇-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranoside（2）, （-）-maackiain 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside（3） and （-）-maackiain 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside（4）. All the compounds were isolated from the title plant for the first time. The structure of the new compound was established on the basis of detailed 1D, 2D NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopic analyses. All the compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against three tumor cell lines, A549, HL-60 and P388.

Content Changes of Several Endogenous Plant Hormones in Female-Sterile Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.

To determine the relationship between female sterility of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. and plant hormones, content changes of several endogenous plant hormones in a female-sterile clone and a normal clone were analyzed during the key period of female gametophyte abortion in mutant clones. The change of ABA content showed a similar pattern between normal and mutant clones, but the ABA content of the mutant clone was always much higher than that of the normal clone. In the normal clone, the IAA content decreased significantly at the early stage of the period and reached its minimum during the first ten days of April and stabilized thereafter. The endogenous ZR levels increased sharply at the early stages and reached a maximum in the middle of April, then decreased dramatically. The IAA and ZR contents of the mutant clone did not change perceptively through the entire period. We conclude that the high levels of ABA and the deficit of IAA and ZR may be the reasons of female gametophyte abortion in the female-sterile clones of P. tabulaeformis.

Genetic Analysis of Embryo, Cytoplasm and Maternal Effects and Their Environment Interactions for Isoflavone Content in Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Soybean seed products contain isoflavones （genistein, daidzein, and glycitein） that display biological effects when ingested by humans and animals. These effects are species, dose and age dependent. Therefore, the content and quality of isoflavones in soybeans is a key factor to the biological effect. Our objective was to identify the genetic effects that underlie the isoflavone content in soybean seeds. A genetic model for quantitative traits of seeds in diploid plants was applied to estimate the genetic main effects and genotype x environment （GE） interaction effects for the isoflavone content （IC） of soybean seeds by using two years experimental data with an incomplete diallel mating design of six parents. Results showed that the IC of soybean seeds was simultaneously controlled by the genetic effects of maternal, embryo, and cytoplasm, of which maternal genetic effects were most important, followed by embryo and cytoplasmic genetic effects. The main effects of different genetic systems on IC trait were more important than environment interaction effects. The strong dominance effects on isoflavone from residual was made easily by environment conditions. Therefore, the improvement of the IC of soybean seeds would be more efficient when selection is based on maternal plants than that on the single seed. Maternal heritability （65.73%） was most important for IC, followed by embryo heritability （25.87%） and cytoplasmic heritability （8.39%）. Based on predicated genetic effects, Yudou 29 and Zheng 90007 were better than other parents for increasing IC in the progeny and improving the quality of soybean, The significant effects of maternal and embryo dominance effects in variance show that the embryo heterosis and maternal heterosis are existent and uninfluenced by environment interaction effects.

In vitro culture of immature embryos from Koelreuteria bipinnata var. integrifoliola

For the mass production of Koelreuteria bipinnata var. integrifoliola with selected, hybrid or genetically engineered genotypes, one potentially desirable propagation strategy is based on embryo culture. The immature embryo development in vitro from K. bipinnata var. integrifoliola was studied under different conditions of embryo age, basic culture media and plant growth regulators. The results show that： 1） germination rate of grade 3 embryos in immature seeds with 0.6-0.8 cm diameter was 98.9%. The germination rate of grade 2 embryos in immature seeds with 0.4-0.6 cm diameter was 77,8% and the germination rate of grade 1 embryos in immature seeds with 0.4 cm diameter was 15.6%. 2） The amounts of macroelements in MS medium had no clear effect on the germination rate of immature grade 3 embryos and had a modest effect on plantlet growth, where the best medium was MS or 1/2 MS. The rates were all greater than 90%. 3） The germination rate of grade 3 embryos was greater than 87% when the medium contained a low concentration of NAA or no plant growth regulators at all and decreased markedly when BAP alone or BAP and NAA together were added to the media. We suggest that in vitro culture of immature embryos from K. bipinnata vat. integrifoliola can be enhanced when a small amount of plant growth regulators is added. The addition of BAP has an adverse reaction to the germination and development of immature embryos.