Genetic analysis for brix weight per stool and its component traits in sugarcane （Saccharum officinarum）

Brix weight per stool (BW) of sugarcane is a complex trait, which is the final product of a combination of many components. Diallel cross experiments were conducted during a period of two years for BW and its five component traits, including stalk diameter (SD), stalk length (SL), stalk number (SN), stalk weight (SW), and brix scale (BS) of sugarcane. Phenotypic data of all the six traits were analyzed by mixed linear model and their phenotype variances were portioned into additive (A),dominance (D), additive×environment interaction (AE) and dominance×environment interaction (DE) effects, and the correlations of A, D, AE and DE effects between BW and its components were estimated. Conditional analysis was employed to investigate the contribution of the components traits to the variances of A, D, AE and DE effects of BW. It was observed that the heritabilities of BW were significantly attributed to A, D and DE by 23.9%, 30.9% and 28.5%, respectively. The variance of A effect for BW was significantly affected by SL, SN and BS by 25.3%, 93.7% and 17.4%, respectively. The variances of D and DE effects for BW were also significantly influenced by all the five components by 5.1%～85.5%. These determinants might be helpful in sugarcane breeding and provide valuable information for multiple-trait improvement of BW.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis, anticonvulsant activity and quantum mechanical modelling of N-（4-bromo-3-methylphenyl） semicarbazones

Objective： To study the effect of halo substitution on disubstituted aryl semicarbazones on the anticonvulsant potential and model the activity based on quantum mechanics. Methods： A series of twenty-six compounds of N^4-（4-bromo-3-methylphenyl） semicarbazones were synthesized and evaluated for the anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock seizure （MES） and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole （scPTZ） seizure threshold tests. Some potential compounds were also tested in the subcutaneous strychnine （scSTY） and subcutaneous picrotoxin （scPIC） seizure threshold tests. The synthesized compounds were tested for behavioral impairment and CNS （central nervous system） depression in mice. Quantum mechanical modelling was carried out on these compounds to gain understanding on the structural features essential for activity. Results： Some compounds possessed broad spectrum anticonvulsant activity as indicated by their effect in pentylenetetrazole, strychnine, picrotoxin and maximal electroshock seizures models in resemblance to other aryl semicarbazone derivatives reported earlier. The higher the difference in HOMO （highest occupied molecular orbital） and LUMO （lowest unoccupied molecular orbital） energy levels was, the greater was the activity profile. Conclusion： The pharmacophoric requirements for compounds to exhibit anticonvulsant activity that includes one aryl unit in proximity to a hydrogen donor-acceptor domain and an electron donor have been justified with the molecular orbital surface analysis of the synthesized compounds.     

Comparison of high order aberration after conventional and customized ablation in myopic LASIK in different eyes of the same patient

Purpose: To verify whether there exists any difference in higher order aberrations after undergoing myopic LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) with conventional ablation and customized ablation in different eyes of the same patient. Methods: This was a prospective randomized study of 54 myopic eyes (27 patients) that underwent LASIK using the Nidek EC-5000 ex-cimer laser system (Nidek, Gamagori, Japan). Topography-guided customized aspheric treatment zone (CATz) was used in the first eye of the patient (study group) and the other eye of the same patient was operated on with conventional ablation (control group). Higher order aberrations [root-mean-square (RMS) in the 5-mm zone] of both groups were observed with the Nidek OPD-Scan aberrometer before and 3 months after LASIK. Preoperative mean refractive error was similar between two eyes of the same patient (t=?0.577, P>0.05). Results: Preoperatively, higher order aberrations (RMS in the 5-mm zone) in the CATz ablation and conventional groups were (0.3600±0.0341) μm and (0.2680±0.1421) μm, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (t=1.292, P>0.05). Three months after LASIK, higher order aberrations (RMS in 5-mm zone) in the CATz ablation and conventional groups were (0.3627±0.1510) μm and (0.3991±0.1582) μm, respectively. No statistically significant difference was noted between pre- and postoperative higher order aberrations in the CATz group (t=?0.047, P>0.05). However, a statistically significant increase in higher order aberrations was observed after conventional ablation (t=?5.261, P<0.05). A statistically sig-nificant difference was noted in the increase of higher order aberrations after LASIK between groups (t=?2.050, P=0.045). Con-clusion: LASIK with conventional ablation and topography-guided CATz ablation resulted in the same BSCVA (best specta-cle-corrected visual acuity) 3 month after LASIK. Higher order aberrations were increased, but the increase of higher order ab-errations after customized ablation treatment was less than that after conventional ablation.     

Study of Resistin gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cell and its gene polymorphism in a small range population

INTRODUCTION Recently discovered as an endocrine organ, adi-pose tissue can secrete many cytokines such as Re-sistin, adiponectin and free fatty acids, and receives much attention in the study of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As a peptide hor-mone secreted by adipocyte, Resistin is considered to be the linkage between obesity and insulin resistance (Steppan et al., 2001). Most studies on Resistin in-vestigate adipose tissue. In this experiment we de-tected t…     

Application of response surface methodology in medium optimization for pyruvic acid production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Torulopsis glabrata</Emphasis> TP19 in batch fermentation

Response surface methodology （RSM） was used to optimize the fermentation medium for enhancing pyruvic acid production by Torulopsis glabrata TP19. In the first step of optimization, with Plackett-Burman design, ammonium sulfate, glucose and nicotinic acid were found to be the important factors affecting pyruvic acid production significantly. In the second step, a 23 full factorial central composite design and RSM were applied to determine the optimal concentration of each significant variable. A second-order polynomial was determined by the multiple regression analysis of the experimental data. The optimum values for the critical components were obtained as follows： ammonium sulfate 0.7498 （10.75 g/L）, glucose 0.9383 （109.38 g/L） and nicotinic acid 0.3633 （7.86 mg/L） with a predicted value of maximum pyruvic acid production of 42.2 g/L. Under the optimal conditions, the practical pyruvic acid production was 42.4 g/L. The determination coefficient （R^2） was 0.9483, which ensures adequate credibility of the model. By scaling up fermentation from flask to jar fermentor, we obtained promising results.     

Effects of osmotic stress on antioxidant enzymes activities in leaf discs of P<Subscript>SAG12</Subscript>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">IPT</Emphasis> modified gerbera

Leaf senescence is often caused by water deficit and the chimeric gene PSA612-1PT is an auto-regulated gene delaying leaf senescence. Using in vitro leaf discs culture system, the changes of contents of chlorophylls, carotenoids, soluble protein and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance （TBARS） and antioxidant enzymes activities were investigated during leaf senescence of PSA612-1PT modified gerbera induced by osmotic stress compared with the control plant （wild type）. Leaf discs were incubated in 20%, 40% （w/v） polyethylene glycol （PEG） 6 000 nutrient solution for 20 h under continuous light [ 130 μmol/（m^2·s）]. The results showed that the contents of chlorophylls, carotenoids and soluble protein were decreased by osmotic stress with the decrease being more pronounced at 40% PEG, but that, at the same PEG concentration the decrease in the transgenic plants was significantly lower than that in the control plant. The activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalases （CAT）, ascorbate peroxidase （APX）, guaiacol peroxidase （GPX） and dehydroascorbate reductase （DHAR） were stimulated by PEG treatment. However, the increases were higher in PSA612-IPT transgenic plants than in the control plants, particularly at 40% PEG treatment. Lipid peroxidation （TBARS content） was increased by PEG treatment with the increase being much lower in transgenic plant than in the control plant. It could be concluded that the increases in the activities ofantioxidant enzymes including SOD, CAT, APX, GPX and DHAR were responsible for the delay of leaf senescence induced by osmotic stress.     

Potential production simulation and optimal nutrient management of two hybrid rice varieties in Jinhua,Zhejiang Province,China

Potential growth of two widely-grown hybrid rice varieties in the Jinhua district of Zhejiang Province, Shanyou63 for mid-rice and Xieyou46 for late rice, was simulated using a crop growth model of WOFOST. Parameters of the rice growth in WOFOST were calibrated through field experiments from 1999 to 2002 in Jinhua. The potential yield simulated with WOFOST was about 12 t/ha for Shanyou63 and 10 t/ha for Xieyou46, which are in good agreement with the highest recorded yield obtained in this area. Under farmers practice, current yield is about 7.5 t/ha for Shanyou63 and 6.5 t/ha for Xieyou46. There is a gap between the actual rice yield and the potential yield for these two hybrid rice varieties grown in this area. The attainable target yields were set to 70% to 75% of their potential yields for the two varieties. A recently developed software ＂Nutrient Decision Support System （NuDSS）＂ for irrigated rice was used to optimize nutrient management for these two rice varieties. According to NuDSS, the optimal fertilizer N requirement for the target yields was about 150 kg/ha for Shanyou63 and about 120 kg/ha for Xieyou46, which were only about 70% of the fertilizer N application under current farmers＇ practice. Comparing with farmers＇ practice, there is great potential to increase actual rice yields and to reduce fertilizer N use rates by improving rice crop management practice in Jinhua.     

In vitro assessment of gastrointestinal viability of two photosynthetic bacteria, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodopseudomonas palustris</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodobacter sphaeroides</Emphasis>

The objectives of this study were to assess the potential of two photosynthetic bacteria （PSB）, Rhodopseudomonas palustris HZ0301 and Rhodobacter sphaeroides HZ0302, as probiotics in aquaculture. The viability of HZ0301 and HZ0302 in simulated gastric transit conditions （pH 2.0, pH 3.0 and pH 4.0 gastric juices） and in simulated small intestinal transit conditions （pH 8.0, with or without 0.3% bile salts） was tested. The effects of HZ0301 and HZ0302 on the viability and permeability of intestinal epithelial cell in primary culture of tilapias, Oreochrornis nilotica, were also detected. All the treatments were deter- mined with three replicates. The simulated gastric transit tolerance of HZ0301 and HZ0302 strains was pH-dependent and correspondingly showed lower viability at pH 2.0 after 180 min compared with pH 3.0 and pH 4.0. Both HZ0301 and HZ0302 were tolerant to simulated small intestine transit with or without bile salts in our research. Moreover, there was no significant difference （P〉0.05） among three treatments including the control and the groups treated with HZ0301 or HZ0302 both in intestinal epithelial cell viability and membrane permeability, showing no cell damage. In summary, this study demonstrated that HZ0301 and HZ0302 had high capacity of upper gastrointestinal transit tolerance and were relatively safe for intestinal epithelial cells of tilapias.     

Lipids changes in liver cancer

Liver is one of the most important organs in energy metabolism. Most plasma apolipoproteins and endogenous lipids and lipoproteins are synthesized in the liver. It depends on the integrity of liver cellular function, which ensures homeostasis of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. When liver cancer occurs, these processes are impaired and the plasma lipid and lipoprotein patterns may be changed. Liver cancer is the fifth common malignant tumor worldwide, and is closely related to the infections of hepatitis B virus （HBV） and hepatitis C virus （HCV）. HBV and HCV infections are quite common in China and other Southeast Asian countries. In addition, liver cancer is often followed by a procession of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, so that hepatic function is damaged obviously on these bases, which may significantly influence lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in vivo. In this review we summarize the clinical significance of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism under liver cancer.     

Cell therapy in congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure （CHF） has emerged as a major worldwide epidemic and its main causes seem to be the aging of the population and the survival of patients with post-myocardial infarction. Cardiomyocyte dropout （necrosis and apoptosis） plays a critical role in the progress of CHF; thus treatment of CHF by exogenous cell implantation will be a promising medical approach. In the acute phase of cardiac damage cardiac stem cells （CSCs） within the heart divide symmetrically and/or asymmetrically in response to the change of heart homeostasis, and at the same time homing of bone marrow stem cells （BMCs） to injured area is thought to occur, which not only reconstitutes CSC population to normal levels but also repairs the heart by differentiation into cardiac tissue. So far, basic studies by using potential sources such as BMCs and CSCs to treat animat CHF have shown improved ventricular remodelling and heart function. Recently, however, a few of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials demonstrated mixed results in heart failure with BMC therapy during acute myocardial infarction.